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Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Jan 2013We here review existing evidence for majority influences in children under the age of ten years and comparable studies with animals ranging from fish to apes. Throughout... (Review)
Review
We here review existing evidence for majority influences in children under the age of ten years and comparable studies with animals ranging from fish to apes. Throughout the review, we structure the discussion surrounding majority influences by differentiating the behaviour of individuals in the presence of a majority and the underlying mechanisms and motivations. Most of the relevant research to date in both developmental psychology and comparative psychology has focused on the behavioural outcomes, where a multitude of mechanisms could be at play. We further propose that interpreting cross-species differences in behavioural patterns is difficult without considering the psychology of the individual. Some attempts at this have been made both in developmental psychology and comparative psychology. We propose that physiological measures should be used to subsidize behavioural studies in an attempt to understand the composition of mechanisms and motivations underlying majority influence. We synthesize the relevant evidence on human brain function in order to provide a framework for future investigation in this area. In addition to streamlining future research efforts, we aim to create a conceptual platform for productive exchanges across the related disciplines of developmental and comparative psychology.
Topics: Animals; Behavior; Child; Child Development; Cognition; Concept Formation; Humans; Mental Processes; Social Perception
PubMed: 23245221
DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2012.09.003 -
Progress in Neurobiology Jan 2018Neurocognitive and neurolinguistics theories make explicit statements relating specialized cognitive and linguistic processes to specific brain loci. These linking... (Review)
Review
Neurocognitive and neurolinguistics theories make explicit statements relating specialized cognitive and linguistic processes to specific brain loci. These linking hypotheses are in need of neurobiological justification and explanation. Recent mathematical models of human language mechanisms constrained by fundamental neuroscience principles and established knowledge about comparative neuroanatomy offer explanations for where, when and how language is processed in the human brain. In these models, network structure and connectivity along with action- and perception-induced correlation of neuronal activity co-determine neurocognitive mechanisms. Language learning leads to the formation of action perception circuits (APCs) with specific distributions across cortical areas. Cognitive and linguistic processes such as speech production, comprehension, verbal working memory and prediction are modelled by activity dynamics in these APCs, and combinatorial and communicative-interactive knowledge is organized in the dynamics within, and connections between APCs. The network models and, in particular, the concept of distributionally-specific circuits, can account for some previously not well understood facts about the cortical 'hubs' for semantic processing and the motor system's role in language understanding and speech sound recognition. A review of experimental data evaluates predictions of the APC model and alternative theories, also providing detailed discussion of some seemingly contradictory findings. Throughout, recent disputes about the role of mirror neurons and grounded cognition in language and communication are assessed critically.
Topics: Animals; Brain; Communication; Humans; Mental Processes; Motion Perception; Neural Pathways
PubMed: 28734837
DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2017.07.001 -
Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Dec 1998Theta rhythm at the midline of the frontal area can be observed in normal subjects, during mental task performance, rest and sleep. Frontal midline theta rhythm (Fm... (Review)
Review
Theta rhythm at the midline of the frontal area can be observed in normal subjects, during mental task performance, rest and sleep. Frontal midline theta rhythm (Fm theta) is a train of rhythmic waves at the frequency of 6- Hz and can be induced by various mental tasks. Fm theta is induced not only during mental tasks but also during nocturnal sleep in which it was most frequent during rapid eye movement (REM) and second most frequent during stage 1 of non-REM (NREM) sleep, and the relationship of Fm theta to dream images during sleep was found. It is concluded, therefore, that the appearance of Fm theta is related to mental activity even during sleep. Fm theta shows individual differences and is related to certain personality traits. High Fm theta groups showed the lowest anxiety score in the Manifest Anxiety Scale (MAS), the highest score in the extrovertive scale of the Maudsley Personality Inventory (MPI) and the lowest score in the neurotic scale of MPI. Low Fm theta groups showed the opposite correlation. Significant negative correlation was found between the amount of Fm theta and platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity. Summarizing the above-mentioned results, it may be concluded that the appearance of Fm 0 is related to mental activity, personality traits and platelet MAO activity. Furthermore, the correlation of such markers as platelet MAO activity and Fm theta with personality traits as measured by various psychological tests may prove to be of great importance in the exploration of the biological bases of personality.
