Target identification and feature integration theory Essay Example

Target identification and feature integration theory Paper The effect of distractors on target identification was studied using 118 participants, from Warwick University. The experiment was based on work done by Treisman and Gelade (1980), who developed the feature integration theory. Each participant completed a visual search computer program consisting of three conditions. As well as these conditions as a factor there was also the varying display sizes such as 4, 8 and 16, and with the target being either present or absent in the trials. The mean response time and percentage errors were recorded. As predicted the display size had little effect on reaction time. The response rate was faster in the conjunction search condition when targets were present as not all of the distractors would have to be searched. In the single feature colour search the absence/presence of the target had no effect on response rate but it did in the single feature shape condition when the target was absent. Introduction Something that everyone does naturally when they are looking for an object is look out for pieces of relevant visual information. Yet somethings are easy to find whereas other items are not. This could be due to the presence of irrelevant objects or distractor items. An example of this could be looking for a child amongst a group of school children all wearing the same coloured uniform. In this case the distractor item could be the colour aspect which makes it harder to immediately spot that one child than if all the children were dressed differently. Thus it is apparent that a target with certain, distinct features, is easier to find than a target that blends in or has similarities with the distractor items surrounding it. We will write a custom essay sample on Target identification and feature integration theory specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Target identification and feature integration theory specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Target identification and feature integration theory specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The aim of this practical is to investigate some of the factors that affect how easily people can find a specified target amongst varying distractors. The investigation was based on the earlier work of Treisman and Gelade (1980)1 who proposed a model they called the Feature Integration Theory of attention that suggests that features are registered early, automatically, and in parallel across the visual field, while objects are identified separately and only at a later stage, which requires focused attention. Henceforth this experiment focuses on the reaction times of people in visual search exercises where distractor items and conditions such as orientation, size and colour are varied. The investigation aims to test the assumption that the visual scene is initially coded along a number of separable dimensions such as the above mentioned. This experiment uses a visual search paradigm method as a basis. During visual search tasks efficiency is measured by the reaction time taken to detect a target item against a varying number of distracters.  Treisman and Gelade (1990, cited in Treisman and Gelade, 1990) found search times increased linearly with display size in conjunction conditions, but display size had little effect for the single feature condition. Method  Participants  One hundred and eighteen male and female, undergraduate students from University of Warwick aged between 80-20 voluntarily participated in the study. Half the pupils were asked to  Materials  The experiment used a program called the visual search presentation software that was run on separate computers. The participants were all given instructions on a handout called Using the stimulus presentation program. The computer program presented the participants with firstly a short demo block of trials, followed by a practice block of trials and then finally the actual experiment. The program then allowed the participants to run an analysis program to analyse the results of their experiment. The full experiment consisted of 120 trials. Design  The design of the experiment was a within subjects design as all one hundred and eighteen participants carried out the same demo trial, practice trial and most importantly full experiment. There were three independent variables that were tested during the experiment. The first independent variable was what the target looked like in terms of condition. For example there were three types of features for the object, such as did the participant have to look out for a single feature task where the target was defined by a unique colour (SF1), or secondly there was a single feature task where the target was defined by a unique shape (SF2) and thirdly there was a conjunction search task where the target was only defined by a combination of both shape and colour. Within each target condition there were another two independent variables. The second was the display size, which varied in a choice of 4, 8 and 16. Finally the third independent variable was whether the target was present or absent. Thus this was a 3 x 2 x 3 fully within subjects design. The two dependent variables were the Mean Response Time (MRT) and the Mean Percentage of Error.  Procedure  The one hundred and eighteen participants were placed in front of a computer with the program ready to run. The brief instructed them to double click on the visual search icon to begin. To start with the participants carried out the demo, which presented them with a short block of trials and then also the practice block. This enable the participants to familiarise themselves with the keys and targets. The participants were reminded they could withdraw from the experiment at any time if they wished. The full experiment was then run via the program by each participant. The participants had to select which of the block of the three possible conditions they wanted to run and then carry them out. For example a block of single feature colour stimuli which they had to look for in each separate frame that appeared and then hit either Z if they saw it or M if they couldnt. Thus their reaction times for spotting the distractor item or spotting its absence was recorded. But to ensure that the experiment was fair and not influenced by the buttons they had to press, half the group had to press Z as if it equalled absent and the M button as if it was present and the other half of the group had to do the reverse. This way the experiment would not hopefully be influenced by people being weaker in one hand than the other. For example faster at pressing Z for present because thats done using their right hand. Altogether the participants ran three full experiments firstly a block of the single feature colour targets, then a block of single feature shape targets and finally the conjunction target. The single feature colour meant the participants had to spot a target that was a blue item among green distractors. The single feature shape was a vertical bar, target among horizontal distractors. The conjunction condition was a blue vertical bar, target among blue horizontal bars and green vertical distractors. Within each condition there were also the display sizes varying from sizes 4, 8 or 16 and the target being either present or absent. The first trial was started by pressing space button. A trial consisted of a blank screen that appeared for 500 ms and was then followed by a fixation cross for another 500 ms and then finally a display containing 4, 8 or 16 items. The target was only present on half the trials and participants had to search the display and then decide if the target was present or absent. The subjects were asked to respond as quickly as possible but not at the cost of accuracy. At the beginning of each block the participant was shown an example of what the target they were supposed to look out for was.

