Centrality ratings,forensic relevance,and production frequency: Which one best identifies central and peripheral items?

Production frequency has often been used to identify central and peripheral information, under the assumption that high frequency implies that the item is central. However, no research to date has tested the relationship between centrality and frequency. Participants watched a video of a bank robbery and completed a free recall test, from which frequency for recalled items was computed. Two groups then watched the same video and rated centrality and forensic relevance for each item. Results showed that most, but not all, items with high frequency were rated as central and forensically relevant but that low frequency items were not diagnostic of either item centrality or forensic relevance. Forensic relevance was a better indicator of item centrality than frequency. We concluded that frequency measures should be avoided to determine centrality. Also, if centrality ratings cannot be collected, forensic relevance ratings may be more appropriate for this purpose.     

Rethinking the Divide: Modules and Central Systems

In this paper I argue that the cognitive system is best viewed as a continuum of cognitive processing from modules to central systems rather than having these as discrete and wholly different modes of cognitive processing. I rely on recent evidence on the development of theory of mind (ToM) abilities and the developmental disorder of autism. I then turn to the phenomenology of modular processes. I show that modular outputs have a stronger force than non-modular or central system outputs. I then evaluate social cognitions and show them to occupy a middle ground with respect to phenomenal strength between modular and non-modular outputs. The evidence presented then seems to indicate a continuum of cognitive processing rather than the traditional division between modules and central systems.

中央执行注意资源在消极和积极特征捆绑中的作用

鉴于以往研究未明确视觉工作记忆中特征捆绑是否需要注意资源,以及未考察积极加工条件下的特征捆绑等问题,本研究运用双任务干扰范式,通过两个实验分别在消极加工和积极加工条件下考察了联结客体的特征加工和特征捆绑,以及中央执行注意资源在特征捆绑中的作用。结果表明：联结客体的特征加工不但存在双重存储机制,还存在双重操作机制,这一结果拓展了Wheeler和Treisman（2002）的特征捆绑理论;联结客体的特征捆绑可分为消极特征捆绑和积极特征捆绑两种类型,消极特征捆绑不需要中央执行注意资源的参与,而积极特征捆绑则需要中央执行注意资源的参与。     

阈下语义启动效应影响因素述评

阈下语义启动效应是指阈下呈现的启动词能够对与之有语义联想关系的目标词的加工产生促进作用.阈下语义启动效应具有不稳定性且容易受到各种因素的影响.影响阈下语义启动效应的因素有外部因素和内部因素两大类,外部因素包括任务类型、实验材料和实验程序等因素,内部因素包括注意、任务设置、目的和期望.本文首先简单回顾阈下语义启动效应的研究历史,并介绍相应的研究范式及觉知状态的测量方法,然后重点对影响因素进行了总结和评述.未来的研究可以从优化研究范式、加强脑机制研究以及发展理论等几个方面进一步拓展.     

内源性注意定向对立体视觉加工影响机制的ERP研究

本研究采用行为测量与ERP分析相结合的范式,以视差分离方式、线索提示有效性为自变量,考察三维空间中内源性注意定向对立体视觉加工的影响及其脑电机制。结果发现：无论是短SOA还是长SOA,3D空间中预测性中央符号线索对后续辨认任务均产生了启动效应,且启动效应量不随SOA延长而变化。短SOA下,经典提示效应和跨深度提示效应均表现为有效提示下的N1波幅大于无效提示条件;长SOA下,线索提示效应则表现出了无效提示条件诱发较大N1波幅的趋势。     

Neural correlates of social perception on response bias

Accurate person perception is crucial in social decision-making. One of the central elements in successful social perception is the ability to understand another’s response bias; this is because the same behavior can represent different inner states depending on whether other people are yea-sayers or naysayers. In the present study, we have tried to investigate how the internal biases of others are perceived. Using a multi-trial learning paradigm, perceivers made predictions about a target’s responses to various suggested activities and then received feedback for each prediction trial-by-trial. Our hypotheses were that (1) the internal decision criterion of the targets would be realized through repeated experiences, and (2) due to positive–negative asymmetry, yea-sayers would be recognized more gradually than naysayers through the probabilistic integration of repeated experiences. To find neural evidence that tracks probabilistic integration when forming person knowledge on response biases, we employed a model-based fMRI with a State-Space Model. We discovered that person knowledge about yea-sayers modulated several brain regions, including caudate nucleus, DLPFC, hippocampus, etc. Moreover, when person knowledge was updated with incorrect performance feedback, brain regions including the caudate nucleus, DLPFC, dmPFC, and TPJ were also involved. There were overlapping regions for both processes, caudate nucleus and DLPFC, suggesting that these regions take crucial roles in forming person knowledge with repeated feedback, while reflecting acquired information up to the current prediction.     

