scholarly journals Rhythmic Synchrony with Artificial Agents and Its Effects on Frequency of Visual Illusions Seen in White Noise

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 62
Author(s):  
Hideyuki Takahashi ◽  
Midori Ban ◽  
Minoru Asada ◽  
Hiroshi Ishiguro
Keyword(s):  
White Noise ◽  
Visual Illusions ◽  
Psychological Effects ◽  
Artificial Agents ◽  
Passive Condition ◽  
Computer Screen ◽  
Religious Rituals ◽  
Active Condition

Rhythmic synchrony among different individuals has often been observed in various religious rituals and it has been known to bring various psychological effects in human minds. This study investigated the effects of induced rhythmic synchrony with artificial agents in drumming on participants’ visual illusions. The participants completed a task with three cartoon agents on a computer screen beating drums taking turns. We then investigated whether participants were tended to find more meaningful shapes in displayed random dots (pareidolia) when rhythms of intervals between each agents’ drumbeats were in-sync rather than out-of-sync. We simultaneously compared an active condition, in which participants took the role as one of three agents to beat a drum, with a passive condition, in which they only observed three agents beating the drums. The results showed that pareidolia appeared strongly in participants where the drum rhythm was in sync, regardless of active and passive conditions.

Human Finger Independence: Limitations due to Passive Mechanical Coupling Versus Active Neuromuscular Control

2004 ◽  
Vol 92 (5) ◽  
pp. 2802-2810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine E. Lang ◽  
Marc H. Schieber
Keyword(s):  
Neuromuscular Control ◽  
The Other ◽  
Passive Condition ◽  
Mechanical Coupling ◽  
Complete Independence ◽  
Active Condition ◽  
Middle Ring ◽  
Human Finger ◽  
Passive Movements ◽  
Flexion And Extension

We studied the extent to which mechanical coupling and neuromuscular control limit finger independence by studying passive and active individuated finger movements in healthy adults. For passive movements, subjects relaxed while each finger was rotated into flexion and extension by a custom-built device. For active movements, subjects moved each finger into flexion and extension while attempting to keep the other, noninstructed fingers still. Active movements were performed through approximately the same joint excursions and at approximately the same speeds as the passive movements. We quantified how mechanical coupling limited finger independence from the passive movements, and quantified how neuromuscular control limited finger independence using an analysis that subtracted the indices obtained in the passive condition from those obtained in the active condition. Finger independence was generally similar during passive and active movements, but showed a trend toward less independence in the middle, ring, and little fingers during active, large-arc movements. Mechanical coupling limited the independence of the index, middle, and ring fingers to the greatest degree, followed by the little finger, and placed only negligible limitations on the independence of the thumb. In contrast, neuromuscular control primarily limited the independence of the ring, and little fingers during large-arc movements, and had minimal effects on the other fingers, especially during small-arc movements. For the movement conditions tested here, mechanical coupling between the fingers appears to be a major factor limiting the complete independence of finger movement.

Development of Active and Passive Fatigue Manipulations Using a Driving Simulator

2007 ◽  
Vol 51 (18) ◽  
pp. 1237-1241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dyani J. Saxby ◽  
Gerald Matthews ◽  
Edward M. Hitchcock ◽  
Joel S. Warm
Keyword(s):  
Time Course ◽  
Passive Control ◽  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Negative Mood ◽  
Subjective Response ◽  
Passive Condition ◽  
Full Control ◽  
Active Condition ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Simulated Wind

The present study investigates driving simulator methodologies for inducing qualitatively different patterns of subjective response. The study tested Desmond and Hancock's (2001) theory that there may be two types of fatigue: active and passive. 108 undergraduates participated. There were 3 conditions (active, passive, control) and 3 durations (10, 30, 50 minutes). The active condition used simulated wind gusts to increase the required number of steering and acceleration changes. The passive condition was fully automated. In the control condition, drivers were in full control of steering and acceleration. Task engagement (e.g., energy) was lowest in the passive fatigue condition, followed by the control and active conditions. Distress (e.g., negative mood) was found to be highest in the active fatigue condition. The time course of fatigue responses was also determined. The results suggest methods for developing manipulations to determine the impact of fatigue on performance.

