Department: Psychology/Experimental ![[clear]](close-x.png "Remove this limiter")
36 matches in the database.
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1.
Atchley, Rachel.
Memory for Poetry: More than Meaning?.
Degree: MA, Psychology/Experimental, 2011, Bowling Green State University
► Is there more to memory for poetry than memory for meaning? The…
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▼ Is there more to memory for poetry than memory for meaning? The assumption has become that memory for form, or the sound patterns of words, is rapidly lost in comparison to memory for content. Memory for form is also assumed to be verbatim rather than schematic. The present experiment investigated if form is remembered in contexts where it is important, such as poetry, and if it remembered schematically. I also explored if sleep could help preserve memory for form, so participants were divided into sleep and no-sleep groups. I specifically tested whether alliterative sound patterns could cue memory for poetry lines both immediately and after a delay of 12 hours. Twelve alliterative poetry lines were modified to have same alliteration, different alliteration, and no alliteration paraphrases. Overall, I hypothesized that original lines would be remembered less well after 12 hours. Same alliteration paraphrases were predicted to be falsely remembered at a higher rate over time, as the sound patterns were schematically similar to original lines. The different alliteration and no alliteration lines were not expected to share this effect given that their sound patterns differed from original lines. All of these hypotheses were supported. Furthermore, the no-sleep group’s recognition of original lines was significantly worse than the sleep group’s over time. The no-sleep group also made more false recognition errors for same alliteration paraphrases after 12 hours. These results provide evidence of long-term memory for form in poetry and schema-based learning for form, as false recognition rates favored lines that schematically resembled original material. Thus, memory for form persists when it is important, as in poetry, schematic learning applies to sound patterns, and sleep may help preserve memory for form.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hare, Mary.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: memory for poetry; memory for form; memory for sound patterns
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2.
Athy, Jeremy R.
Individuals’ Errors in the Perception of Oriented Stimuli.
Degree: MA, Psychology/Experimental, 2005, Bowling Green State University
► The human perceptual system demonstrates poorer performance when discriminating between two oblique…
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▼ The human perceptual system demonstrates poorer performance when discriminating between two oblique angles, rather than when horizontal or vertical angles are involved, even if angular distance is constant. Previous research does not provide a clear picture though on the cause of this. Experiments have been conducted with results that suggest a form of Categorical Perception is occurring during angle discrimination, while other experiments have found results that do not suggest a form of Categorical Perception is occurring during angle discrimination. This study was conducted to attempt to bridge the gap between previously conducted experiments. Our findings suggest that the angled stimuli we used result in a Non-Categorical Perception of angle discrimination. However, another study, using more “object like” stimuli will need to be conducted to better understand the perceptual processes occurring during angle discrimination tasks.
Advisors/Committee Members: Klopfer, Dale.
Subjects: Psychology, Experimental
Keywords: Categorical Perception; angles; Angular Size; Chen and Levi; JND; Categorical; Three-Geon
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3.
Berg, Neil Douglas.
The influence of representational processes on the numerical distance effect.
Degree: PhD, Psychology/Experimental, 2008, Bowling Green State University
► Research has clearly established that the numerical distance between two Arabic numerals…
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▼ Research has clearly established that the numerical distance between two Arabic numerals affects reaction times for tasks that involve determining the relative numerical magnitude of those numerals. The present study tested two characteristics of models that explain the effect of numerical distance: whether distance effect-sensitive representational processes occur with the presentation of a single comparate (i.e. a to-be-compared digit) or require two comparates to operate, and whether distance-effect-sensitive representations are static or dynamic. The present research examined the data from three number-comparison experiments that manipulated the asynchronous presentation of the comparates using stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) and a between-trial repeat of a single comparate. Both manipulations of asynchronous presentation were intended to provide subjects with a head start in encoding the first of a pair of to-be-compared digits without providing a head start for the actual comparison of the digits – thus yielding information about the onset of distance processing in relation to comparate presentation and also to identify whether relevant representations are dynamic or static. Experiments 1 and 2 also included a probe-response task in which subjects selected a numerical probe after being presented with a numerical prime. SOA in the probe-response task was found to moderate the distance effect (thus suggesting that onset of distance effect processing occurred with the first comparate), but SOA did not moderate the distance effect on the number-comparison task (thus suggesting that onset of distance effect processing occurred with the second comparate). This inconsistency, together with evidence from Experiment 3 (below), was interpreted as evidence that each task type used a separate representational pathway.Experiment 3 did not contain a probe-response task, but instead included an additional number-comparate task condition in which the comparate that the participant selected on the current trial was repeated as one of the comparates presented in the subsequent trial. The distance effect in Experiment 3 was stronger for trials without a repeated comparate than it was for trials with a repeated comparate. This was interpreted as evidence that the comparison process changed the representation of the repeated comparate and that retaining this changed representation reduces the amount of distance effect processing on the subsequent trial. Experiment 3 also yielded evidence that SOA moderated the effect of distance for both comparate-repeat and comparate-non-repeat trials. This moderation was interpreted as evidence that distance effect processing occurs with the onset of the first comparate for whichever representational pathway is given precedence. Thus, it was concluded that the probe-response task was given precedence over the number-comparison task for Experiments 1 and 2 (these experiments contained both task types) but that the number-comparison task had precedence for Experiment 3 (Experiment 3 contained only the number-comparison task). Both the comparate-repeat manipulation results and the SOA manipulation results are consistent with the explanation that dynamic, but not static, representation gives rise to the distance effect. The fact that both the comparate-repeat manipulation and the SOA manipulation moderated the distance effect suggests that the onset of the representational change that gives rise to the distance effect occurs with the presentation of the first comparate, but that substantial processing occurs with the second comparate as well. Overall results from all three experiments suggest that representational change plays a role in creating the distance effect and that this change occurs along task-specific pathways.
Advisors/Committee Members: Anderson, Richard.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: numerical cognition; number cognition; numerical distance effect; numerical distance
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4.
Borawski, Steven Jr.
TIME OUT: THE EFFECTS OF BREAKS ON TEMPORAL REPRODUCTION.
Degree: MA, Psychology/Experimental, 2006, Bowling Green State University
► Two experiments investigated the effects of breaks on temporal reproduction. Participants were…
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▼ Two experiments investigated the effects of breaks on temporal reproduction. Participants were trained using a peak-interval procedure. A break of varying duration was inserted at different locations within the target interval. The first experiment used a standard break paradigm: filled target interval and empty break. The second experiment used a reversed break paradigm: empty target interval and a filled break. Research by Buhusi and Meck (2000) suggests that standard breaks produce a stopping of the internal clock during the break in the stimulus, whereas reversed breaks may trigger a resetting. Contrary to Buhusi and Meck, participants showed a stop response pattern in both the standard and reverse break paradigms. A significant effect of break location and duration was observed in both experiments. Breaks occurring late in the target duration caused a longer produced interval compared to early breaks. Also, short breaks caused longer produced interval then did long breaks.
