Studies examining behavioural responses to emotional stimuli usually report one of two patterns of responses to negative stimuli. Some studies find faster responses to negative material. Other studies find slower responses to negative stimuli. While the attentional mechanisms proposed to explain these findings (attentional capture in the former case, delayed disengagement in the latter) are not at odds with one another, the behavioural findings do need to be reconciled. We posit that arousal, being the primary differentiator of threatening and nonthreatening stimuli, needs to be more carefully considered. To this end, two experiments were conducted evaluating the role of stimulus arousal and valence in the processing of schematic emotional faces. In Experiment 1, stimulus arousal was manipulated via the presence or absence of eyebrows in the schematic faces in a faces flanker task. Results showed faster responses to faces with eyebrows but no differences in the faces flanker asymmetry between faces with and without eyebrows. In Experiment 2, participants rated the faces on an evaluative space grid. Results showed the presence of the eyebrows had a greater impact on negative ratings for negative faces than for the other expressions. This suggests that stimulus valence and arousal were manipulated by the eyebrows and the reaction time differences could not be attributed purely to perceptual differences. Together these results suggests that both valence and arousal impact the processing of emotional schematic faces, and that these effects are dissociable. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Continuing ongoing commitment to Open Science, we invited Oshiro et al. (2024) to submit a peer-reviewed tutorial of the typical format and to offer key pieces of advice when preparing Registered Reports. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Faces and body parts play a crucial role in human social communication. Numerous studies emphasize their significance as sociobiological stimuli in daily interactions. Two experiments were conducted to examine the following: (a) whether faces or body parts are processed more quickly than other visual objects when relevant to the task and serving as targets, and (b) the effects of presenting faces or body parts as distractors on task reaction times and error rates. The first experiment focused on either faces or body parts, with five different visual objects. The second experiment examined effector body parts (e.g., hands) and core body parts (e.g., the torso), paired with the same visual objects. Thirty-six participants took part in the study, equally divided between Experiment 1 ( = 18) and Experiment 2 ( = 18). Participants were instructed to find if a target item, indicated by a green placeholder, matched a previously presented word cue, while they were instructed to keep ignoring the singleton object that was surrounded by the red placeholder. The results indicated that participants responded more quickly when finding faces but not body parts in Experiment 1. No such advantage was seen in Experiment 2 for either effector or core body parts compared to other objects. Interestingly, when faces were presented as distractors as a singleton, reaction times increased (Experiment 1), indicating that faces capture attention. This effect was not observed for effector or core body parts (Experiment 2). These findings suggest that faces capture attention more effectively than body parts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A Registered Report is a type of research journal article in which the introduction, methods, and analysis plan are proposed and peer-reviewed prior to the execution of the study. The goal is to limit publication bias based on study findings by conducting peer review on the merits of the study before the results are known. First introduced in 2012 (Chambers, 2013; Chambers & Tzavella, 2022), this format of journal article publication has become more commonplace. Here we provide an overview of the format as well as eight core lessons we learned while preparing Registered Reports. We integrate guidelines from the literature with our experience to provide insight into the process of preparing and publishing a Registered Report for those who have not yet tried it. Though Registered Reports require researchers to invest more effort at the earlier stages of idea generation, design, and analysis planning, they will benefit from the feedback of reviewers when it is most beneficial and leave behind the fear of rejection due to unanticipated study limitations or null results. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The present study was an investigation of the relation between cognitive coupling, a correlation between text difficulty and reading time, and other measures of mind wandering during reading. To measure cognitive coupling, we manipulated the text difficulty of individual sentences. Because mind wandering may shift attention away from the text, we predicted a cognitive coupling interaction, that is, that the effect of difficulty on processing time should be less when readers are off task. We also manipulated the consistency of a target sentence's content with a prior information. Analogous to the text-based cognitive coupling, we predicted an interaction of consistency with task focus: The impact of this consistency should be less noticeable when readers are off task. The results demonstrated the predicted text-based cognitive-coupling effect: There was less of an effect of text difficulty when readers reported being off task. However, there was no such interaction between consistency and task focus. We conclude that the consistency effect may depend on the relatively automatic activation of prior information rather than requiring consciously retrieving related information from memory. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

