Unilateral Presentation Paradigm in Psychophysical Tasks: Capability and Limitations of Resource App

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Unilateral Presentation Paradigm in
Psychophysical Tasks Capability and Limitations
of Resource Approach?.Gusev, I.Utochkin
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Daniel Kahneman (1973). Monograph Attention and
Effort The first detailed elaboration
in Resource Approach
D. Kahneman Nobel Prize in Economy, 2002
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Concept of Resource in contemporary Cognitive
Science (two aspects)

• Resource as descriptive metaphor an illustration
  of limited capacity in information processing.
• Resource as theoretical concept a principle of
  explanation of limited capacity in information
  processing.

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Resource as theoretical concept
Factors determining task priority
Energetic task demands
How much Resource is to be allocated to a task?
What tasks demand Resource (attention) first of
all?
Controlling mechanism (Allocation Policy)
Task 1
Task
OR
Subtask 1
Task 2

Resource
Subtask 2
Arousal
Subtask 3
Task 3
Subtask 4
Subtask 5
Task 4
How much Resource is at ones disposal?
OR
Task 5
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Demons of Resource Approach

• 1. Confusion of the descriptive and explanatory
  aspects of Resour?e - vicious circle.
• E.g. Pashler H.(1999).
• capacity is limited because Capacity is
  limited (Neumann, 1987)
• attention influences attention (Taylor,
  Klein, 1998)
• 2. Introducing infinitely many specific
  resources to explain new results - vicious
  infinity.
• E.g. Wickens C. D. (1984).

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Resource and alternative principles for
explanation of information processing limitations

• Resource and Data limited processing (Norman
  Bobrow, 1975)
• Cognitive schemes (Neisser, 1976)
• Levels of processing (Craik Lockhart, 1972)
• Functional system or organ (Ukhtomski, 1978
  Anokhin, 1978 Leontiev, 1959)
• Attentional networks (Posner, Raichle, 1994)
• All of these concepts emphasize idea of
  functional re-organization of task performance
  system.

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Typical Domain of Resource approach

• Tasks involving the following factors
• Arousal dynamics
• Task difficulty
• Typical Resource research paradigms
• Dual-task paradigm
• Vigilance tasks
• Psychological refractory period

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Resource and Asymmetry

• We suppose that research of brain asymmetry
  allows
• to clear the contribution of energetic
  (resource) and functional mechanisms of task
  performance.
• Friedman (1981) vs Luria (1973) Kinsbourne
  (1970) vs Kimura (1961)
• to clear the contribution of unitary (central)
  or multiple (hemisphere specific) resource into
  mechanisms of task performance
• Friedman (1981) Davidson (1998) vs Luria (1973)

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Objectives of Experiment

• Investigate an influence of Task Difficulty on
  Task Performance and Manifestations of Brain
  Asymmetry.
• Investigate an influence of Arousal on Task
  Performance and Manifestations of Brain Asymmetry.

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Methods

• 83 right-handed participants
• Signal Detection Paradigm
• Unilateral presentation of tonal signal on noise
  background, yes-no method
• Factor 1 Difficulty of signal detection task
  TD (3 levels, 260 trials per level)
• Factor 2 Self-report Arousal (Energetic and
  Tense Arousal Thayer,1968)
• Dependent variables RT, sdRT, P(hit), A,
  Yes-rate Lateral indexes of RT, sdRT, P(hit), A
  and Yes-rate

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General Arousal (GA)
Tense Arousal
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4
Energetic Arousal
1
3
Thayer, 1968
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Results effect of TD on Lateral indexes
F14.00 plt0.001
- the same tendency is for sdRT, P(hit) and
Yes-rate
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Results effects of TD?GA on P(hit)
F2.73 p0.04
Easy Moderate Difficult
- the similar tendency is for A
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Results effects of TD?GA on sdRT
Easy Moderate Difficult
F3.05 p0.03
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Results effects of TD?GA on Lateral indexes
Easy Moderate Difficult
F2.88 p0.04
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• Discussion
• 1. Ear asymmetry increases with task difficulty

2. Efficiency of task performance and performance
asymmetry reveal non-linear (Yerkes-Dodson-like)
relation to arousal variations
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Discussion 3.Non-linear (Yerkes-Dodson-like)
effect of arousal takes place only in moderately
difficult task.
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General conclusions

• Resource Approach predominantly works in
  arousal-dependent tasks.
• Comprehensive understanding of difficult
  psychophysical tasks performance requires
  additional usage of some other concepts and
  models, e.g., cognitive schemes, levels of
  processing, functional system, etc.