Advisors/Committee Members: McAuley, John.
Subjects: Psychology, Cognitive
Keywords: Temporal perception, Time
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5.
Burgdorf, Jeffrey.
THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF 50-KHZ VOCALIZATIONS IN RATS.
Degree: PhD, Psychology/Experimental, 2005, Bowling Green State University
► A wide variety of myomorph rodents (e.g., rats and mice) emit ultrasonic…
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▼ A wide variety of myomorph rodents (e.g., rats and mice) emit ultrasonic vocalization (USVs) in response to a wide variety of social interactions across their lifespan. Many rodents emit ultrasonic vocalizations during infant maternal separation, rough-and-tumble play, aggression, or mating. It has been proposed that rodents utilize ultrasonic vocalizations as communicative signals, given that it is both difficult for predators to hear these calls due to their rapid attenuation across short distance, and the lack of hearing sensitivity for ultrasonic tones of many rodent predators (Nyby and Whitney, 1978). Ultrasonic vocalization production has been most extensively studied in laboratory rats. Recent experiments suggest that rat USVs vary across two independent dimensions – peak frequency that may index locomotor arousal, and frequency modulation which may index emotional valence. In this paper, we hypothesize that high frequency vocalizations (50-70 kHz) are related to high levels of locomotor arousal, whereas lower tones (20-40 kHz) are related to low levels of locomotor arousal often accompanying freezing. We also hypothesize that frequency modulated (FM) vocalizations, which include trill and step calls, reflect a positive affective rewarding state in the animal, whereas non-FM calls (i.e. constant frequency calls) are unrelated to reward and perhaps may reflect aversion. The apparent arousal and valence encoding of ultrasonic vocalizations would presumably allow for rapid, high fidelity decoding by receivers of the motivational and emotional states of senders. Ultrasonic vocalizations may function by evoking the same emotional state of senders in receivers and thereby coordinate social behavior. The relationship between 50-kHz USVs and reward will further be tested by examining the relationship between 50-kHz calls during rough-and-tumble play and the rewarding value of play (Chapter 1A), and the relationship between electrical and chemical brain stimulation induced USVs and the rewarding value of the stimulation (Chapter 2).
Advisors/Committee Members: Panksepp, Jaak.
Subjects: Psychology, Experimental
Keywords: Rats; Emotions; Vocalization; Reward
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6.
Curtindale, Lori Marie.
DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF EVENT RATE AND TEMPORAL EXPECTANCY ON SUSTAINED ATTENTION PERFORMANCE OF ADULTS AND CHILDREN.
Degree: MA, Psychology/Experimental, 2007, Bowling Green State University
► This study explored developmental differences in the effects of event rate and…
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▼ This study explored developmental differences in the effects of event rate and temporal expectancy on sustained attention performance. College-age adults and children (ages 7 – 8) completed visual and auditory sustained attention tasks that were equated for difficulty at an intermediate (3 sec IOI) event rate using the perceptual sensitivity index (d') and then were compared at faster (1.5 sec IOI) and slower (6 sec IOI) event rates to determine whether there was an optimal presentation rate for adults and children. In order to explore temporal expectancy, 20% of the critical and neutral events occurred early or late relative to the regular rhythm of the task. The findings (a) suggest that event rate influences sustained attention differently for adults and children, (b) highlight the role of temporal expectancy in sustained attending, and (c) reveal differences in the effects of event rate and temporal expectancy on visual and auditory sustained attention.
Advisors/Committee Members: McAuley, John Devin.
Keywords: Sustained Attention; Event Rate; Temporal Expectancy; Development
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7.
Fortress, Ashley M.
A PROFILE OF NEUROGENIC ACTIVITY IN THE AGING HIPPOCAMPAL FORMATION: A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ROLE OF EXERCISE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT IN THE SAMP-8.
Degree: MA, Psychology/Experimental, 2007, Bowling Green State University
► Neurogenesis is a process of neuronal proliferation that is most prominent during…
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▼ Neurogenesis is a process of neuronal proliferation that is most prominent during development but has recently been found in adulthood. This phenomenon occurs naturally in the hippocampal formation of many mammalian species, including humans. Various factors influence neurogenesis, such as age, voluntary exercise and environmental enrichment. The present study was performed to determine the profile of the age-related decline of neurogenesis in the senescence accelerated mouse (SAMP8). Additionally, the ability of exercise and environmental enrichment to independently reverse the age-related decline of neurogenesis was investigated. Four age groups of male SAMP8 mice were examined: 2-, 5-, 7- and 12-months. Assessing both survival and proliferation using immunocytochemistry for BrdU and Ki67, it was found that: (1) exercise showed a trend for reversing the age-related decline in neurogenesis (2) environmental enrichment significantly decreased neurogenesis in the 2-month old age group and had no effect for all other age groups when compared to isolated animals (3) neither exercise nor enrichment was beneficial in promoting survival.
Advisors/Committee Members: Pang, Kevin C.H.
Keywords: Neurogenesis; Hippocampus; Aging; BrdU; Ki67; Exercise; Environmental Enrichment
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8.
Friedrich, Jeff C.
Schematic Priming of Instruments.
Degree: MA, Psychology/Experimental, 2006, Bowling Green State University
► Determining exactly what types of information we access and how that information…
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▼ Determining exactly what types of information we access and how that information is structured is very important to the understanding of language comprehension. Memory appears to be organized via events, such that salient participants of a specific event are able to activate the event itself (or the verb that encodes the event). I empirically tested whether salient participants in events can activate the event representation, and therefore prime other salient participants in that event in two relationships: Instrument-person and Instrument-thing. The results of the two experiments were mixed. Salient participants of events do activate other salient participants in the Instrument-thing condition, but not the Instrument-person condition.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hare, Mary L.
Subjects: Psychology, Cognitive
Keywords: event-based knowledge; semantic priming
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9.
Fuchs, Thomas.
BRAIN-BEHAVIOR ADAPTATIONS TO SLEEP LOSS IN THE NOCTURNALLY MIGRATING SWAINSON’S THRUSH (CATHARUS USTULATUS).
