Perceptual Processes Research Articles

Exploring the Cognitive Processes of Preparation for a Spelling Bee Game to Enhance Vocabulary Learning in a Foreign Language

This study investigates the cognitive processes associated with preparation for a spelling bee game to enhance vocabulary learning in a foreign language. It draws upon the Information Processing Theory, which involves attention, perception, and memory processes. During their freshman year of college in the Department of English, a group of 30 Saudi learners, at the same level of English, ranging in age from 18 to 20 years old, were provided with a weekly set of words to memorize as part of their Reading Course. Following twelve weeks of practice, memorization, and oral performance, a spelling bee was organized for the ten students who achieved the highest scores in the spelling tests. Subsequently, individual interviews were conducted with each of the ten participants in order to understand the cognitive mechanisms underlying their preparation and memorization for the event. The study's findings reveal that most participants in the spelling bee game actively engage in key stages of information processing, including encoding, storing, and retrieving information. Additionally, learners were observed to evolve from merely acquiring factual vocabulary knowledge to applying it practically through repeated practice and memorization for the spelling bee. By engaging multiple senses—such as visual and auditory perception—alongside verbal memory, most participants develop the procedural knowledge needed to spell words accurately and effortlessly, effectively transferring words from short-term to long-term memory.

Human Tactile Discrimination of Pulse Shape Is Possible Without Pre-Adaptation.

Recent progress in the field of tactile coding suggests that discrimination of texture may involve the instantaneous kinematic analysis of frictional stick-slip movements. The idea has received support from analytical psychophysical experiments employing changes of pulsatile skin deflections in a well-adapted state - i.e. when changing repetitive pulsatile stimulation from one pulse shape to another. Here we investigated whether perception of pulse shapes is possible with single, isolated pulses. In other words, whether the well-described neuronal 'onset-responses' in central parts of the tactile pathway, which differ largely from 'adapted responses', carry information about pulse shape. We tested human participants on a pulse shape 2AFC discrimination paradigm: in each trial, 3 pulsatile skin indentations were presented at an interval of 0.5s. Either the first or the last pulse deviated in its shape, which the participants had to correctly identify. The task could not be solved by simply integrating tactile response across the 3 pulses. A majority of the participants (18 out of 30) yielded a performance of p(correct)>0.75, indicating that isolated pulse shapes reach perception. The performance was enhanced by presenting the same shape changes in the context of a preadapting series of pulses. Participants confronted with the 3-pulse test did not show a systematic preference for the kinematic parameter used to change the shape. We conclude that perceptual processes in principle have access to the kinematic shape of isolated pulsatile skin deflections. However, sensory adaption plays a crucial role for the quality and specificity of encoding kinematic pulse profiles.

Architectural Narratives of Aesthetic Form: Exploring the Perception and Psychological Design in Church Architecture

This article examines church architecture to explore the role of formal beauty in architectural spatial narratives and how perception and psychological design influence people's experiences and emotions. First, the article reviews the theoretical foundations of formal beauty in architecture, elaborating on the application of aesthetic elements such as proportion, symmetry, rhythm, and light and shadow in buildings. Then, through case studies of typical churches from different historical periods (such as Gothic, Baroque, and modern churches), it reveals how architects utilize spatial layout, verticality, light, and decoration to create unique spiritual atmospheres and enhance religious experiences. The article focuses on how architectural space guides people's perception processes, stimulates psychological resonance, and achieves emotional elevation. Finally, it summarizes the key role of formal beauty in architectural narratives, emphasizing the importance of perceptual and psychological design in enhancing the quality of architectural spaces. By deeply exploring church architecture, this study aims to provide new perspectives for modern architectural design, advocating for the creation of formal beauty to enrich the narrative and appeal of spaces while meeting functional requirements.

