Distracted by relatives: Effects of frontal lobe damage on semantic distraction

When young adults carry out visual search, distractors that are semantically related, rather than unrelated, to targets can disrupt target selection (see 2 and 22). This effect is apparent on the first eye movements in search, suggesting that attention is sometimes captured by related distractors. Here we assessed effects of semantically related distractors on search in patients with frontal-lobe lesions and compared them to the effects in age-matched controls. Compared with the controls, the patients were less likely to make a first saccade to the target and they were more likely to saccade to distractors (whether related or unrelated to the target). This suggests a deficit in a first stage of selecting a potential target for attention. In addition, the patients made more errors by responding to semantically related distractors on target-absent trials. This indicates a problem at a second stage of target verification, after items have been attended. The data suggest that frontal lobe damage disrupts both the ability to use peripheral information to guide attention, and the ability to keep separate the target of search from the related items, on occasions when related items achieve selection.     

Reducing negative emotional memories by retroactive interference

Because negative emotional memories are often disruptive, we conducted two experiments to reduce these memories by using a retroactive interference (RI) paradigm. In both experiments, participants were presented with highly negative pictures (List 1) followed by highly negative, moderately negative, or neutral pictures (List 2) or a rest period. Then, following a filler task, participants took a surprise free recall test, recalling pictures from List 1 in Experiment 1 and from both List 1 and List 2 in Experiment 2. In both experiments, recall of List 1 was reduced by List 2, indicating that RI was present. Furthermore, in Experiment 1, RI was similar between moderately negative and highly negative List 2 whereas in Experiment 2, RI was greater for highly negative List 2 than moderately negative List 2. These results showed that RI can be used to reduce negative emotional memories by making these memories inaccessible.     

Production blocking and idea generation: Does blocking interfere with cognitive processes?

Production blocking (group members must take turns expressing their ideas) is an important cause of productivity loss in brainstorming groups. However, it is not yet clear why production blocking has this detrimental effect. We hypothesized that delays between the generation and articulation of ideas, arising when group members wait for their turns, interfere with the cognitive process of generating ideas. In three experiments, production blocking was simulated for individuals working at computer terminals. Production blocking interfered with idea generation in two ways. First, it disrupted the organization of idea generation when delays were relatively long. Second, it reduced the flexibility of idea generation when delays were unpredictable. Implications for group information processing are discussed.     

数量加工单方向干扰时间知觉的认知与神经机制

近年来,数量加工对时间知觉的单方向干扰效应受到广泛关注,然而关于该效应的认知和神经机制的研究却缺乏深度的文献梳理和理论分析。本文从抽象数量、数字符号等认知加工如何干扰时间知觉的角度,系统总结了近期数量加工单方向影响时间知觉的研究进展;并在对相关文献加以梳理的基础上,详细分析了该效应可能的认知和神经机制,并提出若干未来研究的设想。     

前摄干扰对工作记忆的作用——大脑如何解决前摄干扰?

前摄干扰(PI)对工作记忆有决定性影响.注意加工理论认为处于工作记忆“注意焦点”的信息不受PI影响,偏向-竞争理论则提出个体对熟悉信息和情景信息代码做出权重评估,解决工作记忆PI效应.研究者从工作记忆编码和提取加工的PI效应、内容相关和情景相关的PI效应、PI消除的脑成像特征等角度进行了验证,多数结果支持偏向-竞争理论.未来研究应使用脑成像技术探讨PI效应与工作记忆子系统、子功能之间的关系等主题.     