Topics: Frontal Lobe; Humans; Mental Processes; Theta Rhythm
PubMed: 9895201
DOI: 10.1046/j.1440-1819.1998.00452.x -
Topics in Cognitive Science Apr 2014Behavioral ecologists often assume that natural selection will produce organisms that make optimal decisions. In the context of information processing, this means that... (Review)
Review
Behavioral ecologists often assume that natural selection will produce organisms that make optimal decisions. In the context of information processing, this means that the behavior of animals will be consistent with models from fields such as signal detection theory and Bayesian decision theory. We discuss work that applies such models to animal behavior and use the case of Bayesian updating to make the distinction between a description of behavior at the level of optimal decisions and a mechanistic account of how decisions are made. The idea of ecological rationality is that natural selection shapes an animal's decision mechanisms to suit its environment. As a result, decision-making mechanisms may not perform well outside the context in which they evolved. Although the assumption of ecological rationality is plausible, we argue that the exact nature of the relationship between ecology and cognitive mechanism may not be obvious.
Topics: Algorithms; Animals; Bayes Theorem; Behavior, Animal; Cognition; Decision Making; Environment; Mental Processes; Selection, Genetic; Signal Detection, Psychological
PubMed: 24616372
DOI: 10.1111/tops.12085 -
NeuroImage Apr 2022Believing as a fundamental mental process influences other cognitive/affective processes and behavior. However, it is unclear whether believing engages distinct...
Believing as a fundamental mental process influences other cognitive/affective processes and behavior. However, it is unclear whether believing engages distinct neurocognitive mechanisms in people with different cultural experiences. We addressed this issue by scanning Chinese and Danish adults using functional MRI during believing judgments on personality traits of oneself and a celebrity. Drift diffusion model analyses of behavioral performances revealed that speed/quality of information acquisition varied between believing judgments on positive and negative personality traits in Chinese but not in Danes. Chinese adopted a more conservative strategy of decision-making during celebrity- than self-believing judgments whereas an opposite pattern was observed in Danes. Non-decisional processes were longer for celebrity- than for self-believing in Danes but not in Chinese. Believing judgments activated the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in both cultural groups but elicited stronger left anterior insular and ventral frontal activations in Chinese. Greater mPFC activity in Chinese was associated with longer duration of non-decision processes during believing-judgments, which predicted slower retrieval of self-related information in a memory test. Greater mPFC activity in Danes, however, was associated with a less degree of adopting a conservative strategy during believing judgments, which predicted faster retrieval of self-related information. Our findings highlight different neurocognitive processes engaged in believing between individuals from East Asian and Western cultures.
Topics: Adult; Brain; China; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Culture; Decision Making; Denmark; Female; Humans; Judgment; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Personality
PubMed: 35093520
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.118954 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Sep 2021Few questions in science are as controversial as human nature. At stake is whether our basic concepts and emotions are all learned from experience, or whether some are...
Few questions in science are as controversial as human nature. At stake is whether our basic concepts and emotions are all learned from experience, or whether some are innate. Here, I demonstrate that reasoning about innateness is biased by the basic workings of the human mind. Psychological science suggests that newborns possess core concepts of "object" and "number." Laypeople, however, believe that newborns are devoid of such notions but that they can recognize emotions. Moreover, people presume that concepts are learned, whereas emotions (along with sensations and actions) are innate. I trace these beliefs to two tacit psychological principles: intuitive dualism and essentialism. Essentialism guides tacit reasoning about biological inheritance and suggests that innate traits reside in the body; per intuitive dualism, however, the mind seems ethereal, distinct from the body. It thus follows that, in our intuitive psychology, concepts (which people falsely consider as disembodied) must be learned, whereas emotions, sensations, and emotions (which are considered embodied) are likely innate; these predictions are in line with the experimental results. These conclusions do not speak to the question of whether concepts and emotions are innate, but they suggest caution in its scientific evaluation.
Topics: Cognition; Emotions; Human Characteristics; Humans; Intuition; Learning; Mental Processes; Models, Psychological
PubMed: 34556578
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2108274118 -
BMC Psychiatry Oct 2021There is overwhelming evidence for a strong association between childhood trauma and adult psychopathology. This study aimed to investigate the mediation roles of...
BACKGROUND
There is overwhelming evidence for a strong association between childhood trauma and adult psychopathology. This study aimed to investigate the mediation roles of alexithymia, sensory processing sensitivity, and emotional-mental processes in the relationship between childhood traumas and adult psychopathology.
METHODS
The sample consisted of 337 people (78.9% female, 21.1% male) aged between 20 and 64 years. Participants filled the scales online via a Google form. Reading Mind in the Eyes (EYES), Sensory Processing Sensitivity Scale (SPS), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-26), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) were used. PROCESS (Model 4) macro was used to examine the mediating role of sensory processing sensitivity, alexithymia, and the EYES test results in the relationship between childhood trauma and psychopathology.
RESULTS
The results of mediation analysis demonstrated that sensory processing sensitivity and alexithymia mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and adult psychopathology. However, the EYES test (mentalization) did not mediate in this relationship.
