Lifespan normative data (18–89 years) for Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices Set I

Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) Set I is a validated and brief test of fluid intelligence, ideal for use in busy clinical settings. However, there is a dearth of normative data allowing an accurate interpretation of APM scores. To address this, we present normative data from across the adult lifespan (18–89 years) for the APM Set I. Data are presented in five age cohorts (total N = 352), including two older adult cohorts (65–79 years and 80–89 years), which allows age-standardized assessment. We also present data from a validated measure of premorbid intellectual ability, which was absent from previous standardizations of longer forms of the APM. In line with previous findings, a striking age-related decline was noted, beginning relatively early in adulthood and most marked amongst lower-scoring individuals. Older adults did not demonstrate difficulty with specific test items or make an increased proportion of specific errors. Sex was not a significant predictor of performance. The data set is of particular use in the neuropsychological assessment of older adults, given the known susceptibility of fluid intelligence to both the effects of normal ageing and acquired brain injury in older age. The results are discussed in light of theories of neurological ageing.     

比较研究-影响中美儿童计算能力差异的认知因素

本研究要确定中美儿童基本计算技能的差异是否与他们使用的解题策略和基本加工过程的速度有关。为此,对中美两国的一年级儿童进行了书面计算能力测验,以及一组计算机呈现的加法作业。中国儿童在计算能力测验上表现出3:1的操作优势。中美儿童使用的解题策略种类一样,但是,中国儿童在策略综合运用的发展程度上超过美国儿童,检索策略的加工速度也超过美国儿童。显然,策略运用和加工速度的差异促成了中国儿童在计算能力测验上的优势.     

Behavioral thresholds for tones during infancy

An adaptive up-down tracking procedure was used in combination with a visually reinforced head turn response to examine auditory sensitivity for 500, 2000, and 8000-Hz tone bursts in infants 6 to 18 months of age. Six- and 10-month-old infants were tested with headphone presentation of stimuli, while 10-, 14, and 18-month-olds were tested in sound field. Infant threshold estimates for both headphone and sound field were within 15 dB of adult comparisons for all frequencies and age groups. Six-month-olds were significantly less sensitive to the 8000-Hz tone than to either of the lower frequency stimuli, but older infants demonstrated approximately equal sensitivity for all three frequencies tested.     

自然数码奇象记忆法记忆复杂数字的神经机制

本研究采用学习-再认范式和复杂数字记忆材料,考察自然数码奇象记忆法相对于机械记忆法在记忆提取上的优势及神经机制。行为结果表明,自然数码奇象记忆法比机械记忆法的再认准确率更高。事件相关电位分析结果显示,再认提取阶段奇象记忆条件下诱发的N400和N700波幅显著更低,这说明奇象记忆提取更容易。在自然数码奇象记忆条件下,正确再认旧数字诱发的前额区、左顶枕叶区及中顶枕叶区N700成分与使用自然数码奇象记忆有关。本研究表明,采用自然数码奇象记忆可以减少或跨越语义加工,从而提高个体对材料的记忆效率。     

Libet’s intention reports are invalid: A replication of Dominik et al. (2017)

In the “Libet experiment” the onset of movement-related brain activity preceded the reported time of the conscious intention to move, suggesting that conscious intention may not play a role in initiating voluntary movements (Libet, Gleason, Wright, & Pearl, 1983). Dominik et al. (2017) provided evidence that the intention reports employed in the Libet experiment, which Libet et al. (1983) found to precede movement reports, are invalid. In the study by Dominik et al., intention reports preceded movement reports only when participants had prior experience making movement reports. Individuals without such experience reported intention around the same time as movement. These findings suggest that Libet’s intention reports do not reflect experiences of intention, but, rather, inferences based on prior experience with movement reports. Our study replicated the core findings of Dominik et al. We argue that Libet’s intention reports are invalid and explore the phenomenology of intention in the Libet experiment.     

