EXPRESS: The unique role of novel linguistic labels on the disengagement of visual attention

2021 ◽  
pp. 174702182110141
Author(s):  
Giulia Calignano ◽  
Eloisa Valenza ◽  
Francesco Vespignani ◽  
Sofia Russo ◽  
Simone Sulpizio

Do novel linguistic labels have privileged access to attentional resources compared to non-linguistic labels? This study explores this possibility through two experiments with a training and an attentional overlap task. Experiment 1 investigates how novel label and object-only stimuli influence resource allocation and disengagement of visual attention. Experiment 2 tests the impact of linguistic information on visual attention by comparing novel tones and labels. Because disengagement of attention is affected both by the saliency of the perceptual stimulus and by the degree of familiarity with the stimulus to be disengaged from, we compared pupil size variations and saccade latency under different test conditions: (i) consistent with (i.e., identical to) the training; (ii) inconsistent with the training (i.e., with an altered feature), and (iii) deprived of one feature only in Experiment 1. Experiment 1 indicated a general consistency advantage (and deprived disadvantage) driven by linguistic label-object pairs compared to object-only stimuli. Experiment 2 revealed that tone-object pairs led to higher pupil dilation and longer saccade latency than linguistic label-object pairs. Our results suggest that novel linguistic labels preferentially impact the early orienting of attention.

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 157
Author(s):  
Fred Seddon

<p>This review comments upon the article entitled above. The article is well written and describes an interesting and original study. This review critiques the Method and Discussion sections of the article and offers suggestions for future research. Three specific points from the method are considered relating to: dual roles as researcher-musicians, the use of reflective diaries in research, and the impact on the research of the prior relationship between the authors. The unique role of &ldquo;written empathy&rdquo; is discussed within the context of empathic relationships. Also, this review considers how shifts from verbal to non-verbal communication may indicate movement from a &ldquo;top-down&rdquo; to &ldquo;bottom up&rdquo; response, and how this shift is related to &ldquo;empathetic attunement.&rdquo;</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-179
Author(s):  
Patrícia Monteiro ◽  
João Guerreiro ◽  
Sandra Maria Correia Loureiro

Purpose Wine bottles compete for consumers’ attention in the shelf during the decisive moment of choice. This study aims to explore the role that visual attention to wine labels has on the purchase decision and the mediating role of quality perceptions and desire on such purchase behaviours. Wine awards and consumption situation are used as moderators.. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted in Portugal and 36 individuals participated in a 2 × 2 within subjects design (awarded/not awarded × self-consumption/social-consumption). For each scenario, individuals’ attention, perceptions of quality, desire and purchase intentions were recorded. Findings Data from eye-tracking shows that, during the purchase process, the amount of attention given to a bottle is determinant of individuals’ purchase intentions, a relationship that increases in significance for bottles with awards and for when consumers are buying wine for a consumption situation involving a social environment. In addition, both quality perceptions and desire are confirmed to positively influence wines’ purchase intentions. Originality/value By using an eye monitoring method, this paper brings new insights into the wine industry by highlighting the impact that wines’ labels and different consumption situations have on individuals’ attention and purchase intention. Wine producers and retailers may benefit from the insights provided by the current study to refine their communication strategies by either highlighting product characteristics and pictorial elements, as it is the case of the awards, or communicating about their products for different consumption situations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 383-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arianna Zuanazzi ◽  
Uta Noppeney

Abstract Attention (i.e., task relevance) and expectation (i.e., signal probability) are two critical top-down mechanisms guiding perceptual inference. Attention prioritizes processing of information that is relevant for observers’ current goals. Prior expectations encode the statistical structure of the environment. Research to date has mostly conflated spatial attention and expectation. Most notably, the Posner cueing paradigm manipulates spatial attention using probabilistic cues that indicate where the subsequent stimulus is likely to be presented. Only recently have studies attempted to dissociate the mechanisms of attention and expectation and characterized their interactive (i.e., synergistic) or additive influences on perception. In this review, we will first discuss methodological challenges that are involved in dissociating the mechanisms of attention and expectation. Second, we will review research that was designed to dissociate attention and expectation in the unisensory domain. Third, we will review the broad field of crossmodal endogenous and exogenous spatial attention that investigates the impact of attention across the senses. This raises the critical question of whether attention relies on amodal or modality-specific mechanisms. Fourth, we will discuss recent studies investigating the role of both spatial attention and expectation in multisensory perception, where the brain constructs a representation of the environment based on multiple sensory inputs. We conclude that spatial attention and expectation are closely intertwined in almost all circumstances of everyday life. Yet, despite their intimate relationship, attention and expectation rely on partly distinct neural mechanisms: while attentional resources are mainly shared across the senses, expectations can be formed in a modality-specific fashion.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 355-385
Author(s):  
Brynne Guthrie

The Constitutional Court of South Africa has played a unique role in the country’s constitutional transition. This paper starts by detailing the historical and political context of the Interim Constitution which created the Constitutional Court and the constitutional principles. The article describes the approach of the Court in the First Certification Judgment (1996), analysing the impact of the Constitutional Court’s decision on the drafting of the final Constitution and the public more generally, before briefly outlining the role that the Court continues to play in protecting constitutional democracy as a ‘Guardian of the Solemn Pact’.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S792-S792
Author(s):  
Ruixue Zhaoyang ◽  
Lynn M Martire

Abstract Recent theories suggest that non-sexual physical contact with close others plays a key role in promoting health and well-being in adulthood. However, the impact of non-sexual physical contact in later life, especially the affectionate touch between romantic partners, has been largely unexplored. Using two waves of dyadic data (N=953 couples, Mage=71 years) from National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), we examined whether shared affectionate touch between spouses prospectively predicted both partners’ relational, mental and physical well-being five years later, independent of sex activity. Dyadic analyses results indicated that frequency of shared affectionate touch with the partner predicted increases in spouses’ own relationship satisfaction, life satisfaction and mental health, but not in physical health, over five years. No interpersonal (i.e., partner) effect of shared affectionate touch was found. Findings underscore the unique role of non-sexual physical contact between spouses in promoting relational and mental well-being for older couples.


