Lorsque nous pensons à nous-mêmes, à toutes les caractéristiques physiques ou psychologiques qui nous définissent, à tous les objets que nous possédons, nous avons limpression quils ont un statut bien particulier dans notre esprit, quils sont spéciaux pour nous. Notre propre visage est certainement parmi lune des plus uniques et distinctives de toutes ces informations autoréférentielles. Dans ce travail, nous nous sommes penchés sur les spécificités du traitement visuel du propre visage. Dans un premier chapitre théorique, nous avons questionné la possibilité dutiliser le traitement du propre visage comme un indice de conscience de soi (voir Chapitre 1). Ensuite, nous avons passé en revue les différentes études existantes qui concernaient la spécificité du propre visage ou dautres informations autoréférentielles (voir Chapitre 2). Suite à cette revue de la littérature, il est apparu que lintuition selon laquelle notre propre visage est un stimulus spécial navait pas pu être confirmée unanimement par les études qui nous précédaient. Ce travail ambitionnait donc dévaluer empiriquement dans quelle mesure notre propre visage est traité par le système cognitif de façon différente des autres visages que nous rencontrons. Nous avons tenté de répondre à cette question selon trois angles différents. Tout dabord, nous nous sommes intéressés à la précision de la représentation de notre propre visage en mémoire. Pour cela, nous avons utilisé dans notre première étude une méthode psychophysique permettant de déterminer dans quelle mesure nous sommes capables de détecter des modifications fines apportées à des photographies de notre propre visage (voir Chapitre 4). Ensuite, nous avons examiné si la reconnaissance de notre propre visage, mais aussi celle de notre propre corps, sont sous-tendues par des zones cérébrales spécifiques. A cette fin, au cours dune seconde étude, nous avons utilisé limagerie par résonance magnétique fonctionnelle (IRMf, voir Chapitre 5). Enfin, nous avons testé si le propre visage est particulièrement apte à capturer ou à retenir notre attention lorsquil est présenté de façon inopportune alors que nous sommes occupés à réaliser une tâche sans rapport (voir Chapitres 6, 7 et 8). Pour ce faire, nous avons eu recours, dans une série de trois études, à différents paradigmes attentionnels : un paradigme de jugement de parité, un paradigme de cécité attentionnelle, et un paradigme de recherche visuel lors duquel nous avons procédé à lenregistrement des mouvements oculaires des participants. Tout au long de ce travail, nous avons adopté une approche visant à différencier les effets dautoréférence de simples effets de familiarité. Pour ce faire, dans toutes nos études, nous avons comparé les réponses obtenues lors de la présentation du propre visage du participant à celles obtenues lors de la présentation du visage dune personne hautement familière pour le participant (un ami ou un collègue du même groupe dâge et du même sexe). Par ailleurs, dans les études attentionnelles, les réponses subséquentes à la présentation de ces deux visages familiers étaient également comparées à celles obtenues suite à lapparition de visages de personnes inconnues. En somme, si les performances obtenues sur le propre visage et le visage très familier différaient, nous pourrions penser que ces différences sont dues à laspect autoréférentiel du propre visage. Par contre, si les performances ne différaient pas entre le propre visage et lautre visage très familier mais que ces deux visages se distinguaient des visages inconnus, nous pourrions supposer que nous sommes face à de simples effets de familiarité. La première étude psychophysique a montré que la représentation que nous avons en mémoire de notre propre visage est très précise. Cette précision est seulement limitée par les capacités de discrimination perceptive de notre système visuel. Cependant, il en était de même pour le visage dune autre personne hautement familière. De ce point de vue, il ne semble donc pas que notre propre visage soit spécial. Néanmoins, il semblerait que cette représentation soit sous-tendue par des substrats cérébraux spécifiques, comme indiqué par notre seconde étude en IRMf. Cette étude a aussi montré que notre propre corps serait également traité par des régions cérébrales spécifiques. De plus, certaines régions seraient dédiées au traitement abstrait de notre propre apparence physique puisquelles étaient impliquées indépendamment du type de matériel présenté (visage ou corps). Enfin, nous avons montré, grâce aux trois études attentionnelles, que le propre visage nest pas un distracteur exceptionnel par rapport à dautres visages familiers. En effet, le propre visage ne semble pas capturer lattention de façon automatique. Il semblerait que le propre visage bénéficie simplement dune allocation de lattention préférentielle par rapport à des visages inconnus. En dautres termes, lallocation de lattention au propre visage est sujette à diverses contraintes (par exemple sa localisation spatiale) et il semblerait que lattention soit nécessaire pour identifier le propre visage en tant que tel. Cet ensemble de résultats est discuté dans un dernier chapitre (voir Chapitre 9) où nous tentons de mettre les données provenant des trois perspectives différentes (représentation en mémoire, substrats cérébraux et propriétés attentionnelles relatifs au propre visage) en rapport. De plus, la possibilité dutiliser le propre visage comme outil détude de la conscience de soi ou de différents processus cognitifs (reconnaissance ou attention visuelle) est brièvement passée en revue.