Prospective memory across the lifespan: Investigating the contribution of retrospective and prospective processes

Prospective memory performance follows an inverted U-shaped function across the lifespan. Findings on the relative contribution of purely prospective memory and retrospective memory processes within prospective memory to this trajectory are scarce and inconclusive. We analyzed age-related differences in prospective memory performance across the lifespan in a cross-sectional design including six age groups (N = 99, 7–83 years) and investigated possible mechanisms by experimentally disentangling the relative contributions of retrospective memory and purely prospective memory processes. Results confirmed the inverted U-shaped function of prospective memory performance across the lifespan. A significant interaction between process type and age group was observed indicating differential relative contributions of retrospective memory and purely prospective memory processes on the development of prospective memory performance. Our results showed that mainly the pure prospective memory processes within prospective memory lead to lower prospective memory performance in young children and old adults. Moreover, the relative contributions of the retrospective memory and purely prospective memory processes are not uniform at both ends of the lifespan, i.e., in later adulthood the purely prospective memory processes seem to determine performance to an even greater extent than in childhood. Nevertheless, age effects were also observed in the retrospective component which thus contributed to the prospective memory performance differences between the age groups.     

成败情境下不同目标取向学生内在动机特点

以213名小学生为被试,设置成功和失败情境,考察三种成就目标取向学生内在动机的差异。结果发现:两种情境下,掌握目标的学生均有最高的内在动机;失败情境下,成绩接近目标学生的内在动机显著高于成绩回避目标的学生,但成功情境下,两种目标取向学生的内在动机没有显著差异;掌握目标学生在两种情境下的内在动机无显著差异;成绩接近和成绩回避目标学生在失败情境下的内在动机显著低于成功情境下的内在动机。     

Measuring Readiness and Success at a Higher Education Institution

This study investigated readiness as a correlate of academic success among beginning university students. A total of 829 first-time entering students from a large business sciences faculty were participants (males = 319, females = 510, mean age = 19, SD = 0.50 years). They completed the Academic Readiness Questionnaire (Lemmens, 2010) during the first-year orientation week. Data on academic success, consisting of subject marks and credits were collected in 2009 after a results verification process. Data were analysed with three separate multiple regression analyses. The first analysis consisted of the overall student sample, the second and third consisted of the black and the white students separated from the overall student sample. The main findings reveal that high school marks, the number of subjects in first year (credits registered), goal orientation, race, learning-efficacy, gender and the geographical area of high school have a direct relationship with academic success. The variables that predict academic success for black students are high school marks, credits registered, and parental education. The variables that predict academic success for white students are high school marks, goal orientation, credits registered, learning-efficacy, gender, and parental education.     

医学创新之大忌:急功近利

急功近利是医学创新中的一种不良现象,给我国医学科学的发展带来了十分严重的后果.急功近利背离了正确的科学功利观,是对医学创新功利关系的严重错位.     

“成功恐惧”的研究述评

自20世纪60年代霍纳提出"成功恐惧"概念以来,它一直是学者们争相争论的神秘焦点,本文尝试解开"成功恐惧"之谜,介绍"成功恐惧"的概念,研究现状和原因.研究的测量方式.最后提出展望。     

社会距离对成败行为性别归因偏差的影响

在陌生人和熟人两种社会距离下,让被试对同、异性成败行为进行归因,考查性别归因偏差现象(对异性美化、对同性贬损的归因)在社会距离上的变化。结果发现:(1)对于成功行为:被试对陌生异性做出的美化归因(能力-运气)显著高于陌生同性,出现性别归因偏差;被试对同、异性好友做出的美化归因差异不显著。(2)对于失败行为:被试对陌生同、异性做出的美化归因(运气-能力)差异不显著;被试对异性好友做出的美化归因显著高于同性,出现性别归因偏差。结论:性别归因偏差,在远社会距离他人表现成功时出现,表现失败时消失;在近社会距离他人表现成功时消失,表现失败时出现。结合相关研究和进化理论对结果进行了讨论。     

Success and the aftermath of surrender

This paper first argues that a state can justifiably fight a hopeless war of self-defense when its enemy determines to massacre its people after it surrenders or is defeated. The main reason is that, in this situation, even if the victim state surrenders, it still has to suffer from harms that are similar to or worse than the harms involved in fighting a hopeless war. This paper then discusses some complicated issues raised by applying this argument to various situations in which the victims of war and the victims of massacre are not identical. I argue that, when the victims of massacre are randomly chosen, the victim state can justifiably fight such a war. When the victims of massacre belong to a specific group of people, the victim state should not fight such a war, even though the victims of massacre can defend themselves. This paper finally comments on an alternative approach to addressing the same issue.     

