Strategies low-income parents use to overcome their children's food refusal

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Parents play a key role in the development of eating habits in preschool children, as they are the food "gatekeepers". Repeated exposure to new foods can improve child food preferences and consumption. The objective of this study was to determine parent feeding strategies used to influence child acc...

Pleasure to play, arousal to stay: the effect of player emotions on digital game preferences and playing time.

PubMed

Poels, Karolien; van den Hoogen, Wouter; Ijsselsteijn, Wijnand; de Kort, Yvonne

2012-01-01

This study investigated how player emotions during game-play, measured through self-report and physiological recordings, predict playing time and game preferences. We distinguished between short-term (immediately after game-play) and long-term (after 3 weeks) playing time and game preferences. While pleasure was most predictive for short-term playing time and game preferences, arousal, particularly for game preferences, was most predictive on the longer term. This result was found through both self-report and physiological emotion measures. This study initiates theorizing about digital gaming as a hedonic consumer product and sketches future research endeavors of this topic.

Determining Ultrasonic Vocalization Preferences in Mice using a Two-choice Playback Test

PubMed Central

Asaba, Akari; Kato, Masahiro; Koshida, Nobuyoshi; Kikusui, Takefumi

2015-01-01

Mice emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) during a variety of conditions, such as pup isolation and adult social interactions. These USVs differ with age, sex, condition, and genetic background of the emitting animal. Although many studies have characterized these differences, whether receiver mice can discriminate among objectively different USVs and show preferences for particular sound traits remains to be elucidated. To determine whether mice can discriminate between different characteristics of USVs, a playback experiment was developed recently, in which preference responses of mice to two different USVs could be evaluated in the form of a place preference. First, USVs from mice were recorded. Then, the recorded USVs were edited, trimmed accordingly, and exported as stereophonic sound files. Next, the USV amplitudes generated by the two ultrasound emitters used in the experiment were adjusted to the same sound pressure level. Nanocrystalline silicon thermo-acoustic emitters were used to play the USVs back. Finally, to investigate the preference of subject mice to selected USVs, pairs of two differing USV signals were played back simultaneously in a two-choice test box. By repeatedly entering a defined zone near an ultrasound emitter and searching the wire mesh in front of the emitter, the mouse reveals its preference for one sound over another. This model allows comparing the attractiveness of the various features of mouse USVs, in various contexts. PMID:26381885

Impact of manual preference on directionality in children's drawings.

PubMed

Picard, Delphine

2011-01-01

The effects of handedness on directionality in drawing are already well documented in the literature, at least as far as adults are concerned. The present study investigates the impact of manual preference on directionality as seen in the drawing product and drawing process, from a developmental point of view. A total of 120 children aged 5 to 9, both right and left-handed drawers, volunteered for the study. Children were asked to draw twice from memory a set of six common objects. Results indicate that directionality in drawing product varies significantly according to manual preference in the 9-year-old children, but not in the younger age groups. The concomitant increase between 7 and 9 years of age in the use of preferred stroke directions and the impact of manual preference in the drawing process suggests that biomechanical factors might play an important role in behavioural asymmetries in drawing.

Mistakes and missed opportunities regarding cosmetic surgery and conscientious objection.

PubMed

Saad, Toni C

2017-04-24

In her paper 'Cosmetic surgery and conscientious objection', Minerva rightly identifies cosmetic surgery as an interesting test case for the question of conscientious objection in medicine. Her treatment of this important subject, however, seems problematic. It is argued that Minerva's suggestion that a doctor has a prima facie duty to satisfy patient preferences even against his better clinical judgment, which we call Patient Preference Absolutism, must be regarded with scepticism. This is because (1) it overlooks an important distinction regarding autonomy's meaning and place in clinical practice, and (2) it makes obsolete the important concepts of expert clinical judgment and beneficence. Finally, we discuss two ideas which emerge from consideration of cosmetic surgery in relation to conscientious objection. These are the possible analogy between clinical judgment and conscientious objection, and the possible role the goals of medicine can play in defining the scope of conscientious objection. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Prenatal hormones and childhood sex-segregation: Playmate and play style preferences in girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia

PubMed Central

Pasterski, Vickie; Geffner, Mitchell E.; Brain, Caroline; Hindmarsh, Peter; Brook, Charles; Hines, Melissa

2011-01-01

We investigated playmate and play style preference in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) (26 females, 31 males) and their unaffected siblings (26 females, 17 males) using the Playmate and Play Style Preferences Structured Interview (PPPSI). Both unaffected boys and girls preferred same-sex playmates and sex-typical play styles. In the conflict condition where children chose between a same-sex playmate engaged in an other-sex activity or an other-sex playmate engaged in a same-sex activity, boys (both CAH and unaffected brothers) almost exclusively chose playmates based on the preferred play style of the playmate as opposed to the preferred gender label of the playmate. By contrast, unaffected girls used play style and gender label about equally when choosing playmates. Girls with CAH showed a pattern similar to that of boys: their playmate selections were more masculine than unaffected girls, they preferred a boy-typical play style and, in the conflict condition, chose playmates engaged in a masculine activity. These findings suggest that prenatal androgen exposure contributes to sex differences in playmate selection observed in typically-developing children, and that, among boys and girls exposed to high levels of androgens prenatally, play style preferences drive sex segregation in play. PMID:21338606

Prenatal hormones and childhood sex segregation: playmate and play style preferences in girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

PubMed

Pasterski, Vickie; Geffner, Mitchell E; Brain, Caroline; Hindmarsh, Peter; Brook, Charles; Hines, Melissa

2011-04-01

We investigated playmate and play style preference in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) (26 females, 31 males) and their unaffected siblings (26 females, 17 males) using the Playmate and Play Style Preferences Structured Interview (PPPSI). Both unaffected boys and girls preferred same-sex playmates and sex-typical play styles. In the conflict condition where children chose between a same-sex playmate engaged in an other-sex activity or an other-sex playmate engaged in a same-sex activity, boys (both CAH and unaffected brothers) almost exclusively chose playmates based on the preferred play style of the playmate as opposed to the preferred gender label of the playmate. By contrast, unaffected girls used play style and gender label about equally when choosing playmates. Girls with CAH showed a pattern similar to that of boys: their playmate selections were more masculine than unaffected girls, they preferred a boy-typical play style and, in the conflict condition, chose playmates engaged in a masculine activity. These findings suggest that prenatal androgen exposure contributes to sex differences in playmate selection observed in typically developing children and that, among boys and girls exposed to high levels of androgens prenatally, play style preferences drive sex segregation in play. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Smooth leader or sharp follower? Playing the mirror game with a robot

PubMed Central

Kashi, Shir; Levy-Tzedek, Shelly

2017-01-01

Background: The increasing number of opportunities for human-robot interactions in various settings, from industry through home use to rehabilitation, creates a need to understand how to best personalize human-robot interactions to fit both the user and the task at hand. In the current experiment, we explored a human-robot collaborative task of joint movement, in the context of an interactive game. Objective: We set out to test people’s preferences when interacting with a robotic arm, playing a leader-follower imitation game (the mirror game). Methods: Twenty two young participants played the mirror game with the robotic arm, where one player (person or robot) followed the movements of the other. Each partner (person and robot) was leading part of the time, and following part of the time. When the robotic arm was leading the joint movement, it performed movements that were either sharp or smooth, which participants were later asked to rate. Results: The greatest preference was given to smooth movements. Half of the participants preferred to lead, and half preferred to follow. Importantly, we found that the movements of the robotic arm primed the subsequent movements performed by the participants. Conclusion: The priming effect by the robot on the movements of the human should be considered when designing interactions with robots. Our results demonstrate individual differences in preferences regarding the role of the human and the joint motion path of the robot and the human when performing the mirror game collaborative task, and highlight the importance of personalized human-robot interactions. PMID:29036853

Parts, cavities, and object representation in infancy.

PubMed

Hayden, Angela; Bhatt, Ramesh S; Kangas, Ashley; Zieber, Nicole

2011-02-01

Part representation is not only critical to object perception but also plays a key role in a number of basic visual cognition functions, such as figure-ground segregation, allocation of attention, and memory for shapes. Yet, virtually nothing is known about the development of part representation. If parts are fundamental components of object shape representation early in life, then the infant visual system should give priority to parts over other aspects of objects. We tested this hypothesis by examining whether part shapes are more salient than cavity shapes to infants. Five-month-olds were habituated to a stimulus that contained a part and a cavity. In a subsequent novelty preference test, 5-month-olds exhibited a preference for the cavity shape, indicating that part shapes were more salient than cavity shapes during habituation. The differential processing of part versus cavity contours in infancy is consistent with theory and empirical findings in the literature on adult figure-ground perception and indicates that basic aspects of part-based object processing are evident early in life. (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

Admissible Strategies in Infinite Games over Graphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faella, Marco

We consider games played on finite graphs, whose objective is to obtain a trace belonging to a given set of accepting traces. We focus on the states from which Player 1 cannot force a win. We compare several criteria for establishing what is the preferable behavior of Player 1 from those states, eventually settling on the notion of admissible strategy.

F.O.R.E.play: The Utility of Brief Sexual Health Interventions among College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Erin W.; Smith, William E.; Folsom, Ashlee R. B.

2012-01-01

Objectives: The authors aimed to determine the most effective brief sexual health intervention for college students, while also evaluating students' preferences for learning about sexual health, in order to develop a university program. Methods: A total of 302 students enrolled in an introductory college course participated and were randomly…

Digital Gaming Perspectives of Older Adults: Content vs. Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marston, Hannah R.

2013-01-01

There were two objectives to this study: (a) to establish flow and (2) to establish whether computer game interaction or content was important to the older adult, using the Nintendo Wii and the Sony PlayStation 2 consoles. An earlier study had identified the sports genre as a preference, and three games (golf, tennis, and boxing) were selected…

The playmate and play style preferences structured interview: a comparison of children with gender identity disorder and controls.

PubMed

Fridell, Sari R; Owen-Anderson, Allison; Johnson, Laurel L; Bradley, Susan J; Zucker, Kenneth J

2006-12-01

The present study compared the sex-typed preferences for playmates and play styles in children referred for concerns about their gender identity development (199 boys, 43 girls) with that of controls (96 boys, 38 girls). Each child was administered the Playmate and Play Style Preferences Structured Interview (PPPSI) developed by Alexander and Hines (Alexander, G. M., & Hines, M. (1994). Child Development, 65, 869-879). In the two single dimension conditions (playmates and play styles), the controls significantly preferred same-sex playmates and same-sex play styles whereas the gender-referred children significantly preferred cross-sex playmates and cross-sex play styles. Effect sizes ranged from 1.56-2.78. In the conflict condition (which required a choice between same-sex playmates and cross-sex play styles vs. cross-sex playmates and same-sex play styles), there was a general indication of a hierarchical preference for the preferred play style in the single dimension condition as opposed to the preferred playmate except for the gender-referred boys, who showed an inverted pattern. For the gender-referred group, the PPPSI data were significantly correlated with other measures of sex-typed behavior, providing evidence of predictive validity. The PPPSI also discriminated between probands threshold and subthreshold for the diagnosis of gender identity disorder. The results were discussed in relation to both basic and applied issues in the assessment of sex-typed behavior in children.

Toward Game-Based Digital Mental Health Interventions: Player Habits and Preferences.

PubMed

Mandryk, Regan Lee; Birk, Max Valentin

2017-04-20

Designers of digital interventions for mental health often leverage interactions from games because the intrinsic motivation that results from game-based interventions may increase participation and translate into improved treatment efficacy. However, there are outstanding questions about the suitability (eg, are desktop or mobile interventions more appropriate?) and intervention potential (eg, do people with depression activate enough to play?) of games for mental health. In this paper, we aimed to describe the presently unknown relationship between gaming activity and indicators of well-being so that designers make informed choices when designing game-based interventions for mental health. We gathered validated scales of well-being (Beck's Depression Inventory [BDI-II], Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9], trait anxiety [TA], and basic psychological needs satisfaction [BPNS]), play importance (control over game behavior: control; gamer identity: identity), and play behavior (play frequency, platform preferences, and genre preferences) in a Web-based survey (N=491). The majority of our participants played games a few times a week (45.3%, 222/490) or daily (34.3%, 168/490). In terms of depression, play frequency was associated with PHQ-9 (P=.003); PHQ-9 scores were higher for those who played daily than for those who played a few times a week or less. Similarly, for BDI-II (P=.01), scores were higher for those who played daily than for those who played once a week or less. Genre preferences were not associated with PHQ-9 (P=.32) or BDI-II (P=.68); however, platform preference (ie, mobile, desktop, or console) was associated with PHQ-9 (P=.04); desktop-only players had higher PHQ-9 scores than those who used all platforms. Platform preference was not associated with BDI-II (P=.18). In terms of anxiety, TA was not associated with frequency (P=.23), platform preference (P=.07), or genre preference (P=.99). In terms of needs satisfaction, BPNS was not associated with frequency (P=.25) or genre preference (P=.53), but it was associated with platform preference (P=.01); desktop-only players had lower needs satisfaction than those who used all platforms. As expected, play frequency was associated with identity (P<.001) and control (P<.001); those who played more had identified more as a gamer and had less control over their gameplay. Genre preference was associated with identity (P<.001) and control (P<.001); those who played most common genres had higher control over their play and identified most as gamers. Platform preference was not associated with control (P=.80), but was with identity (P=.001); those who played on all devices identified more as a gamer than those who played on mobiles or consoles only. Our results suggest that games are a suitable approach for mental health interventions as they are played broadly by people across a range of indicators of mental health. We further unpack the platform preferences and genre preferences of players with varying levels of well-being. ©Regan Lee Mandryk, Max Valentin Birk. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 20.04.2017.

Preschoolers' Mathematical Play and Colour Preferences: A New Window into the Development of Gendered Beliefs about Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paz-Albo Prieto, Jesús; Cvencek, Dario; Herranz Llácer, Cristina V.; Hervás Escobar, Aránzazu; Meltzoff, Andrew N.

2017-01-01

In play, children often explore mathematical ideas that are vital for future learning. Children's play also reveals gender differences in both colour and toy preferences. The authors examined how gender-related colour preferences of 5-year-olds are related to preferences for math-specific games/toys and gendered beliefs about math. Spanish…

Young Children's Preference for Television Viewing Compared with Other Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slavenas, Rosemarie

1987-01-01

Young children's own perceptions of their preference for television viewing relative to other developmentally appropriate activities were studied through means of a questionnaire. The respondents rated television viewing as a less attractive activity than playing outside, playing with play dough, and building with sand, but few preferred story…

Ecological influences on individual differences in color preference.

PubMed

Schloss, Karen B; Hawthorne-Madell, Daniel; Palmer, Stephen E

2015-11-01

How can the large, systematic differences that exist between individuals' color preferences be explained? The ecological valence theory (Palmer & Schloss, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107:8877-8882, 2010) posits that an individual's preference for each particular color is determined largely by his or her preferences for all correspondingly colored objects. Therefore, individuals should differ in their color preferences to the extent that they have different preferences for the same color-associated objects or that they experience different objects. Supporting this prediction, we found that individuals' color preferences were predicted better by their own preferences for correspondingly colored objects than by other peoples' preferences for the same objects. Moreover, the fit between color preferences and affect toward the colored objects was reliably improved when people's own idiosyncratic color-object associations were included in addition to a standard set of color-object associations. These and related results provide evidence that individual differences in color preferences are reliably influenced by people's personal experiences with colored objects in their environment.

Video and Computer Games in the '90s: Children's Time Commitment and Game Preference.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buchman, Debra D.; Funk, Jeanne B.

1996-01-01

Examined electronic game-playing habits of 900 children. Found that time commitment to game-playing decreased from fourth to eighth grade. Boys played more than girls. Preference for general entertainment games increased across grades while educational games preference decreased. Violent game popularity remained consistent; fantasy violence was…

An evaluation of the relative efficacy of and children's preferences for teaching strategies that differ in amount of teacher directedness.

PubMed

Heal, Nicole A; Hanley, Gregory P; Layer, Stacy A

2009-01-01

The manner in which teachers mediate children's learning varies across early childhood classrooms. In this study, we used a multielement design to evaluate the efficacy of three commonly implemented strategies that varied in teacher directedness for teaching color- and object-name relations. Strategy 1 consisted of brief exposure to the target relations followed by an exclusively child-led play period in which correct responses were praised. Strategy 2 was similar except that teachers prompted the children to vocalize relations and corrected errors via model prompts. Strategy 3 incorporated the same procedures as Strategy 2 except that a brief period of teacher-initiated trials was arranged; these trials involved the use of prompt delay between questions and prompts, and correct responses resulted in tokens and back-up activity reinforcers. Children's preferences for the different teaching strategies were also directly assessed. Strategy 3 was most effective in promoting the acquisition and generalization of the color- and object-name relations and was also most preferred by the majority of children, Strategy 1 was the least effective, and Strategy 2 was typically the least preferred. Implications for the design of early educational environments based on evidence-based values are discussed.

Brief Report: A Comparison of the Preference for Viewing Social and Non-social Movies in Typical and Autistic Adolescents.

PubMed

Dubey, Indu; Ropar, Danielle; de C Hamilton, Antonia F

2017-02-01

The recently proposed Social Motivation theory (Chevallier et al., Trends in cognitive sciences 16(4):231-239, 2012) suggests that social difficulties in Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) might be caused by a difference in the motivation to engage with other people. Here we compared adolescents with (N = 31) and without (N = 37) ASC on the Choose-a-Movie paradigm that measures the social seeking. The results showed a preference for viewing objects over smiling faces in ASC, which is in line with the theory of low social motivation. However, typical adolescents did not show any stimuli preferences, raising questions about developmental changes in social motivation. Age was found to play a significant role in moderating the choice behaviour of the participants. We discuss the implications of these findings in detail.

Collaboration, Engagement & Fun: How Youth Preferences in Video Gaming Can Inform 21st Century Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trespalacios, Jesus; Chamberlin, Barbara; Gallagher, Rachel R.

2011-01-01

In this content analysis study, researchers explored middle school students' preference for playing video games and the possible implications for learning environments. During two-week, summer sessions, learners played videos games and answered questions related to their preferences in different settings. Students' preferences and justifications…

Physical objects as vehicles of cultural transmission: maintaining harmony and uniqueness through colored geometric patterns.

PubMed

Ishii, Keiko; Miyamoto, Yuri; Rule, Nicholas O; Toriyama, Rie

2014-02-01

We examined how cultural values of harmony and uniqueness are represented and maintained through physical media (i.e., colorings of geometric patterns) and how individuals play an active role in selecting and maintaining such cultural values. We found that colorings produced by European American adults and children were judged as more unique, whereas colorings produced by Japanese adults and children were judged as more harmonious, reflecting cultural differences in values. Harmony undergirded Japanese participants' preferences for colorings, whereas uniqueness undergirded European American participants' preferences for colorings. These cultural differences led participants to prefer own-culture colorings over other-culture colorings. Moreover, bicultural participants' preferences acculturated according to their identification with their host culture. Furthermore, child rearers in Japan and Canada gave feedback about the children's colorings that were consistent with their culture's values. These findings suggest that simple geometric patterns can embody cultural values that are socialized and reinforced from an early age.

Role of self-reported individual differences in preference for and tolerance of exercise intensity in fitness testing performance.

PubMed

Hall, Eric E; Petruzzello, Steven J; Ekkekakis, Panteleimon; Miller, Paul C; Bixby, Walter R

2014-09-01

Performance in fitness tests could depend on factors beyond the bioenergetic and skeletomuscular systems, such as individual differences in preference for and tolerance of different levels of exercise-induced somatosensory stimulation. Although such individual-difference variables could play a role in exercise testing and prescription, they have been understudied. The purpose of these studies was to examine the relationships of self-reported preference for and tolerance of exercise intensity with performance in fitness tests. Participants in study I were 516 men and women volunteers from a campus community, and participants in study II were 42 men recruit firefighters undergoing a 6-week training program. Both the Preference and Tolerance scores exhibited significant relationships with performance in several fitness tests and with body composition and physical activity participation. Preference and Tolerance did not change after the training program in study II, despite improvements in objective and perceived fitness, supporting their conceptualization as dispositional traits. Preference and Tolerance scores could be useful not only in ameliorating the current understanding of the determinants of physical performance, but also in personalizing exercise prescriptions and, thus, delivering exercise experiences that are more pleasant, tolerable, and sustainable.

Social Orienting and Attention Is Influenced by the Presence of Competing Nonsocial Information in Adolescents with Autism

PubMed Central

Unruh, Kathryn E.; Sasson, Noah J.; Shafer, Robin L.; Whitten, Allison; Miller, Stephanie J.; Turner-Brown, Lauren; Bodfish, James W.

2016-01-01

Background: Our experiences with the world play a critical role in neural and behavioral development. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) spend a disproportionate amount of time seeking out, attending to, and engaging with aspects of their environment that are largely nonsocial in nature. In this study we adapted an established method for eliciting and quantifying aspects of visual choice behavior related to preference to test the hypothesis that preference for nonsocial sources of stimulation diminishes orientation and attention to social sources of stimulation in children with ASD. Method: Preferential viewing tasks can serve as objective measures of preference, with a greater proportion of viewing time to one item indicative of increased preference. The current task used gaze-tracking technology to examine patterns of visual orientation and attention to stimulus pairs that varied in social (faces) and nonsocial content (high autism interest or low autism interest). Participants included both adolescents diagnosed with ASD and typically developing; groups were matched on IQ and gender. Results: Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that individuals with ASD had a significantly greater latency to first fixate on social images when this image was paired with a high autism interest image, compared to a low autism interest image pairing. Participants with ASD showed greater total look time to objects, while typically developing participants preferred to look at faces. Groups also differed in number and average duration of fixations to social and object images. In the ASD group only, a measure of nonsocial interest was associated with reduced preference for social images when paired with high autism interest images. Conclusions: In ASD, the presence of nonsocial sources of stimulation can significantly increase the latency of look time to social sources of information. These results suggest that atypicalities in social motivation in ASD may be context-dependent, with a greater degree of plasticity than is assumed by existing social motivation accounts of ASD. PMID:28066169

Playing in or out of character: user role differences in the experience of interactive storytelling.

PubMed

Roth, Christian; Vermeulen, Ivar; Vorderer, Peter; Klimmt, Christoph; Pizzi, David; Lugrin, Jean-Luc; Cavazza, Marc

2012-11-01

Interactive storytelling (IS) is a promising new entertainment technology synthesizing preauthored narrative with dynamic user interaction. Existing IS prototypes employ different modes to involve users in a story, ranging from individual avatar control to comprehensive control over the virtual environment. The current experiment tested whether different player modes (exerting local vs. global influence) yield different user experiences (e.g., senses of immersion vs. control). A within-subject design involved 34 participants playing the cinematic IS drama "Emo Emma"( 1 ) both in the local (actor) and in global (ghost) mode. The latter mode allowed free movement in the virtual environment and hidden influence on characters, objects, and story development. As expected, control-related experiential qualities (effectance, autonomy, flow, and pride) were more intense for players in the global (ghost) mode. Immersion-related experiences did not differ over modes. Additionally, men preferred the sense of command facilitated by the ghost mode, whereas women preferred the sense of involvement facilitated by the actor mode.

The influence of familiar characters and other appealing images on young children's preference for low-quality objects.

PubMed

Danovitch, Judith H; Mills, Candice M

2017-09-01

This study examines the factors underlying young children's preference for products bearing a familiar character's image. Three-year-olds (N = 92) chose between low-quality objects with images on or near the objects and high-quality objects without images. Children showed stronger preferences for damaged objects bearing images of a preferred familiar character than for objects bearing images of a preferred colour star, and they showed weak preferences for damaged objects with the character near, but not on, the object. The results suggest that children's preference for low-quality products bearing character images is driven by prior exposure to characters, and not only by the act of identifying a favourite. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Children are exposed to characters in the media and on products such as clothing and school supplies. Products featuring familiar characters appeal to preschool children, even if they are of low quality. What does this study add? Three-year-olds prefer damaged objects with an image of a favourite character over plain undamaged objects. Children's preference is not solely a function of having identified a favourite image or of attentional cues. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

To search or to like: Mapping fixations to differentiate two forms of incidental scene memory.

PubMed

Choe, Kyoung Whan; Kardan, Omid; Kotabe, Hiroki P; Henderson, John M; Berman, Marc G

2017-10-01

We employed eye-tracking to investigate how performing different tasks on scenes (e.g., intentionally memorizing them, searching for an object, evaluating aesthetic preference) can affect eye movements during encoding and subsequent scene memory. We found that scene memorability decreased after visual search (one incidental encoding task) compared to intentional memorization, and that preference evaluation (another incidental encoding task) produced better memory, similar to the incidental memory boost previously observed for words and faces. By analyzing fixation maps, we found that although fixation map similarity could explain how eye movements during visual search impairs incidental scene memory, it could not explain the incidental memory boost from aesthetic preference evaluation, implying that implicit mechanisms were at play. We conclude that not all incidental encoding tasks should be taken to be similar, as different mechanisms (e.g., explicit or implicit) lead to memory enhancements or decrements for different incidental encoding tasks.

Is basic personality related to violent and non-violent video game play and preferences?

PubMed

Chory, Rebecca M; Goodboy, Alan K

2011-04-01

Based on the uses and gratifications perspective, personality was expected to relate to violent video game play frequency and game preferences. Participants completed measures of personality and frequency of violent video game play, and identified their most frequently played video games. Results indicate that individuals higher in openness but lower in agreeableness played violent video games more frequently. In addition, more open and extroverted but less agreeable and neurotic individuals generally preferred to play video games that are more violent. Results suggest personality may be more predictive of violent video game use than traditional media use, though the predictive personality dimensions may be consistent across media types.

Sex steroids and human behavior: prenatal androgen exposure and sex-typical play behavior in children.

PubMed

Hines, Melissa

2003-12-01

Gonadal hormones, particularly androgens, direct certain aspects of brain development and exert permanent influences on sex-typical behavior in nonhuman mammals. Androgens also influence human behavioral development, with the most convincing evidence coming from studies of sex-typical play. Girls exposed to unusually high levels of androgens prenatally, because they have the genetic disorder, congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), show increased preferences for toys and activities usually preferred by boys, and for male playmates, and decreased preferences for toys and activities usually preferred by girls. Normal variability in androgen prenatally also has been related to subsequent sex-typed play behavior in girls, and nonhuman primates have been observed to show sex-typed preferences for human toys. These findings suggest that androgen during early development influences childhood play behavior in humans at least in part by altering brain development.

The effects of short-term and long-term learning on the responses of lateral intraparietal neurons to visually presented objects.

PubMed

Sigurdardottir, Heida M; Sheinberg, David L

2015-07-01

The lateral intraparietal area (LIP) is thought to play an important role in the guidance of where to look and pay attention. LIP can also respond selectively to differently shaped objects. We sought to understand to what extent short-term and long-term experience with visual orienting determines the responses of LIP to objects of different shapes. We taught monkeys to arbitrarily associate centrally presented objects of various shapes with orienting either toward or away from a preferred spatial location of a neuron. The training could last for less than a single day or for several months. We found that neural responses to objects are affected by such experience, but that the length of the learning period determines how this neural plasticity manifests. Short-term learning affects neural responses to objects, but these effects are only seen relatively late after visual onset; at this time, the responses to newly learned objects resemble those of familiar objects that share their meaning or arbitrary association. Long-term learning affects the earliest bottom-up responses to visual objects. These responses tend to be greater for objects that have been associated with looking toward, rather than away from, LIP neurons' preferred spatial locations. Responses to objects can nonetheless be distinct, although they have been similarly acted on in the past and will lead to the same orienting behavior in the future. Our results therefore indicate that a complete experience-driven override of LIP object responses may be difficult or impossible. We relate these results to behavioral work on visual attention.

The relationship between color-object associations and color preference: further investigation of ecological valence theory.

PubMed

Taylor, Chloe; Franklin, Anna

2012-04-01

Ecological valence theory (EVT; Palmer & Schloss, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107:8877-8882, 2010) proposes that color preferences are due to affective responses to color-associated objects: That is, people generally like colors to the degree that they like the objects associated with those colors. Palmer and Schloss found that the average valence of objects associated with a color, when weighted by how well the objects matched the color (weighted affective valence estimates: WAVE) explained 80% of the variation in preference across colors. Here, we replicated and extended Palmer and Schloss's investigation to establish whether color-object associations can account for sex differences in color preference and whether the relationship between associated objects and color preference is equally strong for males and females. We found some degree of sex specificity to the WAVEs, but the relationship between WAVE and color preference was significantly stronger for males than for females (74% shared variance for males, 45% for females). Furthermore, analyses identified a significant inverse relationship between the number of objects associated with a color and preference for the color. Participants generally liked colors associated with few objects and disliked colors associated with many objects. For the sample overall and for females alone, this association was not significantly weaker than the association of the WAVE and preference. The success of the WAVE at capturing color preference was partly due to the relationship between the number of associated objects and color preference. The findings identify constraints of EVT in its current form, but they also provide general support for the link between color preference and color-object associations.

Sex-typical play: masculinization/defeminization in girls with an autism spectrum condition.

PubMed

Knickmeyer, Rebecca C; Wheelwright, Sally; Baron-Cohen, Simon B

2008-07-01

We tested the hypothesis that prenatal masculinization of the brain by androgens increases risk of developing an autism spectrum condition (ASC). Sex-typical play was measured in n = 66 children diagnosed with an ASC and n = 55 typically developing age-matched controls. Consistent with the hypothesis, girls with autism did not show the female-typical play preferences, though this was only seen on non-pretence items. Boys with autism showed a preference for male play on non-pretence items, in keeping with their sex. Girls with autism engaged in more pretend play than boys with autism, suggesting that pretence is relatively more protected in females with autism. We conclude that play preference studies in ASC provide partial support for the fetal androgen theory.

Perception of Object-Context Relations: Eye-Movement Analyses in Infants and Adults

PubMed Central

Bornstein, Marc H.; Mash, Clay; Arterberry, Martha E.

2011-01-01

Twenty-eight 4-month-olds’ and 22 20-year-olds’ attention to object-context relations was investigated using a common eye-movement paradigm. Infants and adults scanned both objects and contexts. Infants showed equivalent preferences for animals and vehicles and for congruent and incongruent object-context relations overall, more fixations of objects in congruent object-context relations, more fixations of contexts in incongruent object-context relations, more fixations of objects than contexts in vehicle scenes, and more fixation shifts in incongruent than congruent vehicle scenes. Adults showed more fixations of congruent than incongruent scenes, vehicles than animals, and objects than contexts, equal fixations of animals and their contexts but more fixations of vehicles than their contexts, and more shifts of fixation when inspecting animals in context than vehicles in context. These findings for location, number, and order of eye movements indicate that object-context relations play a dynamic role in the development and allocation of attention. PMID:21244146

Dissociation of Self-Motion and Object Motion by Linear Population Decoding That Approximates Marginalization

PubMed Central

Sasaki, Ryo; Angelaki, Dora E.

2017-01-01

We use visual image motion to judge the movement of objects, as well as our own movements through the environment. Generally, image motion components caused by object motion and self-motion are confounded in the retinal image. Thus, to estimate heading, the brain would ideally marginalize out the effects of object motion (or vice versa), but little is known about how this is accomplished neurally. Behavioral studies suggest that vestibular signals play a role in dissociating object motion and self-motion, and recent computational work suggests that a linear decoder can approximate marginalization by taking advantage of diverse multisensory representations. By measuring responses of MSTd neurons in two male rhesus monkeys and by applying a recently-developed method to approximate marginalization by linear population decoding, we tested the hypothesis that vestibular signals help to dissociate self-motion and object motion. We show that vestibular signals stabilize tuning for heading in neurons with congruent visual and vestibular heading preferences, whereas they stabilize tuning for object motion in neurons with discrepant preferences. Thus, vestibular signals enhance the separability of joint tuning for object motion and self-motion. We further show that a linear decoder, designed to approximate marginalization, allows the population to represent either self-motion or object motion with good accuracy. Decoder weights are broadly consistent with a readout strategy, suggested by recent computational work, in which responses are decoded according to the vestibular preferences of multisensory neurons. These results demonstrate, at both single neuron and population levels, that vestibular signals help to dissociate self-motion and object motion. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The brain often needs to estimate one property of a changing environment while ignoring others. This can be difficult because multiple properties of the environment may be confounded in sensory signals. The brain can solve this problem by marginalizing over irrelevant properties to estimate the property-of-interest. We explore this problem in the context of self-motion and object motion, which are inherently confounded in the retinal image. We examine how diversity in a population of multisensory neurons may be exploited to decode self-motion and object motion from the population activity of neurons in macaque area MSTd. PMID:29030435

"I just forget to take it": asthma self-management needs and preferences in adolescents.

PubMed

Koster, Ellen S; Philbert, Daphne; de Vries, Tjalling W; van Dijk, Liset; Bouvy, Marcel L

2015-10-01

Medication adherence rates often decline as children become teenagers. Effective adherence-enhancing interventions for adolescents are lacking. The objective of this study was to assess adolescent asthmatics needs and preferences regarding medication counseling and support, with focus on new media. Three focus groups including 21 asthmatic adolescents recruited from both primary and secondary care were held to explore needs and preferences regarding asthma-self management. Questions concerned adherence behavior and needs and preferences in adherence support with focus on new media (mobile technology, social media, health games). Forgetting was mentioned as major reason for not using medication as prescribed. Adolescents also mentioned lack of perceived need or beneficial effects. Parents mainly play a role in reminding to take medication and collecting refills. The suggested strategies to support self-management included smartphone applications with a reminder function and easy access to online information. Participants were positive about sharing of experiences with other teenagers. Forgetfulness is a major reason for non-adherence in adolescents. Furthermore, our results suggest use of peer support may be helpful in promoting good medication use. Future interventions should be aimed at providing practical reminders and should be modifiable to individual preferences.

Toll-like Receptor 4 Mediates Fat, Sugar and Umami Taste Preference, and Food Intake and Body Weight Regulation

PubMed Central

Camandola, Simonetta; Mattson, Mark P.

2017-01-01

Objective Immune and inflammatory pathways play important roles in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders. In the present study we investigate the role of TLR4 in orosensory detection of dietary lipids and sugars. Methods Taste preferences of TLR4 knockout (KO) and wild type (WT) male mice under standard, and high fat and high sugar diets were assessed with 2-bottle tests. Gene expression of taste signaling molecules was analyzed in the tongue epithelium The role of TLR4 in food intake, and weigh gain was investigated in TLR4 KO and WT mice fed a high fat and high sugar diet for 12 weeks. Results Compared to WT mice TLR4 KO mice showed reduced preference for lipids, sugars, and umami in 2-bottle preference test. The altered taste perception was associated with decreased levels of key taste regulatory molecules in the tongue epithelium. TLR4 KO mice on a high fat and high sugar diet consumed less food and drink, resulting in diminished weight gain. Conclusions TLR4 signaling promotes ingestion of sugar and fat by a mechanism involving increased preference for such obesogenic foods. PMID:28500692

Reevaluating the impact of video games.

PubMed

Funk, J B

1993-02-01

The evolution of the video game phenomenon is reviewed and contemporary data are presented. A survey assessing frequency and location of play and game preference was completed by 357 seventh- and eighth-grade students. In this middle-class sample, about two thirds of girls played video games at least one to two hours per week at home, but only 20% played in arcades. About 90% of boys played in the home and about 50% in arcades. Approximately half of preferred games were from one of two categories of violent games, while 2% of preferred games were educational. Parent education about the influence of the media should include recommendations to monitor game playing and influence game selection.

Preschool Children's Outdoor Play Area Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Robyn M.; Procaccino, Jill K.

2009-01-01

This study explores preschool children's outdoor play preferences. The sample was 40 (20 male, 20 female) primarily European-American three and four year olds. Data were collected via naturalistic observation and analyzed using repeated measures ANOVAs and MANOVAs. The independent variable was sex of child; dependent variable was play space…

Mere exposure and the endowment effect on consumer decision making.

PubMed

Tom, Gail; Nelson, Carolyn; Srzentic, Tamara; King, Ryan

2007-03-01

Previous researchers (e.g., J. A. Bargh, 1992, 2002) demonstrated the importance of nonconscious processes on consumer choice behavior. Using an advertisement, the authors determined the effect of two nonconscious processes--the mere exposure effect, which increases object preference by increasing consumer exposure to an object, and the endowment effect, which increases object valuation by providing consumer possession of an object--on consumer behavior. Although the mere exposure effect and endowment effect did not produce an interaction, they produced independent effects. The endowment effect increased object valuation but not object preference. The mere exposure effect increased object preference but not object valuation. Thus, at the unconscious level, an increase in object preference does not lead to an increase in object valuation, nor does an increase in object valuation lead to an increase in object preference. The authors discuss the importance of developing measures of unconscious process in advertising effectiveness.

Early androgens, activity levels and toy choices of children in the second year of life.

PubMed

Alexander, Gerianne M; Saenz, Janet

2012-09-01

The hypothesis that stronger preferences for active play styles contribute to stronger preferences for male-typical toys was examined in 47 boys and 37 girls at 19-months of age using ambulatory monitoring technology (i.e., actigraphy) to measure activity levels during contact with male-typical, female-typical, and gender-neutral toys. Digit ratios and salivary testosterone levels were measured earlier in children at 3-4 months of age. There were no significant sex differences in digit ratios, salivary testosterone levels, or overall activity levels during toy play. In contrast, contact times showed large sex differences in infants' toy preferences. The within-sex comparisons showed that infant girls had significant preferences for female-typical toys over male-typical toys, whereas infant boys showed only a small preference for male-typical toys over female-typical toys. More male-typical digit ratios in early infancy predicted higher activity counts during toy play and less female-typical toy preferences in girls. However, in both sexes, activity levels were unrelated to toy preferences suggesting that factors other than activity level preferences contribute to the early emergence of gender-linked toy preferences. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Infants' preferences for toys, colors, and shapes: sex differences and similarities.

PubMed

Jadva, Vasanti; Hines, Melissa; Golombok, Susan

2010-12-01

Girls and boys differ in their preferences for toys such as dolls and trucks. These sex differences are present in infants, are seen in non-human primates, and relate, in part, to prenatal androgen exposure. This evidence of inborn influences on sex-typed toy preferences has led to suggestions that object features, such as the color or the shape of toys, may be of intrinsically different interest to males and females. We used a preferential looking task to examine preferences for different toys, colors, and shapes in 120 infants, ages 12, 18, or 24 months. Girls looked at dolls significantly more than boys did and boys looked at cars significantly more than girls did, irrespective of color, particularly when brightness was controlled. These outcomes did not vary with age. There were no significant sex differences in infants' preferences for different colors or shapes. Instead, both girls and boys preferred reddish colors over blue and rounded over angular shapes. These findings augment prior evidence of sex-typed toy preferences in infants, but suggest that color and shape do not determine these sex differences. In fact, the direction of influence could be the opposite. Girls may learn to prefer pink, for instance, because the toys that they enjoy playing with are often colored pink. Regarding within sex differences, as opposed to differences between boys and girls, both boys and girls preferred dolls to cars at age 12-months. The preference of young boys for dolls over cars suggests that older boys' avoidance of dolls may be acquired. Similarly, the sex similarities in infants' preferences for colors and shapes suggest that any subsequent sex differences in these preferences may arise from socialization or cognitive gender development rather than inborn factors.

InSpire to Promote Lung Assessment in Youth: Evolving the Self-Management Paradigms of Young People With Asthma

PubMed Central

Elias, Pierre; Rajan, Nithin O; Dacso, Clifford C

2013-01-01

Background Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood, disproportionately affecting urban, minority, and disadvantaged children. Individualized care plans supported by daily lung-function monitoring can reduce morbidity and mortality. However, despite 20 years of interventions to increase adherence, only 50% of US youth accurately follow their care plans, which leads to millions of preventable hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and sick days every year. We present a feasibility study of a novel, user-centered approach to increasing young people’s lung-function monitoring and asthma self-care. Promoting Lung Assessment in Youth (PLAY) helps young people become active managers of their asthma through the Web 2.0 principles of participation, cocreation, and information sharing. Specifically, PLAY combines an inexpensive, portable spirometer with the motivational power and convenience of mobile phones and virtual-community gaming. Objective The objective of this study was to develop and pilot test InSpire, a fully functional interface between a handheld spirometer and an interactive game and individualized asthma-care instant-messaging system housed on a mobile phone. Methods InSpire is an application for mobile smartphones that creates a compelling world in which youth collaborate with their physicians on managing their asthma. Drawing from design-theory on global timer mechanics and role playing, we incentivized completing spirometry maneuvers by making them an engaging part of a game young people would want to play. The data can be sent wirelessly to health specialists and return care recommendations to patients in real-time. By making it portable and similar to applications normally desired by the target demographic, InSpire is able to seamlessly incorporate asthma management into their lifestyle. Results We describe the development process of building and testing the InSpire prototype. To our knowledge, the prototype is a first-of-its kind mobile one-stop shop for asthma management. Feasibility testing in children aged 7 to 14 with asthma assessed likability of the graphical user interface as well as young people’s interest in our incentivizing system. Nearly 100% of children surveyed said they would play games like those in PLAY if they involved breathing into a spirometer. Two-thirds said they would prefer PLAY over the spirometer alone, whereas 1/3 would prefer having both. No children said they would prefer the spirometer over PLAY. Conclusions Previous efforts at home-monitoring of asthma in children have experienced rapid decline in adherence. An inexpensive monitoring technology combined with the computation, interactive communication, and display ability of a mobile phone is a promising approach to sustainable adherence to lung-function monitoring and care plans. An exciting game that redefines the way youth conduct health management by inviting them to collaborate in their health better can be an incentive and a catalyst for more far-reaching goals. PMID:25075232

Object of desire self-consciousness theory.

PubMed

Bogaert, Anthony F; Brotto, Lori A

2014-01-01

In this article, the authors discuss the construct of object of desire self-consciousness, the perception that one is romantically and sexually desirable in another's eyes. The authors discuss the nature of the construct, variations in its expression, and how it may function as part of a self-schemata or script related to romance and sexuality. The authors suggest that object of desire self-consciousness may be an adaptive, evolved psychological mechanism allowing sexual and romantic tactics suitable to one's mate value. The authors also suggest that it can act as a signal that one has high mate value in the sexual marketplace. The authors then review literature (e.g., on fantasies, on sexual activity preferences, on sexual dysfunctions, on language) suggesting that object of desire self-consciousness plays a particularly important role in heterosexual women's sexual/romantic functioning and desires.

Short- and long-term effects of nicotine and the histone deacetylase inhibitor phenylbutyrate on novel object recognition in zebrafish.

PubMed

Faillace, M P; Pisera-Fuster, A; Medrano, M P; Bejarano, A C; Bernabeu, R O

2017-03-01

Zebrafish have a sophisticated color- and shape-sensitive visual system, so we examined color cue-based novel object recognition in zebrafish. We evaluated preference in the absence or presence of drugs that affect attention and memory retention in rodents: nicotine and the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) phenylbutyrate (PhB). The objective of this study was to evaluate whether nicotine and PhB affect innate preferences of zebrafish for familiar and novel objects after short- and long-retention intervals. We developed modified object recognition (OR) tasks using neutral novel and familiar objects in different colors. We also tested objects which differed with respect to the exploratory behavior they elicited from naïve zebrafish. Zebrafish showed an innate preference for exploring red or green objects rather than yellow or blue objects. Zebrafish were better at discriminating color changes than changes in object shape or size. Nicotine significantly enhanced or changed short-term innate novel object preference whereas PhB had similar effects when preference was assessed 24 h after training. Analysis of other zebrafish behaviors corroborated these results. Zebrafish were innately reluctant or prone to explore colored novel objects, so drug effects on innate preference for objects can be evaluated changing the color of objects with a simple geometry. Zebrafish exhibited recognition memory for novel objects with similar innate significance. Interestingly, nicotine and PhB significantly modified innate object preference.

Rural N(SO) and German middle-class mothers' interaction with their 3- and 6-month-old infants: A longitudinal cross-cultural analysis.

PubMed

Lamm, Bettina; Gudi, Helene; Fassbender, Ina; Freitag, Claudia; Graf, Frauke; Goertz, Claudia; Spangler, Sibylle; Teubert, Manuel; Knopf, Monika; Lohaus, Arnold; Schwarzer, Gudrun; Keller, Heidi

2015-08-01

This study aims to analyze culture-specific development of maternal interactional behavior longitudinally. Rural Cameroonian Nso mothers (n = 72) and German middle-class mothers (n = 106) were observed in free-play interactions with their 3- and 6-month-old infants. Results reveal the expected shift from a social to a nonsocial focus only in the German middle-class mothers' play interactions but not the rural Nso mothers' play. Nso mothers continue their proximal interactional style with a focus on body contact and body stimulation, whereas German middle-class mothers prefer a distal style of interaction with increasing object-centeredness. These cultural differences are in line with broader cultural models and become more accentuated as the infants grow older. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

"I Want to Play Alone": Assessment and Correlates of Self-Reported Preference for Solitary Play in Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coplan, Robert J.; Ooi, Laura L.; Rose-Krasnor, Linda; Nocita, Gabriella

2014-01-01

The goal of this study was to develop and validate an interview assessment of "preference for solitary activities" for use with young children. We also tested the postulation that negative peer experiences would heighten preference for solitude, particularly among young shy children. Participants were N?=?193 children (87 boys, 106…

Color preferences change after experience with liked/disliked colored objects.

PubMed

Strauss, Eli D; Schloss, Karen B; Palmer, Stephen E

2013-10-01

How are color preferences formed, and can they be changed by affective experiences with correspondingly colored objects? We examined these questions by testing whether affectively polarized experiences with images of colored objects would cause changes in color preferences. Such changes are implied by the ecological valence theory (EVT), which posits that color preferences are determined by people's average affective responses to correspondingly colored objects (Palmer & Schloss, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107, 8877-8882, 2010). Seeing images of strongly liked (and disliked) red and green objects, therefore, should lead to increased (and decreased) preferences for correspondingly colored red and green color patches. Experiment 1 showed that this crossover interaction did occur, but only if participants were required to evaluate their preferences for the colored objects when they saw them. Experiment 2 showed that these overall changes decreased substantially over a 24-h delay, but the degree to which the effect lasted for individuals covaried with the magnitude of the effects immediately after object exposure. Experiment 3 demonstrated a similar, but weaker, effect of affectively biased changes in color preferences when participants did not see, but only imagined, the colored objects. The overall pattern of results indicated that color preferences are not fixed, but rather are shaped by affective experiences with colored objects. Possible explanations for the observed changes in color preferences were considered in terms of associative learning through evaluative conditioning and/or priming of prior knowledge in memory.

Most and Least Preferred Colours Differ According to Object Context: New Insights from an Unrestricted Colour Range

PubMed Central

Jonauskaite, Domicele; Mohr, Christine; Antonietti, Jean-Philippe; Spiers, Peter M.; Althaus, Betty; Anil, Selin; Dael, Nele

2016-01-01

Humans like some colours and dislike others, but which particular colours and why remains to be understood. Empirical studies on colour preferences generally targeted most preferred colours, but rarely least preferred (disliked) colours. In addition, findings are often based on general colour preferences leaving open the question whether results generalise to specific objects. Here, 88 participants selected the colours they preferred most and least for three context conditions (general, interior walls, t-shirt) using a high-precision colour picker. Participants also indicated whether they associated their colour choice to a valenced object or concept. The chosen colours varied widely between individuals and contexts and so did the reasons for their choices. Consistent patterns also emerged, as most preferred colours in general were more chromatic, while for walls they were lighter and for t-shirts they were darker and less chromatic compared to least preferred colours. This meant that general colour preferences could not explain object specific colour preferences. Measures of the selection process further revealed that, compared to most preferred colours, least preferred colours were chosen more quickly and were less often linked to valenced objects or concepts. The high intra- and inter-individual variability in this and previous reports furthers our understanding that colour preferences are determined by subjective experiences and that most and least preferred colours are not processed equally. PMID:27022909

Most and Least Preferred Colours Differ According to Object Context: New Insights from an Unrestricted Colour Range.

PubMed

Jonauskaite, Domicele; Mohr, Christine; Antonietti, Jean-Philippe; Spiers, Peter M; Althaus, Betty; Anil, Selin; Dael, Nele

2016-01-01

Humans like some colours and dislike others, but which particular colours and why remains to be understood. Empirical studies on colour preferences generally targeted most preferred colours, but rarely least preferred (disliked) colours. In addition, findings are often based on general colour preferences leaving open the question whether results generalise to specific objects. Here, 88 participants selected the colours they preferred most and least for three context conditions (general, interior walls, t-shirt) using a high-precision colour picker. Participants also indicated whether they associated their colour choice to a valenced object or concept. The chosen colours varied widely between individuals and contexts and so did the reasons for their choices. Consistent patterns also emerged, as most preferred colours in general were more chromatic, while for walls they were lighter and for t-shirts they were darker and less chromatic compared to least preferred colours. This meant that general colour preferences could not explain object specific colour preferences. Measures of the selection process further revealed that, compared to most preferred colours, least preferred colours were chosen more quickly and were less often linked to valenced objects or concepts. The high intra- and inter-individual variability in this and previous reports furthers our understanding that colour preferences are determined by subjective experiences and that most and least preferred colours are not processed equally.

Visual systemizing preference in children with autism: A randomized controlled trial of intranasal oxytocin.

PubMed

Strathearn, Lane; Kim, Sohye; Bastian, D Anthony; Jung, Jennifer; Iyengar, Udita; Martinez, Sheila; Goin-Kochel, Robin P; Fonagy, Peter

2018-05-01

Several studies have suggested that the neuropeptide oxytocin may enhance aspects of social communication in autism. Little is known, however, about its effects on nonsocial manifestations, such as restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. In the empathizing-systemizing theory of autism, social deficits are described along the continuum of empathizing ability, whereas nonsocial aspects are characterized in terms of an increased preference for patterned or rule-based systems, called systemizing. We therefore developed an automated eye-tracking task to test whether children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to matched controls display a visual preference for more highly organized and structured (systemized) real-life images. Then, as part of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, we examined the effect of intranasal oxytocin on systemizing preferences in 16 male children with ASD, compared with 16 matched controls. Participants viewed 14 slides, each containing four related pictures (e.g., of people, animals, scenes, or objects) that differed primarily on the degree of systemizing. Visual systemizing preference was defined in terms of the fixation time and count for each image. Unlike control subjects who showed no gaze preference, individuals with ASD preferred to fixate on more highly systemized pictures. Intranasal oxytocin eliminated this preference in ASD participants, who now showed a similar response to control subjects on placebo. In contrast, control participants increased their visual preference for more systemized images after receiving oxytocin versus placebo. These results suggest that, in addition to its effects on social communication, oxytocin may play a role in some of the nonsocial manifestations of autism.

Recognition memory in tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri) after repeated familiarization sessions.

PubMed

Khani, Abbas; Rainer, Gregor

2012-07-01

Recognition memories are formed during perceptual experience and allow subsequent recognition of previously encountered objects as well as their distinction from novel objects. As a consequence, novel objects are generally explored longer than familiar objects by many species. This novelty preference has been documented in rodents using the novel object recognition (NOR) test, as well is in primates including humans using preferential looking time paradigms. Here, we examine novelty preference using the NOR task in tree shrew, a small animal species that is considered to be an intermediary between rodents and primates. Our paradigm consisted of three phases: arena familiarization, object familiarization sessions with two identical objects in the arena and finally a test session following a 24-h retention period with a familiar and a novel object in the arena. We employed two different object familiarization durations: one and three sessions on consecutive days. After three object familiarization sessions, tree shrews exhibited robust preference for novel objects on the test day. This was accompanied by significant reduction in familiar object exploration time, occurring largely between the first and second day of object familiarization. By contrast, tree shrews did not show a significant preference for the novel object after a one-session object familiarization. Nonetheless, they spent significantly less time exploring the familiar object on the test day compared to the object familiarization day, indicating that they did maintain a memory trace for the familiar object. Our study revealed different time courses for familiar object habituation and emergence of novelty preference, suggesting that novelty preference is dependent on well-consolidated memory of the competing familiar object. Taken together, our results demonstrate robust novelty preference of tree shrews, in general similarity to previous findings in rodents and primates. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influencing preschoolers' free-play activity preferences: an evaluation of satiation and embedded reinforcement.

PubMed

Hanley, Gregory P; Tiger, Jeffrey H; Ingvarsson, Einar T; Cammilleri, Anthony P

2009-01-01

The present study evaluated the effects of classwide satiation and embedded reinforcement procedures on preschoolers' activity preferences during scheduled free-play periods. The goal of the study was to increase time allocation to originally nonpreferred, but important, activities (instructional zone, library, and science) while continuing to provide access to all free-play activities. The satiation intervention applied to preferred activities resulted in increased time allocation to the instructional and science activities, the customized embedded reinforcement interventions resulted in increased time allocation to all three target activities, and high levels of attendance to the instructional and library activities were maintained during follow-up observations. Implications for the design of preschool free-play periods are discussed.

Man versus machine: the preferred modality.

PubMed

Sanko, Jill; Shekhter, Ilya; Rosen, Lisa; Arheart, Kristopher; Birnbach, David

2012-12-01

When learning objectives do not specifically dictate the use of one simulation modality over another, we sought to answer the question of which modality is preferred. We also assessed the impact of debriefing, and the frequency of participants asserting their leadership, as well as self-reported comfort and competence, and the ability to generate differential diagnoses when either a standardised patient (SP) or high-technology simulator (HTS) was used. One hundred and forty medical students participated in a simulation-based activity focusing on teamwork, task delegation, role clarity and effective communication. Two similar clinical scenarios were presented, and either an HTS or an SP was used. Following each scenario, participants were surveyed on the realism of the simulation and the patient, and also on their self-assessed comfort and competence. They were also asked to indicate which role they played, to list possible differential diagnoses for the case and, following the second scenario, which modality they preferred. The surveys indicated that 91 per cent (127) of students preferred the SP. The perceived realism of the simulation was higher for the second scenario than for the first. Scenarios with an SP were found to be significantly more realistic than the scenarios where the HTS was used. Comfort and competence scores were higher following the second scenario. No differences in the ability of participants to generate a list of differentials were found, and nearly twice as many participants reported taking the leadership role during their second simulation. We have found low and high technology to have similar effectiveness for achieving learning objectives and for the demonstration of skills; however, students clearly preferred the SPs. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

Something Old, Something New: A Developmental Transition from Familiarity to Novelty Preferences with Hidden Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shinskey, Jeanne L.; Munakata, Yuko

2010-01-01

Novelty seeking is viewed as adaptive, and novelty preferences in infancy predict cognitive performance into adulthood. Yet 7-month-olds prefer familiar stimuli to novel ones when searching for hidden objects, in contrast to their strong novelty preferences with visible objects (Shinskey & Munakata, 2005). According to a graded representations…

Suspected Motor Problems and Low Preference for Active Play in Childhood Are Associated with Physical Inactivity and Low Fitness in Adolescence

PubMed Central

Kantomaa, Marko T.; Purtsi, Jarno; Taanila, Anja M.; Remes, Jouko; Viholainen, Helena; Rintala, Pauli; Ahonen, Timo; Tammelin, Tuija H.

2011-01-01

Background This prospective longitudinal study investigates whether suspected motor problems and low preference for active play in childhood are associated with physical inactivity and low cardiorespiratory fitness in adolescence. Methodology/Principal Findings The study sample consisted of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (NFBC 1986) composed of 5,767 children whose parents responded to a postal inquiry concerning their children's motor skills at age 8 years and who themselves reported their physical activity at age 16 years. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured with a cycle ergometer test at age 16 years. Odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the level of physical activity and fitness were obtained from multinomial logistic regression and adjusted for socio-economic position and body mass index. Low preference for active play in childhood was associated with physical inactivity (boys: OR 3.31, 95% CI 2.42–4.53; girls: OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.36–2.36) and low cardiorespiratory fitness (boys: OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.27–2.74; girls: OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.09–2.11) in adolescence. Suspected gross (OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.33–3.49) and fine (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.35–2.60) motor problems were associated with physical inactivity among boys. Children with suspected motor problems and low preference for active play tended to have an even higher risk of physical inactivity in adolescence. Conclusions/Significance Low preference for active play in childhood was associated with physical inactivity and low cardiorespiratory fitness in adolescence. Furthermore, children with suspected motor problems and low preference for active play tended to have an even higher risk of physical inactivity in adolescence. Identification of children who do not prefer active play and who have motor problems may allow targeted interventions to support their motor learning and participation in active play and thereby promote their physical activity and fitness in later life. PMID:21267447

Video game playing and its relations with aggressive and prosocial behaviour.

PubMed

Wiegman, O; van Schie, E G

1998-09-01

In this study of 278 children from the seventh and eighth grade of five elementary schools in Enschede, The Netherlands, the relationship between the amount of time children spent on playing video games and aggressive as well as prosocial behaviour was investigated. In addition, the relationship between the preference for aggressive video games and aggressive and prosocial behaviour was studied. No significant relationship was found between video game use in general and aggressive behaviour, but a significant negative relationship with prosocial behaviour was supported. However, separate analyses for boys and girls did not reveal this relationship. More consistent results were found for the preference for aggressive video games: children, especially boys, who preferred aggressive video games were more aggressive and showed less prosocial behaviour than those with a low preference for these games. Further analyses showed that children who preferred playing aggressive video games tended to be less intelligent.

PGA/MOEAD: a preference-guided evolutionary algorithm for multi-objective decision-making problems with interval-valued fuzzy preferences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Bin; Lin, Lin; Zhong, ShiSheng

2018-02-01

In this research, we propose a preference-guided optimisation algorithm for multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems with interval-valued fuzzy preferences. The interval-valued fuzzy preferences are decomposed into a series of precise and evenly distributed preference-vectors (reference directions) regarding the objectives to be optimised on the basis of uniform design strategy firstly. Then the preference information is further incorporated into the preference-vectors based on the boundary intersection approach, meanwhile, the MCDM problem with interval-valued fuzzy preferences is reformulated into a series of single-objective optimisation sub-problems (each sub-problem corresponds to a decomposed preference-vector). Finally, a preference-guided optimisation algorithm based on MOEA/D (multi-objective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition) is proposed to solve the sub-problems in a single run. The proposed algorithm incorporates the preference-vectors within the optimisation process for guiding the search procedure towards a more promising subset of the efficient solutions matching the interval-valued fuzzy preferences. In particular, lots of test instances and an engineering application are employed to validate the performance of the proposed algorithm, and the results demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the algorithm.

Development of spatial preferences for counting and picture naming.

PubMed

Knudsen, Birgit; Fischer, Martin H; Aschersleben, Gisa

2015-11-01

The direction of object enumeration reflects children's enculturation but previous work on the development of such spatial preferences has been inconsistent. Therefore, we documented directional preferences in finger counting, object counting, and picture naming for children (4 groups from 3 to 6 years, N = 104) and adults (N = 56). We found a right-side preference for finger counting in 3- to 6-year-olds and a left-side preference for counting objects and naming pictures by 6 years of age. Children were consistent in their special preferences when comparing object counting and picture naming, but not in other task pairings. Finally, spatial preferences were not related to cardinality comprehension. These results, together with other recent work, suggest a gradual development of spatial-numerical associations from early non-directional mappings into culturally constrained directional mappings.

Social categories guide young children's preferences for novel objects

PubMed Central

Shutts, Kristin; Banaji, Mahzarin R.; Spelke, Elizabeth S.

2009-01-01

To whom do children look when deciding on their own preferences? To address this question, three-year-old children were asked to choose between objects or activities that were endorsed by unfamiliar people who differed in gender, race (White, Black), or age (child, adult). In Experiment 1, children demonstrated robust preferences for objects and activities endorsed by children of their own gender, but less consistent preferences for objects and activities endorsed by children of their own race. In Experiment 2, children selected objects and activities favored by people of their own gender and age. In neither study did most children acknowledge the influence of these social categories. These findings suggest that gender and age categories are encoded spontaneously and influence children's preferences and choices. For young children, gender and age may be more powerful guides to preferences than race. PMID:20590724

Influencing Preschoolers' Free-Play Activity Preferences: An Evaluation of Satiation and Embedded Reinforcement

PubMed Central

Hanley, Gregory P; Tiger, Jeffrey H; Ingvarsson, Einar T; Cammilleri, Anthony P

2009-01-01

The present study evaluated the effects of classwide satiation and embedded reinforcement procedures on preschoolers' activity preferences during scheduled free-play periods. The goal of the study was to increase time allocation to originally nonpreferred, but important, activities (instructional zone, library, and science) while continuing to provide access to all free-play activities. The satiation intervention applied to preferred activities resulted in increased time allocation to the instructional and science activities, the customized embedded reinforcement interventions resulted in increased time allocation to all three target activities, and high levels of attendance to the instructional and library activities were maintained during follow-up observations. Implications for the design of preschool free-play periods are discussed. PMID:19721728

Exploring the links between personality traits and motivations to play online games.

