Flexible target representations underlie repetition priming in visual search

Repeating target features across consecutive visual search trials can influence response time. Three experiments are reported that show that this repetition priming is dependent on the exact stimulus configuration and feature type. In Experiment 1 the target was defined relative to distractors by its orientation and target colour was task irrelevant. The roles played by these features were reversed in Experiment 2. Repeating target colour across trials speeded responses in both Experiments 1 and 2. Repeating orientation significantly slowed responses in Experiment 1 but had no significant effect in Experiment 2. Existing feature-based and episodic memory-based explanations of priming cannot account for these data, but instead more flexible explanations are required. Experiment 3 showed that significant positive priming results from repeating distractor-defining orientation, indicating that priming of pop-out effects previously reported in the literature may result from combined target and distractor effects.     

Attention‐shift vs. response‐priming explanations for the spatial cueing effect in cross‐modal tasks

The task‐irrelevant spatial location of a cue stimulus affects the processing of a subsequent target. This “Posner effect” has been explained by an exogenous attention shift to the spatial location of the cue, improving perceptual processing of the target. We studied whether the left/right location of task‐irrelevant and uninformative tones produces cueing effects on the processing of visual targets. Tones were presented randomly from left or right. In the first condition, the subsequent visual target, requiring response either with the left or right hand, was presented peripherally to left or right. In the second condition, the target was a centrally presented left/right‐pointing arrow, indicating the response hand. In the third condition, the tone and the central arrow were presented simultaneously. Data were recorded on compatible (the tone location and the response hand were the same) and incompatible trials. Reaction times were longer on incompatible than on compatible trials. The results of the second and third conditions are difficult to explain with the attention‐shift model emphasizing improved perceptual processing in the cued location, as the central target did not require any location‐based processing. Consequently, as an alternative explanation they suggest response priming in the hand corresponding to the spatial location of the tone. Simultaneous lateralized readiness potential (LRP) recordings were consistent with the behavioral data, the tone cues eliciting on incompatible trials a fast preparation for the incorrect response and on compatible trials preparation for the correct response.     

Attenuating depletion using goal priming

This research examines how goal priming can attenuate the depletion effect. Using different self-control goals (i.e., savings and healthy eating) and different measures of self-control ability (i.e., willingness to buy and actual consumption), this study reveals that when people were primed with cues related to a self-control goal and then depleted, the effect of depletion on a subsequent self-control task (related to the primed goal) became attenuated. Also, depleted people, relative to nondepleted people, reported a lower level of commitment to a self-control goal; however, when cues related to a self-control goal were primed, their level of goal commitment increased, weakening the depletion effect. This research clarifies questions related to the process underlying depletion, while highlighting the importance of goal commitment (a measure of motivation) in understanding depletion.     

听写困难儿童的整体字形加工特点

听写困难是指儿童能够认读不能听写的现象。本研究以部件启动和整字启动任务中的探测字命名反应时差值,作为整体字形加工水平的指标,间接考察了听写困难儿童的整体字形加工特点。结果发现,听写对照组被试的整体字形加工在呈现时间为75 ms和300 ms时发生,而在150 ms时没有发生;听写困难组被试的整体字形加工仅在75 ms时发生,而在150 ms和300 ms时未发生。两组被试在75 ms时的整体字形加工水平之间没有显著差异。结果表明,听写困难被试仅仅在早期知觉阶段存在整体字形加工,而在词汇加工阶段的整体字形加工缺乏或延迟。     

具身认知视角下的概念隐喻理论

隐喻是一种常见的语言现象.概念隐喻理论认为,隐喻不仅是一种语言修辞手段,隐喻反映了人类认知的重要特征:人类的抽象概念系统是以感知觉经验和具体概念为基础发展形成的.根据概念隐喻理论,主体可以以感知运动经验对抽象概念进行体验式表征与加工.大量研究证明,抽象概念的加工同对其进行隐喻化描述的身体经验具有关联.这些研究主要涉及空间隐喻、温度隐喻、洁净隐喻、触觉隐喻等.未来的研究应探讨多重隐喻对认知的影响、探索塑造隐喻映射单向作用与相互作用的因素,并关注概念隐喻理论的应用性等问题.     

心理疾病污名内隐测评的类别标签初探

采用单一类型内隐联想测验,考察以往研究中常用的概括化心理疾病词和具体心理疾病词作为心理疾病内隐污名间接测量概念词或类别标签的有效性。结果发现,相较于与积极词配对的任务,两类概念词与消极词（心理疾病态度词）配对的任务反应时更快,正确率更高。研究表明概括化概念和具体疾病与反映人们对心理疾病患者真实态度的消极词存在更紧密的自动联结,是人们头脑中表征心理疾病的概念词或类别标签,可作为内隐测量中的心理疾病概念词用于污名评估。     

利他行为的内隐启动研究

通过视觉与组词任务启动范式的两个实验考察了利他人物形象与利他词语对利他行为的内隐启动效应。结果发现,完成利他人物形象视觉启动(实验1)与完成利他组词任务启动(实验2)的实验组被试,在独裁者分配任务中分配给他人的钱数显著多于控制组被试。研究结果表明:利他人物形象视觉和利他语义组词都可以使个体的利他行为被显著直接无意识启动,即内隐启动。研究对设计能更好地启动人们的利他行为的一般情境有重要的启示。     

启动任务中语言经验对藏-汉双语者主导语的影响

采用语义启动任务及藏语与汉语语义相关词和无关词对,探究语言经验能否改变熟练藏-汉双语者的母语主导优势和双语语义表征方式。结果表明,1)无论启动词为藏语还是汉语,藏-汉双语者对汉语L2目标词的加工速度和正确率均显著好于藏语L1,存在语义启动效应; 而在藏语目标词条件下则未发现显著的语义启动效应; 2)藏语到汉语的语义启动效应大于汉语到藏语的启动效应。结果表明,藏-汉双语者的汉语经验对藏语词的表征有影响,但汉语还不能完全替代母语藏语为主导语,结果在一定程度上支持Kroll的RHM模型和Green的ICM模型。     

Measuring concept semantic relatedness through common spatial pattern feature extraction on EEG signals

We study the semantic relationship between pairs of nouns of concrete objects such as “HORSE - SHEEP” and “SWING - MELON” and how this relationship activity is reflected in EEG signals. We collected 18 sets of EEG records; each set containing 150 events of stimulation. In this work we focus on feature extraction algorithms. Particularly, we highlight Common Spatial Pattern (CSP) as a method of feature extraction. Based on these latter, different classifiers were trained in order to associate a set of signals to a previously learned human answer, pertaining to two classes: semantically related, or not semantically related. The results of classification accuracy were evaluated comparing with other four methods of feature extraction, and using classification algorithms from five different families. In all cases, classification accuracy was benefited from using CSP instead of FDTW, LPC, PCA or ICA for feature extraction. Particularly with the combination CSP-Naïve Bayes we obtained the best average precision of 84.63%.