Indirect assessment of visual working memory for simple and complex objects

Previous research has shown that visual search performance is modulated by the current contents in visual working memory (VWM), even when the contents of VWM are irrelevant to the search task. For example, visual search is faster when the target--rather than a distractor--is surrounded by a shape currently held in VWM. This study uses the modulation of visual search by VWM to investigate properties of VWM. Participants wereasked to remember the color or the shape of novel polygons whose "goodness" of figure varied according to Garner's (1962) rotation and reflection transformation principle. During the memory retention interval, participants searched for a tilted line among vertical lines embedded inside colored polygons. Search was faster when the target--rather than a distractor--was enclosed by the remembered polygons. The congruity effect diminished with increasing memory load and decreasing figure goodness. We conclude that congruity effects in visual search can indirectly assess VWM representation strength.     

什么是概念的拓扑空间?

本文主要讨论的是概念的拓扑空间问题。作者认为,概念研究是哲学的一个主要任务,哲学研究的工作就是要对已经形成的各种概念进行分类整理,对概念的意义进行澄清,对概念的作用加以规定。通过对哲学史上的五个概念问题个案的说明,作者指出了概念的拓扑性质是概念之间具有这样一种空间关系,即概念与概念的极限关系和连续性质形成了概念之间的拓扑空间。这里强调的是概念的形式化特征,从逻辑的观点看,概念的拓扑空间就是一种逻辑空间。     

干扰条件与情绪启动关系的实验研究

在线索提示范式下,设置无干扰条件和干扰条件的阈上和阈下情绪启动,以此考察干扰条件与情绪启动的关系.研究发现:在无干扰条件与干扰条件下均存在显著的阈上情绪启动和阈下情绪启动,并且干扰条件下阈上情绪启动程度明显降低而阈下情绪启动程度不受影响.文章从情绪启动与注意关系的角度讨论了干扰条件与情绪启动的这种表现对于理解情绪启动加工属性及意识与无意识分离现象的意义.     

高校教师工作家庭关系的日记式追踪研究

本研究通过对30名高校教师连续14天的日记式追踪研究,探讨了工作家庭关系的特点及其与工作特征、性别等变量之间的关系.结果发现:1)工作家庭冲突与工作家庭促进主要受到个体内因素影响,具有动态变化特点;2)高校教师体验到的工作家庭冲突与工作家庭促进之间存在较弱的负相关;3)工作要求能正向预测工作家庭冲突,工作控制能负向预测工作家庭冲突,同时对工作家庭促进有正向预测作用;4)性别可以调节工作要求与工作家庭冲突之间的关系,对男教师来说,工作要求对工作家庭冲突的影响作用更小.     

负面身体自我女性对身体信息的记忆偏向： 来自ERP研究的证据

采用事件相关电位（ERPs）技术探讨了负面身体自我女性（大学生）对胖-瘦两类身体图片进行再认时的脑内时程动态变化。结果发现,相对于控制组（正常女大学生）,胖负面身体自我女大学生在750~800ms的时间窗口内,“胖图”比“瘦图”诱发出一个更正的ERP波形,差异波的地形图显示该正成分在中前部有更强的激活。进一步对差异波作偶极子溯源分析,结果发现,该正成分主要起源于右侧枕叶附近。这似乎表明,右侧枕叶的激活与身体自我信息的出现有关,与负面身体自我图式的体验有关     

Spatial separation between targets constrains maintenance of attention on multiple objects

Humans are limited in their ability to maintain multiple attentional foci. In attentive tracking of moving objects, performance declines as the number of tracked targets increases. Previous studies have interpreted such reduction in terms of a limit in the number of attentional foci. However, increasing the number of targets usually reduces spatial separation among different targets. In this study, we examine the role of target spatial separation in maintaining multiple attentional foci. Results from a multiple-object tracking task show that tracking accuracy deteriorates as the spatial separation between targets decreases. We propose that local interaction between nearby attentional foci modulates the resolution of attention, and that capacity limitation from attentive tracking originates in part from limitations in maintaining critical spacing among multiple attentional foci. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that tracking performance is limited not primarily by a number of locations, but by factors such as the spacing and speed of the targets and distractors.     

Visual pattern memory requires foraging function in the central complex of Drosophila

The role of the foraging (for) gene, which encodes a cyclic guanosine-3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKG), in food-search behavior in Drosophila has been intensively studied. However, its functions in other complex behaviors have not been well-characterized. Here, we show experimentally in Drosophila that the for gene is required in the operant visual learning paradigm. Visual pattern memory was normal in a natural variant rover (for(R)) but was impaired in another natural variant sitter (for(S)), which has a lower PKG level. Memory defects in for(S) flies could be rescued by either constitutive or adult-limited expression of for in the fan-shaped body. Interestingly, we showed that such rescue also occurred when for was expressed in the ellipsoid body. Additionally, expression of for in the fifth layer of the fan-shaped body restored sufficient memory for the pattern parameter "elevation" but not for "contour orientation," whereas expression of for in the ellipsoid body restored sufficient memory for both parameters. Our study defines a Drosophila model for further understanding the role of cGMP-PKG signaling in associative learning/memory and the neural circuit underlying this for-dependent visual pattern memory.     

对“家属签字”制度的立法思考

李丽云悲剧的发生,使《医疗机构管理条例》第三十三条规定的“家属签字”制度成为公众及法律界人士关注的焦点。“家属签字”制度受到道德和法律的双重拷问。从“家属签字”制度中潜在的法律推定出发,对“家属签字”制度的正当性依据、“特殊情况”下对患者的求生推定等六方面问题做些有益探讨,以期完善我国医疗管理法律法规。     

Do captive mandrills invent new gestures?

Studies of intraspecific behavioral variability have documented cases where behaviors are present in some populations or groups but are absent in others. In some cases these differences cannot be explained by recourse to environmental or genetic variation, and may instead represent “traditions”. Despite many examples of animal traditions in acoustic communication, relatively few examples exist of gestural traditions. Here I report on a study of communication across eight captive groups of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) in which a prominent gesture (Hand extension) was unique to two groups. Habitat variability, genetic differences, and sampling bias were not sufficient to account for the gesture’s limited distribution across the study groups. Within the two groups where the gesture did occur only the juveniles in the group performed it, consistently directing it toward adults. Quantitative analysis of the contexts and responses associated with the gesture suggested that juveniles utilized it to provoke adults. Moreover, the gesture appeared to minimize the risk juveniles incurred while inciting adults, suggesting that repeated social interactions shaped the gesture’s form. Interestingly, both the groups where the gesture emerged contained few juveniles. With limited play partners, these juveniles may have resorted to harassing adults as an alternative social play outlet. The creation of this novel gesture may thus be due to the combined influence of a shortage of play partners and of the increased free time for playful social exploration afforded by captivity. Although juveniles frequently “eavesdropped” on dyadic interactions involving the gesture and would subsequently initiate an interaction with the recipient of the gesture, there was no definitive evidence for social transmission; the gesture could instead have been independently invented by each juvenile. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.