Does a visual mask need to be perceptually present to disrupt processing? In the present research, we proposed to explore the link between perceptual and memory mechanisms by demonstrating that a typical sensory phenomenon (visual masking) can be replicated at a memory level. Experiment 1 highlighted an interference effect of a visual mask on the categorization of auditory targets and confirmed the multimodal nature of knowledge. In Experiment 2, we proposed to reactivate this mask in a categorization task on visual targets. Results showed that the sensory mask has disrupted (slower reaction times) the processing of the targets whether the mask was perceptually present or reactivated in memory. These results support a sensory-based conception of memory processing and suggest that the difference between perceptual processes and memory processes is characterized by the presence (perception) or the absence (memory) of the sensory properties involved in the activity.

Objectives: In the context of growing interest in real-time driver stress detection systems, we question the value of using heart rate change over short time periods to detect driver stress and hazard anticipation. Methods:To this end, we explored changes in heart rate and speed as well as perceived stress in 27 drivers in a driving simulator. Driver stress was triggered by using hazardous road events, while hazard anticipation was manipulated using three levels of hazard predictability: unpredictable (U), predictable (P), and predictable and familiar (PF). Results:The main results indicate that using heart rate change (1) is a good indicator for detecting driver stress in real time, (2) provides a cardiac signature of hazard anticipation, and (3) was affected by perceived stress groups. Further investigation is needed to validate the lack of relationship between increased anticipation/predictability and strengthened cardiac signature. Conclusions:These results support the use of heart rate change as an indicator of realtime driver stress and hazard anticipation.

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International audienceWith the increased popularity of touch-sensitive surfaces, much attention has been drawn to their security-related issues, as they currently rely only on the visual sense for feedback. To improve operability, vibrotactile signals may be delivered to the finger on screen interaction. The way vibrotactile signals affect human perception is examined via three measured variables, related to their energy, velocity, and spectral complexity, and which are analytically defined in this paper. It is shown that these variables accurately account for the psychophysical properties of the tactile sense. Based on this, a psychophysical fuzzy rule-based model of vibrotactile perception is introduced to forecast the comfort values of the vibrational signals provided by an automobile haptic screen. Using an efficient rule-based generation method, a Mamdani fuzzy inference system is proposed; it achieves a mean error rate of 14% for the train set and 17% for the test set, while correctly classifying most of the signals within a reasonable tolerance, related to human evaluation imprecision. The system also produces a comprehensible linguistic rule structure, which allows behavioral patterns to be detected