Segmentation and selection contribute to local processing in hierarchical analysis.

The present study examined the role of segmentation and selection processes when we respond to local elements in hierarchical stimuli. The ease of segmentation and selection of an individual local element from hierarchical patterns was manipulated by making one local element substantially distinct from the others in colour. Experiment 1 showed that, when attention was spread across the global and local levels in a divided attention task, the introduction of the local red element speeded responses to local targets but slowed responses when targets appeared at the global level. Experiment 2 used a selective attention task in which subjects responded only to the local or the global shapes across a block of trials. Under these circumstances, the local red element reduced global-to-local interference in addition to speeding local responses. The results suggest that the efficiency with which local elements are segmented and selected affects responses to local aspects of hierarchical patterns; furthermore, the effect of local pop-out on global processing is contingent on top-down attentional control settings.     

动物面孔的识别优势:一项基于快速扫视任务的研究

为了检验视觉注意分配的类别性偏好,采用快速扫视任务,以首次扫视的正确率和反应时作为指标,探寻动物是否有和面孔类似的注意捕获优势; 如果有,则该优势发生在基本类别层次还是上位类别层次。结果发现:(1)相对于非动物而言,动物更容易捕获观察者注意;(2)当动物(狗)作为目标刺激,匹配同领域基本层次的动物(猫)作为分心刺激时,注意捕获优势消失;(3)动物的注意优势是领域间效应。     

Lots to Do or Lots of Ways to Do It? The Role of Mood and Mind‐set on Goal Motivation

This research explores how mood interacts with outcome and implemental mind‐sets to influence motivation to work toward a goal. We propose and demonstrate that being in a positive (vs. neutral) mood increases motivation for those in an outcome mind‐set. Conversely, being in a positive (vs. neutral) mood decreases motivation for those in an implemental mind‐set. We argue that the reason for this is rooted in the role of positive mood on the number of available goal attainment means: Positive (vs. neutral) mood was found to increase the number of accessible goal attainment activities. For those in an outcome mind‐set, the increased number of goal attainment activities increases motivation because more activities are perceived as more available opportunities or strategies that may aid in successful goal attainment. For those in an implemental mind‐set, where one considers detailed steps and processes required for goal completion, motivation is decreased, because availability of more activities increases perceived difficulty of goal execution. Five studies support these hypotheses, showing differences in available activities depending on mood, differences in perceptions of those activities depending on mind‐set, and differences in motivation depending on the interaction of mood and mind‐set.     

汉语双字词超音段信息在语义激活中的作用

采用眼动方法,通过两个实验考察了汉语双字词超音段信息在语义激活中的作用。结果显示：（1）汉语双字词语义激活过程中,分别改变首字声调和尾字声调对语义激活起到抑制作用,首字声调改变时的抑制作用更大。结果支持了Cohort模型。（2）语义相关词的注视点和注视时间远远多于其控制词,但没有发现词频效应。（3）汉语声调的加工过程与声韵母一样,独立作用于语义激活过程。     

“要有创造性”指导语效应及其对创造性教学的启示

“要有创造性”指导语效应（effects of explicit instructions to“be creative”）,是指在创造力测验或实验任务中,明确要求“要有创造性”（be creative）的指导语,能够促进被试的创造性表现的现象。该效应的理论解释主要有最大化表现理论、目标设置理论和注意控制理论。在指导语中对“创造性”作出解释、创造性任务的类型以及被试特征,都会影响“要有创造性”指导语效应的产生。在创造性教学过程中,可以根据“要有创造性”指导语效应发生的机制,从设置创造性目标、根据任务特征施加精细指导、结合学生特征实施个性化教学三个方面,设计创造性活动,以促进学生创新能力的发展。     

Home environmental influences on children's language and reading skills in a genetically sensitive design: Are socioeconomic status and home literacy environment environmental mediators and moderators?

This twin study examined how family socioeconomic status (SES) and home literacy environment (HLE) contributes to Chinese language and reading skills. It included 312 Chinese twin pairs aged 3 to 11. Children were individually administered tasks of Chinese word reading, receptive vocabulary and reading‐related cognitive skills, and nonverbal reasoning ability. Information on home environment was collected through parent‐reported questionnaires. Results showed that SES and HLE mediated shared environmental influences but did not moderate genetic influences on general language and reading abilities. Also, SES and HLE mediated shared environmental contributions to receptive vocabulary and syllable and rhyme awareness, but not orthographic skills. The findings of this study add to past twin studies that focused on alphabetic languages, suggesting that these links could be universal across languages. They also extend existing findings on SES and HLE's contributions to reading‐related cognitive skills.     

EARLY HEAD START FAMILIES’ EXPERIENCES WITH STRESS: UNDERSTANDING VARIATIONS WITHIN A HIGH‐RISK,LOW‐INCOME SAMPLE

The federal Early Head Start program provides a relevant context to examine families’ experiences with stress since participants qualify on the basis of poverty and risk. Building on previous research that has shown variations in demographic and economic risks even among qualifying families, we examined possible variations in families’ perceptions of stress. Family, parent, and child data were collected to measure stressors and risk across a variety of domains in families’ everyday lives, primarily from self‐report measures, but also including assay results from child cortisol samples. A cluster analysis was employed to examine potential differences among groups of Early Head Start families. Results showed that there were three distinct subgroups of families, with some families perceiving that they experienced very high levels of stress while others perceived much lower levels of stress despite also experiencing poverty and heightened risk. These findings have important implications in that they provide an initial step toward distinguishing differences in low‐income families’ experiences with stress, thereby informing interventions focused on promoting responsive caregiving as a possible mechanism to buffer the effects of family and social stressors on young children.     

Eliciting Subjective Probabilities through Pair‐wise Comparisons

We propose and test a novel approach for eliciting subjective joint probabilities. In the proposed approach, judges compare pairs of possible outcomes and identify which of the two is more likely and by how much. These pair‐wise comparative judgments create a matrix of ratio judgments from which the target probabilities are extracted using the rows' (or columns') geometric means. In Study 1, subjects provided direct assessments of the likelihood of joint events (e.g., sunny days and stock market gains) and also made pair‐wise comparisons of the same joint events. Subjects in Study 2 learnt the distribution of hypothetical events pairs and provided direct and ratio estimates. In both studies, the ratio estimates were significantly more accurate than the direct estimates. The results suggest that it is possible to elicit probabilistic estimates without explictly asking for probabilities and that the pair‐wise approach is a candidate for complementing or replacing traditional elicitation approaches. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

父母温暖与青少年情绪表达能力的关系:害羞和自尊的中介作用

采用父母教养方式问卷、情感交流能力测验(ACT)、Rosenberg自尊量表和害羞量表测量449名高中生。探讨害羞和自尊在父母温暖与青少年情绪表达能力之间的中介作用。结果表明:父母温暖与自尊和情绪表达能力均呈显著正相关、与害羞呈显著负相关;自尊与情绪表达能力呈显著正相关,而害羞与情绪表达能力呈显著负相关;自尊和害羞在父母温暖与情绪表达能力之间起部分中介作用。因此,父母温暖不仅可以直接影响青少年的情绪表达能力,也可以通过提高自尊或减少害羞进而有助于青少年情绪表达能力的发展。