Self-Efficacy and the Prediction of Domain-Specific Cognitive Abilities

ABSTRACT We evaluated predictors of performance in 4 specific cognitive ability domains: verbal, numerical, spatial, and mechanical. The predictors were individual differences in self-efficacy beliefs, self-enhancement tendencies, and cross-domain abilities. Our university students' beliefs about their verbal, numerical, and spatial capabilities correlated well with their actual performance on standardized tests (verbal r =.33, numerical r =.27, spatial r =.36). In contrast, the students' self-efficacy for mechanical tasks did relatively poorly in predicting mechanical test performance ( r =.10). Most interesting were two other findings: (a) The best predictor of domain performance was level of cross-domain performance by far, even for mechanical tasks, and (b) self-enhancement tendencies added to cross-domain abilities and self-efficacy beliefs in the prediction of performance. The results are discussed in terms of possible mechanisms explaining how one's score on a maximal performance task can be affected by self-efficacy beliefs and self-enhancement tendencies.     

利用脑成像多体素模式分析解码认知的神经表征:原理和应用

多体素模式分析(multi-voxel pattern analysis,MVPA)是一种基于机器学习理论发展出来的新的功能磁共振数据分析技术。MVPA技术通过训练分类器,对由不同认知状态引起的多体素信号模式进行分类。与传统的基于单个体素的分析方法相比,该技术可更敏感地检测脑对认知状态的表征,并使得从神经信号解码认知状态成为可能。文章介绍MVPA技术的基本原理、分析步骤以及可以用MVPA来解决的科学问题,并对应用中可能面临的问题提供了参考建议。     

中国传统女性伦理与礼仪及其现代价值

中国传统女性伦理与礼仪内容庞杂,糟粕精华并存。现代女性伦理与礼仪建设应当摒弃其中维护男性特权,束缚女性人身自由的非人道性的糟粕,承继其中具有现代价值的精华,从而建立人道、文明、科学的现代女性伦理与礼仪新体系。     

大学生利他动机的调查研究

研究的主要目的是对大学生利他动机进行调查分析。测量工具为利己性利他动机量表和利他性利他动机量表。被试取自北京5所高校的大学生1920名。结果显示：57.4%的大学生报告高度利己性利他动机。63.2%的大学生报告高度利他性利他动机。性别、独生子女、家庭地点等因素均同大学生利己性利他动机无关。独生子女、家庭地点、学校性质同大学生利他性利他动机有显著关系。     

Original thinking in preschool children: A validation of ideational fluency measures

This investigation examined the original thinking of preschool children (N=48). The instruments were lenient and stringent solution‐standard measures of original problem solving and two subsets of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence. Scores for popular and original responses were computed for the lenient and stringent measures. Findings supported the construct validity of conceptualizations of original problem solving based on ideational fluency within the lenient measures, but not within stringent measures. Findings also indicated that the lenient measures are better predictors of real‐world original behavior than stringent measures, especially for young children. The need for development of more reliable and valid measures for assessing real‐world creative behavior is discussed.     

Boys’ and girls’ involvement in science learning and their self‐efficacy in Taiwan

This cross‐sectional study investigated the significant differences in students’ self‐efficacy and their involvement in learning science. Nine hundred and twenty‐two elementary school fifth graders, 499 junior high school eighth graders, and 1455 senior or vocational high school eleventh graders completed the students’ questionnaire. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) and independent t‐tests compared the significant similarities and differences across school levels and genders. The initial findings were as follows: A sharp decline in boys’ and girls’ self‐efficacy scores from elementary to secondary school levels; boys have significantly higher self‐efficacy scores than girls at vocational and senior high school levels; students with more involvement in science learning presented significantly higher self‐efficacy scores than those with less involvement. The significant discrepancies in terms of gender and age in students’ self‐efficacy and involvement in learning science need to be addressed. Implications and limitations are provided.     

Person–Job Fit and Work-Related Attitudes Among Chinese Employees: Need for Cognitive Closure as Moderator

The current research examined the moderating role of employees' need for cognitive closure in the relationship between their perceived person–job fit and their work-related attitudes. In Study 1, a survey was conducted among 176 Chinese employees from various organizations, and the results confirmed that both demand–ability fit and need–supply fit were positively related to employees' job satisfaction; moreover, these relations were stronger among people with higher need for closure than those scoring lower in need for closure. In Study 2, a survey was conducted among 242 employees from a Chinese city government, and the results replicated the findings of Study 1, but also found that need for closure moderated the relation between demand–ability fit and turnover intention. These results have important implications for research in organizational psychology and human resource management.     

Plans Are More Helpful When One Perseveres: The Moderating Role of Persistence in the Relationship Between Implementation Intentions and Goal Progress

Two studies investigated whether one dimension of action–state orientation, namely, persistence-volatility, would moderate the effect of implementation intentions on goal progress. Results from Study 1 indicated that spontaneous implementation intentions predicted goal progress 2 weeks later only among participants who scored high on persistence. In Study 2, participants were randomly allocated to an implementation intentions group and a control group. Results indicated that persistence was positively associated with goal progress among participants in the implementation intentions group but not among those in the control group. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings were discussed.     

The Stability of Literacy-Related Cognitive Contributions to Chinese Character Naming and Reading Fluency

The present study examined the developmental issue of cognitive factors that explain Chinese literacy. Phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, short-term memory, orthographic awareness and morphological awareness and two literacy tasks (character naming and reading fluency) were administered to 408 second-graders, 428 fourth-graders and 496 six-graders. Results from linear regression analysis and path analysis model showed that the five reading-related cognitive constructs explained unique variances in character naming. Second, character naming is primary for reading fluency after controlling other cognitive constructs; third, the relation between the cognitive factors and literacy changes significantly as a function of reading skills. Results give a clear direction to understanding Chinese reading development.     

The influence of attentional control on stimulus processing is category specific in Stroop tasks

It is still unclear how attentional control influences stimulus processing. We investigated this issue in four Stroop task experiments utilizing a pretest–training–posttest design. Subjects were given extensive training on the Stroop task using typical incongruent Stroop trials. The rates of color naming and word reading, which reflect the efficiency of stimulus processing, were assessed in pretest and posttest. The difference in rates between posttests and pretests reflects the influence of attentional control, acquired during the training phase, on stimulus processing. In Experiment 1, members of color category were used in the training phase; in Experiment 2, members of color category were used, but not in the training phase; in Experiment 3, they were neither in the color category nor were they used in the training. The results consistently showed that the suppression of word reading and the enhancement of color naming were developed in the training phases and they were not due to general training of color-naming task without conflict but to color-naming training with Stroop conflict (Experiment 4). More importantly, both suppression and enhancement affected the members of color category regardless of whether they were trained or not. The present findings suggest that the influence of attentional control on stimulus processing is category specific. We discuss the implications of the present results in terms of existing research on the locus of attentional control in Stroop tasks.