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Scientific Reports Dec 2022Experts modulate their performance of actions for teaching purposes, performing slower and exaggerated movements when demonstrating novel actions to novices. The present...
Experts modulate their performance of actions for teaching purposes, performing slower and exaggerated movements when demonstrating novel actions to novices. The present study asked whether such modulations also occur during teaching performance of a music instrument, where subtle movement modulations are crucial for achieving artistic expression. While exaggerating performances of goal-directed actions outside of artistic contexts may be straightforward, it is an open question whether and how exaggeration for the purpose of teaching operates for actions that are expressive even when performed outside of a teaching context. Pianists were asked to demonstrate to students the techniques required for implementing notated expressions, compared to performing the piece without didactic intentions. Expressions in the piece concerned either articulation (i.e., legato and staccato) or dynamics (i.e., forte and piano). The pianists played either with the goal to perform the piece to an audience or with the goal to teach the respective techniques to novices. When intending to teach articulation, skilled pianists produced more exaggerated staccato. When intending to teach dynamics, they created a larger contrast between forte and piano. We found consistent results across a simple musical scale (Experiment 1) and a more naturalistic piece of music (Experiment 2). These findings show that teaching-specific action modulations generalise to expressive actions and suggest that action modulations serve to highlight the most relevant aspects of the actions to be learnt.
Topics: Humans; Psychomotor Performance; Music; Movement
PubMed: 36494416
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25711-3 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2020The distinction between subject-dependent and subject-independent performance is ubiquitous in the human activity recognition (HAR) literature. We assess whether HAR...
The distinction between subject-dependent and subject-independent performance is ubiquitous in the human activity recognition (HAR) literature. We assess whether HAR models really do achieve better subject-dependent performance than subject-independent performance, whether a model trained with data from many users achieves better subject-independent performance than one trained with data from a single person, and whether one trained with data from a single specific target user performs better for that user than one trained with data from many. To those ends, we compare four popular machine learning algorithms' subject-dependent and subject-independent performances across eight datasets using three different personalisation-generalisation approaches, which we term person-independent models (PIMs), person-specific models (PSMs), and ensembles of PSMs (EPSMs). We further consider three different ways to construct such an ensemble: unweighted, κ -weighted, and baseline-feature-weighted. Our analysis shows that PSMs outperform PIMs by 43.5% in terms of their subject-dependent performances, whereas PIMs outperform PSMs by 55.9% and κ -weighted EPSMs-the best-performing EPSM type-by 16.4% in terms of the subject-independent performance.
Topics: Algorithms; Human Activities; Humans; Machine Learning
PubMed: 32610614
DOI: 10.3390/s20133647 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2022Music performance anxiety is a common experience among elite and professional musicians and impedes performers from achieving flow state, or a state of focused,...
BACKGROUND
Music performance anxiety is a common experience among elite and professional musicians and impedes performers from achieving flow state, or a state of focused, sustained engagement that promotes optimal performance.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to use heart rate variability (HRV) to determine the psychophysiological underpinnings of optimal music performance.
METHODS
We assessed HRV to study how autonomic-cardiac modulation was associated with flow during piano performance. Twenty-two pianists (15-22 years) with at least a Grade 8 Royal Conservatory of Music certification prepared two standardized pieces and a self-selected piece. Performer heart rate data were measured with a Polar 800 watch in 5-min periods immediately before performances, during performances and post-performance. HRV was employed to assess autonomic modulation of cardiac intervals. HRV indices of sympathetic and parasympathetic modulation of the heart were analyzed in 2.5-min segments to monitor short-term autonomic adjustments using the Kubios HRV Software. Flow state was measured using the 36-item Flow State Scale (FSS). Relationships were analyzed using zero-order correlations and multiple linear regressions.
RESULTS
Our sample consisted of 22 RCM Grade 8 certified pianists. Participants achieved the highest level of flow during performance of the Bach piece. Decreased HRV was observed during performance, as indicated by a significant drop in total power. Flow state was positively associated with High Frequency (HF) power during the pre-performance phase, and inversely associated with Low Frequency (LF) power during performance.
CONCLUSION
Inverse association of flow with LF-HRV during performance affirms the importance of vagal-HR modulation for achievement of flow state. Increased HF-HRV and reduced LF-HRV immediately prior to performance suggests that flow state may be shaped as much by physiological preparation during pre-performance as it is by physiologic responses during performance. Further research is required to validate the correlation between autonomic modulation of the heart and flow state. Evidence of this correlation between autonomic modulation of the heart and achievement of flow state may pave the way for further research on enhancing musical performance and targeting MPA through HRV-based interventions.
PubMed: 35492712
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.853733 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Jan 2020Engaging in altruistic behaviors is costly, but it contributes to the health and well-being of the performer of such behaviors. The present research offers a take on how...
