与指称主义相冲突的满足贝叶斯确证的信念对象

大卫·查尔默斯对指称主义一直采取怀疑的态度,他在<概率与命题>这篇文章中,通过揭示指称主义和穆勒关于专名的论点与贝叶斯确证理论之间的冲突,提出了一种否定指称主义的新论证.查尔默斯论证的核心,在于表明贝叶斯确证需要一种指称主义不能满足的条件,即它需要非指称的信念对象.非指称的信念对象需要恰当的描述,可是,查尔默斯在他的语义学中所提出的"中心世界"等概念工具,在给出这些描述时,可能会遇到理论上和实践上的困难.     

Chinese character recognition in mirror reading: evidence from event-related potential

As is well known, mirror reading in language requires recognition of words and letters in mirror-reversed pattern compared with normal reading, and the cognitive mechanism underlying the mirror reading may involve two critical processes: visuospatial transformation and linguistic regulation. Chinese characters, different from English, are characterized by some unique features in orthography and spelling. Using ERP techniques, the present study investigated neural correlates underlying the mirror reading of Chinese characters, and whether the cognitive processes underlying the recognition of mirrored Chinese characters is different from those of alphabetic words. Twelve native Chinese speakers participated in the experiment, during which they were instructed to make an animal/nonanimal distinction. The stimuli varied with the word category (animal vs nonanimal) and presentation format (normal vs mirror-reversed). The data analyses focused on three aspects: the reaction times (RT) for Chinese words of normal and mirror-reversed formats, peak latencies, and peak amplitudes of ERP components elicited by mirror-reversed and normal Chinese words. The results from implicit reading provide evidence for a mirror-reversed effect. The behavioural data showed that mirror-reversed words were more difficult to identify than normal words, with RTs delayed for mirror-reversed words over normal words. Moreover, a clear N2 component, with maximal activity occurring at 200-250ms interval (N2), was more negative for mirror-reversed words than for normal words at posterior regions. However, there were no latency differences between normal and mirror-reversed words. The occipital N2 might be closely related to abstract word form representation. Larger N2 amplitude in response to mirror-reversed Chinese words is interpreted as reflecting visuospatial transformation in order to compensate for impaired word form analysis. The result of no N2 latency delay indicated that word form analysis and visuospatial transformation might be processed in parallel.     

Occult white matter damage contributes to intellectual disability in tuberous sclerosis complex

Whether patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) have brain normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) damage and whether such damage contributes to their intellectual disability were examined in 15 TSC patients and 15 gender- and age-matched healthy controls using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Histogram and region of interest (ROI) analyses of the mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) were performed in the NAWM. Correlations between diffusion indices and the full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) and normalized lesion volume were also investigated. Compared with controls, both histogram and ROI analyses showed significant (P < .05) increased MD and decreased FA in the NAWM of TSC patients. In TSC patients, some of the histogram- and ROI-derived diffusion indices of the NAWM were correlated with FSIQ (P < .01), but none of them were correlated with the normalized lesion volume. These findings indicate that TSC patients have occult damage in the NAWM, which might be an important neural basis for intellectual disability in these patients.     

When the best appears to be saved for last: Serial position effects on choice

Decision‐makers often evaluate options sequentially due to constraints on attention, timing, or physical location of the options. Choosing the best option will therefore often depend on people's memories of the options. Because imperfect recall introduces uncertainty in earlier options, judgments of those options should regress toward the category mean as memory decays over time. Relatively desirable options will therefore tend to seem less desirable with time, and relatively undesirable options will tend to seem less undesirable with time. We therefore predicted that people will tend to select the first option in a set when choosing between generally undesirable options, and will tend to select the last when choosing between generally desirable options. We demonstrate these serial position effects in choices among paintings, American Idol audition clips, jellybeans, and female faces, provide evidence of its underlying mechanism, and explain how these findings build on existing accounts. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

汉字内隐记忆的实验研究（Ⅰ）──内隐记忆存在的条件

通过四个２×２×２方差设计实验,将直接测量（再认任务）和间接测量（偏好判断任务）在形式上进行匹配,考察了汉字的注意因素,测量任务因素和时程因素经过不同组合构成的１０种情况,其中测量任务因素的间接测量根据汉字的局部加工（字形、字义、字音）和整体加工（整体特征）分为四种子任务,试图寻找汉字认知范畴里内隐记忆存在的条件。实验分学习和测验两个阶段。学习阶段的处理对所有被试都相同。测验阶段的不同指导语形成不同的测量任务。结果发现了内隐记忆存在的三个必要条件是非注意（目标）汉字,汉字的整体加工和偏好判断任务后阶段。匹配方法的使用是发现内隐记忆的保证。汉字的整体加工和局部加工具有不同的特点。     

坚持不懈地加强科学世界观的宣传教育

国家宗教事务局局长叶小文,最近在《求是》杂志(2006．16)上发表学习胡锦涛同志在全国统战工作会议上的重要讲话心得,题为《正确认识和处理社会主义社会的宗教关系》。兹另题摘录部分如下：     

以阈上启动和投射方法对内隐归因的探讨

本研究采用阈上启动方法和投射方法,对内隐归因进行了探讨.研究发现:(1)存在内隐归因;(2)被试的内隐归因不受被试外显归因影响;(3)内隐归因不受被试性别、年级和专业影响;(4)归因偏差更多的受个体内隐归因的影响,而不是受外显归因的影响.     

论班图拉观察学习理论的特征及其历史地位

该文从以下三个方面分析了班图拉观察学习理论的特征：（１）强化与认知的结合,（２）行为主义的建构论,（３）交互决定论。作者认为,班图拉对心理学的杰出贡献是他发掘了观察学习这一前人所忽视的学习形式,给了观察学习以应有的地位。作者认为,班图拉在其观察学习的研究中,注重社会因素的影响。以认知的术语阐述观察学习的过程与作用,且注重以人为被试的实验,因而对学习心理学的发展产生重要影响。     

躯体性和心理性应激对大鼠血浆皮质酮变化的影响

本实验以血浆皮质酮分泌量为大鼠应激反应指标。实验分三阶段进行:Ⅰ期.适应(第1～7天),在此期所有动物对环境及实验盒适应性训练。Ⅱ期.心理性应激的形成(第8～14天).随机分三组进行:对照(C)组仅给不规则光;规则光(R)组给光后再于尾部施电刺激,光与电刺激间隔恒定;不规则光(Ⅰ)组给光和电刺激,但两者间隔随机。C、R、I三组所接受的光刺激量相等,R、I组所接受的电刺激量相等。Ⅲ期.心理性应激的记忆(第15天).此期各组电刺激均撤除,余同第Ⅱ期。结果显示,在Ⅱ期末及Ⅲ期,R、I组血浆皮质酮均明显高于C组,I组高于R组。     

Testing antecedents to sales performance in postapartheid era: a field study

The predictors of objectively measured sales performance were assessed with 245 sales representatives from a large South African life insurance company. Sales representatives completed measures of their locus of control, entrepreneurial attitudes, biographical history, and performance was assessed from company records of sales, net commissions earned, and lapse ratios. The nature of employment contract, job status, and race explained significant differences in performance outcomes. The predictive nature of locus of control and entrepreneurial attitudes for performance outcomes was tested using structural equation modeling procedures, with limited validity. The implications for research and practice are also discussed.