1,721,431 research outputs found
Introducing CUSTOM: A customized, ultraprecise, standardization-oriented, multipurpose algorithm for generating nonsymbolic number stimuli
No full textWhen evaluating the properties of a set of elements in a natural environment, an increase in numerosity unavoidably corresponds to an increase in the physical properties of the set: Five apples differ from ten apples not only in numerosity, but also in their visual features, such as volume, density, and surface. Since nonsymbolic number processing is typically investigated through the presentation of arrays of elements, it is mandatory to keep track of the visual features characterizing the stimuli. A plethora of solutions have been proposed to address this complex methodological issue; yet, there is no agreed-upon standard for how to measure and control for visual features. Here we present the “customized ultraprecise standardization-oriented multipurpose” (CUSTOM) algorithm for generating nonsymbolic number stimuli. It is characterized by several core features: The absence of fixed parameters or rules—apart from geometrical constraints—lets the user freely manipulate the visual features of the stimuli; control over the visual features of the stimuli is extremely accurate; no modification is required in order to perform different types of manipulation; and users can re-create any set of stimuli described so far in previous experiments on numerical cognition, for a wide variety of tasks, including comparison, estimation, habituation, and match-to-sample. The CUSTOM algorithm could represent an asset in the field of numerical cognition, as a versatile instrument for effectively generating high-precision visual stimuli within an unbiased theoretical framework
Measuring temporal bias in sequential numerosity comparison
Full text linkWhile several methods have been proposed to assess the influence of continuous visual cues in parallel numerosity estimation, the impact of temporal magnitudes on sequential numerosity judgments has been largely ignored. To overcome this issue, we extend a recently proposed framework that makes it possible to separate the contribution of numerical and non-numerical information in numerosity comparison by introducing a novel stimulus space designed for sequential tasks. Our method systematically varies the temporal magnitudes embedded into event sequences through the orthogonal manipulation of numerosity and two latent factors, which we designate as “duration” and “temporal spacing”. This allows us to measure the contribution of finer-grained temporal features on numerosity judgments in several sensory modalities. We validate the proposed method on two different experiments in both visual and auditory modalities: results show that adult participants discriminated sequences primarily by relying on numerosity, with similar acuity in the visual and auditory modality. However, participants were similarly influenced by non-numerical cues, such as the total duration of the stimuli, suggesting that temporal cues can significantly bias numerical processing. Our findings highlight the need to carefully consider the continuous properties of numerical stimuli in a sequential mode of presentation as well, with particular relevance in multimodal and cross-modal investigations. We provide the complete code for creating sequential stimuli and analyzing participants’ responses
Order versus chaos: The impact of structure on number-space associations
No full textThe Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC) effect has been observed with different stimuli, beside Arabic numerals, such as written/spoken number words, sequences of acoustic stimuli, and groups of elements. Here we investigated how the enumeration of sets of elements can be affected by the spatial configuration of the displayed stimuli with regard to the emergence of the SNARC effect. To this aim, we asked participants to perform a magnitude comparison task with structured (i.e., dice-like) and unstructured (i.e., random) patterns of rectangles. With this manipulation, we sought to explore the presence of the SNARC effect in relation to the structure of the displayed visual stimuli. The results showed that the spatial arrangement of rectangles does not impact visual enumeration processes leading to the SNARC effect. An unexpected reversal of the size effect for unstructured stimuli was also observed. We speculate that the presence of a similar SNARC effect, both with structured and unstructured stimuli, indicates the existence of a common access to the mental number line
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
An undeniable interplay: Both numerosity and visual features affect estimation of non-symbolic stimuli
No full textConverging lines of evidence suggest that the numerical abilities in Humans are rooted in the approximate number system (ANS): an innate, non-verbal mechanism that enables to estimate the numerosity of a set of items with little effort. Nevertheless, the high correlation between visual features and numerosity in the natural environment always constituted a relevant methodological problem that gathered growing concern throughout the years. This issue led some researchers to cast doubts on the existence of a system able to process numerical information independently from the influence of visual features. In the present study, we sought to shed light on the interplay between numerosity and visual features. To this aim, we implemented a non-symbolic estimation task which included a calibration phase. After performing a pre-calibration block, participants were presented with the calibration image for 20 s, and they were divided in three groups, according to the calibration stimulus they att..
Can Implicit or Explicit Time Processing Impact Numerical Representation? Evidence From a Dual Task Paradigm
Full text linkWhether the human brain processes various types of magnitude, such as numbers and time, through a shared representation or whether there are different representations for each type of magnitude is still debated. Here, we investigated two aspects of number-time interaction: the effects of implicit and explicit processing of time on numbers and the bi-directional interaction between time and number processing. Thirty-two participants were randomly assigned into two experimental groups that performed, respectively, a Single task (number comparison, with implicit time processing) and a Dual task (number comparison as a primary task, with explicit time processing as a secondary task). Results showed that participants, only in the Dual task, were faster and more accurate when processing large numbers paired with long rather than short durations, whereas the opposite pattern was not evident for small numbers. Moreover, participants were more accurate when judging long durations after having processed large rather than small numbers, whereas the opposite pattern emerged for short durations. We propose that number processing influences time processing more than vice versa, suggesting that numbers and time might be at least partially independently represented. This finding can pave the way for investigating the hierarchical representation of space, numbers, and time
Correction to: Order versus chaos: The impact of structure on number-space associations (Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, (2019), 81, 6, (1781-1788), 10.3758/s13414-019-01768-7)
No full textIn the Results section (pp.1785, left column), please replace the sentences “In particular, RTs for the large-unstructured condition were significantly faster than RTs on the small-unstructured condition
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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