211 research outputs found
Multi-modal discrimination learning in humans: evidence for configural theory
No full textHuman contingency learning was used to compare the predictions of configural and elemental theories. In three experiments, participants were required to learn which indicators were associated with an increase in core temperature of a fictitious nuclear plant. Experiments 1 and 2 investigated the rate at which a triple-element stimulus (ABC) could be discriminated from either single-element stimuli (A, B, and C) or double-element stimuli (AB, BC, and AC). Experiment 1 used visual stimuli, whilst Experiment 2 used visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli. In both experiments the participants took longer to discriminate the triple-element stimulus from the more similar double-element stimuli than from the less similar single-element stimuli. Experiment 3 tested for summation with stimuli from either single or multiple modalities and summation was found only in the latter. Thus the pattern of results seen in Experiments 1 and 2 was not dependent on whether the stimuli were single- or multi-modal nor was it dependent on whether the stimuli could elicit summation. This pattern of results is consistent with the predictions of Pearce’s (1987) configural theory
Dataset supporting the University of Southampton Doctoral Thesis "The benefits of nostalgia within spatial environments for people with and without Alzheimer’s disease" Empirical paper II "Nostalgia assuages spatial anxiety"
No full textDataset supporting the University of Southampton Doctoral Thesis "The benefits of nostalgia within spatial environments for people with and without Alzheimer’s disease." This dataset supports Empirical Paper II, "Nostalgia assuages spatial anxiety."
The data comprises 3 experiments, presented in excel files.
The experiments files and analysis scripts are available for download at the:
Oliver, A., Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., Parker, M. O., Wood, A., & Redhead, E. (2024, February 13). Nostalgia Assuages Spatial Anxiety. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/ET7AZ
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Dataset supporting the University of Southampton Doctoral Thesis "The benefits of nostalgia within spatial environments for people with and without Alzheimer’s disease" Empirical paper I "Induction of spatial anxiety in a virtual navigation environment"
No full textThis dataset is supporting the University of Southampton Doctoral Thesis "The benefits of nostalgia within spatial environments for people with and without Alzheimer’s disease".
This dataset supports Empirical paper I, "Induction of Spatial Anxiety in a Virtual Navigation Environment." The spatial anxiety induction procedure is available for free use. The software package and instruction manual can be downloaded on the following site, https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/UQ4V7
When using the route-learning task, please cite:
Oliver. A., Wildschut, T., Parker, M. O., Wood, A. P., & Redhead, E. (2022). Induction of Spatial Anxiety in a Virtual Navigation Environment. Behavior Research Methods. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-022-01979-1
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Training mental rotation skills to improve spatial ability
No full textPrior research indicates that spatial skills, such as Mental Rotation Skills (MRS), are a strong predictor for mathematics achievement. Other studies have shown that MRS can be instilled through training and that they are a good predictor of another spatial skill: route learning and wayfinding skills. This paper explores these assumptions and reports an experiment with 43 undergraduate psychology students from a university in the south of England. Participants were randomly assigned to two conditions. Both groups were given pre- and post-tests on wayfinding in a maze. The intervention group trained with a MRS tool, based on a standardised MRS task. The control group did filler tasks by completing crossword puzzles. Collectively, the 43 students made 43×48=2064 assessment items for MRS, and 2×43=86 mazes. Although the intervention group showed a decrease in time needed to do the maze task, while the control group saw an increase, these changes were not significant
Factors influencing orientation within a nested virtual environment: external cues, active exploration and familiarity
No full textThree experiments using a spatial orientation task within a computer generated building examined the factors influencing maintenance of orientation to an external reference frame within a nested environment. Having explored a virtual building, participants were asked to point to an occluded external cue from 4 different rooms. Experiment 1 orientation errors were less in external rooms and previously visited internal rooms. To assess importance of guiding instructions, participants in Experiment 2 were shown a video of the building. Again orientation errors were less in previously visited rooms. Participants in Experiment 3 had no experience of the building. Participants shown the video were unable to maintain orientation in the internal visited room. Results suggest that maintaining orientation to an external frame of reference requires either access to an external cue or active exploration. Without previous familiarity passive exposure was not sufficient to maintain orientation within the building
Conditioned Inhibition in the spatial domain in humans and rats
No full textSpatial learning has been shown to follow associative rules by demonstrations of blocking and overshadowing in both watermazes with rats and virtual watermazes with humans. To examine whether Conditioned Inhibition (CI) can also be demonstrated in a real and virtual watermaze task, two studies were run, one with rats and one with humans. In separate training trials Beacons A and B marked the position of a platform in quadrant X of circular watermaze (AX +/BX+). In subsequent inhibitory training trials, Beacon A was placed in quadrant Y with no platform present (AY-). To test for any CI of Y, in 2 probe trials B was suspended above either quadrant Y (BY) or novel quadrant Z (BZ). Time spent under B was recorded in both trials. In both animal and human studies, during no platform probe trials, latencies to reach Beacon B were longer and less time was spent under the beacon when it was suspended in quadrant Y, where inhibitory training had previously taken place (AY- trials), than when it was hung in the novel quadrant Z. Results suggest that quadrant Y had become a conditioned inhibitor strengthening claims that learning in the spatial domain follows the rules of associative models.<br/
Preexposure effects in spatial learning: from gestaltic to associative and attentional cognitive maps
No full textIn this paper a series of studies and theoretical proposals about how preexposure to environmental cues affects subsequent spatial learning are reviewed. Traditionally, spatial learning had been thought to depend on gestaltic non-associative processes, and well established phenomena such as latent learning or instantaneous transfer have been taken to provide evidence for this sort of cognitive mapping. However, reviewing the literature examining these effects reveals that there is no need to advocate for gestaltic processes since standard associative learning theory provides an adequate framework for accounting for navigation skills. Recent studies reveal that attentional processes play a role in spatial learning. The need for an integrated attentional and associative approach to explain spatial learning is discussed
Building digital cube houses to improve mental rotation skills
No full textPrior research indicates that spatial skills, such as mental rotation skills (MRS), are a strong predictor for mathematics achievement, while other studies have also shown that MRS can be improved through training. This paper explores whether a well-known puzzle-oriented tool for building houses with 3D cubes is effective in improving performance in a standardised MRS measure that recorded accuracy and speed. The field experiment took place with 85 year 7 (11–12 year olds) pupils from an independent secondary school in the south of England. We used two conditions in the experiment, with the puzzle-oriented training tool being the intervention condition. The findings show there was a significant effect for accuracy but not for speed. Contrary to prior research our findings did not show any gender effects. The findings and implications are discussed in light of the existing literature around spatial skills, as well as design aspects
Common elements enhance or retard negative patterning discrimination learning depending on modality of stimuli
No full textHuman contingency learning studies were used to compare the predictions of configural and elemental theories. In two experiments, participants were required to learn which stimuli were associated with an increase in core temperature of a fictitious nuclear plant. Experiments investigated the rate at which a simple Negative Patterning discrimination (A+ B+ ABø) was learned compared to one containing a common but irrelevant element (CD+ CE+ CDEø). When the three elements were from separate modalities (Visual, Auditory and Tactile) the common element enhanced the rate at which the discrimination was learned. When stimuli were drawn from a single modality (Visual) the common element disrupted learning. A single elemental model, Harris and Livesey’s (2010) attention modulated associative network, was shown to predict both sets of results as the model predicts elements from the same modality attenuate summation. In Experiment 2, the common element was separately paired with a consistent outcome (Co) and the effect of the common element within the discrimination was found to be removed, again in line with the predictions of Harris and Livesy (2010)
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