Computing stress

This article is based on a review of recent literature on “computing stress”; that is, on the psychological stress effects of working with computer systems. Current research into the sources of computer-related stress has tended to concentrate on those employees who operate Visual Display Units (VDUs), either on a full-time professional basis as word-processor (WP) operators, data-entry clerks, secretaries, or those dealing with enquiries from the public; or employees who use the VDU irregularly as part of their other duties. A few studies have looked at specific occupation groups, such as printers (Kalimo & Lepp?nen, 1985), information technology professionals (programers and analysts), process workers, and college students (Sproull, Kiesler, & Zubrow, 1984). Generally, however, research has been carried out on office workers, more often women, carrying out administrative tasks. An attempt is made to identify those potential work-related stressors that have been isolated by these studies, and also included are criticisms of the general methodologies used in many of them. The terms “visual display unit,” “visual display terminal,” VDU, VDT, and “terminal” are used interchangeably.     

The relative contributions of rods and cones in sensory memory under photopic and scotopic conditions

Brief presentations of letter arrays were probed by bar markers within or outside the fovea after various time delays. Figural information presented to the foveal region was retained better under a photopic condition than information in the parafoveal region, but under a scotopic condition parafoveal information demonstrated superior retention. However, decay rates over time of all functions were similar, demonstrating that figural information in the rods and cones decays at similar rates.     

非言语沟通的视觉信息在电视教学中的作用

本研究用社会心理学关于非言语沟通的观点分析电视教学,认为剥夺有关教师非言语沟通的视觉信息可能是影响电视教学质量的一个原因。通过模拟电视教学的实验验证这一假设。在三种条件下对被试进行同样内容的教学:条件Ⅰ为传统课堂教学;条件Ⅱ为呈现教师形象的电视教学;条件Ⅲ为无教师形象只呈现板书图示的电视教学。课后进行所学知识的测验和态度问卷。结果表明,在电视教学中增加有关教师非言语沟通的视觉信息对学习者知识的掌握及对教师、教学内容和教学形式的态度有积极作用。将剥夺互动中非言语沟通的视觉信息的消极影响命名为“屏风效应”。对提高电视教学质量提出了新的建议。     

学前儿童分类能力的初步实验研究

本研究结果表明:通过突出类的共同知觉属性以及指导语上对总类的强调、计数活动等能促进学前儿童解决类包含任务;如简化任务要求,仅提供熟悉的有限刺激物让儿童分类,即使3,4岁儿童也能按一定的类别标准分类,从而表现出初步的分类能力。     

关于短时记忆编码方式的实验研究

本文以汉字为材料,用信号检测法对短时记忆的编码方式进行研究,实验结果表明,汉字从总体上是以形状编码为主,这与 Conrard用英文字母为材料所作实验中得到的短时记忆以声音编码为主的结论不同;同时,各类型汉字的短时记忆编码方式也有差别。上述实验结果支持了关于短时记忆随情境而变换编码策略的设想。     

不同车速下司机对交通标志的辨认距离实验

本实验所得数据表明,不同车速下司机对同一标志的判读距离是不一样的,车速愈高,司机能判读标志的距离就愈短,同步行时相比,在车速提高到100公里/小时时,司机对标志的判读距离可减低35～45％。据我们的补充实验,这种现象的产生可能是由于司机在高速驾车情况下所产生的生理心理负荷造成的。     

苏联心理学界对活动理论的近期讨论

本文综述了近几年来苏联心理学界对A.H.列昂节夫代表的活动理论的讨论情况。其中包括三种意见,一种是支持态度,一种是持较大异议、企图用系统论取而代之的态度,一种是既不完全支持,也不完全否定的态度。从讨论中可以看出,活动理论在苏联仍有很大影响,人们公认列昂节夫是苏联马克思主义心理学奠基者之一,公认他提出的活动理论对建设马克思主义心理学的重要贡献。目前开展的讨论,不是要否定和批判活动理论,而是在爱护、珍惜它的前提下,对它进行补充、修正和发展,使它更加完善。作者认为,这一讨论对我们的主要启示是:一、苏联心理学者在把马克思主义作为建设心理学的方法论基础这一点上,没有根本分歧;二、我国心理学界需要展开一些理论上的争鸣和讨论,需要培养我们自己的理论家;三、必须首先明确“中国心理学的发展究竟走哪条路”的问题,为此应该重视基本理论的建设。     

正视及斜视条件下的深度觉及距离判断

本实验探讨了影响深度觉及距离判断的有关因素。实验分三部分:一、双眼正视(0°)和双眼斜视(45°)条件的深度觉辨别实验;二、双眼正视(0°)条件下不同距离相对判断实验;三、双眼斜视(45°)条件下的相对距离判断实验。实验结果表明:在双眼正视条件下(0°),深度觉辨别最准确,双眼斜视(45°)条件下,误差值明显增加,而单眼正视条件下,误差值最大。双眼斜视(45°)条件下的相对距离判断的误差值明显较之双眼正视(0°)条件下的为大。对2/4的相对距离判断的准确性均较之对1/4和3/4的距离为高。在双眼斜视条件下,眼肌调节发生变化,睫状肌紧张度增加,视觉易于疲劳可能是造成深度觉及距离判断准确性降低的主要原因。     

在回忆性同一判断中汉字信息提取的研究

继《再认性同一判断中汉字信息的提取》一文之后,我们作了《回忆性同一判断中汉字信息的提取》的研究,进一步研究了在同一性判断中汉字信息的提取问题,旨在比较在回忆与再认条件下人们对汉字信息提取的特点。结果表明,在回忆条件下意同判断的反应时最长,音近其次,形似最短。形似与意同判断,音近与意同判断间反应时差异显著,音近与形似之间不显著。 与前次实验相比。在回忆条件下语音的作用提高了,但形的作用仍然很大,说明字形与字音的编码对提取语义信息都有重要作用。同时,在回忆条件下,特征干扰都大于一般分心物的作用,说明单词的各种特征都影响到汉字信息的提取。     

Induction by reinforcer schedules.

Traditional strategies for determining whether a reinforcer schedule enhances the occurrence of an activity are reviewed and critically evaluated. A basic assumption underlying these strategies is that it is possible to isolate the effect of reinforcer intermittency on schedule induction. It is concluded that this is not, in fact, possible. An alternative approach is proposed that emphasizes the inductive effects of the reinforcer schedule as a unit and the effects of particular aspects of the reinforcer schedule (e.g., interreinforcer interval, repetition of the reinforcer, reinforcer magnitude).