Recognition Memory for Pictorial Events: Fusion or Features

<p>This research investigated recognition memory for picture stories. Jenkins, Wald and Pittenger (1978) had found that when subjects viewed a slide sequence which depicted an every-day event, in a later recognition memory test they correctly rejected distractors which were inconsistent with the event but falsely accepted consistent distractors. Jenkins interpreted this result as evidence that fusion - the abstraction of visual events - determined memory performance. He argued that subjects compared the test slides to the abstracted event and accepted those which were consistent with the event. A series of experiments examined the possibility that performance was due not to fusion but to confusion with respect to the featural details of the stimulus material. This alternative interpretation argued that consistent slides had more features in common with acquisition slides than did the inconsistent slides and that the variables of semantic consistency and featural similarity had been confounded. The first experiment manipulated acquisition material and found that subjects who saw a disordered acquisition sequence falsely accepted consistent slides. The second experiment manipulated acquisition conditions and found that subjects who were inhibited from fusing the event by being required to perform a non-semantic task during acquisition falsely accepted consistent slides. Neither of these results supported a fusion interpretation since acceptance of consistent slides occurred under conditions where fusion of the event was not expected. The third experiment manipulated the test conditions and found that acceptance of both consistent and inconsistent slides was less likely with delayed tests although fusion of the event should have led to no change in the likelihood of accepting inconsistent slides. The fourth and fifth experiments re-examined the manipulation of presentation order and demonstrated that subjects were unable to reconstruct the event from a disordered sequence and yet still falsely accepted consistent slides. Each test of the fusion interpretation which had attempted to separate the variables of features and meaning indirectly had indicated that recognition performance was not due to abstraction of the visual event. A final experiment attempted to find explicit evidence for a featural interpretation of the results by directly varying featural similarity of consistent distractor slides to slides from the originally viewed sequence while keeping the degree of semantic consistency constant. Although this experiment failed to support a featural account, the converging evidence from all experiments indicated that recognition memory for picture stories is based to a large extent on the featural properties of the stimulus material. An account of performance solely in terms of visual abstraction is not adequate. Moreover, unless the variables of featural similarity and meaning can be separated directly in the test material, this recognition paradigm is unlikely to provide a means for examining the influence of schemata on recognition memory for picture stories.</p>

Recognition Memory for Pictorial Events: Fusion or Features

<p>This research investigated recognition memory for picture stories. Jenkins, Wald and Pittenger (1978) had found that when subjects viewed a slide sequence which depicted an every-day event, in a later recognition memory test they correctly rejected distractors which were inconsistent with the event but falsely accepted consistent distractors. Jenkins interpreted this result as evidence that fusion - the abstraction of visual events - determined memory performance. He argued that subjects compared the test slides to the abstracted event and accepted those which were consistent with the event. A series of experiments examined the possibility that performance was due not to fusion but to confusion with respect to the featural details of the stimulus material. This alternative interpretation argued that consistent slides had more features in common with acquisition slides than did the inconsistent slides and that the variables of semantic consistency and featural similarity had been confounded. The first experiment manipulated acquisition material and found that subjects who saw a disordered acquisition sequence falsely accepted consistent slides. The second experiment manipulated acquisition conditions and found that subjects who were inhibited from fusing the event by being required to perform a non-semantic task during acquisition falsely accepted consistent slides. Neither of these results supported a fusion interpretation since acceptance of consistent slides occurred under conditions where fusion of the event was not expected. The third experiment manipulated the test conditions and found that acceptance of both consistent and inconsistent slides was less likely with delayed tests although fusion of the event should have led to no change in the likelihood of accepting inconsistent slides. The fourth and fifth experiments re-examined the manipulation of presentation order and demonstrated that subjects were unable to reconstruct the event from a disordered sequence and yet still falsely accepted consistent slides. Each test of the fusion interpretation which had attempted to separate the variables of features and meaning indirectly had indicated that recognition performance was not due to abstraction of the visual event. A final experiment attempted to find explicit evidence for a featural interpretation of the results by directly varying featural similarity of consistent distractor slides to slides from the originally viewed sequence while keeping the degree of semantic consistency constant. Although this experiment failed to support a featural account, the converging evidence from all experiments indicated that recognition memory for picture stories is based to a large extent on the featural properties of the stimulus material. An account of performance solely in terms of visual abstraction is not adequate. Moreover, unless the variables of featural similarity and meaning can be separated directly in the test material, this recognition paradigm is unlikely to provide a means for examining the influence of schemata on recognition memory for picture stories.</p>

