Endogenous modulation of compatibility effects: an Investigation into the temporal dynamics

Compatibility effects (CEs) arise when multiple stimuli fall within the visual field, providing an indication of stimulus processing. Previous research demonstrated that exogenous factors (e.g., luminance) influence the magnitude of CEs and their time course. The current research investigated the influence of endogenous factors. We used a flanker paradigm with a variable temporal delay (SOA) between a flanker and a subsequent central stimulus appearing. To manipulate endogenous factors, we required responses to the flanker on either half or all of the trials. The results indicate that increasing the task relevance of the flanker strengthened the initial positive CE (measured at short SOAs), consistent with past findings related to exogenous factors. However, at longer SOAs, the CE did not reverse into a negative CE, which stands against findings related to exogenous factors. These results indicate that CEs are subject to endogenous modulation, but the temporal dynamics do not mimic exogenous modulation.     

Longitudinal associations between relationship problems,divorce, and life satisfaction: Findings from a 15-year population-based study

Relationship problems are negatively associated with life satisfaction. Bottom-up theories assume that relationship quality affects life satisfaction while top-down theories assume that global personality dispositions affect evaluations of relationship quality. Only bottom-up theories imply that the negative association between relationship problems and life satisfaction will be removed when the relationship is ended and that divorce thus may be a positive event for persons from troubled relationships. In this study associations between relationship problems, divorce, and life satisfaction were examined among 369 heterosexual couples. Relationship problems predicted life satisfaction 15 years later in both men and women. This association was significantly stronger among not-divorced than among divorced couples. Among couples with severe relationship problems those who divorced had higher life satisfaction at 15-year follow-up than those who remained together while the reverse was true among less troubled couples. The findings thus support bottom-up theories of life satisfaction.     

外源性注意与多感觉整合的交互关系

外源性注意与多感觉整合的交互关系是一个复杂且具有争议的研究领域, 一直以来备受研究者们关注。为了解释两者间的交互作用机制, 本文基于已有研究成果从两方面综述了外源性注意与多感觉整合的交互关系：(1)外源性注意可以通过自下而上的方式调节多感觉整合, 包括空间不确定性、感知觉敏感度和感觉通道间信号强度差异三种理论假说; (2)多感觉整合可以调节外源性注意。一方面, 来自多感觉通道的刺激能够以自下而上的方式自动整合, 整合后的多感觉通道刺激比单通道刺激具有更大的凸显性从而有效地吸引注意。另一方面, 整合后的多感觉通道刺激能够作为多感觉信号模板存储于大脑之中, 从而在任务中实现自上而下地调节注意捕获。     

Psychoanalysis and Diplomacy Part II: Large-Group Rituals

This paper focuses on the predominant repetitive activities in which a large group engages to maintain and/or repair its identity. These repetitive activities constitute large-group rituals and can be divided into two general categories: (1) rituals that occur within a society that do not involve an active relationship with a contemporary other large group; and (2) rituals that occur through and depend upon the interaction with an opposing or enemy large group, usually a neighbor. Because others are used as reservoirs for unwanted parts, both at individual and group levels, and are needed to support aspects of identity and a shared sense of sameness, the first type of ritual may also include reference to shared images of others from the large group's past. They therefore may not be strictly domestic or indigenous. Furthermore, the intensity and content of both types of rituals occur across a spectrum depending on whether a large group is at peace, in a hot conflict with an enemy group, or otherwise destabilized due to crises.     

Restating the role of phenomenal experience in the formation and maintenance of the Capgras delusion

In recent times, explanations of the Capgras delusion have tended to emphasise the cognitive dysfunction that is believed to occur at the second stage of two-stage models. This is generally viewed as a response to the inadequacies of the one-stage account. Whilst accepting that some form of cognitive disruption is a necessary part of the aetiology of the Capgras delusion, I nevertheless argue that the emphasis placed on this second-stage is to the detriment of the important role played by the phenomenology underlying the disorder, both in terms of the formation and maintenance of the delusional belief. This paper therefore proposes an interactionist two-stage model in which the phenomenal experience of the Capgras patient is examined, emphasised, and its relation to top-down processing discussed.

