注意缺陷多动障碍儿童的表征搜索

为探索ADHD儿童在时间维度上的视觉选择性注意的基本机制,揭示其表征搜索能力是否存在缺陷,研究采用RSVP范式,通过实验材料(字母和数字)和呈现方式操作两种搜索方式:序列搜索和平行搜索,比较ADHD儿童(18名)和控制组儿童(17名)的成绩差异。结果发现:①在平行搜索和序列搜索条件下,ADHD儿童的成绩均低于正常控制组;②比较平行搜索和序列搜索条件下的成绩变化,以及由低难度到高难度上成绩的变化,无论是正确率还是反应时均发现ADHD儿童和正常儿童具有相同的成绩变化模式。结论认为ADHD儿童在视觉选择性注意的基本搜索机制上并不存在明显缺陷。     

任务转换条件下对特征的并行搜索

采用双任务范式,以两个实验探讨了任务设置与刺激特征的匹配程度对特征搜索方式的影响。要求被试首先辨认数字序列中包含的字母,随后完成特征搜索任务。在实验一中特征搜索任务是检测同时呈现的多个灰色圆点(干扰子）中是否有红色圆点(目标）出现。在实验二中,以多种不同颜色的圆点代替实验一中的灰色干扰子。结果发现：在特征搜索主要由自下而上的信息或自上而下的信息引导的两种条件下,任务设置与刺激特征的匹配程度均不影响特征搜索方式,特征搜索仍以并行方式进行。据上述结果笔者推测,在任务设置与刺激特征不匹配的条件下,视觉加工系统首先调整任务设置使二者相匹配,随后进行高效率的并行搜索,而非在二者不匹配的条件下进行低效率的系列搜索。     

言语工作记忆内容在语义水平的注意捕获

采用工作记忆−视觉搜索双任务范式, 探讨不同呈现方式下与言语工作记忆内容语义水平匹配的刺激的注意捕获效应。结果发现：(1)视觉呈现下, 与言语工作记忆内容知觉和语义匹配的刺激均能捕获注意, 且在视觉搜索快速反应的阶段仍能捕获注意; (2)听觉呈现下, 与言语工作记忆内容语义匹配的刺激不能捕获注意, 反而被抑制, 但在视觉搜索快速反应的早期阶段却能捕获注意。研究表明, 基于视听呈现的言语工作记忆内容在语义水平对注意的引导作用可发生在注意搜索过程快速反应的早期阶段。而晚期阶段由于受到跨通道注意选择的抑制, 听觉呈现下的语义表征不能捕获注意, 而视觉呈现下的语义表征仍能捕获注意。     

关于轮廓与视觉搜索顺序的实验研究

轮廓是图形识别的重要线索,在平行加工形成轮廓的基础上,进一步的特征搜索会与轮廓有关。本研究通过3个实验探讨轮廓对于搜索顺序的作用。实验一的目的在于确认轮廓因素在视觉搜索中的关键作用,实验结果进一步验证了视觉搜索中存在“可能目标”的心理表征。实验二结果显示,图形的重叠虽然可以产生新的特征,但是未必提高搜索速度。由此引入关于轮廓与视觉搜索顺序的关系问题,提出了在轮廓形成的基础上搜索区别性特征的顺序为轮廓外区→轮廓本身→轮廓内区的假设。实验三进一步检验这个假设。     

认知控制在工作记忆表征引导注意中的作用:来自眼动的证据

研究同时采用首次注视点百分率与行为反应时指标,探讨了认知控制在无关工作记忆表征引导视觉注意选择过程中的作用。实验1发现:当视觉搜索容易时,首次注视点百分率和反应时指标都出现了注意引导效应;而当视觉搜索困难时,在反映早期注意定向的首次注视点百分率指标上,搜索快的被试组的注意引导效应显著大于搜索慢的被试组,而在行为反应时指标上,搜索快的被试组表现出注意引导效应,但搜索慢的被试组则表现出相反的注意拒绝效应。实验2发现当采用更为突显的靶子刺激时,首次注视点百分率指标上表现出的注意引导效应并未受到视觉搜索靶子显著性的影响,甚至还表现出一定的优先性。这些结果表明认知控制在工作记忆表征引导视觉注意的过程中所起的作用是动态变化的,视觉搜索早期注意定向阶段的注意引导效应比较稳健,认知控制只能减弱其效应的量值,而在随后的视觉搜索过程中,当视觉搜索比较缓慢时,认知控制可能会将注意引导效应反转为相反的注意拒绝效应。     

