Correlation estimates from scatterplots were studied as an example for an intuitive decision task. Three experiments showed that subjective correlation estimates are based on geometric properties of the displays. People with different levels of statistical training were found to assess correlations from scatterplots in close accordance with the power function r^ = 1 -aX b , where X is the mean of the geometrical distances between the points and the regression line or a similar central axis. Changes of the slope of the displayed point cloud and the introduction of outliers affected estimates as predicted from the function. The study demonstrated that intuitive judgments in a complex domain are based on the perception of geometric features of the relevant information. By applying these findings, graphic designers can accurately predict how changes in a display will affect viewers' impressions.Intuitive judgments are a major tool for coping in natural decision-making environments, and intuition is generally considered different from analytically driven problem solving (Mahan, 1994). Intuitive decision making is often regarded as a default mechanism, spontaneously used when analytical decisions are not specifically required. Intuitive judgments are also the only available decision-making mechanism when judgments are inherently difficult and exceed

Four experiments addressed the relevance of the eigenvalues I k of the inertia tensor for perceiving length by dynamic touch. Experiments 1-2 focused on the consequences of limiting variation in the minimum eigenvalue 1 3 , Both revealed that perceived length is a function of I k . Whether the contribution of 1 3 is detected, however, depends on the range of values that characterize a particular object set. Experiments 3-4 considered the relationship between an independent index of a rod's diameter, which does not affect I k , and actual manipulation of a rod's diameter, which does affect I k • Whereas the former appeared as satisfaction of implicit instructions to alter reports of perceived length, the latter entailed actual differences in perceived length in accordance with I k • Results are discussed with respect to the links among actual length, perceived length, and I k , as well as, in particular, how these links guarantee that perceived length is in the range of actual lengths.When an object is grasped firmly in the hand and vielded out of view by means of movements at the wrist, ts length can be perceived. A large number ofexperiments lave shown that perceived length is a function not of the ibject's actual length but rather of its resistance to rotaional acceleration as quantified by the inertia tensor, 1/ see Appendix). In the initial research directed at the spaĩ al abilities of dynamic touch, measurements were reitricted to the coordinate-system-dependent components if Ii}, and then only to its moments of inertia, lxx,~vY' and

For the first time a field programmable transistor array (FPTA) was used to evolve robot control circuits directly in analog hardware. Controllers were successfully incrementally evolved for a physical robot engaged in a series of visually guided behaviours, including finding a target in a complex environment where the goal was hidden from most locations. Circuits for recognising spoken commands were also evolved and these were used in conjunction with the controllers to enable voice control of the robot, triggering behavioural switching. Poor quality visual sensors were deliberately used to test the ability of evolved analog circuits to deal with noisy uncertain data in realtime. Visual features were coevolved with the controllers to automatically achieve dimensionality reduction and feature extraction and selection in an integrated way. An efficient new method was developed for simulating the robot in its visual environment. This allowed controllers to be evaluated in a simulation connected to the FPTA. The controllers then transferred seamlessly to the real world. The circuit replication issue was also addressed in experiments where circuits were evolved to be able to function correctly in multiple areas of the FPTA. A methodology was developed to analyse the evolved circuits which provided insights into their operation. Comparative experiments demonstrated the superior evolvability of the transistor array medium.

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