Creativity is the heart and soul of innovation.
- Hari Srinivasan
Task Load Index
The questionnaire has 6 subscales/submeasures, that assess different dimensions of workload.
- Mental Demand: mental effort and cognitive load required to perform the task.
- Physical Demand: physical effort and exertion involved in performing the task.
- Temporal Demand: perceived time pressure and the amount of time available to complete the task.
- Performance: individual's perception of their own performance during the task.
- Effort: perceived level of effort and energy expenditure required to complete the task.
- Frustration: degree of annoyance, stress, and dissatisfaction experienced during the task.
Scoring and Interpretation
Participants rate each submeasure on a scale of 0 to 100. Scoring and interpretation vary depending on the specific study or context. Generally, higher scores indicate a higher perceived workload in the respective submeasure.
Researchers often analyze the individual submeasure scores and the overall workload score to gain insights into the specific dimensions of workload that are most significant in a given task or situation. The questionnaire can help identify areas where workload can be optimized or where additional support or resources may be required.
Examples of use in Autism Research in evaluating workload and cognitive demands
Examples of use in Autism Research in evaluating workload and cognitive demands
Study: "Task load and verbal responses to questions in children with autism spectrum disorder"Citation: Nishida, T., Yuhi, T., Kaneoke, Y., Kurosawa, K., & Dan, I. (2014). Task load and verbal responses to questions in children with autism spectrum disorder. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 937.
Link: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00937
Study: "Measurement of cognitive workload in individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder using a virtual reality task"Citation: Park, S. M., Chong, S. C., Lim, S. L., Kim, J. S., & Kim, J. S. (2020). Measurement of cognitive workload in individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder using a virtual reality task. Applied Sciences, 10(2), 581.
Link: https://doi.org/10.3390/app10020581
Simultaneity Window
[Concepts in Sensorimotor Research]
If stimuli from different modalities fall within the SW, they are likely to be perceptually integrated, whereas if they fall outside the SW, they may be perceived as separate events.
Commonly used research tasks to measure SW
- Temporal Order Judgment (TOJ): participants are presented with 2 stimuli, one in each sensory modality (e.g., a flash of light and a beep), and they have to determine the order in which the stimuli occurred.
- Simultaneity Judgment (SJ): Participants are presented with 2 stimuli, from different modalities, and they have to judge whether the stimuli were perceived as simultaneous or not.
- Temporal Alignment Task: Participants are presented with a stimulus in one modality and have to adjust the timing of a stimulus in the other modality until it is perceived as synchronous with the first stimulus. This helps in determining the temporal window of integration.
- Temporal Recalibration Task: Participants are exposed to a consistent asynchrony between stimuli from different modalities over a period of time. Following this exposure, their perception of simultaneity is tested to see if it has been recalibrated.
EEG Capping
EEG capping from a neuroimaging researcher perspective at the Vanderbilt EEG research lab
(rather than as a half sedated patient in a hospital clinic).
Felt like a soggy swim cap. Not the most comfortable feeling but tolerable.
To clarify, in this photo I'm trying on the cap to see what it feels like as I will likely be using neuroimaging methods (EEG, fMRI etc) in my own research design and I will be studying issues in autism.
Felt like a soggy swim cap. Not the most comfortable feeling but tolerable.
To clarify, in this photo I'm trying on the cap to see what it feels like as I will likely be using neuroimaging methods (EEG, fMRI etc) in my own research design and I will be studying issues in autism.
Summer Soltice
Sun's longest sojourn
Heat waves dance in the daylight
Melting ice cream dreams.
The summer solstice is an astronomical event that occurs annually around June 20th or 21st in the northern hemisphere and around December 21st or 22nd in the southern hemisphere. It marks the longest day and shortest night of the year.
Astronomically, the summer solstice happens when the Earth's axial tilt is most inclined towards the sun. This means that the North Pole is tilted directly towards the sun, resulting in the sun appearing at its highest position in the sky, and the rays of sunlight falling more directly on the northern hemisphere. Conversely, in the southern hemisphere, the South Pole is tilted away from the sun, leading to shorter days and longer nights.
- Stonehenge, England: People gather to witness the sunrise aligned with the ancient stone monument.
- Midsummer's Eve in Scandinavia (countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Norway) is celebrated with bonfires, traditional dances around maypoles, and feasts. It is a significant holiday in these cultures, often associated with fertility, love, and the celebration of nature.
