The Training Effect of Working Memory Based on Central Executive System Intervention in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Study

This article aims to investigate the training effect of working memory in older adults. A total of 43 older adults ranging in age from 75 to 95 were recruited to participate in the study. A battery of tests regarding central executive function, working memory, and primary mental ability were administered in the pretest phase. A total of 22 of the older participants were randomly selected as the intervention group. Thirteen days after the pretest, the same tests were administered to all of the participants. The results showed that (1) the differences in the pretest and posttest gains in the task-switching tests were not significant between the intervention group and the control group; (2) the performance of the intervention group on the operation working memory span test and the graphical reasoning test showed a significant improvement after the intervention compared with the control group who did not receive the intervention. We can conclude that the working memory of old adults may be improved by an intervention targeting the central executive system. However, this possibility needs further investigation.     

睡眠对知觉与动作序列内隐学习离线巩固效应的影响

离线阶段发生的学习被称为离线巩固, 即在最初获得知识之后, 即使没有额外的练习, 其记忆痕迹也会保持稳定或提高。有研究初步探究了睡眠对知觉和动作序列内隐学习离线巩固的影响, 然而, 这些研究未能实现知觉序列与动作序列的完全分离, 序列类型是否调节睡眠对内隐序列学习离线巩固的影响仍需进一步探讨。此外, 既往外显学习的研究发现相对于简单的序列, 复杂的序列更容易从睡眠中获益, 表现出基于睡眠的离线巩固效应。睡眠对知觉序列与动作序列内隐学习离线巩固的影响是否会受到序列复杂程度的调节尚不明确。为此, 本研究在完全分离知觉序列和动作序列的情况下, 通过3个实验操纵序列的长度及结构, 设置3种不同复杂程度的序列规则, 考察了这一问题。结果发现, 对于动作序列, 序列规则复杂程度较低时, 无论是否经过睡眠都会发生离线巩固效应, 而当动作序列规则较为复杂时, 只有经历睡眠才会引起离线巩固效应; 对于知觉序列, 无论何种难易程度的规则, 均未发生离线巩固效应。上述结果表明内隐序列知识基于睡眠的离线巩固会受到序列类型及序列复杂程度的调节, 这为内隐学习的离线巩固争论提供了新的视角。     

Early Childhood Care Trends and Associations with Child Health Well-being in China: Evidence from the CHNS 1991 to 2011 Data

It has become increasingly common for young children to be taken care of by multiple caregivers in China after the socio-economic reforms. Complex migration patterns and high female labour force participation have led to children receiving care from various individuals in different contexts. However, little is known about how childcare arrangements are associated with child health well-being. This study examines various early childhood caregivers and their influences on children’s physical health in China. Using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS 1991–2011) with 3,470 children aged 2 to 6, we first identified different types of childcare arrangements in and outside of the household based on who provides the care, where they provide the care, and the intensity of the care. Then we examined the relationship between various childcare arrangements and health outcomes for children. Overall, household members undertook early childhood care tasks in China, with an increase in grandparents as primary caregivers between 1991 and 2011. The proportion of children receiving formal childcare fluctuated around 20% during this period. The findings suggest that: 1) primary caregiver in the household other than parents is not associated with undesirable physical health outcomes; 2) formal childcare outside the household is associated with higher height and lower BMI scores; 3) primary caregivers in the household, particular grandparents, moderate the association between childcare arrangements outside the household and children’s health outcomes. It yields an implication that early childhood care policies incorporating multiple caregivers would benefit children’s well-being in China.

     

Examining Family Living Arrangements,Economic Development,Education Expenditure and Children’s Weight from the Welfare Mix in China

Applied Research in Quality of Life - There is increased social concern regarding children’s weight in China, but there is a relative lack of research concerning its social determinants....     

