TY - JOUR A1 - Oberauer, Klaus A1 - Weidenfeld, Andrea A1 - Hörnig, Robin T1 - Working memory capacity and the construction of spatial mental models in comprehension and deductive reasoning N2 - We asked 149 high-school students who were pretested for their working memory capacity (WMC) to read spatial descriptions relating to five objects and to evaluate conclusions asserting an unmentioned relationship between two of the objects. Unambiguous descriptions were compatible with a single spatial arrangement, whereas ambiguous descriptions permitted two arrangements; a subset of the ambiguous descriptions still determined the relation asserted in the conclusion, whereas another subset did not. Two groups of participants received different instructions: The deduction group should accept conclusions only if they followed with logical necessity from the description, whereas the comprehension group should accept a conclusion if it agreed with their representation of the arrangement. Self-paced reading times increased on sentences that introduced an ambiguity, replicating previous findings in deductive reasoning experiments. This effect was also found in the comprehension group, casting doubt on the interpretation that people consider multiple possible arrangements online. Responses to conclusions could be modelled by a multinomial processing model with four parameters: the probability of constructing a correct mental model, the probability of detecting an ambiguity, and two guessing parameters. Participants with high and with low WMC differed mainly in the probability of successfully constructing a mental model Y1 - 2006 UR - http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=journal&issn=1747-0218 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/17470210500151717 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hörnig, Robin A1 - Weskott, Thomas A1 - Kliegl, Reinhold A1 - Fanselow, Gisbert T1 - Word order variation in spatial descriptions with adverbs N2 - Previous research has shown that in a three-term spatial reasoning task, the second premise of a German premise pair is especially easy to comprehend if (1) the prepositional object rather than the grammatical subject denotes the given entity, and if (2) the term denoting the given entity precedes the term denoting the new entity. Accordingly, the second premise is easiest to comprehend with noncanonical word order-that is, with the prepositional object in preverbal position denoting the given entity (e.g., To the right of the given object is the new subject). This finding is explained in terms of contextual licensing of noncanonical word order. Here, we discuss and tested two alternative accounts of contextual licensing, given-new and partially ordered set relations (Poset). The given-new account claims that noncanonical word order is licensed by the term denoting the given entity preceding the term denoting the new entity. On the Poset account, noncanonical word order is licensed if the preverbal constituent introduces a new entity that stands in a transitive, irreflexive, and asymmetric relation to a given entity. Comprehension times for second premises with spatial adverbs in four different word orders support both accounts of contextual licensing; Poset licensing was stronger than given-new licensing. Y1 - 2006 UR - http://www.springerlink.com/content/0090-502x/ U6 - https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193264 SN - 0090-502X ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wilhelm, Oliver A1 - Oberauer, Klaus T1 - Why are reasoning ability and working memory capacity related to mental speed? An investigation of stimulus- response compatibility in choice reaction time tasks N2 - A study with 114 young adults investigated the correlations of intelligence factors and working-memory capacity with reaction time (RT) tasks. Within two sets of four-choice RT tasks, stimulus-response compatibility was varied over three levels: compatible, incompatible, and arbitrary mappings. Two satisfactory measurement models for the RTs could be established: A general factor model without constraints on the loadings and a nested model with two correlated factors, distinguishing compatible from arbitrary mappings, with constraints on the loadings. Structural models additionally including factors for working memory and intelligence showed that the nested model with correlated factors is superior in fit. Working-memory capacity and fluid intelligence were correlated strongly with the nested factor for the RT tasks with arbitrary mappings, and less with the general RT factor. The results support the hypothesis that working memory is needed to maintain arbitrary bindings