Generalization of Training Speaking Skills: The Role of Overt Activity, Feedback, and Child's Initial Level of Competence

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 963-978
Author(s):  
Luc Reid ◽  
Monique Lefebvre-Pinard ◽  
Adrien Pinard
Keyword(s):  
Initial Level ◽  
Feedback Condition ◽  
Referential Communication ◽  
Communication Behaviors ◽  
Passive Condition ◽  
Active Condition ◽  
Training Exercises ◽  
Transfer Tasks ◽  
Speaking Skills

72 children (mean age = 6–5) were assigned to 1 of 6 training conditions for speaking skills in a 2 (with or without feedback) × 3 (degree of overt activity) crossed design. Children in the active condition participated directly in three training exercises; each child in the passive condition observed the performance of the child in the active condition to whom he was matched; children in the active-passive condition received a combination of the two previous treatments. Children were given a pretest and immediate and delayed posttests, each of which was comprised of five tasks, four of which aimed at measuring possible transfer to other referential communication behaviors. Posttest evaluations showed that improvements in speaking behavior were related to the feedback condition, but not to the child's initial level of competence as assessed by global performance on the five pretest tasks. The reverse was true for the four transfer tasks. The amount of overt activity did not exert a significant effect on children's performance of any of the five tasks. Possible causes of the difficulty of obtaining transfer in training experiments are discussed.

scholarly journals Ayahuasca: Psychological and Physiologic Effects, Pharmacology and Potential Uses in Addiction and Mental Illness

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Hamill ◽  
Jaime Hallak ◽  
Serdar M. Dursun ◽  
Glen Baker
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Folk Medicine ◽  
Spiritual Healing ◽  
Psychological Effects ◽  
South American ◽  
Government Regulations ◽  
Religious Rituals ◽  
Therapeutic Uses ◽  
Electrophysiological Studies

Background: Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian decoction with psychoactive properties, is made from bark of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine (containing beta-carboline alkaloids) and leaves of the Psychotria viridis bush (supplying the hallucinogen N,N-dimethyltryptamine, DMT). Originally used by indigenous shamans for the purposes of spirit communication, magical experiences, healing, and religious rituals across several South American countries, ayahuasca has been incorporated into folk medicine and spiritual healing, and several Brazilian churches use it routinely to foster a spiritual experience. More recently, it is being used in Europe and North America, not only for religious or healing reasons, but also for recreation. Objective: To review ayahuasca’s behavioral effects, possible adverse effects, proposed mechanisms of action and potential clinical uses in mental illness. Method: We searched Medline, in English, using the terms ayahuasca, dimethyltryptamine, Banisteriopsis caapi, and Psychotria viridis and reviewed the relevant publications. Results: The following aspects of ayahuasca are summarized: Political and legal factors; acute and chronic psychological effects; electrophysiological studies and imaging; physiological effects; safety and adverse effects; pharmacology; potential psychiatric uses. Conclusion: Many years of shamanic wisdom have indicated potential therapeutic uses for ayahuasca, and several present day studies suggest that it may be useful for treating various psychiatric disorders and addictions. The side effect profile appears to be relatively mild, but more detailed studies need to be done. Several prominent researchers believe that government regulations with regard to ayahuasca should be relaxed so that it could be provided more readily to recognized, credible researchers to conduct comprehensive clinical trials.

scholarly journals Variables Associated with Performance of an Active Limb Movement following Within-Session Instruction in People with and People without Low Back Pain

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara A. Scholtes ◽  
Barbara J. Norton ◽  
Sara P. Gombatto ◽  
Linda R. Van Dillen
Keyword(s):  
Low Back Pain ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Movement Pattern ◽  
Limb Movement ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Similar Relationship ◽  
Passive Condition ◽  
Active Condition ◽  
And Gender

Modification of a movement pattern can be beneficial in decreasing low back pain (LBP) symptoms. There is variability, however, in how well people are able to modify performance of a movement. What has not been identified is the factors that may affect a person’s ability to modify performance of a movement. We examined factors related to performance of active hip lateral rotation (HLR) following standardized instructions in people with and people without LBP. Data were collected during performance of HLR under 3 conditions: passive, active, and active instructed. In people with LBP, motion demonstrated during the passive condition (r=0.873,P<0.001), motion demonstrated during the active condition (r=0.654,P=0.008), and gender (r=0.570,P=0.027) were related to motion demonstrated during the active-instructed condition. Motion demonstrated during the passive condition explained 76%(P<0.001)of the variance in motion demonstrated during the active-instructed condition. A similar relationship did not exist in people without LBP. The findings of the study suggest that it may be important to assess motion demonstrated during passive HLR to determine how difficult it will be for someone with LBP to modify the performance of HLR. Prognosis should be worst for those who display similar movement patterns during passive HLR and active-instructed HLR.

