Effects Of Stimulus Complexity Research Articles

Mental rotation: Effects of stimulus complexity and familiarity.

Mental rotation: Effects of stimulus complexity and familiarity.

Mental rotation: Effects of stimulus complexity and familiarity.

Mental rotation: Effects of stimulus complexity and familiarity.

Effects of stimulus complexity on mental rotation rate of polygons.

Effects of stimulus complexity on mental rotation rate of polygons.

Effects of stimulus complexity on mental rotation rate of polygons.

Both spatial and propositional theories of imagery predict that the rate at which mental images can be rotated is slower the more complex the stimulus. Four experiments (three published and one unpublished) testing that hypothesis found no effect of complexity on rotation rate. It is argued that despite continued methodological improvements, subjects in the conditions of greater complexity may have found it sufficient to rotate only partial images, thereby vitiating the prediction. The two experiments reported here are based on the idea of making the discriminative response sufficiently difficult so as to force the rotation of complete images. The first one scaled the similarity between standard polygons and certain systematically mutated versions. From the ratings so obtained, two levels of perceived similarity, high and low, were defined and served as separate conditions in a response-time, image rotation experiment. The second experiment tested the complexity hypothesis by examining the effect of similarity on rotation rates and its interaction with levels of complexity. The results support the complexity hypothesis, but only for the highly similar stimuli. Rotation times were also generally slower for high as compared with low similarity. It is argued that these results arise because subjects rotate incomplete images when the stimuli are not very similar.

A Simultaneous Regression Model for Double Stimulation Tasks

Reaction time in double stimulation tasks was investigated, and a simultaneous regression model was proposed within the concept of variable capacity allocation theory. The model was tested using a double stimulation task paradigm. In the experiment, six levels of inter-stimulus interval (ISI) and three levels of stimulus complexity were employed. The regression analysis showed that the effects of stimulus complexity and ISI were significant. From the simultaneous regression model, reaction times to the first and to the second stimulus were predicted for the different experimental conditions.

Habituation of early and late visual ERP components and the orienting reaction: The effect of stimulus information

Single trial event-related potentials at Fz, Cz, Pz and Oz were measured concurrently with pupil reactions and skin conductance reactions in a habituation paradigm. One group of subjects (n=16) was given 36 simple visual stimuli and a second group (n=16) 36 complex visual stimuli of equal duration, brightness and dimensions. No task-relevance was given to the stimuli. Under these circumstances we found rapid habituation (within 6 trials) of the vertex N1. Because we used long, variable interstimulus intervals, the N1 decrease could not be explained by refractory effects. Habituation rates of the N1 and the concurrently measured SCR did not differ. Although the P3 showed significant habituation over the 12 trials (except at Oz), it habituated slower than the N1 and the SCR. The complex stimulus condition elicited larger P3b waves. No effect of stimulus complexity was found on the N1 and the SCR. The relevance of these results for the OR is discussed.

Effects of Stimulus Complexity on Double Stimulation Tasks

The effects of the complexity of stimuli on reaction times in double stimulation tasks were investigated within the concept of cognitive capacity allocation. The results showed that the complexity of the first stimulus (S1), and the complexity of the second stimulus (S2), and their interaction terms had significant effects on reaction time to S1 (RT1), and reaction time to S2 (RT2). An increase in RT2 (and RT1) was observed when the complexity of S1 and/or the complexity of S2 increased. However, the increase in RT2 due to the increase in the complexity of S1 was greater than the increase in RT1 due to the increase in the complexity of S2.

Visual Perspective-Taking Skills in Children

The present study evaluated the effects of stimulus complexity and rule usage on a visual perspective-taking task. Preschoolers, first, third, and fifth graders, and adults were shown arrays of dolls and performed a series of perspective-taking tasks. Errors decreased with age, and more errors occurred with the more complex visual arrays. A significant number of errors were made in self-view trials, especially by the preschoolers, showing that the ability to relate an array to a pictorial representation of it is not perfect. A conditional probability analysis showed that most egocentric errors were not due to an inability to relate the array to pictorial representations, but rather to a lack of mastery of Flavell's different positions--different views rule. When the array was covered, however, even first graders showed almost perfect mastery of this rule. There were also task effects on the use of Flavell's same position--same view rule: children performed better for a task involving self and other than for 2 others. Response latencies and effects for the observer's relative position provided evidence for a new rule: opposite positions--opposite views. In addition, front and back views of the dolls were significantly easier than the side views, which suggests a role of labeling or stimulus-discrimination skills.

