WorldWideScience

Sample records for categorical response models

  1. Categorical regression dose-response modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    The goal of this training is to provide participants with training on the use of the U.S. EPA’s Categorical Regression soft¬ware (CatReg) and its application to risk assessment. Categorical regression fits mathematical models to toxicity data that have been assigned ord...

  2. Decision-Tree Models of Categorization Response Times, Choice Proportions, and Typicality Judgments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lafond, Daniel; Lacouture, Yves; Cohen, Andrew L.

    2009-01-01

    The authors present 3 decision-tree models of categorization adapted from T. Trabasso, H. Rollins, and E. Shaughnessy (1971) and use them to provide a quantitative account of categorization response times, choice proportions, and typicality judgments at the individual-participant level. In Experiment 1, the decision-tree models were fit to…

  3. The construction of categorization judgments: using subjective confidence and response latency to test a distributed model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koriat, Asher; Sorka, Hila

    2015-01-01

    The classification of objects to natural categories exhibits cross-person consensus and within-person consistency, but also some degree of between-person variability and within-person instability. What is more, the variability in categorization is also not entirely random but discloses systematic patterns. In this study, we applied the Self-Consistency Model (SCM, Koriat, 2012) to category membership decisions, examining the possibility that confidence judgments and decision latency track the stable and variable components of categorization responses. The model assumes that category membership decisions are constructed on the fly depending on a small set of clues that are sampled from a commonly shared population of pertinent clues. The decision and confidence are based on the balance of evidence in favor of a positive or a negative response. The results confirmed several predictions derived from SCM. For each participant, consensual responses to items were more confident than non-consensual responses, and for each item, participants who made the consensual response tended to be more confident than those who made the nonconsensual response. The difference in confidence between consensual and nonconsensual responses increased with the proportion of participants who made the majority response for the item. A similar pattern was observed for response speed. The pattern of results obtained for cross-person consensus was replicated by the results for response consistency when the responses were classified in terms of within-person agreement across repeated presentations. These results accord with the sampling assumption of SCM, that confidence and response speed should be higher when the decision is consistent with what follows from the entire population of clues than when it deviates from it. Results also suggested that the context for classification can bias the sample of clues underlying the decision, and that confidence judgments mirror the effects of context on

  4. Categorization difficulty modulates the mediated route for response selection in task switching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Darryl W

    2017-12-22

    Conflict during response selection in task switching is indicated by the response congruency effect: worse performance for incongruent targets (requiring different responses across tasks) than for congruent targets (requiring the same response). The effect can be explained by dual-task processing in a mediated route for response selection, whereby targets are categorized with respect to both tasks. In the present study, the author tested predictions for the modulation of response congruency effects by categorization difficulty derived from a relative-speed-of-processing hypothesis. Categorization difficulty was manipulated for the relevant and irrelevant task dimensions in a novel spatial task-switching paradigm that involved judging the locations of target dots in a grid, without repetition of dot configurations. Response congruency effects were observed and they varied systematically with categorization difficulty (e.g., being larger when irrelevant categorization was easy than when it was hard). These results are consistent with the relative-speed-of-processing hypothesis and suggest that task-switching models that implement variations of the mediated route for response selection need to address the time course of categorization.

  5. Modelling individual difference in visual categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Jianhong; Palmeri, Thomas J

    Recent years has seen growing interest in understanding, characterizing, and explaining individual differences in visual cognition. We focus here on individual differences in visual categorization. Categorization is the fundamental visual ability to group different objects together as the same kind of thing. Research on visual categorization and category learning has been significantly informed by computational modeling, so our review will focus both on how formal models of visual categorization have captured individual differences and how individual difference have informed the development of formal models. We first examine the potential sources of individual differences in leading models of visual categorization, providing a brief review of a range of different models. We then describe several examples of how computational models have captured individual differences in visual categorization. This review also provides a bit of an historical perspective, starting with models that predicted no individual differences, to those that captured group differences, to those that predict true individual differences, and to more recent hierarchical approaches that can simultaneously capture both group and individual differences in visual categorization. Via this selective review, we see how considerations of individual differences can lead to important theoretical insights into how people visually categorize objects in the world around them. We also consider new directions for work examining individual differences in visual categorization.

  6. Experimental design and model choice the planning and analysis of experiments with continuous or categorical response

    CERN Document Server

    Toutenburg, Helge

    1995-01-01

    This textbook gives a representation of the design and analysis of experiments, that comprises the aspects of classical theory for continuous response and of modern procedures for categorical response, and especially for correlated categorical response. Complex designs, as for example, cross-over and repeated measures, are included. Thus, it is an important book for statisticians in the pharmaceutical industry as well as for clinical research in medicine and dentistry.

  7. A latent class distance association model for cross-classified data with a categorical response variable.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vera, José Fernando; de Rooij, Mark; Heiser, Willem J

    2014-11-01

    In this paper we propose a latent class distance association model for clustering in the predictor space of large contingency tables with a categorical response variable. The rows of such a table are characterized as profiles of a set of explanatory variables, while the columns represent a single outcome variable. In many cases such tables are sparse, with many zero entries, which makes traditional models problematic. By clustering the row profiles into a few specific classes and representing these together with the categories of the response variable in a low-dimensional Euclidean space using a distance association model, a parsimonious prediction model can be obtained. A generalized EM algorithm is proposed to estimate the model parameters and the adjusted Bayesian information criterion statistic is employed to test the number of mixture components and the dimensionality of the representation. An empirical example highlighting the advantages of the new approach and comparing it with traditional approaches is presented. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

  8. Longitudinal categorical data analysis

    CERN Document Server

    Sutradhar, Brajendra C

    2014-01-01

    This is the first book in longitudinal categorical data analysis with parametric correlation models developed based on dynamic relationships among repeated categorical responses. This book is a natural generalization of the longitudinal binary data analysis to the multinomial data setup with more than two categories. Thus, unlike the existing books on cross-sectional categorical data analysis using log linear models, this book uses multinomial probability models both in cross-sectional and longitudinal setups. A theoretical foundation is provided for the analysis of univariate multinomial responses, by developing models systematically for the cases with no covariates as well as categorical covariates, both in cross-sectional and longitudinal setups. In the longitudinal setup, both stationary and non-stationary covariates are considered. These models have also been extended to the bivariate multinomial setup along with suitable covariates. For the inferences, the book uses the generalized quasi-likelihood as w...

  9. Relative cue encoding in the context of sophisticated models of categorization: Separating information from categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Apfelbaum, Keith S; McMurray, Bob

    2015-08-01

    Traditional studies of human categorization often treat the processes of encoding features and cues as peripheral to the question of how stimuli are categorized. However, in domains where the features and cues are less transparent, how information is encoded prior to categorization may constrain our understanding of the architecture of categorization. This is particularly true in speech perception, where acoustic cues to phonological categories are ambiguous and influenced by multiple factors. Here, it is crucial to consider the joint contributions of the information in the input and the categorization architecture. We contrasted accounts that argue for raw acoustic information encoding with accounts that posit that cues are encoded relative to expectations, and investigated how two categorization architectures-exemplar models and back-propagation parallel distributed processing models-deal with each kind of information. Relative encoding, akin to predictive coding, is a form of noise reduction, so it can be expected to improve model accuracy; however, like predictive coding, the use of relative encoding in speech perception by humans is controversial, so results are compared to patterns of human performance, rather than on the basis of overall accuracy. We found that, for both classes of models, in the vast majority of parameter settings, relative cues greatly helped the models approximate human performance. This suggests that expectation-relative processing is a crucial precursor step in phoneme categorization, and that understanding the information content is essential to understanding categorization processes.

  10. A complete categorization of multiscale models of infectious disease systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garira, Winston

    2017-12-01

    Modelling of infectious disease systems has entered a new era in which disease modellers are increasingly turning to multiscale modelling to extend traditional modelling frameworks into new application areas and to achieve higher levels of detail and accuracy in characterizing infectious disease systems. In this paper we present a categorization framework for categorizing multiscale models of infectious disease systems. The categorization framework consists of five integration frameworks and five criteria. We use the categorization framework to give a complete categorization of host-level immuno-epidemiological models (HL-IEMs). This categorization framework is also shown to be applicable in categorizing other types of multiscale models of infectious diseases beyond HL-IEMs through modifying the initial categorization framework presented in this study. Categorization of multiscale models of infectious disease systems in this way is useful in bringing some order to the discussion on the structure of these multiscale models.

  11. Explaining the Timing of Natural Scene Understanding with a Computational Model of Perceptual Categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sofer, Imri; Crouzet, Sébastien M.; Serre, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    Observers can rapidly perform a variety of visual tasks such as categorizing a scene as open, as outdoor, or as a beach. Although we know that different tasks are typically associated with systematic differences in behavioral responses, to date, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. Here, we implemented a single integrated paradigm that links perceptual processes with categorization processes. Using a large image database of natural scenes, we trained machine-learning classifiers to derive quantitative measures of task-specific perceptual discriminability based on the distance between individual images and different categorization boundaries. We showed that the resulting discriminability measure accurately predicts variations in behavioral responses across categorization tasks and stimulus sets. We further used the model to design an experiment, which challenged previous interpretations of the so-called “superordinate advantage.” Overall, our study suggests that observed differences in behavioral responses across rapid categorization tasks reflect natural variations in perceptual discriminability. PMID:26335683

  12. Categorical marginal models: quite extensive package for the estimation of marginal models for categorical data

    OpenAIRE

    Wicher Bergsma; Andries van der Ark

    2015-01-01

    A package accompanying the book Marginal Models for Dependent, Clustered, and Longitudinal Categorical Data by Bergsma, Croon, & Hagenaars, 2009. It’s purpose is fitting and testing of marginal models.

  13. Improvement in latent variable indirect response modeling of multiple categorical clinical endpoints: application to modeling of guselkumab treatment effects in psoriatic patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Chuanpu; Randazzo, Bruce; Sharma, Amarnath; Zhou, Honghui

    2017-10-01

    Exposure-response modeling plays an important role in optimizing dose and dosing regimens during clinical drug development. The modeling of multiple endpoints is made possible in part by recent progress in latent variable indirect response (IDR) modeling for ordered categorical endpoints. This manuscript aims to investigate the level of improvement achievable by jointly modeling two such endpoints in the latent variable IDR modeling framework through the sharing of model parameters. This is illustrated with an application to the exposure-response of guselkumab, a human IgG1 monoclonal antibody in clinical development that blocks IL-23. A Phase 2b study was conducted in 238 patients with psoriasis for which disease severity was assessed using Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) scores. A latent variable Type I IDR model was developed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of guselkumab dosing on 75, 90 and 100% improvement of PASI scores from baseline and PGA scores, with placebo effect empirically modeled. The results showed that the joint model is able to describe the observed data better with fewer parameters compared with the common approach of separately modeling the endpoints.

  14. A Probabilistic Model of Cross-Categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shafto, Patrick; Kemp, Charles; Mansinghka, Vikash; Tenenbaum, Joshua B.

    2011-01-01

    Most natural domains can be represented in multiple ways: we can categorize foods in terms of their nutritional content or social role, animals in terms of their taxonomic groupings or their ecological niches, and musical instruments in terms of their taxonomic categories or social uses. Previous approaches to modeling human categorization have…

  15. The Role of Common Motor Responses in Stimulus Categorization by Preschool Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahoney, Amanda M; Miguel, Caio F; Ahearn, William H; Bell, Julianne

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the role of common motor responses as the “speaker” behavior on stimulus class formation, and the emergence of functional classes. Experiment 1 examined whether training one motor response to a set of three stimuli and a second motor response to another set of three stimuli would result in correct category-sort responses for 5 typically developing preschool children. Three of the children passed the categorization tests. Experiment 2 examined whether the classes formed in Experiment 1 were functional classes, and whether participants who did not pass categorization tests in Experiment 1 would do so following common vocal tact training. The 2 participants who failed categorization tests in Experiment 1 passed these tests in Experiment 2, although none of the participants passed the tests for functional classes. The results of the current study did not unequivocally support the naming hypothesis. Future research should therefore evaluate other possible sources of control that aid in stimulus categorization. PMID:21541124

  16. A hierarchical probabilistic model for rapid object categorization in natural scenes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaofu He

    Full Text Available Humans can categorize objects in complex natural scenes within 100-150 ms. This amazing ability of rapid categorization has motivated many computational models. Most of these models require extensive training to obtain a decision boundary in a very high dimensional (e.g., ∼6,000 in a leading model feature space and often categorize objects in natural scenes by categorizing the context that co-occurs with objects when objects do not occupy large portions of the scenes. It is thus unclear how humans achieve rapid scene categorization.To address this issue, we developed a hierarchical probabilistic model for rapid object categorization in natural scenes. In this model, a natural object category is represented by a coarse hierarchical probability distribution (PD, which includes PDs of object geometry and spatial configuration of object parts. Object parts are encoded by PDs of a set of natural object structures, each of which is a concatenation of local object features. Rapid categorization is performed as statistical inference. Since the model uses a very small number (∼100 of structures for even complex object categories such as animals and cars, it requires little training and is robust in the presence of large variations within object categories and in their occurrences in natural scenes. Remarkably, we found that the model categorized animals in natural scenes and cars in street scenes with a near human-level performance. We also found that the model located animals and cars in natural scenes, thus overcoming a flaw in many other models which is to categorize objects in natural context by categorizing contextual features. These results suggest that coarse PDs of object categories based on natural object structures and statistical operations on these PDs may underlie the human ability to rapidly categorize scenes.

  17. Cortical response to categorical color perception in infants investigated by near-infrared spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jiale; Kanazawa, So; Yamaguchi, Masami K; Kuriki, Ichiro

    2016-03-01

    Perceptual color space is continuous; however, we tend to divide it into only a small number of categories. It is unclear whether categorical color perception is obtained solely through the development of the visual system or whether it is affected by language acquisition. To address this issue, we recruited prelinguistic infants (5- to 7-mo-olds) to measure changes in brain activity in relation to categorical color differences by using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). We presented two sets of geometric figures to infants: One set altered in color between green and blue, and the other set altered between two different shades of green. We found a significant increase in hemodynamic responses during the between-category alternations, but not during the within-category alternations. These differences in hemodynamic response based on categorical relationship were observed only in the bilateral occipitotemporal regions, and not in the occipital region. We confirmed that categorical color differences yield behavioral differences in infants. We also observed comparable hemodynamic responses to categorical color differences in adults. The present study provided the first evidence, to our knowledge, that colors of different categories are represented differently in the visual cortex of prelinguistic infants, which implies that color categories may develop independently before language acquisition.

  18. Categoricity

    CERN Document Server

    Baldwin, John T

    2009-01-01

    Modern model theory began with Morley's categoricity theorem: A countable first-order theory that has a unique (up to isomorphism) model in one uncountable cardinal (i.e., is categorical in cardinality) if and only if the same holds in all uncountable cardinals. Over the last 35 years Shelah made great strides in extending this result to infinitary logic, where the basic tool of compactness fails. He invented the notion of an Abstract Elementary Class to give a unifying semantic account of theories in first-order, infinitary logic and with some generalized quantifiers. Zilber developed similar techniques of infinitary model theory to study complex exponentiation. This book provides the first unified and systematic exposition of this work. The many examples stretch from pure model theory to module theory and covers of Abelian varieties. Assuming only a first course in model theory, the book expounds eventual categoricity results (for classes with amalgamation) and categoricity in excellent classes. Such crucia...

  19. Applied categorical and count data analysis

    CERN Document Server

    Tang, Wan; Tu, Xin M

    2012-01-01

    Introduction Discrete Outcomes Data Source Outline of the BookReview of Key Statistical ResultsSoftwareContingency Tables Inference for One-Way Frequency TableInference for 2 x 2 TableInference for 2 x r TablesInference for s x r TableMeasures of AssociationSets of Contingency Tables Confounding Effects Sets of 2 x 2 TablesSets of s x r TablesRegression Models for Categorical Response Logistic Regression for Binary ResponseInference about Model ParametersGoodness of FitGeneralized Linear ModelsRegression Models for Polytomous ResponseRegression Models for Count Response Poisson Regression Mode

  20. Nonparametric Bayes Modeling of Multivariate Categorical Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunson, David B; Xing, Chuanhua

    2012-01-01

    Modeling of multivariate unordered categorical (nominal) data is a challenging problem, particularly in high dimensions and cases in which one wishes to avoid strong assumptions about the dependence structure. Commonly used approaches rely on the incorporation of latent Gaussian random variables or parametric latent class models. The goal of this article is to develop a nonparametric Bayes approach, which defines a prior with full support on the space of distributions for multiple unordered categorical variables. This support condition ensures that we are not restricting the dependence structure a priori. We show this can be accomplished through a Dirichlet process mixture of product multinomial distributions, which is also a convenient form for posterior computation. Methods for nonparametric testing of violations of independence are proposed, and the methods are applied to model positional dependence within transcription factor binding motifs.

  1. Document Categorization with Modified Statistical Language Models for Agglutinative Languages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tantug

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we investigate the document categorization task with statistical language models. Our study mainly focuses on categorization of documents in agglutinative languages. Due to the productive morphology of agglutinative languages, the number of word forms encountered in naturally occurring text is very large. From the language modeling perspective, a large vocabulary results in serious data sparseness problems. In order to cope with this drawback, previous studies in various application areas suggest modified language models based on different morphological units. It is reported that performance improvements can be achieved with these modified language models. In our document categorization experiments, we use standard word form based language models as well as other modified language models based on root words, root words and part-of-speech information, truncated word forms and character sequences. Additionally, to find an optimum parameter set, multiple tests are carried out with different language model orders and smoothing methods. Similar to previous studies on other tasks, our experimental results on categorization of Turkish documents reveal that applying linguistic preprocessing steps for language modeling provides improvements over standard language models to some extent. However, it is also observed that similar level of performance improvements can also be acquired by simpler character level or truncated word form models which are language independent.

  2. Humanizing Outgroups Through Multiple Categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prati, Francesca; Crisp, Richard J.; Meleady, Rose; Rubini, Monica

    2016-01-01

    In three studies, we examined the impact of multiple categorization on intergroup dehumanization. Study 1 showed that perceiving members of a rival university along multiple versus simple categorical dimensions enhanced the tendency to attribute human traits to this group. Study 2 showed that multiple versus simple categorization of immigrants increased the attribution of uniquely human emotions to them. This effect was explained by the sequential mediation of increased individuation of the outgroup and reduced outgroup threat. Study 3 replicated this sequential mediation model and introduced a novel way of measuring humanization in which participants generated attributes corresponding to the outgroup in a free response format. Participants generated more uniquely human traits in the multiple versus simple categorization conditions. We discuss the theoretical implications of these findings and consider their role in informing and improving efforts to ameliorate contemporary forms of intergroup discrimination. PMID:26984016

  3. A conflict-based model of color categorical perception: evidence from a priming study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Zhonghua; Hanley, J Richard; Zhang, Ruiling; Liu, Qiang; Roberson, Debi

    2014-10-01

    Categorical perception (CP) of color manifests as faster or more accurate discrimination of two shades of color that straddle a category boundary (e.g., one blue and one green) than of two shades from within the same category (e.g., two different shades of green), even when the differences between the pairs of colors are equated according to some objective metric. The results of two experiments provide new evidence for a conflict-based account of this effect, in which CP is caused by competition between visual and verbal/categorical codes on within-category trials. According to this view, conflict arises because the verbal code indicates that the two colors are the same, whereas the visual code indicates that they are different. In Experiment 1, two shades from the same color category were discriminated significantly faster when the previous trial also comprised a pair of within-category colors than when the previous trial comprised a pair from two different color categories. Under the former circumstances, the CP effect disappeared. According to the conflict-based model, response conflict between visual and categorical codes during discrimination of within-category pairs produced an adjustment of cognitive control that reduced the weight given to the categorical code relative to the visual code on the subsequent trial. Consequently, responses on within-category trials were facilitated, and CP effects were reduced. The effectiveness of this conflict-based account was evaluated in comparison with an alternative view that CP reflects temporary warping of perceptual space at the boundaries between color categories.

  4. Significance of categorization and the modeling of age related factors for radiation protection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuoka, Osamu

    1987-01-01

    It is proposed that the categorization and modelling are necessary with regard to age related factors of radionuclide metabolism for the radiation protection of the public. In order to utilize the age related information as a model for life time risk estimate of public, it is necessary to generalize and simplify it according to the categorized model patterns. Since the patterns of age related changes in various parameters of radionuclide metabolism seem to be rather simple, it is possible to categorize them into eleven types of model patterns. Among these models, five are selected as positively significant models to be considered. Examples are shown as to the fitting of representative parameters of both physiological and metabolic parameter of radionuclides into the proposed model. The range of deviation from adult standard value is also analyzed for each model. The fitting of each parameter to categorized models, and its comparative consideration provide the effective information as to the physiological basis of radionuclide metabolism. Discussions are made on the problems encountered in the application of available age related information to radiation protection of the public, i.e. distribution of categorized parameter, period of life covered, range of deviation from adult value, implication to other dosimetric and pathological models and to the final estimation. 5 refs.; 3 figs.; 4 tabs

  5. On the adequacy of current empirical evaluations of formal models of categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wills, Andy J; Pothos, Emmanuel M

    2012-01-01

    Categorization is one of the fundamental building blocks of cognition, and the study of categorization is notable for the extent to which formal modeling has been a central and influential component of research. However, the field has seen a proliferation of noncomplementary models with little consensus on the relative adequacy of these accounts. Progress in assessing the relative adequacy of formal categorization models has, to date, been limited because (a) formal model comparisons are narrow in the number of models and phenomena considered and (b) models do not often clearly define their explanatory scope. Progress is further hampered by the practice of fitting models with arbitrarily variable parameters to each data set independently. Reviewing examples of good practice in the literature, we conclude that model comparisons are most fruitful when relative adequacy is assessed by comparing well-defined models on the basis of the number and proportion of irreversible, ordinal, penetrable successes (principles of minimal flexibility, breadth, good-enough precision, maximal simplicity, and psychological focus).

  6. On the Adequacy of Current Empirical Evaluations of Formal Models of Categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wills, Andy J.; Pothos, Emmanuel M.

    2012-01-01

    Categorization is one of the fundamental building blocks of cognition, and the study of categorization is notable for the extent to which formal modeling has been a central and influential component of research. However, the field has seen a proliferation of noncomplementary models with little consensus on the relative adequacy of these accounts.…

  7. Evaluation of alternate categorical tumor metrics and cut points for response categorization using the RECIST 1.1 data warehouse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandrekar, Sumithra J; An, Ming-Wen; Meyers, Jeffrey; Grothey, Axel; Bogaerts, Jan; Sargent, Daniel J

    2014-03-10

    We sought to test and validate the predictive utility of trichotomous tumor response (TriTR; complete response [CR] or partial response [PR] v stable disease [SD] v progressive disease [PD]), disease control rate (DCR; CR/PR/SD v PD), and dichotomous tumor response (DiTR; CR/PR v others) metrics using alternate cut points for PR and PD. The data warehouse assembled to guide the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1 was used. Data from 13 trials (5,480 patients with metastatic breast cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer, or colorectal cancer) were randomly split (60:40) into training and validation data sets. In all, 27 pairs of cut points for PR and PD were considered: PR (10% to 50% decrease by 5% increments) and PD (10% to 20% increase by 5% increments), for which 30% and 20% correspond to the RECIST categorization. Cox proportional hazards models with landmark analyses at 12 and 24 weeks stratified by study and number of lesions (fewer than three v three or more) and adjusted for average baseline tumor size were used to assess the impact of each metric on overall survival (OS). Model discrimination was assessed by using the concordance index (c-index). Standard RECIST cut points demonstrated predictive ability similar to the alternate PR and PD cut points. Regardless of tumor type, the TriTR, DiTR, and DCR metrics had similar predictive performance. The 24-week metrics (albeit with higher c-index point estimate) were not meaningfully better than the 12-week metrics. None of the metrics did particularly well for breast cancer. Alternative cut points to RECIST standards provided no meaningful improvement in OS prediction. Metrics assessed at 12 weeks have good predictive performance.

  8. Neural network models of categorical perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Damper, R I; Harnad, S R

    2000-05-01

    Studies of the categorical perception (CP) of sensory continua have a long and rich history in psychophysics. In 1977, Macmillan, Kaplan, and Creelman introduced the use of signal detection theory to CP studies. Anderson and colleagues simultaneously proposed the first neural model for CP, yet this line of research has been less well explored. In this paper, we assess the ability of neural-network models of CP to predict the psychophysical performance of real observers with speech sounds and artificial/novel stimuli. We show that a variety of neural mechanisms are capable of generating the characteristics of CP. Hence, CP may not be a special model of perception but an emergent property of any sufficiently powerful general learning system.

  9. PATH ANALYSIS WITH LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODELS : EFFECT ANALYSIS OF FULLY RECURSIVE CAUSAL SYSTEMS OF CATEGORICAL VARIABLES

    OpenAIRE

    Nobuoki, Eshima; Minoru, Tabata; Geng, Zhi; Department of Medical Information Analysis, Faculty of Medicine, Oita Medical University; Department of Applied Mathematics, Faculty of Engineering, Kobe University; Department of Probability and Statistics, Peking University

    2001-01-01

    This paper discusses path analysis of categorical variables with logistic regression models. The total, direct and indirect effects in fully recursive causal systems are considered by using model parameters. These effects can be explained in terms of log odds ratios, uncertainty differences, and an inner product of explanatory variables and a response variable. A study on food choice of alligators as a numerical exampleis reanalysed to illustrate the present approach.

  10. Music of the 7Ts: Predicting and Decoding Multivoxel fMRI Responses with Acoustic, Schematic, and Categorical Music Features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casey, Michael A

    2017-01-01

    Underlying the experience of listening to music are parallel streams of auditory, categorical, and schematic qualia, whose representations and cortical organization remain largely unresolved. We collected high-field (7T) fMRI data in a music listening task, and analyzed the data using multivariate decoding and stimulus-encoding models. Twenty subjects participated in the experiment, which measured BOLD responses evoked by naturalistic listening to twenty-five music clips from five genres. Our first analysis applied machine classification to the multivoxel patterns that were evoked in temporal cortex. Results yielded above-chance levels for both stimulus identification and genre classification-cross-validated by holding out data from multiple of the stimuli during model training and then testing decoding performance on the held-out data. Genre model misclassifications were significantly correlated with those in a corresponding behavioral music categorization task, supporting the hypothesis that geometric properties of multivoxel pattern spaces underlie observed musical behavior. A second analysis employed a spherical searchlight regression analysis which predicted multivoxel pattern responses to music features representing melody and harmony across a large area of cortex. The resulting prediction-accuracy maps yielded significant clusters in the temporal, frontal, parietal, and occipital lobes, as well as in the parahippocampal gyrus and the cerebellum. These maps provide evidence in support of our hypothesis that geometric properties of music cognition are neurally encoded as multivoxel representational spaces. The maps also reveal a cortical topography that differentially encodes categorical and absolute-pitch information in distributed and overlapping networks, with smaller specialized regions that encode tonal music information in relative-pitch representations.

  11. Music of the 7Ts: Predicting and Decoding Multivoxel fMRI Responses with Acoustic, Schematic, and Categorical Music Features

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casey, Michael A.

    2017-01-01

    Underlying the experience of listening to music are parallel streams of auditory, categorical, and schematic qualia, whose representations and cortical organization remain largely unresolved. We collected high-field (7T) fMRI data in a music listening task, and analyzed the data using multivariate decoding and stimulus-encoding models. Twenty subjects participated in the experiment, which measured BOLD responses evoked by naturalistic listening to twenty-five music clips from five genres. Our first analysis applied machine classification to the multivoxel patterns that were evoked in temporal cortex. Results yielded above-chance levels for both stimulus identification and genre classification–cross-validated by holding out data from multiple of the stimuli during model training and then testing decoding performance on the held-out data. Genre model misclassifications were significantly correlated with those in a corresponding behavioral music categorization task, supporting the hypothesis that geometric properties of multivoxel pattern spaces underlie observed musical behavior. A second analysis employed a spherical searchlight regression analysis which predicted multivoxel pattern responses to music features representing melody and harmony across a large area of cortex. The resulting prediction-accuracy maps yielded significant clusters in the temporal, frontal, parietal, and occipital lobes, as well as in the parahippocampal gyrus and the cerebellum. These maps provide evidence in support of our hypothesis that geometric properties of music cognition are neurally encoded as multivoxel representational spaces. The maps also reveal a cortical topography that differentially encodes categorical and absolute-pitch information in distributed and overlapping networks, with smaller specialized regions that encode tonal music information in relative-pitch representations. PMID:28769835

  12. Segmentation precedes face categorization under suboptimal conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlijn eVan Den Boomen

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Both categorization and segmentation processes play a crucial role in face perception. However, the functional relation between these subprocesses is currently unclear. The present study investigates the temporal relation between segmentation-related and category-selective responses in the brain, using electroencephalography (EEG. Surface segmentation and category content were both manipulated using texture-defined objects, including faces. This allowed us to study brain activity related to segmentation and to categorization. In the main experiment, participants viewed texture-defined objects for a duration of 800 ms. EEG results revealed that segmentation-related responses precede category-selective responses. Three additional experiments revealed that the presence and timing of categorization depends on stimulus properties and presentation duration. Photographic objects were presented for a long and short (92 ms duration and evoked fast category-selective responses in both cases. On the other hand, presentation of texture-defined objects for a short duration only evoked segmentation-related but no category-selective responses. Category-selective responses were much slower when evoked by texture-defined than by photographic objects. We suggest that in case of categorization of objects under suboptimal conditions, such as when low-level stimulus properties are not sufficient for fast object categorization, segmentation facilitates the slower categorization process.

  13. Segmentation precedes face categorization under suboptimal conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Den Boomen, Carlijn; Fahrenfort, Johannes J; Snijders, Tineke M; Kemner, Chantal

    2015-01-01

    Both categorization and segmentation processes play a crucial role in face perception. However, the functional relation between these subprocesses is currently unclear. The present study investigates the temporal relation between segmentation-related and category-selective responses in the brain, using electroencephalography (EEG). Surface segmentation and category content were both manipulated using texture-defined objects, including faces. This allowed us to study brain activity related to segmentation and to categorization. In the main experiment, participants viewed texture-defined objects for a duration of 800 ms. EEG results revealed that segmentation-related responses precede category-selective responses. Three additional experiments revealed that the presence and timing of categorization depends on stimulus properties and presentation duration. Photographic objects were presented for a long and short (92 ms) duration and evoked fast category-selective responses in both cases. On the other hand, presentation of texture-defined objects for a short duration only evoked segmentation-related but no category-selective responses. Category-selective responses were much slower when evoked by texture-defined than by photographic objects. We suggest that in case of categorization of objects under suboptimal conditions, such as when low-level stimulus properties are not sufficient for fast object categorization, segmentation facilitates the slower categorization process.

  14. Behavioural evidence of a dissociation between voice gender categorization and phoneme categorization using auditory morphed stimuli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cyril R Pernet

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Both voice gender and speech perception rely on neuronal populations located in the peri-sylvian areas. However, whilst functional imaging studies suggest a left versus right hemisphere and anterior versus posterior dissociation between voice and speech categorization, psycholinguistic studies on talker variability suggest that these two processes (voice and speech categorization share common mechanisms. In this study, we investigated the categorical perception of voice gender (male vs. female and phonemes (/pa/ vs. /ta/ using the same stimulus continua generated by morphing. This allowed the investigation of behavioural differences while controlling acoustic characteristics, since the same stimuli were used in both tasks. Despite a higher acoustic dissimilarity between items during the phoneme categorization task (a male and female voice producing the same phonemes than the gender task (the same person producing 2 phonemes, results showed that speech information is being processed much faster than voice information. In addition, f0 or timbre equalization did not affect RT, which disagrees with the classical psycholinguistic models in which voice information is stripped away or normalized to access phonetic content. Also, despite similar response (percentages and perceptual (d’ curves, a reverse correlation analysis on acoustic features revealed, as expected, that the formant frequencies of the consonant distinguished stimuli in the phoneme task, but that only the vowel formant frequencies distinguish stimuli in the gender task. The 2nd set of results thus also disagrees with models postulating that the same acoustic information is used for voice and speech. Altogether these results suggest that voice gender categorization and phoneme categorization are dissociated at an early stage on the basis of different enhanced acoustic features that are diagnostic to the task at hand.

  15. Automatic categorization of web pages and user clustering with mixtures of hidden Markov models

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ypma, A.; Heskes, T.M.; Zaiane, O.R.; Srivastav, J.

    2003-01-01

    We propose mixtures of hidden Markov models for modelling clickstreams of web surfers. Hence, the page categorization is learned from the data without the need for a (possibly cumbersome) manual categorization. We provide an EM algorithm for training a mixture of HMMs and show that additional static

  16. Rapid Categorization of Human and Ape Faces in 9-Month-Old Infants Revealed by Fast Periodic Visual Stimulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peykarjou, Stefanie; Hoehl, Stefanie; Pauen, Sabina; Rossion, Bruno

    2017-10-02

    This study investigates categorization of human and ape faces in 9-month-olds using a Fast Periodic Visual Stimulation (FPVS) paradigm while measuring EEG. Categorization responses are elicited only if infants discriminate between different categories and generalize across exemplars within each category. In study 1, human or ape faces were presented as standard and deviant stimuli in upright and inverted trials. Upright ape faces presented among humans elicited strong categorization responses, whereas responses for upright human faces and for inverted ape faces were smaller. Deviant inverted human faces did not elicit categorization. Data were best explained by a model with main effects of species and orientation. However, variance of low-level image characteristics was higher for the ape than the human category. Variance was matched to replicate this finding in an independent sample (study 2). Both human and ape faces elicited categorization in upright and inverted conditions, but upright ape faces elicited the strongest responses. Again, data were best explained by a model of two main effects. These experiments demonstrate that 9-month-olds rapidly categorize faces, and unfamiliar faces presented among human faces elicit increased categorization responses. This likely reflects habituation for the familiar standard category, and stronger release for the unfamiliar category deviants.

  17. Modeling human color categorization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Broek, Egon; Schouten, Th.E.; Kisters, P.M.F.

    A unique color space segmentation method is introduced. It is founded on features of human cognition, where 11 color categories are used in processing color. In two experiments, human subjects were asked to categorize color stimuli into these 11 color categories, which resulted in markers for a

  18. Categorizing operational radioactive wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2007-04-01

    The primary objective of this publication is to improve communications among waste management professionals and Member States relative to the properties and status of radioactive waste. This is accomplished by providing a standardized approach to operational waste categorization using accepted industry practices and experience. It is a secondary objective to draw a distinction between operational waste categorization and waste disposal classification. The approach set forth herein is applicable to waste generation by mature (major, advanced) nuclear programmes, small-to-medium sized nuclear programmes, and programmes with waste from other nuclear applications. It can be used for planning, developing or revising categorization methodologies. For existing categorization programmes, the approach set forth in this publication may be used as a validation and evaluation tool for assessing communication effectiveness among affected organizations or nations. This publication is intended for use by waste management professionals responsible for creating, implementing or communicating effective categorization, processing and disposal strategies. For the users of this publication, it is important to remember that waste categorization is a communication tool. As such, the operational waste categories are not suitable for regulatory purposes nor for use in health and safety evaluations. Following Section 1 (Introduction) Section 2 of this publication defines categorization and its relationship to existing waste classification and management standards, regulations and practices. It also describes the benefits of a comprehensive categorization programme and fundamental record considerations. Section 3 provides an overview of the categorization process, including primary categories and sub-categories. Sections 4 and 5 outline the specific methodology for categorizing unconditioned and conditioned wastes. Finally, Section 6 provides a brief summary of critical considerations that

  19. Item Response Theory Modeling and Categorical Regression Analyses of the Five-Factor Model Rating Form: A Study on Italian Community-Dwelling Adolescent Participants and Adult Participants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fossati, Andrea; Widiger, Thomas A; Borroni, Serena; Maffei, Cesare; Somma, Antonella

    2017-06-01

    To extend the evidence on the reliability and construct validity of the Five-Factor Model Rating Form (FFMRF) in its self-report version, two independent samples of Italian participants, which were composed of 510 adolescent high school students and 457 community-dwelling adults, respectively, were administered the FFMRF in its Italian translation. Adolescent participants were also administered the Italian translation of the Borderline Personality Features Scale for Children-11 (BPFSC-11), whereas adult participants were administered the Italian translation of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM). Cronbach α values were consistent with previous findings; in both samples, average interitem r values indicated acceptable internal consistency for all FFMRF scales. A multidimensional graded item response theory model indicated that the majority of FFMRF items had adequate discrimination parameters; information indices supported the reliability of the FFMRF scales. Both categorical (i.e., item-level) and scale-level regression analyses suggested that the FFMRF scores may predict a nonnegligible amount of variance in the BPFSC-11 total score in adolescent participants, and in the TriPM scale scores in adult participants.

  20. The Timing of Visual Object Categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mack, Michael L.; Palmeri, Thomas J.

    2011-01-01

    An object can be categorized at different levels of abstraction: as natural or man-made, animal or plant, bird or dog, or as a Northern Cardinal or Pyrrhuloxia. There has been growing interest in understanding how quickly categorizations at different levels are made and how the timing of those perceptual decisions changes with experience. We specifically contrast two perspectives on the timing of object categorization at different levels of abstraction. By one account, the relative timing implies a relative timing of stages of visual processing that are tied to particular levels of object categorization: Fast categorizations are fast because they precede other categorizations within the visual processing hierarchy. By another account, the relative timing reflects when perceptual features are available over time and the quality of perceptual evidence used to drive a perceptual decision process: Fast simply means fast, it does not mean first. Understanding the short-term and long-term temporal dynamics of object categorizations is key to developing computational models of visual object recognition. We briefly review a number of models of object categorization and outline how they explain the timing of visual object categorization at different levels of abstraction. PMID:21811480

  1. Categorizing Video Game Audio

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Westerberg, Andreas Rytter; Schoenau-Fog, Henrik

    2015-01-01

    they can use audio in video games. The conclusion of this study is that the current models' view of the diegetic spaces, used to categorize video game audio, is not t to categorize all sounds. This can however possibly be changed though a rethinking of how the player interprets audio.......This paper dives into the subject of video game audio and how it can be categorized in order to deliver a message to a player in the most precise way. A new categorization, with a new take on the diegetic spaces, can be used a tool of inspiration for sound- and game-designers to rethink how...

  2. ERP signs of categorical and supra-categorical processing of visual information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zani, Alberto; Marsili, Giulia; Senerchia, Annapaola; Orlandi, Andrea; Citron, Francesca M M; Rizzi, Ezia; Proverbio, Alice M

    2015-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate to what extent shared and distinct brain mechanisms are possibly subserving the processing of visual supra-categorical and categorical knowledge as observed with event-related potentials of the brain. Access time to these knowledge types was also investigated. Picture pairs of animals, objects, and mixed types were presented. Participants were asked to decide whether each pair contained pictures belonging to the same category (either animals or man-made objects) or to different categories by pressing one of two buttons. Response accuracy and reaction times (RTs) were also recorded. Both ERPs and RTs were grand-averaged separately for the same-different supra-categories and the animal-object categories. Behavioral performance was faster for more endomorphic pairs, i.e., animals vs. objects and same vs. different category pairs. For ERPs, a modulation of the earliest C1 and subsequent P1 responses to the same vs. different supra-category pairs, but not to the animal vs. object category pairs, was found. This finding supports the view that early afferent processing in the striate cortex can be boosted as a by-product of attention allocated to the processing of shapes and basic features that are mismatched, but not to their semantic quintessence, during same-different supra-categorical judgment. Most importantly, the fact that this processing accrual occurred independent of a traditional experimental condition requiring selective attention to a stimulus source out of the various sources addressed makes it conceivable that this processing accrual may arise from the attentional demand deriving from the alternate focusing of visual attention within and across stimulus categorical pairs' basic structural features. Additional posterior ERP reflections of the brain more prominently processing animal category and same-category pairs were observed at the N1 and N2 levels, respectively, as well as at a late positive complex level

  3. Categorization = Decision Making + Generalization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seger, Carol A; Peterson, Erik J.

    2013-01-01

    We rarely, if ever, repeatedly encounter exactly the same situation. This makes generalization crucial for real world decision making. We argue that categorization, the study of generalizable representations, is a type of decision making, and that categorization learning research would benefit from approaches developed to study the neuroscience of decision making. Similarly, methods developed to examine generalization and learning within the field of categorization may enhance decision making research. We first discuss perceptual information processing and integration, with an emphasis on accumulator models. We then examine learning the value of different decision making choices via experience, emphasizing reinforcement learning modeling approaches. Next we discuss how value is combined with other factors in decision making, emphasizing the effects of uncertainty. Finally, we describe how a final decision is selected via thresholding processes implemented by the basal ganglia and related regions. We also consider how memory related functions in the hippocampus may be integrated with decision making mechanisms and contribute to categorization. PMID:23548891

  4. Categorical database generalization in GIS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Liu, Y.

    2002-01-01

    Key words: Categorical database, categorical database generalization, Formal data structure, constraints, transformation unit, classification hierarchy, aggregation hierarchy, semantic similarity, data model,

  5. CATDAT - A program for parametric and nonparametric categorical data analysis user's manual, Version 1.0

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peterson, James R.; Haas, Timothy C.; Lee, Danny C.

    2000-01-01

    Natural resource professionals are increasingly required to develop rigorous statistical models that relate environmental data to categorical responses data. Recent advances in the statistical and computing sciences have led to the development of sophisticated methods for parametric and nonparametric analysis of data with categorical responses. The statistical software package CATDAT was designed to make some of these relatively new and powerful techniques available to scientists. The CATDAT statistical package includes 4 analytical techniques: generalized logit modeling; binary classification tree; extended K-nearest neighbor classification; and modular neural network

  6. Concurrent and convergent validity of the mobility- and multidimensional-hierarchical disability categorization models with physical performance in community older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Ming-Hsia; Yeh, Chih-Jun; Chen, Tou-Rong; Wang, Ching-Yi

    2014-01-01

    A valid, time-efficient and easy-to-use instrument is important for busy clinical settings, large scale surveys, or community screening use. The purpose of this study was to validate the mobility hierarchical disability categorization model (an abbreviated model) by investigating its concurrent validity with the multidimensional hierarchical disability categorization model (a comprehensive model) and triangulating both models with physical performance measures in older adults. 604 community-dwelling older adults of at least 60 years in age volunteered to participate. Self-reported function on mobility, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and activities of daily living (ADL) domains were recorded and then the disability status determined based on both the multidimensional hierarchical categorization model and the mobility hierarchical categorization model. The physical performance measures, consisting of grip strength and usual and fastest gait speeds (UGS, FGS), were collected on the same day. Both categorization models showed high correlation (γs = 0.92, p categorization models. The results of multiple regression analysis indicated that both models individually explain similar amount of variance on all physical performances, with adjustments for age, sex, and number of comorbidities. Our results found that the mobility hierarchical disability categorization model is a valid and time efficient tool for large survey or screening use.

  7. Interference effects of categorization on decision making.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zheng; Busemeyer, Jerome R

    2016-05-01

    Many decision making tasks in life involve a categorization process, but the effects of categorization on subsequent decision making has rarely been studied. This issue was explored in three experiments (N=721), in which participants were shown a face stimulus on each trial and performed variations of categorization-decision tasks. On C-D trials, they categorized the stimulus and then made an action decision; on X-D trials, they were told the category and then made an action decision; on D-alone trials, they only made an action decision. An interference effect emerged in some of the conditions, such that the probability of an action on the D-alone trials (i.e., when there was no explicit categorization before the decision) differed from the total probability of the same action on the C-D or X-D trials (i.e., when there was explicit categorization before the decision). Interference effects are important because they indicate a violation of the classical law of total probability, which is assumed by many cognitive models. Across all three experiments, a complex pattern of interference effects systematically occurred for different types of stimuli and for different types of categorization-decision tasks. These interference effects present a challenge for traditional cognitive models, such as Markov and signal detection models, but a quantum cognition model, called the belief-action entanglement (BAE) model, predicted that these results could occur. The BAE model employs the quantum principles of superposition and entanglement to explain the psychological mechanisms underlying the puzzling interference effects. The model can be applied to many important and practical categorization-decision situations in life. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. The dynamics of categorization: Unraveling rapid categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mack, Michael L; Palmeri, Thomas J

    2015-06-01

    We explore a puzzle of visual object categorization: Under normal viewing conditions, you spot something as a dog fastest, but at a glance, you spot it faster as an animal. During speeded category verification, a classic basic-level advantage is commonly observed (Rosch, Mervis, Gray, Johnson, & Boyes-Braem, 1976), with categorization as a dog faster than as an animal (superordinate) or Golden Retriever (subordinate). A different story emerges during ultra-rapid categorization with limited exposure duration (categorization faster than basic or subordinate categorization (Thorpe, Fize, & Marlot, 1996). These two widely cited findings paint contrary theoretical pictures about the time course of categorization, yet no previous study has investigated them together. We systematically examined two experimental factors that could explain the qualitative difference in categorization across the two paradigms: exposure duration and category trial context. Mapping out the time course of object categorization by manipulating exposure duration and the timing of a post-stimulus mask revealed that brief exposure durations favor superordinate-level categorization, but with more time a basic-level advantage emerges. However, these advantages were modulated by category trial context. With randomized target categories, the superordinate advantage was eliminated; and with only four repetitions of superordinate categorization within an otherwise randomized context, the basic-level advantage was eliminated. Contrary to theoretical accounts that dictate a fixed priority for certain levels of abstraction in visual processing and access to semantic knowledge, the dynamics of object categorization are flexible, depending jointly on the level of abstraction, time for perceptual encoding, and category context. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  9. Biological origins of color categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skelton, Alice E; Catchpole, Gemma; Abbott, Joshua T; Bosten, Jenny M; Franklin, Anna

    2017-05-23

    The biological basis of the commonality in color lexicons across languages has been hotly debated for decades. Prior evidence that infants categorize color could provide support for the hypothesis that color categorization systems are not purely constructed by communication and culture. Here, we investigate the relationship between infants' categorization of color and the commonality across color lexicons, and the potential biological origin of infant color categories. We systematically mapped infants' categorical recognition memory for hue onto a stimulus array used previously to document the color lexicons of 110 nonindustrialized languages. Following familiarization to a given hue, infants' response to a novel hue indicated that their recognition memory parses the hue continuum into red, yellow, green, blue, and purple categories. Infants' categorical distinctions aligned with common distinctions in color lexicons and are organized around hues that are commonly central to lexical categories across languages. The boundaries between infants' categorical distinctions also aligned, relative to the adaptation point, with the cardinal axes that describe the early stages of color representation in retinogeniculate pathways, indicating that infant color categorization may be partly organized by biological mechanisms of color vision. The findings suggest that color categorization in language and thought is partially biologically constrained and have implications for broader debate on how biology, culture, and communication interact in human cognition.

  10. Response actions influence the categorization of directions in auditory space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcella de Castro Campos Velten

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Spatial region concepts such as front, back, left and right reflect our typical interaction with space, and the corresponding surrounding regions have different statuses in memory. We examined the representation of spatial directions in the auditory space, specifically in how far natural response actions, such as orientation movements towards a sound source, would affect the categorization of egocentric auditory space. While standing in the middle of a circle with 16 loudspeakers, participants were presented acoustic stimuli coming from the loudspeakers in randomized order, and verbally described their directions by using the concept labels front, back, left, right, front-right, front-left, back-right and back-left. Response actions varied in three blocked conditions: 1 facing front, 2 turning the head and upper body to face the stimulus, and 3 turning the head and upper body plus pointing with the hand and outstretched arm towards the stimulus. In addition to a protocol of the verbal utterances, motion capture and video recording generated a detailed corpus for subsequent analysis of the participants’ behavior. Chi-square tests revealed an effect of response condition for directions within the left and right sides. We conclude that movement-based response actions influence the representation of auditory space, especially within the sides’ regions.

  11. Feature Screening for Ultrahigh Dimensional Categorical Data with Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Danyang; Li, Runze; Wang, Hansheng

    2014-01-01

    Ultrahigh dimensional data with both categorical responses and categorical covariates are frequently encountered in the analysis of big data, for which feature screening has become an indispensable statistical tool. We propose a Pearson chi-square based feature screening procedure for categorical response with ultrahigh dimensional categorical covariates. The proposed procedure can be directly applied for detection of important interaction effects. We further show that the proposed procedure possesses screening consistency property in the terminology of Fan and Lv (2008). We investigate the finite sample performance of the proposed procedure by Monte Carlo simulation studies, and illustrate the proposed method by two empirical datasets.

  12. Naming and categorizing objects: task differences modulate the polarity of semantic effects in the picture-word interference paradigm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hantsch, Ansgar; Jescheniak, Jörg D; Mädebach, Andreas

    2012-07-01

    The picture-word interference paradigm is a prominent tool for studying lexical retrieval during speech production. When participants name the pictures, interference from semantically related distractor words has regularly been shown. By contrast, when participants categorize the pictures, facilitation from semantically related distractors has typically been found. In the extant studies, however, differences in the task instructions (naming vs. categorizing) were confounded with the response level: While responses in naming were typically located at the basic level (e.g., "dog"), responses were located at the superordinate level in categorization (e.g., "animal"). The present study avoided this confound by having participants respond at the basic level in both naming and categorization, using the same pictures, distractors, and verbal responses. Our findings confirm the polarity reversal of the semantic effects--that is, semantic interference in naming, and semantic facilitation in categorization. These findings show that the polarity reversal of the semantic effect is indeed due to the different tasks and is not an artifact of the different response levels used in previous studies. Implications for current models of language production are discussed.

  13. A New Integrated Weighted Model in SNOW-V10: Verification of Categorical Variables

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Laura X.; Isaac, George A.; Sheng, Grant

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents the verification results for nowcasts of seven categorical variables from an integrated weighted model (INTW) and the underlying numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. Nowcasting, or short range forecasting (0-6 h), over complex terrain with sufficient accuracy is highly desirable but a very challenging task. A weighting, evaluation, bias correction and integration system (WEBIS) for generating nowcasts by integrating NWP forecasts and high frequency observations was used during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games as part of the Science of Nowcasting Olympic Weather for Vancouver 2010 (SNOW-V10) project. Forecast data from Canadian high-resolution deterministic NWP system with three nested grids (at 15-, 2.5- and 1-km horizontal grid-spacing) were selected as background gridded data for generating the integrated nowcasts. Seven forecast variables of temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind gust, visibility, ceiling and precipitation rate are treated as categorical variables for verifying the integrated weighted forecasts. By analyzing the verification of forecasts from INTW and the NWP models among 15 sites, the integrated weighted model was found to produce more accurate forecasts for the 7 selected forecast variables, regardless of location. This is based on the multi-categorical Heidke skill scores for the test period 12 February to 21 March 2010.

  14. Stress categorization in nozzle to pressure vessel connections finite elements models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Albuquerque, Levi Barcelos de

    1999-01-01

    The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III , is the most important code for nuclear pressure vessels design. Its design criteria were developed to preclude the various pressure vessel failure modes throughout the so-called 'Design by Analysis', some of them by imposing stress limits. Thus, failure modes such as plastic collapse, excessive plastic deformation and incremental plastic deformation under cyclic loading (ratchetting) may be avoided by limiting the so-called primary and secondary stresses. At the time 'Design by Analysis' was developed (early 60's) the main tool for pressure vessel design was the shell discontinuity analysis, in which the results were given in membrane and bending stress distributions along shell sections. From that time, the Finite Element Method (FEM) has had a growing use in pressure vessels design. In this case, the stress results are neither normally separated in membrane and bending stress nor classified in primary and secondary stresses. This process of stress separation and classification in Finite Element (FE) results is what is called stress categorization. In order to perform the stress categorization to check results from FE models against the ASME Code stress limits, mainly from 3D solid FE models, several research works have been conducted. This work is included in this effort. First, a description of the ASME Code design criteria is presented. After that, a brief description of how the FEM can be used in pressure vessel design is showed. Several studies found in the literature on stress categorization for pressure vessel FE models are reviewed and commented. Then, the analyses done in this work are presented in which some typical nozzle to pressure vessel connections subjected to internal pressure and concentrated loads were modeled with solid finite elements. The results from linear elastic and limit load analyses are compared to each other and also with the results obtained by formulae for simple shell

  15. Perceptual and categorical decision making: goal-relevant representation of two domains at different levels of abstraction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shankar, Swetha; Kayser, Andrew S

    2017-06-01

    To date it has been unclear whether perceptual decision making and rule-based categorization reflect activation of similar cognitive processes and brain regions. On one hand, both map potentially ambiguous stimuli to a smaller set of motor responses. On the other hand, decisions about perceptual salience typically concern concrete sensory representations derived from a noisy stimulus, while categorization is typically conceptualized as an abstract decision about membership in a potentially arbitrary set. Previous work has primarily examined these types of decisions in isolation. Here we independently varied salience in both the perceptual and categorical domains in a random dot-motion framework by manipulating dot-motion coherence and motion direction relative to a category boundary, respectively. Behavioral and modeling results suggest that categorical (more abstract) information, which is more relevant to subjects' decisions, is weighted more strongly than perceptual (more concrete) information, although they also have significant interactive effects on choice. Within the brain, BOLD activity within frontal regions strongly differentiated categorical salience and weakly differentiated perceptual salience; however, the interaction between these two factors activated similar frontoparietal brain networks. Notably, explicitly evaluating feature interactions revealed a frontal-parietal dissociation: parietal activity varied strongly with both features, but frontal activity varied with the combined strength of the information that defined the motor response. Together, these data demonstrate that frontal regions are driven by decision-relevant features and argue that perceptual decisions and rule-based categorization reflect similar cognitive processes and activate similar brain networks to the extent that they define decision-relevant stimulus-response mappings. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here we study the behavioral and neural dynamics of perceptual categorization when

  16. Categorizing moving objects into film genres: the effect of animacy attribution, emotional response, and the deviation from non-fiction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Visch, Valentijn T; Tan, Ed S

    2009-02-01

    The reported study follows the footsteps of Heider, and Simmel (1944) [Heider, F., & Simmel, M. (1944). An experimental study of apparent behavior. American Journal of Psychology, 57, 243-249] and Michotte (1946/1963) [Michotte, A. (1963). The perception of causality (T.R. Miles & E. Miles, Trans.). London: Methuen (Original work published 1946)] who demonstrated the role of object movement in attributions of life-likeness to figures. It goes one step further in studying the categorization of film scenes as to genre as a function of object movements. In an animated film scene portraying a chase, movements of the chasing object were systematically varied as to parameters: velocity, efficiency, fluency, detail, and deformation. The object movements were categorized by viewers into genres: non-fiction, comedy, drama, and action. Besides this categorization, viewers rated their animacy attribution and emotional response. Results showed that non-expert viewers were consistent in categorizing the genres according to object movement parameters. The size of its deviation from the unmanipulated movement scene determined the assignment of any target scene to one of the fiction genres: small and moderate deviations resulted in categorization as drama and action, and large deviations as comedy. The results suggest that genre classification is achieved by, at least, three distinct cognitive processes: (a) animacy attribution, which influences the fiction versus non-fiction classification; (b) emotional responses, which influences the classification of a specific fiction genre; and (c) the amount of deviation from reality, at least with regard to movements.

