Optimum sample size allocation to minimize cost or maximize power for the two‐sample trimmed mean test

When planning a study, sample size determination is one of the most important tasks facing the researcher. The size will depend on the purpose of the study, the cost limitations, and the nature of the data. By specifying the standard deviation ratio and/or the sample size ratio, the present study considers the problem of heterogeneous variances and non‐normality for Yuen's two‐group test and develops sample size formulas to minimize the total cost or maximize the power of the test. For a given power, the sample size allocation ratio can be manipulated so that the proposed formulas can minimize the total cost, the total sample size, or the sum of total sample size and total cost. On the other hand, for a given total cost, the optimum sample size allocation ratio can maximize the statistical power of the test. After the sample size is determined, the present simulation applies Yuen's test to the sample generated, and then the procedure is validated in terms of Type I errors and power. Simulation results show that the proposed formulas can control Type I errors and achieve the desired power under the various conditions specified. Finally, the implications for determining sample sizes in experimental studies and future research are discussed.     

Neural correlates of Traditional Chinese Medicine induced advantageous risk-taking decision making

This fMRI study examined the neural correlates of the observed improvement in advantageous risk-taking behavior, as measured by the number of adjusted pumps in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), following a 60-day course of a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) recipe, specifically designed to regulate impulsiveness in order to modulate risk-taking behavior. The 14 participants recruited for this study were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups and the TCM recipe (Panax, 520 mg; Astragalus membranaceous Bunge, 520 mg; Masnetitum, 840 mg; Ostrea gigas Thumb, 470 mg; Thinleaf Milkwort Root Radix Polygalae, 450 mg; and Os Draconis, 470 mg) was administered, as a diet supplement, to the seven participants in the experimental group. The neural activity of the two groups was monitored by a 3T MRI scanner, before and after the 60-day treatment. Associated with the improved advantageous risk-taking behavior seen in the experimental group, significantly stronger blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) responses were observed in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), left putamen, left thalamus, right insula, and right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), regions which have previously been reported as being involved in risk-taking decision making. The effect of the TCM in improving advantageous risk-taking decision making appears to have been related to the enhanced efficiency of the cognitive affective system, the PFC–ACC–insula–striatum network, which functions to inhibit impulsiveness, to sensitize reward-related information, and to allow the opportunity, during risk estimation, to evaluate potential gains and losses. The findings of this study suggest that interventions acting on factors modulating risk-taking decision making could have a beneficial effect in terms of optimizing risk-taking behavior.     

略谈“八大山人”与净明道的关系

"八大山人"是清代著名的艺术家,擅长绘画与书法.他的本名为朱耷,是明太祖朱元璋的十世孙,因见证明王朝灭亡,故曾看破红尘而出家隐居;其书画中"八大山人"的落款,既似"哭之",又似"笑之",由此而得称绝笔.本人近读民国延寿居士编<青云谱志>,从中得知"八大山人"实际上就是净明道(又称"净明忠孝道")之青云谱(又作"青云圃")道院的兴建者朱道朗,且此人还开创了净明道的一个支派--青云派①,详如下.     

Environmental enrichment improves behavioral performance and auditory spatial representation of primary auditory cortical neurons in rat

Environmental enrichment (EE) has an important role in brain plasticity. Early research has shown that EE increases the response strength of neurons in the auditory cortex, but it remains unknown whether EE can influence the process of spatial localization in the auditory system. In this study, we raised rats in enriched and standard conditions from postnatal day 10 to day 56. By testing behavioral tasks via auditory cues, we have shown that EE improved the number of correct scores, but decreased the reaction time and azimuth deviation in behavioral performance of sound-azimuth discrimination. By in vivo extracellular recording, we have shown that EE enhanced the directional sensitivity of neurons in the primary auditory cortex. For example, EE rats had a smaller spatial receptive field, sharper frequency tuning curve and directional selective curve of auditory neurons compared with normal rats. Our findings indicate that early exposure to EE increases directional sensitivity. These results provide an insight into developmental plasticity in the auditory system.     

