Lessons on the utilization of research from nine case experiences in the natural hazards field

Research-funding organizations and research investigators can take several steps to improve the utilization of scientific research. These steps were derived from nine case studies of research projects in the natural hazards field, representing three academic fields of study: physical science, social science, and architecture. The case studies investigated the extent to which these projects corroborated the conditions associated with specific theories of research utilization. Following a replication research design, the cross-case conclusions were that greater utilization will result where research investigators and users maintain a rich set of professional communications over time, leading to research that is: academically excellent, addresses practical problems, can be modified in the early stages to be responsive to users’ needs, and produces usable products. Robert K. Yin is President of COSMOS Corporation, which specializes in both social science research and in information systems development. Dr. Yin also serves as a visiting professor, department of Computer Science and Information Systems, American University, Washington, D.C. 20016. Gwendolyn B. Moore is a senior manager for Nolan, Norton, & Co., an information technology affiliate of Peat Marwick. She specializes in information technology and strategic planning projects, and holds an MBA in Business Policy from the University of Massachusetts.     

Temporal Coding in Pavlovian Conditioning: Hall-Pearce Negative Transfer

The Hall-Pearce (1979) negative transfer effect in rats was used to examine whether temporal relationships are coded as part of the informational content of associations that result from CS-US pairings. The transfer effect consists of adeficit in conditioned responding following CS-US pairings in Phase 2 that results from prior CS-US pairings in Phase 1. strong weak Using conditioned bar-press suppression, we found that gaps of different duration between CS termination and US onset in the two training phases resulted in less of a Hall-Pearce negative transfer effect than did an equivalent gap in the twotraining phases. The results are discussed with respect tothe temporal coding hypothesis (Matzel, Held, &Miller, 1988), the Pearce and Hall (1980) model, and Bouton's (1993) interference model.     

Transitions in sleep problems from late adolescence to young adulthood: A longitudinal analysis of the effects of peer victimization

Adolescence is a developmental period with high vulnerability to sleep problems. However, research identifying distinct patterns and underlying determinants of sleep problems is scarce. This study investigated discrete subgroups of, changes in, and stability of sleep problems. We also examined whether peer victimization influenced sleep problem subgroups and transitions in patterns of sleep problems from late adolescence to young adulthood. Sex differences in the effects of peer victimization were also explored. In total, 1,455 male and 1,399 female adolescents from northern Taiwan participated in this longitudinal study. Latent transition analysis was used to examine changes in patterns of sleep problems and the effects of peer victimization on these changes. We identified three subgroups of sleep problems in males and two in females, and found that there was a certain level of instability in patterns of sleep problems during the study period. For both sexes, those with greater increases in peer victimization over time were more likely to change from being a good sleeper to a poor sleeper. The effects of peer victimization on baseline status of sleep problems, however, was only significant for males, with those exposed to higher levels of peer victimization more likely to be poor sleepers at baseline. Our findings reveal an important role of peer victimization in predicting transitions in patterns of sleep problems. Intervention programs aimed at decreasing peer victimization may help reduce the development and escalation of sleep problems among adolescents, especially in males.

     

Testing domain general learning in an Australian lizard

A key question in cognition is whether animals that are proficient in a specific cognitive domain (domain specific hypothesis), such as spatial learning, are also proficient in other domains (domain general hypothesis) or whether there is a trade-off. Studies testing among these hypotheses are biased towards mammals and birds. To understand constraints on the evolution of cognition more generally, we need broader taxonomic and phylogenetic coverage. We used Australian eastern water skinks (Eulamprus quoyii) with known spatial learning ability in three additional tasks: an instrumental and two discrimination tasks. Under domain specific learning we predicted that lizards that were good at spatial learning would perform less well in the discrimination tasks. Conversely, we predicted that lizards that did not meet our criterion for spatial learning would likewise perform better in discrimination tasks. Lizards with domain general learning should perform approximately equally well (or poorly) in these tasks. Lizards classified as spatial learners performed no differently to non-spatial learners in both the instrumental and discrimination learning tasks. Nevertheless, lizards were proficient in all tasks. Our results reveal two patterns: domain general learning in spatial learners and domain specific learning in non-spatial learners. We suggest that delineating learning into domain general and domain specific may be overly simplistic and we need to instead focus on individual variation in learning ability, which ultimately, is likely to play a key role in fitness. These results, in combination with previously published work on this species, suggests that this species has behavioral flexibility because they are competent across multiple cognitive domains and are capable of reversal learning.     