PubMed

Park, Jowon; Song, Yosep; Teng, Ching-I

2011-12-01

The present study explores the links between personality traits and motivations to play online games. We identified the underlying dimensions of motivations to play online games, examined how personality traits predict motivation, and investigated how personality traits predict online gaming behavior (i.e., playing time and preference for game genres). Factor analyses identified five motivational factors: relationships, adventure, escapism, relaxation, and achievement. The regression analyses indicated that two personality traits, extraversion and agreeableness, predicted various motivations; however, personality traits did not affect the playing time and game genre preference.

Dissociation of Self-Motion and Object Motion by Linear Population Decoding That Approximates Marginalization.

PubMed

Sasaki, Ryo; Angelaki, Dora E; DeAngelis, Gregory C

2017-11-15

We use visual image motion to judge the movement of objects, as well as our own movements through the environment. Generally, image motion components caused by object motion and self-motion are confounded in the retinal image. Thus, to estimate heading, the brain would ideally marginalize out the effects of object motion (or vice versa), but little is known about how this is accomplished neurally. Behavioral studies suggest that vestibular signals play a role in dissociating object motion and self-motion, and recent computational work suggests that a linear decoder can approximate marginalization by taking advantage of diverse multisensory representations. By measuring responses of MSTd neurons in two male rhesus monkeys and by applying a recently-developed method to approximate marginalization by linear population decoding, we tested the hypothesis that vestibular signals help to dissociate self-motion and object motion. We show that vestibular signals stabilize tuning for heading in neurons with congruent visual and vestibular heading preferences, whereas they stabilize tuning for object motion in neurons with discrepant preferences. Thus, vestibular signals enhance the separability of joint tuning for object motion and self-motion. We further show that a linear decoder, designed to approximate marginalization, allows the population to represent either self-motion or object motion with good accuracy. Decoder weights are broadly consistent with a readout strategy, suggested by recent computational work, in which responses are decoded according to the vestibular preferences of multisensory neurons. These results demonstrate, at both single neuron and population levels, that vestibular signals help to dissociate self-motion and object motion. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The brain often needs to estimate one property of a changing environment while ignoring others. This can be difficult because multiple properties of the environment may be confounded in sensory signals. The brain can solve this problem by marginalizing over irrelevant properties to estimate the property-of-interest. We explore this problem in the context of self-motion and object motion, which are inherently confounded in the retinal image. We examine how diversity in a population of multisensory neurons may be exploited to decode self-motion and object motion from the population activity of neurons in macaque area MSTd. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/3711204-16$15.00/0.

Performance in Object-Choice Aesop's Fable Tasks Are Influenced by Object Biases in New Caledonian Crows but not in Human Children.

PubMed

Miller, Rachael; Jelbert, Sarah A; Taylor, Alex H; Cheke, Lucy G; Gray, Russell D; Loissel, Elsa; Clayton, Nicola S

2016-01-01

The ability to reason about causality underlies key aspects of human cognition, but the extent to which non-humans understand causality is still largely unknown. The Aesop's Fable paradigm, where objects are inserted into water-filled tubes to obtain out-of-reach rewards, has been used to test casual reasoning in birds and children. However, success on these tasks may be influenced by other factors, specifically, object preferences present prior to testing or arising during pre-test stone-dropping training. Here, we assessed this 'object-bias' hypothesis by giving New Caledonian crows and 5-10 year old children two object-choice Aesop's Fable experiments: sinking vs. floating objects, and solid vs. hollow objects. Before each test, we assessed subjects' object preferences and/or trained them to prefer the alternative object. Both crows and children showed pre-test object preferences, suggesting that birds in previous Aesop's Fable studies may also have had initial preferences for objects that proved to be functional on test. After training to prefer the non-functional object, crows, but not children, performed more poorly on these two object-choice Aesop's Fable tasks than subjects in previous studies. Crows dropped the non-functional objects into the tube on their first trials, indicating that, unlike many children, they do not appear to have an a priori understanding of water displacement. Alternatively, issues with inhibition could explain their performance. The crows did, however, learn to solve the tasks over time. We tested crows further to determine whether their eventual success was based on learning about the functional properties of the objects, or associating dropping the functional object with reward. Crows inserted significantly more rewarded, non-functional objects than non-rewarded, functional objects. These findings suggest that the ability of New Caledonian crows to produce performances rivaling those of young children on object-choice Aesop's Fable tasks is partly due to pre-existing object preferences.

When Preferences Are in the Way: Children's Predictions of Goal-Directed Behaviors.

PubMed

Yang, Fan; Frye, Douglas

2017-12-18

Across three studies, we examined 4- to 7-year-olds' predictions of goal-directed behaviors when goals conflict with preferences. In Study 1, when presented with stories in which a character had to act against basic preferences to achieve an interpersonal goal (e.g., playing with a partner), 6- and 7-year-olds were more likely than 4- and 5-year-olds to predict the actor would act in accordance with the goal to play with the partner, instead of fulfilling the basic preference of playing a favored activity. Similar results were obtained in Study 2 with scenarios that each involved a single individual pursuing intrapersonal goals that conflicted with his or her basic preferences. In Study 3, younger children's predictions of goal-directed behaviors did not increase for novel goals and preferences, when the influences of their own preferences, future thinking, or a lack of impulse control were minimized. The results suggest that between ages 4 and 7, children increasingly integrate and give more weight to other sources of motivational information (e.g., goals) in addition to preferences when predicting people's behaviors. This increasing awareness may have implications for children's self-regulatory and goal pursuit behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

The effects of short-term and long-term learning on the responses of lateral intraparietal neurons to visually presented objects

PubMed Central

Sigurdardottir, Heida M.; Sheinberg, David L.

2015-01-01

The lateral intraparietal area (LIP) of the dorsal visual stream is thought to play an important role in visually directed orienting, or the guidance of where to look and pay attention. LIP can also respond selectively to differently shaped objects. We sought to understand how and to what extent short-term and long-term experience with visual orienting can determine the nature of responses of LIP neurons to objects of different shapes. We taught monkeys to arbitrarily associate centrally presented objects of various shapes with orienting either toward or away from a preferred peripheral spatial location of a neuron. For some objects the training lasted for less than a single day, while for other objects the training lasted for several months. We found that neural responses to visual objects are affected both by such short-term and long-term experience, but that the length of the learning period determines exactly how this neural plasticity manifests itself. Short-term learning over the course of a single training session affects neural responses to objects, but these effects are only seen relatively late after visual onset; at this time, the neural responses to newly learned objects start to resemble those of familiar over-learned objects that share their meaning or arbitrary association. Long-term learning, on the other hand, affects the earliest and apparently bottom-up responses to visual objects. These responses tend to be greater for objects that have repeatedly been associated with looking toward, rather than away from, LIP neurons’ preferred spatial locations. Responses to objects can nonetheless be distinct even though the objects have both been similarly acted on in the past and will lead to the same orienting behavior in the future. Our results therefore also indicate that a complete experience-driven override of LIP object responses is difficult or impossible. PMID:25633647

Type of iconicity matters in the vocabulary development of signing children.

PubMed

Ortega, Gerardo; Sümer, Beyza; Özyürek, Aslı

2017-01-01

Recent research on signed as well as spoken language shows that the iconic features of the target language might play a role in language development. Here, we ask further whether different types of iconic depictions modulate children's preferences for certain types of sign-referent links during vocabulary development in sign language. Results from a picture description task indicate that lexical signs with 2 possible variants are used in different proportions by deaf signers from different age groups. While preschool and school-age children favored variants representing actions associated with their referent (e.g., a writing hand for the sign PEN), adults preferred variants representing the perceptual features of those objects (e.g., upward index finger representing a thin, elongated object for the sign PEN). Deaf parents interacting with their children, however, used action- and perceptual-based variants in equal proportion and favored action variants more than adults signing to other adults. We propose that when children are confronted with 2 variants for the same concept, they initially prefer action-based variants because they give them the opportunity to link a linguistic label to familiar schemas linked to their action/motor experiences. Our results echo findings showing a bias for action-based depictions in the development of iconic co-speech gestures suggesting a modality bias for such representations during development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Sex differences in rhesus monkey toy preferences parallel those of children

PubMed Central

Hassett, Janice M.; Siebert, Erin R.; Wallen, Kim

2008-01-01

Socialization processes, parents, or peers encouraging play with gender specific toys are thought to be the primary force shaping sex differences in toy preference. A contrast in view is that toy preferences reflect biologically determined preferences for specific activities facilitated by specific toys. Sex differences in juvenile activities, such as rough and tumble play, peer preferences, and infant interest, share similarities in humans and monkeys. Thus if activity preferences shape toy preferences, male and female monkeys may show toy preferences similar to those seen in boys and girls. We compared the interactions of 34 rhesus monkeys, living within a 135 monkey troop, with human wheeled toys and plush toys. Male monkeys, like boys, showed consistent and strong preferences for wheeled toys, while female monkeys, like girls, showed greater variability in preferences. Thus, the magnitude of preference for wheeled over plush toys differed significantly between males and females. The similarities to human findings demonstrate that such preferences can develop without explicit gendered socialization. We offer the hypothesis that toy preferences reflect hormonally influenced behavioral and cognitive biases which are sculpted by social processes into the sex differences seen in monkeys and humans. PMID:18452921

Sex-related preferences for real and doll’s faces versus real and toy objects in young infants and adults

PubMed Central

Escudero, Paola; Robbins, Rachel A.; Johnson, Scott P.

2013-01-01

Findings of previous studies demonstrate sex-related preferences for toys in 6-month-old infants: Boys prefer non-social or mechanical toys such as cars, while girls prefer social toys such as dolls. Here, we explored the innate versus learned nature of this sex-related preferences using multiple pictures of doll and real faces (of men and women) as well as pictures of toy and real objects (cars and stoves). Forty-eight 4- and 5-month-old infants (24 girls) and 48 young adults (24 women) saw six trials of all relevant pairs of faces and objects, with each trial containing a different exemplar of a stimulus type. The infant results showed no sex-related preferences; infants preferred faces of men and women, regardless of whether they were real or doll’s faces. Similarly, adults did not show sex-related preferences for social versus non-social stimuli, but, unlike infants, they preferred faces of the opposite sex over objects. These results challenge claims of an innate basis for sex-related preferences for toy and real stimuli preferences (Connellan et al., 2000) and suggest that sex-related preferences result from maturational and social development, which continues into adulthood. PMID:23933180

Student Preferences on Gaming Aspects for a Serious Game in Pharmacy Practice Education: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Chang, Huan Ying; Poh, David Yan Hong; Wong, Li Lian; Yap, John Yin Gwee

2015-01-01

Background Serious games are motivating and provide a safe environment for students to learn from their mistakes without experiencing any negative consequences from their actions. However, little is known about students’ gaming preferences and the types of serious games they like to play for education. Objective This study aims to determine the types of gaming aspects that students would like to play in a pharmacy-related serious game. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered survey, which obtained students’ responses on their preferences regarding various gaming aspects (reward systems, game settings, storylines, viewing perspectives, and gaming styles) and for a hypothetical gaming scenario (authentic simulation or post-apocalyptic fantasy). Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and Fisher’s exact tests were used for statistical analyses. Results Response rate was 72.7% (497/684 undergraduates). The most popular game reward systems were unlocking mechanisms (112/497, 22.5%) and experience points (90/497, 18.1%). Most students preferred fantasy/medieval/mythic (253/497, 50.9%) and modern (117/497, 23.5%) settings, but lower year undergraduates preferred modern settings less than upper year seniors (47/236, 19.9% vs 70/242, 28.9%, P=.022). Almost one-third (147/497, 29.6%) preferred an adventurer storyline or an authentic pharmacy-related plot (119/497, 23.9%), and a collaborative game style was most preferred by the students (182/497, 36.6%). Three-dimensional game perspectives (270/497, 54.3%) were more popular than two-dimensional perspectives (221/497, 44.5%), especially among males than females (126/185, 68.1% vs 142/303, 46.9%, P<.001). In terms of choice for a pharmacy-related serious game, a post-apocalyptic fantasy game (scenario B, 287/497, 57.7%) was more popular than an authentic simulation game (scenario A, 209/497, 42.1%). More males preferred the post-apocalyptic fantasy scenario than females (129/187, 69.0% vs 155/306, 50.7%, P<.001). Conclusions In general, students want a three-dimensional, fantasy/medieval/mythic post-apocalyptic game, based on an adventurer storyline with an unlocking mechanism reward system. A balance between real-life and fantasy elements needs to be struck in order for the game to cater students towards health care practices. PMID:27731304

The role of scientists in statutory interpretation of the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

PubMed

Wilhere, George F

2017-04-01

Like many federal statutes, the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) contains vague or ambiguous language. The meaning imparted to the ESA's unclear language can profoundly impact the fates of endangered and threatened species. Hence, conservation scientists should contribute to the interpretation of the ESA when vague or ambiguous language contains scientific words or refers to scientific concepts. Scientists need to know at least these 2 facts about statutory interpretation: statutory interpretation is subjective and the potential influence of normative values results in different expectations for the parties involved. With the possible exception of judges, all conventional participants in statutory interpretation are serving their own interests, advocating for their preferred policies, or biased. Hence, scientists can play a unique role by informing the interpretative process with objective, policy-neutral information. Conversely, scientists may act as advocates for their preferred interpretation of unclear statutory language. The different roles scientists might play in statutory interpretation raise the issues of advocacy and competency. Advocating for a preferred statutory interpretation is legitimate political behavior by scientists, but statutory interpretation can be strongly influenced by normative values. Therefore, scientists must be careful not to commit stealth policy advocacy. Most conservation scientists lack demonstrable competence in statutory interpretation and therefore should consult or collaborate with lawyers when interpreting statutes. Professional scientific societies are widely perceived by the public as unbiased sources of objective information. Therefore, professional scientific societies should remain policy neutral and present all interpretations of unclear statutory language; explain the semantics and science both supporting and contradicting each interpretation; and describe the potential consequences of implementing each interpretation. A review of scientists' interpretations of the phrase "significant portion of its range" in the ESA is used to critique the role of scientists and professional societies in statutory interpretation. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

The Physiologic and Behavioral Implications of Playing Active and Sedentary Video Games in a Seated and Standing Position.

PubMed

Sanders, Gabriel J; Rebold, Michael; Peacock, Corey A; Williamson, Meagan L; Santo, Antonio S; Barkley, Jacob E

Previous studies have assessed physiologic response while playing video games per manufacturer instructions with participants standing during active video game play and seated during sedentary game play. It is not known whether an assigned seated or standing position affects positional preference and oxygen consumption (VO2) while gaming. The purpose of the study was to assess VO2 and preference of playing active and sedentary video games in a seated and standing position. VO2 was assessed in 25 participants during four, 20-minute conditions; resting, PlayStation 2 Madden NFL Football 2011, Nintendo Wii-Sports Boxing and Nintendo Wii Madden NFL Football 2011. Each condition was divided into two positional conditions (10 minutes seated, 10 minutes standing) and each participant indicated their positional preference after each 20-minute condition. Standing VO2 (4.4 ± 0.2 ml • kg-1 • min-1 PS2, 4.6 ± 0.1 ml • kg-1 • min-1 Wii Madden, 6.8 ± 0.3 ml • kg-1 • min-1Wii Boxing) was significantly (p ≤ 0.001) greater than seated VO2 (4.0 ± 0.1 ml • kg-1 • min-1 PS2, 4.2 ± 0.1 ml • kg-1 • min-1 Wii Madden, 6.1 ± 0.3 ml • kg-1 • min-1Wii Boxing) for each gaming condition. Participants preferred (p ≤ 0.001) to sit for all gaming conditions except Wii Boxing. Playing video games while standing increases VO2 to a greater extent than playing the same games in a seated position. Standing was only preferred for the most physiologically challenging game, Wii Boxing. Gaming position should be considered when assessing the physiologic and behavioral outcomes of playing video games.

The Physiologic and Behavioral Implications of Playing Active and Sedentary Video Games in a Seated and Standing Position

PubMed Central

SANDERS, GABRIEL J.; REBOLD, MICHAEL; PEACOCK, COREY A.; WILLIAMSON, MEAGAN L.; SANTO, ANTONIO S.; BARKLEY, JACOB E.

2014-01-01

Previous studies have assessed physiologic response while playing video games per manufacturer instructions with participants standing during active video game play and seated during sedentary game play. It is not known whether an assigned seated or standing position affects positional preference and oxygen consumption (VO2) while gaming. The purpose of the study was to assess VO2 and preference of playing active and sedentary video games in a seated and standing position. VO2 was assessed in 25 participants during four, 20-minute conditions; resting, PlayStation 2 Madden NFL Football 2011, Nintendo Wii-Sports Boxing and Nintendo Wii Madden NFL Football 2011. Each condition was divided into two positional conditions (10 minutes seated, 10 minutes standing) and each participant indicated their positional preference after each 20-minute condition. Standing VO2 (4.4 ± 0.2 ml • kg−1 • min−1 PS2, 4.6 ± 0.1 ml • kg−1 • min−1 Wii Madden, 6.8 ± 0.3 ml • kg−1 • min−1Wii Boxing) was significantly (p ≤ 0.001) greater than seated VO2 (4.0 ± 0.1 ml • kg−1 • min−1 PS2, 4.2 ± 0.1 ml • kg−1 • min−1 Wii Madden, 6.1 ± 0.3 ml • kg−1 • min−1Wii Boxing) for each gaming condition. Participants preferred (p ≤ 0.001) to sit for all gaming conditions except Wii Boxing. Playing video games while standing increases VO2 to a greater extent than playing the same games in a seated position. Standing was only preferred for the most physiologically challenging game, Wii Boxing. Gaming position should be considered when assessing the physiologic and behavioral outcomes of playing video games. PMID:27182403

What's that smell? An ecological approach to understanding preferences for familiar odors.

PubMed

Schloss, Karen B; Goldberger, Carolyn S; Palmer, Stephen E; Levitan, Carmel A

2015-01-01

How do odor preferences arise? Following Palmer and Schloss's (2010, PNAS, 107, 8877-8882) ecological valence theory of color preferences, we propose that preference for an odor is determined by preferences for all objects and/or entities associated with that odor. The present results showed that preferences for familiar odors were strongly predicted by average preferences for all things associated with the odors (eg people liked the apple odor which was associated with mostly positive things, such as apples, soap, and candy, but disliked the fish odor, which was associated with mostly negative things, such as dead fish, trash, and vomit). The odor WAVEs (weighted affective valence estimates) performed significantly better than one based on preference for only the namesake object (eg predicting preference for the apple odor based on preference for apples). These results suggest that preferences for familiar odors are based on a summary statistic, coding the valence of previous odor-related experiences. We discuss how this account of odor preferences is consistent with the idea that odor preferences exist to guide organisms to approach beneficial objects and situations and avoid harmful ones.

Influencing Preschoolers' Free-Play Activity Preferences: An Evaluation of Satiation and Embedded Reinforcement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanley, Gregory P.; Tiger, Jeffrey H.; Ingvarsson, Einar T.; Cammilleri, Anthony P.

2009-01-01

The present study evaluated the effects of classwide satiation and embedded reinforcement procedures on preschoolers' activity preferences during scheduled free-play periods. The goal of the study was to increase time allocation to originally nonpreferred, but important, activities (instructional zone, library, and science) while continuing to…

Prenatal sex hormones (maternal and amniotic fluid) and gender-related play behavior in 13-month-old Infants.

PubMed

van de Beek, Cornelieke; van Goozen, Stephanie H M; Buitelaar, Jan K; Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T

2009-02-01

Testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone levels were measured in the second trimester of pregnancy in maternal serum and amniotic fluid, and related to direct observations of gender-related play behavior in 63 male and 63 female offspring at age 13 months. During a structured play session, sex differences in toy preference were found: boys played more with masculine toys than girls (d = .53) and girls played more with feminine toys than boys (d = .35). Normal within-sex variation in prenatal testosterone and estradiol levels was not significantly related to preference for masculine or feminine toys. For progesterone, an unexpected significant positive relationship was found in boys between the level in amniotic fluid and masculine toy preference. The mechanism explaining this relationship is presently not clear, and the finding may be a spurious one. The results of this study may indicate that a hormonal basis for the development of sex-typed toy preferences may manifest itself only after toddlerhood. It may also be that the effect size of this relationship is so small that it should be investigated with more sensitive measures or in larger populations.

Video game use in boys with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, or typical development.

PubMed

Mazurek, Micah O; Engelhardt, Christopher R

2013-08-01

The study objectives were to examine video game use in boys with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared with those with ADHD or typical development (TD) and to examine how specific symptoms and game features relate to problematic video game use across groups. Participants included parents of boys (aged 8-18) with ASD (n = 56), ADHD (n = 44), or TD (n = 41). Questionnaires assessed daily hours of video game use, in-room video game access, video game genres, problematic video game use, ASD symptoms, and ADHD symptoms. Boys with ASD spent more time than did boys with TD playing video games (2.1 vs 1.2 h/d). Both the ASD and ADHD groups had greater in-room video game access and greater problematic video game use than the TD group. Multivariate models showed that inattentive symptoms predicted problematic game use for both the ASD and ADHD groups; and preferences for role-playing games predicted problematic game use in the ASD group only. Boys with ASD spend much more time playing video games than do boys with TD, and boys with ASD and ADHD are at greater risk for problematic video game use than are boys with TD. Inattentive symptoms, in particular, were strongly associated with problematic video game use for both groups, and role-playing game preferences may be an additional risk factor for problematic video game use among children with ASD. These findings suggest a need for longitudinal research to better understand predictors and outcomes of video game use in children with ASD and ADHD.

Sex-related preferences for real and doll faces versus real and toy objects in young infants and adults.

PubMed

Escudero, Paola; Robbins, Rachel A; Johnson, Scott P

2013-10-01

Findings of previous studies demonstrate sex-related preferences for toys in 6-month-old infants; boys prefer nonsocial or mechanical toys such as cars, whereas girls prefer social toys such as dolls. Here, we explored the innate versus learned nature of this sex-related preferences using multiple pictures of doll and real faces (of men and women) as well as pictures of toy and real objects (cars and stoves). In total, 48 4- and 5-month-old infants (24 girls and 24 boys) and 48 young adults (24 women and 24 men) saw six trials of all relevant pairs of faces and objects, with each trial containing a different exemplar of a stimulus type. The infant results showed no sex-related preferences; infants preferred faces of men and women regardless of whether they were real or doll faces. Similarly, adults did not show sex-related preferences for social versus nonsocial stimuli, but unlike infants they preferred faces of the opposite sex over objects. These results challenge claims of an innate basis for sex-related preferences for toy real stimuli and suggest that sex-related preferences result from maturational and social development that continues into adulthood. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Kindergarten Children Prefer Same-Color Peers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finkelstein, Neal W.; Haskins, Ron

1983-01-01

Concludes that Black and White kindergarten children indicate a preference for same-color peers at the beginning of kindergarten, that this preference increases over the school year, and that differences in behavioral style between Blacks and Whites may play a role in same-color preferences. (Author/RH)

Performance in Object-Choice Aesop’s Fable Tasks Are Influenced by Object Biases in New Caledonian Crows but not in Human Children

PubMed Central

Taylor, Alex H.; Cheke, Lucy G.; Gray, Russell D.; Loissel, Elsa; Clayton, Nicola S.

2016-01-01

The ability to reason about causality underlies key aspects of human cognition, but the extent to which non-humans understand causality is still largely unknown. The Aesop’s Fable paradigm, where objects are inserted into water-filled tubes to obtain out-of-reach rewards, has been used to test casual reasoning in birds and children. However, success on these tasks may be influenced by other factors, specifically, object preferences present prior to testing or arising during pre-test stone-dropping training. Here, we assessed this ‘object-bias’ hypothesis by giving New Caledonian crows and 5–10 year old children two object-choice Aesop’s Fable experiments: sinking vs. floating objects, and solid vs. hollow objects. Before each test, we assessed subjects’ object preferences and/or trained them to prefer the alternative object. Both crows and children showed pre-test object preferences, suggesting that birds in previous Aesop’s Fable studies may also have had initial preferences for objects that proved to be functional on test. After training to prefer the non-functional object, crows, but not children, performed more poorly on these two object-choice Aesop’s Fable tasks than subjects in previous studies. Crows dropped the non-functional objects into the tube on their first trials, indicating that, unlike many children, they do not appear to have an a priori understanding of water displacement. Alternatively, issues with inhibition could explain their performance. The crows did, however, learn to solve the tasks over time. We tested crows further to determine whether their eventual success was based on learning about the functional properties of the objects, or associating dropping the functional object with reward. Crows inserted significantly more rewarded, non-functional objects than non-rewarded, functional objects. These findings suggest that the ability of New Caledonian crows to produce performances rivaling those of young children on object-choice Aesop’s Fable tasks is partly due to pre-existing object preferences. PMID:27936242

Scheduling nurses’ shifts at PGI Cikini Hospital

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nainggolan, J. C. T.; Kusumastuti, R. D.

2018-03-01

Hospitals play an essential role in the community by providing medical services to the public. In order to provide high quality medical services, hospitals must manage their resources (including nurses) effectively and efficiently. Scheduling of nurses’ work shifts, in particular, is crucial, and must be conducted carefully to ensure availability and fairness. This research discusses the job scheduling system for nurses in PGI Cikini Hospital, Jakarta with Goal Programming approach. The research objectives are to identify nurse scheduling criteria and find the best schedule that can meet the criteria. The model has hospital regulations (including government regulations) as hard constraints, and nurses’ preferences as soft constraints. We gather primary data (hospital regulations and nurses’ preferences) through interviews with three Head Nurses and distributing questionnaires to fifty nurses. The results show that on the best schedule, all hard constraints can be satisfied. However, only two out of four soft constraints are satisfied. Compared to current scheduling practice, the resulting schedule ensures the availability of nurses as it satisfies all hospital’s regulations and it has a higher level of fairness as it can accommodate some of the nurses’ preferences.

The relationship between violent video games, acculturation, and aggression among Latino adolescents.

PubMed

Escobar-Chaves, S Liliana; Kelder, Steve; Orpinas, Pamela

2002-12-01

Multiple factors are involved in the occurrence of aggressive behavior. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hypotheses that Latino middle school children exposed to higher levels of video game playing will exhibit a higher level of aggression and fighting compared to children exposed to lower levels and that the more acculturated middle school Latino children will play more video games and will prefer more violent video games compared to less acculturated middle school Latino children. This study involved 5,831 students attending eight public schools in Texas. A linear relationship was observed between the time spent playing video games and aggression scores. Higher aggression scores were significantly associated with heavier video playing for boys and girls (p < 0.0001). The more students played video games, the more they fought at school (p < 0.0001). As Latino middle school students were more acculturated, their preference for violent video game playing increased, as well as the amount of time they played video games. Students who reported speaking more Spanish at home and with their friends were less likely to spend large amounts of time playing video games and less likely to prefer violent video games (p < 0.05).

Are consonant intervals music to their ears? Spontaneous acoustic preferences in a nonhuman primate.

PubMed

McDermott, Josh; Hauser, Marc

2004-12-01

Humans find some sounds more pleasing than others; such preferences may underlie our enjoyment of music. To gain insight into the evolutionary origins of these preferences, we explored whether they are present in other animals. We designed a novel method to measure the spontaneous sound preferences of cotton-top tamarins, a species that has been extensively tested for other perceptual abilities. Animals were placed in a V-shaped maze, and their position within the maze controlled their auditory environment. One sound was played when they were in one branch of the maze, and a different sound for the opposite branch; no food was delivered during testing. We used the proportion of time spent in each branch as a measure of preference. The first two experiments were designed as tests of our method. In Experiment 1, we used loud and soft white noise as stimuli; all animals spent most of their time on the side with soft noise. In Experiment 2, tamarins spent more time on the side playing species-specific feeding chirps than on the side playing species-specific distress calls. Together, these two experiments suggest that the method is effective, providing a spontaneous measure of preference. In Experiment 3, however, subjects showed no preference for consonant over dissonant intervals. Finally, tamarins showed no preference in Experiment 4 for a screeching sound (comparable to fingernails on a blackboard) over amplitude-matched white noise. In contrast, humans showed clear preferences for the consonant intervals of Experiment 3 and the white noise of Experiment 4 using the same stimuli and a similar method. We conclude that tamarins' preferences differ qualitatively from those of humans. The preferences that support our capacity for music may, therefore, be unique among the primates, and could be music-specific adaptations.

Navigating and Decoding Dynamic Maps: Gender Preferences and Engagement Differences within- and outside-of Game Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowrie, Tom; Jorgensen, Robyn; Logan, Tracy

2013-01-01

A survey ("n" = 410) revealed statistically significant gender differences between middle school students' preference for playing particular types of games. Subsequent instrumental case studies theorised the "within-game" and "out-of-game" experiences of two middle school students as they played a digital hand-held…

Increasing motivation in robot-aided arm rehabilitation with competitive and cooperative gameplay

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Several strategies have been proposed to improve patient motivation and exercise intensity during robot-aided stroke rehabilitation. One relatively unexplored possibility is two-player gameplay, allowing subjects to compete or cooperate with each other to achieve a common goal. In order to explore the potential of such games, we designed a two-player game played using two ARMin arm rehabilitation robots. Methods The game was an air-hockey task displayed on a computer monitor and controlled using shoulder movements in the ARMin robot. Three game modes were tested: single-player (competing against computer), competitive (competing against human), and cooperative (cooperating with human against computer). All modes were played by 30 unimpaired subjects and 8 impaired chronic stroke subjects. The subjects filled out the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory questionnaire after each game mode, as well as a final questionnaire about game preferences and their personality. Results Nearly all unimpaired subjects preferred playing the two-player game modes to the single-player one, as they enjoyed talking and interacting with another person. However, there were two distinct player groups: one liked the competitive mode but not the cooperative mode while the other liked the cooperative but not the competitive mode. Unimpaired subjects who liked the competitive mode also put significantly more effort into it than into the other modes. Results from impaired subjects were similar, with even impaired subjects over 60 years old enjoying competitive gameplay. The subjects’ personalities roughly predicted which mode they would prefer, which was especially evident in a poorly-matched impaired pair that preferred the single-player mode. Conclusions Results indicate great potential for two-player rehabilitation games, in the form of greater enjoyment as well as potentially more intensive exercise compared to single-player games. However, the right game type needs to be chosen for each subject depending on skill and personality, along with selecting an appropriate co-player. Further studies with patients that are currently enrolled in rehabilitation programs are recommended, and the subjective measures used in our study should be augmented with objective measures such as electromyography. PMID:24739255

Increasing motivation in robot-aided arm rehabilitation with competitive and cooperative gameplay.

PubMed

Novak, Domen; Nagle, Aniket; Keller, Urs; Riener, Robert

2014-04-16

Several strategies have been proposed to improve patient motivation and exercise intensity during robot-aided stroke rehabilitation. One relatively unexplored possibility is two-player gameplay, allowing subjects to compete or cooperate with each other to achieve a common goal. In order to explore the potential of such games, we designed a two-player game played using two ARMin arm rehabilitation robots. The game was an air-hockey task displayed on a computer monitor and controlled using shoulder movements in the ARMin robot. Three game modes were tested: single-player (competing against computer), competitive (competing against human), and cooperative (cooperating with human against computer). All modes were played by 30 unimpaired subjects and 8 impaired chronic stroke subjects. The subjects filled out the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory questionnaire after each game mode, as well as a final questionnaire about game preferences and their personality. Nearly all unimpaired subjects preferred playing the two-player game modes to the single-player one, as they enjoyed talking and interacting with another person. However, there were two distinct player groups: one liked the competitive mode but not the cooperative mode while the other liked the cooperative but not the competitive mode. Unimpaired subjects who liked the competitive mode also put significantly more effort into it than into the other modes. Results from impaired subjects were similar, with even impaired subjects over 60 years old enjoying competitive gameplay. The subjects' personalities roughly predicted which mode they would prefer, which was especially evident in a poorly-matched impaired pair that preferred the single-player mode. Results indicate great potential for two-player rehabilitation games, in the form of greater enjoyment as well as potentially more intensive exercise compared to single-player games. However, the right game type needs to be chosen for each subject depending on skill and personality, along with selecting an appropriate co-player. Further studies with patients that are currently enrolled in rehabilitation programs are recommended, and the subjective measures used in our study should be augmented with objective measures such as electromyography.

Can infants' orientation to social stimuli predict later joint attention skills?

PubMed

Schietecatte, Inge; Roeyers, Herbert; Warreyn, Petra

2012-06-01

From the moment infants are born, they seem to prefer orienting to social stimuli, over objects and non-social stimuli. This preference lasts throughout adulthood and is believed to play a crucial role in social-communicative development. By following up a group of infants at the age of 6, 8, and 12 months, this study explored the role of social orienting in the early development of joint attention skills. The expected association between social orienting and joint attention was partially confirmed. Social orienting in real-life photographs of everyday situations was not related to later joint attention skills, however fixation to the eyes in a neutral face was related to response to joint attention skills, and fixation to the eyes in a dynamic video clip of a talking person was predictive of initiating joint attention skills. Several alternative interpretations of the results are discussed. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

The outlook for aeronautics, 1980 - 2000 - Study report. [trends affecting civil air transportation and defense

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

Trends in civil and military aviation in the period 1980-2000 are examined in terms of the role that NASA should play in aeronautical research and development during this period. Factors considered include the pattern of industry and government relationships, the character of the aircraft to be developed, and the technology advances that will be required as well as demographic, economic, and social factors. Trends are expressed in terms of the most probable developments in civil air transportation and air defense and several characteristically different directions for future development are defined. The longer term opportunities created by developments in air transporation extending into the next century are also examined. Within this framework, a preferred NASA role and a preferred set of objectives are formulated for the research and technology which should be undertaken by NASA during the period 1976-1985.

Play behavior of the golden-headed lion tamarin in Brazilian cocoa agroforests.

PubMed

Monteiro de Almeida Rocha, Juliana; Pedreira Dos Reis, Paula; de Carvalho Oliveira, Leonardo

2014-01-01

During play, primates may become more vulnerable to predation. Our goal was to examine the potential role of predation risk on the play behavior of 3 groups of golden-headed lion tamarin, Leontopithecus chrysomelas, in shaded cocoa agroforest (cabruca) of Southern Bahia, Brazil. We identified the preferred (and safer) locations on vertical strata during playtime and investigated if frequency and duration of play differed according to group size. All groups preferred to play on the lower levels of vertical strata, which may be perceived as either a safer environment or as a more suitable location for play due to the vegetation structure. The smallest group played less than the others, while the largest group played more and for longer periods. Our data suggest that predation risk can influence where play takes place as well as its frequency and length.

An ecological framework for temporal and individual differences in color preferences.

PubMed

Schloss, Karen B; Palmer, Stephen E

2017-12-01

There are well-known and extensive differences in color preferences between individuals, but there are also within-individual differences from one time to another. Despite the seeming independence between these individual and temporal effects, we propose that they have the same underlying cause: people's ecological experiences with color-associated objects and events. Our approach is motivated by the Ecological Valence Theory (EVT; Palmer & Schloss, 2010) which states that preference for a given color is determined by the combined valence (liking/disliking) of all objects and events associated with that color. We define three ecologically-based hypotheses for explaining temporal and individual differences in color preferences concerning: (1) differences in object valences, (2) differences in color-object associations, and (3) differences in object activations in the mind when preferences are measured. We review prior studies that support these hypotheses and raise open research questions about untested predictions. We also extend the computational framework of the EVT by defining a single weighted average equation that captures both individual and temporal differences in color preferences. Finally, we consider other factors that potentially contribute to color preferences, including abstract symbolic associations, color in design, and psychophysical and/or physiological factors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Algorithms for Learning Preferences for Sets of Objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagstaff, Kiri L.; desJardins, Marie; Eaton, Eric

2010-01-01

A method is being developed that provides for an artificial-intelligence system to learn a user's preferences for sets of objects and to thereafter automatically select subsets of objects according to those preferences. The method was originally intended to enable automated selection, from among large sets of images acquired by instruments aboard spacecraft, of image subsets considered to be scientifically valuable enough to justify use of limited communication resources for transmission to Earth. The method is also applicable to other sets of objects: examples of sets of objects considered in the development of the method include food menus, radio-station music playlists, and assortments of colored blocks for creating mosaics. The method does not require the user to perform the often-difficult task of quantitatively specifying preferences; instead, the user provides examples of preferred sets of objects. This method goes beyond related prior artificial-intelligence methods for learning which individual items are preferred by the user: this method supports a concept of setbased preferences, which include not only preferences for individual items but also preferences regarding types and degrees of diversity of items in a set. Consideration of diversity in this method involves recognition that members of a set may interact with each other in the sense that when considered together, they may be regarded as being complementary, redundant, or incompatible to various degrees. The effects of such interactions are loosely summarized in the term portfolio effect. The learning method relies on a preference representation language, denoted DD-PREF, to express set-based preferences. In DD-PREF, a preference is represented by a tuple that includes quality (depth) functions to estimate how desired a specific value is, weights for each feature preference, the desired diversity of feature values, and the relative importance of diversity versus depth. The system applies statistical concepts to estimate quantitative measures of the user s preferences from training examples (preferred subsets) specified by the user. Once preferences have been learned, the system uses those preferences to select preferred subsets from new sets. The method was found to be viable when tested in computational experiments on menus, music playlists, and rover images. Contemplated future development efforts include further tests on more diverse sets and development of a sub-method for (a) estimating the parameter that represents the relative importance of diversity versus depth, and (b) incorporating background knowledge about the nature of quality functions, which are special functions that specify depth preferences for features.

Milk fat threshold determination and the effect of milk fat content on consumer preference for fluid milk.

PubMed

McCarthy, K S; Lopetcharat, K; Drake, M A

2017-03-01

Milk consumption in the United States has been in decline since the 1960s. Milk fat plays a critical role in sensory properties of fluid milk. The first objective of this study was to determine the change in percent milk fat needed to produce a detectable or just noticeable difference (JND) to consumers in skim, 1%, 2%, and whole milks. The second objective was to evaluate how milk fat affected consumer preferences for fluid milk. Threshold tests were conducted to determine the JND for each reference milk (skim, 1%, 2%, and whole milk), with a minimum of 60 consumers for each JND. The JND was determined for milks by visual appearance without tasting and tasting without visual cues. Serving temperature effect (4, 8, or 15°C) on tasting JND values were also investigated. The established JND values were then used to conduct ascending forced-choice preference tests with milks. Consumers were assigned to 3 groups based on self-reported milk consumption: skim milk drinkers (n = 59), low-fat milk drinkers (consumed 1% or 2% milk, n = 64), and whole milk drinkers (n = 49). Follow-up interviews were conducted where consumers were asked to taste and explain their preference between milks that showed the most polarization within each consumer segment. Descriptive sensory analysis was performed on the milks used in the follow-up interviews to quantify sensory differences. Visual-only JND were lower than tasting-only JND values. Preference testing revealed 3 distinct preference curves among the consumer segments. Skim milk drinkers preferred skim milk and up to 2% milk fat, but disliked milk higher in fat due to it being "too thick," "too heavy," "flavor and texture like cream," "too fatty," and "looks like half and half." Low-fat milk drinkers preferred 2% milk up to 3.25% (whole milk), but then disliked higher milk fat content. Whole milk drinkers preferred whichever milk was higher in milk fat regardless of how high the fat content was, distinct from skim and low-fat milk drinkers. The findings of this study provide insights on sensory characteristics of milk fat in fluid milk and consumer sensory perception of these properties. These results also provide insights on how the industry might adjust milk fat references for adjusting milk sensory properties to increase milk preference and remain within the standards of identity of milk. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender Differences in Emotional Responses to Cooperative and Competitive Game Play

PubMed Central

Kivikangas, J. Matias; Kätsyri, Jari; Järvelä, Simo; Ravaja, Niklas

2014-01-01

Previous research indicates that males prefer competition over cooperation, and it is sometimes suggested that females show the opposite behavioral preference. In the present article, we investigate the emotions behind the preferences: Do males exhibit more positive emotions during competitive than cooperative activities, and do females show the opposite pattern? We conducted two experiments where we assessed the emotional responses of same-gender dyads (in total 130 participants, 50 female) during intrinsically motivating competitive and cooperative digital game play using facial electromyography (EMG), skin conductance, heart rate measures, and self-reported emotional experiences. We found higher positive emotional responses (as indexed by both physiological measures and self-reports) during competitive than cooperative play for males, but no differences for females. In addition, we found no differences in negative emotions, and heart rate, skin conductance, and self-reports yielded contradictory evidence for arousal. These results support the hypothesis that males not only prefer competitive over cooperative play, but they also exhibit more positive emotional responses during them. In contrast, the results suggest that the emotional experiences of females do not differ between cooperation and competition, which implies that less competitiveness does not mean more cooperativeness. Our results pertain to intrinsically motivated game play, but might be relevant also for other kinds of activities. PMID:24983952

Gender differences in emotional responses to cooperative and competitive game play.

PubMed

Kivikangas, J Matias; Kätsyri, Jari; Järvelä, Simo; Ravaja, Niklas

2014-01-01

Previous research indicates that males prefer competition over cooperation, and it is sometimes suggested that females show the opposite behavioral preference. In the present article, we investigate the emotions behind the preferences: Do males exhibit more positive emotions during competitive than cooperative activities, and do females show the opposite pattern? We conducted two experiments where we assessed the emotional responses of same-gender dyads (in total 130 participants, 50 female) during intrinsically motivating competitive and cooperative digital game play using facial electromyography (EMG), skin conductance, heart rate measures, and self-reported emotional experiences. We found higher positive emotional responses (as indexed by both physiological measures and self-reports) during competitive than cooperative play for males, but no differences for females. In addition, we found no differences in negative emotions, and heart rate, skin conductance, and self-reports yielded contradictory evidence for arousal. These results support the hypothesis that males not only prefer competitive over cooperative play, but they also exhibit more positive emotional responses during them. In contrast, the results suggest that the emotional experiences of females do not differ between cooperation and competition, which implies that less competitiveness does not mean more cooperativeness. Our results pertain to intrinsically motivated game play, but might be relevant also for other kinds of activities.

Effects of Implied Motion and Facing Direction on Positional Preferences in Single-Object Pictures.

PubMed

Palmer, Stephen E; Langlois, Thomas A

2017-07-01

Palmer, Gardner, and Wickens studied aesthetic preferences for pictures of single objects and found a strong inward bias: Right-facing objects were preferred left-of-center and left-facing objects right-of-center. They found no effect of object motion (people and cars showed the same inward bias as chairs and teapots), but the objects were not depicted as moving. Here we measured analogous inward biases with objects depicted as moving with an implied direction and speed by having participants drag-and-drop target objects into the most aesthetically pleasing position. In Experiment 1, human figures were shown diving or falling while moving forward or backward. Aesthetic biases were evident for both inward-facing and inward-moving figures, but the motion-based bias dominated so strongly that backward divers or fallers were preferred moving inward but facing outward. Experiment 2 investigated implied speed effects using images of humans, horses, and cars moving at different speeds (e.g., standing, walking, trotting, and galloping horses). Inward motion or facing biases were again present, and differences in their magnitude due to speed were evident. Unexpectedly, faster moving objects were generally preferred closer to frame center than slower moving objects. These results are discussed in terms of the combined effects of prospective, future-oriented biases, and retrospective, past-oriented biases.

Processing Preference Toward Object-Extracted Relative Clauses in Mandarin Chinese by L1 and L2 Speakers: An Eye-Tracking Study

PubMed Central

Sung, Yao-Ting; Tu, Jung-Yueh; Cha, Jih-Ho; Wu, Ming-Da

2016-01-01

The current study employed an eye-movement technique with an attempt to explore the reading patterns for the two types of Chinese relative clauses, subject-extracted relative clauses (SRCs) and object-extracted relative clauses (ORCs), by native speakers (L1), and Japanese learners (L2) of Chinese. The data were analyzed in terms of gaze duration, regression path duration, and regression rate on the two critical regions, head noun, and embedded verb. The results indicated that both the L1 and L2 participants spent less time on the head nouns in ORCs than in SRCs. Also, the L2 participants spent less time on the embedded verbs in ORCs than in SRCs and their regression rate for embedded verbs was generally lower in ORCs than in SRC. The findings showed that the participants experienced less processing difficulty in ORCs than SRCs. These results suggest an ORC preference in L1 and L2 speakers of Chinese, which provides evidence in support of linear distance hypothesis and implies that the syntactic nature of Chinese is at play in the RC processing. PMID:26834677

Multi-objective optimisation and decision-making of space station logistics strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Yue-he; Luo, Ya-zhong

2016-10-01

Space station logistics strategy optimisation is a complex engineering problem with multiple objectives. Finding a decision-maker-preferred compromise solution becomes more significant when solving such a problem. However, the designer-preferred solution is not easy to determine using the traditional method. Thus, a hybrid approach that combines the multi-objective evolutionary algorithm, physical programming, and differential evolution (DE) algorithm is proposed to deal with the optimisation and decision-making of space station logistics strategies. A multi-objective evolutionary algorithm is used to acquire a Pareto frontier and help determine the range parameters of the physical programming. Physical programming is employed to convert the four-objective problem into a single-objective problem, and a DE algorithm is applied to solve the resulting physical programming-based optimisation problem. Five kinds of objective preference are simulated and compared. The simulation results indicate that the proposed approach can produce good compromise solutions corresponding to different decision-makers' preferences.

Reevaluating the Impact of Video Games.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Funk, Jeanne B.

1993-01-01

Surveyed 357 seventh and eighth graders about video game play and preference. Found that approximately 64% of boys and 56% of girls played one to two hours of video games per week at home; and that, among five categories of video games, those most preferred by the students were games that involved fantasy violence and sports games. (BC)

The Outdoor Recess Activities of Children at an Urban School: Longitudinal and Intraperiod Patterns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Robyn M.

2012-01-01

Based on a study of 149 parochial-school students enrolled in kindergarten through eighth grade, this article explores children's outdoor recess activities in an urban setting--with a focus on how age, gender, and size of play group influence their outdoor play preferences--and examines changes in children's activity preferences over a single…

Image Feature Types and Their Predictions of Aesthetic Preference and Naturalness

PubMed Central

Ibarra, Frank F.; Kardan, Omid; Hunter, MaryCarol R.; Kotabe, Hiroki P.; Meyer, Francisco A. C.; Berman, Marc G.

2017-01-01

Previous research has investigated ways to quantify visual information of a scene in terms of a visual processing hierarchy, i.e., making sense of visual environment by segmentation and integration of elementary sensory input. Guided by this research, studies have developed categories for low-level visual features (e.g., edges, colors), high-level visual features (scene-level entities that convey semantic information such as objects), and how models of those features predict aesthetic preference and naturalness. For example, in Kardan et al. (2015a), 52 participants provided aesthetic preference and naturalness ratings, which are used in the current study, for 307 images of mixed natural and urban content. Kardan et al. (2015a) then developed a model using low-level features to predict aesthetic preference and naturalness and could do so with high accuracy. What has yet to be explored is the ability of higher-level visual features (e.g., horizon line position relative to viewer, geometry of building distribution relative to visual access) to predict aesthetic preference and naturalness of scenes, and whether higher-level features mediate some of the association between the low-level features and aesthetic preference or naturalness. In this study we investigated these relationships and found that low- and high- level features explain 68.4% of the variance in aesthetic preference ratings and 88.7% of the variance in naturalness ratings. Additionally, several high-level features mediated the relationship between the low-level visual features and aaesthetic preference. In a multiple mediation analysis, the high-level feature mediators accounted for over 50% of the variance in predicting aesthetic preference. These results show that high-level visual features play a prominent role predicting aesthetic preference, but do not completely eliminate the predictive power of the low-level visual features. These strong predictors provide powerful insights for future research relating to landscape and urban design with the aim of maximizing subjective well-being, which could lead to improved health outcomes on a larger scale. PMID:28503158

Identifying and Modeling Dynamic Preference Evolution in Multipurpose Water Resources Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mason, E.; Giuliani, M.; Castelletti, A.; Amigoni, F.

2018-04-01

Multipurpose water systems are usually operated on a tradeoff of conflicting operating objectives. Under steady state climatic and socioeconomic conditions, such tradeoff is supposed to represent a fair and/or efficient preference. Extreme variability in external forcing might affect water operators' risk aversion and force a change in her/his preference. Properly accounting for these shifts is key to any rigorous retrospective assessment of the operator's behaviors, and to build descriptive models for projecting the future system evolution. In this study, we explore how the selection of different preferences is linked to variations in the external forcing. We argue that preference selection evolves according to recent, extreme variations in system performance: underperforming in one of the objectives pushes the preference toward the harmed objective. To test this assumption, we developed a rational procedure to simulate the operator's preference selection. We map this selection onto a multilateral negotiation, where multiple virtual agents independently optimize different objectives. The agents periodically negotiate a compromise policy for the operation of the system. Agents' attitudes in each negotiation step are determined by the recent system performance measured by the specific objective they maximize. We then propose a numerical model of preference dynamics that implements a concept from cognitive psychology, the availability bias. We test our modeling framework on a synthetic lake operated for flood control and water supply. Results show that our model successfully captures the operator's preference selection and dynamic evolution driven by extreme wet and dry situations.

Defining a breeding objective for Nile tilapia that takes into account the diversity of smallholder production systems.

PubMed

Omasaki, S K; van Arendonk, J A M; Kahi, A K; Komen, H

2016-10-01

In general, livestock and fish farming systems in developing countries tend to be highly diverse in terms of agro-ecological conditions and market orientation. There are no studies that have investigated if and how this diversity translates to varying preferences for breeding objective traits. This is particularly important for breeding programmes that are organized on a national level (e.g. government-supported nucleus breeding programmes). The aim of this study was to investigate whether Nile tilapia farmers with diverse production systems and economic constraints have different preferences for breeding objective traits. The second objective was to derive a consensus breeding goal, using weighted goal programming that could be used for a national breeding programme for Nile tilapia. A survey was conducted among 100 smallholder Nile tilapia farmers in Kenya to obtain preference values for traits of economic importance, by using multiple pairwise comparisons. Individual and group preference values were estimated using analytical hierarchy process. Low-income farmers preferred harvest weight, while medium- and high-income farmers preferred growth rate and survival. Grouping farmers according to market objective (fingerling production or fattening) showed that fingerling producers preferred growth rate and survival, while fattening farmers preferred harvest weight, height and thickness. Weighted goal programming was used to obtain consensus preference values, and these were used to derive desired gains for a breeding goal of a national breeding programme that takes into account the diversity of smallholder production systems. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Arousal and gambling mode preference: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Baudinet, Julian; Blaszczynski, Alexander

2013-06-01

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature examining subjective and physiological arousal associated with an individual's preferred modes of gambling. Arousal is hypothesised to play a central role in the onset and maintenance of problem gambling. Most studies have failed to differentiate relevant patterns of arousal elicited by stimuli associated with preferred versus non-preferred modes of gambling on the assumption that similar processes motivate all gamblers. At the conceptual level, sub-typing theories of problem gambling propose differences in the motivation to gamble, and the associated role arousal plays in maintaining behaviours. A review of the existing literature reveals preliminary findings that indicate that gamblers respond differentially to preferred compared to non-preferred gambling stimuli, and that gamblers may display greater reactivity in arousal to gambling cues compared to non-gamblers. Understanding differences in such patterns of arousal can be used to inform clinical interventions by effectively targeting the nature and role of arousal associated with preferred modes of gambling, and determining the extent to which non-preferred modes act as secondary reinforces triggering by gambling urges.

Human preference for individual colors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palmer, Stephen E.; Schloss, Karen B.

2010-02-01

Color preference is an important aspect of human behavior, but little is known about why people like some colors more than others. Recent results from the Berkeley Color Project (BCP) provide detailed measurements of preferences among 32 chromatic colors as well as other relevant aspects of color perception. We describe the fit of several color preference models, including ones based on cone outputs, color-emotion associations, and Palmer and Schloss's ecological valence theory. The ecological valence theory postulates that color serves an adaptive "steering' function, analogous to taste preferences, biasing organisms to approach advantageous objects and avoid disadvantageous ones. It predicts that people will tend to like colors to the extent that they like the objects that are characteristically that color, averaged over all such objects. The ecological valence theory predicts 80% of the variance in average color preference ratings from the Weighted Affective Valence Estimates (WAVEs) of correspondingly colored objects, much more variance than any of the other models. We also describe how hue preferences for single colors differ as a function of gender, expertise, culture, social institutions, and perceptual experience.

Depth rotation and mirror-image reflection reduce affective preference as well as recognition memory for pictures of novel objects.

PubMed

Lawson, Rebecca

2004-10-01

In two experiments, the identification of novel 3-D objects was worse for depth-rotated and mirror-reflected views, compared with the study view in an implicit affective preference memory task, as well as in an explicit recognition memory task. In Experiment 1, recognition was worse and preference was lower when depth-rotated views of an object were paired with an unstudied object relative to trials when the study view of that object was shown. There was a similar trend for mirror-reflected views. In Experiment 2, the study view of an object was both recognized and preferred above chance when it was paired with either depth-rotated or mirror-reflected views of that object. These results suggest that view-sensitive representations of objects mediate performance in implicit, as well as explicit, memory tasks. The findings do not support the claim that separate episodic and structural description representations underlie performance in implicit and explicit memory tasks, respectively.

The Influence of Texture Symmetry in Marker Pointing:. Experimenting with Humans and Algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardaci, M.; Tabacchi, M. E.

2012-12-01

Symmetry plays a fundamental role in aiding the visual system, to organize its environmental stimuli and to detect visual patterns of natural and artificial objects. Various kinds of symmetry exist, and we will discuss how internal symmetry due to textures influences the choice of direction in visual tasks. Two experiments are presented: the first, with human subjects, deals with the effect of textures on preferences for a pointing direction. The second emulates the performances obtained in the first through the use of an algorithm based on a physic metaphor. Results from both experiments are shown and comment.

Effects of Gender Color-Coding on Toddlers' Gender-Typical Toy Play.

PubMed

Wong, Wang I; Hines, Melissa

2015-07-01

Gender color-coding of children's toys may make certain toys more appealing or less appealing to a given gender. We observed toddlers playing with two gender-typical toys (a train, a doll), once in gender-typical colors and once in gender-atypical colors. Assessments occurred twice, at 20-40 months of age and at 26-47 months of age. A Sex × Time × Toy × Color ANOVA showed expected interactions between Sex and Toy and Sex and Color. Boys played more with the train than girls did and girls played more with the doll and with pink toys than boys did. The Sex × Toy × Color interaction was not significant, but, at both time points, boys and girls combined played more with the gender-atypical toy when its color was typical for their sex than when it was not. This effect appeared to be caused largely by boys' preference for, or avoidance of, the doll and by the use of pink. Also, at both time points, gender differences in toy preferences were larger in the gender-typical than in the gender-atypical color condition. At Time 2, these gender differences were present only in the gender-typical color condition. Overall, the results suggest that, once acquired, gender-typical color preferences begin to influence toy preferences, especially those for gender-atypical toys and particularly in boys. They thus could enlarge differences between boys' and girls' toy preferences. Because boys' and girls' toys elicit different activities, removing the gender color-coding of toys could encourage more equal learning opportunities.

Mind the Gap! Differences between Parents' Childhood Games and Their Children's Game Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balci, Sibel; Ahi, Berat

2017-01-01

This study discusses the differences between parents' childhood games and their children's game preferences. Four hundred and nineteen parents were surveyed to determine their play experiences as children as well as their children's play experiences today. The results of the study indicate that there is a gap between the time spent outdoors by…

Vision and the End of Racial Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clegg, Roger

2008-01-01

Are we facing the end of racial preferences in America? Mr. Clegg thinks we probably are, and examines the role demographics, law, attraction, and vision may play in their demise. What makes preferences still attractive to so many people? Do most Americans share a vision that includes the continued use of racial preferences? Mr. Clegg offers a…

The effects of adults' affective expression and direction of visual gaze on 12-month-olds' visual preferences for an object following a 5-minute, 1-day, or 1-month delay.

PubMed

Flom, Ross; Johnson, Sarah

2011-03-01

Between 12- and 14 months of age infants begin to use another's direction of gaze and affective expression in learning about various objects and events. What is not well understood is how long infants' behaviour towards a previously unfamiliar object continues to be influenced following their participation in circumstances of social referencing. In this experiment, we examined infants' sensitivity to an adult's direction of gaze and their visual preference for one of two objects following a 5-min, 1-day, or 1-month delay. Ninety-six 12-month-olds participated. For half of the infants during habituation (i.e., familiarization), the adults' direction of gaze was directed towards an unfamiliar object (look condition). For the remaining half of the infants during habituation, the adults' direction of gaze was directed away from the unfamiliar object (look-away condition). All infants were habituated to two events. One event consisted of an adult looking towards (look condition) or away from (look-away condition) an object while facially and vocally conveying a positive affective expression. The second event consisted of the same adult looking towards or away from a different object while conveying a disgusted affective expression. Following the habituation phase and a 5-min, 1-day, or 1-month delay, infants' visual preference was assessed. During the visual preference phase, infants saw the two objects side by side where the adult conveying the affective expression was not visible. Results of the visual preference phase indicate that infants in the look condition showed a significant preference for object previously paired with the positive affect following a 5-min and 1-day delay. No significant visual preference was found in the look condition following a 1-month delay. No significant preferences were found at any retention interval in the look-away condition. Results are discussed in terms of early learning, social referencing, and early memory. ©2010 The British Psychological Society.

Memory texture as a mechanism of improvement in preference by adding noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yinzhu; Aoki, Naokazu; Kobayashi, Hiroyuki

2014-02-01

According to color research, people have memory colors for familiar objects, which correlate with high color preference. As a similar concept to this, we propose memory texture as a mechanism of texture preference by adding image noise (1/f noise or white noise) to photographs of seven familiar objects. Our results showed that (1) memory texture differed from real-life texture; (2) no consistency was found between memory texture and real-life texture; (3) correlation existed between memory texture and preferred texture; and (4) the type of image noise which is more appropriate to texture reproduction differed by object.

Internet use among Turkish adolescents.

PubMed

Tahiroglu, Aysegul Yolga; Celik, Gonca G; Uzel, Mehtap; Ozcan, Neslihan; Avci, Ayse

2008-10-01

The aim of this study was to investigate Internet use habits and problematic Internet use (PIU) in Turkish adolescents. Participants were 3,975 undergraduate students, 7.6% of whom used the Internet for more than 12 hours weekly. The Online Cognition Scale (OCS) was used. The most common purpose for using the Internet was playing games, followed by general information search. Female users mostly preferred searching for general information; male users preferred playing games (p < 0.001, gamma = 995.205). The most preferred type of game was violent games. While preference for strategy and fantasy role-play (FRP) games increased with age, preference for other games decreased (p < 0.0001, gamma = 283.767). Participants who used the Internet mostly for general information searches and school-related searches had lower OCS scores (p < 0.0001). The highest OCS scores were related to violent games, followed by FRP, strategy, and sports and motor racing games. Computers and the Internet are useful, important inventions, but like other inventions, if used improperly, they may be harmful. Risk of harm raises concerns about who should use the Internet and computers, and where, when, and why the Internet and computers should be used.

The neural correlates of risky decision making across short and long runs

PubMed Central

Rao, Li-Lin; Dunn, John C.; Zhou, Yuan; Li, Shu

2015-01-01

People frequently change their preferences for options of gambles which they play once compared to those they play multiple times. In general, preferences for repeated play gambles are more consistent with the expected values of the options. According to the one-process view, the change in preference is due to a change in the structure of the gamble that is relevant to decision making. According to the two-process view, the change is attributable to a shift in the decision making strategy that is used. To adjudicate between these two theories, we asked participants to choose between gambles played once or 100 times, and to choose between them based on their expected value. Consistent with the two-process theory, we found a set of brain regions that were sensitive to the extent of behavioral change between single and aggregated play and also showed significant (de)activation in the expected value choice task. These results support the view that people change their decision making strategies for risky choice considered once or multiple times. PMID:26516095

Multi-objective engineering design using preferences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchis, J.; Martinez, M.; Blasco, X.

2008-03-01

System design is a complex task when design parameters have to satisy a number of specifications and objectives which often conflict with those of others. This challenging problem is called multi-objective optimization (MOO). The most common approximation consists in optimizing a single cost index with a weighted sum of objectives. However, once weights are chosen the solution does not guarantee the best compromise among specifications, because there is an infinite number of solutions. A new approach can be stated, based on the designer's experience regarding the required specifications and the associated problems. This valuable information can be translated into preferences for design objectives, and will lead the search process to the best solution in terms of these preferences. This article presents a new method, which enumerates these a priori objective preferences. As a result, a single objective is built automatically and no weight selection need be performed. Problems occuring because of the multimodal nature of the generated single cost index are managed with genetic algorithms (GAs).

Preferred sleep position and gross motor achievement in early infancy.

