Preference for Curvature: A Historical and Conceptual Framework

That people find curved contours and lines more pleasurable than straight ones is a recurrent observation in the aesthetic literature. Although such observation has been tested sporadically throughout the history of scientific psychology, only during the last decade has it been the object of systematic research. Recent studies lend support to the idea that human preference for curved contours is biologically determined. However, it has also been argued that this preference is a cultural phenomenon. In this article, we review the available evidence, together with different attempts to explain the nature of preference for curvature: sensoriomotor-based and valuation-based approaches. We also argue that the lack of a unifying framework and clearly defined concepts might be undermining our efforts towards a better understanding of the nature of preference for curvature. Finally, we point to a series of unresolved matters as the starting point to further develop a consistent research program.This study was funded by research grants FFI2010-20759 and FFI2013-43270-P from the Spanish Government—Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (http://www.mineco.gob.es). GG-P was supported by the grant BES-2011-047441.Peer reviewedPeer Reviewe

Common visual preference for curved contours in humans and great apes

This study was funded by research grants FFI2010-20759 and FFI2013-43270-P from the Spanish Government Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Gerardo Gomez-Puerto was supported by the grant BES-2011-047441.Among the visual preferences that guide many everyday activities and decisions, from consumer choices to social judgment, preference for curved over sharp-angled contours is commonly thought to have played an adaptive role throughout human evolution, favoring the avoidance of potentially harmful objects. However, because nonhuman primates also exhibit preferences for certain visual qualities, it is conceivable that humans' preference for curved contours is grounded on perceptual and cognitive mechanisms shared with extant nonhuman primate species. Here we aimed to determine whether nonhuman great apes and humans share a visual preference for curved over sharp-angled contours using a 2-alternative forced choice experimental paradigm under comparable conditions. Our results revealed that the human group and the great ape group indeed share a common preference for curved over sharp-angled contours, but that they differ in the manner and magnitude with which this preference is expressed behaviorally. These results suggest that humans' visual preference for curved objects evolved from earlier primate species' visual preferences, and that during this process it became stronger, but also more susceptible to the influence of higher cognitive processes and preference for other visual features.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Navegando entre dos aguas. IES vs Conservatorio

En este trabajo se realiza una labor de reflexión acerca del perfil de profesorado de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria y de Enseñanzas Profesionales de Música, tratando de tender puentes entre ambos. Para ello se han utilizado dos proyectos realizados durante el Máster de Profesorado: una unidad didáctica enfocada al primer curso de ESO y una programación diseñada para el sexto curso de enseñanzas profesionales de saxofón

Aesthetic appreciation: event-related field and time-frequency analyses

Improvements in neuroimaging methods have afforded significant advances in our knowledge of the cognitive and neural foundations of aesthetic appreciation. We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to register brain activity while participants decided about the beauty of visual stimuli. The data were analyzed with event-related field (ERF) and Time-Frequency (TF) procedures. ERFs revealed no significant differences between brain activity related with stimuli rated as “beautiful” and “not beautiful.” TF analysis showed clear differences between both conditions 400 ms after stimulus onset. Oscillatory power was greater for stimuli rated as “beautiful” than those regarded as “not beautiful” in the four frequency bands (theta, alpha, beta, and gamma). These results are interpreted in the frame of synchronization studies

L'evolució de l'ésser humà

Abstract not availabl

REFLEXÕES SOBRE EXTENSÃO UNIVERSITÁRIA: um estudo de caso do Projeto “Teste da Orelhinha em Irati e Região”

