Implicit Reaction Research Articles

Fake-News Attitude Evaluation in Terms of Visual Attention and Personality Traits: A Preliminary Study for Mitigating the Cognitive Warfare.

Although the Internet grants access to a large amount of information, it is crucial to verify its reliability before relying on it. False information is a dangerous medium that poses a considerable threat, as it impacts individuals' perceptions and information processing, eventually shaping people's behaviors. Misinformation can be weaponized, especially in cross-border conflicts, where it can be used as a means to erode social cohesion by manipulating public opinion and exacerbate tensions between nations. Cognitive Warfare targets human cognition shaping to be a realm of warfare. It entails the synergy of activities designed to alter perceptions of reality, along with other Instruments of Power, to affect attitudes and behaviors by influencing, protecting, or disrupting cognition on an individual, group, or population level to gain an advantage over an opponent. The objective of our study was to identify behavioral patterns and profile personality traits most likely to accept fake news as true, aiming to mitigate the phenomenon and impact of misinformation and disinformation, as well as addressing the concerning effects of Cognitive Warfare. Based on the Big Five Theory model, we investigated the variation in visual attention and level of Conscientiousness, Open-Mindedness, and Emotional Stability in regard to the capability to detect fake news. In this study, we measured Implicit reaction time (IRT) and visual behavior (Eye Tracker) while participants were shown both fake and real news. The results indicated that subjects who were able to differentiate between fake news and real news tended to exhibit lower levels of Open-Mindedness and focused heavily on the visual elements of the posts.

Can the Phoenix still rise? Traumatic effect of Beirut port explosion on Lebanese people's experiences.

Mental distress and decreased functionality are highly prevalent after collective traumas. Survivors' ability to function is worsened by untreated distress and unmet needs related to job security and a sense of belonging. We aim to identify groups of people using a latent class analysis based on multiple dimensions of subjective experiences after a massive urban violent event. This cross-sectional internet-based study included 1,305 Lebanese adults 4 months after the Beirut Port explosion. Emotions, attitudes, and needs were assessed using the iCode software, a novel approach measuring explicit subjective answers and implicit reaction time to various statements. Responses revealed alarming levels of distress with 75%-80% of participants feeling anxious. Latent class analysis differentiated three groups on initial dimensions derived from the principal component analysis. The first group included those with the most intense emotional distress and intrusive thoughts. They were younger, had higher job worries, and wanted to leave the country. The second group was equally distressed, with marked intrusion and avoidance yet with faith and community resilience buffering negative emotionality. The last group was less distressed with a marked sense of community. Clustering people based on emotional experiences, needs, and resources might offer additional benefits to traditional assessments that fail to detect the variability of vulnerability to mass violence within seemingly homogeneous samples. Integrating implicit and explicit responses also helps with a rapid classification, providing insight to subjective attitudes postcollective trauma. The study mostly provides suggestions for targeted outreach to at-risk subpopulations to better foster resilience in unstable environments. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

No evidence of fast mapping in healthy adults using an implicit memory measure: failures to replicate the lexical competition results of Coutanche and Thompson-Schill (2014)

ABSTRACT Fast mapping (FM) is a hypothetical, incidental learning process that allows rapid acquisition of new words. Using an implicit reaction time measure in a FM paradigm, Coutanche and Thompson-Schill (Coutanche, M. N., & Thompson-Schill, S. L. (2014). Fast mapping rapidly integrates information into existing memory networks. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 143(6), 2296–2303. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000020) showed evidence of lexical competition within 10 min of non-words being learned as names of unknown items, consistent with same-day lexicalisation. Here, Experiment 1 was a methodological replication (N = 28/group) that found no evidence of this RT competition effect. Instead, a post-hoc analysis suggested evidence of semantic priming. Experiment 2 (N = 60/group, online study, pre-registered on OSF) tested whether semantic priming remained when making the stimulus set fully counterbalanced. No evidence for either lexical competition nor semantic priming was detected. Experiment 3 (n = 64, online study, pre-registered on OSF) tested whether referent (a)typicality boosted lexical competition (Coutanche, M. N., & Koch, G. E. (2017). Variation across individuals and items determine learning outcomes from fast mapping. Neuropsychologia, 106, 187–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.09.029), but again no evidence of lexical competition was observed, and Bayes Factors for the data combined across all three experiments supported the hypothesis that there is no effect of lexical competition under FM conditions. These results, together with our previous work, question whether fast mapping exists in healthy adults, at least using this specific FM paradigm.

