Gender differences in the effects of post-learning emotion on consolidation of item memory and source memory

Item memory and source memory are two integral elements of episodic memory. Although many studies have examined the effect of emotion on item memory, little research has simultaneously taken into account item memory and source memory. In addition, in the majority of previous studies, learning stimuli are used as the source of emotion, making it difficult to understand whether emotion has an effect on encoding or on consolidation of episodic memory. Furthermore, although gender differences exist in neurophysiological responses to emotional stimuli, in many studies gender differences were neglected and this leaves the picture incomplete regarding the effect of emotion on episodic memory. In this study, we examined gender differences in the effects of post-learning emotion on consolidation of item memory and source memory. Participants learned neutral Chinese nouns, took a memory pretest, and were then randomly assigned to three conditions, in which they either watched a 3-min negative video clip, or watched a 3-min positive video clip, or remained calm and relaxed for 3 min. Thirty minutes after the initial learning, participants took a memory posttest. We found that: (1) For females, post-learning negative emotion enhanced consolidation of item memory; however, neither negative emotion nor positive emotion had a significant effect on consolidation of source memory; (2) For males, neither negative nor positive emotion after learning had a significant effect on either item memory or source memory. Possible reasons for the gender differences, as well as the theoretical significance and practical implications of this study were discussed.     

Limits on efficient human mindreading: Convergence across Chinese adults and Semai children

We tested Apperly and Butterfill's (2009, Psychological Review, 116, 753) theory that humans have two mindreading systems whereby the efficient‐system guiding anticipatory glances displays signature limits that do not apply to the flexible system guiding verbal predictions. Experiments 1 and 2 tested urban Mainland‐Chinese adults (n = 64) and Experiment 3 tested Semai children living in the rainforests of Peninsular Malaysia (3‐ to 4‐year‐olds, n = 60). Participants – across different ages, groups and methods – anticipated others’ false‐beliefs about object‐location but not object‐identity. Convergence in signature limits signalled that the early‐developing efficient system involved minimal theory‐of‐mind. Chinese adults and older Semai children showed flexibility in their direct predictions. The flexible mindreading system in ascribing others’ beliefs as such was task‐sensitive and implicated maturational and cultural contributions.     

选择多多益善?——选择集大小对消费者多样化寻求的影响

一系列实验发现消费者多样化寻求行为随选择集增大而呈现倒U型变化,这是由于过大选择集情况下消费者倾向于采取启发式信息处理策略导致多样化寻求行为降低。同时,个体的认知需求水平调节选择集大小与多样化寻求行为间的倒U型关系。此外,通过操纵个体认知困难,理论机制进一步得到验证:在认知困难条件下,消费者也会因采用启发式信息处理策略而导致多样化寻求行为显著降低。     

虚拟现实社交环境中的普罗透斯效应:情境、羞怯的影响

化身是虚拟世界中的一种重要的自我呈现方式,化身特点会在有意无意间影响用户的认知、态度和行为,即普罗透斯效应(Proteus effect)。本研究通过3个实验,采纳一种新的研究方法——"虚拟情境模拟",对普罗透斯效应进行了较为深入的探讨,不仅系统考察了虚拟社交情境中化身的效应,而且着重考察了社交情境这一情境因素与羞怯这一人格因素的潜在影响。研究结果最终表明:(1)普罗透斯效应受到情境因素(社交情境)和个体变量(羞怯水平)的影响。(2)社交情境调节了化身的效应,进入社交情境中化身主效应显著,而在维持社交情境中主效应不显著。(3)在维持社交情境中,普罗透斯效应受羞怯水平的调节。低羞怯个体的社交表现水平比高羞怯个体更易受化身影响。(4)高低羞怯个体之间的差异产生于认知层面。     

Self‐Control Moderates Decision‐Making Behavior When Minimizing Losses versus Maximizing Gains

