Maria Rita Ciceri

Distraction or cognitive overload? Using modulations of the autonomic nervous system to discriminate the possible negative effects of advanced assistance system

The interaction with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems has several positive implications for road safety, but also some potential downsides such as mental workload and automation complacency. Malleable attentional resources allocation theory describes two possible processes that can generate workload in interaction with advanced assisting devices. The purpose of the present study is to determine if specific analysis of the different modalities of autonomic control of nervous system can be used to discriminate different potential workload processes generated during assisted-driving tasks and automation complacency situations. Thirty-five drivers were tested in a virtual scenario while using head-up advanced warning assistance system. Repeated MANOVA were used to examine changes in autonomic activity across a combination of different user interactions generated by the advanced assistance system: (1) expected take-over request without anticipatory warning; (2) expected take-over request with two-second anticipatory warning; (3) unexpected take-over request with misleading warning; (4) unexpected take-over request without warning. Results shows that analysis of autonomic modulations can discriminate two different resources allocation processes, related to different behavioral performances. The users interaction that required divided attention under expected situations produced performance enhancement and reciprocally-coupled parasympathetic inhibition with sympathetic activity. At the same time, supervising interactions that generated automation complacency were described specifically by uncoupled sympathetic activation. Safety implications for automated assistance systems developments are considered.

Cardiac vagal control as a marker of emotion regulation in healthy adults: A review

In the last two decades, a growing body of theory and research has targeted the role of cardiac vagal control (CVC) in emotional responding. This research has either focused on resting CVC (also denoted as cardiac vagal tone) or phasic changes in CVC (also denoted as vagal reactivity) in response to affective stimuli. The present paper is aimed at reporting a review of the papers published between 1996 and 2016, and focused on the results of 135 papers examining cardiac vagal control as a physiological marker of emotion regulation in healthy adults. The review shows that studies have employed a wide array of methodologies and measures, often leading to conflicting results. High resting CVC has been associated with better down-regulation of negative affect, use of adaptive regulatory strategies, and more flexible emotional responding. Concerning phasic changes, research has consistently found decreased CVC in response to stress, while CVC increases have been shown to reflect either self-regulatory efforts or recovery from stress. Despite conflicting results, we conclude that existing literature supports the use of CVC as a noninvasive, objective marker of emotion regulation.

Psychology-Aware video-enabled workplace

The ability to recognize, interpret and express emotions plays a key role in human communication. Current computer interfaces have become able to ”see”, thanks to advanced video sensors and video processing algorithms; however, until recently they could not plausibly ”guess” user intentions, because available feature extraction techniques could not provide the adequate level of service needed to support sophisticated interpretation capabilities. Our approach relies on a set of novel face and posture recognition techniques efficient and robust enough to be at the basis of a fully video-enabled intelligent pervasive workplace, capable of providing value added services based on the real time of facial and postural data. We propose to build on our current work in this area to create an infrastructure for lightweight facial and posture analysis allowing a variety of extended interactions between users and their work, market and entertainment environments.

Strategie di esplorazione visiva e percezione del rischio nei new drivers

La competenza nell’esplorazione del campo visivo e requisito essenziale per il driver poiche garantisce il corretto monitoraggio dell’ambiente e la capacita di rispondere con efficacia agli hazard. Nel presente contributo si indagano le strategie di monitoraggio del campo visivo di newdriver a fronte di un hazard (attraversamento pedone) in contesti di guida a differente complessita e considerando stili e comportamento di guida dei driver, preventivamente valutati mediante D.B.Q. Error. Da un campione di 79 soggetti neopatentati a cui era stato somministrato il D.B.Q, sono stati selezionati 40 soggetti (N=20 primo terzile; N=20 terzo terzile), a cui sono stati sottoposti 3 video (0=rurale; 1=cittadino traffico lieve; 2=cittadino traffico intenso) aventi in comune un attraversamento pedonale improvviso (hazard standard). Durante la visione sono stati registrati i movimenti oculari (Fixation Lenght e Fixation Count; eye tracker, TobiiX120). Dall’ANOVA 3 (complessita stradale) X 2 (fasi attraversamento) x 2 (correttezza alla guida) emergono differenze significative tra le medie di durata e di frequenza delle fissazioni in funzione del livello di complessita del traffico e in funzione delle fasi di attraversamento. I newdriver concentrano la loro attenzione sul centro della strada senza monitorare adeguatamente il pedone prima dell’attraversamento. Non emergono invece differenze significative nei movimenti oculari tra i due campioni di soggetti in funzione della correttezza alla guida.

Pictures and Words: Analogies and Specificity in Knowledge Organization

In this paper we want to examine what kind of relationship exists between two semiotic systems, word and picture, and the formats of conceptual representation linked to them: propositional thinking and mental imagery. The specific aim of this research is to explore the characteristics of the representation and organization of knowledge referring to the meaning of an input-word (“elephant”), which we have considered in both types of communication: verbalization and graphic representation. The current study analyzes the verbalizations and the graphic representations of 75 pre-school children when using the input-word “elephant”. Data seem to match the hypothesis of differentiation, according to which language plays the role of a filter, so that the choice of a language (verbal or iconic) activates preferential connections to the format of representation more similar to it.

Individual Differences in Cognitive Reappraisal Predict Emotional Experience Prior to Achievement Situations

In the present study, we examined whether individual differences in the use of cognitive reappraisal predict the experience of more positive and less negative emotions prior to an evaluative task, as well as whether reappraisal is associated with better performance. In a longitudinal design, 130 students were asked to report their spontaneous use of reappraisal as well as the emotions experienced at three time points prior to an academic exam. Results showed that the use of cognitive reappraisal measured when students began to study predicted less negative and more positive emotions in the following two weeks. Further, positive and negative affect were significant predictors of the grade achieved. Finally, cognitive reappraisal had a significant indirect effect on the grade students achieved. These findings suggest that cognitive reappraisal can be effective in regulating emotions while approaching evaluative stressors.

Emozioni positive e benessere psicologico

Negli ultimi venti anni le emozioni positive hanno ricevuto molta attenzione dalla ricerca tuttavia lo studio degli effetti e delle funzioni specifiche delle emozioni positive e ancora al suo inizio. L’articolo presenta una sintesi degli studi sperimentali che iniziano a porre in evidenza specifiche tendenze all’azione delle emozioni positive e documentano interessanti funzioni di potenziamento delle risorse cognitive e sociali. Il riferimento alla broaden-and-build theory consente infine di sintetizzare e organizzare tali studi e di definire le relazioni tra emozioni positive e benessere soggettivo.

Formats and Languages of Knowledge: Models of Links for Learning Processes

In this paper we will examine if communicability is a structural constraint on our information representation, acquisition and processing. In particular, first of all we will examine the description of the different formats of knowledge: declarative, propositional, procedural knowledge, narrative thinking, mental imagery. We will then consider the possible links between language and thought and especially between formats of knowledge, languages and the multimodal message. As a matter of fact the relationship between language and thought can be described by two events: a referential and a communicative one. Through the referential event the information we experience (perceptual, psychological, cultural) is organized into knowledge (knowledge of words, images, procedures); the communicative event requires the declension into languages through a medium, generating the multimodal message.