动、静态视觉信息在真实世界视觉搜索中的作用

真实环境中的视觉搜索是人和动物赖以生存的重要能力。目前的视觉搜索研究多使用静态的观察者和静止的二维搜索对象, 侧重于探究注意在搜索中的作用; 现有的视觉搜索理论模型主要概括了影响搜索的自上而下的注意因素, 而将自下而上影响因素简单归结为影像显著性, 然而在真实环境中, 观察者或搜索对象是可以运动的, 搜索时可利用的视觉信息包括动态光流和静态影像结构信息。已有的视觉识别研究发现这两种信息相结合可以使观察者准确持久地识别场景、事件和三维结构。在现有视觉搜索理论模型中引入两种视觉信息可以较好还原真实环境中的搜索任务。我们提出研究构想和实验方案,探究利用动、静态视觉信息的视觉搜索过程, 从而完善现有的视觉搜索模型。我们认为充分利用环境信息可以提高搜索效率, 且在视觉搜索训练和智能搜索设计等方面有重要的应用价值。     

13~15岁儿童对愤怒表情觉察的特点

本研究以13~15岁的青少年为被试,使用视觉搜索任务,要求被试对呈现在愤怒、愉快和中性图示面孔表情图片中的表情相同和表情不同的图片进行判断,从而检验青少年对愤怒表情、愉快表情和中性表情觉察效果的差异.结果表明:(1)当呈现相同的表情时,青少年对愤怒表情的图片的觉察比对愉快表情的图片的觉察要慢.(2)当呈现的表情中有不同的表情时,青少年对愤怒表情的觉察要快于对愉快表情的觉察.(3)青少年对愤怒表情的搜索斜率低于对愉快表情的搜索斜率.对愤怒表情的搜索和对愉快表情的搜索都为系列搜索.     

自我相关信息对视觉搜索主动抑制的易化作用

工作记忆表征会以自上而下的方式调控注意选择过程, 其中一种表现就是能够对储存的干扰物表征产生注意的主动抑制, 进而提高对目标的搜索效率。另一方面, 凸显性刺激也会以自下而上的方式优先捕获注意。那么, 当保持在工作记忆中的干扰物为更具社会凸显性特征的刺激(如与自己有关的信息)时, 会对视觉搜索过程中的注意抑制产生怎样的影响, 目前尚不清楚。本研究采用短暂联结任务和工作记忆引导的视觉搜索任务范式, 探讨了自我凸显性对注意主动抑制的影响。结果发现, 相比他人和中性条件, 当工作记忆表征为自我联结刺激时, 目标搜索反应更快。本研究从行为层面为自我相关信息能够易化主动抑制过程提供了证据。     

项目突显方式对视觉搜索策略的影响

搜索策略是将视觉注意导引到目标最可能出现位置的直接认知控制。本研究采用眼动跟踪技术与视觉搜索时间——鼠标点击时间的分离技术,探讨计算机视觉界面不同项目突显方式下的搜索策略问题。结果表明：（1）有无项目突显方式、不同的突显有效性水平,被试采用了导向式和序列式两种不同的搜索策略;（2）被试采用导向式搜索策略时,被试在第一个感兴趣区域首注视点百分比小于58.3％,在视觉搜索过程中的注视点数量明显较小、扫视轨迹长度和注视时间明显较少;（3）被试采用序列式搜索策略时,被试在第一个感兴趣区域首注视点百分比大于58.3％,在视觉搜索过程中的注视点数量明显较多、扫视轨迹长度和注视时间明显较长;（4）采用导向式的视觉搜索策略能显著减少被试的视觉搜索时间,提高视觉搜索的绩效,但不能显著减少被试的鼠标点击时间;（5）因为视觉界面上突显的设置改变了用户的搜索策略,所以提高了视觉搜索绩效。     

视觉搜索中基于工作记忆内容的注意捕获与抑制

注意是对有关信息的选择及对无关信息的抑制, 工作记忆是对有关信息的保持以及对无关信息的抑制, 两者在一定程度上都体现了选择性地指向与当前任务有关的刺激并同时抑制无关刺激。在系统地回顾已有研究的基础上结合新近的ERP研究, 从视觉搜索中基于工作记忆内容的注意捕获与注意抑制两个角度综述了视觉工作记忆与视觉选择性注意的相关研究。研究者们主要从两方面对该领域的问题进行了探讨：(1)视觉工作记忆内容对视觉选择性注意的导向作用; (2)视觉工作记忆内容对视觉选择性注意产生导向作用的条件。文章对以往的研究进行了总结, 指出了无论保持在视觉工作记忆的内容是捕获注意还是受到抑制, 都存在着自上而下和自下而上两种加工机制。     

