Joint action goals reduce visuomotor interference effects from a partner’s incongruent actions

Joint actions often require agents to track others’ actions while planning and executing physically incongruent actions of their own. Previous research has indicated that this can lead to visuomotor interference effects when it occurs outside of joint action. How is this avoided or overcome in joint actions? We hypothesized that when joint action partners represent their actions as interrelated components of a plan to bring about a joint action goal, each partner’s movements need not be represented in relation to distinct, incongruent proximal goals. Instead they can be represented in relation to a single proximal goal – especially if the movements are, or appear to be, mechanically linked to a more distal joint action goal. To test this, we implemented a paradigm in which participants produced finger movements that were either congruent or incongruent with those of a virtual partner, and either with or without a joint action goal (the joint flipping of a switch, which turned on two light bulbs). Our findings provide partial support for the hypothesis that visuomotor interference effects can be reduced when two physically incongruent actions are represented as mechanically interdependent contributions to a joint action goal

CONTROL AND ANALYSIS OF SIMULATOR AND BIOLOGICAL DATA FROM CAR SIMULATORS

Due to the fact that driving vehicles can be complicated or impracticable, a computer simulator is usually used for training and professional studies. The advantage of this approach is high safety, repeatability, easier feasibility and, of course, lower price. In this work we describe the extension of the car simulator developed by the Faculty of Transport CTU in Prague with specific scenarios for evaluating the cognitive abilities of probands, software for their management and evaluation of data from simulator software and other measured physiological variables such as ECG and arm movement. From the data it is then possible to evaluate the mental and physical condition of the proband and the progress of training. Preliminary results suggest the possibility of using Poincaré analysis for the purpose of assessing cognitive load during potential collision situations. It uses distance assessment from other objects involved in traffic situations

Inhibition control in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

The response inhibition ability is part of executive functions, which may be defined as a set of higher cognitive processes particularly located in the frontal-subcortical circuits. Since the main obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms seem to be relevant to the inability of inhibiting certain stimuli, it can be assumed that response inhibition in these patients will be disrupted. Studies related to this topic have brought inconsistent results. Our research dealing with OCD patients has focused on two dimensions of the response inhibition - the behavioral inhibition, which generally includes the behavior control (for instance impulse control), and the cognitive interference, which is considered to be the cognitive component of inhibition process and is mostly associated with the control of internal cognitive processes. The first part of our research included the verification of hypothesis, stating that the increased severity of obsession is associated with the degree of disrupted ability of cognitive interference, while the severity of compulsions correlates with the degree of disrupted performance in tests measuring behavioral inhibition. The second research objective was to clarify whether the inhibition response ability was different between patients when the predominance of symptoms was..

Measuring of social desirability in selection situation

This Bachelor thesis discusses the theme of socialy-desirable responding that appeared on the pages of questionary BIDR-CZ (Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding, Paulhus 1984; czech version Preiss and Mačudová, 2013). Used method describes psychological-diagnostics situations that occurred in real environment and offers comparison between experimental and control group. Experimental group consists of judge, state prosecutor and executor candidates. Research revealed statistically significant deviations from the control group. In the case of candidates the measured score was proven to be higher on overall scale as well as on both subscales, than the score of control group. First part of the thesis provides an introduction to theoretical definition and boundaries of social desirability, necessary terminology, proper categorization and sorting of the individual components. Other chapters present social desirability as a response style and verify the validity of test methods based on this assumption. Thesis also contains an overview of related foreign researches and further explaines the process of candidates election in Czech Republic, its obligations and requirements and various test methods used. Keywords: BIDR, social desirability, impression management, self-deception, self- report, response..

Physiotherapy after total hip replacement. The use of selected Bobath concept elements in patients after total hip replacement

The theoretical section of my bachelor thesis is divided into two sections - the general and the special. The general section is focused on the anatomy and the kinesiology of the hip joint, the theory of the Bobath concept and on the coxarthrosis and its solution using the total hip replacement. The special section contains the preoperative phase, but especially the postoperative and the posthospital phase. It includes also a mention about some special physiotherapy methods, which we could use in patients after total hip replacement. The main chapter in the special section is The use of Bobath concept in patients after total hip replacement. The practical section contains two case histories of patients to whom was indicated the implantation of total hip replacement because of coxarthrosis. The main aim of this thesis is to choose from Bobath concept those elements that are suitable in patients after total hip replacement and to verify the effectiveness of these elements. The second aim of my bachelor thesis is to verify if these elements are possible to use in hospital inpatient ward. Key words: Total hip replacement, Bobath concept, physiotherapy, coxarthrosis, motion stereotyp

Teacher’s social representations of burnout: burnout between experience and analytical category