Degree: PhD, Psychology/Experimental, 2006, Bowling Green State University
► Many typically diurnal songbirds experience dramatic sleep loss during the migratory seasons…
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▼ Many typically diurnal songbirds experience dramatic sleep loss during the migratory seasons because of their nocturnal flights. However, nocturnally migrating songbirds continue to function normally with no observable effect of sleep loss on their behavior. To mitigate the effects of sleep loss, nocturnal migrants may engage in daytime sleep, unihemispheric sleep, sleep during migratory flight, or increased quality of what sleep is available. Studying the Swainson’s thrush, a long-distance trans-gulf migrant, I investigated how avian migrants might compensate for sleep loss during the migratory season. Daytime behavior, nighttime behavior and forebrain EEG activity was recorded in thrushes when migratory and non-migratory. Behavioral sleeping postures and their EEG/brain correlates were identified throughout the 24 h light-dark cycle. Slow wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep were investigated, and the temporal profile of the two sleep states was analyzed. Brain activity (EEG power) in the delta frequency band (1.5 – 4Hz) was employed as a measure of sleep quality. Interestingly, the most prominent alterations in sleep and sleep-related behavior in nocturnally active migratory thrushes were found during the day. In contrast to their behavior when non-migratory, migratory Swainson’s thrushes engaged in numerous episodes of daytime sleep, unilateral eye closure, and an intermediate sleep-like state referred to as drowsiness. The electrophysiological recordings demonstrated that the observed behavior was accompanied by reliable sleep like changes in brain activity. In addition, EEG activity during episodes of unilateral eye closure was frequently accompanied byinterhemispheric asymmetries characteristic of unihemispheric sleep. The relatively brief but frequent daytime sleep states (“micro naps”) may represent an adaptive balance that enables migratory birds to compensate for extended periods of nocturnal sleep loss during the subsequent day without rendering them entirely vulnerable to environmental challenges like predation and the need to feed and store energy. Our findings also offer the intriguing possibility that avian migrants partially compensate for nocturnal sleep loss by taking lateralized naps during the day. Non-migratory Swainson’s thrushes exhibit a marked decrease in delta power during the night indicating a parallel decline in sleep quality. Decreasing SWS pressure, possibly in concert with a circadian REM sleep regulating mechanism, may explain increasing amounts of REM sleep during the latter part of the night. Evidence for compensatory changes in nighttime sleep in migratory thrushes is presented. The present work suggests that birds, like mammals, require a minimum amount of sleep. The finding that a nocturnal migrant, a species highly adapted to its migratory life style, requires compensatory sleep, strongly suggests that a basic need for sleep is shared by many if not all avian species. Furthermore, the observed sleep characteristics indicate that some aspects of avian and mammalian sleep are similarly regulated. Avian sleep, therefore, may provide further insight into processes involved in the regulation of sleep and resting states that likely generalize to many species, vertebrates and invertebrates alike.
Advisors/Committee Members: Bingman, Verner P.
Subjects: Biology, Neuroscience
Keywords: Avian Sleep, Sleep Deprivation, Avian Migration, Daytime Naps, Unihemispheric Sleep
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10.
Gilkey, Justin Michael.
The Effects of Sample Size on Measures of Subjective Correlation.
Degree: MA, Psychology/Experimental, 2008, Bowling Green State University
► The ability to accurately infer relationships in our environment is critical to…
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▼ The ability to accurately infer relationships in our environment is critical to our survival. One factor influencing the detection and evaluation of population correlations is the size of the sample used in their assessment. There are three primary categories of tasks used to measure perceived correlation: rating, prediction, and frequency estimation. Several studies have investigated factors related to participants' subjective correlations, but few have included manipulations of sample size. The results of the present experiment demonstrated that the subjective correlations of participants who performed the frequency estimation or prediction task increased with information quantity. However, the opposite trend was found when participants judged moderately correlated populations in the rating task. In addition, simulations of artificial decision-makers demonstrated the possibility of extracting rules capable of accurately inferring population correlations which attenuates for the skewed nature of the sampling distribution of Pearson's r for small samples.
Advisors/Committee Members: Anderson, Richard.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: subjective correlation; correlation inference
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11.
Gilkey, Justin Michael.
Exacerbation and Attenuation of Ego-Depletion.
Degree: PhD, Psychology/Experimental, 2012, Bowling Green State University
► The present study investigated relationships between Need for Cognition (NFC) and two…
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▼ The present study investigated relationships between Need for Cognition (NFC) and two independent aspects of the Ego-depletion phenomenon. Experiment 1 examined the possibility that given a relatively equal quantity of resource consumption, high NFC individuals are, under specific circumstances, less susceptible to the ego-depletion phenomenon. Experiment 2 examined the possibility that, under specific circumstances, high NFC individuals might also be susceptible to greater resource consumption than low NFC individuals; thus exacerbating the ego-depletion phenomenon. The data did not support this hypothesis either. Instead, the results from Experiments 1 and 2 raise the prospect that through a lifelong tendency to cognize, high NFC individuals develop a more resource-efficient cognitive system capable of prolonged cognitive activity before performance impairments occur. However, once a sufficient quantity of resource is consumed, high NFC participants are just as susceptible to performance impairments as low NFC individuals.
Advisors/Committee Members: Richard, Anderson.
Subjects: Psychobiology
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12.
Gonce, Lauren O.
Reasoning and Recall in Scientific and Religious Contexts.
Degree: PhD, Psychology/Experimental, 2007, Bowling Green State University
► This paper focused on differences between science and religion based on McCauley's…
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▼ This paper focused on differences between science and religion based on McCauley's (2000) proposal that science and religion are cognitively different. The cognitive distinction between science and religion proposed by McCauley parallels a distinction within the dual-process theories of reasoning literature between two information processing systems, Analytic and Intuitive. The present studies explored differences between types of context (religion or science) on processing and recall. Specifically, reasoning and recall were investigated within a science or religion context, hypothesizing that science context would elicit Analytic processing whereas religion context would elicit Intuitive processing. Since individual characteristics were hypothesized to influence type of processing independently of context, they were assessed using a demographic questionnaire, the Religious Orientation Scale-Revised (Gorsuch and McPherson, 1989) and a newly constructed Scientific Attitude Assessment scale. The scales were found to be orthogonal in both studies, and to be parallel to dimensions of individual characteristics, indicating they were appropriate measures for classifying individuals. The results of the recall tasks in Study 1 did not support the hypothesis that context elicits one type of processing over the other. Therefore, a more cognitively demanding reasoning task was used in Study 2 to investigate the same hypotheses. Results of Study 2 supported the hypothesis that context elicits one type of processing over the other. However, the effect of context was in the opposite direction as hypothesized with religion context eliciting more Analytic processing and science context eliciting more Intuitive processing. Several possible reasons for the reversed trend in the results are discussed including story construction, participants' dependence on expert knowledge, and measures of individual differences. Directions for future work are suggested.
Advisors/Committee Members: Tweney, Ryan D.
Keywords: Reasoning; Recall; Cognition; Religion; Science
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13.
Harmon, Kelley M.
BEHAVIORAL PHENOTYPING OF RATS SELECTIVELY BRED FOR DIFFERENTIAL LEVELS OF 50 KHZ ULTRASONIC VOCALIZATIONS.
