Memory for temporal order in novel sequential action

ABSTRACT

Order is critical for many daily activities. Developmental research has shown that memory for order in action is the least prioritised in a processing hierarchy, and is sensitive to deviant input. The current research investigated these aspects of sequence learning are also present in adults. Participants learned a novel sequence across several exemplars with either easy- or difficult-to-categorize items, which either did or did not involve a deviant order on one exemplar, and were later asked to recall the sequence. Memory for individual sub-actions and order was stronger in the easy conditions, and the deviant order significantly deteriorated ordered recall in the difficult condition only. These findings support the theorised processing hierarchy, with the presence of a deviant order having a larger effect on memory when the load at the earlier item stage is increased. These results have implications for theories of working memory and learning in real-world contexts.     

Effects of peer group rejection and a new group's norms on children's intergroup attitudes

This study examined the effects of peer group rejection and a new group's norms on 7‐ and 9‐year old children's intergroup attitudes. Children (N =82) were rejected or accepted by an initial group, then accepted by a new group that had a norm of inclusion versus exclusion towards others. Results showed that rejected compared with accepted children had a more negative attitude towards the initial group, that they were equally positive towards their new group, but that the rejected children were more negative towards an outgroup. Results also revealed an age × target group × group norm effect that indicated that the younger children's attitudes towards the three groups were more negative in the exclusion versus acceptance norm condition. The older children were also more negative towards the initial and new groups in the exclusion condition, but their more positive attitudes towards the outgroup were unaffected by the group norms. The bases of the effects of peer group rejection and group norms are discussed.     

Hacking the Akashic Records: The Next Domain for Military Intelligence Operations?

Abstract

This paper outlines a hypothetical six-dimension doctrine for military intelligence-gathering in the Akashic domain. The Akashic records are described by esotericists and mystics as a permanent record of all thoughts, feelings, and actions, stored in a kind of cosmic memory bank outside of space and time. Psychics, clairvoyants, and other intuitives purport to read the records, suggesting that development of an operational strategy for accessing such information may be possible. Command oversight, however, would present significant moral challenges, as “hacking” into this information would be a personally intrusive invasion of privacy with serious repercussions for the operators and state sponsors.