Psychology Commons^™

Determining Visual Shape Features For Novel Object Classes, Yaniv Morgenstern, Filipp Schmidt, Roland W. Fleming

MODVIS Workshop

The visual representation of shape reduces a high-dimensional input into a smaller set of more informative features. These features can span a range of abstractions from shallow features based on statistical summaries of images, to deep features related to the generative causes of the shapes. Here we examined the depth of the visual system’s representation of shape by comparing human judgments of whether novel shapes appeared to belong to a common class with a range of models with different shape representations. Each shape class was based on a unique 2D base shape, formed by attaching parts of contours from different …

Shape Features Underlying The Perception Of Liquids, Jan Jaap R. Van Assen, Pascal Barla, Roland W. Fleming

MODVIS Workshop

No abstract provided.

Real Time Learning Level Assessment Using Eye Tracking, Saurin S. Parikh, Hari Kalva

MODVIS Workshop

E-Learning is emerging as a convenient and effective learning tool. However, the challenge with eLearning is the lack of effective tools to assess levels of learning. Ability to predict difficult content in real time enables eLearning systems to dynamically provide supplementary content to meet learners’ needs. Recent developments have made possible low-cost eye trackers, which enables a new class of applications based on eye response. In comparison to past attempts using bio-metrics in learning assessments, with eye tracking, we can have access to the exact stimulus that is causing the response. A key aspect of the proposed approach is the …

Neural Computation Of Statistical Image Properties In Peripheral Vision, Christoph Zetzsche, Ruth Rosenholtz, Noshaba Cheema, Konrad Gadzicki, Lex Fridman

MODVIS Workshop

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Symmetry In Scene Categorization By Human Observers, John D. Wilder, Morteza Rezanejad, Sven Dickinson, Allan Jepson, Kaleem Siddiqi, Dirk B. Walther

MODVIS Workshop

No abstract provided.

Using Classification Images To Understand Models Of Lightness Perception, Minjung Kim, Jason M. Gold, Richard F. Murray

MODVIS Workshop

No abstract provided.

Edge Integration And Image Segmentation In Lightness And Color: Computational And Neural Theory, Michael E. Rudd

MODVIS Workshop

No abstract provided.

Positive Or Correlated Channels In Parallel Race Systems: Help Or Hurt?, James T. Townsend, Ru Zhang, Yanjun Liu, Michael J. Wenger

MODVIS Workshop

No abstract provided.

Color Algebras, Jeffrey B. Mulligan

MODVIS Workshop

No abstract provided.

Large-Scale Discovery Of Visual Features For Object Recognition, Drew Linsley, Sven Eberhardt, Dan Shiebler, Thomas Serre

MODVIS Workshop

A central goal in vision science is to identify features that are important for object and scene recognition. Reverse correlation methods have been used to uncover features important for recognizing faces and other stimuli with low intra-class variability. However, these methods are less successful when applied to natural scenes with variability in their appearance.

To rectify this, we developed Clicktionary, a web-based game for identifying features for recognizing real-world objects. Pairs of participants play together in different roles to identify objects: A “teacher” reveals image regions diagnostic of the object’s category while a “student” tries to recognize the object. Aggregating …

A Computational Account Of A Class Of Orientation Illusions, Dejan M. Todorovic

MODVIS Workshop

Contrast-dependent orientation illusions are phenomena in which the appearance of the illusion depends not only on geometrical arrangements of the constituents of illusory configurations, but also on their luminance levels. Whereas certain standard configurations may evoke strong illusory effects, their contrast-manipulated variants (configurations in which only the luminance contrast polarity of some of their elements is manipulated, while retaining the geometry of the standard versions) may show weakened or no illusory effects, or even reversed illusions. Although generally rather salient, the contrast-dependent illusions have not been researched in much detail, except for the well-known Münsterberg (Café Wall) illusion. Here I …

Heuristics From Statistics—Modeling The Behavior And Perception Of Non-Rigid Materials, Vivian C. Paulun, Roland W. Fleming

MODVIS Workshop

No abstract provided.

