Z2F: Heterogeneous graph-based Android malware detection.

Android malware is becoming more common, and its invasion of smart devices has brought immeasurable losses to people's lives. Most existing Android malware detection methods extract Android features from the original application files without considering the high-order hidden information behind them, but these hidden information can reflect malicious behaviors. To solve this problem, this paper proposes Z2F, a detection framework based on multidimensional Android feature extraction and graph neural networks for Android applications. Z2F first extracts seven types of Android features from the original Android application and then embeds them into a heterogeneous graph. On this basis, we design 12 kinds of meta-structures to analyze different semantic spaces of heterogeneous graphs, mine high-order hidden semantic information, and adopt a multi-layer graph attention mechanism to iteratively embed and update information. In this paper, a total of 14429 Android applications were detected and 1039726 Android features were extracted, with a detection accuracy of 99.7%.

DTLR-CS: Deep tensor low rank channel cross fusion neural network for reproductive cell segmentation.

In recent years, with the development of deep learning technology, deep neural networks have been widely used in the field of medical image segmentation. U-shaped Network(U-Net) is a segmentation network proposed for medical images based on full-convolution and is gradually becoming the most commonly used segmentation architecture in the medical field. The encoder of U-Net is mainly used to capture the context information in the image, which plays an important role in the performance of the semantic segmentation algorithm. However, it is unstable for U-Net with simple skip connection to perform unstably in global multi-scale modelling, and it is prone to semantic gaps in feature fusion. Inspired by this, in this work, we propose a Deep Tensor Low Rank Channel Cross Fusion Neural Network (DTLR-CS) to replace the simple skip connection in U-Net. To avoid space compression and to solve the high rank problem, we designed a tensor low-ranking module to generate a large number of low-rank tensors containing context features. To reduce semantic differences, we introduced a cross-fusion connection module, which consists of a channel cross-fusion sub-module and a feature connection sub-module. Based on the proposed network, experiments have shown that our network has accurate cell segmentation performance.

The Emotional Impact of Negative Language in People With Diabetes: A Descriptive Study Using a Semantic Differential Scale.

PURPOSE: Explore the emotional experience of people with diabetes as they encounter words and phrases that have been previously identified as problematic and evaluate potential differences in their emotional impact based on type of diabetes and demographic characteristics. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study employing an online survey of 107 adults with type 1 diabetes and 110 adults with type 2 diabetes. A semantic differential scale was used to examine feeling states associated with negative diabetes language. Descriptive statistics including means, standard deviations, and frequencies were calculated for all study variables. For each target word, frequencies of participants who endorsed a positive, neutral, or negative affective response on the sematic differential scale are reported. RESULTS: People with diabetes reported feeling blamed, misunderstood, hopeless, judged, not motivated, and not trusting in response to "noncompliant," "unmotivated," "in denial," "preventable," "failed," "should," "uncontrolled," "what did you do wrong," and "you could end up blind or on dialysis." Participants who have type 1 diabetes and are female, White, more educated, and younger reported more negative feelings about the target words. CONCLUSION: People with diabetes experience highly negative affective responses when they read and hear previously identified words and phrases considered to be judgmental and unhelpful.

Strong versus weak embodiment: Spatial iconicity in physical, abstract, and social semantic categories.

BACKGROUND: Perceptual and action systems seem to be related to complex cognitive processes, but the scope of grounded or embodied cognition has been questioned. Zwaan and Yaxley (2003) proposed that cognitive processes of making semantic relatedness judgments can be facilitated when word pairs are presented in ways that their referents maintain their iconic configuration rather than their reverse-iconic configuration (the spatial iconicity effect). This effect has been observed in different semantic categories using specific experiments, but it is known that embodiment is highly dependent on task demands. METHOD: The present study analyzed the spatial iconicity effect in three semantic categories (physical, abstract, and social) using the same experimental criteria to determine the scope of embodied cognition. In this reaction-time experiment, 75 participants judged the semantic relatedness of 384 word pairs whose experimental items were presented in their iconic or reverse-iconic configurations. RESULTS: Two mixed-effects models with crossed random effects revealed that the interaction between word meaning and spatial position was present only for physical concepts but neither for abstract nor social concepts. CONCLUSIONS: Within the framework of strong and weak embodiment theories, the data support weak embodiment theory as the most explicative one.