Effect of context on fine fragrance-elicited emotions: Comparison of three experimental methodologies

The European Sensory Network organized an interactive workshop at the 13th Pangborn Sensory Science Symposium, which took place in Edinburgh (Scotland) in July 2019. The aim of the workshop was twofold. First, three different methodological approaches for measuring emotional responses elicited by fine fragrances were compared: biometric, semantic priming, and implicit reaction time. Second, the role of context on the fragrance experience and elicited emotional responses was investigated by showing videos (fragrance advertisements). This Pangborn workshop was interactive and the results of the third measurement were collected from the audience. The results showed that although the semantic priming method proved to be poorly discriminating, the implicit reaction time measurement highlighted a strong effect of advertisements on elicited feelings. Nomade perfume, which was associated with comforted feelings in the blind condition, became associated with adventurous feelings when it was smelled with its advertisement. Biometric measurements provided limited additional output on the elicited feelings, but clearly showed temporal differences, especially when the advertisement was shown to the participants. Interestingly, despite the different target groups of the experiments (i.e., France, USA, Pangborn international audience) and different experimental procedures, the results of the three methods showed similar findings on the two tested perfumes, with Pop perfume being preferred and eliciting more positive emotional responses than Nomade perfume.

Persistent implicit motor learning alterations following a mild traumatic brain injury sustained during late adulthood

ABSTRACT Introduction: The neurocognitive outcomes of sustaining a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) during late adulthood are vastly understudied. In young, asymptomatic adults, mTBI-related synaptic plasticity alterations have been associated with persistent implicit motor sequence learning impairments outlasting the usual cognitive recovery period. The current study examined whether uncomplicated mTBI sustained during late adulthood could exert persistent deleterious consequences on implicit motor sequence learning. Method: Thirty participants (aged 50–70 years) who experienced an uncomplicated mTBI within 3 to 24 months of testing, and 40 age-, sex- and education-equivalent healthy controls performed an implicit serial reaction time task (SRT task). The SRT task consisted of 10 blocks of a repeating sequence embedded among 4 random blocks. Participants also completed a battery of standardized neuropsychological tests of attention, memory and executive functioning. Results: While both mTBI participants and controls showed significant implicit motor sequence learning effects, the mTBI group achieved a lower level of competence at performing the SRT task as evidenced by smaller gains in reaction times across the 10 training blocks of the repeating sequence. The time elapsed since the injury was unrelated to implicit motor learning effects. There was no evidence of a persistent effect of mTBI on any neuropsychological domain compared to controls. Conclusions: Findings from this study suggest that a single mTBI sustained during older age may have persistent repercussions on training-dependent motor sequence learning capacity outlasting the recovery of mTBI symptoms and gold-standard neuropsychological tests performance.

