Binding time: Investigations on the integration of visual stimulus duration

The perception of and reaction to objects creates bindings of (object) features and responses, also called event files. In this context, time is a so far understudied feature. We conducted four experiments to investigate whether the duration of visual stimuli is also integrated into such event files. Experiments 1, 2, and 4 used a simple colour classification task and in Experiment 3 the location of a stimulus had to be classified. In all Experiments, the presentation duration of the stimuli (coloured circles) was either short (20 ms) or long (300 ms). We expected partial repetition costs as an indicator of binding. That is, performance should be better when both colour (Experiment 3: location) and duration repeat or alternate relative to partial repetitions. Results showed no partial repetition costs in Experiments 1 and 3, indicating no integration of duration into visual event files. Experiments 2 and 4 revealed partial repetition costs. Performance was better when Colour and Duration repeated compared with a partial repetition. What distinguishes the latter two experiments from the former is that the coloured stimuli could change their presentation location. The results of all four experiments show a pattern that duration can be integrated into visual event files depending on two criteria: The experimental context holds the possibility of a location change of the target stimulus (Experiments 2 and 4) and the location itself is not response relevant (Experiment 3). The role of location changes for the integration of temporal stimulus features into visual event files is discussed

Play with my Expectations: Players Implicitly Anticipate Game Events Based on In-Game Time-Event Correlations

Temporal regularities and the timing of events and actions such as anticipating enemy movements or planning one’s next move are essential components of almost every video game. Thus, to succeed in video games, it is advantageous to anticipate events and prepare relevant actions before they occur. This work explores whether elapsed time can be used as a predictive cue for implicitly anticipating events in video games. Inspired by findings from psychology, we implemented multiple time-event correlations in a custom video game by pairing specific delays with specific game events. Participants had to shoot targets that appeared at different locations. After a certain delay (e.g., 0.8 s), the targets appeared more frequently (80 % of all appearances) at a specific location (e.g., left up). Our analysis of 25 participants provides evidence that players implicitly learned the implemented time-event correlations and used them to anticipate the location of upcoming targets. This led to improved game performance. Although no participant realised the implemented temporal regularities, targets were shot faster when preceded by the frequently paired delay. Our findings pave the way for game developers and researchers alike to more creatively combine human temporal processing with temporal aspects of video games

Validating virtual reality for time perception research: Virtual reality changes expectations about the duration of physical processes, but not the sense of time

Immersive virtual reality (VR) provides a versatile method for investigating human time perception, because it allows the manipulation and control of relevant variables (e.g., the speed of environmental changes) that cannot be modified in the real world. However, an important premise for interpreting the results of VR studies, namely that the method itself does not affect time perception, has received little attention. Here we tested this assumption by comparing timing performance in a real environment and a VR scenario. Participants performed two timing tasks, requiring the production of intervals defined either by numerical values ("eight seconds") or by a physical process (“the time it takes for a bottle to run out when turned over"). We found that the experience of immersive VR exclusively altered judgments about the duration of physical processes, whereas judgments about the duration of abstract time units were unaffected. These results demonstrate that effects of VR on timing performance are not driven by changes in time perception itself, but rather by altered expectations regarding the duration of physical processes. The present study validates the use of VR in time perception research and strengthens the interpretation of changed timing behaviour induced by manipulations within VR

The Absence of Athletic Avatars' Effects on Physiological and Perceptual Responses while Cycling in Virtual Reality

Virtual reality (VR) allows to embody avatars—the digital self-representation of the user. An avatar’s appearance can change users’ perception and behavior—a phenomenon known as the Proteus effect. Previous work found that athletic avatars can reduce heart rate and perceived exertion during physical effort. Although these findings are promising to create more effective VR exercises, they have not been replicated yet. Hence, the reliability and consistency of such effects is unknown. Therefore, we conducted a study with 32 participants to investigate physiological and perceptual effects of athletic avatars while cycling in VR following a standardized exercise protocol. We could not find effects of the avatars’ athletic appearance on heart rate, perceived exertion, and imagined velocity. Our findings indicate that athletic avatars do not necessarily affect users during physical exertion. We discuss potential factors that can cause the Proteus effect fail to occur

Data quality problems in discrete event simulation of manufacturing operations

High-quality input data are a necessity for successful discrete event simulation (DES) applications, and there are available methodologies for data collection in DES projects. However, in contrast to standalone projects, using DES as a daily manufacturing engineering tool requires high-quality production data to be constantly available. In fact, there has been a major shift in the application of DES in manufacturing from production system design to daily operations, accompanied by a stream of research on automation of input data management and interoperability between data sources and simulation models. Unfortunately, this research stream rests on the assumption that the collected data are already of high quality,and there is a lack of in-depth understanding of simulation data quality problems from a practitioners’ perspective.Therefore, a multiple-case study within the automotive industry was used to provide empirical descriptions of simulation data quality problems, data production processes, and relations between these processes and simulation data quality problems. These empirical descriptions are necessary to extend the present knowledge on data quality in DES in a practical real-world manufacturing context, which is a prerequisite for developing practical solutions for solving data quality problems such as limited accessibility, lack of data on minor stoppages, and data sources not being designed for simulation. Further, the empirical and theoretical knowledge gained throughout the study was used to propose a set of practical guidelines that can support manufacturing companies in improving data quality in DES

Executive functions and learning in primary school children.

reservedLe Funzioni Esecutive (FE) sono un termine ombrello per definire le abilità necessarie per affrontare situazioni nuove, per attuare comportamenti adeguati alle richieste ambientali, per svolgere più attività contemporaneamente e per controllare il proprio atteggiamento e modificarlo. Tali abilità sono, quindi, essenziali in molteplici aspetti della vita quotidiana, come anche negli apprendimenti accademici. Non è però ancora completamente definito quali FE contribuiscano allo sviluppo di ciascuna abilità accademica. Alcuni studi evidenziano che le FE maggiormente implicate nell’apprendimento della matematica siano la memoria di lavoro e l’inibizione (Adams e Hitch, 1998; D’Amico & Passolunghi, 2009). D’altra parte per la comprensione di brano sembrano essere sempre implicate la memoria di lavoro e l’inibizione ma anche la flessibilità cognitiva (Johann, et al., 2020). Il presente studio, effettuato con 182 bambini frequentanti la scuola primaria, ha quindi l’obiettivo di approfondire la relazione tra FE e apprendimenti accademici. Per rilevare le FE, è stata proposta la batteria computerizzata ASTRAS, mentre per valutare gli apprendimenti sono state usate le prove AC-MT per quanto riguarda la matematica e le MT per la comprensione di brano. Sulla base della letteratura di riferimento si ipotizza, quindi, di riscontrare maggiori difficoltà negli apprendimenti in bambini che hanno ottenuto punteggi bassi nelle prove ASTRAS, perciò con minori FE. In particolare ci si aspetta difficoltà matematiche associate a memoria di lavoro ed inibizione deficitarie, mentre per la comprensione di brano si ipotizzano punteggi bassi nella memoria di lavoro, inibizione e flessibilità cognitiva. Nell’elaborato verranno discussi i risultati e le implicazioni educative