Clouds make nerds look good: field evidence of the impact of incidental factors on decision making

Abundant experimental research has documented that incidental primes and emotions are capable of influencing people's judgments and choices. This paper examines whether the influence of such incidental factors is large enough to be observable in the field, by analyzing 682 actual university admission decisions. As predicted, applicants' academic attributes are weighted more heavily on cloudier days and non‐academic attributes on sunnier days. The documented effects are of both statistical and practical significance: changes in cloud cover can increase a candidate's predicted probability of admission by an average of up to 11.9%. These results also shed light on the causes behind the long demonstrated unreliability of experts making repeated judgments from the same data. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Beyond Dialogue: The Role of Science Within Theology

Abstract : The purpose of this article is to provide background overview and contemporary context for the theme of this issue of Dialog, the role of science within theology. Over the last fifty years, this role has primarily involved dialogue and the drive to mutual understanding. That discussion has now reached a new stage seeking to move beyond dialogue toward what some are referring to as hypothetical consonance. One of the most serious constructive proposals moving beyond dialogue is Creative Mutual Interaction (CMI), proposed by Robert John Russell. The first five ways he discusses in CMI specifically address the role of science in theological reflection. It is argued that these five ways will assist the reader in contextualing the discussion found in the articles in this issue. Elaboration of each way is given, concluding with a constructive theological example of the heuristic use of scientific concepts found in quantum field theory.     

Extinction-induced "despair" in the water maze, exploratory behavior and fear: effects of chronic antidepressant treatment

In former studies, we found evidence for the hypothesis that withdrawal of negative reinforcement presents a major source for stress and despair. Specifically, the removal of a hidden platform in the water maze induced extinction of previously reinforced escape behavior and behavioral immobility, indicative of "despair", which also correlated with indices of fear. Here, we tested the effects of antidepressants on extinction in the water maze, and expected that such drugs would attenuate the rate of extinction of a conditioned place preference (CPP) and also any emotionally relevant behavior that is induced by the loss of reinforcement, such as immobility. Adult male Wistar rats were trained to escape onto a hidden platform for 10 days. Daily treatment with desipramine hydrochloride (DMI, 10mg/kg) or fluoxetine (FLX, 10 mg/kg) commenced 1 day before the first of 11 extinction trials without the platform, administered 48 h apart, and continued thereafter, as the rats were tested in an open field and elevated-plus maze. As compared to controls, DMI increased the resistance-to-extinction of CPP, attenuated immobility, and increased wall climbing behavior. In the open field, DMI reduced activity levels, but was without effect on traditional fear parameters in the elevated-plus maze. FLX, by contrast, increased immobility during the extinction trials and fear in the elevated-plus maze. The withdrawal of reinforcement induced "despair" that was alleviated by the noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor DMI. The effects of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor FLX on immobility and fear may be explained in terms of its side effect profile.     

语言和音乐中短语边界的认知加工

综述了近年来语言和音乐中有关短语边界加工的一些研究成果。首先,语言中使用事件相关电位技术（ERP）进行的众多研究表明,口语中的语调短语边界和阅读中的逗号都能诱发中止正漂移（CPS）这种反映语调短语中止的ERP成分。然后介绍了近期关于音乐短语结构的一系列ERP和事件相关磁场（ERF）研究,结果发现在各种实验条件下音乐CPS都能够稳定产生。最后,对今后汉语韵律层级结构边界的认知加工研究做出展望     

汉语同形歧义词歧义消解的两半球差异

实验探讨汉语同形歧义词(homographs)歧义消解的过程及大脑两半球的差异。被试为华中科技大学96名大学生,实验采用词汇判断任务。句子语境呈现在被试的视野中央,探测词在SOA(stimulus onset asynchronism)为100毫秒或400毫秒时呈现在左视野或右视野。结果发现,(1)当SOA为100毫秒时,在左视野(右半球)上,与语境一致的同形歧义词的主要意义得到激活,与语境不一致的次要意义也有一定程度的激活。在右视野(左半球)上,只有与语境一致的同形歧义词的主要意义得到激活。(2)当SOA为400毫秒时,在左、右视野(两半球)上,与语境一致的同形歧义词的主要意义和次要意义都得到激活。结果表明,大脑左半球对汉语歧义词的歧义消解具有一定的优势,语境敏感模型可以较好地解释本实验的结果。     

