Intuitionism,Moral Truth,and Tolerance

The Journal of Value Inquiry -     

Observers can voluntarily shift their psychometric functions without losing sensitivity

Psychometric sensory discrimination functions are usually modeled by cumulative Gaussian functions with just two parameters, their central tendency (μ) and their slope (1/σ). These correspond to Fechner's "constant" and "variable" errors, respectively. Fechner pointed out that even the constant error could vary over space and time and could masquerade as variable error. We wondered whether observers could deliberately introduce a constant error into their performance without loss of precision. In three-dot vernier and bisection tasks with the method of single stimuli, observers were instructed to favour one of the two responses when unsure of their answer. The slope of the resulting psychometric function was not significantly changed, despite a significant change in central tendency. Similar results were obtained when altered feedback was used to induce bias. We inferred that observers can adopt artificial response criteria without any significant increase in criterion fluctuation. These findings have implications for some studies that have measured perceptual "illusions" by shifts in the psychometric functions of sophisticated observers.     

Retrieval during learning facilitates subsequent memory encoding

In multiple-list learning, retrieval during learning has been suggested to improve recall of the single lists by enhancing list discrimination and, at test, reducing interference. Using electrophysiological, oscillatory measures of brain activity, we examined to what extent retrieval during learning facilitates list encoding. Subjects studied 5 lists of items in anticipation of a final cumulative recall test and did either a retrieval or a no-retrieval task between study of the lists. Retrieval was from episodic memory (recall of the previous list), semantic memory (generation of exemplars from an unrelated category), or short-term memory (2-back task). Behaviorally, all 3 forms of retrieval enhanced recall of both previously and subsequently studied lists. Physiologically, the results showed an increase of alpha power (8-14 Hz) from List 1 to List 5 encoding when no retrieval activities were interpolated but no such increase when any of the 3 retrieval activities occurred. Brain-behavior correlations showed that alpha-power dynamics from List 1 to List 5 encoding predicted subsequent recall performance. The results suggest that, without intermittent retrieval, encoding becomes ineffective across lists. In contrast, with intermittent retrieval, there is a reset of the encoding process for each single list that makes encoding of later lists as effective as encoding of early lists.     

Perceiving performer identity and intended expression intensity in point-light displays of dance

This study investigated agent and expression intensity recognition in point-light displays depicting dancing performances. In a first session, participants danced with two different expression intensities to music, solo or in dyads. In a subsequent session, they watched point-light displays of 1–5-s duration, depicting their own, their partner’s or another participant’s recorded actions, and were asked to identify the agent (self vs. partner vs. stranger) and the intended expression intensity (expressive vs. inexpressive) of the performer. The results indicate that performer identity and expression intensity could be discerned reliably from displays as short as 1 s. The accuracy in judgment increased with exposure duration and, for performer identification, with higher expression intensity. Judgment accuracy in agent and expression intensity recognition tasks correlated with self-report empathy indices. Accuracy correlated also with confidence in judgment, but only in the intensity recognition task. The results are discussed in relation to perceptual and neural mechanisms underlying action and intention recognition.     

Vigilant self‐regulation,cues of being watched and cooperativeness

The present research examined the interplay of individual differences in self‐regulatory mechanisms as outlined in regulatory focus theory (promotion‐ and prevention‐focus) and a cue of being watched in the context of cooperative behaviour. Study 1 revealed that the more individuals' habitual self‐regulatory orientation is dominated by a vigilant prevention focus, the more likely they are to act cooperatively (i.e. to donate money to natural conservation organizations) when a subtle cue of being watched renders reputational concerns salient. In contrast, when no such cue is provided individuals' habitual vigilant self‐regulatory orientation is negatively related to cooperative behaviour. Study 2 replicated the results of the initial study and examined interpersonal sensitivity (empathic concern) as a potential mediator of the observed effects. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A computational cognitive model of syntactic priming