We examined (1) whether people would be more responsive to the delayed consequences of their decisions when attempting to minimize losses than when attempting to maximize gains in a history‐dependent decision‐making task and (2) how trait self‐control would moderate such an effect. In two experiments, participants performed a dynamic decision‐making task where they chose one of two options on each trial. The increasing option always gave a smaller immediate reward but caused future rewards for both options to increase. The decreasing option always gave a larger immediate reward but caused future rewards for both options to decrease. In Experiment 1 where the two options had equivalent expected value in the long run, participants were more prone to select the increasing option, which yielded larger benefits on future trials, in the loss‐minimization condition than in the gain‐maximization condition. Trait self‐control moderated the effect of losses by enhancing the effect for low self‐control participants while attenuating it for high self‐control participants. In Experiment 2 where selecting the increasing option was suboptimal, low self‐control participants still attempted to reduce losses on future trials by selecting the increasing option more often than high self‐control participants. These results suggest that decision makers value delayed consequences of their actions more in a losses domain relative to a gains domain and low self‐control individuals are more susceptible to such an effect. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

“镜像”的内涵与外延:围绕镜像神经元的争议

镜像神经元被认为是改变认知神经科学的重要发现,它的发现为迄今为止许多行为实验难以检验的心智或认知现象提供了一个统一的研究视角。然而,镜像神经元在社会认知活动中的重要作用却引起了研究者的激烈争论。系统回顾镜像神经元研究中的争议,可以尝试以争论焦点出现的逻辑关系和性质为依据将其划分为两类:一类是关于镜像"内涵"的争议,主要包括镜像神经元是否存在及其起源的争议。另一类则主要围绕镜像"外延"的争议,即有关镜像神经元系统和镜像机制的争议。未来的研究必须摒弃将镜像神经元视为"认知科学圣杯"的神经还原主义倾向,将之视为一个由多个子系统组成的开放的复杂巨系统,并将焦点转向关注镜像机制。     

人际感恩:社会交往中重要的积极情绪

人际感恩是指个体由于接受了他人善意提供的具有一定价值的恩惠而诱发的一种愉悦的、心怀感激而意欲报答的认知性情绪。情境评估过程是人际感恩得以产生的关键环节。此外,人际感恩的产生还会受到受惠者自身特点、双方关系特点等因素的影响。情节剧本、真人互动等任务是研究人际感恩的常见范式。另外,人际感恩还具有个体、二元、团体三个层面的功能。加强人际感恩神经生理机制的研究,考察由人际感恩到特质感恩的培养路径,拓展人际感恩的功能研究,探索中国文化背景下的人际感恩是未来人际感恩的研究方向。     

暴力犯攻击行为与焦虑的关系:CU特质的调节作用

采用冲动性/预谋性攻击量表、冷酷无情特质量表和特质焦虑量表,以山东省某中型监狱341名成人暴力犯为被试考察两类攻击、CU特质水平和特质焦虑之间的关系。结果表明:(1)CU特质水平与两类攻击正相关,与特质焦虑呈负相关,特质焦虑水平能够预测成人暴力犯的冲动性攻击。(2)个体的CU特质水平能够调节特质焦虑与冲动性攻击之间的关系,具体表现为特质焦虑水平对低CU特质个体的冲动性攻击影响大于高CU特质个体。     

An Analysis of Student Privacy Rights in the Use of Plagiarism Detection Systems

Plagiarism detection services are a powerful tool to help encourage academic integrity. Adoption of these services has proven to be controversial due to ethical concerns about students’ rights. Central to these concerns is the fact that most such systems make permanent archives of student work to be re-used in plagiarism detection. This computerization and automation of plagiarism detection is changing the relationships of trust and responsibility between students, educators, educational institutions, and private corporations. Educators must respect student privacy rights when implementing such systems. Student work is personal information, not the property of the educator or institution. The student has the right to be fully informed about how plagiarism detection works, and the fact that their work will be permanently archived as a result. Furthermore, plagiarism detection should not be used if the permanent archiving of a student’s work may expose him or her to future harm.