Perceptions Of Factors Research Articles

How do looking patterns, anti-fat bias, and causal weight attributions relate to adults’ judgements of child weight?

Prevailing weight-normative approaches to health pressure adults to visually categorise children’s weight, despite little understanding of how such judgements are made. There is no evidence this strategy improves child health, and it may harm children with higher weights. To understand decision-making processes and identify potential mechanisms of harm we examined perceptual and attitudinal factors involved in adults’ child weight category judgements. Eye movements of 42 adults were tracked while categorizing the weight of 40 computer-generated images of children (aged 4–5 & 10–11 years) varying in size. Questionnaires assessed child-focused weight bias and causal attributions for child weight. Participants’ eye movement patterns resembled those previously reported for adult bodies. Categorisation data showed a perceptual bias towards the ‘mid-range’ category. For higher weight stimuli, participants whose category judgements most closely matched the stimulus’s objective weight had higher child-focused anti-fat bias and weaker genetic attributions for child weight – i.e,. adults who ‘label’ higher weight in children in line with BMI categories report more stigmatising beliefs about such children, suggesting a possible mechanism of harm. Overall, adults’ judgements reflect both unalterable perceptual biases and potentially harmful attitudinal factors, calling into question the feasibility and appropriateness of public health efforts to promote visual child weight categorisation.

A convolutional neural network-based framework for analysis and assessment of non-linguistic sound classification and enhancement for normal hearing and cochlear implant listeners.

Naturalistic sounds encode salient acoustic content that provides situational context or subject/system properties essential for acoustic awareness, autonomy, safety, and improved quality of life for individuals with sensorineural hearing loss. Cochlear implants (CIs) are an assistive hearing device that restores auditory function in hearing impaired individuals. Most CI research advancements have focused on improving speech recognition in noisy, reverberant, or time-varying diverse environments. Relatively few studies have explored non-linguistic sound (NLS) perception among CIs, and those that have carried out such studies generally reported poor perception, suggesting a clear deficit in current CI sound processing systems. In this study, a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based NLS classification model is used as a framework to compare unprocessed and CI-simulated NLS classification and evaluate NLS perception targeted algorithms among CI listeners. Additionally, a NLS enhancement algorithm that focuses on improving identifiability and perception among CI listeners is proposed. The proposed NLS enhancement algorithm is evaluated based on identifiability performance using the CI-simulated NLS classification model. The proposed NLS classification framework was able to achieve near human-level performance with no significant effect of classification modality (model vs human subject) and achieved mean classification scores of 85.86% for NH (p = 0.3758) and 65.25% for CI (p = 0.1725). Among the four different feature-based methods of the proposed NLS enhancement algorithm, the "harmonicity"-based one achieved highest mean classification accuracy of 63.75%, when compared to baseline, and demonstrated significant improvement in performance (p = 0.0403). The resulting proposed comparative NLS classification framework contributes toward (i) advancement of NLS recognition studies, (ii) mitigation of CI user recruitment constraints and listener evaluation with NH listeners, (iii) development of a community shared testbed for comparative NLS studies, and (iv) advancement of NLS enhancement studies (identifiability and perceptual factors) among CI listeners.

Investigating Search Among Physical and Virtual Objects Under Different Lighting Conditions.

