Detecting Analogies Unconsciously

Analogies may arise from the conscious detection of similarities between a present and a past situation. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we tested whether young volunteers would detect analogies unconsciously between a current supraliminal (visible) and a past subliminal (invisible) situation. The subliminal encoding of the past situation precludes awareness of analogy detection in the current situation. First, participants encoded subliminal pairs of unrelated words in either one or nine encoding trials. Later, they judged the semantic fit of supraliminally presented new words that either retained a previously encoded semantic relation (“analog”) or not (“broken analog”). Words in analogs versus broken analogs were judged closer semantically, which indicates unconscious analogy detection. Hippocampal activity associated with subliminal encoding correlated with the behavioral measure of unconscious analogy detection. Analogs versus broken analogs were processed with reduced prefrontal but enhanced medial temporal activity. We conclude that analogous episodes can be detected even unconsciously drawing on the episodic memory network.

Hippocampus is place of interaction between unconscious and conscious memories retrieval

Recent experiments suggest that humans can form and later retrieve new semantic relations unconsciously by way of hippocampus - the key structure thought to support conscious relational (episodic) memory. Given that the hippocampus subserves both conscious and unconscious relational encoding/retrieval, we expected the hippocampus to be place of unconscious-conscious interactions. This hypothesis was tested in an fMRI experiment on the interaction between the unconscious retrieval of face-associated occupations and the subsequent conscious retrieval of celebrities’ occupations. For subliminal encoding, masked combinations of an unfamiliar face and a written occupation (“actor” or “politician”) were subliminally presented. At test, we presented the former subliminal faces again, without occupations and masks, as conscious retrieval cues. We hypothesized that faces would trigger the unconscious reactivation of the associated occupation - actor or politician -, which in turn would facilitate or inhibit the subsequent conscious recollection of a celebrity’s occupation. Following the presentation of a former subliminal face, we presented the portrait of a celebrity that participants were required to sort according to “actor” or “politician”. Depending on whether the triggered unconscious occupation was congruent or incongruent with the celebrity’s occupation, we expected an expedited or retarded conscious retrieval process as reflected in reaction times. Conscious retrieval was expedited in the congruent condition, but there was no effect in the incongruent condition. fMRI data collected during subliminal relational encoding confirmed that the hippocampus was interacting with neocortical semantic storage sites. fMRI data collected at test indicated that the facilitated conscious retrieval of celebrity-associated occupations was related to deactivations in this same network spanning hippocampus and neocortical semantic storage sites. Hence, unconscious retrieval likely preactivated this network, which allowed for a sparing recruitment of additional neural resources to assist conscious retrieval. This finding supports the notion that consciously and unconsciously acquired relational memories are stored in a single, cohesive hippocampal-neocortical memory space.

Hippocampus Is Place of Interaction between Unconscious and Conscious Memories.

Recent evidence suggests that humans can form and later retrieve new semantic relations unconsciously by way of hippocampus-the key structure also recruited for conscious relational (episodic) memory. If the hippocampus subserves both conscious and unconscious relational encoding/retrieval, one would expect the hippocampus to be place of unconscious-conscious interactions during memory retrieval. We tested this hypothesis in an fMRI experiment probing the interaction between the unconscious and conscious retrieval of face-associated information. For the establishment of unconscious relational memories, we presented subliminal (masked) combinations of unfamiliar faces and written occupations ("actor" or "politician"). At test, we presented the former subliminal faces, but now supraliminally, as cues for the reactivation of the unconsciously associated occupations. We hypothesized that unconscious reactivation of the associated occupation-actor or politician-would facilitate or inhibit the subsequent conscious retrieval of a celebrity's occupation, which was also actor or politician. Depending on whether the reactivated unconscious occupation was congruent or incongruent to the celebrity's occupation, we expected either quicker or delayed conscious retrieval process. Conscious retrieval was quicker in the congruent relative to a neutral baseline condition but not delayed in the incongruent condition. fMRI data collected during subliminal face-occupation encoding confirmed previous evidence that the hippocampus was interacting with neocortical storage sites of semantic knowledge to support relational encoding. fMRI data collected at test revealed that the facilitated conscious retrieval was paralleled by deactivations in the hippocampus and neocortical storage sites of semantic knowledge. We assume that the unconscious reactivation has pre-activated overlapping relational representations in the hippocampus reducing the neural effort for conscious retrieval. This finding supports the notion of synergistic interactions between conscious and unconscious relational memories in a common, cohesive hippocampal-neocortical memory space.