心理疲劳对射击运动员整体局部加工的不同影响

采用整体—局部任务范式,通过事件相关电位技术（ERPs）同时结合问卷测量,考察心理疲劳对射击运动员整体加工和局部加工产生的影响。12名射击运动员参加实验。首先通过目标追踪任务诱发心理疲劳,然后使用心理疲劳问卷评估心理疲劳程度,再让被试进行整体—局部加工任务。结果发现：（1）目标追踪任务能够有效地诱发心理疲劳;（2）射击运动员完成整体知觉任务的反应时更快,准确率更高;（3）在心理疲劳状态下,射击运动员对整体知觉任务中一致条件的反应更快,准确率更高,在额区和中央区引发的N2、P3波幅更高;但是,对局部知觉任务中一致和不一致条件的反应时和准确率以及N2、P3波幅之间的差异不显著。这些结果表明,心理疲劳对整体和局部加工有着不同的影响。整体加工相对自动化,受心理疲劳的影响较小,而局部加工依赖于有意搜索,受心理疲劳的影响较大。研究揭示了心理疲劳对于注意的局部加工的影响及其神经关联,对未来射击运动员特定干预措施设计具有启发意义。     

基于fMRI的自上而下字母加工神经机制的研究

人们在识别自己所熟悉的物体时, 不仅依赖于对输入信息的感知而且还会受到自上而下调节机制的影响。研究者基于功能磁共振成像(fMRI), 利用虚幻探测范式对自上而下字母加工的神经网络进行研究。该研究要求被试从纯噪声(实际没有任何字母)中探测字母。通过对fMRI数据进行心理生理交互效应分析, 发现当被试从纯噪声图片中“看”到字母时, 多个脑区的活动由于受到来自于右侧梭状回的影响而加强。该发现表明自上而下的字母加工网络不但包含负责字母形状和语音加工的脑区, 还涉及一些负责高级认知加工的区域。     

Can Western Monotheism Avoid Substance Dualism?

The problem of divine agency and action is analogous to the problem of human agency and action: How is such agency possible in the absence of a dualistic causal interaction between disparate orders of being? This paper explores nondualistic accounts of divine agency that assert the following: (1) physical monism, (2) antireductionism, (3) physical realization, and (4) divine causal realism. I conclude that a robustly causal deity is incompatible with nonddualism's affirmation of physical monism. Specifically, I argue the incoherence of nondualistic strategies that advocate divine information transfer without energy transfer or the divine downward causation of physical events. Furthermore, I claim that the principle of explanatory exclusion makes any nondualistic, noninterventionist account of divine agency highly dubious. Finally, I suggest that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam can avoid a causally inert deity only if they are willing to deny the current presumption of the causal closure of the physical.     

Emotional Attention: Uncovering the Mechanisms of Affective Biases in Perception

ABSTRACT— The emotional significance of sensory events may influence attention in a reflexive manner, but these effects vary across paradigms and participants. Recent research indicates that specific circuits in the brain may serve to amplify neural responses to emotional stimuli, a modulation similar to attentional effects usually driven by endogenous goals. However, this modulation involves distinct sources in emotional systems such as the amygdala, and may thus operate partly independent of top-down control by attentional systems in frontoparietal cortices. It remains to be clarified to what degree these emotional effects are influenced by specific perceptual and emotional dimensions, automaticity and attentional resources, task goals or expectations, and individual personality traits.     

厌恶情绪加工特点的事件相关电位研究

厌恶作为一种威胁相关情绪有着帮助人们躲避有害刺激的进化意义。近年来的研究表明, 厌恶加工能拥有独特的神经机制, 主要表现为在感觉刺激输入早期起抑制作用。本研究使用高时间分辨率的事件相关电位技术(event-related potential, ERP)作为研究手段, 探究正常被试观看厌恶图片时脑电活动变化。采用视觉搜索范式作为实验任务, 考察不同加工阶段注意资源消耗特点。脑电结果表明, 厌恶加工确实存在独特的加工机制, 表现为皮层活动先抑制后增强。行为结果呈显著交互作用：情绪图呈现时间较短时(0/300 ms), 被试任务表现受负性情绪加工干扰; 情绪图呈现时间较长时(600/900 ms), 被试任务表现不受负性情绪干扰。研究结果支持负性情绪两阶段加工模型, 即厌恶加工也存在先自动化后控制化的两个阶段, 并且在自动化加工完全消失之前存在两种加工进程并存的过度阶段。