ISSN : 1226-9654
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the task unrelated negative images on spatial and object recognition memory tasks. Previous studies suggested that task unrelated negative stimuli interfere with performances of the spatial and the object memory tasks requiring active updating. The current study examines whether the task unrelated negative stimuli also have effects on spatial and object recognition memory requiring simple maintenance. In three experiments, to be remembered items were presented in a screen, followed by either an emotionally neutral or a negative image, and then a target stimulus was presented. In experiment 1, the location of the memory items were varied and the participants were asked to judge whether the location of the target was matched with the remembered items. In experiment 2 and 3, various shapes of items were presented and the participants needed to decide whether the target was shown in the remembered items. As results, the emotionally negative stimuli hampered maintaining spatial memory(experiment 1) but had no effect on holding object memory(experiment 2 and 3). The results indicated that the negative emotion affects the performance of the task to maintain spatial information, not to maintain object information, suggesting that the maintenance of the visual and spatial working memory should be distinct.
Though many investigations have reported associations between brain and behavioral phenotypes (e.g., delay discount as a measure of impulsive choice), our current understanding of such associations in terms of functional connectivity (FC) is limited due to the limiting factors of the most commonly used mass univariate approach. Here, we thus examine the association between impulsive choice and resting-state FC using a recently introduced, data-driven multivariate analysis (multivariate distance-based matrix regression) in 142 young healthy adults. This connectome-wide analysis identified regions associated with delay discount rates based on multifocal FC patterns, including medial temporal lobe, precuneus, premotor cortex, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC). Follow-up seed-based and network-level analyses revealed that high impulsivity was associated with greater inter-network connectivity between default mode and attention networks, correlated respectively with VMPFC and premotor cortex. These results provide novel insights for functional connectivities and networks associated with impulsive choice and target regions for its intervention. These results suggest an important role of large-scale brain network balance in impulsive choice.
Recent studies revealed that persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) showed reduced aftereffects in both facial identity and expression in adaptation paradigm. However, no previous study has examined whether these two aftereffects are independent or interactive. The purpose of this study was to investigate ‘expression-contingent’ identity aftereffect and ‘identity-contingent’ expression aftereffect in ASD using an adaptation paradigm. In study 1, two experiments were done with 37 neurotypical(NT) adults. First, in identity adaptation task, two male faces with expression(happy, sad) were used as adaptors, and 13 identity morphed images are used as probes. First, participants were shown the adaptor for 5000ms. Then, morphed images with either congruent or incongruent expression with the adaptor were presented for 500ms. Participants were asked to discriminate the identity of the probe. In expression adaptation task, the procedure was identical to that of identity adaptation task, except that ‘expression’ morphed images of either the congruent or incongruent identity with the adaptor were presented as probes, and participants were asked to discriminate the expression. Consistent with the previous study, only identity-contingent expression aftereffect was significant in NT adults. In study 2, same experiments was conducted to compare performance of 15 ASD children and matched NT children. Identical with adults, only identity-contingent expression aftereffect was significant in NT children. However, in ASD group, there was no significant contingent aftereffect in both identity and expression adaptation task. These findings suggest that independent, not integrated face coding mechanisms of identity and expression in persons with ASD.
Change detection process based upon visual short-term memory (VSTM) requires consolidation and maintenance of memory items as well as their comparison against test items. Assuming that the amount of information-processing resources may be different for these three processes, the present study examined presence or absence of performance interference between VSTM-based change detection task at the center of display and a sensory change detection task at periphery. The results showed that less interference between the central change-detection (i.e., memory-intensive) task and peripheral sensory change-detection (i.e., perception- intensive) task was observed near the time the test items were displayed than around when the memory items were displayed. The results indicate that the amount of information-processing resources required for the comparison process is relatively small compared to the consolidation or maintenance process during the VSTM-based change detection.
Visual perceptual learning is an effective way to overcome the limitations of the visual system when processing the visual environment accurately. A number of perceptual learning studies have focused on improving sensitivity to basic perceptual features such as contrast and orientation. The current study focused on whether perceptual learning can reduce visual illusions to enable accurate perception of the visual environment. In particular, we explored whether the curveball illusion could be eliminated through training. Participants performed the task of aligning the global motion direction of the disc presented in the peripheral vision as vertical as possible. The gratings inside the disc were either stationary or moved to the left or right. During the three-day training sessions, participants assigned to the experimental group performed the task with the inside-moving disc (causing the illusion), while participants in the control group did with the stationary disc (not causing the illusion). As a result of training, the curveball illusion effect was significantly reduced in the post-test compared to the pre-test only in the experimental group. This result shows that visual illusions are effectively eliminated by perceptual learning.
Working memory loads and trial contexts can affect problem solving based on association-based strategy such as a shortcut. Since relevant studies reported inconsistent results, this study aimed to test the effects of working memory loads and inefficient trial contexts on problem solving using a shortcut strategy. The results showed that faster and more accurate performance only in the shortcut condition after inefficient trials when working memory loads was high. This study suggests that cognitive and contextual factors have important influences on when solving problems using strategies.