Social cues, such as eye gaze and head-turns, can orient attention automatically. Social cue processing includes three sequential stages, namely cue selection, cue following and object recognition. In a typical social cueing task, a central face is presented and then attention is directed to potential target location by an eye gaze or head turn. In these paradigms, the standard finding is that despite the non-predictive nature of the cue (i.e., the target is as likely to appear at the validly cued location as the invalidly cued location), targets appearing at the validly cued location are detected and identified faster than targets presented at the invalidly cued location. The cueing effect starts to emerge at short cue-target stimulus onset asynchronies (SOA) (e.g., 105 ms) and diminishes at the long SOA (e.g., 1005 ms). However, because only one object was presented on one side of the center gaze cue in these paradigms, the social cueing effect could be interfered or abolished by the peripheral onset effect (i.e., the automatic orienting of attention by the abrupt appearance of a single object event). The goal of this dissertation was to develop a modified social cueing task to measure the temporal dynamics of social cue processing while eliminating the potential confounds from the peripheral onset effect. In the Cued Recognition Task, the peripheral onset effect is removed by simultaneously presenting a target and a distractor object following a non-predictive head-turn cue. Results from a series of experiments using the Cued Recognition Task showed that: (a) if the distractor was not presented on the opposite side of the target, the peripheral onset effect elicited by the target onset interfered with the social cueing effect elicited by the head-turn; (b) in the cued recognition paradigm, the reflexive attention orientation effect elicited by social cues could be inhibited at 0 ms of SOA, started to emerge at 105 ms of SOA, became stable at 300 and 600 ms of SOA and sustained at 1005 ms of SOA; (c) children with ASD showed equivalent magnitude of social cueing effect as TD controls, but they were slower across all conditions despite the fact that they were as fast as TD controls in object recognition. The Cued Recognition Model developed based on all the findings in this dissertation was described in order to provide an explicit explanation of how social cues influence everyday object recognition. / Graduate / 0633 / 0620 / 0623 / xubuyun@uvic.ca

Two experiments examined the role of various cues on children’s performance in a well-known object-displacement task. In this task, children observed a toy rolling down a ramp whose trajectory was occluded by an opaque screen with doors. A barrier was placed along the ramp, behind one of the doors, to stop the toy. The top portion of the barrier was visible above the screen. To search successfully, children had to retrieve the hidden toy by opening the correct door. Previous work had found that the barrier was an ineffective cue among children less than three years of age. According to a landmark-based account, this was because the barrier was only an indirect cue to object location. If a cue directly marked the location, then it would be more likely attended and utilized. This model underscores the spatial relation between cue and the target. Other cue properties are important in so far that they modify this spatial relation. In Experiment 1, a cue’s distance from the target object was manipulated (i.e., short vs. long), but the location marked by the cue was kept constant (i.e., correct door was directly below). The search performances of 24- and 30-month old children were compared under no cue, short-cue/short-door, and long-cue/long-door conditions. Both age groups performed equally well under both cued conditions. In Experiment 2, a cue’s movement (i.e., coincident with the car vs. not coincident with the car) down the ramp was manipulated. The performance of 24- and 30-month old children were compared under attached-direct cue and unattached-direct cue conditions. Both age groups performed well under both conditions. Collectively, the results provide support for the landmark-based account. The spatial relation between cue and target underlies toddlers’ search. Properties of the cue matter to the extent that they impact how well the cue marks its target.

Two experiments examined the role of various cues on children’s performance in a well-known object-displacement task. In this task, children observed a toy rolling down a ramp whose trajectory was occluded by an opaque screen with doors. A barrier was placed along the ramp, behind one of the doors, to stop the toy. The top portion of the barrier was visible above the screen. To search successfully, children had to retrieve the hidden toy by opening the correct door. Previous work had found that the barrier was an ineffective cue among children less than three years of age. According to a landmark-based account, this was because the barrier was only an indirect cue to object location. If a cue directly marked the location, then it would be more likely attended and utilized. This model underscores the spatial relation between cue and the target. Other cue properties are important in so far that they modify this spatial relation. In Experiment 1, a cue’s distance from the target object was manipulated (i.e., short vs. long), but the location marked by the cue was kept constant (i.e., correct door was directly below). The search performances of 24- and 30-month old children were compared under no cue, short-cue/short-door, and long-cue/long-door conditions. Both age groups performed equally well under both cued conditions. In Experiment 2, a cue’s movement (i.e., coincident with the car vs. not coincident with the car) down the ramp was manipulated. The performance of 24- and 30-month old children were compared under attached-direct cue and unattached-direct cue conditions. Both age groups performed well under both conditions. Collectively, the results provide support for the landmark-based account. The spatial relation between cue and target underlies toddlers’ search. Properties of the cue matter to the extent that they impact how well the cue marks its target.

