Stop and revive? The effectiveness of nap and active rest breaks for reducing drivers sleepiness

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two commonly utilised sleepiness countermeasures: a nap break and an active rest break. The effects of the countermeasures were evaluated by physiological (EEG), subjective, and driving performance measures. Participants completed two hours of simulated driving, followed by a 15 minute nap break or a 15 minute active rest break then completed the final hour of simulated driving. The nap break reduced EEG and subjective sleepiness. The active rest break did not reduce EEG sleepiness, with sleepiness levels eventually increasing, and resulted in an immediate reduction of subjective sleepiness. No difference was found between the two breaks for the driving performance measure. The immediate reduction of subjective sleepiness after the active rest break could leave drivers with erroneous perceptions of their sleepiness, particularly with increases of physiological sleepiness after the break.

Differential effects of aging on spatial learning through exploratory navigation and map reading

It has been shown that abilities in spatial learning and memory are adversely affected by aging. The present study was conducted to investigate whether increasing age has equal consequences for all types of spatial learning or impacts certain types of spatial learning selectively. Specifically, two major types of spatial learning, exploratory navigation and map reading, were contrasted. By combining a neuroimaging finding that the medial temporal lobe (MTL) is especially important for exploratory navigation and a neurological finding that the MTL is susceptible to age-related atrophy, it was hypothesized that spatial learning through exploratory navigation would exhibit a greater decline in later life than spatial learning through map reading. In an experiment, young and senior participants learned locations of landmarks in virtual environments either by navigating in them in the first-person perspective or by seeing aerial views of the environments. Results showed that senior participants acquired less accurate memories of the layouts of landmarks than young participants when they navigated in the environments, but the two groups did not differ in spatial learning performance when they viewed the environments from the aerial perspective. These results suggest that spatial learning through exploratory navigation is particularly vulnerable to adverse effects of aging, whereas elderly adults may be able to maintain their map reading skills relatively well.

Path information effects in visual and proprioceptive spatial learning

Objects in an environment are often encountered sequentially during spatial learning, forming a path along which object locations are experienced. The present study investigated the effect of spatial information conveyed through the path in visual and proprioceptive learning of a room-sized spatial layout, exploring whether different modalities differentially depend on the integrity of the path. Learning object locations along a coherent path was compared with learning them in a spatially random manner. Path integrity had little effect on visual learning, whereas learning with the coherent path produced better memory performance than random order learning for proprioceptive learning. These results suggest that path information has differential effects in visual and proprioceptive spatial learning, perhaps due to a difference in the way one establishes a reference frame for representing relative locations of objects.

Visual and proprioceptive representations in spatial memory

It has been shown that spatial information can be acquired from both visual and nonvisual modalities. The present study explored how spatial information from vision and proprioception was represented in memory, investigating orientation dependence of spatial memories acquired through visual and proprioceptive spatial learning. Experiment 1 examined whether visual learning alone and proprioceptive learning alone yielded orientation-dependent spatial memory. Results showed that spatial memories from both types of learning were orientation dependent. Experiment 2 explored how different orientations of the same environment were represented when they were learned visually and proprioceptively. Results showed that both visually and proprioceptively learned orientations were represented in spatial memory, suggesting that participants established two different reference systems based on each type of learning experience and interpreted the environment in terms of these two reference systems. The results provide some initial clues to how different modalities make unique contributions to spatial representations.

Detection of object onset and offset in naturalistic scenes

The present study was conducted to investigate whether ob- servers are equally prone to overlook any kinds of visual events in change blindness. Capitalizing on the finding from visual search studies that abrupt appearance of an object effectively captures observers' attention, the onset of a new object and the offset of an existing object were contrasted regarding their detectability when they occurred in a naturalistic scene. In an experiment, participants viewed a series of photograph pairs in which layouts of seven or eight objects were depicted. One object either appeared in or disappeared from the layout, and participants tried to detect this change. Results showed that onsets were detected more quickly than offsets, while they were detected with equivalent ac- curacy. This suggests that the primacy of onset over offset is a robust phenomenon that likely makes onsets more resistant to change blindness under natural viewing conditions.

Exploring Bodies in Time and Space

While the body, time and space are fundamental to human experience, comparatively little attention has been given to the connections between them. Here scholars from a wide range of disciplines explore important themes of embodied life in time and space across cultures, activities and bodymind states. Motivated by a common desire to deepen and extend our comprehension of these phenomena and the connections and conversations between them, this book emerged from intense inter-disciplinary dialogue during the 1st Global Conferences on Time, Space and the Body and Body Horror. A plenitude of theoretical approaches and media are deployed to investigate assumptions and pose problems, to creatively deconstruct and reconstruct the terms through which experience is rendered meaningful, pleasurable, and functional. These investigations, pursued through various research methods in fields of the arts, social and psychological sciences and humanities, invite readers into a genuinely pluralistic conversation around the most basic and profound aspects of being.

