Complex conditional control by pigeons in a continuous virtual environment

We tested two pigeons in a continuously streaming digital environment. Using animation software that constantly presented a dynamic, three‐dimensional (3D) environment, the animals were tested with a conditional object identification task. The correct object at a given time depended on the virtual context currently streaming in front of the pigeon. Pigeons were required to accurately peck correct target objects in the environment for food reward, while suppressing any pecks to intermixed distractor objects which delayed the next object's presentation. Experiment 1 established that the pigeons’ discrimination of two objects could be controlled by the surface material of the digital terrain. Experiment 2 established that the pigeons’ discrimination of four objects could be conjunctively controlled by both the surface material and topography of the streaming environment. These experiments indicate that pigeons can simultaneously process and use at least two context cues from a streaming environment to control their identification behavior of passing objects. These results add to the promise of testing interactive digital environments with animals to advance our understanding of cognition and behavior.     

W. R. D. FAIRBAIRN AND THE PROBLEM OF HOMOSEXUALITY: A STUDY IN PSYCHOANALYTIC PREJUDICE

W. R. D. Fairbairn believed that the psychoanalyst's motivations and theories must ultimately be rooted in a need to resolve personal conflicts. His self‐analytic and other records, now publicly available, indicate how his struggles with unacceptable sexual feelings and their symptomatic manifestations affected not only his theorizing, especially about sexuality, but also his clinical practice, as well as his personal and family life. Fairbairn's case affords a unique opportunity to document the effects of homophobia in a major psychoanalyst.     

Thoughts about the internalised speaking object: psychoanalytic psychotherapy with children of delayed verbal development

This paper discusses the meaningful effects of intensive psychoanalytic psychotherapy on language development in children with verbal delay or disorder. Three clinical cases of children aged five to seven are presented; two of these display significant verbal delay and one exhibits unusually high verbal abilities. Following Meltzer, the author explores the concept of the ‘internalised speaking object’ – a good object speaking to the child, which has been internalised. This internal model is essential for the child’s development of language and speech. At times, these children experience this internal object as a persecutory object which must be warded off and avoided. Even more so, when the external object addresses the children verbally, language itself becomes a persecutor and they experience a fear of disintegration. During such times, the therapist must find new and creative ways for communication. The author describes his therapeutic efforts in dealing with these difficulties which stem both from the lack of a reciprocal verbal communication and from the therapist becoming a persecutory object to the child, and demonstrates the manner in which he facilitated gradual shifts in the patient, from an anxious and defensive position into a more relaxed one. These efforts set in motion a process of internalisation of a speaking object by the child and the development of internal language, that is, thinking along with expressive verbal language. The article furnishes some evidence to support the idea that verbal development relies significantly on establishing good, strong and healthy early object relations.     

Degrees of entrapment: living and dying in the claustrum

This paper explores Donald Meltzer’s concept of the claustrum, an unconscious phantasy of a space inside the body of the internal mother that has been forcibly entered and occupied. The author proposes that claustrophobic phenomena might be viewed on a continuum from the relatively ordinary to the severely pathological. Following a brief review of the characteristics of Meltzer’s claustral ‘compartments’, this continuum is explored through and illustrated by a psychoanalytic understanding of two films, Coraline, directed by Henry Selick and based on the novella by Neil Gaiman, and The Talented Mr. Ripley, based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith and directed by Anthony Minghella. The degree of entrapment in a claustrophobic world and the possibility of emerging from it into a world of authentic intimate relationships is shown to be influenced by the internal relationship to a parental couple.     