Age differences in within-session habituation of exploratory behavior: effects of stimulus complexity

The effects of age on the habituation of exploratory behavior of 8-month- and 28-month-old male C57BL/NNia mice were examined under three different stimulus complexity conditions. Increases in the degree of stimulus complexity resulted in an attenuation of between-session habituation and an initial disruption of within-session habituation by 8-month-old mice. Although increases in stimulus complexity also resulted in an increase in the overall level of exploration by aged mice, stimulus complexity was not found to have a systematic effect on between- or within-session habituation by aged mice. No between-session habituation was observed in aged mice under any of the stimulus complexity conditions. Further, aged mice exhibited significant within-session increases, rather than decreases, in exploration under each stimulus complexity condition. This disruption of within-session habituation in aged mice was found to persist over four daily test sessions. In view of the specific patterns of exploration by aged mice, the disruption of within-session habituation was attributed to age-related differences in reactivity to the arousal-inducing properties of novel stimuli.

Effects of stimulus complexity and familiarization time on infant preferences for novel and familiar stimuli.

Effects of stimulus complexity and familiarization time on infant preferences for novel and familiar stimuli.

Effects of stimulus complexity and familiarization time on infant preferences for novel and familiar stimuli.

Effects of stimulus complexity and familiarization time on infant preferences for novel and familiar stimuli.

The influence of uncertainty and visual complexity on habituation of electrodermal and visual orienting reactions.

ABSTRACTThis experiment investigated the effects of stimulus complexity and stimulus uncertainty on habituation of the visual orienting reaction (VOR) and the skin conductance orienting reaction (SCR) in four groups of 14 subjects each. Half the subjects were told that the same stimulus would be presented a number of times in the right upper comer of the TV screen (“certain condition”), and the other half were not informed about the stimuli (“uncertain condition”). Within each of these groups, half the subjects received 14 stimuli of 12 bits information and the other half received 14 stimuli of 60 bits information. Stimulus complexity and stimulus uncertainty led to both slower habituation of the VOR and stronger VORs on trial 1. Neither factor, howev, had a significant effect on SCR magnitude or habituation. It was concluded that the VOR and SCR represent different aspects of stimulus processing. The results of this experiment were discussed in terms of the roles which VORs and SCRs may play in selective attention.

A comparison of the differential effects of stimulus complexity and response competition on schizophrenics.

The performance of hospitalized schizophrenics, subdivided on a paranoid/non-paranoid dimension, was compared to hospitalized controls on tasks intended to separate the effects of response competition and stimulus complexity. The data tended to provide consistent support for stimulus complexity explanations of performance deficits among schizophrenics, rather than explanations based upon response competition.

Effect of a changing stimulus on the performance of learning disabled and normal children.

The effect of stimulus complexity on the performance of 30 learning disabled and 30 normal Caucasian children (age range 10- to 11.6-year-olds) was compared. Reaction time and response patterns were analyzed separately using a three-factor analysis of variance design, with repeated measures over the last factor. The dependent variables were analyzed over both changing and constant conditions. Under the changing condition, colored squares of the 3 by 4 stimulus matrix were assigned at random on every trial. Under the constant condition the colored squares remained in the same position on every trial. The results support the notion that stimulus complexity affects reaction time for both learning disabled and normal children. No response patterns were shown.

