The backward span of the Corsi Block-Tapping Task and its association with the WAIS-III Digit Span

The Corsi Block-Tapping Task measures visuospatial short-term and working memory, but a standardized backward condition is lacking. The authors present a standardized backward procedure that was examined in 246 healthy older adults (ages 50 to 92), comparing the results with the Digit Span subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale--Third Edition. Principal component analysis resulted in a two-factor model, dissociating a verbal and a spatial working-memory factor. Also the Corsi backward is not more difficult than the Corsi forward, in contrast to the Digit Span backward that is more difficult than the Digit Span forward. This may suggest that the Corsi Block-Tapping Task backward task relies on processing within working-memory's slave systems, whereas the Digit Span backward also relies on the central executive component of working memory. Finally, regression-based normative data and cutoff scores for older adults are presented for use in clinical practice.     

Research on Intercessory Prayer: Theoretical and Methodological Considerations

Belief in the healing power of prayer is found in various religious traditions. Spiritually grounded clinical interventions, such as intercessory prayer (IP), need to be understood in a broader sense. This essay features the IP trials, observing the controversial relationship between inconsistent results and allegedly inadequate methods and theoretical hypothesis. A survey of the literature was conducted including publications indexed until September 2013, focusing on the trials developed in the field and on the critics about the methodological design. Recent meta-analyses and multicenter studies found inconclusive results in the investigation of IP. Clinical trials on IP present some methodological difficulties: The intervention is not fully controlled; the primary outcome is not properly defined; and the theoretical models seem inconsistent. The “non-local consciousness” model may be appropriate for studies of IP. Directions for future research: greater emphasis on the evaluation of the effectiveness of this intervention in animal models; selection of subjects and healers who have previous connection; considering the hypothesis of non-local consciousness in the study design.     

Nature of the working memory deficit in fragile-X syndrome

Working memory performance in a group of young Fragile X males with FMR-1 full mutation was compared to a learning disabled comparison group comprising Down's syndrome males and two control groups of mainstream schoolchildren. Performance was assessed on a battery of tasks tapping the three components of working memory-phonological loop, visual-spatial sketch pad, and the central executive. The results indicated that the Fragile X group displayed a general impairment on working memory tasks that cannot be attributed to a single working memory component per se. Instead, the results suggest that Fragile X males have a working memory deficit that may be attributed to how much attentional resource a specific task requires and their overall available executive capacity, irrespective of the working memory subsystem.     

Using Neuroscience to Broaden Emotion Regulation: Theoretical and Methodological Considerations

Behavioral research on emotion regulation thus far has focused on conscious and deliberative strategies such as reappraisal. Neuroscience investigations into emotion regulation have followed suit. However, neuroimaging tools now open the door to investigate more automatic forms of emotion regulation that take place incidentally and potentially outside of participant awareness that have previously been difficult to examine. The present paper reviews studies on the neuroscience of intentional/deliberate emotion regulation and identifies opportunities for future directions that have not yet been addressed. The authors suggest a broad framework for emotion regulation that includes both deliberative and incidental forms. This framework allows insights from incidental emotion regulation to address open questions about existing work, and vice versa. Several studies relevant to incidental emotion regulation are reviewed with the goal of providing an empirical and methodological groundwork for future research. Finally, several theoretical issues for incidental and intentional emotion regulation are discussed.     

方位和视空间工作记忆广度对空间情境模型更新的影响

该研究采用混合实验设计,以含有空间信息的语篇为实验材料,选取32名不同视空间工作记忆广度的大学生作为被试,考察方位和视空间工作记忆广度对空间情境模型更新的影响。研究发现:方位对空间情境模型更新的影响是显著的,视空间工作记忆广度对模型更新后的左右方位的判断有显著影响。研究验证了方位效应的稳定性,发现了视空间工作记忆广度对空间情境模型更新的影响。     

奖赏与自我加工对记忆的影响

【摘 要】目的:从外显和内隐层面探讨奖赏与自我加工对记忆的影响。方法：以大学生为被试,以人格形容词为实验材料,采用R/K范式,测量被试对识记词语的记忆效果。结果：（1）外显记忆层面,奖赏与自我加工均促进了记忆效果;（2）在内隐记忆层面,自我存在记忆的加工优势,但是没有发现奖赏加工对记忆的影响。结论：自我相关刺激促进了内隐和外显记忆的加工,奖赏刺激只对外显记忆有影响,实验结果支持独立平行模型,即在不同记忆层面,奖赏加工与自我参照加工存在不同加工机制。     