Free Essays on Produced Water Treatment

Produced Water Treatment – Future Technology Polymer modified bentonite or organoclay, ET Ventures - ET #1, made by binding amine polymer with bentonite clay, this converts the clay to an oil-wet, hydrocarbon adsorbent material. Able to adsorb 88% of its own weight in hydrocarbons and 100% by volume. Combined with granular activated carbon treatment gives non-detectable levels of pet. hc's ,oil and grease, and soluble hydrocarbons (EPA methods 418.1 ,413.2 & 8020 respectivley). Units are nearly maintenance free. Spent ET #1 has shown to adsorb volatile hydrocarbons tighly enough to pass the EPA’s TCLP test. This allows the product to be disposed of as non-hazardous waste. However until more experience is gained with the use of ET #1, operators should conduct their own TCLP test prior to disposal. The TCLP test, or the Toxicity Characteristic Leachate Procedure, is used to identify toxic chemicals capable of leaching into groundwater. The spent product can be returned to manufacturer for cost of freight. Alternatively, s ome manufacturers add activated carbon to the organoclay allowing the spent product to be burned as fuel in boilers. Research is still needed to prove this treatment method, for example, it is not know weather the product will concentrate heavy metals or weather the metals will be bound tight enough to pass the TCLP test. Because of the large volume of produced water, the cost of its management has a strong potential impact on the profitability of the domestic natural gas industry, and in some cases, the regulation of produced water disposal can shutdown production operations. Currently, about 60% of the produced water is disposed of through deep well injection at a cost of $0.50 to $1.75/bbl in wells that cost $400,000 to $3,000,000 to install. Furthermore, this option is coming under increasing regulatory scrutiny and is likely to be even more expensive in the future.Researchers at ANL have been using a new... Free Essays on Produced Water Treatment Free Essays on Produced Water Treatment Produced Water Treatment – Future Technology Polymer modified bentonite or organoclay, ET Ventures - ET #1, made by binding amine polymer with bentonite clay, this converts the clay to an oil-wet, hydrocarbon adsorbent material. Able to adsorb 88% of its own weight in hydrocarbons and 100% by volume. Combined with granular activated carbon treatment gives non-detectable levels of pet. hc's ,oil and grease, and soluble hydrocarbons (EPA methods 418.1 ,413.2 & 8020 respectivley). Units are nearly maintenance free. Spent ET #1 has shown to adsorb volatile hydrocarbons tighly enough to pass the EPA’s TCLP test. This allows the product to be disposed of as non-hazardous waste. However until more experience is gained with the use of ET #1, operators should conduct their own TCLP test prior to disposal. The TCLP test, or the Toxicity Characteristic Leachate Procedure, is used to identify toxic chemicals capable of leaching into groundwater. The spent product can be returned to manufacturer for cost of freight. Alternatively, s ome manufacturers add activated carbon to the organoclay allowing the spent product to be burned as fuel in boilers. Research is still needed to prove this treatment method, for example, it is not know weather the product will concentrate heavy metals or weather the metals will be bound tight enough to pass the TCLP test. Because of the large volume of produced water, the cost of its management has a strong potential impact on the profitability of the domestic natural gas industry, and in some cases, the regulation of produced water disposal can shutdown production operations. Currently, about 60% of the produced water is disposed of through deep well injection at a cost of $0.50 to $1.75/bbl in wells that cost $400,000 to $3,000,000 to install. Furthermore, this option is coming under increasing regulatory scrutiny and is likely to be even more expensive in the future.Researchers at ANL have been using a new...

