Joshua P. Salmon

Norms for two types of manipulability (graspability and functional usage), familiarity, and age of acquisition for 320 photographs of objects

There is increasing interest in the role that manipulability plays in processing objects. To date, Magnié, Besson, Poncet, and Dolisi’s (2003) manipulability ratings, based on the degree to which objects can be uniquely pantomimed, have been the reference point for many studies. However, these ratings do not fully capture some relevant dimensions of manipulability, including whether an object is graspable and the extent to which functional motor associations above and beyond graspability are present. To address this, we collected ratings of these dimensions, in addition to ratings of familiarity and age of acquisition (AoA), for a set of 320 black-and-white photographs of objects. Familiarity and AoA ratings were highly correlated with previously reported ratings of the same dimensions (r =.853, p<.001, and r=.771, p<.001, respectively), validating the present norms. Grasping and functional use ratings, in contrast, were more moderately correlated with Magnié et al.’s pantomime manipulability ratings (r=.507, p<.001). These results were taken as evidence that the new manipulability ratings collected in this research capture distinct aspects of object manipulability. The complete stimuli and norms from this study may be downloaded from http://brm.psychonomic-journals.org/content/supplemental.

Slow categorization but fast naming for photographs of manipulable objects

Previous research investigating the influence of object manipulability (the properties of objects that make them appropriate for manual action) on object identification has not tightly controlled for effects of both object familiarity and age of acquisition of objects. The current research carefully controlled these two variables on a balanced set of 120 photographs and showed significant effects of object manipulability during object categorization (Experiment 1) and object naming (Experiment 2). Critically, the effects showed a manipulability-effect reversal, with faster categorization of non-manipulable objects, but faster naming of manipulable objects, suggesting that task moderates the direction of the manipulability effect. Exposure duration (the amount of time the object was visible to participants) was also investigated, but no interactions between exposure duration and manipulability were found. These results indicate that not only can manipulability influence object identification, but the way in which it does depends on the task.

Photographs of manipulable objects are named more quickly than the same objects depicted as line-drawings: Evidence that photographs engage embodiment more than line-drawings.

Previous research has shown that photographs of manipulable objects (i.e., those that can be grasped for use with one hand) are named more quickly than non-manipulable objects when they have been matched for object familiarity and age of acquisition. The current study tested the hypothesis that the amount of visual detail present in object depictions moderates these “manipulability” effects on object naming. The same objects were presented as photographs and line-drawings during a speeded naming task. Forty-six participants named 222 objects depicted in both formats. A significant object depiction (photographs versus line drawing) by manipulability interaction confirmed our hypothesis that manipulable objects are identified more quickly when shown as photographs; whereas, non-manipulable objects are identified equally quickly when shown as photographs versus line-drawings. These results indicate that factors such as surface detail and texture moderate the role of “action” and/or “manipulability” effects during object identification tasks, and suggest that photographs of manipulable objects are associated with more embodied representations of those objects than when they are depicted as line-drawings.

Measuring the components of attention using the Dalhousie Computerized Attention Battery (DalCAB).

Using experimentally validated tests to measure the vigilance/alerting, orienting and executive control attention networks, we have developed a novel, theoretically driven battery for measuring attentional abilities, called the Dalhousie Computerized Attention Battery (DalCAB). The current study sought to examine the factor structure of the DalCAB as preliminary evidence for its validation as an assessment tool for the above-named attention networks. One hundred young, healthy adult participants (18 to 31 years) completed the DalCAB (simple reaction time, choice reaction time, dual task, go/no-go, visual search, vertical flanker, and item memory tasks). Exploratory factor analysis of task performance with promax rotation highlighted a 9-factor model, accounting for 54.66% of the shared variance. Factors 1, 2, and 5 are associated with measures reflecting the vigilance/alerting network (response speed, maintenance/preparation and consistency, respectively), Factor 3 is associated with the orienting network (searching measures). Factors 4, 6, 7, and 8 are associated with different aspects of the executive control network including: inhibition, working memory, filtering, and switching. The final factor is associated with vigilance/alerting (fatigue) and executive control (proactive interference). Our model provides preliminary evidence for the validation of our interpretation of the DalCAB as a measure of vigilance/alerting, orienting, and executive control attentional abilities, and contributes to the previously reported evidence for the validation of these tasks for measuring different aspects of attention. We also demonstrate the importance of each of the specific measures derived from the DalCAB tasks, and our results provide further behavioral evidence of the existence of multiple attention-related networks.