Curiosity as a Function of Confidence and Importance in Knowing Information

Curiosity appears to be the driving force for humans to find new information, but despite its general relevance, only few studies investigated the underlying mechanisms of curiosity. Kang et al. (2009) reported that curiosity follows an inverted U-shaped function of confidence, with highest curiosity on moderate confidence levels of knowing information. In addition, they found that the willingness to spend resources to reveal information increased with increasing curiosity. Given that replications of findings on curiosity are rare, this study sought to replicate these previous findings in two experiments, with the same stimulus material (Experiment 1) and new stimulus material using COVID-19-related information (Experiment 2). In addition, we extended previous findings by assessing the effect of the importance of information for the participant on the relationship between curiosity and confidence. Our findings replicated previous results in both experiments with (a) highest curiosity regarding information about which participants were moderately confident in knowing and (b) the level of curiosity affecting the decision to spend more time to reveal the answer. We also found that importance ratings positively scaled the level of curiosity. However, importance also interacted with confidence, showing that low-to-moderate confidence ratings, combined with high importance ratings, led to highest curiosity in both experiments – associated with an increased willingness to close this information-gap. Together, these results emphasize the modulatory effect of perceived importance on the interplay between curiosity and confidence in knowing information.

Similarity and automatic imitation

Individuals automatically imitate a wide range of different behaviors. Previous research suggests that imitation as a social process depends on the similarity between interaction partners. However, some of the experiments supporting this notion could not be replicated and all of the supporting experiments manipulated not only similarity between actor and observer, but also other features. Thus, the existing evidence leaves open whether similarity as such moderates automatic imitation. To directly test the similarity account, in four experiments, we manipulated participants’ focus on similarities or differences while holding the stimulus material constant. In Experiment 1, we presented participants with a hand and let them either focus on similarities, differences, or neutral aspects between their own hand and the other person’s hand. The results indicate that focusing on similarities increased perceived similarity between the own and the other person’s hand. In Experiments 2 to 4, we tested the hypothesis that focusing on similarities, as compared with differences, increases automatic imitation. Experiment 2 tested the basic effect and found support for our prediction. Experiment 3 and 4 replicated this finding with higher-powered samples. Exploratory investigations further suggest that it is a focus on differences that decreases automatic imitation, and not a focus on similarities that increases automatic imitation. Theoretical implications and future directions are discussed.

Features of digital information perception by operators with different color schemes of the stimulus material

The rapid development of aviation technology entails the need to increase the quality of ergonomic support. This is due to the fact that for the safe implementation of activities, the pilot has to use the entire amount of attention, not rarely, at the limit of his capabilities. The color of the instrument scales, the contrast of the information feed, and other information perception conditions can significantly complicate the evaluation of the flight instrument readings. This is especially true with the transition of most modern aircraft from analog display of instrument readings to digital. The study examines the features of perception of digital information by operators of aviation profile with different color background of the stimulus material. The analysis of the results of the solution by operators of 3 Schulte tables and 3 SchultePlatonov tables on the combined hardware complex NS-Psychotest with the system of fixing the coordinates of the eye-stationary eye tracking RED250mobile eye tracking device. When performing the eye search function, the number of visual fixations and the task completion time were calculated. It was found that when searching for digital values on Schulte tables with a white background, the number of eye fixations was less than when performing a similar task on black-and-red SchultePlatonov tables. Accordingly, it also took less time to solve black-and-white tables. A trend was found showing that the search for digital values represented in the SchultePlatonov tables on a red background was carried out by operators faster than on a black background. Further study of this topic can contribute to the development of proposals for ergonomic support of aircraft, which in turn will help to maintain the reserves of attention of operators in a continuous stream of incoming data (2 figures, 1 table, bibliography: 13 refs).

