The influence of attentional control on stimulus processing is category specific in Stroop tasks

It is still unclear how attentional control influences stimulus processing. We investigated this issue in four Stroop task experiments utilizing a pretest–training–posttest design. Subjects were given extensive training on the Stroop task using typical incongruent Stroop trials. The rates of color naming and word reading, which reflect the efficiency of stimulus processing, were assessed in pretest and posttest. The difference in rates between posttests and pretests reflects the influence of attentional control, acquired during the training phase, on stimulus processing. In Experiment 1, members of color category were used in the training phase; in Experiment 2, members of color category were used, but not in the training phase; in Experiment 3, they were neither in the color category nor were they used in the training. The results consistently showed that the suppression of word reading and the enhancement of color naming were developed in the training phases and they were not due to general training of color-naming task without conflict but to color-naming training with Stroop conflict (Experiment 4). More importantly, both suppression and enhancement affected the members of color category regardless of whether they were trained or not. The present findings suggest that the influence of attentional control on stimulus processing is category specific. We discuss the implications of the present results in terms of existing research on the locus of attentional control in Stroop tasks.     

真实火灾和模拟火灾情境下小鼠的逃生决策比较*

探讨并比较真实火灾和模拟火灾情境下小鼠是否采用直觉性逃生决策。研究包括一个预备训练和两个主实验。预备训练的目的：首先训练小鼠获得有关迷宫路线及出口的经验,然后再经过遗忘处理使它们遗忘相关经验。两个主实验均采用3(情境：真实火灾,模拟火灾,普通情境)×2(记忆：遗忘前和遗忘后)混合实验设计,因变量均为逃生决策。实验组被试为72只经过训练的小鼠,控制组为24只未经过训练的小鼠。通过考察小鼠在不同情境和不同记忆条件下的逃生时间和对逃生出口的选择探测并比较真实火灾和模拟火灾情境下小鼠的逃生决策差异。主要结果：(1)实验组在真实火灾情境下的逃生时间无论遗忘前后都明显比模拟火灾情境下短;(2)实验组在真实火灾和模拟火灾情境下的逃生时间都明显比控制组短;(3)当熟悉和陌生出口均开启同时熟悉出口处有烟雾条件下,真实火灾组在遗忘前后均倾向于选择熟悉出口逃生,其他两组则倾向于选择陌生出口离开。结论：真实火灾和模拟火灾情境下小鼠的逃生决策存在明显差异：真实火灾情境下受过训练的小鼠倾向于直觉性逃生决策;模拟火灾情境下受过训练的小鼠不倾向于直觉性逃生决策。     

Negotiating safer sex: A detailed analysis of attitude functions,anticipated emotions,relationship status and gender

Objective : Because interpersonal discussion about condom use can encourage subsequent condom use, this project aims to examine the psychological antecedents of intentions to discuss or request the use of condoms with a sexual partner.

Method : The data were collected from 849 heterosexual college students in the USA through an online survey. The survey contained several measures related to attitude functions (i.e. motivations), efficacy, norms and intentions to discuss condom use with a sexual partner.

Results : Participants’ attitude functions weakly predicted intentions to discuss condom use. Communication efficacy was a more important predictor of intentions for females (vs. males) and for those in other relationships or not in a relationship (vs. long-term monogamous relationships). Anticipated negative emotions were a stronger predictor of intentions for those in long-term monogamous relationships (vs. other relationships or not in a relationship).

Implications : Future research needs to consider more detailed attitude functions and anticipated emotions. Furthermore, background variables (e.g. gender and relationship status) can be moderators in addition to being distal predictors.     

Deformation-induced dislocations in 15R-SiC grown by sublimation

Single-crystal 15R-SiC boules have been successfully grown by sublimation. The Vickers hardness of a Si-terminated (0001) face has been measured in the temperature range 25-1300C. As expected, the hardness decreases with increasing temperature from about 30GPa at room temperature to about 10GPa at 1300C. The fracture toughness is estimated to be about 1.0MPam 1/2 at room temperature. Transmission electron microscopy investigation of the dislocations introduced by indentation at 900 and 1300C shows that they are activated predominantly on the basal plane. Most of them consist of a single leading partial without the corresponding trailing partial.     

