The influence of visual short-term memory on size perception

We show that perceived size of visual stimuli can be altered by matches between the contents of visual short-term memory and stimuli in the scene. Observers were presented with a colour cue (to hold in working memory or to merely identify) and subsequently had to indicate which of the two different-coloured objects presented simultaneously on the screen appeared bigger (or smaller). One of the two objects for size judgements had the same colour as the cue (matching stimulus) and the other did not (mismatching stimulus). Perceived object size was decreased by the reappearance of the recently seen cue, as there were more size judgement errors on trials where the matching stimulus was physically bigger (relative to the mismatching stimulus) than on trials where the matching stimulus was physically smaller. The effect occurred regardless of whether the visual cue was actively maintained in working memory or was merely identified. The effect was unlikely generated by the allocation of attention, because shifting attention to a visual stimulus actually increased its perceived size. The findings suggest that visual short-term memory, whether explicit or implicit, can decrease the perceived size of subsequent visual stimuli.     

Masked-target recovery requires focused attention on the target object

Flashing a homogeneous light mask after the presentation of a masked target reduces the deleterious effects of the mask, a phenomenon often called target recovery. Target recovery has been studied using masking paradigms in which a target object is presented in isolation prior to the presentation of a mask, thus capturing attention. In the present study, we examined whether target recovery is possible when a target does not benefit from attentional capture. We hypothesized that target recovery would be eliminated when a target must compete with distractors for perceptual attention. Replicating classic studies, we observed target recovery when pattern and light masks followed an isolated target. However, target recovery was not observed when a light mask followed a masked visual search target. Furthermore, using an attentional-capture paradigm we found that sudden onset search targets were recoverable whereas nononset targets were not. The present findings indicate that attentional capture by a target prior to masking plays a critical role in the subsequent recovery of the target.     

个人幸福指数-中小学生版(PWI-SC)在中国的适用性——兼与澳洲中学生比较

探讨个人幸福指数-中小学生版(PWI-SC)在中国的适用性以及中澳两国中学生个人幸福指数的跨文化差异。采用PWI-SC施测522名中国中学生、185名澳洲中学生,进行区分度、信度和效度检验,发现该问卷可运用于中国中学生个人幸福指数的调查,个别项目需稍加修改。比较中澳中学生的施测结果,中国中学生的个人幸福指数低于澳洲中学生,中国中学生得分为47-70,澳洲中学生得分为51-72;中国中学生除在个人已有成就项目上得分高于澳洲中学生外,其他方面均较低;中澳两国初中生的个人幸福指数均显著高于高中生,两国初高中生个人幸福指数的差异体现在不同方面;中澳两国中学生个人幸福指数的年龄差异均显著,进一步事后分析发现,两国中学生个人幸福指数的基本趋势均为随年龄增长,个人幸福指数降低,中国15岁中学生的个人幸福指数较高。PWI-SC基本适用于中国中学生;中学生随年龄增长,个人幸福指数降低;中国中学生的个人幸福指数低于澳洲中学生。     

求职者简历作假行为结构及影响因素研究

求职者简历作假行为是指求职者在简历投递过程中,为提升进入下一轮选拔几率,在简历中表现出虚假信念或信息的行为。研究通过访谈和问卷调查方法,探讨了求职者简历作假行为的结构,以及大学生求职群体简历作假行为的影响因素与特点。结果表明:(1)求职者的简历作假行为包含迎合招聘企业、篡改个人信息、粉饰关键词句和提升匹配程度四个因素。(2)马基雅维利主义倾向可以预测其简历作假行为。(3)大学生求职者的简历作假行为在其简历投递次数以及简历修改次数上存在差异。     