CONSCIÊNCIA E EMOÇÃO: O EFEITO DO PRIMING AFETIVO SUBLIMINAR EM TAREFAS DE ATENÇÃO

Esta tese revisou duas linhas de pesquisa, desenvolvidas nas últimas décadas: o estudo de efeitos de estimulação subliminar priming , e de desencadeamento de reações emocionais por estímulos controlados. Este estudo tem o objetivo de combinar tais linhas para o estudo da consciência com pré-preparo afetivo: efeito de estímulos de conteúdo aversivo, subliminares e supraliminares, sobre a cognição, pela análise do desempenho em tarefa de atenção. Três tarefas experimentais foram realizadas por 35 indivíduos em laboratório de neuropsicologia: a tarefa base onde testamos à detecção de alvo visual simples, e a mesma tarefa de base, porém com estímulos distratores aversivos intercalados, de forma supraliminar ou subliminar (500 ms ou 50 ms de duração), em blocos aleatorizados entre os indivíduos. Calcularam-se índices de detectabilidade e critério de resposta, que serviram para a comparação estatística entre condições (medidas repetidas). Os resultados mostram uma mudança significativa do índice critério , indicando mudança de estratégia na presença de distratores subliminares aversivos. Concluiu-se que a tarefa subliminar fez um efeito destruidor ou devastador na tarefa supraliminar, cometendo menos falso-alarmes protegendo a tarefa supraliminar, tendo um efeito protetor . Os resultados são discutidos no contexto da relevância de influências emocionais sobre o comportamento para a Psicologia da Saúde.

CONSCIÊNCIA E EMOÇÃO: O EFEITO DO PRIMING AFETIVO SUBLIMINAR EM TAREFAS DE ATENÇÃO

Esta tese revisou duas linhas de pesquisa, desenvolvidas nas últimas décadas: o estudo de efeitos de estimulação subliminar priming , e de desencadeamento de reações emocionais por estímulos controlados. Este estudo tem o objetivo de combinar tais linhas para o estudo da consciência com pré-preparo afetivo: efeito de estímulos de conteúdo aversivo, subliminares e supraliminares, sobre a cognição, pela análise do desempenho em tarefa de atenção. Três tarefas experimentais foram realizadas por 35 indivíduos em laboratório de neuropsicologia: a tarefa base onde testamos à detecção de alvo visual simples, e a mesma tarefa de base, porém com estímulos distratores aversivos intercalados, de forma supraliminar ou subliminar (500 ms ou 50 ms de duração), em blocos aleatorizados entre os indivíduos. Calcularam-se índices de detectabilidade e critério de resposta, que serviram para a comparação estatística entre condições (medidas repetidas). Os resultados mostram uma mudança significativa do índice critério , indicando mudança de estratégia na presença de distratores subliminares aversivos. Concluiu-se que a tarefa subliminar fez um efeito destruidor ou devastador na tarefa supraliminar, cometendo menos falso-alarmes protegendo a tarefa supraliminar, tendo um efeito protetor . Os resultados são discutidos no contexto da relevância de influências emocionais sobre o comportamento para a Psicologia da Saúde.

Apuntes sobre la percepción subconsciente en el cine: el ejemplo de Alien, el octavo pasajero (1979) y su propuesta orgánica de atracción/repulsión

