视觉空间关系判断的分离与协同

采用任务表征相互影响范式,通过三个实验探讨了类别空间关系判断和数量空间关系判断的加工特性和相互关系.结果表明:(1)先行类别关系启动有利于数量空间关系判断,对类别空间关系判断没有影响;先行数量关系启动对两个判断任务均无影响.(2)先行类别关系干扰降低两个空间关系判断的绩效,先行数量关系干扰对两个空间关系判断没有影响.(3)先行类别关系对空间关系判断的启动和干扰效应不局限于特定条件,具有普遍性.研究提示,右脑为优势半球的数量关系加工以左脑为优势半球的类别关系加工为基础,支持视觉空间认知加工既分离又协同的观点.     

相对到达时间任务中飞行员对客体特征与运动特征的分离

相对到达时间任务(RAT)是判断两个运动客体哪个先到达指定目标, 可用来评估个体动态空间能力。采用RAT任务对飞行员与普通被试进行对照研究, 寻求发现两组在运动客体特征和视觉空间运动特征及其相互关系上的处理差异。设计了3个实验分别考察客体颜色、客体大小、运动方向、速率大小、视线方向以及背景特征对判断的影响。结果显示：(1)客体颜色不影响运动客体的相对时间判断, 客体大小、运动方向、速率大小、视线方向以及背景特征影响判断; (2)控制组对显示屏上从左到右的运动客体的相对时间判断好于从右到左任务, 大速率任务判断更好, 对大客体快速行驶而小客体低速行驶时的相对到达时间更易区分, 且与两眼视线方向不一致的运动方向会使控制组判断更难, 运动背景中的目标线特征改变使控制组判断绩效降低; (3)和控制组比, 飞行员反应快正确率高, 其快速判断优势集中体现在从右到左运动以及小速率任务上, 且在不同运动方向和不同速率上的反应时均无差异, 飞行员的处理优势还表现在不受客体大小、视线方向改变和目标线特征改变的影响。结论：飞行员能在变化的空间中准确处理相对速度、相对距离、相对时间等运动信息, 能分离客体大小、背景、运动方向等因素对相对到达时间判断的影响, 在运动空间中飞行员具有较高场独立性认知特征和动态空间处理能力。     

运动空间定向判断中的方向偏差及飞行惯性

模拟客体起飞和降落运动,探讨飞行场景中不同运动位置、不同意义客体和运动方向下个体运动空间定向判断能力。结果表明：(1)对降落运动轨迹的判断正确率显著低于起飞运动;(2)无意义客体偏高轨迹的判断正确率显著小于偏低轨迹,表现出方向偏差;(3)飞行场景影响方向偏差的表现形式,当飞机降落运动时,易将偏低路径判断为与预设轨迹相同,而飞机起飞运动时,易将偏高路径判断为相同,表明降落时飞机被知觉为会向斜下方越飞越低,而起飞时飞机会向斜上方越飞越高,表现出飞行惯性。结论：运动空间定向判断受到重力表征及个体知识经验等共同影响,具有认知可渗透性。     

运动空间定向判断中的方向偏差及飞行惯性

模拟客体起飞和降落运动,探讨飞行场景中不同运动位置、不同意义客体和运动方向下个体运动空间定向判断能力。结果表明：(1)对降落运动轨迹的判断正确率显著低于起飞运动;(2)无意义客体偏高轨迹的判断正确率显著小于偏低轨迹,表现出方向偏差;(3)飞行场景影响方向偏差的表现形式,当飞机降落运动时,易将偏低路径判断为与预设轨迹相同,而飞机起飞运动时,易将偏高路径判断为相同,表明降落时飞机被知觉为会向斜下方越飞越低,而起飞时飞机会向斜上方越飞越高,表现出飞行惯性。结论：运动空间定向判断受到重力表征及个体知识经验等共同影响,具有认知可渗透性。     

视觉工作记忆的同类别存储优势

概念规律如记忆项间的类别关系如何影响视觉工作记忆容量是一个有争议的问题。针对该问题, 学界存在两种预测截然不同的假说：(1)混合类别优势假说, (2)同类别优势假说。综述文献发现, 该类研究均采用带有细节特征的真实客体作为实验材料, 因此前人研究中发现的混合类别优势效应或同类别优势效应中必然混有低水平知觉特征的影响。故本研究采用去除细节信息的动物剪影作为记忆材料来排除上述因素的影响, 旨在厘清上述两种假设, 并采用对侧延迟活动作为神经指标, 来进一步探讨概念规律影响工作记忆容量的内在机制。两个行为实验发现, 不论记忆项同时呈现还是序列呈现, 均存在同类别记忆优势效应。脑电实验结果发现相比记忆不同类别客体, 记忆同等数量的同类别客体诱发的对侧延迟活动的幅值更小。上述结果一致表明, 视觉工作记忆可借助概念的方式将同类别客体加以组织, 从而有效扩大视觉工作记忆容量, 支持了同类别优势假说。     