Psychometric Properties of the Semantic Differential Scale in Studying Attitudes Toward Menstruation among Roman Catholics in India.

This article describes the psychometric properties of a semantic differential scale developed to evaluate the attitudes towards menstruation among Roman Catholics in India, which is referred to as Menstrual Semantic Differential Scale (MSDS). For this purpose, the south Indian state of Kerala was chosen as the location. First, exploratory factor analysis was conducted on the data collected from a sample of participants of different ages, gender, and caste groups. The analysis produced a 10 item scale with a tri-factorial structure that explained 74 percent of the variance. Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis on a different sample established that the three-factor model was a good fit. Moreover, Cronbach's alpha coefficients of the subscales ranged from 0.73 to 0.93, confirming the acceptable reliability of the instrument. The findings suggest that the MSDS is a reliable and valid measure for assessing attitudes towards menstruation among Roman Catholics in India.

Attitudes towards older adults (80 years and older): A measurement with the ageing semantic differential - A cross-sectional study of Austrian students.

INTRODUCTION: The aims of the study were to investigate the four-factor structure of the German version of the Aging Semantic Differential (ASD) and to gain initial insights into the attitudes of nursing, medical and humanities students towards older people in Austria. METHOD: A cross-sectional study design with a convenience sample was chosen. RESULTS: The ASD was completed by 255 Austrian nursing, medicine, and humanities students, who described their attitudes towards persons who are 80 years of age and older. The applicability of the four-factor structure (instrumentality, autonomy, acceptability and integrity) of the German version was confirmed by performing a confirmatory factor analysis. The mean age of students in our sample was 23.6 years; 79% of these were female. The sample displayed negative attitudes regarding the factors of autonomy and instrumentality, but more positive attitudes regarding the factors integrity and acceptability. The attitudes of the students in the three study programmes differed, with the medical students displaying the most negative attitudes. Students who displayed positive attitudes had statistically significantly higher levels of knowledge about ageism and better possibilities to hold personal conversations with older people (80+) in the family or circle of friends. CONCLUSION: We conclude that having more knowledge about ageism and close personal contacts to older persons can support positive attitudes towards older individuals.

Classic Tool, New Opportunities: A Psychometric Analysis of a Swedish Online Version of the Aging Semantic Differential Scale.

This study validated a Swedish translation of the Aging Semantic Differential Scale (ASD, 32-items) distributed online. Translation and back-translation were conducted. A convenience sample of nursing students completed the online questionnaire (N = 292) in spring 2020. Confirmatory factor analysis tested a validated four-factor structure consisting of 26 items, and the reliability and validity of the scale were tested. The Swedish version of the ASD was found to be reliable and valid. Model fit indices, internal reliability, and scale validity were acceptable. Construct validity was verified, and mean differences were observed, in accord with previous research regarding participants' age, sex, clinical experience, and personal relationships with older individuals. The findings provide cross-cultural validation of the ASD by extending its international use. The validation of an online version expands data collection flexibility. As this modified instrument required only 26 items, it may be beneficial for use in future studies and practical settings.

Cross-sectional study of Australian medical student attitudes towards older people confirms a four-factor structure and psychometric properties of the Australian Ageing Semantic Differential.

