How to measure post-error slowing: A confound and a simple solution

In many response time tasks, people slow down after they make an error. This phenomenon of post-error slowing (PES) is thought to reflect an increase in response caution, that is, a heightening of response thresholds in order to increase the probability of a correct response at the expense of response speed. In many empirical studies, PES is quantified as the difference in response time (RT) between post-error trials and post-correct trials. Here we demonstrate that this standard measurement method is prone to contamination by global fluctuations in performance over the course of an experiment. Diffusion model simulations show how global fluctuations in performance can cause either spurious detection of PES or masking of PES. Both confounds are highly undesirable and can be eliminated by a simple solution: quantify PES as the difference in RT between post-error trials and the associated pre-error trials. Experimental data are used as an empirical illustration.     

Neural correlates of feigned memory impairment are distinguishable from answering randomly and answering incorrectly: an fMRI and behavioral study

Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have identified activation in the prefrontal-parietal-sub-cortical circuit during feigned memory impairment when comparing with truthful telling. Here, we used fMRI to determine whether neural activity can differentiate between answering correctly, answering randomly, answering incorrectly, and feigned memory impairment. In this study, 12 healthy subjects underwent block-design fMRI while they performed digit task of forced-choice format under four conditions: answering correctly, answering randomly, answering incorrectly, and simulated feigned memory impairment. There were three main results. First, six areas, including the left prefrontal cortex, the left superior temporal lobe, the right postcentral gyrus, the right superior parietal cortex, the right superior occipital cortex, and the right putamen, were significantly modulated by condition type. Second, for some areas, including the right superior parietal cortex, the right postcentral gyrus, the right superior occipital cortex, and the right putamen, brain activity was significantly greater in feigned memory impairment than answering randomly. Third, for the areas including the left prefrontal cortex and the right putamen, brain activity was significantly greater in feigned memory impairment than answering incorrectly. In contrast, for the left superior temporal lobe, brain activity was significantly greater in answering incorrectly than feigned memory impairment. The results suggest that neural correlates of feigned memory impairment are distinguishable from answering randomly and answering incorrectly in healthy subjects.     

Alerting and orienting of attention without visual awareness

Two types of the attentional network, alerting and orienting, help organisms respond to environmental events for survival in the temporal and spatial dimensions, respectively. Here, we applied chromatic flicker beyond the critical fusion frequency to address whether awareness was necessary for activation of the two attentional networks. We found that high-frequency chromatic flicker, despite its failure to reach awareness, produced the alerting and orienting effects, supporting the dissociation between attention and awareness. Furthermore, as the flicker frequency increased, the orienting effect attenuated whereas the alerting effect remained unchanged. According to the systematic decline in temporal frequency sensitivity across the visual hierarchy, this finding suggests that unconscious alerting might be associated with activity in earlier visual areas than unconscious orienting. Since high-frequency flicker has been demonstrated to only activate early visual cortex, we suppose that neural activation in early visual areas might be sufficient to activate the two attentional networks.     

剖宫产率上升的原因及对策

近年来,剖宫产率日益上升,严重影响母婴利益,作为教学医院,也影响产科的临床教学质量。为提高产科质量,确保母婴安全,我们通过回顾性分析发现,胎儿窘迫,胎位异常,巨大儿,社会因素是剖宫产率上升的主要原因。相应对策可以通过加强孕产期宣教,实行镇痛分娩,建立待产、分娩、恢复及产后为一体(labor-delivery-recovery,LDR)分娩模式,提高医护人员助产技术水平,健全法制建设等措施,旨在降低剖宫产率。     

实施社区首诊制的意义及建议

目前,实施社区首诊制有重要的意义在于,可以缓解看病难、看病贵问题,适应人口老龄化的需求,改善流动人口的健康状况,以及减少私人诊所和药店不规范医疗带来的危害。但是,首诊制的实施也必然面临一定的困难。因此,应积极倡导医保制定向社区倾斜的政策,鼓励社区提高医务人员的技术水平、服务质量,并且完善双向转诊制度。     

现代医学伦理学原则的冲突及其原因分析

现代医学伦理学追求的是在基本原则指导下建构一个程序规则,让各种理论和价值观获得平等对话和合作的机会.但由于方法本身的缺陷及现代性伦理的内在矛盾,它并没有实现这一目的.我们必须充分尊重中国文化传统和社会现实,谨慎而合理的利用西方医学伦理资源.     

铜镜与早期道教

AATOSMI从出土文物来看,从西汉末期开始,铜镜纹饰一扫春秋战国及汉初朴素简单的风格而趋于华丽与复杂,其中最突出的一点便是反映道家思想的题材广泛流行。西汉前期铸造的铜镜在纹饰上与战国镜相比并无多大差别,在样式及题材方面多继承战国,少有创新。至汉武帝时期,真正意义上的汉代铜镜开始兴起,东汉后期画像镜与神兽镜异军突起,其镜面纹饰大量采用神仙思想的题材。这其中有两个重要内容与早期道教关系极为密切:一是西王母为代表的道教神仙,二是渴求长生不老的镜铭。汉代画像镜中大量西王母及其他神仙画像的出现正是当时社会历史的真实反…     

Die traditionelle chinesische Kultur und das gegenwärtige Rechtssystem Chinas

Ohne ZusammenfassungVortrag gehalten an der Rechtswissenchaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Freiburg (Schweiz) am 15. Dezember 1988. Für ihre Hilfe bei der Überarbeitung des deutschen Textes spreche ich den Herren Prof. Dr. Guido Küng von der Universität Freiburg/Schweiz, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Manthe von der Universität Passau/BRD und Dr. Michael Dallmann vom Max-Planck-Institut Hamburg meinen herzlichen Dank aus.     

论民族时代精神对心理学派别形成的影响

心理学是研究人的心理活动规律的科学,而研究心理学的过程无疑问也是一系列心理活动的过程。在研究心理学的心理活动过程中,不同民族的心理学家必然要受本民族的时代精神所影响。从这个角度来分析心理学派别的形成就不难发现:构造派和格式派心理学之所以产生于德国;机能派和行为派心理学之所以产生于美国,决非历史的偶然,它与本民族的时代精神有着密不可分的联系。中华民族的时代精神也必将对建立具有中国特色的心理学产生积极的影响。