Psychosocial Factors Influencing Voting Behavior

This study delves into the voting behaviour in the context of Indian electorate, shedding light on understanding it in the relatively new dimension, where the focus is primarily on psychological factors and social factors (demography) influencing the voting behaviour, which further sheds light on understanding the broader issues, like low voter turnout in India compared to other democracies worldwide, understanding of opinion polls and exit surveys and other evolving unethical Influences which are centred around mental process of voters cognition, which could create a new dimension of understanding the need for neuro rights of the voters, where the motive of free and fair elections can be achieved. This pioneering attempt to comprehend the psycho - social factors influencing voting behaviour in the Indian electoral system is groundbreaking as it has never been attempted before. In an election scenario, voters are exposed to a myriad of stimuli related to political candidates, parties, promises, and discussions, prompting selective exposure, perception, and integration processes to form the basis for their voting decisions. The study also draws on the voter turnout theory, highlighting the role of social reference groups and their impact on voter behaviour. Furthermore, it emphasizes the under explored domain of psychological and social factors in explaining political attitudes and voting behaviour among the mass public from relative unexplored dimensions, asserting that psychological traits directly influence the voting behaviour. With the Indian electoral system becoming increasingly dynamic due to diverse societal participation and steadily growing influential factors the need for study arises strongly, This research attempt is being carried forward by examining personality through the DISC personality assessment tool and quantifying the voting behaviour through the theory of planned behaviour questionnaire, the study seeks to discern the connections between demographic variables, personality traits and voting behaviour (intention). The components of voting behaviour were formed on the pivotals of theory of planned behaviour (TBH) such as behaviour beliefs, control beliefs and normative beliefs which more precisely create assessment area of voting behaviour intention. The study employs questionnaire with a five - point Likert scale to measure respondents' agreement with statements related to voting behaviour. The research's objectives include exploring the influence of a voter's personality and demographic variables on their voting behaviour and the influence of specific personality types on various facets of voting behaviour. The study's hypotheses posit that voting behaviour is influenced by psycho - social factors, particularly personality and demographic variables, and that different personality types may alternatively influence the voting behaviour intention. In conclusion, this study aims to elevate our comprehension of this context to a higher standard.

Psychological basis of emotional and moral development of the personality. Part 1. Research problem of emotional and moral development of personality

Introduction. The relevance of the research problem lies in the fact that in psychological science some theorists involved in the study of emotions believe that the states of emotional experience are unchanged. Since the principles of immutability and constancy of emotional experience are crucial for understanding consciousness, an important type of which in humans are emotions, since they influence their perceptual and cognitive processes and behavior.Purpose setting. There are unique classes of emotional phenomena, such as mood, feelings, which manifest themselves in the general background of events and persist after their completion. It is precisely such background experiences that are the basis of the emotional assessments studied in this work. Moral and aesthetic experiences associated with art, human cognition through art, ensure his development as a subject of moral relations to other people and to himself, contribute to changes in his moral experience and personal (including emotional) characteristics.Methodology and methods of the study was carried out on the basis of the study of philosophical, sociological, psychological and pedagogical scientific and methodological literature, which made it possible to develop the concept of psychological foundations. Results. Our research is educational in the management of emotions and feelings. The dynamic development of the results of our study of the emotional states of a personality, its experiences according to the author’s methods in the form of keeping an emotional diary since 1997, contributing to the self-development of a personality as a component of personal maturity, is presented.Conclusion. The practical value of the research within the framework of general psychology lies not only in the fact that the main directions for optimizing the process of emotional and moral development of a personality are identified, recommendations are substantiated for improving the specialization of people working with children, improving their professional skills, but also in developing a program for the psychological study of emotional and moral personality development (EMPD), diagnostics of specific and nonspecific emotional phenomena, which ensures timely correction of the EMPD process. The data obtained can be taken into account in schools and universities in the process of forecasting the moral atmosphere among adolescents and students, as well as the moral atmosphere of society in general.

Language Dominance and Cultural Identity Predict Variation in Self-Reported Personality in English and Spanish Among Hispanic/Latino Bilingual Adults

Language is a fundamental aspect of human culture that influences cognitive and perceptual processes. Prior evidence demonstrates personality self-report can vary across multilingual persons’ language contexts. We assessed how cultural identification, language dominance, or both dynamically influence bilingual respondents’ self-conception, via self-reported personality, across English and Spanish contexts. During separate English and Spanish conditions, 133 Hispanic/Latino bilingual participants (70 female) completed the Big Five Inventory of personality. We used language use and acculturation surveys completed in both languages to calculate participants’ relative language dominance and identification with U.S.-American and Hispanic culture. Participants reported higher levels of agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism in English relative to Spanish. Language dominance predicted cross-language differences in personality report, with higher extraversion reported in participants’ dominant language. Within each language, greater endorsement of U.S.-American identity was associated with higher extraversion and conscientiousness and lower reported neuroticism. Agreeableness report in both languages was positively predicted by Hispanic identification. Our results clarify existing literature related to language and cultural effects on personality report among U.S. Hispanics/Latinos. These findings could inform assessments of self-relevant cognitions across languages among bilingual populations and hold relevance for health outcomes affected by cultural processes.