Change in Boiling Point of Water with Molarity Essay

Change in Boiling Point of Water with Molarity - Essay Example In the beaker A NaCl was not dissolved. Concentration of this solution was expressed as 0 molar aqueous solution (0M). In beaker B 5.8gms of NaCl was dissolved and hence a 1 molar aqueous solution (1M) was obtained. In the beaker C 17.4gms of NaCl was dissolved and hence a 3 molar aqueous solution (3M) was obtained. Lastly in the beaker D 29.0gms of NaCl was dissolved and the molarity of this aqueous solution was 5M. It is very clear that boiling point of the solution increases with molarity of the aqueous solution. It implies that the boiling point of water and the amount of dissolved salt, or molarity of the solution, are in direct proportion. If the increase in temperature were to be denoted by t and the molarity of the aqueous solution by M and if k were to be a constant, then, 4) The exact amounts of salt to get 0M, 1M, 3M, 5M aqueous solutions respectively should be dissolved in the water in the beakers. The formula Molarity = Moles of solute/Liters of Solution should be used for this purpose1. Some of controlled variables are Normal Pressure of 1 atmosphere, Identical beakers in all regards like made of same dimensions and material, The burner level, Pure distilled water, etc. The independent variable was the molarity and the dependent variable was the temperature.

Popeyes Singapore Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Popeyes Singapore - Case Study Example This just cost me eight dollars. I was so impressed by the chicken since it was huge, deep fried and well marinated. This is the best service one would ever get. One important thing noted is concerning the service; it seems to be a little slow since it took me time before our turn for placing my order and waiting for it to be served. May be that is an area they can work on. I however understand since it was very crowded, and the waiters do not seem to be many. I really enjoyed my meal, and that will be a place I can recommend to a friend for the best Popeyes in Singapore. The Popeyes menu items have a special flair of southern style preparation and have a unique cooking style. Various items in the menu include bonafide chicken, tenders, seafood, sandwiches and wraps, live well, family and kid’s meals,signature sides, signature sauces, desserts and beverages. The positioning of the shop is strategic, and that is why it attracts so many customers. It is the best place to get any of the items listed above, and I guarantee you will not be disappointed by the service. It is evident that Ang Mo Kio shop offers good services since the place gets crowded in demand for the foods. I think the management should think about expanding the shop more and bringing in more labor force to ensure that services are effective and

Sliding Filament Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sliding Filament Theory - Essay Example Surrounding the whole muscle is a layer of connective tissue, epimysium that encloses the individual fascicules together. The individual muscle fibers are made up of filamentous bundles that run along the length of the fiber. Most of the interior of the fibre consists of the protein filaments which constitute the contractile apparatus, grouped together in bundles called myofibrils. Each myofibril consists of a repeating unit, known as a sarcomere. The alignment of the sarcomeres between adjacent muscle fibers is responsible for the characteristic striations in the striated skeletal muscle fibers. The sarcomere is the fundamental contractile unit of the skeletal muscles. When a muscle fiber is viewed by polarized light, the sarcomeres are seen as alternating dark and light zones. Some regions appear dark because they refract the polarized light. This property is called anisotropy, and the corresponding band is known as an A band. The light regions do not refract polarized light and ar e called isotropic and are denoted as I bands. Each I band is divided by a characteristic line known as a Z line, and the unit between successive Z lines is the sarcomere [1]. Under electron microscopic examination with high magnification, the A bands are seen to be composed of thick filaments arranged in a regular order. The I bands consist of thin filaments. When the muscle is in the resting state, that is, when there is no shortening of the fibers due to contraction, a pale area can be seen in the center of the A band. This is known as the H zone, and it corresponds to the region where the thick and thin filaments do not overlap, which otherwise is the case throughout the muscle fiber architecture. In the center of each H zone, there is a line called M line. It is in this line, links are formed between adjacent thick filaments. The principal protein of the A bands is myosin, while that of I bands is actin. The interaction between these proteins is fundamental to the contractile process in the skeletal muscle at the ultrastructural and molecular levels. There are two types of actin filaments. One is globular in shape, known as globular or G actin subuni ts, and the other is filamentous of F actin. The actin filaments of the I band are made by joining many G actin subunits together by polymerization to form F actin. The F actin, in turn, is stabilized by binding to the Z line. The thick filaments are made up of an assembly of myosin molecules together. Each myosin molecule consists of two heavy chains. Each of these heavy chains has two light chains associated with a head region that is globular. The junction between the head region and the long tail contains a hinge. This hinge allows the myosin to generate the force required for muscle contraction. The tail regions of the myosin molecules associate together to form the thick filaments. Each thick filament consists of several hundred myosin molecules [2]. The sliding filament theory explains muscle contraction, and the structure of skeletal muscle provides important clues to the mechanism of contraction. The width of the A bands or thick filament areas in striated muscle remains constant, regardless of the length of the entire muscle fiber, while the width of the I bands or the thin-filament areas varies

