Developmental origins of natural sound perception

Infants are exposed to a myriad of sounds early in life, including caregivers' speech, songs, human-made and natural (non-anthropogenic) environmental sounds. While decades of research have established that infants have sophisticated perceptual abilities to process speech, less is known about how they perceive natural environmental sounds. This review synthesizes current findings about the perception of natural environmental sounds in the first years of life, emphasizing their role in auditory development and describing how these studies contribute to the emerging field of human auditory ecology. Some of the existing studies explore infants' responses to animal vocalizations and water sounds. Infants demonstrate an initial broad sensitivity to primate vocalizations, which narrows to human speech through experience. They also show early recognition of water sounds, with preferences for natural over artificial water sounds already at birth, indicating an evolutionary ancient sensitivity. However, this ability undergoes refinement with age and experience. The few studies available suggest that infants' auditory processing of natural sounds is complex and influenced by both genetic predispositions and exposure. Building on these existing results, this review highlights the need for ecologically valid experimental paradigms that better represent the natural auditory environments humans evolved in. Understanding how children process natural soundscapes not only deepens our understanding of auditory development but also offers practical insights for advancing environmental awareness, improving auditory interventions for children with hearing loss, and promoting wellbeing through exposure to natural sounds.

Should I Evaluate My Augmented Reality System in an Industrial Environment? Investigating the Effects of Classroom and Shop Floor Settings on Guided Assembly

Numerous prior studies have investigated real-time assembly instructions using Augmented Reality (AR). However, most such experiments were conducted in laboratory settings with simplistic assembly tasks, failing to represent real-world industrial conditions. To ascertain to what extent results obtained in a laboratory environment may differ from studies in actual industrial environments, we carried out a user study with 32 manufacturing apprentices. We compared assembly task execution results in two settings, a classroom and an industrial workshop environment. To facilitate the experiments, we developed AR-guided manual assembly systems for simple and more complex assets. Our findings reveal a significantly improved task performance in the industrial workshop, reflected in faster task completion times, fewer errors, and subjectively perceived higher flow. This contradicted participants' subjective ratings, as they expected to perform better in the classroom environment. Our results suggest that the actual manufacturing environment is critical in evaluating AR systems for real-world industrial applications.

Towards an ecologically valid naturalistic cognitive neuroscience of memory and event cognition

The landscape of human memory and event cognition research has witnessed a transformative journey toward the use of naturalistic contexts and tasks. In this review, we track this progression from abrupt, artificial stimuli used in extensively controlled laboratory experiments to more naturalistic tasks and stimuli that present a more faithful representation of the real world. We argue that in order to improve ecological validity, naturalistic study designs must consider the complexity of the cognitive phenomenon being studied. Then, we review the current state of "naturalistic" event segmentation studies and critically assess frequently employed movie stimuli. We evaluate recently developed tools like lifelogging and other extended reality technologies to help address the challenges we identified with existing naturalistic approaches. We conclude by offering some guidelines that can be used to design ecologically valid cognitive neuroscience studies of memory and event cognition.

Development of a real-world simulated instrument for evaluating visuospatial working memory: a preliminary psychometric study on older adults

BACKGROUND

A prevalent challenge in neuropsychological assessment, particularly when utilizing instruments designed for controlled laboratory environments, is that the outcomes may not correspond to an individual's real-life status. Accordingly, assessments of visuospatial working memory (VSWM) conducted in such settings might fail to capture certain facets of this function, as it operates in real life. On the other hand, entirely ecological assessments may risk compromising internal validity. This study aimed to develop an intermediate mode of assessment that measures VSWM in older adults by employing a setting, a task, and a response format that aligns closely with both laboratory and ecological assessments. Furthermore, a preliminary investigation was carried out to study the variations in spatial cognition among different demographic groups.

METHODS

In a two-session study, 77 healthy older adults, eight patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and seven patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) were recruited to complete the wayfinding questionnaire (WQ), the Corsi block-tapping task (CBTT), and the Spatial Memory Table (SMT). The SMT is a novel instrument developed specifically for this study, aiming to provide a more accurate measure of VSWM performance in older adults' everyday life. Test-retest and split-half reliabilities, as well as the face, content, concurrent, convergent, and known-groups validities, were analyzed to investigate the psychometric properties of the SMT.