One of the most robust relations in cognition is that between spatial and mathematical reasoning. One important question is whether this relation is domain general or if specific relations exist between performance on different types of spatial tasks and performance on different types of mathematical tasks. In this study, we explore unique relations between performance on five spatial tasks and five mathematical tasks. An exploratory factor analysis conducted on Data Set 1 ( = 391) yielded a two-factor model, one spatial factor and one mathematical factor with significant cross-domain factor loadings. The general two-factor model structure was replicated in a confirmatory factor analysis conducted in a separate data set ( = 364) but the strength of the factor loadings differed by task. Multidimensional scaling and network-based analyses conducted on the combined data sets reveal one spatial cluster, with a central node and one more tightly interconnected mathematical cluster. Both clusters were interconnected via the math task assessing . The unique links identified with the network-based analysis are representative of a "small-world network." These results have theoretical implications for our understanding of the spatial-mathematical relation and practical implications for our understanding of the limitations of transfer between spatial training paradigms and mathematical tasks. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Goal-directed behaviour is typically conceptualized as striking a balance between two antagonistic cognitive control states such as proactive and reactive control, as demonstrated by conflict phenomena such as the list-wide proportion congruency and congruency sequence effects. However, control-based explanations for these phenomena have come under criticism due to low-level associative regularities that are frequently confounded with conflict manipulations within these experimental designs. In the present study, a novel Stroop paradigm referred to as the "trial-unique Stroop task" was developed to examine whether these effects could be observed in the absence of low-level associative regularities. On each trial, participants typed a word they heard spoken aloud while ignoring a word visually displayed on the screen. Importantly, each word only appeared in a single trial throughout the experiment, and because stimuli and responses were never repeated, there were no low-level associative regularities across trials. Using this paradigm, we observed both congruency sequence (Experiment 1) and list-wide proportion congruency (Experiment 2) effects, providing the strongest evidence to date for control-based explanations of these phenomena. Split-half analyses revealed much higher reliability than traditional colour-word Stroop tasks for the congruency effect ( = .98), the congruency sequence effect ( = .42), and the list-wide proportion congruency effect ( = .85). Moreover, the methodological advantages of the trial-unique Stroop task allow for the independent manipulation of task features related to control, learning, and memory processes. The promising results of this study support the application of the trial-unique Stroop task in this context and open new avenues for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Arithmetic requires the use of multiple cognitive processes, such as short-term memory (STM). However, findings on the association between STM and simple multiplication solving are mixed, potentially due to large interindividual differences in multiplication proficiency within and between samples. The present study aims to explore further the relationship between visual and verbal STM and simple multiplication solving with a large Malaysian sample ( = 230). Adults (age = 17-42) completed an online production-based multiplication-solving task, STM measures (verbal and visuospatial STM tasks), and a demographic survey. A mixed-model analysis found that verbal STM and visual STM predict multiplication performance, with lower span participants having longer reaction times during multiplication solving. Interestingly, we also observed the relationship between verbal STM and multiplication was moderated by interference, the impact of verbal STM was stronger in high-interference problems, while the visual STM-multiplication relation was moderated by problem size, high visual span participants took more advantage of their visual STM when presented with large size problems. Thus, our findings show that both verbal and visual STM in interaction with problem properties predict simple multiplication solving in adults. Hypotheses on the concrete mechanisms involved in these relationships are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

