My face through the looking-glass: the effect of mirror reversal on reflection size estimation

People tend to grossly overestimate the size of their mirror-reflected face. Although this overestimation bias is robust, not much is known about its relationships to self-face perception. In two experiments, we investigated the overestimation bias as a function of the presentation of the own face (left–right reversed – as in a mirror – or nonreversed – as in a photograph), the identity of the seen face, and prior exposure to a real mirror. For this we developed a computerized task requiring size estimations of displayed faces. We replicated the observation that people overestimate the size of their mirror-reflected face and showed that the overestimation can be reduced following a brief mirror exposure. We also found that left–right reversal modulates the overestimation bias, depending on the perceived face’s identity. These data underline the enhanced familiarity of left–right reversed self-faces and the importance of size perception for understanding mirror reflection processing.     

The honest mirror: Morality as a moderator of spontaneous behavioral mimicry

Two studies examined whether morality-related information has a greater impact than sociability- or competence-related information upon the spontaneous mimicry of an interaction partner. Participants were video recorded during an interaction with a confederate previously presented as moral versus lacking morality, or sociable versus lacking sociability (Study 1), or competent versus lacking competence (Study 2). Two coders rated the extent to which participants imitated the gestures of the confederate, participants’ postural openness, and the general smoothness of the interaction. When the confederate lacked moral qualities, mimicry and postural openness were lower, and the interaction was less smooth than when the confederate was highly moral, unsociable, or incompetent. Moreover, our findings showed that global impression is the key mediating mechanism driving such an effect. Indeed, knowing that another person behaved immorally resulted in a negative impression, which in turn hindered behavioral mimicry.     

心理模型及其探查技术的研究

自从1943年Craik首次提出心理模型概念以来,有关心理模型的研究已大量涌现,目前有两条心理模型的研究思路．文章分别沿着这两条思路介绍有关心理模型的研究,并以访谈法和观察法为线索梳理了心理模型的探查技术．最后指出心理模型及其探查技术的研究趋向：两条研究思路的整合和多种探查技术的整合。     

Effects of the one-way mirror on family therapy

The one-way screen often used in family therapy is usually a mirror and may have unsuspected effects, ensuring that clients' behaviour in therapy reflects social acceptability and personal values, rather than their usual interactions.     

Interactive Elicitation and Exchange of Knowledge

This paper gives a state-of-the-art report on the use of techniques based on personal construct psychology to automate interactive elicitation of cognitive structures for group learning and decision making. It outlines the structure and key components of the RepGrid implementation on a network of Macintosh computers, which includes tools for interactive reperto y grid elicitation and analysis, and a system for intemctizely exchanging and comparing reperto y grids from multiple simultaneous users on the network. The users of RepGrid are attempting to extend and understand their own thinking and problem-solving capabilities by interacting w'th other people. They are able to: see the relationship of thrir points of view to those of others explore differing termin, logy for the same constructs become aware of differing constructs having the same terminology extend their own construct systems with those of others provide others with constructs they have found valuable explore a problem-solving domain using the fill group resources     

Self in the mirror

What are mirror systems good for? Several suggestions have been made in response to this question, addressing the putative functions of mirror systems in minds and brains. This paper examines possible contributions of mirror systems to the emergence of subjectivity. At the heart of the discussion is the notion of social mirroring, which has a long tradition in social philosophy and social anthropology. Taking the existence of mirror devices in minds and brains for granted, I argue that social mirroring is a prerequisite for the constitution of mental selves, and, hence, the emergence of subjectivity. However, the fact that self and subjectivity are socially created should not be taken to indicate that they are illusory. They are as real as natural facts are.     