RESULTS

The analyses were mainly centered on studying the psychometric properties of the SMT. Test-retest reliability (r = .753, p < .001) and split-half reliability (ρSC = 0.747) were found to be acceptable. Concurrent validity using CBTT (r = .264, p = .021), convergent validity using WQ subscales (navigation and orientation: r = .282, p = .014; distance estimation: r = .261, p = .024), and known-groups validity using the SMT scores among people with MCI and AD (χ2 = 35.194, df = 2, p < .001) were also indicative of the instrument's good validity. Data analysis also revealed acceptable levels of face validity (U = 4.50; p = .095) and content validity (CVR ≥ 0.60). As a result of comparing VSWM and wayfinding variables across genders and education levels, a significant difference was observed for navigation and orientation and spatial anxiety between women and men (p < .05). None of the variables were different among education levels.

CONCLUSION

The SMT was found to be a reliable and valid tool for measuring VSWM performance in older adults. Given these findings, the SMT can be regarded as a measure that sufficiently approximates both laboratory and real-life demands for VSWM. Additionally, the instrument demonstrated a preliminary acceptable capacity to differentiate between healthy individuals and those with MCI and AD.

Using games to understand the mind

Board, card or video games have been played by virtually every individual in the world. Games are popular because they are intuitive and fun. These distinctive qualities of games also make them ideal for studying the mind. By being intuitive, games provide a unique vantage point for understanding the inductive biases that support behaviour in more complex, ecological settings than traditional laboratory experiments. By being fun, games allow researchers to study new questions in cognition such as the meaning of 'play' and intrinsic motivation, while also supporting more extensive and diverse data collection by attracting many more participants. We describe the advantages and drawbacks of using games relative to standard laboratory-based experiments and lay out a set of recommendations on how to gain the most from using games to study cognition. We hope this Perspective will lead to a wider use of games as experimental paradigms, elevating the ecological validity, scale and robustness of research on the mind.

The commercial promotion of electronic cigarettes on social media and its influence on positive perceptions of vaping and vaping behaviours in Anglophone countries: A scoping review

There is ongoing scientific and policy debate about the role e-cigarettes play in tobacco control, with concerns centring around unknown long-term effects, and the potential industry co-option of harm reduction efforts, including marketing to youths. There is substantial evidence of the influence of conventional cigarette promotion on smoking behaviours in Anglophone countries, and the popularity of social networking sites, as well as the lack of marketing regulations on the commercial promotion of electronic cigarettes online, suggest an urgent need to explore this topic further. This scoping review aims to map the existing evidence related to the influence of e-cigarette commercial promotion on social media on positive perceptions of vaping and vaping behaviours in core Anglophone countries. Searches were conducted in CENTRAL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), Embase, Epistemonikos, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Science Citation Index, on the 21st of July 2022. From 1,385 studies, 11 articles were included in the final review, using diverse study designs, including focus groups, content analysis, cross-sectional studies, and experiments. The studies were primarily based in the U.S. and evidenced the association between the commercial promotion of e-cigarettes on social media with positive perceptions of vaping and vaping behaviours, particularly among young people, addressing diverse themes including celebrities' sponsorship, e-liquid appeal (including flavours and nicotine levels), users' engagement with ads, and other marketing strategies. Further, social networking sites commercially promoting e-cigarettes might increase positive attitudes towards vaping and vaping behaviours, particularly among youths. Future research should be conducted in broader settings, incorporate larger and diverse sample sizes, ensure research transparency, cover multiple social networking sites, emphasize ecological validity, and foment longitudinal studies.

