Toward a Mechanistic Understanding of Human Decision Making: Contributions of Functional Neuroimaging

ABSTRACT— This article considers the contribution of functional neuroimaging toward understanding the computational underpinnings of human decision making. We outline the main processes likely underlying the capacity to make simple choices and describe their associated neural substrates. Relevant processes include the ability to encode a representation of the expected value or utility associated with each option in a decision problem, to learn such expectations through experience, and to modify action selection in order to choose those actions leading to the greatest reward. We provide several examples of how functional neuroimaging data have helped to shape and inform theories of decision making over and above results available from traditional behavioral measures.     

合作意识的认知成份分析

本研究以 2× 2× 2的混合设计 ,采用问卷测量方法检验不同被试间合作意识的认知差异。被试来自两个群体 :青年组包括 133名大学生 ;老年组包括 110名 40— 6 0岁的各业人士。结果验证了实验假设 ,发现人们对合作意识与竞争意识的认知存在差异。在能力维度上 ,人们认为具有竞争意识的人能力更强 ;在个性维度上 ,具有合作意识的人比具有竞争意识的人更加顺从。人们的工作价值观与他们对他人的评价存在显著相关。     

Hungry for love: the influence of self-regulation on infidelity

The current research examines the effect of self-regulation on the likelihood of committing infidelity. Thirty-two college students in exclusive romantic relationships interacted through a private chat room with an opposite-sex confederate. Prior to this interaction, a food-restriction task depleted half the participants of self-control. As predicted, depleted levels of self-regulation increased the likelihood of infidelity. Specifically, depleted participants were more likely to both accept a coffee date from and supply a personal telephone number to the confederate than non-depleted participants. Weakened self-control may be one potential cause for the levels of infidelity occurring in romantic partnerships today.     

汉代象数易学的理论价值与历史地位

易学发展史上的汉代象数易学,就其理论形态、思维方式、思想特征而言,具有鲜明、典型的时代性与范导性.作为汉代经学核心的有机组成部分的汉代象数易学,对汉代哲学与文化、社会与政治等方面,都产生了广泛与深远的影响.然而,长期以来,人们对汉代象数易学在易学与哲学史上的理论价值与历史地位的认识,或者未能引起足够的重视,或者缺乏客观公允的评判.本文从"立足《周易》象数系统,确立天人之学新形态"、"深化儒家社会政治思想,强化政治指导功能"、"深化整体性和谐理念,凸显和谐价值理想终极诉求"等方面,深入地分析并揭示了汉代象数易学的理论价值与历史地位.     

Fitting Attitudes, Welfare, and Time

Chris Heathwood has recently put forward a novel and ingenious argument against the view that intrinsic value is analyzable in terms of fitting attitudes. According to Heathwood, this view holds water only if the related but distinct concept of welfare—intrinsic value for a person—can be analyzed in terms of fitting attitudes too. Moreover, he argues against such an analysis of welfare by appealing to the rationality of our bias towards the future. In this paper, I argue that so long as we keep the tenses and the intrinsic/extrinsic distinction right, the fitting-attitudes analysis of welfare can be shown to survive Heathwood’s criticism.

论进化心理学的“心理机制”

“心理机制”是进化心理学的核心概念。对这一概念的理解直接影响着对整个进化心理学理论的理解。该文尝试从心理学其它相关学科的角度,对这一概念的性质进行充分的解读与分析,同时也指出进化心理学“心理机制”理论之明显误区,并在此基础上对进化心理学价值之所在给予充分的彰显。     

价值观取向理论结构及实证

尝试用新的视角——取向研究视角,对价值观进行整合研究,建构一种与社会情境结合更紧密、更具概括性的价值观取向理论。价值观取向理论的假设结构模型包括四种价值观取向维度：社会取向,个人取向,积极取向和消极取向。根据理论模型编制价值观取向量表,以974名被试为研究对象,运用探索性因素分析和验证性因素分析方法对该理论模型进行实证研究。结果证明了该理论结构的存在,理论结构中各维度的因素负荷和拟合指数良好,价值观取向量表具有良好的信度和结构效度。     

Operant Variability: A Conceptual Analysis

Some researchers claim that variability is an operant dimension of behavior. The present paper reviews the concept of operant behavior and emphasizes that differentiation is the behavioral process that demonstrates an operant relation. Differentiation is conceived as change in the overlap between two probability distributions: the distribution of reinforcement probability as a function of some response property (S distribution) and the probability distribution of the response property itself (R distribution). This concept implies that the differentiation process can be measured only if S distribution and R distribution are both established on the same response property. To determine whether the differentially reinforced behavioral variability fits the proposed concept of operant behavior, I examine the main procedures (lag n and threshold procedures) and the main dependent variable (U value) employed in the studies of operant variability. Because lag n and threshold procedures establish their S distributions on properties distinct from U value, differentiation cannot be measured over the change in U value. I conclude that studies of operant variability have failed to provide a direct demonstration that variability is an operant dimension of behavior. Hence, studies in which measures of variability provide a basis to measure differentiation can better support the claim that variability is an operant dimension of behavior.     

Social dilemmas as strong versus weak situations: Social value orientations and tacit coordination under resource size uncertainty

This study investigates how environmental uncertainty in resource dilemmas influences the decisions of participants differing in social value orientations. We argue that under resource size certainty people anchor their decisions on tacit coordination rules such as the equal division rule, whereas under resource size uncertainty people rely more on their own social value orientations to determine their choice behavior. The results corroborate our line of reasoning. When the size of the resource was certain, proselfs as well as prosocials anchored their decisions on the equal division rule. Under resource size uncertainty, the equal division rule appeared to lose its coordinating potential, inducing proselfs to harvest more than prosocials.     

伦理豁免刍议

伦理豁免,是在一定的伦理尤其是亲属关系(一定程度上包括朋友关系)中,在究竟是履行伦理的义务、还是履行法律的义务之间,人们陷入紧张冲突甚至两难的情况下,被法律赋予一定的特殊权利,得依法免除法定的义务、责任甚至罪责。中华伦理、中华法系以伦理豁免来解决伦理、法律的矛盾,有宝贵的理论和实践;其中蕴涵的基本价值是,通过维护伦理,从根本上维护社会秩序。伦理豁免对今天解决伦理、法律之两难,仍是宝贵的智慧。