38,583 research outputs found
Reflective visualization and verbalization of unconscious preference
A new method is presented, that can help a person become aware of his or her
unconscious preferences, and convey them to others in the form of verbal
explanation. The method combines the concepts of reflection, visualization, and
verbalization. The method was tested in an experiment where the unconscious
preferences of the subjects for various artworks were investigated. In the
experiment, two lessons were learned. The first is that it helps the subjects
become aware of their unconscious preferences to verbalize weak preferences as
compared with strong preferences through discussion over preference diagrams.
The second is that it is effective to introduce an adjustable factor into
visualization to adapt to the differences in the subjects and to foster their
mutual understanding.Comment: This will be submitted to KES Journa
Scientific requirements for an engineered model of consciousness
The building of a non-natural conscious system requires more than the design of physical or virtual machines with intuitively conceived abilities, philosophically elucidated architecture or hardware homologous to an animalâs brain. Human society might one day treat a type of robot or computing system as an artificial person. Yet that would not answer scientific questions about the machineâs consciousness or otherwise. Indeed, empirical tests for consciousness are impossible because no such entity is denoted within the theoretical structure of the science of mind, i.e. psychology. However, contemporary experimental psychology can identify if a specific mental process is conscious in particular circumstances, by theory-based interpretation of the overt performance of human beings. Thus, if we are to build a conscious machine, the artificial systems must be used as a test-bed for theory developed from the existing science that distinguishes conscious from non-conscious causation in natural systems. Only such a rich and realistic account of hypothetical processes accounting for observed input/output relationships can establish whether or not an engineered system is a model of consciousness. It follows that any research project on machine consciousness needs a programme of psychological experiments on the demonstration systems and that the programme should be designed to deliver a fully detailed scientific theory of the type of artificial mind being developed â a Psychology of that Machine
A dangerous method: dynamic clinical psychology and the challenge of understanding emotionality in social contexts
This contribution aims to discuss how and to what extent emotionality affects
opinions, beliefs, attitudes, therefore, the social behaviour of entire communities. The
construct of the unconscious is presented in a modern perspective, beyond the individual
vicissitudes of personal conflicts, unresolved experiences, and psychopathology. Based
on Matte Blancoâs bi-logic theory of mind (1975), emotions, as a process of attribution of
meaning to objects, persons and events, grounded on primary categories (such as, good
and evil, big and small, inside and outside), may be shared by groups of individuals as well
as entire communities in the form of âlocal culturesâ (Carli & Paniccia, 2003), regulating
their social behaviour towards given social stimuli. Dynamic clinical psychology offers
a theoretical framework, instruments and methodologies, such as the Emotional Text
Analysis based on the lexical analysis of language, and ability to uncover this portion
of shared emotionality in social contexts so that it can be made explicit, elaborated
and transformed in unbiased and aware rational thoughts. Two case studies are briefly
presented showing how dynamic clinical psychology can offer an âacross the boardâ
knowledge that can be fruitfully integrated in different fields, helping other professional
profiles in designing and realizing practical solutions to improve communitiesâ quality of
life, including their capacity to manage complex sets of information, thus preventing an
abundance of stereotypes, simple thoughts, and primary emotions. I will conclude with
a call on university teachers on their responsibility in supporting open mindedness in
young generations and their ability to explore different contexts
Guidelines Towards Better Participation of Older Adults in Software Development Processes using a new SPIRAL Method and Participatory Approach
This paper presents a new method of engaging older participants in the
process of application and IT solutions development for older adults for
emerging IT and tech startups. A new method called SPIRAL (Support for
Participant Involvement in Rapid and Agile software development Labs) is
proposed which adds both sustainability and flexibility to the development
process with older adults. This method is based on the participatory approach
and user empowerment of older adults with the aid of a bootstrapped Living Lab
concept and it goes beyond well established user-centered and empathic design.
SPIRAL provides strategies for direct involvement of older participants in the
software development processes from the very early stage to support the agile
approach with rapid prototyping, in particular in new and emerging startup
environments with limited capabilities, including time, team and resources
Spectatorsâ aesthetic experiences of sound and movement in dance performance
In this paper we present a study of spectatorsâ aesthetic experiences of sound and movement in live dance performance. A multidisciplinary team comprising a choreographer, neuroscientists and qualitative researchers investigated the effects of different sound scores on dance spectators. What would be the impact of auditory stimulation on kinesthetic experience and/or aesthetic appreciation of the dance? What would be the effect of removing music altogether, so that spectators watched dance while hearing only the performersâ breathing and footfalls? We investigated audience experience through qualitative research, using post-performance focus groups, while a separately conducted functional brain imaging (fMRI) study measured the synchrony in brain activity across spectators when they watched dance with sound or breathing only. When audiences watched dance accompanied by music the fMRI data revealed evidence of greater intersubject synchronisation in a brain region consistent with complex auditory processing. The audience research found that some spectators derived pleasure from finding convergences between two complex stimuli (dance and music). The removal of music and the resulting audibility of the performersâ breathing had a significant impact on spectatorsâ aesthetic experience. The fMRI analysis showed increased synchronisation among observers, suggesting greater influence of the body when interpreting the dance stimuli. The audience research found evidence of similar corporeally focused experience. The paper discusses possible connections between the findings of our different approaches, and considers the implications of this study for interdisciplinary research collaborations between arts and sciences
Scientific discovery reloaded
The way scientific discovery has been conceptualized has changed drastically in the last few decades: its relation to logic, inference, methods, and evolution has been deeply reloaded. The âphilosophical matrixâ moulded by logical empiricism and analytical tradition has been challenged by the âfriends of discoveryâ, who opened up the way to a rational investigation of discovery. This has produced not only new theories of discovery (like the deductive, cognitive, and evolutionary), but also new ways of practicing it in a rational and more systematic way. Ampliative rules, methods, heuristic procedures and even a logic of discovery have been investigated, extracted, reconstructed and refined. The outcome is a âscientific discovery revolutionâ: not only a new way of looking at discovery, but also a construction of tools that can guide us to discover something new. This is a very important contribution of philosophy of science to science, as it puts the former in a position not only to interpret what scientists do, but also to provide and improve tools that they can employ in their activity
When the reaper becomes a salesman: The influence of terror management on product preferences
The present research investigates how consumer choice is affected by Terror Management Theoryâs proposition of Mortality Salience increasing oneâs cultural worldview defense and self-esteem striving. The study builds empirically upon prior theorizing by Arndt, Solomon, Kasser and Sheldon (2004). During an experiment, we manipulated Mortality Salience and measured product preferences for conspicuousness and familiarity. Participants primed with death were more likely to choose conspicuous products, corroborating previous research of mortality salience raising materialistic tendencies. In addition, participants showed a tendency to prefer familiar brands. These results are in line with the Terror Management Theory framework
Creativity: can artistic perspectives contribute to management?
Today creativity is considered as a necessity in all aspects of management. This working paper mirrors the artistic and managerial conceptions of creativity. Although there are shared points in both applications, however deep-seated and radically opposed traits account for the divergence between the two fields. This exploratory analysis opens up new research questions and insights into practices
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