Left gaze bias in humans, rhesus monkeys and domestic dogs

While viewing faces, human adults often demonstrate a natural gaze bias towards the left visual field, that is, the right side of the viewee’s face is often inspected first and for longer periods. Using a preferential looking paradigm, we demonstrate that this bias is neither uniquely human nor limited to primates, and provide evidence to help elucidate its biological function within a broader social cognitive framework. We observed that 6-month-old infants showed a wider tendency for left gaze preference towards objects and faces of different species and orientation, while in adults the bias appears only towards upright human faces. Rhesus monkeys showed a left gaze bias towards upright human and monkey faces, but not towards inverted faces. Domestic dogs, however, only demonstrated a left gaze bias towards human faces, but not towards monkey or dog faces, nor to inanimate object images. Our findings suggest that face- and species-sensitive gaze asymmetry is more widespread in the animal kingdom than previously recognised, is not constrained by attentional or scanning bias, and could be shaped by experience to develop adaptive behavioural significance.     

青少年假想观众和个人神话观念的研究述评

该文介绍了青春期特殊的心理特点——假想观众和个人神化的概念和不同的理论模型,对这些模型相关的实证研究进行了回顾,总结了这两个观念和青少年心理发展某些关系（分离—个性化过程、冒险行为和抑郁等）的研究,从理论基础、测量工具等角度探索了目前研究存在的问题,以及目前研究结果相互矛盾的原因,最后从概念界定、文化差异等方面分析了今后研究的方向     

眼睛运动如何与记忆相关？

很久以来,人们一直在致力于研究人的眼动与心理活动之间的关系,从而揭示其间的奥妙。众多研究表明,睡眠时的快速眼动（RapidEyeMovements,REM）及其周期对记忆的形成与巩固有重要作用。在清醒状态下,人的眼动就是为了获得视觉信息,如果涉及记忆任务,这就是编码阶段的具体行动。另外,问题解决过程也有眼动参与。总体看来,眼动和记忆之间是一种双向的关系,适当的眼动训练或许能够提高记忆成绩。     

Special Topic: Filial Piety: The Root of Morality or the Source of Corruption?

In recent years, Liu Qingping 劉清平 has published a series of articles criticizing Confucian ethics in its modern context (see various articles by Liu), which has drawn the attention of many scholars. My friends and I have debated with him and his allies on this issue (See Guo 2002, Yang Haiwen 2002, Yang Zebo 2003, 2004a, 2004b, Ding 2003, 2005a, 2005b, Gong 2004, Guo and Gong 2004, and Wen 2005). Most of the important articles in the debate are now collected in a volume I edited, A Collection of Contentions about Confucian Ethics: Focusing on the Mutual Concealment among Family Members (Guo 2005 [ed.]). In the following, I attempt to respond to some of Liu’s criticisms of Confucian ethics.     

转换加工研究回顾

任务转换是人类认知活动的基本方式,其过程转换加工为中央执行系统的重要功能。转换加工在工作记忆中体现为控制竞争同一认知资源的两项任务之间相互转换的过程。执行转换任务的反应时比执行重复任务的反应时更长,两反应时之差为转换代价。行为实验和神经生理学实验在转换加工的研究范式、转换代价的成分以及执行控制的理论等领域取得一定成果,但也存在诸多争议。事件相关电位和功能磁共振成像技术的联合使用能直观地反映大脑转换加工的时、空动态变化特征,将为转换加工的进一步研究提供证据     

记忆源检测的双加工机制研究

本研究借鉴Mitchell等人的图词归源和早晚归源任务,引发启发式和系统式加工,并引入知觉流畅性变量,试图在知觉层面上分离两种加工的底层工作模式。结果发现:(1)源检测具有相对脆弱性,成绩显著差于再认。(2)启发式加工和系统式加工在加工速度和底层工作模式上分离,启发式加工速度快,其工作模式似乎是对刺激的知觉流畅性进行阈下水平的解释与归因,而系统式加工速度慢,其工作模式似乎是对意义的分析与推理。