<br> <br> When we think about ourselves, about the traits that define us, about the physical characteristics or the objects that we own, we have the intuition that they have a special status in our mind. We deeply feel that they are different from everything else in the world. This thesis concerned the specificity of a highly distinctive self-referential stimulus: the self-face. In the present thesis, we have conducted five studies examining whether the self-face is processed in a special way by comparison with other faces. We have put three main questions: (1) how accurate is the representation of the self-face in memory?; (2) is this representation subtended by specific neural correlates?; and (3) does the self-face have special abilities to attract and/or to hold attention? First, we showed that the perceptual representation in memory of the self-face is similar to that of other familiar faces as regard with its precision. Second, we demonstrated that although ones own face perceptual representation is not really special, the visual processing of the self-face is subtended by specific neural correlates. Apparently, the self-body is also processed via specialised pathways in the brain. In addition, some regions seem devoted to the abstract processing of ones own physical appearance independently of the material presented. Third, we showed that ones own face is not a particularly potent distractor by comparison with other familiar faces. It does not seem able to capture attention but rather benefits from a preferential allocation of attention by comparison with unfamiliar faces. In other words, its attentional processing is subject to various constraints (e.g. spatial localisation, available attentional resources) and attention seems necessary to process self-referential parts of a face. We discussed the idea that the presentation of the self-face can constitute a way to enhance chances of eliciting responses in non-communicative patients but that it is not the best way to study self-consciousness in normal adults when using only behavioural methods. In addition, because of its unique characteristics, the self-face can represent a useful tool of investigation of visual recognition and visual attention.

本研究探討中文讀者對於中文雙字詞的早期語意處理，特別要探討的是中文讀者是否能在凝視一個中文雙字複合詞之前，即可提取該詞的語意資訊。在中文的閱讀研究中曾經發現單字的語意資訊可以在該單字被凝視之前提取，不論是成詞的單字或是多字詞其中的組成單字。也有證據顯示中文雙字詞或雙字複合詞呈現在中央視野時的處理方式是整詞處理。由於事實上就詞長來看，雙字詞的詞類數量為中文詞類的最大宗，也是最常被使用的詞類，因此中文雙字詞語意處理的時間歷程便是本研究的研究目標。 　　實驗一旨在檢視雙字詞的語意資訊是否能和單字一樣，在被凝視之前即被提取。本實驗採用邊界典範（Boundary paradigm, Rayner, 1975），除了目標詞預視（identical preview）之外，本實驗亦包含語意相關預視（semantic-related preview）、語意無關預視（semantic-unrelated preview）及非詞預視（nonword preview）。實驗發現語意相關預視能促進目標詞的處理。然而和預視空間（preview space）及預視時間（preview time）的交互作用則顯示語意預視效益（benefit）在預視空間較大的時候會隨著預視時間拉長而增加，在預視空間較小的時候，則會隨著預視時間漸減。 　　在實驗一中，語意關聯性的高低和該詞合理性（plausibility）的高低是共變的，因此這兩個要素構成一個混淆的因子。語意相關預視和語意無關預視之間的效果有可能來自語意關聯性的差異，或是來自在句中合理性的差異。合理性同時也能解釋在為何在實驗一中，不合理的語意無關預視在目標前詞（pretarget）上造成較短的閱讀時間。為了解決這項混淆的因子，實驗二因此採用對目標詞預視、語意相關預視、及語意無關預視都合理的句子。結果發現，語意預視的主要效果消失。然而交互作用的模式則顯示出，語意預視效益在較長的預視時間、較大的預視空間下仍會存在。但在較小的預視空間下，會隨著較長的預視時間而轉為耗損（cost）。實驗二的結果因此提供證據支持在沒有合理性的交互作用下，中文雙字詞的語意預視效應仍會發生。最後，兩個實驗的差異顯示在中文閱讀中存在合理性的預視效益，此結論和之前中文閱讀的研究結果一致。 / The present study investigates the early semantic processing of Chinese two-character words by Chinese readers. Specifically, whether Chinese readers are able to extract semantic information of an up-coming two-character compound as a whole when the word is yet being fixated. In Chinese, it has been demonstrated that semantic information can be extracted from a single character, whether it is a word or part of a word, before the character is being fixated. There is also evidence for whole word processing of foveally presented two-character compounds/words. Since two-character words actually constitute the majority of word type and are used most frequently in total, the time course of processing the meaning of such combination of characters during reading is then the goal of this study. The first experiment aimed to examine whether semantic information of a two-character word can be extracted before it is fixated, as what have been found for single characters. Boundary paradigm (Rayner, 1975) was used, with identical, semantic-related, and semantic-unrelated words, as well as nonwords as preview. Semantic-related preview did facilitate target word processing. The interaction pattern of the effects with preview space and preview time, however, showed that semantic preview