国立情報学研究所で電子化したコンテンツを使用している。

Abstract Habitat selection decisions are crucial in determining fitness. Research indicates that individuals of many taxa are flexible in habitat selection and gather information prior to decision-making in order to control for environmental unpredictability. For time limited migrant birds, cues provide a quick and reliable information source with which to make habitat selection decisions. In this thesis I investigate habitat selection decisions, and their fitness consequences, of boreal passerines using heterospecifics or predators as cues. In support of the heterospecific attraction hypothesis, plots with augmented resident titmice densities attracted increased migrant densities. The predicted negative effects stemming from competition did not occur even at unnaturally high resident densities. This suggests that in the north it may always be beneficial for migrants to use residents as cues in habitat selection decisions. By manipulating habitat selection, I found that great tits (Parus major) had poorer reproductive success when forced to breed in close proximity to pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) compared to when breeding alone. Flycatchers, in contrast, did slightly better when breeding close to tits. These results indirectly suggest that heterospecific attraction may not be a mutually positive species interaction. Indeed, flycatchers seem to parasitize the high quality microhabitat indicated by breeding great tits. I also tested if residents provide a reliable cue relative to predation risk. However, willow tit (P. montanus) nest location appeared random relative to avian predator nests. They do not appear to reliably indicate safe breeding habitats to later arriving migrants. In addition, closer proximity to breeding avian predators had a negative impact on willow tit reproductive output. Later arriving migrants may be in a better position to avoid avian predator nests during habitat selection. Pied flycatchers avoid settling in the immediate vicinity of sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) nests. However, nest box occupation, laying dates and initial reproductive investment (clutch size) showed a unimodal relationship with distance to sparrowhawk. A unimodal trend in these measures indicates there may be a trade-off between the costs (increased adult predation risk) and potential benefits (decreased nest predation risk) of settling in proximity to avian predator nests. Spatially predictable predation risk gradients that emanate from predator nests are termed a "predation risk landscape". Furthermore, flycatchers nesting closer to sparrowhawks produced fewer and smaller nestlings than those farther away. In addition, measures of maternal physiological stress (body condition and stress protein levels) had a negative linear relationship with distance to sparrowhawk nest. It appears that increased perceived predation risk near avian predator nests results in stressful and poor conditions for adult passerines, which results in lower reproductive output. This thesis highlights the importance of information gathering prior to making habitat selection decisions in order to optimise territory location relative to heterospecifics or predators. These decisions clearly impact individual fitness.

I det här examensarbetet jämför jag musiken som jag själv har skrivit till en redan färdigproducerad och utgiven film med musiken som originaltonsättaren skrev till samma film. Jag satte mig in i de animerade filmernas värld och analyserade sedan filmen jag valt utifrån de kunskaper som jag samlade på mig. Jag bestämde mig för att jobba med ledmotiv och använda några av de standardiserade tekniker som finns för filmmusikkompositörer. När scenen jag valt var tonsatt, synkroniserad, mixad och mastrad jämförde jag resultatet med originaltonsättarens musik av samma scen. Musiken till den utvalda scenen är skriven för en symfoniorkester, medan originaltonsättarens komposition är för en mindre sättning. Våra versioner skiljer sig mycket åt när det kommer till tonspråk, val av synkpunkter, förstärkningar och användning av tematik. Trots den stora skillnaden i musiken är det samma grundkänsla av harmoni som genomsyrar händelseförloppet, bara att vi har valt att att uttrycka det på olika sätt.  Arbetet bidrog till en ökad konstnärlig medvetenhet hos mig som tonsättare och gav mig redskap till kommande filmer.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第20952号 / 理博第4404号 / 新制||理||1633(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院理学研究科生物科学専攻 / (主査)教授 沼田 英治, 准教授 森 哲, 教授 中川 尚史 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

The human visual system gathers information about three-dimensional object shape from a wide range of sources. How effectively we can use these sources, and how they are combined to form a consistent and accurate percept of the 3D world is the focus of much research. In complex scenes inter-reflections of light between surfaces (mutual illumination) can occur, creating chromatic illumination gradients. These gradients provide a source of information about 3D object shape, but little research has been conducted into the capabilities of the visual system to use such information. The experiments described here were conducted with the aim of understanding the influence of chromatic gradients from mutual illumination on 3D shape perception. Psychophysical experiments are described that were designed to investigate: If the human visual system takes account of mutual illumination when estimating 3D object shape, and how this might occur; How colour shading cues are integrated with other shape cues; The relative influence on 3D shape perception of achromatic (luminance) shading and chromatic shading from mutual illumination. In addition, one chapter explores a selection of mathematical models of cue integration and their applicability in this case. The results of the experiments suggest that the human visual system is able to quickly assess and take account of colour mutual illuminations when estimating 3D object shape, and use chromatic gradients as an independent and effective cue. Finally, mathematical modelling reveals that the chromatic gradient cue is likely integrated with other shape cues in a way that is close to statistically optimal.

In appreciation of High-Performance Computing, modern scientific simulations are scaling into millions and even billions of grid points. As we enter the exa-scale, new strategies are required for visualization and analysis. While Image-Based Rendering (IBR) has emerged as a viable solution to the asymmetry between data size and its storage and required rendering power, it is limited in its 2D image portrayal of 3D spatial objects. This work describes a novel technique to capture, represent, and render depth information in the context of 3D IBR. We tested the value of displacement by displacement map, shading by normal, and image angle interval with our technique. We ran an online user study of 60 participants to evaluate the value of adding depth information back to Image-Based Rendering and found significant benefits. / Master of Science / In scientific research, data visualization is important for better understanding data. Modern experiments and simulations are expanding rapidly in scale, and there will come a day when rendering the entire 3D geometry becomes impossible resource-wise. Cinema was proposed as an image-Based solution to this problem, where the model was represented by an interpolated series of images. However, using flat images cannot fully express the 3D characteristics of a data. Therefore, in this work, we try to improve the depth portrayal of the images by protruding the pixels and applying shading. We show the results of a user study conducted with 60 participants on the effect of pixel protrusion, shading, and varying the number of images representing the object. Results show that this method would be useful for 3D scientific visualizations. The resulting object almost accurately resembles the 3D object.

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