The perspective from which people view or imagine a situation has downstream effects on the construal of that situation and subsequent cognitions and behaviours. My study suggests that these effects from the mental and visual imagery literature carry over to the domain of interactive media, specifically video gaming. I manipulated whether 82 undergraduates played a motorcycle racing video game from either the first-person perspective or the third-person perspective and had participants rate the perceived risk of a list of 24 different inherently risky activities and then rate their willingness to engage in the same activities. Participants who had played the video game from the third-person perspective perceived the activities as more risky than participants in the first-person perspective. Furthermore, participants in the third-person perspective condition reported less willingness to engage in the risky activities than those in the first-person condition. Mediation analysis confirms that the effect of perspective on willingness to take risks is mediated by risk perceptions. Implications are discussed for the literatures on visual perspective, action construal and detrimental effects of video gaming.

The perspective from which people view or imagine a situation has downstream effects on the construal of that situation and subsequent cognitions and behaviours. My study suggests that these effects from the mental and visual imagery literature carry over to the domain of interactive media, specifically video gaming. I manipulated whether 82 undergraduates played a motorcycle racing video game from either the first-person perspective or the third-person perspective and had participants rate the perceived risk of a list of 24 different inherently risky activities and then rate their willingness to engage in the same activities. Participants who had played the video game from the third-person perspective perceived the activities as more risky than participants in the first-person perspective. Furthermore, participants in the third-person perspective condition reported less willingness to engage in the risky activities than those in the first-person condition. Mediation analysis confirms that the effect of perspective on willingness to take risks is mediated by risk perceptions. Implications are discussed for the literatures on visual perspective, action construal and detrimental effects of video gaming.

No description available.

Whenever you touch yourself, that touch feels distinctly different from when someone else touches you. In particular, self-generated touch is perceived as less intense. This is a phenomenon called somatosensory attenuation. Touch to the self, regardless of self- or other generated, is perceived through a first-person perspective, whereas touch to other is perceived through a third-person perspective. The present study aimed to explore how self-touch is perceived when the self is observed through other perspectives. Here it was found that self-touch in a mirror and third-person perspective lowers the sense of ownership of the observed hand, as well as the agency of the touch. In particular, the sense of ownership and agency were lower in the third-person perspective relative to mirror perspective. Further, no qualitative differences in touch perception were observed across the three perspectives. There was no relationship between the sense of ownership and agency, and these qualitative differences. Lastly, there were no correlations between either of these experimental aspects (ownership, agency, qualitative) and autism traits and self-reported interoceptive abilities. The present study extends the knowledge and understanding of self-touch, and how visual perspective influences. The present study also highlights areas of applications, such as immersive virtual reality and clinical research.

