No difference in flanker effects for sad and happy schematic faces: A parametric study of temporal parameters

Flanker effects with schematic faces have been reported to be larger for happy than for sad faces, allegedly because sad faces restrict the focus of spatial attention. We report a parametric study that fails to replicate this effect. Participants performed speeded identifications of happy or sad faces accompanied by compatible or incompatible flanker faces. We varied the temporal interval between presentation of central target and flanker faces because differential attentional effects of happy and sad faces should critically depend on this variable. In contradiction to the literature, we found large compatibility effects that were modulated by temporal parameters, but not by the emotional valence of the faces, and not in the way consistent with differential attentional modulation. We conclude that previously reported asymmetries in flanker tasks with schematic faces are not due to changes in attentional scope (mediated by emotion or otherwise), but rather to perceptual low-level differences.     

Upshifted decision criteria in attentional blink and repetition blindness

A large number of “unawareness” phenomena have been explained and quantified in terms of sensitivity (d′) fluctuations, with very few attempts at addressing an alternative putative cause, i.e., fluctuations of subjects’ response criteria (c). Response criteria fluctuations are particularly likely under dual-task paradigms with unbalanced sensitivities (Gorea & Sagi, 2000) such as those used in evidencing attentional blink (AB) and repetition blindness (RB) phenomena. The present study inquires into whether AB and RB are indeed prone to a deviant decisional behaviour. AB and RB were studied with a yes/no task allowing the assessment of d′ and c for the detection (presence/absence) of a target letter T2 as a function of its temporal lag relative to the presentation of another (AB) or of the same (RB) letter, T1 (Experiment 1). A significant criterion increase was observed in both cases. Additional experiments demonstrate that this criterion effect is typical of these dual-task AB and RB paradigms as it is not observed in a standard contrast detection task with mixed contrasts (Experiment 2), in a “control” AB design stripped off its first task T1 (Experiment 3), or in a metacontrast experiment (Experiment 4). We propose that the observed criterion shifts are the consequence of the inherent dual-task AB and RB designs (where observers have to judge two events of unequal saliencies) and that they entail an enhancement of the AB and RB effects as long as these effects are assessed via subjective (yes/no or matching) procedures.     

The Interaction Concept in Scientific Discourse and in the Analysis of Variance

The article discusses the meaning of the interaction concept in scientific discourse and in the analysis of variance and the correspondence between the two. Reasons and examples are given to show that the correspondence is poor. It is recommended that the researcher pay more attention to substantive interactions, of which one way is by using assessment means that are sensitive to the such interactions.     

Task Difficulty and the Time Scales of Warm-Up and Motor Learning

The authors investigated the influence of task difficulty on warm-up decrement and learning across practice sessions. Three groups of participants practiced a star-tracing task over 3 consecutive days with different levels (e.g., easy, medium, hard) of task difficulty. The performance data were modeled with a 2 time scale function that represented the transient, fast time scale process of warm-up decrement superimposed with the persistent, slow time scale process of learning. Movement time decreased as a function of practice with the most difficult condition exhibiting the greatest reduction though still the longest movement time. The 2 time scale model provided a better fit to the data than an exponential or power law function and showed that the 3 difficulty conditions exhibited similar rates of change for the respective slow (i.e., learning) and fast (i.e., warm-up decrement) time scale processes that varied by an order of magnitude. Task difficulty was inversely related to the initial level of warm-up decrement but not the rate of performance recovery early in a practice session. The findings support the postulation that there is a persistent learned component to the initial conditions in subsequent practice sessions but that there is a common time scale of accommodating the transient process of warm-up decrement.     

Influences of lateral preference and personality on behaviour towards a manual sorting task

Differences in task behaviour between left- and right-handers and left- and right-eared individuals have been reported (e.g.  and ) with left-handers taking longer to begin a task and right-eared individuals having a more disinhibited approach. Personality measurements are also important when examining approach behaviour. Jackson (2008) reported that those with higher neuroticism levels and a right-ear preference react faster to tasks. The current study investigated the effects of lateral preference and personality on behaviour towards a manual sorting task. Eighty-five participants completed laterality and personality scales and a card-sorting task. Degree of hand preference was found to influence behaviour towards the task with strong left-handers taking longer to begin. Those with a left congruent lateral preference (left-hand, left-ear) took significantly longer to begin the task than those with a right congruent preference. Neither neuroticism nor extraversion influenced task approach. We concluded that hand preference, and more specifically a strong left-hand preference is a good predictor of a longer initiation time on a manual task. Ear preference on its own does not predict initiation time.     