Perceived Cognitive Diversity and Creativity: A Multilevel Study of Motivational Mechanisms and Boundary Conditions

Adopting a motivational perspective on creativity, we theorized when and how perceived cognitive diversity in teams was associated with creativity by focusing on the mediating role of intrinsic motivation and the moderating role of learning orientation. We further expanded our contribution by examining these relationships at both the individual and team levels. We used a sample of 382 Chinese employee–supervisor pairs nested within 106 teams to test our hypotheses. The results revealed that, at both the individual and team levels, learning goal orientation significantly moderated the positive association between perceived cognitive diversity and intrinsic motivation such that the latter relationship became stronger as learning goal orientation increased. Furthermore, our findings confirmed that learning goal orientation enhanced the indirect positive relationship between perceived cognitive diversity and creativity through intrinsic motivation.     

Exploring the Perceived Career Success of Staff in a South African Science and Engineering Company

This study explored the core themes underlying individuals’ perceptions of their career success with the view to inform retention practices. The participants were a convenience sample of 207 employees (63% Blacks; 60% males) within a South African science and engineering company. Data were gathered by using a quantitative survey approach and posing an open-ended question to the participants regarding their perceived career success. The data were thematically analysed by using the Atlas.ti version 6 computer-aided qualitative data analysis software. Findings suggest that self-perceptions of career success are multifaceted, including learning and development; skills, experience and competence; career transitions and advancement; job content; contributing to a larger community; goal achievement; helping others; rewards and recognition; and work-life balance. Individuals’ inner definitions of career success could inform retention strategies in the science and engineering field focused on their career development, career wellbeing and satisfaction.     

抱负水平指导和归因训练对提高学习成功感的影响研究

在学习成功感影响因素研究的基础上,本研究进行了抱负水平指导和归因训练的实验研究,以探索提高学习成功感这一重要的实践问题。研究一的结果表明：通过抱负水平指导,可以使学生的“抱负水平与实际成绩之间的差距”变小．从而帮助学生提高学习成功感,并使其行为变得更为积极。研究二的结果表明：归因训练可以帮助学生的归因向积极方向转化,有助于学生的学习成功感的提高,并可以促使学生的行为向积极的方向转化。     

心理资本对大学生就业成功率的影响

心理资本近年已成为研究大学生就业状况相关问题的热点之一.研究采用问卷调查法探讨了性别、生源地、专业、实习经验等因素对大学生心理资本的影响,以及两者对大学生就业成功率的影响.具体采用列联表分析、￡检验、方差分析以及二元logistic回归分析分析了心理资本各维度与各因素对大学生就业成功率的影响,发现专业和实习经历对心理资本有显著影响,心理资本中的乐观维度对大学生就业成功率有显著影响;建议为了提高大学生就业成功率,学校应努力为大学生提供更多的实践机会,重视大学生的人文教育,营造乐观的文化氛围.     

Life Satisfaction from Late Adolescence to Mid-Life The Impact of Life Success and Success Evaluation on the Life Satisfaction of Former Gymnasium Students Between Ages 30 And 43

In order to be satisfied with one's life, one has to adapt goals to opportunities; from this, two hypotheses follow: Life satisfaction should be more strongly determined by success evaluation rather than life success, and more strongly by late rather than early life success. Both hypotheses are examined in a longitudinal study of former Gymnasium students from age 16 to 43.Dependent variables are the satisfaction with occupational and with private life at age 43. Independent variables are life success in occupational and private life between ages 16 and 43, satisfaction with occupational and private life at age 30, and strategies of coping with and attributing of success at age 43. As hypothesized, satisfaction with occupational and with private life are determined more strongly by success evaluation rather than by life success and by late rather than early life success. Furthermore, occupational satisfaction is more strongly determined by the former occupational career than private satisfaction by the private career.     

Niceness and Dating Success: A Further Test of the Nice Guy Stereotype

Proponents of the nice guy stereotype argue that women often say they wish to date kind, sensitive men, but, in reality, still choose to date macho men over nice guys, especially if the macho men are more physically attractive. We investigated the relationship between men’s agreeableness, physical attractiveness, and their dating success across different relationship contexts. One hundred and ninety-one male college students completed a computerized questionnaire to assess their levels of agreeableness and aspects of their dating history. Twenty college-aged women rated the men’s photographs for attractiveness. Results supported the nice guy stereotype. Lower levels of agreeableness predicted more less-committed, casual, sexual relationships.Portions of this paper were presented at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association in Nashville, TN, April 8, 2005.     

