Laypeople do use sample variance: The effect of embedding data in a variance-implying story

When using sample data to decide whether two populations differ, laypeople attend to the difference between group means, but largely overlook within-group variability (Obrecht, Chapman, & Gelman, 2007 Obrecht, N. A., Chapman, G. B. and Gelman, R. 2007. Intuitive t-tests: Lay use of statistical information. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 14: 1147–1152.  [Google Scholar]). We show, first, that laypeople know about and use story-implied variability when making pairwise comparisons. Then we demonstrate that participants’ sensitivity to variance in a dataset is boosted when presented in a context that implies consistent variance information. Statistical data were couched in stories about electrical conductivity measurements obtained from element samples (low-variability category) or body weight measurements from samples of peoples (high-variability category). We manipulated, between participants, whether the data variance matched or mismatched the story-implied variability. Participants who received data in a matching context showed high sensitivity to variance, while those in the mismatching condition did not. Laypeople use statistical data to make reasonable inferences when those data are provided in a context that makes sense.     

实用主义视域下心理学的多元化

心理学的多元化是指多种心理学研究的共存,它包括认识论水平的多元化、方法论水平的多元化和学科水平的多元化。多元化不是相对主义,它与实用主义具有内在的一致性。实用主义为当代多元化的心理学提供了合理的依据。实用主义多元论认为,各种心理学分支理论在没有被强制整合到同一框架之前,它就是统一的整体。促进心理学的多元化发展,更大程度地发挥心理学的实用价值是当代心理学的发展方向。     

Sleep architecture in patients with fibromyalgia

The main objective of this work was to evaluate the characteristics of sleep in patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome. Sleep architecture in 32 patients with fibromyalgia and 20 healthy controls was evaluated. Following the recommendations of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology, polysomnographies were conducted with fibromyalgia patients and the control subjects. The fibromyalgia patients showed alterations in cyclic organization of sleep and an increased number of periodic leg movements associated with cortical arousals. No significant differences were found in respiratory and oximetry variables or in alpha-delta sleep. The results support that fibromyalgia patients present an increase of superficial sleep at the expense of deep sleep and also an increase of periodic leg movements, which could have a pathogenic effect, facilitating the onset of the illness. Lastly, we discuss the results and propose some future lines of research.     

Basic numerical capacities and prevalence of developmental dyscalculia: the Havana Survey

The association of enumeration and number comparison capacities with arithmetical competence was examined in a large sample of children from 2nd to 9th grades. It was found that efficiency on numerical capacities predicted separately more than 25% of the variance in the individual differences on a timed arithmetical test, and this occurred for both younger and older learners. These capacities were also significant predictors of individual variations in an untimed curriculum-based math achievement test and on the teacher scores of math performance over developmental time. Based on these findings, these numerical capacities were used for estimating the prevalence and gender ratio of basic numerical deficits and developmental dyscalculia (DD) over the grade range defined above (N = 11,652 children). The extent to which DD affects the population with poor ability on calculation was also examined. For this purpose, the prevalence and gender ratio of arithmetical dysfluency (AD) were estimated in the same cohort. The estimated prevalence of DD was 3.4%, and the male:female ratio was 4:1. However, the prevalence of AD was almost 3 times as high (9.35%), and no gender differences were found (male:female ratio = 1.07:1). Basic numerical deficits affect 4.54% of school-age population and affect more boys than girls (2.4:1). The differences between the corresponding estimates were highly significant (α < .01). Based on these contrastive findings, it is concluded that DD, defined as a defective sense of numerosity, could be a distinctive disorder that affects only a portion of children with AD.     

