Social and Affective Neuroscience of Everyday Human Interaction

This Open Access book presents the current state of the art knowledge on social and affective neuroscience based on empirical findings. This volume is divided into several sections first guiding the reader through important theoretical topics within affective neuroscience, social neuroscience and moral emotions, and clinical neuroscience. Each chapter addresses everyday social interactions and various aspects of social interactions from a different angle taking the reader on a diverse journey. The last section of the book is of methodological nature. Basic information is presented for the reader to learn about common methodologies used in neuroscience alongside advanced input to deepen the understanding and usability of these methods in social and affective neuroscience for more experienced readers

Toward Simulation-Based Training Validation Protocols: Exploring 3d Stereo with Incremental Rehearsal and Partial Occlusion to Instigate and Modulate Smooth Pursuit and Saccade Responses in Baseball Batting

“Keeping your eye on the ball” is a long-standing tenet in baseball batting. And yet, there are no protocols for objectively conditioning, measuring, and/or evaluating eye-on-ball coordination performance relative to baseball-pitch trajectories. Although video games and other virtual simulation technologies offer alternatives for training and obtaining objective measures, baseball batting instruction has relied on traditional eye-pitch coordination exercises with qualitative “face validation”, statistics of whole-task batting performance, and/or subjective batter-interrogation methods, rather than on direct, quantitative eye-movement performance evaluations. Further, protocols for validating transfer-of-training (ToT) for video games and other simulation-based training have not been established in general ― or for eye-movement training, specifically. An exploratory research study was conducted to consider the ecological and ToT validity of a part-task, virtual-fastball simulator implemented in 3D stereo along with a rotary pitching machine standing as proxy for the live-pitch referent. The virtual-fastball and live-pitch simulation couple was designed to facilitate objective eye-movement response measures to live and virtual stimuli. The objective measures 1) served to assess the ecological validity of virtual fastballs, 2) informed the characterization and comparison of eye-movement strategies employed by expert and novice batters, 3) enabled a treatment protocol relying on repurposed incremental-rehearsal and partial-occlusion methods intended to instigate and modulate strategic eye movements, and 4) revealed whether the simulation-based treatment resulted in positive (or negative) ToT in the real task. Results indicated that live fastballs consistently elicited different saccade onset time responses than virtual fastballs. Saccade onset times for live fastballs were consistent with catch-up saccades that follow the smooth-pursuit maximum velocity threshold of approximately 40-70˚/sec while saccade onset times for virtual fastballs lagged in the order of 13%. More experienced batters employed more deliberate and timely combinations of smooth pursuit and catch-up saccades than less experienced batters, enabling them to position their eye to meet the ball near the front edge of home plate. Smooth pursuit and saccade modulation from treatment was inconclusive from virtual-pitch pre- and post-treatment comparisons, but comparisons of live-pitch pre- and post-treatment indicate ToT improvements. Lagging saccade onset times from virtual-pitch suggest possible accommodative-vergence impairment due to accommodation-vergence conflict inherent to 3D stereo displays

The assessment of visual behaviour and depth perception in surgery

Imperial Users onl

Opportunities for using eye tracking technology in manufacturing and logistics: Systematic literature review and research agenda

Workers play essential roles in manufacturing and logistics. Releasing workers from routine tasks and enabling them to focus on creative, value-adding activities can enhance their performance and wellbeing, and it is also key to the successful implementation of Industry 4.0. One technology that can help identify patterns of worker-system interaction is Eye Tracking (ET), which is a non-intrusive technology for measuring human eye movements. ET can provide moment-by-moment insights into the cognitive state of the subject during task execution, which can improve our understanding of how humans behave and make decisions within complex systems. It also enables explorations of the subject’s interaction mode with the working environment. Earlier research has investigated the use of ET in manufacturing and logistics, but the literature is fragmented and has not yet been discussed in a literature review yet. This article therefore conducts a systematic literature review to explore the applications of ET, summarise its benefits, and outline future research opportunities of using ET in manufacturing and logistics. We first propose a conceptual framework to guide our study and then conduct a systematic literature search in scholarly databases, obtaining 71 relevant papers. Building on the proposed framework, we systematically review the use of ET and categorize the identified papers according to their application in manufacturing (product development, production, quality inspection) and logistics. Our results reveal that ET has several use cases in the manufacturing sector, but that its application in logistics has not been studied extensively so far. We summarize the benefits of using ET in terms of process performance, human performance, and work environment and safety, and also discuss the methodological characteristics of the ET literature as well as typical ET measures used. We conclude by illustrating future avenues for ET research in manufacturing and logistics