Degree: MA, Psychology/Experimental, 2006, Bowling Green State University
► In rats, the rates of 20 kHz and 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations…
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▼ In rats, the rates of 20 kHz and 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) can be used as a selective breeding phenotype and variations in this phenotype can be an indicator of positive affective states and developmental differences. The 50 kHz USV is elicited by positive or rewarding stimuli (e.g., food, sex, drugs of abuse) and therefore can be an indictor of a positive affective state. Conversely, the 20 kHz USV is elicited by aversive stimuli (e.g., foot shock, presence of a predator, social defeat) indicating a negative affective state. In this study, we tested the effect of selectively breeding for 50 kHz USVs on a variety of social / emotional behaviors across the animal’s lifespan. These social / emotional measures consisted of observations of pup retrieval latency and maternal care behaviors, measurement of isolation distress calls and conditioned odor preference as pups (age 1-12 days), play behavior, and social investigation as juveniles (age 21-32 days) into adulthood (90+ days of age). Cross fostering was utilized to determine if the differences in behaviors were primarily a result of maternal care or genetic expression. Results indicate that animals selected for low levels of 50 kHz USVs show the greatest alterations in social behaviors compared to the random “control” line animals. The low line animals showed a slight decrease in maternal/pup bonding, increased isolation distress calls, and failed to show a preference for a maternally associated odor, a marginal decrease in dorsal contacts during rough-and-tumble play behavior, and significantly more investigation in the social investigation paradigm after isolate housing. The social behaviors of the high line animals did not consistently vary from the random line animals with the exception of more investigation during social port testing. Based on cross fostering results, maternal care does not appear to explain the differences observed in these selectively bred lines. These results provide implications for the study of genetics underlying emotional states, as well as contribute to the research underlying the emotional changes in developmental disorders such as autistic spectrum disorder.
Advisors/Committee Members: Cromwell, Howard Casey.
Subjects: Psychology, Experimental
Keywords: rat vocalizations selective breeding social behavior
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14.
Harmon, Kelley Marie.
Hormones and social behavioral development: Influences of corticosterone in the neonate rat.
Degree: PhD, Psychology/Experimental, 2010, Bowling Green State University
► Exposure to prenatal stress (PNS) has been shown to induce a set…
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▼ Exposure to prenatal stress (PNS) has been shown to induce a set of psychological and behavioral changes in the developing offspring. The rat model was used to investigate whether PNS and/or pharmacological corticosterone manipulations produce changes in the ability of the pup to express social motivation. The first experiment was designed to replicate previous work on PNS and extend the investigation on socially-mediated behaviors. The second experiment attempts to replicate the findings of Experiment 1 by mimicking PNS behaviors through direct corticosterone administration. Finally, the third Experiment was designed to investigate whether the effects of PNS could be ameliorated by administration of the drug metyrapone. The measures used to assess socially-mediated behaviors are 1) separation vocalizations, 2) conditioned odor preference, 3) conditioned odor aversion, and 4) anesthetized dam approach and duration of contact. Results of the first experiment did not replicate those of previous studies (Harmon et al., 2009). Experiment 2 found that direct corticosterone administration is not able to mimic both the physiological and behavioral deficits observed in the PNS model. The third experiment demonstrated that metyrapone was not able to restore the socially-mediated behaviors in PNS rats. These findings indicate that PNS has a much more dynamic impact on rat pup physiology than just elevations in corticosterone. Additionally, attempts to lower corticosterone in PNS pups via administration of metyrapone aren’t sufficient to restore atypical behaviors in PNS rats.This dissertation has implications for the treatment of psychological disorders, like autism spectrum disorder, involving disruptions in learning and social behaviors and raises concerns using elevated corticosterone levels as a model for PNS deficits.
Advisors/Committee Members: Cromwell, Casey.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: corticosterone, prenatal stress, rat, social behaviors, motivation, attachment
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15.
Hartzler, Beth Marie.
Decoy Effects in a Consumer Search Task.
Degree: PhD, Psychology/Experimental, 2012, Bowling Green State University
► Research by Huber, Payne, and Puto (1982) revealed that the addition of…
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▼ Research by Huber, Payne, and Puto (1982) revealed that the addition of a third alternative to a choice set can lead to a redistribution of the choice probabilities for the two existing alternatives, such that one alternative that had not previously been preferred over the other becomes the favored alternative. The results of that study violated both the principles of regularity and similarity, and these findings have since been replicated in numerous studies. The present research was designed to address a potential limitation of these previous studies. Specifically, to the author's knowledge, no study had yet examined the effect of introducing a decoy alternative to a choice set after the other alternatives have already been presented. This tendency to present all alternatives simultaneously may be a significant limitation for two reasons. First, there is an issue of ecological representativeness: In an actual shopper's experience, all relevant products are not typically available concurrently. Second, studies of non-instrumental information search indicate that the relative weighting of information may depend on how and when the information was obtained with participants typically placing greater weight on the newly acquired information. Thus there are theoretical grounds to expect a decoy to have different effects on choice, depending on whether the decoy occurs concurrently with, or subsequent to, the other alternatives. In the work reported herein, the effect of inviting or directing participants to search for an asymmetrically dominated decoy alternative was examined to determine whether the act of searching for a third alternative influences participants' preference for the available alternatives. In the present research, participants were more likely to select the asymmetrically dominated alternative when they had been given the option to search for that alternative than were participants who either had the same alternative shown to them immediately, or participants who were directed to search for the third alternative. In general, these findings replicated the results of previous studies, in that the addition of a third, inferior alternative to a choice set led to a significant preference for one alternative over the other. However, this same preference shift was not evident when participants sought out the inferior alternative, either voluntarily or when directed to do so.
Advisors/Committee Members: Anderson, Richard.
Subjects: Cognitive Psychology
Keywords: consumer behavior; judgment and decision making; decoy effect
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16.
Henry, Molly J.
ON THE ROLE OF IMPUTED VELOCITY IN THE AUDITORY KAPPA EFFECT.
Degree: MA, Psychology/Experimental, 2007, Bowling Green State University
► The auditory kappa effect is a is a systematic effect of manipulations…
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▼ The auditory kappa effect is a is a systematic effect of manipulations to pitch on judgments about auditory sequence timing. Two experiments were conducted to examine the role of imputed pitch velocity in the auditory kappa effect. In both experiments, participants judged the timing of a ‘target’ tone embedded in a three tone sequence (a kappa cell), while ignoring manipulations of the target’s pitch. Experiment 1 examined the effects of the presence/absence of a context sequence that reinforced the pitch velocity imputed to the kappa cell on the magnitude of the auditory kappa effect. Presence of a context sequence tended to weaken the kappa effect. Experiment 2 varied the pitch velocity of sequences between trials. Generalizing findings from vision, the magnitude of the auditory kappa effect increased as pitch velocity increased. Findings are discussed with respect to the perceptual interdependence of space and time.