Les recherches actuelles en psychologie clinique sont centrées sur l’étude des processus psychologiques impliqués dans le développement et le maintien de nombreux troubles psychologiques. Deux de ces processus ont fait l’objet de nombreuses études : les pensées répétitives négatives (PRN), qui sont majoritairement verbales, et la perspective visuelle adoptée dans les images mentales (i.e., acteur vs. observateur). Bien que représentant des phénomènes distincts, les PRN et la perspective d’observateur semblent toutes deux avoir une fonction d’évitement et dépendre d’un processus d’abstraction centré sur l’analyse du « pourquoi » des événements (i.e., l’adoption d’un mode abstrait de traitement de l’information). Ces similarités fonctionnelles et processuelles amènent à se questionner sur les liens possibles entre les PRN et la perspective d’observateur. Pourtant, très peu d’études se sont intéressées à cette association. Par conséquent, cette thèse portait sur les liens entre les PRN et la perspective d’observateur en imagerie mentale, ainsi qu’à leur processus sous-jacent (i.e., l’abstraction) et leur fonction (i.e., l’évitement). Les résultats de quatre études corrélationnelles indiquent que les PRN et la perspective d’observateur ne sont pas associées. Ils répliquent aussi des résultats d’études passées sur le rôle de l’évitement et de l’abstraction dans les PRN mais pas dans la perspective d’observateur. Les résultats de trois études expérimentales montrent également que l’induction de PRN sur un mode abstrait n’a pas d’effet sur la perspective visuelle adoptée ou la réactivité émotionnelle et, plus globalement, que l’induction d’un mode abstrait de traitement de l’information n’a pas d’effet sur la perspective visuelle adoptée, les PRN, ou la réponse émotionnelle lors de l’anticipation ou le rappel d’une tâche émotionnelle. Finalement, une méta-analyse conduite sur les études publiées et les études menées dans le cadre de cette thèse semble confirmer l’absence de lien entre les PRN et la perspective d’observateur. Dans l’ensemble, il semblerait que les PRN et la perspective d’observateur en imagerie mentale ne soient pas associées. Ces résultats sont discutés au regard des modèles théoriques et des implications méthodologiques. / Current research in clinical psychology is focused on the study of psychological processes implicated on the onset and maintenance of many psychological disorders. Two of these processes have been extensively explored: repetitive negative thinking (RNT), which is predominantly verbal, and the visual perspective adopted in mental images (i.e., actor vs. observer). Even if they represent two distinct phenomena, RNT and the observer perspective both seem to serve an avoidance function and be underpinned by a process of abstraction focused on the analysis of the “why” of events (i.e., the adoption of an abstract level of construal). These functional and processual similarities suggest a potential association between RNT and the observer perspective. However, few studies have examined this association. Therefore, this dissertation explored the association between RNT and the visual perspective in mental imagery as well as their underlying process (i.e., abstraction) and function (i.e., avoidance). Results of four correlational studies showed that RNT and the observer perspective were not associated. They also replicated results from previous studies on the role of avoidance and abstraction in RNT but not in visual perspective. Results from three experimental studies also showed that the induction of RNT at an abstract level had no effect on visual perspective or emotional reactivity, and more generally, that the induction of an abstract level of construal did not influence visual perspective, RNT, and emotional response during the anticipation or the post-event processing of an emotional task. Finally, a meta-analysis conducted on published studies as well as on our studies confirmed the absence of association between RNT and the observer perspective. Overall, it seems that RNT and the observer perspective adopted in mental imagery are not associated. These results are discussed in light of theoretical models and methodological implications.

Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD) is a wide ranging developmental condition commonly recognised by impairments in social interaction, communication, repetitive behaviour and restricted interests. Deficits in imitation, sensory processing and motor control are also extensive, but conflicting findings mean a clear picture regarding the true nature of these is yet to be established. The aim of this thesis was to further investigate imitation with a specific focus on the effect of goals. It has been suggested that imitation occurs along two routes; a direct route for the imitation of meaningless actions i.e. goal-less, and a semantic route for meaningful or goal-directed actions. There is evidence to suggest that while individuals with ASD may have an impairment in goal-less imitation, goal-directed imitation is unaffected (Hamilton, Brindley & Frith, 2007). The experiments in the present work were based on the hypothesis that impaired goal-less imitation in ASD may be due to a problem with sensory motor integration in the direct visuomotor pathway for imitation (Tessari and Rumiati, 2004).The first experiment was conducted to ascertain whether movement kinematics differed between imitation during goal-directed and goal-less hand movements in a neurotypical control group. Participants observed and imitated hand movements of different speeds, while their movement was recorded with a motion sensor. Movement was modulated between the different speeds in the goal-less, but not goal-directed trials. These findings support the dual route model where visuomotor mapping occurs via the direct pathway during goal-less imitation but during goal-directed imitation there is greater reliance on representations of actions from long term memory.In experiment two, the same paradigm was employed, including additional movement types, and a group of adult individuals diagnosed with an ASD was compared to a control group. It was predicted that, unlike the control group, the ASD group would fail to modulate their movement in the goal-less condition, due to a disruption in the direct pathway. Eye movements were also recorded in this experiment, to ascertain if differences in gaze position or eye movements might influence the ability of the ASD group to imitate goal-less actions. The ASD group did not modulate their movement for goal-less imitation. In addition, the ASD group exhibited more goal-directed gaze, and less gaze toward the hand, than the control group. The ASD group also failed to maintain pursuit of the hand, which may have influenced the amount of information collected regarding the movement.The third study extended the investigation by introducing a training phase halfway through the experiment. Based on eye movement findings, it was hypothesised that drawing attention to the hand might increase the importance of the hand in goal-less trials, subsequently leading to increased tracking, and improved imitation. Perspective was also investigated to determine whether observing the action from an egocentric perspective would improve imitation. Movement modulation was not improved for either the post training or the egocentric condition. However, both training and egocentric viewing resulted in faster performance of movements while training also reduced the amount of movement variability; suggesting that these conditions made imitation easier. Findings strongly support the hypothesis that people with ASD are impaired in goal-less but not goal-directed imitation. These results are discussed in terms of bottom-up and top-down influences on imitation. The observed eye movement differences between the ASD and control group suggest eye movement abnormalities, and the finding that egocentric observation facilitates imitation indicates problems with visuospatial transformation during allocentric imitation. Finally, failure to pursue may be due to lack of attention to the hand movement, evidenced by no increase in pursuit after training. This thesis concludes with the suggestion that impaired goal-less imitation in ASD may result primarily from bottom-up low level visual processing and oculomotor control problems, combined with a high level attentional mechanism. Future studies need to address whether these are the primary causes of imitation difficulties, or whether there is a fundamental sensory motor integration deficit in ASD.

