Conflict in object affordance revealed by grip force

Viewing objects can result in automatic, partial activation of motor plans associated with them—“object affordance”. Here, we recorded grip force simultaneously from both hands in an object affordance task to investigate the effects of conflict between coactivated responses. Participants classified pictures of objects by squeezing force transducers with their left or right hand. Responses were faster on trials where the object afforded an action with the same hand that was required to make the response (congruent trials) compared to the opposite hand (incongruent trials). In addition, conflict between coactivated responses was reduced if it was experienced on the preceding trial, just like Gratton adaptation effects reported in “conflict” tasks (e.g., Eriksen flanker). This finding suggests that object affordance demonstrates conflict effects similar to those shown in other stimulus–response mapping tasks and thus could be integrated into the wider conceptual framework on overlearnt stimulus–response associations. Corrected erroneous responses occurred more frequently when there was conflict between the afforded response and the response required by the task, providing direct evidence that viewing an object activates motor plans appropriate for interacting with that object. Recording continuous grip force, as here, provides a sensitive way to measure coactivated responses in affordance tasks.     

Does P3 Reflect Attentional or Memory Performances,or Cognition more Generally?

The study evaluated the off-line relationship of attention, memory and other cognitive performances with the auditory event-related potentials P3 (P300) and N2. The sample comprised 200 middle-aged construction workers. Verbal, visuomotor and memory tests were administered. Attentional domains were examined using CogniSpeed software. Slowed reaction times in the test of sustained attention (vigilance) were associated with delayed P3 latency (p < 0.001) and decreased P3 amplitude (p = 0.005), as well as with delayed N2 latency (p < 0.001). Visuomotor slowing in Digit Symbol was also related to delayed P3 latency (p = 0.030) and decreased P3 amplitude (p = 0.014). In contrast, mild cognitive impairment, short- and long-term memory, and concentrating or sharing attention with high working memory demands were not related to P3. The results suggest that P3 is linked to attentional performance with low working memory demands rather than to effortful working memory updating, retrieval from memory stores, or mild cognitive impairment.     

Influence of the movement parameter to be controlled on manual RT asymmetries in right-handers

In this experiment we test whether the effects of manual asymmetries on movement preparation depend on the parameter (amplitude or direction) to be programmed. In two experiments, only the amplitude, or the direction, of aiming movements was constrained. Reaction and movement times were measured. Results show that RTs are always shorter for left-hand than for right-hand movements. There is an effect of target extent in the amplitude condition, but not in the direction one. RTs for ipsilateral movements are shorter than RTs for contralateral movements. These results are discussed in the light of the processes involved in setting the amplitude or direction of the movement and with regard to the competency of the two hemispheres regarding these processes.     

Combining speed and accuracy to assess error-free cognitive processes

Both the speed and accuracy of responding are important measures of performance. A well-known interpretive difficulty is that participants may differ in their strategy, trading speed for accuracy, with no change in underlying competence. Another difficulty arises when participants respond slowly and inaccurately (rather than quickly but inaccurately), e.g., due to a lapse of attention. We introduce an approach that combines response time and accuracy information and addresses both situations. The modeling framework assumes two latent competing processes. The first, the error-free process, always produces correct responses. The second, the guessing process, results in all observed errors and some of the correct responses (but does so via non-specific processes, e.g., guessing in compliance with instructions to respond on each trial). Inferential summaries of the speed of the error-free process provide a principled assessment of cognitive performance reducing the influences of both fast and slow guesses. Likelihood analysis is discussed for the basic model and extensions. The approach is applied to a data set on response times in a working memory test. The authors wish to thank Roger Ratcliff, Christopher Chabris, and three anonymous referees for their helpful comments, and Aureliu Lavric for providing the data analyzed in this paper.     

Cultural Similarity, Foreign Policy Actions, and Regime Perception: An Experimental Study of International Cues and Democratic Peace

This study examines previous explanations of democratic peace in light of sociocultural factors and foreign policy actions that influence public perceptions of another country. Two experiments assessed the effects of relevant sociocultural and foreign policy action cues on perception of the regime type of a target nation and on public approval of the use of force. The findings suggest that sociocultural cues affect regime perception. Moreover, perceived similarity of a target nation and foreign policy actions are significant determinants of the public approval of the use of force in addition to perceptions of regime type.     

