Reducing faking on personality tests: Testing a new faking‐mitigation procedure in a U.S. job applicant sample

Faking has remained a major concern for organizations using self‐report personality measures for selection. Scholars recenlty developed a new middle‐warning faking‐mitigation procedure. The present replication study was the first field test in the United States using 193 applicants for an entry‐level position in a New York‐based consulting firm. Results replicated most of Fan et al.'s findings including (a) the middle‐warning significantly lowered fakers' personality scores over retesting, whereas the control message had little influence on nonfakers; (b) the above warning effect carried over to personality scales that were not retested; and (c) the persistent tendency of potential fakers rising to the top of personality score distribution was weakened. In addition, applicants' perceptions were not being negatively affected by the warning.     

Trait compassion is associated with the neural substrate of empathy

Individual differences in the personality trait Agreeableness underlie humans’ ability to interpret social cues and coordinate effectively with others. However, previous investigations of the neural basis of Agreeableness have yielded largely inconsistent results. Recent evidence has demonstrated that Agreeableness can be divided into two, correlated subdimensions. Compassion reflects tendencies toward empathy, sympathy, and concern for others, while Politeness reflects tendencies toward compliance and refraining from aggression and exploitation. The present study seeks to clarify the neural substrates of Agreeableness by examining whether structural differences in the brain show distinct associations with Compassion and Politeness. Results of a meta-analysis of fMRI studies examining empathy were used to generate hypotheses about the brain regions and networks that underlie trait Compassion. Results of a large-scale structural neuroimaging investigation (N = 275) were largely consistent with the meta-analysis: Compassion was positively correlated with gray matter volume in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and anterior insula (AI). Further, these differences appear to be associated with Compassion specifically, as opposed to Politeness, suggesting that these two traits have at least partially distinct neuroanatomical substrates.     

Combining gesture with verbal instruction promotes problem-solving skills among young children attempting difficult tasks

Extensive research shows that caregivers’ speech and gestures can scaffold children’s learning. This study examines whether caregivers increase the amount of spoken and gestural instruction when a task becomes difficult for children. We also examine whether increasing the amount of instruction containing both speech and gestures enhances children’s problem-solving. Ninety-three 3- to 4-year-old Chinese children and their caregivers participated in our study. The children tried to assemble two jigsaw puzzles (with 12 pieces in one and 20 in the other); each puzzle was attempted in three phases. The order in which the puzzles were to be solved was randomized. In Phases 1 and 3, the children tried to solve the puzzles alone. In Phase 2, the children received instruction from their caregivers. The children assembled a smaller proportion of the 20-piece puzzle than of the 12-piece one, suggesting that the 20-piece puzzle was more difficult than the 12-piece one. The caregivers produced more spoken and gestural instruction for the 20-piece than for the 12-piece puzzle. The proportion of the instruction employing both speech and gesture (+InstS+InstG) was significantly greater for the 20-piece puzzle than for the 12-piece puzzle. More importantly, the children who received more instruction with +InstS+InstG performed better in solving the 20-piece puzzle than those who received less instruction of the same type. Those who did not receive +InstS+InstG instruction performed less successfully in Phase 3. However, the facilitating effect of instruction with +InstS+InstG was not found with the 12-piece puzzle. Our findings suggest that adults should incorporate speech and gesture in their instruction as frequently as possible when teaching their children to perform a difficult task.     

The Mediating Effects of Self-Esteem and Trait Anxiety Mediate on the Impact of Locus of Control on Subjective Well-Being

Sense of control plays an important role in the psychological well-being of an individual. This study aims to investigate the impact of locus of control on subjective well-being (SWB). Participants include 400 undergraduates (214 men and 186 women) from four universities in China. Data were collected using the Adult Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Locus of Control Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Trait Anxiety Scale, and SWB measures. Results suggested that locus of control, trait anxiety, and self-esteem were significantly correlated with SWB. Structural equation modeling results indicated that trait anxiety and self-esteem partially mediated the impact of locus of control on SWB. Moreover, bootstrap test revealed significant paths from locus of control to SWB through trait anxiety and self-esteem. Therefore, locus of control, trait anxiety, and self-esteem have significant impacts on SWB. Moreover, trait anxiety and self-esteem have a mediating effect on the impact of locus of control on subjective well-being.     

