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Fundamentals of Cognitive Psychology

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Fundamentals of Cognitive Psychology

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Contents

Motion after effect: An assessment of

Inter-ocular transfer 2

Primacy and recency effect and its

Role on the serial position effect 8

Motion after effect: An assessment of inter-ocular transfer.

Ruvimbo B Fellowes

Anglia Ruskin University

Abstract

Prolonged observation of an unchangeable configuration produces adaptation which can be shown by an optical after effects such as the tilt illusions. The purposes relating aftereffect level to adapting contrast and adaptation time were comparable under the two testing conditions, with inter-ocular transfer remaining fairly constant. Complete inter-ocular transfer indicates physiological processes which causes perceptual fluctuations is not located in the retina but in central pathways common in the two eyes. The experiment shows motion after effect contains components or both peripheral and central. In typical observers these normally reveal inter-ocular transfer (IOT), being witnessed when the adapting and test inducements are revealed to alternating eyes.

Introduction

Physical stimulation and perception do not often correspond. A motion after effect (MAE) can occur after a prolonged viewing of an unchanging pattern which demonstrates effects such as waterfall illusions and is known as pattern adaptation. A fascinating issue about the optic flow MAE is whether motivation in the periphery as opposed to in the central visual field is necessary to induce the effect. Contrast sensitivity is reduced and perceived contrast of test stimuli is decreased (Blakemore et al., 1973). If test stimuli is presented to the eyes adaptation is perceived when the adjusting stimulus is exposed to one eye and the test stimulus afterwards to the other eye. This experience is called inter-ocular transfer (IOT) which is exhibited in MAE (Lehmkuhle and Fox, 1976) and the tilt effect (Campbell and Maffei, 1971). IOT characteristically ranges between 50% and 80% of the influence witnessed when the adapter and the test stimulus are shown to the same eye. There is some doubt cast over the link between IOT of adaptation and cortical binocularity. The after effects between moving patterns and a static one have been demonstrated by a binocular process of motion processing.

If one looks at a motionless test configuration after adjusting to the moving spiral one experiences a MAE that is in the opposed course than the earlier observed illusion. According to Anstis and Gregory (1964) the illusory after effect requires the movement of images across the retinal cones and rods and may co-operate to create MAE. The study carried out suggests an indication that MAE contains both peripheral and central elements. Conflicting evidence has been found in the influence of stimulation in the central versus peripheral visual field and that could be attributed to stimulus size.

Method

There is an interest in finding out if MAE is caused by reduced activity in directionally sensitive retinal ganglion cells. This is assessed through inter-ocular transfer.

Participants

All participants volunteered for the experiment and gave written, informed consent. All participants had normal vision or corrected to normal vision in each eye took part. Results are from 138 participants (35 males and 103 females; mean age 22.4). Credits to participant’s degree were offered for taking part.

Apparatus and design

Computers were used to run a programme optical.exe which brings up a swirling pattern. The study is designed in two conditions binocular fixation on the pattern and the second monocular fixation of each eye with adaptation. The swirl pattern is the independent variable and the timed MAE is the dependent variable. The control of fixation in the study allowed for interpretation of the results in terms of central versus peripheral retinal areas. The participants are adapted to the resulting optic flow for a period of 60 seconds.

Procedure

Before beginning the study participant’s vision was checked to be normal or corrected to normal. Participants are assigned to a computer with the program with the swirl pattern working in pairs. Firstly the participants look at the pattern for 60 seconds with both eyes then turn to look at their partners face. The procedure is repeated again but with one eye open, the left eye with the right eye adapted and the partner records how long the MAE lasts. The left eye is then adapted and the procedure is repeated and recorded. The partner conducts the same study but starting with the right eye, left eye adapted to demonstrate counter balancing and it is recorded. The adapting eye and the test eye were different in IOT. Direction of rotation of the stimulus during adaptation was varied as it appeared be anti-clockwise in the centre of the pattern and clockwise on the other half.

