The Occipital Cortex in the Blind

ABSTRACT— Studying the brains of blind individuals provides a unique opportunity to investigate how the brain changes and adapts in response to afferent (input) and efferent (output) demands. We discuss evidence suggesting that regions of the brain normally associated with the processing of visual information undergo remarkable dynamic change in response to blindness. These neuroplastic changes implicate not only processing carried out by the remaining senses but also higher cognitive functions such as language and memory. A strong emphasis is placed on evidence obtained from advanced neuroimaging techniques that allow researchers to identify areas of human brain activity, as well as from lesion approaches (both reversible and irreversible) to address the functional relevance and role of these activated areas. A possible mechanism and conceptual framework for these physiological and behavioral changes is proposed.     

How probable is probably? It depends on whom you're talking about

Two studies tested whether people interpreted verbal chance terms in a self‐serving manner. Participants read statements describing the likelihood of events in their own future and in the future of a randomly chosen other. They interpreted the chance terms numerically. Chance terms were interpreted as denoting a higher probability when they were used to describe the likelihood of pleasant events in one's own future than when they were used to describe the likelihood of pleasant events in someone else's future (Study 1). Similarly, chance terms were interpreted as denoting a lower probability when they were used to describe the likelihood of unpleasant events in one's own future than when they were used to describe the likelihood of unpleasant events in someone else's future (Studies 1 and 2). These differences occurred primarily when the risk statements were threatening. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

他人知识状态觉知对幼儿名词学习的影响

本研究采用两个实验考察了他人知识状态觉知对不同语言能力幼儿名词习得的影响。参加实验的被试是来自上海市三所幼儿园的89名3～4岁幼儿。实验一发现,高语言能力幼儿在确定和不确定两种实验条件下的名词习得有显著差异,确定条件下的得分高于不确定条件。一般语言能力幼儿未表现出上述区别;实验二进一步发现高语言能力幼儿能忽视表面的语气线索所表达的迟疑,影响他们词语学习的是对他人知识状态的深层觉知。     

医学高校《文献信息检索》课的教学改革--培养大学生的信息能力和创新能力

阐述了在当今知识经济时代背景下,在网络化、电子化环境中,社会对人才的信息能力和创新能力的需求,提出了<文献信息检索>课为适应时代的要求,培养具有较高信息能力和创新能力的现代大学生的改革和创新的设想.     

创造力与能力、专长及胜任力关系评述

创造力的实质及其培养问题,一直处于心理学家研究的视野当中。本文试图对创造力与能力、专长及胜任力等相关概念的关系作以简要评述,以期获得对创造力更深刻的理解。     

前瞻记忆意向后效应的年龄差异

前瞻记忆意向后效应会对日常生活产生负面影响,研究发现这种现象在老年人中尤其突出。近些年来,研究者们从内外两方面对影响前瞻记忆意向后效应年龄差异的因素进行了探讨,了解到认知老化所带来的抑制能力的衰退以及短时记忆缺陷是造成其年龄差异的主要原因。未来研究需进一步拓展对认知老化的机制和抑制控制能力的认识。另外,可以采用事件相关电位（Event-Related Potentials, ERPs）和功能性磁共振成像（Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, fMRI）等脑成像技术揭示前瞻记忆意向后效应年龄差异的加工机制及神经机制。     

中学生自我控制能力问卷的编制及其调查

本研究的目的是编制一套“中学生自我控制能力问卷”,并运用问卷调查了上海地区的885名预初至高二的学生,对中学生自我控制能力的特点进行了探索。研究结果表明：(1)中学生自我控制能力问港山情绪自控、行为白控和思维自控三个维度组成;(2)中学生自我控制能力问卷具有较高的信效度;(3)中学生自我控制能力成正态分市;(4)中学生自我控制能力在年级及性别上的差异非常显着;(5)中学生自我控制能力的发展还不稳定,处于波动之中。     

Alien voices and inner dialogue: towards a developmental account of auditory verbal hallucinations

The phenomenon of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) is one of the most intriguing features of the psychiatric literature. Two alternative models of the development of AVHs in both normal and psychotic populations are proposed. In the disruption to internalisation (DI) model, AVHs result from a disruption to the normal processes of internalisation of inner speech. In the re-expansion (RE) model, AVHs result when normal inner speech is re-expanded into inner dialogue under conditions of stress and cognitive challenge. Both models draw on Vygotsky's (The Collected Works Of L.S. Vygotsky, New York, Plenum Press, 1987) ideas about the development of inner speech. On this view, normal inner speech is considerably abbreviated relative to external speech, and also undergoes some important semantic transformations. In both the DI and RE models, AVHs arise when the subject's inner speech involves inappropriately expanded inner dialogue, leading the subject to experience the voices in the dialogue as alien. The two models may prove useful in explaining some of the social-developmental evidence surrounding the phenomenon, and also make a number of testable predictions which are suggested as priorities for future research.     

Visuo‐spatial play experience: forerunner of visuo‐spatial achievement in preadolescent and adolescent boys and girls?

This cross‐sectional study explored whether participation, from early childhood, in play involving different cognitive abilities predicts visuo‐spatial achievement at ages 9, 12, and 15. Based on parental assessment, prior and present practice of spatial manipulation play was found to be consistently more frequent in boys than in girls; the reverse held true for verbal expression play. Whereas boys did not significantly outperform girls in three visuo‐spatial tasks, girls were superior on a contrastive vocabulary task. In general, with IQ statistically controlled, regression analyses showed that estimated past and present spatial manipulation play predicted both genders' proficiency in the water‐level task and Embedded Figures Test, as did mothers' socioeconomic status for Block Design performance. Contrastingly, a negative relation was established between spatial manipulation play and vocabulary scores. Similar to the activity‐ability association often identified among adults, the relation established here between spatial play experience and visuo‐spatial ability was only modest. Further research should aim at more definitive conclusions through augmenting both diversity in the visuo‐spatial skills measured and sophistication in play behaviour appraisal. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.