脑成像在心理学研究领域的价值

The Value of Brain Imaging in Psychological Research

现在普遍使用的脑成像技术给心理学研究增加了新的数据和资料。和任何新的方法一样,我们需要决定如何以适当的方式应用这项技术。这项技术如何以现有的方法所不能的方式帮助回答理论问题?这项技术最好是作为因变量还是作为预测变量来使用?它如何与其它感兴趣的心理变量相关?这种新的成像技术有助于我们了解大脑的运作及其与心理学的关系。研究人员需要弄清楚如何利用这项技术提供的信息加深对心理现象的理解。

We take the view that commonly used brain imaging techniques add new and informative data to psychological research. As with any new measure, we need to decide how to use it in an appropriate way. How does the measure help answer theoretical questions in ways that existing measures cannot？ Is the measure best used as a dependent variable or as a predictor variable？ How does it relate to other psychological variables of interest？ This new imaging technology provides exciting glimpses into the workings of the brain and its relation to psychology. Researchers need to figure out how the information provided can be used to advance the understanding of psychological phenomena.