Cognitive control in belief‐laden reasoning during conclusion processing: An ERP study

Belief bias is the tendency to accept conclusions that are compatible with existing beliefs more frequently than those that contradict beliefs. It is one of the most replicated behavioral findings in the reasoning literature. Recently, neuroimaging studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and event‐related potentials (ERPs) have provided a new perspective and have demonstrated neural correlates of belief bias that have been viewed as supportive of dual‐process theories of belief bias. However, fMRI studies have tended to focus on conclusion processing, while ERPs studies have been concerned with the processing of premises. In the present research, the electrophysiological correlates of cognitive control were studied among 12 subjects using high‐density ERPs. The analysis was focused on the conclusion presentation phase and was limited to normatively sanctioned responses to valid–believable and valid–unbelievable problems. Results showed that when participants gave normatively sanctioned responses to problems where belief and logic conflicted, a more positive ERP deflection was elicited than for normatively sanctioned responses to nonconflict problems. This was observed from ?400 to ?200 ms prior to the correct response being given. The positive component is argued to be analogous to the late positive component (LPC) involved in cognitive control processes. This is consistent with the inhibition of empirically anomalous information when conclusions are unbelievable. These data are important in elucidating the neural correlates of belief bias by providing evidence for electrophysiological correlates of conflict resolution during conclusion processing. Moreover, they are supportive of dual‐process theories of belief bias that propose conflict detection and resolution processes as central to the explanation of belief bias.     

Preferences for experienced versus remembered happiness

Abstract

Consider two types of happiness: one experienced on a moment-to-moment basis, the other a reflective evaluation where people feel happy looking back. Though researchers have measured and argued the merits of each, we inquired into which happiness people say they want. In five studies (N = 3351), we asked people to choose between experienced happiness and remembered happiness – for shorter timeframes (e.g. one’s next hour) and longer timeframes (e.g. one’s lifetime). The results revealed a consistent pattern: most people choose experienced happiness for longer timeframes, but not for shorter timeframes. Since people typically live hour-to-hour, these findings imply that people may end up living a different version of happiness than what they believe is a happy life.     

Retrospective perceptual distortion of position representation does not lead to delayed localization

Previous studies have reported retrospective influences of visual events that occur after target events. In the attentional attraction effect, a position cue presented after a target stimulus distorts the target’s position towards that of the cue. The present study explored the temporal relationship between stimulus presentation and reaction time (RT) in this effect in two experiments. Participants performed a speeded localization task on two vertical lines, the positions of which were to be distorted by an additional attentional cue. No significant difference in RTs was found between the conditions with simultaneous and delayed cues. RTRT was modulated by the perceived (rather than physical) alignment of the lines. In Experiment 2, we manipulated the strength of attentional capture by modulating the color relevance of the cue to the target. Trials with cues producing stronger attentional capture (with cues of a different color from the targets) were found to induce apparently stronger distortion effects. This result favors the notion that the observed repulsion and attraction effects are driven by attentional mechanisms. Overall, the results imply that the attentional shift induced by the cue might occur rapidly and complete before the establishment of conscious location representation of the cue and the target without affecting overall response time.     

Recognition of emotional pictures: Behavioural and electrophysiological measures

The effects of emotional content of images on recognition memory were studied, bringing together electrophysiological (Event-Related brain Potentials, ERPs) and behavioural (accuracy and speed of recognition, and remember/know judgements) indices. In the study phase, participants assessed 120 images on the scales of valence and arousal. In the test phase, ERPs were recorded while participants viewed again the images, put together with 120 new, and were asked to make old/new decisions and remember/know judgements on them. A clear arousal bias was obtained for remember/know judgements, which revealed that correctly recognised arousing images (negative and positive) received more remember judgements than nonarousing images (neutral and relaxing). Moreover, a Late Positive Component (LPC) activation revealed an old/new effect enhanced by arousing images. The LPC activation was located in parietal areas (precuneus), which appears to be mostly related to successful retrieval based on recollection. The results obtained through different indices supported the emotional bias found in previous studies for arousing material, but do not clarify the effect of the emotional valence on recognition.     