Attentional Bias Modification in People with Chronic Pain: A Proof of Concept Study

The purpose of this proof of concept study was to explore the role of attentional bias modification (ABM) in improving clinically relevant outcomes in chronic pain. Eight participants with chronic pain completed eight ABM sessions, which featured a modified version of the visual-probe task implicitly training attention away from pain-related stimuli towards neutral stimuli. Training sessions included a variety of linguistic and pictorial pain-related stimuli, which were presented at two presentation times (500 and 1250 ms). Participants also completed a standard version of the visual-probe task pre- and post-ABM to assess changes in bias. The primary outcome measure was pain intensity, and secondary outcome measures were anxiety, depression severity and pain interference. Statistically and clinically significant change was shown pre- to post-ABM in pain intensity, anxiety, depression and pain interference. Attentional bias scores did not statistically differ across time. These results support the continued exploration of ABM in chronic pain and the modifications we made to the intervention (i.e. the inclusion of pictorial stimuli and a longer presentation time). Future research is needed to explore the optimal form of ABM and whether improvements are maintained over time.     

中学生完成系列回忆任务错误类型发展的实验研究

本研究以初中一、三年级和高中二年级学生为被试,以三种类型的汉字(普通字、形似字和同音字)为实验材料,采用系列回忆任务的个别实验法,考察中学生完成系列回忆任务的错误类型特点。结果发现:1.各年级都出现了遗漏错误、侵入错误、移动错误和重复错误,其中移动错误随年级升高而减少且错误率最高。2.四种错误类型表现出不同的位置效应。3.同音字引起的错误率明显高于普通字和形似字。     

序列学习是否是内隐学习？

序列学习是继人工语法之后内隐学习的另一研究范式。以往观点认为,在练习后,被试对规则刺激和随机刺激在反应时上出现差异,就表明被试是内隐学习,这种差异量就是内隐学习量。但现在很多学者对序列学习是否内隐这一问题提出了疑问;运用新方法（过程分离法,简称PDP）的研究发现,序列学习是否内隐同反应-刺激间隔（RSI）有关,当RSI = 0时,序列学习才是内隐的;根据RSI提出了神经网络模型。     

经颅直流电刺激技术在增强健康个体认知功能中的应用及其影响因素

经颅直流电刺激作为一种无创脑刺激技术,已在临床治疗及康复领域有广泛应用。随着研究的深入和人类对于自身认知需求的提高,近年来也有研究者开始尝试使用该技术增强健康个体的认知功能。本文从感知觉、注意、记忆、学习和复杂任务五个方面对目前经颅直流电刺激技术在健康个体认知增强领域的研究现状进行梳理和总结,讨论了机制和影响因素,以及未来面临的问题和挑战。     

基于反馈加工的规则学习:研究儿童认知灵活性的新范式

认知灵活性作为执行功能的三个主要成分之一,对个体能力发展和环境适应起着重要作用。但以往研究多采用不同范式来考察不同年龄段儿童在一个优势规则失效后灵活转换至新规则的能力。本研究旨在威斯康星卡片分类任务(WCST)的基础上设计一种新任务范式,考察年龄范围更大的群体在规则习得过程中根据不同性质的反馈信息保持与灵活修订假设的能力。我们设计了目标选择任务(target choose task,TCT),考察181名5~11岁儿童的认知灵活性。其中24名儿童亦完成WCST。结果表明,TCT通过率界于32~65.7%;TCT高分组成绩显著高于低分组;分半信度计算结果表明奇数编号题目与偶数题目得分正相关;TCT分数与WCST完成分类数和概念化水平数分别呈正相关。这些结果表明TCT难度适中,具有区分度,内部一致性高,效度良好,可以在更大的年龄跨度上研究儿童在规则习得过程中的认知灵活性。