Deployment Stress and Well-Being Among Military Spouses: The Role of Social Support

The demands of military service, including the intensity and frequency of military operations, can have numerous effects on military families. Evidence suggests that spousal support may play an important role in the resiliency of military families. The present study examined the roles of deployment stress and social support in the psychological well-being of spouses of deployed military personnel (N = 639). The results showed that deployment stress and perceived social support from family, nonmilitary friends, and military partner played independent roles in the psychological wellbeing of military spouses. This evidence suggests the importance of taking perceived social support into account when explaining the variance in the psychological wellbeing of military spouses. Results are discussed in light of some methodological constraints, and the potential implications related to heightening families’ perceptions of interpersonal relationships are emphasized.     

A Psychological Support for Peacekeeping Soldiers and their Families: A Preliminary Model

Being a military family can be challenging, and the demands placed on soldiers and their families can become very complex. Military deployments are part of a soldier's military career that cannot be avoided and have the potential to influence military families directly. Separation within a military family is an inherent consequence of military deployments. Military deployments consist of various phases. Each phase has unique emotional and psychological challenges attached to it. These challenges can significantly influence every member in the military family. It is therefore imperative that the military, soldier and military families be sensitized around these phases and their unique challenges. A model is proposed to empower military families in the face of deployment.     

Factors Associated With Physical Aggression Among US Army Soldiers

There are a growing number of studies that have approximated levels of aggression and associated outcomes among combat veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan using brief screening assessments. However, further research to evaluate the relative role of combat exposures and overt physical behaviors is required to further elucidate potential associations between military service, combat deployment, and overt physical aggression. The purpose of the current study was to assess the prevalence of self‐reported physical aggression in a sample of US Army soldiers using an adaptation of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2), and examine factors associated with higher levels of aggression. A population‐based cross‐sectional study was conducted at a single US Army Installation within a sample of active duty US Army soldiers (n = 6,128) from two large units. Anonymous surveys were collected 6 months following deployment to measure overt aggressive behaviors, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, traumatic brain injury, and misuse of alcohol. There were a relatively higher number of minor and severe physical overt aggressive actions reported among soldiers who previously deployed, notably highest among deployed soldiers reporting the highest levels of combat intensity. Soldiers screening positive for the misuse of alcohol were also significantly more likely to report relatively higher levels of physical aggression. This study quantified overt aggressive behaviors and associated factors, showing increasing combat exposures may result in increased physical aggression. Clinicians treating service members returning from combat may consider assessing relative levels of combat. Aggr. Behav. 38:357‐367, 2012. Published 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.?     

Preparing for Deployment: Examining Family- and Individual-Level Factors

Deployment can be a significant source of stress for military families. Understanding how families prepare in the face of such stress, and which families are more versus less likely to prepare, is a priority of the Department of Defense. However, there has been scant research on how families prepare for deployments and the factors associated with engagement in preparation activities. The current study is a cross-sectional examination of the proportion of households engaging in deployment preparation activities and family-level and individual-level factors that are associated with these activities in a large and representative sample of married, deployable service members and their families from all military services and components (n = 1,621). Overall, results showed that families reported high rates of engaging in preparation activities, with particularly strong engagement in financial and legal preparation tasks. Talking about deployment to prepare a spouse or child was also relatively highly endorsed but not as frequently cited compared to other logistical preparation activities. Older spouses, officers, active component families, and those with higher marital satisfaction reported greater participation in preparation activities. Families with greater socioemotional difficulties, as indexed by child emotional problems or greater depressive symptoms in the service member or spouse, as well as those with lower spouse-reported marital satisfaction, were more likely to seek professional help. Evaluating the effectiveness of programs in reaching the families that may be least likely to prepare, as well as examining the longitudinal association between deployment preparation and postdeployment family adjustment, is an important area for further inquiry.     