The influence of induced mood on music preference

The purpose of this study was to clarify the impact of different self-centered moods on music preference without listening to music. Participants’ affective state (sad vs. happy vs. neutral) were experimentally manipulated through the mood induction procedure, and then their preferences for music were ascertained through self-reports. To understand participants’ internal motivations for their choices, we also asked them to indicate how appropriate he/she felt it would be to select the different music types as well as why they made such choices. Results suggested that participants in a sad mood were inclined to listen to sad (and slow) music, those in a happy mood preferred to listen to happy (and fast) music, and those in a neutral mood did not consistently prefer to listen to neutral music. In addition, participants were averse to sad music when they were in a happy or neutral mood; while they showed no aversion to happy music when they were in a sad mood. In conclusion, individuals select valence-consistent music when they are in an autobiographical memory-induced mood state.     

英国工业化初期的“乡村工业社区”及其治理

"乡村工业社区"是机器大工业在英国乡村地区发展的载体,也是乡村工业化发展和农村城市化的初级形态。工业家是此类社区的创建者和主宰,以家长式的作风管理社区的社会生活,并通过掌控公共权力和举行各种庆典活动来强化自己的权威。这些处于工业家控制下的新兴工业社区成为连接传统农业社会和现代工业社会之间的桥梁。     

政府审计维护国家经济安全的体制寻优与机制构建

政府审计维护国家经济安全理论和实践的探索已多年,但对其体制和机制的研究尚未有突破进展.本文对中国政府审计体制展开剖析,认为现行体制在维护国家经济安全方面颇具优势,更能彰显政府审计批判性、建设性、宏观性、服务性和开放性的特征,故应发展而不是舍弃现行体制.在此体制轮廓下,本文论述了政府审计维护国家经济安全的机制设计与构建,阐述了明确行为依据、认知活动领域、优化作用方式、厘清运行路线、强化素质与管理保障五方面的构建内容与实施路径.     

医患沟通的三层"修炼"

良好的医患沟通能力可以避免或大大减少医疗纠纷的发生.医患沟通能力的提高需要不断地思考与实践.医患沟通需要经历三个阶段:技术沟通是指基础性的沟通内容及方式方法,用"心"沟通是指带着热忱、设身处地与无微不至的关怀与患者沟通,"忘记"沟通是指发自内心的、自然而然的沟通,才能达到高水平的沟通.     

学前儿童情绪理解的发展及其与父母元情绪理念的关系

通过对341名3～5岁儿童情绪理解的测查及问卷调查,考察儿童情绪理解的发展特点及其与父母元情绪理念的关系。结果表明:(1)女孩的情绪识别显著优于男孩;(2)学前儿童的情绪理解具有显著的年龄差异,年长儿童显著优于年幼儿童;(3)母亲情绪不干涉的元情绪理念对儿童情绪识别具有促进作用,而情绪紊乱的理念则对儿童情绪识别有阻碍作用;(4)与日常经验不同,父亲情绪紊乱的元情绪理念可能反而对儿童情绪识别、情景情绪理解具有正向作用。     

末期癌症患者的临终关怀

临终关怀与末期癌症关系密切,末期癌症患者是临终关怀的主要对象,这也是姑息医学的主要内容。作为发展中的学科,本文对临终关怀的发展、目的、内容及其在末期癌症患者中的实施作一综述。