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The purpose of this research was to articulate the pressures faced by USA higher education leaders lived experiences and the relationship to problem definition, attention focus, and strategy choice...

The study was aimed at estimating the semantic priming effect for wide attention focus on subjects response time (RT) in a decision-making visuomotor hand movement task (VMHT) performed in traffic scenarios for non-professional driver’s license tests. The priming was based on modified scrambled sentence task. Traffic scenarios were displayed either on whole screen or within the central 25% of the screen. VMHT was presented: 1) immediately after priming; 2) after primed in the same way adaptation of reactive visual saccade; 3) without priming and saccade adaptation. Thirty young and thirty older subjects took part in the study as they were divided equally into three groups with respect to the three conditions: 1) YP and OP (a group where the traffic test is performed before the sacccade adaptation); 2) YS and OS (after the saccade adaptation); 3) YC and OC (control group). The outcomes established that RTs of both YP and OP groups are higher while RTs of YS and OS groups are lower in comparison with the control groups. RTs of all older groups were significantly longer than those of the younger groups. Longer RTs were found with respect to large pictures than to small pictures. These results suggest that semantic priming has a rather negative effect on decision-making VMHT performance because priming with scrambled sentences also involves a decision-making process. Therefore, they both need similar cognitive resources of which probably VMHT is deprived by the preceding priming and as consequence its perceptual realization is delayed. The study suggests that priming and visuomotor performance are related and the effect of the former on the latter depends on which cognitive resources they need.

In a recent study examining the efficacy of different external foci (Singh and Wulf [2020]. The distance effect and level of expertise: Is the optimal external focus different for low-skilled and high-skilled performers? Human Movement Science, 73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2020.102663), an external focus instruction referred to parts of the body (arms). Specifically, the image of a "platform" was used to describe the area between the wrists and elbows when passing a volleyball. The present study followed up on that study by addressing the question whether a focus on an image that represents a body part (platform) would be more effective than a focus on the body parts (arms) themselves (i.e. internal focus). In a within-participant design, novice volleyball players continuously passed a volleyball to a target on the wall. Participants completed eight 45-s trials under each of the external ("focus on your platform") and internal focus ("focus on your arms") conditions, performed in a counterbalanced order. The results showed that the total score (i.e. sum of scores over 45 s) was significantly higher when participants focused on the platform rather than their arms. Thus, invoking an image of an external object that "replaces" a body part can serve to promote an external focus that results in immediate performance advantages compared with an internal focus on the same body part. The findings suggest that instructors within a range of applied settings can creatively use such images to facilitate the performance of motor skills.Highlights The image of an object ("platform") is used to promote an external focus in volleyball.Novice volleyball players pass a ball to a target with a focus on the platform versus arms.Passing accuracy is superior with an external (platform) relative to an internal focus (arms).Using the image of an object to "replace" a body part can promote an external focus of attention.

This paper proposes an objective evaluation method of advertising design from the perspective of visual attention mechanism . Firstly, the saliency detection algorithm is used to detect the saliency of the print advertisement image, and the saliency region obtained can reflect the region of interest of the human eye; then, according to the saliency region obtained, the attention focus is generated in order by combining the competition mechanism of WTA and the no return mechanism, and the obtained focus of attention can reflect the saliency of each saliency region of the print advertisement image, That is to say, it reflects the visual attractiveness of each pre expressed information area in the plane advertisement image. Experiments show that this method can fully simulate the selective attention mechanism of human visual system, and objectively evaluate the print advertising image, which provides an objective and scientific reference for the evaluation of advertising design.

Each year, pneumonia affects about 450 million people globally and results in about 4 million deaths. In developing countries, pneumonia remains a leading cause of death in chronic patients and older adults. Chest X-rays are currently the best available method for diagnosing pneumonia, which is very critical for the treatment of patients. Deep learning-based image recognition technology can significantly improve the efficiency of pneumonia detection. Data Augmentation is a technology that artificially expands the training data set by using limited data to generate more comparable data. Excellent data augmentation methods can effectively improve the performance of neural networks and are currently widely used in various fields of deep learning. We propose a novel data augmentation method called Attention Mask in this paper, which provides accurate predictions and a more explainable attention focus comparing with many traditional data augmentation methods, such as random erasing and hide-and-seek. We guide the weight and focal point of the model with the attention mechanism to avoid the model from relying too much on superficial features. After data augmentation, the self-ensemble of different stage models also makes the entire system more stable. The experiments show that the attention is reasonably diverted, which is extremely helpful in classifying the target that is fallibility correctly. On Chest X-Ray Images (Pneumonia) dataset for classification, our method notably improves performance over baselines.

