自我信息对知觉选择中整体优先性的调控作用

已有研究表明个人重要信息调控高级认知加工过程, 如面孔识别、记忆、思维等。本研究的三项实验系统地测量了个人重要信息对知觉选择的影响。采用最近发展的自我连接学习范式, 让中性几何图形与不同人(自我、朋友、陌生人)建立联系; 图形-标签连接完成后, 以复合图形(局部小图形组成整体大图形)作为实验刺激, 被试完成整体/局部图形判断任务, 通过评估个体对具有不同社会意义图形(目标vs.分心物水平)的感知差异, 测量个人重要信息对知觉选择的调控作用。结果发现, 与他人相关图形相比, 自我相关图形作为分心物调控整体优先效应, 这种效应一致地发生在整体和局部水平上, 并且不受注意任务的影响。这些结果提示社会信息对认知的调控作用发生在视觉选择水平上。     

上下意象图式对羌族亲属词认知的影响

采用亲属词判断任务和真假词判断任务, 考查了“上下意象图式”对羌族被试认知隐含辈分关系的羌族亲属词的影响, 并通过空间识别任务检验亲属词辈份概念加工能否自动地激活空间意象图式, 引导空间注意朝向与空间意象图式一致的位置。实验1表明, 在羌族被试对羌族亲属词的认知中, 存在着“隐喻一致性效应”：高辈分的亲属词呈现在计算机屏幕的上方加工得更快, 低辈分的亲属词呈现在计算机屏幕的下方加工得更快。实验2表明, 当目标刺激的空间位置与亲属词的辈分信息一致时, 羌族被试对目标刺激的辨认速度更快。整个研究表明, 羌族亲属词隐含的辈分关系可以用垂直空间关系来理解, 并引导被试的空间注意朝向与上下意象图式一致的位置, 证明对抽象概念的理解基于感觉运动的加工, 符合概念隐喻理论的预言。     

Müller-Lyer图形中长度加工与时距估计的关系

采用复制法,考察Müller-Lyer错觉条件下,长度加工与时距估计的关系。实验1和实验2分别采用实线段和空线段,结果发现,图形的客观长度越长,估计的时距越长;箭头朝向造成的主观长度错觉对时距估计无影响;时距对长度判断的影响较小。实验3进一步操作线段长度和箭杆方向,发现长度错觉不影响时距估计与错觉量的大小无关。研究表明刺激的客观长度与时间在心理表征上存在自动化的联结,也受到刺激、实验方法和时距等因素的影响。     

正念机制的核心：注意还是态度？

注意与态度是正念的两个关键的工作机制,但关于这两个机制究竟哪个是核心机制却没有统一的定论。本文就针对这一争议存在的现状和原因进行了梳理和分析,认为正念的核心机制在于注意力的训练,并尝试从佛教与心理学两个角度在理论推导与实证支持两个层面上给予了阐释。     

视觉注意选择性的空间位置效应的研究

采用注意线索技术探讨颜色、角度和空间位置对视觉选择性注意的影响。研究结果表明 :( 1 )目标与干扰刺激颜色相同时 ,表现出明显的注意空间位置效应 ;( 2 )目标与干扰刺激颜色不同时 ,空间位置效应明显弱化 ;( 3 )整体而言 ,注意加工速度从左到右均表现出明显的“V”字形效应。     

Evidence for covert attention switching from eye-movements. Reply to commentaries on Liechty et al., 2003

We argue that our research objectives in Liechty, Pieters, and Wedel (2003) are to provide generalizable insights into covert visual attention to complex, multimodal stimuli in their natural context, through inverse inference from eye-movement data. We discuss the most important issues raised by Feng (2003) and Reichle and Nelson (2003), in particular the task definition, inclusion of ad features, object-based versus space-based attention and the evidence for the where and what streams.Author names are in reverse alphabetical order.     

Parallel patterns of spatial compatibility and spatial congruence…as long as you don't look too closely

The effects of spatial compatibility and spatial congruence have both been explained in terms of a dual-route model under which spatial information about the stimulus, regardless of task relevance, is directly passed from perception to action. Recently, however, some alternatives to the dual-route model of the Simon Effect have been proposed (or re-introduced) as viable explanations. The present experiment compared the magnitudes of the effects of spatial compatibility and spatial congruence across a range of tasks that varied in their dimensional overlap. The results exhibited a remarkable parallel between the two phenomena when viewed only in terms of the interaction between stimulus set and response set. This could be taken as new evidence for a common origin. However, when the entire pattern of results was examined, a large difference between compatibility and congruence were also seen, which implies that there is at least one important difference between the two phenomena.     

Not so fast: Rethinking the effects of action video games on attentional capacity

Considerable excitement has been generated by recent studies showing that video gaming alters fundamental aspects of attention. We tested the claim that people who frequently play action video games (video game players (VGPs)) have a greater capacity of attention than those who rarely play video games (non‐video game players (NVGPs)). We first attempted to replicate previous findings by comparing VGPs and NVGPs on a flanker compatibility task (Experiment 1). In contrast with previous studies, VGPs did not demonstrate greater intrusion from distractors, calling into question the reliability of previous findings. In Experiment 2, we manipulated the eccentricity of flankers in an Eriksen flanker task to examine the extent to which VGPs and NVGPs processed irrelevant peripheral stimuli. No attentional differences emerged in the conditions tested, with both groups displaying compatibility effects at all eccentricities. Together these results raise doubts that video game playing increases attentional capacity.     

Supporting Japanese Mothers of Children with ADHD: Cultural Adaptation of the New Forest Parent Training Programme

International practice guidelines recommend medication and behavioral intervention as evidenced‐based treatments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Currently in Japan, the availability of non‐pharmacological interventions for ADHD is limited. We report the results of a pilot and a proof‐of‐concept study for a new behavioral intervention for Japanese mothers of children with ADHD. The pilot study delivered a standard six‐session behavioral intervention and two parent‐support sessions. Participants approved the group format and requested additional support to change parenting practices and behavioral strategies targeting ADHD symptoms. For the proof‐of‐concept study, the intervention was revised to include five sessions of pre‐intervention support followed by six sessions of the New Forest Parent Training Programme (NFPP), an evidence‐based intervention for ADHD. The revised intervention, NFPP‐Japan, was associated with reductions in the mothers’ reports of children's ADHD symptoms and aggression, more effective parenting practices, and reduced parenting stress. The pilot and proof‐of‐concept studies indicate that it is possible to successfully modify Western behavioral interventions for Japanese mothers and to justify a randomized controlled trial evaluation of the NFPP‐Japan, which is currently underway.     

Visual orienting and attention deficits in 5- and 10-month-old preterm infants

Cognitive outcomes for children born prematurely are well characterized, including increased risk for deficits in memory, attention, processing speed, and executive function. However, little is known about deficits that appear within the first 12 months, and how these early deficits contribute to later outcomes. To probe for functional deficits in visual attention, preterm and full-term infants were tested at 5 and 10 months with the Infant Orienting With Attention task (IOWA; Ross-Sheehy, Schneegans and Spencer, 2015). 5-month-old preterm infants showed significant deficits in orienting speed and task related error. However, 10-month-old preterm infants showed only selective deficits in spatial attention, particularly reflexive orienting responses, and responses that required some inhibition. These emergent deficits in spatial attention suggest preterm differences may be related to altered postnatal developmental trajectories. Moreover, we found no evidence of a dose-response relation between increased gestational risk and spatial attention. These results highlight the critical role of postnatal visual experience, and suggest that visual orienting may be a sensitive measure of attentional delay. Results reported here both inform current theoretical models of early perceptual/cognitive development, and future intervention efforts.