Functions of autobiographical memory in Taiwanese and American emerging adults

The study addresses cultural and person-level factors contributing to emerging adult's use of memory to serve adaptive functions. The focus is on three functions: self-continuity, social-bonding and directing-behaviour. Taiwanese (N = 85, 52 women) and American (N = 95, 51 women) emerging adults completed the Thinking about Life Experiences scale, and measures of trait personality, self-concept clarity and future time perspective. Findings show that individuals from both cultures use memory to serve these three functions, but Taiwanese individuals use memory more frequently than Americans to maintain self-continuity. Culture also interacted with person-level factors: in Taiwan, but not America, memory is more frequently used to create self-continuity in individuals high in conscientiousness. Across cultures, having lower self-concept clarity was related to greater use of memory to create self-continuity. Findings are discussed in terms of how memory serves functions in context and specific aspects of the Taiwanese and American cultural context that may predict the functional use of memory in emerging adulthood.     

The Legitimacy Crisis of Arguments from Expert Opinion: Can’t We Trust Experts?

Recent disputes (Mizrahi in Inform Logic 33(1):57–79, 2013; Mizrahi in Inform Logic 36(2):238–252, 2016; Mizrahi in Argumentation 32(2):175–195, 2018; Seidel in Inform Logic 34(2):192–218, 2014; Seidel in Inform Logic 36(2):253–264, 2016; Hinton in Inform Logic 35(4):539–554, 2015) on the strength of arguments from expert opinion (AEO) give rise to a potential legitimacy crisis of it. Mizrahi (Inform Logic 33(1):57–79, 2013; Inform Logic 36(2):238–252; Argumentation 32(2):175–195, 2018) claims that AEO are weak arguments by presenting two independent arguments. The first argument (i.e., the argument of unreliable experts) is that AEO are weak arguments because empirical studies show that expert opinions p do not make p significantly more likely to be true. The second argument (i.e., the argument of biased experts) is that AEO are weak arguments because empirical studies show that expert opinions are susceptible to the kinds of cognitive biases that novice opinions are susceptible to. In this paper, I intend to argue that Mizrahi’s two arguments both fail because of inconsistency, irrelevance, and insufficiency. Nevertheless, Mizrahi’s arguments help to evaluate AEO better by expanding the relevant critical questions.

     

When leader–member exchange differentiation improves work group functioning: The combined roles of differentiation bases and reward interdependence

Drawing on social hierarchy theory, we develop a contingency model of leader–member exchange (LMX) differentiation in which LMX differentiation is positively and negatively related to group cooperation and group social undermining, respectively, when it is based on the group members’ performance, but the relations are reversed (i.e., negative and positive, respectively) when it stems from a leader's personal liking of the members. In addition, we propose that the moderating effects of the performance and personal liking bases of LMX differentiation are magnified by the levels of reward interdependence. Specifically, under a high (vs. low) level of reward interdependence, LMX differentiation based on performance more strongly relates to high group cooperation and low group social undermining, whereas LMX differentiation with a personal liking basis is more likely to decrease group cooperation and increase group social undermining. Group cooperation and social undermining are then hypothesized to convey the three‐way interactive effects of LMX differentiation, its two bases, and reward interdependence on subsequent group performance. Analyses of data from 328 sales groups of a large retailer support the core part of our contingency model of LMX differentiation.     

Forbearance coping, identification with heritage culture, acculturative stress, and psychological distress among Chinese international students

Based on Berry's (1997) theoretical framework for acculturation, our goal in this study was to examine whether the use of a culturally relevant coping strategy (i.e., forbearance coping, a predictor) would be associated with a lower level of psychological distress (a psychological outcome), for whom (i.e., those with weaker vs. stronger identification with heritage culture, a moderator), and under what situations (i.e., lower vs. higher acculturative stress, a moderator). A total of 188 Chinese international students completed an online survey. Results from a hierarchical regression indicated a significant 3-way interaction of forbearance coping, identification with heritage culture, and acculturative stress on psychological distress. For those with a weaker identification with their heritage culture, when acculturative stress was higher, the use of forbearance coping was positively associated with psychological distress. However, this was not the case when acculturative stress was lower. In other words, the use of forbearance coping was not significantly associated with psychological distress when acculturative stress was lower. Moreover, for those with a stronger cultural heritage identification, the use of forbearance coping was not significantly associated with psychological distress regardless of whether acculturative stress was high or low. Future research and implications are discussed.     