By situating computer-generated content in the physical world, mobile augmented reality (AR) can support many tasks that involve effective search and inspection of physical environments. Currently, there is limited information regarding the viability of using AR in realistic wide-area outdoor environments and how AR experiences affect human behavior in these environments. Here, we conducted a wide-area outdoor AR user study ($n=48$) using a commercially available AR headset (Microsoft Hololens 2) to compare (1) user interactions with physical and virtual objects in the environment (2) the effects of different lighting conditions on user behavior and AR experience and (3) the impact of varying cognitive load on AR task performance. Participants engaged in a treasure hunt task where they searched for and classified virtual target items (green "gems") in an augmented outdoor courtyard scene populated with physical and virtual objects. Cognitive load was manipulated so that in half the search trials users were required to monitor an audio stream and respond to specific target sounds. Walking paths, head orientation and eye gaze information were measured, and users were queried about their memory of encountered objects and provided feedback on the experience. Key findings included (1) Participants self-reported significantly lower comfort in the ambient natural light condition, with virtual objects more visible and participants more likely to walk into physical objects at night; (2) recall for physical objects was worse than for virtual objects, (3) participants discovered more gems hidden behind virtual objects than physical objects, implying higher attention on virtual objects and (4) dual-tasking modified search behavior. These results suggest there are important technical, perceptual and cognitive factors that must be considered if the full potential of "anywhere and anytime mobile AR" is to be realized.

Motivational and Perceptual Factors for Choosing Teaching as a Career in Chile: Sex Differences

This paper analyzes the similarities and differences by sex in the motivational variables for choosing a teaching career. We set out to determine the motivational variables influencing student teachers to opt for teaching careers according to sex. Nine hundred and ninety-five student teachers from four Chilean universities participated in this study. Female respondents constituted 65.7% of those who responded to the research instrument (n = 654), while male respondents comprised 34.3% (n = 341) of the sample. The study used the FIT-Choice (factors influencing teaching choice) Scale. This paper presents differential evidence by sex regarding the motivations that the literature has recognized as relevant for selecting a teaching career in Chile. The comparative results showed that women are more motivated than men for their studies, perceive themselves as having greater capacities for teaching, and are more satisfied with this career choice. Intrinsic value is the main motivational factor that explains satisfaction with career choices for both sexes. However, it appears more strongly in men. It is followed in importance by social utility value, perceived ability, and previous teaching-learning experiences. The positive relationship between the perceived demands of the profession and the desire to pursue a teaching career stands out among men. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Measuring the perceptual, physiological and environmental factors that impact stress in the construction industry

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to highlight and demonstrate how the study of stress and related responses in construction can best be measured and benchmarked effectively.Design/methodology/approachA range of perceptual and physiological measures are obtained across different time periods and during different activities in a fieldwork setting. Differences in the empirical results are analysed and implications for future studies of stress discussed.FindingsThe results of this study strongly support the use of multiple psychometrics and biosensors whenever biometrics are included in the study of stress. Perceptual, physiological and environmental factors are all shown to act in concert to impact stress. Strong conclusions on the potential drivers of stress should then only be considered when consistent results apply across multiple metrics, time periods and activities.Research limitations/implicationsStress is an incredibly complex condition. This study demonstrates why many current applications of biosensors to study stress in construction are not up to the task and provides empirical evidence on how future studies can be significantly improved.Originality/valueTo the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to focus explicitly on demonstrating the need for multiple research instruments and settings when studying stress or related conditions in construction.

Motivations and deterrents of blood donation among blood donors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a reduction in blood donations and limited blood supply in many countries. The theory of planned behaviour has been widely used in past studies to understand the factors influencing blood donation. However, this theory limits analyses to the individual level. Furthermore, most research on the determinants of blood donation during the COVID-19 pandemic is quantitative in nature, with relevant qualitative research being rare. To investigate the motivators and demotivators for donating blood among current blood donors during COVID-19 pandemic. Forty in-depth, individual semistructured interviews were conducted with current blood donors from December 2020 to March 2021 in Hong Kong. Thematic content analysis was adopted in the data analysis. The majority of the participants (n = 37) were demotivated from donating blood during the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors at the perceptual, socialand institutional levels interacted to cause this reluctance. Only three participants felt more motivated to donate blood. The data revealed that sociocultural forces and government pandemic prevention policies strongly affected the participants' motivations to donate blood during the pandemic. This study presents a macro understanding of blood donation behaviour by investigating the institutional, socialand perceptual factors influencing current blood donors during the COVID-19 pandemic. This adds a more comprehensive understanding of blood donation where the theory of planned behaviour is widely used in past studies. The participants shared their experiences in the interviews. Their experiences provide hints for explaining the decreasing blood donation during the pandemic times.

