Unconsciously learning task-irrelevant perceptual sequences

We demonstrated unconscious learning of task-irrelevant perceptual regularities in a Serial Reaction Time (SRT) task in both visual and auditory domains. Participants were required to respond to different letters (‘F’ or ‘J’, experiment 1) or syllables (‘can’ or ‘you’, experiment 2) which occurred in random order. Unbeknownst to participants, the color (red, green, blue or yellow) of the two letters or the tone (1–4) of the syllables varied according to certain rules. Reaction times indicated that people indeed learnt both the color and tonal regularities indicating that task-irrelevant sequence structure can be learned perceptually. In a subsequent prediction test of knowledge of the color or tonal cues using subjective measures, we showed that people could acquire task irrelevant knowledge unconsciously.     

The nature of the memory buffer in implicit learning: Learning Chinese tonal symmetries

Previous research has established that people can implicitly learn chunks, which (in terms of formal language theory) do not require a memory buffer to process. The present study explores the implicit learning of nonlocal dependencies generated by higher than finite-state grammars, specifically, Chinese tonal retrogrades (i.e. centre embeddings generated from a context-free grammar) and inversions (i.e. cross-serial dependencies generated from a mildly context-sensitive grammar), which do require buffers (for example, last in-first out and first in-first out, respectively). People were asked to listen to and memorize artificial poetry instantiating one of the two grammars; after this training phase, people were informed of the existence of rules and asked to classify new poems, while providing attributions of the basis of their judgments. People acquired unconscious structural knowledge of both tonal retrogrades and inversions. Moreover, inversions were implicitly learnt more easily than retrogrades constraining the nature of the memory buffer in computational models of implicit learning.     

Spirituality’ as reconceptualisation of the self: Alan Turing and his pioneering ideas on artificial intelligence

This article investigates the underlying agenda of the philosophy of artificial intelligence (AI) – a discipline of computer science – and proposes a threefold model of ‘spirituality’ as reconceptualisation of the self, composed of one’s search, adaptation and transformation of self-knowledge, specifically concerning the rational humanity. By using the life and ideas of the father of AI and computer science, Alan Turing (1912–1954) as a case study, I will carefully examine his three stages of self-reconceptualisation and highlight the relevance of seeing spirituality as self-reconceptualisation for the current digital age.     

启动和重复抑制:启动神经机制的研究述评

启动是经验对当前任务的易化作用.重复抑制是刺激重复导致的皮层神经活动减少.大量研究表明启动与重复抑制密切相关.该文以理论假设对启动研究结果的解释效力为依据,对近期认知领域内有关启动和重复抑制的研究进行梳理,评介三种理论解释启动神经机制的适用性和局限性.指出未来研究可以考虑细化启动成分和重复抑制的具体关系,并尝试在此基础上建立神经元、重复抑制和行为启动的整合理论.这将对启动神经机制的理解具有重要意义.     

You can't stop new motion: Attentional capture despite a control set for colour

When a stationary object begins to move, visual spatial attention is reflexively deployed to the location of that object. We tested whether this capture of attention by new motion is entirely stimulus driven, or whether it is contingent on an observer's goals. Participants monitored a visual display for a colour change, inducing an attentional control set (ACS) for colour. Across the three performed experiments, irrelevant new-motion cues always captured visual spatial attention, despite the ACS for colour. This persistence of the attentional cueing effect demonstrates that ACSs, in particular an ACS for colour, cannot prevent new motion from capturing attention. Unlike other stimulus types, such as luminance changes, colour singletons, and new objects, new motion may always capture attention regardless of an observer's goals. This conclusion entails that new motion is an important determinant of when, and to where, visual spatial attention is deployed.     

Structure of a cubic phase related to Cd?Mg?rare-earth quasicrystals

The structure of a Cd₆₈Mg₁₂Dy₂₀ crystalline phase denoted as the φ-phase, which has a composition close to that of the Cd₆₆Mg₂₁Dy₁₃ icosahedral quasicrystalline phase, has been investigated by electron diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The φ phase has a fcc lattice with a = 21.6Å. High-angle annular dark-field STEM with Z contrast confirms that the phase has the Cd₄₅Sm₁₁-type structure. The atomic cluster in the structure is shown to be characterized by a Friauf polyhedron with tetrahedral symmetry.     

Big-five personality and BIS/BAS traits as predictors of career exploration: The mediation role of career adaptability

Based on career construction theory, the current research examined whether career adaptability mediates the relations of the personality traits (Five-Factor Model personality traits and behavioral inhibition and activation systems (BIS/BAS)) to career exploration behavior. Results from a survey in Chinese university students (N = 264) showed that career exploration correlated negatively with neuroticism, and positively with openness to experience, extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and BAS. Results of regression analyses further showed that openness to experience, agreeableness, conscientiousness and BAS served as the strongest predictors for career exploration. In addition, career adaptability was shown to be a key mediator for the relationships between personality traits and career exploration behavior. Career concern and career curiosity were the more important dimensions in the mediation model. These findings advance current understandings on how different personality traits predict career exploration behavior.     

First principles study of the temperature-dependent elastic properties of W

The temperature-dependent elastic constants of body-centred cubic (bcc) phase W are presented from first principles quasi-static approach. With the quasi-harmonic approximation model, the Hugoniot equation of state and temperature-dependence linear thermal expansion coefficient is successfully obtained. The adiabatic elastic constants show a normal behaviour with temperature: decrease with increasing temperature. Based on the obtained adiabatic elastic constants, the structural stability and polycrystalline aggregate properties including bulk modulus B, shear modulus G, and B/G ratio are analysed for bcc phase W. In addition, the sound velocities as a function of temperature for bcc phase W are predicted.     

具身-生成的认知科学：走出“战国时代”

具身-生成取向正在引领当代认知科学加速发展,然而学术界在理解“具身-生成”的内涵上却正陷入“战国时代”,这严重影响了该取向的理论效力.通过分析来自交叉学科的相关证据,发现“具身”与“生成”既有联系,又有区别,两者相互支撑.具身认知主要考察嵌入在社会情境中的身体结构、活动、内容与形式对认知活动的影响.“生成”强调认知结构在大脑、身体与环境的结构性耦合中涌现出来的动态机制,尤其是知觉-行动环路的作用.未来,具身-生成的认知科学只有在应对来自经典认知科学的挑战过程中才有可能走出“战国时代”.     

K-means、潜在类别模型和混合Rasch模型的比较

基于模拟研究比较了K-means方法、潜在类别模型和混合Rasch模型在二分外显变量情境下的聚类效果.结果表明：（1）潜在类别数量、变量数量、样本量、样本平衡和变量间相关对K-means方法、潜在类别模型和混合Rasch模型的分类准确性均有影响且因素间的交互作用存在;（2）除了在2个潜在类别的样本不平衡条件下K-means方法表现较差外,在其他条件下与潜在类别模型和混合Rasch模型的表现相当;（3）混合Rasch模型的分类一致性在2个潜在类别的情境下要好于潜在类别模型,但是在4个潜在类别的情境下要差于潜在类别模型.