Crossmodal spatial attention shift produced by centrally presented gaze cues1

Abstract: Despite previous failures to identify visual‐upon‐auditory spatial‐cuing effects, recent studies have demonstrated that the abrupt onset of a lateralized visual stimulus triggers a shift of spatial attention in response to auditory judgment. Nevertheless, whether a centrally presented visual stimulus orients auditory attention remained unclear. The present study investigated whether centrally presented gaze cues trigger a reflexive shift of attention in response to auditory judgment. Participants fixated on a schematic face in which the eyes looked left or right (the cue). A target sound was then presented to the left or right of the cue. Participants judged the direction of the target as quickly as possible. Even though participants were told that the gaze direction did not predict the direction of the target, the response time was significantly faster when the gaze was in the target direction than when it was in the non‐target direction. These findings provide initial evidence for visual‐upon‐auditory spatial‐cuing effects produced by centrally presented cues, suggesting that a reflexive crossmodal shift of attention does occur with a centrally presented visual stimulus.     

Bringing out the agreeableness in everyone: Using a cognitive self-regulation model to reduce aggression

Research has shown that those individuals high in agreeableness recruit helpful thoughts in hostile contexts, presumably in the service of controlling aggressive behavior. The present experiment follows from such work, but importantly does so in a manner seeking to support causal conclusions. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental training condition, in which hostile prime words were followed by helpful target words, or to a control condition that did not involve such pairings. Those assigned to the experimental condition subsequently exhibited lower levels of aggression in a laboratory task. Additional considerations and findings support the potential involvement of self-regulation processes. In general terms, the experiment reveals that a brief cognitive manipulation targeting processes thought to underlie aggression control was in fact causally effective in reducing subsequent levels of aggressive behavior.     

Behavioral cues that great apes use to forage for hidden food

We conducted three studies to examine whether the four great ape species (chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans) are able to use behavioral experimenter-given cues in an object-choice task. In the subsequent experimental conditions subjects were presented with two eggs, one of which contained food and the other did not. In Study 1 the experimenter examined both eggs by smelling or shaking them, but only made a failed attempt to open (via biting) the egg containing food. In a control condition, the experimenter examined and attempted to open both eggs, but in reverse order to control for stimulus enhancement. The apes significantly preferred the egg that was first examined and then bitten, but had no preference in a baseline condition in which there were no cues. In Study 2, we investigated whether the apes could extend this ability to cues not observed in apes so far (i.e., attempting to pull apart the egg), as well as whether they made this discrimination based on the function of the action the experimenter performed. Subjects significantly preferred eggs presented with this novel cue, but did not prefer eggs presented with a novel but functionally irrelevant action. In Study 3, apes did not interpret human actions as cues to food-location when they already knew that the eggs were empty. Thus, great apes were able to use a variety of experimenter-given cues associated with foraging actions to locate hidden food and thereby were partially sensitive to the general purpose underlying these actions.     

基于情绪调节模型的教师情绪劳动的中介效应探讨

本研究以Grandey的情绪调节模型为框架,通过问卷调查的方法,探讨正性情绪、负性情绪、情绪劳动以及职业倦怠之间的关系。828名中小学教师的有效数据的回归分析结果显示:基于不同情绪感受的情绪劳动对职业倦怠的影响存在差异;情绪劳动各维度既充当正负情绪均值差距(M_N-P)影响职业倦怠各维度的部分中介变量,又充当正负情绪变异系数差距(CV_N-P)影响去个性化或个人成就感的部分中介变量;表层行为、深层行为在正负情绪均值差距(M_N-P)影响去个性化之间的部分中介效应受到性别的调节。     

婴儿气质的实验室观察与母亲报告的一致性及其影响因素研究

本研究采用呈现三种性质物品的实验室观察法与母亲报告法,考察203名6个月婴儿在积极情绪和消极情绪的一致性。结果表明:(1)在正性情境下,实验室观察的积极、消极情绪与母亲报告的消极情绪显著相关;(2)母亲的抑郁倾向与两种气质测查方法测查的婴儿消极情绪的一致性正相关显著;婴儿性别在一定程度上调节着母亲养育压力与两种方法测查婴儿积极情绪的一致性。     