This study examined how cognitive plasticity acquired from a long (8 weeks) course of mindfulness training can modulate the perceptual processing of temporal order judgment on a sub-second scale. Observers carried out a temporal order judgment (TOJ) on two visual discs, with or without concurrent paired beeps. A temporal ventriloquism paradigm was used in which the sound beeps either were synchronized with the two discs or bracketed the visual stimuli by leading the first disc by 50 ms and lagging the other by 50 ms. A left-to-right bias in TOJ was found under the visual-only condition after mindfulness training. This bias was positively correlated with “acting with awareness”, a factor in the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, showing that awareness of every moment and enhanced attention focus magnifies the left-to-right bias. However, the effect of mindfulness training may be short-lived and was not present when attention was diverted by auditory events in the cross-modal temporal ventriloquism illusion.

Tese de mestrado, Psicopatologia, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Medicina, 2020 Submitted by Fernando João Machado (fjmachado@fm.ul.pt) on 2021-01-13T12:16:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 12455_Tese.pdf: 1112994 bytes, checksum: 93bf8f2f3ccb9e2d1b844bc95c1ac632 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2021-01-13T12:17:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 12455_Tese.pdf: 1112994 bytes, checksum: 93bf8f2f3ccb9e2d1b844bc95c1ac632 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020-05-20

An external focus of attention can improve performance, but there is little research on effects for the elderly in every day, well-learned mobility tasks. 57 older and 59 young adults performed the sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit while holding a cup, at three difficulty levels (cup empty or full, at normal or fast speed). Half were instructed to focus internally (on their movements) and half externally (on the cup). The effects of focus, age, and difficulty level were tested for movement time, mean inclination of the cup, inclination variability, and smoothness with 2 × 2 × 3 ANOVAs. Significant effects of difficulty were consistent across variables (

Purpose: This project aimed to evaluate the simple visual reaction time (SVRT) changes in runners of both sexes before and after a 21.1 km run. Methods: 20 male (age 35.3 ± 17.1 years, BMI 23.5 ± 3.3 kg/m2) and 20 female (age 32.2 ± 14.3 years, BMI 24.8 ± 4.2 kg/m2) amateur runners were evaluated 30 min before and after a half- marathon run under competing conditions. Subjects were asked to push an electronic switch at the lighting of a lamp for 11 trials randomly divided to one another between 1 and 10 s. Effort- perception data were collected through a Borg CR100 scale and SVRT data using an electronic chronometric device. A two-way RM ANOVA assessed the effects of exercise and biological sex on SVRT. Results: Borg effort data were similar (M: 82.4 ± 3.9 vs W: 84.7 ± 4.9 AU, p = 0.68). SVRT was lower in men than women before (M: 234.05 ± 3.33 vs F: 239.47 ± 6.1 ms, p < ; 0.05) but not after the race (M: 249.9 ± 7.18 vs F: 252.09 ± 16.93 ms, p = 0.7). Exercise lengthened the SVRT (M: + 7% ; F: + 5% ; p < ; 0.05). Response accuracy was greater in men both before and after exercise. Conclusion: Previous studies suggested exercise lengthened SVRT due to an exercise intensity-related reduced post-exercise cerebral oxygenation that decreases cognitive processes efficiency. In our results, this reduction seemed higher in men. The sex-related response accuracy might be due to different estrogen effects in brain areas implicated in information processing, motor performance, and attention and to different processing and attention focus strategies between the sexes or anticipatory strategies in females.

