Distance Minimization in Downtown Pedestrian Shopping

1988 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 547-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Gärling ◽  
E Gärling
Keyword(s):  
Mental Representations ◽  
Walking Distance ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Parking Lot ◽  
Distance Minimization

Downtown pedestrian shopping was observed with the purpose of determining whether shoppers attempted to minimize walking distance, and, if so, whether, as has been suggested in previous research, they did that by successively choosing the closest locations. In downtown of an average-sized Swedish city (about 80000 residents), 150 shoppers were interviewed in a parking lot when they were coming back from shopping rounds. 69% of the shoppers visited more than one location, and 51% visited more than two locations. Of those who visited more than two different locations, 35 (69%) attempted to minimize walking distance. This was most frequently done by first choosing the location farthest away, then minimizing distance successively back to the parking lot. In this way shoppers probably attempted to minimize both the walking distance and the effort to carry goods. Some shoppers managed to choose routes which were shorter than if they had minimized distance successively. This finding was consistent with the results of laboratory studies demonstrating the role of maplike mental representations for distance-minimizing choices.

Do Writing Directions Influence How People Map Space onto Time?

2018 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 173-184
Author(s):  
Wenxing Yang ◽  
Ying Sun
Keyword(s):  
Mental Representations ◽  
Space Time ◽  
Horizontal Axis ◽  
Causal Role ◽  
Writing Systems ◽  
Temporal Cognition ◽  
Japanese Speakers ◽  
Psychological Experiments ◽  
Vertical Up

Abstract. The causal role of a unidirectional orthography in shaping speakers’ mental representations of time seems to be well established by many psychological experiments. However, the question of whether bidirectional writing systems in some languages can also produce such an impact on temporal cognition remains unresolved. To address this issue, the present study focused on Japanese and Taiwanese, both of which have a similar mix of texts written horizontally from left to right (HLR) and vertically from top to bottom (VTB). Two experiments were performed which recruited Japanese and Taiwanese speakers as participants. Experiment 1 used an explicit temporal arrangement design, and Experiment 2 measured implicit space-time associations in participants along the horizontal (left/right) and the vertical (up/down) axis. Converging evidence gathered from the two experiments demonstrate that neither Japanese speakers nor Taiwanese speakers aligned their vertical representations of time with the VTB writing orientation. Along the horizontal axis, only Japanese speakers encoded elapsing time into a left-to-right linear layout, which was commensurate with the HLR writing direction. Therefore, two distinct writing orientations of a language could not bring about two coexisting mental time lines. Possible theoretical implications underlying the findings are discussed.

scholarly journals The Road More Travelled: The Differential Effects of Spatial Experience in Young and Elderly Participants

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 709
Author(s):  
Antonella Lopez ◽  
Alessandro Germani ◽  
Luigi Tinella ◽  
Alessandro Oronzo Caffò ◽  
Albert Postma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Representations ◽  
Spatial Relations ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The Road ◽  
Socio Demographic Factors ◽  
Effects Of Aging ◽  
Coordinate Spatial Relations ◽  
Categorical Spatial Relations ◽  
The Relationship

Our spatial mental representations allow us to give refined descriptions of the environment in terms of the relative locations and distances between objects and landmarks. In this study, we investigated the effects of familiarity with the everyday environment, in terms of frequency of exploration and mode of transportation, on categorical and coordinate spatial relations, on young and elderly participants, controlling for socio-demographic factors. Participants were tested with a general anamnesis, a neuropsychological assessment, measures of explorations and the Landmark Positioning on a Map task. The results showed: (a) a modest difference in performance with categorical spatial relations; (b) a larger difference in coordinate spatial relations; (c) a significant moderating effect of age on the relationship between familiarity and spatial relations, with a stronger relation among the elderly than the young. Ceteris paribus, the role of direct experience with exploring their hometown on spatial mental representations appeared to be more important in the elderly than in the young. This advantage appears to make the elderly wiser and likely protects them from the detrimental effects of aging on spatial mental representations.

