1,721,088 research outputs found
Sense of direction: The importance of the environmental familiarity [Il senso dell'orientamento: Quanto conta la familiarità con l'ambiente?]
No full textThe present study investigates the self-report sense of direction (SOD) considering the different role of some internal factors (gender, cognitive style and familiarity with the environment) by means of a new self-report questionnaire. Instruments used until now have considered just gender and cognitive styles but never familiarity. Here, following these considerations, we aimed to observe if familiarity can also influence SOD. With this aim we asked at eighty college students to fill in a familiarity and cognitive style questionnaire. Our results showed the importance to consider the three factors when evaluating the individual's SOD. Indeed, when people have a cognitive style based on poor spatial ability (i.e., landmark) they will be able to represent the environment like-map (i.e., survey corresponding to a cognitive style based on high spatial ability) only when they are highly familiar with it. In conclusion, to have a real orienteering individual profile and to individuate specific topographical orientation disorder it is very useful to consider each individual internal factor
Sense of direction: The importance of the environmental familiarity [Il senso dell'orientamento: Quanto conta la familiarità con l'ambiente?]
No full textThe present study investigates the self-report sense of direction (SOD) considering the different role of some internal factors (gender, cognitive style and familiarity with the environment) by means of a new self-report questionnaire. Instruments used until now have considered just gender and cognitive styles but never familiarity. Here, following these considerations, we aimed to observe if familiarity can also influence SOD. With this aim we asked at eighty college students to fill in a familiarity and cognitive style questionnaire. Our results showed the importance to consider the three factors when evaluating the individual's SOD. Indeed, when people have a cognitive style based on poor spatial ability (i.e., landmark) they will be able to represent the environment like-map (i.e., survey corresponding to a cognitive style based on high spatial ability) only when they are highly familiar with it. In conclusion, to have a real orienteering individual profile and to individuate specific topographical orientation disorder it is very useful to consider each individual internal factor
Verbal and visual divergent thinking in aging
No full textAccording to the peak and decline model diver- gent thinking declines at a specific age (in or after middle age). However, if divergent thinking declines steadily in aging still has to be clarified. In order to explore the age- related changes in verbal and visual divergent thinking, in the present study a sample of 159 participants was divided in five age groups: young adults (18–35 years), middle- aged adults (36–55), young old (56–74), old (75–85) and the oldest-old (86–98). Two divergent thinking tasks were administered: the alternative uses for cardboard boxes, aimed at assessing verbal ideational fluency, flexibility and originality; the completion drawing task, aimed at assess- ing visual ideational fluency, flexibility and originality. Results showed that after peaking in the young adult group (20–35 years) all components of verbal and visual diver- gent thinking stabilized in the middle-aged adult group (36–55 years) and then started declining in the young old group (56–75). Interestingly, all components were found to be preserved after declining. Yet, verbal and visual diver- gent thinking were found at the same extent across age groups, with the exception of visual ideational fluency, that was higher in the young old group, the old group and the oldest-old group than verbal ideational fluency. These results support the idea that divergent thinking does not decline steadily in the elderly. Given that older people can preserve to some extent verbal and visual divergent think- ing, these findings have important implications for active aging, that is, divergent thinking might be fostered in aging in order to prevent the cognitive decline
Intentional or Negligent Homicide? Evidence for Juror Decision Making
No full textThe present study examined the influence of specific evidence and testimonies on a juror's decision to make a verdict of intentional or negligent homicide in a Civil law country. Italian students (N = 280; M age = 25.0 years, SD = 2.9) read different affidavits characterized by the presence or absence of three elements against the defendant: motive, skill in use of weapons, and previous violence toward the victim. Participants then decided a verdict and provided a confidence judgment on their decision. Results showed that the presence of motive, skill, and previous violence influenced the jurors' decision, significantly changing the verdict from negligent to intentional homicide. The findings were discussed in terms of the folk-concept approach of intentionality
Verbal and visual divergent thinking in aging
