冷笑话能让人体验到冷么?——冷笑话的温度知觉及其与情绪体验之间的关系

本研究通过三个实验,从具身认知的角度来探讨阅读特殊体裁的幽默——冷笑话所产生的情绪体验及其与低温知觉的关系。实验1通过眼动记录法,探讨被试阅读不同形式幽默后对高低温图片注意偏向的影响,实验2使用句-图匹配范式探讨不同幽默题材与不同情绪效价之间的关系,实验3采用内隐联想测验(IAT),探讨高温/低温概念与正性/中性情绪之间的内隐联想强度。实验结果表明对冷笑话的阅读理解能启动低温知觉,并且能够产生一种类中性平静的情绪,同时这种特殊的情绪体验与低温概念之间存在较强的内隐联系。     

The mental nose and the Pinocchio effect: Thermography,planning, anxiety,and lies

We applied thermography to cognitive neuropsychology, particularly as a somatic marker of subjective experience during cognitive and emotional tasks. We found significant correlations between changes in facial temperature and mental set. Specifically, the temperature of the nose tended to decrease during emotional tasks and increase during cognitive tasks. However, for stress tests or high arousal reactions to emotional stimuli, the direction of the thermal change depended on the nature of the setting, real or simulated. Detection of deception is a mixed field where cognitive effort, physiological stress, and empathy have evolved, affecting the direction of the thermal variation—higher or lower temperature of the tip of the nose and forehead. We found that the temperature change of the nose and forehead may enable detecting when people lie about facts (the Pinocchio effect markers). In general, one important contribution is to recover mental thermometry as a potent tool for neurocognitive studies.     

气温与气温变化对心理健康的影响

气温与气温变化对心理健康的威胁和影响引起越来越多研究者的关注。气温及气温变化对情绪体验、抑郁症等情感障碍、精神分裂症、阿尔茨海默等脑器质性精神障碍、物质滥用与依赖、自杀意念与行为等心理健康指标具有直接或间接的影响。气象情绪效应、棕色脂肪组织理论和血清素理论从生理角度解释气温影响心理健康的机制, 健康保持行为理论则从行为角度解释气温与心理健康的关系。儿童青少年、老年人、工人是高温与高温压力的易感人群。气温变化对心理健康的影响还存在性别、年龄、社会经济地位等方面的差异。未来研究应进一步区分不同的气温指标, 增加对低温与心理健康关系的关注, 控制其它因素对气温与心理健康关系的干扰, 并揭示群体间差异。     

A portable biofeedback device for autonomic responses

The design of a versatile and programmable transducer amplifier device with analogue display for self-monitoring of autonomic responses is described. The design features low cost, portability, and flexibility across direct-current transducer options (e.g., photoplethysmograph or thermistor). The device can be used for the visual or auditory display of continuous blood volume pulse or temperature measures where the relative amplitude or pulse rate is of concern. Auditory or visual biofeedback may be provided via the choice of a stacked bar-graph display or piezoelectric buzzer. A common circuit design to allow programming options for the estimation of heart rate, inter-beat interval, or pulse duration is provided.     

Psychophysiological responding as a function of age: The importance of matching

Few studies in the past which have employed psychophysiological measures have controlled for age. We have studied the effects of age on the heart rate, hand surface temperature, cephalic vasomotor response, and frontal electromyographic activity (EMG) of 73 normal individuals who varied in age from 18 to 68 years and were evenly divided into younger, middle, and older age groups. Comparisons were made between groups across eight conditions — baseline, relax body, warm hand, relax facial muscles, mental arithmetic, positive imagery, negative imagery, and cold pressor. Results indicated a direct linear relationship between age and electromyographic activity during relax facial muscles and mental arithmetic conditions. There was also a linear relationship between age and hand surface temperature during stressor conditions. Most important, significant interactions were found for both frontal EMG and heart rate measures with age. Post hoc analyses revealed differences on the frontal EMG levels between younger and older age groups during negative imagery, warm hand, and cold pressor conditions. Heart rate differences were found during positive imagery between the younger age group and the medium age group and during cold pressor between the younger age group and both the medium and the older groups. The implications of these findings are discussed.This research was supported in part by NINCDS Grant NS-15235.     

