Articulatory loop explanations of memory span and pronunciation rate correspondences: a cautionary note

In recent years, a number of memory span findings have been attributed to the operation of an articulatory loop (Baddeley & Hitch, 1974). These attributions have been made on the basis of finding a correspondence between span differences and pronunciation rate differences. This experiment explored articulatory loop explanations for two material effects in memory span: the word-frequency effect (span for high-frequency words is larger than span for low-frequency words) and the word-class effect (span for function words is smaller than span for either nouns or adjectives). The results indicate that it is possible to obtain span differences without finding corresponding pronunciation rate differences. Moreover, span differences were as pronounced under articulatory suppression conditions as they were under rehearsal conditions. Both of these results limit the generality of articulatory loop explanations of memory span

Creating proactive interference in immediate recall: building a dog from a dart, a mop and a fig

[Abstract]: Phonemic codes are accorded a privileged role in most current models of immediate serial recall, although their effects are apparent in short-term proactive interference (PI) effects as well. The current research looks at how assumptions concerning distributed representation and distributed storage involving both semantic and phonemic codes might be operationalized to produce PI in a short-term cued recall task. The four experiments reported here attempted to generate the phonemic characteristics of a non-rhyming, interfering foil from unrelated filler items in the same list. PI was observed when a rhyme of the foil was studied or when the three phonemes of the foil were distributed across three studied filler items. The results suggest that items in short-term memory are stored in terms of feature bundles and that all items are simultaneously available at retrieval

Review of equality statistics

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) commissioned this review as part of its remit to map the equalities landscape across England, Scotland and Wales. The report examines the extent to which data are available for the following equality strands: sex; ethnicity / race; disability; religion or belief; age; sexual orientation; and also for socio-economic status (social class). The extent to which statistics are available at different levels of geographic classification (UK, GB, England, Scotland and Wales and regional and local areas within this) is investigated. The report addresses the ten domains of equality identified in the equality measurement framework in the Equalities Review.1 These are: Longevity Physical security Health Education Standard of living Productive and valued activities Individual, family and social life Participation, influence and voice Identity, expression and self-respect Legal securit

Automorphisms of p-compact groups and their root data

We construct a model for the space of automorphisms of a connected p-compact group in terms of the space of automorphisms of its maximal torus normalizer and its root datum. As a consequence we show that any homomorphism to the outer automorphism group of a p-compact group can be lifted to a group action, analogous to a classical theorem of de Siebenthal for compact Lie groups. The model of this paper is used in a crucial way in our paper ``The classification of 2-compact groups'', where we prove the conjectured classification of 2-compact groups and determine their automorphism spaces.Comment: 24 pages. Introduction restructured and title changed (from "Automorphisms of root data, maximal torus normalizers, and p-compact groups"). Various other adjustments mad

Twenty first century standards for thermal comfort : fostering low carbon building design and operation

Nearly 50% of energy consumed in the developed world is consumed in buildings. Despite regulation intent, many new buildings are energy profligate. Thermal comfort standards are partly responsible for this increase in consumption. In this volume, Roaf et al. have described the evolution of current comfort standards and problems inherent in buildings they shape, and have discussed two new methods of regulating thermal comfort in buildings which recognize human adaptation and have potential for reduced energy demand. These new methods incorporate adaptation through a fixed heating and cooling threshold approach (similar to Japanese Cool-Biz) or through heating and cooling setpoints calculated based on outdoor conditions(using CEN standard equations). The impact on comfort and energy demand of these new approaches is investigated for a London office building. Variables such as future climate, future building upgrades, setback temperatures, internal gains and ventilation are also explored. Adoption of the new approaches gave a 50% reduction in heating and cooling energy for the simulated office. The new approach together with optimized setback temperatures, ventilation strategies and higher efficiency equipment gives predicted heating and cooling energy demand close to zero. Recommendations for future regulation, design and operation of buildings are proposed