Medicaid Funding Relationship with Nonprofit Organizations

Medicaid Funding Relationship with Nonprofit Organizations Introduction/Background Allard and Smith (2014) define legally incorporated, tax-exempt entities that provide specific services to be nonprofit social service organizations. They can help low-income families that might not qualify for federal assistance. Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) can range vastly in their size, scope, and form, but they are all reliant on donations and public funds to support their operations. This public funding is supported by grants, contracts, and tax credits (Smith et al. 2012). The way in which Medicaid works can be somewhat complex. From the agency standpoint, Medicaid has set values for services its clients might use. Documentation of the actual cost of a service provided is not needed, as clients need only to prove the service was provided. Once there is proof of the service being provided, Medicaid pays out a specific dollar amount for each service. This vendor rate, sometimes referred to as the fee-for-service model, requires the agencies to consistently serve enough Medicaid-eligible clients to break even amongst their revenues. The state will only offer a certain rate for outpatient mental health counseling services, for example, regardless of an individual agencys own internal cost structure (Smith et al. 2012). The Affordable Care Act (ACA), passed in 2010, has drastically increased the number of insured Americans. The ACA, which is frequently nicknamed Obamacare, prohibited insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing health and vastly expanded the number of low-income families eligible for Medicaid. It also set a standard requirement for all United States citizens to have the minimum essential coverage of healthcare (MEC). Medicaid Funding for Nonprofits The practice of using Medicaid to supplement nonprofit organizations funds began in the 1980s. The social movement to provide services to the elderly and disabled led to increased government support for social services (US General Accounting Office, 1984). This has expanded greatly since then, with the main source of care belonging to substance abuse and mental health services. One blatant benefit Medicaid funding can have for nonprofits is its quick turnaround. Even though its services are aimed primarily at high-risk groups, Medicaid funding reimbursed at a much higher rate than other insurance options for such population groupings when compared in 2006. Medicaid has boomed in the past several years, having expanded its pool of clients to cover more and more people. Reimbursement rates allow nonprofit social service organizations to cross-subsidize their resources to other activities that might not otherwise receive sufficient funding (Smith, 2007). Unforeseen Consequences: Effects of Medicaid on NPO Funding Nonprofits exist as a federal safety net to supplement lacking government and community services. Two main problems that arise when deep dependency is placed on publicly funded nonprofit social services. State governments have been recently pressured to reduce spending on programs to make more room in the budget. Additionally, nonprofits must cope with the pressures associated with being the second order social welfare program of the government. Because all federal and state dollars are allocated at a local level for social service programs, the activity reflects the preferences and capability of the community (Allard Smith, 2014). Medicaid allocates funding to a significant portion of social service organizations in the nonprofit sector, even though such organizations may not primarily be health care providers. Over 50% of the nonprofits focused on mental health and substance abuse reported Medicaid funding in their surveys. Medicaid revenues were also provided to over 40% of those providers of mental health or substance abuse services who also engaged in assistances ranging from employment services to emergency response. It is important to note, however, that only 3.2% of these organizations providing employment or emergency services did not provide the additional substance abuse or mental health services (Allard Smith, 2014). This data indicates that while Medicaid provides funding to a wide range of nonprofits, it does place a significant emphasis on those dealing with health services in its diverse range. An Assessment of the Arguments As discussed earlier, nonprofits receive funding from Medicaid based on the services provided. To receive funding, an organization must show proof of a service provided to an individual. In this way, the funding is based on individual clients seeking services from nonprofit organizations. The mission of the organization, therefore, influences how much funding it will ultimately receive from Medicaid. In this way, Medicaid funding is said to follow clients rather than being given to a specific nonprofit organization. Nonprofits must factor in this design when creating their mission statement. They can more effectively secure their funding by having a service mission targeted towards populations that receive Medicaid coverage. Additionally, larger organizations are more likely to receive Medicaid funding because they have more resources and staff to provide these services. Conversely, smaller organizations often find themselves less likely to receive Medicaid funding regardless of their mission statement if they do not have the scale to provide as many services as their larger counterparts (Allard Smith, 2014). Conclusion Nonprofits largely reliant on Medicaid for their funding may often find themselves at the mercy of elements out of their hand. They depend on the flow of Medicaid-eligible clients using their services and resources. Thus, nonprofits are dependent on the eligibility of the clients they serve. State policies dictate Medicaid eligibility, so nonprofits are vulnerable to changes in state economics and legislation. Since it is a modest source of revenue for many nonprofits, greater instability and unpredictability may make Medicaid a less desirable source of revenue (Allard Smith, 2014). While Medicaid might not be able to be concretely predicted, it is still better than not being able to accept Medicaid at all. While it may seem precarious, organizations must adapt to changing sources of revenue regardless of if it is government-funded or not. References Allard, S. W., Smith, S. R. (2014). Unforeseen consequences: Medicaid and the funding of nonprofit service organizations. Journal of Health Politics, Policy Law, 39(6), 1135-1172. Smith, Steven Rathgeb. 2007. Medicaid funding of social services: implications for social and health policy. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, Chicago, August 31. Smith, Vernon K., Kathleen Gifford, Eileen Ellis, Robin Rudowitz, and Laura Snyder. 2012. Medicaid today: preparing for tomorrow; a look at state Medicaid program spending, enrollment and policy trends. Washington, DC: Kaiser Family Foundation, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. US General Accounting Office (GAO). 1984. States Use Several Strategies to Cope with Funding Reductions under Social Services Block Grant (SSBG).GAO/HRD-84-68. Washington, DC: GAO.

