This thesis concerns selective attention in the context of the Stroop task (identify the colour) and Reverse Stroop task (identify the word). When a person is asked to select and identify one dimension of a bidimensional stimulus (e. g. , the word RED printed in green) the typical finding is that the word influences colour identification (i. e. , the Stroop effect) but the colour does not influence word identification (i. e. , no Reverse Stroop effect). A major account of performance in these tasks posits that one dimension interferes with the other only when a translation occurs (e. g. , Roelofs, <i>Psychological Review, 2003</i>; Sugg & McDonald, <i>Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 1994</i>; Virzi & Egeth, <i>Memory & Cognition, 1985</i>). This translation assumption is implicit in virtually all work in the field. The first part of this thesis completely undermines the translation assumption. In a series of four experiments (two unique paradigms), I demonstrate that interference from the colour in a Reverse Stroop task occurs in the absence of a translation. The second part of this thesis contains two additional experiments designed to discriminate between translation effects and response conflict effects. The results of these experiments confirm that a translation was not required because no stimulus conflict effect, the most likely locus of a translation effect, was observed. However, response conflict effects were observed. The third part of this thesis implements a computational model based on the principle that the strength of association (Cohen, Dunbar, & McClelland, <i>Psychological Review, 1990</i>) between a specific stimulus and its response (Logan, </i>Psychological Review, 1988</i>) is important in determining the influence of the irrelevant dimension. This model has no translation mechanism. A final experiment was conducted to test this model; the model accounted for over 98% of the variance in RTs and 92% of the variance in interference and facilitation scores in both the Stroop and Reverse Stroop tasks independent of whether a translation was required.

<p>Anticipating the occurrence of a future event is an ability that helps people prepare for various daily activities. This preparation is regarded as a non-specific process because it is initiated by a warning signal that does not contain specific information about the critical event. Previous research reported that the intertrial repetition of a stimulus-response event in a choice-reaction task shortened the reaction time more at the short foreperiod (interval between the end of the warning signal and onset of the target stimulus). I conducted four experiments to investigate whether the interaction was due to the event sequence effect being overridden by preparation processes (“overriding” hypothesis) or the quick-decaying characteristic of the event sequence effect itself (“quick-decay” hypothesis). Experiments 1 and 2 manipulated the relative magnitudes of the preparation effect by changing how foreperiods were distributed within a trial block. The results showed similar asymmetric event sequence effects, which indicated that whether preparation was better at the short or long foreperiod did not affect the event-based modulation. Experiment 3 manipulated the temporal distance between two consecutive stimulus-response events across trial blocks and found that the asymmetric event-based modulation on preparation was diminished by a long enough inter-trial interval. The final experiment compared alerting trials with no-alerting trials and found an asymmetric event-based modulation caused by the absence of repetition benefit in a certain context (an alerting trial preceded by a no-alerting trial). Therefore, the event sequence effect is not directly related to “nonspecific preparation”, but this event-specific component could be embedded in the measurement of preparation in some scenarios, which could lead to misinterpretation of the preparation effect itself. This finding clarifies the mechanism underlying the interaction between preparation and event sequence. The conclusion also questions the validity of the current measures of nonspecific preparation, including temporal preparation and phasic alertness.</p>

No description available.

