Estimating valence from the sound of a word: Computational,experimental, and cross-linguistic evidence

It is assumed linguistic symbols must be grounded in perceptual information to attain meaning, because the sound of a word in a language has an arbitrary relation with its referent. This paper demonstrates that a strong arbitrariness claim should be reconsidered. In a computational study, we showed that one phonological feature (nasals in the beginning of a word) predicted negative valence in three European languages (English, Dutch, and German) and positive valence in Chinese. In three experiments, we tested whether participants used this feature in estimating the valence of a word. In Experiment 1, Chinese and Dutch participants rated the valence of written valence-neutral words, with Chinese participants rating the nasal-first neutral-valence words more positive and the Dutch participants rating nasal-first neutral-valence words more negative. In Experiment 2, Chinese (and Dutch) participants rated the valence of Dutch (and Chinese) written valence-neutral words without being able to understand the meaning of these words. The patterns replicated the valence patterns from Experiment 1. When the written words from Experiment 2 were transformed into spoken words, results in Experiment 3 again showed that participants estimated the valence of words on the basis of the sound of the word. The computational study and psycholinguistic experiments indicated that language users can bootstrap meaning from the sound of a word.     

网络人际交往对中国人际关系模式的影响

互联网的发展已经远远超出了其作为信息传递和信息共享工具的功能,正在对人们的工作、娱乐、交往、消费、学习等产生越来越大的影响,其所具有的不同于现实人际交往的物理环境的独特特征,为现实生活中的人们提供了一个全新的交往空间,似乎将瓦解现实社会生活中基于面对面的人际交往而形成的人际关系模式。但当互联网所营造的虚拟交往空间仅仅被人们当成扩大交往对象和社会关系圈的工具时,其对现实人际关系模式可能产生的根本性影响却值得质疑。     

视知觉学习的认知与神经机制研究

知觉学习是指由于训练或经验而引起的长期稳定的知觉变化,是一种内隐性的学习。近20年来,视知觉学习的大量研究结果提示大脑皮层的各个区域,甚至包括初级感觉皮层,在成熟之后仍然具有一定的可塑性。该文根据近年来的研究进展,对视知觉学习在大脑的什么地方,什么时候,以何种方式发生等热点问题进行了探讨。研究提示,视知觉学习涉及了包括初级视皮层在内的多个大脑皮层,并且存在一种自上而下的调控机制;视知觉学习可以在不同的时间尺度上发生,快速学习之后将伴随着慢速学习;通过视知觉学习,人们对于复杂物体的表征将从高级皮层区域移向低级皮层区域,任务执行也将趋于自动化     

中国少数民族婚礼驱邪仪式中的象征符号

本文从宗教象征的角度,对中国少数民族婚礼驱邪仪式中的器物符号和行为符号作了初步的分析,认为这些象征符号包含着十分丰富的文化意义,反映了人们消灾避祸的的心理状态,这种特定的民间信仰起着消解人们忧虑情绪,增强新婚夫妻和男女双方亲属自信心的社会功能。     

表达形式影响自我积极偏向的表现:来自P200的证据

该研究运用事件相关电位技术,采用肯定和否定的表达方式呈现自我参照任务,探讨不同表达方式对自我积极偏向效应的影响。实验一中,行为数据显示,自我积极偏向效应表现的并不完整;ERP数据显示,P200波幅的结果与行为数据结果相一致。实验二中,行为数据显示,自我积极偏向效应表现得完整;ERP数据显示,P200成分上并未产生任何实验效应。综合两个实验结果,证明了不同表达方式对自我积极偏向效应的表现存在影响。导致这种差异的根本原因可能在于两种表达方式造成的注意资源不同。     

Perceived positive teacher–student relationship as a protective factor for Chinese left‐behind children's emotional and behavioural adjustment

Using cross‐sectional data collected in rural communities of two provinces of China, this study examined the protective role of perceived positive teacher–student relationship for Chinese left‐behind children. The participants included 1442 children with a mean age of 14.13 classified into two groups: a left‐behind group (104 boys and 110 girls) and a comparison group (588 boys and 640 girls). Self‐reported questionnaires concerning self‐esteem, depression, problem behaviours and the teacher–student relationship were administered. Relative to the comparison group, after controlling for age, gender and family socioeconomic status, the left‐behind group was disadvantaged in terms of self‐esteem and depression but not in problem behaviours. As hypothesised, the results of regression analyses indicated that teacher–student relationship positively predicted self‐esteem and negatively predicted depression and problem behaviours for both groups. Moreover, the association between teacher–student relationship and depression was stronger among the left‐behind group, suggesting that left‐behind children were more responsive to the positive effect of a desired teacher–student relationship. Taken together, the results of our study support the idea that perceived positive teacher–student relationship may serve as a protective factor for left‐behind children. Practical implications and limitations of the present study are discussed.     

Hume’s practically epistemic conclusions?

The inoffensive title of Section 1.4.7 of Hume’s Treatise of Human Nature, ‘Conclusion of this Book’, belies the convoluted treatment of scepticism contained within. It is notoriously difficult to decipher Hume’s considered response to scepticism in this section, or whether he even has one. In recent years, however, one line of interpretation has gained popularity in the literature. The ‘usefulness and agreeableness reading’ (henceforth U&A) interprets Hume as arguing in THN 1.4.7 that our beliefs and/or epistemic policies are justified via their usefulness and agreeableness to the self and others; proponents include Ardal (in Livingston & King (eds.) Hume: a re-evaluation, 1976), Kail (in: Frasca-Spada & Kail (eds.) Impressions of Hume, 2005), McCormick (Hume Stud 31:1, 2005), Owen (Hume’s reason, 1999), and Ridge (Hume Stud 29:2, 2003), while Schafer (Philosophers, forthcoming) also defends an interpretation along these lines. In this paper, I will argue that although U&A has textual merit, it struggles to maintain a substantive distinction between epistemic and moral justification—a distinction that Hume insists on. I then attempt to carve out the logical space for there being a distinctly epistemic notion of justification founded on usefulness and agreeableness. However, I find that such an account is problematic for two reasons: first, it cannot take advantage of the textual support for U&A; secondly, it is incompatible with other features of the text.     

论公共信任：概念与性质

信任是一种与未知领域的行动相联系的信念,而公共信任是公共生活特有的一种信任。公共信任有两大特性:其一,公共信任是一种普遍信任,即对一般他人的信任,还包含了制度信任的内容;其二,公共信任是信任者与被信任者的利益博弈,具有策略价值,同时也是建立在利他主义基础上的道德品性。这两大特性是深刻认识并解决当前社会"信任危机"的关键。     

目标刺激的熟悉度和呈现角度对情绪启动的影响

本研究初步考察目标刺激的熟悉度和呈现角度对情绪启动的影响。研究采用女性面孔图片作为实验材料,随机选取30名大学生被试进行实验,采用重复测量方差分析对数据进行统计分析。结果发现:当目标刺激为熟悉图片时,出现了情绪启动效应;当目标刺激为不熟悉的图片时,未发现情绪启动效应;目标刺激的呈现角度对情绪启动效应没有影响。     

Laying Down Hume's Law

Most interpretations of Hume's is/ought passage (THN 3.1.1.27) can be broadly divided into two camps: those thinking Hume to rule out logical inferences from is to ought, and those thinking Hume to only raise surmountable difficulties for inferences from is to ought. I undermine the positive support for both these interpretations, and argue, by drawing parallels with Hume's argument on induction, that Hume's Law instead rules out all forms of inference from is to ought.