Modes Of Information Processing Research Articles

Effects of Affect: How Mood and Arousal Influence Consumer Evaluation of Search Engine Result Page (SERP) Ad Snippets

An experiment was conducted with the goal of determining how mood and arousal influence the way consumers process ad information in a search engine result page (SERP) environment. By focusing on the relationships among mood, arousal, and search ad snippet length, the study shows that mood and arousal states influence information processing (heuristic vs. systematic) on search pages both independently and jointly. Using the heuristic-systematic model, the present research explains how information processing modes triggered by mood and amplified by arousal shape the processing and evaluations of search ads with different snippet lengths. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Listing popularity on the peer-to-peer accommodation platform: the heuristic-systematic and uncertainty reduction perspectives

PurposeListing popularity indicates the public’s interest in a listing on peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation platforms. Although listing popularity is crucial to the survival and development of the P2P accommodation platform, this issue has received limited attention in the tourism management discipline. Drawing upon the heuristic-systematic model and uncertainty reduction theory, this study aims to examine the impacts of host and property attributes on listing popularity.Design/methodology/approachThe model was empirically validated using a data set of 6,828 listings on a popular P2P accommodation platform called Airbnb. This study chooses a hierarchical regression analysis to perform the model validation.FindingsThe findings reveal that host self-disclosure, host reputation and host identity verification are key host attributes in promoting listing popularity. Meanwhile, property visual description, property photo verification and property visual appeal are important property attributes in facilitating listing popularity.Research limitations/implicationsThe study adds useful insights on understanding on determinants of listing popularity. Future researchers are recommended to empirically verify the underlying psychological mechanism by which host attributes and property attributes influence listing popularity.Practical implicationsThe P2P accommodation platform should promote the listing popularity by taking advantage of the host attributes and providing property attributes.Originality/valueFirst, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the few studies to explore the formation of the listing popularity. Second, this study examines how the host and property attributes promote the listing popularity through the heuristic and systematic information processing modes.

Multiple states in ongoing neural activity in the rat visual cortex.

The brain continuously produces internal activity in the absence of afferently salient sensory input. Spontaneous neural activity is intrinsically defined by circuit structures and associated with the mode of information processing and behavioral responses. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics of spontaneous activity in the visual cortices of behaving animals remain almost elusive. Using a custom-made electrode array, we recorded 32-site electrocorticograms in the primary and secondary visual cortex of freely behaving rats and determined the propagation patterns of spontaneous neural activity. Nonlinear dimensionality reduction and unsupervised clustering revealed multiple discrete states of the activity patterns. The activity remained stable in one state and suddenly jumped to another state. The diversity and dynamics of the internally switching cortical states would imply flexibility of neural responses to various external inputs.

Dentate spikes and external control of hippocampal function.

SUMMARYMouse hippocampus CA1 place-cell discharge typically encodes current location, but during slow gamma dominance (SGdom), when SG oscillations (30–50 Hz) dominate mid-frequency gamma oscillations (70–90 Hz) in CA1 local field potentials, CA1 discharge switches to represent distant recollected locations. We report that dentate spike type 2 (DSM) events initiated by medial entorhinal cortex II (MECII)→ dentate gyrus (DG) inputs promote SGdom and change excitation-inhibition coordinated discharge in DG, CA3, and CA1, whereas type 1 (DSL) events initiated by lateral entorhinal cortex II (LECII)→DG inputs do not. Just before SGdom, LECII-originating SG oscillations in DG and CA3-originating SG oscillations in CA1 phase and frequency synchronize at the DSM peak when discharge within DG and CA3 increases to promote excitation-inhibition cofiring within and across the DG→CA3→CA1 pathway. This optimizes discharge for the 5–10 ms DG-to-CA1 neuro-transmission that SGdom initiates. DSM properties identify extrahippocampal control of SGdom and a cortico-hippocampal mechanism that switches between memory-related modes of information processing.

