A tetrad test for causal indicators

The authors propose a confirmatory tetrad analysis test to distinguish causal from effect indicators in structural equation models. The test uses "nested" vanishing tetrads that are often implied when comparing causal and effect indicator models. The authors present typical models that researchers can use to determine the vanishing tetrads for 4 or more variables. They also provide the vanishing tetrads for mixtures of causal and effect indicators, for models with fewer than 4 indicators per latent variable, or for cases with correlated errors. The authors illustrate the test results for several simulation and empirical examples and emphasize that their technique is a theory-testing rather than a model-generating approach. They also review limitations of the procedure including the indistinguishable tetrad equivalent models, the largely unknown finite sample behavior of the test statistic, and the inability of any procedure to fully validate a model specification.     

动态性对简笔画动物审美的影响及其神经机制

运用行为和fMRI技术, 通过比较动态刺激与静态刺激审美判断的行为和脑机制的异同探讨动态性对简笔画动物审美的影响, 包括两个实验。结果发现, 动态简笔画动物的美观程度评分和喜欢程度评分都显著高于静态简笔画动物。同时, 动态简笔画动物审美判断激活的区域基本涵盖了静态简笔画动物审美所激活的区域, 二者都激活了枕叶区等视觉加工区域、额叶区等认知加工区域、眶额叶皮层等奖赏区域以及海马、脑岛、扣带回、杏仁核等情绪加工区域。与静态简笔画动物的审美相比, 动态简笔画动物的审美显著激活了双侧舌回、双侧MT。本研究结果表明, 动态性影响了对简笔画动物的审美, 动态简笔画动物比静态简笔画动物被判断为更加美观。     

Chinese Proverb Scale: Development and validation of an indigenous measure of Chinese traditional values

The aim of this study was to develop and validate an indigenous measure of Chinese traditional values using Chinese proverbs. A sample of 363 Mainland Chinese undergraduates participated in Study 1, in which a 26‐item Chinese Proverb Scale (CPS) was developed through factor analysis on an initial pool of 118 Chinese proverbs. Four factors were clearly identified: (a) Diligence, (b) Integrity, (c) Self‐Preservation, and (d) Self‐Interest. The CPS showed satisfactory convergent validity with personal values (S. H. Schwartz, 1992, Advances In Experimental Social Psychology, San Diego, Academic Press) and social axioms (K. Leung et al., 2002, Journal of Cross‐Cultural Psychology, 33, p. 286). For incremental validity, the CPS predicted life satisfaction beyond the Big Five personality, personal values, and social axioms. In Study 2, a sample of 239 Mainland Chinese participants completed the CPS across two measurement occasions with an interval of 6 months. Longitudinal structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed the structure of the CPS was robust and invariant over time. In Study 3, a sample of 167 Chinese undergraduates from Hong Kong responded to an adapted version of the CPS. Multigroup SEM showed structural equivalence of the scale across the mainland and Hong Kong samples. The cultural origins of the factors in the CPS and future applications of the scale in various research areas are discussed.     

Valence evaluation with approaching or withdrawing cues: directly testing valence–arousal conflict theory

The valence–arousal conflict theory assumes that both valence and arousal will trigger approaching or withdrawing tendencies. It also predicts that the speed of processing emotional stimuli will depend on whether valence and arousal trigger conflicting or congruent motivational tendencies. However, most previous studies have provided evidence of the interaction between valence and arousal only, and have not provided direct proof of the interactive links between valence, arousal and motivational tendencies. The present study provides direct evidence for the relationship between approach–withdrawal tendencies and the valence–arousal conflict. In an empirical test, participants were instructed to judge the valence of emotional words after visual–spatial cues that appeared to be either approaching or withdrawing from participants. A three-way interaction (valence, arousal, and approach–withdrawal tendency) was observed such that the response time was shorter if participants responded to a negative high-arousal stimulus after a withdrawing cue, or to a positive low-arousal stimulus after an approaching cue. These findings suggest that the approach–withdrawal tendency indeed plays a crucial role in valence–arousal conflict, and that the effect depends on the congruency of valence, arousal and tendency at an early stage of processing.     