Predicting the factors related to cervical cancer screening in secondary school female teachers in Shahrekord: Application of PEN-3 model factors about cervical cancer screening in female teachers

Background and aims: Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. Cervical cancer screening is one of the essential measures for preventing this disease, and its purpose is to detect lesions in the premalignant stage and reduce the risk of death from this cancer. This study aimed to predict the factors related to cervical cancer screening in secondary school teachers using the PEN-3 model in Shahrekord, southwest Iran. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on secondary school female teachers in the academic year 2019-2020. The samples were 228 individuals who were selected by convenience random sampling. The research tools were a demographic information checklist, uterine screening performance information, and a questionnaire based on PEN-3 model constructs (perceptual, enabling, and reinforcing factors). Data analysis was done using SPSS version 22. Results: Regarding cervical cancer screening (Pap smear test), 59.82% of the teachers had a history of undergoing Pap smear tests, of which 35.43% had performed the test regularly. Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed a direct and significant correlation between PEN-3 model constructs (perceptual, enabling, and reinforcing factors) and a history of cervical cancer screening (P<0.001). In the regression analysis of demographic variables and PEN-3 model constructs, the predictive value of these variables for cervical cancer screening was obtained at 0.57%. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the study and given the role of PEN-3 model constructs (perceptual factors, enabling factors, and reinforcing elements) in predicting cervical cancer screening behavior, comprehensive planning for intervention and use of this educational model and gaining knowledge about the cultural and socioeconomic factors for cervical cancer screening seems useful.

Guiding drivers towards safer driving speed: Exploiting visual dominance in speed adaptation

Inappropriate speed is a main cause of accidents. Drivers are often unaware of potential risks due to inadequate speed. To prevent dangerous situations, we need to understand perceptual factors influencing human speed perception. Due to the prominent role of vision in driving, we examined the effect of visuo-spatial stimuli on speed based on the optic flow. While developing an adaptive infrastructure measure to reduce speed, we conducted two consecutive studies, a driving simulator study and a field test to investigate findings further. In both studies, we placed lights on two sides of a highway exit and either illuminated them statically or activated them in a way that they appeared to be moving towards the driver. We expected drivers to slow down more when seeing static light stimuli compared to a baseline without lights. We also expected drivers to decrease speed more in conditions with oncoming lights compared to a baseline, and to static lights, due to distorted speed perception. The first study in a static driving simulator revealed no difference between conditions. In the field test, both static lights and lights moving towards the driver led to a speed reduction compared to a baseline but did not differ from one another. Lights in general led to lower driving speed, potentially due to their warning character, but we found no difference between the light conditions, suggesting that the effect might not be based on the optic flow. Future research should investigate the relationship between driven and perceived speed more closely.

Mediating Agent Reliability with Human Trust, Situation Awareness, and Performance in Autonomously-Collaborative Human-Agent Teams

When teaming with humans, the reliability of intelligent agents may sporadically change due to failure or environmental constraints. Alternatively, an agent may be more reliable than a human because their performance is less likely to degrade (e.g., due to fatigue). Research often investigates human-agent interactions under little to no time constraints, such as discrete decision-making tasks where the automation is relegated to the role of an assistant. This paper conducts a quantitative investigation towards varying reliability in human-agent teams in a time-pressured continuous pursuit task, and it interconnects individual differences, perceptual factors, and task performance through structural equation modeling. Results indicate that reducing reliability may generate a more effective agent imperceptibly different from a fully reliable agent, while contributing to overall team performance. The mediation analysis shows replication of factors studied in the trust and situation awareness literature while providing new insights: agents with an active stake in the task (i.e., success is dependent on team performance) offset loss of situation awareness, differing from the usual notion of overtrust. We conclude with generalizing implications from an abstract pursuit task, and we highlight challenges when conducting research in time-pressured continuous domains.