Social and Affective Neuroscience of Everyday Human Interaction

This Open Access book presents the current state of the art knowledge on social and affective neuroscience based on empirical findings. This volume is divided into several sections first guiding the reader through important theoretical topics within affective neuroscience, social neuroscience and moral emotions, and clinical neuroscience. Each chapter addresses everyday social interactions and various aspects of social interactions from a different angle taking the reader on a diverse journey. The last section of the book is of methodological nature. Basic information is presented for the reader to learn about common methodologies used in neuroscience alongside advanced input to deepen the understanding and usability of these methods in social and affective neuroscience for more experienced readers

Change blindness: eradication of gestalt strategies

Arrays of eight, texture-defined rectangles were used as stimuli in a one-shot change blindness (CB) task where there was a 50% chance that one rectangle would change orientation between two successive presentations separated by an interval. CB was eliminated by cueing the target rectangle in the first stimulus, reduced by cueing in the interval and unaffected by cueing in the second presentation. This supports the idea that a representation was formed that persisted through the interval before being 'overwritten' by the second presentation (Landman et al, 2003 Vision Research 43149–164]. Another possibility is that participants used some kind of grouping or Gestalt strategy. To test this we changed the spatial position of the rectangles in the second presentation by shifting them along imaginary spokes (by ±1 degree) emanating from the central fixation point. There was no significant difference seen in performance between this and the standard task [F(1,4)=2.565, p=0.185]. This may suggest two things: (i) Gestalt grouping is not used as a strategy in these tasks, and (ii) it gives further weight to the argument that objects may be stored and retrieved from a pre-attentional store during this task

Evidence-based clinical decision-making : Conceptual and empirical foundations for an integrative psychological and neurobiological transtheoretical metamodel

