Constructing Confidence Intervals for Effect Size Measures of an Indirect Effect

Confidence intervals for an effect size can provide the information about the magnitude of an effect and its precision as well as the binary decision about the existence of an effect. In this study, the performances of five different methods for constructing confidence intervals for ratio effect size measures of an indirect effect were compared in terms of power, coverage rates, Type I error rates, and widths of confidence intervals. The five methods include the percentile bootstrap method, the bias-corrected and accelerated (BCa) bootstrap method, the delta method, the Fieller method, and the Monte Carlo method. The results were discussed with respect to the adequacy of the distributional assumptions and the nature of ratio quantity. The confidence intervals from the five methods showed similar results for samples of more than 500, whereas, for samples of less than 500, the confidence intervals were sufficiently narrow to convey the information about the population effect sizes only when the effect sizes of regression coefficients defining the indirect effect are large.     

Sinful flesh: Sexual objectification threatens women's moral self

The current investigation examined whether sexual objectification leads to perceived contamination in women victims, which, in turn, triggers sinful feelings. The results of three experiments provide converging support for these predictions. Female participants reported greater sinful feelings than their non-objectified counterparts, after receiving objectifying comments on their physical appearance from an alleged male partner (Experiment 1) or recalling a past experience of objectification (Experiments 2 and 3). Furthermore, perceived contamination mediated the effect of objectification on sinful feelings. We also found that perceived personal responsibility of being objectified moderated the above effects, such that the effects were only observed among participants who perceived themselves as highly responsible for objectification experience, but not among those who perceived low personal responsibility. These findings contribute to the literature by explaining why objectification elicits sinful feelings in female victims and who is more susceptible to this influence.     

The impact of adopting ethnic or civic conceptions of national belonging for others' treatment

National belonging is often defined in terms of "ethnic" ancestry and "civic" commitment (with the latter typically implying a more inclusive conception of belonging). The authors report three Scottish studies manipulating the prominence of these criteria. In Study 1 (N = 80), a Chinese-heritage target was judged more Scottish (and his criticisms of Scotland better received) when Scotland was defined in civic terms. In Study 2 (N = 40), a similar manipulation in a naturalistic setting showed a civic conception of belonging resulted in more help being given to a Chinese-heritage confederate. Study 3 (N = 71) replicated Study 2 and showed the effect was mediated by judgments of the confederate's Scottishness. These studies emphasize the importance of exploring how ingroup identity is defined.     

Who took the "x" out of expectancy-value theory? A psychological mystery, a substantive-methodological synergy, and a cross-national generalization

Expectancy-value theory (EVT) is a dominant theory of human motivation. Historically, the Expectancy × Value interaction, in which motivation is high only if both expectancy and value are high, was central to EVT. However, the Expectancy × Value interaction mysteriously disappeared from published research more than 25 years ago. Using large representative samples of 15-year-olds (N = 398,750) from 57 diverse countries, we attempted to solve this mystery by testing Expectancy × Value interactions using latent-variable models with interactions. Expectancy (science self-concept), value (enjoyment of science), and the Expectancy × Value interaction all had statistically significant positive effects on both engagement in science activities and intentions of pursuing scientific careers; these results were similar for the total sample and for nearly all of the 57 countries considered separately. This study, apparently the strongest cross-national test of EVT ever undertaken, supports the generalizability of EVT predictions--including the "lost" Expectancy × Value interaction.     

齐风和韵——谈《韶》乐及齐国宫廷乐舞的音乐特点

《韶》乐来源于帝的《九招》,经过不断的发展,齐《韶》成为春秋时期齐国音乐文化发展水平的杰出代表,孔子的"尽善尽美"更是对齐《韶》的高度赞誉。齐《韶》作为齐国宫廷乐舞的重要组成部分,其场面宏大、优美典雅、刚毅庄重、欢快愉悦、情深意切、感人至深和音乐跌宕起伏,也成为齐国宫廷乐舞的音乐特点。     

大学生人际关系困扰与依恋的自我-他人工作模型的关系

采用人际关系综合诊断量表、一般依恋问卷调查了725名大学生人际关系困扰的现状及其与依恋的自我-他人工作模型间的关系。结果发现:(1)大学生人际困扰的总体水平较低;(2)依恋的自我-他人工作模型与大学生人际困扰各维度及总均分间相关显著,自我工作模型与人际困扰的相关显著高于他人工作模型与人际困扰的相关;(3)依恋的自我工作模型能显著预测人际困扰的各维度及总均分,他人工作模型则仅能预测交谈交流困扰。结论:依恋的自我-他人工作模型与大学生人际困扰间存在显著相关,依恋的自我工作模型可显著预测大学生人际困扰。     

