阈下情绪面孔的注视线索提示效应

采用线索-靶子范式，利用2个预实验和1个正式实验，考察阈下不同情绪面孔的注视线索提示效应。要求被试在具有表情与注视线索的面孔呈现完毕后，快速而准确地对目标的位置进行判断。记录被试反应时间。结果显示，当被试未有意识的觉察到注视线索与面孔表情时，注视线索提示效应存在，并受到表情的调节。表现为：在注视线索有效并伴有恐惧表情时，被试对于目标的判断更加迅速；当比较不同表情下线索无效与线索有效条件下的反应时差异时发现，恐惧表情面孔出现时，线索无效与线索有效条件之间反应时的差异最大。结果表明，阈下情绪刺激能够激发个体更原始的生物性反应；在早期注意阶段，个体对于恐惧信息更加敏感，注意存在负向情绪偏差。     

阈下抑郁个体对负性情绪刺激的注意解脱困难

本研究拟采用点探测范式及不同情绪内容的面孔刺激（高兴、中性、悲伤和愤怒）考察阈下抑郁个体的负性注意偏向及其内在机制。点探测任务中情绪面孔配对呈现（负性-中性、正性-中性）,配对面孔中的情绪线索位置与靶刺激的位置构成负性一致/不一致和正性一致/不一致条件,同时实验中加入“中性-中性”面孔线索作为一致和不一致条件的对比基线来考察注意偏向的内在机制。结果发现,阈下抑郁个体在负性不一致条件下的反应时显著长于负性一致条件,表明阈下抑郁个体具有对负性刺激的注意偏向;进一步比较发现,阈下抑郁个体在负性不一致条件下的反应时显著的长于“中性-中性”基线条件,而负性一致条件与基线之间差异不显著,表明阈下抑郁个体的负性注意偏向为对负性刺激的注意解脱困难。结果另发现,阈下抑郁个体未能像无抑郁对照组个体表现出对正性刺激的注意偏向。结果表明,处于阈下抑郁状态的个体表现出对负性刺激的注意偏向,具体为对负性刺激的注意解脱困难,其原因可能是由于阈下抑郁个体在注意控制和情绪调节功能上的紊乱。     

阈上和阈下不同情绪线索对返回抑制的影响

为检验返回抑制是否受线索生物学意义的调节, 分别在实验一和实验二中以阈上和阈下不同情绪效价(高兴、生气和中性)的面孔为外源性线索, 变化同时提示位置的多寡, 要求被试对靶子尽可能快而准地作探测反应。实验一发现, 三种线索情况下均出现返回抑制且效应量无显著差异; 实验二发现, 线索为中性面孔时出现返回抑制, 线索为高兴和生气面孔时未出现返回抑制。说明返回抑制受线索生物学意义的调节。阈下线索的生物学意义(情绪效价)能得到自动加工, 从而影响空间注意的转移和返回抑制机制的功用; 阈上线索的情绪效价被清晰感知时, 自上而下的注意控制机制使线索的生物学意义被忽略, 从而阻碍情绪效价功能的发挥。     

不同愉悦度面孔阈下情绪启动效应:来自ERP的证据

采用事件相关电位技术,研究阈下情绪启动效应。实验中的因素是阈下呈现的情绪启动面孔的愉悦度,分为高、低两个水平。被试的任务是对中性靶刺激面孔进行情绪判断。结果发现:被试在对靶刺激进行情绪判断时出现与启动刺激愉悦度趋于一致的启动效应;低愉悦度面孔作启动刺激条件下N1和P2的波幅显著大于高愉悦度面孔作为启动刺激的条件;不同愉悦度情绪面孔的阈下启动效应是由于启动刺激影响了对靶刺激的知觉加工所致。     

线索类型对阈下注视线索效应的影响

实验结合连续闪烁抑制范式和线索化范式, 通过操纵直视面孔和斜视面孔的呈现方式, 考察了动静线索类型对注视线索效应的影响。结果表明：两种线索在阈上条件都能产生注视线索效应, 且动态线索诱发的效应更大; 无意识条件下有且仅有动态注视线索能诱发注视线索效应。这说明眼睛运动是产生阈下注视线索效应的必要条件; 眼睛运动会增强阈上注视线索效应, 静态注视线索效应依赖于意识。研究结果支持了社会知觉与心理理论交互模型。     

