Who finds neutral pictures pleasant and relaxing?

Valence and arousal are independent dimensions of consciously experienced affect. The former refers to pleasantness; the latter to the degree of excitement or stimulation. The present research explores some of the predictors of these dimensions through the hypothesis that valence relates to positive affect and lack of negative affect, while arousal is tied to negative affect, and that both are predicted by personal wellbeing, considered as a way of achieving happiness. The occurrence of depressive symptoms is also considered within the hypothesis: as a facet of negative affect, as lack of wellbeing, or as an independent dimension placed at the same level as wellbeing, and which relates to both positive and negative affect (considered as mediators). Sixty-one participants were asked to view on a computer screen a series of 20 neutral pictures, having medium valence and low arousal, and complete self-report questionnaires to assess affect, personal wellbeing, and the occurrence of depressive symptoms. After picture viewing, valence and arousal judgments were requested. In the analysis, three competing models with latent variables were tested, to assess at best the role depressive symptoms have. They confirmed that valence is predicted by high positive and low negative affect, arousal by negative affect and even directly by the occurrence of depressive symptoms, and that personal wellbeing and depressive symptoms are the starting point. They are negatively correlated and predict positive (both) and negative affect (just the occurrence of depressive symptoms). The discussion focuses on both theoretical and practical implications. Suggestions for future research are given.     

Supervisors' upward exchange relationships and subordinate outcomes: testing the multilevel mediation role of empowerment

This study empirically examined the proposition that supervisors' exchange relationships with their own supervisors (i.e., leader-leader exchange, or LLX) are related to their subordinates' work-related outcomes through 3 mechanisms: (a) leaders modeling their LLX to develop and maintain their exchange relationships with their subordinates (i.e., leader-member exchange, or LMX), (b) motivating the team and its members, captured by team and individual empowerment, and (c) facilitating the relationships between LMX and individual outcomes. Analyses of multisource and lagged data from 104 team supervisors and 577 subordinates showed that LMX mediated the positive relationship of LLX on subordinates' individual empowerment. Furthermore, team empowerment and individual empowerment sequentially mediated the positive relationships between LLX and subordinates' job satisfaction and job performance. The authors also found that the indirect relationships of LMX with job satisfaction and job performance via individual empowerment were stronger when LLX was higher. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.     

朴素物理观和朴素心理观--进化心理学视角

人类在进化过程中解决生存与繁衍问题需要适应物理环境和社会环境。进化心理学认为人类适应物理环境与社会环境的心理机制分别称为朴素物理观和朴素心理观。文章首先阐述了朴素物理观和朴素心理观的有关内容,并指出两性差异的一个重要方面在于移情和系统化的不同组合,同时对其进化意义做了分析。     

年龄和知识学习对国家分类的影响

通过两个自由分类实验探讨年龄和知识学习对国家分类的影响。实验1探讨年龄对国家分类的影响。结果表明,不同年龄的人对国家分类基本一致,但有一定差异。实验2探讨分类前的知识学习对国家分类的影响。结果表明,知识学习能有效地影响分类。阅读文章的主题影响被试的分类标准。整个研究表明,社会概念的分类是事物特征、知识经验和分类情境相互作用的产物。分类既受事物特征的影响,也受人的知识经验影响,还受分类情境影响,从而支持一种权变的观点。     

隐喻在文章语境中的理解--概念隐喻理论探讨

概念隐喻理论认为,语言系统中存在着广泛的隐喻一致性,人们对于隐喻的理解是通过将其匹配到基本的概念隐喻来进行的。但有研究者指出,除了一些新颖的隐喻,惯用隐喻的理解并不需要概念匹配。本研究认为,概念隐喻已经储存在长时记忆中,在文章语境中,无论惯用隐喻还是新颖隐喻的理解都可能产生概念匹配。三个实验支持了这一假设。实验一通过目标句的阅读反应时探讨不同文章版本下目标句的理解情况;实验二和实验三从事后与即时两方面对各种文章版本下的概念匹配情况进行比较。研究结果支持了概念隐喻理论。     

国外儿童认知发展与学习的最新研究述评

认知发展变化是儿童发展研究的中心课题,而儿童学习是研究儿童认知发展变化的一个重要方面。20世纪90年代以来,随着儿童学习重新研究,儿童认知发展研究取得显著进展。本文在最新儿童认知发展和学习研究的基础上,概述儿童早期认知能力的新发现以及儿童学习的有关研究和结论,并提出了新的研究框架。     

空间信息表征对语义相关判断的影响

探讨空间信息对语义相关判断的影响。实验材料是具有内在纵向空间关系的词对,纵向呈现在计算机屏幕上,呈现顺序与指代物的空间位置次序一致或不一致,要求被试对词对进行语义相关判断。综合2个实验的结果表明,语义相关判断任务中被试会自动激活指代物的空间信息,并且其对空间信息的表征是知觉符号表征,而非表象表征。研究结果进一步支持了知觉符号理论。     

样例表面内容对问题解决类比迁移过程的影响

探讨样例与新问题表面内容不同的相似关系对类经迁移过程的影响。实验１要求被试学习概率问题的样例后,解决与样例表面内容相似关系不同的新问题。结果表明,在新问题的内在原理与样例相同的情况下,两者表面根貌相似有利于被试对新问题的类化,表面对应相似则促进被试对公式的正确运用;     

小学生概括不同类型记叙文主题的心理加工过程的研究

中文考察小学生概括两类记叙文主题的信息加工过程,分为两步,第一步考察小学生概括主题的阅读过程,探讨不同年级的小学生在有或无概括主题任务的情况下进行阅读的特点。第二步是概括主题的口头报告分析,主要研究小学生概括文章主题的信息加工过程。根据要求从广州市某小学二、四、六年级学生中分别选出两步研究的被试,实施实验方案。结果表明：１．低年级学生的自然阅读过程主要是单一的语言解码信息加工活动,高年级学生的阅读过程可以同时进行语音解码与组织连贯的信息加工活动;２．小学生对记叙文的主题的概括过程,一般经过语言解码,组织连贯,文章命题网络的整理与收敛,验证调整等四项信息加工活动,学生对一事表人与多事表人的两类典型的记叙文主题概括的信息加工过程基本相同,不过在文章网络的整理与收敛这个关键性的环节的具体进程有一定的差异。     

熟悉感来源:相异-归因假设述评

有关熟悉感的研究,近几年已经取得了进展。继Jacoby等在再认记忆研究中对熟悉感的产生得出的流畅启动假设后,Whittlesea等人通过大量的实验,从一个新的角度对熟悉感的产生进行了解释,提出了相异-归因假设。该文旨在对这一假设的主要观点、对元认知领域的重要意义及其存在的不足进行述评,以便进一步的探讨。