Analytical study on users' awareness and acceptability towards adoption of multimodal biometrics (MMB) mechanism in online transactions: a two-stage SEM-ANN approach.

sThe study analyses user awareness of multimodal biometrics and its acceptability for online transactions in the current dynamic world. The study was performed on the five underlying perspectives: User Acceptability, Cognizant Factors towards Biometrics, Technological factors, Perceptional Factors (Fingerprints, Iris, Face Recognition and Voice) and Data Privacy Factors. A questionnaire was prepared and circulated to the 530 biometrics users; on that basis, the corresponding answer was obtained for analysis. SEM is first employed to gauge the research model and test the prominent hypothesized predictors, which are then used as inputs in the neural network to evaluate the relative significance of each predictor variable. By considering the standardized significance of the feed-for-back-propagation of ANN algorithms, the study found a significant effect of DPF_3 (93%), DPF_2 (50%) and DPF_4 (34%) on the adoption of MMB. In the Perceptional construct, PRF_2 (49%) and PRF_3 (33%) was relatively the most important predictor, whereas, in User Acceptability, UAC_2 (37%), UAC_3 & UAC_5 (41%) was vital to be considered. Only one item, TCF_2 (35%), from Technological Factors, followed by Cognizant factors, i.e., CFG_1 (33%), confirmed the best fit model to adopt MMB. The research is a novel effort when compared to past studies as it considered cognizant and perceptual factors in the proposed model, thereby expanding the analytical outlook of MMB literature. Thus, the study also explored several new and valuable practical implications for adopting multimodal instruments of biometrics along with certain limitations.

An Investigation of Perceptual, Verbal, and Non-Verbal Barriers in the Workplace

Effective communication creates a positive working environment and thus increases the job performance of the staff. However, the absence of proper communication between the members of an organisation or a company would result in failure to achieve the agreement while working. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how perceptual factors, verbal, and non-verbal communication can be barriers to effective communication in the workplace. A set of questionnaires is used and distributed to workers of various industries in different companies. It consists of five parts: the demographic profile, verbal communication, non-verbal communication, work environment, and organisational values. A total of ninety-four (94) responses are received and recorded. Findings reveal how perceptual, verbal, and non-verbal factors influence the flow of communication in the workplace. Consequently, the findings of this study can help employers and employees to improve communication at all levels for the betterment of the work performance of all workers.

Examining user attitudes towards ride-hailing services – A SEM-MIMIC Ordered Probit approach

Ride-hailing services (RHS) are rapidly transforming the urban transportation landscape, and subsequently, users’ perception of mobility services. Hence, it is of utmost importance to understand the perceptual and latent attitudinal factors that drive such service usage. This gains more relevance in the context of a developing nation both because of its characteristically different transport environment- lifestyle interaction, and relatively fewer studies investigating RHS utilization. The present research uses revealed preference data from household surveys (N = 418) to estimate the usage propensity of RHS services in Kolkata, as it has the highest share of commuters among the four large metropolitan areas in India. A SEM-MIMIC Ordered Probit modelling framework has been developed, as it extracts the advantages of exploring latent constructs through a structural equation model (SEM) and examines their interaction with demographics and trip-specific factors with the Multiple Indicator Multiple Cause Model (MIMIC). This study relies on the confirmatory approach to establish the latent attitudinal factors which stem from accepted theories in travel behaviour, i.e., Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Subsequently, the Ordered Probit model estimates RHS use-frequency. The results highlight that the latent variables (LVs), viz., ride-hailing attitude and perceived usefulness, are the most significant while estimating RHS utilization. These findings encourage RHS providers to focus on service aspects (for example, security during rides, clean vehicles, reliability of rides, less wait time between booking and ride arrival), instead of only emphasizing on (cosmetic) changes to the booking interface. Besides, in contrast to the developed countries, subjective norms were found to have an inverse relationship with RHS usage, suggesting inhibition among the public, which is probably arising from the dearth of customer-friendly service, especially after being comparatively expensive. The model also suggests the supplementary role of RHS to public transit, which could be pivotal in its integration into mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) and also calls for regulatory actions. The demographics (e.g., age, gender, household income) and trip-specific (e.g., trip purpose, trip length, time-of-day) covariates add further meaning to the relationships among latent constructs. The results suggest a higher preference for RHS among non-car-owners, whereas frequent use of ride-hailing is observed to have a likely positive association with longer trip lengths. Overall, this research brings valuable and first-of-its-kind insights into attitudinal factors and their interaction with demographics and trip-specific covariates facilitating RHS utilization in the context of a developing nation.

