Lexical processing in a non-native language: Effects of language proficiency and learning strategy

In three experiments, native Chinese speakers were asked to use their native and non-native languages to read and translate Chinese words and to name pictures. In Experiment 1, four groups of subjects with various degrees of proficiency in their second language, English, participated. In Experiments 2 and 3, subjects were first asked to learn a list of words in a new language, French, using either Chinese words or pictures as media; then they performed the reading, naming, and translation tasks. All subjects performed better in reading words than in naming pictures, when responding in Chinese. When the response was in the non-native language (English or French), high-learning subjects were equally efficient in translation and picture-naming tasks. Low-learning subjects, however, performed better in either the translation or the picture-naming task, depending on their learning strategies. These results are consistent with the idea that both proficiency in a non-native language and the strategy for acquiring the language are main determinants for the pattern of lexical processing in that language.     

Conversational time patterns and mutual influence in parent-child interactions: A time series approach

Mutual influencing processes are assumed to be the basic building blocks in establishing parentchild bonding and in influencing cognitive and language behavior. A study by Jasnow and Feldstein (1986) revealed that, within the temporal domain of speech, preverbal (9-month-old) infants and their mothers exhibit a pattern of mutual influence (attunement) in their average durations of switching pauses. The general purpose of this research was to extend those findings to children with higher verbal functioning. In addition, parent and child genders, nature of the interaction, and specific aspects of parents' personalities, expressiveness, and instrumentality were considered. Each parent interacted with their 4-or 5-year-old son or daughter in each of two conversations—unstructured (social conversation) and structured (task activity). Conversations were processed by an automated computer system yielding objective measure of turns, vocalizations, pauses, and switching-pause durations. To examine interspeaker influence or attunement of temporal speech patterns, influence coefficients were computer for each speaker on a turn-by-turn basis using time series regression. Analysis of these coefficients revealed that: (1) Mutual influence is most evident with switching-pause duration. (2) Structure in the conversation (as defined by the task or parental instrumentality) seems to facilitate attunement for vocalization and switching pause duration. (3) Attunement with girls seems to occur equally well with both parents, while boys exhibit a style of temporal patterning influence which suggests greater identification with the father. (4) Expressiveness seems to facilitate attunement to the child's switching-pause duration.     

On differentiating embarrassment from shame

Four experiments were conducted to demonstrate that embarrassment and shame are distinct emotions that result from violations of different types of internalized standards. Embarrassment results from violating one's particular persona; shame results from violating a shared, objective ideal. Subjects vividly imagined themselves in situations and indicated their emotional reactions. In Experiment I, we demonstrate that people differentiate between embarrassment and shame systematically (F(1,27) = 74.4, p < 0.001). In Experiments 2 and 3, we demonstrate that embarrassment results from violating a persona (n = 34, p < 0.001; n = 23, p < 0.001), and shame results from violating an objective ideal (n = 34, p < 0.001; n = 23, p < 0.001). In Experiment 4, we demonstrate that it is the type of standard that is violated (n = 30, p < 0.001), not whether or not the violation was intentional, that determines whether one experiences embarrassment or shame. We argue that both shame and embarrassment play an important role in maintaining personal identity.     

A kinematic analysis of anticipatory coarticulation in the speech of anterior aphasic subjects using electromagnetic articulography

An investigation was made into the extent and time course of anticipatory coarticulation in the speech of two normal and two anterior aphasic, German-speaking subjects. Both labial and velar coarticulation gestures were investigated. Subjects produced sentences containing target words contrasting in postconsonantal vowel rounding (e.g., [geli:ge]/[gely:gel]) and in nasality (e.g., [ti:de]/[ti:ne]). Speech kinematics were monitored by means of electromagnetic articulography. The data revealed that for correct productions, aphasic speakers' coarticulatory patterns were more highly variable than those of control subjects. These differences, however, were found chiefly for spatial displacement characteristics, while the temporal aspects of articulator movement necessary for anticipatory coarticulation appeared largely intact. Articulator mistiming did not appear to explain a small corpus of stop/nasal substitution errors produced by one of the aphasic speakers.     

句子理解的实验研究

在三种不同的条件下,对人验证句子的过程作了比较研究。结果表明,无论在哪种条件下,验证不同类型句子的时间模式是一致的。在句子-图形验证任务中,不管这些图形是抽象的符号还是与常识有关的具体事物的图形,其加工所需的时问基本上是相同的。但是,句子-常识验证所需的时间,要比句子-图形验证的时间明显地短。实验还表明,否定词在句中的位置,对句子的理解有一定的影响。     

特殊青少年感觉寻求特质的研究

本文对优秀少年、少年犯和普通少年进行了感觉寻求特质、认知复杂性、棒框测验和心率的研究。旨在检验和证实F.Farley的有关理论:高感觉寻求者由于寻求刺激方式的不同而具有两种不同的行为倾向;并深入探讨不同少年的认知和生理特点。实验结果表明,少年犯和优秀少年比普通少年具有更高的感觉寻求倾向。优秀少年和少年犯寻求刺激的方面是不同的。优秀少年的认知复杂性分数较高,并倾向于场独立性特征,对新异刺激倾向于朝向反射特点;少年犯则具有较低的认知复杂性和场依存性特征。     

Computational and reasoning abilities in arithmetic: Cross-generational change in China and the United States

A Chinese advantage over Americans was found for economically relevant computational and reasoning abilities in arithmetic for groups of 6th- and 12th-grade students matched or equated on general intelligence. No cross-national difference for computational or reasoning abilities was found for samples of older (60- to 80-year-old) Chinese and American adults equated on general intelligence. The pattern of change in arithmetical competencies across cohorts suggests that the Chinese advantage in 6th and 12th grade is due to a cross-generational decline in competencies in the United States and a cross-generational improvement in China.     

The Future of Psychology in Medicaid's Health Delivery System for People with Disabilities

State Medicaid programs are rapidly converting fee-for-service health delivery systems to managed care for people with disabilities. In theory, managed care models of health delivery will substantially improve the quality of care for people with disabilities, but in reality, few successful models exist. This period of transition holds both opportunities and challenges for psychologists in medical settings. Because Medicaid reforms for people with disabilities may herald similar reforms for both the public and the private sectors, psychology's response will determine its role in the future of health care delivery for this population. Changes in training and increased attention to outcomes research, innovations in practice, and advocacy will be the keys to success.     

A human-centered approach for designing World-Wide Web browsers

Because the World-Wide Web has features that are not found in traditional information systems, it has some unique problems pertaining to human use, such as the difficulty of searching for specific information. This paper describes human cognitive limitations pertinent to the design of Web browsers and provides a conceptual model for human information processing on the Web. It also compares user strategies and use of browser functions for two tasks that differ in the specificity of the information that is to be retrieved. General principles and specific recommendations for the design of Web browsers are derived from these considerations.