Is action naming better preserved (than object naming) in Alzheimer's disease and why should we ask?

The present study compared object and action naming in patients with Alzheimer's dementia. We tested the hypothesis put forward in (some) previous studies that in Alzheimer's dementia the production of verbs, that is required in action naming, is better preserved than the production of nouns, that is required in object naming. The possible reason for the dissociation is that verbs are supported predominantly by frontal brain structures that may remain relatively better preserved in early Alzheimer's disease. Objects, on the other hand, are supported by temporal lobe structures that are affected early in the disease. An alternative hypothesis, which is supported by other studies, is that action naming is more impaired than object naming due to verbs being semantically more complex than nouns. In order to test these contrasting hypotheses, the present study used more stringent methodology than previous studies. We used a larger set of stimuli with carefully matched object and action items and we collected not only accuracy data but also naming latencies, a measure that is sensitive to even mild lexical retrieval problems. We compared the performance of 19 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease with that of 19 healthy age matched participants. We found that both the patients and the comparison group responded faster and made fewer errors on the object pictures than the action pictures. A qualitative analysis of the naming errors indicated that object and action naming pose different demands for the language system. The results overall suggest that the patients' performance is an exaggeration of the pattern present in the comparison participants.     

Toward an assessment of the construct validity of four measures of narcissism

In recent years there has been growing conceptual interest in narcissism, coupled with the rapid development of several paper and pencil measures. Clearly, construct validation should be performed prior to the adoption of any measure. This study reports on the construct validation of four scales that purport to measure narcissism. A conceptual definition of narcissism is provided, and a number of empirical analyses are performed, including examination of internal consistency reliabilities, intercorrelations among the four narcissism scales, and correlations with related and unrelated measures. Three of the four scales were found to be consistently related to each other, and demonstrated similar patterns of substantive and discriminant validity. A factor analysis, performed to examine the structure of the four narcissism measures, suggests four dimensions: desire for attention, admiration, and authority; feelings of inadequacy, unhappiness, and worry; disturbances in interpersonal relationships (exploitation, sense of entitlement, lack of empathy); and sensitivity to criticism and defeat. Implications of the results are discussed.     

Case method and casuistry: The problem of bias

Case methods of reasoning are persuasive, but we need to address problems of bias in order to use them to reach morally justifiable conclusions. A bias is an unwarranted inclination or a special perspective that disposes us to mistaken or one-sided judgments. The potential for bias arises at each stage of a case method of reasoning including in describing, framing, selecting and comparing of cases and paradigms. A problem of bias occurs because to identify the relevant features for such purposes, we must use general views about what is relevant; but some of our general views are biased, both in the sense of being unwarranted inclinations and in the sense that they are one of many viable perspectives. This reliance upon general views to determine relevancy creates additional difficulties for defenders who maintain that case methods of moral reasoning are not only useful, but more basic, reliable or prior to other forms of moral reasoning. If we cannot identify the case's relevant features and issues independently of our general views or biases, we need further explanation about why a case method or casuistry should be viewed as prior to or more basic or reliable than other forms of moral reasoning. Problems of bias also arise for other methods of reasoning. In medical science, case reviews are regarded as an unreliable way to form generalizations, and methods such as clinical trials are used to address bias.     

二年级小学生“记”“忆”策略的微观发生研究

采用微观发生法,以33名小学二年级学生为被试,以记忆书面语词的分类材料为任务,对儿童记忆过程中"记"、"忆"策略的不同发展规律进行了5个期间的测查.结果发现:(1)分类记忆策略的发展既有突变过程也有渐变过程:分类记策略有生成缺陷,表现为训练后的突然变化;分类忆策略则是一个可以自发形成的渐变过程,如果加以适当的训练也会发生突然的增长.(2)在材料熟悉度较低的情况下,会使少量儿童产生分类记、忆策略使用缺陷现象.     

