Clinical experience changes the combination and the weighting of audio-visual sources of information.

OBJECTIVE: Although audio and visual information constitute relevant channels to communicate pain, it remains unclear to what extent observers combine and weight these sources of information when estimating others' pain. The present study aimed to examine this issue through the theoretical framework of the Information Integration Theory. The combination and weighting processes were addressed in view of familiarity with others' pain. METHOD: Twenty-six participants familiar with pain (novice podiatry clinicians) and thirty non-specialists were asked to estimate the level of pain associated with different displayed locomotor behaviors. Audio and visual information (i.e., sound and gait kinematics) were combined across different intensities and implemented in animated human stick figures performing a walking task (from normal to pathological gaits). RESULTS: The novice clinicians and non-specialists relied significantly on gaits and sounds to estimate others' pain intensity. The combination of the two types of information obeyed an averaging rule for the majority of the novice clinicians and an additive rule for the non-specialists. The novice clinicians leaned more on gaits in the absence of limping, whereas they depended more on sounds in the presence of limping. The non-specialists relied more on gaits than on sounds. Overall, the novice clinicians attributed greater pain levels than the non-specialists did. CONCLUSION: Depending on a person's clinical experience, the combination of audio and visual pain-related behavior can qualitatively change the processes related to the assessment of others' pain. Non-verbal pain-related behaviors as well as the clinical implications are discussed in view of the assessment of others' pain.

Do faces and body postures integrate similarly for distinct emotions, kinds of emotion and judgent dimensions? / ¿Las caras y posturas corporales se integran de forma similar para distintas emociones, las clases de emoción y dimensiones del juicio?

Faces and bodies are typically seen together in most social interactions, rendering probable that facial and bodily expressions are perceived and eventually processed simultaneously. The methodology of Information Integration Theory and Functional Measurement was used here to address the following questions: Under what rules do facial and bodily information integrate in judgments over different dimensions of so-called basic and self-conscious emotions? How does relative importance of face and body vary across emotions and judgment dimensions? Does the relative importance of face and body afford a basis for distinguishing between basic and self-conscious emotions? Three basic (happiness, anger, sadness) and two social self-conscious emotions (shame and pride) were considered in this study. Manipulated factors were 3-D realistic facial expressions (varied across 5 levels of intensity) and synthetic 3-D realistic body postures (3 levels of intensity). Different groups of participants judged expressed intensity, valence, or arousal of the combined presentations of face and body, meaning that judgment dimension was varied between-subjects. With the exception of arousal judgments, averaging was the predominant integration rule. Relative importance of face and body was found to vary as a function of judgment dimension, specific emotions and, for judgments of arousal only, type of emotion (basic versus self-conscious).

Caras y cuerpos son típicamente observados en conjunto en muchas de las interacciones sociales, haciendo probable que tanto las expresiones faciales como las expresiones corporales sean percibidas y eventualmente procesadas simultaneamente. La metodología de la Teoría de Integración de la Información y la Medición Funcional fue usada en este estúdio para contestar las siguientes preguntas: ¿bajo qué reglas son integradas las informaciones faciales y corporales en los juicios sobre diferentes dimensiones de las llamadas emociones autoconcientes?, ¿cómo la importáncia relativa de la cara y del cuerpo varían a través de las emociones y las dimensiones de los juicios? ¿La importancia relativa de la cara y del cuerpo permiten tener una base para para diferenciar entre las emociones básicas y las autoconcientes? En este estudio se consideraron tres emociones básicas (felicidad, ira y tristeza) y dos emociones autoconcientes (verguenza y orgullo). Los factores manipulados fueron las expresiones faciales realistas en modelos de 3D (variadas a través e 5 niveles de intensidad) y posiciones corporales realistas en modelos de 3D (que variaron en 3 niveles de intensidad). Diferentes grupos de participantes juzgaron la intensidad de las expresiones, la valencia, o la estimulación de las diferentes presentaciones de combinaciones de caras y cuerpos, el significado de las dimesiones del juicio fue variado entre-sujetos. Con excepción de los juicios sobre la estimulación, la regla de integración del promedio fue la predominante. La importancia relativa de la cara y del cuerpo fueron observadas al variar en función de las dimensiones del juicio, de las emociones específicas y, en el caso de los juicios de estimulación solo para un tipo de emoción (básicas versus autoconscientes).

Comparing adults and adolescents regarding the scope insensitivity of value curves: A functional measurement approach / Comparación de adultos y adolescentes con respecto al alcance de insensibilidad de las curvas de valor: Un método de medición de funcionamiento

The curvature of the value/utility function has been understood, since D. Bernouilli, as the expression of an attitude towards risk. This perspective was kept in such influential theories of judgment and decision as Prospect Theory, in both its original and cumulative versions (Kahneman & Tversky, 1979; Tversky & Kahneman, 1992). More recently, dual-process interpretations of the value function as a mix of affect and deliberation (Hsee & Rottenstreich, 2004) have proposed that function curvature reflects the operation of affect-based evaluations via an affective focus coefficient indexed by "#" (varying between 0 and 1) in the equation v = A#S1-# (with "v" the subjective value, "A" the intensity of the affective response, and "S" the scope of the stimuli). According to this view, evaluating more hedonic targets results in more curved (scope-insensitive) functions than evaluating instrumental/utilitarian targets, and more affect-oriented subjects exhibit more pronounced curvatures (lower 1−#) than deliberation-oriented subjects. These predictions are evaluated in this study and additionally used for an exploratory evaluation of Reyna and Farley's (2006, 2007) proposal that analytical processing and gist/affect-based processing predominate, respectively, in adolescents' and in adults' judgment and decision making. Information Integration Theory was used to establish a model allowing for the functional measurement of subjective value at the (ratio) level required for comparing curvature parameters and computing Loss Aversion coefficients. The outcomes partially favored the prediction of larger curvatures (lower 1- #) and larger loss aversion in more hedonic tasks. However, they did not support the prediction of more scope insensitivity and larger values of loss aversion in adults than in adolescents. As the main suggested difference between adults and adolescents, individual differences in risk attitude appeared to be less polarized towards loss aversion among adolescents in more hedonic tasks.

