Hot Sauce,toy guns,and graffiti: A critical account of current laboratory aggression paradigms

In 1996, Tedeschi and Quigley published a review of laboratory aggression research that included many damning criticisms of the genre. This paper revisits Tedeschi and Quigley's critique, and examines the ways that subsequent researchers have addressed the weaknesses they identified. In particular, it examines three new laboratory aggression paradigms (Hot Sauce, Bungled Procedure, and Experimental Graffiti Paradigms) that have attempted to improve upon the “classic” paradigms (Teacher/Learner & Essay Evaluation Paradigms, Competitive Reaction Time Game, Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm, and Bobo Modelling Paradigm). In each case, this review will show, that although some aspects of the new designs are indeed improvements, many of Tedeschi and Quigley's arguments still apply. In conclusion, this investigation will identify a number of factors that future laboratory aggression researchers should consider. These include: The perceptions and motivations of the aggressor; the apparent distance between the aggressor and the target; the availability of non‐aggressive response options; the problems of demand characteristics, permissive cues and agentic shift; the differences between proactive and reactive aggression, and the distinction between overt and covert forms of aggression. Aggr. Behav. 00:000–000, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Who is who in dissociation?: A plea for psychodynamics in a time of trauma1

Contemporary theories of dissociation and trauma for the most part have evolved outside of psychoanalysis. Psychoanalytic writings have also been regarded as being in opposition to trauma‐based notions of human psychopathology. The specific psychoanalytic contribution—the emphasis on unconscious conflict and meaning—is for the most part excluded from the discourse on dissociation, often resulting in a mechanic conceptualisation of trauma. In this paper, based on clinical material, the author argues in favour of including conflict, unconscious intention and personal meaning in understanding the kind of dissociation we see in cases of multiple personality pathology. Textual analysis of letters written to the analyst illustrates how events of abuse are defensively elaborated. The author demonstrates that patterns of affect regulation and dominant object–relational strategies can be captured through analysis of the discourse structure. She focuses on how an organised character pattern, revealed mainly through narrative style and the analyst's countertransference, serves protective purposes as well as wishfulfillment. She argues that dissociation in the form of multiple personalities may imply an active, strategic agent.     

心理学中实验法的方法论地位重估

认知心理学以实验法为其方法论基础,着力对人类的认识过程进行模型建构。然而,早在20世纪70年代初,其创立者奈塞尔就对心理学的实验范式感到不满,转而寻求心理学的生态学效度。心理学中对实验法的推崇源于自然科学特别是物理学的成功。而实际上,物理学在20世纪初遭遇了实验法所带来的困境。受制于实验法的种种局限,当代认知科学逐渐放弃了方法论的沙文主义立场,接纳了来自语言学、哲学、神经科学等多领域、多视角的研究策略。心理学在一定程度上具有人文科学的性质,因此同样需要采用多重研究手段和方法,而不是一味地笃信实验法的权威性。     

Fourteen‐month‐old infants track the language comprehension of communicative partners

Infants employ sophisticated mechanisms to acquire their first language, including some that rely on taking the perspective of adults as speakers or listeners. When do infants first show awareness of what other people understand? We tested 14‐month‐old infants in two experiments measuring event‐related potentials. In Experiment 1, we established that infants produce the N400 effect, a brain signature of semantic violations, in a live object naming paradigm in the presence of an adult observer. In Experiment 2, we induced false beliefs about the labeled objects in the adult observer to test whether infants keep track of the other person's comprehension. The results revealed that infants reacted to the semantic incongruity heard by the other as if they encountered it themselves: they exhibited an N400‐like response, even though labels were congruous from their perspective. This finding demonstrates that infants track the linguistic understanding of social partners. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/pQUv8yFhnbk .     