  17. Students' Categorizations of Organic Compounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Domin, Daniel S.; Al-Masum, Mohammad; Mensah, John

    2008-01-01

    Categorization is a fundamental psychological ability necessary for problem solving and many other higher-level cognitive tasks. In organic chemistry, students must establish groupings of different chemical compounds in order not only to solve problems, but also to understand course content. Classic models of categorization emphasize similarity as…

  18. Categorical Working Memory Representations are used in Delayed Estimation of Continuous Colors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardman, Kyle O; Vergauwe, Evie; Ricker, Timothy J

    2016-01-01

    In the last decade, major strides have been made in understanding visual working memory through mathematical modeling of color production responses. In the delayed color estimation task (Wilken & Ma, 2004), participants are given a set of colored squares to remember and a few seconds later asked to reproduce those colors by clicking on a color wheel. The degree of error in these responses is characterized with mathematical models that estimate working memory precision and the proportion of items remembered by participants. A standard mathematical model of color memory assumes that items maintained in memory are remembered through memory for precise details about the particular studied shade of color. We contend that this model is incomplete in its present form because no mechanism is provided for remembering the coarse category of a studied color. In the present work we remedy this omission and present a model of visual working memory that includes both continuous and categorical memory representations. In two experiments we show that our new model outperforms this standard modeling approach, which demonstrates that categorical representations should be accounted for by mathematical models of visual working memory. PMID:27797548

  19. Categorical working memory representations are used in delayed estimation of continuous colors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardman, Kyle O; Vergauwe, Evie; Ricker, Timothy J

    2017-01-01

    In the last decade, major strides have been made in understanding visual working memory through mathematical modeling of color production responses. In the delayed color estimation task (Wilken & Ma, 2004), participants are given a set of colored squares to remember, and a few seconds later asked to reproduce those colors by clicking on a color wheel. The degree of error in these responses is characterized with mathematical models that estimate working memory precision and the proportion of items remembered by participants. A standard mathematical model of color memory assumes that items maintained in memory are remembered through memory for precise details about the particular studied shade of color. We contend that this model is incomplete in its present form because no mechanism is provided for remembering the coarse category of a studied color. In the present work, we remedy this omission and present a model of visual working memory that includes both continuous and categorical memory representations. In 2 experiments, we show that our new model outperforms this standard modeling approach, which demonstrates that categorical representations should be accounted for by mathematical models of visual working memory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  20. Enhanced HMAX model with feedforward feature learning for multiclass categorization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yinlin eLi

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, the interdisciplinary research between neuroscience and computer vision has promoted the development in both fields. Many biologically inspired visual models are proposed, and among them, the Hierarchical Max-pooling model (HMAX is a feedforward model mimicking the structures and functions of V1 to posterior inferotemporal (PIT layer of the primate visual cortex, which could generate a series of position- and scale- invariant features. However, it could be improved with attention modulation and memory processing, which are two important properties of the primate visual cortex. Thus, in this paper, based on recent biological research on the primate visual cortex, we still mimic the first 100-150 milliseconds of visual cognition to enhance the HMAX model, which mainly focuses on the unsupervised feedforward feature learning process. The main modifications are as follows: 1 To mimic the attention modulation mechanism of V1 layer, a bottom-up saliency map is computed in the S1 layer of the HMAX model, which can support the initial feature extraction for memory processing; 2 To mimic the learning, clustering and short-term memory to long-term memory conversion abilities of V2 and IT, an unsupervised iterative clustering method is used to learn clusters with multiscale middle level patches, which are taken as long-term memory; 3 Inspired by the multiple feature encoding mode of the primate visual cortex, information including color, orientation, and spatial position are encoded in different layers of the HMAX model progressively. By adding a softmax layer at the top of the model, multiclass categorization experiments can be conducted, and the results on Caltech101 show that the enhanced model with a smaller memory size exhibits higher accuracy than the original HMAX model, and could also achieve better accuracy than other unsupervised feature learning methods in multiclass categorization task.

  1. Enhanced HMAX model with feedforward feature learning for multiclass categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yinlin; Wu, Wei; Zhang, Bo; Li, Fengfu

    2015-01-01

    In recent years, the interdisciplinary research between neuroscience and computer vision has promoted the development in both fields. Many biologically inspired visual models are proposed, and among them, the Hierarchical Max-pooling model (HMAX) is a feedforward model mimicking the structures and functions of V1 to posterior inferotemporal (PIT) layer of the primate visual cortex, which could generate a series of position- and scale- invariant features. However, it could be improved with attention modulation and memory processing, which are two important properties of the primate visual cortex. Thus, in this paper, based on recent biological research on the primate visual cortex, we still mimic the first 100-150 ms of visual cognition to enhance the HMAX model, which mainly focuses on the unsupervised feedforward feature learning process. The main modifications are as follows: (1) To mimic the attention modulation mechanism of V1 layer, a bottom-up saliency map is computed in the S1 layer of the HMAX model, which can support the initial feature extraction for memory processing; (2) To mimic the learning, clustering and short-term memory to long-term memory conversion abilities of V2 and IT, an unsupervised iterative clustering method is used to learn clusters with multiscale middle level patches, which are taken as long-term memory; (3) Inspired by the multiple feature encoding mode of the primate visual cortex, information including color, orientation, and spatial position are encoded in different layers of the HMAX model progressively. By adding a softmax layer at the top of the model, multiclass categorization experiments can be conducted, and the results on Caltech101 show that the enhanced model with a smaller memory size exhibits higher accuracy than the original HMAX model, and could also achieve better accuracy than other unsupervised feature learning methods in multiclass categorization task.

  2. Sticky Categorizations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lagermann, Laila Colding

    2015-01-01

    What are the possibilities and/or limitations in becoming subjects who are differenciated from earlier processes of categorizations that certain students are subjected to? This is the question explored in the analysis of this paper, based on observations of, and narratives and perspectives of two...... to trap and thereby limit the person being categorized. Through the analysis, I will show how repetitive limiting categorizations in and over time tend to stick to the boys being categorized, and how the sticky categorizations is shutting down their future possibilities for change and viable lives within...

  3. Dual PECCS: a cognitive system for conceptual representation and categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lieto, Antonio; Radicioni, Daniele P.; Rho, Valentina

    2017-03-01

    In this article we present an advanced version of Dual-PECCS, a cognitively-inspired knowledge representation and reasoning system aimed at extending the capabilities of artificial systems in conceptual categorization tasks. It combines different sorts of common-sense categorization (prototypical and exemplars-based categorization) with standard monotonic categorization procedures. These different types of inferential procedures are reconciled according to the tenets coming from the dual process theory of reasoning. On the other hand, from a representational perspective, the system relies on the hypothesis of conceptual structures represented as heterogeneous proxytypes. Dual-PECCS has been experimentally assessed in a task of conceptual categorization where a target concept illustrated by a simple common-sense linguistic description had to be identified by resorting to a mix of categorization strategies, and its output has been compared to human responses. The obtained results suggest that our approach can be beneficial to improve the representational and reasoning conceptual capabilities of standard cognitive artificial systems, and - in addition - that it may be plausibly applied to different general computational models of cognition. The current version of the system, in fact, extends our previous work, in that Dual- PECCS is now integrated and tested into two cognitive architectures, ACT-R and CLARION, implementing different assumptions on the underlying invariant structures governing human cognition. Such integration allowed us to extend our previous evaluation.

  4. Working Memory Capacity and Categorization: Individual Differences and Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewandowsky, Stephan

    2011-01-01

    Working memory is crucial for many higher-level cognitive functions, ranging from mental arithmetic to reasoning and problem solving. Likewise, the ability to learn and categorize novel concepts forms an indispensable part of human cognition. However, very little is known about the relationship between working memory and categorization, and…

  5. Semantic Categorization Precedes Affective Evaluation of Visual Scenes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nummenmaa, Lauri; Hyona, Jukka; Calvo, Manuel G.

    2010-01-01

    We compared the primacy of affective versus semantic categorization by using forced-choice saccadic and manual response tasks. Participants viewed paired emotional and neutral scenes involving humans or animals flashed rapidly in extrafoveal vision. Participants were instructed to categorize the targets by saccading toward the location occupied by…

  6. Hierarchical document categorization using associative networks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bloom, Niels; Theune, Mariet; de Jong, Franciska M.G.; Klement, E.P.; Borutzky, W.; Fahringer, T.; Hamza, M.H.; Uskov, V.

    Associative networks are a connectionist language model with the ability to handle dynamic data. We used two associative networks to categorize random sets of related Wikipedia articles with only their raw text as input. We then compared the resulting categorization to a gold standard: the manual

  7. The dimensional nature of eating pathology: Evidence from a direct comparison of categorical, dimensional, and hybrid models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Xiaochen; Donnellan, M Brent; Burt, S Alexandra; Klump, Kelly L

    2016-07-01

    Eating disorders are conceptualized as categorical rather than dimensional in the current major diagnostic system (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; 5th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) and in many previous studies. However, previous research has not critically evaluated this assumption or tested hybrid models (e.g., modeling latent variables with both dimensional and categorical features). Accordingly, the current study directly compared categorical, dimensional, and hybrid models for eating pathology in a large, population-based sample. Participants included 3,032 female and male twins (ages 9-30 years) from the Michigan State University Twin Registry. The Minnesota Eating Behaviors Survey was used to assess disordered eating symptoms including body dissatisfaction, weight preoccupation, binge eating, and compensatory behaviors. Results showed that dimensional models best fit the data in the overall sample as well as across subgroups divided by sex and pubertal status (e.g., prepubertal vs. postpubertal). It is interesting to note that the results favored more categorical models when using a case-control subset of our sample with participants who either endorsed substantial eating pathology or no/little eating pathology. Overall, findings provide support for a dimensional conceptualization of eating pathology and underscore the importance of using community samples to capture the full range of severity of eating pathology when investigating questions about taxonomy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  8. Modelling categorical data to identify factors influencing concern for the natural environment in Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parizanganeh, Abdolhossein; Lakhan, V Chris; Yazdani, Mahmoud; Ahmad, Sajid R

    2011-10-01

    Loglinear modelling techniques were used to identify the interactions and interrelationships underlying categorical environmental concern data collected from 9062 respondents in Iran. After fitting various loglinear models to the data, the most parsimonious model highlighted that a combination of interacting factors, namely educational attainment, age, gender, and residential location were responsible for influencing personal concern for the environment. Although high educational attainment had a close correspondence with high concern for the environment the loglinear results, when visualized with a geographical information system, demonstrated wide spatial variations in educational attainment and concern for the environment. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents were not highly educated, and were therefore not highly concerned for the environment. The finding that both rural and urban male and female respondents in the 15-24 years age category, with 10-12 years of education, had the strongest interaction with personal concern for the environment could be beneficial for policy planners to utilize education as the primary instrument to enhance environmental governance and prospects for sustainable development. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Cultural differences in categorical memory errors persist with age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutchess, Angela; Boduroglu, Aysecan

    2018-01-02

    This cross-sectional experiment examined the influence of aging on cross-cultural differences in memory errors. Previous research revealed that Americans committed more categorical memory errors than Turks; we tested whether the cognitive constraints associated with aging impacted the pattern of memory errors across cultures. Furthermore, older adults are vulnerable to memory errors for semantically-related information, and we assessed whether this tendency occurs across cultures. Younger and older adults from the US and Turkey studied word pairs, with some pairs sharing a categorical relationship and some unrelated. Participants then completed a cued recall test, generating the word that was paired with the first. These responses were scored for correct responses or different types of errors, including categorical and semantic. The tendency for Americans to commit more categorical memory errors emerged for both younger and older adults. In addition, older adults across cultures committed more memory errors, and these were for semantically-related information (including both categorical and other types of semantic errors). Heightened vulnerability to memory errors with age extends across cultural groups, and Americans' proneness to commit categorical memory errors occurs across ages. The findings indicate some robustness in the ways that age and culture influence memory errors.

  10. Cross-cultural differences in categorical memory errors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwartz, Aliza J; Boduroglu, Aysecan; Gutchess, Angela H

    2014-06-01

    Cultural differences occur in the use of categories to aid accurate recall of information. This study investigated whether culture also contributed to false (erroneous) memories, and extended cross-cultural memory research to Turkish culture, which is shaped by Eastern and Western influences. Americans and Turks viewed word pairs, half of which were categorically related and half unrelated. Participants then attempted to recall the second word from the pair in response to the first word cue. Responses were coded as correct, as blanks, or as different types of errors. Americans committed more categorical errors than did Turks, and Turks mistakenly recalled more non-categorically related list words than did Americans. These results support the idea that Americans use categories either to organize information in memory or to support retrieval strategies to a greater extent than Turks and suggest that culture shapes not only accurate recall but also erroneous distortions of memory. © 2014 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

  11. Digital System Categorization Methodology to Support Integration of Digital Instrumentation and Control Models into PRAs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arndt, Steven A.

    2011-01-01

    It has been suggested that by categorizing the various digital systems used in safety critical applications in nuclear power plants, it would be possible to determine which systems should be modeled in the analysis of the larger plant wide PRA, at what level of detail the digital system should be modeled and using which methods. The research reported in this paper develops a categorization method using system attributes to permit a modeler to more effectively model the systems that will likely have the most critical contributions to the overall plant safety and to more effectively model system interactions for those digital systems where the interactions are most important to the overall accuracy and completeness of the plant PRA. The proposed methodology will categorize digital systems based on certain attributes of the systems themselves and how they will be used in the specific application. This will help determine what digital systems need to be modeled and at what level of detail, and can be used to guide PRA analysis and regulatory reviews. The three-attribute categorization strategy that was proposed by Arndt is used as the basis for the categorization methodology developed here. The first attribute, digital system complexity, is based on Type Il interactions defined by Aldemir and an overall digital system size and complexity index. The size and complexity index used are previously defined software complexity metrics. Potential sub-attributes of digital system complexity include, design complexity, software complexity, hardware complexity, system function complexity and testability. The second attribute, digital system interactions/inter-conductivity, is a combination of Rushby's coupling and Ademir's Type I interactions. Digital systems that are loosely coupled and/or have very few Type I interaction would not interact dynamically with the overall system and would have a low interactions/inter-conductivity score. Potential sub-attributes of digital system

  12. Digital System Categorization Methodology to Support Integration of Digital Instrumentation and Control Models into PRAs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arndt, Steven A. [U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington D.C. (United States)

    2011-08-15

    It has been suggested that by categorizing the various digital systems used in safety critical applications in nuclear power plants, it would be possible to determine which systems should be modeled in the analysis of the larger plant wide PRA, at what level of detail the digital system should be modeled and using which methods. The research reported in this paper develops a categorization method using system attributes to permit a modeler to more effectively model the systems that will likely have the most critical contributions to the overall plant safety and to more effectively model system interactions for those digital systems where the interactions are most important to the overall accuracy and completeness of the plant PRA. The proposed methodology will categorize digital systems based on certain attributes of the systems themselves and how they will be used in the specific application. This will help determine what digital systems need to be modeled and at what level of detail, and can be used to guide PRA analysis and regulatory reviews. The three-attribute categorization strategy that was proposed by Arndt is used as the basis for the categorization methodology developed here. The first attribute, digital system complexity, is based on Type Il interactions defined by Aldemir and an overall digital system size and complexity index. The size and complexity index used are previously defined software complexity metrics. Potential sub-attributes of digital system complexity include, design complexity, software complexity, hardware complexity, system function complexity and testability. The second attribute, digital system interactions/inter-conductivity, is a combination of Rushby's coupling and Ademir's Type I interactions. Digital systems that are loosely coupled and/or have very few Type I interaction would not interact dynamically with the overall system and would have a low interactions/inter-conductivity score. Potential sub-attributes of

  13. Effects of age on cognitive control during semantic categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mudar, Raksha A; Chiang, Hsueh-Sheng; Maguire, Mandy J; Spence, Jeffrey S; Eroh, Justin; Kraut, Michael A; Hart, John

    2015-01-01

    We used event-related potentials (ERPs) to study age effects of perceptual (basic-level) vs. perceptual-semantic (superordinate-level) categorization on cognitive control using the go/nogo paradigm. Twenty-two younger (11 M; 21 ± 2.2 years) and 22 older adults (9 M; 63 ± 5.8 years) completed two visual go/nogo tasks. In the single-car task (SiC) (basic), go/nogo responses were made based on single exemplars of a car (go) and a dog (nogo). In the object animal task (ObA) (superordinate), responses were based on multiple exemplars of objects (go) and animals (nogo). Each task consisted of 200 trials: 160 (80%) 'go' trials that required a response through button pressing and 40 (20%) 'nogo' trials that required inhibition/withholding of a response. ERP data revealed significantly reduced nogo-N2 and nogo-P3 amplitudes in older compared to younger adults, whereas go-N2 and go-P3 amplitudes were comparable in both groups during both categorization tasks. Although the effects of categorization levels on behavioral data and P3 measures were similar in both groups with longer response times, lower accuracy scores, longer P3 latencies, and lower P3 amplitudes in ObA compared to SiC, N2 latency revealed age group differences moderated by the task. Older adults had longer N2 latency for ObA compared to SiC, in contrast, younger adults showed no N2 latency difference between SiC and ObA. Overall, these findings suggest that age differentially affects neural processing related to cognitive control during semantic categorization. Furthermore, in older adults, unlike in younger adults, levels of categorization modulate neural processing related to cognitive control even at the early stages (N2). Published by Elsevier B.V.

  14. CATDAT : A Program for Parametric and Nonparametric Categorical Data Analysis : User's Manual Version 1.0, 1998-1999 Progress Report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peterson, James T.

    1999-12-01

    Natural resource professionals are increasingly required to develop rigorous statistical models that relate environmental data to categorical responses data. Recent advances in the statistical and computing sciences have led to the development of sophisticated methods for parametric and nonparametric analysis of data with categorical responses. The statistical software package CATDAT was designed to make some of these relatively new and powerful techniques available to scientists. The CATDAT statistical package includes 4 analytical techniques: generalized logit modeling; binary classification tree; extended K-nearest neighbor classification; and modular neural network.

  15. Error-Driven Learning in Visual Categorization and Object Recognition: A Common-Elements Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soto, Fabian A.; Wasserman, Edward A.

    2010-01-01

    A wealth of empirical evidence has now accumulated concerning animals' categorizing photographs of real-world objects. Although these complex stimuli have the advantage of fostering rapid category learning, they are difficult to manipulate experimentally and to represent in formal models of behavior. We present a solution to the representation…

  16. The effect of embodied emotive states on cognitive categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, Tom F; Harmon-Jones, Eddie

    2010-12-01

    Research has uncovered that positive affect broadens cognitive categorization. The motivational dimensional model, however, posits that positive affect is not a unitary construct with only one cognitive consequence. Instead, this model puts forth that there are different positive affects varying in approach motivational intensity. According to this model, only positive affects lower in motivational intensity should broaden cognitive processes, whereas positive affects higher in motivational intensity should narrow cognitive processes. Consistent with these predictions, high approach positive affect has been shown to narrow attention, whereas low approach positive affect has been shown to broaden it (Gable & Harmon-Jones, 2008). High approach positive affect, therefore, might narrow categorization. Two experiments investigated this possibility by having participants respond to cognitive categorization tasks in 3 body postures designed to elicit different levels of approach motivation: reclining backward, which should evoke low approach motivation; sitting upright, which should evoke moderate approach motivation; and leaning forward, which should evoke high approach motivation. Participants smiled while in each posture in order to experience positive affect. Experiment 1 provided initial support for the idea that high approach positive affect narrows categorization and low approach positive affect broadens categorization. Experiment 2 replicated these findings with improved smiling instructions. These results extend previous work by showing that the motivational model's predictions hold for basic attentional processes as well as higher level cognitive processes such as categorization.

  17. Marginal Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Item Response Models in R

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew S. Johnson

    2007-02-01

    Full Text Available Item response theory (IRT models are a class of statistical models used by researchers to describe the response behaviors of individuals to a set of categorically scored items. The most common IRT models can be classified as generalized linear fixed- and/or mixed-effect models. Although IRT models appear most often in the psychological testing literature, researchers in other fields have successfully utilized IRT-like models in a wide variety of applications. This paper discusses the three major methods of estimation in IRT and develops R functions utilizing the built-in capabilities of the R environment to find the marginal maximum likelihood estimates of the generalized partial credit model. The currently available R packages ltm is also discussed.

  18. Deep Residual Network Predicts Cortical Representation and Organization of Visual Features for Rapid Categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Haiguang; Shi, Junxing; Chen, Wei; Liu, Zhongming

    2018-02-28

    The brain represents visual objects with topographic cortical patterns. To address how distributed visual representations enable object categorization, we established predictive encoding models based on a deep residual network, and trained them to predict cortical responses to natural movies. Using this predictive model, we mapped human cortical representations to 64,000 visual objects from 80 categories with high throughput and accuracy. Such representations covered both the ventral and dorsal pathways, reflected multiple levels of object features, and preserved semantic relationships between categories. In the entire visual cortex, object representations were organized into three clusters of categories: biological objects, non-biological objects, and background scenes. In a finer scale specific to each cluster, object representations revealed sub-clusters for further categorization. Such hierarchical clustering of category representations was mostly contributed by cortical representations of object features from middle to high levels. In summary, this study demonstrates a useful computational strategy to characterize the cortical organization and representations of visual features for rapid categorization.

  19. Categorical model of structural operational semantics for imperative language

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    William Steingartner

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Definition of programming languages consists of the formal definition of syntax and semantics. One of the most popular semantic methods used in various stages of software engineering is structural operational semantics. It describes program behavior in the form of state changes after execution of elementary steps of program. This feature makes structural operational semantics useful for implementation of programming languages and also for verification purposes. In our paper we present a new approach to structural operational semantics. We model behavior of programs in category of states, where objects are states, an abstraction of computer memory and morphisms model state changes, execution of a program in elementary steps. The advantage of using categorical model is its exact mathematical structure with many useful proved properties and its graphical illustration of program behavior as a path, i.e. a composition of morphisms. Our approach is able to accentuate dynamics of structural operational semantics. For simplicity, we assume that data are intuitively typed. Visualization and facility of our model is  not only  a  new model of structural operational semantics of imperative programming languages but it can also serve for education purposes.

  20. Categorization by Groups

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    R.W. Hamilton (Rebecca); S. Puntoni (Stefano); N.T. Tavassoli (Nader)

    2006-01-01

    textabstractCategorization is a core psychological process central to consumer and managerial decision-making. While a substantial amount of research has been conducted to examine individual categorization behaviors, relatively little is known about the group categorization process. In two

  1. Modelling response times in multi-alternative categorization with TVA

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blurton, Steven Paul; Kyllingsbæk, Søren; Bundesen, Claus

    , such as trial-to-trial variation in the Poisson processing rates and an extension of the random walk to n-alternatives. In an empirical test of the model we fitted the random walk model to data of a binary and a four-alternative orientation discrimination task. In both cases, the model predictions closely...

  2. Similarity, Induction, Naming, and Categorization (SINC): Generalization or Inductive Reasoning? Reply to Heit and Hayes (2005)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sloutsky, Vladimir M.; Fisher, Anna V.

    2006-01-01

    This article is a response to E. Heit and B. K. Hayes's comment on the target article "Induction and Categorization in Young Children: A Similarity-Based Model" (V. M. Sloutsky & A. V. Fisher, 2004a). The response discusses points of agreement and disagreement with Heit and Hayes; phenomena predicted by similarity, induction, naming, and…

  3. Generalizing a categorization of students' interpretations of linear kinematics graphs

    OpenAIRE

    Bollen, Laurens; De Cock, Mieke; Zuza, Kristina; Guisasola, Jenaro; van Kampen, Paul

    2016-01-01

    We have investigated whether and how a categorization of responses to questions on linear distance-time graphs, based on a study of Irish students enrolled in an algebra-based course, could be adopted and adapted to responses from students enrolled in calculus-based physics courses at universities in Flanders, Belgium (KU Leuven) and the Basque Country, Spain (University of the Basque Country). We discuss how we adapted the categorization to accommodate a much more diverse student cohort and ...

  4. CATREG SOFTWARE FOR CATEGORICAL REGRESSION ANALYSIS

    Science.gov (United States)

    CatReg is a computer program, written in the R (r-project.org">http://cran.r-project.org) programming language, to support the conduct of exposure-response analyses by toxicologists and health scientists. CatReg can be used to perform categorical regressi...

  5. Biases in categorization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Das-Smaal, E.A.

    1990-01-01

    On what grounds can we conclude that an act of categorization is biased? In this chapter, it is contended that in the absence of objective norms of what categories actually are, biases in categorization can only be specified in relation to theoretical understandings of categorization. Therefore, the

  6. Criterion learning in rule-based categorization: simulation of neural mechanism and new data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helie, Sebastien; Ell, Shawn W; Filoteo, J Vincent; Maddox, W Todd

    2015-04-01

    In perceptual categorization, rule selection consists of selecting one or several stimulus-dimensions to be used to categorize the stimuli (e.g., categorize lines according to their length). Once a rule has been selected, criterion learning consists of defining how stimuli will be grouped using the selected dimension(s) (e.g., if the selected rule is line length, define 'long' and 'short'). Very little is known about the neuroscience of criterion learning, and most existing computational models do not provide a biological mechanism for this process. In this article, we introduce a new model of rule learning called Heterosynaptic Inhibitory Criterion Learning (HICL). HICL includes a biologically-based explanation of criterion learning, and we use new category-learning data to test key aspects of the model. In HICL, rule selective cells in prefrontal cortex modulate stimulus-response associations using pre-synaptic inhibition. Criterion learning is implemented by a new type of heterosynaptic error-driven Hebbian learning at inhibitory synapses that uses feedback to drive cell activation above/below thresholds representing ionic gating mechanisms. The model is used to account for new human categorization data from two experiments showing that: (1) changing rule criterion on a given dimension is easier if irrelevant dimensions are also changing (Experiment 1), and (2) showing that changing the relevant rule dimension and learning a new criterion is more difficult, but also facilitated by a change in the irrelevant dimension (Experiment 2). We conclude with a discussion of some of HICL's implications for future research on rule learning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Image categorization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Klein Teeselink, G.; Blommaert, F.J.J.; Ridder, de H.

    2000-01-01

    A study was conducted to investigate whether images of natural scenes can be categorized with respect to information content and whether a relation exists with perceived foreground-background separation. In an experiment, one group of subjects carried out a 'free categorization' task, (subjects were

  8. Global Convergence of the EM Algorithm for Unconstrained Latent Variable Models with Categorical Indicators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weissman, Alexander

    2013-01-01

    Convergence of the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm to a global optimum of the marginal log likelihood function for unconstrained latent variable models with categorical indicators is presented. The sufficient conditions under which global convergence of the EM algorithm is attainable are provided in an information-theoretic context by…

  9. Categorization of Mobile Advertising Campaigns

    OpenAIRE

    Pousttchi, Key; Wiedemann, Dietmar Georg

    2006-01-01

    The result of this contribution is a categorization and thus a description model for mobile advertising campaigns using the morphological method. For identification of the characteristics 32 case studies were analysed and relevant literature was sighted.

  10. Emotion categorization does not depend on explicit face categorization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Seirafi, M.; de Weerd, P.; de Gelder, B.

    2013-01-01

    Face perception and emotion recognition have been extensively studied in the past decade; however, the relation between them is still poorly understood. A traditional view is that successful emotional categorization requires categorization of the stimulus as a ‘face', at least at the basic level.

  11. Categorization in the wild.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glushko, Robert J; Maglio, Paul P; Matlock, Teenie; Barsalou, Lawrence W

    2008-04-01

    In studying categorization, cognitive science has focused primarily on cultural categorization, ignoring individual and institutional categorization. Because recent technological developments have made individual and institutional classification systems much more available and powerful, our understanding of the cognitive and social mechanisms that produce these systems is increasingly important. Furthermore, key aspects of categorization that have received little previous attention emerge from considering diverse types of categorization together, such as the social factors that create stability in classification systems, and the interoperability that shared conceptual systems establish between agents. Finally, the profound impact of recent technological developments on classification systems indicates that basic categorization mechanisms are highly adaptive, producing new classification systems as the situations in which they operate change.

  12. Segmentation precedes face categorization under suboptimal conditions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Den Boomen, Carlijn; Fahrenfort, Johannes J; Snijders, Tineke M; Kemner, Chantal

    2015-01-01

    Both categorization and segmentation processes play a crucial role in face perception. However, the functional relation between these subprocesses is currently unclear. The present study investigates the temporal relation between segmentation-related and category-selective responses in the brain,

  13. Modeling guidance and recognition in categorical search: bridging human and computer object detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zelinsky, Gregory J; Peng, Yifan; Berg, Alexander C; Samaras, Dimitris

    2013-10-08

    Search is commonly described as a repeating cycle of guidance to target-like objects, followed by the recognition of these objects as targets or distractors. Are these indeed separate processes using different visual features? We addressed this question by comparing observer behavior to that of support vector machine (SVM) models trained on guidance and recognition tasks. Observers searched for a categorically defined teddy bear target in four-object arrays. Target-absent trials consisted of random category distractors rated in their visual similarity to teddy bears. Guidance, quantified as first-fixated objects during search, was strongest for targets, followed by target-similar, medium-similarity, and target-dissimilar distractors. False positive errors to first-fixated distractors also decreased with increasing dissimilarity to the target category. To model guidance, nine teddy bear detectors, using features ranging in biological plausibility, were trained on unblurred bears then tested on blurred versions of the same objects appearing in each search display. Guidance estimates were based on target probabilities obtained from these detectors. To model recognition, nine bear/nonbear classifiers, trained and tested on unblurred objects, were used to classify the object that would be fixated first (based on the detector estimates) as a teddy bear or a distractor. Patterns of categorical guidance and recognition accuracy were modeled almost perfectly by an HMAX model in combination with a color histogram feature. We conclude that guidance and recognition in the context of search are not separate processes mediated by different features, and that what the literature knows as guidance is really recognition performed on blurred objects viewed in the visual periphery.

  14. Some problems in the categorization of source terms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abbey, F.; Dunbar, I.H.; Hayns, M.R.; Nixon, W.

    1985-01-01

    In recent years techniques for calculating source terms have been considerably improved. It would be unfortunate if the new information were to be blurred by the use of old schemes for the categorization of source terms. In the past categorization schemes have been devised without the question of the general principles of categorization and the available options being addressed explicitly. In this paper these principles are set out, providing a framework within which categorization schemes used in past probabilistic risk assessments and possible future improvements are discussed. In particular the use of input from scoping consequence calculations in deciding how to group source terms, and the question of how modelling uncertainties may be expressed as uncertainties in a final category source terms are considered

  15. E-Business Models in B2B: Process Based Categorization and Analysis of B2B Models

    OpenAIRE

    Mahesh S. Raisinghani; Turan Melemez; Lijie Zou; Chris Paslowski; Irma Kimvidze; Susanne Taha; Klaus Simons

    2005-01-01

    The business models in business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce and their effectiveness have been a major topic of research in recent years. Due to the variety of existing models, it seems difficult to find a widely accepted categorization that can be analyzed and assessed. An in-depth study that provides a process-based approach to B2B e-commerce is presented and illustrated with examples from industry. A comparative examination of both the buy and the sell side based on a process-related appro...

  16. How malleable is categorization by race? Evidence for competitive category use in social categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klauer, Karl Christoph; Hölzenbein, Fabian; Calanchini, Jimmy; Sherman, Jeffrey W

    2014-07-01

    We contrast 3 theoretical viewpoints concerning the factors affecting social categorization by race: (a) the classical theory of social categorization highlighting the role of a priori accessibility and situational factors, (b) the classical theory augmented by a principle of competitive category use, and (c) competition between race (but not gender) and coalition with race (but not gender) encoded only as a proxy to coalition. Study 1 documents a confound that renders important portions of previous research difficult to interpret. In Studies 2 and 3, race categorization was stronger than categorization by more weakly accessible categories when situational support in terms of topic relevance was comparable across categories. A situational focus on race further increased race categorization. Race categorization was reduced in the presence of strongly cued cross-cutting coalitions. Race categorization also was depressed when situational factors promoted comparative processing of cross-cutting categories while cues to potential coalitional divisions were held constant (Study 4). Accessibility, topic relevance, and cuing cross-cutting coalitions had the same effects on gender categorization as found for race categorization (Study 5). Taken together, the results suggest that classical theories of social categorization have to be augmented by a principle of competitive category use that is not limited to a competition between race and coalition.

  17. Similarity relations in visual search predict rapid visual categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohan, Krithika; Arun, S. P.

    2012-01-01

    How do we perform rapid visual categorization?It is widely thought that categorization involves evaluating the similarity of an object to other category items, but the underlying features and similarity relations remain unknown. Here, we hypothesized that categorization performance is based on perceived similarity relations between items within and outside the category. To this end, we measured the categorization performance of human subjects on three diverse visual categories (animals, vehicles, and tools) and across three hierarchical levels (superordinate, basic, and subordinate levels among animals). For the same subjects, we measured their perceived pair-wise similarities between objects using a visual search task. Regardless of category and hierarchical level, we found that the time taken to categorize an object could be predicted using its similarity to members within and outside its category. We were able to account for several classic categorization phenomena, such as (a) the longer times required to reject category membership; (b) the longer times to categorize atypical objects; and (c) differences in performance across tasks and across hierarchical levels. These categorization times were also accounted for by a model that extracts coarse structure from an image. The striking agreement observed between categorization and visual search suggests that these two disparate tasks depend on a shared coarse object representation. PMID:23092947

  18. Licensing criteria for particle accelerators categorization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Costa, Evaldo L.C. da

    2013-01-01

    From the international experience of research centers in various parts of the world, where there are particle accelerators of various sizes and energies, it was found that operating energy of particle accelerators is one of the parameters used by categorization models in the licensing of these radiation facilities, and the facility size is an important aspect to be considered in this model. A categorization based on these two key parameters is presented, also taking into account the kinds of accelerated particles and radiation produced, the operating related technology and the possible applications concerned. The categorization models of national nuclear authorities of five countries are reviewed, emphasizing the contribution of Brazil, and the new model proposed is also based on the experience of these countries, modified by those two parameter discussed above: facility size and operating energy of particle accelerators. Later, some changes are suggested, considering risk factors and safety features related to these facilities, emphasizing some analytical tools commonly used in nuclear facilities and chemical plants, such as: risk-informing decision making, layer of protection analysis (LOPRA) and safety integrity levels (SIL), the two latter ones having its origin in the broader concept of system safety. We also discuss the problem of scarcity of reliability data (common in the analyses involving risk factors and safety), due to security concerns and other factors, being the possible alternative solutions the use of generic databases and the adoption of reference facilities that provide partial data publicly. (author).

  19. Licensing criteria for particle accelerators categorization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Costa, Evaldo L.C. da, E-mail: evaldo@cnen.gov.br [Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Dir. de Radioprotecao e Seguranca; Melo, Paulo F.F. Frutuoso e, E-mail: frutuoso@nuclear.ufrj.br [Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-Graduacao em Engenharia (COPPE/UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2013-07-01

    From the international experience of research centers in various parts of the world, where there are particle accelerators of various sizes and energies, it was found that operating energy of particle accelerators is one of the parameters used by categorization models in the licensing of these radiation facilities, and the facility size is an important aspect to be considered in this model. A categorization based on these two key parameters is presented, also taking into account the kinds of accelerated particles and radiation produced, the operating related technology and the possible applications concerned. The categorization models of national nuclear authorities of five countries are reviewed, emphasizing the contribution of Brazil, and the new model proposed is also based on the experience of these countries, modified by those two parameter discussed above: facility size and operating energy of particle accelerators. Later, some changes are suggested, considering risk factors and safety features related to these facilities, emphasizing some analytical tools commonly used in nuclear facilities and chemical plants, such as: risk-informing decision making, layer of protection analysis (LOPRA) and safety integrity levels (SIL), the two latter ones having its origin in the broader concept of system safety. We also discuss the problem of scarcity of reliability data (common in the analyses involving risk factors and safety), due to security concerns and other factors, being the possible alternative solutions the use of generic databases and the adoption of reference facilities that provide partial data publicly. (author).

  20. Regression models for categorical, count, and related variables an applied approach

    CERN Document Server

    Hoffmann, John P

    2016-01-01

    Social science and behavioral science students and researchers are often confronted with data that are categorical, count a phenomenon, or have been collected over time. Sociologists examining the likelihood of interracial marriage, political scientists studying voting behavior, criminologists counting the number of offenses people commit, health scientists studying the number of suicides across neighborhoods, and psychologists modeling mental health treatment success are all interested in outcomes that are not continuous. Instead, they must measure and analyze these events and phenomena in a discrete manner.   This book provides an introduction and overview of several statistical models designed for these types of outcomes--all presented with the assumption that the reader has only a good working knowledge of elementary algebra and has taken introductory statistics and linear regression analysis.   Numerous examples from the social sciences demonstrate the practical applications of these models. The chapte...

  1. Statistical methods for categorical data analysis

    CERN Document Server

    Powers, Daniel

    2008-01-01

    This book provides a comprehensive introduction to methods and models for categorical data analysis and their applications in social science research. Companion website also available, at https://webspace.utexas.edu/dpowers/www/

  2. CATEGORIZATION OF EVENT SEQUENCES FOR LICENSE APPLICATION

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    G.E. Ragan; P. Mecheret; D. Dexheimer

    2005-04-14

    The purposes of this analysis are: (1) Categorize (as Category 1, Category 2, or Beyond Category 2) internal event sequences that may occur before permanent closure of the repository at Yucca Mountain. (2) Categorize external event sequences that may occur before permanent closure of the repository at Yucca Mountain. This includes examining DBGM-1 seismic classifications and upgrading to DBGM-2, if appropriate, to ensure Beyond Category 2 categorization. (3) State the design and operational requirements that are invoked to make the categorization assignments valid. (4) Indicate the amount of material put at risk by Category 1 and Category 2 event sequences. (5) Estimate frequencies of Category 1 event sequences at the maximum capacity and receipt rate of the repository. (6) Distinguish occurrences associated with normal operations from event sequences. It is beyond the scope of the analysis to propose design requirements that may be required to control radiological exposure associated with normal operations. (7) Provide a convenient compilation of the results of the analysis in tabular form. The results of this analysis are used as inputs to the consequence analyses in an iterative design process that is depicted in Figure 1. Categorization of event sequences for permanent retrieval of waste from the repository is beyond the scope of this analysis. Cleanup activities that take place after an event sequence and other responses to abnormal events are also beyond the scope of the analysis.

  3. CATEGORIZATION OF EVENT SEQUENCES FOR LICENSE APPLICATION

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    G.E. Ragan; P. Mecheret; D. Dexheimer

    2005-01-01

    The purposes of this analysis are: (1) Categorize (as Category 1, Category 2, or Beyond Category 2) internal event sequences that may occur before permanent closure of the repository at Yucca Mountain. (2) Categorize external event sequences that may occur before permanent closure of the repository at Yucca Mountain. This includes examining DBGM-1 seismic classifications and upgrading to DBGM-2, if appropriate, to ensure Beyond Category 2 categorization. (3) State the design and operational requirements that are invoked to make the categorization assignments valid. (4) Indicate the amount of material put at risk by Category 1 and Category 2 event sequences. (5) Estimate frequencies of Category 1 event sequences at the maximum capacity and receipt rate of the repository. (6) Distinguish occurrences associated with normal operations from event sequences. It is beyond the scope of the analysis to propose design requirements that may be required to control radiological exposure associated with normal operations. (7) Provide a convenient compilation of the results of the analysis in tabular form. The results of this analysis are used as inputs to the consequence analyses in an iterative design process that is depicted in Figure 1. Categorization of event sequences for permanent retrieval of waste from the repository is beyond the scope of this analysis. Cleanup activities that take place after an event sequence and other responses to abnormal events are also beyond the scope of the analysis

  4. Bifactor Structure for the Categorical Chinese Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Menglin; Leung, Shing-On

    2016-10-11

    Recently, the bifactor model was suggested for the latent structure of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). The present paper investigates (i) the differences among bifactor, bifactor negative and other models; (ii) the effects of treating data as both categorical vs continuous; (iii) whether a problematic item in the Chinese RSES should be removed; and (iv) whether the final scoring would be affected. With a sample of 1.734 grade 4-6 school pupils in Hong Kong, we used BIC differences in addition to the usual model fit indices, and found that there was strong evidence for using the bifactor model (RMSEA = .052, 90% CI [.043, .062], CFI = .992, TLI = .984 for 9-item RSES categorical). Little difference is found between treating data as categorical or continuous for fit indices, but the factor loading patterns are better in categorical case. Keeping a problematic item has little effect on fit indices, but would lead to unexpected negative loading. The ranking of loadings within positive and negative items across different conditions are the same, which has important effects on scoring. Loadings in the method effects in the bifactor models are all positive (p < .001), which is different from previous research. All models show similar results on scoring, and support the usual simple sum score in most practice.

  5. Feature inference with uncertain categorization: Re-assessing Anderson's rational model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konovalova, Elizaveta; Le Mens, Gaël

    2017-09-18

    A key function of categories is to help predictions about unobserved features of objects. At the same time, humans are often in situations where the categories of the objects they perceive are uncertain. In an influential paper, Anderson (Psychological Review, 98(3), 409-429, 1991) proposed a rational model for feature inferences with uncertain categorization. A crucial feature of this model is the conditional independence assumption-it assumes that the within category feature correlation is zero. In prior research, this model has been found to provide a poor fit to participants' inferences. This evidence is restricted to task environments inconsistent with the conditional independence assumption. Currently available evidence thus provides little information about how this model would fit participants' inferences in a setting with conditional independence. In four experiments based on a novel paradigm and one experiment based on an existing paradigm, we assess the performance of Anderson's model under conditional independence. We find that this model predicts participants' inferences better than competing models. One model assumes that inferences are based on just the most likely category. The second model is insensitive to categories but sensitive to overall feature correlation. The performance of Anderson's model is evidence that inferences were influenced not only by the more likely category but also by the other candidate category. Our findings suggest that a version of Anderson's model which relaxes the conditional independence assumption will likely perform well in environments characterized by within-category feature correlation.

  6. Intersectionality and risk for ischemic heart disease in Sweden: Categorical and anti-categorical approaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wemrell, Maria; Mulinari, Shai; Merlo, Juan

    2017-03-01

    Intersectionality theory can contribute to epidemiology and public health by furthering understanding of power dynamics driving production of health disparities, and increasing knowledge about heterogeneities within, and overlap between, social categories. Drawing on McCall, we relate the first of these potential contributions to categorical intersectionality and the second to anti-categorical intersectionality. Both approaches are used in study of risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD), based on register data on 3.6 million adults residing in Sweden by 2010, followed for three years. Categorical intersectionality is here coupled with between-group differences in average risk calculation, as we use intersectional categorizations while estimating odds ratios through logistic regressions. The anti-categorical approach is operationalized through measurement of discriminatory accuracy (DA), i.e., capacity to accurately categorize individuals with or without a certain outcome, through computation of the area under the curve (AUC). Our results show substantial differences in average risk between intersectional groupings. The DA of social categorizations is found to be low, however, due to outcome variability within and overlap between categories. We argue that measures of DA should be used for proper interpretation of differences in average risk between social (or any other) categories. Tension between average between-group risk and the DA of categorizations, which can be related to categorical and anti-categorical intersectional analyses, should be made explicit and discussed to a larger degree in epidemiology and public health. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  7. Modeling guidance and recognition in categorical search: Bridging human and computer object detection

    OpenAIRE

    Zelinsky, Gregory J.; Peng, Yifan; Berg, Alexander C.; Samaras, Dimitris

    2013-01-01

    Search is commonly described as a repeating cycle of guidance to target-like objects, followed by the recognition of these objects as targets or distractors. Are these indeed separate processes using different visual features? We addressed this question by comparing observer behavior to that of support vector machine (SVM) models trained on guidance and recognition tasks. Observers searched for a categorically defined teddy bear target in four-object arrays. Target-absent trials consisted of ...

  8. Visual Categorization of Natural Movies by Rats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinken, Kasper; Vermaercke, Ben

    2014-01-01

    Visual categorization of complex, natural stimuli has been studied for some time in human and nonhuman primates. Recent interest in the rodent as a model for visual perception, including higher-level functional specialization, leads to the question of how rodents would perform on a categorization task using natural stimuli. To answer this question, rats were trained in a two-alternative forced choice task to discriminate movies containing rats from movies containing other objects and from scrambled movies (ordinate-level categorization). Subsequently, transfer to novel, previously unseen stimuli was tested, followed by a series of control probes. The results show that the animals are capable of acquiring a decision rule by abstracting common features from natural movies to generalize categorization to new stimuli. Control probes demonstrate that they did not use single low-level features, such as motion energy or (local) luminance. Significant generalization was even present with stationary snapshots from untrained movies. The variability within and between training and test stimuli, the complexity of natural movies, and the control experiments and analyses all suggest that a more high-level rule based on more complex stimulus features than local luminance-based cues was used to classify the novel stimuli. In conclusion, natural stimuli can be used to probe ordinate-level categorization in rats. PMID:25100598

  9. Comparing Categorical and Probabilistic Fingerprint Evidence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrett, Brandon; Mitchell, Gregory; Scurich, Nicholas

    2018-04-23

    Fingerprint examiners traditionally express conclusions in categorical terms, opining that impressions do or do not originate from the same source. Recently, probabilistic conclusions have been proposed, with examiners estimating the probability of a match between recovered and known prints. This study presented a nationally representative sample of jury-eligible adults with a hypothetical robbery case in which an examiner opined on the likelihood that a defendant's fingerprints matched latent fingerprints in categorical or probabilistic terms. We studied model language developed by the U.S. Defense Forensic Science Center to summarize results of statistical analysis of the similarity between prints. Participant ratings of the likelihood the defendant left prints at the crime scene and committed the crime were similar when exposed to categorical and strong probabilistic match evidence. Participants reduced these likelihoods when exposed to the weaker probabilistic evidence, but did not otherwise discriminate among the prints assigned different match probabilities. © 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  10. Categorical QSAR models for skin sensitization based on local lymph node assay measures and both ground and excited state 4D-fingerprint descriptors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jianzhong; Kern, Petra S.; Gerberick, G. Frank; Santos-Filho, Osvaldo A.; Esposito, Emilio X.; Hopfinger, Anton J.; Tseng, Yufeng J.

    2008-06-01

    In previous studies we have developed categorical QSAR models for predicting skin-sensitization potency based on 4D-fingerprint (4D-FP) descriptors and in vivo murine local lymph node assay (LLNA) measures. Only 4D-FP derived from the ground state (GMAX) structures of the molecules were used to build the QSAR models. In this study we have generated 4D-FP descriptors from the first excited state (EMAX) structures of the molecules. The GMAX, EMAX and the combined ground and excited state 4D-FP descriptors (GEMAX) were employed in building categorical QSAR models. Logistic regression (LR) and partial least square coupled logistic regression (PLS-CLR), found to be effective model building for the LLNA skin-sensitization measures in our previous studies, were used again in this study. This also permitted comparison of the prior ground state models to those involving first excited state 4D-FP descriptors. Three types of categorical QSAR models were constructed for each of the GMAX, EMAX and GEMAX datasets: a binary model (2-state), an ordinal model (3-state) and a binary-binary model (two-2-state). No significant differences exist among the LR 2-state model constructed for each of the three datasets. However, the PLS-CLR 3-state and 2-state models based on the EMAX and GEMAX datasets have higher predictivity than those constructed using only the GMAX dataset. These EMAX and GMAX categorical models are also more significant and predictive than corresponding models built in our previous QSAR studies of LLNA skin-sensitization measures.

  11. Mapping the emotional landscape: The role of specific emotions in conceptual categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Nan; Cai, Yong-hua; Sun, Fa-wei; Yang-yang, Yi-fan

    2015-07-01

    Although researchers generally subscribe to the opinion that emotions play a critical role in cognition, very few (see Niedenthal, Halberstadt, & Innes-Ker, 1999) have examined the specific interaction between the emotional state of the perceiver and the emotional meaning of stimuli in conceptual categorization - an important aspect of "higher-level" cognition. Niedenthal et al. (1999) advanced a fine-grained theory of emotional response categorization, arguing that emotional states increase the tendency to categorize concepts into a predictable set of emotional response categories characterized by the common, distinct emotional responses elicited by the concepts. Based on the pioneering work of Niedenthal et al., we further argued that (1) the specific emotion experienced by the individual should selectively facilitate the categorization of concepts associated with the same emotion, (2) both in terms of category inclusion and category exclusion, and (3) this facilitation effect should not be contingent on the awareness of the emotional state. In three experiments, participants were induced to experience different emotional states through movies or a facial-feedback manipulation. They judged whether or not a target concept belonged to the same category as the two comparison concepts. Some of the concept triads shared emotional associations, while others didn't. Results showed that emotive participants had a greater tendency than those in a neutral mood to group concepts according to their emotional associations, and to distinguish concepts with different emotional associations. They were also more efficient in categorizing concepts that had specific emotional meaning corresponding to their own emotional state than to other emotional concepts. Furthermore, participants posing a disgust expression without their knowledge showed higher tendency to categorize concepts according to their relevance to disgust. Implications and potential applications of the findings were

  12. Color Term Knowledge Does Not Affect Categorical Perception of Color in Toddlers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franklin, A.; Clifford, A.; Williamson, E.; Davies, I.

    2005-01-01

    Categorical perception of color is shown when colors from the same category are discriminated less easily than equivalently spaced colors that cross a category boundary. The current experiments tested various models of categorical perception. Experiment 1 tested for categorical responding in 2- to 4-year-olds, the age range for the onset…

  13. Meta-analytical synthesis of regression coefficients under different categorization scheme of continuous covariates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoneoka, Daisuke; Henmi, Masayuki

    2017-11-30

    Recently, the number of clinical prediction models sharing the same regression task has increased in the medical literature. However, evidence synthesis methodologies that use the results of these regression models have not been sufficiently studied, particularly in meta-analysis settings where only regression coefficients are available. One of the difficulties lies in the differences between the categorization schemes of continuous covariates across different studies. In general, categorization methods using cutoff values are study specific across available models, even if they focus on the same covariates of interest. Differences in the categorization of covariates could lead to serious bias in the estimated regression coefficients and thus in subsequent syntheses. To tackle this issue, we developed synthesis methods for linear regression models with different categorization schemes of covariates. A 2-step approach to aggregate the regression coefficient estimates is proposed. The first step is to estimate the joint distribution of covariates by introducing a latent sampling distribution, which uses one set of individual participant data to estimate the marginal distribution of covariates with categorization. The second step is to use a nonlinear mixed-effects model with correction terms for the bias due to categorization to estimate the overall regression coefficients. Especially in terms of precision, numerical simulations show that our approach outperforms conventional methods, which only use studies with common covariates or ignore the differences between categorization schemes. The method developed in this study is also applied to a series of WHO epidemiologic studies on white blood cell counts. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. Visual categorization of natural movies by rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinken, Kasper; Vermaercke, Ben; Op de Beeck, Hans P

    2014-08-06

    Visual categorization of complex, natural stimuli has been studied for some time in human and nonhuman primates. Recent interest in the rodent as a model for visual perception, including higher-level functional specialization, leads to the question of how rodents would perform on a categorization task using natural stimuli. To answer this question, rats were trained in a two-alternative forced choice task to discriminate movies containing rats from movies containing other objects and from scrambled movies (ordinate-level categorization). Subsequently, transfer to novel, previously unseen stimuli was tested, followed by a series of control probes. The results show that the animals are capable of acquiring a decision rule by abstracting common features from natural movies to generalize categorization to new stimuli. Control probes demonstrate that they did not use single low-level features, such as motion energy or (local) luminance. Significant generalization was even present with stationary snapshots from untrained movies. The variability within and between training and test stimuli, the complexity of natural movies, and the control experiments and analyses all suggest that a more high-level rule based on more complex stimulus features than local luminance-based cues was used to classify the novel stimuli. In conclusion, natural stimuli can be used to probe ordinate-level categorization in rats. Copyright © 2014 the authors 0270-6474/14/3410645-14$15.00/0.

  15. Dissociable effects of inter-stimulus interval and presentation duration on rapid face categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Retter, Talia L; Jiang, Fang; Webster, Michael A; Rossion, Bruno

    2018-04-01

    Fast periodic visual stimulation combined with electroencephalography (FPVS-EEG) has unique sensitivity and objectivity in measuring rapid visual categorization processes. It constrains image processing time by presenting stimuli rapidly through brief stimulus presentation durations and short inter-stimulus intervals. However, the selective impact of these temporal parameters on visual categorization is largely unknown. Here, we presented natural images of objects at a rate of 10 or 20 per second (10 or 20 Hz), with faces appearing once per second (1 Hz), leading to two distinct frequency-tagged EEG responses. Twelve observers were tested with three squarewave image presentation conditions: 1) with an ISI, a traditional 50% duty cycle at 10 Hz (50-ms stimulus duration separated by a 50-ms ISI); 2) removing the ISI and matching the rate, a 100% duty cycle at 10 Hz (100-ms duration with 0-ms ISI); 3) removing the ISI and matching the stimulus presentation duration, a 100% duty cycle at 20 Hz (50-ms duration with 0-ms ISI). The face categorization response was significantly decreased in the 20 Hz 100% condition. The conditions at 10 Hz showed similar face-categorization responses, peaking maximally over the right occipito-temporal (ROT) cortex. However, the onset of the 10 Hz 100% response was delayed by about 20 ms over the ROT region relative to the 10 Hz 50% condition, likely due to immediate forward-masking by preceding images. Taken together, these results help to interpret how the FPVS-EEG paradigm sets temporal constraints on visual image categorization. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Mapping face categorization in the human ventral occipitotemporal cortex with direct neural intracranial recordings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossion, Bruno; Jacques, Corentin; Jonas, Jacques

    2018-02-26

    The neural basis of face categorization has been widely investigated with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), identifying a set of face-selective local regions in the ventral occipitotemporal cortex (VOTC). However, indirect recording of neural activity with fMRI is associated with large fluctuations of signal across regions, often underestimating face-selective responses in the anterior VOTC. While direct recording of neural activity with subdural grids of electrodes (electrocorticography, ECoG) or depth electrodes (stereotactic electroencephalography, SEEG) offers a unique opportunity to fill this gap in knowledge, these studies rather reveal widely distributed face-selective responses. Moreover, intracranial recordings are complicated by interindividual variability in neuroanatomy, ambiguity in definition, and quantification of responses of interest, as well as limited access to sulci with ECoG. Here, we propose to combine SEEG in large samples of individuals with fast periodic visual stimulation to objectively define, quantify, and characterize face categorization across the whole VOTC. This approach reconciles the wide distribution of neural face categorization responses with their (right) hemispheric and regional specialization, and reveals several face-selective regions in anterior VOTC sulci. We outline the challenges of this research program to understand the neural basis of face categorization and high-level visual recognition in general. © 2018 New York Academy of Sciences.

  17. Cross-cutting categorization schemes in the digital humanities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, Colin

    2013-09-01

    Digital access to large amounts of scholarly text presents both challenges and opportunities for researchers in the humanities. Meeting these challenges depends on having high-quality representations of the contents of digital resources suitable for both machines and humans to use. Different ways of categorizing these contents are appropriate for different purposes, leading to the further problem of relating the contents of different categorization schemes to each other. This essay discusses the rationale for categorizing philosophical concepts and surveys some of the main approaches to doing so for materials that are continuously changing. It describes the goals and methods of the Indiana Philosophy Ontology (InPhO) project and provides an example of the kind of analysis that is made possible by powerful modeling methods.

  18. Decoding task-based attentional modulation during face categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiu, Yu-Chin; Esterman, Michael; Han, Yuefeng; Rosen, Heather; Yantis, Steven

    2011-05-01

    Attention is a neurocognitive mechanism that selects task-relevant sensory or mnemonic information to achieve current behavioral goals. Attentional modulation of cortical activity has been observed when attention is directed to specific locations, features, or objects. However, little is known about how high-level categorization task set modulates perceptual representations. In the current study, observers categorized faces by gender (male vs. female) or race (Asian vs. White). Each face was perceptually ambiguous in both dimensions, such that categorization of one dimension demanded selective attention to task-relevant information within the face. We used multivoxel pattern classification to show that task-specific modulations evoke reliably distinct spatial patterns of activity within three face-selective cortical regions (right fusiform face area and bilateral occipital face areas). This result suggests that patterns of activity in these regions reflect not only stimulus-specific (i.e., faces vs. houses) responses but also task-specific (i.e., race vs. gender) attentional modulation. Furthermore, exploratory whole-brain multivoxel pattern classification (using a searchlight procedure) revealed a network of dorsal fronto-parietal regions (left middle frontal gyrus and left inferior and superior parietal lobule) that also exhibit distinct patterns for the two task sets, suggesting that these regions may represent abstract goals during high-level categorization tasks.

  19. One Giant Leap for Categorizers: One Small Step for Categorization Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, J. David; Ell, Shawn W.

