Judgments of mean speed and predictions of route choice

How are driving speeds integrated when speeds vary along a route? In a first study, we examined heuristic processes used in judgments of mean speed when the mean speeds on parts of the trip varied. The judgments deviated systematically from objective mean speeds because the distances driven at different speeds were given more weight than travel time spent on the different distances. The second study showed that when there was a 10–15 min pause during a travel the effect on the mean speed decrease was underestimated for driving speeds of 90 km/h and higher. In the third study, the objective mean speeds and the subjective biased mean speed judgments were used to predict choices between routes with different speed limits. The results showed that subjective judgments predicted decisions to maximize mean speed significantly better than objective mean speeds. Finally, some applied and basic research implications of the results were discussed.     

Relationships between three auditory inspection time tasks and processing speed

This study investigated the relationship between a spatial auditory inspection time task and previous versions of AIT, as well as the relationships of these tasks with visual inspection time (VIT) and general speediness (Gs). A total of 96 university undergraduates (age mean (M) = 20.0 years, standard deviation (SD) = 4.0 years) completed three AIT tasks, VIT, auditory reaction time (ART) and visual reaction time (VRT), and two Gs marker tests. Auditory inspection time‐spatial (AIT‐S) did not relate to VIT, but it did relate to the Gs marker tests. It also loaded moderately on a Gs factor along with VIT. Neither of the alternate AIT tasks showed any consistent relationships to reaction time (RT) or Gs measures. The AIT‐S task did, however, share substantial variance with its predecessors, suggesting that performance on all AIT tasks relies to some extent on similar processes. Further research is required to determine the nature of these processes.     

The effects of a rectangular rapid-flashing beacon on vehicle speed

In 2008, nearly 31% of vehicle fatalities were related to failure to adhere to safe vehicle speeds (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA], 2009). The current study evaluated the effect of a rectangular rapid-flashing beacon (RRFB) triggered by excessive speed on vehicle speed using a combined alternating treatments and reversal design. The percentage of vehicles traveling above 41 mph (66 km per hour) decreased by 20%, and speed distributions showed a shift toward lower speeds during the RRFB condition.     

Effects of age and the relationship between response time measures and psychometric intelligence in younger adults

The major goal of the present study was to investigate the potential influence of age on the relationship among performance measures derived from a Hick reaction time task and general intelligence (psychometric g). Participants were 130 male and 130 female younger adults (mean age: 24.6 years) covering a wide range of individual levels of intelligence. Results from structural-equation modelling analyses clearly indicate that there is no evidence for the notion of a general speed factor underlying psychometric g. A much more sufficient model is provided by the assumption that median reaction time (RTmd) and intraindividual variability of reaction time (RTSD), though highly correlated, reflect two distinct sources of variance for psychometric g. While age was negatively associated with RTmd, no such relationship could be established for RTSD.     

Contribution of temporal preparation and processing speed to simple reaction time in persons with Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment

Temporal preparation was assessed in 15 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients, 20 persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 28 healthy older adults. Participants completed a simple reaction time task in which the preparatory interval duration varied randomly within two blocks (short versus long temporal window). Results indicated that AD and MCI patients had difficulty preparing for the shortest preparatory interval of the short temporal window. AD and MCI patients also had difficulty maintaining an optimal level of preparation up to 5 s within the short temporal window. These results suggest that AD and MCI patients might show difficulty preparing for rapidly occurring events and maintaining preparation over time. This phenomenon should be considered when using reaction time measures with such patients.     

从进化心理学视角看两性冒险行为

进化心理学研究发现, 男性比女性更冒险, 男性冒险行为有社会助长和性别助长效应, 求偶动机与异性高魅力均可助长男性冒险行为。按照进化心理学观点, 冒险行为能表现男性作为潜在配偶的积极特征, 可增加其获得异性配偶的几率。择偶偏好研究也证实, 女性青睐敢于冒险的男性。作者认为, 女性冒险行为与求偶动机的关系主要受社会文化影响, 如中国女性在中意的异性面前更避险, 冒险行为领域中进化和文化的交互作用可能成为未来研究焦点。     

自由拦截启动策略与信息利用

手的启动方向自由, 伸手拦截不同速度的运动小球。本研究通过考察手启动时的运动参数, 研究自由启动的情况下的信息利用和拦截策略, 并且考察了人的启动模式。结果发现, 自由拦截时手的拦截区域相对固定, 在物体快速运动情景下启动晚, 而在慢速下启动早, 可能综合利用了接触时间和距离信息, 存在速度伴随效应, 手的拦截启动策略为启动有相对稳定的角度和加速度, 并不随物体运动速度和物体大小的改变而改变。     

特征呈现方式对类别知觉表征的影响*

两个实验采用阻碍效应范式探讨了特征的呈现方式对类别知觉表征的影响。研究结果发现在阻碍效应范式中,改变特征的呈现方式引发了不同的类别知觉表征方式;当固定样例特征的呈现位置时,引发了基于样例整体相似性的表征;而随机样例特征的呈现位置时,引发了基于样例特征的解析表征。该结果支持了类别学习的多系统理论。     

基于面孔知觉的刻板印象激活两阶段模型

从个体建构研究视角出发, 考察了基于面孔知觉的刻板印象激活过程。实验一比较了性别分类判断、启动范式以及同时呈现范式下刻板印象匹配性判断三者所用反应时的差异, 结果发现, 后者显著地大于前二者, 且等于前二者之和; 面孔倒置呈现使同时呈现范式下刻板印象匹配判断的反应时和错误率显著增大, 但其对启动范式中刻板印象匹配判断的反应时和错误率没有影响。实验二基于同时呈现范式, 通过不同程度的面孔变形来操纵性别类别提取的难度, 更精确地探讨了基于面孔知觉的社会类别信息提取过程对刻板印象激活的影响, 结果表明, 随着从面孔中提取类别信息难度的增加, 刻板印象激活所用的反应时也逐渐增大。研究结果证实了研究者所提出的刻板印象激活两阶段模型, 即基于面孔知觉的社会类别提取阶段和刻板印象信息激活阶段, 证实社会类别激活和刻板印象信息激活是两个分离的过程, 以社会类别信息提取为目的的面孔知觉对刻板印象的激活有显著影响。     

基本心理能力老化的认知机制

基本心理能力老化机制是认知老化领域研究热点之一。横断研究与追踪研究表明, 感觉功能、加工速度、工作记忆等信息加工资源的衰退导致了基本心理能力的衰退。但由于相关研究不能进行因果推论, 基本心理能力老化的认知机制尚存在争论。因此本项目拟采用实验室研究和干预实验设计, 通过操纵感觉功能(知觉压力水平)、干预加工速度与工作记忆, 考察基本心理能力的年龄差异的变化, 以期为认知老化理论的深化和拓展提供实验依据。