Advisors/Committee Members: McAuley, John Devin.
Keywords: kappa effect; perceptual interdependence; imputed velocity
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17.
Henry, Molly J.
A TEST OF AN AUDITORY MOTION HYPOTHESIS FOR CONTINUOUS AND DISCRETE SOUNDS MOVING IN PITCH SPACE.
Degree: PhD, Psychology/Experimental, 2011, Bowling Green State University
► Ten experiments tested an auditory motion hypothesis, which proposes that regular pitch-time…
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▼ Ten experiments tested an auditory motion hypothesis, which proposes that regular pitch-time trajectories facilitate perception of and attention to auditory stimuli; on this view, listeners are assumed to use velocity information (pitch change per unit time) to generate expectations about the future time course of continuous and discrete sounds moving in pitch space. Toward this end, two sets of experiments were conducted. In six experiments reported in Part I of this dissertation, listeners judged the duration or pitch change of a continuous or discrete comparison stimulus relative to a standard, where the comparison’s velocity varied on each trial relative to the fixed standard velocity. Results indicate that expectations generated based on velocity information led to distortions in perceived duration and pitch change of continuous stimuli that were consistent with the auditory motion hypothesis; specifically, when comparison velocity was relatively fast, duration was overestimated and pitch change was underestimated. Moreover, when comparison velocity was relatively slow, duration was underestimated and pitch change was overestimated. On the other hand, no perceptual distortions were observed for discrete stimuli, consistent with the idea that velocity information is less clearly conveyed, or easier to ignore, for discrete auditory stimuli. Four experiments reported in Part II tested the hypothesis that listeners tune attention to expected pitch-time locations of future events based on velocity information conveyed by continuous and discrete auditory stimuli. Listeners detected pure-tone signals in noise that were expected or unexpected based on extrapolation of the trajectory of ascending or descending glides or sequences. Consistent with the auditory motion hypothesis, results indicate that listeners used pitch-time trajectory information in continuous and discrete auditory stimuli to tune attention; that is, listeners were most sensitive to detect expected relative to unexpected signals, and results were similar for continuous and discrete cues. However, consistent with an auditory gravity hypothesis, large asymmetries were observed for ascending versus descending cues, with listeners overshooting the expected pitch location of signals following descending cues. Taken together, the results support the hypothesis that listeners use velocity information to generate expectations about the future time course of sounds moving in pitch space.
Advisors/Committee Members: McAuley, Devin.
Subjects: Experimental Psychology
Keywords: auditory motion; velocity; pitch; time; auditory perception
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18.
Janke, Kellie.
Voluntary Wheel Running Alters Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in the Hippocampus of Senescence Accelerated Mice.
Degree: MA, Psychology/Experimental, 2009, Bowling Green State University
► Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes neuronal development and survival. BDNF and its…
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▼ Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes neuronal development and survival. BDNF and its high affinity receptor, trkB, are extensively expressed in the mammalian hippocampus, a structure susceptible to damage in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Current research in this field has shown voluntary wheel running to be an effective tool in increasing BDNF protein in the hippocampus, hence promoting cell survival within this structure. The SAMP8 mouse line exhibits accelerated senescence of learning and memory and has been a good model of aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, the present study investigated the effects of 21 days of voluntary wheel running on total BDNF and free mature BDNF in the hippocampus of young (1-3 months), middle-aged (5-8 months) and old (10 months +) SAMP8 mice. BDNF levels in the SAMP8 hippocampus were measured by sandwich ELISA. In sedentary mice, females showed an increase in total BDNF and mature BDNF protein across the lifespan while male SAMP8 showed a reduction of both in middle-age. Exercise successfully increased total protein content in the hippocampus of young, middle-age, and old female and male SAMP8. Voluntary wheel running also increased mature BDNF at each age group for each sex, similar to total BDNF, with the exception of young males. The increase of BDNF in response to voluntary wheel running declined with age in the females. No significant difference was found between the running distance of males and females in each group. However, young mice ran significantly farther than the middle-aged or old animals and running distance was correlated with total BDNF increase. Overall, aging was shown to be the primary factor in decreasing the effectiveness of exercise to increase BDNF.
Advisors/Committee Members: Pang, Kevin.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: BDNF, Exercise, Hippocampus
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19.
Kahn, Meghan Cornelia.
Goal Location Memory in Pigeons: Roles of the Hippocampal Formation and Visual Wulst.
Degree: PhD, Psychology/Experimental, 2009, Bowling Green State University
► The abilities of homing pigeons (Columba livia) to navigate through unfamiliar territory…
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▼ The abilities of homing pigeons (Columba livia) to navigate through unfamiliar territory and locate goals using visual cues have been well described. Recent recordings from single cells in the pigeon hippocampal formation (HF) also suggested that pigeons represent what happens at particular locations, that the HF is recruited in such representations, and that the right and left sides of HF participate differently in such representations. The present study examined if the hippocampal formation and a connected visual learning area, the Wulst, of homing pigeons were necessary for learning the contents of different goal locations in an open-field, laboratory environment. Results showed that while control animals were able to distinguish between two different goal locations, pigeons with bilateral hippocampal lesions were impaired at goal discrimination, even though feature cues could have been used to distinguish between goal locations. Unilateral HF lesions revealed that the right HF was more important for content learning than left HF. Wulst lesion pigeons also showed impaired content learning during training, but not testing. Of interest, probe data indicated that left HF and the Wulst were involved in associating multiple cues associated with goals, while right HF was not necessary for this type of learning. These results suggest a revised role for avian HF. HF, particularly right HF, serves an important role in memory for the contents of goal locations. Furthermore, the current results are suggestive of a role for avian HF in episodic-like memory, which includes memory for both the spatial and temporal context of events.
Advisors/Committee Members: Bingman, Verner.
Subjects: Psychobiology; Psychology
Keywords: avian; hippocampus; spatial learning; learning and memory
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20.
Kelley, Amanda M.
Bayesian Principles and Causal Judgment.
Degree: PhD, Psychology/Experimental, 2007, Bowling Green State University
► There has been extensive research on the ability to perceive causal and…
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▼ There has been extensive research on the ability to perceive causal and correlational relationships between variables. Recently, Bayesian principles have been brought to bear on this topic. The purpose of the present study was to assess whether people are sensitive to the probabilities of samples with varying mathematical characteristics drawn from correlated versus uncorrelated populations. Also of interest was the formation of judgments of causality, examined using concurrent process tracing techniques, including verbal protocol. Participants were presented with seven samples, three with determinate and four with indeterminate correlations, and were asked to rank them with respect to the likelihood that the sample indicated a positive causal relationship. Participants did show, under some circumstances, sensitivity to the probability that a sample had been drawn from a correlated versus an uncorrelated population, supporting the hypothesis that people take an inferential approach to causal judgment.