Cette thèse s’inscrit dans une approche incarnée et située de la cognition humaine et de l’ergonomie des interfaces Homme-Machine (IHM). En rupture avec les théories computo-symboliques, cette approche considère que la cognition a pour seule vocation l’action dans le but de s’adapter au monde. Appliquée à l’ergonomie des IHM, elle met l’accent sur la perception, l’action et le contexte comme éléments clés de l’interaction Homme-Machine. Cette vision de l’ergonomie est ici mise au service de la conception de stations sol de drones militaires, sur lesquelles le manque de sollicitations perceptivo-motrices et le caractère isolé des opérateurs contribuent à une accidentologie symptomatique. L’objet de cette thèse est donc de montrer en quoi l’approche incarnée et située permet de guider une démarche ergonomique et, en particulier, la conception de deux stations sol de drones militaires développés par Airbus Defence and Space. Dans un premier temps, une analyse centrée sur les aspects moteurs, perceptifs et contextuels de l’activité des opérateurs de drones est réalisée. La seconde étape est dédiée à la définition d’une organisation matériel-logiciel standardisée pour tous types de drones. Cette organisation repose sur l’exploitation de processus perceptivo-moteurs, notamment au moyen du paradigme Stimulus-Response Compatibility (SRC). En troisième lieu, est présentée la conception matérielle et logicielle de deux stations sol de drones adaptées à leurs contextes respectifs d’utilisation. Des moyens de vérification (e.g. tests utilisateurs) sont mis en œuvre pour valider les solutions proposées. Les résultats obtenus montrent que la démarche adoptée permet d’améliorer significativement certains aspects de l’activité des opérateurs de drones, en particulier en termes de performances et de charge mentale. D’autre part, ces travaux soulignent l’intérêt de l’approche incarnée et située, et sa forte valeur applicative tant au sein de la démarche ergonomique que dans un cycle de conception industrielle. / Cette thèse s’inscrit dans une approche incarnée et située de la cognition humaine et de l’ergonomie des interfaces Homme-Machine (IHM). En rupture avec les théories computo-symboliques, cette approche considère que la cognition a pour seule vocation l’action dans le but de s’adapter au monde. Appliquée à l’ergonomie des IHM, elle met l’accent sur la perception, l’action et le contexte comme éléments clés de l’interaction Homme-Machine. Cette vision de l’ergonomie est ici mise au service de la conception de stations sol de drones militaires, sur lesquelles le manque de sollicitations perceptivo-motrices et le caractère isolé des opérateurs contribuent à une accidentologie symptomatique. L’objet de cette thèse est donc de montrer en quoi l’approche incarnée et située permet de guider une démarche ergonomique et, en particulier, la conception de deux stations sol de drones militaires développés par Airbus Defence and Space. Dans un premier temps, une analyse centrée sur les aspects moteurs, perceptifs et contextuels de l’activité des opérateurs de drones est réalisée. La seconde étape est dédiée à la définition d’une organisation matériel-logiciel standardisée pour tous types de drones. Cette organisation repose sur l’exploitation de processus perceptivo-moteurs, notamment au moyen du paradigme Stimulus-Response Compatibility (SRC). En troisième lieu, est présentée la conception matérielle et logicielle de deux stations sol de drones adaptées à leurs contextes respectifs d’utilisation. Des moyens de vérification (e.g. tests utilisateurs) sont mis en œuvre pour valider les solutions proposées. Les résultats obtenus montrent que la démarche adoptée permet d’améliorer significativement certains aspects de l’activité des opérateurs de drones, en particulier en termes de performances et de charge mentale. D’autre part, ces travaux soulignent l’intérêt de l’approche incarnée et située, et sa forte valeur applicative tant au sein de la démarche ergonomique que dans un cycle de conception industrielle.