Concurrent white noise and acute hypobaric hypoxia: Effect on aviation cognitive performance

Introduction: Optimal cognitive performance is the essence of effective execution of a flying mission. Effects of two commonly encountered aviation stressors, hypoxia and noise, on performance have been studied. However, studies on effects of concurrent dual effects of both these stressors on key cognitive parameters are sparse; hence, the objective was to examine these effects. Material and Methods: Cognitive performances were assessed among 30 healthy volunteers (28 males and 2 females) sequentially in four different conditions – baseline (without stressors), 85 dB(A) noise, 14,000 ft altitude, and concurrent exposure to 85 dB(A) noise at 14,000 ft altitude. White noise was simulated through software, altitude in the hypobaric chamber and cognitive performance was assessed with tests from Psychology Experiment Building Language (PEBL) test battery. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and repeated measures ANOVA. Results: The study revealed statistically significant direct detrimental effect of altitude and noise on implicit reaction time independently as well as concurrently. However, there was insignificant interaction effect between the dual stressors on implicit reaction time. There were no statistically significant effects of dual stressors on implicit correctness, visuospatial working memory, and selective attention. Although statistically not significant, noise enhanced the performance level in the form of increased Corsi block memory span and Corsi block total score. Conclusion: No significant effect of the dual stressors was observed on most of the cognitive parameters. However, implicit reaction time, a measure of pilot’s risk-taking behavior, was found to be significantly affected by the dual stressors. Further research with a larger sample of aircrew population who differ in age, experience, and other potentially influencing factors is recommended.

Correction and Validation of Time-Critical Behavioral Measurements over the Internet in the Stage Twin Cohort with More Than 7000 Participants

Behavioral data are increasingly collected over the Internet. This is particularly useful when participants’ own computers can be used as they are, without any modification that relies on their technical skills. However, the temporal accuracy in these settings is generally poor, unknown, and varies substantially across different hard- and software components. This makes it dubious to administer time-critical behavioral tests such as implicit association, reaction time, or various forms of temporal judgment/perception and production. Here, we describe the online collection and subsequent data quality control and adjustment of reaction time and time interval production data from 7127 twins sourced from the Swedish Twin Registry. The purposes are to (1) validate the data that are already and will continue to be reported in forthcoming publications (due to their utility, such as the large sample size and the twin design) and to (2) provide examples of how one might engage in post-hoc analyses of such data, and (3) explore how one might control for systematic influences from specific components in the functional chain. These possible influences include the type and version of the operating system, browser, and multimedia plug-in type

The Competition of Termination and Shielding to Evaluate the Success of Surface-Initiated Reversible Deactivation Radical Polymerization.

One of the challenges for brush synthesis for advanced bioinspired applications using surface-initiated reversible deactivation radical polymerization (SI-RDRP) is the understanding of the relevance of confinement on the reaction probabilities and specifically the role of termination reactions. The present work puts forward a new matrix-based kinetic Monte Carlo platform with an implicit reaction scheme capable of evaluating the growth pattern of individual free and tethered chains in three-dimensional format during SI-RDRP. For illustration purposes, emphasis is on normal SI-atom transfer radical polymerization, introducing concepts such as the apparent livingness and the molecular height distribution (MHD). The former is determined based on the combination of the disturbing impact of termination (related to conventional livingness) and shielding of deactivated species (additional correction due to hindrance), and the latter allows structure-property relationships to be identified, starting at the molecular level in view of future brush characterization. It is shown that under well-defined SI-RDRP conditions the contribution of (shorter) hindered dormant chains is relevant and more pronounced for higher average initiator coverages, despite the fraction of dead chains being less. A dominance of surface-solution termination is also put forward, considering two extreme diffusion modes, i.e., translational and segmental. With the translational mode termination is largely suppressed and the living limit is mimicked, whereas with the segmental mode termination occurs more and the termination front moves upward alongside the polymer layer growth. In any case, bimodalities are established for the tethered chains both on the level of the chain length distribution and the MHD.

IMPULSE Moment-by-Moment Test: An Implicit Measure of Affective Responses to Audiovisual Televised or Digital Advertisements.

IMPULSE is a novel method for detecting affective responses to dynamic audiovisual content. It is an implicit reaction time test that is carried out while an audiovisual clip (e.g., a television commercial) plays in the background and measures feelings that are congruent or incongruent with the content of the clip. The results of three experiments illustrate the following four advantages of IMPULSE over self-reported and biometric methods: (1) being less susceptible to typical confounds associated with explicit measures, (2) being easier to measure deep-seated and often nonconscious emotions, (3) being better able to detect a broad range of emotions and feelings, and (4) being more efficient to implement as an online method.