中文书写者字迹识别的眼动研究

采用眼动技术,以不同整体书写风格的字迹为实验材料,探讨中文字迹识别的眼动模式。实验结果显示：随着整体书写风格一致性的变化,被试识别不同书写者中文字迹的反应时、注视次数,眼跳次数,兴趣区数及落入兴趣区的比率均表现出显著性差异。结论：（1）识别中文字迹依赖字迹整体书写风格;（2）中文字迹识别模式：在识别字迹时,优先采用字迹整体书写风格识别不同的字迹;（3）中文字迹识别属于图像识别加工。     

Effects of irradiation with electrons of different energies on the dark conductivity and the network of hydrogenated amorphous silicon films

The effects of irradiation with electrons having energies in the range 0.7–1.7 MeV on the dark conductivity and the network of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films have been studied. The dark conductivity measurements show that electron irradiation leads to a degradation in the dark conductivity, with the degradation being greater at lower electron energies. The Raman results suggest that the irradiation induces structural defects in the a-Si:H films, with the lower energy electrons producing more disorder in the amorphous network.     

Do objects in working memory compete with objects in perception?

It is generally assumed that “perceptual object” is the basic unit for processing visual information and that only a small number of objects can be either perceptually selected or encoded in working memory (WM) at one time. This raises the question whether the same resource is used when objects are selected and tracked as when they are held in WM. In two experiments, we measured dual-task interference between a memory task and a Multiple Object Tracking task. The WM tasks involve explicit, implicit, or no spatial processing. Our results suggest there is no resource competition between working memory and perceptual selection except when the WM task requires encoding spatial properties.     

直觉在军事决策中的应用

直觉决策是以决策者经验为基础的无意识的决策过程.现代战争的动态性、不确定性、复杂性和模糊性要求指挥员在战场当中要善于利用直觉进行快速决断.受到决策的双系统理论以及再认启动决策模型思想的影响,美军从20世纪80年代后期开始重视直觉决策在制定作战计划中的作用,相关研究机构积极探索培养指挥员直觉决策能力的方法,作战条令中也逐渐融入了直觉决策的理念.美军的研究发现和实践结果不仅揭示了基于经验的直觉决策过程的内在心理机制,而且对我军培养适合于未来战争的优秀指挥人才具有启示作用.     

情绪加工老龄化机制：表情的自动加工和控制加工视角

情绪加工老龄化已经成为老龄化研究的新热点, 但其内在机制仍然缺乏统一的解释。本研究以自动加工和控制加工为切入点, 综合行为实验、ERP和fMRI实验技术, 开展表情加工的老龄化研究, 从情绪与认知交互的角度进一步揭示情绪加工老龄化的内在机制。具体内容包括表情自动加工和控制加工的年龄差异及其神经机制, 表情自动加工与认知控制的相互作用, 以及个体差异在情绪加工老龄化中的作用等。本研究将加深对情绪加工老龄化的理解, 为相关理论模型的验证、修正和完善提供实证依据。     

动态决策模型下情绪对风险决策的影响*

通过静态-动态决策模型的创设,考察了不同构造情境下心境、即时性诱发情绪对风险决策行为的影响。实验结果表明:(1)静态决策模型和动态决策模型下风险决策行为有着显著不同,相对于静态决策,动态决策模型下被试的风险决策行为更显保守;(2)不同心境在静态-动态决策模型下对风险决策行为的影响不同;(3)诱发情绪在动态决策模型中能对风险决策行为产生影响,恐惧情绪促使被试在动态决策中趋于保守。