阈下奖励调节认知控制的权衡

本研究采用奖励版的AX-CPT任务, 通过控制奖励线索和反馈的呈现方式, 设置出基线、阈上奖励、阈下奖励三种条件, 考察习得的奖励联结和奖励动机能否以潜意识的方式影响认知任务的表现和认知控制的权衡。结果显示：奖励线索只在阈上呈现时提高AX序列的任务表现; 与基线条件相比, 阈上和阈下奖励条件下认知控制的权衡均偏向主动性控制, 且这种偏向在两者间无显著差异。这表明习得的阈下奖励线索可以调节认知控制的权衡, 使被试像阈上奖励时那样偏向主动性控制。     

哭泣表情面孔的注意偏向:眼动的证据

研究采用双选择Oddball范式和线索-靶子范式,并结合眼动技术,以微笑、哭泣和中性表情面孔为刺激材料,综合考察哭泣表情面孔在识别和解离过程中的注意偏向。研究发现:在识别阶段,哭泣表情面孔的识别正确率和反应速度都显著优于微笑表情面孔,进一步的兴趣区注视偏向分析发现,哭泣和微笑表情面孔的注视模式既具有一致的规律,又存在细微的差异;在解离阶段,返回抑制受线索表情类型的影响,在有效线索条件下,哭泣表情线索呈现后个体对目标刺激的平均注视时间和眼跳潜伏期都显著短于其它表情线索。表明哭泣表情面孔在识别和解离过程中具有不同的注意偏向表现,在识别阶段表现为反应输出优势和注视模式上的一致性与差异性;在解离阶段表现为有效线索条件下,对目标刺激定位和视觉加工的促进作用。     

阈下安全启动改善非安全依恋女性的注意加工

研究采用掩蔽启动范式，结合事件相关电位技术，考察阈下安全启动在非安全依恋女性对婴儿面孔注意加工上的改善效应。行为指标上，悲伤程度评分和反应时结果均表明了安全启动的改善作用。ERP结果上，在早期注意加工阶段，阈下安全启动比中性启动诱发了依恋焦虑和依恋回避女性对婴儿面孔表情更大的N1波幅以及更优的P2潜伏期，在晚期控制注意加工相关的P3波幅上同样发现了类似的改善效应。研究结果表明阈下安全启动能够提升非安全依恋女性对婴儿面孔的知觉敏感性，改善非安全依恋女性注意加工缺陷，且这种改善效应不仅仅作用于早期注意加工阶段而且还可以扩展到个体有意识的晚期控制加工阶段。     

阈下情绪启动对人际判断的影响

通过3个实验探讨了阈下情绪启动对人际判断的影响作用.实验1的结果显示,在阈下呈现快乐面孔的条件下,被试对随后中性面孔的喜好判断显著高于阈下呈现中性面孔和阈下呈现恐惧面孔的条件.实验2的结果显示,在阈下呈现快乐面孔的条件下,被试对随后中性面孔的趋向反应显著高于阈下呈现恐惧面孔的条件.实验3的结果显示,阈下呈现的情绪人物面孔引发的正负情绪效价,不管对新异性的中性人物面孔图片,还是熟悉性的中性人物面孔图片的喜好态度都产生了影响.总之,在情绪的正负效价水平上,阈下情绪启动会影响被试随后的人际判断.     

阈下负性情绪引起儿童和成人相反的判断偏向

为了求证阈下情绪引起的认知偏向是否随增龄而变化及表现如何,选取5,6,7岁儿童、青年人、老年人共183名被试完成阈下情绪启动实验,结果发现:儿童和成年人在阈下呈现哭表情图片条件下,表现出相反的启动效应.成年人表现出情绪一致性效应,而儿童表现出情绪反转效应.笑表情图片在各年龄段被试中均未引起显著的判断偏向.该结果说明儿童处理阈下情绪的隐性心理机制是维持快乐,成人则是预警危险.     

Together – apart: in touch in a time of separation

This paper explores the experience of working as a Jungian analyst through the various phases of the global COVID-19 pandemic, examining the importance of the physical containing space alongside the analyst’s internal mind and how technology can both help and hinder understanding. A number of clinical vignettes illustrate the challenge of communicating over a distance, paying particular attention to the way countertransference phenomena can become re-attuned. Reference is made to mythology and symbols of hope, and consideration given to the meaning and purpose of the pandemic.     

The Possibility of Meaning in Human Evolution

Science undermines the certitude of non-naturalistic answers to the question of whether human life has meaning. I explore whether evolution can provide a naturalistic basis for existential meaning. Using the work of philosopher Daniel Dennett and scientist Ursula Goodenough, I argue that evolution is the locus of the possibility of meaning because it has produced intentionality, the matrix of consciousness. I conclude that the question of the meaning of human life is an existentialist one: existential meaning is a product of the individual and collective tasks human beings undertake.     

