Visual targets can be processed more quickly and reliably when a hand is placed near the target. Both unimodal and bimodal representations of hands are largely lateralized to the contralateral hemisphere, and since each hemisphere demonstrates specialized cognitive processing, it is possible that targets appearing near the left hand may be processed differently than targets appearing near the right hand. The purpose of this study was to determine whether visual processing near the left and right hands interacts with hemispheric specialization. We presented hierarchical-letter stimuli (e.g., small characters used as local elements to compose large characters at the global level) near the left or right hands separately and instructed participants to discriminate the presence of target letters (X and O) from non-target letters (T and U) at either the global or local levels as quickly as possible. Targets appeared at either the global or local level of the display, at both levels, or were absent from the display; participants made foot-press responses. When discriminating target presence at the global level, participants responded more quickly to stimuli presented near the left hand than near either the right hand or in the no-hand condition. Hand presence did not influence target discrimination at the local level. Our interpretation is that left-hand presence may help participants discriminate global information, a right hemisphere (RH) process, and that the left hand may influence visual processing in a way that is distinct from the right hand.
Collectively, findings indicate that standardized ESS ratings are useful for estimating injury risk potential associated with real-world CRS and booster seat installation errors.
Child Restraint Systems (CRS; car seats) are designed to prevent injuries in motor vehicle collisions. CRS misuse and installation errors are common and may seriously reduce or nullify safety benefits. Poorly designed labels and instructions contribute to CRS misuse, and CRS manufacturers are not held to an evidence-based label design standard. This paper describes a user-centered design (UCD) and evaluation process for infant/child convertible (rear-facing/forward-facing) CRS installation labels. The labels focused on two primary tasks: installing a CRS into a vehicle and securing a child into the CRS. The label design concepts were based on literature identifying primary areas for CRS misuse, Human Factors and UCD principles, product warning and label design standards, and current Canadian and US motor vehicle safety standards. A follow-up study will evaluate the reduction of CRS installation errors based on the hypothesized enhanced label usability and effectiveness.
Embodied presence in virtual realityi This work is dedicated in memory of Dr. Anthony Whitehead, whose kindness, curiosity, and diverse wealth of knowledge inspired me and countless other Carleton University students to follow their passions and never let the rules get in the way.Embodied presence in virtual reality ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To my advisor Chris Herdman, this work would not have been possible without you and the innovative research facility you built at VSIM. Thank you for always being willing to entertain an idea -even if it's a little out there -while also helping me learn to stick to the plot.Thanks to my committee Jo-Anne Lefevre and Craig Leth-Steensen for the thoughtprovoking questions and the insightful suggestions that improved the quality of this work.Etelle Bourassa, thank-you for all the times that I left your office feeling better than when I walked in. Cecilia Jorgenson and Chunyun Ma, I cannot imagine this journey without all the support, perspective, and laughter that was shared in our writing group. Thank you.Mike Chan-Reynolds, I would not be where I am without you. You gave me a toolbox and inspired my curiosity. Thank-you for believing in me when I was starting, encouraging me when I was stuck, and reminding me of my strengths as I move forward.Matt Brown, thank-you for your support and your sarcasm. Both were important. You helped me trust my training and kept me honest when I wanted to gloss over the details.Kevin Grignon, thanks for always going to bat for me and reminding me to ask for what I need. Thanks also to Cale Vardy and Eric Mahlstedt for their support as I finished this thesis.Finally, I owe much gratitude to my family. Ben, you know how to take me seriously when I need a confidant and how to send me into a fit of giggles like no one else can. Thanks for bringing the balance of extremes that reminds me to always be me.Mom, thanks for encouraging in me a feisty determination that must have backfired on you more than once. You told me to become a doctor instead of marrying one. I have you to thank for the grit that got me here and the rebellious spirit that keeps me conquering. Embodied presence in virtual reality iii ABSTRACT In this thesis, I proposed and tested the Embodied Presence Model (EPM), a framework aimed at examining the role of mental representations of the environment and body's effectors in supporting presence in virtual reality. A fundamental assumption of the EPM is that presence is a direct result of interactions between one's environment and one's effectors (e.g., hands) thus requiring a mental representation of both. The EPM was therefore informed by current perspectives from perceptual, cognitive, and neuropsychology literature on how the relationship between the environment and the body. Three experiments were conducted, each with approximately 50 participants. In all three experiments a virtual pointing task was used wherein participants made speeded pointing movements to virtual targets presented on the table in front of them the virtual environment....
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