Comparison of three psychophysical methods for measuring displacement in frontal plane motion

Displacement is a phenomenon related to representations of dynamic stimuli. The final position of a target moving in the frontal plane is not remembered correctly, but is instead shifted in the direction of the motion. Previous studies of displacement have mostly used the constant-stimuli method and the adjustment method. Although both methods usually yielded forward displacements, the task of responding activates different processes in the two methods, which could result in different outcomes. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether the magnitude of displacement is affected by the measurement method. Three psychophysical methods were used: the constant-stimuli method, the staircase method, and the adjustment method. Direction and acceleration of the motion were also varied. The results showed that displacement is affected by motion acceleration (being the smallest for decelerated motion) and by motion direction (displacement was larger for motion to the right than for motion to the left). The constant-stimuli method and the staircase method gave comparable results, whereas the displacement obtained with the adjustment method was larger. Also, the variability of data differed between the methods, being the largest for the adjustment method. The results indicated that when experimenting with displacement a special consideration should be given to the selection of the psychophysical method, where as adjustment method should be used with caution

Eye-tracking Study of Reading Speed from LCD Displays: Influence of Type Style and Type Size

Increasing amounts of text are read from various types of screens. The shape and the size of a typeface determine the legibility of texts. The aim of this study was to investigate the legibility of different typefaces displayed on LCD screens. Two typefaces (Georgia and Verdana), designed for screen renderings were analyzed by eye-tracking technology in 8 different sizes. Regardless of the font size, the texts set in Verdana were read faster. For both typefaces the reading speed increased with increasing the font size. The number of fixations increased with the character size, while the fixation time was shorter

Social Influence in Rating Music

The goal of this study was to examine the social influence on music liking with respect to individual musical taste. To measure musical taste, participants (N = 95, mean age 20.4 years) filled in the STOMP scale. They were then asked individually to listen to 16 musical excerpts from different genres using a computer program and rate how much they liked them. They were divided into three groups that were shown different information about other participants’ ratings of the same excerpts. The first group was shown ratings allegedly based on others’ positive judgments, the second group was shown ratings allegedly based on others’ negative judgments, and the third group was given no information. The results showed that the participants’ ratings were susceptible to social influence, i.e., they conformed towards the shown group norm. As expected, musical taste was related to the ratings of the music excerpts, but did not moderate the effect of social influence. Thus, the results show that social comparison, which has been confirmed by research in various areas of human judgment, also exists in rating music

Procjena li8čnosti u ranom djetinjstvu kao pokazatelj razvojnih obilježja u posljednjoj predškolskoj godini

The study investigated the predictive validity of three-year-old children’s personality ratings by parents and pre-school teachers in explaining pre-schoolers’ (N = 253) social behaviour and intelligence two years later. Parental variables (education, self-reported parenting practices) and age of a child’s entry into pre-school were also accounted for but did not significantly contribute to the child outcomes. The reduced models with significant predictors explained 14%, 7%, 16% and 2% of variance in teacher reports on children’s social competence, internalising behaviour, externalising behaviour and non-verbal intelligence score, respectively. Early personality ratings were predictive of later outcomes in pre-schoolers. Teacher-rated child conscientiousness/openness was associated with social competence and low incidence of externalising behaviour in pre-school, whereas ratings of extraversion/emotional stability were negatively related to internalising but positively linked to children’s externalising behaviour. The latter was also predicted by teacher-observed early disagreeableness. Parents’ ratings of child extraversion predicted low levels of internalising behaviour in pre-school, and their perceptions of conscientiousness were predictive of children’s intelligence two years later.Istraživanje je proučavalo valjanost procjene ličnosti trogodišnje djece (N = 253) od strane roditelja i predškolskih odgajatelja u objašnjenju njihova socijalnog ponašanja i inteligencije dvije godine poslije. Roditeljske varijable (obrazovanje, stil roditeljstva) i dob djetetova ulaska u predškolski sustav objašnjene su, ali nisu značajno utjecale na djetetov ishod. Smanjeni modeli značajni su prediktori koji objašnjavaju 14, 7, 16 i 2% varijance u izvješću odgajatelja o socijalnoj kompetenciji djeteta, internalizirajućeg ponašanja, eksternalizirajućeg ponašanja i neverbalne inteligencije. Rana procjena ličnosti predviđala je kasnija obilježja djece predškolske dobi. Marljivost/otvorenost djece prema procjenama odgajatelja povezani su sa socijalnom kompetencijom i niskom incidencijom eksternalizirajućeg ponašanja u vrtiću, a procjene ekstraverzije/emocionalne stabilnosti negativno su korelirane s internalizacijom, ali pozitivno s eksternalizirajućim ponašanjem djeteta. Posljednje je također povezano s niskom razinom ugodnosti koju su uočili odgajatelji. Roditeljska ocjena dječje ekstraverzije predviđala je niske razine internalizirajućeg ponašanja u vrtiću, a njihove percepcije savjesnosti predviđale su inteligenciju djeteta dvije godine poslije

