Spatio-temporal constraints on upright children's coordination when hitting a moving target

To determine if the spatial and/or temporal context affected the coordination patterns of children under five in upright interceptive tasks, 3-year-olds hit a ball dropped from a ramp from five heights (1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, and 3.5 m) to control drop time. We studied the initiation time of hitting a ball with a cinematic analysis of the different joint movements (foot, knee, hip, shoulder, and hand). Two patterns of joint coordination were observed according to the rolling height of the ball: a de-synchronized pattern for heights of 2 m or above where the foot was the first to move and the hand the last, and a “synchronized” pattern, for the lowest height (1.5 m) where all joints started moving at the same time due to a strong temporal pressure. These two coordination patterns highlight a functional adaptation of body joints according to the spatio-temporal constraints among children from the age of three.     

Re-thinking stages of cognitive development: an appraisal of connectionist models of the balance scale task

The present paper re-appraises connectionist attempts to explain how human cognitive development appears to progress through a series of sequential stages. Models of performance on the Piagetian balance scale task are the focus of attention. Limitations of these models are discussed and replications and extensions to the work are provided via the Cascade-Correlation algorithm. An application of multi-group latent class analysis for examining performance of the networks is described and these results reveal fundamental functional characteristics of the networks. Evidence is provided that strongly suggests that the networks are unable to acquire a mastery of torque and, although they do recover certain rules of operation that humans do, they also show a propensity to acquire rules never previously seen.     

On the predictive validity of indirect attitude measures: Prediction of consumer choice behavior on the basis of affective priming in the picture-picture naming task

Recent studies have revealed that robust and replicable affective priming of naming responses can be obtained when pictures are used as primes and targets. The aim of the present research was to examine the predictive validity of affective priming effects that are obtained with the picture-picture naming task. In two studies that were modeled after [Karpinski, A., & Hilton, J. L. (2001). Attitudes and the Implicit Association Test. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81, 774-778], we observed that individual difference scores that are obtained with the naming task exhibit good predictive validity. Both practical and theoretical implications of this finding are discussed.     

两种亚型ADHD儿童在停止信号任务中的反应抑制

采用停止信号任务,操纵其中的反应冲突,探查两种亚型（注意缺陷型和混合型）ADHD儿童在不同抑制功能——反应冲突和反应停止上的表现,以及儿童在内源性和外源性两种注意条件下反应抑制的表现。结果发现,与正常儿童相比,ADHD儿童在两种反应抑制上都有不同程度的缺损,不仅冲突效应量更大,反应停止的错误率也更高;但在控制年龄因素后,未观察到两种亚型ADHD儿童之间在反应冲突和反应停止能力上有明显差异。研究还发现,儿童在内源性和外源性两种注意条件下反应抑制的表现模式相似,说明反应冲突和反应停止可能存在某些共同的神经机制,两种亚型ADHD儿童在这些机制的功能缺损上有类似之处。     

小学生系列回忆中移动和重复错误特征的研究

以小学一、三、五年级学生为被试,以同音汉字为实验材料,要求被试完成系列回忆任务。实验发现：移动错误随年级的增高而减少,年级差异显著;移动错误出现最多的是在移动距离为1个和2个的时候,移动距离差异显著;重复错误年级差异和移动距离差异均不明显。     

Seeing an image of the hand affects performance on a crossmodal congruency task for sequences of events

The crossmodal congruency effect (CCE) is augmented when viewing an image of a hand compared to an object. It is unclear if this contextual effect extends to a non-spatial CCE. Here, participants discriminated the number of tactile vibrations delivered to the hand whilst ignoring visual distractors on images of their own or another’s hand or an object. The CCE was not modulated by stimulus context. Viewing one’s hand from a third person perspective increased errors relative to viewing an object (Experiment 1). Errors were reduced when viewing hands, from first or third person perspectives, with additional identity markers (Experiments 2 and 3). Our results suggest no effect of context on the non-spatial CCE and that differences in task performance between hand and object images depend on their visual properties. These findings are discussed in light of the relationship between body representation and perception of body-centred stimuli in the temporal domain.     