Tympanic Membrane Temperature and Hemispheric Cognitive Style

The authors tested the hypothesis that there is a correlation between hemispheric cognitive style and ear temperature. A sample of 100 participants completed a measure of hemispheric cognitive style, the Hemispheric Consensus Prediction Profile. Ear temperatures were taken in 2 sessions, 2 times for each ear at each session. Average left ear temperature was subtracted from average right ear temperature as an index of dominant temperature. Only 56 of the participants showed a stable dominant ear temperature. For these 56 participants, there was a statistically significant positive correlation between scores on the Hemispheric Consensus Prediction Profile and tympanic member temperature (Spearman's ρ =.29, 95% CI [.04,.51]). Individuals with a left hemispheric cognitive style tended to have a warmer left tympanic membrane temperature while those with a right hemispheric cognitive style tended to have a warmer right tympanic membrane temperature. Tympanic membrane temperatures are easily obtained using inexpensive and noninvasive technology. The relationship suggested by these findings may open new opportunities for the study of cerebral asymmetry.     

From Searle’s Chinese room to the mathematics classroom: technical and cognitive mathematics

Employing Searle’s views, I begin by arguing that students of Mathematics behave similarly to machines that manage symbols using a set of rules. I then consider two types of Mathematics, which I call Cognitive Mathematics and Technical Mathematics respectively. The former type relates to concepts and meanings, logic and sense, whilst the latter relates to algorithms, heuristics, rules and application of various techniques. I claim that an upgrade in the school teaching of Cognitive Mathematics is necessary. The aim is to change the current mentality of the stakeholders so as to compensate for the undue value presently attached to Technical Mathematics, due to advances in technology and its applications, and thus render the two sides of Mathematics equal. Furthermore, I suggest a reorganization/systematization of School Mathematics into a cognitive network to facilitate students’ understanding of the subject. The final goal is the transition from mechanical execution of rules to better understanding and in-depth knowledge of Mathematics.

Motor Performance and Response Consistency as a Function of Age

The specificity versus generality of motor performance and motor response consistency was investigated as a function of age. 120 Ss, 30 each at age 7, 11, 15, and 19 yr., were given 120 practice trials (60 trials per session with 24 hr interpolated between sessions) on both simple and choice RT tasks. For motor performance the reliability of individual differences was high in both tasks at all ages, while the amount of generality was moderately high in the two younger groups but diminished with age. The reliability coefficients for motor response consistency were low for both tasks but, with two exceptions, statistically significant. There was no evidence for generality in motor response consistency at any age.     

The effects of exercise at different temperatures on cognitive function: A systematic review

To date, no review has focused specifically on the potential modulating role of environmental temperature on the effects of exercise on cognitive function. Despite this, a range of occupations and performance contexts exist (e.g., military personnel, emergency services, sport) where the maintenance of cognitive function in environmentally challenging environments is crucial. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to evaluate the experimental research investigating how manipulating environmental temperature influenced the effects of acute bouts exercise on cognitive functioning from pre-to-post exercise, or during exercise. Studies to be included were assessed by two authors reviewing title, abstract, and then full-text. From the searches conducted, twenty articles were identified which met the inclusion criteria. For the purpose of this review, exercise involved in each study was categorised into low, moderate, and vigorous dosages (dependent on intensity and duration). The results indicate that moderate dosages of exercise help stimulate improved cognitive performance from pre-to-post exercise in temperate conditions, where cold exposure appears to blunt these effects. In addition, hot environments led to cognitive decrements during and post exercise which were often identified in studies that implemented prolonged moderate or vigorous exercise protocols. Therefore, suggesting a combination of heightened physiological strain from increased dose of exercise, alongside heat exposure, can be detrimental to optimal cognitive functioning, whereby executive functioning tasks appeared to be most affected. The findings from this systematic review highlight the potential modulating role of environmental temperature on the effects of exercise on cognitive function. Thus, highlighting the importance of considering the role of environmental temperature for individuals either exercising to elicit desired cognitive benefits or for those involved in physically demanding occupations or performance domains.