Collective contributions to career efficacy in adolescents: A cross-cultural study

This study extended the concept of collective efficacy to supplement the variable of career self-efficacy to predict vocational exploration and commitment among adolescents. We developed a Collective Contributions to Career Efficacy Scale (CCCE) to measure adolescents' perceived contributions from parents, teachers, and peers on their career-related matters. A total of 1175 high school students from Hong Kong, Shanghai and Michigan participated in the study by completing the CCCE, the Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale (CDSE-SF), and the Vocational Exploration and Commitment Subscale (VEC). Using multi-sample Structural Equation Modeling, we found that the effect of CCCE on VEC was mediated by CDSE. Although we found cultural differences in the overall level of the vocational measures among the Hong Kong, Shanghai, and American students, the mediation model was confirmed in all three groups of students.     

工作要求-资源模型新视角——基于心理社会安全氛围的分析

心理社会安全氛围(Psychosocial safety climate,简称PSC)指员工对组织是否重视员工工作过程中与心理健康和安全相关的政策、规程和行为实践的共同感知和看法.回顾相关研究,对PSC的理论建构、测量方法、效度验证及PSC在工作要求-资源模型(Job Demand-Resource Model,简称JD-R模型)中的作用机制等进行了系统梳理.在此基础上,总结JD-R模型完善的理论贡献与管理启示,并提出PSC理论与测量工具完善、工作要求与工作资源层次匹配、考虑组织外及个人因素、开展本土化研究等未来研究方向.     

协作抑制的认知机制

协作抑制是指当人们在一个记忆小组中一起提取信息的时候,小组提取的信息总量比等量个体提取的信息总量要少.心理学研究者致力于从认知角度对该现象进行解释,主要的理论解释有提取策略破坏假说和提取抑制假说.前者认为小组成员的提取结果对组内其他成员的信息组织策略产生了干扰,导致小组的提取成绩低.而后者认为小组内成员的提取结果会抑制其他成员对非提取项目的表征,降低小组协作提取能力,出现协作抑制.本文对两种理论假说的提出背景,基本观点,证据支持及现有争论进行了介绍,同时指出了未来的研究应关注于对两种机制的关键矛盾点进行区别性检验、对不同认知机制在不同条件下成立可靠性的检验以及通过对编码阶段进行操控来进一步考察协作抑制的认知机制.     

The cognitive advantage for one’s own name is not simply familiarity: An eye-tracking study

Eye-tracking technique and visual search task were employed to examine the cognitive advantage for one’s own name and the possible effect of familiarity on this advantage. The results showed that fewer saccades and an earlier start time of first fixations on the target were associated with trials in which participants were asked to search for their own name, as compared to search for personally familiar or famous names. In addition, the results also demonstrated faster response times and higher accuracy in the former kind of trials. Taken together, these findings provide important evidence that one’s own name has the potential to capture attention and that familiarity cannot account for this advantage.     

Masked-target recovery requires focused attention on the target object

Flashing a homogeneous light mask after the presentation of a masked target reduces the deleterious effects of the mask, a phenomenon often called target recovery. Target recovery has been studied using masking paradigms in which a target object is presented in isolation prior to the presentation of a mask, thus capturing attention. In the present study, we examined whether target recovery is possible when a target does not benefit from attentional capture. We hypothesized that target recovery would be eliminated when a target must compete with distractors for perceptual attention. Replicating classic studies, we observed target recovery when pattern and light masks followed an isolated target. However, target recovery was not observed when a light mask followed a masked visual search target. Furthermore, using an attentional-capture paradigm we found that sudden onset search targets were recoverable whereas nononset targets were not. The present findings indicate that attentional capture by a target prior to masking plays a critical role in the subsequent recovery of the target.