语言标签和自我关联对新颖客体类别知觉的影响

类别知觉(Categorical perception)是人类最基本的认知活动之一, 探讨语言对类别知觉的影响是心理语言学领域的热门话题之一。在这个研究的3个实验中, 分别在高、低不同的语言标签表征强度下、高、低不同的客体自我关联程度下观察新颖客体类别知觉的过程。研究发现, 语言标签表征程度的增强可促进新颖客体类别知觉的右视野优势效应; 客体与自我关联程度的提高会促进左、右视野的类别知觉效应; 语言标签的表征程度和客体与自我关联程度同时增强时, 语言标签的作用依旧表现出来, 但与自我关联的影响产生权衡分配, 且其影响力并不足以产生右视野优势效应。     

飞行场景中表征动量的地标吸引效应和排斥效应

设置了安全和危险两种地标, 采用诱导运动范式考察了飞行场景中运动目标和关联地标的相对关系、目标运动方向及关联地标的意义特征和呈现时间对运动目标位置判断的影响。结果显示: (1)飞行场景中飞机的表征动量较强; (2) 趋近安全地标的表征动量大于远离安全地标的表征动量, 趋近危险地标的表征动量小于远离危险地标的表征动量, 安全地标呈现出地标吸引效应, 而危险地标呈现出地标排斥效应; (3) 高关联的安全和危险地标使飞机的表征动量不受运动方向影响; (4) 保持间隔期间呈现的安全和危险地标使飞机的表征动量增加。结论 :表征动量的地标效应受制于地标意义特征, 表征动量受到目标和地标之间的因果关系和情景意义的影响。     

三维情境中类别空间关系加工的影响因素研究——观察角度、刺激位置及背景属性

研究采用目标-类别范式,通过两个实验探讨三维情境中观察角度、靶刺激所在物体颜色和形状的相似性、靶刺激空间距离及离开水平方向的角度对类别空间关系加工的影响。研究结果表明,在不同的观察角度,获得物体的信息越多,类别空间关系判断越容易;背景颜色相似性高类别空间关系加工的效率较低;两个靶刺激之间的距离对于类别空间判断影响较小;靶刺激观察角度为竖直和水平方向时,类别空间关系判断的效率较低。     

基于参数表征的数量空间关系加工

空间关系的理解是概念表征向知觉表征的转化, 而空间关系的表达则是知觉表征向概念表征的转化。两种表征的转化以参照系为中介。视觉数量空间关系加工属于知觉表征向概念表征转化的空间关系表达过程。本研究通过控制方向、朝向及距离在启动与探测中的匹配关系, 采用三个实验探讨了数量空间关系加工中参照系各参数的表征及其相互作用。结果发现：(1) 数量空间关系加工中存在方向表征, 一定任务情境下存在朝向表征。(2) 距离匹配的促进效果只在启动刺激和探测刺激的方位关系处于参照系同轴时发生。这些结果进而说明, 数量空间关系加工中内隐地包含类别空间关系表征, 一定任务情境下, 可能存在垂直/水平的类别空间关系表征; 数量空间关系加工中的距离是联系于参照系轴的表征。     

类别数量对基于规则和信息整合类别学习的影响

研究以大学生为被试,运用即时反馈训练范式,探讨类别数量对基于规则和信息整合两种结构的类别学习的影响,并探讨被试在类别学习过程中的反应策略。实验结果显示:(1)类别数量不仅影响基于规则结构的类别学习,也影响信息整合结构的类别学习,类别学习成绩随类别数量的增多而下降;(2)在基于规则类别学习中,大多数被试使用理想的分类规则进行类别判断;在信息整合类别学习中,大多数被试使用极端值策略。研究结果支持难度观,不支持多重系统理论。     

Representation and perception of scenic layout

This paper presents a cognitive approach to on-line spatial perception within scenes. A theoretical framework is developed, based on the idea that experience with a scene can activate a complex representation of layout that facilitates subsequent processing of spatial relations within the scene. The representations integrate significant, relevant scenic information and are substantial in amount or extent. The representations are active across short periods of time and across changes in the retinal position of the image. These claims were supported in a series of experiments in which pictures of scenes (primes) facilitated subsequent spatial relations processing within the scenes. The prime-induced representations integrated object identity and layout, were broad in scope, involved both foreground and background information, and were effective across changes in image position.     

