I am a cognitive neuroscientist who's interested in perception and memory, and their applied use in deception. My preferred tools include EEG and noninvasive brain stimulation (tDCS, TMS). Supervisors: Chi-Hung Juan and Bruce Bridgeman
Neural oscillations have been categorized into various frequency bands that are mechanistically a... more Neural oscillations have been categorized into various frequency bands that are mechanistically associated with different cognitive functions. Specifically, the gamma band frequency is widely implicated to be involved in a wide range of cognitive processes. As such, decreased gamma oscillation has been associated with cognitive declines in neurological diseases, such as memory dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Recently, studies have attempted to artificially induce gamma oscillations by using 40 Hz sensory entrainment stimulation. These studies reported attenuation of amyloid load, hyper-phosphorylation of tau protein, and improvement in overall cognition in both AD patients and mouse models. In this review, we discuss the advancements in the use of sensory stimulation in animal models of AD and as a therapeutic strategy in AD patients. We also discuss future opportunities, as well as challenges, for using such strategies in other neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases.
The influential hypothesis by Markus & Kitayama (Markus, Kitayama 1991. <i>Psychol. Rev.<... more The influential hypothesis by Markus & Kitayama (Markus, Kitayama 1991. <i>Psychol. Rev.</i> <b>98</b>, 224) postulates that individuals from interdependent cultures place others above self in interpersonal contexts. This led to the prediction and finding that individuals from interdependent cultures are less egocentric than those from independent cultures (Wu, Barr, Gann, Keysar 2013. <i>Front. Hum. Neurosci.</i> <b>7</b>, 1–7; Wu, Keysar. 2007 <i>Psychol. Sci.</i> <b>18</b>, 600–606). However, variation in egocentrism can only provide indirect evidence for the Markus and Kitayama hypothesis. The current study sought direct evidence by giving British (independent) and Taiwanese (interdependent) participants two perspective-taking tasks on which an other-focused 'altercentric' processing bias might be observed. One task assessed the calculation of simple perspectives; the other assessed the use of others...
The FedEx logo makes clever use of figure-ground ambiguity to create an “invisible” arrow in the ... more The FedEx logo makes clever use of figure-ground ambiguity to create an “invisible” arrow in the background space between “E” and “x”. Most designers believe the hidden arrow can convey an unconscious impression of speed and precision about the FedEx brand, which may influence subsequent behavior. To test this assumption, we designed similar images with hidden arrows to serve as endogenous (but camouflaged) directional cues in a Posner’s orienting task, where a cueing effect would suggest subliminal processing of the hidden arrow. Overall, we observed no cue congruency effect, unless the arrow is explicitly highlighted (Experiment 4). However, there was a general effect of prior knowledge: when people were under pressure to suppress background information, those who knew about the arrow could do so faster in all congruence conditions (i.e., neutral, congruent, incongruent), although they fail to report seeing the arrow during the experiment. This was true in participants from North ...
The influential hypothesis by Markus and Kitayama (1991) postulates that individuals from interde... more The influential hypothesis by Markus and Kitayama (1991) postulates that individuals from interdependent cultures place others above self in interpersonal contexts. This led to the prediction and finding that individuals from interdependent cultures are less egocentric than those from independent cultures (Wu et al., 2013; Wu & Keysar, 2007). However, variation in egocentrism can only provide indirect evidence for the Markus and Kitayama hypothesis. The current study sought direct evidence by giving British (independent) and Taiwanese (interdependent) participants two perspective-taking tasks on which an other-focused "altercentric" processing bias might be observed. One task assessed the calculation of simple perspectives, the other assessed the use of others' perspectives in communication. Sixty-two Taiwanese and British adults were tested in their native languages at their home institutions of study. Results revealed similar degrees of both altercentric and egocentr...
An exciting new line of research that investigates the impact of one’s own hands on visual proces... more An exciting new line of research that investigates the impact of one’s own hands on visual processing has flourished in the past several years. Specifically, several studies have demonstrated that objects near the hands receive prioritized attention, enhanced perceptual sensitivity, altered figure-ground assignment, prolonged and detail-oriented processing, and improved visual working memory. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the visual system reveals a new pattern of processing when one's hands are in proximity of viewed objects. Therefore, the vast majority of studies on visual processing, in which one's hands are kept away from the stimuli, may constitute but one side of a more complex story of the inner workings of the visual system. With several consistent behavioral demonstrations of hand-altered vision now in the literature, the present challenge facing this growing field, and the aim of this Research Topic, is four-pronged: 1) Isolate and elucidate the underlying cognitive and neural mechanisms of hand-altered vision; 2) Map the parameters and conditions of hand-nearness that permit/prevent the onset or maintenance of hand-altered vision; 3) Determine the consequences of hand-altered vision for higher-level cognition and assess its applied potential (e.g., as a neuropsychological intervention); and, 4) Present a cohesive and predictive theoretical account of hand-altered vision. We welcome submissions that fit into any one (or a combination) of the above domains. For behavioral research, we particularly encourage submissions that are relevant to the advancement of our understanding of the neural mechanisms of hand-altered vision (e.g., demonstrations that might corroborate or disconfirm proposed neural systems)
Neural oscillations have been categorized into various frequency bands that are mechanistically a... more Neural oscillations have been categorized into various frequency bands that are mechanistically associated with different cognitive functions. Specifically, the gamma band frequency is widely implicated to be involved in a wide range of cognitive processes. As such, decreased gamma oscillation has been associated with cognitive declines in neurological diseases, such as memory dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Recently, studies have attempted to artificially induce gamma oscillations by using 40 Hz sensory entrainment stimulation. These studies reported attenuation of amyloid load, hyper-phosphorylation of tau protein, and improvement in overall cognition in both AD patients and mouse models. In this review, we discuss the advancements in the use of sensory stimulation in animal models of AD and as a therapeutic strategy in AD patients. We also discuss future opportunities, as well as challenges, for using such strategies in other neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases.
