THE OTHER SIDE OF SILENCE: RACHEL CARSON'S VIEWS OF ANIMALS

Abstract The publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, a compelling blend of stories, natural history, human values, and biological facts, in 1962 was instrumental in launching the modern environmental movement. We consider Carson's attitude toward animals in Silent Spring and in her other writings. Carson favored responsible stewardship and was more of an animal welfarist and environmentalist/conservation biologist who privileged ecosystems and species than an animal activist who privileged individuals, and she did not advocate an animal‐rights agenda. There is clear tension in Carson's writings. Often she seems troubled by attempting to come across as a moderate and practical scientist, and some of her words, when considered out of context, could lead one to label her as an animal‐rightist. While some of Carson's writing favors human‐centered interests, she did not believe that only humans counted. Her warnings about silent springs must be taken seriously, perhaps even more seriously than when they were penned more than four decades ago. Carson was a passionate and extremely influential activist and if a world of persons like her were in charge of our global environmental policies, we and our fellow animals would be in much better shape than we currently are.     

A computational model of anterior cingulate function in speeded response tasks: effects of frequency,sequence, and conflict

A growing body of evidence from functional neuroimaging and computational modeling studies indicates that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) detects the presence of response conflict and conveys this information to other brain regions, enabling subsequent adjustments in cognitive control. The present study examined previous empirical findings of increased ACC for low-frequency stimuli across three distinct speeded response tasks (two-alternative forced choice, go/no-go, and oddball). Simulations conducted in a neural network model incorporating sequential priming mechanisms (developed in Cho et al., 2002) confirmed that a computational measure of response conflict was higher on low-frequency trials across all three tasks. In addition, the model captured detailed aspects of behavioral reaction time and accuracy data, predicted the dynamics of ACC activity related to trial sequence effects, and provided evidence for the functional role of conflict information in performance monitoring and optimization. The results indicate that the conflict-monitoring hypothesis, augmented by mechanisms for encoding stimulus history, can explain key phenomena associated with performance in sequential speeded response tasks.     

Transfer Effects between Automatically-Paced Training Schedules in a Perceptual-Motor Task

A reanalysis of constant and variable input effects in multitrial free recall was undertaken with the use of a new method of measuring organization (ITOV) and a mathematical model of retention-forgetting. Results indicate that ITOV apparently measures a different type of organization than traditional measures. In addition, the trial-to-trial (TTT) model of retention-forgetting quantitatively reveals results about free recall not apparent from traditional analysis.     

Cognitive deficits in relation to personality type and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction in women with stress-related exhaustion

Exhaustion caused by long-term work-related stress may cause cognitive dysfunction. We explored factors that may link chronic stress and cognitive impairment. Personality, psychiatric screening, and behavior were assessed by self-reporting measures in 20 female patients (mean age 39.3 years; range 26-53) with a preliminary diagnosis of stress-related exhaustion and in 16 healthy matched controls. Cognitive performance was investigated with a detailed neuropsychological test battery. Cortisol axis function was assessed by urinary and saliva collections of cortisol, dexamethasone suppression, Synacthen response, and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) tests. Proinflammatory cytokines were measured. Hippocampal volumes were estimated by magnetic resonance imaging. Multivariate and univariate statistical methods were used to explore putative differences between groups and factors linked to cognitive impairment. Cognitive function clearly differed between groups, with decreased attention and visuospatial memory in the patient group, suggesting frontal cortex/medial temporal cortex-network dysfunction. Increased harm avoidance and persistence was present among patients, with lowered self-directedness linked to lower quality of life, increased anxious and depressive tendencies, and experiences of psychosocial stress. Attention was decreased with concomitantly impaired visuospatial memory. The pituitary (adrenocorticotropic hormone, ACTH) response to CRH was decreased in patients, with an increased cortisol/ACTH response to CRH. However, cortisol production rates, diurnal or dexamethasone-suppressed saliva cortisol levels, and the cortisol response to Synacthen were unaltered. Hippocampal volumes did not differ between groups. These findings suggest that cognitive dysfunction in stress-related exhaustion is linked to distinct personality traits, low quality of life, and a decreased ACTH response to CRH.     