Implied motion language can influence visual spatial memory

How do language and vision interact? Specifically, what impact can language have on visual processing, especially related to spatial memory? What are typically considered errors in visual processing, such as remembering the location of an object to be farther along its motion trajectory than it actually is, can be explained as perceptual achievements that are driven by our ability to anticipate future events. In two experiments, we tested whether the prior presentation of motion language influences visual spatial memory in ways that afford greater perceptual prediction. Experiment 1 showed that motion language influenced judgments for the spatial memory of an object beyond the known effects of implied motion present in the image itself. Experiment 2 replicated this finding. Our findings support a theory of perception as prediction.     

Differential use of distance and location information for spatial localization

Five experiments are reported in which subjects judged the movement or spatial location of a visible object that underwent a combination of real and induced (illusory) motion. When subjects attempted to reproduce the distance that the object moved by moving their unseen hands, they were more affected by the illusion than when they pointed to the object's perceived final location. Furthermore, pointing to the final location was more affected by the illusion when the hand movement began from the same position as that at which the object initially appeared, as compared with responses that began from other positions. The results suggest that people may separately encode two distinct types of spatial information: (1) information about the distance moved by an object and (2) information about the absolute spatial location of the object. Information about distance is more susceptible to the influence of an induced motion illusion, and people appear to rely differentially on the different types of spatial information, depending on features of the pointing response. The results have important implications for the mechanisms that underlie spatially oriented behavior in general.     

Face inversion disrupts the perception of vertical relations between features in the right human occipito‐temporal cortex

The impact of inversion on the extraction of relational and featural face information was investigated in two fMRI experiments. Unlike previous studies, the contribution of horizontal and vertical spatial relations were considered separately since they have been shown to be differentially vulnerable to face inversion (Goffaux & Rossion, 2007). Hence, inversion largely affects the perception of vertical relations (e.g. eye or mouth height) while the processing of features (e.g. eye shape and surface) and of horizontal relations (e.g. inter‐ocular distance) is affected to a far lesser extent. Participants viewed pairs of faces that differed either at the level of one local feature (i.e. the eyes) or of the spatial relations of this feature with adjacent features. Changes of spatial relations were divided into two conditions, depending on the vertical or horizontal axis of the modifications. These stimulus conditions were presented in separate blocks in the first (block) experiment while they were presented in a random order in the second event‐related (ER) experiment. Face‐preferring voxels located in the right‐lateralized middle fusiform gyrus (rMFG) largely decreased their activity with inversion. Inversion‐related decreases were more moderate in left‐lateralized middle fusiform gyrus (lMFG). ER experiment revealed that inversion affected rMFG and lMFG activity in distinct stimulus conditions. Whereas inversion affected lMFG processing only in featural condition, inversion selectively affected the processing of vertical relations in rMFG. Correlation analyses further indicated that the inversion effect (IE) observed in rMFG and right inferior occipital gyrus (rIOG) reliably predicted the large behavioural IE observed for the processing of vertical relations. In contrast, lMFG IE correlated with the weak behavioural IE observed for the processing of horizontal relations. Our findings suggest that face configuration is mostly encoded in rMFG, whereas more local aspects of face information, such as features and horizontal spatial relations drive lMFG processing. These findings corroborate the view that the vulnerability of face perception to inversion stems mainly from the disrupted processing of vertical face relations in the right‐lateralized network of face‐preferring regions (rMFG, rIOG).     

