Murray Sidman: A life of giving

Murray Sidman's contributions to the science of behavior span many areas including avoidance behavior, coercion and its effects, stimulus control, errorless learning, programmed learning, stimulus equivalence, and single-subject methodology. He was also a great mentor to many and helped shape the discipline we now call behavior analysis. In this memoriam, we briefly highlight his scholarly legacy and share some personal anecdotes.     

Intercessory Prayer on Spiritual Distress,Spiritual Coping,Anxiety, Depression and Salivary Amylase in Breast Cancer Patients During Radiotherapy: Randomized Clinical Trial

The goal of this study was to assess the effect of intercessory prayer in the psychological, spiritual and biological scores of breast cancer patients who are undergoing radiotherapy. Double-blind RCT comprising a sample of 31 participants (15 in the Control Group and 16 in the Intervention Group). Data collection was performed in three time points (T₀, T₁ and T₂). Significant changes have been identified in the intra-group analysis, concerning the decrease in spiritual distress score; negative religious/spiritual coping prevailed, while the total religious/spiritual coping increased between the posttest T₂ to T₀. Intercessory prayer was effective in religious and spiritual scores.

     

Extending the Basic Local Independence Model to Polytomous Data

Psychometrika - A probabilistic framework for the polytomous extension of knowledge space theory (KST) is proposed. It consists in a probabilistic model, called polytomous local independence model,...     

Truth Without Reference: The Use of Fictional Names

Topoi - Singular terms without referents are called empty or vacuous terms. But not all of them are equally empty. In particular, not all proper names that fail to name an existing object fail in...     

Precise Worlds for Certain Minds: An Ecological Perspective on the Relational Self in Autism

Topoi - Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) presents a challenge to social and relational accounts of the self, precisely because it is broadly seen as a disorder impacting social relationships. Many...     

中文版无手机恐惧量表的修订

该研究以国外学者Caglar Yildirim和Ana-Paula Correia于2015年编制的Nomophobia量表为基础,修订出了适用于国内的中文版无手机恐惧量表。研究首先使用探索性结构方程模型对量表结构进行初探; 其次使用项目反应模型进行项目分析并根据其分析结果对项目进行修改和筛选,最终形成正式版量表; 最后对正式版量表其进行信效度检验,并再次对量表题目进行项目分析。最终量表共16道题目,包括害怕无法获得信息、害怕失去便利、害怕失去联系和害怕失去网络连接4个维度; 总量表的Cronbach α系数为0.931,四维度的α系数分别为:0.789,0.816,0.887和0.896。CFA验证性结果显示量表结构较好(χ2/df=3.91,RMSEA=0.067,TLI=0.941,CFI=0.952,SRMR=0.04); 使用手机成瘾倾向量表作为校标的结果显示二者之间相关为0.626,效度良好。最终量表项目区分度在[1.734,4.806]之间,四维度区分度均值为2.1765,2.72,3.2925和3.883,项目难度参数在[-1.830,4.806]之间。综上结果显示该研究编制的无手机恐惧量表各项指标均达到了心理测量学要求,可供后续研究使用     

年老化对中文阅读眼动控制的影响:来自词长和语境预测性效应的证据

本研究通过对比老年与青年人在阅读中词长、词频和语境预测性效应上的差异,探讨中文阅读中眼动控制的年老化问题。结果发现:(1)词长的年龄主效应显著,注视时间和首次注视位置指标上年龄与词长的交互作用显著;(2)在注视时间指标上发现了显著的词频和语境预测性效应,年龄与语境预测性之间交互作用显著。综合而言,中文阅读中老年读者的词长效应和语境预测性效应不同于青年读者,由此可见,视觉功能和词汇加工功能衰退都是中文阅读眼动控制年老化的诱发原因。     

Building cardiovascular disease competence in an urban poor Ghanaian community: A social psychology of participation approach

This paper describes conceptual, methodological, and practical insights from a longitudinal social psychological project that aims to build cardiovascular disease (CVD) competence in a poor community in Accra, Ghana's capital. Informed by a social psychology of participation approach, mixed method data included qualitative interviews and household surveys from over 500 community members, including people living with diabetes, hypertension, and stroke, their caregivers, health care providers, and GIS mapping of pluralistic health systems, food vending sites, bars, and physical activity spaces. Data analysis was informed by the diagnosis‐psychosocial intervention‐reflexivity framework proposed by Guareschi and Jovchelovitch. The community had a high prevalence of CVD and risk factors, and CVD knowledge was cognitive polyphasic. The environment was obesogenic, alcohol promoting, and medically pluralistic. These factors shaped CVD experiences and eclectic treatment seeking behaviours. Psychosocial interventions included establishing a self‐help group and community screening and education. Applying the “AIDS‐competent communities” model proposed by Campbell and colleagues, we outline the psychosocial features of CVD competence that are relatively easy to implement, albeit with funds and labour, and those that are difficult. We offer a reflexive analysis of four challenges that future activities will address: social protection, increasing men's participation, connecting national health policy to community needs, and sustaining the project.     

Assessment of Executive Functions after Treatment of Childhood Acute Lymphoid Leukemia: a Systematic Review

Neuropsychology Review - Individuals treated for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have a high survival rate. This fact, however, may lead to neurocognitive impairments in survivors, as...