Theoretische Lücken der Cognitive Science

Theoretical gaps of the cognitive science. First of all the gap-thesis is based on a criticism 1. of the computer-orientated cognitive science (it confuses information with the information carrier), 2. of connectivism (its linguistic borrowing from the neurobiology is not appropriate), 3. of Varelas production model (the elimination of the function of representation results in the loss of the cognitive ability). From the context of meaning and time, then the author sketches a cognitive theoretical approach, in which thinking as a (symbolic and/or subsymbolic) representation of meaning is introduced, which develops in a three-digit relation between world, language and substrate on the basis of isomorphy of time. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

基于神经网络和可拓学的高中生解决矛盾问题研究

运用自组织神经网络SOM,将学生划分为3个不同学习成绩的组别。考察他们在解决矛盾问题时所采用的算子,并运用方差分析和多重比较方法进行差异显著性检验。结果表明,高中生能够采用多种可拓算子来解决矛盾问题,学习成绩和可拓算子的使用间存在复杂的关系,某些可拓算子的使用在三组学生间并无显著性差异,某些可拓算子的使用在两组学生之间没有显著性差异。     

Mobility of c dislocations in Ti3, Al

Abstract

The rôle of dislocations with Burgers vectors, b, given by b = [0001] during deformation of samples of the intermetallic compound Ti₃Al has been assessed. At room temperature, the experimental evidence is consistent with these dislocations being sessile, their density and morphology being similar to that in undeformed samples. In samples deformed at 650°C and above, it is concluded that motion of these dislocations is effected by dislocation climb. The line directions of the various segments of dislocations with b= [0001] are shown to be perpendicular to planes that contain sheets of Ti atoms, with an expected tendency to exhibit a high Peierls stress.     

Why does vantage point affect boundary extension?

To determine if layout affects boundary extension (BE; false memory beyond view boundaries; Intraub & Richardson, 1989), 12 single-object scenes were photographed from three vantage points: central (0°), shifted rightward (45°), and shifted leftward (45°). Size and position of main objects were held constant. Pictures were presented for 15 s each and were repeated at test with their boundaries: (a) displaced inward or outward (Experiment 1: N=120), or (b) identical to the stimulus views (Experiment 2: N=72). When participants adjusted test boundaries to match memory, BE always occurred, but tended to be smaller for 45° views. We propose this reflects the fact that more of the 3-D scene is visible in the 45° views. This suggests that scene representation reflects the 3-D world conveyed by the global characteristics of layout, rather than the 2-D distance between the main object and the boundaries of a picture.     

Changes in boundary extension effect during spatial confinement

Changes in perception during space missions are usually attributed to microgravity. However, additional factors, such as spatial confinement, may contribute to changes in perception. We tested changes in scene perception using a boundary extension (BE) paradigm during a 105-day Earth-based space-simulation study. In addition to the close-up/wide-angle views used in BE, we presented two types of scenes based on the distance from the observer (proximal/distant scenes). In crew members (n = 6), we found that BE partly increased over time, but the size of BE error did not change in the control group (n = 22). We propose that this effect is caused by an increasing BE effect in stimuli that depict distant scenes and is related to spatial confinement. The results might be important for other situations of spatial confinement with restricted visual depth (e.g., submarine crew, patients confined to a bed). Generally, we found a larger BE effect in proximal scenes compared with the distant scenes. We also demonstrated that with no feedback, subjects preserve the level of the BE effect during repeated measurements.     

Reduced cortical voluntary activation during bilateral knee extension

IntroductionReduced neural drive is mainly thought to explain the bilateral deficit phenomenon, i.e. the difference in maximal isometric voluntary contraction (MVC) between unilateral and bilateral contractions. The aim of the present study was to further document if bilateral knee extension is associated with changes in voluntary activation level assessed by both peripheral nerve electrical stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation.MethodsFourteen subjects performed unilateral and bilateral knee extensions with both superimposed femoral electrical nerve stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation in order to assess voluntary activation (VA_FNES) and cortical voluntary activation (VA_TMS), respectively.ResultsThere was no difference in MVC force of the tested leg when involved in unilateral and bilateral knee extensions (p = 0.87). However, a significantly reduced VA_FNES (−2.1 ± 2.4%; p = 0.01) and VA_TMS (−1.6 ± 2.7%; p = 0.04) have been evidenced during bilateral knee extension.DiscussionIt is hypothesized that counterbalances could have masked the decrease of voluntary activation during bilateral contraction.     

TOUCH,SOUND, AND THINGS WITHOUT THE MIND

Abstract: Two notable thought experiments are discussed in this article: Reid's thought experiment about whether a being supplied with tactile sensations alone could acquire the conception of extension and Strawson's thought experiment about whether a being supplied with auditory sensations alone could acquire the conception of mind‐independent objects. The experiments are considered alongside Campbell's argument that only on the so‐called relational view of experience is it possible for experiences to make available to their subjects the concept of mind‐independent objects. I consider how the three issues ought to be construed as raising questions about woulds, coulds, or shoulds—and argue that only on the normative construal of them are they resolvable as intended by the a priori methods of the philosophers who pose them.     

不同类别品牌延伸认知效果的眼动评估

以大学生为被试,利用眼动记录技术,结合言语理解中的歧义句研究范式,将品牌名称嵌入句子环境中,探讨消费者评估不同类别著名品牌的延伸效果时的认知加工特点。结果发现:(1)消费者对不同类别的品牌延伸产品进行评估时的心理过程相同;(2)品牌延伸必须在一定的范围内进行,最好是在品牌主打产品所在类别的内部进行延伸。     

Engineering Eden: Does Earthly Pursuit of Eternal Life Threaten the Future of Religion?

The eternal life promised by many religions is mirrored by the drastically longer lifespans proposed by radical life extension (RLE) and transhumanism (H+). RLE and H+ represent extreme contingents of longevity research among the broader scientific initiatives to extend the length and quality of human life. In striving toward literal immortality, these movements offer an “alternative” to the spiritual eternity that functions as a religious solution to fear of death and loss. In this article, we probe the question of whether a radically extended—even eternal—life through advancements in biotechnology could replace religion as a means of managing this terror of death.     

Integrating covariates into circumplex structures: an extension procedure for Browne’s circular stochastic process model

Circumplex structures are elements of various psychological domains. Most work focuses on assessing the circular ordering of circumplex indicators and their relationships with covariates. In this article, an extension procedure for Browne’s circumplex model is presented. Our approach models the relationships among circumplex indicators and the relationships of covariates with a latent circumplex simultaneously without affecting the circumplex indicators’ positions on the circumplex. The approach builds upon Browne’s Fourier series parameterization of a correlation function, which is used to model the latent circumplex correlation structure. It extends the shape of the correlation function to the profile of each covariate’s correlations with the circumplex. The model is specified in the framework of structural equation modeling, thereby making it possible to test various hypotheses. Procedures are presented for deriving interval estimates for the parameters that relate the covariates to the circumplex. The model is compared to other approaches for assessing the relationships of a circumplex with covariates. The results of the exemplary applications and a simulation study were in favor of the suggested model. The approach is furthermore illustrated with a real-data example, focusing on the relationships between the interpersonal circumplex and the rivalry and admiration aspects of narcissism.