The Wick in the Candle of Learning: Epistemic Curiosity Activates Reward Circuitry and Enhances Memory

ABSTRACT— Curiosity has been described as a desire for learning and knowledge, but its underlying mechanisms are not well understood. We scanned subjects with functional magnetic resonance imaging while they read trivia questions. The level of curiosity when reading questions was correlated with activity in caudate regions previously suggested to be involved in anticipated reward. This finding led to a behavioral study, which showed that subjects spent more scarce resources (either limited tokens or waiting time) to find out answers when they were more curious. The functional imaging also showed that curiosity increased activity in memory areas when subjects guessed incorrectly, which suggests that curiosity may enhance memory for surprising new information. This prediction about memory enhancement was confirmed in a behavioral study: Higher curiosity in an initial session was correlated with better recall of surprising answers 1 to 2 weeks later.     

Flattery will get you somewhere,sometimes? The effect of flattery and hotel segments on a hotel guests' green behavior

Considering the importance of the hotel guests' behavioral support for the hotels' green corporate social responsibility (CSR), this research examined the persuasive power of flattery in promoting guests' green behaviors. Study 1 revealed that a flattery message significantly increased the hotel guests' towel reuse intentions during their stay and this effect was mediated by their perceptions of the hotel's CSR motives. Study 2 further showed that a feeling of guilt served as another key mediator in the relationship between a flattery message and the guests' responses (i.e., perceived CSR motives, hotel image, attitudes toward a hotel, towel reuse intentions), which was moderated by hotel segment (economy vs. mid-priced vs. luxury). This research provides meaningful insights into the understanding of the consumers' pro-environmental decisions in the service consumption context and explains the underlying cognitive process. Moreover, this research offers an empirical message strategy by hotel segments to effectively promote the hotel guests' green behavior and achieve successful marketing outcomes.     

Understanding the Pathways from Depression to Suicidal Risk from the Perspective of the Interpersonal–Psychological Theory of Suicide

Suicide is a major public health concern, especially in adolescence. Identifying risk factors for suicide is important to effectively prevent such behavior. Depression is one of the most widely examined risk factors for suicidal risk. How depression and suicidal risk are related, however, is still not clear. This study tested a model with three key constructs of the interpersonal–psychological theory of suicidal behavior (IPTS)—perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI)—as mediators in the relationship between depression and suicidal risk among Chinese adolescents. Chinese high school students (N = 1,074; 54.2% male; M_age = 13.87 years, SD = 1.48) completed questionnaires assessing all study variables. Results suggested that perceived burdensomeness and NSSI partially mediated the relationship between depression and suicidal risk. Findings of this study emphasize the importance of the IPTS framework in understanding the possible mechanisms underlying the relationship between depression and suicidal risk, and suggest a possible avenue for suicide interventions.     

Suicide Risk Among Wounded U.S. Service Members

The association between suicide and combat injuries sustained during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was examined. A retrospective population‐based cohort design was conducted using official military records to identify combat injuries (October 7, 2001, to December 31, 2007). Those who were injured during combat had higher crude suicide rates than those who deployed and were not injured (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.50; confidence interval [CI] = 1.06, 2.12), or never deployed (IRR = 1.46; CI = 1.04, 2.06). After adjusting for demographics, these findings were no longer statistically significant. Although our data did not support an elevated suicide risk among wounded service members, additional research is needed to examine the impact of injury severity.     

问卷长度与作答型式的关系

从心理计量的观点来看,作答型式对心理测验及研究采用的问卷的信度和效度,均会构成严重威协。本文介绍了一些常见的作答型式及用来控制作答型式的传统统计方法。随后,我们指出由于这些传统统计方法都预先假定作答型式是稳定不变的,其效度便有疑问了;因为本文报告的研究证实了随着问卷长度的递增,作答型式会趋于刻板和不极端。因此,我们建议研究者在设计研究时,应尽量避免使用冗长的问卷。     

祛病延年的良药--幽默

当今世界不少国家在紧张的劳作之余,创办各种新奇的幽默组织,借以消除疲劳,松弛情绪,增进健康。幽默杂志美国健康学家创办的幽默杂志《疯狂》被西欧一些国家读者评为世界最佳幽默杂志。被它挖苦过的社会时弊,常常成为美国公民口中流传的笑柄。勤奋的美国人在操劳之余,从《疯狂》     

用于项目生成的认知模型的构建与比较——以矩阵完成问题为例

项目生成是一种新的测验编制技术,它可以弥补传统测验编制技术的缺陷.使用该技术编制测验,要进行大量的前期工作,如必须要了解和归纳所编测验中项目的所有刺激特征,据此建立认知模型,再将认知模型与心理计量模型联合,构建能预测新生成项目难度的数学模型等.该研究以矩阵完成问题为例,在带约束的两参数Logistic模型的基础上,通过对构建的几个认知模型的比较,挑选合适的认知模型为矩阵完成问题的项目生成研究服务.研究结果表明,自建的认知模型能够满足矩阵问题项目生成的要求.     

Cyclophosphamide impairs hippocampus-dependent learning and memory in adult mice: Possible involvement of hippocampal neurogenesis in chemotherapy-induced memory deficits

Cyclophosphamide (CYP) is an anti-neoplastic agent as well as an immunosuppressive agent. In order to elucidate the alteration in adult hippocampal function following acute CYP treatment, hippocampus-related behavioral dysfunction and changes in adult hippocampal neurogenesis in CYP-treated (intraperitoneally, 40 mg/kg) mice (8–10-week-old ICR) were analyzed using hippocampus-dependent learning and memory tasks (passive avoidance and object recognition memory test) and immunohistochemical markers of neurogenesis (Ki-67 and doublecortin (DCX)). Compared to the vehicle-treated controls, mice trained at 12 h after CYP injection showed significant memory deficits in passive avoidance and the object recognition memory test. The number of Ki-67- and DCX-positive cells began to decrease significantly at 12 h post-injection, reaching the lowest level at 24 h after CYP injection; however, this reverted gradually to the vehicle-treated control level between 2 and 10 days. We suggest that the administration of a chemotherapeutic agent in adult mice interrupts hippocampal functions, including learning and memory, possibly through the suppression of hippocampal neurogenesis.     

提示线索、目标信息对大学生攻击可能性判断的影响

该研究探讨了在受挫情境中,不同的提示线索和目标信息对大学生攻击可能性判断的影响,结果发现:1)线索提示对大学生攻击可能性判断存在显著性影响,而目标信息的主效应、目标信息与提示线索的交互作用并不显著。2)与图片线索相比较,命题线索更容易激活攻击性认知,进而影响大学生对攻击可能性的判断。