Design Choices in the Infant Habituation Paradigm: A Pre-registered Crowd-Sourced Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Methodological variations and inconsistency in reporting practices pose considerable challenges to the interpretation and generalizability of outcomes derived from the habituation paradigm - one of the most prominent methods for studying infant cognition. In a systematic review, we map out experimental design choices in habituation study samples aged 0-18 months using looking time measures. 2,853 records published in peer-reviewed journals between 2000-2019 were extracted from PsycInfo and Web of Science. 785 (27.5%) papers were identified after screening (Fleiss kappa = .60, 95%, CI[.40 - .80], 6 blind raters). We adopt a collaborative, multi-lab approach for crowd-sourced data collection involving raters from the developmental research community. In a meta-analysis, we assess the impact of habituation detection criteria on the novelty effect size, moderated by age. Our results will inform a detailed evaluation of experimental designs and a set of specific guidelines to improve research and reporting practices in infant habituation research.

The Challenges of Evaluating the Usability of Augmented Reality (AR)

Augmented reality (AR) is a new and emerging technology that could benefit from evaluating its usability to better the user’s experience with the device or application. This is often done through usability testing and heuristic evaluations. However, AR technology presents some challenges when completing these usability evaluations. Practitioners need to keep in mind the hardware limitations of AR devices that may not be present with other computerized technology, consistency of the users’ environment plays a larger role in the AR experience, recognize that a novelty effect may occur and affect subjective scores, and choose heuristic sets that will best evaluate AR applications. Practitioners need to be aware of these challenges and overcome them to accurately assess the usability of these products to gain insights about what should be changed to make the overall experience with the product better.

Recognition of familiar objects in tortoise hatchlings (Testudo spp.)

ABSTRACTTortoises do not show parental care and live solitary except for the context of reproduction. Despite their limited need to interact with conspecifics, we previously observed that young tortoises, at their first experiences with conspecifics, can discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics after just one encounter with another tortoise. Tortoise hatchlings ignored familiar conspecifics, while they first explored and then actively avoided unfamiliar conspecifics. It remains to be established whether the different reactions to unfamiliar and familiar individuals in tortoise hatchlings are reactions to novelty, or whether they are specific to the interactions with living animals. To test this, we familiarized one-month-old tortoise hatchlings with an object (a brown cone vs. a blue sphere) and then tested them in a novel arena once with the familiar object and once with an unfamiliar one. To measure the reactions toward familiar and unfamiliar objects, we measured the distance between the tortoise and the object throughout the test. Differently from what happened with unfamiliar and familiar conspecifics, we found no difference in behavior toward familiar and unfamiliar objects. This shows that the different reactions toward familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics previously observed are specific for social interactions and are not a mere reaction to the novelty effect. The behavioral responses displayed by young tortoises for unfamiliar conspecifics, but not for unfamiliar objects, show the relevance of social behavior from the beginning of life, even for solitary species.

VOICE AND SPEECH OF THE TEACHER AS A MEANS OF PEDAGOGICAL FASCINATION

The article examines vocal fascination as a phenomenon of pedagogical influence. The purpose of the article is to identify what techniques of voice fascination are necessary for a student-future teacher, how to master them in order to effectively use them in teaching and communicating with children in the classroom. The techniques of voice fascination necessary for a future teacher for effective use in teaching and communicating with children were revealed: expressive intonation, tempo, rhythm of speech, novelty effect, fascinating presentation of information, creating a holiday atmosphere, facial expressions, smile. On the example of the work of the "Theater of the Word KB Sargsyan" methods of voice and speech development in future teachers in the process of intoning a poetic text are revealed. The means of effective influence of the teacher's vocal fascination have been identified, which help to captivate, interest students in the learning process, and increase motivation.

Music for Monkeys: Building Methods to Design with White-Faced Sakis for Animal-Driven Audio Enrichment Devices

Computer systems for primates to listen to audio have been researched for a long time. However, there is a lack of investigations into what kind of sounds primates would prefer to listen to, how to quantify their preference, and how audio systems and methods can be designed in an animal-focused manner. One pressing question is, if given the choice to control an audio system, would or could primates use such a system. In this study, we design an audio enrichment prototype and method for white-faced sakis that allows them to listen to different sounds in their regular zoo habitat while automatically logging their interactions. Focusing on animal-centred design, this prototype was built from low fidelity testing of different forms within the sakis’ enclosure and gathering requirements from those who care for and view the animal. This process of designing in a participatory manner with the sakis resulted in an interactive system that was shown to be viable, non-invasive, highly interactive, and easy to use in a zoo habitat. Recordings of the sakis’ interactions demonstrated that the sakis triggered traffic audio more than silence, rain sounds, zen, and electronic music. The data and method also highlight the benefit of a longitudinal study within the animals’ own environment to mitigate against the novelty effect and the day-to-day varying rhythm of the animals and the zoo environment. This study builds on animal-centred methods and design paradigms to allow the monitoring of the animals’ behaviours in zoo environments, demonstrating that useful data can be yielded from primate-controlled devices. For the Animal-Computer Interaction community, this is the first audio enrichment system used in zoo contexts within the animals own environment over a long period of time that gives the primate control over their interactions and records this automatically.

Post-Hype Uses of Drones in News Reporting: Revealing the Site and Presenting Scope

Camera-equipped drones have emerged as an increasingly commonplace tool for media to acquire aerial imagery. Previous research has mainly focused on the innovative aspects and creative potential of the technology. This article argues that early optimistic projections reflected a novelty effect, typical of a culturally embedded idea that new and better technologies continuously replace older ones. Using a historical theory which distinguishes techno-optimistic innovation discourse from actual observations of technology in use, photojournalists were interviewed on the role of drones in news reporting. The results show that the practitioners historicise drones, relating them to previous aerial technologies, and they reflect on current and future uses of drones in journalism based on a notion of phases, where early hype gives way to subsequent drone fatigue. Drones are seen by many as a more convenient tool to do things that journalism has done before, but the convenience increases the use of aerial imagery. The results also show that, although photojournalists see a wide range of potential uses, there are also limitations, including the ideals of the invisible observer, safety concerns, and the perils of over-aesthetic imagery. The post-hype uses of drone photography were summarized in two categories: (a) revealing the site, establishing ‘this happened here’ and (b) presenting scope, or showing how vast or large something is.