不同作业阶段的分配注意对返回抑制的影响

在双作业条件下,利用线索－靶子模式进行了两个返回抑制实验,实验一应用简单分心刺激,实验二应用复杂分心刺激。两个实验均在呈现阶段或／和靶子呈现阶段安排分心作业,以大学生为被试,其主作业为觉察星号,尽快按键作出反应。结果表明：（１）在简单分心作业条件下,返回抑制依然存在,但数值减少,在复杂分心作业条件下,返回抑制全部消失。（２）无论分心作业如何,线索呈现阶段或／和靶子呈现阶段的分散注意对返回抑制所产生     

无法忍受不确定性与担忧：对记忆偏差与解释偏差的检验

本研究旨在探索记忆偏差与解释偏差在无法忍受不确定性(IU)与个体担忧之间的中介作用。实验1采用伴随学习任务范式,计算被试对中性词语和不确定词的回忆量。结果发现,IU对记忆偏差的预测不显著,记忆偏差在IU与担忧倾向之间的中介作用不显著。实验2采用情境评估任务范式收集被试在不确定情境下的担忧评分和解释倾向。结果发现,IU可以正向预测被试在不确定情境下的担忧评分,被试对情境的解释倾向在IU与担忧评分的关系中起到中介作用。概言之,高IU个体存在一定的信息加工偏差。     

任务转换和目标变化下的自我加工优势

本研究旨在通过联结学习任务和线索转换任务探讨自我关联刺激在任务转换和目标变化下的加工优势。结果发现：（1）相比于朋友和陌生人,自我更容易学习联结;（2）在线索转换任务中,所有关联刺激均未出现任务转换成本;（3）在目标变化条件下,自我关联刺激的目标结转效率最佳。结果表明自我关联刺激能够调节任务转换成本,并且在目标变化条件下能快速聚焦注意,表现出基于感知的特异性加工优势。     

虚拟和真实金钱奖赏幅度对海洛因戒断者风险决策的影响

已有研究表明海洛因成瘾者风险决策能力受损, 但少有研究关注不同幅度金钱奖赏对戒断期海洛因成瘾者风险决策的影响以及这种影响是否会受到金钱奖赏类型的调节。因此, 本研究使用气球模拟风险任务(BART), 通过两个实验探究不同幅度虚拟和真实金钱奖赏对海洛因戒断者风险决策的影响。结果显示, 在虚拟奖赏情景下, 海洛因戒断者未爆破气球按键次数和爆破气球个数均显著大于正常组被试, 以及两组被试在25分奖赏条件下的未爆破气球按键次数和爆破气球个数均显著大于1分奖赏; 而在真实奖赏情景下, 海洛因戒断者未爆破气球按键次数和爆破气球个数均显著小于正常组被试, 以及两组被试在25分奖赏条件下的未爆破气球按键次数和爆破气球个数均显著小于1分奖赏。研究结果表明, 金钱奖赏类型和金钱奖赏幅度会影响被试的风险决策行为。在虚拟奖赏情景下, 两组被试的风险偏好水平随着奖赏幅度的增加显著升高, 但是戒断期海洛因成瘾者的风险偏好水平高于正常组被试; 而在真实奖赏情景下, 两组被试的风险偏好水平随着奖赏幅度的增加显著降低, 同时戒断期海洛因成瘾者的风险偏好水平低于正常组被试。     

Nietzsche’s Questioning

Abstract

When Nietzsche is called a radical philosopher, it is (among other reasons) because he claims to call into question what other thinkers take for granted. In the article I concentrate on the way in which Nietzsche asks his questions, and how his questions (and the vocabulary which he uses to express his questions) develop through his writings. The article points out how Nietzsche gradually discovers his guiding question and how this search reaches its climax around 1886. This guiding question turns out to be a practical or existential one: ‘To what extent can truth endure incorporation?’ (FW/GC 110 KSA 3.471).     

Attenuation of size illusion effect in dual-task conditions

We over-estimate or under-estimate the size of an object depending its background structure (e.g., the Ebbinghaus illusion). Since deciding and preparing to execute a movement is based on perception, motor performance deteriorates due to the faulty perception of information. Therefore, such cognitive process can be a source of a failure in motor performance, although we feel in control of our performance through conscious cognitive activities. If a movement execution process can avoid distraction by the illusion-deceived conscious process, the effect of the visual illusion on visuomotor performance can be eliminated or attenuated. This study investigated this hypothesis by examining two task performances developed for a target figure inducing the Ebbinghaus size illusion: showing visually perceived size of an object by index finger-thumb aperture (size-matching), and reaching out for the object and pretending to grasp it (pantomimed grasping). In these task performances, the size of the index finger-thumb aperture becomes larger or smaller than the actual size, in accordance with the illusion effect. This study examined whether the size illusion effect can be weakened or eliminated by the dual-task condition where actors’ attention to judge the object’s size and to produce the aperture size is interrupted. 16 participants performed the size-matching and pantomimed grasping tasks while simultaneously executing a choice reaction task (dual task) or without doing so (single task). Using an optical motion capture system, the size-illusion effect was analyzed in terms of the aperture size, which indicates the visually perceived object size. The illusion effect was attenuated in the dual task condition, compared to it in the single task condition. This suggests that the dual task condition modulated attention focus on the aperture movement and therefore the aperture movement was achieved with less distraction caused by illusory information.     

Unconscious processing of coarse visual information during anticipatory threat

Rapid detection of threats has been proposed to rely on automatic processing of their coarse visual features. However, it remains unclear whether such a mechanism is restricted to detection of threat cues, or whether it reflects a broader sensitivity to even neutral coarse visual information features during states of threat. We used a backward masking task in which participants discriminated the orientation of subliminally presented low (3 cpd) and high (6 cpd) spatial frequency gratings, under threat (of shock) and safe conditions. Visual awareness of the gratings was assessed objectively using an additional localization task. When participants were unaware of the gratings, above chance and improved discrimination of low-spatial frequency gratings was observed under threat compared to safe trials. These findings demonstrate unconscious processing of neutral coarse visual information during threat state, supporting the view that automatic threat detection may rely on a general facilitation of coarse features irrespective of threat content.     

An investigation into the jumping-to-conclusions bias in social anxiety

‘Jumping-to-Conclusions’ (JTC) is a data-gathering bias characterised by hasty decision-making, and is typically seen in individuals with high levels of delusions or paranoia. JTC has also been found in people with high trait and state anxiety. The present study aimed to explore the relationship between JTC and trait social anxiety and state anxiety, given paranoia is common in both social anxiety and psychotic disorders. One-hundred-and-eighty-six undergraduate students were allocated to a manipulation or control condition, and classified as high or low socially anxious. All participants completed the ‘beads task’ to assess JTC, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (state subscale) to assess state anxiety. Participants in the manipulation condition were given an anxiety-inducing situation. Although the manipulation was effective in inducing state anxiety, there was no significant correlation between JTC and trait or state social anxiety. High socially anxious individuals showed more conservative decision-making than controls over time, which was posited to be caused by inhibited working memory resulting from increased state anxiety.