青少年对情绪性图片加工的脑电反应特征

本研究采用事件相关电位(ERP)方法探讨青少年情绪性加工的脑电反应发展性特征。测量并比较了48名分别处于三个年龄阶段(12~13岁, 16~17岁, 19~21岁)的个体在观看三类情绪图片(积极、中性、消极)时的事件相关电位。结果显示, 三个年龄阶段的个体对情绪性图片刺激进行加工, 通过主观报告能够明确区分情绪意义, 其评价顺序与成人一致, 同时, ERP的300~900ms时段从顶枕区到整个脑区呈现和成人研究一致的波形特征, 即情绪性刺激引起ERP的晚期成分相对于非情绪性刺激引起更正的波幅; 三个年龄阶段的个体在脑电活动的时程上表现出从后侧脑区向前侧扩散的趋势, 低龄组个体枕区的ERP活动程度高于高龄组个体, 而高年龄组个体在额区、颞区、中央区位置的ERP活动比低龄组个体更强。结合主观报告, 上述ERP结果展示了青少年情绪性加工脑电反应的发展性特征。     

一般流体智力的脑成像研究述评

对一般流体智力的脑成像研究有助于探明智力的脑机制。从结构成像与功能成像两个方面阐述了相关的研究。已有研究表明,一般流体智力与总的脑体积、额叶或其他多个脑区的灰质体积中等正相关。一般智力（g）因素负荷高的任务比负荷低的任务引发特定脑区更大的激活。较早的研究发现一般智力水平个体差异与脑区的激活呈负相关,但此后的一些研究却得到相反的结论。未来的研究应加强对个体差异的研究,将脑成像技术与EEG或ERP技术结合起来,整合多水平（心理测量、遗传学等）的研究结果,进一步阐明一般流体智力的脑机制     

心理理论的ERP研究:基于多重成分框架的视角

心理理论是社会认知的核心能力之一。现有的心理理论ERP研究以心理理论较为公认的4个成分信念、愿望、意图和情绪为框架,表现出了一些一致性的规律:心理理论相关的脑电成分根据不同的心理理论成分而有所区分;不同心理理论成分诱发的相关脑电出现的位置表现出跨任务的一致性;心理理论的ERP发展研究在儿童身上表现出与成人类似的结果,但也具有时间窗口更长,位置分布更宽广的特性。未来的研究需要设计出更符合ERP研究技术要求的任务范式,并注意心理理论概念结构的完整性,还应探寻心理理论各成分加工的共同电生理基础。     

自尊对情绪面孔注意偏向的影响

研究表明低自尊个体对负性信息表现出高度的警觉和关注,而高自尊个体相对来说注意积极地方面,但并未表现明显偏向。为了精确记录注意选择神经加工时间进程,进一步从电生理学角度对低自尊个体的负性注意偏向进行探讨,本研究运用事件相关电位（ERP）技术对不同自尊个体在点-探测任务过程中的注意偏向进行研究。实验一以129名在校大学生作为被试,以大学生面孔情绪图片（高兴、悲伤和中性）作为实验材料,结果发现,高低自尊个体之间没有出现注意偏向的差异。实验二以实验一筛选出的30名高低自尊个体作为被试,选择了更具负性情绪唤醒的愤怒图片作为实验材料（高兴、愤怒和中性）,行为数据结果发现,两组被试都没有出现注意偏向,相反,无论是在高兴面孔条件下还是在愤怒面孔条件下,低自尊个体的反应时都快于高自尊个体;电生理学数据结果发现,在低自尊个体中,在两种情绪面孔条件下,有效线索的P1峰值显著高于无效线索,而无效线索的N2pc峰值显著高于有效线索。电生理学数据表明,无论是负性的还是正性的情绪性的信息都能引起低自尊个体的更多注意,表明低自尊个体更容易受到情绪性信息的影响。     

时间分配的执行功能:双重效价联合任务的证据

采用内隐联想测验的修订版本双重效价联合任务范式,利用ERP技术探究不同时间分配倾向个体在执行冲突和转换任务时的执行功能,以揭示不同时间分配倾向个体在相容和不相容任务过程中脑内时程的动态变化。研究结果发现,多重组个体显示出更快的反应时;ERP结果表明,相比于多重组,单一组在不相容任务中比在相容任务中诱发了更大的N170,说明多重组个体可能更善于同时执行多项任务,而单一组执行冲突任务可能需要投入更多的注意资源。同时在认知加工的晚期阶段单一组比多重组诱发了更大的LPP,提示单一组需要更强的认知控制加工。     