Reevaluating the two-representation model of numerical magnitude processing

One debate in mathematical cognition centers on the single-representation model versus the two-representation model. Using an improved number Stroop paradigm (i.e., systematically manipulating physical size distance), in the present study we tested the predictions of the two models for number magnitude processing. The results supported the single-representation model and, more importantly, explained how a design problem (failure to manipulate physical size distance) and an analytical problem (failure to consider the interaction between congruity and task-irrelevant numerical distance) might have contributed to the evidence used to support the two-representation model. This study, therefore, can help settle the debate between the single-representation and two-representation models.     

宗教裁判所为什么迫害自然科学家

在科学史上,许多著名的科学家如伽利略、布鲁诺、塞尔维特等一批著名的自然科学家都惨遭“宗教裁判所”的审判,伽利略受到了侮辱,布鲁诺受到了“火刑”,他们在那样的时代,为了科学的进步都付出了昂贵的代价,甚至是生命的代价在他们所处的时代,他们为什么会不顾个人的安危来从事并没有任何功利性的科学事业呢?要想了解宗教裁判所为什么迫害自然科学家     

幼儿园组织氛围与教师专业发展结构模型研究

通过对317名教师的问卷调查,建立了幼儿园组织氛围与教师专业发展的结构模型。结果表明：（1）反思是幼儿园组织氛围作用于教师专业发展的重要中介变量;（2）幼儿园组织氛围对教师专业发展有直接或问接的影响,幼儿园支持氛围对教师职业倦怠的影响作用最大,研究氛围对教师专业认同的影响最大,支持氛围对教师教育效能感的影响最大;（3）幼儿园的支持氛围、研究氛围对教师专业发展的影响作用大于赋权氛围的影响。     

Trust and respect as mediators of the other‐ and self‐profitable trait effects on interpersonal attraction

Mediators of the effects of other‐profitable (e.g., sincere vs. irresponsible) or self‐profitable (e.g., intelligent vs. unintelligent) traits on attraction were investigated. In Experiment 1 (N = 256), valence of a single other‐ or self‐profitable trait was varied, and trust in, respect for, and attraction toward the partner were measured. The three constructs were distinct. Moreover, the effects of the other‐profitable traits on attraction were solely mediated by trust, and those of the self‐profitable traits were mediated more strongly by respect than trust. In Experiment 2 (N = 144), an other‐profitable trait was crossed with the self‐profitable one, and diagnosticity ratings of those traits for the partner's warmth and competence and the previous three responses were taken. The five constructs were empirically distinct. Although trust mediated the effect of other‐profitable trait on attraction, there was a direct effect also. Respect was the sole mediator of the self‐profitable trait effect. Theoretical and methodological implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

3～6岁儿童信念理解能力的发展研究

研究设计了冲突真实信念任务,用于考察儿童对真实信念的理解;并利用区分信念、冲突真实信念和意外地点的错误信念任务,考察儿童理解信念推理基本规则、真实信念和错误信念的发展顺序。97名3~6岁儿童完成了测试。结果显示,3岁儿童能理解信念推理的基本规则,5岁儿童能理解真实信念,6岁儿童能理解错误信念。结果支持了儿童先理解真实信念,后理解错误信念的发展模式;也说明在理解信念以前儿童已能掌握信念推理的基本规则。     

中-英双语者英语命名图片的一致性

选用中-英双语者对Snodgrass和Vanderwart的标准图片库中的224张图片进行了英语(第二语言)命名一致性研究,最后得到了131张图片的英语命名一致性百分数、概念一致性百分数及H值.建立了这些图片的英语命名一致性常模.本研究还考察了图片命名一致性与图片命名反应时和错误率的关系,结果发现,H值、命名一致性百分数及概念一致性百分数与图片命名反应时、错误率之间均呈现显著的相关,其中命名一致性百分数和概念一致性在预测图片命名反应时和错误率时起重要作用.