Phonetic typology and articulatory constraints: The realization of secondary articulations in Scottish Gaelic rhotics

Much progress has been made in the last 200 years with regard to understanding the origins and mechanisms of sound change. It is hypothesized that many sound changes originate in biomechanical constraints on speech production or in the misperception of sounds. These production and perception pressures explain a wide range of sound changes across the world’s languages, yet we also know that sound change is not inevitable. For example, similar phonological structures have undergone change in many languages yet remained stable in others. In this study, we examine how typologically unusual contrasts are maintained in the face of intense pressures, in order to uncover the potential biomechanical, perceptual, and sociolinguistic factors that facilitate the maintenance of typologically unusual contrasts. We focus on secondary articulation contrasts in Scottish Gaelic rhotics, triangulating auditory, acoustic, and articulatory data in order to better understand the maintenance of contrast in the face of multidimensional typological challenges. Here, individual-level articulatory strategies are combined with contextual prosodic information in order to maintain acoustic and auditory distinctiveness across three rhotic phonemes. We highlight the need to more comprehensively consider typologically unusual and minority languages in order to test the limits of generalizations about crosslinguistic phonetic typology.

Using Kansei Engineering for the Design Thinking Framework: Bamboo Pen Holder Product Design

Recently, as a potential source of stationery products, bamboo has been continuously excavated for its commercial value in sustainable development. The research on the design of the bamboo pen holder, based on the concept of sustainable design, is not only a symbol of Chinese culture but also a reflection of perceptual factors underlying college students’ preferences. This study aims at user-centered product design by integrating Design Thinking (DT) and Kansei Engineering (KE). We proposed the KE–DT framework which allows designers to coordinate the user’s feelings as design elements. With various college student questionnaires, expert interviews, and cluster analysis, 7 Kansei words were selected to describe the sentimental value first. Using statistical analysis, the users’ emotional preference for each Kansei word was determined. Finally, the best shape of the pen holder was obtained by Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP), and the stereoscopic product was displayed. A new round of questionnaire surveys was conducted with the optimized pen container and the previous group. The results indicated that curvature had a significant effect on the preference for bamboo stationery in terms of user and designer cognitive differences. Furthermore, the bamboo pen holder designed by the KE–DT framework proved widely popular.

Perceptual Factors Influencing the Adoption of Innovative Tissue Culture Technology by the Australian Avocado Industry

Avocado growers in Australia are currently experiencing long wait times for orchard-ready plants, limiting productivity and profitability. Tissue culture technology represents a faster and more efficient process of producing plants, offering a solution. However, the development of new growing technology comes with the inherent risk of industry nonacceptance and limited uptake, a costly problem for both innovators and industry. This study explored factors related to technology acceptance by the intended end-users of tissue culture technology within the avocado industry in Australia. The study provides key insights into the overall industry sentiment towards uptake and adoption of tissue-culture technology. An online survey was conducted with participants from the Australian avocado industry and demonstrated perceptions of tissue culture technology were generally positive and that, with appropriate extension services, adoption is predicted to be high across industry users. This paper contributes to the behavioural science of technology adoption by exploring perceived use and likely uptake prior to the broad extension strategies of a new technology.