OBJECTIVES: The Australian Ageing Semantic Differential (AASD) survey was developed to quantify medical student attitudes towards older people. The purpose of this study is to examine psychometric properties of the survey and confirm its factor structure of four composites. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: Three medical schools in three Australian states: Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Third-year or fourth-year medical students (n=188, response rate=79%). OUTCOME MEASURES: In the previous AASD study, exploratory factor analysis supported a four-factor model consisting of 'Instrumentality' (I), 'Personal Appeal' (PA), 'Experience' (E) and 'Sociability' (S). Congeneric one-factor confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to examine model fit for factors using a new student sample (n=188).Psychometric properties of survey items and factors.Post-hoc analysis of pooled data from this study and earlier AASD study (n=509). RESULTS: Indices of fit (Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), standardised root mean square residual (SRMR)) for data to the factor model were: PA adequate fit (CFI=0.94, TLI=0.89, RMSEA=0.11 and SRMR=0.05), I good fit (CFI=0.99, TLI=0.99, RMSEA=0.04 and SRMR=0.03), S good fit (CFI=0.98, TLI=0.95, RMSEA=0.06 and SRMR=0.03) and E excellent fit (CFI=1.0, TLI=1.0, RMSEA=0.00 and SRMR=0.01).The AASD was internally consistent (Cronbach's alpha=0.84), without difference in mean student scores by institution. Mean AASD score was positive for medical students outside New South Wales (73.2/114).Mean I score for all Australian students was negative, with female respondents' mean E score significantly higher than their counterparts. A positive correlation between student age and I score was noted. CONCLUSIONS: The AASD is internally consistent and generalisable within Australia, with acceptable structural validity for measuring medical student attitudes towards older people within a four-factor model. Student attitudes were positive globally and within all factors except I. Female students rated older persons E more positively. Older students recorded more positive attitudes towards I of older people.

Validation of the HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Stigma Scale: Performance of Likert and Semantic Differential Scale Versions.

Stigma regarding HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is commonly implicated as a factor limiting the scale-up of this highly effective HIV prevention modality. To quantify and characterize PrEP stigma, we developed and validated a brief HIV PrEP Stigma Scale (HPSS) among a group of 279 men who have sex with men (MSM). Scale development was informed by a theoretical model to enhance content validity. We assessed two scale versions, Semantic Differential and Likert, randomizing the order in which scales were presented to participants. Both scales demonstrated high internal consistency. The Likert scale had substantially better construct validity and was selected as the preferred option. Scale scores demonstrated construct validity through association with constructs of interest: healthcare distrust, HIV knowledge, perceived proportion of friends/partners on PrEP, perceived community evaluation of PrEP, and perceived effectiveness of PrEP. The scale accounted for 25% of the total variance in reported willingness to be on PrEP, indicating the substantial role PrEP stigma may have on decisions to initiate PrEP. Given increased efforts to roll-out PrEP, having a valid tool to determine the level and types of PrEP stigma in individuals, groups, and communities can help direct implementation plans, identify goals for stigma reduction, and monitor progress over time.

The effects of mood and retrieval cues on semantic memory and metacognition.

We investigated whether the previously established effect of mood on episodic memory generalizes to semantic memory and whether mood affects metacognitive judgments associated with the retrieval of semantic information. Sixty-eight participants were induced into a happy or sad mood by viewing and describing IAPS images. Following mood induction, participants saw a total of 200 general knowledge trivia items (50 open-ended and 50 multiple-choice after each of two mood inductions) and were asked to provide a metacognitive judgment about their knowledge for each item before providing a response. A sample trivia item is: Author - - To kill a mockingbird. Results indicate that mood affects the retrieval of semantic information, but only when the participant believes they possess the requested semantic information; furthermore, this effect depends upon the presence of retrieval cues. In addition, we found that mood does not affect the likelihood of different metacognitive judgments associated with the retrieval of semantic information, but that, in some cases, having retrieval cues increases accuracy of these metacognitive judgments. Our results suggest that semantic retrieval processes are minimally susceptible to the influence of affective state but does not preclude the possibility that affective state may influence encoding of semantic information.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the Clear Communication Index to Brazilian Portuguese.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a cross-cultural adaptation of the Clear Communication Index instrument from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC-CCI) from English to Brazilian Portuguese. METHODS: This study comprised initial discussion about the conceptual equivalence of the instrument by a committee formed by experts on health education. We performed translations, synthesis of translations, back-translations, revision by the committee, and linguistic revision. Semantic equivalence was obtained by analyzing the referential and general meaning of each item by the committee, resulting in a pre-final version of the instrument. Subsequently, thirty professionals with health sciences degrees performed a pre-test. These professionals used the pre-final version of the instrument to assess a health education material. A questionnaire was applied to evaluate the acceptability of the instrument, the understanding of each of the 20 items, as well as the individual and professional variables. We analyzed the scores attributed to the health education material, the variables related to healthcare professionals, the proportions of the acceptability of the instrument, and the comprehension of each item. RESULTS: After we obtained the conceptual equivalence of the instrument, the committee of experts, the instrument's main author, and the linguist produced the pre-final version using two translations, a synthesis of the translations, and two back-translations. A general equivalence was maintained in 15 of the 20 items (75%), four of the items were slightly altered (20%), and one item was very altered (5%). Nineteen items presented referential equivalence or near equivalence (95%). We then carried out with the pre-test, in which the professionals used the pre-final version. Two items in the domains of "risks" and "main message" were unclear and needed to be revised. CONCLUSION: The process of cross-cultural adaptation of the Clear Communication Index provided an adapted version to the Brazilian Portuguese language.