    2015-01-01

    We explore humans’ rule-based category learning using analytic approaches that highlight their psychological transitions during learning. These approaches confirm that humans show qualitatively sudden psychological transitions during rule learning. These transitions contribute to the theoretical literature contrasting single vs. multiple category-learning systems, because they seem to reveal a distinctive learning process of explicit rule discovery. A complete psychology of categorization must describe this learning process, too. Yet extensive formal-modeling analyses confirm that a wide range of current (gradient-descent) models cannot reproduce these transitions, including influential rule-based models (e.g., COVIS) and exemplar models (e.g., ALCOVE). It is an important theoretical conclusion that existing models cannot explain humans’ rule-based category learning. The problem these models have is the incremental algorithm by which learning is simulated. Humans descend no gradient in rule-based tasks. Very different formal-modeling systems will be required to explain humans’ psychology in these tasks. An important next step will be to build a new generation of models that can do so. PMID:26332587

  20. Statistical Results of Activities Categorization in Czech Agricultural Companies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Svobodová J.

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available In today’s competitive environment, to identify and correctly adjust the individual components of the business model is an important strategic device for every entrepreneur. This paper (preliminary study deals with different types of business models applied to the sector of small and medium-size farms in the Czech Republic. The main objective was to identify and categorize activities undertaken by Czech farmers into homogeneous clusters and offer recommendations on possible business model modification. The research was based on data from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (hereafter FADN. The principal component analysis and cluster analysis were carried out as part of the assessment, under which farms are categorized into homogeneous groups. The results showed that the farms surveyed can be categorized according to similar economic characteristics, production plans, and implementation processes into three basic clusters. The first business model is elaborated for the classic field production and various kinds of vegetable or livestock production, the second model for the special crop and livestock production, and the third one for the animal production. The use of FADN data and the fact that most Czech agricultural companies are of small- and medium-size should be taken into account as limiting factors of the study.

  1. Decoupling Object Detection and Categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mack, Michael L.; Palmeri, Thomas J.

    2010-01-01

    We investigated whether there exists a behavioral dependency between object detection and categorization. Previous work (Grill-Spector & Kanwisher, 2005) suggests that object detection and basic-level categorization may be the very same perceptual mechanism: As objects are parsed from the background they are categorized at the basic level. In…

  2. Categorization: The View from Animal Cognition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, J David; Zakrzewski, Alexandria C; Johnson, Jennifer M; Valleau, Jeanette C; Church, Barbara A

    2016-06-15

    Exemplar, prototype, and rule theory have organized much of the enormous literature on categorization. From this theoretical foundation have arisen the two primary debates in the literature-the prototype-exemplar debate and the single system-multiple systems debate. We review these theories and debates. Then, we examine the contribution that animal-cognition studies have made to them. Animals have been crucial behavioral ambassadors to the literature on categorization. They reveal the roots of human categorization, the basic assumptions of vertebrates entering category tasks, the surprising weakness of exemplar memory as a category-learning strategy. They show that a unitary exemplar theory of categorization is insufficient to explain human and animal categorization. They show that a multiple-systems theoretical account-encompassing exemplars, prototypes, and rules-will be required for a complete explanation. They show the value of a fitness perspective in understanding categorization, and the value of giving categorization an evolutionary depth and phylogenetic breadth. They raise important questions about the internal similarity structure of natural kinds and categories. They demonstrate strong continuities with humans in categorization, but discontinuities, too. Categorization's great debates are resolving themselves, and to these resolutions animals have made crucial contributions.

  3. Risk-Informed SSCs Categorization: Elicitation Method of Expert's Opinion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, Mee Jeong; Yang, Joon Eon; Kim, Kil Yoo

    2005-01-01

    The regulations have been performing by deterministic way since nuclear power plants have been operating. However, some SSCs identified as safety-significance by deterministic way, were turned out to be low or non safety-significant and some SSCs identified as non-safety significance were turned out to be high safety-significant according to the results of PSA. Considering these risk insights, Regulatory Guide 1.174 and 10CFR50.69 were drawn up, and we can re-categorize the SSCs according to their safety significance. Therefore, a study and an interest about the risk-informed SSCs re-categorization and treatment has been continued. The objective of this regulatory initiative is to adjust the scope of equipment subject to special regulatory treatment to better focus licensee and regulatory attention and resources on equipment that has safety significance. Current most regulations define the plant equipment necessary to meet deterministic regulatory basis as 'safety-related.' This equipment is subject to special treatment regulations. Other plant equipment is categorized as 'non-safety related,' and is not subject to a select number of special treatment requirement or a subset of those requirement. However, risk information is not a magic tool making a decision but a supporting tool to categorize SSCs. This is because only small parts of a plant are modeled in PSA model. Thus, engineering and deterministic judgments are also used for risk-informed SSCs categorization, and expert opinion elicitation is very important for risk-informed SSCs categorization. Therefore, we need a rational method to elicit the expert's opinions, and in this study, we developed a systematic method for expert elicitation to categorize the nuclear power plants' SSCs. Current states for SSCs categorization of the USA and the existing methods for expert elicitation were surveyed and more systematic way eliciting the expert opinions and combining was developed. To validate the developed method

  4. Generalizing a Categorization of Students' Interpretations of Linear Kinematics Graphs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bollen, Laurens; De Cock, Mieke; Zuza, Kristina; Guisasola, Jenaro; van Kampen, Paul

    2016-01-01

    We have investigated whether and how a categorization of responses to questions on linear distance-time graphs, based on a study of Irish students enrolled in an algebra-based course, could be adopted and adapted to responses from students enrolled in calculus-based physics courses at universities in Flanders, Belgium (KU Leuven) and the Basque…

  5. CatReg Software for Categorical Regression Analysis (Jul 2012)

    Science.gov (United States)

    CatReg is a computer program, written in the R (r-project.org">http://cran.r-project.org) programming language, to support the conduct of exposure-response analyses by toxicologists and health scientists. CatReg can be used to perform categorical regressi...

  6. CatReg Software for Categorical Regression Analysis (Feb 2011)

    Science.gov (United States)

    CatReg is a computer program, written in the R (r-project.org">http://cran.r-project.org) programming language, to support the conduct of exposure-response analyses by toxicologists and health scientists. CatReg can be used to perform categorical regressi...

  7. CatReg Software for Categorical Regression Analysis (Nov 2006)

    Science.gov (United States)

    CatReg is a computer program, written in the R (r-project.org">http://cran.r-project.org) programming language, to support the conduct of exposure-response analyses by toxicologists and health scientists. CatReg can be used to perform categorical regressi...

  8. A nonparametric multiple imputation approach for missing categorical data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhan Zhou

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Incomplete categorical variables with more than two categories are common in public health data. However, most of the existing missing-data methods do not use the information from nonresponse (missingness probabilities. Methods We propose a nearest-neighbour multiple imputation approach to impute a missing at random categorical outcome and to estimate the proportion of each category. The donor set for imputation is formed by measuring distances between each missing value with other non-missing values. The distance function is calculated based on a predictive score, which is derived from two working models: one fits a multinomial logistic regression for predicting the missing categorical outcome (the outcome model and the other fits a logistic regression for predicting missingness probabilities (the missingness model. A weighting scheme is used to accommodate contributions from two working models when generating the predictive score. A missing value is imputed by randomly selecting one of the non-missing values with the smallest distances. We conduct a simulation to evaluate the performance of the proposed method and compare it with several alternative methods. A real-data application is also presented. Results The simulation study suggests that the proposed method performs well when missingness probabilities are not extreme under some misspecifications of the working models. However, the calibration estimator, which is also based on two working models, can be highly unstable when missingness probabilities for some observations are extremely high. In this scenario, the proposed method produces more stable and better estimates. In addition, proper weights need to be chosen to balance the contributions from the two working models and achieve optimal results for the proposed method. Conclusions We conclude that the proposed multiple imputation method is a reasonable approach to dealing with missing categorical outcome data with

  9. TRANSIENT ELECTRONICS CATEGORIZATION

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-08-24

    AFRL-RY-WP-TR-2017-0169 TRANSIENT ELECTRONICS CATEGORIZATION Dr. Burhan Bayraktaroglu Devices for Sensing Branch Aerospace Components & Subsystems...SUBTITLE TRANSIENT ELECTRONICS CATEGORIZATION 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER In-house 5b. GRANT NUMBER N/A 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER N/A 6. AUTHOR(S) Dr. Burhan...88ABW-2017-3747, Clearance Date 31 July 2017. Paper contains color. 14. ABSTRACT Transient electronics is an emerging technology area that lacks proper

  10. Model-based Clustering of Categorical Time Series with Multinomial Logit Classification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frühwirth-Schnatter, Sylvia; Pamminger, Christoph; Winter-Ebmer, Rudolf; Weber, Andrea

    2010-09-01

    A common problem in many areas of applied statistics is to identify groups of similar time series in a panel of time series. However, distance-based clustering methods cannot easily be extended to time series data, where an appropriate distance-measure is rather difficult to define, particularly for discrete-valued time series. Markov chain clustering, proposed by Pamminger and Frühwirth-Schnatter [6], is an approach for clustering discrete-valued time series obtained by observing a categorical variable with several states. This model-based clustering method is based on finite mixtures of first-order time-homogeneous Markov chain models. In order to further explain group membership we present an extension to the approach of Pamminger and Frühwirth-Schnatter [6] by formulating a probabilistic model for the latent group indicators within the Bayesian classification rule by using a multinomial logit model. The parameters are estimated for a fixed number of clusters within a Bayesian framework using an Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling scheme representing a (full) Gibbs-type sampler which involves only draws from standard distributions. Finally, an application to a panel of Austrian wage mobility data is presented which leads to an interesting segmentation of the Austrian labour market.

  11. The Effects of Multiple Exemplar Instruction on the Relation between Listener and Intraverbal Categorization Repertoires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lechago, Sarah A.; Carr, James E.; Kisamore, April N.; Grow, Laura L.

    2015-01-01

    We evaluated the effects of multiple exemplar instruction (MEI) on the relation between listener and intraverbal categorization repertoires of six typically developing preschool-age children using a nonconcurrent multiple-probe design across participants. After failing to emit intraverbal categorization responses following listener categorization…

  12. Interaction and observation, categorically

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vincenzo Ciancia

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes to use dialgebras to specify the semantics of interactive systems in a natural way. Dialgebras are a conservative extension of coalgebras. In this categorical model, from the point of view that we provide, the notions of observation and interaction are separate features. This is useful, for example, in the specification of process equivalences, which are obtained as kernels of the homomorphisms of dialgebras. As an example we present the asynchronous semantics of the CCS.

  13. Categorization of In-use Radioactive Sealed Sources in Egypt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasan, M.A.; Mohamed, Y.T.; El Haleim, K.A.

    2006-01-01

    Radioactive sealed sources have widespread applications in industry, medicine, research and education. While most sources are of relatively low activity, there are many of medium or very high activity. The mismanagement of high activity sources is responsible for most of the radiological accidents that result in loss of life or disabling injuries. Because of the variety of applications and activities of radioactive sources, a categorization system is necessary so that the controls that are applied to the sources are adequate with its radiological risk. The aim of this work is to use the international Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) categorization system to provide a simple, logical system for grading radioactive sealed sources in Egypt. The categorizations of radioactive sealed sources are based on their potential to cause harm to human health. This study revealed that total of 1916 sources have been used in Egypt in the different applications with a total activity of 89400 Ci according to available data in October 2005. (authors)

  14. Semi-automated categorization of open-ended questions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthias Schonlau

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Text data from open-ended questions in surveys are difficult to analyze and are frequently ignored. Yet open-ended questions are important because they do not constrain respondents’ answer choices. Where open-ended questions are necessary, sometimes multiple human coders hand-code answers into one of several categories. At the same time, computer scientists have made impressive advances in text mining that may allow automation of such coding. Automated algorithms do not achieve an overall accuracy high enough to entirely replace humans. We categorize open-ended questions soliciting narrative responses using text mining for easy-to-categorize answers and humans for the remainder using expected accuracies to guide the choice of the threshold delineating between “easy” and “hard”. Employing multinomial boosting avoids the common practice of converting machine learning “confidence scores” into pseudo-probabilities. This approach is illustrated with examples from open-ended questions related to respondents’ advice to a patient in a hypothetical dilemma, a follow-up probe related to respondents’ perception of disclosure/privacy risk, and from a question on reasons for quitting smoking from a follow-up survey from the Ontario Smoker’s Helpline. Targeting 80% combined accuracy, we found that 54%-80% of the data could be categorized automatically in research surveys.

  15. Methods for significance testing of categorical covariates in logistic regression models after multiple imputation: power and applicability analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eekhout, I.; Wiel, M.A. van de; Heymans, M.W.

    2017-01-01

    Background. Multiple imputation is a recommended method to handle missing data. For significance testing after multiple imputation, Rubin’s Rules (RR) are easily applied to pool parameter estimates. In a logistic regression model, to consider whether a categorical covariate with more than two levels

  16. Straight until proven gay: A systematic bias toward straight categorizations in sexual orientation judgments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lick, David J; Johnson, Kerri L

    2016-06-01

    Perceivers achieve above chance accuracy judging others' sexual orientations, but they also exhibit a notable response bias by categorizing most targets as straight rather than gay. Although a straight categorization bias is evident in many published reports, it has never been the focus of systematic inquiry. The current studies therefore document this bias and test the mechanisms that produce it. Studies 1-3 revealed the straight categorization bias cannot be explained entirely by perceivers' attempts to match categorizations to the number of gay targets in a stimulus set. Although perceivers were somewhat sensitive to base rate information, their tendency to categorize targets as straight persisted when they believed each target had a 50% chance of being gay (Study 1), received explicit information about the base rate of gay targets in a stimulus set (Study 2), and encountered stimulus sets with varying base rates of gay targets (Study 3). The remaining studies tested an alternate mechanism for the bias based upon perceivers' use of gender heuristics when judging sexual orientation. Specifically, Study 4 revealed the range of gendered cues compelling gay judgments is smaller than the range of gendered cues compelling straight judgments despite participants' acknowledgment of equal base rates for gay and straight targets. Study 5 highlighted perceptual experience as a cause of this imbalance: Exposing perceivers to hyper-gendered faces (e.g., masculine men) expanded the range of gendered cues compelling gay categorizations. Study 6 linked this observation to our initial studies by demonstrating that visual exposure to hyper-gendered faces reduced the magnitude of the straight categorization bias. Collectively, these studies provide systematic evidence of a response bias in sexual orientation categorization and offer new insights into the mechanisms that produce it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  17. Biological origins of color categorization

    OpenAIRE

    Skelton, Alice E.; Catchpole, Gemma; Abbott, Joshua T.; Bosten, Jenny M.; Franklin, Anna

    2017-01-01

    The biological basis of the commonality in color lexicons across languages has been hotly debated for decades. Prior evidence that infants categorize color could provide support for the hypothesis that color categorization systems are not purely constructed by communication and culture. Here, we investigate the relationship between infants’ categorization of color and the commonality across color lexicons, and the potential biological origin of infant color categories. We systematically mappe...

  18. A categorical framework for quantum theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Filk, T. [Institute for Physics, University of Freiburg (Germany); Parmenides Center for the Study of Thinking, Muenchen (Germany); Mueller, A. von [Parmenides Center for the Study of Thinking, Muenchen (Germany); Institute for Philosophy, University of Munich (Germany); SISSA, Trieste (Italy)

    2010-11-15

    Underlying any physical theory is a layer of conceptual frames. They connect the mathematical structures used in theoretical models with the phenomena, but they also constitute our fundamental assumptions about reality. Many of the discrepancies between quantum physics and classical physics (including Maxwell's electrodynamics and relativity) can be traced back to these categorical foundations. We argue that classical physics corresponds to the factual aspects of reality and requires a categorical framework which consists of four interdependent components: boolean logic, the linear-sequential notion of time, the principle of sufficient reason, and the dichotomy between observer and observed. None of these can be dropped without affecting the others. However, quantum theory also addresses the ''status nascendi'' of facts, i.e., their coming into being. Therefore, quantum physics requires a different conceptual framework which will be elaborated in this article. It is shown that many of its components are already present in the standard formalisms of quantum physics, but in most cases they are highlighted not so much from a conceptual perspective but more from their mathematical structures. The categorical frame underlying quantum physics includes a profoundly different notion of time which encompasses a crucial role for the present. The article introduces the concept of a categorical apparatus (a framework of interdependent categories), explores the appropriate apparatus for classical and quantum theory, and elaborates in particular on the category of non-sequential time and an extended present which seems to be relevant for a quantum theory of (space)-time. (Abstract Copyright [2010], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

  19. A Categorization Model for Educational Values of the History of Mathematics: An Empirical Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiao-qin; Qi, Chun-yan; Wang, Ke

    2017-01-01

    There is not a clear consensus on the categorization framework of the educational values of the history of mathematics. By analyzing 20 Chinese teaching cases on integrating the history of mathematics into mathematics teaching based on the relevant literature, this study examined a new categorization framework of the educational values of the…

  20. Detecting and Categorizing Fleeting Emotions in Faces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweeny, Timothy D.; Suzuki, Satoru; Grabowecky, Marcia; Paller, Ken A.

    2013-01-01

    Expressions of emotion are often brief, providing only fleeting images from which to base important social judgments. We sought to characterize the sensitivity and mechanisms of emotion detection and expression categorization when exposure to faces is very brief, and to determine whether these processes dissociate. Observers viewed 2 backward-masked facial expressions in quick succession, 1 neutral and the other emotional (happy, fearful, or angry), in a 2-interval forced-choice task. On each trial, observers attempted to detect the emotional expression (emotion detection) and to classify the expression (expression categorization). Above-chance emotion detection was possible with extremely brief exposures of 10 ms and was most accurate for happy expressions. We compared categorization among expressions using a d′ analysis, and found that categorization was usually above chance for angry versus happy and fearful versus happy, but consistently poor for fearful versus angry expressions. Fearful versus angry categorization was poor even when only negative emotions (fearful, angry, or disgusted) were used, suggesting that this categorization is poor independent of decision context. Inverting faces impaired angry versus happy categorization, but not emotion detection, suggesting that information from facial features is used differently for emotion detection and expression categorizations. Emotion detection often occurred without expression categorization, and expression categorization sometimes occurred without emotion detection. These results are consistent with the notion that emotion detection and expression categorization involve separate mechanisms. PMID:22866885

  1. Categorization of radioactive sources. Revision of IAEA-TECDOC-1191, Categorization of radiation sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2003-07-01

    Radioactive sources are used throughout the world for a wide variety of peaceful purposes in industry, medicine, agriculture, research and education; and they are also used in military applications. The International Basic Safety Standards provide an internationally harmonized basis for ensuring the safe and secure use of sources of ionizing radiation. Because of the wide variety of uses and activities of radiation sources, a categorization system is necessary so that the controls that are applied to the sources are commensurate with the radiological risks. In September 1998, following an assessment of the major findings of the first International Conference on the Safety of Radiation Sources and the Security of Radioactive Materials, held in Dijon, France, from 14 to 18 September 1998 (the Dijon Conference), the IAEA's General Conference (in resolution GC(42)/RES/12), inter alia, encouraged all governments 'to take steps to ensure the existence within their territories of effective national systems of control for ensuring the safety of radiation sources and the security of radioactive materials' and requested the Secretariat 'to prepare for the consideration of the Board of Governors a report on: (i) how national systems for ensuring the safety of radiation sources and the security of radioactive materials can be operated at a high level of effectiveness; and, (ii) whether international undertakings concerned with the effective operation of such systems and attracting broad adherence could be formulated'. In February 1999, the Secretariat submitted to the IAEA Board of Governors a report prepared in response to the request made of it by the General Conference. The Board took up the report at its March 1999 session and, inter alia, requested the Secretariat to prepare an action plan that took into account the conclusions and recommendations in the report, and the Board's discussion of the report. In August 1999, the Secretariat circulated a proposed Action Plan for

  2. A Categorical Framework for Model Classification in the Geosciences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hauhs, Michael; Trancón y Widemann, Baltasar; Lange, Holger

    2016-04-01

    which a transport problem is combined with the strategic behaviour of living agents. The living and the non-living aspects of the model belong to two different model types. If a model is built to combine strategic behaviour with the constraint of mass conservation, some critical assumptions appear as inevitable, or models may become logically inconsistent. The categorical assessment and the examples demonstrate that many models at ecosystem level, where both living and non-living aspects inevitably meet, pose so far unsolved, fundamental problems. Today, these are often pragmatically resolved at the level of software engineering. Some suggestions will be given how model documentation and benchmarking may help clarifying and resolving some of these issues.

  3. A confirmatory investigation of a job demands-resources model using a categorical estimator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Beer, Leon; Rothmann, Sebastiaan; Pienaar, Jaco

    2012-10-01

    A confirmatory investigation of a job demands-resources model was conducted with alternative methods, in a sample of 15,633 working adults aggregated from various economic sectors. The proposed model is in line with job demands-resources theory and assumes two psychological processes at work which are collectively coined "the dual process." The first process, the energetic, presents that job demands lead to ill-health outcomes due to burnout. The second process, the motivational, indicates that job resources lead to organizational commitment due to work engagement. Structural equation modelling analyses were implemented with a categorical estimator. Mediation analyses of each of the processes included bootstrapped indirect effects and kappa-squared values to apply qualitative labels to effect sizes. The relationship between job resources and organizational commitment was mediated by engagement with a large effect. The relationship between job demands and ill-health was mediated by burnout with a medium effect. The implications of the results for theory and practice were discussed.

  4. Does Categorization Method Matter in Exploring Volume-Outcome Relation? A Multiple Categorization Methods Comparison in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Surgical Site Infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Tsung-Hsien; Tung, Yu-Chi; Chung, Kuo-Piao

    2015-08-01

    Volume-infection relation studies have been published for high-risk surgical procedures, although the conclusions remain controversial. Inconsistent results may be caused by inconsistent categorization methods, the definitions of service volume, and different statistical approaches. The purpose of this study was to examine whether a relation exists between provider volume and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgical site infection (SSI) using different categorization methods. A population-based cross-sectional multi-level study was conducted. A total of 10,405 patients who received CABG surgery between 2006 and 2008 in Taiwan were recruited. The outcome of interest was surgical site infection for CABG surgery. The associations among several patient, surgeon, and hospital characteristics was examined. The definition of surgeons' and hospitals' service volume was the cumulative CABG service volumes in the previous year for each CABG operation and categorized by three types of approaches: Continuous, quartile, and k-means clustering. The results of multi-level mixed effects modeling showed that hospital volume had no association with SSI. Although the relation between surgeon volume and surgical site infection was negative, it was inconsistent among the different categorization methods. Categorization of service volume is an important issue in volume-infection study. The findings of the current study suggest that different categorization methods might influence the relation between volume and SSI. The selection of an optimal cutoff point should be taken into account for future research.

  5. Detecting and categorizing fleeting emotions in faces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweeny, Timothy D; Suzuki, Satoru; Grabowecky, Marcia; Paller, Ken A

    2013-02-01

    Expressions of emotion are often brief, providing only fleeting images from which to base important social judgments. We sought to characterize the sensitivity and mechanisms of emotion detection and expression categorization when exposure to faces is very brief, and to determine whether these processes dissociate. Observers viewed 2 backward-masked facial expressions in quick succession, 1 neutral and the other emotional (happy, fearful, or angry), in a 2-interval forced-choice task. On each trial, observers attempted to detect the emotional expression (emotion detection) and to classify the expression (expression categorization). Above-chance emotion detection was possible with extremely brief exposures of 10 ms and was most accurate for happy expressions. We compared categorization among expressions using a d' analysis, and found that categorization was usually above chance for angry versus happy and fearful versus happy, but consistently poor for fearful versus angry expressions. Fearful versus angry categorization was poor even when only negative emotions (fearful, angry, or disgusted) were used, suggesting that this categorization is poor independent of decision context. Inverting faces impaired angry versus happy categorization, but not emotion detection, suggesting that information from facial features is used differently for emotion detection and expression categorizations. Emotion detection often occurred without expression categorization, and expression categorization sometimes occurred without emotion detection. These results are consistent with the notion that emotion detection and expression categorization involve separate mechanisms. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

  6. Out of sight, out of mind: Categorization learning and normal aging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schenk, Sabrina; Minda, John P; Lech, Robert K; Suchan, Boris

    2016-10-01

    The present combined EEG and eye tracking study examined the process of categorization learning at different age ranges and aimed to investigate to which degree categorization learning is mediated by visual attention and perceptual strategies. Seventeen young subjects and ten elderly subjects had to perform a visual categorization task with two abstract categories. Each category consisted of prototypical stimuli and an exception. The categorization of prototypical stimuli was learned very early during the experiment, while the learning of exceptions was delayed. The categorization of exceptions was accompanied by higher P150, P250 and P300 amplitudes. In contrast to younger subjects, elderly subjects had problems in the categorization of exceptions, but showed an intact categorization performance for prototypical stimuli. Moreover, elderly subjects showed higher fixation rates for important stimulus features and higher P150 amplitudes, which were positively correlated with the categorization performances. These results indicate that elderly subjects compensate for cognitive decline through enhanced perceptual and attentional processing of individual stimulus features. Additionally, a computational approach has been applied and showed a transition away from purely abstraction-based learning to an exemplar-based learning in the middle block for both groups. However, the calculated models provide a better fit for younger subjects than for elderly subjects. The current study demonstrates that human categorization learning is based on early abstraction-based processing followed by an exemplar-memorization stage. This strategy combination facilitates the learning of real world categories with a nuanced category structure. In addition, the present study suggests that categorization learning is affected by normal aging and modulated by perceptual processing and visual attention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Categorizing at the group-level in response to intragroup social comparisons : A self-categorization theory integration of self-evaluation and social identity motives

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schmitt, MT; Branscombe, NR; Silvia, PJ; Garcia, DM; Spears, R

    2006-01-01

    Two experiments examined how people respond to upward social comparisons in terms of the extent to which they categorize the self and the source of comparison within the same social group. Self-evaluation maintenance theory (SEM) suggests that upward ingroup comparisons can lead to the rejection of

  8. Analysis of Ordinal Categorical Data

    CERN Document Server

    Agresti, Alan

    2012-01-01

    Statistical science's first coordinated manual of methods for analyzing ordered categorical data, now fully revised and updated, continues to present applications and case studies in fields as diverse as sociology, public health, ecology, marketing, and pharmacy. Analysis of Ordinal Categorical Data, Second Edition provides an introduction to basic descriptive and inferential methods for categorical data, giving thorough coverage of new developments and recent methods. Special emphasis is placed on interpretation and application of methods including an integrated comparison of the available st

  9. Categorization and Analysis of Disaster Health Publications: An Inventory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birnbaum, Marvin L; Adibhatla, Sowmya; Dudek, Olivia; Ramsel-Miller, Jessica

    2017-10-01

    Disaster Medicine is a relatively new discipline. Understanding of the current status of its science is needed in order to develop a roadmap for the direction and structure of future studies that will contribute to building the science of the health aspects of disasters (HADs). The objective of this study was to examine the existing, peer-reviewed literature relevant to the HADs to determine the status of the currently available literature underlying the science of the HADs. A total of 709 consecutive, peer-reviewed articles published from 2009-2014 in two disaster-health-related medical journals, Prehospital and Disaster Medicine (PDM) and Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness (DMPHP), were examined. Of these, 495 were disaster-related (PDM, 248; DMPHP, 247). Three major categories defined these disaster-related research articles: (1) Epidemiological studies comprised 50.5%; (2) Interventional, 20.3%; and (3) Syntheses, 26.9%. Interventional studies were sub-categorized into: (a) Relief Responses, 23.0%; (b) Recovery Responses, 2.0%; or (c) Risk-Reduction Interventions, 75.0%. Basically, the inventories were consistent within the two journals. Reported indicators of outcomes related to the responses were constrained to achievement indicators (numbers accomplished). Syntheses articles were sub-categorized into: (a) Literature Reviews, 17.6%; (b) Opinions, 25.2%; (c) Models, 24.4%; (d) Frameworks, 6.9%; (e) Guidelines, 13.0%; (f) Tools, 3.0%; (g) Protocols, Policies, or Criteria, 2.3%; or (h) Conference Summaries, 7.6%. Trend analyses indicated that the relative proportions of articles in each category and sub-category remained relatively constant over the five years. No randomized controlled trials (RTCs), non-randomized, comparative controlled trials (CCTs), or systematic reviews were published in these journals during the period examined. Each article also was examined qualitatively for objectives, study type, content, language, and structure. There

  10. Uncertainty Categorization, Modeling, and Management for Regional Water Supply Planning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fletcher, S.; Strzepek, K. M.; AlSaati, A.; Alhassan, A.

    2016-12-01

    Many water planners face increased pressure on water supply systems from growing demands, variability in supply and a changing climate. Short-term variation in water availability and demand; long-term uncertainty in climate, groundwater storage, and sectoral competition for water; and varying stakeholder perspectives on the impacts of water shortages make it difficult to assess the necessity of expensive infrastructure investments. We categorize these uncertainties on two dimensions: whether they are the result of stochastic variation or epistemic uncertainty, and whether the uncertainties can be described probabilistically or are deep uncertainties whose likelihood is unknown. We develop a decision framework that combines simulation for probabilistic uncertainty, sensitivity analysis for deep uncertainty and Bayesian decision analysis for uncertainties that are reduced over time with additional information. We apply this framework to two contrasting case studies - drought preparedness in Melbourne, Australia and fossil groundwater depletion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - to assess the impacts of different types of uncertainty on infrastructure decisions. Melbourne's water supply system relies on surface water, which is impacted by natural variation in rainfall, and a market-based system for managing water rights. Our results show that small, flexible investment increases can mitigate shortage risk considerably at reduced cost. Riyadh, by contrast, relies primarily on desalination for municipal use and fossil groundwater for agriculture, and a centralized planner makes allocation decisions. Poor regional groundwater measurement makes it difficult to know when groundwater pumping will become uneconomical, resulting in epistemic uncertainty. However, collecting more data can reduce the uncertainty, suggesting the need for different uncertainty modeling and management strategies in Riyadh than in Melbourne. We will categorize the two systems and propose appropriate

  11. Learning rules and categorization networks for language standardization

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Van Huyssteen, GB

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available defined a generic, automated process that allows them to extract constructional schemas and present these visually as categorization networks, similar to what is often being used in Cognitive Grammar. The authors conclude that computational modeling...

  12. 32 CFR Appendix B to Part 989 - Categorical Exclusions

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    .... Proponent/EPF Responsibility Although a proposed action may qualify for a categorical exclusion from the requirements for environmental impact analysis under NEPA, this exclusion does not relieve the EPF or the... an EIS or an EA resulting in a FONSI. The EPF must document application of this CATEX on AF Form 813...

  13. Categorical Semantics for Functional Reactive Programming with Temporal Recursion and Corecursion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wolfgang Jeltsch

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Functional reactive programming (FRP makes it possible to express temporal aspects of computations in a declarative way. Recently we developed two kinds of categorical models of FRP: abstract process categories (APCs and concrete process categories (CPCs. Furthermore we showed that APCs generalize CPCs. In this paper, we extend APCs with additional structure. This structure models recursion and corecursion operators that are related to time. We show that the resulting categorical models generalize those CPCs that impose an additional constraint on time scales. This constraint boils down to ruling out ω-supertasks, which are closely related to Zeno's paradox of Achilles and the tortoise.

  14. Working memory does not dissociate between different perceptual categorization tasks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewandowsky, Stephan; Yang, Lee-Xieng; Newell, Ben R; Kalish, Michael L

    2012-07-01

    Working memory is crucial for many higher level cognitive functions, ranging from mental arithmetic to reasoning and problem solving. Likewise, the ability to learn and categorize novel concepts forms an indispensable part of human cognition. However, very little is known about the relationship between working memory and categorization. This article reports 2 studies that related people's working memory capacity (WMC) to their learning performance on multiple rule-based and information-integration perceptual categorization tasks. In both studies, structural equation modeling revealed a strong relationship between WMC and category learning irrespective of the requirement to integrate information across multiple perceptual dimensions. WMC was also uniformly related to people's ability to focus on the most task-appropriate strategy, regardless of whether or not that strategy involved information integration. Contrary to the predictions of the multiple systems view of categorization, working memory thus appears to underpin performance in both major classes of perceptual category-learning tasks. 2012 APA, all rights reserved

  15. Comparison and Contrast in Perceptual Categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hampton, James A.; Estes, Zachary; Simmons, Claire L.

    2005-01-01

    People categorized pairs of perceptual stimuli that varied in both category membership and pairwise similarity. Experiments 1 and 2 showed categorization of 1 color of a pair to be reliably contrasted from that of the other. This similarity-based contrast effect occurred only when the context stimulus was relevant for the categorization of the…

  16. The role of categorization and scale endpoint comparisons in numerical information processing: A two-process model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Tao; Wyer, Robert S; Zheng, Yuhuang

    2017-03-01

    We propose a two-process conceptualization of numerical information processing to describe how people form impressions of a score that is described along a bounded scale. According to the model, people spontaneously categorize a score as high or low. Furthermore, they compare the numerical discrepancy between the score and the endpoint of the scale to which it is closer, if they are not confident of their categorization, and use implications of this comparison as a basis for judgment. As a result, their evaluation of the score is less extreme when the range of numbers along the scale is large (e.g., from 0 to 100) than when it is small (from 0 to 10). Six experiments support this two-process model and demonstrate its generalizability. Specifically, the magnitude of numbers composing the scale has less impact on judgments (a) when the score being evaluated is extreme, (b) when individuals are unmotivated to engage in endpoint comparison processes (i.e., they are low in need for cognition), and (c) when they are unable to do so (i.e., they are under cognitive load). Moreover, the endpoint to which individuals compare the score can depend on their regulatory focus. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  17. Modeling human color categorization: Color discrimination and color memory

    OpenAIRE

    Heskes, T.; van den Broek, Egon; Lucas, P.; Hendriks, Maria A.; Vuurpijl, L.G.; Puts, M.J.H.; Wiegerinck, W.

    2003-01-01

    Color matching in Content-Based Image Retrieval is done using a color space and measuring distances between colors. Such an approach yields non-intuitive results for the user. We introduce color categories (or focal colors), determine that they are valid, and use them in two experiments. The experiments conducted prove the difference between color categorization by the cognitive processes color discrimination and color memory. In addition, they yield a Color Look-Up Table, which can improve c...

  18. Uncovering Contrast Categories in Categorization with a Probabilistic Threshold Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verheyen, Steven; De Deyne, Simon; Dry, Matthew J.; Storms, Gert

    2011-01-01

    A contrast category effect on categorization occurs when the decision to apply a category term to an entity not only involves a comparison between the entity and the target category but is also influenced by a comparison of the entity with 1 or more alternative categories from the same domain as the target. Establishing a contrast category effect…

  19. Implicit Self-Importance in an Interpersonal Pronoun Categorization Task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fetterman, Adam K; Robinson, Michael D; Gilbertson, Elizabeth P

    2014-06-01

    Object relations theories emphasize the manner in which the salience/importance of implicit representations of self and other guide interpersonal functioning. Two studies and a pilot test (total N = 304) sought to model such representations. In dyadic contexts, the self is a "you" and the other is a "me", as verified in a pilot test. Study 1 then used a simple categorization task and found evidence for implicit self-importance: The pronoun "you" was categorized more quickly and accurately when presented in a larger font size, whereas the pronoun "me" was categorized more quickly and accurately when presented in a smaller font size. Study 2 showed that this pattern possesses value in understanding individual differences in interpersonal functioning. As predicted, arrogant people scored higher in implicit self-importance in the paradigm. Findings are discussed from the perspective of dyadic interpersonal dynamics.

  20. Stimulus Type, Level of Categorization, and Spatial-Frequencies Utilization: Implications for Perceptual Categorization Hierarchies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harel, Assaf; Bentin, Shlomo

    2009-01-01

    The type of visual information needed for categorizing faces and nonface objects was investigated by manipulating spatial frequency scales available in the image during a category verification task addressing basic and subordinate levels. Spatial filtering had opposite effects on faces and airplanes that were modulated by categorization level. The…

  1. ADHD and the externalizing spectrum: direct comparison of categorical, continuous, and hybrid models of liability in a nationally representative sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carragher, Natacha; Krueger, Robert F; Eaton, Nicholas R; Markon, Kristian E; Keyes, Katherine M; Blanco, Carlos; Saha, Tulshi D; Hasin, Deborah S

    2014-08-01

    Alcohol use disorders, substance use disorders, and antisocial personality disorder share a common externalizing liability, which may also include attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, few studies have compared formal quantitative models of externalizing liability, with the aim of delineating the categorical and/or continuous nature of this liability in the community. This study compares categorical, continuous, and hybrid models of externalizing liability. Data were derived from the 2004-2005 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (N = 34,653). Seven disorders were modeled: childhood ADHD and lifetime diagnoses of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), nicotine dependence, alcohol dependence, marijuana dependence, cocaine dependence, and other substance dependence. The continuous latent trait model provided the best fit to the data. Measurement invariance analyses supported the fit of the model across genders, with females displaying a significantly lower probability of experiencing externalizing disorders. Cocaine dependence, marijuana dependence, other substance dependence, alcohol dependence, ASPD, nicotine dependence, and ADHD provided the greatest information, respectively, about the underlying externalizing continuum. Liability to externalizing disorders is continuous and dimensional in severity. The findings have important implications for the organizational structure of externalizing psychopathology in psychiatric nomenclatures.

  2. Item response theory and structural equation modelling for ordinal data: Describing the relationship between KIDSCREEN and Life-H.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Titman, Andrew C; Lancaster, Gillian A; Colver, Allan F

    2016-10-01

    Both item response theory and structural equation models are useful in the analysis of ordered categorical responses from health assessment questionnaires. We highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the item response theory and structural equation modelling approaches to modelling ordinal data, from within a community health setting. Using data from the SPARCLE project focussing on children with cerebral palsy, this paper investigates the relationship between two ordinal rating scales, the KIDSCREEN, which measures quality-of-life, and Life-H, which measures participation. Practical issues relating to fitting models, such as non-positive definite observed or fitted correlation matrices, and approaches to assessing model fit are discussed. item response theory models allow properties such as the conditional independence of particular domains of a measurement instrument to be assessed. When, as with the SPARCLE data, the latent traits are multidimensional, structural equation models generally provide a much more convenient modelling framework. © The Author(s) 2013.

  3. Automatic activation of categorical and abstract analogical relations in analogical reasoning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Adam E; Fugelsang, Jonathan A; Dunbar, Kevin N

    2006-10-01

    We examined activation of concepts during analogical reasoning. Subjects made either analogical judgments or categorical judgments about four-word sets. After each four-word set, they named the ink color of a single word in a modified Stroop task. Words that referred to category relations were primed (as indicated by longer response times on Stroop color naming) subsequent to analogical judgments and categorical judgments. This finding suggests that activation of category concepts plays a fundamental role in analogical thinking. When colored words referred to analogical relations, priming occurred subsequent to analogical judgments, but not to categorical judgments, even though identical four-word stimuli were used for both types of judgments. This finding lends empirical support to the hypothesis that, when people comprehend the analogy between two items, they activate an abstract analogical relation that is distinct from the specific content items that compose the analogy.

  4. Risk-Informed SSCs Categorization: Elicitation Method of Expert's Opinion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hwang, Mee Jeong; Yang, Joon Eon; Kim, Kil Yoo

    2005-01-15

    The regulations have been performing by deterministic way since nuclear power plants have been operating. However, some SSCs identified as safety-significance by deterministic way, were turned out to be low or non safety-significant and some SSCs identified as non-safety significance were turned out to be high safety-significant according to the results of PSA. Considering these risk insights, Regulatory Guide 1.174 and 10CFR50.69 were drawn up, and we can re-categorize the SSCs according to their safety significance. Therefore, a study and an interest about the risk-informed SSCs re-categorization and treatment has been continued. The objective of this regulatory initiative is to adjust the scope of equipment subject to special regulatory treatment to better focus licensee and regulatory attention and resources on equipment that has safety significance. Current most regulations define the plant equipment necessary to meet deterministic regulatory basis as 'safety-related.' This equipment is subject to special treatment regulations. Other plant equipment is categorized as 'non-safety related,' and is not subject to a select number of special treatment requirement or a subset of those requirement. However, risk information is not a magic tool making a decision but a supporting tool to categorize SSCs. This is because only small parts of a plant are modeled in PSA model. Thus, engineering and deterministic judgments are also used for risk-informed SSCs categorization, and expert opinion elicitation is very important for risk-informed SSCs categorization. Therefore, we need a rational method to elicit the expert's opinions, and in this study, we developed a systematic method for expert elicitation to categorize the nuclear power plants' SSCs. Current states for SSCs categorization of the USA and the existing methods for expert elicitation were surveyed and more systematic way eliciting the expert opinions and combining was developed. To

  5. Influence of warmth and competence on the promotion of safe in-group selection: Stereotype content model and social categorization of faces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ponsi, G; Panasiti, M S; Scandola, M; Aglioti, S M

    2016-01-01

    Categorizing an individual as a friend or foe plays a pivotal role in navigating the social world. According to the stereotype content model (SCM), social perception relies on two fundamental dimensions, warmth and competence, which allow us to process the intentions of others and their ability to enact those intentions, respectively. Social cognition research indicates that, in categorization tasks, people tend to classify other individuals as more likely to belong to the out-group than the in-group (in-group overexclusion effect, IOE) when lacking diagnostic information, probably with the aim of protecting in-group integrity. Here, we explored the role of warmth and competence in group-membership decisions by testing 62 participants in a social-categorization task consisting of 150 neutral faces. We assessed whether (a) warmth and competence ratings could predict the in-group/out-group categorization, and (b) the reliance on these two dimensions differed in low-IOE versus high-IOE participants. Data showed that high ratings of warmth and competence were necessary to categorize a face as in-group. Moreover, while low-IOE participants relied on warmth, high-IOE participants relied on competence. This finding suggests that the proneness to include/exclude unknown identities in/from one's own in-group is related to individual differences in the reliance on SCM social dimensions. Furthermore, the primacy of the warmth effect seems not to represent a universal phenomenon adopted in the context of social evaluation.

  6. Deep Convolutional Neural Networks Outperform Feature-Based But Not Categorical Models in Explaining Object Similarity Judgments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jozwik, Kamila M.; Kriegeskorte, Nikolaus; Storrs, Katherine R.; Mur, Marieke

    2017-01-01

    Recent advances in Deep convolutional Neural Networks (DNNs) have enabled unprecedentedly accurate computational models of brain representations, and present an exciting opportunity to model diverse cognitive functions. State-of-the-art DNNs achieve human-level performance on object categorisation, but it is unclear how well they capture human behavior on complex cognitive tasks. Recent reports suggest that DNNs can explain significant variance in one such task, judging object similarity. Here, we extend these findings by replicating them for a rich set of object images, comparing performance across layers within two DNNs of different depths, and examining how the DNNs’ performance compares to that of non-computational “conceptual” models. Human observers performed similarity judgments for a set of 92 images of real-world objects. Representations of the same images were obtained in each of the layers of two DNNs of different depths (8-layer AlexNet and 16-layer VGG-16). To create conceptual models, other human observers generated visual-feature labels (e.g., “eye”) and category labels (e.g., “animal”) for the same image set. Feature labels were divided into parts, colors, textures and contours, while category labels were divided into subordinate, basic, and superordinate categories. We fitted models derived from the features, categories, and from each layer of each DNN to the similarity judgments, using representational similarity analysis to evaluate model performance. In both DNNs, similarity within the last layer explains most of the explainable variance in human similarity judgments. The last layer outperforms almost all feature-based models. Late and mid-level layers outperform some but not all feature-based models. Importantly, categorical models predict similarity judgments significantly better than any DNN layer. Our results provide further evidence for commonalities between DNNs and brain representations. Models derived from visual features

  7. Categorization of radiation sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2000-12-01

    The objective of this report is to develop a categorization scheme for radiation sources that could be relevant to decisions both in a retrospective application to bring sources under control and in a prospective sense to guide the application of the regulatory infrastructure. The Action Plan envisages that the preparation of guidance on national strategies and programmes for the detection and location of orphan sources and their subsequent management should commence after the categorization of sources has been carried out. In the prospective application of the system of notification, registration, and licensing, the categorization is relevant to prioritize a regulatory authority's resources and training activities; to guide the degree of detail necessary for a safety assessment; and to serve as a measure of the intensity of effort which a regulatory authority should apply to the safety and security of a particular type of source

  8. Domain learning naming game for color categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Doujie; Fan, Zhongyan; Tang, Wallace K S

    2017-01-01

    Naming game simulates the evolution of vocabulary in a population of agents. Through pairwise interactions in the games, agents acquire a set of vocabulary in their memory for object naming. The existing model confines to a one-to-one mapping between a name and an object. Focus is usually put onto name consensus in the population rather than knowledge learning in agents, and hence simple learning model is usually adopted. However, the cognition system of human being is much more complex and knowledge is usually presented in a complicated form. Therefore, in this work, we extend the agent learning model and design a new game to incorporate domain learning, which is essential for more complicated form of knowledge. In particular, we demonstrate the evolution of color categorization and naming in a population of agents. We incorporate the human perceptive model into the agents and introduce two new concepts, namely subjective perception and subliminal stimulation, in domain learning. Simulation results show that, even without any supervision or pre-requisition, a consensus of a color naming system can be reached in a population solely via the interactions. Our work confirms the importance of society interactions in color categorization, which is a long debate topic in human cognition. Moreover, our work also demonstrates the possibility of cognitive system development in autonomous intelligent agents.

  9. Dyslexic Participants Show Intact Spontaneous Categorization Processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikolopoulos, Dimitris S.; Pothos, Emmanuel M.

    2009-01-01

    We examine the performance of dyslexic participants on an unsupervised categorization task against that of matched non-dyslexic control participants. Unsupervised categorization is a cognitive process critical for conceptual development. Existing research in dyslexia has emphasized perceptual tasks and supervised categorization tasks (for which…

  10. Is it culture or is it language? Examination of language effects in cross-cultural research on categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Li-Jun; Zhang, Zhiyong; Nisbett, Richard E

    2004-07-01

    Differences in reasoning styles between Chinese and European Americans held even when controlling for the language of testing. Bilingual Chinese organized objects in a more relational and less categorical way than European Americans, whether tested in English or in Chinese. Thus, culture affects categorization independent of the testing language. Nevertheless, language affected some Chinese bilinguals' categorization. The responses of Chinese from the Mainland and Taiwan were more relational when tested in Chinese than when tested in English. Responses of Chinese from Hong Kong and Singapore were equally relational when tested in Chinese and in English. Age and context of learning English are discussed to explain the differential language effects among different Chinese groups. Theoretical and methodological implications are discussed. Copyright 2004 American Psychological Association

  11. An investigation of anxiety about radiotherapy deploying the radiotherapy categorical anxiety scale

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimotsu, Sakie; Karasawa, Kumiko; Ito, Kana; Saito, Anneyuko I.; Izawa, Hiromi; Kawase, Eri; Horikawa, Naoshi

    2010-01-01

    Radiotherapy is one of the major methods for treating cancer, but many patients undergoing radiotherapy have deep concerns about receiving radiation treatment. This problem is not generally appreciated and has not been adequately studied. The objective of this investigation was to empirically investigate the anxieties that cancer patients feel towards radiotherapy by using questionnaires to classify and quantitatively measure their concerns. A preliminary interview to develop a questionnaire was carried out with 48 patients receiving radiotherapy to discover their anxieties about on-going treatments. Subsequently, a main study was performed using a questionnaire with 185 patients to classify their types of anxiety and to ascertain the reliability and validity of the responses. Confirmatory factor analysis was then carried out with a 17-item Radiotherapy Categorical Anxiety Scale. Three anxiety factors were abstracted by factor analysis: adverse effects of radiotherapy, environment of radiotherapy, and treatment effects of radiotherapy. Reliability, content validity, and concurrent validity were obtained. The adequacy of the three-factor model of anxiety concerning radiotherapy was confirmed. A 17-item Radiotherapy Categorical Anxiety Scale was formulated to quantitatively measure the specific types of anxiety among cancer patients receiving radiotherapy. (author)

  12. Differential effect of visual masking in perceptual categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hélie, Sébastien; Cousineau, Denis

    2015-06-01

    This article explores the visual information used to categorize stimuli drawn from a common stimulus space into verbal and nonverbal categories using 2 experiments. Experiment 1 explores the effect of target duration on verbal and nonverbal categorization using backward masking to interrupt visual processing. With categories equated for difficulty for long and short target durations, intermediate target duration shows an advantage for verbal categorization over nonverbal categorization. Experiment 2 tests whether the results of Experiment 1 can be explained by shorter target duration resulting in a smaller signal-to-noise ratio of the categorization stimulus. To test for this possibility, Experiment 2 used integration masking with the same stimuli, categories, and masks as Experiment 1 with a varying level of mask opacity. As predicted, low mask opacity yielded similar results to long target duration while high mask opacity yielded similar results to short target duration. Importantly, intermediate mask opacity produced an advantage for verbal categorization over nonverbal categorization, similar to intermediate target duration. These results suggest that verbal and nonverbal categorization are affected differently by manipulations affecting the signal-to-noise ratio of the stimulus, consistent with multiple-system theories of categorizations. The results further suggest that verbal categorization may be more digital (and more robust to low signal-to-noise ratio) while the information used in nonverbal categorization may be more analog (and less robust to lower signal-to-noise ratio). This article concludes with a discussion of how these new results affect the use of masking in perceptual categorization and multiple-system theories of perceptual category learning. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  13. Categorization of radiation sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Antonova, M.

    2000-01-01

    Through one-parameter (factor) analysis it is proved a hypothesis that the value of a radiation source (RS) activity of an application correlates with the category (the rank) given to it by the IAEA categorization although it is based on other parameters of the RS applications (practices like devices with radiation sources in industry, science, medicine and agriculture). The principles of the new IAEA categorization, taking into account the potential harm the sources may cause and the necessary regulatory control, are described. (author)

  14. Generalizing a categorization of students’ interpretations of linear kinematics graphs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laurens Bollen

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available We have investigated whether and how a categorization of responses to questions on linear distance-time graphs, based on a study of Irish students enrolled in an algebra-based course, could be adopted and adapted to responses from students enrolled in calculus-based physics courses at universities in Flanders, Belgium (KU Leuven and the Basque Country, Spain (University of the Basque Country. We discuss how we adapted the categorization to accommodate a much more diverse student cohort and explain how the prior knowledge of students may account for many differences in the prevalence of approaches and success rates. Although calculus-based physics students make fewer mistakes than algebra-based physics students, they encounter similar difficulties that are often related to incorrectly dividing two coordinates. We verified that a qualitative understanding of kinematics is an important but not sufficient condition for students to determine a correct value for the speed. When comparing responses to questions on linear distance-time graphs with responses to isomorphic questions on linear water level versus time graphs, we observed that the context of a question influences the approach students use. Neither qualitative understanding nor an ability to find the slope of a context-free graph proved to be a reliable predictor for the approach students use when they determine the instantaneous speed.

  15. Generalizing a categorization of students' interpretations of linear kinematics graphs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bollen, Laurens; De Cock, Mieke; Zuza, Kristina; Guisasola, Jenaro; van Kampen, Paul

    2016-06-01

    We have investigated whether and how a categorization of responses to questions on linear distance-time graphs, based on a study of Irish students enrolled in an algebra-based course, could be adopted and adapted to responses from students enrolled in calculus-based physics courses at universities in Flanders, Belgium (KU Leuven) and the Basque Country, Spain (University of the Basque Country). We discuss how we adapted the categorization to accommodate a much more diverse student cohort and explain how the prior knowledge of students may account for many differences in the prevalence of approaches and success rates. Although calculus-based physics students make fewer mistakes than algebra-based physics students, they encounter similar difficulties that are often related to incorrectly dividing two coordinates. We verified that a qualitative understanding of kinematics is an important but not sufficient condition for students to determine a correct value for the speed. When comparing responses to questions on linear distance-time graphs with responses to isomorphic questions on linear water level versus time graphs, we observed that the context of a question influences the approach students use. Neither qualitative understanding nor an ability to find the slope of a context-free graph proved to be a reliable predictor for the approach students use when they determine the instantaneous speed.

  16. The Processing Speed of Scene Categorization at Multiple Levels of Description: The Superordinate Advantage Revisited.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banno, Hayaki; Saiki, Jun

    2015-03-01

    Recent studies have sought to determine which levels of categories are processed first in visual scene categorization and have shown that the natural and man-made superordinate-level categories are understood faster than are basic-level categories. The current study examined the robustness of the superordinate-level advantage in a visual scene categorization task. A go/no-go categorization task was evaluated with response time distribution analysis using an ex-Gaussian template. A visual scene was categorized as either superordinate or basic level, and two basic-level categories forming a superordinate category were judged as either similar or dissimilar to each other. First, outdoor/ indoor groups and natural/man-made were used as superordinate categories to investigate whether the advantage could be generalized beyond the natural/man-made boundary. Second, a set of images forming a superordinate category was manipulated. We predicted that decreasing image set similarity within the superordinate-level category would work against the speed advantage. We found that basic-level categorization was faster than outdoor/indoor categorization when the outdoor category comprised dissimilar basic-level categories. Our results indicate that the superordinate-level advantage in visual scene categorization is labile across different categories and category structures. © 2015 SAGE Publications.

  17. Same-gender distractors are not so easy to reject: ERP evidence of gender categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rakić, Tamara; Steffens, Melanie C; Wiese, Holger

    2018-05-07

    Social categorization appears to be an automatic process that occurs during person perception. Understanding social categorization better is important because mere categorization can lead to stereotype activation and, in turn, to discrimination. In the present study we used a novel approach to examine event-related potentials (ERPs) of gender categorization in the "Who said what?" memory paradigm, thus allowing for a more in-depth understanding of the specific mechanisms underlying identity versus categorization processing. After observing video clips showing a "discussion" among female and male targets, participants were shown individual statements, each accompanied by one of the discussants' faces. While we measured ERPs, participants had to decide whether or not a given statement had previously been made by the person with the accompanying face. In same-person trials, statements were paired with the correct person, whereas in the distractor trials, either a same-gender or a different-gender distractor was shown. As expected, participants were able to reject different-gender distractors faster than same-gender distractors, and they were more likely to falsely choose yes for a same-gender than for a different-gender distractor. Both findings indicate gender-based categorization. ERPs, analyzed in a 300- to 400-ms time window at occipito-temporal channels, indicated more negative amplitudes for yes responses both for the same person and for same-gender distractors, relative to different-gender distractors. Overall, these results show gender-based categorization even when the task was to assess the identifying information in a gender-neutral context. These findings are interpreted as showing that gender categorization occurs automatically during person perception, but later than race- or age-based categorization.

  18. Inventory and categorization of radioactive sources in the CDTN, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, Fabio; Tello, Cledola Cassia Oliveira de

    2011-01-01

    Radioactive sources have wide application, in the medicine, industry, agriculture and in the research centers. After the use those sources are considered radioactive wastes and conducted to the CNEN research institutes, that have the legal responsibility to receive and control. The safe attribution of wasted sources is essential for minimizing the possibility oc accident occurrence. The data of the stored sources in the CDTN are included and processed in the data bank SISFONT - Sistema de Informacoes sobre Fontes Seladas Fora de Uso, but this system does not allow their categorization. For that, a efficient, precise and easy interaction categorization system was developed

  19. Where vision meets memory: prefrontal-posterior networks for visual object constancy during categorization and recognition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schendan, Haline E; Stern, Chantal E

    2008-07-01

    Objects seen from unusual relative to more canonical views require more time to categorize and recognize, and, according to object model verification theories, additionally recruit prefrontal processes for cognitive control that interact with parietal processes for mental rotation. To test this using functional magnetic resonance imaging, people categorized and recognized known objects from unusual and canonical views. Canonical views activated some components of a default network more on categorization than recognition. Activation to unusual views showed that both ventral and dorsal visual pathways, and prefrontal cortex, have key roles in visual object constancy. Unusual views activated object-sensitive and mental rotation (and not saccade) regions in ventrocaudal intraparietal, transverse occipital, and inferotemporal sulci, and ventral premotor cortex for verification processes of model testing on any task. A collateral-lingual sulci "place" area activated for mental rotation, working memory, and unusual views on correct recognition and categorization trials to accomplish detailed spatial matching. Ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and object-sensitive lateral occipital sulcus activated for mental rotation and unusual views on categorization more than recognition, supporting verification processes of model prediction. This visual knowledge framework integrates vision and memory theories to explain how distinct prefrontal-posterior networks enable meaningful interactions with objects in diverse situations.

