Opposite ends of the same stick? Multi-method test of the dimensionality of individualism and collectivism

Cataloged from PDF version of article.The construct of individualism–collectivism (IND-COL) has become the definitive standard in cross-cultural psychology, management, and related fields. It is also among the most controversial, in particular, with regard to the ambiguity of its dimensionality: Some view IND and COL as the opposites of a single continuum, whereas others argue that the two are independent constructs. We explored the issue through seven different tests using original individual-level data from 50 studies and meta-analytic data from 149 empirical publications yielding a total of 295 samplelevel observations that were collected using six established instruments for assessing IND and COL as separate constructs. Results indicated that the dimensionality of IND-COL may depend on (a) the specific instrument used to collect the data, (b) the sample characteristics and the cultural region from which the data were collected, and (c) the level of analysis. We also review inconsistencies, deficiencies, and challenges of conceptualizing IND-COL and provide guidelines for developing and selecting instruments for measuring the construct, and for reporting and meta-analyzing results from this line of research

Abstract sounds and their applications in audio and perception research

International audienceRecognition of sound sources and events is an important pro- cess in sound perception and has been studied in many research domains. Conversely sounds that cannot be recognized are not often studied except by electroacoustic music composers. Besides, considerations on recogni- tion of sources might help to address the problem of stimulus selection and categorization of sounds in the context of perception research. This paper introduces what we call abstract sounds with the existing musical background and shows their relevance for different applications

Accurate estimation of the temporal dynamics of bouncing events

The sound of a bouncing object is rich in dynamic acoustical information: subsequent bounces are more tightly spaced in time, have lower energy, and tend to excite less strongly the high‐frequency resonant modes of the bounced‐upon object. Previous studies on bouncing events show that dynamic information is not used to perceive the properties of the bouncing object. We tested whether this is the case when listeners are asked to predict the dynamic behavior of a bouncing event. Stimuli were recorded by dropping one of four different balls from various heights onto a hard linoleum surface. After hearing two, three, four, or five bounces, participants pressed a button to estimate the temporal location of the next bounce. No performance feedback was given. Participants never heard the bounce whose temporal location they were estimating. Bounce‐time estimates were very accurate (r = 0.96). Acoustic analyzes revealed a strong focus on timing information and a secondary reliance on energetic information. Spectral information appeared to have negligible effects. These findings demonstrate the extreme versatility of human listeners in using variable acoustic cues to determine the dynamic behavior of real‐world objects

Effects of low-pass filtering on intelligibility of periodically interrupted speech

The combined effect of low-pass filtering (cut-off frequencies between 500 and 3000 Hz) and periodic interruptions (1.5 and 10 Hz) on speech intelligibility was investigated. When combined, intelligibility was lower than each manipulation alone, even in some conditions where there was no effect from a single manipulation (such as the fast interruption rate of 10 Hz). By using young normal-hearing listeners, potential suprathreshold deficits and aging effects that may occur due to hearing impairment were eliminated. Thus, the results imply that reduced audibility of high-frequency speech components may partially explain the reduced intelligibility of interrupted speech in hearing impaired persons. (C) 2012 Acoustical Society of Americ

Within- and across-language acoustic variability of vowels spoken in different phonetic and prosodic contexts: American English, North German, and Parisian French

This project investigates the acoustic variability of vowels produced in multisyllabic nonsense words /cvC1VC2(v)/ in carrier sentences by speakers of American English (AE), Parisian French (PF), and North German (NG). Variables under examination are (1) immediate phonetic context (C1=b,d; C2=b,d,p,t), (2) sentence prominence (narrow focus versus postfocus), and speaking rate (normal vs rapid). Preliminary results show that for AE vowels, phonetic context produces large differences (2–3 bark) in midpoint F2 values for mid-to-high back vowels, reflecting allophonic fronting of these vowels in alveolar context. Much smaller increases in F2 (~1 bark) were found for both PF and NG mid/high back vowels in alveolar contexts. Most AE speakers showed little or no effect of sentence focus or speaking rate on the degree of fronting of back vowels in alveolar context. PF speakers produced more fronted mid/high back vowels in postfocused context than did NG and AE speakers. NG and PF speakers showed relatively greater F1 undershoot in low vowels in postfocus context than for AE speakers. These within- and across-language differences in the effect of prosodic and phonetic context on vowel acoustics reflect both language-universal constraints and language-specific rules for contextual warping of vowel spaces

Heat Transfer Through Plasma-Sprayed Thermal Barrier Coatings in Gas Turbines: A Review of Recent Work

A review is presented of how heat transfer takes place in plasma-sprayed (zirconia-based) thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) during operation of gas turbines. These characteristics of TBCs are naturally of central importance to their function. Current state-of-the-art TBCs have relatively high levels of porosity (~15%) and the pore architecture (i.e., its morphology, connectivity, and scale) has a strong influence on the heat flow. Contributions from convective, conductive, and radiative heat transfer are considered, under a range of operating conditions, and the characteristics are illustrated with experimental data and modeling predictions. In fact, convective heat flow within TBCs usually makes a negligible contribution to the overall heat transfer through the coating, although what might be described as convection can be important if there are gross through-thickness defects such as segmentation cracks. Radiative heat transfer, on the other hand, can be significant within TBCs, depending on temperature and radiation scattering lengths, which in turn are sensitive to the grain structure and the pore architecture. Under most conditions of current interest, conductive heat transfer is largely predominant. However, it is not only conduction through solid ceramic that is important. Depending on the pore architecture, conduction through gas in the pores can play a significant role, particularly at the high gas pressures typically acting in gas turbines (although rarely applied in laboratory measurements of conductivity). The durability of the pore structure under service conditions is also of importance, and this review covers some recent work on how the pore architecture, and hence the conductivity, is affected by sintering phenomena. Some information is presented concerning the areas in which research and development work needs to be focussed if improvements in coating performance are to be achieved