The effect of text orientation, visual meridian, and inter-character spacing on word identification in the retinal periphery

Previous research has demonstrated that the masking effects of flankers about a target in the peripheral retina are not isotropic. Rather, regions of lateral interaction are ellipsoid in shape with the major axis oriented radially along a meridian through the fovea. This finding leads to the counterintuitive prediction that horizontal text positioned to the right of fixation might be read more slowly than similarly positioned text oriented diagonally or vertically. Similarly, vertically oriented text above fixation might be read more slowly than horizontally or diagonally oriented text above fixation. We investigated the effect of text orientation and inter-character spacing on word identification in the retinal periphery. Text was presented by rapid serial visual presentation. Words were centered 3 degrees from fixation along four visual field meridians (VM) (right horizontal, upper-right diagonal, vertical, and upper-left diagonal). Regardless of VM identification, performance was best for horizontal text, declining slightly for orientations between +60 degrees and -60 degrees and declining more quickly for acute orientations. A weak effect of VM was observed for text with normal inter-character spacing. Performance was best for text centered along the horizontal meridian and declined slightly along the other VM. Finally, identification rates increased by approximately 33 words min(-1) with the addition of one character space between adjacent letters. The word-recognition processes are very tolerant of text orientation, exhibiting a modest decline for orientations within +/- 60 of horizontal regardless of VM.     

Exchange through emoting: An emotional model of leader–member resource exchanges

Despite research suggesting that emotional interactions pervade daily resource exchanges between leaders and members, the leader–member exchange (LMX) literature has predominantly focused on the interplay between general affective experiences and the overall relationship quality. Drawing upon the affect theory of social exchange, we examine why and how discrete exchange imbalance engenders distinct emotions and shapes downstream work behaviors of the members. Results from a preregistered experimental study with 247 participants and an experience sampling study with time-lagged reports from 79 leaders and 145 members show that a positively imbalanced exchange increases members’ subsequent leader-directed helping via gratitude (but not via shame) and that a negatively imbalanced exchange increases members’ subsequent risk-taking via pride (but not via anger). Moreover, the intensity of such effects hinges upon the average level of resource contributions of leader–member dyads. Our research casts light on the role of transient emotions in dynamic resource exchanges between leaders and members and enriches our knowledge of within-dyad fluctuations of social exchanges.     

Auditory grouping based on fundamental frequency and formant peak frequency

The perceptual grouping of a four-tone cycle was studied as a function of differences in fundamental frequencies and the frequencies of spectral peaks. Each tone had a single formant and at least 13 harmonics. In Experiment 1 the formant was created by filtering a flat spectrum and in Experiment 2 by adding harmonics. Fundamental frequency was found to be capable of controlling grouping even when the spectra spanned exactly the same frequency range. Formant peak separation became more effective as the sharpness (amplitude of the peak relative to a spectral pedestal) increased. The effect of each type of acoustic difference depended on the task. Listeners could group the tones by either sort of difference but were also capable of resisting the disruptive effect of the other one. This was taken as evidence for the presence of a schema-based process of perceptual grouping and the relative weakness of primitive segregation.     

Are philosophers good intuition predictors?

Some philosophers have criticized experimental philosophy for being superfluous. Jackson (1998) implies that experimental philosophy studies are unnecessary. More recently, Dunaway, Edmunds, and Manley (2013) empirically demonstrate that experimental studies do not deliver surprising results, which is a pro tanto reason for foregoing conducting such studies. This paper gives theoretical and empirical considerations against the superfluity criticism. The questions concerning the surprisingness of experimental philosophy studies have not been properly disambiguated, and their metaphilosophical significance have not been properly assessed. Once the most relevant question is identified, a re-analysis of Dunaway and colleagues’ data actually undermines the superfluity criticism.     

双关图作为面孔刺激与非面孔刺激对大脑事件相关电位的影响

用线条描绘的图形作为刺激材料,A为老鼠,C为老头,B为双关图(ambi-guous figure)。图形按两种顺序:A→B→C(Ⅰ)和C←B→A(Ⅱ)向被试呈现,每次呈现时间100ms。被试按刺激呈现方式分成两组,每组20人。被试接受图形的同时记录事件相关电位(ERPs),B图呈现后要求被试报告观察内容。对主观报告考验,发现双关图在Ⅰ呈现方式中作为非面孔刺激(老鼠)被认知,在Ⅱ呈现方式中作为面孔刺激(老头)被认知。ERPs分析表明,双关图作为面孔刺激被识别时,T_3、Pz的P_2波潜伏期比双关图作为非面孔刺激被识别时分别延长6.09ms和7.39ms,波幅没有显著差异;双关图作为面孔刺激时T_3、T_4、Pz和Oz的P_3波的潜伏期比双关图作为非面孔刺激时延长约15ms;波幅没有显著差异。     

