Deployment dynamics of hypnotic anger modulation

To understand the role that attention plays in the deployment timeline of hypnotic anger modulation, we composed an Attentional Blink paradigm where the first and second targets were faces, expressing neutral or angry emotions. We then suppressed the salience of angry faces through a “hypnotic numbing” suggestion. We found that hypnotic suggestion only attenuated the emotional salience of the second target (T2). By implementing drift-diffusion decision modelling, we also found that hypnotic suggestion mainly affected decision thresholds. These findings suggest that hypnotic numbing resulted from belated changes in response strategy. Interestingly, a contrast against non-hypnotized participants revealed that the numbing suggestion had the instruction-like feature of incorporating emotional valence into the attentional task-set. Together, our results portray hypnotic anger modulation as a two-tiered process: first, hypnotic suggestion alters the attentional task-set; second, provided processing and response preparation are not interrupted, a hypnotizability-dependent response based on said altered task-set is produced through late cognitive control strategies.     

A bioinspired model of short-term satiety of hunger influenced by food properties in virtual creatures

The behavior of the human is continually changed as a consequence of various drives which human is predisposed also of your survival instinct. Among the basic drives of the human, there are the physiological needs and is precisely the hunger that motivates the food intake to get the energy that the body requires via food. The regulation of hunger allows to stop the food intake by means of the homeostatic and hedonic control which are influenced by the food properties. The process that consists of ending the food intake is known as short-term satiety and is important because it limits the amount of food intake; Otherwise, an over-consumed affect the organism functioning negatively. In this paper, we propose a conceptual model for the generation of short-term satiety behaviors based on neuroscientific evidence for virtual creatures. The conceptual model proposed is implemented in a distributed system-a virtual creature endowed with this implementation is placed in a virtual environment to analyze its behavior. The analysis shows how the virtual creature modifies its hunger level (behavior) based on food’s properties. The results show the execution of the process when the creature interacts with the environment.     

COMT基因对注意控制神经基础的调控效应：影像遗传学研究的元分析

为探索注意控制能力个体差异的遗传来源, 当前研究主要关注儿茶酚胺氧位甲基转移酶(catechol-O-Methyltransferase, COMT)基因对参与注意控制加工的前额叶脑区的调控作用。为进一步回答COMT基因是否也对全脑范围的注意脑区具有调控作用, 本文对17篇遗传影像学研究进行元分析。结果发现, COMT基因Val/Val (vv)基因型的被试在注意控制任务下, 不仅前额叶脑区的激活水平高于Met/Met(mm)基因型的被试, 在前扣带回和后扣带回等前额叶之外的脑区激活水平也高于mm基因型的被试, 而且在这些脑区的效应值(vv>mm)都较大(Cohen’s d > 0.8)。由此, 元分析结果表明：COMT基因不仅调控前额叶脑区, 而且对形成注意控制网络的多个脑区都有调控效应。此结果提示注意控制能力的个体差异可能部分的来自于COMT基因对注意控制网络的调控作用。     

