Albert W. L. Chau

EFFECTS OF PERCEIVED CONTROL UPON WAGERING AND ATTRIBUTIONS IN COMPUTER BLACKJACK

Abstract The effects of short-term fluctuations of odds and personal control upon risk-taking behavior in computer blackjack were examined. Although probabilistic models make clear recommendations about optimal play in blackjack (e.g., the basic strategy and card counting), players deviate from optimal play. Those deviations might be explainable by cognitive theories. Risk taking can be explained in terms of irrational cognitions and self-serving evaluations of outcomes; it can also be explained in terms of the available evidence used when people make their decisions. Twelve undergraduate students of the University of Hong Kong played computer blackjack for money. Fluctuations of short-term odds were manipulated as winning or losing streaks, the ability to request extra cards during play was considered to be control of a skill-relevant dimension, and the ability to choose “dealers” was considered to be control of a skill-irrelevant dimension. Recent successful outcomes and the ability to control the skill...

Ideological Orientation and Political Transition in Hong Kong: Confidence in the Future

In the two-component model of ideological orientation, a persons ideological position is jointly influenced by attitudinal and affective components. The present study adopted this conceptual model to predict confidence in the future of Hong Kong. Questionnaire responses were collected from 395 adults (56.8% men and 43.2% women) in Hong Kong in April 1995, some 2 years before its transfer from British to Chinese control. The results show that the level of confidence in Hong Kong was related to both attitudinal and affective identification with Hong Kong and China. These findings suggest that the transfer of government may have brought to the surface a collision of the divergent political cultures of Hong Kong and mainland China, resulting in two antagonistic political orientations that predicted confidence in the future of Hong Kong.

SEGREGATION BY COLOR AND STEREOSCOPIC DEPTH IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL VISUAL SPACE

Two experiments were conducted to investigate how color and stereoscopic depth information are used to segregate objects for visual search in three-dimensional (3-D) visual space. Eight observers were asked to indicate the alphanumeric category (letter or digit) of the target which had its unique color and unique depth plane. In Experiment 1, distractors sharing a common depth plane or a common color appeared in spatial contiguity in thexy plane. The results suggest that visual search for the target involves examination of kernels formed by homogeneous items sharing the same color and depth. In Experiment 2, thexy contiguity of distractors sharing a common color or a common depth plane was varied. The results showed that when target-distractor distinction becomes more difficult on one dimension, the other dimension becomes more important in performing visual search, as indicated by a larger effect on search time. This suggests that observers can make optimal use of the information available. Finally, color had a larger effect on search time than did stereoscopic depth. Overall, the results support models of visual processing which maintain that perceptual segregation and selective attention are determined by similarity among objects in 3-D visual space on both spatial and nonspatial stimulus dimensions.

Departures From Sensible Play in Computer Blackjack

Abstract Gambling has been viewed as irrational, and even though blackjack offers rational strategies (i.e., Basic [E. Thorp, 1966] and card counting), people exhibit departures from rationality (e.g., “Never Bust” strategies). To determine whether departures from rational behavior reflect ignorance or fatigue, university students were provided with on-line Basic advice while playing a simplified computer blackjack. Although the on-line advice initially affected the totals these players sat on, it was eventually discarded for higher risk strategies. Irrational play did not reflect ignorance or fatigue and was not necessarily conservative. Real fluctuations of odds in blackjack may lead to situations in which Basic is not perceived by players as effective. Because Basic is not a personalized strategy, it seems less likely to be maintained in the face of losses. Players were more optimistic that they might win when utilizing their personalized strategies.

The Role of International Service-Learning in Facilitating Undergraduate Students’ Self-Exploration

This article examines the role of international service-learning (ISL) in facilitating undergraduates’ exploration of their conceptions of self (i.e., self-exploration). Conception of self refers to the use of values to define one’s role in a social/cultural group or organization and in society, and to determine current actions and future commitments. ISL is intentionally structured activities involving students in social services in overseas settings. Existing research underscores the importance of inducting students to other-oriented (showing care and empathy for others) values in facilitating their self-exploration through ISL. Interviews with 48 students in Hong Kong who participated in ISL revealed qualitative differences in students’ conceptions of self related to moral, cultural, and leadership values. The findings highlight the need to guide students to critically self-reflect on their values and actions, and build reciprocal relationships with others. Implications for international educators and service-learning practitioners to support students’ self-exploration in ISL are proposed.

Personality perception of painted faces in Beijing opera

The features of the painted face in Beijing opera are drawn to represent the personality of the character wearing the face. In two experiments, participants with different backgrounds and levels of experience with Beijing opera rated the painted faces on ten personality traits. Experiment 1 revealed that both Beijing and Hong Kong viewers were able to perceive the intended personality of ten real painted faces in Beijing opera regardless of their experience level or the availability of the identity of the character. In Experiment 2, eighteen computer-simulated painted faces were generated by combining base color, pattern, and shape of eyebrows. Again, both groups of viewers were able to see the intended personality borne by the base color and pattern, though they had opposite perceptions regarding the two eyebrow shapes. These results suggest that personality perception of the painted face is direct, i.e., features of the painted face capture the subjective element of the Chinese people in perceiving the personality traits of the character bearing the painted face.