Introduction : Understanding Connections between Time, Space and the Body

The experiences and constructs of time, space and bodies saturate human discourse—naturally enough, since they are fundamental to existence—yet there has long been a tendency for the terms to be approached somewhat independently, belying the depth of their interconnections. It was a desire to address that apparent shortcoming that inspired this book, and the interdisciplinary meetings from which it was born, the 1st Global Conferences on ‘Time, Space and the Body’ and ‘Body Horror’ held in Sydney in February 2013. Following the lively, often provocative, exchange of ideas throughout those meetings, the writing here crosses conventional boundaries inhabiting everyday life and liminal experiences, across cultures, life circumstances, and bodily states. Through numerous theoretical frameworks and with reference to a variety of media, the authors problematize or deconstruct commonplace assumptions to reveal challenging new perspectives on the diverse cultures and communities which make our world. If there is an overarching theme of this collection it is diversity itself. The writers here come from numerous academic fields, but a good number of them also draw on first-hand cultural production in the arts: photography, sculpture and fine art instillation, for example. Of course, however laudable it might be, there is a potential problem in such diversity: does it produce fruitful dialogue moving toward creative, workable syntheses or simply a cacophony of competing, incomprehensible, barely comprehending voices? To a large degree this depends upon the intellectual, existential ambitions as well as the old-fashioned goodnatured tolerance of both writers and readers. But we hope three unifying characteristics are discernable in the following chapters viewed as a whole: firstly, a genuine concern for the world humans inhabit and the communities they form as bodies in space and time; secondly, an emphasis upon the experience of the human subject, exemplified perhaps by the number of chapters drawing on phenomenology; thirdly, an adventurous, explorative impulse associated with an underlying sense that being, since it is inseparable from the body’s temporality, is always becoming, and here the presence of poststructuralist influences is unmistakable, often explicit. Our challenge as editors has been to present the enormous variety of subjects and views in a way that would render the book coherent and at the same time encourage readers to make explorations themselves into realms they might usually consider beyond their field of interest. To that end we have divided the book into six sections around loosely defined themes, each offering different angles on how time and/or space unfold in and around bodies.

Stop and revive? The effectiveness of nap and active rest breaks for reducing driver sleepiness

Objectives The purpose for this study was to determine the relative benefit of nap and active rest breaks for reducing driver sleepiness. Methods Participants were 20 healthy young adults (20-25 years), including 8 males and 12 females. A counterbalanced within-subjects design was used such that each participant completed both conditions on separate occasions, a week apart. The effects of the countermeasures were evaluated by established physiological (EEG theta and alpha absolute power), subjective (Karolinska Sleepiness Scale), and driving performance measures (Hazard Perception Task). Participants woke at 5am, and undertook a simulated driving task for two hours; each participant then had either a 15-minute nap opportunity or a 15-minute active rest break that included 10 minutes of brisk walking, followed by another hour of simulated driving. Results The nap break reduced EEG theta and alpha absolute power and eventually reduced subjective sleepiness levels. In contrast, the active rest break did not reduce EEG theta and alpha absolute power levels with the power levels eventually increasing. An immediate reduction of subjective sleepiness was observed, with subjective sleepiness increasing during the final hour of simulated driving. No difference was found between the two breaks for hazard perception performance. Conclusions Only the nap break produced a significant reduction in physiological sleepiness. The immediate reductions of subjective sleepiness following the active rest break could leave drivers with erroneous perceptions of their sleepiness, particularly as physiological sleepiness continued to increase after the break.

On-road driver sleepiness : what are Australian drivers experiences and awareness of sleepiness while driving?

Objectives: Driver sleepiness contributes substantially to road crash incidents. Simulator and on-road studies clearly reveal an impairing effect from sleepiness for driving ability. However, drivers might not appreciate the dangerousness of driving while sleepy and this could translate to their on-road driving behaviours. This study sought to determine drivers’ on-road experiences of sleepiness, their sleep habits, and personal awareness of the signs of sleepiness. Methods: Participants were a random selection of 92 drivers travelling on a major highway in the state of Queensland, Australia, who were stopped by Police as part of routine drink driving operations. Participants completed a brief questionnaire that included: demographic details, awareness and on-road experiences of sleepy driving, and sleep habits. A modified version of the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) was used to assess subjective sleepiness during the last 15 minutes of driving. Results: Participants rating of subjective sleepiness was quite low with 90% reporting at or below 3 on the KSS. Participants were reasonably aware of the signs of sleepiness; with a number of these correlated with on-road experiences. The participants sleep debt correlated with their alertness (r = -.30) and the hours spent driving (r = .38). Conclusions: These results suggest that drivers had moderate or substantial experience of driving when sleepy and many were aware of the signs of sleepiness. As many of the participants reported driving long distances after suboptimal sleep durations, it is possible that their risk perception of the dangerousness of sleepy driving maybe erroneous.

