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Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Perspective Taking: Characterizing Altercentric Influences in Infants and Adults
No full textEveryday social interactions require us to consider other person’s mental states,
referred to as Theory of Mind (ToM). The ability to appreciate that other people
can not only have different, but also false representations about the world has
been thought to develop in preschoolers around the age of 4 years. Novel paradigms,
however, revealed that even infants seemed to form correct action predictions
of how someone holding a false belief will act. Several theoretical
frameworks have tried to consolidate the empirical discrepancy and to resolve
the debate about the onset of ToM abilities. A recent theory suggests that human
cognition is strongly influenced by other people. This account predicts that infants
in particular are heavily biased by others’ attention to the extent that they
might even misremember certain parts of their environment when observed by
themselves. Potentially, this might provide them with a way of predicting others’
actions successfully. Critically, also adults have been demonstrated to be influenced
by others’ perspective in their processing and behavior. However, the developmental
trajectory of proposed memory biases in early infancy and how the
brain supports such modulations are unknown. The present thesis tackles these
questions in two studies. The first study tests for altercentric memory errors in
infants’ object memory in the first two years of life. Indeed, our results indicate
that 9-month-olds seem to misremember an object’s position when someone else has a false belief about its location. This effect progressed into correct object
memory in the second year of life, pointing to an early and receding altercentric
memory error. In the second study, we examined the underlying neural mechanism
of such biases in infants and adults. To test whether and how others’ perspective
modulates participants’ own object processing on the neural level, we
presented 12-14-months-old infants and adults with objects flickering at 4 Hz,
evoking neural oscillations at the same frequency. Strikingly, both infants and
adults showed these oscillations not only when they could see the flickering object,
but also when it was only visible for another person, indicating that they
processed what others saw like their own perception. Taken together, these results
speak for altercentric effects in both infants’ and adults’ perceptual and
cognitive processing of their environment. These modulations might serve as a
beneficial learning mechanism in early infancy and might provide a way of how
adults could consider other people’s viewpoint effortlessly in real-time. We discuss
processes that might drive infants’ early behavior in implicit false belief
tasks and speculate about the developmental trajectory of altercentric biases
from infancy to adulthood.:Acknowledgements vii
Summary xxi
Deutsche Zusammenfassung xxix
Chapter 1 - General Introduction 1
1.1 Theory of Mind: Concepts, Development, and Precursors ............... 3
1.2 Visual Perspective Taking ................................................................. 4
1.2.1 Developmental Trajectory of Visual Perspective Taking .... 5
1.3 False Belief Understanding ............................................................... 8
1.3.1 Developmental Trajectory of False Belief Understanding 11
1.3.2 Implicit Theory of Mind, Tasks & (Non-) Replications .... 12
1.3.3 Theoretical Accounts of Infant ToM ................................. 15
1.4 Altercentric Cognition ..................................................................... 21
1.4.1 Altercentric Effects in Infants ............................................ 22
1.4.2 Altercentric Effects in Adults ............................................ 24
1.4.3 Altercentric Theory ............................................................ 25
1.5 Research Questions, Experimental Approach, and Hypotheses ...... 31
1.6 Scope of Thesis and Study Overview .............................................. 36
Chapter 2 - Study 1. Altercentric memory error at 9 months but correct
object memory by 18 months revealed in infants’ pupil ............................. 43
Chapter 3 - Study 2. Infants and adults neurally represent the
perspective of others like their own perception ........................................... 76
Chapter 4 - General Discussion ................................................................. 105
4.1 Summary of Experimental Approach & Findings ........................ 106
4.2 Developmental Trajectory and Advantages of Altercentric
Influences ............................................................................................. 108
4.3 Processes Underlying (Implicit) False Belief Understanding ....... 117
4.4 Open Questions and Future Directions .......................................... 124
4.5 Conclusion ..................................................................................... 132
Bibliography .................................................................................................. 135
A Supplements Study 1 187
B Supplements Study 2 237
Abbreviations 251
List of Figures 253
List of Tables 25
Auswertung der Befragung von Schülern an Förder- und Oberschulen des Landkreises Görlitz zur Berufsorientierung, Berufswahl und beruflichen Zukunft
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Bewerbungsunterlagen des Landkreises Görlitz für das Bundesmodellvorhaben „Land(auf)Schwung”: 2. Regionales Zukunftskonzept : Kurzfassung
No full textSelective vulnerability of hippocampal CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cells: What are possible pathomechanisms and should more attention be paid to the CA3 region in future studies?
