羞怯与非羞怯大学生在早期面孔加工中的差异——来自ERP的电生理学证据

羞怯与社会认知密切相关,而面孔识别是人们社会生活中的一项重要的社会认知功能。目前关于羞怯的电生理学研究大多关注表情的效价效应和面孔的新旧效应对羞怯个体面孔加工的影响,却忽视了羞怯个体在基本的面孔识别能力——面孔-物体识别中可能存在的认知神经差异。因此,本研究采用ERP技术,使用GO/Nogo范式的面孔-物体识别任务,对17名羞怯大学生和17名非羞怯大学生在面孔结构编码中的N170成分进行考察,以期发现不同羞怯水平大学生在早期面孔加工中的认知神经差异。本研究发现,非羞怯大学生对面孔结构具有加工优势,识别面孔时,非羞怯大学生的N170波幅显著大于羞怯大学生的N170波幅,识别物体时则不存在组间差异;N170是面孔识别的特异性成分,面孔诱发的N170波幅显著大于物体诱发的N170波幅;识别面孔时,N170表现出大脑右半球的加工优势。     

消费者购买决定与前额叶脑活动的不对称性——来自EEG的证据

摘要：目前营销科学界对消费者购买决策阶段的神经运作机制仍然缺乏准确的理解,本研究探索了大脑前额叶不对称性是否与消费者购买决策有关。采用田野实验方法,21名受试者在真实的在线购物中,分别对自己购物车里5件物品做出真实的购买决策,他们的EEG脑电图被完整记录了下来,共观察到104次购买决策过程。结果表明,在产品页面观看过程中,受试者的gamma频带前额叶不对称,与随后真实购买行为显著相关。alpha、beta频带额叶不对称与购买决策无关。结果还发现与商品的售价对beta和gamma不对称指数的调节效应,且调节效果正好相反。本研究发现了消费者在购买决策过程中一种独特的EEG成分——前额叶gamma波不对称指数（PAIγ）与肯定的购买意愿和实际购买行为相关性最强。     

高低特质攻击个体对威胁面部表情识别的差异研究——来自ERP的证据

为揭示高特质攻击个体对愤怒、恐惧威胁面部表情识别的特点及其电生理机制,本研究采用Buss-Perry攻击问卷选取高低特质攻击个体26名和27名为被试,采用面孔识别范式对高低特质攻击个体识别威胁面部表情时的ERP差异进行研究。结果发现,在愤怒、恐惧表情上,高特质攻击组在N170成分的潜伏期都显著短于低特质攻击组;在愤怒、恐惧表情上,高特质攻击组在P200成分的波幅都显著高于低特质攻击组。这表明高特质攻击个体对愤怒、恐惧威胁面部表情的识别具有高度敏感性,这种敏感性体现在面部表情识别的早期和中期阶段,而非晚期阶段,即高特质攻击个体在早期的前注意阶段就对愤怒、恐惧威胁面部表情进行优先注意;在中期的注意阶段,高特质攻击个体可以很好地确认愤怒、恐惧威胁面部表情。     

不同调控方式个体反事实思维上的差异：来自ERP的证据

利用事件相关电位技术(ERP), 采用简单赌博任务范式, 考察具有“评估倾向”和“行动倾向”的两类个体在反事实思维上的差异及其神经电生理证据。行为结果表明：评估倾向的个体比行动倾向的个体产生更强的反事实思维, 两者差异极其显著; 脑电结果表明：(1)在反映结果快速评价的FRN上, 组别主效应显著, 评估倾向的个体所产生的FRN波幅显著大于行动倾向的个体, (2)在P300上, 组别主效应显著, 评估倾向的个体所产生的P300波幅显著大于行动倾向的个体。简而言之, 两种不同调控方式的个体在反事实思维强度上存在着显著差异, 这在FRN和P300上得到了反映, 评估倾向的个体所产生的反事实思维更强, 情绪体验也更加强烈。不同调控方式的个体, 其反事实思维具有不同的特点和不同的大脑活动。     

