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The local perceptual bias of a non-remote and educated population. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2019; 84:1211-1222. [PMID: 30806811 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-019-01158-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
In 1977, Navon argued that perception is biased towards the processing of global as opposed to local visual information (or the forest before the trees) and implicitly assumed this to be true across places and cultures. Previous work with normally developing participants has supported this assumption except in one extremely remote African population. Here, we explore local-global perceptual bias in normally developing African participants living much less remotely than the African population tested previously. These participants had access to modern artefacts and education but presented with a local bias on a similarity-matching Navon task, contrary to Navon's assumptions. Nevertheless, the urban and more educated amongst these participants showed a weaker local bias than the rural and less educated participants, suggesting an effect of urbanicity and education in driving differences in perceptual bias. Our findings confirm the impact of experience on perceptual bias and suggest that differences in the impact of education and urbanicity on lifestyles around the world can result in profound differences in perceptual style. In addition, they suggest that local bias is more common than previously thought; a global bias might not be universal after all.
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Giles GE, Mahoney CR, Brunyé TT, Taylor HA, Kanarek RB. Caffeine and theanine exert opposite effects on attention under emotional arousal. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2017; 95:93-100. [DOI: 10.1139/cjpp-2016-0498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Tea is perceived as more relaxing than coffee, even though both contain caffeine. L-theanine in tea may account for the difference. Consumed together, caffeine and theanine exert similar cognitive effects to that of caffeine alone, but exert opposite effects on arousal, in that caffeine accentuates and theanine mitigates physiological and felt stress responses. We evaluated whether caffeine and theanine influenced cognition under emotional arousal. Using a double-blind, repeated-measures design, 36 participants received 4 treatments (200 mg caffeine + 0 mg theanine, 0 mg caffeine + 200 mg theanine, 200 mg caffeine + 200 mg theanine, 0 mg caffeine + 0 mg theanine) on separate days. Emotional arousal was induced by highly arousing negative film clips and pictures. Mood, salivary cortisol, and visual attention were evaluated. Caffeine accentuated global processing of visual attention on the hierarchical shape task (p < 0.05), theanine accentuated local processing (p < 0.05), and the combination did not differ from placebo. Caffeine reduced flanker conflict difference scores on the Attention Network Test (p < 0.05), theanine increased difference scores (p < 0.05), and the combination did not differ from placebo. Thus, under emotional arousal, caffeine and theanine exert opposite effects on certain attentional processes, but when consumed together, they counteract the effects of each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace E. Giles
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Caroline R. Mahoney
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Tad T. Brunyé
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Holly A. Taylor
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Robin B. Kanarek
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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Brunyé TT, Cavanagh SR, Propper RE. Hemispheric bases for emotion and memory. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:997. [PMID: 25538611 PMCID: PMC4256980 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tad T Brunyé
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University , Medford, MA , USA ; Cognitive Sciences, U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) , Natick, MA , USA
| | - Sarah R Cavanagh
- Department of Psychology, Assumption College , Worcester, MA , USA
| | - Ruth E Propper
- Department of Psychology, Montclair State University , Montclair, NJ , USA
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Selected Literature Watch. JOURNAL OF CAFFEINE RESEARCH 2013. [DOI: 10.1089/jcr.2013.1235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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