大脑视知觉调控的神经机制

大脑的知觉加工并非单纯由外部刺激驱动,而是存在自上而下的知觉调控。尽管这一现象被大量实验研究证实,但其神经机制仍然是认知神经科学研究的重要问题。本研究系统介绍了知觉调控的神经基础、实现形式、研究范式,及其理论模型,分析指出了当前研究面临的主要问题,并对未来的研究进行了展望,以期促进该问题研究的进一步开展。     

基因-环境交互作用理论模型及其检验方法

素质?压力模型、不同易感性模型和优势敏感性模型是当前有关基因?环境交互作用的三种代表性理论模型。素质?压力模型认为“近墨者黑”或“出淤泥而不染”, 优势反应敏感性模型认为“近朱者赤”, 而不同易感性模型则兼收并蓄, 认为某些个体近墨则黑, 近朱则赤。检验上述模型的现实有效性是当前基因?环境交互作用研究领域的热点问题之一。概观而言, 分组回归和分层回归是常用的传统检验方法, 显著性区域分析法和新参数回归模型法则是新近兴起的。未来研究需要进一步探索三种模型的领域特殊性、种族差异等问题, 检验这些模型的方法也有待改善。     

积极情感和消极情感适应的不对称性及其机制探讨

情感适应是指对重复或连续刺激的情感反应慢慢变弱的现象。近年来有关实证研究发现, 积极情感与消极情感适应在速度和程度上具有不对称性, 对适应不对称性的解释可以从进化心理学、认知心理学以及积极心理学三个视角进行。未来的研究应该进一步关注：(1)区分主观幸福感不同成分的情感适应; (2)探讨人格因素在情感适应中的调节效应; (3)完善情感适应的干预方法; (4)提高情感适应研究在时间上的精确性。     

年幼儿童的尺寸匹配误差现象

近十年来,尺寸匹配误差作为年幼儿童生活中的一种常见的尺寸误用现象逐渐受到了一些研究者的关注。现有研究主要集中在尺寸匹配误差的特点、出现频率和产生原因等方面。抑制控制的失败、神经通路的协调失败、“计划-控制”模型和“感觉-行动”模型、功能性推理偏好以及身体意识发展的不成熟等观点能够对某些类型的尺寸匹配误差现象做出解释。未来的研究应从进一步深入探讨尺寸匹配误差与假装的区别、完善研究方法以及跨文化研究的开展几方面进行。     

贝叶斯因子及其在JASP中的实现

统计推断在科学研究中起到关键作用, 然而当前科研中最常用的经典统计方法——零假设检验(Null hypothesis significance test, NHST)却因难以理解而被部分研究者误用或滥用。有研究者提出使用贝叶斯因子(Bayes factor)作为一种替代和(或)补充的统计方法。贝叶斯因子是贝叶斯统计中用来进行模型比较和假设检验的重要方法, 其可以解读为对零假设H₀或者备择假设H₁的支持程度。其与NHST相比有如下优势：同时考虑H₀和H₁并可以用来支持H₀、不“严重”地倾向于反对H₀、可以监控证据强度的变化以及不受抽样计划的影响。目前, 贝叶斯因子能够很便捷地通过开放的统计软件JASP实现, 本文以贝叶斯t检验进行示范。贝叶斯因子的使用对心理学研究者来说具有重要的意义, 但使用时需要注意先验分布选择的合理性以及保持数据分析过程的透明与公开。     

Impulsivity and reward sensitivity within the pen model: A test of discriminant hypotheses

Impulsivity and reward sensitivity are often treated as interchangeable constructs. This conflation may be traced back to Gray’s interpretation of impulsivity as the trait level manifestation of the Behavioral Activation System (BAS), that mediates sensitivity to rewards. In this study (N = 696) we evaluated discriminant hypotheses regarding the relationships between BAS-mediated reward sensitivity, impulsivity and Eysenck’s PEN superfactors. We hypothesized that reward sensitivity would be mainly linked with Extraversion, and that impulsivity would be primarily connected with Psychoticism. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling and equality constraints tests. Results mostly supported our expectations: reward sensitivity was more strongly related to Extraversion than to the other PEN superfactors, while impulsivity was more strongly related to Psychoticism and Neuroticism. Implications for BAS and impulsivity research are discussed.     

Estrogen abolishes latent inhibition in ovariectomized female rats

Estrogen is frequently prescribed as a method of birth control and as hormone replacement therapy for post-menopausal women with varied effects on cognition. Here the effects of estrogen on attention were examined using the latent inhibition (LI) behavioral paradigm. Ovariectomized (OVX) female rats were given either estrogen benzoate (EB, 10 or 100 microg/ml/kg; SC) or sesame oil vehicle. Males and OVX females receiving vehicle displayed normal LI. In contrast, LI was abolished in OVX females receiving EB. The lack of LI in OVX females receiving EB was a result of low suppression ratios, reflecting strong conditioning between the tone and the shock in these subjects even if they were pre-exposed to the tone. Thus, estrogen impaired the ability of OVX females to ignore irrelevant stimuli. Since different cognitive tasks vary in their required ability to ignore irrelevant stimuli, these results may account for some of the variations in the current literature on estrogen and cognition.     

Parents' description of conduct problems in their children - a test of the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) in a Swedish sample aged 3-10

The Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) is a widely used 36-item uni-dimensional parent rating scale constructed to measure disruptive behavior problems in children. However, in an American sample a 22-item version, including three subscales, has been suggested in order to increase the usefulness of the ECBI. Two studies were conducted to test the ECBI in a Swedish sample (N = 841). The aims of Study I were (a) examine the psychometric properties of the ECBI (b) to investigate the correspondence between mothers' and fathers' ratings, and (c) to obtain Swedish norms. The aim of Study II was to test the suggested three-factor solution in the Swedish sample using a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The ECBI showed good psychometric properties also in the present study, and Swedish normative data is presented. The best-fitting CFA-model was identical to the previously suggested three-factor model, which thus might be a useful alternative to the 36-item version.     

Reducing Measurement Error in Student Achievement Estimation

The achievement level is a variable measured with error, that can be estimated by means of the Rasch model. Teacher grades also measure the achievement level but they are expressed on a different scale. This paper proposes a method for combining these two scores to obtain a synthetic measure of the achievement level based on the theory developed for regression with covariate measurement error. In particular, the focus is on ordinal scaled grades, using the SIMEX method for measurement error correction. The result is a measure comparable across subjects with smaller measurement error variance. An empirical application illustrates the method.