Facilitating referential communication among children: The listener as teacher

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that systematic variations in listener behavior can have an important influence on both speaker behavior and communicative success among children. In particular, we investigated the idea that systematic variations in listener behavior might have not only within-trial effects on the adequacy of speakers' messages and the accuracy of communication among children, but also cumulative effects on speakers' initial messages across trials. Effects of stimulus complexity were also examined. Pairs of 7- and 9-year-old children participated in a referential communication game, with the younger child serving as speaker and the older one as listener. Half of the listeners were given a plan for effective listening which emphasized the importance of asking questions if the speakers' messages were ambiguous. Replicating earlier findings, the plan manipulation was successful in encouraging listeners to ask questions when necessary. The major result was that listener questions not only had the expected trial-by-trial effect on message adequacy and communicative accuracy, but also showed a cumulative effect on speaker performance. When exposed to systematic listener feedback, speakers improved their initial messages over trials. Stimulus complexity was not a major determinant of performances. These findings suggest that provision of systematic listener feedback may be an effective method for teaching speaker skills to young children.

The Effect of Stimulus Complexity Upon the Frequency - Affect Relationship

The Effect of Stimulus Complexity Upon the Frequency - Affect Relationship

A Theoretical Reconciliation of Competing Views of Time Perception

The time-perception literature is oriented around two opposing traditions, one of which, set forth by Ornstein in 1970, views time estimation as linearly and positively related to stimulus complexity, while the other, as published by Priestly in 1968, sees time as essentially linearly but negatively associated with the experiential complexity with which given intervals are filled. However, careful reading of the literature suggests that, contrary to the Ornstein and Priestly models, a linear correlation between stimulus complexity and time perception should not be expected to fully describe the range of possible relationships. What researchers appear to have ignored is the interrelated impact on time perception of the widely reported inverted-U effects of stimulus complexity and the conceptually related dimension of extroversion. With these latter considerations, comparative time perception thus becomes not a linear but rather a curvilinear, U-shaped function of both personality and stimulus complexity dimensions. The conceptual reconciliation growing out of the present literature review thus offers an explanation for previously reported empirical inconsistencies and suggests the redirection of future comparative time perception research.

The Effect of Stimulus Complexity on Infant Visual Attention and Habituation

Infant visual attention and habituation were examined with a procedure providing independent assessment of an infant's latency of orienting to a pattern (attention getting) and his subsequent fixation of that pattern (attention holding). 18 male and 18 female, 17-week-old infants were given 2 trials with a red circle, 16 trials with either a 2 times 2, 8 times 8, or 24 times 24 checkerboard pattern, then 2 more red-circle trials. The major results were that habituation occurred in fixation time with males habituating more than females, and that a general decrease occurred in latency with females selectively increasing or decreasing their latency depending upon the pattern they had previously seen. These results indicated the necessity of separating attention-getting from attention-holding measures and that both sexes remembered something about the visual patterns but demonstrated that memory differently.

The Effect of Stimulus Complexity on Infant Visual Attention and Habituation

The Effect of Stimulus Complexity on Infant Visual Attention and Habituation

Effects of two levels of stimulus complexity upon hypothesis sampling systems among second and sixth grade children

Groups of second and sixth grade children each solved a series of discrimination-learning problems involving four and eight dimensions that contained blanktrial probes for the S′s hypothesis ( H). There were significant effects of grade level on three dependent measures (learning, generating consistent H patterns, sampling locally consistent Hs). Main effects of stimulus complexity were significant on five measures (the three above, rejecting disconfirmed Hs, maintaining confirmed Hs). There were no interactions involving any of these measures. The hypothesis sampling system ( Sy) observed in each problem was also determined. Among sixth grade Ss this measure was unaffected by stimulus complexity level. Second grade Ss generated logically structured Sys in 65% of four-dimensional, but only 30% of eight-dimensional problems. They generated stereotyped behaviors or unsystematic sequences of Hs in 70% of eight-dimensional, but only about 35% of four-dimensional problems. Detailed analyses revealed that among second grade Ss good information processors (in terms of four component processes above) usually imposed a logical structure on four-dimensional, but generated unsystematic sequences of Hs in many of eight-dimensional problems. Poor processors generated stereotyped behaviors in both four- and eight-dimensional problems.