\u2018Relearning how to think\u2019: A brief online intervention to modify biased interpretations in emotional disorders\u2014study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundCognitive biases play an important role in the development and maintenance of emotional disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Novel procedures, known as Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM), aim to reduce these dysfunctional information processing modes. This study develops a brief clinically based online intervention programme to modify biased interpretations in depression and anxiety (CBM-IClin), overcoming some methodological issues that have been addressed in previous literature.MethodsVolunteer participants will be recruited via social media and posters at the university. They will be randomly assigned to an experimental group or a waiting list control group. Both groups will complete two assessment sessions (before and after the intervention) consisting of questionnaires measuring cognitive and emotional variables as well as experimental tasks measuring cognitive biases (i.e. attention, memory, and interpretation). After the first assessment session, only participants in the experimental group will receive a link to follow the four CBM-IClin sessions at home. All participants will receive, via email, follow-up questionnaires 2 weeks and 3 months after the second assessment.DiscussionThis study will test the 'Relearning how to think', an online programme potentially beneficial to modify cognitive biases in emotional disorders. Several limitations of previous CBM procedures are addressed, and the impact of the programme both on objective cognitive bias tasks and clinical symptoms will be explored.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03987477. Prospectively registered on June 17, 2019

Optimization of China’s Financial Advertising Regulation System: Based on Behavioral Finance and EU Experience

With the rapid development of Internet finance, the volume of China’s financial advertising has exploded. On the one hand, the problems caused by false and misleading information contained in some financial advertising have already affected the stability of China’s financial market. On the other hand, China’s current regulation system has inherent flaws. Under the framework of protecting financial consumers’ rights and interests, it is combined with the traditional false advertising regulation system and premised on sellers’ duties of appropriateness and informing. However, its theoretical premise-rational investors-is rocky, which has already been challenged by the behavioral finance theory: While making investment decisions, investors are tend to be affected by their behavioral deviations. The heuristics and behavioral deviations of the typical retail investors are often exploited by financial advertising, including representativeness bias, availability bias, framing bias, anchoring bias, and affection bias. Therefore, the system, which is based on the rational investor theory and centered on the proper fulfillment of information disclosure obligations, is flawed by nature and cannot fundamentally solve the problem of regulating financial advertising which takes advantage of investors’ limited rationality and behavioral deviations. It is, thereby, necessary to establish a specialized financial advertising regulation system , so as to protect the stable operation of the financial market and the legitimate interests of financial consumers. In practice, taking advantage of investors’ limited rationality and behavioral deviations is the common problem of financial advertising in China and the EU. In order to transform the theoretical achievements of behavioral finance into practical system effectiveness, China may learn from the practical regulation experience of the EU’s New Markets in Financial Instruments Directive in this regard. In terms of the optimization idea of the regulation system, an informed financial advertising regulation model should be established by taking investors’ psychology and information processing mode into consideration. In terms of the optimization path of the regulation system, the basic requirements of financial advertising information should be neutral, clear and non-misleading. In addition, specific regulation systems should be further formulated for typical problems in practice, including the regulation system of financial advertising information involving historical performance, future performance forecasting, comparative financial advertising, and taking advantage of investors’ affection bias.

Identifying Cognitive Mechanism Underlying Situation Awareness of Pilots' Unsafe Behaviors Using Quantitative Modeling.

Situation awareness (SA) of pilots’ unsafe behavior can ensure safety onboard. Thus, the cognitive mechanism that controls the SA leading to unsafe behavior must be articulated. This study employs the SA model and theory of planned behavior (TPB) to articulate a quantitative model of ship safe piloting. Firstly, the hierarchical classification framework of unsafe behaviors was constructed as an analytical foundation for rational and unconscious behaviors in sight of cognitive processes, and then the measurement elements of the cognitive mechanisms for behaviors were identified. Subsequently, based on the structural model, a hypothetical model of the cognitive path for unsafe behaviors was proposed by using the extended TPB, where there are four independent variables (i.e., attitude (ATD), subjective norm (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC)), one mediating variables (i.e., SA) and two dependent variables (i.e., behavioral intention (BI) and unsafe behaviors (BE)). Finally, this hypothetical model was analyzed with the data resources from extended TPB questionnaire of 295 pilots. Analysis results show that relationships of causation and mediation in the cognitive mechanism are in line with the behavior pattern and SA have a pronounced mediating effect and a strong relevance to the causal chain of extended TPB framework. This study integrated the SA three-level model to understand the motivation–cognition–action–feedback (MCAF) mechanism of pilots’ unsafe behaviors under cognitive mode of information processing through structural model. It would make a valuable contribution to the assessment and intervention of safety behaviors, and provide a basic framework for monitoring the situation awareness of pilot by man-machine interactive measurement technology in the future.