The dialogue between psychotherapy and neuroscience is ongoing. Previous meta-analytic research suggests that 35% of psychotherapy outcome variance is not fully explained, whereas 30% is attributed to patient variables, 15% to therapeutic relationship, 10% to specific therapeutic techniques, 7% to therapist variables and 3% to other factors (Norcross & Wampold, 2019). Several authors emphasize the need for integrative, metatheoretical or transtheoretical approaches to enhance conceptual understanding of clinical phenomena, augmenting psychotherapy responsiveness to patients’ significant variables, such as maladaptive patterns, states of mind, relational styles, emotional difficulties, neurocognitive deficits, and psychological needs. The present doctoral proposal aims to respond to these claims through the establishment of preliminary conceptual and empirical foundations for an Integrative Psychological and Neurobiological Transtheoretical Metamodel. First, an extensive literature review of the relationships between psychotherapy and neuroscience was performed to establish theoretical and conceptual integration of different components of the presently proposed model. Second, several methodological aspects were described to systematize the complex data acquisition process. Third, seven studies were conducted, and implications of the results were discussed. Fourth, an integrative discussion was elaborated, emphasizing the major and general implications of the results for clinical practice and future research. The first empirical study aimed to develop and/or adapt self-report assessment measures to evaluate several psychological variables (e.g., metacognition, states of mind), which resulted in five scientific articles. Thus, the Metacognitive Self-assessment Scale (Pedone et al., 2017) and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems – 32 (IIP-32, Barkham et al., 1998) were validated and adapted to European Portuguese. The State of Mind Questionnaire (SMQ, Faustino et al., 2021b, Emotional Processing Difficulties Scale – R (EPDS-R, Faustino et al., in press) and the Clinical Decision-Making Inventory (Faustino & Vasco, in press) were developed. All instruments showed satisfactory psychometric properties. Nevertheless, the SMQ showed low reliability in the composite scales in smaller subsamples. For the second empirical study, the main aims were to explore the complex relationships between early disorder determinants, maladaptive schemas and states of mind, defensive maneuvers and critical consequences, mental skills and processes, and adaptive self-domains. This was performed with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results showed significant sequential and mediational models between maladaptive schemas, defensive maneuvers and dysfunctional consequences, mental abilities and processes, and adaptive self-domains with psychological needs. Maladaptive schemas and states of mind were both predictors and mediators in several models. However, the relationship between maladaptive schematic functioning and symptomatology had less significant mediations with the same variables. For the third study, the main aims were to explore the relationships of early disorder determinants, maladaptive schematic functioning and states of mind, defensive maneuvers and dysfunctional consequences, mental abilities and processes, and adaptive self-domains, with several neurocognitive variables. Executive functions were negatively correlated with maladaptive schematic functioning and with defensive maneuvers and dysfunctional consequences. Memory only correlated with psychological needs, self-confidence and with dysfunctional interpersonal cycles. These results emphasize previous assumptions that there is a difference between self-report questionnaires and neuropsychological assessment measures which may difficult the integrated study of psychological and neurocognitive processes. The fourth study aimed to explore the associations of affective subliminal processing with dispositional states and contextual states, defined in the present work as early disorder determinants, schematic functioning, and defensive maneuvers and dysfunctional consequences, mental abilities and processes, and adaptive self-domains. Results showed strong correlations between maladaptive schematic functioning, coping responses, emotional processing difficulties, and expressive suppression with behavioral responses. Dispositional traits and contextual states seem to be associated with affective processing, especially when it comes to the neutral valence of the subliminal stimuli. ERPs waveforms showed an amplitude modulation with a temporal progression: in the first 100 msec the waveform amplitude was highest to the negative condition; Later on, in the time windows after 350 msec, the neutral condition was the one that elicited the ERPs’ heist amplitude. These indexes a cascade of reactions, first a priority to nonconscious negative stimulation; and after that, a later processing phase of affective-cognitive interpretation (350msc) in which neutral stimuli acquire a meaning according to schemas. The fifth study explored the diagnostic and or transdiagnostic potential of early disorder determinants, maladaptive schematic functioning and states of mind, defensive maneuvers and dysfunctional consequences, mental abilities and processes, and adaptive self-domains. Results showed that only early complex trauma and expressive suppression were not statistically different in two subsamples. Individuals in the low-symptoms sub-sample reported lower levels of maladaptive schematic functioning, defensive maneuvers, and psychological inflexibility than individuals in the higher-symptoms subsample. The sixth study was focused on the exploration of the temporal stability of maladaptive schematic functioning and states of mind, defensive maneuvers and dysfunctional consequences, mental abilities, and adaptive self-domains. Results showed significant differences between moment one and two, with a descending pattern in the mean scores of dysfunctional variables. An inverse pattern was found regarding the adaptive variables. However, mean scores of some variables, such as early maladaptive schemas, emotional schemas, psychological needs, and cognitive reappraisal were not statistically significant. The seventh study aimed to explore associations of early disorder determinants, maladaptive schemas and states of mind, defensive maneuvers and critical consequences, mental skills and processes and adaptive self-domains, with an empirical based clinical profile (e.g., psychotherapy and motivational stage, coping styles). Results showed significant negative correlations between maladaptive schematic functioning and stage process, motivational stage, therapeutic relationship, attachment style, reactance, and coping style. An inverse pattern was found regarding the adaptive variables. These preliminary results seem to support a theoretically- and empirically-based integrative and transtheoretical metamodel focused on unifying psychotherapy and neuroscience into a coherent framework. Further research is required to augment and enhance the presently proposed model