Structural generalizations over consonants and vowels in 11-month-old infants

Recent research has suggested consonants and vowels serve different roles during language processing. While statistical computations are preferentially made over consonants but not over vowels, simple structural generalizations are easily made over vowels but not over consonants. Nevertheless, the origins of this asymmetry are unknown. Here we tested if a lifelong experience with language is necessary for vowels to become the preferred target for structural generalizations. We presented 11-month-old infants with a series of CVCVCV nonsense words in which all vowels were arranged according to an AAB rule (first and second vowels were the same, while the third vowel was different). During the test, we presented infants with new words whose vowels either followed or not, the aforementioned rule. We found that infants readily generalized this rule when implemented over the vowels. However, when the same rule was implemented over the consonants, infants could not generalize it to new instances. These results parallel those found with adult participants and demonstrate that several years of experience learning a language are not necessary for functional asymmetries between consonants and vowels to appear.     

Efficacy and feeling of a vibrotactile Frontal Collision Warning implemented in a haptic pedal

A haptic pedal has been designed to emulate the behaviour of a common vehicle pedal and render superimposed vibrations with different characteristics. It was installed in a driving simulator, as an accelerator pedal with the secondary function of a vibrotactile Frontal Collision Warning (FCW). The efficacy and feeling of this solution was tested with 30 subjects using vibrotactile signals with 0.50, 1.05, and 1.60 Nm, at 2.5, 5, and 10 Hz, against a baseline visual FCW. Participants had to match the speed of a leading vehicle when the FCW was triggered. Their braking response was evaluated in terms of brake reaction time, matching speed time, control of velocity and headway reduction. Driver’s feelings were assessed with Kansei methodologies. Haptic stimuli were found to be more effective than visual signals, and the characteristics of the vibration also influenced the results. The best performance was achieved at the maximum amplitude, and in the range between 5 and 10 Hz. The perceived functionality and discomfort followed a trend coherent with the objective measurements. The conclusions of this study may be applied to develop effective and safe warning systems in vehicles, limiting the annoyance that they might cause to drivers.     

Gender-role's attitude, perceived similarity, and sexual prejudice against gay men

Two hundred and twenty-six heterosexual participants (115 women and 111 men) were asked to indicate their attitude toward gender-roles, their perceived similarities with gay men, and their attitude toward gay men (i.e., sexual prejudice). As expected, male participants showed more sexual prejudice than female participants, and perceived dissimilarities were related to a greater sexual prejudice. Support for gender-roles was related to sexual prejudice for male participants, but not for female participants. More interestingly, the three-way interaction suggested that perceived similarities moderated the link between gender-roles and sexual prejudice among heterosexual men, but not among heterosexual women. Attitude in favor of traditional gender-roles was related to sexual prejudice for male participants who perceived gay men as different, but not for those who perceived gay men as similar. These findings are discussed in terms of the defensive function of men's attitude toward homosexuality as a result of threat to masculinity.     

“授人以筌”——评析卡尔·罗杰斯的学习理论

在教学上人们一直围绕着教育是"授人以鱼"还是"授人以渔"展开激烈的讨论,"鱼"和"渔"何者为重,似乎毋庸置疑。人本主义心理学的创始人之一罗杰斯把从事数十年的心理治疗方法"来访者中心疗法"应用到教育领域,在"鱼"和"渔"的选择上二者皆抛,提出的以学生为中心的学习理论体现了一种"授人以筌"的教育理念。本文从其学习理论的提出、教育理念等方面予以说明。     

大学生自我意识培养的重要性及其策略

一生当中,大学时期是建立自我意识的重要时期,我们应该引导学生更关注自己的内心世界,并试图引导他们正确的自我认识、自我评价和自我调控。论文试图从大学生自我意识的涵义、自我意识培养的重要性和策略给予一些建议,以期有利于大学生形成良好的自我意识。     

1991—2008年内隐记忆研究的文献计量学分析

对收录在中国期刊网上的154条内隐记忆研究的论文题录(1991—2008年)进行计量学分析,发现:(1)自1991年来,我国内隐研究呈稳步增长趋势,前后三个六年里,论文数量之比近似为1∶2∶3;2005-2007年是发表论文数量最多的时间,2008年又有所下降。(2)我国内隐记忆的实证研究与理论研究势均力敌。实证研究中,研究对象主要是正常人,特殊群体的关注较少。(3)我国内隐记忆研究具有较高的水平,但仍有待进一步提高。(4)我国的内隐记忆研究力量严重分布不均,在经济较发达的华东、华北、中南地区占了绝对优势。高校是我国内隐记忆的主力军。(5)合作研究与独著研究平分秋色。合作研究不仅要加强内部合作,更要注重外部合作乃至国际合作研究。     

DSM-IV Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms: Agreement Between Informants in Prevalence and Factor Structure at Different Ages

The agreement between teachers’ and parents’ ratings of the prevalence of DSM-IV attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and the concordance of the factor structure of ADHD symptoms was analyzed in a sample of 653 Spanish schoolchildren aged 4 to 12 divided into two age groups. The prevalence of ADHD symptoms ranged between 0.66 and 16.73% and was higher when the rater was the teacher. Agreement between parents and teachers was low. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) shows a slightly better fit for the three-factor model (Inattention, Hyperactivity and Impulsivity) than for the two-factor model (Inattention and Hyperactivity–impulsivity), except for parents’ ratings in the sample of children under six. CFA using a multitrait–multimethod model (CFA-MTMM) shows similar results.     

From types to typological thinking: a reply to Asendorpf

We continue to disagree with Asendorpf ( 2006 ) on the best way to analyse Q‐sort data and on our priorities for personality research. We believe on statistical grounds that the large first factor found in inverse factor analyses of raw CAQ items tells us much about response norms, but little or nothing about individual differences. These emerge more clearly in analyses of standardised items, which show the familiar dimensions of the Five‐Factor Model. Based on our research on types and the mixed results reported by other researchers, we do not believe that replicable empirical types are likely to be found, and suggest that a more profitable line of research would focus on the heuristics of types and the configural interpretation of traits. Published in 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Why Does Laudan’s Confutation of Convergent Realism Fail?

In his paper “A Confutation of Convergent Realism”, Larry Laudan offered one of the most powerful criticisms of scientific realism. I defend here that although Laudan’s criticism is right, this does not refute the realist position. The thesis that Laudan confutes is a much stronger thesis than realist needs to maintain. As I will exemplify with Salmon’s statistical-relevance model, a less strict notion of explanation would allow us to claim that (approximate) truth is the best explanation for such success, even if it is accepted that there can be cases of unsuccessful (approximately) true theories and cases of successful false theories.