An Eye‐Tracking Study of Exploitations of Spatial Constraints in Diagrammatic Reasoning

Semantic studies on diagrammatic notations (Barwise & Etchemendy, 1990 ; Shimojima, 1995 ; Stenning & Lemon, 2001 ) have revealed that the “non‐deductive,” “emergent,” or “perceptual” effects of diagrams (Chandrasekaran, Kurup, Banerjee, Josephson, & Winkler, 2004 ; Kulpa, 2003 ; Larkin & Simon, 1987 ; Lindsay, 1988 ) are all rooted in the exploitation of spatial constraints on graphical structures. Thus, theoretically, this process is a key factor in inference with diagrams, explaining the frequently observed reduction of inferential load. The purpose of this study was to examine the empirical basis for this theoretical suggestion, focusing on the reality of the constraint‐exploitation strategy in actual practices of diagrammatic reasoning. Eye movements were recorded while participants used simple position diagrams to solve three‐ or four‐term transitive inference problems. Our experiments revealed that the participants could exploit spatial constraints on graphical structures even when (a) they were not in the position of actually manipulating diagrams, (b) the semantic rule for the provided diagrams did not match their preferences, and (c) the constraint‐exploitation strategy invited a partly adverse effect. These findings indicate that the hypothesized process is in fact robust, with the potential to broadly account for the inferential advantage of diagrams.     

含有新算符的代数运算规则学习的有效样例设计

为了探索含有新算符的代数运算规则学习的有效样例设计方式,分别采用“转换标记法”和“解释法”设计“指-对数转换”运算和对数运算的样例,考察了初中三年级学生代数运算规则样例学习的迁移效果。结果显示：(1)采用“转换标记法”设计的样例可以明显提高“指-对数转换”规则样例学习的迁移效果;(2)采用“解释法”设计的运算样例,能够明显促进“对数运算规则”的样例学习迁移效果,并与被试的基础知识有关。     

Selective Attention in Animal Discrimination Learning

The traditional approach to the study of selective attention in animal discrimination learning has been to ask if animals are capable of the central selective processing of stimuli, such that certain aspects of the discriminative stimuli are partially or wholly ignored while their relationships to each other, or other relevant stimuli, are processed. A notable characteristic of this research has been that procedures involve the acquisition of discriminations, and the issue of concern is whether learning is selectively determined by the stimulus dimension defined by the discriminative stimuli. Although there is support for this kind of selective attention, in many cases, simpler nonattentional accounts are sufficient to explain the results. An alternative approach involves procedures more similar to those used in human information-processing research. When selective attention is studied in humans, it generally involves the steady state performance of tasks for which there is limited time allowed for stimulus input and a relatively large amount of relevant information to be processed; thus, attention must be selective or divided. When this approach is applied to animals and alternative accounts have been ruled out, stronger evidence for selective or divided attention in animals has been found. Similar processes are thought to be involved when animals search more natural environments for targets. Finally, an attempt is made to distinguish these top-down attentional processes from more automatic preattentional processes that have been studied in humans and other animals.     

EDITORS' INTRODUCTION

ABSTRACT

Transsexualism implies that an anatomically normal individual feels that he or she is actually a member of the opposite sex. Treatment usually includes real-life experience along with hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery. Voice modification surgery may be necessary, as pass ability in general is still in a large extent dependent on the aspects of voice in transsexual people. Often male-to-female patients report being addressed in telephone conversations as their genetic gender, which is experienced as a disability. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of voice on the quality of life in transsexuals.

In order to detect the disability caused by a voice disorder, the validated assessment method the Voice Handicap Inventory (VHI) was used. An additional question about the way patients were addressed in a telephone conversation was added.

As part of a study describing general health in transsexual persons, done at the Ghent University Hospital Belgium, a total of 48 patients were evaluated. In female-to-male transsexuals the median scores were very low, suggesting testosterone treatment led to an acceptable voice alteration. A higher serum LH level was significantly correlated with higher total, functional and emotional VHI scores. In male-to-female transsexuals the scores were significantly higher than those of the female-to-male transsexuals, but still there was no indication of a real disability/handicap. The extra telephone question was scored higher suggesting male-to-female transsexuals did experience a disability caused by their voice. From this study it is concluded that the VHI values did not demonstrate a handicapping effect.     