Advisors/Committee Members: Anderson, Richard B.
Keywords: BAYESIAN PRINCIPLES; indeterminate-absent; indeterminate-present
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21.
Klein, Brandi A.
Spatial Stroop Interference as a Function of the Prototypicality of Spatial Positions.
Degree: MA, Psychology/Experimental, 2010, Bowling Green State University
► This study examined whether changes in spatial Stroop interference and facilitation occurred…
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▼ This study examined whether changes in spatial Stroop interference and facilitation occurred in prototypical and non-prototypical spatial positions, as determined by distance from fixation. Participants were shown the spatial terms above, below, left, and right, and neutral words. These terms were either congruent or incongruent with their spatial position in reference to a fixation cross, and they occurred in three levels (1 degree, 3 degrees, 6 degrees) above, below, left, and right of fixation. Results indicated that a spatial Stroop effect did occur, and that the effects of prototoypicality on interference and facilitation varied between participants. This suggests that spatial prototypes might not be the same for all people, and that some interference may occur at the semantic level.
Advisors/Committee Members: Klopfer, Dale.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: Stroop; Spatial Stroop; Spatial Categories
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22.
Klein, Brandi A.
Do Cognitive Resources Play a Role in Object Functionality and Affordance Effects when Computing Spatial Relations?.
Degree: PhD, Psychology/Experimental, 2012, Bowling Green State University
► Participants viewed an object with two functional sides (e.g., toothbrush: bristles interact…
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▼ Participants viewed an object with two functional sides (e.g., toothbrush: bristles interact with other objects such as toothpaste; handle allows for interaction between participant and object). The reference object (e.g., toothbrush) was presented with one located object (e.g., toothpaste) at six different locations, and participants completed a sentence-picture verification task (e.g., responding yes/no to “the toothpaste is above the toothbrush”). Previous research by Carlson et al. (2006), suggested facilitation for located objects on the side that allows for interaction between two objects, which they theorized was moderated by attention. Tucker and Ellis (1998), using a bimanual response, found facilitation for the handle side of the object. The current study used a vocal response, a bimanual response, and a spatial distractor task to determine the role of cognitive resources in these facilitation effects; however, little-to-no evidence of each facilitation effect was found.
Advisors/Committee Members: Klopfer, Dale.
Subjects: Cognitive Psychology; Experimental Psychology; Psychology
Keywords: spatial relations; affordances; functionality; cognitive resources; spatial attention
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23.
Maury, Debra.
Pigeon (Columba livia) Memory Representation in a Stable and Unstable Environment: Two Outdoor Open-field Foraging Tasks.
Degree: MA, Psychology/Experimental, 2010, Bowling Green State University
► Most animals possess an ability to recognize behaviorally relevant locations in their…
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▼ Most animals possess an ability to recognize behaviorally relevant locations in their environments. By studying the behavioral mechanisms that guide goal recognition, we can gain insight as to how an animal forms memory representations of goal locations. The two sources of information examined in the present study are feature cues (color) associated with the goal and the goal’s location in space. Previous researchers have indicated that species with differing ecological spatial demands may employ different behavioral mechanisms to remember and navigate toward a goal. For example, food-storing birds typically display a preference for spatial information over feature information. Although homing pigeons are not food-storers, they are known for their navigational abilities. Some studies indicated that pigeons may also display a preference for spatial information, yet other studies found no preference between spatial and feature information. The inconsistency of cue preference in the homing pigeon literature may reflect differences in the size of the experimental space or task demands. In the current study, pigeon representational cue preference was examined in a large, outdoor setting with distances up to 100 meters using two tasks that differed in goal stability and presumed memory demands. Experiment 1, simulating a stable environment, was designed with a food goal that always occurred with the same feature cues and always occupied the same location in space. Experiment 2, which simulated an unstable environment, was designed with a food goal that periodically changed with respect to location and associated feature cue. In the stable environment, the pigeons reliably chose the correct goal location after only a few exposures, and continued to perform at near 100 percent accuracy throughout the experiment. On probe trials, the pigeons showed a strong preference for the color cue when both cues were present but set in conflict. However, in the unstable environment, the pigeons were given only two exposures to each goal configuration before testing, and 12 sessions were required before a stable performance of approximately 70% accuracy was achieved. On probe trials, the pigeons showed no preference for either spatial or feature information when the two cues were set in conflict. In pigeons, the relative stability of goal information likely affects memory representation including how the task is approached and how reliably the task is solved.
Advisors/Committee Members: Bingman, Vern.
Subjects: Biology; Ecology; Psychology
Keywords: pigeon; cue preference; memory representation
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24.
McFarland, Ashley M.
The Influence of Natural Variations of Maternal Care on the Emotional and Behavioral Reactivity of Offspring in the Rodent Model.
Degree: MA, Psychology/Experimental, 2008, Bowling Green State University
► Maternal care in rodents is a strong determinate of lifelong stress responsiveness…
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▼ Maternal care in rodents is a strong determinate of lifelong stress responsiveness and emotional regulation. The goal of the present study was to observe natural fluctuations of maternal care in rodents and to examine the effects of this variation in care on early affective and behavioral states of offspring. Rodent maternal care was observed for 8 days after birth. Using mean levels of arched back nursing and maternal licking and grooming (MLG) dams were categorized into high, medium, and low MLG mothers. Behavioral tests were then completed to examine levels of social motivation between the different MLG conditions. For isolation distress testing, each pup was isolated at postnatal day (PND) 10 for 2 minutes during which isolation ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) were recorded. Next, on PND 15, place preference and USVs were measured involving a maternally paired odor. A third test was conducted to examine trends of juvenile play behavior, play suppression, and play USVs during 9 alternating days beginning on PND 24. After the completion of behavioral testing, thyroid hormone analysis (total T3 and T4) was conducted. Results showed an increase in vocalizations and maternal attachment during isolation in the high MLG animals, possibly indicating a greater ability to elicit maternal behaviors by high MLG pups during infancy. In contrast, animals experiencing low MLG displayed reduced preference for maternal cues and low levels of isolation calls. The two extreme levels of MLG diverged during play as well, with high MLG showing less response to isolation and a quicker recovery to baseline levels of play after the introduction of a predator odor. In contrast, low MLG animals showed higher levels of play following isolation and greater suppression after the presentation of the predator odor. Thyroid hormone analysis revealed a significant deficit of T4 in low MLG animals when compared to medium and high MLG animals. This decrease was still apparent in T3 analysis; however, it was not significant. Collectively, results suggest that slight, natural variations in maternal care influences early social learning and behavior in rat pups. Animals receiving varying types of maternal care diverge within the first 2 weeks of life in terms of their social motivation to respond to cues and communicate to their primary caregiver and also in their play behavior as juveniles.
