Visual attention modulates the firing rate of neurons in many primate cortical areas. In V4, a cortical area in the ventral visual pathway, spatial attention has also been shown to reduce the tendency of neurons to fire closely separated spikes (burstiness). A recent model proposes that a single mechanism accounts for both the firing rate enhancement and the burstiness reduction in V4, but this has not been empirically tested. It is also unclear if the burstiness reduction by spatial attention is found in other visual areas and for other attentional types. We therefore recorded from single neurons in the medial superior temporal area (MST), a key motion-processing area along the dorsal visual pathway, of two rhesus monkeys while they performed a task engaging both spatial and feature-based attention. We show that in MST, spatial attention is associated with a clear reduction in burstiness that is independent of the concurrent enhancement of firing rate. In contrast, feature-based attention enhances firing rate but is not associated with a significant reduction in burstiness. These results establish burstiness reduction as a widespread effect of spatial attention. They also suggest that in contrast to the recently proposed model, the effects of spatial attention on burstiness and firing rate emerge from different mechanisms.

Emotional databases are important tools to study emotion recognition and their effects on various cognitive processes. Since, well-standardized large-scale emotional expression database is not available in India, we evaluated Radboud faces database (RaFD)—a freely available database of emotional facial expressions of adult Caucasian models, for Indian sample. Using the pictures from RaFD, we investigated the similarity and differences in self-reported ratings on emotion recognition accuracy as well as parameters of valence, clarity, genuineness, intensity and arousal of emotional expression, by following the same rating procedure as used for the validation of RaFD. We also systematically evaluated the universality hypothesis of emotion perception by analyzing differences in accuracy and ratings for different emotional parameters across Indian and Dutch participants. As the original Radboud database lacked arousal rating, we added this as a emotional parameter along with all other parameters. The results show that the overall accuracy of emotional expression recognition by Indian participants was high and very similar to the ratings from Dutch participants. However, there were significant cross-cultural differences in classification of emotion categories and their corresponding parameters. Indians rated certain expressions comparatively more genuine, higher in valence, and less intense in comparison to original Radboud ratings. The misclassifications/ confusion for specific emotional categories differed across the two cultures indicating subtle but significant differences between the cultures. In addition to understanding the nature of facial emotion recognition, this study also evaluates and enables the use of RaFD within Indian population.

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Questões relativas à fundamentação da atuação do músico camerista e do professor de música de câmera são o foco deste texto. A pouca atenção de pesquisadores da área de performance musical aos fundamentos da realização e ensino desta prática tem levado a uma multiplicidade, por vezes desorientada, de ações na formação do camerista. O objetivo principal da discussão aqui apresentada é gerar reflexão sobre o tema, bem como oferecer diretrizes para estudantes e professores de música de câmara. Partindo dos conceitos de Performance Musical (2015a) e Pedagogia da Performance Musical (RAY, 2015b), são apresentados fundamentos e sugestões de organização didática da música de câmara em nível intermediário (graduação). Para tanto, o texto está organizado em três partes principais: 1) Fundamentos para uma Didática da Música de Câmara, 2) Elementos da prática e didática da música de câmara e 3) Considerações para o planejamento da disciplina. A discussão e sugestões aqui apresentadas evidenciam os benefícios de estudos conceituais focados na prática e didática da música de câmara, sobretudo em processos formais de ensino.

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Resumo: Este texto discute o impacto da informação sobre psicologia da performance nos níveis de estresse e ansiedade de estudantes de música brasileiros atuantes tanto na graduação quanto na pós-graduação, e cruza informações sobre seus níveis de estresse e ansiedade. Inclui investigação de matrizes curriculares de universidades públicas brasileiras levantadas em estudo prévio (RAY et al., 2011). Os principais objetivos são: (1) investigar o quanto de informação sobre psicologia da performance os estudantes brasileiros de performance musical têm acesso durante sua formação; (2) levantar indícios sobre o impacto que tal informação pode exercer no nível de estresse e ansiedade nas performances destes estudantes. Metodologia: estudantes de seis universidades públicas brasileiras responderam a três formulários: o Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI); o Inventory of Stress Symptoms LIPP e uma consulta adicional que investigou a rotina de preparação para a performance dos participantes. Resultados: informações sobre psicologia da performance musical estão presentes prioritariamente de forma individual e de acordo com o desejo do professor. Como não há inclusão de disciplinas obrigatórias sobre o tópico nas matrizes curriculares, não foi possível chegar a conclusões definitivas. Pouco mais da metade dos participantes (51,72%) não apresenta sintomas de estresse. Quase metade deles (48,27%) apresenta algum nível de estresse. Todos se enquadram em algum nível de ansiedade. Palavras-chave: Psicologia da performance. Ansiedade e estresse na performance musical. Preparação para a performance. Estudos acadêmicos sobre psicologia da performance. Pedagogia da performance. Exploratory Study on the Impact of Information on Performance Psychology on Stress and Anxiety Levels of Brazilian Music PerformersAbstract: This paper examines the impact of information on psychology of music on Stress and Anxiety Levels of Brazilian students of music performance, both undergraduate and graduate, and cross information on their levels of stress and anxiety. It includes an investigation on curricular programs of Brazilian public universities based on previous investigation by the authors (RAY;. The main goals: 1) to investigate how much information Brazilian music performance students has access to access during their courses; and 2) to identify potential indicators of the impact this information may have on the levels of stress and anxiety in the performances of these students; Methodology: Students from six Brazilian public universities were requested to fill out three forms: the Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI); the Inventory of Stress Symptoms LIPP and an additional form that investigated the participants routine for preparation to performance. Results: information on music performance psychology is only presented privately at teacher's discretion. As compulsory classes have not been included in the curriculum, it was not possible to infer results on this subject. More than half of the participants (51,72%) ...