1993: Axline's eight principles of play therapy revisited.

Examined V. Axlines's book, Play Therapy (1947) which includes 8 basic principles on non-directive play therapy. Student responses to learning these principles in play therapy classes were also examined. Each student was assigned a play therapy client and was observed and assisted directly by the instructor, a licensed clinical psychologist. Clients were mildly trouble children (aged 5–10 yrs) and were selected from a referral base by the instructor as appropriate for the course. As the semester progressed and students gained direct experience, weekly small (3–4 student) group discussions were held to explore in-depth understanding of play therapy principles and how these principles are put into practice. It is concluded that Axline's book remains a classic text and a foremost resource in the field. Coupling it with experiential learning is an invaluable basis for teaching play therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Embodied categorisation for vision-guided mobile robots

This paper outlines a philosophical and psycho-physiological basis for embodied perception, and develops a framework for conceptual embodiment of vision-guided robots. We argue that categorisation is important in all stages of robot vision. Further, that classical computer vision is unsuitable for this categorisation, however, through conceptual embodiment, active perception can be effective. We present a methodology for developing vision-guided robots that applies embodiment, explicitly and implicitly, in categorising visual data to facilitate efficient perception and action. Finally, we present systems developed using this methodology, and demonstrate that embodied categorisation can make algorithms more efficient and robust.     

RuleML representation and simulation of Fuzzy Cognitive Maps

Fuzzy Cognitive Map (FCM) technique is a combination of Fuzzy Logic and Artificial Neural Networks that is extensively used by experts and scientists of a diversity of disciplines, for strategic planning, decision making and predictions. A standardized representation of FCMs accompanied by a system that would assist decision makers to simulate their own developed Fuzzy Cognitive Maps would be highly appreciated by them, and would help the dissemination of FCMs. In this paper, (a) a RuleML representation of FCM is proposed and (b) a system is designed and implemented in Prolog programming language to assist experts to simulate their own FCMs. This system returns results in valid RuleML syntax, making them readily available to other cooperative systems. The representation capabilities and the design choices of the implemented system are discussed and a variety of examples are given to demonstrate the use of the system.     

Virtual Interpersonal Touch: Expressing and Recognizing Emotions Through Haptic Devices

ABSTRACT

This article examines the phenomenon of Virtual Interpersonal Touch (VIT), people touching one another via force-feedback haptic devices. As collaborative virtual environments become utilized more effectively, it is only natural that interactants will have the ability to touch one another. In the work presented here, we used relatively basic devices to begin to explore the expression of emotion through VIT. In Experiment 1, participants utilized a 2 DOF force-feedback joystick to express seven emotions. We examined various dimensions of the forces generated and subjective ratings of the difficulty of expressing those emotions. In Experiment 2, a separate group of participants attempted to recognize the recordings of emotions generated in Experiment 1. In Experiment 3, pairs of participants attempted to communicate the seven emotions using physical handshakes. Results indicated that humans were above chance when recognizing emotions via VIT but not as accurate as people expressing emotions through nonmediated handshakes. We discuss a theoretical framework for understanding emotions expressed through touch as well as the implications of the current findings for the utilization of VIT in human-computer interaction.     

Surface modification of Scots pine: the effect of process parameters on the through thickness density profile

This study evaluated the significance of different process parameters (press temperature, closing time, holding time, moisture content and compression ratio) on solid wood surface densification and its effect on the density profile generated in Scots pine sapwood. Changes in the microstructure of the wood were also evaluated microscopically. The results showed that with a shorter closing time, densification occurred closer to the sample surface than with an extended closing time. At a compression temperature of 150 °C, the vertical density profile exhibited a sharp peak in density that was close to the wood surface. A higher temperature of 200 °C resulted in a slightly broader density peak that was less intense and further from the surface. A holding time of 10 min resulted in the wood compressing to a slightly greater extent than when using a holding time of 1 min. Higher moisture content led to more extensive deformation. The results indicate that surface modification by densification is a viable method of enhancing wood properties.