Influence of the large–small split effect on strategy choice in complex subtraction

Two main theories have been used to explain the arithmetic split effect: decision‐making process theory and strategy choice theory. Using the inequality paradigm, previous studies have confirmed that individuals tend to adopt a plausibility‐checking strategy and a whole‐calculation strategy to solve large and small split problems in complex addition arithmetic, respectively. This supports strategy choice theory, but it is unknown whether this theory also explains performance in solving different split problems in complex subtraction arithmetic. This study used small, intermediate and large split sizes, with each split condition being further divided into problems requiring and not requiring borrowing. The reaction times (RTs) for large and intermediate splits were significantly shorter than those for small splits, while accuracy was significantly higher for large and middle splits than for small splits, reflecting no speed–accuracy trade‐off. Further, RTs and accuracy differed significantly between the borrow and no‐borrow conditions only for small splits. This study indicates that strategy choice theory is suitable to explain the split effect in complex subtraction arithmetic. That is, individuals tend to choose the plausibility‐checking strategy or the whole‐calculation strategy according to the split size.     

Dorsomedial prefrontal cortex 5-HT6 receptors regulate anxiety-like behavior

The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) plays a very important role in decision-related and anxiety-related information processing. It has enriched 5-HT6 receptors; however, the precise role of dmPFC 5-HT6 receptors in anxiety remains to be fully investigated. In this study, we injected dmPFC with the 5-HT6 receptor agonist EMD 386088 and antagonist SB 271046 using stereotactic technology. 5-HT6 receptor activation in mice increased time spent in the center area on the open-field test, increased exploration of the open arms on the elevated plus maze test, and increased ratio on the social interaction test. 5-HT6 receptor inactivation induced the opposite effects. In brain slices, EMD 386088 decreased both spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSC) and spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSC), while SB 271046 only increased sEPSC. These effects of EMD 386088 and SB 271046 could be reversed by the GABA_A receptor antagonist bicuculline (BMI) and positive allosteric modulator clonazepam (CLZ), respectively. Our results suggest that neurotransmission in the dmPFC by 5-HT6 receptor activation and inhibition may play an important role in anxiety-like behavior, and may provide new insight into the pathological mechanism and potential target of anxiety disorders.     

The influence of induced mood on music preference

The purpose of this study was to clarify the impact of different self-centered moods on music preference without listening to music. Participants’ affective state (sad vs. happy vs. neutral) were experimentally manipulated through the mood induction procedure, and then their preferences for music were ascertained through self-reports. To understand participants’ internal motivations for their choices, we also asked them to indicate how appropriate he/she felt it would be to select the different music types as well as why they made such choices. Results suggested that participants in a sad mood were inclined to listen to sad (and slow) music, those in a happy mood preferred to listen to happy (and fast) music, and those in a neutral mood did not consistently prefer to listen to neutral music. In addition, participants were averse to sad music when they were in a happy or neutral mood; while they showed no aversion to happy music when they were in a sad mood. In conclusion, individuals select valence-consistent music when they are in an autobiographical memory-induced mood state.     

Prefrontal cortex regulates inhibition and excitation in distributed neural networks.

Prefrontal cortex provides both inhibitory and excitatory input to distributed neural circuits required to support performance in diverse tasks. Neurological patients with prefrontal damage are impaired in their ability to inhibit task-irrelevant information during behavioral tasks requiring performance over a delay. The observed enhancements of primary auditory and somatosensory cortical responses to task-irrelevant distractors suggest that prefrontal damage disrupts inhibitory modulation of inputs to primary sensory cortex, perhaps through abnormalities in a prefrontal-thalamic sensory gating system. Failure to suppress irrelevant sensory information results in increased neural noise, contributing to the deficits in decision making routinely observed in these patients. In addition to a critical role in inhibitory control of sensory flow to primary cortical regions, and tertiary prefrontal cortex also exerts excitatory input to activity in multiple sub-regions of secondary association cortex. Unilateral prefrontal damage results in multi-modal decreases in neural activity in posterior association cortex in the hemisphere ipsilateral to damage. This excitatory modulation is necessary to sustain neural activity during working memory. Thus, prefrontal cortex is able to sculpt behavior through parallel inhibitory and excitatory regulation of neural activity in distributed neural networks.     

