scholarly journals Mixed Speech and Non-speech Auditory Displays: Impacts of Design, Learning, and Individual Differences in Musical Engagement

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Li ◽  
Bruce N. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Musical Experience ◽  
Active Engagement ◽  
Multiple Streams ◽  
Display Design ◽  
Auditory Displays ◽  
Design Learning ◽  
Auditory Sense ◽  
Musical Engagement ◽  
The Difference

Information presented in auditory displays is often spread across multiple streams to make it easier for listeners to distinguish between different sounds and changes in multiple cues. Due to the limited resources of the auditory sense and the fact that they are often untrained compared to the visual senses, studies have tried to determine the limit to which listeners are able to monitor different auditory streams while not compromising performance in using the displays. This study investigates the difference between non-speech auditory displays, speech auditory displays, and mixed displays; and the effects of the different display designs and individual differences on performance and learnability. Results showed that practice with feedback significantly improves performance regardless of the display design and that individual differences such as active engagement in music and motivation can predict how well a listener is able to learn to use these displays. Findings of this study contribute to understanding how musical experience can be linked to usability of auditory displays, as well as the capability of humans to learn to use their auditory senses to overcome visual workload and receive important information.

The state of dispositional mindfulness research

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Alfons Karl ◽  
Ronald Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Research Output ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Trait Mindfulness ◽  
Dispositional Mindfulness ◽  
Research Topics ◽  
Network Analyses ◽  
Research Fields ◽  
Bibliometric Review ◽  
The Difference

Objectives We present a bibliometric review of research on trait mindfulness published from 2005 till 2021 to determine the current state of the field and identify research trajectories. Methods A search conducted on Jan 30, 2021 using the search terms “trait mindfulness” OR “dispositional mindfulness” in the Web of Science Core Collection identified 1,229 documents. Results Using keyword-based network analyses, the various clusters suggested two major approaches in the field, one focusing on cognitive attentional processes, and a second approach that encompasses a wider field of well-being and clinical research topics. We also increasing consolidation of research fields over time, with research on wider individual differences such as personality being subsumed into clinically and wellbeing-oriented research topics. More recently, a distinct theme focused on the validity of measurement of mindfulness emerged. In addition to general patterns in the field, we examined the global distribution of trait mindfulness research. Research output was substantially skewed towards North American-based researchers with less international collaborations. Chinese researchers nevertheless also produced research at significant rates. Comparing the difference in research topics between China and the US-based researchers we found substantial differences with US research emphasizing meditation and substance abuse issues, whereas researchers from China focused on methodological questions. Conclusions Overall, our review indicates that research on trait mindfulness might profit from conceptual and cultural realignment, with greater focus on individual differences research in other areas of psychology to complement the strong clinical and cognitive focus we well as also stronger cross-cultural and comparative studies.

scholarly journals Home assessment of visual working memory in pre-schoolers reveals associations between behaviour, brain activation and environmental measures.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sobanawartiny Wijeakumar ◽  
Eva Rafetseder ◽  
Yee Lee Shing ◽  
Courtney McKay
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Visual Working Memory ◽  
School Children ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Fluid Intelligence ◽  
Colour Change ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Parietal Cortices

Visual working memory (VWM) is reliably predictive of fluid intelligence and academic achievements. The objective of the current study was to investigate the nature of individual differences in pre-schoolers by examining the relationship between behaviour-brain function underlying VWM processing and parent-reported measures. We used a portable 8 x 8 channel functional near-infrared spectroscopy system to record from the frontal and parietal cortices of 4.5-year-old pre-school children (N=74) as they completed a colour change detection VWM task in their homes. Parents were asked to fill in questionnaires on temperament, academic aspirations, home environment, and life stress. Children were median-split into a low-performing (LP) and a high-performing (HP) group based on the number of items they could successfully remember during the task. LPs increasingly activated the bilateral frontal and parietal cortices with increasing load, whereas HPs showed no difference in activation across the loads. Our findings suggested that LPs recruited more neural resources when their VWM capacity was challenged. We employed mediation analyses to examine the association between the difference in activation between the highest and lowest loads, and variables from the questionnaires. The difference in activation in the right parietal cortex partially mediated the association between parent-reported stressful life events and VWM performance. Specifically, a higher number of stressful events was associated with lower VWM performance. Critically, our findings show that the association between VWM capacity, right parietal activation, and indicators of life stress is important to understand the nature of individual differences in VWM in pre-school children.

