Cardiac modulation of startle: Effects on eye blink and higher cognitive processing

Cardiac cycle time has been shown to affect pre-attentive brainstem startle processes, such as the magnitude of acoustically evoked reflexive startle eye blinks. These effects were attributed to baro-afferent feedback mechanisms. However, it remains unclear whether cardiac cycle time plays a role in higher startle-related cognitive processes, as well. Twenty-five volunteers responded first by ’fast as possible’ button pushes (reaction time, RT), and second, rated perceived intensity of 60 acoustic startle stimuli (85, 95, or 105 dB; 50 ms duration; binaural; instantaneous rise time), which were presented either 230 or 530 ms after the R-wave, and eye blink responses were measured by EMG. RT was divided into evaluation and motor response time according to previous research. Increasing stimulus intensity enhanced startle eye blink, intensity ratings, and RT components. Eye blinks and intensity judgments were lower when startle was elicited at a latency of R + 230 ms, but RT components were differentially affected: the evaluative component was attenuated, and the motor component was accelerated when stimuli were presented 230 ms after the R-wave. We conclude that the cardiac cycle affects the attentive processing of acoustic startle stimuli.     

汉字、拼音、英文Stroop干扰效应的比较研究

本研究通过比较汉字、拼音和英文的Stroop干扰效应,考察文字系统的差异能否影响Stroop干扰效应。结果表明汉字、拼音、英文在Stroop任务中的干扰效应依次降低。组块之间的比较表明随着刺激的重复呈现,汉字、拼音、英文的Stroop干扰效应都逐渐变小且趋于相同。对Stroop效应更加合理的理论解释是整合了文字加工过程的平行分布加工模型。     

汉语词汇产生中语义、字形和音韵激活的时间进程

通过图画－词汇干扰实验范式探索汉语单字词产生中语义、字形和语音激活的时间进程。实验一和实验二的结果综合表明：当SOA为-300 ms~0 ms时,存在语义抑制效应,当SOA为-100 ms~100 ms时,存在字形促进效应,当SOA为100 ms时,存在语音促进效应。实验结果支持交互激活理论的观点。实验成功地分离了字形促进效应和语音促进效应,确定了语义、字形和语音这三种信息在汉语口语词汇产生中通达的先后次序,讨论了字形信息在词汇产生中的重要作用,以及被试是否在实验中使用了策略。     

学业优秀者和学业不良者的倒摄抑制比较 ——从结构化和非结构化角度

以汉字为实验材料,以学业优秀者和学业不良者为被试,探讨学习材料的结构化和非结构化性质对倒摄抑制产生的影响,以及两类学生学习两类材料时的倒摄抑制差异。并通过指导语,逐步揭示结构化材料中的规则,迫使被试采用有效的学习策略,来观察倒摄抑制的变化情况。结果表明:一、与非结构化材料相比,学习结构化材料表现出更好的记忆绩效,但未发现两者对倒摄抑制的不同影响;二、和学优者相比,学业不良者的记忆绩效较差,倒摄抑制值也较大;三、对材料规则的提示会促进学业不良学生的记忆绩效,降低倒摄抑制,但对学习优秀者的影响不大;四、一些汉字识别特征影响倒摄抑制,如当干扰项和目标项构形相同时,会降低倒摄抑制。     

汉语口语句子产生的语法编码计划单元

语法编码的计划单元作为口语句子产生领域的一个重要命题,近年来备受心理语言学者的关注。本研究利用词图干扰范式下的语义效应,通过两个行为实验探讨了汉语口语句子产生中的语法编码计划单元。实验中要求被试用介词短语做主语的句子或者并列名词短语做主语的句子来命名两个竖直排列的图片,并视觉呈现干扰词。结果表明,对于两个句式而言,在第二个名词上都没有潜伏期的语义干扰效应,只有错误率上的语义干扰效应,而且这个结果并没有随着SOA(目标图片和干扰词开始呈现的时间间隔)的改变(0、150或300ms)而改变。当干扰词与图片同时呈现时(SOA=0)在并列名词短语做主语的句子中,第二个名词上出现了潜伏期的语义促进效应。这些结果说明,语法编码的说法较为宽泛,应具体描述为:词汇选择是严格递进的,而概念激活的计划单元可能是功能短语。     

MULTIPLE TREATMENT INTERFERENCE IN THE ALTERNATING TREATMENTS DESIGN AS A FUNCTION OF THE INTERCOMPONENT INTERVAL LENGTH

In experimental designs requiring the administration of more than one treatment to the same subject(s), the effect of one treatment may be influenced by the effect of another treatment (Campbell & Stanley, 1963), a phenomenon known as multiple treatment interference. We conducted two studies in which multiple treatment interference in an alternating treatments design was shown to be a function of the length of the intercomponent interval (ICI) separating treatment conditions. In the first study, we evaluated the effects of four different treatments on the mouthing of a severely retarded boy. Under a 1-min ICI no consistent differential responding to treatment was obtained. Differential responding emerged when the ICI was increased from 1 min to 120 min, thus suggesting multiple treatment interference in the lack of differential responding under a 1-min changeover interval. Functional control of the nondifferential and differential responding as a function of the ICI length was replicated in a reversal phase. In the second study, we compared two treatment procedures for the disruptive noncompliant behavior of a moderately retarded boy. Multiple treatment interference (i.e., the lack of differential responding) occurred with the 1-min intercomponent interval. An increase to a 120-min ICI again resulted in differential responding. A replication of multiple treatment interference by a reversal to a short interval phase was not achieved in the second subject. Results of this study support much of the basic literature on discrimination and multiple treatment interference. Major findings of this study are twofold: Multiple treatment interference can depend on the length of the changeover interval between treatments and multiple treatment interference can take the form of a lack of differential responding to various treatments. Implications for future research are discussed.     

记忆的前向测试效应对老年人学习新事物的作用

为检验前置测试是否可以有效地提升老年人学习新事物的能力,参与实验的老年人被随机分为有前置测试的实验组和无前置测试的对照组,在实验1中学习了5列单词,在实验2中记忆了5列日用品,在实验3中学习了4段讲座视频。结果表明,实验组老年人对新事物的记忆成绩均高于对照组的老年人。结论认为,前置测试能够显著提升老年人学习新事物的能力,干扰降低与学习参与相结合的"加减"理论能更好地解释提升老年人记忆的前向测试效应。     

提取干扰对不同类型内隐记忆的影响

以往研究关于提取阶段的干扰是否会影响内隐记忆存在着异义,其中一个重要因素可能源于所采用的内隐记忆测验类型的差异。本研究采用学习-测验范式,通过4个实验,分别考察了提取干扰对识别式知觉内隐测验、识别式概念内隐测验、产生式知觉内隐测验和产生式概念内隐测验的影响,以期对提取干扰和内隐记忆之间的关系有着更全面的了解。结果表明:(1)词汇判断任务(识别式知觉)和语义分类任务(识别式概念)的启动效应在提取干扰下消失了,(2)而产生式词汇判断任务(产生式知觉)和产生式语义分类任务(产生式概念)在提取干扰下仍发现了明显的启动效应,但与无干扰条件相比,启动效应量也有着明显的减少。由此可见,不同类型的内隐记忆都会受到提取干扰的影响,相比于产生式启动,识别式启动更容易受到提取干扰的破坏。