眼睛注视线索对物体认知加工的影响及其机制

眼睛注视作为一种重要的非语言社会线索，不仅可以传达他人丰富的注意方向信息，并且能够诱发独特的社会性注意行为. 近年来，研究者利用改编的社会性注意任务发现，眼睛注视线索还可以进一步影响我们对各种不同种类物体（用具、符号、面孔等）的感知觉加工，以及主观评价、记忆等其他高级认知加工过程. 眼睛注视线索对物体加工的这种影响受到诸多因素的调节，如面孔属性、数量以及注视模式等. 特别地，眼睛注视线索对物体加工的这一调制作用能够在无意识水平发生，具有一定的特异性. 此外，针对这一调制作用背后机制的研究暗示心理理论和观点采择可能参与其中，但仍有待进一步探究. 眼睛注视对物体加工影响的研究有助于我们深入理解社会互动的方式以及人类与环境的交互过程，因此具有重要的理论意义和社会应用价值.     

面孔社会性线索的加工机制

本文旨在综述面孔社会性线索加工的神经机制。通过系统回顾面孔社会性线索相关的研究,分别从面孔情绪、面孔吸引力、眼睛注视方向和面孔朝向以及唇读四个角度阐述其加工的神经机制。首先简要阐述了人类大脑对面孔刺激的一般加工机制,包括下颞叶梭状回面孔区、颞上沟后部面孔区和枕下回的枕叶面孔区等脑区在加工面孔刺激中的功能。接下来探讨了大脑对情绪面孔的加工。情绪面孔加工主要包括对面孔的知觉编码和情绪编码。研究显示,除了视觉皮层的面孔加工区之外,杏仁核在情绪编码中具有重要作用。神经系统对面孔表情的反应受到情绪类型、情绪面孔的动态性以及情绪面孔阈下呈现等因素的影响。在面孔吸引力加工方面,研究表明高吸引力面孔会激活奖赏相关的神经环路,但是吸引力对神经活动的具体影响目前仍存在争议。对面孔吸引力的神经反应可能受实验任务类型、观察者性取向和性别、观察者心理因素、面孔其他社会线索等因素的调节。眼睛注视方向和面孔朝向线索则和视觉注意有关,其神经加工系统除了包括面孔加工区外,还包括和注意相关的顶内沟等区域。关于唇读的研究则表明唇读在言语知觉中具有重要作用,可以激活听觉皮层和言语相关皮层。最后,一方面总结了以上各方面实验证据对面孔信息加工理论的支持和改善作用,另一方面进一步探讨了特殊人群中这些加工存在的缺陷,并指出了该领域未来的研究方向。     

线索有效性对社会性注意和外源性注意的影响

目的 眼睛注视、头朝向和生物运动方向等社会性线索,对人类的生存和社会交互极为重要.由于社会性线索和外周线索都具有反射性注意定向这一特点,社会性注意往往也被认为属于外源性注意.但是,外源性注意并不能完全解释所有的社会性注意现象.因此,两者是否具有相同的加工机制,尚存在争论.方法 本研究使用空间线索范式,系统考察了线索有效...     

社会性注意的特异性认知神经机制

社会性注意对人类的社会交往甚至是生存发展都有至关重要的作用.近年来,研究者利用心理物理学实验范式(中央线索范式的变式)结合脑功能成像技术(ERP、f MRI、MEG等)以及神经心理学方法(脑损伤病人),系统探究了社会性注意在认知神经机制方面的特异性.社会线索(眼睛注视、头部朝向、生物运动行走方向)均能诱发独特的反射性注意定向效应,并且该注意效应在行为和神经层面上区别于非社会线索(箭头)诱发的注意效应.然而也有研究者对此提出质疑,因此有关社会性注意是否特异于非社会性注意仍然存在争议,有待进一步研究.社会性注意特异性认知神经机制的相关研究一方面能够为人类大脑中是否存在一个专门的"社会性注意探测器"提供证据,另一方面也为社会性注意在自闭症的早期诊断与干预中的应用提供实验依据,具有重要的理论意义和社会应用价值.     