A Sex Difference on a Novel Spatial Working Memory Task in Humans

Neurophysiological and behavioral evidence suggests that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) may be sexually differentiated in nonhuman primates. The present study examined whether there are sex differences in working memory in humans that might reflect sexual differentiation of human PFC. Male and female undergraduates were administered a novel multitrial spatial working memory task (SPWM) and a verbal working memory task. In three experiments, females committed significantly fewer working memory errors and took significantly less time to reach criterion than males on the SPWM task. The female advantage was not accounted for by differences in general intellectual ability, attention, perceptual speed, incidental memory, or speed of verbal access. In Study 3, a sex difference was also observed on a measure of verbal working memory. The findings suggest that some prefrontal functions may be sexually differentiated in humans.     

情绪的动机强度与工作记忆任务类型的协调性对自我控制任务的影响

考察趋近动机强度不同的积极情绪和回避动机强度不同的消极情绪与工作记忆的协调性对自我控制任务的影响。结果发现,与高趋近动机的积极情绪、高回避动机的消极情绪以及中性情绪相比,在低趋近动机的积极情绪下完成言语工作记忆以及在低回避动机的消极情绪下完成空间工作记忆,工作记忆成绩提高,而Stroop分数降低,这表明情绪与工作记忆的协调性受到情绪动机强度的影响。     

人格理论的走向:从"本土化"到"大众化"

立足科学“大众化”的理念,对于不同文化传统的人群来说,要求与人的“非物质属性”(精神)相关的所有学科走向“本土化”。使久浸在“西方化”气氛中的人格研究从追求“国际性”转向“本土化”,当是现代心理学走向“大众化”的第一步。     

情绪刺激对前瞻记忆的影响

使用情绪图片作为背景任务刺激,通过两个实验来考察积极情绪和消极情绪对时间性和事件性前瞻记忆的影响。结果发现,对于背景任务的反应时,在时间性前瞻记忆和事件性前瞻记忆中,情绪的主效应都显著。而对于前瞻任务的正确率,在两种前瞻记忆中,情绪的主效应都不显著。将两个实验的数据合并分析发现,对于前瞻任务的正确率,任务类型的主效应显著,即时间性前瞻记忆的成绩显著高于事件性前瞻记忆; 而情绪的主效应不显著。结果表明,背景任务中不同的情绪刺激会对个体完成背景任务的速度产生影响,而对前瞻记忆任务的执行不会产生影响。     

Reliability in Dream Research: A Methodological Note

The coefficients of internal consistency and retest reliability had been rarely investigated within the methodology of dream content analysis. Analyzing a dream series of elderly, healthy persons obtained from weekly telephone interviews, the internal consistency of a series of 20 dreams and retests after 4 or 22 weeks, respectively, had been computed. The findings indicate that dream recall and dream length are quite stable, but dream characteristics such as bizarreness and emotional tone underlie large intraindividual fluctuations. In order to obtain reliable measures for these variables which will be important for correlational studies, including waking-life trait measures, one has to obtain as many dreams as possible (about 20) in a very short time period. Further research is needed to extend the present findings to diary dreams and laboratory dreams.     

室内照度和时间对警觉性和视空绩效的影响

本研究考察了白天室内照度和测验时间对个体视空工作记忆和视空能力及主观情绪和警觉性的影响。采用2(高/低照度水平)×2(上午/下午)混合设计,结果发现：被试在高照度水平下的柯西块任务的正确率更高,警觉反应更快,且尤其体现在下午时段;而不同照度水平对点记忆任务、视空能力测验和主观情绪无显著影响。结果表明白天室内照度能够影响个体的视空工作记忆和警觉性,主要表现在高照度照明环境的积极作用上,而对个体的视空能力及情绪变化影响微弱。     