多目标追踪的神经机制

多目标追踪任务是研究动态场景中视觉注意加工机制常用的范式。自1998年开始对多目标追踪神经机制的影像学研究以来, 研究者采用ERP和fMRI等技术对多目标注意追踪所涉及的神经电生理活动和脑功能区激活方面开展了大量研究。ERP研究发现, 追踪过程持续的ERP脑电成分如N2pc、CDA的波幅与注意追踪负荷有关, 并且出现在目标与非目标上的探测刺激诱发的脑电成分如N1、P1波幅的差异可反映注意资源的分配, 具体为目标在追踪过程中得到了激活, 而非目标受到了抑制。fMRI研究比较一致地发现了顶叶(包括前顶内沟、后顶内沟、顶上小叶)、背外侧额叶皮层等在注意追踪中的强烈激活。其中顶内沟主要与注意负荷有关, 顶内沟的活动水平直接决定了观察者注意追踪的行为表现。而顶上小叶可能更多的负责注意转移。背外侧额叶皮层可能负责追踪时的感觉运动预测过程。     

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。     

低自尊个体注意偏向的ERP研究

本研究以高兴、愤怒和中性面孔图片为实验材料,采用空间线索任务,借助事件相关电位技术(ERP)探讨低自尊个体注意偏向的内在机制及生理基础,即从电生理的角度,探讨注意偏向的内在机制是反映了注意的快速定向还是注意的解脱困难,亦或是既有快速注意定向又伴随注意的解脱困难。行为数据发现,高低自尊个体在有效提示下的反应显著快于无效提示条件。脑电数据发现,无效提示条件下,愤怒面孔后的靶子比高兴和中性面孔后的靶子在低自尊个体中诱发了更大的P1和更小的N1波幅,有效提示下无显著差异;高自尊个体在N1和P1波幅上无显著结果。晚期P300成分上,无效提示比有效提示诱发了更正的波幅,未发现自尊相关的显著差异。结果表明,低自尊个体对评价性威胁信息(愤怒)的注意偏向是对威胁信息(愤怒)的注意解脱困难。     

重复信任博弈的决策过程与结果评价

“信任他人或者不信任他人?”是社会互动中经常面临一种行为决择, 直接影响着个体的社会生活。作为一种重要的社会信号机制, 信任是建立良好社会关系的基石, 它能够降低社会交易成本, 易化合作行为。为了探究个体在信任互动情境下大脑活动变化的时间动态特征, 采用事件相关电位技术记录了20名健康被试(充当信任者)完成重复性信任博弈任务(repeated Trust Game, rTG)时的脑电成分。行为结果发现个体选择信任的比例显著高于几率水平。电生理学结果表明, 决策阶段中不信任选择比信任选择诱发了更正的P2成分(150~250 ms), 差异波溯源分析定位于额中回(middle frontal gyrus, BA 46)和额下回(inferior frontal gyrus, BA 46)。反馈阶段中损失反馈比获益反馈诱发了更负的FRN成分(200~300 ms), 而获益反馈比损失反馈诱发了更短的P300潜伏期。本研究为理解人类信任博弈过程的动态加工时程提供了初步的神经电生理学证据。     

理解私人意图与交际意图的ERP证据

已有的意图理解神经成像研究大多关注理解单一个体私人意图的脑功能定位, 而较少涉及两个或更多人的社会性交际意图, 大脑区分私人意图和交际意图的动态时间过程尚不清楚。本研究记录了16名健康被试理解三种不同意图任务时的脑电成分。三种意图分别为: 1)私人意图; 2)交际意图; 3)物理意图。电生理学结果表明在大脑顶区, 私人意图的N250的峰值显著大于交际意图和物理意图。在晚期阶段(300~600 ms), 交际意图的晚期正成分(LPC)的平均波幅要显著大于私人意图和物理意图。在400~600 ms时, 私人意图的LPC的平均波幅要显著大于物理意图。本研究为理解私人意图和交际意图的动态加工过程提供了神经电生理学的初步证据。     

以超常儿童为被试的个体差异研究

有关个体差异的问题一直是心理学家和社会公众所感兴趣的。作者及其研究组今年来一直致力于个体差异的研究,特别是以智力超常儿童为被试,比较他们与常态儿童在认知、社会性和神经活动方面的差异。研究的目的是试图回答诸如“为什么有些孩子比其他孩子表现等更优秀？”等问题。作者对超常儿童与常态儿童在智力、信息加工速度、事件相关电位及自我概念等方面的差异做了总结     

Protective role of educational level on episodic memory aging: An event-related potential study

The aim of the present experiment was to investigate whether educational level could modulate the effect of aging on episodic memory and on the electrophysiological correlates of retrieval success. Participants were divided into four groups based on age (young vs. older) and educational level (high vs. low), with 14 participants in each group. Event-related potentials (ERP) were recorded while participants performed a word-stem cued-recall task. Age-related memory deficits were greater for the less educated individuals. Age differences in the ERP old/new effects were also modulated by the level of education. This study demonstrated that the effects of age on episodic memory and ERP correlates of retrieval success are smaller in participants with high educational levels than those with lower levels. These findings provide support for the reserve hypothesis and highlight the need to consider individual differences when studying cognitive and cerebral changes in aging.     