Modeling The Neural Circuitry Underlying The Behavioral And Eeg Correlates Of Attentional Capture, Chloe Callahan-Flintoft, Brad Wyble

MODVIS Workshop

The Reactive-Convergent Gradient Field model (R-CGF) is a unique approach to modeling spatial attention in that it links neural mechanisms to event related potentials (ERPs) from scalp EEG. This model was developed with the aim of explaining different, sometimes conflicting, findings in the attention literature. Specifically, this model address conflicting findings showing both simultaneous and serial deployment of attention. Another argument addressed by the model is whether attention to a location invokes a suppression of the spatial surround, or the selective inhibition of distractors. With the R-CGF, we have found that these results are not as incompatible as they appear …

Spatial-Temporal Visible Contrast Energy Predictions Of Detection Thresholds, Albert Ahumada, Andrew B. Watson, Jihyun Yeonan-Kim

MODVIS Workshop

The Barten (1994) spatial-temporal model was used to predict the Gabor stimulus contrast energy thresholds reported by Carney et al. (2013). The RMS error of fit was 1.6 dB, corrected for the number of parameters (6) estimated. The model has two lowpass spatial-temporal channels, combined by inhibition as in our spatial models (Watson & Ahumada, 2005; Ahumada & Watson, 2013). Computation of models predictions were greatly simplified by the spatial-temporal separability of the stimuli and the simplifications that result from using Gaussian filters in the spatial domain. The best fitting spatial filter frequency cutoffs are 11.4 and 0.88 cpd. The …

Computational Modeling Of Contrast Sensitivity And Orientation Tuning In Schizophrenia, Steven M. Silverstein, Docia L. Demmin, James A. Bednar

MODVIS Workshop

Computational modeling is being increasingly used to understand schizophrenia, but, to date, it has not been used to account for the common perceptual disturbances in the disorder. We manipulated schizophrenia-relevant parameters in the GCAL (gain control, adaptation, laterally connected) model (Stevens et al., 2013), run using the Topographica simulator (Bednar, 2012), to model low-level visual processing changes in the disorder. Our models incorporated: separate sheets for retinal, LGN, and V1 activity; gain control in the LGN; homeostatic adaptation in V1 based on a weighted sum of all inputs and limited by a logistic (sigmoid) nonlinearity; lateral excitation and inhibition in …

Social Saliency Of The Cue Slows Attention Shifts, Vassiki Chauhan, Matteo Visconti Di Oleggio Castello, Alireza Soltani, Maria I. Gobbini

Dartmouth Scholarship

Eye gaze is a powerful cue that indicates where another person's attention is directed in the environment. Seeing another person's eye gaze shift spontaneously and reflexively elicits a shift of one's own attention to the same region in space. Here, we investigated whether reallocation of attention in the direction of eye gaze is modulated by personal familiarity with faces. On the one hand, the eye gaze of a close friend should be more effective in redirecting our attention as compared to the eye gaze of a stranger. On the other hand, the social relevance of a familiar face might itself …

Weight Stigma, Cognitions, And Disordered Eating, Sarah E. Pelfrey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Weight stigma experiences affect people of all weights and have many negative consequences; despite this, weight stigma is still an acceptable prejudice in our society. Research has established that weight stigma is predictive of disordered eating (DE) cognitions, which are, in turn, predictive of DE behaviors. The current study explored the unique contribution DE cognitions make to DE behaviors while controlling for other DE cognitions. The DE cognitions examined in the current study were drive for thinness, weight bias internalization, and perfectionism. The DE behaviors examined were emotional eating, restrained eating, inappropriate compensatory behaviors, and binge-eating. Weight bias internalization and …

The Impact Of Stereotype Threat On Deaf Individuals, Jessica Kales

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

Misconceptions and stereotypes about Deaf people’s verbal intelligence may lead to a social phenomenon known as stereotype threat. When a person is conscious of a stereotype about their group, they may experience stereotype threat, whereby apprehension related to a negative stereotype undermines performance (Steele, 2010). Participants for the study were 27 Deaf undergraduate students. Participants were randomly assigned to high threat or low threat conditions. Regardless of the condition, all participants were then asked to solve seven anagrams and five questions from the verbal portion of the Graduate Record Exam. Participants were asked to evaluate their performance on the anagrams …