Nearsighted empathy: exploring the effect of empathy on distance perception, with eye movements as modulators

Empathy, a cornerstone of social interaction, involves shared representation, eliciting vicarious emotions. However, its influence on shared perceptual representations, particularly in foundational domains such as distance perception, remains unexplored. In this study, we introduce a novel adaptation of the empathy for pain task to investigate empathy’s influence on distance perception. We also examine how two personality traits, trait empathy and alexithymia, modulate this relationship. Utilizing eye-tracking technology, we examine how attention allocation to different facial and bodily features affects empathy’s impact on distance perception. Our findings indicate that empathy biases individuals to perceive targets as closer, with trait empathy reinforcing this effect and alexithymia attenuating it. Furthermore, we demonstrate that heightened attention to eyes and face correlates with perceiving targets as closer, while attention to hand shows the opposite trend. These results underscore the broader influence of empathy beyond shared emotions, revealing its capacity to alter perceptual processes. By elucidating the interplay between personality traits and visual inputs in shaping these alterations, our study offers valuable insights for future research exploring the role of shared representation in empathy across various perceptual domains.

Hawai‘i face database: a racially and ethnically diverse set of facial stimuli

ABSTRACT Within psychology, face perception processes have been widely studied, examining traits and social categories that a face can communicate. However, much of this research has predominately focused on White faces. We review existing face databases that include racially diverse stimuli and note the lack of representation of Asian subgroups (e.g. East, South, and Southeast Asian), Pacific Islanders, as well as both Multiracial and multiethnic faces (especially with multiple minoritized backgrounds). We provide a new racially diverse set of free, standardized images including 140 unique faces representing eight different groups that vary in ethnicity and race (Asian, East Asian, Southeast Asian, Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian, Hispanic/Latinx, White, Multiracial, and Multiracial Asian), along with norming data. These images and data are available for access use in research: https://osf.io/fkn7y

Intermediality of Modern Art and Technologies of its Perception

The purpose of the article is to reveal the peculiarities of the manifestation of termediality in modern art in their influence on perceptual processes and to propose appropriate technologies for the perception of intermedial artistic phenomena. The research methodology is based on the concepts of media theory, communication theory, modern art theory and uses general scientific principles of interconnection, systematisation, and synergy. The purpose and objectives of the article necessitated the application of the method of extrapolation of heuristic algorithms of exact sciences to the heuristics of artistic phenomena with a view to practical methods of organising the perception of the intermediality of modern art by students of higher education. The use of the analytical method made it possible to identify the content and design resources of intermediality in its current development. The scientific novelty consists in projecting the properties of intermediality of modern art onto the technology of its perception in the process of university training. In the article, for the first time in domestic art history, the peculiarities of the manifestations of intermediality of modern art in connection with the communication of its recipients are understood. Conclusions. Intermediality is one of the main trends in the development of art, which consists in a kind of dialogue. From the point of view of perceptual processes, intermediality actualises the integrity of perception, which involves different sensory modalities. Intermediality in the modern artistic space outgrows the boundaries of the interaction of arts, connecting other spheres of culture and ensuring the inseparability of synthesised elements in creative practices different from traditional ones. Perception of intermedia modern art requires preparation, which should be carried out in the educational process. Effective technologies for perceiving the intermediality of modern art are interactive and intermedial.

