A Doubly Latent Space Joint Model for Local Item and Person Dependence in the Analysis of Item Response Data

Item response theory (IRT) is one of the most widely utilized tools for item response analysis; however, local item and person independence, which is a critical assumption for IRT, is often violated in real testing situations. In this article, we propose a new type of analytical approach for item response data that does not require standard local independence assumptions. By adapting a latent space joint modeling approach, our proposed model can estimate pairwise distances to represent the item and person dependence structures, from which item and person clusters in latent spaces can be identified. We provide an empirical data analysis to illustrate an application of the proposed method. A simulation study is provided to evaluate the performance of the proposed method in comparison with existing methods.

     

Movement segmentation and visual perturbation increase developmental differences in motor control and learning

We examined the developmental differences in motor control and learning of a two‐segment movement. One hundred and five participants (53 female) were divided into three age groups (7–8 years, 9–10 years and 19–27 years). They performed a two‐segment movement task in four conditions (full vision, fully disturbed vision, disturbed vision in the first movement segment and disturbed vision in the second movement segment). The results for movement accuracy and overall movement time show that children, especially younger children, are more susceptible to visual perturbations than adults. The adults’ movement time in one of the movement segments could be increased by disturbing the vision of the other movement segment. The children's movement time for the second movement segment increased when their vision of the first movement segment was disturbed. Disturbing the vision of the first movement segment decreased the percentage of central control of the second movement in younger children, but not in the other two age groups. The children's normalized jerk was more easily increased by visual perturbations. The children showed greater improvement after practice in the conditions of partial vision disturbance. As the participants’ age increased, practice tended to improve their feedforward motor control rather than their feedback motor control. These results suggest that children's central movement control improves with age and practice. We discuss the theoretical implications and practical significance of the differential effects of visual perturbation and movement segmentation upon motor control and learning from a developmental viewpoint.     

自我旋转面孔识别的ERPs研究

本研究采用事件相关电位技术考察平面旋转角度对自我面孔识别影响的时间进程。实验采用面孔异同匹配范式(same-different judgment), 首先呈现一张正立的自我或他人内特征的探测面孔, 然后再呈现一张旋转至某个角度(0°、90°、180°)的自我或他人的目标面孔, 要求被试判断两张面孔是否属于同一个人, 并记录其判断的反应时和ERP成分。实验发现, 在N170 (180~240 ms)和N2 (240~300 ms)成分上, 旋转至90°、180°的面孔刺激比正立条件下的面孔刺激分别在枕颞叶和额区诱发了更大的平均波幅。在LPP (400~500 ms)成分上, 对于自我面孔, 正立条件、旋转至90°、旋转至180°所诱发的波幅差异显著。而对于他人面孔, 3个角度所诱发的波幅无显著差异。结果表明, 面孔识别早期阶段是自动化的结构编码, 旋转角度增加了面孔结构编码的难度; 在面孔识别晚期阶段, 大脑对面孔的特异性信息进行精细加工, 自我面孔会占用个体有限认知资源进行下一步精细的心理旋转加工, 因此平面旋转角度会调节晚期个体对自我面孔的加工过程, 并且其影响时间约为100 ms。     

Not myself and the connected self: cases of youth depression and recovery in Malaysia

This study aims to explore the subjective experience of depressed young people in Malaysia. Twelve participants aged 20–24, who were diagnosed as suffering from depression but who had recovered, were interviewed. An adapted grounded theory approach guided our data collection and data analysis process. Two themes emerged which revealed the importance of the connectedness of individuals within their social environment. Coping with cultural norms and with rejection were found to be the most stressful precursors to depression. Depression is described as an alienating and involuntary experience. The recovery process requires a pivotal moment which enables reconnection with others. Implication of study will be discussed against the backdrop of the Malaysian context.     