PurposePerformance measurement systems (PMSs) have long been used for monitoring and improving administrative performance. In parallel, organizational ambidexterity refers to firms that manage different organizational functions and various demands to generate performance. The purpose of this paper is to propose that three dimensions of PMS increase organizational ambidexterity and consequently they influence organizational performance. In this framework, organizational ambidexterity mediates the relationships between three dimensions of PMS and organizational performance.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected through a structured questionnaire sent to Brazilian software companies. Owners, directors, project managers and responsible for company strategy answered the questionnaire. The final sample was 227 Brazilian software firms that answered according to their PMSs and organizational ambidexterity.FindingsThe results provide four main findings. First, the three dimensions of PMS, namely—attention focus, legitimization and strategic decision-making—influenced organizational ambidexterity. Second, organizational ambidexterity had a major effect on organizational performance. Third, organizational ambidexterity mediated the indirect effects of attention focus, legitimization and strategic decision-making on organizational performance. Fourth, exploration and exploitation—two dimensions of organizational ambidexterity—mediated the indirect effect of the abovementioned PMS dimensions on organizational performance.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough there are different dimensions of organizational ambidexterity, this paper is limited to two of the most used ones: exploitation and exploration. In addition, the results were limited to subjective—in contrast to objective—performance measures.Practical implicationsSoftware companies can use PMS for attention focus, legitimization of firm’s choices and strategic decision-making to increase their exploration and exploitation capabilities. Moreover, software companies can use strategic decision-making to control existing strategies and establish new strategies for legitimizing ambidextrous choices and thereby support their decision-making process.Originality/valueThe data showed that not only organizational ambidexterity mediates the effects of the three dimensions of PMS use on performance, but also exploration and exploitation.

Fictive motion in language (as in “the ridge went north”) is claimed to reflect the attention focus of the observer on the extension and spatial layout of an entity. This paper investigates fictive...

The appropriate use of organizational performance information influences anorganization´s results and capabilities. In the literature, there are four dimensions to the use of the performance measurement system (PMS) such as monitoring, attention focus, strategic decision-making, and legitimacy. Although the use of PMS is frequent in private enterprises, few studies have been concerned with analyzing the reasons and adequacies of PMS in credit cooperatives (CC). Thus, the paper’s main goal is to analyze the ways in which PMS is used and their respective objectives in CC. In field research, we investigate three cooperatives representing the largest organizations in Brazil. By means of a bibliometric study and qualitative inquiry with multiple companies (multiple cases), we interviewed their executives. The bibliometric study provided subsidies to propose a classification of PMS, as well as an analysis of similarities and divergences between the classifications presented in the literature. In the qualitative inquiry, four dimensions of PMS were observed and confirmed in the CC´s management. In addition, based on the interviews with the executives, two new dimensions of the PMS were proposed, such as Incentives, Rewards, and Human Valorization.

Smartphones are ubiquitous, but it is still unknown what physiological functions can be monitored at clinical quality. In medicine their use is cited in many fields (cardiology, pulmology, endocrinology, rheumatology, pediatrics as well as in the field of mental health). The aim of this paper is to explain how the use of mobile application can help clients to improve the index of their focus, concentration and motor skills. Our original developed application on Android operating system, named “neurogame” is based on an open source platform to enable assessment and therapeutic stimulation, focus and concentration with the ability to monitor the progress of the results obtained in a larger number of participants (normal subjects as well as patients with different disorders) over a period of time. Whilst nowadays the predominant focus is on the pharmacological treatments, there is a rapidly growing interest in research on alternative options that will offer help in many cases of disorder management in terms of mobile application games. In order to have some kind of “norms”, we evaluated a group of healthy population. Obtained results will serve as a database for comparison the future results. This article displays the results obtained as database.

The superior self-regulation and attention-regulation abilities of securely attached children have been repeatedly demonstrated. However, the mechanisms that allow securely attached children to exhibit higher levels of attention focus than insecurely attached (anxious-ambivalent and anxious-avoidant) children need to be explored. One possible mechanism that has been hypothesized to play a role in focusing attention is self-touch. Previous research has shown that 10-year-old children exhibit more bilateral self-touch (i.e., both hands are simultaneously moving onto each other or on the body, and both hands are in contact with each other or with the body), but not lateral self-touch (i.e., one hand is moving on the other hand or on the body, and the hand is in contact with the other hand or with the body), when they focus attention on a task. Because bilateral coordination is still developing during childhood, we expected that lateral self-touch, instead of bilateral self-touch, may be associated with attention focus for toddlers. The objectives of the present study were to examine whether securely attached toddlers exhibit more self-touch, particularly lateral self-touch, while they focus on a task than while they do not focus on a task. We expected to find that the association between lateral self-touch and attention focus is not as strong for insecurely attached toddlers. Data from forty-nine mother-child dyads were employed for analyses. The attachment classification of the children was determined using the Strange Situation. The duration of attention focus and self-touch behavior during a reading task were coded. An association between lateral self-touch and attention focus was found for children of all attachment classifications. This association was particularly strong for securely attached children. We discuss the possibility that securely attached toddlers may use lateral self-touch to regulate attention.

