Laterality of the frontal aslant tract (FAT) explains externalizing behaviors through its association with executive function

We investigated the development of a recently identified white matter pathway, the frontal aslant tract (FAT) and its association with executive function and externalizing behaviors in a sample of 129 neurotypical male and female human children ranging in age from 7 months to 19 years. We found that the FAT could be tracked in 92% of those children, and that the pathway showed age‐related differences into adulthood. The change in white matter microstructure was very rapid until about 6 years, and then plateaued, only to show age‐related increases again after the age of 11 years. In a subset of those children (5–18 years; n = 70), left laterality of the microstructural properties of the FAT was associated with greater attention problems as measured by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). However, this relationship was fully mediated by higher executive dysfunction as measured by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). This relationship was specific to the FAT—we found no relationship between laterality of a control pathway, or of the white matter of the brain in general, and attention and executive function. These findings suggest that the degree to which the developing brain favors a right lateralized structural dominance of the FAT is directly associated with executive function and attention. This novel finding provides a new potential structural biomarker to assess attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and associated executive dysfunction during development.     

HUMAN PHENOTYPIC MORALITY AND THE BIOLOGICAL BASIS FOR KNOWING GOOD

Co‐creating knowledge takes a new approach to human phenotypic morality as a biologically based, human lineage specific (HLS) trait. Authors from very different backgrounds (anthropology and biology, on the one hand, and astronomy, philosophy, and theology, on the other) first review research on the nature and origins of morality using the social brain network, and studies of individuals who cannot “know good” or think morally because of brain dysfunction. They find these models helpful but insufficient, and turn to paleoanthropology, cognitive science, and neuroscience to understand human moral capacity and its origins long ago, in the genus Homo. An unusual narrative capturing “morality in action” takes the reader back 900,000 years, and then the authors analyze the essential features of moral thinking and behavior as expressed by early and later species on our lineage. In what has primarily been the province of philosophers to date, the authors’ morality model is presented for further scientific testing.     

Determining the Effectiveness of an Alcohol Intervention Program With Greek College Students

The authors examined the perception of college students from Greek organizations on the effectiveness of an alcohol intervention program that included gender‐specific programming. Significant reductions in risky alcohol use were found in men who attended and evaluated the program as helpful.     

意识和无意识活动的脑区能态理论

本文在脑的四个功能系统学说的基础上,提出脑区能态理论,研究有意识、无意识和潜意识。讨论有意识、无意识、潜意识的脑机制,指出有意识、无意识、潜意识的统一性。     

成就目标定向与学习策略、学业成绩的关系研究综述

成就目标理论整合了曾经分离的动机研究和认知研究,是社会认知取向在动机领域中的代表性课题。文章对近十年国内外成就目标定向与学习策略、学业成绩的关系研究进行了综述,认为研究所取得的成果加深了我们对学习内在机制的理解。同时,作者也提出了这一领域应改进测量工具、进行重复验证、跨文化研究以及干预研究的主张。     

坡度知觉及其影响因素的研究进展

人们对于地表斜坡的知觉是非常不准确的,通常表现为对坡度估计过高。但是,研究发现,在以行为的方式对坡度进行模拟时,所模拟的坡度值却与实际坡度基本一致。这种面对同一视觉线索出现的视知觉与行为不一致的现象即为坡度知觉中的“知觉-行为分离”。本文回顾了影响坡度知觉的各种因素,涉及视觉线索、认知判断、感觉通道、生理状态以及报告方式等方面的研究,并对坡度知觉的未来研究进行了展望。     

学科领域知识丰富性对中学代数问题表征层次的影响

研究学科领域知识丰富性不同的学生在问题表征过程中信息表征层次的特点。采用“学习-再认”范式,以5类等式为材料,62名初二学生参与实验。结果：两组被试对表面和原理特征一致的等式产生明显的错误再认;对表面特征不一致等式的错误率明显减少。无论原理特征是否一致,两组对表面特征一致等式的反应时无显著差别,但在正确率上丰富组的更高。说明,两组均以有序的系列加工方式编码信息,优先编码表面特征。贫乏组对原理特征的编码干扰表面特征的加工,因而原理特征被丢弃。丰富组加工表面特征则无干扰现象出现,两种特征均能作为再认线索。     

Functional characterisation of the extrastriate body area based on the N1 ERP component

Electrophysiological and functional neuroimaging evidence points to the existence of neural populations that respond strongly and selectively to the appearance of the human body and its parts. However, the relationship between ERP and fMRI markers of these populations remains unclear. Here we used a previously identified functional dissociation between two body-selective regions identified with fMRI (extrastriate body area or EBA; fusiform body area or FBA) in order to better understand the source of a body-selective N1 ERP component. Specifically, we compared the magnitude of the N1 elicited by images of fingers, hands, arms and bodies to that obtained for hierarchically-matched control stimuli. We found close agreement between the pattern of body-part selectivity exhibited by N1, and the pattern of BOLD selectivity elicited in a previous study by the same type of stimuli in EBA (in contrast to FBA). We interpret these findings as evidence for EBA as the primary generator of the body-selective N1 component. Our results are an example of the use of functional criteria to distinguish among the possible neural sources of ERP markers.     

Predicting academic success with the Big 5 rated from different points of view: Self‐rated,other rated and faked

Self‐ratings of personality predict academic success above general intelligence. The present study replicated these findings and investigated the increment of other‐ratings or intentionally distorted self‐ratings. Participants (N = 145) had to compile a personality questionnaire twice. First they were given neutral instructions. The second time they were asked to imagine a specific applicant setting. Furthermore, two peers rated each participant. Additionally, verbal, numerical and figural reasoning scores were obtained. Grades on a statistics exam obtained 2 months later served as the criterion. Results replicated prior findings and showed incremental validity for self‐ and other‐rated personality, which was stable after controlling for intelligence. Faking had no impact on the domain‐score level, but results on the facet‐score level were less encouraging. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.