Depth on a Flat Screen

1987 ◽  
Vol 64 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1023-1034 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. J. F. Smets ◽  
C. J. Overbeeke ◽  
M. H. Stratmann
Keyword(s):  
Real Life ◽  
Depth Estimation ◽  
Head Movements ◽  
Monocular Vision ◽  
Passive Condition ◽  
Monitor Screen ◽  
Flat Screen ◽  
Active Condition ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Maximum Reliability

The hypothesis was tested that the coupling of parallax shifts between objects depicted on a monitor screen around a fixation point with the head movements of an observer viewing this screen monocularly around a point coinciding with the fixation point is sufficient to create a convincing depth impression and to enable the observer to make reliable estimations of depth. The estimates were based on monocular vision and involved the aligning of wedges. The investigation consisted of two analogous experiments carried out simultaneously, one on depth estimations virtually in the screen and one on depth estimations virtually in front of the screen. In each experiment three conditions were compared: an active condition in which the coupling of parallax shifts and observer's head movements operated, a passive condition in which it did not, and a real-life set-up to measure the maximum reliability in depth estimation. The hypothesis is confirmed: in the active condition the variances in the alignments are significantly smaller than in the passive condition and approach those in the real-life set-up. This holds not only for estimates in the screen but also for estimates in front of the screen, that is, we can make a thing apparently leap out of the screen towards the observer. Results are interpreted against the background of the debate between the direct and the indirect theories of perception.

scholarly journals Dependence of auditory spatial updating on vestibular, proprioceptive, and efference copy signals

2016 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 765-775 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daria Genzel ◽  
Uwe Firzlaff ◽  
Lutz Wiegrebe ◽  
Paul R. MacNeilage
Keyword(s):  
Sound Source ◽  
Head Movement ◽  
Head Rotation ◽  
Efference Copy ◽  
The Body ◽  
Spatial Updating ◽  
Source Position ◽  
Passive Condition ◽  
The World ◽  
Active Condition

Humans localize sounds by comparing inputs across the two ears, resulting in a head-centered representation of sound-source position. When the head moves, information about head movement must be combined with the head-centered estimate to correctly update the world-centered sound-source position. Spatial updating has been extensively studied in the visual system, but less is known about how head movement signals interact with binaural information during auditory spatial updating. In the current experiments, listeners compared the world-centered azimuthal position of two sound sources presented before and after a head rotation that depended on condition. In the active condition, subjects rotated their head by ∼35° to the left or right, following a pretrained trajectory. In the passive condition, subjects were rotated along the same trajectory in a rotating chair. In the cancellation condition, subjects rotated their head as in the active condition, but the chair was counter-rotated on the basis of head-tracking data such that the head effectively remained fixed in space while the body rotated beneath it. Subjects updated most accurately in the passive condition but erred in the active and cancellation conditions. Performance is interpreted as reflecting the accuracy of perceived head rotation across conditions, which is modeled as a linear combination of proprioceptive/efference copy signals and vestibular signals. Resulting weights suggest that auditory updating is dominated by vestibular signals but with significant contributions from proprioception/efference copy. Overall, results shed light on the interplay of sensory and motor signals that determine the accuracy of auditory spatial updating.

scholarly journals Increased functional connectivity of the intraparietal sulcus underlies the attenuation of numerosity estimations for self-generated words

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giedre Stripeikyte ◽  
Michael Pereira ◽  
Giulio Rognini ◽  
Jevita Potheegadoo ◽  
Olaf Blanke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Supplementary Motor Area ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Intraparietal Sulcus ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Passive Condition ◽  
Sensorimotor Processing ◽  
Active Condition ◽  
The Right

