Modeling error distributions of growth curve models through Bayesian methods

Growth curve models are widely used in social and behavioral sciences. However, typical growth curve models often assume that the errors are normally distributed although non-normal data may be even more common than normal data. In order to avoid possible statistical inference problems in blindly assuming normality, a general Bayesian framework is proposed to flexibly model normal and non-normal data through the explicit specification of the error distributions. A simulation study shows when the distribution of the error is correctly specified, one can avoid the loss in the efficiency of standard error estimates. A real example on the analysis of mathematical ability growth data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 is used to show the application of the proposed methods. Instructions and code on how to conduct growth curve analysis with both normal and non-normal error distributions using the the MCMC procedure of SAS are provided.     

Common magnitude representation of fractions and decimals is task dependent

Although several studies have compared the representation of fractions and decimals, no study has investigated whether fractions and decimals, as two types of rational numbers, share a common representation of magnitude. The current study aimed to answer the question of whether fractions and decimals share a common representation of magnitude and whether the answer is influenced by task paradigms. We included two different number pairs, which were presented sequentially: fraction–decimal mixed pairs and decimal–fraction mixed pairs in all four experiments. Results showed that when the mixed pairs were very close numerically with the distance 0.1 or 0.3, there was a significant distance effect in the comparison task but not in the matching task. However, when the mixed pairs were further apart numerically with the distance 0.3 or 1.3, the distance effect appeared in the matching task regardless of the specific stimuli. We conclude that magnitudes of fractions and decimals can be represented in a common manner, but how they are represented is dependent on the given task. Fractions and decimals could be translated into a common representation of magnitude in the numerical comparison task. In the numerical matching task, fractions and decimals also shared a common representation. However, both of them were represented coarsely, leading to a weak distance effect. Specifically, fractions and decimals produced a significant distance effect only when the numerical distance was larger.     

Maternal Child‐rearing Practices in Hong Kong and Beijing Chinese Families: A Comparative Study

The present study aimed to examine the child‐rearing practices in Chinese families in Beijing and Hong Kong. The sample consisted of 89 mothers in Beijing and 45 mothers in Hong Kong. The mothers were instructed to respond to the Child‐rearing Practice Report (CRPR) in Q‐sort format. Some of the item clusters were combined to produce the authoritarian and authoritative disciplinary styles. The results indicated that mothers in Hong Kong were more likely to adopt an authoritarian child‐rearing pattern than mothers in Beijing; however, the two groups did not differ in authoritative child‐rearing style. The results also showed that mothers in Hong Kong controlled their children more than their counterparts in Beijing, and they were less inclined to show affection towards their children; mothers in Beijing emphasized their children's achievement much more than their Hong Kong counterparts. The findings suggest that Chinese parental disciplinary styles may be quite different in various regions of Chinese societies. Such variance across different geopolitical locations within the same cultural background has been ignored in past cross‐cultural research.     

图形负荷下的字音匹配加工

本研究采用图形负荷法研究汉字语音匹配加工,实验结果倾向支持两半球均势论,并认为右半球可能具有一定的语音加工能力.有关结论和解释还需进一步论证.     

残障儿童家庭教育环境研究

对上海市２８６名残障儿童家长进行问卷调查,了解残障儿童家庭教育环境。结果发现：核心家庭占绝大多数;残障儿童家长学历层次和经济收入较低;家长普遍认为家庭教育很有必要,但对自己在家庭教育中的作用认识不充分;大多数家长除了与教师有较好的交流合作外,在与家庭其他成员、其他残障儿童家长以及邻居的交流合作均不理想。     

高压氧对小鼠学习记忆及脑细胞形态结构的影响

实验用两种行为模型（旷场行为模型和Ｙ－迷宫分辨学习模型）观察了幼龄小鼠在不同压力的高压氧处理后,对新异环境的探究行为和自发活动情况,以及学习记忆能力的变化;并用ＸＹ－生物医学电脑图像分析仪分析了与学习记忆相关的脑区（大脑皮层、海马）神经元密度,细胞核面积,胞核／胞浆比值的变化。结果表明：（１）与对照组相比,吸０.１ＭＰａ高压氧的幼鼠学习记忆能力明显提高,相关脑区的神经元密度、细胞核面积、胞核／浆比均显著增加。（２）吸０.２５ＭＰａ高压氧的幼鼠学习记忆能力与对照组相比无明显变化,但其在新异环境中的自发行为明显减少。提示：慢性吸入０.１ＭＰａ高压氧有利于促进幼鼠脑的生长发育,增强脑功能活动。     

再探框架对风险决策行为的影响

期望理论运用Ｓ状的价值函数和非线性的权重函数来解释和预测框架效应。“齐当别”抉择模型将不同框架下的抉择行为简单地看成是“最好可能结果之间的取舍”或者“最坏可能结果之间的取舍”。本研究设计了一“匹配”技术,并用此对作者所报告过的支持框架效应与不支持框架效应的选择问题加以再检验。实验表明,采用不同的框架并不能预测性地决定不同的抉择偏爱,而匹配结果所示的“齐当别”策略则能更好地对所收集到的有关框架效应的数据作出解释。     

错综不变组和散卦卦序结构

本文继续文〔2〕的工作 ,主要是运用错综不变组的概念来分析散卦卦序结构。令 x为一个卦 ,则含 x的、对交错和交综两运算封闭的最小集合都形如 {x,x* ,x,x* };这里 ,x* 指 x的交综卦 ,x指 x的交错卦 ,x* 指 x的交综卦。今后 ,我们将把这样的最小集合称为·错·综 ·不·变 ·组。对任一卦 x而言 ,交综卦 x* 的交错卦 x* 与交错卦 x的交综卦 x* 是相同的 ,但交错卦 x与 x总是不相同的。当 x等于 x*或者 x等于 x* (即 ,x为自综卦或者 x与 x为一对错综卦 )时 ,交错卦 x(或者 x)就等于自身的交综卦 x* ,从而集合 {x,x* ,x,x* }中有且只有两个元…     

呈现方式、自我效能感和成就动机对FOK判断影响的研究

以英汉配对词为实验材料探讨了呈现方式、自我效能感和成就动机对ＦＯＫ判断（Ｆｅｅｌｉｎｇ ｏｆ Ｋｎｏｗｉｎｇ）的影响,被试是１４４名大学生。实验结果表明：（１）呈现方式、自我效能感和成就动机均显著影响ＦＯＫ判断等级的高低和判断的准确性;（２）自我效能感和成就动机在影响ＦＤＫ判断方面有显著的交互作用,成就动机对ＦＤＫ判断的作用受自我效能感影响;（３）被试的回忆成绩、再认成绩和ＦＤＫ判断准确性之间均有显著的正相关,表明客体记忆与无记忆之间有较密切的联系。