Minding the Dreamer Within: An Experimental Study on the Effects of Enhanced Dream Recall on Creative Thinking

Several studies have found an association between frequency of dream recall and creativity. We tested the hypothesis that training individuals to increase dream recall by means of a daily dream log would increase scores on the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT). One hundred twenty‐five participants completed a baseline measure of creativity (TTCT, figural version) as well as of dream recall, dissociation, thinness of psychological boundaries, mindful‐attention awareness, and well‐being. Participants were randomly allocated to two groups: the experimental group (n = 55) received a daily dream log; while the control group (n = 32) received a similarly phrased log registering memories of a vivid episode from the previous day. After 27 days, all participants completed follow‐up measurements identical to those at baseline. A non‐randomized non‐intervention group (n = 35) was used to test for practice effects on the TTCT. There was significant selective increase for the “creative strengths” component, which was only observed in the experimental group. There were significant correlations between creativity and dissociation as well as between creativity and thinness of psychological boundaries. Enhanced dream recall through daily dream logging fosters aspects of creativity. Associations between creativity, dissociation, and thinness of boundaries, suggest that increased awareness to dreams increases creativity through a “loosening” of stereotyped thinking pattern.     

Modality and domain specific components in auditory and visual working memory tasks

In the tripartite model of working memory (WM) it is postulated that a unique part system—the visuo-spatial sketchpad (VSSP)—processes non-verbal content. Due to behavioral and neurophysiological findings, the VSSP was later subdivided into visual object and visual spatial processing, the former representing objects’ appearance and the latter spatial information. This distinction is well supported. However, a challenge to this model is the question how spatial information from non-visual sensory modalities, for example the auditory one, is processed. Only a few studies so far have directly compared visual and auditory spatial WM. They suggest that the distinction of two processing domains—one for object and one for spatial information—also holds true for auditory WM, but that only a part of the processes is modality specific. We propose that processing in the object domain (the item’s appearance) is modality specific, while spatial WM as well as object-location binding relies on modality general processes.     

The impact of trauma on the psyche of the individual using the film Belleville Rendez-vous as an illustrative vehicle

Using the film Belleville Rendez-vous as a vehicle for discussion, this paper argues that whilst a traumatic complex may bring about dissociation of the psyche, this is not the only possibility, nor is dissociation necessarily to be seen solely as a difficulty to be overcome. If trauma is experienced within the context of support and validation, the experience of trauma may generate integration not only of the trauma but also of the growth potential that the trauma has previously inhibited.     

片段再认任务在内隐序列学习研究中的有效性检验

内隐序列学习到底能习得何种知识呢？已有研究从任务分离范式发展到加工分离程序试图来捕获习得的知识。本研究根据信号检测论原理把三元素再认测验的成绩离析成击中率和虚报率, 再试图运用加工分离程序的思想来分离习得的意识知识和无意识知识, 为示区别将这种测验命名为片段再认任务, 并以序列生成任务为效标, 通过两个实验来检验片段再认任务的效度和敏感性。实验1以反应–刺激间隔(RSI)为自变量来检验片段再认任务和序列生成任务在测量习得知识上的效度, 结果显示前者的效度高于后者; 实验2进行测验的敏感性分析, 以参与度为自变量, 结果表明前者更为灵敏所以测量效度高。总之, 与序列生成任务相比, 片段再认任务是一种高效而灵敏的测量工具。     

A Research Tool to Increase Attention to Experimental Materials: Manipulating Presentation Format

Experimental approaches require researchers in a variety of applied business disciplines to design experimental materials. This research is often busy and difficult to secure high-level professionals; thus, researchers must ensure sufficient attention to experimental materials to provide usable data. The current study suggests an experimental design feature to encourage participants to thoroughly process information contained in experimental materials. Based on Reynolds' (1992) selective attention strategy (SAS) model, variations in presentation format were expected to influence the relative salience of information presented. Two aspects of presentation format were manipulated to increase salience: display (paragraph vs. bullet point) and typeface (standard vs. bold underlined). Results indicate display improved ability to retrieve information, but typeface did not. Implications for the design of experimental materials are discussed.