Perspective taking is typically defined as the ability to reason about others’ mental states (e.g. their beliefs, thoughts, desires, and intentions) and to understand the role of those mental states in everyday situations (I. A. Apperly, 2012). Traditional accounts of perspective taking typically analyze the ability based on three different domains: visual, affective or emotional, and cognitive perspective taking (Flavell, 2004). From a behavioral viewpoint, perspective taking skills are built upon the ability to recognize our own behavior in relation to the context. Relational Frame Theory (RFT) is a contemporary behavioral account of human language and cognition (Hayes et al., 2007). From an RFT viewpoint, perspective-taking skills involve deictic relations between individuals, spaces, and time. Instead of using the three dimensions analyzed in the other fields, RFT studies the development of complex perspective-taking skills through three types of deictic frames: interpersonal (I-YOU-OTHER), spatial (HERE-THERE), and temporal (NOW-THEN-LATER). The purpose of this dissertation was to develop a set of behavioral assessments to measure visual, emotional, and cognitive perspective-taking skills from an RFT viewpoint. This dissertation made methodological and empirical contributions to the field by proposing three behavioral computer-based protocols for evaluating the role of deictic frames on visual, emotional, and cognitive perspective taking tasks. Experiment 1 results revealed significant differences in response latency and correct response levels on interpersonal and spatial deictic frames at simple and reverse levels of complexity on a visual perspective-taking task. These findings suggested that transforming stimulus functions following a mutually entailed relationship between interpersonal and spatial frames is not equivalent to performing conditional discriminations involving both interpersonal and spatial stimuli. Experiment 2 results revealed significant differences in response latency and correct response levels on interpersonal frames with simple, reverse, and double reverse levels of complexity on an emotional perspective-taking task. The finding showed that as the complexity of the deictic relations in emotional perspective taking increased, so did the number of errors and latency to respond. Furthermore, the findings of the study indicate that the valence of emotions has an effect on the levels of deictic relational responding. On a cognitive perspective-taking task, the results of Experiment 3 revealed significant differences in response latency and correct response levels on interpersonal frames with simple and reverse levels of complexity. False beliefs and false desires increased the number of errors and latency to respond to interpersonal deictic frames, according to the findings. Overall, these protocols improved the ecological validity of RFT-based protocols of deictic frames, extended previous research on perspective taking, and opened up new research avenues.

No description available.

No description available.