认知与情绪过程的脑诱发电位研究——情绪的适应性假说

本研究观测了30名女性被试在月经周期中的不同激素时相对图像刺激的情绪价值的主观评估和脑诱发电位反应。调节刺激的情绪价值的五类幻灯片分别为普通人像、婴儿像、皮肤病人像、男模特儿像和女模特儿像。实验发现只有脑诱发电位的P3成份随刺激的情绪价值和激素的时相而变化。被评为喜爱与不喜爱的图像(婴儿像和皮肤病人像)所诱发的P3波在幅度上均明显高于中性图像(普通人像)所致的P3反应。在高孕激素时相,对婴儿像和男模特儿像的P3反应高于在低孕激素时相对同类刺激的P3反应。高孕激素时相还伴有对各类图像性感程度评估值的降低。对各类图像喜爱程度的评估则随雌激素水平的上升而增高。上述实验结果表明,P3波敏感于刺激的情绪价值并反映了认知与情绪过程中受生理状态调节的适应性变化。     

Mechanisms underlying dependencies of performance on stimulus history in a two-alternative forced-choice task

In choice reaction time tasks, response times and error rates demonstrate differential dependencies on the identities of up to four stimuli preceding the current one. Although the general profile of reaction times and error rates, when plotted against the stimulus histories, may seem idiosyncratic, we show that it can result from simple underlying mechanisms that take account of the occurrence of stimulus repetitions and alternations. Employing a simple connectionist model of a two-alternative forcedchoice task, we explored various combinations of repetition and alternation detection schemes in an attempt to account for empirical results from the literature and from our own studies. We found that certain combinations of the repetition and the alternation schemes provided good fits to the data, suggesting that simple mechanisms may serve to explain the complicated but highly reproducible higher order dependencies of task performance on stimulus history.     

Cognitive load selectively interferes with utilitarian moral judgment

Traditional theories of moral development emphasize the role of controlled cognition in mature moral judgment, while a more recent trend emphasizes intuitive and emotional processes. Here we test a dual-process theory synthesizing these perspectives. More specifically, our theory associates utilitarian moral judgment (approving of harmful actions that maximize good consequences) with controlled cognitive processes and associates non-utilitarian moral judgment with automatic emotional responses. Consistent with this theory, we find that a cognitive load manipulation selectively interferes with utilitarian judgment. This interference effect provides direct evidence for the influence of controlled cognitive processes in moral judgment, and utilitarian moral judgment more specifically.     

A psychometric evaluation of the Temperament in Middle Childhood Questionnaire (TMCQ) in a Swedish sample

Personality is generally considered to be biologically founded in temperament, and temperamental qualities have proven to be relatively stable across childhood and into adulthood (Caspi, Roberts & Shiner, 2005 ). Temperament predicts important developmental outcomes such as academic performance (Muris, 2006 ), and social functioning (Eisenberg, Fabes, Guthrie & Reiser, 2000 ), and it has also been found to be strongly related to the etiology and maintenance of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology in children (Muris, Meesters & Blijlevens, 2007 ; Nigg, 2006 ). To allow for the possibility of making early interventions, identification of potential risk factors (such as temperamental dispositions) is of great importance (Rettew & McKee, 2005 ). As temperament is multidimensional and has many different manifestations, parents and teachers are valuable sources in providing information about children's temperament (Rothbart & Bates, 2006 ; Tackett, Slobodskaya, Mar et al., 2012 ), and caregiver questionnaires are frequently used in child personality research. However, such questionnaires are only useful if their reliability and validity have been established. The aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Temperament in Middle Childhood Questionnaire (TMCQ; Simonds, Kieras, Rueda & Rothbart, 2007 ), which focuses specifically on the ages between 7 and 11 years. The TMCQ is the least validated of the Rothbart measures, and although reliability data have been presented, together with some validity data, for a computerized self‐report version of the questionnaire (Simonds & Rothbart, 2004 ), information about the reliability and validity for the caregiver version is scant. In the present paper, we report such data for a Swedish sample.