字频影响常用汉字认知速度的实验研究

以熟知汉字的大学生为被试,对影响常用汉字认知速度的因素进行了探索．结果发现：（１）读音反应中存在字频效应,对高频字的认读明显快于低频字,表明字频是影响汉字认知速度的因素之一．（２）未见有笔画数效应,认读汉字不是以笔画为单位而可能是以意义化的组块为加工单位的．作者认为影响汉字认知速度的因素是多重的．     

Configural and local processing of faces in children with Williams syndrome

Three experiments investigated face processing in children with Williams syndrome (WS). In Experiment 1, the ability to discriminate different aspects of faces was compared between WS subjects and a group of children individually matched for chronological age (CA-matches) and another group matched for mental age (MA-matches). In Experiments 2 and 3, the ability to process the local and configural aspects of geometrical patterns and faces was assessed within the same groups of subjects. The results indicated that the WSs' overall performance on face recognition was below that of the CA-matches, but similar to that of the MA-matches. This study revealed in addition that the CA- and MA-matches showed a bias toward a configural mode of face and geometrical shape processing, whereas children with WS did not show any bias. These findings suggest that face processing undergoes an abnormal developmental course in WS.     

The role of generation in recognition

In contrast to the widely accepted opinion, a negatively accelerated RT function was obtained with varied mapping of stimuli to responses in Sternberg's (1966) recognition task when the task was designed to reduce proactive inhibition. These results are similar to the results obtained in the distractor task. Those aspects of the distractor task that proactively inhibit recall of the trigram are also necessary to produce a linear RT function in the recognition task. Hence, the varied-set procedure only results in a linear RT function when the memory sets on successive trials contain similar items, but not when successive trials contain different kinds of items, e.g., digits versus letters. Also, once subjects have been trained on the fixed-set procedure to produce a negatively accelerated RT function, the training transfers completely and immediately to entirely new sets of targets and distractors. The results of both tasks, as well as other retrieval tasks, can be explained by a model containing a single comparison process and an optional serial generation process which is invoked to increase the discriminability of the memory set from distractors.     

Masking the face: Recognition of emotional facial expressions as a function of the parameters of backward masking

Four experiments are reported investigating recognition of emotional expressions in very briefly presented facial stimulus. The faces were backwardly masked by neutral facial displays and recognition of facial expressions was analyzed as a function of the manipulation of different parameters in the masking procedure. The main conclusion was that stimulus onset asynchrony between target and mask proved to be the principal factor influencing recognition of the masked expressions. In general, confident recognitions of facial expressions required about 100–150 msec, with shorter time for happy than for angry expressions. The manipulation of the duration of both the target and the mask, by itself, had only minimal effects.     

The recognition and categorization of upright and inverted emotional expressions by 7-month-old infants

Upright and inverted faces were used to determine whether 7-month-old infants discriminate emotional expressions on the basis of affectively relevant information. In Experiment 1, infants recognized the similarity of happy faces over changing identities and discriminated this expression from fear and anger when the stimuli were presented upright, but not when they were inverted. In Experiment 2, infants were able to discriminate happiness from fear and anger posed by a single model, regardless of the orientation of the stimuli. From these studies it was suggested that categorizing emotional expressions depends upon attending to affectively relevant, orientation-specific information, whereas the discrimination of emotional expressions can be done on a featural basis, something that remains invariant regardless of the orientation of the stimuli. In Experiment 3, infants discriminated toothy happiness posed by several models from nontoothy happiness and nontoothy anger when the stimuli were presented upright and inverted. Thus, when salient features were available, the infants based their discriminations on perceptual aspects rather than on conceptual aspects such as categories of emotions.     

ALPHABET LETTERS AS TOKENS: TRAINING PRESCHOOL CHILDREN IN LETTER RECOGNITION AND LABELLING DURING A TOKEN EXCHANGE PERIOD1

