Thinking outside the cortex: social motivation in the evolution and development of language

Alteration of the organization of social and motivational neuroanatomical circuitry must have been an essential step in the evolution of human language. Development of vocal communication across species, particularly birdsong, and new research on the neural organization and evolution of social and motivational circuitry, together suggest that human language is the result of an obligatory link of a powerful cortico-striatal learning system, and subcortical socio-motivational circuitry.     

TOMM Performances and Self-Reported Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety

The Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) is the most frequently used symptom validity test (SVT) by neuropsychologists and appears to be robust in the context of a number of neurological and psychiatric conditions. The current study cross-validated and extended prior research by examining the relation between scores on self-report measures of depression and anxiety, independently and combined, and scores on the TOMM in an outpatient neuropsychology clinic. A total of 262 files were reviewed, 67 of which contained complete data on the TOMM, Beck Depression Inventory-II, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results show that scores on self-report inventories of depression and anxiety are not significantly related to scores on the TOMM, cross-validating previous research. Extending prior research, current analyses demonstrate that TOMM scores are not significantly influenced by the combined relation of self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety. Findings support the utility of the TOMM with patients reporting affective disturbances.     

Faith,Belief and Fictionalism

Is propositional religious faith constituted by belief? Recent debate has focussed on whether faith may be constituted by a positive non‐doxastic cognitive state, which can stand in place of belief. This article sets out and defends the doxastic theory. We consider and reject three arguments commonly used in favour of non‐doxastic theories of faith: (1) the argument from religious doubt; (2) the use of ‘faith’ in linguistic utterances; and (3) the possibility of pragmatic faith. We argue that belief is required to maintain a distinction between genuine faith, pretend faith, and fictionalist faith.     

Time-till-breakdown and scalp electrical potential maps of long-range apparent motion

A series of psychophysical and electrophysiological experiments is reported using the apparent motion (AM) breakdown effect. Breakdown describes an effect in AM in which, during continuous viewing, the percept of smooth motion of a single stimulus alternates with the percept of two discrete alternating stimuli. Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) were recorded during periods of motion or breakdown (“nonmotion”) in horizontal and vertical displays. VEPs were compared with synthetic VEPs (“composite-flash”) produced by adding VEPs to each element of the display recorded in isolation. Subtraction of VEPs was used in an attempt to compare the electrical responses with the processing of information relating to the form of the stimulus, subthreshold motion processing, and suprathreshold motion processing. The results, presented as scalp electrical potential distribution maps, were interpreted as consistent with a central adaptation process underlying the breakdown effect. The results also indicated that the hemispheric asymmetries in AM VEPs described by Manning, Finlay, and Fenelon (1988) were most likely due to the position of the stimuli in the visual field, rather than as a lateralization of motion processes per se. The results also provided evidence that the subthreshold and suprathreshold motion responses to the display were the product of different populations of motion units.     

Predicting Health Behaviors From Attitudes and Subjective Norms: Between-Subjects and Within-Subjects Analyses

Much previous research (Trafimow & Fishbein, 1994a, 1994b) indicates that some behaviors are mostly under attitudinal control and some are mostly under normative control. Further, other research (Trafimow & Finlay, 1996) demonstrates that people, as well as behaviors, can be generally under attitudinal or normative control. The present research applies these ideas to the domain of health behaviors. Analyses conducted between-subjects for each behavior, and within-subjects across all of the behaviors, demonstrate that both behaviors and people can be under attitudinal or normative control when responding to items pertaining to health.     

Frequency, phase, and colour coding in apparent motion.

We present some results which indicate that the known spatiotemporal limits for apparent motion are consistent with the motion being sinusoidal or a result of filtering. Given this we investigated how two such motions interact as a function of their relative temporal phase differences. This was accomplished by inducing two independent motions from complementary coloured event pairs. Results indicated critical phase limits for perceiving the two motions (red and green) which were consistent with the frequency specificity of the effect. The results are discussed within the framework of a filtering process for the perception of apparent motion.