benefit could increase with preview time with small preview space, but decrease with preview time under large preview space. A possible confounding factor in the first experiment was the overlap between semantic relatedness and plausibility. The effect between semantic-related and semantic-unrelated previews could be of semantic or plausibility nature. Plausibility may also explain the shortened fixation duration found in Experiment 1 when implausible semantic-unrelated preview was presented parafoveally. Experiment 2 then solved this confounding by using sentence frames which are plausible for identical, semantic-related, and semantic-unrelated previews. In Experiment 2, main effect of semantic preview benefit disappeared, while the interaction patterns showed that such benefit existed for large preview space with long preview time, but became cost for small preview space with long preview time. The results of Experiment 2 thus provide evidence for semantic preview effect of Chinese two-character words without the interaction with plausibility. Finally, the discrepancies between the two experiments indicate the existence of plausibility preview benefit, which previous studies have suggested to exist in Chinese.

The functions of sleep remain enigmatic. One of the dominant, yet more contentious hypotheses is that sleep is involved in memory consolidation. A large body of evidence supports the role of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in memory consolidation, especially in rodents. In humans, the role of REM sleep in memory consolidation has also been investigated, however it is unclear if it supports only one type of memory, or consolidation for several memory systems. Recent evidence suggests that non-REM is also involved in memory consolidation. The role of theta activity during REM and sleep spindles during non-REM may provide electrophysiological signatures reflecting memory consolidation processes. The studies presented here attempt to further investigate the electrophysiological characteristics of the learning-dependent changes in REM and slow wave sleep (SWS) in rats. A 2-stage model of memory consolidation is outlined here, and both steps of the model were investigated. Consistent with previous studies, REM increases were observed following avoidance training. During this period, theta power during REM sleep was increased compared to non-learning rats. Increased sleep spindle density during SWS was observed following REM increases. When REM sleep was suppressed by infusing the GABAB agonist baclofen into the pedunculopontine nucleus, avoidance performance acquisition was impaired. Baseline sleep spindles predicted whether rats were able to learn to make avoidance responses. Results suggest that both REM and SWS may be sequentially involved in memory consolidation processes. Discrete periods (windows) exist for REM and SWS when memory consolidation processes appear to take place. Theta activity during REM sleep from 17- 20 h on the first post-training day and sleep spindles during SWS from 21-24 h on the first post- training day are increased in learning rats and are related to memory performance. / Thesis (Ph.D, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2009-10-26 12:07:47.515

Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

The central aim of the current thesis was to examine how facial expression and racial identity information affect face processing involving different races, and this was addressed by studying several types of face processing tasks including face recognition, emotion perception/recognition, face perception and attention to faces. In particular, the effect of facial expression on the differential processing of own and other race faces (the so-called the own-race bias) was examined from two perspectives, examining the effect both at the level of perceptual expertise favouring the processing of own-race faces and in-group bias influencing face processing in terms of a self-enhancing dimension. Results from the face recognition study indicated a possible similarity between familiar/unfamiliar and own-race/other-race face processing. Studies on facial expression perception and memory showed that there was no indication of in-group bias in face perception and memory, although a common finding throughout was that different race faces were often associated with different types of facial expressions. The most consistent finding across all studies was that the effect of the own-race bias was more evident amongst European participants. Finally, results from the face attention study showed that there were no signs of preferential visual attention to own-race faces. The results from the current research provided further evidence to the growing body of knowledge regarding the effects of the own-race bias. Based on this knowledge, for future studies it is suggested that a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the own-race bias would help advance this interesting and ever-evolving area of research further.