Harsh voices, sound branding: How voiced consonants in a brand's name can alter its perceived attributes

AbstractThis paper examines the sound‐symbolic link between voiced obstruents (speech sounds created by obstructing the airflow) present in a brand name and the perceived product/brand attributes. In three studies (two using self‐reported measures and one using an implicit reaction time paradigm), we tested the effect of voiced (b, d, g, z, v) versus voiceless obstruents (p, t, k, s, f) across 25 hypothetical brand names, on the perceived product attributes of harshness (vs. softness). Brand names with voiced (vs. voiceless) obstruents are perceived as harsh (vs. soft/mild). Results are described across two different product categories (e.g., toilet cleaner and skin conditioner), and also within the same product category (e.g., strong vs. light beer and strong vs. mild toilet cleaner). Since sound symbolism is culturally agnostic, brands expanding into international and linguistically different markets can use these insights to create brand names that will have international appeal, and can match the product and/or brand attributes that brands wish to convey to consumers.

Implicit reaction vs explicit emotional response: Protected designation of origin in apple cider

The aim of the present study was to determine the implicit and explicit responses of consumers when evaluating two apple ciders of the same brand, being one of the samples a protected designation of origin (PDO) product. Samples were tested in blind conditions to determine if liking was different and was driven by the sensory properties. Then, brand images were also evaluated by consumers. Finally, the products were tested providing consumers with information about the specific cider that they were testing: showing the brand images during the test. The first phase of the study was designed to determine the implicit reaction of 52 consumers, recorded using biosensors capable of measuring skin conductance variations. For this phase, approximately 50% of consumers were familiar with the PDO logo, while the other 50% was not aware of the logo significance, and was clarified before the test. During the second phase of the study, the response of the consumers who were related with the logo significance was further investigated. A total of 65 consumers who were familiar with the PDO significance were recruited, and the same samples than in phase I were assessed. Liking, as well as emotions, using the EsSense25 lexicon, were documented. Significant differences were detected in arousal, and also in impact, between consumers groups. On the contrary, when studying the explicit response, liking and emotions were not significantly different for both cider samples. Implicit reaction might have indicated additional information which was lost when a rationalized response was provided.

Examining the effects of gambling-relevant cues on gambling outcome expectancies

There is a consensus in the addictions literature that exposure to addiction-relevant cues can precipitate a desire to engage, or actual engagement, in the addictive behaviour. Previous work has shown that exposure to gambling-relevant cues activates gamblers’ positive gambling outcome expectancies (i.e. their beliefs about the positive results of gambling). The current study examined the effects of a new, arguably more ecologically valid cue manipulation (i.e. exposure to a gambling lab environment vs. sterile lab environment) on 61 regular gamblers’ explicit and implicit gambling outcome expectancies. The authors first tested the internal consistency of their implicit reaction time measure of gambling outcome expectancies, the Affective Priming Task. Split-half reliabilities were satisfactory to high (.72 to .88), highlighting an advantage of this task over other characteristically unreliable implicit cognitive measures. Unexpectedly, no predicted between-lab condition differences emerged on most measures of interest, suggesting that peripheral environmental cues that are not the focus of deliberate attentional allocation may not activate positive outcome expectancies. However, there was some evidence that implicit negative gambling outcome expectancies were activated in the gambling lab environment. This latter finding holds clinical relevance as it suggests that presenting peripheral gambling-related cues while treating problem gamblers may facilitate processing of the negative consequences of gambling.