No full textAccording to the peak and decline model divergent thinking declines at a specific age (in or after middle age). However, if divergent thinking declines steadily in aging still has to be clarified. In order to explore the age-related changes in verbal and visual divergent thinking, in the present study a sample of 159 participants was divided in five age groups: young adults (18–35 years), middle-aged adults (36–55), young old (56–74), old (75–85) and the oldest-old (86–98). Two divergent thinking tasks were administered: the alternative uses for cardboard boxes, aimed at assessing verbal ideational fluency, flexibility and originality; the completion drawing task, aimed at assessing visual ideational fluency, flexibility and originality. Results showed that after peaking in the young adult group (20–35 years) all components of verbal and visual divergent thinking stabilized in the middle-aged adult group (36–55 years) and then started declining in the young old group (56–75). Interestingly, all components were found to be preserved after declining. Yet, verbal and visual divergent thinking were found at the same extent across age groups, with the exception of visual ideational fluency, that was higher in the young old group, the old group and the oldest-old group than verbal ideational fluency. These results support the idea that divergent thinking does not decline steadily in the elderly. Given that older people can preserve to some extent verbal and visual divergent thinking, these findings have important implications for active aging, that is, divergent thinking might be fostered in aging in order to prevent the cognitive decline
Familiarity and spatial cognitive style: How important are they for spatial representation?
No full textHow we acquire and represent spatial information is one of the most important unsolved issues in spatial cognition. Siegel and White (1975) affirmed that different forms of environmental knowledge are acquired and represented depending on the type of information selected: landmark, characterized by environmental patterns that are perceptually salient or important for the person; route, based on the pathes generally used to connect landmarks; and survey, an overall configuration of the environment, similar to a map. According to these authors, anyone can reach survey representation with extensive experience of the environment. Recently, Pazzaglia and co-workers (2000) demonstrated that these three types of representations correspond to three different spatial cognitive styles. Conversely, according to Montello (1998) a pure landmark or route representation does not exist; indeed, during their first exposure to the environment, people acquire and represent an overall survey configuration of it.
Our aim was to determine whether environmental familiarity and/or spatial cognitive style predict the way we acquire and represent spatial information.
Forty participants who had different degrees of familiarity with the Italian city of Bologna took part in the experiment. Familiarity with Bologna was evaluated using a questionnaire. This city was selected because it has a small and well-defined centre that can be easily explored on foot. Participants were further subdivided by spatial cognitive style to assess its weight in environmental representation. They performed six spatial tasks concerning Bologna that measured different spatial abilities, based on Siegel and White’s frameworks (1975).
We found that neither familiarity with the environment nor spatial cognitive style predict the correct solution of landmark tasks, whereas both familiarity with the environment and spatial cognitive style predict the correct solution of route and survey tasks.. Thus, we can affirm that both familiarity with the environment and spatial cognitive style are important for acquiring and representing spatial information, but their involvement depends on task demands. To our knowledge, this is the first study in which knowledge of a real town has been measured. This ecological setting allowed us to propose a new model to explain individual differences in moving successfully through the environment.How we acquire and represent spatial information is one of the most important unsolved issues in spatial cognition. Siegel and White (1975) affirmed that different forms of environmental knowledge are acquired and represented depending on the type of information selected: landmark, characterized by environmental patterns that are perceptually salient or important for the person; route, based on the pathes generally used to connect landmarks; and survey, an overall configuration of the environment, similar to a map. According to these authors, anyone can reach survey representation with extensive experience of the environment. Recently, Pazzaglia and co-workers (2000) demonstrated that these three types of representations correspond to three different spatial cognitive styles. Conversely, according to Montello (1998) a pure landmark or route representation does not exist; indeed, during their first exposure to the environment, people acquire and represent an overall survey configuration of it. Our aim was to determine whether environmental familiarity and/or spatial cognitive style predict the way we acquire and represent spatial information. Forty participants who had different degrees of familiarity with the Italian city of Bologna took part in the experiment. Familiarity with Bologna was evaluated