NATURALISTIC METHODOLOGY IN AN EMERGING SCIENTIFIC PSYCHOLOGY: LOTZE AND FECHNER IN THE BALANCE

The development of a methodologically naturalistic approach to physiological and experimental psychology in the nineteenth century was not primarily driven by a naturalistic agenda. The work of R. Hermann Lotze and G. T. Fechner help to illustrate this claim. I examine a selected set of central commitments in each thinkers philosophical outlook, particularly regarding the human soul and the nature of God, that departed strongly from a reductionist materialism. Yet, each contributed significantly to the formation of experimental and physiological psychology. Their work was influenced substantively by their respective philosophical commitments. Nevertheless, the evaluation of the merits of their specific proposals, Fechner's psychophysics and Lotze's local sign hypothesis respectively, did not depend upon sharing their metaphysical views regarding the human soul or the nature of God. A moderate, but significant, distinction between the contexts of discovery and of justification aids in understanding this balancing act.     

对听感觉运动门控自上而下调节的动物模型和神经机制

对惊反射的前脉冲抑制是减少干扰影响、保护脑内信息加工的重要机制。它既是研究感觉运动门控的模型, 也是探究精神分裂症机制的模型。前脉冲抑制可被选择性注意和情绪等高级认知活动所调节。本论文工作围绕着恐惧条件化和知觉空间分离去掩蔽(空间选择性注意)对听觉前脉冲抑制多层次化的自上而下调节, 在大鼠行为模型、神经通路、神经电生理机制等几个层次上开展了系统性研究, 并引入了精神分裂症的神经发育模型, 证实早期社会隔离饲养对前脉冲抑制注意调节的破坏影响。本论文研究成果不仅对认识正常情况下脑在复杂刺激场景中的信息加工机制有重要意义, 以感觉运动门控认知调节功能缺失为基础的动物模型也将推动精神分裂症心理学和神经生物学机制的研究。     

动态范式中基于客体的返回抑制 ——是客体抑制还是空间抑制的动态更新？

对动态范式中基于客体的返回抑制进行了考察。实验1在双侧客体改变和不改变条件下考察了返回抑制效应,结果表明,在双侧客体改变条件下返回抑制仍然存在。实验2采用单侧客体变化技术对动态范式中基于客体的返回抑制进行了测量,结果发现,在有效线索化条件下,单侧客体改变和不改变条件下对靶子的反应时没有显著差异（p > 0.90）。这些结果表明动态范式中基于客体的返回抑制的机制是空间抑制的动态更新,而不是客体表征受到抑制     

注意瞬脱对视觉空间关系判断的影响

将RSVP范式和视觉空间关系研究范式相结合,以两个实验探讨了注意瞬脱对视觉空间关系判断的影响。结果发现,类别和数量空间关系判断之间出现了实验性分离:类别空间关系判断表现出较大的注意瞬脱效应,数量空间关系判断只有轻度注意瞬脱效应。这说明,类别和数量空间关系加工子系统具有不同信息加工特性:前者依赖实时注意资源,其编码过程更多涉及控制性加工;后者较少依赖实时注意资源,其编码过程更多涉及自动加工。另外,还运用注意瞬脱理论对结果进行了解释。     

Right hemispatial neglect: frequency and characterization following acute left hemisphere stroke

The frequency of various types of unilateral spatial neglect and associated areas of neural dysfunction after left hemisphere stroke are not well characterized. Unilateral spatial neglect (USN) in distinct spatial reference frames have been identified after acute right, but not left hemisphere stroke. We studied 47 consecutive right handed patients within 48h of left hemisphere stroke to determine the frequency and distribution of types of right USN using cognitive testing and MRI imaging. The distribution of USN types was different from the previously reported distribution following acute right hemisphere stroke. In this left hemisphere stroke population, allocentric neglect was more frequent than egocentric neglect.     

Overconfidence and underconfidence: When and why people underestimate (and overestimate) the competition

It is commonly held that people believe themselves to be better than others, especially for outcomes under their control. However, such overconfidence is not universal. This paper presents evidence showing that people believe that they are below average on skill-based tasks that are difficult. A simple Bayesian explanation can account for these effects and for their robustness: On skill-based tasks, people generally have better information about themselves than about others, so their beliefs about others’ performances tend to be more regressive (thus less extreme) than their beliefs about their own performances. This explanation is tested in two experiments that examine these effects’ robustness to experience, feedback, and market forces. The discussion explores the implications for strategic planning in general and entrepreneurial entry in particular.     