Individual And Group Differences In Sound Category Learning, Ben Carlstrom

Student Research Symposium

Abstract: We examined the role of procedural-, declarative-, and working-memory systems in adults learning novel sound categories. Adults have fully developed declarative-memory skills that sometimes inhibit their ability to learn implicitly/procedurally (Filoteo, Lauritzen, & Maddox, 2010). Models of impaired language like the Procedural Deficit Hypothesis suggest that procedural-memory deficits are predictive of language-learning outcomes (Lum, Conti-Ramsden, Page, & Ullman, 2011). This study tested the hypothesis that language structure is best learned implicitly/procedurally, which has implications for L2 learning and language impairment. The novel sound categories presented to participants varied along a phonologically non-native dimension, pitch, and a native dimension, vowel …

Curiosity: Emergent Behavior Through Interacting Multi-Level Predictions, Douglas S. Blank, Lisa Meeden, James Marshall

Computer Science Faculty Research and Scholarship

Over the past 15 years our research group has been exploring models of developmental robotics and curiosity. Our research is based on the premise that intelligent behavior arises through emergent interactions between opposing forces in an open-ended, task-independent environment. In an initial experiment we constructed a recurrent neural network model where self-motivation was "an emergent property generated by the competing pressures that arise in attempting to balance predictability and novelty". The system first focused on its error, then learned to successfully predict its error, and finally became habituated to what caused the error. This process of focusing, learning, and habituating …

Does Genotype Correlate With Phenotype? Evaluating Ruffed Lemur (Varecia Spp.) Color Vision Using Subject Mediated Automatic Remote Testing Apparatus (Smarta), Raymond Vagell

Theses and Dissertations

Ruffed lemur (Varecia spp.) color vision research was conducted using a multidisciplinary approach: psychophysics, genetic analysis, technology, and animal training. The behavioral manifestation of Varecia spp. trichromacy was shown using a touchscreen apparatus (SMARTA). Trichromats performed better than dichromats when discriminating red from green (G₂ = 78.10, p < 0.001).

The Influences Of Musical Training And Spectral Centroid On Perceptual Interactions Of Pitch And Timbre, Heather Daly

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Perceptual interactions of pitch and timbre have frequently been observed, and the nature of these interactions differs between musicians and nonmusicians. Yet, few researchers have investigated which aspects of timbre or musical training contribute to such interactions. Recently, Becker and Hall (2014) demonstrated that the spectral centroid contributed to pitch-timbre interactions in missing-F0 experiments, particularly for nonmusicians. The present experiment investigated whether the centroid also accounted for previously observed interactions between pitch and timbre (see Pitt, 1994) in a Garner speeded classification task designed to evaluate the perceptual independence of dimensions. There were two sets of synthetic stimuli involving orthogonal …

The Effect Of Font Type On Sight Word Reading Performance Of 4th And 5th Grade Students With Reading Disabilities, Denton S. Warburton

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Reading interventions are a crucial component to combat barriers associated with reading difficulties. Within the education realm, nearly 50% of students who receive special education supports have a Specific Learning Disability (Gargiulo, 2006). As a result, the development and implementation of effective and targeted interventions is critical. Christian Boer developed a font called Dyslexie to help remediate reading difficulties of individuals with Dyslexia (Boer, 2011). However, studies by de Leeuw (2010) and Pjipker (2013) provide inconsistent supportive evidence, regarding the effectiveness of Dyslexie. The current study sought to examine the effectiveness of Dyslexie as compared to Arial on sight word …

The Effects Of Pointing Gestures On Visual Attention, Samaria J. Hamilton

Honors College Theses

Visual attention is a process that involves concentrating on select features, such as sensory cues, within the complex environment. Sensory cues within the visual field capture and redirect our attention. Previous research on eye gaze revealed that direct gaze captures attention. In the present study, pointing gestures and motion cues were tested together in a visual search task to examine their effects on attention. Participants were instructed to identify a target letter presented on one of four hands. Initially, two hands displayed a pointing gesture while the other two displayed an open gesture. Next, a target letter appeared, one open …

