Sacha Bem - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Sacha Bem

Research paper thumbnail of Theoretical Issues in Psychology, third ed

Research paper thumbnail of Theoretical Issues in Psychology: An Introduction

Research paper thumbnail of Eye Movements and Attention

Consciousness and Cognition, Jun 1, 1997

When it comes to measuring attention, or quantifying it in any way, it is not easy to pin down wh... more When it comes to measuring attention, or quantifying it in any way, it is not easy to pin down what exactly we measure. Advances in technology have enabled the construction of complex models of certain aspects of attention and identified many of the structures and factors involved in the changing nature of attention. In this chapter, we will go with a working definition of attention as the concentration or focusing of mental effort on sensory or internal mental events. In terms of eye movements, we are mainly concerned with visual attention, pertaining to events and external stimuli in the environment, but not exclusively so. Eye movements may also offer an opportunity to measure internal or subjective events and states. This chapter will look at what might be possible beyond direct, point and click gaze control, in inferring subjective states. The aim is to identify and explain those measures from cognitive psychology which are most promising in terms of future technologies for gaze based human computer interaction.

Research paper thumbnail of Successive Approximations to an Adequate Model of Attention

Consciousness and Cognition, Jun 1, 1997

Everybody knows the phenomena summarized with the term attention: concentration, focalization, li... more Everybody knows the phenomena summarized with the term attention: concentration, focalization, limitation, selection, and intensification (see, e.g., James, 1890/1950). The explanation of these phenomena is, however, a different matter. Problems easily arise with regard to what has to be explained and with regard to the style of explanation. A problem of the first kind is the "methodology of 'bad focus'": the explanation starts with and is fixated on an intuitively striking but nonessential behavioral feature or cognitive achievement. A problem of the second kind is a "virtus dormitiva" explanation: the explanation starts with emphasizing one aspect of the observed phenomena, the emphasized aspect receives an interesting and suggestive name, and that name with its connotations is used as a concept in the explanation. At the start of contemporary, behavior-based, information processing psychology, a virtus dormitiva explanation infiltrated the functional accounts of the phenomena of attention; the empirical observation that people show performance limitations was translated into the theoretical concept of a communication channel with a limited capacity. That limited capacity notion became the core concept in what can be called the standard theory of attention. This standard theory of attention faced severe difficulties in explaining the guidance of attention by the information processor's goals and intentions. Subsequent modifications, concerned with removing these difficulties, revealed that selection, guided by goals and intentions, is the essential behavioral feature and that the observed performance limitations are a result of this selection. So, the limited capacity theorizing was not only plagued by a virtus dormitiva explanation, it also suffered from the methodology of bad focus.

Research paper thumbnail of Emotions and Beliefs

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Oct 12, 2000

Research paper thumbnail of Philosophy of Science (1): Logical Positivism and its Failure

SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks, Jan 14, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Modern Approaches to Mind (1): The Language-Based View: Functionalism and the Computational Theory of Mind

SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks, Jan 14, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Consciousness and Free Will

SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks, Jan 14, 2017

Danish Yearbook of Philosophy, Vol. 39 (2004), 7-16 CONSCIOUSNESS AND FREE WILL SHAUN GALLAGHER D... more Danish Yearbook of Philosophy, Vol. 39 (2004), 7-16 CONSCIOUSNESS AND FREE WILL SHAUN GALLAGHER Department of Philosophy and Cognitive Science University of Central Florida gallaghr@ mail. ucf. edu Abstract: I argue against epiphenomenalist views that ...

Research paper thumbnail of Science: Why, and How?: Some Basic Ideas in Scientific Method

SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks, Jan 14, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Introducing Philosophy of Mind, Brain and Cognition

SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks, Jan 14, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of The Extended Mind: Biology, Body and Environment

SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks, Jan 14, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Sociology and Psychology of Science

SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks, Jan 14, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of The influence of emotions on beliefs

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Oct 12, 2000

... The general conclusion is that beliefs buttressed by emotion direct attention towards belief-... more ... The general conclusion is that beliefs buttressed by emotion direct attention towards belief-relevant information. Nico Frijda and Batja Mesquita's chapter is based on the premise that emotions can lead to new beliefs and strengthen existing beliefs. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Theoretical Issues in Psychology

Research paper thumbnail of The Extended Mind: Biology, Body and Environment

Theoretical Issues in Psychology: An Introduction

Research paper thumbnail of Modern Approaches to Mind (2): The Brain-Based View: Neurophilosophy, Connectionism and Dynamicism

Theoretical Issues in Psychology: An Introduction

Research paper thumbnail of Science: Why, and How?: Some Basic Ideas in Scientific Method