威胁敏感性的概念和测量：生理和认知两种取向

对威胁敏感是人类在应对外部环境过程中不断发展的生存技能。威胁敏感性的研究主要存在两种取向：生理取向以敏感性强化理论为基础, 将行为抑制系统的敏感性界定为威胁敏感性, 量化为个体应对威胁时的生理、情绪和行为反应水平; 认知取向以信息加工的认知风格理论为基础, 将个体在对威胁信息加工过程中的敏感性偏向定义为威胁警觉, 量化为威胁刺激呈现前后的预期水平和探测水平。未来研究还需进一步整合和界定威胁敏感性的概念内涵, 验证各测量指标之间的关系, 拓展不同种类威胁敏感性的研究方法。     

Challenging body weight: evidence from a community-based intervention on weight,behaviour and motivation

The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a 12 week weight loss intervention within a commercial fitness centre on body weight, moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), dietary intake, and behavioural regulations for exercise and healthy eating. Using a quasi-experimental design, the intervention group received weekly coaching sessions and bi-weekly seminars designed to increase MVPA and improve dietary intake. Outcome variables were assessed at three time points over a six month period. Results showed a significant interaction for body weight (p = .04) and dietary changes (p < .05) following the weight loss challenge but were not maintained across the six month period. Changes in behavioural regulations favoured the intervention condition. Results imply that a 12 week weight loss challenge within a commercial fitness centre may be effective at prompting short-term weight loss and support the internalization of behavioural regulations specific to healthy eating and exercise.     

女大学生体重知觉偏差及探因

以女性身体图形评定量表PFRS (the female Photographic Figure Rating Scale)作为刺激材料, 研究女大学生体重自我知觉与偏差, 以及女大学生对他人的体重知觉与偏差, 引入男性视角作为体重社会标准, 研究女大学生体重社会知觉与偏差。研究中要求女大学生选择准确代表自己胖瘦的图像, 选择自己理想胖瘦的图像, 选择他人眼里最有吸引力的图像, 估计PFRS真人照片图像体重值(假定图像中人物和自己身高相同), 并报告自己的实际体重和理想体重。研究要求男大学生选择最有吸引力的图像。在此基础上提出3种模型假设：镜像模型、泛化模型和相关模型, 进一步探索女大学生体重知觉偏差的原因。研究表明：女大学生体重自我知觉高估了对应真人图像的BMI; 女大学生对其他女性BMI知觉, 倾向于高估体重正常和偏瘦女性的BMI, 低估偏胖和肥胖女性的BMI; 女大学生体重的主观社会压力高于体重的实际社会压力, 对体重社会压力存在过度解读的倾向。女大学生对他人体重知觉偏差更有可能影响其体重自我知觉偏差; 认知评价不是造成女大学生知觉偏差的重要因素, 但两者关系需要进一步实证。     

面孔相似性判断中各部件的权重分配

采用多级估量法,通过分析不同隶属度的部件样例组合成的面孔样例对原型的隶属度,考察耳朵、脸型、眼睛和嘴巴等部件在面孔相似性判断中的作用。结果发现,面孔相似性判断中,人们对不同面孔部件赋予的权重并不相同,对脸型和嘴巴赋予的权重较大,而对耳朵和眼睛赋予的权重较小。表明,面孔各部件在面孔相似性判断中的作用不同,相对于耳朵和眼睛,脸型和嘴巴的作用更大;面孔内部特征和外部特征的划分方法并不一定适合于面孔相似性判断。     

Subjective Estimation of Task Time and Task Difficulty of Simple Movement Tasks

It has been demonstrated in previous work that the same neural structures are used for both imagined and real movements. To provide a strong test of the similarity of imagined and actual movement times, 4 simple movement tasks were used to determine the relationship between estimated task time and actual movement time. The tasks were single-component visually controlled movements, 2-component visually controlled, low index of difficulty (ID) moves and pin-to-hole transfer movements. For each task there was good correspondence between the mean estimated times and actual movement times. In all cases, the same factors determined the actual and estimated movement times: the amplitudes of movement and the IDs of the component movements, however the contribution of each of these variables differed for the imagined and real tasks. Generally, the standard deviations of the estimated times were linearly related to the estimated time values. Overall, the data provide strong evidence for the same neural structures being used for both imagined and actual movements.     

平辈亲属词语义加工中长幼概念的空间隐喻和重量隐喻——来自中国朝鲜族和汉族的证据

采用具身认知范式考察平辈亲属词语义加工中长幼概念的空间和重量隐喻,比较中国朝鲜族和汉族的长幼观念。实验1表明,中国朝鲜族人在平辈亲属词语义加工中对平辈年长亲属词的加工快于对平辈年幼亲属词的加工,并且存在着部分的上下隐喻一致性效应,平辈年幼亲属词呈现在屏幕的下方加工得快。汉族人在平辈亲属词语义加工中存在着完整的上下隐喻一致性效应:平辈年长亲属词呈现在屏幕上方加工得快,平辈年幼亲属词呈现在屏幕下方加工得快。实验2表明,"左大右小"的亲属词对促进了中国朝鲜族人对"左重右轻"天平倾斜方向的判断,表明亲属词对蕴含的长幼概念激活了重量概念,但对汉族人的天平倾斜方向判断却无显著的影响。实验3表明,"左重右轻"的天平倾斜方向促进了中国朝鲜族人对"左大右小"的朝鲜语亲属词对的年龄比较,表明重量加工激活了长幼概念,但不影响汉族人对汉语亲属词对的年龄比较。朝、汉两个民族对平辈亲属词的不同隐喻方式源于不同的文化图式,反映了两个民族的长幼文化的差异:与汉族人相比,中国朝鲜族人更重视长幼秩序,对长幼规范的要求更加严格。