Conditional Direction Dependence Analysis: Evaluating the Causal Direction of Effects in Linear Models with Interaction Terms

Abstract

Direction dependence analysis (DDA) makes use of higher than second moment information of variables (x and y) to detect potential confounding and to probe the causal direction of linear variable relations (i.e., whether x?→?y or y?→?x better approximates the underlying causal mechanism). The “true” predictor is assumed to be a continuous nonnormal exogenous variable. Existing methods compatible with DDA, however, are of limited use when the relation of a focal predictor and an outcome is affected by a moderator. This study presents a conditional direction dependence analysis (CDDA) framework which enables researchers to evaluate the causal direction of conditional regression effects. Monte–Carlo simulations were used to evaluate two different moderation scenarios: Study 1 evaluates the performance of CDDA tests when a moderator affects the strength of the causal effect x?→?y. Study 2 evaluates cases in which the causal direction itself (x?→?y vs y?→?x) depends on moderator values. Study 3 evaluates the robustness of DDA tests in the presence of functional model misspecifications. Results suggest that significance tests compatible with CDDA are suitable in both moderation scenarios, i.e., CDDA allows one to discern regions of a moderator in which the causal direction is uniquely identifiable. An empirical example is provided to illustrate the approach.     

乌特勒支恋家症量表在大学生中的信效度检验

为检验中文版乌特勒支恋家症量表在大学生群体中的信效度,使用样本1(n=1071),进行信效度检验与测量等值性,使用样本2(n=177,连续5期)检验跨时点的纵向测量等值性。结果表明中文版乌特勒支恋家症量表为五因子结构,包含想家、孤独、想念朋友、适应困难和关于家庭的沉思5个维度,具有良好的信效度、效标效度与测量等值性。意味该量表适合在我国大学生群体中使用,并能够用于跨性别、年级以及时点的相关研究。     

多个非线索化位置易代的一项实验研究

现在采用返回抑制范式所进行的空间非信息线索作用的研究,大多以非线索化位置反应时为参照,发现线索化位置的反应先易化后抑制。后者即返回抑制。本研究采用在返回抑制范式上增设中性线索化条件的方法,发现当靶子可以出现的位置为四个时,相对于中性线索化条件,非线索化位置反应快。这种非线索化位置的易化作用是独立存在的,它能使生物体尽快地对出现在多个非线索化位置的靶子作出反应。     

哀伤研究：新的视角与理论整合

哀伤（bereavement）研究长期以来都依循“悲伤过程假设（griefworkhypothesis）”,但20世纪80年代后其强调“与逝者分离”的基本假设受到挑战,界定的模糊也使得实证研究工作难以进行。当代研究者从依恋理论、创伤研究、认知应对研究、情感的社会功能等视角多方面对哀伤领域进行深入探索并出现了一些整合性的理论模型,文中对有代表性的“依恋与哀伤双程模型”作了介绍,并对“悲伤过程假设”进行了重新检视     

SSCI中自我表露研究的计量分析

采用文献计量学方法,利用SSCI对1975~2005年有关自我表露的文献进行统计分析,以揭示30年来自我表露研究主要涉及的学科领域、源期刊、研究者及其特点,特别将我国香港、台湾、大陆研究者的38篇本土研究进行了整理分析。从分析中可以看到我国本土研究虽然数量少,但研究热点、对象、方法等与国外研究基本一致,与此同时一些研究还关注到中国文化对表露的影响。从研究脉络来看,我国本土研究理论性有待加强     

英国新马克思主义的哲学探索

英国新马克思主义者站在时代的前沿,对马克思主义的传统理论命题,经济基础与上层建筑、社会主体、意识形态等问题进行了全新的解读,在此基础上,形成了一种独具特色的马克思主义文化理论阐释模式,并在当今世界上日益彰显出优越的价值。     

性自由及其限度

性的自由和解放是人的自由解放的重要组成部分,性自由权利是人权的一部分.但是性自由的权利不是无条件的、随心所欲的,而是一定社会规则限定下的人们的自觉自主活动.性自由必须在法律的界限内实现,且必须承担由此而带来的道德责任.     

生存论向度的技术伦理前提及其建构

技术伦理涉及价值观基础、道德规范、技术主体的责任等诸多问题.无论是传统的元伦理学、情感主义伦理学、规范伦理学还是所谓的实用伦理学,都只是从某一个维度上或在某一个层面上来阐述伦理问题,从而在一定程度上表现为对于人的生存价值的背离和对发展合理性的伦理诉求的缺失,这样就使技术伦理研究本身在某种程度上失去了应有的合理性.在合理性上,技术伦理研究不能脱离开对技术本质属性的认识和基本的理论前提.从生存论的向度审视,生存价值才是伦理的内在价值基础,而发展的合理性才是技术伦理建构的基本逻辑支点.只有在此基础上,技术伦理才能实现合理的建构.     

Enriched environment treatment restores impaired hippocampal synaptic plasticity and cognitive deficits induced by prenatal chronic stress

Prenatal stress can cause long-term effects on cognitive functions in offspring. Hippocampal synaptic plasticity, believed to be the mechanism underlying certain types of learning and memory, and known to be sensitive to behavioral stress, can be changed by prenatal stress. Whether enriched environment treatment (EE) in early postnatal periods can cause a recovery from these deficits is unknown. Experimental animals were Wistar rats. Prenatal stress was evoked by 10 foot shocks (0.8 mA for 1s, 2-3 min apart) in 30 min per day at gestational day 13-19. After weaning at postnatal day 22, experimental offspring were given the enriched environment treatment through all experiments until tested (older than 52 days age). Electrophysiological and Morris water maze testing was performed at 8 weeks of age. The results showed that prenatal stress impaired long-term potentiation (LTP) but facilitated long-term depression (LTD) in the hippocampal CA1 region in the slices. Furthermore, prenatal stress exacerbated the effects of acute stress on hippocampal LTP and LTD, and also impaired spatial learning and memory in the Morris water maze. However, all these deficits induced by prenatal stress were recovered by enriched environment treatment. This work observes a phenomenon that may contribute to the understanding of clinically important interactions among cognitive deficit, prenatal stress and enriched environment treatment. Enriched environment treatment on early postnatal periods may be one potentially important target for therapeutic interventions in preventing the prenatal stress-induced cognitive disorders.     

学校组织气氛对教师工作倦怠的影响

问卷调查了410名北京市中学教师,探讨了学校组织气氛对教师工作倦怠的影响。结果发现:教师的工作倦怠没有性别、是否班主任、年龄、任课班级数量、学生人数、周任课时数上的差别。在职称和婚姻因素上有明显的差别,玩世不恭维度上,高级职称的教师工作倦怠明显高于中教一级和中教二级教师,中教一级和中教二级教师之间的工作倦怠没有显著差异,单身教师的情绪衰竭和成就感低落比己婚教师明显偏高。在控制了人口统计学变量之后,分层回归和优势分析发现:支持行为和限制行为能显著预测情绪衰竭,限制行为的贡献更大;支持行为、监督行为、限制行为和同事行为能显著预测玩世不恭,支持行为的贡献更大;支持行为、同事行为和疏远行为能显著预测成就感低落,同事行为的贡献更大;亲密行为对情绪衰竭、玩世不恭和成就感低落没有预测作用。