The rate at which Alka-Seltzer tablets reacts with water Essay examples

The rate at which Alka-Seltzer tablets reacts with water Statement of problem The aim of the experiment is to find out the rate at which Alka-Seltzer tablets react with water. The input variable that I will change is temperature. The output variable will be measured by the time it takes for the Alka-Seltzer tablets to dissolve. Input variables In this experiment there are two main factors that can affect the rate of the reaction. These key factors can change the rate of the reaction by either increasing it or decreasing it. These were considered and controlled so that they did not disrupt the success of the experiment. Temperature- As the temperature increases, the movements of molecules also increase. This is the kinetic theory. When the temperature is increased the particles gain more energy and therefore move around faster. This gives the particles more of a chance with other particles and with more force. The increase in temperature will therefore increase the rate of reaction. As this is the variable I am measuring I will not keep the temperature constant and therefore I will be varying it. Volume of water- if the volume of the water is increased there is more likelihood that there will be more collisions. This is because there are more water molecules in a given volume to react with the Alka-Seltzer tablets. However if there are sufficient water molecules to occupy the Alka-Seltzer tablets an increase in the water molecules will not alter the rate of the reaction. This is because the Alka-Seltzer tablets are already working as fast as they can to react with the water. The concentration can be increased by increasing the volume of the water used in the reaction to dissolve the Alka-Seltzer tablets in. To control the... ... different from what it should be. To solve this problem a thermostatic water bath could be used as stated above. * If the stop watch was stopped to early or late, again the overall reading would not be as accurate as it could have been. * It was almost impossible to tell when the Alka-Seltzer tablet had dissolved, each time the experiment was done. This was a huge problem for the experiment as this could have totally caused problems to the experiment. A special type of detector apparatus, which bleeped when the correct amount of Alka-Seltzer tablet dissolved, could improve this, each time the experiment was done. This would give us an extra measure of accuracy each time. Another way to improve the experiment and to produce consistent readings was to used distilled water. This is because the distilled water contains no impurities and therefore no hardness in water.