  20. Anterior Temporal Lobe Morphometry Predicts Categorization Ability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcin, Béatrice; Urbanski, Marika; Thiebaut de Schotten, Michel; Levy, Richard; Volle, Emmanuelle

    2018-01-01

    Categorization is the mental operation by which the brain classifies objects and events. It is classically assessed using semantic and non-semantic matching or sorting tasks. These tasks show a high variability in performance across healthy controls and the cerebral bases supporting this variability remain unknown. In this study we performed a voxel-based morphometry study to explore the relationships between semantic and shape categorization tasks and brain morphometric differences in 50 controls. We found significant correlation between categorization performance and the volume of the gray matter in the right anterior middle and inferior temporal gyri. Semantic categorization tasks were associated with more rostral temporal regions than shape categorization tasks. A significant relationship was also shown between white matter volume in the right temporal lobe and performance in the semantic tasks. Tractography revealed that this white matter region involved several projection and association fibers, including the arcuate fasciculus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, uncinate fasciculus, and inferior longitudinal fasciculus. These results suggest that categorization abilities are supported by the anterior portion of the right temporal lobe and its interaction with other areas.

  1. The time course of explicit and implicit categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, J David; Zakrzewski, Alexandria C; Herberger, Eric R; Boomer, Joseph; Roeder, Jessica L; Ashby, F Gregory; Church, Barbara A

    2015-10-01

    Contemporary theory in cognitive neuroscience distinguishes, among the processes and utilities that serve categorization, explicit and implicit systems of category learning that learn, respectively, category rules by active hypothesis testing or adaptive behaviors by association and reinforcement. Little is known about the time course of categorization within these systems. Accordingly, the present experiments contrasted tasks that fostered explicit categorization (because they had a one-dimensional, rule-based solution) or implicit categorization (because they had a two-dimensional, information-integration solution). In Experiment 1, participants learned categories under unspeeded or speeded conditions. In Experiment 2, they applied previously trained category knowledge under unspeeded or speeded conditions. Speeded conditions selectively impaired implicit category learning and implicit mature categorization. These results illuminate the processing dynamics of explicit/implicit categorization.

  2. Perceptual sensitivity to spectral properties of earlier sounds during speech categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stilp, Christian E; Assgari, Ashley A

    2018-02-28

    Speech perception is heavily influenced by surrounding sounds. When spectral properties differ between earlier (context) and later (target) sounds, this can produce spectral contrast effects (SCEs) that bias perception of later sounds. For example, when context sounds have more energy in low-F 1 frequency regions, listeners report more high-F 1 responses to a target vowel, and vice versa. SCEs have been reported using various approaches for a wide range of stimuli, but most often, large spectral peaks were added to the context to bias speech categorization. This obscures the lower limit of perceptual sensitivity to spectral properties of earlier sounds, i.e., when SCEs begin to bias speech categorization. Listeners categorized vowels (/ɪ/-/ɛ/, Experiment 1) or consonants (/d/-/g/, Experiment 2) following a context sentence with little spectral amplification (+1 to +4 dB) in frequency regions known to produce SCEs. In both experiments, +3 and +4 dB amplification in key frequency regions of the context produced SCEs, but lesser amplification was insufficient to bias performance. This establishes a lower limit of perceptual sensitivity where spectral differences across sounds can bias subsequent speech categorization. These results are consistent with proposed adaptation-based mechanisms that potentially underlie SCEs in auditory perception. Recent sounds can change what speech sounds we hear later. This can occur when the average frequency composition of earlier sounds differs from that of later sounds, biasing how they are perceived. These "spectral contrast effects" are widely observed when sounds' frequency compositions differ substantially. We reveal the lower limit of these effects, as +3 dB amplification of key frequency regions in earlier sounds was enough to bias categorization of the following vowel or consonant sound. Speech categorization being biased by very small spectral differences across sounds suggests that spectral contrast effects occur

  3. Hierarchical Rhetorical Sentence Categorization for Scientific Papers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rachman, G. H.; Khodra, M. L.; Widyantoro, D. H.

    2018-03-01

    Important information in scientific papers can be composed of rhetorical sentences that is structured from certain categories. To get this information, text categorization should be conducted. Actually, some works in this task have been completed by employing word frequency, semantic similarity words, hierarchical classification, and the others. Therefore, this paper aims to present the rhetorical sentence categorization from scientific paper by employing TF-IDF and Word2Vec to capture word frequency and semantic similarity words and employing hierarchical classification. Every experiment is tested in two classifiers, namely Naïve Bayes and SVM Linear. This paper shows that hierarchical classifier is better than flat classifier employing either TF-IDF or Word2Vec, although it increases only almost 2% from 27.82% when using flat classifier until 29.61% when using hierarchical classifier. It shows also different learning model for child-category can be built by hierarchical classifier.

  4. A physiologically based nonhomogeneous Poisson counter model of visual identification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christensen, Jeppe H; Markussen, Bo; Bundesen, Claus; Kyllingsbæk, Søren

    2018-04-30

    A physiologically based nonhomogeneous Poisson counter model of visual identification is presented. The model was developed in the framework of a Theory of Visual Attention (Bundesen, 1990; Kyllingsbæk, Markussen, & Bundesen, 2012) and meant for modeling visual identification of objects that are mutually confusable and hard to see. The model assumes that the visual system's initial sensory response consists in tentative visual categorizations, which are accumulated by leaky integration of both transient and sustained components comparable with those found in spike density patterns of early sensory neurons. The sensory response (tentative categorizations) feeds independent Poisson counters, each of which accumulates tentative object categorizations of a particular type to guide overt identification performance. We tested the model's ability to predict the effect of stimulus duration on observed distributions of responses in a nonspeeded (pure accuracy) identification task with eight response alternatives. The time courses of correct and erroneous categorizations were well accounted for when the event-rates of competing Poisson counters were allowed to vary independently over time in a way that mimicked the dynamics of receptive field selectivity as found in neurophysiological studies. Furthermore, the initial sensory response yielded theoretical hazard rate functions that closely resembled empirically estimated ones. Finally, supplied with a Naka-Rushton type contrast gain control, the model provided an explanation for Bloch's law. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  5. Duality Theory and Categorical Universal Logic: With Emphasis on Quantum Structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshihiro Maruyama

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Categorical Universal Logic is a theory of monad-relativised hyperdoctrines (or fibred universal algebras, which in particular encompasses categorical forms of both first-order and higher-order quantum logics as well as classical, intuitionistic, and diverse substructural logics. Here we show there are those dual adjunctions that have inherent hyperdoctrine structures in their predicate functor parts. We systematically investigate into the categorical logics of dual adjunctions by utilising Johnstone-Dimov-Tholen's duality-theoretic framework. Our set-theoretical duality-based hyperdoctrines for quantum logic have both universal and existential quantifiers (and higher-order structures, giving rise to a universe of Takeuti-Ozawa's quantum sets via the tripos-to-topos construction by Hyland-Johnstone-Pitts. The set-theoretical hyperdoctrinal models of quantum logic, as well as all quantum hyperdoctrines with cartesian base categories, turn out to give sound and complete semantics for Faggian-Sambin's first-order quantum sequent calculus over cartesian type theory; in addition, quantum hyperdoctrines with monoidal base categories are sound and complete for the calculus over linear type theory. We finally consider how to reconcile Birkhoff-von Neumann's quantum logic and Abramsky-Coecke's categorical quantum mechanics (which is modernised quantum logic as an antithesis to the traditional one via categorical universal logic.

  6. Dual-mode nested search method for categorical uncertain multi-objective optimization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Long; Wang, Hu

    2016-10-01

    Categorical multi-objective optimization is an important issue involved in many matching design problems. Non-numerical variables and their uncertainty are the major challenges of such optimizations. Therefore, this article proposes a dual-mode nested search (DMNS) method. In the outer layer, kriging metamodels are established using standard regular simplex mapping (SRSM) from categorical candidates to numerical values. Assisted by the metamodels, a k-cluster-based intelligent sampling strategy is developed to search Pareto frontier points. The inner layer uses an interval number method to model the uncertainty of categorical candidates. To improve the efficiency, a multi-feature convergent optimization via most-promising-area stochastic search (MFCOMPASS) is proposed to determine the bounds of objectives. Finally, typical numerical examples are employed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed DMNS method.

  7. Anterior Temporal Lobe Morphometry Predicts Categorization Ability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Béatrice Garcin

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Categorization is the mental operation by which the brain classifies objects and events. It is classically assessed using semantic and non-semantic matching or sorting tasks. These tasks show a high variability in performance across healthy controls and the cerebral bases supporting this variability remain unknown. In this study we performed a voxel-based morphometry study to explore the relationships between semantic and shape categorization tasks and brain morphometric differences in 50 controls. We found significant correlation between categorization performance and the volume of the gray matter in the right anterior middle and inferior temporal gyri. Semantic categorization tasks were associated with more rostral temporal regions than shape categorization tasks. A significant relationship was also shown between white matter volume in the right temporal lobe and performance in the semantic tasks. Tractography revealed that this white matter region involved several projection and association fibers, including the arcuate fasciculus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, uncinate fasciculus, and inferior longitudinal fasciculus. These results suggest that categorization abilities are supported by the anterior portion of the right temporal lobe and its interaction with other areas.

  8. Categorizing the telehealth policy response of countries and their implications for complementarity of telehealth policy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varghese, Sunil; Scott, Richard E

    2004-01-01

    Developing countries are exploring the role of telehealth to overcome the challenges of providing adequate health care services. However, this process faces disparities, and no complementarity in telehealth policy development. Telehealth has the potential to transcend geopolitical boundaries, yet telehealth policy developed in one jurisdiction may hamper applications in another. Understanding such policy complexities is essential for telehealth to realize its full global potential. This study investigated 12 East Asian countries that may represent a microcosm of the world, to determine if the telehealth policy response of countries could be categorized, and whether any implications could be identified for the development of complementary telehealth policy. The countries were Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Three categories of country response were identified in regard to national policy support and development. The first category was "None" (Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam) where international partners, driven by humanitarian concerns, lead telehealth activity. The second category was "Proactive" (China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand) where national policies were designed with the view that telehealth initiatives are a component of larger development objectives. The third was "Reactive" (Hong Kong and Japan), where policies were only proffered after telehealth activities were sustainable. It is concluded that although complementarity of telehealth policy development is not occurring, increased interjurisdictional telehealth activity, regional clusters, and concerted and coordinated effort amongst researchers, practitioners, and policy makers may alter this trend.

  9. Knowing how you are feeling depends on what's on my mind: Cognitive load and expression categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Lubna

    2018-03-01

    The ability to correctly interpret facial expressions is key to effective social interactions. People are well rehearsed and generally very efficient at correctly categorizing expressions. However, does their ability to do so depend on how cognitively loaded they are at the time? Using repeated-measures designs, we assessed the sensitivity of facial expression categorization to cognitive resources availability by measuring people's expression categorization performance during concurrent low and high cognitive load situations. In Experiment1, participants categorized the 6 basic upright facial expressions in a 6-automated-facial-coding response paradigm while maintaining low or high loading information in working memory (N = 40; 60 observations per load condition). In Experiment 2, they did so for both upright and inverted faces (N = 46; 60 observations per load and inversion condition). In both experiments, expression categorization for upright faces was worse during high versus low load. Categorization rates actually improved with increased load for the inverted faces. The opposing effects of cognitive load on upright and inverted expressions are explained in terms of a cognitive load-related dispersion in the attentional window. Overall, the findings support that expression categorization is sensitive to cognitive resources availability and moreover suggest that, in this paradigm, it is the perceptual processing stage of expression categorization that is affected by cognitive load. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. Categorization in the Affective Domain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sauciuc, Gabriela-Alina

    2011-01-01

    Data collected in Romance and Scandinavian languages (N=474) in a superordinate category name production task indicate that a multiple-strategy approach would be more suitable for accounting of categorization in the affective domain instead of a prototype approach as suggested by previous studies....... This paper will highlight performance aspects which appear to be consistent with such an interpretation, as well as an important layman- expert knowledge asymmetry in affective categorization....

  11. Attention and gaze control in picture naming, word reading, and word categorizing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roelofs, A.P.A.

    2007-01-01

    The trigger for shifting gaze between stimuli requiring vocal and manual responses was examined. Participants were presented with picture–word stimuli and left- or right-pointing arrows. They vocally named the picture (Experiment 1), read the word (Experiment 2), or categorized the word (Experiment

  12. Ability to Categorize Food Predicts Hypothetical Food Choices in Head Start Preschoolers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicholson, Jody S; Barton, Jennifer M; Simons, Ali L

    2018-03-01

    To investigate whether preschoolers are able to identify and categorize foods, and whether their ability to classify food as healthy predicts their hypothetical food choice. Structured interviews and body measurements with preschoolers, and teacher reports of classroom performance. Six Head Start centers in a large southeastern region. A total of 235 preschoolers (mean age [SD], 4.73 [0.63] years; 45.4% girls). Teachers implemented a nutrition education intervention across the 2014-2015 school year in which children were taught to identify and categorize food as sometimes (ie, unhealthy) and anytime (ie, healthy). Preschooler responses to a hypothetical snack naming, classifying, and selection scenario. Hierarchical regression analyses to examine predictors of child hypothetical food selection. While controlling for child characteristics and cognitive functioning, preschoolers who were better at categorizing food as healthy or unhealthy were more likely to say they would choose the healthy food. Low-contrast food pairs in which food had to be classified based on multiple dimensions were outside the cognitive abilities of the preschoolers. Nutrition interventions may be more effective in helping children make healthy food choices if developmental limitations in preschoolers' abilities to categorize food is addressed in their curriculum. Classification of food into evaluative categories is challenging for this age group. Categorizing on multiple dimensions is difficult, and dichotomous labeling of food as good or bad is not always accurate in directing children toward making food choices. Future research could evaluate further preschoolers' developmental potential for food categorization and nutrition decision making and consider factors that influence healthy food choices at both snack and mealtime. Copyright © 2017 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. 340 Waste handling Facility Hazard Categorization and Safety Analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodovsky, T.J.

    2010-01-01

    The analysis presented in this document provides the basis for categorizing the facility as less than Hazard Category 3. The final hazard categorization for the deactivated 340 Waste Handling Facility (340 Facility) is presented in this document. This hazard categorization was prepared in accordance with DOE-STD-1 027-92, Change Notice 1, Hazard Categorization and Accident Analysis Techniques for Compliance with Doe Order 5480.23, Nuclear Safety Analysis Reports. The analysis presented in this document provides the basis for categorizing the facility as less than Hazard Category (HC) 3. Routine nuclear waste receiving, storage, handling, and shipping operations at the 340 Facility have been deactivated, however, the facility contains a small amount of radioactive liquid and/or dry saltcake in two underground vault tanks. A seismic event and hydrogen deflagration were selected as bounding accidents. The generation of hydrogen in the vault tanks without active ventilation was determined to achieve a steady state volume of 0.33%, which is significantly less than the lower flammability limit of 4%. Therefore, a hydrogen deflagration is not possible in these tanks. The unmitigated release from a seismic event was used to categorize the facility consistent with the process defined in Nuclear Safety Technical Position (NSTP) 2002-2. The final sum-of-fractions calculation concluded that the facility is less than HC 3. The analysis did not identify any required engineered controls or design features. The Administrative Controls that were derived from the analysis are: (1) radiological inventory control, (2) facility change control, and (3) Safety Management Programs (SMPs). The facility configuration and radiological inventory shall be controlled to ensure that the assumptions in the analysis remain valid. The facility commitment to SMPs protects the integrity of the facility and environment by ensuring training, emergency response, and radiation protection. The full scale

  14. Introduction to statistical modelling 2: categorical variables and interactions in linear regression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lunt, Mark

    2015-07-01

    In the first article in this series we explored the use of linear regression to predict an outcome variable from a number of predictive factors. It assumed that the predictive factors were measured on an interval scale. However, this article shows how categorical variables can also be included in a linear regression model, enabling predictions to be made separately for different groups and allowing for testing the hypothesis that the outcome differs between groups. The use of interaction terms to measure whether the effect of a particular predictor variable differs between groups is also explained. An alternative approach to testing the difference between groups of the effect of a given predictor, which consists of measuring the effect in each group separately and seeing whether the statistical significance differs between the groups, is shown to be misleading. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  15. Prototypes, Exemplars, and the Natural History of Categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, J. David

    2013-01-01

    The article explores—from a utility/adaptation perspective—the role of prototype and exemplar processes in categorization. The author surveys important category tasks within the categorization literature from the perspective of the optimality of applying prototype and exemplar processes. Formal simulations reveal that organisms will often (not always!) receive more useful signals about category belongingness if they average their exemplar experience into a prototype and use this as the comparative standard for categorization. This survey then provides the theoretical context for considering the evolution of cognitive systems for categorization. In the article’s final sections, the author reviews recent research on the performance of nonhuman primates and humans in the tasks analyzed in the article. Diverse species share operating principles, default commitments, and processing weaknesses in categorization. From these commonalities, it may be possible to infer some properties of the categorization ecology these species generally experienced during cognitive evolution. PMID:24005828

  16. Assessing expertise in introductory physics using categorization task

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew Mason

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available The ability to categorize problems based upon underlying principles, rather than surface features or contexts, is considered one of several proxy predictors of expertise in problem solving. With inspiration from the classic study by Chi, Feltovich, and Glaser, we assess the distribution of expertise among introductory physics students by asking three introductory physics classes, each with more than a hundred students, to categorize mechanics problems based upon similarity of solution. We compare their categorization with those of physics graduate students and faculty members. To evaluate the effect of problem context on students’ ability to categorize, two sets of problems were developed for categorization. Some problems in one set included those available from the prior study by Chi et al. We find a large overlap between calculus-based introductory students and graduate students with regard to their categorizations that were assessed as “good.” Our findings, which contrast with those of Chi et al., suggest that there is a wide distribution of expertise in mechanics among introductory and graduate students. Although the categorization task is conceptual, introductory students in the calculus-based course performed better than those in the algebra-based course. Qualitative trends in categorization of problems are similar between the non-Chi problems and problems available from the Chi study used in our study although the Chi problems used are more difficult on average.

  17. Categorization and selection of regulatory approaches for nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugaya, Junko; Harayama, Yuko

    2009-01-01

    Several new regulatory approaches have been introduced to Japanese nuclear safety regulations, in which a prescriptive and deterministic approach had traditionally predominated. However, the options of regulatory approaches that can possibly be applied to nuclear safety regulations as well as the methodology for selecting the options are not systematically defined. In this study, various regulatory approaches for nuclear power plants are categorized as prescriptive or nonprescriptive, outcome-based or process-based, and deterministic or risk-informed. 18 options of regulatory approaches are conceptually developed and the conditions for selecting the appropriate regulatory approaches are identified. Current issues on nuclear regulations regarding responsibilities, transparency, consensus standards and regulatory inspections are examined from the viewpoints of regulatory approaches to verify usefulness of the categorization and selection concept of regulatory approaches. Finally, some of the challenges at the transitional phase of regulatory approaches are discussed. (author)

  18. The implicit processing of categorical and dimensional strategies: an fMRI study of facial emotion perception

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsuda, Yoshi-Taka; Fujimura, Tomomi; Katahira, Kentaro; Okada, Masato; Ueno, Kenichi; Cheng, Kang; Okanoya, Kazuo

    2013-01-01

    Our understanding of facial emotion perception has been dominated by two seemingly opposing theories: the categorical and dimensional theories. However, we have recently demonstrated that hybrid processing involving both categorical and dimensional perception can be induced in an implicit manner (Fujimura etal., 2012). The underlying neural mechanisms of this hybrid processing remain unknown. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that separate neural loci might intrinsically encode categorical and dimensional processing functions that serve as a basis for hybrid processing. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure neural correlates while subjects passively viewed emotional faces and performed tasks that were unrelated to facial emotion processing. Activity in the right fusiform face area (FFA) increased in response to psychologically obvious emotions and decreased in response to ambiguous expressions, demonstrating the role of the FFA in categorical processing. The amygdala, insula and medial prefrontal cortex exhibited evidence of dimensional (linear) processing that correlated with physical changes in the emotional face stimuli. The occipital face area and superior temporal sulcus did not respond to these changes in the presented stimuli. Our results indicated that distinct neural loci process the physical and psychological aspects of facial emotion perception in a region-specific and implicit manner. PMID:24133426

  19. The implicit processing of categorical and dimensional strategies: an fMRI study of facial emotion perception

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshi-Taka eMatsuda

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Our understanding of facial emotion perception has been dominated by two seemingly opposing theories: the categorical and dimensional theories. However, we have recently demonstrated that hybrid processing involving both categorical and dimensional perception can be induced in an implicit manner (Fujimura et al., 2012. The underlying neural mechanisms of this hybrid processing remain unknown. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that separate neural loci might intrinsically encode categorical and dimensional processing functions that serve as a basis for hybrid processing. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI to measure neural correlates while subjects passively viewed emotional faces and performed tasks that were unrelated to facial emotion processing. Activity in the right fusiform face area (FFA increased in response to psychologically obvious emotions and decreased in response to ambiguous expressions, demonstrating the role of the FFA in categorical processing. The amygdala, insula and medial prefrontal cortex exhibited evidence of dimensional (linear processing that correlated with physical changes in the emotional face stimuli. The occipital face area and superior temporal sulcus did not respond to these changes in the presented stimuli. Our results indicated that distinct neural loci process the physical and psychological aspects of facial emotion perception in a region-specific and implicit manner.

  20. Novelty Categorization Theory

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Förster, J.; Marguc, J.; Gillebaart, M.

    2010-01-01

    Novelty Categorization Theory (NCT) attempts to predict when people perceive events as novel and how they process novel events across different domains. It is predicted that broad mental categories reduce the perception of an event being novel via inclusion processes, whereas narrow categories

  1. Experiments on Supervised Learning Algorithms for Text Categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Namburu, Setu Madhavi; Tu, Haiying; Luo, Jianhui; Pattipati, Krishna R.

    2005-01-01

    Modern information society is facing the challenge of handling massive volume of online documents, news, intelligence reports, and so on. How to use the information accurately and in a timely manner becomes a major concern in many areas. While the general information may also include images and voice, we focus on the categorization of text data in this paper. We provide a brief overview of the information processing flow for text categorization, and discuss two supervised learning algorithms, viz., support vector machines (SVM) and partial least squares (PLS), which have been successfully applied in other domains, e.g., fault diagnosis [9]. While SVM has been well explored for binary classification and was reported as an efficient algorithm for text categorization, PLS has not yet been applied to text categorization. Our experiments are conducted on three data sets: Reuter's- 21578 dataset about corporate mergers and data acquisitions (ACQ), WebKB and the 20-Newsgroups. Results show that the performance of PLS is comparable to SVM in text categorization. A major drawback of SVM for multi-class categorization is that it requires a voting scheme based on the results of pair-wise classification. PLS does not have this drawback and could be a better candidate for multi-class text categorization.

  2. Bayesian Mixed Hidden Markov Models: A Multi-Level Approach to Modeling Categorical Outcomes with Differential Misclassification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yue; Berhane, Kiros

    2014-01-01

    Questionnaire-based health status outcomes are often prone to misclassification. When studying the effect of risk factors on such outcomes, ignoring any potential misclassification may lead to biased effect estimates. Analytical challenges posed by these misclassified outcomes are further complicated when simultaneously exploring factors for both the misclassification and health processes in a multi-level setting. To address these challenges, we propose a fully Bayesian Mixed Hidden Markov Model (BMHMM) for handling differential misclassification in categorical outcomes in a multi-level setting. The BMHMM generalizes the traditional Hidden Markov Model (HMM) by introducing random effects into three sets of HMM parameters for joint estimation of the prevalence, transition and misclassification probabilities. This formulation not only allows joint estimation of all three sets of parameters, but also accounts for cluster level heterogeneity based on a multi-level model structure. Using this novel approach, both the true health status prevalence and the transition probabilities between the health states during follow-up are modeled as functions of covariates. The observed, possibly misclassified, health states are related to the true, but unobserved, health states and covariates. Results from simulation studies are presented to validate the estimation procedure, to show the computational efficiency due to the Bayesian approach and also to illustrate the gains from the proposed method compared to existing methods that ignore outcome misclassification and cluster level heterogeneity. We apply the proposed method to examine the risk factors for both asthma transition and misclassification in the Southern California Children's Health Study (CHS). PMID:24254432

  3. Lectures on categorical data analysis

    CERN Document Server

    Rudas, Tamás

    2018-01-01

    This book offers a relatively self-contained presentation of the fundamental results in categorical data analysis, which plays a central role among the statistical techniques applied in the social, political and behavioral sciences, as well as in marketing and medical and biological research. The methods applied are mainly aimed at understanding the structure of associations among variables and the effects of other variables on these interactions. A great advantage of studying categorical data analysis is that many concepts in statistics become transparent when discussed in a categorical data context, and, in many places, the book takes this opportunity to comment on general principles and methods in statistics, addressing not only the “how” but also the “why.” Assuming minimal background in calculus, linear algebra, probability theory and statistics, the book is designed to be used in upper-undergraduate and graduate-level courses in the field and in more general statistical methodology courses, as w...

  4. Selective attention, diffused attention, and the development of categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Wei Sophia; Sloutsky, Vladimir M

    2016-12-01

    How do people learn categories and what changes with development? The current study attempts to address these questions by focusing on the role of attention in the development of categorization. In Experiment 1, participants (adults, 7-year-olds, and 4-year-olds) were trained with novel categories consisting of deterministic and probabilistic features, and their categorization and memory for features were tested. In Experiment 2, participants' attention was directed to the deterministic feature, and in Experiment 3 it was directed to the probabilistic features. Attentional cueing affected categorization and memory in adults and 7-year-olds: these participants relied on the cued features in their categorization and exhibited better memory of cued than of non-cued features. In contrast, in 4-year-olds attentional cueing affected only categorization, but not memory: these participants exhibited equally good memory for both cued and non-cued features. Furthermore, across the experiments, 4-year-olds remembered non-cued features better than adults. These results coupled with computational simulations provide novel evidence (1) pointing to differences in category representation and mechanisms of categorization across development, (2) elucidating the role of attention in the development of categorization, and (3) suggesting an important distinction between representation and decision factors in categorization early in development. These issues are discussed with respect to theories of categorization and its development. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Selective Attention, Diffused Attention, and the Development of Categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Wei (Sophia); Sloutsky, Vladimir M.

    2016-01-01

    How do people learn categories and what changes with development? The current study attempts to address these questions by focusing on the role of attention in the development of categorization. In Experiment 1, participants (adults, 7-year-olds, and 4-year-olds) were trained with novel categories consisting of deterministic and probabilistic features, and their categorization and memory for features were tested. In Experiment 2, participants’ attention was directed to the deterministic feature, and in Experiment 3 it was directed to the probabilistic features. Attentional cuing affected categorization and memory in adults and 7-year-olds: these participants relied on the cued features in their categorization and exhibited better memory of cued than of non-cued features. In contrast, in 4-year-olds attentional cueing affected only categorization, but not memory: these participants exhibited equally good memory for both cued and non-cued features. Furthermore, across the experiments, 4-year-olds remembered non-cued features better than adults. These results coupled with computational simulations provide novel evidence (1) pointing to differences in category representation and mechanisms of categorization across development, (2) elucidating the role of attention in the development of categorization, and (3) suggesting an important distinction between representation and decision factors in categorization early in development. These issues are discussed with respect to theories of categorization and its development. PMID:27721103

  6. Decoding the Brain’s Algorithm for Categorization from its Neural Implementation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mack, Michael L.; Preston, Alison R.; Love, Bradley C.

    2013-01-01

    Summary Acts of cognition can be described at different levels of analysis: what behavior should characterize the act, what algorithms and representations underlie the behavior, and how the algorithms are physically realized in neural activity [1]. Theories that bridge levels of analysis offer more complete explanations by leveraging the constraints present at each level [2–4]. Despite the great potential for theoretical advances, few studies of cognition bridge levels of analysis. For example, formal cognitive models of category decisions accurately predict human decision making [5, 6], but whether model algorithms and representations supporting category decisions are consistent with underlying neural implementation remains unknown. This uncertainty is largely due to the hurdle of forging links between theory and brain [7–9]. Here, we tackle this critical problem by using brain response to characterize the nature of mental computations that support category decisions to evaluate two dominant, and opposing, models of categorization. We found that brain states during category decisions were significantly more consistent with latent model representations from exemplar [5] rather than prototype theory [10, 11]. Representations of individual experiences, not the abstraction of experiences, are critical for category decision making. Holding models accountable for behavior and neural implementation provides a means for advancing more complete descriptions of the algorithms of cognition. PMID:24094852

  7. The neural basis for novel semantic categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koenig, Phyllis; Smith, Edward E; Glosser, Guila; DeVita, Chris; Moore, Peachie; McMillan, Corey; Gee, Jim; Grossman, Murray

    2005-01-15

    We monitored regional cerebral activity with BOLD fMRI during acquisition of a novel semantic category and subsequent categorization of test stimuli by a rule-based strategy or a similarity-based strategy. We observed different patterns of activation in direct comparisons of rule- and similarity-based categorization. During rule-based category acquisition, subjects recruited anterior cingulate, thalamic, and parietal regions to support selective attention to perceptual features, and left inferior frontal cortex to helps maintain rules in working memory. Subsequent rule-based categorization revealed anterior cingulate and parietal activation while judging stimuli whose conformity with the rules was readily apparent, and left inferior frontal recruitment during judgments of stimuli whose conformity was less apparent. By comparison, similarity-based category acquisition showed recruitment of anterior prefrontal and posterior cingulate regions, presumably to support successful retrieval of previously encountered exemplars from long-term memory, and bilateral temporal-parietal activation for perceptual feature integration. Subsequent similarity-based categorization revealed temporal-parietal, posterior cingulate, and anterior prefrontal activation. These findings suggest that large-scale networks support relatively distinct categorization processes during the acquisition and judgment of semantic category knowledge.

  8. Attention and Gaze Control in Picture Naming, Word Reading, and Word Categorizing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roelofs, Ardi

    2007-01-01

    The trigger for shifting gaze between stimuli requiring vocal and manual responses was examined. Participants were presented with picture-word stimuli and left- or right-pointing arrows. They vocally named the picture (Experiment 1), read the word (Experiment 2), or categorized the word (Experiment 3) and shifted their gaze to the arrow to…

  9. Ingroup categorization and response conflict: Interactive effects of target race, flanker compatibility, and infrequency on N2 amplitude.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickter, Cheryl L; Bartholow, Bruce D

    2010-05-01

    Three largely independent lines of research have investigated experimental manipulations that influence the amplitude of the N2 component of the event-related brain potential (ERP), one linking heightened N2 amplitude to response conflict, another showing that N2 is sensitive to stimulus infrequency, and the third showing larger N2 amplitude during categorization of racial ingroup relative to racial outgroup targets. The purpose of this research was to investigate potential interactions between these three features on the amplitude of the N2. ERPs were recorded while participants completed a modified flanker task using pictures of ingroup and outgroup faces. Results showed a 3-way interaction, indicating that the N2 was largest for ingroup targets on high-conflict trials but only when such trials were relatively infrequent. Implications of these findings for theories of both conflict monitoring and person perception are discussed.

  10. A research on threat (hazard) categorization method for nuclear facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang Rongyao; Xu Xiaoxiao; Zhang Jiangang; Zhao Bin; Wang Xuexin

    2011-01-01

    The threat categorization method suggested by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and hazard categorization standard by the Department of Energy of United States (USDOE) for nuclear facilities are compared and discussed in this paper. The research shows the two types of categorization method for nuclear facilities are similar, though each has its own specialty. The categorization method suggested by IAEA for the purpose of emergency planning is quite completed and updated. The categorization method of DOE is advanced in its operability, and fits for safety surveillance. But the dispersible radioactive material thresholds used for categorization need to be updated. The threshold of category 3 is somewhat disputable for many reasons. The recommended categorization method for China is also given in this paper. (author)

  11. Complex surveys analysis of categorical data

    CERN Document Server

    Mukhopadhyay, Parimal

    2016-01-01

    The primary objective of this book is to study some of the research topics in the area of analysis of complex surveys which have not been covered in any book yet. It discusses the analysis of categorical data using three models: a full model, a log-linear model and a logistic regression model. It is a valuable resource for survey statisticians and practitioners in the field of sociology, biology, economics, psychology and other areas who have to use these procedures in their day-to-day work. It is also useful for courses on sampling and complex surveys at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. The importance of sample surveys today cannot be overstated. From voters’ behaviour to fields such as industry, agriculture, economics, sociology, psychology, investigators generally resort to survey sampling to obtain an assessment of the behaviour of the population they are interested in. Many large-scale sample surveys collect data using complex survey designs like multistage stratified cluster designs. The o...

  12. An Intelligent System For Arabic Text Categorization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Syiam, M.M.; Tolba, Mohamed F.; Fayed, Z.T.; Abdel-Wahab, Mohamed S.; Ghoniemy, Said A.; Habib, Mena Badieh

    Text Categorization (classification) is the process of classifying documents into a predefined set of categories based on their content. In this paper, an intelligent Arabic text categorization system is presented. Machine learning algorithms are used in this system. Many algorithms for stemming and

  13. Explanation and Categorization: How "Why?" Informs "What?"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lombrozo, Tania

    2009-01-01

    Recent theoretical and empirical work suggests that explanation and categorization are intimately related. This paper explores the hypothesis that explanations can help structure conceptual representations, and thereby influence the relative importance of features in categorization decisions. In particular, features may be differentially important…

  14. Alternative Assessment Methods Based on Categorizations, Supporting Technologies, and a Model for Betterment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben-Jacob, Marion G.; Ben-Jacob, Tyler E.

    2014-01-01

    This paper explores alternative assessment methods from the perspective of categorizations. It addresses the technologies that support assessment. It discusses initial, formative, and summative assessment, as well as objective and subjective assessment, and formal and informal assessment. It approaches each category of assessment from the…

  15. Ultra rapid object categorization: effects of level, animacy and context.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Praß, Maren; Grimsen, Cathleen; König, Martina; Fahle, Manfred

    2013-01-01

    It is widely agreed that in object categorization bottom-up and top-down influences interact. How top-down processes affect categorization has been primarily investigated in isolation, with only one higher level process at a time being manipulated. Here, we investigate the combination of different top-down influences (by varying the level of category, the animacy and the background of the object) and their effect on rapid object categorization. Subjects participated in a two-alternative forced choice rapid categorization task, while we measured accuracy and reaction times. Subjects had to categorize objects on the superordinate, basic or subordinate level. Objects belonged to the category animal or vehicle and each object was presented on a gray, congruent (upright) or incongruent (inverted) background. The results show that each top-down manipulation impacts object categorization and that they interact strongly. The best categorization was achieved on the superordinate level, providing no advantage for basic level in rapid categorization. Categorization between vehicles was faster than between animals on the basic level and vice versa on the subordinate level. Objects in homogenous gray background (context) yielded better overall performance than objects embedded in complex scenes, an effect most prominent on the subordinate level. An inverted background had no negative effect on object categorization compared to upright scenes. These results show how different top-down manipulations, such as category level, category type and background information, are related. We discuss the implications of top-down interactions on the interpretation of categorization results.

  16. The human amygdala parametrically encodes the intensity of specific facial emotions and their categorical ambiguity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shuo; Yu, Rongjun; Tyszka, J. Michael; Zhen, Shanshan; Kovach, Christopher; Sun, Sai; Huang, Yi; Hurlemann, Rene; Ross, Ian B.; Chung, Jeffrey M.; Mamelak, Adam N.; Adolphs, Ralph; Rutishauser, Ueli

    2017-01-01

    The human amygdala is a key structure for processing emotional facial expressions, but it remains unclear what aspects of emotion are processed. We investigated this question with three different approaches: behavioural analysis of 3 amygdala lesion patients, neuroimaging of 19 healthy adults, and single-neuron recordings in 9 neurosurgical patients. The lesion patients showed a shift in behavioural sensitivity to fear, and amygdala BOLD responses were modulated by both fear and emotion ambiguity (the uncertainty that a facial expression is categorized as fearful or happy). We found two populations of neurons, one whose response correlated with increasing degree of fear, or happiness, and a second whose response primarily decreased as a linear function of emotion ambiguity. Together, our results indicate that the human amygdala processes both the degree of emotion in facial expressions and the categorical ambiguity of the emotion shown and that these two aspects of amygdala processing can be most clearly distinguished at the level of single neurons. PMID:28429707

  17. 28 CFR 75.3 - Categorization of records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Categorization of records. 75.3 Section 75.3 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (CONTINUED) CHILD PROTECTION RESTORATION AND...; RECORDKEEPING AND RECORD-INSPECTION PROVISIONS § 75.3 Categorization of records. Records required to be...

  18. Congruence Effect in Semantic Categorization with Masked Primes with Narrow and Broad Categories

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quinn, Wendy Maree; Kinoshita, Sachiko

    2008-01-01

    In semantic categorization, masked primes that are category-congruent with the target (e.g., "Planets: mars-VENUS") facilitate responses relative to category-incongruent primes (e.g., "tree-VENUS"). The present study investigated why this category congruence effect is more consistently found with narrow categories (e.g., "Numbers larger/smaller…

  19. ICLIC : interactive categorization of large image collections

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Der Corput, Paul; van Wijk, Jarke J.

    2016-01-01

    We present a new approach for the analysis of large image collections. We argue that categorization plays an important role in this process, not only to label images as end result, but also during exploration. Furthermore, to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the categorization process we

  20. Iteration and primitive recursion in categorical terms

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Geuvers, J.H.; Poll, E.; Barendsen, E.; Capretta, V.; Geuvers, H.; Niqui, M.

    2007-01-01

    We study various well-known schemes for defining inductive and co-inductive types from a categorical perspective. Categorically, an inductive type is just an initial algebra and a coinductive type is just a terminal co-algebra. However, in category theory these notions are quite strong, requiring

  1. Aging, culture, and memory for categorically processed information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Lixia; Chen, Wenfeng; Ng, Andy H; Fu, Xiaolan

    2013-11-01

    Literature on cross-cultural differences in cognition suggests that categorization, as an information processing and organization strategy, was more often used by Westerners than by East Asians, particularly for older adults. This study examines East-West cultural differences in memory for categorically processed items and sources in young and older Canadians and native Chinese with a conceptual source memory task (Experiment 1) and a reality monitoring task (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, participants encoded photographic faces of their own ethnicity that were artificially categorized into GOOD or EVIL characters and then completed a source memory task in which they identified faces as old-GOOD, old-EVIL, or new. In Experiment 2, participants viewed a series of words, each followed either by a corresponding image (i.e., SEEN) or by a blank square within which they imagined an image for the word (i.e., IMAGINED). At test, they decided whether the test words were old-SEEN, old-IMAGINED, or new. In general, Canadians outperformed Chinese in memory for categorically processed information, an effect more pronounced for older than for young adults. Extensive exercise of culturally preferred categorization strategy differentially benefits Canadians and reduces their age group differences in memory for categorically processed information.

  2. 42 CFR 405.203 - FDA categorization of investigational devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false FDA categorization of investigational devices. 405... Coverage Decisions That Relate to Health Care Technology § 405.203 FDA categorization of investigational.../investigational (Category A) or non-experimental/investigational (Category B). (c) CMS uses the categorization of...

  3. Acoustic and categorical dissimilarity of musical timbre: Evidence from asymmetriesbetween acoustic and chimeric sounds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kai eSiedenburg

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper investigates the role of acoustic and categorical information in timbre dissimilarity ratings. Using a Gammatone-filterbank-based sound transformation, we created tones that were rated as less familiar than recorded tones from orchestral instruments and that were harder to associate with an unambiguous sound source (Exp. 1. A subset of transformed tones, a set of orchestral recordings, and a mixed set were then rated on pairwise dissimilarity (Exp. 2A. We observed that recorded instrument timbres clustered into subsets that distinguished timbres according to acoustic and categorical properties. For the subset of cross-category comparisons in the mixed set, we observed asymmetries in the distribution of ratings, as well as a stark decay of inter-rater agreement. These effects were replicated in a more robust within-subjects design (Exp. 2B and cannot be explained by acoustic factors alone. We finally introduced a novel model of timbre dissimilarity based on partial least-squares regression that compared the contributions of both acoustic and categorical timbre descriptors. The best model fit (R^2 = .88 was achieved when both types of descriptors were taken into account. These findings are interpreted as evidence for an interplay of acoustic and categorical information in timbre dissimilarity perception.

  4. Categorization of Quantum Mechanics Problems by Professors and Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Shih-Yin; Singh, Chandralekha

    2010-01-01

    We discuss the categorization of 20 quantum mechanics problems by physics professors and undergraduate students from two honours-level quantum mechanics courses. Professors and students were asked to categorize the problems based upon similarity of solution. We also had individual discussions with professors who categorized the problems. Faculty…

  5. Categorizing Pedagogical Patterns by Teaching Activities and Pedagogical Value

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eriksen, Ole

    2006-01-01

    The main contribution of this paper is a proposal for a universal pedagogical pattern categorization based on teaching values and activities. This categorization would be more sustainable than the arbitrary categorization implied by pedagogical pattern language themes. Pedagogical patterns from two...... central patterns languages are analyzed and categorized, and the result is a catalogue theoretically founded and practical in its application. The teaching values are derived from learning theories, implying the theoretical foundation of the catalogue. In order to increase the usability of the value...

  6. Person (mis)perception: functionally biased sex categorization of bodies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Kerri L; Iida, Masumi; Tassinary, Louis G

    2012-12-22

    Social perception is among the most important tasks that occur in daily life, and perceivers readily appreciate the social affordances of others. Here, we demonstrate that sex categorizations are functionally biased towards a male percept. Perceivers judged body shapes that varied in waist-to-hip ratio to be men if they were not, in reality, exclusive to women, and male categorizations occurred more quickly than female categorizations (studies 1 and 4). This pattern was corroborated when participants identified the average body shapes of men and women (study 2) and when we assessed participants' cognitive representations (study 3). Moreover, these tendencies were modulated by emotion context (study 4). Thus, male categorizations occurred readily and rapidly, demonstrating a pronounced categorization bias and temporal advantage for male judgements.

  7. How is a categorical imperative possible? : Kant’s deduction of the categorical imperative (GMS, III,4)

    OpenAIRE

    Schönecker, Dieter

    2016-01-01

    Kant’s deduction of the categorical imperative is the answer to the following question: “How is a categorical imperative possible?” The answer is given in subsection 4 (Sec. 4) of chapter three of the Groundwork. It is impossible to understand this answer, and hence impossible to understand Kant’s deduction of the moral law, without taking into account the overall context of Groundwork III (GMS III). However, here I can only sketch the overall structure of GMS III, and there...

  8. Effects of categorization method, regression type, and variable distribution on the inflation of Type-I error rate when categorizing a confounding variable.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnwell-Ménard, Jean-Louis; Li, Qing; Cohen, Alan A

    2015-03-15

    The loss of signal associated with categorizing a continuous variable is well known, and previous studies have demonstrated that this can lead to an inflation of Type-I error when the categorized variable is a confounder in a regression analysis estimating the effect of an exposure on an outcome. However, it is not known how the Type-I error may vary under different circumstances, including logistic versus linear regression, different distributions of the confounder, and different categorization methods. Here, we analytically quantified the effect of categorization and then performed a series of 9600 Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the Type-I error inflation associated with categorization of a confounder under different regression scenarios. We show that Type-I error is unacceptably high (>10% in most scenarios and often 100%). The only exception was when the variable categorized was a continuous mixture proxy for a genuinely dichotomous latent variable, where both the continuous proxy and the categorized variable are error-ridden proxies for the dichotomous latent variable. As expected, error inflation was also higher with larger sample size, fewer categories, and stronger associations between the confounder and the exposure or outcome. We provide online tools that can help researchers estimate the potential error inflation and understand how serious a problem this is. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  9. Sex differences in the weighting of metric and categorical information in spatial location memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holden, Mark P; Duff-Canning, Sarah J; Hampson, Elizabeth

    2015-01-01

    According to the Category Adjustment model, remembering a spatial location involves the Bayesian combination of fine-grained and categorical information about that location, with each cue weighted by its relative certainty. However, individuals may differ in terms of their certainty about each cue, resulting in estimates that rely more or less on metric or categorical representations. To date, though, very little research has examined individual differences in the relative weighting of these cues in spatial location memory. Here, we address this gap in the literature. Participants were asked to recall point locations in uniform geometric shapes and in photographs of complex, natural scenes. Error patterns were analyzed for evidence of a sex difference in the relative use of metric and categorical information. As predicted, women placed relatively more emphasis on categorical cues, while men relied more heavily on metric information. Location reproduction tasks showed a similar effect, implying that the sex difference arises early in spatial processing, possibly during encoding.

  10. Extremely Selective Attention: Eye-Tracking Studies of the Dynamic Allocation of Attention to Stimulus Features in Categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blair, Mark R.; Watson, Marcus R.; Walshe, R. Calen; Maj, Fillip

    2009-01-01

    Humans have an extremely flexible ability to categorize regularities in their environment, in part because of attentional systems that allow them to focus on important perceptual information. In formal theories of categorization, attention is typically modeled with weights that selectively bias the processing of stimulus features. These theories…

  11. Large scale identification and categorization of protein sequences using structured logistic regression

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Bjørn Panella; Ifrim, Georgiana; Liboriussen, Poul

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Background Structured Logistic Regression (SLR) is a newly developed machine learning tool first proposed in the context of text categorization. Current availability of extensive protein sequence databases calls for an automated method to reliably classify sequences and SLR seems well...... problem. Results Using SLR, we have built classifiers to identify and automatically categorize P-type ATPases into one of 11 pre-defined classes. The SLR-classifiers are compared to a Hidden Markov Model approach and shown to be highly accurate and scalable. Representing the bulk of currently known...... for further biochemical characterization and structural analysis....

  12. Expert and novice categorization of introductory physics problems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolf, Steven Frederick

    Since it was first published 30 years ago, Chi et al.'s seminal paper on expert and novice categorization of introductory problems led to a plethora of follow-up studies within and outside of the area of physics [Chi et al. Cognitive Science 5, 121 -- 152 (1981)]. These studies frequently encompass "card-sorting" exercises whereby the participants group problems. The study firmly established the paradigm that novices categorize physics problems by "surface features" (e.g. "incline," "pendulum," "projectile motion,"... ), while experts use "deep structure" (e.g. "energy conservation," "Newton 2,"... ). While this technique certainly allows insights into problem solving approaches, simple descriptive statistics more often than not fail to find significant differences between experts and novices. In most experiments, the clean-cut outcome of the original study cannot be reproduced. Given the widespread implications of the original study, the frequent failure to reproduce its findings warrants a closer look. We developed a less subjective statistical analysis method for the card sorting outcome and studied how the "successful" outcome of the experiment depends on the choice of the original card set. Thus, in a first step, we are moving beyond descriptive statistics, and develop a novel microscopic approach that takes into account the individual identity of the cards and uses graph theory and models to visualize, analyze, and interpret problem categorization experiments. These graphs are compared macroscopically, using standard graph theoretic statistics, and microscopically, using a distance metric that we have developed. This macroscopic sorting behavior is described using our Cognitive Categorization Model. The microscopic comparison allows us to visualize our sorters using Principal Components Analysis and compare the expert sorters to the novice sorters as a group. In the second step, we ask the question: Which properties of problems are most important in problem

  13. System for pathology categorization and retrieval in chest radiographs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avni, Uri; Greenspan, Hayit; Konen, Eli; Sharon, Michal; Goldberger, Jacob

    2011-03-01

    In this paper we present an overview of a system we have been developing for the past several years for efficient image categorization and retrieval in large radiograph archives. The methodology is based on local patch representation of the image content, using a bag of visual words approach and similarity-based categorization with a kernel based SVM classifier. We show an application to pathology-level categorization of chest x-ray data, the most popular examination in radiology. Our study deals with pathology detection and identification of individual pathologies including right and left pleural effusion, enlarged heart and cases of enlarged mediastinum. The input from a radiologist provided a global label for the entire image (healthy/pathology), and the categorization was conducted on the entire image, with no need for segmentation algorithms or any geometrical rules. An automatic diagnostic-level categorization, even on such an elementary level as healthy vs pathological, provides a useful tool for radiologists on this popular and important examination. This is a first step towards similarity-based categorization, which has a major clinical implications for computer-assisted diagnostics.

  14. Maximally Informative Observables and Categorical Perception

    OpenAIRE

    Tsiang, Elaine

    2012-01-01

    We formulate the problem of perception in the framework of information theory, and prove that categorical perception is equivalent to the existence of an observable that has the maximum possible information on the target of perception. We call such an observable maximally informative. Regardless whether categorical perception is real, maximally informative observables can form the basis of a theory of perception. We conclude with the implications of such a theory for the problem of speech per...

  15. A Categorization Model for Educational Values of the History of Mathematics. An Empirical Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiao-qin; Qi, Chun-yan; Wang, Ke

    2017-11-01

    There is not a clear consensus on the categorization framework of the educational values of the history of mathematics. By analyzing 20 Chinese teaching cases on integrating the history of mathematics into mathematics teaching based on the relevant literature, this study examined a new categorization framework of the educational values of the history of mathematics by combining the objectives of high school mathematics curriculum in China. This framework includes six dimensions: the harmony of knowledge, the beauty of ideas or methods, the pleasure of inquiries, the improvement of capabilities, the charm of cultures, and the availability of moral education. The results show that this framework better explained the all-educational values of the history of mathematics that all teaching cases showed. Therefore, the framework can guide teachers to better integrate the history of mathematics into teaching.

  16. Visual Categorization and the Parietal Cortex

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jamie K Fitzgerald

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available The primate brain is adept at rapidly grouping items and events into functional classes, or categories, in order to recognize the significance of stimuli and guide behavior. Higher cognitive functions have traditionally been considered the domain of frontal areas. However, increasing evidence suggests that parietal cortex is also involved in categorical and associative processes. Previous work showed that the parietal cortex is highly involved in spatial processing, attention and saccadic eye movement planning, and more recent studies have found decision-making signals in LIP. We recently found that a subdivision of parietal cortex, the lateral intraparietal area (LIP, reflects learned categories for multiple types of visual stimuli. Additionally, a comparison of categorization signals in parietal and frontal areas found stronger and earlier categorization signals in parietal cortex, arguing that parietal abstract association or category signals are unlikely to arise via feedback from prefrontal cortex (PFC.

  17. Morphing between expressions dissociates continuous from categorical representations of facial expression in the human brain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Richard J.; Young, Andrew W.; Andrews, Timothy J.

    2012-01-01

    Whether the brain represents facial expressions as perceptual continua or as emotion categories remains controversial. Here, we measured the neural response to morphed images to directly address how facial expressions of emotion are represented in the brain. We found that face-selective regions in the posterior superior temporal sulcus and the amygdala responded selectively to changes in facial expression, independent of changes in identity. We then asked whether the responses in these regions reflected categorical or continuous neural representations of facial expression. Participants viewed images from continua generated by morphing between faces posing different expressions such that the expression could be the same, could involve a physical change but convey the same emotion, or could differ by the same physical amount but be perceived as two different emotions. We found that the posterior superior temporal sulcus was equally sensitive to all changes in facial expression, consistent with a continuous representation. In contrast, the amygdala was only sensitive to changes in expression that altered the perceived emotion, demonstrating a more categorical representation. These results offer a resolution to the controversy about how facial expression is processed in the brain by showing that both continuous and categorical representations underlie our ability to extract this important social cue. PMID:23213218

  18. Ignorability for categorical data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jaeger, Manfred

    2005-01-01

    We study the problem of ignorability in likelihood-based inference from incomplete categorical data. Two versions of the coarsened at random assumption (car) are distinguished, their compatibility with the parameter distinctness assumption is investigated and several conditions for ignorability...

  19. Unsupervised Categorization in a Sample of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Darren J.; Perlman, Amotz; Reed, Phil

    2012-01-01

    Studies of supervised Categorization have demonstrated limited Categorization performance in participants with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), however little research has been conducted regarding unsupervised Categorization in this population. This study explored unsupervised Categorization using two stimulus sets that differed in their…

  20. Basic-level categorization of intermediate complexity fragments reveals top-down effects of expertise in visual perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harel, Assaf; Ullman, Shimon; Harari, Danny; Bentin, Shlomo

    2011-07-28

    Visual expertise is usually defined as the superior ability to distinguish between exemplars of a homogeneous category. Here, we ask how real-world expertise manifests at basic-level categorization and assess the contribution of stimulus-driven and top-down knowledge-based factors to this manifestation. Car experts and novices categorized computer-selected image fragments of cars, airplanes, and faces. Within each category, the fragments varied in their mutual information (MI), an objective quantifiable measure of feature diagnosticity. Categorization of face and airplane fragments was similar within and between groups, showing better performance with increasing MI levels. Novices categorized car fragments more slowly than face and airplane fragments, while experts categorized car fragments as fast as face and airplane fragments. The experts' advantage with car fragments was similar across MI levels, with similar functions relating RT with MI level for both groups. Accuracy was equal between groups for cars as well as faces and airplanes, but experts' response criteria were biased toward cars. These findings suggest that expertise does not entail only specific perceptual strategies. Rather, at the basic level, expertise manifests as a general processing advantage arguably involving application of top-down mechanisms, such as knowledge and attention, which helps experts to distinguish between object categories. © ARVO

  1. PENGEMBANGAN TEKNIK PENILAIAN CATEGORIZING GRID UNTUK MELATIHKAN KECAKAPAN MENGANALIS PADA MATAKULIAH VOCABULARY I

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siti Azizah

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Analysis skill is advance cognitive skill that the students must have in their learning, including in Vocabulary I. It studies how the assessment forms of categorizing grid technique which can practice students’ skill in analyzing. After researched, tested definite sample, revised based on expert’s suggestion, as well as the implementation, there is a finding that the technique of assessment is valid and good technique. Assessment technique develop to support learning activity in Vocabulary I in “compound nouns” topic using categorizing grid to train students’ skill in analyzing is acceptable. The proofs are: the assessment running well, there are solutions for the obstacles during the assessment activity, students’ activity running well, students give positive response

  2. The Characteristics and Limits of Rapid Visual Categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fabre-Thorpe, Michèle

    2011-01-01

    Visual categorization appears both effortless and virtually instantaneous. The study by Thorpe et al. (1996) was the first to estimate the processing time necessary to perform fast visual categorization of animals in briefly flashed (20 ms) natural photographs. They observed a large differential EEG activity between target and distracter correct trials that developed from 150 ms after stimulus onset, a value that was later shown to be even shorter in monkeys! With such strong processing time constraints, it was difficult to escape the conclusion that rapid visual categorization was relying on massively parallel, essentially feed-forward processing of visual information. Since 1996, we have conducted a large number of studies to determine the characteristics and limits of fast visual categorization. The present chapter will review some of the main results obtained. I will argue that rapid object categorizations in natural scenes can be done without focused attention and are most likely based on coarse and unconscious visual representations activated with the first available (magnocellular) visual information. Fast visual processing proved efficient for the categorization of large superordinate object or scene categories, but shows its limits when more detailed basic representations are required. The representations for basic objects (dogs, cars) or scenes (mountain or sea landscapes) need additional processing time to be activated. This finding is at odds with the widely accepted idea that such basic representations are at the entry level of the system. Interestingly, focused attention is still not required to perform these time consuming basic categorizations. Finally we will show that object and context processing can interact very early in an ascending wave of visual information processing. We will discuss how such data could result from our experience with a highly structured and predictable surrounding world that shaped neuronal visual selectivity. PMID

  3. Relational versus absolute representation in categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Darren J; Pothos, Emmanuel M; Perlman, Amotz

    2012-01-01

    This study explores relational-like and absolute-like representations in categorization. Although there is much evidence that categorization processes can involve information about both the particular physical properties of studied instances and abstract (relational) properties, there has been little work on the factors that lead to one kind of representation as opposed to the other. We tested 370 participants in 6 experiments, in which participants had to classify new items into predefined artificial categories. In 4 experiments, we observed a predominantly relational-like mode of classification, and in 2 experiments we observed a shift toward an absolute-like mode of classification. These results suggest 3 factors that promote a relational-like mode of classification: fewer items per group, more training groups, and the presence of a time delay. Overall, we propose that less information about the distributional properties of a category or weaker memory traces for the category exemplars (induced, e.g., by having smaller categories or a time delay) can encourage relational-like categorization.

