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FRANCESCA MARIA CIARDO
Docente a contratto
Dipartimento di Comunicazione ed Economia
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Pubblicazioni
2019
- The role of the co-actor’s response reachability in the joint Simon effect: remapping of working space by tool use.
[Articolo su rivista]
Iani, Cristina; Ciardo, Francesca Maria; Panajoli, Simone; Lugli, Luisa; Rubichi, Sandro
abstract
The Simon effect, that is the advantage of the spatial correspondence between stimulus and response locations when stimulus location is task irrelevant, occurs even when the task is performed by two participants, each performing a go/no-go task. This effect, known as the joint Simon effect, does not emerge when participants sit outside each other’s peripersonal space, thus suggesting that the presence of an active confederate in peripersonal space might provide a reference for response coding. The present study investigated whether this finding is due to the distance separating the participants and/or to the distance separating each participant and the other agent’s response. In two experiments, pairs of participants performed a social detection task sitting outside each other’s arm reach, with response keys located close to the participants or outside arm reach. When the response key was located outside the participant’s arm reach, he/she could reach it by means of a tool. In Experiment 1, by means of a tool, participants could reach their response key only, while in Experiment 2, they could reach also their co-agent’s response key. The joint Simon effect did not emerge when participants could not reach the co-actor’s response, while it emerged when they could potentially reach the other participant’s response using the tool, but only when turn taking was required. These results may be taken as evidence that the possibility to reach and act upon the co-actor’s response key may be at the bases of compatibility effects observed in joint action contexts requiring complementary responses.
2019
- Trial-by-trial modulations in the orienting of attention elicited by gaze and arrow cues
[Articolo su rivista]
Ciardo, FRANCESCA MARIA; Ricciardelli, Paola; Iani, Cristina
abstract
TRIAL-BY-TRIAL MODULATIONS IN GAZE AND ARROW CUEING
2
Abstract
Recent findings suggested that the orienting of attention towards gazed at locations (i.e., the
gaze cueing effect) could result from the conflict emerging in incongruent trials between the
spatial information conveyed by gaze direction and the target spatial position. In two
experiments, we assessed this hypothesis by investigating whether this effect is influenced by
the same trial-by-trial modulations that are reported in a spatial conflict task, i.e. the Simon
task. In Experiment 1 we compared the trial-by-trial modulations emerging in the Simon task
with those emerging in a gaze cueing task, while in Experiment 2 we compared gaze and
arrows cues. Trial-by-trial modulations were evident in both tasks. In the Simon task,
correspondence sequence affected both corresponding and noncorresponding responses, this
resulting in a larger Simon effect when the preceding trial was corresponding and an absent
effect when the preceding trial was noncorresponding. Differently, in the gaze cueing task
congruence sequence affected only congruent responses with faster responses when the
preceding trial was congruent compared to when it was incongruent, resulting in a larger gaze
cuing effect when the preceding trial was congruent. Same results were evident with
nonpredictive arrow cues. These findings speak against a spatial conflict account.
2018
- The role of perspective in discriminating between social and non-social intentions from reach-to-grasp kinematics
[Articolo su rivista]
Ciardo, FRANCESCA MARIA; Campanini, Isabella; Merlo, Andrea; Rubichi, Sandro; Iani, Cristina
abstract
Making correct inferences regarding social and individual intentions may be crucial for successful interactions, especially when we are required to discriminate between cooperative and competitive behaviors. The results of previous studies indicate that reach-to-grasp kinematic parameters may be used to infer the social or individual outcome of a movement. However, the majority of the studies investigated this ability by presenting reach-to-grasp movements from a third-person perspective only. The aim of the present study was to assess whether the ability to recognize the intent associated to a reach-to-grasp movement varies as a function of perspective by manipulating the perspective of observation (second- and third-perspective) within participants. To this end, we presented participants with video clips of models performing a reach-to-grasp movement with different intents. The video clips were recorded both from a lateral view (third-person perspective) and from a frontal view (second-person perspective). After viewing the clips, in two subsequent tasks participants were asked to distinguish between social and non-social intentions by observing the initial phase of the same action recorded from the two different views. Results showed that, when a fast-speed movement was presented from a lateral view, participants were able to predict its social intention. In contrast, when the same movement was observed from a frontal view, performance was impaired. These results indicate that the ability to detect social intentions from motor cues can be biased by the visual perspective of the observer, specifically for fast-speed movements.
2016
- Action-space coding in social contexts
[Articolo su rivista]
Ciardo, FRANCESCA MARIA; Lugli, Luisa; Nicoletti, Roberto; Rubichi, Sandro; Iani, Cristina
abstract
In two behavioural experiments we tested whether performing a spatial task along with another agent changes space representation by rendering some reference frames more/less salient than others. To this end, we used a Simon task in which stimuli were presented in four horizontal locations thus allowing for spatial coding according to multiple frames of reference. In Experiment 1 participants performed a go/no-go Simon task along another agent, each being in charge of one response. In Experiment 2 they performed a two-choice Simon task along another agent, each being in charge of two responses. Results showed that when participants were in charge of only one response, stimulus position was coded only with reference to the centre of the screen hence suggesting that the co-actor's response, or the position of the co-actor, was represented and used as a reference for spatial coding. Differently, when participants were in charge of two responses, no effect of the social context emerged and spatial coding relied on multiple frames of reference, similarly to when the Simon task is performed individually. These findings provide insights on the influence played by the interaction between the social context (i.e. the presence of others) and task features on individual performance.
