The effects of presentation rate and retention interval on memory for items and associations in younger adults: A simulation of older adults’ associative memory deficit

Older adults show an associative deficit in episodic memory compared to younger adults. Previous research suggests both strategic and automatic binding deficits contribute to older adults’ poorer memory performance. Using behavioral manipulations designed to affect strategic and automatic binding of associations, three experiments attempted to simulate an associative deficit in younger adults. In these experiments participants learned face-scene pairs and then were given item and associative recognition memory tests. We manipulated the time allotted at encoding and retrieval to simulate strategic deficits, and the length of the retention interval to simulate automatic deficits. Results indicate that both manipulations separately contribute to a differential decline in associative memory, similar to the one shown by older adults, especially as reflected in the differential increase in false alarm rate in the associative memory test more than in the item memory test. Considerations of possible underlying brain mechanisms are discussed.     

Similarity to imagined interlocutor and integration of viewpoints in internal dialogues

Numerous positive functions are ascribed to integrative internal dialogues (IDs). Additionally, IDs simulating social relationships are thought to serve as “prototypes” for interpersonal communication. Therefore, it would be useful to know how to increase the frequency of integrative IDs. Previous studies exploring the relationship between similarity to an imagined interlocutor and the integration in ID have produced inconsistent results. The aim of the present study was to examine the moderating and mediating factors in this relationship. Data from 119 people (mostly students) were analysed. Before the participants conducted IDs, they had written down 3 characteristics common to them and to their interlocutor. Finally, the Integration–Confrontation questionnaire was completed. Plausibility of ID was a moderator of the relationship between similarity to imagined interlocutor and integration in IDs; this relationship was significantly positive at lower plausibility, but non‐significant at high plausibility. Perceived similarity in ID exerted an indirect effect on ID's integration in 2 ways. The first pathway was through identifying with the interlocutor and the author's integrative attitude, suggesting a mechanism in line with social identity theory. The second potential mechanism, which seems to be consistent with similarity–attraction theory, was connected with the wishfulness of IDs and the interlocutor's integrative attitude.     

On simulating one-trial learning using morphological neural networks

“Learning once, remembering forever”, this wonderful cognitive phenomenon sometimes occurs in the learning process of human beings. Psychologists call this psychological phenomenon “one-trial learning”. The traditional artificial neural networks can simulate the psychological phenomenon of “implicit learning”, but can’t simulate the cognitive phenomenon of “one-trial learning”. Therefore, cognitive psychology gives a challenge to the traditional artificial neural networks. From two aspects of theory and practice in this paper, the possibility of simulating this kind of psychological phenomenon was explored by using morphological neural networks. This paper takes advantage of morphological associative memory networks to realize the simulation of “one-trial learning” for the first time, and gives 5 simulating practical examples. Theoretical analysis and simulation experiments show that the morphological associative memory networks are a higher effective machine learning method, and can better simulate the cognitive phenomenon of “one-trial learning”, therefore provide a theoretical basis and technological support for the study of intelligent science and cognitive science.     

Across the Martian Frontier? Thoughts on Planet B,a Martian Safety Valve,and the Earth as Our Body

Even though we are on the precipice of a “bad Anthropocene,” humankind should not colonize Mars. Mars is often depicted as our “Planet B”—an evacuation plan for Earth. But in this time of ecological crisis, theologian Sallie McFague suggests that we think of the Earth as God’s body and take our obligation to care for our common home seriously. Likewise, in contrast to calls for colonization, I contend that two American historical anecdotes—the safety valve theory and the Yellowstone—illustrate why humanity should think less about becoming Martians and instead find meaning and purpose in remaining Earthlings.     

