Positive Affect and Flexibility: Overcoming the Precedence of Global over Local Processing of Visual Information

Previous findings on the relationship between positive mood and global processing are often based on visual matching tasks that involve a choice between global and local strategies. Preferences for global processing in positive mood, however, do not imply a reduced ability to process locally. The present experiment tested the assumption that positive affect increases flexibility in cognitive processing as indicated by the ability to overcome global precedence, and to respond rapidly to non-dominant (local) features when the task necessitates it. Consistent with expectations, participants responded significantly faster to local targets after positive compared to neutral and negative prime words. The typical precedence of global over local processing observed after neutral and negative prime words was reversed after positive prime words. Findings support the assumption that positive affect increases cognitive flexibility. Furthermore, findings suggest that mood-related preferences in global versus local processing cannot be generalized to processing ability.     

广告中性别刻板印象的信息加工方式

通过操纵注意方式、刻板印象的启动方式及被试的刻板化状态,探讨了广告中性别刻板印象信息加工的方式和特点。结果表明：（1） 广告中性别刻板印象信息的加工是自动化加工和控制性加工共同作用的结果,刻板化启动引起更多的自动化加工,反刻板化启动引起更多的控制性加工;（2）注意方式影响广告中性别刻板印象信息的控制性加工而不影响其自动化加工,集中注意时控制性加工的贡献最大;（3）对于广告中的性别刻板化信息,刻板化程度高的人具有更严格的判断标准。     

一般流体智力的结构与老化机制--结构方程模型的比较

近年来一般流体智力的认知结构与老化机制已成为认知研究中的一个热点。本研究通过结构方程模型探讨了认知加工速度、工作记忆、注意能力与一般流体智力的联系,结果表明：加工速度、控制性注意是一般流体智力的主要认知成分,工作记忆并非一般流体智力的认知成分,两者之间足共变关系。加入年龄因子的结构方程模型也证实了加工速度和控制性注意是一般流体智力老化的重要中介因子。     

认知疲劳效应对内隐记忆与外显记忆的影响

本研究通过比较内隐记忆与外显记忆受到认知疲劳影响的情况,以了解内隐记忆的自动化加工机制。实验采用被试内设计,使用词汇判断与词汇再认任务测量内隐记忆与外显记忆。实验结果发现,相对于控制组,疲劳组的被试在完成疲劳任务后内隐记忆成绩显著下降,而外显记忆没有受到影响。结果说明相对于外显记忆,内隐记忆更容易受到认知疲劳影响。内隐记忆虽然是无意识的认知加工,但是与其他自动化加工具有不同的特征。     

Sex differences in face recognition and influence of facial affect

To study sex differences in the recognition of human faces with different facial expressions, 65 female and 64 male participants learned to associate names with various male and female neutral faces. During the recall phase, participants were then asked to name the same persons depicting different emotional expressions (neutral, happy, angry, and fearful). Females were faster than males at naming male faces, and males were faster than females at naming female faces. All participants were faster at naming neutral or happy female faces than neural or happy male faces. These results suggest that opposite-sex faces require less processing time than same-sex faces, which is consistent with an evolutionary account.     

Emotional Processing Theory (EPT) and Exposure Therapy for PTSD

Emotional processing theory developed by E. B. Foa and M. J. Kozak (1986) has informed the conceptualization of anxiety disorders and the development of effective treatments for these disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This article presents a summary and update of emotional processing theory as it applies to the treatment of PTSD, data in support of this theory, and clinical examples of how the theory can be used to assist in the treatment of clients with PTSD. Common difficulties confronted during exposure therapy for PTSD, including underengagement and overengagement, are discussed in the context of emotional processing theory and suggestions for how to manage these difficulties are presented.     

Memory-based versus on-line processing: Implications for attitude strength

Three experiments tested whether the manner in which attitudes are created—through on-line or memory-based processing—can impact the resultant strength of those attitudes. In each study, participants were presented with 20 behavioral statements about a person named Marie. Whereas some participants were asked to continually evaluate Marie based upon each sentence and then report their overall evaluation (on-line processing), others were asked to focus on the sentence structure and to evaluate Marie only after they had read all the sentences (memory-based processing). Even when controlling for attitude accessibility, attitudes created through on-line processing were stronger than attitudes created through memory-based processing: Experiment 1 showed that participants in the on-line condition felt more certain of their attitudes, Experiment 2 showed that on-line attitudes were better predictors of participants’ evaluative preferences, while Experiment 3 showed that on-line attitudes manifested stronger attitude-behavioral intention correspondence.     

视觉加工速度、瞬间信息整合特征与汉语学习困难

采用因素实验设计,通过与正常学生与听力损伤学生对比实验研究,探讨汉语学习困难学生视觉加工速度和视觉瞬间信息整合的特征。结果表明:(1)汉语学习困难学生存在基本视觉加工速度不足以及汉语语言文字视觉加工的特异性困难;(2)汉语学习困难学生需要更长时间整合瞬间视觉信息,从而影响了其加工的速度;(3)适当延长视觉刺激整合的时间,可以有效提高其视觉加工的效率。这些结果对改善学生的汉语学习困难具有一定的指导意义。     

顿悟问题解决的原型事件激活:自动还是控制

通过两个实验来考察四等分问题解决过程中原型事件及其启发信息的激活是自动加工还是控制加工。实验一的目的是考察原型学习量的增加是否会促进原型事件及其启发信息的自动激活,实验二的目的是考察提示对原型事件及其启发信息激活的影响。实验结果表明:原型事件及其所包含的启发信息的激活是顿悟的重要条件,原型的激活是自动加工的结果,而原型中所包含的启发信息的激活是控制加工的结果。