ISSN : 1226-9654
The purpose of this study was to investigate the representational strength of surface and semantic memory structures in L1(first language) and L2(second language) of the late bilingual by performing the repetitive sentence memory task. In this study, 24 participants (male: 12, female: 12) took part in this experiment and their average age is 23.2(SD: 2.08). They repeated this task 4 times with a week interval between each. As a result, the strength of surface representation of L1 is significantly lower than that of L2. However, the strength of semantic representation of L1 is significantly higher than that of L2. In addition, the strengths of surface and semantic representation of L1 have not significantly changed after 4 times participation. In contrast, the strength of surface representation of L2 enhanced and the strength of semantic representation of L2 declined after 4 times participation. Consequently, the first implication is that being more proficient to language enhances the strength of semantic representation but degrades the strength of surface representation in sentence memory. The second is that the strengths of surface and semantic representations would not significantly changed as being more proficient to language, however, as language becomes less proficient, surface representation would develop and semantic representation would decline after 4 times repetitive participation.
The Complex Trial Protocol (CTP) presents the implicit probe-irrelevant recognition task first and the explicit target-nontarget discrimination task followed the next in each trial. It is also known to be resistant to countermeasure, which is an effort that individual made in order to defeat a polygraph test. This study investigated the possibility of detecting guilty knowledge in the P300-based, CTP for Guilty Knowledge Test (GKT) using Korean sentences when guilty subjects use countermeasures. The effect of countermeasure use on P900 at Fz and Cz, which is recently found to be an indicator of countermeasure use, was also examined in this study. Simple guilty group (n=15) and countermeasure group (n=15) performed a mock crime scenario that included stealing and ripping off a certain mail, whereas innocent group (n=15) was simply instructed to make a list of mails. The sentence stimuli used in this study were presented in subject-object-predicate (verb) order, in which the object containing where the stolen mail came from changed depending on stimuli types (probe and irrelevants), while the predicate (verb) did not. Simple guilty group showed larger P300 amplitude to probe for object element than to the irrelevant in the parietal region as compared with the other two groups. Probe for predicate (verb) element in simple guilty and countermeasure groups elicited larger P300 amplitude than irrelevants in the frontal area; however, innocent group did not show such result. For P900 component, countermeasure group showed larger P900 amplitude to probe for predicate (verb) element in the frontal region as compared with irrelevants. The finding indicates that, due to the use of countermeasures, the guilty knowledge in countermeasure group is less likely to be detected with P300 component in object element; however, with P300 and P900 components found in predicate (verb) element in countermeasure group, it is possible to detect the guilty knowledge and the countermeasure use respectively.
Studies on the relationship between dynamic stimuli and time perception have shown conflicting results. There is a consequence that the looming stimuli causes time dilation, while a decrease in the perceived time also exists. The purpose of this study was to confirm the possibility that such difference was caused by the implementation of dynamic stimulation. In Experiment 1, we compared the linear change condition and the logarithmic change condition. In Experiment 2, we compared the duration condition and the interval condition. As a result, in the linear change condition and the duration condition, the perceived time increased in the looming stimuli. In the logarithmic change condition, no difference was observed. In the interval condition, there was a tendency to increase perceived time in the receding stimuli. These results suggest that although various studies have been experimented and discussed assuming the same situation of approaching/receding movement, various tasks may reflect different mechanisms.
Effective learning demands awareness and spontaneous execution of an optimal study schedule. While prior research suggests the opposite, learners tend to believe that learning from a blocked schedule (grouping exemplars by category) is more effective than learning from an interleaved schedule (intermixing exemplars). We investigated how the initial learning experience affected learners’ selection of a subsequent study schedule using a painting-style learning task. Participants studied the first section in an interleaved schedule and were given a different interim activity on that section (test vs. restudy). They were then asked to select their own study schedule for the second section between interleaved and blocked schedules. After that, participants took a final transfer test and again selected a subsequent study schedule. Participants were also asked to make judgments of learning (JOL) several times (after study and after test) throughout the experiment. The results revealed that the interleaving-selectors showed better learning on the subsequent section, demonstrating a robust interleaving effect. More interestingly, the first selection of interleaving schedule was predicted by learners’ better interim-test performance. Furthermore, participants who experienced improvement via testing or via JOL throughout the experiment were more likely to stay on the same study schedule. These findings suggest that providing learners with a successful learning experience may be one way of encouraging them to choose and continue a more effective interleaving study method.