Cultural influences on perception of disability and disabled people: a comparison of opinions from students in the United Kingdom (UK) Pakistan (PAK) about a generic wheelchair using a semantic differential scale.

Assistive Technology (AT) product use occurs within a socio-cultural setting. The growth internationally in the AT product market suggests that designers need to be aware of the influences that diverse cultures may have on the societal perception of an AT product through its semantic attributes. The study aimed to evaluate the visual interaction with an AT product by young adults from Pakistan, a collectivist society, and the United Kingdom (UK), an individualist society. A paper-based questionnaire survey was carried out with 281 first-year undergraduate students from the UK and Pakistan to evaluate their perception towards the visual representation of a generic conventional wheelchair image. A semantics differential (SD) scale method was used involving a seven-point bipolar SD scale incorporating sixteen pairs of adjectives defining functional, meaning, and usability attributes of the product. The mean (M) and standard deviation (sd) values were obtained for each pair of adjectives and compared between both groups by employing appropriate parametric tests. The results show that having a diverse cultural background did not appear to have overtly influenced the meanings ascribed to the generic manual wheelchair, which was unexpected. The University 'Internationalist' environment may have influenced the results. Some minor but critical differences were found for some pairs of adjectives (bulky-compact, heavy-light), having p-value less than .05 (p < .05) that related to previous experience of wheelchairs and/or their use. Further studies are planned to investigate and validate outcomes with other student and non-student groups.Implications for RehabilitationThe semantic attributes of assistive technologies highlight a number of aspects that have implications for those involved in Assistive Technology (AT) product development, manufacturing and marketing.• For online sales, the AT products rely on the web page image to communicate the purpose and attributes of the product. There are limited explorations related to the semantic/communicative attributes of AT product presented in images, as perceived by individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.• The knowledge towards semantic meaning ascribed to the AT product is important to investigate to provide a perspective that goes beyond practical functions of the AT product towards the communicative function.• Information of comprehending semantics and significance of the AT product from a social (non-users) viewpoint may benefits manufacturers in the development of AT products that best meet the societal needs, preferences and expectations.• A model of best practice, with a focus on semantic manipulation will offer Industrial Designers (ID) internationally with the suitable process and tools to reframe perceptions of disability and enhance acceptance of AT products not only for users, but also for the society around them.

The influence of social context on the perception of assistive technology: using a semantic differential scale to compare young adults' views from the United Kingdom and Pakistan.

Background and aim: A Society's view of disability may influence the perception and use of Assistive Technology (AT) products. Semantic cues or cultural coding provide the viewer with a series of visual stimuli to be given or ascribed meaning. Previous research has shown cognitive approaches to visual perception and assignment of meaning vary between diverse cultures. This study reviews the influence of contextual settings on perception, to provide the basis for a debate on the societal perception of communicative content (semantic/meaning) of an AT product; and, the relevance of different cultural cognitive styles. The paper explores, from a cultural viewpoint, the overall understanding of disability internationally.Method: A Semantic Differential (SD) scale was used to obtain views on the image of an attendant wheelchair from nine hundred and ninety-one (991) young adults from the United Kingdom (UK) and Pakistan (PAK), reflecting the individualist and collectivist societies, respectively. This survey follows a previous paper-based study using the same image and protocol. Comparing the two surveys, a consensus of views from the two groups was achieved.Results and conclusion: The responses from the UK group were skewed towards a negative view of disability compared to the Pakistan group. This inferred greater social stigma associated with this AT product in the UK. The combined findings from both surveys provide insights into societal perception of AT products and disability. Areas for future research are suggested, including what visual components of an AT product (graphemes) appear to be associated with positive or negative responses for collectivist and individual societal groups.Implications for rehabilitationAssistive Technology (AT) product designers, academics, professionals and stakeholders need to be aware of challenges which are originated from one's socio-cultural environment. AT products convey certain meanings, semantics, which are interpreted by the society and are subjective to a specific cultural setting.•For the effective communication of meanings and values an AT product relies on the visual clues and design features embedded within the design. However, there have been a limited number of studies reviewing this aspect of product semantics.•The survey and associated testing has highlighted the differences in cultural perception towards AT products and demonstrated the importance of effectively designing the semantic attributes of an AT product as well as its function.•The demonstration of the efficacy of methods within the study for exploring the interpretation of semantic attributes of AT products will help designers and developers better understand the perceptions of individual cultures and societal groups.•A better understanding of different cultures and societies will enable designers and clinicians who specify AT products to reduce AT product abandonment; and, the associated stigma around disability.