Literacy Revolution: How The New Tools Of Communication Change The Stories We Tell, Molly Gamble

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The transmission of culture depends upon every generation reconsidering what it means to be literate. The way we consider ourselves to be a literate species is changing, which puts us at a unique turning point in human history. Verbal literacy, or the ability to read and write, is slowly being replaced by visual literacy as a primary tool for human communication. As a culture, we tend to underestimate the creative ferment of our increasingly visual world. The linear, structured pathways of traditional literacy are shifting towards a creative and participatory pursuit of unstructured information that emphasize dimensional thinking. The acceleration …

The Influence Of Self-Compassion On Conflict Resolution Processes In Marriages, Joyce Cha

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Increasing attention is given to third-wave cognitive-behavioral concepts such as selfcompassion. This study seeks to explore the impact of self-compassion on conflict resolution in marital relationships. While recent research highlights the influence of self-compassion on relationship satisfaction as a whole, little exploration has been done on the impact of selfcompassion on relational conflict, a significant component of marital relationships or the impact of the bi-directional impact relationship satisfaction has on levels of self-compassion.

The goal of this study was to understand the relationship between levels of selfcompassion and conflict processes in married couples. It was hypothesized that levels of selfcompassion …

Sparking A Dolphin's Curiosity: Individual Differences In Dolphins' Reactions To Surprising And Expectation-Violating Events, Malin Katarina Lilley

Master's Theses

Non-scientific literature consistently describes dolphins as “curious animals,” but there has been little systematic research on curiosity in dolphins. Curiosity in humans and certain non-human animal species, including birds and non-human primates, has been studied by examining individual differences in exploration and reactions to novel stimuli. Additionally, research has explored how human infants and non-human animals react when an event violates their expectations. The present study explored dolphins’ reactions to spontaneously surprising and expectation-violating stimuli. The reactions of dolphins, 15 bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) and 6 rough-toothed (Steno bredanensis), at Gulf World Marine Park were analyzed in …

Retrieval-Induced Forgetting Via Social Media: The Mnemonic Consequences Of Posting Pictures On Instagram, Chi Lap Wong

Student Theses

Social media has become a common tool for individuals to selectively offload personal memories to the internet. Such selectivity may reinforce the posted “memory” but induce forgetting for related “memories” (Anderson, Bjork, & Bjork, 1994). To explore this possibility, the present study adopted the retrieval-induced forgetting paradigm to the context of social media, Instagram. Participants were required to write a diary attached with pictures relevant to the events and then post pictures to the Instagram, followed by the final recall test. The results indicated that posting personal pictures online induced forgetting in related memories but not pictures, and posting …

Video Game Engagement, Gender, And Age: Examining Similarities And Differences In Motivation Between Those Who May Or May Not Play Video Games, Joseph Camarata

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research aims to fill a research gap by examining video games to explore whether gender, age, or hours played per week would exert any influence on the information of those who may or may not play video games. Mood Management Theory and Uses and Gratification Theory were used as the theoretical foundation for this study. Four-hundred-three East Tennessee State University students who received the survey via email were asked to voluntarily participate in a survey about their motivations behind playing video games. Results from MANOVA showed that the motivations of male participants on video games were significantly higher than …

Assessing The Relationship Between Change Blindness And The Anchoring Effect, Melissa Schoenlein

Honors Projects

A lack of consideration for all aspects of a question prompts fragmented decision making. These decisions, as they leave out fundamental information, repeatedly then lead to a potentially problematic reaction to the target question or stimuli. The anchoring heuristic propels one to make a decision, usually an estimate, based on a presented “fact”, often ignoring additional background and environmental clues. Reducing the rate of occurrence of the anchoring bias is thought to lead to an increase in holistic decision making. To promote this reduction, the purpose of this research was to affirmexamine the relationship between the susceptibility to change blindness …