The present thesis is concerned with the role of spatial attention in visual word processing. Eleven experiments are reported each of which consists of the combination of a manipulation of spatial attention (i.e., cue validity) with a manipulation of word processing. Five different manipulations of word processing were employed (1) long lag repetition priming, (2) case mixing, (3) inter-letter spacing, (4) the presence/absence of irrelevant features, and (5) set size. The conjoint effects of these factors were used to infer the role of spatial attention in visual word processing. Discussion focuses on integrating the present results into a viable theory and outlining future directions.

The present thesis is concerned with the role of spatial attention in visual word processing. Eleven experiments are reported each of which consists of the combination of a manipulation of spatial attention (i.e., cue validity) with a manipulation of word processing. Five different manipulations of word processing were employed (1) long lag repetition priming, (2) case mixing, (3) inter-letter spacing, (4) the presence/absence of irrelevant features, and (5) set size. The conjoint effects of these factors were used to infer the role of spatial attention in visual word processing. Discussion focuses on integrating the present results into a viable theory and outlining future directions.

Jesse Prinz proposes that attended intermediate-level representations (AIRs) are sufficient for conscious awareness. He extends this claim to emotion, arguing that attention is the mechanism that separates conscious from unconscious emotions. Prior studies call this entailment into question. However, they do not directly address the intermediate-level requirement, and thus cannot decisively refute the AIR theory of consciousness. This thesis tests that theory by manipulating participants’ attention to different features of subliminally processed words while recording both behavioral and electroencephalogram (EEG) data. Both measures suggest that subliminally processed stimuli are attended according to participants’ conscious intention to complete a task. In addition, the EEG data demonstrate that intermediate-level neural activity was modulated by the subliminal stimuli. Thus, these results suggest that AIRs are not sufficient for conscious emotion. This finding undermines Prinz’s AIR theory, and its account of the distinction between conscious and unconscious emotion.

Previous research has observed that approach motivation can both increase and decrease attentional breadth. How does the same motivation have these seemingly divergent effects? Three studies tested the hypothesis that mental construal levels help to determine the breadth of approach-motivated attention. In all studies, construal levels were manipulated to be high or low and breadth of attention was assessed in the context of high approach motivation. Study 1 found that higher trait approach motivation predicts increased attentional breadth, but only following the induction of a high-level (versus low-level) mental construals. Study 2 found that, while viewing images of appetitive objects (i.e., desserts), high-level construals increased attentional breadth relative to low-level construals. Study 3, however, found little evidence that high (versus low) construal levels influenced attentional breadth while viewing images of appetitive or neutral objects. These results help to reconcile divergent past findings regarding approach motivation and breadth of attention, but the results fall short of providing definitive evidence for the hypothesized role of mental construal levels in approach-motivated attentional breadth.

The proposed transcoding system consists of the spatial-resolution reduction and the temporal-resolution reduction method via visual attention model analysis. In the spatial domain, the visual attention model can be used to obtain the visual attention region. Then, the bitrate can be reduced since we can extract attention region of the original frame. The attention region conveys the same concept as that of the original frame. In the temporal domain, a frame skipping algorithm is proposed for reducing the temporal resolution to fit the channel target bitrate. The visual attention model is employed to measure the frame complexity in order to determine whether the frames should be skipped or not. Then, we can preserve the significant frames to avoid jerky effect. After combining with the motion vector composition algorithm, we can speedup the transcoding process with slight quality degradation.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Lehigh University, 2000. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 129-141).

Reproduction de : Thèse de doctorat : Psychologie cognitive : Lyon 2 : 2004. / Titre provenant de l'écran-titre. Bibliogr. Index.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--York University, 2006. Graduate Programme in Computer Science and Engineering. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-134). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR29617

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2008. Graduate Programme in Clinical Developmental Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 28-36). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR45964

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.