Testing Differential Item Functioning in Small Samples.

Differential item functioning (DIF) is a pernicious statistical issue that can mask true group differences on a target latent construct. A considerable amount of research has focused on evaluating methods for testing DIF, such as using likelihood ratio tests in item response theory (IRT). Most of this research has focused on the asymptotic properties of DIF testing, in part because many latent variable methods require large samples to obtain stable parameter estimates. Much less research has evaluated these methods in small sample sizes despite the fact that many social and behavioral scientists frequently encounter small samples in practice. In this article, we examine the extent to which model complexity-the number of model parameters estimated simultaneously-affects the recovery of DIF in small samples. We compare three models that vary in complexity: logistic regression with sum scores, the 1-parameter logistic IRT model, and the 2-parameter logistic IRT model. We expected that logistic regression with sum scores and the 1-parameter logistic IRT model would more accurately estimate DIF because these models yielded more stable estimates despite being misspecified. Indeed, a simulation study and empirical example of adolescent substance use show that, even when data are generated from / assumed to be a 2-parameter logistic IRT, using parsimonious models in small samples leads to more powerful tests of DIF while adequately controlling for Type I error. We also provide evidence for minimum sample sizes needed to detect DIF, and we evaluate whether applying corrections for multiple testing is advisable. Finally, we provide recommendations for applied researchers who conduct DIF analyses in small samples.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the Clear Communication Index to Brazilian Portuguese

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To perform a cross-cultural adaptation of the Clear Communication Index instrument from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC-CCI) from English to Brazilian Portuguese. METHODS This study comprised initial discussion about the conceptual equivalence of the instrument by a committee formed by experts on health education. We performed translations, synthesis of translations, back-translations, revision by the committee, and linguistic revision. Semantic equivalence was obtained by analyzing the referential and general meaning of each item by the committee, resulting in a pre-final version of the instrument. Subsequently, thirty professionals with health sciences degrees performed a pre-test. These professionals used the pre-final version of the instrument to assess a health education material. A questionnaire was applied to evaluate the acceptability of the instrument, the understanding of each of the 20 items, as well as the individual and professional variables. We analyzed the scores attributed to the health education material, the variables related to healthcare professionals, the proportions of the acceptability of the instrument, and the comprehension of each item. RESULTS After we obtained the conceptual equivalence of the instrument, the committee of experts, the instrument's main author, and the linguist produced the pre-final version using two translations, a synthesis of the translations, and two back-translations. A general equivalence was maintained in 15 of the 20 items (75%), four of the items were slightly altered (20%), and one item was very altered (5%). Nineteen items presented referential equivalence or near equivalence (95%). We then carried out with the pre-test, in which the professionals used the pre-final version. Two items in the domains of "risks" and "main message" were unclear and needed to be revised. CONCLUSION The process of cross-cultural adaptation of the Clear Communication Index provided an adapted version to the Brazilian Portuguese language.

