Browsing by Author "Pandey, Mamata"

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Open Access
Attentional blink: Restricted attention necessitates conscious perception
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2023-11) Galan, Mickenzie Arthur; Oriet, Chris; Phenix, Tom; Pandey, Mamata
In attention capture studies, a target stimulus is poorly identified when presented 200-500 ms after the presentation of a task-relevant distractor, a phenomenon referred to as the attentional blink. Evidence regarding the necessity of consciously perceiving the distractor in yielding an attentional blink is inconsistent in the literature. The goal of this thesis was to clarify under which conditions conscious perception of a distractor is necessary to trigger an attentional blink. It was hypothesized that the presence of a blink would vary according to the predictions of the novel restricted attention hypothesis, such that additional conditions must be met for a distractor to capture attention and cause a blink. The results provide evidence for this hypothesis, such that attention becomes restricted when attention is deployed broadly. Critically, it was found that conscious perception was a necessary condition in triggering a blink only when attention was deployed broadly. It was suggested that conscious perception becomes necessary in such conditions because it is responsible for shifting attention to the location of interest. This finding was interpreted through the novel diffused attention model. The present thesis clarifies when and why conscious perception becomes necessary. Keywords: attentional blink, attention capture, contingent capture, conscious perception
Open Access
Can Meaning Associated with Perceptual Grouping Modulate Attention?
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2013-05) Pandey, Mamata; Oriet, Chris; Arbuthnott, Katherine; Robinson, Katherine; Mouhoub, Malek; Arnell, Karen
In an environment rich with information, performance on a task depends on the ability to select only the relevant pieces of information for achieving a current goal. Cognitive psychologists propose that selective attention helps to segregate the relevant information from the irrelevant information. A combination of bottom-up and top-down factors jointly influences the settings of the attentional filter (Spalek, Falcon & Di Lollo, 2006) such that only task-relevant information is selected for further processing. However, biologically- and socially-important stimuli like affective faces are proposed to influence allocation of attention (Vuilleumier & Schwartz, 2001). Task-irrelevant emotional faces are proposed to capture attention in a way that is detrimental to performance on a primary task (Eastwood, Smilek & Merikle, 2003). The present study was carried out to examine whether task-irrelevant affective faces can capture attention even when attention is maintained in a focused mode. Subjects searched for a unique red target letter (T2) in a stream of black distractor letters presented at the rate of 1item per 84 ms in an RSVP sequence. Two straight lines and a curve were also presented in the periphery and in the same frame as a distractor letter (T1). The perceptual groups formed by the specific arrangements of the peripheral elements (face/ non-face), the time interval between T1 and T2 (lag), and the colour (black irrelevant / red relevant) of the peripheral elements were manipulated. The extent to which the peripheral elements captured attention was measured as differences in the accuracy with which T2 was identified in these different conditions. The results from six experiments indicate that T2 identification was impaired by lag and relevance but not by the presence of a face. Contrary to claims made in the literature the results of the present study indicated that distractions from socially-important stimuli like affective Gestalt faces can be averted when the spread of spatial attention is controlled and when these stimuli do not match the top-down settings adopted for the current task. The observations made in the present study also suggest possible differences between the mechanisms involved when a target is searched in space than when a target is searched in time. Keywords: face, perceptual groupings, attentional capture.
Open Access
A community based and mixed-methods approach to exploring the Dove Confident Me five-session body image intervention in a holistic school classroom
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2022-07) Mooney, Kelsey; Sasakamoose, JoLee; Salm, Twyla; Fiissel, Bree; Pandey, Mamata; Pukall, Caroline
Purpose: Body dissatisfaction is experienced by many adolescents and is linked to mental, physical, and social consequences. Increasing rates of body dissatisfaction amongst adolescents have led to developing teacher-delivered interventions to alleviate the reliance on external providers and increase the accessibility of such interventions. This paper describes a pilot study which explored the delivery of the Dove Confident Me 5-Session Body Confidence Program through a mixed methods approach. In this study, the researcher worked collaboratively with the students and teacher to determine program adaptations needed to elicit positive body image and self-esteem in a classroom in Saskatchewan. Method: This study took place at a small private school in Saskatchewan which delivers the Saskatchewan curriculum through a holistic lens with a focus on arts, community, and nature. A classroom teacher received training to deliver the Dove program to their classroom. A small sample of students (n=6) between the ages of 11-13 received sessions one to three of the Dove Confident Me 5-Session Program. Students were measured on body-esteem and self-esteem at baseline and post-intervention. Students also completed session evaluation forms after the delivery of each session and participated in a focus group guided by the researcher at the end of the program. Following the end of the program, the teacher participated in an open-ended interview with the researcher to share their experience and provide feedback about the program. Results: The quantitative measures were analyzed using SPSS Version 28 while the qualitative interviews were transcribed and coded using NVivo 12. The delivery of sessions four and five were cancelled due to low ratings of enjoyment of sessions and relevance of program for sessions one to three. Students showed no significant differences for self-esteem and body esteem from baseline to post-intervention. Students strongly disliked the binary gender approach to the program and found the program to be both unrelatable and unrealistic. Students suggested making the program more gender inclusive and normalizing conversations surrounding body image and body dissatisfaction. The facilitator of the program (classroom teacher) had mixed reviews of the program and came across several difficulties while delivering the program including delivering the program to a high needs classroom, receiving negative reactions from students, program materials not aligning with the school values and teaching philosophy, and the material not being age appropriate. He suggested that teachers should ensure the program aligns with the school values and classroom dynamic before delivering the program, that the program be adapted to be gender inclusive, and that the program be delivered to older adolescents. Implications: While previous research has found promising results for the Dove Confident Me: 5-Session Body Confidence Program, this study revealed there are fundamental changes that need to occur to ensure it is well received by students and to increase the effects on body-esteem and self-esteem for adolescents. The main gap identified by this research was the lack of gender inclusivity built into the session materials. As a program designed to increase body confidence in adolescence, the outright exclusion of gender diverse content and representation is problematic for students who identify as non-binary, trans, genderfluid, and any other gender identity outside of male and female. Future body confidence programs implemented in schools must therefore work to be gender inclusive and continuously be evaluated to ensure these programs are addressing the needs of adolescent populations today. Keywords: body-esteem, self-esteem, body image, body confidence, Dove Confident Me
Open Access
Exploring grief among Canadian Indigenous women who have experienced perinatal loss: Interactions with the healthcare system
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2023-01) Hagerty, Julia; Sasakamoose, JoLee; Salm, Twyla; Pandey, Mamata; Sangster, Sarah
This study aimed to understand the experiences of Canadian Indigenous women who experienced perinatal loss and how their interactions with the healthcare system impacted their healing process. Perinatal loss can lead to unacknowledged grief, and the lack of specialized support within the healthcare system often leaves women to grieve alone. Women from low income families are more vulnerable to pregnancy loss, adding to the stressors that this population already endures. A qualitative approach was used to interview four women and two healthcare workers about their experiences receiving and providing care for perinatal loss. The findings highlighted the importance of acknowledging and validating perinatal loss as a legitimate reason to grieve, ensuring a supportive environment through adequate communication and resources, providing quality care that is attentive, genuine, and compassionate, and offering education on pregnancy loss and the grief that follows. Keywords: perinatal loss, grief, Indigenous women, healthcare