La curva de la función valor/utilidad ha sido comprendida, desde D. Bernouilli, como la expresión de una actitud frente a un riesgo. Este punto de vista se mantuvo vigente en teorías influyentes del juicio y la toma de desiciones en la denominada Teoría de la Perspectiva, tanto en sus versiones originales como las subsecuentes (Kahneman y Tversky, 1979; Tversky y Kahneman, 1992). Más recientemente, las interpretaciones sobre el proceso dual de la función de valor que se muestran como una mezcla entre el afecto y la deliberación (Hsee y Rottenstreich, 2004) han propuesto que la función de la curva representa las evaluaciones basadas en el afecto a través de un coeficiente de enfoque afectivo incluido como "#" (que varía entre 0 y 1) en la ecuación v = A#S1-# (donde "v" es valor subjetivo, "A" es la intensidad de la respuesta afectiva, y "S" es el alcance real de los estímulos). De acuerdo con este punto de vista, la evaluación de los resultados de los más hedonistas muestra una función más encurvada (alcance - insensibilidad) que la evaluación de los instrumentales / utilitarios, y los más orientados por el afecto muestran una curvatura más pronunciada (inferior 1-a) que los sujetos orientados a la deliberación. Estas predicciones son evaluadas en este estudio y además utilizadas para una evaluación exploratoria de la propuesta de Reyna y Farley (2006, 2007) en la que predomina el procesamiento analítico y el procesamiento síntesis/basado en el afecto, respectivamente, en los juicios y toma de desiciones de los adolescentes y de los adultos. La Teoría de Integración de la Información se utilizó para establecer un modelo apropriado para la medición funcional del valor subjetivo (índice) del nivel requierido para comparar los parámetros de curvatura y calcular los coeficientes de Aversión a la Pérdida. Los resultados favorecieron parcialmente la predicción de curvaturas más grandes (menores que 1- #) y mayor aversión a las pérdidas en las tareas más hedonistas. Sin embargo, no apoyaban la predicción de mayor alcance de insensibilidad y grandes valores de aversión a las pérdidas en los adultos que en los adolescentes. Los resultados más importantes sugieren una diferencia entre adultos y adolescentes, las diferencias individuales de la actitud ante el riesgo parecieron ser menos polarizadas frente a la aversión a las pérdidas entre los adolescentes en tareas más hedonistas.

The embodied dynamics of perceptual causality: a slippery slope?

In Michotte's launching displays, while the launcher (object A) seems to move autonomously, the target (object B) seems to be displaced passively. However, the impression of A actively launching B does not persist beyond a certain distance identified as the "radius of action" of A over B. If the target keeps moving beyond the radius of action, it loses its passivity and seems to move autonomously. Here, we manipulated implied friction by drawing (or not) a surface upon which A and B are traveling, and by varying the inclination of this surface in screen- and earth-centered reference frames. Among 72 participants (n = 52 in Experiment 1; n = 20 in Experiment 2), we show that both physical embodiment of the event (looking straight ahead at a screen displaying the event on a vertical plane vs. looking downwards at the event displayed on a horizontal plane) and contextual information (objects moving along a depicted surface or in isolation) affect interpretation of the event and modulate the radius of action of the launcher. Using classical mechanics equations, we show that representational consistency of friction from radius of action responses emphasizes the embodied nature of frictional force in our cognitive architecture.

Benefits of radial distortion correction in arthroscopic surgery: a first experimental study on a knee model.

BACKGROUND: Lens probes used in arthroscopy typically have a small diameter and wide field-of-view. This introduces strong radial distortion (RD) into the image, ultimately affecting the surgeon's hand-eye coordination. This study evaluates potential benefits of using distortion-free images in arthroscopic surgery. METHODS: Distortion-free images were obtained using RDFixer™ software (Perceive3D, SA) to remove RD in the input video stream. Twelve orthopedic residents performed an arthroscopic task (loose body removal) in a dry-knee model using video with and without distortion. Residents were questioned about image quality, and surgical performance was rated using an adapted Global Rating Scale. RESULTS: A statistically significant improvement of all parameters was observed with distortion-free images. Residents perceived distortion-free images as providing a wider field-of-view and a better notion of relative depth and distance. CONCLUSION: RD correction improved the surgical performance of residents, potentially decreasing their learning curve. Future work will study whether the benefits are observable in experienced surgeons. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Functional model for the integration of gains and losses under risk: implications for the measurement of subjective value

In order to be treated quantitatively, subjective gains and losses (utilities/disutilities) must be psychologically measured. If legitimate comparisons are sought between them, measurement must be at least interval level, with a common unit. If comparisons of absolute magnitudes across gains and losses are further sought, as in standard definitions of loss aversion, a common known zero must be added to the common unit requirement. These measurement issues are typically glossed over in complex models of decision under risk. This paper illustrates how Functional Measurement (FM) affords ways of addressing them, given some conditions. It establishes a relative ratio model for the integration of gains and losses in a mixed gamble situation with independent outcome probabilities. It subsequently documents how this model yields functional estimates of gains and losses on a common unit scale with a known zero. The psychological significance of the found integration model is discussed, and some of its implications for measurement further explored across two studies(AU)