High-dimensional Metaverse Platforms and the Virtually Extended Self

The study of cognition has traditionally used low-dimensional measures and stimulus presentations that emphasize laboratory control over high-dimensional (i.e., ecologically valid) tools that reflect the activities and interactions in everyday living. Although controlled experimental presentations in laboratories have enhanced our understanding of cognition for both healthy and clinical cohorts, high dimensionality may extend reality and cognition. High-dimensional Metaverse approaches use extended reality (XR) platforms with dynamic stimulus presentations that couple humans and simulation technologies to extend cognition. The plan for this paper is as follows: The "Extending from low to high-dimensional studies of cognition" section discusses current needs for high-dimensional stimulus presentations that reflect everyday cognitive activities. In the "Algorithmic devices and digital extension of cognition" section, technologies of the extended mind are introduced with the Metaverse as a candidate cognitive process for extension. Next, in the "A neurocognitive framework for understanding technologies of the extended mind" section, a framework and model are proposed for understanding the neural correlates of human technology couplings in terms of automatic algorithmic processes (limbic-ventral striatal loop); reflective cognition (prefrontal-dorsal striatal loop); and algorithmic processing (insular cortex). The algorithmic processes of human-technology interactions can, over time, become an automated and algorithmic coupling of brain and technology. The manuscript ends with a brief summary and discussion of the ways in which the Metaverse can be used for studying how persons respond to high-dimensional stimuli in simulations that approximate real-world activities and interactions.

Why do mothers stay? Challenging attitudes in decision making about children at risk because of domestic violence

BACKGROUND

This article reports findings from research commenced in 2019. Stage one assessed the attitudes and beliefs of child protection practitioners towards domestic violence. Stage two considered the impact of combining Structured Decision Making (SDM - the standard assessment approach) with Response Based Practice (RBP - a contemporary approach to understanding violence), on child protection decisions.

OBJECTIVE

To improve the child protection response to children who experience domestic violence. This article reports on stage three; considering the impact of practitioner attitudes and beliefs on child protection decisions and whether the combined assessment approach (SDM + RBP) moderated the impact of practitioner attitudes and beliefs.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

1041 child protection practitioners participated in the research while attending one of 17 practice conferences across New South Wales, Australia.

METHODS

An innovative video vignette experiment with a between-subjects design was used, relying on professional actors to play the roles of practitioner and mother of the children reported. Participants watched a video interview of a safety assessment and completed a survey.

RESULTS

Practitioner attitudes and beliefs were not significantly correlated with assessments about the children's safety; but attitudes did impact decisions about the likelihood of the children being brought into care. Attitudes and beliefs moderated the impact of misinformed attitudes, to some extent.

CONCLUSIONS

The research confirms the value of the combined SDM + RBP approach to guide practitioners to a more holistic understanding of domestic violence. It also confirms that assessment approaches are only ever as good as the beliefs and attitudes of the people who apply them.

Ecological validity in neurocognitive assessment: Systematized review, content analysis, and proposal of an instrument

OBJECTIVES

The main objectives of this study are to identify the dimensions of Ecological Validity (EV) within the definitions of this concept, understand how they are operationalized in neurocognitive tests, and propose a checklist for EV attributes in neurocognitive tests.

METHOD

A systematized review was combined with content analysis of the selected papers, using the inductive method. We analyzed 82 studies on the EV of neurocognitive tests, 19 literature reviews and 63 empirical studies. Based on this review, we identified the relevant criteria for evaluating EV.

RESULTS

EV is a multidimensional concept with two main dimensions: representativeness and generalization. Representativeness involves the subdimensions simplicity-complexity and artificial-natural and several criteria organized on a continuum from low EV to high EV. Generalization is dependent on representativeness and is influenced by different cognitive and non-cognitive factors. We propose six stages for operationalizing EV, from defining the objectives of the neurocognitive assessment to the methodology for scoring and interpreting the results.

CONCLUSION

This systematized review helps to operationalize the concept of EV by providing a tool for evaluating and improving EV while developing new tests. Further studies with a longitudinal design can compare the predictive value of tests with higher versus lower EV-checklist scores.Key pointsQuestion: Understand the definition of EV, its dimensions and subdimensions, how EV is operationalized in neurocognitive tests and propose a checklist for the EV attributes of neurocognitive tests.Findings: The primary findings were that representativeness and generalization are the main dimensions of EV. Representativeness involves several subdimensions, whereas generalization is dependent on representativeness and is influenced by cognitive and non-cognitive factors. We provided an EV-checklist organized into six parts.Importance: The EV-checklist can be used to guide the development of ecologically valid neurocognitive tests and/or assess the EV of existing ones.Next steps: Examine the predictive value of tests that have higher EV-checklist scores.