A qualitative analysis of strategies for managing suicide-related events during deployment from the perspective of Army behavioral health providers,chaplains, and leaders

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the use of strategies for managing suicide-related events (SREs; i.e., suicide deaths, suicide attempts, and suicidal ideation with a plan and intent to die) during deployment from the perspective of Army decision makers: behavioral health providers (BHPs), chaplains, and leaders. A total of 76 Army personnel participated in individual interviews or focus groups. Participants identified unit watch, weapon removal, medical evacuations, and debriefings as common strategies used to manage SREs in deployed settings. Many of these strategies were highlighted as short-term solutions only. Participants also underscored the importance of unit cohesion and communication among leaders, BHPs, and chaplains to effectively manage SREs. The need for structured guidelines for successfully managing SREs in deployed settings is discussed.     

Associations of Stress Exposures and Social Support With Long-Term Mental Health Outcomes Among U.S. Iraq War Veterans

The long-term mental health effects of war-zone deployment in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars on military personnel are a significant public health concern. Using data collected prospectively at three distinct assessments during 2003–2014 as part of the Neurocognition Deployment Health Study and VA Cooperative Studies Program Study #566, we explored how stress exposures prior, during, and after return from deployment influence the long-term mental health outcomes of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety disorders, and problem drinking. Longer-term mental health outcomes were assessed in 375 service members and military veterans an average of 7.5 years (standard deviation = 1.0 year) after the initial (i.e., “index”) Iraq deployment following their predeployment assessment. Anxiety disorder was the most commonly observed long-term mental health outcome (36.0%), followed by depression (24.5%), PTSD (24.3%), and problem drinking (21.0%). Multivariable regression models showed that greater postdeployment stressors, as measured by the Post-Deployment Life Events scale, were associated with greater risk of depression, anxiety disorders, and problem drinking. Anxiety disorder was the only outcome affected by predeployment stress concerns. In addition, greater postdeployment social support was associated with lower risk of all outcomes except problem drinking. These findings highlight the importance of assessing postdeployment stress exposures, such as stressful or traumatic life events, given the potential impact of these stressors on long-term mental health outcomes. This study also highlights the importance of postdeployment social support as a modifiable protective factor that can be used to help mitigate risk of long-term adverse mental health outcomes following war-zone exposure.     

The Role of Natural Support Systems in the Post-deployment Adjustment of Active Duty Military Personnel

This study examined the relations among three different types of naturally occurring social support (from romantic partners, friends and neighbors, and unit leaders) and three indices of service member well‐being (self reports of depressive symptoms, satisfaction with military life, and perceptions of unit readiness) for service members who did and did not report negative experiences associated with military deployment. Data were drawn from the 2011 Community Assessment completed anonymously by more than 63,000 USAF personnel. Regression analyses revealed that higher levels of social support was associated with better outcomes regardless of negative deployment experiences. Evidence of moderation was also noted, with all forms of social support moderating the impact of negative deployment experiences on depressive symptoms and support from unit leaders moderating the impact of negative deployment experience on satisfaction with military life. No moderation was found for perceptions of unit readiness. Subgroup analyses revealed slightly different patterns for male and female service members, with support providing fewer moderation effects for women. These findings may have value for military leaders and mental health professionals working to harness the power of naturally occurring relationships to maximize the positive adjustment of service members and their families. Implications for practices related to re‐integration of post‐deployment military personnel are discussed.     

The cycle of violence as a function of PTSD and appetitive aggression: A longitudinal study with Burundian soldiers

During deployment, soldiers face situations in which they are not only exposed to violence but also have to perpetrate it themselves. This study investigates the role of soldiers' levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and appetitive aggression, that is, a lust for violence, for their engaging in violence during deployment. Furthermore, factors during deployment influencing the level of PTSD symptoms and appetitive aggression after deployment were examined for a better comprehension of the maintenance of violence. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 468 Burundian soldiers before and after a 1-year deployment to Somalia. To predict violent acts during deployment (perideployment) as well as appetitive aggression and PTSD symptom severity after deployment (postdeployment), structural equation modeling was utilized. Results showed that the number of violent acts perideployment was predicted by the level of appetitive aggression and by the severity of PTSD hyperarousal symptoms predeployment. In addition to its association with the predeployment level, appetitive aggression postdeployment was predicted by violent acts and trauma exposure perideployment as well as positively associated with unit support. PTSD symptom severity postdeployment was predicted by the severity of PTSD avoidance symptoms predeployment and trauma exposure perideployment, and negatively associated with unit support. This prospective study reveals the importance of appetitive aggression and PTSD hyperarousal symptoms for the engagement in violent acts during deployment, while simultaneously demonstrating how these phenomena may develop in mutually reinforcing cycles in a war setting.