Submitted by GUSTAVO DE ANDRADE SILVA (obscuremetaller@gmail.com) on 2018-10-09T01:43:22Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Mestrado - Gustavo de Andrade SIlva.pdf: 6925468 bytes, checksum: 967cb2ee2e821188542fb5b1fb5af49f (MD5) / Rejected by Lucilene Cordeiro da Silva Messias null (lubiblio@bauru.unesp.br), reason: Solicitamos que realize uma nova submissão seguindo as orientações abaixo: 1 - Inserir no corpo do texto a ficha catalográfica, pois é um ítem obrigatório. 2 - Inserir no corpo do texto a cópia da ata de defesa, pois é um ítem obrigatório. Agradecemos a compreensão. on 2018-10-09T12:05:19Z (GMT) / Submitted by GUSTAVO DE ANDRADE SILVA (obscuremetaller@gmail.com) on 2018-10-09T15:27:51Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Mestrado - Gustavo de Andrade SIlva.pdf: 7092505 bytes, checksum: 841cdeae95494c0f93e55115aa751924 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Lucilene Cordeiro da Silva Messias null (lubiblio@bauru.unesp.br) on 2018-10-09T16:59:44Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_ga_me_bauru.pdf: 7092505 bytes, checksum: 841cdeae95494c0f93e55115aa751924 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-10-09T16:59:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_ga_me_bauru.pdf: 7092505 bytes, checksum: 841cdeae95494c0f93e55115aa751924 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-08-30 / O relógio inteligente é um novo tipo de eletrônico para o punho com funcionalidades idênticas as de um celular, que também é utilizado por motoristas durante a tarefa de condução do veículo, representando uma nova forma de distração do motorista, e risco aumentado de acidentes no trânsito; uma demanda da ergonomia cognitiva. O objetivo do presente estudo foi determinar o efeito do uso de relógio inteligente sobre motoristas experientes e novatos durante a condução simulada de automóvel, na tarefa de seguir o automóvel à frente, através da análise de movimento dos olhos, da cabeça e do desempenho na condução. Vinte motoristas experientes (EXP) e vinte motoristas novatos (NOV) realizaram a tarefa de seguir um carro à frente por um percurso de 2 km em quatro condições: somente seguir o carro (CAR), seguir o carro e receber uma notificação de texto no relógio inteligente (NOT), seguir o carro que freará de modo inesperado e brusco (FRE) e seguir o carro que freará de modo inesperado e brusco e, adicionalmente, receber uma notificação de texto (FNOT). Os dados do olhar, da cabeça e do desempenho na condução do automóvel foram submetidos à análise de variância de grupo (EXP, NOV) por condição de freada (CAR, FRE) por condição de notificação (NOT, FNOT) por tentativa (1, 2, 3). O desempenho da condução de veículo foi afetado pela freada do carro à frente e pelo uso do relógio inteligente ao receber notificação. Ao receber uma notificação no relógio, mudava-se o foco atencional do trânsito para realizar a leitura de texto, aumentando as chances de ocorrência de acidente. Experientes e novatos apresentaram diferentes estratégias para viabilizar a leitura do texto no relógio; experientes mostraram-se mais eficientes, mas ambos grupos desviaram o olhar da pista em detrimento da atenção, o que resultou em condição de risco. / Smartwatch is a new kind of electronic to be worn on the wrist with features similar to those of mobile phones, they are also being used by drivers during their driving task, representing a new form of distraction for drivers and increasing chances of traffic accidents. The goal of this project is to determine the use effect of smartwatches on experienced and novice drivers while driving on a simulated driving task following a vehicle ahead, through the analysis of eye and head movement and driving performance in a driving simulator. Twenty experienced drivers (EXP) and twenty novice drivers (NOV) will follow a car ahead for 2 kilometers in four conditions: follow a car ahead (CAR), follow a car ahead and receive a text message notification on the smartwatch (NOT), follow a car ahead that brakes abruptly (FRE) and follow a car ahead and receive a text message notification on the smartwatch while the car ahead brakes abruptly (FNOT). The gaze, head movement and driving performance data will be subjected to group variance analysis (EXP, NOV), with or without braking (CAR, FRE), with or without smartwatch notification (NOT, FNOT) and by trial (1, 2, 3). The diver’s performance showed to be affected by the car’s ahead braking and by the use of smartwatch during reading tasks. Attentional focus was shifted away from the road to the smartwatch when drivers tried to perform the reading task, thus increasing the chances of an accident. Experienced and novice drivers used different strategies to perform the reading task while driving; experienced drivers were more efficient but both groups shifted their gaze away from the road in detriment of their attention to the traffic, which resulted in risk conditions.

