非言语声音影响汉语听者言语声音的知觉

采用启动范式, 以汉语听者为被试, 考察了非言语声音是否影响言语声音的知觉。实验1考察了纯音对辅音范畴连续体知觉的影响, 结果发现纯音影响到辅音范畴连续体的知觉, 表现出频谱对比效应。实验2考察了纯音和复合音对元音知觉的影响, 结果发现与元音共振峰频率一致的纯音或复合音加快了元音的识别, 表现出启动效应。两个实验一致发现非言语声音能够影响言语声音的知觉, 表明言语声音知觉也需要一个前言语的频谱特征分析阶段, 这与言语知觉听觉理论的观点一致。     

自我参照框架决定了自我面孔优势效应的出现

研究使用外显面孔再认实验(实验一)和内隐面孔感知实验(实验二)检验自我参照框架是否是自我面孔加工优势出现的决定性因素这一假设。具有不同朝向(左或右)的被试自己面孔和朋友面孔呈现在视野中央, 实验一中, 被试的任务为参照自我框架(观察者角度)或他人框架(被观察的像的角度)判断自我面孔的朝向(忽视朋友面孔), 或者判断朋友面孔的朝向(忽视自我面孔); 实验二中, 被试的任务为参照自我框架或他人框架判断所有面孔的朝向。结果表明：自我参照框架促进自我面孔加工优势的出现, 而他人参照框架消减自我面孔优势, 这种效应稳定地存在于外显和内隐两项任务中。并且, 自我参照框架对自我优势效应的促进作用不依赖于面孔刺激背景。     

利用反诱导消除McCollough效应

ＭｃＣｏｌｌｏｕｇｈ效应在完全黑暗和自然视觉条件下的消退过程很缓慢,而利用同频补色条栅来进行反诱导,能在十几分钟内消除显色效应。消除所用时间与反诱导条栅的亮度、颜色和栅条间距（空间频率）有关。进一步说明导致ＭｃＣｏｌｌｏｕｇｈ效应恢复平衡的主要因素跟网膜刺激方式有关。     

Duration comparison: relative stimulus differences stimulus age, and stimulus predictiveness.

Under a psychophysical trials procedure, pigeons were presented with a red light of one duration followed by a green light of a second duration. Eight geometrically spaced base durations were paired with one of four shorter and four longer durations as the alternate member of a duration pair, with different pairs randomly intermixed. One choice was reinforced if red had lasted longer than green, and a second choice was reinforced if green had lasted longer. Performance was compared when all the base durations and their pair members were included (entire-range condition) or when only the four longest base durations and their comparison durations (restricted-range condition) were used. Discrimination sensitivity decreased for longer duration pairs under both conditions, supporting a memory-based account. Sensitivity was lower under the restricted-range condition. Under both conditions, a bias to report "green as longer" increased as the second green duration increased. Bias changed as a matching function of the green-duration predictiveness of the correct choice. The results are related to a quantitative model of timing and remembering proposed by Staddon.     

An empirical look at the Defence Mechanism Test (DMT) Stimulus effects

Based on a sample of non-clinical subjects (N=74) the study examines the Defence Mechanism Test (DMT) by focusing on when perceptual distortions, called ‘signs of defence’ in DMT terminology, occur (distribution in exposure duration), which part of the picture is involved (distribution in localisation), and which ‘signs’ go together (using correlation and factor analyses). The results disclosed that the occurrence of perceptual distortions (‘signs of defence’) was related to exposure duration (some ‘defences’ are more frequent at brief exposures, some others at longer exposure durations), and to localisation on the picture. The location of misperceptions to the central person (hero) or the peripheral person (pp) of the picture was the major explanatory principle for the distribution of ‘signs’ on factors. Rather than capturing psychodynamic defence mechanisms, which is the theoretical basis of the test, the analyses imply that the DMT seems to measure misperceptions which are a function of the localisation of persons on the stimulus picture and of exposure durations.     

Depression,self-focus,and social interaction

The accuracy of depressed and nondepressed subjects' perceptions of their own and a social interactional partner's performance was investigated. Twenty depressed and twenty nondepressed college students participated in dyadic interactions and then rated their own and their partner's social behavior. The interactions were also rated by objective coders. Depressed subjects were differentiated from nondepressed subjects on several measures by both the coders and the subjects. Depressed subjects' self-ratings were correlated with the coders' ratings more often than were the nondepressives' ratings, suggesting depressives provided more accurate self-observations. Contrary to prediction, depressives were also more accurate in judging their partner's behavior. Depressives experienced heightened levels of self-focused attention, but this attentional focus did not mediate the relationship between depression level and self-accuracy. Finally, an analysis of the verbal statements suggests that performance differences between depressives and nondepressives may be a function of the quantity, rather than the quality, of the verbal production.     

Cognitive components in risk perception: Natural versus manmade risks

In a questionnaire study 106 Norwegian students rated natural and manmade hazards according to risk magnitude and public versus private responsibility for risk management. Another group of 50 subjects judged 36 natural hazards on nine risk dimensions used in previous psychometric studies of ‘manmade risks’. When ratings on nine risk characteristics for natural hazards were factor analyzed a three-dimensional solution was found, with one active/passive dimension, one potency dimension, and one novelty dimension. This contrasts with the two-dimensional solution found for manmade hazards. Responsibility for risk management was found to be related to the type of risk in focus, and different risk characteristics seem to play different roles for manmade and natural hazards.