using a questionnaire. This city was selected because it has a small and well-defined centre that can be easily explored on foot. Participants were further subdivided by spatial cognitive style to assess its weight in environmental representation. They performed six spatial tasks concerning Bologna that measured different spatial abilities, based on Siegel and White's frameworks (1975). We found that neither familiarity with the environment nor spatial cognitive style predict the correct solution of landmark tasks, whereas both familiarity with the environment and spatial cognitive style predict the correct solution of route and survey tasks.. Thus, we can affirm that both familiarity with the environment and spatial cognitive style are important for acquiring and representing spatial information, but their involvement depends on task demands. To our knowledge, this is the first study in which knowledge of a real town has been measured. This ecological setting allowed us to propose a new model to explain individual differences in moving successfully through the environment. © 2010 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved
The relationship between visual creativity and visual mental imagery in ageing
No full textCreativity appears to be a multifaceted phenomenon involving both cognitive (e.g., mental imagery, attention, memory, etc.) and extra-cognitive components (emotions, unconscious processes). Recently creativity has also been considered as an alternative approach to foster active ageing. In this study the relationships between visual creativity and visual mental imagery components were investigated in a sample of 100 people with no background in art, design and architecture, aged from 18 to 82 years. Participants were administered an adaptation of Clark’s Drawing Ability Test, aimed at measuring the ability to produce creative drawings, and three mental imagery tasks investigating the three main cognitive processes involved in visual mental imagery in accordance with Kosslyn’s Model: generation, inspection and transformation. Vividness of imagery was also measured. Drawings were evaluated by two independent judges in terms of ‘aesthetic’ and ‘creativity’ values. Correlation analysis revealed that the ability to make aesthetic and creative drawings is related to the ability to generate and accurately transform mental images. Regression analysis confirmed the key role of spatial imagery and also highlighted that the vividness of imagery is crucial. These results confirm and extend previous findings in which artistic creativity in professionals and trained subjects was found to be related to the generation process of imagery rather than to the transformation process of imagery, whereas creativity assessed by means of different tasks in novices was related to different processes of mental imagery (e.g., generation and transformation). This suggests that imagery is important for visual creativity. In addition, with regards the ageing issue, it should be noted that no difference was found between younger and older participants, confirming that creativity can be preserved to some extent with age and suggesting the importance of implementing creativity training aimed at preventing pathological ageing. © 2016 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved
Prismatic adaptation does not affect spatial map retrieval effect of possible implications for aero-space Flight Experts
No full textIn the present study the effect of a perceptual distortion provoked by prismatic lenses, which induces a 10° shift of the visual field, was investigated. The prism adaptation procedure has been largely used both in clinical practice to produce a recalibration of a disturbed representation of the space, and in experimental setting on healthy individuals to better understand its implications on mental space representation. Here, we assessed, in 49 college students without flight experience (26 participants exposed to prismatic lenses PL, and 23 participants not exposed NPL), the effect of a perceptual distortion in expressing directional judgements with different degrees of orientation on a previously learnt schematic environmental map. We also investigated the effects of visual mental imagery components (generation, inspection and mental rotation) on the ability to perform directional judgements. Our results showed that despite prismatic exposure produced a shift of the visual field, this shift did not affect the mental representation of the map, and the judgment of PL participants did not differ from NPL participants. Conversely, the ability to men- tally rotate an object was predictive of the directional judgements performance. Specifically, individuals with higher mental rotation skills were more able to perform counter-aligned directional judgements and were less prone to the mis-alignment effect (i.e., they were good also when they had to imagine positions on the map that were not aligned with the learning perspective).
Our findings may have implications for aerospace ex- pert pilots, such as improving training systems by focus- ing on different types of mental rotation abilities (e.g., vertical mental rotation, forward mental rotation, etc...), with the aim to contrast visual illusions
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