Motion aftereffects with rotating ellipses

Summary The perceptual outcome and the motion-aftereffect duration generated by the rotation on the frontal plane of an ellipse with a bar depend on whether the bar is placed along the major or the minor axis. When the bar is placed along the minor axis, a stereokinetic transformation occurs, and the pattern looks like a tilting ring with a perpendicular bar moving rigidly with it. Placing the bar along the major axis prevents the stereokinetic transformation: subjects report deformations and relative motion of the bar with respect to the ellipse. We found that motion aftereffects last longer when the bar is placed along the minor rather than along the major axis. A series of experiments was carried out to investigate whether differences in aftereffect duration are related to the stereokinetic transformation. Results seem to suggest that they are not.The authors' names are in alphabetical order.     

Exploring the Context-Sensitivity of Collective Action Motivations and the Mobilizing Role of Social Media: A Comparative Interview Study With Activists in Germany and Turkey

Western scholarship has underlined the relevance of social identity, perceived efficacy, emotions, and cost–benefit assessments as central catalysts of collective action. Little has been done to understand the context-sensitivity of these catalysts by means of cross-culturally comparative designs. The current study explores their context-sensitivity. It aims to find out whether existing opportunity structures in a democratic, nonrepressive country like Germany produce catalysts of collective action different from those produced in an autocratic, repressive country like Turkey. It also aims to understand the role of social media in mobilizing people in these two contexts. Semistandardized interviews with activists were carried out in both countries (n = 18 in Germany and n = 15 in Turkey) and analyzed by means of a cross-culturally comparative inductive coding procedure including initial and focused coding. Results show that collective action is related to different configurations of collective-action catalysts in the two countries. Solidarity concerns at the face of existential risks are more pronounced in Turkey, whereas political-change concerns are more important in Germany. The role of social media accordingly differs, adhering to the different activist goals. Theoretical implications for the role of context in studying collective action are discussed.     

When the poor give more than the rich: The role of resource evaluability on relative giving

Five experiments examined the role of resource evaluability on giving. We systematically varied participants' resources they and another potential donor received and whether they could donate to a recipient either by themselves or with the other donor. Participants in the relative advantage condition received more resources than the other donor, and those in the relative disadvantage condition received fewer resources than the other donor. The presence of the other donor made participants' resources evaluable and shaped giving: Relatively disadvantaged participants were proportionally more generous than advantaged participants but only when they could evaluate their resources. Neither the mere presence of others nor reputational concerns could explain the results. Exploratory mediation and moderation analyses further showed that relatively disadvantaged participants give proportionally more the higher and the more equal they perceive their status to the advantaged donor. This shows that the generosity of those who have less does depend on how they evaluate their status compared to other donors. Our results provide insights into the question of why and when resource asymmetries between donors result in prosocial giving and can influence fundraising strategies of charitable organizations.     

Revisitation of the luminance conditions for the occurrence of the achromatic neon color spreading illusion

This paper develops the idea (Bressan, 1993) that neon spreading derives from the perceptual scissioning of ordinary assimilation color, a process identical to that occurring with nonillusory colors in phenomenal transparency. It is commonly held that the critical elements in achromatic neon spreading patterns must be of luminance intermediate between that of the embedding lines and of the background. The interpretation of neon spreading on the basis of color scissioning, however, predicts that neon spreading should also be observed for different luminance hierarchies, provided that these are compatible with transparency. This prediction found experimental support in the present work. The results suggest that (1) the widespread notion that chromatic and achromatic neon spreading must be mediated by separate mechanisms is unwarranted; (2) the widespread notion that color spreading in ordinary assimilation patterns and color spreading in neon patterns must be mediated by separate mechanisms is unwarranted; and (3) other than pointing to the way in which the overall organization of a scene affects the mode of color appearance, the neon spreading effect may not convey any extra theoretical relevance.     

In Vitro Fertilization: A Pastoral Taboo?

Journal of Religion and Health - Scholars have shown how the moral limitations and caveats that many religions pose against new assisted reproductive technologies have hindered women’s...     

Correction to: Autism,autistic traits and creativity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Cognitive Processing - In the original publication of the article, the first and last names of the authors are interchanged and published incorrectly. The correct author names are given below:...     

Resolution of dilemmas: A mathematical theory

A mathematical formulation for a dilemma (i.e. a situation in which a very difficult choice between two alternatives must be made) is given. Multiple-objective programming is assumed as the model for a single decision maker. It is shown that, in principle, any dilemma is resolvable. Furthermore, there is always more than one way in which to resolve a dilemma. Illustrative examples from non-convex optimization are presented.