In token economies, we typically consider the instructional opportunities available during the periods of token delivery, but may overlook educational opportunities available at the time of token exchange. The present studies examined the use of labelled tokens and routines in the token exchange period to teach alphabet letter recognition to economically disadvantaged preschool children. The children earned points for a variety of academic behaviors in an early morning classroom setting. At no time were alphabet letters introduced or taught during class. Later, during a midmorning token exchange period, operated according to a department store model, the children were given their points in the form of poker chips inscribed with upper-case alphabet letters. They were required to discriminate among these lettered chips before exchanging them for backup reinforcers sold in four or five stores. To assess alphabet letter knowledge, probe evaluations were periodically conducted in which questions requiring alphabet letter recognition and labelling were asked. The answers to these questions were not reinforced. Alphabet letter training during token exchange periods consisted of having a child display the lettered chips, whereupon a teacher asked a number of recognition-type questions. Wrong answers were corrected, and correct answers praised. The child was allowed to exchange the tokens when the number required for a purchase had been recognized correctly. The periodic probe evaluations revealed consistent increases in correct alphabet letter recognition and, as a byproduct, alphabet labelling was facilitated, even though not explicitly trained. Thus, once the letters were recognized, correct labelling shortly followed. The sequential training of new sets of letters was used to demonstrate experimental control within subjects for two children. A control for exposure to the letters was provided by using the labelled tokens, but requiring the counting of chips rather than letter discrimination in the exchange period for two other children. This procedure produced chance levels of letter recognition, which were subsequently improved when the discrimination procedure was added. Posttraining probes, conducted at one and three weeks after training when the labelled tokens and discrimination routines were no longer in use, revealed the same high levels of recognition and labelling performance found during training. Thus, it appears that labelled tokens may be used to teach discriminations during token exchange periods so long as responses are differentiated on the basis of relevant dimensions of the stimuli.     

Visual span of detection and recognition of a kanji character embedded in a horizontal row of random hiragana characters

Two experiments were conducted to determine the visual span of detection and recognition of the kanji character embedded in a horizontal row of random hiragana characters. An independent variable was the visual complexity of the kanji characters: simple and complex. In Experiment 1, visual spans of detection were determined by a staircase method. Values of visual spans were more than 15 character spaces for the complex kanji characters, and ranged from 4 to 10 character spaces (mean 7.6) for the simple kanji characters. In Experiment 2, visual spans of recognition were determined by an ascending series of limits method. Values of visual spans ranged from 0 to 4 character spaces (mean 2.3) for the complex kanji characters and from 3 to 7 character spaces (mean 4.8) for the simple kanji characters. These results are discussed in relation to reading of Japanese kanji-kana mixed texts.     

汉字独体字识别中的框架结构效应

本研究用两个实验证明了汉字独体字识别中存在框架结构效应。所谓框架结构就是构成一个字基本框架的笔画。实验一发现框架结构具有明显的启动效应。实验二发现独体字的识别从笔画开始,提取框架结构是独体字识别过程中的必经阶段,两个实验均未发现字频效应。     

Lordship, Bondage, and the Formation of Homo Religiosus

After a brief exploration of Hegel's writing on the formation of self-consciousness, including the place of religiosity in this formation, the article examines Kojeve's response to a Hegelian homo religiosus, followed by a counter-response to Kojeve's atheism through a peculiar, Jaspersian reading of Erich Fromm's discussion of the x experience. Finally, it will be argued that the desire for mutual recognition, and humanity's yearning for transcendence, are essential experiences in the formation of self-consciousness.     

The Other Accent Effect in Talker Recognition: Now You See It,Now You Don't

The existence of the Language Familiarity Effect (LFE), where talkers of a familiar language are easier to identify than talkers of an unfamiliar language, is well-documented and uncontroversial. However, a closely related phenomenon known as the Other Accent Effect (OAE), where accented talkers are more difficult to recognize, is less well understood. There are several possible explanations for why the OAE exists, but to date, little data exist to adjudicate differences between them. Here, we begin to address this issue by directly comparing listeners’ recognition of talkers who speak in different types of accents, and by examining both the LFE and OAE in the same set of listeners. Specifically, Canadian English listeners were tested on their ability to recognize talkers within four types of voice line-ups: Canadian English talkers, Australian English talkers, Mandarin-accented English talkers, and Mandarin talkers. We predicted that the OAE would be present for talkers of Mandarin-accented English but not for talkers of Australian English—which is precisely what we observed. We also observed a disconnect between listeners’ confidence and performance across different types of accents; that is, listeners performed equally poorly with Mandarin and Mandarin-accented talkers, but they were more confident with their performance with the latter group of talkers. The present findings set the stage for further investigation into the nature of the OAE by exploring a range of potential explanations for the effect, and introducing important implications for forensic scientists’ evaluation of ear witness testimony.