驾驶员的动态反应时研究

本研究应用DFY-1型动态反应时测试仪,以解放CA10B 型卡车为实验用车,结合日常运输任务,对三种年龄组(20—29岁、30—39岁、40—49岁)的30名驾驶员,在三种车速(静态,30公里/小时及50公里/小时)条件下的反应时、动作时及制动反应时进行了测试。结果表明:车速对驾驶员的反应时及制动反应时有显著影响,而对动作时则无显著影响;驾驶员的年龄对反应时、动作时及制动反应时均无显著影响.本研究结果为加强驾驶员的安全教育与管理,控制车速提供了佐证。更高车速条件下驾驶员的反应时特点尚待进一步研究。     

行为可见增加利他偏好及其社会规范机制

在不同社会偏好类型中,研究者较为关注利他偏好及其信号功能。本研究探究在独裁者游戏中,决策者的利他偏好如何受到分配方案对接受者可见性的影响。实验1采用行为实验结合计算建模的方法,发现无论在选择或评分条件下,相比于行为不可见,当分配者的行为能够为接受者所见时,分配者都表现出更大程度的利他偏好。此外,相比于评分条件,在选择时人们更加在意分配效率。实验2仅使用选择条件,并操纵社会规范,发现行为可见增加利他偏好的作用依赖于利他的社会规范,当存在非利他社会规范时,行为可见的影响减小。本研究结果表明,在利他社会规范下,当行为对接受者可见时,人们将表现出更多利他偏好。     

事故多发驾驶员与安全驾驶员反应时的比较研究

本文对18名事故多发卡车驾驶员和18名安全卡车驾驶员的视觉、听觉简单反应时、选择反应时以及决策时间进行了比较研究.结果表明事故多发组卡车驾驶员的视觉、听觉简单反应时比安全组卡车驾驶员长,但差异不显著;事故多发组卡车驾驶员的视觉、听觉选择反应时与决策时间都比安全组卡车驾驶员长,且差异显著.本研究结果为我国深入开展驾驶员的选拔、培训与驾驶适应性检测提供理论依据与技术支持.     

序列位置内隐学习产生机制的实验研究

内隐学习是当今认知和学习领域继内隐记忆之后又一重要的研究课题。该研究利用序列反应时研究程式,通过两个实验,对序列位置内隐学习产生的机制进行了探讨。结果表明：（１）在序列反应时任务程式中,随着反应一刺激间隔的延长,序列位置内隐学习的学习量逐渐减少;（２）异形同模式迁移组和异形异模式迁移组被试间内隐学习量无显著差异,被试未能内隐地习得抽象的序列模式。说明序列位置内隐学习产生的基础是水平联结,在该实验条件下没有发现垂直联结存在的证据。     

JEAB: Past,present, and future

The effects of response force on microstructure were evaluated. A strain-gauge operandum permitted the manipulation of the force required to produce reinforcers (criterion responses) independently from the force defining response threshold. Thus, we could detect subcriterion forces that fell short of the force criterion. Eight rats earned food according to variable-interval (VI) 30- and 120-s schedules. The force requirements were set to 5.6 or 32.0 g; the response threshold was fixed at 5.6 g. Interresponse times were computed when subcriterion responses were both included and omitted from the analysis. Log-survivor functions of interresponse times showed that increasing force requirements elevated the mean between-bout interval of the VI 120-s schedule, but only if subcriterion behavior was excluded. Omitting subcriterion responses thus leads to overestimation of intervals separating response bouts. Increasing force requirements also increased the skewness of the between-bout distribution. A subsequent analysis found that subcriterion responses are most plentiful following reinforcer delivery, which helps to explain why their omission might inflate between-bout intervals, as this period is an important transition from reinforcer consumption to engagement in operant activity. The data suggest caution interpreting the effects of force on microstructure when subcriterion behavior is not or cannot be measured.