多目标追踪中“线索”研究的贡献

多目标追踪范式是探讨动态情景下注意加工过程的成熟技术,其对不同阶段注意线索加工与利用的分析,对深入了解注意的动态信息加工过程具有重要意义。从注意线索的视角述评呈现阶段的内源性线索与外源性线索以及追踪阶段的目标数量动态变化和轨迹线索的研究成果及限制因素,提出多目标线索研究是客体档案理论与视觉索引理论之争的关键。虽然多目标追踪范式为内源性线索、外源性线索的提取与策略等研究提供很多便利,但目前该范式在线索的认知资源分配和加工策略上仍有研究留白,尚需进一步探索。     

Age and active navigation effects on episodic memory: A virtual reality study

We investigated the navigation‐related age effects on learning, proactive interference semantic clustering, recognition hits, and false recognitions in a naturalistic situation using a virtual apartment‐based task. We also examined the neuropsychological correlates (executive functioning [EF] and episodic memory) of navigation‐related age effects on memory. Younger and older adults either actively navigated or passively followed the computer‐guided tour of an apartment. The results indicated that active navigation increased recognition hits compared with passive navigation, but it did not influence other memory measures (learning, proactive interference, and semantic clustering) to a similar extent in either age group. Furthermore, active navigation helped to reduce false recognitions in younger adults but increased those made by older adults. This differential effect of active navigation for younger and older adults was accounted for by EF score. Like for the subject‐performed task effects, the effects from the navigation manipulation were well accounted for by item‐specific/relational processing distinction, and they were also consistent with a source monitoring deficit in older adults.     

When and how did you go wrong? Characterizing mild functional difficulties in older adults during an everyday task

ABSTRACT

Mild functional difficulties associated with cognitive aging may be reliably measured by coding “micro-errors” during everyday tasks, like meal preparation. Micro-errors made by 25 older adult and 48 younger adults were coded on four dimensions to evaluate the influence of: 1) poor error monitoring; 2) goal decay; 3) competition for response selection when switching to a new subtask; and 4) interference from distractor objects. Micro-errors made by young adults under a dual task load also were analyzed to determine the influence of overall performance level. Older adults’ micro-errors were observed when switching to a new subtask and to unrelated distractors. Slowed error monitoring and goal decay also influenced micro-errors in older adults, but not significantly more so than younger adults under the dual task. Interventions to reduce interference from distractors and to increase attention at critical choice points during tasks may optimize everyday functioning and preclude decline in older adults.     

整体运动知觉老化伴随颞中回静息态功能改变

以个体整体运动一致性阈值为指标, 探讨老年人整体运动敏感性(GMS)下降和静息态下兴趣脑区功能活动的关系。发现与阈值负相关且老年人低于青年人的指标主要有：MT/V5区的ReHo和ALFF值, 各网络拓扑属性; 与阈值正相关且老年人显著高于青年人的有：MT/V5区与前运动皮层之间的、各兴趣脑区之间的功能连接。结果用“去分化”等观点进行了解释, 提示老年人GMS的下降可能不仅与安静状态下MT/V5区的功能改变有关, 还可能与全脑更广泛区域的功能改变有关。     

人格智力:一种被“冷落”的“热智力”

人格智力(PI)是指个体在对人格及其相关信息推理的基础上,利用这些信息提高一个人的思想、计划和生活经验的能力,包括识别人格信息、形成人格模型、引导个人选择以及系统化计划和目标等相关领域。作为一种新兴的“热智力”,PI并没有像当年情绪智力(EI)那样受人关注。文章从PI的范畴、领域及其局限性等角度分析了这一新能力遭遇“冷落”的原因,指出了PI在整合以人为中心的智力过程中存在概念宽泛、界限模糊、测量的科学性及其形成与发展等诸多值得反思的问题。     

贝叶斯推理的三重加工心智模型

自二十世纪60年代Edwards首次用实验研究人类推理是否遵循贝叶斯规则以来,国内外贝叶斯推理研究取得了长足的发展,但也出现了一些困境:对影响贝叶斯推理的客体因素和主体因素研究未成体系,解释理论莫衷一是。未来的研究应该重新审视客体与主体的关系,系统整合和多角度分析影响贝叶斯推理的因素,尝试以三重加工心智模型解释人类贝叶斯推理行为,并对以往的解释理论进行融合,从而更好地揭示人类不确定性决策的本质。