Driving locus of control and driving behaviors: Inducing change through driver training

Locus of control perceptions have been used to predict driving safety as a stable, dispositional variable. Based on social learning theory, this study tested whether a defensive driving training program coupled with observer feedback could influence domain-specific locus of control beliefs regarding controllability of accidents and therefore impact driving behaviors. Over a 5-week period, 112 individuals’ driving locus of control and driving behaviors were assessed two times, before and after a defensive driving training program and observer feedback. Drivers experienced significant changes in their driving locus of control perceptions. Specifically, drivers reported significantly lower externality and higher internality after training as compared to before training. The changes in driving locus of control predicted an increase in safe driving behaviors. In addition, pretraining motivation to learn predicted a decrease in externality, whereas pretraining self-efficacy predicted the increase in internality. The results indicate that driving locus of control can be influenced by training and observer feedback, and the changes in driving locus of control can predict change in driving behaviors. Findings of the study point to the potential for organizations to enhance driving safety by influencing drivers’ locus of control perceptions.     

6至12岁儿童自立行为的研究

本研究在文献分析的基础上,通过临床访谈、开放式问卷调查等方法,构建了我国小学生自立行为的理论维度,并据此编制了小学生自立行为问卷。对问卷进行探索性因素分析和验证性因素分析后表明:小学生自立行为是一个二维度、多层次的结构。小学生自立行为问卷的因素结构清晰,信度和效度较好,可以作为评鉴我国小学生自立行为的有效工具。     

当代大学生自比型价值观数据的潜在结构

本研究对采自3796名在校大学生的Rokeach Value Survey自比型数据进行了因素分析和多维尺度分析。因素分析从两组价值观选项中分别获得6个双极因素,虽然内容各不相同,但均体现出个人指向-亲社会指向的特点。多维尺度分析所获得的两组选项的2维空间距离分布结果也体现类似特点,结果显示终极性价值观可分为四类,工具性价值观可分为五类。当前大学生价值观中存在着舒适的物质生活、兴奋的生活、幸福、快乐和自尊以及雄心壮志的、勇敢的和诚实的等个人取向内容占优势的可能性。在两种分析方法中,多维尺度分析更适合对自比型价值观数据潜在结构的探究。     

Quality of the Execution of Corporate Safety Policies and Employee Safety Outcomes: Assessing the Moderating Role of Supervisor Safety Support and the Mediating Role of Employee Safety Control

To reduce the risk of injury and promote job safety, many organizations have attempted to establish safety policies. This study examined the presumed benefits of safety policies and the roles of two organizational variables (supervisor safety support and employee safety control) on safety outcomes and satisfaction with the company. Results showed that quality of the execution of corporate safety policies, supervisor safety support, and employee safety control play critical roles in predicting both injury incidence and satisfaction with the company. These findings highlight the importance of integrating both organizational safety policies and relevant organizational constructs to improve organizational safety.     

Confucian love and global ethics: how the cheng brothers would help respond to christian criticisms

There is an increasing awareness that we are living in a global village, which demands a global ethics. In this article, I shall explore what contributions Confucianism, particularly its conception of love, can make. It has often been claimed that Confucian love is love with distinction, as a natural feeling, and as merely human love and so it is inferior to the Christian love, which is universal, commanded, and based on divine love. Drawing on the resources of the Cheng brothers’ neo-Confucianism, I shall explore how Confucianism can make creative responses to such criticisms and thus make a unique Confucian contribution to the emerging global ethics.     

重审卡尔纳普的“精确性准绳”

在当代哲学方法论议题兴起的背景下,卡尔纳普的"精确转释"方法又重新获得英美学界的关注和热议。卡尔纳普的"精确转释"通过用"精确转释项"取代"待精确转释项",从而将"日常概念"转化为"科学概念"。当代学者拓展了"精确转释"的使用范围,不再局限于科学探究范畴。一个充沛的"精确转释项"应该满足四个条件:丰赡性、精确性、相似性、简明性。本文指出,"丰赡性"标准可涵盖其他三项。"精确转释"也面临着两大理论困境:"转换主题"和"非充分阐明"。本文尝试给出一个糅合"精确转释"和"日常语言考察"的方案。     

心理韧性、孤独感、自我效能感预测老年人主观幸福感的优势分析

心理韧性、孤独感、自我效能感都会影响老年人的主观幸福感,但三者影响程度的相对大小尚不清楚。为考察其影响力的大小,本研究采用了优势分析的方法。选取心理韧性量表、UCLA孤独量表、一般自我效能感量表分别测量老年人的心理韧性、孤独感、自我效能感,主观幸福感量表、费城老年中心信心量表测量老年人主观幸福感。优势分析结果表明,孤独感对老年人主观幸福感的预测力大于心理韧性与自我效能感;心理韧性的预测力大于自我效能感。本研究提示减少孤独感是提升老年人主观幸福感的重要途径,而老年人的心理韧性和自我效能感对提升老年人主观幸福感有一定的作用。     

MELD-SCH: A megastudy of lexical decision in simplified Chinese

Here we report on MELD-SCH (MEgastudy of Lexical Decision in Simplified CHinese), a dataset that contains the lexical decision data of 1,020 one-character, 10,022 two-character, 949 three-character, and 587 four-character simplified Chinese words obtained from 504 native Chinese users. It also includes a number of word-level and character-level variables. Analyses showed that the reliability of the dataset is satisfactory, as indicated by split-half correlations and comparisons with other datasets. Item-based regression showed that both word-level and character-level variables contributed significantly to the reaction times and error rates of lexical decision. Moreover, we discovered a U-shape relationship between word-length and reaction times, which has not been reported in Chinese before. MELD-SCH can facilitate research in Chinese word recognition by providing high quality normative data and information of different linguistic variables. It also encourages researchers to extend their empirical findings, which are mostly based on one-character and two-character words, to words of different lengths.     

The Influence of Learning Style on English Learning Achievement Among Undergraduates in Mainland China

Learning style is one of the main factors that determines how students learn English and has a significant influence on students’ learning strategy selection, which further affects their learning outcomes (Ehrman and Oxford in Mod Lang J 74(3):311–327, 1990; Oxford in Language learning styles and strategies: an overview, 2003. http://web.ntpu.edu.tw/~language/workshop/read2.pdf). This study examines the learning style preferences of Chinese university students and whether those preferences influence their English achievements. Four hundred undergraduates from one university in eastern mainland China participated in this study. Data from 329 valid questionnaires were analysed. The results revealed that the Chinese university students preferred the visual learning style the most, followed by the auditory and kinaesthetic styles. However, no learning style preference was found to influence the students’ English proficiency. Cultural reasons are discussed to explain the findings, which contradict those of previous studies of learning style theories and practices. This study recommends that Chinese scholars consider issues of English teaching and learning in China and to adopt appropriate teaching methods to effectively improve English teaching.