Engaging in altruistic behaviors is costly, but it contributes to the health and well-being of the performer of such behaviors. The present research offers a take on how this paradox can be understood. Across 2 pilot studies and 3 experiments, we showed a pain-relieving effect of performing altruistic behaviors. Acting altruistically relieved not only acutely induced physical pain among healthy adults but also chronic pain among cancer patients. Using functional MRI, we found that after individuals performed altruistic actions brain activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and bilateral insula in response to a painful shock was significantly reduced. This reduced pain-induced activation in the right insula was mediated by the neural activity in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), while the activation of the VMPFC was positively correlated with the performer's experienced meaningfulness from his or her altruistic behavior. Our findings suggest that incurring personal costs to help others may buffer the performers from unpleasant conditions.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Altruism; Brain; Brain Mapping; Cerebral Cortex; Female; Gyrus Cinguli; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; Pain; Pilot Projects; Prefrontal Cortex; Young Adult
PubMed: 31888986
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1911861117 -
Journal of Educational Evaluation For... 2023We aimed to describe the performance and evaluate the educational value of justifications provided by artificial intelligence chatbots, including GPT-3.5, GPT-4, Bard,...
PURPOSE
We aimed to describe the performance and evaluate the educational value of justifications provided by artificial intelligence chatbots, including GPT-3.5, GPT-4, Bard, Claude, and Bing, on the Peruvian National Medical Licensing Examination (P-NLME).
METHODS
This was a cross-sectional analytical study. On July 25, 2023, each multiple-choice question (MCQ) from the P-NLME was entered into each chatbot (GPT-3, GPT-4, Bing, Bard, and Claude) 3 times. Then, 4 medical educators categorized the MCQs in terms of medical area, item type, and whether the MCQ required Peru-specific knowledge. They assessed the educational value of the justifications from the 2 top performers (GPT-4 and Bing).
RESULTS
GPT-4 scored 86.7% and Bing scored 82.2%, followed by Bard and Claude, and the historical performance of Peruvian examinees was 55%. Among the factors associated with correct answers, only MCQs that required Peru-specific knowledge had lower odds (odds ratio, 0.23; 95% confidence interval, 0.09-0.61), whereas the remaining factors showed no associations. In assessing the educational value of justifications provided by GPT-4 and Bing, neither showed any significant differences in certainty, usefulness, or potential use in the classroom.
CONCLUSION
Among chatbots, GPT-4 and Bing were the top performers, with Bing performing better at Peru-specific MCQs. Moreover, the educational value of justifications provided by the GPT-4 and Bing could be deemed appropriate. However, it is essential to start addressing the educational value of these chatbots, rather than merely their performance on examinations.
Topics: Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Peru; Artificial Intelligence; Educational Status; Knowledge
PubMed: 37981579
DOI: 10.3352/jeehp.2023.20.30 -
Proceedings of the ... ACM... Oct 2017We present a method for activity recognition that first estimates the activity performer's location and uses it with input data for activity recognition. Existing...
We present a method for activity recognition that first estimates the activity performer's location and uses it with input data for activity recognition. Existing approaches directly take video frames or entire video for feature extraction and recognition, and treat the classifier as a black box. Our method first locates the activities in each input video frame by generating an activity mask using a conditional generative adversarial network (cGAN). The generated mask is appended to color channels of input images and fed into a VGG-LSTM network for activity recognition. To test our system, we produced two datasets with manually created masks, one containing Olympic sports activities and the other containing trauma resuscitation activities. Our system makes activity prediction for each video frame and achieves performance comparable to the state-of-the-art systems while simultaneously outlining the location of the activity. We show how the generated masks facilitate the learning of features that are representative of the activity rather than accidental surrounding information.
PubMed: 30381807
DOI: 10.1145/3123266.3123365 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2023Not being able to manage performance anxiety and subsequently experiencing a decline in performance have been called "choking under pressure". High trait anxiety and...
INTRODUCTION
Not being able to manage performance anxiety and subsequently experiencing a decline in performance have been called "choking under pressure". High trait anxiety and fear of negative evaluation, as well as low self-efficacy or self-confidence, can put performers especially at risk of experiencing choking. This study, therefore, examined the effects of psychological choking interventions tailored to "choking-susceptible" performing artists individually in a coaching setting.
METHODS
We conducted a mixed-methods (QUANT + QUAL) collective case study with nine performing artists, who each received five individual coaching sessions. The tailored choking interventions comprised acclimatization training, goal setting, and pre-performance routines, including elements such as imagery, self-talk, and relaxation techniques. Before and after the 10-week intervention phase, they filled in questionnaires on trait performance anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, and self-efficacy, performed in front of a jury, and were interviewed about their experiences. Transcripts of interviews and coaching sessions were analyzed using thematic analysis. Heart rate measurements, weekly performance videos, and expert evaluations were also part of our comprehensive data.
