An empirical look at the Defense Mechanism Test (DMT): reliability and construct validity

Although the Defense Mechanism Test (DMT) has been in use for almost half a century, there are still quite contradictory views about whether it is a reliable instrument, and if so, what it really measures. Thus, based on data from 39 female students, we first examined DMT inter-coder reliability by analyzing the agreement among trained judges in their coding of the same DMT protocols. Second, we constructed a "parallel" photographic picture that retained all structural characteristic of the original and analyzed DMT parallel-test reliability. Third, we examined the construct validity of the DMT by (a) employing three self-report defense-mechanism inventories and analyzing the intercorrelations between DMT defense scores and corresponding defenses in these instruments, (b) studying the relationships between DMT responses and scores on trait and state anxiety, and (c) relating DMT-defense scores to measures of self-esteem. The main results showed that the DMT can be coded with high reliability by trained coders, that the parallel-test reliability is unsatisfactory compared to traditional psychometric standards, that there is a certain generalizability in the number of perceptual distortions that people display from one picture to another, and that the construct validation provided meager empirical evidence for the conclusion that the DMT measures what it purports to measure, that is, psychological defense mechanisms.     

Extension of Luria's Psycholinguistic Studies in Poland

One of Luria's basic interests was the organization of human cognitive processes, and thinking in particular. He believed that language and thought are closely related, and hence the manner in which we speak reflects the way we think. To verify this assumption, he and his collaborators performed a number of interesting psycholinguistic experiments with subjects of various ages and cultural backgrounds. The tasks used made the evaluation of both receptive and expressive language possible. The Narrative Ability Test described here stems from Luria's observations to a considerable degree. The test was administered to preschool children (N = 106), schoolchildren (N = 143), adolescents (N = 89), adults (N = 126), and older persons (N = 175). Findings of the 20-year studies with normal and deviant populations indicate close relationships among thought, language, and self-control. It was found that difficulty in developing narratives corresponds with a disability to process complex information. Correlations between narrative skills and age, sex, and social background were also noted.     

"外部性"问题与"科斯定理"的伦理追问

"外部性"是新制度经济学理论中探讨的一个重要问题.为了解决这个问题,新制度经济学家提出了"科斯定理".什么是"外部性",为什么外部性问题既是一个经济问题又是一个伦理问题,从经济伦理的角度怎么看待"科斯定理"?这是本文所要讨论的问题.     

转向生活世界的伦理学变革

转向生活世界的伦理学变革,使当代伦理学研究从对普遍化的道德原理和道德体系的知识论建构转向对以现代性问题为背景的现实生活世界的道德关切.在这种变革中,当代伦理学研究实现着从体系意识向问题意识的转变,引发了应用伦理学的勃兴和德性伦理传统的当代复兴,从而使伦理学的人学价值意蕴得以彰显.当代伦理学的发展还需要在此基础上,进一步面向现实生活世界,实现问题意识与理论意识的互动、德性伦理与规范伦理的整合、道德共识与差异伦理的和谐.     

3-6岁幼儿在分类实验中概括能力的发展

本研究通过设计不同性质的分类实验,探讨3-6岁幼儿抽象概括能力的发展。我们根据年龄将幼儿分为四个组,每组80人,共320人。通过实验获得以下几点。①幼儿在各种不同性质的分类实验中可表现为四级不同的水平,如从根据表面的个别特征进行分类发展到根据内部的本质特征进行分类,从一维角度的分类发展到从两维角度来分类等。⑦达到各个水平的年龄不是截然划分的,而是互相交织的,随着年龄的增加,低级水平的人数不断减少,高级水平的人数不断增加。所以年龄阶段之间既有质的变化,又有量的变化。③对于不同性质的分类材料,各年龄所达到的概括水平也不同,分类材料的难度越大,概括水平越低。④儿童概括水平的高低受教育条件的影响。     

血栓形成及抗凝药物在临床应用中的思考

血栓栓塞性疾病对人类的健康已构成了极大的危害.在临床工作中应深入了解血栓形成以及凝血机制的新概念,了解传统抗凝药物的特点、以及凝血因子靶点Ⅹa、Ⅱa等特异性抑制为基础的新型抗凝药物的研发进展,合理使用抗凝药物,提高对血栓栓塞性疾病的诊治水平.     

fMRI correlates of inhibition of return in perifoveal and peripheral visual field

When a target appears in the same peripheral location as a previous cue, responding is typically delayed if the cue-target interval is relatively long. This phenomenon is termed inhibition of return (IOR) and has been suggested to reflect an attentional bias in favour of novel visual space. It has been demonstrated recently that IOR is much stronger in the far periphery than in the perifoveal visual field. The present study further investigated the neural mechanisms underlying this eccentricity effect of IOR with an event-related fMRI technique. The results demonstrated a stronger activation in visual cortex for perifoveal processing and a broader activation in multiple brain areas for peripheral processing. When IOR effects were compared between these two areas, a stronger activation of the fronto-parietal network was evidenced for perifoveal versus peripheral IOR, while the prefrontal cortex was more strongly involved in the peripheral IOR versus perifoveal IOR. These results suggest that different neural mechanisms are mediating the dissociable inhibitory functions between the perifoveal and peripheral visual field.