Direct and Indirect Effects of Self-efficacy on Depression: The Mediating Role of Dispositional Optimism

In this study, we aimed to explore the impact of self-efficacy on depression – specifically, to test and verify the mediating role of dispositional optimism between the two variables. Five hundred and thirty-five undergraduates from two universities were recruited and given a Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, Revised Life Orientation Test, and Self-Rating Depression Scale. Results indicated that there are indeed significant relationships among self-efficacy, dispositional optimism, and each identified dimension of depression; structural equation modeling showed that the relationship between self-efficacy and depression is partially mediated by dispositional optimism. To this effect, we concluded that to develop and improve students’ self-efficacy will reduce their levels of depression, which may have implications in college counseling.     

Travelling backwards and forwards in time: culture and gender in the episodic specificity of past and future events

There is considerable evidence that, when recalling past events, Westerners exhibit greater episodic specificity than East Asians and women exhibit greater episodic specificity than men. Yet it is unknown whether the same cultural and gender differences are true for future events. In the present study 209 European American and Chinese young adults were asked to recall past personal events and imagine future personal events occurring in varied time periods (i.e., 1 week, 1 year, 10-15 years). Regardless of time period, European Americans consistently produced more specific details than Chinese for future events than they did for past events, and women produced more specific details than men for both past and future events. These findings provide additional support for the constructive-episodic-simulation hypothesis, and shed new light on the influence of culture and gender on episodic thinking.     

内隐联结测验下单纯呈现效应与积极情感的产生

该研究以汉语双字词为刺激材料,以大学生为被试,首先检验了标准的GNAT内隐联结测验范式的有效性,实验一发现,积极名词与正性形容词联结的反应时显著快于与负性形容词联结的反应时.实验二发现,用在标准的单纯重复呈现范式中重复呈现过的中性名词,替换标准GNAT内隐联结测验范式中的积极名词,再次进行标准的GNAT内隐联结测验,观察到了重复呈现的中性名词与正性形容词联结的反应时显著快于与负性形容词联结的反应时,表明被试将重复呈现过的中性刺激与积极刺激联系比与消极刺激的联系更紧密.实验三发现,同样是这些中性名词,当没有被重复呈现时,在GNAT内隐联结测验中与积极形容词和消极形容词的联结的反应时之问差异不显著.研究表明,刺激的重复呈现会导致偏好的产生,使其能够起到积极刺激的作用.该研究认为,刺激的重复呈现,可能是积极情感产生的一个来源.     

学习不良儿童对情绪表达规则的认知特点

采用儿童对情绪表达规则的认知访谈故事,比较了学习不良儿童和一般儿童对情绪表达规则认知的发展特点。结果发现,学习不良儿童表情调节知识水平显著低于一般儿童,性别差异不显著,组别与年级交互作用不显著,表明两组儿童发展趋势类似,发展水平不同;学习不良儿童报告出较少的社会定向目标,自我保护目标得分与一般儿童差异不显著;学习不良儿童缺少根据不同人际关系类型灵活运用情绪表达规则的知识,而且较少把情绪表达规则的使用和目标联系起来     

社会人格取向的成人依恋研究

国外有关成人依恋的研究大致可以分为两大类：发展临床取向和社会人格取向,文章简要概述了两种取向的差异,并重点从社会人格取向的角度介绍了有关成人依恋的内部工作模型表征的社会认知研究和情绪调节策略的依恋类型差异的研究,以及成人依恋对亲密人际关系中目标信念、沟通和自我表露、归因和冲突解决、支持寻求和照顾行为等的影响研究。最后展望了该领域未来研究的趋势和方向。