Effects of Touching Sculptures on the Artistic Appreciation of Collative Emotional/Perceptual Properties / Efeitos do Toque em Esculturas sobre a Apreciação Artística de Propriedades Colativas Emocionais/Perceptivas / Efectos del Toque en Esculturas en relación a la Apreciación Artística de las Propiedades Colativas Emocionales/Perceptivas

Abstract The relationship between physical stimulus and perception is fundamental to understand aesthetic appreciation. This study aimed to examine how the properties of sculptures influence their artistic appreciation. Thirteen participants touched altered sculptures from the series Bichos de Lygia Clark. Participants indicated their perceptions for each stimulus using Semantic Differential Scales (7-point Likert scale): Complexity, Irregularity, Amount of pieces, Interest and Pleasingness. The duration of manipulation was recorded. The results showed that sculptures perceived as having more pieces were the ones judged to have a high level of Complexity and Irregularity. Sculptures evaluated as demonstrating a high level of Complexity and Irregularity were considered more interesting, although less pleasant. Participants tended to spend more time exploring the more complex sculptures. The results indicate that the amount of informational content, represented by the amount of pieces present in the sculpture, can influence the way it is perceived and affect its hedonic value.

Resumo A relação entre estímulo físico e percepção é fundamental para entender a apreciação estética. Este estudo teve como objetivo examinar como propriedades de esculturas influenciam suas apreciações artísticas. Treze participantes tocaram esculturas alteradas da série Bichos de Lygia Clark. Os participantes indicaram suas percepções para cada estímulo usando Escalas de Diferencial Semântico (tipo Likert - 7 pontos): Complexidade, Irregularidade, Quantidade de peças, Interesse e Agradabilidade. A duração da manipulação foi registrada. Os resultados mostraram que esculturas julgadas como tendo maior quantidade de peças foram julgadas como tendo alto nível de Complexidade e Irregularidade. Esculturas avaliadas como demonstrando um alto nível de Complexidade e Irregularidade foram consideradas mais interessantes, embora menos agradáveis. Os participantes tenderam a gastar mais tempo explorando as esculturas mais complexas. Os resultados indicam que a quantidade de conteúdo informacional, representado pela quantidade de peças presente na escultura, pode influenciar o modo como ela é percebida e afetar seu valor hedônico.

Resumen La relación entre el estímulo físico y la percepción es esencial para comprender la apreciación estética. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo examinar cómo las propiedades de las esculturas influyen en su apreciación artística. Trece participantes tocaron esculturas alteradas de la serie Bichos de Lygia Clark. Los participantes manifestaron sus percepciones para cada estímulo utilizando Escalas de Diferencial Semántico (de tipo Likert - 7 puntos): Complejidad, Irregularidad, Cantidad de piezas, Interés y Satisfacción. Se registró la duración de la manipulación. Los resultados apuntaron que las esculturas consideradas con más cantidad de piezas tenían un alto grado de Complejidad e Irregularidad. Las esculturas evaluadas con un alto grado de Complejidad e Irregularidad se consideraron más interesantes, aunque menos agradables. Los participantes tendían a pasar más tiempo explorando las esculturas más complejas. Los resultados indican que la cantidad de contenido informativo, representado por la cantidad de piezas presentes en la escultura, puede influir en la forma de percibirla y afectar su valor hedónico.

Has the "M" word been framed? Marijuana, cannabis, and public opinion.

Over the past two decades, a growing cadre of US states has legalized the drug commonly known as "marijuana." But even as more states legalize the drug, proponents of reform have begun to shun the term "marijuana" in favor of the term "cannabis." Arguing that the "M" word has been tainted and may thus dampen public support for legalization, policy advocates have championed "cannabis" as an alternative and more neutral name for the drug. Importantly, however, no one has tested whether calling the drug "cannabis" as opposed to "marijuana" actually has any effect on public opinion. Using an original survey experiment, we examine whether framing the drug as "marijuana" as opposed to "cannabis" shapes public attitudes across a range of related topics: support for legalization of the drug, moral acceptance of its use, tolerance of activities involving the drug, perceptions of the drug's harms, and stereotypes of its users. Throughout each of our tests, we find no evidence to suggest that the public distinguishes between the terms "marijuana" and "cannabis." We conclude with implications of our findings for debates over marijuana/cannabis policy and for framing in policy discourse more generally.

Online comprehension across different semantic categories in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder.