A defense of intuitions

Radical experimentalists argue that we should give up using intuitions as evidence in philosophy. In this paper, I first argue that the studies presented by the radical experimentalists in fact suggest that some intuitions are reliable. I next consider and reject a different way of handling the radical experimentalists’ challenge, what I call the Argument from Robust Intuitions. I then propose a way of understanding why some intuitions can be unreliable and how intuitions can conflict, and I argue that on this understanding, both moderate experimentalism and the standard philosophical practice of using intuitions as evidence can help resolve these conflicts.

论元代道教戏剧对道教乐生思想的图解

对生命价值的充分肯定和对长生成仙的热烈追求是道教最具特色的教义.元代道教戏剧以独特的视角和艺术的手法对道教乐生思想进行了全方位地形象图解.面对成仙诱惑,凡人的怀疑、拒绝与诘问,正是因为对生的热切渴望对生命的价值强烈认同感使然.情欲乃是人之常情,道教贵生,当然包括对生命基本需求的尊重,对世俗情欲的眷恋与渴望是元代道教戏剧对道教乐生思想的又一诠释.元代道教戏剧着力展现体道之人对山水的乐好,而其乐山好水的审美情趣又与澄心遣欲的宗教追求和隐逸归真的宗教旨意一脉相承.本文以全新的角度阐释元代道教戏剧中体现出的道教乐生思想,以期在加深对道教生命意识的认识的同时,彰显元代道教戏剧独特的艺术价值.     

高校师德状况调查表的研究

本研究旨在编制一个能够反映我国目前高校教师师德状况的调查表.通过对国内外文献的研究及与专家讨论形成了师德调查表的维度和初始题目.有3所高校的207名教师被抽取,成为预测被试.据此结果保留了48道题.有8个地区10所高校的1092名教师成为再次施测的被试.用该样本数据,确立了调查表的区分度、信度和效度.结果表明,高校师德状况调查表的各项指标皆符合测量学要求,可以作为一个测评工具使用.     

Treadmill exercise enhances passive avoidance learning in rats: the role of down-regulated serotonin system in the limbic system

While serotonin (5-HT) may impair learning and memory, exercise has been reported to improve them. Whether chronic exercise can facilitate fear memory via regulating the serotonin system is unknown. We examined the effects of 4-week treadmill exercise training on levels of 5-HT and its metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), the protein expression of its receptor 5-HT_1A and transporter in the amygdala, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of male Sprague–Dawley rats. Our results demonstrated that treadmill exercise (1) improved the passive avoidance learning performance; (2) decreased the 5-HT level in the hippocampus; (3) decreased the expression of 5-HT_1A receptor in the amygdala without altering the transporter expression. Moreover, pretreatment with 0.1 mg/kg 8-hydroxy-di-n-propylamino tetralin, a selective 5-HT_1A receptor agonist, impaired the passive avoidance performance and completely abolished the exercise-enhanced fear memory. Our results suggest that down-regulation of the 5-HT system in the limbic system, i.e., the reduction of the hippocampus 5-HT content and the amygdala 5-HT_1A receptor expression, may be involved in the exercise-enhanced fear memory.     

On the generality of the contingent orienting hypothesis

The contingent-orienting hypothesis states that attentional capture by a task-irrelevant stimulus is contingent on whether that stimulus shares a feature property that is critical to the task at hand [Folk, C. L., Remington, R. W., & Johnston, J. C. (1992). Involuntary covert orienting is contingent on attentional control settings. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 18, 1030-1044]. Studies supporting this hypothesis have mostly used set size four displays throughout the experiment and thus constrict its ecological validity, since conclusions drawn from experiments using fixed set-size displays may not be generalized to other conditions with different set sizes. We used a spatial cueing paradigm in which a non-informative onset or color cue preceded an onset or a color target, and manipulated set size as a within- or between-subject factor. In four experiments, the original finding of Folk et al. (1992) was replicated only when a fixed set size (four) was used throughout. When both set-size four and eight were used in an experiment, stimulus-driven capture by onset in search of a color target was found even for set-size four displays. These results raise doubts as to the generality of the contingent-orienting hypothesis and help to delineate the boundary conditions on this hypothesis.