Efsun Annac, Ph.D.

Our results will be presented in the 1st Joint Turkish-German Symposium on Human Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute Berlin. Program link: http://www.cbs.mpg.de/events/workshops/1st-t-g-sym-14/program

The results of our previous study (Annac et al, 2013) and our current results will be presented in ICNM, Istanbul Uskudar University. Turkey. For the details: http://www.cognitivexi.com/cognitive-en.pdf

Abstract Repeated display configurations improve visual search. Recently, the question has arisen whether this contextual cueing effect (Chun & Jiang,  1998 ) is itself mediated by attention, both in terms of selectivity and processing resources deployed. While it is accepted that selective attention modulates contextual cueing (Jiang & Leung, 2005 ), there is an ongoing debate whether the cueing effect is affected by a secondary working memory (WM) task, specifically at which stage WM influences the cueing effect: the acquisition of configural associations (e.g., Travis, Mattingley, & Dux,  2013 ) versus the expression of learned associations (e.g., Manginelli, Langer, Klose, & Pollmann,  2013 ). The present study re-investigated this issue. Observers performed a visual search in combination with a spatial WM task. The latter was applied on either early or late search trials—so as to examine whether WM load hampers the acquisition of or retrieval from c...

Abstract: This study examined the relations between explicit and implicit measures of visual-spatial memory (i.e., separate vs. unique memory system hypotheses; cf., e.g., Henke, 2010); whether spatial long-term memory is, as it has been shown at least for spatial short-term memory (i.e., visual imagery, Vandenberg & Kuse, 1978) modulated by gender; and how the formation of spatial long-term memory is influenced by perceptual grouping (cf. Geyer, Shi, & Müller, 2010). To examine this, 20 observers (10 female) participated in both a spatial working memory task (sWMT - the original version of mental rotation task developed by Shepard & Metzler (1971) and visual search task (contextual cueing task) , with the latter having shown repeatedly for being aided by spatial long-term memory (sLTM; cf. Chun & Jiang,1998). Results showed that (1) in ‘default’ mode, contextual cueing is modulated by color, rather than, space-based grouping.  (2) Contextual cueing is modulated b...

Reference : Annac, E. , & Bahcekapili, H.G.(2012). Understanding and Acceptance of Evolutionary Theory Among Turkish University Students, Dogus University Journal , 13 ( 1 ) ,1-11.  Abstract: Acceptance level of evolutionary theory and factors predicting it were examined among Psychology majors from Doğuş University and Bahçeşehir University (N=99). About half of the students accepted evolutionary theory, which is a higher percentage than in previous reports. Positive attitudes towards science and parents’ education were positively correlated with acceptance whereas religiosity was negatively correlated. Understanding of evolutionary theory was surprisingly low. Understanding the theory and understanding the nature of science were unrelated to acceptance. Recommendations are made to improve the teaching of evolutionary theory. Key words:  Accepting Evolution; Understanding Evolution; Science Education; Turkish Undergraduates; Evrim Teorisini Kabul Etme; Evrim Teorisi...

Bugün bir kitabın daha sonuna geldim. Öncelikle bana kitabı tavsiye eden canım arkadaşım Tolga Tezmen 'e teşekkürü bir borç bilirim. Kitabımız Aziz Nesin'den "İstanbul'un halleri". Sanırım hayatımda ilk defa bir kitabı okurken bu kadar gülümsedim, eğlendim. Kitap, İstanbul'a dair çeşitli öykülerden oluşuyor. İstanbulun güzelliğini, onu ne kadar sevdiğini anlata anlata bitiremiyor Aziz Nesin. Ancak tabi konu İstanbul olur da, güzelliklerinin yanında güzel olmayanlarından bahsetmek olmaz mı? Olur. Neler var örneğin? Yalancılık, dolandırıcılık, insan dışılık, maddiyatçılık, cahillik..üstüne parasızlık, işsizlik, düzensizlik. Hepsi var hepsi. Kitabın ilginç tarafı, kitabı nasıl okuduğunuzla da alakalı. Aziz Nesinin espri anlayışını, mecazlı, cinaslı dil kullanımını kavrayabilmek herkes için o kadar kolay olmasa gerek. Öyküler o kadar doğduğum ülkeyi, Anadolu insanlarını, kültürünü yansıtıyor ki, kendinizden ve yahut çevrenizden birşeyler bulmamak elde değil. Far...

This book makes you feel that "good" is possible in a troubled world. I really liked how the conversation between Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) and Howard C. Cutler touched on scientific facts, especially on positive psychology, when they were defining the difference between the "good" and the "bad". And their definition about 'why science is important'(please see below) was something like i wanted to tell people since such a long time but couldn't find the right words for it. I would like to share that part of the "Hope" chapter: Hope: Let’s say that a person is working on a difficult task, something that seems almost impossible, hopeless...Like, for instance, let’s say that a researcher is working on a cure for disease, but of course it is so complex it might seem almost hopeless...Instead of overwhelmed by the unlikelihood of that person discovering a cure, let’ say that he or she deliberately spend time thinking along t...