The common mirror dream, dreamer, and the dream mirror

From the widely diverse category of so-called mirror dreams, we have differentiated the most frequent, which we have designated the common mirror dream (CMD). It is one in which the dreamer at some point looks into a mirror and reports seeing himself, a part of himself or a distorted though recognizable version of himself. Mirror dreams, including CMDs, are distinctly uncommon. Every dreamer of CMDs in our series had felt enjoined by the mother (in most cases with the father's collusion) not to see and regard her clearly and not to be an accurately reflecting mirror for her. The intensity with which the maternal injunction against accurate visual perception and evaluation was feared was an important distinguishing feature in our patients with CMDs. The essence of the CMD has been hypothesized to be a reciprocal, reverberating, visual-exhibitionistic dyad representative of the mother-child relationship. The dream mirror may represent the wish that the analyst-mother counter a feared parental injunction against accurate visual perception and evaluation so as to correct the distorted perceptions of self and objects and provide visual affirmation of the value and integrity of the self-representation. For some patients, defense against the dangers of castration and loss of maternal love was accomplished by the mirror mechanisms of magically transforming images in the mirror, the ease of creating illusion in the mirror, and a fetishistic mechanism of visually reintrojecting a phallic symbol from the mirror. Our data failed to confirm many of the hypotheses of previous contributors as to specific symbolic meanings of the dream mirror. More relevant than the symbolism of the dream mirror are the many functions of the dream mirror for the dreamer. These are analyzed and discussed.     

Elicitation of aggression by a physical blow

Squirrel monkeys were exposed to brief tail-pinches in the presence of a cloth-covered ball. Attack was elicited against the ball as a direct function of the force of the tail-pinch. This finding in conjunction with previous findings regarding electric shock and intense heat demonstrates that several types of aversive stimulation can elicit aggression.     

顿悟的原型启发效应机制探索

以中国传统的字谜作为实验材料,采用"多个原型字谜学习-多个目标字谜测试"两阶段实验范式,对顿悟过程的原型启发机制进行了探讨.考察了原型启发效应是否会受第一阶段学习的原型字谜的数量以及启发量大小的影响,结果发现:学习的原型字谜的数量对原型启发效应的大小没有显著影响;启发量高低对原型启发效应的大小有显著影响.这一结果支持了"原型字谜的激活是一种自动加工、原型字谜中所隐含的关键启发信息的激活是一种控制加工"的观点.     

Elicitation and punishment of intraspecies aggression by the same stimulus

Fighting responses were elicited in pairs of rats by shocks over a period of 46 days. During certain blocks of these days, “punishing” shocks were made contingent on the shock-elicited fights. Fighting frequency was reduced as a direct function of the intensity of the contingent shocks. Fighting frequency recovered completely when contingent shocks were removed.     

原型表征对创造性问题解决过程中的启发效应的影响

以32个科学发明创造问题为实验材料, 采用“学习8个原型-测试8个问题”的两阶段实验范式, 通过操纵原型学习条件(是否有标识或插图)考察了原型的知识表征对创造性问题解决的启发效应的影响, 结果发现：1)标识对原型的激活率在无插图水平上有显著影响, 有标识比无标识原型的激活率更高, 在有插图水平上无显著影响; 插图对原型的激活率有显著影响, 有插图比无插图原型的激活率更高。2)标识和插图都对问题解决的正确率有显著影响, 有标识比无标识正确率更高, 有插图比无插图正确率更高。3)标识和插图在原型激活率和问题解决正确率上都存在显著交互作用, 反映出原型启发的思维过程是复杂的, 表现出灵活性、经济性的特点。     

Asymmetrical drawing patterns on the temples by left-handers

Twenty-three Japanese genuine left-handers were selected by a Laterality Quotient scale and asked to draw the letter S on their own temples and foreheads. The way they drew on the temples showed an asymmetry that was the mirror reversal of that of right-handers, as found in a previous study. Left-handers drew a reversed letter S on their right temple much more often than on the left temple, whereas right-handers drew them in reverse more often on the left temple. They also drew it in reverse on the forehead irrespective of their handedness.     

The uncanny mirror: a re-framing of mirror self-experience

Mirror self-experience is re-casted away from the cognitivist interpretation that has dominated discussions on the issue since the establishment of the mirror mark test. Ideas formulated by Merleau-Ponty on mirror self-experience point to the profoundly unsettling encounter with one's specular double. These ideas, together with developmental evidence are re-visited to provide a new, psychologically and phenomenologically more valid account of mirror self-experience: an experience associated with deep wariness.