An Introduction to the Modular Forensic Handwriting Method

ABSTRACTThe forensic examination of handwriting utilizes complex human perceptual and cognitive processes that can be difficult to accurately and validly describe since, for the most part, these processes are unseen. The series of articles published in this WIREs special issue present the agreed general approach that government practitioners in Australia use in the majority of the handwriting comparisons that they carry out. The systematic modular approach is informed by research and developments in the fields of motor control of handwriting, human factors, validation of handwriting examination, and evidence evaluation and reporting. The method is based around a process outline which structures the comparison process and provides the reader with a guide to the tasks to undertake and issues to consider at the different stages commonly worked through in practical handwriting examinations. Where decision or assessment points occur within the course of the method, a series of modules have been developed which describe the nature of the matter under consideration and address relevant theoretical and practical issues. Each module (published as an article in this special issue) is, as far as is practical, independent of other modules in the method. This will facilitate changes in the process over time that may result from theoretical, practical or technological advances in the field. The document as a whole can be used by practitioners actively involved in casework, or individuals such as researchers, academics, and legal professionals with an interest in understanding or exploring aspects of the practice of forensic handwriting examination.

Weaving narrative threads with social psychological processes: Narrative modulations in online consumer reviews of a medical memoir

With the growing prevalence of health and illness narratives on digital platforms, research examining the social psychological processes involved in these storytelling environments remains scarce. This paper addresses this research gap by conducting a mixed-methods study of digital storytelling within the UK’s healthcare context, focusing on online consumer reviews of the medical memoir, Do no harm: stories of life, death and brain surgery (Marsh, 2014). Utilising computer-assisted text analysis methods of LIWC-22 and the Sketch Engine, linguistic cues for cognitive, affective, social and perceptual processes are identified in a corpus of online consumer reviews. A subsequent qualitative analysis, based on ‘narrative modulation’ (Huang, 2024, 2020), investigates the role of these processes in constructing and developing storylines across the user reviews. Finally, the study explores how consumer reviews in the form of ‘small stories’ challenge canonical narratives in the UK’s healthcare services. This research advances the field of narrative studies by emphasising the role of social psychological processes (Chung and Pennebaker, 2019) in modulating emerging, evolving and counter narratives in digital storytelling. The findings reveal an instrumental role of social psychological processes, as signalled by linguistic cues, in shaping narrative threads in online user reviews. This study not only develops narrative modulation as a valuable concept for narrative analysis, but also underscores its effectiveness when combined with computer-assisted text analysis tools for in-depth examinations of narrative data. Furthermore, it provides critical insights into digital storytelling in healthcare contexts, promoting knowledge transfer across narrative studies, stylistics, social psychology and medical humanities.

Visual placebo and nocebo effects.

Placebo and nocebo effects modulate symptom perception through expectations and learning processes in various domains. Predominantly, their impact has been investigated on pain and physical performance. However, the influence of placebos and nocebos on visual system functionality has yet to be explored. The present study aimed to test whether placebo and nocebo effects can intervene in altering participants' performance outcomes during a novel visual accuracy task and to examine the underlying neural mechanisms through EEG. After performing a baseline session, visual accuracy was said to be enhanced or disrupted by a sham transcranial electrical stimulation over the occipital lobe. Behavioural results showed a significant increase in visual accuracy for the placebo group, from the baseline session to the test session, whereas the nocebo group showed a decrease in visual accuracy. EEG analyses on the event-related potential P300 component, conducted on both a centro-parietal electrode patch and a parieto-occipital, one displayed an increase in the amplitude of P300 for the placebo group, and a decrease in the nocebo group. These findings suggest for the first time that placebo and nocebo effects can influence visual perception and attentional processes linked to it. Overall, the present study contributes to understanding how expectations affect sensory perception beyond pain and the motor system, paving the way for investigating these phenomena in other sensory modalities such as auditory or olfactory perception. KEY POINTS: Placebo and nocebo effects have been studied predominantly in pain and motor performance fields. In a novel visual task, the impact of placebo and nocebo effects on the visual system has been evaluated, in both early components (stimuli-related) and late components (attention-related). The placebo group showed an increase in visual accuracy and EEG-evoked potential amplitudes, whereas the nocebo group showed a decrease in both. This study shows how expectations and the related placebo and nocebo effects can shape basic stimuli sensory perception in the visual domain.

Mental simulation of the approximal future: Imagining what might happen next.