2016
- Relazione tra campo dipendenza-indipendenza e controllo cognitivo
[Articolo su rivista]
Iani, Cristina; Ciardo, FRANCESCA MARIA; Ricciardelli, Paola; Nicoletti, Roberto
abstract
The present study aimed at investigating the relation between field dependence-independence, measured by means of the Embedded Figure Test (EFT), and performance on the Simon task, which is usually employed to assess cognitive control processes. 20 participants classified as field-dependent and 20 participants classified as field-independent were administered a Simon task in which they had to emit a lateralized response according to the color of a left or right- presented stimulus by ignoring its location. Results showed a larger Simon effect (i.e., faster responses when stimulus and response locations spatially corresponded than when they did not correspond) for participants classified as field dependent than for those classified as field independent. The analysis of the Simon effect as a function of correspondence sequence showed no difference between the two groups. These results seem to suggest that the ability to deal with a conflict within a trial and the ability to modify performance based on the conflict experienced in a prior trial depend on different mechanisms. Our data suggest that only the first ability is related to the cognitive style of field dependence-independence.
2015
- Eyes keep watch over you! Competition enhances joint attention in females.
[Articolo su rivista]
Ciardo, FRANCESCA MARIA; Ricciardelli, Paola; Lugli, Luisa; Rubichi, Sandro; Iani, Cristina
abstract
The present study investigated if the gaze-cuing effect (i.e., the tendency for observers to respond faster to targets
in locations that were cued by others' gaze direction than to not-cued targets) is modulated by the type of relationship
(i.e., cooperative or competitive) established during a previous interaction with a cuing face. In two experiments,
participants played a series of single-shot games of a modified version of the two-choice Prisoner's
Dilemma against eight simulated contenders. They were shown a fictive feedback indicating if the opponents
chose to cooperate or compete with them. Opponents' faces were then used as stimuli in a standard gazecuing
task. In Experiment 1 females classified as average in competitiveness were tested, while in Experiment
2 females classified as high and low in competitiveness were tested. We found that only in females classified
as low and average in competitiveness the gaze-cuing effect for competitive contenders was greater than for cooperative
contenders. These findings suggest that competitive opponents represent a relevant source of information
within the social environment and female observers with low and average levels of competition cannot
prevent from keeping their eyes over them.
2015
- Relazione tra effetto Simon e campo dipendenza-indipendenza
[Capitolo/Saggio]
Nicoletti, Roberto; Ciardo, FRANCESCA MARIA; Ricciardelli, Paola; Iani, Cristina
abstract
Presentazione di uno studio sperimentale volto ad indagare la relazione tra stile cogntivo di campo dipendenza-indipendenza e funzionamento attentivo
2014
- Rappresentazione spaziale nel compito Simon sociale: esistono codici spaziali multipli?
[Poster]
Iani, Cristina; Ciardo, FRANCESCA MARIA; ., ; Lugli, L.; Nicoletti, R.; Rubichi, Sandro
abstract
Introduzione. Studi recenti hanno dimostrato che, così come avviene in un compito Simon classico, in un compito Simon sociale il contesto condiviso porta alla codifica spaziale destra-sinistra dello stimolo e della risposta.
In un compito Simon classico la posizione dello stimolo nello spazio è descritta da due tipi di codici spaziali: uno è determinato in base all’asse centrale dello spazio ed è definito come posizione assoluta, mentre l'altro è determinato in relazione all’emi-spazio di riferimento e può essere definito posizione relativa.
In questo studio abbiamo indagato il ruolo di questi due codici nel produrre gli effetti di compatibilità spaziale in un compito condiviso.
Metodo. I partecipanti (32, destrimani) sono stati assegnati in modo casuale a una delle due condizioni sperimentali: individuale o sociale. Nella condizione individuale, il partecipante eseguiva il compito da solo ed era seduto a destra o a sinistra rispetto al centro dello schermo. Nella condizione sociale, i partecipanti eseguivano il compito a coppie ed erano seduti uno accanto all’altro.
In entrambe le condizioni è stato chiesto ai partecipanti di eseguire un compito Simon go/no-go, in cui lo schermo appariva suddiviso da tre linee verticali, che determinavano le 4 possibili posizioni dello stimolo.
Risultati. All’interno di ciascun emi-spazio, i tempi di risposta sono risultati più lenti per le posizioni relative dello stimolo più esterne rispetto a quelle più interne. Inoltre, i risultati hanno mostrato un effetto di compatibilità tra la posizione della risposta e la posizione assoluta dello stimolo (effetto Simon per la posizione assoluta dello stimolo) solo nella condizione sociale, mentre per la condizione individuale nessun effetto di compatibilità è emerso.
Conclusioni. I risultati indicano che quando due individui eseguono un compito condiviso la posizione dello stimolo è descritta attraverso un unico codice spaziale, cioè in base alla sua posizione assoluta nello spazio.