重离子放射治疗技术实践场域中的伦理问题及治理

重离子放射治疗技术既有因技术突破带来的无限发展的前景,也有因技术不确定性带来的风险和挑战。以重离子放射治疗技术为研究对象,从实践伦理的角度出发,分析重离子放射治疗技术在研发、投产、临床应用三个实践场域中的伦理问题,发现其在研发领域存在技术不确定性、投产领域存在社会价值和科学有效性争议、临床使用场域存在技术价值冲突等问题。在深入分析三个场域存在的风险和伦理问题的基础之上,提出了加强风险评估和伦理约束、增强公众对重离子放射治疗技术的认知和参与度、加强重离子放射治疗技术的全球治理的相关建议。

     

两种教学方法对不同认知风格11岁儿童数学学习效果的影响

比较运用尝试教学法教学和常规教学法教学对小学五年级独立型和场依存型的学生在解决三种难度的百分数应用题中的效果.结果发现:(1)从整体上看,在高难度题的测试中,以尝试教学法教学的成绩明显高于以常规教学法教学的成绩,两者的差异达到显著水平.对场依存的学生,在低难度题测试时,两种教学方法取得的成绩无显著差异;在中难度题测试时,以常规教学法教学的成绩高于以尝试教学法教学的成绩,差异达到显著水平;在高难度题测试时,以尝试教学法教学的成绩高于以常规教学法教学的成绩,两者的差异达到显著水平.对场独立的学生在低难度题测试时,两种教学方法取得的成绩无显著差异;在中、高难度题测试时,以尝试教学法教学的成绩均高于以常规教学法教学的成绩,差异达到显著水平.(2)从整体来看,在题为高难度时男生的成绩高于女生,差异达到显著水平,而在低、中难度时无显著的性别差异.场依存者在题为低难度时女生的成绩高于男生差异达到显著水平,而中、高难度时无显著的性别差异.场独立者在高难度时男生的成绩高于女生,差异达到显著水平.     

运动觉、布局无关运动与路径整合

路径整合是空间导航的一个重要子领域。本研究采用了一种三角形完成任务的新变式来研究路径整合问题，发现在剥夺被试的视觉输入的前提下，去除被试部分运动觉后，其绩效有不同水平的下降；同时还发现在编码过程中与路径布局无关的不同方向旋转间并无显著性差异。此外，由于本研究是在室外空间中所做的现场研究，故得到的结果优于室内所做的经典研究，进而验证了前人的一个猜测。     

目标数量与运动框架旋转角度对不同场认知风格个体多目标追踪表现的影响

通过改变目标数量、运动框架突变旋转角度探究不同场认知风格被试在多目标追踪任务中的表现。结果发现：(1)在任务难度较低(运动参考框架稳定, 目标数量为3和4)和任务难度中等(运动参考框架突变向右旋转20°, 目标数量为4)条件下, 场独立型被试的多目标追踪表现均显著好于场依存型被试。在任务难度较高(运动框架稳定, 目标数量为5以及运动参考框架突变向右旋转40°, 目标数量为4)条件下, 两组被试差异不显著。表明不同场认知风格被试追踪表现受任务难度影响; (2)随着目标数量由3至5增多, 追踪负荷增大使被试的追踪成绩显著下降; (3)相比运动框架稳定, 运动框架向右突变旋转20°和40°均显著削弱了被试的追踪表现。旋转角度变化破坏了场景连续性, 影响了追踪表现。