The influential hypothesis by Markus & Kitayama (Markus, Kitayama 1991. <i>Psychol. Rev.<... more The influential hypothesis by Markus & Kitayama (Markus, Kitayama 1991. <i>Psychol. Rev.</i> <b>98</b>, 224) postulates that individuals from interdependent cultures place others above self in interpersonal contexts. This led to the prediction and finding that individuals from interdependent cultures are less egocentric than those from independent cultures (Wu, Barr, Gann, Keysar 2013. <i>Front. Hum. Neurosci.</i> <b>7</b>, 1–7; Wu, Keysar. 2007 <i>Psychol. Sci.</i> <b>18</b>, 600–606). However, variation in egocentrism can only provide indirect evidence for the Markus and Kitayama hypothesis. The current study sought direct evidence by giving British (independent) and Taiwanese (interdependent) participants two perspective-taking tasks on which an other-focused 'altercentric' processing bias might be observed. One task assessed the calculation of simple perspectives; the other assessed the use of others...
The FedEx logo makes clever use of figure-ground ambiguity to create an “invisible” arrow in the ... more The FedEx logo makes clever use of figure-ground ambiguity to create an “invisible” arrow in the background space between “E” and “x”. Most designers believe the hidden arrow can convey an unconscious impression of speed and precision about the FedEx brand, which may influence subsequent behavior. To test this assumption, we designed similar images with hidden arrows to serve as endogenous (but camouflaged) directional cues in a Posner’s orienting task, where a cueing effect would suggest subliminal processing of the hidden arrow. Overall, we observed no cue congruency effect, unless the arrow is explicitly highlighted (Experiment 4). However, there was a general effect of prior knowledge: when people were under pressure to suppress background information, those who knew about the arrow could do so faster in all congruence conditions (i.e., neutral, congruent, incongruent), although they fail to report seeing the arrow during the experiment. This was true in participants from North ...
The influential hypothesis by Markus and Kitayama (1991) postulates that individuals from interde... more The influential hypothesis by Markus and Kitayama (1991) postulates that individuals from interdependent cultures place others above self in interpersonal contexts. This led to the prediction and finding that individuals from interdependent cultures are less egocentric than those from independent cultures (Wu et al., 2013; Wu & Keysar, 2007). However, variation in egocentrism can only provide indirect evidence for the Markus and Kitayama hypothesis. The current study sought direct evidence by giving British (independent) and Taiwanese (interdependent) participants two perspective-taking tasks on which an other-focused "altercentric" processing bias might be observed. One task assessed the calculation of simple perspectives, the other assessed the use of others' perspectives in communication. Sixty-two Taiwanese and British adults were tested in their native languages at their home institutions of study. Results revealed similar degrees of both altercentric and egocentr...
An exciting new line of research that investigates the impact of one’s own hands on visual proces... more An exciting new line of research that investigates the impact of one’s own hands on visual processing has flourished in the past several years. Specifically, several studies have demonstrated that objects near the hands receive prioritized attention, enhanced perceptual sensitivity, altered figure-ground assignment, prolonged and detail-oriented processing, and improved visual working memory. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the visual system reveals a new pattern of processing when one's hands are in proximity of viewed objects. Therefore, the vast majority of studies on visual processing, in which one's hands are kept away from the stimuli, may constitute but one side of a more complex story of the inner workings of the visual system. With several consistent behavioral demonstrations of hand-altered vision now in the literature, the present challenge facing this growing field, and the aim of this Research Topic, is four-pronged: 1) Isolate and elucidate the underlying cognitive and neural mechanisms of hand-altered vision; 2) Map the parameters and conditions of hand-nearness that permit/prevent the onset or maintenance of hand-altered vision; 3) Determine the consequences of hand-altered vision for higher-level cognition and assess its applied potential (e.g., as a neuropsychological intervention); and, 4) Present a cohesive and predictive theoretical account of hand-altered vision. We welcome submissions that fit into any one (or a combination) of the above domains. For behavioral research, we particularly encourage submissions that are relevant to the advancement of our understanding of the neural mechanisms of hand-altered vision (e.g., demonstrations that might corroborate or disconfirm proposed neural systems)
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Papers by Philip Tseng