TY - JOUR A1 - Yan, Ming A1 - Zhou, Wei A1 - Shu, Hua A1 - Kliegl, Reinhold T1 - Perceptual span depends on font size during the reading of chinese sentences JF - Journal of experimental psychology : Learning, memory, and cognition N2 - The present study explored the perceptual span (i.e., the physical extent of an area from which useful visual information is extracted during a single fixation) during the reading of Chinese sentences in 2 experiments. In Experiment 1, we tested whether the rightward span can go beyond 3 characters when visually similar masks were used. Results showed that Chinese readers needed at least 4 characters to the right of fixation to maintain a normal reading behavior when visually similar masks were used and when characters were displayed in small fonts, indicating that the span is dynamically influenced by masking materials. In Experiments 2 and 3, we asked whether the perceptual span varies as a function of font size in spaced (German) and unspaced (Chinese) scripts. Results clearly suggest perceptual span depends on font size in Chinese, but we failed to find such evidence for German. We propose that the perceptual span in Chinese is flexible; it is strongly constrained by its language-specific properties such as high information density and lack of word spacing. Implications for saccade-target selection during the reading of Chinese sentences are discussed. KW - eye movements KW - parafoveal processing KW - perceptual span KW - Chinese reading Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038097 SN - 0278-7393 SN - 1939-1285 VL - 41 IS - 1 SP - 209 EP - 219 PB - American Psychological Association CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yan, Ming A1 - Sommer, Werner T1 - Parafoveal-on-Foveal Effects of Emotional Word Semantics in Reading Chinese Sentences: Evidence From Eye Movements JF - Journal of experimental psychology : Learning, memory, and cognition N2 - Despite the well-known influence of emotional meaning on cognition, relatively less is known about its effects on reading behavior. We investigated whether fixation behavior during the reading of Chinese sentences is influenced by emotional word meaning in the parafovea. Two-character target words embedded into the same sentence frames provided emotionally positive, negative, or neutral contents. Fixation durations on neutral pretarget words were prolonged for positive parafoveal words and for highly frequent negative parafoveal words. In addition, fixation durations on foveal emotional words were shorter than those on neutral words. We also found that the role of emotional words varied as a function of their valence during foveal and parafoveal processing. These findings suggest a processing advantage for emotional words relative to emotionally neutral stimuli in foveal and parafoveal vision. We discuss implications for the notion of attention attraction due to emotional content. KW - parafoveal vision KW - emotion KW - reading KW - Chinese Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1037/xlm0000095 SN - 0278-7393 SN - 1939-1285 VL - 41 IS - 4 SP - 1237 EP - 1243 PB - American Psychological Association CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yan, Ming A1 - Pan, Jinger A1 - Belanger, Nathalie N. A1 - Shu, Hua T1 - Chinese deaf readers have early access to parafoveal semantics JF - Journal of experimental psychology : Learning, memory, and cognition N2 - In the present study, we manipulated different types of information available in the parafovea during the reading of Chinese sentences and examined how deaf readers make use of the parafoveal information. Results clearly indicate that although the reading-level matched hearing readers make greater use of orthographic information in the parafovea, parafoveal semantic information is obtained earlier among the deaf readers. In addition, a phonological preview benefit effect was found for the better deaf readers (relative to less-skilled deaf readers), although we also provide an alternative explanation for this effect. Providing evidence that Chinese deaf readers have higher efficiency when processing parafoveal semantics, the study indicates flexibility across individuals in the mechanisms underlying word recognition adapting to the inputs available in the linguistic environment. KW - parafoveal KW - sentence reading KW - Chinese KW - deaf readers Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1037/xlm0000035 SN - 0278-7393 SN - 1939-1285 VL - 41 IS - 1 SP - 254 EP - 261 PB - American Psychological Association CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yan, Ming T1 - Visually complex foveal words increase the amount of parafoveal information acquired JF - Vision research : an international journal for functional aspects of vision. N2 - This study investigates the effect of foveal load (i.e., processing difficulty of currently fixated words) on parafoveal information processing. Contrary to the commonly accepted view that high foveal load leads to reduced parafoveal processing efficiency, results of the present study showed that increasing foveal visual (but not linguistic) processing load actually increased the amount of parafoveal information acquired, presumably due to the fact that longer fixation duration on the pretarget word provided more time for parafoveal processing of the target word. It is therefore proposed in the present study that foveal linguistic processing load is not the only factor that determines parafoveal processing; preview time (afforded by foveal word visual processing load) may jointly influence parafoveal processing. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. KW - Reading KW - Eye movements KW - Parafoveal processing KW - Chinese Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.visres.2015.03.025 SN - 0042-6989 SN - 1878-5646 VL - 111 SP - 91 EP - 96 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Winter, Bodo A1 - Matlock, Teenie A1 - Shaki, Samuel A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - Mental number space in three dimensions JF - Neuroscience & biobehavioral reviews : official journal of the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society N2 - A large number of experimental findings from neuroscience and experimental psychology demonstrated interactions between spatial cognition and numerical cognition. In particular, many researchers posited a horizontal mental number line, where small numbers are thought of as being to the left of larger numbers. This review synthesizes work on the mental association between space and number, indicating the existence of multiple spatial mappings: recent research has found associations between number and vertical space, as well as associations between number and near/far space. We discuss number space in three dimensions with an eye on potential origins of the different number mappings, and how these number mappings fit in with our current knowledge of brain organization and brain-culture interactions. We derive novel predictions and show how this research fits into a general view of cognition as embodied, grounded and situated. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. KW - Embodiment KW - Intra-parietal sulcus KW - Mental number line KW - Metaphor KW - Neglect KW - Spatial cognition KW - SNARC Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.09.005 SN - 0149-7634 SN - 1873-7528 VL - 57 SP - 209 EP - 219 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Warschburger, Petra A1 - Calvano, Claudia A1 - Richter, Eike M. A1 - Engbert, Ralf T1 - Analysis of Attentional Bias towards Attractive and Unattractive Body Regions among Overweight Males and Females BT - an Eye-Movement Study JF - PLoS one N2 - Background Body image distortion is highly prevalent among overweight individuals. Whilst there is evidence that body-dissatisfied women and those suffering from disordered eating show a negative attentional bias towards their own unattractive body parts and others’ attractive body parts, little is known about visual attention patterns in the area of obesity and with respect to males. Since eating disorders and obesity share common features in terms of distorted body image and body dissatisfaction, the aim of this study was to examine whether overweight men and women show a similar attentional bias. Methods/Design We analyzed eye movements in 30 overweight individuals (18 females) and 28 normalweight individuals (16 females) with respect to the participants’ own pictures as well as gender- and BMI-matched control pictures (front and back view). Additionally, we assessed body image and disordered eating using validated questionnaires. Discussion The overweight sample rated their own body as less attractive and showed a more disturbed body image. Contrary to our assumptions, they focused significantly longer on attractive compared to unattractive regions of both their own and the control body. For one’s own body, this was more pronounced for women. A higher weight status and more frequent body checking predicted attentional bias towards attractive body parts. We found that overweight adults exhibit an unexpected and stable pattern of selective attention, with a distinctive focus on their own attractive body regions despite higher levels of body dissatisfaction. This positive attentional bias may either be an indicator of a more pronounced pattern of attentional avoidance or a self-enhancing strategy. Further research is warranted to clarify these results. Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0140813 SN - 1932-6203 IS - 10 PB - Public Library of Science CY - Lawrence, Kan. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Warschburger, Petra A1 - Calvano, Claudia A1 - Richter, Eike M. A1 - Engbert, Ralf T1 - Analysis of Attentional Bias towards Attractive and Unattractive Body Regions among Overweight Males and Females: An Eye-Movement Study JF - PLoS one N2 - Background Body image distortion is highly prevalent among overweight individuals. Whilst there is evidence that body-dissatisfied women and those suffering from disordered eating show a negative attentional bias towards their own unattractive body parts and others' attractive body parts, little is known about visual attention patterns in the area of obesity and with respect to males. Since eating disorders and obesity share common features in terms of distorted body image and body dissatisfaction, the aim of this study was to examine whether overweight men and women show a similar attentional bias. Methods/Design We analyzed eye movements in 30 overweight individuals (18 females) and 28 