Cultural difference in maladaptive functions of perfectionistic self‐presentation

Perfectionistic self‐presentation (PSP), which describes an expressive aspect of perfectionism in the interpersonal domain, is a defensive form of perfectionism that has been relatively understudied. Although existing evidence obtained from Western societies has consistently shown maladaptive functions of PSP, the question of whether these patterns are universal remains unanswered. The current research explored the potential moderating effect of culture by evaluating whether the negative influence of PSP is weaker in Asian societies that encourage the use of defensive interpersonal strategies than in Western societies. Two studies recruiting Chinese and North American participants were conducted. In Study 1 (n = 302), the results showed that the relation between PSP and personal mastery was positive among Chinese participants and was negative among North American participants. In contrast, a positive relation between PSP and perceived constraints was observed in both cultures. Study 2 (n = 295) replicated the findings obtained in Study 1. In addition, the findings showed that the relation between PSP and self‐esteem, but not that between PSP and depression, was moderated by participants’ cultural backgrounds. Taken together, these results indicate both universal and culturally specific patterns regarding the influence of PSP, suggesting that PSP is a complex construct.     

The monocular-boundary-contour mechanism in binocular surface representation and suppression

Boundary contours are important for representing binocular surfaces, including those in binocular rivalry. Ooi and He (2006, Perception 35 581-603) showed that a half-image with a boundary contour defined by abutting gratings predominates in binocular rivalry. We investigated the monocular-boundary-contour mechanism using Kanizsa square-like rivalry displays. In experiment 1, the left half-image had a vertical illusory contour on the right edge while the right half-image had a vertical illusory contour on the left edge. The Kanizsa elements (discs and pacmen) were filled with a 135 degree grating and placed on a 45 degree-grating background. When fused, observers experienced a strong predominance for perceiving an illusory rectangle in front of four discs. But this percept was replaced by robust rivalry alternations when the stimulus was manipulated by (i) switching the half-images between eyes, (ii)relocating the pacmen in each half-image to form horizontal illusory contours, or (iii) placing the pacmen diagonally (thus eliminating each monocular illusory contour). Such robust rivalry alternations were similar to those experienced when a 135 degree-grating disc was in rivalry with a 135 degree-grating pacman alone on the 45 degree-grating background (experiment 2). Experiment 3 showed that the relatively stable illusory-rectangle percept in experiment 1 is affected by the alignment of the images in the two eyes, in a manner consistent with adherence to the occlusion constraint in binocular surface formation.     

A Comparative Study on the Information Ethics of Junior High School Students Cognition and Behavior between Taiwan and China: Kaohsiung and Nanjing Regions Used as Examples

A great deal of progress has been made on information ethics. Which portion is not sufficient? That might be the comparison from countries to countries. The purpose of this study was closely examined using the cross-cultural method for comparison. To determine the ethics cognitions and behaviors of the students, a comprehensive survey was distributed. The questionnaire for the study used Mason’s four essential factors in information ethics that included Privacy, Accuracy, Property and Accessibility (PAPA). The samples were comprised of Kaohsiung Taiwan and Nanjing China, junior high school students in 2006. The sample and the survey were obtained from two stages of random sampling that was conducted using an Internet website. Students could read the online questionnaire in the computer laboratory and then send immediate feedback to the website server. The result of the experiment showed the divergence of information ethics in cognition and behavior between Kaohsiung and Nanjing school children. The effects of background and correlation are from cognition and behavior between two regions.     

Perceived relative distance on the ground affected by the selection of depth information

Our visual space does not appear to change when we scan or shift attention between locations. This appearance of stability implies that the depth information selection process is not crucial for constructing visual space. But we present evidence to the contrary. We focused on space perception in the intermediate distance, which depends on the integration of depth information on the ground. We propose a selection hypothesis that states that the integration process is influenced by where the depth information is selected. Specifically, the integration process inaccurately represents the ground when one samples depth information only from the far ground surface, instead of sequentially from the near to the far ground. To test this, observers matched the depth/length of a sagittal bar (test) to the width of a laterally oriented bar (reference) in three conditions in a full-cue environment that compelled the visual system to sample from different parts of the ground. These conditions had the lateral reference bar placed (1) adjacent to the test bar, (2) at the far ground, and (3) at the near ground. We found that the sagittal bar was perceived as shorter in conditions (1) and (2) than in Condition 3. This finding supports the selection hypothesis, since only Condition 3 led to more accurate ground surface integration/representation and less error in relative distance/depth perception. Also, we found that performances in all three conditions were similar in the dark, which has no depth information on the ground, indicating that the results cannot be attributed to asymmetric visual scanning but, rather, to differential information selection.