工作记忆、语境限制强度和句子长度对二语词汇学习的影响

本研究选取初二、高二、大三三个年龄段的被试,考察在句子阅读过程中,工作记忆容量、语境限制强度和句子长度对第二语言词汇学习的影响。研究结果发现,在句子阅读条件下,工作记忆容量是影响第二语言词汇学习的重要因素,高工作记忆容量促进了第二语言词汇的学习;在中等和长句子的条件下,语境的限制性越强,词汇学习的成绩越好;相比初二年龄组被试,高二和大三年龄组被试,在低语境限制性的情况下,阅读的句子越长,第二语言词汇学习效果越差。研究结果说明,个体工作记忆的容量,以及阅读材料等变量,都是影响自然阅读条件下二语词汇学习的重要因素。     

An investigation of the role of some person and situation variables in multiple cue probability learning

Making decisions using judgements of multiple non-deterministic indicators is an important task, both in everyday and professional life. Learning of such decision making has often been studied as the mapping of stimuli (cues) to an environmental variable (criterion); however, little attention has been paid to the effects of situation-by-person interactions on this learning. Accordingly, we manipulated cue and feedback presentation mode (graphic or numeric) and task difficulty, and measured individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC). We predicted that graphic presentation, fewer cues, and elevated WMC would facilitate learning, and that person and task characteristics would interact such that presentation mode compatible with the decision maker's cognitive capability (enhanced visual or verbal WMC) would assist learning, particularly for more difficult tasks. We found our predicted main effects, but no significant interactions, except that those with greater WMC benefited to a larger extent with graphic than with numeric presentation, regardless of which type of working memory was enhanced or number of cues. Our findings suggest that the conclusions of past research based predominantly on tasks using numeric presentation need to be reevaluated and cast light on how working memory helps us learn multiple cue–criterion relationships, with implications for dual-process theories of cognition.     

Keeping one's options open: The detrimental consequences of decision reversibility

People generally prefer to have the opportunity to revise their decisions. Surprisingly however, research has shown that keeping one's options open yields lower satisfaction with the decision outcome (Gilbert & Ebert, 2002). Two studies aimed to gain more insight into the detrimental consequences of decision reversibility and the cognitive processes underlying decision reversibility. Building upon literature on goal fulfillment we hypothesized and found in a first experiment that as long as decisions are still open to change, accessibility of decision-related constructs is increased compared to neutral constructs. A second experiment demonstrated that decision reversibility undermines working memory capacity. Moreover participants experienced higher regret after having made a reversible decision, an effect that was mediated by decreased working memory capacity. The study set implies that reversible decisions yield lower working memory capacity because people continue to think about the, still relevant, choice options. In the end this might increase dissatisfaction with the decision and regret.     

A Bayesian hierarchical model for the measurement of working memory capacity

Working memory is the memory system that allows for conscious storage and manipulation of information. The capacity of working memory is extremely limited. Measurements of this limit, and what affects it, are critical to understanding working memory. Cowan (2001) and Pashler (1988) suggested applying multinomial tree models to data from change detection paradigms in order to estimate working memory capacity. Both Pashler and Cowan suggested simple formulas for estimating capacity with these models. However, in many cases, these simple formulas are inadequate, and may lead to inefficient or biased estimation of working memory capacity. I propose a Bayesian hierarchical alternative to the Pashler and Cowan formulas, and show that the hierarchical model outperforms the traditional formulas. The models are easy to use and appropriate for a wide range of experimental designs. An easy-to-use graphical user interface for fitting the hierarchical model to data is available.     

Interpretation as Freud's specific action,and Bion's container‐contained

This is a paper showing how a concept central to the work of Wilfred Bion, and one of Klein's important recommendations concerning the practice of analysis with adults and small children, can both be seen in the light of Freud's earliest formulation of the origin of anxiety and the mother's first responses to her infant in distress. In the paper I suggest that these clinically influential concepts of Klein and Bion show an underlying consistency and affinity with Freud's early ideas about the management of anxiety in the mother‐infant relationship, described in two of his pre‐psychoanalytic writings, How Anxiety Originates (1894b), and The Project for a Scientific Psychology (1950 [1895]). The specific mode of operation of psychoanalytic interpretation is clarified by the comparisons made, with no attempt to suggest that Klein or Bion based their concepts upon these particular early formulations of Freud's.     

由两个模型看视觉工作记忆容量机制的研究

在众多的实验基础上, 研究者提出了分析视觉工作记忆的“容量有限模型”和“资源灵活分配模型”, 而两个模型在以下三方面存在着争论：(1)视觉工作记忆中保存的项目精度是否是固定的, (2)资源分配的模式是连续分配的还是以量子化模式分配的, (3)存储单元是以特征为单元还是以客体为单元。未来该领域的研究应加强对视觉工作记忆容量单元的探讨, 探索应用新的研究方法, 控制影响视觉工作记忆容量的空间因素等。     

关于医疗同意书的若干法律问题的思考

医疗知情同意书与病人知情权密切相关,还涉及病人的自我决定权和隐私权。对知情同意书的本质及其法律效力,签署主体及告知的标准进行了一些探讨。     

注意瞬脱神经机制的研究

在很短的时间间隔内连续呈现两个目标刺激时,被试对第二个目标刺激的正确报告率显著下降,这种现象就是注意瞬脱.该文简述了注意瞬脱的概念、容量有限性等方面,尤其详细介绍了注意瞬脱神经机制研究的新进展,并对今后的研究提出展望.     

What is threatening about refugees? Identifying different types of threat and their association with emotional responses and attitudes towards refugee migration

Threat is one of the most important predictors for attitudes towards refugees and migration. The current research addresses the role of different threat types and emotional reactions in the context of refugee migration with a multi-method approach. Using qualitative (Study 1, N = 202) and quantitative (Studies 2–4, N = 873) methods, we identified six types of threat that majority group members in Germany experience in the face of refugee migration: Concerns about cultural differences (symbolic threat), financial strain (realistic threat), criminal acts (safety threat), conflicts within society (cohesion threat), increasing xenophobia (prejudice threat), and refugee care (altruistic threat). All these threat types elicited negative emotions and were associated with negative attitudes towards refugees and support for restrictive migration policies. Paradoxically, concerns about refugee care predicted support for restrictive migration policies particularly well (altruistic threat paradox), which can be explained by a lack of emotional responses to this type of threat. Based on these findings, we propose a bidirectional model of intergroup threat.