Objectives The aims of this study were twofold: (a) to compare the effects of indoor and outdoor environments on cycling endurance and thought dynamics, (b) to investigate a possible link between cycling endurance and the adherence to task-unrelated thoughts (TUT) in both environments. Design: An experimental, within-subject design with two-trial random assignment was used. Methods Participants ( n = 13) cycled at constant power until volitional exhaustion while imposing TUT. They reported thought changes using self-selected key words that were subsequently classified based on task-relatedness (TUT, and task-related thoughts (TRT)) and direction (internal, external). Mean values of relative time spent in TUT and TRT categories were computed and compared for 5 equal time intervals. The association between cycling endurance and time spent at each thought-related category was analyzed. Results Analyses revealed a decrease of TUT and an increase of TRT as a function of time (spent cycling) in both environments. Three qualitative thought phases emerged: an initially stable TUT phase was followed by a metastable phase characterized by shifts between TUT and TRT, and a final stable TRT phase appeared nearing exhaustion. Participants cycled longer outdoors than indoors M outdoors = 12.54 min, SEM = 2.17 s, M indoors = 11.35 min, SEM = 1.52 s ( Z = −2.27, p d (95% CI) = 0.56 (−0.80, 3.07)), with a dominance of external thought categories. Cycling endurance seemed to be facilitated by TUT-E outdoors and TRT-I in both types of environments. Conclusion Outdoor environment resulted in improved cycling endurance and greater use of external thoughts (i.e., dissociative attentional strategy) relative to indoor environment. The effectiveness of thought categories seemed contingent upon their stability, which in turn depended on effort accumulation.

Research shows that driver factors, particularly driver distraction, are the most common cause of traffic accidents. Among various visual distractions, objects such as advertisements that are commonly prevailing elements at the roadside, represent an important external distractor that may affect driving performance. Research findings on the influence that roadside signs or advertisements have on driver’s attention focus are not consistent. Therefore, with the application of eye-tracking technology, this research was designed to test several assumptions regarding drivers’ detection and perception of roadside elements. Seventeen volunteer participants, 19–76 years old, performed ten kilometres of urban driving, in which they were visually challenged with 56 traffic signs and 31 advertisements. It was found that drivers’ age is not associated with the number of roadside objects detected. Those drivers who detected more traffic signs were also more attentive to visual advertisements. Furthermore, a positive and large effect size between the number of detected street-level and raised-level advertisements was also found.

The purpose of the present study is to differentiate between innocent suspects who have knowledge of crime information and guilty suspects. The study investigated eye-movement differences among three groups: a guilty group who took part in a mock crime, an innocent-aware group who did not commit a mock crime but were exposed to the crime stimuli, and an innocent-unaware group who neither committed a mock crime nor had crime-relevant information. Each group's eye movements were tracked while all participants viewed stimuli (crime-relevant, crime-irrelevant, and neutral). The results revealed that the guilty group not only viewed all stimuli later than the other groups, they also viewed crime-relevant and crime-irrelevant stimuli for a shorter time period than the innocent-aware group; the innocent-aware group focused their attention on crime-relevant and crime-irrelevant stimuli longer than neutral stimuli, and the innocent-unaware group showed no differences in their attention focus among all types of stimuli. This present study suggests that guilty individuals show attentional avoidance from all stimuli in a lie detection situation, whereas innocent-aware and innocent-unaware individuals did not show avoidance responses.

BACKGROUND: Gait stability during dual tasks is important for elderly persons, especially for elderly individuals in need of care. A study was conducted to assess gait stability by using Lyapunov exponents (λS) during single task and dual task conditions in independently living elderly people (Go-Goes) and elderly people in need of care (No-Goes). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was conducted with 26 participants (average age 82 ± 9.4 years) who were allocated to the Go-Goes or No-Goes group. Outcomes were mediolateral and vertical Lyapunov exponents (λS) from accelerometer data and gait speed under single task and dual task conditions. RESULTS: In both groups significantly higher mediolateral and vertical Lyapunov exponent values as well as significantly lower walking speeds under dual task conditions were found in both groups. The effect sizes were small to moderate for mediolateral λS and large for vertical λS and these differences remained when the analyses were adjusted for walking speed. CONCLUSION:Elderly people showed lower gait stability and gait speed under dual task conditions compared to single task conditions.