In the course of daily life, various events-such as driving in suboptimal weather conditions, going on a first date, or walking home alone at night-evoke cognitions about what might happen next in the context of ongoing experience. Nonetheless, little is currently known about the phenomenological experience of anticipating events that might occur next-or what we refer to as simulation of the approximal future. We present novel evidence from a retrospective survey, a diary study, and an experimental laboratory study indicating that people commonly experience simulations of the approximal future, and that simulations of the approximal future can be reliably distinguished, in terms of their valence and function, from simulations of future events that are expected to occur in spatiotemporal contexts that are distinct from ongoing experience. Simulation of the approximal future represents an understudied mental experience that carries important implications for understanding the nature of constructive perceptual and memory-based processes as they pertain to event cognition, threat detection, individual differences, and psychopathology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Indie Games for Ethical and Socioemotional Development in Secondary Education

Video games, particularly those developed in the independent scene, are a form of media with great educational possibilities. This work in progress will be completed in three years and it aims to improve teachers video game literacy and help them implementing activities for ethical and socioemotional development (European key competencies 5 and 6) through indie games. Therefore, through design-based research and mixed-method designs, it aims to achieve three goals: (O1) identify the perception and meaning-making processes that teachers and students have about videogames and learning through video games; (O2) design a measurable training program for teachers around the educational possibilities of indie games and help them implement activities for ethical and socioemotional development; and (O3) evaluate the programs impact based on the indicators of key competencies 5 and 6. The project is in its first phases and it will be developed in the next three years. First, representative samples of each agent will be accessed to analyze their beliefs, types of knowledge, and practical experience in the field. Subsequently, four independent video games that promote key competencies 5 and 6 will be selected, and classroom activities will be designed for each of them. Next, teachers from four high schools in Spain (Cantabria, Baleares, Andalucía and Catalonia) will be trained in the use of the educational resources, and they will be accompanied in its implementation with students. Finally, the programs impact on students will be evaluated based on various psychological variables associated with key competences 5 and 6 (e.g., empathy, emotional identification, civic skills, etc.) as well as the participants perceptions of the experience, enabling the generation of design principles for future iterations and for the programs scalability.

Study protocol TransTAM: Transdiagnostic research into emotional disorders and cognitive-behavioral therapy of the adaptive mind

BackgroundEmotional disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders share substantial similarities in their etiology and treatment. In recent decades, these commonalities have been increasingly recognized in classification systems and treatment programs crossing diagnostic boundaries.MethodsTo examine the prospective effects of different transdiagnostic markers on relevant treatment outcomes, we plan to track a minimum of N = 200 patients with emotional disorders during their routine course of cognitive behavioral therapy at two German outpatient clinics. We will collect a wide range of transdiagnostic markers, ranging from basic perceptual processes and self-report measures to complex behavioral and neurobiological indicators, before entering therapy. Symptoms and psychopathological processes will be recorded before entering therapy, between the 20th and 24th therapy session, and at the end of therapy.DiscussionOur results could help to identify transdiagnostic markers with high predictive power, but also provide deeper insights into which patient groups with which symptom clusters are less likely to benefit from therapy, and for what reasons.Trial RegistrationThe trial was preregistered at the German Clinical Trial Register (DRKS-ID: DRKS00031206; 2023–05-09).

Explanations of and interventions against affective polarization cannot afford to ignore the power of ingroup norm perception.

Affective polarization, or animosity toward opposing political groups, is a fundamentally intergroup phenomenon. Yet, prevailing explanations of it and interventions against it have overlooked the power of ingroup norm perception. To illustrate this power, we begin with evidence from 3 studies which reveal that partisans' perception of their ingroup's norm of negative attitudes toward the outgroup is exaggerated and uniquely predicts their own polarization-related attitudes. Specifically, our original data show that in predicting affective polarization (i.e. how one feels about one's partisan outgroup), the variance explained by ingroup norm perception is 8.4 times the variance explained by outgroup meta-perception. Our reanalysis of existing data shows that in predicting support for partisan violence (i.e. how strongly one endorses and is willing to engage in partisan violence), ingroup norm perception explains 52% of the variance, whereas outgroup meta-perception explains 0%. Our pilot experiment shows that correcting ingroup norm perception can reduce affective polarization. We elucidate the theoretical underpinnings of the unique psychological power of ingroup norm perception and related ingroup processes. Building on these empirical and theoretical analyses, we propose approaches to designing and evaluating interventions that leverage ingroup norm perception to curb affective polarization. We specify critical boundary conditions that deserve prioritized attention in future intervention research. In sum, scientists and practitioners cannot afford to ignore the power of ingroup norm perception in explaining and curbing affective polarization.

