Developments in information technology and their implications for psychological research: Disruptive or diffusive change?

The notion of technology-induced disruptive change has generally been applied within academia to teaching and learning. Less explored is the disruption that occurs to research as mainstream technology develops. This article examines the effects of technological change on research in psychology, in particular focussing on the development of web-based empirical research procedures over the past 15 years or so. I discuss the history, challenges and potential of these developments, and put forward some qualified suggestions for some of the future directions that technology will allow research in psychology to take

Adobe Flash as a medium for online experimentation: a test of reaction time measurement capabilities

Adobe Flash can be used to run complex psychological experiments over the Web. We examined the reliability of using Flash to measure reaction times (RTs) using a simple binary-choice task implemented both in Flash and in a Linux-based system known to record RTs with millisecond accuracy. Twenty-four participants were tested in the laboratory using both implementations; they also completed the Flash version on computers of their own choice outside the lab. RTs from the trials run on Flash outside the lab were approximately 20 msec slower than those from trials run on Flash in the lab, which in turn were approximately 10 msec slower than RTs from the trials run on the Linux-based system (baseline condition). RT SDs were similar in all conditions, suggesting that although Flash may overestimate RTs slightly, it does not appear to add significant noise to the data recorded

Using Adobe Flash Lite on mobile phones for psychological research: reaction time measurement reliability and inter-device variability

Mobile telephones have significant potential for use in psychological research, possessing unique characteristics—not least their ubiquity—that may make them useful tools for psychologists. We examined whether it is possible to measure reaction times (RTs) accurately using Adobe Flash Lite on mobile phones. We ran simple and choice RT experiments on two widely available mobile phones, a Nokia 6110 Navigator and a Sony Ericsson W810i, using a wireless application protocol (WAP) connection to access the Internet from the devices. RTs were compared within subjects with those obtained using a Linux-based millisecond-accurate measurement system. Results show that measured RTs were significantly longer on mobile devices, and that overall RTs and distribution of RTs varied across device

A rotating helical filament in the L1251 dark cloud

(Abridged) Aims. We derive the physical properties of a filament discovered in the dark cometary-shaped cloud L1251. Methods. Mapping observations in the NH3(1,1) and (2,2) inversion lines, encompassing 300 positions toward L1251, were performed with the Effelsberg 100-m telescope at a spatial resolution of 40 arcsec and a spectral resolution of 0.045 km/s. Results. The filament L1251A consists of three condensations (alpha, beta, and gamma) of elongated morphology, which are combined in a long and narrow structure covering a 38 arcmin by 3 arcmin angular range. The opposite chirality (dextral and sinistral) of the alpha+beta and gamma condensations indicates magnetic field helicities of two types, negative and positive, which were most probably caused by dynamo mechanisms. We estimated the magnetic Reynolds number Rm > 600 and the Rossby number R < 1, which means that dynamo action is important.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in A&

Prospect relativity: How choice options influence decision under risk

In many theories of decision under risk (e.g., expected utility theory, rank-dependent utility theory, and prospect theory), the utility of a prospect is independent of other options in the choice set. The experiments presented here show a large effect of the available options, suggesting instead that prospects are valued relative to one another. The judged certainty equivalent for a prospect is strongly influenced by the options available. Similarly, the selection of a preferred prospect is strongly influenced by the prospects available, Alternative theories of decision under risk (e.g., the stochastic difference model, multialternative decision field theory, and range frequency theory), where prospects are valued relative to one another, can provide an account of these context effects

High-resolution O VI absorption line observations at 1.2 < z < 1.7 in the bright QSO HE 0515-4414

STIS Echelle observations at a resolution of 10 km/s and UVES/VLT spectroscopy at a resolution of 7 km/s of the luminous QSO HE 0515-4414 (z_em = 1.73, B = 15.0) reveal four intervening O VI absorption systems in the redshift range 1.2 < z_abs < 1.7 (1.38503, 1.41601, 1.60175, 1.67359). In addition two associated systems at z = 1.69707 and z = 1.73585 are present. For the first time high resolution observations allow to measure radial velocities of H I, C IV and O VI simultaneously in several absorption systems (1.385, 1.674, 1.697) with the result that significant velocity differences (up to 18 km/s) are observed between H I and O VI, while smaller differences (up to 5 km/s) are seen between C IV and O VI. We tentatively conclude that H I, O VI, and C IV are not formed in the same volumes and that therefore implications on ionization mechanisms are not possible from observed column density ratios O VI/H I or O VI/C IV. The number density of O VI absorbers with W_rest > 25 mA is dN/dz < 10, roughly a factor of 5 less than what has been found by Tripp at al. (2000) at low redshift. An estimate of the cosmological mass-density of the O VI-phase yields Omega_b(O VI) = 0.0003 h^{-1}_{75} for [O/H] = -1 and an assumed ionization fraction O VI/O = 0.2. This corresponds to an increase by roughly a factor of 15 between z = 1.5 (this work) and the value found by Tripp et al. (2000) at z = 0.21, if the same oxygen abundance [O/H] = -1 is assumed. Agreement with the simulations by Dave et al. (2001) can be obtained, if the oxygen abundance increases by a factor of 3 over the same redshift interval.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication in A&

Instabilities in driven granular matter - A bifurcation route to chaos

Equilibrium is a state of maximal entropy or disorder; it looks boring. In contrast, systems maintained far from equilibrium exhibit a diversity of fascinating behaviour including pattern formation and turbulence. These systems still pose fundamental questions. In this thesis we report on a study of a granular, far-from-equilibrium system consisting of macroscopic, spherical particles conned in a narrow, cuboidal cell with a square base and large aspect ratio. The cell is vibrated sinusoidally in the direction perpendicular to the long sides. In previous work the system has been shown to behave as a two-dimensional granular gas. If the number of particles in the box exceeds a certain threshold, then we can observe several patterned states upon varying the driving amplitude. The patterns are found to consist of subharmonic standing waves reminiscent of Faraday waves in molecular uids. We observe time-independent patterns as well as a spatiotemporally chaotic state in which the pattern changes its shape rapidly. At higher driving amplitudes impressive wave fronts sweep across the system and destroy the patterns. The waves are replaced by a large-scale circulation if the amplitude is increased further. These states show characteristics of turbulence. We ascertain that the system has no characteristic length-scale after descending into the turbulent state

Star-forming regions of the Aquila rift cloud complex. II. Turbulence in molecular cores probed by NH3 emission

(Abridged) Aims. We intend to derive statistical properties of stochastic gas motion inside the dense low mass star forming molecular cores traced by NH3(1,1) and (2,2) emission lines. Methods. We use the spatial two-point autocorrelation (ACF) and structure functions calculated from maps of the radial velocity fields. Results. We find oscillating ACFs which eventually decay to zero with increasing lags on scales of 0.04 <= l <= 0.5 pc. The current paradigm supposes that the star formation process is controlled by the interplay between gravitation and turbulence, the latter preventing molecular cores from a rapid collapse due to their own gravity. Thus, oscillating ACFs may indicate a damping of the developed turbulent flows surrounding the dense but less turbulent core - a transition to dominating gravitational forces and, hence, to gravitational collapse.Comment: 11 pages, 16 figures, 3 tables, to be published in Astronomy and Astrophysic