Psychological Comparison Processes and Self-Concept in Relation to Five Distinct Frame-of-Reference Effects: Pan-Human Cross-Cultural Generalizability over 68 Countries

The concept of self is central to personhood, but personality research has largely ignored the relevance of recent advances in self-concept theory: multidimensionality of self-concept (focusing instead on self-esteem, an implicit unidimensional approach), domain specificity (generalizability of trait manifestations over different domains), and multilevel perspectives in which social-cognitive processes and contextual effects drive self-perceptions at different levels (individual, group/institution, and country) aligned to Bronfenbrenner's ecological model. Here, we provide theoretical and empirical support for psychological comparison processes that influence self-perceptions and their relation to distal outcomes. Our meta-theoretical integration of social and dimensional comparison theories synthesizes five seemingly paradoxical frame-of-reference and contextual effects in self-concept formation that occur at different levels. The effects were tested with a sample of 485,490 fifteen-year-old students (68 countries/regions, 18,292 schools). Consistent with the dimensional comparison theory, the effects on math self-concept were positive for math achievement but negative for verbal achievement. Consistent with the social comparison theory, the effects on math self-concept were negative for school-average math achievement (big-fish-little-pond effect), country-average achievement (paradoxical cross-cultural effect), and being young relative to year in school but positive for school-average verbal achievement (big-fish-little-pond effect—compensatory effect). We demonstrate cross-cultural generalizability/universality of support for predictions and discuss implications for personality research. © 2020 European Association of Personality Psychology     

张居正的马基雅弗利主义人格解析

张居正是明朝伟大的政治家,同时也是成功的马基雅弗利主义者,堪称＂东方马基雅弗利＂。＂附保逐拱＂、＂王大臣案＂、＂刘台案＂和＂夺情本谋＂均是张居正马基雅弗利主义人格的例证,从中可以剖析出＂外儒内法＂和两面性的特点。张居正的马基雅弗利主义人格是专制皇权对人性的扭曲,而马基雅弗利主义人格也直接导致了张居正的悲剧结局。     

水神萧公信仰的形成与地域扩展

萧公信仰肇迹于江西新淦大洋洲,明清时期盛极一时。历史上萧公信仰的形成与新淦的自然环境、萧氏宗族密切相关。明代萧公神在与国家、地方社会之间的互动中获得两次国家加封赐号,使自身演变为国家正统神灵。伴随着萧公神地位的不断提高,其影响力与日俱增,萧公信仰开始对外传播,地域扩展的范围越来越广,最终萧公神成为民众广泛奉祀于江河湖泊的一位水神。     

鉴真大师仅仅是律宗高僧吗?--论鉴真与天台宗的关系

长期以来,人们多视鉴真为律宗大师或律学大师,只有少数学人注意到了鉴真与天台宗的关系,其中尤以巨赞法师的<鉴真大师的律学传承>一文涉及较多.但巨赞法师仅认为鉴真"爱好天台宗","对于天台宗是如何的心悦诚服".本文在前人研究的基础上,从内外典文献入手,在分析鉴真修行环境和弘法活动的特征中探赜索隐,提出了鉴真大师不仅是律宗高僧,而且还是天台宗大德的新观点.     

Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM), and Set-ESEM: Optimal Balance Between Goodness of Fit and Parsimony

Abstract

CFAs of multidimensional constructs often fail to meet standards of good measurement (e.g., goodness-of-fit, measurement invariance, and well-differentiated factors). Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) represents a compromise between exploratory factor analysis’ (EFA) flexibility, and CFA/SEM’s rigor and parsimony, but lacks parsimony (particularly in large models) and might confound constructs that need to be kept separate. In Set-ESEM, two or more a priori sets of constructs are modeled within a single model such that cross-loadings are permissible within the same set of factors (as in Full-ESEM) but are constrained to be zero for factors in different sets (as in CFA). The different sets can reflect the same set of constructs on multiple occasions, and/or different constructs measured within the same wave. Hence, Set-ESEM that represents a middle-ground between the flexibility of traditional-ESEM (hereafter referred to as Full-ESEM) and the rigor and parsimony of CFA/SEM. Thus, the purposes of this article are to provide an overview tutorial on Set-ESEM, juxtapose it with Full-ESEM, and to illustrate its application with simulated data and diverse “real” data applications with accessible, heuristic explanations of best practice.     

二十世纪下半叶港台学者儒教研究概况

儒教之名自古有之,但将儒教纳入现代宗教学研究的视域,则是二十世纪的事情.然而,儒教是否称得上是一宗教,自二十世纪初以来一直到跨入二十一世纪的今天,学术界仍然聚讼不已,难有定论.可以认为,对儒教定位之争论,基本上构成了二十世纪儒教研究中的主要课题之一①,并在二十世纪末达到了高潮.     

宋初士大夫因循持重之风探论

受五代颓废士风与宋初统治者所尊奉的黄老思想以及"清静致治"为政方针的影响,宋代初期的士大夫群体凸显出一种因循持重的精神风貌,恭谨默守、逊行逊言,以至当时官场上形成了一股凡有所作为者谓之"生事",敢论敢言者谓之"狂妄"、"迂阔"的流俗.尽管太宗、真宗时出现了像田锡、王禹翶这样遇事奋然敢为的谏臣,但却"颇为流俗所不容",并不能改变当时循默苟且、不思进取的士风,不仅使政事怠荒,而且加剧了北宋愈演愈烈的社会危机.     

吉登斯“创造历史”理论的再思考

在吉登斯看来,马克思尽管提出了"人类创造历史"的命题,但却没有对自己的命题做出明确的解释。为此,他举数十年之功,从创造历史的起点、方式和结果等角度对马克思的命题进行全面的阐释。按照他的观点,只有在启蒙运动之后,由于"历史性"的发展,人类才真正开始有意识地创造自己的历史。"结构二重性"是人类创造历史的基本方式,这种方式体现在:社会结构一方面赋予人类创造历史的条件,另一方面又对这种创造行为构成制约。通过这种历史创造方式,社会并没有如马克思等人所设想的那样变成丰裕而自由的社会,反而成为"风险社会"、"失控的世界"等。通过对马克思命题的阐释,吉登斯建立起了完备的理论体系,但也对马克思命题的本意造成了扭曲。     

风从何处来?--风与佛性之思

风,自然界的一种常见现象,就其表现而言,有微风、清风、凉风、狂风、暴风、飓风,可谓姿态各异,风情万种。之所以称其“风情万种”,在于风不仅仅是纯自然现象,还在于它同人的心理(心情)密切相关,譬如炎热时,人们对风有所期盼,称之为“好风”;严寒时,则称之为邪风、恶风。