知识类别和特点对内隐序列学习的影响

用序列学习中的反应时和错误个数间接测量被试的内隐知识,用再认成绩和预测成绩直接测量被试的外显知识,通过倒转不同的规则探讨了知识类别和特点对内隐序列学习的影响。结果表明：(1)内隐学习和外显学习可能分别依赖于两个独立的学习系统,且互不干扰;(2)当内隐序列学习既包含运动知识又包含概念知识时,知识类别和特点影响被试对序列知识的获得,被试较易获得运动知识;(3)在内隐序列学习中练习的数量也影响被试对序列知识的获得,序列学习是一个动态的过程。     

Hand–foot motor priming in the presence of temporary inability to use hands

To verify if the link between observed hand actions and executed foot actions found in aplasics is essentially induced by the constant use of foot substituting the hand, we investigated if the vision of a grasping hand is able to prime a foot response in normals. Participants were required to detect the time-to-contact of a hand grasping an object either with a suitable or a less suitable movement, an experimental paradigm known to induce a priming effect. Participants responded either with the hand or the foot, while having free or bound hands. Results showed that for hand responses motor priming effect was stronger when the hands were free, whereas for foot responses it was stronger when the hands were bound. These data are interpreted as a further evidence that a difficulty to move affects specific cognitive functions and that the vision of a grasping hand may prime a foot response.     

Development of rule-based eye-hand-decoupling in children and adolescents

In the present study, we characterize how the ability to decouple guiding visual information from a motor action emerges during childhood and adolescence. Sixty-two participants (age range 8–15 yrs.) completed two eye-hand coordination tasks. In a direct interaction task, vision and motor action were in alignment, and participants slid their finger along a vertical touch screen to move a cursor from a central target to one of four peripheral targets. In an eye-hand-decoupled task, eye and hand movements were made in different planes and cursor feedback was 180° reversed. We analyzed whether movement planning, timing and trajectory variables differed across age in both task conditions. There were no significant relationships between age and any movement planning, timing, or execution variables in the direct interaction task. In contrast, in the eye-hand-decoupled task, we found a relationship between age and several movement planning and timing variables. In adolescents (13–15 yrs.), movement planning and timing was significantly shorter than that of young children (8–10 yrs.). Eye-hand-decoupled maturation emerged mainly during late childhood (11–12 yrs.). Notably, we detected performance differences between young children and adolescents exclusively during the eye-hand decoupling task which required the integration of rule-based cognitive information into the motor action. Differences were not observed during the direct interaction task. Our results quantify an important milestone for eye-hand-decoupling development in late childhood, leading to improved rule-based motor performance in early adolescence. This eye-hand-decoupling development may be due to frontal lobe development linked to rule-based behavior and the strengthening of fronto-parietal networks.     

Recovery of Locomotion in Monkeys with Spinal Cord Lesions

This study reanalyzes kinematically (via film) the pre- and postoperative locomotor behavior of 4 of the 10 monkeys with partial spinal cord lesions (T8) briefly described by Eidelberg, Walden, and Nguyen (1981). The behavior of the remaining 6 monkeys is qualitatively described. The analysis reveals that 5 of the animals initially exhibited unilateral hind limb stepping. Hind and forelimb cycle durations often differed postoperatively; the hind limbs commonly showed increased values, whereas fore-limb cycle durations were reduced. Ipsilateral interlimb phase values were usually inconsistent.

A review of prior studies of primate spinal cord lesions indicates that sparing of the ventrolateral quadrant may not be essential for locomotor recovery (cf. Eidelberg, Walden, and Nguyen, 1981). Furthermore, this review as well as the kinematic analysis indicates that primates with very significant spinal lesions can still exhibit locomotor movements. Thus, although the primate's spinal cord seems less able than other mammals' to readily organize locomotor movements (Eidelberg, Walden, & Nguyen, 1981), the total absence of stepping in primates with completely transected cords is unexpected and warrants further research.     

Time Course of Tactile Gating in a Reach-to-Grasp and Lift Task

Humans’ sensory systems are bombarded by myriad events every moment of our lives. Thus, it is crucial for sensory systems to choose and process critical sensory events deemed important for a given task and, indeed, those that affect survival. Tactile gating is well known, and defined as a reduced ability to detect and discriminate tactile events before and during movement. Also, different locations of the effector exhibit different magnitudes of sensitivity changes. The authors examined that time course of tactile gating in a reaching and grasping movement to characterize its behavior. Tactile stimulators were attached to the right and left mid-forearms and the right index finger and fifth digit. When participants performed reach-to-grasp and lift targets, tactile acuity decreased at the right forearm before movement onset (F. L. Colino, G. Buckingham, D. T. Cheng, P. van Donkelaar, &; G. Binsted, 2014 Colino, F. L., Buckingham, G., Cheng, D. T., van Donkelaar, P., &; Binsted, G. (2014). Tactile Gating in a reaching and grasping task. Physiology Reports, 2(3), e00267.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). However, tactile sensitivity at the right index finger decreased by nearly 20% contrary to expectations. This result reflecting that there may be an additional source acting to reduce inhibition related to tactile gating. Additionally, sensitivity improved as movement end approached. Collectively, the present results indicate that predictive and postdictive mechanisms strongly influence tactile gating.     

