Predictions penetrate perception: Converging insights from brain,behaviour and disorder

It is argued that during ongoing visual perception, the brain is generating top-down predictions to facilitate, guide and constrain the processing of incoming sensory input. Here we demonstrate that these predictions are drawn from a diverse range of cognitive processes, in order to generate the richest and most informative prediction signals. This is consistent with a central role for cognitive penetrability in visual perception. We review behavioural and mechanistic evidence that indicate a wide spectrum of domains—including object recognition, contextual associations, cognitive biases and affective state—that can directly influence visual perception. We combine these insights from the healthy brain with novel observations from neuropsychiatric disorders involving visual hallucinations, which highlight the consequences of imbalance between top-down signals and incoming sensory information. Together, these lines of evidence converge to indicate that predictive penetration, be it cognitive, social or emotional, should be considered a fundamental framework that supports visual perception.     

Blindness and social trust: The effect of early visual deprivation on judgments of trustworthiness

Investigating the impact of early visual deprivation on evaluations related to social trust has received little attention to date. This is despite consistent evidence suggesting that early onset blindness may interfere with the normal development of social skills. In this study, we investigated whether early blindness affects judgments of trustworthiness regarding the actions of an agent, with trustworthiness representing the fundamental dimension in the social evaluation. Specifically, we compared performance between a group of early blind individuals with that of sighted controls in their evaluation of trustworthiness of an agent after hearing a pair of two positive or two negative social behaviors (impression formation). Participants then repeated the same evaluation following the presentation of a third (consistent or inconsistent) behavior regarding the same agent (impression updating). Overall, blind individuals tended to give similar evaluations compared to their sighted counterparts. However, they also valued positive behaviors significantly more than sighted controls when forming their impression of an agent’s trustworthiness. Moreover, when inconsistent information was provided, blind individuals were more prone to revise their initial evaluation compared to controls. These results suggest that early visual deprivation may have a dramatic effect on the evaluation of social factors such as trustworthiness.     

Justice organisationnelle et croyance en un monde juste : perceptions et réactions des dirigeants d’entreprise vis-à-vis de leurs managers (in)justes

Introduction and objectivesFew studies analyzed the reactions of a company head according to the degree of organizational justice adopted by his managers towards their subordinates. Similarly, the links between organizational justice and belief in a just world have rarely been studied. The aim of this research is to examine whether the three dimensions of organizational justice implemented by a manager have role of supervisor who had to value a manager who adopted, on each of the three dimensions of organizational justice, a just vs. unjust conduct. Participants were also asked about their belief in a just world an impact on the perceptions and reactions of the supervisor of the manager, and if the degree of belief in a just world mediates these perceptions and reactions.MethodIn terms of method, 410 men and women with a professional activity held the role of supervisor who had to value a manager who adopted, on each of the three dimensions of organizational justice, a just vs. unjust conduct. Participants were also asked about their belief in a just world, with a differentiation between personal belief in a just world versus belief in a just world to others.ResultsThe results show main effects and interaction effects between the three forms of justice on the manager's perception score, intends to award him a bonus, and the amount of assigned bonus. The results also indicate an influence of the degree of personal just world belief on the evaluation of the manager, but without interaction between just world belief and the dimensions of organizational justice.ConclusionsThe conclusion summarizes the main findings, examines their limits and deals with their theoretical and practical implications.     

The contribution of early auditory and visual information to the discrimination of shot power in ball sports

ObjectiveIt is well-established that early visual information has an important role in human ability to play ball sports, as its correct interpretation promotes accurate predictions concerning the ball motion. Other research highlights that auditory information provides relevant cues in various sport situations. The present study combines these two lines of research with the aim to investigate the contribution of early auditory and visual information to the discrimination of shot power in sport-specific situations.DesignTwo experiments were run, one concerning soccer penalty kicks and the other concerning volleyball smashes. In both experiments there were three conditions: Audio, Audiovideo, and Video; a within subjects design was used, with the three conditions carried out in three different days and in a counterbalanced order among participants.MethodParticipants’ task was to discriminate the power of two penalties/smashes presented in rapid sequence, on the basis of a two-alternative forced choice paradigm.ResultsThe results revealed that, for both penalties and smashes, response accuracy was above chance level in all the three conditions; moreover, while for the penalties no difference among the conditions was observed, for the smashes participants were more accurate in the Audio and Audiovideo conditions compared to the Video condition. As concerns the response times, for both penalties and smashes participants were faster in the Audio and Audiovideo conditions compared to the Video condition.ConclusionsTaken together, the results suggest that the discrimination of shot power was more easily performed on the basis of early auditory information than on the basis of the respective visual information.     

