Anxiety after remembering stressful academic versus brush with death events: The moderating roles of future time perspective and personal intimacy

This study examines: (i) whether recalling stressful autobiographical events results in anxiety, (ii) the relation of memory qualities to anxiety, and (iii) the relation of future time perspective and personal intimacy to experiencing anxiety. Participants (N = 120) completed Future Time Perspective, Personal Intimacy and State Anxiety scales. They were randomly assigned to recall a brush with death, a stressful academic deadline, or a no-stress control. Memory qualities (vividness and significance) were assessed. As expected, recalling stressful events resulted in anxiety with more personally significant events related to higher anxiety. Having a more open-ended future time perspective related to lower anxiety after recalling a stressful academic deadline, whereas greater personal intimacy predicted lower anxiety after recalling a brush with death. Findings are discussed in terms of factors that may serve to moderate the link between stressful memories and the experience of anxiety.     

内隐学习中表征与意识的关系

近年来研究者分别从表征的质量和表征的外显等级两个方面探讨了内隐学习中表征与意识的关系。有关表征质量与意识的研究,清晰地揭示了影响表征进入意识的因素;而有关表征外显等级与意识的研究,则明确地阐明了什么样的表征才是有意识的。但表征与意识的关系是一个十分复杂的问题,目前仍存在着很大的争议,还有待于进一步的探讨     

信息表征形式对解决贝叶斯推理问题的影响

通过三个实验分别考察问题形式（一步问题,两步问题）、信息结构（分割结构,未分割结构）和辅助图形表征（条形图、饼图、结构图）对解决贝叶斯推理问题的影响。研究结果表明：(1)一步问题形式有时优于两步问题形式;(2)频率格式提问有时优于几率格式提问;(3)分割的信息结构明显优于未分割的信息结构;(4)与条形图和饼图形式的图形辅助表征相比,结构图形式的图形辅助表征显著提高了被试解决贝叶斯推理问题的成绩。     

Health-related behaviours and their correlates in a general population sample of 45-year old women

Abstract

Preventive strategies for menopausal women to reduce the risks for osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease has been the focus of considerable attention, but understanding of mid-aged women's behavioural risk factors for these diseases is meagre. The current study describes a range of health-related behaviours and their psychosocial correlates, in a sample of 45-year old women, recruited from five general practices and assessed by postal survey (N=106, response rate 60%). Results suggest that health promotion for this group might best focus upon increases in regular exercise, calcium intake and breast awareness, and decreases in cigarette and caffeine consumption. The behaviours assessed were generally not inter-related. However, several associations were identified between behaviours and health and psychosocial variables. The main ones were the association between menopausal status and smoking, and the relationship between body weight, self-esteem and physical exercise. It is argued that the menopause transition can be an opportunity for preventive work.     

Gender differences in the effects of post-learning emotion on consolidation of item memory and source memory

Item memory and source memory are two integral elements of episodic memory. Although many studies have examined the effect of emotion on item memory, little research has simultaneously taken into account item memory and source memory. In addition, in the majority of previous studies, learning stimuli are used as the source of emotion, making it difficult to understand whether emotion has an effect on encoding or on consolidation of episodic memory. Furthermore, although gender differences exist in neurophysiological responses to emotional stimuli, in many studies gender differences were neglected and this leaves the picture incomplete regarding the effect of emotion on episodic memory. In this study, we examined gender differences in the effects of post-learning emotion on consolidation of item memory and source memory. Participants learned neutral Chinese nouns, took a memory pretest, and were then randomly assigned to three conditions, in which they either watched a 3-min negative video clip, or watched a 3-min positive video clip, or remained calm and relaxed for 3 min. Thirty minutes after the initial learning, participants took a memory posttest. We found that: (1) For females, post-learning negative emotion enhanced consolidation of item memory; however, neither negative emotion nor positive emotion had a significant effect on consolidation of source memory; (2) For males, neither negative nor positive emotion after learning had a significant effect on either item memory or source memory. Possible reasons for the gender differences, as well as the theoretical significance and practical implications of this study were discussed.     

Problem representation and solution strategies in solitaire chess

Abstract

Experimental and computer simulation were used to study problem representation, solution strategies, and the relation between the two when solving problems in solitaire chess. Experimental results showed that subjects produced three kinds of problem representations, corresponding to three kinds of solution strategies; namely, trial-and-error, concentration and decomposition. The three different problem representations reflected different cognitive levels achieved by the subjects in structuring the problem and determined which solution strategy the subjects employed. The three kinds of solution strategies exhibited different kinds of selectivity and different degrees of effectiveness.     

头部朝向在社会性注意转移中的作用

注视指向是非常重要的社会性注意线索,但是在日常情境中,注视指向往往伴随着头部朝向信息,而且两者都包含空间指向信息.已有研究发现头部朝向会影响注视指向知觉的速度和准确性,为注视指向提供参照系,进而会影响注视指向诱发的社会性注意.头部朝向和注视指向加工的神经机制也存在着广泛的重合.因此,除眼睛注视以外,头部朝向也是建构和完善基于心理模型的社会性注意机制的一个关键因素.未来的研究应关注头部朝向与眼睛注视指向共同影响注意转移的作用机制,并且从功能整合的角度开展神经机制研究.     

从《太平经》看早期道教的孝道思想

孝道思想是道教的重要内容,其产生时间较早,并受到道教产生前背景观念的影响。道教早期文献《太平经》具有大量道教孝道思想的表达,并且具有代表性。本文通过对早期道教孝道思想产生的背景和对《太平经》文本的分析,得出道教早期孝道思想两重意蕴,即世俗层面和神圣层面,并指出道教孝道思想的最终落脚点在效法天地、顺其自然。     

Lay theory of race affects and moderates Asian Americans' responses toward American culture

People may hold different understandings of race that might affect how they respond to the culture of groups deemed to be racially distinct. The present research tests how this process is moderated by the minority individual's lay theory of race. An essentialist lay theory of race (i.e., that race reflects deep-seated, inalterable essence and is indicative of traits and ability) would orient racial minorities to rigidly adhere to their ethnic culture, whereas a social constructionist lay theory of race (i.e., that race is socially constructed, malleable, and arbitrary) would orient racial minorities to identify and cognitively assimilate toward the majority culture. To test these predictions, the authors conducted 4 studies with Asian American participants. The first 2 studies examine the effect of one's lay theory of race on perceived racial differences and identification with American culture. The last 2 studies tested the moderating effect of lay theory of race on identification and assimilation toward the majority American culture after this culture had been primed. The results generally supported the prediction that the social constructionist theory was associated with more perceived similarity between Asians and Americans and more consistent identification and assimilation toward American culture, compared with the essentialist theory.