CONCLUSION
This study shows that childhood traumas may relate to more psychological symptoms in individuals with high sensory processing sensitivity and alexithymia. Our study may contribute to the understanding of what may lead to a person's vulnerability to experiencing psychological symptoms after childhood trauma. It may be crucial that future treatment and intervention programs should include sensory sensitivity and alexithymia. Sensory processing sensitivity and alexithymia can be examined in the treatment of psychological problems of individuals who have experienced childhood trauma.
Topics: Adult; Adult Survivors of Child Abuse; Affective Symptoms; Emotions; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Perception; Self Report; Young Adult
PubMed: 34654396
DOI: 10.1186/s12888-021-03532-4 -
The Neuroscientist : a Review Journal... Jun 2012During the many idle moments that comprise daily life, the human brain increases its activity across a set of midline and lateral cortical brain regions known as the... (Review)
Review
During the many idle moments that comprise daily life, the human brain increases its activity across a set of midline and lateral cortical brain regions known as the "default network." Despite the robustness with which the brain defaults to this pattern of activity, surprisingly little is known about the network's precise anatomical organization and adaptive functions. To provide insight into these questions, this article synthesizes recent literature from structural and functional imaging with a growing behavioral literature on mind wandering. Results characterize the default network as a set of interacting hubs and subsystems that play an important role in "internal mentation"-the introspective and adaptive mental activities in which humans spontaneously and deliberately engage in every day.
Topics: Adaptation, Physiological; Brain; Executive Function; Humans; Mental Processes; Nerve Net; Psychophysiology
PubMed: 21677128
DOI: 10.1177/1073858411403316 -
Neuropsychopharmacology : Official... Jan 2011Although placebos have long been considered a nuisance in clinical research, today they represent an active and productive field of research and, because of the... (Review)
Review
Although placebos have long been considered a nuisance in clinical research, today they represent an active and productive field of research and, because of the involvement of many mechanisms, the study of the placebo effect can actually be viewed as a melting pot of concepts and ideas for neuroscience. Indeed, there exists not a single but many placebo effects, with different mechanisms and in different systems, medical conditions, and therapeutic interventions. For example, brain mechanisms of expectation, anxiety, and reward are all involved, as well as a variety of learning phenomena, such as Pavlovian conditioning, cognitive, and social learning. There is also some experimental evidence of different genetic variants in placebo responsiveness. The most productive models to better understand the neurobiology of the placebo effect are pain and Parkinson's disease. In these medical conditions, the neural networks that are involved have been identified: that is, the opioidergic-cholecystokinergic-dopaminergic modulatory network in pain and part of the basal ganglia circuitry in Parkinson's disease. Important clinical implications emerge from these recent advances in placebo research. First, as the placebo effect is basically a psychosocial context effect, these data indicate that different social stimuli, such as words and rituals of the therapeutic act, may change the chemistry and circuitry of the patient's brain. Second, the mechanisms that are activated by placebos are the same as those activated by drugs, which suggests a cognitive/affective interference with drug action. Third, if prefrontal functioning is impaired, placebo responses are reduced or totally lacking, as occurs in dementia of the Alzheimer's type.
Topics: Affect; Animals; Brain; Brain Chemistry; Cognition; Humans; Mental Processes; Neural Pathways; Pain; Parkinson Disease; Placebo Effect; Placebos
PubMed: 20592717
DOI: 10.1038/npp.2010.81 -
Academic Emergency Medicine : Official... Nov 2000There are three domains of expertise required for consistently effective performance in emergency medicine (EM): procedural, affective, and cognitive. Most of the... (Review)
Review
There are three domains of expertise required for consistently effective performance in emergency medicine (EM): procedural, affective, and cognitive. Most of the activity is performed in the cognitive domain. Studies in the cognitive sciences have focused on a number of common and predictable biases in the thinking process, many of which are relevant to the practice of EM. It is important to understand these biases and how they might influence clinical decision-making behavior. Among the specialities, EM provides a unique clinical milieu of inconstancy, uncertainty, variety, and complexity. Injury and illness are seen within narrow time windows, often under pressured ambient conditions. These operating characteristics force practitioners to adopt a distinctive blend of thinking strategies. Principal among them is the use of heuristics, a form of abbreviated thinking that often leads to successful outcomes but that occasionally may result in error. A number of opportunities exist to overcome interdisciplinary, linguistic, and other historical obstacles to develop a sound approach to understanding how we think in EM. This will lead to a better awareness of our cognitive processes, an improved capacity to teach effectively about cognitive strategies, and, ultimately, the minimization or avoidance of clinical error.
Topics: Attitude of Health Personnel; Clinical Competence; Decision Making; Emergency Medicine; Ethics, Medical; Humans; Medical Errors; Mental Processes; Morals; Nova Scotia; Risk Management; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 11073470
DOI: 10.1111/j.1553-2712.2000.tb00467.x