ABSTRACTPrevious studies have shown that self-generated stimuli in auditory, visual, and somatosensory domains are attenuated, producing decreased behavioral and neural responses compared to the same stimuli that are externally generated. Yet, whether such attenuation also occurs for higher-level cognitive functions beyond sensorimotor processing remains unknown. In this study, we assessed whether cognitive functions such as numerosity estimations are subject to attenuation. We designed a task allowing the controlled comparison of numerosity estimations for self (active condition) and externally (passive condition) generated words. Our behavioral results showed a larger underestimation of self-compared to externally-generated words, suggesting that numerosity estimations for self-generated words are attenuated. Moreover, the linear relationship between the reported and actual number of words was stronger for self-generated words, although the ability to track errors about numerosity estimations was similar across conditions. Neuroimaging results revealed that numerosity underestimation involved increased functional connectivity between the right intraparietal sulcus and an extended network (bilateral supplementary motor area, left inferior parietal lobule and left superior temporal gyrus) when estimating the number of self vs. externally generated words. We interpret our results in light of two models of attenuation and discuss their perceptual versus cognitive origins.

Music Notation, But Not Action on a Keyboard, Influences Pianists' Judgments of Ambiguous Melodies

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno H. Repp ◽  
Robert M. Goehrke
Keyword(s):  
Visual Stimuli ◽  
Perceptual Judgment ◽  
Music Notation ◽  
Passive Condition ◽  
Active Condition ◽  
Direction Effect

Pitch Increases from Left to Right on Piano keyboards. When pianists press keys on a keyboard to hear two successive octave-ambiguous tones spanning a tritone (half-octave interval), they tend to report hearing the tritone go in the direction consistent with their key presses (Repp & Knoblich, 2009). This finding has been interpreted as an effect of action on perceptual judgment. Using a modified design, the present study separated the effect of the action itself from that of the visual stimuli that prompt the action. Twelve expert pianists reported their perception of octave-ambiguous three-note melodies ending with tritones in two conditions: In the active condition, they saw a notated melody and played it on a keyboard to hear it, while in the passive condition they viewed the notation while the melody was played to them. Participants tended to report hearing the tritone as it appeared in the notation, but action had no additional effect. We discuss whether the "action direction effect" described by Repp and Knoblich may have been caused by the visual action prompts, not by the action itself.

Local Field Potential Oscillations in Primate Cerebellar Cortex: Modulation During Active and Passive Expectancy

2002 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 771-782 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Courtemanche ◽  
Jean-Pierre Pellerin ◽  
Yves Lamarre
Keyword(s):  
Local Field ◽  
Local Field Potential ◽  
Lever Press ◽  
Field Potential ◽  
Elbow Flexion ◽  
Granule Cell Layer ◽  
Voluntary Action ◽  
Passive Condition ◽  
Flexion Extension ◽  
Active Condition

Cerebellar local field potential (LFP) oscillations were recorded in the paramedian lobule of one hemisphere, while monkeys were in two behavioral conditions: actively performing an elbow flexion-extension or a lever-press task in response to an auditory or visual stimulus to get reward (active condition), or waiting quietly for the reward to come in the same time window after the appearance of the stimulus (passive condition). The oscillations in the paramedian lobule were first characterized in four monkeys, and they showed an idiosyncratic frequency for each monkey, between 13 and 25 Hz. The granule cell layer multi-unit activity was phase-locked with the negative phase of the LFP oscillations, while Purkinje cell simple spikes were also sometimes phase-locked with the LFP. Three monkeys were trained to perform the motor tasks: the LFP oscillations were modulated, in the active condition, in a systematic manner in relation to the lever-press or elbow flexion-extension tasks. During periods when the monkey was waiting to initiate movement, LFP oscillations appeared and then stopped with movement initiation. This modulation was valid for the task being executed with either hand. Surprisingly, the LFP oscillations were also systematically modulated during the passive condition; as the monkey was waiting for the usual time to get a reward passively, oscillations appeared stronger and were stopped by the end of the usual delay, whether the monkey was rewarded or not. This type of modulation was not affected by the length of the stimulus, as long as the reward window was known to the monkey. If the monkey had not been previously trained to the active condition, the modulation appeared in the passive condition. These results show that cerebellar LFP oscillations in the paramedian lobule are reliably present when the monkey is involved in a waiting period, whether this period ends with an active or passive event. This study provides electrophysiological evidence for a specific pattern of activity in the cerebellum for the expectancy of events that are known to be bound to happen, either externally, or from voluntary action.

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