Advisors/Committee Members: Cromwell, Howard Casey.
Subjects: Behaviorial sciences; Psychology
Keywords: Natural Variations of Maternal Care; Emotional Reactivity; Ultrasonic Vocalizations; Conditioned Odor Preference; Thyroid Hormone; Rat Model; Rodent Affect
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25.
Mears, Ryan Phillip.
NEUROPHYSIOLOGY OF AUDITORY INHIBITORY GATING IN RAT MEDIAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX.
Degree: PhD, Psychology/Experimental, 2006, Bowling Green State University
► Medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a crucial region involved in inhibitory processes.…
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▼ Medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a crucial region involved in inhibitory processes. Damage to mPFC leads to loss of normal inhibitory control over motor, sensory, emotional and cognitive functions. The present study was designed to examine basic properties, influence of aversive conditioning, and neuropharmacology of inhibitory gating in mPFC. Inhibitory gating is a neurophysiological assay for sensory filters in higher brain regions that potentially enable or disable information throughput. This perspective has important clinical relevance due to findings that gating is dramatically impaired in individuals with emotional and cognitive impairments (i.e., in schizophrenia, PTSD, and drug abuse). In the present research, single-units and local field potentials (LFPs) were measured using chronic microwire arrays implanted in rat mPFC. The stability of gating was first examined using paired tone tests in short-term (within session) and long-term (between session) analyses of auditory gating. LFPs displayed reduction in amplitudes of tone responses and increase of gating over both short and long-term time windows. A variety of single-unit responses retained similar levels of auditory responsiveness and inhibition in both short and long-term analysis. Next, altering the interval between tones in each tone-pair influenced the potency of inhibition. Neural inhibition decreased monotonically related to the increase in intertone interval for both LFPs and single-units. The influence of fear conditioning was investigated by administering 30 footshock pairings with tones similar to those normally used to test gating. Inhibitory gating of LFPs weakened, and animals’ orienting behavior to tones increased after, compared to before, the session of footshock and tone pairings. Systemic neuropharmacological manipulations were used to investigate effects of dopamine and GABA neurotransmitter systems on inhibitory gating of LFPs in mPFC. For effects of dopaminergic manipulations, the drugs haloperidol and apomorphine respectively strengthened and nearly eliminated inhibitory gating, and the drugs had completely opposite effects of respectively decreasing and increasing evoked response to the first tone. For effects of GABA manipulations, the drugs baclofen and pentobarbital strengthened gating to varying degrees. This set of experiments lays essential framework for investigation of inhibitory gating in mPFC and the network of connected brain structures that also display inhibitory gating.
Advisors/Committee Members: Cromwell, Howard Casey.
Keywords: Electrophysiology; Single-Units; Evoked Potentials; Sensory Gating; Rats
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26.
Mercier, Ann Mary Pierrette.
DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES IN AUDITORY TEMPO SENSITIVITY AND PREFERRED TEMPO.
Degree: MA, Psychology/Experimental, 2007, Bowling Green State University
► The study examined the relationship between developmental changes in preferred motor tempo…
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▼ The study examined the relationship between developmental changes in preferred motor tempo (PMT) and tempo sensitivity (TS) to test McAuley, Jones, Holub, Johnston, and Miller (2006) preferred period and entrainment region hypotheses. Four groups of listeners (4-5, 6-7,8-9, and 18+ years) were asked to tap to their preferred rate and make judgments about the relative tempo of standard-comparison isochronous tone sequence pairs. Findings related to preferred period hypothesis were mixed; age-related changes consistent with the hypothesis were observed in PMT but there was no age-related shift in TS. TS findings were consistent with entrainment region hypothesis; TS improved with age except in the youngest age group, with greatest age-related improvements observed at the slowest tempo. Improvements in TS associated with increasing number of comparison intervals were generally consistent with Miller and McAuley (2005) but amount of improvement varied with age and tempo.
Advisors/Committee Members: McAuley, John Devin.
Keywords: Preferred tempo; Tempo sensitivity; Children; Development; Tempo discrimination; Preferred period; Entrainment region
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27.
Miller, Jonathan P.
Effects of the NMDA Receptor Antagonist MK-801 on the Timing and Temporal Processing of Short-Intervals in Rats.
Degree: PhD, Psychology/Experimental, 2005, Bowling Green State University
► The present series of studies examined effects of MK-801, an NMDA antagonist,…
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▼ The present series of studies examined effects of MK-801, an NMDA antagonist, on short-interval timing in rats. The first study used two experiments to examine timing performance using the peak-interval (PI) and PI-gap procedures during chronic exposure of MK-801. The first of these experiments investigated the effects of three MK-801 doses (0.025 mg/kg, 0.05 mg/kg, and 0.2 mg/kg) administered for 10 sessions; the second experiment examined a single dose (0.2 mg/kg) administered for 15 sessions. MK-801 interfered with short interval timing by producing an over-estimation of time and a non-scalar increase in variability. Additionally, MK-801 increased response rate, suggesting a decrease in response inhibition. The influence of MK-801 on the formation of temporal memories was examined by switching the temporal criterion (Meck, 1988; Meck, Komeily-Zadeh, and Church, 1984). Spontaneous alternation and water maze tasks were determined whether the dose of MK-801 (0.05 mg/kg) also influenced spatial memory. Results suggested that MK-801 did not alter temporal learning and that this dose (0.05 mg/kg) had no effect on spontaneous alternation and water maze. MK-801 did increase the rate of responding, demonstrating that the drug had positive effects. However, the dose may have been insufficient to alter both spatial and temporal learning. Therefore, more work needs to be done with high concentrations of MK-801 before concluding that NMDA receptor antagonists have no influence on the learning of temporal durations. Finally, modeling simulations were used to qualitatively fit the MK-801 data using Scalar Expectancy Theory (SET) in order to better understand the effects of MK-801 on timing and temporal processing. Modeling results suggest MK-801 has a wide ranging effect on the mechanisms of timing and temporal processing. Based on the simulations, the best fit to the data was obtained when five of the eight parameters were altered. Clock speed was slowed, while variability of clock speed, memory transformation, threshold, and base-rate of responding values were all increased. In summary, no definitive conclusions can be made about MK-801 effects on temporal learning. However there are two clear effects on timing and temporal processing, MK-801 causes an over-estimation of time and an increased rate of responding.
Advisors/Committee Members: Pang, Kevin C. H.
Keywords: Short-Interval Timing; Temporal Processing; Peak-Interval Procedure; Operant Behavior; NMDA Receptor; MK-801; Rats; Fisher 344
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28.
Miller, Nathaniel Scott.
Effects Of Rhythmic Context on Time Perception in Individuals with Parkinson Disease.