Culture and institutional agency: difference in judgments of economic behavior and organizational responsibilities

The current research tested the concept of institutional agency (IA) and its implications for laypeople's attribution patterns related to economic behaviors and organizational responsibilities. The term “institutional agency” refers to a set of lay theories about whether or not an organization can have personhood and related mental properties, such as wishes, desires, intents, and responsibility. Through three cross‐cultural studies, we found that people do form certain beliefs about IA which are similar to the legal discourse of institutional responsibility. However, there are significant cultural differences in views of IA, and the concept is more mentally salient for Americans than for Chinese. In Study 1, we distinguished institutional from group agency by showing the cultural differences on attributions in the scenario with “individual vs. group agency” and the scenario with “individual vs. institutional agency.” In Study 2, we again demonstrated the stronger salience of IA for Americans than for Chinese by including the individual, group, and institutional agencies together in one scenario. In Study 3, we further demonstrated that the concept of IA is more salient for Americans by presenting three different agents in separate scenarios. The practical implications of these cultural differences for cross‐cultural understanding and the psychological effects of economic globalization are discussed.     

Children’s Knowledge of Ellipsis Constructions in Mandarin Chinese

This study investigated 4-year-old children’s knowledge of the structural constraints on ellipsis constructions in Mandarin Chinese, focusing on the structural difference between verb phrase (VP) ellipsis and null object constructions. In Mandarin Chinese, if the antecedent clause of a VP-ellipsis structure contains an adverbial modifier, this adverbial modifier must be recovered at the elided site in the second clause. However, if the antecedent clause of a null object construction contains an adverbial modifier, the reconstruction of this adverbial modifier at the elided site is not necessary. Two experiments were conducted to examine whether young Mandarin-speaking children are sensitive to this structural difference between the two ellipsis constructions. The results show that children exhibited adult-like performance in both experiments. This is evidence that young Mandarin-speaking children have knowledge of the structural difference between VP-ellipsis and null object constructions with regard to adverbial recovery. We interpreted the findings in conjunction with previous research as evidence that children’s knowledge of the structural constraints on ellipsis constructions is innately specified.     

CAT选题策略分类概述

选题是计算机化自适应测验（CAT）测试过程的关键环节,选题策略的目标是要达到较高的测量精度,同时也实现试题曝光率控制及其他测验目标的实现.本文根据选题策略的基本原理和衍生发展,将众多CAT选题策略分为五大选题策略系列：Fisher函数系列、K-LI函数系列、α分层系列、贝叶斯系列、b匹配系列;并根据测验目标（测验精度、试题曝光率控制、内容平衡、多条件约束）对这些选题策略进行了细分,并对CAT选题策略的选择思路进行归纳.     

音乐对希望感的影响

过去的研究发现,在经历挫折后,相比于不听音乐,听积极音乐能提升人们的希望感。然而,研究者并不清楚积极音乐和消极音乐在提升希望感上是否存在差异,也不清楚这种差异是否由于两种音乐在诱发的积极情绪或消极情绪的差异造成的。文章通过三个实验来考察这些问题。实验一发现,在无挫折的情况下,积极音乐相比消极音乐诱发了更强的希望感。实验二发现,这种效应同样存在于人们回忆挫折之后,并且是积极情绪在其中起中介作用。实验三则通过设置控制组进一步发现,这种效应是由积极音乐对希望感的提升作用和消极音乐对希望感的降低作用共同引起的。文末讨论了该发现的意义。     

反馈时间、反馈类型和掩蔽类型对概率类别学习的影响

通过操纵反馈时间(即时,延迟)、反馈类型(简单,丰富)和掩蔽类型(塔罗牌,空白矩形),考察概率类别学习的学习机制。结果发现:(1)被试的学习成绩在即时反馈条件下显著优于在延迟反馈条件下;(2)在即时反馈条件下,仅给予简单反馈,被试虽能出色地完成天气预报任务,但是不能正确地判断卡片预测晴天的概率,倾向内隐学习;(3)在其他条件下,被试能正确地判断卡片预测晴天的概率以及各卡片在天气预报任务中预测天气的重要程度,表明被试能外显地意识到这些线索的作用。综上,概率类别学习采用的是双系统学习机制,既依赖内隐学习,又依赖外显学习。