Two hands are better than one: a new assessment method and a new interpretation of the non-visual illusion of self-touch

A simple experimental paradigm creates the powerful illusion that one is touching one’s own hand even when the two hands are separated by 15 cm. The participant uses her right hand to administer stimulation to a prosthetic hand while the Examiner provides identical stimulation to the participant’s receptive left hand. Change in felt position of the receptive hand toward the prosthetic hand has previously led to the interpretation that the participant experiences self-touch at the location of the prosthetic hand, and experiences a sense of ownership of the prosthetic hand. Our results argue against this interpretation. We assessed change in felt position of the participant’s receptive hand but we also assessed change in felt position of the participant’s administering hand. Change in felt position of the administering hand was significantly greater than change in felt position of the receptive hand. Implications for theories of ownership are discussed.     

面孔重复启动效应:知觉结构和语义表征的贡献

以30名大学生为被试,探讨了熟悉和陌生的正倒立面孔对重复启动效应的影响,以此考察知觉结构和语义表征对面孔重复启动的贡献.结果表明:(1)熟悉面孔的重复启动既存在知觉启动也存在语义启动,而不熟悉面孔仅仅存在知觉启动.(2)知觉结构和语义表征对启动效应的贡献是联合的,而不是分离的;在熟悉面孔中,语义表征对重复启动的贡献大于知觉结构的贡献.(3)知觉结构和语义表征对重复启动的贡献与加工阶段有关.知觉结构在初始阶段起作用,随后作用逐渐减弱;而语义表征存在于信息加工的整个过程.     

No evidence for a cue mismatch in negative priming

An experiment is reported in which the cue mismatch hypothesis of negative priming, an important novel variant of the mismatching hypothesis, was tested. A cue mismatch and a no mismatch condition were contrasted in a visual discrimination task. In the prime display of cue mismatch ignored-repetition trials, the colour of the prime distractor was different from the colour of the cue indicating the selection feature (coloured square). In probe displays, cue and repeated stimulus had the same colour. In the no mismatch condition, the visual cue was neutral in terms of colour (always black), so that there was always no cue mismatch between prime and probe displays. Contrary to the prediction of the cue mismatch hypothesis, the negative priming effect was not larger in the cue mismatch than in the no mismatch condition. The cue mismatch hypothesis must therefore be rejected. In contrast, the episodic retrieval account is consistent with the results.     

Object appearance and picture-specific viewpoint are not integrated in long-term memory

Previous work has demonstrated that visual long-term memory (VLTM) stores detailed information about object appearance. The current experiments investigate whether object appearance information in VLTM is integrated within representations that contain picture-specific viewpoint information. In three experiments using both incidental and intentional encoding instructions, participants were unable to perform above chance on recognition tests that required recognizing the conjunction of object appearance and viewpoint information (Experiments 1a, 1b, 2, and 3). However, performance was better when object appearance information (Experiments 1a, 1b, and 2) or picture-specific viewpoint information (Experiment 3) alone was sufficient to succeed on the memory test. These results replicate previous work demonstrating good memory for object appearance and viewpoint. However the current results suggest that object appearance and viewpoint are not episodically integrated in VLTM.     

Evidence for a role of the responding agent in the joint compatibility effect

The present study explored the role of the responding agent in a social context. To do so, we developed a compatibility task with socially relevant but task-irrelevant stimuli (own face, neutral face, and a friend's face). Participants were required to perform naming responses to coloured diamonds, while the faces were presented as irrelevant stimuli. We observed faster responses in face–name compatible than in incompatible conditions. When the task was distributed among two friends, we observed a compatibility effect in a joint go/no-go condition, in which both participants performed their go/no-go tasks together. In contrast, no compatibility effect was obtained in an individual go/no-go condition. Further, the experiment showed that this joint compatibility effect was based on the compatibility between the irrelevant face and the responding agent. This result demonstrates that features of the responding agent play a crucial role in the joint compatibility effect.     

The consequences of virtual embodiment for the mental representation of proximity

There is evidence that knowledge about space will reflect the details of how that space is experienced and how people interact with it. In two experiments we demonstrate that memory for items is spatially structured after their locations were learnt in a desktop virtual environment (DVE). The structure was measured using interitem priming of recognition. By comparison in Experiment 2, after the same layout had been learnt using a map display, there was no evidence of spatial structuring in memory. It is concluded that the limited view of space afforded by navigation through an environment, as contrasted with the overview afforded by a map, explains the observed differences in the spatial structuring of interitem associations. Navigation through an environment leads to spatial structuring in memory whereas using a map does not.     

Foreign Talent,Local Glory: Can National Excellence Be Outsourced?

The spectacular success of the Singapore table tennis team has rankled many, including Singaporeans. They take issue with the entire team having been recruited from China and specially naturalised to contribute towards Singapore’s sporting achievements. Is there good reason to oppose Singapore’s approach, which is increasingly common internationally? Would that opposition imply an indefensible form of self-reliance, whereby a country should reject all external assistance? This paper presents a reason to object to Singapore’s approach without promoting repugnant self-reliance. It builds on existing critiques, which are largely based on how foreigners are naturalised, to argue against the underlying motivation for doing so. Three possible rebuttals are considered and rejected because they trade on conceptual confusions. Although the essay focuses on the national pursuit of sporting excellence, the fundamental issue extends beyond: similar concerns apply to other meaningful fields of endeavour that members of a community can engage in.     

亲子间心理状态术语、非心理状态术语使用与儿童心理理论的关系

本研究通过观察亲子互动游戏来考查母亲———孩子间心理状态术语、非心理状态术语使用与儿童心理理论发展的关系。实验结果表明,控制了年龄因素后,儿童心理理论发展和母亲心理状态术语使用存在显著相关,提示母亲有效地谈论心理状态对儿童心理理论的发展具有影响;儿童心理理论发展与其心理状态术语使用也存在显著相关,提示儿童将心理理论任务中涉及的表征问题与信念词所隐含的表征属性相联系是形成心理理论、正确使用心理状态术语的前提。当控制了母亲和儿童的心理状态术语使用总数后,母亲及孩子非心理状态术语的使用与儿童心理理论发展都不再存在显著相关,提示非心理状态术语的使用是以心理状态术语使用为中介而对儿童的心理理论发展产生影响。     

4～6岁儿童对以计算机为核心的信息技术的概念表征

以概念图为研究工具考察了4~6岁儿童对以计算机为核心的信息技术的概念表征。结果表明:4~6岁儿童对计算机的结构与功能已有初步认识。这种认识直接源于与周围学习环境(包括幼儿园、家庭、社会)的相互作用,并表现出一定的年龄差异及性别偏好。研究还依据现象图式学对概念图的内容进行了探讨。     

角色方式对心理旋转的影响

人类视觉系统通常以第一人称角色和第三人称角色形式建构客体的空间表征,也运用这两种角色方式进行空间表征的动力转换。本研究采用实验方法,对这两种角色方式的心理旋转进行对比性研究。结果发现:空间表征转换的角色方式对心理旋转产生显著影响,第三人称角色心理旋转易于第一人称角色心理旋转,即存在心理旋转的角色效应。