对交替呈现的立体图对的双眼立体视觉的探讨

本实验用APPLE Ⅱ微机控制的同视机,选用医用三级检查图片中的彩色和黑白两种立体图对,对30名被试进行实验。结果表明:(1)在同视机条件下,当双眼图象交替闪烁相位的交替频率平均在7Hz以上时,双眼立体视觉形成。(2)双眼刺激交替呈现时,彩色图对的立体感闪烁融合阈值约为33Hz,黑白图对的立体感闪烁融合阈值约为25Hz,两者差异十分显著(P<0.0001)。     

特殊青少年感觉寻求特质的研究

本文对优秀少年、少年犯和普通少年进行了感觉寻求特质、认知复杂性、棒框测验和心率的研究。旨在检验和证实F.Farley的有关理论:高感觉寻求者由于寻求刺激方式的不同而具有两种不同的行为倾向;并深入探讨不同少年的认知和生理特点。实验结果表明,少年犯和优秀少年比普通少年具有更高的感觉寻求倾向。优秀少年和少年犯寻求刺激的方面是不同的。优秀少年的认知复杂性分数较高,并倾向于场独立性特征,对新异刺激倾向于朝向反射特点;少年犯则具有较低的认知复杂性和场依存性特征。     

人格类型对应激反应影响的实验研究(实验室应激源部分)

本研究以EPQ为依据选择高神经质和低神经质2组共24名被试,以有时间压力的心算和复杂辨别反应操作为紧张性刺激,在进行作业的同时记录被试的呼吸频率、呼吸流量、脉率、指端血管容积和皮肤电反应等五项生理指标,并检测尿内儿茶酚胺分泌量。通过对人格类型、作业成绩、作业难度主观评价、紧张性情绪体验,以及对尿内儿茶酚胺分泌量和五项生理指标的综合分析,以研究人格类型对应激反应影响的程度和途径。结果表明,在两组被试作业成绩无显著差异的情况下,在对作业难度主观评价和情绪体验的程度上,高神经质组高于低神经质组。在平静状态下,高神经质组去甲肾上腺素分泌量高于低神经质组;应激状态下,高神经质组的儿茶酚胺反应强度和变化幅度均明显高于低神经质组。高神经质组的五项生理指标均比低神经质组有较大的变化幅度。儿茶酚胺分泌量与脉率有明显的正相关。另外,通过与自然应激源部分的实验结果比较,发现实验室与现场应激的效果基本一致。     

Failure to detect changes to attended objects in motion pictures

Our intuition that we richly represent the visual details of our environment is illusory. When viewing a scene, we seem to use detailed representations of object properties and interobject relations to achieve a sense of continuity across views. Yet, several recent studies show that human observers fail to detect changes to objects and object properties when localized retinal information signaling a change is masked or eliminated (e.g., by eye movements). However, these studies changed arbitrarily chosen objects which may have been outside the focus of attention. We draw on previous research showing the importance of spatiotemporal information for tracking objects by creating short motion pictures in which objects in both arbitrary locations and the very center of attention were changed. Adult observers failed to notice changes in both cases, even when the sole actor in a scene transformed into another person across an instantaneous change in camera angle (or “cut”).     

Pictorial encoding reduces false recognition of semantic associates

High levels of false recognition can be observed after people study lists of semantic associates that all converge on a nonpresented lure word. To test the idea that encoding distinctive perceptual information would help to reduce false recognition, we presented a line drawing representing each associated word during study list presentation and later tested recognition of studied words and lure words. Two experiments revealed marked reductions in false recognition after pictorial encoding, relative after to word encoding. Results suggest that people reject related and unrelated lures because these items lack the distinctive qualities associated with remembered pictures.     