The Effects of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nobody’s Perfect</Emphasis> Program on Parenting Resourcefulness and Competency

We conducted an evaluation of Nobody’s Perfect Program involving 71 participants from Peterborough County, Canada. Prior to the program, parents completed demographic information, along with self-report measures assessing the types of interactions with their children, parent resourcefulness, knowledge and use of resources, parent competency and self-efficacy, which were completed again after the program and at a two month follow-up testing. In comparison to parents not earning certificates, parents earning certificates were younger and more likely to have completed previous parenting programs. As well, parents earning certificates demonstrated and maintained an increase in parenting resourcefulness, warm/positive parent-child interactions, sense of parenting competency and satisfaction, and use of community resources. The more sessions parents attended, the better their parenting resourcefulness and warm/positive parent-child interactions on completion and at follow-up, and the less their angry and punitive parenting at follow-up. Parents who had attended parenting programs before had higher parenting resourcefulness scores at entry. They left the program with increased levels of parenting resourcefulness, better parent-child interactions, and more effective child management skills. A number of recommendations are suggested to help facilitators of the program enhance service delivery and improve parental outcomes.     

Enhanced spatial ability in aged dogs following dietary and behavioural enrichment

We examined the benefits of a broad spectrum antioxidant diet and enrichment comprised of physical exercise, environmental stimulants and cognitive testing, on spatial memory performance in beagle dogs. Both aged (N=48) and young (N=16) beagle dogs (Canus familiaris) were tested yearly on a three-component delayed non-match to position spatial task for three consecutive years. The results showed that young enriched animals acquired the task in fewer sessions, made fewer errors, responded slower and made fewer positional responses, compared to aged enriched animals. An analysis restricted to aged animals revealed that antioxidant administration and enrichment resulted in fewer errors, slower responses and decreased positional responses, particularly in Year 3. Finally, cohort differences emerged, which exemplify the significance of early environmental intervention. Aged dogs that were housed with other animals and exposed to an outdoor environment in early development displayed greater benefits from both interventions. These findings indicate that long-term dietary intervention and enrichment can buffer age-associated cognitive decline.     

返回抑制对空间Stroop效应的影响

联合空间cue—target范式和空间Stroop任务,考察了空间注意在解决空间Stroop效应中所起的作用。结果表明：（1）与空间Stroop刺激出现在非线索化位置相比,出现在线索化位置上时,被试对位置和空间维度不一致试验的反应更快,且空间Stroop的量显著减少;（2）返回抑制影响空间Stroop效应量的大小,返回抑制对非空间Stroop效应量的调节和对空间Stroop效应量的调节有所不同,无论一致条件,还是不一致条件下,对空间Stroop反应的反应速度要快于非空间Stroop。     

东莨菪碱对大鼠空间参考记忆和工作记忆的不同影响

观察东莨菪碱对空间参考记忆和空间工作记忆的编码、保持和提取过程的作用。应用Morris水迷宫实验测定大鼠的空间参考记忆和空间工作记忆,分别在训练的不同阶段腹腔注射东莨菪碱（1mg/kg）和相同容量的生理盐水,比较各东莨菪碱组和生理盐水组之间游泳潜伏期、路径长度、轨迹和游泳速度的差异。结果发现：与注射生理盐水相比,在训练前和探测实验前注射东莨菪碱的大鼠在探测实验中对目标象限不表现出空间偏爱,说明东莨菪碱干扰参考记忆的信息编码和提取过程;而在训练结束后注射东莨菪碱的大鼠探测实验的结果与生理盐水组相比没有显著差异,说明东莨菪碱对参考记忆的保持过程没有影响。在工作记忆实验中,无论第一次测试前、第一次测试后和第2次测试前注射东莨菪碱,均造成大鼠游泳潜伏期延长,说明东莨菪碱干扰工作记忆的编码、保持和提取过程。研究提示M受体在空间工作记忆和参考记忆中发挥不同作用