工作记忆表征引导视觉注意选择的眼动研究

工作记忆表征能否引导视觉注意选择？目前实验结果尚不一致。有研究者认为能否观察到注意引导效应取决于视觉搜索类型。研究采用工作记忆任务与视觉搜索任务相结合的双任务范式, 结合眼动追踪技术, 对不同视觉搜索类型下的注意引导效应进行验证。实验1结果发现, 不管视觉搜索任务的靶子是否变化, 在早期的眼动指标上都发现了显著的注意引导效应, 但注意引导效应在靶子固定的视觉搜索任务下表现得更强。实验2在平衡两种视觉搜索任务中的工作记忆负载后发现, 两种视觉搜索任务下都出现了显著的注意引导效应, 但没有发现实验1中所出现的任务间差异。实验结果否定了视觉搜索类型对注意引导效应的决定性影响, 同时也提示工作记忆负载可能在注意引导效应中起重要作用。     

Stress, social support, and teacher burnout in Macau

The present study attempts to document the difficulties that teachers in Macau encountered in their work, the extent to which the job-related difficulties would induce burnout, and whether or not social support could buffer the adverse effects of stress on burnout. In-service teachers enrolled in a teacher training program filled out questionnaires addressing the variables of interest. The results indicated that difficulties with fellow teachers, supervisors, students, and parents of students were associated with burnout. Conjectures were made regarding the noneffectiveness of social support.     

发展性阅读障碍与知觉加工

近年来许多行为实验和神经生理学实验都发现 ,发展性阅读障碍与基本知觉障碍有关。在视觉领域研究者提出了巨细胞障碍假设 ,这种假设认为阅读障碍者视觉神经系统中的巨细胞障碍导致他们对某种类型的视觉刺激加工存在困难 ,进而影响阅读。在听觉领域研究发现阅读障碍者加工快速、系列、短暂呈现的声音刺激存在障碍。研究者认为阅读障碍者加工快速刺激输入障碍反映了普遍的时间知觉障碍。这方面的研究发展非常迅速 ,理论观点非常明确 ,并且直接与内在的神经机制相联系 ,形成了与传统的“语言障碍”理论迥然不同的“知觉障碍”理论。“知觉障碍”理论综合了行为、认知和神经等多个层次的研究 ,反映了神经科学发展所带来的巨大影响和认知加工模块化理论的渐渐衰退。     

A Framework for Optimizing Work–Life Balance Practices in Australia: Perceived Options for Employee Support

Drawing from institutional theory, this study explored work–life balance (WLB) practices in Australian small and medium enterprises. Data were obtained from a sample of 219 managers. The authors identified organizational characteristics associated with the adoption of 4 groups of WLB practices using a causal model. Of the 3 models tested, the final model supported a conceptual framework that included 4 domains: flexible work options, leave programs, support benefits, and care arrangements. The findings suggested that organizational characteristics—namely, industry type and location—affected WLB practices. Implications for theory and practice are discussed along with avenues for future research.     

The Analysis of Single-Case Research Data: Current Instructional Practices

Visual analysis is the predominant method of analysis in single-case research (SCR). However, most research suggests that agreement between visual analysts is poor, which may be due to a lack of clear guidelines and criteria for visual analysis, as well as variability in how individuals are trained. We developed a survey containing questions about the content and methods used to teach visual and statistical analysis of SCR data in verified course sequences (VCS) and distributed it via the VCS Coordinator Listserv. Thirty-seven instructors completed the survey. Results suggest that there is variability across instructors in some fundamental aspects of data analysis (e.g., number of effects required for a functional relation) but a great deal of consistency in others (e.g., emphasizing visual over statistical analysis). We discuss our results along with their implications both for teaching students to analyze SCR data and for conducting additional research on behavior-analytic training programs.

     

How Buddhist beliefs relate to blood donation intention: The role of moral attentiveness and self-monitoring

Buddhism is prevalent in Asia and has been growing in Western countries. Its perspectives have subtle influences on people’s ways of thinking and behaving. This study focuses on the association between Buddhist beliefs and blood donation intention. We draw on a social-cognitive perspective to delineate how this link is mediated by moral attentiveness and moderated by self-monitoring. Data were collected via online surveys, and 508 respondents were included in the final sample. We used Hayes’ PROCESS macro and simple slope analysis to assess all relationships in our moderated mediation model. Results indicated that Buddhist beliefs were positively related to blood donation intention, and moral attentiveness mediated this relationship. Moreover, self-monitoring was found to moderate the direct relationship between Buddhist beliefs and moral attentiveness, as well as the indirect relationship between Buddhist beliefs and blood donation intention through moral attentiveness. The associations were strengthened with increased self-monitoring. This research provides a nuanced explanation of the manner in which Buddhist beliefs are associated with blood donation intention. Blood donation recruitment campaigns can incorporate instrumental elements of Buddhist teachings, such as the pursuit of moral perfection, the cultivation of the virtues of unselfishness, benevolence and understanding, and the laws of Karma. Meanwhile, mindfulness as a core practice in Buddhism can be utilized to improve moral attentiveness and self-monitoring, thereby promoting blood donation intention.     

The role of the mother's voice in developing mother's face preference: Evidence for intermodal perception at birth

Four experiments are described which investigated the role of the mother's voice in facilitating recognition of the mother's face at birth. Experiment 1 replicated our previous findings (Br. J. Dev. Psychol. 1989; 7: 3–15; The origins of human face perception by very young infants. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK, 1990) indicating a preference for the mother's face when a control for the mother's voice and odours was used only during the testing. A second experiment adopted the same procedures, but controlled for the mother's voice from birth through testing. The neonates were at no time exposed to their mother's voice. Under these conditions, no preference was found. Further, neonates showed only few head turns towards both the mother and the stranger during the testing. Experiment 3 looked at the number of head turns under conditions where the newborn infants were exposed to both the mother's voice and face from birth to 5 to 15 min prior to testing. Again, a strong preference for the mother's face was demonstrated. Such preference, however, vanished in Experiment 4, when neonates had no previous exposure to the mother's voice–face combination. The conclusion drawn is that a prior experience with both the mother's voice and face is necessary for the development of face recognition, and that intermodal perception is evident at birth. The neonates' ability to recognize the face of the mother is most likely to be rooted in prenatal learning of the mother's voice. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.