Measuring decision‐making competence in Chinese adults

In this study, we translated and localized the Adult Decision‐making Competence scale (A‐DMC) and tested its reliability and validity with large samples. Results show the Chinese A‐DMC has relatively good reliability (Cronbach's alpha above 0.6 and test–retest reliability coefficients ranging from 0.44 to 0.78 on all subscales), comparable with the original version. Regarding validity, results of exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis support the one‐factor model, indicating the A‐DMC has good internal consistency and construct validity. A‐DMC scores correlated positively with cognitive ability, constructive decision‐making styles, and good decision outcomes. Additionally, individuals with higher A‐DMC scores were found to perform better on the Cambridge gambling task and Iowa gambling task. These results confirm the validity of the Chinese version of the A‐DMC, which is suitable for measuring decision‐making competence in Chinese adults.     

Behavioral and developmental consequences of early rearing experience for captive giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

Mother-reared (MR) and peer-reared (PR) captive giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) cubs were compared to evaluate the effects of early removal from mother on behavioral development. Males and females and twins and singletons were compared to assess the effects of social setting on behavioral development. Subjects included 2 PR females, 3 MR females, 3 MR males, and 3 mothers. MR cubs spent more time manipulating bamboo and fell more often than PR cubs. PR cubs spent more time inactive. Male cubs directed more playful behavior at their mothers. Twins spent more time play fighting with their mothers than with their siblings. The results suggest that peer-rearing does not provide young pandas with the same level of social stimulation as mother-rearing.     

Masculinity-femininity as a national characteristic and its relationship with national agoraphobic fear levels: Fodor's sex role hypothesis revitalized

Hofstede's dimension of national culture termed Masculinity-Femininity [. Cultures and organizations: software of the mind. London: McGraw-Hill] is proposed to be of relevance for understanding national-level differences in self-assessed agoraphobic fears. This prediction is based on the classical work of Fodor [. In: V. Franks & V. Burtle (Eds.), Women in therapy: new psychotherapies for a changing society. New York: Brunner/Mazel]. A unique data set comprising 11 countries (total N=5491 students) provided the opportunity of scrutinizing this issue. It was hypothesized and found that national Masculinity (the degree to which cultures delineate sex roles, with masculine or tough societies making clearer differentiations between the sexes than feminine or modest societies do) would correlate positively with national agoraphobic fear levels (as assessed with the Fear Survey Schedule-III). Following the correction for sex and age differences across national samples, a significant and large effect-sized national-level (ecological) r=+0.67 (P=0.01) was found. A highly feminine society such as Sweden had the lowest, whereas the champion among the masculine societies, Japan, had the highest national Agoraphobic fear score.     

刍议综合性大学医学教育的发展方向

国际上一流的综合性大学都设有医学院,高水平的医学院也基本上都在综合性大学内。据此提出现阶段我国综合性大学医学教育应向研究型、国际化、现代化的方向发展,并就其发展对策提出了自己的看法。     

Gray Matter Atrophy in the Cortico-Striatal-Thalamic Network and Sensorimotor Network in Relapsing–Remitting and Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Neuropsychology Review - Gray matter atrophy in multiple sclerosis (MS) is thought to be associated with disability and cognitive impairment, but previous studies have sometimes had discordant...     

Correction to: Gray Matter Atrophy in the Cortico‑Striatal‑Thalamic Network and Sensorimotor Network in Relapsing–Remitting and Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Neuropsychology Review - A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-021-09503-6     

The reciprocal relations among prosocial behavior,satisfaction of relatedness needs at school,and subjective well-being in school: A three-wave cross-lagged study among Chinese elementary school students

We examined the reciprocal relations among prosocial behavior, satisfaction of relatedness needs at school, and subjective well-being in school among Chinese elementary school students using a 3-wave longitudinal study with a 6-month interval. A total of 1018 elementary school students (M_age = 9.44 years; 53.90% male) completed a multi-measure questionnaire that tapped the targeted variables at three time points. After controlling for gender, age, and parental educational level, the results revealed that (a) Prosocial behavior, satisfaction of relatedness needs at school, and subjective well-being in school reciprocally facilitated each other directly; (b) prosocial behavior indirectly enhanced subjective well-being in school via satisfaction of relatedness needs at school, and subjective well-being in school indirectly enhanced prosocial behavior via satisfaction of relatedness needs at school. Limitations and practical applications were discussed.

     

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Chinese calligraphy practice and aggressive behaviors among children: The role of trait aggression and aggressive motivation

The current research tested whether calligraphy practice could decrease aggressive behaviors (measured by the Competitive Reaction Time Task) in a sample of 120 aggressive children (M_age = 8.58, SD = 1.50). Half of the children were randomly assigned to practice copying pleasant calligraphy (experimental condition), while the other half copied neutral calligraphy (control condition). Results showed that copying pleasant calligraphy decreased aggression in comparison to copying neutral calligraphy. Specifically, the effect was more salient among boys than for girls. Moderation analysis suggested that the effect of pleasant calligraphy practice on aggressive behaviors was not moderated by trait aggression. This effect, however, was fully mediated by aggressive motivation. These findings indicated that copying pleasant calligraphy may be an effective measure to reduce as well as to prevent aggressive behaviors among children nominated by teachers as aggressive. Specifically, boys may be regarded as the key target group to decrease aggressive behaviors by using pleasant calligraphy. Limitations and implications of the study were discussed.

     

Do children understand fraction addition?

Many children fail to master fraction arithmetic even after years of instruction. A recent theory of fraction arithmetic (Braithwaite, Pyke, & Siegler, 2017) hypothesized that this poor learning of fraction arithmetic procedures reflects poor conceptual understanding of them. To test this hypothesis, we performed three experiments examining fourth to eighth graders' estimates of fraction sums. We found that roughly half of estimates of sums were smaller than the same child's estimate of one of the two addends in the problem. Moreover, children's estimates of fraction sums were no more accurate than if they had estimated each sum as the average of the smallest and largest possible response. This weak performance could not be attributed to poor mastery of arithmetic procedures, poor knowledge of individual fraction magnitudes, or general inability to estimate sums. These results suggest that a major source of difficulty in this domain is that many children's learning of fraction arithmetic procedures develops unconstrained by conceptual understanding of the procedures. Implications for education are discussed.     

Is STEM Education Portable? Country of Education and the Economic Integration of STEM Immigrants

The core question in this research asks what are the occupational and earnings consequences of place of education for immigrants with bachelor’s degrees or higher and whose highest degrees are in STEM fields compared to the native born. The focus is on immigrants with degrees in 15 countries which represent 88% of the immigration population of interest. In the analysis of the Canadian 2011 National Household Survey, STEM education is matched to three occupational outcomes: employment in STEM occupations, employment in other occupations usually requiring university bachelors’ degrees or higher, and employment in all other occupations which usually require less than university education. The Canadian-born and permanent legal residents whose highest degrees in STEM fields are from institutions in Canada, the USA, the UK, and in the case of the foreign born, France, are more likely to be employed in either STEM occupations or high-skilled occupations requiring bachelors’ degrees than are immigrants educated elsewhere; the latter are more likely to be employed in occupations that are not STEM related and usually do not require bachelor’s degrees. Immigrant disadvantages are stronger for earnings; regardless of the location of their STEM education, immigrants earn less than the Canadian born who received university degrees in Canada. However, the size of the gap varies by the country of the highest degree with the largest gaps, relative to the Canadian born and Canadian educated, observed for immigrants who are educated in countries other than Canada, the USA, the UK, and France.