En una revisión profunda en la que se aportan datos hasta ahora inéditos, el presente artículo analiza nuevas claves de por qué la película Alien, el octavo pasajero (Ridley Scott, 1979), ha causado una atracción sobredimensionada del espectador en su estreno y reposición a lo largo de más de tres décadas. Se propone la tesis de que el film emplea un conjunto de símbolos audiovisuales ocultos o semi-ocultos que provocan sensaciones de placer/displacer (eros y tanatos) y son las causantes directas de sus nutridas afinidades. Se explicita además cómo en el diseño/ presentación de un universo alienígena aparentemente nuevo (respecto al cine de ciencia ficción precedente) el espectador asume una mímesis identificativa y orgánica que se introduce en las profundidades del inconsciente, despertando un interés sorprendente entre audiencias de diferentes generaciones y edades. Se analiza el fenómeno subliminal o subconsciente en el cine, desde el punto de vista de la percepción, a partir de los experimentos publicitarios de los años 50 en una sala de exhibición de los Estados Unidos. También se estudia por primera vez el curioso paralelismo del argumento de la película con el impacto mediático previo y simultáneo del primer bebé probeta nacido el 25 de julio de 1978, en pleno inicio del rodaje de este film en los estudios londinenses Shepperton.

CONSCIÊNCIA E EMOÇÃO: O EFEITO DO PRIMING AFETIVO SUBLIMINAR EM TAREFAS DE ATENÇÃO

Esta tese revisou duas linhas de pesquisa, desenvolvidas nas últimas décadas: o estudo de efeitos de estimulação subliminar priming , e de desencadeamento de reações emocionais por estímulos controlados. Este estudo tem o objetivo de combinar tais linhas para o estudo da consciência com pré-preparo afetivo: efeito de estímulos de conteúdo aversivo, subliminares e supraliminares, sobre a cognição, pela análise do desempenho em tarefa de atenção. Três tarefas experimentais foram realizadas por 35 indivíduos em laboratório de neuropsicologia: a tarefa base onde testamos à detecção de alvo visual simples, e a mesma tarefa de base, porém com estímulos distratores aversivos intercalados, de forma supraliminar ou subliminar (500 ms ou 50 ms de duração), em blocos aleatorizados entre os indivíduos. Calcularam-se índices de detectabilidade e critério de resposta, que serviram para a comparação estatística entre condições (medidas repetidas). Os resultados mostram uma mudança significativa do índice critério , indicando mudança de estratégia na presença de distratores subliminares aversivos. Concluiu-se que a tarefa subliminar fez um efeito destruidor ou devastador na tarefa supraliminar, cometendo menos falso-alarmes protegendo a tarefa supraliminar, tendo um efeito protetor . Os resultados são discutidos no contexto da relevância de influências emocionais sobre o comportamento para a Psicologia da Saúde.

Currículo escolar e inclusão de estudantes com deficiência: diálogos com uma escola pública

This work of qualitative approach, has as its study object the school curriculum, resulting from the implementation of public policies for inclusion in the Brazilian educational field and of the teaching organization in State School Despertar. While we acknowledge advances in government discussions and proposals related to school inclusion in our country, it is still important to develop studies and interventions in the context of basic education focused on the curriculum. With methodological basis in collaborative-critical action research and contribution by Barbier, the survey was conducted in 2013, in a state school in the Natal - Rio Grande do Norte - school system, and aimed to analyze the curriculum of the State School Despertar, in particular issues related to the inclusion of students with disabilities in common teaching classes expressed in the school and in collective situations of continuing education with teachers and interpreter of Brazilian Sign Language (Libras). The school was previously chosen because it had already been locus of research in a study conducted by a professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte promoting the knowledge of their formative needs. The study subjects were 26 teachers in the early years and the end of elementary school and a Libras interpreter. The instruments were direct observation, semi-structured interviews, document analysis and a proposal for continuing education called Collaborative Group on School Inclusion (GCEI), established with the participating subjects and the other research collaborators. The analyzed data showed eight dialogues built with the State School Despertar, being basic the contributions of Goffman (1988) on stigma and of Forquin (1993) on school culture. As a theoretical framework, there were important contributions on School Curriculum (SACRISTÁN, 2000; 2007; APPLE, 2006; 2008), School Inclusion (BUENO, 2008), Continuing Education (NÓVOA, 2002; GATTI, 2003) and the existing studies on the dialogues between Curriculum and Special Education (MAGALHÃES, 2002; SILVA, 2008; 2010; OLIVEIRA, 2004; VIEIRA, 2012). The study highlighted the importance of extending the dialogue, the theoretical deepening of GCEI for the understanding of school curriculum and the specifics of any students, with or without disability. It will be necessary to revisit the school teaching practices that do not correspond to the students, for instance the formation of classes made in classrooms. It is also important to consider the organization of the school day and its interface with the pedagogical functions of each member of the school in building curriculum practices consistent with the diversity of modes and learning styles. Subliminal aspects of the curriculum should be reviewed, given its implications in the context of the classroom and management. However, significant changes identified in the practices of some teachers, such as the use of audio description, stimulus to the participation of students with disabilities and use of images, favored the development of other students, who benefit of more exciting and participatory classes. Based on the conducted research, we conclude on the importance of collectively discuss the conditions for / in schooling of different students and the (re)thinking of curriculum practices in the school as a whole, and therein lies a paradox because, on the one hand, it is not about minimizing the specific knowledge in dealing with the needs of students with disabilities, on the other, we are not interested in distancing these needs from those inherent in human nature, therefore peculiar to the other students. The questioning of our own practices is the challenge imposed, not to special education, or its target audience, but this is undoubtedly task of education.