Graph‐Framing Effects in Decision Making

This study manipulated the graphical representation of options by framing the physical characters in figures and found that preferences could be affected even when the words and numbers of the problem were constant. Based on attribute substitution theory and an equate‐to‐differentiate approach, we proposed a two‐process model of graph‐framing effects. In the first mental process, the graph‐editing process, the physical features (e.g., distance, size) represented in the graph are visually edited, and the perceived numerical difference between the options is judged based on its physical features. The second mental process, the preferential choice process, occurs by an equate‐to‐differentiate approach in which people seek to equate the difference between options on the dimension on which the difference is smaller, thus leaving the greater other‐dimensional difference to be the determinant of the final choice. Four experiments were tested for graph‐framing effects. Experiment 1 found a graph‐framing effect in coordinate graphs resting on the (de)compression of the scales employed in the figures. Experiment 2 revealed additional graph‐framing effects in other question scenarios and showed that preference changes were mediated by perceived numerical distances. Experiment 3 further confirmed the presence of graph‐framing effects in sector graphs similar to those found in coordinate ones. Experiment 4 suggested that such graph‐framing effects could be eliminated when logical processing (e.g., introducing a mathematical operation before a choice task) was encouraged. This paper discusses related research and a possible substrate basis for graph‐framing effects. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

不同动机和材料因素对学习判断影响的实验研究

本研究主要考察不同动机和材料因素对学习判断的影响。采用标准R-J-R实验程序,运用有意义与无意义词对对120名被试进行实验。结果发现：（1）成就目标、记忆自我效能、材料因素对JOL有显著影响,材料因素对JOL影响最大,记忆自我效能次之,成就目标最小;（2）成就目标与记忆自我效能存在交互作用对JOL有显著影响;（3）成就目标以记忆自我效能为中介影响JOL;（4）JOL准确性与回忆成绩存在显著正相关。     

小学生算术应用题上真实性思考及相关因素的研究

采用由7道真实性算术应用题构成的测试材料研究了207名六年级小学生。首先要求被试解答这些题目,然后对给出的不同解答作出评定。结果表明:(1)我国六年级小学生在无提示条件下真实性思考的人数比例是36.6%,显著地高于真实性解答的人数比例27.3%。(2)在解题真实性思考上,优生显著地高于中等生,中等生显著地高于差生;在对不确定真实性解答的评分上,优生显著地高于中等生与差生,在对常规性解答的评分上,优生显著地低于中等生与差生。(3)提示条件显著地提高了学生的真实性思考水平,并且与学生的学业水平存在着显著的交互作用;提示条件不影响学生对不确定真实性解答与常规性解答的评分。     

道德判断的分级现象

Blair(1996)发现即使没有心理理论的孤独症儿童,也具备道德判断能力。而Kahn(2004)认为没有心理理论就不可能完成道德判断。已有研究表明,道德判断可能需要一定程度的心理理论。孤独症儿童心理理论存在困难,影响他们理解道德情景并进行正确的道德判断,但这是否与任务的要求道德判断能力的程度不同有关呢?研究增加道德情景的复杂程度,进一步考察儿童道德判断规律。结果发现,道德判断有分级现象,第一级是直接对道德行为进行判断,孤独症和正常儿童都能完成该任务,可能是以原始情绪为基础的;第二级道德判断是对简单道德情景进行判断,需要以心理理论为基础,只有正常儿童才能完成;而对行为与意图不一致的复杂道德判断则需要以更加丰富的经历或者经验为基础,但其属于三级道德判断还是二级道德判断的高级形式还需要进一步的研究。     

5～9岁儿童对心理过程差异的理解

对心理过程差异的理解是学龄后儿童心理理论发展的一部分。本文主要探讨5-9岁儿童对心理过程差异的理解,即理解两个体在看到同样的物体时思维过程是否相同。采用“思想泡泡”的方法给5岁、7岁、9岁各20名儿童讲述故事,考察故事中人物背景知识的有无、对象的不同(自我-他人/他人-他人)及对象间关系的不同(朋友/陌生人)对儿童判断心理过程差异的影响。结果发现,有无背景信息对儿童理解心理过程差异有显著影响,而故事中对象不同及对象之间关系的不同对儿童理解心理过程差异无显著影响。同时还发现,随着年龄的增长,儿童逐渐意识到两个体的思维过程是不同的且能提供比较充分的解释,对心理过程差异的理解使学龄后儿童对个体独特性有更深的了解。