Choice induced preference change (CIPC) is a phenomenon in which self-reported preference increases or decreases for chosen vs. rejected options, respectively. Some researchers argue that the mere act of choosing leads to preference changes, based on the observation of CIPC even after making a blind choice. We tested the hypothesis that CIPC occurs only after a preference-based choice, rather than any choice. During the experiment, participants first rated their preference for each face stimuli. Then, they were asked to make a choice between two faces that had been rated similarly. Two kinds of choice tasks were contrasted; preference-based choice vs. preference-excluded choice task. Next, participants rated their preference for each face for the second time. In addition, memory was tested at the end in order to examine whether the degree of CIPC differs for remembered or forgotten choices. As a result, CIPC was observed only in the preference-based choice condition. Our findings suggest that CIPC occurs only for choices that reflect subjective preference. Furthermore, CIPC was not influenced by memory which may be due to the usage of face stimuli which can be harder to verbalize or remember.
This paper introduces a linear mixed-effects model with crossed random effects as an alternative to repeated measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA). With lmer function in the lme4 package, one of the R packages, two kinds of the linear mixed-effects model are described regarding the model specification, an estimation method, model comparison criteria, and an inference method. The use of the linear mixed-effects model is illustrated through an empirical example data. The performance of hypothesis testing is compared via a Monte Carlo simulation study between the mixed-effects model and variance of analysis framework.
Impaired extinction following fear conditioning in the immediate past, dubbed immediate extinction deficit (IED) has been repeatedly demonstrated in animal models. However, whether IED is a universal phenomenon across all different intensities of the US is unknown. In the current experiment, we tested the effect of strong vs. mild footshock US during acquisition on the subsequent extinction, retention and renewal. In Exp.1, rats were subjected to Pavlovian fear conditioning with a tone conditioned stimulus (CS, 5kHz, 80dB, ITI between 45~75sec) and footshock unconditioned stimulus (US, 1.0mA). Then they were divided into four groups: immediate extinction (IE); delayed extinction (DE); immediate no-extinction (IE_NO); delayed no-extinction (DE_NO). IE and DE received 30 CS-only trials 10 min or 24 hr after the conditioning, respectively. IE_NO and DE_NO received the same treatment except for the CS. Twenty-four hours later, they all received retention test which was composed of 10 trials of CS-only trials. On the next day, they received renewal test in a different context and received 10 trials of CS-only trials. Consistent with previous studies, Only DE showed reliable extinction and renewal. IE showed extinction deficit. In Exp.2, the same experimental protocol was employed except for the shock intensity (0.4mA). In contrast to the results from Exp.1, both IE and DE showed a reliable extinction. However, only DE showed renewal effect. Taken together, the current result suggests that extinction process (consolidation of extinction memory) following Pavlovian conditioning with weak shock might involve different neural mechanism from that with strong shock.
The purpose of this study is to investigate how text difficulty and readers’ individual differences in cognitive abilities affect eye movements while reading. Participants were asked to read given texts and to respond a question for each text. They were also administrated a battery of individual-difference tasks measuring abilities of language, short-term/working memory capacity, and executive control. The main findings were as follows. First, text difficulty negatively influenced on reading speed. Second, individual differences in language and cognitive abilities affected reading speed. Specifically, higher language ability and bigger capacity of short-term/working memory were associated with faster reading speed. Finally, interaction effects between text difficulty and individual differences were emerged such that those who had better language skills and bigger working memory size read easy texts faster than those who had not did. However, such abilities did not have effects on reading speed of difficult texts. Theoretical and methodological issues on the current findings were discussed.
From the view of the basic emotion theory, categorical perception (CP) of facial expressions occurs as a result of the biologically endowed ability for recognition of emotions. On the contrary, the theory of constructed emotion argues that people perceive facial expressions categorically because they have labels like “anger,” “sadness,” and “fear,” which provide conceptual knowledge of emotions to structural information of facial movements. However, it is difficult to determine whether CP of facial expressions is due to the innate ability for facial expression or due to emotion labels, because adults are already familiar with basic facial expressions and may label them easily. To answer this question, we created a non-stereotypical blended facial expression, which is relatively ambiguous to categorize as a specific emotion, by blending of two basic emotion expressions (‘fear’, ‘disgust’). In the CP experiment using X-AB discrimination task, the influence of the label was examined by providing an emotion label (“horrible”) to the blended expression or not. As a result of the experiment, CP was only observed in the groups who labeled the blended expression. The current result showing that CP of a blended facial expression is facilitated by an emotion label supports the claim of the theory of constructed emotion.