Using HLM to Explore the Effects of Perceptions of Learning Environments and Assessments on Students’ Test Performance

The study examines the role that perceptions or impressions of learning environments and assessments play in students’ performance on a large-scale standardized test. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to test aspects of the Learning Errors and Formative Feedback model to determine how much variation in students’ performance was explained by students’ and school principals’ perceptions of learning environments and assessments. Results from sequential HLM testing indicated that students’ but not principals’ perceptions explained a significant, although modest, amount of the total variation in students’ test performance. These results suggest that when students perceive learning environments to be safe and valuable, and positive assessment activities to be taking place, they tend to perform better on standardized tests than when they perceive learning environments and assessment activities otherwise. These findings provide a rationale for investigating the variables that can help improve students’ perceptions in order to enhance their test performance.     

无图无真相？图片和文字网络评论对服务产品消费者态度的影响

图片和文字是网络评论的两种主要形式.该研究以酒店产品为例,通过两个实验考察了图片和文字网络评论在不同时间距离和社会距离情境下对服务产品消费者态度的影响.实验一结果表明,远期消费者产品态度受到文字评论影响更大;而近期消费者受到图片评论的影响更大.实验二结果表明,与评论者社会距离远的消费者态度受到文字评论的影响更大;与评论者社会距离近的消费者受图片评论的影响更大.最后,提出了管理建议.     

Information Matrices and Standard Errors for MLEs of Item Parameters in IRT

The paper clarifies the relationship among several information matrices for the maximum likelihood estimates (MLEs) of item parameters. It shows that the process of calculating the observed information matrix also generates a related matrix that is the middle piece of a sandwich-type covariance matrix. Monte Carlo results indicate that standard errors (SEs) based on the observed information matrix are robust to many, but not all, conditions of model/distribution misspecifications. SEs based on the sandwich-type covariance matrix perform most consistently across conditions. Results also suggest that SEs based on other matrices are either not consistent or perform not as robust as those based on the sandwich-type covariance matrix or the observed information matrix.     

Positive and negative emotions modulate attention allocation in color-flanker task processing: Evidence from event related potentials

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of emotions in conflict processing. Behavioral and event related potential (ERP) data were acquired from twenty participants while they were performing a color-flanker task, in which the stimuli were emotional and neutral words. Through temporal principal component analysis (PCA) of ERP, three PCA components were extracted with their time windows mapped to three ERP components: N1, N2 and P3. Further analysis revealed, when the stimuli were the positive words, N1 was marginally greater for the congruent condition than for the incongruent condition (p = .06); while the stimuli were the negative words, N1 was greater for the incongruent condition than for the congruent condition (p = .02); however, no significant interaction effect involving the valence of words (positive vs. negative) and the color congruency (congruent vs. incongruent) was found on N2, P3 and the behavior data. The result suggested that negative emotion might lead to more attention allocation in the incongruent processing, while positive emotion might lead to more attention allocation in the congruent processing. Furthermore, ERP source analysis in the present study confirmed anterior cingulate cortex was involved in the conflict monitoring mechanism.     

中西方文化差异视角下领导-部属关系的结构模型

从中西方文化差异视角,采用本土化研究的思路,构建并检验中国文化下领导-部属关系的结构模型。研究1采用质性研究方法,通过19人的访谈、284人的开放式问卷调查和1部文学著作的分析等3种途径,经3轮条目分类,建立了领导视角和部属视角各7个维度的领导-部属关系结构模型。研究2选取391人的领导样本和133人的领导-部属匹配样本,通过探索性和验证性因素分析,发现领导-部属关系是一个双视角、二阶四因素的结构。双视角是指领导视角和部属视角,二阶因素是指领导-部属的积极关系和消极关系,4个因素分别为关心支持、控制划派、忠诚贡献、抵触反对。与西方LMX-7量表相比,本土化的领导-部属关系量表(LMR量表)在预测工作中的心理健康指标方面具有一定优势。该模型将西方研究对领导-部属“交换”的关注转换到对“关系”的关注上,把仅对积极关系的关注扩展到对消极关系的关注上,并发现了领导视角和部属视角各有不同的结构。     

