Pigeons (Columba livia) plan future moves on computerized maze tasks

Planning, the internal process of formulating an organized method about one's future behavior, should be advantageous for non-human animals as well as for humans. However, little is known about this process in avian species. We examined planning processes in pigeons (Columba livia) using a computerized maze task. In Experiment 1, we found that the pigeons plan their next one step, and in some cases even correctly adjust their actions after change of goal locations, while performing on a plus-shaped maze. We also showed that the pigeons might even plan two steps on familiar, well-practiced mazes. In Experiment 2, we discovered that the subjects plan the direction they would go first before starting to solve a four-arm shuriken (a Japanese traditional throwing knife)-shaped maze. The birds also corrected their previously planned actions after change of goal locations. Our results from these experiments suggest that planning ahead is within the cognitive capacity of a "bird brain", and that it may be more widespread in the animal kingdom than has been presumed.     

儿童对情绪表达规则的认知发展

情绪表达规则知识的建构是儿童社会化和情绪健康发展过程中的一项重要任务,该文考察了情绪表达规则的概念及个体对其认知发展的相关理论和测量。同时,对情绪表达规则的认知发展从3个方面进行了探讨：儿童对情绪表达规则认知发展的关键阶段是小学,并且具有显著的年龄差异和性别差异;家庭情绪环境分别从不同方面对儿童情绪表达规则的认知发展水平有显著影响;儿童对情绪表达规则的认知发展水平与其社会能力有显著的正相关。     

Long-term memory for categories and concepts in horses (Equus caballus)

Three horses (Equus caballus) with a history of performing cognitive tasks including discrimination learning, categorization, and concept use were tested to evaluate their long-term memory (LTM) in three experiments. In addition, use of LCD multi-displays for stimulus presentation was incorporated into cognition testing protocol for the first time with horses. Experiment 1 tested LTM for discrimination learning that originally occurred 6 years earlier. Five sets of stimuli were used and the two horses tested showed no decrement in performance on four of the sets; however, both horses did score below chance on one set. Experiment 2 examined long-term categorization recall 10 years after horses had demonstrated the ability to make stimulus selections based on shared characteristics within a given category. The horse tested for LTM after the decade-long interval immediately and consistently applied the previously learned categorization rule to not only familiar but also novel sets of stimuli. Experiment 3 tested another horse for LTM for a relative size concept. This horse had originally demonstrated concept rule use in order to select stimuli based on their relative size to one another. More than 7 years later and without further training, this horse reliably applied the previously established size concept to both familiar and novel sets of stimuli. These findings are the first reports of long-term categorical and conceptual memory in horses and are consistent with observations of domestic and wild horses, which indicate that behavioral and ecological events may be remembered for long periods of time. These studies also demonstrate the adaptive nature of horses with regard to their ability to generalize over several different testing conditions.     

Gleaning in the field of dual scaling

Some historical background and preliminary technical information are first presented, and then a number of hidden, but important, methodological aspects of dual scaling are illustrated and discussed: normed versus projected weights, the amount of information accounted for by each solution, a perfect solution to the problem of multidimensional unfolding, multidimensional quantification space, graphical display, number-of-option problems, option standardization versus item standardization, and asymmetry of symmetric (dual) scaling. Contrary to the common perception that dual scaling and similar quantification methods are now mathematically transparent, the present study demonstrates how much more needs to be clarified for routine use of the method to arrive at valid conclusions. Data analysis must be carried out in such a way that common sense, intuition and sound logic will prevail.Presidential Address delivered at the Annual Meeting of the Psychometric Society, Banff Centre for Conferences, Banff, Alberta, Canada, June 27–30, 1996. The work has been supported in part by a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. I am grateful to Ira Nishisato for his comments, Ingram Olkin and Yoshio Takane for important references, and Liqun Xu for computational help.     

