The purpose of this project was to develop a spoken word-recognition task that could be used clinically to evaluate recognition performance of individuals with hearing loss in a background noise. The test instrument incorporated monosyllabic words at seven levels over a 35-dB range presented in a background of "multi-talker" babble that was fixed in level. In Experiment 1, we established normative data on 24 young adult listeners with normal hearing and on 50 older adult listeners with high-frequency hearing loss. In Experiment 2, we examined the effects that age and hearing loss have on understanding speech in multi-talker babble by studying 15 subjects in each decade interval from 20 to 79 years.

People perceive the world in their own terms: our use of language reflects our perceptions. The way in which we perceive the world and the words we use to reflect that perception Grinder and Bandler (1976) call a "representational system." The authors isolate three types of representational systems, visual, kinesthetic, and auditory, and they present a technique for mapping these systems. These authors state that a sensory preference profile can be mapped accurately and reliably via an individual's use of language. For example, words such as "clear," "see" and expressions of the kind "I get a picture" would connote a visual modality. Words such as "feel," "hard" and expressions of the kind "I can't grasp it" would connote a kinesthetic modality. An individual's profile is the frequency of words used in each sensory modality.

Common experience suggests that most people can tell whether they are being looked at by another person who is about 8 m away. However, the results of past experiments, which used distances of no more than about 3 m, have implied that this cannot be done if the person looked at (Receiver) judges only by the iris-sclera configuration of the person looking (Sender). This is true even if eye contact is defined simply as identifying on-face gazes (FGs). It has been suggested that in everyday experience eye contact is accompanied by cues other than iris position, and that these non-iris-position (NIP) cues to Receiver account for recognition at longer distances. The hypotheses of the present experiment are that FGs can be identified at considerably more than 3 m, without NIP cues: and that this happens because as features of Sender's lower face fall within Receiver's central vision at longer distances, Receiver is able to use them for triangulating the position of Sender's irises.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Psychology, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND HUMANITIES. / Vita. / Bibliography: leaves 183-190. / by Alex Paul Pentland. / Ph.D.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

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Research has shown the color used to represent threat information can influence perceived risk and how individuals respond to watches and warnings. However, there is no standardized color scheme for hazardous weather products across the weather enterprise. This study’s objective was to determine if color inconsistencies have an effect on a product’s intended risk perception utilizing two public surveys. Results suggest color inconsistencies when representing hazardous weather products have a detrimental effect on that product’s intended message. The first survey found people use color to help determine risk and rely on whether a filled or outlined polygon is displayed. The second survey found the term “warning” is perceived to have more risk than the term “watch” for all hazardous weather types tested. The results from both surveys suggest a national, uniform color scale based on risk should be implemented across all weather enterprise agencies.

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