Supplemental Materials

This page provides miscellaneous materials regarding research currently conducted in the laboratory.

Variability Discrimination

Spatial frequency analyses of same/different displays
An examination of the spatial frequency profiles of the types of displays we have used in training pigeons, baboons, and people. This analysis is intended to alleviate concerns regarding the possible use of perceptual cues in solving our variability discrimination task.

Abstract thought in baboons?
This web site details work that Dr. Young has done in collaboration with Drs. Fagot and Wasserman on variability discrimination in baboons. The site was prepared in conjunction with a national press release by APA. Our work was featured by APA and various national papers and magazines.

Example stimuli from Young and Racey (2009, Empirical Studies of the Arts), color versions:

• Figure 1
• Figure 2

Launching Effect

The following are examples of basic causal interactions that we are studying in the lab. We are exploring a number of variations on this theme.

Two examples from the original study (Young, Rogers, & Beckmann, 2005):

Direct Launching
"Launching" with delay and spatial gap

Training movies used with pigeon study (Young, Beckmann, & Wasserman, 2006):

Direct launching
Gap
Delay
Gap & Delay

Color change as a method of bridging temporal gaps (Young & Falmier, AJP, 2008):

Continuous 0 ms (top) & Discrete 400 ms (bottom) - from Experiment 2
Discrete 0 ms (top) & Rapid 0 ms (bottom) - from Experiment 1.

The effect of animacy on causal judgments (Falmier & Young, 2008):

• Inanimate
• Simplified animate
• Full animacy

The effect of gap fillers on judgment (Young & Falmier, QJEP, 2008):

Exp 1 of Spatial Gap study - gap fillers

• Partial filler - Left
• Partial filler - Right

Exp 2 of Spatial Gap study - line markers

• Line on Left
• Line on Right
• Line in Middle
• Lines on Left and Right

The periphrastic effect: An fMRI study of the linguistic-driven attentional control of causal judgment (Limongi et al., under review)

• Causal Direct
• Indirect Causal
• Non-Causal

Causal Decision Making (research underway, funded by AFOSR and NSF)

Video game clip (18 MB file)
This is a clip showing a participant approaching a trio of potential targets, observing their behavior, and firing at the chosen target. The target's weapon has a delay thus making the decision particulary difficult. The latter part of the video shows a bird's-eye-view of the game region for one of the levels.