Prolonged subjective duration near the hands: Effects of hand proximity on temporal reproduction

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review - It has been reported that human visual perception and attention are altered when the hands are nearby. Previous studies indicate that placing hands near stimuli...     

Executive Function and Mental Rotation During Middle Childhood: The Effect of Age

The authors examined the relative contributions of three aspects of executive function with two-dimensional (2D) mental rotation in children between 8 and 12?years old. Participants were given one standard 2D mental rotation measure, two working memory tasks (Corsi blocks and digit span), two inhibitory control tasks (Stroop and go/no go), and two planning ability tests (Tower of Hanoi and Tower of London). The correlational patterns between executive function and 2D mental rotation were different depending on age. More inhibitory control in younger children was associated with better performance in mental rotation, but not in older children. These results add to the understanding of the specific nature of children’s executive function-mental rotation relations.     

在推理加工能力上学困生与学优生的比较研究

本研究采用模糊集论和信息论的方法,探讨了中小学学困生与学优生在不同记忆负荷条件下的推理加工。结果表明,学优生与学困生在高低两种记忆负荷条件下,已知信息的利用率和推理加工的效率都受到了影响。其中学困生的已知信息的利用率不如学优生,学困生的推理加工效率也不如学优生。     

学习因素诊断测验在苏南地区的试用报告

本研究引进日本学习因素诊断测验(Diagnostic Test of Achievement Factor,简称DTAF),分别对苏南地区中小学学生进行抽样测验,以验证该测量工具在中国大陆的适用情况。研究结果表明：DTAF具有良好的信度、效度。以各分量表为单位的项目分析结果表明,DTAF的绝大多数题目之间结构紧密,具有很高的鉴别力。学习动机、学习计划、学习技能、学习环境对学生学习结果具有重要影响,本文对此展开了讨论。     

Judging egocentric distance on the ground: occlusion and surface integration

On the basis of the finding that a common and homogeneous ground surface is vital for accurate egocentric distance judgments (Sinai et al, 1998 Nature 395 497-500), we propose a sequential-surface-integration-process (SSIP) hypothesis to elucidate how the visual system constructs a representation of the ground-surface in the intermediate distance range. According to the SSIP hypothesis, a near ground-surface representation is formed from near depth cues, and is utilized as an anchor to integrate the more distant surfaces by using texture-gradient information as the depth cue. The SSIP hypothesis provides an explanation for the finding that egocentric distance judgment is underestimated when a texture boundary exists on the ground surface that commonly supports the observer and target. We tested the prediction that the fidelity of the visually represented ground-surface reference frame depends on how the visual system selects the surface information for integration. Specifically, if information is selected along a direct route between the observer and target where the ground surface is disrupted by an occluding object, the ground surface will be inaccurately represented. In experiments 1-3 we used a perceptual task and two different visually directed tasks to show that this leads to egocentric distance underestimation. Judgment is accurate however, when the observer selects the continuous ground information bypassing the occluding object (indirect route), as found in experiments 4 and 5 with a visually directed task. Altogether, our findings provide support for the SSIP hypothesis and reveal, surprisingly, that the phenomenal visual space is not unique but depends on how optic information is selected.     

Asymmetry in 3-D perceptual organization: ground-like surface superior to ceiling-like surface

Attneave (1954) and Barlow (1961) proposed that the visual system might increase efficiency of representation by preferentially encoding spatiotemporally redundant patterns of the external world. The present experiments tested the application of this principle to three-dimensional (3-D) perceptual organization, capitalizing on the ecological constraint that human observers must frequently interact with objects arranged on the ground or on a surface parallel to it (Gibson, 1950). Observers performed a task that required them to perceptually segregate and search multiple items distributed in depth and embedded within a larger, 3-D array of distractors. Stimulus displays were organized to globally recede top-away in depth, as if attached to an underlying ground-like surface, or bottom-away, as if attached to an overhanging ceiling-like surface; ground-like and ceiling-like displays differed only in the direction of disparity gradient within the displays. Primary findings revealed superior performance with ground-like displays, suggesting that spatially and stereoscopically distributed items are more easily organized to represent an ecologically representative pattern, even when no inherent physical regularities favor that pattern.     

Visual motion and the human brain: what has neuroimaging told us?

Recently, neuroimaging techniques have been applied to the study of human motion perception, complementing established techniques such as psychophysics, neurophysiology and neuropsychology. Because vision, particularly motion perception, has been studied relatively extensively, it provides an interesting case study to examine the contributions and limitations of neuroimaging to cognitive neuroscience. We suggest that in the domain of motion perception neuroimaging has: (1) revealed an extensive network of motion areas throughout the human brain, in addition to the well-studied motion complex (MT+); (2) verified and extended findings from other techniques; (3) suggested extensive top-down influences on motion perception; and (4) allowed experimenters to examine the neural correlates of awareness. We discuss these contributions, along with limitations and future directions for the neuroimaging of motion.     

Sequential priming of 3-D perceptual organization

In four experiments, the effects of sequential priming on the perceptual organization of complex three-dimensional (3-D) displays were examined. Observers were asked to view stereoscopic arrays and to search an embedded subset of items for an odd-colored target while 3-D orientation of the stimuli was varied randomly between trials. Search times decreased reliably when 3-D stimulus orientation was unchanged on consecutive trials, indicating substantial sequential priming by 3-D stimulus layout. The priming was nonsensory and was independent of priming by additional stimulus characteristics. Finally, priming by 3-D layout was unaffected by observers' foreknowledge of display orientation. Results indicate that perceptual organization of 3-D stimuli is guided by a short-term trace of 3-D spatial relationships between stimuli.     

残疾人大学生领悟社会支持对主观幸福感的影响:自我同情的中介作用

探讨残疾人大学生领悟社会支持、自我同情与主观幸福感的关系。采用领悟社会支持量表、幸福感指数量表、大学生自我同情量表对普通高等特殊教育学校206名在校残疾人大学生进行了调查研究。结果表明:(1)残疾人大学生领悟社会支持与自我同情存在显著正相关,与主观幸福感存在显著正相关; 自我同情与主观幸福感存在显著正相关。(2)残疾人大学生领悟社会支持不能直接预测主观幸福感,但通过自我同情的中介作用间接预测主观幸福感。自我同情在残疾人大学生领悟社会支持与主观幸福感的关系中起完全中介作用。     

Gray Matter Atrophy in the Cortico-Striatal-Thalamic Network and Sensorimotor Network in Relapsing–Remitting and Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Neuropsychology Review - Gray matter atrophy in multiple sclerosis (MS) is thought to be associated with disability and cognitive impairment, but previous studies have sometimes had discordant...