What is special about the index finger?: The index finger advantage in manipulating reflexive attentional shift1

Pointing with the index finger is a universal behavior. However, the functional significance of indexical pointing has not been examined empirically. We examined the efficacy of various pointing gestures in evoking viewer's attentional shifts. After viewing the gesture cue, observers quickly reported the location of a visual target. With a short cue‐target delay, reaction times were generally shorter for the target at the location where gesture cues pointed, but not with a long cue‐target delay. Moreover, the indexical pointing gesture produced a significantly larger cueing effect than the other gestures. Our control experiments indicated that the index‐finger advantage is tightly linked to the proper morphological shape (i.e. length and position of the index finger) of the indexical pointing and is not explained by the directional discriminability of the gesture. The visual system seems to use mechanisms that are partially independent of the directional discrimination of gestures, in order to quickly modulate the viewer's attention.     

Attention as a cueing function during kindergarten children's dimensional change task performance

The purpose of this experiment is to test whether shift flexibility in kindergarten children is a joint function of rule‐usage and inhibition of attention. Sixty‐six children were given either a distraction or facilitation condition in a computerized version of the dimensional change card sort task. In the distraction condition, the background of the post‐shift matching stimulus was inconsistent with the relevant matching dimension. In the facilitation condition, the background of the post‐shift matching stimulus was consistent with the relevant matching dimension. Results revealed that children made few errors in the standard version of the shift task, thereby supporting Cognitive complexity and control theory's contention that 5‐year‐old children shift easily across dimensions due to their use of higher‐order setting rules to solve contradictions. The proportion of errors increased however in the distraction condition suggesting that attention to the background interfered with children's ability to shift between dimensions. Therefore, these data provide evidence that refocusing attention to dimensions along with rule‐use processes affect shift flexibility and argue for the inclusion of both factors into theoretical accounts of shift performance. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

阅读中的眼动控制理论与SWIFT模型

随着眼动研究的深入,近年来研究者受注意梯度指导理论影响,结合心理学的最新发展以及在相关实验研究的基础上提出了新的理论模型,其中最具代表性的是SWIFT模型。SWIFT模型遵循3条基本原则：（1）一定注意范围内的分布式词汇加工;（2）眼跳计划和目标选择的分离;（3）伴随中央凹目标抑制的眼跳机制。在构架上,该模型主要有两大功能模块：词汇加工和眼跳编程     

预搜索过滤分心物的机制

如果先呈现若干分心物,然后添加靶子与其他分心物,那么就会改善搜索——预搜索效应。对于过滤分心物的潜在机制,研究者相继提出了主动抑制说、突然呈现说与时间分离说等理论。这些理论都有其合理的一面,能解释一些特定的实验现象,但任何单一机制都无法解释所有的实验现象。文章提出,未来的研究应该整合已有的实验现象与理论,系统考察旧客体与新客体的作用,重点整合抑制说与突现说,它们可能是一个连续体的两端     

返回抑制的容量研究：回顾与展望

返回抑制是指当注意返回到先前注意过的位置或客体时人们的反应变慢的一种抑制现象。自20世纪90年代中期以来,越来越多的返回抑制研究开始关注最多能在多少个线索化位置上观测到返回抑制效应,即返回抑制的容量问题。文章着重从序列线索化和同时线索化两方面介绍了当前返回抑制容量研究的主要成果,总结了该领域研究的特点及存在的问题,并对未来研究方向予以展望     

注意负荷对内隐序列学习的影响研究

运用次级任务研究范式,采用符号计数的次级任务和歧义序列中的次级条件序列,将内隐序列学习分为单任务组和双任务组,统一在单任务条件下测试。结果发现:(1)两组被试内隐学习成绩差异不显著;(2)双任务组被试在学习组块和测试组块的内隐学习差异也不显著。结果进一步支持了在次级任务占用注意资源的条件下内隐学习仍然可以正常地获得、内隐序列学习不受注意负荷影响的观点。     

类别注意控制定势在注意捕获中的加工机制

注意捕获是指注意定向的过程中刺激不自觉地捕获注意的现象。在复杂的视觉搜索任务中,类别注意控制定势(cACS)能够帮助我们将注意引导到与目标定义类别匹配的刺激上,并对其进行优先加工。探讨cACS在注意捕获中的加工机制,不仅能够扩展注意捕获领域的理论研究,还能对实际生活提供指导。通过文献梳理,从cACS的作用阶段、cACS的加工强度及cACS作用时的激活脑区三个方面总结了注意捕获中的cACS的加工机制。未来研究可以就抑制分心物的ACS、不同类型的cACS加工差异和人工类别ACS加工过程等进行探讨。     

不同康复时相戒除者对海洛因相关线索的注意偏向

以84名生理脱瘾后处于不同康复时相的海洛因戒除者为被试,采用情绪Stroop范式,以海洛因相关线索为自变量,考察了海洛因戒除者的注意偏向特性及其动态变化。结果发现:(1)海洛因戒除者对相关线索存在着显著的注意偏向;(2)海洛因戒除者对相关线索的注意偏向随康复期的延长无显著改善。该研究支持了Franken关于药物成瘾的注意偏向模型。     

颜色特征加工任务间的注意瞬脱研究

本研究以两个实验对颜色特征加工任务间的注意瞬脱效应进行探讨。实验一要求被试对首先呈现的两个色块(记忆项)与随后呈现的两个色块(检测项)是否相同进行比较。结果发现,在记忆项与检测项的SOA为220ms的条件下,记忆项加工对认知资源的持续占用使检测项的加工绩效下降。实验二含两个需相继执行的任务(T1和T2),二者均为比较同时呈现在屏幕左右两侧的两色块颜色是否相同。结果发现,对颜色特征的觉察即可产生注意瞬脱效应,其大小及时程与经典的采用字母识别任务的研究获得的注意瞬脱效应相当。上述结果表明,特征搜索的完成需有限认知资源的参与。然而,注意瞬脱过程中,特征加工与需对知觉对象细节信息进行提取的辨别任务(如字母辨别任务)在消耗认知资源的量上并无差别。     

Effects of an audio cueing system on the rate of teacher praise

The effects of automated cueing on teacher praise rate was investigated in one special, one fourth-, and one seventh-grade classroom. After establishing baseline praise rates in each of the three classrooms, two methods for increasing teacher praise rate were introduced according to a multiple-baseline design. During the first phase, two teachers were instructed to count and graph their praise rate during each session. All teachers received auditory cues to prompt praising during another phase. In all cases, introduction of cues markedly increased teacher praise rates, but self-recording was relatively ineffective. An analysis of teacher-praise distributions showed that cues closely controlled teacher praise for two of the three teachers.