Perceptual factors license vocalic contrasts in Chamorro

In Chamorro, a typically neutralized contrast between mid and high vowels is preserved before intervocalic laryngeals. This preservation of contrast is shown to be an instance of patterned exceptionality. Rather than being a result of syllable structure or the typical lowering pattern of high to mid vowels in Chamorro, this exceptionality is instead conditioned by perceptual factors. The phonetic context provided by intervocalic laryngeals provides external cues pertaining to the quality of the preceding vowel, enabling the preservation of underlying contrast. This paper will demonstrate that laryngeals allow more robust acoustic information for perceiving vowel height (F1) when compared to supralaryngeal consonants. The continuation of vocalic F1 into and through the laryngeal provides more cues to the preceding vowel’s quality, allowing an underlying mid-high contrast to surface faithfully in this “exceptional” environment. This supports theories that integrate phonetic information into the synchronic phonology. The licensing of contrast provided by intervocalic laryngeals carries with it both typological and experimental predictions regarding the patterning of laryngeal consonants and the perceptual environment they provide.

Barriers and enablers to implementation of the therapeutic engagement questionnaire in acute mental health inpatient wards in England: A qualitative study.

A strong association exists between the quality of nurse-service user therapeutic relationship and care outcomes on acute mental health inpatient wards. Despite evidence that service users desire improved therapeutic engagement, and registered mental health nurses recognize the benefits of therapeutic relationships, such interactions remain sub-optimal. There is a dearth of evidence on factors influencing implementation of interventions to support and encourage therapeutic engagement. This study aimed to understand the barriers and enablers to implementation of the Therapeutic Engagement Questionnaire (TEQ), across fifteen acute inpatient wards in seven English mental health organizations. Qualitative methods were used in which data were collected from ethnographic field notes and documentary review, coded, and analysed using thematic analysis. Theoretical framing supported data analysis and interpretation. Reporting adheres to the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research. The TEQ as an evidence-based intervention co-produced with service users and nurses was valued and welcomed by many nurse directors, senior clinicians, and ward managers. However, a range of practical and perceptual factors impeded implementation. Furthermore, many existing contextual challenges for intervention implementation in acute inpatient wards were magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Suitable facilitation to address these barriers can help support implementation of the TEQ, with some transferability to implementation of other interventions in these settings. Our study suggests several facilitation methods, brought together in a conceptual model, including encouragement of reflective, facilitative discussion meetings among stakeholders and researchers, effort put into winning nurse 'buy-in' and identifying and supporting ward-level agents of change.

A behavioural science research programme to understand the barriers to achieving recommended LDL cholesterol goals