时态结构中的恒常联系因果学习

人工智能研究中,行动这一概念通常在理论框架中有完全的定义。然而,现实中的行动有时难以完全刻画。智能体需要从过去的经验观察中习得行动的后果。本文提出一种基于时态结构的行动一结果学习理论。在自然数时间结构中,智能体通过观察过去的恒常联系建立因果关系。智能体依据己建立的因果关系指导将来的行动。同时,我们给出关于该理论的一个完全的逻辑演绎系统,并给出基于该逻辑的智能体行动的有效算法。     

A severe capacity limit in the consolidation of orientation information into visual short-term memory

Previous research has suggested that two color patches can be consolidated into visual short-term memory (VSTM) via an unlimited parallel process. Here we examined whether the same unlimited-capacity parallel process occurs for two oriented grating patches. Participants viewed two gratings that were presented briefly and masked. In blocks of trials, the gratings were presented either simultaneously or sequentially. In Experiments 1 and 2, the presentation of the stimuli was followed by a location cue that indicated the grating on which to base one’s response. In Experiment 1, participants responded whether the target grating was oriented clockwise or counterclockwise with respect to vertical. In Experiment 2, participants indicated whether the target grating was oriented along one of the cardinal directions (vertical or horizontal) or was obliquely oriented. Finally, in Experiment 3, the location cue was replaced with a third grating that appeared at fixation, and participants indicated whether either of the two test gratings matched this probe. Despite the fact that these responses required fairly coarse coding of the orientation information, across all methods of responding we found superior performance for sequential over simultaneous presentations. These findings suggest that the consolidation of oriented gratings into VSTM is severely limited in capacity and differs from the consolidation of color information.     

A neural autopilot theory of habit: Evidence from consumer purchases and social media use

This article applies a two-process “neural autopilot” model to field data. The autopilot model hypothesizes that habitual choice occurs when the reward from a behavior has low numerical “doubt” (i.e., reward prediction errors are small). The model toggles between repeating a previous choice (habit) when doubt is low and making a goal-directed choice when doubt is high. The model has ingredients established in animal learning and cognitive neuroscience and is simple enough to make nonobvious predictions. In two empirical applications, we fit the model to field data on purchases of canned tuna and posting on the Chinese social media site Weibo. This style of modeling is called “structural” because there is a theoretical model of how different variables influence choices by agents (the “structure”), which tightly restricts how hidden variables lead to observed choices. There is empirical support for the model, more strongly for tuna purchases than for Weibo posting, relative to a baseline “reduced-form” model in which current choices are correlated with past choices without a mechanistic (structural) explanation. An interesting set of predictions can also be derived about how consumers react to different kinds of changes in prices and qualities of goods (this is called “counterfactual analysis”).     

消费者厌腻感的生成机理、诱发因素及缓解策略

厌腻感是指消费者对连续或过量消费同一产品或服务的效用感、享乐感或满意度下降, 负面感知逐步抑制正面感知的主观情绪体验。为缓解或防止厌腻感的产生, 消费者会采取品牌转换、多样化寻求、控制消费周期等行为, 因此厌腻感已成为企业或店铺培养顾客忠诚的主要障碍。国外文献分别从厌腻感的生成过程、功能反应、知觉状态和属性感知等方面, 划分厌腻类型; 剖析了厌腻感生成的享乐适应、边际效用递减、认知失调以及最佳刺激水平等理论原理及机理; 探讨了生理厌腻感和心理厌腻感生成的诱发因素及影响效应; 验证了外部因素和个体因素的调节作用; 同时探讨了消费者缓解或防止厌腻感的主要策略及行为反应。最后对现有文献的研究思路、特点和不足进行了评述, 提出了未来研究方向。     

多元文化的心理咨询与治疗理论刍议

随着西方社会人口比例的改变,以及后现代文化思潮的冲击,西方传统心理咨询与治疗理论的局限性日益凸显。多元文化的咨询与治疗理论(MCT理论)就是在这种条件下产生的,它试图弥补传统咨询与治疗理论忽视文化因素的不足。MCT理论认为,应修正传统理论中的文化偏见,在咨询过程中增强文化敏感性。