Recall termination in free recall

Although much is known about the dynamics of memory search in the free recall task, relatively little is known about the factors related to recall termination. Reanalyzing individual trial data from 14 prior studies (1,079 participants in 28,015 trials) and defining termination as occurring when a final response is followed by a long nonresponse interval, we observed that termination probability increased throughout the recall period and that retrieval was more likely to terminate following an error than following a correct response. Among errors, termination probability was higher following prior-list intrusions and repetitions than following extralist intrusions. To verify that this pattern of results can be seen in a single study, we report a new experiment in which 80 participants contributed recall data from a total of 9,122 trials. This experiment replicated the pattern observed in the aggregate analysis of the prior studies

X-Ray Spectroscopy of Stars

(abridged) Non-degenerate stars of essentially all spectral classes are soft X-ray sources. Low-mass stars on the cooler part of the main sequence and their pre-main sequence predecessors define the dominant stellar population in the galaxy by number. Their X-ray spectra are reminiscent, in the broadest sense, of X-ray spectra from the solar corona. X-ray emission from cool stars is indeed ascribed to magnetically trapped hot gas analogous to the solar coronal plasma. Coronal structure, its thermal stratification and geometric extent can be interpreted based on various spectral diagnostics. New features have been identified in pre-main sequence stars; some of these may be related to accretion shocks on the stellar surface, fluorescence on circumstellar disks due to X-ray irradiation, or shock heating in stellar outflows. Massive, hot stars clearly dominate the interaction with the galactic interstellar medium: they are the main sources of ionizing radiation, mechanical energy and chemical enrichment in galaxies. High-energy emission permits to probe some of the most important processes at work in these stars, and put constraints on their most peculiar feature: the stellar wind. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of cool and hot stars through the study of X-ray spectra, in particular high-resolution spectra now available from XMM-Newton and Chandra. We address issues related to coronal structure, flares, the composition of coronal plasma, X-ray production in accretion streams and outflows, X-rays from single OB-type stars, massive binaries, magnetic hot objects and evolved WR stars.Comment: accepted for Astron. Astrophys. Rev., 98 journal pages, 30 figures (partly multiple); some corrections made after proof stag

Context specificity of post-error and post-conflict cognitive control adjustments

There has been accumulating evidence that cognitive control can be adaptively regulated by monitoring for processing conflict as an index of online control demands. However, it is not yet known whether top-down control mechanisms respond to processing conflict in a manner specific to the operative task context or confer a more generalized benefit. While previous studies have examined the taskset-specificity of conflict adaptation effects, yielding inconsistent results, controlrelated performance adjustments following errors have been largely overlooked. This gap in the literature underscores recent debate as to whether post-error performance represents a strategic, control-mediated mechanism or a nonstrategic consequence of attentional orienting. In the present study, evidence of generalized control following both high conflict correct trials and errors was explored in a task-switching paradigm. Conflict adaptation effects were not found to generalize across tasksets, despite a shared response set. In contrast, post-error slowing effects were found to extend to the inactive taskset and were predictive of enhanced post-error accuracy. In addition, post-error performance adjustments were found to persist for several trials and across multiple task switches, a finding inconsistent with attentional orienting accounts of post-error slowing. These findings indicate that error-related control adjustments confer a generalized performance benefit and suggest dissociable mechanisms of post-conflict and post-error control. © 2014 Forster, Cho

On the interpretation of removable interactions: A survey of the field 33 years after Loftus

In a classic 1978 Memory &Cognition article, Geoff Loftus explained why noncrossover interactions are removable. These removable interactions are tied to the scale of measurement for the dependent variable and therefore do not allow unambiguous conclusions about latent psychological processes. In the present article, we present concrete examples of how this insight helps prevent experimental psychologists from drawing incorrect conclusions about the effects of forgetting and aging. In addition, we extend the Loftus classification scheme for interactions to include those on the cusp between removable and nonremovable. Finally, we use various methods (i.e., a study of citation histories, a questionnaire for psychology students and faculty members, an analysis of statistical textbooks, and a review of articles published in the 2008 issue of Psychology andAging) to show that experimental psychologists have remained generally unaware of the concept of removable interactions. We conclude that there is more to interactions in a 2 × 2 design than meets the eye

Comparative judgment within online assessment: exploring students’ feedback reactions

Theoretical framework Feedback on students’ competences is a valuable resource since it aims to facilitate learning and enhance their performance. In practice, students mostly receive marks on their tasks based on several predefined criteria. This implies that they were evaluated using absolute standards, which might restrict feedback. Additionally, personal influences of the assessor can affect these assessments. Given this, some authors argue in favor for an alternative method, such as comparative judgment (CJ) (e.g. Pollitt, 2012). In this method, various assessors compare independently several representations of different students and decide each time which of them demonstrate the best performance of the given competence. One of the strengths of this holistic approach is that it rules out the personal standards, leading to a higher consistency in judgments over different assessors (Bramley, 2007; Pollitt, 2012). Using an online tool (e.g. D-PAC), this whole assessment procedure is facilitated. When all judgments are completed, all representations are ranked on an interval scale ranging from the poorest to the best performance. Based on this scale, students’ feedback can be provided. Up until now, no research has been conducted on CJ-based feedback. Addi-tionally, no research has investigated this type of feedback provided by an online tool. Since honest, relevant, and trustworthy feedback is vital for learning, the question arises how students will perceive CJ-based feedback. Central research goal(s), problem(s) and/or question(s) In light of the research gap described above, we have the following pioneering research questions: • Is feedback provided by an online tool using CJ perceived as honest? • Is feedback provided by an online tool using CJ perceived as relevant? • Is feedback provided by an online tool using CJ perceived as trustworthy? Research methods Personal feedback reports regarding the academic writing competence were constructed based on the online generated CJ output of 40 secondary school students. Since the developed digital tool does not provide an electronic feedback report yet, the feedback report was presented on paper. Reports were handed over to each individual student during school hours and students went through this report independently. Next, a semi-structured interview was conducted to investigate the research questions mentioned above. Additionally, the duration that students needed to consult their report was recorded to assess feedback acceptance. Results and main conclusions Data collection and analysis is currently ongoing. Final results will be presented at the time of the conference. Implication to research and practice. We expect that our results give insights on how students perceive feedback provided by an online tool and based upon CJ. Additionally, feedback will be optimized in order to increase learning. References Bramley, T. (2007). Paired comparisons methods. In Newton, P., Baird, J-A., Goldstein, H., Patrick, H., & Tymms, P. (Eds). Techniques for monitoring the comparability of examination standards (246 – 294). London: Qualifica-tion and authority Pollitt, A. (2012). The method of Adaptive Comparative Judgment. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice. 19: 3, 1-20. DOI:10.1080/0969594X.2012.66535