Can orange colour facilitate the processing of happiness? An exploration study on happiness metaphor

Colour is a ubiquitous perceptual stimulus, and theoretical models of colour and psychological functioning posit that colour plays a key role in influencing the behaviour and mental function of a person. One investigation and two experiments investigated the colour metaphor representation of happiness concepts and the mapping mode of the colour metaphor of happiness concepts. A questionnaire was conducted to explore the relationship between colour preference and happiness. Study 2 shows that the identification of happiness words was facilitated more when words were viewed on an orange background than when viewed on a blue background. Study 3 further verifies the links of the connection between colour and happiness at the sentence level, and the orange-happiness facilitation effect was replicated. These results document a novel influence of colour on emotion recognition processes, where an orange background may facilitate the processing of the concept of happiness and provide support for conceptual metaphor theory and colour-in-context theory.     

图形旋转的记忆效应

该文主要以图形为实验材料,操纵学习和测验阶段的不同旋转角度,以考察图形旋转对知觉性内隐记忆、再认、意识性和熟悉性的影响.结果发现:(1)整体上,知觉性内隐记忆、再认、意识性和熟悉性都不随图形角度的旋转而变化,表明图形旋转的记忆阈限差别不大;(2)再认击中率在0度和180度间的差异主要是由记得虚报造成的,这与知觉信息的错误捆绑有关.     

性别及控制感对中国大学生信任行为的影响*

采用实验的方法,考察性别及控制感对中国大学生信任行为的影响,探讨造成信任行为性别差异的原因。实验采用经典的信念游戏范式及其变式,通过改变决定者与分配者的决策顺序操作被试的控制感水平。实验结果表明,在低控制感条件下,男性比女性表现出更多的信任行为;通过实验操作提高个体控制感水平后,信任行为的性别差异则消失,性别和控制感对信任行为的影响具有交互作用。该结果验证了研究假设,控制感是影响信任行为性别差异的重要因素。     

工作记忆和风险取向类型对情感决策的影响

本研究采用爱荷华赌博任务(Iowa Gambling Task,IGT)范式,探究工作记忆在情感决策过程中的作用,以及风险取向类型与工作记忆的作用机制。以88名大学生为被试,采用自变量2(风险取向类型:风险偏好/风险规避)×2(工作记忆负荷:无负荷/有负荷)的混合实验设计。结果发现,高工作记忆负荷会降低被试的IGT成绩;工作记忆负荷和风险取向类型存在交互作用,即对于风险偏好型被试,工作记忆负荷对IGT损失敏感性的干扰并不明显,但对于风险规避型被试,高工作记忆负荷时的IGT损失敏感性比低工作记忆负荷时的更差。这些结果表明工作记忆和风险取向均会影响个体的情感决策。     

客体投影方式对空间问题解决和再认的影响

通过设置四种实验条件,旨在阐明空间问题解决和再认的水平是如何受到客体不同投影方式的影响。除进一步支持了正投影问题的解决是以一个具有三维结构特性的心理表征为基础而并非是对二维正投影信息进行了充分识别的观点外,研究结果还表明：（１）这个具有客体三维结构特性的心理表征是建构于对正投影问题解决而非轴测投影图的再认过程中;（２）正投影问题解决的复杂性显著地高于轴测投影图问题解决而且一个建构于正投影问题解决中     

Improved EM algorithm for MPT model analysis

Multinomialprocessing tree (MPT) models are in wide use as measurement models for analyzing categorical data in cognitive experiments. The approach involves estimating parameters and conducting hypothesis tests involving parameters that are arrayed in a tree structure designed to represent latent cognitive processes. The standard inference algorithm for these models is based on the well-known expectationmaximization (EM) algorithm. On the basis of the original use of the EMalgorithm for MPT models, this article presents an approach that accelerates the convergence speed of the algorithm by (1) adjusting suitable initial positions for certain parameters to reduce required iterative times and (2) using a series of operations between/among a set of matrices that are specific to the original model structure and information to reduce the time required for a single iteration. As compared with traditional algorithms, the simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has superior efficiency in interpreted languages and also has better algorithm readability and structure flexibility.     

Age differences in the likelihood of destructive anger responses under different relationship contexts: a comparison of mainland and Hong Kong Chinese

This brief report examined how the likelihood of destructive anger responses varied with age across relationship contexts. Seventy-six older adults and 100 younger adults from Hong Kong and Mainland China reported their responses to anger-eliciting scenarios elicited by a kin, a close or a casual friend. Results indicated that compared with their younger counterparts, older Hong Kong Chinese were less likely to report direct aggression toward kin, but older Mainland Chinese were more likely to do so. Older Hong Kong Chinese were less likely to report malevolent and fractious motives than were younger Chinese across all relationships; Older Mainland Chinese were less likely to do so only in friendship. Findings have implications for conceptualizing age-related emotion regulation across relationships and cultures.     

Cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation of the right Wernicke's area improves comprehension in subacute stroke patients

Previous studies have shown the appearance of right-sided language-related brain activity in right-handed patients after a stroke. Non-invasive brain stimulation such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) have been shown to modulate excitability in the brain. Moreover, rTMS and tDCS have been found to improve naming in non-fluent post-stroke aphasic patients. Here, we investigated the effect of tDCS on the comprehension of aphasic patients with subacute stroke. We hypothesized that tDCS applied to the left superior temporal gyrus (Wernicke’s area) or the right Wernicke’s area might be associated with recovery of comprehension ability in aphasic patients with subacute stroke. Participants included right-handed subacute stroke patients with global aphasia due to ischemic infarct of the left M1 or M2 middle cerebral artery. Patients were randomly divided into three groups: patients who received anodal tDCS applied to the left superior temporal gyrus, patients who received cathodal tDCS applied to the right superior temporal gyrus, and patients who received sham tDCS. All patients received conventional speech and language therapy during each period of tDCS application. The Korean-Western Aphasia Battery (K-WAB) was used to assess all patients before and after tDCS sessions. After intervention, all patients had significant improvements in aphasia quotients, spontaneous speech, and auditory verbal comprehension. However, auditory verbal comprehension improved significantly more in patients treated with a cathode, as compared to patients in the other groups. These results are consistent with the role of Wernicke’s area in language comprehension and the therapeutic effect that cathodal tDCS has on aphasia patients with subacute stroke, suggesting that tDCS may be an adjuvant treatment approach for aphasia rehabilitation therapy in patients in an early stage of stroke.     

小学生数学应用题解题水平影响因素的实验研究

该研究采用四因素混合实验设计考察不同的问题呈现方式对不同视空间能力、场认知方式以及不同年级小学生的数学应用题解题水平的影响情况,研究得出以下结论:有一定视觉提示的问题呈现方式在不同程度上促进了小学生数学应用题解题水平的提高,但不同的问题呈现方式对不同被试影响情况不同;低空间能力-场依存型被试在图形提示的呈现方式下解题水平提高程度最大。     

集体行动何以成为可能--对一起集体上访、静坐事件的个案研究

针对一起持续时间长达18天的集体上访、静坐事件,本文试图回答以下两个问题它是如何产生的?它为什么能持续这么长的时间?本文认为,它源于强烈的集体不公正感;是多种因素的综合作用,才导致它持续了这么长的时间.