Horse (Equus caballus) whinnies: a source of social information

Many animal species that rely mainly on calls to communicate produce individual acoustic structures, but we wondered whether individuals of species better known as visual communicants, with small vocal repertoires, would also exhibit individual distinctiveness in calls. Moreover, theoretical advances concerning the evolution of social intelligence are usually based on primate species data, but relatively little is known about the social cognitive capacities of non-primate mammals. However, some non-primate species demonstrate auditory recognition of social categories and possess mental representation of their social network. Horses (Equus caballus) form stable social networks and although they display a large range of visual signals, they also use long-distance whinny calls to maintain contact. Here, we investigated the potential existence of individual acoustic signatures in whinny calls and the ability of horses to discriminate by ear individuals varying in their degree of familiarity. Our analysis of the acoustic structure of whinnies of 30 adult domestic horses (ten stallions, ten geldings, ten mares) revealed that some of the frequency and temporal parameters carried reliable information about the caller’s sex, body size and identity. However, no correlations with age were found. Playback experiments evaluated the behavioural significance of this variability. Twelve horses heard either control white noise or whinnies emitted by group members, familiar neighbours or unfamiliar horses. While control sounds did not induce any particular response, horses discriminated the social category of the callers and reacted with a sound-specific behaviour (vigilance and attraction varied with familiarity). Our results support the existence of social knowledge in horses and suggest a process of vocal coding/decoding of information.     

序数表征及其脑机制

人类天生就具有一些初级的数概念。研究表明,顶内沟是基数表征的脑基础,这一区域受损或发展受阻将导致计算失能等与数有关的认知障碍。尽管序数与基数存在相似的行为效应,但与序数相联系的皮层通路不同于基数,序数表征主要激活前额皮层与颞叶皮层区域。序数是否也存在符号效应以及跨文化差异等问题有待进一步研究     

外显和内隐攻击性表现方式的性别差异实验研究

本研究同时运用问卷法和内隐联想测验(IAT)来研究我国大学生的攻击性。结果发现:1.整体外显攻击性不存在性别差异,但在身体攻击因素上男性显著高于女性。2.内隐攻击性在表现方式上存在性别差异,男性与身体攻击联系更紧密;女性与言语攻击联系更紧密。3.外显攻击性和内隐攻击性间的关系不能简单地根据相关系数来判断。     

中等生与学困生解决故事问题的认知差异

通过对40名小学生解决故事问题的过程分析,研究表明:(1)中等生与学困生在解题结果和解题过程2个方面都存在显著差异;(2)中等生和学困生的认知差异体现在,前者的特点主要是"比较"、"编码"和"目标定向",而后者的特点是"联结"和"比较"。     

Staying close by moving out. The contextual meanings of personal autonomy in the life stories of women of Moroccan descent in The Netherlands

This article focuses on the themes of personal autonomy and communion in the life stories of highly educated women of Moroccan descent in The Netherlands. It is argued that the task to make the most of what The Netherlands have to offer whilst staying loyal to parents who have paved the road, creates a double bind which is the motor behind the development of the ‘plot’ of all collected life stories. While the interviewees tend to interpret the dilemmas they face in finding a satisfactory balance between autonomy and communion in terms of differences between ‘the Dutch individualistic society’ and ‘the collectivistic values’ which characterize ‘the Moroccan’ or ‘Islamic culture,’ comparison with the life stories of members from the established Dutch working class who have socially moved upward, demonstrates that the dilemmas faced are similar. In many instances, climbing up the social ladder appears to play a bigger role than ethnic or religious background in ambivalent feelings abouth belonging. Where the life stories of migrant daughters differ is in narrations on the inheritance of loss and aspirations intrinsic to migration. Also, Moroccan colours, smells, objects, symbols and patterns of conduct inform the interviewees’ sense of belonging and supply them with powerful images and words to describe their experiences.

Personality information: Does it influence attractiveness ratings of various body sizes?

In the present study, the influence of personality information on attractiveness ratings of different body sizes was examined. Specifically, participants were presented with either no personality information, negative information, or positive information about a hypothetical female target and asked to rate the smallest and largest figure that they would consider attractive for her using a figure rating scale. Consistent with the study hypotheses: (1) participants chose a wider range of figures as attractive for a female described to have a positive personality when compared to the range chosen when no personality information was provided; (2) females selected wider attractive ranges than males; and (3) other participant characteristics (i.e., physical appearance anxiety and body mass) were found to predict attractive ranges selected by participants. These findings may have implications for the treatment of body-image disturbance, as the findings suggest that personality, rather than appearance alone, may be a factor in perceptions of attractiveness of various body sizes.     

Being Admired or Being Liked: Classroom Social Status and Depressive Problems in Early Adolescent Girls and Boys

This study investigates associations between depressive problems and classroom social status in a large population cohort of Dutch early adolescents (N = 1046, age 13.52 +/- 0.51, 52.4% girls). Depressive problems were assessed by parent and self-reports and classroom status by peer nominations. We assessed peer status with respect to both achievement-related (being a good learner, being good at sports, being good-looking) and affection-related (being liked, being disliked, being best friend) areas. In boys, depressive problems were most strongly associated with not being good at sports, while in girls the association was strongest for not being liked. The risk of a low status in one area could largely be compensated by a high status in another area.     

Self-estimates of intelligence: culture and gender difference in self and other estimates of both general (g) and multiple intelligences

This review paper examines two related areas of research: studies dating back over 50 years on lay theories of the nature and measurement of intelligence, and more recent research on sex and culture differences on self-estimated intelligence. The latter focus is on the nearly 20 published papers on estimated intelligence. Studies have shown consistent sex differences with males rating themselves higher than females. There are also consistent generational effects with adult participants believing around a half standard deviation difference in intelligence with their grandparents being least intelligent and children most. Self-estimated and psychometric intelligence only correlates weakly. Studies looking at self and other estimates of multiple intelligence indicated that participants seemed to believe that intelligence was male normative in that it was specifically those types of intelligence (mathematical and spatial) that most differentiated between the sexes that were themselves more predictive of general overall intelligence. Implications of these findings for intelligence testing are considered.     

类似性结构组合的实验研究

在国外研究使用点击映射(one—shot mapping)的基础上,本研究在一个实验中从新的角度使用了点击映射的方法探讨了关于类似性的一种观点：类似性判断与差异性判断不是一种对立的镜像关系;研究结果表明。类似性判断与差异性判断都是结构组合。     

人眼深度运动知觉的研究

人类的深度运动知觉,是通过检测二维平面内的相对运动而形成的。本文在心理物理学实验基础上,揭示该机制的数学与生理学实现形式。视觉系统中存在对视平面内的相对运动敏感的神经元,构成深度运动的检测机制,产生单眼深度运动知觉与双眼深度运动知觉。在心理学上,视觉利用物体视角变化及大小知觉的恒常性判断深度运动。文中还初步讨论了人类的深度运动知觉与蜜蜂,家蝇等昆虫的深度运动知觉的区别。