PubMed

Carmeli, Eli; Marmur, Rachel; Cohen, Ayala; Tirosh, Emanuel

2009-06-01

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of an infant's favoured position on their motor development at the age of six months. Seventy-five full-term infants were prospectively observed at home for their preferred sleep, awake, play and uninterrupted positions. A parental log was completed daily and then weekly up to the age of six months, when the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) was administered. No significant relationship between the preferred or sleep positions as well as the awake and mutual play positions and gross motor developmental attainment at six months of age was noted. A significant change in the preferred recumbent posture with increased prone positioning both during sleep and awake time over the first six months was noted. A balanced positioning policy while awake, regardless of the infant's preference while recumbent, is not associated with gross motor delay.

Evaluation of a multi-channel algorithm for reducing transient sounds.

PubMed

Keshavarzi, Mahmoud; Baer, Thomas; Moore, Brian C J

2018-05-15

The objective was to evaluate and select appropriate parameters for a multi-channel transient reduction (MCTR) algorithm for detecting and attenuating transient sounds in speech. In each trial, the same sentence was played twice. A transient sound was presented in both sentences, but its level varied across the two depending on whether or not it had been processed by the MCTR and on the "strength" of the processing. The participant indicated their preference for which one was better and by how much in terms of the balance between the annoyance produced by the transient and the audibility of the transient (they were told that the transient should still be audible). Twenty English-speaking participants were tested, 10 with normal hearing and 10 with mild-to-moderate hearing-impairment. Frequency-dependent linear amplification was provided for the latter. The results for both participant groups indicated that sounds processed using the MCTR were preferred over the unprocessed sounds. For the hearing-impaired participants, the medium and strong settings of the MCTR were preferred over the weak setting. The medium and strong settings of the MCTR reduced the annoyance produced by the transients while maintaining their audibility.

Effects of prenatal exposure to antithyroid drugs on imprinting behavior in chicks.

PubMed

Kagami, Keisuke; Nishigori, Hidekazu; Nishigori, Hideo

2010-09-01

Thyroid hormones play important roles in vertebrate brain development. However, there is little understanding of the direct effects of fetal thyroid dysfunction, i.e., not acquired through the mother, on learning ability. In the present study, we use a chick embryo as a fetal model to investigate the effects of prenatal exposure to antithyroid drugs on imprinting behavior in hatched chicks. Methimazole (MMI) at 20micromol/egg or 5micromol/egg of propylthiouracil (PTU) was administered to eggs on day 14 while the control was given only a vehicle. An imprinting test was conducted after the chicks hatched. Day-old chicks were exposed to a rotating training object for 150min. The next day, the trained chicks were exposed to the training object and a novel object. The imprinting preference was represented as a preference score (PS) calculated as the rate of following the training object to following the training and novel objects. In the MMI-treated chicks, the PS was 0.68+/-0.06 (range, 0.38-0.88), which was significantly lower than that in the control chicks (0.86+/-0.04, p<0.01). In the PTU-treated chicks, the PS was 0.69+/-0.04 (range, 0.52-0.89), which was also significantly lower than that in the control (0.88+/-0.02, p<0.001). The present findings suggested that fetal thyroid dysfunction inhibited brain development, leading to impaired learning and memory. Our chick model can be considered useful for investigating the direct effects of prenatal exposure to antithyroid drugs or substances in the environment on learning ability after birth. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing Object-to-Picture and Picture-to-Object Matching as Prerequisite Skills for Pictorial Preference Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clevenger, Theresa M.; Graff, Richard B.

2005-01-01

Tangible and pictorial paired-stimulus (PPS) preference assessments were compared for 6 individuals with developmental disabilities. During tangible and PPS assessments, two edible items or photographs were presented on each trial, respectively, and approach responses were recorded. Both assessments yielded similar preference hierarchies for 3…

A novel approach based on preference-based index for interval bilevel linear programming problem.

PubMed

Ren, Aihong; Wang, Yuping; Xue, Xingsi

2017-01-01

This paper proposes a new methodology for solving the interval bilevel linear programming problem in which all coefficients of both objective functions and constraints are considered as interval numbers. In order to keep as much uncertainty of the original constraint region as possible, the original problem is first converted into an interval bilevel programming problem with interval coefficients in both objective functions only through normal variation of interval number and chance-constrained programming. With the consideration of different preferences of different decision makers, the concept of the preference level that the interval objective function is preferred to a target interval is defined based on the preference-based index. Then a preference-based deterministic bilevel programming problem is constructed in terms of the preference level and the order relation [Formula: see text]. Furthermore, the concept of a preference δ -optimal solution is given. Subsequently, the constructed deterministic nonlinear bilevel problem is solved with the help of estimation of distribution algorithm. Finally, several numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

The effects of social rearing on preferences formed during filial imprinting and their neural correlates.

PubMed

Town, Stephen Michael

2011-08-01

Filial imprinting was originally proposed to be an irreversible process by which a young animal forms a preference for an object experienced early in life. The present study examined the effects of experience after imprinting on the stability of preferences of domestic chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus) for an imprinting stimulus by rearing imprinted chicks socially or in isolation. Chicks reared socially or in isolation retained preferences for the imprinting stimulus; however, social rearing weakened the strength of preferences. The responses of neurons within the intermediate and medial mesopallium--a forebrain region necessary for imprinting were also recorded in socially reared and isolated chicks when presented with the visual component of the imprinting stimulus and novel object. Consistent with existing findings, neurons recorded from isolated chicks responded more strongly to the imprinting stimulus than novel object. However, social rearing diminished the disparity between responses to stimuli such that neurons recorded from socially reared chicks responded similarly to the imprinting stimulus and novel object. These findings suggest that social rearing may impair the retention of preferences formed during imprinting through mechanisms involving the IMM.

Play and Mate Preference: Testing the Signal Theory of Adult Playfulness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chick, Garry; Yarnal, Careen; Purrington, Andrew

2012-01-01

The overwhelming majority of play research concerns juveniles. However, a full understanding of the phenomenon requires knowledge of play and playfulness across the life spans of those animals, including humans, who play in adulthood. The authors investigate a theory of play based on Darwin's concept of sexual selection that may account for the…

The role of edges in the selection of a jump target in Mantis religiosa.

PubMed

Hyden, Karin; Kral, Karl

2005-09-30

Before jumping to a landing object, praying mantids determine the distance, using information obtained from retinal image motion resulting from horizontal peering movements. The present study investigates the peering-jump behaviour of Mantis religiosa larvae with regard to jump targets differing in shape and size. The experimental animals were presented with square, triangular and round target objects with visual extensions of 20 degrees and 40 degrees. The cardboard objects, presented against a uniform white background, were solid black or shaded with a gradation from white to black. It was found that larger objects were preferred to smaller ones as jump targets, and that the square and triangle were preferred to the round disk. When two objects were presented, no preference was exhibited between square and triangular objects. However, when three objects were presented, the square was preferred. For targets with a visual angle of 40 degrees, the amplitude and velocity of the horizontal peering movements were greater for the round disk than for the square or triangle. This amplification of the peering movements suggests that weaker motion signals are generated in the case of curved edges. This may help to account for the preference for the square and triangle as jump targets.

Naïve Chicks Prefer Hollow Objects

PubMed Central

Schill, Jana; Nencini, Andrea Maria; Vallortigara, Giorgio

2016-01-01

Biological predispositions influence approach and avoid responses from the time of birth or hatching. Neonates of species that require parental care (e.g. human babies and chicks of the domestic fowl) are attracted by stimuli associated with animate social partners, such as face-like configurations, biological motion and self-propulsion. The property of being filled is used as a cue of animacy by 8-month-old human infants but it is not known whether this reflects the effect of previous experience. We used chicks of the domestic fowl (Gallus gallus) to investigate whether the property of being filled vs. hollow elicits spontaneous or learned preferences. To this aim we tested preferences of naïve and imprinted chicks for hollow and closed cylinders. Contrary to our expectations, we documented an unlearned attraction for hollow stimuli. The preference for hollow stimuli decreased when chicks were imprinted on filled stimuli but did not increase when chicks were imprinted on hollow stimuli, suggesting that hollowness is not crucial to determine affiliative responses for imprinting objects. When chicks were imprinted on occluded stimuli that could be either filled or hollow, the preference for hollow stimuli emerged again, showing that imprinting does not disrupt the spontaneous preference for hollow objects. Further experiments revealed that hollow objects were mainly attractive by means of depth cues such as darker innards, more than as places to hide or as objects with high contrast. Our findings point to predisposed preferences for hollow objects, and suggest that early predispositions might be driven by factors different from animacy cues. PMID:27851773

The role of time and risk preferences in adherence to physician advice on health behavior change.

PubMed

van der Pol, Marjon; Hennessy, Deirdre; Manns, Braden

2017-04-01

Changing physical activity and dietary behavior in chronic disease patients is associated with significant health benefits but is difficult to achieve. An often-used strategy is for the physician or other health professional to encourage behavior changes by providing advice on the health consequences of such behaviors. However, adherence to advice on health behavior change varies across individuals. This paper uses data from a population-based cross-sectional survey of 1849 individuals with chronic disease to explore whether differences in individuals' time and risk preferences can help explain differences in adherence. Health behaviors are viewed as investments in health capital within the Grossman model. Physician advice plays a role in the model in that it improves the understanding of the future health consequences of investments. It can be hypothesized that the effect of advice on health behavior will depend on an individuals' time and risk preference. Within the survey, which measured a variety of health-related behaviors and outcomes, including receipt and compliance with advice on dietary and physical activity changes, time preferences were measured using financial planning horizon, and risk preferences were measured through a commonly used question which asked respondents to indicate their willingness to take risks on a ten-point scale. Results suggest that time preferences play a role in adherence to physical activity advice. While time preferences also play a role in adherence to dietary advice, this effect is only apparent for males. Risk preferences do not seem to be associated with adherence. The results suggest that increasing the salience of more immediate benefits of health behavior change may improve adherence.

Musical Preference and Music Education: Musical Preferences of Turkish University Students and Their Levels in Genre Identification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gürgen, Elif Tekin

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate if there is any relationship between musical preference, genre identification and frequency of listening to music genres, and whether musical training and gender played a role in these factors. A total of 205 college music and non-music majors recorded their preference for 13 music excerpts in popular,…

A bi-objective model for optimizing replacement time of age and block policies with consideration of spare parts’ availability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alsyouf, Imad

2018-05-01

Reliability and availability of critical systems play an important role in achieving the stated objectives of engineering assets. Preventive replacement time affects the reliability of the components, thus the number of system failures encountered and its downtime expenses. On the other hand, spare parts inventory level is a very critical factor that affects the availability of the system. Usually, the decision maker has many conflicting objectives that should be considered simultaneously for the selection of the optimal maintenance policy. The purpose of this research was to develop a bi-objective model that will be used to determine the preventive replacement time for three maintenance policies (age, block good as new, block bad as old) with consideration of spare parts’ availability. It was suggested to use a weighted comprehensive criterion method with two objectives, i.e. cost and availability. The model was tested with a typical numerical example. The results of the model demonstrated its effectiveness in enabling the decision maker to select the optimal maintenance policy under different scenarios and taking into account preferences with respect to contradicting objectives such as cost and availability.

Preferences and attitudes of the Saudi population toward receiving medical bad news: A primary study from Riyadh city

PubMed Central

Alrukban, Mohammed O.; Albadr, Badr O.; Almansour, Mohammed; Sami, Waqas; Alshuil, Mussab; Aldebaib, Abulrahman; Algannam, Tamim; Alhafaf, Faisal; Almohanna, Abdulaziz; Alfifi, Tariq; Alshehri, Abdullah; Alshahrani, Muhannad

2014-01-01

Background: Breaking bad news is one of the most stressful and difficult things a physician has to do. Good communication skills are required in order to ensure that bad news is delivered in a humane but effective way. Objectives: This study was designed to explore the preferences and attitude of the Saudi population toward receiving bad news. Second, it was to identify the associations between preferences, attitudes, and sociodemographic characteristics. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted during the month of April 2009 in Riyadh. Data were collected from 1013 adult Saudis. Stratified random sampling technique was used through a self-administered questionnaire. Results: In this study, 474 (46.8%) were males and 539 (53.2%) were females. Almost two-third of the participants preferred to be the first to receive the bad news. A majority of the participants 695 (68.6%) preferred to be told the bad news at a private place, whereas, 441 (43.5%) preferred to be told by the head of the medical team. Moreover, almost half of the participants would like the one who breaks the bad news to remain with them to give them some more information about the disease. Significant associations were observed between participants' perception and attitude with age, marital status, gender, and education (P < 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: Factors such as marital status, age, and gender, and education play significant roles in how bad news is received. Understanding what is important in the process of breaking bad news may help in determining how best to perform this challenging task. PMID:24987276

The Relationship Between Learning Style Preferences and Gender, Educational Major and Status in First Year Medical Students: A Survey Study From Iran

PubMed Central

Sarabi-Asiabar, Ali; Jafari, Mehdi; Sadeghifar, Jamil; Tofighi, Shahram; Zaboli, Rouhollah; Peyman, Hadi; Salimi, Mohammad; Shams, Lida

2014-01-01

Background: Identifying and employing appropriate learning styles could play an important role in selecting teaching styles in order to improve education. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the relationship between learning styles preferences and gender, educational major and status in first year students at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study employing the visual-aural-read/write-kinesthetic (VARK) learning style’s questionnaire was done on 184 first year students of medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing and health services management at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in 2012. The validity of the questionnaire was assessed through experts’ views and reliability was calculated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients (α = 0.86). Data were analyzed using the SPSS ver.18 software and x2 test. Results: Out of 184 participants who responded to and returned the questionnaire, 122 (66.3%) were female; more than two-thirds (68.5%) of the enrolled students were at the professional doctorate level (medicine, pharmacy, dentistry) and 31.5% at the undergraduate level (nursing and health services management). Eighty-nine (48.4%) students preferred a single-modal learning style. In contrast, the remaining 95 students (51.6%) preferred multi-modal learning styles. A significant relationship between gender and single modal learning styles (P = 0.009) and between status and learning styles (P = 0.04) was observed. Conclusions: According to the results, male students preferred to use the kinesthetic learning style more than females, while, female students preferred the aural learning style. Knowledge about the learning styles of students at educational institutes is valuable and helps solve learning problems among students, and allows students to become better learners. PMID:25763269

A two-metric proposal to specify the color-rendering properties of light sources for retail lighting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freyssinier, Jean Paul; Rea, Mark

2010-08-01

Lighting plays an important role in supporting retail operations, from attracting customers, to enabling the evaluation of merchandise, to facilitating the completion of the sale. Lighting also contributes to the identity, comfort, and visual quality of a retail store. With the increasing availability and quality of white LEDs, retail lighting specifiers are now considering LED lighting in stores. The color rendering of light sources is a key factor in supporting retail lighting goals and thus influences a light source's acceptance by users and specifiers. However, there is limited information on what consumers' color preferences are, and metrics used to describe the color properties of light sources often are equivocal and fail to predict preference. The color rendering of light sources is described in the industry solely by the color rendering index (CRI), which is only indirectly related to human perception. CRI is intended to characterize the appearance of objects illuminated by the source and is increasingly being challenged because new sources are being developed with increasingly exotic spectral power distributions. This paper discusses how CRI might be augmented to better use it in support of the design objectives for retail merchandising. The proposed guidelines include the use of gamut area index as a complementary metric to CRI for assuring good color rendering.

Investigating the Role of Auditory and Tactile Modalities in Violin Quality Evaluation

PubMed Central

Wollman, Indiana; Fritz, Claudia; Poitevineau, Jacques; McAdams, Stephen

2014-01-01

The role of auditory and tactile modalities involved in violin playing and evaluation was investigated in an experiment employing a blind violin evaluation task under different conditions: i) normal playing conditions, ii) playing with auditory masking, and iii) playing with vibrotactile masking. Under each condition, 20 violinists evaluated five violins according to criteria related to violin playing and sound characteristics and rated their overall quality and relative preference. Results show that both auditory and vibrotactile feedback are important in the violinists’ evaluations but that their relative importance depends on the violinist, the violin and the type of evaluation (different criteria ratings or preference). In this way, the overall quality ratings were found to be accurately predicted by the rating criteria, which also proved to be perceptually relevant to violinists, but were poorly correlated with the preference ratings; this suggests that the two types of ratings (overall quality vs preference) may stem from different decision-making strategies. Furthermore, the experimental design confirmed that violinists agree more on the importance of criteria in their overall evaluation than on their actual ratings for different violins. In particular, greater agreement was found on the importance of criteria related to the sound of the violin. Nevertheless, this study reveals that there are fundamental differences in the way players interpret and evaluate each criterion, which may explain why correlating physical properties with perceptual properties has been challenging so far in the field of musical acoustics. PMID:25474036

Nutrition Interventions in Chronic Kidney Disease.

PubMed

Anderson, Cheryl A M; Nguyen, Hoang Anh; Rifkin, Dena E

2016-11-01

Dietary modification is recommended in the management of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Individuals with CKD often have multiple comorbidities, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease, for which dietary modification is also recommended. As CKD progresses, nutrition plays an important role in mitigating risk for cardiovascular disease and decline in kidney function. The objectives of nutrition interventions in CKD include management of risk factors, ensuring optimal nutritional status throughout all stages of CKD, preventing buildup of toxic metabolic products, and avoiding complications of CKD. Recommended dietary changes should be feasible, sustainable, and suited for patients' food preferences and clinical needs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimating US federal wildland fire managers' preferences toward competing strategic suppression objectives

Treesearch

David E. Calkin; Tyron Venn; Matthew Wibbenmeyer; Matthew P. Thompson

2012-01-01

Wildfire management involves significant complexity and uncertainty, requiring simultaneous consideration of multiple, non-commensurate objectives. This paper investigates the tradeoffs fire managers are willing to make among these objectives using a choice experiment methodology that provides three key advancements relative to previous stated-preference studies...

Playing Violent Video and Computer Games and Adolescent Self-Concept.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Funk, Jeanne B.; Buchman, Debra D.

1996-01-01

Documents current adolescent electronic game-playing habits, exploring associations among preference for violent games, frequency and location of play, and self-concept. Identifies marked gender differences in game-playing habits and in scores on a self-perception profile. Finds that for girls, more time playing video or computer games is…

The Rational Zero Point on Incentive-Object Preference Scales: A Developmental Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haaf, Robert A.

1971-01-01

Preference judgments made by 20 males and 20 females (grades K-4) about the incentive value of 10 objects (i.e. bubble gum, Chiclet, candy corn, dried lima bean) helped determine relative and absolute scales for use of these objects as rewards. The assumption that the same object is equally rewarding at different age levels may be unwarranted.…

Watch the hands: infants can learn to follow gaze by seeing adults manipulate objects.

PubMed

Deák, Gedeon O; Krasno, Anna M; Triesch, Jochen; Lewis, Joshua; Sepeta, Leigh

2014-03-01

Infants gradually learn to share attention, but it is unknown how they acquire skills such as gaze-following. Deák and Triesch (2006) suggest that gaze-following could be acquired if infants learn that adults' gaze direction is likely to be aligned with interesting sights. This hypothesis stipulates that adults tend to look at things that infants find interesting, and that infants could learn by noticing this tendency. We tested the plausibility of this hypothesis through video-based micro-behavioral analysis of naturalistic parent-infant play. The results revealed that 3- to 11-month-old infants strongly preferred watching caregivers handle objects. In addition, when caregivers looked away from their infant they tended to look at their own object-handling. Finally, when infants looked toward the caregiver while she was looking at her own hands, the infant's next eye movement was often toward the caregiver's object-handling. In this way infants receive adequate naturalistic input to learn associations between their parent's gaze direction and the locations of interesting sights. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Phalloplethysmographic findings in homosexual pedophile offenders].

PubMed

Tichý, P

1991-03-29

Using phalloplethysmographic tests comprising 20 coloured slides of four categories the authors examined 50 homosexual pedophil delinquents and a matched group of heterosexual men. The findings of the two compared groups differed significantly on exposure to three categories of erotic stimuli--adult heterosexual and homosexual objects and child homosexual objects. Only on projection of child heterosexual objects there were no statistically significant differences in the number and magnitude of positive vasomotor reactions recorded in the two groups. Men in the control group responded more frequently and more positively to adult heterosexual objects than homosexual pedophil delinquents. The latter responded more frequently positively to adult and child homosexual objects. In more than one quarter of the delinquents (13 men) a preference of child objects was found, i.e. a deviant pedophil orientation. In seven men the preference of child objects was without sexual differentiation, six men preferred homosexual child objects.

Learning of Rule Ensembles for Multiple Attribute Ranking Problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dembczyński, Krzysztof; Kotłowski, Wojciech; Słowiński, Roman; Szeląg, Marcin

In this paper, we consider the multiple attribute ranking problem from a Machine Learning perspective. We propose two approaches to statistical learning of an ensemble of decision rules from decision examples provided by the Decision Maker in terms of pairwise comparisons of some objects. The first approach consists in learning a preference function defining a binary preference relation for a pair of objects. The result of application of this function on all pairs of objects to be ranked is then exploited using the Net Flow Score procedure, giving a linear ranking of objects. The second approach consists in learning a utility function for single objects. The utility function also gives a linear ranking of objects. In both approaches, the learning is based on the boosting technique. The presented approaches to Preference Learning share good properties of the decision rule preference model and have good performance in the massive-data learning problems. As Preference Learning and Multiple Attribute Decision Aiding share many concepts and methodological issues, in the introduction, we review some aspects bridging these two fields. To illustrate the two approaches proposed in this paper, we solve with them a toy example concerning the ranking of a set of cars evaluated by multiple attributes. Then, we perform a large data experiment on real data sets. The first data set concerns credit rating. Since recent research in the field of Preference Learning is motivated by the increasing role of modeling preferences in recommender systems and information retrieval, we chose two other massive data sets from this area - one comes from movie recommender system MovieLens, and the other concerns ranking of text documents from 20 Newsgroups data set.

The lone gamer: Social exclusion predicts violent video game preferences and fuels aggressive inclinations in adolescent players.

PubMed

Gabbiadini, Alessandro; Riva, Paolo

2018-03-01

Violent video game playing has been linked to a wide range of negative outcomes, especially in adolescents. In the present research, we focused on a potential determinant of adolescents' willingness to play violent video games: social exclusion. We also tested whether exclusion can predict increased aggressiveness following violent video game playing. In two experiments, we predicted that exclusion could increase adolescents' preferences for violent video games and interact with violent game playing fostering adolescents' aggressive inclinations. In Study 1, 121 adolescents (aged 10-18 years) were randomly assigned to a manipulation of social exclusion. Then, they evaluated the violent content of nine different video games (violent, nonviolent, or prosocial) and reported their willingness to play each presented video game. The results showed that excluded participants expressed a greater willingness to play violent games than nonviolent or prosocial games. No such effect was found for included participants. In Study 2, both inclusionary status and video game contents were manipulated. After a manipulation of inclusionary status, 113 adolescents (aged 11-16 years) were randomly assigned to play either a violent or a nonviolent video game. Then, they were given an opportunity to express their aggressive inclinations toward the excluders. Results showed that excluded participants who played a violent game displayed the highest level of aggressive inclinations than participants who were assigned to the other experimental conditions. Overall, these findings suggest that exclusion increases preferences for violent games and that the combination of exclusion and violent game playing fuels aggressive inclinations. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Do women prefer more complex music around ovulation?

PubMed

Charlton, Benjamin D; Filippi, Piera; Fitch, W Tecumseh

2012-01-01

The evolutionary origins of music are much debated. One theory holds that the ability to produce complex musical sounds might reflect qualities that are relevant in mate choice contexts and hence, that music is functionally analogous to the sexually-selected acoustic displays of some animals. If so, women may be expected to show heightened preferences for more complex music when they are most fertile. Here, we used computer-generated musical pieces and ovulation predictor kits to test this hypothesis. Our results indicate that women prefer more complex music in general; however, we found no evidence that their preference for more complex music increased around ovulation. Consequently, our findings are not consistent with the hypothesis that a heightened preference/bias in women for more complex music around ovulation could have played a role in the evolution of music. We go on to suggest future studies that could further investigate whether sexual selection played a role in the evolution of this universal aspect of human culture.

Distinct Visual Processing of Real Objects and Pictures of Those Objects in 7- to 9-month-old Infants

PubMed Central

Gerhard, Theresa M.; Culham, Jody C.; Schwarzer, Gudrun

2016-01-01

The present study examined 7- and 9-month-old infants’ visual habituation to real objects and pictures of the same objects and their preferences between real and pictorial versions of the same objects following habituation. Different hypotheses would predict that infants may habituate faster to pictures than real objects (based on proposed theoretical links between behavioral habituation in infants and neuroimaging adaptation in adults) or to real objects vs. pictures (based on past infant electrophysiology data). Sixty-one 7-month-old infants and fifty-nine 9-month-old infants were habituated to either a real object or a picture of the same object and afterward preference tested with the habituation object paired with either the novel real object or its picture counterpart. Infants of both age groups showed basic information-processing advantages for real objects. Specifically, during the initial presentations, 9-month-old infants looked longer at stimuli in both formats than the 7-month olds but more importantly both age groups looked longer at real objects than pictures, though with repeated presentations, they habituated faster for real objects such that at the end of habituation, they looked equally at both types of stimuli. Surprisingly, even after habituation, infants preferred to look at the real objects, regardless of whether they had habituated to photos or real objects. Our findings suggest that from as early as 7-months of age, infants show strong preferences for real objects, perhaps because real objects are visually richer and/or enable the potential for genuine interactions. PMID:27378962

What Exactly Is Play, and Why Is It Such a Powerful Vehicle for Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Peter

2017-01-01

"Play" is a word used commonly to refer to children's preferred activities and to some adult activities, and it is often said that play promotes learning. But what is play exactly, and what and how do children learn through play? This essay begins with a description of an evolutionary, practice theory of play by German philosopher and…

InSpire to Promote Lung Assessment in Youth: Evolving the Self-Management Paradigms of Young People With Asthma.

PubMed

Elias, Pierre; Rajan, Nithin O; McArthur, Kara; Dacso, Clifford C

2013-01-01

Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood, disproportionately affecting urban, minority, and disadvantaged children. Individualized care plans supported by daily lung-function monitoring can reduce morbidity and mortality. However, despite 20 years of interventions to increase adherence, only 50% of US youth accurately follow their care plans, which leads to millions of preventable hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and sick days every year. We present a feasibility study of a novel, user-centered approach to increasing young people's lung-function monitoring and asthma self-care. Promoting Lung Assessment in Youth (PLAY) helps young people become active managers of their asthma through the Web 2.0 principles of participation, cocreation, and information sharing. Specifically, PLAY combines an inexpensive, portable spirometer with the motivational power and convenience of mobile phones and virtual-community gaming. The objective of this study was to develop and pilot test InSpire, a fully functional interface between a handheld spirometer and an interactive game and individualized asthma-care instant-messaging system housed on a mobile phone. InSpire is an application for mobile smartphones that creates a compelling world in which youth collaborate with their physicians on managing their asthma. Drawing from design-theory on global timer mechanics and role playing, we incentivized completing spirometry maneuvers by making them an engaging part of a game young people would want to play. The data can be sent wirelessly to health specialists and return care recommendations to patients in real-time. By making it portable and similar to applications normally desired by the target demographic, InSpire is able to seamlessly incorporate asthma management into their lifestyle. We describe the development process of building and testing the InSpire prototype. To our knowledge, the prototype is a first-of-its kind mobile one-stop shop for asthma management. Feasibility testing in children aged 7 to 14 with asthma assessed likability of the graphical user interface as well as young people's interest in our incentivizing system. Nearly 100% of children surveyed said they would play games like those in PLAY if they involved breathing into a spirometer. Two-thirds said they would prefer PLAY over the spirometer alone, whereas 1/3 would prefer having both. No children said they would prefer the spirometer over PLAY. Previous efforts at home-monitoring of asthma in children have experienced rapid decline in adherence. An inexpensive monitoring technology combined with the computation, interactive communication, and display ability of a mobile phone is a promising approach to sustainable adherence to lung-function monitoring and care plans. An exciting game that redefines the way youth conduct health management by inviting them to collaborate in their health better can be an incentive and a catalyst for more far-reaching goals.

Conditioned Object Preference: An Alternative Approach to Measuring Reward Learning in Rats

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Bruce C.; Kohli, Maulika; Maertens, Jamie J.; Marell, Paulina S.; Gewirtz, Jonathan C.

2016-01-01

Pavlovian conditioned approach behavior can be directed as much toward discrete cues as it is toward the environmental contexts in which those cues are encountered. The current experiments characterized a tendency of rats to approach object cues whose prior exposure had been paired with reward (conditioned object preference, COP). To demonstrate…

Production objectives, trait and breed preferences of farmers keeping N'Dama, Fulani Zebu and crossbred cattle and implications for breeding programs.

PubMed

Traoré, S A; Markemann, A; Reiber, C; Piepho, H P; Valle Zárate, A

2017-04-01

Many local livestock breeds in developing countries are being replaced by exotic breeds, leading to a loss of genetic resources. In southern Mali, for the past two decades, a trend towards increasing crossbreeding between the trypanotolerant N'Dama cattle and the trypano-susceptible Fulani Zebu cattle has been taking place. A survey with 160 farmers owning a cattle herd was carried out in southern Mali to investigate their production objectives, as well as trait and breed preferences and correlated socio-economic determinants in order to understand farmers' breeding decisions and to identify comparative advantages of three breed groups (N'Dama, Fulani Zebu and crossbreds) raised in the study area. Data were analyzed using an exploded logit model. The reasons for raising cattle, as well as trait and breed preferences reflected the multiple objectives of the farmers. Draught power and savings were the most important production objectives. Productive traits were ranked highest; farmers reported large body size as the most preferred trait, followed by fertility, draught ability and milk yield. Crossbreds were the favored breed group. Breed preferences were mainly explained by 'resistance to disease' for N'Dama cattle and 'high market price' for Fulani Zebu and crossbred cattle. Production objectives, trait and breed preferences were mainly influenced by farmer group (local farmers and settled transhumants). Local farmers put comparatively more emphasis on livestock functions linked to crop production such as draught power. They had a higher preference for traction ability as a selection trait and preferred N'Dama over Fulani Zebu cattle. Settled transhumants emphasized milk yield as a selection trait and preferred Fulani Zebu over N'Dama. The results indicate that the trend towards more crossbreeding will continue putting the N'Dama breed under high risk of genetic dilution in southern Mali. The N'Dama cattle remain a valuable breed due to their adaptive traits such as disease and drought tolerance and their good traction ability, fulfilling the diverse objectives of local farmers. Crossbreeding was found to be a promising breeding strategy, which might contribute to the maintenance of the local breed, provided that breeding schemes are thoroughly planned and organized.

Wanting, liking, and preference construction.

PubMed

Dai, Xianchi; Brendl, C Miguel; Ariely, Dan

2010-06-01

According to theories on preference construction, multiple preferences result from multiple contexts (e.g., loss vs. gain frames). This implies that people can have different representations of a preference in different contexts. Drawing on Berridge's (1999) distinction between unconscious liking and wanting, we hypothesize that people may have multiple representations of a preference toward an object even within a single context. Specifically, we propose that people can have different representations of an object's motivational value, or incentive value, versus its emotional value, or likability, even when the object is placed in the same context. Study 1 establishes a divergence between incentive value and likability of faces using behavioral measures. Studies 2A and 2B, using self-report measures, provide support for our main hypothesis that people are perfectly aware of these distinct representations and are able to access them concurrently at will. We also discuss implications of our findings for the truism that people seek pleasure and for expectancy-value theories.

The Role of Ego-Identity Status in Mating Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunkel, Curtis S.; Papini, Dennis R.

2005-01-01

This study was designed to examine the role ego-identity plays in the mating preferences of late adolescents. In addition to examining the variance in mating preferences explained by ego-identity status, it was hoped that the results could assist in testing the competing Sexual Strategies (Buss & Schmitt, 1993) and Social Role (Eagly & Wood, 1999)…

Children of the Philippines: attitudes toward visible physical impairment.

PubMed

Harper, D C; Peterson, D B

2001-11-01

This pilot study was designed to evaluate children's attitudes and understanding of physical disabilities with special reference to those with craniofacial anomalies in the Philippines. Children with and without craniofacial anomalies were studied. This was a two-group correlational design with additional statistical assessment of subgroup differences. Each group was interviewed and information obtained on a standard disability preference task, attributions for playmate choice, and frequency of contact with disabilities. Parents completed a structured interview. Participants were 122 children recruited from Negros, Philippines. Fifty-four children with craniofacial anomalies (aged 7 to 12 years) were enrolled in the study, and 68 children without any disabilities were recruited from a local school in Bacolod City, Negros, Philippines. Participants completed a picture-ranking interview of specific physical disabilities and provided their reasons for their play choices and their contact with physical disabilities. The Kendall W correlation was significant for the children with craniofacial anomalies and for those without physical disabilities. Both groups reported lower preferences for disabilities that interfere with play and social interactions. Children depicted with facial anomalies received lower preference, compared with other physical disabilities. Children with craniofacial anomalies who have experienced surgical repair reported more positive rankings for the child depicted with a facial cleft. Sex differences in disability preference were noted. Children in the Philippines with and without craniofacial differences revealed similarities in preferences to children in several Western (United States) and non-Western countries. Children depicted with facial anomalies received lower preference than other visible physical differences. Children reported both positive and negative explanations for their disability play preferences. Facial differences may result in illogical and negative explanations for social avoidance among children. Similar reactions are noted in other parts of the world.

Comparison of the cognitive palatability assessment protocol and the two-pan test for use in assessing palatability of two similar foods in dogs.

PubMed

Araujo, Joseph A; Studzinski, Christa M; Larson, Brian T; Milgram, Norton W

2004-11-01

To compare preferences of dogs for 2 similar foods by use of 2 distinct methods (the cognitive palatability assessment protocol [CPAP] and the 2-pan test). 13 Beagles. 6 dogs were trained in a 3-choice object-discrimination-learning task in which their nonpreferred objects were associated with a reward of a lamb-based or chicken-based food. The number of choices for each object was used to determine food preferences. Preference of the same foods was also assessed by use of a 2-pan test in which all 13 dogs were provided the 2 foods in identical bowls. The amount of each food consumed in 10 minutes was used to determine food preference. All dogs had a noticeable preference for the chicken-based food during the CPAP. Once established, preferences remained consistent and were not affected by satiety. The 2-pan test identified a preference for the chicken-based food in dogs with previous exposure to the food but only a weak and nonsignificant preference for the same food in dogs without previous exposure. Food preferences in the 2-pan test varied considerably. Total food consumption and the ability to detect a preference were reduced when dogs were fed prior to testing. The CPAP provides a reliable measure of food preference that requires few test subjects. The 2-pan test reveals similar preferences but with variability in data that requires larger numbers of subjects and is susceptible to effects from prior exposure and feeding of the test foods to the subjects.

The views of parents who experience intergenerational poverty on parenting and play: a qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Smith, R L; Stagnitti, K; Lewis, A J; Pépin, G

2015-11-01

There is minimal literature on how parents experiencing intergenerational poverty view their role as parents and the value they place on children's play. The objective of this study was to examine how these parents view their parenting role and their beliefs about children's play. Thirteen mothers of preschool-aged children who experienced intergenerational poverty were recruited to the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Parents described their role as guiding their children to become 'good' people, to teach them skills and provide a routine within the home. There were two disconnections in the data including the view that whilst parenting was hard and lonely, it was also a private matter and participants preferred not to seek support. A second disconnection was in terms of their beliefs about play. Parents believed that whilst play was valuable to their child's development, it was not their role to play with children. However, if parents did play with their child, they noticed positive changes in their child's behaviour. The views of parents who experienced intergenerational poverty were similar to other reported findings in parenting studies. However, the current sample differed on not seeking help for support as well as not seeing their role as playing with their children, even though occasions of joining their child in play were associated with a positive change in their relationship with their child. This has implications for communicating about parenting issues with parents who have experienced intergenerational poverty. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Three-quarter views are subjectively good because object orientation is uncertain.

PubMed

Niimi, Ryosuke; Yokosawa, Kazuhiko

2009-04-01

Because the objects that surround us are three-dimensional, their appearance and our visual perception of them change depending on an object's orientation relative to a viewpoint. One of the most remarkable effects of object orientation is that viewers prefer three-quarter views over others, such as front and back, but the exact source of this preference has not been firmly established. We show that object orientation perception of the three-quarter view is relatively imprecise and that this impreciseness is related to preference for this view. Human vision is largely insensitive to variations among different three-quarter views (e.g., 45 degrees vs. 50 degrees ); therefore, the three-quarter view is perceived as if it corresponds to a wide range of orientations. In other words, it functions as the typical representation of the object.

Video game addiction, ADHD symptomatology, and video game reinforcement.

PubMed

Mathews, Christine L; Morrell, Holly E R; Molle, Jon E

2018-06-06

Up to 23% of people who play video games report symptoms of addiction. Individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be at increased risk for video game addiction, especially when playing games with more reinforcing properties. The current study tested whether level of video game reinforcement (type of game) places individuals with greater ADHD symptom severity at higher risk for developing video game addiction. Adult video game players (N = 2,801; Mean age = 22.43, SD = 4.70; 93.30% male; 82.80% Caucasian) completed an online survey. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were used to test type of game, ADHD symptom severity, and the interaction between type of game and ADHD symptomatology as predictors of video game addiction severity, after controlling for age, gender, and weekly time spent playing video games. ADHD symptom severity was positively associated with increased addiction severity (b = .73 and .68, ps < 0.001). Type of game played or preferred the most was not associated with addiction severity, ps > .05. The relationship between ADHD symptom severity and addiction severity did not depend on the type of video game played or preferred most, ps > .05. Gamers who have greater ADHD symptom severity may be at greater risk for developing symptoms of video game addiction and its negative consequences, regardless of type of video game played or preferred most. Individuals who report ADHD symptomatology and also identify as gamers may benefit from psychoeducation about the potential risk for problematic play.

When avoidance leads to approach: how ear preference interacts with neuroticism to predict disinhibited approach.

PubMed

Jackson, Chris J

2008-07-01

A series of eight studies focuses on how the avoidance system represented by neuroticism can lead to disinhibited approach tendencies. Based on research which argues that hemispheric preferences predispose the left hemisphere to fast action goal formation, and contralateral pathways between ear and brain, it is proposed that (a) people with a right ear preference will engage in fast action goal formation and (b) disinhibited approach results from neurotic people who reduce anxiety by means of fast action goal formation. Study 1 provides evidence from telesales operators of a link between self-rated ear preference and objective ear preference and provides evidence that disinhibited approach is predicted by a neuroticismxear preference interaction. Studies 2, 3, and 4 provide evidence that ear preference is related to other measures of objective aural preference and action goal formation. Studies 5, 6, 7, and 8 provide evidence that the neuroticismxear preference interaction predicts a variety of different disinhibited approach tendencies.

Factors influencing consumer purchasing patterns of generic versus brand name over-the-counter drugs.

PubMed

Kohli, Erol; Buller, Allison

2013-02-01

US consumers spend more than $20 billion/year on over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Although generic and brand name OTC drugs share the same active ingredients and undergo the same rigorous Food and Drug Administration approval process, brand name formulations continue to lead the OTC drug market with a higher market share. There is a limited amount of publicly available information regarding consumer perceptions and awareness about generic and brand name OTC drugs. The main objective of this research was to understand what factors influence US consumers to purchase generic versus brand name OTC drugs. The researchers used a 20-question, self-administered, multiple-choice survey to collect data on the factors influencing consumers' preferences for generic versus brand name OTC drugs. Results revealed that the single most influential factor for participants when purchasing OTC drugs was lower cost. Although economic factors play an important role in influencing consumers to choose generic formulations, a variety of other factors including advertisements, duration of the OTC effectiveness, severity of sickness, preferable form of OTC medication, safety of the OTC, relief of multiple symptoms, and preferred company will persuade others to pay more for brand name drugs. Ultimately, increased awareness and use of generic OTC drugs may result in substantial cost savings for consumers.

Influences on physicians' choices of intravenous colloids.

PubMed

Miletin, Michael S; Stewart, Thomas E; Norton, Peter G

2002-07-01

Controversy over the optimal intravenous fluid for volume resuscitation continues unabated. Our objectives were to characterize the demographics of physicians who prescribe intravenous colloids and determine factors that enter into their decision to choose a colloid. Questionnaire with 61 items. Ten percent ( n = 364) of frequent intravenous fluid prescribers in the province of Ontario, Canada. The response rate was 74%. Colloid use in the past year was reported by 79% of the responding physicians. Important reasons for choosing a colloid included blood loss and manipulation of oncotic pressure. Physicians tended to prefer either albumin or pentastarch, but no important reasons were found for choosing between the two. Albumin with or without crystalloid was preferred in 5/13 scenarios by more than 50% of the respondents, whereas pentastarch was not favored by more than 50% of respondents in any scenario. Physicians practising in critical care areas and teaching hospitals generally preferred pentastarch to albumin. Physicians reporting pentastarch as representing greater than 90% of total colloid use were more likely to have been visited by a drug detailer for pentastarch than those who used less synthetic colloid (54 vs 22%, p < 0.001). The majority of physicians surveyed prescribe colloid products and the reported use of albumin and pentastarch has a bimodal distribution. Although albumin appeared to be preferred in more clinical niches, most physicians did not state reasons for choosing between products. Marketing, specialty, location of practice and clinical scenario appear to play significant roles in the utilization of colloid products.

The validation of procedures to assess prevocational task preferences in retarded adults.

PubMed

Mithaug, D E; Hanawalt, D A

1978-01-01

Three severely retarded young adults between the ages of 19 and 21 years participated in a prevocational training program, and worked regularly on six different tasks during the scheduled six-hour day. The study attempted to assess each subject's preferences for the six tasks: collating, stuffing, sorting, pulley assembly, flour-sifter assembly, and circuit-board stuffing. In Phase I, the procedure consisted of randomly pairing each task with all other tasks in a two-choice situation that required the subjects to select one task from each pair combination to work for a seven-minute period. The selection procedure consisted of presenting two representative task objects on a tray and requesting the subject to pick up one object and place it on the work table. The object selected represented the task worked for that period. The 15 possible pair combinations were presented randomly every two days for a period of 34 days to determine the preferences. During the validation phase (Phase II), each subject's least- and most-preferred tasks were paired separately with moderately-preferred tasks. As expected, these manipulations confirmed the baseline data, as choices for the moderately-preferred tasks decreased when consistently paired with the preferred tasks and increased when consistently paired with the least-preferred tasks.

Additional considerations to the model of musical empathic engagement: Empathy facets, preferences, and openness. Comment on "Music, empathy, and cultural understanding" by E. Clarke et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenberg, David M.

2015-12-01

Recent research has shown that empathy plays an important role in musical experience including perception, preference, and performance [9,11,13,16,17]. Clarke, DeNora, and Vuoskoski's [4] timely review extends this work by establishing a framework for how ;music empathic engagement; can facilitate cultural understanding. In this commentary I raise attention to some additional factors that may be at play in their model.

Factors associated with oncology patients' involvement in shared decision making during chemotherapy.

PubMed

Colley, Alexis; Halpern, Jodi; Paul, Steven; Micco, Guy; Lahiff, Maureen; Wright, Fay; Levine, Jon D; Mastick, Judy; Hammer, Marilyn J; Miaskowski, Christine; Dunn, Laura B

2017-11-01

Oncology patients are increasingly encouraged to play an active role in treatment decision making. While previous studies have evaluated relationships between demographic characteristics and decision-making roles, less is known about the association of symptoms and psychological adjustment characteristics (eg, coping styles and personality traits) and decision-making roles. As part of a larger study of symptom clusters, patients (n = 765) receiving chemotherapy for breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, or lung cancer provided information on demographic, clinical, symptom, and psychological adjustment characteristics. Patient-reported treatment decision-making roles (ie, preferred role and role actually played) were assessed using the Control Preferences Scale. Differences among patients, who were classified as passive, collaborative, or active, were evaluated using χ 2 analyses and analyses of variance. Over half (56.3%) of the patients reported that they both preferred and actually played a collaborative role. Among those patients with concordant roles, those who were older, those with less education and lower income, and those who were less resilient were more likely to prefer a passive role. Several psychological adjustment characteristics were associated with decision-making role, including coping style, personality, and fatalism. Oncology patients' preferences for involvement in treatment decision making are associated with demographic characteristics as well as with symptoms and psychological adjustment characteristics, such as coping style and personality. These results reaffirm the complexities of predicting patients' preferences for involvement in decision making. Further study is needed to determine if role or coping style may be influenced by interventions designed to teach adaptive coping skills. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Problematic Internet use and problematic alcohol use from the cognitive-behavioral model: a longitudinal study among adolescents.

PubMed

Gámez-Guadix, Manuel; Calvete, Esther; Orue, Izaskun; Las Hayas, Carlota

2015-01-01

Problematic Internet use (PIU) and problematic alcohol use are two pervasive problems during adolescence that share similar characteristics and predictors. The first objective of this study was to analyze the temporal and reciprocal relationships among the main components of PIU from the cognitive-behavioral model (preference for online social interaction, mood regulation through the Internet, deficient self-regulation, and negative consequences). The second objective was to examine the temporal and reciprocal relationships between PIU components and problematic alcohol use. We also examined whether these relationships differ between males and females. The sample comprised 801 Spanish adolescents (mean age=14.92, SD=1.01) who completed the measures both at Time 1 (T1) and Time 2 (T2) six months apart. We used structural equation modeling to analyze the relationship among the variables. Results showed that deficient self-regulation at T1 predicted an increase in preference for online interactions, mood regulation, and negative consequences of the Internet at T2. In turn, the emergence of negative consequences of PIU at T1 predicted a rise in problematic alcohol use at T2. Longitudinal relationships between different components of PIU and between the components of PIU and problematic alcohol use were invariant across genders. Deficient self-regulation, consisting of diminished self-control over cognition and behaviors related to the Internet, plays a central role in the maintenance of PIU, increasing the preference for online interactions, mood regulation, and negative consequences from Internet use over time. In turn, adolescents who present negative consequences of PIU are vulnerable targets for problematic alcohol use. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ghrelin influences novelty seeking behavior in rodents and men.

PubMed

Hansson, Caroline; Shirazi, Rozita H; Näslund, Jakob; Vogel, Heike; Neuber, Corinna; Holm, Göran; Anckarsäter, Henrik; Dickson, Suzanne L; Eriksson, Elias; Skibicka, Karolina P

2012-01-01

Recent discoveries indicate an important role for ghrelin in drug and alcohol reward and an ability of ghrelin to regulate mesolimbic dopamine activity. The role of dopamine in novelty seeking, and the association between this trait and drug and alcohol abuse, led us to hypothesize that ghrelin may influence novelty seeking behavior. To test this possibility we applied several complementary rodent models of novelty seeking behavior, i.e. inescapable novelty-induced locomotor activity (NILA), novelty-induced place preference and novel object exploration, in rats subjected to acute ghrelin receptor (growth hormone secretagogue receptor; GHSR) stimulation or blockade. Furthermore we assessed the possible association between polymorphisms in the genes encoding ghrelin and GHSR and novelty seeking behavior in humans. The rodent studies indicate an important role for ghrelin in a wide range of novelty seeking behaviors. Ghrelin-injected rats exhibited a higher preference for a novel environment and increased novel object exploration. Conversely, those with GHSR blockade drastically reduced their preference for a novel environment and displayed decreased NILA. Importantly, the mesolimbic ventral tegmental area selective GHSR blockade was sufficient to reduce the NILA response indicating that the mesolimbic GHSRs might play an important role in the observed novelty responses. Moreover, in untreated animals, a striking positive correlation between NILA and sucrose reward behavior was detected. Two GHSR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs2948694 and rs495225, were significantly associated with the personality trait novelty seeking, as assessed using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), in human subjects. This study provides the first evidence for a role of ghrelin in novelty seeking behavior in animals and humans, and also points to an association between food reward and novelty seeking in rodents.

Ghrelin Influences Novelty Seeking Behavior in Rodents and Men

PubMed Central

Hansson, Caroline; Shirazi, Rozita H.; Näslund, Jakob; Vogel, Heike; Neuber, Corinna; Holm, Göran; Anckarsäter, Henrik; Dickson, Suzanne L.; Eriksson, Elias; Skibicka, Karolina P.

2012-01-01

Recent discoveries indicate an important role for ghrelin in drug and alcohol reward and an ability of ghrelin to regulate mesolimbic dopamine activity. The role of dopamine in novelty seeking, and the association between this trait and drug and alcohol abuse, led us to hypothesize that ghrelin may influence novelty seeking behavior. To test this possibility we applied several complementary rodent models of novelty seeking behavior, i.e. inescapable novelty-induced locomotor activity (NILA), novelty-induced place preference and novel object exploration, in rats subjected to acute ghrelin receptor (growth hormone secretagogue receptor; GHSR) stimulation or blockade. Furthermore we assessed the possible association between polymorphisms in the genes encoding ghrelin and GHSR and novelty seeking behavior in humans. The rodent studies indicate an important role for ghrelin in a wide range of novelty seeking behaviors. Ghrelin-injected rats exhibited a higher preference for a novel environment and increased novel object exploration. Conversely, those with GHSR blockade drastically reduced their preference for a novel environment and displayed decreased NILA. Importantly, the mesolimbic ventral tegmental area selective GHSR blockade was sufficient to reduce the NILA response indicating that the mesolimbic GHSRs might play an important role in the observed novelty responses. Moreover, in untreated animals, a striking positive correlation between NILA and sucrose reward behavior was detected. Two GHSR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs2948694 and rs495225, were significantly associated with the personality trait novelty seeking, as assessed using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), in human subjects. This study provides the first evidence for a role of ghrelin in novelty seeking behavior in animals and humans, and also points to an association between food reward and novelty seeking in rodents. PMID:23227170

Foster Parents Speak: Preferred Characteristics of Foster Children and Experiences in the Role of Foster Parent

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenwald, Mitchell; Bronstein, Laura

2008-01-01

Foster parents play a pivotal role in the child welfare system. A study that employed focus groups with foster parents was conducted at a private foster care agency with the initial purpose of understanding the characteristics of foster children that foster parents both preferred and not preferred. In the qualitative research tradition, their…

A test of the critical assumption of the sensory bias model for the evolution of female mating preference using neural networks.

PubMed

Fuller, Rebecca C

2009-07-01

The sensory bias model for the evolution of mating preferences states that mating preferences evolve as correlated responses to selection on nonmating behaviors sharing a common sensory system. The critical assumption is that pleiotropy creates genetic correlations that affect the response to selection. I simulated selection on populations of neural networks to test this. First, I selected for various combinations of foraging and mating preferences. Sensory bias predicts that populations with preferences for like-colored objects (red food and red mates) should evolve more readily than preferences for differently colored objects (red food and blue mates). Here, I found no evidence for sensory bias. The responses to selection on foraging and mating preferences were independent of one another. Second, I selected on foraging preferences alone and asked whether there were correlated responses for increased mating preferences for like-colored mates. Here, I found modest evidence for sensory bias. Selection for a particular foraging preference resulted in increased mating preference for similarly colored mates. However, the correlated responses were small and inconsistent. Selection on foraging preferences alone may affect initial levels of mating preferences, but these correlations did not constrain the joint evolution of foraging and mating preferences in these simulations.

Study of LCL filter performance for inverter fed grid connected system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thamizh Thentral, T. M.; Geetha, A.; Subramani, C.

2018-04-01

The abandoned use of power electronic converters in the application of grid connected system paves a way for critical injected harmonics. Hence the use of filter becomes a significant play among the present scenario. Higher order passive filter is mostly preferred in this application because of its reduced cost and size. This paper focuses on the design of LCL filter for the reduction of injected harmonics. The reason behind choosing LCL filter is inductor sizing and good ripple component attenuation over the other conventional filters. This work is simulated in MATLAB platform and the results are prominent to the objectives mentioned above. Also, the simulation results are verified with the implemented hardware model.

Female rats express a conditioned object preference for receipt of sexual stimulation.

PubMed

Guterl, Sophie A; McNamara, Tanner A; Klumpp, Gracie C; Meerts, Sarah H

2015-11-01

Female rats alternately approach and avoid the male rat during copulation, potentially reflecting appetitive and aversive aspects of mating, respectively. We developed a novel classical conditioning procedure, conditioned object preference (COP), to test whether female rats show increased approach toward a conditioned stimulus associated directly with receipt of sexual stimulation. During conditioning, one scented object was paired with an appetitive stimulus and a different object plus scent was paired with a control stimulus on a separate day. After conditioning, preference for each object was evaluated with a choice task. Experiment 1 was conducted to verify the procedure. Rats exhibited a significant COP for 1mg/kg amphetamine, indicating that the conditioned object preference procedure is an effective tool for evaluating the rewarding nature of a treatment. In Experiment 2, paced mating to one ejaculation and experimenter-delivered artificial vaginocervical stimulation (aVCS) each induced a COP. The robust COPs for paced mating and aVCS support the notion that female rats experience a reward state during receipt of sexual stimulation. Moreover, the data suggest that any aversive aspects of receipt of sexual stimulation do not overshadow the appetitive effects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Family health care decision making and self-efficacy with patients with ALS at the end of life

PubMed Central

NOLAN, MARIE T.; KUB, JOAN; HUGHES, MARK T.; TERRY, PETER B.; ASTROW, ALAN B.; CARBO, CYNTHIA A.; THOMPSON, RICHARD E.; CLAWSON, LORA; TEXEIRA, KENNETH; SULMASY, DANIEL P.

2008-01-01

Objective: Persons with ALS differ from those with other terminal illnesses in that they commonly retain capacity for decision making close to death. The role patients would opt to have their families play in decision making at the end of life may therefore be unique. This study compared the preferences of patients with ALS for involving family in health care decisions at the end of life with the actual involvement reported by the family after death. Methods: A descriptive correlational design with 16 patient–family member dyads was used. Quantitative findings were enriched with in-depth interviews of a subset of five family members following the patient's death. Results: Eighty-seven percent of patients had issued an advance directive. Patients who would opt to make health care decisions independently (i.e., according to the patient's preferences alone) were most likely to have their families report that decisions were made in the style that the patient preferred. Those who preferred shared decision making with family or decision making that relied upon the family were more likely to have their families report that decisions were made in a style that was more independent than preferred. When interviewed in depth, some family members described shared decision making although they had reported on the survey that the patient made independent decisions. Significance of results: The structure of advance directives may suggest to families that independent decision making is the ideal, causing them to avoid or underreport shared decision making. Fear of family recriminations may also cause family members to avoid or underreport shared decision making. Findings from this study might be used to guide clinicians in their discussions of treatments and health care decision making with persons with ALS and their families. PMID:18662421

A prospective study of maternal preference for indomethacin prophylaxis versus symptomatic treatment of a patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants.

PubMed

AlFaleh, Khalid; Alluwaimi, Eman; AlOsaimi, Ahlam; Alrajebah, Sheikha; AlOtaibi, Bashayer; AlRasheed, Fatima; AlKharfi, Turki; Paes, Bosco

2015-04-22

The management of a patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants continues to be debated among neonatologists due to the absence of concrete evidence that precisely weighs the long term outcomes of active, early intervention against a conservative approach. In the majority of institutions, parents are encouraged to play an active role in the complex, decision -making processes with regard to the care of their infants. The objective of this study is to elicit maternal preferences for indomethacin prophylaxis versus treatment of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants, utilizing a decision aid instrument (DAI). Healthy and high risk pregnant women at 23-28 weeks gestation, and mothers of admitted ELBW infants were enrolled. A computer based, validated DAI was utilized during interviews. The DAI first provides information about prematurity and concurrent morbidities with comprehensive facts of the pros and cons about prophylactic versus treatment options. It subsequently coaches participants how to select values and preferences based on their decisions. A 17-item questionnaire assessed and valued each short and long term morbidity of extreme prematurity and preferred choice for PDA management. Two hundred ninety nine subjects were enrolled; 75% were healthy women at 23-28 weeks gestation, 19% were high risk and 6% recently delivered an ELBW infant. Eighty-two percent preferred a prophylactic indomethacin strategy versus symptomatic treatment for the management of PDA. Across a spectrum of potential morbidities, the occurrence of severe intraventricular hemorrhage was viewed by mothers as the most un-wanted outcome irrespective of the two proposed options. In contrast to neonatal practitioners, mothers who used this particular DAI strongly endorsed prophylactic indomethacin versus a treatment intervention for the management of PDA in preterm infants.

Modeling agent's preferences by its designer's social value orientation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuckerman, Inon; Cheng, Kan-Leung; Nau, Dana S.

2018-03-01

Human social preferences have been shown to play an important role in many areas of decision-making. There is evidence from the social science literature that human preferences in interpersonal interactions depend partly on a measurable personality trait called, Social Value Orientation (SVO). Automated agents are often written by humans to serve as their delegates when interacting with other agents. Thus, one might expect an agent's behaviour to be influenced by the SVO of its human designer. With that in mind, we present the following: first, we explore, discuss and provide a solution to the question of how SVO tests that were designed for humans can be used to evaluate agents' social preferences. Second, we show that in our example domain there is a medium-high positive correlation between the social preferences of agents and their human designers. Third, we exemplify how the SVO information of the designer can be used to improve the performance of some other agents playing against those agents, and lastly, we develop and exemplify the behavioural signature SVO model which allows us to better predict performances when interactions are repeated and behaviour is adapted.

Infant Hand Preference and the Development of Cognitive Abilities

PubMed Central

Michel, George F.; Campbell, Julie M.; Marcinowski, Emily C.; Nelson, Eliza L.; Babik, Iryna

2016-01-01

Hand preference develops in the first two postnatal years with nearly half of infants exhibiting a consistent early preference for acquiring objects. Others exhibit a more variable developmental trajectory but by the end of their second postnatal year, most exhibit a consistent hand preference for role-differentiated bimanual manipulation. According to some forms of embodiment theory, these differences in hand use patterns should influence the way children interact with their environments, which, in turn, should affect the structure and function of brain development. Such early differences in brain development should result in different trajectories of psychological development. We present evidence that children with consistent early hand preferences exhibit advanced patterns of cognitive development as compared to children who develop a hand preference later. Differences in the developmental trajectory of hand preference are predictive of developmental differences in language, object management skills, and tool-use skills. As predicted by Casasanto’s body-specificity hypothesis, infants with different hand preferences proceed along different developmental pathways of cognitive functioning. PMID:27047431

Sex differences in adults' relative visual interest in female and male faces, toys, and play styles.

PubMed

Alexander, Gerianne M; Charles, Nora

2009-06-01

An individual's reproductive potential appears to influence response to attractive faces of the opposite sex. Otherwise, relatively little is known about the characteristics of the adult observer that may influence his or her affective evaluation of male and female faces. An untested hypothesis (based on the proposed role of attractive faces in mate selection) is that most women would show greater interest in male faces whereas most men would show greater interest in female faces. Further, evidence from individuals with preferences for same-sex sexual partners suggests that response to attractive male and female faces may be influenced by gender-linked play preferences. To test these hypotheses, visual attention directed to sex-linked stimuli (faces, toys, play styles) was measured in 39 men and 44 women using eye tracking technology. Consistent with our predictions, men directed greater visual attention to all male-typical stimuli and visual attention to male and female faces was associated with visual attention to gender conforming or nonconforming stimuli in a manner consistent with previous research on sexual orientation. In contrast, women showed a visual preference for female-typical toys, but no visual preference for male faces or female-typical play styles. These findings indicate that sex differences in visual processing extend beyond stimuli associated with adult sexual behavior. We speculate that sex differences in visual processing are a component of the expression of gender phenotypes across the lifespan that may reflect sex differences in the motivational properties of gender-linked stimuli.

The impact of sound in modern multiline video slot machine play.

PubMed

Dixon, Mike J; Harrigan, Kevin A; Santesso, Diane L; Graydon, Candice; Fugelsang, Jonathan A; Collins, Karen

2014-12-01

Slot machine wins and losses have distinctive, measurable, physiological effects on players. The contributing factors to these effects remain under-explored. We believe that sound is one of these key contributing factors. Sound plays an important role in reinforcement, and thus on arousal level and stress response of players. It is the use of sound for positive reinforcement in particular that we believe influences the player. In the current study, we investigate the role that sound plays in psychophysical responses to slot machine play. A total of 96 gamblers played a slot machine simulator with and without sound being paired with reinforcement. Skin conductance responses and heart rate, as well as subjective judgments about the gambling experience were examined. The results showed that the sound influenced the arousal of participants both psychophysically and psychologically. The sound also influenced players' preferences, with the majority of players preferring to play slot machines that were accompanied by winning sounds. The sounds also caused players to significantly overestimate the number of times they won while playing the slot machine.

Histone Deacetylase Inhibition Induces Odor Preference Memory Extension and Maintains Enhanced AMPA Receptor Expression in the Rat Pup Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhattacharya, Sriya; Mukherjee, Bandhan; Doré, Jules J. E.; Yuan, Qi; Harley, Carolyn W.; McLean, John H.

2017-01-01

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) plays a role in synaptic plasticity and long-term memory formation. We hypothesized that trichostatin-A (TSA), an HDAC inhibitor, would promote long-term odor preference memory and maintain enhanced GluA1 receptor levels that have been hypothesized to support memory. We used an early odor preference learning model in…

Bilevel formulation of a policy design problem considering multiple objectives and incomplete preferences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawthorne, Bryant; Panchal, Jitesh H.