探测任务知觉负荷对注意促进效应的影响

双任务交互作用模型认为探测任务知觉负荷对注意促进效应(the attentional boost effect,ABE)不存在影响。基于对这一观点的质疑,本研究以场景图片为实验材料,结合学习-测验经典范式和目标探测任务,实验一探讨高、低知觉负荷探测任务对ABE的影响; 实验二验证探测任务知觉负荷对 ABE 的影响是否受探测目标与非目标相似性调节,进一步验证双任务交互作用模型的观点。结果发现,低知觉负荷探测任务中存在ABE,但高知觉负荷探测任务中却不存在; 探测目标与非目标不相似条件下的高知觉负荷探测任务中不存在ABE,但相似条件下的高知觉负荷探测任务中依然存在。由此可见,探测任务知觉负荷对ABE存在影响,且这一影响受探测目标与非目标相似性调节,双任务交互作用模型的观点不合理。     

Effects of secondary tasks and display position on glance behavior during partially automated driving

The driving task is becoming increasingly automated, thus changing the driver’s role. Moreover, in-vehicle information systems using different display positions and information processing channels might encourage secondary task engagement. During manual driving scenarios, varying secondary tasks and display positions could influence driver’s glance behavior. However, their impact on the driver’s capability to monitor the partially automated driving system has not yet been determined. The current study assessed both the effects of different secondary tasks (Surrogate Reference Task (SuRT) vs. text reading) and display positions (head-up display (HUD) vs. center console) on driver’s glance behavior during partially automated driving in a simulated car following task. Different automation system failures regarding the lateral and longitudinal control occurred while driving. Furthermore, participants’ reported advantages, disadvantages and preferences regarding the investigated display positions as well as regarding the secondary task engagement during partially automated driving in general. Mixed design ANOVAs revealed that the HUD yielded considerably longer eyes-on display time (total and mean glance durations) than the center console. Moreover, the text reading task resulted in longer total and mean glance durations than the SuRT. Similar to manual driving scenarios, the results showed a consistent effect of display position and secondary task on the driver’s glance behavior. Despite the longer eyes-on display time for the HUD, its proximity to the driving environment might enable a faster identification of and reaction to critical situations (e.g., due to system failures). Participants would prefer the HUD as display position compared to the center console. Regarding secondary task engagement during partially automated driving participants seemed to be aware of the benefits but also of the risks.     

Effects of A Dual-Task Intervention in Postural Control and Cognitive Performance in Adolescents

Abstract

The aim was to assess dual- versus single-task training for motor performance and cognitive performance in adolescents. Two experiments were performed. In the first, 30 adolescents were randomized to three groups to determine the effect of dual-task difficulty on postural control: α-scaling and root mean square (RMS). In the second, 20 adolescents were randomized to two groups to determine the effect of dual-task practice to improve working memory. RMS in the post-test was lower than the pre-test in both dual-task groups, while α-scaling was lower in post-test than pre-test only in the high-difficulty dual-task group. A practice effect was observed on the percentage of correct answers only in the dual-task group (p?=?0.035). Thus, dual-task training could enhance motor and cognitive performance more than single-task training.     

不同相关线索下海洛因成瘾者的反应差异及反应抑制特征：来自ERP的证据

采用ERP技术, 探究海洛因成瘾者在不同相关线索下的脑电反应及其与冲动性的关系。实验采用组间实验设计和双选择Oddball范式, 要求海洛因成瘾组和健康对照组被试对标准刺激与偏差刺激分别做不同的按键反应, 记录他们的EEG数据。结果发现：相比对照组被试, 海洛因成瘾者在观看药物相关线索时诱发的N2波幅更小, P3波幅更大; 在成瘾组内, 相比用药工具线索, 用药动作线索诱发了更小的N2波幅和更大的P3波幅。这表明海洛因成瘾者对药物相关线索存在反应抑制缺陷, 且不同的药物相关线索会激发海洛因成瘾者不同程度的反应抑制缺陷, 用药动作线索比用药工具线索更大程度地影响成瘾者的反应抑制能力, 反映出更高的动作冲动性。