Using normative language when describing scientific findings: Randomized controlled trial of effects on trust and credibility (Preprint)

BACKGROUND

Scientists often make cognitive claims (eg, the results of their work) and normative claims (eg, what should be done based on those results). Yet, these types of statements contain very different information and implications. This randomized controlled trial sought to characterize the granular effects of using normative language in science communication.

OBJECTIVE

Our study examined whether viewing a social media post containing scientific claims about face masks for COVID-19 using both normative and cognitive language (intervention arm) would reduce perceptions of trust and credibility in science and scientists compared with an identical post using only cognitive language (control arm). We also examined whether effects were mediated by political orientation.

METHODS

This was a 2-arm, parallel group, randomized controlled trial. We aimed to recruit 1500 US adults (age 18+) from the Prolific platform who were representative of the US population census by cross sections of age, race/ethnicity, and gender. Participants were randomly assigned to view 1 of 2 images of a social media post about face masks to prevent COVID-19. The control image described the results of a real study (cognitive language), and the intervention image was identical, but also included recommendations from the same study about what people should do based on the results (normative language). Primary outcomes were trust in science and scientists (21-item scale) and 4 individual items related to trust and credibility; 9 additional covariates (eg, sociodemographics, political orientation) were measured and included in analyses.

RESULTS

From September 4, 2022, to September 6, 2022, 1526 individuals completed the study. For the sample as a whole (eg, without interaction terms), there was no evidence that a single exposure to normative language affected perceptions of trust or credibility in science or scientists. When including the interaction term (study arm × political orientation), there was some evidence of differential effects, such that individuals with liberal political orientation were more likely to trust scientific information from the social media post's author if the post included normative language, and political conservatives were more likely to trust scientific information from the post's author if the post included only cognitive language (β=0.05, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.10; P=.04).

CONCLUSIONS

This study does not support the authors' original hypotheses that single exposures to normative language can reduce perceptions of trust or credibility in science or scientists for all people. However, the secondary preregistered analyses indicate the possibility that political orientation may differentially mediate the effect of normative and cognitive language from scientists on people's perceptions. We do not submit this paper as definitive evidence thereof but do believe that there is sufficient evidence to support additional research into this topic, which may have implications for effective scientific communication.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

OSF Registries osf.io/kb3yh; https://osf.io/kb3yh.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

RR2-10.2196/41747.

Human Auditory Ecology: Extending Hearing Research to the Perception of Natural Soundscapes by Humans in Rapidly Changing Environments

Research in hearing sciences has provided extensive knowledge about how the human auditory system processes speech and assists communication. In contrast, little is known about how this system processes "natural soundscapes," that is the complex arrangements of biological and geophysical sounds shaped by sound propagation through non-anthropogenic habitats [Grinfeder et al. (2022). Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 10: 894232]. This is surprising given that, for many species, the capacity to process natural soundscapes determines survival and reproduction through the ability to represent and monitor the immediate environment. Here we propose a framework to encourage research programmes in the field of "human auditory ecology," focusing on the study of human auditory perception of ecological processes at work in natural habitats. Based on large acoustic databases with high ecological validity, these programmes should investigate the extent to which this presumably ancestral monitoring function of the human auditory system is adapted to specific information conveyed by natural soundscapes, whether it operate throughout the life span or whether it emerges through individual learning or cultural transmission. Beyond fundamental knowledge of human hearing, these programmes should yield a better understanding of how normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners monitor rural and city green and blue spaces and benefit from them, and whether rehabilitation devices (hearing aids and cochlear implants) restore natural soundscape perception and emotional responses back to normal. Importantly, they should also reveal whether and how humans hear the rapid changes in the environment brought about by human activity.

