Shared and distinct factors driving attention and temporal processing across modalities

In addition to the classic finding that “sounds are judged longer than lights,” the timing of auditory stimuli is often more precise and accurate than is the timing of visual stimuli. In cognitive models of temporal processing, these modality differences are explained by positing that auditory stimuli more automatically capture and hold attention, more efficiently closing an attentional switch that allows the accumulation of pulses marking the passage of time (Penney, Gibbon, & Meck, 2000). However, attention is a multifaceted construct, and there has been little attempt to determine which aspects of attention may be related to modality effects. We used visual and auditory versions of the Continuous Temporal Expectancy Task (CTET; O'Connell et al., 2009) a timing task previously linked to behavioral and electrophysiological measures of mind-wandering and attention lapses, and tested participants with or without the presence of a video distractor. Performance in the auditory condition was generally superior to that in the visual condition, replicating standard results in the timing literature. The auditory modality was also less affected by declines in sustained attention indexed by declines in performance over time. In contrast, distraction had an equivalent impact on performance in the two modalities. Analysis of individual differences in performance revealed further differences between the two modalities: Poor performance in the auditory condition was primarily related to boredom whereas poor performance in the visual condition was primarily related to distractibility. These results suggest that: 1) challenges to different aspects of attention reveal both modality-specific and nonspecific effects on temporal processing, and 2) different factors drive individual differences when testing across modalities.     

Does Religion Matter to Employment Protection? Evidence from Chinese Private Firms

Journal of Religion and Health - The upper echelons theory states that organizational engagements may replicate the experiences, personalities and values of dominant players within a firm. Based on...     

预览搜索中基于颜色的两种自上而下加工

预览搜索（preview search）研究是近几年来注意选择研究领域新的热点。本研究将预览搜索任务和探测任务相结合,通过两个实验证明了预览搜索中存在基于颜色的自上而下加工。在每次实验中,先出现预览项目,然后让被试根据有无提示音完成搜索任务或探测任务。在实验一中,探测点的颜色为旧项目同色和无关色两种;在实验二中,探测点的颜色为新项目同色和无关色两种。结果发现,旧项目同色的探测子的反应时长于无关色反应时,而新项目同色的探测子的反应时短于无关色反应时。笔者认为这是由于在预览阶段,可能存在两种自上而下加工,一种是主要基于旧项目颜色的抑制定势,另一种是基于靶子颜色的预期定势。这两种自上而下的调控机制可以解释预览效应的原因,同时利用颜色等特征的格式塔组织也在预览搜索中起着重要的作用     

The effects of context on the correspondence between observational ratings and questionnaire reports of hostile behavior: a multitrait, multimethod approach.

Scholars who study close relationships often measure the same concept with both observational ratings and questionnaire items. In studies where this has been done, the correlations between the two measures have often been low, and one reason may be a "context by measurement" confound. Observational ratings are usually based on behaviors during a specific task, whereas most questionnaire responses are based on a broader context such as "during the past month." In 2001, a total of 292 young couples were videotaped during a discussion task and asked to report on their own behavior and that of their partner during the discussion task and during the past month. The data were configured as a multitrait, multimethod matrix, and the magnitudes of the correlations were estimated with confirmatory factor analysis. The resulting correlations between observer ratings and questionnaire reports of hostile behavior during the videotaped discussion were roughly twice the magnitude of the correlations between observer rating and questionnaire reports during the past month. This suggests that the correspondence between behavioral categories and the content of questionnaire items is greater than previous studies have indicated.     

转型社会的权力再分配——对城市业主维权困境的解读

当前城市业主维权运动面临的共同困境表明,尽管转型时期的权力多极化趋势明显,但“自上而下”的国家主导型的权力再分配机制决定了当前权力分布的不对称和失衡状态,即国家-市场-社会之间的权力水平呈依次递减的格局。权力重塑的方向与市民社会发育的水平主要取决于国家在权力维续与权力让渡之间的权衡和取舍。     

Do 9-month-old infants expect distinct words to refer to kinds?

In 3 experiments, 9-month-old infants' expectations for what distinct count noun labels refer to were investigated. In Experiment 1, a box was opened to reveal 2 objects inside during familiarization: either 2 identical objects or 2 different objects. Test trials followed the same procedure, except before the box was opened, the contents were described using 2 distinct labels ("I see a wug! I see a dak!") or the same label twice ("I see a zav! I see a zav!"). Infants who heard a label repeated twice looked longer at 2 different objects versus 2 identical objects, whereas infants who heard 2 distinct labels showed a different pattern of looking. Experiments 2 and 3 presented infants with object pairs that only differed in shape or color, and it was found that infants expected the different-shaped (but not the different-colored) objects to be labeled by distinct count nouns. Because the property of shape is a cue to kind membership and the property of color is not, these results suggest that even at the beginning of word learning, infants may expect distinct labels to refer to distinct kinds of objects.     

儒家和谐思想义理发微

从内涵方面说,儒家和谐观注重不同因素之间良性的交互感通,相互配合,相互作用,从而使事物整体健康的发展变化;从价值基础说,儒家和谐思想立足于生命的体认与感通,认为人要通过对自我生命本质的体认,感通了悟天地万物、社会人生的生命本质,使个体生命积极的融入到群体生命、宇宙生命之中,展开的基本思路是由己及人,由内到外,从修养自身和谐做起,再推衍到人与人的和谐、社会的和谐、天地的和谐;从现代价值来说,源远流长的儒家和谐思想对当今世界有重大的启示作用。     

基于认知理论的测验编制技术—项目生成

传统测验重视统计技术,不重视测量结构的心理学意义,使得它的功能局限于筛选,不能提供更多的信息。由于认知心理学理论、心理计量学以及计算机技术的发展,使得基于认知理论指导下的项目生成技术逐渐成熟。该文从项目生成的概念、方法,及研究的意义和难点等方面对项目生成技术作了一个简要述评,以期推进我国认知心理学与心理测量学相结合的研究工作。     

从近代福州基督教会看女信徒的教会地位

基督教自近代大规模传入福州以来,在西方文明理念和中国社会进步大潮的推动下采取了许多措施,使得教内女信徒的地位有所改善和提高;但由于基督教教义天然的保守性和近代中国社会改良的滞后性,女信徒的教会地位又有一定的局限。教会中真正意义上的男女平等的实现最终有赖于全社会女性地位的整体提高。     

中国北方民族萨满文化所体现的生态伦理价值观念

萨满文化产生的基础是中国北方民族传统的渔猎、游牧经济和建立在这种经济基础上的氏族社会。萨满文化因其特定的地域和鲜明的民族特色,透过神灵创世、神生万物、万物有灵的精神世界,在人和自然界间体现了相互依存、荣辱与共的和谐互动关系,蕴含着人要适应环境,以自然为本,保护自然、亲近自然的原始环保理念。