Degree: PhD, Psychology/Experimental, 2010, Bowling Green State University
► Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder of the basal ganglia (BG)…
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▼ Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder of the basal ganglia (BG) that results in a significant loss of dopaminergic neurons. Previous studies have shown that individuals with PD show impairments in both the perception and production of duration, supporting the involvement of the BG and dopamine (DA) in perceptual and motor timing. One such DA-dependent timing impairment is gravitation in the remembered duration of an isolated (single) time interval toward the mean of a set of experienced time intervals (Malapani, et al., 1998). This dissertation extends research on time perception in PD to an investigation of the effects of rhythmic context on perceived duration. The basis for the project is a paradigm previously shown to produce large effects of rhythmic context on perceived duration in young adults (Barnes & Jones, 2000; McAuley & Jones, 2003). In this paradigm, participants are asked to compare the duration of two empty time intervals marked by pairs of tones (a fixed standard interval followed by a variable comparison interval) with the instruction to ignore a preceding tone sequence (i.e., context rhythm). Previous studies have shown that participants are unable to ignore the context rhythm, as evident by relative duration judgments about the standard-comparison pair of intervals being more accurate when the tone marking the end of the standard interval is ‘on time,’ relative to a periodic extrapolation of the context rhythm, than when the tone marking the end of the standard interval is ‘early’ or ‘late.’ The resulting ∩-shaped pattern of performance has been termed a temporal expectancy profile. Two experiments tested two hypotheses about the strength of the expectancy profiles in young adults, older adults, and individuals with PD. The first hypothesis is a period-correction hypothesis that posits that increasing the number of repetitions of the standard interval will eliminate (or at least weaken) the expectancy profile. The second hypothesis is a DA-mediated distortion hypothesis that posits that larger effects of rhythmic context will be observed when individuals with PD are tested off their DA-enhancing medication than when tested on medication. Moreover, the loss of DA in individuals with PD will result in larger effects of rhythmic context than observed with older adult controls or young adults. Experiment 1 tested young adults in order to provide a baseline measure of performance and to provide an initial evaluation of the period-correction hypothesis, whereby effects of rhythmic context on perceived duration were predicted to be eliminated (or at least weakened) by increasing the number of repetitions of the standard interval. Experiment 2 compared the performance of individuals with PD (both on- and off-medication) to older adult controls and to the young adults tested in Experiment 1. In general, support for the period-correction hypothesis was found. Increasing the number of equal standard intervals reduced the effects of rhythmic context on perceived duration in all groups. Mixed support was found for the DA-mediated distortion hypothesis. Although no group differences were observed in the strength of expectancy profiles for the one-standard interval condition, increasing the number of equal standard intervals differentially affected individuals with PD on- and off-medication. Increasing the number of equal standard intervals served to weaken expectancy profiles for PD participants when they were on medication, but not when the same participants were off their medication. Taken together, the present findings provide the first evidence for the potential involvement of DA in period-correction processes.
Advisors/Committee Members: McAuley, John.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: time perception; Parkinson disease; perceptual timing; motor timing; rhythmic context
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29.
Moore, Jason S.
THE EFFECTS OF DIVERSITY INITIATIVES ON THE DISTORTION OF APPLICANT QUALIFICATIONS AND DECISION STANDARDS.
Degree: PhD, Psychology/Experimental, 2006, Bowling Green State University
► It is common practice for organizations to implement policies to encourage race…
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▼ It is common practice for organizations to implement policies to encourage race and gender diversity in the workforce. Do these initiatives influence hiring managers’ selection decisions and motivate hiring managers to distort their assessments of applicant qualifications and their interpretations of selection standards? The current study investigated these questions with an employee selection scenario; manipulating hiring policy (Diversity Initiative vs. Equal Opportunity), applicant sex (female vs. male) and the timing (predecision vs. postdecision) of respondents’ ratings. Consistent with past research on dissonance reduction, respondents distorted their postdecision interpretations of the selection standard and their ratings of applicant qualifications for applicants that were not selected to align with their hiring decision. Contrary to expectations, among respondents who selected the applicant, those who rated qualifications prior to stating their hiring decision provided higher ratings than those who provided postdecision ratings. Contrary to expectations, the diversity initiative did not motivate respondents to distort qualifications or decision standards prior to stating their hiring decision for applicants targeted by the initiative. The sole impact of the diversity initiative was its effect on selection decisions for applicants not targeted by the policy. While the female applicant (i.e., the target of the diversity initiative) was no more likely to be hired in the context of the diversity initiative than under the equal opportunity policy, the male applicant was less likely to be hired under the diversity initiative.
Advisors/Committee Members: Highhouse, Scott.
Keywords: distortion; decision criterion; information evaluation; decision making; employee selection
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30.
Nardi, Daniele.
The Relationship Between Geometric Shape and Slope for the Representation of a Goal Location in Pigeons (Columba livia).
Degree: PhD, Psychology/Experimental, 2008, Bowling Green State University
► The ability to use the geometric shape of the environment to orient…
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▼ The ability to use the geometric shape of the environment to orient in space and locate a goal has been shown in many vertebrate groups. Experimentally, however, spatial tasks are typically carried out on a horizontal surface. The present study explored the importance of the vertical dimension for representing a goal location and how solving a geometry task is affected by the presence of a vertical component in the environment. In a reference memory task, pigeons were trained to find a goal in an acute corner of an isosceles trapezoid arena, which could be placed on a flat or on an inclined surface. In Experiment 1, learning the task on a slope proceeded more rapidly than on a flat surface, presumably because of the additional kinesthetic, vestibular and visual information extractable from the inclined surface. Although the geometric shape of the arena was encoded, pigeons trained on a slope were almost exclusively relying on a goal representation based on the vertical and orthogonal axes of the slope to solve the task. In Experiment 2, pigeons learned the geometric shape of the arena at a similar pace whether training occurred on a slope or not, indicating a lack of cue competition between slope and shape geometry. In Experiment 3, pigeons were trained with three different orientations of the arena on the slope. Subjects encoded the shape of the environment; however, when tested in a novel arena orientation, pigeons did not generalize what they learned and did not choose the geometric correct corner. Surprisingly, however, they made systematic errors to the other acute, mirror image corner. It is hypothesized that this systematic error reflects the encoding of multiple orientation-specific slope-based goal representations during training. Overall, the present study showed, for the first time, that a slope gradient exerted stronger control over goal searching behavior than the geometric shape of the environment. Furthermore, it indicated that pairing the more salient slope cues with the less salient geometric cues did not overshadow geometric learning, but produced a peculiar effect, such as the failure to generalize geometric cues in a novel orientation.
Advisors/Committee Members: Bingman, Verner.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: spatial learning; geometric shape; slope; vertical dimension; stimulus generalization; Columba livia
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