Development of a computer-based visual attention training and investigation of its effectiveness in healthy adolescents

Visual attention, an important cognitive function that helps select relevant information in the visual scene and fi lter out irrelevant information, can be trained and improved. We developed computer-based training of focused and distributed attention and of switching between global and local information processing and tested its eff ectiveness in healthy adolescents. In the experimental group (n = 11), training lasted 6 weeks, with three 20-min sessions per week. After each training session, participants received feedback on their performance and were able to track their progress. The control group (n = 10) received no intervention during this time. To test the eff ects of training, participants in both groups completed various cognitive tasks before and after training that shared features with the trained tasks to varying degrees. Compared to the control group, the experimental group showed greater improvements in reaction times on the selective attention and global-local processing tasks, while no consistent training eff ects were found on the other cognitive tests used. Thus, the results showed that the developed training can improve selected aspects of visual attention, but in line with most fi ndings on cognitive training in the literature, the eff ect is limited to improved performance on tasks that are very similar to the trained tasks

Item context effects on Big Five personality measures

Item specificity and contextual cues are one of the potential sources of measurement error in personality measures. The term frame of reference represents an implicit or explicit context that affects individual’s answers while answering personality items. The paper discusses the consequences of standardizing the contextual understanding of items on the psychometric characteristics of the Big Five personality measures. Although highly related, contextspecific measures can result in different personality profiles compared to general measures. Furthermore, different types of contextualization of personality questionnaires can result in different personality profiles. Item contextualization may also affect the reliability of personality measures, even though the effect is not entirely clear and different studies report different effects. When the context is conceptually relevant to the criterion measure, adding item specificity may also affect predictive validity. Research therefore implies some potential benefits for personality assessment through using context specific measures. However, there are still some open questions, namely contextualised measures can also be susceptible to potential distortions, which are further described in this paper. At the end we discuss potential implications and limitations of context-related personality assessment

Povezanost akademske motivacije, zadovoljenja psiholoških potreba u obrazovanju i zadovoljstva studenata studijem

