Neural mechanisms underlying the higher levels of subjective well-being in extraverts: Pleasant bias and unpleasant resistance

The present study investigated the neural mechanisms that underlie the higher levels of subjective well-being in extraverts. The impact of extraversion on the human sensitivity to pleasant and unpleasant pictures of diverse emotional intensities was examined. We recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) for highly positive (HP), moderately positive (MP), and neutral stimuli in the pleasant session, and for highly negative (HN), moderately negative (MN), and neutral stimuli in the unpleasant session, while subjects (16 extraverts and 16 ambiverts) performed a standard/deviant categorization task, irrespective of the emotionality of the deviant stimuli. The results showed significant emotion effects for HP and MP stimuli at the P2 and P3 components in extraverts, but not in ambiverts. Despite a pronounced emotion effect for HN stimuli across the P2, N2, and P3 components in both samples, ambiverts displayed a significant emotion effect for MN stimuli at the N2 and P3 components that was absent in extraverts. The posterior cingulate cortices, which connect multiple neural regions that are important in interactions of emotion and extraversion, may mediate the extravert-specific emotion effect for pleasant stimuli. Thus, extraverts are less susceptible to unpleasant stimuli of mild intensity than are ambiverts, while extraverts have an additional enhanced sensitivity to pleasant stimuli, regardless of emotion intensity. Consequently, the decreased threshold for pleasant emotion and the increased threshold for unpleasant emotion might be essential neural mechanisms that underlie the higher levels of subjective well-being in extraverts.     

Formally grounding spatio-temporal thinking

To navigate through daily life, humans use their ability to conceptualize spatio-temporal information, which ultimately leads to a system of categories. Likewise, the spatial sciences rely heavily on conceptualization and categorization as means to create knowledge when they process spatio-temporal data. In the spatial sciences and in related branches of artificial intelligence, an approach has been developed for processing spatio-temporal data on the level of coarse categories: qualitative spatio-temporal representation and reasoning (QSTR). Calculi developed in QSTR allow for the meaningful processing of and reasoning with spatio-temporal information. While qualitative calculi are widely acknowledged in the cognitive sciences, there is little behavioral assessment whether these calculi are indeed cognitively adequate. This is an astonishing conundrum given that these calculi are ubiquitous, are often intended to improve processes at the human-machine interface, and are on several occasions claimed to be cognitively adequate. We have systematically evaluated several approaches to formally characterize spatial relations from a cognitive-behavioral perspective for both static and dynamically changing spatial relations. This contribution will detail our framework, which is addressing the question how formal characterization of space can help us understand how people think with, in, and about space.     

品牌印象研究述评

品牌印象是消费者基于对品牌信息的感知和体验而在头脑中留下的品牌部分或整体信息。品牌印象形成涉及到类别信息加工和个别化信息加工两方面,其认知加工模式还存在争议。品牌印象实证研究主要存在以品牌主观形象为核心的品牌印象研究和以品牌拟人化特征为焦点的品牌印象研究两条线路。在分析比较的基础上,我们认为无论是品牌形象研究线路还是品牌人格研究线路,探讨的都是品牌的客观特性在消费者头脑中留下的主观印象,其本质都是对消费者品牌印象的研究。品牌印象是品牌与消费者的关系基础。品牌建设的任务就是在深刻把握消费者品牌印象形成机制的基础上,通过调节和控制消费者对品牌的认知、联想、态度、信任和忠诚来积累品牌资产。     

家庭近乎完美量表中文版的信效度分析

在大学生群体中选取三个样本进行集体施测。选取500名大学生作为样本一,使用家庭近乎完美量表中文版、自尊量表、一般自我效能感量表和Beck抑郁问卷对其施测,对数据进行验证性因素分析、内部一致性信度分析和效标效度分析;六周后在样本一中随机抽取71名大学生作为样本二,使用家庭近乎完美量表对其施测,对数据进行重测信度分析;另选取500名大学生作为样本三,使用家庭近乎完美量表中文版、近乎完美量表修订版的中文修订版和Frost多维完美主义量表对其施测,对数据进行聚合效度和区分效度分析。结果表明,家庭近乎完美量表中文版     