- Sankthans (St Johns Eve), Norway: is celebrated on June 23rd in Norway. People gather around bonfires, sing songs, and enjoy traditional food and drinks. It is a time for community bonding and merriment.
- Fête de la Musique (Music Day), France: musicians of all genres perform in the streets, parks, and public spaces. It is a day of music appreciation and open-air concerts.
However, summer solstice festivities tend to be less common or less significant in regions closer to the equator (eg: parts of Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia). This is because the equatorial regions experience relatively consistent day lengths and sunlight throughout the year, with only minor variations so the seasons are less pronounced. As a result, the solstices do not bring about significant changes in the length of the day or the angle of the sun, as they do in regions farther from the equator.
There are however some festivals in these regions that somewhat align and happen around the time of summer solstice.
- The Massai of East Africa (Kenya and Tanzania): A traditional warrior dance called Adumu (jumping dance) is performed during special occasions, including the solstices, as a way to celebrate and mark important events in their calendar.
- The Kukuya of Central Africa (Congo): have a solstice ritual called the "Iboundji" ceremony where people gather around a sacred tree and engage in traditional dances and songs to honor the sun and its role in their lives.
- The Dayak of Borneo: The "Gawai" festival is held around June 1st coincides with the rice planting season and the beginning of the rainy season, and includes various rituals and celebrations that pay homage to the sun, earth, and spirits for a bountiful harvest.
- The T'boli of the Philippines: During the summer solstice, people perform ceremonies and rituals related to the T'nalak art form (traditional weaving of abaca fibers into intricate patterns), which is believed to have spiritual and cosmic significance.
Psychophysics and Autism
The field of psychophysics explores how humans perceive and interpret sensory information, including vision, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. It investigates how changes in physical stimuli result in changes in perception, allowing researchers to measure and quantify the relationships between physical stimuli and perceptual experiences.
Psychophysical experiments often involve participants making judgments or providing responses to stimuli under controlled conditions. These experiments use psychophysical techniques to measure and analyze perceptual thresholds, discrimination abilities, response biases, and other aspects of sensory perception.
Some common psychophysical methods and measures include:
Psychophysics has contributed to our understanding of sensory perception, including concepts such as Weber's Law, Stevens' Power Law, and Fechner's Law. It has applications in various fields, such as vision science, auditory perception, psychopharmacology, and the study of human factors in design and technology.
Psychophysical experiments often involve participants making judgments or providing responses to stimuli under controlled conditions. These experiments use psychophysical techniques to measure and analyze perceptual thresholds, discrimination abilities, response biases, and other aspects of sensory perception.
Some common psychophysical methods and measures include:
- Threshold determination: Identifying the minimum or maximum level of a stimulus that can be detected or discriminated.
- Scaling: Estimating subjective perceptions using rating scales or magnitude estimation.
- Difference thresholds: Assessing the smallest detectable difference between two stimuli.
- Response time measures: Examining the speed of processing or decision-making in response to stimuli.
Psychophysics has contributed to our understanding of sensory perception, including concepts such as Weber's Law, Stevens' Power Law, and Fechner's Law. It has applications in various fields, such as vision science, auditory perception, psychopharmacology, and the study of human factors in design and technology.
Use of Psychophysics in Autism Research
- Sensory processing differences at various levels, such as visual, auditory, and tactile domains. Researchers have utilized psychophysical methods to measure thresholds, discrimination abilities, and response biases related to sensory perception. This helps in identifying specific sensory sensitivities, hypo- or hyper responsiveness, and atypical processing patterns in individuals with autism
- Perceptual integration and binding of perceptual features, such as color, motion, or shape, in autistics. By examining how autistics perceive and integrate different sensory information, researchers gain insights into potential difficulties in integrating and perceiving coherent perceptual representations.
- Face and emotion perception studies investigate perceptual thresholds, discrimination abilities, and biases related to facial features, expressions, and emotional cues. They can provide insights into the specific challenges in perceiving and interpreting social cues.
- Multisensory processing: Psychophysics has been utilized to explore how autistics integrate information from multiple sensory modalities. By measuring sensory integration and cross-modal processing abilities, researchers gain a better understanding of how individuals combine information from different sensory channels, which can contribute to their overall perceptual experiences.
Looking at the Self
In the context of disability and autism, all the terms discussed below takes on a unique significance as individuals may grapple with challenges that affect their physical, cognitive, emotional, and social attributes. Understanding one's own abilities, limitations, and unique traits can be an integral part of developing a positive self-perception and fostering self-acceptance and empowerment within the disability and autism communities.