情绪预期影响人类对恐惧面孔的敏感性——来自电生理的证据

采用事件相关电位技术,本研究考察了情绪预期对人类恐惧面孔敏感性的影响．实验记录了被试在线索提示条件及无线索提示条件下对恐惧和中性面孔进行性别判断时的ERP数据．行为结果显示,不可预期条件下被试对恐惧面孔性别判断的正确率显著低于对中性面孔的正确率,表明不可预期的恐惧情绪对实验任务产生了显著地干扰效应．ERP数据显示,在不可预期条件下,在P2及200～250ms区间,恐惧面孔比中性面孔诱发了更大的波幅,情绪效应显著;而可预期条件下,人脑对恐惧面孔和中性面孔的反应类似,表现出情绪效应的显著降低．因此,人类情绪加工的负性偏向效应受个体情绪预期的调节．人类对不可预期的负性情绪敏感,相反当恐惧情绪的发生可以被提前预期时,个体对它们的神经敏感性降低．     

情绪面孔注意偏向的加工机制:愤怒和快乐优势效应

由于情绪信息在个体社交生活中的重要地位,情绪面孔的注意偏向问题已成为当今注意研究领域中的一个热点问题。然而,目前对于情绪面孔注意偏向加工机制的问题还存在很大争论。即使采用相似的实验程序和刺激材料,不同研究者获得的研究结果仍不一致或存在冲突。部分结果表明,愤怒面孔会自动吸引注意,表现愤怒优势效应;相反,越来越多的证据支持存在注意偏向的是快乐面孔而非愤怒面孔,即存在快乐优势效应。本文对支持不同优势效应的行为和认知神经科学证据进行整合,指出刺激材料选择、实验程序设定以及加工进程这三个方面的差异可能是造成这两种优势冲突的主要原因。根据既往研究的对比分析,未来还需要进一步对实验材料和程序进行控制,并结合认知神经科学技术手段对愤怒和快乐优势效应的加工机制进一步深入研究,以解决其背后的争论。     

研究: 异族面孔分类中情绪的调节作用

人们对异族面孔的分类绩效比本族面孔更好,这称作异族分类优势.但面孔异族分类优势是否也和面孔异族效应一样受到情绪的调节作用,尚未可知.本文通过两个实验考察情绪对于面孔种族分类任务的影响.实验一要求40名大学生被试对不同表情面孔(中性,负性,正性)完成种族判断任务,结果发现,正性和负性情绪使年轻人对异族面孔分类变得更慢,削弱了面孔异族分类优势,而且正性情绪对异族分类效应影响更大.实验二以不同情绪加工特点的老年人为被试,发现老年人对负性异族面孔的分类绩效明显更差,负性情绪对异族分类优势的影响更大.这些结果为异族分类优势理论中,异族面孔分类和个体身份加工过程相互制约的潜在假设提供了进一步的支持.     

异族面孔分类中情绪的调节作用

人们对异族面孔的分类绩效比本族面孔更好,这称作异族分类优势.但面孔异族分类优势是否也和面孔异族效应一样受到情绪的调节作用,尚未可知.本文通过两个实验考察情绪对于面孔种族分类任务的影响.实验一要求40名大学生被试对不同表情面孔(中性,负性,正性)完成种族判断任务,结果发现,正性和负性情绪使年轻人对异族面孔分类变得更慢,削弱了面孔异族分类优势,而且正性情绪对异族分类效应影响更大.实验二以不同情绪加工特点的老年人为被试,发现老年人对负性异族面孔的分类绩效明显更差,负性情绪对异族分类优势的影响更大.这些结果为异族分类优势理论中,异族面孔分类和个体身份加工过程相互制约的潜在假设提供了进一步的支持.     