2014-07-01

A bilevel optimization formulation of policy design problems considering multiple objectives and incomplete preferences of the stakeholders is presented. The formulation is presented for Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) policy design for decentralized energy infrastructure. The upper-level problem is the policy designer's problem and the lower-level problem is a Nash equilibrium problem resulting from market interactions. The policy designer has two objectives: maximizing the quantity of energy generated and minimizing policy cost. The stakeholders decide on quantities while maximizing net present value and minimizing capital investment. The Nash equilibrium problem in the presence of incomplete preferences is formulated as a stochastic linear complementarity problem and solved using expected value formulation, expected residual minimization formulation, and the Monte Carlo technique. The primary contributions in this article are the mathematical formulation of the FIT policy, the extension of computational policy design problems to multiple objectives, and the consideration of incomplete preferences of stakeholders for policy design problems.

Player preferences among new and old violins.

PubMed

Fritz, Claudia; Curtin, Joseph; Poitevineau, Jacques; Morrel-Samuels, Palmer; Tao, Fan-Chia

2012-01-17

Most violinists believe that instruments by Stradivari and Guarneri "del Gesu" are tonally superior to other violins--and to new violins in particular. Many mechanical and acoustical factors have been proposed to account for this superiority; however, the fundamental premise of tonal superiority has not yet been properly investigated. Player's judgments about a Stradivari's sound may be biased by the violin's extraordinary monetary value and historical importance, but no studies designed to preclude such biasing factors have yet been published. We asked 21 experienced violinists to compare violins by Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesu with high-quality new instruments. The resulting preferences were based on the violinists' individual experiences of playing the instruments under double-blind conditions in a room with relatively dry acoustics. We found that (i) the most-preferred violin was new; (ii) the least-preferred was by Stradivari; (iii) there was scant correlation between an instrument's age and monetary value and its perceived quality; and (iv) most players seemed unable to tell whether their most-preferred instrument was new or old. These results present a striking challenge to conventional wisdom. Differences in taste among individual players, along with differences in playing qualities among individual instruments, appear more important than any general differences between new and old violins. Rather than searching for the "secret" of Stradivari, future research might best focused on how violinists evaluate instruments, on which specific playing qualities are most important to them, and on how these qualities relate to measurable attributes of the instruments, whether old or new.

Smooth leader or sharp follower? Playing the mirror game with a robot.

PubMed

Kashi, Shir; Levy-Tzedek, Shelly

2018-01-01

The increasing number of opportunities for human-robot interactions in various settings, from industry through home use to rehabilitation, creates a need to understand how to best personalize human-robot interactions to fit both the user and the task at hand. In the current experiment, we explored a human-robot collaborative task of joint movement, in the context of an interactive game. We set out to test people's preferences when interacting with a robotic arm, playing a leader-follower imitation game (the mirror game). Twenty two young participants played the mirror game with the robotic arm, where one player (person or robot) followed the movements of the other. Each partner (person and robot) was leading part of the time, and following part of the time. When the robotic arm was leading the joint movement, it performed movements that were either sharp or smooth, which participants were later asked to rate. The greatest preference was given to smooth movements. Half of the participants preferred to lead, and half preferred to follow. Importantly, we found that the movements of the robotic arm primed the subsequent movements performed by the participants. The priming effect by the robot on the movements of the human should be considered when designing interactions with robots. Our results demonstrate individual differences in preferences regarding the role of the human and the joint motion path of the robot and the human when performing the mirror game collaborative task, and highlight the importance of personalized human-robot interactions.

A large scale test of the gaming-enhancement hypothesis.

PubMed

Przybylski, Andrew K; Wang, John C

2016-01-01

A growing research literature suggests that regular electronic game play and game-based training programs may confer practically significant benefits to cognitive functioning. Most evidence supporting this idea, the gaming-enhancement hypothesis , has been collected in small-scale studies of university students and older adults. This research investigated the hypothesis in a general way with a large sample of 1,847 school-aged children. Our aim was to examine the relations between young people's gaming experiences and an objective test of reasoning performance. Using a Bayesian hypothesis testing approach, evidence for the gaming-enhancement and null hypotheses were compared. Results provided no substantive evidence supporting the idea that having preference for or regularly playing commercially available games was positively associated with reasoning ability. Evidence ranged from equivocal to very strong in support for the null hypothesis over what was predicted. The discussion focuses on the value of Bayesian hypothesis testing for investigating electronic gaming effects, the importance of open science practices, and pre-registered designs to improve the quality of future work.

A New Method for a Virtue-Based Responsible Conduct of Research Curriculum: Pilot Test Results.

PubMed

Berling, Eric; McLeskey, Chet; O'Rourke, Michael; Pennock, Robert T

2018-02-03

Drawing on Pennock's theory of scientific virtues, we are developing an alternative curriculum for training scientists in the responsible conduct of research (RCR) that emphasizes internal values rather than externally imposed rules. This approach focuses on the virtuous characteristics of scientists that lead to responsible and exemplary behavior. We have been pilot-testing one element of such a virtue-based approach to RCR training by conducting dialogue sessions, modeled upon the approach developed by Toolbox Dialogue Initiative, that focus on a specific virtue, e.g., curiosity and objectivity. During these structured discussions, small groups of scientists explore the roles they think the focus virtue plays and should play in the practice of science. Preliminary results have shown that participants strongly prefer this virtue-based model over traditional methods of RCR training. While we cannot yet definitively say that participation in these RCR sessions contributes to responsible conduct, these pilot results are encouraging and warrant continued development of this virtue-based approach to RCR training.

Prolonged stimulation of corticosterone secretion by corticotropin-releasing hormone in rats exhibiting high preference for dietary fat

USGS Publications Warehouse

Herminghuysen, D.; Plaisance, K.; Pace, R. M.; Prasad, C.

1998-01-01

Through the secretion of corticosterone, the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is thought to play an important role in the regulation of caloric intake and dietary fat preference. In an earlier study, we demonstrated a positive correlation between urinary corticosterone output and dietary fat preference. Furthermore, dietary fat preference was augmented following chronic but not acute hypercorticosteronemia produced by exogenous corticosterone administration. These observations led us to explore whether the HPA axis of rats exhibiting high preference for fat may have exaggerated sensitivity to corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). The results of these studies show a delayed and blunted but more prolonged corticosterone response to CRH in the fat-preferring rats compared with that of the carbohydrate-preferring rats.

Shared musical knowledge in 11-month-old infants.

PubMed

Mehr, Samuel A; Spelke, Elizabeth S

2018-03-01

Five-month-old infants selectively attend to novel people who sing melodies originally learned from a parent, but not melodies learned from a musical toy or from an unfamiliar singing adult, suggesting that music conveys social information to infant listeners. Here, we test this interpretation further in older infants with a more direct measure of social preferences. We randomly assigned 64 11-month-old infants to 1-2 weeks' exposure to one of two novel play songs that a parent either sang or produced by activating a recording inside a toy. Infants then viewed videos of two new people, each singing one song. When the people, now silent, each presented the infant with an object, infants in both conditions preferentially chose the object endorsed by the singer of the familiar song. Nevertheless, infants' visual attention to that object was predicted by the degree of song exposure only for infants who learned from the singing of a parent. Eleven-month-olds thus garner social information from songs, whether learned from singing people or from social play with musical toys, but parental singing has distinctive effects on infants' responses to new singers. Both findings support the hypothesis that infants endow music with social meaning. These findings raise questions concerning the types of music and behavioral contexts that elicit infants' social responses to those who share music with them, and they support suggestions concerning the psychological functions of music both in contemporary environments and in the environments in which humans evolved. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Is an objective refraction optimised using the visual Strehl ratio better than a subjective refraction?

PubMed Central

Hastings, Gareth D.; Marsack, Jason D.; Nguyen, Lan Chi; Cheng, Han; Applegate, Raymond A.

2017-01-01

Purpose To prospectively examine whether using the visual image quality metric, visual Strehl (VSX), to optimise objective refraction from wavefront error measurements can provide equivalent or better visual performance than subjective refraction and which refraction is preferred in free viewing. Methods Subjective refractions and wavefront aberrations were measured on 40 visually-normal eyes of 20 subjects, through natural and dilated pupils. For each eye a sphere, cylinder, and axis prescription was also objectively determined that optimised visual image quality (VSX) for the measured wavefront error. High contrast (HC) and low contrast (LC) logMAR visual acuity (VA) and short-term monocular distance vision preference were recorded and compared between the VSX-objective and subjective prescriptions both undilated and dilated. Results For 36 myopic eyes, clinically equivalent (and not statistically different) HC VA was provided with both the objective and subjective refractions (undilated mean ±SD was −0.06 ±0.04 with both refractions; dilated was −0.05 ±0.04 with the objective, and −0.05 ±0.05 with the subjective refraction). LC logMAR VA provided by the objective refraction was also clinically equivalent and not statistically different to that provided by the subjective refraction through both natural and dilated pupils for myopic eyes. In free viewing the objective prescription was preferred over the subjective by 72% of myopic eyes when not dilated. For four habitually undercorrected high hyperopic eyes, the VSX-objective refraction was more positive in spherical power and VA poorer than with the subjective refraction. Conclusions A method of simultaneously optimising sphere, cylinder, and axis from wavefront error measurements, using the visual image quality metric VSX, is described. In myopic subjects, visual performance, as measured by HC and LC VA, with this VSX-objective refraction was found equivalent to that provided by subjective refraction, and was typically preferred over subjective refraction. Subjective refraction was preferred by habitually undercorrected hyperopic eyes. PMID:28370389

Neural Correlates of Personal Space Intrusion

PubMed Central

Cassidy, Brittany S.; Yue, Xiaomin; Rauch, Scott L.; Boeke, Emily A.; Nasr, Shahin; Tootell, Roger B. H.; Coombs, Garth

2014-01-01

A parietal-frontal network in primates is thought to support many behaviors occurring in the space around the body, including interpersonal interactions and maintenance of a particular “comfort zone” or distance from other people (“personal space”). To better understand this network in humans, we used functional MRI to measure the responses to moving objects (faces, cars, simple spheres) and the functional connectivity of two regions in this network, the dorsal intraparietal sulcus (DIPS) and the ventral premotor cortex (PMv). We found that both areas responded more strongly to faces that were moving toward (vs away from) subjects, but did not show this bias in response to comparable motion in control stimuli (cars or spheres). Moreover, these two regions were functionally interconnected. Tests of activity-behavior associations revealed that the strength of DIPS-PMv connectivity was correlated with the preferred distance that subjects chose to stand from an unfamiliar person (personal space size). In addition, the magnitude of DIPS and PMv responses was correlated with the preferred level of social activity. Together, these findings suggest that this parietal-frontal network plays a role in everyday interactions with others. PMID:24647934

Adverse birth factors predict cognitive ability, but not hand preference.

PubMed

Nicholls, Michael E R; Johnston, David W; Shields, Michael A

2012-09-01

There is a persistent theory that birth stress and subsequent brain pathology play an important role in the manifestation of left-handedness. Evidence for this theory, however, is mixed and studies are often beset with problems related to small sample sizes and unreliable health reports. TO avoid these issues, this study used a sample of approximately 10,000 children from the British Cohort Study. The study contains objective birth-health reports and comprehensive measures of socioeconomic status, handedness, cognitive ability, and behavioral/health issues. Regression analyses showed that variables associated with birth stress affected cognitive/behavioral/health outcomes of the child. Despite this, these same factors did not affect the direction or degree of hand preference. We have therefore demonstrated a dissociation whereby adverse birth factors affect the brain's cognitive ability, but not handedness, and by implication, cerebral lateralization. The study also demonstrated a link between left-handedness and reduced levels of cognitive ability. This link cannot be due a generalized birth-stress mechanism and may be caused by specific mechanisms related to changes in cerebral dominance.

A guide to multi-objective optimization for ecological problems with an application to cackling goose management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Perry J.; Kendall, William L.

2017-01-01

Choices in ecological research and management are the result of balancing multiple, often competing, objectives. Multi-objective optimization (MOO) is a formal decision-theoretic framework for solving multiple objective problems. MOO is used extensively in other fields including engineering, economics, and operations research. However, its application for solving ecological problems has been sparse, perhaps due to a lack of widespread understanding. Thus, our objective was to provide an accessible primer on MOO, including a review of methods common in other fields, a review of their application in ecology, and a demonstration to an applied resource management problem.A large class of methods for solving MOO problems can be separated into two strategies: modelling preferences pre-optimization (the a priori strategy), or modelling preferences post-optimization (the a posteriori strategy). The a priori strategy requires describing preferences among objectives without knowledge of how preferences affect the resulting decision. In the a posteriori strategy, the decision maker simultaneously considers a set of solutions (the Pareto optimal set) and makes a choice based on the trade-offs observed in the set. We describe several methods for modelling preferences pre-optimization, including: the bounded objective function method, the lexicographic method, and the weighted-sum method. We discuss modelling preferences post-optimization through examination of the Pareto optimal set. We applied each MOO strategy to the natural resource management problem of selecting a population target for cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii minima) abundance. Cackling geese provide food security to Native Alaskan subsistence hunters in the goose's nesting area, but depredate crops on private agricultural fields in wintering areas. We developed objective functions to represent the competing objectives related to the cackling goose population target and identified an optimal solution first using the a priori strategy, and then by examining trade-offs in the Pareto set using the a posteriori strategy. We used four approaches for selecting a final solution within the a posteriori strategy; the most common optimal solution, the most robust optimal solution, and two solutions based on maximizing a restricted portion of the Pareto set. We discuss MOO with respect to natural resource management, but MOO is sufficiently general to cover any ecological problem that contains multiple competing objectives that can be quantified using objective functions.

SortNet: learning to rank by a neural preference function.

PubMed

Rigutini, Leonardo; Papini, Tiziano; Maggini, Marco; Scarselli, Franco

2011-09-01

Relevance ranking consists in sorting a set of objects with respect to a given criterion. However, in personalized retrieval systems, the relevance criteria may usually vary among different users and may not be predefined. In this case, ranking algorithms that adapt their behavior from users' feedbacks must be devised. Two main approaches are proposed in the literature for learning to rank: the use of a scoring function, learned by examples, that evaluates a feature-based representation of each object yielding an absolute relevance score, a pairwise approach, where a preference function is learned to determine the object that has to be ranked first in a given pair. In this paper, we present a preference learning method for learning to rank. A neural network, the comparative neural network (CmpNN), is trained from examples to approximate the comparison function for a pair of objects. The CmpNN adopts a particular architecture designed to implement the symmetries naturally present in a preference function. The learned preference function can be embedded as the comparator into a classical sorting algorithm to provide a global ranking of a set of objects. To improve the ranking performances, an active-learning procedure is devised, that aims at selecting the most informative patterns in the training set. The proposed algorithm is evaluated on the LETOR dataset showing promising performances in comparison with other state-of-the-art algorithms.

An Investigation of Patient Preferences for Music Played Before Electroconvulsive Therapy.

PubMed

Graff, Veena; Wingfield, Peter; Adams, David; Rabinowitz, Terry

2016-09-01

Patients often feel anxious before electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which can lead to avoidance of treatments. Music is a noninvasive safe option to reduce anxiety in the preoperative setting. Therefore, we examined patients' preferences of listening to music while receiving ECT by providing music-by way of headphones or speakers-to participants before treatment. Patients receiving ECT were recruited for this study. Patients served as their own controls in 3 separate music intervention sessions: 1) randomization to music via headphones or speakers, 2) no music, 3) the remaining music intervention. Patients completed a questionnaire related to satisfaction and preferences of music being played before ECT. Patients received a final questionnaire at the end of the study asking which intervention they preferred. Thirty patients completed the study. Ninety percent enjoyed listening to music through speakers. Eighty percent liked listening to music through headphones. Seventeen percent preferred not having any music. The difference in preference between speakers and headphones was not significant (P = 0.563; McNemar-Bowker test). There was no association between preference at the end of the study and the initial assignment of speakers or headphones (P = 0.542 and P = 0.752, respectively; Pearson χ tests). No adverse events were reported. Music is a low-cost intervention with virtually no side effects that could be offered as an adjunctive therapy for patients receiving ECT. A significant proportion of patients liked hearing music before treatment.

Cerebral Asymmetries in Sleep-Dependent Processes of Memory Consolidation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peigneux, Philippe; Schmitz, Remy; Willems, Sylvie

2007-01-01

Preference for previously seen, unfamiliar objects reflects a memory bias on affective judgment, known as the "mere exposure effect" (MEE). Here, we investigated the effect of time, post-exposure sleep, and the brain hemisphere solicited on preference generalization toward objects viewed in different perspectives. When presented in the right…

Middle-aged women's preferred theory-based features in mobile physical activity applications.

PubMed

Ehlers, Diane K; Huberty, Jennifer L

2014-09-01

The purpose of this study was to describe which theory-based behavioral and technological features middle-aged women prefer to be included in a mobile application designed to help them adopt and maintain regular physical activity (PA). Women aged 30 to 64 years (N = 120) completed an online survey measuring their demographics and mobile PA application preferences. The survey was developed upon behavioral principles of Social Cognitive Theory, recent mobile app research, and technology adoption principles of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Frequencies were calculated and content analyses conducted to identify which features women most preferred. Behavioral features that help women self-regulate their PA (PA tracking, goal-setting, progress monitoring) were most preferred. Technological features that enhance perceived effort expectancy and playfulness were most preferred. Many women reported the desire to interact and compete with others through the application. Theory-based PA self-regulation features and theory-based design features that improve perceived effort expectancy and playfulness may be most beneficial in a mobile PA application for middle-aged women. Opportunities to interact with other people and the employment of social, game-like activities may also be attractive. Interdisciplinary engagement of experts in PA behavior change, technology adoption, and software development is needed.

Modulating Mimetic Preference with Theta Burst Stimulation of the Inferior Parietal Cortex

PubMed Central

Ticini, Luca F.; Urgesi, Cosimo; Kotz, Sonja A.

2017-01-01

We like an object more when we see someone else reaching for it. To what extent is action observation causally linked to object valuation? In this study, we set out to answer to this question by applying continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) over the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL). Previous studies pointed to this region as critical in the representation of others' actions and in tool manipulation. However, it is unclear to what extent IPL's involvement simply reflects action observation, rather than a casual role in objects' valuation. To clarify this issue, we measured cTBS-dependent modulations of participants' “mimetic preference ratings”, i.e., the difference between the ratings of pairs of familiar objects that were (vs. were not) reached out for by other individuals. Our result shows that cTBS increased mimetic preference ratings for tools, when compared to a control condition without stimulation. This effect was selective for items that were reached for or manipulated by another individual, whilst it was not detected in non-tool objects. Although preliminary, this finding suggests that the automatic and covert simulation of an observed action, even when there is no intention to act on an object, influences explicit affective judgments for objects. This work supports embodied cognition theories by substantiating that our subjective preference is grounded in action. PMID:29250021

The zebrafish world of colors and shapes: preference and discrimination.

PubMed

Oliveira, Jessica; Silveira, Mayara; Chacon, Diana; Luchiari, Ana

2015-04-01

Natural environment imposes many challenges to animals, which have to use cognitive abilities to cope with and exploit it to enhance their fitness. Since zebrafish is a well-established model for cognitive studies and high-throughput screening for drugs and diseases that affect cognition, we tested their ability for ambient color preference and 3D objects discrimination to establish a protocol for memory evaluation. For the color preference test, zebrafish were observed in a multiple-chamber tank with different environmental color options. Zebrafish showed preference for blue and green, and avoided yellow and red. For the 3D objects discrimination, zebrafish were allowed to explore two equal objects and then observed in a one-trial test in which a new color, size, or shape of the object was presented. Zebrafish showed discrimination for color, shape, and color+shape combined, but not size. These results imply that zebrafish seem to use some categorical system to discriminate items, and distracters affect their ability for discrimination. The type of variables available (color and shape) may favor zebrafish objects perception and facilitate discrimination processing. We suggest that this easy and simple memory test could serve as a useful screening tool for cognitive dysfunction and neurotoxicological studies.

An ecological valence theory of human color preference.

PubMed

Palmer, Stephen E; Schloss, Karen B

2010-05-11

Color preference is an important aspect of visual experience, but little is known about why people in general like some colors more than others. Previous research suggested explanations based on biological adaptations [Hurlbert AC, Ling YL (2007) Curr Biol 17:623-625] and color-emotions [Ou L-C, Luo MR, Woodcock A, Wright A (2004) Color Res Appl 29:381-389]. In this article we articulate an ecological valence theory in which color preferences arise from people's average affective responses to color-associated objects. An empirical test provides strong support for this theory: People like colors strongly associated with objects they like (e.g., blues with clear skies and clean water) and dislike colors strongly associated with objects they dislike (e.g., browns with feces and rotten food). Relative to alternative theories, the ecological valence theory both fits the data better (even with fewer free parameters) and provides a more plausible, comprehensive causal explanation of color preferences.

Skin-Tone Preferences and Self-Representation in Hispanic Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufman, Erin A.; Wiese, Deborah L.

2012-01-01

Skin-tone preferences and colourism within Hispanic children have been largely unexamined in the psychological literature. The objectives of the current study were to investigate Hispanic children's skin-tone preferences and the effect of assessor race and ethnicity on those preferences. To carry out the study, Clark and Clark's colouring task was…

Do Boys Prefer Daddy or His Physical Style of Play?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Hildy; Taylor, Heather

1989-01-01

Observation of 18 three-year-old boys revealed that they reacted more positively to both of their parents when their play style was more physical and active, resembling the typical paternal style. (Author/BJV)

Return to Play Guidelines Cannot Solve the Football-Related Concussion Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, L. Syd M.

2012-01-01

Background: High school football players are the single largest cohort of athletes playing tackle football, and account for the majority of sport-related concussions. Return to play guidelines (RTPs) have emerged as the preferred approach for addressing the problem of sport-related concussion in youth athletes. Methods: This article reviews…

Environmental Socialization: Quantitative Tests of the Childhood Play Hypothesis

Treesearch

Robert D. Bixler; Myron F. Floyd; William E. Hammitt

2002-01-01

Two studies with adolescent youth (N = 1,376, N = 450) help clarify the relationship between childhood play experiences in wild environments and later environmental preferences in the life domains of work, leisure, and school. Respondents reporting having played in wild environments had more positive perceptions of natural environments, outdoor recreation activities,...

Young Children's Preferences: What Stimulates Children's Cognitive Play in Outdoor Preschools?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zamani, Zahra

2017-01-01

A number of studies have identified childcare environments as significant resources for children's development, learning through play, and contact with nature. However, there is a lack of knowledge about how, from a child's perspective, specific outdoor physical environments in preschools stimulate children's cognitive play. Emphasizing on the…

High-Cost Calories: Food Preference and Poverty.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shah, C. H.

1980-01-01

Food preferences play an important role in the diet of the poor. Increasing the supply of unappealing foods is not likely to effectively solve the problem of malnutrition. Improved income is more likely to remedy malnutrition than are categorical programs aimed at providing protein or calories. (Author/GC)

The mere exposure effect is sensitive to color information: evidence for color effects in a perceptual implicit memory test.

PubMed

Hupbach, Almut; Melzer, André; Hardt, Oliver

2006-01-01

Priming effects in perceptual tests of implicit memory are assumed to be perceptually specific. Surprisingly, changing object colors from study to test did not diminish priming in most previous studies. However, these studies used implicit tests that are based on object identification, which mainly depends on the analysis of the object shape and therefore operates color-independently. The present study shows that color effects can be found in perceptual implicit tests when the test task requires the processing of color information. In Experiment 1, reliable color priming was found in a mere exposure design (preference test). In Experiment 2, the preference test was contrasted with a conceptually driven color-choice test. Altering the shape of object from study to test resulted in significant priming in the color-choice test but eliminated priming in the preference test. Preference judgments thus largely depend on perceptual processes. In Experiment 3, the preference and the color-choice test were studied under explicit test instructions. Differences in reaction times between the implicit and the explicit test suggest that the implicit test results were not an artifact of explicit retrieval attempts. In contrast with previous assumptions, it is therefore concluded that color is part of the representation that mediates perceptual priming.

Prospective Randomized Study of the Effect of Music on the Efficiency of Surgical Closures.

PubMed

Lies, Shelby R; Zhang, Andrew Y

2015-09-01

Music is commonly played in operating theaters. Some surgeons believe music reduces stress and operative time, while others think music is a distraction and should be avoided. There is limited published evidence evaluating the effects of music on surgical performance. The goal of this study is to evaluate the effect of music on simple wound closure. Plastic surgery residents were asked to perform layered closures on pigs' feet with and without their preferred music playing. Simple randomization was used to assign residents to the music playing first or music playing second group. The time to complete the repair was measured and repairs were graded by blinded faculty. Results were analyzed to determine significant differences in time to complete the task and quality of repair. Participants were retested in a second session with music played in the opposite order to evaluate consistency. Listening to preferred music decreased repair time by 8% for all plastic surgery residents (p = 0.009). Subgroup analysis demonstrated even more significant improvement in speed for senior residents (PGY 4-6), resulting in a 10% decrease in repair time (p = 0.006). The quality of repair was also better in the music group, at 3.3 versus 3.1 (p = 0.047). Retesting revealed results remained significant whether music was played first or second. Playing preferred music made plastic surgery residents faster in completing wound closure with a 10% improvement in senior residents. Music also improved quality of repair as judged by blinded faculty. Our study showed that music improves efficiency of wound closure, which may translate to healthcare cost savings. © 2015 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc. Reprints and permission: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Outdoor motivation moderates the effects of accessibility on mobility in old age.

PubMed

Kamin, Stefan T; Beyer, Anja; Lang, Frieder R

2016-07-01

Mobility plays a major role in healthy aging and social participation. This study explored whether accessibility problems in the housing environment are negatively associated with mobility in old age and whether this association is moderated by differences in an individual's preference for spending time outside the home (outdoor motivation). This article reports the results of a research project on mobility in old age. The project included a survey study of 120 community-dwelling older adults between 59 and 92 years of age (mean = 71.7 years, SD = 7.3 years) living in the metropolitan region of Nuremberg, Germany. Objective assessments were conducted in the participants' housing environment to evaluate the magnitude of accessibility problems. Accessibility problems were negatively associated with mobility. Interaction analyses suggested a buffering effect of outdoor motivation on this association, i.e. participants who reported a preference for spending time outside the home had a higher mobility in the face of accessibility problems as compared with those who preferred staying at home. Outdoor motivation may have protective effects for older adults when accessibility problems challenge mobility. These findings contribute to improving the understanding of how and under what circumstances older adults stay mobile and active in everyday life. Considering interindividual differences in outdoor motivation may binterventions and public health programs that are aimed at enhancing mobility and social participation in old age.

Evolution of habitat preference and nutrition mode in a cosmopolitan fungal genus with evidence of interkingdom host jumps and major shifts in ecology.

PubMed

Chaverri, Priscila; Samuels, Gary J

2013-10-01

Host jumps by microbial symbionts are often associated with bursts of species diversification driven by the exploitation of new adaptive zones. The objective of this study was to infer the evolution of habitat preference (decaying plants, soil, living fungi, and living plants), and nutrition mode (saprotrophy and mycoparasitism) in the fungal genus Trichoderma to elucidate possible interkingdom host jumps and shifts in ecology. Host and ecological role shifts were inferred by phylogenetic analyses and ancestral character reconstructions. The results support several interkingdom host jumps and also show that the preference for a particular habitat was gained or lost multiple times. Diversification analysis revealed that mycoparasitism is associated with accelerated speciation rates, which then suggests that this trait may be linked to the high number of species in Trichoderma. In this study it was also possible to infer the cryptic roles that endophytes or soil inhabitants play in their hosts by evaluating their closest relatives and determining their most recent ancestors. Findings from this study may have implications for understanding certain evolutionary processes such as species radiations in some hyperdiverse groups of fungi, and for more applied fields such as the discovery and development of novel biological control strategies. © 2013 The Author(s). Evolution © 2013 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Increasing Toy Play among Toddlers with Multiple Disabilities in an Inclusive Classroom: A More-to-Less, Child-Directed Intervention Continuum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiCarlo, Cynthia F.; Reid, Dennis H.; Stricklin, Sarintha B.

2003-01-01

A study evaluated a more-to-less, child-directed continuum of intervention to increase toy play among six toddlers with multiple disabilities. Toddlers were provided with repeated choices of preferred toys in a child-directed manner. Nonprompted toy play for two toddlers increased. Toy play also increased for another child after staff prompts and…

Role-play as an educational tool in medication communication skills: Students’ perspectives

PubMed Central

Lavanya, S. H.; Kalpana, L.; Veena, R. M.; Bharath Kumar, V. D.

2016-01-01

Objectives: Medication communication skills are vital aspects of patient care that may influence treatment outcomes. However, traditional pharmacology curriculum deals with imparting factual information, with little emphasis on patient communication. The current study aims to explore students’ perceptions of role-play as an educational tool in acquiring communication skills and to ascertain the need of role-play for their future clinical practice. Materials and Methods: This questionnaire-based study was done in 2nd professional MBBS students. A consolidated concept of six training cases, focusing on major communication issues related to medication prescription in pharmacology, were developed for peer-role-play sessions for 2nd professional MBBS (n = 122) students. Structured scripts with specific emphasis on prescription medication communication and checklists for feedback were developed. Prevalidated questionnaires measured the quantitative aspects of role-plays in relation to their relevance as teaching–learning tool, perceived benefits of sessions, and their importance for future use. Statistical Analysis: Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics. Results: The role-play concept was well appreciated and considered an effective means for acquiring medication communication skills. The structured feedback by peers and faculty was well received by many. Over 90% of the students reported immense confidence in communicating therapy details, namely, drug name, purpose, mechanism, dosing details, and precautions. Majority reported a better retention of pharmacology concepts and preferred more such sessions. Conclusions: Most students consider peer-role-play as an indispensable tool to acquire effective communication skills regarding drug therapy. By virtue of providing experiential learning opportunities and its feasibility of implementation, role-play sessions justify inclusion in undergraduate medical curricula. PMID:28031605

The Challenge of Content Creation to Facilitate Personalized E-Learning Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turker, Ali; Gorgun, Ilhami; Conlan, Owen

2006-01-01

The runtime creation of pedagogically coherent learning content for an individual learner's needs and preferences is a considerable challenge. By selecting and combining appropriate learning assets into a new learning object such needs and preferences may be accounted for. However, to assure coherence, these objects should be consumed within…

Information filtering via biased random walk on coupled social network.

PubMed

Nie, Da-Cheng; Zhang, Zi-Ke; Dong, Qiang; Sun, Chongjing; Fu, Yan

2014-01-01

The recommender systems have advanced a great deal in the past two decades. However, most researchers focus their attentions on mining the similarities among users or objects in recommender systems and overlook the social influence which plays an important role in users' purchase process. In this paper, we design a biased random walk algorithm on coupled social networks which gives recommendation results based on both social interests and users' preference. Numerical analyses on two real data sets, Epinions and Friendfeed, demonstrate the improvement of recommendation performance by taking social interests into account, and experimental results show that our algorithm can alleviate the user cold-start problem more effectively compared with the mass diffusion and user-based collaborative filtering methods.

Content dependent selection of image enhancement parameters for mobile displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Yoon-Gyoo; Kang, Yoo-Jin; Kim, Han-Eol; Kim, Ka-Hee; Kim, Choon-Woo

2011-01-01

Mobile devices such as cellular phones and portable multimedia player with capability of playing terrestrial digital multimedia broadcasting (T-DMB) contents have been introduced into consumer market. In this paper, content dependent image quality enhancement method for sharpness and colorfulness and noise reduction is presented to improve perceived image quality on mobile displays. Human visual experiments are performed to analyze viewers' preference. Relationship between the objective measures and the optimal values of image control parameters are modeled by simple lookup tables based on the results of human visual experiments. Content dependent values of image control parameters are determined based on the calculated measures and predetermined lookup tables. Experimental results indicate that dynamic selection of image control parameters yields better image quality.

Information Filtering via Biased Random Walk on Coupled Social Network

PubMed Central

Dong, Qiang; Fu, Yan

2014-01-01

The recommender systems have advanced a great deal in the past two decades. However, most researchers focus their attentions on mining the similarities among users or objects in recommender systems and overlook the social influence which plays an important role in users' purchase process. In this paper, we design a biased random walk algorithm on coupled social networks which gives recommendation results based on both social interests and users' preference. Numerical analyses on two real data sets, Epinions and Friendfeed, demonstrate the improvement of recommendation performance by taking social interests into account, and experimental results show that our algorithm can alleviate the user cold-start problem more effectively compared with the mass diffusion and user-based collaborative filtering methods. PMID:25147867

FMRI-adaptation to highly-rendered color photographs of animals and manipulable artifacts during a classification task.

PubMed

Chouinard, Philippe A; Goodale, Melvyn A

2012-02-01

We used fMRI to identify brain areas that adapted to either animals or manipulable artifacts while participants classified highly-rendered color photographs into subcategories. Several key brain areas adapted more strongly to one class of objects compared to the other. Namely, we observed stronger adaptation for animals in the lingual gyrus bilaterally, which are known to analyze the color of objects, and in the right frontal operculum and in the anterior insular cortex bilaterally, which are known to process emotional content. In contrast, the left anterior intraparietal sulcus, which is important for configuring the hand to match the three-dimensional structure of objects during grasping, adapted more strongly to manipulable artifacts. Contrary to what a previous study has found using gray-scale photographs, we did not replicate categorical-specific adaptation in the lateral fusiform gyrus for animals and categorical-specific adaptation in the medial fusiform gyrus for manipulable artifacts. Both categories of objects adapted strongly in the fusiform gyrus without any clear preference in location along its medial-lateral axis. We think that this is because the fusiform gyrus has an important role to play in color processing and hence its responsiveness to color stimuli could be very different than its responsiveness to gray-scale photographs. Nevertheless, on the basis of what we found, we propose that the recognition and subsequent classification of animals may depend primarily on perceptual properties, such as their color, and on their emotional content whereas other factors, such as their function, may play a greater role for classifying manipulable artifacts. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transforming Play: An Analysis of First-, Third-, and Fifth-Graders' Play.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bagley, Donna M.; Chaille, Christine

1996-01-01

Compared children's play with transformational objects (vehicles that change to robots) to play with representational objects (cars and figures). Found that those playing with transformers engaged in more parallel play and manipulative activity, while those with representational objects displayed more social play and more symbolic play. Found no…

Psychosexual Development in Infants and Young Children: Implications for Caregivers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honig, Alice Sterling

2000-01-01

Discusses preschoolers' interest in and wonder about sexual anatomical differences, and adults' responses to their questions. Presents Freudian stages of psychosexual development, the relationship between sexual identity and gender role, children's preference for single-sex play groups, sex stereotyped toy preferences, and the role of television…

Concepts of Present Self, Expected Self, and Ideal Self in Vocational Preferences and Expectations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burgoyne, Peter H.

1979-01-01

Investigated the hypotheses that similarity of ideal self and occupational stereotypes is important in determining vocational preferences of adolescents, while similarity between expected self and occupational stereotypes is important in determining occupational expectations. Findings supported the idea that ideal self played an important role in…

Understanding Students' Competition Preference in Multiple-Mice Supported Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Ben; Chuang, Min-Tun; Ho, Spes

2013-01-01

Competition has been prevalent in all types of childhood activities including playing, learning, and living. Studies have shown that a well-designed competitive activity can motivate students to perform at an increased level. However, there have been few research studies on the relationship between learners' preferences and performance in relation…

Disentangling representations of shape and action components in the tool network.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaoying; Zhuang, Tonghe; Shen, Jiasi; Bi, Yanchao

2018-05-30

Shape and how they should be used are two key components of our knowledge about tools. Viewing tools preferentially activated a frontoparietal and occipitotemporal network, with dorsal regions implicated in computation of tool-related actions and ventral areas in shape representation. As shape and manners of manipulation are highly correlated for daily tools, whether they are independently represented in different regions remains inconclusive. In the current study, we collected fMRI data when participants viewed blocks of pictures of four daily tools (i.e., paintbrush, corkscrew, screwdriver, razor) where shape and action (manner of manipulation for functional use) were orthogonally manipulated, to tease apart these two dimensions. Behavioral similarity judgments tapping on object shape and finer aspects of actions (i.e., manners of motion, magnitude of arm movement, configuration of hand) were also collected to further disentangle the representation of object shape and different action components. Information analysis and representational similarity analysis were conducted on regional neural activation patterns of the tool-preferring network. In both analyses, the bilateral lateral occipitotemporal cortex showed robust shape representations but could not effectively distinguish between tool-use actions. The frontal and precentral regions represented kinematic action components, whereas the left parietal region (in information analyses) exhibited coding of both shape and tool-use action. By teasing apart shape and action components, we found both dissociation and association of them within the tool network. Taken together, our study disentangles representations for object shape from finer tool-use action components in the tool network, revealing the potential dissociable roles different tool-preferring regions play in tool processing. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Family Exergaming: Correlates and Preferences.

PubMed

Rhodes, Ryan E; Nwachukwu, Nnenna; Quinlan, Alison

2018-04-24

The family home is an important environment for reducing sedentary behavior and increasing physical activity (PA). Exergames are gaining attention as a possible modality for increasing energy expenditure within the home setting. The purpose of this study was to explore the use, correlates, and preferences of family exergaming. An online survey of exergame preferences, social cognition (theory of planned behavior), and behaviors that parents perceive as displaced during exergaming was conducted among a representative sample of 483 Canadian parents with a child between the ages of 6 and 14 years of age who own a videogame platform in their family home. Three quarters of parents indicated that they played exergames with their children but play time averaged a single bout every second week (mean = 29 minutes per bout). Parents overwhelmingly preferred to play sports and dance exergames with their children on weekends (80.1%) and during inclement weather (i.e., rainy = 51.3%; snowy = 45.5%). Family exergame playtime was associated with intention, affective and instrumental attitudes, and descriptive norm. TV watching was reported as being the most common activity that exergames would displace (64.1%). Findings suggest that exergames could be a potentially viable option for family PA, especially during bad weather and on weekends to help increase total PA. Intervention efforts could benefit from promoting the social aspects of family exergaming and attitudinal factors.

The Play Behavior and Play Materials of Blind and Sighted Infants and Preschoolers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Troster, H.; Brambring, M.

1994-01-01

Analysis of questionnaires completed by parents of 91 young blind children and 74 matched sighted children indicated that sighted children engaged in more complex levels of play at an earlier age; blind children interacted less frequently with other children than did sighted children; blind children preferred tactile-auditory games and toys; and…

On the three-quarter view advantage of familiar object recognition.

PubMed

Nonose, Kohei; Niimi, Ryosuke; Yokosawa, Kazuhiko

2016-11-01

A three-quarter view, i.e., an oblique view, of familiar objects often leads to a higher subjective goodness rating when compared with other orientations. What is the source of the high goodness for oblique views? First, we confirmed that object recognition performance was also best for oblique views around 30° view, even when the foreshortening disadvantage of front- and side-views was minimized (Experiments 1 and 2). In Experiment 3, we measured subjective ratings of view goodness and two possible determinants of view goodness: familiarity of view, and subjective impression of three-dimensionality. Three-dimensionality was measured as the subjective saliency of visual depth information. The oblique views were rated best, most familiar, and as approximating greatest three-dimensionality on average; however, the cluster analyses showed that the "best" orientation systematically varied among objects. We found three clusters of objects: front-preferred objects, oblique-preferred objects, and side-preferred objects. Interestingly, recognition performance and the three-dimensionality rating were higher for oblique views irrespective of the clusters. It appears that recognition efficiency is not the major source of the three-quarter view advantage. There are multiple determinants and variability among objects. This study suggests that the classical idea that a canonical view has a unique advantage in object perception requires further discussion.

Analyzing public inputs to multiple objective decisions on national forests using conjoint analysis

Treesearch

Donald F. Dennis

1998-01-01

Faced with multiple objectives, national forest managers and planners need a means to solicit and analyze public preferences and values. A conjoint ranking survey was designed to solicit public preferences for various levels of timber harvesting, wildlife habitats, hiking trails, snowmobile use, and off-road-vehicle (ORV) access on the Green Mountain National Forest....

Is an objective refraction optimised using the visual Strehl ratio better than a subjective refraction?

PubMed

Hastings, Gareth D; Marsack, Jason D; Nguyen, Lan Chi; Cheng, Han; Applegate, Raymond A

2017-05-01

To prospectively examine whether using the visual image quality metric, visual Strehl (VSX), to optimise objective refraction from wavefront error measurements can provide equivalent or better visual performance than subjective refraction and which refraction is preferred in free viewing. Subjective refractions and wavefront aberrations were measured on 40 visually-normal eyes of 20 subjects, through natural and dilated pupils. For each eye a sphere, cylinder, and axis prescription was also objectively determined that optimised visual image quality (VSX) for the measured wavefront error. High contrast (HC) and low contrast (LC) logMAR visual acuity (VA) and short-term monocular distance vision preference were recorded and compared between the VSX-objective and subjective prescriptions both undilated and dilated. For 36 myopic eyes, clinically equivalent (and not statistically different) HC VA was provided with both the objective and subjective refractions (undilated mean ± S.D. was -0.06 ± 0.04 with both refractions; dilated was -0.05 ± 0.04 with the objective, and -0.05 ± 0.05 with the subjective refraction). LC logMAR VA provided by the objective refraction was also clinically equivalent and not statistically different to that provided by the subjective refraction through both natural and dilated pupils for myopic eyes. In free viewing the objective prescription was preferred over the subjective by 72% of myopic eyes when not dilated. For four habitually undercorrected high hyperopic eyes, the VSX-objective refraction was more positive in spherical power and VA poorer than with the subjective refraction. A method of simultaneously optimising sphere, cylinder, and axis from wavefront error measurements, using the visual image quality metric VSX, is described. In myopic subjects, visual performance, as measured by HC and LC VA, with this VSX-objective refraction was found equivalent to that provided by subjective refraction, and was typically preferred over subjective refraction. Subjective refraction was preferred by habitually undercorrected hyperopic eyes. © 2017 The Authors Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics © 2017 The College of Optometrists.

Automatic color preference correction for color reproduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsukada, Masato; Funayama, Chisato; Tajima, Johji

2000-12-01

The reproduction of natural objects in color images has attracted a great deal of attention. Reproduction more pleasing colors of natural objects is one of the methods available to improve image quality. We developed an automatic color correction method to maintain preferred color reproduction for three significant categories: facial skin color, green grass and blue sky. In this method, a representative color in an object area to be corrected is automatically extracted from an input image, and a set of color correction parameters is selected depending on the representative color. The improvement in image quality for reproductions of natural image was more than 93 percent in subjective experiments. These results show the usefulness of our automatic color correction method for the reproduction of preferred colors.

Instructional design strategies for developing an interactive video educational program for pregnant teens: a pilot study.

PubMed

Levenson, P M; Morrow, J R; Smith, P

1984-01-01

One hundred forty-six teens attending an urban maternity hospital's prenatal clinic completed a questionnaire designed to assist in the development of educational programs utilizing computer-assisted television instruction or interactive video. Ninety-five percent of the teens agreed that additional information about desirable health behaviors during pregnancy would be helpful. Forty-six percent preferred obtaining information from a health professional at the hospital. Although 90% said that the race of the narrator for a film show was unimportant, responses regarding racial preference corresponded to the racial distribution of participants. Seventy-six percent of the teens preferred the narrator to be younger than 35 years of age, and 54% preferred a female narrator. Race was associated with video game experiences, preferences about the narrator's age and race, and favorite television shows. Age was not associated with responses to any of the questions. Although only 19% had ever used a computer, 98% stated they would like to try a computer with assistance. More than half (55%) knew how to type and 83% had played video games; of those who had played video games, 93% said they enjoyed doing so. Eighty-three percent of the respondents always or sometimes enjoyed cartoons. Favorite television shows and cartoon characters were identified. The design implications of the teens' preferences to the development of instruction using computers coupled with other emerging technologies are discussed.

The Use of Preferred Items in a Word-Learning Task: Effects on On-Task Behaviour and Learning Outcomes of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keen, Deb; Pennell, Donna

2015-01-01

Identifying and using preferred items and activities to increase motivation and participation of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been an important and frequently used intervention strategy. Preferred objects, typically identified through a preference assessment, are most frequently used during instruction as reinforcers. These…

Children's Preference for Social Stories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, Jennifer L.; Bloom, Paul

2014-01-01

Many scholars have proposed theories to explain the appeal of fictional stories, but relatively little research has examined this issue from a developmental perspective. Here, we investigate the role that social and mental content play in attracting children to stories. In Experiment 1, 4- to 8-year-old children preferred stories that contained…

Is Constructivism Risky? Social Anxiety, Classroom Participation, Competitive Game Play and Constructivist Preferences in Teacher Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hills, Thomas

2007-01-01

Constructivism in practice is a challenging endeavor that invites teachers and students to engage in problems that elicit uncertainty. This article investigates the relationship between preferences for constructivist approaches and other classroom behaviors that influence the development of future teachers. The theoretical premise for this…

Music Preferences and the Adolescent Brain: A Review of Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Karen S.

2016-01-01

Music plays an important part in the transitional period of life for adolescents as they define their personal and social identities and build their preferences for music. Recent neuroscientific research into the adolescent brain has produced developmental models that work to explain the neural reasons behind teenage behavior and development.…

Gender Differences in Musical Instrument Choice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallam, Susan; Rogers, Lynne; Creech, Andrea

2008-01-01

Historically, there have been differences in the musical instruments played by boys and girls, with girls preferring smaller, higher-pitched instruments. This article explores whether these gender preferences have continued at a time when there is greater gender equality in most aspects of life in the UK. Data were collected from the 150 Music…

Deep learning for EEG-Based preference classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teo, Jason; Hou, Chew Lin; Mountstephens, James

2017-10-01

Electroencephalogram (EEG)-based emotion classification is rapidly becoming one of the most intensely studied areas of brain-computer interfacing (BCI). The ability to passively identify yet accurately correlate brainwaves with our immediate emotions opens up truly meaningful and previously unattainable human-computer interactions such as in forensic neuroscience, rehabilitative medicine, affective entertainment and neuro-marketing. One particularly useful yet rarely explored areas of EEG-based emotion classification is preference recognition [1], which is simply the detection of like versus dislike. Within the limited investigations into preference classification, all reported studies were based on musically-induced stimuli except for a single study which used 2D images. The main objective of this study is to apply deep learning, which has been shown to produce state-of-the-art results in diverse hard problems such as in computer vision, natural language processing and audio recognition, to 3D object preference classification over a larger group of test subjects. A cohort of 16 users was shown 60 bracelet-like objects as rotating visual stimuli on a computer display while their preferences and EEGs were recorded. After training a variety of machine learning approaches which included deep neural networks, we then attempted to classify the users' preferences for the 3D visual stimuli based on their EEGs. Here, we show that that deep learning outperforms a variety of other machine learning classifiers for this EEG-based preference classification task particularly in a highly challenging dataset with large inter- and intra-subject variability.

Do infant Japanese macaques ( Macaca fuscata) categorize objects without specific training?

PubMed

Murai, Chizuko; Tomonaga, Masaki; Kamegai, Kimi; Terazawa, Naoko; Yamaguchi, Masami K

2004-01-01

In the present study, we examined whether infant Japanese macaques categorize objects without any training, using a similar technique also used with human infants (the paired-preference method). During the familiarization phase, subjects were presented twice with two pairs of different objects from one global-level category. During the test phase, they were presented twice with a pair consisting of a novel familiar-category object and a novel global-level category object. The subjects were tested with three global-level categories (animal, furniture, and vehicle). It was found that they showed significant novelty preferences as a whole, indicating that they processed similarities between familiarization objects and novel familiar-category objects. These results suggest that subjects responded distinctively to objects without training, indicating the possibility that infant macaques possess the capacity for categorization.

An ecological valence theory of human color preference

PubMed Central

Palmer, Stephen E.; Schloss, Karen B.

2010-01-01

Color preference is an important aspect of visual experience, but little is known about why people in general like some colors more than others. Previous research suggested explanations based on biological adaptations [Hurlbert AC, Ling YL (2007) Curr Biol 17:623–625] and color-emotions [Ou L-C, Luo MR, Woodcock A, Wright A (2004) Color Res Appl 29:381–389]. In this article we articulate an ecological valence theory in which color preferences arise from people’s average affective responses to color-associated objects. An empirical test provides strong support for this theory: People like colors strongly associated with objects they like (e.g., blues with clear skies and clean water) and dislike colors strongly associated with objects they dislike (e.g., browns with feces and rotten food). Relative to alternative theories, the ecological valence theory both fits the data better (even with fewer free parameters) and provides a more plausible, comprehensive causal explanation of color preferences. PMID:20421475

Aesthetic issues in spatial composition: representational fit and the role of semantic context.

PubMed

Sammartino, Jonathan; Palmer, Stephen E

2012-01-01

Previous research on aesthetic preference for spatial compositions has shown robust, systematic preferences for object locations within frames and for object perspectives. In the present experiment, we show that these preferences can be dramatically altered by changing the contextual meaning of an image through pairing it with different titles, as predicted by a theoretical account in terms of "representational fit". People prefer standard (default) compositions with a neutral title that merely describes the content of the picture (eg side-view of a plane with the title "Flying") but nonstandard compositions when they "fit" a title with compatible spatial implications (eg rear-view of a plane with the title "Departing"). The results are discussed in terms of their implications for theories based on representational fit versus perceptual and conceptual fluency and with their implications for classic aesthetic accounts in terms of preference for novelty through violating expectations.

Preferred Learning Styles of Professional Undergraduate and Graduate Athletic Training Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thon, Sarah; Hansen, Pamela

2015-01-01

Context: Recognizing the preferred learning style of professional undergraduate and graduate athletic training students will equip educators to more effectively improve their teaching methods and optimize student learning. Objective: To determine the preferred learning style of professional undergraduate and graduate athletic training students…

Pupils Learning Preferences and Interest Development in Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arikpo, Ofem U.; Domike, Grace

2015-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the extent pupils learning preference and interest development influences their learning in schools. Interest is refers to an individual's relatively enduring psychological predisposition (preference) to re-engage in particular classes of objects, available evidence indicates that, there are many factors that…

Learning to speciate: The biased learning of mate preferences promotes adaptive radiation

PubMed Central

Gilman, R. Tucker; Kozak, Genevieve M.

2015-01-01

Bursts of rapid repeated speciation called adaptive radiations have generated much of Earth's biodiversity and fascinated biologists since Darwin, but we still do not know why some lineages radiate and others do not. Understanding what causes assortative mating to evolve rapidly and repeatedly in the same lineage is key to understanding adaptive radiation. Many species that have undergone adaptive radiations exhibit mate preference learning, where individuals acquire mate preferences by observing the phenotypes of other members of their populations. Mate preference learning can be biased if individuals also learn phenotypes to avoid in mates, and shift their preferences away from these avoided phenotypes. We used individual‐based computational simulations to study whether biased and unbiased mate preference learning promotes ecological speciation and adaptive radiation. We found that ecological speciation can be rapid and repeated when mate preferences are biased, but is inhibited when mate preferences are learned without bias. Our results suggest that biased mate preference learning may play an important role in generating animal biodiversity through adaptive radiation. PMID:26459795

How do rats respond to playing radio in the animal facility?

PubMed

Krohn, Thomas C; Salling, Bo; Hansen, Axel Kornerup

2011-07-01

In the animal facility, a range of different sounds are present. On the one hand, rats and humans will regard sound and noise differently even within the audible range, but on the other hand mice and rats being very adaptable to the environment may adapt to living in a noisy facility with e.g. a radio playing. It was the aim of the present study to investigate whether two different strains of rats had different preferences for different kinds of sound patterns, including radio, and to get an indication of whether they are able to distinguish between different sound patterns. The present preference study revealed that rats were able to distinguish between different sound patterns. They showed a clear preference for silence to anything else, which may be taken as an indication that they feel disturbed by the sound from the speaker.

A multi-objective decision-making approach to the journal submission problem.

PubMed

Wong, Tony E; Srikrishnan, Vivek; Hadka, David; Keller, Klaus

2017-01-01

When researchers complete a manuscript, they need to choose a journal to which they will submit the study. This decision requires to navigate trade-offs between multiple objectives. One objective is to share the new knowledge as widely as possible. Citation counts can serve as a proxy to quantify this objective. A second objective is to minimize the time commitment put into sharing the research, which may be estimated by the total time from initial submission to final decision. A third objective is to minimize the number of rejections and resubmissions. Thus, researchers often consider the trade-offs between the objectives of (i) maximizing citations, (ii) minimizing time-to-decision, and (iii) minimizing the number of resubmissions. To complicate matters further, this is a decision with multiple, potentially conflicting, decision-maker rationalities. Co-authors might have different preferences, for example about publishing fast versus maximizing citations. These diverging preferences can lead to conflicting trade-offs between objectives. Here, we apply a multi-objective decision analytical framework to identify the Pareto-front between these objectives and determine the set of journal submission pathways that balance these objectives for three stages of a researcher's career. We find multiple strategies that researchers might pursue, depending on how they value minimizing risk and effort relative to maximizing citations. The sequences that maximize expected citations within each strategy are generally similar, regardless of time horizon. We find that the "conditional impact factor"-impact factor times acceptance rate-is a suitable heuristic method for ranking journals, to strike a balance between minimizing effort objectives and maximizing citation count. Finally, we examine potential co-author tension resulting from differing rationalities by mapping out each researcher's preferred Pareto front and identifying compromise submission strategies. The explicit representation of trade-offs, especially when multiple decision-makers (co-authors) have different preferences, facilitates negotiations and can support the decision process.

A multi-objective decision-making approach to the journal submission problem

PubMed Central

Hadka, David; Keller, Klaus

2017-01-01

When researchers complete a manuscript, they need to choose a journal to which they will submit the study. This decision requires to navigate trade-offs between multiple objectives. One objective is to share the new knowledge as widely as possible. Citation counts can serve as a proxy to quantify this objective. A second objective is to minimize the time commitment put into sharing the research, which may be estimated by the total time from initial submission to final decision. A third objective is to minimize the number of rejections and resubmissions. Thus, researchers often consider the trade-offs between the objectives of (i) maximizing citations, (ii) minimizing time-to-decision, and (iii) minimizing the number of resubmissions. To complicate matters further, this is a decision with multiple, potentially conflicting, decision-maker rationalities. Co-authors might have different preferences, for example about publishing fast versus maximizing citations. These diverging preferences can lead to conflicting trade-offs between objectives. Here, we apply a multi-objective decision analytical framework to identify the Pareto-front between these objectives and determine the set of journal submission pathways that balance these objectives for three stages of a researcher’s career. We find multiple strategies that researchers might pursue, depending on how they value minimizing risk and effort relative to maximizing citations. The sequences that maximize expected citations within each strategy are generally similar, regardless of time horizon. We find that the “conditional impact factor”—impact factor times acceptance rate—is a suitable heuristic method for ranking journals, to strike a balance between minimizing effort objectives and maximizing citation count. Finally, we examine potential co-author tension resulting from differing rationalities by mapping out each researcher’s preferred Pareto front and identifying compromise submission strategies. The explicit representation of trade-offs, especially when multiple decision-makers (co-authors) have different preferences, facilitates negotiations and can support the decision process. PMID:28582430

Using Free Operant Preference Assessments to Select Toys for Free Play between Children with Autism and Siblings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sautter, Rachael A.; LeBlanc, Linda A.; Gillett, Jill N.

2008-01-01

Stimulus properties of toys may impact the type and amount of play observed between children with autism and their playmates. Six children with autism and their siblings participated in an evaluation of toy characteristics on type of play, problem behavior, social initiations, and responses to social initiations. Separate free operant preference…

Embedding Sensory Preference into Toys to Enhance Toy Play in Toddlers with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiCarlo, Cynthia F.; Schepis, Maureen M.; Flynn, Linda

2009-01-01

Playing with toys as a means of environmental engagement has long been considered important in early child development (D. J. Messer, D. Rachford, M. E. McCarthy, & L. J. Yarrow, 1987; M. Wolery, M. G. Werts, & M. Holcombe, 1994). However, children with highly significant disabilities often engage in toy play less frequently than their peers…

Multiple-attribute group decision making with different formats of preference information on attributes.

PubMed

Xu, Zeshui

2007-12-01

Interval utility values, interval fuzzy preference relations, and interval multiplicative preference relations are three common uncertain-preference formats used by decision-makers to provide their preference information in the process of decision making under fuzziness. This paper is devoted in investigating multiple-attribute group-decision-making problems where the attribute values are not precisely known but the value ranges can be obtained, and the decision-makers provide their preference information over attributes by three different uncertain-preference formats i.e., 1) interval utility values; 2) interval fuzzy preference relations; and 3) interval multiplicative preference relations. We first utilize some functions to normalize the uncertain decision matrix and then transform it into an expected decision matrix. We establish a goal-programming model to integrate the expected decision matrix and all three different uncertain-preference formats from which the attribute weights and the overall attribute values of alternatives can be obtained. Then, we use the derived overall attribute values to get the ranking of the given alternatives and to select the best one(s). The model not only can reflect both the subjective considerations of all decision-makers and the objective information but also can avoid losing and distorting the given objective and subjective decision information in the process of information integration. Furthermore, we establish some models to solve the multiple-attribute group-decision-making problems with three different preference formats: 1) utility values; 2) fuzzy preference relations; and 3) multiplicative preference relations. Finally, we illustrate the applicability and effectiveness of the developed models with two practical examples.

Relationship between Manual Preferences for Object Manipulation and Pointing Gestures in Infants and Toddlers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vauclair, Jacques; Imbault, Juliette

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to measure the pattern of hand preferences for pointing gestures as a function of object-manipulation handedness in 123 infants and toddlers (10-40 months). The results showed that not only right-handers but also left-handers and ambidextrous participants tended to use their right hand for pointing. There was a…

Risk Preferences and the Timing of Marriage and Childbearing

PubMed Central

SCHMIDT, LUCIE

2008-01-01

The existing literature on marriage and fertility decisions pays little attention to the roles played by risk preferences and uncertainty. However, given uncertainty regarding the availability of suitable marriage partners, the ability to contracept, and the ability to conceive, women’s risk preferences might be expected to play an important role in marriage and fertility timing decisions. By using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), I find that measured risk preferences have a significant effect on the timing of both marriage and fertility. Highly risk-tolerant women are more likely to delay marriage, consistent with either a search model of marriage or a risk-pooling explanation. In addition, risk preferences affect fertility timing in a way that differs by marital status and education, and that varies over the life cycle. Greater tolerance for risk leads to earlier births at young ages, consistent with these women being less likely to contracept effectively. In addition, as the subgroup of college-educated, unmarried women nears the end of their fertile periods, highly risk-tolerant women are likely to delay childbearing relative to their more risk-averse counterparts and are therefore less likely to become mothers. These findings may have broader implications for both individual and societal well-being. PMID:18613489

Presentation of a large amount of moving objects in a virtual environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Huanzhuo; Gong, Jianya; Ye, Jing

2004-05-01

It needs a lot of consideration to manage the presentation of a large amount of moving objects in virtual environment. Motion state model (MSM) is used to represent the motion of objects and 2n tree is used to index the motion data stored in database or files. To minimize the necessary memory occupation for static models, cache with LRU or FIFO refreshing is introduced. DCT and wavelet work well with different playback speeds of motion presentation because they can filter low frequencies from motion data and adjust the filter according to playback speed. Since large amount of data are continuously retrieved, calculated, used for displaying, and then discarded, multithreading technology is naturally employed though single thread with carefully arranged data retrieval also works well when the number of objects is not very big. With multithreading, the level of concurrence should be placed at data retrieval, where waiting may occur, rather than at calculating or displaying, and synchronization should be carefully arranged to make sure that different threads can collaborate well. Collision detection is not needed when playing with history data and sampled current data; however, it is necessary for spatial state prediction. When the current state is presented, either predicting-adjusting method or late updating method could be used according to the users' preference.

Motivation modulates the effect of approach on implicit preferences.

PubMed

Zogmaister, Cristina; Perugini, Marco; Richetin, Juliette

2016-08-01

With three studies, we investigated whether motivational states can modulate the formation of implicit preferences. In Study 1, participants played a video game in which they repeatedly approached one of two similar beverages, while disregarding the other. A subsequent implicit preference for the target beverage emerged, which increased with participants' thirst. In Study 2, participants approached one brand of potato chips while avoiding the other: Conceptually replicating the moderation observed in Study 1, the implicit preference for the approached brand increased with the number of hours from last food intake. In Study 3, we experimentally manipulated hunger, and the moderation effect emerged again, with hungry participants displaying a higher implicit preference for the approached brand, as compared to satiated participants. In the three studies, the moderation effect was not paralleled in explicit preferences although the latter were affected by the preference inducing manipulation. Theoretical implications and open questions are discussed.

Students' Preferred Learning Styles in Graphic Communications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ernst, Jeremy V.; Clark, Aaron C.