This article provides an analysis of structural changes in second-language (L2)-based semantic memory networks-graphs composed of L2 words as nodes and semantic relations between them as edges, during L2 learning. We used snowball sampling paradigm to create individual semantic networks of participants divided into two groups differing in L2 learning time and then compare their structural characteristics cross-sectionally. The results showed that as L2 learning progresses, semantic memory networks tend to become more connected (by increasing the average node degree), more efficient (by decreasing the average shortest path length), less fragmented (by decreasing the modularity), less centralized (by decreasing the centralization), less dense (by decreasing the density), and no more "small-worlded" (by similar average clustering coefficients and small-world indices). The findings provide quantitative evidence of how the duration of L2 learning shapes the structure of L2-based semantic memory networks generated in the snowball sampling paradigm. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Verbs and nouns vary in many ways-including in how they are used in language and in the timing of their early learning. We compare the distribution of semantic features that comprise early acquired verb and noun meanings and measure their effect on learning. First, couched in prior literature, we use semantic feature data to establish that features pattern on a hierarchy of complexity, with perceptual features being less complex than other features like encyclopaedic features. Second, given overall semantic and syntactic differences between nouns and verbs, we hypothesize that the preference for directly perceptible features observed for nouns will be attenuated for verbs. Building on prior work using semantic features and semantic networks in nouns, we find that compared to early learned nouns ( = 359), early learned verbs ( = 103) have meanings disproportionately built from complex information inaccessible to the senses. Third, we find that 16- to 30-month-old children's early noun and verb vocabularies ( = 3,804) show semantic relationships that differ in their use of this complex information from the beginning of vocabulary development. Last, we find that the complexity of nouns' and verbs' meanings affects their typical order of learning in early vocabulary development. Complexity differs in early noun and verb meanings, affects the semantic structure of children's vocabularies, and shapes the course of word learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Phonological word form networks of the mental lexicon are of psycholinguistic relevance, offering insights into the efficiency of lexical access. While much research has concentrated on first languages, there is growing evidence suggesting that phonological networks of second languages are equally significant for lexical processes. Bilingual language processing is proposed to involve the integration of first and second languages, with lexical activation spreading between similar word forms in both languages. Multiplex networks provide a framework to combine different phonological networks, allowing for the analysis of the integrated lexical system's behaviour during lexical processing. In the context of the present study, which focusses on German learners of English as a second language, a multiplex network analysis was constructed to model the interactive complexity of the bilingual mental lexicon. The study tested cross-linguistic effects in a word recognition task using English stimuli. Results revealed that during lexical processing in their second language English, German speakers also activate phonological neighbours from German. In addition, the bilinguals are attuned to the interconnectedness (i.e., clustering) of the German and English neighbours with one another in the phonological neighbourhood of the English target words. These findings can contribute to the ongoing debate on the degree of integration in the bilingual mental lexicon and shed light on the role that phonological networks can play in modelling bilingual lexical processing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Thousands of phonological word forms known to a speaker can be organised as a lexical network using the tools of network science. In these networks, nodes represent words and edges are placed between phonological neighbours. Previous work has shown that phonological networks of various languages have similar macrolevel network properties. The present study aimed to investigate if phonological networks of different languages also have similar mesolevel properties, specifically, the presence of robust community structure. Prior community detection analyses revealed robust community structure for English. Community detection analyses conducted on French, German, Dutch, and Spanish networks indicate that all networks showed strong evidence of community structure-mesolevel clustering of word forms whereby larger communities tended to contain shorter, frequent words with many phonological neighbours. Words of the same community tended to share similar phonotactic structures. Results suggest that the organisation of phonological word forms in language are governed by similar principles that could have important implications for lexical processing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