scholarly journals The Role of Lower Crustal Rheology in Lithospheric Delamination During Orogeny

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Chen
Keyword(s):  
Lower Crust ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Mantle Lithosphere ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Surface Uplift ◽  
Continental Lower Crust ◽  
Lower Crustal ◽  
Flow Laws

The continental lower crust is an important composition- and strength-jump layer in the lithosphere. Laboratory studies show its strength varies greatly due to a wide variety of composition. How the lower crust rheology influences the collisional orogeny remains poorly understood. Here I investigate the role of the lower crust rheology in the evolution of an orogen subject to horizontal shortening using 2D numerical models. A range of lower crustal flow laws from laboratory studies are tested to examine their effects on the styles of the accommodation of convergence. Three distinct styles are observed: 1) downwelling and subsequent delamination of orogen lithosphere mantle as a coherent slab; 2) localized thickening of orogen lithosphere; and 3) underthrusting of peripheral strong lithospheres below the orogen. Delamination occurs only if the orogen lower crust rheology is represented by the weak end-member of flow laws. The delamination is followed by partial melting of the lower crust and punctuated surface uplift confined to the orogen central region. For a moderately or extremely strong orogen lower crust, topography highs only develop on both sides of the orogen. In the Tibetan plateau, the crust has been doubly thickened but the underlying mantle lithosphere is highly heterogeneous. I suggest that the subvertical high-velocity mantle structures, as observed in southern and western Tibet, may exemplify localized delamination of the mantle lithosphere due to rheological weakening of the Tibetan lower crust.

scholarly journals It’s Important to Go to the Laboratory: Malte Ziewitz Talks with Michael Lynch

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malte Ziewitz ◽  
Michael Lynch
Keyword(s):  
Social Studies ◽  
Science And Technology Studies ◽  
Blow Up ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Technology Studies ◽  
Social Studies Of Science ◽  
Origin Stories

Why would anyone still want to go to the laboratory in 2018? In this interview, Michael Lynch answers this and other questions, reflecting on his own journey in, through, and alongside the field of science and technology studies (STS). Starting from his days as a student of Harold Garfinkel’s at UCLA to more recent times as editor of Social Studies of Science, Lynch talks about the rise of origin stories in the field; the role of ethnomethodology in his thinking; the early days of laboratory studies; why “turns” and “waves” might better be called “spins”; what he learned from David Edge; why we should be skeptical of the presumption that STS enhances the democratization of science; and why it might be time to “blow up STS”––an appealing idea that Malte Ziewitz takes up in his reflection following the interview.

scholarly journals The role of ticks in the maintenance and transmission of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus: A review of published field and laboratory studies

2017 ◽  
Vol 144 ◽  
pp. 93-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aysen Gargili ◽  
Agustin Estrada-Peña ◽  
Jessica R. Spengler ◽  
Alexander Lukashev ◽  
Patricia A. Nuttall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Fever Virus ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever Virus

The role of Sphagnum fimbriatum in secondary succession in a road salt impacted bog

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (11) ◽  
pp. 2270-2275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Wilcox ◽  
Richard E. Andrus
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Succession ◽  
Vegetative Reproduction ◽  
Salt Content ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Pore Waters ◽  
Deicing Salts ◽  
Salt Gradient ◽  
Belt Transect ◽  
Sphagnum Fimbriatum