2008-01-01

The objective of this study was to identify changes in dominant preferred learning styles of students based on instructional presentation of course content. This study evaluates dominant preferred learning styles of two groups of university students. The first group of students was enrolled in a course that introduces graphical representation in…

The Association Between Video Game Play and Cognitive Function: Does Gaming Platform Matter?

PubMed

Huang, Vivian; Young, Michaelia; Fiocco, Alexandra J

2017-11-01

Despite consumer growth, few studies have evaluated the cognitive effects of gaming using mobile devices. This study examined the association between video game play platform and cognitive performance. Furthermore, the differential effect of video game genre (action versus nonaction) was explored. Sixty undergraduate students completed a video game experience questionnaire, and we divided them into three groups: mobile video game players (MVGPs), console/computer video game players (CVGPs), and nonvideo game players (NVGPs). Participants completed a cognitive battery to assess executive function, and learning and memory. Controlling for sex and ethnicity, analyses showed that frequent video game play is associated with enhanced executive function, but not learning and memory. MVGPs were significantly more accurate on working memory performances than NVGPs. Both MVGPs and CVGPs were similarly associated with enhanced cognitive function, suggesting that platform does not significantly determine the benefits of frequent video game play. Video game platform was found to differentially associate with preference for action video game genre and motivation for gaming. Exploratory analyses show that sex significantly effects frequent video game play, platform and genre preference, and cognitive function. This study represents a novel exploration of the relationship between mobile video game play and cognition and adds support to the cognitive benefits of frequent video game play.

Detection of keyboard vibrations and effects on perceived piano quality.

PubMed

Fontana, Federico; Papetti, Stefano; Järveläinen, Hanna; Avanzini, Federico

2017-11-01

Two experiments were conducted on an upright and a grand piano, both either producing string vibrations or conversely being silent after the initial keypress, while pianists were listening to the feedback from a synthesizer through insulating headphones. In a quality experiment, participants unaware of the silent mode were asked to play freely and then rate the instrument according to a set of attributes and general preference. Participants preferred the vibrating over the silent setup, and preference ratings were associated to auditory attributes of richness and naturalness in the low and middle ranges. Another experiment on the same setup measured the detection of vibrations at the keyboard, while pianists played notes and chords of varying dynamics and duration. Sensitivity to string vibrations was highest in the lowest register and gradually decreased up to note D5. After the percussive transient, the tactile stimuli exhibited spectral peaks of acceleration whose perceptibility was demonstrated by tests conducted in active touch conditions. The two experiments confirm that piano performers perceive vibratory cues of strings mediated by spectral and spatial summations occurring in the Pacinian system in their fingertips, and suggest that such cues play a role in the evaluation of quality of the musical instrument.

Impairment in judgement of the moral emotion guilt following orbitofrontal cortex damage.

PubMed

Funayama, Michitaka; Koreki, Akihiro; Muramatsu, Taro; Mimura, Masaru; Kato, Motoichiro; Abe, Takayuki

2018-04-19

Although neuroimaging studies have provided evidence for an association between moral emotions and the orbitofrontal cortex, studies on patients with focal lesions using experimental probes of moral emotions are scarce. Here, we addressed this topic by presenting a moral emotion judgement task to patients with focal brain damage. Four judgement tasks in a simple pairwise choice paradigm were given to 72 patients with cerebrovascular disease. These tasks consisted of a perceptual line judgement task as a control task; the objects' preference task as a basic preference judgement task; and two types of moral emotion judgement task, an anger task and a guilt task. A multiple linear regression analysis was performed on each set of task performance scores to take into account potential confounders. Performance on the guilt emotion judgement task negatively correlated with the orbitofrontal cortex damage, but not with the other variables. Results for the other judgement tasks did not reach statistical significance. The close association between orbitofrontal cortex damage and a decrease in guilt emotion judgement consistency might suggest that the orbitofrontal cortex plays a key role in the sense of guilt, a hallmark of morality. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

Development and preliminary evaluation of communication skills training program for oncologists based on patient preferences for communicating bad news.

PubMed

Fujimori, Maiko; Shirai, Yuki; Asai, Mariko; Akizuki, Nobuya; Katsumata, Noriyuki; Kubota, Kaoru; Uchitomi, Yosuke

2014-10-01

The purposes of this study were to develop a communication skills training (CST) workshop program based on patient preferences, and to evaluate preliminary feasibility of the CST program on the objective performances of physicians and the subjective ratings of their confidence about the communication with patients at the pre- and post-CST. The CST program was developed, based on the previous surveys on patient preferences (setting up the supporting environment of the interview, making consideration for how to deliver bad news, discussing about additional information, and provision of reassurance and emotional support) and addressing the patient's emotion with empathic responses, and stressing the oncologists' emotional support. The program was participants' centered approach, consisted a didactic lecture, role plays with simulated patients, discussions and an ice-breaking; a total of 2-days. To evaluate feasibility of the newly developed CST program, oncologists who participated it were assessed their communication performances (behaviors and utterances) during simulated consultation at the pre- and post-CST. Participants also rated their confidence communicating with patients at the pre-, post-, and 3-months after CST, burnout at pre and 3 months after CST, and the helpfulness of the program at post-CST. Sixteen oncologists attended a newly developed CST. A comparison of pre-post measures showed improvement of oncologists' communication performances, especially skills of emotional support and consideration for how to deliver information. Their confidence in communicating bad news was rated higher score at post-CST than at pre-CST and was persisted at 3-months after the CST. Emotional exhaustion scores decreased at 3-months after CST. In addition, oncologists rated high satisfaction with all components of the program. This pilot study suggests that the newly developed CST program based on patient preferences seemed feasible and potentially effective on improving oncologists' communication behaviors what patients prefer and confidence in communicating with patients.

Involvement of people with dementia in making decisions about their lives: a qualitative study that appraises shared decision-making concerning daycare

PubMed Central

Groen-van de Ven, Leontine; Smits, Carolien; de Graaff, Fuusje; Span, Marijke; Eefsting, Jan; Jukema, Jan; Vernooij-Dassen, Myrra

2017-01-01

Objective To explore how people with dementia, their informal caregivers and their professionals participate in decision making about daycare and to develop a typology of participation trajectories. Design A qualitative study with a prospective, multiperspective design, based on 244 semistructured interviews, conducted during three interview rounds over the course of a year. Analysis was by means of content analysis and typology construction. Setting Community settings and nursing homes in the Netherlands. Participants 19 people with dementia, 36 of their informal caregivers and 38 of their professionals (including nurses, daycare employees and case managers). Results The participants’ responses related to three critical points in the decision-making trajectory about daycare: (1) the initial positive or negative expectations of daycare; (2) negotiation about trying out daycare by promoting, resisting or attuning to others; and (3) trying daycare, which resulted in positive or negative reactions from people with dementia and led to a decision. The ways in which care networks proceeded through these three critical points resulted in a typology of participation trajectories, including (1) working together positively toward daycare, (2) bringing conflicting perspectives together toward trying daycare and (3) not reaching commitment to try daycare. Conclusion Shared decision making with people with dementia is possible and requires and adapted process of decision making. Our results show that initial preferences based on information alone may change when people with dementia experience daycare. It is important to have a try-out period so that people with dementia can experience daycare without having to decide whether to continue it. Whereas shared decision making in general aims at moving from initial preferences to informed preferences, professionals should focus more on moving from initial preferences to experienced preferences for people with dementia. Professionals can play a crucial role in facilitating the possibilities for a try-out period. PMID:29133329

A large scale test of the gaming-enhancement hypothesis

PubMed Central

Wang, John C.

2016-01-01

A growing research literature suggests that regular electronic game play and game-based training programs may confer practically significant benefits to cognitive functioning. Most evidence supporting this idea, the gaming-enhancement hypothesis, has been collected in small-scale studies of university students and older adults. This research investigated the hypothesis in a general way with a large sample of 1,847 school-aged children. Our aim was to examine the relations between young people’s gaming experiences and an objective test of reasoning performance. Using a Bayesian hypothesis testing approach, evidence for the gaming-enhancement and null hypotheses were compared. Results provided no substantive evidence supporting the idea that having preference for or regularly playing commercially available games was positively associated with reasoning ability. Evidence ranged from equivocal to very strong in support for the null hypothesis over what was predicted. The discussion focuses on the value of Bayesian hypothesis testing for investigating electronic gaming effects, the importance of open science practices, and pre-registered designs to improve the quality of future work. PMID:27896035

Contributions of Low and High Spatial Frequency Processing to Impaired Object Recognition Circuitry in Schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Calderone, Daniel J.; Hoptman, Matthew J.; Martínez, Antígona; Nair-Collins, Sangeeta; Mauro, Cristina J.; Bar, Moshe; Javitt, Daniel C.; Butler, Pamela D.

2013-01-01

Patients with schizophrenia exhibit cognitive and sensory impairment, and object recognition deficits have been linked to sensory deficits. The “frame and fill” model of object recognition posits that low spatial frequency (LSF) information rapidly reaches the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and creates a general shape of an object that feeds back to the ventral temporal cortex to assist object recognition. Visual dysfunction findings in schizophrenia suggest a preferential loss of LSF information. This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) to investigate the contribution of visual deficits to impaired object “framing” circuitry in schizophrenia. Participants were shown object stimuli that were intact or contained only LSF or high spatial frequency (HSF) information. For controls, fMRI revealed preferential activation to LSF information in precuneus, superior temporal, and medial and dorsolateral PFC areas, whereas patients showed a preference for HSF information or no preference. RSFC revealed a lack of connectivity between early visual areas and PFC for patients. These results demonstrate impaired processing of LSF information during object recognition in schizophrenia, with patients instead displaying increased processing of HSF information. This is consistent with findings of a preference for local over global visual information in schizophrenia. PMID:22735157

Paths to Bullying in Online Gaming: The Effects of Gender, Preference for Playing Violent Games, Hostility, and Aggressive Behavior on Bullying

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Shu Ching

2012-01-01

This study examined a sample of adolescent online game players and explored the relationships between their gender, preference for video games (VG), hostility, aggressive behavior, experiences of cyberbullying, and victimization. The path relationships among the variables were further validated with structure equation modeling. Among the…

Role of Medial Prefrontal Cortex Narp in the Extinction of Morphine Conditioned Place Preference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blouin, Ashley M.; Han, Sungho; Pearce, Anne M.; Cheng, KaiLun; Lee, JongAh J.; Johnson, Alexander W.; Wang, Chuansong; During, Matthew J.; Holland, Peter C.; Shaham, Yavin; Baraban, Jay M.; Reti, Irving M.

2013-01-01

Narp knockout (KO) mice demonstrate an impaired extinction of morphine conditioned place preference (CPP). Because the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been implicated in extinction learning, we tested whether Narp cells in this region play a role in the extinction of morphine CPP. We found that intracranial injections of adenoassociated virus…

Children's Feedback Preferences in Response to an Experimentally Manipulated Peer Evaluation Outcome: The Role of Depressive Symptoms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reijntjes, Albert; Dekovic, Maja; Vermande, Marjolijn; Telch, Michael J.

2007-01-01

The present study examined the linkage between pre-adolescent children's depressive symptoms and their preferences for receiving positive vs. negative feedback subsequent to being faced with an experimentally manipulated peer evaluation outcome in real time. Participants (n = 142) ages 10 to 13, played a computer contest based on the television…

Evaluation of an Efficient Method for Training Staff to Implement Stimulus Preference Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roscoe, Eileen M.; Fisher, Wayne W.

2008-01-01

We used a brief training procedure that incorporated feedback and role-play practice to train staff members to conduct stimulus preference assessments, and we used group-comparison methods to evaluate the effects of training. Staff members were trained to implement the multiple-stimulus-without-replacement assessment in a single session and the…

Music Activities in Primary School: Students' Preferences in the Spanish Region of Murcia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vicente-Nicolás, Gregorio; Mac Ruairc, Gerry

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the preferences of primary school children in relation to the types of activities that typically take place in music classrooms. For the purposes of this study, these classroom-based music activities have been categorised into five areas: singing, playing instruments, listening, reading and writing music and…

Muscle Dysmorphia and the Perception of Men's Peer Muscularity Preferences.

PubMed

Lin, Linda; DeCusati, Frank

2016-11-01

Research suggests that peer muscularity norms preferences are related to men's body image, but little information is known about how perceptions of specific peer group norms preferences are related to men's body image disturbances and specific health behaviors. This study investigated how men perceived the muscularity preferences of male, female, close, and distant peers and whether the perceptions of specific peer preferences were related to muscle dysmorphia and steroid use. Data on muscle dysmorphia and the perceptions of peer muscularity norms were collected from 117 male college students. Results indicated that men perceived distant and male peers as having the most exaggerated preferences for muscularity and that those perceptions were not an accurate reflection of their distant male peers' reported preferences. Results also indicated that perceptions of close female peer muscularity preferences were predictive of symptoms of muscle dysmorphia, but this relationship did not exist for other peer groups, suggesting that the perceptions of close female peer preferences may play a role in the development of muscle dysmorphia. No relationship was found between perceptions of peer muscularity preferences and steroid use. © The Author(s) 2015.

Hedonic Changes in Food Choices Following Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

PubMed

Hansen, Thea Toft; Jakobsen, Tine Anette; Nielsen, Mette Søndergaard; Sjödin, Anders; Le Roux, Carel W; Schmidt, Julie Berg

2016-08-01

It has been suggested that a shift in food choices leading to a diet with a lower energy density plays an important role in successful weight loss after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. A decreased hedonic drive to consume highly palatable foods may explain these changes in eating behavior. Here, we review the literature examining postoperative changes in mechanisms contributing to hedonic drive (food preferences, reinforcing value of food, dopamine signaling, and activity reward-related brain regions). The majority of studies reviewed support that RYGB decrease the hedonic drive to consume highly palatable foods. Still, in order to fully understand the complexity of these changes, we need studies combining sociological and psychological approaches with objective measures of actual food choices examining different measures of hedonic drive.

Preferred neck-resting position predicts aggression in Caribbean flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber).

PubMed

Anderson, Matthew J; Williams, Sarah A; Bono, Amanda J

2010-11-01

When flamingos rest, they typically lay their heads along their backs. In order to achieve this positioning they curve their necks to either the right or left of their midline. Previously we have shown both individual and flock-level laterality of preferred neck-resting direction, with most birds preferring to rest their necks to their right (Anderson, Williams, & O'Brien, 2009). As laterality has been shown to play a role in social cohesion (e.g., Rogers & Workman, 1989) and aggression (e.g., Vallortigara, Cozzutti, Tommasi, & Rogers, 2001), here we attempted to determine whether a flamingo's preferred neck-resting direction could be used to predict involvement in aggressive encounters. Results replicated the earlier flock-level preference for neck resting towards the right, and indicated that those flamingos preferring the left were more likely to be involved in aggressive encounters.

Fruit color preference by birds and applications to ecological restoration.

PubMed

Gagetti, B L; Piratelli, A J; Piña-Rodrigues, F C M

2016-01-01

Ecological restoration aims to retrieve not only the structure but also the functionality of ecosystems. Frugivorous birds may play an important role in this process due to their efficiency in seed dispersal. Color perception in these animals is highly developed, and then the colors of fleshy fruits may provide important clues for choosing plant species for restoration plans. This study aims to integrate bird color preferences and restoration of degraded areas, with an objective to evaluate the potential attractiveness to birds by colored fruits. We carried out an experiment with 384 artificial fruits made of edible modeling clay with the following colors: black, blue, green and red, with 96 fruits of each color in six sites, including four restored areas and two second-growth forest fragments. We also tested the possible effect of light intensity on fruit consumption by color. A total of 120 (38.6%) were assumed to be consumed by birds, and the fruit consumption varied in response to the location and light incidence. Consumption of black and blue fruits was not related to site by chance. Notwithstanding, red and black fruits were consumed significantly more than any other colors, emphasizing bird preference to these colors, regardless of location. Enrichment with shade tolerant shrubs or forest species with black or red fruits may be an alternative way to manage established restorations. In recently established or new restorations, one may introduce pioneer shrubs or short-lived forest species which have blue fruits, but also those having black or red ones.

[Shared decision making from the perspective of the cancer patient: participatory roles and evaluation of the process].

PubMed

Padilla-Garrido, N; Aguado-Correa, F; Ortega-Moreno, M; Bayo-Calero, J; Bayo-Lozano, E

2017-04-30

In Spain there is no clear knowledge about the degree to which Shared Decision Making (SDM) is carried out in the normal practice of oncology. Our article analyses the preferred role and the perceived role of oncological patients and measures the SDM process from their perspective. Descriptive transversal study using a self-conducted questionnaire with patients with different types of cancer. To evaluate the role preferred and perceived by the patient we used The Control Preference Scales (CPS) and to measure SDM we used The nine-item Shared Decision Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9). Out of the 132 patients surveyed, only 118 provided analysable data. No evidence was found that sex, age, educational level or type of tumour affected the preferred role or the perceived role. Only 59.3% was in agreement with the role exercised. All of those who preferred a passive role achieved this (21.2%), while out of those who wanted a shared role (78.8%), this was achieved by only 48.39% while the remaining 51.61% played a passive role. None preferred or played an active role. The set of patients evaluated the SDM process with a score of 41.07±5.94, on a scale of 0 to 100, with the highest score of 61.39 ± 13.24 reached by urological patients. Our study found no evidence that, from the point of view of the oncological patient, the SDM model is being implemented in practice.

Seri Rama: converting a shadow play puppet to Street Fighter.

PubMed

Ghani, D B A

2012-01-01

Shadow puppet plays, a traditional Malaysian theater art, is slowly losing its appeal to adolescents, who prefer computer games. To help reverse this decline, the authors incorporated the traditional Seri Rama character into the Street Fighter video game. Using modeling, texturing, and animation, they developed a 3D Seri Rama prototype. Users can control Seri Rama with a PlayStation game controller.

Do Circadian Preferences Influence the Sleep Patterns of Night Shift Drivers?

PubMed Central

Narciso, Fernanda V.; Esteves, Andrea M.; Oliveira e Silva, Luciana; Bittencourt, Lia R.A.; Silva, Rogerio S.; Pires, Maria Laura N.; Tufik, Sergio; de Mello, Marco Tulio

2013-01-01

Objective The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of individual circadian preferences of drivers with fixed night work schedules on sleep patterns. Subjects and Methods A total of 123 professional drivers, 32 indifferent preference drivers and 91 morning preference drivers of an intermunicipality and interstate bus transportation company were evaluated. All drivers underwent polysomnographic recordings after their shifts. Furthermore, they filled out a questionnaire that contained sociodemographic and health questions. The Horne and Östberg questionnaire was used to assess the subjects' morningness-eveningness preference. Results The mean age was 42.54 ± 6.98 years and 82 (66.66%) of the drivers had worked for ≥15 years. A significant effect on rapid eye movement (REM) was observed in the morning preference drivers. They showed an increased sleep latency and an REM sleep percentage of 5% of the total REM time. This reveals a significant effect on sleep architecture associated with work time. Conclusion The drivers reported that morning preference had a significant effect on their sleep pattern indicating less REM sleep and longer REM sleep latency in the morning preference group. Thus, it is important to evaluate interactions between individual aspects of health and other parameters, such as sleep quality and work organizational factors, to promote night shift workers' health and well-being. PMID:23988815

Why Contextual Preference Reversals Maximize Expected Value

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Contextual preference reversals occur when a preference for one option over another is reversed by the addition of further options. It has been argued that the occurrence of preference reversals in human behavior shows that people violate the axioms of rational choice and that people are not, therefore, expected value maximizers. In contrast, we demonstrate that if a person is only able to make noisy calculations of expected value and noisy observations of the ordinal relations among option features, then the expected value maximizing choice is influenced by the addition of new options and does give rise to apparent preference reversals. We explore the implications of expected value maximizing choice, conditioned on noisy observations, for a range of contextual preference reversal types—including attraction, compromise, similarity, and phantom effects. These preference reversal types have played a key role in the development of models of human choice. We conclude that experiments demonstrating contextual preference reversals are not evidence for irrationality. They are, however, a consequence of expected value maximization given noisy observations. PMID:27337391

A novel cognitive palatability assessment protocol for dogs.

PubMed

Araujo, J A; Milgram, N W

2004-07-01

Assessment of canine palatability is important for both the pet food and pharmaceutical industries; however, the current palatability assessment protocols are limited in their utility. The most common technique, the two-pan test, does not control for the satiating effects of food and may not be useful for long-term palatability analysis because nutritional or caloric characteristics of the diets may interfere with the results. Furthermore, the large quantities of foods consumed may be detrimental to the health of animals that do not self-limit their food intake. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a cognitive protocol could be used to determine food palatability in dogs. Five beagle dogs were trained on a three-choice object-discrimination learning task. After establishing object preferences, the preferred object was associated with no reward, a second object was associated with the dog's normal laboratory diet (Purina Agribrands Canine Lab Chow No. 5006; Agribrands Purina Canada, Inc., Woodstock, ON, Canada), and the third object was associated with a commercial (Hill's P/D; Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc., Topeka, KS) diet. In the discrimination-training phase, dogs were trained until they learned to avoid the no-reward object. They were subsequently given an additional 20 test sessions, which were used to determine food preference. In the reversal phase, which involved reversal learning, the object-food associations were modified, such that the object that was previously associated with Hill's P/D diet was now associated with the normal laboratory diet and vice versa. Once the dogs learned to avoid the no-reward object, they were tested for an additional 20 sessions. All subjects learned to avoid the no-reward object during the initial learning, and the number of choices to the object associated with the Hill's P/D diet was greater than the number of choices to the objects associated with the dry laboratory diet (P < 0.05) and no reward (P < 0.05), indicating a strong preference for the Hill's P/D diet. The object preferences were reversed in only three of five dogs when the food-choice associations were reversed, although the two phases did not differ significantly from one another. The protocol in the present study provides a robust measure of food palatability and circumvents many of the limitations associated with other palatability assessment techniques. The present protocol should be useful as a replacement or adjunct to other tests of palatability, but requires further validation by comparing the assessment of more similar and novel foods directly with other palatability tests.

Associations of alcoholic beverage preference with cardiometabolic and lifestyle factors: the NQplus study

PubMed Central

Sluik, Diewertje; Brouwer-Brolsma, Elske M; de Vries, Jeanne H M; Geelen, Anouk; Feskens, Edith J M

2016-01-01

Objectives The preference for a specific alcoholic beverage may be related to an individual's overall lifestyle and health. The objective was to investigate associations between alcoholic beverage preference and several cardiometabolic and lifestyle factors, including adiposity, cholesterol, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), liver enzymes and dietary patterns. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting The Dutch Longitudinal Nutrition Questionnaires plus (NQplus) Study. Participants 1653 men and women aged 20–77 years. Methods Diet, including alcohol, was assessed by Food Frequency Questionnaire. Based on the average number of reported glasses of alcoholic beverage, a person was classified as having a preference for beer, wine, spirit/no specific preference, or as a non-consumer. Mixed linear models were used to calculate crude and adjusted means of cardiometabolic and lifestyle factors across alcoholic beverage preference categories. Primary outcome measures Anthropometric measures, blood pressure, lipids, HbA1c, albumin, creatinine, uric acid, liver enzymes and dietary patterns. Results In the study population, 43% had a wine preference, 13% a beer preference, 29% had a spirit or no specific preference, and 15% did not consume alcohol. Men who preferred wine had lowest measures of adiposity; the preference for alcoholic beverages was not associated with adiposity measures in women. Wine consumers had higher high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, lower HbA1c and were more likely to follow the ‘Salad’ pattern. Beer consumers had highest levels of triglycerides and liver enzymes, and had higher scores for the ‘Meat’ and ‘Bread’ pattern. Conclusions Few differences in dietary patterns across alcoholic beverage preference categories were observed. Those differences in cardiometabolic parameters that were observed according to alcoholic beverage preference, suggested that wine consumers have a better health status than beer consumers. PMID:27311903

Preferred child body size and parental underestimation of child weight in Mexican-American families

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Objective: To determine whether parents who prefer a heavier child would underestimate their child's weight more than those who prefer a leaner child. Methods: Participants were Mexican-American families (312 mothers, 173 fathers, and 312 children ages 8-10) who were interviewed and had height and w...

Help Preferences among Employees Who Wish to Change Health Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Persson, Roger; Cleal, Bryan; Jakobsen, Mette Øllgaard; Villadsen, Ebbe; Andersen, Lars L.

2014-01-01

Objective: To examine the help preferences of employees in the Danish police who had acknowledged that they wished to change health behaviors. In addition, we explored whether preferences varied with age, gender, chronic health concerns, positive expectations of good health, and past experiences of in-house health promotion services (i.e.,…

Would Your Patient Prefer to Be Considered Your Friend? Patient Preferences in Physician Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magnezi, Racheli; Bergman, Lisa Carroll; Urowitz, Sara

2015-01-01

Objectives. To understand how patient preferences and perceptions of their relationship with their doctor (as patient, friend, partner, client, consumer, or insured) affects confidence in care provided and participation in health care. Methods. Telephone questionnaire to 2,135 households, representative of the population in Israel. Results. A…

Social object play among young Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) in Arashiyama, Japan.

PubMed

Shimada, Masaki

2006-10-01

Social object play (SOP), i.e., social play using portable object(s), among young Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata; 0-4 years old) in the Arashiyama E troop was studied using a modified sequence sampling method from July to October 2000. SOP was a relatively common activity for most of the young macaques and often continued for long periods. Participants used many kinds of object, including edible natural objects and artificial objects, such as plastic bottles, but they never used provisioned food or wild fruit in SOP bouts. An analysis of long bouts (>/=0.5 min) revealed the following interactive SOP features: (1) at any given time, participants used only one object, and only one participant held the object; (2) during SOP play-chasing, the object holder was likely to be chased by others; (3) during long bouts, the object changed hands frequently; and (4) agonistic competition for an object among young macaques was rare. Combinations of sexes, ages, relative ranks, or matrilines of the object holder and non-holder did not affect the tendency that the holder was chased by non-holder(s) during play-chasing. Even when there was a change in object holders, the repetitiveness of this interactive pattern, i.e., that the holder would be chased during SOP bouts, distinguished the SOP structure from that of other types of social play without object(s). General proximate social play mechanisms, such as self-handicapping or role taking, were associated with SOP. Other mechanisms that affected SOP included the following: (1) young macaques treated an object as a target in play competition, and (2) 'being the holder of a target object' was associated with the 'role of the chasee.'

Crawling and walking infants encounter objects differently in a multi-target environment.

PubMed

Dosso, Jill A; Boudreau, J Paul

2014-10-01

From birth, infants move their bodies in order to obtain information and stimulation from their environment. Exploratory movements are important for the development of an infant's understanding of the world and are well established as being key to cognitive advances. Newly acquired motor skills increase the potential actions available to the infant. However, the way that infants employ potential actions in environments with multiple potential targets is undescribed. The current work investigated the target object selections of infants across a range of self-produced locomotor experience (11- to 14-month-old crawlers and walkers). Infants repeatedly accessed objects among pairs of objects differing in both distance and preference status, some requiring locomotion. Overall, their object actions were found to be sensitive to object preference status; however, the role of object distance in shaping object encounters was moderated by movement status. Crawlers' actions appeared opportunistic and were biased towards nearby objects while walkers' actions appeared intentional and were independent of object position. Moreover, walkers' movements favoured preferred objects more strongly for children with higher levels of self-produced locomotion experience. The multi-target experimental situation used in this work parallels conditions faced by foraging organisms, and infants' behaviours were discussed with respect to optimal foraging theory. There is a complex interplay between infants' agency, locomotor experience, and environment in shaping their motor actions. Infants' movements, in turn, determine the information and experiences offered to infants by their micro-environment.

What Older People Like to Play: Genre Preferences and Acceptance of Casual Games

PubMed Central

Chesham, Alvin; Wyss, Patric; Müri, René Martin

2017-01-01

Background In recent computerized cognitive training studies, video games have emerged as a promising tool that can benefit cognitive function and well-being. Whereas most video game training studies have used first-person shooter (FPS) action video games, subsequent studies found that older adults dislike this type of game and generally prefer casual video games (CVGs), which are a subtype of video games that are easy to learn and use simple rules and interfaces. Like other video games, CVGs are organized into genres (eg, puzzle games) based on the rule-directed interaction with the game. Importantly, game genre not only influences the ease of interaction and cognitive abilities CVGs demand, but also affects whether older adults are willing to play any particular genre. To date, studies looking at how different CVG genres resonate with older adults are lacking. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate how much older adults enjoy different CVG genres and how favorably their CVG characteristics are rated. Methods A total of 16 healthy adults aged 65 years and above playtested 7 CVGs from 4 genres: casual action, puzzle, simulation, and strategy video games. Thereafter, they rated casual game preference and acceptance of casual game characteristics using 4 scales from the Core Elements of the Gaming Experience Questionnaire (CEGEQ). For this, participants rated how much they liked the game (enjoyment), understood the rules of the game (game-play), learned to manipulate the game (control), and make the game their own (ownership). Results Overall, enjoyment and acceptance of casual game characteristics was high and significantly above the midpoint of the rating scale for all CVG genres. Mixed model analyses revealed that ratings of enjoyment and casual game characteristics were significantly influenced by CVG genre. Participants’ mean enjoyment of casual puzzle games (mean 0.95 out of 1.00) was significantly higher than that for casual simulation games (mean 0.75 and 0.73). For casual game characteristics, casual puzzle and simulation games were given significantly higher game-play ratings than casual action games. Similarly, participants’ control ratings for casual puzzle games were significantly higher than that for casual action and simulation games. Finally, ownership was rated significantly higher for casual puzzle and strategy games than for casual action games. Conclusions The findings of this study show that CVGs have characteristics that are suitable and enjoyable for older adults. In addition, genre was found to influence enjoyment and ratings of CVG characteristics, indicating that puzzle games are particularly easy to understand, learn, and play, and are enjoyable. Future studies should continue exploring the potential of CVG interventions for older adults in improving cognitive function, everyday functioning, and well-being. We see particular potential for CVGs in people suffering from cognitive impairment due to dementia or brain injury. PMID:28420601

The Emergence of Gender Segregation in Toddler Playgroups.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Serbin, Lisa A.; And Others

1994-01-01

A naturalistic study of toddler playgroups examined factors that might encourage gender segregation. Results revealed that play in same-sex contexts facilitates social interaction, whereas in mixed-sex contexts, play leads to passive social relations. Toddlers who segregated were more behaviorally sex-typed. Preferences for sex-typed toys did not…

Lateral organization and aesthetic preference: the importance of peripheral visual asymmetries.

PubMed

Beaumont, J G

1985-01-01

The observation that right-handers prefer pictures with the important content to the right was examined. In the first experiment, subjects manipulated the two elements of the composition. They showed a bias to place the principal object to the right and, with a central principal object, the secondary object was placed to the left. In a further experiment, eye movements were recorded while subjects scanned the pictures used in the first experiment and a rightward lateral bias in gaze direction was observed. It is argued that lateral asymmetry in preferred picture arrangements is not the result of a counterbalancing of content against perceptual bias, but a consequence of gaze being directed to informative content on the right, leaving more of the secondary content within the left visual field and associated with attentional bias or processes of the right hemisphere.

Nine-month-old infants generalize object labels, but not object preferences across individuals.

PubMed

Henderson, Annette M E; Woodward, Amanda L

2012-09-01

As with all culturally relevant human behaviours, words are meaningful because they are shared by the members of a community. This research investigates whether 9-month-old infants understand this fundamental fact about language. Experiment 1 examined whether infants who are trained on, and subsequently habituated to, a new word-referent link expect the link to be consistent across a second speaker. Experiment 2 examined whether 9-month-old infants distinguish between behaviours that are shared across individuals (i.e. words) from those that are not (i.e. object preferences). The present findings indicate that infants as young as 9 months of age expect new word-referent links, but not object preferences, to be consistent across individuals. Thus, by 9 months, infants have identified at least one of the aspects of human behaviour that is shared across individuals within a community. The implications for children's acquisition of language and culture are discussed. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Nine-month-old infants generalize object labels, but not object preferences across individuals

PubMed Central

Woodward, Amanda L.

2012-01-01

As with all culturally relevant human behaviours, words are meaningful because they are shared by the members of a community. This research investigates whether 9-month-old infants understand this fundamental fact about language. Experiment 1 examined whether infants who are trained on, and subsequently habituated to, a new word-referent link expect the link to be consistent across a second speaker. Experiment 2 examined whether 9-month-old infants distinguish between behaviours that are shared across individuals (i.e., words) from those that are not (i.e., object preferences). The present findings indicate that infants as young as 9 months of age expect new word-referent links, but not object preferences, to be consistent across individuals. Thus, by 9 months, infants have identified at least one of the aspects of human behaviour that is shared across individuals within a community. The implications for children’s acquisition of language and culture are discussed. PMID:22925512

Multi-sensory landscape assessment: the contribution of acoustic perception to landscape evaluation.

PubMed

Gan, Yonghong; Luo, Tao; Breitung, Werner; Kang, Jian; Zhang, Tianhai

2014-12-01

In this paper, the contribution of visual and acoustic preference to multi-sensory landscape evaluation was quantitatively compared. The real landscapes were treated as dual-sensory ambiance and separated into visual landscape and soundscape. Both were evaluated by 63 respondents in laboratory conditions. The analysis of the relationship between respondent's visual and acoustic preference as well as their respective contribution to landscape preference showed that (1) some common attributes are universally identified in assessing visual, aural and audio-visual preference, such as naturalness or degree of human disturbance; (2) with acoustic and visual preferences as variables, a multi-variate linear regression model can satisfactorily predict landscape preference (R(2 )= 0.740), while the coefficients of determination for a unitary linear regression model were 0.345 and 0.720 for visual and acoustic preference as predicting factors, respectively; (3) acoustic preference played a much more important role in landscape evaluation than visual preference in this study (the former is about 4.5 times of the latter), which strongly suggests a rethinking of the role of soundscape in environment perception research and landscape planning practice.

Opioid Modulation of Fos Protein Expression and Olfactory Circuitry Plays a Pivotal Role in What Neonates Remember

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Tania L.; Moriceau, Stephanie; Sullivan, Regina M.

2006-01-01

Paradoxically, fear conditioning (odor-0.5 mA shock) yields a learned odor preference in the neonate, presumably due to a unique learning and memory circuit that does not include apparent amygdala participation. Post-training opioid antagonism with naltrexone (NTX) blocks consolidation of this odor preference and instead yields memory of a learned…

Brief Report: Diminished Gaze Preference for Dynamic Social Interaction Scenes in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaffer, Rebecca C.; Pedapati, Ernest V.; Shic, Frederick; Gaietto, Kristina; Bowers, Katherine; Wink, Logan K.; Erickson, Craig A.

2017-01-01

In this study, we present an eye-tracking paradigm, adapted from previous work with toddlers, for assessing social-interaction looking preferences in youth ages 5-17 with ASD and typically-developing controls (TDC). Videos of children playing together (Social Scenes, SS) were presented side-by-side with animated geometric shapes (GS). Participants…

Evaluating the Performance Improvement Preferences of Disability Service Managers: An Exploratory Study Using Gilbert's Behavior Engineering Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wooderson, John R.; Cuskelly, Monica; Meyer, Kim A.

2017-01-01

Background: Front-line managers play an important role in managing the performance of staff working in services for people with intellectual disability, but little is known about the practices they prefer to use to improve staff performance and whether these align with what research has shown to be effective. Method: This study comprised two…

The Study of Learners' Preference for Visual Complexity on Small Screens of Mobile Computers Using Neural Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Lan-Ting; Lee, Kun-Chou

2014-01-01

The vision plays an important role in educational technologies because it can produce and communicate quite important functions in teaching and learning. In this paper, learners' preference for the visual complexity on small screens of mobile computers is studied by neural networks. The visual complexity in this study is divided into five…

Social groups preferences relation to motivations and ability levels of whitewater kayakers

Treesearch

Seth Turner; Rod Zwick

2002-01-01

Social groups play an important role in many adventure recreation activities. The purpose of this study was to examine the social group preference relation to motives and ability levels of whitewater kayakers. When participants go out on a kayaking trip they are seeking varying degrees of experiences, a major contributor to that experience comes from the members of...

Favoured Free-Time: Comparing Children's Activity Preferences in the UK and the USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffiths, Merris

2011-01-01

This study presents a comparative study of the free-time activity preferences of 9- to 11-year-old children in the UK and USA, as drawn by them in art workshops. Six themes emerged relating to sport, outdoor play, family/peers, media, special occasions and other (indefinable) activities. The children's talk about their drawings revealed additional…

"Wanna Race?": Primary Student Preference for Competitive or Non-Competitive Singing Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, J. Christopher

2016-01-01

This study compared primary student preference for competitive and non-competitive singing games. Students in three intact classes of second graders (n = 65) and three classes of fourth graders (n = 67) at one school in the USA served as subjects. After playing a pair of games, one competitive and one non-competitive, over the course of five…

Chill-inducing music enhances altruism in humans.

PubMed

Fukui, Hajime; Toyoshima, Kumiko

2014-01-01

Music is a universal feature of human cultures, and it has both fascinated and troubled many researchers. In this paper we show through the dictator game (DG) that an individual's listening to preferred "chill-inducing" music may promote altruistic behavior that extends beyond the bounds of kin selection or reciprocal altruism. Participants were 22 undergraduate and postgraduate students who were divided into two groups, the in-group and the out-group, and they acted as dictators. The dictators listened to their own preferred "chill-inducing" music, to music they disliked, or to silence, and then played the DG. In this hypothetical experiment, the dictators were given real money (which they did not keep) and were asked to distribute it to the recipients, who were presented as stylized images of men and women displayed on a computer screen. The dictators played the DG both before and after listening to the music. Both male and female dictators gave more money after listening to their preferred music and less after listening to the music they disliked, whereas silence had no effect on the allocated amounts. The group to which the recipient belonged did not influence these trends. The results suggest that listening to preferred "chill-inducing" music promotes altruistic behavior.

Distance-dependent processing of pictures and words.

PubMed

Amit, Elinor; Algom, Daniel; Trope, Yaacov

2009-08-01

A series of 8 experiments investigated the association between pictorial and verbal representations and the psychological distance of the referent objects from the observer. The results showed that people better process pictures that represent proximal objects and words that represent distal objects than pictures that represent distal objects and words that represent proximal objects. These results were obtained with various psychological distance dimensions (spatial, temporal, and social), different tasks (classification and categorization), and different measures (speed of processing and selective attention). The authors argue that differences in the processing of pictures and words emanate from the physical similarity of pictures, but not words, to the referents. Consequently, perceptual analysis is commonly applied to pictures but not to words. Pictures thus impart a sense of closeness to the referent objects and are preferably used to represent such objects, whereas words do not convey proximity and are preferably used to represent distal objects in space, time, and social perspective.

Losses Disguised as Wins Affect Game Selection on Multiline Slots.

PubMed

Graydon, Candice; Stange, Madison; Dixon, Mike J

2018-05-05

Multiline slots are exciting games that contain features which make them alluring. One such feature is a loss disguised as a win (LDW); wherein, players win less than they wager (e.g., bet 2 dollars, win back 50 cents), but this net loss is disguised by flashing graphics and winning sounds. Research to date concludes that LDWs are both rewarding and reinforcing. Here, we investigated whether LDWs affect players' game selection. Thirty-two undergraduate students with experience playing slot machines played 100 spins on four games-two had positive payback percentages (115%) and two had negative payback percentages (85%) after 100 spins. For each payback percentage condition, there was a game with no LDWs and a game with a moderate number of LDWs. For the 100 spins, players could choose to play whichever game they wished. They then rated their preference for each game following the 100-spins and chose a game to continue playing. The majority of players preferred playing the positive payback percentage game with LDWs and chose to continue playing this game over the three other games. We conclude that in addition to LDWs being reinforcing and rewarding, LDWs do in fact influence game selection. We conclude that responsible gambling initiatives should educate players about LDWs.

Dopamine and reward: the anhedonia hypothesis 30 years on.

PubMed

Wise, Roy A

2008-10-01

The anhedonia hypothesis--that brain dopamine plays a critical role in the subjective pleasure associated with positive rewards--was intended to draw the attention of psychiatrists to the growing evidence that dopamine plays a critical role in the objective reinforcement and incentive motivation associated with food and water, brain stimulation reward, and psychomotor stimulant and opiate reward. The hypothesis called to attention the apparent paradox that neuroleptics, drugs used to treat a condition involving anhedonia (schizophrenia), attenuated in laboratory animals the positive reinforcement that we normally associate with pleasure. The hypothesis held only brief interest for psychiatrists, who pointed out that the animal studies reflected acute actions of neuroleptics whereas the treatment of schizophrenia appears to result from neuroadaptations to chronic neuroleptic administration, and that it is the positive symptoms of schizophrenia that neuroleptics alleviate, rather than the negative symptoms that include anhedonia. Perhaps for these reasons, the hypothesis has had minimal impact in the psychiatric literature. Despite its limited heuristic value for the understanding of schizophrenia, however, the anhedonia hypothesis has had major impact on biological theories of reinforcement, motivation, and addiction. Brain dopamine plays a very important role in reinforcement of response habits, conditioned preferences, and synaptic plasticity in cellular models of learning and memory. The notion that dopamine plays a dominant role in reinforcement is fundamental to the psychomotor stimulant theory of addiction, to most neuroadaptation theories of addiction, and to current theories of conditioned reinforcement and reward prediction. Properly understood, it is also fundamental to recent theories of incentive motivation.

Auditory Preferences of Young Children with and without Hearing Loss for Meaningful Auditory-Visual Compound Stimuli

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zupan, Barbra; Sussman, Joan E.

2009-01-01

Experiment 1 examined modality preferences in children and adults with normal hearing to combined auditory-visual stimuli. Experiment 2 compared modality preferences in children using cochlear implants participating in an auditory emphasized therapy approach to the children with normal hearing from Experiment 1. A second objective in both…

Preferred Instructional Design Strategies for Preparation of Pre-Service Teachers of Integrated STEM Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Amanda Shackleford

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the preferred instructional design strategies for the preparation of pre-service teachers who will deliver integrated STEM lessons. The research objectives were threefold and included identifying a preferred definition of integrated STEM education, developing its purpose statement, and creating a list of…

The Other End of the Leash: An Experimental Test to Analyze How Owners Interact with Their Pet Dogs.

PubMed

Cimarelli, Giulia; Turcsán, Borbála; Range, Friederike; Virányi, Zsófia

2017-10-13

It has been suggested that the way in which owners interact with their dogs can largely vary and influence the dog-owner bond, but very few objective studies, so far, have addressed how the owner interacts with the dog. The goal of the present study was to record dog owners' interaction styles by means of objective observation and coding. The experiment included eight standardized situations in which owners of pet dogs were asked to perform specific tasks including both positive (i.e. playing, teaching a new task, showing a preference towards an object in a food searching task, greeting after separation) and potentially distressing tasks (i.e. physical restriction during DNA sampling, putting a T-shirt onto the dog, giving basic obedience commands while the dog was distracted). The video recordings were coded off-line using a specifically designed coding scheme including scores for communication, social support, warmth, enthusiasm, and play style, as well as frequency of behaviors like petting, praising, commands, and attention sounds. Exploratory Factor Analysis of the 20 variables measured revealed 3 factors, labeled as Owner Warmth, Owner Social Support, and Owner Control, which can be viewed as analogues to parenting style dimensions. The experimental procedure introduced here represents the first standardized measure of interaction styles of dog owners. The methodology presented here is a useful tool to investigate individual variation in the interaction style of pet dog owners that can be used to explain differences in the dog-human relationship, dogs' behavioral outcomes, and dogs stress coping strategies, all crucial elements both from a theoretical and applied point of view.

The Other End of the Leash: An Experimental Test to Analyze How Owners Interact with Their Pet Dogs

PubMed Central

Cimarelli, Giulia; Turcsán, Borbála; Range, Friederike; Virányi, Zsófia

2017-01-01

It has been suggested that the way in which owners interact with their dogs can largely vary and influence the dog-owner bond, but very few objective studies, so far, have addressed how the owner interacts with the dog. The goal of the present study was to record dog owners' interaction styles by means of objective observation and coding. The experiment included eight standardized situations in which owners of pet dogs were asked to perform specific tasks including both positive (i.e. playing, teaching a new task, showing a preference towards an object in a food searching task, greeting after separation) and potentially distressing tasks (i.e. physical restriction during DNA sampling, putting a T-shirt onto the dog, giving basic obedience commands while the dog was distracted). The video recordings were coded off-line using a specifically designed coding scheme including scores for communication, social support, warmth, enthusiasm, and play style, as well as frequency of behaviors like petting, praising, commands, and attention sounds. Exploratory Factor Analysis of the 20 variables measured revealed 3 factors, labeled as Owner Warmth, Owner Social Support, and Owner Control, which can be viewed as analogues to parenting style dimensions. The experimental procedure introduced here represents the first standardized measure of interaction styles of dog owners. The methodology presented here is a useful tool to investigate individual variation in the interaction style of pet dog owners that can be used to explain differences in the dog-human relationship, dogs' behavioral outcomes, and dogs stress coping strategies, all crucial elements both from a theoretical and applied point of view. PMID:29053669

An analysis of switching and non-switching slot machine player behaviour.

PubMed

Coates, Ewan; Blaszczynski, Alex

2013-12-01

Learning theory predicts that, given the repeated choice to bet between two concurrently available slot machines, gamblers will learn to bet more money on the machine with higher expected return (payback percentage) or higher win probability per spin (volatility). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether this occurs when the two machines vary orthogonally on payback percentage and volatility. The sample comprised 52 first year psychology students (mean age = 20.3 years, 20 females, 32 males) who had played a gaming machine at least once in the previous 12 months. Participants were administered a battery of questionnaires designed to assess level of knowledge on the characteristics and operation of poker machines, frequency of poker machine play in the past 12 months, personality traits of impulsivity and capacity for cognitive reflection, and gambling beliefs. For the experimental task, participants were instructed to play on two PC-simulated electronic gaming machines (EGMs or slot machines) that differed on payback percentage and volatility, with the option of freely switching between EGMs after a practice phase. Results indicated that participants were able to easily discriminate between machines and manifested a preference to play machines offering higher payback or volatility. These findings diverged from previous findings of no preference for play on higher payback/volatility machines, potentially due to of the current study's absence of the option to make multi-line and multi-credit bets. It was concluded that return rate parameters like payback percentage and volatility strongly influenced slot machine preference in the absence of betting options like multi-line bets, though more research is needed to determine the effects of such betting options on player distribution of money between multiple EGMs.

Testing the prenatal hormone hypothesis of tic-related disorders: gender identity and gender role behavior.

PubMed

Alexander, Gerianne M; Peterson, Bradley S

2004-01-01

The hypothesis that prenatal masculinization of the brain increases risk of tic disorders in postnatal life was tested by measuring gender and gender role behavior in 89 children and adults with a clinical diagnosis of Tourette syndrome or obsessive compulsive disorder and 67 healthy, unaffected children and adults. Consistent with this hypothesis, a tic disorder in females was associated with more gender dysphoria, increased masculine play preferences, and a more typically "masculine" pattern of performance on two sex-typed spatial tasks. Males with tic disorders reported increased masculine play preferences, and the strength of these preferences was positively associated with the severity of tic symptoms. In addition, unlike their female counterparts, males with tic disorders showed a relative impairment in mental rotation ability. These behavioral profiles are consistent with those of children who have verifiable elevations in prenatal androgen levels. These findings therefore support the hypothesis that an altered androgen-dependent process of sexual differentiation during prenatal life may contribute to the development of tic-related disorders.

Visual discrimination in an orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus): measuring visual preference.

PubMed

Hanazuka, Yuki; Kurotori, Hidetoshi; Shimizu, Mika; Midorikawa, Akira

2012-04-01

Although previous studies have confirmed that trained orangutans visually discriminate between mammals and artificial objects, whether orangutans without operant conditioning can discriminate remains unknown. The visual discrimination ability in an orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) with no experience in operant learning was examined using measures of visual preference. Sixteen color photographs of inanimate objects and of mammals with four legs were randomly presented to an orangutan. The results showed that the mean looking time at photographs of mammals with four legs was longer than that for inanimate objects, suggesting that the orangutan discriminated mammals with four legs from inanimate objects. The results implied that orangutans who have not experienced operant conditioning may possess the ability to discriminate visually.

Childhood Antecedents of Achievement in Professional Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coats, Patricia Boyne; Overman, Steve

While the trend for increasing numbers of women to enter the labor market is clear and career opportunities for women have expanded, women continue to be employed in occupations that are traditionally female and low-paying. This study examined childhood preferred play materials, structured and free play activities, and leisure time activities of…

The Challenge of Audience Reception: A Developmental Model for Educational Game Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherry, John L.

2013-01-01

According to educational gaming advocates, the engaging nature of games encourages sustained game play and enhanced attention to learning outcomes among players. Because children's and adolescents' play time varies by game genre, engagement with a game likely reflects the match between the genre and the player's preferences and needs. Youth learn…

Teaching Teachers to Play and Teach Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Steven; McNeill, Michael; Fry, Joan; Wang, John

2005-01-01

This study was designed to determine the extent to which a technical and a tactical approach to teaching a basketball unit to physical education teacher education (PETE) students would each affect their games playing abilities, perceived ability to teach, and approach preference for teaching the game. Pre- and post-unit data were collected through…

Place preference and vocal learning rely on distinct reinforcers in songbirds.

PubMed

Murdoch, Don; Chen, Ruidong; Goldberg, Jesse H

2018-04-30

In reinforcement learning (RL) agents are typically tasked with maximizing a single objective function such as reward. But it remains poorly understood how agents might pursue distinct objectives at once. In machines, multiobjective RL can be achieved by dividing a single agent into multiple sub-agents, each of which is shaped by agent-specific reinforcement, but it remains unknown if animals adopt this strategy. Here we use songbirds to test if navigation and singing, two behaviors with distinct objectives, can be differentially reinforced. We demonstrate that strobe flashes aversively condition place preference but not song syllables. Brief noise bursts aversively condition song syllables but positively reinforce place preference. Thus distinct behavior-generating systems, or agencies, within a single animal can be shaped by correspondingly distinct reinforcement signals. Our findings suggest that spatially segregated vocal circuits can solve a credit assignment problem associated with multiobjective learning.

A real-world size organization of object responses in occipito-temporal cortex

PubMed Central

Konkle, Talia; Oliva, Aude

2012-01-01

SUMMARY While there are selective regions of occipito-temporal cortex that respond to faces, letters, and bodies, the large-scale neural organization of most object categories remains unknown. Here we find that object representations can be differentiated along the ventral temporal cortex by their real-world size. In a functional neuroimaging experiment, observers were shown pictures of big and small real-world objects (e.g. table, bathtub; paperclip, cup), presented at the same retinal size. We observed a consistent medial-to-lateral organization of big and small object preferences in the ventral temporal cortex, mirrored along the lateral surface. Regions in the lateral-occipital, infero-temporal, and parahippocampal cortices showed strong peaks of differential real-world size selectivity, and maintained these preferences over changes in retinal size and in mental imagery. These data demonstrate that the real-world size of objects can provide insight into the spatial topography of object representation. PMID:22726840

Traditional and Digital Game Preferences of Children: A CHAID Analysis on Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tatli, Zeynep

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine types of games that middle school students play in their daily lives and analyze the effects of various variables such as gender, available technology, grade in school and parents' education levels on their game preferences. The sample consisted of a total of 464 grade 5-8 students (212 girls and 252…

Preferences for "Gender-Typed" Toys in Boys and Girls Aged 9 to 32 Months

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Todd, Brenda K.; Barry, John A.; Thommessen, Sara A. O.

2017-01-01

Many studies have found that a majority of boys and girls prefer to play with toys that are typed to their own gender but there is still uncertainty about the age at which such sex differences first appear, and under what conditions. Applying a standardized research protocol and using a selection of gender-typed toys, we observed the toy…

Food Group Preferences of Elementary School Children Participating in the National School Lunch Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cashman, Linda; Tripurana, Madhuri; Englund, Tim; Bergman, Ethan A.

2010-01-01

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of the study was to assess the food group preferences of second through fifth grade children based on ethnic background, gender, and grade. Food group preferences were determined by the amount of various food groups consumed in meals served as part of the National School Lunch Program at selected schools. Research…

Object preference by walking fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, is mediated by vision and graviperception

PubMed Central

Robie, Alice A.; Straw, Andrew D.; Dickinson, Michael H.

2010-01-01

Walking fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, use visual information to orient towards salient objects in their environment, presumably as a search strategy for finding food, shelter or other resources. Less is known, however, about the role of vision or other sensory modalities such as mechanoreception in the evaluation of objects once they have been reached. To study the role of vision and mechanoreception in exploration behavior, we developed a large arena in which we could track individual fruit flies as they walked through either simple or more topologically complex landscapes. When exploring a simple, flat environment lacking three-dimensional objects, flies used visual cues from the distant background to stabilize their walking trajectories. When exploring an arena containing an array of cones, differing in geometry, flies actively oriented towards, climbed onto, and explored the objects, spending most of their time on the tallest, steepest object. A fly's behavioral response to the geometry of an object depended upon the intrinsic properties of each object and not a relative assessment to other nearby objects. Furthermore, the preference was not due to a greater attraction towards tall, steep objects, but rather a change in locomotor behavior once a fly reached and explored the surface. Specifically, flies are much more likely to stop walking for long periods when they are perched on tall, steep objects. Both the vision system and the antennal chordotonal organs (Johnston's organs) provide sufficient information about the geometry of an object to elicit the observed change in locomotor behavior. Only when both these sensory systems were impaired did flies not show the behavioral preference for the tall, steep objects. PMID:20581279

Warmth of familiarity and chill of error: affective consequences of recognition decisions.

PubMed

Chetverikov, Andrey

2014-04-01

The present research aimed to assess the effect of recognition decision on subsequent affective evaluations of recognised and non-recognised objects. Consistent with the proposed account of post-decisional preferences, results showed that the effect of recognition on preferences depends upon objective familiarity. If stimuli are recognised, liking ratings are positively associated with exposure frequency; if stimuli are not recognised, this link is either absent (Experiment 1) or negative (Experiments 2 and 3). This interaction between familiarity and recognition exists even when recognition accuracy is at chance level and the "mere exposure" effect is absent. Finally, data obtained from repeated measurements of preferences and using manipulations of task order confirm that recognition decisions have a causal influence on preferences. The findings suggest that affective evaluation can provide fine-grained access to the efficacy of cognitive processing even in simple cognitive tasks.

Influence of cognitive style and interstimulus interval on the hemispheric processing of tactile stimuli.

PubMed

Minagawa, N; Kashu, K

1989-06-01

16 adult subjects performed a tactile recognition task. According to our 1984 study, half of the subjects were classified as having a left hemispheric preference for the processing of visual stimuli, while the other half were classified as having a right hemispheric preference for the processing of visual stimuli. The present task was conducted according to the S1-S2 matching paradigm. The standard stimulus was a readily recognizable object and was presented tactually to either the left or right hand of each subject. The comparison stimulus was an object-picture and was presented visually by slide in a tachistoscope. The interstimulus interval was .05 sec. or 2.5 sec. Analysis indicated that the left-preference group showed right-hand superiority, and the right-preference group showed left-hand superiority. The notion of individual hemisphericity was supported in tactile processing.

What and where information in the caudate tail guides saccades to visual objects

PubMed Central

Yamamoto, Shinya; Monosov, Ilya E.; Yasuda, Masaharu; Hikosaka, Okihide

2012-01-01

We understand the world by making saccadic eye movements to various objects. However, it is unclear how a saccade can be aimed at a particular object, because two kinds of visual information, what the object is and where it is, are processed separately in the dorsal and ventral visual cortical pathways. Here we provide evidence suggesting that a basal ganglia circuit through the tail of the monkey caudate nucleus (CDt) guides such object-directed saccades. First, many CDt neurons responded to visual objects depending on where and what the objects were. Second, electrical stimulation in the CDt induced saccades whose directions matched the preferred directions of neurons at the stimulation site. Third, many CDt neurons increased their activity before saccades directed to the neurons’ preferred objects and directions in a free-viewing condition. Our results suggest that CDt neurons receive both ‘what’ and ‘where’ information and guide saccades to visual objects. PMID:22875934

The relationship between children's sensory processing patterns and their leisure preferences and participation patterns.

PubMed

Ismael, Noor T; Lawson, Lisa A Mische; Cox, Jane A

2015-12-01

Sensory processing patterns may be associated with children's preferences for different activities; however, knowledge about how different sensory processing patterns may relate to children's participation in leisure activities is scarce. This study investigated in what leisure activities children with extreme sensory processing patterns participate and if relationships exist between children's sensory processing patterns and their leisure preferences and participation patterns. This correlational study analyzed data from children's Sensory Profiles and reported play and leisure preferences. All 91 children in the sample completed the Children's Assessment for Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE) and the Preferences for Activities of Children (PAC). Parents of children ages 6 to 10 years completed the Sensory Profile, and children ages 11 to 14 years completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile. Children with different sensory processing patterns preferred both similar and distinct leisure activities. Low-registration quadrant summary z scores negatively correlated with CAPE overall diversity scores (rs=-.23, p=.03), sensitivity quadrant summary z scores negatively correlated with preferences for social activities (rs=-.23, p=.03) and preferences for skill-based activities (rs=-.22, p=.04), and avoiding quadrant summary z scores negatively correlated with preferences for social activities (rs=-.26, p=.01). Children's sensory preferences are related to leisure preferences and participation. © CAOT 2015.

Infants' Selectively Pay Attention to the Information They Receive from a Native Speaker of Their Language.

PubMed

Marno, Hanna; Guellai, Bahia; Vidal, Yamil; Franzoi, Julia; Nespor, Marina; Mehler, Jacques

2016-01-01

From the first moments of their life, infants show a preference for their native language, as well as toward speakers with whom they share the same language. This preference appears to have broad consequences in various domains later on, supporting group affiliations and collaborative actions in children. Here, we propose that infants' preference for native speakers of their language also serves a further purpose, specifically allowing them to efficiently acquire culture specific knowledge via social learning. By selectively attending to informants who are native speakers of their language and who probably also share the same cultural background with the infant, young learners can maximize the possibility to acquire cultural knowledge. To test whether infants would preferably attend the information they receive from a speaker of their native language, we familiarized 12-month-old infants with a native and a foreign speaker, and then presented them with movies where each of the speakers silently gazed toward unfamiliar objects. At test, infants' looking behavior to the two objects alone was measured. Results revealed that infants preferred to look longer at the object presented by the native speaker. Strikingly, the effect was replicated also with 5-month-old infants, indicating an early development of such preference. These findings provide evidence that young infants pay more attention to the information presented by a person with whom they share the same language. This selectivity can serve as a basis for efficient social learning by influencing how infants' allocate attention between potential sources of information in their environment.

Preferences for Pink and Blue: The Development of Color Preferences as a Distinct Gender-Typed Behavior in Toddlers.

PubMed

Wong, Wang I; Hines, Melissa

2015-07-01

Many gender differences are thought to result from interactions between inborn factors and sociocognitive processes that occur after birth. There is controversy, however, over the causes of gender-typed preferences for the colors pink and blue, with some viewing these preferences as arising solely from sociocognitive processes of gender development. We evaluated preferences for gender-typed colors, and compared them to gender-typed toy and activity preferences in 126 toddlers on two occasions separated by 6-8 months (at Time 1, M = 29 months; range 20-40). Color preferences were assessed using color cards and neutral toys in gender-typed colors. Gender-typed toy and activity preferences were assessed using a parent-report questionnaire, the Preschool Activities Inventory. Color preferences were also assessed for the toddlers' parents using color cards. A gender difference in color preferences was present between 2 and 3 years of age and strengthened near the third birthday, at which time it was large (d > 1). In contrast to their parents, toddlers' gender-typed color preferences were stronger and unstable. Gender-typed color preferences also appeared to establish later and were less stable than gender-typed toy and activity preferences. Gender-typed color preferences were largely uncorrelated with gender-typed toy and activity preferences. These results suggest that the factors influencing gender-typed color preferences and gender-typed toy and activity preferences differ in some respects. Our findings suggest that sociocognitive influences and play with gender-typed toys that happen to be made in gender-typed colors contribute to toddlers' gender-typed color preferences.

Effects of contour enhancement on low-vision preference and visual search.