In this study we investigate the dependencies between human focus of attention and heart rate variability while performing concentration task in virtual environment, using attention improvement device, and taking into account daily physical activity of the participants. For this purpose, a virtual testing environment – football arena – was developed. A volunteer had to “kick” a ball to the gate. He scores a goal if he has reached high attention focus level. The experiments were performed using NeuroSky device for attention level recording, Polar V800 device for heart rate (RR intervals) recording and ElfEmmit device as a better focus stimulator. At the same time, some virtual environment parameters and human action in it were recorded as well. We have used RMSSD parameter as heart rate variability measure. The results showed some unexpected tendencies. RMSSD parameter was in normal range and outside it for both: volunteers who have regular trainings and who do not have any training at all. A tendency was noticed that ElfEmmit device might increase focus of attention during virtual reality game.

Drawing upon the nonlinear model of attention focus, the purpose of this study was to compare the intrinsic and intentional dynamics of task-related thoughts (TRT) in trained runners and nonrunners during an incremental maximal test. Fourteen trained runners and 14 nonrunners were assigned to 2 conditions: intrinsic (nonimposed thoughts) and intentional (imposed, task-unrelated thoughts; TUT). A significant effect of running velocity over TUT/TRT dynamics in both groups and conditions was observed (p < .001). Although, all participants received instructions to keep TUT for the entire duration of the test, an initially stable TUT phase was followed by a metastable phase (i.e., switches between TUT and TRT) an a final stable TRT phase nearing volitional exhaustion. The stable TRT phase lasted longer in runners group (p < .05) and included higher probabilities in pace monitoring thoughts subcategory (p < .05). The results revealed that trained runners seem to use TRT (i.e., pace monitoring) to maximize performance, and confirm the nonlinear model of attention focus during incremental maximal run in trained runners and nonrunners.

An overview of flow theory is presented from the literature across multiple disciplines, including information systems, ecommerce, marketing, digital gaming, user interface, management, and cultural contexts. Flow can play a pivotal role in the user experience and impact the user interaction with a site, computing device, or app. It is worthwhile to examine the effects of flow experience on users and incorporate these findings in designing engaging user experiences and interfaces in both web sites and mobile applications. To further understand these implications, the present study gave a questionnaire to 310 participants in a computer laboratory setting following an online shopping episode. The factor analysis revealed three dimensions of flow experience: control, attention focus, and cognitive enjoyment. All three dimensions had very low correlations. No gender effect on flow was found.

This study examined mirror and non-mirror arm selection processes in an observational learning context. Observer groups watched either a novice (instruction or discovery) or skilled model performing a bimanual task with the right arm leading the left arm. The models were viewed from a third-person perspective. Observers of the skilled model more often selected a mirror-image (left-hand) hand-lead in post-observations tests, while observers of the novice models more often selected a non-mirror image (right hand) hand-lead in post-observation tests. This is a novel finding regarding arm selection processes in a learning context, yet it is consistent with imaging data that has revealed specific neural areas linked to the selection of mirror and non-mirror imitation processes for first- and third-person viewing perspectives. The skilled model also supported more accurate and stable performance of the bimanual task in observers compared to the instruction and novice models. It is concluded that a skilled model supports attention focus being directed at pattern analysis, while novice models support attention focus being allocated to strategy identification first, followed by pattern analysis.

This study evaluated the influence of different attentional foci for varied grip widths in the bench press. Eighteen resistance-trained men were familiarized with the procedure and performed a one-repetition maximum (1RM) test during Session 1. In Session 2, they used three different standardized grip widths (100%, 150%, and 200% of biacromial width distance) in random order at 50% of 1RM while also engaged in three different attention focus conditions (external focus on the bench press, internal focus on pectoralis major muscles, and internal focus on triceps brachii muscles). Surface electromyography (EMG) signals were recorded from the triceps brachii and pectoralis major, and peak EMG of the filtered signals were normalized to maximum EMG of each muscle. Both grip width and focus influenced the muscle activity level, but there were no significant interactions between these variables. Exploratory analyses suggested that an internal focus may slightly (4%–6%) increase pectoralis major activity at wider grip widths and triceps brachii activity at narrower grip widths, but this should be confirmed or rejected in a study with a larger sample size or through a meta-analysis of research to date.