BACKGROUND: Word comprehension across semantic categories is a key area of language development. Using online automated eye-tracking technology to reduce response demands during a word comprehension test may be advantageous in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). OBJECTIVES: To measure online accuracy of word recognition across eleven semantic categories in preschool children with ASD and in typically developing (TD) children matched for gender and developmental age. METHODS: Using eye-tracker methodology we measured the relative number of fixations on a target image as compared to a foil of the same category shown simultaneously on screen. This online accuracy measure was considered a measure of word understanding. We tested the relationship between online accuracy and offline word recognition and the effects of clinical variables on online accuracy. Twenty-four children with ASD and 21 TD control children underwent the eye-tracking task. RESULTS: On average, children with ASD were significantly less accurate at fixating on the target image than the TD children. After multiple comparison correction, no significant differences were found across the eleven semantic categories of the experiment between preschool children with ASD and younger TD children matched for developmental age. The ASD group showed higher intragroup variability consistent with greater variation in vocabulary growth rates. Direct effects of non-verbal cognitive levels, vocabulary levels and gesture productions on online word recognition in both groups support a dimensional view of language abilities in ASD. CONCLUSIONS: Online measures of word comprehension across different semantic categories show higher interindividual variability in children with ASD and may be useful for objectively monitor gains on targeted language interventions.

Affective auditory stimulus database: An expanded version of the International Affective Digitized Sounds (IADS-E).

Using appropriate stimuli to evoke emotions is especially important for researching emotion. Psychologists have provided several standardized affective stimulus databases-such as the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) and the Nencki Affective Picture System (NAPS) as visual stimulus databases, as well as the International Affective Digitized Sounds (IADS) and the Montreal Affective Voices as auditory stimulus databases for emotional experiments. However, considering the limitations of the existing auditory stimulus database studies, research using auditory stimuli is relatively limited compared with the studies using visual stimuli. First, the number of sample sounds is limited, making it difficult to equate across emotional conditions and semantic categories. Second, some artificially created materials (music or human voice) may fail to accurately drive the intended emotional processes. Our principal aim was to expand existing auditory affective sample database to sufficiently cover natural sounds. We asked 207 participants to rate 935 sounds (including the sounds from the IADS-2) using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) and three basic-emotion rating scales. The results showed that emotions in sounds can be distinguished on the affective rating scales, and the stability of the evaluations of sounds revealed that we have successfully provided a larger corpus of natural, emotionally evocative auditory stimuli, covering a wide range of semantic categories. Our expanded, standardized sound sample database may promote a wide range of research in auditory systems and the possible interactions with other sensory modalities, encouraging direct reliable comparisons of outcomes from different researchers in the field of psychology.

Modulation of conflicts in the Stroop effect.

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the unique contribution of task conflict, semantic conflict and response conflict to the Stroop effect and to test how these conflicts are modulated by manipulating the proportion of neutral trials, known to affect the magnitude of the Stroop effect. In the first experiment, we employed the two-to-one paradigm (De Houwer, 2003) while adding neutral illegible stimuli, and in the second experiment, we employed two colors and four word colors. In both experiments, we created four congruency conditions (neutral, congruent and two kind of incongruent conditions-those that include response conflict and those that do not), which allowed decomposing the Stroop effect into three orthogonal conflicts. In both experiments, we also manipulated the proportion of neutral trials. Task conflict was defined by the contrast between illegible neutrals and color words, semantic conflict by the contrast between congruent and incongruent stimuli, and response conflict by contrasting the two kinds of incongruent stimuli. Our results showed that all conflicts contributed to the Stroop effect. Task conflict and semantic conflict were modulated by the proportion of neutrals but response conflict was not. These findings imply that task conflict and semantic conflict are part of the control loop of the Stroop effect, as conceptualized by Botvinick et al.'s (2001) conflict monitoring model. There is no clear evidence of the response conflict being part of the loop. To complete the picture, we also analyzed the conflicts in the Stroop task using the traditional dependent contrasts approach and found the basic pattern of results was similar. Thus, the main advantage of the orthogonal comparisons approach is the possibility to estimate the unique contribution of the conflicts contributing to the Stroop effect and their modulation of the Stroop phenomenon.