人类记忆的所有权效应及其认知神经机制

人们对属于自己的物品比属于他人的物品更容易回忆和再认,即便物品和主体的所有权关联仅仅是暂时的和想象的,这称之为记忆的所有权效应.该效应在非常年幼的幼儿和一些认知缺陷的个体身上也会出现.跨文化研究表明,东方文化的个体和西方文化的个体在该效应的表现上也存在差异.该效应可能是由于对自我相关的项目进行深度语义加工的结果,但其早期阶段可能是因为获得了更多的注意资源分配.自我选择和身体活动的具身化在该效应中起着调节作用.当注视属于自己的项目时,P300等成分波幅明显增强,这为注意在记忆的所有权效应中的作用提供了脑电方面的支持.当被试对分类任务中属于自己的物品进行再认时,会导致内侧前额叶皮质、扣带回皮质、缘上回和顶叶等皮质中线结构的激活.未来研究需要考虑奖赏加工等其他的认知加工在这一效应中的作用,并尝试利用灵长类动物的研究从进化角度对这一现象进行解释.考察认知障碍个体执行该任务时的脑机制,有助于进一步完善本领域的研究.     

面部表情的阈下情绪启动效应及其机制

人类大脑是否可以加工阈下情绪信息?阈下情绪启动效应为此提供了直接证据。使用视觉掩蔽和连续闪烁抑制范式,以面部表情作为启动刺激的研究发现,个体在注意和记忆、社会性评价和行为倾向中都受先前启动刺激情绪属性的影响,即表现出了阈下情绪启动效应。还有研究发现,阈下面部表情增强了个体的皮肤电导水平和心血管系统反应。而神经机制的研究发现,阈下面部表情对目标刺激的早期知觉加工和晚期情绪意义分析产生了影响,杏仁核等脑区在其中具有重要作用。情绪优先假设和感受即信息理论分别从情绪系统领域特殊性和情绪归因的角度试图阐释该效应产生的机制。在总结和分析以往研究基础上,本文对这一领域的未来研究提出了具体建议。     

Patterns of Gazing in Orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus)

Eyes play an important role in communication amongst humans and animals. However, relatively little is known about specific differences in eye morphology amongst primates and how these features might be associated with social structure and direction of gaze. We present a detailed study of gazing and eye morphology—exposed sclera and surrounding features—in orangutans. We measured gazing in rehabilitating orangutans in two contexts: interspecific viewing of the experimenter (with video camera) and intraspecific gazing (between subjects). Our findings show that direct staring is avoided and social looking is limited to certain age/social categories: juveniles engage in more looking at other orangutans than do adults or infants. While orangutans use eye movements in social communication, they avoid the more prolonged mutual gaze that is characteristic of humans, and also apparent in chimpanzees and gorillas. Detailed frame-by-frame analysis of videotapes from field and zoo studies of orangutans revealed that they pay visual attention to both human observers and conspecifics by glancing sideways, with the head turned at an angle away from the subject being observed. Mutual gaze was extremely rare, and we have observed only two incidences of gaze following. Orangutans in captivity appear to use a more restricted pattern of gazes compared to free-living, rehabilitating ones, possibly suggesting the presence of a pathological condition (such as depression) in the captive subjects. Our findings have implications for further investigations of social communication and cognition in orangutans.     

Northern bald ibises follow others’ gaze into distant space but not behind barriers

Gaze following is the ability to use the visual orientation of others as a trigger to look in the same direction. Thereby, animals may either align their head and eye orientation with others (gaze following into distant space) or may even reposition themselves to look behind barriers impairing their perception (geometrical gaze following). It has been proposed that these two different modes are functionally and cognitively distinct, but experimental evidence for this claim is lacking. We here, to our knowledge, demonstrate for the first time, that adult animals may be capable of following gaze into distant space, but not geometrically around barriers. We tested Northern bald ibises (Geronticus eremita) for their ability to follow a conspecific''s gaze in two standard tasks. The birds readily looked up after seeing a model bird looking up; however, when seeing a model looking behind a barrier, they responded by looking at the barrier instead of walking around. These findings are in stark contrast to results obtained with great apes and corvids and provide the first experimental evidence, to our knowledge, for cognitive differences in gaze following tasks.     

European starlings recognize the location of robotic conspecific attention

Looking where others are allocating attention can facilitate social interactions by providing information about objects or locations of interest. We asked whether European starlings follow the orientation behaviour of conspecifics owing to their highly gregarious behaviour. Starlings reoriented their attention to follow that of a robot around a barrier more often than when the robot''s attention was directed elsewhere. This is the first empirical evidence of reorienting in response to conspecific attention in a songbird. Starlings may use this behaviour to obtain fine-tuned spatial information from conspecifics (e.g. direction of predator approach, spatial location of food patches), enhancing group cohesion.     