特质性与情境性调节定向匹配效应的一致性

研究试图探讨基于不同性质的调节定向(特质性调节定向和情境性调节定向)而达成的匹配所导致的效应是否一致。实验一、二均采用2(调节定向：促进、防御)×2(信息框架：积极、消极)被试间设计, 分别考察了两种匹配对信息说服效果(包括信息价值评价、情绪强度、行为意向3项指标)的影响。MANOVA检验表明, 实验一中信息价值评价、情绪强度2项指标上的交互作用显著, 实验二中信息价值评价、情绪强度和行为意向3项指标上的交互作用显著; 这表明, 基于两种不同性质的调节定向所达成的匹配在对信息价值评价和情绪强度的影响上具有一致的效应, 但在对行为意向的影响上具有不一致的效应。这一结果对于理解两种不同性质的调节定向之间的差异以及基于两者而达成的两种调节匹配之间的差异具有较为重要的意义。     

繁衍线索对风险信息加工的影响

进化理论认为风险行为与求偶有关。研究通过比较求偶信息(异性照片或描述异性的词语)、养育后代(孕妇照片)及奖赏信息(金牌照片等)试图进一步探讨繁衍线索对两性知觉和判断风险信息的影响。研究1中, 被试描述理想约会对象后求偶动机得到激发, 相对于描述晴朗天气的控制组, 求偶动机让两性更慢地从高风险信息(如滑雪、冲浪等)转移注意力, 且两性对风险信息的注意转移与社群性向无关。研究2显示, 相对于养育后代和奖赏信息, 求偶信息更为迅速地促使男性对高风险信息做出判断, 但求偶信息让女性比男性更慢地对高风险信息做出判断。研究结果进一步证实了自然选择理论及性选择理论对两性加工风险信息的认知机制具有预测作用。     

积极情绪对视觉注意的调节及其机制

在积极心理学思潮的推动下, 已有研究不但发现积极情绪扩展了空间和时间注意范围、增加了注意灵活性, 而且发现在积极情绪下个体对积极刺激表现出了注意偏向。对这些现象, 先前研究主要以积极情绪的扩展与建构理论、情绪信息等价说等理论来加以解释。但这些理论主要从宏观上强调情绪信息对注意加工的启动或积极情绪对注意资源分布的调节, 并不能清楚地揭示积极情绪对注意调节的内在机制。神经生化机制研究发现, 这些现象可能与多巴胺系统对注意控制能力的调节以及积极情绪对初级视觉皮层编码的调节有关。将来研究者可以基于不同的种类的注意选择和注意模型来进一步拓展积极情绪对注意调节的研究, 同时注重对其机制的探讨和理论的整合与创新。     

限制性饮食者对食物线索的认知偏向：行为和脑机制的证据

限制饮食是为了控制体重, 长期严格地控制进食的倾向。大量研究表明相对于非限制性饮食者, 限制性饮食者对食物线索尤其是高能量或高美味食物线索存在认知偏向。这种偏向是基于一定的脑神经基础的如前额叶背内侧, 小脑等区域。未来研究应设置严格的筛选标准, 运用视觉odd-one-out和学习-再认实验范式, 重视认知神经机制的探讨, 开展中国限制性饮食者对食物线索加工的认知机制和主要影响因素模型的系统研究。     

BENCHMARKS AFFECT PERCEPTIONS OF PRIOR DISABILITY IN A STRUCTURED INTERVIEW

Though covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, job candidates with a record of a disability may be adversely evaluated. Two experiments demonstrate that subtle knowledge of a prior disability creates a bias that can be removed by a structured interview. A job candidate was labeled as having once suffered from depression, substance abuse, cancer, or no disability. The candidate who once suffered from depression or substance abuse was judged more negatively than a control candidate, while a cancer survivor was not. Though disabilities are not perceived equally, benchmarked rating scales can enhance attention to relevant behaviors, thus controlling the potential for bias.We thank Steven Gregson, Michael Records and Cynthia Strickland for their help with pilot studies. Shawn Bocketti is now with IBM, Stephen Maser is with Linkage Incorporated, and Craig Wennet is with the United States Coast Guard.