How might degrees of belief shift? On action conflicting with professed beliefs

People often act in ways that appear incompatible with their sincere assertions (such as trembling in fear when their death becomes an imminent possibility, despite earlier professing that “Death is not bad!”). But how might we explain such cases? On the shifting view, subjects’ degrees of belief (or degrees of confidence) may be highly sensitive to changes in context. This paper articulates and refines this view, after defending it against recent criticisms. It details two mechanisms by which degrees of beliefs may shift.     

外部攻击型和关系攻击型初中生执行功能的研究

本研究采用数字STROOP、局部-整体图形转换和色点位置刷新三种研究范式检测了40名攻击性初中生的抑制控制、任务转换和信息刷新三种执行功能的特点。研究结果表明,攻击性初中生的抑制控制能力、任务转换能力和信息刷新能力均差于非攻击性初中生。外部攻击型初中生的抑制控制能力、任务转换能力和信息刷新能力均差于非攻击性初中生。而关系攻击型初中生与非攻击性初中生和外部攻击型初中生在执行功能的三种成分上均不存在显著差异,其执行功能水平可能介于非攻击性初中生和外部攻击初中生之间。     

大鼠注意定势转移任务模型的深入研究：种系和检测程序的影响

注意定势转移任务(attentional set-shifting task, AST)可用于特异性检测啮齿类动物前额叶皮层及其皮层下神经通路介导的认知灵活性, 是目前研究认知灵活性及其障碍神经基础的重要模型。本研究系统调查了大鼠种系和检测程序差异对AST结果的影响。通过比较Wistar和Sprague Dawley (SD)两个种系大鼠在七阶段和五阶段两种AST检测程序中的认知表现, 研究发现：(1) SD和Wistar大鼠前额叶认知功能存在差异, 后者的总体认知表现优于前者。尤其是Wistar大鼠在逆反学习阶段的达标训练次数及错误率显著低于SD大鼠, 表明Wistar大鼠具有更高的策略转换灵活性。(2)在AST测试中逆反学习和外维度定势转移是认知灵活性评价的核心指标。这两种认知转换过程分别以前期策略和注意定势建立为基础。结果显示在两种AST检测程序中Wistar和SD大鼠在逆反学习和/或外维度定势转移等复杂学习阶段的达标训练次数和错误率均高于其它简单关联学习阶段, 表明在目前实验条件下大鼠均表现出定势形成和转换困难的反应模式, 不同认知反应间的结构关系具有稳定性。这些结果提示大鼠前额叶皮质介导的认知灵活性存在种系差异, AST各阶段认知反应间的结构效度不受目前使用的大鼠种系和检测程序差异的影响, 扩展了对AST模型的认识。     

Is ZF a hack?: Comparing the complexity of some (formalist interpretations of) foundational systems for mathematics

This paper presents Automath encodings (which are also valid in LF/λP) of various kinds of foundations of mathematics. Then it compares these encodings according to their size, to find out which foundation is the simplest.

The systems analyzed in this way are two kinds of set theory (ZFC and NF), two systems based on Church's higher order logic (Isabelle/Pure and HOL), three kinds of type theory (the calculus of constructions, Luo's extended calculus of constructions, and Martin-Löf's predicative type theory) and one foundation based on category theory.

The conclusions of this paper are that the simplest system is type theory (the calculus of constructions), but that type theories that know about serious mathematics are not simple at all. In that case the set theories are the simplest. If one looks at the number of concepts needed to explain such a system, then higher order logic is the simplest, with twenty-five concepts. On the other side of the scale, category theory is relatively complex, as is Martin-Löf's type theory.

(The full Automath sources of the contexts described in this paper are one the web at http://www.cs.ru.nl/~freek/zfc-etc/.)     

On three arguments against categorical structuralism

Some mathematicians and philosophers contend that set theory plays a foundational role in mathematics. However, the development of category theory during the second half of the twentieth century has encouraged the view that this theory can provide a structuralist alternative to set-theoretical foundations. Against this tendency, criticisms have been made that category theory depends on set-theoretical notions and, because of this, category theory fails to show that set-theoretical foundations are dispensable. The goal of this paper is to show that these criticisms are misguided by arguing that category theory is entirely autonomous from set theory.     

中小学生注意转换能力的发展研究

采用任务转换范式考察了108名中小学生的注意转换能力。反应—线索间距和线索—目标间距都分为200ms和2000ms两种水平。结果发现：（1）一般转换条件下,小5学生、初2学生和高2学生的定势选择速度相同,小5学生的定势选择正确性比初2学生和高2学生低;特定转换条件下,短时CTI下小5学生的定势转换速度比初2学生和高2学生慢,长时CTI下小5学生的定势转换速度比初2学生和高2学生快,初2学生的定势转换正确性比高2学生低;（2）一般转换条件下,任务定势重组在任务转换中作用不大,任务定势惯性在任务转换中起作用;特定转换条件下,任务定势重组和任务定势惯性在任务转换中的作用都不大。     

Different Effects of Cognitive Shifting and Intelligence on Creativity

The relationship between creativity and executive control has long been controversial. Some researchers view creative thinking as a defocused process with little executive control involvement, whereas others claim that executive control plays a vital role in creative thinking. In this study, we focused on one subcomponent of executive control, cognitive shifting, and examined its relationship with creativity by using latent variable analysis and structural equation modeling. We also analyzed whether this relation was mediated by intelligence. The results showed that: (a) cognitive shifting ability had a positive relationship with creativity, but only on the quantitative aspects (fluency and flexibility); (b) Intelligence had a positive relationship with both quantitative and qualitative aspects (originality) of creativity, and its effect on qualitative aspect was stronger than that on the quantitative aspect; (c) There was a mediating effect of intelligence on the relationship between creativity cognitive and shifting.     

记叙文阅读中主人公转换对情境模型更新的影响

应用探测任务范式和事件分割范式,以反应时、正确率、均字阅读时间等为指标,探讨主人公转换在记叙文情境模型更新中的作用。结果显示：（1）在主人公转换与事件转换一致时,主人公转换条件下的认知加工更加困难,表现为较长的反应时和均字阅读时间,以及较低的正确率和较高的分割概率。（2）在主人公转换与事件转换不一致条件下,主人公转换对反应时和均字阅读时间的影响显著降低,而分割概率与无转换条件无差异。这表明,事件是记叙文情境模型的核心;主人公维度仅在代表事件转换的条件下,才能引起情境模型的更新。     

Mathematical determinacy and the transferability of aboutness

Competent speakers of natural languages can borrow reference from one another. You can arrange for your utterances of ‘Kirksville’ to refer to the same thing as my utterances of ‘Kirksville’. We can then talk about the same thing when we discuss Kirksville. In cases like this, you borrow “aboutness” from me by borrowing reference. Now suppose I wish to initiate a line of reasoning applicable to any prime number. I might signal my intention by saying, “Let p be any prime.” In this context, I will be using the term ‘p’ to reason about the primes. Although ‘p’ helps me secure the aboutness of my discourse, it may seem wrong to say that ‘p’ refers to anything. Be that as it may, this paper explores what mathematical discourse would be like if mathematicians were able to borrow freely from one another not just the reference of terms that clearly refer, but, more generally, the sort of aboutness present in a line of reasoning leading up to a universal generalization. The paper also gives reasons for believing that aboutness of this sort really is freely transferable. A key implication will be that the concept “set of natural numbers” suffers from no mathematically significant indeterminacy that can be coherently discussed.