  4. At face value : categorization goals modulate vigilance for angry faces

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Dillen, L.F.; Lakens, D.; Bos, van den K.

    2010-01-01

    The present research demonstrates that the attention bias to angry faces is modulated by how people categorize these faces. Since facial expressions contain psychologically meaningful information for social categorizations (i.e., gender, personality) but not for non-social categorizations (i.e.,

  5. Categorizing clients with disabilities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjeldsen, Lena; Amby, Finn

    Danish governments have continuously proclaimed goals of raising the employment rate for people with disabilities, most recently in the publication “10 goal for social mobility” (Government 2016). In spite of this, the employment rate for people with disabilities has been more than 30 percent less...... than that of people without disabilities for more than a decade (Larsen & Høgelund 2015). An explanation of this difference could be the limited connection between these general goals, the employment laws and the actual implementation of the goals in the job centers (Amby 2015). Earlier Danish studies...... have by large focused on employment and disability at the stage where the client already has been categorized as having a disability (e.g. Møller & Stone 2013). This study offers new insight to the field in a Danish context by exploring the process in which people with disabilities are categorized...

  6. Acoustic and Categorical Dissimilarity of Musical Timbre: Evidence from Asymmetries Between Acoustic and Chimeric Sounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siedenburg, Kai; Jones-Mollerup, Kiray; McAdams, Stephen

    2016-01-01

    This paper investigates the role of acoustic and categorical information in timbre dissimilarity ratings. Using a Gammatone-filterbank-based sound transformation, we created tones that were rated as less familiar than recorded tones from orchestral instruments and that were harder to associate with an unambiguous sound source (Experiment 1). A subset of transformed tones, a set of orchestral recordings, and a mixed set were then rated on pairwise dissimilarity (Experiment 2A). We observed that recorded instrument timbres clustered into subsets that distinguished timbres according to acoustic and categorical properties. For the subset of cross-category comparisons in the mixed set, we observed asymmetries in the distribution of ratings, as well as a stark decay of inter-rater agreement. These effects were replicated in a more robust within-subjects design (Experiment 2B) and cannot be explained by acoustic factors alone. We finally introduced a novel model of timbre dissimilarity based on partial least-squares regression that compared the contributions of both acoustic and categorical timbre descriptors. The best model fit (R2 = 0.88) was achieved when both types of descriptors were taken into account. These findings are interpreted as evidence for an interplay of acoustic and categorical information in timbre dissimilarity perception. PMID:26779086

  7. Experimental Fuels Facility Re-categorization Based on Facility Segmentation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reiss, Troy P.; Andrus, Jason

    2016-07-01

    The Experimental Fuels Facility (EFF) (MFC-794) at the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) located on the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site was originally constructed to provide controlled-access, indoor storage for radiological contaminated equipment. Use of the facility was expanded to provide a controlled environment for repairing contaminated equipment and characterizing, repackaging, and treating waste. The EFF facility is also used for research and development services, including fuel fabrication. EFF was originally categorized as a LTHC-3 radiological facility based on facility operations and facility radiological inventories. Newly planned program activities identified the need to receive quantities of fissionable materials in excess of the single parameter subcritical limit in ANSI/ANS-8.1, “Nuclear Criticality Safety in Operations with Fissionable Materials Outside Reactors” (identified as “criticality list” quantities in DOE-STD-1027-92, “Hazard Categorization and Accident Analysis Techniques for Compliance with DOE Order 5480.23, Nuclear Safety Analysis Reports,” Attachment 1, Table A.1). Since the proposed inventory of fissionable materials inside EFF may be greater than the single parameter sub-critical limit of 700 g of U-235 equivalent, the initial re-categorization is Hazard Category (HC) 2 based upon a potential criticality hazard. This paper details the facility hazard categorization performed for the EFF. The categorization was necessary to determine (a) the need for further safety analysis in accordance with LWP-10802, “INL Facility Categorization,” and (b) compliance with 10 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 830, Subpart B, “Safety Basis Requirements.” Based on the segmentation argument presented in this paper, the final hazard categorization for the facility is LTHC-3. Department of Energy Idaho (DOE-ID) approval of the final hazard categorization determined by this hazard assessment document (HAD) was required per the

  8. Stress categorization in nozzle to pressure vessel connections finite elements models; Categorizacao de tensoes em modelos de elementos finitos de conexoes bocal-vaso de pressao

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Albuquerque, Levi Barcelos de

    1999-07-01

    The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III , is the most important code for nuclear pressure vessels design. Its design criteria were developed to preclude the various pressure vessel failure modes throughout the so-called 'Design by Analysis', some of them by imposing stress limits. Thus, failure modes such as plastic collapse, excessive plastic deformation and incremental plastic deformation under cyclic loading (ratchetting) may be avoided by limiting the so-called primary and secondary stresses. At the time 'Design by Analysis' was developed (early 60's) the main tool for pressure vessel design was the shell discontinuity analysis, in which the results were given in membrane and bending stress distributions along shell sections. From that time, the Finite Element Method (FEM) has had a growing use in pressure vessels design. In this case, the stress results are neither normally separated in membrane and bending stress nor classified in primary and secondary stresses. This process of stress separation and classification in Finite Element (FE) results is what is called stress categorization. In order to perform the stress categorization to check results from FE models against the ASME Code stress limits, mainly from 3D solid FE models, several research works have been conducted. This work is included in this effort. First, a description of the ASME Code design criteria is presented. After that, a brief description of how the FEM can be used in pressure vessel design is showed. Several studies found in the literature on stress categorization for pressure vessel FE models are reviewed and commented. Then, the analyses done in this work are presented in which some typical nozzle to pressure vessel connections subjected to internal pressure and concentrated loads were modeled with solid finite elements. The results from linear elastic and limit load analyses are compared to each other and also with the results obtained by formulae

  9. Object Categorization in Finer Levels Relies More on Higher Spatial Frequencies and Takes Longer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashtiani, Matin N; Kheradpisheh, Saeed R; Masquelier, Timothée; Ganjtabesh, Mohammad

    2017-01-01

    The human visual system contains a hierarchical sequence of modules that take part in visual perception at different levels of abstraction, i.e., superordinate, basic, and subordinate levels. One important question is to identify the "entry" level at which the visual representation is commenced in the process of object recognition. For a long time, it was believed that the basic level had a temporal advantage over two others. This claim has been challenged recently. Here we used a series of psychophysics experiments, based on a rapid presentation paradigm, as well as two computational models, with bandpass filtered images of five object classes to study the processing order of the categorization levels. In these experiments, we investigated the type of visual information required for categorizing objects in each level by varying the spatial frequency bands of the input image. The results of our psychophysics experiments and computational models are consistent. They indicate that the different spatial frequency information had different effects on object categorization in each level. In the absence of high frequency information, subordinate and basic level categorization are performed less accurately, while the superordinate level is performed well. This means that low frequency information is sufficient for superordinate level, but not for the basic and subordinate levels. These finer levels rely more on high frequency information, which appears to take longer to be processed, leading to longer reaction times. Finally, to avoid the ceiling effect, we evaluated the robustness of the results by adding different amounts of noise to the input images and repeating the experiments. As expected, the categorization accuracy decreased and the reaction time increased significantly, but the trends were the same. This shows that our results are not due to a ceiling effect. The compatibility between our psychophysical and computational results suggests that the temporal

  10. Class Evolution Tree: A Graphical Tool to Support Decisions on the Number of Classes in Exploratory Categorical Latent Variable Modeling for Rehabilitation Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kriston, Levente; Melchior, Hanne; Hergert, Anika; Bergelt, Corinna; Watzke, Birgit; Schulz, Holger; von Wolff, Alessa

    2011-01-01

    The aim of our study was to develop a graphical tool that can be used in addition to standard statistical criteria to support decisions on the number of classes in explorative categorical latent variable modeling for rehabilitation research. Data from two rehabilitation research projects were used. In the first study, a latent profile analysis was…

  11. Multivariate sensitivity to voice during auditory categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Yune Sang; Peelle, Jonathan E; Kraemer, David; Lloyd, Samuel; Granger, Richard

    2015-09-01

    Past neuroimaging studies have documented discrete regions of human temporal cortex that are more strongly activated by conspecific voice sounds than by nonvoice sounds. However, the mechanisms underlying this voice sensitivity remain unclear. In the present functional MRI study, we took a novel approach to examining voice sensitivity, in which we applied a signal detection paradigm to the assessment of multivariate pattern classification among several living and nonliving categories of auditory stimuli. Within this framework, voice sensitivity can be interpreted as a distinct neural representation of brain activity that correctly distinguishes human vocalizations from other auditory object categories. Across a series of auditory categorization tests, we found that bilateral superior and middle temporal cortex consistently exhibited robust sensitivity to human vocal sounds. Although the strongest categorization was in distinguishing human voice from other categories, subsets of these regions were also able to distinguish reliably between nonhuman categories, suggesting a general role in auditory object categorization. Our findings complement the current evidence of cortical sensitivity to human vocal sounds by revealing that the greatest sensitivity during categorization tasks is devoted to distinguishing voice from nonvoice categories within human temporal cortex. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

  12. K Basins fuel encapsulation and storage hazard categorization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Porten, D.R.

    1994-12-01

    This document establishes the initial hazard categorization for K-Basin fuel encapsulation and storage in the 100 K Area of the Hanford site. The Hazard Categorization for K-Basins addresses the potential for release of radioactive and non-radioactive hazardous material located in the K-Basins and their supporting facilities. The Hazard Categorization covers the hazards associated with normal K-Basin fuel storage and handling operations, fuel encapsulation, sludge encapsulation, and canister clean-up and disposal. The criteria categorizes a facility based on total curies per radionuclide located in the facility. Tables 5-3 and 5-4 display the results in section 5.0. In accordance with DOE-STD-1027 and the analysis provided in section 5.0, the K East Basin fuel encapsulation and storage activity and the K West Basin storage are classified as a open-quotes Category 2close quotes Facility

  13. Categorical Perception of emotional faces is not affected by aging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mandy Rossignol

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Effects of normal aging on categorical perception (CP of facial emotional expressions were investigated. One-hundred healthy participants (20 to 70 years old; five age groups had to identify morphed expressions ranging from neutrality to happiness, sadness and fear. We analysed percentages and latencies of correct recognition for nonmorphed emotional expressions, percentages and latencies of emotional recognition for morphed-faces, locus of the boundaries along the different continua and the number of intrusions. The results showed that unmorphed happy and fearful faces were better processed than unmorphed sad and neutral faces. For morphed faces, CP was confirmed, as latencies increased as a function of the distance between the displayed morph and the original unmorphed photograph. The locus of categorical boundaries was not affected by age. Aging did not alter the accuracy of recognition for original pictures, no more than the emotional recognition of morphed faces or the rate of intrusions. However, latencies of responses increased with age, for both unmorphed and morphed pictures. In conclusion, CP of facial expressions appears to be spared in aging.

  14. Perception of angle in visual categorization by pigeons (Columba livia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Walter T. Herbranson

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Pigeons are capable of learning to categorize stimuli based on visual features, and often reach levels of accuracy comparable with humans. Nevertheless, recent research has suggested that the cognitive processes behind categorization in pigeons and humans may not always be the same. Pigeons learned a categorization task in which they categorized either Shepard circles varying in size and orientation of a radial line (stimuli that are frequently used in research on human categorization, or moving dots varying in speed and direction of travel (stimuli that have been successfully used to study pigeon categorization. Even though categories were balanced so that the angles of orientation of Shepard circles matched the directions of travel for moving dots, birds failed to learn categories based on the former but not the latter. Results suggest that information about angle as a direction of travel may be more important for pigeons than information about angle of orientation.

  15. The time course from gender categorization to gender-stereotype activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiaobin; Li, Qiong; Sun, Shan; Zuo, Bin

    2018-02-01

    Social categorization is the foundation of stereotype activation, and the process from social categorization to stereotype activation is rapid. However, the time from social categorization to stereotype activation is unknown. This study involves a real-time measurement of the time course of gender-stereotype activation beginning with gender categorization using event-related potential technology with a face as the priming stimulus. We found that 195 ms after a face stimulus was presented, brain waves stimulated by male or female gender categorization showed a clear separation, with male faces stimulating larger N200 waves. In addition, 475 ms after a face stimulus appeared or 280 ms after the gendercategorization process occurred, gender-stereotype-consistent and gender-stereotype-inconsistent stimuli were distinct, with gender-stereotype-inconsistent stimuli inducing larger N400 waves. These results indicate that during gender-stereotype activation by face perception, gender categorization occurs approximately 195 ms after seeing a face stimulus and a gender stereotype is activated at approximately 475 ms.

  16. Categorical Inputs, Sensitivity Analysis, Optimization and Importance Tempering with tgp Version 2, an R Package for Treed Gaussian Process Models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert B. Gramacy

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available This document describes the new features in version 2.x of the tgp package for R, implementing treed Gaussian process (GP models. The topics covered include methods for dealing with categorical inputs and excluding inputs from the tree or GP part of the model; fully Bayesian sensitivity analysis for inputs/covariates; sequential optimization of black-box functions; and a new Monte Carlo method for inference in multi-modal posterior distributions that combines simulated tempering and importance sampling. These additions extend the functionality of tgp across all models in the hierarchy: from Bayesian linear models, to classification and regression trees (CART, to treed Gaussian processes with jumps to the limiting linear model. It is assumed that the reader is familiar with the baseline functionality of the package, outlined in the first vignette (Gramacy 2007.

  17. Auditory Emotion Word Primes Influence Emotional Face Categorization in Children and Adults, but Not Vice Versa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vesker, Michael; Bahn, Daniela; Kauschke, Christina; Tschense, Monika; Degé, Franziska; Schwarzer, Gudrun

    2018-01-01

    In order to assess how the perception of audible speech and facial expressions influence one another for the perception of emotions, and how this influence might change over the course of development, we conducted two cross-modal priming experiments with three age groups of children (6-, 9-, and 12-years old), as well as college-aged adults. In Experiment 1, 74 children and 24 adult participants were tasked with categorizing photographs of emotional faces as positive or negative as quickly as possible after being primed with emotion words presented via audio in valence-congruent and valence-incongruent trials. In Experiment 2, 67 children and 24 adult participants carried out a similar categorization task, but with faces acting as visual primes, and emotion words acting as auditory targets. The results of Experiment 1 showed that participants made more errors when categorizing positive faces primed by negative words versus positive words, and that 6-year-old children are particularly sensitive to positive word primes, giving faster correct responses regardless of target valence. Meanwhile, the results of Experiment 2 did not show any congruency effects for priming by facial expressions. Thus, audible emotion words seem to exert an influence on the emotional categorization of faces, while faces do not seem to influence the categorization of emotion words in a significant way.

  18. 42 CFR 405.213 - Re-evaluation of a device categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Re-evaluation of a device categorization. 405.213... Decisions That Relate to Health Care Technology § 405.213 Re-evaluation of a device categorization. (a... experimental/investigational (Category A) may request re-evaluation of the categorization decision. (2) A...

  19. An ERP analysis of recognition and categorization decisions in a prototype-distortion task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tunney, Richard J; Fernie, Gordon; Astle, Duncan E

    2010-04-12

    Theories of categorization make different predictions about the underlying processes used to represent categories. Episodic theories suggest that categories are represented in memory by storing previously encountered exemplars in memory. Prototype theories suggest that categories are represented in the form of a prototype independently of memory. A number of studies that show dissociations between categorization and recognition are often cited as evidence for the prototype account. These dissociations have compared recognition judgements made to one set of items to categorization judgements to a different set of items making a clear interpretation difficult. Instead of using different stimuli for different tests this experiment compares the processes by which participants make decisions about category membership in a prototype-distortion task and with recognition decisions about the same set of stimuli by examining the Event Related Potentials (ERPs) associated with them. Sixty-three participants were asked to make categorization or recognition decisions about stimuli that either formed an artificial category or that were category non-members. We examined the ERP components associated with both kinds of decision for pre-exposed and control participants. In contrast to studies using different items we observed no behavioural differences between the two kinds of decision; participants were equally able to distinguish category members from non-members, regardless of whether they were performing a recognition or categorisation judgement. Interestingly, this did not interact with prior-exposure. However, the ERP data demonstrated that the early visual evoked response that discriminated category members from non-members was modulated by which judgement participants performed and whether they had been pre-exposed to category members. We conclude from this that any differences between categorization and recognition reflect differences in the information that participants

  20. Categorization and category effects in normal object recognition

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gerlach, Christian; Law, Ian; Gade, Anders

    2000-01-01

    and that the categorization of artefacts, as opposed to the categorization of natural objects, is based, in part, on action knowledge mediated by the left premotor cortex. However, because artefacts and natural objects often caused activation in the same regions within tasks, processing of these categories is not totally...

  1. Categorical Perception of Emotional Facial Expressions in Preschoolers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheal, Jenna L.; Rutherford, M. D.

    2011-01-01

    Adults perceive emotional facial expressions categorically. In this study, we explored categorical perception in 3.5-year-olds by creating a morphed continuum of emotional faces and tested preschoolers' discrimination and identification of them. In the discrimination task, participants indicated whether two examples from the continuum "felt the…

  2. Computer security of NPP instrumentation and control systems: categorization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klevtsov, A.L.; Simonov, A.A.; Trubchaninov, S.A.

    2016-01-01

    The paper is devoted to studying categorization of NPP instrumentation and control (I&C) systems from the point of view of computer security and to consideration of the computer security levels and zones used by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The paper also describes the computer security degrees and zones regulated by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard. The computer security categorization of the systems used by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is presented. The experts analyzed the main differences in I&C systems computer security categorization accepted by the IAEA, IEC and U.S. NRC. The approaches to categorization that should be advisably used in Ukraine during the development of regulation on NPP I&C systems computer security are proposed in the paper

  3. Assessment of Spectral and Temporal Resolution in Cochlear Implant Users Using Psychoacoustic Discrimination and Speech Cue Categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winn, Matthew B; Won, Jong Ho; Moon, Il Joon

    This study was conducted to measure auditory perception by cochlear implant users in the spectral and temporal domains, using tests of either categorization (using speech-based cues) or discrimination (using conventional psychoacoustic tests). The authors hypothesized that traditional nonlinguistic tests assessing spectral and temporal auditory resolution would correspond to speech-based measures assessing specific aspects of phonetic categorization assumed to depend on spectral and temporal auditory resolution. The authors further hypothesized that speech-based categorization performance would ultimately be a superior predictor of speech recognition performance, because of the fundamental nature of speech recognition as categorization. Nineteen cochlear implant listeners and 10 listeners with normal hearing participated in a suite of tasks that included spectral ripple discrimination, temporal modulation detection, and syllable categorization, which was split into a spectral cue-based task (targeting the /ba/-/da/ contrast) and a timing cue-based task (targeting the /b/-/p/ and /d/-/t/ contrasts). Speech sounds were manipulated to contain specific spectral or temporal modulations (formant transitions or voice onset time, respectively) that could be categorized. Categorization responses were quantified using logistic regression to assess perceptual sensitivity to acoustic phonetic cues. Word recognition testing was also conducted for cochlear implant listeners. Cochlear implant users were generally less successful at utilizing both spectral and temporal cues for categorization compared with listeners with normal hearing. For the cochlear implant listener group, spectral ripple discrimination was significantly correlated with the categorization of formant transitions; both were correlated with better word recognition. Temporal modulation detection using 100- and 10-Hz-modulated noise was not correlated either with the cochlear implant subjects' categorization of

  4. Toddlers' categorization of typical and scrambled dolls and cars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heron, Michelle; Slaughter, Virginia

    2008-09-01

    Previous research has demonstrated discrimination of scrambled from typical human body shapes at 15-18 months of age [Slaughter, V., & Heron, M. (2004). Origins and early development of human body knowledge. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 69]. In the current study 18-, 24- and 30-month-old infants were presented with four typical and four scrambled dolls in a sequential touching procedure, to assess the development of explicit categorization of human body shapes. Infants were also presented with typical and scrambled cars, allowing comparison of infants' categorization of scrambled and typical exemplars in a different domain. Spontaneous comments regarding category membership were recorded. Girls categorized dolls and cars as typical or scrambled at 30 months, whereas boys only categorized the cars. Earliest categorization was for typical and scrambled cars, at 24 months, but only for boys. Language-based knowledge, coded from infants' comments, followed the same pattern. This suggests that human body knowledge does not have privileged status in infancy. Gender differences in performance are discussed.

  5. Comparison of continuous versus categorical tumor measurement-based metrics to predict overall survival in cancer treatment trials

    Science.gov (United States)

    An, Ming-Wen; Mandrekar, Sumithra J.; Branda, Megan E.; Hillman, Shauna L.; Adjei, Alex A.; Pitot, Henry; Goldberg, Richard M.; Sargent, Daniel J.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose The categorical definition of response assessed via the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors has documented limitations. We sought to identify alternative metrics for tumor response that improve prediction of overall survival. Experimental Design Individual patient data from three North Central Cancer Treatment Group trials (N0026, n=117; N9741, n=1109; N9841, n=332) were used. Continuous metrics of tumor size based on longitudinal tumor measurements were considered in addition to a trichotomized response (TriTR: Response vs. Stable vs. Progression). Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for treatment arm and baseline tumor burden, were used to assess the impact of the metrics on subsequent overall survival, using a landmark analysis approach at 12-, 16- and 24-weeks post baseline. Model discrimination was evaluated using the concordance (c) index. Results The overall best response rates for the three trials were 26%, 45%, and 25% respectively. While nearly all metrics were statistically significantly associated with overall survival at the different landmark time points, the c-indices for the traditional response metrics ranged from 0.59-0.65; for the continuous metrics from 0.60-0.66 and for the TriTR metrics from 0.64-0.69. The c-indices for TriTR at 12-weeks were comparable to those at 16- and 24-weeks. Conclusions Continuous tumor-measurement-based metrics provided no predictive improvement over traditional response based metrics or TriTR; TriTR had better predictive ability than best TriTR or confirmed response. If confirmed, TriTR represents a promising endpoint for future Phase II trials. PMID:21880789

  6. Prioritizing Identities: Cross Categorization of Ethnicity and Religious Sects in Turkey Identities: Ethnicity and/or Religion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Goklem Tekdemir Yurtdas

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to investigate how different ethnic groups (Turkish/Kurdish and religious sects (Alevi/Sunni are perceived in Turkey. These groups have a long history of conflicts. In order to examine the perception of these conflicting group identities, we adopted the theoretical frameworks of simple and cross categorization developed by the Social Identity Theory and the Category Differentiation Model. Both theories converge on the idea of in-group favoritism in the case of simple categorization while they offer different explanations for cross categorization condition. In order to test these differing theoretical propositions, we asked our participants to evaluate simple and cross categorization conditions based on variables of ethnicity and sect.  Our sample consisted of 106 individuals from two ethnic groups (Kurdish/Turkish and two religious sects (Alevi/Sunni. The participants completed a questionnaire based on Zavalloni’s focused introspection technique. Within subjects repeated measures ANOVA analysis were carried out for both simple and cross categorization. The results of the analysis revealed that the participants emphasized in-group similarities and out-group differences both for ethnicity and religious sect in the simple categorization condition. Moreover, in-group similarities based on religious sects rather than ethnicity were prioritized in the cross categorization condition. The results confirmed the Social Identity Theory’s assumptions generally. Results were discussed in terms of relevant literature, and in relation to historical and political issues regarding ethnicity and sects in Turkey.

  7. Professional Norms and Categorization Practices among Danish Social Workers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Marie Østergaard

    2012-01-01

    clients. In my material I identify a difference between an administrative and a social-pedagogical reasoning about social workers’ casework. I analyze this difference as expressing different kinds of professional norms and I try to explain varying categorization practices with this difference. Finally, I...... compare correspondences between professional norms and categorization practice to the regulative setting (sickness benefits or social welfare) to see whether this matters to the found relationships. The analysis shows a relationship between administrative reasoning and stereotyped categorization of social...

  8. Information-integration category learning and the human uncertainty response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul, Erick J; Boomer, Joseph; Smith, J David; Ashby, F Gregory

    2011-04-01

    The human response to uncertainty has been well studied in tasks requiring attention and declarative memory systems. However, uncertainty monitoring and control have not been studied in multi-dimensional, information-integration categorization tasks that rely on non-declarative procedural memory. Three experiments are described that investigated the human uncertainty response in such tasks. Experiment 1 showed that following standard categorization training, uncertainty responding was similar in information-integration tasks and rule-based tasks requiring declarative memory. In Experiment 2, however, uncertainty responding in untrained information-integration tasks impaired the ability of many participants to master those tasks. Finally, Experiment 3 showed that the deficit observed in Experiment 2 was not because of the uncertainty response option per se, but rather because the uncertainty response provided participants a mechanism via which to eliminate stimuli that were inconsistent with a simple declarative response strategy. These results are considered in the light of recent models of category learning and metacognition.

  9. Learning and transfer of category knowledge in an indirect categorization task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helie, Sebastien; Ashby, F Gregory

    2012-05-01

    Knowledge representations acquired during category learning experiments are 'tuned' to the task goal. A useful paradigm to study category representations is indirect category learning. In the present article, we propose a new indirect categorization task called the "same"-"different" categorization task. The same-different categorization task is a regular same-different task, but the question asked to the participants is about the stimulus category membership instead of stimulus identity. Experiment 1 explores the possibility of indirectly learning rule-based and information-integration category structures using the new paradigm. The results suggest that there is little learning about the category structures resulting from an indirect categorization task unless the categories can be separated by a one-dimensional rule. Experiment 2 explores whether a category representation learned indirectly can be used in a direct classification task (and vice versa). The results suggest that previous categorical knowledge acquired during a direct classification task can be expressed in the same-different categorization task only when the categories can be separated by a rule that is easily verbalized. Implications of these results for categorization research are discussed.

  10. Development and validation of a facial expression database based on the dimensional and categorical model of emotions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujimura, Tomomi; Umemura, Hiroyuki

    2018-01-15

    The present study describes the development and validation of a facial expression database comprising five different horizontal face angles in dynamic and static presentations. The database includes twelve expression types portrayed by eight Japanese models. This database was inspired by the dimensional and categorical model of emotions: surprise, fear, sadness, anger with open mouth, anger with closed mouth, disgust with open mouth, disgust with closed mouth, excitement, happiness, relaxation, sleepiness, and neutral (static only). The expressions were validated using emotion classification and Affect Grid rating tasks [Russell, Weiss, & Mendelsohn, 1989. Affect Grid: A single-item scale of pleasure and arousal. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(3), 493-502]. The results indicate that most of the expressions were recognised as the intended emotions and could systematically represent affective valence and arousal. Furthermore, face angle and facial motion information influenced emotion classification and valence and arousal ratings. Our database will be available online at the following URL. https://www.dh.aist.go.jp/database/face2017/ .

  11. The Dif Identification in Constructed Response Items Using Partial Credit Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heri Retnawati

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The study was to identify the load, the type and the significance of differential item functioning (DIF in constructed response item using the partial credit model (PCM. The data in the study were the students’ instruments and the students’ responses toward the PISA-like test items that had been completed by 386 ninth grade students and 460 tenth grade students who had been about 15 years old in the Province of Yogyakarta Special Region in Indonesia. The analysis toward the item characteristics through the student categorization based on their class was conducted toward the PCM using CONQUEST software. Furthermore, by applying these items characteristics, the researcher draw the category response function (CRF graphic in order to identify whether the type of DIF content had been in uniform or non-uniform. The significance of DIF was identified by comparing the discrepancy between the difficulty level parameter and the error in the CONQUEST output results. The results of the analysis showed that from 18 items that had been analyzed there were 4 items which had not been identified load DIF, there were 5 items that had been identified containing DIF but not statistically significant and there were 9 items that had been identified containing DIF significantly. The causes of items containing DIF were discussed.

  12. Fine-grained versus categorical: Pupil size differentiates between strategies for spatial working memory performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Starc, Martina; Anticevic, Alan; Repovš, Grega

    2017-05-01

    Pupillometry provides an accessible option to track working memory processes with high temporal resolution. Several studies showed that pupil size increases with the number of items held in working memory; however, no study has explored whether pupil size also reflects the quality of working memory representations. To address this question, we used a spatial working memory task to investigate the relationship of pupil size with spatial precision of responses and indicators of reliance on generalized spatial categories. We asked 30 participants (15 female, aged 19-31) to remember the position of targets presented at various locations along a hidden radial grid. After a delay, participants indicated the remembered location with a high-precision joystick providing a parametric measure of trial-to-trial accuracy. We recorded participants' pupil dilations continuously during task performance. Results showed a significant relation between pupil dilation during preparation/early encoding and the precision of responses, possibly reflecting the attentional resources devoted to memory encoding. In contrast, pupil dilation at late maintenance and response predicted larger shifts of responses toward prototypical locations, possibly reflecting larger reliance on categorical representation. On an intraindividual level, smaller pupil dilations during encoding predicted larger dilations during late maintenance and response. On an interindividual level, participants relying more on categorical representation also produced larger precision errors. The results confirm the link between pupil size and the quality of spatial working memory representation. They suggest compensatory strategies of spatial working memory performance-loss of precise spatial representation likely increases reliance on generalized spatial categories. © 2017 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

  13. Robust parameter design for integrated circuit fabrication procedure with respect to categorical characteristic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sohn, S.Y.

    1999-01-01

    We consider a robust parameter design of the process for forming contact windows in complementary metal-oxide semiconductor circuits. Robust design is often used to find the optimal levels of process conditions which would provide the output of consistent quality as close to a target value. In this paper, we analyze the results of the fractional factorial design of nine factors: mask dimension, viscosity, bake temperature, spin speed, bake time, aperture, exposure time, developing time, etch time, where the outcome of the experiment is measured in terms of a categorized window size with five categories. Random effect analysis is employed to model both the mean and variance of categorized window size as functions of some controllable factors as well as random errors. Empirical Bayes' procedures are then utilized to fit both the models, and to eventually find the robust design of CMOS circuit process by means of a Bootstrap resampling approach

  14. Should there be both categorical and dimensional criteria for the substance use disorders in DSM-V?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helzer, John E; van den Brink, Wim; Guth, Sarah E

    2006-09-01

    As discussed in the following literature review, the relative advantages of categorical and dimensional criteria for classifying the substance use disorders (SUDs) have been debated for many years. The scheduled revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) offers an opportunity to re-examine this question. Both categorical and dimensional approaches to diagnosis offer advantages, both may in fact be necessary for a comprehensive taxonomy. One means of resolving debate about the direction to take in revising DSM-V and simultaneously of achieving maximum taxonomic utility is to include both categorical and dimensional criteria in DSM-V. This could be accomplished by first defining a set of categorical criteria, as in the previous editions of the DSM. Corresponding dimensional criteria could then be created using a more empirical methodology. In this paper we review some of the relevant literature, offer a specific proposal for a dimensional component for the DSM-V substance use disorders that also preserves the categorical definitions and suggest areas for additional research relevant the this agenda. There is evidence that alcohol and other forms of substance abuse and dependence are heterogeneous categories and that the SUDs can be conceptualized viably as arrayed along a continuum. Amplifying clinically derived categorical definitions with more empirically derived dimensional components to better capture this variability is a particularly important consideration for a substance use research agenda for DSM-V. It is crucial that a dimensional approach be offered in some form in DSM-V; but it is also vital that any dimensional approach be linked to the categorical definition. The proposal offered herein provides a model for amplifying categorical definitions with a dimensional component in a way that is evolutionary and not disruptive to the existing taxonomy.

  15. La categoría bienestar psicológico: Su relación con otras categorías sociales

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carmen R Victoria García-Viniegras

    2000-12-01

    Full Text Available Desde los tiempos más remotos los pensadores, poetas y científicos han intentado reflexionar y postular principios de diversa índole acerca del bienestar o felicidad del ser humano, constituyendo en la actualidad un tema de estudio importante para la psicología y en general para las ciencias sociales. Numerosos esfuerzos se han dirigido hacia el establecimiento de los componentes del bienestar, creándose para ellos distintos modelos para su estudio desde las perspectivas de muy variadas disciplinas. El bienestar colinda con una serie de otras categorías psico-sociológicas y sociológicas, siendo su delimitación conceptual y metodológica uno de los retos más grandes que tienen ante sí estas ciencias. El presente trabajo pretende realizar un análisis de la categoría bienestar desde un ángulo psicológico, estableciendo puntos de contacto con otras categorías sociales, tales como: desarrollo económico, nivel de vida, condiciones materiales de vida, modo de vida y estilo de vida

  16. Categorical Pullbacks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Riccardi Marco

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The main purpose of this article is to introduce the categorical concept of pullback in Mizar. In the first part of this article we redefine homsets, monomorphisms, epimorpshisms and isomorphisms [7] within a free-object category [1] and it is shown there that ordinal numbers can be considered as categories. Then the pullback is introduced in terms of its universal property and the Pullback Lemma is formalized [15]. In the last part of the article we formalize the pullback of functors [14] and it is also shown that it is not possible to write an equivalent definition in the context of the previous Mizar formalization of category theory [8].

  17. 4D-Fingerprint Categorical QSAR Models for Skin Sensitization Based on Classification Local Lymph Node Assay Measures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yi; Tseng, Yufeng J.; Pan, Dahua; Liu, Jianzhong; Kern, Petra S.; Gerberick, G. Frank; Hopfinger, Anton J.

    2008-01-01

    Currently, the only validated methods to identify skin sensitization effects are in vivo models, such as the Local Lymph Node Assay (LLNA) and guinea pig studies. There is a tremendous need, in particular due to novel legislation, to develop animal alternatives, eg. Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) models. Here, QSAR models for skin sensitization using LLNA data have been constructed. The descriptors used to generate these models are derived from the 4D-molecular similarity paradigm and are referred to as universal 4D-fingerprints. A training set of 132 structurally diverse compounds and a test set of 15 structurally diverse compounds were used in this study. The statistical methodologies used to build the models are logistic regression (LR), and partial least square coupled logistic regression (PLS-LR), which prove to be effective tools for studying skin sensitization measures expressed in the two categorical terms of sensitizer and non-sensitizer. QSAR models with low values of the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistic, χHL2, are significant and predictive. For the training set, the cross-validated prediction accuracy of the logistic regression models ranges from 77.3% to 78.0%, while that of PLS-logistic regression models ranges from 87.1% to 89.4%. For the test set, the prediction accuracy of logistic regression models ranges from 80.0%-86.7%, while that of PLS-logistic regression models ranges from 73.3%-80.0%. The QSAR models are made up of 4D-fingerprints related to aromatic atoms, hydrogen bond acceptors and negatively partially charged atoms. PMID:17226934

  18. Global Neural Pattern Similarity as a Common Basis for Categorization and Recognition Memory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Gui; Love, Bradley C.; Preston, Alison R.; Poldrack, Russell A.

    2014-01-01

    Familiarity, or memory strength, is a central construct in models of cognition. In previous categorization and long-term memory research, correlations have been found between psychological measures of memory strength and activation in the medial temporal lobes (MTLs), which suggests a common neural locus for memory strength. However, activation alone is insufficient for determining whether the same mechanisms underlie neural function across domains. Guided by mathematical models of categorization and long-term memory, we develop a theory and a method to test whether memory strength arises from the global similarity among neural representations. In human subjects, we find significant correlations between global similarity among activation patterns in the MTLs and both subsequent memory confidence in a recognition memory task and model-based measures of memory strength in a category learning task. Our work bridges formal cognitive theories and neuroscientific models by illustrating that the same global similarity computations underlie processing in multiple cognitive domains. Moreover, by establishing a link between neural similarity and psychological memory strength, our findings suggest that there may be an isomorphism between psychological and neural representational spaces that can be exploited to test cognitive theories at both the neural and behavioral levels. PMID:24872552

  19. The effect of cognitive load on social categorization in the category confusion paradigm

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Spears, R; Haslam, SA; Jansen, R

    1999-01-01

    The category confusion paradigm (Taylor, Fiske, Etcoff & Ruderman, 1978) was used to examine the relationship between cognitive load and the extent of social categorization. The original prediction made by Taylor et al. (1978; Experiment 2) and inferences from the cognitive miser model suggest that

  20. Global Infrasound Association Based on Probabilistic Clutter Categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arora, Nimar; Mialle, Pierrick

    2016-04-01

    The IDC advances its methods and continuously improves its automatic system for the infrasound technology. The IDC focuses on enhancing the automatic system for the identification of valid signals and the optimization of the network detection threshold by identifying ways to refine signal characterization methodology and association criteria. An objective of this study is to reduce the number of associated infrasound arrivals that are rejected from the automatic bulletins when generating the reviewed event bulletins. Indeed, a considerable number of signal detections are due to local clutter sources such as microbaroms, waterfalls, dams, gas flares, surf (ocean breaking waves) etc. These sources are either too diffuse or too local to form events. Worse still, the repetitive nature of this clutter leads to a large number of false event hypotheses due to the random matching of clutter at multiple stations. Previous studies, for example [1], have worked on categorization of clutter using long term trends on detection azimuth, frequency, and amplitude at each station. In this work we continue the same line of reasoning to build a probabilistic model of clutter that is used as part of NETVISA [2], a Bayesian approach to network processing. The resulting model is a fusion of seismic, hydroacoustic and infrasound processing built on a unified probabilistic framework. References: [1] Infrasound categorization Towards a statistics based approach. J. Vergoz, P. Gaillard, A. Le Pichon, N. Brachet, and L. Ceranna. ITW 2011 [2] NETVISA: Network Processing Vertically Integrated Seismic Analysis. N. S. Arora, S. Russell, and E. Sudderth. BSSA 2013

  1. Categorical Perception of Lexical Tones in Mandarin-speaking Congenital Amusics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wan Ting Huang

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Previous research suggests that within Mandarin-speaking congenital amusics, only a subgroup has behavioral lexical tone perception impairments (tone agnosia, whereas the rest of amusics do not. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the categorical nature of lexical tone perception in Mandarin-speaking amusics with and without behavioral lexical tone deficits. Three groups of listeners (controls, pure amusics and amusics with tone agnosia participated in tone identification and discrimination tasks. Indexes of the categorical perception of a physical continuum of fundamental frequencies ranging from a rising to level tone were measured. Specifically, the stimulus durations were manipulated at 100 and 200 ms. For both stimulus durations, all groups exhibited similar categorical boundaries. The pure amusics showed sharp identification slopes and significantly peaked discrimination functions similar to those of normal controls. However, such essential characteristics for the categorical perception of lexical tones were not observed in amusics with tone agnosia. An enlarged step-size from 20 Hz to 35 Hz was not able to produce any discrimination peaks in tone agnosics either. The current study revealed that only amusics with tone agnosia showed a lack of categorical tone perception, while the pure amusics demonstrated typical categorical perception of lexical tones, indicating that the deficit of pitch processing in music does not necessarily result in the deficit in the categorical perception of lexical tones. The different performance between congenital amusics with and without tone agnosia provides a new perspective on the proposition of the relationship between music and speech perception.

  2. Objectives and Strategies in the Layperson's Categorization of Behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, Curt; Mischel, Walter

    The effects of observational purpose are thought to impact on such diverse processes as categorization, behavior perception, trait ascription, and memory. The role of observational purpose in the categorization of behavior was explored to determine whether differences between trait and goal concepts affect certain information-processing…

  3. Continuity between DSM-5 Categorical Criteria and Traits Criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bach, Bo; Sellbom, Martin

    2016-08-01

    Borderline personality disorder (BPD) includes a heterogeneous constellation of symptoms operationalized with 9 categorical criteria. As the field of personality disorder (PD) research moves to emphasize dimensional traits in its operationalization, it is important to delineate continuity between the 9 DSM-IV/Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) categorical criteria for BPD and the trait dimensions in DSM-5 Section III. To date, no study has attempted such validation. We examined the associations between the 9 categorical DSM-IV/DSM-5 criteria for BPD and the trait dimensions of the alternative DSM-5 model for PDs in consecutively recruited psychiatric outpatients (N = 142; 68% female; age: mean 29.02, SD 8.38). This was investigated by means of bivariate correlations, followed by multiple logistic regression analysis. The categorical BPD criteria were associated with conceptually related DSM-5 Section III traits (P > 0.001), except for the criterion of chronic feelings of emptiness. Consistent with the proposed traits criteria for BPD in DSM-5 Section III, we found Emotional lability, Anxiousness, Separation insecurity, Depressivity, Impulsivity, Risk taking, and Hostility to capture conceptually coherent BPD categorical criteria, while Suspiciousness was also strongly associated with BPD criteria. At the domain level, this applied to Negative affectivity, Disinhibition, and Psychoticism. Notably, Emotional lability, Impulsivity, and Suspiciousness emerged as unique predictors of BPD (P > 0.05). In addition to the proposed BPD traits criteria, Suspiciousness and features of Psychoticism also augment BPD features. Provided that these findings are replicated in forthcoming research, a modified traits operationalization of BPD is warranted. © The Author(s) 2016.

  4. Hidden Markov Item Response Theory Models for Responses and Response Times.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molenaar, Dylan; Oberski, Daniel; Vermunt, Jeroen; De Boeck, Paul

    2016-01-01

    Current approaches to model responses and response times to psychometric tests solely focus on between-subject differences in speed and ability. Within subjects, speed and ability are assumed to be constants. Violations of this assumption are generally absorbed in the residual of the model. As a result, within-subject departures from the between-subject speed and ability level remain undetected. These departures may be of interest to the researcher as they reflect differences in the response processes adopted on the items of a test. In this article, we propose a dynamic approach for responses and response times based on hidden Markov modeling to account for within-subject differences in responses and response times. A simulation study is conducted to demonstrate acceptable parameter recovery and acceptable performance of various fit indices in distinguishing between different models. In addition, both a confirmatory and an exploratory application are presented to demonstrate the practical value of the modeling approach.

  5. Categorical Data Analysis With Sas and Spss Applications

    CERN Document Server

    Lawal, H Bayo

    2003-01-01

    This book covers the fundamental aspects of categorical data analysis with an emphasis on how to implement the models used in the book using SAS and SPSS. This is accomplished through the frequent use of examples, with relevant codes and instructions, that are closely related to the problems in the text. Concepts are explained in detail so that students can reproduce similar results on their own. Beginning with chapter two, exercises at the end of each chapter further strengthen students' understanding of the concepts by requiring them to apply some of the ideas expressed in the text in a more

  6. Using WordNet to Complement Training Information in Text Categorization

    OpenAIRE

    Rodriguez, Manuel de Buenaga; Hidalgo, Jose Maria Gomez; Agudo, Belen Diaz

    1997-01-01

    Automatic Text Categorization (TC) is a complex and useful task for many natural language applications, and is usually performed through the use of a set of manually classified documents, a training collection. We suggest the utilization of additional resources like lexical databases to increase the amount of information that TC systems make use of, and thus, to improve their performance. Our approach integrates WordNet information with two training approaches through the Vector Space Model. ...

  7. ICD-11 and DSM-5 personality trait domains capture categorical personality disorders: Finding a common ground.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bach, Bo; Sellbom, Martin; Skjernov, Mathias; Simonsen, Erik

    2018-05-01

    The five personality disorder trait domains in the proposed International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition are comparable in terms of Negative Affectivity, Detachment, Antagonism/Dissociality and Disinhibition. However, the International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition model includes a separate domain of Anankastia, whereas the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition model includes an additional domain of Psychoticism. This study examined associations of International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition trait domains, simultaneously, with categorical personality disorders. Psychiatric outpatients ( N = 226) were administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders Interview and the Personality Inventory for DSM-5. International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition trait domain scores were obtained using pertinent scoring algorithms for the Personality Inventory for DSM-5. Associations between categorical personality disorders and trait domains were examined using correlation and multiple regression analyses. Both the International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition domain models showed relevant continuity with categorical personality disorders and captured a substantial amount of their information. As expected, the International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition model was superior in capturing obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, whereas the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition model was superior in capturing schizotypal personality disorder. These preliminary findings suggest that little information is 'lost' in a transition to trait domain

  8. On colour categorization of nature

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yendrikhovskij, S.N.

    1998-01-01

    The following research elaborates on some of the 'semantic' and 'algorithmic' aspects of the categorization process for thc colour domain. The structure of colour categories is argued to resemble the structure of Ihe distribution of colours in the perceived world. This distribution can be

  9. Taxonomic and ad hoc categorization within the two cerebral hemispheres.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Yeshayahu; Aharoni, Bat-El; Mashal, Nira

    2015-01-01

    A typicality effect refers to categorization which is performed more quickly or more accurately for typical than for atypical members of a given category. Previous studies reported a typicality effect for category members presented in the left visual field/right hemisphere (RH), suggesting that the RH applies a similarity-based categorization strategy. However, findings regarding the typicality effect within the left hemisphere (LH) are less conclusive. The current study tested the pattern of typicality effects within each hemisphere for both taxonomic and ad hoc categories, using words presented to the left or right visual fields. Experiment 1 tested typical and atypical members of taxonomic categories as well as non-members, and Experiment 2 tested typical and atypical members of ad hoc categories as well as non-members. The results revealed a typicality effect in both hemispheres and in both types of categories. Furthermore, the RH categorized atypical stimuli more accurately than did the LH. Our findings suggest that both hemispheres rely on a similarity-based categorization strategy, but the coarse semantic coding of the RH seems to facilitate the categorization of atypical members.

  10. 42 CFR 405.753 - Appeal of a categorization of a device.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Appeal of a categorization of a device. 405.753... Under Medicare Part A § 405.753 Appeal of a categorization of a device. (a) CMS's acceptance of the FDA categorization of a device as an experimental/investigational (Category A) device under § 405.203 is a national...

  11. 42 CFR 405.877 - Appeal of a categorization of a device.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Appeal of a categorization of a device. 405.877... Part B Program § 405.877 Appeal of a categorization of a device. (a) CMS's acceptance of the FDA categorization of a device as an experimental/investigational (Category A) device under § 405.203 is a national...

  12. Robust parameter design for integrated circuit fabrication procedure with respect to categorical characteristic

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sohn, S.Y

    1999-12-01

    We consider a robust parameter design of the process for forming contact windows in complementary metal-oxide semiconductor circuits. Robust design is often used to find the optimal levels of process conditions which would provide the output of consistent quality as close to a target value. In this paper, we analyze the results of the fractional factorial design of nine factors: mask dimension, viscosity, bake temperature, spin speed, bake time, aperture, exposure time, developing time, etch time, where the outcome of the experiment is measured in terms of a categorized window size with five categories. Random effect analysis is employed to model both the mean and variance of categorized window size as functions of some controllable factors as well as random errors. Empirical Bayes' procedures are then utilized to fit both the models, and to eventually find the robust design of CMOS circuit process by means of a Bootstrap resampling approach.

  13. Response moderation models for conditional dependence between response time and response accuracy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolsinova, Maria; Tijmstra, Jesper; Molenaar, Dylan

    2017-05-01

    It is becoming more feasible and common to register response times in the application of psychometric tests. Researchers thus have the opportunity to jointly model response accuracy and response time, which provides users with more relevant information. The most common choice is to use the hierarchical model (van der Linden, 2007, Psychometrika, 72, 287), which assumes conditional independence between response time and accuracy, given a person's speed and ability. However, this assumption may be violated in practice if, for example, persons vary their speed or differ in their response strategies, leading to conditional dependence between response time and accuracy and confounding measurement. We propose six nested hierarchical models for response time and accuracy that allow for conditional dependence, and discuss their relationship to existing models. Unlike existing approaches, the proposed hierarchical models allow for various forms of conditional dependence in the model and allow the effect of continuous residual response time on response accuracy to be item-specific, person-specific, or both. Estimation procedures for the models are proposed, as well as two information criteria that can be used for model selection. Parameter recovery and usefulness of the information criteria are investigated using simulation, indicating that the procedure works well and is likely to select the appropriate model. Two empirical applications are discussed to illustrate the different types of conditional dependence that may occur in practice and how these can be captured using the proposed hierarchical models. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

  14. Categorical Representation of Facial Expressions in the Infant Brain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leppanen, Jukka M.; Richmond, Jenny; Vogel-Farley, Vanessa K.; Moulson, Margaret C.; Nelson, Charles A.

    2009-01-01

    Categorical perception, demonstrated as reduced discrimination of within-category relative to between-category differences in stimuli, has been found in a variety of perceptual domains in adults. To examine the development of categorical perception in the domain of facial expression processing, we used behavioral and event-related potential (ERP)…

  15. Motivated social categorization: fundamental motives enhance people's sensitivity to basic social categories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maner, Jon K; Miller, Saul L; Moss, Justin H; Leo, Jennifer L; Plant, E Ashby

    2012-07-01

    This article presents an evolutionary framework for identifying the characteristics people use to categorize members of their social world. Findings suggest that fundamental social motives lead people to implicitly categorize social targets based on whether those targets display goal-relevant phenotypic traits. A mate-search prime caused participants to categorize opposite-sex targets (but not same-sex targets) based on their level of physical attractiveness (Experiment 1). A mate-guarding prime interacted with relationship investment, causing participants to categorize same-sex targets (but not opposite-sex targets) based on their physical attractiveness (Experiment 2). A self-protection prime interacted with chronic beliefs about danger, increasing participants' tendency to categorize targets based on their racial group membership (Black or White; Experiment 3). This work demonstrates that people categorize others based on whether they display goal-relevant characteristics reflecting high levels of perceived desirability or threat. Social categorization is guided by fundamental evolved motives designed to enhance adaptive social outcomes. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved

  16. Categorization of aortic aneurysm thrombus morphology by magnetic resonance imaging

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de la Motte, Louise; Pedersen, Mads Møller; Thomsen, Carsten

    2013-01-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been proposed for qualitative categorization of intraluminal thrombus morphology. We aimed to correlate the qualitative MRI categorization previously described to quantitative measurements of signal intensity and to compare morphological characteristics...

  17. Hierarchical Categorical Perception in Sensing and Cognitive Processes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bruni, Luis Emilio

    2008-01-01

    This article considers categorical perception (CP) as a crucial process involved in all sort of communication throughout the biological hierarchy, i.e. in all of biosemiosis. Until now, there has been consideration of CP exclusively within the functional cycle of perception-cognition-action and i...... of categorical sensing and perception with the equally hierarchical issues of the "binding problem", "triadic causality", the "emergent interpretant" and the increasing semiotic freedom observed in biological and cognitive systems....

  18. A Formalization of Kant's Second Formulation of the Categorical Imperative

    OpenAIRE

    Lindner, Felix; Bentzen, Martin Mose

    2018-01-01

    We present a formalization and computational implementation of the second formulation of Kant's categorical imperative. This ethical principle requires an agent to never treat someone merely as a means but always also as an end. Here we interpret this principle in terms of how persons are causally affected by actions. We introduce Kantian causal agency models in which moral patients, actions, goals, and causal influence are represented, and we show how to formalize several readings of Kant's ...

  19. Regression analysis with categorized regression calibrated exposure: some interesting findings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hjartåker Anette

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Regression calibration as a method for handling measurement error is becoming increasingly well-known and used in epidemiologic research. However, the standard version of the method is not appropriate for exposure analyzed on a categorical (e.g. quintile scale, an approach commonly used in epidemiologic studies. A tempting solution could then be to use the predicted continuous exposure obtained through the regression calibration method and treat it as an approximation to the true exposure, that is, include the categorized calibrated exposure in the main regression analysis. Methods We use semi-analytical calculations and simulations to evaluate the performance of the proposed approach compared to the naive approach of not correcting for measurement error, in situations where analyses are performed on quintile scale and when incorporating the original scale into the categorical variables, respectively. We also present analyses of real data, containing measures of folate intake and depression, from the Norwegian Women and Cancer study (NOWAC. Results In cases where extra information is available through replicated measurements and not validation data, regression calibration does not maintain important qualities of the true exposure distribution, thus estimates of variance and percentiles can be severely biased. We show that the outlined approach maintains much, in some cases all, of the misclassification found in the observed exposure. For that reason, regression analysis with the corrected variable included on a categorical scale is still biased. In some cases the corrected estimates are analytically equal to those obtained by the naive approach. Regression calibration is however vastly superior to the naive method when applying the medians of each category in the analysis. Conclusion Regression calibration in its most well-known form is not appropriate for measurement error correction when the exposure is analyzed on a

  20. Gender and Prior Science Achievement Affect Categorization on a Procedural Learning Task

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Jon-Chao; Lu, Chow-Chin; Wang, Jen-Lian; Liao, Shin; Wu, Ming-Ray; Hwang, Ming-Yueh; Lin, Pei-Hsin

    2013-01-01

    Categorization is one of the main mental processes by which perception and conception develop. Nevertheless, categorization receives little attention with the development of critical thinking in Taiwan elementary schools. Thus, the present study investigates the effect that individual differences have on performing categorization tasks.…

  1. Supervised versus unsupervised categorization: two sides of the same coin?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pothos, Emmanuel M; Edwards, Darren J; Perlman, Amotz

    2011-09-01

    Supervised and unsupervised categorization have been studied in separate research traditions. A handful of studies have attempted to explore a possible convergence between the two. The present research builds on these studies, by comparing the unsupervised categorization results of Pothos et al. ( 2011 ; Pothos et al., 2008 ) with the results from two procedures of supervised categorization. In two experiments, we tested 375 participants with nine different stimulus sets and examined the relation between ease of learning of a classification, memory for a classification, and spontaneous preference for a classification. After taking into account the role of the number of category labels (clusters) in supervised learning, we found the three variables to be closely associated with each other. Our results provide encouragement for researchers seeking unified theoretical explanations for supervised and unsupervised categorization, but raise a range of challenging theoretical questions.

  2. Categorical Cell Decomposition of Quantized Symplectic Algebraic Varieties

    OpenAIRE

    Bellamy, Gwyn; Dodd, Christopher; McGerty, Kevin; Nevins, Thomas

    2013-01-01

    We prove a new symplectic analogue of Kashiwara’s equivalence from D–module\\ud theory. As a consequence, we establish a structure theory for module categories over\\ud deformation-quantizations that mirrors, at a higher categorical level, the BiałynickiBirula\\ud stratification of a variety with an action of the multiplicative group Gm . The\\ud resulting categorical cell decomposition provides an algebrogeometric parallel to the\\ud structure of Fukaya categories of Weinstein manifolds. From it,...

  3. Categorical perception of facial expressions in individuals with non-clinical social anxiety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Fanghui; Han, Mingxiu; Zhai, Yu; Jia, Shiwei

    2018-03-01

    According to the well-established categorical perception (CP) of facial expressions, we decode complicated expression signals into simplified categories to facilitate expression processing. Expression processing deficits have been widely described in social anxiety (SA), but it remains to be investigated whether CP of expressions are affected by SA. The present study examined whether individuals with SA had an interpretation bias when processing ambiguous expressions and whether the sensitivity of their CP was affected by their SA. Sixty-four participants (high SA, 30; low SA, 34) were selected from 658 undergraduates using the Interaction Anxiousness Scale (IAS). With the CP paradigm, specifically with the analysis method of the logistic function model, we derived the categorical boundaries (reflecting interpretation bias) and slopes (reflecting sensitivity of CP) of both high- and low-SA groups while recognizing angry-fearful, happy-angry, and happy-fearful expression continua. Based on a comparison of the categorical boundaries and slopes between the high- and low-SA groups, the results showed that the categorical boundaries between the two groups were not different for any of the three continua, which means that the SA does not affect the interpretation bias for any of the three continua. The slopes for the high-SA group were flatter than those for the low-SA group for both the angry-fearful and happy-angry continua, indicating that the high-SA group is insensitive to the subtle changes that occur from angry to fearful faces and from happy to angry faces. Since participants were selected from a sample of undergraduates based on their IAS scores, the results cannot be directly generalized to individuals with clinical SA disorder. The study indicates that SA does not affect interpretation biases in the processing of anger, fear, and happiness, but does modulate the sensitivity of individuals' CP when anger appears. High-SA individuals perceive angry expressions

  4. Same-Different Categorization in Rats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wasserman, Edward A.; Castro, Leyre; Freeman, John H.