颜色类别知觉效应的机制：语言的作用

颜色类别知觉效应(Category Perception, CP效应)表明, 在颜色之间物理差异距离相等的前提下, 个体区分不同类别的颜色比区分同一类别的颜色更快、更准确。这一效应产生的机制成为普遍进化理论和Sapir-Whorf假设之间争论的重要证据。支持CP效应由语言驱动的学者提出了CP效应单侧化、受语言即时任务影响、跨语言研究和神经生理机制等证据, 以表明语言在CP效应中起决定性的作用; 支持CP效应具有普遍性的学者以CP效应双侧化、婴儿的CP效应、跨语言的反证等证据提出了质疑。近年来, 出现了第三种观点, 认为在颜色CP效应中语言驱动机制和普遍机制并存, 这种理论是普遍进化理论和Whorf假设的折衷观点。从支持CP效应由语言驱动的证据、支持CP效应独立于语言的证据以及支持两种机制并存的观点等三个方面入手, 可分析颜色CP效应的产生机制及语言在其中所起的作用, 未来研究可从概念系统渗入知觉系统的角度进行拓展。     

Reuse and body-formatted representations in simulation theory

I review the shifting definitions of simulation as found in recent versions of the simulation theory (ST) of social cognition. I focus on two concepts that have become central to recent ST in the work of a number of simulation theorists: the notion of reuse and the notion of B-formatted representations. I point out specific limitations or problems involved in these concepts. Although the reuse hypothesis provides an interesting evolutionary account of how neural mechanisms may adapt to new tasks, it doesn’t offer an explanation of how these mechanisms work. In contrast to the genuinely embodied account that simulation theorists seek, an explanation of social cognition in terms of B-formatted representations not only remains disembodied, but also ignores social interaction and remains solipsistic. I conclude by briefly outlining a non-simulationist enactivist account that can incorporate the reuse hypothesis.     

Using an integrated simulation environment for the risk based design of advanced driver assistance systems

When designing new Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), the existing guidelines like the RESPONSE 3 Code of Practice imply intense testing of the system prior series production. Within the EU-FP7-Project ISi-PADAS a new methodology of risk based design has been established which includes an integrated simulation platform. This integration enables intense testing of new prototypes in an accelerated way and therefore enhances the design process while directly combining the simulation results with a risk matrix.This paper describes the new methodology while focussing on the software framework and the procedure of risk assessment in detail. It shows the general approach as well as the appropriate steps taken for an ADAS prototype developed in the context of ISi-PADAS.     

Where do hypotheses come from?

Why are human inferences sometimes remarkably close to the Bayesian ideal and other times systematically biased? In particular, why do humans make near-rational inferences in some natural domains where the candidate hypotheses are explicitly available, whereas tasks in similar domains requiring the self-generation of hypotheses produce systematic deviations from rational inference. We propose that these deviations arise from algorithmic processes approximating Bayes’ rule. Specifically in our account, hypotheses are generated stochastically from a sampling process, such that the sampled hypotheses form a Monte Carlo approximation of the posterior. While this approximation will converge to the true posterior in the limit of infinite samples, we take a small number of samples as we expect that the number of samples humans take is limited. We show that this model recreates several well-documented experimental findings such as anchoring and adjustment, subadditivity, superadditivity, the crowd within as well as the self-generation effect, the weak evidence, and the dud alternative effects. We confirm the model’s prediction that superadditivity and subadditivity can be induced within the same paradigm by manipulating the unpacking and typicality of hypotheses. We also partially confirm our model’s prediction about the effect of time pressure and cognitive load on these effects.     

Influence of speed-related auditory feedback on braking in a 3D-driving simulator

Although discrete auditory stimuli have been found useful for emergency braking, the role of continuous speed-related auditory feedback has not been investigated yet. This point may though be of importance in electric vehicles in which acoustic cues are drastically changed. The present study addressed this question through two experiments. In experiment 1, 12 usual drivers were exposed to naturalistic auditory feedback mimicking those issued from electric cars, while facing dynamic visual scenes in a 3D driving simulator. After being passively travelled up to a sustained constant speed, subjects had to stop their car in front of a traffic light that unexpectedly turned to red. Modifications of the speed-related auditory feedback did not impact braking initiation and regulation. In experiment 2, synthesized auditory feedback based on the Shepard-Risset glissando was provided to a new sample of 15 usual drivers in the same task. Pitch variations of this acoustic stimulus, although not scaled to an absolute speed, were manipulated as a function of visual speed changes. Changing the mapping between pitch variations of the synthesized auditory feedback and visual speed changes induced adjustments on braking which depended on acceleration/deceleration feedback. These findings stressed the importance of the acoustic content and its dynamics for car speed control.