Effects of training and display content on Level 2 driving automation interface usability

IntroductionLevel 2 driving automation features, such as adaptive cruise control (ACC) combined with lane centering, primarily communicate their operating statuses through the instrument cluster. It remains unclear how interface-specific training and display content influence the ability to understand Level 2 activity in production vehicles.MethodsEighty participants viewed videos recorded from the driver’s point of view in a variety of driving scenarios with Level 2 activity displayed in the instrument cluster of a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Half viewed one of two instrument cluster layouts (simple or complex), and half received an orientation to the interface before the experiment. After each video, they were asked about the scenario they had just seen. We then examined what information in the displays participants used to identify Level 2 activity and the usability of the displays.ResultsTraining improved recognition accuracy of when lane centering was temporarily inactive and understanding of why it was inactive. Neither training nor display content affected the ability to recognize when ACC had adjusted the vehicle’s speed or detected a vehicle ahead, or when ACC initially did not detect a lead vehicle and understanding of why it had not detected it. Both factors influenced which sources of information participants used to determine Level 2 activity. Recognition accuracy of system activity improved when participants used valid sources of information. Training, but not display content, improved lane centering usability, but not ACC usability.DiscussionBasic training improves detection of notifications that potentially require further driver action, but not of those that display persistent status information. Training does not result in full understanding of all system notifications or functional limitations, which reinforces the need for intuitive, salient communication about system behavior and its limitations.     

Environnement psycho-technologique (EPT) et comportements d’apprentissage avec les technologies (CAT) : developpement et adaptation française de deux mesures

The 4th industrial revolution and the omnipresence of technologies have largely modified the work context and more specifically the learning process. We postulate the emergence of a new psycho-technological environment, which is characterized by more opportunities to learn and more accessible technologies. To our knowledge, no measurement can capture the perception of psycho-technological environment (PTE) and learning behaviors with technologies (LBT). The aim of this study is therefore to compensate for this lack of tools with the development of French-language. Two studies that combine 389 students were conducted. In the first study, based on a sample of 151 students, two scales were developed via an explanatory factorial analysis. In the second study, based on a sample of 238 students, a confirmatory factorial analysis confirmed the psychometric qualities of our scales. This first validation study shows good validity and fiability with the good psychometric qualities of our scales.     

Effect of Acute Psychological Stress on Motion-in-Depth Perception: An Event-Related Potential Study

The present study explored the intrinsic event-related potential (ERP) features of the effects of acute psychological stress on the processing of motion-in-depth perception using a dual-task paradigm. After a mental arithmetic task was used to induce acute psychological stress, a collision task was used to evaluate motion-in-depth perception. The error value and average amplitude of late slow waves (SW) were significantly larger for the earlier colliding spheres’ than for the later colliding spheres. The P1 peak latency in the left occipital region was significantly shorter than that of the right occipital region in the motion-in-depth perception task. Compared to the control condition, the estimated value of residual time-to-collision and error value were significantly reduced, and the N1 peak amplitude and the SW averaged amplitude were significantly increased in the stress condition. Longer motion-in-depth time improved discrimination accuracy and decreased the investment of cognitive resources. Acute psychological stress increased behavioral performance and enhanced attention resources on the motion-in-depth perception task together with greater investment of cognitive resources.     

The recognition potential: An ERP index of lexical access

Recognition potential (RP) is a brain electrical response that appears when a subject views recognizable images of words. However, it has yet to be determined whether the processes reflected by RP are related to orthographic or to semantic analysis. This study aimed to resolve this question by studying the RP evoked by orthographically correct stimuli that were devoid of meaning. Results showed RP not only to this type of stimuli, but also to others achieving lower levels in the reading process. Strikingly, however, the RP amplitude significantly differed in parallel with the levels of the reading processes attained by the stimuli, the amplitude of the RP progressively increasing as the level approached the semantic one, which showed the highest amplitude. These results not only confirm the replicability of RP, but also its promise of potential usefulness in the study and assessment of language perception.     

Sweet-cheeks vs. pea-brain: embodiment,valence, and task all influence the emotional salience of language

Previous research has found that more embodied insults (e.g. numbskull) are identified faster and more accurately than less embodied insults (e.g. idiot). The linguistic processing of embodied compliments has not been well explored. In the present study, participants completed two tasks where they identified insults and compliments, respectively. Half of the stimuli were more embodied than the other half. We examined the late positive potential (LPP) component of event-related potentials in early (400–500?ms), middle (500–600?ms), and late (600–700?ms) time windows. Increased embodiment resulted in improved response accuracy to compliments in both tasks, whereas it only improved accuracy for insults in the compliment detection task. More embodied stimuli elicited a larger LPP than less embodied stimuli in the early time window. Insults generated a larger LPP in the late time window in the insult task; compliments generated a larger LPP in the early window in the compliment task. These results indicate that electrophysiological correlates of emotional language perception are sensitive to both top-down and bottom-up processes.