Assessment of the Language Preferences of Five Children with Autism from Spanish-Speaking Homes

Although the number of English Language Learner students is increasing in the US school system, little is known about the preferences of language of instruction, particularly among young students with autism. We implemented a choice assessment with five children with autism to determine preference between English and Spanish instruction using a concurrent-operant design. Participants were allowed to choose between English instruction, Spanish instruction, and a no-language control condition using BIGmack communication devices. We compared choice allocation between previously mastered skills (easy tasks) and targets in the acquisition phase of learning (difficult tasks). None of the participants indicated a preference for language of instruction during easy tasks, while four participants indicated a preference during difficult tasks. Results suggest that the concurrent-operant procedure is an effective method for assessing preference of language of instruction with students with autism.     

医护人员工作倦怠与A型人格、控制点的关系研究

通过对320名医护人员的调查,探讨工作倦怠与A型人格,控制点之间的关系。结果表明：(1)情绪疲惫、去人性化与A型人格、控制点存在显著正相关,个人成就感与控制点存在显著负相关。(2)A型人格、控制点对情绪疲惫,去人性化具有正向预测作用,控制点对个人成就感具有负向预测作用。(3)与B型人格相比．A型人格者的去人性化程度更高;与内控者相比,外控者工作倦怠程度更高。     

Parenting behaviors and learning of Singapore students: The mediational role of achievement goals

This study examined the mediational role of achievement goals between parental behaviors and learning outcomes. A sample of 1667 Singapore Secondary 3 students took the measures of parental involvement in learning, parental control, mastery approach and avoidance goals, performance approach and avoidance goals, as well as seven learning outcome variables in their math study. We conducted complex structural equation modeling analysis to take into account the hierarchical structure of the data and found a good fit for the hypothesized partial mediation model. More specifically, parental involvement in learning was associated with an adaptive learning profile (i.e., self-regulated engagement in learning activities, low anxiety, high perceived competence, and high achievement), partially or mainly through its positive relationship with mastery approach goals. Parental control predicted a maladaptive coping orientation (i.e., low persistence and high anxiety) and low achievement partially through its positive relationship with mastery and performance avoidance goals. The findings are discussed in the academic context of Singapore.     

The influence of satisfaction and promotability on the relation between career adaptability and turnover intentions

This study examined the relation between career adaptability (CA), promotability, and career satisfaction (CS), and their impacts on turnover intentions (TI). Eight hypotheses were proposed. Based on data collected from a sample of 431 employees in Macau, career adaptability was significantly and positively related to both promotability and CS after controlling for the influences of demographic variables including age, gender, education and tenure. CA, promotability and CS were also significantly and negatively linked to TI. The results further revealed that promotability and CS mediated the effect of CA on TI. The study contributed new insights that may inform career development and retention of employees. Practical implications on how to retain employees were discussed.     

Pilot study for assessing the behaviors of patients with schizophrenia towards a virtual avatar.

This study examined whether a virtual avatar could be perceived as a real human by patients with mental disease, especially schizophrenia, as well as whether a virtual avatar could be applied to acquiring patients' behavior characteristics in a short conversation situation. The virtual avatar has been used for various applications which need to communicate with other person or to train or educate by showing humanlike behavior. Recently, many researches have shown that the virtual avatar technology has been enhanced and the avatar could be perceived like real human. A virtual avatar, standing in a virtual room, was designed for this study. Tasks to approach, initiate a talk, and answer to avatar's questions was assigned to the 11 patients with schizophrenia. As behavioral parameters in the virtual environment, the interpersonal distance and the verbal response time were acquired. In addition, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for patients was administered in order to investigate the relationship between patients' symptomatic characteristics and behavior parameters. The interpersonal distance was negatively correlated with the negative syndrome scale, a subscale of PANSS, which is consistent with previous research reporting the relationship between interpersonal distance and a real person's image. The verbal response time, however, was not correlated with any other subscale of PANSS. After analyzing subitems of the negative syndrome of PANSS, two positive correlations were found: one was with blunted affect and the other was with poor rapport. We concluded that the virtual avatar could be perceived as a real human by schizophrenic patients and the avatar could draw the schizophrenic patients' behavior characteristics.     

医疗安全:观念更新与措施的革命

在医疗安全方面,中国和目前医疗安全领域内先进的国家之间有较大差距.这个差距首先表现在对待医疗安全的观念上,其次是在不同的观念引导下,应对的具体措施差异更加显著.因此,是到了我国在医疗安全问题上进行观念的更新和措施的革命的时候了.通过对一些新的相关信息的分析,引进新的观念和措施,希望可以对国内医疗安全领域的观念的更新与措施的革命起到一定作用.     

从传统性到现代性的转变上看京港大学生的人格差异

本研究通过对京港两地大学生的传统人格特征和现代人格特征所进行的调查和研究发现 ,当代大学生的人格特征正在由传统性向现代性转变。北京大学生 ,尤其是女生的现代人格表现更为突出 ,她们更乐于接受新观念 ;而香港大学生在转变中则相对表现得较为保守 ,尤其是香港的女生 ,仍然较为传统。     

The prediction of phobic behaviour

A 10-point rating scale, a pair comparison forced choice technique and a repertory grid were used to predict phobic behaviour in a standardized avoidance situation. The rating scale and pair comparison technique were significantly more accurate than the grid, but did not differ from each other. The results were seen to be consistent with others demonstrating that simple and economic self-report measures can often be more useful than apparently more sophisticated instruments. The results can also be taken to underline the need for including a variety of measures in validity studies of the repertory grid, and the caution necessary in the clinical application of this same instrument. The generality of the present conclusions to other situations needs, however, to be demonstrated rather than assumed. Social desirability, for example, is not thought to be an important variable in the present situation.     

Therapists: Their Attitudes and Information About Women

The Therapists'Information About Women Scale (TIWS) and Therapists'Attitude Toward Women Scale (TAWS) are presented. Results from a sample of 184 therapists (social workers, psychiatrists, and psychologists) showed no significant differences among professions; however, women therapists were significantly better informed, more liberal, and less stereotyped in their attitudes. Information and attitudes were correlated.57. Though attitudes were more liberal than stereotyped, many therapists showed a lack of pertinent information and attitudes likely to conflict with those of their women patients.