Abstract

Visual marking is one of the mechanisms contributing to efficient processing of visual information, by deprioritizing visual attention for old items irrelevant to the behavioral goals. In other words, when some of the distractors were previewed, the search was faster than when the whole stimuli set was presented at a time, and this enhancement in search efficiency was named ‘gap effect' or ‘preview effect' by Watson and Humphreys (1997). In this study, it was investigated whether working memory affected the preview effect visual marking draws. Experiment 1 examined whether the preview effect was decreased by performing non-spatial visual working memory task as the number of previewed items increased. Experiment 2 tested whether the preview effect was affected by visuo-spatial working memory load and experiment 3 tested whether the preview effect was affected by executive working memory load. The results showed all three types of working memory load did not interfere with the preview effect. Visual marking can be considered to be independent of working memory system and it does not seem to consume cognitive resources relating working memory. Based on these results, we discussed spatial inhibition and temporal grouping hypotheses.

Abstract

It is very important that pilot should be attached to correct situation awareness of diversifying circumstantial information for keeping on flight safety. Every pilot needs to attain pre-experiences on various circumstances for getting to correct and immediate situation awareness. For this goal, improving their abilities in situation awareness, we developed an unique training system, unlike the formerly existing simulators for flight training, with which we are able to focus on exercise in situation awareness. The development of this flight training system was continued with focusing on situation awareness especially in G-LOC and Ground Approach condition which may causes severe flight accident. Some possibility and the future practical use of the present system were discussed.

Abstract

The purpose of the present research was to examine whether Pulfrich effect, binocular disparity and SFM (structure-from-motion) were processed by a common neurophysiological mechanism. Subjects adapted to a rotating semitransparent random dot cylinder whose rotation direction was defined by binocular disparity, Pulfrich effect or combination of them and reported the rotation direction of adaptation test stimulus, another rotating cylinder whose rotation direction was ambiguously defined by SFM. Subject perceived that the test stimulus rotated in the direction opposite to that of adapting stimulus defined by binocular disaprity or Pulfrich effect. Interestingly, the adaptation effect changed systematically depending on the relative strength of binocular disparity and Pulfrich effect when the directions of adapting stimuli defined by them are in conflicts. These results imply that binocular disparity, Pulfrich effect and SFM are processed by a common neurophysiological mechanism.

Abstract

This study is planned to investigate whether the decomposition processes between modifiers and heads are necessary to parse compound nouns. In Experiment 1, the time courses of priming effects were analyzed to examine the patterns of decomposition processes according to compound nouns' semantic transparency . The fact that priming effects of compound nouns were found irrespective of SOA and semantic transparency implied that decomposition processes aren't necessary to parse compound nouns. But, priming effects of modifiers and heads observed in T-T and T-O conditions showed the possibility of decomposition processes. In Experiment 2, The patterns of decomposition processes were examined by analyzing priming effects of salient and default properties observed in existing and new compound nouns. In existing compound nouns, salient properties as well as default properties were activated in early processing stage, but the activation of default properties were suppressed in later processing stage. In case of new compound nouns, the activation of salient properties were found in later processing stage and the decomposition processes precedes the comprehension of compound nouns. In conclusion, results of this study suggests that the decomposition process is not always required to comprehend compound nouns and that more comprehensive models are needed to cover theses results.

Abstract

In order to examine the determinants of decision making concerning the location of nuclear waste repository, we conducted a survey in regions, where issues pertaining to local repository are actually raised. As previous research which indicated that affect played an important role in risk perception and risk judgement, affect was a good predictor of decision making of local nuclear waste repository. Those who had more negative affect of repository were significantly less likely to vote for local repository. Among various respondent characteristics, individualist cultural bias, post-materialist value, and self-described ideology proved to be statistically significant determinants. Those who scored low on an individualist cultural bias measure, those who scored high on post-materialism value, and those who described self as being conservative were opposed to the construction of a local repository. It was shown in the present study that important determinants of decision making were a potential stigma effect, perceived risk magnitude, trust in government and in experts, and affect. Finally, the implications of our results for cognitive psychologists and future investigations were discussed.

Abstract

In this study, two different associative memory tasks were compared in order to elucidate the types of associative memory in which hippocampus is involved. Brain regions activated during encoding and/or recognition of associative memories were investigated with fMRI in two different associative memory tasks with normal heathy volunteers (N=16). Depending on the types of the task, an namable line-drawing object was to be remembered with its presentation position (left/right) (object-position task) or with arbitrarily paired another object (object-object task). In comparison to fixation rest condition, hippocampus was activated both during encoding and recognition of the object-object associative memory task, but not during the object-position associative memory task. Various cortical regions were activated in both associative tasks, including visual cortex, parietal and prefrontal regions, and cingulate. However, the superior colliculus activation was found in the right hemisphere only during the object-position associative memory task, in which spatial attention or search might be required. These findings suggested that hippocampus is selectively involved in associative memory tasks depending on the types of information to be memorized.

Abstract

Abstract

Adams, Smith, Nyquist and Perlmutter(1997) investigated the effect of aging on narrative comprehension and reported that older adults interpreted narrative texts in deeper and more integrative ways than younger adults. In their study, however, the educational level of the older adults was significantly higher than that of the younger adults, making it difficult to determine whether the superior interpretation ability of the older adults was due to the increased text comprehension experiences that older adults had, as Adams et al. proposed, or whether it was due to the added education experience of the older adults. This study compared the retell and interpretation ability of older, middle-aged, and younger adults with similar level of education. The results showed that when the level of education was equivalent, older adults' interpretations were no longer better than younger or middle-aged adults' interpretations. However, the pronounced age differences observed in text recall and recognition tasks disappeared when the depth and synthesisness of their interpretations were examined. These results suggest that the effects of aging on text comprehension vary depending on the stages of text comprehension. It seems that although the ability to recall the contents of the texts decreases with aging, the ability to interpret the texts remains relatively intact.

Abstract

This study introduced a web-based virtual lab for sensation & perception using Java Applet. Specifically, since it is critical to manipulate exposure durations and inter-stimulus intervals for lab experimentations, we discussed how to control them in the Java programming. In addition, it was also discussed how the reaction time can be measured in the tasks such as the visual search paradigm.