右侧基底节损伤遗忘症患者的知觉性启动效应与语义性启动效应的分离与定位

采用偏好、自由联想、字根补笔和字辨认等４项任务观察一例单纯性右侧基底节损伤遗忘症患者和两组正常对照的启动效应。结果发现：（１）该患者知觉性启动效应障碍、而语义性启动效应正常。认为知觉性启动效应的神经学基础可能在基底节。（２）该患者知觉性启动效应与语义性启动效应分离。认为神经组织的损伤可导致不同形式启动效应的分解,提出内隐记忆或启动效应的不同形式可能存在不同的神经学基础。     

Empirical bayes estimates of domain scores under binomial and hypergeometric distributions for test scores

We introduce two simple empirical approximate Bayes estimators (EABEs)— and —for estimating domain scores under binomial and hypergeometric distributions, respectively. Both EABEs (derived from corresponding marginal distributions of observed test scorex without relying on knowledge of prior domain score distributions) have been proven to hold -asymptotic optimality in Robbins' sense of convergence in mean. We found that, where and are the monotonized versions of and under Van Houwelingen's monotonization method, respectively, the convergence rate of the overall expected loss of Bayes risk in either or depends on test length, sample size, and ratio of test length to size of domain items. In terms of conditional Bayes risk, and outperform their maximum likelihood counterparts over the middle range of domain scales. In terms of mean-squared error, we also found that: (a) given a unimodal prior distribution of domain scores, performs better than both and a linear EBE of the beta-binomial model when domain item size is small or when test items reflect a high degree of heterogeneity; (b) performs as well as when prior distribution is bimodal and test items are homogeneous; and (c) the linear EBE is extremely robust when a large pool of homogeneous items plus a unimodal prior distribution exists.The authors are indebted to both anonymous reviewers, especially Reviewer 2, and the Editor for their invaluable comments and suggestions. Thanks are also due to Yuan-Chin Chang and Chin-Fu Hsiao for their help with our simulation and programming work.     

规则变型推理对远迁移问题解决的促进

为了避免多重变异样例学习和采用题海战术,并能促进规则样例学习的远迁移问题解决,开创出原样例学习后对原型规则做出变型推理的学习方法,以算术应用题的解题样例为原样例学习材料进行了4项实验研究。结果显示：四年级小学生运用该方法可有效促进远迁移问题的解决;其变型推理能力存在数学成绩等级差异;提供问题情境和推理提示能提高部分学生规则变型推理成绩和远迁移测验成绩。实验结果证明,规则变型推理是促进远迁移问题解决的有效方法之一。     

Ambiguity Intolerance and Support for Valuing-Diversity Interventions

This study examined the effect of ambiguity intolerance on attitudes toward corporate diversity programs. It was found that, holding constant demographic backgrounds of age, gender, work experience, managerial position, and majority-minority status, ambiguity intolerance was negatively related to support for diversity programs. The study also replicated previous findings that women and racial minority members support diversity programs more than do men and racial majority members. This study demonstrates the importance of including personality variables in diversity research.     

内源性注意与外源性注意对数字加工的不同影响

分别采用内源性注意和外源性注意实验范式,材料为小数（1－4）和大数（6－9）的中文与阿拉伯数字,任务为判断数字是否大于5,考察在注意与非注意条件下不同大小数字加工的距离效应和符号效应。结果发现：⑴在内源性线索和外源性线索的注意条件下,大小数都出现了距离效应;但在非注意条件下,内源性线索时的大小数都出现了距离效应,而外源性线索时只有小数出现了距离效应,大数的距离效应明显减弱或消失。⑵在内源性线索和外源性线索的注意条件下,大小数都没有出现符号效应;但在非注意条件下,大数没有出现符号效应,而小数出现了符号效应（阿拉伯数字的绩效比中文数字差）,并且内源性线索时的符号效应强度小于外源性线索。