Social status gates social attention in humans

Humans tend to shift attention in response to the averted gaze of a face they are fixating, a phenomenon known as gaze cuing. In the present paper, we aimed to address whether the social status of the cuing face modulates this phenomenon. Participants were asked to look at the faces of 16 individuals and read fictive curriculum vitae associated with each of them that could describe the person as having a high or low social status. The association between each specific face and either high or low social status was counterbalanced between participants. The same faces were then used as stimuli in a gaze-cuing task. The results showed a greater gaze-cuing effect for high-status faces than for low-status faces, independently of the specific identity of the face. These findings confirm previous evidence regarding the important role of social factors in shaping social attention and show that a modulation of gaze cuing can be observed even when knowledge about social status is acquired through episodic learning.     

Eye gaze is not coded by cardinal mechanisms alone

Gaze is an important social cue in regulating human and non-human interactions. In this study, we employed an adaptation paradigm to examine the mechanisms underlying the perception of another''s gaze. Previous research has shown that the interleaved presentation of leftwards and rightwards gazing adaptor stimuli results in observers judging a wider range of gaze deviations as being direct. We applied a similar paradigm to examine how human observers encode oblique (e.g. upwards and to the left) directions of gaze. We presented observers with interleaved gaze adaptors and examined whether adaptation differed between congruent (adaptor and test along same axis) and incongruent conditions. We find greater adaptation in congruent conditions along cardinal (horizontal and vertical) and non-cardinal (oblique) directions suggesting gaze is not coded alone by cardinal mechanisms. Our results suggest that the functional aspects of gaze processing might parallel that of basic visual features such as orientation.     

Monkeys head-gaze following is fast,precise and not fully suppressible

Human eye-gaze is a powerful stimulus, drawing the observer''s attention to places and objects of interest to someone else (‘eye-gaze following’). The largely homogeneous eyes of monkeys, compromising the assessment of eye-gaze by conspecifics from larger distances, explain the absence of comparable eye-gaze following in these animals. Yet, monkeys are able to use peer head orientation to shift attention (‘head-gaze following’). How similar are monkeys'' head-gaze and human eye-gaze following? To address this question, we trained rhesus monkeys to make saccades to targets, either identified by the head-gaze of demonstrator monkeys or, alternatively, identified by learned associations between the demonstrators'' facial identities and the targets (gaze versus identity following). In a variant of this task that occurred at random, the instruction to follow head-gaze or identity was replaced in the course of a trial by the new rule to detect a change of luminance of one of the saccade targets. Although this change-of-rule rendered the demonstrator portraits irrelevant, they nevertheless influenced performance, reflecting a precise redistribution of spatial attention. The specific features depended on whether the initial rule was head-gaze or identity following: head-gaze caused an insuppressible shift of attention to the target gazed at by the demonstrator, whereas identity matching prompted much later shifts of attention, however, only if the initial rule had been identity following. Furthermore, shifts of attention prompted by head-gaze were spatially precise. Automaticity and swiftness, spatial precision and limited executive control characterizing monkeys'' head-gaze following are key features of human eye-gaze following. This similarity supports the notion that both may rely on the same conserved neural circuitry.     

Seeing Oneself Seeing Oneself: White Nihilism in Ethnography and Theory

This essay dwells on the intersection of three historical contemporaries: (1) American anthropology's ‘reflexive turn’; (2) the rise of Michel Foucault's motif of ‘the gaze’ within anthropology; and (3) the spread of the aesthetics of ‘white nihilism.’ The intersection materializes in the visual trope of self-reflexivity. White nihilism, according to one account, is a self-loathing kind of reflexive gaze, preemptive of criticism and desirous of self-possession. The paper argues that Foucault's idea of the panoptic gaze had a similar effect on anthropological self-reflexivity. The essay contrasts the American reception of Foucault with the case of Francophone anthropology – including ‘the Other Foucault’ – in which self-reflexivity involves self-loss or self-division.