Rate Effects on Timing, Key Velocity, and Finger Kinematics in Piano Performance

We examined the effect of rate on finger kinematics in goal-directed actions of pianists. In addition, we evaluated whether movement kinematics can be treated as an indicator of personal identity. Pianists' finger movements were recorded with a motion capture system while they performed melodies from memory at different rates. Pianists' peak finger heights above the keys preceding keystrokes increased as tempo increased, and were attained about one tone before keypress. These rate effects were not simply due to a strategy to increase key velocity (associated with tone intensity) of the corresponding keystroke. Greater finger heights may compensate via greater tactile feedback for a speed-accuracy tradeoff that underlies the tendency toward larger temporal variability at faster tempi. This would allow pianists to maintain high temporal accuracy when playing at fast rates. In addition, finger velocity and accelerations as pianists' fingers approached keys were sufficiently unique to allow pianists' identification with a neural-network classifier. Classification success was higher in pianists with more extensive musical training. Pianists' movement “signatures” may reflect unique goal-directed movement kinematic patterns, leading to individualistic sound

Learning faces: Similar comparator faces do not improve performance

Recent evidence indicates that comparison of two similar faces can aid subsequent discrimination between them. However, the fact that discrimination between two faces is facilitated by comparing them directly does not demonstrate that comparison produces a general improvement in the processing of faces. It remains an open question whether the opportunity to compare a "target" face to similar faces can facilitate the discrimination of the exposed target face from other nonexposed faces. In Experiment 1, selection of a target face from an array of novel foils was not facilitated by intermixed exposure to the target and comparators of the same sex. Experiment 2 also found no advantage for similar comparators (morphed towards the target) over unmorphed same sex comparators, or over repeated target exposure alone. But all repeated exposure conditions produced better performance than a single brief presentation of the target. Experiment 3 again demonstrated that repeated exposure produced equivalent learning in same sex and different sex comparator conditions, and also showed that increasing the number of same sex or different sex comparators failed to improve identification. In all three experiments, exposure to a target alongside similar comparators failed to support selection of the target from novel test stimuli to a greater degree than exposure alongside dissimilar comparators or repeated target exposure alone. The current results suggest that the facilitatory effects of comparison during exposure may be limited to improving discrimination between exposed stimuli, and thus our results do not support the idea that providing the opportunity for comparison is a practical means for improving face identification

Is That Me or My Twin? Lack of Self-Face Recognition Advantage in Identical Twins

Despite the increasing interest in twin studies and the stunning amount of research on face recognition, the ability of adult identical twins to discriminate their own faces from those of their co-twins has been scarcely investigated. One’s own face is the most distinctive feature of the bodily self, and people typically show a clear advantage in recognizing their own face even more than other very familiar identities. Given the very high level of resemblance of their faces, monozygotic twins represent a unique model for exploring self-face processing. Herein we examined the ability of monozygotic twins to distinguish their own face from the face of their co-twin and of a highly familiar individual. Results show that twins equally recognize their own face and their twin’s face. This lack of self-face advantage was negatively predicted by how much they felt physically similar to their co-twin and by their anxious or avoidant attachment style. We speculate that in monozygotic twins, the visual representation of the self-face overlaps with that of the co-twin. Thus, to distinguish the self from the co-twin, monozygotic twins have to rely much more than control participants on the multisensory integration processes upon which the sense of bodily self is based. Moreover, in keeping with the notion that attachment style influences perception of self and significant others, we propose that the observed self/co-twin confusion may depend upon insecure attachment

Muddy waters and heavy metal.

Following an incident of serious river pollution from a disused mine, postal surveys of local residents were conducted approximately 6 weeks (n=536) and then 8 months (n=417) after the spillage. Questions assessed residents' evaluations of the severity of the pollution, trust in expert reassurances, attributions of responsibility and attitudes on other environmental issues. Respondents at time 1 were more pessimistic than those at time 2 in their estimates of the levels of pollution that would persist 6 months and 10 years later, whereas time 2 respondents gave more negative estimates of levels of pollution that existed before and immediately after the spillage. Time 2 respondents were less inclined to assign personal responsibility for the incident. On both occasions, women gave higher estimates of pollution and were more prepared to assign blame than men. These ratings covaried with other environmental attitudes, especially relating to nuclear power. We argue that the perceived time course of environmental impact deserves further research attention and conclude that these data support a conception of attitudes as structures of evaluative associations, stored in memory, which can guide interpretation of information in specific contexts. (C) 1998 Academic Press.</p

Muddy waters and heavy metal.

Following an incident of serious river pollution from a disused mine, postal surveys of local residents were conducted approximately 6 weeks (n=536) and then 8 months (n=417) after the spillage. Questions assessed residents' evaluations of the severity of the pollution, trust in expert reassurances, attributions of responsibility and attitudes on other environmental issues. Respondents at time 1 were more pessimistic than those at time 2 in their estimates of the levels of pollution that would persist 6 months and 10 years later, whereas time 2 respondents gave more negative estimates of levels of pollution that existed before and immediately after the spillage. Time 2 respondents were less inclined to assign personal responsibility for the incident. On both occasions, women gave higher estimates of pollution and were more prepared to assign blame than men. These ratings covaried with other environmental attitudes, especially relating to nuclear power. We argue that the perceived time course of environmental impact deserves further research attention and conclude that these data support a conception of attitudes as structures of evaluative associations, stored in memory, which can guide interpretation of information in specific contexts. (C) 1998 Academic Press.</p