The development of self-regulation in early childhood is related to development of emotional regulation and attention, in particular executive attention (Feldman, 2009; Posner & Rothbart, 1998). As the ability to self-regulate is crucial in life (Casey et al., 2011), it is important to reveal early predictors of self-regulation. The aim of the paper is to present the results of longitudinal studies on the relationships between the functioning of attention, regulation of emotion and later self-regulatory abilities. 310 children were assessed at three time points. At 12 months of age emotional regulation in situation of frustration and attention regulation were assessed. At 18 and 24 months behavioral-emotional regulation in the Snack Delay Task was measured. Additionally parents assessed executive attention using The Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire when children were 26 months old. Structural equation modelling revealed two different paths to development of self-regulatory abilities at 18 months: emotional (reactive system) and emotionalattentional and only one emotional-attentional path at 24 months. The early ability to focus attention and later executive attention functioning revealed to be important predictors of self-regulatory abilities both at 18 and 24 months of age.

This article seeks to explore the influence of information and managerial perception on the development of business capabilities and entrepreneurial activity. For this purpose, we apply an exploratory analysis adopting a qualitative approach. Specifically, we study one emerging sector – personal food shopper – by means of news in media and interviews with entrepreneurs in the sector, in an attempt to examine how information shapes the dynamic capabilities which steer entrepreneurial activity. By examining the answers provided by the entrepreneurs, we pinpoint which topics make up their attention focus and that lead them to act selectively when faced with a variety of informative stimuli. Finally, we highlight the central role played by information as a resource to guide and shape entrepreneurial activity. The link between information and the creation of any new activity is increasingly being recognized through the dynamic capabilities approach. Nevertheless, the empirical evidence supporting these formulations remains scarce due to the difficulty inherent in representing such notions. Our paper contributes towards furthering current understanding of this empirical strand by conducting an exploratory study and adopting a qualitative methodology.

Research on corporate philanthropy typically focuses on organization-external pressures and aggregated donation behavior. Hence, our understanding of the organization-internal structures that determine whether a given organization will respond philanthropically to a specific human need remains underdeveloped. We explicate an attention-based framework in which specific dimensions of organization-level attention focus interact to predict philanthropic responses to an emergent human need. Exploring the response of Fortune Global 500 firms to the 2004 South Asian tsunami, we find that management attention focused on people inside the organization (employees) interacts with both attention for places (countries in the tsunami-stricken region) and attention for practices (corporate philanthropy in general) to predict the likelihood of charitable donations. Our research thus extends beyond the prevailing institutional perspective by highlighting the role of attention focus in corporate responsiveness to emergent societal issues.

The human's visual attention focus usually reflects the activity and environment engaged in or simply his context in the most coherent way. The cornea, which is encasing the iris and pupil, is protected by tear fluid, and thus is a highly reflective surface. Our eyes show a reflection of what we see in our current context. We present an attempt of using corneal imaging to extract contextual information - including objects in the field of view - and the user's attention focus. Our system uses a head-mounted eye-camera, for capturing corneal reflections, connected to a RaspberryPi, to record a humans' current view and estimate his focus of attention. We conducted a 2-day experiment, where we collected data in un-instrumented real-world settings. Based on the analysis of the recordings we illustrate what kind of information can be extracted out of the corneal image reflections and outline the possibilities for in-situ notifications.

Individuals report directing attention toward and away from multiple sources when standing under height-related postural threat, and these changes in attention focus are associated with postural control modifications. As it is unknown whether these changes generalize to other types of threat situations, this study aimed to quantify changes in attention focus and examine their relationship with postural control changes in response to a direct threat to stability. Eighty young adults stood on a force plate fixed to a translating platform. Three postural threat conditions were created by altering the expectation of, and prior experience with, a postural perturbation: no threat of perturbation, threat without perturbation experience, and threat with perturbation experience. When threatened, participants were more anxious and reported directing more attention to movement processes, threat-related stimuli, and self-regulatory strategies, and less to task-irrelevant information. Postural sway amplitude and frequency increased with threat, with greater increases in frequency and smaller increases in amplitude observed with experience. Without experience, threat-related changes in postural control were accounted for by changes in anxiety; larger changes in anxiety were related to larger changes in sway amplitude. With experience, threat-related postural control changes were accounted for by changes in attention focus; increases in attention to movement processes were related to greater forward leaning and increases in sway amplitude, while increases in attention to self-regulatory strategies were related to greater increases in sway frequency. Results suggest that relationships between threat-related changes in anxiety, attention focus, and postural control depend on the context associated with the threat.