Recognizing spoken words in semantically-anomalous sentences: Effects of executive control in early-implanted deaf children with cochlear implants

Objectives To investigate differences in speech, language, and neurocognitive functioning in normal hearing (NH) children and deaf children with cochlear implants (CIs) using anomalous sentences. Anomalous sentences block the use of downstream predictive coding during speech recognition, allowing for investigation of rapid phonological coding and executive functioning. Methods: Extreme groups were extracted from samples of children with CIs and NH peers (ages 9 to 17) based on the 7 highest and 7 lowest scores on the Harvard-Anomalous sentence test (Harvard-A). The four groups were compared on measures of speech, language, and neurocognitive functioning. Results: The 7 highest-scoring CI users and the 7 lowest-scoring NH peers did not differ in Harvard-A scores but did differ significantly on measures of neurocognitive functioning. Compared to low-performing NH peers, highperforming children with CIs had significantly lower nonword repetition scores but higher nonverbal IQ scores, greater verbal WM capacity, and excellent EF skills related to inhibition, shifting attention/mental flexibility and working memory updating. Discussion: High performing deaf children with CIs are able to compensate for their sensory deficits and weaknesses in automatic phonological coding of speech by engaging in a slow effortful mode of information processing involving inhibition, working memory and executive functioning.

How can the uptake of preventive behaviour during the COVID-19 outbreak be improved? An online survey of 4827 Chinese residents

ObjectivesThe aims of this study were to assess the uptake of preventive behaviour during the COVID-19 outbreak and to investigate the factors influencing the uptake of preventive behaviour based on...

Fast and Frugal: Information Processing Related to The Coronavirus Pandemic.

This research focuses on three factors that influence how individuals cognitively process information related to the coronavirus outbreak. Guided by dual‐process theories of information processing, we establish how the two different information processing modes (system 1: heuristic processing; system 2: systematic processing) are influenced by individuals’ responsibility attribution, discrete negative emotions, and risk perception. In an experiment, participants were exposed to a news article that either blames China (n = 445) or does not blame China (n = 498) for the pandemic. Results reveal that exposure to the responsibility attribution frame led individuals to engage in more heuristic processing, but it did not influence systematic processing. Discrete negative emotions and risk perception mediated the relationship between responsibility attribution and information processing. The indirect relationships suggest a more intricate process underlying heuristic processing and systematic processing. In particular, information processing styles seem to be determined by social judgment surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

Exacerbation of Epilepsy by Astrocyte Alkalization and Gap Junction Uncoupling.