音乐对语言加工的影响——来自ERP的证据

向音乐人和非音乐人分别同时呈现句末词有无词类范畴违反的句子,和结尾和弦有无和弦句法违反的和弦序列,并采用ERP(event-related potential,事件相关电位)技术观察被试音乐加工对句子加工的影响。结论是,汉语句子和和弦序列的句法整合加工之间似乎共享神经资源。这两种句法整合加工机制性质相同,能相互促进。音乐训练对语言和音乐句法整合加工的神经资源共享性有调节作用。     

智商常态人群的智力个体差异研究述评

智力功能个体差异星正态分布有不同观点：g因素决定特殊能力分化程度差异论、因素搭配差异论;单一认知机能、认知机能系统中的一个或者几个认知机能缺陷影响智力功能差异论;认知发展理论的要素功能大小和要素关联关系强弱、结构差异论;文化活动结构差异和遗传进化的神经效率差异论;神经活动特性水平和神经活动区域效率差异、人格中介情景任务和人     

不同场认知方式个体完成心理旋转任务时神经效能的差异:来自皮层慢电位的证据

为探讨场独立个体在心理旋转时与场依存个体相比是否会表现出更高的神经效能以及两者在完成此任务上的皮层分布.选取不同场认知方式个体为被试,采用ERP技术研究其完成心理旋转任务时皮层的慢电位.结果发现:在完成心理旋转任务时,场依存个体皮层负慢波的波幅明显大于场独立个体的;场依存个体大脑中区和右区负慢波的波幅明显大于场独立个体的,表明场依存个体比场独立个体在完成任务时需投入更多的资源,从而说明场认知方式是影响神经效能的一个因素.     

趣味性听觉材料对驾驶疲劳的作用：来自EEG的证据

疲劳驾驶是诱发交通事故的重要因素,研究驾驶疲劳的有效干预方法具有重要意义。本研究通过让驾驶员在驾驶模拟器中完成1小时的单调驾驶任务来诱发驾驶疲劳,同时记录驾驶员主观疲劳、驾驶绩效和脑电θ波功率,来探究趣味听觉材料是否可以缓解驾驶疲劳。结果发现,在单调驾驶条件下收听趣味听觉材料的驾驶员脑电θ波功率高于控制组,表明收听趣味听觉材料不利于缓解驾驶疲劳。     

不同任务下声调和韵母在诗句中的加工过程——来自ERP的证据

声调和韵母是声调语言的重要组成部分,以往研究发现二者对言语理解具有不同程度的影响。本研究采用ERP技术,以诗句韵律为媒介,考察普通话母语者在声韵判断和无任务聆听两种任务下,声调和韵母信息的加工过程。结果发现,韵母违反在两种任务中均诱发了P2和LPC,并在声韵判断任务中诱发了N400;声调违反在声韵判断任务中诱发了N400和LPC。结果表明,听者在两种任务中均能于早期快速识别韵母信息,并在晚期完成再分析和整合,而对声调的语音分析和整合过程依赖于听者主动分配认知资源。     

顿悟的准备效应:来自ERP的证据

基于机会同化模型,采用催化范式,运用事件相关电位(ERP)技术,比较有准备阶段和无准备阶段汉字字谜理解过程中准备效应的脑内变化。结果发现,在200ms-900ms内,准备效应引起了一个正的ERP成分(P200-900),大部分脑区得到激活;在900ms-1400ms内,准备效应主要在额区、中央区引起了一个P900-1400成分,在枕区引起了一个N900-1400成分。结果表明,准备期的加工影响了对字谜的理解,准备效应对字谜理解的作用是促进与抑制作用并存。     

The electrophysiological correlates of stimulus visibility and metacontrast masking

There are conflicting views concerning the electrophysiological correlates of visual consciousness. Whereas one view considers a relatively late positive deflection (LP) as a primary correlate of consciousness, another model links consciousness with earlier negativity (VAN). The present experiment utilized metacontrast masking in investigating the electrophysiological correlates of visual consciousness. The participants were presented with target-mask sequences in three stimulus onset asynchronies. The target stimuli were followed by either a metacontrast mask or a similar-looking, but ineffective pseudomask. The results showed that the first deflection that correlated with target visibility was VAN which was followed by LP. We argue that the VAN is the primary correlate target visibility, while the LP reflects later, postperceptual processing stages.     