No full textTransient ischemia and reperfusion selectively damage neurons in brain, with hippocampal pyramidal cells being particularly vulnerable. Even within hippocampus, heterogeneous susceptibility is evident, with higher vulnerability of CA1 versus CA3 neurons described for several decades. Therefore, numerous studies have focused exclusively on CA1. Pediatric cardiac surgery is increasingly focusing on studies of hippocampal structures, and a negative impact of cardiopulmonary bypass on the hippocampus cannot be denied. Recent studies show a shift in selective vulnerability from neurons of CA1 to CA3. This review shows that cell damage is increased in CA3, sometimes stronger than in CA1, depending on several factors (method, species, age, observation period). Despite a highly variable pattern, several markers illustrate greater damage to CA3 neurons than previously assumed. Nevertheless, the underlying cellular mechanisms have not been fully deciphered to date. The complexity is reflected in possible pathomechanisms discussed here, with numerous factors (NMDA, kainate and AMPA receptors, intrinsic oxidative stress potential and various radicals, AKT isoforms, differences in vascular architecture, ratio of pro- and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 factors, vulnerability of interneurons, mitochondrial dysregulation) contributing to either enhanced CA1 or CA3 vulnerability. Furthermore, differences in expressed genome, proteome, metabolome, and transcriptome in CA1 and CA3 appear to influence differential behavior after damaging stimuli, thus metabolomics-, transcriptomics-, and proteomics-based analyses represent a viable option to identify pathways of selective vulnerability in hippocampal neurons. These results emphasize that future studies should focus on the CA3 field in addition to CA1, especially with regard to improving therapeutic strategies after ischemic/hypoxic brain injury
Musik als Kultur?: Über musikalische Analyse, indigene Musikkonzepte und die Rolle virtueller Musiker
No full textAlan P. Merriam’s definition of ethnomusicology as “the study of music as culture” has sometimes led to the erroneous opinion that we will gain no insights into other cultures by research into their musical practices and the specialized knowledge and conceptualizations that go along with them. To be sure, music is part of a given culture and, therefore, as worthy of scrutiny as any other aspect of a culture. When trying to elucidate emic conceptualizations, however, ethnomusicologists often have to deal with the fact that musical concepts are not always verbalized in indigenous discourse. Also, a strictly intracultural approach usually will not lend itself to communicating its findings cross-culturally. The research project “Virtual Gamelan Graz” can serve as a case in point. By employing an analysis-by-synthesis approach it aims at an evaluation of the knowledge and understanding we have gained regarding Central Javanese gamelan music (karawitan). The idea is to let Javanese music specialists listen to computer-generated renditions of pieces from the traditional repertoire which are idiomatically acceptable in regards both to the sound of the instruments, which is digitally emulated, as well as the performance of the various instrumental parts in the ensemble. Aspects of performance practice like the extent of variability of certain parts or musical “intangibles” like the sound aesthetics of idiophones can then be tackled by interactively modifying pertinent parameters in real-time and having the indigenous music specialists evaluate the sound result, thus avoiding the disadvantages of abstract verbal discourse
Structural codes of organic electrode materials for rechargeable multivalent metal batteries
No full textRechargeable multivalent metal batteries (MMBs) are considered as promising alternatives to Li-ion and Pb-acid batteries for grid-scale energy storage applications due to the multi-electron redox capability of metal anodes. However, the conventional inorganic cathodes used in MMBs face challenges with the sluggish diffusivity and poor storage of charge-dense multivalent cations in their crystal lattice. Organic electrode materials (OEMs), on the other hand, offer several advantages as MMB cathodes, including flexible structural designability, high resource availability, sustainability, and a unique ion-coordination storage mechanism. This review explores the intrinsic connection between the structural features of OEMs and their charge storage performance, aiming to unveil key design principles for organic molecules