Development of Chinese preschoolers’ understanding of biological phenomena: Growth and aliveness

2000 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liqi Zhu ◽  
Fuxi Fang
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Multiple Methods ◽  
Biological Phenomena ◽  
Classification Tasks ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Better Than

Chinese preschoolers’ understandings of the biological phenomena “growth” and “aliveness” were investigated. Seventy-two 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old subjects with equal numbers of boys and girls in each age group were selected from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The same children participated in the three experiments reported in this study so that both individual and intra-individual differences could be explored. Multiple methods, including picture-choice, retrieval, and classification tasks were used. The results show that 6-year-old children could distinguish living and nonliving things on both the growth and aliveness tasks, even when tested by different methods, whereas 4- and 5-year-olds’ performance varied across tasks and methods. Children whose parents had higher levels of formal education performed better than their counterparts, but the difference declined as age increased.

scholarly journals Influence of mild cold on 24 h energy expenditure in ‘normally’ clothed adults

1990 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 481-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Warwick ◽  
R. Busby
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Energy Expenditure ◽  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Body Weight Status ◽  
Two Temperatures ◽  
The Difference

Ten subjects aged 19–35 years (four men and six women) underwent two measurements of 24 h energy expenditure (EE) in a whole-body respiration calorimeter, one at a temperature of 28° and one at 20°. Choice of clothing was allowed. Dietary intake was standardized and subjects were asked to follow the same pattern of activity during both measurements. Mean 24 h EE was significantly greater at the cooler temperature by 5.0 (SD 5.5) %, with individual differences ranging from 4.6% lower to 12.6% higher. The difference in EE at the two temperatures was similar during the day and the night and occurred even though subjects wore more clothes and used more bedding at 20°. No relationship was observed between response to 20° and body-weight status. In conclusion, the assumption that mild cold is unlikely to affect EE in subjects wearing normal clothing may be incorrect.

scholarly journals Motor expertise facilitates the precision of state extrapolation in perception

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Ludolph ◽  
Jannis Plöger ◽  
Martin A. Giese ◽  
Winfried Ilg
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Motor Learning ◽  
Motor Behavior ◽  
Motor Training ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Sensorimotor System ◽  
Action Perception ◽  
Forward Models ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Pole System

AbstractPredicting the behavior of objects in the environment is an important requirement to overcome latencies in the sensorimotor system and realize precise actions in rapid situations. Internal forward models that were acquired during motor training might not only be used for efficiently controlling fast motor behavior but also to facilitate extrapolation performance in purely perceptual tasks. In this study, we investigated whether preceding virtual cart-pole balancing training facilitates the ability to extrapolate the pole motion. We compared a group of 10 subjects, proficient in performing the cart-pole balancing task, to 10 naïve subjects. Our results demonstrate that preceding motor training increases the precision of pole movement extrapolation, although extrapolation is not trained explicitly. Additionally, we modelled subjects’ behaviors and show that the difference in extrapolation performance can be explained by individual differences in the accuracy of internal forward models. When subjects are provided with feedback about the true pole movement in a second phase, both groups improve rapidly. The results indicate that the perceptual capability to extrapolate the state of the cart-pole system accurately is implicitly trained during motor learning. We discuss these results in the context of shared representations and action-perception transfer.

scholarly journals No fingers, no SNARC? Spatial-Numerical Associations and temporal stability of finger counting

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Cipora ◽  
Kinga Woloszyn ◽  
Mateusz Hohol
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Temporal Stability ◽  
Snarc Effect ◽  
Large Magnitude ◽  
Finger Counting ◽  
Weak Evidence ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Over Time

The Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC) effect (i.e., faster left/right side responses to small/large magnitude numbers, respectively) is considered as strong evidence for the link between numbers and space. The studies have shown considerable variation in this effect. Among the factors determining individual differences in the SNARC effect is the hand an individual uses to start the finger counting sequence. Left-starters show a stronger and less variable SNARC effect than right-starters. This observation has been used as an argument for the embodied nature of the SNARC effect. For this to be the case, one must assume that the finger counting sequence (especially the starting hand) is stable over time. Subsequent studies challenged the view that the SNARC differs depending on the finger counting starting hand. At the same time, it has been pointed out that the temporal stability of finger counting starting hand should not be taken for granted. Thus, in this preregistered study, we aimed to replicate the difference in the SNARC between left- and right-starters and explore the relationship between the temporal stability of finger counting starting hand and the SNARC effect. We expected that higher stability should be associated with a stronger SNARC effect. Results of the preregistered analysis did not show the difference between left- and right-starters. However, further exploratory analysis provided weak evidence that this might be the case. Lastly, we found no evidence for the relationship between finger counting starting hand stability and the SNARC effect. Overall, these results challenge the view on the embodied nature of the SNARC effect.