The effect of culture and power on cooperation in commons dilemmas: Implications for global resource management

This study adopted a contextual framework to examine whether an interaction between group culture and economic power influences self-interest in a simulated commons dilemma. Full-time managers enrolled in executive MBA programs in Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, and the United States (US) made decisions in an asymmetric commons dilemma. Relative to managers from the US and Germany, Israeli managers were more likely to follow an individually rational decision-making approach, taking more resources in a high versus low economic power condition. In contrast, managers from Hong Kong in a high economic power condition followed a collectively rational approach, voluntarily taking fewer resources. Egocentrism mediated this interaction effect of group culture and economic power for the Israeli managers who were more egocentric and believed it was fair to harvest more resources in a high power condition. However, egocentrism did not mediate the interaction effect for managers from Hong Kong. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings highlight the importance of studying the proximal effect of group culture on contextual factors, such as economic power asymmetry, that influence cooperation in social dilemmas.     

发展性阅读障碍亚类型研究进展

发展性阅读障碍是一种特殊的学习障碍,伴有多种认知缺陷并且存在不同的亚类型。依据相关的阅读模型理论,阅读障碍可划分为语音型和表层型。从认知缺陷角度出发,语音加工缺陷是主要的缺陷表现,以此为特征形成一种主要的阅读障碍的亚类型,同时还有以正字法加工缺陷和快速命名缺陷为主的其他亚类型。而以基本感知觉缺陷为标准,主要有以视觉加工缺陷和以听觉加工缺陷为主的两种亚类型。在汉语条件下,依据同样的阅读模型理论,语音型阅读障碍亚类型比例明显低于拼音文字条件下的。汉语阅读障碍也具有分别以语音加工缺陷、快速命名缺陷和正字法加工缺陷为主要认知缺陷的亚类型。未来有必要从神经机制角度进一步明确不同亚类型的神经基础。     

Effects of antecedent variables on disruptive behavior and accurate responding in young children in outpatient settings

The effects of manipulations of task variables on inaccurate responding and disruption were investigated with 3 children who engaged in noncompliance. With 2 children in an outpatient clinic, task directives were first manipulated to identify directives that guided accurate responding; then, additional dimensions of the task were manipulated to evaluate their influence on disruptive behavior. With a 3rd child, similar procedures were employed at school. Results showed one-step directives set the occasion for accurate responding and that other dimensions of the task (e.g., preference) functioned as motivating operations for negative reinforcement.     

新生儿语音感知的神经基础:元分析

语言习得能力是人类在进化中获得的重要能力之一。语言认知的核心功能是语音加工, 因此, 语音加工的脑机制是认知心理学研究的重要课题。我们采用元分析方法, 对使用近红外技术考察新生儿语音感知的结构检测、偏差检测和母语感知的研究进行系统的定量分析, 探究新生儿的典型语音感知脑机制以及这三类语音加工相关脑区的异同。结果显示, 左侧额下回是新生儿检测语音结构的关键脑区; 双侧颞叶在新生儿语音偏差刺激检测中发挥关键作用; 新生儿的母语语音加工存在左侧化优势。     

伪装情绪的人际影响及其作用机制

伪装情绪是指在情绪交互的过程中, 人们展现实际不存在的积极或消极情绪, 放大亦或是压抑原本的情绪。伪装情绪是一种策略选择的结果, 表现者所展现的情绪在当下可能并未发生, 但却能在某种程度上令人信服。目前关于伪装情绪的研究比较分散, 对于伪装情绪人际影响及其作用机制还存在着一定争议。现有文献多从博弈过程、亲社会行为情境、组织情境和领导效果四个方面对伪装情绪的人际效应进行探讨, 其中相关的机制包括情绪接受者的情感反应及“以己度人”的内心过程。未来的研究可以从情绪接受者、群体伪装、伪装情绪效价、认知神经机制以及文化等方面, 对伪装情绪展开深入系统性的研究。     

外显和内隐情绪韵律加工的脑机制：近红外成像研究

准确识别言语中的情绪韵律信息对社会交往非常重要。本研究采用功能近红外成像技术, 探索外显和内隐情绪加工条件下愤怒、恐惧、快乐三种情绪韵律加工过程中的大脑皮层神经活动。结果表明, 对愤怒、恐惧、快乐韵律进行特异性加工的脑区分别为左侧额极/眶额叶、右侧缘上回、左侧额下回, 其中右侧缘上回脑区同时受到情绪和任务的调控。此外, 右侧颞中回、颞下回和颞极在情绪外显任务中的激活明显强于内隐任务。本研究的结果部分支持了情绪韵律的层次模型, 也对该模型的第三层次, 即“额区对语音情绪信息的精细加工需要外显性情绪加工任务参与”提出了质疑。