图词干扰范式下的语义效应

图-词干扰范式下存在着语义干扰效应（semanticinterferenceeffects,SIE）。研究发现,在图-词干扰范式下,语义干扰词对图片命名或者起干扰作用,或者起促进作用。产生这两种截然不同的语义效应的机制很复杂。主要有两种假说：⑴词汇选择竞争说：认为当干扰词和目标图画有语义关联时,干扰词和目标图画所对应的概念表征相互激活,从而造成语义干扰,词汇节点要通过竞争才能得到选择。⑵相对范畴水平说：认为决定语义效应及效应大小的关键因素是干扰词和目标词之间的范畴水平,如果干扰词和目标图画处在同一范畴的相同水平,则产生语义干扰;如果干扰词和目标图画处在同一范畴的不同水平,则产生语义促进。文章回顾了已有的研究及各种假说的争论,并对未来研究进行了展望     

时间干涉刺激干预精神分裂症工作记忆缺陷有效性与脑区特异性及跨频耦合机制

工作记忆缺陷是精神分裂症核心临床特征之一, 它与顶下小叶和背外侧前额叶θ节律及跨频耦合密切关联。相比于传统经颅交流电等脑节律调控手段, 时间干涉刺激(Temporal interference stimulation, TIs)具有靶向聚焦和诱导特定神经响应等特征, 为通过精准节律调控改善工作记忆缺陷提供可能性。本研究拟验证TIs临床干预有效性、脑区特异性并探索其作用机制。研究将入组100例首发精神分裂症患者, 随机分成4组, 分别予以靶向顶下小叶的θ振荡TIs和传统经颅交流电及各自伪刺激, 在干预前后收集行为与脑电数据, 验证TIs干预精神分裂症的工作记忆缺陷有效性并对比传统经颅交流电疗效。然后, 通过对比背外侧前额叶和顶下小叶靶点的TIs效果探索其疗效的脑区特异性。最后, 从跨频耦合等多角度探究行为改变的脑电机制。本研究的实施有望为精神分裂症的工作记忆缺陷治疗提供新选择和理论支撑, 为TIs干预工作记忆缺陷机理解析提供多维证据, 奠定临床基础。     

问题表征过程的一项研究

问题表征是解决问题时理解问题的方式．本研究选用智力数学题为实验作业,通过详细分析３４名大学生被试的问题表征环节及他们问题解决的结果,探讨问题表征中的信息加工过程及其对问题解决结果的影响．实验结果表明：（１）正确的问题表征是解决问题的必要前提,在错误的或者不完整的问题空间中进行搜索不可能求得问题的正确解．（２）问题表征是对问题信息的提取和理解的过程,问题规则在问题表征中起重要作用．（３）在问题表征过程中,导致建构出错误的或者不完整的问题空间的因素包括：信息遗漏（未能将问题的有关信息全部提取出来）,信息误解（对某些问题信息做了错误的分析和理解）,隐喻干扰（问题信息中潜在的歧义性使被试困惑或误导被试的解题思路）等．     

认知干扰还是情绪干扰：病理性网络使用大学生的内隐心理特点比较

通过实验的方法研究病理性网络使用（Pathological Internet Use , PIU）大学生是否存在认知和情绪干扰。实验大学生671人,使用传统的STROOP范式和修正的情绪STROOP范式进行实验。结果发现,PIU被试和高成瘾组被试对网络关联词语的反应时间比中性词语的反应时间长,差异显著,但是中等组和低分组则在网络关联词语和中性词语的反应时间上则没有显著差异。PIU大学生和高成瘾组大学生在网络关联词语的反应时间比中等组大学生和低分组大学生长,差异显著,但是在中性词语方面则差异不显著。大学生被试对情绪关联的反应时间比中性词语的反应时间长,表现出了典型的情绪STROOP效应。PIU被试和高成瘾倾向大学生在情绪关联词语上的反应时间都比其他两组成瘾倾向不明显的大学生反应时间长,差异显著,但是在中性词语上的反应时间差异不明显。PIU大学生和高成瘾倾向的大学生有对情绪关联词语有更加突出的的反应延迟特点,表现出了明显的情绪干扰     

双作业信息输入通道对作业绩效的影响

采用单作业和双作业操作,探讨了不同信息输入通道对双作业操作绩效的影响。实验结果证明：若采用相同的信息输入通道,同时操作的两种作业就会产生相互干扰,降低操作绩效;相反,若采用不同信息输入通道,双作业之间的相互干扰将减小,作业绩效得到提高。