Toward the neural basis of verbal priming: A cognitive-neuropsychological synthesis

Repetition priming is a mnemonic phenomenon that has attracted considerable attention from neuropsychologists and cognitive scientists. In an attempt at elucidating the putative mechanisms of priming, the present review draws on evidence from both domains. The review is restricted to verbal priming of visually presented stimuli—an area that accounts for the majority of empirical studies of priming. A number of theoretical accounts are presented. The interim conclusion is that neither multiple systems nor unitary system-multiple process theories can adequately explain the data on priming, although both contain many valid components. An integrative model is proposed to improve the explanation of the empirical evidence. The central assertion of the proposed model is that repetition priming depends on perceptual processes that can be mapped on specific neural systems. It is postulated that individual differences in perceptual processing ability predict variability in memory performance. It is proposed that data-driven priming of verbal stimuli critically depends on the activity of primary and secondary visual cortices in the right hemisphere, whereas conceptually-driven priming is hypothesized to rely on the activities of higher order tertiary association cortices in language areas and more anterior neocortical areas.     

The Hasidic Ethos and the Schisms of Jewish Society

The early hasidic movement was distinguished by its readiness to see the sacred in everything. As presented by Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Polonnoye (d. 1782), disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, this perception was particularly to be applied to fragmented eastern European Jewish society. The scholarly class saw themselves as “holy” but could not relate to the ignorant masses. Hasidic teachings sought to reveal the holiness in everyone and thus draw together these disparate classes, with a vision of an underlying unity of the Jewish people. During the nineteenth century, the Enlightenment and Reformist movements provoked a strong traditionalist reaction which eventually led to the contemporary ultra-orthodox (haredi) enclave. The haredi Jew consciously seeks to live in a separate society with invisible walls protecting the holiness within and keeping at bay the profane world outside. The hasidim form an important section of this haredi enclave, deliberately suppressing the earlier inclusivist hasidic ethos. In the mid-twentieth century, the Habad hasidic movement revived aspects of that ethos in a modern form, leading to its dominant contemporary mode of expression: outreach. At the same time, Habad seeks to remain part of the haredi world. This post-modern combination of opposites may eventually influence other haredi groups and lead to new configurations of the schisms provoked by the confrontation of tradition and modernity.     

Mechanisms without mechanistic explanation

Synthese - Some recent accounts of constitutive relevance have identified mechanism components with entities that are causal intermediaries between the input and output of a mechanism. I argue that...     

Aptitude-related differences in auditory recognition masking

An auditory backward recognition masking task (Massaro, 1970) was administered to undergraduates selected for extreme scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test and the Cattell Culture Fair Intelligence Test. In two experiments, significant group differences were found in threshold interstimulus intervals (ISIs) required for 75% correct tone recognition. High-aptitude subjects required less time for correct identification of target tones as “high” or “low”. They were more able to overcome the constraints imposed on time-dependent information processing by a masking tone. These group differences were interpreted as indicating better information processing efficiency (h (higher signal-to-noise ratio) in the high-aptitude subjects.     

Systems without a graphical causal representation

There are simple mechanical systems that elude causal representation. We describe one that cannot be represented in a single directed acyclic graph. Our case suggests limitations on the use of causal graphs for causal inference and makes salient the point that causal relations among variables depend upon details of causal setups, including values of variables.     

Differential brain shrinkage over 6 months shows limited association with cognitive practice

The brain shrinks with age, but the timing of this process and the extent of its malleability are unclear. We measured changes in regional brain volumes in younger (age 20–31) and older (age 65–80) adults twice over a 6 months period, and examined the association between changes in volume, history of hypertension, and cognitive training. Between two MRI scans, 49 participants underwent intensive practice in three cognitive domains for 100 consecutive days, whereas 23 control group members performed no laboratory cognitive tasks. Regional volumes of seven brain structures were measured manually and adjusted for intracranial volume. We observed significant mean shrinkage in the lateral prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, the caudate nucleus, and the cerebellum, but no reliable mean change of the prefrontal white matter, orbital-frontal cortex, and the primary visual cortex. Individual differences in change were reliable in all regions. History of hypertension was associated with greater cerebellar shrinkage. The cerebellum was the only region in which significantly reduced shrinkage was apparent in the experimental group after completion of cognitive training. Thus, in healthy adults, differential brain shrinkage can be observed in a narrow time window, vascular risk may aggravate it, and intensive cognitive activity may have a limited effect on it.     

Support for religio‐political aggression among teenaged boys in Gaza: Part I: psychological findings

Politically aggressive militant groups usually rely on support from a larger community, although evidence suggests that only some members of that larger community support that aggression. A major subtype of political aggression is that associated with religious differences—or Religio‐Political Aggression (RPA). Little previous research has explored demographic or psychological factors that might distinguish supporters from non‐supporters of RPA. In an exploratory study, we investigated whether factors previously associated with aggression might correlate with support for RPA in the case of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. During the second intifada, fifty‐two 14‐year‐old Palestinian boys in Gaza completed self‐report measures of life events, emotional status, and political attitudes. Teenaged boys who reported family members having been wounded or killed by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) expressed greater support for RPA (t(50)=?2.30, P=.026). In addition, boys who felt their group was treated unjustly reported greater support for RPA compared with those who did not (t(50)=?2.273, P=.027). Implications of these preliminary data are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 36:219–231, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.