Masked repetition priming hinders subsequent recollection but not familiarity: A behavioral and event-related potential study

The present study used the masked repetition priming paradigm in the study phase and the R/K paradigm in the test phase to investigate whether repetition priming can hinder recognition memory and which recognition process (familiarity or recollection) is hindered. Event-related potentials (ERPs) in the study and test phase were recorded to explore the temporal course of how repetition priming hinders subsequent recognition memory and which old/new effect (FN400 or LPC) is affected. Converging behavioral and ERP results indicated that masked repetition priming hindered subsequent recollection but not familiarity. The analysis of ERP priming effects in the study phase indicated that primed words were associated with less negative N400 and less positive LPC compared to unprimed words. The analysis of the priming effect as a function of subsequent memory revealed that only the LPC priming effect was predictive of priming effect on subsequent memory, which suggested that the “prediction-error” account might be a possible explanation of how repetition priming affects subsequent recognition memory.     

Bodily emotional expressions are a primary source of information for dogs,but not for humans

Animal Cognition - Dogs have remarkable abilities to synergise their behaviour with that of people, but how dogs read facial and bodily emotional cues in comparison to humans remains unclear. Both...     

The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism impacts victim's moral emotions following interpersonal transgression

Immoral behaviors make individuals abominate and punish transgressors. Inspired by the associations between the Val66Met polymorphism of brain‐derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) gene and emotional responses following negative events, we investigated whether this polymorphism was also associated moral emotions such as punishment and forgiveness following interpersonal transgression. To do so, we categorized 340 individuals according to the BDNF Val66Met and assessed moral emotions by using 12 hypothetic scenarios in different conditions of intention and interpersonal consequence. The results indicated that this polymorphism was significantly associated with moral aversion and punishment towards transgressors. Victims with the Val/Val genotype expressed less aversion and punishment than the Met carriers, regardless of intention and interpersonal consequence. Moreover, this polymorphism was associated with forgiveness. Victims with the Val/Val genotype expressed more forgiveness than the Met carriers. Taken together, these findings highlight the importance of the BDNF Val66Met to moral emotions.     

精神的结构：阴阳与弗洛伊德人格理论

随着临床实践的深入,弗洛伊德在后期对人格结构进行了调整,提出了精神的动力结构,但他在其精神结构中过分强调个体的生物性本能,忽略了矛盾既相互对立又相成相济。事实上,处于“自然-道德”中间状态的人的精神结构,可以用中国哲学中的“阴阳”来理解,即在结构上注重阴阳的对立与平等,在发展上强调阴阳在不同时期的发展和变化。阴阳太极图与弗洛伊德后期的人格理论的中西互补,能够加深对徘徊在自然-道德之间的人的认识,从而为重新审视中国传统思想之于现代和当代精神结构的建设有着重要的启示和价值。     

身体活动与心理活动动词加工的ERP比较

在19名右利手被试完成词汇判断任务的同时,通过119个头皮电极记录其事件相关电位（ERP）,以此来探讨表示身体活动的动词与表示心理活动的动词之间的加工差异。研究结果表明,在200~300ms时窗,在左半球枕区附近,身体活动动词所诱发的ERP比心理活动动词所诱发的ERP在正走向上更小。在300~400ms（即类似的N400）时窗,动词类型效应出现在中线和左半球的更大的区域上,特别是中央区附近,身体活动动词所诱发的ERP比心理活动动词所诱发的ERP在负走向上更大。语言表征的神经生物学理论可以解释本研究的部分结果。     

Culture, temporal focus, and values of the past and the future

This article examines cultural differences in how people value future and past events. Throughout four studies, the authors found that European Canadians attached more monetary value to an event in the future than to an identical event in the past, whereas Chinese and Chinese Canadians placed more monetary value to a past event than to an identical future event. The authors also showed that temporal focus-thinking about the past or future-explained cultural influences on the temporal value asymmetry effect. Specifically, when induced to think about and focus on the future, Chinese valued the future more than the past, just like Euro-Canadians; when induced to think about and focus on the past, Euro-Canadians valued the past more than the future, just like Chinese.     

行政职业能力倾向测验:历史、现状与未来研究

经过二十多年的发展,行政职业能力倾向测验已经成为公务员考试中不可缺少的测评工具之一。在实践发展中,行测内外部的变化引发了许多研究问题。然而,现有研究的广度和深度都较为有限。为了提高行测的科学化水平,该文指出未来亟需从以下方面开展研究:(1)借鉴认知诊断理论对各个题型进行研究;(2)测量结构的确立;(3)分级分类考试的架构设计;(4)新题型开发;(5)分数合成;(6)试题公平性等。     

Memory deficits for non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment

Non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment (naMCI) is one of the clinical subtypes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, the characteristics of memory deficits in naMCI as assessed by clinical neuropsychological evaluations are not clear. In this study, a battery of neuropsychological tests was administered to 122 cognitively normal controls (NC), 133 amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients, and 72 naMCI patients. The results showed that in individuals with naMCI, episodic memory, and other cognitive domains were impaired. The Prospective Memory Test (PMT) event-based prospective memory (EBPM), the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) Accidental Memory, Stick test (ST) visuoconstructional memory, and ST Working Memory were impaired, yet did not reach the level of aMCI. Semantic memory was affected to a degree comparable with aMCI. Some functions like Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) recognition, and Judgment of Confidence (JOC) were maintained, as well as PMT Time-Based Prospective Memory (TBPM). This study verified that memory impairment among individuals with naMCI was mainly in memory functions mediated by the frontotemporal cortex.     

Discontinuous cracking of TiN films on a steel substrate induced by an adhesive interlayer

ABSTRACT

The basic mechanisms governing the process of cracking of single-layer brittle films have been extensively explored through both simulations and experiments. However, the role that an adhesive interlayer plays in the cracking of the overlying brittle film remains unclear. By performing three-point bending experiments, we observed that the insertion of a 100?nm thick Ti interlayer changed the cracking behaviour of TiN films from a continuous pattern to a discontinuous pattern. The slight change in the microstructure of the film and the increase in film thickness arising from the addition of the Ti interlayer are unlikely to cause the observed cracking morphology. The combination of the different interface between the Ti and the steel substrate and the fracture of the Ti interlayer are responsible for the transition in the TiN film cracking morphologies.     

Networking amorphous phase reinforced titanium composites which show tensile plasticity

Titanium matrix composites reinforced by an in situ formed networking amorphous phase have been prepared directly in the form of as-cast ingots. The composites show significant compressive and tensile plasticity. In contrast to the highly localized plasticity for most monolithic amorphous alloys, the tensile deformation of the current composites distributes uniformly over the entire specimen as a consequence of substantial work (strain) hardening. The formation mechanism of the networking structure, as a result of well-separated two-step solidification of the current alloy melts, have possible implications for composite synthesis in other alloy systems.