scholarly journals Teachers' Experience and Reflections on Game-Based Learning in the Primary Classroom

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasemin Allsop ◽  
John Jessel
Keyword(s):  
Curriculum Design ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Game Based Learning ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Radical Reform ◽  
Primary Classrooms ◽  
Design Learning ◽  
Practical Guidelines ◽  
The Difference

This study aims to provide a comparative account of teachers' experience and views of their role when using digital games in primary classrooms in England and Italy. Interviews and a survey administered online and in hardcopy were used to find out teachers' perceptions of game-based learning and how these impact upon their role as a teacher. This research also considers the interview findings in relation to the dynamics between curriculum design, learning culture and practice when implementing game-based learning. A strong link was found between how learning is designed to incorporate digital games, the theories and strategies that have been used in the context of a given curriculum and how these are realised in practice within the classroom. The research also showed that teachers are aware that their roles when using new technologies in education have changed. However, because of the lack of necessary training, teachers are not clear on how to adopt these changes. In some respects the curriculum was regarded to be flexible enough to accommodate game-based learning, however, in other respects it was felt that a more radical reform this would be needed. The difference in country-specific curricula, pedagogy and practice highlights the need for a flexible model or approach of embedding digital games into primary classrooms in a way that is sensitive to context. Some practical guidelines based on the current work are also provided.

Auditory Displays: If They are so Useful, Why are they Turned Off?

1993 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 549-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. King ◽  
Gregory M. Corso
Keyword(s):  
Search Task ◽  
Visual Display ◽  
Auditory Display ◽  
Display Design ◽  
Auditory Displays ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Search Area ◽  
Subjective Workload ◽  
Possible Cause

Pilots often turn off the auditory displays which are provided to improve their performance (Weiner, 1977; Veitengruber, Boucek, & Smith, 1977). The intensity of the auditory display is often cited as a possible cause of this behavior (Cooper, 1977). However, the processing of the additional information is a concurrent task demand which may increase subjective workload (Wickens & Yeh, 1983; McCloy, Derrick, & Wickens, 1983). Pilots may attempt to reduce subjective workload at the expense of performance by turning off the auditory display. Forty undergraduate males performed a visual search task. Three conditions: auditory display on, auditory display off, and subject's choice were run in combination with nine levels of visual display load. The auditory display, a 4000 Hz tone with a between-subject intensity of 60 dB(A), 70 dB(A), 80 dB(A), and 90 dB(A), indicated that the target letter was in the lower half of the search area. NASA-TLX (Task Load Index) was used to measure the subjective workload of the subjects after each block of trials (Hart & Staveland, 1988). A non-monotonic relationship was found between auditory display intensity and auditory display usage. Evidence was found that the auditory display increased some aspects of subjective workload– physical demands and frustration. Furthermore, there was a dissociation of performance and subjective workload in the manner predicted by Wickens – Yeh (1983). The implications of these results for display design are discussed.

Measuring Trial-wise Choice Difficulty in Multi-feature Reinforcement Learning

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Hitchcock ◽  
Yael Niv ◽  
Angela Radulescu ◽  
Nina Jill Rothstein ◽  
Chris R. Sims
Keyword(s):  
Reinforcement Learning ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Reaction Time ◽  
Human Behavior ◽  
Significant Influence ◽  
Real World ◽  
Multiple Features ◽  
Wise Choice ◽  
The Difference

Real world reinforcement learning (RL) requires learning about stimuli composed of multiple features, only some of which are relevant to reinforcement. We investigated RL in a multi-feature task known as the Dimensions Task. Past work developed a computational model of this task, where the expected value of a stimulus comprises weights assigned to the stimulus’s features, hence the weights estimate the importance of each feature. We studies these weights and how they relate to human behavior. We found a sparse subset of features accrued much weight, and just 2 of 9 features exerted a significant influence on reaction time (RT), suggesting this pair of features mostly influences choice. These findings clarify that the Dimensions Task requires selectively attending to just a sparse subset of features while ignoring numerous irrelevant features, emphasizing its distinction from other recent multi-feature RL tasks that either require attending to all features or learning to treat feature conjunctions as objects. We next examined whether we could use the feature weights to develop a trial-wise marker of choice difficulty that related to individual differences. We found that high (vs. low) performing participants were better able to calibrate their responses based on variation in the standard deviation (SD) of the 2 features influencing RT. This suggests better-performing participants may be more responsive to the difference between the features. We discuss how this measure of trial-wise choice difficulty could be applied in experimental and translational research.

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