normal-weight individuals (16 females) with respect to the participants' own pictures as well as gender- and BMI-matched control pictures (front and back view). Additionally, we assessed body image and disordered eating using validated questionnaires. Discussion The overweight sample rated their own body as less attractive and showed a more disturbed body image. Contrary to our assumptions, they focused significantly longer on attractive compared to unattractive regions of both their own and the control body. For one's own body, this was more pronounced for women. A higher weight status and more frequent body checking predicted attentional bias towards attractive body parts. We found that overweight adults exhibit an unexpected and stable pattern of selective attention, with a distinctive focus on their own attractive body regions despite higher levels of body dissatisfaction. This positive attentional bias may either be an indicator of a more pronounced pattern of attentional avoidance or a self-enhancing strategy. Further research is warranted to clarify these results. Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0140813 SN - 1932-6203 VL - 10 IS - 10 PB - PLoS CY - San Fransisco ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Warschburger, Petra T1 - SRT-Joy - computer-assisted self-regulation training for obese children and adolescents: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial JF - Trials N2 - Background: Obesity is not only a highly prevalent disease but also poses a considerable burden on children and their families. Evidence is increasing that a lack of self-regulation skills may play a role in the etiology and maintenance of obesity. Our goal with this currently ongoing trial is to examine whether training that focuses on the enhancement of self-regulation skills may increase the sustainability of a complex lifestyle intervention. Methods/Design: In a multicenter, prospective, parallel group, randomized controlled superiority trial, 226 obese children and adolescents aged 8 to 16 years will be allocated either to a newly developed computer-training program to improve their self-regulation abilities or to a placebo control group. Randomization occurs centrally and blockwise at a 1:1 allocation ratio for each center. This study is performed in pediatric inpatient rehabilitation facilities specialized in the treatment of obesity. Observer-blind assessments of outcome variables take place at four times: at the beginning of the rehabilitation (pre), at the end of the training in the rehabilitation (post), and 6 and 12 months post-rehabilitation intervention. The primary outcome is the course of BMI-SDS over 1 year after the end of the inpatient rehabilitation. Secondary endpoints are the self-regulation skills. In addition, health-related quality of life, and snack intake will be analyzed. Discussion: The computer-based training programs might be a feasible and attractive tool to increase the sustainability of the weight loss reached during inpatient rehabilitation. KW - Obesity KW - Randomized-controlled trial KW - Computer-assisted self-regulation training KW - Children KW - Adolescents KW - Weight Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-015-1078-2 SN - 1745-6215 VL - 16 PB - BioMed Central CY - London ER - TY - THES A1 - Tomaszewska, Paulina T1 - Sexual aggression victimization and perpetration among Polish Youth BT - prevalence and predictors Y1 - 2015 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stapel, Janny C. A1 - Hunnius, Sabine A1 - Bekkering, Harold A1 - Lindemann, Oliver T1 - The development of numerosity estimation: Evidence for a linear number representation early in life JF - Journal of cognitive psychology N2 - Several studies investigating the development of approximate number representations used the number-to-position task and reported evidence for a shift from a logarithmic to a linear representation of numerical magnitude with increasing age. However, this interpretation as well as the number-to-position method itself has been questioned recently. The current study tested 5- and 8-year-old children on a newly established numerosity production task to examine developmental changes in number representations and to test the idea of a representational shift. Modelling of the children's numerical estimations revealed that responses of the 8-year-old children approximate a simple positive linear relation between estimated and actual numbers. Interestingly, however, the estimations of the 5-year-old children were best described by a bilinear model reflecting a relatively accurate linear representation of small numbers and no apparent magnitude knowledge for large numbers. Taken together, our findings provide no support for a shift of mental representations from a logarithmic to a linear metric but rather suggest that the range of number words which are appropriately conceptualised and represented by linear analogue magnitude codes expands during development. KW - Numerical estimation KW - Number cognition KW - Development KW - Bilinear models KW - Number representation Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/20445911.2014.995668 SN - 2044-5911 SN - 2044-592X VL - 27 IS - 4 SP - 400 EP - 412 PB - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group CY - Abingdon ER -