Meditation,well-being and cognition in heartfulness meditators – A pilot study

Meditative practices can vary considerably in technique as well as their effects. Heartfulness is a popular meditation technique that includes in its repertoire, a unique passive form of meditation. We carried out a pilot study recruiting male heartfulness meditators (proficient n = 24, with 6–28 years of meditation experience; novice n = 24, 5 to 16 months of experience) and subsequently recruited matched controls (n = 15). We examined well-being, and carried out high-density EEG recordings to examine indices of meditation and cognition in these groups. Well-being scores were significantly higher for the proficient meditators as compared to novice and intermediate for the controls. We did not find any group differences in cognitive processing. During meditation, enhanced occipital gamma was found in proficient meditators as compared to controls. We discuss the findings from this pilot study and suggest avenues for future research.     

Substance use and mothers’ neural responses to infant cues

Substance use may influence mothers’ responsiveness to their infants and negatively impact the parent–infant relationship. Maternal substance use may co-opt neural circuitry involved in caregiving, thus reducing the salience of infant cues and diminishing the sense of reward experienced by caring for infants. Gaps in understanding exist with regard to the mechanisms by which substance use operates to influence mothers’ processing of infant cues and how this translates to caregiving. Therefore, we examined how substance use might relate to maternal neural responses to infant cues using event-related potentials (ERPs). Substance-using (n = 29) and nonsubstance-using (n = 29) mothers viewed photographs of infant faces and heard recordings of infant vocalizations while electroencephalography was recorded simultaneously. Three specific ERP components were used to examine initial processing of infant faces (N170) and cries (N100), and attentional allocation to infant faces and cries (P300). Substance-using mothers did not discriminate facial affect at early encoding stages (N170), were generally slower to orient to infant cries (N100), showed heightened responses to neutral faces (P300), and failed to adaptively differentiate between high-distress versus low-distress cries (P300). These differences may be important to caregiving behaviors associated with the formation of mother–child attachment. Implications are discussed, as are limitations and future directions.     

The earliest electrophysiological correlate of visual awareness?

To examine the neural correlates and timing of human visual awareness, we recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) in two experiments while the observers were detecting a grey dot that was presented near subjective threshold. ERPs were averaged for conscious detections of the stimulus (hits) and nondetections (misses) separately. Our results revealed that hits, as compared to misses, showed a negativity around 180-350 ms at occipital and posterior temporal sites. It was followed by a positive wave after 400-500 ms, peaking at parietal sites. These correlates were not affected by a manipulation of attention. The early negativity, called 'visual awareness negativity' (VAN), may be a general, primary electrophysiological correlate of visual awareness. The present data show that it can be observed in response to appearance of a stimulus in visual awareness and that it generalizes across different manipulations of stimulus visibility.     

Temporal texture of associative encoding modulates recall processes

Binding aspects of an experience that are distributed over time is an important element of episodic memory. In the current study, we examined how the temporal complexity of an experience may govern the processes required for its retrieval. We recorded event-related potentials during episodic cued recall following pair associate learning of concurrently and sequentially presented object-picture pairs. Cued recall success effects over anterior and posterior areas were apparent in several time windows. In anterior locations, these recall success effects were similar for concurrently and sequentially encoded pairs. However, in posterior sites clustered over parietal scalp the effect was larger for the retrieval of sequentially encoded pairs. We suggest that anterior aspects of the mid-latency recall success effects may reflect working-with-memory operations or direct access recall processes, while more posterior aspects reflect recollective processes which are required for retrieval of episodes of greater temporal complexity.