社会不平等如何影响低地位者的系统合理信念

系统合理信念反映了人们的系统支持态度,即对社会系统公正性、合理性、正当性的感知,以及相应的支持和维护社会系统的态度。以往关于社会不平等与低地位者系统合理信念的关系形成了两种对立的理论观点。一方面,社会认同理论等自利取向的理论认为,严重的不平等不利于低地位者维护自我及内群体利益,因此会损害其系统合理信念;另一方面,系统合理化理论却提出,在不平等更极端（而非平等）的社会中,人们（甚至是低地位者）反而更可能合理化不平等,表现出更高的系统合理信念。实证研究中,两种观点分别得到了一些研究的支持,但同时也面临很多质疑。 面对上述分歧,本文提出了一个整合性的解释框架,即“社会不平等影响低地位者系统合理信念的双路径模型”。该模型认为,自利取向理论与系统合理化理论其实并不矛盾,而是共同解释了不平等与低地位者系统合理信念关系的“全貌”。因此,理论争议的焦点不在于不平等究竟增强还是减弱低地位者的系统合理信念,而在于分析不平等增强或减弱低地位者系统合理信念的不同条件（即认知基础）及其内在机制（即动机基础）。 第一,在认知基础方面,不同于以往研究仅关注不平等“量”的程度及其与系统合理信念的线性关系,该模型认为还应关注不平等“质”的差异及其不同效应,即关注低地位者对不平等的认知过程。一方面,严重的不平等损害低地位者个人或群体的现实利益,构成一种现实威胁;另一方面,严重不平等的社会现状与人们关于社会系统公正性、合理性的信念相冲突,构成一种象征威胁。 第二,在动机基础方面,低地位者的自利动机与系统合理化动机分别使其反对或维护不平等现状,且两种动机彼此冲突;不同于以往研究采用对立视角考察两种动机,或是过于强调二者之一的作用;该模型认为,两种动机是并存的,相互之间并非全或无的关系。因此有必要厘清二者发挥作用的条件,即什么影响二者孰强孰弱,又是什么决定了何者发挥主导作用。 第三,区分不平等“质”的差异是厘清自利动机与系统合理化动机如何发挥作用的关键。换言之,不同动机为低地位者反对或维护不平等现状提供了动力,而何种动机发挥主导作用则取决于低地位者如何对不平等进行认知。具体而言,当凸显不平等在个体或群体水平的现实威胁时,更可能激活低地位者的自利动机（进而抑制其系统合理化动机）,继而损害其系统合理信念;而当凸显不平等在系统水平的象征威胁时,更可能激活其系统合理化动机（进而抑制其自利动机）,继而增强其系统合理信念。 “双路径模型”通过分析不平等影响低地位者系统合理信念的不同认知基础,进而厘清不同动机的作用,将以往研究中看似矛盾的结论整合于一,为理解不平等对低地位者系统合理信念的影响、解释两种理论的“分歧”提供了一种整合框架,需要未来研究进一步检验和发展。     

Attributional style in psychosis--the role of affect and belief type

People holding persecutory beliefs have been hypothesised to show a self-serving attributional style, which functions to protect self-esteem Bentall, Corcoran, Howard, Blackwood, and Kinderman (2001). Experimental support for this has been mixed. Freeman et al. (1998) suggested depressed and grandiose subgroups of those with persecutory beliefs might explain events differently. In this study, 71 participants completed measures of delusional beliefs, depression and attributional style. We hypothesised that those with persecutory beliefs would form grandiose and depressed subgroups, and that a self-serving attributional style would characterise only the grandiose subgroup. Hypotheses were partially confirmed. Clear subgroups were evident and only those with both persecutory and grandiose beliefs showed an externalising attributional style for negative events. Depression, irrespective of co-occurring persecutory beliefs, was related to a reduced self-serving bias and an externalising attributional style for positive events. On their own, persecutory beliefs were not related to any particular attributional style. Depressed and grandiose subgroups of those with persecutory beliefs might account for some of the inconsistencies in the attribution literature. Even within a single symptom group, care should be taken in both research and therapy to consider individual symptom patterns.     

儿童执行功能对数学能力的预测模型

使用数点数广度任务(C-span)、Stroop任务、威斯康星卡片分类任务(WCST)测查儿童的执行功能,用《小学儿童数学能力测查量表》(一年级)、《韦克斯勒儿童智力测量》分别测查儿童的数学能力和智力,对64名小学一年级儿童的执行功能(抑制、转换、刷新)和数学能力的关系进行了研究,相关分析和回归分析发现,数学能力与执行功能任务测量都有显著相关,抑制、转换和刷新都分别对数学能力存在显著回归效应;在此基础上,建立了执行功能及其对儿童数学能力的预测模型。结果表明,抑制控制、转换和刷新都能对数学能力产生直接影响,但抑制控制还通过转换和刷新对数学能力产生间接影响。说明儿童数学能力的认知差异,主要在于抑制控制能力的差异,而抑制控制的差异又导致转换和刷新能力表现的差异。     