Secondary succession of Sphagnum mosses was studied for 7 years along a belt transect in a bog that had been impacted by sodium chloride highway deicing salts. Laboratory studies on Sphagnum fimbriatum Wils., the dominant recolonizing species, were conducted to determine its salt tolerance level and ability to reproduce from spores and fragments across a salt gradient. Vegetative reproduction was also compared with that of four other recolonizing species. Sphagnum fimbriatum represented a high percentage of all recolonizing Sphagnum and generally began growing on low hummocks in quadrats where the salt content of the interstitial peat pore waters had dropped to about 300 mg/L as chloride. This salt concentration was also found to be the basic tolerance limit for mature plants and reproducing spores and fragments. The success of Sphagnum fimbriatum as a pioneer species seems to be associated with its prolific production and probable dispersal of spores, its superior vegetative reproduction, its tolerance of mineralized waters, and its ability to grow on hummocks out of direct contact with mineralized waters.

scholarly journals Distinct facial expressions represent pain and pleasure across cultures

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (43) ◽  
pp. E10013-E10021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaona Chen ◽  
Carlos Crivelli ◽  
Oliver G. B. Garrod ◽  
Philippe G. Schyns ◽  
José-Miguel Fernández-Dols ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Mental Representations ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Information Theoretic ◽  
Complementary Approach ◽  
Dynamic Facial Expressions ◽  
Negative Affective States ◽  
Affective Experiences ◽  
New Research

Real-world studies show that the facial expressions produced during pain and orgasm—two different and intense affective experiences—are virtually indistinguishable. However, this finding is counterintuitive, because facial expressions are widely considered to be a powerful tool for social interaction. Consequently, debate continues as to whether the facial expressions of these extreme positive and negative affective states serve a communicative function. Here, we address this debate from a novel angle by modeling the mental representations of dynamic facial expressions of pain and orgasm in 40 observers in each of two cultures (Western, East Asian) using a data-driven method. Using a complementary approach of machine learning, an information-theoretic analysis, and a human perceptual discrimination task, we show that mental representations of pain and orgasm are physically and perceptually distinct in each culture. Cross-cultural comparisons also revealed that pain is represented by similar face movements across cultures, whereas orgasm showed distinct cultural accents. Together, our data show that mental representations of the facial expressions of pain and orgasm are distinct, which questions their nondiagnosticity and instead suggests they could be used for communicative purposes. Our results also highlight the potential role of cultural and perceptual factors in shaping the mental representation of these facial expressions. We discuss new research directions to further explore their relationship to the production of facial expressions.

The Role of Metabolic Epidemiology and Laboratory Studies in the Etiology of Colon Cancer

Epidemiology ◽  
1979 ◽  
pp. 53-61
Author(s):  
Gary M. Williams ◽  
Bandaru S. Reddy ◽  
John H. Weisburger
Keyword(s):  
Colon Cancer ◽  
Laboratory Studies

scholarly journals Noble Gases in Terrestrial Planets: Evidence for Cometary Impacts?

1989 ◽  
Vol 116 (1) ◽  
pp. 429-437
Author(s):  
Tobias Owen ◽  
Akiva Bar-Nun ◽  
Idit Kleinfeld
Keyword(s):  
Low Temperatures ◽  
Noble Gases ◽  
Noble Gas ◽  
Terrestrial Planets ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Gas Patterns ◽  
Atmosphere Of Venus

AbstractThe possible role of comets in bringing volatiles to the inner planets is investigated by means of laboratory studies of the ability of ice to trap gases at low temperatures. The pattern of the heavy noble gases formed in the atmosphere of Venus can be explained by the impact of a planetesimal composed of ices formed in the range of 20 to 30 K. The noble gas patterns on Mars and Earth are less explicable by cometary bombardment alone.

The role of action representations in the dynamics of embodied cognition

2001 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-59
Author(s):  
Natika Newton
Keyword(s):  
Dynamical System ◽  
Embodied Cognition ◽  
Mental Representations ◽  
Physical Objects ◽  
Action Representations

Thelen et al. present a convincing explanation of the A-not-B error, but contrary to their own claims, their explanation essentially involves mental representations. As is too common among cognitive scientists, they equate mental representations with representations of external physical objects. They clearly show, however, that representations of bodily actions on physical objects are central to the dynamical system producing the error.

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