used in various MMB applications. We begin with an overview of the fundamental aspects of different MMBs (i.e., Zn/Mg/Ca/Al batteries), covering electrolyte selection, metal stripping/plating electrochemistry, and the fundamentals of cathode operation. From a theoretical understanding of redox activities, we summarize the properties of different redox sites and correlate the electrochemical properties of OEMs with various structural factors. This analysis further leads to the introduction of critical design considerations for different types of OEMs. We then critically review a wide range of organic compounds for MMBs, from small organic molecules to redox-active polymers and covalent-organic frameworks, focusing on their structure–property relationships, key electrochemical parameters, and strengths and shortcomings for multivalent ion storage. Finally, we discuss the existing challenges and propose potential solutions for further advancing OEMs in MMBs
On-Water Surface Synthesis of Vinylene-Linked Cationic Two-Dimensional Polymer Films as the Anion-Selective Electrode Coating
No full textVinylene-linked two-dimensional polymers (V-2DPs) and their layer-stacked covalent organic frameworks (V-2D COFs) featuring high in-plane π-conjugation and robust frameworks have emerged as promising candidates for energy-related applications. However, current synthetic approaches are restricted to producing V-2D COF powders that lack processability, impeding their integration into devices, particularly within membrane technologies reliant upon thin films. Herein, we report the novel on-water surface synthesis of vinylene-linked cationic 2DPs films (V-C2DP-1 and V-C2DP-2) via Knoevenagel polycondensation, which serve as the anion-selective electrode coating for highly-reversible and durable zinc-based dual-ion batteries (ZDIBs). Model reactions and theoretical modeling revealed the enhanced reactivity and reversibility of the Knoevenagel reaction on the water surface. On this basis, we demonstrated the on-water surface 2D polycondensation towards V-C2DPs films that show large lateral size, tunable thickness, and high chemical stability. Representatively, V-C2DP-1 presents as a fully crystalline and face-on oriented film with in-plane lattice parameters of a=b≈43.3 Å. Profiting from its well-defined cationic sites, oriented 1D channels, and stable frameworks, V-C2DP-1 film possesses superior bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide anion (TFSI−)-transport selectivity (transference, t_=0.85) for graphite cathode in high-voltage ZDIBs, thus triggering additional TFSI−-intercalation stage and promoting its specific capacity (from ~83 to 124 mAh g−1) and cycling life (>1000 cycles, 95 % capacity retention)
Hässliche Musik: Parodie, Deformation, Entstellung und Negativ-Schönes in Richard Wagners Ring des Nibelungen
No full textAesthetics in the second half of the 19th century (Carl Rosenkranz, Christian Hermann Weisse) never defines the ugly as an independent category, but rather derives it from the idea of beauty. Ugliness is either understood in a dialectic way as the negation of beauty or as a decadent transformation of beauty becoming funny or even ridiculous. Rosenkranz even comprehends lies and madness as deformations of a former beauty. Taking deformation as a criterion for musical analysis, however, can hardly be successful as any variational development of a motif entails a kind of deformation. In Richard Wagner’s Ring des Nibelungen musical ugliness is rendered by a variety of features. The figure of Mime seems to be least complicated for musical analysis in this respect, since Wagner creates a kind of self-analytical distance by designing Mime as an old-fashioned and anachronistic character, making him a precise counterpart to the modern genius incorporated into the musical idiom of Siegfried. The difference between craftsmanship on the one side and creation on the other side is, therefore, no longer a matter of style, it becomes more and more aporetic to separate a “beautiful” from an “ugly” idiom by an analysis of the musical score alone. The musical idiom of Alberich, through which the idea of Evil is probably articulated in the most obvious manner, may be analyzed under the perspectives of deformation as symbolized by the diminished chord which is a key element of this idiom. This article gives a number of further examples of Wagner’s musical conceptualization of ugliness in the Ring. Music aesthetics and music theory merge in the idea of a deficient beauty (“Negativ-Schönes”) which takes a significant role within this process