Using normative language when describing scientific findings: Study protocol for a randomized, controlled trial of effects on trust and credibility

Background

Trust in science and scientists has received renewed attention because of the “infodemic” occurring alongside COVID-19. A robust evidence basis shows that such trust is associated with belief in misinformation and willingness to engage in public and personal health behaviors. At the same time, trust and the associated construct of credibility are complex meta-cognitive concepts that often are oversimplified in quantitative research. The discussion of research often includes both normative language (what one ought to do based on a study’s findings) and cognitive language (what a study found), but these types of claims are very different, since normative claims make assumptions about people’s interests. Thus, this paper presents a protocol for a large randomized controlled trial to experimentally test whether some of the variability in trust in science and scientists and perceived message credibility is attributable to the use of normative language when sharing study findings in contrast to the use of cognitive language alone.

Objective

The objective of this trial will be to examine if reading normative and cognitive claims about a scientific study, compared to cognitive claims alone, results in lower trust in science and scientists as well as lower perceived credibility of the scientist who conducted the study, perceived credibility of the research, trust in the scientific information on the post, and trust in scientific information coming from the author of the post.

Methods

We will conduct a randomized controlled trial consisting of 2 parallel groups and a 1:1 allocation ratio. A sample of 1500 adults aged ≥18 years who represent the overall US population distribution by gender, race/ethnicity, and age will randomly be assigned to either an “intervention” arm (normative and cognitive claims) or a control arm (cognitive claims alone). In each arm, participants will view and verify their understanding of an ecologically valid claim or set of claims (ie, from a highly cited, published research study) designed to look like a social media post. Outcomes will be trust in science and scientists, the perceived credibility of the scientist who conducted the study, the perceived credibility of the research, trust in the scientific information on the post, and trust in scientific information coming from the author of the post. Analyses will incorporate 9 covariates.

Results

This study will be conducted without using any external funding mechanisms.

Conclusions

If there is a measurable effect attributable to the inclusion of normative language when writing about scientific findings, it should generate discussion about how such findings are presented and disseminated.

Trial Registration

Open Science Framework n7yfc; https://osf.io/n7yfc

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/41747

"I've Always Thought That I Was Not Good at Experiments…"-The Benefit of Non-formal Learning in Terms of Students' Perceived Competence

Outreach science labs have been established as non-formal out-of-school learning environments in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Previous research has suggested that visiting an outreach science lab can be beneficial in terms of student motivation. Nevertheless, the current research on these out-of-school learning environments lacks studies that investigate important variables for the development of self-determined student motivation, such as perceived competence. In our study, we investigated the moderating effect of the learning environment on the relationship between students' contextual competence perceptions and their situational competence experiences regarding experimentation. For this purpose, 119 students in the first year of the upper secondary school participated in an experimental course on enzymology at an outreach science lab (n = 60) and in their biology classroom at school (n = 59). Our results showed that the relationship between students' contextual competence perceptions and their situational competence experiences during experimentation is moderated by the learning environment. The analyses revealed that students with a higher contextual competence perception showed comparable situational experiences of competence in both learning environments. In contrast, the students who perceived themselves as less competent at a contextual level benefited from experimenting at the outreach science lab in terms of their situational competence experiences.

Indexes for the E-Baking Tray Task: A Look on Laterality, Verticality and Quality of Exploration

The Baking Tray Task is an ecological task developed for the assessment of unilateral neglect that can also be used for research on neurotypical participants. In this task, participants are asked to place 16 objects inside a board as evenly as possible. In the case of impaired spatial exploration, consequent to right attentional networks damage, asymmetrical object disposition is observed as more objects are placed on the ipsilesional side (typically the right side). The E-BTT is a technology-enhanced version of the Baking Tray Task, implemented with a software platform, E-TAN, which detects the objects and automatically computes their spatial coordinates. This allows a complement to the traditional scoring methods with new measures to extract richer information from the data. In this study, we focus on neurotypical participants to explore if some new indexes, derived from the literature review on similar tasks, can be applied to BTT and E-BTT for research aims. A principal component analysis (PCA) was then performed to verify if these new indexes reflect some common dimensions. Results indicate the emergence of two principal dimensions: spatiality, which summarizes both laterality and verticality, and quality, which regards the explored space and (dis)organization in placing the items.

