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33
Evaluating Amazon’s Mechanical Turk as a Tool for Experimental Behavioral Research
, 2013
"... Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) is an online crowdsourcing service where anonymous online workers complete web-based tasks for small sums of money. The service has attracted attention from experimental psychologists interested in gathering human subject data more efficiently. However, relative to tradi ..."
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Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) is an online crowdsourcing service where anonymous online workers complete web-based tasks for small sums of money. The service has attracted attention from experimental psychologists interested in gathering human subject data more efficiently. However, relative to traditional laboratory studies, many aspects of the testing environment are not under the experimenter’s control. In this paper, we attempt to empirically evaluate the fidelity of the AMT system for use in cognitive behavioral experiments. These types of experiment differ from simple surveys in that they require multiple trials, sustained attention from participants, comprehension of complex instructions, and millisecond accuracy for response recording and stimulus presentation. We replicate a diverse body of tasks from experimental psychology including the Stroop, Switching, Flanker, Simon, Posner Cuing, attentional blink, subliminal priming, and category learning tasks using participants recruited using AMT. While most of replications were qualitatively successful and validated the approach of collecting data anonymously online using a web-browser, others revealed disparity between laboratory results and online results. A number of important lessons were encountered in the process of conducting these replications that should be of value to other researchers.
Intentional weighting: A basic principle in cognitive control.
- Psychological Research,
, 2013
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, 2012
"... Most research on the relationship between attention and consciousness has been limited to perception. However, perceptions are not the only kinds of mental contents of which we can be conscious. An important set of conscious states that has not received proper treatment within this discussion is tha ..."
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Most research on the relationship between attention and consciousness has been limited to perception. However, perceptions are not the only kinds of mental contents of which we can be conscious. An important set of conscious states that has not received proper treatment within this discussion is that of memories. This paper reviews compelling evidence indicating that attention may be necessary, but probably not sufficient, for conscious recollection. However, it is argued that unlike the case of conscious perception, the kind of attention required during recollection is internal, as opposed to external, attention. As such, the surveyed empirical evidence is interpreted as suggesting that internal attention is necessary, but probably not sufficient, for conscious recollection.The paper begins by justifying the need for clear distinctions among different kinds of attention, and then emphasizes the difference between internal and external attention. Next, evidence from behavioral, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging studies suggesting that internal attention is required for the successful retrieval of memorial contents is reviewed. In turn, it is argued that internal attention during recollection is what makes us conscious of the contents of retrieved memories; further evidence in support of this claim is also provided. Finally, it is suggested that internal attention is probably not sufficient for conscious recollection. Open questions and possible avenues for future research are also mentioned.
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, 2011
"... doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00221 ERP evidence for scarce rule representation in older adults following short, but not long preparatory intervals Daniela Czernochowski* ..."
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doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00221 ERP evidence for scarce rule representation in older adults following short, but not long preparatory intervals Daniela Czernochowski*
Complex Dynamic Scene Perception: Effects of Attentional Set on Perceiving Single and Multiple Event Types
"... Three experiments measured the efficiency of monitoring complex scenes composed of changing objects, or events. All events lasted about 4 s, but in a given block of trials, could be of a single type (single task) or of multiple types (multitask, with a total of four event types). Overall accuracy of ..."
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Three experiments measured the efficiency of monitoring complex scenes composed of changing objects, or events. All events lasted about 4 s, but in a given block of trials, could be of a single type (single task) or of multiple types (multitask, with a total of four event types). Overall accuracy of detecting target events amid distractors was higher for single event types relative to multiple types. Multiple event types were processed reasonably well when each event type was restricted to its own region, and much worse when event types were mixed in location. In most task conditions, observers reached an optimal level of performance (optimal attentional set). After one target was identified, performance for other targets dropped markedly and then recovered to optimal levels. However, set was not optimized when task locations were intermixed. The results support the idea that attentional set determines the efficiency of event perception in complex scenes. Although single event set was most efficient, there can be a reasonably efficient set for multiple event types.
Pervasive benefits of preparation in language switching
"... Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do no necessarily reflect the views of the NSF. Thanks to Ann Bradlow, the Northwestern SoundLab, and participants in the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society for helpful disc ..."