Seizures invite seizures. At the initial stage of epilepsy, seizures intensify with each episode; however, the mechanisms underlying this exacerbation remain to be solved. Astrocytes have a strong control over neuronal excitability and the mode of information processing. This control is accomplished by adjusting the levels of various ions in the extracellular space. The network of astrocytes connected via gap junctions allows a wider or more confined distribution of these ions depending on the open probability of the gap junctions. K+ clearance relies on the K+ uptake by astrocytes and the subsequent diffusion of K+ through the astrocyte network. When astrocytes become uncoupled, K+ clearance becomes hindered. Accumulation of extracellular K+ leads to hyperexcitability of neurons. Here, using acute hippocampal slices from mice, we uncovered that brief periods of epileptiform activity result in gap junction uncoupling. In slices that experienced short-term epileptiform activity, extracellular K+ transients in response to glutamate became prolonged. Na+ imaging with a fluorescent indicator indicated that intercellular diffusion of small cations in the astrocytic syncytium via gap junctions became rapidly restricted after epileptiform activity. Using a transgenic mouse with astrocyte-specific expression of a pH sensor (Lck-E2GFP), we confirmed that astrocytes react to epileptiform activity with intracellular alkalization. Application of Na+/HCO3- cotransporter blocker led to the suppression of intracellular alkalization of astrocytes and to the prevention of astrocyte uncoupling and hyperactivity intensification both in vitro and in vivo Therefore, the inhibition of astrocyte alkalization could become a promising therapeutic strategy for countering epilepsy development.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We aimed to understand the mechanisms underlying the plastic change of forebrain circuits associated with the intensification of epilepsy. Here, we demonstrate that first-time exposure to only brief periods of epileptiform activity results in acute disturbance of the intercellular astrocyte network formed by gap junctions in hippocampal tissue slices from mice. Moreover, rapid clearance of K+ from the extracellular space was impaired. Epileptiform activity activated inward Na+/HCO3- cotransport in astrocytes by cell depolarization, resulting in their alkalization. Our data suggest that alkaline pH shifts in astrocytes lead to gap junction uncoupling, hampering K+ clearance, and thereby to exacerbation of epilepsy. Pharmacological intervention could become a promising new strategy to dampen neuronal hyperexcitability and epileptogenesis.

The Effect of Risk Representation Using Colors and Symbols in Business Process Models on Operational Risk Management Performance

The operational management of risk and internal controls (RIC) makes increasing use of visual representations to support tasks such as risk assessment and control activity definition. The strengths and weaknesses of different representations are typically assessed by cognitive theories that assume an analytical and an intuitive mode of information processing. Previous research has focused mainly on the analytical risk assessment while intuitive information processing has largely been neglected. We develop a theoretical argument based on dual-process theory, which explains why RIC representational alternatives influence different levels of information processing. We test our hypotheses with the help of an online experiment using accountants and operation managers recruited via MTurk (N = 166). Our results suggest that highlighting risk and controls in business process modeling and notation (BPMN) by using color improves risk understanding, control understanding, and the identification of control improvements, which help reduce the risk in a given process. Furthermore, we do not find evidence that the inclusion of color leads to perception biases. This has implications for information systems research, which has primarily addressed the analytical processing of conceptual models. Our findings extend cognitive research on such models by adding an intuitive processing path that can improve the user’s risk management performance. For practitioners, our findings are particularly relevant because colors can be easily added as a secondary notation element without disguising the factual risk situation in processes.

Spatiotemporal signal processing and device stability based on bi-layer biomimetic memristor

The neural network under the current computer architecture is difficult to process complex data efficiently, thus becoming one of the bottlenecks restricting the development of artificial intelligence technology. The human brain has the characteristics of high efficiency, low power consumption and integration of memory and computing, and is regarded as a most potential computing system to break the traditional von Neumann computing system. Synaptic biomimetic device is to realize the neural mimicry of human brain from the hardware level. It can simulate the information processing mode of brain nerve, that is, the process of “memory” and “calculation” can be realized on the same device, which is of great significance in building a new computing system. In recent years, the fabrication of memristor materials for bio-mimetic synaptic devices has made progress, but most of them focus on the simulation of synaptic function. The key research of pulse signal perception and information transmission is relatively lacking. In this paper, an bi-layer memristor with structure Al/nc-Al AlN/A<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/Ag is fabricated by rf sputtering method to realize the basic functions of bionic synaptic devices. It is found that this bio-mimetic memristor exhibits bipolar switching property which is the basic condition to produce memristor based neural synapse. Both of PPF and PPD process can be observed and there will be no firing signal observed if the pulse interval is as large as 350 ms. The change of device conductance should be related to pulse voltage, frequency and pulse number applied. The larger pulse voltage, frequency and number will cause device conductance to increase sharply in both positive and negative pulse voltage region. The STDP measurement is executed with different sequence pulses from post and previous neuron separately. If the pulse of previous synapse comes in front of pulse from post synapse, the conductance will increase, which is so-called LTP process. If the pulse of previous neuron comes behind of pulse from post neuron, the conductance will be reduced as well. Triplet STDP measurement is executed with at least three pulses from previous and post neuron at the meanwhile. It is concluded that if the interval time of the first two pulses is fixed, the device conductance more depends on the value of the second and third pulse interval. Ebbinghaus forgetting curve can be used to explain the reason why the device conductance declines with time going by. The stability study of this memristor includes endurance and retention properties at both room and high temperature. It is found this biomimetic memristor can maintain its conductance for over 115.7 days at 85 ℃, which is long enough for current neural network design.