Development of an Ecologically Valid Assessment for Social Cognition Based on Real Interaction: Preliminary Results

Many social cognitive assessment measures that are appropriate for clinical use are currently available, but there is a general concern about their ecological validity. This study aimed to develop an applicable real interaction-based test to assess social cognition. A sample of 50 subjects (mean age 22 ± 5.8, 56% women) took the Social Interaction Test as well as two instruments for assessing social cognition: (1) the Movie for Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC) and (2) branch 4 from the Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). The test showed no incidence on its application. The reliability of the 18-item final version of the test was a medium-high level (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.701). To assess the internal structure of the test, a multidimensional scaling procedure was used. The common space of coordinates for the two-dimensional solution showed a normalized raw stress of 0.076 and Tucker’s congruence coefficient of 0.965. The social interaction test showed stronger association with MASC (more realistic, video-based format) than with MSCEIT (less realistic, paper-based format). The Social Interaction Test is applicable and feasible to use it to assess social cognition in the general population.

The Quest for Ecological Validity in Hearing Science: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Advance It

Ecological validity is a relatively new concept in hearing science. It has been cited as relevant with increasing frequency in publications over the past 20 years, but without any formal conceptual basis or clear motive. The sixth Eriksholm Workshop was convened to develop a deeper understanding of the concept for the purpose of applying it in hearing research in a consistent and productive manner. Inspired by relevant debate within the field of psychology, and taking into account the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health framework, the attendees at the workshop reached a consensus on the following definition: "In hearing science, ecological validity refers to the degree to which research findings reflect real-life hearing-related function, activity, or participation." Four broad purposes for striving for greater ecological validity in hearing research were determined: A (Understanding) better understanding the role of hearing in everyday life; B (Development) supporting the development of improved procedures and interventions; C (Assessment) facilitating improved methods for assessing and predicting ability to accomplish real-world tasks; and D (Integration and Individualization) enabling more integrated and individualized care. Discussions considered the effects of variables and phenomena commonly present in hearing-related research on the level of ecological validity of outcomes, supported by examples from a few selected outcome domains and for different types of studies. Illustrated with examples, potential strategies were offered for promoting a high level of ecological validity in a study and for how to evaluate the level of ecological validity of a study. Areas in particular that could benefit from more research to advance ecological validity in hearing science include: (1) understanding the processes of hearing and communication in everyday listening situations, and specifically the factors that make listening difficult in everyday situations; (2) developing new test paradigms that include more than one person (e.g., to encompass the interactive nature of everyday communication) and that are integrative of other factors that interact with hearing in real-life function; (3) integrating new and emerging technologies (e.g., virtual reality) with established test methods; and (4) identifying the key variables and phenomena affecting the level of ecological validity to develop verifiable ways to increase ecological validity and derive a set of benchmarks to strive for.

Seeking and avoiding contact with Muslims at a Hijab Stall: Evidence for multilayer, multi-determined solidarity, courage, apathy, and moral outrage

Intergroup contact is key to social cohesion, yet psychological barriers block engagement with diversity even when contact opportunities are abundant. We lack an advanced understanding of contact seeking because intergroup contact is often an independent variable in research, and studies on contact seeking have favoured experimental probing of selected factors or measured only broad behavioural intentions. This research carried out the first ecological tests of a novel multilayer-multivariate framework to contact seeking/avoiding. These tests were centred on a Muslim-led community contact-based initiative with visible support from local authorities following a terrorist attack. Non-Muslim Australian women (N = 1,347) contributed field data on their situated contact motivations, choices, and attendance at an intercultural educational stall; many (N = 559) completed a profiling test battery. Among those who responded to the initiative invite, the rate of taking up the high-salience contact opportunity in this heated setting was high and reflected multiple approach/avoidance motivations. Contact seeking/avoiding was not just allophilia/prejudice; it presented as new typologies of politicized solidarity, courage, apathy, and moral outrage. While intergroup predictors were significant across all profiling analyses, intrapersonal and interpersonal predictors also regularly contributed to explain variance in non-Muslims' contact motivations and choices, confirming their multilayer-multivariate nature.