AMOR, T. M. A. Characterizing and modeling visual persistence, search strategies and fixation times. 2017. 114 f. Tese (Doutorado em Física) – Centro de Ciências, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, 2017. / Submitted by Pós-Graduação em Física (posgrad@fisica.ufc.br) on 2017-04-05T18:55:10Z No. of bitstreams: 1 11 TESE - TATIANA MARIA ALONSO AMOR.pdf: 24328367 bytes, checksum: bd1f8abe088f435a872eae56fc9eede0 (MD5) / Rejected by Giordana Silva (giordana.nascimento@gmail.com), reason: Boa tarde Ana cleide, Fiz algumas alterações. Só não consegui deletar o arquivo anexado a fim de renomeá-lo. Isto porque o arquivo,conforme as orientações daquele guia, deverá ter a seguimte nomenclatura: 2017_tese_tmaamor O co-orientador é aquele que está no registro? Pergunto isso porque procurei o nome no trabalho e não localizei. Estou concluindo o manual e já lhe envio. on 2017-04-05T19:39:41Z (GMT) / Submitted by Pós-Graduação em Física (posgrad@fisica.ufc.br) on 2017-04-07T16:49:43Z No. of bitstreams: 1 11 TESE - TATIANA MARIA ALONSO AMOR.pdf: 24328367 bytes, checksum: bd1f8abe088f435a872eae56fc9eede0 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Giordana Silva (giordana.nascimento@gmail.com) on 2017-04-07T18:13:24Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 11 TESE - TATIANA MARIA ALONSO AMOR.pdf: 24328367 bytes, checksum: bd1f8abe088f435a872eae56fc9eede0 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-07T18:13:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 11 TESE - TATIANA MARIA ALONSO AMOR.pdf: 24328367 bytes, checksum: bd1f8abe088f435a872eae56fc9eede0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017 / To gather information from the world around us, we move our eyes constantly. In different occasions we find ourselves performing visual searches, such as trying to find someone in a crowd or a book in a shelf. While searching, our eyes “jump” from one location to another giving rise to a wide repertoire of patterns, exhibiting distinctive persistent behaviors. Initially, by focusing on saccadic directions and intersaccadic angles, we disclose that the probability distributions of these measures show a clear preference of participants towards a reading-like mechanism (geometrical persistence), whose features and potential advantages for searching/foraging are discussed.We then perform a Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (MF-DFA) over the time series of jump magnitudes in the eye trajectory and find that it exhibits a typical multifractal behavior arising from the sequential combination of saccades and fixations. By inspecting the time series composed of only fixational movements, our results reveal instead a monofractal behavior with a Hurst exponent H ∼ 0.7, which indicates the presence of long-range power-law positive correlations (statistical persistence). Motivated by the experimental findings from the study of the distribution of the intersaccadic angles, we developed a simple visual search model that quantifies the wide variety of possible search strategies. From our experiments we know that when searching a target within an image our brain can adopt different strategies. The question then is which one does it choose? We present a simple two-parameter visual search model (VSM) based on a persistent random walk and the experimental inter-saccadic angle distribution. The model captures the basic observed visual search strategies that range from systematic or reading-like to completely random. We compare the results of the model to the experimental data by measuring the space-filling efficiency of the searches. Within the parameter space of the model, we are able to quantify the strategies used by different individuals for three searching tasks and show how the average search strategy changes along these three groups. Even though participants tend to explore a vast range of parameters, when all the items are placed on a regular lattice, participants are more likely to perform a systematic search, whereas in a more complex field, the search trajectories resemble a random walk. In this way we can discern with high sensitivity the relation between the visual landscape and the average strategy, disclosing how small variations in the image induce strategy changes. Finally, we move beyond visual search and study the fixation time distributions across different visual tasks. Fixation times are commonly associated to some cognitive process, as it is in this instances where most of the visual information is gathered. However, the distribution for the fixation durations exhibits certain similarities across a wide range of visual tasks and foveated species. We studied how similar these distributions are, and found that, even though they share some common properties, such as similar mean values, most of them are statistically different. Because fixations durations can be controlled by two different mechanisms: cognitive or ocular, we focus our research into finding a model for the fixation times distribution flexible enough to capture the observed behaviors in experiments that tested these concepts. At the same time, the candidate function to model the distribution needs to be the response of some very robust inner mechanism found in all the aforementioned scenarios. Hence, we discuss the idea of a model based on the microsacaddic inter event time statistics, resulting in the sum of Gamma distributions, each of these related to the presence of a distinctive number of microsaccades in a fixation. / To gather information from the world around us, we move our eyes constantly. In different occasions we find