Grasp-Based Functional Coupling Between Reach- and Grasp-Related Components of Forelimb Muscle Activity

How are appropriate combinations of forelimb muscles selected during reach-to-grasp movements in the presence of neuromotor redundancy and important task-related constraints? The authors tested whether grasp type or target location preferentially influence the selection and synergistic coupling between forelimb muscles during reach-to-grasp movements. Factor analysis applied to 14–20 forelimb electromyograms recorded from monkeys performing reach-to-grasp tasks revealed 4–6 muscle components that showed transport/preshape- or grasp-related features. Weighting coefficients of transport/preshape-related components demonstrated strongest similarities for reaches that shared the same grasp type rather than the same target location. Scaling coefficients of transport/preshape- and grasp-related components showed invariant temporal coupling. Thus, grasp type influenced strongly both transport/preshape- and grasp-related muscle components, giving rise to grasp-based functional coupling between forelimb muscles.     

Promoting Translational Research Among Movement Science,Occupational Science,and Occupational Therapy

Integration of research in the fields of neural control of movement and biomechanics (collectively referred to as movement science) with the field of human occupation directly benefits both areas of study. Specifically, incorporating many of the quantitative scientific methods and analyses employed in movement science can help accelerate the development of rehabilitation-relevant research in occupational therapy (OT) and occupational science (OS). Reciprocally, OT and OS, which focus on the performance of everyday activities (occupations) to promote health and well-being, provide theoretical frameworks to guide research on the performance of actions in the context of social, psychological, and environmental factors. Given both fields’ mutual interest in the study of movement as it relates to health and disease, the authors posit that combining OS and OT theories and principles with the theories and methods in movement science may lead to new, impactful, and clinically relevant knowledge. The first step is to ensure that individuals with OS or OT backgrounds are academically prepared to pursue advanced study in movement science. In this article, the authors propose 2 strategies to address this need.     

The transfer of Crel contextual control (same,opposite, less than,more than) through equivalence relations

According to Relational Frame Theory (RFT) C_rel denotes a contextual stimulus that controls a particular type of relational response (sameness, opposition, comparative, temporal, hierarchical etc.) in a given situation. Previous studies suggest that contextual functions may be indirectly acquired via transfer of function. The present study investigated the transfer of C_rel contextual control through equivalence relations. Experiment 1 evaluated the transfer of C_rel contextual functions for relational responses based on sameness and opposition. Experiment 2 extended these findings by evaluating transfer of function using comparative C_rel stimuli. Both experiments followed a similar sequence of phases. First, abstract forms were established as C_rel stimuli via multiple exemplar training (Phase 1). The contextual cues were then applied to establish arbitrary relations among nonsense words and to test derived relations (Phase 2). After that, equivalence relations involving the original C_rel stimuli and other abstract forms were trained and tested (Phase 3). Transfer of function was evaluated by replacing the directly established C_rel stimuli with their equivalent stimuli in the former experimental tasks (Phases 1 and 2). Results from both experiments suggest that C_rel contextual control may be extended via equivalence relations, allowing other arbitrarily related stimuli to indirectly acquire C_rel functions and regulate behavior by evoking appropriate relational responses in the presence of both previously known and novel stimuli.     

音乐训练对执行功能的影响

尽管音乐训练影响许多认知加工,但这种广泛性影响背后的机制迄今仍不清楚。近年来,研究者认为音乐训练的迁移效应可能是通过执行功能起作用。本文将执行功能细分为抑制控制、工作记忆、认知灵活性三个核心成分,考察音乐训练对这三个成分的影响以及执行功能在音乐训练迁移效应中的中介作用。研究结果表明,音乐训练对执行功能不同成分的影响有不同特点。同时,前额叶结构与功能的变化在音乐训练影响执行功能的过程中发挥着重要作用。此外,关于执行功能在音乐训练迁移效应中的中介作用,目前研究还存在不一致的结果,未来研究应采用多种技术手段深入探讨这一问题。