中国大陆宁养照顾对癌症末期患者生活质量之影响

宁养工作强调全人的照顾,不但能维持原有的生活方式,而且能提高生活的品质。本研究旨在探讨癌症末期患者在宁养照顾介入后,生活质量的改变。研究分为试验组（n=630）和对照组（n=241）。研究的结果显示癌症末期患者经过宁养介入后,其身、心、灵、社会之生活品质大幅度改善。而对照组患者仅在身体生活质量方面有显著改变。因此对医疗人员、社会大众的临终关怀观念的推广及教育是迫切需要的,立法更是不容忽视的课题,正确的立法才能真正推动宁养工作的发展。     

The dynamics of self-regulation

Research on the dynamics of self-regulation addresses situations in which people select goal-directed actions with respect to other existing or still missing actions towards accomplishing that goal. In such situations people can follow two possible patterns: they can highlight a goal by attending to it more if they have attended to it, or they can balance their goals by attending to a goal more if they have not attended to it. The choice of which pattern to follow depends on the representation of goal actions: when actions signal commitment, people highlight, and when actions signal progress, people balance. We identify several variables that determine whether people follow a dynamic of commitment-induced highlighting or progress-induced balancing. We then discuss the implications of this model for seeking, giving, and responding to feedback.     

Classification accuracy and consistency of computerized adaptive testing

In this article, four item selection methods in computerized adaptive testing are examined in terms of classification accuracy and consistency, including two popular heuristics for constraint management, the maximum priority index (MPI) method and the weighted deviation modeling method, as well as the widely known maximum Fisher information method and randomized item selection as baselines. Results suggest that the MPI method is able to meet constraints and keep test overlap rate low. Among the four methods, it is the only one that manages to produce parallel forms in terms of content coverage and, consequently, the only method to which the idea of classification consistency applies. With tests as short as 12 items, the MPI method does fairly well in classifying examinees accurately and consistently. Its performance improves with longer tests. The effects of number of decision categories and cut score locations are also examined. Recommendations are made in the Discussion section.     

中学生家庭作业努力及其影响因素

家庭作业努力是评估学生家庭作业行为的重要指标之一,包括家庭作业完成的主动性、投入性、注意力专注性和试图完成家庭作业的比例或任务数量4个维度。个体的性别、责任心、家庭作业动机、家庭作业情绪等个体因素以及教师的反馈和支持、家庭作业质量、家庭因素等环境因素都会影响家庭作业努力。未来的研究方向主要在于影响因素间的相互作用机制和影响效果的干预、对特殊群体学生家庭作业努力的关注以及基于计算机的家庭作业条件下,影响家庭作业努力的因素等方面。     

The coupling of short sleep duration and high sleep need predicts riskier decision making

Abstract

Objective: To examine how risk-related decision making might be associated with habitual sleep variables, including sleep variability, sleep duration and perceived sleep need in young adults cross-sectionally and longitudinally.

Design: 166 participants completed a 7-day protocol with sleep and risk-related decision-making measures at baseline (T1) and 12 months later (T2).

Results: Habitual short sleep duration (averaging < 6?h nightly) was identified in 11.0% in our sample. After controlling for baseline demographic factors and risk-taking measures, self-reported sleep need at T1 interacted with habitual short sleep in predicting risk taking at follow-up (F_8,139=9.575, adjusted R²=.431, p<.001). T1 greater perceived sleep need predicted more risk taking among short sleepers, but decreased risk taking among normal sleepers at T2. Variable sleep timing was cross-sectionally correlated with making more Risky choices at baseline and fewer Safe choices after loss at follow up.

Conclusions: Young adults with variable sleep timing and those with short sleep duration coupled with high perceived sleep need were more likely to take risks. The moderating effects of perceived sleep need suggest that individual differences may alter the impact of sleep loss and hence should be measured and accounted for in future studies.