Results

The MAE duration times from the trials under each condition for each participant were averaged together to provide an estimate of the duration of the MAE under each condition for each participant. These data were statistically analysed by computing a t-test for within subjects. This analysis revealed t=11.07 and p0.8393 showing statistically that the difference is not significant. The first experiment with tests 1, 3 and 5 replicate the study Murdock’s (1962, 1974) conducted and the results achieved greater recall at the beginning of the list and then a drop of recall in the middle and a gradual increase towards the end.

Figure 1 shows the measure of participants who remembered a word for every serial position for both the non- distracter circumstance (red line) and distracter situation (blue line). Constant with the assumption, the first numerous words were recollected better than the middle words for both the non-interference and interference situations. The study uses a 95% confidence intermission results in neglecting the first theory while not disregarding the second.

[pic]

Fig1. Results from the test

Discussion

Since the results and the numerical examination, we can investigate the connection towards the earlier notion and the general theory on serial position and especially the primacy and recency effects (Sternberg, 2007). The figures support the primacy effect for both situations, and the recency effect in the no interference situation. As anticipated, the recency effect was not detected in the interference circumstance. This is coherent with Glanzer (1966) and he suggests that the recency effect may be owing to the location of the words in the list. Reinforced by the t-test which outcomes in a very low possibility that the first few and middle items are processed similarly. However the last words were remembered equally more or less the same as the middle words. According to the hypothesis this is not expected and is the opposing of what is expected of the recency effect. The outcomes of this

report should be construed with cautiousness because statistically the difference between the primacy and recency was insignificant from -6.888 to 5.605.

The combination of theoretical and empirical aspects in the study appears to resolve the disagreement on conflicting conclusions of primacy and recency effects in evaluation and choice tasks. The results may not back the concept they are not decisive. The graph shows recall became less in every experiment. Hypothesis was established but further trials need to be carried out to achieve a statistically significant outcome.

References

Atkinson, R.C, & Shiffrin, R.M. (1968). Human memory: A proposed system and its control processes. In K.W Spence & J.T. Spence (Eds.), The psychology of learning and motivation, Vol.2. London: Academic Press

Glazner, M. & Cunitz, A.R. (1966). Two storage systems in free recall. Journal of Verbal learning and Verbal behaviour, 5, 351 – 360

Murdock, B. B. (1962). The serial position effect of free recall. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 64, 482–488.

Murdock, B. (1974). Human memory: Theory and data. Oxford England: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Sternberg, R. J. (2007). Cognitive Psychology. Thomson Wadsworth

-----------------------
RUNNING HEAD: MOTION AFTER EFFECT: AN ASSESSMENT OF INTER-OCULAR TRANSFER

MOTION AFTER EFFECT: AN ASSESSMENT OF INTER-OCULAR TRANSFER

MOTION AFTER EFFECT: AN ASSESSMENT OF INTER-OCULAR TRANSFER

MOTION AFTER EFFECT: AN ASSESSMENT OF INTER-OCULAR TRANSFER

MOTION AFTER EFFECT: AN ASSESSMENT OF INTER-OCULAR TRANSFER

MOTION AFTER EFFECT: AN ASSESSMENT OF INTER-OCULAR TRANSFER

ROLE OF THE SERIAL POSITION EFFECT AND ITS EFFECT ON PRIMACY AND RECENCY

ROLE OF THE SERIAL POSITION EFFECT AND ITS EFFECT ON PRIMACY AND RECENCY

ROLE OF THE SERIAL POSITION EFFECT AND ITS EFFECT ON PRIMACY AND RECENCY

ROLE OF THE SERIAL POSITION EFFECT AND ITS EFFECT ON PRIMACY AND RECENCY

ROLE OF THE SERIAL POSITION EFFECT AND ITS EFFECT ON PRIMACY AND RECENCY

ROLE OF THE SERIAL POSITION EFFECT AND ITS EFFECT ON PRIMACY AND RECENCY

ROLE OF THE SERIAL POSITION EFFECT AND ITS EFFECT ON PRIMACY AND RECENCY

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