Is your choice my choice? The owners’ effect on pet dogs’ (Canis lupus familiaris) performance in a food choice task

This study investigates the influence of owners on their dogs’ performance in a food choice task using either different or equal quantities of food. Fifty-four pet dogs were tested in three different conditions. In Condition 1 we evaluated their ability to choose between a large and small amount of food (quantity discrimination task). In Condition 2 dogs were again presented with a choice between the large and small food quantity, but only after having witnessed their owner favouring the small quantity. In Condition 3 dogs were given a choice between two equally small quantities of food having witnessed their owner favouring either one or the other. A strong effect of the owner on the dogs’ performance was observed. In Condition 1 dogs as a group chose significantly more often the large food quantity, thus showing their ability to solve the quantity discrimination task. After observing their owner expressing a preference for the small food quantity they chose the large quantity of food significantly less than in the independent choice situation. The tendency to conform to the owner’s choice was higher when the dogs had to choose between equally small quantities of food (Condition 3) rather than between a large and a small one (Condition 2). These results provide evidence that dogs can be influenced by their owners even when their indications are clearly in contrast with direct perceptual information, thus leading dogs to ultimately make counterproductive choices.     

Comprehension of human pointing gestures in young human-reared wolves (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Canis lupus</Emphasis>) and dogs (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Canis familiaris</Emphasis>)

Dogs have a remarkable skill to use human-given cues in object-choice tasks, but little is known to what extent their closest wild-living relative, the wolf can achieve this performance. In Study 1, we compared wolf and dog pups hand-reared individually and pet dogs of the same age in their readiness to form eye-contact with a human experimenter in an object-choice task and to follow her pointing gesture. The results showed that dogs already at 4 months of age use momentary distal pointing to find hidden food even without intensive early socialization. Wolf pups, on the contrary, do not attend to this subtle pointing. Accordingly in Studies 2 and 3, these wolves were tested longitudinally with this and four other (easier) human-given cues. This revealed that wolves socialized at a comparable level to dogs are able to use simple human-given cues spontaneously if the human’s hand is close to the baited container (e.g. touching, proximal pointing). Study 4 showed that wolves can follow also momentary distal pointing similarly to dogs if they have received extensive formal training. Comparing the wolves to naïve pet dogs of the same age revealed that during several months of formal training wolves can reach the level of dogs in their success of following momentary distal pointing in parallel with improving their readiness to form eye-contact with a human experimenter. We assume that the high variability in the wolves’ communicative behaviour might have provided a basis for selection during the course of domestication of the dog.     

基于活动的前瞻记忆特点研究

本实验采用McDaniel和Einstein(1990)的前瞻记忆实验室研究范式,以16PF作为干扰任务,以瑞文标准推理测验作为进行中任务,对基于活动的前瞻记忆特点进行探讨.结果表明:前瞻记忆任务的重要性和目标任务的难度对基于活动的前瞻记忆有明显影响,而指导语的呈现方式的影响不明显.基于活动的前瞻记忆与智力相关不明显,而与16PF中的"乐群性"存在明显的负相关,以及和"感情用事与安详机警"存在明显的正相关.     

自传体记忆的情绪对其相关信息内隐提取的影响

本研究主要考察自传体记忆本身的情绪是否影响该记忆相关信息的内隐提取过程。取大学生15人完成实验, 实验分为两部分：记忆提取和词汇判断。首先在记忆提取阶段, 要求被试根据词对(形容词-中性名词)提取积极、消极和中性情绪色彩的自传体记忆事件。接着在词汇判断任务中, 要求被试对包含提取过记忆的中性名词的词语进行词和非词的判断, 并且记录相应的脑电波。结果发现：(1)被试按要求成功提取了积极、消极和中性三类自传体记忆事件。词汇判断任务中, 内隐提取三类自传体记忆信息的反应时和正确率均无显著差异。(2)相比于积极、中性自传体记忆信息, 消极自传体记忆信息提取的过程中的ERP波幅更大, 更偏向于正向。这表明自传体记忆信息的内隐提取受到记忆本身情绪的影响, 消极自传体记忆信息提取需要付出更多资源。     

