Effects of stimulus frequency and reinforcement variables on reaction time

Pigeons pecked at one of two black forms, “+” or “O,” either of which could appear alone on a white computer monitor screen. In baseline series of sessions, each form appeared equally often, and two pecks at it produced food reinforcement on 10% of trials. Test series varied the relative probability or duration of reinforcement or frequency of appearance of the targets. Peck reaction times, measured from target onset to the first peck, were found to vary as a function of reinforcement probability but not as a function of relative target frequency or of reinforcement duration. Reaction times to the two targets remained approximately equal as long as the probability of reinforcement, per trial, was equal for the targets, even if the relative frequency of the targets differed by as much as 19 to 1. The results address issues raised in visual search experiments and indicate that attentional priming is unimportant when targets are easy to detect. The results also suggest that equalizing reinforcement probability per trial for all targets removes differential reinforcement as an important variable. That reaction time was sensitive to the probability but not the duration of reinforcement raises interesting questions about the processes reflected in reaction time compared with rate as a response measure.     

A multi-attribute extension of the secretary problem: Theory and experiments

We present a generalization of a class of sequential search problems with ordinal ranks, referred to as “secretary” problems, in which applicants are characterized by multiple attributes. We then present a procedure for numerically computing the optimal search policy and test it in two experiments with incentive-compatible payoffs. With payoffs dependent on the absolute ranks of the attributes, we test the optimal search model with both symmetric (Experiment 1) and asymmetric (Experiment 2) search problems. In both experiments we find that, relative to the optimal search policy, subjects stop the search too early. Our results show that this bias is largely driven by a propensity to stop prematurely on applicants of intermediate (relative) quality.     

选项数量和属性重要性对决策中信息加工的影响

本研究采用决策过程研究方法中的信息板技术,以现实生活中的职业选择作为决策任务,考察了选项数量和选项属性的重要性对决策过程中信息加工的影响方式。结果表明:选项数量对决策过程的信息搜索深度、搜索模式和策略的补偿性产生了影响;选项属性的重要性并不影响决策者对属性的查看时间,但影响了决策者对属性的点击次数。     

短时记忆及其策略一生发展的横断研究

采用横向研究方法探索短时记忆及策略的一生发展状况。测量120名6—70岁被试在三种材料上的记忆广度,并通过观察记录策略的运用。结果发现,记忆广度在16岁达到最高峰,以后下降。不同材料的记忆广度具有相同的发展趋势,近似于年龄对数的二次函数。策略成熟的时间与记忆广度的最高峰的年龄基本相同,在成年期一直保持在较高水平。45岁以后,策略应用的效率有所下降。论文还根据本研究的结果探讨了短时记忆一生发展的具体模式。     

概化理论不同评分方案缺失数据方差分量估计

包含评分者侧面的测验通常不符合任意一种概化理论设计,因此从概化理论的角度来看这类测验下的数据应属于缺失数据,而决定缺失结构的就是测验的评分方案。用R软件模拟出三种评分方案下的数据,并比较传统法、评价法和拆分法在各评分方案下的估计效果,结果表明：（1）传统法估计准确性较差;（2）评分者一致性较高时,适宜用评价法进行估计;（3）拆分法的估计结果最准确,仅在固定评分者评分方案下需注意评分者与考生数量之比,该比值小于等于0.0047 时估计结果较为准确。     

奖赏性线索启动和调控视觉搜索额顶网络的神经机制

近期关于奖赏性信息与视觉搜索任务的交互作用研究体现在两个层面, 其一是施加外部奖赏能够影响被试的视觉搜索反应时和正确率, 其二是搜索目标本身具有奖赏特性也能够影响行为反应。但是, 奖赏性信息对负责视觉搜索的额顶注意网络的动态启动和调控作用仍不清楚。本研究结合Posner空间预提示范式和视觉搜索范式, 采用快速事件相关功能磁共振成像技术, 分别操纵线索提示阶段的线索奖赏属性(奖赏性vs.非奖赏性)和线索空间注意属性(有效提示目标位置vs.无效提示目标位置), 并操纵目标搜索阶段的目标属性(奖赏性vs.非奖赏性), 探讨以下两个核心问题：(1)在线索提示阶段, 奖赏性线索产生的自上而下注意准备信号的神经基础, 以及该神经基础与传统的空间注意准备信号的异同; (2)在目标搜索阶段, 奖赏性线索对负责视觉搜索的额顶注意网络产生的启动和调控作用, 重点考察对正确的奖赏性信息的定向过程和对错误的奖赏性信息的重新定向过程。     

The influence of animal fear on attentional capture by fear-relevant animal stimuli in children

The present study demonstrated that pictures of fear-relevant animals, snakes and spiders, presented among backgrounds of other animal stimuli captured attention and interfered in the detection of a neutral target to the same extent in a large sample of unselected children (N=81). Moreover, detection of a neutral target animal was slowed more in the presence of a feared fear-relevant distracter, e.g., a snake for snake fearful children, than in the presence of a not feared fear-relevant distracter, e.g., a spider for snake fearful children. These results indicate attentional capture by phylogenetically fear-relevant animal stimuli in children and the selective enhancement of this effect by fear of these animals. These findings are consistent with current models of preferential processing of phylogenetically prepared threat stimuli and with cognitive models of anxiety that propose an enhancing effect of fear in the processing of fear-related stimuli.     

Altered vision near the hands

The present study explored the manner in which hand position may affect visual processing. We studied three classic visual attention tasks (visual search, inhibition of return, and attentional blink) during which the participants held their hands either near the stimulus display, or far from the display. Remarkably, the hands altered visual processing: people shifted their attention between items more slowly when their hands were near the display. The same results were observed for both visible and invisible hands. This enhancement in vision for objects near the hands reveals a mechanism that could facilitate the detailed evaluation of objects for potential manipulation, or the assessment of potentially dangerous objects for a defensive response.     

Selective exposure and decision framing: The impact of gain and loss framing on confirmatory information search after decisions

When people make decisions, they often prefer to receive information that supports rather than conflicts with their decision. To date, this effect has mainly been investigated in the context of decisions about gains, whereas decisions about losses have received less attention. Based on Prospect Theory, we expected information search to be differently affected by whether people previously have decided about gains or losses. Three studies have revealed that selectivity of information search is stronger after gain-framed rather than after loss-framed decision problems. An investigation of the underlying psychological processes revealed that gain decisions are made with increased subjective decision certainty (i.e. they are easier and less effortful to make), which in turn systematically increases confirmatory information search.