The effect of physical attractiveness of models on advertising effectiveness for male and female adolescents

This study investigates the effect of advertising with physically attractive models on male and female adolescents. The findings suggest that highly attractive models are less effective than those who are normally attractive. Implications of social comparison are discussed.     

经济增长、分配不平等与政治稳定的结构关系及其政策启示

经济增长与分配的不平等之间并不具有直接的互动关系,二者的关系不仅取决于特定的经济、政治和社会结构,而且取决于政府特定的公共政策。导致政府调整经济增长与收入分配关系政策的关键因素之一,是这二者关系对政治稳定的影响和威胁。因此,政策制定者应当将政治不稳定因素的聚集作为调整经济增长与收入分配关系的关键性信号。     

山东半岛全真七子碑刻、摩崖石刻寻真

全真道的发源地在陕西,但她的兴盛和发展却是在山东。王重阳悟道后,从陕西刘蒋村来到山东半岛,收马丹阳、谭长真、刘长生、丘长春、王玉阳、郝大通、孙不二为徒。王重阳带全真七子在山东半岛传道、修炼,先后建立三教七宝会、三教金莲会、三教三光会、三教玉华会、三教平等会等群众性修炼团体,这在道教内丹修炼史上是一次创举,产生了巨大的影响。他们的足迹遍     

Functional MRI of Language in Aphasia: A Review of the Literature and the Methodological Challenges

Animal analogue studies show that damaged adult brains reorganize to accommodate compromised functions. In the human arena, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and other functional neuroimaging techniques have been used to study reorganization of language substrates in aphasia. The resulting controversy regarding whether the right or the left hemisphere supports language recovery and treatment progress must be reframed. A more appropriate question is when left-hemisphere mechanisms and when right-hemisphere mechanisms support recovery of language functions. Small lesions generally lead to good recoveries supported by left-hemisphere mechanisms. However, when too much language eloquent cortex is damaged, right-hemisphere structures may provide the better substrate for recovery of language. Some studies suggest that recovery is particularly supported by homologues of damaged left-hemisphere structures. Evidence also suggests that under some circumstances, activity in both the left and right hemispheres can interfere with recovery of function. Further research will be needed to address these issues. However, daunting methodological problems must be managed to maximize the yield of future fMRI research in aphasia, especially in the area of language production. In this review, we cover six challenges for imaging language functions in aphasia with fMRI, with an emphasis on language production: (1) selection of a baseline task, (2) structure of language production trials, (3) mitigation of motion-related artifacts, (4) the use of stimulus onset versus response onset in fMRI analyses, (5) use of trials with correct responses and errors in analyses, and (6) reliability and stability of fMRI images across sessions. However, this list of methodological challenges is not exhaustive. Once methodology is advanced, knowledge from conceptually driven fMRI studies can be used to develop theoretically driven, mechanism-based treatments that will result in more effective therapy and to identify the best patient candidates for specific treatments. While the promise of fMRI in the study of aphasia is great, there is much work to be done before this technique will be a useful clinical tool.     

Exploring adolescents' intentions regarding the online learning courses in Taiwan.

This research combines computer self-efficacy, computer anxiety, innovation diffusion theory, the technology acceptance model, and a proposed new hybrid technology acceptance model to study adolescents' behavioral intentions to use online learning courses. The results of the study show computer self-efficacy, compatibility, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use have a great positive effect, and computer anxiety has a great negative effect, on the behavioral intention to use online learning courses. By explaining adolescents' behavioral intentions from a user's perspective, the findings of this research provide insight into the best way to promote new e-learning tools for adolescents.     

Virtual environment training system for rehabilitation of stroke patients with unilateral neglect: crossing the virtual street.

In this paper, we propose a system for training of stroke patients with unilateral neglect by using technology of virtual reality (VR). The proposed system is designed to compensate for unilateral neglect. This system contains the calibration of unilateral neglect and the training of this disease. The calibration procedure is implemented by aligning the virtual object at a subjective middle line. The training procedure is implemented by completing the missions that are used to keep the virtual avatar safe during crossing the street in a virtual environment. The results of this study show that the proposed system is effective to train unilateral neglect. The left to right ratio scores extracted from this system gradually decrease as the sessions of training are repeated. To validate the VR system parameters, the parameters are analyzed by correlation with those of traditional unilateral neglect assessment methods (such as the line bisection test and the cancellation test).     

Relation of birth weight, maternal intelligence and mother–child interactions to cognitive and play competence of Jamaican two-year old children

The present study assessed whether birth weight, maternal child rearing behaviors, and maternal intelligence combine in an additive or in a non-linear interactive fashion to influence cognitive performance in a sample of 24-month old full-term appropriate and low birth weight Jamaican children. Child cognitive performance was measured using the Griffiths Scale and a laboratory based assessment of the amount of time the child utilized different levels of play behavior. Mothers were videotaped while playing with their children under different instructional conditions and videotapes were coded for 8 maternal interaction patterns. Maternal verbal intelligence was assessed using the PPVT. Results supported the operation of both additive co-action as well as non-linear interactive processes. Birth weight, maternal behaviors toward her child and maternal intelligence predicted child cognitive performance. In addition, low birth weight infants were either less sensitive to facilitative aspects of maternal behaviors and/or more sensitive to maternal inhibitory behaviors than were appropriate birth weight infants. Further, child rearing behaviors of more intelligent mothers were a stronger influence on their child's cognitive performance than those of less intelligent mothers, even when there were no differences in the level of behaviors of more or less intelligent mothers.     

Depressive symptom manifestation and help‐seeking among Chinese college students in Taiwan

One longstanding hypothesis in the research of depression among Chinese populations is that they tend to express depressive symptoms in somatic terms, which, in turn, prevent them from seeking assistance from mental health services. This study aimed to examine the manifestation of depressive symptoms and its relationship to help‐seeking attitudes among Chinese college students. The Chinese Beck Depression Inventory‐II (BDI‐II; Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1996 ) and the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help: Shortened Form (ATSPPH‐SF; Fischer & Farina, 1995 ) were administered to 1039 Chinese college students in a private university in Taiwan. Factor ratio scores analyses revealed that Chinese college students generally emphasized somatic complaints compared to cognitive‐affective complaints in expressing depressive symptoms. Probably‐depressed Chinese students (BDI‐II scores?16), however, placed significantly less emphasis on somatic symptoms than did nondepressed students. Additionally, multiple regression analyses showed that while Chinese students with elevated BDI‐II scores were less likely to seek professional psychological help, neither somatic nor cognitive‐affective symptoms were correlated with their attitudes toward seeking and avoiding professional psychological help. These findings seem to run counter to the common assumption that Chinese people tend to express depression in somatic terms and that somatic complaints help to explain their reluctance to seek professional psychological assistance. The current results suggest that Chinese students with elevated depressive symptoms readily acknowledged and expressed cognitive‐affective symptoms of depression and they were likely to distance themselves from professional psychological help. However, somatic symptoms did not explain their reluctance to utilize mental health services.