Publications (22) View all
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Dataset: Mapping face recognition information use across cultures
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ABSTRACT: Face recognition is not rooted in a universal eye movement information-gathering strat-egy. Western observers favor a local facial feature sampling strategy, whereas Eastern observers prefer sampling face information from a global, central fixation strategy. Yet, the precise qualitative (the diagnostic) and quantitative (the amount) information underlying these cultural perceptual biases in face recognition remains undetermined. To this end, we monitored the eye movements of Western and Eastern observers during a face recogni-tion task, with a novel gaze-contingent technique: the Expanding Spotlight. We used 2aussian apertures centered on the observers' fixations expanding dynamically at a rate of 1very 25 ms at each fixation – the longer the fixation duration, the larger the aperture size. Identity-specific face information was only displayed within the Gaussian aperture; outside the aperture, an average face template was displayed to facilitate saccade plan-ning. Thus, the Expanding Spotlight simultaneously maps out the facial information span at each fixation location. Data obtained with the Expanding Spotlight technique confirmed that Westerners extract more information from the eye region, whereas Easterners extract more information from the nose region. Interestingly, this quantitative difference was paired with a qualitative disparity. Retinal filters based on spatial-frequency decomposition built from the fixations maps revealed that Westerners used local high-spatial-frequency infor-mation sampling, covering all the features critical for effective face recognition (the eyes and the mouth). In contrast, Easterners achieved a similar result by using global low-spatial-frequency information from those facial features. Our data show that the face system flexibly engages into local or global eye movement strategies across cultures, by relying on distinct facial information span and culturally tuned spatially filtered information. Overall, our findings challenge the view of a unique putative process for face recognition. Front. Psychology 4:34. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00034 -
Article: Nostalgia: The Gift That Keeps on Giving
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ABSTRACT: JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. .Journal of Consumer Research 02/2013; · 3.10 Impact Factor -
Article: Mapping Face Recognition Information Use across Cultures.
[show abstract] [hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Face recognition is not rooted in a universal eye movement information-gathering strategy. Western observers favor a local facial feature sampling strategy, whereas Eastern observers prefer sampling face information from a global, central fixation strategy. Yet, the precise qualitative (the diagnostic) and quantitative (the amount) information underlying these cultural perceptual biases in face recognition remains undetermined. To this end, we monitored the eye movements of Western and Eastern observers during a face recognition task, with a novel gaze-contingent technique: the Expanding Spotlight. We used 2° Gaussian apertures centered on the observers' fixations expanding dynamically at a rate of 1° every 25 ms at each fixation - the longer the fixation duration, the larger the aperture size. Identity-specific face information was only displayed within the Gaussian aperture; outside the aperture, an average face template was displayed to facilitate saccade planning. Thus, the Expanding Spotlight simultaneously maps out the facial information span at each fixation location. Data obtained with the Expanding Spotlight technique confirmed that Westerners extract more information from the eye region, whereas Easterners extract more information from the nose region. Interestingly, this quantitative difference was paired with a qualitative disparity. Retinal filters based on spatial-frequency decomposition built from the fixations maps revealed that Westerners used local high-spatial-frequency information sampling, covering all the features critical for effective face recognition (the eyes and the mouth). In contrast, Easterners achieved a similar result by using global low-spatial-frequency information from those facial features. Our data show that the face system flexibly engages into local or global eye movement strategies across cultures, by relying on distinct facial information span and culturally tuned spatially filtered information. Overall, our findings challenge the view of a unique putative process for face recognition.Frontiers in psychology. 01/2013; 4:34. -
Article: Diverging Effects of Clean Versus Dirty Money on Attitudes, Values, and Interpersonal Behavior.
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ABSTRACT: Does the cue of money lead to selfish, greedy, exploitative behaviors or to fairness, exchange, and reciprocity? We found evidence for both, suggesting that people have both sets of meaningful associations, which can be differentially activated by exposure to clean versus dirty money. In a field experiment at a farmers' market, vendors who handled dirty money subsequently cheated customers, whereas those who handled clean money gave fair value (Experiment 1). In laboratory studies with economic games, participants who had previously handled and counted dirty money tended toward selfish, unfair practices-unlike those who had counted clean money or dirty paper, both of which led to fairness and reciprocity. These patterns were found with the trust game (Experiment 2), the prisoner's dilemma (Experiment 4), the ultimatum game (Experiment 5), and the dictator game (Experiment 6). Cognitive measures indicated that exposure to dirty money lowered moral standards (Experiment 3) and reduced positive attitudes toward fairness and reciprocity (Experiments 6-7), whereas exposure to clean money had the opposite effects. Thus, people apparently have 2 contradictory sets of associations (including behavioral tendencies) to money, which is a complex, powerful, and ubiquitous aspect of human social life and cultural organization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 11/2012; · 5.08 Impact Factor -
Article: Buffering acculturative stress and facilitating cultural adaptation: Nostalgia as a psychological resource.
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ABSTRACT: Immigration and migration, albeit a steady force throughout human history, are reaching unprecedented proportions. There were 191 million immigrants in 2005, projected to reach 350 million by the year 2025 (United Nations, 2002, 2006). Adding to this statistic are the short-term migrants: assorted sojourners or expatriates, approximately one million international students each year (Open Doors, 1996/1997), and 874 million tourists in 2005, projected to reach 1.6 billion by 2020 (United Nations World Tourism Organization, 2006, 2008). Our focus in this chapter is on immigrants, although our discussion is also relevant to migrants— especially sojourners, expatriates, and international students. We first discuss the negative experiences or stressors facing immigrants as they strive to adjust in their host country (also referred to as recipient society or society of settlement). We proceed with a consideration of a crucial psychological consequence of these stressors: acculturative stress. Next, we introduce the construct of nostalgia, elaborate on its properties and triggers, and highlight its functions as a psychological resource. In the ensuing section, we offer and develop the central claim of this chapter. Specifically, we emphasize the role of nostalgia as a coping strategy for alleviating acculturative stress and for contributing to successful acculturation patterns (e.g., integration). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)10/2012;
