Are people always more risk averse after disasters? Surveys after a heavy snow‐hit and a major earthquake in China in 2008

China suffered both a heavy snow‐hit and a major earthquake in 2008. To investigate the effects of disasters on risky decision making, opportunity samples were obtained by recruiting residents in both devastated and non‐devastated areas. In a survey (Study 1) conducted shortly after the heavy snow‐hit, we found that people were not always more risk averse after a disaster as previous studies had claimed and that they were inclined to approach an option with ‘low probability associated gain’ and to avoid an option with ‘low probability associated loss’. These findings were replicated in a consecutive survey (Study 2) conducted after the Wenchuan earthquake. It was further found that the popularity of both insurance and lottery, which presumably contributed to overweighing of small probabilities, was detected to have been enhanced with substantial exposure to the earthquake disaster. The implications of these findings for risk education and government policy making were discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of communication with non‐witnesses on eyewitnesses' recall correctness and meta‐cognitive realism

In forensic contexts it is common that witnesses retell and discuss the experienced event many times. It is of forensic importance to understand how this influences memory and meta‐memory. Eighty‐nine participants viewed a short film and were assigned to one of four conditions: (1) Laboratory discussion (five discussions of the event with a confederate), (2) Family discussion (five discussions of the event with a family member), (3) Retell (five retellings of the event) and (4) Control. Three weeks later participants gave an open free recall, and then 3 days later confidence judged the recalled information. The results showed significant differences between the four conditions on number of correct items, incorrect items, accuracy, confidence and calibration. The results suggest that discussion of an experienced event may reduce some of the beneficial memory and meta‐memory effects caused by mere retelling, but may have no great negative effects compared to a control condition. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Task formats and ambiguity aversion

This paper proposes that task format (choosing or rejecting) moderates the effect of ambiguity aversion. Specifically, an ambiguous option is more attractive in a choosing task than in a rejecting task compared with a risky option. The author performed three experiments to test the propositions. In the first experiment, participants showed less ambiguity aversion when they had to choose a preferred option (risky or ambiguous) compared with when they had to reject an option they preferred less. In the second experiment with a monetary incentive, participants had to form a cash‐equivalent estimate for both a risky gamble and an ambiguous gamble in a traditional Ellsberg scenario. The ambiguous option emerged as more attractive than the risky option in the choosing task compared with the rejecting task. The third experiment showed that the participants' decision rationale mediated the effect of the task format on choice. These three experiments support the proposition that task formats moderate the effect of ambiguity aversion. On the basis of the findings, the author provides suggestions for practice and further research. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Self‐Efficacy,Self‐Rated Abilities,Adjustment, and Academic Performance

This study examined the association between self‐efficacy and self‐rated abilities in conjunction with adjustment and academic performance with a diverse sample of 271 undergraduate college students with majors in the liberal arts. Significant positive associations between and among the constructs in different combinations were found. The discussion focuses on the theoretical and practice implications of the results and offers suggestions for further research.     

Ecstasy use and suicidal behavior among adolescents: findings from a national survey

The relationship between ecstasy use and suicidal behavior among adolescents in the United States was examined. Data from the adolescent subsample (ages 12-17, N = 19,301) of the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse were used in the analyses. Information on adolescent substance use, suicidal behaviors, and related sociodemographic, family, and individual factors was obtained in the survey. The rate of past year suicide attempt among adolescents with lifetime ecstasy use was almost double that of adolescents who had used other drugs only, and nine times that of adolescents with no history of illicit drug use. In multinomial logistic regression analyses controlling for related factors, the effect of ecstasy use remained significant. Adolescent ecstasy users may require enhanced suicide prevention and intervention efforts.     

School Counselors as Social Capital: The Effects of High School College Counseling on College Application Rates

Using social capital theory as a framework, the authors examined data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 (Ingels, Pratt, Rogers, Siegel, & Stutts, 2004) to investigate how student contact with high school counselors about college information and other college‐related variables influence students' college application rates. In addition to some college‐related variables, the number of school counselors and student contacts were significant predictors of college application rates. Implications for school counselors and counselor training are included.     

Assessing the Climate for Creativity (KEYS): Confirmatory factor analysis and psychometric examination of a Taiwan version

Understanding the feasibility of using KEYS to assess the organizational climate for creativity in non‐Western societies is essential for researchers studying cultural influences on workers' perceptions of workplace climates. This study reports on the effectiveness of translating KEYS, using data from 401 employees of 13 different companies in Taiwan. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed and its results indicated a satisfactory fit for a 10‐factor model. However, six items tackling environmental obstacles had low factor loadings (<0.3) and should either be eliminated or amended. The results raise questions regarding the role of cultural influences in international studies that assess creativity climates. Further research into the conceptualization of organizational creativity in Chinese societies is warranted.     

Great man or great myth? A quantitative review of the relationship between individual differences and leader effectiveness

This study presents a meta‐analysis of 25 individual differences proposed to be related to effective leadership, with an emphasis on comparing trait‐like (e.g. personality and intelligence) to state‐like individual differences (e.g. knowledge and skills). The results indicate that although both trait‐like (achievement motivation, energy, dominance, honesty/integrity, self‐confidence, creativity, and charisma) and state‐like (interpersonal skills, oral communication, written communication, administrative/management skills, problem‐solving skills, and decision making) individual differences were consistent predictors of effective leadership, the impact of trait‐like and state‐like individual differences was modest overall and did not differ substantially (ρ= .27 and .26, respectively). Finally, organizational level of the leader, method of predictor and criterion measurement, and organization type moderated the relationship between individual differences and effective leadership.     

布伯宗教哲学的哈西德主义内在理路

马丁·布伯的宗教哲学建构深受犹太教哈西德主义神秘范式的影响。后者近代从被动的律法主义向积极的信仰主义倾向创新与转换意义重大。通过脱胎于哈西德主义神秘范式之上的"我—你"对话哲学,布伯的宗教存在主义哲学不仅从信仰向度上实现了对传统西方哲学认识论的超越,同时也在对人之"生活世界"的强调中,实现了积极行动意义上的宗教普世主义关怀。与此同时,这一哲学建构本身的内在理路亦体现了现代犹太思想哲学化重构过程中与生俱来的悖论性。     

"人间佛教"的问题及都市佛教研究

20世纪初,太虚大师等人倡导的"人间佛教"运动警醒了明清至民国陷于腐败、堕落的中国佛教,开始了近一个世纪的"人间佛教"运动.进入新世纪,回头分析"人间佛教"的发展,可以从中吸取很多经验,同时也可发现当中存在的问题.笔者提出"都市佛教"理念,以期通过它为"人间佛教"的发展瓶颈找到解决之策.