自尊与模糊决策中的决策偏好

从自尊的角度出发,与是否需要承担决策结果的责任相结合,探讨了低自尊、中等自尊和高自尊水平下的被试在模糊决策中的决策偏好。结果发现：角色差异对决策偏好没有影响;自尊水平的高低对决策偏好有影响,高自尊被试与中等、低自尊被试相比,更容易模糊规避。支持了高自尊个体比低自尊个体更具有防御反应的理论。     

面孔部件相似性判断研究

用Morph变形方法构建家族相似性面孔部件样例,采用多级估量法探讨分类活动中面孔部件相似性判断问题。结果发现,部件样例对部件原型的隶属度及部件样例对整体原型中对应部件的隶属度与部件样例变形百分比间是3次函数关系;耳朵、脸型、眼睛等部件样例对整体原型中对应部件的隶属度小于其对部件原型的隶属度,嘴巴样例对整体原型中嘴巴部件的隶属度高于其对部件原型的隶属度。表明面孔部件物理相似性与心理相似性间是3次函数关系;整体原型中其他部件降低了耳朵、脸型、眼睛等部件样例对整体原型中对应部件的隶属度,而提高了嘴巴样例对整体原     

一种实用主义的数学哲学观

作者在这篇文论中提出了一种实用主义的数学哲学观。其中的想法是,通过分析各种数学哲学思想对于数学实践的实际影响来比较它们的价值。为解释这种想法的可行性,作者将论证,正是数学的某些特性使得实用主义的方法能够被自然地运用于对数学哲学诸观点的分析。在之后的一节中,作者会给出一些案例分析以展示某些哲学观点是如何具体地影响数学研究的。文章的写作假设读者具备了一些关于经典逻辑和集合论的基础知识。     

Eye movements and the perceptual span in silent and oral reading

Previous research has examined parafoveal processing during silent reading, but little is known about the role of these processes in oral reading. Given that masking parafoveal information slows down silent reading, we asked whether a similar effect also occurs in oral reading. To investigate the role of parafoveal processing in silent and oral reading, we manipulated the parafoveal information available to readers by changing the size of a gaze-contingent moving window. Participants read silently and orally in a one-word window and a three-word window condition as we monitored their eye movements. The lack of parafoveal information slowed reading speed in both oral and silent reading. However, the effects of parafoveal information were larger in silent reading than in oral reading, because of different effects of preview information on both when the eyes move and how often. Parafoveal information benefitted silent reading for faster readers more than for slower readers.     

Plasticity of inhibition in older adults: Retest practice and transfer effects

This study assessed plasticity of inhibition in older adults through examining retest practice effects in a six-session training paradigm using the Stroop task and the training-induced transfer effects to a range of cognitive measures. Fifty-six older adults (aged 60-84 years, mean = 71.05, standard deviation = 6.17) participated in this study. They were evenly assigned to one of four groups: summary feedback, individualized and adaptive feedback, no-feedback, or a no-contact control group. The results suggest that older adults are able to improve inhibition across retest sessions but unable to transfer the retest practice effects to other tasks. In addition, the improvement is not item specific and feedback does not appear to moderate the magnitude of the training benefits; however, feedback does appear to reduce interference variance across retest practice sessions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).     

Retest learning in the absence of item-specific effects: Does it show in the oldest-old?

This study examined whether the nonitem-specific retest learning effects, previously shown with young-old adults primarily in their 60s and 70s, could be extended to oldest-old adults aged 80 and onward. Twenty-one oldest-olds participated in an 8-session retest training program with three ability domains: perceptual speed, inductive reasoning, and visual attention. Their data were compared with the data of 30 young-olds collected in a previous work (Yang, Reed, Russo, & Wilkinson, 2009). The two age groups showed largely equivalent retest learning effects. In addition, only young-olds were able to benefit from item-specific retest learning, specifically in reasoning and perceptual speed tests. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).