Theoretical Issues in Psychology: An Introduction

Research paper thumbnail of Sociology and Psychology of Science

Theoretical Issues in Psychology: An Introduction

Research paper thumbnail of Studies in Emotion and Social Interaction

Face-to-Face Communication over the Internet

Research paper thumbnail of The Problem of Encodingism

Theory & Psychology, 1997

Research paper thumbnail of Theoretical Issues in Psychology, third ed

Research paper thumbnail of Theoretical Issues in Psychology: An Introduction

Research paper thumbnail of Eye Movements and Attention

Consciousness and Cognition, Jun 1, 1997

When it comes to measuring attention, or quantifying it in any way, it is not easy to pin down wh... more When it comes to measuring attention, or quantifying it in any way, it is not easy to pin down what exactly we measure. Advances in technology have enabled the construction of complex models of certain aspects of attention and identified many of the structures and factors involved in the changing nature of attention. In this chapter, we will go with a working definition of attention as the concentration or focusing of mental effort on sensory or internal mental events. In terms of eye movements, we are mainly concerned with visual attention, pertaining to events and external stimuli in the environment, but not exclusively so. Eye movements may also offer an opportunity to measure internal or subjective events and states. This chapter will look at what might be possible beyond direct, point and click gaze control, in inferring subjective states. The aim is to identify and explain those measures from cognitive psychology which are most promising in terms of future technologies for gaze based human computer interaction.

Research paper thumbnail of Successive Approximations to an Adequate Model of Attention

Consciousness and Cognition, Jun 1, 1997

Everybody knows the phenomena summarized with the term attention: concentration, focalization, li... more Everybody knows the phenomena summarized with the term attention: concentration, focalization, limitation, selection, and intensification (see, e.g., James, 1890/1950). The explanation of these phenomena is, however, a different matter. Problems easily arise with regard to what has to be explained and with regard to the style of explanation. A problem of the first kind is the "methodology of 'bad focus'": the explanation starts with and is fixated on an intuitively striking but nonessential behavioral feature or cognitive achievement. A problem of the second kind is a "virtus dormitiva" explanation: the explanation starts with emphasizing one aspect of the observed phenomena, the emphasized aspect receives an interesting and suggestive name, and that name with its connotations is used as a concept in the explanation. At the start of contemporary, behavior-based, information processing psychology, a virtus dormitiva explanation infiltrated the functional accounts of the phenomena of attention; the empirical observation that people show performance limitations was translated into the theoretical concept of a communication channel with a limited capacity. That limited capacity notion became the core concept in what can be called the standard theory of attention. This standard theory of attention faced severe difficulties in explaining the guidance of attention by the information processor's goals and intentions. Subsequent modifications, concerned with removing these difficulties, revealed that selection, guided by goals and intentions, is the essential behavioral feature and that the observed performance limitations are a result of this selection. So, the limited capacity theorizing was not only plagued by a virtus dormitiva explanation, it also suffered from the methodology of bad focus.

Research paper thumbnail of Emotions and Beliefs

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Oct 12, 2000

Research paper thumbnail of Philosophy of Science (1): Logical Positivism and its Failure

SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks, Jan 14, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Modern Approaches to Mind (1): The Language-Based View: Functionalism and the Computational Theory of Mind

SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks, Jan 14, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Consciousness and Free Will

SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks, Jan 14, 2017

Danish Yearbook of Philosophy, Vol. 39 (2004), 7-16 CONSCIOUSNESS AND FREE WILL SHAUN GALLAGHER D... more Danish Yearbook of Philosophy, Vol. 39 (2004), 7-16 CONSCIOUSNESS AND FREE WILL SHAUN GALLAGHER Department of Philosophy and Cognitive Science University of Central Florida gallaghr@ mail. ucf. edu Abstract: I argue against epiphenomenalist views that ...

Research paper thumbnail of Science: Why, and How?: Some Basic Ideas in Scientific Method

SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks, Jan 14, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Introducing Philosophy of Mind, Brain and Cognition

SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks, Jan 14, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of The Extended Mind: Biology, Body and Environment

SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks, Jan 14, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Sociology and Psychology of Science

SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks, Jan 14, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of The influence of emotions on beliefs

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Oct 12, 2000

... The general conclusion is that beliefs buttressed by emotion direct attention towards belief-... more ... The general conclusion is that beliefs buttressed by emotion direct attention towards belief-relevant information. Nico Frijda and Batja Mesquita's chapter is based on the premise that emotions can lead to new beliefs and strengthen existing beliefs. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Theoretical Issues in Psychology

Research paper thumbnail of The Extended Mind: Biology, Body and Environment

Theoretical Issues in Psychology: An Introduction

Research paper thumbnail of Modern Approaches to Mind (2): The Brain-Based View: Neurophilosophy, Connectionism and Dynamicism

Theoretical Issues in Psychology: An Introduction

Research paper thumbnail of Science: Why, and How?: Some Basic Ideas in Scientific Method

Theoretical Issues in Psychology: An Introduction

Research paper thumbnail of Sociology and Psychology of Science

Theoretical Issues in Psychology: An Introduction

Research paper thumbnail of Studies in Emotion and Social Interaction

Face-to-Face Communication over the Internet

Research paper thumbnail of The Problem of Encodingism

Theory & Psychology, 1997