语篇背景在语义整合中的作用

通过眼动实验考察了语篇背景对不同类型句子语义整合过程的影响。句子类型有3个水平：(1)宾语违反了动词的选择性限制; (2)宾语符合选择性限制, 但是违反了世界知识; (3)无违反。语篇背景有2个水平：(1)中性背景; (2)校正背景。在中性语篇背景下, 句子(1) (2)是不合适的; 而在校正背景下, 三种句子都是合理的。24名大学生被试自然阅读的眼动数据表明, 违反动词选择性限制的目标词上的首次注视时间、回视路径时间和总注视时间, 在中性背景下比在校正背景下长, 注视点个数也更多; 而在非选择性限制违反条件下, 语篇背景的效应只在总注视时间和注视点个数两个指标上显著。这些结果表明, 当句子中的宾语违反了动词的选择性限制时, 语篇背景影响了宾语的早期和晚期加工。而当宾语只违反世界知识时, 语篇背景的作用体现在晚期阶段。语篇背景对当前信息的整合是动态的过程, 并不是只能在固定某个阶段起作用。     

单一启动单一探测中基于相关低比例的负启动效应

启动和探测刺激相同试次低比例时可出现类似负启动的抑制现象。本研究采用不同于以往研究的单一探测范式,并操纵相关项（启动与探测词语义相关）的比例及刺激集的大小研究这一抑制机制的特点。实验一在低比例时发现了显著的负启动效应。实验二在低比例时,发现小的刺激集能诱发负启动,而大的则不能。表明在单一探测范式中启动与探测相关试次的低比例确实能诱发抑制控制,该抑制控制由忽视策略所致,并受刺激集大小的影响,支持了干扰项的凸显能够诱发强抑制的观点。     

Using spatial vibrotactile cues to direct visual attention in driving scenes

We report two experiments designed to investigate the potential use of vibrotactile warning signals to present spatial information to car drivers. Participants performed an attention-demanding rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) monitoring task. Meanwhile, whenever they felt a vibrotactile stimulus presented on either their front or back, they had to check the front and the rearview mirror for the rapid approach of a car, and brake or accelerate accordingly. We investigated whether speeded responses to potential emergency driving situations could be facilitated by the presentation of spatially-predictive (80% valid; Experiment 1) or spatially-nonpredictive (50% valid; Experiment 2) vibrotactile cues. Participants responded significantly more rapidly following both spatially-predictive and spatially-nonpredictive vibrotactile cues from the same rather than the opposite direction as the critical driving events. These results highlight the potential utility of vibrotactile warning signals in automobile interface design for directing a driver’s visual attention to time-critical events or information.     

汉语单音节词汇产生中音韵编码的单元

采取图画一词汇干扰实验范式,以视觉方式呈现干扰单字、初步探索了汉语单音节词汇产生中音韵编码的单元。结果发现了在目标项和干扰词的音节相同和同音条件下都出现了促进效应,而在首音和声调相关、韵和声调相关、首音相关、韵相关、声调相关条件下都来出现显著的启动效应。这表明“音节”或“音节 声调”可能是词汇产生中语音编码表征的单元。最后讨论了英语和荷兰语的研究结果与汉语不同的原因。     

提取诱发遗忘中的相关代价与效益问题：反应抑制能力与项目竞争强度的影响

采用提取练习范式,通过操作反应抑制能力和项目竞争强度两个变量,考察相关代价与效益问题（CCB）对大学生提取诱发遗忘（RIF）的影响。实验为2（反应抑制能力：高、低）×2（项目竞争强度：高、低）×3（项目类型：Rp+、Rp-、Nrp）三因素混合设计。结果发现,高反应抑制能力者在高项目竞争强度下产生了RIF,在低项目竞争强度下则未产生;低反应抑制能力者在高、低项目竞争强度下均未产生RIF。这些结果表明,对反应抑制能力正常的大学生而言,需要认知资源的抑制控制加工是RIF的产生机制,且这种抑制性RIF不受CCB的影响。     

Justice and the belief in a just world: a developmental perspective

In the present study, the relationships among the developments of beliefs in a just world (BJW; i.e., a principle to perceive the world as orderly and just), moral development, and attitudes toward human rights were studied with Dutch adolescents. BJW were thought to be either coping cognitions or precursors of moral development that affect attitudes toward human rights. Across age such early moral conceptions were expected to be replaced by more sophisticated forms of reasoning enabling individuals to handle a world that is not orderly or just. In the study, 138 adolescents divided over three age groups participated (mean ages 13, 15, and 17 years). They were presented with the Scale for just world beliefs, the Defining Issue Test, and the Attitudes Toward Human Rights Inventory. No relationships could be demonstrated between BJW and moral development and attitudes toward human rights. The findings support the suggestion that BJW represent a coping mechanism.