自控速度的平滑滚动引导式和RSVP的文本阅读

考察了在自控速度条件下 ,显示窗口、起始速度和文本显示方式等因素对视频显示终端 (videodisplayter minals,VDT)汉语文本阅读工效的影响。结果发现 :(1)在阅读正确率上 ,VDT文本的平滑滚动引导式优于快速系列视觉呈现 (rapidserialvisualpresentation ,RSVP)方式 ;(2 )阅读速度和阅读理解成绩相互代偿 ,若注重理解正确率 ,宜采用 15 0字 /分的起始速度 ;若兼顾阅读速度 ,宜采用 75 0字 /分的起始速度 ;(3)起始速度、显示窗口和文本显示方式三者共同影响了阅读绩效 ;(4 )机控速度方式的阅读效率优于自控速度方式。     

液晶显示器上字符辨认效果与观察角度及字符大小的关系

本研究从工程心理学角度,探讨了有源矩阵液晶显示器上字符辨认效果与观察角度及字符大小的关系。实验结果表明：(1)液晶显示的字符辨认效果因观察角度不同而存在显著差异,无论是在水平方向上还是下视方向上,字符辨认错误率均随着观察角度的增大而先慢后快地上升;但相比之下,水平方向上观察角度变化的容许范围大于下视方向上的容许范围;(2)液晶显示器上字符辨认效果也受字符大小的影响,并且字符大小与观察角度之间存在着显著的交互作用;当观察角度较大时,可通过加大字符尺寸来提高视觉辨认效果。     

The contribution of self‐deceptive enhancement to display rules in the United States and Japan

Socially desirable responding was tested as a mediator of American and Japanese college student differences in display rules. Americans endorsed the expression of anger, contempt, disgust, fear, happiness, and surprise more than the Japanese. Americans also exhibited more self‐deceptive enhancement than the Japanese, and self‐deceptive enhancement partially mediated country differences on the endorsement of anger, disgust, happiness, and surprise, but not contempt and fear. These findings highlight the role of self‐deceptive enhancement in contributing to expressive display rules and support the point of view that socially desirable responding is a reflection of one's personality and culture rather than a statistical nuisance.     

Delay or travel time information? The impact of advanced traveler information systems on drivers’ behavior before freeway work zones

Peak travel times contribute to congestion formation at freeway work zones. Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) can inform drivers in real-time about the delays and travel times en-route and can provide information about an alternative route to a destination. Different ATIS display strategies are available; however, road authorities lack insights into how time display methods and sign characteristics influence the driving behavior (decelerations, lateral position), the drivers’ attention allocation ability and the subsequent route choice before the freeway diversion. A driving simulator study was conducted with 80 drivers in the State of Qatar to investigate drivers' behavior and voluntary route choices when encountering total travel time (default setting) or delay time updates for two freeway routes on Variable Message Signs (VMS) and Graphical Route Information Panels (GRIP). The GRIPs are a graphical alternative to conventional VMS that can provide drivers with a visual map of the most direct route or an alternative less congested route to a destination using different color schemes. The time difference ratio between the two routes was kept constant to compare the effectiveness of the information designs and investigate the drivers’ attention towards the signs with an eye-tracker. The results showed that the display of zero delays for a detour did influence 74–83% of the drivers to take the alternative route when being displayed on a VMS and a GRIP with free flow attribute framing. When displaying equal total travel times, the GRIP did influence 25% more drivers to follow the alternative route than the VMS. Generally, displaying zero delays for the alternative route resulted in an efficient attention allocation to the first ATIS location and fewer mean decelerations before the repeated ATIS location nearing the diversion. Road authorities are advised to activate the display of delay times to support efficient route choices among freeway drivers.     

高中生英语阅读知觉广度的眼动研究

该研究采用经典的"呈现随眼动变化技术"对高中生的英语阅读的知觉广度进行了眼动研究。结果发现:1)高中生英语阅读知觉广度的右侧范围是注视点右侧8～11个字符的空间;2)高中生的英语阅读知觉广度已达到成人水平。     

小学五年级学生英语阅读知觉广度的眼动研究

使用Eyelink2000型眼动仪,采用经典的呈现随眼动变化技术,对24名被试在不同窗口条件下英文阅读的眼动指标进行记录和分析,以考察小学五年级学生英语阅读的知觉广度。研究结果表明:小学五年级学生英语阅读的知觉广度的右侧范围是注视点右侧5-8个字符空间。