Publications

Publications - Psychology Department, The Hebrew University, Israel
  1. Aug 2024 Journal Article Cognition

    Infant-directed speech becomes less redundant as infants grow: Implications for language learning

    Abstract

    Do speakers use less redundant language with more proficient interlocutors? Both the communicative efficiency framework and the language development literature predict that speech directed to younger infants should be more redundant than speech directed to older infants. Here, we test this by quantifying redundancy in infant-directed speech using entropy rate – an

    show more
  2. 1 Aug 2024 Journal Article Frontiers in Communication

    The child's 'or' construction: It's all about choice

    Mira Ariel, Inbal Arnon, Nicole Katzir, Shira Tal
    Abstract

    “Or” is associated, in Gricean approaches, with the readings Inclusive (“at least one, and possibly both, options are true”) and Exclusive (“exactly one option is true”). Empirical findings show adults favoring Exclusive readings; but for children, the literature yields puzzling results. Laboratory comprehension tasks suggest children favor Inclusive, but naturalistic

    show more
  3. 27 Jul 2024 Preprint bioRxiv

    Reduced monitoring of task performance is an effective biomarker of autism

    Abstract

    People continuously track and adjust their behavior using external and internal signals. Autistic individuals manifest reduced sensorimotor error correction and slower updating of perceptual priors, yielding reduced behavioral flexibility. A potential reason for this reduced flexibility is a lessened sensitivity to both external and internal feedback. A key brain region

    show more
  4. 24 Jul 2024 Journal Article Journal of Neuroscience

    Decoding Remapped Spatial Information in the Peri-Saccadic Period

    Caoimhe Moran, Philippa A Johnson, Ayelet N Landau, Hinze Hogendoorn
    Abstract

    It has been suggested that, prior to a saccade, visual neurons predictively respond to stimuli that will fall in their receptive fields after completion of the saccade. This saccadic remapping process is thought to compensate for the shift of the visual world across the retina caused by eye movements. To map the timing of this predictive process in the brain, we recorded

    show more
  5. 19 Jul 2024 Journal Article Brain Research

    Memory representations are flexibly adapted to orthographic systems: A comparison of English and Hebrew

    Erin S Isbilen, Abigail Laver, Noam Siegelman, Richard N Aslin
    Abstract

    Across languages, speech unfolds in the same temporal order, constrained by the forward flow of time. But the way phonology is spatially mapped onto orthography is language-specific, ranging from left-to-right, right-to-left, and top-to-bottom, among others. While the direction of writing systems influences how known words are visually processed, it is unclear whether

    show more
  6. 17 Jul 2024 Journal Article Nature Communications

    Placebo treatment affects brain systems related to affective and cognitive processes, but not nociceptive pain

    Rotem Botvinik-Nezer, Bogdan Petre, Marta Ceko, Martin A Lindquist, Naomi P Friedman, Tor D Wager
    Abstract

    Drug treatments for pain often do not outperform placebo, and a better understanding of placebo mechanisms is needed to improve treatment development and clinical practice. In a large-scale fMRI study (N = 392) with pre-registered analyses, we tested whether placebo analgesic treatment modulates nociceptive processes, and whether its effects generalize from conditioned

    show more
  7. 16 Jul 2024 Journal Article Nature Human Behaviour

    Humans adaptively deploy forward and backward prediction

    Abstract

    The formation of predictions is essential to our ability to build models of the world and use them for intelligent decision-making. Here we challenge the dominant assumption that humans form only forward predictions, which specify what future events are likely to follow a given present event. We demonstrate that in some environments, it is more efficient to use backward

    show more
  8. 9 Jul 2024 Journal Article Academy of Management Proceedings

    Sex Bias in Pain Management Decisions

    Shoham Choshen-Hillel, Mika Guzikevits, Anat Perry, Alex Gileles-Hillel, Tom Gordon-Hecker
    Abstract

    Adequate pain treatment is critical for patients’ physical and mental health. It is therefore essential that healthcare providers extend the appropriate treatment to each and every patient in pain. Here we build on findings showing that due to psychological stereotypes, females’ pain tends to be judged as less intense than males’ pain. We investigate whether medical

    show more
  9. 2 Jul 2024 Journal Article Nature Reviews Psychology

    Advancing research and practice of psychological intergroup interventions

    Sabina Čehajić-Clancy, Eran Halperin
    Abstract

    The decline in intergroup relations evident in myriad conflicts around the world has far-reaching implications: it erodes trust and cooperation at both the individual and societal levels, hinders effective societal functioning and threatens the well-being of individuals living in such contexts. In response, researchers have developed evidence-based interventions aimed

    show more
  10. 2 Jul 2024 Journal Article Memory & Cognition

    Reduced benefit from long-term item frequency contributes to short-term memory deficits in dyslexia

    Abstract

    Dyslexia, a specific difficulty in acquiring proficient reading, is also characterized by reduced short-term memory (STM) capacity. Extensive research indicates that individuals with developmental dyslexia (IDDs) benefit less from exposure, and this hampers their long-term knowledge accumulation. It is well established that long-term knowledge has a great effect on

    show more