The psycholinguistic literature has identified two syntactic adaptation effects in language production: rapidly decaying short-term priming and long-lasting adaptation. To explain both effects, we present an ACT-R model of syntactic priming based on a wide-coverage, lexicalized syntactic theory that explains priming as facilitation of lexical access. In this model, two well-established ACT-R mechanisms, base-level learning and spreading activation, account for long-term adaptation and short-term priming, respectively. Our model simulates incremental language production and in a series of modeling studies, we show that it accounts for (a) the inverse frequency interaction; (b) the absence of a decay in long-term priming; and (c) the cumulativity of long-term adaptation. The model also explains the lexical boost effect and the fact that it only applies to short-term priming. We also present corpus data that verify a prediction of the model, that is, that the lexical boost affects all lexical material, rather than just heads.     

When Male Norms Don��t Fit: Do Traditional Attitudes of Female Colleagues Challenge Men in Non-traditional Occupations?

Our study examined whether traditional attitudes of female colleagues toward the male role negatively impact the psychological health of German men in non-traditional occupations and whether these relationships are mediated by social stressors at work. Traditional attitudes are presented as a threefold concept: Attitudes of female colleagues toward male anti-femininity, status, and toughness were measured. One hundred and thirteen men and 174 of their female colleagues from eastern parts of Germany and working in the healthcare and educational sectors completed hard-copy questionnaires. We used bootstrapped regression models to test for direct effects, controlling for autonomy, working hours, professional tenure, and sector of work. Bootstrapping strategies were also used for the analysis of indirect effects, even considering controls. The attitudes of female colleagues toward male anti-femininity were directly related to heightened depressive moods and lowered job satisfaction. For the attitudes of female colleagues toward male status, or male toughness we found no such direct relationships. Only indirect effects of female colleagues?? attitudes toward male status, or male toughness on men??s job satisfaction through social stressors were found. The study provides theoretical reasoning and empirical evidence for the importance of female colleagues?? attitudes and interpersonal conflicts at work for German men in non-traditional occupations.     

Towards mouse models of perseveration: a heritable component in extinction of operant behavior in fourteen standard and recombinant inbred mouse lines

Extinction of instrumental responses is an essential skill for adaptive behavior such as foraging. So far, only few studies have focused on extinction following appetitive conditioning in mice. We studied extinction of appetitive operant lever-press behavior in six standard inbred mouse strains (A/J, C3H/HeJ, C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, BALB/cByJ and NOD/Ltj) and eight recombinant inbred mouse lines. From the response rates at the end of operant and extinction training we computed an extinction index, with higher values indicating better capability to omit behavioral responding in absence of reward. This index varied highly across the mouse lines tested, and the variability was partially due to a significant heritable component of 12.6%.To further characterize the relationship between operant learning and extinction, we calculated the slope of the time course of extinction across sessions. While many strains showed a considerable capacity to omit responding when lever pressing was no longer rewarded, we found a few lines showing an abnormally high perseveration in lever press behavior, showing no decay in response scores over extinction sessions.No correlation was found between operant and extinction response scores, suggesting that appetitive operant learning and extinction learning are dissociable, a finding in line with previous studies indicating that these forms of learning are dependent on different brain areas. These data shed light on the heritable basis of extinction learning and may help develop animal models of addictive habits and other perseverative disorders, such as compulsive food seeking and eating.     

Intrinsic Ethics Regarding Integrated Assessment Models for Climate Management

In this essay we develop and argue for the adoption of a more comprehensive model of research ethics than is included within current conceptions of responsible conduct of research (RCR). We argue that our model, which we label the ethical dimensions of scientific research (EDSR), is a more comprehensive approach to encouraging ethically responsible scientific research compared to the currently typically adopted approach in RCR training. This essay focuses on developing a pedagogical approach that enables scientists to better understand and appreciate one important component of this model, what we call intrinsic ethics. Intrinsic ethical issues arise when values and ethical assumptions are embedded within scientific findings and analytical methods. Through a close examination of a case study and its application in teaching, namely, evaluation of climate change integrated assessment models, this paper develops a method and case for including intrinsic ethics within research ethics training to provide scientists with a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the critical role of values and ethical choices in the production of research outcomes.