MA and Togetherness (Ittaikan) in the Narratives of Dancers and Spectators: Sharing an Uncertain Space

The Japanese concept/character MA (間), commonly translated as “gap, interval, or the in between,” partakes in many forms of Japanese arts and daily-life practices. In this article, we report the results of a qualitative research on the meaning or experience of MA and its relation with the feeling of togetherness in the context of contemporary dance improvisation. We interviewed performers and spectators (all professional dancers) while they watched the videotaped and reduced stick-figure versions of short dance improvisations created in a laboratory installed with motion-capture sensors. Based on the individual narratives, and inspired by Japanese and occidental aesthetic writings, we elaborate a specific understanding of MA as attending to the event's preacceleration, and how this experience causally relates to the feeling of togetherness (一体感, ittaikan). We propose that MA, understood not extensionally (as an empty space or a silent gap), but intentionally/internally as a certain quality of attention or perceptual mode, is fertile ground for serendipity. MA as an interpersonal ethical construct suggests a transsubjective difference as a foundation for a collective coming together.     

A consumer-grade LCD monitor for precise visual stimulation

Because they were used for decades to present visual stimuli in psychophysical and psychophysiological studies, cathode ray tubes (CRTs) used to be the gold standard for stimulus presentation in vision research. Recently, as CRTs have become increasingly rare in the market, researchers have started using various types of liquid-crystal display (LCD) monitors as a replacement for CRTs. However, LCDs are typically not cost-effective when used in vision research and often cannot reach the full capacity of a high refresh rate. In this study we measured the temporal and spatial characteristics of a consumer-grade LCD, and the results suggested that a consumer-grade LCD can successfully meet all the technical demands in vision research. The tested LCD, working in a flash style like that of CRTs, demonstrated perfect consistency for initial latencies across locations, yet showed poor spatial uniformity and sluggishness in reaching the requested luminance within the first frame. After these drawbacks were addressed through software corrections, the candidate monitor showed performance comparable or superior to that of CRTs in terms of both spatial and temporal homogeneity. The proposed solution can be used as a replacement for CRTs in vision research.     

征兵用数字搜索测验的研制

基于信息加工速度理论自编征兵用数字搜索测验,使用该测验对全国15735名应征青年及190名新兵进行了测量,3个月新兵营训练结束时由228上级对1900名士兵的智力相关工作绩效情况进行了调查,通过对上述数据的分析确定了测验方法及划界分数,并进行了信、效度检验。结果表明:缺失不同数字对题目难度有影响;划界分数为197秒正确应答27题以上;该测验的内部一致性α系数为0.864;预测符合率为95.7%。     

汉字认知倒置效应的行为学研究

通过比较被试对相同刺激在不同诱导条件和不同特征变化条件下的认知的异同,探索倒置效应对认知的影响及机理.结果发现:当呈现的刺激被诱导为汉字认知时,仅在结构变化条件下出现倒置效应;而同样的刺激被诱导为字母组合被加工时,在结构和细节变化时均不会出现倒置效应.研究结果揭示了激活诱导效应对认知的重要影响,支持了专家假说对倒置效应的解释,进一步说明了结构和整体加工对专家系统的重要意义.     

Moving Toward Comprehensiveness and Sustainability in a Social Ecological Approach to Youth Violence Prevention: Lessons from the Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Violence Prevention Center

Youth violence is a serious public health problem affecting communities across the United States. The use of a social ecological approach has helped reduce its prevalence. However, those who have put the approach into practice often face challenges to effective implementation. Addressing social ecology in all its complexity presents one obstacle; the ability of private non-profit and public agencies to sustain such comprehensive efforts presents another. Here, we provide an example of our efforts to prevent youth violence. We worked with the Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Violence Prevention Center (APIYVPC) and two communities on O`ahu. We provide a case example from the Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Violence Prevention Center (APIYVPC) of our work, in collaboration with two communities on O`ahu, to develop and implement a youth violence prevention initiative that is becoming both comprehensive and sustainable. We illustrate the incremental nature of what it means to be comprehensive and we underscore the importance of reaching sustainability as the project unfolds.     

The promotional role of meaning in life in future-oriented coping: Positive affect as a mediator

The present study examined the role of meaning in life (MIL) in predicting positive affect and future-oriented coping, and whether positive affect mediated the relationship between MIL and future-oriented coping. The participants were 68 Chinese university students who were randomly assigned to two conditions: a MIL priming condition and a control condition. Positive affect was measured before and after the manipulation. MIL, positive affect and future-oriented coping were assessed at 1-week follow-up. The results showed that the level of positive affect increased after the manipulation in the MIL priming condition. Fifty-five of the participants completed the follow-up survey, and results showed that the MIL priming condition exhibited higher levels of future-oriented coping at follow-up compared to the control condition. Mediation analyses confirmed that MIL promoted proactive coping via positive affect. This study provides empirical support for the promotional role of MIL in future-oriented coping and clarifies the mechanism via the mediating effect of positive affect.     

共同经历不公平降低个体的不公平感知

以往鲜有研究考察个体与他人共同经历不公平如何影响其不公平感知。本研究实验1~2采用最后通牒博弈任务考察个体独自经历,以及与他人共同经历不公平时的不公平感知。结果表明,共同经历不公平,相比独自经历不公平,降低了个体的不公平感知。实验3采用眼动技术考察共同经历不公平降低个体不公平感知的内部心理机制,结果表明,个体越关注共同经历者的收益,其不公平感知越低,该结果支持社会比较的观点。     

认知元反应理论--IRT直接应用于多值记分题

0-1记分测验的项目反应理论已经得到广泛的研究和应用.但是,许多测验都含有多值记分题,所以需要将IRT推广到此类情况.从认知理论的观点看,每个0-1记分题(项目)和多值记分题的每个测试点都可同样地看成一个由若干知识点构成的集合,称之为认知元;根据认知元之间存在的关系可以确定各受测者对各试题作出特定答案的概率,从而不需要引用任何其它假设就可将IRT的方法直接应用于含多值记分题的测验.本文应用这一理论分析了某些测验样本,结果表明是可行的.     

儒家伦理对完善医疗储蓄账户的启示

家庭医疗账户是家庭文化的产物.医疗保健、预防疾病是家庭的责任.通过医疗储蓄账户积累医疗保障基金,解决家庭成员的生老病死问题,这非常切合以家庭和血缘为根本特征的儒家伦理的精髓.同新加坡现行的医保制度相比,我国在医疗储蓄账户的运行中仍存在着一些问题,需要立足于中国国情做进一步的反思与探索.     

汉语习语理解研究

研究宗旨是探讨中国成人对汉语中三字习语的加工处理问题。研究材料包括：（１）动宾结构的惯用语,既有比喻意义又有字面意义;（２）动宾结构的一般三字词组;（３）偏正结构的三字惯用语,既有比喻意义又有字面意义;（４）偏正结构的一般三字词组;（５）动宾结构的惯用语。只有比喻意义而无字面意义;（６）三字词。它们都是被试所熟悉的。向３５名成人呈现这些词语和（７）无意义三字组合,要求他们作意义判别。结果表明,所有惯用语的判断反应均无显著性差异,各组惯用语的判断反应时均慢于单词,而快于一般词组。实验结果基本支持两种意义同时加工,但比喻意义优先完成的假设。此外,文章还讨论了习语的词汇化等问题。