    2012-01-01

    Same-different categorization is a fundamental feat of human cognition. Although birds and nonhuman primates readily learn same-different discriminations and successfully transfer them to novel stimuli, no such demonstration exists for rats. Using a spatial discrimination learning task, we show that rats can both learn to discriminate arrays of…

  5. Biostatistics series module 4: Comparing groups - categorical variables

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Avijit Hazra

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Categorical variables are commonly represented as counts or frequencies. For analysis, such data are conveniently arranged in contingency tables. Conventionally, such tables are designated as r × c tables, with r denoting number of rows and c denoting number of columns. The Chi-square (χ2 probability distribution is particularly useful in analyzing categorical variables. A number of tests yield test statistics that fit, at least approximately, a χ2 distribution and hence are referred to as χ2 tests. Examples include Pearson′s χ2 test (or simply the χ2 test, McNemar′s χ2 test, Mantel-Haenszel χ2 test and others. The Pearson′s χ2 test is the most commonly used test for assessing difference in distribution of a categorical variable between two or more independent groups. If the groups are ordered in some manner, the χ2 test for trend should be used. The Fisher′s exact probability test is a test of the independence between two dichotomous categorical variables. It provides a better alternative to the χ2 statistic to assess the difference between two independent proportions when numbers are small, but cannot be applied to a contingency table larger than a two-dimensional one. The McNemar′s χ2 test assesses the difference between paired proportions. It is used when the frequencies in a 2 × 2 table represent paired samples or observations. The Cochran′s Q test is a generalization of the McNemar′s test that compares more than two related proportions. The P value from the χ2 test or its counterparts does not indicate the strength of the difference or association between the categorical variables involved. This information can be obtained from the relative risk or the odds ratio statistic which is measures of dichotomous association obtained from 2 × 2 tables.

  6. Methodology for categorization of nuclear material in pyroprocessing facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Chanki; Choi, Sungyeol [UNIST, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Woo Jin; Kim, Min Su; Jeong, Yon Hong [Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    For the pyroprocessing facility to be commercialized in future, current regulations should be evaluated and developed in advance, based on the new types of nuclear materials in the facility. Physical protection system, especially, requires reasonable and reliable categorization of nuclear materials, to prevent from the theft of nuclear materials. In this paper, therefore, current categorization methods of nuclear material are investigated and applied to the pyroprocessing facility. After inconsistencies and gaps are found among methods, they are compared and discussed based on eight considering points (i.e, degrees of attractiveness, levels of category, discount factor, physical barriers, chemical barriers, isotopic barriers, radiological barriers, and capabilities of adversaries), to roughly suggest a new method for categorization. Current categorization methods of nuclear material, including IAEA's INFCIRC/225, U.S. DOE's method, newly expected U.S. NRC's method, FOM, and Bunn's approach, are different and can bring inconsistencies of physical protection requirements. The gap among methods will be significant if advanced fuel cycles are applied to them for the future. For example, the categorization results of 5 target materials in pyroprocessing facility show clear inconsistencies, while TRU ingot is considered the most attractive material. To resolve inconsistencies, it is necessary to determine new method suitable to pyroproessing facility, by considering the effects of eight points (i.e, degrees of attractiveness, levels of category, discount factor, physical barriers, chemical barriers, isotopic barriers, radiological barriers, and capabilities of adversaries)

  7. Methodology for categorization of nuclear material in pyroprocessing facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Chanki; Choi, Sungyeol; Kim, Woo Jin; Kim, Min Su; Jeong, Yon Hong

    2016-01-01

    For the pyroprocessing facility to be commercialized in future, current regulations should be evaluated and developed in advance, based on the new types of nuclear materials in the facility. Physical protection system, especially, requires reasonable and reliable categorization of nuclear materials, to prevent from the theft of nuclear materials. In this paper, therefore, current categorization methods of nuclear material are investigated and applied to the pyroprocessing facility. After inconsistencies and gaps are found among methods, they are compared and discussed based on eight considering points (i.e, degrees of attractiveness, levels of category, discount factor, physical barriers, chemical barriers, isotopic barriers, radiological barriers, and capabilities of adversaries), to roughly suggest a new method for categorization. Current categorization methods of nuclear material, including IAEA's INFCIRC/225, U.S. DOE's method, newly expected U.S. NRC's method, FOM, and Bunn's approach, are different and can bring inconsistencies of physical protection requirements. The gap among methods will be significant if advanced fuel cycles are applied to them for the future. For example, the categorization results of 5 target materials in pyroprocessing facility show clear inconsistencies, while TRU ingot is considered the most attractive material. To resolve inconsistencies, it is necessary to determine new method suitable to pyroproessing facility, by considering the effects of eight points (i.e, degrees of attractiveness, levels of category, discount factor, physical barriers, chemical barriers, isotopic barriers, radiological barriers, and capabilities of adversaries)

  8. CATEGORIZATION OF EXTRANEOUS MATTER IN COTTON USING MACHINE VISION SYSTEMS

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Cotton Trash Identification System (CTIS) was developed at the Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory to identify and categorize extraneous matter in cotton. The CTIS bark/grass categorization was evaluated with USDA-Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) extraneous matter calls assigned ...

  9. The roles of categorical and coordinate spatial relations in recognizing buildings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palermo, Liana; Piccardi, Laura; Nori, Raffaella; Giusberti, Fiorella; Guariglia, Cecilia

    2012-11-01

    Categorical spatial information is considered more useful for recognizing objects, and coordinate spatial information for guiding actions--for example, during navigation or grasping. In contrast with this assumption, we hypothesized that buildings, unlike other categories of objects, require both categorical and coordinate spatial information in order to be recognized. This hypothesis arose from evidence that right-brain-damaged patients have deficits in both coordinate judgments and recognition of buildings and from the fact that buildings are very useful for guiding navigation in urban environments. To test this hypothesis, we assessed 210 healthy college students while they performed four different tasks that required categorical and coordinate judgments and the recognition of common objects and buildings. Our results showed that both categorical and coordinate spatial representations are necessary to recognize a building, whereas only categorical representations are necessary to recognize an object. We discuss our data in view of a recent neural framework for visuospatial processing, suggesting that recognizing buildings may specifically activate the parieto-medial-temporal pathway.

  10. Social adaptation in multi-agent model of linguistic categorization is affected by network information flow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zubek, Julian; Denkiewicz, Michał; Barański, Juliusz; Wróblewski, Przemysław; Rączaszek-Leonardi, Joanna; Plewczynski, Dariusz

    2017-01-01

    This paper explores how information flow properties of a network affect the formation of categories shared between individuals, who are communicating through that network. Our work is based on the established multi-agent model of the emergence of linguistic categories grounded in external environment. We study how network information propagation efficiency and the direction of information flow affect categorization by performing simulations with idealized network topologies optimizing certain network centrality measures. We measure dynamic social adaptation when either network topology or environment is subject to change during the experiment, and the system has to adapt to new conditions. We find that both decentralized network topology efficient in information propagation and the presence of central authority (information flow from the center to peripheries) are beneficial for the formation of global agreement between agents. Systems with central authority cope well with network topology change, but are less robust in the case of environment change. These findings help to understand which network properties affect processes of social adaptation. They are important to inform the debate on the advantages and disadvantages of centralized systems.

  11. Beyond the internal dynamics of organizational responses to conflicting institutional demands

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viviana Gutiérrez‐Rincón

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents some reflections on strategic response models, in particular the models proposed by Pache, Santos and Oliver, and it evaluates their complementarity and differences, especially regarding the interactions between decision making and the possible strategic responses to institutional demands. It is argued that the theoretical contributions of Pache and Santos can be categorized under the dimension of utility, because they can enhance the potential to operationalize and test the model. However, the reflections made in this paper not only highlight the need to take into account other external and internal factors for the study of strategic responses, but also the integration of different linkages of the decision process with strategic responses to institutional demands.

  12. 40 CFR 171.3 - Categorization of commercial applicators of pesticides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Categorization of commercial applicators of pesticides. 171.3 Section 171.3 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS CERTIFICATION OF PESTICIDE APPLICATORS § 171.3 Categorization of commercial...

  13. From the categorical imperative to the moral law

    OpenAIRE

    Vahl, Marianne

    2008-01-01

    This thesis is a critical survey of Christine Korsgaard’s arguments regarding the rational basis for moral obligations. I focus on her arguments taking us from the categorical imperative to the Moral Law. She makes a distinction that Kant does not; claiming that the categorical imperative is not the Moral Law. In order to equate rational agency with moral agency Korsgaard therefore needs some additional arguments. These arguments, I argue, are not convincing. My claim is that they do not succ...

  14. The effect of integration masking on visual processing in perceptual categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hélie, Sébastien

    2017-08-01

    Learning to recognize and categorize objects is an essential cognitive skill allowing animals to function in the world. However, animals rarely have access to a canonical view of an object in an uncluttered environment. Hence, it is essential to study categorization under noisy, degraded conditions. In this article, we explore how the brain processes categorization stimuli in low signal-to-noise conditions using multivariate pattern analysis. We used an integration masking paradigm with mask opacity of 50%, 60%, and 70% inside a magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The results show that mask opacity affects blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal in visual processing areas (V1, V2, V3, and V4) but does not affect the BOLD signal in brain areas traditionally associated with categorization (prefrontal cortex, striatum, hippocampus). This suggests that when a stimulus is difficult to extract from its background (e.g., low signal-to-noise ratio), the visual system extracts the stimulus and that activity in areas typically associated with categorization are not affected by the difficulty level of the visual conditions. We conclude with implications of this result for research on visual attention, categorization, and the integration of these fields. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Gist memory in Alzheimer's disease: evidence from categorized pictures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Budson, Andrew E; Todman, Raleigh W; Schacter, Daniel L

    2006-01-01

    The authors investigated gist memory (the general meaning, idea, or gist conveyed by a collection of items) for categorized color photographs in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) using an experimental paradigm in which participants are instructed to respond "yes" when a test item fits with a previously studied category, regardless of whether the specific item was actually studied. Compared with controls, the patients endorsed fewer studied items and similar numbers of nonstudied lure items. After the authors corrected for the baseline false-alarm rate, the patients showed a lower level of endorsements for nonstudied lure items compared with that of controls, suggesting that their gist memory is impaired. Implications of these findings for understanding gist memory and response bias in patients with AD are discussed.

  16. Beliefs about poverty related to social categorization in childhood

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Amar Amar

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine whether the social categorization of poverty during childhood is based on essentialist beliefs. The study included 121 children, aged 5 to 7, from different socioeconomic backgrounds living in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia. The children stated that the nature of this social category is based on situations external to the individuals rather than essentialist reasons. No significant differences were found as regards age, gender or socioeconomic status (SES, except in the capacity of the respondents to self-categorize their social status. Children who find fewer differences between members and non-members of a given category tend to err in their self-categorization, which is important for the prevention of social exclusion.

  17. Validation of the modified 4-tiered categorization system through comparison with the 5-tiered categorization system of the 2015 American Thyroid Association guidelines for classifying small thyroid nodules on ultrasound.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Ji Hye; Han, Kyunghwa; Kim, Eun-Kyung; Moon, Hee Jung; Yoon, Jung Hyun; Park, Vivian Y; Kwak, Jin Young

    2017-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to validate the modified 4-tiered categorization system and to compare stratification of malignancy risk in small thyroid nodules with the 2015 American Thyroid Association (ATA) management guidelines. From January 2015 to December 2015, 737 thyroid nodules measured ≥ 1 cm and categorization, which combines very low suspicion and low suspicion nodules into the "revised low suspicion" category. Specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and accuracy were higher with the modified 4-tiered categorization system (P categorization system allows more efficient management with better diagnostic performance than the 2015 ATA categorization system in small thyroid nodules. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Consideration of In-Growth of Radionuclides for Facility Hazard Categorization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mr. Robert E. Miller

    2007-01-01

    This paper addresses issues associated with the effects of daughter product in-growth on the hazard categorization of facilities in accordance with DOE-STD-1027-92, 'Hazard Categorization and Accident Analysis Techniques for Compliance with DOE Order 5480.23, Nuclear Safety Analysis Reports'. There is a list of issues that occur when performing facility hazard categorizations at DOE facilities. The first issue is when radionuclides are concentrated outside of their natural decay schemes, and the resulting daughter products exceed the hazard category three threshold quantity values (HC3 TQVs) while their parents do not. The second issue is if a parent nuclide is evaluated for the inhalation pathway, and the daughter product is evaluated using a different pathway and methodology. The third issue is when the parent and daughter are evaluated using the same pathway for exposure, but the daughter is significantly more radiotoxic than the parent. Lastly, when the TQVs were derived for hazard categorization, the methodology used involved a 24 hour exposure period during which, for the sake of simplicity, no consideration was given to decay and the subsequent in-growth of daughter products. Facility hazard categorization is a snapshot in time and does not provide an accurate inventory for long term operations and/or storage

  19. Temporal and Spatial Categorization in Human and Non-Human Primates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Carlos eMendez

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available It has been proposed that a functional overlap exists in the brain for temporal and spatial information processing. To test this, we designed two relative categorization tasks in which human subjects and a Rhesus monkey had to assign time intervals or distances to a ‘short’ or ‘long’ category according to varying prototypes. The performance of both species was analyzed using psychometric techniques that showed that they may have similar perceptual, memory and/or decision mechanisms, specially for the estimation of time intervals. We also did a correlation analysis with human subjects’ psychometric thresholds and the results imply that indeed, temporal and spatial information categorization share neural substrates. However, not all of the tested distances and intervals correlated with each other, suggesting the existence of sub-circuits that process restricted ranges of distances and intervals. A different analysis was done on the monkey data, in which the influence of the previous categorical prototypes was measured on the task currently being performed. Again, we found a significant interaction between previous and current interval and distance categorization. Overall, the present paper points towards common or at least partially overlapped neural circuits for temporal and spatial categorization in primates.

  20. Decision Making Under Uncertain Categorization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephanie Ying-Fen Chen

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Two experiments investigated how category information is used in decision making under uncertainty and whether the framing of category information influences how it is used. Subjects were presented with vignettes in which the categorization of a critical item was ambiguous and were asked to choose among a set of actions with the goal of attaining the desired outcome for the main character in the story. The normative decision making strategy was to base the decision on all possible categories; however, research on a related topic, category-based induction, has found that people often only consider a single category when making predictions when categorization is uncertain. These experiments found that subjects tend to consider multiple categories when making decisions, but do so both when it is and is not appropriate, suggesting that use of multiple categories is not driven by an understanding of what categories are and are not relevant to the decision. Similarly, although a framing manipulation increased the rate of multiple-category use, it did so in situations in which multiple-category use was and was not appropriate.

  1. Categorical data processing for real estate objects valuation using statistical analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parygin, D. S.; Malikov, V. P.; Golubev, A. V.; Sadovnikova, N. P.; Petrova, T. M.; Finogeev, A. G.

    2018-05-01

    Theoretical and practical approaches to the use of statistical methods for studying various properties of infrastructure objects are analyzed in the paper. Methods of forecasting the value of objects are considered. A method for coding categorical variables describing properties of real estate objects is proposed. The analysis of the results of modeling the price of real estate objects using regression analysis and an algorithm based on a comparative approach is carried out.

  2. Dorsal hippocampus is necessary for visual categorization in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jangjin; Castro, Leyre; Wasserman, Edward A; Freeman, John H

    2018-02-23

    The hippocampus may play a role in categorization because of the need to differentiate stimulus categories (pattern separation) and to recognize category membership of stimuli from partial information (pattern completion). We hypothesized that the hippocampus would be more crucial for categorization of low-density (few relevant features) stimuli-due to the higher demand on pattern separation and pattern completion-than for categorization of high-density (many relevant features) stimuli. Using a touchscreen apparatus, rats were trained to categorize multiple abstract stimuli into two different categories. Each stimulus was a pentagonal configuration of five visual features; some of the visual features were relevant for defining the category whereas others were irrelevant. Two groups of rats were trained with either a high (dense, n = 8) or low (sparse, n = 8) number of category-relevant features. Upon reaching criterion discrimination (≥75% correct, on 2 consecutive days), bilateral cannulas were implanted in the dorsal hippocampus. The rats were then given either vehicle or muscimol infusions into the hippocampus just prior to various testing sessions. They were tested with: the previously trained stimuli (trained), novel stimuli involving new irrelevant features (novel), stimuli involving relocated features (relocation), and a single relevant feature (singleton). In training, the dense group reached criterion faster than the sparse group, indicating that the sparse task was more difficult than the dense task. In testing, accuracy of both groups was equally high for trained and novel stimuli. However, both groups showed impaired accuracy in the relocation and singleton conditions, with a greater deficit in the sparse group. The testing data indicate that rats encode both the relevant features and the spatial locations of the features. Hippocampal inactivation impaired visual categorization regardless of the density of the category-relevant features for

  3. Conservative and revolutionary readings of the categorical imperative: The logic of desire and the logic of drive in Kant’s practical philosophy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Selimbegović Ivan

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper will confront two possible conceptions of Imamanuel Kant’s practical philosophy based on two different possible understandings of categorical imperative. The first conception sees the categorical imperative as prescribing a form for the maxime under which a subject is to act if his actions are to be taken as moral. This conception is shown to be conservative as it preserves the existing moral norms of a society. This way of functioning of categorical imperative is shown to be homologuous to the logic of desiare as described by the french psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan and as incapable of providing a basis for ascribing responsibility to a subject for his acts. Another conception will be offered as an alternative: on that conception the categorical imeprative prescribes a manner of willing any maxime which is shown to be analoguous to the logic of the death drive. It’s ethical and revolutionary character are elucidated towards the end of the paper.

  4. Categorizing "frequent visitors" in the psychiatric emergency room: a semistructured interview study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Buus, Niels

    2011-01-01

    Nurses can become demoralized and hostile toward frequent visitors in psychiatric emergency rooms because of the number of visits. The aim of this study was to develop more knowledge about the ways in which nurses categorize frequent visitors. Eleven nurses were interviewed, and their categorizing...... practices were examined from a social constructionist perspective. The results showed that the nurses did not categorize frequent visitors as particularly unlikeable or difficult to treat. Like other visitors, they could be categorized as difficult if they obstructed a smooth flow of successful referrals...... through the emergency room and/or there was poor rapport with the nurses....

  5. Bootstrapping Visual Categorization with Relevant Negatives

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Li, X.; Snoek, C.G.M.; Worring, M.; Koelma, D.; Smeulders, A.W.M.

    Learning classifiers for many visual concepts are important for image categorization and retrieval. As a classifier tends to misclassify negative examples which are visually similar to positive ones, inclusion of such misclassified and thus relevant negatives should be stressed during learning.

  6. Learning foreign sounds in an alien world: videogame training improves non-native speech categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Sung-joo; Holt, Lori L

    2011-01-01

    Although speech categories are defined by multiple acoustic dimensions, some are perceptually weighted more than others and there are residual effects of native-language weightings in non-native speech perception. Recent research on nonlinguistic sound category learning suggests that the distribution characteristics of experienced sounds influence perceptual cue weights: Increasing variability across a dimension leads listeners to rely upon it less in subsequent category learning (Holt & Lotto, 2006). The present experiment investigated the implications of this among native Japanese learning English /r/-/l/ categories. Training was accomplished using a videogame paradigm that emphasizes associations among sound categories, visual information, and players' responses to videogame characters rather than overt categorization or explicit feedback. Subjects who played the game for 2.5h across 5 days exhibited improvements in /r/-/l/ perception on par with 2-4 weeks of explicit categorization training in previous research and exhibited a shift toward more native-like perceptual cue weights. Copyright © 2011 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

  7. Impact of a short intervention on novices’ categorization criteria

    OpenAIRE

    Jennifer L. Docktor; José P. Mestre; Brian H. Ross

    2012-01-01

    Research on physics problem categorization has established that proficient problem solvers are able to group together physics problems that would be solved by similar principles and use conceptual approaches when solving problems, whereas weak solvers rely more heavily upon surface features (objects, contexts, and quantities provided) to identify specific equations that match to the problem situation. This study explores the degree to which novices are able to shift their categorization strat...

  8. Categorical information for assessments of land use change. Opportunities and challenges

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Levin, Gregor

    2014-01-01

    Access to detailed categorical information on land use and land cover (LULC) has increased significantly during recent years. In Denmark, free access to most categorical information (i.e. pre-classified spatially explicit information) gives opportunities for assessments and analyses of LULC-changes...... not elaborated with the aim to assess LULC-changes with definitions and registration methods changing over time and to categorical data not being spatially synchronized and consequently spatially overlapping (Ahlqvist and Shortridge, 2010; Levin et al., 2012). Presenting an assessment of annual LULC changes...... for Denmark from 1990-2013, which is part of Denmark’s emission inventory according to article 3(4) of the Kyoto protocol, this paper aims at elucidating opportunities, limitations and possible solutions for the application of categorical information. Changes between the LULC- types: settlement...

  9. 46 CFR 504.4 - Categorical exclusions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS PROCEDURES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ANALYSIS § 504.4 Categorical exclusions. (a) No environmental analyses need be undertaken or environmental... foreign country. (19) Action taken on special docket applications pursuant to § 502.271 of this chapter...

  10. 42 CFR 493.17 - Test categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... troubleshooting and equipment maintenance. (i) Score 1. (A) Test system troubleshooting is automatic or self-correcting, or clearly described or requires minimal judgment; and (B) Equipment maintenance is provided by...) STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION LABORATORY REQUIREMENTS General Provisions § 493.17 Test categorization. (a...

  11. Important historical efforts at emergency department categorization in the United States and implications for regionalization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehrotra, Abhishek; Sklar, David P; Tayal, Vivek S; Kocher, Keith E; Handel, Daniel A; Myles Riner, R

    2010-12-01

    This article is drawn from a report created for the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Emergency Department (ED) Categorization Task Force and also reflects the proceedings of a breakout session, "Beyond ED Categorization-Matching Networks to Patient Needs," at the 2010 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference, "Beyond Regionalization: Integrated Networks of Emergency Care." The authors describe a brief history of the significant national and state efforts at categorization and suggest reasons why many of these efforts failed to persevere or gain wider implementation. The history of efforts to categorize hospital (and ED) emergency services demonstrates recognition of the potential benefits of categorization, but reflects repeated failures to implement full categorization systems or limited excursions into categorization through licensing of EDs or designation of receiving and referral facilities. An understanding of the history of hospital and ED categorization could better inform current efforts to develop categorization schemes and processes. 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

  12. Automated Psychological Categorization via Linguistic Processing System

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Eramo, Mark

    2004-01-01

    .... This research examined whether or not Information Technology (IT) tools, specializing in text mining, are robust enough to automate the categorization/segmentation of individual profiles for the purpose...

  13. Metacognitive deficits in categorization tasks in a population with impaired inner speech.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langland-Hassan, Peter; Gauker, Christopher; Richardson, Michael J; Dietz, Aimee; Faries, Frank R

    2017-11-01

    This study examines the relation of language use to a person's ability to perform categorization tasks and to assess their own abilities in those categorization tasks. A silent rhyming task was used to confirm that a group of people with post-stroke aphasia (PWA) had corresponding covert language production (or "inner speech") impairments. The performance of the PWA was then compared to that of age- and education-matched healthy controls on three kinds of categorization tasks and on metacognitive self-assessments of their performance on those tasks. The PWA showed no deficits in their ability to categorize objects for any of the three trial types (visual, thematic, and categorial). However, on the categorial trials, their metacognitive assessments of whether they had categorized correctly were less reliable than those of the control group. The categorial trials were distinguished from the others by the fact that the categorization could not be based on some immediately perceptible feature or on the objects' being found together in a type of scenario or setting. This result offers preliminary evidence for a link between covert language use and a specific form of metacognition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. [Clinical application of "categorization by analogy" in acupuncture for pain syndromes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xiaojun

    2018-03-12

    The"categorization by analogy"is one of the most primitive thinking methods for ancient people to explore the world, which has exerted far-reaching impact on the origin and development of TCM. With examples of Sanjian (LI 3) for neck pain, Chize (LU 5) for low back pain and Chengshan (BL 57) for dysmenorrhea, the clinical application of"categorization by analogy"in acupuncture for pain syndromes was discussed, hoping more acupuncturists will pay attention to the guiding role of"categorization by analogy"in acupuncture clinical treatment.

  15. Explanatory models for ecological response surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jager, H.I.; Overton, W.S.

    1991-01-01

    Understanding the spatial organization of ecological systems is a fundamental part of ecosystem study. While discovering the causal relationships of this organization is an important goal, our purpose of spatial description on a regional scale is best met by use of explanatory variables that are somewhat removed from the mechanistic causal level. Regional level understanding is best obtained from explanatory variables that reflect spatial gradients at the regional scale and from categorical variables that describe the discrete constituents of (statistical) populations, such as lakes. In this paper, we use a regression model to predict lake acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) based on environmental predictor variables over a large region. These predictions are used to produce model-based population estimates. Two key features of our modeling approach are that is honors the spatial context and the design of the sample data. The spatial context of the data are brought into the analysis of model residuals through the interpretation of residual maps and semivariograms. The sampling design is taken into account by including stratification variables from the design in the model. This ensures that the model applies to a real population of lakes (the target population), rather than whatever hypothetical population the sample is a random sample of

  16. Categorization of common sounds by cochlear implanted and normal hearing adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collett, E; Marx, M; Gaillard, P; Roby, B; Fraysse, B; Deguine, O; Barone, P

    2016-05-01

    Auditory categorization involves grouping of acoustic events along one or more shared perceptual dimensions which can relate to both semantic and physical attributes. This process involves both high level cognitive processes (categorization) and low-level perceptual encoding of the acoustic signal, both of which are affected by the use of a cochlear implant (CI) device. The goal of this study was twofold: I) compare the categorization strategies of CI users and normal hearing listeners (NHL) II) investigate if any characteristics of the raw acoustic signal could explain the results. 16 experienced CI users and 20 NHL were tested using a Free-Sorting Task of 16 common sounds divided into 3 predefined categories of environmental, musical and vocal sounds. Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) and Hierarchical Clustering based on Principal Components (HCPC) show that CI users followed a similar categorization strategy to that of NHL and were able to discriminate between the three different types of sounds. However results for CI users were more varied and showed less inter-participant agreement. Acoustic analysis also highlighted the average pitch salience and average autocorrelation peak as being important for the perception and categorization of the sounds. The results therefore show that on a broad level of categorization CI users may not have as many difficulties as previously thought in discriminating certain kinds of sound; however the perception of individual sounds remains challenging. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Space-by-time manifold representation of dynamic facial expressions for emotion categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delis, Ioannis; Chen, Chaona; Jack, Rachael E.; Garrod, Oliver G. B.; Panzeri, Stefano; Schyns, Philippe G.

    2016-01-01

    Visual categorization is the brain computation that reduces high-dimensional information in the visual environment into a smaller set of meaningful categories. An important problem in visual neuroscience is to identify the visual information that the brain must represent and then use to categorize visual inputs. Here we introduce a new mathematical formalism—termed space-by-time manifold decomposition—that describes this information as a low-dimensional manifold separable in space and time. We use this decomposition to characterize the representations used by observers to categorize the six classic facial expressions of emotion (happy, surprise, fear, disgust, anger, and sad). By means of a Generative Face Grammar, we presented random dynamic facial movements on each experimental trial and used subjective human perception to identify the facial movements that correlate with each emotion category. When the random movements projected onto the categorization manifold region corresponding to one of the emotion categories, observers categorized the stimulus accordingly; otherwise they selected “other.” Using this information, we determined both the Action Unit and temporal components whose linear combinations lead to reliable categorization of each emotion. In a validation experiment, we confirmed the psychological validity of the resulting space-by-time manifold representation. Finally, we demonstrated the importance of temporal sequencing for accurate emotion categorization and identified the temporal dynamics of Action Unit components that cause typical confusions between specific emotions (e.g., fear and surprise) as well as those resolving these confusions. PMID:27305521

  18. Positive Relationship Between Individuality and Social Identity in Virtual Communities: Self-Categorization and Social Identification as Distinct Forms of Social Identity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Tian-Chao; Li, Xuemei

    2016-11-01

    Previous studies have reported conflicting results regarding the relationship between individuality and social identity, indicating this area requires further examination. This study constructed a research model to help understand the positive role of individualized behavior and social identity in virtual communities. The results of an online survey conducted to assess our theoretical research model indicated that social identity can be expressed in two ways: self-categorization and social identification. Furthermore, we found individualized behavior was positively related to social identification, while self-categorization was directly derived from social identification.

  19. Categorization skills and recall in brain damaged children: a multiple case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mello, Claudia Berlim de; Muszkat, Mauro; Xavier, Gilberto Fernando; Bueno, Orlando Francisco Amodeo

    2009-09-01

    During development, children become capable of categorically associating stimuli and of using these relationships for memory recall. Brain damage in childhood can interfere with this development. This study investigated categorical association of stimuli and recall in four children with brain damages. The etiology, topography and timing of the lesions were diverse. Tasks included naming and immediate recall of 30 perceptually and semantically related figures, free sorting, delayed recall, and cued recall of the same material. Traditional neuropsychological tests were also employed. Two children with brain damage sustained in middle childhood relied on perceptual rather than on categorical associations in making associations between figures and showed deficits in delayed or cued recall, in contrast to those with perinatal lesions. One child exhibited normal performance in recall despite categorical association deficits. The present results suggest that brain damaged children show deficits in categorization and recall that are not usually identified in traditional neuropsychological tests.

  20. Local Alignments for Fine-Grained Categorization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gavves, E.; Fernando, B.; Snoek, C.G.M.; Smeulders, A.W.M.; Tuytelaars, T.

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this paper is fine-grained categorization without human interaction. Different from prior work, which relies on detectors for specific object parts, we propose to localize distinctive details by roughly aligning the objects using just the overall shape. Then, one may proceed to the

  1. A novel artificial bee colony based clustering algorithm for categorical data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Jinchao; Pang, Wei; Zheng, Yanlin; Wang, Zhe; Ma, Zhiqiang

    2015-01-01

    Data with categorical attributes are ubiquitous in the real world. However, existing partitional clustering algorithms for categorical data are prone to fall into local optima. To address this issue, in this paper we propose a novel clustering algorithm, ABC-K-Modes (Artificial Bee Colony clustering based on K-Modes), based on the traditional k-modes clustering algorithm and the artificial bee colony approach. In our approach, we first introduce a one-step k-modes procedure, and then integrate this procedure with the artificial bee colony approach to deal with categorical data. In the search process performed by scout bees, we adopt the multi-source search inspired by the idea of batch processing to accelerate the convergence of ABC-K-Modes. The performance of ABC-K-Modes is evaluated by a series of experiments in comparison with that of the other popular algorithms for categorical data.

  2. Modelling sequentially scored item responses

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Akkermans, W.

    2000-01-01

    The sequential model can be used to describe the variable resulting from a sequential scoring process. In this paper two more item response models are investigated with respect to their suitability for sequential scoring: the partial credit model and the graded response model. The investigation is

  3. Music and language expertise influence the categorization of speech and musical sounds: behavioral and electrophysiological measurements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elmer, Stefan; Klein, Carina; Kühnis, Jürg; Liem, Franziskus; Meyer, Martin; Jäncke, Lutz

    2014-10-01

    In this study, we used high-density EEG to evaluate whether speech and music expertise has an influence on the categorization of expertise-related and unrelated sounds. With this purpose in mind, we compared the categorization of speech, music, and neutral sounds between professional musicians, simultaneous interpreters (SIs), and controls in response to morphed speech-noise, music-noise, and speech-music continua. Our hypothesis was that music and language expertise will strengthen the memory representations of prototypical sounds, which act as a perceptual magnet for morphed variants. This means that the prototype would "attract" variants. This so-called magnet effect should be manifested by an increased assignment of morphed items to the trained category, by a reduced maximal slope of the psychometric function, as well as by differential event-related brain responses reflecting memory comparison processes (i.e., N400 and P600 responses). As a main result, we provide first evidence for a domain-specific behavioral bias of musicians and SIs toward the trained categories, namely music and speech. In addition, SIs showed a bias toward musical items, indicating that interpreting training has a generic influence on the cognitive representation of spectrotemporal signals with similar acoustic properties to speech sounds. Notably, EEG measurements revealed clear distinct N400 and P600 responses to both prototypical and ambiguous items between the three groups at anterior, central, and posterior scalp sites. These differential N400 and P600 responses represent synchronous activity occurring across widely distributed brain networks, and indicate a dynamical recruitment of memory processes that vary as a function of training and expertise.

  4. Object categorization by wild ranging birds-Winter feeder experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nováková, Nela; Veselý, Petr; Fuchs, Roman

    2017-10-01

    The object categorization is only scarcely studied using untrained wild ranging animals and relevant stimuli. We tested the importance of the spatial position of features salient for categorization of a predator using wild ranging birds (titmice) visiting a winter feeder. As a relevant stimulus we used a dummy of a raptor, the European sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), placed at the feeding location. This dummy was designed to be dismantled into three parts and rearranged with the head in the correct position, in the middle or at the bottom of the dummy. When the birds had the option of visiting an alternative feeder with a dummy pigeon, they preferred this option to visiting the feeder with the dummy sparrowhawk with the head in any of the three positions. When the birds had the option of visiting an alternative feeder with an un-rearranged dummy sparrowhawk, they visited both feeders equally often, and very scarcely. This suggests that the titmice considered all of the sparrowhawk modifications as being dangerous, and equally dangerous as the un-rearranged sparrowhawk. The position of the head was not the most important cue for categorization. The presence of the key features was probably sufficient for categorization, and their mutual spatial position was of lower importance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. A Geometrical Framework for Covariance Matrices of Continuous and Categorical Variables

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vernizzi, Graziano; Nakai, Miki

    2015-01-01

    It is well known that a categorical random variable can be represented geometrically by a simplex. Accordingly, several measures of association between categorical variables have been proposed and discussed in the literature. Moreover, the standard definitions of covariance and correlation coefficient for continuous random variables have been…

  6. Noise-enhanced categorization in a recurrently reconnected neural network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Monterola, Christopher; Zapotocky, Martin

    2005-01-01

    We investigate the interplay of recurrence and noise in neural networks trained to categorize spatial patterns of neural activity. We develop the following procedure to demonstrate how, in the presence of noise, the introduction of recurrence permits to significantly extend and homogenize the operating range of a feed-forward neural network. We first train a two-level perceptron in the absence of noise. Following training, we identify the input and output units of the feed-forward network, and thus convert it into a two-layer recurrent network. We show that the performance of the reconnected network has features reminiscent of nondynamic stochastic resonance: the addition of noise enables the network to correctly categorize stimuli of subthreshold strength, with optimal noise magnitude significantly exceeding the stimulus strength. We characterize the dynamics leading to this effect and contrast it to the behavior of a more simple associative memory network in which noise-mediated categorization fails

  7. Noise-enhanced categorization in a recurrently reconnected neural network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monterola, Christopher; Zapotocky, Martin

    2005-03-01

    We investigate the interplay of recurrence and noise in neural networks trained to categorize spatial patterns of neural activity. We develop the following procedure to demonstrate how, in the presence of noise, the introduction of recurrence permits to significantly extend and homogenize the operating range of a feed-forward neural network. We first train a two-level perceptron in the absence of noise. Following training, we identify the input and output units of the feed-forward network, and thus convert it into a two-layer recurrent network. We show that the performance of the reconnected network has features reminiscent of nondynamic stochastic resonance: the addition of noise enables the network to correctly categorize stimuli of subthreshold strength, with optimal noise magnitude significantly exceeding the stimulus strength. We characterize the dynamics leading to this effect and contrast it to the behavior of a more simple associative memory network in which noise-mediated categorization fails.

  8. High baseline activity in inferior temporal cortex improves neural and behavioral discriminability during visual categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emadi, Nazli; Rajimehr, Reza; Esteky, Hossein

    2014-01-01

    Spontaneous firing is a ubiquitous property of neural activity in the brain. Recent literature suggests that this baseline activity plays a key role in perception. However, it is not known how the baseline activity contributes to neural coding and behavior. Here, by recording from the single neurons in the inferior temporal cortex of monkeys performing a visual categorization task, we thoroughly explored the relationship between baseline activity, the evoked response, and behavior. Specifically we found that a low-frequency (baseline activity. This enhancement of the baseline activity was then followed by an increase in the neural selectivity and the response reliability and eventually a higher behavioral performance. PMID:25404900

  9. Effects of categorization training in patients with TBI during postacute rehabilitation: preliminary findings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Constantinidou, Fofi; Thomas, Robin D; Scharp, Victoria L; Laske, Kate M; Hammerly, Mark D; Guitonde, Suchita

    2005-01-01

    Previous research suggests that traumatic brain injury (TBI) interferes with the ability to extract and use attributes to describe objects. This study explored the effects of a systematic Categorization Program (CP) in participants with TBI and noninjured controls. Ten persons with moderate to severe TBI who received comprehensive postacute rehabilitation services and 13 matched noninjured controls participated in the study. All participants received CP training for 3 to 5 hours per week for 10 to 12 weeks that consisted of 8 levels and targeted concept formation, object categorization, and decision-making abilities. The Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory-3 (MPAI-3) and the Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ). Two Categorization Tests (administered pretraining and posttraining) and 3 Probe Tasks (administered at specified intervals during training) assessed skills relating to categorization. Both groups showed significant improvement in categorization performance after the CP training on the 2 Categorization Tests related to the CP. They also were able to generalize and apply categorization and sorting skills in new situations (as measured by the Probe Tasks). Participants with TBI had improved functional outcome performance measured by the MPAI-3 and the CIQ. The systematic and hierarchical structure of the CP is beneficial to participants with TBI during postacute rehabilitation. This study contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting cognitive rehabilitation after moderate to severe TBI.

  10. The relationship between visual search and categorization of own- and other-age faces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craig, Belinda M; Lipp, Ottmar V

    2018-03-13

    Young adult participants are faster to detect young adult faces in crowds of infant and child faces than vice versa. These findings have been interpreted as evidence for more efficient attentional capture by own-age than other-age faces, but could alternatively reflect faster rejection of other-age than own-age distractors, consistent with the previously reported other-age categorization advantage: faster categorization of other-age than own-age faces. Participants searched for own-age faces in other-age backgrounds or vice versa. Extending the finding to different other-age groups, young adult participants were faster to detect young adult faces in both early adolescent (Experiment 1) and older adult backgrounds (Experiment 2). To investigate whether the own-age detection advantage could be explained by faster categorization and rejection of other-age background faces, participants in experiments 3 and 4 also completed an age categorization task. Relatively faster categorization of other-age faces was related to relatively faster search through other-age backgrounds on target absent trials but not target present trials. These results confirm that other-age faces are more quickly categorized and searched through and that categorization and search processes are related; however, this correlational approach could not confirm or reject the contribution of background face processing to the own-age detection advantage. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

  11. Locale-Specific Categorization of IT Projects for Proper Project Management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Nasir

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we aim to show that not only are the project management techniques important for small-scale projects, but following proper project management techniques is one of the most important requirements. However, there come slight variations in implementing project management techniques in small projects as compared with larger projects. Therefore, proper categorization of projects holds the key to success in many situations. Our paper will show that categorization of a project as small-scale or large-scale should always be locale specific. In this regards, we develop a criteria and evaluate how the projects are categorized as small-scale and large-scale in different parts of the world with focus on IT projects. This research concludes that some methods cannot be used for projects of different scales.

  12. Within-Category Advantage in Perceiving Color Contrast: A New Case of Categorical Perception

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chanyang Lee

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Categorical perception of color has conventionally been demonstrated as bringing advantage to the discrimination of equally spaced colors that belong to different lexical categories. The perceptual expansion of distance between categorically separable pairs and compression of that between categorically identical pairs have widely been demonstrated by quicker and more reliable detection of a unicolor image from lexically discrete backgrounds than term-sharing ones. Meanwhile, categorical effects that enhance performance in within-category condition have not been documented. The current study, however, found that comparing the degree of color contrasts inside two bicolor images is significantly faster and more accurate if the contrasting colors belonged to a single color term. This within-category advantage suggests that nondiscrete variation of hue inside one color category aids contrast judgment task while discrete lexical boundary impairs it. Consonant with the previous studies which document left-hemisphere dominance in categorical perception, the novel example of categorical effect was expressed only in the right visual field. Furthermore, significantly shorter reaction time was required for males than for females to make contrast judgment for a low contrast stimulus, but not for a high contrast target, suggesting possible gender difference in perceiving color contrast.

  13. Comparison and discussion of two types of threat (Hazard) categorization method for nuclear facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, Rongyao; Xu, Xiaoxiao; Zhang, Jiangang; Zhao, Bin

    2008-01-01

    The emergency threat categorization method suggested by international atomic energy agency (IAEA) and hazard categorization standard by the Department of Energy of United States (USDOE) for nuclear facilities are compared and discussed in this paper. The research shows the two types of categorization method for nuclear facility are similar, though each has its own speciality. The categorization method suggested by IAEA is quite completed and sound in scientific basis. The thresholds of radioactive material are connected with the quantity of dangerous source, and the latest radiobiological effect research results are taken in setting the thresholds. While the main purpose is put on emergency management, some of the categorization criteria do not fit for safety surveillance of nuclear facilities. The categorization method of DOE is advanced in its operability, and it fits for safety surveillance. The disadvantage is that the thresholds of radioactive material need to be updated because the parameters used in calculation is outdated, and also the threshold of category 3 is somewhat disputable for many reasons. We should take advantage of both methods and adjust the standards according to the application purpose while establishing the categorization standard of nuclear facilities in China. (author)

  14. Categorizing ideas about trees: a tree of trees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisler, Marie; Lecointre, Guillaume

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study is to explore whether matrices and MP trees used to produce systematic categories of organisms could be useful to produce categories of ideas in history of science. We study the history of the use of trees in systematics to represent the diversity of life from 1766 to 1991. We apply to those ideas a method inspired from coding homologous parts of organisms. We discretize conceptual parts of ideas, writings and drawings about trees contained in 41 main writings; we detect shared parts among authors and code them into a 91-characters matrix and use a tree representation to show who shares what with whom. In other words, we propose a hierarchical representation of the shared ideas about trees among authors: this produces a "tree of trees." Then, we categorize schools of tree-representations. Classical schools like "cladists" and "pheneticists" are recovered but others are not: "gradists" are separated into two blocks, one of them being called here "grade theoreticians." We propose new interesting categories like the "buffonian school," the "metaphoricians," and those using "strictly genealogical classifications." We consider that networks are not useful to represent shared ideas at the present step of the study. A cladogram is made for showing who is sharing what with whom, but also heterobathmy and homoplasy of characters. The present cladogram is not modelling processes of transmission of ideas about trees, and here it is mostly used to test for proximity of ideas of the same age and for categorization.

  15. Interpretable Categorization of Heterogeneous Time Series Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Ritchie; Kochenderfer, Mykel J.; Mengshoel, Ole J.; Silbermann, Joshua

    2017-01-01

    We analyze data from simulated aircraft encounters to validate and inform the development of a prototype aircraft collision avoidance system. The high-dimensional and heterogeneous time series dataset is analyzed to discover properties of near mid-air collisions (NMACs) and categorize the NMAC encounters. Domain experts use these properties to better organize and understand NMAC occurrences. Existing solutions either are not capable of handling high-dimensional and heterogeneous time series datasets or do not provide explanations that are interpretable by a domain expert. The latter is critical to the acceptance and deployment of safety-critical systems. To address this gap, we propose grammar-based decision trees along with a learning algorithm. Our approach extends decision trees with a grammar framework for classifying heterogeneous time series data. A context-free grammar is used to derive decision expressions that are interpretable, application-specific, and support heterogeneous data types. In addition to classification, we show how grammar-based decision trees can also be used for categorization, which is a combination of clustering and generating interpretable explanations for each cluster. We apply grammar-based decision trees to a simulated aircraft encounter dataset and evaluate the performance of four variants of our learning algorithm. The best algorithm is used to analyze and categorize near mid-air collisions in the aircraft encounter dataset. We describe each discovered category in detail and discuss its relevance to aircraft collision avoidance.

  16. Limited Memory, Categorization, and Competition

    OpenAIRE

    Yuxin Chen; Ganesh Iyer; Amit Pazgal

    2010-01-01

    This paper investigates the effects of a limited consumer memory on the price competition between firms. It studies a specific aspect of memory--namely, the categorization of available price information that the consumers may need to recall for decision making. This paper analyzes competition between firms in a market with uninformed consumers who do not compare prices, informed consumers who compare prices but with limited memory, and informed consumers who have perfect memory. Consumers, aw...

  17. Response Mixture Modeling: Accounting for Heterogeneity in Item Characteristics across Response Times.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molenaar, Dylan; de Boeck, Paul

    2018-06-01

    In item response theory modeling of responses and response times, it is commonly assumed that the item responses have the same characteristics across the response times. However, heterogeneity might arise in the data if subjects resort to different response processes when solving the test items. These differences may be within-subject effects, that is, a subject might use a certain process on some of the items and a different process with different item characteristics on the other items. If the probability of using one process over the other process depends on the subject's response time, within-subject heterogeneity of the item characteristics across the response times arises. In this paper, the method of response mixture modeling is presented to account for such heterogeneity. Contrary to traditional mixture modeling where the full response vectors are classified, response mixture modeling involves classification of the individual elements in the response vector. In a simulation study, the response mixture model is shown to be viable in terms of parameter recovery. In addition, the response mixture model is applied to a real dataset to illustrate its use in investigating within-subject heterogeneity in the item characteristics across response times.

  18. What is a Planet?-Categorizing Objects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lebofsky, Larry A.

    2009-05-01

    Observing, communicating, comparing, organizing, relating, and inferring are fundamental to scientific thinking processes. Teaching this way, rather than just teaching "the facts,” is also important for developing the critical thinking skills of our future generations of a scientifically literate society. Since the IAU started its discussions on a definition of a planet in 2005, I have been presenting a hands-on activity called "What is a Planet?” at the annual meeting of the DPS. This activity has been designed for short (20 minute) to long (two hour) presentations depending on the venue and the audience. This has been presented to elementary-grade students, middle school students, K-12 teachers, and scientists and educators. Depending on the amount of time available, I show students how people, as well as scientists group or categorize things such as plants and animals, cats and dog, etc. The students are then broken up into groups. Science is usually done by teams of scientists working together, not as individuals working alone. I assess their prior knowledge (how many planets, their names, their properties, etc.). They also do a hands-on group activity where they group/categorize ten spheres by their properties (size, color, etc.). Finally we discuss the process by which the IAU came up with a definition of a planet. I then discuss with them why some scientists, including myself, do not agree with this definition: as with the spheres, there may be more than one "right” answer. There are many ways to look at the properties of objects in the Solar System and group them into planets and other designations. This is the way that science should be done, to look at all of the properties of an object and categorize them in a meaningful way. There may be more than one right answer.

  19. Modeling U-Shaped Exposure-Response Relationships for Agents that Demonstrate Toxicity Due to Both Excess and Deficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milton, Brittany; Farrell, Patrick J; Birkett, Nicholas; Krewski, Daniel

    2017-02-01

    Essential elements such as copper and manganese may demonstrate U-shaped exposure-response relationships due to toxic responses occurring as a result of both excess and deficiency. Previous work on a copper toxicity database employed CatReg, a software program for categorical regression developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to model copper excess and deficiency exposure-response relationships separately. This analysis involved the use of a severity scoring system to place diverse toxic responses on a common severity scale, thereby allowing their inclusion in the same CatReg model. In this article, we present methods for simultaneously fitting excess and deficiency data in the form of a single U-shaped exposure-response curve, the minimum of which occurs at the exposure level that minimizes the probability of an adverse outcome due to either excess or deficiency (or both). We also present a closed-form expression for the point at which the exposure-response curves for excess and deficiency cross, corresponding to the exposure level at which the risk of an adverse outcome due to excess is equal to that for deficiency. The application of these methods is illustrated using the same copper toxicity database noted above. The use of these methods permits the analysis of all available exposure-response data from multiple studies expressing multiple endpoints due to both excess and deficiency. The exposure level corresponding to the minimum of this U-shaped curve, and the confidence limits around this exposure level, may be useful in establishing an acceptable range of exposures that minimize the overall risk associated with the agent of interest. © 2016 Society for Risk Analysis.

  20. New approaches for examining associations with latent categorical variables: applications to substance abuse and aggression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feingold, Alan; Tiberio, Stacey S; Capaldi, Deborah M

    2014-03-01

    Assessments of substance use behaviors often include categorical variables that are frequently related to other measures using logistic regression or chi-square analysis. When the categorical variable is latent (e.g., extracted from a latent class analysis [LCA]), classification of observations is often used to create an observed nominal variable from the latent one for use in a subsequent analysis. However, recent simulation studies have found that this classical 3-step analysis championed by the pioneers of LCA produces underestimates of the associations of latent classes with other variables. Two preferable but underused alternatives for examining such linkages-each of which is most appropriate under certain conditions-are (a) 3-step analysis, which corrects the underestimation bias of the classical approach, and (b) 1-step analysis. The purpose of this article is to dissuade researchers from conducting classical 3-step analysis and to promote the use of the 2 newer approaches that are described and compared. In addition, the applications of these newer models-for use when the independent, the dependent, or both categorical variables are latent-are illustrated through substantive analyses relating classes of substance abusers to classes of intimate partner aggressors.

  1. Multi-Label Object Categorization Using Histograms of Global Relations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mustafa, Wail; Xiong, Hanchen; Kraft, Dirk

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, we present an object categorization system capable of assigning multiple and related categories for novel objects using multi-label learning. In this system, objects are described using global geometric relations of 3D features. We propose using the Joint SVM method for learning......). The experiments are carried out on a dataset of 100 objects belonging to 13 visual and action-related categories. The results indicate that multi-label methods are able to identify the relation between the dependent categories and hence perform categorization accordingly. It is also found that extracting...

  2. Non-intentional but not automatic: reduction of word- and arrow-based compatibility effects by sound distractors in the same categorical domain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miles, James D; Proctor, Robert W

    2009-10-01

    In the current study, we show that the non-intentional processing of visually presented words and symbols can be attenuated by sounds. Importantly, this attenuation is dependent on the similarity in categorical domain between the sounds and words or symbols. Participants performed a task in which left or right responses were made contingent on the color of a centrally presented target that was either a location word (LEFT or RIGHT) or a left or right arrow. Responses were faster when they were on the side congruent with the word or arrow. This bias was reduced for location words by a neutral spoken word and for arrows by a tone series, but not vice versa. We suggest that words and symbols are processed with minimal attentional requirements until they are categorized into specific knowledge domains, but then become sensitive to other information within the same domain regardless of the similarity between modalities.

  3. CATEGORICAL IMAGE COMPONENTS IN THE FORMING SYSTEM OF A MARKETING TECHNIQUES MANAGER’S IMAGE CULTURE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Borisovna Cherednyakova

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Based on the understanding of the image culture formation of managers of marketing techniques, as a representative of the social and communication interaction of public structures, categorical apparatus of image culture with an emphasis on the etymology of the image, as an integral component of image culture was analyzed. Categorical components of the image are presented from the standpoint of image culture, as personal new formation, an integral part of the professional activity of the marketing techniques manager: object-communicative categorical component, subject-activity categorical component of image, personality-oriented categorical component, value-acmeological categorical component of image.The aim is to identify and justify the image categorical components as a component of image culture of the marketing techniques manager.Method and methodology of work – a general scientific research approach reflecting scientific apparatus of research.Results. Categorical components of the image, as an image culture component of manager of marketing techniques were defined.Practical implication of the results. The theoretical part of «Imageology» course, special course «Image culture of manager of marketing techniques», the theoretical and methodological study and the formation of image culture.

  4. A new visualization and conceptualization of categorical longitudinal development: Measurement invariance and change

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan eBoom

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The Overlapping Waves Model (OWM is a metaphor introduced by Siegler in 1996 to illustrate a typical sequence of increasing and decreasing use of strategies during development. Going beyond metaphor, a new model synthesized from Latent Growth Modeling (LGM and Item Response Theory (IRT will be presented to analyze such categorical longitudinal data. Use of strategies can be scored as a variable with only a few ordinal categories. IRT provides the means to relate the usage of strategies to position on an underlying developmental dimension. LGM allows to model movement of individuals along this dimension, acknowledging individual differences both in starting point and in speed of progress. Measuring and modeling such strategy development requires that at each time point the same categories are used, in the sense that item difficulties must remain invariant over time. Whether discrimination can be relaxed is still an issue. The problem that had to be solved was disentangling the between-person-individual differences from real intra-individual developmental differences. Figures with polytomous or multi-category Item Characteristic Curves (ICC's resemble the OWM in many respects. However, such figures are usually taken to represent inter-individual differences, whereas the OWM usually represents development (so intra-individual differences, and we cannot have both at the same time. The solution came from creating a framework with ability differences on one axis and the effect of time on another axis, resulting in a 3-D model. These (orthogonal dimensions make it possible to adequately conceptualize measurement invariance in this complex context.As the result is difficult to conceptualize without extensive visualization, special 3-D figures will be used to illustrate and a dynamic (rotatable and scalable version will be made available as Computable Document Format object (Mathematica. The model was successfully applied in several microgenetic studies.

  5. Exploring the Cognitive Foundations of the Shared Attention Mechanism: Evidence for a Relationship Between Self-Categorization and Shared Attention Across the Autism Spectrum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skorich, Daniel P; Gash, Tahlia B; Stalker, Katie L; Zheng, Lidan; Haslam, S Alexander

    2017-05-01

    The social difficulties of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are typically explained as a disruption in the Shared Attention Mechanism (SAM) sub-component of the theory of mind (ToM) system. In the current paper, we explore the hypothesis that SAM's capacity to construct the self-other-object relations necessary for shared-attention arises from a self-categorization process, which is weaker among those with more autistic-like traits. We present participants with self-categorization and shared-attention tasks, and measure their autism-spectrum quotient (AQ). Results reveal a negative relationship between AQ and shared-attention, via self-categorization, suggesting a role for self-categorization in the disruption in SAM seen in ASD. Implications for intervention, and for a ToM model in which weak central coherence plays a role are discussed.

  6. The Education of the Categorical Imperative

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, James Scott

    2006-01-01

    In this article, I examine anew the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant and its contributions to educational theory. I make four claims. First, that Kant should be read as having the Categorical Imperative develop out of subjective maxims. Second, that moral self-perfection is the aim of moral education. Third, that moral self-perfection develops by…

  7. Memory, reasoning, and categorization: parallels and common mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayes, Brett K; Heit, Evan; Rotello, Caren M

    2014-01-01

    Traditionally, memory, reasoning, and categorization have been treated as separate components of human cognition. We challenge this distinction, arguing that there is broad scope for crossover between the methods and theories developed for each task. The links between memory and reasoning are illustrated in a review of two lines of research. The first takes theoretical ideas (two-process accounts) and methodological tools (signal detection analysis, receiver operating characteristic curves) from memory research and applies them to important issues in reasoning research: relations between induction and deduction, and the belief bias effect. The second line of research introduces a task in which subjects make either memory or reasoning judgments for the same set of stimuli. Other than broader generalization for reasoning than memory, the results were similar for the two tasks, across a variety of experimental stimuli and manipulations. It was possible to simultaneously explain performance on both tasks within a single cognitive architecture, based on exemplar-based comparisons of similarity. The final sections explore evidence for empirical and processing links between inductive reasoning and categorization and between categorization and recognition. An important implication is that progress in all three of these fields will be expedited by further investigation of the many commonalities between these tasks.