between stimulus representations and response representations, and this could explain the correlation of working-memory capacity with speed in choice RT tasks Y1 - 2006 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/09541440500215921 ER - TY - THES A1 - Vockenberg, Kerstin T1 - Updating of representations in working memory T1 - Aktualisierung von Arbeitsgedächtnisrepräsentationen N2 - The limited capacity of working memory forces people to update its contents continuously. Two aspects of the updating process were investigated in the present experimental series. The first series concerned the question if it is possible to update several representations in parallel. Similar results were obtained for the updating of object features as well as for the updating of whole objects, participants were able to update representations in parallel. The second experimental series addressed the question if working memory representations which were replaced in an updating disappear directly or interfere with the new representations. Evidence for the existence of old representations was found under working memory conditions and under conditions exceeding working memory capacity. These results contradict the hypothesis that working memory contents are protected from proactive interference of long-term memory contents. N2 - Aufgrund der begrenzten Kapazität des Arbeitsgedächtnisses müssen seine Inhalte ständig aktualisiert werden. Zwei Aspekte des Aktualisierungsprozesses wurden in Experimentalserien untersucht. Die erste Serie betraf die Frage, ob es möglich ist, mehrere Repräsentationen gleichzeitig zu aktualisieren. Ähnliche Ergebnisse ergaben sich sowohl für das Aktualisieren von Objektmerkmalen als auch für das Aktualisieren von ganzen Objekten, die Versuchsteilnehmer konnten Repräsentationen gleichzeitig aktualisieren. In der zweiten Experimentalserie wurde die Frage untersucht, ob Arbeitsgedächtnisrepräsentationen, die bei einer Aktualisierung ersetzt worden sind, sofort verschwinden oder mit den neuen Repräsentationen interferieren. Evidenz für das Vorhandensein alter Repräsentationen wurde unter Arbeitsgedächtnisbedingungen und unter Bedingungen, bei denen die Arbeitsgedächtniskapazität überschritten wird, gefunden. Diese Ergebnisse widersprechen der Hypothese, dass Arbeitsgedächtnisinhalte vor proaktiver Interferenz aus dem Langzeitgedächtnis geschützt sind. KW - Aktualisierung KW - Arbeitsgedächtnis KW - proaktive Interferenz KW - parallele Aktualisierung KW - updating KW - working memory KW - proactive interference KW - parallel updating Y1 - 2006 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-11767 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Thiel, Marco A1 - Romano, Maria Carmen A1 - Kurths, Jürgen A1 - Rolfs, Martin T1 - Twin Surrogates to Test for Complex Synchronisation N2 - We present an approach to generate (multivariate) twin surrogates (TS) based on recurrence properties. This technique generates surrogates which correspond to an independent copy of the underlying system, i. e. they induce a trajectory of the underlying system starting at different initial conditions. We show that these surrogates are well suited to test for complex synchronisation and exemplify this for the paradigmatic system of R¨ossler oscillators. The proposed test enables to assess the statistical relevance of a synchronisation analysis from passive experiments which are typical in natural systems. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe - paper 264 Y1 - 2006 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-57231 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Thiel, Marco A1 - Romano, Maria Carmen A1 - Kurths, Jürgen A1 - Rolfs, Martin A1 - Kliegl, Reinhold T1 - Twin surrogates to test for complex synchronisation N2 - We present an approach to generate (multivariate) twin surrogates (TS) based on recurrence properties. This technique generates surrogates which correspond to an independent copy of the underlying system, i.e. they induce a trajectory of the underlying system starting at different initial conditions. We show that these surrogates are well suited to test for complex synchronisation and exemplify this for the paradigmatic system of Rossler oscillators. The proposed test enables to assess the statistical relevance of a synchronisation analysis from passive experiments which are typical in natural systems Y1 - 2006 UR - http://www.mendeley.com/research/twin-surrogates-to-test-for-complex-synchronisation/#page-1 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1209/epl/i2006-10147-0 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lotz, Anja A1 - Kinder, Annette T1 - Transfer in artificial grammar