Source Credibility in Consumer-Generated Advertising in Youtube: The Moderating Role of Personality

This research investigates the effects of the big five consumer personality traits on perceptions of source credibility related to consumer-generated advertising (CGA). An online experiment with 175 participants was conducted with viewing of a YouTube video in which source credibility (as firm-generated or consumer-generated) was manipulated. Findings show participants viewed CGA as more credible than firm-generated advertising. CGA positively influenced attitudes toward the ad and brand for consumers with low openness, and positively influenced opinion giving for consumers with high extraversion and low neuroticism. Also, a significant main effect of neuroticism was found. Theoretical and practical implications, and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Empathy‐Related Responding in Chinese Toddlers: Factorial Structure and Cognitive Contributors

The critical role of the second year of life in the development of empathy is well accepted by psychologists. However, the developmental trends of the different components of empathy and the potential factors underlying these components during this critical period remain unclear. Eighty‐four Chinese toddlers in the second year of life participated in the present study. Empathy‐related responses were observed during three simulated procedures performed by each child's primary caregiver, the experimenter and a baby doll. An exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the different components of empathy. The shared representation of the self and others was measured using the Tasks for the Observation of Self‐Concept, self/other awareness was measured with a series of mirror tests and inhibitory control was measured using the Cylinder Inhibitory Control Task. The results showed that the empathy of Chinese toddlers contains three factors: sympathy, personal distress and orientation. Potential cognitive factors contribute to the different components of empathy through both independent and joint effects. © 2016 The Authors Infant and Child Development Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Partner effects of Mexican cultural values: the couple and parenting relationships

In this investigation, the authors explored the impact of individuals' cultural values on their partners' relationship adjustment and perceptions of their parenting relationship. The authors examined Mexican cultural values of simpatía (i.e., harmonious interpersonal relationships) and respeto (i.e., respect for authority figures) using a sample of 50 Mexican-origin couples in southern Arizona. Congruent with their hypotheses, results supported the proposition that fathers' simpatía is positively associated with both relationship adjustment and the parenting relationship as reported by mothers, whereas fathers' respeto is negatively associated with both relationship adjustment and the parenting relationship as reported by mothers. However, the authors found little evidence of a contribution of mothers' cultural values to fathers' perceptions of either relationship adjustment or the parenting relationship. They interpret these findings to suggest that mothers' relationship adjustment and parenting relationship are more sensitive to and dependent on fathers' degree of traditional cultural values among Mexican-origin families.     

Turnover of highly educated R&D professionals: The role of pre‐entry cognitive style,work values and career orientation

Retention of key R&D experts has been recognized as a critical managerial challenge for many technology‐based companies. In this study, we propose that turnover of highly educated professional workers is meaningfully related to individual characteristics such as cognitive style, work values and career orientation. We tested the hypotheses using data collected from a sample of 132 R&D professionals with PhD degrees in engineering or natural science in a Korean electronics firm. The time‐dependent risk of turnover was estimated by survival analysis using a proportional hazards regression model. The results showed that over the 7‐year period after their organizational entry, R&D professionals with high levels of intrinsic values and cosmopolitan orientation were more likely to leave the organization than were their counterparts with low levels of intrinsic values and cosmopolitan orientation. The hazard function showed that the positive effect of intrinsic work values on turnover was particularly salient in the third and fourth year of R&D professionals' organizational tenure. We found that the positive effect of cosmopolitan orientation on turnover increased over time, introducing a greater risk of turnover with increasing tenure. The present findings have practical implications for the retention of highly educated R&D professionals in a corporate setting.     

中国IT业从业人员非技能胜任素质测评系统的研发报告

具备专业知识的专业人员,在不同岗位上工作,有人成功,有人未获成功？非技能胜任素质应当是不可忽视的因素。本项研究以心理学研究和人才测评相结合的方法,对IT业从业人员的非技能胜任素质做了深入的研究,构建了IT业四类关键岗位——管理类、销售类、技术支持类、研发类的非技能胜任素质模型,并探索各胜任素质特征与工作绩效的关系,为IT业内各类岗位人才选拔、评价和培养提供了科学的依据以及人职匹配的操作模型。     

聋生听力状况与读写成绩及认知能力关系的实验研究

为了研究聋生听力状况与其读写成绩及认知能力的关系,本文以聋校中年级学生为对象,采用实验的方法进行研究.结果表明:从总体上讲,聋生的听力损失、补偿情况与其读写成绩及认知能力之间均不存在显著的正相关.聋生认知、读写能力的差异,并不能由其听力损失、听力补偿情况进行简单的回归预测.研究建议:聋校老师在对聋生进行教育的时候,不要带着偏见去看待中重度听力残疾的聋生,要采取有效方法,来提高他们的认知能力和读写成绩.