2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii17-iii65
Author(s):  
Lisa Sheridan ◽  
Cathy McHale ◽  
Joshi Dookhy ◽  
Tara Coughlan ◽  
Desmond O'Neill ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) is recognised as having a unique role in contributing to the overall neuropsychological assessment of people living with dementia and cognitive impairment. The role of the SLT within a memory clinic has become more widely understood. It is now recognised that speech and language characteristics are reported to be amongst the most reliable behavioural markers for distinguishing amongst different dementia subtypes, and specific analysis of a language production and delivery facilitates timely and more accurate diagnosis. Methods Patients with a language predominant presentation or those with subjective complaints of speech/language difficulties were referred for SLT assessment through the tertiary memory assessment and support service from January 2018 – March 2019. Assessment of speech and language skills, and overall cognitive communications skills were reviewed, and this information was used to aid with differential diagnosis and contribute to the person’s overall cognitive profile. The SLT attends weekly memory service interdisciplinary consensus diagnosis conference. Data was collected on these patients to observe the profiles of those patients referred to SLT. Results 22 patients were seen for full SLT assessment during this period, 13 women, 9 men; mean age 69.5 (range 48- 80). Diagnoses include: AD (32%), FTD behavioural variant (14%), Primary Progressive Aphasia (14%), Non-amnestic MCI (18%), Amnestic MCI (14%), Other neurological disorder (8%). 68% of these patients required ongoing SLT intervention for their cognitive communication difficulties following diagnosis. Conclusion SLTs fulfil an integral role in supporting both the diagnostic and post-diagnostic care pathways of people living with dementia and cognitive impairment attending memory services. SLTs have a unique role and skillset in identifying the specific nature of language difficulties for a person with dementia or cognitive impairment and in reducing the impact of the communication difficulties for the person and for their family members.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Muñoz-Leiva ◽  
Luís Miguel Faísca ◽  
Célia M.Q. Ramos ◽  
Marisol B. Correia ◽  
Carlos M.R. Sousa ◽  
...  

Purpose This study aims to analyse the effectiveness of a static promotional banner located on a hotel reservation website in terms of capturing the visitor’s visual attention by exploring how this impact depends on the user’s degree of internet experience. Design/methodology/approach An experiment was conducted using the eye-tracking methodology, in addition to a self-administered questionnaire. Through eye-tracking technology, eye movements were recorded whilst participants explored a generic hotel website. The factors used in the analyses were the position of the banner on the website and participants’ experience as internet users. Findings The findings showed that positioning a banner at certain locations on the webpage may lead to a better recall, which, in part, seems to result from the visual attention that such locations attract. The mediation analysis showed that the bottom-right and bottom-left positions have a negative effect on banner recall due, in part, to the shorter attention times and the smaller number of fixations those positions induce. Although the visitor’s level of internet experience affected his/her visual attention towards the banner, its impact on banner recall was non-significant. Results are discussed considering which variables produce greater effectiveness in capturing the user’s attention. Practical implications The paper draws several implications for the marketing literature, hospitality management and society in general. Originality/value The study is the first to analyse the impact of the position of a static ad on users’ visual attention and memory, considering the user’s degree of internet experience.


2003 ◽  
Vol 284 (6) ◽  
pp. R1355-R1369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen W. Cowley ◽  
Takefumi Mori ◽  
David Mattson ◽  
Ai-Ping Zou

The unique role of nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of renal medullary function is supported by the evidence summarized in this review. The impact of reduced production of NO within the renal medulla on the delivery of blood to the medulla and on the long-term regulation of sodium excretion and blood pressure is described. It is evident that medullary NO production serves as an important counterregulatory factor to buffer vasoconstrictor hormone-induced reduction of medullary blood flow and tissue oxygen levels. When NO synthase (NOS) activity is reduced within the renal medulla, either pharmacologically or genetically [Dahl salt-sensitive (S) rats], a super sensitivity to vasoconstrictors develops with ensuing hypertension. Reduced NO production may also result from reduced cellular uptake of l-arginine in the medullary tissue, resulting in hypertension. It is concluded that NO production in the renal medulla plays a very important role in sodium and water homeostasis and the long-term control of arterial pressure.


2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irem Metin Orta

Considerable research has been devoted to understanding intergroup contact. In this paper I aimed to highlight theoretical processes that reduce cross-group prejudice and promote intergroup cooperation. Therefore, I focused on the role of social contact in the form of romantic relationship between individuals belonging to different (e.g., racial, ethnic, religious) social groups. In emerging work convincing evidence has been provided that cross-group friendships reduce intergroup prejudice (Levin, van Laar, & Sidanius, 2003). Accordingly, cross-group romantic relationships should also reduce intergroup prejudice. Overall, in this paper I emphasized the significance of affective ties among members of different social groups, along with the unique role that social contact plays in reducing intergroup prejudice.


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