  8. Memory, reasoning and categorization: Parallels and common mechanisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    BRETT eHAYES

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Traditionally, memory, reasoning and categorization have been treated as separate components of human cognition. We challenge this distinction, arguing that there is broad scope for crossover between the methods and theories developed for each task. The links between memory and reasoning are illustrated in a review of two lines of research. The first takes theoretical ideas (two-process accounts and methodological tools (signal detection analysis, receiver operating characteristic curves from memory research and applies them to important issues in reasoning research: relations between induction and deduction, and the belief bias effect. The second line of research introduces a task in which subjects make either memory or reasoning judgments for the same set of stimuli. Other than broader generalization for reasoning than memory, the results were similar for the two tasks, across a variety of experimental stimuli and manipulations. It was possible to simultaneously explain performance on both tasks within a single cognitive architecture, based on exemplar-based comparisons of similarity. The final sections explore evidence for empirical and processing links between inductive reasoning and categorization and between categorization and recognition. An important implication is that progress in all three of these fields will be expedited by further investigation of the many commonalities between these tasks.

  9. Four meanings of "categorization": A conceptual analysis of research on person perception

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Klapper, A.P.; Dotsch, R.; Rooij, I.J.E.I. van; Wigboldus, D.H.J.

    2017-01-01

    It is widely assumed that people tend to "categorize" other people. However, the term "categorization" has been used with qualitatively different underlying definitions in the person perception literature. We present a conceptual analysis in which we disentangle four existing definitions: (a)

  10. AutoCategorization for Customized Knowledge Portals, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — An AutoCategorizing Knowledge Management Engine ("AKM") will automate key capabilities for both human-human and human-agent collaboration tools in aerospace...

  11. Infants’ Visual Recognition Memory for a Series of Categorically Related Items

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oakes, Lisa M.; Kovack-Lesh, Kristine A.

    2013-01-01

    Six-month-old infants' ("N" = 168) memory for individual items in a categorized list (e.g., images of dogs or cats) was examined to investigate the interactions between visual recognition memory, working memory, and categorization. In Experiments 1 and 2, infants were familiarized with six different cats or dogs, presented one at a time…

  12. An Evaluation of Parametric and Nonparametric Models of Fish Population Response.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haas, Timothy C.; Peterson, James T.; Lee, Danny C.

    1999-11-01

    Predicting the distribution or status of animal populations at large scales often requires the use of broad-scale information describing landforms, climate, vegetation, etc. These data, however, often consist of mixtures of continuous and categorical covariates and nonmultiplicative interactions among covariates, complicating statistical analyses. Using data from the interior Columbia River Basin, USA, we compared four methods for predicting the distribution of seven salmonid taxa using landscape information. Subwatersheds (mean size, 7800 ha) were characterized using a set of 12 covariates describing physiography, vegetation, and current land-use. The techniques included generalized logit modeling, classification trees, a nearest neighbor technique, and a modular neural network. We evaluated model performance using out-of-sample prediction accuracy via leave-one-out cross-validation and introduce a computer-intensive Monte Carlo hypothesis testing approach for examining the statistical significance of landscape covariates with the non-parametric methods. We found the modular neural network and the nearest-neighbor techniques to be the most accurate, but were difficult to summarize in ways that provided ecological insight. The modular neural network also required the most extensive computer resources for model fitting and hypothesis testing. The generalized logit models were readily interpretable, but were the least accurate, possibly due to nonlinear relationships and nonmultiplicative interactions among covariates. Substantial overlap among the statistically significant (P<0.05) covariates for each method suggested that each is capable of detecting similar relationships between responses and covariates. Consequently, we believe that employing one or more methods may provide greater biological insight without sacrificing prediction accuracy.

  13. Neighborhood conflicts : The role of social categorization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ufkes, Elze G.; Otten, Sabine; van der Zee, Karen I.; Giebels, Ellen

    Purpose: In a multicultural context, this study aims to investigate the effect of ingroup versus outgroup categorization and stereotypes on residents' emotional and behavioral reactions in neighbor-to-neighbor conflicts. Based on the literature on the "black sheep effect", the authors predicted that

  14. Relationships between Categorical Perception of Phonemes, Phoneme Awareness, and Visual Attention Span in Developmental Dyslexia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachel Zoubrinetzky

    Full Text Available We tested the hypothesis that the categorical perception deficit of speech sounds in developmental dyslexia is related to phoneme awareness skills, whereas a visual attention (VA span deficit constitutes an independent deficit. Phoneme awareness tasks, VA span tasks and categorical perception tasks of phoneme identification and discrimination using a d/t voicing continuum were administered to 63 dyslexic children and 63 control children matched on chronological age. Results showed significant differences in categorical perception between the dyslexic and control children. Significant correlations were found between categorical perception skills, phoneme awareness and reading. Although VA span correlated with reading, no significant correlations were found between either categorical perception or phoneme awareness and VA span. Mediation analyses performed on the whole dyslexic sample suggested that the effect of categorical perception on reading might be mediated by phoneme awareness. This relationship was independent of the participants' VA span abilities. Two groups of dyslexic children with a single phoneme awareness or a single VA span deficit were then identified. The phonologically impaired group showed lower categorical perception skills than the control group but categorical perception was similar in the VA span impaired dyslexic and control children. The overall findings suggest that the link between categorical perception, phoneme awareness and reading is independent from VA span skills. These findings provide new insights on the heterogeneity of developmental dyslexia. They suggest that phonological processes and VA span independently affect reading acquisition.

  15. Relationships between Categorical Perception of Phonemes, Phoneme Awareness, and Visual Attention Span in Developmental Dyslexia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zoubrinetzky, Rachel; Collet, Gregory; Serniclaes, Willy; Nguyen-Morel, Marie-Ange; Valdois, Sylviane

    2016-01-01

    We tested the hypothesis that the categorical perception deficit of speech sounds in developmental dyslexia is related to phoneme awareness skills, whereas a visual attention (VA) span deficit constitutes an independent deficit. Phoneme awareness tasks, VA span tasks and categorical perception tasks of phoneme identification and discrimination using a d/t voicing continuum were administered to 63 dyslexic children and 63 control children matched on chronological age. Results showed significant differences in categorical perception between the dyslexic and control children. Significant correlations were found between categorical perception skills, phoneme awareness and reading. Although VA span correlated with reading, no significant correlations were found between either categorical perception or phoneme awareness and VA span. Mediation analyses performed on the whole dyslexic sample suggested that the effect of categorical perception on reading might be mediated by phoneme awareness. This relationship was independent of the participants' VA span abilities. Two groups of dyslexic children with a single phoneme awareness or a single VA span deficit were then identified. The phonologically impaired group showed lower categorical perception skills than the control group but categorical perception was similar in the VA span impaired dyslexic and control children. The overall findings suggest that the link between categorical perception, phoneme awareness and reading is independent from VA span skills. These findings provide new insights on the heterogeneity of developmental dyslexia. They suggest that phonological processes and VA span independently affect reading acquisition.

  16. Relationships between Categorical Perception of Phonemes, Phoneme Awareness, and Visual Attention Span in Developmental Dyslexia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zoubrinetzky, Rachel; Collet, Gregory; Serniclaes, Willy; Nguyen-Morel, Marie-Ange; Valdois, Sylviane

    2016-01-01

    We tested the hypothesis that the categorical perception deficit of speech sounds in developmental dyslexia is related to phoneme awareness skills, whereas a visual attention (VA) span deficit constitutes an independent deficit. Phoneme awareness tasks, VA span tasks and categorical perception tasks of phoneme identification and discrimination using a d/t voicing continuum were administered to 63 dyslexic children and 63 control children matched on chronological age. Results showed significant differences in categorical perception between the dyslexic and control children. Significant correlations were found between categorical perception skills, phoneme awareness and reading. Although VA span correlated with reading, no significant correlations were found between either categorical perception or phoneme awareness and VA span. Mediation analyses performed on the whole dyslexic sample suggested that the effect of categorical perception on reading might be mediated by phoneme awareness. This relationship was independent of the participants’ VA span abilities. Two groups of dyslexic children with a single phoneme awareness or a single VA span deficit were then identified. The phonologically impaired group showed lower categorical perception skills than the control group but categorical perception was similar in the VA span impaired dyslexic and control children. The overall findings suggest that the link between categorical perception, phoneme awareness and reading is independent from VA span skills. These findings provide new insights on the heterogeneity of developmental dyslexia. They suggest that phonological processes and VA span independently affect reading acquisition. PMID:26950210

  17. Using warnings to reduce categorical false memories in younger and older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carmichael, Anna M; Gutchess, Angela H

    2016-07-01

    Warnings about memory errors can reduce their incidence, although past work has largely focused on associative memory errors. The current study sought to explore whether warnings could be tailored to specifically reduce false recall of categorical information in both younger and older populations. Before encoding word pairs designed to induce categorical false memories, half of the younger and older participants were warned to avoid committing these types of memory errors. Older adults who received a warning committed fewer categorical memory errors, as well as other types of semantic memory errors, than those who did not receive a warning. In contrast, young adults' memory errors did not differ for the warning versus no-warning groups. Our findings provide evidence for the effectiveness of warnings at reducing categorical memory errors in older adults, perhaps by supporting source monitoring, reduction in reliance on gist traces, or through effective metacognitive strategies.

  18. Children's use of comparison and function in novel object categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimura, Katherine; Hunley, Samuel B; Namy, Laura L

    2018-06-01

    Although young children often rely on salient perceptual cues, such as shape, when categorizing novel objects, children eventually shift towards deeper relational reasoning about category membership. This study investigates what information young children use to classify novel instances of familiar categories. Specifically, we investigated two sources of information that have the potential to facilitate the classification of novel exemplars: (1) comparison of familiar category instances, and (2) attention to function information that might direct children's attention to functionally relevant perceptual features. Across two experiments, we found that comparing two perceptually similar category members-particularly when function information was also highlighted-led children to discover non-obvious relational features that supported their categorization of novel category instances. Together, these findings demonstrate that comparison may aid in novel object categorization by heightening the salience of less obvious, yet functionally relevant, relational structures that support conceptual reasoning. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  19. Categorical Algebra and its Applications

    CERN Document Server

    1988-01-01

    Categorical algebra and its applications contain several fundamental papers on general category theory, by the top specialists in the field, and many interesting papers on the applications of category theory in functional analysis, algebraic topology, algebraic geometry, general topology, ring theory, cohomology, differential geometry, group theory, mathematical logic and computer sciences. The volume contains 28 carefully selected and refereed papers, out of 96 talks delivered, and illustrates the usefulness of category theory today as a powerful tool of investigation in many other areas.

  20. The Categorical Imperative Analyzing Immanuel Kant’s Grounding for A Metaphysics of Morals

    OpenAIRE

    Bordum, Anders

    2002-01-01

    In this article I first argue that Immanuel Kant’s conception of the categorical imperative is important to his philosophy. I systematically, though indirectly, interconnect the cognitive and moral aspects of his thinking. Second, I present an interpretation of the Kantian ethics, taking as my point of departure, the concept of the categorical imperative. Finally, I show how the categorical imperative is given a dialogical interpretation by Jürgen Habermas in his approach, usually referred to...

  1. Mechanisms underlying speech sound discrimination and categorization in humans and zebra finches

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Burgering, Merel A.; ten Cate, Carel; Vroomen, Jean

    Speech sound categorization in birds seems in many ways comparable to that by humans, but it is unclear what mechanisms underlie such categorization. To examine this, we trained zebra finches and humans to discriminate two pairs of edited speech sounds that varied either along one dimension (vowel

  2. The Problem of Evaluative Categorization of Human Intelligence in Linguistic World Images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abisheva, Klara M.; Dossanova, Altynay Zh.; Ismakova, Bibissara S.; Aupova, Gulbagira K.; Ayapbergenov, Bulat K.; Tlegenova, Kulyan A.

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the research is to determine the peculiarities of the evaluative categorization of human intelligence in linguistic world images. The study describes the interdisciplinary approach to studying evaluative categorization, which assumes the use of complex methodology including the anthropocentric, the interdisciplinary, and the cognitive…

  3. Inventory and categorization of radioactive sources in the CDTN, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Inventario e categorizacao de fontes radioativas no CDTN, Minas Gerais, Brasil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silva, Fabio; Tello, Cledola Cassia Oliveira de, E-mail: silvaf@cdtn.b, E-mail: tellocc@cdtn.b [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

    2011-10-26

    Radioactive sources have wide application, in the medicine, industry, agriculture and in the research centers. After the use those sources are considered radioactive wastes and conducted to the CNEN research institutes, that have the legal responsibility to receive and control. The safe attribution of wasted sources is essential for minimizing the possibility oc accident occurrence. The data of the stored sources in the CDTN are included and processed in the data bank SISFONT - Sistema de Informacoes sobre Fontes Seladas Fora de Uso, but this system does not allow their categorization. For that, a efficient, precise and easy interaction categorization system was developed

  4. Median Hetero-Associative Memories Applied to the Categorization of True-Color Patterns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vázquez, Roberto A.; Sossa, Humberto

    Median associative memories (MED-AMs) are a special type of associative memory based on the median operator. This type of associative model has been applied to the restoration of gray scale images and provides better performance than other models, such as morphological associative memories, when the patterns are altered with mixed noise. Despite of his power, MED-AMs have not been applied in problems involving true-color patterns. In this paper we describe how a median hetero-associative memory (MED-HAM) could be applied in problems that involve true-color patterns. A complete study of the behavior of this associative model in the restoration of true-color images is performed using a benchmark of 14400 images altered by different type of noises. Furthermore, we describe how this model can be applied to an image categorization problem.

  5. Categorization of Brazil nut effect and its reverse under less-convective conditions for microgravity geology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chujo, Toshihiro; Mori, Osamu; Kawaguchi, Junichiro; Yano, Hajime

    2018-03-01

    Due to its important role in the sorting of particles on microgravity bodies by size, Brazil nut effect (BNE) is a major subject of study for understanding the evolution of planetesimals. Recent studies have revealed that the mechanism for the BNE on microgravity bodies is the percolation of particles or void-filling, rather than granular convection. This study also considers the mechanism for the BNE under `less-convective' conditions and introduces three categories of behaviour for particles that mainly depend on the dimensionless acceleration of vibration Γ (ratio of maximum acceleration to gravitational acceleration), using a simplified analytical model. The conditions for Γ proposed by the model for each category are verified by both numerical simulations and laboratory experiments. `Less-convective' conditions are realized by reducing the friction force between particles and the wall. We found three distinct behaviours of the particles when Γ > 1: the (i) `slow BNE', (ii) `fast BNE', and (iii) `fluid motion' (the reverse BNE may be induced), and the thresholds for Γ correspond well with those proposed by the simple model. We also applied this categorization to low-gravity environments and found that the categorization scales with gravity level. These results imply that laboratory experiments can provide knowledge of granular mobility on the surface of microgravity bodies.

  6. A joint logistic regression and covariate-adjusted continuous-time Markov chain model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubin, Maria Laura; Chan, Wenyaw; Yamal, Jose-Miguel; Robertson, Claudia Sue

    2017-12-10

    The use of longitudinal measurements to predict a categorical outcome is an increasingly common goal in research studies. Joint models are commonly used to describe two or more models simultaneously by considering the correlated nature of their outcomes and the random error present in the longitudinal measurements. However, there is limited research on joint models with longitudinal predictors and categorical cross-sectional outcomes. Perhaps the most challenging task is how to model the longitudinal predictor process such that it represents the true biological mechanism that dictates the association with the categorical response. We propose a joint logistic regression and Markov chain model to describe a binary cross-sectional response, where the unobserved transition rates of a two-state continuous-time Markov chain are included as covariates. We use the method of maximum likelihood to estimate the parameters of our model. In a simulation study, coverage probabilities of about 95%, standard deviations close to standard errors, and low biases for the parameter values show that our estimation method is adequate. We apply the proposed joint model to a dataset of patients with traumatic brain injury to describe and predict a 6-month outcome based on physiological data collected post-injury and admission characteristics. Our analysis indicates that the information provided by physiological changes over time may help improve prediction of long-term functional status of these severely ill subjects. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. A semi-parametric within-subject mixture approach to the analyses of responses and response times.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molenaar, Dylan; Bolsinova, Maria; Vermunt, Jeroen K

    2018-05-01

    In item response theory, modelling the item response times in addition to the item responses may improve the detection of possible between- and within-subject differences in the process that resulted in the responses. For instance, if respondents rely on rapid guessing on some items but not on all, the joint distribution of the responses and response times will be a multivariate within-subject mixture distribution. Suitable parametric methods to detect these within-subject differences have been proposed. In these approaches, a distribution needs to be assumed for the within-class response times. In this paper, it is demonstrated that these parametric within-subject approaches may produce false positives and biased parameter estimates if the assumption concerning the response time distribution is violated. A semi-parametric approach is proposed which resorts to categorized response times. This approach is shown to hardly produce false positives and parameter bias. In addition, the semi-parametric approach results in approximately the same power as the parametric approach. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  8. Unsupervised categorization with individuals diagnosed as having moderate traumatic brain injury: Over-selective responding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Darren J; Wood, Rodger

    2016-01-01

    This study explored over-selectivity (executive dysfunction) using a standard unsupervised categorization task. Over-selectivity has been demonstrated using supervised categorization procedures (where training is given); however, little has been done in the way of unsupervised categorization (without training). A standard unsupervised categorization task was used to assess levels of over-selectivity in a traumatic brain injury (TBI) population. Individuals with TBI were selected from the Tertiary Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic at Swansea University and were asked to categorize two-dimensional items (pictures on cards), into groups that they felt were most intuitive, and without any learning (feedback from experimenter). This was compared against categories made by a control group for the same task. The findings of this study demonstrate that individuals with TBI had deficits for both easy and difficult categorization sets, as indicated by a larger amount of one-dimensional sorting compared to control participants. Deficits were significantly greater for the easy condition. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of over-selectivity, and the processes that underlie this deficit. Also, the implications for using this procedure as a screening measure for over-selectivity in TBI are discussed.

  9. Study on the task categorization of main control room in NPP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fang Zhou; Ma Zhicai; Ma Xusheng; Zheng Mingguang

    2005-01-01

    The paper states the importance and trendy requirements of Main Control Room (MCR) in nuclear power plant and introduces how to implement the human factor engineering principle in the design of advanced main control room. It mainly focuses on the purpose and functions, strategy and methodology, scope and contents of the MCR task categorization. The preliminary MCR task categorization is performed according to these principles. (authors)

  10. A quick survey of text categorization algorithms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dan MUNTEANU

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper contains an overview of basic formulations and approaches to text classification. This paper surveys the algorithms used in text categorization: handcrafted rules, decision trees, decision rules, on-line learning, linear classifier, Rocchio’s algorithm, k Nearest Neighbor (kNN, Support Vector Machines (SVM.

  11. The biological basis of a universal constraint on color naming: cone contrasts and the two-way categorization of colors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Youping; Kavanau, Christopher; Bertin, Lauren; Kaplan, Ehud

    2011-01-01

    Many studies have provided evidence for the existence of universal constraints on color categorization or naming in various languages, but the biological basis of these constraints is unknown. A recent study of the pattern of color categorization across numerous languages has suggested that these patterns tend to avoid straddling a region in color space at or near the border between the English composite categories of "warm" and "cool". This fault line in color space represents a fundamental constraint on color naming. Here we report that the two-way categorization along the fault line is correlated with the sign of the L- versus M-cone contrast of a stimulus color. Moreover, we found that the sign of the L-M cone contrast also accounted for the two-way clustering of the spatially distributed neural responses in small regions of the macaque primary visual cortex, visualized with optical imaging. These small regions correspond to the hue maps, where our previous study found a spatially organized representation of stimulus hue. Altogether, these results establish a direct link between a universal constraint on color naming and the cone-specific information that is represented in the primate early visual system.

  12. The Necessity of Machine Learning and Epistemology in the Development of Categorization Theories: A Case Study in Prototype-Exemplar Debate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gagliardi, Francesco

    In the present paper we discuss some aspects of the development of categorization theories concerning cognitive psychology and machine learning. We consider the thirty-year debate between prototype-theory and exemplar-theory in the studies of cognitive psychology regarding the categorization processes. We propose this debate is ill-posed, because it neglects some theoretical and empirical results of machine learning about the bias-variance theorem and the existence of some instance-based classifiers which can embed models subsuming both prototype and exemplar theories. Moreover this debate lies on a epistemological error of pursuing a, so called, experimentum crucis. Then we present how an interdisciplinary approach, based on synthetic method for cognitive modelling, can be useful to progress both the fields of cognitive psychology and machine learning.

  13. Nuclear Fuel Assembly Assessment Project and Image Categorization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lindsey, C.S.; Lindblad, T.; Waldemark, K. [Royal Inst. of Tech., Stockholm (Sweden); Hildingsson, Lars [Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, Stockholm (Sweden)

    1998-07-01

    A project has been underway to add digital imaging and processing to the inspection of nuclear fuel by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The ultimate goals are to provide the inspector not only with the advantages of Ccd imaging, such as high sensitivity and digital image enhancements, but also with an intelligent agent that can analyze the images and provide useful information about the fuel assemblies in real time. The project is still in the early stages and several interesting sub-projects have been inspired. Here we give first a review of the work on the fuel assembly image analysis and then give a brief status report on one of these sub-projects that concerns automatic categorization of fuel assembly images. The technique could be of benefit to the general challenge of image categorization

  14. Generalized bi-additive modelling for categorical data

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    P.J.F. Groenen (Patrick); A.J. Koning (Alex)

    2004-01-01

    textabstractGeneralized linear modelling (GLM) is a versatile technique, which may be viewed as a generalization of well-known techniques such as least squares regression, analysis of variance, loglinear modelling, and logistic regression. In may applications, low-order interaction (such as

  15. Bayesian data fusion for spatial prediction of categorical variables in environmental sciences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gengler, Sarah; Bogaert, Patrick

    2014-12-01

    First developed to predict continuous variables, Bayesian Maximum Entropy (BME) has become a complete framework in the context of space-time prediction since it has been extended to predict categorical variables and mixed random fields. This method proposes solutions to combine several sources of data whatever the nature of the information. However, the various attempts that were made for adapting the BME methodology to categorical variables and mixed random fields faced some limitations, as a high computational burden. The main objective of this paper is to overcome this limitation by generalizing the Bayesian Data Fusion (BDF) theoretical framework to categorical variables, which is somehow a simplification of the BME method through the convenient conditional independence hypothesis. The BDF methodology for categorical variables is first described and then applied to a practical case study: the estimation of soil drainage classes using a soil map and point observations in the sandy area of Flanders around the city of Mechelen (Belgium). The BDF approach is compared to BME along with more classical approaches, as Indicator CoKringing (ICK) and logistic regression. Estimators are compared using various indicators, namely the Percentage of Correctly Classified locations (PCC) and the Average Highest Probability (AHP). Although BDF methodology for categorical variables is somehow a simplification of BME approach, both methods lead to similar results and have strong advantages compared to ICK and logistic regression.

  16. Bayesian data fusion for spatial prediction of categorical variables in environmental sciences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gengler, Sarah; Bogaert, Patrick

    2014-01-01

    First developed to predict continuous variables, Bayesian Maximum Entropy (BME) has become a complete framework in the context of space-time prediction since it has been extended to predict categorical variables and mixed random fields. This method proposes solutions to combine several sources of data whatever the nature of the information. However, the various attempts that were made for adapting the BME methodology to categorical variables and mixed random fields faced some limitations, as a high computational burden. The main objective of this paper is to overcome this limitation by generalizing the Bayesian Data Fusion (BDF) theoretical framework to categorical variables, which is somehow a simplification of the BME method through the convenient conditional independence hypothesis. The BDF methodology for categorical variables is first described and then applied to a practical case study: the estimation of soil drainage classes using a soil map and point observations in the sandy area of Flanders around the city of Mechelen (Belgium). The BDF approach is compared to BME along with more classical approaches, as Indicator CoKringing (ICK) and logistic regression. Estimators are compared using various indicators, namely the Percentage of Correctly Classified locations (PCC) and the Average Highest Probability (AHP). Although BDF methodology for categorical variables is somehow a simplification of BME approach, both methods lead to similar results and have strong advantages compared to ICK and logistic regression

  17. Categorically Not!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, K. C.

    2011-04-01

    The artist Bob Miller liked to say that the worst disease afflicting humankind is ``hardening of the categories'' - the tendency to cram subjects into boxes labeled ``science,'' ``art,'' ``politics,'' ``economics,'' ``play'' - labels that are as outdated and meaningless as divisions between the colors on a continuous spectrum. Over the past 10 years, KC Cole has been organizing free form events that tear down these artificial barriers, and with intriguing results: actors gain insights into character from a topologist; a choreographer solves engineering problems through her knowledge of motion; neuroscientists learn about intuition from filmmakers and string theorists. Categorically Not! - as the series is called - is not (merely) an attempt to ``popularize'' science by looking at it through unlikely lenses, but a real exploration into the deep connections that both illuminate and energize all fields of study. It is a ``people's'' salon, free and open to the general public. Cole will talk about how she overcomes ``hardening of the categories'' not just through events, but also in her popular magazine and newspaper articles, books, radio commentaries, and teaching at USC's Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism.

  18. 10 CFR Appendix M to Part 110 - Categorization of Nuclear Material d

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Categorization of Nuclear Material d M Appendix M to Part 110 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) EXPORT AND IMPORT OF NUCLEAR EQUIPMENT AND MATERIAL Pt. 110, App. M Appendix M to Part 110—Categorization of Nuclear Material d [From IAEA INFCIRC/225...

  19. Categorization of Information is the First Step to Enterprise Information Security

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. M. Koptenkov

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available This article reveals the necessity and importance of information categorizing in the area of information security systems development. This paper describes an information categorizing method based on the assessment of damages in a breach of confidentiality, integrity and availability of processed information. This method allows us to classify information on the degree of its value to the organization and most effectively implement an access control system.

  20. Neurophysiological Evidence for Categorical Perception of Color

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmes, Amanda; Franklin, Anna; Clifford, Alexandra; Davies, Ian

    2009-01-01

    The aim of this investigation was to examine the time course and the relative contributions of perceptual and post-perceptual processes to categorical perception (CP) of color. A visual oddball task was used with standard and deviant stimuli from same (within-category) or different (between-category) categories, with chromatic separations for…

  1. Development of Abstract Grammatical Categorization in Infants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cyr, Marilyn; Shi, Rushen

    2013-01-01

    This study examined abstract syntactic categorization in infants, using the case of grammatical gender. Ninety-six French-learning 14-, 17-, 20-, and 30-month-olds completed the study. In a preferential looking procedure infants were tested on their generalized knowledge of grammatical gender involving pseudonouns and gender-marking determiners.…

  2. Information criterion for the categorization quality evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michail V. Svirkin

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available The paper considers the possibility of using the variation of information function as a quality criterion for categorizing a collection of documents. The performance of the variation of information function is being examined subject to the number of categories and the sample volume of the test document collection.

  3. Efficient Cross-Modal Transfer of Shape Information in Visual and Haptic Object Categorization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nina Gaissert

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Categorization has traditionally been studied in the visual domain with only a few studies focusing on the abilities of the haptic system in object categorization. During the first years of development, however, touch and vision are closely coupled in the exploratory procedures used by the infant to gather information about objects. Here, we investigate how well shape information can be transferred between those two modalities in a categorization task. Our stimuli consisted of amoeba-like objects that were parametrically morphed in well-defined steps. Participants explored the objects in a categorization task either visually or haptically. Interestingly, both modalities led to similar categorization behavior suggesting that similar shape processing might occur in vision and haptics. Next, participants received training on specific categories in one of the two modalities. As would be expected, training increased performance in the trained modality; however, we also found significant transfer of training to the other, untrained modality after only relatively few training trials. Taken together, our results demonstrate that complex shape information can be transferred efficiently across the two modalities, which speaks in favor of multisensory, higher-level representations of shape.

  4. ZebraZoom: an automated program for high-throughput behavioral analysis and categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirat, Olivier; Sternberg, Jenna R.; Severi, Kristen E.; Wyart, Claire

    2013-01-01

    The zebrafish larva stands out as an emergent model organism for translational studies involving gene or drug screening thanks to its size, genetics, and permeability. At the larval stage, locomotion occurs in short episodes punctuated by periods of rest. Although phenotyping behavior is a key component of large-scale screens, it has not yet been automated in this model system. We developed ZebraZoom, a program to automatically track larvae and identify maneuvers for many animals performing discrete movements. Our program detects each episodic movement and extracts large-scale statistics on motor patterns to produce a quantification of the locomotor repertoire. We used ZebraZoom to identify motor defects induced by a glycinergic receptor antagonist. The analysis of the blind mutant atoh7 revealed small locomotor defects associated with the mutation. Using multiclass supervised machine learning, ZebraZoom categorized all episodes of movement for each larva into one of three possible maneuvers: slow forward swim, routine turn, and escape. ZebraZoom reached 91% accuracy for categorization of stereotypical maneuvers that four independent experimenters unanimously identified. For all maneuvers in the data set, ZebraZoom agreed with four experimenters in 73.2–82.5% of cases. We modeled the series of maneuvers performed by larvae as Markov chains and observed that larvae often repeated the same maneuvers within a group. When analyzing subsequent maneuvers performed by different larvae, we found that larva–larva interactions occurred as series of escapes. Overall, ZebraZoom reached the level of precision found in manual analysis but accomplished tasks in a high-throughput format necessary for large screens. PMID:23781175

  5. Modeling the legal field of formation of socially responsible conduct among pharmacy specialists

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. O. Tkachenko

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Observation of legal and legislative standards of the company activities is the fundamental principle of social responsibility (SR. The results of the literature analysis show the lack of fundamental research of regulatory and legal support of formation of socially responsible conduct of pharmacists (SRCPh. AIM: modeling the legal framework and determining the completeness and content of the current regulatory and legal framework on formation of a system of SRCPh throughout the professional lifespan development. Materials and methods. The materials of the study were national and international regulatory legal acts, regulating SR, the activities of pharmaceutical organizations (PhO and getting a pharmaceutical education. During the work, such methods as searching information, systematization, content analysis, comparison and generalization were used. During the investigation, we summarized the legal framework that in various aspects forms the socially responsible conduct of the pharmacists throughout the lifespan professional development; and a model of the legal field of this process was formed. A content analysis of this regulatory framework in aspect of responsibility of the PhO and pharmacists with a description of the problem legal questions in the context of SR was carried out. In this article, attention is paid to the basic level of the legal field, within which general principles of social relations are formed in all spheres of the economy. Conclusions. We have formed a model of the legal field formation of a SRCPh system throughout the professional lifespan development. The model is a complex, multilevel system. The regulatory framework in the model is distributed according to two criteria (hierarchical and regulating relations in the system of socially responsible conduct of the pharmacists and includes 27 basic normative legal acts. We have identified problems in the legal field of the basic level of SRCPh formation: the indistinctness

  6. The Time-Course of Ultrarapid Categorization: The Influence of Scene Congruency and Top-Down Processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanmarcke, Steven; Calders, Filip; Wagemans, Johan

    2016-01-01

    Although categorization can take place at different levels of abstraction, classic studies on semantic labeling identified the basic level, for example, dog, as entry point for categorization. Ultrarapid categorization tasks have contradicted these findings, indicating that participants are faster at detecting superordinate-level information, for example, animal, in a complex visual image. We argue that both seemingly contradictive findings can be reconciled within the framework of parallel distributed processing and its successor Leabra (Local, Error-driven and Associative, Biologically Realistic Algorithm). The current study aimed at verifying this prediction in an ultrarapid categorization task with a dynamically changing presentation time (PT) for each briefly presented object, followed by a perceptual mask. Furthermore, we manipulated two defining task variables: level of categorization (basic vs. superordinate categorization) and object presentation mode (object-in-isolation vs. object-in-context). In contradiction with previous ultrarapid categorization research, focusing on reaction time, we used accuracy as our main dependent variable. Results indicated a consistent superordinate processing advantage, coinciding with an overall improvement in performance with longer PT and a significantly more accurate detection of objects in isolation, compared with objects in context, at lower stimulus PT. This contextual disadvantage disappeared when PT increased, indicating that figure-ground separation with recurrent processing is vital for meaningful contextual processing to occur.

  7. Temporal dynamics of categorization: Forgetting as the basis of abstraction and generalization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haley eVlach

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Historically, models of categorization have focused on how learners track frequencies and co-occurrence information to abstract relevant category features for generalization. The current study takes a different approach by examining how the temporal dynamics of categorization affect abstraction and generalization. In the learning phase of the experiment, all relevant category features were presented an equal number of times across category exemplars. However, the relevant features were presented on one of two learning schedules: massed or interleaved. At a series of immediate and delayed tests, learners were asked to generalize to novel exemplars that contained massed features, interleaved features, or all novel features. The results of this experiment revealed that, at an immediate test, learners more readily generalized based upon features presented on a massed schedule. Conversely, at a delayed test, learners more readily generalized based upon features presented on an interleaved schedule, until information was no longer readily retrievable from memory. These findings suggest that forgetting and retrieval processes engendered by the temporal dynamics of learning are used as a basis of abstraction, implicating forgetting as a central mechanism of generalization.

  8. Ecological dynamics of continuous and categorical decision-making: the regatta start in sailing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araújo, Duarte; Davids, Keith; Diniz, Ana; Rocha, Luis; Santos, João Coelho; Dias, Gonçalo; Fernandes, Orlando

    2015-01-01

    Ecological dynamics of decision-making in the sport of sailing exemplifies emergent, conditionally coupled, co-adaptive behaviours. In this study, observation of the coupling dynamics of paired boats during competitive sailing showed that decision-making can be modelled as a self-sustained, co-adapting system of informationally coupled oscillators (boats). Bytracing the spatial-temporal displacements of the boats, time series analyses (autocorrelations, periodograms and running correlations) revealed that trajectories of match racing boats are coupled more than 88% of the time during a pre-start race, via continuous, competing co-adaptions between boats. Results showed that both the continuously selected trajectories of the sailors (12 years of age) and their categorical starting point locations were examples of emergent decisions. In this dynamical conception of decision-making behaviours, strategic positioning (categorical) and continuous displacement of a boat over the course in match-race sailing emerged as a function of interacting task, personal and environmental constraints. Results suggest how key interacting constraints could be manipulated in practice to enhance sailors' perceptual attunement to them in competition.

  9. Categorizing words through semantic memory navigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borge-Holthoefer, J.; Arenas, A.

    2010-03-01

    Semantic memory is the cognitive system devoted to storage and retrieval of conceptual knowledge. Empirical data indicate that semantic memory is organized in a network structure. Everyday experience shows that word search and retrieval processes provide fluent and coherent speech, i.e. are efficient. This implies either that semantic memory encodes, besides thousands of words, different kind of links for different relationships (introducing greater complexity and storage costs), or that the structure evolves facilitating the differentiation between long-lasting semantic relations from incidental, phenomenological ones. Assuming the latter possibility, we explore a mechanism to disentangle the underlying semantic backbone which comprises conceptual structure (extraction of categorical relations between pairs of words), from the rest of information present in the structure. To this end, we first present and characterize an empirical data set modeled as a network, then we simulate a stochastic cognitive navigation on this topology. We schematize this latter process as uncorrelated random walks from node to node, which converge to a feature vectors network. By doing so we both introduce a novel mechanism for information retrieval, and point at the problem of category formation in close connection to linguistic and non-linguistic experience.

  10. Investigating the Measurement Properties of the Social Responsiveness Scale in Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duku, Eric; Vaillancourt, Tracy; Szatmari, Peter; Georgiades, Stelios; Zwaigenbaum, Lonnie; Smith, Isabel M.; Bryson, Susan; Fombonne, Eric; Mirenda, Pat; Roberts, Wendy; Volden, Joanne; Waddell, Charlotte; Thompson, Ann; Bennett, Teresa

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the measurement properties of the Social Responsiveness Scale in an accelerated longitudinal sample of 4-year-old preschool children with the complementary approaches of categorical confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis. Measurement models based on the literature and other hypothesized measurement…

  11. Quantifier Scope in Categorical Compositional Distributional Semantics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehrnoosh Sadrzadeh

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available In previous work with J. Hedges, we formalised a generalised quantifiers theory of natural language in categorical compositional distributional semantics with the help of bialgebras. In this paper, we show how quantifier scope ambiguity can be represented in that setting and how this representation can be generalised to branching quantifiers.

  12. Two-categorical bundles and their classifying spaces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baas, Nils A.; Bökstedt, M.; Kro, T.A.

    2012-01-01

    -category is a classifying space for the associated principal 2-bundles. In the process of proving this we develop a lot of powerful machinery which may be useful in further studies of 2-categorical topology. As a corollary we get a new proof of the classification of principal bundles. A calculation based...

  13. Experimental data and dose-response models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ullrich, R.L.

    1985-01-01

    Dose-response relationships for radiation carcinogenesis have been of interest to biologists, modelers, and statisticians for many years. Despite his interest there are few instances in which there are sufficient experimental data to allow the fitting of various dose-response models. In those experimental systems for which data are available the dose-response curves for tumor induction for the various systems cannot be described by a single model. Dose-response models which have been observed following acute exposures to gamma rays include threshold, quadratic, and linear models. Data on sex, age, and environmental influences of dose suggest a strong role of host factors on the dose response. With decreasing dose rate the effectiveness of gamma ray irradiation tends to decrease in essentially every instance. In those cases in which the high dose rate dose response could be described by a quadratic model, the effect of dose rate is consistent with predictions based on radiation effects on the induction of initial events. Whether the underlying reasons for the observed dose-rate effect is a result of effects on the induction of initial events or is due to effects on the subsequent steps in the carcinogenic process is unknown. Information on the dose response for tumor induction for high LET (linear energy transfer) radiations such as neutrons is even more limited. The observed dose and dose rate data for tumor induction following neutron exposure are complex and do not appear to be consistent with predictions based on models for the induction of initial events

  14. Categorical perception of a natural, multivariate signal: Mating call recognition in túngara frogs

    OpenAIRE

    Baugh, A. T.; Akre, K. L.; Ryan, M. J.

    2008-01-01

    Categorical perception is common in humans, but it is not known whether animals perceive continuous variation in their own multidimensional social signals categorically. There are two components to categorical perception: labeling and discrimination. In the first, continuously variable stimuli on each side of a category boundary are labeled. In the second, there is strong discrimination between stimuli from opposite sides of the boundary, whereas stimuli on the same side of the boundary are n...

  15. Simplex-based optimization of numerical and categorical inputs in early bioprocess development: Case studies in HT chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konstantinidis, Spyridon; Titchener-Hooker, Nigel; Velayudhan, Ajoy

    2017-08-01

    Bioprocess development studies often involve the investigation of numerical and categorical inputs via the adoption of Design of Experiments (DoE) techniques. An attractive alternative is the deployment of a grid compatible Simplex variant which has been shown to yield optima rapidly and consistently. In this work, the method is combined with dummy variables and it is deployed in three case studies wherein spaces are comprised of both categorical and numerical inputs, a situation intractable by traditional Simplex methods. The first study employs in silico data and lays out the dummy variable methodology. The latter two employ experimental data from chromatography based studies performed with the filter-plate and miniature column High Throughput (HT) techniques. The solute of interest in the former case study was a monoclonal antibody whereas the latter dealt with the separation of a binary system of model proteins. The implemented approach prevented the stranding of the Simplex method at local optima, due to the arbitrary handling of the categorical inputs, and allowed for the concurrent optimization of numerical and categorical, multilevel and/or dichotomous, inputs. The deployment of the Simplex method, combined with dummy variables, was therefore entirely successful in identifying and characterizing global optima in all three case studies. The Simplex-based method was further shown to be of equivalent efficiency to a DoE-based approach, represented here by D-Optimal designs. Such an approach failed, however, to both capture trends and identify optima, and led to poor operating conditions. It is suggested that the Simplex-variant is suited to development activities involving numerical and categorical inputs in early bioprocess development. © 2017 The Authors. Biotechnology Journal published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Categorical counting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fetterman, J Gregor; Killeen, P Richard

    2010-09-01

    Pigeons pecked on three keys, responses to one of which could be reinforced after a few pecks, to a second key after a somewhat larger number of pecks, and to a third key after the maximum pecking requirement. The values of the pecking requirements and the proportion of trials ending with reinforcement were varied. Transits among the keys were an orderly function of peck number, and showed approximately proportional changes with changes in the pecking requirements, consistent with Weber's law. Standard deviations of the switch points between successive keys increased more slowly within a condition than across conditions. Changes in reinforcement probability produced changes in the location of the psychometric functions that were consistent with models of timing. Analyses of the number of pecks emitted and the duration of the pecking sequences demonstrated that peck number was the primary determinant of choice, but that passage of time also played some role. We capture the basic results with a standard model of counting, which we qualify to account for the secondary experiments. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. The Effect of Preprocessing on Arabic Document Categorization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdullah Ayedh

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Preprocessing is one of the main components in a conventional document categorization (DC framework. This paper aims to highlight the effect of preprocessing tasks on the efficiency of the Arabic DC system. In this study, three classification techniques are used, namely, naive Bayes (NB, k-nearest neighbor (KNN, and support vector machine (SVM. Experimental analysis on Arabic datasets reveals that preprocessing techniques have a significant impact on the classification accuracy, especially with complicated morphological structure of the Arabic language. Choosing appropriate combinations of preprocessing tasks provides significant improvement on the accuracy of document categorization depending on the feature size and classification techniques. Findings of this study show that the SVM technique has outperformed the KNN and NB techniques. The SVM technique achieved 96.74% micro-F1 value by using the combination of normalization and stemming as preprocessing tasks.

  18. Cross-language similarity and difference in quantity categorization of Finnish and Japanese

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yoshida, Kenji; J de Jong, Kenneth; Kruschke, John K

    2015-01-01

    quantity categorization was conducted with 22 Finnish and 20 Japanese listeners, using natural speech stimuli with systematically manipulated closure durations. Stimuli were created from Finnish and Japanese productions of both long and short plosives. In the naturally produced stimuli, the duration...... to be language specific, and such durational differences may interfere with categorization in an unfamiliar language....

  19. Fragment virtual screening based on Bayesian categorization for discovering novel VEGFR-2 scaffolds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yanmin; Jiao, Yu; Xiong, Xiao; Liu, Haichun; Ran, Ting; Xu, Jinxing; Lu, Shuai; Xu, Anyang; Pan, Jing; Qiao, Xin; Shi, Zhihao; Lu, Tao; Chen, Yadong

    2015-11-01

    The discovery of novel scaffolds against a specific target has long been one of the most significant but challengeable goals in discovering lead compounds. A scaffold that binds in important regions of the active pocket is more favorable as a starting point because scaffolds generally possess greater optimization possibilities. However, due to the lack of sufficient chemical space diversity of the databases and the ineffectiveness of the screening methods, it still remains a great challenge to discover novel active scaffolds. Since the strengths and weaknesses of both fragment-based drug design and traditional virtual screening (VS), we proposed a fragment VS concept based on Bayesian categorization for the discovery of novel scaffolds. This work investigated the proposal through an application on VEGFR-2 target. Firstly, scaffold and structural diversity of chemical space for 10 compound databases were explicitly evaluated. Simultaneously, a robust Bayesian classification model was constructed for screening not only compound databases but also their corresponding fragment databases. Although analysis of the scaffold diversity demonstrated a very unevenly distribution of scaffolds over molecules, results showed that our Bayesian model behaved better in screening fragments than molecules. Through a literature retrospective research, several generated fragments with relatively high Bayesian scores indeed exhibit VEGFR-2 biological activity, which strongly proved the effectiveness of fragment VS based on Bayesian categorization models. This investigation of Bayesian-based fragment VS can further emphasize the necessity for enrichment of compound databases employed in lead discovery by amplifying the diversity of databases with novel structures.

  20. Text Categorization Using Weight Adjusted k-Nearest Neighbor Classification

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Han, Euihong; Karypis, George; Kumar, Vipin

    1999-01-01

    .... The authors present a nearest neighbor classification scheme for text categorization in which the importance of discriminating words is learned using mutual information and weight adjustment techniques...

  1. Investigating the early stages of person perception: the asymmetry of social categorization by sex vs. age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cloutier, Jasmin; Freeman, Jonathan B; Ambady, Nalini

    2014-01-01

    Early perceptual operations are central components of the dynamics of social categorization. The wealth of information provided by facial cues presents challenges to our understanding of these early stages of person perception. The current study aimed to uncover the dynamics of processing multiply categorizable faces, notably as a function of their gender and age. Using a modified four-choice version of a mouse-tracking paradigm (which assesses the relative dominance of two categorical dimensions), the relative influence that sex and age have on each other during categorization of infant, younger adult, and older adult faces was investigated. Results of these experiments demonstrate that when sex and age dimensions are simultaneously categorized, only for infant faces does age influence sex categorization. In contrast, the sex of both young and older adults was shown to influence age categorization. The functional implications of these findings are discussed in light of previous person perception research.

  2. An attempt to categorize Hungarian community currencies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eszter Szemerédi

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Since the emergence of complementary currencies in the 1980s there have been numerous attempts to classify them, despite that the terms local currency, community currency and many others describing place-based monetary tools are not considered similarly by scholars. The local currencies take many forms, and local governments play different roles in their emergence and development. In Hungary there has been an increasing attention and discussion around the idea of implementing these alternative monetary tools. There is a growing number of working complementary currencies in Hungary, but academic research focuses mostly on whether these can contribute to the local development and what kind of effects they have. The aim of this paper is to present a possible categorization of Hungarian complementary currencies based on the role local governments played in their implementation. I evaluate whether these community currencies are effective at first, and attempt to categorize them based on their purpose, association form and their relationships with local governments, with the purpose of increasing awareness for these initiatives in the process of policy-making.

  3. Categorization of Radioxenon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Keller, Paul E.

    2012-04-26

    This report summarizes a study into some false positive issues in the use of radioxenon as a method to verify a clandestine nuclear weapons explosion. False positives arise due to similarities between the radioxenon signature generated in medical isotope production and that generated in a nuclear weapon explosion. This report also discusses how to categorize the radioxenon by levels of urgency for manual analysis and interpretation and recommends applying machine learning and time series analysis techniques in the automation of radioxenon characterization. The literature indicates that medical isotope production is a major contributor to atmospheric radioxenon and is the main source of confusion in determining the source of radioxenon. While radioxenon emissions from nuclear power plants can be distinguished from that from nuclear weapon explosions, emissions from medical isotope production generate signatures similar to certain nuclide ratios found in nuclear weapons explosions. Different techniques for analyzing nuclide concentrations and ratios as well as including other sensing modalities via sensor fusion are discussed.

  4. Modeling Rabbit Responses to Single and Multiple Aerosol ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Journal Article Survival models are developed here to predict response and time-to-response for mortality in rabbits following exposures to single or multiple aerosol doses of Bacillus anthracis spores. Hazard function models were developed for a multiple dose dataset to predict the probability of death through specifying dose-response functions and the time between exposure and the time-to-death (TTD). Among the models developed, the best-fitting survival model (baseline model) has an exponential dose-response model with a Weibull TTD distribution. Alternative models assessed employ different underlying dose-response functions and use the assumption that, in a multiple dose scenario, earlier doses affect the hazard functions of each subsequent dose. In addition, published mechanistic models are analyzed and compared with models developed in this paper. None of the alternative models that were assessed provided a statistically significant improvement in fit over the baseline model. The general approach utilizes simple empirical data analysis to develop parsimonious models with limited reliance on mechanistic assumptions. The baseline model predicts TTDs consistent with reported results from three independent high-dose rabbit datasets. More accurate survival models depend upon future development of dose-response datasets specifically designed to assess potential multiple dose effects on response and time-to-response. The process used in this paper to dev

  5. Should Posttraumatic Stress Be a Disorder or a Specifier? Towards Improved Nosology Within the DSM Categorical Classification System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guina, Jeffrey; Baker, Matthew; Stinson, Kelly; Maust, Jon; Coles, Joseph; Broderick, Pamela

    2017-08-15

    Since 1980, posttraumatic stress (PTS) disorder has been controversial because of its origin as a social construct, its discriminating trauma definition, and the Procrustean array of symptoms/clusters chosen for inclusion/exclusion. This review summarizes the history of trauma-related nosology and proposed changes, within current categorical models (trauma definitions, symptoms/clusters, subtypes/specifiers, disorders) and new models. Considering that trauma is a risk factor for virtually all mental disorders (particularly depressive, anxiety, dissociative, personality), the multi-finality of trauma (some survivors are resilient, and some develop PTS and/or non-PTS symptoms), and the various symptoms that trauma survivors express (mood, cognitive, perceptual, somatic), it is difficult to classify PTS. Because the human mind best comprehends categories, reliable classification generally necessitates using a categorical nosology but PTS defies categories (internalizing and/or externalizing, fear-based and/or numbing symptoms), the authors conclude that PTS-like DSM-5's panic attacks specifier-is currently best conceptualized as a specifier for other mental disorders.

  6. High baseline activity in inferior temporal cortex improves neural and behavioral discriminability during visual categorization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nazli eEmadi

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Spontaneous firing is a ubiquitous property of neural activity in the brain. Recent literature suggests that this baseline activity plays a key role in perception. However, it is not known how the baseline activity contributes to neural coding and behavior. Here, by recording from the single neurons in the inferior temporal cortex of monkeys performing a visual categorization task, we thoroughly explored the relationship between baseline activity, the evoked response, and behavior. Specifically we found that a low-frequency (< 8 Hz oscillation in the spike train, prior and phase-locked to the stimulus onset, was correlated with increased gamma power and neuronal baseline activity. This enhancement of the baseline activity was then followed by an increase in the neural selectivity and the response reliability and eventually a higher behavioral performance.

  7. Evaluation of Modified Categorical Data Fuzzy Clustering Algorithm on the Wisconsin Breast Cancer Dataset

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amir Ahmad

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The early diagnosis of breast cancer is an important step in a fight against the disease. Machine learning techniques have shown promise in improving our understanding of the disease. As medical datasets consist of data points which cannot be precisely assigned to a class, fuzzy methods have been useful for studying of these datasets. Sometimes breast cancer datasets are described by categorical features. Many fuzzy clustering algorithms have been developed for categorical datasets. However, in most of these methods Hamming distance is used to define the distance between the two categorical feature values. In this paper, we use a probabilistic distance measure for the distance computation among a pair of categorical feature values. Experiments demonstrate that the distance measure performs better than Hamming distance for Wisconsin breast cancer data.

  8. Information Fluxes as Concept for Categorizations of Life

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hildenbrand, Georg; Hausmann, M.

    2012-05-01

    Definitions of life are controversially discussed; however, they are mostly depending on bio- evolutionary driven arguments. Here, we propose a systematic, theoretical approach to the question what life is, by categorization and classification of different levels of life. This approach is mainly based on the analysis of information flux occurring in systems being suspicious to be alive, and on the analysis of their power of environmental control. In a first step, we show that all biological definitions of life can be derived from basic physical principles of entropy (number of possible states of a thermodynamic system) and of the energy needed for controlling entropic development. In a next step we discuss how any process where information flux is generated, regardless of its materialization is defined and related to classical definitions of life. In a third step we resume the proposed classification scheme in its most basic way, looking only for existence of data storage, its processing, and its environmental control. We join inhere a short discussion how the materialization of information fluxes can take place depending on the special properties of the four basic physical forces. Having done all this we are able to give everybody a classification catalogue at hand that one can categorize the kind of life one is talking about, thus overcoming the obstacles deriving from the simple appearing question whether something is alive or not. On its most basic level as presented here, our scheme offers a categorization for fire, crystals, prions, viruses, spores, up to cells and even tardigrada and cryostases.

  9. Testing a Poisson counter model for visual identification of briefly presented, mutually confusable single stimuli in pure accuracy tasks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kyllingsbæk, Søren; Markussen, Bo; Bundesen, Claus

    2012-06-01

    The authors propose and test a simple model of the time course of visual identification of briefly presented, mutually confusable single stimuli in pure accuracy tasks. The model implies that during stimulus analysis, tentative categorizations that stimulus i belongs to category j are made at a constant Poisson rate, v(i, j). The analysis is continued until the stimulus disappears, and the overt response is based on the categorization made the greatest number of times. The model was evaluated by Monte Carlo tests of goodness of fit against observed probability distributions of responses in two extensive experiments and also by quantifications of the information loss of the model compared with the observed data by use of information theoretic measures. The model provided a close fit to individual data on identification of digits and an apparently perfect fit to data on identification of Landolt rings.

  10. Word categorization from distributional information: frames confer more than the sum of their (Bigram) parts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mintz, Toben H; Wang, Felix Hao; Li, Jia

    2014-12-01

    Grammatical categories, such as noun and verb, are the building blocks of syntactic structure and the components that govern the grammatical patterns of language. However, in many languages words are not explicitly marked with their category information, hence a critical part of acquiring a language is categorizing the words. Computational analyses of child-directed speech have shown that distributional information-information about how words pattern with one another in sentences-could be a useful source of initial category information. Yet questions remain as to whether learners use this kind of information, and if so, what kinds of distributional patterns facilitate categorization. In this paper we investigated how adults exposed to an artificial language use distributional information to categorize words. We compared training situations in which target words occurred in frames (i.e., surrounded by two words that frequently co-occur) against situations in which target words occurred in simpler bigram contexts (where an immediately adjacent word provides the context for categorization). We found that learners categorized words together when they occurred in similar frame contexts, but not when they occurred in similar bigram contexts. These findings are particularly relevant because they accord with computational investigations showing that frame contexts provide accurate category information cross-linguistically. We discuss these findings in the context of prior research on distribution-based categorization and the broader implications for the role of distributional categorization in language acquisition. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. The Roy Adaptation Model and Content Analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Fawcett, Jacqueline

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to explain how the Roy Adaptation Model can be used to guide a combined qualitative and quantitative content analysis of responses to open-ended interviews questions. Responses can be categorized as adaptive or ineffective within the physiological, self-concept, role function, and interdependence modes of adaptation and then tallied to yield an adaptation score. El objetivo del presente estudio consiste en explicar de qué manera se puede utilizar el Modelo de A...

  12. The politics of gaydar: ideological differences in the use of gendered cues in categorizing sexual orientation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stern, Chadly; West, Tessa V; Jost, John T; Rule, Nicholas O

    2013-03-01

    In the present research, we investigated whether, because of differences in cognitive style, liberals and conservatives would differ in the process of categorizing individuals into a perceptually ambiguous group. In 3 studies, we examined whether conservatives were more likely than liberals to rely on gender inversion cues (e.g., feminine = gay) when categorizing male faces as gay vs. straight, and the accuracy implications of differential cue usage. In Study 1, perceivers made dichotomous sexual orientation judgments (gay-straight). We found that perceivers who reported being more liberal were less likely than perceivers who reported being more conservative to use gender inversion cues in their deliberative judgments. In addition, liberals took longer to categorize targets, suggesting that they may have been thinking more about their judgments. Consistent with a stereotype correction model of social categorization, in Study 2 we demonstrated that differences between liberals and conservatives were eliminated by a cognitive load manipulation that disrupted perceivers' abilities to engage in effortful processing. Under cognitive load, liberals failed to adjust their initial judgments and, like conservatives, consistently relied on gender inversion cues to make judgments. In Study 3, we provided more direct evidence that differences in cognitive style underlie ideological differences in judgments of sexual orientation. Specifically, liberals were less likely than conservatives to endorse stereotypes about gender inversion and sexual orientation, and this difference in stereotype endorsement was partially explained by liberals' greater need for cognition. Implications for the accuracy of ambiguous category judgments made with the use of stereotypical cues in naturalistic settings are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved

  13. Categorical Regression and Benchmark Dose Software 3.0

    Science.gov (United States)

    The objective of this full-day course is to provide participants with interactive training on the use of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Benchmark Dose software (BMDS, version 3.0, released fall 2018) and Categorical Regression software (CatReg, version 3.1...

  14. A Self-Categorization Explanation for Opinion Consensus Perceptions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jinguang; Reid, Scott A.