Methods for validating chronometry of computerized tests

ABSTRACT Determining the speed at which a task is performed (i.e., reaction time) can be a valuable tool in both research and clinical assessments. However, standard computer hardware employed for measuring reaction times (e.g., computer monitor, keyboard, or mouse) can add nonrepresentative noise to the data, potentially compromising the accuracy of measurements and the conclusions drawn from the data. Therefore, an assessment of the accuracy and precision of measurement should be included along with the development of computerized tests and assessment batteries that rely on reaction times as the dependent variable. This manuscript outlines three methods for assessing the temporal accuracy of reaction time data (one employing external chronometry). Using example data collected from the Dalhousie Computerized Attention Battery (DalCAB) we discuss the detection, measurement, and correction of nonrepresentative noise in reaction time measurement. The details presented in this manuscript should act as a cautionary tale to any researchers or clinicians gathering reaction time data, but who have not yet considered methods for verifying the internal chronometry of the software and or hardware being used.

The Cost of Location Switching during Visual Alerting: Effects of Experience and Age

A study was conducted to investigate the switching cost of changing the location of a visual alert while participants performed a high intensity, multi-display task. Based on the proposition that the spatial window of attention can be extended to include relevant, though non-task-related information, it was hypothesized that response times to the alert would increase immediately following a change in location and then recover. Generally, results showed that this was not the case, but instead response time increased several minutes after the change in location and then recovered. Further investigation revealed that age and expertise (defined as experience with tasks involving multiple displays or video gaming), were strong moderators of the effect of slowed response after switching. Less experienced adults showed an immediate and significant cost that was not shown at all, or was shown later, by more experienced adults. Older adults showed a switching cost that was absent in younger adults. The results suggest that experience with a specific task, or more general video game experience, can guard against the cost associated with moving an alert to a new, relatively untrained location.

Distorted Beliefs about Luck and Skill and Their Relation to Gambling Problems and Gambling Behavior in Dutch Gamblers

Gamblers’ cognitive distortions are thought to be an important mechanism involved in the development and maintenance of problem gambling. The Gambling Cognitions Inventory (GCI) evaluates two categories of distortions: beliefs that one is lucky (i.e., “Luck/Chance”) and beliefs that one has special gambling-related skills (i.e., “Skill/Attitude”). Prior psychometric evaluations of the GCI demonstrated the utility of both subscales as measures of distortions and their concurrent relations to gambling problems among Canadian gamblers. However, these associations have not yet been studied in gamblers from other cultures nor have relationships between the GCI and indices of gambling behavior been investigated. In addition, the predictive validity of the GCI scales have not been evaluated in studies to date. The present study investigated the validity of the GCI as a measure of cognitive distortions in a sample of 49 Dutch gamblers by examining its concurrent and prospective relationships to both gambling problems (as measured through a standardized nine-item questionnaire assessing gambling-related problems) and behaviors (as measured through two variables: days spent gambling and time spent gambling in minutes) at baseline and over 1-month and 6-month intervals. The GCI subscales were internally consistent at all timepoints, and moderately to strongly inter-correlated at all timepoints. Each subscale correlated with an independent dimension of gambling both concurrently and prospectively: Luck/Chance was related to greater gambling problems and Skill/Attitude was related to greater gambling behavior. Thus, the two GCI subscales, while inter-correlated, appear to be related to different gambling outcomes, at least among Dutch gamblers. Moreover, the first evidence of the predictive validity of the GCI scales was demonstrated over a 1-month and 6-month interval. It is recommended that both types of cognitive distortions be considered in research and clinical practice to fully understand and address individual risk for excessive and problematic gambling.

Modeling the integration of expectations in visual search with centre-surround neural fields

Centre-Surround Neural Field (CSNF) models were used to explain a possible mechanism by which information from different sources may be integrated into target likelihood maps that are then used to direct eye saccades. The CSNF model is a dynamic model in which each region in network excites near-by location and inhibits distant locations, thereby modeling competition for eye movements (saccades). The CSNF model was tested in a number of conditions analogous to a naturalistic search task in which the target was either (1) present in the expected location, (2) present in the unexpected location, or (3) absent. Simulations showed that the model predicted a pattern of accuracy results similar to those obtained by [Eckstein, M. P., Drescher, B. A., & Shimozaki, S. S. (2006). Attentional cues in real scenes, saccadic targeting, and Bayesian priors. Psychological Science, 17(11), 973-980] from human participants. However, the model predicts different saccadic latencies between conditions where Eckstein, Drescher, and Shimozaki (2006) found no significant differences. These discrepancies between model predictions and behavioural results are discussed. Additional simulations indicated that these models can also capture the qualitative flavor of eye movements in conditions with multiple targets as compared to [Findlay, J. M. (1997). Saccade target selection during visual search. Vision Research, 37(5), 617-631].