Laminar Origin of Corticostriatal Projections to the Motor Putamen in the Macaque Brain.

In the macaque brain, projections from distant, interconnected cortical areas converge in specific zones of the striatum. For example, specific zones of the motor putamen are targets of projections from frontal motor, inferior parietal, and ventrolateral prefrontal hand-related areas and thus are integral part of the so-called "lateral grasping network." In the present study, we analyzed the laminar distribution of corticostriatal neurons projecting to different parts of the motor putamen. Retrograde neural tracers were injected in different parts of the putamen in 3 Macaca mulatta (one male) and the laminar distribution of the labeled corticostriatal neurons was analyzed quantitatively. In frontal motor areas and frontal operculum, where most labeled cells were located, almost everywhere the proportion of corticostriatal labeled neurons in layers III and/or VI was comparable or even stronger than in layer V. Furthermore, within these regions, the laminar distribution pattern of corticostriatal labeled neurons largely varied independently from their density and from the projecting area/sector, but likely according to the target striatal zone. Accordingly, the present data show that cortical areas may project in different ways to different striatal zones, which can be targets of specific combinations of signals originating from the various cortical layers of the areas of a given network. These observations extend current models of corticostriatal interactions, suggesting more complex modes of information processing in the basal ganglia for different motor and nonmotor functions and opening new questions on the architecture of the corticostriatal circuitry.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Projections from the ipsilateral cerebral cortex are the major source of input to the striatum. Previous studies have provided evidence for distinct zones of the putamen specified by converging projections from specific sets of interconnected cortical areas. The present study shows that the distribution of corticostriatal neurons in the various layers of the primary motor and premotor areas varies depending on the target striatal zone. Accordingly, different striatal zones collect specific combinations of signals from the various cortical layers of their input areas, possibly differing in terms of coding, timing, and direction of information flow (e.g., feed-forward, or feed-back).

Diffuse neural coupling mediates complex network dynamics through the formation of quasi-critical brain states

The biological mechanisms that allow the brain to balance flexibility and integration remain poorly understood. A potential solution may lie in a unique aspect of neurobiology, which is that numerous brain systems contain diffuse synaptic connectivity. Here, we demonstrate that increasing diffuse cortical coupling within a validated biophysical corticothalamic model traverses the system through a quasi-critical regime in which spatial heterogeneities in input noise support transient critical dynamics in distributed subregions. The presence of quasi-critical states coincides with known signatures of complex, adaptive brain network dynamics. Finally, we demonstrate the presence of similar dynamic signatures in empirical whole-brain human neuroimaging data. Together, our results establish that modulating the balance between local and diffuse synaptic coupling in a thalamocortical model subtends the emergence of quasi-critical brain states that act to flexibly transition the brain between unique modes of information processing.

An integrated approach to assessing students’ emotional stability under the COVID-19 pandemic

In contemporary unpredictably threatening environmental conditions, many students, like individuals of other walks of life who realise the potential danger of corona virus disease for their health and even life, are likely to experience higher than usual levels of emotional stress and consequent behavioural changes, like proneness to self-handicapping, escapism, giving preference to avoidance-type of coping strategies etc. This article presents the description and the expediency of using, for the monitoring of the emotional states of the students, a computer-assisted technique for assessing the mode of information processing preferred by the individual in the stressful conditions. The unified holistic-synthetic mode is found to be pertinent to emotionally stable individuals and consecutive analytical ones compared to the emotional vulnerable ones. The technique can be used for monitoring the emotional states of students and accounting for them in the process of teaching.
 