PubMed

Satgunam, Premnandhini; Woods, Russell L; Luo, Gang; Bronstad, P Matthew; Reynolds, Zachary; Ramachandra, Chaithanya; Mel, Bartlett W; Peli, Eli

2012-09-01

To determine whether image enhancement improves visual search performance and whether enhanced images were also preferred by subjects with vision impairment. Subjects (n = 24) with vision impairment (vision: 20/52 to 20/240) completed visual search and preference tasks for 150 static images that were enhanced to increase object contours' visual saliency. Subjects were divided into two groups and were shown three enhancement levels. Original and medium enhancements were shown to both groups. High enhancement was shown to group 1, and low enhancement was shown to group 2. For search, subjects pointed to an object that matched a search target displayed at the top left of the screen. An "integrated search performance" measure (area under the curve of cumulative correct response rate over search time) quantified performance. For preference, subjects indicated the preferred side when viewing the same image with different enhancement levels on side-by-side high-definition televisions. Contour enhancement did not improve performance in the visual search task. Group 1 subjects significantly (p < 0.001) rejected the High enhancement, and showed no preference for medium enhancement over the original images. Group 2 subjects significantly preferred (p < 0.001) both the medium and the low enhancement levels over original. Contrast sensitivity was correlated with both preference and performance; subjects with worse contrast sensitivity performed worse in the search task (ρ = 0.77, p < 0.001) and preferred more enhancement (ρ = -0.47, p = 0.02). No correlation between visual search performance and enhancement preference was found. However, a small group of subjects (n = 6) in a narrow range of mid-contrast sensitivity performed better with the enhancement, and most (n = 5) also preferred the enhancement. Preferences for image enhancement can be dissociated from search performance in people with vision impairment. Further investigations are needed to study the relationships between preference and performance for a narrow range of mid-contrast sensitivity where a beneficial effect of enhancement may exist.

Can a Rescuer or Simulated Patient Accurately Assess Motion During Cervical Spine Stabilization Practice Sessions?

PubMed Central

Shrier, Ian; Boissy, Patrick; Brière, Simon; Mellette, Jay; Fecteau, Luc; Matheson, Gordon O.; Garza, Daniel; Meeuwisse, Willem H.; Segal, Eli; Boulay, John; Steele, Russell J.

2012-01-01

Context: Health care providers must be prepared to manage all potential spine injuries as if they are unstable. Therefore, most sport teams devote resources to training for sideline cervical spine (C-spine) emergencies. Objective: To determine (1) how accurately rescuers and simulated patients can assess motion during C-spine stabilization practice and (2) whether providing performance feedback to rescuers influences their choice of stabilization technique. Design: Crossover study. Setting: Training studio. Patients or Other Participants: Athletic trainers, athletic therapists, and physiotherapists experienced at managing suspected C-spine injuries. Intervention(s): Twelve lead rescuers (at the patient's head) performed both the head-squeeze and trap-squeeze C-spine stabilization maneuvers during 4 test scenarios: lift-and-slide and log-roll placement on a spine board and confused patient trying to sit up or rotate the head. Main Outcome Measure(s): Interrater reliability between rescuer and simulated patient quality scores for subjective evaluation of C-spine stabilization during trials (0 = best, 10 = worst), correlation between rescuers' quality scores and objective measures of motion with inertial measurement units, and frequency of change in preference for the head-squeeze versus trap-squeeze maneuver. Results: Although the weighted κ value for interrater reliability was acceptable (0.71–0.74), scores varied by 2 points or more between rescuers and simulated patients for approximately 10% to 15% of trials. Rescuers' scores correlated with objective measures, but variability was large: 38% of trials scored as 0 or 1 by the rescuer involved more than 10° of motion in at least 1 direction. Feedback did not affect the preference for the lift-and-slide placement. For the log-roll placement, 6 of 8 participants who preferred the head squeeze at baseline preferred the trap squeeze after feedback. For the confused patient, 5 of 5 participants initially preferred the head squeeze but preferred the trap squeeze after feedback. Conclusions: Rescuers and simulated patients could not adequately assess performance during C-spine stabilization maneuvers without objective measures. Providing immediate feedback in this context is a promising tool for changing behavior preferences and improving training. PMID:22488229

Preferences for condom placement in stores among young Dutch men and women: relationships with embarrassment and motives for having sex.

PubMed

Gebhardt, Winifred A; van der Doef, Margot P; Billingy, Nicole; Carstens, Malou; Steenhuis, Ingrid

2012-07-01

Condom purchasing is an important preparation for condom use. The present study examined if products surrounding condoms in the store play a role in preferences for where to buy condoms among young people. Sixty-nine men and 111 women (<30 years) completed an online questionnaire on their preferences for condom placement, associated embarrassment with these placements, and motives for having sex. Fifty percent of men and 70% of women indicated the counter as least preferred placement. Two-fifths of men and women preferred the sensual context, including among sex toys and lubricants; however, the remainder of participants, particularly women, preferred other less sexual contexts. Both the counter and sensual placement were strongly associated with embarrassment, and this, in turn, was predictive of placement preference. Finally, the motive for having sex to experience intimacy was negatively related to counter preference, and the motive for having sex to experience pleasure was negatively related to the neutral placement and the female personal care placement preferences. The findings suggest that using multiple and alternative placements for condoms in stores may encourage condom purchasing behaviour among young people.

Work-family conflict and retirement preferences.

PubMed

Raymo, James M; Sweeney, Megan M

2006-05-01

This study investigates relationships between retirement preferences and perceived levels of work-family conflict. Using the large sample of 52-54-year-old respondents to the 1992 Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we estimated multinomial logistic regression models of preferences for partial and full retirement within the next 10 years. We examined the association between retirement preferences and perceived work-family conflict, evaluated the extent to which work-family conflict was a mediating mechanism between stressful work and family circumstances and preferences to retire, and explored potential gender differences in the association between work-family conflict and preferring retirement. Work-family conflict was positively related to preferences for both full and partial retirement. Yet work-family conflict did not appear to mediate relationships between stressful work and family environments and retirement preferences, nor did significant gender differences emerge in this association. Our analyses provide the first direct evidence of the role played by work-family conflict in the early stages of the retirement process, although we were not able to identify the sources of conflict underlying this relationship. Identifying the sources of this conflict and the psychological mechanisms linking work-family conflict to retirement preferences is an important task for future researchers.

Implicit and Explicit Evaluation of Visual Symmetry as a Function of Art Expertise.

PubMed

Weichselbaum, Hanna; Leder, Helmut; Ansorge, Ulrich

2018-01-01

In perception, humans typically prefer symmetrical over asymmetrical patterns. Yet, little is known about differences in symmetry preferences depending on individuals' different past histories of actively reflecting upon pictures and patterns. To address this question, we tested the generality of the symmetry preference for different levels of individual art expertise. The preference for symmetrical versus asymmetrical abstract patterns was measured implicitly, by an Implicit Association Test (IAT), and explicitly, by a rating scale asking participants to evaluate pattern beauty. Participants were art history and psychology students. Art expertise was measured using a questionnaire. In the IAT, art expertise did not alter the preference for symmetrical over asymmetrical patterns. In contrast, the explicit rating scale showed that with higher art expertise, the ratings for the beauty of asymmetrical patterns significantly increased, but, again, participants preferred symmetrical over asymmetrical patterns. The results are discussed in light of different theories on the origins of symmetry preference. Evolutionary adaptation might play a role in symmetry preferences for art experts similarly to nonexperts, but experts tend to emphasize the beauty of asymmetrical depictions, eventually considering different criteria, when asked explicitly to indicate their preferences.

Implicit and Explicit Evaluation of Visual Symmetry as a Function of Art Expertise

PubMed Central

Leder, Helmut; Ansorge, Ulrich

2018-01-01

In perception, humans typically prefer symmetrical over asymmetrical patterns. Yet, little is known about differences in symmetry preferences depending on individuals’ different past histories of actively reflecting upon pictures and patterns. To address this question, we tested the generality of the symmetry preference for different levels of individual art expertise. The preference for symmetrical versus asymmetrical abstract patterns was measured implicitly, by an Implicit Association Test (IAT), and explicitly, by a rating scale asking participants to evaluate pattern beauty. Participants were art history and psychology students. Art expertise was measured using a questionnaire. In the IAT, art expertise did not alter the preference for symmetrical over asymmetrical patterns. In contrast, the explicit rating scale showed that with higher art expertise, the ratings for the beauty of asymmetrical patterns significantly increased, but, again, participants preferred symmetrical over asymmetrical patterns. The results are discussed in light of different theories on the origins of symmetry preference. Evolutionary adaptation might play a role in symmetry preferences for art experts similarly to nonexperts, but experts tend to emphasize the beauty of asymmetrical depictions, eventually considering different criteria, when asked explicitly to indicate their preferences. PMID:29755722

Decision making in the short and long run: repeated gambles and rationality.

PubMed

Aloysius, John A

2007-05-01

Experimental evidence indicates that decision makers who reject a single play of a gamble may accept repeated plays of that gamble. The rationality of this pattern of preference has been investigated beginning with Samuelson's colleague (SC) who gained notoriety in a well-known paper. SC's pattern of preference is commonly viewed as a behavioural anomaly. Researchers from branches of psychology and economics have analysed the choice and, despite much debate, there remains considerable confusion. An axiomatic analysis of SC's choice has been used to motivate experimental studies in several disciplines. This paper identifies the axiomatic violation as that of an assumed rather than a normative condition. Therefore, contrary to popular belief, SC's choice is consistent with expected utility theory.

Systematic observation of play behavior in autistic children.

PubMed

Black, M; Freeman, B J; Montgomery, J

1975-12-01

The play behavior, defined as interaction with peers and objects, of five autistic children was systematically observed in four environments, i.e., a stark environment, a theraplay unit, a playroom, and an outside play deck. The preliminary results suggested that (1) with some children environment has little or no effect on their play behavior; (2) with multiple objects, autistic children frequently related to the objects rather than to their peers; (3) object play was most frequently at the manipulative stage and often included repetitive and negative behavior; (4) within a confined space with no objects present, autistic children frequently engaged in solitary repetitive behavior; and (5) within a confined space designed to facilitate a movement flow (theraplay), autistic children modeled and imitated and were involved in gross motor play together.

Evidence-based medicine in primary care: qualitative study of family physicians.

PubMed

Tracy, C Shawn; Dantas, Guilherme Coelho; Upshur, Ross E G

2003-05-09

The objectives of this study were: a) to examine physician attitudes to and experience of the practice of evidence-based medicine (EBM) in primary care; b) to investigate the influence of patient preferences on clinical decision-making; and c) to explore the role of intuition in family practice. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews of 15 family physicians purposively selected from respondents to a national survey on EBM mailed to a random sample of Canadian family physicians. Participants mainly welcomed the promotion of EBM in the primary care setting. A significant number of barriers and limitations to the implementation of EBM were identified. EBM is perceived by some physicians as a devaluation of the 'art of medicine' and a threat to their professional/clinical autonomy. Issues regarding the trustworthiness and credibility of evidence were of great concern, especially with respect to the influence of the pharmaceutical industry. Attempts to become more evidence-based often result in the experience of conflicts. Patient factors exert a powerful influence on clinical decision-making and can serve as trumps to research evidence. A widespread belief that intuition plays a vital role in primary care reinforced views that research evidence must be considered alongside other factors such as patient preferences and the clinical judgement and experience of the physician. Primary care physicians are increasingly keen to consider research evidence in clinical decision-making, but there are significant concerns about the current model of EBM. Our findings support the proposed revisions to EBM wherein greater emphasis is placed on clinical expertise and patient preferences, both of which remain powerful influences on physician behaviour.

Human perceptions of colour rendition vary with average fidelity, average gamut, and gamut shape

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Royer, MP; Wilkerson, A.; Wei, M.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate how subjective impressions of color quality vary with changes in average fidelity, average gamut, and gamut shape (which considers the specific hues that are saturated or desaturated). Twenty-eight participants each evaluated 26 lighting conditions—created using four, seven-channel, tunable LED luminaires—in a 3.1 m by 3.7 m room filled with objects selected to cover a range of hue, saturation, and lightness. IES TM-30 fidelity index (Rf) values ranged from 64 to 93, IES TM-30 gamut index (Rg¬) values from 79 to 117, and IES TM-30 Rcs,h1 values (a proxy for gamut shape) from -19% tomore » 26%. All lighting conditions delivered the same nominal illuminance and chromaticity. Participants were asked to rate each condition on eight point semantic differential scales for saturated-dull, normal-shifted, and like-dislike. They were also asked one multiple choice question, classifying the condition as saturated, dull, normal, or shifted. The findings suggest that gamut shape is more important than average gamut for human preference, where reds play a more important role than other hues. Additionally, average fidelity alone is a poor predictor of human perceptions, although Rf was somewhat better than CIE Ra. The most preferred source had a CIE Ra value of 68, and 9 of the top 12 rated products had a CIE Ra value of 73 or less, which indicates that the commonly used criteria of CIE Ra ≥ 80 may be excluding a majority of preferred light sources.« less

Parenting Needs of Urban, African American Fathers.

PubMed

Smith, Tyler K; Tandon, S Darius; Bair-Merritt, Megan H; Hanson, Janice L

2015-07-01

Fathers play a critical role in children's development; similarly, fatherhood positively affects men's health. Among the larger population of fathers relatively little is known about the parenting knowledge of urban, African American fathers. Focusing on urban, African American fathers, the objectives of this study were to (1) understand the primary sources from which fathers learn about parenting, (2) determine where and how fathers prefer to receive future parenting education, and (3) explore the information perceived as most valuable to fathers and how this compares with the recommended anticipatory guidance (Bright Futures-based) delivered during well visits. Five focus groups, with a total of 21 participants, were conducted with urban fathers at a community-based organization. Study eligibility included being more than 18 years old, English speaking, and having at least one child 0 to 5 years old. During the focus groups, fathers were asked where they received parenting information, how and where they preferred to receive parenting information, and what they thought about Bright Futures parenting guidelines. Fathers most commonly described receiving parenting information from their own relatives rather than from their child's health care provider. Most fathers preferred to learn parenting from a person rather than a technology-based source and expressed interest in learning more about parenting at community-based locations. Although fathers viewed health care providers' role as primarily teaching about physical health, they valued Bright Futures anticipatory guidance about parenting. Fathers valued learning about child rearing, health, and development. Augmenting physician counseling about Bright Futures with community-based parenting education may be beneficial for fathers. © The Author(s) 2014.

Triadic and collaborative play by gorillas in social games with objects.

PubMed

Tanner, Joanne E; Byrne, Richard W

2010-07-01

Interaction with others over objects has until recently been thought lacking in the social play of non-human great apes, in contrast to that of children; even now, only bonobos have been observed to engage in social play involving objects. Human children's triadic interactions with objects involve joint attention, showing and giving, communication that maintains interaction, and sharing of emotions and experiences. We question assertions that chimpanzees, and non-human great apes in general, lack the key characteristics of children's collaborative play. Here, we show that zoo gorillas play games that are both triadic and collaborative. These games were videotaped at the San Francisco Zoo in five different years and involved five different pairings of gorillas. The context was in most cases playfully competitive, involving objects such as balls, bags and leather pieces as foci of joint attention; the ostensible goal in most games was to gain or keep possession of a particular object. In some episodes, roles as possessor or pursuer of an object were exchanged many times; in others, one gorilla retained possession of an object but encouraged pursuit from a partner. Through gaze and gesture, gorillas invited others to: share interest in and attention to objects; share patterns of play; and re-engage after breaks in play. Sometimes, gorillas would assist others in their efforts to engage in collaborative play: older gorillas encouraged younger partners by 'self-handicapping' their own actions. Collaborative games may occur later in the ontogeny of gorillas than in humans, and depend on the challenges and artifacts available in a particular group's habitat.

Playfulness in Adults Revisited: The Signal Theory in German Speakers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Proyer, René T.; Wagner, Lisa

2015-01-01

The authors elaborate on the role of playfulness as a preferred characteristic in potential long-term partners recently espoused by Garry Chick and others. They aim to replicate the findings of such research by studying a different culture (that of German-speaking countries) and to develop them further by taking into account the participants'…

Children's Evaluation of the Colors Black and White and Their Interracial Play Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stabler, John R.; And Others

1976-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between children's response to the colors black and white and their interracial behavior. Subjects were 20 black and white male and female preschoolers. The children were observed in a free play situation on a playground. Color preference and attitudes were measured in three different ways. (MS)

Explorers, Detectives, Matchmakers, and Lion Tamers: Understanding Jigsaw Puzzlers' Techniques and Motivations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Angela Cora

2013-01-01

Why do people enjoy jigsaw puzzles, which--challenging and time-consuming as they are--might be considered more like work than play? The author investigates the motivations, preferences, and satisfactions of individuals working on jigsaw puzzles, and she explores how these elements of play relate to the procedures and strategies puzzlers use to…

A Behavioral Investigation of Preference in a Newly Designed New Zealand Playground

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourke, Tina M.; Sargisson, Rebecca J.

2014-01-01

Playgrounds with spaces that attract children increase the likelihood children will use them, the authors note, and playgrounds offer an opportunity for children to experience the risks of outdoor play. The authors used natural observation to study the children at play in a newly built New Zealand playground where such an important kind of…

Choice Behavior of Nonpathological Women Playing Concurrently Available Slot Machines: Effect of Changes in Payback Percentages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weatherly, Jeffrey N.; Thompson, Bradley J.; Hodny, Marisa; Meier, Ellen

2009-01-01

In a simulated casino environment, 6 nonpathological women played concurrently available commercial slot machines programmed to pay out at different rates. Participants did not always demonstrate preferences for the higher paying machine. The data suggest that factors other than programmed or obtained rate of reinforcement may control gambling…

A Framework for Gamified Activities Based on Mobile Games Played by Portuguese University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carvalho, Ana Amélia; Araújo, Inês; Zagalo, Nelson

2014-01-01

This paper starts by reporting the findings of a survey of Portuguese university students concerning their game habits and preferences. An online questionnaire was developed and 1101 answers were collected, 626 were mobile game players. The results from the survey indicate that the games most played by university students are essentially casual…

Inventory of Motive of Preference for Conventional Paper-and-Pencil Tests: A Study of Validity and Reliability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eser, Mehmet Taha; Dogan, Nuri

2017-01-01

Purpose: The objective of this study is to develop the Inventory of Motive of Preference for Conventional Paper-And-Pencil Tests and to evaluate students' motives for preferring written tests, short-answer tests, true/false tests or multiple-choice tests. This will add a measurement tool to the literature with valid and reliable results to help…

Listener evaluations of new and Old Italian violins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritz, Claudia; Curtin, Joseph; Poitevineau, Jacques; Tao, Fan-Chia

2017-05-01

Old Italian violins are routinely credited with playing qualities supposedly unobtainable in new instruments. These qualities include the ability to project their sound more effectively in a concert hall—despite seeming relatively quiet under the ear of the player—compared with new violins. Although researchers have long tried to explain the “mystery” of Stradivari’s sound, it is only recently that studies have addressed the fundamental assumption of tonal superiority. Results from two studies show that, under blind conditions, experienced violinists tend to prefer playing new violins over Old Italians. Moreover, they are unable to tell new from old at better than chance levels. This study explores the relative merits of Stradivari and new violins from the perspective of listeners in a hall. Projection and preference are taken as the two broadest criteria by which listeners might meaningfully compare violins. Which violins are heard better, and which are preferred? In two separate experiments, three new violins were compared with three by Stradivari. Projection was tested both with and without orchestral accompaniment. Projection and preference were judged simultaneously by dividing listeners into two groups. Results are unambiguous. The new violins projected better than the Stradivaris whether tested with orchestra or without, the new violins were generally preferred by the listeners, and the listeners could not reliably distinguish new from old. The single best-projecting violin was considered the loudest under the ear by players, and on average, violins that were quieter under the ear were found to project less well.

Listener evaluations of new and Old Italian violins.

PubMed

Fritz, Claudia; Curtin, Joseph; Poitevineau, Jacques; Tao, Fan-Chia

2017-05-23

Old Italian violins are routinely credited with playing qualities supposedly unobtainable in new instruments. These qualities include the ability to project their sound more effectively in a concert hall-despite seeming relatively quiet under the ear of the player-compared with new violins. Although researchers have long tried to explain the "mystery" of Stradivari's sound, it is only recently that studies have addressed the fundamental assumption of tonal superiority. Results from two studies show that, under blind conditions, experienced violinists tend to prefer playing new violins over Old Italians. Moreover, they are unable to tell new from old at better than chance levels. This study explores the relative merits of Stradivari and new violins from the perspective of listeners in a hall. Projection and preference are taken as the two broadest criteria by which listeners might meaningfully compare violins. Which violins are heard better, and which are preferred? In two separate experiments, three new violins were compared with three by Stradivari. Projection was tested both with and without orchestral accompaniment. Projection and preference were judged simultaneously by dividing listeners into two groups. Results are unambiguous. The new violins projected better than the Stradivaris whether tested with orchestra or without, the new violins were generally preferred by the listeners, and the listeners could not reliably distinguish new from old. The single best-projecting violin was considered the loudest under the ear by players, and on average, violins that were quieter under the ear were found to project less well.

Choline acetyltransferase in the hippocampus is associated with learning strategy preference in adult male rats.

PubMed

Hawley, Wayne R; Witty, Christine F; Daniel, Jill M; Dohanich, Gary P

2015-08-01

One principle of the multiple memory systems hypothesis posits that the hippocampus-based and striatum-based memory systems compete for control over learning. Consistent with this notion, previous research indicates that the cholinergic system of the hippocampus plays a role in modulating the preference for a hippocampus-based place learning strategy over a striatum-based stimulus--response learning strategy. Interestingly, in the hippocampus, greater activity and higher protein levels of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), the enzyme that synthesizes acetylcholine, are associated with better performance on hippocampus-based learning and memory tasks. With this in mind, the primary aim of the current study was to determine if higher levels of ChAT and the high-affinity choline uptake transporter (CHT) in the hippocampus were associated with a preference for a hippocampus-based place learning strategy on a task that also could be solved by relying on a striatum-based stimulus--response learning strategy. Results confirmed that levels of ChAT in the dorsal region of the hippocampus were associated with a preference for a place learning strategy on a water maze task that could also be solved by adopting a stimulus-response learning strategy. Consistent with previous studies, the current results support the hypothesis that the cholinergic system of the hippocampus plays a role in balancing competition between memory systems that modulate learning strategy preference. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Researching the Relationship between the Influence of Games on Elementary School Students, Their Gender and Lesson Success Variables and Their Game Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pepe, Kadir

2011-01-01

This research is a descriptive research with scanning method. It aims to define the relationship between the gender and academic success of secondary school students and their play preferences. The population of the research is composed of the secondary schools of Burdur city centrum and the sample group is composed of the students who are…

Recalled sex-typed behavior in childhood and sports' preferences in adulthood of heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual men from Brazil, Turkey, and Thailand.

PubMed

Cardoso, Fernando Luiz

2009-10-01

This research used interview and questionnaire data from homosexual (n = 177), bisexual (n = 157), and heterosexual (n = 544) men between 20 and 30 years of age among lower class men and university students in three countries: Brazil, Thailand, and Turkey. The main goal of the study was to examine the recalled childhood sex-typed behavior and adult sports preferences that distinguish homosexuals from bisexuals and heterosexuals. In all three cultures and both social groups, homosexual men were almost always more likely as children to have wanted to be a girl, to cross-dress, to play with girls, to do girls' tasks, and to practice fewer sports. They were also less likely to bully others or to engage in physical fights. As children, homosexual men were more likely to prefer swimming and playing volleyball rather than soccer and, as adults, they preferred watching gymnastics and swimming over soccer. The bisexuals scored intermediate mostly in "desire to be a girl" and "cross-dressing," although they were much closer to the heterosexuals. These results, coupled with previous cross-cultural research, suggest that cross-gender behavior in childhood may characterize most male homosexuals regardless of their cultural milieu.

General public knowledge, preferred dosage forms, and beliefs toward medicines in western Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Alhaddad, Mahmoud S; Abdallah, Qasem M; Alshakhsheer, Sami M; Alosaimi, Salman B; Althmali, Ahmed R; Alahmari, Solaiman A

2014-06-01

To measure general public knowledge, source of knowledge, preferred dosage forms, and beliefs toward medicines. A cross-sectional study design using convenience-sampling technique was used. A pre-validated questionnaire was designed and distributed to the general public through face-to-face interviews. All data were analyzed, and p-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. The study took place in the Clinical Pharmacy Department, Taif University, Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between August 2012 and February 2013 RESULTS: Nine hundred participants successfully responded to this study. Males represented two-thirds of the respondents (66.8%). In addition, 52% of respondents were of high education level. Modern (74.2%) and alternative medicines (88.7%) were understood by most respondents. Tablets (69.6%) and capsules (37.6%) represented the highest preferred dosage forms. In addition, physicians (66.6%) and pharmacists (46.2%) were the main sources of information regarding medicines. In terms of beliefs, respondents showed wrong beliefs in many statements used in this study. There is a need to improve public knowledge and beliefs toward medicines as well as utilizing public preferred dosage forms. In addition, pharmacists should play a major role in these programs since they are experts on medicines and play a more active role in patient education and counseling.

Chill-inducing music enhances altruism in humans

PubMed Central

Fukui, Hajime; Toyoshima, Kumiko

2014-01-01

Music is a universal feature of human cultures, and it has both fascinated and troubled many researchers. In this paper we show through the dictator game (DG) that an individual’s listening to preferred “chill-inducing” music may promote altruistic behavior that extends beyond the bounds of kin selection or reciprocal altruism. Participants were 22 undergraduate and postgraduate students who were divided into two groups, the in-group and the out-group, and they acted as dictators. The dictators listened to their own preferred “chill-inducing” music, to music they disliked, or to silence, and then played the DG. In this hypothetical experiment, the dictators were given real money (which they did not keep) and were asked to distribute it to the recipients, who were presented as stylized images of men and women displayed on a computer screen. The dictators played the DG both before and after listening to the music. Both male and female dictators gave more money after listening to their preferred music and less after listening to the music they disliked, whereas silence had no effect on the allocated amounts. The group to which the recipient belonged did not influence these trends. The results suggest that listening to preferred “chill-inducing” music promotes altruistic behavior. PMID:25389411

Tobacco brand preference among Mexican adolescents.

PubMed

West, Joshua H; Hall, P Cougar; Page, Randy M; Trinidad, Dennis R; Lindsay, Gordon B

2012-01-01

Advertising plays a major role in smoking behavior and forming brand preferences. Additionally, the most advertised tobacco brands have also been the most preferred. Maintaining brand loyalty in Latin America remains a priority for the tobacco industry. The purpose of this study was to explore tobacco brand preference trends from 2003 to 2006, and explore marketing and advertising factors that might be associated with these trends. Data for this study came from Mexican adolescents residing in cities that participated in the Global Youth Tobacco Survey in both 2003 and 2006 and reported smoking either Marlboro or Camel cigarettes in the past 30 days. Respondents reported the brand name of their preferred cigarette during the past 30 days. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine differences by brand preference and exposure to tobacco marketing and advertising, which was assessed using six items. In 2003, most adolescents preferred Marlboro. By 2006, older boys preferred Camel cigarettes to Marlboro, while girls' preference for Camel was similar to their preference for Marlboro. Adolescents that preferred Camel cigarettes in 2003 also reported greater exposure to tobacco marketing and advertising. Findings indicate that there are ongoing shifts in youth brand preference in Mexico, and that these shifts might be related to marketing and advertising practices. There is an ongoing need for monitoring marketing and advertising practices in an effort to protect adolescents from tobacco company exploits.

Assessing the Effects of Participant Preference and Demographics in the Usage of Web-based Survey Questionnaires by Women Attending Screening Mammography in British Columbia

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background Increased usage of Internet applications has allowed for the collection of patient reported outcomes (PROs) and other health data through Web-based communication and questionnaires. While these Web platforms allow for increased speed and scope of communication delivery, there are certain limitations associated with this technology, as survey mode preferences vary across demographic groups. Objective To investigate the impact of demographic factors and participant preferences on the use of a Web-based questionnaire in comparison with more traditional methods (mail and phone) for women participating in screening mammography in British Columbia, Canada. Methods A sample of women attending the Screening Mammography Program of British Columbia (SMPBC) participated in a breast cancer risk assessment project. The study questionnaire was administered through one of three modes (ie, telephone, mail, or website platform). Survey mode preferences and actual methods of response were analyzed for participants recruited from Victoria General Hospital. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were used to investigate the association of demographic factors (ie, age, education level, and ethnicity) with certain survey response types. Results A total of 1192 women successfully completed the study questionnaire at Victoria General Hospital. Mail was stated as the most preferred survey mode (509/1192, 42.70%), followed by website platform (422/1192, 35.40%), and telephone (147/1192, 12.33%). Over 80% (955/1192) of participants completed the questionnaire in the mode previously specified as their most preferred; mail was the most common method of response (688/1192, 57.72%). Mail was also the most preferred type of questionnaire response method when participants responded in a mode other than their original preference. The average age of participants who responded via the Web-based platform (age 52.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 52.1-53.7) was significantly lower than those who used mail and telephone methods (age 55.9, 95% CI 55.2-56.5; P<.001); each decade of increased age was associated with a 0.97-fold decrease in the odds of using the website platform (P<.001). Web-based participation was more likely for those who completed higher levels of education; each interval increase leading to a 1.83 increase in the odds of website platform usage (P<.001). Ethnicity was not shown to play a role in participant preference for the website platform (P=.96). Conclusions It is beneficial to consider participant survey mode preference when planning to collect PROs and other patient health data. Younger participants and those of higher education level were more likely to use the website platform questionnaire; Web-based participation failed to vary across ethnic group. Because mail questionnaires were still the most preferred survey mode, it will be important to employ strategies, such as user-friendly design and Web-based support, to ensure that the patient feedback being collected is representative of the population being served. PMID:27005707

Patient views through the keyhole: new perspectives on single-incision vs. multiport laparoscopic cholecystectomy

PubMed Central

Hey, Jennifer; Roberts, Keith John; Morris-Stiff, Gareth J; Toogood, Giles J

2012-01-01

Objectives Single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) may be associated with less pain, shorter hospital stay and better cosmetic results than multiport laparoscopic cholecystectomy (MLC). Advocates suggest that patients prefer SILC, although research directly addressing the question of patient preferences is limited. This study aimed to assess patient preferences using currently available evidence. Methods Patients awaiting elective cholecystectomy were shown a series of postoperative images taken after SILC or MLC and asked which procedure this led them to prefer. This was repeated after patients had completed a questionnaire constructed using published objective data comparing patient-reported outcomes of SILC and MLC. Results The study was completed by 113 consecutive patients. After their initial viewing of the images, 16% of subjects preferred MLC. Younger age, lower body mass index and female sex were associated with choosing SILC. After completing the questionnaire, 88% of patients preferred MLC (P < 0.001). Patients ranked the level of risk for complications and postoperative pain above cosmetic results in determining their choice of procedure. Conclusions Patients' initial preference when presented with cosmetic appearance was for SILC. When contemporary outcome data were included, the majority chose MLC. This underlines the need to fully inform patients during the consent process and indicates that patient views of SILC may differ from the views of those introducing the technology. PMID:22404262

Do you "want" to play? Distinguishing between conflicted shyness and social disinterest in early childhood.

PubMed

Coplan, Robert J; Prakash, Kavita; O'Neil, Kim; Armer, Mandana

2004-03-01

This study attempted to distinguish two types of social withdrawal in early childhood: (a) one based on social fear and anxiety despite a desire to interact socially (conflicted shyness) and (b) one based on the lack of a strong motivation to engage in social interaction (social disinterest). Two samples of preschoolers (n = 119 and n = 127) 3-5 years of age participated. Their mothers completed the newly developed Child Social Preference Scale, which was designed to assess conflicted shyness and social disinterest. Maternal ratings of child temperament, parenting style, and social goals, teacher ratings of child social adjustment, observations of child free-play behaviors, and child interview assessments of perceived competence and preference for playing with peers were also collected. Distinct patterns of associations were found between conflicted shyness and social disinterest and outcome variables. Implications for the motivational underpinnings and adjustment outcomes of shyness and social disinterest are explored. ((c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved)

An Evaluation of the Effects of Experimenter Control of Objects on Individuals' Engagement in Object Stereotypy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stangeland, Lindsay A.; Smith, Dean P.; Rapp, John T.

2012-01-01

In two experiments, the authors evaluated the extent to which (a) individuals preferred engaging in object stereotypy versus observing an experimenter while the experimenter engaged in object stereotypy and (b) an experimenter's engagement in object stereotypy decreased the participants' engagement in object stereotypy. Results of Experiment 1…

Preference reversal in quantum decision theory.

PubMed

Yukalov, Vyacheslav I; Sornette, Didier

2015-01-01

We consider the psychological effect of preference reversal and show that it finds a natural explanation in the frame of quantum decision theory. When people choose between lotteries with non-negative payoffs, they prefer a more certain lottery because of uncertainty aversion. But when people evaluate lottery prices, e.g., for selling to others the right to play them, they do this more rationally, being less subject to behavioral biases. This difference can be explained by the presence of the attraction factors entering the expression of quantum probabilities. Only the existence of attraction factors can explain why, considering two lotteries with close utility factors, a decision maker prefers one of them when choosing, but evaluates higher the other one when pricing. We derive a general quantitative criterion for the preference reversal to occur that relates the utilities of the two lotteries to the attraction factors under choosing vs. pricing and test successfully its application on experiments by Tversky et al. We also show that the planning paradox can be treated as a kind of preference reversal.

Individual differences reveal the basis of consonance.

PubMed

McDermott, Josh H; Lehr, Andriana J; Oxenham, Andrew J

2010-06-08

Some combinations of musical notes are consonant (pleasant), whereas others are dissonant (unpleasant), a distinction central to music. Explanations of consonance in terms of acoustics, auditory neuroscience, and enculturation have been debated for centuries. We utilized individual differences to distinguish the candidate theories. We measured preferences for musical chords as well as nonmusical sounds that isolated particular acoustic factors--specifically, the beating and the harmonic relationships between frequency components, two factors that have long been thought to potentially underlie consonance. Listeners preferred stimuli without beats and with harmonic spectra, but across more than 250 subjects, only the preference for harmonic spectra was consistently correlated with preferences for consonant over dissonant chords. Harmonicity preferences were also correlated with the number of years subjects had spent playing a musical instrument, suggesting that exposure to music amplifies preferences for harmonic frequencies because of their musical importance. Harmonic spectra are prominent features of natural sounds, and our results indicate that they also underlie the perception of consonance. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gaming Preferences, Motivations, and Experiences of Pharmacy Students in Asia.

PubMed

Chang, Huan Ying; Wong, Li Lian; Yap, Kai Zhen; Yap, Kevin Yi-Lwern

2016-02-01

Serious games are becoming popular in various healthcare domains. However, they should be designed to cater toward learners' perspectives, needs, and specifications in order to be used to their full potential in education. This study investigated the gaming experiences, motivations, and preferences of pharmacy students. An anonymous self-administered survey obtained participant demographics, gaming experiences (enjoyment level of different game genres, years of experience, gaming frequency and duration, and motivations), and gaming preferences (on in-game rewards, settings, storylines, perspectives, and styles). Descriptive statistics, t tests, analysis of variance, chi-squared tests, and Fisher's exact tests were used for analysis. The response rate was 69.1 percent (465/673 undergraduates). Role-playing games (RPGs) (4.12 ± 1.07) and massively multiplayer online RPGs (MMORPGs) (3.81 ± 1.26) had the highest enjoyment ratings. Males enjoyed imagination games (e.g., RPGs, MMORPGs) more than females, whereas females enjoyed simulation games more. Top motivating factors for respondents were progressing to the next level (3.63 ± 1.19), excitement (3.33 ± 1.33), and a feeling of efficacy when playing (3.02 ± 1.16). Unlocking mechanisms (25.2 percent) and experience points (17.6 percent) were the most popular in-game reward systems. Most respondents preferred a fantasy/medieval/mythic setting (59.8 percent) and an adventurer storyline (41.3 percent), with similar proportions preferring competitive (35.3 percent), cooperative (33.3 percent), and collaborative (30.8 percent) game styles. Different groups of pharmacy students differ in their gaming experiences, motivating factors, and preferences. There is no "one size fits all" game that is suitable for all pharmacy education. Such differences should be considered when developing a pharmacy game in order to cater to the diverse student population.

Does young adults' preferred role in decision making about health, money, and career depend on their advisors' leadership skills?

PubMed

Garcia-Retamero, Rocio; Galesic, Mirta

2013-01-01

Few empirical data exist on how decision making about health differs from that in other crucial life domains with less threatening consequences. To shed light on this issue we conducted a study with 175 young adults (average age 19 years). We presented the participants with scenarios involving advisors who provided assistance in making decisions about health, money, and career. For each scenario, participants were asked to what extent they wanted the advisor to exhibit several leadership styles and competencies and what role (active, collaborative, or passive) they preferred to play when making decisions. Results show that decision making about health is distinct from that in the other domains in three ways. First, most of the participants preferred to delegate decision making about their health to their physician, whereas they were willing to collaborate or play an active role in decision making about their career or money. Second, the competencies and leadership style preferred for the physician differed substantially from those desired for advisors in the other two domains: Participants expected physicians to show more transformational leadership--the style that is most effective in a wide range of environments--than those who provide advice about financial investments or career. Finally, participants' willingness to share medical decision making with their physician was tied to how strongly they preferred that the physician shows an effective leadership style. In contrast, motivation to participate in decision making in the other domains was not related to preferences regarding advisors' leadership style or competencies. Our results have implications for medical practice as they suggest that physicians are expected to have superior leadership skills compared to those who provide assistance in other important areas of life.

Valuation of Go Stimuli or Devaluation of No-Go Stimuli? Evidence of an Increased Preference for Attended Go Stimuli Following a Go/No-Go Task

PubMed Central

Inoue, Kazuya; Sato, Nobuya

2017-01-01

Attentional inhibition that occurs during discrimination tasks leads to the negative evaluation of distractor stimuli. This phenomenon, known as the distractor devaluation effect also occurs when go/no-go tasks require response inhibition. However, it remains unclear whether there are interactions between attention and response controls when the distractor devaluation effect occurs. The aims of this study were to investigate whether attention to stimuli in the go/no-go task plays a facilitative role in distractor devaluation through response inhibition, and to clarify whether this effect reflects a decreased preference for no-go stimuli. Participants evaluated the preference for pictures before and after a go/no-go task. In Experiments 1 and 2, they made a go or no-go response depending on the category of pictures displayed (gummy candies or rice crackers), whereas in Experiment 3 they did on the basis digit category, even or odd numbers, superimposed on such pictures. Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated that the pictures presented as no-go stimuli in the preceding go/no-go task were evaluated as less positive than the pictures presented as go stimuli. This devaluation effect reflected an increased preference for the go stimuli but not a decreased preference for the no-go stimuli. Experiment 3 indicated that response inhibition did not affect the preference for the pictures that had not received attention in a preceding go/no-go task. These results suggest that although attention plays an important role in differential ratings for go and no-go stimuli, such differences, in fact, reflect the valuation of go stimuli. PMID:28439246

Valuation of Go Stimuli or Devaluation of No-Go Stimuli? Evidence of an Increased Preference for Attended Go Stimuli Following a Go/No-Go Task.

PubMed

Inoue, Kazuya; Sato, Nobuya

2017-01-01

Attentional inhibition that occurs during discrimination tasks leads to the negative evaluation of distractor stimuli. This phenomenon, known as the distractor devaluation effect also occurs when go/no-go tasks require response inhibition. However, it remains unclear whether there are interactions between attention and response controls when the distractor devaluation effect occurs. The aims of this study were to investigate whether attention to stimuli in the go/no-go task plays a facilitative role in distractor devaluation through response inhibition, and to clarify whether this effect reflects a decreased preference for no-go stimuli. Participants evaluated the preference for pictures before and after a go/no-go task. In Experiments 1 and 2, they made a go or no-go response depending on the category of pictures displayed (gummy candies or rice crackers), whereas in Experiment 3 they did on the basis digit category, even or odd numbers, superimposed on such pictures. Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated that the pictures presented as no-go stimuli in the preceding go/no-go task were evaluated as less positive than the pictures presented as go stimuli. This devaluation effect reflected an increased preference for the go stimuli but not a decreased preference for the no-go stimuli. Experiment 3 indicated that response inhibition did not affect the preference for the pictures that had not received attention in a preceding go/no-go task. These results suggest that although attention plays an important role in differential ratings for go and no-go stimuli, such differences, in fact, reflect the valuation of go stimuli.

Selection of an omnivorous diet by the mangrove tree crab Aratus pisonii in laboratory experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erickson, Amy A.; Feller, Ilka C.; Paul, Valerie J.; Kwiatkowski, Lisa M.; Lee, Woody

2008-02-01

Observational studies on leaf damage, gut content analyses, and crab behaviour have demonstrated that like numerous other mangrove and salt-marsh generalists, the mangrove tree crab Aratus pisonii feeds on a variety of food resources. This study is the first that experimentally tests feeding preferences of A. pisonii, as well as the first to test experimentally whether chemical composition of food resources is responsible for food selection. Feeding preferences were determined among a variety of plant, algal, and animal resources available in the field both in Florida and Belize, using multiple-choice feeding assays, where male and female crabs simultaneously were offered a variety of food items. To test whether chemistry of food resources was responsible for feeding preferences, chemical extracts of food resources were incorporated in an agar-based artificial food, and used in feeding assays. Results of feeding assays suggest that crabs prefer animal matter from ˜ 2.5 to 13× more than other available resources, including leaves of the red mangrove Rhizophora mangle, which contribute the most to their natural diet. Artificial feeding assays also demonstrated that chemical cues were responsible for selection of animal matter, up to 25× more than other available resources. Non-polar extracts (derived from extraction in 1:1 ethyl actetate:methanol) stimulated feeding the most, suggesting that fatty acids, triglycerides, or sterols may be important for growth, reproduction, or survival. Results for both sexes were similar across most assays. While chemical composition of food resources appears to play some role in selection, this does not discount the potential role of other factors, such as resource availability, competition, predation, or reproductive requirements in influencing feeding preferences. Bioassay-guided fractionation of extracts should aid in determining chemical constituents that play the greatest role in determining feeding preferences.

Polymorphisms in the circadian expressed genes PER3 and ARNTL2 are associated with diurnal preference and GNβ3 with sleep measures

PubMed Central

Parsons, Michael J; Lester, Kathryn J; Barclay, Nicola L; Archer, Simon N; Nolan, Patrick M; Eley, Thalia C; Gregory, Alice M

2014-01-01

Sleep and circadian rhythms are intrinsically linked, with several sleep traits, including sleep timing and duration, influenced by both sleep homeostasis and the circadian phase. Genetic variation in several circadian genes has been associated with diurnal preference (preference in timing of sleep), although there has been limited research on whether they are associated with other sleep measurements. We investigated whether these genetic variations were associated with diurnal preference (Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire) and various sleep measures, including: the global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality index score; sleep duration; and sleep latency and sleep quality. We genotyped 10 polymorphisms in genes with circadian expression in participants from the G1219 sample (n = 966), a British longitudinal population sample of young adults. We conducted linear regressions using dominant, additive and recessive models of inheritance to test for associations between these polymorphisms and the sleep measures. We found a significant association between diurnal preference and a polymorphism in period homologue 3 (PER3) (P < 0.005, recessive model) and a novel nominally significant association between diurnal preference and a polymorphism in aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like 2 (ARNTL2) (P < 0.05, additive model). We found that a polymorphism in guanine nucleotide binding protein beta 3 (GNβ3) was associated significantly with global sleep quality (P < 0.005, recessive model), and that a rare polymorphism in period homologue 2 (PER2) was associated significantly with both sleep duration and quality (P < 0.0005, recessive model). These findings suggest that genes with circadian expression may play a role in regulating both the circadian clock and sleep homeostasis, and highlight the importance of further studies aimed at dissecting the specific roles that circadian genes play in these two interrelated but unique behaviours. PMID:24635757

Strategies for Global Optimization of Temporal Preferences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, Paul; Morris, Robert; Khatib, Lina; Ramakrishnan, Sailesh

2004-01-01

A temporal reasoning problem can often be naturally characterized as a collection of constraints with associated local preferences for times that make up the admissible values for those constraints. Globally preferred solutions to such problems emerge as a result of well-defined operations that compose and order temporal assignments. The overall objective of this work is a characterization of different notions of global preference, and to identify tractable sub-classes of temporal reasoning problems incorporating these notions. This paper extends previous results by refining the class of useful notions of global temporal preference that are associated with problems that admit of tractable solution techniques. This paper also answers the hitherto open question of whether problems that seek solutions that are globally preferred from a Utilitarian criterion for global preference can be found tractably.

Preference Mining Using Neighborhood Rough Set Model on Two Universes.

PubMed

Zeng, Kai

2016-01-01

Preference mining plays an important role in e-commerce and video websites for enhancing user satisfaction and loyalty. Some classical methods are not available for the cold-start problem when the user or the item is new. In this paper, we propose a new model, called parametric neighborhood rough set on two universes (NRSTU), to describe the user and item data structures. Furthermore, the neighborhood lower approximation operator is used for defining the preference rules. Then, we provide the means for recommending items to users by using these rules. Finally, we give an experimental example to show the details of NRSTU-based preference mining for cold-start problem. The parameters of the model are also discussed. The experimental results show that the proposed method presents an effective solution for preference mining. In particular, NRSTU improves the recommendation accuracy by about 19% compared to the traditional method.

‘Too many girls, too much dowry’: son preference and daughter aversion in rural Tamil Nadu, India

PubMed Central

DIAMOND-SMITH, NADIA; LUKE, NANCY; MCGARVEY, STEPHEN

2013-01-01

The southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has experienced a dramatic decline in fertility, accompanied by a trend of increased son preference. This paper reports on findings from qualitative interviews with women in rural villages about their fertility decision-making. Specifically addressed are the reasons behind increasing son preference and the consequences of this change. Findings suggest that daughter aversion, fuelled primarily by the perceived economic burden of daughters due to the proliferation of dowry, is playing a larger role in fertility decision-making than son preference. The desire for a son is often trumped by the worry over having many daughters. Women use various means of controlling the sex of their children, which in this study appear to be primarily female infanticide. It is important to distinguish between son preference and daughter aversion and to examine repercussions of low fertility within this setting. PMID:18821352

Prey preference of the predatory mite, Amblyseius swirskii between first instar western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis and nymphs of the twospotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae.

PubMed

Xu, Xuenong; Enkegaard, Annie

2010-01-01

The prey preference of polyphagous predators plays an important role in suppressing different species of pest insects. In this study the prey preference of the predatory mite, Amblyseius swirskii (Athias-Henriot) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) was examined between nymphs of the twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) and first instar larvae of the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), as well as between active and chrysalis spider mite protonymphs and active and chrysalis spider mite deutonymphs. The study was done in the laboratory on bean leaf discs at 25 ± 1° C and 70 ± 5% RH. Amblyseius swirskii had a clear preference for thrips compared to both spider mite protonymphs and deutonymphs. About twice as many thrips as spider mites were consumed. Amblyseius swirskii did not show a preference between active and chrysalis stages of spider mites.

Strength in numbers or less is more? A matter of opinion and a question of taste.

PubMed

Spears, Russell; Ellemers, Naomi; Doosje, Bertjan

2009-08-01

Theory and research on attitudes and opinions assume that people generally prefer a state where their preferences are shared by the majority of relevant others. Other research points to the value that distinctiveness, or being in a minority, can have for both groups and individuals. The authors propose that a relatively neglected factor here concerns the nature of the preference, namely, whether the preference is a matter of opinion or a question of taste. The authors argue that different processes play a role in each of these cases, with the result that people like a majority to share their opinion but prefer to be part of a minority in matters of taste. Results of three experiments support this prediction and show that shared opinions reflect the perceived power of others' support, whereas shared tastes reflect distinctiveness from others.

Mastery motivation in children with complex communication needs: longitudinal data analysis.

PubMed

Medeiros, Kara F; Cress, Cynthia J; Lambert, Matthew C

2016-09-01

This study compared longitudinal changes in mastery motivation during parent-child free play for 37 children with complex communication needs. Mastery motivation manifests as a willingness to work hard at tasks that are challenging, which is an important quality to overcoming the challenges involved in successful expressive communication using AAC. Unprompted parent-child play episodes were identified in three assessment sessions over an 18-month period and coded for nine categories of mastery motivation in social and object play. All of the object-oriented mastery motivation categories and one social mastery motivation category showed an influence of motor skills after controlling for receptive language. Object play elicited significantly more of all of the object-focused mastery motivation categories than social play, and social play elicited more of one type of social-focused mastery motivation behavior than object play. Mastery motivation variables did not differ significantly over time for children. Potential physical and interpersonal influences on mastery motivation for parents and children with complex communication needs are discussed, including broadening the procedures and definitions of mastery motivation beyond object-oriented measurements for children with complex communication needs.

Happy faces are preferred regardless of familiarity--sad faces are preferred only when familiar.

PubMed

Liao, Hsin-I; Shimojo, Shinsuke; Yeh, Su-Ling

2013-06-01

Familiarity leads to preference (e.g., the mere exposure effect), yet it remains unknown whether it is objective familiarity, that is, repetitive exposure, or subjective familiarity that contributes to preference. In addition, it is unexplored whether and how different emotions influence familiarity-related preference. The authors investigated whether happy or sad faces are preferred or perceived as more familiar and whether this subjective familiarity judgment correlates with preference for different emotional faces. An emotional face--happy or sad--was paired with a neutral face, and participants rated the relative preference and familiarity of each of the paired faces. For preference judgment, happy faces were preferred and sad faces were less preferred, compared with neutral faces. For familiarity judgment, happy faces did not show any bias, but sad faces were perceived as less familiar than neutral faces. Item-by-item correlational analyses show preference for sad faces--but not happy faces--positively correlate with familiarity. These results suggest a direct link between positive emotion and preference, and argue at least partly against a common cause for familiarity and preference. Instead, facial expression of different emotional valence modulates the link between familiarity and preference.

The Effectiveness of Instructional Methods Based on Learning Style Preferences of Agricultural Students: A Research Tool for Continuous Improvement for Faculty in Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fazarro, Dominick E.; Pannkuk, Tim; Pavelock, Dwayne; Hubbard, Darcy

2009-01-01

This study was conducted to research learning style preferences of agriculture students. Specifically, the objectives which guided the study were: (1) to determine the learning style preferences of undergraduate agricultural students enrolled in a given Soil Science course and (2) to ascertain if there were differences in the students' course…

How Do Clinicians Prefer Cultural Competence Training? Findings from the DSM-5 Cultural Formulation Interview Field Trial

PubMed Central

Aggarwal, Neil Krishan; Lam, Peter; Castillo, Enrico; Weiss, Mitchell G.; Diaz, Esperanza; Alarcón, Renato D.; van Dijk, Rob; Rohlof, Hans; Ndetei, David M.; Scalco, Monica; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio; Bassiri, Kavoos; Deshpande, Smita; Groen, Simon; Jadhav, Sushrut; Kirmayer, Laurence J.; Paralikar, Vasudeo; Westermeyer, Joseph; Santos, Filipa; Vega-Dienstmaier, Johann; Anez, Luis; Boiler, Marit; Nicasio, Andel V.; Lewis-Fernández, Roberto

2015-01-01

Objective This study’s objective is to analyze training methods clinicians reported as most and least helpful during the DSM-5 Cultural Formulation Interview field trial, reasons why, and associations between demographic characteristics and method preferences. Method The authors used mixed methods to analyze interviews from 75 clinicians in five continents on their training preferences after a standardized training session and clinicians’ first administration of the Cultural Formulation Interview. Content analysis identified most and least helpful educational methods by reason. Bivariate and logistic regression analysis compared clinician characteristics to method preferences. Results Most frequently, clinicians named case-based behavioral simulations as “most helpful” and video as “least helpful” training methods. Bivariate and logistic regression models, first unadjusted and then clustered by country, found that each additional year of a clinician’s age was associated with a preference for behavioral simulations: OR=1.05 (95% CI: 1.01–1.10; p=0.025). Conclusions Most clinicians preferred active behavioral simulations in cultural competence training, and this effect was most pronounced among older clinicians. Effective training may be best accomplished through a combination of reviewing written guidelines, video demonstration, and behavioral simulations. Future work can examine the impact of clinician training satisfaction on patient symptoms and quality of life. PMID:26449983

Comparison of Objective Measures for Predicting Perceptual Balance and Visual Aesthetic Preference

PubMed Central

Hübner, Ronald; Fillinger, Martin G.

2016-01-01

The aesthetic appreciation of a picture largely depends on the perceptual balance of its elements. The underlying mental mechanisms of this relation, however, are still poorly understood. For investigating these mechanisms, objective measures of balance have been constructed, such as the Assessment of Preference for Balance (APB) score of Wilson and Chatterjee (2005). In the present study we examined the APB measure and compared it to an alternative measure (DCM; Deviation of the Center of “Mass”) that represents the center of perceptual “mass” in a picture and its deviation from the geometric center. Additionally, we applied measures of homogeneity and of mirror symmetry. In a first experiment participants had to rate the balance and symmetry of simple pictures, whereas in a second experiment different participants rated their preference (liking) for these pictures. In a third experiment participants rated the balance as well as the preference of new pictures. Altogether, the results show that DCM scores accounted better for balance ratings than APB scores, whereas the opposite held with respect to preference. Detailed analyses revealed that these results were due to the fact that aesthetic preference does not only depend on balance but also on homogeneity, and that the APB measure takes this feature into account. PMID:27014143

Impact of Preferred Eddy Tracks on Transport and Mixing in the Eastern South Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belmadani, A.; Donoso, D.; Auger, P. A.; Chaigneau, A.

2017-12-01

Mesoscale eddies, which play a fundamental role in the transport of mass, heat, nutrients, and biota across the oceans, have been suggested to propagate preferently along specific tracks. These preferred pathways, also called eddy trains, are near-zonal due to westward drift of individual vortices, and tend to be polarized (ie alternatively dominated by anticyclonic/cyclonic eddies), coinciding with the recently discovered latent striations (quasi-zonal mesoscale jet-like features). While significant effort has been made to understand the dynamics of striations and their interplay with mesoscale eddies, the impact of repeated eddy tracks on physical (temperature, salinity), biogeochemical (oxygen, carbon, nutrients) and other tracers (e.g. chlorophyll, marine debris) has received little attention. Here we report on the results of numerical modeling experiments that simulate the impact of preferred eddy tracks on the transport and mixing of water particles in the Eastern South Pacific off Chile. A 30-year interannual simulation of the oceanic circulation in this region has been performed over 1984-2013 with the ROMS (Regional Oceanic Modeling System) at an eddy-resolving resolution (10 km). Objective tracking of mesoscale coherent vortices is obtained using automated methods, allowing to compute the contribution of eddies to the ocean circulation. Preferred eddy tracks are further isolated from the more random eddies, by comparing the distances between individual tracks and the striated pattern in long-term mean eddy polarity with a least-squares approach. The remaining non-eddying flow may also be decomposed into time-mean and anomalous circulation, and/or small- and large-scale circulation. Neutrally-buoyant Lagrangian floats are then released uniformly into the various flow components as well as the total flow, and tracked forward in time with the ARIANE software. The dispersion patterns of water particles are used to estimate the respective contributions of organized and random eddies, mean flow, large-scale perturbations etc. to mixing properties and transport pathways. Float release into the full flow inside selected vortices is also used to document the impact of eddy trains on the transformation of water masses inferred from changes in temperature/salinity along float trajectories.

Interactive Digital e-Health Game for Heart Failure Self-Management: A Feasibility Study

PubMed Central

Toprac, Paul; O'Hair, Matt; Bias, Randolph; Kim, Miyong T.; Bradley, Paul; Mackert, Michael

2016-01-01

Abstract Objective: To develop and test the prototype of a serious digital game for improving community-dwelling older adults' heart failure (HF) knowledge and self-management behaviors. The serious game innovatively incorporates evidence-based HF guidelines with contemporary game technology. Materials and Methods: The study included three phases: development of the game prototype, its usability assessment, and evaluation of the game's functionality. Usability testing included researchers' usability assessment, followed by research personnel's observations of participants playing the game, and participants' completion of a usability survey. Next, in a pretest–post-test design, validated instruments—the Atlanta Heart Failure Knowledge Test and the Self Care for Heart Failure Index—were used to measure improvement in HF self-management knowledge and behaviors related to HF self-maintenance, self-management, and self-efficacy, respectively. A postgame survey assessed participants' perceptions of the game. Results: During usability testing, with seven participants, 100%, 100%, and 86% found the game easy to play, enjoyable, and helpful for learning about HF, respectively. In the subsequent functionality testing, with 19 participants, 89% found the game interesting, enjoyable, and easy to play. Playing the game resulted in a significant improvement in HF self-management knowledge, a nonsignificant improvement in self-reported behaviors related to HF self-maintenance, and no difference in HF self-efficacy scores. Participants with lower education level and age preferred games to any other medium for receiving information. Conclusion: It is feasible to develop a serious digital game that community-dwelling older adults with HF find both satisfying and acceptable and that can improve their self-management knowledge. PMID:27976955

Role of Vision and Mechanoreception in Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius L. Behavior

PubMed Central

Singh, Narinderpal; Wang, Changlu; Cooper, Richard

2015-01-01

The role of olfactory cues such as carbon dioxide, pheromones, and kairomones in bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. behavior has been demonstrated. However, the role of vision and mechanoreception in bed bug behavior is poorly understood. We investigated bed bug vision by determining their responses to different colors, vertical objects, and their ability to detect colors and vertical objects under low and complete dark conditions. Results show black and red paper harborages are preferred compared to yellow, green, blue, and white harborages. A bed bug trapping device with a black or red exterior surface was significantly more attractive to bed bugs than that with a white exterior surface. Bed bugs exhibited strong orientation behavior toward vertical objects. The height (15 vs. 30 cm tall) and color (brown vs. black) of the vertical object had no significant effect on orientation behavior of bed bugs. Bed bugs could differentiate color and detect vertical objects at very low background light conditions, but not in complete darkness. Bed bug preference to different substrate textures (mechanoreception) was also explored. Bed bugs preferred dyed tape compared to painted tape, textured painted plastic, and felt. These results revealed that substrate color, presence of vertical objects, and substrate texture affect host-seeking and harborage-searching behavior of bed bugs. Bed bugs may use a combination of vision, mechanoreception, and chemoreception to locate hosts and seek harborages. PMID:25748041

Role of vision and mechanoreception in bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. behavior.

PubMed

Singh, Narinderpal; Wang, Changlu; Cooper, Richard

2015-01-01

The role of olfactory cues such as carbon dioxide, pheromones, and kairomones in bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. behavior has been demonstrated. However, the role of vision and mechanoreception in bed bug behavior is poorly understood. We investigated bed bug vision by determining their responses to different colors, vertical objects, and their ability to detect colors and vertical objects under low and complete dark conditions. Results show black and red paper harborages are preferred compared to yellow, green, blue, and white harborages. A bed bug trapping device with a black or red exterior surface was significantly more attractive to bed bugs than that with a white exterior surface. Bed bugs exhibited strong orientation behavior toward vertical objects. The height (15 vs. 30 cm tall) and color (brown vs. black) of the vertical object had no significant effect on orientation behavior of bed bugs. Bed bugs could differentiate color and detect vertical objects at very low background light conditions, but not in complete darkness. Bed bug preference to different substrate textures (mechanoreception) was also explored. Bed bugs preferred dyed tape compared to painted tape, textured painted plastic, and felt. These results revealed that substrate color, presence of vertical objects, and substrate texture affect host-seeking and harborage-searching behavior of bed bugs. Bed bugs may use a combination of vision, mechanoreception, and chemoreception to locate hosts and seek harborages.

Playthings as Art Objects: Ideas and Resources. Kites and Sound Making Objects and Playing Cards and Dolls.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

City of Birmingham Polytechnic (England). Dept. of Art.

Five booklets focusing on playthings as art objects draw together information about historical, ethnographic, and play traditions of various cultures of the world. The first booklet provides an overview of ideas and resources about kites, sound making objects, playing cards, and dolls. The second booklet on kites discusses the distribution and…

Three-quarter view preference for three-dimensional objects in 8-month-old infants.

PubMed

Yamashita, Wakayo; Niimi, Ryosuke; Kanazawa, So; Yamaguchi, Masami K; Yokosawa, Kazuhiko

2014-04-04

This study examined infants' visual perception of three-dimensional common objects. It has been reported that human adults perceive object images in a view-dependent manner: three-quarter views are often preferred to other views, and the sensitivity to object orientation is lower for three-quarter views than for other views. We tested whether such characteristics were observed in 6- to 8-month-old infants by measuring their preferential looking behavior. In Experiment 1 we examined 190- to 240-day-olds' sensitivity to orientation change and in Experiment 2 we examined these infants' preferential looking for the three-quarter view. The 240-day-old infants showed a pattern of results similar to adults for some objects, while the 190-day-old infants did not. The 240-day-old infants' perception of object view is (partly) similar to that of adults. These results suggest that human visual perception of three-dimensional objects develops at 6 to 8 months of age.

Automated solar collector installation design including ability to define heterogeneous design preferences

DOEpatents

Wayne, Gary; Frumkin, Alexander; Zaydman, Michael; Lehman, Scott; Brenner, Jules

2014-04-29

Embodiments may include systems and methods to create and edit a representation of a worksite, to create various data objects, to classify such objects as various types of pre -defined "features" with attendant properties and layout constraints. As part of or in addition to classification, an embodiment may include systems and methods to create, associate, and edit intrinsic and extrinsic properties to these objects. A design engine may apply of design rules to the features described above to generate one or more solar collectors installation design alternatives, including generation of on-screen and/or paper representations of the physical layout or arrangement of the one or more design alternatives. Embodiments may also include definition of one or more design apertures, each of which may correspond to boundaries in which solar collector layouts should comply with distinct sets of user-defined design preferences. Distinct apertures may provide heterogeneous regions of collector layout according to the user-defined design preferences.