In young children in particular, processing numerical magnitudes is influenced by spatial characteristics of those magnitudes (e.g., extent). Gradually, children will learn to dissociate numerosity from spatial information and understand that objects represent discrete numerical quantities. In the present study, we investigated whether 5-year-old children extract numerosity disregarding spatial stimulus characteristics and in what way numerosity extraction is associated with verbal number skills (counting and initial addition). Five-year-old children were presented with a newly developed task to measure numerosity extraction on two timepoints, several months apart. Each item contained three rows of differently sized rectangles. Children had to identify which two rows contained the same number of rectangles. On congruent items, these two rows were similar in length. On incongruent items, the two rows equal in numerosity varied in length. Analyses indicated that some 5-year-old children showed numerosity extraction, but others had difficulties to disentangle numerosity from spatial characteristics. Numerosity extraction was predicted over time by initial addition but not counting skills, although there was a concurrent association between counting skills and numerosity extraction at timepoint 2. Numerosity extraction did not predict either initial addition or counting over time. These results suggest that the ability to disentangle numerosity from spatial characteristics is still developing around 5 years of age and that verbal number skills foster this development. Verbal number skills probably further refine nonsymbolic magnitude processing (in this study, numerosity extraction), while nonsymbolic magnitude processing does not underlie verbal number skills. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

In this article, I describe my academic journey as a Canadian researcher in the field of mathematical cognition. The article is a version of the talk I gave when I was presented with the Donald O. Hebb Award from the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science in July 2023 at the University of Guelph. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Experiential theories of cognition propose that the external environment shapes cognitive processing, shifting emphasis from internal mechanisms to the learning of environmental structure. Computational modelling, particularly distributional models of lexical semantics (e.g., Landauer & Dumais, 1997) and models of lexical organization (e.g., Johns, 2021a), exemplifies this, highlights the influence of language experience on cognitive representations. While these models have been successful, comparatively less attention has been paid to the training materials used to train these models. Recent research has explored the role of social/communicatively oriented training materials on models of lexical semantics and organization (Johns, 2021a, 2021b, 2023, 2024), introducing discourse- and user-centred text training materials. However, determining the optimal training materials for these two model types remains an open question. This article addresses this problem by using experiential optimization (Johns, Jones, & Mewhort, 2019), which selects the materials that maximize model performance. This study will use experiential optimization to compare user-based and discourse-based corpora in optimizing models of lexical organization and semantics, offering insight into pathways towards integrating cognitive models in these areas. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The conflict monitoring theory posits that the simultaneous activation of incompatible responses in the current trial leads to response conflict. Conflict occurrence signals to enhance attention to the target stimulus, reduce attention to distracting stimuli, and ultimately lead to conflict adaptation (i.e., reduced interference effect after conflict trials compared to nonconflict trials). However, this theory does not explicitly assume whether the involvement of response execution is necessary in the process of conflict occurrence. Research on the negative emotion theory suggests that even in the absence of response execution, incompatible response representations can induce conflict. Our present study aimed to provide direct behavioural evidence regarding whether conflict activated without response execution is sufficient to trigger conflict adaptation. In a word-colour Stroop task, this study employed the LOOK-to-DO transition design, in which participants refrained from responding in half of the trials (LOOK trials) and responded with key presses in the other half (DO trials). Across three experiments, we controlled for feature integration and contingency learning and manipulated the stimulus presentation duration in the previous trial. The results indicated a significant conflict adaptation effect in reaction time when the stimulus presentation duration was shorter in the previous trial. This finding suggested that in a confounding-minimal design with no response execution in the previous trial, conflict triggers control adjustments and leads to conflict adaptation. This finding aligns with and further elaborates on the original conflict monitoring theory by demonstrating that response execution is not a necessary condition for the generation of response conflict. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

We examined the human ability to encode and utilize local and global uncertainty information during a navigational task. Participants were tasked with navigating a virtual maze in which wall locations were obscured. Local cues and a global direction provided guidance. The validities of the global and local cues were separately and jointly varied across the two experiments. The results demonstrated that participants effectively utilized both global and local cues for navigation with a stronger reliance on local cues and a heightened precision in estimating their reliability. Our findings suggest that the representation of uncertainty for proximate events can be dissociated from that of distal events. Furthermore, humans effectively integrate both forms of information when making decisions during navigation tasks. This research advances our understanding of uncertainty processing and its implications for decision making in complex environments. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The human brain is fundamentally a social brain, with its perceptual and cognitive systems evolved to support a diverse set of processes aimed at enabling our complex social function. And while in the last decades the field has advanced considerably in understanding the mechanisms by which the perceptual and cognitive faculties support human social behaviour, there remains a lack of knowledge about social information is communicated between individuals. In my work, I have studied nonverbal visual social signalling via faces and eyes. In this article, I summarize the results from three lines of my research which show that (a) limiting face visibility decreases its social value, (b) eyes transmit key social messages, and (c) group size modulates social messages. Together, these data show that visual signals from faces and eyes convey complex social messages and represent an important vehicle for the communication of social information. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Humans have a proclivity for storytelling and narration. Although a lot of attention in the field of episodic memory focuses on the mnemonic content of narratives, memory narratives are not just for conveying the past. Instead, narratives provide a vehicle for meaning-making, social connection, and other complex facets of human cognition and thinking. This short reflection piece discusses the importance of narratives in these diverse realms. In addition, it briefly touches on the role of memory narration in the modern digital era. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Ordinal number processing skills are important for adults and children. Recent work demonstrates that children have difficulty with judging the ordinality of sequences that are in-order but do not match the typical count-list (i.e., in-order non-adjacent sequences, such as 2-4-6). Limited evidence in the literature suggests that dyscalculic children show a similar pattern of behavior. In the present study, we sought to explicitly test the hypothesis that children with developmental dyscalculia struggle primarily with extending notions of ordinality to sequences outside of the count-list. We test this hypothesis using a sample of children with persistent developmental dyscalculia, and a comparison group of typically performing children. Both groups completed an ordinality judgment task, in which triplet sequences were judged as being in-order (e.g., 3-4-5; 2-4-6) or in mixed-order (e.g., 3-5-4; 2-6-4). In line with our prediction, results demonstrate that children with persistent developmental dyscalculia make more errors, compared to typically performing children, but only on the in-order non-adjacent trials (e.g., 2-4-6). Broadly, this finding suggests that ordinality processing abilities are impaired in children with developmental dyscalculia, and that this characteristic appears primarily in extending notions of ordinality beyond adjacent sequences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

This study investigated the impact of age on semantic memory networks and retrieval dynamics using a single-list free recall paradigm, involving 318 participants. The younger group, with 175 participants aged 25-55 years ( = 46.68 years; = 10.69), and the older group, consisting of 143 participants aged 61-88 years ( = 68.71 years; = 6.09), completed a word recall test to assess delayed recall performance. Semantic memory networks were constructed from recall data by analyzing the co-occurrence and sequence of recalled words. We observed significant differences in network structure, where the older group displayed higher average shortest path length and modularity values, indicative of less integrated networks, while the younger group exhibited a higher clustering coefficient, suggesting a more interconnected network. In terms of retrieval dynamics, both groups showed a temporal contiguity effect with forward asymmetry. However, this effect was less pronounced in older adults. The study also identified participants that diverted from the average dynamic curves: one subgroup relied on nontemporal mechanisms, and the other employed a backward direction in memory search. Participants utilizing forward temporal associations demonstrated the highest recall performance. Overall, our findings suggest that lower free recall performance in older adults may be related to a diminished capacity to reinstate temporal context for retrieval and distinct differences in their semantic memory network structure. Specifically, older adults appear to exhibit networks with a less flexible, small-world-like structure. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Are there cognitive connections between humans' ability to make music and their understanding of math and numbers? This question has motivated centuries of speculation across the fields of philosophy and education and an increasing number of empirical studies of the topic. We review research at the intersection of numerical and music cognition, and establish its relevance both to the applied sphere (e.g., education) and to core theoretical issues in the cognitive sciences. Next, we identify notable limitations within the literature, and attempt to explain some of the likely causes of-and solutions to-these limitations. Finally, we propose specific themes of focus (spatialization and the mapping between symbolic and nonsymbolic representations) for future research aimed at understanding whether there is shared cognitive architecture for reasoning about number and math. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The application of techniques from network science to create single-layer networks of the brain and mind has resulted in significant advances in the neuro- (i.e., structural and functional brain networks) and cognitive sciences (i.e., cognitive network science). Recent advances in network science on multilayer networks increase the possibility that a "network of networks" might finally connect the physical brain to the intangible mind, much like physical fibre optic cables and wires connect to other layers of the internet to allow intangible social networks to form in various social media platforms. Several advances in structural brain networks, functional brain networks, cognitive networks, and multilayer networks are briefly reviewed. The possibility that these single-layer networks can be connected in a multilayer network to connect the brain to the mind is discussed, as well as some of the challenges that face such an ambitious endeavour. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Children's early numerical abilities shape their trajectories for math learning throughout schooling, and task quantity representation (e.g., nonsymbolic vs. symbolic) affects their reasoning about numerical concepts. The role of quantity representation in early numerical ability has typically been studied using variable-centered approaches. The present study builds on past work by using latent profile analysis as a person-centered approach to investigate heterogeneity in U.S. preschoolers' ( = 200, = 4 years, 6 months) numerical abilities across nonsymbolic, verbal symbolic, and written symbolic representation types. The aim was to determine whether numerical ability indicators across the three representation types would result in empirically distinct ability profiles and whether preschool ability profile would predict variance on a standardized assessment of math achievement a year later, in kindergarten. We found evidence of four distinct preschool number ability profiles: (a) consistently low; (b) consistently high; (c) intermediate, with an advantage on nonsymbolic items; and (d) intermediate, with an advantage on verbal symbolic items. Although children in the consistently low and consistently high profiles performed reliably lower and higher, respectively, on the assessment of kindergarten math achievement, the two intermediate profiles performed similarly. The results reveal heterogeneity in preschool numerical ability across quantity representations and suggest that proficiency with either nonsymbolic or verbal representations may be a helpful foundation for building future math achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Numeracy is the ability to understand, manipulate, and make sense of numerical information. It is crucial for everyday decision making that involves dealing with numbers. In this study, we tested whether we can help people make better choices in monetary lotteries by communicating numerical values (i.e., payoffs and probabilities) using visual aids. We also checked whether presenting this information in a visual form reduces affect negativity. Participants ( = 210) made choices in 10 monetary lotteries accompanied with visual aids (experimental condition) or without visual aids (control condition). After the lottery task, participants completed questionnaires measuring experienced emotions and numerical skills. Despite finding no hypothesized effect of visual aids on performance in a lottery task, the exploratory analysis revealed the interaction effect. In a visual aid condition, participants who were relatively less educated scored significantly higher in a lottery task in comparison to those in the control condition. Additionally, participants in the visual aid condition reported significantly lower intensity of negative emotions after the lottery task than those in the control condition. We discuss possible causes and mechanisms that can explain the results we obtained. We argue that visual aids are a promising tool for future learning, and their friendly format can positively influence people's reactions to decisions involving numerical information. However, we also point out the necessity for further research and exploration of the role of different designs of visual aids and individual differences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

There is an ongoing debate among visual attention researchers about whether top-down processes contribute to pop-out search. In the present study, we describe a new method to orthogonally manipulate top-down preparation and feature priming in a pop-out search task. On each trial, participants viewed a single-item (randomly blue or orange) followed by a pop-out search display (randomly blue target with orange distractors, or vice versa). Preparation was induced by instructing participants to respond to the single-item if it was a particular colour and to ignore it otherwise-but to respond to the odd-coloured target in all following pop-out search displays. This method allowed us to examine whether top-down preparation for the single-item influenced subsequent pop-out search. Our results revealed a large effect of preparation for the single-item on subsequent search response times. We discuss this result in relation to the interplay between top-down control and selection history effects in pop-out visual search. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