Differential and empirical model for describing psycholinguistic meanings

The paper is devoted to the problem of semantics of proper names. Nowadays, in linguistics, there are different points of view on the nature of the semantics of proper names. This paper states the discovery of a new kind of meaning of proper names - psycholinguistic. This concept is based on the use of experimental methods for studying the meanings of words, which involves an appeal to the consciousness of native speakers. Psycholinguistic experiments were carried out by us in Voronezh. Subjects - 330 students. The method of free and directed associative experiment was used. Various toponyms (“Moscow”, “St. Petersburg”, “Volgograd”), including “Voronezh”, were used as a stimulus material. According to the results of experiments on the stimulus “Voronezh”, a total of 1,055 verbal associative reactions were obtained. Then the semantic interpretation of associative reactions was carried out, which consists in understanding the reactions as linguistic representations of certain signs of the denotation - semantic components. As a result, the psycholinguistic meaning of the toponym “Voronezh” was formulated, which is very different from its meaning in toponymic dictionaries. We call this new kind of meaning psycholinguistic.

Linguistic and Pragmatic Potential of Advertising Names (As Exemplified by Names of Cosmetic Goods)

The article focuses on specifics of advertising names given to cosmetic products. The purpose of work is to study the efficiency of the considered linguistic units influence on the addressee's perception, and to analyze the information value of these nominations. The associative experiment was carried out among Russian women within the framework of the study. The word trademarks of cosmetic products formed from toponyms and adjectival and genitive phrases were the stimulus material for the experiment. As a result, it was found out that the majority of advertising names for hair dyes, lipsticks, and lip gloss should be recognized ineffective from the point of view of informative value, because the ideas about color are noticeably different from the objective information which manufacturer or consumers demonstrate. The results of the study are of interest to advertising experts, marketing specialists and linguists, as well as the presented information can be useful in translation practice and creation of new advertising names. Conclusions are drawn that effectively operating advertising name is such a name that should be easily remembered, cause positive associations, be understandable to consumers, have emotional and evaluative connotation, which can appeal to the addressee's emotions, values.

Acquisition of Abstract Knowledge in Implicit Learning of Anagram Solution Scheme

The article addresses the problem of unconscious gaining of abstract knowledge. Participants solved circular 5-letter anagram arranged by the same invariant scheme. The learned schematic invariant is not perceptive, contrary to the usual invariant acquisition technique in other studies. The possibility of implicit learning of a solution scheme is discussed. Efficiency of anagram solving is compared between the groups with constant or changed solution scheme during the test stage. The change of the solution scheme leads to a decrease of efficiency, i.e. to the lower number of the solved anagrams. The results support the possibility of gaining unconscious abstract knowledge concerning the scheme without any perceptual invariant component. Possible use of a similar stimulus material in studies of interaction between visual and verbal components of working memory is briefly discussed.

The Expression of Success: Are Thin-Slices of Pre-performance Nonverbal Behavior Prior to Throwing Darts Predictive of Performance in Professional Darts?

The present research attempted to test how skilled people are at predicting perceptual-motor performance of professional darts players based on short observations of pre-performance nonverbal behavior. In four thin-slices experiments (total N = 490) we randomly sampled stimulus material from the 2017 World Championships of Darts showing short video recordings of the players immediately before throwing darts. Participants were asked to estimate the points scored for the respective throws. Results across four experiments, all of which were successfully replicated in direct replication attempts, supported the hypothesis that pre-performance nonverbal behavior of professional darts players gives valid information to observers about subsequent performance tendencies. The present research is the first to show that highly skilled individuals seem to display nonverbal cues that observers can pick up to draw inferences about how these individuals are likely to perform.