Evolution, stress, and sensitive periods: the influence of unpredictability in early versus late childhood on sex and risky behavior

According to a recent evolutionary life history model of development proposed by Ellis, Figueredo, Brumbach, and Schlomer (2009), growing up in harsh versus unpredictable environments should have unique effects on life history strategies in adulthood. Using data from the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation, we tested how harshness and unpredictability experienced in early childhood (age 0-5) versus in later childhood (age 6-16) uniquely predicted sexual and risky behavior at age 23. Findings showed that the strongest predictor of both sexual and risky behavior was an unpredictable environment between ages 0 and 5. Individuals exposed to more unpredictable, rapidly changing environments during the first 5 years of life displayed a faster life history strategy at age 23 by having more sexual partners, engaging in more aggressive and delinquent behaviors, and being more likely to be associated with criminal activities. In contrast, exposure to either harsh environments or experiencing unpredictability in later childhood (age 6-16) was, for the most part, not significantly related to these outcomes at age 23. Viewed together, these findings show that unpredictable rather than merely harsh childhood environments exert unique effects on risky behavior later in life consistent with a faster life history strategy. The findings also suggest that there is a developmentally sensitive period for assessing environmental unpredictability during the first 5 years of life.     

Effects of early bilingualism on learning phonological regularities in a new language

Drawing on structural sensitivity theory, the current study investigated monolingual and bilingual children's ability to learn how phonemes combine to form acceptable syllables in a new language. A total of 186 monolingual and bilingual kindergarteners, first graders, and second graders in Taiwan participated in the study. Bilingual children, regardless of whether they actively used a second language at home or simply had exposure to it, showed an advantage over their monolingual peers in learning the phonological patterns in the new language. The study provides empirical support for structural sensitivity theory and calls for the need to reconceptualize the effects of early bilingualism.     

Effects of a rival's perceived motives on constructive competition within organizations: A competitive dynamics perspective

Previous work on constructive competition has focused on competitors' motives and strategies; however, competition is an interactive process that is affected by both the competitor and the rival. Based on the competitive dynamics perspective and attribution theory, this study examines the impact of a perceived rival's motives on the constructiveness of competition. The results of a survey of 521 employees from 25 companies in the banking and insurance industry in Taiwan revealed that the perceptions of rivals' motives significantly affected the constructiveness of competition. By introducing the perspective of rival analysis to individual‐level competition, the present study provides a more comprehensive understanding of constructive competition within organizations.     

Transfer of Reactive Inhibition

A serious challenge to Hull’s (1943) theory of reminiscence and intertrial-interval effects is posed by the current contention that reactive inhibition (I_R) must be task-specific since it does not seem to transfer from one task to another. This notion was examined within the framework of a practice-rest paradigm in which three control groups were given 20 1-min trials on a principal task with intertrial intervals of 0, 5, and 70 sec, respectively, while two experimental groups practiced alternately on the principal task and a secondary task known to produce evidence for I_R. The two secondary tasks varied in their similarities to the principal task. Additional control groups were used to assess the magnitude of habit transfer effects. The total sample consisted of 70 males and 70 females whose modal age was 18 yr. With habit transfer effects controlled, results showed clearly that work effects transferred from the alternate tasks to the main task without regard for differences in similarity. Thus, the task-specificity hypothesis was not supported.     

HIV Risk among Pregnant Teenagers with a History of Interpersonal Violence

This study examined the relationship among interpersonal violence, depressive symptoms, and HIV risk behaviors among pregnant teenagers. A sample of 116 pregnant teenagers was recruited in Rhode Island. Multivariate logistic regressions tested whether or not the relationship between history of interpersonal violence and HIV risk remained after controlling for age and education. Participants reported a young age of sexual debut and low rates of condom use. Multivariate logistic regressions indicate a significant relationship between interpersonal violence and HIV risk but not in degree of depression symptoms and HIV risk. Pregnant teenagers with a history of interpersonal violence could benefit from interventions that address HIV risk.     

Examining a processing tradeoff explanation of proactive interference

Burns (1989) claims that proactive interference effects occur in paired-associate learning because of tradeoffs in relational and response-specific processing. Consistent with this claim, Burns demonstrated that free recall of critical-list responses is better in the interference condition than in the control condition. Burns’s processing trade off explanation predicts that the occurrence of this reverse-interference effect should be positively correlated with the occurrence of traditional interference effects. We present several experiments whose results are inconsistent with-this-prediction. We hypothesize that the reverse-interference effect is a list-length effect. The results of a final experiment, contrasting the predictions of the list-length and processing trade off explanations, support the list-length explanation.     

儿童成长型思维干预的理论基础和实践走向

思维模式是人们关于智力是否可塑的内隐信念,是个体内隐意义系统的核心和组织者。个体的思维模式可以分为成长型思维和固定型思维,其中成长型思维有利于儿童学习动机、自我效能和心理韧性的发展。早期的儿童成长型思维干预主要采用面对面的方式,近年来线上的短时程干预得到了快速发展,进而促进了干预的规模化应用,干预的内容也从内隐智力理论拓展到内隐人格理论。对干预效果的评估显示,成长型思维干预能够对儿童学业发展和社会适应产生可持续的促进作用,且对学业困难群体作用更为显著。未来的研究应重视面向对象的干预程序开发,创建有利于成长型思维发展的环境,同时应注意避免实践中的简单化偏差。     

初中学生类别建构中的知识效应研究

采用类别建构的实验范式,选取具有家族相似性结构的人工类别材料,考察了已有知识对初中学生类别建构的影响。实验结果表明,当类别特征能够在已有知识的基础上形成主题时,初中学生倾向于按主题建构类别,而且在主题愈突出时这种趋势愈为明显;并且,主题性质对不同领域材料的类别建构的影响是一致的。     

Worsen depression after viscosupplementation treatment for geriatric people with knee osteoarthritis?

Background/objective: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) in older people may result in psychological impairment, including anxiety and depression. This study investigates the effect of intraarticular hyaluronic acid injection (IAHA) on geriatric patients with OA. Method: A total of 102 geriatric patients with knee OA undergoing IAHA were prospectively enrolled in this study. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Evaluation Form (IKDC), and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain were recorded. All outcomes were measured at baseline before injection and during two, four, and six month follow-ups. Results: IAHA had a significant short-term effect, relieving pain at the two month follow-up, but the effect was weaker at the four month follow-up. Both IKDC and WOMAC scores were significantly improved at the two month follow-up. Viscosupplementation did not improve STAI. GDS exhibited significant deterioration at the four month follow-up. Conclusions: Although IAHA for the treatment of OA provided short-term efficiency, it had no effects on anxiety and increased depression of geriatric people. Health education should be provided with caution before viscosupplementation treatment to manage expectations of the efficacy of treatment for geriatric OA patients.     

临时性组织中的快速信任：概念、形成前因及影响结果

快速信任是适应临时性组织的速成性、短期性和任务复杂性特点而形成的新的信任研究方向, 其一反传统信任对个性、人际关系和情感的关注而转向对认知、行为和角色的关注。利用快速信任能有效地管理临时性组织的脆弱性、不确定性、风险和期望问题。在介绍快速信任的概念和测量的基础上, 综述了影响快速信任形成的信任倾向、类别与原型和角色等因素, 并阐述了快速信任对团队及系统层面结果变量的影响。未来研究需对快速信任的情感成分、测量及维度划分、快速信任与领导的交互影响、快速信任下的不信任以及快速信任的动态发展方面展开深入探讨。