Performance psychology applied to dance

The recent interest in the area of performance psychology has included a focus on applied practice within the performing arts. The use of psychology within this field has been occurring for many years, although practice has been observed to originate primarily from within clinical psychology in dealing with ‘problems’ (e.g. eating disorders). During the past 15 years, increased interest and focus has come from the field of sport psychology and its application to fields such as dance. Experience with the application of sport psychology in the dance profession has shown that dancers identify primarily with the concept of performance psychology. The focus of applied performance psychology practice with dancers has been observed to incorporate principles from across sport, clinical and organisational psychology, yet packaged together in such a way that the focus is on performance enhancement – whether that be in terms of dance technique, artistry, creativity, or personal skill development both on and off the stage. This paper focuses upon sharing the practitioner’s experience of the delivery of performance psychology to dancers (both professionals and dancers-in-training), and discussion of the considerations related to this undertaking within this unique population.

Learnings from the implementation of performance psychology as a subject within a university dance program

Similar to the focus on training in the technical, physical and artistic areas of dance, dance professionals, students and educators alike appear to be developing an increased awareness of how important training in psychology is to their success within dance. Over the past 4 years, lectures in performance psychology have been incorporated as part of a compulsory professional skills subject for second and third year students within a University dance program. The following presentation aims to share practitioner experience and learnings regarding the implementation of this subject within this context, its perceived effectiveness, and recommendations for future use.

Psychological health of medical and dental students in Saudi Arabia : a longitudinal study

Introduction: Many studies have indicated the poor psychological health of medical and dental students. However, few studies have assessed the longitudinal trajectory of that psychological health at different times in an academic year. Aim: To evaluate the positive and negative aspects of psychological health among preclinical medical and dental students in Saudi Arabia prospectively. Methods: A total of 317 preclinical medical and dental students were recruited for a longitudinal study design from second and third-year students at Umm Al-Qura University in the 2012-2013 academic year. The students were assessed at the middle of the first term and followed up after 3-monthes at the beginning of the second term. Questionnaires included assessment of depression, anxiety, stress, self-efficacy, and satisfaction with life. Results: Depression, anxiety, stress, and satisfaction with life were improved significantly at the beginning of the second term, whereas self-efficacy did not change significantly. The medical, female, and third-year student subgroups had the most significant changes. Depression and stress were significantly changed at the beginning of the second term in most demographic subgroups. Conclusion: Preclinical medical and dental students have different psychological health levels at different times of the same academic year. It is recommended to consider time of data collection when analyzing the results of such studies.

Wearable neuroimaging and emotion : investigating emotional responses to architectural environments with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)

Supported by contemporary theories of architectural aesthetics and neuro-aesthetics this paper presents a case for the use of portable fNIRS imaging in the assessment of emotional responses to spatial environments experienced by both blind and sighted. The aim of the paper is to outline the implications of fNIRS for spatial research and practice within the field of architecture, thereby suggesting a potential taxonomy of particular formations of space and affect. Empirical neurological study of affect and spatial experience from an architectural design perspective remains in many instances unchartered. Clinical research using the portable non-invasive neuro-imaging device, functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is proving convincing in its ability to detect emotional responses to visual, spatio-auditory and task based stimuli, providing a firm basis to potentially track cortical activity in the appraisal of architectural environments. Additionally, recent neurological studies have sought to explore the manifold sensory abilities of the visually impaired to better understand spatial perception in general. Key studies reveal that early blind participants perform as well as sighted due to higher auditory and somato-sensory spatial acuity. For instance, face vision enables the visually impaired to detect environments through skin pressure, enabling at times an instantaneous impression of the layout of an unfamiliar environment. Studies also report pleasant and unpleasant emotional responses such as ‘weightedness’ or ‘claustrophobia’ within certain interior environments, revealing a deeper perceptual sensitivity then would be expected. We conclude with justification that comparative fNIRS studies between the sighted and blind concerning spatial experience have the potential to provide greater understanding of emotional responses to architectural environments.