RESULTS
Quantitative data showed reductions in performance anxiety and fear of negative evaluation, and increases in self-efficacy and performance quality, from before to after the intervention phase. Most participants also had a lower heart rate when performing for the jury. Themes from qualitative analysis comprised managing nervousness and feeling more relaxed, becoming more self-confident, satisfaction with artistic and mental performance, feeling good and enjoying performing, and general positive effects.
CONCLUSION
Tailoring psychological interventions may provide several benefits for choking-susceptible performing artists.
PubMed: 37275685
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1164273 -
Foot & Ankle International Oct 2022Limited research exists about high performance postsurgical tibial plafond fractures. This study aimed to identify aspects of the plafond fracture injury and care...
BACKGROUND
Limited research exists about high performance postsurgical tibial plafond fractures. This study aimed to identify aspects of the plafond fracture injury and care associated with "high performance" based on Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function (PF) scores.
METHODS
Tibial plafond fracture patients with minimum 12-month follow-up treated at a level 1 trauma center from 2006 to 2019 were categorized into high (top 25%) vs average-low (AL) (bottom 75%) performers based on PROMIS PF scores. Demographics and fracture characteristics of high and AL performers were compared. Variables with a value less than .1 were used in stepwise logistic regressions.
RESULTS
The final cohort of 198 patients was divided into high (n=51) and AL (n=147) performers based on PF scores. The mean PF scores for the high and AL groups were 58 (SD=5.3) and 41.9 (SD=6.5), respectively. The mean PROMIS Pain Interference scores for the high performers and AL were 43.3 (SD=4.9) and 56.8 (SD=8.6) ( < .001), respectively. FAAM activities of daily living (high 95.4 [SD=5.5] vs AL 70.4 [SD=19.8], < .001) and FAAM sports (high 76.8 [SD=21.3] vs AL 27.3 [SD=28.9], < .001) subscale scores were significantly greater in the high-performing group. Sex, age, marital status, and diabetes were nonsignificant factors in univariate analysis. Significant demographic factors associated with high performance from univariate analysis were Caucasian race, private insurance, no tobacco use, lower body mass index (BMI), and mechanism of injury. Patients with fracture characteristics of OTA 43C (complete articular) fractures, bone loss, open fractures, or nonexcellent reduction were significantly less likely to be high performers. Additionally, less than excellent reductions were more common in more complex fracture patterns. Multivariable regression modeling showed that higher BMI, OTA/AO 43-C (complete articular) fracture classification, and open fracture were significant independent risk factors for reducing likelihood of high performance.
CONCLUSION
Significant independent factors associated with high performance after tibial plafond fracture are lower BMI, closed fracture, and OTA/AO 43-B (partial articular) fracture.
Topics: Activities of Daily Living; Ankle Fractures; Fracture Fixation, Internal; Fractures, Open; Humans; Retrospective Studies; Tibial Fractures; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 35869643
DOI: 10.1177/10711007221112924 -
Sports Medicine - Open May 2019Artistic swimming (AS) is a very unique sport consisting of difficult artistically choreographed routines ranging in the number of athletes (one to ten: solo, duet,... (Review)
Review
Artistic swimming (AS) is a very unique sport consisting of difficult artistically choreographed routines ranging in the number of athletes (one to ten: solo, duet, team, combination, highlight routine) and with elements performed quickly and precisely above, below, and on the surface of the water. As a result, the physical and physiological demands placed on an athlete are unique to the sport with the most pronounced adaptation being the bradycardic response to long apneic periods spent underwater while performing strenuous movements. This indeed influences training prescription and the desired training outcomes. This review paper explores the physiological demands of AS, the physiological characteristics that influence AS performance, and innovative approaches to enhancing training and performance in elite performers.
PubMed: 31089903
DOI: 10.1186/s40798-019-0190-3 -
PloS One 2021Because large numbers of artworks are preserved in museums and galleries, much work must be done to classify these works into genres, styles and artists. Recent... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Because large numbers of artworks are preserved in museums and galleries, much work must be done to classify these works into genres, styles and artists. Recent technological advancements have enabled an increasing number of artworks to be digitized. Thus, it is necessary to teach computers to analyze (e.g., classify and annotate) art to assist people in performing such tasks. In this study, we tested 7 different models on 3 different datasets under the same experimental setup to compare their art classification performances when either using or not using transfer learning. The models were compared based on their abilities for classifying genres, styles and artists. Comparing the result with previous work shows that the model performance can be effectively improved by optimizing the model structure, and our results achieve state-of-the-art performance in all classification tasks with three datasets. In addition, we visualized the process of style and genre classification to help us understand the difficulties that computers have when tasked with classifying art. Finally, we used the trained models described above to perform similarity searches and obtained performance improvements.
Topics: Humans; Models, Theoretical; Paintings
PubMed: 33711046
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248414