Reexamining the linear and U‐shaped relationships between self‐control and emotional and behavioural problems

Previous studies have demonstrated a linear relationship between self‐control and emotional and behavioural problems. However, some scholars have assumed that both under‐control and over‐control may result in undesired problems, which implies a U‐shaped relationship between them. This issue was reexamined in three Chinese samples in the present study. Self‐report measures that conceptually assessed self‐control and emotional (i.e. depression and negative emotion) and behavioural (i.e. rule‐breaking behaviour, aggression and counterproductive work behaviour) problems were administered to adolescents (N = 885), university students (N = 671) and employees (N = 500). Results of piecewise linear regression show that there were significant quadratic effects of self‐control on emotional and behavioural problems in adolescents and on behavioural problems in employees, but no significant U‐shaped associations between them were found. Implications for future studies are discussed.     

Can children break the cycle of disadvantage? Structure and agency in the transmission of education across generations

Research has shown that parents tend to pass educational advantage or disadvantage on to their children. However, little is known about the extent to which the intergenerational transmission of education involves children’s agency. In this study we drew from two traditions in sociological and social psychological theorizing—the theory of cultural and social reproduction and the theory of human agency—to examine whether agency influences children’s educational performance, and if so, whether this influence can be observed among children across social classes. We used data from the Spanish sample of the Program for International Student Assessment (N = 25,003 15-year-olds). Results indicate that the level of child agency was weakly positively related to social class, that child agency impacted on a child’s educational performance, and that the positive effect of agency on educational performance did not vary by social class. This suggests that strategies to enhance disadvantaged children’s agency may prove useful in reducing social gradients in educational performance. More generally, our findings may ignite a debate about the role that social structure and human agency play in shaping social inequality and mobility.     

FOK产生机制的再验证

通过用有意义联系和无意义联系的两种中文词对作为识记材料,在以前实验研究基础上,进一步验证关于FOK(Feelingof Knowing)产生机制的两种理论假说,即靶项日记忆强度假说(或靶项目提取可能性假说)与线索熟悉性假说。实验结果表明,靶项目记忆强度和线索熟悉性程度都能决定FOK判断等级的高低,说明两种假说并非绝对对立,非此既彼。但此二因素都需达到一定程度,才能显著影响FOK判断等级的高低。     

Multivariate strategies in functional magnetic resonance imaging

We discuss aspects of multivariate fMRI modeling, including the statistical evaluation of multivariate models and means for dimensional reduction. In a case study we analyze linear and non-linear dimensional reduction tools in the context of a 'mind reading' predictive multivariate fMRI model.     

Agency, subjective time, and other minds

Intentional binding refers to a temporal attraction in the perceived times of actions and effects. So far, it has solely been investigated using judgments of the perceived time of actions or their effects. The authors report 3 experiments using an alternative method: the estimation of a time interval between a voluntary action and its subsequent effect. Interval estimates were obtained for intervals bounded by different kinds of actions and effects: The actions were either performed by the participants themselves or by the experimenter. The effects, in turn, were movements either applied to the body of the participant or to the experimenter. First, the results validated interval estimation as a method for exploring action awareness. Second, intentional binding was stronger for self-generated compared with observed actions, indicating that private information about the action contributes to action awareness. In contrast, intentional binding did not depend on whether a somatic effect was applied to the participant's or to another person's body. Third, for self-generated actions, external events gave rise to a stronger intentional binding than did somatic effects. This finding indicates that intentional binding especially links actions with their consequences in the external world.     

阿尔茨海默病主要相关基因研究进展

阿尔茨海默病（Alzheimer’s disease,AD）是一种老年性神经退行性疾病,随着人口老龄化和人类寿命的延长,AD逐渐得到人们的普遍关注。综述近5年AD的主要相关基因研究进展,为其诊断、预防和有效治疗提供新的思路。     

后路椎弓根内固定治疗胸腰段骨折不同植骨方法临床疗效比较

为了比较后路椎弓根螺钉复位内固定治疗胸腰段骨折不同植骨方法的临床疗效,2002年1月-2006年9月,经后路椎弓根螺钉复位内固定手术治疗胸腰段骨折140例。比较分析各组伤椎高度矫正丢失,脊柱后凸成角矫正丢失,脊髓神经功能恢复,内固定失效及腰背疼痛并发症情况。结果显示,伤椎前、后缘高度比值和脊柱后凸成角术前4组差异不具有显著性意义,椎弓根螺钉复位内固定结合不同植骨融合方法,可以减少单纯内固定矫正丢失和内固定失效及腰背疼痛并发症。经椎弓根椎体内植骨可增加前中柱的稳定性,临床治疗优于脊柱后方植骨融合。     

The carry-over effect of competition: The impact of competition on prejudice towards uninvolved outgroups

Following realistic group-conflict theory, negative interdependence between groups (e.g., competition) leads to prejudice towards the opposing outgroup. Based on research on mindset priming, it is hypothesized that competition increases prejudice, regardless of whether the derogated outgroup is involved in the competition or not. In Experiment 1, participants remembered an event involving either competition or cooperation; in Experiments 2 and 3 they participated in a competitive, cooperative, or individual assessment of their knowledge. Subsequent measures indicated that competition results in higher levels of prejudice, even when it is not related to the intergroup context. Additional evidence suggests that this effect is not driven by the transfer of negative affect or ego-depletion. Possible underlying cognitive processes are discussed.     

Flexible shaping: How learning in small steps helps

Humans and animals can perform much more complex tasks than they can acquire using pure trial and error learning. This gap is filled by teaching. One important method of instruction is shaping, in which a teacher decomposes a complete task into sub-components, thereby providing an easier path to learning. Despite its importance, shaping has not been substantially studied in the context of computational modeling of cognitive learning. Here we study the shaping of a hierarchical working memory task using an abstract neural network model as the target learner. Shaping significantly boosts the speed of acquisition of the task compared with conventional training, to a degree that increases with the temporal complexity of the task. Further, it leads to internal representations that are more robust to task manipulations such as reversals. We use the model to investigate some of the elements of successful shaping.