Pictorial representation of illness and self-measure as an instrument for diagnostic of illness representation in youth with ultra-high risk for psychosis

IntroductionPictorial representation of illness and self-measure (PRISM) was developed as screening tool assessing implicit reaction to somatic illnesses. Conclusion is based on comparisons of the positions of illness-related (“Illness” and major symptoms) and unrelated (“Me”, “Family”, “Work/study”) objects on the list.ObjectivesDue to its easiness and implicitness PRISM could be promising addition to illness representation questionnaires in mental illnesses.Aim was to reveal validity of the PRISM in youth with ultra-high risk for psychosis.MethodsEighty-one male patients 16–25 years old meeting criteria of ultra-high risk for psychosis; preliminary diagnoses of mood disorders 34, personality disorders 26, schizotypal disorder 21 patients) filled PRISM, beck cognitive insight scale, symptom checklist 90-r, illness perception questionnaire, quality of life and enjoyment questionnaire and happiness scale.ResultsAccording to hierarchical regression, conditional “Self-Illness” distance (after control for mean distances on the list) was related to less psychopathological complaints, lower subjective illness severity and emotional representations, higher treatment control and better quality of life. “Self-symptoms” distance was related to better cognitive insight, lower emotional representations and consequences and moderated the relationship between “Self-Illness” distance and appraisals of illness length and dynamic.ConclusionsConditional “Self-Illness” distance in PRISM could reflect cognitive appraisal of illness based on symptoms and related to life satisfaction while “Self-Symptoms” distance reflects merely emotional reaction based on cognitive insight.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Exogenous testosterone decreases men's personal distance in a social threat context

BackgroundTestosterone can motivate human approach and avoidance behavior. Specifically, the conscious recognition of and implicit reaction to angry facial expressions is influenced by testosterone. The study tested whether exogenous testosterone modulates the personal distance (PD) humans prefer in a social threat context. Methods82 healthy male participants underwent either transdermal testosterone (testosterone group) or placebo application (placebo group). Each participant performed a computerized stop-distance task before (T1) and 3.5h after (T2) treatment, during which they indicated how closely they would approach a human, animal or virtual character with varying emotional expression. ResultsMen's PD towards humans and animals varied as a function of their emotional expression. In the testosterone group, a pre-post comparison indicated that the administration of 50mg testosterone was associated with a small but significant reduction of men's PD towards aggressive individuals. Men in the placebo group did not change the initially chosen PD after placebo application independent of the condition. However comparing the testosterone and placebo group after testosterone administration did not reveal significant differences. While the behavioral effect was small and only observed as within-group effect it was repeatedly and selectively shown for men's PD choices towards an angry woman, angry man and angry dog in the testosterone group. In line with the literature, our findings in young men support the influential role of exogenous testosterone on male's approach behavior during social confrontations.

Seeing the Unseen: Evidence for Indirect Recognition of Brief, Concealed Emotion

The study examined explicit recognition vs. implicit reactions to spontaneous, brief expressions of emotion. Explicit recognition, where participants indicated which emotion they thought the stimulus individual was feeling, was compared to implicit reaction, based on a) electrodermal response (skin conductance response amplitude) to the stimulus video, and b) affiliative attitude towards the sender. Participants were exposed to a stimulus set of 20 spontaneously produced emotion expressions less than 500ms in duration and that represented one of five universal emotions (anger, fear, sadness, disgust and happiness), or a neutral comparison. In Experiment 1, individuals did not explicitly recognize emotion associated with the expressions, but had a higher electrodermal response, specifically for expressions of anger and sadness. Experiment 2 (n = 80) replicated the electrodermal findings of Experiment 1 and also showed that indirect recognition effects can be seen in social behavior, with expressions of distress (fear and sadness) resulting in greater affiliative attitudes towards the sender than expressions of threat (anger and disgust).