Does ankle tape improve proprioception acuity immediately after application and following a netball session? A randomised controlled trial

OBJECTIVES

To assess whether ankle tape applied by a Sport and Exercise Physiotherapist (SEP) or self-applied by the athlete results in a change in proprioception and whether it is maintained during a netball session.

DESIGN

Randomised controlled trial.

SETTING

Australian Institute of Sport.

PARTICIPANTS

53 pre-elite netball athletes.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Athlete proprioception was assessed using the Active Movement Extent Discrimination Apparatus (AMEDA) on four occasions for each taping condition: 1) pre-tape, 2) post-tape, 3) post-netball & 4) post-netball no-tape.

RESULTS

Mixed effect linear models were used for analysis. A significant increase in proprioception was observed when self-tape: 0.022 (95% CI: [-0.000 - 0.044], p = 0.05), and SEP tape: 0.034 (95% CI: [0.012-0.055], p < 0.01), were initially applied. These improvements were maintained during a netball session for both, self-taping: 0.01 (95% CI: [-0.01 - 0.02], p = 0.45) and SEP-taping: <0.01 (95% CI: [-0.02 - 0.01], p = 0.56). Results also indicate there was no significant difference between taping conditions (β = -0.001, 95% CI: [-0.02 - 0.02], p = 0.90).

CONCLUSIONS

Proprioception improves and is maintained during a netball session with either SEP or self-applied taping.

Profiling the Post-match Recovery Response in Male Rugby: A Systematic Review

Aben, HGJ, Hills, SP, Cooke, CB, Davis, D, Jones, B, and Russell, M. Profiling the post-match recovery response in male rugby: A systematic review. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2020-To minimize underperformance, injury, and illness, and to enhance readiness for training and match-play, post-match responses are commonly monitored within professional rugby. As no clear consensus exists regarding the magnitude and duration of post-match recovery, this review summarized the literature (17 studies yielded from literature searching/screening) reporting neuromuscular (countermovement jump [CMJ], peak power output [PP], and flight time [FT]), biochemical (creatine kinase [CK]) or endocrine (cortisol [C] and testosterone [T] concentrations), and subjective (wellness questionnaire and muscle soreness) indices after rugby match-play. For neuromuscular responses (11 studies), reductions in PP <31.5% occurred <30 minutes after match, returning to baseline within 48-72 hours. Post-match reductions in FT of <4% recovered after 48 hours. For biochemical and endocrine responses (14 studies), increases in CK, ranging from 120 to 451%, peaked between 12 and 24 hours, returning to baseline within 72 hours of match-play. Initial increases of <298% in C and reductions in T concentrations (<44%) returned to pre-match values within 48-72 hours. Mood disturbances (6 studies) required 48-72 hours to normalize after peak decrements of <65% at 24 hours. This review highlights that 72 hours were needed to restore perturbations in neuromuscular, biochemical and endocrine, and subjective/perceptual responses after competitive rugby match-play. Notably, only 4 studies reported responses in more ecologically valid scenarios (i.e., those in which regular training and recovery strategies were used) while also reporting detailed match demands. A lack of research focusing on youth players was also evident, as only 3 studies profiled post-match responses in younger athletes. Deeper insight regarding post-match responses in ecologically valid scenarios is therefore required.

