On Nonequivalence of Several Procedures of Structural Equation Modeling

The normal theory based maximum likelihood procedure is widely used in structural equation modeling. Three alternatives are: the normal theory based generalized least squares, the normal theory based iteratively reweighted least squares, and the asymptotically distribution-free procedure. When data are normally distributed and the model structure is correctly specified, the four procedures are asymptotically equivalent. However, this equivalence is often used when models are not correctly specified. This short paper clarifies conditions under which these procedures are not asymptotically equivalent. Analytical results indicate that, when a model is not correct, two factors contribute to the nonequivalence of the different procedures. One is that the estimated covariance matrices by different procedures are different, the other is that they use different scales to measure the distance between the sample covariance matrix and the estimated covariance matrix. The results are illustrated using real as well as simulated data. Implication of the results to model fit indices is also discussed using the comparative fit index as an example. The work described in this paper was supported by a grant from the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Project No. CUHK 4170/99M) and by NSF grant DMS04-37167.     

Multinational data show that conspiracy beliefs are associated with the perception (and reality) of poor national economic performance

While a great deal is known about the individual difference factors associated with conspiracy beliefs, much less is known about the country-level factors that shape people's willingness to believe conspiracy theories. In the current article we discuss the possibility that willingness to believe conspiracy theories might be shaped by the perception (and reality) of poor economic performance at the national level. To test this notion, we surveyed 6723 participants from 36 countries. In line with predictions, propensity to believe conspiracy theories was negatively associated with perceptions of current and future national economic vitality. Furthermore, countries with higher GDP per capita tended to have lower belief in conspiracy theories. The data suggest that conspiracy beliefs are not just caused by intrapsychic factors but are also shaped by difficult economic circumstances for which distrust might have a rational basis.     

LOCUS OF CONTROL IN INTELLECTUAL SITUATIONS IN AMERICAN AND CHINESE SCHOOL CHILDREN

The Intellectual Achievement Responsibility (IAR) Questionnaire, developed by Crandall et al., was administered to 720 children, 360 from the United States and 360 from Taiwan. The subjects were equally distributed in the sixth and eighth grades, and also by sex. A 2 × 2 × 2 (culture, grade, sex) analysis of variance was performed separately on scores of the subscale of success experiences (I +) and subscale of failure experiences (I -). The results showed that: (a) American children obtained significantly higher I + but lower I - scores than Chinese children. (b) Sixth graders obtained significantly higher scores on both I + and I - subscales than eighth graders. (c) Boys scored significantly higher than girls on I +, but sex differences in I - were not significant. It was also found that American children were more internal in success than in failure situations, while the reverse was true for Chinese children.     

Reward allocation among Chinese high school students in Hong Kong

The present study examined the effects of personality and performance on reward allocation. The subjects were 89 Chinese senior high school students in Hong Kong. The results showed that the subjects would take into consideration the recipient's personality when they allocated reward to a relatively low performer. Personality factors were irrelevant, however, in the allocation of reward to a relatively high performer. Moreover, the subjects judged an allocation decision as more unfair when the allocation was intended to be a punishment for a worker with relatively low performance and a desirable personality than when the allocation was intended to be a reward for a relatively high performer.     

Eyewitness Errors in the Free Recall of Actions

Although eyewitness testimony is often unreliable, its quality is not uniformly poor. Previous research indicates that the most accurate type of testimony involves the unstructured recall of actions. The present study replicates the finding that confabulation, particularly the complete fabrication of nonexistent actions, is rare. Our results also extend earlier work by revealing that the few errors that did occur were spread evenly across subjects—with most subjects making 0 or 1 error and with no subjects making more than 3 errors. Furthermore, action memory errors form a heterogeneous set—there were few commonly recurring or predictable errors. Our attempts to increase error frequency by the use of suggestive implications and rapid action sequences were unsuccessful. Practical aspects of evaluating action memory testimony are discussed, with special reference to cases involving multiple eyewitnesses.     

中文阅读之句法分析历程初探

该文报告的是香港中文大学心理学系的认知心理实验室中最近完成的两个与句法分析有关的实验。第一个实验探讨阅读中文时词汇、句法以及语意资料之触发和运用的时序问题。第二个实验研究的是中文读者所使用的句法分析策略。在两个实验中,基本的作业是让被试阅读在电脑屏幕上呈现的短文。文中每个字的阅读时间则由电脑记录作为反映阅读理解即时处理历程的指标。文中除了报告实验的结果外,还依据这些结果讨论了读者在阅读中文时所使用的句法分析策略以及句法资料的触发和使用历程。     

How efficacious, caring samaritans cope when their help is rejected unexpectedly

This experiment, with 167 introductory psychology subjects, successfully replicated and extended to a wider array of affective, evaluative, and cognitive reactions, previous research on how would-be helpers cope when their help is rejected. It again supported the thesis that violation of perceived expectancy of acceptance mediates the effects of rejection. Using an individual difference measure of generalized self-perceptions of being a person who is sufficientlyefficacious and caring (acronym, EFCA) to help others, we found support for the predictions that high EFCAs would react more strongly than low EFCAs on “proximal” forms of coping, but relatively less strongly on “confrontational” (future-oriented) forms. Our rationale was that high EFCAs expect more acceptance, are more optimistic, and have greater self-investment in the outcome. Mixed support was obtained for the prediction that situational differences in prior expectancy of acceptance moderate the effects of rejection. Portions of the research were presented by the first author at the 98th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Boston, August 1990.     

The relationship of career goal and self-esteem among adolescents

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of career goal and self-esteem among adolescents. A sample of 221 high school sophomores and juniors was administered the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE). Their teachers also were asked to rate the students' self-esteem using the Self-Esteem Rating Scale for Children (SERSC). It was found that, on both the RSE and SERSC, adolescents with some career goals had significantly higher self-esteem than did those without any career goal.     

Problems Caused for Mental Health Professionals Worldwide by Increasing Multicultural Populations and Proposed Solutions

Psychiatric disorders on a global scale, combined with rapid national population diversification, demand that mental health professionals worldwide become more informed about the realities of diagnosing and treating a multicultural patient population. Recommendations are offered to enable such professionals to most efficaciously diagnose and treat patients from diverse sociocultural backgrounds.