Variation in the serotonin transporter gene modulates selective attention to threat

The 5-HTTLPR is an insertion/deletion polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene. Prior research has revealed associations between the short-allele variant of this polymorphism, enhanced self-reported negative emotionality, and hypersensitivity of fear relevant neural circuits. In a sample of 50 healthy women we examined the role of 5-HTTLPR for cognitive-affective processing of phylogenetical fear-relevant stimuli (spiders) in a dot probe task. In contrast to homozygote long-allele carriers (ll), participants carrying at least 1 short allele (ss and sl) selectively shifted attention toward pictures of spiders, when these were presented for a duration of 2,000 ms. These results argue for an involvement of 5-HTTLPR in cognitive processing of threatening stimuli and thus, underpin its general role for individual differences in negative affect.     

转基因食品与人类健康初探

随着转基因食品不断地进入市场,学者和公众对转基因食品是否危害人类健康展开了激烈的争论。介绍转基因食品安全性评价的科学指标,运用伦理学的基本原则对两种观点进行了分析,并提出对转基因食品采取“有罪推定”的战略。     

转基因食品与人类健康初探

随着转基因食品不断地进入市场,学者和公众对转基因食品是否危害人类健康展开了激烈的争论.介绍转基因食品安全性评价的科学指标,运用伦理学的基本原则对两种观点进行了分析,并提出对转基因食品采取"有罪推定"的战略.     

《春秋》例论

《史记》谓“《春秋》以道义”,按春秋家的家法则设例以言义,此实为汉晋诸儒治《春秋》学之一基本方法,于是公羊家、谷梁家、左传家各具其义例体系。本文试对三传家义例略作疏解,以求窥见汉晋诸儒《春秋》义例之学的大旨。     

4岁幼儿线条偏好实验研究

本研究采用对偶比较法,对4岁幼儿进行6类常见线条的偏好调查研究,得出以下结果:4岁幼儿线条偏好的顺序依次是:漩涡线、曲线、弧形线、波浪线、折线、直线;男生和女生对线条的偏好没有明显差异;4岁幼儿对不同方向的漩涡线的偏好有明显差异,对不同方向的直线、波浪线、折线、曲线和弧形线的偏好没有明显差异。     

The influence of theta transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on working memory storage and processing functions

The study aimed to explore the role of the fronto-parietal brain network in working memory function—in temporary storage and manipulation of information. In a single blind sham controlled experiment 36 respondents solved different working memory tasks after theta transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) was applied to left frontal, left parietal and right parietal areas. Both verum tACS protocols stimulating parietal brain areas (target electrodes positioned at location P3, or P4) had a positive effect on WM storage capacity as compared with sham tACS, whereas no such influence was observed for the stimulation of the left frontal area (target electrode positioned at location F3). A second finding was that left parietal theta tACS had a more pronounced influence on backward recall than on forward recall, which was not related to task content (spatial or verbal). The influence of theta tACS on WM executive processes was most pronounced for right parietal stimulation. The results are discussed in the broad theoretical framework of the multicomponent model of working memory.     

材料规则难度对内隐与外显协同学习的影响

选取两种规则难度的人工语法字母串.采用强分离的实验程序,探索了材料规则难度对内隐学习、内隐与外显的协同学习的影响.结果显示: (1)规则难度较大的限定状态人工语法学习中,内隐学习成绩显著好于外显学习;而在难度较小的双条件语法学习中,外显学习显著好于内隐学习. (2)在两种规则难度的材料学习中,内隐与外显的协同学习成绩均好于单独的内隐或者外显学习,具有优势效应. (3)内隐学习获得的规则知识具有可迁移性.     

Multiple regression analyses in artificial-grammar learning: the importance of control groups

In artificial-grammar learning, it is crucial to ensure that above-chance performance in the test stage is due to learning in the training stage but not due to judgemental biases. Here we argue that multiple regression analysis can be successfully combined with the use of control groups to assess whether participants were able to transfer knowledge acquired during training when making judgements about test stimuli. We compared the regression weights of judgements in a transfer condition (training and test strings were constructed by the same grammar but with different letters) with those in a control condition. Predictors were identical in both conditions-judgements of control participants were treated as if they were based on knowledge gained in a standard training stage. The results of this experiment as well as reanalyses of a former study support the usefulness of our approach.     

Student interracial interactions and perceptions of school as a community

Communally organized, as opposed to bureaucratically organized, schools are expected to provide significant advantages to students in terms of their cognitive and social growth. However, for students to avail themselves of these benefits, they need to experience school as a community. One factor that may influence whether students view their school as a functional community is the kind of teacher–student and peer interactions they observe or personally experience. This study examines the effects of positive and negative interracial interactions on whether students sense that their school is a community. Analysis of a large sample of elementary and secondary schools in a major urban school district show that positive interracial interactions contribute to students’ sense of school community while negative actions inhibit that sense.

注意负荷对内隐序列学习的影响研究

运用次级任务研究范式,采用符号计数的次级任务和歧义序列中的次级条件序列,将内隐序列学习分为单任务组和双任务组,统一在单任务条件下测试。结果发现:(1)两组被试内隐学习成绩差异不显著;(2)双任务组被试在学习组块和测试组块的内隐学习差异也不显著。结果进一步支持了在次级任务占用注意资源的条件下内隐学习仍然可以正常地获得、内隐序列学习不受注意负荷影响的观点。