Syndrom vyhoření jakožto rizikový faktor pro učitele je zavedený pojem jak ve vědě, tak ve veřejném diskurzu. Co ale pojem vyhoření znamená? Jaký je vztah mezi pojetím vědy a pojetím samotných učitelů? Aby bylo možné na uvedenou otázku odpovědět, je nutné zabývat se obojím – pohledem vědy i pohledem samotných aktérů.Tato studie se snaží odpovědět na otázku, zda a jakým způsobem se liší vyhoření jakožto sociální reprezentace (pohled vyučujících) a vyhoření jakožto analytická kategorie (akademický diskurz). V úvodní části textu se zabýváme zejména problematikou sociálních reprezentací, následuje popis metod a výsledková část. Srovnání vědecké a aktérské perspektivy je uvedeno v diskuzi.Zdrojem dat prezentovaného výzkumného šetření jsou výsledky dotazníku vyhoření (N = 2394), polostrukturované rozhovory s vyučujícími zaměřené na problematiku vyhoření (N = 46) a položky nejužívanějších škál měřících vyhoření.Výsledky naznačují, že zatímco sociální reprezentace vyučujících se zkušeností s vyhořením má velmi blízko k vědeckému pojetí vyhoření, reprezentace vyučujících bez této zkušenosti je tomuto pojetí vzdálenější. Tito vyučující totiž akcentují zejména vnější rovinu vyhoření (z určitého pohledu se tedy zaměřují spíše na důsledky), a to proto, že vnitřní rovina (příčiny vyhoření, tedy vyčerpání) jim zůstává skryta. Článek se zaměřuje rovněž na důsledky, které toto „míjení“ může mít v rovině školní reality.Burnout syndrome as a high risk factor for teachers is well established term in scientific and also in public discourse. But what does the term burnout syndrome actually mean? What is the relation between science and teachers themselves? To better understand it, it is necessary to deal with science on the one hand and the actors on the other.This study therefore wants to answer the question of the differences between social representation of burnout (teacher‘s perspective) and burnout as an analytic category (perspective of the science). The general topic of the social representations is mentioned in the introduction, followed by the description of methods and results part. The comparison of the perspectives is in the discussion.Our data contains questioner of burnout (N = 2394), interviews with teachers about burnout (N = 46) and the items of the most used measures of burnout.The results indicate that the social representation of teachers with burnout experience overlaps scientific concept of burnout. However, the social representation of teachers without this experience does not. These teachers accentuate mainly the extrinsic level of burnout (from a certain point of view, they are more focused on the consequences) because the intrinsic level (the causes – exhaustion) remains hidden. The article is also dealing with the consequences in school reality

Joint action goals reduce visuomotor interference from a partner’s incongruent actions

Joint actions often require agents to track others’ actions while planning and executing physically incongruent actions of their own. Previous research has indicated that this can lead to visuomotor interference when it occurs outside of joint action. How is such visuomotor interference avoided or overcome in joint actions? We hypothesized that when joint action partners represent their actions as interrelated components of a plan to bring about a joint action goal, each partner’s movements need not be represented in relation to distinct, incongruent proximal goals. Instead they can be represented in relation to a single proximal goal – especially if the movements are, or appear to be, mechanically linked to a more distal joint action goal. To test this, we implemented a paradigm in which participants produced finger movements that were either congruent or incongruent with those of a virtual partner, and either with or without a joint action goal (the joint flipping of a switch, which turned on two light bulbs). Our findings indicate that visuomotor interference is reduced when two physically incongruent actions can be represented as mechanically interdependent contributions to a joint action goal

Stato dell'arte della normativa per la valutazione dello stress termico

This is the first study to report evidence for the hypothesis that individuals' sense of commitment in joint activities and relationships may be influenced by personality traits characteristic of borderline personality disorder (BPD). This study consisted of 3 online experiments implemented via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Participants were presented with videos (Exp 1) or vignettes (Exp 2 and 3) describing situations in which everyday commitments were violated. Participants then reported their perceptions, interpretations, and affective and behavioral responses to those situations. Participants' BPD traits were assessed using the short form of the Five-Factor Borderline Inventory on the basis of which they were divided into two groups: High and Low BPD. The results revealed that participants with High BPD traits were less optimistic about others acting in accordance with an implicit sense of commitment (Exp 1), although there was no difference between groups when the commitment was explicitly stated (Exp 3). Participants in the High BPD group also reported heightened emotional responses (Exp 1-3) and less adaptive behavioral responses (Exp 1 and 3) to perceived or anticipated violations of commitment. Our findings suggest that high levels of BPD traits may give rise to a difficulty in adapting one’s social expectations and behavior in light of interpersonal commitments and in a manner that is calibrated to the social norms in the community. Future research should investigate to what extent a disturbed sense of commitment may contribute to the difficulties in interpersonal functioning experienced by many individuals with a clinical diagnosis of BPD