Background and Aims : Evidence suggests a gap between clinical guideline development and successful real-world implementation, with an estimated 4 out of 10 patients receiving non-evidenced-based care.1 Ensuring research addresses the drivers of this evidence implementation gap is a key health priority. Involving clinicians and patients in research design can help to synthesise existing knowledge and generate key recommendations to guide research. We convened an expert panel, as first step to help guide a 2-year behavioural science research programme - Cardio Connect: which aims to explore barriers to achieving recommended LDL cholesterol goals.Methods: An expert panel of N=4 behavioural scientists, N=5 clinicians (cardiologists and lipidologists) and a patient organisation representative, from Germany, Italy, and UK, attended a 3-hour virtual meeting. Behavioural scientists proposed a mixed-methods research programme and invited discussion.Results: Key research guiding principles emerged from the experts discussion and experience: 1) explore experiences of treatment access inequality, accounting for regional differences; 2) explore ways to better empower patients; 3) understand differences in the application of clinical guidelines between clinical specialties; 4) explore perceptual factors (e.g. clinicians concerns) and practical barriers (e.g. financial restraints) to delivering evidence-based care from patients’ and clinicians’ perspectives. Experts also advised on ways to engage the clinical and patient community: 1) disseminate findings at local and disease specific conferences; 2) engage patient organisations to reach under-served patients.Conclusions: Research is needed to better understand the evidence-implementation gap in dyslipidaemia. This research programme will apply behavioural science and be co-designed with patient and clinical communities. Background and Aims : Evidence suggests a gap between clinical guideline development and successful real-world implementation, with an estimated 4 out of 10 patients receiving non-evidenced-based care.1 Ensuring research addresses the drivers of this evidence implementation gap is a key health priority. Involving clinicians and patients in research design can help to synthesise existing knowledge and generate key recommendations to guide research. We convened an expert panel, as first step to help guide a 2-year behavioural science research programme - Cardio Connect: which aims to explore barriers to achieving recommended LDL cholesterol goals. Methods: An expert panel of N=4 behavioural scientists, N=5 clinicians (cardiologists and lipidologists) and a patient organisation representative, from Germany, Italy, and UK, attended a 3-hour virtual meeting. Behavioural scientists proposed a mixed-methods research programme and invited discussion. Results: Key research guiding principles emerged from the experts discussion and experience: 1) explore experiences of treatment access inequality, accounting for regional differences; 2) explore ways to better empower patients; 3) understand differences in the application of clinical guidelines between clinical specialties; 4) explore perceptual factors (e.g. clinicians concerns) and practical barriers (e.g. financial restraints) to delivering evidence-based care from patients’ and clinicians’ perspectives. Experts also advised on ways to engage the clinical and patient community: 1) disseminate findings at local and disease specific conferences; 2) engage patient organisations to reach under-served patients. Conclusions: Research is needed to better understand the evidence-implementation gap in dyslipidaemia. This research programme will apply behavioural science and be co-designed with patient and clinical communities.

Cross-dialectal synchronic variation of a diachronic conditioned merger in Tlingit

Abstract Crosslinguistically rare sounds may be uncommon as a result of being phonologically marked (Trubetzkoy 1939) or due to articulatory or perceptual biases (Maddieson 1998). Certain types of sound changes are often argued to have roots in articulatory and perceptual biases (Blevins 2004). But in cases where there is limited data available, such as with understudied languages, it may be difficult to find evidence for the roots of sound changes. Synchronic variation can be used to provide evidence for diachronic sound changes (Blevins 2004; Lindblom 1990; Ohala 1993), which is particularly useful when historical data is limited. In this investigation we discuss phonetic biases, including acoustic and perceptual factors, that contribute to a set of sound changes in Tlingit, a critically endangered Indigenous language of Alaska, British Columbia, and the Yukon, that resulted in a primary split-merger (Blust 2012). This investigation provides further support for including explicit discussion of synchronic variation as part of the description of understudied languages. We propose that there should be a stronger emphasis on documenting and analyzing variation within understudied languages because excluding variation potentially masks significant intralinguistic and crosslinguistic phenomena.

Perception Over Personality in Lethal Force: Aggression, Impulsivity, and Big Five Traits in Threat Assessments and Behavioral Responses due to Weapon Presence and Posture

Abstract The use of lethal force is a combination of threat perception and individual judgment that sometimes warrants a behavioral response. This simplified description implicates perceptual factors and individual differences in lethal force decision making, which ongoing research continues to address. However, personality-based factors have been less explored as to how they might affect either threat perception or behavioral responses in a lethal force decision. The current investigation examined multiple personality traits with the potential to influence lethal force decision making, including aggression, impulsivity, and the Big Five traits. These measures were compared to threat perception and behavioral responses made to a variety of lethal force stimuli broadly categorized as clear threats, ambiguous threats, and clear nonthreats. Samples were recruited from combat-trained infantry, military recruits, and the civilian community to control for prior lethal force training. Although there was a strong omnibus relationship between threat perception and the likelihood of a behavioral response, neither military training nor personality differences had any impact on threat perception or a binary (e.g., shoot/don't-shoot) behavioral response. Therefore, we conclude that perception dominates personality in lethal force decision making when the threat assessment decision is limited to factors such as weapon presence or posture rather than emotion.