重复信任博弈的决策过程与结果评价

“信任他人或者不信任他人?”是社会互动中经常面临一种行为决择, 直接影响着个体的社会生活。作为一种重要的社会信号机制, 信任是建立良好社会关系的基石, 它能够降低社会交易成本, 易化合作行为。为了探究个体在信任互动情境下大脑活动变化的时间动态特征, 采用事件相关电位技术记录了20名健康被试(充当信任者)完成重复性信任博弈任务(repeated Trust Game, rTG)时的脑电成分。行为结果发现个体选择信任的比例显著高于几率水平。电生理学结果表明, 决策阶段中不信任选择比信任选择诱发了更正的P2成分(150~250 ms), 差异波溯源分析定位于额中回(middle frontal gyrus, BA 46)和额下回(inferior frontal gyrus, BA 46)。反馈阶段中损失反馈比获益反馈诱发了更负的FRN成分(200~300 ms), 而获益反馈比损失反馈诱发了更短的P300潜伏期。本研究为理解人类信任博弈过程的动态加工时程提供了初步的神经电生理学证据。     

An Experimental Therapeutics Approach to the Development of a Novel Computerized Treatment Targeting Error-Related Brain Activity in Young Children

In the current study, we utilize an experimental medicine approach to examine the extent to which a single-session, computerized intervention impacts a transdiagnostic neural marker of risk (i.e., the error-related negativity [ERN]) in 70 children between the ages of 6 and 9 years. The ERN is a deflection in the event-related potential occurring after an individual makes a mistake on a lab-based task and has been shown to be transdiagnostically associated with a variety of anxiety disorders (e.g., social anxiety, generalized anxiety), obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depressive disorders in over 60 studies to date. Building on these findings, work has been done to link an increased ERN to negative reactions to, and avoidance of, making mistakes (i.e., error sensitivity). In the current study, we capitalize on this previous work by examining the extent to which a single-session, computerized intervention may engage the target of “error sensitivity” (measured by the ERN, as well as self-report of error sensitivity). We examine the convergence of multiple measures of the construct of “error sensitivity” (i.e., child self-report, parent report on child, and child electroencephalogram [EEG]). We also examine relationships between these three measures of “error sensitivity” and child anxiety symptoms. Overall, results suggested that treatment condition predicted changes in self-reported error sensitivity but not changes in ERN. Based on the lack of previous work in this area, we view this study as a novel, preliminary, first step toward using an experimental medicine approach to examine our ability to engage the target of the ERN (i.e., error sensitivity) early in development.     

Wu Wei (Non-doing) and the Negativity of Depression

The anxiety of being drives us to the quest for security and certainty. The question emerges, “what is the Way?” In an attempt to find the Way through cognitive process, we are further removed from It. This parallel process takes place when depressed individuals struggle with the negativity of depression. Wu wei is an invitation to return to the Way and to the self. The self that embraces negativity is able to rest in itself.     

Rear negativity: Verbal messages coming from behind are perceived as more negative

Many studies have explored the evaluative effects of vertical (up/down) or horizontal (left/right) spatial locations. However, little is known about the role of information that comes from the front and back. Basing our investigations on multiple theoretical considerations, we propose that spatial location of sounds is a cue for message valence, such that a message coming from behind is interpreted as more negative than a message presented in front of a listener. Here we show across a variety of manipulations and dependent measures that this effect occurs in the domain of social information. Our data are most compatible with theoretical accounts which propose that social information presented from behind is associated with uncertainty and lack of control, which is amplified in conditions of self-relevance.     

反馈相关负波：一种抑郁症的生物标记物

反馈相关负波(feedback-related negativity, FRN)是一种反映个体奖赏敏感性的脑电成分; 而抑郁症患者的特征之一是奖赏敏感性的减弱。大量横向研究发现了重度抑郁症患者(major depressive disorder, MDD)及有患抑郁症风险群体的FRN异常; 另外, 纵向研究发现FRN的异常能够预测青春期抑郁发作及抑郁症状发展, 压力、睡眠等因素在其中起调节作用。这提示FRN可能在对抑郁症的诊断及分型、抑郁高危群体的筛查及干预等方面具有潜在价值。目前关于FRN的心理功能依然存在一些争议, 在未来的研究中应该进一步明确FRN的功能和测量方法, 并探明抑郁症的异质性和共病对FRN的作用, 也应关注老年人群体中FRN与抑郁症的关系。     