Perceived Utility (not Sympathy) Mediates the Proportion Dominance Effect in Helping Decisions

The proportion dominance effect (PDE) refers to a higher motivation to help when the victims are part of a small (you can help 56 out of 60) rather than a large (you can help 56 out of 560) reference group. In two studies using different experimental paradigms, we investigated possible mediators of the PDE. Study 1 (N = 168) was conducted in three separate steps in order to test each link of the mediator model independently. Students read six vignettes where it was possible to help a fixed number of victims but where the size of the reference group was either small or large. When the reference group was small, helping motivation and perceived utility were higher, whereas sympathy toward the victims and perceived rights were not. A within‐subject mediation analysis showed that perceived utility mediated the PDE. Study 2 (N = 36) presented four versions of a single helping situation in a joint evaluation mode where the size of the reference group became gradually smaller in each version. All participants compared and responded to each version. Helping motivation increased as the reference group became smaller, and this effect was mediated by perceived utility rather than by distress, sympathy, or perceived responsibilities. Our results suggest that unlike, for example, the identifiability and singularity effects, which have been suggested to be mediated by emotional reactions, the PDE is mediated by perceived utility. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

不同提取条件下中性抽象名词的自我选择权效应

采用中性抽象名词探测在再认测试和自由回忆条件下的自我选择权效应。实验一采用选择与迫选的方式考察抽象名词在再认条件下的自我选择权效应;实验二进一步验证被试在我选择和他选择条件下对抽象名词的自由回忆的差异。结果表明:无论在再认测试还是自由回忆测试,被试对自我选择的抽象名词的记忆数量都显著高于迫选和他人选择条件下的抽象名词记忆的数量,中性抽象名词表现出了自我选择权效应,拓展了前人使用假词时在自由回忆条件下未表现出自我选择权效应。因此,自我选择权效应在自由回忆条件下可以存在于抽象名词的水平上。     

学习成功感的影响因素研究

在理沦研究的基础上．从情境、抱负和归因等方而时学习成功感的影响因素加以研究,并尝试用结构方程建模的方法将主要的影响因素建构成一个理论模型。结构方程模型的研究结果表甽,积极的课堂情境、积极的家庭情境、抱负和归因都对学习成功感有着直接的影响;而a,积极的课堂情境和积缴的家庭情境也会通过影响个体的抱负水平和归因方式而间接地影响学习成功感．     

成败等因素对小学生游戏中自我价值感的影响

本研究以三、四年级的142名小学生为被试,以自编的"背投沙包"游戏为载体,通过创设竞争与合作的四类小组以及控制成功与失败的结果,探讨其对个体自我价值感的影响。研究发现,个体的自我价值感受到个体成败而非群体成败的影响,其中人际关系起着部分中介作用。尤其是在失败的结果产生后,极端的高能力重视水平能够带来高自我价值感。而竞争与合作的小组安排对自我价值感的影响并不显著。     

理性看待心房颤动导管消融成功率

随着心房颤动导管消融术的发展,其成功率不断提高,但医学上的消融成功并不一定等同于永久性治愈,且由于心房颤动的复杂性、消融终点多元性、不规范的术后随访制度和医疗体制不合理等诸多因素影响,导管消融成功率往往被无意或有意夸大,术后可能会因为达不到患者期望值而产生医疗纠纷。     

Retrospective Predictors of Successful Career Change Among Older Workers: Perceived Objective Success Versus Perceived Subjective Success

An increasing number of older workers are attempting career changes; however, little is known about the antecedents or outcomes of these changes. Results indicate that perceived objective and perceived subjective career‐change success are predicted by different combinations of variables. Implications for both future research and practice are discussed.     

Job Characteristics That Influence the Career Success of Soldiers in the South African National Defence Force: An Analytical Review

Career success for solders is influenced by objective and subjective job qualities including their antecedents and mediators. This article considers the objective and subjective indicators of career success in the context of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF): achievement, satisfaction, mobility, organizational commitment and retention. Objective determinants of career success include the qualities of the physical environment, physical job demands on effort, typical job demands, role conflict and subjective occupational hazards and the organisational culture of the military. The subjective determinants that impact career success are psychological in nature, such as value conflict, job security and psychological contact. Outcomes for individuals vary as mediated by organizational culture, gender, period of service and education.