Bridging music and speech rhythm: Rhythmic priming and audio–motor training affect speech perception

Following findings that musical rhythmic priming enhances subsequent speech perception, we investigated whether rhythmic priming for spoken sentences can enhance phonological processing – the building blocks of speech – and whether audio–motor training enhances this effect. Participants heard a metrical prime followed by a sentence (with a matching/mismatching prosodic structure), for which they performed a phoneme detection task. Behavioural (RT) data was collected from two groups: one who received audio–motor training, and one who did not. We hypothesised that 1) phonological processing would be enhanced in matching conditions, and 2) audio–motor training with the musical rhythms would enhance this effect. Indeed, providing a matching rhythmic prime context resulted in faster phoneme detection, thus revealing a cross-domain effect of musical rhythm on phonological processing. In addition, our results indicate that rhythmic audio–motor training enhances this priming effect. These results have important implications for rhythm-based speech therapies, and suggest that metrical rhythm in music and speech may rely on shared temporal processing brain resources.     

The Relationship of Impulsiveness to Psychoticism and Extraversion in Elderly Psychiatric Patients

I conducted a correlational study to test the hypothesis that resource allocation outcomes become more favorable as uncertainty assessment accuracy (i.e., resolution and calibration) increases. For each of 32 college basketball games, participants predicted which team would win, estimated the subjective probability that their prediction was correct, and were given the opportunity to place a wager. The dependent variable was profit earned over the 32 bets. Proportion correct and mean certainty were controlled in the analyses. Results indicated that individuals with higher resolution scores earned significantly more profit than those with lower scores. Higher profits were also associated with better calibration.     

The Interrelationships Between Anxiety,Motor Performance and Electromyography

Notterman (1975) argued, contrary to my 1974 article, that the data obtained by Notterman and Page (1962) confirm the important role of proprioception in skilled performance. I argue that these data are in fact ambiguous when it comes to distinguishing the effects of proprioception from those of outflow control.     

跨感觉通道任务中刺激驱动注意捕获的不对称性

通过两个实验探讨了来自不同感觉通道或不同空间方位的奇异刺激在视听搜索范式中的注意捕获。实验一使用定位任务探讨刺激驱动注意捕获中跨通道效应且及其不对称性, 结果发现, 当靶子在听觉通道时, 只有来自听觉同侧空间方位的奇异刺激成功的捕获了注意; 而来自视觉同侧空间和异侧空间的奇异刺激并没有捕获注意。实验二使用检测任务进一步探讨刺激驱动的注意捕获中的跨通道效应且具有不对称性, 结果发现, 来自同侧和异侧的听觉奇异刺激均捕获了注意, 但是视觉奇异刺激却不能捕获注意。研究表明, 视听搜索范式中的奇异刺激的注意捕获具有不对称性, 且存在着一种超感觉通道的注意资源。     

汉语阈下语义启动无意识机制研究

采用Klinger等人(2000)的阈下语义启动研究范式,以汉字双字词为实验材料,用反应时和正确率为指标对阈下语义启动现象及其无意识机制进行了实验研究。结果发现,在与反应关系一致的维度上存在阈下语义启动现象;用反应时和正确率检测阈下语义启动时不存在敏感性差异。通过对阈下语义启动无意识机制及其相关研究的讨论,作者认为本研究结果支持反应竞争模型。     

美术专业与普通专业学生对中西方绘画作品的审美认知差异

审美认知是人类最高级最复杂的心理活动之一,在美育中具有重要的作用。本研究采用不同艺术类别及情绪效价的作品图片,考察美术专业与普通专业大学生对中西方绘画作品的审美认知差异。结果发现：美术专业学生与普通学生对西方画的审美认知差异极其显著,且美术专业学生对西方画产生的美感显著强于普通学生;而两类学生对中国画的审美认知差异并不显著;对于不同风格的绘画作品,两类学生都存在着审美偏好,且审美偏好一致,都对中国画产生的美感更为强烈;两类学生的审美认知反应时间差异极其显著,专业学生总体上要比普通学生进行更多更复杂的审美认知加工活动。研究表明,审美认知具有较强的可塑性,对于美育心理学的发展具有重要的价值。     

Modality-specific preparatory influences on the flexibility of cognitive control in task switching

In the current study, we addressed modality-specificity of the flexibility of cognitive control. We compared performance in single-task and mixed-tasks blocks between blocked auditory and visual stimuli assessing alternation costs (single vs. mixed). Mixed blocks comprised task switches only. The tasks consisted of numerical parity, magnitude, and distance judgments about numbers between one and nine without five. A cue indicated the relevant task. The cue–stimulus interval was varied (short vs. long interval) to examine preparation effects. The results indicated higher response times (RTs) and error rates (ERs) in mixed- vs. single-tasks blocks. The alternation costs in ERs were larger for auditory compared to visual stimulus presentation. Moreover, the reduction of RT alternation costs based on increased preparation time was more pronounced for the auditory modality compared to the visual modality. These results suggest a modality-specific influence on processes involved in maintaining and updating task sets in working memory.     

The Medieval Origins of Conceivability Arguments

The central recommendation of this article is that philosophers trained in the analytic tradition ought to add the sensibilities and skills of the historian to their methodological toolkit. The value of an historical approach to strictly philosophical matters is illustrated by a case study focussing on the medieval origin of conceivability arguments and contemporary views of modality. It is shown that common metaphilosophical views about the nature of the philosophical enterprise as well as certain inference patterns found in thinkers from Descartes to Chalmers have their origin in the theological concerns of the Scholastics. Since these assumptions and inference patterns are difficult to motivate when shorn of their original theological context, the upshot is that much post‐Cartesian philosophy is cast in an altogether unfamiliar, and probably unwelcome, light. The methodological point, however, is that this philosophical gain is born of acquaintance with the history of ideas.     

Gender differences in creative thinking revisited: Findings from analysis of variability

This study investigated gender differences in creativity among 985 schoolchildren (499 boys, 486 girls) by analyzing both means and variability. A relatively new creativity test, the Test for Creative Thinking-Drawing Production (TCT-DP), was employed to gain a more refined understanding of gender differences in creativity using a gestalt approach. Whereas the results of analyses of means generally supported the Gender Similarities Hypothesis, the variability analyses tended to support the Greater Male Variability Hypothesis and the Gender Difference Hypothesis. Analyses of the TCT-DP subscales revealed that both genders have their relative strengths and weaknesses in creative thinking. Whereas girls outperformed boys in thoroughness of thinking, boys outperformed girls in boundary-breaking thinking. Variability analyses further showed that more boys clustered in the two extremes of the composite score. Significantly greater variability was found for males on five criteria of the TCT-DP. The educational implications of such a complex pattern of gender differences are discussed. With a view to searching for an explanation for gender differences, several lines of further research are proposed.     

Similar effects of attention directed to acoustic and tactile stimuli on prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle

Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is assumed to index automatic and controlled processing. In three experiments (n= 32, 22, and 30) participants were asked to judge the duration of a prepulse in comparison with a stimulus presented 4000 ms before the prepulse. A distracter was presented simultaneously with the prepulse to increase the cognitive demands of the task. PPI was assessed at stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) of 30-150 ms, and 420 ms. The prepulse was either a tone (60 dB) or a tactile stimulus (21 kPa), and startle was elicited by 95 dB white noise. Directing attention to the prepulse increased PPI at SOAs of 60 ms and longer in all experiments, but the sensory modality to which attention was directed played only a minor role. We conclude that directing attention to both acoustic and tactile prepulses increased PPI.