learning : the role of repetition information N2 - In this article, the authors report 2 experiments that investigated the sources of information used in transfer and nontransfer tasks in artificial grammar learning. Multiple regression analyses indicated that 2 types of information about repeating elements were crucial for performance in both tasks: information about the repetition of adjacent elements and information about repetition of elements in the whole item. Similarity of test items to specific training items and chunk information influenced participants' judgments only in nontransfer tasks Y1 - 2006 UR - http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/xlm/ U6 - https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-7393.32.4.707 SN - 0278-7393 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kliegl, Reinhold A1 - Nuthmann, Antje A1 - Engbert, Ralf T1 - Tracking the Mind During Reading: The Influence of Past, Present, and Future Words on Fixation Durations N2 - Reading requires the orchestration of visual, attentional, language-related, and oculomotor processing constraints. This study replicates previous effects of frequency, predictability, and length of fixated words on fixation durations in natural reading and demonstrates new effects of these variables related to previous and next words. Results are based on fixation durations recorded from 222 persons, each reading 144 sentences. Such evidence for distributed processing of words across fixation durations challenges psycholinguistic immediacy-of-processing and eye-mind assumptions. Most of the time the mind processes several words in parallel at different perceptual and cognitive levels. Eye movements can help to unravel these processes. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe - paper 263 KW - eye movements KW - fixation duration KW - gaze KW - word recognition KW - reading Y1 - 2006 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-57225 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kliegl, Reinhold A1 - Nuthmann, Antje A1 - Engbert, Ralf T1 - Tracking the mind during reading : the influence of past, present, and future words on fixation durations N2 - Reading requires the orchestration of visual, attentional, language-related, and oculomotor processing constraints. This study replicates previous effects of frequency, predictability, and length of fixated words on fixation durations in natural reading and demonstrates new effects of these variables related to previous and next words. Results are based on fixation durations recorded from 222 persons, each reading 144 sentences. Such evidence for distributed processing of words across fixation durations challenges psycholinguistic immediacy-of-processing and eye- mind assumptions. Most of the time the mind processes several words in parallel at different perceptual and cognitive levels. Eye movements can help to unravel these processes Y1 - 2006 UR - http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=browsePA.volumes&jcode=xge&vol=135&issue=1 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-3445.135.1.12 SN - 0096-3445 ER - TY - THES A1 - Müller, Dana T1 - The representation of numbers in space : a journey along the mental number line T1 - Die Repräsentation von Zahlen im Raum : eine Reise entlang des mentalen Zahlenstrahls N2 - The present thesis deals with the mental representation of numbers in space. Generally it is assumed that numbers are mentally represented on a mental number line along which they ordered in a continuous and analogical manner. Dehaene, Bossini and Giraux (1993) found that the mental number line is spatially oriented from left­-to­-right. Using a parity­-judgment task they observed faster left-hand responses for smaller numbers and faster right-hand responses for larger numbers. This effect has been labelled as Spatial Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC) effect. The first study of the present thesis deals with the question whether the spatial orientation of the mental number line derives from the writing system participants are adapted to. According to a strong ontogenetic interpretation the SNARC effect should only obtain for effectors closely related to the comprehension and production of written language (hands and eyes). We asked participants to indicate the parity status of digits by pressing a pedal with their left or right foot. In contrast to the strong ontogenetic view we observed a pedal SNARC effect which did not differ from the manual SNARC effect. In the second study we evaluated whether the SNARC effect reflects an association of numbers and extracorporal space or an association of numbers and hands. To do so we