Self-Perception: refers to how we perceive themselves, including our physical, cognitive, emotional, and social attributes. It involves forming an understanding of one's own characteristics, abilities, and behaviors. Self-perception can encompass both internal aspects, such as thoughts and emotions, and external aspects, such as appearance and social roles. It involves recognizing oneself as a distinct entity separate from others and the environment.
Self-Evaluation: refers to the process of assessing one's own abilities, performance, and worth. It involves comparing oneself to internal or external standards and making judgments about one's strengths, weaknesses, and accomplishments. Self-evaluation can be influenced by various factors, including personal goals, social comparisons, and feedback from others. It plays a crucial role in shaping self-esteem, as positive self-evaluation can enhance feelings of self-worth and competence, while negative self-evaluation can lead to self-doubt and low self-esteem.
Self-Awareness: is the conscious knowledge and recognition of one's own existence, thoughts, feelings, and sensations. It involves being cognitively and emotionally attuned to oneself. Self-awareness allows individuals to monitor and reflect upon their own internal states, behaviors, and reactions in relation to themselves and their environment. It involves recognizing one's own strengths, weaknesses, values, and beliefs. Self-awareness is a fundamental aspect of self-consciousness and is essential for introspection, self-regulation, and social interactions.
Self-Reflection: involves the process of introspection and examining one's thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It entails looking inwardly and exploring one's own inner world. Self-reflection allows individuals to gain insight into their beliefs, values, motivations, and behaviors. It often involves asking oneself questions, considering personal experiences, and analyzing one's own actions and their consequences. Self-reflection facilitates self-understanding, personal growth, and the ability to learn from past experiences.
Self-Evaluation: refers to the process of assessing one's own abilities, performance, and worth. It involves comparing oneself to internal or external standards and making judgments about one's strengths, weaknesses, and accomplishments. Self-evaluation can be influenced by various factors, including personal goals, social comparisons, and feedback from others. It plays a crucial role in shaping self-esteem, as positive self-evaluation can enhance feelings of self-worth and competence, while negative self-evaluation can lead to self-doubt and low self-esteem.
Self-Awareness: is the conscious knowledge and recognition of one's own existence, thoughts, feelings, and sensations. It involves being cognitively and emotionally attuned to oneself. Self-awareness allows individuals to monitor and reflect upon their own internal states, behaviors, and reactions in relation to themselves and their environment. It involves recognizing one's own strengths, weaknesses, values, and beliefs. Self-awareness is a fundamental aspect of self-consciousness and is essential for introspection, self-regulation, and social interactions.
Igniting Inner Light
Igniting Inner Light
Revive engine, ignite inner light
Action potential of this mind
Chuck this fickle body behind
SCQ - Social Communication Questionnaire
Lexicon [Measures] - SCQ
Limitations:
- The SCQ is a screening tool and should not be used as a standalone diagnostic instrument. A comprehensive evaluation by a trained clinician using multiple assessment methods is necessary for a formal autism diagnosis.
- Co-occurring Conditions: Many individuals with ASD may have co-occurring conditions such as intellectual disabilities, language impairments, ADHD, anxiety, or sensory processing difficulties. The SCQ focuses specifically on social communication and interaction and may not fully capture the range of challenges associated with co-occurring conditions such as language challenges, ADHD, anxiety or sensory processing.
- Caregiver reports are subject to biases and inaccuracies, as they rely on the caregiver's observations and interpretations of the individual's behaviors.
- Caregivers' ability to accurately report on specific social communication behaviors and experiences of nonspeaking autistics may be limited.
- The SCQ is not designed to assess other developmental disabilities apart from ASD.
Psychiatry Symposium
https://www.vumc.org/psychiatry/AcademicPsychiatry2023
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Schedule
| 10:45-10:50am | Welcome and Introduction |
| 10:50-11:50am | Oral Session #1 |
| 11:50am-12:00pm | Break |
| 12:00-1:00pm | Collaboration Talks |
| 1:00-1:10pm | Break |
| 1:10-2:10pm | Poster Session |
| 1:10-1:40pm | Group A |
| 1:40-2:10pm | Group B |
| 2:10-2:20pm | Break |
| 2:20-3:20pm | Oral Session #2 |
| 3:20-3:25pm | Closing Remarks |
| 3:25-4:00pm | Ice Cream Social |
Berkeley News
UC Berkeley Chancellor Christ retires next year.
Can't help but remember that had handed me my University Medal finalist award on stage at convocation along with a lovely message. I think she became chancellor around the time I joined Cal.
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