中枢肥大细胞在脑功能和行为调节中的作用

已知肥大细胞作为免疫细胞在过敏反应和炎性疾病中发挥重要作用。肥大细胞在中枢亦有表达, 但对其作用了解不足。新近的研究发现中枢肥大细胞在脑功能和行为调节中发挥重要的内源性平衡作用。一方面, 中枢肥大细胞在维持相关脑区发育, 正常神经活动, 以及动机, 情绪和认知等多种行为中发挥保护性作用, 各种应激条件诱导的中枢肥大细胞表达和活动改变参与脑和行为的适应性反应过程。另一方面, 中枢肥大细胞过度激活或者过度抑制都可导致脑功能和行为异常, 并参与某些免疫相关心身疾病的病理过程。体外神经解剖学和功能学研究证据提示中枢肥大细胞与神经系统间存在结构性和功能性相互作用网络。肥大细胞和神经组织间通过形成类似突触的结构性联系直接影响相邻细胞的活动。肥大细胞还可以通过脱颗粒释放多种生物活性介质调节神经活动, 同时表达多种受体接受脑内免疫性和神经性分子调节。但是目前对于中枢肥大细胞-神经系统相互作用的认识主要基于体外研究, 其在脑内相互作用方式及其与特定脑区功能和行为表型的关系所知甚少, 开展相关研究可以为认识脑与行为的神经免疫调节机制提供新的视角。     

Pre‐frontal‐insular‐cerebellar modifications correlate with disgust feeling blunting after subthalamic stimulation: A positron emission tomography study in Parkinson's disease

Subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) has recently advanced our understanding of the major role played by this basal ganglion in human emotion. Research indicates that STN DBS can induce modifications in all components of emotion, and neuroimaging studies have shown that the metabolic modifications correlated with these emotional disturbances following surgery are both task‐ and sensory input‐dependent. Nevertheless, to date, these modifications have not been confirmed for all emotional components, notably subjective emotional experience, or feelings. To identify the neural network underlying the modification of feelings following STN DBS, we assessed 16 patients with Parkinson's disease before and after surgery, using both subjective assessments of emotional experience and ¹⁸[F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (¹⁸FDG‐PET). The patients viewed six film excerpts intended to elicit happy, angry, fearful, sad, disgusted, and neutral feelings, and they self‐rated the intensity of these feelings. After DBS, there was a significant reduction in the intensity of the disgust feeling. Correlations were observed between decreased disgust experience and cerebral glucose metabolism (FDG uptake) in the bilateral pre‐frontal cortices (orbitofrontal, dorsolateral, and inferior frontal gyri), bilateral insula, and right cerebellum. We suggest that the STN contributes to the synchronization process underlying the emergence of feelings.     

强迫症的脑功能障碍

近期,对强迫症(OCD)的现象学解释强调了病人在特定情境下错误识别和情绪与动机功能的异常加工。来自神经解剖、神经生理以及近期神经心理和功能成像等的相关研究证据显示：OCD病人眶额皮层（OFC）、前扣带回皮层（ACC）的过度激活可能会导致错误识别功能和对行为结果预期的情绪与动机评价增高;背外侧前额皮层(DLPC)的活动减弱损害了对信息加工的认知整合能力。以上这些皮层信号在控制行为活动程序的尾状核进行整合。OCD病人的强迫性观念和行为可能由这些结构相关的神经网络中一个或多个环节的功能障碍所致     

Spatial attentional distribution is modulated by head direction during eccentric gaze

Visual perception during eccentric gaze can be facilitated when a visual stimulus appears in front of the head direction. This study investigated the relative effects of gaze location and head direction on visual perception in central and peripheral vision. Participants identified the orientation of a T-shaped figure presented in the centre of a monitor and simultaneously localised a dot appearing in the periphery, while head direction relative to gaze location was to the left, right or centre. Effects of head direction were found only when the dot appeared far from the gaze fixation point, such that dot detection was superior when it appeared to the left (right) of fixation in the left (right) head direction. Experimental results indicated this was not due to a small shift of gaze location. Thus this study suggests that head direction influences visual perception particularly in peripheral vision where visual acuity decreases.