The color and texture of hope: some preliminary findings and implications for hope theory and counseling among diverse racial/ethnic groups

To clarify and extend Snyder's (1994, 2002) hope theory to a more diverse population, this study examined variations in agentic and pathways thinking, and their relations with social problem solving, affect, and with life satisfaction across a college student sample of 46 European Americans, 30 African Americans, 33 Latinos, and 46 Asian Americans. Although comparative results indicated variations in levels of hope components across the 4 racial/ethnic groups, correlational results indicated that the manner in which hope components related to measures of behavior and adjustment were similar across groups. Regression results indicated similarities and differences in predictors of hope components across the different racial/ethnic groups. Potential implications for promoting hope in working with diverse college students are discussed.     

一般流体智力的脑成像研究述评

对一般流体智力的脑成像研究有助于探明智力的脑机制。从结构成像与功能成像两个方面阐述了相关的研究。已有研究表明,一般流体智力与总的脑体积、额叶或其他多个脑区的灰质体积中等正相关。一般智力（g）因素负荷高的任务比负荷低的任务引发特定脑区更大的激活。较早的研究发现一般智力水平个体差异与脑区的激活呈负相关,但此后的一些研究却得到相反的结论。未来的研究应加强对个体差异的研究,将脑成像技术与EEG或ERP技术结合起来,整合多水平（心理测量、遗传学等）的研究结果,进一步阐明一般流体智力的脑机制     

有关工作记忆的压力下"Choking"

压力下“Choking”（Choking under pressure）是指在压力下,一种习惯的作业过程发生衰变的现象。最近研究发现,工作记忆高的个体更容易出现压力下“Choking”,原因可能是由于工作记忆高的个体在解决问题时更依赖于工作记忆系统,支持了干扰说。这方面的研究存在着实验材料过于单一、大多采用行为实验而很少采用现代神经科学技术进行研究等问题,这可能也是未来研究的方向。     

提取抑制:来自听觉定向遗忘的证据

两个实验采用语音材料考察了词表表达方式下听觉通道的定向遗忘效应以及相应的机制。实验一中,采用2（组别）×2（词表）混合实验设计获得了听觉通道的定向遗忘效应,但是较为模糊,部分数据显示可能是额外的被试个体差异导致的;实验二中,采用2（性别）×2（词表）×2（条件）×2（科系）混合实验设计,严格控制了被试个体差异等因素,获得了较清晰的定向遗忘效应,且支持提取抑制理论。     

Transfer of orthogonal stimulus-response mappings to an orthogonal Simon task

When up-down stimulus locations are mapped to left-right keypresses, an overall advantage for the up-right/down-left mapping is often obtained that varies as a function of response eccentricity. This orthogonal stimulus-response compatibility (SRC) effect also occurs when stimulus location is irrelevant, a phenomenon called the orthogonal Simon effect, and has been attributed to correspondence of stimulus and response code polarities. The Simon effect for horizontal stimulus-response (S-R) arrangements has been shown to be affected by short-term S-R associations established through the mapping used for a prior SRC task in which stimulus location was relevant. We examined whether such associations also transfer between orthogonal SRC and Simon tasks and whether correspondence of code polarities continues to contribute to performance in the Simon task. In Experiment 1, the orthogonal Simon effect was larger after practising with an up-right/down-left mapping of visual stimuli to responses than with the alternative mapping, for which the orthogonal Simon effect tended to reverse. Experiment 2 showed similar results when practice was with high (up) and low (down) pitch tones, though the influence of practice mapping was not as large as that in Experiment 1, implying that the short-term S-R associations acquired in practice are at least in part not modality specific. In Experiment 3, response eccentricity and practice mapping were shown to have separate influences on the orthogonal Simon effect, as expected if both code polarity and acquired S-R associations contribute to performance.     

Synthesized views can improve face recognition

It is well known that a new face studied from one view is often difficult to identify from another. This viewpoint dependence has detrimental implications for forensic practice. To compensate for this problem, we employed synthesized face images in the training session of a standard old/new recognition task. Observers in the experimental conditions learned one or more synthesized face images along with an original photograph of the face in a different view, whereas observers in the control conditions learned only the original photograph of the face. It was found that the experimental conditions consistently produced better recognition accuracy than the control conditions. We conclude that synthesized face views can be used to facilitate person identification in forensic applications. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The maximum priority index method for severely constrained item selection in computerized adaptive testing

This paper introduces a new heuristic approach, the maximum priority index (MPI) method, for severely constrained item selection in computerized adaptive testing. Our simulation study shows that it is able to accommodate various non‐statistical constraints simultaneously, such as content balancing, exposure control, answer key balancing, and so on. Compared with the weighted deviation modelling method, it leads to fewer constraint violations and better exposure control while maintaining the same level of measurement precision.     

Anticipating intentional actions: The effect of eye gaze direction on the judgment of head rotation

Using a representational momentum paradigm, this study investigated the hypothesis that judgments of how far another agent’s head has rotated are influenced by the perceived gaze direction of the head. Participants observed a video-clip of a face rotating 60° towards them starting from the left or right profile view. The gaze direction of the face was either congruent with, ahead of, or lagging behind the angle of rotation. Following this, two static faces, at varying angles of rotation with respect to the end-point angle of the face in the video-clip, were presented simultaneously. The task of the participants was to decide which of the two heads was at an angle best resembling the angle of the end-point of the moving face. The critical test condition consisted of one test face oriented at 10° before, and the other at 10° after the end-point. The ‘lagging behind’ gaze condition elicited a significant underestimation of the rotation compared to the ‘congruent’ and ‘ahead’ gaze conditions. Participants did not exhibit similar biases when judging the rotation of several non-face control stimuli with visual features that mimicked different aspects of gaze direction. The findings suggest that when the gaze direction of a perceived agent is incongruent with the direction of the agent’s head motion observers automatically utilise this discrepancy to adjust their inferences about the agent’s intended heading direction.     

Framing Charity Advertising: Influences of Message Framing,Image Valence,and Temporal Framing on a Charitable Appeal1

This study examined when and how charitable advertisements could be effective in the context of child poverty. An experiment investigated the influences of message framing, image valence, and temporal framing on a charitable appeal. The results indicate that image valence enhances framing effects on advertising effectiveness of a charitable appeal when the image is congruent with the framed message, especially when the image and the message are presented negatively. A short‐term temporal frame facilitates effects of a negatively framed message with a negative pictorial presentation. Alternatively, a long‐term temporal frame increases advertising influences of a positively framed message with a positive pictorial image. Relevance for information processing of charity advertising is discussed.     

Associations between Maternal Physical Discipline and Peer Victimization among Hong Kong Chinese Children: The Moderating Role of Child Aggression

This study examines the relation between maternal physical discipline and victimization by peers, as moderated by child aggression. The sample consisted of 211 Hong Kong Chinese children (98 boys, 113 girls; average age of 11.9). Physical discipline was assessed with a questionnaire completed by mothers, and victimization by peers and aggression were measured using a peer nomination inventory. Latent variable models revealed a moderately strong link between children’s experiences with maternal physical discipline and peer victimization, but this effect held only for children who were also high on aggression. These results highlight the interplay between harsh home environments and child aggression and their contributions to the child’s adjustment in the peer group.