Prospective memory across the lifespan: Investigating the contribution of retrospective and prospective processes

Prospective memory performance follows an inverted U-shaped function across the lifespan. Findings on the relative contribution of purely prospective memory and retrospective memory processes within prospective memory to this trajectory are scarce and inconclusive. We analyzed age-related differences in prospective memory performance across the lifespan in a cross-sectional design including six age groups (N = 99, 7–83 years) and investigated possible mechanisms by experimentally disentangling the relative contributions of retrospective memory and purely prospective memory processes. Results confirmed the inverted U-shaped function of prospective memory performance across the lifespan. A significant interaction between process type and age group was observed indicating differential relative contributions of retrospective memory and purely prospective memory processes on the development of prospective memory performance. Our results showed that mainly the pure prospective memory processes within prospective memory lead to lower prospective memory performance in young children and old adults. Moreover, the relative contributions of the retrospective memory and purely prospective memory processes are not uniform at both ends of the lifespan, i.e., in later adulthood the purely prospective memory processes seem to determine performance to an even greater extent than in childhood. Nevertheless, age effects were also observed in the retrospective component which thus contributed to the prospective memory performance differences between the age groups.     

阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停低通气综合征是引发道路交通事故的重要原因

为了分析我国道路交通事故是否与阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停相关,以道路交通事故为主题查阅1993年~2012年万方数据库,并辅以手检同期《中华创伤杂志》和《中华流行病学杂志》,重点查阅全国性及地区性道路交通事故原因的论著,看其是否涉及阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停问题。结果显示这期间共发表了相关论著43篇,全部论文在分析道路交通事故时均未提及阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停这一重要原因,提示国内道路交通安全研究中忽略了一个与之关系密切的阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停问题,建议今后将这个问题引入到道路交通安全管理项目中。     

什么是智力？成年人的朴素智力理论

朴素智力理论是没有系统学习科学智力理论的成年人对智力的经验性认识。对成年人朴素智力理论的研究有助于了解个体如何建立对客观世界的理解。本文从对智力本质的理解、朴素智力理论的影响因素、对自己或他人智商的估计三个视角介绍了有关成年人朴素智力理论的研究。成人对智力本质的理解有跨文化的一致性,大多包括问题解决、言语能力、社会能力三个方面,这与科学智力理论有一定的相似;成人的朴素智力理论也受到环境、文化、“聪明人”原型年龄的影响;成人对智商的估计有中等程度的准确性。总的来说,成年人对智力的朴素认识是比较准确的。不同层面的个体经验很可能塑造了智力的朴素理论。     

德州地区进展性缺血性脑卒中相关危险因素的研究

探讨进展性缺血性脑卒中（SIP）的相关危险因素。选择德州市人民医院1999年～2009年163例SIP患者,首先对18个变量行单因素分析,然后对阳性变量行多因素Logistic逐步回归分析,筛选SIP发生的相关危险因素。高血压史、感染、加拿大卒中量表（CNS）评分、高血糖、TG、纤维蛋白原、脑水肿、颈动脉粥样硬化性狭窄...     

工作记忆中央执行成分对估算表现的影响

工作记忆中央执行成分在计算加工的诸多过程中发挥重要影响。以82名大学生为被试,采用双任务实验范式考察工作记忆中央执行成分对估算表现的影响。结果发现：1）估算过程需要中央执行成分的参与,增加中央执行成分负荷会导致估算准确率下降;2）无论是否增加中央执行负荷,问题大小效应在估算中均不明显;3）乘法个位数大小顺序会影响估算值的准确性,在有中央执行负荷时数字顺序效应明显。     

What factors influence prospective memory for elderly people in a naturalistic setting?1

Previous studies comparing prospective memory between the elderly and young adults have shown that elderly adults perform better in naturalistic settings, while young adults perform better in laboratory settings. The purpose of this study was to examine what factors influence prospective memory in naturalistic settings, and we specifically focused on age, the complexity of the prospective memory task, self‐evaluation and knowledge of memory function, retrospective memory, external memory aids, and internal memory strategies as potential influential factors. Eighty‐six healthy, elderly participants were enrolled (44 women and 42 men, mean age = 68.56 years, SD = 4.53). The results showed that the use of external memory aids increased in complex prospective memory tasks that depended on output monitoring, while other factors did not influence prospective memory performance. These results suggest that elderly adults can perform tasks adequately by using external memory aids that compensate for age‐related memory declines in naturalistic settings.