Phenotypic plasticity and archetype: a response to common objections to the biological theory of archetype and instinct

Since Jung’s death in 1961, scholars have attempted to integrate growing biological science data into Jungian concepts such as the collective unconscious, instincts and the archetypes. This enterprise has been challenging due to persistent false dichotomies of gene and environment occasionally arising. Recent works by Roesler (2022a, 2022b) for example, have raised objections to the biological theory of archetypes, but the objections are plagued by such dichotomies. The concept of phenotypic plasticity, however, helps to both avoid this problem as well as bridge the gap between competing theories into a more integrated model with solid biological foundations.     

When is it time to stop? When good enough becomes bad enough

This article draws on Winnicott’s concept of the good enough mother to discuss how to know whether a therapeutic situation is good enough to continue or bad enough to end. This dilemma is explored in terms of clinical syndromes, such as anorexia and pathological gambling, but focuses mainly on analyst-initiated endings, which are termed the ‘Casablanca dilemma’, based on an amplification of the ending of the film Casablanca. The author goes on to discuss such one-sided endings, drawing on interviews with 40 analysts and therapists about their clinical experience. A typology of bad enough endings is presented. The psychological differences between a good enough analysis as opposed to a bad enough one are explored through the ideas of Winnicott and Neumann.     

Kann Es Ein Argument Für Den Skeptizismus Geben? Das Epistemische Problem Der Irrtumsmöglichkeit

Summary  Is there any argument for scepticism? The epistemic problem of the possibility of error. Arguments for scepticism rest on the assumption that knowledge claims are fallible. For this reason the concept of knowledge appears to be questionable. Since it is necessary to distinguish doubts from possible doubts, the arguments for scepticism appear to be unconvincing. If we take it into account that we know something that is immune to doubt, we should draw the conclusion that, contrary to scepticism, knowledge claims have to be compatible with being fallible. Thus any knowledge claim is capable of being doubted.     

The transcendent function in Spitteler’s Prometheus and Epimetheus

In August 2020, John Beebe and Steve Myers met via Zoom to discuss their differing interpretations of psychological typology and the different sources within Jung’s writings that influenced their books: Integrity in Depth: Energies and Patterns in Psychological Type (Beebe), and Myers-Briggs Typology vs Jungian Individuation (Myers). The discussion centred on Spitteler’s epic poem Prometheus und Epimetheus, which forms the basis of chapter V of Psychological Types. This is both the largest chapter and one of two chapters that Jung highlighted in the Argentine foreword as containing the essence of the book. Jung’s book is primarily about the transformation of personality rather than the categorization of people. Although it contains a critical psychology that deconstructs the nature of consciousness, that is only one half of the book and a stepping-stone to the other half, which is the reconciliation of opposites with particular emphasis on the relation of consciousness and the unconscious. Jung assumed that readers were already familiar with Prometheus und Epimetheus, an understanding of which sheds light on the nature of the transformation that Jung described – the development of a new attitude towards attitude itself.     

Chapter 6: Biblical Foundations for a Practical Theology of Aging

SUMMARY

This article reviews Biblical sources pertaining to the elderly, particularly the frail elderly. Founded on these sources, implications for elderly with Alzheimer's Disease and other forms of dementia are addressed through a personal perspective informed by writings of Christian mystics.     

Seeing in the Dark: A View into Dissociation and Healing

In this paper, I will explore the role of art-making, the experience of trauma and dissociation, and the process of working with self-states from an analytic and creative frame. Relevant literature on dissociation, trauma, and the use of art will be discussed. A case involving my work with an adolescent girl who had experienced sexual abuse from a family member will be shared, with an emphasis on the meaningful role images played during the therapeutic process. Both Jungian and psychoanalytic models of conceptualizing and working with dissociation are included, following Donald Kalsched’s (2013) recommendation for a “binocular stance” to treatment, including both a focus on the inner, intrapsychic world and the interpersonal, relational realm, and how art images both illuminated and expressed these realms. Within the therapeutic process, art images allowed the therapist a view into the client’s unconscious process, and created a meeting ground for dissociative barriers to be gradually seen, felt and known, by both therapist and client. The experience of dissociation, in images and in session, provided a reference point for myself and my client, Taylor, to develop a shared understanding and a framework for growth.