Refilling the half-empty glass – Investigating the potential role of the Interpretation Modification Paradigm for Depression (IMP-D)

Background and objectivesCognitive biases are known to cause and maintain depression. However, little research has been done on techniques targeting interpretation tendencies found in depression, despite the promising findings of anxiety studies. This paper presents two experiments, investigating the suitability of an Interpretation Modification Paradigm for Depression (IMP-D) in healthy individuals, which has already proven its effectiveness in anxiety (Beard & Amir, 2008). Different from other paradigms, the IMP-D aims at modifying an interpretation bias on response- and on a more implicit reaction time-level, making this task less susceptible to demand effects. MethodsThe Word–Sentence Association Paradigm for Depression (Hindash & Amir, 2011) was modified and administered in healthy volunteers (experiment I: N = 81; experiment II: N = 105). To enhance a positive interpretation bias, endorsing benign and rejecting negative interpretations of ambiguous scenarios was reinforced through feedback. This intervention was compared to the opposite training (both experiments) and a control training (experiment II only). ResultsBoth experiments revealed a significant increase in bias towards benign interpretations on the level of overt decisions, while only in the first experiment a change was found on a reaction time level. These modifications are not reflected in group-differences in emotional vulnerability. LimitationsPossible limitations regarding the reliability of inter-dependent response and reaction time measures are discussed. ConclusionsThe IMP-D is able to modify interpretation biases, but adaptations are required to maximize its beneficial effects.

Does Race Matter? Implicit and Explicit Measures of the Effect of the PR Spokesman's Race on Evaluations of Spokesman Source Credibility and Perceptions of a PR Crisis' Severity

One rationale offered for why there are fewer people of color in public relations is that publics would respond less positively if racial minorities represented the public face of an organization. To determine the plausibility of this rationale, this study employed a 2 (race: Black vs. White spokesman) × 2 (performance history: with prior crisis vs. no prior crisis) × 2 (crisis type: sports vs. product recall) within-subjects experiment (N = 64), using both implicit (reaction time) and explicit (self-report) measures. Contrary to expectations, participants rated Black spokesmen as significantly more credible than White spokesmen using explicit measures. Most significantly, implicit tests, using response time measures, revealed that heuristic cues, such as the spokesman's race, have an influence on perceptions in the absence of a performance history, i.e., when no other information must be cognitively processed. But in cases where there is a crisis history, i.e., when there is more pertinent information, racial cues play less of a role.

Georges Bataille and the Transgression of Taboos by Stephan Dedalus

James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is not a pornographic novel like Georges Bataille' Story of the Eye ; however, the present study attempts to trace Bataille's heterological notions in A Portrait . This paper attempts to see whether or not Stephan Dedalus as the main character of Joyce's literary work, has the potential to carry Batatille's heterogeneous elements which shatter any religious, linguistic, economic and political system. In order to reach this goal, the paper first attempts to establish the powerful dominance of the Catholic discourse, one of the strictest religious systems in the world, over Ireland which is the main setting of A Portr ait. In the next part it will trace the authoritarian shadow of Catholicism and its impression upon Stephen Dedalus. Here, the principal aim is to indicate the significance of Stephen's transgressive acts in the novel and to see whether these transgressions have Bataillean nature as they shatter a very strict religious structure. Afterward, Stephen's transgressions as well as the implicit reaction of the religious system toward these transgressions will be investigated regarding Georges Bataille's heterogeneous notions.