Currículo escolar e inclusão de estudantes com deficiência: diálogos com uma escola pública

This work of qualitative approach, has as its study object the school curriculum, resulting from the implementation of public policies for inclusion in the Brazilian educational field and of the teaching organization in State School Despertar. While we acknowledge advances in government discussions and proposals related to school inclusion in our country, it is still important to develop studies and interventions in the context of basic education focused on the curriculum. With methodological basis in collaborative-critical action research and contribution by Barbier, the survey was conducted in 2013, in a state school in the Natal - Rio Grande do Norte - school system, and aimed to analyze the curriculum of the State School Despertar, in particular issues related to the inclusion of students with disabilities in common teaching classes expressed in the school and in collective situations of continuing education with teachers and interpreter of Brazilian Sign Language (Libras). The school was previously chosen because it had already been locus of research in a study conducted by a professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte promoting the knowledge of their formative needs. The study subjects were 26 teachers in the early years and the end of elementary school and a Libras interpreter. The instruments were direct observation, semi-structured interviews, document analysis and a proposal for continuing education called Collaborative Group on School Inclusion (GCEI), established with the participating subjects and the other research collaborators. The analyzed data showed eight dialogues built with the State School Despertar, being basic the contributions of Goffman (1988) on stigma and of Forquin (1993) on school culture. As a theoretical framework, there were important contributions on School Curriculum (SACRISTÁN, 2000; 2007; APPLE, 2006; 2008), School Inclusion (BUENO, 2008), Continuing Education (NÓVOA, 2002; GATTI, 2003) and the existing studies on the dialogues between Curriculum and Special Education (MAGALHÃES, 2002; SILVA, 2008; 2010; OLIVEIRA, 2004; VIEIRA, 2012). The study highlighted the importance of extending the dialogue, the theoretical deepening of GCEI for the understanding of school curriculum and the specifics of any students, with or without disability. It will be necessary to revisit the school teaching practices that do not correspond to the students, for instance the formation of classes made in classrooms. It is also important to consider the organization of the school day and its interface with the pedagogical functions of each member of the school in building curriculum practices consistent with the diversity of modes and learning styles. Subliminal aspects of the curriculum should be reviewed, given its implications in the context of the classroom and management. However, significant changes identified in the practices of some teachers, such as the use of audio description, stimulus to the participation of students with disabilities and use of images, favored the development of other students, who benefit of more exciting and participatory classes. Based on the conducted research, we conclude on the importance of collectively discuss the conditions for / in schooling of different students and the (re)thinking of curriculum practices in the school as a whole, and therein lies a paradox because, on the one hand, it is not about minimizing the specific knowledge in dealing with the needs of students with disabilities, on the other, we are not interested in distancing these needs from those inherent in human nature, therefore peculiar to the other students. The questioning of our own practices is the challenge imposed, not to special education, or its target audience, but this is undoubtedly task of education.

Effects of emotional salience and semantic domain on cross-form priming

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Effects of emotional salience and semantic domain on cross-form priming

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.