The Reliability of Neuromuscular and Perceptual Measures Used to Profile Recovery, and the Time-Course of such Responses following Academy Rugby League Match-Play

In professional academy rugby league (RL) players, this two-part study examined; A) the within- and between-day reliability of isometric mid-thigh pulls (IMTP), countermovement jumps (CMJ), and a wellness questionnaire (n = 11), and B) profiled the responses with acceptable reliability (no between-trial differences and between-day coefficient of variation (CV) ≤10% and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) ≥0.8) for 120 h (baseline: -3, +24, +48, +72, +96, +120 h) following RL match-play (n = 10). In part A, force at 200, and 250 ms, and peak force (PF) demonstrated acceptable within- (CV%: 3.67-8.41%, ICC: 0.89-0.93) and between-day (CV%: 4.34-8.62%, ICC: 0.87-0.92) reliability for IMTP. Most CMJ variables demonstrated acceptable within-day reliability (CV%: 3.03-7.34%, ICC: 0.82-0.98), but only six (i.e., flight-time, PF, peak power (PP), relative PP, velocity at take-off (VTO), jump-height (JH)) showed acceptable between-day reliability (CV%: 2.56-6.79%, ICC: 0.83-0.91). Only total wellness demonstrated acceptable between-day reliability (CV%: 7.05%, ICC: 0.90) from the questionnaire. In part B, reductions of 4.75% and 9.23% (vs. baseline; 2.54 m∙s-1; 0.33 m) occurred at +24 h for CMJ VTO, and JH, respectively. Acceptable reliability was observed in some, but not all, variables and the magnitude and time-course of post-match responses were test and variable specific. Practitioners should therefore be mindful of the influence that the choice of recovery monitoring tool may have upon the practical interpretation of the data.

The 'Real-World Approach' and Its Problems: A Critique of the Term Ecological Validity

A popular goal in psychological science is to understand human cognition and behavior in the 'real-world.' In contrast, researchers have typically conducted their research in experimental research settings, a.k.a. the 'psychologist's laboratory.' Critics have often questioned whether psychology's laboratory experiments permit generalizable results. This is known as the 'real-world or the lab'-dilemma. To bridge the gap between lab and life, many researchers have called for experiments with more 'ecological validity' to ensure that experiments more closely resemble and generalize to the 'real-world.' However, researchers seldom explain what they mean with this term, nor how more ecological validity should be achieved. In our opinion, the popular concept of ecological validity is ill-formed, lacks specificity, and falls short of addressing the problem of generalizability. To move beyond the 'real-world or the lab'-dilemma, we believe that researchers in psychological science should always specify the particular context of cognitive and behavioral functioning in which they are interested, instead of advocating that experiments should be more 'ecologically valid' in order to generalize to the 'real-world.' We believe this will be a more constructive way to uncover the context-specific and context-generic principles of cognition and behavior.

Plasticity of ability to form cross-modal representations in infant Japanese macaques

In a previous study, Adachi, Kuwahata, Fujita, Tomonaga & Matsuzawa demonstrated that infant Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) form cross-modal representations of conspecifics but not of humans. However, because the subjects in the experiment were raised in a large social group and had considerably less exposure to humans than to conspecifics, it was an open question whether their lack of cross-modal representation of humans simply reflected their lower levels of exposure to humans or was caused by some innate restrictions on the ability. To answer the question, we used the same procedure but tested infant Japanese macaques with more extensive experience of humans in daily life. Briefly, we presented monkeys with a photograph of either a monkey or a human face on an LCD monitor after playing a vocalization of one of these two species. The subjects looked at the monitor longer when a voice and a face were mismatched than when they were matched, irrespective of whether the preceding vocalization was a monkey's or a human's. This suggests that once monkeys have extensive experience with humans, they will form a cross-modal representation of humans as well as of conspecifics.

Infants' visual-proprioceptive intermodal perception with imperfect contingency information

Two experiments explored 5-month-old infants' recognition of self-movement in the context of imperfect contingencies between felt and seen movement. Previous work has shown that infants can discriminate a display of another child's movements from an on-line video display of their own movements, even when featural information is removed. These earlier findings were extended by demonstrating self versus other discrimination when the visual information for movement was an unrelated object (a fluorescent mobile) directly attached to the child's leg, thus producing imperfect spatial and temporal contingency information. In contrast, intermodal recognition failed when the mobile was indirectly attached to infants' legs, thus eliminating spatial contingencies altogether and further weakening temporal contingencies. Together, these studies reveal that even imperfect contingency information can drive intermodal perception, given appropriate levels of spatial and temporal contingency information.