正念训练的去自动化效应：Stroop和前瞻记忆任务证据

研究显示正念训练对心理认知和健康有改善作用, 但少有研究用认知实验进行检验并探讨心理机制, 本研究将正常成人分为正念(训练)和对照组(等待)、使用Stroop任务和前瞻记忆任务, 进行前、后测考察。结果发现, 两种任务正念组后测反应时均低于前测, 且不一致条件下更显著, 对照组无差异。对前瞻记忆前后进行中任务的差值进行前、后测比较发现, 对照组后测显著小于前测, 正念组差异不显著。结果表明, 正念训练促进了Stroop和前瞻记忆任务的完成, 起到了抗自动化干扰、及阻止随任务熟悉加工更为自动化的作用。     

不同任务情境中的前瞻记忆是一致的吗？

对47名大学生被试依次进行自然情境中的人为任务、自然情境中的自然任务、实验室情境中的人为任务和实验室情境中的自然任务的测试。结果发现,相同任务情境中的不同性质的前瞻记忆具有一致性,特别是在自然情境中的一致性更为明显;相同任务性质但不同任务情境下的前瞻记忆没有一致性,实验室中的前瞻记忆与自然情境中的前瞻记忆不能相互预测。     

父母和教师自主支持与高中生发展的关系

采用分层抽样法在河南和云南抽取4988名高中生实施问卷调查,考察父母自主支持和教师自主支持与高中生学业、个性社会性和生涯发展的关系。结果发现：（1）学业和生涯方面,女生发展好于男生,重点学校学生发展好于普通学校学生;个性社会性方面,重点学校学生发展高于普通学校学生,高二、高三学生发展显著高于高一学生;（2）父母和教师自主支持显著正向预测高中生发展。父母自主支持对学业和个性社会性发展的影响显著高于其对生涯发展的影响;教师自主支持对学业发展影响最大,对生涯发展影响最小;（3）教师自主支持对高中生三方面发展的影响均显著大于父母自主支持;（4）父母和教师自主支持对高中生学业和生涯发展存在显著交互作用。     

汉字多音字加工过程中的重复知盲效应

以汉语中的多音字为研究材料, 采用RSVP任务, 探讨重复知盲的发生水平。采用三因素混合设计。结果是重复情况、位置和呈现时间有主效应。重复状况和呈现时间有交互效应：完全重复条件下, 呈现时间为100 ms和200 ms时都会产生重复知盲, 但同音重复和不同音重复条件下, 只有在呈现时间为100 ms时才产生重复知盲效应。结果表明：1)刺激的重复性和呈现时间是产生重复知盲的重要条件; 2)重复知盲的产生并未上升到语义加工水平, 而是处于知觉加工水平。     

延迟时间与预先信息对任务切换的作用

对切换代价的本质存在任务设置惯性和任务设置重构两种观点。为揭示二者在切换代价中的关系, 研究了不同延迟时间条件下预先信息对任务切换的作用, 结果发现：(1)延迟时间对切换代价有显著影响, 100 ms的切换代价显著高于1000 ms的切换代价, 而600 ms分别与100 ms、1000 ms之间的切换代价无显著差异; (2)预先信息对切换代价的影响显著, 全部信息的切换代价显著低于无信息和部分信息的切换代价, 而后二者之间无显著差异; (3)延迟时间与预先信息无交互作用。这表明, 延迟时间与预先信息分别作用于任务设置惯性和任务设置重构, 切换代价反映了这两种具有相加效应的加工过程。     

类别关系判断中空间信息的内隐学习

采用“单-双任务”的研究范式探索视觉空间信息加工过程中是否存在内隐学习。通过比较“单-双”任务组被试在完成空间关系判断任务之后再认呈现的空间场景是否是曾在判断任务中经历过的反应数据来探讨类别空间关系判断中的内隐学习情况。研究结果证明：二维和三维情境中单任务组被试在类别空间关系判断过程中对空间背景信息的学习存在内隐学习, 且该学习过程还受到刺激情境特性的影响。