Student motivation represents an important factor in their academic performance. The present study explored university students\u27 academic motivation across the academic year and its relationship with psychological need satisfaction in the study context and academic adjustment. Deci and Ryan\u27s SelfDetermination Theory (SDT) presents a theoretical framework of this study. 124 students participated in both waves of data collection. They answered the Academic Motivation Scale, College Version (AMS-C 28) in the fall of the academic year, and seven months later they answered the question about their certainty of study choice and completed again the AMS-C 28. Additionally, they answered the items about their psychological need satisfaction (autonomy, competence, relatedness) in the current academic year and the items about their satisfaction with the study. The results showed that all forms of academic motivation (as distributed along the SDT motivational continuum) remained highly stable within one academic year. More autonomous motivational orientation related to higher perceived satisfaction of psychological needs. Furthermore, it significantly predicted students\u27 satisfaction with the study and certainty about the study choice. When students\u27satisfaction of psychological needs in the current academic year was entered into the regression model, it predicted satisfaction with the study and certainty in study choice over and above the students\u27 level of autonomous motivation. The study showed the importance of creating learning environments that respond to students\u27 psychological study needs.Motivacija studenata predstavlja važan čimbenik školskoga postignuća. Ovim je istraživanjem ispitana akademska motivacija studenata tijekom akademske godine i njezin odnos sa zadovoljenjem psiholoških potreba u kontekstu studiranja te s akademskom prilagodbom. Teorijski okvir ovog istraživanja predstavlja teorija samoodređenja (SDT) Decija i Ryana. U obje su točke mjerenja sudjelovala 124 studenta. Na početku akademske godine studenti su ispunili Skalu akademske motivacije, verziju za studente (AMS-C 28), a sedam mjeseci kasnije odgovorili su na pitanje o svojoj sigurnosti izborom studija te ponovno ispunili AMS-C 28. Pored toga, procijenili su stupanj zadovoljenosti psiholoških potreba (za autonomijom, kompetencijom i povezanošću) u tekućoj akademskoj godini te svoje zadovoljstvo studijem. Rezultati su pokazali da su svi oblici akademske motivacije (raspoređeni po motivacijskom kontunuumu SDT-a) tijekom akademske godine ostali vrlo stabilni. Viša autonomna motivacijska orijentacija bila je povezana s većim percipiranim zadovoljenjem psiholoških potreba te je bila značajan prediktor zadovoljstva studenata studijem i sigurnosti u izbor studija. Kada je zadovoljenje psiholoških potreba studenata u tekućoj akademskoj godini uneseno u regresijski model, predviđalo je zadovoljstvo studijem i sigurnost u izbor studija povrh autonomne motivacije studenata. Istraživanje je uputilo na važnost stvaranja okruženja za učenje koje je responsivno na psihološke potrebe studenata vezane uz studij

Attitudes of (Future) Educational Staff as a Basis for Quality Inclusion of Immigrant Children

Contemporary documents and guidelines, at both the national and EU levels, emphasize the importance of implementing the concept of inclusiveness, which also involves the principle of interculturalism. This paper provides insights into the attitudes of present and future teaching staff and towards intercultural education. The sample included 763 professional teachers and 411 students. Students expressed less negative attitudes toward immigrant children and more positive attitudes toward cultural diversity and helping immigrant children. The reasons for the negative attitudes and possible ways of promoting a change in the attitudes of the professional educational staff are discussed.Glede na sodobne dokumente in smernice tako na nacionalni kot na ravni EU je treba razmišljati o udejanjanju koncepta inkluzivnosti kot transformacije šolskega sistema, ki vključuje tudi načelo medkulturnosti. Prispevek analizira stališča (bodočih) pedagoških delavcev do načinov vključevanja otrok priseljencev v šolski sistem. V raziskavi so študenti (n = 411) izražali manj negativna stališča do otrok priseljencev ter bolj pozitivna stališča do kulturne raznolikosti in pomoči otrokom priseljencem kot pedagoški delavci (n = 763). V članku so predstavljeni nekateri razlogi za dobljene ugotovitve in možnosti vplivanja na spremembo nekonstruktivnih stališč strokovnih delavcev v šolstvu

Can inhibition or shifting training enhance cognitive abilities in emerging adults?

Executive functions enable and support most of our daily cognitive functioning. Within the number of executive functions proposed, updating, inhibition and shifting are most often considered as the three core executive functions. Cognitive training paradigms provide a platform for a possible enhancement of these functions. Since updating training has been studied to a greater extent, we wanted to investigate the effectiveness of inhibition and shifting training in this study. Emerging adults (psychology students) were randomly assigned either to the inhibition training (based on the Simon task; n = 36) or to the shifting training (based on the task switching paradigm; n = 35). Both groups underwent twelve 20-minute sessions distributed over four weeks. Measurements before and after the training included criterion tasks (i.e. the training tasks), near-transfer tasks (i.e. tasks that address the trained functions but use different types of stimuli or rules to respond), and far-transfer tasks (i.e., tasks that address untrained cognitive functions). The control participants (n = 36) were tested with a combination of these tasks. Both training groups improved their criteria task performance over time, while convincing training-related gains were not found in either near- or far-transfer tasks. This study raises some conceptual questions for the training of executive functions with respect to a sample of emerging adults with above-average cognitive abilities, motivational elements of training, and the role of executive functions in more complex everyday cognitive activities