Understanding the object benefit in visual short-term memory: the roles of feature proximity and connectedness

Past research has identified visual objects as the units of information processing in visual short-term memory (VSTM) and has shown that two features from the same object can be remembered in VSTM as well (or almost as well) as one feature of that object and are much better remembered than the same two features from two spatially separated objects. It is not clear, however, what drives this object benefit in VSTM. Is it the shared spatial location (proximity), the connectedness among features of an object, or both? In six change detection experiments, both location/proximity and connectedness were found to be crucial in determining the magnitude of the object benefit in VSTM. Together, these results indicate that location/proximity and connectedness are essential elements in defining a coherent visual object representation in VSTM.     

The development of executive functioning and theory of mind. A comparison of Chinese and U.S. preschoolers

Preschoolers' theory-of-mind development follows a similar age trajectory across many cultures. To determine whether these similarities are related to similar underlying ontogenetic processes, we examined whether the relation between theory of mind and executive function commonly found among U.S. preschoolers is also present among Chinese preschoolers. Preschoolers from Beijing, China (N= 109), were administered theory-of-mind and executive-functioning tasks, and their performance was compared with that of a previously studied sample of U.S. preschoolers (N= 107). The Chinese preschoolers outperformed their U.S. counterparts on all measures of executive functioning, but were not similarly advanced in theory-of-mind reasoning. Nonetheless, individual differences in executive functioning predicted theory of mind for children in both cultures. Thus, the relation between executive functioning and theory of mind is robust across two disparate cultures. These findings shed light on why executive functioning is important for theory-of-mind development.     

Cognitive decline in old age: separating retest effects from the effects of growing older

Repeated administration of cognitive tests improves test performance, making it difficult for researchers to gauge the true extent of age-related cognitive decline. The authors examined this issue using data from the Rush Religious Orders Study and linear mixed-effects models. At annual intervals for up to 8 years, more than 800 older Catholic clergy members completed the same set of 19 cognitive tests from which previously established composite measures of cognitive domains were derived. Retest effects on some measures were substantial and continued to accumulate even after 8 annual test readministrations, but effects on other measures were minimal. Across cognitive measures, retest effects were not related to age, sex, or education. Individual differences in retest effects were substantial but not consistent across cognitive measures. The results suggest that retest-based improvement in cognitive test performance can be substantial and persistent.     

Maternal socialization goals, parenting styles, and social-emotional adjustment among Chinese and European American young adults: testing a mediation model

The authors compared the associations among perceived maternal socialization goals (self-development, filial piety, and collectivism), perceived maternal parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, and training), and the social-emotional adjustment (self-esteem, academic self-efficacy, and depression) between Chinese and European American young adults. The mediation processes in which socialization goals relate to young adults' adjustment outcomes through parenting styles were examined. Results showed that European American participants perceived higher maternal self-development socialization goals, whereas Chinese participants perceived higher maternal collectivism socialization goals as well as more authoritarian parenting. Cross-cultural similarities were found in the associations between perceived maternal authoritative parenting and socioemotional adjustment (e.g., higher self-esteem and higher academic self-efficacy) across the two cultural groups. However, perceived maternal authoritarian and training parenting styles were found only to be related to Chinese participants' adjustment (e.g., higher academic self-efficacy and lower depression). The mediation analyses showed that authoritative parenting significantly mediated the positive associations between the self-development and collectivism goal and socioemotional adjustment for both cultural groups. Additionally, training parenting significantly mediated the positive association between the filial piety goal and young adults' academic self-efficacy for the Chinese group only. Findings of this study highlight the importance of examining parental socialization goals in cross-cultural parenting research.     

Cosmopolitanism and What it Means to be Human: Rethinking Ancient and Modern Views on Discerning Humanity

This paper takes a conceptual look at cosmopolitanism and the related issue of what it means to be human in order to arrive at an alternative conceptual framework which is free from empiricist assumptions. With reference to a discussion on Homer’s Iliad, the author develops a ‘humanist’ model of discerning humanity. This model is then compared and contrasted with Martha Nussbaum’s version of cosmopolitanism. The notion of ‘aspect-seeing’ discussed by Wittgenstein in the second part of the Philosophical Investigations is also examined in order to shed light on what it involves to discern humanity. Finally, racism is discussed from the philosophical perspective elaborated in order to highlight its distinctive conceptual features. It is hoped that this paper can refocus our attention on important issues concerning the basis of what it means to see human beings as human beings.     

Individualism,collectivism, and Chinese adolescents' aggression: intracultural variations

This study examined the relations between cultural values (i.e., individualism and collectivism) and aggression among 460 (234 girls) Chinese adolescents. Conflict level and social status insecurity were examined as potential explaining mechanisms for these relations. The results showed that adolescents' endorsement of collectivism was negatively related to their use of overt and relational aggression as reported by teachers and peers, whereas positive associations were found between the endorsement of individualism and adolescent aggression. Adolescents' conflict level and social status insecurity accounted for a significant part of these associations. Findings of this study demonstrate the importance of examining intracultural variations of cultural values in relation to adolescent aggression as well as the process variables in explaining the relations. Aggr. Behav. 36:187–194, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

首词和尾词频率对高熟悉度成语识别的影响

采用词汇判定法,考察首词频率和尾词频率对高熟悉度四字成语识别的影响。实验结果表明:(1)对高熟悉度成语的识别规律与多层聚类表征模型的观点比较吻合;(2)构成成语的成份词对成语表征有竞争和干扰作用,高频率成份词相对于低频率成份词,对成语表征的竞争和干扰作用较大。     

Discontinuous precipitation initiated at interphase boundaries in a Zn-rich Zn-6.3 at.% Ag alloy

Discontinuous precipitation in a two-phase Zn-rich Zn-6.3at.%Ag alloy has been studied. It has been shown that the eta/epsilon interphase boundaries have the ability to initiate discontinuous precipitation as do the eta/eta grain boundaries. The back-polishing method is used to show the interconnection between a discontinuous precipitate colony and the eta/epsilon interphase boundary. The reaction front velocity of discontinuous precipitation initiated at the eta/eta grain boundary is 12-90% higher than that of discontinuous precipitation initiated at the eta/epsilon interphase boundary under various ageing temperatures.     

Homogeneous nucleation of dislocation loops under stress in perfect crystals

We present an analysis and results on the homogeneous nucleation of a dislocation loop under stress in a perfect crystal. By using a variational boundary integral method in the Peierls-Nabarro framework, we have determined the saddle-point configurations of embryonic dislocation loops and their associated activation energies under stress levels up to the ideal shear strength. The high-energy barriers under the usual levels of applied shear stresses, differing markedly from the ideal shear strength, confirm the widely held view that thermal motion should play no role in such nucleation. The result provides means for more definitive solutions of fundamental problems involving homogeneous nucleation of dislocation loops and has significant implications for models based on the mechanism of nucleation of dislocations from a perfect crystal.     

Application of the stagnant stage concept for monitoring Mn partitioning at the austenite-ferrite interface in the intercritical region for Fe–Mn–C alloys

The length of the stagnant stage during the new ferrite growth starting from a mixture of austenite and ferrite has been investigated for a Fe-0.17Mn-0.023C (wt%) alloy. It was found that the stagnant stage depends on the thermal path followed to create the mixture, and deduce that the tie-lines for austenite to ferrite transformation are quite different from those for ferrite to austenite transformation. The length of the stagnant stage is determined by the very local partitioning effect at the interface, and it can be used as a tool to monitor the Mn partitioning.