Attention in the predictive mind

It has recently become popular to suggest that cognition can be explained as a process of Bayesian prediction error minimization. Some advocates of this view propose that attention should be understood as the optimization of expected precisions in the prediction-error signal (Clark, 2013, 2016; Feldman & Friston, 2010; Hohwy, 2012, 2013). This proposal successfully accounts for several attention-related phenomena. We claim that it cannot account for all of them, since there are certain forms of voluntary attention that it cannot accommodate. We therefore suggest that, although the theory of Bayesian prediction error minimization introduces some powerful tools for the explanation of mental phenomena, its advocates have been wrong to claim that Bayesian prediction error minimization is ‘all the brain ever does’.     

What happens in a psychoanalysis?

A group of experienced analysts has developed scales and a coding manual illustrated with clinical examples to evaluate recorded analyses and psychodynamic therapies. The analytic process scales (APS) assesses three dimensions: (1) the contribution of the analyst: helping to develop a relationship in which the analyst can provide clarification and interpretation of transference and resistance; (2) the contribution of the patient: the communication of experience and the expression of feeling in ways which provide information about needs, wishes and conflicts, accompanied by self-reflection; and (3) interactional characteristics of the emerging relationship, explored by studying sessions divided into psychoanalytically coherent segments. A preliminary study of nine sessions has established that the variables assessed by the APS can be rated reliably. Study of the analysts' contributions illuminated their varied and complexstructure. Important differences emerged among the three patient-analyst pairs studied, and changes in scores over time tracked developments in the analytic work which would imply different treatment outcomes. The APS appears to be a reliable tool facilitating the systematic study of psychoanalyses.     

Behavior Ratings and Observations of Externalizing Symptoms in Girls: The Role of Child Popularity with Adults

This study examined staff ratings and live observations of externalizing behavior in 149 girls with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), who participated in all-female naturalistic research camps. Girls' popularity with adult camp staff was hypothesized to explain discrepancies between ratings and observations. Compared to behavior observations, staff ratings overestimated the externalizing behavior of girls who were disliked by staff. In contrast, ratings and observations were consistent for girls who were liked by staff. Among girls who were disliked by staff, unpopularity with peers predicted a larger discrepancy between staff ratings and observations, but peer status made little difference in rating–observation discrepancies of girls liked by staff. All results held after controlling for the participants' ADHD versus comparison status. Results suggest that staff ratings may be biased by personal feelings about children and that direct observations may be more immune to such bias.     

Processing spatial relations with different apertures of attention

Neuropsychological studies suggest the existence of lateralized networks that represent categorical and coordinate types of spatial information. In addition, studies with neural networks have shown that they encode more effectively categorical spatial judgments or coordinate spatial judgments, if their input is based, respectively, on units with relatively small, nonoverlapping receptive fields, as opposed to units with relatively large, overlapping receptive fields. These findings leave open the question of whether interactive processes between spatial detectors and types of spatial relations can be modulated by spatial attention. We hypothesized that spreading the attention window to encompass an area that includes two objects promotes coordinate spatial relations, based on coarse coding by large, overlapping, receptive fields. In contrast, narrowing attention to encompass an area that includes only one of the objects benefits categorical spatial relations, by effectively parsing space. By use of a cueing procedure, the spatial attention window was manipulated to select regions of differing areas. As predicted, when the attention window was large, coordinate spatial transformations were noticed faster than categorical transformations; in contrast, when the attention window was relatively smaller, categorical spatial transformations were noticed faster than coordinate transformations. Another novel finding was that coordinate changes were noticed faster when cueing an area that included both objects as well as the empty space between them than when simultaneously cueing both areas including the objects while leaving the gap between them uncued.     

Exploring the superadditive effects of scent and pictures on verbal recall: An extension of dual coding theory

This research extends the dual coding theory of memory retrieval (Paivio 1969, 2007) beyond its traditional focus on verbal and pictorial information to olfactory information. We manipulate the presence or absence of olfactory and pictorial stimuli at the time of encoding (study 1) or retrieval (study 2) and measure the impact on verbal recall. After a time delay, scent enhances recall of verbal information, and scent-based retrieval cues potentiate the facilitative effect of pictures on recall. These results cannot be attributed merely to increased elaboration at the time of exposure.     

4-6岁儿童在小模型旋转任务中的线索学习与位置学习*

以90名4-6岁儿童为被试,探讨了儿童在小模型旋转任务中利用线索学习和位置学习表征空间位置的年龄特点。研究结果表明:(1)儿童对线索学习的利用要优于对位置学习的利用;(2)4岁儿童已经可以使用线索学习的方式表征空间位置,但到6岁左右才开始能够使用基于方向的位置学习;(3)线索特征对于儿童的线索学习有显著影响,明显、突出的线索有利于儿童的线索学习。     

观念运动理论：内涵与证据

人类日常动作有两种类型, 一是是对外界刺激的反应, 是一种自下而上的动作模式, 即感觉运动(sensorimotor)模式; 二是以人们头脑中的观念意图为基础, 由观念引导, 为了实现一个特定的目标而执行特定的动作, 是一种自上而下的动作模式, 即观念运动(ideomotor)模式。观念运动理论(ideomotor theory)所解释的就是以基于意图的动作。该理论经历了长期的演变, 一般动作执行与动作模仿领域内的行为与神经科学研究的证据初步证实了观念运动的理论构想与主要机制：共同编码机制与镜像神经机制。观念运动理论在贯通感知觉与动作方面具有重大意义, 由此还产生了共享环路模型(shared circuits model, SCM)等新近观点。此外, 观念运动理论还强调了目标和预期的重要地位。未来还需加强对动作与意图之间的通路, 以及动作的本体性效果等方面的研究。     

阅读流畅性研究及其进展

从介绍两个阅读发展模型入手,探讨了阅读流畅性与阅读的关系,揭示阅读流畅性在阅读发展进程中的地位和作用,并介绍了影响阅读流畅性的因素。在此基础上,指出了阅读流畅性研究对语言认知研究的重要性,并对今后研究作了初步展望。     

群体过程与互动分析系统

群体过程由各种行动和行为反应组成,具有动态性和复杂性。以往研究根据群体均衡理论、功能观点或时间理论等分别开发了各种基于研究者视角的群体互动过程观察分析系统。但很多研究结论并不一致,主要原因在于各个分析系统的关注点不同。本研究从信效度、理论基础、分析对象以及编码难易等角度总结了各个系统的优点和不足,并进一步提出未来研究可能的方向：构建适当的群体决策动态实验任务、明确群体过程作用机制、以及开发运用于实践的群体互动过程分析系统。