Modeling development of frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry: Sex differences and links with temperament

Asymmetric patterns of frontal brain electrical activity reflect approach and avoidance tendencies, with stability of relative right activation associated with withdrawal emotions/motivation and left hemisphere activation linked with approach and positive affect. However, considerable shifts in approach/avoidance‐related lateralization have been reported for children not targeted because of extreme temperament. In this study, dynamic effects of frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) power within and across hemispheres were examined throughout early childhood. Specifically, EEG indicators at 5, 10, 24, 36, 48, and 72 months‐of‐age (n = 410) were analyzed via a hybrid of difference score and panel design models, with baseline measures and subsequent time‐to‐time differences modeled as potentially influencing all subsequent amounts of time‐to‐time change (i.e., predictively saturated). Infant sex was considered as a moderator of dynamic developmental effects, with temperament attributes measured at 5 months examined as predictors of EEG hemisphere development. Overall, change in left and right frontal EEG power predicted declining subsequent change in the same hemisphere, with effects on the opposing neurobehavioral system enhancing later growth. Infant sex moderated the pattern of within and across‐hemisphere effects, wherein for girls more prominent left hemisphere influences on the right hemisphere EEG changes were noted and right hemisphere effects were more salient for boys. Largely similar patterns of temperament prediction were observed for the left and the right EEG power changes, with limited sex differences in links between temperament and growth parameters. Results were interpreted in the context of comparable analyses using parietal power values, which provided evidence for unique frontal effects.     

Integrating core conflictual relationship themes in neurobiological assessment of interpersonal processes in psychotherapy

Interpersonal processes are a key target in counselling and psychotherapy. It is of paramount importance to sharpen their assessment using integrated methods. Hence, this methodological paper describes how fields of research in psychotherapy and neuroimaging can be integrated into one novel complementary neurobehavioural paradigm that can be applied to enhance our understanding of interpersonal processes in psychotherapy. To illustrate this integration, we present selected data from a pre–post pilot study where the authors assessed interpersonal processes in brief treatment for borderline personality disorder using the core conflictual relationship theme, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and outcome questionnaires. To do so, they measured individual changes in neural activity using an fMRI task pre‐ and post‐treatment where clients gave feedback on the emotional valence of sentences extracted from their own Relationship Anecdotes Paradigm interviews mixed with neutral ones. In this paper, using data from two participants of said study, we discuss how to implement this methodology and what can be achieved in terms of results.     

儿童行为抑制性与心理障碍关联的认知神经过程

行为抑制型儿童相较于普通儿童更容易在童年中期和青春期出现心理障碍, 具有更高的发展风险性。此类儿童比非抑制型儿童表现出更多的退缩动机、更长的预期过程与前注意过程、更少的注意控制、对负性信息更多的注意偏向、异常活跃的反应监控过程和更慢的习惯化过程。这些与心理障碍患者相似的认知神经过程是儿童行为抑制性与心理障碍间的重要联系途径, 并能作为预测指标筛选有更高发展风险性的个体。除儿童本身的特质外, 环境因素也能通过塑造认知神经过程, 进而影响儿童的发展结果。因此在未来的研究中, 可以考虑不同文化背景下的儿童行为抑制性与心理障碍关联的认知神经过程差异。进而从个体特质和环境因素两方面寻找行为抑制型儿童发展的保护性因素。     

汉字间空格大小对青年人和老年人阅读的影响：眼动研究

拼音文字阅读的眼动研究发现,老年人会采取一种“风险”阅读策略来弥补因视力和认知的自然老化所造成的阅读困难。本研究通过控制字间空格的大小对青年人和老年人汉语阅读过程的眼动模式进行了比较,结果发现,相比青年人,老年人读得更慢,有更长的注视时间和更多的回视,这些研究结果与拼音文字一致;但更为重要的发现是,相比青年人,老年人有更短的向前眼跳距离,缩小汉语字间空格给老年人阅读造成了更为显著的困难,但扩大字间空格两组被试表现出相似的阅读眼动模式。结果说明,汉语阅读中老年人并不使用拼音文字研究中发现的“风险”阅读策略,反而采用了更为谨慎的策略,原因可能在于,作为拼音文字阅读中的重要视觉线索,空格是影响两种语言下老年人阅读加工策略不同的重要因素。     

空间邻近对7～9岁儿童图文阅读的影响：来自眼动的证据

教育心理学中的空间邻近效应已经在成人群体中被验证,但是很少有研究探讨图文的邻近能否促进儿童图文阅读。本研究操纵图画故事书中图文空间位置（邻近、远离）,使用Tobii T120眼动仪记录儿童的注意加工过程,考察空间邻近对7～9岁学龄初期儿童图文阅读的影响。结果发现,相比图文远离呈现,图文邻近呈现时儿童对文字区的注视时间更久,图文注视点转换次数更多,且细节回忆测验成绩更高;但是在主题理解测验中差异不显著,图文位置与年龄的交互作用均不显著。本研究结论为：儿童的多媒体信息加工也存在空间邻近效应,图文空间邻近能促进儿童的图文注意分配与整合,有助于儿童对故事细节的识记,但不能促进对故事的理解。     

结构与内容因素对阅读保持迁移影响的研究

探讨阅读过程中文章结构与内容因素对阅读保持的迁移作用.包括两个实验.实验1探讨前后阅读文章间结构类似和内容类似对目标文章的信息保持是否具有迁移作用.结果表明结构因素和内容因素对文章信息保持的迁移均有促进作用,其中内容因素的促进作用较大.实验2进一步探讨了文章间的结构与内容因素对目标文章的不同信息保持的迁移效果.结果表明文章门结构类似促进的是目标文章的主要信息的保持迁移,而对细节性信息迁移作用不大;而内容类似对主要信息和细节性信息都具有明显的促进作用.本研究结果初步表明在阅读过程中,文章结构因素促进的是主要信息保持的迁移,而文章内容因素对文章的主要信息和细节性信息的保持迁移都有促进作用.     

中文阅读中的字形与语音加工

该文报告两个探讨字形及语音加要于中文阅读中所起之作用的实验。基本实验作业是让被移动鼠标以阅读计算机屏幕逐字呈现之短文。计算机记录文中个别单字中呈现时间作为反映阅读理解即时加工的因变量。在每篇文章中段都有一关键字,用来观察在此字位置出现原字、同音字、形似字或无关字对阅读所造成的影响。结果发现,在阅读初期,同音字、形似字及无关字所造成的干扰效应,无论在效果大小及出现位置上并无差异。别外,干扰效应在同音