Are attentional resources a mediator for sex differences in memory?

The divided attention paradigm was used to investigate sex differences in encoding and retrieval processes of memory. Participants performed a memory and reaction time (RT) task under full attention and two divided attention conditions, that is, at encoding and retrieval. Results revealed that females recalled significantly more words than males under the full attention and divided attention at encoding conditions. Results further showed that secondary task costs were larger for males than females during divided attention at retrieval. Furthermore, regardless of sex, recall was best under full attention and worst under divided attention at encoding conditions. In relation to the RT task, RTs were shorter under full attention and longer under the divided attention at retrieval condition. Overall, these results show that females recall more words than males possibly due to a more severe effect of reduced attention during encoding than retrieval for males. The current findings thus suggest that a reduction in attentional resources may mediate sex‐related decreases in word recall.     

Intentionalism,defeasibility, and justification

According to intentionalism, perceptual experience is a mental state with representational content. When it comes to the epistemology of perception, it is only natural for the intentionalist to hold that the justificatory role of experience is at least in part a function of its content. In this paper, I argue that standard versions of intentionalism trying to hold on to this natural principle face what I call the “defeasibility problem”. This problem arises from the combination of standard intentionalism with further plausible principles governing the epistemology of perception: that experience provides defeasible justification for empirical belief, and that such justification is best construed as probabilification. After exploring some ways in which the standard intentionalist could deal with the defeasibility problem, I argue that the best option is to replace standard intentionalism by what I call “phenomenal intentionalism”. Where standard intentionalism construes experiences as of p as having the content p, phenomenal intentionalism construes (visual) experiences as of p as having “phenomenal” or “looks contents”: contents of the form Lp (it looks as if p).     

Adaptive Logic Characterizations of Input/Output Logic

We translate unconstrained and constrained input/output logics as introduced by Makinson and van der Torre to modal logics, using adaptive logics for the constrained case. The resulting reformulation has some additional benefits. First, we obtain a proof-theoretic (dynamic) characterization of input/output logics. Second, we demonstrate that our framework naturally gives rise to useful variants and allows to express important notions that go beyond the expressive means of input/output logics, such as violations and sanctions.     

Magnetic source images of human brain functions

The advent of large arrays of superconducting magnetic field sensors makes it possible to properly sample the topography of the magnetic field pattern across the human scalp with a temporal resolution of a few milliseconds. These capabilities can be exploited for computing a best estimate of the spatiotemporal evolution of electrical currents within coherently active neural populations distributed across the cerebral cortex. Data from 200 sensors can be interpreted by the method of singular value decomposition to compute a best estimate for the strengths of more than 9,000 current elements that define the magnetic source image moment by moment. Recently, an extension of this technique has been developed to characterize the cortical sources of alpha rhythm. This holds promise for providing a means of identifying the cortical regions that participate in cognitive functions such as mental imagery.     

Versuche zur multidimensionalen Skalierung von subjektiven Reizähnlichkeiten auf Grund von Schätzurteilen,Entscheidungszeiten und Verwechslungshäufigkeiten beim Wiedererkennen