varied the spatial arrangement of the response buttons (vertical vs. horizontal) and the instruction (hand­related vs. button­-related). For vertically arranged buttons and a button­related instruction we found a button-­related SNARC effect. In contrast, for a hand-­related instruction we obtained a hand­-related SNARC effect. For horizontally arranged buttons and a hand­related instruction, however, we found a button­related SNARC effect. The results of the first to studies were interpreted in terms of weak ontogenetic view. In the third study we aimed to examine the functional locus of the SNARC effect. We used the psychological refractory period paradigm. In the first experiment participants first indicated the pitch of a tone and then the parity status of a digit (locus­-of-­slack paradigma). In a second experiment the order of stimulus presentation and thus tasks changed (effect­-propagation paradigm). The results led us conclude that the SNARC effect arises while the response is centrally selected. In our fourth study we test for an association of numbers and time. We asked participants to compare two serially presented digits. Participants were faster to compare ascending digit pairs (e.g., 2-­3) than descending pairs (e.g., 3-­2). The pattern of our results was interpreted in terms of forward­associations (“1­-2-­3”) as formed by our ubiquitous cognitive routines to count of objects or events. N2 - Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der räumlichen Repräsentation von Zahlen. Generell wird angenommen, dass Zahlen in einer kontinuierlichen und analogen Art und Weise auf einem mentalen Zahlenstrahl repräsentiert werden. Dehaene, Bossini und Giraux (1993) zeigten, dass der mentale Zahlenstrahl eine räumliche Orientierung von links­-nach­-rechts aufweist. In einer Paritätsaufgabe fanden sie schnellere Links-hand­ Antworten auf kleine Zahlen und schnellere Rechts-hand Antworten auf große Zahlen. Dieser Effekt wurde Spatial Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC) Effekt genannt. In der ersten Studie der vorliegenden Arbeit ging es um den Einfluss der Schriftrichtung auf den SNARC Effekt. Eine strenge ontogenetische Sichtweise sagt vorher, dass der SNARC Effekt nur mit Effektoren, die unmittelbar in die Produktion und das Verstehen von Schriftsprache involviert sind, auftreten sollte (Hände und Augen). Um dies zu überprüfen, forderten wir Versuchspersonen auf, die Parität dargestellter Ziffern durch Tastendruck mit ihrem rechten oder linken Fuß anzuzeigen. Entgegen der strengen ontogenetischen Hypothese fanden wir den SNARC Effekt auch für Fußantworten, welcher sich in seiner Charakteristik nicht von dem manuellen SNARC Effekt unterschied. In der zweiten Studie gingen wir der Frage nach, ob dem SNARC Effekt eine Assoziation des nicht-­körperbezogenen Raumes und Zahlen oder der Hände und Zahlen zugrunde liegt. Um dies zu untersuchen, variierten wir die räumliche Orientierung der Tasten zueinander (vertikal vs. horizontal) als auch die Instruktionen (hand-­bezogen vs. knopf­-bezogen). Bei einer vertikalen Knopfanordnung und einer knopf-­bezogenen Instruktion fanden wir einen knopf­bezogenen SNARC Effekt. Bei einer hand-­bezogenen Instruktion fanden wir einen hand-­bezogenen SNARC Effekt. Mit horizontal angeordneten Knöpfen gab es unabhängig von der Instruktion einen knopf-­bezogenen SNARC Effekt. Die Ergebnisse dieser beiden ersten Studien wurden im Sinne einer schwachen ontogenetischen Sichtweise interpretiert. In der dritten Studie befassten wir uns mit dem funktionalen Ursprung des SNARC Effekts. Hierfür nutzten wir das Psychological Refractory Period (PRP) Paradigma. In einem ersten Experiment hörten Versuchspersonen zuerst einen Ton nach welchem eine Ziffer visuell präsentiert wurde (locus-­of-­slack Paradigma). In einem zweiten Experiment wurde die Reihenfolge der Stimuluspräsentation/Aufgaben umgedreht (effect­-propagation Paradigma). Unsere Ergebnisse lassen vermuten, dass der SNARC Effekt während der zentralen Antwortselektion generiert wird. In unserer vierten Studie überprüften wir, ob Zahlen auch mit Zeit assoziiert werden. Wir forderten Versuchspersonen auf zwei seriell dargebotene Zahlen miteinander zu vergleichen. Versuchspersonen waren schneller zeitlich aufsteigende Zahlen (z.B. erst 2 dann 3) als zeitlich abfolgenden Zahlen (z.B. erst 3 dann 2) miteinander zu vergleichen. Unsere Ergebnisse wurden im Sinne unseres vorwärtsgerichteten Mechanismus des Zählens („1-­2-­3“) interpretiert. KW - numerische Kognition KW - mentaler Zahlenstrahl KW - SNARC Effekt KW - Numerical cognition KW - mental number line KW - SNARC effect Y1 - 2006 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-12949 ER -