Esta pesquisa identifica os benefícios gerados pelo projeto de Extensão Teste da Orelhinha em Irati e Região (TOIR) à comunidade local e traz reflexões sobre Extensão Universitária, a partir de suas políticas, ações e diretrizes institucionais. Trata-se de uma pesquisa aplicada, com abordagem qualitativa na qual se utilizou como instrumento para levantamento dos dados a aplicação de entrevista aberta semiestruturada, realizada com a comunidade atendida no projeto TOIR, professores, acadêmicos e gestores municipais de saúde. Foram empregados procedimentos metodológicos pautados em estudos descritivos e exploratórios como: levantamento bibliográfico, análise dos relatórios finais do projeto e pesquisa survey. Os resultados obtidos revelam que o principal benefício do projeto TOIR é a identificação da perda auditiva, antes de a criança completar três meses de idade, e o encaminhamento dos bebês que falham na triagem ao médico otorrinolaringologista. Verifica-se também que o projeto estabelece uma relação entre a Universidade e outros setores da Sociedade, com vistas a uma atuação transformadora e implementadora de desenvolvimento regional e de políticas públicas. Além disso, a pesquisa revela que o projeto apresenta limites quanto ao acesso sobre os resultados dos encaminhamentos realizados para avaliação otorrinolaringológica. Por fim, aponta alguns caminhos que viabilizem a melhoria na execução do projeto

Platelet-derived growth factor, retinol and insulin in the regulation of bovine oocyte nuclear maturation and their consequent effect in the embryonic development

O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar as ações do fator de crescimento derivado das plaquetas (PDGF; P), da insulina (I), do retinol (R) e de suas associações (PI, PIR, IR e PR) na maturação nuclear (MN) de oócitos bovinos e suas conseqüências no desenvolvimento embrionário (DE). O meio básico para maturação dos oócitos nos diferentes tratamentos foi o TCM-199 modificado acrescido de PVA (controle). No DE, foram utilizados os grupos R, PIR, IR, um controle negativo (PVA) e um controle positivo, contendo soro fetal bovino e gonadotrofinas (SFBHOR). Os fatores P, I, R e suas associações não aceleraram a MN em 7h mas sim após 18h (P<0,001), com exceção dos tratamentos R e PR, nos quais as percentagens de metáfase II foram, respectivamente, de 4,7% e 8,3%, similares à obtida no grupo-controle (0,0%). Considerando um nível de significância de P<0,0001 em comparação ao grupocontrole, os maiores índices de metáfase II foram obtidos na presença das associações IR (19,0%) e PIR (21,3%). No DE, R (18,3%), PIR (13,9%) e IR (10,6%) incrementaram os índices de clivagem, comparados ao PVA (0,0%; P<0,001), porém não atingiram os índices do grupo SFBHOR (53,8%; P<0,001). Conclui-se que insulina e PDGF aceleram a MN e suas ações são potencializadas pelo retinol. Os índices de clivagem de oócitos maturados na presença de R, IR e PIR são superiores aos do PVA, mas significativamente inferiores aos maturados em SFBHOR. __________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThe aim of the present study was to determine the effect of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF; P), insulin (I) retinol, (R) and their interactions (PI, PIR, IR and PR) on oocyte nuclear maturation (NM) and, consequent, embryonic development (ED). The basic medium for oocyte maturation in the treatments was the modified TCM-199, supplemented with PVA (control). To study the embryonic development, the oocytes were divided in three treatments, R, PIR e IR, a negative (PVA) and a positive control group (containing calf fetal serum and gonadotrophic hormones; FCSHOR). The PDGF, insulin, retinol and their interactions did not change the kinetic of the NM, in seven hours of culture (P=0.4492) but it changed after 18 hours of maturation (P<0.001) except in the treatments R and PR (P<0.001), in which the percentages of metaphase II were, respectively, 4.7% and 8.3%. These results were similar to the control group (0.0%). Considering a significant level of P<0.0001 in comparison to the control group, the higher rates of metaphase II were obtained in the presence of IR (19.0%) and PIR (21.3%). The higher rates of MII were observed when the oocytes were matured in the presence of insulin and retinol. In the embryonic development, R (18.3%), PIR (13.9%) and IR (10.6%) increased the rate of cleavage when compared to PVA group (0.0%; P<0.001). However, the oocytes were not competent enough to reach the rate obtained in the FCSHOR group (53.8%; P<0.001). In conclusion, insulin and PDGF accelerate NM and their effects are enhanced by retinol. In the embryonic development, oocytes matured in the presence of either R, IR or PIR have higher cleavage rate than PVA group but lower than those matured in the FCSHOR group