Zusammenfassung Es wird über drei Experimente berichtet, in denen auf verschiedene Art und Weise subjektive Ähnlichkeitsbeziehungen zwischen Reizen ermittelt worden sind. Während im Versuch I Distanzen zwischen den Objekten auf Grund direkter Ähnlichkeitsschätzungen gewonnen wurden, sind im Experiment II die Ähnlichkeitsbeziehungen aus Entscheidungszeiten definiert worden, die von der Darbietung der Reizpaare bis zur Urteilsabgabe benötigt worden sind. Im Versuch III ist schließlich die Anzahl der Verwechslungen beim Wiedererkennen als quantitativer Ausdruck für die Ähnlichkeit verwandt worden.Mit Methoden der multidimensionalen Skalierung sind die aus den Ähnlichkeitsmatrizen analysierbaren Ordnungsgesichtspunkte ermittelt worden. Ihre psychologische Deutung ist durch Benennung der Skalen und durch Versuche zur Rekonstruktion der Urteils- bzw. Wiedererkennungsprozesse versucht worden. In den ersten beiden Versuchen konnten je drei interpretierbare Dimensionen ermittelt werden. Experiment III erbrachte einen weiteren vierten Faktor. Beim Vergleich der drei Ähnlichkeitsstrukturen konnten für jeweils zwei Skalen inhaltliche Übereinstimmungen erkannt werden. Dabei zeigten die auf Entscheidungszeiten zurückgehenden Dimensionen den jeweils geringsten Differenzierungsgrad mit nur wenigen Unterscheidungsklassen. Die verbleibenden Faktoren konnten weitgehend auf spezielle Bedingungen des jeweiligen Versuches zurückgeführt werden.

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Experiments in multidimensional scaling of subjective stimulus similarities based on ratings, descion times, and confusions in recognition

Summary This is a paper showing in different ways subjective relations of similarity between stimuli. While in experiment No. I distances between objects have been won due to direct ratings of similarity, the relations of similarity in experiment No. II have been defined from the time of presentation of the pairs of stimuli until the stating of judgement. In experiment No. III, finally, the number of mistakes in recognition were used as a quantitative expression of similarity.The analyzable aspects of classification, which were used by the Ss, have been won by means of procedures of multidimensional scaling. A psychological interpretation has been tried by denominating the scales and by tyring to reconstruct the processes of judgement respectively recognition. In each of the first two experiments three interpretable dimensions were found. Experiment No.III showed a further fourth factor. When comparing the three structures of similarity, agreement in content could be found out for the first two scales as well as for the second ones. The dimensions going back to the decision times showed the least rate of differentiation with only few classes of discrimination. The remaining factors could be attributed mostly to the special conditions of each of the experiments.

     

Models for normal intuitionistic modal logics

Kripke-style models with two accessibility relations, one intuitionistic and the other modal, are given for analogues of the modal systemK based on Heyting's prepositional logic. It is shown that these two relations can combine with each other in various ways. Soundness and completeness are proved for systems with only the necessity operator, or only the possibility operator, or both. Embeddings in modal systems with several modal operators, based on classical propositional logic, are also considered. This paper lays the ground for an investigation of intuitionistic analogues of systems stronger thanK. A brief survey is given of the existing literature on intuitionistic modal logic.     

A Short Measure of the Revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory – RSQ17

The need for a research and practical tool, such as a short, reliable, and valid personality assessment test, suggests researchers to create shortened versions of original instruments. Reinforcement sensitivity questionnaire (RSQ) was created in line with some basic premises of revised Reinforcement sensitivity theory, which proposes three motivational and emotional systems: Behavioral inhibition system (BIS), responsible for scanning environment for potential threats, Behavioral activation system (BAS), responsible for aproaching behavior, and the Fight/Flight/Freeze system (FFFS), responsible for behavior in the present threat. RSQ comprises five scales: BIS, BAS, Fight, Flight, and Freeze. The aim of this study was to develop a short version of RSQ, which would be beneficial to both research and practical purposes. Item response theory analyses were used for item selection. The study comprised two samples of participants, whereby Sample 1 (N = 837, 34.6% male, aged 18 – 82, M = 31.63, SD = 13.54) served as the derivation sample, while Sample 2 (818 participants, 43.6% male, 18?75 years, M = 29.65, SD = 12.52) served as validation sample. Factorial validity of the short RSQ was examined on both Sample 1 and Sample 2. Convergent and divergent validity of the short RSQ was examined using RST-PQ, Jackson-5, BIS/BAS scales, and Big Five Inventory. The results point to satisfactory internal consistency, factorial validity, and construct validity of the short RSQ, suggesting that it is an adequate measure for research settings or other contexts which require the use of short personality questionnaires.