A Possible Connection between Categorical and Coordinate Spatial Relation Representations

Kosslyn (1987) theorized that the visual system uses two types of spatial relations. Categorical spatial relations represent a range of locations as an equivalence class, whereas coordinate spatial relations represent the precise distance between two objects. Data indicate a left hemisphere (LH) advantage for processing categorical spatial relations and a right hemisphere (RH) advantage for processing coordinate spatial relations. Although generally assumed to be independent processes, this article proposes a possible connection between categorical and coordinate spatial relations. Specifically, categorical spatial relations may be an initial stage in the formation of coordinate spatial relations. Three experiments tested the hypothesis that categorical information would benefit tasks that required coordinate judgments. Experiments 1 and 2 presented categorical information before participants made coordinate judgments and coordinate information before participants made categorical judgments. Categorical information sped the processing of a coordinate task under a range of experimental variables; however, coordinate information did not benefit categorical judgments. Experiment 3 used this priming paradigm to present stimuli in the left or right visual field. Although visual field differences were present in the third experiment, categorical information did not speed the processing of a coordinate task. The lack of priming effects in Experiment 3 may have been due to methodological changes. In general, support is provided that categorical spatial relations may act as an initial step in the formation of more precise distance representations, i.e., coordinate spatial relations.     

Infants’ reasoning about ambiguous motion events: The role of spatiotemporal and dispositional status information

Two experiments investigate whether 7-month-olds reason about the origin of motion events by considering two sources of causally relevant information: spatiotemporal cues and dispositional status information derived from the identification of an object as either animate (with the enduring causal property of self-initiated motion) or inanimate (requiring an external cause of motion). Infants were shown a ball, a human hand, and an animal engaged in a motion event. While dispositional status information remained constant, spatiotemporal relations varied across conditions. Based on looking time data, we conclude that infants attend flexibly to both types of information. Without spatiotemporal cues, infants rely on dispositional status information. When two objects provide dispositional cues to motion origin, but only one also provides corresponding spatiotemporal information, infants attribute the motion to the object providing both types of information. Given an ambiguous motion event with two dispositional motion originators but no additional spatiotemporal cues, infants may prefer either of the two.     

The development of categorical and coordinate spatial relations

Two classes of spatial relations can be distinguished in between and within object representations. Kosslyn [Kosslyn, S. M. (1987). Seeing and imagining in the cerebral hemispheres: A computational approach. Psychological Review, 94, 148–175] suggested that the right hemisphere (RH) is specialized for processing coordinate (metric) spatial information and the left hemisphere (LH) processes categorical (abstract) information more effectively. The present study examined the developmental pattern of spatial relation processing in 6–8-year old, 10–12-year old and adults. Using signal detection analyses we calculated sensitivity and bias scores for all age groups. The results indicated that older children and adults showed a greater response bias than younger children. Also, discrimination sensitivity for spatial relation changes clearly improved with age. For the oldest children (10–12-year old) and adults this improvement was accompanied by a RH specialization. In contrast with Kosslyn's claim, this RH advantage also applied to the processing of categorical spatial information. The results are discussed in terms of a right hemispheric specialization for spatial relation processing which matures with age.     

New motion illusion caused by pictorial motion lines

Motion lines (MLs) are a pictorial technique used to represent object movement in a still picture. This study explored how MLs contribute to motion perception. In Experiment 1, we reported the creation of a motion illusion caused by MLs: random displacements of objects with MLs on each frame were perceived as unidirectional global motion along the pictorial motion direction implied by MLs. In Experiment 2, we showed that the illusory global motion in the peripheral visual field captured the perceived motion direction of random displacement of objects without MLs in the central visual field, and confirmed that the results in Experiment 1 did not stem simply from response bias, but resulted from perceptual processing. In Experiment 3, we showed that the spatial arrangement of orientation information rather than ML length is important for the illusory global motion. Our results indicate that the ML effect is based on perceptual processing rather than response bias, and that comparison of neighboring orientation components may underlie the determination of pictorial motion direction with MLs.     

Perceptual constraints on implicit learning of spatial context

If perspective views of an object in two orientations are displayed in alternation, observers will experience the object rotating back and forth in three-dimensional space. Rotational motion is perceived even though only two views are displayed and each view is two-dimensional. The results of 5 experiments converge on the conclusion that the perception of apparent rotational motion produces representations in visual memory corresponding to the spatial structure of the object along its arc of rotation. These representations are view-dependent, preserving information about spatial structure from particular perspectives, but do not preserve low-level perceptual details of the stimulus.     

Object updating and the flash-lag effect

Flash lag is a misperception of spatial relations between a moving object and a briefly flashed stationary one. This study began with the observation that the illusion occurs when the moving object continues following the flash, but is eliminated if the object's motion path ends with the flash. The data show that disrupting the continuity of the moving object, via a transient change in size or color, also eliminates the illusion. We propose that this is because a large feature change leads to the formation of a second object representation. Direct evidence for this proposal is provided by the results for a corollary perceptual feature of the disruption in object continuity: the perception of two objects, rather than only one, on the motion path.