Social attitudes and education: Self-selection or socialization?

The aim of this study was to replicate earlier findings (Ekehammar et al., 1987) concerning the relationship between social attitudes and educational direction and field of study, by addressing further the causality issue. The sample comprised 256 Swedish adolescents from metropolitan Stockholm attending the two lowest grades in secondary school (modal age was 17 years). The main findings of the previous study were replicated, although the statistical power was weaker. Two higher-order attitude dimensions (labeled Political-economic conservatism and Social conservatism) discriminated between six groups, based on combinations of the two aspects of education. The main picture evidenced a socialization effect regarding Political-economic conservatism and a self-selection explanation for Social conservatism. Introducing intellectual ability as an independent variable in the causal model, affecting both educational direction and social attitudes, weakened the relationship, as compared to the previous study.     

Some relevant factors in the transfer of material from short-term to long-term memory

The relationship between short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM) for digits was investigated by means of a Hebb-type experiment, viz. a presentation of a series of nine-digit numbers, in which a certain number recurs at intervals. Improvement in performance, with regard to the critical, or recurring, number was found when the rehearsal grouping was three-three-and-three, but was absent when there were no opportunities for rehearsal or when the rehearsal strategy was grouping five-and-four or searching for systematic numbers.

However, if an overt recall response was given on each occasion the recurring number was presented, improved performance was found even with rehearsal stratgegy five-and-four.

The conclusion was drawn that rehearsal is the main transferring mechanism from STM to LTM, with the occurrence of an over recall response as a subsidiary factor.     

青少年“无聊症候群”问题探讨

为了探讨我国学校青少年“无聊症候群”问题的有关现状及成因,选取浙江省4个地区7所中学的613名中学生为研究对象,采用自编量表进行调查。研究发现：(1)“无聊症候群”问题在青少年群体中具有较高比例;(2)男生总体平均得分显著地高于女生;(3)城区中学学生总体平均得分显著地高于乡镇中学学生;(4)独生子女与非独生子女总体上无显著性差异;(5)六个年级间总体上无显著性差异。     

When surface and deep-level diversity collide: The effects on dissenting group members

Diversity researchers have distinguished between surface-level (e.g., social categories) and deep-level (e.g., attitudes, opinions, information, and values) diversity, but have not fully explored the complexities of their simultaneous existence in groups. We examined how the relationship between surface-level and deep-level diversity impacts the emotional and behavioral reactions of dissenting group members and the effectiveness of decision-making groups. We conducted two studies focusing on dissenting social majority members (individuals who hold dissenting deep-level task perspectives yet belong to the surface-level majority) in three-person groups. The results show that surface-level diverse groups (with two similar and one dissimilar individuals) were perceived as more positive and accepting, fostered more persistent and confident voicing of dissenting perspectives, and displayed greater task engagement than surface-level homogeneous groups (containing all similar individuals). Surface-level diversity (both task-relevant and irrelevant) may be beneficial for groups even when the group member who is different on the surface does not have a different deep-level task perspective to share. We discuss implications for understanding how surface-level diversity affects organizational work groups.     

人格、社会支持和非理性信念对男性戒毒劳教人员药物渴求的影响

对273名男性戒毒劳教人员进行测量,探讨了人格、非理性信念、社会支持3因素对戒毒者药物渴求的影响,并对戒毒劳教人员的药物渴求作了初步预测。结果表明:(1)戒毒劳教人员的人格和非理性信念得分均高于普通人,社会支持得分均低于普通人;(2)对吸毒行为持有的效果期待和自贬依毒的非理性信念,精神质的人格特征以及主观社会支持感对戒毒劳教人员的毒品渴求感存在正向预测作用,解释力为61.9%;(3)结构模型分析发现,人格不能直接影响药物渴求,社会支持和非理性信念对人格起到完全的中介作用,人格、社会支持和非理性信念3因素共同解释男性戒毒劳教人员药物渴求85%的变异。     

因满足而幸福：婚姻期待研究回顾与展望

婚姻期待指在婚姻关系中, 个体对配偶和关系本身所期望达到、并认为可以达到的标准。婚姻期待的满足程度影响婚姻质量评价和婚姻满意度, 但受到期待弹性、夫妻沟通及归因风格等因素的调节。个体应对婚姻期待受挫的方式包括改变对方以及对现实进行理想化歪曲等。未来可从开发适用于中国文化的测量工具、深化影响婚姻期待的家庭因素研究、探索婚姻期待受挫的其它应对方式及开展婚姻期待的夫妻匹配研究等方向进行考察。     

Education and Psycho-Utopianism—Comenius,Skinner, and Beyond

In the history of ideas some researchers have recently coined the term psycho-utopianism, denoting the notion that the ideal society presupposes a “new man,” that is, the psychological nature of man must change before society can change. Cultural studies have noted this line of thinking also within the so-called New Age movement. However, the notion of a New Age is not really new; it occurred already at the beginning of the Modern Epoch; in seventeenth-century Europe. At that time, the educational philosopher J. A. Comenius was writing his canonical work Didactica Magna and other texts on education, science, and philosophy, with the ultimate aim of contributing to a new world order. Comenius was one of the first modern educators to argue for a general education of both boys and girls irrespective of social class. Three hundred years later, B. F. Skinner suggested psychological methods of education and upbringing, also with the ultimate aim to transform society. In this article I will look closer at the similarities and differences between these two thinkers regarding their psycho-utopian notions. I will conclude with similar reflections on psycho-utopian tendencies in present discourses on information and communication technology (ICT) and education.     

“镜像”的内涵与外延:围绕镜像神经元的争议

镜像神经元被认为是改变认知神经科学的重要发现,它的发现为迄今为止许多行为实验难以检验的心智或认知现象提供了一个统一的研究视角。然而,镜像神经元在社会认知活动中的重要作用却引起了研究者的激烈争论。系统回顾镜像神经元研究中的争议,可以尝试以争论焦点出现的逻辑关系和性质为依据将其划分为两类:一类是关于镜像"内涵"的争议,主要包括镜像神经元是否存在及其起源的争议。另一类则主要围绕镜像"外延"的争议,即有关镜像神经元系统和镜像机制的争议。未来的研究必须摒弃将镜像神经元视为"认知科学圣杯"的神经还原主义倾向,将之视为一个由多个子系统组成的开放的复杂巨系统,并将焦点转向关注镜像机制。     

父母学习陪伴与小学生学业不良的关系:亲子学业沟通的中介作用和学习负担的调节作用

采用父母学习陪伴问卷、亲子学业沟通问卷、学习负担量表和学业成绩自我评定量表对578名4-6年级小学生及家长进行调查,探讨父母学习陪伴与小学生学业不良的关系以及亲子学业沟通四个维度（成绩沟通、习惯沟通、态度沟通和方法沟通）的中介作用和学习负担的调节作用。结果发现：（1）父母学习陪伴对学业不良具有显著的负向预测作用;（2）亲子学业态度沟通和方法沟通在父母学习陪伴与学业不良的关系中起完全中介作用;（3）学习负担在亲子学业态度沟通与学业不良之间的调节作用显著。在低学习负担条件下,亲子学业态度沟通对学业不良的改善作用更为明显。本研究结果表明,提高父母学习陪伴的时间和陪伴质量、改善亲子学业沟通方式并适当降低学习负担,可能改善小学生的学业不良。