 Keywords: Emotional stability, cognitive processes, strategy of informational processes, consecutive analytical, holistic-synthetic mode.

Cultural cognition and endorser scandal: Impact of consumer information processing mode on moral judgment in the endorsement context

Robust evidence suggests that cultural variation affects consumer information processing. However, how different cultural orientations lead consumers to different moral judgments toward celebrity endorsers’ unethical behaviors is less appreciated. Drawing on the dual agency model, we show through two experiments that consumers’ information processing mode (holistic vs. analytic) leads to different moral judgment outcomes. This study contributes to the literature by (1) identifying the substantial roles of consumers’ cultural background and cognitive processing style on their response to negative publicity about celebrity athletes, (2) demonstrating the influence of cultural cognition on moral reasoning for both chronic (study 1) and working self-concepts (study 2), and (3) empirically testing the mediating role of the information processing mode on the effect of cultural cognition on moral judgment processes and its subsequent outcomes for celebrity athlete evaluation. The findings shed important managerial insights for managers dealing with athlete’s unethical behaviors in different cultural contexts.

The Influence of Situational Regulation on the Information Processing of Promotional and Preventive Self-Regulatory Individuals: Evidence From Eye Movements.

Regulatory focus theory uses two different motivation focus systems—promotional and preventive—to describe how individuals approach positive goals and avoid negative goals. Moreover, the regulatory focus can manifest as chronic personality characteristics and can be situationally induced by tasks or the environment. The current study employed eye-tracking methodology to investigate how individuals who differ in their chronic regulatory focus (promotional vs. preventive) process information (Experiment 1) and whether an induced experimental situation could modulate features of their information processing (Experiment 2). Both experiments used a 3 × 3 grid information-processing task, containing eight information cells and a fixation cell; half the information cells were characterized by attribute-based information, and the other half by alternative-based information. We asked the subjects to view the grid based on their personal preferences and choose one of the virtual products presented in this grid to “purchase” by the end of each trial. Results of Experiment 1 show that promotional individuals do not exhibit a clear preference between the two types of information, whereas preventive individuals tend to fixate longer on the alternative-based information. In Experiment 2, we induced the situational regulatory focus via experimental tasks before the information-processing task. The results demonstrate that the behavioral motivation is significantly enhanced, thereby increasing the depth of the preferred mode of information processing, when the chronic regulatory focus matches the situational focus. In contrast, individuals process information more thoroughly, using both processing modes, in the non-fit condition, i.e., when the focuses do not match.

Early warning expert decision system of water resource management based on Cloud Computing

In order to solve various problems caused by the lack of timely warning in water resources management, based on the current water resources informatization, an early warning expert decision-making system for water resources management based on cloud computing architecture is proposed. The system collects real-time data through the Internet of things interface layer, uses Web GIS to display geographic information and Ajax (asynchronous Javascript + XML) asynchronous interactive processing mode to speed up the response speed. Finally, an early-warning expert decision system for water resource management based on the cloud computing architecture is realized, which can monitor both the command center and the mobile terminal at the same time.

Attachment and autobiographical memory retrieval: Event-related potential evidence from strategic information processing.

This article presents two studies using event-related potentials combined with an autobiographical memory (AM) retrieval task and a lexical judge task to explore differences in AM retrieval among differently attached individuals and to further explore whether the source of these differences is the schematic information processing mode or strategic information processing mode. The effectiveness of the information processing mode is also studied. The results revealed that differences in the AM extraction of different attachment styles were due to the strategic information processing mode, while no differences were found in the schematic information processing used by individuals with different attachment styles. Further, the strategic information processing used by the securely attached group was more flexible and efficient than that used by the insecurely attached group; moreover, the strategic information processing mode used by the avoidantly attached group was more stable and consistent than that used by the anxiously attached group.