Automated solar collector installation design including ability to define heterogeneous design preferences

DOEpatents

Wayne, Gary; Frumkin, Alexander; Zaydman, Michael; Lehman, Scott; Brenner, Jules

2013-01-08

Embodiments may include systems and methods to create and edit a representation of a worksite, to create various data objects, to classify such objects as various types of pre-defined "features" with attendant properties and layout constraints. As part of or in addition to classification, an embodiment may include systems and methods to create, associate, and edit intrinsic and extrinsic properties to these objects. A design engine may apply of design rules to the features described above to generate one or more solar collectors installation design alternatives, including generation of on-screen and/or paper representations of the physical layout or arrangement of the one or more design alternatives. Embodiments may also include definition of one or more design apertures, each of which may correspond to boundaries in which solar collector layouts should comply with distinct sets of user-defined design preferences. Distinct apertures may provide heterogeneous regions of collector layout according to the user-defined design preferences.

Behavioral demand modulates object category representation in the inferior temporal cortex

PubMed Central

Emadi, Nazli

2014-01-01

Visual object categorization is a critical task in our daily life. Many studies have explored category representation in the inferior temporal (IT) cortex at the level of single neurons and population. However, it is not clear how behavioral demands modulate this category representation. Here, we recorded from the IT single neurons in monkeys performing two different tasks with identical visual stimuli: passive fixation and body/object categorization. We found that category selectivity of the IT neurons was improved in the categorization compared with the passive task where reward was not contingent on image category. The category improvement was the result of larger rate enhancement for the preferred category and smaller response variability for both preferred and nonpreferred categories. These specific modulations in the responses of IT category neurons enhanced signal-to-noise ratio of the neural responses to discriminate better between the preferred and nonpreferred categories. Our results provide new insight into the adaptable category representation in the IT cortex, which depends on behavioral demands. PMID:25080572

Assisting people with disabilities in actively performing designated occupational activities with battery-free wireless mice to control environmental stimulation.

PubMed

Shih, Ching-Hsiang

2013-05-01

The latest researches use software technology (OLDP, object location detection programs) to turn a commercial high-technology product, i.e. a battery-free wireless mouse, into a high performance/precise object location detector to detect whether or not an object has been placed in the designated location. The preferred environmental stimulation is also incorporated to assist those patients in need of occupational activities in performing simple occupational activities to acquire their preferred environmental stimulation. The result of the experiment shows that both participants have been able to control their preferred environmental stimulation by actively performing occupational activities. This study is going to extend the aforementioned researches by using battery-free wireless mice to assist patients in performing more complicated occupational activities. The ABAB design has been adopted for experiments, and the result shows that during intervention phrases, the occupational activities of both participants are significantly improved. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aircraft Noise Perception Study in Brazil: A Perspective on Airport Sustainable Growth and Environmental Awareness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

deArantesGomesEller, Rogerio; Urbina, Ligia Maria Soto; Porto, Protogenes Pires

2003-01-01

Aircraft noise perception is related to several variables that are tangible and objective, such as the number of operations, flight schedules. Other variables, instead, are more subjective, such as preferences. However, although their elusiveness, they contribute to determine the individuals' perception of this type of externality. Despite the fact that the complaints related to aeronautical noise have been registered since the decade of 50, it has been observed that the perception of noise seems to have grown, especially since the 80's. It has been argued that this change in noise perception has its roots on the accelerated expansion of air traffic. But, it is necessary to point out the important role played on modeling preferences, by the growing environmental conscience and the higher welfare and quality of life standards and expectations. In that context, the main objective of this paper is to study the aeronautical noise perception in the neighborhoods of the Aeroporto Internacional de Sao Paulo - AISP (the biggest airport of South America). Specifically, it analyzes the relationship between aircraft noise perception and social class, which is expected to be positive. Since noise perception is an intangible variable, this study chose as a proxy the value losses of residential properties, caused by aeronautical noise. The variable social class has been measured utilizing average per capita income of the population who live nearby the airport. The comparison of both, the lowest and the highest social class suggests that the relationship between social class and noise perception is positive in the AISP region. Moreover, it was observed that all social classes are very susceptible to aircraft noise annoyance. In fact, the magnitude of the noise perception proxy for both social classes -the residential value losses- was found to be comparable to levels encountered in developed countries.

How should the psychological well-being of zoo elephants be objectively investigated?

PubMed

Mason, Georgia J; Veasey, Jake S

2010-01-01

Animal welfare (sometimes termed "well-being") is about feelings - states such as "suffering" or "contentment" that we can infer but cannot measure directly. Welfare indices have been developed from two main sources: studies of suffering humans, and of research animals deliberately subjected to challenges known to affect emotional state. We briefly review the resulting indices here, and discuss how well they are understood for elephants, since objective welfare assessment should play a central role in evidence-based elephant management. We cover behavioral and cognitive responses (approach/avoidance; intention, redirected and displacement activities; vigilance/startle; warning signals; cognitive biases, apathy and depression-like changes; stereotypic behavior); physiological responses (sympathetic responses; corticosteroid output - often assayed non-invasively via urine, feces or even hair; other aspects of HPA function, e.g. adrenal hypertrophy); and the potential negative effects of prolonged stress on reproduction (e.g. reduced gametogenesis; low libido; elevated still-birth rates; poor maternal care) and health (e.g. poor wound-healing; enhanced disease rates; shortened lifespans). The best validated, most used welfare indices for elephants are corticosteroid outputs and stereotypic behavior. Indices suggested as valid, partially validated, and/or validated but not yet applied within zoos include: measures of preference/avoidance; displacement movements; vocal/postural signals of affective (emotional) state; startle/vigilance; apathy; salivary and urinary epinephrine; female acyclity; infant mortality rates; skin/foot infections; cardio-vascular disease; and premature adult death. Potentially useful indices that have not yet attracted any validation work in elephants include: operant responding and place preference tests; intention and vacuum movements; fear/stress pheromone release; cognitive biases; heart rate, pupil dilation and blood pressure; corticosteroid assay from hair, especially tail-hairs (to access endocrine events up to a year ago); adrenal hypertrophy; male infertility; prolactinemia; and immunological changes.

What Is the Evidence for Inter-laminar Integration in a Prefrontal Cortical Minicolumn?

PubMed

Opris, Ioan; Chang, Stephano; Noga, Brian R

2017-01-01

The objective of this perspective article is to examine columnar inter-laminar integration during the executive control of behavior. The integration hypothesis posits that perceptual and behavioral signals are integrated within the prefrontal cortical inter-laminar microcircuits. Inter-laminar minicolumnar activity previously recorded from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) of nonhuman primates, trained in a visual delay match-to-sample (DMS) task, was re-assessed from an integrative perspective. Biomorphic multielectrode arrays (MEAs) played a unique role in the in vivo recording of columnar cell firing in the dlPFC layers 2/3 and 5/6. Several integrative aspects stem from these experiments: 1. Functional integration of perceptual and behavioral signals across cortical layers during executive control. The integrative effect of dlPFC minicolumns was shown by: (i) increased correlated firing on correct vs. error trials; (ii) decreased correlated firing when the number of non-matching images increased; and (iii) similar spatial firing preference across cortical-striatal cells during spatial-trials, and less on object-trials. 2. Causal relations to integration of cognitive signals by the minicolumnar turbo-engines. The inter-laminar integration between the perceptual and executive circuits was facilitated by stimulating the infra-granular layers with firing patterns obtained from supra-granular layers that enhanced spatial preference of percent correct performance on spatial trials. 3. Integration across hierarchical levels of the brain. The integration of intention signals (visual spatial, direction) with movement preparation (timing, velocity) in striatum and with the motor command and posture in midbrain is also discussed. These findings provide evidence for inter-laminar integration of executive control signals within brain's prefrontal cortical microcircuits.

Early post-natal neuroactive steroid manipulation modulates ondansetron effects on initial periods of alcohol consumption in rats.

PubMed

Bartolomé, Iris; Llidó, Anna; Darbra, Sònia; Pallarès, Marc

2018-06-21

Neuroactive steroids (NS) such as allopregnanolone are crucial for brain development and adult behaviour. Early post-natal alterations of NS by administering finasteride induce a decrease in the sensitivity to stimulant effects of low alcohol doses, an increase in alcohol consumption, and a decrease in ventrostriatal dopamine and serotonin levels. The aim of the present study is to observe if the effects of the 5HT3 receptor antagonist ondansetron on initial alcohol consumption are modulated by post-natal NS manipulation. For this purpose, allopregnanolone, finasteride, or vehicle was injected from day 5 to 9. In adulthood, a novel object preference test was carried out in order to detect a possible novelty-seeking pattern in our animals, which has been related to vulnerability to drug abuse. The subjects then had access to two bottles (alcohol or control solutions) one hour daily for two consecutive weeks. Ondansetron (0.01 mg/kg, 0.1 mg/kg or vehicle) was administered before the hour of consumption in the initial phase (days 1, 2, 3) of the procedure, and after prolonged alcohol intake (days 11, 12, 13). Results indicated that finasteride animals showed a higher preference to explore the new object, as well as a higher alcohol consumption than the rest of the groups. Moreover, 0.1 mg/kg of ondansetron decreased alcohol consumption, but only in the post-natal finasteride group, suggesting a possible increase in 5HT3 receptor sensitivity in these animals. In conclusion, NS manipulation in crucial stages of development, such as early post-natal periods, seems to play an important role on the effects of ondansetron on alcohol intake and in the vulnerability to develop drug use or abuse. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

"We don't need no education": Video game preferences, video game motivations, and aggressiveness among adolescent boys of different educational ability levels.

PubMed

Nije Bijvank, Marije; Konijn, Elly A; Bushman, Brad J

2012-02-01

This research focuses on low educational ability as a risk factor for aggression and violent game play. We propose that boys of lower educational ability are more attracted to violent video games than other boys are, and that they are also higher in trait aggressiveness and sensation seeking. Participants were Dutch boys in public schools (N = 830, age-range 11-17). In the Netherlands, standardized tests are used to place students into lower, medium, and higher educational ability groups. Results showed that boys in the lower educational ability group preferred to play violent, stand-alone games, identified more with video game characters, and perceived video games to be more realistic than other boys did. Lower levels of education were also related to higher levels of aggressiveness and sensation seeking. Higher educational ability boys preferred social, multiplayer games. Within a risk and resilience model, boys with lower educational ability are at greater risk for aggression. Copyright © 2011 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. All rights reserved.

Role Play in Blended Learning: A Case Study Exploring the Impact of Story and Other Elements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dracup, Mary

2008-01-01

Role play is an increasingly popular technique in tertiary education, being student centred, constructivist and suitable for a range of subject areas. The choice of formats is wide open, with options ranging from the traditional face to face performance through to multi-user online computer games. Some teachers prefer to take advantage of features…

The Consequences of Same-Sex, Cross-Sex, and Androgynous Preferences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fagot, Beverly I.

The sex role choices of preschool children were observed for two years in a free play situation to determine what the consequences of such choices are for the types of play chosen and for social behaviors. The sex role factor was plotted on four quadrants: Masculine (M), Feminine (F), Androgynous and Low on both M and F (LMF). The children who…

Our Preferences: Why We Like What We Like

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grammer, Karl; Oberzaucher, Elisabeth

Humans tend to judge and sort their social and non-social environment permanently into a few basic categories: 'likes' and 'don't likes'. Indeed we have developed general preferences for our social and non-social environment. These preferences can be subsumed under the term 'evolutionary aesthetics' (Voland & Grammer 2003). Indeed humans and animals have evolved preferences for mates, food, habitats, odors, and objects. Those stimuli that promoted reproductive success are bound to evoke positive emotional responses, and humans develop an obsession-like attitude towards aesthetics and beauty. Although we are 'all legally equal', people are often treated differently according to their physical appearance. This differential treatment by others starts early in life. Three-month-old children gaze longer at attractive faces than at unattractive faces. From these results, Langlois et al. (1990) conclude that beauty standards are not learned, but that there is an innate beauty detector. Attractive children receive less punishment than unattractive children for the same types of misbehavior. Differential treatment goes on at school, college, and even university (Baugh & Parry 1991). In this part of our lives attractiveness is coupled to academic achievements - attractive students receive better grades. Even when we apply for jobs, appearance may dominate qualification (Collins & Zebrowitz 1995). This differential treatment reaches its peak perhaps in jurisdiction, where attractiveness can lead to better treatment and lighter sentences. However, this is only the case if attractiveness did not play a role in the crime (Hateld & Sprecher 1986). We even believe that attractive people are better - 'what is beautiful is good' is a common standard in our thinking, according to Dion et al. (1972). The question then arises: Where does this obsessive preoccupation with beauty and attractiveness come from?We will outline here the thesis that human mate selection criteria, which have evolved through human evolutionary history, are responsible for shaping our perception of attractiveness and beauty.

Young breast cancer patients' involvement in treatment decisions: the major role played by decision-making about surgery.

PubMed

Seror, Valérie; Cortaredona, Sébastien; Bouhnik, Anne-Deborah; Meresse, Mégane; Cluze, Camille; Viens, Patrice; Rey, Dominique; Peretti-Watel, Patrick

2013-11-01

The objective of this study is to investigate young breast cancer patients' preferred and actual involvement in decision-making about surgery, chemotherapy, and adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET). A total of 442 women aged 18-40 years at the time of the diagnosis participated in the region-wide ELIPPSE40 cohort study (southeastern France). Logistic regression analyses were performed on various factors possibly affecting patients' preferred and perceived involvement in the decisions about their cancer treatment. The women's mean age was 36.8 years at enrollment. Preference for a fully passive role in decision-making was stated by 20.7% of them. It was favored by regular breast surveillance (p = 0.04) and positive experience of being informed about cancer diagnosis (p = 0.02). Patients' preferences were independently associated with their reported involvement in decision-making about surgery (p = 0.01). A fully passive role in decision-making about chemotherapy and AET was more likely to be reported by patients who perceived their involvement in decision-making about surgery as having been fully passive (adjusted odds ratio = 4.8, CI95% [2.7-8.7], and adjusted odds ratio = 9.8, CI95% [3.3-29.2], respectively). This study shows a significant relationship between the use of antidepressants and involvement in decision-making about surgery, and confirms the relationship between impaired quality of life (in the psychological domain) and a fully passive role in decisions about cancer treatment. Patients' involvement in decision-making about chemotherapy and AET was strongly influenced by their experience of decision-making about surgery, regardless of their tumor stage and history of breast or ovarian cancer. When decisions are being made about surgery, special attention should be paid to facilitating breast cancer patients' involvement in the decision-making. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

In the nose of the beholder: are olfactory influences on human mate choice driven by variation in immune system genes or sex hormone levels?

PubMed

Roberts, Thomas; Roiser, Jonathan P

2010-11-01

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) is the most polymorphic region of the genome, coding for proteins that mediate human immune response. This polymorphism may be maintained by balancing selection and certain populations show deviations from expected gene frequencies. Supporting this hypothesis, studies into olfactory preferences have suggested that females prefer the scent of males with dissimilar HLA to their own. However, it has also been proposed that androstenones play a role in female mate choice, and as these molecules inhibit the immune system, this has implications for the theory of HLA-driven mate preference. This review will critically analyze the findings of studies investigating olfactory preference in humans, and their implications for these two contrasting theories of mate choice.

Pension Participation: Do Parents Transmit Time Preference?

PubMed Central

Chiteji, Ngina; Stafford, Frank

2013-01-01

A wide range of economic and health behaviors are influenced by individuals’ attitudes toward the future – including investments in human capital, health capital and financial capital. Intergenerational correlations in such behaviors suggest an important role the family may play in transmitting time preferences to children. This article presents a model of parental investment in future-oriented capital, where parents shape their children’s time preference rates. The research identifies a dual role for a parent’s time preference rate in the process of shaping the offspring’s attitude toward the future, and discusses paths through which parents may socialize children to be patient. The model’s implications are studied by investigating the parent-child correlation in pension participation using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics PMID:23807825

Decisions on child care: do sex and sexual orientation matter?

PubMed

Regan, P C; Ramirez, C

2000-06-01

This experiment on person perception used a role-playing methodology to examine whether a target individual's sex and sexual orientation influence perceived abilities as a child care worker. Men and women (N = 78) role played the part of a parent who has placed an advertisement for a full-time babysitter. They received information about a male or female, heterosexual or homosexual applicant (randomly assigned). Although participants preferred to hire (and felt more comfortable leaving their children with) a heterosexual woman than any other type of applicant, they believed that homosexual men and women were as knowledgeable about aspects of child care, e.g., nutrition, first aid, as their heterosexual peers. The least preferred child care worker was a heterosexual man, perhaps because such a target is inconsistent with traditional sex-role expectations.

Data on German farmers risk preference, perception and management strategies.

PubMed

Meraner, Manuela; Finger, Robert

2017-12-01

The extent to which people are willing to take on risk, i.e. their risk preferences as well as subjective risk perception plays a major role in explaining their behavior. This is of particular relevance in agricultural production, which is inherently risky. The data presented here was collected amongst a total of 64 German farmers in 2015. It includes results of three different risk preference elicitation methods (multiple price list, business statements in four relevant domains and general self-assessment) as well as risk perception. Additionally, farm business characteristics (e.g. size, farm-level workforce, succession) and personal farmer characteristics (e.g. age, gender, risk literacy) are included.

Talking about end-of-life preferences in marriage: applying the theory of motivated information management.

PubMed

Rafferty, Katherine A; Cramer, Emily; Priddis, DeAnne; Allen, Mike

2015-01-01

The theory of motivated information management (TMIM) provides one framework to examine information-seeking behaviors, especially in conversations involving sensitive or difficult information such as preferences for end-of-life (EOL) care. The spouse plays a significant role in decision making surrounding EOL care. Consequently, individuals need information about spouses' EOL preferences in order to ensure carrying out those desires. Our findings support the value of TMIM as a framework to understand factors that influence couples' EOL care information-seeking behaviors. In support of the theory, we provide factors that influence the initiation or avoidance of EOL conversations between spouses.

Factors influencing the preference for purchasing generic drugs in a Southern Brazilian city

PubMed Central

Guttier, Marília Cruz; Silveira, Marysabel Pinto Telis; Luiza, Vera Lucia; Bertoldi, Andréa Dâmaso

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to identify factors associated with the preference for purchasing generic drugs in a medium-sized municipality in Southern Brazil. METHODS We have analyzed data from a population-based cross-sectional study conducted in 2012 with a sample of 2,856 adults (≥ 20 years old). The preference for purchasing generic drugs was the main outcome. The explanatory variables were the demographic and socioeconomic variables. Statistical analyses included Poisson regressions. RESULTS The preference for purchasing generic drugs was 63.2% (95%CI 61.4–64.9). The variables correlated with this preference in the fully adjusted models were: male (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.08; 95%CI 1.03–1.14), age of 20–39 years (PR = 1.10; 95%CI 1.02–1.20), low socioeconomic status (PR = 1.15; 95%CI 1.03–1.28), and good knowledge about generic drugs (PR= 4.66; 95%CI 2.89–7.52). Among those who preferred to purchase generic drugs, 55.1% have reported accepting to replace the prescribed drug (if not a generic) with the equivalent generic drug. Another correlate of the preference for purchasing generic drugs was because individuals consider their quality equivalent to reference medicines (PR = 2.15; 95%CI 1.93–2.41). CONCLUSIONS Knowledge about generic drugs was the main correlate of the preference for purchasing generic drugs. The greater the knowledge or positive perception about generic drugs, the greater is the preference to purchase them. Therefore, educational campaigns for healthcare professionals and consumers appear to be the best strategy for expanding the use of generic drugs in Brazil. PMID:28678909

Association between Social Anxiety and Visual Mental Imagery of Neutral Scenes: The Moderating Role of Effortful Control.

PubMed

Moriya, Jun

2017-01-01

According to cognitive theories, verbal processing attenuates emotional processing, whereas visual imagery enhances emotional processing and contributes to the maintenance of social anxiety. Individuals with social anxiety report negative mental images in social situations. However, the general ability of visual mental imagery of neutral scenes in individuals with social anxiety is still unclear. The present study investigated the general ability of non-emotional mental imagery (vividness, preferences for imagery vs. verbal processing, and object or spatial imagery) and the moderating role of effortful control in attenuating social anxiety. The participants ( N = 231) completed five questionnaires. The results showed that social anxiety was not necessarily associated with all aspects of mental imagery. As suggested by theories, social anxiety was not associated with a preference for verbal processing. However, social anxiety was positively correlated with the visual imagery scale, especially the object imagery scale, which concerns the ability to construct pictorial images of individual objects. Further, it was negatively correlated with the spatial imagery scale, which concerns the ability to process information about spatial relations between objects. Although object imagery and spatial imagery positively and negatively predicted the degree of social anxiety, respectively, these effects were attenuated when socially anxious individuals had high effortful control. Specifically, in individuals with high effortful control, both object and spatial imagery were not associated with social anxiety. Socially anxious individuals might prefer to construct pictorial images of individual objects in natural scenes through object imagery. However, even in individuals who exhibit these features of mental imagery, effortful control could inhibit the increase in social anxiety.

Young children's preference for unique owned objects.

PubMed

Gelman, Susan A; Davidson, Natalie S

2016-10-01

An important aspect of human thought is the value we place on unique individuals. Adults place higher value on authentic works of art than exact replicas, and young children at times value their original possessions over exact duplicates. What is the scope of this preference in early childhood, and when do children understand its subjective nature? On a series of trials, we asked three-year-olds (N=36) to choose between two toys for either themselves or the researcher: an old (visibly used) toy vs. a new (more attractive) toy matched in type and appearance (e.g., old vs. brand-new blanket). Focal pairs contrasted the child's own toy with a matched new object; Control pairs contrasted toys the child had never seen before. Children preferred the old toys for Focal pairs only, and treated their own preferences as not shared by the researcher. By 3years of age, young children place special value on unique individuals, and understand the subjective nature of that value. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Young Children's Preference for Unique Owned Objects

PubMed Central

Gelman, Susan A.; Davidson, Natalie S.

2016-01-01

An important aspect of human thought is the value we place on unique individuals. Adults place higher value on authentic works of art than exact replicas, and young children at times value their original possessions over exact duplicates. What is the scope of this preference in early childhood, and when do children understand its subjective nature? On a series of trials, we asked three-year-olds (N=36) to choose between two toys for either themselves or the researcher: an old (visibly used) toy versus a new (more attractive) toy matched in type and appearance (e.g., old vs. brand-new blanket). Focal pairs contrasted the child's own toy with a matched new object; Control pairs contrasted toys the child had never seen before. Children preferred the old toys for Focal pairs only, and treated their own preferences as not shared by the researcher. By 3 years of age, young children place special value on unique individuals, and understand the subjective nature of that value. PMID:27395441

An analysis of parameter sensitivities of preference-inspired co-evolutionary algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Rui; Mansor, Maszatul M.; Purshouse, Robin C.; Fleming, Peter J.

2015-10-01

Many-objective optimisation problems remain challenging for many state-of-the-art multi-objective evolutionary algorithms. Preference-inspired co-evolutionary algorithms (PICEAs) which co-evolve the usual population of candidate solutions with a family of decision-maker preferences during the search have been demonstrated to be effective on such problems. However, it is unknown whether PICEAs are robust with respect to the parameter settings. This study aims to address this question. First, a global sensitivity analysis method - the Sobol' variance decomposition method - is employed to determine the relative importance of the parameters controlling the performance of PICEAs. Experimental results show that the performance of PICEAs is controlled for the most part by the number of function evaluations. Next, we investigate the effect of key parameters identified from the Sobol' test and the genetic operators employed in PICEAs. Experimental results show improved performance of the PICEAs as more preferences are co-evolved. Additionally, some suggestions for genetic operator settings are provided for non-expert users.

An objective approach to determining the weight ranges of prey preferred by and accessible to the five large African carnivores.

PubMed

Clements, Hayley S; Tambling, Craig J; Hayward, Matt W; Kerley, Graham I H

2014-01-01

Broad-scale models describing predator prey preferences serve as useful departure points for understanding predator-prey interactions at finer scales. Previous analyses used a subjective approach to identify prey weight preferences of the five large African carnivores, hence their accuracy is questionable. This study uses a segmented model of prey weight versus prey preference to objectively quantify the prey weight preferences of the five large African carnivores. Based on simulations of known predator prey preference, for prey species sample sizes above 32 the segmented model approach detects up to four known changes in prey weight preference (represented by model break-points) with high rates of detection (75% to 100% of simulations, depending on number of break-points) and accuracy (within 1.3±4.0 to 2.7±4.4 of known break-point). When applied to the five large African carnivores, using carnivore diet information from across Africa, the model detected weight ranges of prey that are preferred, killed relative to their abundance, and avoided by each carnivore. Prey in the weight ranges preferred and killed relative to their abundance are together termed "accessible prey". Accessible prey weight ranges were found to be 14-135 kg for cheetah Acinonyx jubatus, 1-45 kg for leopard Panthera pardus, 32-632 kg for lion Panthera leo, 15-1600 kg for spotted hyaena Crocuta crocuta and 10-289 kg for wild dog Lycaon pictus. An assessment of carnivore diets throughout Africa found these accessible prey weight ranges include 88±2% (cheetah), 82±3% (leopard), 81±2% (lion), 97±2% (spotted hyaena) and 96±2% (wild dog) of kills. These descriptions of prey weight preferences therefore contribute to our understanding of the diet spectrum of the five large African carnivores. Where datasets meet the minimum sample size requirements, the segmented model approach provides a means of determining, and comparing, the prey weight range preferences of any carnivore species.

Young Children's Self-Generated Object Views and Object Recognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Karin H.; Jones, Susan S.; Smith, Linda B.; Swain, Shelley N.

2014-01-01

Two important and related developments in children between 18 and 24 months of age are the rapid expansion of object name vocabularies and the emergence of an ability to recognize objects from sparse representations of their geometric shapes. In the same period, children also begin to show a preference for planar views (i.e., views of objects held…

Activation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor/tropomyosin-related kinase B signaling accompanying filial imprinting in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus).

PubMed

Yamaguchi, Shinji; Aoki, Naoya; Kobayashi, Daisuke; Kitajima, Takaaki; Iikubo, Eiji; Katagiri, Sachiko; Matsushima, Toshiya; Homma, Koichi J

2011-12-07

Newly hatched domestic chicks serve as an important model for experimental studies of neural and behavioral plasticity. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been shown to play a critical role in synaptic plasticity, including long-term potentiation, which underlies learning and memory in rodents. Here we show that BDNF mRNA levels increased in the intermediate medial hyperpallium apicale (IMHA), which is the caudal area of the visual Wulst, of imprinted chick brains, and the upregulation of gene expression correlated with the strength of the learned preference to the training object. In addition, activation of tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling was associated with filial imprinting. However, pharmacological deprivation of TrkB phosphorylation in IMHA did not impair memory formation, suggesting that activation of BDNF/TrkB signaling in IMHA is not involved in memory acquisition in filial imprinting.

Role of expressive behaviour for robots that learn from people.

PubMed

Breazeal, Cynthia

2009-12-12

Robotics has traditionally focused on developing intelligent machines that can manipulate and interact with objects. The promise of personal robots, however, challenges researchers to develop socially intelligent robots that can collaborate with people to do things. In the future, robots are envisioned to assist people with a wide range of activities such as domestic chores, helping elders to live independently longer, serving a therapeutic role to help children with autism, assisting people undergoing physical rehabilitation and much more. Many of these activities shall require robots to learn new tasks, skills and individual preferences while 'on the job' from people with little expertise in the underlying technology. This paper identifies four key challenges in developing social robots that can learn from natural interpersonal interaction. The author highlights the important role that expressive behaviour plays in this process, drawing on examples from the past 8 years of her research group, the Personal Robots Group at the MIT Media Lab.

[The concept of love in a Spanish representative sample].

PubMed

Ferrer Pérez, Victoria A; Bosch Fiol, Esperanza; Navarro Guzmán, Capilla; Ramis Palmer, M Carmen; García Buades, Esther

2008-11-01

The model of romantic love and the acceptance of related myths have been granted wide relevance in our context. It has also been suggested that the concept of love can play a role in the origin and maintenance of gender violence. As an initial step towards researching this relationship, the objective of this article is to study the prevailing concept of love in the Spanish population, as well as to analyze any differences that gender and age may introduce in this conception. A reduced version of the Love Attitudes Scale was administered to a representative sample of 1,351 people. Results show that both men and women widely accept the love styles Eros, Agape, Storge and Pragma, reject the Ludus style, and are indifferent to the Mania style. However, the order of preference for love styles is different for men and women and for different age groups. These results are analyzed and discussed.

Associations of object control motor skill proficiency, game play competence, physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness among primary school children.

PubMed

Miller, Andrew; Eather, Narelle; Duncan, Mitch; Lubans, David Revalds

2018-06-18

This study investigated if object control relates to children's game play competence, and examined these competencies as correlates of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness. Game play (Game Performance Assessment Instrument), object control (The Test Gross Motor Development-3), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (Accelerometry), and cardiorespiratory fitness (20-metre shuttle) assessments were completed for 107 children (57% Female, 43% Male) aged 9-12 years (M 10.53, SD 0.65). Two-level regression of object control on game play competence, and object control and game play competence on physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness assessed associations. Object control competence was positively associated with game play competence (Std. B = 0.25, t (104.77) = 2.38, p = 0.001). Game play competence (Std. B = 0.33, t (99.81) = 5.21, p < 0.000) was more strongly associated with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity than object control competence (Std. B = 0.20, t (106.93) = 2.96, p = 0.003). Likewise, game competence (Std. B = 0.39, t (104.41) = 4.36, p < 0.000) was more strongly associated with cardiorespiratory fitness than object control competence (Std. B = 0.22, t (106.69) = 2.63, p = 0.002). Object control and game competence are both important as correlates of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness in children.

Determining flexor-tendon repair techniques via soft computing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, M.; Firoozbakhsh, K.; Moniem, M.; Jamshidi, M.

2001-01-01

An SC-based multi-objective decision-making method for determining the optimal flexor-tendon repair technique from experimental and clinical survey data, and with variable circumstances, was presented. Results were compared with those from the Taguchi method. Using the Taguchi method results in the need to perform ad-hoc decisions when the outcomes for individual objectives are contradictory to a particular preference or circumstance, whereas the SC-based multi-objective technique provides a rigorous straightforward computational process in which changing preferences and importance of differing objectives are easily accommodated. Also, adding more objectives is straightforward and easily accomplished. The use of fuzzy-set representations of information categories provides insight into their performance throughout the range of their universe of discourse. The ability of the technique to provide a "best" medical decision given a particular physician, hospital, patient, situation, and other criteria was also demonstrated.

Determining flexor-tendon repair techniques via soft computing.

PubMed

Johnson, M; Firoozbakhsh, K; Moniem, M; Jamshidi, M

2001-01-01

An SC-based multi-objective decision-making method for determining the optimal flexor-tendon repair technique from experimental and clinical survey data, and with variable circumstances, was presented. Results were compared with those from the Taguchi method. Using the Taguchi method results in the need to perform ad-hoc decisions when the outcomes for individual objectives are contradictory to a particular preference or circumstance, whereas the SC-based multi-objective technique provides a rigorous straightforward computational process in which changing preferences and importance of differing objectives are easily accommodated. Also, adding more objectives is straightforward and easily accomplished. The use of fuzzy-set representations of information categories provides insight into their performance throughout the range of their universe of discourse. The ability of the technique to provide a "best" medical decision given a particular physician, hospital, patient, situation, and other criteria was also demonstrated.

When do objects become more attractive? The individual and interactive effects of choice and ownership on object evaluation.

PubMed

Huang, Yunhui; Wang, Lei; Shi, Junqi

2009-06-01

Four studies used the Implicit Association Test to explore the individual and interactive influence of perceived ownership and perceived choice on object evaluation. In Study 1, participants implicitly preferred their possessions over others' when all chosen by a third party (i.e., the ownership effect). In Study 2, participants implicitly preferred self-chosen objects over other-chosen objects when all given to the third party (i.e., the choice effect). In Study 3, the ownership effect disappeared when participants compared their self-chosen possessions with others' possessions that were chosen by the participants. In Study 4, the choice effect remained even when participants compared their self-chosen possessions with their possessions that were chosen by others. These results suggest that while the ownership effect could be attenuated by perceived choice, the choice effect is stable even under the influence of perceived ownership.

The Use of Play Expansions to Increase the Diversity and Complexity of Object Play in Young Children with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frey, Jennifer R.; Kaiser, Ann P.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if an intervention consisting of contingently imitating play, modeling expansions of play actions, and describing play actions increased the diversity of object play in young children with disabilities. The multicomponent intervention was introduced in a multiple-probe design across three young children…

Evolutionary algorithms for multi-objective optimization: fuzzy preference aggregation and multisexual EAs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonissone, Stefano R.

2001-11-01

There are many approaches to solving multi-objective optimization problems using evolutionary algorithms. We need to select methods for representing and aggregating preferences, as well as choosing strategies for searching in multi-dimensional objective spaces. First we suggest the use of linguistic variables to represent preferences and the use of fuzzy rule systems to implement tradeoff aggregations. After a review of alternatives EA methods for multi-objective optimizations, we explore the use of multi-sexual genetic algorithms (MSGA). In using a MSGA, we need to modify certain parts of the GAs, namely the selection and crossover operations. The selection operator groups solutions according to their gender tag to prepare them for crossover. The crossover is modified by appending a gender tag at the end of the chromosome. We use single and double point crossovers. We determine the gender of the offspring by the amount of genetic material provided by each parent. The parent that contributed the most to the creation of a specific offspring determines the gender that the offspring will inherit. This is still a work in progress, and in the conclusion we examine many future extensions and experiments.

Young pigs exhibit differential exploratory behavior during novelty preference tasks in response to age, sex, and delay.

PubMed

Fleming, Stephen A; Dilger, Ryan N

2017-03-15

Novelty preference paradigms have been widely used to study recognition memory and its neural substrates. The piglet model continues to advance the study of neurodevelopment, and as such, tasks that use novelty preference will serve especially useful due to their translatable nature to humans. However, there has been little use of this behavioral paradigm in the pig, and previous studies using the novel object recognition paradigm in piglets have yielded inconsistent results. The current study was conducted to determine if piglets were capable of displaying a novelty preference. Herein a series of experiments were conducted using novel object recognition or location in 3- and 4-week-old piglets. In the novel object recognition task, piglets were able to discriminate between novel and sample objects after delays of 2min, 1h, 1 day, and 2 days (all P<0.039) at both ages. Performance was sex-dependent, as females could perform both 1- and 2-day delays (P<0.036) and males could perform the 2-day delay (P=0.008) but not the 1-day delay (P=0.347). Furthermore, 4-week-old piglets and females tended to exhibit greater exploratory behavior compared with males. Such performance did not extend to novel location recognition tasks, as piglets were only able to discriminate between novel and sample locations after a short delay (P>0.046). In conclusion, this study determined that piglets are able to perform the novel object and location recognition tasks at 3-to-4 weeks of age, however performance was dependent on sex, age, and delay. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Robot Faces that Follow Gaze Facilitate Attentional Engagement and Increase Their Likeability.

PubMed

Willemse, Cesco; Marchesi, Serena; Wykowska, Agnieszka

2018-01-01

Gaze behavior of humanoid robots is an efficient mechanism for cueing our spatial orienting, but less is known about the cognitive-affective consequences of robots responding to human directional cues. Here, we examined how the extent to which a humanoid robot (iCub) avatar directed its gaze to the same objects as our participants affected engagement with the robot, subsequent gaze-cueing, and subjective ratings of the robot's characteristic traits. In a gaze-contingent eyetracking task, participants were asked to indicate a preference for one of two objects with their gaze while an iCub avatar was presented between the object photographs. In one condition, the iCub then shifted its gaze toward the object chosen by a participant in 80% of the trials (joint condition) and in the other condition it looked at the opposite object 80% of the time (disjoint condition). Based on the literature in human-human social cognition, we took the speed with which the participants looked back at the robot as a measure of facilitated reorienting and robot-preference, and found these return saccade onset times to be quicker in the joint condition than in the disjoint condition. As indicated by results from a subsequent gaze-cueing tasks, the gaze-following behavior of the robot had little effect on how our participants responded to gaze cues. Nevertheless, subjective reports suggested that our participants preferred the iCub following participants' gaze to the one with a disjoint attention behavior, rated it as more human-like and as more likeable. Taken together, our findings show a preference for robots who follow our gaze. Importantly, such subtle differences in gaze behavior are sufficient to influence our perception of humanoid agents, which clearly provides hints about the design of behavioral characteristics of humanoid robots in more naturalistic settings.

Don’t Always Prefer My Chosen Objects: Low Level of Trait Autonomy and Autonomy Deprivation Decreases Mere Choice Effect

PubMed Central

Shang, Zhe; Tao, Tuoxin; Wang, Lei

2016-01-01

Choice effect is a robust phenomenon in which even “mere choice” that does not include actual choosing actions could result in more preference for the self-chosen objects over other-chosen objects. In the current research, we proposed that autonomy would impact the mere choice effect. We conducted two studies to examine the hypothesis. The results showed that the mere choice effect measured by Implicit Association Test (IAT) significantly decreased for participants with lower levels of trait autonomy (Study 1) and when participants were primed to experience autonomy deprivation (Study 2). The theoretical and practical implications are discussed. PMID:27148132

System and method for magnetic current density imaging at ultra low magnetic fields

DOEpatents

Espy, Michelle A.; George, John Stevens; Kraus, Robert Henry; Magnelind, Per; Matlashov, Andrei Nikolaevich; Tucker, Don; Turovets, Sergei; Volegov, Petr Lvovich

2016-02-09

Preferred systems can include an electrical impedance tomography apparatus electrically connectable to an object; an ultra low field magnetic resonance imaging apparatus including a plurality of field directions and disposable about the object; a controller connected to the ultra low field magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and configured to implement a sequencing of one or more ultra low magnetic fields substantially along one or more of the plurality of field directions; and a display connected to the controller, and wherein the controller is further configured to reconstruct a displayable image of an electrical current density in the object. Preferred methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are also disclosed.

Environmental Factors in the Choice of EGMs: A Discrete Choice Experiment.

PubMed

Rockloff, Matthew J; Moskovsky, Neda; Thorne, Hannah; Browne, Matthew; Bryden, Gabrielle M

2017-09-01

EGMs are a form of entertainment, and the gambling environment is an important contributor to the overall experience. Logically, to select a play-environment, EGM gamblers must choose the platform through which to access the EGM (e.g., internet, mobile application or land-based venue), a particular provider (e.g., specific website, app vendor or branded casino), and the game itself (e.g., based on graphical theme or bonus features; Thorne et al. in J Gambl Stud, 2016. doi: 10.1007/s10899-016-9601-2 ). A discrete choice experiment was conducted to identify the features of the platform, provider and game that are most strongly preferred by EGM gamblers. Participants were 245 EGM gamblers from clubs in Victoria, Australia and 7516 EGM gamblers from an Australian online panel. Results indicate that the ideal environment for the average gambler consists of: gambling at a club that is close to home; with a group of friends; in a relatively quiet place that has air conditioning, cheap food and a large space to play in; on a classic game with quality animations and small bet sizes; where you feel safe and secure; and where there is a wide variety of other games to play when you are done. Segmenting these results by problem-gambler status highlights important differences in preferences between problem and non-problem gamblers. Problem gamblers are less likely to give weight to the company they share and have a preference for larger venues. Using a powerful paradigm from marketing research, the present study was able to determine the relative value of different features of the EGM gambling environment, and also contributes important insight towards what constitutes a safer environment for recreational play.

Cultural factors affecting urban Mexican male homosexual behavior.

PubMed

Carrier, J M

1976-03-01

Some aspects of the mestizoized urban culture in Mexico are linked to male homosexuality in support of the theory that cultural factors play an important role in the kind of life styles and sex practices of males involved in homosexual behavior. The following factors are considered relevant: the sharp dichotomization of gender roles, dual categorization of females as good or bad, separate social networks maintained by males before and after marriage, proportion of unmarried males, and distribution of income. One result of the sharp dichotomization of male and female gender roles is the widely held belief that effeminate males generally prefer to play the female role rather than the male. Effeminacy and homosexuality are also linked by the belief that as a result of this role preference effeminate males are sexually interested only in masculine males with whom they play the passive sex role. The participation of masculine males in homosexual encounters is related in part to a relatively high level of sexual awareness in combination with the lack of stigmatization of the insertor sex role and in part to the restraints placed on alternative sexual outlets by available income and/or marital status. Males involved in homosexual behavior in Mexico operate in a sociocultural environment which gives rise to expectations that they should play either the insertee or insertor sex role but not both and that they should obtain ultimate sexual satisfaction with anal intercourse rather than fellatio. In spite of cultural imperatives, however, individual preferences stemming from other variables such as personality needs, sexual gratification, desires of wanted partners, and amount of involvement may override the imperatives with resulting variations in sexual behavior patterns.

Achieving fertility control through woman’s autonomy and access to maternal healthcare: Are we on track? In-depth analysis of PDHS-2012-13

PubMed Central

Hassan, Sehar-un-Nisa; Siddiqui, Salma; Mahmood, Ayeshah

2015-01-01

Background and Objective: Fertility control preferences and maternal healthcare have recently become a major concern for developing nations with evidence suggesting that low fertility control rates and poor maternal healthcare are among major obstructions in ensuring health and social status for women. Our objective was toanalyze the factors that influence women’s autonomy, access to maternal healthcare, and fertility control preferences in Pakistan. Methods: Data consisted of 11,761 ever-married women of ages 15-49 years from PDHS, 2012-13. Variables included socio-demographics, women’s autonomy, fertility control preferences and access to maternal healthcare. Results: Findings from multivariate analysis showed that women’s younger age, having less than three number of children and independent or joint decision-making (indicators of high autonomy) remained the most significant predictors for access to better quality maternal healthcare and better fertility control preferences when other variables were controlled. Conclusion: Women’s access to good quality maternal health care and fertility control preferences are directly and indirectly influenced by their demographic characteristics and decision-making patterns in domestic affairs. PMID:26870096

Automated measurement of spatial preference in the open field test with transmitted lighting.

PubMed

Kulikov, Alexander V; Tikhonova, Maria A; Kulikov, Victor A

2008-05-30

New modification of the open field was designed to improve automation of the test. The main innovations were: (1) transmitted lighting and (2) estimation of probability to find pixels associated with an animal in the selected region of arena as an objective index of spatial preference. Transmitted (inverted) lighting significantly ameliorated the contrast between an animal and arena and allowed to track white animals with similar efficacy as colored ones. Probability as a measure of preference of selected region was mathematically proved and experimentally verified. A good correlation between probability and classic indices of spatial preference (number of region entries and time spent therein) was shown. The algorithm of calculation of probability to find pixels associated with an animal in the selected region was implemented in the EthoStudio software. Significant interstrain differences in locomotion and the central zone preference (index of anxiety) were shown using the inverted lighting and the EthoStudio software in mice of six inbred strains. The effects of arena shape (circle or square) and a novel object presence in the center of arena on the open field behavior in mice were studied.

Consumer preferences for food allergen labeling.

PubMed

Marra, Carlo A; Harvard, Stephanie; Grubisic, Maja; Galo, Jessica; Clarke, Ann; Elliott, Susan; Lynd, Larry D

2017-01-01

Food allergen labeling is an important tool to reduce risk of exposure and prevent anaphylaxis for individuals with food allergies. Health Canada released a Canadian food allergen labeling regulation (2008) and subsequent update (2012) suggesting that research is needed to guide further iterations of the regulation to improve food allergen labeling and reduce risk of exposure. The primary objective of this study was to examine consumer preferences in food labeling for allergy avoidance and anaphylaxis prevention. A secondary objective was to identify whether different subgroups within the consumer population emerged. A discrete choice experiment using a fractional factorial design divided into ten different versions with 18 choice-sets per version was developed to examine consumer preferences for different attributes of food labeling. Three distinct subgroups of Canadian consumers with different allergen considerations and food allergen labeling needs were identified. Overall, preferences for standardized precautionary and safety symbols at little or no increased cost emerged. While three distinct groups with different preferences were identified, in general the results revealed that the current Canadian food allergen labeling regulation can be improved by enforcing the use of standardized precautionary and safety symbols and educating the public on the use of these symbols.

Experimental evaluation of imprinting and the role innate preference plays in habitat selection in a coral reef fish.

PubMed

Dixson, Danielle L; Jones, Geoffrey P; Munday, Philip L; Planes, Serge; Pratchett, Morgan S; Thorrold, Simon R

2014-01-01

When facing decisions about where to live, juveniles have a strong tendency to choose habitats similar to where their parents successfully bred. Developing larval fishes can imprint on the chemical cues from their natal habitat. However, to demonstrate that imprinting is ecologically important, it must be shown that settlers respond and distinguish among different imprinted cues, and use imprinting for decisions in natural environments. In addition, the potential role innate preferences play compared to imprinted choices also needs to be examined. As environmental variability increases due to anthropogenic causes these two recognition mechanisms, innate and imprinting, could provide conflicting information. Here we used laboratory rearing and chemical choice experiments to test imprinting in larval anemonefish (Amphiprion percula). Individuals exposed to a variety of benthic habitat or novel olfactory cues as larvae either developed a preference for (spent >50% of their time in the cue) or increased their attraction to (increased preference but did not spend >50% of their time in the cue) the cue when re-exposed as settlers. Results indicate not only the capacity for imprinting but also the ability to adjust innate preferences after early exposure to a chemical cue. To test ecological relevance in the natural system, recruits were collected from anemones and related to their parents, using genetic parentage analysis, providing information on the natal anemone species and the species chosen at settlement. Results demonstrated that recruits did not preferentially return to their natal species, conflicting with laboratory results indicating the importance imprinting might have in habitat recognition.

Preschool children with gender normative and gender non-normative peer preferences: psychosocial and environmental correlates.

PubMed

Martin, Carol Lynn; DiDonato, Matthew D; Clary, Laura; Fabes, Richard A; Kreiger, Tyson; Palermo, Francisco; Hanish, Laura

2012-08-01

We addressed several issues concerning children who show gender non-normative (GNN) patterns of peer play. First, do young children with GNN peer preferences differ from children with gender normative (GN) peer preferences in problem behaviors? Second, do GNN and GN children differ in sociability and isolation and do they have differential socialization opportunities with externalizing, internalizing, and socially competent peers? We employed a Bayesian approach for classifying children as GNN based on their peer preferences as compared to their peers using a sample of Head Start preschool children from a large Southwestern city (N = 257; 53 % boys; M age = 51 months; 66 % Mexican American). To calculate socialization opportunities, we assessed affiliation to each child in the class and weighted that by each peer's characteristics to determine the exposure that each child had to different kinds of peers. GN children of both sexes interacted more with same-sex peers, which may limit learning of different styles of interaction. As compared to GN children, GNN children exhibited more engagement in other-sex activities and with other-sex play partners and GNN children experienced somewhat fewer peer interactions, but did not differ on problem behaviors or social competence. Boys with GNN peer preferences had increased exposure to peers with problem behaviors. GNN girls experienced little exposure to peers with problem behaviors, but they also had little exposure to socially competent peers, which may reduce learning social skills from peers. Implications of these findings for future socialization and development will be discussed.

Preschool Children with Gender Normative and Gender Non-Normative Peer Preferences: Psychosocial and Environmental Correlates

PubMed Central

DiDonato, Matthew D.; Clary, Laura; Fabes, Richard A.; Kreiger, Tyson; Palermo, Francisco; Hanish, Laura

2013-01-01

We addressed several issues concerning children who show gender non-normative (GNN) patterns of peer play. First, do young children with GNN peer preferences differ from children with gender normative (GN) peer preferences in problem behaviors? Second, do GNN and GN children differ in sociability and isolation and do they have differential socialization opportunities with externalizing, internalizing, and socially competent peers? We employed a Bayesian approach for classifying children as GNN based on their peer preferences as compared to their peers using a sample of Head Start preschool children from a large Southwestern city (N = 257; 53% boys; M age = 51 months; 66% Mexican American). To calculate socialization opportunities, we assessed affiliation to each child in the class and weighted that by each peer’s characteristics to determine the exposure that each child had to different kinds of peers. GN children of both sexes interacted more with same-sex peers, which may limit learning of different styles of interaction. As compared to GN children, GNN children exhibited more engagement in other-sex activities and with other-sex play partners and GNN children experienced somewhat fewer peer interactions, but did not differ on problem behaviors or social competence. Boys with GNN peer preferences had increased exposure to peers with problem behaviors. GNN girls experienced little exposure to peers with problem behaviors, but they also had little exposure to socially competent peers, which may reduce learning social skills from peers. Implications of these findings for future socialization and development will be discussed. PMID:22528037

Chapter 9: Marking and assessing forest heterogeneity

Treesearch

M. North; J. Sherlock

2012-01-01

Marking guidelines commonly use stocking level, crown class, and species preferences to meet management objectives. Traditionally, these guidelines were applied across the extent of the stand. Current marking guidelines are more flexible, responding to within-stand variability with different stocking level, crown class, and species preference guidelines in...

Neighborhood Preference, Walkability and Walking in Overweight/Obese Men

PubMed Central

Norman, Gregory J.; Carlson, Jordan A.; O’Mara, Stephanie; Sallis, James F.; Patrick, Kevin; Frank, Lawrence D.; Godbole, Suneeta V.

2015-01-01

Objectives To investigate whether self-selection moderated the effects of walkability on walking in overweight and obese men. Methods 240 overweight and obese men completed measures on importance of walkability when choosing a neighborhood (selection) and preference for walkable features in general (preference). IPAQ measured walking. A walkbility index was derived from geographic information systems (GIS). Results Walkability was associated with walking for transportation (p = .027) and neighborhood selection was associated with walking for transportation (p = .002) and total walking (p = .001). Preference was associated with leisure walking (p = .045) and preference moderated the relationship between walkability and total walking (p = .059). Conclusion Walkability and self-selection are both important to walking behavior. PMID:23026109

Intelligent Systems Approaches to Product Sound Quality Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pietila, Glenn M.

As a product market becomes more competitive, consumers become more discriminating in the way in which they differentiate between engineered products. The consumer often makes a purchasing decision based on the sound emitted from the product during operation by using the sound to judge quality or annoyance. Therefore, in recent years, many sound quality analysis tools have been developed to evaluate the consumer preference as it relates to a product sound and to quantify this preference based on objective measurements. This understanding can be used to direct a product design process in order to help differentiate the product from competitive products or to establish an impression on consumers regarding a product's quality or robustness. The sound quality process is typically a statistical tool that is used to model subjective preference, or merit score, based on objective measurements, or metrics. In this way, new product developments can be evaluated in an objective manner without the laborious process of gathering a sample population of consumers for subjective studies each time. The most common model used today is the Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), although recently non-linear Artificial Neural Network (ANN) approaches are gaining popularity. This dissertation will review publicly available published literature and present additional intelligent systems approaches that can be used to improve on the current sound quality process. The focus of this work is to address shortcomings in the current paired comparison approach to sound quality analysis. This research will propose a framework for an adaptive jury analysis approach as an alternative to the current Bradley-Terry model. The adaptive jury framework uses statistical hypothesis testing to focus on sound pairings that are most interesting and is expected to address some of the restrictions required by the Bradley-Terry model. It will also provide a more amicable framework for an intelligent systems approach. Next, an unsupervised jury clustering algorithm is used to identify and classify subgroups within a jury who have conflicting preferences. In addition, a nested Artificial Neural Network (ANN) architecture is developed to predict subjective preference based on objective sound quality metrics, in the presence of non-linear preferences. Finally, statistical decomposition and correlation algorithms are reviewed that can help an analyst establish a clear understanding of the variability of the product sounds used as inputs into the jury study and to identify correlations between preference scores and sound quality metrics in the presence of non-linearities.

Perception of Object-Context Relations: Eye-Movement Analyses in Infants and Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bornstein, Marc H.; Mash, Clay; Arterberry, Martha E.

2011-01-01

Twenty-eight 4-month-olds' and twenty-two 20-year-olds' attention to object-context relations was investigated using a common eye-movement paradigm. Infants and adults scanned both objects and contexts. Infants showed equivalent preferences for animals and vehicles and for congruent and incongruent object-context relations overall, more fixations…

Univers: The construction of an internet-wide descriptive naming system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowman, C. Mic

1990-01-01

Descriptive naming systems allow clients to identify a set of objects by description. Described here is the construction of a descriptive naming system, called Univers, based on a model in which clients provide both an object description and some meta-information. The meta-information describes beliefs about the query and the naming system. Specifically, it is an ordering on a set of perfect world approximations, and it describes the preferred methods for accommodating imperfect information. The description is then resolved in a way that respects the preferred approximations.

Monoracial and Biracial Children: Effects of Racial Identity Saliency on Social Learning and Social Preferences

PubMed Central

Gaither, Sarah E.; Chen, Eva E.; Corriveau, Kathleen H.; Harris, Paul L.; Ambady, Nalini; Sommers, Samuel R.

2014-01-01

Children prefer learning from, and affiliating with, their racial ingroup but those preferences may vary for biracial children. Monoracial (White, Black, Asian) and biracial (Black/White, Asian/White) children (N=246, 3–8 years) had their racial identity primed. In a learning preferences task, participants determined the function of a novel object after watching adults (White, Black, and Asian) demonstrate its uses. In the social preferences task, participants saw pairs of children (White, Black, and Asian) and chose with whom they most wanted to socially affiliate. Biracial children showed flexibility in racial identification during learning and social tasks. However, minority-primed biracial children were not more likely than monoracial minorities to socially affiliate with primed racial ingroup members, indicating their ingroup preferences are contextually based. PMID:25040708

Do Children Who Bully Their Peers Also Play Violent Video Games? A Canadian National Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dittrick, Crystal J.; Beran, Tanya N.; Mishna, Faye; Hetherington, Ross; Shariff, Shaheen

2013-01-01

The study examined whether children who bully others are likely to prefer playing video games that are rated high in maturity and violence. A stratified random sample of Canadian children ages 10 to 17 years from the provinces of Canada was obtained. Parents (n = 397) and their children (n = 492) completed an online survey of children's bullying…

"Everything's Upside Down. We'll Call It Upside Down Valley!": Siblings' Creative Play Themes, Object Use, and Language during Pretend Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howe, Nina; Abuhatoum, Shireen; Chang-Kredl, Sandra

2014-01-01

Research Findings: Pretend play is an important context that supports young children's developing social-cognitive and creative abilities. The play behaviors of 70 sibling dyads in early and middle childhood were examined for the following indices of creativity in play: (a) play themes (set-up/organization, expected, creative), (b) object use…

Participation in Physical Play and Leisure in Children With Motor Impairments: Mixed-Methods Study to Generate Evidence for Developing an Intervention

PubMed Central

Ramsay, Craig; McKee, Lorna; Missiuna, Cheryl; Owen, Christine; Francis, Jill

2015-01-01

Background Participation in physical play/leisure (PPP) is an important therapy goal of children with motor impairments. Evidence for interventions promoting PPP in these children is scarce. The first step is to identify modifiable, clinically meaningful predictors of PPP for targeting by interventions. Objective The study objective was to identify, in children with motor impairments, body function and structure, activity, environmental, and personal factors related to PPP and modifiable by therapists. Design This was a mixed-methods, intervention development study. The World Health Organization framework International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health was used. Methods Participants were children (6–8 years old) with motor impairments, mobilizing independently with or without equipment and seen by physical therapists or occupational therapists in 6 regions in the United Kingdom, and their parents. Self-reported PPP was assessed with the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment. Modifiable-factor data were collected with therapists' observations, parent questionnaires, and child-friendly interviews. The Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment, therapist, and parent data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression. Interview data were analyzed for emerging themes. Results Children's (n=195) PPP (X=18 times per week, interquartile range=11–25) was mainly ‘recreational’ (eg, pretend play, playing with pets) rather than ‘active physical’ (eg, riding a bike/scooter). Parents (n=152) reported positive beliefs about children's PPP but various levels of family PPP. Therapists reported 23 unique impairments (eg, muscle tone), 16 activity limitations (eg, walking), and 3 personal factors (eg, child's PPP confidence). Children interviewed (n=17) reported a strong preference for active play but indicated that adults regulated their PPP. Family PPP and impairment in the child's movement-related body structures explained 18% of the variation in PPP. Family PPP explained most of the variation. Limitations It is likely that the study had a degree of self-selection bias, and caution must be taken in generalizing the results to children whose parents have less positive views about PPP. Conclusions The results converge with wider literature about the child's social context as a PPP intervention target. In addition, the results question therapists' observations in explaining PPP. PMID:25997950

Physiology informed virtual surgical planning: a case study with a virtual airway surgical planner and BioGears

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potter, Lucas; Arikatla, Sreekanth; Bray, Aaron; Webb, Jeff; Enquobahrie, Andinet

2017-03-01

Stenosis of the upper airway affects approximately 1 in 200,000 adults per year1 , and occurs in neonates as well2 . Its treatment is often dictated by institutional factors and clinicians' experience or preferences 3 . Objective and quantitative methods of evaluating treatment options hold the potential to improve care in stenosis patients. Virtual surgical planning software tools are critically important for this. The Virtual Pediatric Airway Workbench (VPAW) is a software platform designed and evaluated for upper airway stenosis treatment planning. It incorporates CFD simulation and geometric authoring with objective metrics from both that help in informed evaluation and planning. However, this planner currently lacks physiological information which could impact the surgical planning outcomes. In this work, we integrated a lumped parameter, model based human physiological engine called BioGears with VPAW. We demonstrated the use of physiology informed virtual surgical planning platform for patient-specific stenosis treatment planning. The preliminary results show that incorporating patient-specific physiology in the pretreatment plan would play important role in patient-specific surgical trainers and planners in airway surgery and other types of surgery that are significantly impacted by physiological conditions during surgery.

Risky Business: An Analysis of Teacher Risk Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowen, Daniel H.; Buck, Stuart; Deck, Cary; Mills, Jonathan N.; Shuls, James V.

2015-01-01

A range of proposals aim to reform teacher compensation, recruitment, and retention. Teachers have generally not embraced these policies. One potential explanation for their objections is that teachers are relatively risk averse. We examine this hypothesis using a risk-elicitation task common to experimental economics. By comparing preferences of…

The impact of television commercials on food preferences of preschoolers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective is to determine if fruit and vegetable (FV) commercials have an impact on preschool children's preferences for specific FV. A year of extensive formative assessment was conducted to develop two 30-second commercials; Judy Fruity promoted apples and bananas and Reggie Veggie promoted br...

Numerical modeling of eastern connecticut's visual resources

Treesearch

Daniel L. Civco

1979-01-01

A numerical model capable of accurately predicting the preference for landscape photographs of selected points in eastern Connecticut is presented. A function of the social attitudes expressed toward thirty-two salient visual landscape features serves as the independent variable in predicting preferences. A technique for objectively assigning adjectives to landscape...

Impact of Commercials on Food Preferences of Low-Income, Minority Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicklas, Theresa A.; Goh, Eugenia Tsuei; Goodell, L. Suzanne; Acuff, Daniel S.; Reiher, Robert; Buday, Richard; Ottenbacher, Allison

2011-01-01

Objective: To determine whether fruit and vegetable (FV) commercials have an impact on preschool children's preferences for specific FV. Design: A year of extensive formative assessment was conducted to develop 2 30-second commercials: "Judy Fruity" promoted apples and bananas and "Reggie Veggie" promoted broccoli and carrots.…

Perceptual Learning Style and Learning Proficiency: A Test of the Hypothesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kratzig, Gregory P.; Arbuthnott, Katherine D.

2006-01-01

Given the potential importance of using modality preference with instruction, the authors tested whether learning style preference correlated with memory performance in each of 3 sensory modalities: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. In Study 1, participants completed objective measures of pictorial, auditory, and tactile learning and learning…

A Population-Based Study of Preschoolers' Food Neophobia and Its Associations with Food Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Catherine Georgina; Worsley, Anthony

2008-01-01

Objective: This cross-sectional study was designed to investigate the relationships between food preferences, food neophobia, and children's characteristics among a population-based sample of preschoolers. Design: A parent-report questionnaire. Setting: Child-care centers, kindergartens, playgroups, day nurseries, and swimming centers. Subjects:…

Preference of pen-reared northern bobwhite among native plant seeds of the sand sagebrush-mixed prairie

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Adult northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) are largely granivorous, eating primarily seeds produced from grasses and forbs. The objective of this research was to determine northern bobwhite quail preference among seeds of 45 plant species associated with the sand sagebrush-mixed prairie. ...