This chapter draws together themes raised in the book and offers a rationale and brief proposals for the integration of media and information literacy. It commences with an overview of the arguments made in the preceding chapters. This is followed by a discussion of the rationale for integrating media and information literacy. This consists of considering the two preoccupations of the book, the adherence to sociologically orientated cosmopolitanism and the recognition that media and information literacy should be integrated as we do not experience media and information as different activities, keeping them separate is pedagogically wasteful and that they share common intents. The chapter then turns to three proposals for the future; first that attention focus upon the forms of digital media delivery and the simultaneous affordances and restrictions such systems incorporate, second that media and information literacy address the legal and commercial realities of working with digital texts; third that media and information literacy equip students with an understanding of the consequences of the provision of information through use of participative digital media.

We analyzed whether attending to versus ignoring in- and out-group members systematically influences intergroup bias. In two studies ( N = 187), we manipulated attention by asking participants to count the appearance of in-group (or out-group) members in the presence of out-group (or in-group) distractors. Prior to and during the counting task, we assessed intergroup bias by having participants rate the group members on a liking scale. The results show that the change in intergroup bias from baseline to experimental ratings depended on the attention focus. Whereas counting in-group members (while ignoring the out-group) increased intergroup bias, counting out-group members (while ignoring the in-group) decreased intergroup bias. Thus, we provide evidence that consequences of goal-directed interactions with in- and out-group stimuli (i.e., exposure and selection) systematically influence intergroup bias. We propose that in future research these processes should be considered in addition to social–motivational factors in the analysis of intergroup bias.

Using a non-linear approach, intentional dynamics of thoughts were examined during constant cycling performed until volitional exhaustion. Participants (n = 12) completed two sessions at 80% Wmax. Their (1) intrinsic thought dynamics (i.e., no-imposed thoughts condition) and (2) intentional thought dynamics (i.e., imposed task-unrelated thoughts condition; TUT) were recorded and then classified into four categories: internal and external TUT (TUT-I, TUT-E) and external and internal task-related thoughts (TRT-E, TRT-I). The probability estimates for maintaining each thought category stable, the rate of switching from one category to another, and the entropy dynamics along the testing procedure were assessed and compared through time phase. Friedman ANOVA tests revealed a significant effect of effort increase on thought contents only in the imposed TUT test. While TUT-I probabilities decreased significantly (P.001) as effort increased, TRT-I probabilities increased (P.05). Moreover, the entropy to the entire thought dynamics increased at the outset of task performance and decreased upon approaching volitional exhaustion (P.001). As time spent in constant effort increased, and volitional exhaustion approached, task relatedness (TUT, TRT), direction (internal, external), and entropy of thought contents changed unintentionally providing further evidence for a nonlinear dynamics of attention focus.

BackgroundMinimal access surgery and, lately, single-incision laparoscopic procedures are challenging and demanding with regard to the skills of the surgeon performing the procedures. This article presents the results of an investigation of the performance and attention focus of 21 medical interns and surgical residents training in an immersive context. That is, training ‘in situation’, representing more realistically the demands imposed on the surgeons during minimal access surgery.MethodsTwenty-one medical interns and surgical residents participated in simulation trainings in an integrated operating room for laparoscopic surgery. Various physiological measures of body heat expenditure were gathered as indicators of mental strain and attention focus.ResultsThe results of the Mann–Whitney test indicated that participants with a poor performance in the two laparoscopic cholecystectomy cases had a significantly (U = 3, p = 0.038) higher heat flux at the start of the procedure (mean 107.08, standard deviation [SD] 24.34) than those who excelled in the two cases (mean 62.64, SD 23.41). Also, the average frontal head temperature of the participants who failed at the task was significantly lower (mean 33.27, SD 0.52) than those who performed well (mean 33.92, SD 0.27).ConclusionsSurgeons cannot operate in a bubble; thus, they should not be trained in one. Combining heat flux and frontal head temperature could be a good measure of deep involvement and attentional focus during performance of simulated surgical tasks.

In this chapter, we present a theory on how organizational performance feedback influences individual decision-maker cognitions and thereby changes a team’s attention focus in terms of strategy. We argue that when performance compares unfavorably to aspiration levels, decision-makers reconsider current strategies in favor of unfamiliar, uncertain ones and become more risk tolerant. Furthermore, as decision-makers devote additional cognitive resources to do so, changes in attention focus in a decision-making team will be observed. Using data from a business simulation and repeated questionnaires, we capture the teams’ attention focus and the organizational performance feedback evaluation process of the individuals and teams.