Individual differences in working memory capacity predict action monitoring and the error-related negativity

Neuroscience suggests that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is responsible for conflict monitoring and the detection of errors in cognitive tasks, thereby contributing to the implementation of attentional control. Though individual differences in frontally mediated goal maintenance have clearly been shown to influence outward behavior in interference-rich contexts, it is unclear whether corresponding differences exist in neural responses that arise out of the ACC. To investigate this possibility, we conducted an electrophysiological study using a variant of the Simon Task, recording event-related potentials (ERPs) in healthy normal individuals with varying working memory capacity (high vs. low spans; a behavioral proxy for variability in goal maintenance). Primary analyses focused on the magnitude of the error-related negativity (ERN), a response-locked ERP component associated with the commission of errors thought to arise because of action monitoring in the ACC. Our results revealed that frontally mediated working memory capacity may alter error monitoring by the ACC, with high spans showing a greater ERN than low spans. These individual differences were also observed in the posterror positivity, a response-locked ERP component associated with updating cognitive strategies, suggesting greater awareness of errors with increased working memory capacity. These results are interpreted within 2-process models of attentional control, suggesting individuals with greater working memory capacity may better maintain task goals by more strongly biasing neural activity in frontal-executive networks.     

The concurrent validity of the N-back task as a working memory measure

The N-back task is used extensively in literature as a working memory (WM) paradigm and it is increasingly used as a measure of individual differences. However, not much is known about the psychometric properties of this task and the current study aims to shed more light on this issue. We first review the current literature on the psychometric properties of the N-back task. With three experiments using task variants with different stimuli and load levels, we then investigate the nature of the N-back task by investigating its relationship to WM, and its role as an inter-individual difference measure. Consistent with previous literature, our data suggest that the N-back task is not a useful measure of individual differences in WM, partly because of its insufficient reliability. Nevertheless, the task seems to be useful for experimental research in WM and also well predicts inter-individual differences in other higher cognitive functions, such as fluid intelligence, especially when used at higher levels of load.     

智力与心理速度的关系研究述评

目前在智力研究领域出现了一种新的研究趋势,研究者开始关注心理计量学智力与认知或生理心理学变量的相关,考察的重点是心理速度,相应的测量指标主要有检测时（IT）、反应时、ERP或神经传导速度,等等。在运用IT任务进行的ERP研究中发现,ERP波幅和潜伏期的不同往往能够反映出智力上的差异。信息加工速度和神经传导速度均与一般智力因素（g因素）存在较高的相关。上述研究发现促进了智力与心理速度关系的跨学科研究,成为智力研究领域中的热点     

Managing Emotions During Team Problem Solving: Emotional Intelligence and Conflict Resolution

Although the potential links between emotional intelligence and performance continue to garner interest, few empirical studies have examined this phenomenon. The influence of emotional intelligence on team performance is of particular interest to researchers and practitioners as teamwork becomes more prevalent in organizations. In this article, we examine the utility of emotional intelligence for predicting individual performance, team performance, and conflict resolution styles. Three-hundred-and-fifty respondents working in 108 teams were administered a measure of team members' emotional intelligence. Participants then completed a problem-solving task, individually and as a team member, and afterwards reflected on the conflict resolution tactics used to achieve the team outcome. In line with expectations, emotional intelligence indicators were positively linked with team performance and were differentially linked to conflict resolution methods. Limitations and implications for future research are also discussed.     

Error-related electrocortical responses in 10-year-old children and young adults

Recent anatomical and electrophysiological evidence suggests that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is relatively late to mature. This brain region appears to be critical for monitoring, evaluating, and adjusting ongoing behaviors. This monitoring elicits characteristic ERP components including the error-related negativity (ERN), error positivity (Pe) and correct-related negativity (CRN), with the ERN clearly relating to activation of the ACC; however, little attention has been paid to the examination of these ERP components in children. The present study examined developmental differences in the ERN, Pe, and CRN in normal 10-year-old children and young adults in a standard visual flanker task. We found that children had smaller ERNs than adults, with no between-group differences on the Pe, and some ambiguity concerning the CRN. Results provide electrophysiological support either for late maturation of the ACC or late involvement of the ACC in response monitoring. Results also suggest that there is some functional independence of response-monitoring ERP components. Error-related ERPs may be a useful tool in studying the development of this brain region and its role in behavior in normal and atypical development.     

情绪对不同智力水平学生推理操作的影响

本研究试图探讨三种情绪状态(喜悦、中性、悲伤)对13岁不同智力水平学生思维推理操作(简单、一般、复杂)的影响及相互关系。研究表明,在简单和中等推理中,喜悦对优等、中等智力组的推理起更大的促进作用;在较高难度推理中,优等智力组受喜悦情绪的干扰,悲伤对不同智力组都产生干扰作用。对优等智力组而言,情绪强度(由负到正的变化)与智能操作活动效果之间的关系符合耶尔克斯—道森定律,即优等智力组在完成较复杂推理中以中性情绪为最佳;中等智力组和中下等智力组的操作效果不符合该定律。