Conversations on the Avant-Doc: Scott MacDonald Interviews

Conversations on the Avant-Doc:Scott MacDonald Interviews Scott MacDonald (bio) Harnessing perspectives drawn from the human sciences, the arts, and the humanities, the aim of SEL is to support innovative combinations of aesthetics and ethnography, with original nonfiction media practices that explore the bodily praxis and affective fabric of human existence. As such, it encourages attention to the many dimensions of social experience and subjectivity that may only with difficulty be rendered with words alone. —From the website of the Sensory Ethnography Lab By 2013, the end of its first decade, the Sensory Ethnography Lab (SEL) at Harvard University had revived interest in ethnographic cinema by instigating the production of engaging, revealing, immersive sync-sound films, video installations, and sound works by young anthropologists/artists committed to using media as a means of communicating the broadest range of human experience (“film” here refers to works made either in 35mm, 16mm, or on one of the video or digital video formats). The filmmaking nurtured by the Sensory Ethnography Lab is made within a context and an awareness of traditional documentary, and particularly American ethnographic (and “ethnographic”) cinema, from Robert Flaherty through John and Lorna Marshall, Robert Gardner, and Timothy Asch. But it also defies this tradition in several ways—most obviously, perhaps, in its refusal of didacticism: in the films of Ilisa Barbash/Lucien Castaing-Taylor, J.P. Sniadecki, Stephanie Spray, and Véréna Paravel, no narrator presumes to provide explanations or present conclusions. Indeed, many of these films often seem less [End Page 261] like documentaries than like contributions to a particular development within what continues to be called American “avant-garde film.” The past quarter-century has seen an increased commitment on the part of some filmmakers to the contemplative representation of place: cityscapes, landscapes, in all their complex variations and imbrications. Early premonitions of this development include Henwar Rodakiewicz’s Portrait of a Young Man (US, 1931) and Ralph Steiner’s H20 (US, 1929), and some decades later, Nathaniel Dorsky’s Summerwind (US, 1965) and Bruce Baillie’s All My Life (US, 1966)—though an intensification of what had been a very sporadic approach begins in the early 1970s with Larry Gottheim’s single-shot films—Fog Line (US, 1970), for example—Barn Rushes (US, 1971) and the feature-length Horizons (US, 1973), Robert Huot’s Snow (US, 1971) and Rolls: 1971 (US, 1972), J. J. Murphy’s In Progress (co-made with Ed Small, US, 1972), Peter Hutton’s New York Near Sleep for Saskia (US, 1972), Images of Asian Music (A Diary from Life) (US, 1974), New York Portrait, Part I (US, 1977), and James Benning’s 11 X 14 (US, 1976) and One Way Boogie Woogie (US, 1977). All of these films involve sustained contemplations of particular environments, often in shots of extended duration. This particular development can be understood, on one level, as an implicit reaction to the increased homogenization of American place in the wake of the completion of the interstate highway system and the resulting development of national, then international, restaurant and retail chains. Increasingly threatened, the particularities of specific places have seemed increasingly worthy of cinematic attention—indeed, of a kind of salvage ethnography. On a formal level, these films were reactions to the acceleration of commercial media during the 1960s and 1970s and the increasing overload of images per minute in commercials and commercial movies—as well as to the implicit training in compulsive consumption provided by this acceleration. These new contemplations of place were and are about slowing down and considering where we are. By the 2000s, this cinema of place had emerged as a major force in independent film and video. Peter Hutton—Time and Tide (US, 2000), Skagafjördur (US, 2004), At Sea (US, 2007)—and Nathaniel Dorsky—Alaya (US, 1987), Four Cinematic Songs (US, 1996-2001) and Two Devotional Songs (US, 2002-2004)—continued to build on the accomplishments of their early work; and, like Hutton, James Benning and Sharon Lockhart continued to mine the potential of the long-duration image. Benning’s 13 Lakes (US, 2004) and Ten Skies (US, 2004), and Lockhart’s Pine Flat (US, 2005) are made up of series...

Solvated First-Principles Excited-State Charge-Transfer Dynamics with Time-Dependent Polarizable Continuum Model and Solvent Dielectric Relaxation

A first-principles solvated electronic dynamics method with a solvent relaxation mechanism is introduced in this work. Both solvent and solute are described and propagated in time by coupling the solvent implicit reaction field to the time-dependent electronic density of the solute molecule. Meanwhile, the solvent is allowed to relax from being optically active to a bath-like bulk medium, modeled by a time-dependent dielectric relaxation function. This real-time, time-dependent approach is shown to demonstrate aptly the drastic effect of solvent on the dynamics of the charge-transfer process, yielding results consistent with experimental observations.