Evidence of blocking with geometric cues in a virtual watermaze

Three computer based experiments, testing human participants in a non-immersive virtual watermaze task, used a blocking design to assess whether two sets of geometric cues would compete in a manner described by associative models of learning. In stage 1, participants were required to discriminate between visually distinct platforms. In stage 2, additional spatial information was provided by the shape or the color of the walls of the pool. In a test trial, the platforms were removed and the spatial knowledge acquired regarding the position of the platform was assessed. Experimental groups were compared against control groups which did not receive stage 1 training. The unique color of the correct platform, in Experiments 1 and 3, disrupted learning about the colored walls but not the geometry of the pool. In Experiment 2, the correct platform was identifiable from its position within the three platform array. Learning the relative position of the correct platform within the array disrupted learning about its position relative to the geometry of the pool, but not to the colored walls. The results suggest that learning the position of a goal in relation to the geometry of the environment can be blocked but only by an alternative geometric cue.     

选择性注意中意识与无意识过程分离的实验研究

以汉语单字词为材料,通过颜色来区分目标和分心物,采用过程分离程序,直接探讨了目标激活与分心物抑制和意识、无意识过程之间的关系。结果表明,（１）靶词充当分心物时,不仅意识过程存在的概率降低,无意识过程存在的概率也降低。这一结果说明,在选择性注意任务中,信息是有关还是无关,并不能分离意识和无意识过程;（２）靶词充当目标时,加工水平影响Ｐｃ,但不影响Ｐｕ,而靶词充当分心物时,加工水平既不影响Ｐｃ,也不影响Ｐｕ。因此,加工水平能否分离意识和无意识过程,依赖于靶词的作用或信息是否有关     

安乐死立法比较兼立法原则理论初探

通过介绍与借鉴荷兰、美国、日本、比利时等国安乐死立法经验,结合我国立法难的现状,对我国安乐死立法进程进行思考,同时建设性提出了我国安乐死的立法原则:生命权神圣不可侵犯原则,死亡方式选择权有限制的自主决定原则,知情自愿原则,严格程序原则等。     

三种常用DIF检测方法的比较研究

本研究在对DIF作出新的更为严格的界定、对三种常用的DIF检澍方法进行详细介绍的基础上．以1999年高考英语试卷75道选择题为研究材料,对三种常用的DIF检测方法进行了实证研究。结果表明：MH方法与SIBTEST方法检测的敏感性较STND方法高;MH方法与SIBTEST方法检出的一致性很高;SIBTEST方法具有较好的性能,在实际应用中可以作为首选的方法;在进行DIF检测时,样本容量在1000左右为宜。     

阅读中文时信息整合的即时性

通过两个实验对中文语篇理解中相关背景信息的激活与整合到底是即时发生抑或延时进行这一问题进行了探讨。研究所用的阅读材料都包含一个目标句,它与局部语境一致,但与前文提供的背景信息冲突或无关。实验一采用自定步速逐行阅读技术,考察了一致性条件以及句子结束的标记（即句号）是否存在对目标句阅读时间的影响。结果发现,句子结束的标记是否存在并不影响目标句整合加工的进行。实验二运用眼动追踪技术着重探讨信息整合加工能否在目标句关键区中即时进行,实验条件仍为当前信息与背景信息的一致性,重点考察其对目标句中关键前区、关键区及关键后区的作用。结果表明,自变量的操纵导致关键区中反映初次加工的指标产生可靠的效应。这一结果表明中文语篇理解中整合加工的过程开始得非常迅速,是一个即时引发、而非延时进行的过程     

Seeing the future: Natural image sequences produce “anticipatory” neuronal activity and bias perceptual report

This paper relates human perception to the functioning of cells in the temporal cortex that are engaged in high-level pattern processing. We review historical developments concerning (a) the functional organization of cells processing faces and (b) the selectivity for faces in cell responses. We then focus on (c) the comparison of perception and cell responses to images of faces presented in sequences of unrelated images. Specifically the paper concerns the cell function and perception in circumstances where meaningful patterns occur momentarily in the context of a naturally or unnaturally changing visual environment. Experience of visual sequences allows anticipation, yet one sensory stimulus also “masks” perception and neural processing of subsequent stimuli. To understand this paradox we compared cell responses in monkey temporal cortex to body images presented individually, in pairs and in action sequences. Responses to one image suppressed responses to similar images for ～500 ms. This suppression led to responses peaking 100 ms earlier to image sequences than to isolated images (e.g., during head rotation, face-selective activity peaks before the face confronts the observer). Thus forward masking has unrecognized benefits for perception because it can transform neuronal activity to make it predictive during natural change.     

The influence of attachment and temperament on venipuncture distress in 14-month-old infants: the Generation R Study

Objective

This study examined the effects of attachment and temperament on infant distress during venipuncture.

Method

The study was embedded in the Generation R Study, a prospective population-based study. Two different research procedures (i.e., blood sampling and the Ainsworth Strange Situation Procedure) yielded measures of venipuncture distress and attachment security and disorganization in 246 infants aged 14 months. Four temperament traits (distress to limitations, fear, recovery from distress, and sadness) were assessed using the maternally reported Infant Behavior Questionnaire - Revised, at the age of 6 months.

Results

There were no differences between mean levels of distress during venipuncture in infants classified as having insecure attachment, but there was a trend for disorganized attachment. The temperament traits were not related to distress. However, children with a disorganized attachment and higher temperamental fear had more venipuncture distress.

Conclusion

When different risk factors are present simultaneously, infant distress is heightened.     

Reward value effects on timing in the peak procedure

Three experiments examined the effect of motivational variables on timing in the peak procedure. In Experiment 1, rats received a 60-s peak procedure that was coupled with long-term, between-phase changes in reinforcer magnitude. Increases in reinforcer magnitude produced a leftward shift in the peak that persisted for 20 sessions of training. In a final phase, the rats received lithium chloride-induced aversion prior to testing and a rightward shift in the peak was observed. Experiment 2 confirmed the rightward shift in the peak under lithium chloride devaluation and induced a comparable shift with satiety devaluation. The degree of rightward shift was neither additive nor multiplicative, suggesting that two processes may have contributed. Experiment 3 examined the effect of extinction on peak responding, revealing a decrease in response rate, but no evidence of any change in the timing of responding. The implications of the results for contemporary timing theories are discussed.     

心理实验设计的程序化思路

本研究讨论了在心理实验过程中选择各种设计类型的关键条件,并以流程图的形式将各种设计类型串起来,理出了一条心理实验设计的程序化思路。