From power to financial risk: The mediating role of cognitive flexibility and risk perception

Risky decisions made by powerful individuals have significant financial implications for businesses and society. Understanding the factors influencing these decisions is crucial. Research indicates that people with a high sense of power are more prone to take investment and gambling risks, yet the role of individual differences remains underexplored. This study (N = 245) investigates cognitive flexibility as a potential mediator between power and financial risk-taking. Results reveal that a sense of power enhances cognitive flexibility and reduces risk perception in both investment and gambling contexts. Consequently, powerful individuals exhibit an increased propensity for risky financial behaviors. Furthermore, a serial mediation effect was identified, showing that cognitive flexibility and risk perception together mediate the relationship between power and risky financial choices. These findings offer novel insights into how cognitive flexibility can explain the link between power and financial risk-taking, highlighting its role in shaping risk perception and decision-making processes.

Diverse Face Images (DFI): Validated for racial representation and eye gaze.

Face processing is a central component of human communication and social engagement. The present investigation introduces a set of racially and ethnically inclusive faces created for researchers interested in perceptual and socio-cognitive processes linked to human faces. The Diverse Face Images (DFI) stimulus set includes high-quality still images of female faces that are racially and ethnically representative, include multiple images of direct and indirect gaze for each model and control for low-level perceptual variance between images. The DFI stimuli will support researchers interested in studying face processing throughout the lifespan as well as other questions that require a diversity of faces or gazes. This report includes a detailed description of stimuli development and norming data for each model. Adults completed a questionnaire rating each image in the DFI stimuli set on three major qualities relevant to face processing: (1) strength of race/ethnicity group associations, (2) strength of eye gaze orientation, and (3) strength of emotion expression. These validation data highlight the presence of rater variability within and between individual model images as well as within and between race and ethnicity groups.

Impact of Glaucomatous Ganglion Cell Damage on Central Visual Function.

Glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness, is characterized by the progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and subsequent visual field defects. RGCs, as the final output neurons of the retina, perform key computations underpinning human pattern vision, such as contrast coding. Conventionally, glaucoma has been associated with peripheral vision loss, and thus, relatively little attention has been paid to deficits in central vision. However, recent advancements in retinal imaging techniques have significantly bolstered research into glaucomatous damage of the macula, revealing that it is prevalent even in the early stages of glaucoma. Thus, it is an opportune time to explore how glaucomatous damage undermines the perceptual processes associated with central visual function. This review showcases recent studies addressing central dysfunction in the early and moderate stages of glaucoma. It further emphasizes the need to characterize glaucomatous damage in both central and peripheral vision, as they jointly affect an individual's everyday activities.

Meat alternative adoption: How climate change concern drives perceived sustainability, naturalness, and taste

Conventional livestock production generates high amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, significantly contributing to man-made climate change. Switching to meat alternatives has the potential to curb meat consumption but faces obstacles rooted in consumers’ concerns about unnaturalness, negative health implications, and excessive processing. Drawing on environmental psychology, heuristic processing, consistency theory, and the halo effect, this study develops a conceptual framework on how consumer’s climate concern, by activating climate commitment, not only directly motivates the adoption of meat alternatives, but also triggers perceptual processes, that have a favorable effect on the perception of the attributes of meat alternative products. The theoretical model was tested with an online survey of a US representative sample (N=800). Results show that climate concern positively affects meat alternative adoption by activating climate commitment. Climate commitment, in turn, through the drive for internal consistency and the halo effect, enhances the perceived sustainability, naturalness, and taste of meat alternatives, boosting their acceptance. Findings contribute to the literature by introducing a novel mechanism involving mental shortcuts based on consistency theory and the halo effect, which suggests that consumers align food product perceptions with their environmental goals. These insights offer valuable guidance for policymakers and marketers to design effective interventions promoting more sustainable dietary choices.