ourselves performing visual searches, such as trying to find someone in a crowd or a book in a shelf. While searching, our eyes “jump” from one location to another giving rise to a wide repertoire of patterns, exhibiting distinctive persistent behaviors. Initially, by focusing on saccadic directions and intersaccadic angles, we disclose that the probability distributions of these measures show a clear preference of participants towards a reading-like mechanism (geometrical persistence), whose features and potential advantages for searching/foraging are discussed.We then perform a Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (MF-DFA) over the time series of jump magnitudes in the eye trajectory and find that it exhibits a typical multifractal behavior arising from the sequential combination of saccades and fixations. By inspecting the time series composed of only fixational movements, our results reveal instead a monofractal behavior with a Hurst exponent H ∼ 0.7, which indicates the presence of long-range power-law positive correlations (statistical persistence). Motivated by the experimental findings from the study of the distribution of the intersaccadic angles, we developed a simple visual search model that quantifies the wide variety of possible search strategies. From our experiments we know that when searching a target within an image our brain can adopt different strategies. The question then is which one does it choose? We present a simple two-parameter visual search model (VSM) based on a persistent random walk and the experimental inter-saccadic angle distribution. The model captures the basic observed visual search strategies that range from systematic or reading-like to completely random. We compare the results of the model to the experimental data by measuring the space-filling efficiency of the searches. Within the parameter space of the model, we are able to quantify the strategies used by different individuals for three searching tasks and show how the average search strategy changes along these three groups. Even though participants tend to explore a vast range of parameters, when all the items are placed on a regular lattice, participants are more likely to perform a systematic search, whereas in a more complex field, the search trajectories resemble a random walk. In this way we can discern with high sensitivity the relation between the visual landscape and the average strategy, disclosing how small variations in the image induce strategy changes. Finally, we move beyond visual search and study the fixation time distributions across different visual tasks. Fixation times are commonly associated to some cognitive process, as it is in this instances where most of the visual information is gathered. However, the distribution for the fixation durations exhibits certain similarities across a wide range of visual tasks and foveated species. We studied how similar these distributions are, and found that, even though they share some common properties, such as similar mean values, most of them are statistically different. Because fixations durations can be controlled by two different mechanisms: cognitive or ocular, we focus our research into finding a model for the fixation times distribution flexible enough to capture the observed behaviors in experiments that tested these concepts. At the same time, the candidate function to model the distribution needs to be the response of some very robust inner mechanism found in all the aforementioned scenarios. Hence, we discuss the idea of a model based on the microsacaddic inter event time statistics, resulting in the sum of Gamma distributions, each of these related to the presence of a distinctive number of microsaccades in a fixation.

Introduction: Recent developments in the study of trauma responses have shown how some people may experience positive and life altering changes following traumatic life events which have been described as posttraumatic growth. Research is beginning to examine the role of trauma treatments in the facilitation of posttraumatic growth. Aim: This study sets out to explore participants’ experiences of posttraumatic growth during Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, and the role of the therapeutic relationship in facilitating posttraumatic growth. Method: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with participants to examine their phenomenological experiences. Methodology: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was employed to consider emergent meanings and themes within a hermeneutic circle of interpretation. Participants: Seven participants were interviewed who had received Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy within National Health Service primary care psychological therapy services for posttraumatic stress disorder. Findings: Four superordinate themes emerged from the analysis of the participant accounts including: (i) Safe and secure; (ii) Taking back control; (iii) Reconstructing the self; and (iv) Journeying beyond trauma to the future. Conclusions: Person-centred conditions and client-therapist attachment were important elements of the therapeutic relationship which provided participants with the safety, trust, and relational depth necessary for the facilitation of experiences of posttraumatic growth during Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy. Implications: The findings emphasise the importance of a clinical focus on the quality of the therapeutic relationship as a facilitative therapeutic environment allowing affective-cognitive processing and the emergence of posttraumatic growth.

