Microblogging, online expression, and political efficacy among young chinese citizens: the moderating role of information and entertainment needs in the use of weibo

In 2011, China's Internet population reached over half a billion users and the popular Twitter-like social networking service, Weibo, has been adopted by half of the users since its launch in August 2009. Given the potential of the Internet to facilitate a civic culture in the authoritarian state, the use of Weibo and its effects on citizens' political attitudes and behaviors are of important concern. A survey of 499 Weibo users found that intensity of use was related to increased willingness to express opinions about government and politics, the perception that one has the ability to participate in politics, and feelings that the government is not responsive to the demands of citizens. Moreover, the above relationships were moderated by the motivations of Weibo use, such that information motives strengthened the relationships while entertainment motives weakened the relationships.     

Correlation between gray/white matter volume and cognition in healthy elderly people

This study applied volumetric analysis and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) of brain magnetic resonance (MR) images to assess whether correlations exist between global and regional gray/white matter volume and the cognitive functions of semantic memory and short-term memory, which are relatively well preserved with aging, using MR image data from 109 community-dwelling healthy elderly individuals. We used the Information and Digit Span subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligent Scale-Revised as measures of semantic memory and short-term memory, respectively. We found significant positive correlations between the gray matter ratio, the percentage of gray matter volume in the intracranial volume, and performance on the Digit Span subtest, and between the regional gray matter volumes of the bilateral anterior temporal lobes and performance on the Information subtest. No significant correlations between performance on the cognitive tests and white matter volume were found. Our results suggest that individual variability in specific cognitive functions that are relatively well preserved with aging is accounted for by the variability of gray matter volume in healthy elderly subjects.     

General belief in a just world and resilience: Evidence from a collectivistic culture

Previous research showed that in the individualistic culture, adults endorse the personal more than the general belief in a just world (PBJW vs. GBJW). Comparatively little is known about the prevalence character and adaptive functions of GBJW, especially in the collectivistic culture. We conducted three surveys among the Chinese adults and adolescents. We found that (1) Chinese adults and adolescents endorsed more GBJW than PBJW; (2) Adult survivors with high exposure to post‐earthquake trauma and adolescents in the poverty‐stricken area maintained high GBJW, with relatively lower PBJW. (3) GBJW predicted the psychological resilience in all the three samples independent of PBJW. The results imply that in contrast to populations from the individualistic culture, people from the collectivistic culture endorse a robust GBJW, which allows them to resiliently confront harsh realities. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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.     

Economic inequality is linked to biased self-perception

People's self-perception biases often lead them to see themselves as better than the average person (a phenomenon known as self-enhancement). This bias varies across cultures, and variations are typically explained using cultural variables, such as individualism versus collectivism. We propose that socioeconomic differences among societies--specifically, relative levels of economic inequality--play an important but unrecognized role in how people evaluate themselves. Evidence for self-enhancement was found in 15 diverse nations, but the magnitude of the bias varied. Greater self-enhancement was found in societies with more income inequality, and income inequality predicted cross-cultural differences in self-enhancement better than did individualism/collectivism. These results indicate that macrosocial differences in the distribution of economic goods are linked to microsocial processes of perceiving the self.     

论莱布尼茨本体论的二阶性

罗素于1900年发表了《对莱布尼茨哲学的批判性解释》,尝试把莱布尼茨哲学当作一个完整的系统来解释。这种解释是逻辑主义的,声称莱布尼茨的整个形而上学都建立在其逻辑学的基础上。尽管这种观点在近几十年受到了一些挑战,但至今仍是英美学界对莱布尼茨的主流解释之一。本文试图     

西藏本教是藏传佛教最典型的代表——关于岷江上游本波教与钵第教的讨论

本文在历代藏学家就本波教与钵第教比较研究的基础上,通过对岷江上游本波教与钵第教宗教实体构成要素间的比较,以及对岷江上游本波教与钵第教信众的教派认同程度的分析,认为本波教与钵第教既有区别又有联系,共同构成了略别于汉传佛教的藏传佛教。从本波教的本土文化成分和对古印度佛教的藏族化程度来看,本波教是藏传佛教最典型的代表。     

《太平广记》中的蛇信仰研究

根据《太平广记》蛇类故事和龙类故事的记载,论述汉魏至隋唐时期民间对蛇的信仰情况,指出当时的蛇信仰正处于与龙信仰的混淆与渐渐析离时期。一方面蛇具有与龙相同的神圣性,另一方面蛇也开始遭到人们的嫌恶。龙蛇信仰的最终分离,使他们在民间信仰中朝着两个截然不同的方向发展下去。     

中学生攻击性行为的注意偏向与冲动控制特征

通过注意偏向实验、BPAQ攻击问卷与Barratt冲动量表的施测,探讨中学生攻击性行为的注意偏向与冲动控制特征。研究结果发现,中学生攻击性行为及冲动控制性别差异不显著;低攻击性与高攻击性中学生表现出对攻击性刺激的注意偏向特征,在冲动控制上差异也极其显著;中学生攻击性行为与注意偏向、冲动控制总体上呈显著正相关;攻击词注意偏向与冲动控制对中学生攻击性行为具有显著预测作用。     

听力障碍幼儿情绪理解的干预研究

根据听障幼儿情绪理解发展特点,编制了情绪理解干预课程,并进行为期12周的干预训练。研究结果表明：干预训练显著提高了听障幼儿的外部情绪理解水平和内部情绪状态理解水平;不同性别听障幼儿在情绪理解干预课程中的表现有所不同,女生在信念理解、道德情绪理解和情绪原因理解中的干预效果均显著优于男生。本研究所编制的干预课程对于促进听障幼儿情绪理解发展的效果良好。