In daily interactions, individuals use irony and prosocial lies for various reasons, for example, to be humorous, to criticize, or to be polite. While some studies have examined individual differences in perceiving the politeness of such language, research using naturalistic, context-rich materials is lacking. To address this gap, we utilized short videos to assess politeness perception in literal, ironic, and prosocial lie scenarios while also exploring differences based on age, gender, and geographical location. Our sample included 288 participants from the United States and the United Kingdom. We focused on five different types of language: literal positive, blunt, sarcastic, teasing, and prosocial lies. Participants rated the politeness of these statements and completed surveys on communication preferences (Self-Reported Sarcasm Questionnaire and Conversational Indirectness Scale Questionnaire). While the demographic groups showed similarities, individual factors also shaped politeness perception. Older adults perceived teasing as less polite than middle-aged and younger adults, and male participants rated blunt and sarcastic statements as more polite. Geographical variations were found for prosocial lies, with U.K. participants rating them more polite than their U.S. counterparts. These findings underscore the importance of considering context-rich materials and individual factors in understanding the social functions of irony and prosocial lies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Localisation of simple stimuli such as angle vertices may contribute to a plethora of illusory effects. We focus on the Müller-Lyer illusion in an attempt to measure and characterise a more elementary effect that may contribute to the magnitude of said illusion. Perceived location error of angle vertices (a single set of Müller-Lyer fins) and arcs in a 2D plane was measured with the aim to provide clarification of ambiguous results from studies of angle localisation and expand the results to other types of stimuli. In three experiments, we utilised the method of constant stimuli in order to determine perceived locations of angle vertices (Experiments 1 and 2) as well as circular and elliptical arcs (Experiment 3). The results show significant distortions of perceived compared to objective vertex locations (all effect sizes > 1.01, < .001). Experiment 2 revealed strong effects of angle size and fin length on localisation error. Mislocalization was larger for more acute angles and longer angle fins (both η² = .43, < .001). In Experiment 3, localisation errors were larger for longer arcs (η² = .19, = .001) irrespective of shape (circular or elliptical). We discuss the effect in the context of modern trends in research of the Müller-Lyer illusion as well as the widely popular centroid theory. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

One of the most fundamental distinctions in cognitive psychology is between processing that is "controlled" and processing that is "automatic." The widely held automatic processing account of visual word identification asserts that, among other characteristics, the presentation of a well-formed letter string triggers sublexical, lexical, and semantic activation in the absence of any intention to do so. Instead, the role of intention is seen as independent of stimulus identification and as restricted to selection for action using the products of identification (e.g., braking in response to a sign saying "BRIDGE OUT"). We consider four paradigms with respect to the role of an intention-defined here as a "task set" indicating how to perform in the current situation-when identifying single well-formed letter strings. Contrary to the received automaticity view, the literature regarding each of these paradigms demonstrates that the relation between an intention and stimulus identification is constrained in multiple ways, many of which are not well understood at present. One thing is clear: There is no simple relation between an intention, in the form of a task set, and stimulus identification. Automatic processing of words, if this indeed ever occurs, certainly is not a system default. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Ambiguity is ubiquitous in language; lexical ambiguity refers to instances where a single word has multiple meanings. The current investigation examined homonyms, words that have the same orthography and pronunciation in English but multiple meanings (e.g., BANK, meaning "financial institution" or "river's edge"). The processing of homonyms requires the engagement of executive control processes, for example, to select the appropriate meaning of the homonym while reducing interference from other meanings. Executive function processes are known to change over the lifespan and may be impacted by experiential factors such as bilingualism. The present study uses event-related brain potentials as an index of lexical access to examine whether bilingualism influences homonym processing in older adults. The results indicate that patterns of lexical access differ as a function of bilingual status in older adults and compared to young adults, suggesting that language experience may moderate language processing in both young and older adults, at least in situations where language processing is demanding on executive function, such as in the processing of homonyms. Importantly, we show that older bilinguals show a somewhat similar pattern of ambiguity processing as their younger counterparts, while age differences were observed in monolinguals when comparing across studies. This suggests that bilingual language experience may have a mitigating impact on age-related changes in ambiguity processing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).