错误相关负波的神经起源及其影响因素

与个体做出错误反应相伴的错误相关ERP成分叫错误相关负波 (error-related negativity, ERN),当前冲突监控理论、表征失匹配理论和强化学习理论从不同的角度对ERN的神经机制进行解释,各理论间并非完全相互排斥。目前大部分研究认为ERN定位于扣带回,部分研究则出现其它脑区的激活,然而,扣带回与其它脑区存在复杂的神经功能联系,ERN 电位很可能是多个脑区电活动在头颅的综合表现,而非某一脑区的单独表现。ERN的神经机制受到实验任务、被试年龄及其意识水平等因素的影响。未来要推动实验室研究走向临床应用,发现与诊断脑电波异常的病人和毒品易复吸人群。     

错误加工的神经机制

错误加工在认知控制和行为监控中起着关键的作用。监控自己的认知和行为结果,觉察到应该的反应和实际的反应之间的差别（即错误）,纠正这种错误并防止再犯是错误加工的主要内容。错误反应或由代表反应错误等负性反馈刺激诱发的ERP相对于正确反应或由代表反应正确等正性反馈刺激诱发的ERP,表现出一个相对负走向的波形变化,称为错误相关负波（error-related negativity, ERN）和反馈相关负波（feedback-related negativity, FRN）,两者都定位于前扣回附近。错误加工神经机制的研究主要集中于前扣回与ERN、错误意识与错误加工、ERN与FRN的关系。对于前扣带回和ERN的功能意义的解释主要有错误检测理论、冲突监控理论、强化学习理论和预期违反假说。目前错误加工神经机制的研究在研究内容、研究方法和理论观点等方面还存在些问题,这些可能是未来进一步的研究方向     

负性情绪刺激是否总是优先得到加工: ERP研究

文献广泛报道负性情绪刺激在心理加工上占据优势地位, 而也有相当多的研究并未发现正、负性刺激在加工上的差异。不同实验中注意资源量的不同可能是造成这种分歧的原因。有研究提示, 在注意资源十分匮乏时, 机体无法区别对待正性和负性刺激, 那么在注意资源充足的情况下, 负性刺激是否一定优先得到加工？当前研究以正性、中性和负性情绪图片为刺激材料, 运用线索化范式操纵注意资源, 比较不同注意条件下各情绪刺激引起的ERP波幅的差别。结果发现, 有效提示条件下的反应正确率高于无效提示下的情况, P1、N1、P2和N2成分的波幅也在两个注意水平间出现差异, 当注意资源相对充足时, 正性与负性刺激引起的LPC波幅无显著差异, 而当注意资源相对短缺时, 负性条件引起较大的LPC波幅。这一研究表明, 情绪加工受到注意因素调节, 负性刺激在资源紧张时可以得到优先加工, 而当资源充足时, 机体可以调节资源分配而使正性刺激也得到充分加工。     

Preschoolers affect others' reputations through prosocial gossip

Providing evaluative information to others about absent third parties helps them to identify cooperators and avoid cheaters. Here, we show that 5‐year‐olds, but not 3‐year‐olds, reliably engage in such prosocial gossip. In an experimental setting, 5‐year‐old children spontaneously offered relevant reputational information to guide a peer towards a cooperative partner. Three‐year‐old children offered such evaluative information only rarely, although they still showed a willingness to inform in a non‐evaluative manner. A follow‐up study revealed that one component involved in this age difference is children's developing ability to provide justifications. The current results extend previous work on young children's tendency to manage their own reputation by showing that preschoolers also influence others' reputations via gossip.     

Negativity bias in defeasible reasoning

In defeasible reasoning, initially drawn conclusions can be withdrawn in light of new information. In this paper, we examine how the conclusions drawn from conditionals describing positive or negative situations can be defeated by subsequent negative or positive information, respectively. Participants were confronted with conditionals of the form “If [situation], then I am happy/sad” which were either followed by no additional information or by additional information describing situations of the same or the opposite valence. The participant's task was to decide on a question asking for a possible conclusion (“Am I happy?” vs. “Am I sad?”). We found a negativity bias in defeasible reasoning: negative information defeated positively charged conclusions more strongly than positive information defeated negatively charged conclusions. We discuss our results in relation to the new psychology of reasoning.