CULTURAL ADAPTATIONS AND DIFFUSION FOR MANAGERIAL STRATEGIES AND RESPONSES IN HONG KONG

This paper addresses the issue of cultural adaptations and diffusion for managerial strategies in host societies to which work enterprises are not indigenous in terms of their capital and management or either. With illustrations drawn from a series of case-studies of work organisations in Hong Kong managed respectively by Chinese, British and Japanese capital, there was an appearance of support for the thesis of ‘cultural’ determinism and its implications for strategical adaptations in work organisations. The implication was drawn that the Oriental nexus of altruism, trust and subtlety could be rooted in the more laudible and perhaps global influence of Confucianism. Some subsequent issues are raised. First, the problem of cultural adaptation is not specific to multinationals or foreign firms visiting from outside but also applies where the management and their ethic background are not indigenous. The other issue is the extent of cultural adaptation within work organisations, as determined by the degree of affinity with a common mother culture. The paper suggests that a common denominating mother culture can serve a strategical starting point to bring about intra-organisational and organisation-society link and harmony.     

Computational and reasoning abilities in arithmetic: Cross-generational change in China and the United States

A Chinese advantage over Americans was found for economically relevant computational and reasoning abilities in arithmetic for groups of 6th- and 12th-grade students matched or equated on general intelligence. No cross-national difference for computational or reasoning abilities was found for samples of older (60- to 80-year-old) Chinese and American adults equated on general intelligence. The pattern of change in arithmetical competencies across cohorts suggests that the Chinese advantage in 6th and 12th grade is due to a cross-generational decline in competencies in the United States and a cross-generational improvement in China.     

不确定性问题解决策略研究及存在的问题分析

通过对不确定性问题解决及认知策略方面颇有代表性的研究的回顾、分析了该领域的研究特点、现状及存在的问题。     

Models and theories I: The semantic view revisited

The paper, as Part I of a two‐part series, argues for a hybrid formulation of the semantic view of scientific theories. For stage‐setting, it first reviews the elements of the model theory in mathematical logic (on whose foundation the semantic view rests), the syntactic and the semantic view, and the different notions of models used in the practice of science. The paper then argues for an integration of the notions into the semantic view, and thereby offers a hybrid semantic view, which at once secures the view's logical foundations and enhances its applicability. The dilemma of either losing touch with the practice of science or yielding up the benefits of the model theory is thus avoided.     

Can Planck's constant be measured with classical mechanics?

An interesting case of the complex interaction between theory and experiment can be found in many experiments in quantum physics employing classical reasoning. It is expected that this practice would lead to quantitative inaccuracy, unless the measurements’ results were averaged. Whether or not this inaccuracy is significant depends critically on the details of the particular experimental situation. The example of Millikan's photoelectric experiment, in which he obtained a precise value of Planck's constant, provides a good case for illustrating the process of estimating the inaccuracy resulting from the classical‐quantum discrepancy. In the case of Millikan's experiment, it seems that a significant inaccuracy was avoided because of fortunate coincidences. In general, in the absence of a careful analysis, it is impossible to say whether the use of classical reasoning interferes with the accuracy of a quantum‐physical experiment.     

Adjusting Social Inferences in Familiar and Unfamiliar Domains: The Generality of Response to Situational Pragmatics

Two experiments investigated the influence of situational pragmatics on the selective use of specific instances and generalized knowledge structures to make social inferences. In Experiment 1, social inferences were made in an unfamiliar domain similar in structure to a typical situation of social greetings and address, but devoid of useful cues to social schemas. Participants were told that either one or another of the features of the situation was more pragmatically important for deriving inferences about appropriate social behaviour; consistent with predictions from a computational model of analogical mapping (ACME), they made reliable inferences based on analogies to specific instances, with the situational importance of relations guiding the selection of the optimal analogue. In Experiment 2, social inferences were examined in the more familiar domain of predicting social behavior between low and high status persons and between members of an ingroup and an outgroup in Japan. The availability of specific examples was varied, as was the perceived importance of status and group membership. The situation was isomorphic to that in the first experiment, except for the availability of generalized knowledge structures to guide inferences. Participants made relatively veridical inferences that were sensitive to variations in the pragmatic importance of dimensions. Provision of specific analogues had little impact on inferences, suggesting that participants were relying instead on more general and cross-culturally applicable knowledge about adjusting social relations according to situational pragmatics.     

Social Dominance Orientation, Hierarchy Attenuators and Hierarchy Enhancers: Social Dominance Theory and the Criminal Justice System

This study investigated differences in social dominance orientation between incumbents of different social roles (police officers vs. public defenders) and ethnic groups known to differ in general social status (i.e., whites vs. blacks and Hispanics). Consistent with theoretical expectations: (a) Police were significantly more social-dominance oriented than either jurors or public defenders. (b) Public defenders tended to be less social-dominance oriented than jurors. (c) Euro-Americans were significantly more social dominance oriented than Afro- and Hispanic-Americans, (d) Euro-American police officers had, by far, the highest levels of social dominance orientation. Furthermore, all of the effects above held even when controlling for demographic factors such as gender, social class, age, education, and ethnic group. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.     

A structural comparison between state and trait self-regulation models

State and trait-regulation models were compared in 315 eleventh-graders using simultaneous confirmatory factor analysis. Each of the first-, second-, and third-order factor models was found to describe the data from both state and trait measures well. In both state and trait self-regulation models, the third-order factor, self-regulation, is composed of metacognition and effort, and the second-order factor, metacognition, is composed of awareness, cognitive strategy, planning, and self-checking. Findings of invariant factor loadings and factor correlations across state and trait measures indicate that the state and trait self-regulatory factor structures are similar. Unlike the state-trait distinctions found in affective personality domain, clear state-trait distinction was not found in this cognitive domain. In both measures, students who engaged more frequently in metacognitive activities and effort use in their mathematical problem solving performed better than those who did not.     

护士职业的人格特质研究

采用Ｙ－Ｇ性格测验问卷,对临床护士和在读护生共３９０人,进行了心理测评,展开了护士职业的人格特质研究。研究结果表明：优秀护士群体的性格类型和某些人格特质显著地优于一般护士群体;优秀护士与一般护士间所显现出显著差异的人格特质,对于护士角色人格的构成具有决定性影响;Ｙ－Ｇ性格测验的Ａ型性格类型评定对于护士职业的心理选拔显现特异性趋势;整个测评研究结果,基本支持＂护士个体人格特质与角色人格特质的匹配模式＂等理论假设．     

恐惧发生与预防的实验研究：──Ⅱ、强噪音下不同处理背景动物身心变化的观察分析

采用生理心理学的实验方法．对强噪音下四组不同处理背景大鼠的旷场反应、援食、饮水、排泄和尿生物化学等方面进行比较。结果发现：①Ⅰ组（强刺激组）的各类指标均发生情绪性（恐惧）改变。与２组（预防训练Ⅰ组）、３组（预防训练Ⅱ组）、４组（控制组）以及自身基线（ＭＡＯ）比较差异显著;②适应性训练有助于防止大鼠恐惧发生及上述各类指标发生异常．③由于训练的方法不同,预防的效果也不同。３组与４组比较无显著差异,２组与４组比较某些指标有显著差异。④１组和２组部分大鼠出现皮肤、消化道病变。