预期推理在长时记忆中的表征形式

该研究采用移动窗口技术,通过两个实验研究探讨在高低不同竞争条件下预期推理结果在长时记忆中的表征形式。实验结果表明,预期推理在长时记忆中的表征形式依赖于文本中预期推理的引发语境,在不同竞争强度的预期语境中,预期推理的结果在长时记忆会以不同的形式进行表征。在低竞争条件下,预期推理的结果以确定的形式表征;只有在高竞争条件下,预期推理的结果才会以假定的形式进行表征。     

Some determinants of latent inhibition in human predictive learning

The present experiments assessed the effects of different manipulations between cue preexposure and cue-outcome pairings on latent inhibition (LI) in a predictive learning task with human participants. To facilitate LI, preexposure and acquisition with the target cues took place while participants performed a secondary task. Presentation of neither the target cues nor the target outcome was anticipated based on the instructions. Experiment 1 demonstrated the LI effect in the new experimental preparation. Experiment 2 analyzed the impact on LI of different activities that participants performed during the interval between preexposure and acquisition. Experiment 3 assessed LI as a function of changes in the secondary task cues made between preexposure and acquisition, namely presenting novel cues and reversing the cue-outcome contingencies. All of the manipulations in Experiments 2 and 3 resulted in a decrease in LI. The attenuation of LI by these manipulations challenges most current theories of learning and is best accommodated by Conditioned Attention Theory (Lubow, Weiner, & Schnur, 1981).     

听觉预测编码：对声音重复和变化的神经反应

预测编码被认为是脑与复杂环境交互的重要机制之一, 有效感知外界环境并对未来事件做出预测, 对个体生存有着至关重要的意义。人类大脑会基于感觉输入以迭代的方式持续优化表征外部环境的内部模型, 并不断预测接下来的感觉输入。以听觉模态为例, 人类及动物对声音重复和听觉变化的神经反应(如失匹配负波和刺激特异性适应)是大脑预测编码的重要体现, 表现为重复抑制和预测误差。结合人类和动物模型在此理论框架下开展跨物种研究将有助于加深我们对听觉加工, 甚至是大脑工作机制的认识。     

脑间同步性的产生机制及其功能

通过同时记录社会互动中多名个体的脑信号, 超扫描研究普遍观测到个体间脑活动信号的同步性(inter-brain synchronization, IBS)。通过共同表征和相互预测机制, 个体间相似的感觉输入、运动输出和注意唤醒等间接因素以及个体间信息传递活动会驱动IBS的产生。其中, 镜像神经元系统、心智系统和相互注意−脑间同步−奖赏环路发挥了重要作用。IBS的强弱受互动类型与强度、任务情境、人际关系、个体特征与状态的调节。IBS可能在人际动作协调、语言交流和建立社会联结方面具有功能性意义。后续研究可深入探究“共同表征”与“相互预测”机制的关系、人际“去同步”、跨脑可塑性和不同交互形式的异同等问题。     

阅读中的眼跳目标选择问题

读者在阅读中面临如何选择眼跳落点位置的问题。研究者在有词间空格的字母文字中(如英语和德语)发现人们倾向于将眼跳落在词中心偏左的位置,这个位置被称为偏好注视位置(preferred viewing location,PVL)。中文文本并没有空格来标记词边界信息,这使得中文阅读的眼跳目标选择机制更加复杂。近年来,研究者从中央凹—副中央凹动态调节的角度研究了阅读中眼跳目标选择的机制。结果发现在中文阅读中眼跳目标选择受到中央凹和副中央凹信息加工的共同影响,而副中央凹的加工直接决定了眼跳落点位置。     

SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND PREDICTIVE NEUROSCIENCE: A DOUBLE HELICAL APPROACH

This article explores the overlap between systems biology and predictive neuroscience, placing them in their larger context, the contemporary trend of bioinformatic convergence across the sciences. These two domains overlap with respect to their interest in data accumulation and data integration; their reliance on computational statistical correlation; and their translational goals, that is, producing practical fruits and applications from the interscientific cross‐pollination that contemporary data‐integrative approaches make possible. The interventions that such translational conversations generate are medical and social in nature, and are aimed at both prevention (through prediction) and treatment. It will be argued that such approaches, socially and medically applied, contain potential for conveying both agency‐enhancing and agency‐diminishing social messages. The article concludes with a call to balance the overwhelmingly quantitative focus characteristic of predictive neuroscience with more qualitative empirical methodologies. This would represent a double helical approach.     

Global-local processing impacts academic risk taking

Research has shown that academic risk taking—the selection of school tasks with varying difficulty levels—affords important implications for educational outcomes. In two experiments, we explored the role of cognitive processes—specifically, global versus local processing styles—in students’ academic risk-taking tendencies. Participants first read a short passage, which provided the context for their subsequent academic risk-taking decisions. Following which, participants undertook the Navon’s task and attended to either global letters or local letters only, i.e., were either globally or locally primed. The effects of priming on academic risk taking were then assessed using a perception-based measure (Experiment 1) and a task-based measure (Experiment 2). Experiment 1 provided preliminary evidence, which Experiment 2 confirmed, that globally focused individuals took more academic risk than did locally focused individuals after controlling for participants’ need for cognition (how much they enjoy effortful cognitive activities). Additionally, the inclusion of and comparisons with a control group in Experiment 2 revealed that locally focused participants drove the observed effects. The theory of predictive and reactive control systems (PARCS) provides a cogent account of our findings. Future directions and practical applications in education are discussed.