The Ethics of Visual Culture

To introduce this set of essays on visual ethics, I address the conceptual and methodological contours, as well as difficult theoretical questions, that might emerge with a visual turn in religious ethics. In addition I situate the work represented in this focus issue within ongoing conversations about moral perception, culture as a topic of normative analysis, and the various roles of visual culture in the moral life.     

Through the forest of motor representations

Following neuroscience, and using different labels, several philosophers have addressed the idea of the presence of a single representational mechanism lying in between (visual) perceptual processes and motor processes involved in different functions and useful for shaping suitable action performances: a motor representation (MR). MRs are the naturalized mental antecedents of action. This paper presents a new, non-monolithic view of MRs, according to which, contrarily to the received view, when looking at in between (visual) perceptual processes and motor processes, we find not only a single representational mechanism with different functions, but an ensemble of different sub-representational phenomena, each of which with a different function. This new view is able to avoid several issues emerging from the literature and to address something the literature is silent about, which however turns out to be crucial for a theory of MRs.     

儿童视听觉通道现实监控的发展

采用视觉图片和动画,听觉声音和词语任务,分别要求5岁（平均年龄66.5个月）、7岁（平均年龄80.8个月）和9岁（平均年龄117.2个月）共233名儿童在知觉和想象材料中作出来源判断,比较现实监控任务中视听觉通道之间和通道内部的发展差异。结果发现,在通道内部,不同实验材料对现实监控的影响不尽相同。在视觉通道内部：较小年龄儿童对图片的现实监控好于动画,较大年龄儿童对动画的现实监控好于图片;在听觉通道内部：儿童对声音的现实监控好于词。随着年龄的增长,对记忆现实监控的通道差异从视觉的图片刺激优势到图片和动画优势,到视觉刺激和声音对词的优势。文章还讨论了这些发展差异的可能原因,对我们理解个体记忆发展的规律和特点以及对实践的指导意义     

弱智儿童视觉图形辨认的实验研究

本研究探讨了不同智商水平的弱智儿童的视觉图形辨认能力的差异,并与同龄正常儿童作了比较。结果表明,智商在31-51,平均智商为41.6,均龄为11.7岁的弱智儿童,在图形以0.05秒速度的呈现条件下,平均辨认正确率为21.4%;在以0.01秒速度呈现的条件下,平均正确率为20.7%。智商在55-75,平均智商为62.0,均龄为10.2岁的弱智儿童,图形以0.05秒速度呈现时,平均辨认正确率为48.5%;在以0.01秒速度呈现时,平均正确率为45.0%。与同均龄的正常儿童比较,无论在哪一种呈现速度条件下,对图形辨认正确率均明显低于正常儿童。     

基于工作记忆内容的视觉注意

视觉系统是一个资源有限的信息加工系统, 在任何时刻视觉注意只能选择外界环境中的有限信息进行加工。工作记忆对于解决视觉场景中不同物体之间的注意竞争具有重要作用, 保持在工作记忆中的物体表征会以自上而下的方式引导注意优先选择视场中与之匹配的物体。本文系统回顾了有关工作记忆内容对视觉注意的引导作用的研究文献, 并探讨了基于工作记忆内容的视觉注意捕获的自动性, 指出基于工作记忆内容的视觉注意捕获是一个有条件的自动化过程。     

视觉预期的类型及神经机制

视觉预期是一种运用视觉信息的部分资源和先行资源对即将发生的事件进行预测的能力。为了人们更加清楚地认识视觉预期的内在加工过程,同时也有助于国内外研究者更为科学深入地探讨这种自上而下的加工,本文主要从婴幼儿和成人运动员两方面来阐述视觉预期的相关研究。首先从婴幼儿对物体相关属性和行为目标的视觉预期两方面探讨了视觉预期的类型,然后论述了成人视觉预期的神经机制。最后,指出今后的研究应加强视觉预期相关技术在临床诊断中的应用,注重环境在视觉预期中的作用,从神经网络角度研究视觉预期的神经基础。     

生物运动及其在社会认知障碍研究中的应用

人类对生物运动具有较强的视觉敏感性,即使在视觉线索有限的情况下,仍能提取其中的社会性信息。本研究系统梳理了当前生物运动视知觉实验研究涉及的各类社会性信息,并归纳分析社会认知缺陷与生物运动视知觉加工之间的内在联系,以期促进对生物运动视知觉加工心理机制问题的深入探讨     

流动儿童的问题行为与人格、家庭功能的关系

以北京市806名流动儿童和319名城市儿童为被试,采用问题行为问卷、小五人格问卷和家庭功能问卷,考察流动儿童问题行为的特点及其与城市儿童的差异,并探讨人格和家庭功能对流动儿童问题行为的影响。结果发现:(1)流动儿童内、外化问题行为的自我报告率分别达到了31.0%2、0.1%,与城市儿童相比,流动儿童的内化问题行为较为突出。(2)人格的情绪性、开放性显著正向预测流动儿童的内化问题题行为,外向性、家庭功能的亲密度显著负向预测其内化问题行为,情绪性、开放性显著正向预测流动儿童的外化问题行为,宜人性、谨慎性、亲密度显著负向预测外化问题行为。(3)人格在家庭功能的亲密度与内化问题行为之间起部分中介作用,在亲密度与外化问题行为之间起完全中介作用。     

Original and revised reinforcement sensitivity theory in the prediction of executive functioning: A test of relationships between dual systems

Executive functioning relates to cognitive processes that are effortful and controlled, whereas processes underlying personality are assumed to be routine and automatic (Elliot and Thrash, 2002, Elliot and Thrash, 2010). We evaluated potential influences between these dual systems by examining the link between executive functioning and biologically based personality measures associated with original reinforcement sensitivity theory (o-RST) and revised reinforcement sensitivity theory (r-RST). Results showed that flight (a tendency to commit to poorly planned, escape behavior) negatively predicted executive functioning. We find partial support for the general hypothesis of links between the dual systems. Generally, r-RST was a better predictor of executive functioning than o-RST. The proposed structure of the r-RST measurement model was confirmed.     

The PHQ-9 assesses depression similarly in men and women from the general population

Gender-based differential item functioning occurs when men and women respond differently to an item despite being similar on the trait assessed by that item. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is a prominent screening tool for depression. Researchers exploring whether the PHQ-9 exhibits gender-based differential item functioning have used only specialized samples (e.g., individuals with cancer or vision loss). We explored gender bias in the PHQ-9 by means of differential item functioning analyses in a population-based sample.We made use of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES, 2008), a population-based sample of the USA including 5995 participants. Differential item functioning was assessed using the Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test and by comparing item characteristic curves between men and women.All items exhibited negligible differential item functioning as demonstrated by the Mantel-Haenszel test, with absolute standardized mean differences ranging from 0.00 to 0.06. Item characteristic curves were similar between genders for all but one item. Item 5 (i.e., changes in appetite) exhibited very minor non-uniform differential item functioning, wherein extremely depressed women endorsed higher response options on this item compared to equally depressed men.Researchers can use the PHQ-9 without concern of gender biases, particularly in epidemiological research.