Evidence for a pre-match 'mental translation' on a form-matching task

AbstractInaccurate egocentric distance and speed perception are two main explanations for the high accident rate associated with driving in foggy weather. The effect of foggy weather on speed has been well studied. However, its effect on egocentric distance perception is poorly understood. The paradigm for measuring perceived egocentric distance in previous studies was verbal estimation instead of a nonverbal paradigm. In the current research, a nonverbal paradigm, the visual matching task, was used. Our results from the nonverbal task revealed a robust foggy effect on egocentric distance. Observers overestimated the egocentric distance in foggy weather compared to in clear weather. The higher the concentration of fog, the more serious the overestimation. This effect of fog on egocentric distance was not limited to a certain distance range but was maintained in action space and vista space. Our findings confirm the foggy effect with a nonverbal paradigm and reveal that people may perceive egocentric distance more "accurately" in foggy weather than when it is measured with a verbal estimation task.

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Within-person variability can improve the identification of unfamiliar faces across changes in viewpoint

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology ◽

10.1177/17470218211009771 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 174702182110097

Author(s):

Niamh Hunnisett ◽

Simone Favelle

Keyword(s):

Image Matching ◽

Matching Task ◽

Target Image ◽

Front View ◽

Multiple Image ◽

Profile View ◽

Unfamiliar Face ◽

Matching Performance ◽

Sequential Matching ◽

Unfamiliar Faces

Unfamiliar face identification is concerningly error prone, especially across changes in viewing conditions. Within-person variability has been shown to improve matching performance for unfamiliar faces, but this has only been demonstrated using images of a front view. In this study, we test whether the advantage of within-person variability from front views extends to matching to target images of a face rotated in view. Participants completed either a simultaneous matching task (Experiment 1) or a sequential matching task (Experiment 2) in which they were tested on their ability to match the identity of a face shown in an array of either one or three ambient front-view images, with a target image shown in front, three-quarter, or profile view. While the effect was stronger in Experiment 2, we found a consistent pattern in match trials across both experiments in that there was a multiple image matching benefit for front, three-quarter, and profile-view targets. We found multiple image effects for match trials only, indicating that providing observers with multiple ambient images confers an advantage for recognising different images of the same identity but not for discriminating between images of different identities. Signal detection measures also indicate a multiple image advantage despite a more liberal response bias for multiple image trials. Our results show that within-person variability information for unfamiliar faces can be generalised across views and can provide insights into the initial processes involved in the representation of familiar faces.

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Brain networks underlying the processing of sound symbolism related to softness perception

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-86328-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ryo Kitada ◽

Jinhwan Kwon ◽

Ryuichi Doizaki ◽

Eri Nakagawa ◽

Tsubasa Tanigawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽

Sensory Modality ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Sound Symbolism ◽

Matching Task ◽

Unique Contribution ◽

Superior Frontal Gyrus ◽

Symbolic Information ◽

Object Properties ◽

Imaging Experiment

AbstractUnlike the assumption of modern linguistics, there is non-arbitrary association between sound and meaning in sound symbolic words. Neuroimaging studies have suggested the unique contribution of the superior temporal sulcus to the processing of sound symbolism. However, because these findings are limited to the mapping between sound symbolism and visually presented objects, the processing of sound symbolic information may also involve the sensory-modality dependent mechanisms. Here, we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment to test whether the brain regions engaged in the tactile processing of object properties are also involved in mapping sound symbolic information with tactually perceived object properties. Thirty-two healthy subjects conducted a matching task in which they judged the congruency between softness perceived by touch and softness associated with sound symbolic words. Congruency effect was observed in the orbitofrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, insula, medial superior frontal gyrus, cingulate gyrus, and cerebellum. This effect in the insula and medial superior frontal gyri was overlapped with softness-related activity that was separately measured in the same subjects in the tactile experiment. These results indicate that the insula and medial superior frontal gyrus play a role in processing sound symbolic information and relating it to the tactile softness information.

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Current Task Activation Predicts General Effects of Advance Preparation in Task Switching

Experimental Psychology (formerly Zeitschrift für Experimentelle Psychologie) ◽

10.1027/1618-3169.53.4.260 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 53 (4) ◽

pp. 260-267 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Edita Poljac ◽

Ab de Haan ◽

Gerard P. van Galen

Keyword(s):

Task Performance ◽

Task Switching ◽

Shape Matching ◽

Response Times ◽

Error Rates ◽

Matching Task ◽

Task Switch ◽

Current Task ◽

Within Subjects ◽

And Task

Two experiments investigated the way that beforehand preparation influences general task execution in reaction-time matching tasks. Response times (RTs) and error rates were measured for switching and nonswitching conditions in a color- and shape-matching task. The task blocks could repeat (task repetition) or alternate (task switch), and the preparation interval (PI) was manipulated within-subjects (Experiment 1) and between-subjects (Experiment 2). The study illustrated a comparable general task performance after a long PI for both experiments, within and between PI manipulations. After a short PI, however, the general task performance increased significantly for the between-subjects manipulation of the PI. Furthermore, both experiments demonstrated an analogous preparation effect for both task switching and task repetitions. Next, a consistent switch cost throughout the whole run of trials and a within-run slowing effect were observed in both experiments. Altogether, the present study implies that the effects of the advance preparation go beyond the first trials and confirms different points of the activation approach ( Altmann, 2002) to task switching.

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Neurophysiological changes in the visuomotor network after practicing a motor task

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.00020.2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 120 (1) ◽

pp. 239-249 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

James E. Gehringer ◽

David J. Arpin ◽

Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham ◽

Tony W. Wilson ◽

Max J. Kurz

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Motor Planning ◽

Motor Task ◽

Force Production ◽

Oscillatory Activity ◽

Matching Task ◽

Force Output ◽

Motor Action ◽

Visuomotor Transformations ◽

Target Matching

Although it is well appreciated that practicing a motor task updates the associated internal model, it is still unknown how the cortical oscillations linked with the motor action change with practice. The present study investigates the short-term changes (e.g., fast motor learning) in the α- and β-event-related desynchronizations (ERD) associated with the production of a motor action. To this end, we used magnetoencephalography to identify changes in the α- and β-ERD in healthy adults after participants practiced a novel isometric ankle plantarflexion target-matching task. After practicing, the participants matched the targets faster and had improved accuracy, faster force production, and a reduced amount of variability in the force output when trying to match the target. Parallel with the behavioral results, the strength of the β-ERD across the motor-planning and execution stages was reduced after practice in the sensorimotor and occipital cortexes. No pre/postpractice changes were found in the α-ERD during motor planning or execution. Together, these outcomes suggest that fast motor learning is associated with a decrease in β-ERD power. The decreased strength likely reflects a more refined motor plan, a reduction in neural resources needed to perform the task, and/or an enhancement of the processes that are involved in the visuomotor transformations that occur before the onset of the motor action. These results may augment the development of neurologically based practice strategies and/or lead to new practice strategies that increase motor learning. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We aimed to determine the effects of practice on the movement-related cortical oscillatory activity. Following practice, we found that the performance of the ankle plantarflexion target-matching task improved and the power of the β-oscillations decreased in the sensorimotor and occipital cortexes. These novel findings capture the β-oscillatory activity changes in the sensorimotor and occipital cortexes that are coupled with behavioral changes to demonstrate the effects of motor learning.

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