<p>Distinctions between set- and element-level compatibility have been made regarding stimulus-response compatibility (SRC) effects. Prior research has revealed a relationship between these two types of compatibility such that an increase in set-level effects results in an analogous increase in element-level effects. There are different ways that location information can be conveyed visually: location-words (“left” and “right”), directionalarrows (pointing left and right), and physical-locations (stimuli appearing in the left or right areas of the visual field). Set-level compatibility is higher for location-words paired with vocal “left”-“right” responses than for the other two stimulus modalities, and vice versa for pairings with left-right keypress responses, and the element-level compatibility effects differ in size accordingly.<br></p><p>My dissertation research focused on examining set- and element-level compatibility effects within the saccadic eye-movement system. These effects were considered within the dimensional overlap framework proposed by Kornblum, Hasbroucq, and Osman (1990), according to which the element-level mapping effects are an increasing function of set-level compatibility. All experiments were conducted using introductory psychology students. <br></p><p>In Experiment 1, participants responded using a left-right unimanual joystick movement or eye movement to a location-word or physical-location stimulus. In addition to an analysis of variance (ANOVA) of mean reaction time (RT) and response accuracy for the respective conditions, compatibility effects across the RT distribution were investigated by dividing trials into quantiles. Experiment 1 produced a set-level compatibility effect for the congruent mapping: Eye-movement responses (rather than joystick movements) were found to be relatively more compatible with physical-location stimuli than with location-word stimuli. In addition, the high set-level compatibility conditions exhibited a larger element-level mapping effect than the low set-level compatibility conditions. RT distribution analysis showed that both eye- and joystickmovements yielded a steadily increasing element-level mapping effect across bins, except for physical-location stimuli mapped to joystick responses, for which the function was flat. <br></p><p>In Experiment 2, the location-word stimuli used in Experiment 1 were replaced by directional-arrow stimuli. Eye movements (and not joystick movements) showed larger set- and element-level SRC effects when paired with physical-location stimuli than with directional-arrows. As in Experiment 1, the physical-location stimuli paired with eyemovement responses demonstrated an increase in the element-level mapping effect across the RT distribution. However, for the three other three set-level pairings, the elementlevel mapping effects were relatively constant across the RT distribution. This pattern further indicates a preferential benefit for eye movements paired with physical-location stimuli.<br></p><p>Experiment 3 directly compared the location-word stimuli used in Experiment 1 and the directional-arrow stimuli used in Experiment 2. The element-level mapping effect was larger for location-words than for directional-arrows, but both types of stimuli produced similar interaction patterns regarding the set-level manipulation. That is, the differences between each response modality and stimulus type produced similar patterns of element-level mapping effect differences. The location-word stimuli produced consistently large effects and served as a driving factor across the set-level comparisons. The location-words showed a large increase in element-level mapping effect across the RT distribution compared to only a small increase for the directional-arrows, which in both cases did not differ between eye- and joystick-movement responses.<br></p><p>Together the three experiments provide support for the hypothesis that eyemovement responses to physical-location stimuli are a unique, highly optimal set-level pairing relative to location-words or directional-arrows denoting spatially relevant location. In the context of a continuum outlining the relative position of different response and stimulus pairings, the results imply that eye-movement responses are similar in compatibility to joystick movements, except for the specific pairing with physical-location stimuli. <br></p><p>The results offer some support for Kornblum et al.’s (1990) account that suggests a tightly coupled relationship between set- and element-level compatibility effects. Not only do the results provide understanding about the existence of compatibility effects within the saccadic system, they allow for some considerations about how attention is allocated preferentially to certain stimuli rather than others. They also enable predictions about similar underlying mechanisms that might be involved in saccadic and manual response modalities. Taken together, it seems that the eye-movement system adheres to conventional notions about motoric behavior; however, it also has its own unique properties that make it highly tuned to exogenously guided stimuli. <br></p>

In open skill sports and other tasks, decision-making can be as important as physical performance. Whereas many studies have investigated visual perception there is little research on auditory perception as one aspect of decision making. Auditory localisation studies have almost exclusively focussed on underlying processes, such as interaural time difference and interaural level difference. It is not known, however, whether semantic spatial information contained in the sound is actually used, and whether it assists pure auditory localisation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect on auditory localisation of spatial semantic information. In Experiment One, this was explored by measuring whole body orientation to the words &quotLeft", &quotRight", &quotBack", &quotFront" and &quotYes", as well as a tone, each presented from left right, front and back locations. Experiment Two explored the effect of the four spatial semantic words presented either from their matching locations, or from a position rotated 20 degrees anticlockwise. In both experiments there were two conditions, with subjects required to face the position indicated by the sound location, or the meaning of the word. Movements of the head were recorded in three dimensions with a Polhemus Fastrak system, and were analysed with a custom program. Ten young adult volunteers participated in each experiment. Reaction time, movement time, initial rotation direction, rotation direction at peak velocity, and the accuracy of the final position were the dependent measures. The results confirmed previous reports of confusions between front and back locations, that is, errors about the interaural axis. Unlike previous studies, many more back-to-front than front-toback errors was made. The experiments provided some evidence for a spatial Stroop interference effect, that is, an effect on performance of conflicting information provided by the irrelevant dimension of the stimulus, but only for reaction time and initial movement direction, and only in the Word condition. The results are interpreted using a model of the processes needed to respond to the stimulus and produce an orienting movement. They suggest that there is an asymmetric interference effect in which auditory localisation can interfere with localisation based on semantic content of words, but not the reverse. In addition, final accuracy was unaffected by any interference, suggesting that these effects are restricted to the initial stages of response selection.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a 37-year-old non-invasive tool and can be used for diagnostic, therapeutics, and research purposes. In research, TMS is mostly used to stimulate the motor cortex, resulting in a neuroelectric excitatory response called a motor evoked potential (MEP). The resulting nerve signal leads to muscle movement, which can be measured by electromyography (EMG). Majority of previous research has targeted muscles of the upper limbs, due to the relative inaccessibility of the cortical leg area. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate whether asymmetry occurs during lower limb stimulation and if there is a difference in stimulated muscles between dominant and non-dominant leg. Nine healthy adults conducted cortical stimulation over the motor cortex using double cone coil. EMG was recorded from the rectus femoris, tibialis anterior and abductor hallucis on both left and right leg. Depending on the subject's tolerance, data was collected by delivering 30 or 35 pulses. For each intensity, five MEPs were recorded, starting at 30% of the intensity and increasing in steps of 10%. Results showed no significant difference (p&gt;0,05) between the dominant and non-dominant leg in all three muscles. In conclusion, the study no stimulus response asymmetry between the dominant and non-dominant leg in the respective muscle.

