不同时相日光下颜色的恒常性

一、前言 在光源光谱成份改变的条件下,我们周围物体的颜色在眼睛看来保持相对不变,称为颜色恒常性。1807年Thomas Young首先描述了颜色恒常性现象,他指出室内不管是由蜡烛的黄光或火焰的红光来照明的,书页纸仍然看来是白色的。Young认为,外界某一表面的颜色外观,并不完全决定于网膜的红、绿、蓝三种感受器的吸收特性,而也依赖于周围其它物体射入眼睛的光通量。此后,E.Hering对颜色恒常性做了实验表演。一般认为颜色恒常性是对环境照明感受性的降低。视觉通道只传递由物体表面所反射的光谱成     

The relationship of estimated comprehensibility to the rate of connected speech

The relationship between subjective estimates of the comprehensibility of connected, freerunning speech and rate of speech was investigated for each of two types of time-compressed speech: pitch-varying speeded speech and pitch-normalized compressed speech. The midpoints of the resulting functions approximated the values obtained by a previously described speechrate tracking method. For equivalent degrees of comprehensibility, rates were higher for compressed speech than for speeded speech, indicating that estimates are sensitive to the intelligibility of speech. Subjective estimates of comprehensibility of time-compressed speech provide a means of assessing the itelligibility of connected speech.     

Frontal-Lobe Involvement in Spatial Memory: Evidence from PET,fMRI, and Lesion Studies

Many studies have identified the prefrontal cortex as the brain area that is critical for spatial memory, both in humans and in other primates. Other studies, however, have failed to establish this relation. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to review the literature regarding the role of the human prefrontal lobe in spatial memory. This was done by examining the evidence obtained from neuropsychological patients and from studies using brain-imaging techniques (PET and fMRI). Evidence supporting the notion that the prefrontal cortex is extensively involved in spatial working memory was found. The majority of these studies, however, suggests that frontal-lobe involvement is not related to the type of material that is being processed (e.g., spatial vs. nonspatial), but to process-specific functions, such as encoding and retrieval. Theoretically, these functions could be linked to the central executive within Baddeley's working-memory model, or to recent theories that emphasize the various processes that play a role in working memory. Also, methodological issues were discussed. Further research is needed to enhance our understanding of the precise interaction of domain-specific and general processes.     

Advancing an Understanding of the Anxiety Control Questionnaire for Children (ACQ-C) in Clinically Anxious and Non-Anxious Youth: Psychometric Properties,Incremental Prediction and Developmental Differences

A lack of perceived control over anxiety-related situations is theorized to be characteristic of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. In the current study we tested several theoretical predictions and developmental variation with the Dutch translation of the Anxiety Control Questionnaire for Children (ACQ-C). The theoretical factor structure of anxiety control was tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) in 548 non-referred children (8–18 years old, M?=?12.5 years; 50.7 % girls). The incremental predictive validity of perceived control for anxiety status was assessed using logistic regression in 141 clinically anxious children (age M?=?12.6 years; 56.7 % girls) and 298 non-referred non-anxious children (age M?=?12.6 years; 52.7 % girls). CFA showed that both a one-factor model and two-factor model (perceived control over internal reactions and external events) fit well. The one-factor model proved invariant across age and gender. Internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach’s α?=?.93). Two-month test-retest reliability was adequate. The ACQ-C was able to incrementally predict diagnostic status, even after controlling for age, gender and self-reported anxiety symptoms. Finally, both younger children and girls reported less perceived control, independent of anxiety level. Findings advance the understanding of the psychometric properties of the ACQ-C, the role of control in childhood anxiety and point to the potential utility of the ACQ-C in both clinical and community samples. The Dutch translation of the ACQ-C demonstrated sound psychometric properties.     

Assessment of perception of morphed facial expressions using the Emotion Recognition Task: Normative data from healthy participants aged 8–75

The ability to recognize and label emotional facial expressions is an important aspect of social cognition. However, existing paradigms to examine this ability present only static facial expressions, suffer from ceiling effects or have limited or no norms. A computerized test, the Emotion Recognition Task (ERT), was developed to overcome these difficulties. In this study, we examined the effects of age, sex, and intellectual ability on emotion perception using the ERT. In this test, emotional facial expressions are presented as morphs gradually expressing one of the six basic emotions from neutral to four levels of intensity (40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%). The task was administered in 373 healthy participants aged 8–75. In children aged 8–17, only small developmental effects were found for the emotions anger and happiness, in contrast to adults who showed age‐related decline on anger, fear, happiness, and sadness. Sex differences were present predominantly in the adult participants. IQ only minimally affected the perception of disgust in the children, while years of education were correlated with all emotions but surprise and disgust in the adult participants. A regression‐based approach was adopted to present age‐ and education‐ or IQ‐adjusted normative data for use in clinical practice. Previous studies using the ERT have demonstrated selective impairments on specific emotions in a variety of psychiatric, neurologic, or neurodegenerative patient groups, making the ERT a valuable addition to existing paradigms for the assessment of emotion perception.     

Child Personality as Moderator of Outcome in a School‐based Intervention for Preventing Externalising Behaviour

Studying moderators of intervention effects is essential to elucidate what works for whom. The present study investigated whether child personality moderates short‐term and follow‐up effects of an individualised preventive school‐based intervention for children with externalising behaviour. The sample consisted of 48 schools, with 264 fourth‐grade children displaying externalising behaviour (M_age = 10.2 years), randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 191) or no intervention control (n = 73) condition. Teachers and children reported at pretest, posttest and follow‐up test about reactive and proactive aggression. Child personality was assessed by teachers at pretest. Child conscientiousness moderated short‐term intervention effects, indicating that more organised and planful children benefited more from the intervention. Child extraversion moderated both short‐term and follow‐up intervention effects, with low extraverted children showing larger effects. These results affirm the importance of including personality as moderator of intervention effects in future studies, as interventions adapted to specific child traits might yield larger effects. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Increased saccadic rate during smooth pursuit eye movements in patients at Ultra High Risk for developing a psychosis

Abnormalities in eye tracking are consistently observed in schizophrenia patients and their relatives and have been proposed as an endophenotype of the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of patients at Ultra High Risk (UHR) for developing psychosis on a task of smooth pursuit eye movement (SPEM). Forty-six UHR patients and twenty-eight age and education matched controls were assessed with a task of SPEM and psychiatric questionnaires. Our results showed that both the corrective and non-corrective saccadic rates during pursuit were higher in the UHR group. There were however no differences in smooth pursuit gain between the two groups. The saccadic rate was related to positive UHR symptoms. Our findings indicate that abnormalities in SPEM are already present in UHR patients, prior to a first psychotic episode. These abnormalities occur only in the saccadic system.