职业弹性对工作绩效和职业满意度影响的实证研究

摘要：职业弹性是指个体灵活应对变化的职业环境甚至是逆境的职业能力。在控制无关变量及同一方法偏差的基础上,本文考察了职业弹性的不同维度对其后效变量的影响。通过对某信息集团下属的59家电子相关企业中的324位管理人员的问卷调查,结果表明职业弹性会影响个体的工作绩效和职业满意度,管理者的职业弹性越高,其工作绩效越高、职业满意度也越高。     

Task switching: a PDP model

When subjects switch between a pair of stimulus-response tasks, reaction time is slower on trial N if a different task was performed on trial N - 1. We present a parallel distributed processing (PDP) model that simulates this effect when subjects switch between word reading and color naming in response to Stroop stimuli. Reaction time on "switch trials" can be slowed by an extended response selection process which results from (a) persisting, inappropriate states of activation and inhibition of task-controlling representations; and (b) associative learning, which allows stimuli to evoke tasks sets with which they have recently been associated (as proposed by Allport & Wylie, 2000). The model provides a good fit to a large body of empirical data, including findings which have been seen as problematic for this explanation of switch costs, and shows similar behavior when the parameters are set to random values, supporting Allport and Wylie's proposal.     

The differential effect of background music on memory for verbal and visuospatial information

Background music is a part of our everyday activities. Considerable evidence suggests that listening to music while performing cognitive tasks may negatively influence performance. However, other studies have shown that it can benefit memory when the music played during the encoding of information is also provided during the retrieval of that information, in the so-called context dependent memory effect. Since controversial results may be attributed to the nature of the material to be memorized, the aim of the present study is to compare the potential effect of consistent background music on the immediate and long-term recall of verbal and visuospatial information. Experiment 1 showed that instrumental background music does not benefit nor decrease recall of a list of unrelated words, both at the immediate and the 48-hours-delayed tests. By contrast, Experiment 2 revealed that the same background music can impair immediate and therefore long-term memory for visuospatial information. Results are interpreted in terms of competition for neurocognitive resources, with tasks mostly relying on the same brain hemisphere competing for a limited set of resources. Hence, background music might impair visuospatial memory to a greater extent than verbal memory, in the context of limited capacity cognitive system. In conclusion, the nature of the material to be learnt must be considered to fully understand the effect of background music on memory.     

空间情境模型建立和更新的影响因素

采用混合实验设计,以含有空间信息的语篇为实验材料,选取不同视空间工作记忆广度的大学生作为被试,利用新的实验范式分离了空间情境模型的建立过程和更新过程,对这两个过程在不同时间模式下的加工特点进行分析,考察了空间情境模型建立和更新的影响因素。研究发现：（1）视空间工作记忆广度影响空间情境模型的建立,但不影响空间情境模型的更新。（2）时间模式既影响空间情境模型的建立又影响空间情境模型的更新。（3）方位对空间情境模型的建立有显著影响,对空间模型的更新没有显著影响。在空间情境模型的建立和更新过程中,前后判断的准确性不易受限时的影响,而左右判断的准确性则易受到限时的影响而显著降低,前后方位效应具有稳定性和优势性     

The Motivations to Volunteer: Theoretical and Practical Considerations

Why do significant numbers of people engage in the unpaid helping activities known as volunteerism? Drawing on functional theorizing about the reasons, purposes, and motivations underlying human behavior, we have identified six personal and social functions potentially served by volunteering. In addition to developing an inventory to assess these motivational functions, our program of research has explored the role of motivation in the processes of volunteerism, especially decisions about becoming a volunteer in the first place and decisions about continuing to volunteer.     

The Relationship Between Neuropsychological Functioning and Mental Health Outcomes of Chronic Alcohol Users Involved in Counselling: Prediction of Treatment Outcome

This study examined the neuropsychological profile, mental health outcomes, and coping strategies of chronic alcohol users involved in drug and alcohol counselling and investigated whether these factors could predict treatment outcome. The findings indicated that as compared with controls, chronic alcohol users demonstrated significant deficits in visuospatial, memory and executive functioning, and a higher level of emotional distress. At a 3‐month follow‐up, memory ability was found to significantly predict the percentage of goals achieved in counselling, the likelihood of dropout from therapy, and the likelihood of remaining abstinent. The value of further research into the influence of additional factors, such as executive functioning, mood, and coping strategies, on treatment outcomes in a larger sample was also supported.