Contextual illusions reveal the limit of unconscious visual processing

The perception of even the most elementary features of the visual environment depends strongly on their spatial context. In the study reported here, we asked at what level of abstraction such effects require conscious processing of the context. We compared two visual illusions that alter subjective judgments of brightness: the simultaneous brightness contrast illusion, in which two circles of identical physical brightness appear different because of different surround luminance, and the Kanizsa triangle illusion, which occurs when the visual system extrapolates a surface without actual physical stimulation. We used a novel interocular masking technique that allowed us to selectively render only the context invisible. Simultaneous brightness contrast persisted even when the surround was masked from awareness. In contrast, participants did not experience illusory contours when the inducing context was masked. Our findings show that invisible context is resolvable by low-level processes involved in surface-brightness perception, but not by high-level processes that assign surface borders through perceptual completion.     

Risk Patterns and Correlated Brain Activities. Multidimensional Statistical Analysis of fMRI Data in Economic Decision Making Study

Decision making usually involves uncertainty and risk. Understanding which parts of the human brain are activated during decisions under risk and which neural processes underly (risky) investment decisions are important goals in neuroeconomics. Here, we analyze functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data on 17 subjects who were exposed to an investment decision task from Mohr, Biele, Krugel, Li, and Heekeren (in NeuroImage 49, 2556–2563, 2010b). We obtain a time series of three-dimensional images of the blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) fMRI signals. We apply a panel version of the dynamic semiparametric factor model (DSFM) presented in Park, Mammen, Wolfgang, and Borak (in Journal of the American Statistical Association 104(485), 284–298, 2009) and identify task-related activations in space and dynamics in time. With the panel DSFM (PDSFM) we can capture the dynamic behavior of the specific brain regions common for all subjects and represent the high-dimensional time-series data in easily interpretable low-dimensional dynamic factors without large loss of variability. Further, we classify the risk attitudes of all subjects based on the estimated low-dimensional time series. Our classification analysis successfully confirms the estimated risk attitudes derived directly from subjects’ decision behavior.     

Minority Representation in Special Education: 5-Year Trends

The disproportionate representation of minority students in special education has been a concern for decades. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act mandates states to have policies and procedures in place to prevent inappropriate over identification or disproportionate representation by race and ethnicity of students with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of minority representation in special education given the mandate and related efforts to reduce overrepresentation and to identify trends for the 5-year period from 2004 to 2008. Growth models were used to analyze trends in national data collected from the 50 states and the District of Columbia for these 5 years. Findings indicate some improvements from 10 years ago, especially noteworthy are a significant decrease in the number of African American students and a moderate decrease in the number of Hispanic students categorized as having intellectual disabilities. However, during the same period, the number of Hispanic students in learning disabilities increased. Otherwise, the trend of racial/ethnic representation in special education remains the same as it was a decade ago.     

组织公正感理论及其在企业人力资源管理中的运用

组织公正感的研究近些年在美国受到了众多学者的关注,其研究成果也越来越多地被运用于公司管理的实践。而在中国,组织公正感理论还鲜为人知。本文试图对组织公正感理论的内容及其研究成果作一系统的分析,并在此基础上,阐述其对中国人力资源管理实践的意义,以及如何运用组织公正感理论。     

试论佛教"六和"与团队建设

两千年来僧团因标举佛陀"六和"精神而和乐清静,虽历经劫难却发展不息.与之形成对比的是,我国企业建立的各种"团队"因缺乏符合国人特质的"团队精神"而往往以失败告终.本文回顾佛陀关于"六和"精神的教诲,认为在建设团队中,唯有以"六和"精神为导向,方可实现建立团队时的初衷.     

"师夷长技以制夷"--中国近代教育理念与传统文化琐议

史学家把公元1840—1919年这一时期,称作中国的近代社会。这期间,中国发生了两次大的对外战事：一是由英国人发动的旨在侵略中国的鸦片战争;二是爆发于1894年的中日甲午战争。其结果,都以中国人的失败而告终。许多有识之士由此对清政府的腐败无能和西方先进的思想与科学技术有了深刻认识,于是,催生了近代史上著名的“洋务运动”和“维新运动”。     

从日本华严宗的两大派别反观中国华严思想史

日本华严宗在镰仓时代形成了两大派别,它们的代表人物分别是明惠和凝然。本文首先阐明了明惠、凝然与中国华严思想家李通玄、法藏等人的思想联系,进而对他们各自提出的道统学说进行了分析,再进一步考察了中国华严思想史上的不同流派以及中国华严教团的成立问题,澄清了学术界对此存在的长期误解,提出了中国华严教团形成于宋代的新观点。最后,对华严宗道统说在中日两国形成的历史过程和它们对近现代佛教研究造成的影响进行了批判性总结。     

Can infants attribute to an agent a disposition to perform a particular action?

The present research investigated whether 13.5-month-old infants would attribute to an actor a disposition to perform a recurring action, and would then use this information to predict which of two new objects-one that could be used to perform the action and one that could not-the actor would grasp next. During familiarization, the infants watched an actor slide various objects forward and backward on an apparatus floor. During test, the infants saw two new identical objects placed side by side: one stood inside a short frame that left little room for sliding; the other stood inside a longer frame that left ample room for sliding. The infants who saw the actor grasp the object inside the short frame looked reliably longer than those who saw the actor grasp the object inside the long frame. This and control results from a lifting condition provide evidence that by 13.5 months, infants can attribute to an actor a disposition to perform a particular action.     

体育专业大学生网络心理特点研究

目的:探讨体育专业大学生网络心理的特点。方法:采用自编大学生网络心理问卷,对某省236名体育专业大学生和331名非体育专业大学生的网络心理进行调查和比较。结果:(1)体育专业大学生网络喜好程度显著低于非体育专业大学生。(2)体育专业大学生对网络依恋程度低于非体育专业大学生。(3)体育专业大学生对网络人际交往依赖程度低于非体育专业大学生。(4)体育专业大学生在上网目的性上表现为"学习需要"等,非体育专业大学生上网是为了"寻求自信"等。