The effects of nodality on the formation of equivalence classes

A four-member equivalence class (A → B → C → D) can be formed by training AB, BC, and CD. The nodal stimuli, B and C, mediate all of the derivative (transitive and equivalence) relations in the class. The derivative relations AC, CA, BD, and DB are separated by one node, whereas AD and DA are separated by two nodes. How do the number of nodes that separate the stimuli in a derivative relation influence the induction of stimulus control exerted by that relation? Seven college students learned two four-member classes made up of nonsense syllables. After training, all derivative relations were presented repeatedly without informative feedback. Stimulus control exerted by each derivative relation was assessed concurrently. For the 7 subjects, control exerted by the derivative relations increased gradually with repeated presentations. With 6 of the 7 subjects, the one-node relations exerted more control than the two-node relations during the process. However, the disparity between the one- and two-node relations decreased with repeated presentations. Eventually, all derivative relations exerted complete control. The control exerted by derivative relations during induction was inversely related to the number of nodes separating the terms in the derivative relations. These results demonstrate that nodal distance is a determinant of the relatedness of stimuli in equivalence classes. The findings are discussed in terms of remote association, semantic memory networks, and the study of transitive inference.     

REALISM AND OPENNESS IN SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY

Abstract. Intrinsic to rigorous knowledge of God is the recognition that positive theological concepts and statements about God arising under the compelling claims of God's reality upon the human mind must have an open revisable structure. A similar combination of critical realism and ontological openness is apparent in the profound change that has taken place in the rational structure of rigorous science from the radical dualism and closed causal system of classical mechanics to the unifying world view and open dynamic field-theories of modern physics. It is argued that the intersection of theological and natural science in their epis-temological foundations can enhance their ontological commitment and heuristic thrust.     

Shy teens and their peers: Shyness in respect to basic personality traits and social relations

The main purpose of this paper was to examine shyness in teenagers from two perspectives: in terms of its relations with basic personality traits and in terms of its influence on the processes that occur in the social networks of high school students. First, we found that shyness was negatively predicted by extraversion and positively by neuroticism. Second, using exponential random graph models we demonstrated that shyness across network effects was similar to reversed extraversion (introversion): Both negatively predicted the number of outgoing relations, whereas they did not affect the number of incoming relations. We discuss the issue of locating shyness in the space of personality traits, supporting the relevance of ascribing it to introversion.     

Developmental stuttering and the role of the supplementary motor cortex

Developmental stuttering is a frequent neurodevelopmental disorder with a complex neurobiological basis. Robust neural markers of stuttering include imbalanced activity of speech and motor related brain regions, and their impaired structural connectivity. The dynamic interaction of cortical regions is regulated by the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical system with the supplementary motor area constituting a crucial cortical site. The SMA integrates information from different neural circuits, and manages information about motor programs such as self-initiated movements, motor sequences, and motor learning. Abnormal functioning of SMA is increasingly reported in stuttering, and has been recently indicated as an additional “neural marker” of DS: anatomical and functional data have documented abnormal structure and activity of the SMA, especially in motor and speech networks. Its connectivity is often impaired, especially when considering networks of the left hemisphere. Compatibly, recent data suggest that, in DS, SMA is part of a poorly synchronized neural network, thus resulting in a likely substrate for the appearance of DS symptoms. However, as evident when considering neural models of stuttering, the role of SMA has not been fully clarified. Herein, the available evidence is reviewed, which highlights the role of the SMA in DS as a neural “hub”, receiving and conveying altered information, thus “gating” the release of correct or abnormal motor plans.     

Tracing enhances problem-solving transfer,but without effects on intrinsic or extraneous cognitive load

People can make pointing gestures and tracing actions with the index finger with little or no conscious effort. From the perspective of cognitive load theory, such “biologically primary” gestures and actions might help people learn “biologically secondary” concepts and skills requiring extended cognitive effort, such as reading, science, or mathematics. Studies on tracing or tracing and pointing have yielded mixed findings regarding hypothesized effects on intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load. The present study investigated whether computer-based instructions to trace elements of worked examples on angle relationships would affect school students' (N = 106) self-reports of intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load, as well as problem-solving transfer test performance. The tracing effect on transfer posttests seen in prior studies was replicated, but cognitive load hypotheses were not supported. Implications for educational practice and future research are discussed.     

Teaming up with temps: the impact of temporary workers on team social networks and effectiveness

Temporary workers offer immediate benefits to the bottom line; yet, it is unclear how incorporating temporary workers into teams affects how they function. We apply social identity theory to propose that temporary workers significantly reduce individual- and team-level networks and team effectiveness but that commitment to the leader and intergroup competition can help temporary and permanent employees work together more effectively. Using a sample of employees nested in teams (Study 1, n = 312), we found that status differences affected member interactions resulting in sparser advice and friendship networks for temporary workers compared to their permanent counterparts. At the team level (Study 2, n = 58), these team member differences or contract diversity impacted team functioning through advice networks, such that, teams with greater contract diversity had sparser networks and were less effective. Further, commitment to the leader was found to moderate the negative impact of contract diversity on advice and friendship network density. With the increasing use of temporary worker and the prevalent use of teams, these findings have broader implications for HR functions and present possible avenues to mitigate the negative consequences of temporary workers.     

多巴胺系统基因对注意网络的调控作用

多巴胺是脑内重要的神经递质之一,与注意活动紧密相关。本文选取作用于突触前膜、间隙和后膜的多巴胺系统基因——多巴胺转运蛋白基因、儿茶酚氧化甲基转移酶基因和多巴胺受体基因,整合影像遗传学研究,探讨多巴胺基因对注意网络的调控。元分析发现背侧和腹侧注意网络的主要脑区均有较大的基因调控效应,且腹侧网络的效应值显著大于背侧网络,表明多巴胺系统基因在全脑范围内调控注意网络,且对腹侧网络的调控作用更强于背侧网络。     

Accuracy and performance of the state-based Φ and liveliness measures of information integration

A number of people have suggested that there is a link between information integration and consciousness, and a number of algorithms for calculating information integration have been put forward. The most recent of these is Balduzzi and Tononi’s state-based Φ algorithm, which has factorial dependencies that severely limit the number of neurons that can be analyzed. To address this issue an alternative state-based measure known as liveliness has been developed, which uses the causal relationships between neurons to identify the areas of maximum information integration. This paper outlines the state-based Φ and liveliness algorithms and sets out a number of test networks that were used to compare their accuracy and performance. The results show that liveliness is a reasonable approximation to state-based Φ for some network topologies, and it has a much more scalable performance than state-based Φ.     

流畅体验、内/外动机、数学焦虑及数学成绩的路径分析

目的：研究旨在考察数学学习中的流畅体验,探讨流畅体验、内/外动机、数学焦虑及数学成绩的关系。方法：招募296名高中生,在数学月考后完成自编考试流畅体验量表、学习动机量表、数学焦虑量表。结果：路径分析表明,存在四条显著路径,即内部动机→流畅状态→数学成绩;数学焦虑→流畅状态→数学成绩;外部动机→流畅状态→数学成绩;外部动机→数学成绩。结论：只有通过考试过程中的流畅体验,内部动机和数学焦虑才能影响考试成绩。