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Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do no necessarily reflect the views of the NSF. Thanks to Ann Bradlow, the Northwestern SoundLab, and participants in the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society for helpful discussion and comments. Preparation in
language
switching
2 Many theories of bilingual language production assume that when bilinguals process words in their first language, representations from their second language are co-activated. Verhoef, Roelofs, and Chwilla (2009) proposed an alternative account, assuming the activation of second language representations is highly limited during first language production. Using a cued language switch task, Verhoef et al. showed that allowing participants to prepare their responses failed to facilitate first language production under some contexts. Verhoef et al. argue that this reflects a lack of co-activation of second language representations in these contexts. We report two experiments with different bilingual populations that fail to confirm the predictions of this account. Preparation consistently facilitates first language production in all contexts. This
Mindset changes lead to drastic impairments in rule finding. Cognition 119, 149–165. doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2011.01.002 Fernandez-Duque
, 2011
"... a b s t r a c t Rule finding is an important aspect of human reasoning and flexibility. Previous studies associated rule finding failure with past experience with the test stimuli and stable personality traits. We additionally show that rule finding performance is severely impaired by a mindset ass ..."
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a b s t r a c t Rule finding is an important aspect of human reasoning and flexibility. Previous studies associated rule finding failure with past experience with the test stimuli and stable personality traits. We additionally show that rule finding performance is severely impaired by a mindset associated with applying an instructed rule. The mindset was established in Phase 1 (manipulation) of the experiment, before rule finding ability was assessed in Phase 2 (testing). The impairment in rule finding was observed even when Phase 1 involved executing a single trial (Experiment 2), and when entirely different stimuli and rules were used in the two phases of the experiment
Dissociable Neural Correlates of Intention and Action Preparation in Voluntary Task Switching
"... This electroencephalographic (EEG) study investigated the impact of between-task competition on intentional control in voluntary task switching. Anticipatory preparation for an upcoming task switch is a hallmark of top-down intentional control. Meanwhile, asymmetries in performance and voluntary cho ..."
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This electroencephalographic (EEG) study investigated the impact of between-task competition on intentional control in voluntary task switching. Anticipatory preparation for an upcoming task switch is a hallmark of top-down intentional control. Meanwhile, asymmetries in performance and voluntary choice when switching between tasks differing in relative strength reveal the effects of between-task com-petition, reflected in a surprising bias against switching to an easier task. Here, we assessed the impact of this bias on EEG markers of intentional control during preparation for an upcoming task switch. The results revealed strong and varied effects of between-task competition on EEG markers of global task preparation—a frontal con-tingent negative variation (CNV), a posterior slow positive wave, and oscillatory activity in the alpha band (8–12 Hz) over posterior scalp sites. In contrast, we observed no between-task differences in motor-specific task preparation, as indexed by the lateralized readi-ness potential and by motor-related amplitude asymmetries in the mu (9–13 Hz) and beta (18–26 Hz) frequency bands. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that between-task competition directly influ-ences the formation of top-down intentions, not only their expression in overt behavior. Specifically, this influence occurs at the level of global task intention rather than the preparation of specific actions.
THE ROLE OF DOMAIN GENERAL COGNITIVE MECHANISMS IN BILINGUAL LANGUAGE PRODUCTION
"... Bilingual language production is widely believed to be a competitive process. Bilinguals may manage this competition by relying on inhibiting one language while speaking in the other. However, it remains unclear if this process relies on domain general inhibitory mechanisms, and, if so, when and whe ..."
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Bilingual language production is widely believed to be a competitive process. Bilinguals may manage this competition by relying on inhibiting one language while speaking in the other. However, it remains unclear if this process relies on domain general inhibitory mechanisms, and, if so, when and where during language production control is applied. The current study investigates these issues by experimentally manipulating demand on domain-general inhibitory control during a language switching paradigm. If inhibitory control is required to switch between languages, inhibitory demand during the switch trials is predicted to make switching more difficult. Across three experiments, switching costs were not exacerbated when inhibitory control was taxed, language switching was less costly during inhibition-demanding trials. These findings question the role of inhibitory control in language switching and suggest revising the current models of language control in bilingual production.
MIX AND SWITCH EFFECTS IN BILINGUAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING
, 2012
"... This study utilized a novel task design in an effort to identify the source of the second language processing advantage commonly reported in mixed language conditions, investigate switch cost asymmetry in non-balanced bilinguals, and identify task-related variables that potentially contribute to inc ..."
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This study utilized a novel task design in an effort to identify the source of the second language processing advantage commonly reported in mixed language conditions, investigate switch cost asymmetry in non-balanced bilinguals, and identify task-related variables that potentially contribute to inconsistent results across studies with similar participant populations. Seventy highly-proficient Korean-English bilinguals completed modified picture naming, semantic categorization, and lexical decision tasks, as well as a cognitive control task designed to examine the potential relationship between lexical control and general cognitive control. While no significant relationship was found between lexical control and general cognitive control, several key task-related variables emerged with respect to mix and switch effects. Specifically, verbal production requirements and increased second language repetition effects significantly influenced results. Furthermore, this study revealed potential effects of semantic load as well as script differences in receptive tasks. Results from this study highlight several key variables that contribute to bilingual mix and switch effects, as well as task design-related considerations for future bilingual mix and switch studies.