Compete to Play: Trade-Off with Social Contact in Long-Tailed Macaques (Macaca fascicularis)

PubMed Central

Ballesta, Sébastien; Reymond, Gilles; Pozzobon, Mathieu; Duhamel, Jean-René

2014-01-01

Many animal species engage in various forms of solitary object play, but this activity seems to be of particular importance in primates. If playing objects constitute a valuable resource, and access to such objects is limited, a competitive context may arise. We inserted a unique toy within a mini-colony of long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) and compared their behaviors to sessions without playing object. An automatic color-based 3D video device was used to track the positions of each animal and the toy, and this data was categorized into 5 exclusive behaviors (resting, locomotion, foraging, social contact and object play). As expected, the delay to first access to the object reflected the hierarchy of the colony, indicating that a competition took place to own this unique resource of entertainment. In addition, we found that the amount of object play was not correlated with social or foraging behavior, suggesting independent motivational mechanisms. Conversely, object playing time was negatively correlated with idling time, thus indicating its relation to pastime activities. Interestingly, the amount of social contacts in the group was significantly reduced by the heightened competitive context, suggesting that competitors are more likely to be perceived as potential threat requiring caution, as shown in humans. Experimental manipulation of competitive contexts in primates reveals common mental processes involved in social judgment, and shows that access to valuable resources can be a sufficient cause for variations in group cohesion. PMID:25551755

Nature Disaster Risk Evaluation with a Group Decision Making Method Based on Incomplete Hesitant Fuzzy Linguistic Preference Relations.

PubMed

Tang, Ming; Liao, Huchang; Li, Zongmin; Xu, Zeshui

2018-04-13

Because the natural disaster system is a very comprehensive and large system, the disaster reduction scheme must rely on risk analysis. Experts' knowledge and experiences play a critical role in disaster risk assessment. The hesitant fuzzy linguistic preference relation is an effective tool to express experts' preference information when comparing pairwise alternatives. Owing to the lack of knowledge or a heavy workload, information may be missed in the hesitant fuzzy linguistic preference relation. Thus, an incomplete hesitant fuzzy linguistic preference relation is constructed. In this paper, we firstly discuss some properties of the additive consistent hesitant fuzzy linguistic preference relation. Next, the incomplete hesitant fuzzy linguistic preference relation, the normalized hesitant fuzzy linguistic preference relation, and the acceptable hesitant fuzzy linguistic preference relation are defined. Afterwards, three procedures to estimate the missing information are proposed. The first one deals with the situation in which there are only n-1 known judgments involving all the alternatives; the second one is used to estimate the missing information of the hesitant fuzzy linguistic preference relation with more known judgments; while the third procedure is used to deal with ignorance situations in which there is at least one alternative with totally missing information. Furthermore, an algorithm for group decision making with incomplete hesitant fuzzy linguistic preference relations is given. Finally, we illustrate our model with a case study about flood disaster risk evaluation. A comparative analysis is presented to testify the advantage of our method.

Uses of research evidence among US state legislators who prioritize behavioral health issues

PubMed Central

Purtle, Jonathan; Dodson, Elizabeth A.; Brownson, Ross C.

2016-01-01

Objective Disseminating behavioral health (BH) research to legislators (i.e., elected policy makers) is widely acknowledged as a priority, but little is known about how research evidence is used and sought by this audience. The primary aim of this exploratory study was to identify the research dissemination preferences and research seeking practices of legislators who prioritize BH issues and describe the role research plays in determining their policy priorities. The secondary aim was to assess if these legislators differ from legislators who do not prioritize BH issues. Methods A telephone-based survey was conducted with 862 US state legislators (response rate 50%). A validated survey instrument was used to assess legislators’ priorities and the factors that determine them, research dissemination preferences, and research seeking practices. Bivariate analyses were conducted to characterize the study population and compare legislators who prioritized BH issues to legislators who did not. Results Legislators who prioritized BH issues were significantly more likely to identify research evidence as a factor that determined policy priorities than legislators who did not prioritize these issues (odds ratio=1.91, 95% CI=1.25–2.90, p=.002). Legislators who prioritized BH issues also attributed more importance to 10-of-12 features of disseminated research (e.g., research being unbiased [p=.014], research telling a story [p=.033]) and engaged in 8-of-11 research seeking and utilization practices (e.g., attending research presentations [p=.012]) more often. Conclusions Legislators who prioritize BH issues actively seek, have distinct preferences for, and are particularly influenced by research evidence. Testing legislator-focused BH research dissemination strategies is an area for future research. PMID:27364817

Evidence-based medicine in primary care: qualitative study of family physicians

PubMed Central

Tracy, C Shawn; Dantas, Guilherme Coelho; Upshur, Ross EG

2003-01-01

Background The objectives of this study were: a) to examine physician attitudes to and experience of the practice of evidence-based medicine (EBM) in primary care; b) to investigate the influence of patient preferences on clinical decision-making; and c) to explore the role of intuition in family practice. Method Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews of 15 family physicians purposively selected from respondents to a national survey on EBM mailed to a random sample of Canadian family physicians. Results Participants mainly welcomed the promotion of EBM in the primary care setting. A significant number of barriers and limitations to the implementation of EBM were identified. EBM is perceived by some physicians as a devaluation of the 'art of medicine' and a threat to their professional/clinical autonomy. Issues regarding the trustworthiness and credibility of evidence were of great concern, especially with respect to the influence of the pharmaceutical industry. Attempts to become more evidence-based often result in the experience of conflicts. Patient factors exert a powerful influence on clinical decision-making and can serve as trumps to research evidence. A widespread belief that intuition plays a vital role in primary care reinforced views that research evidence must be considered alongside other factors such as patient preferences and the clinical judgement and experience of the physician. Discussion Primary care physicians are increasingly keen to consider research evidence in clinical decision-making, but there are significant concerns about the current model of EBM. Our findings support the proposed revisions to EBM wherein greater emphasis is placed on clinical expertise and patient preferences, both of which remain powerful influences on physician behaviour. PMID:12740025

Identifying online user reputation in terms of user preference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Lu; Guo, Qiang; Liu, Xiao-Lu; Liu, Jian-Guo; Zhang, Yi-Cheng

2018-03-01

Identifying online user reputation is significant for online social systems. In this paper, taking into account the preference physics of online user collective behaviors, we present an improved group-based rating method for ranking online user reputation based on the user preference (PGR). All the ratings given by each specific user are mapped to the same rating criteria. By grouping users according to their mapped ratings, the online user reputation is calculated based on the corresponding group sizes. Results for MovieLens and Netflix data sets show that the AUC values of the PGR method can reach 0.9842 (0.9493) and 0.9995 (0.9987) for malicious (random) spammers, respectively, outperforming the results generated by the traditional group-based method, which indicates that the online preference plays an important role for measuring user reputation.

PREFERED SURGICAL TECHNIQUE USED BY ORTHOPEDISTS IN ACUTE ACROMIOCLAVICULAR DISLOCATION

PubMed Central

NISHIMI, ALEXANDRE YUKIO; ARBEX, DEMETRIO SIMÃO; MARTINS, DIOGO LUCAS CAMPOS; GUSMÃO, CARLOS VINICIUS BUARQUE DE; BONGIOVANNI, ROBERTO RANGEL; PASCARELLI, LUCIANO

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine whether training on shoulder and elbow surgery influences the orthopedist surgeons' preferred technique to address acute acromioclavicular joint dislocation (ACD). Methods: A survey was conducted with shoulder and elbow specialists and general orthopedists on their preferred technique to address acute ACD. Results: Thirty specialists and forty-five general orthopedists joined the study. Most specialists preferred the endobutton technique, while most general orthopedists preferred the modified Phemister procedure for coracoclavicular ligament repair using anchors. We found no difference between specialists and general orthopedists in the number of tunnels used to repair the coracoclavicular ligament; preferred method for wire insertion through the clavicular tunnels; buried versus unburied Kirschner wire insertion for acromioclavicular temporary fixation; and time for its removal; and regarding the suture thread used for deltotrapezoidal fascia closure. Conclusion: Training on shoulder and elbow surgery influences the surgeons' preferred technique to address acute ACD. Level of Evidence V, Expert Opinion. PMID:28149190

The Importance of Measuring Strength-of-Preference Scores for Health Care Options in Preference-Sensitive Care

PubMed Central

Crump, R. Trafford; Llewellyn-Thomas, Hilary A.

2012-01-01

Objective The objective was to determine whether a paired-comparison/leaning scale method: a) could feasibly be used to elicit strength-of-preference scores for elective health care options in large community-based survey settings; and b) could reveal preferential sub-groups that would have been overlooked if only a categorical-response format had been used. Study Design Medicare beneficiaries in four different regions of the United States were interviewed in person. Participants considered 8 clinical scenarios, each with 2 to 3 different health care options. For each scenario, participants categorically selected their favored option, then indicated how strongly they favored that option relative to the alternative on a paired-comparison bi-directional Leaning Scale. Results Two hundred and two participants were interviewed. For 7 of the 8 scenarios, a clear majority (> 50%) indicated that, overall, they categorically favored one option over the alternative(s). However, the bi-directional strength-of-preference Leaning Scale scores revealed that, in 4 scenarios, for half of those participants, their preference for the favored option was actually “weak” or “neutral”. Conclusion Investigators aiming to assess population-wide preferential attitudes towards different elective health care scenarios should consider gathering ordinal-level strength-of-preference scores and could feasibly use the paired-comparison/bi-directional Leaning Scale to do so. PMID:22494579

Discrimination of human and dog faces and inversion responses in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris).

PubMed

Racca, Anaïs; Amadei, Eleonora; Ligout, Séverine; Guo, Kun; Meints, Kerstin; Mills, Daniel

2010-05-01

Although domestic dogs can respond to many facial cues displayed by other dogs and humans, it remains unclear whether they can differentiate individual dogs or humans based on facial cues alone and, if so, whether they would demonstrate the face inversion effect, a behavioural hallmark commonly used in primates to differentiate face processing from object processing. In this study, we first established the applicability of the visual paired comparison (VPC or preferential looking) procedure for dogs using a simple object discrimination task with 2D pictures. The animals demonstrated a clear looking preference for novel objects when simultaneously presented with prior-exposed familiar objects. We then adopted this VPC procedure to assess their face discrimination and inversion responses. Dogs showed a deviation from random behaviour, indicating discrimination capability when inspecting upright dog faces, human faces and object images; but the pattern of viewing preference was dependent upon image category. They directed longer viewing time at novel (vs. familiar) human faces and objects, but not at dog faces, instead, a longer viewing time at familiar (vs. novel) dog faces was observed. No significant looking preference was detected for inverted images regardless of image category. Our results indicate that domestic dogs can use facial cues alone to differentiate individual dogs and humans and that they exhibit a non-specific inversion response. In addition, the discrimination response by dogs of human and dog faces appears to differ with the type of face involved.

Not All Locations Are Created Equal: Exploring How Adults Hide and Search for Objects

PubMed Central

Legge, Eric L. G.; Spetch, Marcia L.; Cenkner, Andrew; Bulitko, Vadim; Anderson, Craig; Brown, Matthew; Heth, Donald

2012-01-01

Little is known about the strategies people use to effectively hide objects from others, or to search for objects others have hidden. The present research extends a recent investigation of people’s hiding and searching strategies in a simple room with 9 cache location. In the present studies, people hid and searched for three objects under more than 70 floor tiles in complex real and virtual rooms. Experiment 1 replicated several finding of Talbot et al within the more complex real and virtual environments. Specifically, people traveled further from origin and selected more dispersed locations when hiding than when searching. Experiments 2 and 3 showed that: 1) people were attracted to an area of darkness when searching and avoided locations close to a window when hiding, 2) when search attempts were limited to three choices, people searched farther from origin and dispersed their locations more when hiding than when searching, and 3) informing people that they would need to recover their hidden objects altered their hiding behavior and increased recovery accuracy. Across all experiments, consistencies in location preferences emerged, with more preference for the middle of the room during hiding and more preference for corners of the room during searching. Even though the same people participated in both the hiding and searching tasks, it appears that people use different strategies to select hiding places than to search for objects hidden by others. PMID:22606324

The medial dorsal thalamic nucleus and the medial prefrontal cortex of the rat function together to support associative recognition and recency but not item recognition.

PubMed

Cross, Laura; Brown, Malcolm W; Aggleton, John P; Warburton, E Clea

2012-12-21

In humans recognition memory deficits, a typical feature of diencephalic amnesia, have been tentatively linked to mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD) damage. Animal studies have occasionally investigated the role of the MD in single-item recognition, but have not systematically analyzed its involvement in other recognition memory processes. In Experiment 1 rats with bilateral excitotoxic lesions in the MD or the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) were tested in tasks that assessed single-item recognition (novel object preference), associative recognition memory (object-in-place), and recency discrimination (recency memory task). Experiment 2 examined the functional importance of the interactions between the MD and mPFC using disconnection techniques. Unilateral excitotoxic lesions were placed in both the MD and the mPFC in either the same (MD + mPFC Ipsi) or opposite hemispheres (MD + mPFC Contra group). Bilateral lesions in the MD or mPFC impaired object-in-place and recency memory tasks, but had no effect on novel object preference. In Experiment 2 the MD + mPFC Contra group was significantly impaired in the object-in-place and recency memory tasks compared with the MD + mPFC Ipsi group, but novel object preference was intact. Thus, connections between the MD and mPFC are critical for recognition memory when the discriminations involve associative or recency information. However, the rodent MD is not necessary for single-item recognition memory.

Plant scents modify innate colour preference in foraging swallowtail butterflies.

PubMed

Yoshida, Mina; Itoh, Yuki; Ômura, Hisashi; Arikawa, Kentaro; Kinoshita, Michiyo

2015-07-01

Flower-visiting insects exhibit innate preferences for particular colours. A previous study demonstrated that naive Papilio xuthus females prefer yellow and red, whereas males are more attracted to blue. Here, we demonstrate that the innate colour preference can be modified by olfactory stimuli in a sexually dimorphic manner. Naive P. xuthus were presented with four coloured discs: blue, green, yellow and red. The innate colour preference (i.e. the colour first landed on) of the majority of individuals was blue. When scent from essential oils of either orange flower or lily was introduced to the room, females' tendency to select the red disc increased. Scents of lavender and flowering potted Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, however, were less effective. Interestingly, the odour of the non-flowering larval host plant, Citrus unshiu, shifted the preference to green in females. In males, however, all plant scents were less effective than in females, such that blue was always the most favoured colour. These observations indicate that interactions between visual and olfactory cues play a more prominent role in females. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Anxiety status affects nicotine- and baclofen-induced locomotor activity, anxiety, and single-trial conditioned place preference in male adolescent rats.

PubMed

Falco, Adriana M; McDonald, Craig G; Smith, Robert F

2014-09-01

Adolescents have an increased vulnerability to nicotine and anxiety may play a role in the development of nicotine abuse. One possible treatment for anxiety disorders and substance abuse is the GABAB agonist, baclofen. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of anxiety-like behavior on single-trial nicotine conditioned place preference in adolescent rats, and to assess the action of baclofen. Baclofen was shown to have effects on locomotor and anxiety-like behavior in rats divided into high-anxiety and low-anxiety groups. Baclofen decreased locomotor behavior in high-anxiety rats. Baclofen alone failed to produce differences in anxiety-like behavior, but nicotine and baclofen + nicotine administration were anxiolytic. High- and low-anxiety groups also showed differences in single-trial nicotine-induced place preference. Only high-anxiety rats formed place preference to nicotine, while rats in the low-anxiety group formed no conditioned place preference. These results suggest that among adolescents, high-anxiety individuals are more likely to show preference for nicotine than low-anxiety individuals. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Distribution of paw preference in mongrel and tortoise-shell cats and the relation of hemispheric weight to paw preference: sexual dimorphism in paw use and its relation to hemispheric weight.

PubMed

Tan, U

1993-06-01

The distribution of the right minus left (R - L) paw use and its relation to hemispheric weight was studied in tortoise-shell cats. Paw preference was assessed by a food reaching test. All males (N = 9) were left-preferent; females (N = 13) were predominantly right-preferent. There was an inverse relationship between the degree of left-paw preference and the right-brain weight in males (no correlation with left-brain weight). In females, the R - L paw use showed a negative linear correlation with the right- and left-brain weights: the right-pawedness decreased and the left-pawedness increased as the right- and left-brain weights increased. The distributions of the R - L paw use as well as the relationships between brain-weight and pawedness exhibited sexual dimorphism. The results suggest that mainly the genetic and hormonal factors may play an important role in emergence of motor asymmetry in cats. Annett's right shift theory of handedness was also discussed in light of these results.

Preference reversal in quantum decision theory

PubMed Central

Yukalov, Vyacheslav I.; Sornette, Didier

2015-01-01

We consider the psychological effect of preference reversal and show that it finds a natural explanation in the frame of quantum decision theory. When people choose between lotteries with non-negative payoffs, they prefer a more certain lottery because of uncertainty aversion. But when people evaluate lottery prices, e.g., for selling to others the right to play them, they do this more rationally, being less subject to behavioral biases. This difference can be explained by the presence of the attraction factors entering the expression of quantum probabilities. Only the existence of attraction factors can explain why, considering two lotteries with close utility factors, a decision maker prefers one of them when choosing, but evaluates higher the other one when pricing. We derive a general quantitative criterion for the preference reversal to occur that relates the utilities of the two lotteries to the attraction factors under choosing vs. pricing and test successfully its application on experiments by Tversky et al. We also show that the planning paradox can be treated as a kind of preference reversal. PMID:26500592

Multiple criteria decision-making process to derive consensus desired genetic gains for a dairy cattle breeding objective for diverse production systems.

PubMed

Kariuki, C M; van Arendonk, J A M; Kahi, A K; Komen, H

2017-06-01

Dairy cattle industries contribute to food and nutrition security and are a source of income for numerous households in many developing countries. Selective breeding can enhance efficiency in these industries. Developing dairy industries are characterized by diverse production and marketing systems. In this paper, we use weighted goal aggregating procedure to derive consensus trait preferences for different producer categories and processors. We based the study on the dairy industry in Kenya. The analytic hierarchy process was used to derive individual preferences for milk yield (MY), calving interval (CIN), production lifetime (PLT), mature body weight (MBW), and fat yield (FY). Results show that classical classification of production systems into large-scale and smallholder systems does not capture all differences in trait preferences. These differences became apparent when classification was based on productivity at the individual animal level, with high and low intensity producers and processors as the most important groups. High intensity producers had highest preferences for PLT and MY, whereas low intensity producers had highest preference for CIN and PLT; processors preferred MY and FY the most. The highest disagreements between the groups were observed for FY, PLT, and MY. Individual and group preferences were aggregated into consensus preferences using weighted goal programming. Desired gains were obtained as a product of consensus preferences and percentage genetic gains (G%). These were 2.42, 0.22, 2.51, 0.15, and 0.87 for MY, CIN, PLT, MBW, and FY, respectively. Consensus preferences can be used to derive a single compromise breeding objective for situations where the same genetic resources are used in diverse production and marketing circumstances. The Authors. Published by the Federation of Animal Science Societies and Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).

Gender role behavior in children with XY karyotype and disorders of sex development.

PubMed

Jürgensen, Martina; Hiort, Olaf; Holterhus, Paul-Martin; Thyen, Ute

2007-03-01

Children exhibit gender-typical preferences in play, toys, activities and interests, and playmates. Several studies suggest that high concentrations of pre- and postnatal androgens contribute to male-typical behavior development, whereas female-typical behavior develops in the absence of high androgens levels. This study aims to explore the consequences of hypoandrogenization on gender-typical behavior in children who have an XY karyotype and disorder of sex development (DSD). Participants included 33 children (ages 2-12 years) with an XY karyotype and DSD; 21 reared as girls and 12 reared as boys. Children's preferred activities and interests and playmate preferences were assessed with parent report questionnaires, a structured free-play task, and choice of a toy to keep as a gift. Participant's responses were compared to those of children recruited in a pre-school and elementary school survey (N=166). In this study, the degree of hypoandrogenization as indicated by genital stage and diagnosis showed a significant relationship to nearly all of the gender-related behaviors assessed, supporting the hypothesis that masculinization of gender role behavior is a function of prenatal androgen exposure. Despite the fact that children with partial androgen effects reared as girls showed increased "boyish" behaviors, they did not show increased signs of gender identity confusion or instability on a group level. We conclude that androgen exposure plays a decisive role in the development of gender-typical behavior in children with XY karyotype and DSD conditions.

Health-seeking behavior and medical facility choice in Samsun, Turkey.

PubMed

Dündar, Cihad

2017-09-01

Examining the factors that play a role in determining patient preferences for different healthcare institutions. This descriptive study was conducted in five family health centers (FHC) and in six hospitals in Samsun Province in Turkey. The data were collected from 1700 volunteer patients by using a structured questionnaire, while they were waiting for consultation. The average number of out-patient visits was 9.5±6.4 per person in 2012. Individuals aged less than 18 and more than 65 years old had higher preferences for FHCs, while those aged 19-64 years preferred primarily private hospitals. The order of preferences for FHC, public and private hospitals did not vary with the educational level. An increase in educational level was associated with a decrease in the preference for FHCs and in increase in the preference for private hospitals. The first three reasons given for preferring a hospital were 'the presence of a specialist', 'availability of good equipment and technology', and 'trust on the diagnosis and treatment', while 'proximity', 'receiving adequate information', and 'being treated well' were the reasons given by participants who preferred a FHC. Providing medical equipment and staff support for improving diagnostic capacity of FHCs can accommodate patient expectations and shift the demand from hospitals to FHCs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Commercially available interactive video games in burn rehabilitation: therapeutic potential.

PubMed

Parry, Ingrid S; Bagley, Anita; Kawada, Jason; Sen, Soman; Greenhalgh, David G; Palmieri, Tina L

2012-06-01

Commercially available interactive video games (IVG) like the Nintendo Wii™ (NW) and PlayStation™II Eye Toy (PE) are increasingly used in the rehabilitation of patients with burn. Such games have gained popularity in burn rehabilitation because they encourage range of motion (ROM) while distracting from pain. However, IVGs were not originally designed for rehabilitation purposes but rather for entertainment and may lack specificity for achieving rehabilitative goals. Objectively evaluating the specific demands of IVGs in relation to common burn therapy goals will determine their true therapeutic benefit and guide their use in burn rehabilitation. Upper extremity (UE) motion of 24 normal children was measured using 3D motion analysis during play with the two types of IVGs most commonly described for use after burn: NW and PE. Data was analyzed using t-tests and One-way Analysis of Variance. Active range of motion for shoulder flexion and abduction during play with both PE and NW was within functional range, thus supporting the idea that IVGs offer activities with therapeutic potential to improve ROM. PE resulted in higher demands and longer duration of UE motion than NW, and therefore may be the preferred tool when UE ROM or muscular endurance are the goals of rehabilitation. When choosing a suitable IVG for application in rehabilitation, the user's impairment together with the therapeutic attributes of the IVG should be considered to optimize outcome. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Cognitive Tempo, Violent Video Games, and Aggressive Behavior in Young Boys.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irwin, A. Roland; Gross, Alan M.

1995-01-01

Assesses interpersonal aggression and aggression toward inanimate objects in a free-play setting where children played video games. Results indicated that subjects who played video games with aggressive content exhibited more object aggression during free-play and more interpersonal aggression during the frustrating situation than youngsters who…

The prehomosexual male child in three societies: the United States, Guatemala, Brazil.

PubMed

Whitam, F L

1980-04-01

The question raised by this article is: do the several behavioral indicators of male homosexuality, which emerge in childhood, appear cross-culturally, or are they limited to American society? These indicators are interest in toys of the opposite sex, cross-dressing, preference for girls' games and activities, preference for the company of women, being regarded as a sissy, and preference for boys in childhood sex play. Data on indicators were obtained from male homosexuals in three societies--the United States, Guatemala, and Brazil--and compared with responses of heterosexuals. It is concluded that the behavioral indicators do occur in these three societies and occur at about the same rate.

[Minimal access surgery: A survey among surgeons in Central Germany].

PubMed

Weigt, A; Rauchfuss, F; Dittmar, Y; Settmacher, U; Scheuerlein, H

2015-06-01

A survey about perceptions concerning natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) and single port operations (SPO) was conducted among medical professionals at hospitals in Central Germany. The identity of the participants remained anonymous. The focus was on the subjective perception of medical colleagues and included a statement of preferred methods if the medical professional would need to undergo surgery. Within a radius of 120 km of the city of Erfurt, all 150 surgical departments were approached and asked to complete a series of questionnaires containing general and personal questions. The analysis was performed according to the professional rank, age and sex of the participants. The questionnaires contained questions on patient preferences, cosmetic aspects and other factors, such as marketing, industry-driven, playful approach of the surgeon and appeal of a new procedure. In total 83 surgical departments participated in the survey resulting in 432 eligible questionnaires. Of the participants 29 % were female, the average age was 44 years, 20 % were heads of departments, 37 % senior surgeons, 20 % specialist surgeons and 23 % residents. The proportion of conventional minimally invasive surgical procedures was on average 30 % of all surgical interventions. Two hospitals offered transvaginal hybrid NOTES (cholecystectomy), 45 % performed SPOs, 36 % of the participants agreed strongly or moderately with the concept of SPO and 34 % rejected NOTES. The factors industry-driven, promotion/marketing and appeal of a new procedure were evaluated as very important or relatively important by the majority of the participants (> 70 %). When evaluating the factor playful approach of the surgeon, the proportion was 55 %. The factor patient preferences was evaluated as very high or high by 25% of the participants while it had no impact on 8 % or only a minor impact on 36 %. In case of undergoing surgery themselves, conventional laparoscopy would be preferred and NOTES was rated last among all options. The soft factors that were analyzed (i.e. marketing, industry-driven, playful approach of the surgeon and appeal of something new) were evaluated as much more important in the surgeons' opinion compared to patient criteria (i.e. patient preferences and cosmetic results). The soft factors are, however, not to be judged as generally negative as they are to a certain extent necessary (marketing), useful (impulses from industry) or are part of the surgical creativity (playfulness). The discrepancies in the medical professional evaluation of the different factors shows that the reasoning and the motivation of the actions are not necessarily identical.

The role of PDF neurons in setting the preferred temperature before dawn in Drosophila.

PubMed

Tang, Xin; Roessingh, Sanne; Hayley, Sean E; Chu, Michelle L; Tanaka, Nobuaki K; Wolfgang, Werner; Song, Seongho; Stanewsky, Ralf; Hamada, Fumika N

2017-05-02

Animals have sophisticated homeostatic controls. While mammalian body temperature fluctuates throughout the day, small ectotherms, such as Drosophila achieve a body temperature rhythm (BTR) through their preference of environmental temperature. Here, we demonstrate that pigment dispersing factor (PDF) neurons play an important role in setting preferred temperature before dawn. We show that small lateral ventral neurons (sLNvs), a subset of PDF neurons, activate the dorsal neurons 2 (DN2s), the main circadian clock cells that regulate temperature preference rhythm (TPR). The number of temporal contacts between sLNvs and DN2s peak before dawn. Our data suggest that the thermosensory anterior cells (ACs) likely contact sLNvs via serotonin signaling. Together, the ACs-sLNs-DN2s neural circuit regulates the proper setting of temperature preference before dawn. Given that sLNvs are important for sleep and that BTR and sleep have a close temporal relationship, our data highlight a possible neuronal interaction between body temperature and sleep regulation.

“Queasy does it”: False alcohol beliefs and memories may lead to diminished alcohol preferences

PubMed Central

Clifasefi, Seema L.; Bernstein, Daniel M.; Mantonakis, Antonia; Loftus, Elizabeth F.

2013-01-01

Studies have shown that false memories can be implanted via innocuous suggestions, and that these memories can play a role in shaping people’s subsequent attitudes and preferences. The current study explored whether participants (N=147) who received a false suggestion that they had become ill drinking a particular type of alcohol would increase their confidence that the event had occurred, and whether their new-found belief would subsequently affect their alcohol preferences. Results indicated that participants who received a suggestion that they had gotten sick drinking rum or vodka before the age of 16 reported increased confidence that the suggested experience had occurred. Moreover, participants who received a false alcohol suggestion also showed a strong trend to report diminished preference for the specified type of alcohol after the false suggestion. Implantation of a false memory related to one’s past drinking experiences may influence current drink preferences and could be an important avenue for further exploration in the development of alcohol interventions. PMID:23500110

Aesthetic Issues in Spatial Composition: Effects of Vertical Position and Perspective on Framing Single Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sammartino, Jonathan; Palmer, Stephen E.

2012-01-01

Aesthetic preference for the vertical composition of single-object pictures was studied through a series of two-alternative forced-choice experiments. The results reveal the influence of several factors, including spatial asymmetries in the functional properties of the object and the typical position of the object relative to the observer. With…

Consumer preference and effect of correct or misleading information after ageing beef longissimus muscle using vacuum, dry ageing, or a dry ageing bag.

PubMed

Stenström, Helena; Li, Xin; Hunt, Melvin C; Lundström, Kerstin

2014-02-01

The objective of this study was to determine which ageing treatment of beef was sensorially preferred by consumers and how their preference changed when given information about the ageing treatment used. Longissimus thoracis et lumborum from four young bulls were randomly assigned three ageing treatments: dry ageing, vacuum ageing and ageing in a highly moisture permeable bag (bag dry-ageing); each was aged at 1.6 °C for another 13 days. A preference test (171 consumers) with questions about overall liking, tenderness, and juiciness was performed. Thereafter, a deceptive test (61 consumers) was performed with two taste samples, the first taste sample with correct information about ageing treatment and the second with false information. In the preference test, consumers preferred dry ageing and bag dry-ageing to vacuum ageing. In the deceptive test, dry ageing was preferred, but the information given influenced preference. © 2013.

Expected Emotional Usefulness and Emotional Preference in Individuals with Major Depressive Disorder

PubMed Central

Yoon, Sunkyung; Lee, Seung-Hwan; Kim, Hyang Sook

2016-01-01

Objective Previous studies indicate that emotion regulation problems in major depressive disorder (MDD) may be caused by difficulties in preferring useful emotions according to their goals. We investigated expected emotional usefulness and emotional preference in individuals with MDD (MDDs) and healthy controls (HCs). Methods Participants were given an interpersonal scenario with two different goals (confrontation and collaboration) and rated their willingness to participate in emotion-provoking activities and the expected usefulness of a particular emotion. Results MDDs were similar to HCs in expected emotional usefulness but showed different patterns of emotional preference. HCs preferred happiness to negative emotions across goals whereas MDDs did not show such pattern. In addition, HCs displayed goal-appropriate preferences whereas MDDs did not prefer certain emotions for specific goals. Conclusion Although MDDs seemed to understand how useful an emotion can be, they did not show preference for goal-appropriate emotions. Interventions should address why MDDs have difficulty engaging in goal-appropriate emotions despite having full knowledge of the utility of emotions in achieving goals. PMID:27121431

Effects of university affiliation and "school spirit" on color preferences: Berkeley versus Stanford.

PubMed

Schloss, Karen B; Poggesi, Rosa M; Palmer, Stephen E

2011-06-01

The ecological valence theory (EVT) posits that preference for a color is determined by people's average affective response to everything associated with it (Palmer & Schloss, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107, 8877-8882, 2010). The EVT thus implies the existence of sociocultural effects: Color preference should increase with positive feelings (or decrease with negative feelings) toward an institution strongly associated with a color. We tested this prediction by measuring undergraduates' color preferences at two rival universities, Berkeley and Stanford, to determine whether students liked their university's colors better than their rivals did. Students not only preferred their own colors more than their rivals did, but the degree of their preference increased with self-rated positive affect ("school spirit") for their university. These results support the EVT's claim that color preference is caused by learned affective responses to associated objects and institutions, because it is unlikely that students choose their university or develop their degree of school spirit on the basis of preexisting color preferences.

Objective Properties from Subjective Quantum States: Environment as a Witness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ollivier, Harold; Poulin, David; Zurek, Wojciech H.

2004-11-01

We study the emergence of objective properties in open quantum systems. In our analysis, the environment is promoted from a passive role of a reservoir selectively destroying quantum coherence to an active role of amplifier selectively proliferating information about the system. We show that only preferred pointer states of the system can leave a redundant and therefore easily detectable imprint on the environment. Observers who—as is almost always the case—discover the state of the system indirectly (by probing a fraction of its environment) will find out only about the corresponding pointer observable. Many observers can act in this fashion independently and without perturbing the system. They will agree about its state. In this operational sense, preferred pointer states exist objectively.

DD-PREF: a language for expressing preferences over sets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagstaff, Kiri; desJardins, Marie

2005-01-01

We present a representation language, DD-PREF (for Diversity and Depth PREFrences), for specifying the desired diversity and depth of sets of objects where each object is represented as a vector of feature values.

User-Preference-Driven Model Predictive Control of Residential Building Loads and Battery Storage for Demand Response: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jin, Xin; Baker, Kyri A.; Christensen, Dane T.

This paper presents a user-preference-driven home energy management system (HEMS) for demand response (DR) with residential building loads and battery storage. The HEMS is based on a multi-objective model predictive control algorithm, where the objectives include energy cost, thermal comfort, and carbon emission. A multi-criterion decision making method originating from social science is used to quickly determine user preferences based on a brief survey and derive the weights of different objectives used in the optimization process. Besides the residential appliances used in the traditional DR programs, a home battery system is integrated into the HEMS to improve the flexibility andmore » reliability of the DR resources. Simulation studies have been performed on field data from a residential building stock data set. Appliance models and usage patterns were learned from the data to predict the DR resource availability. Results indicate the HEMS was able to provide a significant amount of load reduction with less than 20% prediction error in both heating and cooling cases.« less

User-Preference-Driven Model Predictive Control of Residential Building Loads and Battery Storage for Demand Response

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jin, Xin; Baker, Kyri A; Isley, Steven C

This paper presents a user-preference-driven home energy management system (HEMS) for demand response (DR) with residential building loads and battery storage. The HEMS is based on a multi-objective model predictive control algorithm, where the objectives include energy cost, thermal comfort, and carbon emission. A multi-criterion decision making method originating from social science is used to quickly determine user preferences based on a brief survey and derive the weights of different objectives used in the optimization process. Besides the residential appliances used in the traditional DR programs, a home battery system is integrated into the HEMS to improve the flexibility andmore » reliability of the DR resources. Simulation studies have been performed on field data from a residential building stock data set. Appliance models and usage patterns were learned from the data to predict the DR resource availability. Results indicate the HEMS was able to provide a significant amount of load reduction with less than 20% prediction error in both heating and cooling cases.« less

Dominant negative DISC1 mutant mice display specific social behaviour deficits and aberration in BDNF and cannabinoid receptor expression.

PubMed

Kaminitz, Ayelet; Barzilay, Ran; Segal, Hadar; Taler, Michal; Offen, Daniel; Gil-Ad, Irit; Mechoulam, Raphael; Weizman, Abraham

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVES. Disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) is considered the most prominent candidate gene for schizophrenia. In this study, we aimed to characterize behavioural and brain biochemical traits in a mouse expressing a dominant negative DISC1mutant (DN-DISC1). DN-DISC1 mice underwent behavioural tests to evaluate object recognition, social preference and social novelty seeking. ELISA was conducted on brain tissue to evaluate BDNF levels. Western blot was employed to measure BDNF receptor (TrkB) and cannabinoid receptor CB1. The mutant DISC1 mice displayed deficits in preference to social novelty while both social preference and object recognition were intact. Biochemical analysis of prefrontal cortex and hippocampus revealed a modest reduction in cortical TrkB protein levels of male mice while no differences in BDNF levels were observed. We found sex dependent differences in the expression of cannabinoid-1 receptors. We describe novel behavioural and biochemical abnormalities in the DN-DISC1 mouse model of schizophrenia. The data shows for the first time a possible link between DISC1 mutation and the cannabinoid system.

Twin Brothers with Autism and Their Intra-Pair Interactions in a Pre-School Special Education Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markodimitraki, Maria; Ampartzaki, Maria; Kypriotaki, Maria; Linardakis, Michalis

2017-01-01

The present study focused on the intra-pair interaction of a pair of dizygotic twins with autism in pre-school age and explored: (a) the type of play and the level of symbolic play the twins prefer and are most frequently engaged with; (b) the attitudes the twins usually display; (c) the most frequent initiator of interactions; and (d) the way the…

Bonegilla Development Project.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-09-01

accounting for 21% of apprentices, followed by Rugby Union (17%). Many of the sports are played only within the School but 26% of apprentices play some...of employment. Preferences for employment expressed by those not working centred around clerical work. There appeared to be -7- I little demand for...Albury-Wodonga, the host community, both in terms of the demand for services and relations in general. The BDP will result in a large increase in the

Informing Active Play and Screen Time Behaviour Change Interventions for Low Socioeconomic Position Mothers of Young Children: What Do Mothers Want?

PubMed Central

Campbell, Karen J.; Hesketh, Kylie D.

2016-01-01

Introduction. This study investigated views of mothers from disadvantaged urban and regional areas (i.e., beyond major capital cities) as potential end users of child active play and screen time behaviour change interventions, with a focus on text messaging and web-based delivery platforms. Methods. Thirty-two mothers (22 urban; 10 regional) were interviewed. Purpose-designed questions covered topics regarding mothers' preferences for accessing and receiving information related to parenting and child active play and screen time. Data from transcribed interviews were analysed to identify responses and key themes. Results. Mothers reported frequently accessing parenting- and child-related information online. Regional mothers reported seeking information by talking with other people less frequently than urban mothers and seemed to have a stronger preference for receiving information online. There were few differences between responses from low and high educated mothers. The majority of mothers reported that they would be happy to receive text messages containing information about active play and screen time and that they would find a dedicated website with this information useful. Conclusions. Mothers in this study held favourable views on the potential of receiving information via new communication technologies. Future interventions targeting socioeconomically disadvantaged mothers may benefit from delivering intervention messages via these technologies. PMID:28053979

Frontal and parietal theta burst TMS impairs working memory for visual-spatial conjunctions

PubMed Central

Morgan, Helen M.; Jackson, Margaret C.; van Koningsbruggen, Martijn G.; Shapiro, Kimron L.; Linden, David E.J.

2013-01-01

In tasks that selectively probe visual or spatial working memory (WM) frontal and posterior cortical areas show a segregation, with dorsal areas preferentially involved in spatial (e.g. location) WM and ventral areas in visual (e.g. object identity) WM. In a previous fMRI study [1], we showed that right parietal cortex (PC) was more active during WM for orientation, whereas left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) was more active during colour WM. During WM for colour-orientation conjunctions, activity in these areas was intermediate to the level of activity for the single task preferred and non-preferred information. To examine whether these specialised areas play a critical role in coordinating visual and spatial WM to perform a conjunction task, we used theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to induce a functional deficit. Compared to sham stimulation, TMS to right PC or left IFG selectively impaired WM for conjunctions but not single features. This is consistent with findings from visual search paradigms, in which frontal and parietal TMS selectively affects search for conjunctions compared to single features, and with combined TMS and functional imaging work suggesting that parietal and frontal regions are functionally coupled in tasks requiring integration of visual and spatial information. Our results thus elucidate mechanisms by which the brain coordinates spatially segregated processing streams and have implications beyond the field of working memory. PMID:22483548

Frontal and parietal theta burst TMS impairs working memory for visual-spatial conjunctions.

PubMed

Morgan, Helen M; Jackson, Margaret C; van Koningsbruggen, Martijn G; Shapiro, Kimron L; Linden, David E J

2013-03-01

In tasks that selectively probe visual or spatial working memory (WM) frontal and posterior cortical areas show a segregation, with dorsal areas preferentially involved in spatial (e.g. location) WM and ventral areas in visual (e.g. object identity) WM. In a previous fMRI study [1], we showed that right parietal cortex (PC) was more active during WM for orientation, whereas left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) was more active during colour WM. During WM for colour-orientation conjunctions, activity in these areas was intermediate to the level of activity for the single task preferred and non-preferred information. To examine whether these specialised areas play a critical role in coordinating visual and spatial WM to perform a conjunction task, we used theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to induce a functional deficit. Compared to sham stimulation, TMS to right PC or left IFG selectively impaired WM for conjunctions but not single features. This is consistent with findings from visual search paradigms, in which frontal and parietal TMS selectively affects search for conjunctions compared to single features, and with combined TMS and functional imaging work suggesting that parietal and frontal regions are functionally coupled in tasks requiring integration of visual and spatial information. Our results thus elucidate mechanisms by which the brain coordinates spatially segregated processing streams and have implications beyond the field of working memory. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Story Immersion in a Health Videogame for Childhood Obesity Prevention

PubMed Central

Thompson, Debbe; Baranowski, Janice; Buday, Richard; Baranowski, Tom

2012-01-01

Abstract Objective Stories can serve as powerful tools for health interventions. Story immersion refers to the experience of being absorbed in a story. This is among the first studies to analyze story immersion's role in health videogames among children by addressing two main questions: Will children be more immersed when the main characters are similar to them? Do increased levels of immersion relate to more positive health outcomes? Subjects and Methods Eighty-seven 10–12-year-old African-American, Caucasian, and Hispanic children from Houston, TX, played a health videogame, “Escape from Diab” (Archimage, Houston, TX), featuring a protagonist with both African-American and Hispanic phenotypic features. Children's demographic information, immersion, and health outcomes (i.e., preference, motivation, and self-efficacy) were recorded and then correlated and analyzed. Results African-American and Hispanic participants reported higher immersion scores than Caucasian participants (P=0.01). Story immersion correlated positively (P values<0.03) with an increase in Fruit and Vegetable Preference (r=0.27), Intrinsic Motivation for Water (r=0.29), Vegetable Self-Efficacy (r=0.24), and Physical Activity Self-Efficacy (r=0.32). Conclusion Ethnic similarity between videogame characters and players enhanced immersion and several health outcomes. Effectively embedding characters with similar phenotypic features to the target population in interactive health videogame narratives may be important when motivating children to adopt obesity prevention behaviors. PMID:24066276

Feeding by coral reef mesograzers: algae or cyanobacteria?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruz-Rivera, Edwin; Paul, Valerie J.

2006-11-01

Marine studies on herbivory have addressed the role of algae as food and shelter for small consumers, but the potential of benthic cyanobacteria to play similar roles is largely unknown. Here, feeding preferences were measured for eight invertebrate consumers from Guam, offered four common macroalgae and two cyanobacteria. The survivorship of another consumer raised on either macroalgae or cyanobacteria was also assessed. From the choices offered, the sacoglossans Elysia rufescens and E. ornata consumed the green macroalga Bryopsis pennata. The crab Menaethius monoceros preferred the red alga Acanthophora spicifera. The amphipods Parhyale hawaiensis and Cymadusa imbroglio consumed macroalgae and cyanobacteria in equivalent amounts, with C. imbroglio showing less selectivity among diets. In contrast to these patterns, in these assays the gastropods Stylocheilus striatus, Haminoea cymbalum, H. ovalis, and Haminoea sp. fed exclusively, or survived only, on cyanobacteria. Preferences for different cyanobacteria varied. Field surveys of cyanobacteria-associated species yielded 34 different invertebrate taxa and suggested different degrees of specificity in these associations. Tropical mesograzers exploit considerably different food resources, with some species adapted to consume cyanobacterial mats. Benthic cyanobacteria may play important roles as food and shelter for marine consumers and may indirectly influence local biodiversity through their associated fauna.

Sexual selection in the squirrel treefrog Hyla squirella: the role of multimodal cue assessment in female choice

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, Ryan C.; Buchanan, Bryant W.; Doherty, Jessie L.

2007-01-01

Anuran amphibians have provided an excellent system for the study of animal communication and sexual selection. Studies of female mate choice in anurans, however, have focused almost exclusively on the role of auditory signals. In this study, we examined the effect of both auditory and visual cues on female choice in the squirrel treefrog. Our experiments used a two-choice protocol in which we varied male vocalization properties, visual cues, or both, to assess female preferences for the different cues. Females discriminated against high-frequency calls and expressed a strong preference for calls that contained more energy per unit time (faster call rate). Females expressed a preference for the visual stimulus of a model of a calling male when call properties at the two speakers were held the same. They also showed a significant attraction to a model possessing a relatively large lateral body stripe. These data indicate that visual cues do play a role in mate attraction in this nocturnal frog species. Furthermore, this study adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests that multimodal signals play an important role in sexual selection.

Development and results of a new methodology to perform focus group with preschool children on their beliefs and attitudes on physical activity.

PubMed

Cammisa, Maria; Montrone, Rosa; Caroli, Margherita

2011-10-01

The aim of this study is to develop and test a method to perform focus groups (FGs) and to elicit the subjective views of preschool-age children on physical activity and perceived kindergarten barriers to practice it. FGs have been held in three different kindergarten classes with 49 children who were 4-5 years old. Children were asked to draw themselves in their preferred way of playing and were asked few questions about their drawings to understand their behaviours and ideas. In class A and B, 67% and 75% of the children, respectively, drew sedentary plays (table and impersonation games). Children referred that the main obstacle to perform active games outside home/kindergarten was the parents' and teachers' perceived risk that they could be hurt or catch a cold. The children would like to have more table games in the kindergarten. 81% of children in class C drew active group games. All these children were well satisfied with their kindergarten environment and did not refer to any adults' fear regarding active play. This class teacher spent a lot of time to develop children's motor abilities through active games and often used the garden to let the children to play freely. The use of drawings to understand children's habits on physical activity has turned out to be a reliable and easy tool in preschool children. The different results obtained in the two children groups show the need to change the beliefs and the behaviours of teachers and parents who seem to be non-architectural "invisible" barriers to be knocked down. This protocol has been developed by ASL Brindisi within the framework of PERISCOPE's objective to develop new methodologies.

Out of an Old Toy Chest

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warner, Marina

2009-01-01

Before children learn to read, they act like readers when they play with materials and objects like readers. In play, children beam their projective imagination upon inert material things and animate them with fantasy, infusing objects with meaning. The question of "the real" haunts the psychology of play and through play, the theory of fantasy:…

Chemical compositions, free amino acid contents and antioxidant activities of Hanwoo (Bos taurus coreanae) beef by cut

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to evaluate chemical compositions, free amino acid contents, and antioxidant activities of different cuts of Hanwoo (Bos taurus coreanae) beef. Beef preferences and prices in the Korean market depend on cut. Therefore, comparisons were made between high-preference (gr...

Speech-Generating Devices versus Manual Signing for Children with Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Meer, Larah; Kagohara, Debora; Achmadi, Donna; O'Reilly, Mark F.; Lancioni, Giulio E.; Sutherland, Dean; Sigafoos, Jeff

2012-01-01

We compared speed of acquisition and preference for using a speech-generating device (SGD) versus manual signing (MS) as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) options. Four children with developmental disabilities (DD), aged 5-10 years, were taught to request preferred objects using an iPod[R]-based SGD and MS. Intervention was…

Processing of Japanese Cleft Constructions in Context: Evidence from Event-Related Brain Potentials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yano, Masataka; Tateyama, Yuki; Sakamoto, Tsutomu

2015-01-01

Numerous studies have found "subject gap preference" in relative clauses and cleft constructions in English, French, and other languages. In contrast, previous studies have reported "object gap preference" in cleft constructions in Japanese. However, the effect of integrating a filler and its gap may be influenced by the effect…

Preference Learning Style in Engineering Mathematics: Students' Perception of E-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tawil, Norngainy Mohd; Ismail, Nur Arzilah; Asshaari, Izamarlina; Othman, Haliza; Zaharim, Azami; Bahaludin, Hafizah

2013-01-01

Nowadays, traditional learning styles are assisted with e-learning components to ensure the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process, especially for the students. This approach is known as blended learning. Objective of this paper is to investigate and clarify the students' preferences in learning style, either traditional or e-learning.…

A Study of High School Music Participants' Stylistic Preferences and Identification Abilities in Music and the Visual Arts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haack, Paul

1982-01-01

Research investigated how high school students conceptualize the basic Classical-Romantic values dichotomy as exemplified by various aesthetic eras, styles, and objects, and how students operate within such aesthetic-conceptual frameworks in terms of their preferences and identification-categorization abilities. (Author/AM)

Individual, social and physical environmental correlates of children's active free-play: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Veitch, Jenny; Salmon, Jo; Ball, Kylie

2010-02-02

Children's unstructured outdoor free-play (or active free-play) has the potential to make an important contribution to children's overall physical activity levels. Limited research has, however, examined physical activity in this domain. This study examined associations between individual, social and physical environmental factors and the frequency with which children play in particular outdoor locations outside school hours. This study also investigated whether the frequency of playing in outdoor locations was associated with children's overall physical activity levels. Participants including 8-9 year old children and their parents (n = 187) were recruited from a selection of primary schools of varying socioeconomic status across metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. Parents completed a survey and children's overall physical activity levels were measured by accelerometry. Regression models examined the odds of children playing in various outdoor settings according to particular correlates. Inverse associations were found between preference for activities not involving physical activity, and the likelihood of children playing in the yard at home on the weekend (OR = 0.65; CI = 0.45,0.95). Positive correlates of children playing in their own street included: parental perceptions that it was safe for their child to play in their street (weekdays [OR = 6.46; CI = 2.84,14.71], weekend days [OR = 6.01; CI = 2.68,13.47]); children having many friends in their neighbourhood (OR = 2.63; CI = 1.21,5.76); and living in a cul-de-sac (weekdays [OR = 3.99; CI = 1.65,9.66], weekend days [OR = 3.49; CI = 1.49,8.16]). Positive correlates of more frequent play in the park/playground on weekdays included family going to the park together on a weekly basis on weekdays (OR = 6.8; CI = 3.4,13.6); and on weekend days (OR = 7.36; CI = 3.6,15.0). No differences in mean mins/day of moderate-vigorous physical activity were found between children in the highest and lowest tertiles for frequency of playing in particular outdoor locations. The presence of friends, safety issues and aspects of the built environment were reported by parents to be associated with children's active free-play in outdoor locations. Future research needs to further examine associations with time spent in active free-play and objectively-measured overall physical activity levels. It is also important to investigate strategies for developing a supportive social and physical environment that provides opportunities for children to engage in active free-play.

Individual, social and physical environmental correlates of children's active free-play: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Children's unstructured outdoor free-play (or active free-play) has the potential to make an important contribution to children's overall physical activity levels. Limited research has, however, examined physical activity in this domain. This study examined associations between individual, social and physical environmental factors and the frequency with which children play in particular outdoor locations outside school hours. This study also investigated whether the frequency of playing in outdoor locations was associated with children's overall physical activity levels. Methods Participants including 8-9 year old children and their parents (n = 187) were recruited from a selection of primary schools of varying socioeconomic status across metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. Parents completed a survey and children's overall physical activity levels were measured by accelerometry. Regression models examined the odds of children playing in various outdoor settings according to particular correlates. Results Inverse associations were found between preference for activities not involving physical activity, and the likelihood of children playing in the yard at home on the weekend (OR = 0.65; CI = 0.45,0.95). Positive correlates of children playing in their own street included: parental perceptions that it was safe for their child to play in their street (weekdays [OR = 6.46; CI = 2.84,14.71], weekend days [OR = 6.01; CI = 2.68,13.47]); children having many friends in their neighbourhood (OR = 2.63; CI = 1.21,5.76); and living in a cul-de-sac (weekdays [OR = 3.99; CI = 1.65,9.66], weekend days [OR = 3.49; CI = 1.49,8.16]). Positive correlates of more frequent play in the park/playground on weekdays included family going to the park together on a weekly basis on weekdays (OR = 6.8; CI = 3.4,13.6); and on weekend days (OR = 7.36; CI = 3.6,15.0). No differences in mean mins/day of moderate-vigorous physical activity were found between children in the highest and lowest tertiles for frequency of playing in particular outdoor locations. Conclusion The presence of friends, safety issues and aspects of the built environment were reported by parents to be associated with children's active free-play in outdoor locations. Future research needs to further examine associations with time spent in active free-play and objectively-measured overall physical activity levels. It is also important to investigate strategies for developing a supportive social and physical environment that provides opportunities for children to engage in active free-play. PMID:20181061

Salience Effects: L2 Sentence Production as a Window on L1 Speech Planning.

PubMed

Antón-Méndez, Inés; Gerfen, Chip; Ramos, Miguel

2016-06-01

Salience influences grammatical structure during production in a language-dependent manner because different languages afford different options to satisfy preferences. During production, speakers may always try to satisfy all syntactic encoding preferences (e.g., salient entities to be mentioned early, themes to be assigned the syntactic function of object) and adjust when this is not possible (e.g., a salient theme in English) or, alternatively, they may learn early on to associate particular conceptual configurations with particular syntactic frames (e.g., salient themes with passives). To see which of these alternatives is responsible for the production of passives when dealing with a salient theme, we looked at the second language effects of salience for English-speaking learners of Spanish, where the two preferences can be satisfied simultaneously by fronting the object (Prat-Sala and Branigan in J Mem Lang 42:168-182, 2000). In accordance with highly incremental models of language production, English speakers appear to quickly make use of the alternatives in the second language that allow observance of more processing preferences.

Task-specific modulation of adult humans' tool preferences: number of choices and size of the problem.

PubMed

Silva, Kathleen M; Gross, Thomas J; Silva, Francisco J

2015-03-01

In two experiments, we examined the effect of modifications to the features of a stick-and-tube problem on the stick lengths that adult humans used to solve the problem. In Experiment 1, we examined whether people's tool preferences for retrieving an out-of-reach object in a tube might more closely resemble those reported with laboratory crows if people could modify a single stick to an ideal length to solve the problem. Contrary to when adult humans have selected a tool from a set of ten sticks, asking people to modify a single stick to retrieve an object did not generally result in a stick whose length was related to the object's distance. Consistent with the prior research, though, the working length of the stick was related to the object's distance. In Experiment 2, we examined the effect of increasing the scale of the stick-and-tube problem on people's tool preferences. Increasing the scale of the task influenced people to select relatively shorter tools than had selected in previous studies. Although the causal structures of the tasks used in the two experiments were identical, their results were not. This underscores the necessity of studying physical cognition in relation to a particular causal structure by using a variety of tasks and methods.

Development and implementation of a visual card-sorting technique for assessing food and activity preferences and patterns in African American girls.

PubMed

Sherwood, Nancy E; Story, Mary; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne; Adkins, Sarah; Davis, Marsha

2003-11-01

Card-sorting tasks for assessing food and activity preferences and patterns among African American girls were developed. Associations among food preference and intake frequency, activity preference and frequency, and body mass index were examined. Participants completed newly developed card-sorting tasks assessing food and activity preferences and patterns. Height and weight were measured. Ninety-six 8- to 10-year-old African American girls from schools and community centers in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Preference and frequency data for 64 foods/beverages and 34 activities. Frequencies for food and activity preference and frequency categories were computed. Pearson correlations among food and activity preference, frequency, and body mass index were computed. High-sugar (eg, fruit drinks, soda) and/or high-fat (eg, ice cream, cookies) foods were among the most popular and frequently consumed. Ninety-six percent of girls liked fruit drinks, with 35% consuming them "almost every day." Less-structured activities such as biking, games, jump rope, and dance were most popular. Biking was preferred by 85% of girls, with 48% biking "almost every day." Food preference and frequency categories were moderately correlated (r=0.30 to 0.58), as were activity preference and frequency (r=0.37 to 0.49). The card-sorting tasks are useful tools for assessing food and activity preferences and patterns in girls. Obesity prevention programs for African American girls should include preferred activities such as dance, jump rope, and active play. Programs may also benefit from a focus on replacing high fat/high sugar snacks and sweetened beverages with low-fat, lower-calorie snacks and beverages (eg, fruit, vegetables, water).

Validation of an iPad activity to measure preschool children's food and physical activity knowledge and preferences.

PubMed

Wiseman, Nicola; Harris, Neil; Downes, Martin

2017-02-01

Preschool children's knowledge of, and preference for food and physical activity play an important role in the development of lifestyle behaviors throughout childhood. Valid and reliable instruments that are interactive and appealing to preschool children are needed, to obtain quality information in a way that actively engages children and encourages willing participation. The purpose of the current research is to assess the reliability and validity of an adapted computerized (iPad) version of the photo-pair food and exercise questionnaire (PPFEQ). The adaptation of the PPFEQ involved generating the questionnaire as an iPad-based tool, updating the photo-pairs within the questionnaire and testing for validity and reliability. This involved four phases of investigation to assess test-retest reliability, internal consistency, sensitivity to change and percent agreement of the questionnaire. The adaption of the PPFEQ resulted in an 18-item questionnaire, titled the preschool food and play questionnaire (Pre-FPQ). The Pre-FPQ demonstrated acceptable reliability and sensitivity to change. Test-retest reliability and internal consistency improved with age, however, it was evident that the tool was not suitable for children younger than 4 years of age. Children encounter a dynamic world that shapes their knowledge, preferences, choices and behaviors. The Pre-FPQ is an innovative tool to measure preschool children's knowledge of and preference for food and physical activity. The questionnaire offers the advantage of being presented in a well-received modality for preschool children as well as being easy and inexpensive to administer. This new tool is likely to be useful for the assessment of the effectiveness of healthy lifestyle programs implemented in the childcare setting. Future work is needed to refine and improve measures of physical activity preference in preschool children.

Veteran preferences for romantic partner involvement in depression treatment.

PubMed

Hershenberg, Rachel; Mavandadi, Shahrzad; Klaus, Johanna R; Oslin, David W; Sayers, Steven L

2014-01-01

The objective was to examine Veterans' preferences for romantic partner involvement in depression treatment and patient characteristics that are associated with the likelihood of preferred involvement. One hundred seventy-nine Veterans who met criteria for major or minor depression reported if they wanted their partners to give them medication reminders, accompany them to appointments, and speak with their treatment provider. Greater depression severity and wanting a partner to be less critical and more encouraging were associated with greater preferences for involvement. Veterans may view their partners' involvement in depression treatment as one opportunity for partners to decrease blame or understand more about their problems. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Hormones of choice: the neuroendocrinology of partner preference in animals.

PubMed

Henley, C L; Nunez, A A; Clemens, L G

2011-04-01

Partner preference behavior can be viewed as the outcome of a set of hierarchical choices made by an individual in anticipation of mating. The first choice involves approaching a conspecific verses an individual of another species. As a rule, a conspecific is picked as a mating partner, but early life experiences can alter that outcome. Within a species, an animal then has the choice between a member of the same sex or the opposite sex. The final choice is for a specific individual. This review will focus on the middle choice, the decision to mate with either a male or a female. Available data from rats, mice, and ferrets point to the importance of perinatal exposure to steroid hormones in the development of partner preferences, as well as the importance of activational effects in adulthood. However, the particular effects of this hormone exposure show species differences in both the specific steroid hormone responsible for the organization of behavior and the developmental period when it has its effect. Where these hormones have an effect in the brain is mostly unknown, but regions involved in olfaction and sexual behavior, as well as sexually dimorphic regions, seem to play a role. One limitation of the literature base is that many mate or 'partner preference studies' rely on preference for a specific stimulus (usually olfaction) but do not include an analysis of the relation, if any, that stimulus has to the choice of a particular sexual partner. A second limitation has been the almost total lack of attention to the type of behavior that is shown by the choosing animal once a 'partner' has been chosen, specifically, if the individual plays a mating role typical of its own sex or the opposite sex. Additional paradigms that address these questions are needed for better understanding of partner preferences in rodents. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Objective Approach to Determining the Weight Ranges of Prey Preferred by and Accessible to the Five Large African Carnivores

PubMed Central

Clements, Hayley S.; Tambling, Craig J.; Hayward, Matt W.; Kerley, Graham I. H.

2014-01-01

Broad-scale models describing predator prey preferences serve as useful departure points for understanding predator-prey interactions at finer scales. Previous analyses used a subjective approach to identify prey weight preferences of the five large African carnivores, hence their accuracy is questionable. This study uses a segmented model of prey weight versus prey preference to objectively quantify the prey weight preferences of the five large African carnivores. Based on simulations of known predator prey preference, for prey species sample sizes above 32 the segmented model approach detects up to four known changes in prey weight preference (represented by model break-points) with high rates of detection (75% to 100% of simulations, depending on number of break-points) and accuracy (within 1.3±4.0 to 2.7±4.4 of known break-point). When applied to the five large African carnivores, using carnivore diet information from across Africa, the model detected weight ranges of prey that are preferred, killed relative to their abundance, and avoided by each carnivore. Prey in the weight ranges preferred and killed relative to their abundance are together termed “accessible prey”. Accessible prey weight ranges were found to be 14–135 kg for cheetah Acinonyx jubatus, 1–45 kg for leopard Panthera pardus, 32–632 kg for lion Panthera leo, 15–1600 kg for spotted hyaena Crocuta crocuta and 10–289 kg for wild dog Lycaon pictus. An assessment of carnivore diets throughout Africa found these accessible prey weight ranges include 88±2% (cheetah), 82±3% (leopard), 81±2% (lion), 97±2% (spotted hyaena) and 96±2% (wild dog) of kills. These descriptions of prey weight preferences therefore contribute to our understanding of the diet spectrum of the five large African carnivores. Where datasets meet the minimum sample size requirements, the segmented model approach provides a means of determining, and comparing, the prey weight range preferences of any carnivore species. PMID:24988433