    2013-01-01

    The public expression of opinions (and related communicative activities) hinges upon the perception of opinion consensus. Current explanations for opinion consensus perceptions typically focus on egocentric and other biases, rather than functional cognitions. Using self-categorization theory we showed that opinion consensus perceptions flow from…

  15. An Affinity Propagation Clustering Algorithm for Mixed Numeric and Categorical Datasets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kang Zhang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Clustering has been widely used in different fields of science, technology, social science, and so forth. In real world, numeric as well as categorical features are usually used to describe the data objects. Accordingly, many clustering methods can process datasets that are either numeric or categorical. Recently, algorithms that can handle the mixed data clustering problems have been developed. Affinity propagation (AP algorithm is an exemplar-based clustering method which has demonstrated good performance on a wide variety of datasets. However, it has limitations on processing mixed datasets. In this paper, we propose a novel similarity measure for mixed type datasets and an adaptive AP clustering algorithm is proposed to cluster the mixed datasets. Several real world datasets are studied to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm. Comparisons with other clustering algorithms demonstrate that the proposed method works well not only on mixed datasets but also on pure numeric and categorical datasets.

  16. Dos categorías para analizar el razonamiento sobre reglas sociomorales

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martín Plascencia González

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Este artículo reporta los resultados de una investigación diseñada para conocer el razonamiento moral de niños y niñas de entre 10 y 11 años de edad, acerca de reglas sociomorales y transgresiones narradas en historias hipotéticas. Para el análisis de la información utilicé un método inductivo, construyendo categorías a partir de los datos y sin contar con categorías a priori. Los resultados muestran dos categorías de pensamiento en relación con las reglas. La primera la denominé Regularidad y expresa el conocimiento que los niños y niñas tienen de manera intencional y formal con respecto a las reglas, lo que está legislado conscientemente; y la segunda, denominada Vigencia, expresa la interpretación personal de la regla en sus usos cotidianos, actuales.

  17. Target Categorization with Primes that Vary in Both Congruency and Sense Modality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kathryn eWeatherford

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In two experiments we examined conceptual priming within and across sense modalities by varying the modality (picture and environmental sounds and the category congruency of prime-target pairs. Both experiments used a repetition priming paradigm, but Experiment 1 studied priming effects with a task that required a superordinate categorization response (man-made or natural, while Experiment 2 used a lower-level category response (musical instruments or animal: one that was more closely associated with the basic level of the semantic network. Results from Experiment 1 showed a strong effect of target modality and two distinct patterns of conceptual priming effects with picture and environmental sound targets. However, no priming advantage was found when congruent and incongruent primes were compared. Results from Experiment 2, found congruency effects that were specific to environmental sound targets when preceded by picture primes. The findings provide support for the intermodal event file and multisensory framework, and suggest that auditory and visual features about a single item in a conceptual category may be more tightly connected than two different items from the same category.

  18. From Kantian to Habersmanian Ethics: Socio-Juridical Implications of the Discursive Reconfigurationof the Categorical Imperative

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcio Renan Hamel

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available This article analyzes the reconstruction of Kant’s categoric imperative by Habermas’ discourse ethics. Various scientific methodologies were combined including deductive, typological, analytical and hermeneutic-phenomenological approaches. The deductive approach begins from the general theory about the issue to seek conclusions about particular situations. The typology approach focuses on the study of an ideal type used to create a model in reality. The analytical approach focuses on conceptual analysis and strives for a rigorous use of concepts. In the hermeneutic-phenomenological approach the fundamental epistemological category is comprehension and the goal is an interpretation of the facts. The text first presents a formulation of the categorical imperative and its consequences for human action and derived formulas. It then presents the Habermasian proposal for a discourse ethics, the principle of universalization and the reduction of ethical action to monological action. Finally, it establishes a relation between the two theoretical-philosophical positions and the socio-juridical consequences of Habermasian ethics for a Theory of Society.

  19. Focusing narrowly or broadly attention when judging categorical and coordinate spatial relations: a MEG study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raffaella Franciotti

    Full Text Available We measured activity in the dorsal system of the human cortex with magnetoencephalography (MEG during a matching-to-sample plus cueing paradigm, where participants judged the occurrence of changes in either categorical or coordinate spatial relations (e.g., exchanges of left versus right positions or changes in the relative distances between images of pairs of animals. The attention window was primed in each trial to be either small or large by using cues that immediately preceded the matching image. In this manner, we could assess the modulatory effects of the scope of attention on the activity of the dorsal system of the human cortex during spatial relations processing. The MEG measurements revealed that large spatial cues yielded greater activations and longer peak latencies in the right inferior parietal lobe for coordinate trials, whereas small cues yielded greater activations and longer peak latencies in the left inferior parietal lobe for categorical trials. The activity in the superior parietal lobe, middle frontal gyrus, and visual cortex, was also modulated by the size of the spatial cues and by the type of spatial relation change. The present results support the theory that the lateralization of each kind of spatial processing hinges on differences in the sizes of regions of space attended to by the two hemispheres. In addition, the present findings are inconsistent with the idea of a right-hemispheric dominance for all kinds of challenging spatial tasks, since response times and accuracy rates showed that the categorical spatial relation task was more difficult than the coordinate task and the cortical activations were overall greater in the left hemisphere than in the right hemisphere.

  20. Basic-level and superordinate-like categorical representations in early infancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behl-Chadha, G

    1996-08-01

    A series of experiments using the paired-preference procedure examined 3- to 4-month-old infants' ability to form perceptually based categorical representations in the domains of natural kinds and artifacts and probed the underlying organizational structure of these representations. Experiments 1 and 2 found that infants could form categorical representations for chairs that excluded exemplars of couches, beds, and tables and also for couches that excluded exemplars of chairs, beds, and tables. Thus, the adult-like exclusivity shown by infants in the categorization of various animal pictures at the basic-level extends to the domain of artifacts as well--an ecologically significant ability given the numerous artifacts that populate the human environment. Experiments 3 and 4 examined infants' ability to form superordinate-like or global categorical representations for mammals and furniture. It was found that infants could form a global representation for mammals that included novel mammals and excluded other non-mammalian animals such as birds and fish as well as items from cross-ontological categories such as furniture. In addition, it was found that infants formed a representation for furniture that included novel categories of furniture and excluded exemplars from the cross-ontological category of mammals; however, it was less clear if infants' global representation for furniture also excluded other artifacts such as vehicles and thus the category of furniture may have been less exclusively represented. Overall, the present findings, by showing the availability of perceptually driven basic and superordinate-like representations in early infancy that closely correspond to adult conceptual categories, underscore the importance of these early representations for later conceptual representations.

  1. Categorization of aortic aneurysm thrombus morphology by magnetic resonance imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Motte, Louise de la, E-mail: louise.de.la.motte@rh.regionh.dk [Department of Vascular Surgery, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen (Denmark); Pedersen, Mads Møller, E-mail: phd@medit.dk [Department of Radiology, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen (Denmark); Thomsen, Carsten, E-mail: carsten.thomsen@rh.regionh.dk [Department of Radiology, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen (Denmark); Vogt, Katja, E-mail: Vogt@dadlnet.dk [Department of Vascular Surgery, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen (Denmark); Schroeder, Torben V., E-mail: Torben.Veith.schroeder@rh.regionh.dk [Department of Vascular Surgery, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen (Denmark); Lonn, Lars, E-mail: lonn.lars@gmail.com [Department of Vascular Surgery and Department of Radiology, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen (Denmark)

    2013-10-01

    Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been proposed for qualitative categorization of intraluminal thrombus morphology. We aimed to correlate the qualitative MRI categorization previously described to quantitative measurements of signal intensity and to compare morphological characteristics of intraluminal thrombus specimens to the appearance on magnetic resonance imaging. Methods: Thirty-four patients undergoing open surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm had a preoperative MRI obtained with a 1.5 T magnet. Qualitative categorization was performed (blinded and in consensus) and correlated to intraluminal thrombus to muscle signal-intensity ratios. Morphology of intraluminal thrombus specimens collected during surgery were compared to the magnetic resonance imaging categories and specimen weight was correlated to thrombus volume measured on preoperative computer tomography angiography. Results: Blinded MRI categorization resulted in agreement in 22 out of 34 intraluminal thrombi (Kappa value 0.3, p = 0.006). Medians (p = 0.004) and distribution (p = 0.002) of signal-intensity ratios varied significantly across the three MRI categories obtained by consensus. Heterogeneous and homogenous specimen appearance corresponded to similar appearances on MRI in 78% and 55% respectively, resulting in an overall Kappa = 0.4 (p = 0.04). Intraluminal thrombus volume and weight correlated well (r{sub s} 0.831, p < 0.001) with a mean difference of 60 g (95% CI 38–80 g), without proportional bias. Conclusion: Qualitative evaluation of intraluminal thrombus morphology based on MRI can be quantified by measuring signal-intensity ratios. Concurrently a fair agreement to blinded qualitative evaluation of thrombus specimens can be obtained. However, the evaluation is impaired by loss of a large proportion of thrombus during sampling.

  2. Categorization of aortic aneurysm thrombus morphology by magnetic resonance imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Motte, Louise de la; Pedersen, Mads Møller; Thomsen, Carsten; Vogt, Katja; Schroeder, Torben V.; Lonn, Lars

    2013-01-01

    Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been proposed for qualitative categorization of intraluminal thrombus morphology. We aimed to correlate the qualitative MRI categorization previously described to quantitative measurements of signal intensity and to compare morphological characteristics of intraluminal thrombus specimens to the appearance on magnetic resonance imaging. Methods: Thirty-four patients undergoing open surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm had a preoperative MRI obtained with a 1.5 T magnet. Qualitative categorization was performed (blinded and in consensus) and correlated to intraluminal thrombus to muscle signal-intensity ratios. Morphology of intraluminal thrombus specimens collected during surgery were compared to the magnetic resonance imaging categories and specimen weight was correlated to thrombus volume measured on preoperative computer tomography angiography. Results: Blinded MRI categorization resulted in agreement in 22 out of 34 intraluminal thrombi (Kappa value 0.3, p = 0.006). Medians (p = 0.004) and distribution (p = 0.002) of signal-intensity ratios varied significantly across the three MRI categories obtained by consensus. Heterogeneous and homogenous specimen appearance corresponded to similar appearances on MRI in 78% and 55% respectively, resulting in an overall Kappa = 0.4 (p = 0.04). Intraluminal thrombus volume and weight correlated well (r s 0.831, p < 0.001) with a mean difference of 60 g (95% CI 38–80 g), without proportional bias. Conclusion: Qualitative evaluation of intraluminal thrombus morphology based on MRI can be quantified by measuring signal-intensity ratios. Concurrently a fair agreement to blinded qualitative evaluation of thrombus specimens can be obtained. However, the evaluation is impaired by loss of a large proportion of thrombus during sampling

  3. Measuring Vocational Preferences: Ranking versus Categorical Rating Procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carifio, James

    1978-01-01

    Describes a study to compare the relative validities of ranking v categorical rating procedures for obtaining student vocational preference data in exploratory program assignment situations. Students indicated their vocational program preferences from career clusters, and the frequency of wrong assignments made by each method was analyzed. (MF)

  4. Similar Task Features Shape Judgment and Categorization Processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffmann, Janina A.; von Helversen, Bettina; Rieskamp, Jörg

    2016-01-01

    The distinction between similarity-based and rule-based strategies has instigated a large body of research in categorization and judgment. Within both domains, the task characteristics guiding strategy shifts are increasingly well documented. Across domains, past research has observed shifts from rule-based strategies in judgment to…

  5. Categorical Perception of Affective and Linguistic Facial Expressions

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCullough, Stephen; Emmorey, Karen

    2009-01-01

    Two experiments investigated categorical perception (CP) effects for affective facial expressions and linguistic facial expressions from American Sign Language (ASL) for Deaf native signers and hearing non-signers. Facial expressions were presented in isolation (Experiment 1) or in an ASL verb context (Experiment 2). Participants performed ABX…

  6. Thermal facial reactivity patterns predict social categorization bias triggered by unconscious and conscious emotional stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ponsi, Giorgia; Panasiti, Maria Serena; Rizza, Giulia; Aglioti, Salvatore Maria

    2017-08-30

    Members of highly social species decode, interpret, and react to the emotion of a conspecific depending on whether the other belongs to the same (ingroup) or different (outgroup) social group. While studies indicate that consciously perceived emotional stimuli drive social categorization, information about how implicit emotional stimuli and specific physiological signatures affect social categorization is lacking. We addressed this issue by exploring whether subliminal and supraliminal affective priming can influence the categorization of neutral faces as ingroup versus outgroup. Functional infrared thermal imaging was used to investigate whether the effect of affective priming on the categorization decision was moderated by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). During the subliminal condition, we found that stronger SNS activation after positive or negative affective primes induced ingroup and outgroup face categorization, respectively. The exact opposite pattern (i.e. outgroup after positive and ingroup after negative primes) was observed in the supraliminal condition. We also found that misattribution effects were stronger in people with low emotional awareness, suggesting that this trait moderates how one recognizes SNS signals and employs them for unrelated decisions. Our results allow the remarkable implication that low-level affective reactions coupled with sympathetic activation may bias social categorization. © 2017 The Author(s).

  7. Domain Differences in the Weights of Perceptual and Conceptual Information in Children's Categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diesendruck, Gil; Peretz, Shimon

    2013-01-01

    Visual appearance is one of the main cues children rely on when categorizing novel objects. In 3 studies, testing 128 3-year-olds and 192 5-year-olds, we investigated how various kinds of information may differentially lead children to overlook visual appearance in their categorization decisions across domains. Participants saw novel animals or…

  8. Latitude Reduction Based on Gender Categorization and Gender Stereotypes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skewes, Lea

    This dissertation consists of four articles; two articles which apply experimental methodologies from social psychology, and two articles which apply queer theory. These two different methodologies are applied in order to uncover different kinds of asymmetrical power relations driven by sex/gender...... to take a step back from our sex/gender categories, and unveil which effects categorizing by sex/gender has on people who are considered unintelligible by the categories. Therefore, this language philosophical perspective offers tools to analyse non-binary sexed/gendered people, and the sex/gender...... categorization. The social psychology methodology is applied in order to capture fundamental psychological mechanism at play in patriarchal society – striving to unveil gender inequalities between the binary categories of men and women. The queer theoretical meta-perspective is applied in order to allow us...

  9. Dyslexia Limits the Ability to Categorize Talker Dialect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Gayle Beam; Fox, Robert Allen; Jacewicz, Ewa

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the underlying phonological impairment in dyslexia is associated with a deficit in categorizing regional dialects. Method: Twenty adults with dyslexia, 20 school-age children with dyslexia, and 40 corresponding control listeners with average reading ability listened to sentences produced…

  10. Categorization and Analysis of Explanatory Writing in Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craig, Tracy S.

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this article is to present a scheme for coding and categorizing students' written explanations of mathematical problem-solving activities. The scheme was used successfully within a study project carried out to determine whether student problem-solving behaviour could be positively affected by writing explanatory strategies to…

  11. Perceiving age and gender in unfamiliar faces: brain potential evidence for implicit and explicit person categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiese, Holger; Schweinberger, Stefan R; Neumann, Markus F

    2008-11-01

    We used repetition priming to investigate implicit and explicit processes of unfamiliar face categorization. During prime and test phases, participants categorized unfamiliar faces according to either age or gender. Faces presented at test were either new or primed in a task-congruent (same task during priming and test) or incongruent (different tasks) condition. During age categorization, reaction times revealed significant priming for both priming conditions, and event-related potentials yielded an increased N170 over the left hemisphere as a result of priming. During gender categorization, congruent faces elicited priming and a latency decrease in the right N170. Accordingly, information about age is extracted irrespective of processing demands, and priming facilitates the extraction of feature information reflected in the left N170 effect. By contrast, priming of gender categorization may depend on whether the task at initial presentation requires configural processing.

  12. Conceptual framework and trend analysis of water-level responses to hydrologic stresses, Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley groundwater basin, Nevada, 1966-2016

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, Tracie R.; Fenelon, Joseph M.

    2018-05-31

    This report identifies water-level trends in wells and provides a conceptual framework that explains the hydrologic stresses and factors causing the trends in the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley (PMOV) groundwater basin, southern Nevada. Water levels in 79 wells were analyzed for trends between 1966 and 2016. The magnitude and duration of water-level responses to hydrologic stresses were analyzed graphically, statistically, and with water-level models.The conceptual framework consists of multiple stress-specific conceptual models to explain water-level responses to the following hydrologic stresses: recharge, evapotranspiration, pumping, nuclear testing, and wellbore equilibration. Dominant hydrologic stresses affecting water-level trends in each well were used to categorize trends as nonstatic, transient, or steady state.The conceptual framework of water-level responses to hydrologic stresses and trend analyses provide a comprehensive understanding of the PMOV basin and vicinity. The trend analysis links water-level fluctuations in wells to hydrologic stresses and potential factors causing the trends. Transient and steady-state trend categorizations can be used to determine the appropriate water-level data for groundwater studies.

  13. Single toxin dose-response models revisited

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Demidenko, Eugene, E-mail: eugened@dartmouth.edu [Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH03756 (United States); Glaholt, SP, E-mail: sglaholt@indiana.edu [Indiana University, School of Public & Environmental Affairs, Bloomington, IN47405 (United States); Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH03755 (United States); Kyker-Snowman, E, E-mail: ek2002@wildcats.unh.edu [Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH03824 (United States); Shaw, JR, E-mail: joeshaw@indiana.edu [Indiana University, School of Public & Environmental Affairs, Bloomington, IN47405 (United States); Chen, CY, E-mail: Celia.Y.Chen@dartmouth.edu [Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH03755 (United States)

    2017-01-01

    The goal of this paper is to offer a rigorous analysis of the sigmoid shape single toxin dose-response relationship. The toxin efficacy function is introduced and four special points, including maximum toxin efficacy and inflection points, on the dose-response curve are defined. The special points define three phases of the toxin effect on mortality: (1) toxin concentrations smaller than the first inflection point or (2) larger then the second inflection point imply low mortality rate, and (3) concentrations between the first and the second inflection points imply high mortality rate. Probabilistic interpretation and mathematical analysis for each of the four models, Hill, logit, probit, and Weibull is provided. Two general model extensions are introduced: (1) the multi-target hit model that accounts for the existence of several vital receptors affected by the toxin, and (2) model with a nonzero mortality at zero concentration to account for natural mortality. Special attention is given to statistical estimation in the framework of the generalized linear model with the binomial dependent variable as the mortality count in each experiment, contrary to the widespread nonlinear regression treating the mortality rate as continuous variable. The models are illustrated using standard EPA Daphnia acute (48 h) toxicity tests with mortality as a function of NiCl or CuSO{sub 4} toxin. - Highlights: • The paper offers a rigorous study of a sigmoid dose-response relationship. • The concentration with highest mortality rate is rigorously defined. • A table with four special points for five morality curves is presented. • Two new sigmoid dose-response models have been introduced. • The generalized linear model is advocated for estimation of sigmoid dose-response relationship.

  14. Assessing Expertise in Introductory Physics Using Categorization Task

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mason, Andrew; Singh, Chandralekha

    2011-01-01

    The ability to categorize problems based upon underlying principles, rather than surface features or contexts, is considered one of several proxy predictors of expertise in problem solving. With inspiration from the classic study by Chi, Feltovich, and Glaser, we assess the distribution of expertise among introductory physics students by asking…

  15. A Box-Cox normal model for response times.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klein Entink, R H; van der Linden, W J; Fox, J-P

    2009-11-01

    The log-transform has been a convenient choice in response time modelling on test items. However, motivated by a dataset of the Medical College Admission Test where the lognormal model violated the normality assumption, the possibilities of the broader class of Box-Cox transformations for response time modelling are investigated. After an introduction and an outline of a broader framework for analysing responses and response times simultaneously, the performance of a Box-Cox normal model for describing response times is investigated using simulation studies and a real data example. A transformation-invariant implementation of the deviance information criterium (DIC) is developed that allows for comparing model fit between models with different transformation parameters. Showing an enhanced description of the shape of the response time distributions, its application in an educational measurement context is discussed at length.

  16. Statistical Assessment of Solvent Mixture Models Used for Separation of Biological Active Compounds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lorentz Jäntschi

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Two mathematical models with seven and six parameters have been created for use as methods for identification of the optimum mobile phase in chromatographic separations. A series of chromatographic response functions were proposed and implemented in order to assess and validate the models. The assessment was performed on a set of androstane isomers. Pearson, Spearman, Kendall tau-a,b,c and Goodman-Kruskal correlation coefficients were used in order to identify and to quantify the link and its nature (quantitative, categorical, semi-quantitative, both quantitative and categorical between experimental values and the values estimated by the mathematical models. The study revealed that the six parameter model is valid and reliable for five chromatographic response factors (retardation factor, retardation factor ordered ascending by the chromatographic peak, resolution of pairs of compound, resolution matrix of successive chromatographic peaks, and quality factor. Furthermore, the model could be used as an instrument in analysis of the quality of experimental data. The results obtained by applying the model with six parameters for deviations of rank sums suggest that the data of the experiment no. 8 are questionable.

  17. Confidence Intervals for Assessing Heterogeneity in Generalized Linear Mixed Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagler, Amy E.

    2014-01-01

    Generalized linear mixed models are frequently applied to data with clustered categorical outcomes. The effect of clustering on the response is often difficult to practically assess partly because it is reported on a scale on which comparisons with regression parameters are difficult to make. This article proposes confidence intervals for…

  18. Analyzing polysemous concepts from a clinical perspective: Application to auditing concept categorization in the UMLS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mougin, Fleur; Bodenreider, Olivier; Burgun, Anita

    2015-01-01

    Objectives Polysemy is a frequent issue in biomedical terminologies. In the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS), polysemous terms are either represented as several independent concepts, or clustered into a single, multiply-categorized concept. The objective of this study is to analyze polysemous concepts in the UMLS through their categorization and hierarchical relations for auditing purposes. Methods We used the association of a concept with multiple Semantic Groups (SGs) as a surrogate for polysemy. We first extracted multi-SG (MSG) concepts from the UMLS Metathesaurus and characterized them in terms of the combinations of SGs with which they are associated. We then clustered MSG concepts in order to identify major types of polysemy. We also analyzed the inheritance of SGs in MSG concepts. Finally, we manually reviewed the categorization of the MSG concepts for auditing purposes. Results The 1208 MSG concepts in the Metathesaurus are associated with 30 distinct pairs of SGs. We created 75 semantically homogeneous clusters of MSG concepts, and 276 MSG concepts could not be clustered for lack of hierarchical relations. The clusters were characterized by the most frequent pairs of semantic types of their constituent MSG concepts. MSG concepts exhibit limited semantic compatibility with their parent and child concepts. A large majority of MSG concepts (92%) are adequately categorized. Examples of miscategorized concepts are presented. Conclusion This work is a systematic analysis and manual review of all concepts categorized by multiple SGs in the UMLS. The correctly-categorized MSG concepts do reflect polysemy in the UMLS Metathesaurus. The analysis of inheritance of SGs proved useful for auditing concept categorization in the UMLS. PMID:19303057

  19. A Bivariate Generalized Linear Item Response Theory Modeling Framework to the Analysis of Responses and Response Times.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molenaar, Dylan; Tuerlinckx, Francis; van der Maas, Han L J

    2015-01-01

    A generalized linear modeling framework to the analysis of responses and response times is outlined. In this framework, referred to as bivariate generalized linear item response theory (B-GLIRT), separate generalized linear measurement models are specified for the responses and the response times that are subsequently linked by cross-relations. The cross-relations can take various forms. Here, we focus on cross-relations with a linear or interaction term for ability tests, and cross-relations with a curvilinear term for personality tests. In addition, we discuss how popular existing models from the psychometric literature are special cases in the B-GLIRT framework depending on restrictions in the cross-relation. This allows us to compare existing models conceptually and empirically. We discuss various extensions of the traditional models motivated by practical problems. We also illustrate the applicability of our approach using various real data examples, including data on personality and cognitive ability.

  20. Impact of a short intervention on novices’ categorization criteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer L. Docktor

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Research on physics problem categorization has established that proficient problem solvers are able to group together physics problems that would be solved by similar principles and use conceptual approaches when solving problems, whereas weak solvers rely more heavily upon surface features (objects, contexts, and quantities provided to identify specific equations that match to the problem situation. This study explores the degree to which novices are able to shift their categorization strategies toward one that is more principle based as a result of a brief, computer-based intervention designed to highlight the role of principles as categorization criteria. Students finishing an introductory algebra-based mechanics course were presented with a sequence of problem pairs, asked to judge whether each pair would be solved similarly, and provided with feedback. Students in one condition received feedback that was very sparse and only indicated correctness, whereas students in a second condition viewed elaborate feedback that linked problem features to the appropriate concepts and principles to solve each problem. We found an increased use of physics principles in the reasoning provided by students who received the elaborate feedback whereas students who did not view this elaboration primarily cited quantities in the problem statement. Although these results suggest it is possible to increase students’ attention to principles when approaching problems, poor performance on the items indicates that considering the appropriateness of principles remains a difficult task for beginning physics students.

  1. Categorization of Alternative Conceptions in Electricity and Magnetism: The Case of Ethiopian Undergraduate Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dega, Bekele Gashe; Kriek, Jeanne; Mogese, Temesgen Fereja

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to categorize 35 Ethiopian undergraduate physics students' alternative conceptions in the concepts of electric potential and energy. A descriptive qualitative research design was used to categorize the students' alternative conceptions. Four independently homogeneous ability focus groups were formed to elicit the…

  2. Categorizing Children: Automated Text Classification of CHILDES files

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Opsomer, Rob; Knoth, Peter; Wiering, Marco; van Polen, Freek; Trapman, Jantine

    2008-01-01

    In this paper we present the application of machine learning text classification methods to two tasks: categorization of children’s speech in the CHILDES Database according to gender and age. Both tasks are binary. For age, we distinguish two age groups between the age of 1.9 and 3.0 years old. The

  3. A method for risk-informed safety significance categorization using the analytic hierarchy process and bayesian belief networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ha, Jun Su; Seong, Poong Hyun

    2004-01-01

    A risk-informed safety significance categorization (RISSC) is to categorize structures, systems, or components (SSCs) of a nuclear power plant (NPP) into two or more groups, according to their safety significance using both probabilistic and deterministic insights. In the conventional methods for the RISSC, the SSCs are quantitatively categorized according to their importance measures for the initial categorization. The final decisions (categorizations) of SSCs, however, are qualitatively made by an expert panel through discussions and adjustments of opinions by using the probabilistic insights compiled in the initial categorization process and combining the probabilistic insights with the deterministic insights. Therefore, owing to the qualitative and linear decision-making process, the conventional methods have the demerits as follows: (1) they are very costly in terms of time and labor, (2) it is not easy to reach the final decision, when the opinions of the experts are in conflict and (3) they have an overlapping process due to the linear paradigm (the categorization is performed twice - first, by the engineers who propose the method, and second, by the expert panel). In this work, a method for RISSC using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and bayesian belief networks (BBN) is proposed to overcome the demerits of the conventional methods and to effectively arrive at a final decision (or categorization). By using the AHP and BBN, the expert panel takes part in the early stage of the categorization (that is, the quantification process) and the safety significance based on both probabilistic and deterministic insights is quantified. According to that safety significance, SSCs are quantitatively categorized into three categories such as high safety significant category (Hi), potentially safety significant category (Po), or low safety significant category (Lo). The proposed method was applied to the components such as CC-V073, CV-V530, and SI-V644 in Ulchin Unit

  4. Response Styles in the Partial Credit Model

    OpenAIRE

    Tutz, Gerhard; Schauberger, Gunther; Berger, Moritz

    2016-01-01

    In the modelling of ordinal responses in psychological measurement and survey- based research, response styles that represent specific answering patterns of respondents are typically ignored. One consequence is that estimates of item parameters can be poor and considerably biased. The focus here is on the modelling of a tendency to extreme or middle categories. An extension of the Partial Credit Model is proposed that explicitly accounts for this specific response style. In contrast to exi...

  5. Learning Category-Specific Dictionary and Shared Dictionary for Fine-Grained Image Categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Shenghua; Tsang, Ivor Wai-Hung; Ma, Yi

    2014-02-01

    This paper targets fine-grained image categorization by learning a category-specific dictionary for each category and a shared dictionary for all the categories. Such category-specific dictionaries encode subtle visual differences among different categories, while the shared dictionary encodes common visual patterns among all the categories. To this end, we impose incoherence constraints among the different dictionaries in the objective of feature coding. In addition, to make the learnt dictionary stable, we also impose the constraint that each dictionary should be self-incoherent. Our proposed dictionary learning formulation not only applies to fine-grained classification, but also improves conventional basic-level object categorization and other tasks such as event recognition. Experimental results on five data sets show that our method can outperform the state-of-the-art fine-grained image categorization frameworks as well as sparse coding based dictionary learning frameworks. All these results demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.

  6. The effects of divided attention at study and test on false recognition: a comparison of DRM and categorized lists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knott, Lauren M; Dewhurst, Stephen A

    2007-12-01

    Three experiments investigated the effects of divided attention at encoding and retrieval on false recognition. In Experiment 1, participants studied word lists in either full or divided attention (random number generation) conditions and then took part in a recognition test with full attention. In Experiment 2, after studying word lists with full attention, participants carried out a recognition test with either full or divided attention. Experiment 3 manipulated attention at both study and test. We also compared Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM) and categorized lists, due to recent claims regarding the locus of false memories produced by such lists (Smith, Gerkens, Pierce, & Choi, 2002). With both list types, false "remember" responses were reduced by divided attention at encoding and increased by divided attention at retrieval. The findings suggest that the production of false memories occurs as a result of the generation of associates at encoding and failures of source monitoring retrieval. Crucially, this is true for both DRM and categorized lists.

  7. Clinico-morphological correlations in the categorization of holes between the ventricles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Friedman Brad

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Controversy still exists in the categorization of holes between the ventricles, although they are the most common congenital cardiac malformation. Advanced imaging techniques such as three-dimensional echocardiography and computed tomographic angiography offer superb anatomical details of these defects. In this review, we have sought to collate the features highlighted in different categorizations and identify their similarities, but also emphasize their differences. We hope that an analysis of this type, now achievable during life, using advanced imaging, might lead to the appearance of a unified system for diagnosis and description of holes between the ventricles.

  8. Developmental and Social Determinants of Religious Social Categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Straten Waillet, Nastasya; Roskam, Isabelle

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess developmental and social determinants of the age at which children become aware that the social environment can be marked by categorization into religious groups and that those groups are associated with different religious beliefs. The results show that middle childhood is a critical period for this…

  9. Modelling non-ignorable missing data mechanisms with item response theory models

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Holman, Rebecca; Glas, Cornelis A.W.

    2005-01-01

    A model-based procedure for assessing the extent to which missing data can be ignored and handling non-ignorable missing data is presented. The procedure is based on item response theory modelling. As an example, the approach is worked out in detail in conjunction with item response data modelled

  10. Modelling non-ignorable missing-data mechanisms with item response theory models

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Holman, Rebecca; Glas, Cees A. W.

    2005-01-01

    A model-based procedure for assessing the extent to which missing data can be ignored and handling non-ignorable missing data is presented. The procedure is based on item response theory modelling. As an example, the approach is worked out in detail in conjunction with item response data modelled

  11. Detecting gender before you know it: How implementation intentions control early gender categorization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hügelschäfer, Sabine; Jaudas, Alexander; Achtziger, Anja

    2016-10-15

    Gender categorization is highly automatic. Studies measuring ERPs during the presentation of male and female faces in a categorization task showed that this categorization is extremely quick (around 130ms, indicated by the N170). We tested whether this automatic process can be controlled by goal intentions and implementation intentions. First, we replicated the N170 modulation on gender-incongruent faces as reported in previous research. This effect was only observed in a task in which faces had to be categorized according to gender, but not in a task that required responding to a visual feature added to the face stimuli (the color of a dot) while gender was irrelevant. Second, it turned out that the N170 modulation on gender-incongruent faces was altered if a goal intention was set that aimed at controlling a gender bias. We interpret this finding as an indicator of nonconscious goal pursuit. The N170 modulation was completely absent when this goal intention was furnished with an implementation intention. In contrast, intentions did not alter brain activity at a later time window (P300), which is associated with more complex and rather conscious processes. In line with previous research, the P300 was modulated by gender incongruency even if individuals were strongly involved in another task, demonstrating the automaticity of gender detection. We interpret our findings as evidence that automatic gender categorization that occurs at a very early processing stage can be effectively controlled by intentions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Implicit and explicit categorization of natural scenes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Codispoti, Maurizio; Ferrari, Vera; De Cesarei, Andrea; Cardinale, Rossella

    2006-01-01

    Event-related potential (ERP) studies have consistently found that emotionally arousing (pleasant and unpleasant) pictures elicit a larger late positive potential (LPP) than neutral pictures in a window from 400 to 800 ms after picture onset. In addition, an early ERP component has been reported to vary with emotional arousal in a window from about 150 to 300 ms with affective, compared to neutral stimuli, prompting significantly less positivity over occipito-temporal sites. Similar early and late ERP components have been found in explicit categorization tasks, suggesting that selective attention to target features results in similar cortical changes. Several studies have shown that the affective modulation of the LPP persisted even when the same pictures are repeated several times, when they are presented as distractors, or when participants are engaged in a competing task. These results indicate that categorization of affective stimuli is an obligatory process. On the other hand, perceptual factors (e.g., stimulus size) seem to affect the early ERP component but not the affective modulation of the LPP. Although early and late ERP components vary with stimulus relevance, given that they are differentially affected by stimulus and task manipulations, they appear to index different facets of picture processing.

  13. Using Categorization of Problems as an Instructional Tool to Help Introductory Students Learn Physics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mason, Andrew; Singh, Chandralekha

    2016-01-01

    The ability to categorize problems based upon underlying principles, rather than contexts, is considered a hallmark of expertise in physics problem solving. With inspiration from a classic study by Chi, Feltovich, and Glaser, we compared the categorization of 25 introductory mechanics problems based upon similarity of solution by students in large…

  14. Perceiving Age and Gender in Unfamiliar Faces: An fMRI Study on Face Categorization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiese, Holger; Kloth, Nadine; Gullmar, Daniel; Reichenbach, Jurgen R.; Schweinberger, Stefan R.

    2012-01-01

    Efficient processing of unfamiliar faces typically involves their categorization (e.g., into old vs. young or male vs. female). However, age and gender categorization may pose different perceptual demands. In the present study, we employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare the activity evoked during age vs. gender…

  15. Systematic review of statistically-derived models of immunological response in HIV-infected adults on antiretroviral therapy in Sub-Saharan Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sempa, Joseph B; Ujeneza, Eva L; Nieuwoudt, Martin

    2017-01-01

    In Sub-Saharan African (SSA) resource limited settings, Cluster of Differentiation 4 (CD4) counts continue to be used for clinical decision making in antiretroviral therapy (ART). Here, HIV-infected people often remain with CD4 counts immunological monitoring is necessary. Due to varying statistical modeling methods comparing immune response to ART across different cohorts is difficult. We systematically review such models and detail the similarities, differences and problems. 'Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses' guidelines were used. Only studies of immune-response after ART initiation from SSA in adults were included. Data was extracted from each study and tabulated. Outcomes were categorized into 3 groups: 'slope', 'survival', and 'asymptote' models. Wordclouds were drawn wherein the frequency of variables occurring in the reviewed models is indicated by their size and color. 69 covariates were identified in the final models of 35 studies. Effect sizes of covariates were not directly quantitatively comparable in view of the combination of differing variables and scale transformation methods across models. Wordclouds enabled the identification of qualitative and semi-quantitative covariate sets for each outcome category. Comparison across categories identified sex, baseline age, baseline log viral load, baseline CD4, ART initiation regimen and ART duration as a minimal consensus set. Most models were different with respect to covariates included, variable transformations and scales, model assumptions, modelling strategies and reporting methods, even for the same outcomes. To enable comparison across cohorts, statistical models would benefit from the application of more uniform modelling techniques. Historic efforts have produced results that are anecdotal to individual cohorts only. This study was able to define 'prior' knowledge in the Bayesian sense. Such information has value for prospective modelling efforts.

  16. A response-modeling alternative to surrogate models for support in computational analyses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rutherford, Brian

    2006-01-01

    Often, the objectives in a computational analysis involve characterization of system performance based on some function of the computed response. In general, this characterization includes (at least) an estimate or prediction for some performance measure and an estimate of the associated uncertainty. Surrogate models can be used to approximate the response in regions where simulations were not performed. For most surrogate modeling approaches, however (1) estimates are based on smoothing of available data and (2) uncertainty in the response is specified in a point-wise (in the input space) fashion. These aspects of the surrogate model construction might limit their capabilities. One alternative is to construct a probability measure, G(r), for the computer response, r, based on available data. This 'response-modeling' approach will permit probability estimation for an arbitrary event, E(r), based on the computer response. In this general setting, event probabilities can be computed: prob(E)=∫ r I(E(r))dG(r) where I is the indicator function. Furthermore, one can use G(r) to calculate an induced distribution on a performance measure, pm. For prediction problems where the performance measure is a scalar, its distribution F pm is determined by: F pm (z)=∫ r I(pm(r)≤z)dG(r). We introduce response models for scalar computer output and then generalize the approach to more complicated responses that utilize multiple response models

  17. Fast Computation of Categorical Richness on Raster Data Sets and Related Problems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de Berg, Mark; Tsirogiannis, Constantinos; Wilkinson, Bryan

    2015-01-01

    that runs in O(n) time and one for circular windows that runs in O((1+K/r)n) time, where K is the number of different categories appearing in G. The algorithms are not only very efficient in theory, but also in practice: our experiments show that our algorithms can handle raster data sets of hundreds...... of millions of cells. The categorical richness problem is related to colored range counting, where the goal is to preprocess a colored point set such that we can efficiently count the number of colors appearing inside a query range. We present a data structure for colored range counting in R^2 for the case......In many scientific fields, it is common to encounter raster data sets consisting of categorical data, such as soil type or land usage of a terrain. A problem that arises in the presence of such data is the following: given a raster G of n cells storing categorical data, compute for every cell c...

  18. Categorization of flow conditions using Integral quantities for characterizing stagnation and recirculation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, M.H.; Hwang, W.T.; Jeong, H.J.; Kim, E.H.

    2008-01-01

    This paper describes a method for categorizing an atmospheric flow condition of a site by using integral quantities for characterizing stagnation and recirculation. Authors have devised a method for categorizing flow conditions using distribution curves which represent the flow condition of the whole of Korea. It was found that the flow conditions for four nuclear power plant sites were good enough from a meteorological aspect. Among the four sites, Kori nuclear power plant site which is located at the south-eastern part of the Korean peninsular shows the best condition. Meteorological condition is the key factor for estimating the environmental effects of a nuclear facility. The devised method can be used for assessing the relative environmental risk of a nuclear facility with only meteorological data. And the devised categorization method can be used for choosing a suitable site for an industrial facility such as a nuclear power plant and a chemical complex. (author)

  19. Categorization of fragrance contact allergens for prioritization of preventive measures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Uter, Wolfgang; Johansen, Jeanne D; Börje, Anna

    2013-01-01

    Contact allergy to fragrances is still relatively common, affecting ∼ 16% of patients patch tested for suspected allergic contact dermatitis, considering all current screening allergens. The objective of the review is to systematically retrieve, evaluate and classify evidence on contact allergy...... to fragrances, in order to arrive at recommendations for targeting of primary and secondary prevention. Besides published evidence on contact allergy in humans, animal data (local lymph node assay), annual use volumes and structure-activity relationships (SARs) were considered for an algorithmic categorization...... are considered to be of special concern, owing to the high absolute number of reported cases of contact allergy (> 100). Additionally, 18 single substances and one natural mixture are categorized as established contact allergens in animals. SARs, combined with limited human evidence, contributed...

  20. Randomized Item Response Theory Models

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fox, Gerardus J.A.

    2005-01-01

    The randomized response (RR) technique is often used to obtain answers on sensitive questions. A new method is developed to measure latent variables using the RR technique because direct questioning leads to biased results. Within the RR technique is the probability of the true response modeled by

  1. Goguen categories a categorical approach to l-fuzzy relations

    CERN Document Server

    Winter, Michael; Mundici, Daniele

    2007-01-01

    Goguen categories extend the relational calculus and its categorical formalization to the fuzzy world. Starting from the fundamental concepts of sets, binary relations and lattices this book introduces several categorical formulations of an abstract theory of relations such as allegories, Dedekind categories and related structures. It is shown that neither theory is sufficiently rich to describe basic operations on fuzzy relations. The book then introduces Goguen categories and provides a comprehensive study of these structures including their representation theory, and the definability of norm-based operations. The power of the theory is demonstrated by a comprehensive example. A certain Goguen category is used to specify and to develop a fuzzy controller. Based on its abstract description as well as certain desirable properties and their formal proofs, a verified controller is derived without compromising the - sometimes - intuitive choice of norm-based operations by fuzzy engineers.

  2. Model for Managing Corporate Social Responsibility

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tamara Vlastelica Bakić

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available As a crossfuncional process in the organization, effective management of corporate social responsibility requires a definition of strategies, programs and an action plan that structures this process from its initiation to the measurement of end effects. Academic literature on the topic of corporate social responsibility is mainly focused on the exploration of the business case for the concept, i.e., the determination of effects of social responsibility on individual aspects of the business. Scientific research so far has shown not to have been committed to formalizing management concept in this domain to a satisfactory extent; it is for this reason that this paper attempts to present one model for managing corporate social responsibility. The model represents a contribution to the theory and business practice of corporate social responsibility, as it offers a strategic framework for systematic planning, implementation and evaluation of socially responsible activities and programs.

  3. Knowledge categorization affects popularity and quality of Wikipedia articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lerner, Jürgen; Lomi, Alessandro

    2018-01-01

    The existence of a shared classification system is essential to knowledge production, transfer, and sharing. Studies of knowledge classification, however, rarely consider the fact that knowledge categories exist within hierarchical information systems designed to facilitate knowledge search and discovery. This neglect is problematic whenever information about categorical membership is itself used to evaluate the quality of the items that the category contains. The main objective of this paper is to show that the effects of category membership depend on the position that a category occupies in the hierarchical knowledge classification system of Wikipedia-an open knowledge production and sharing platform taking the form of a freely accessible on-line encyclopedia. Using data on all English-language Wikipedia articles, we examine how the position that a category occupies in the classification hierarchy affects the attention that articles in that category attract from Wikipedia editors, and their evaluation of quality of the Wikipedia articles. Specifically, we show that Wikipedia articles assigned to coarse-grained categories (i. e., categories that occupy higher positions in the hierarchical knowledge classification system) garner more attention from Wikipedia editors (i. e., attract a higher volume of text editing activity), but receive lower evaluations (i. e., they are considered to be of lower quality). The negative relation between attention and quality implied by this result is consistent with current theories of social categorization, but it also goes beyond available results by showing that the effects of categorization on evaluation depend on the position that a category occupies in a hierarchical knowledge classification system.

  4. Knowledge categorization affects popularity and quality of Wikipedia articles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lomi, Alessandro

    2018-01-01

    The existence of a shared classification system is essential to knowledge production, transfer, and sharing. Studies of knowledge classification, however, rarely consider the fact that knowledge categories exist within hierarchical information systems designed to facilitate knowledge search and discovery. This neglect is problematic whenever information about categorical membership is itself used to evaluate the quality of the items that the category contains. The main objective of this paper is to show that the effects of category membership depend on the position that a category occupies in the hierarchical knowledge classification system of Wikipedia—an open knowledge production and sharing platform taking the form of a freely accessible on-line encyclopedia. Using data on all English-language Wikipedia articles, we examine how the position that a category occupies in the classification hierarchy affects the attention that articles in that category attract from Wikipedia editors, and their evaluation of quality of the Wikipedia articles. Specifically, we show that Wikipedia articles assigned to coarse-grained categories (i. e., categories that occupy higher positions in the hierarchical knowledge classification system) garner more attention from Wikipedia editors (i. e., attract a higher volume of text editing activity), but receive lower evaluations (i. e., they are considered to be of lower quality). The negative relation between attention and quality implied by this result is consistent with current theories of social categorization, but it also goes beyond available results by showing that the effects of categorization on evaluation depend on the position that a category occupies in a hierarchical knowledge classification system. PMID:29293627

  5. Individual differences in emotion processing: how similar are diffusion model parameters across tasks?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mueller, Christina J; White, Corey N; Kuchinke, Lars

    2017-11-27

    The goal of this study was to replicate findings of diffusion model parameters capturing emotion effects in a lexical decision task and investigating whether these findings extend to other tasks of implicit emotion processing. Additionally, we were interested in the stability of diffusion model parameters across emotional stimuli and tasks for individual subjects. Responses to words in a lexical decision task were compared with responses to faces in a gender categorization task for stimuli of the emotion categories: happy, neutral and fear. Main effects of emotion as well as stability of emerging response style patterns as evident in diffusion model parameters across these tasks were analyzed. Based on earlier findings, drift rates were assumed to be more similar in response to stimuli of the same emotion category compared to stimuli of a different emotion category. Results showed that emotion effects of the tasks differed with a processing advantage for happy followed by neutral and fear-related words in the lexical decision task and a processing advantage for neutral followed by happy and fearful faces in the gender categorization task. Both emotion effects were captured in estimated drift rate parameters-and in case of the lexical decision task also in the non-decision time parameters. A principal component analysis showed that contrary to our hypothesis drift rates were more similar within a specific task context than within a specific emotion category. Individual response patterns of subjects across tasks were evident in significant correlations regarding diffusion model parameters including response styles, non-decision times and information accumulation.

  6. Limited information estimation of the diffusion-based item response theory model for responses and response times.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ranger, Jochen; Kuhn, Jörg-Tobias; Szardenings, Carsten

    2016-05-01

    Psychological tests are usually analysed with item response models. Recently, some alternative measurement models have been proposed that were derived from cognitive process models developed in experimental psychology. These models consider the responses but also the response times of the test takers. Two such models are the Q-diffusion model and the D-diffusion model. Both models can be calibrated with the diffIRT package of the R statistical environment via marginal maximum likelihood (MML) estimation. In this manuscript, an alternative approach to model calibration is proposed. The approach is based on weighted least squares estimation and parallels the standard estimation approach in structural equation modelling. Estimates are determined by minimizing the discrepancy between the observed and the implied covariance matrix. The estimator is simple to implement, consistent, and asymptotically normally distributed. Least squares estimation also provides a test of model fit by comparing the observed and implied covariance matrix. The estimator and the test of model fit are evaluated in a simulation study. Although parameter recovery is good, the estimator is less efficient than the MML estimator. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

  7. Categorizing Two Taiwanese Major Political Parties From Their Faces: The Influence of Provincial Appearance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chien-Kai Chang

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available People go beyond the inferences afforded by a person’s observable features to make guesses about personality traits or even social memberships such as political affiliations. The present study extended Hu et al. (2016 to further investigate the influence of provincial appearance on differentiating KMT (Kuomintang and DPP (Democratic Progressive Party candidates by headshot photos with three experiments. In Experiment 1 (Membership categorization task, participants categorized the photos from the pilot study (where the difference between the perceived age of KMT and DPP candidates was reduced and divided into four blocks by their perceived age. We found that participants were able to distinguish KMT from DPP candidates significantly better than chance, even when the perceived age difference between the two parties was minimized. In Experiment 2 (Trait rating task, we asked young and middle-aged adults to rate six traits on candidate’s photos. We found that “provincial appearance” is the core trait differentiating the two parties for both young and older participants, while “facial maturity” is another trait for older participants only. In Experiment 3 (Double categorization task, we asked participants to categorize the photos from the Exp. 1 on their membership (KMT or DPP and on provincial appearance (mainlander or native Taiwanese in two separate sessions. Results showed that young adults were likely to use the “provincial appearance” as the main characteristic cue to categorize candidates’ political membership. In sum, our study showed that Taiwanese adults could categorize the two parties by their headshot photos when age cue was eliminated. Moreover, provincial appearance was the most critical trait for differentiating between KMT and DPP candidates, which may reflect a piece of significant history during the development of the two parties.

  8. Categorization in 3- and 4-Month-Old Infants: An Advantage of Words over Tones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferry, Alissa L.; Hespos, Susan J.; Waxman, Sandra R.

    2010-01-01

    Neonates prefer human speech to other nonlinguistic auditory stimuli. However, it remains an open question whether there are any conceptual consequences of words on object categorization in infants younger than 6 months. The current study examined the influence of words and tones on object categorization in forty-six 3- to 4-month-old infants.…

  9. Comparing the Effects of Different Smoothing Algorithms on the Assessment of Dimensionality of Ordered Categorical Items with Parallel Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Debelak, Rudolf; Tran, Ulrich S

    2016-01-01

    The analysis of polychoric correlations via principal component analysis and exploratory factor analysis are well-known approaches to determine the dimensionality of ordered categorical items. However, the application of these approaches has been considered as critical due to the possible indefiniteness of the polychoric correlation matrix. A possible solution to this problem is the application of smoothing algorithms. This study compared the effects of three smoothing algorithms, based on the Frobenius norm, the adaption of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors, and on minimum-trace factor analysis, on the accuracy of various variations of parallel analysis by the means of a simulation study. We simulated different datasets which varied with respect to the size of the respondent sample, the size of the item set, the underlying factor model, the skewness of the response distributions and the number of response categories in each item. We found that a parallel analysis and principal component analysis of smoothed polychoric and Pearson correlations led to the most accurate results in detecting the number of major factors in simulated datasets when compared to the other methods we investigated. Of the methods used for smoothing polychoric correlation matrices, we recommend the algorithm based on minimum trace factor analysis.

  10. Semantic categorization: A comparison between deaf and hearing children

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ormel, E.A.; Gijsel, M.A.R.; Hermans, D.; Bosman, A.M.T.; Knoors, H.E.T.; Verhoeven, L.T.W.

    2010-01-01

    Learning to read is a major obstacle for children who are deaf. The otherwise significant role of phonology is often limited as a result of hearing loss. However, semantic knowledge may facilitate reading comprehension. One important aspect of semantic knowledge concerns semantic categorization. In

  11. Testing the Conditional Mean Function of Autoregressive Conditional Duration Models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hautsch, Nikolaus

    be subject to censoring structures. In an empirical study based on financial transaction data we present an application of the model to estimate conditional asset price change probabilities. Evaluating the forecasting properties of the model, it is shown that the proposed approach is a promising competitor......This paper proposes a dynamic proportional hazard (PH) model with non-specified baseline hazard for the modelling of autoregressive duration processes. A categorization of the durations allows us to reformulate the PH model as an ordered response model based on extreme value distributed errors...

  12. Changes in default mode network as automaticity develops in a categorization task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shamloo, Farzin; Helie, Sebastien

    2016-10-15

    The default mode network (DMN) is a set of brain regions in which blood oxygen level dependent signal is suppressed during attentional focus on the external environment. Because automatic task processing requires less attention, development of automaticity in a rule-based categorization task may result in less deactivation and altered functional connectivity of the DMN when compared to the initial learning stage. We tested this hypothesis by re-analyzing functional magnetic resonance imaging data of participants trained in rule-based categorization for over 10,000 trials (Helie et al., 2010) [12,13]. The results show that some DMN regions are deactivated in initial training but not after automaticity has developed. There is also a significant decrease in DMN deactivation after extensive practice. Seed-based functional connectivity analyses with the precuneus, medial prefrontal cortex (two important DMN regions) and Brodmann area 6 (an important region in automatic categorization) were also performed. The results show increased functional connectivity with both DMN and non-DMN regions after the development of automaticity, and a decrease in functional connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and ventromedial orbitofrontal cortex. Together, these results further support the hypothesis of a strategy shift in automatic categorization and bridge the cognitive and neuroscientific conceptions of automaticity in showing that the reduced need for cognitive resources in automatic processing is accompanied by a disinhibition of the DMN and stronger functional connectivity between DMN and task-related brain regions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. What Information Is Necessary for Speech Categorization? Harnessing Variability in the Speech Signal by Integrating Cues Computed Relative to Expectations

    Science.gov (United States)

    McMurray, Bob; Jongman, Allard

    2011-01-01

    Most theories of categorization emphasize how continuous perceptual information is mapped to categories. However, equally important are the informational assumptions of a model, the type of information subserving this mapping. This is crucial in speech perception where the signal is variable and context dependent. This study assessed the…

  14. Radiogenomics and radiotherapy response modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Naqa, Issam; Kerns, Sarah L.; Coates, James; Luo, Yi; Speers, Corey; West, Catharine M. L.; Rosenstein, Barry S.; Ten Haken, Randall K.

    2017-08-01

    Advances in patient-specific information and biotechnology have contributed to a new era of computational medicine. Radiogenomics has emerged as a new field that investigates the role of genetics in treatment response to radiation therapy. Radiation oncology is currently attempting to embrace these recent advances and add to its rich history by maintaining its prominent role as a quantitative leader in oncologic response modeling. Here, we provide an overview of radiogenomics starting with genotyping, data aggregation, and application of different modeling approaches based on modifying traditional radiobiological methods or application of advanced machine learning techniques. We highlight the current status and potential for this new field to reshape the landscape of outcome modeling in radiotherapy and drive future advances in computational oncology.

  15. Categorization and Pathology of Persian Stylistic Researches

    OpenAIRE

    Maryam Dorpar

    2014-01-01

     Abstract In following article, surveys and researches about Persian style were categorized in two branches of historical and formalistic styles Mohammad Taghi Bahar founded stylistics as an autonomous knowledge by publishing his book, History of the evolution of Persian prose (1331), for teaching in University of Tehran. This book which has been influenced by verbal instructions of qajar dynastyâs scholars made the way generally has been followed by researchers in Persian stylistics up ...

  16. Mapcurves: a quantitative method for comparing categorical maps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    William W. Hargrove; M. Hoffman Forrest; Paul F. Hessburg

    2006-01-01

    We present Mapcurves, a quantitative goodness-of-fit (GOF) method that unambiguously shows the degree of spatial concordance between two or more categorical maps. Mapcurves graphically and quantitatively evaluate the degree of fit among any number of maps and quantify a GOF for each polygon, as well as the entire map. The Mapcurve method indicates a perfect fit even if...

  17. A Categorical Instrument for Scoring Second Language Writing Skills.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, James Dean; Bailey, Kathleen M.

    1984-01-01

    Discusses a study of the reliability of a categorical instrument for evaluating compositions written by upper intermediate university English as a second language students. The instrument tests organization, logical development of ideas, grammar, mechanics, and style. Results indicate that the scoring instrument is moderately reliable. (SED)

  18. The Categorical Perception Deficit in Dyslexia: A Meta-Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noordenbos, Mark W.; Serniclaes, Willy

    2015-01-01

    Speech perception in dyslexia is characterized by a categorical perception (CP) deficit, demonstrated by weaker discrimination of acoustic differences between phonemic categories in conjunction with better discrimination of acoustic differences within phonemic categories. We performed a meta-analysis of studies that examined the reliability of the…

  19. A note on monotonicity of item response functions for ordered polytomous item response theory models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Hyeon-Ah; Su, Ya-Hui; Chang, Hua-Hua

    2018-03-08

    A monotone relationship between a true score (τ) and a latent trait level (θ) has been a key assumption for many psychometric applications. The monotonicity property in dichotomous response models is evident as a result of a transformation via a test characteristic curve. Monotonicity in polytomous models, in contrast, is not immediately obvious because item response functions are determined by a set of response category curves, which are conceivably non-monotonic in θ. The purpose of the present note is to demonstrate strict monotonicity in ordered polytomous item response models. Five models that are widely used in operational assessments are considered for proof: the generalized partial credit model (Muraki, 1992, Applied Psychological Measurement, 16, 159), the nominal model (Bock, 1972, Psychometrika, 37, 29), the partial credit model (Masters, 1982, Psychometrika, 47, 147), the rating scale model (Andrich, 1978, Psychometrika, 43, 561), and the graded response model (Samejima, 1972, A general model for free-response data (Psychometric Monograph no. 18). Psychometric Society, Richmond). The study asserts that the item response functions in these models strictly increase in θ and thus there exists strict monotonicity between τ and θ under certain specified conditions. This conclusion validates the practice of customarily using τ in place of θ in applied settings and provides theoretical grounds for one-to-one transformations between the two scales. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

  20. STRESS RESPONSE STUDIES USING ANIMAL MODELS

    Science.gov (United States)

    This presentation will provide the evidence that ozone exposure in animal models induce neuroendocrine stress response and this stress response modulates lung injury and inflammation through adrenergic and glucocorticoid receptors.