No description available.

Many types of multi-display environments (MDEs) are emerging that allow users to better interact with computers. In these environments, being able to move visual objects (such as window icons or the cursor) from one display to another is a fundamental activity. This dissertation focuses on understanding how human performance of cross-display actions is affected by the design of cross-display object movement interaction techniques. Three main aspects of cross-display actions are studied: how displays are referred to by the system and the users, how spatial actions are planned, and how actions are executed. Each of these three aspects is analyzed through laboratory experiments that provide empirical evidence on how different characteristics of interaction techniques affect performance. The results further our understanding of cross-display interaction and can be used by designers of new MDEs to create more efficient multi-display interfaces.

Das dominante Datenmuster im Bereich des kognitiven Alterns ist der Alters-x-Komplexitätseffekt. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht, ob das Muster statt durch einen üblicherweise postulierten unspezifischen durch einen spezifischen Mechanismus erklärt werden kann: die mit dem Alter abnehmende Reliabilität episodischer Akkumulatoren. In sechs Reaktionszeit-Experimenten wurden junge und ältere Erwachsene verglichen, dabei wurden frühe kognitive (Stroop-Bedingung) und episodische Schwierigkeit (Reiz-Reaktions-Zuordnung) orthogonal manipuliert. Die vorhergesagte Dreifachinteraktion der beiden Faktoren mit dem Alter zeigte sich über die Experimente hinweg relativ konsistent. Eine modifizierte Brinley-Analyse ergibt deutlich unterschiedliche Steigungen der Regressionsgeraden im Alt-Jung-Raum für niedrige und hohe episodische Schwierigkeit. Als methodischer Beitrag wird im Anhang ein zur modifizierten Brinley-Analyse passendes Regressionsmodell entwickelt, das aus einigen einfachen Verarbeitungsannahmen folgt. Es wird gezeigt, dass in einer klassischen Brinley Metaanalyse die Steigung neben der theoretisch interessierenden Varianz von theoretisch uninteressanter Zwischen-Experiment-Varianz beeinflusst wird. / The age-by-complexity effect is the dominant empirical pattern in cognitive aging. The current report investigates whether a specific high-level mechanism---an age-related decrease in the reliability of episodic accumulators---can account for the age-by-complexity-effect, which is commonly assumed to be caused by an unspecific, low-level deficit. Groups of younger and older adults are compared in six reaction time experiments, using orthogonal manipulations of early cognitive difficulty (e.g., Stroop condition) and episodic demands (e.g., stimulus-response mapping). The predicted three-way interaction of age and the two factors was observed fairly consistently across experiments. A modified Brinley analysis shows that different regression slopes in old-young-space are required for conditions with low and high episodic difficulty. As a methodological contribution, a Brinley regression model following from certain simple processing assumptions is developed. It is shown that in contrast to a standard Brinley meta-analysis, the regression slopes in this model are not influenced by theoretically un-interesting between-experiment variance.