Noninvasive Brain Stimulation over the M1 Enhances Bimanual Force Control Ability: A Randomized Double-Blind Sham-Controlled Study

Well-coordinated bimanual force control is common in daily life. We investigated the effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the primary motor cortex on bimanual force control. Under a cross-over study, young adults (n = 19; female = 6, male = 13) completed three bimanual force control tasks at 5%, 25%, and 50% of bimanual maximum voluntary force (BMVF) before and after real or sham tDCS. Real tDCS enhanced accuracy at all BMVF, reduced variability at 5% BMVF, and increased coordination at 5% BMVF. Real tDCS improved force control at 5% and 25% BMVF, and especially increased bimanual coordination at 5% BMVF. These findings might have implications for establishing interventions for patients with hand force control deficits.     

Applicant reactions and faking in real-life personnel selection

Faking may affect hiring decisions in personnel selection. All the antecedents of faking are still not known. The present study investigates the association between applicants' reactions about the selection procedure and their tendency to fake. The subjects (N = 180) were real-life applicants for a fire and rescue personnel school. After completing the selection process, the applicants filled out a questionnaire about their test reactions (Chan, Schmitt, Sacco & DeSohon, 1998b) and a faking scale, the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (Paulhus, 1991). The results based on Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) indicated that the more positive reactions applicant had about the selection procedure the more impression management they had. The applicant reactions were not associated with self-deception.     

When motion improves working memory

ABSTRACT

In the present study, we used a complex span task to explore how memory traces resulting from Self-Performed Task (SPT) and Verbal Task (VT) are maintained in working memory. Participants memorised series of five sentences describing an action either through SPT or VT. Between pairs of sentences, participants performed a concurrent task that varied according to its nature and its cognitive load. The concurrent task was either a verbal task, a low cognitive load motor task or a high cognitive load motor task. A control condition served as a baseline. First, we observed that performance in SPT and VT did not decrease with verbal or motor suppression, but was lower with an increase of the cognitive load. This suggests that memory traces are maintained through attentional refreshing whatever the encoding (SPT or VT). Second, while the enactment effect was replicated in the control condition, it tended to vanish with a verbal concurrent task; moreover, it was reversed with motor concurrent tasks. Surprisingly, the latter effect resulted from an increase of VT memory performance when participants repeated the same gesture between sentences. Finally, our results provide additional evidence that the enactment effect does not rely on attention.     

Disentangling Fine Motor Skills’ Relations to Academic Achievement: The Relative Contributions of Visual-Spatial Integration and Visual-Motor Coordination

Recent research has established a connection between children's fine motor skills and their academic performance. Previous research has focused on fine motor skills measured prior to elementary school, while the present sample included children ages 5–18 years old, making it possible to examine whether this link remains relevant throughout childhood and adolescence. Furthermore, the majority of research linking fine motor skills and academic achievement has not determined which specific components of fine motor skill are driving this relation. The few studies that have looked at associations of separate fine motor tasks with achievement suggest that copying tasks that tap visual-spatial integration skills are most closely related to achievement. The present study examined two separate elements of fine motor skills—visual-motor coordination and visual-spatial integration—and their associations with various measures of academic achievement. Visual-motor coordination was measured using tracing tasks, while visual-spatial integration was measured using copy-a-figure tasks. After controlling for gender, socioeconomic status, IQ, and visual-motor coordination, and visual-spatial integration explained significant variance in children's math and written expression achievement. Knowing that visual-spatial integration skills are associated with these two achievement domains suggests potential avenues for targeted math and writing interventions for children of all ages.     

Calibration and Alignment are Separable: Evidence From Prism Adaptation

In 2 prism adaptation experiments, the authors investigated the effects of limb starting position visibility (visible or not visible) and visual feedback availability (early or late in target pointing movements). Thirty-two students participated in Experiment 1 and 24 students participated in Experiment 2. Independent of visual feedback availability, constant error was larger and variable error was smaller for target pointing when limb starting position was visible during prism exposure. Independent of limb starting position visibility, aftereffects of prism exposure were determined by visual feedback availability. Those results support the hypothesis that calibration is determined by limb starting position visibility, whereas alignment is determined separately by visual feedback availability.