Three Problems for “strong” Modal Fictionalism

Philosophical Studies -     

Cognitive rehabilitation of chronic alcohol abusers

The current literature suggests that individuals who chronically abuse alcohol exhibit a wide variety of cognitive deficits resulting from cerebral dysfunction that is either directly or indirectly related to their alcohol consumption history. Cognitive deficits have been hypothesized as having implications for standard alcohol treatment efficacy as they may directly affect cognitively impaired individuals’ abilities to utilize various treatment modalities. Although evidence is accumulating that suggests this is actually the case, the majority of alcohol treatment programs neither directly consider the impact cognitive deficits have on treatment efficacy nor do they employ cognitive rehabilitation treatment strategies to remediate identified cognitive deficits. Few studies exist that investigate the remediability of neurobehavioral deficits or the efficacy of integrating cognitive rehabilitation strategies into more traditional treatment programs. Empirical investigations conducted to date indicate that some cognitive deficiencies secondary to alcoholism are amenable to cognitive rehabilitation and this remediation is generalizable. Rigorous well-controlled treatment outcome investigations are needed in order to determine the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation techniques in naturalistic settings using ecological outcome measures. Also, emphasis should be placed on integrating cognitive rehabilitation techniques with proven efficacy into traditional alcoholism treatment programs.     

Lateralized Changes in Regional Cerebral Blood Flow during Performance of Verbal and Facial Recognition Tasks: Correlations with Performance and “Effort”

Functional neuroimaging has been used to investigate neural substrates of mnemonic processes, and cerebral blood flow (CBF) measures have been sensitive to activation with memory tasks. Studies of memory with two-dimensional¹³³Xenon clearance techniques found that word and face recognition tasks produced contralateral CBF changes in mid-temporal cortical regions. This study replicated the activation paradigm, expanding to the three-dimensional resolution of positron emission tomography (PET). Word and face recognition, and a control baseline task were administered to 19 healthy right-handed volunteers (11 men, 8 women) during successive 10 min PET¹⁵O-water measures of CBF. Quantitative CBF rates were calculated with the arterial input function and the equilibrium model. Redistributions of blood flow were compared across tasks using both absolute and relative (region/whole brain) CBF.Replicating the¹³³Xenon clearance findings, CBF was “appropriately” lateralized during task performance (left–right for words > left–right for faces) in the mid-temporal region. Contrary to predictions, the recognition tasks did not activate expected mesolimbic or prefrontal areas. The task-induced CBF changes also correlated with performance. Bilateral CBF in mid-temporal and parahippocampal gyrus regions of interest correlated with the ability to correctly identify word targets (sensitivity). Left-lateralized CBF in the amygdala and hippocampus correlated with better word sensitivity as well as specificity (ability to correctly reject foils). Complementally, right-lateralized CBF in the parahippocampal gyrus correlated with better face specificity performance. In addition, left-lateralized CBF in the amygdala and right-lateralized CBF in the parahippocampal gyrus and hippocampus correlated with “mental effort” indices (task performance relative to basal ability) for word and face memory tasks, respectively. Thus, whereas this recognition task showed the expected lateralized increase in the mid-temporal region and not in frontal and limbic areas, lateralized activation in some of these areas was associated with better performance. Exploratory analyses on other regions showed lateralized changes in one additional temporal region, the occipital-temporal, and several limbic regions.     

Freud, Oedipus and the Hebrew Bible

The current paper examines the question of why Freud employed Greek rather than Hebrew foundation legends, specifically the story of Oedipus, as a basis for psychoanalysis, Freud's choice of Oedipus emanates from his deterministic view of the universe, paralleling the Greek rather that the Biblical story of creation. In the Biblical account God precedes and creates nature with no sign of an Oedipal conflict. In the Greek account, nature precedes the gods and the Oedipal conflict is inherent. Freud's choice has implications for his view of human psychology.     

WHEN THE ANTIDOTE IS THE POISON:

Abstract— The theory of ironic processes of mental control holds that both the most and the least desired effects of attempts to control one's own mental states accrue from two processes an intentional operating process (a conscious, effortful search for mental contents that mil produce a desired slate of mind) and an ironic monitoring process (an unconscious, automatic search for mental contents that signal a failure lo produce the desired Mate of mind) Although the monitoring process usually functions just to activate the operating process, during stress distraction, time urgency, or other mental load, the monitor's effects on mind can supersede those of the operator, producing the very state of mind that is least desired An individual's attempts lo gain mental control may thus precipitate the unwanted mental states.