Gray matter correlates of fluid,crystallized, and spatial intelligence: Testing the P-FIT model

The parieto-frontal integration theory (P-FIT) nominates several areas distributed throughout the brain as relevant for intelligence. This theory was derived from previously published studies using a variety of both imaging methods and tests of cognitive ability. Here we test this theory in a new sample of young healthy adults (N = 100) using a psychometric battery tapping fluid, crystallized, and spatial intelligence factors. High resolution structural MRI scans (3T) were obtained and analyzed with Voxel-based Morphometry (VBM). The main findings are consistent with the P-FIT, supporting the view that general intelligence (g) involves multiple cortical areas throughout the brain. Key regions include the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, Broca's and Wernicke's areas, the somato-sensory association cortex, and the visual association cortex. Further, estimates of crystallized and spatial intelligence with g statistically removed, still share several brain areas with general intelligence, but also show some degree of uniqueness.     

Fluid intelligence, memory span, and temperament difficulties predict academic performance of young adolescents

There are several candidate measures when asking which psychological construct significantly predicts academic performance. Hundreds of studies have addressed this issue by measuring intelligence, basic cognitive processes, or personality. However, the simultaneous consideration of a broad and varied array of measures is much less common. Here we consider several cognitive and personality measures concurrently to define latent factors representing six constructs of presumed interest: fluid intelligence, short-term memory, working memory, processing speed, controlled attention, and temperament difficulties. One hundred and thirty-five secondary school students were tested. Their academic performance was measured by average grades in the nine scholastic areas of their curriculum. The main finding shows that a latent factor defined by fluid intelligence and memory span along with a latent factor defined by impulsiveness, sensation seeking, and lack of fear account for an impressive figure of 60% of the variance in academic performance.     

行为免疫系统理论及其研究:新视野下的再考察

行为免疫系统理论认为, 为了应对流行病威胁, 人类进化出了一套特殊的行为反应倾向, 包括对疾病线索的警觉、厌恶, 对健康配偶的偏好, 对外群体的排斥, 对集体主义的推崇等。已有研究主要从宏观(群体)和微观(个体)两个水平开展, 虽然有大量研究结果支持该理论, 但也存在不少不一致甚至相反的发现。研究方法、理论基础和现代适用性等方面的不足可能是出现这种情况的原因。未来研究需克服上述问题, 并进一步拓展该理论的研究内容, 检验理论和相关研究的边界, 探讨行为免疫背后的生理机制等。     

Memory for details with self-referencing

Self-referencing benefits item memory, but little is known about the ways in which referencing the self affects memory for details. Experiment 1 assessed whether the effects of self-referencing operate only at the item, or general, level or whether they also enhance memory for specific visual details of objects. Participants incidentally encoded objects by making judgements in reference to the self, a close other (one's mother), or a familiar other (Bill Clinton). Results indicate that referencing the self or a close other enhances both specific and general memory. Experiments 2 and 3 assessed verbal memory for source in a task that relied on distinguishing between different mental operations (internal sources). The results indicate that self-referencing disproportionately enhances source memory, relative to conditions referencing other people, semantic, or perceptual information. We conclude that self-referencing not only enhances specific memory for both visual and verbal information, but can also disproportionately improve memory for specific internal source details.     

Generation of a new Space

This paper addresses a significant gender issue in the Chinese religious culture of Taiwan. The exclusion of deceased maidens from family and ancestral lineages leaves relations between the living and the dead disordered. People believe that homeless maidens become restless, polluting ghosts after death who will bring misfortune to their family and others in society. The case study examined here is a correction to the exclusion/pollution/homelessness of maiden-spirits through ‘adoption’ in the maiden-temple of Sam-giap. I will analyse how spirit-adoption in the Sam-giap maiden-temple constitutes an attempt to correct that disorder and pollution. I will also argue that one result of the Sam-giap corrective practice is the generation of a new space for maiden-spirits in which a new category that disrupts the opposition of ghosts and ancestors emerges.     

Attention to Positive and Negative Social-Evaluative Words: Investigating the Effects of Social Anxiety,Trait Anxiety and Social Threat

The study investigated how attention to negative (threatening) and positive social-evaluative words is affected by social anxiety, trait anxiety and the expectation of social threat. High and low socially anxious individuals carried out a modified dot-probe task either while expecting to give a speech or under non-threatening conditions. High socially anxious individuals showed no significant attentional bias towards or away from social-evaluative words. This result significantly contrasted with an identical design that showed avoidance of emotional faces in high socially anxious participants drawn from the same population (Mansell et al ., 1999). Participants who expected to give a speech showed less attentional avoidance of negative and positive social-evaluative words. High trait anxiety was associated with selective attention to negative relative to positive social-evaluative words, consistent with earlier findings of attention to threat cues in high trait-anxious individuals. Implications for designing attention tasks and attentional bias across different dimensions of anxiety are discussed.     

Memory for details with self-referencing

Self-referencing benefits item memory, but little is known about the ways in which referencing the self affects memory for details. Experiment 1 assessed whether the effects of self-referencing operate only at the item, or general, level or whether they also enhance memory for specific visual details of objects. Participants incidentally encoded objects by making judgements in reference to the self, a close other (one's mother), or a familiar other (Bill Clinton). Results indicate that referencing the self or a close other enhances both specific and general memory. Experiments 2 and 3 assessed verbal memory for source in a task that relied on distinguishing between different mental operations (internal sources). The results indicate that self-referencing disproportionately enhances source memory, relative to conditions referencing other people, semantic, or perceptual information. We conclude that self-referencing not only enhances specific memory for both visual and verbal information, but can also disproportionately improve memory for specific internal source details.     

The Compromise Effect in Choosing for Others

Most research into the compromise effect focuses on cognitive factors related to choosing for oneself. However, there are daily opportunities to make choices for others, from helping friends to buy merchandise to choosing souvenirs for relatives. Although it is a common practice, choosing for others is rarely discussed in the literature. Hence, this research is directed to determine whether (i) the compromise effect is greater for people choosing for others with whom one has a distant relationship compared to choosing for themselves, (ii) the decision maker's susceptibility to interpersonal relationships, accountability, and anticipated regret moderate the relationship between choosing for others versus choosing for themselves and the compromise effect, and (iii) the confidence of the decision maker mediates the relationship between deciding for others and the compromise effect. Five hypotheses are proposed and they are supported by the results from four experiments. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Speed of simple arithmetic in bilinguals

Four types of bilinguals solved simple addition problems that were auditorily presented in their preferred language, the language in which they first learned arithmetic, or in their nonpreferred language. Subjects responded in the language in which the problems were presented. Solution time averaged .227 sec faster in the preferred language and was an increasing linear function of the number of addition operations required. The intercepts of the preferred and nonpreferred language functions significantly differed, but the slopes did not. The preferred language advantage was attributed to faster encoding and/or response times in the preferred language. When bilinguals used only one of their languages in a given experimental session, encoding/response times in the two languages were equivalent and the preferred language advantage was eliminated.