Trauma therapists increasingly use EMDR when working with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and trauma clients as it is recommended by NICE guidelines (2005) however until recently research focused on the negative impact of trauma work. Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) appears to be the most commonly used term for ‘growth’ however attempts to define and measure it can be criticised for being reductionist in approach as it reduced five factors into three outcomes based on the client’s growth. Research on trauma therapists’ growth has relied on client definitions that is; Vicarious PTG is based on PTG although there are a couple of studies which collaborate these findings. This study aims to address the literature and practitioner gap by exploring EMDR therapists’ lived experiences of ‘vicarious growth’ when working with PTSD symptom clients. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from a homogeneous sample of six EMDR therapists who stated that they had positive experiences or experienced growth (positive change) when working with PTSD symptom clients. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the data. Rich, detailed findings in terms of how ‘growth’ is experienced emerged as four super-ordinate themes: A: Initial struggles; B: Experiences of the “healing journey”; C: Growth through connecting and D: Impact of growth on ‘self’. Implications of experiences of the therapeutic relationship as a “healing journey” for therapists were discussed in terms of a potential power imbalance where they might be viewed as ‘experts’. However, a better understanding of how therapists experience ‘vicarious growth’ with their clients enables them to utilise this knowledge to develop their own growth and self-awareness therefore supervision and training to encourage self-awareness was also discussed. These Positive Psychology (growth) findings such as self-belief in skills; use of ‘special set’ of clients; self-image as 3 ‘guide’ and the spread of growth to areas outside of therapy can be utilised to add Positive Psychology (growth) into existing supervision and training (EMDR and trauma) thereby enhancing existing models or creating new ones. Therapists growth and well-being may lead to lower occupational risk than was previously thought working amongst trauma clients and perhaps greater job satisfaction. KEYWORDS: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Posttraumatic Growth (PTG), Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth (VPTG), Vicarious Growth (VG), Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA); EMDR therapists; Positive Psychology.

閱讀是吸收知識的途徑，不同的閱讀模式所帶來的閱讀成效也會不同。如何透過機器學習的方式，從凝視點找出閱讀行為的關聯性，將是本研究的目標。實驗選擇低成本眼動儀紀錄讀者閱讀過程中的眼動資料，採用dispersion-based演算法找出凝視點，以計算凝視點特徵，包含凝視時間、凝視距離、凝視位置以及凝視方向。 本研究將閱讀模式分成五種類別，包含快讀、慢讀、精讀、跳讀與關鍵字識別，透過不同文章的呈現，引導30位測試者遵循其內容進行閱讀，藉此收集不同行為模式的眼動資料。實驗流程中所有的眼動資料會隨機被分成為兩份，依序建立不同維度的訓練資料，由交叉驗證的分類結果找出理想之特徵與維度。以每次挑選6位測試者的眼動數據為測試資料進行5次分類驗證，其平均正確率為78.24%、74.19%、93.75%、87.96%以及96.20%，均達到不錯的分類結果。 / Reading is one of the paths to acquire knowledge. The efficiency is different when different reading patterns are involved. It is the objective of this research to classify reading patterns from fixation data using machine learning techniques. In our experiment, a low-cost eye tracker is employed to record the eye movements during the reading process. A dispersion-based algorithm is implemented to identify fixation from the recorded data. Features pertaining to fixation including duration, path length, landing position and fixation direction are extracted for classification purposes. Five categories of reading pattern are defined and investigated in this study, namely, speed reading, slow reading, in-depth reading, skim-and-skip, and keyword spotting. We have recruited thirty subjects to participate in our experiment. The participants are instructed to read different articles using specific styles designated by the experimenter in order to assign label to the collected data. Feature selection is achieved by analyzing the predictive results of cross-validation from the training data obtained from all subjects. The average classification accuracies in five-fold cross-validation are 78.24%, 74.19%, 93.75%, 87.96% and 96.20% using the eye movements of the six randomly selected subjects as test data.