Inter-Definability of Horn Contraction and Horn Revision

There have been a number of publications in recent years on generalising the AGM paradigm to the Horn fragment of propositional logic. Most of them focused on adapting AGM contraction and revision to the Horn setting. It remains an open question whether the adapted Horn contraction and Horn revision are inter-definable as in the AGM case through the Levi and Harper identities. In this paper, we give a positive answer by providing methods for generating contraction and revision from their dual operations. Noticeably, we cannot apply the Levi and Harper identities directly in such methods as the Horn fragment does not fully support negation. To overcome this difficulty, a Horn approximation technique called Horn strengthening is used. We show that Horn contraction generated from Horn revision is always plausible whereas Horn revision generated from Horn contraction is, in general, implausible and, to regain plausibility, the generating contraction has to be properly restricted.     

Profiling Perceptual Learning Styles of Chinese as a Second Language Learners in University Settings

This study revisited Reid’s (1987) perceptual learning style preference questionnaire (PLSPQ) in an attempt to answer whether the PLSPQ fits in the Chinese-as-a-second-language (CSL) context. If not, what are CSL learners’ learning styles drawing on the PLSPQ? The PLSPQ was first re-examined through reliability analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with 224 CSL learners. The results showed that Reid’s six-factor PLSPQ could not satisfactorily explain the CSL learners’ learning styles. Exploratory factor analyses were, therefore, performed to explore the dimensionality of the PLSPQ in the CSL context. A four-factor PLSPQ was successfully constructed including auditory/visual, kinaesthetic/tactile, group, and individual styles. Such a measurement model was cross-validated through CFAs with 118 CSL learners. The study not only lends evidence to the literature that Reid’s PLSPQ lacks construct validity, but also provides CSL teachers and learners with insightful and practical guidance concerning learning styles. Implications and limitations of the present study are discussed.     

语音意识、命名速度和语素意识在汉语阅读发展中的作用

以123名小学四、五年级汉语儿童为研究对象,采用回归分析、结构方程模型探讨语音意识、命名速度和语素意识在阅读能力不同方面（准确性、流畅性和理解）的作用。结果显示,语音意识、命名速度和语素意识都是影响阅读能力的重要认知因素,但对不同方面阅读能力的作用存在差异：（1）语音意识、命名速度和语素意识均直接影响阅读准确性,且语素意识的贡献相对较大;（2）命名速度除直接影响阅读流畅性外,还通过阅读准确性的部分中介作用影响阅读流畅性,而语音意识和语素意识则通过阅读准确性的完全中介作用影响阅读流畅性;（3）语音意识、命名速度和语素意识对阅读理解均无直接影响,分别通过阅读准确性和阅读流畅性间接影响阅读理解。     

义符促进类别归纳推理的ERP证据

为了明确义符对归纳推理影响,本研究使用有义符和无义符汉字为材料,使用ERP技术考查义符对不同层级类别概念归纳推理的影响。行为结果显示,有义符条件下反应速度更快,肯定判断率更高。脑电指标上,P3阶段义符主效应显著,有义符条件下P3波幅更大;N1、N400和P600阶段义符与层级交互作用显著,组内简单效应分析显示,层级主效应仅在无义符条件下显著;组间简单效应分析显示,义符主效在N400和P600阶段仅在下-上推理条件下显著,无义符条件下,下-上推理引发更大的N400和P600波幅。这些结果表明,义符促进了归纳推理过程,这种促进主要表现在对下-上推理的促进。     

希望的代际传递效应:教养方式的中介作用

为探索希望在父母与学前儿童之间的代际传递效应,以及父母教养方式在其中的中介作用,使用成人特质希望量表、儿童希望量表(他评版)及教养方式问卷对1034名学前儿童的家长进行了调查。结果表明,父母希望显著正向预测儿童希望,教养方式在其中起部分中介作用,且这一中介模型对于父亲和母亲完全等价。说明希望存在代际传递性;希望水平高的父母更倾向于采取积极的教养方式,进而提升学前儿童的希望水平;并且父亲和母亲以相同的模式将希望通过教养方式的中介作用传递给儿童。     

Engagement Attentional Bias toward Value-Associated Stimuli

Recent evidence has shown that learning to associate the value of behavioral outcomes with specific stimuli (i.e., value learning/association) can induce attentional capture in a subsequent visual search task. Here we investigated the component of attentional bias toward value-associated stimuli in the dot-probe paradigm. In the training phase, participants learned to associate nonsense shape outlines with monetary wins or losses. The shapes were then used as cues in an explicit no feedback dot-probe task. Probe appeared at either the salient (congruent trial) or nonsalient location (incongruent trial). Results indicate attentional bias toward value-associated stimuli, futher more this attentional bias is driven by an engagement bias.     

Information Mismatch: Cancer Risk Counseling with Diverse Underserved Patients

As genetics and genomics become part of mainstream Medicine, these advances have the potential to reduce or exacerbate health disparities. Gaps in effective communication (where all parties share the same meaning) are widely recognized as a major contributor to health disparities. The purpose of this study was to examine GC-patient communication in real time, to assess its effectiveness from the patient perspective, and then to pilot intervention strategies to improve the communication. We observed 64 English-, 35 Spanish- and 25 Chinese-speaking (n = 124) public hospital patients and 10 GCs in 170 GC appointments, and interviewed 49 patients who were offered testing using the audio recordings to stimulate recall and probe specific aspects of the communication. Data analyses were conducted using grounded theory methods and revealed a fundamental mismatch between the information provided by GCs and the information desired and meaningful to patients. Several components of the communication that contributed to this mismatch and often resulted in ineffective communication included: (1) too much information; (2) complex terminology and conceptually difficult presentation of information; (3) information perceived as not relevant by the patient; (4) unintentional inhibition of patient engagement and question-asking; (5) vague discussions of screening and prevention recommendations. Our findings indicate a need to transform the standard model of genetic counseling communication using evidence-based principles and strategies from other fields of Medicine. The high rates of limited health literacy in the US, increasing access of diverse populations to genetic services, and growing complexity of genetic information have created a perfect storm. If not directly addressed, this convergence is likely to exacerbate health disparities in the genomic age.     

气质性乐观的正性偏向及其神经生理研究证据

气质性乐观是对未来的总体的积极期待。乐观能够带给个体诸多好处, 如有利于提高身体健康, 提高幸福感, 促进成功等等, 究其原因可能是乐观者存在正性偏向。这一偏向主要体现在注意、知觉、记忆、解释风格、应对策略的选择、情绪、期待及动机方面。而乐观者正性偏向产生的神经生理机制可能与前扣带回喙部、前额叶皮质的激活水平变化有关。未来研究可将乐观的核心--期待--作为重点, 整合期待−价值理论、人格理论与神经基础来进一步探讨乐观的心理机制。     

阅读中的快速启动范式述评

快速启动范式（Sereno & Rayner, 1992）是一种基于呈现随眼动变化技术而设计的眼动范式,主要用于研究中央凹视野内字词识别的瞬时启动,通过精确控制启动条件和启动时窗,以考察词汇通达过程中词汇水平（如,词频、词长等）、亚词汇水平（如,语音、语义、字形等）信息的加工时序。本文从基本原理、设计基础、应用领域、注意事项等方面对快速启动范式进行了较为深入的解读和介绍,并结合已有的研究成果,指出了该范式在汉语阅读中的应用价值。