During our education to become lighting designers at Jönköping University, the artificial lighting has been in focus. Therefore we wanted to learn more about daylight. We chose to do this from a visual approach in open plan offices. Since daylight is part of the architects´ responsibility to master, we wanted to examine what architects think of when they plan daylight environments in open plan offices and how this is expressed in the buildings with focus on the visual factors. Our questions at issue are: What knowledge do architects have concerning daylight planning, and how do they use this knowledge in their practice? How well do the chosen daylight environments meet the end-users need of a good visual environment? The study consists of three case studies, carried out in the same way. Each case study contains an analysis of the daylight environment in a modern building with open plan offices. A responsible architect was interviewed about the intensions for the building, and about his or her general thoughts about daylight. Three end-users were also interviewed about their experiences of their working environment and the daylight conditions in each building. In total three buildings were analysed, three architects and nine end-users were interviewed. The result shows that it is hard to tell what knowledge architects have about daylight, since it is a part of the overall design of the building. It is also very individual whether the architect displays an interest, and work with daylight issues in an active way. We can see differences in this matter between the interviewed architects. The analysed buildings also show varying results in the visual qualities. The results from our environment analyses are at most part confirmed by the end-users in each building. The problems we have found concerning the daylight environment are primarily the solar shadings and the layout of furnishing. Our conclusion is that architects could benefit from collaboration with lighting designers in daylight issues. This is because lighting designers have more knowledge about the visual conditions of the eye, and a more explicit focus on the end-user. To ensure a good collaboration the lighting designers also need to increase their knowledge about daylight in buildings, and about the building construction as a whole. / Under vår utbildning till ljusdesigners på Jönköpings Tekniska Högskola har fokus legat på det elektriska ljuset. Då vi ville lära oss mer om det minst lika viktiga dagsljuset, valde vi att undersöka detta ur ett visuellt perspektiv i kontorslandskap. Dagsljuset är arkitektens ansvar att behärska, varför vi ville undersöka vad arkitekter tänker på när de planerar dagsljusmiljöer i kontorslandskap, och hur detta yttrar sig i den färdiga byggnaden med fokus på de visuella faktorerna. Följande frågeställningar formulerades: Vilken kunskap har arkitekter om dagsljusplanering och hur använder de sig av denna kunskap i praktiken? Hur väl uppfyller utvalda dagsljusmiljöer brukarens behov av en god visuell miljö? Studien bygger på tre fallstudier utförda på samma sätt. Varje fallstudie innefattar en analys av dagsljusmiljön i en modern byggnad innehållande kontorslandskap. En ansvarig arkitekt intervjuades om intentionerna med respektive byggnad, samt om dennes tankar kring dagsljus i allmänhet. I respektive byggnad intervjuades även tre brukare om deras upplevelse av arbetsmiljön och dagsljuset. Totalt analyserades tre byggnader, och tre arkitekter samt nio brukare intervjuades. Resultatet visar att det är svårt att uttala sig om arkitekters kunskap om dagsljus, då det ingår som en del i gestaltningen av hela byggnaden. Det är även väldigt individuellt huruvida arkitekten intresserar sig för och aktivt arbetar med dagsljusfrågor. Vi ser stora skillnader i det avseendet hos de arkitekter vi intervjuade. De analyserade byggnaderna visar även skiftande resultat i dagsljusmiljöns visuella kvaliteter. Resultatet av våra miljöanalyser bekräftas till stor del av brukarna i respektive byggnad. Problemområden för den visuella dagsljusmiljön som vi fann, är i första hand solavskärmningar samt möblering i rummet. Vår slutsats är att arkitekter kan ha nytta av att samarbeta med ljusdesigners i dagsljusfrågor då ljusdesigners har en större kunskap om ögats visuella förutsättningar och ett tydligare brukarperspektiv. För att ett gott samarbete ska kunna upprättas krävs samtidigt att ljusdesigners ökar sin kunskap om dagsljus i byggnader, och om byggnaders konstruktion som helhet.