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Bachelor of Science Degree (First Class Honours) in Psychology (B.Sc) (BPS Accredited)

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1999-2002: Bangor University

 

Thesis

'Functional Coding of Objects located in Peripersonal and Extrapersonal Space: Effects of Reach Extension Tools' under supervision of Dr Robert Ward

The hypothesis of functional coding maintains that visual stimuli will automatically evoke only those motor actions that are compatible with the functional capabilities of the individual. In accordance with this hypothesis, it was predicted that a compatibility effect – indicated by a faster reaction time and total time when the responding hand is compatible with the orientation of the prime object handle – would be evident only in those conditions in which the participant could potentially reach the prime with a hand or a tool. This prediction was tested in a simulated environment. The participant performed a speeded reach response to a virtual target with a hand or a reach extension tool. The target was preceded by a prime located in peripersonal or extrapersonal space. The results of these experiments indicated a negative compatibility effect in all conditions. Reaction times and total times were faster when the responding hand was incompatible with the orientation of the prime object handle. These findings suggest that a correspondence between the affordance of a non-target object in the visual field and the responding hand may actually hinder a reaching response to a target. The results did not, however, indicate a significant interaction between this negative compatibility effect and the spatial location of the prime object.

 

Modules

Project 80%
Project Proposal 80%
Clinical Neuropsychology 74%
Cognitive Neuroscience 58%
Forensic Psychology 76%
Perception and Attention 70%
Research Design and Analysis IV 76%
Research Design and Analysis III 84%
Practical Foundations III 82%
Psychology of Illness and Disability 77%
Neuropsychology 71%
Social and Developmental Psychology 65%
Perception and Cognition 74%
Psychology of Language 74%

 

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