EFFECTS OF PROBLEM DIFFICULTY AND REINFORCER QUALITY ON TIME ALLOCATED TO CONCURRENT ARITHMETIC PROBLEMS

Students with learning difficulties participated in two studies that analyzed the effects of problem difficulty and reinforcer quality upon time allocated to two sets of arithmetic problems reinforced according to a concurrent variable-interval 30-s variable-interval 120-s schedule. In Study 1, high- and low-difficulty arithmetic problems were systematically combined with rich and lean concurrent schedules (nickels used as reinforcers) across conditions using a single-subject design. The pairing of the high-difficulty problems with the richer schedule failed to offset time allocated to that alternative. Study 2 investigated the interactive effects of problem difficulty and reinforcer quality (nickels vs. program money) upon time allocation to arithmetic problems maintained by the concurrent schedules of reinforcement. Unlike problem difficulty, the pairing of the lesser quality reinforcer (program money) with the richer schedule reduced the time allocated to that alternative. The magnitude of this effect was greatest when combined with the low-difficulty problems. These studies have important implications for a matching law analysis of asymmetrical reinforcement variables that influence time allocation.     

顿悟与问题表征的转变

阐述了解决残缺棋盘问题的顿悟过程。该实验的结果证明,顿悟过程中需要发现一种正确的问题表征,即对等性问题空间,为了发现这一表征,被试必须使问题表征从“铺试问题空间”转变为“元水平的问题空间”．被试在这两个空间中进行搜索时,必须有很强的限制,使搜索成为有高度选择性的搜索,才能最终在元水平问题空间中发现正确的表征。本研究还发现,被试的搜索并不总是知觉驱动的,有时是概念驱动的,而且后者的迁移性更高。     

题材个体化和问题重述两策略的效果研究

探讨题材个体化和问题重述作为两种解题策略在解决加、减法应用题中的有效性,采用了４种策略类型×３种数学能力水平×２种问题题材×２种题材情境与解题操作关系的四因素混合设计。结论如下：学生基本上能够独立进行题材个体化和问题重述;在本实验条件下,水平高的学生,运用不同策略没有差异;水平中等的学生运用双策略、水平低的学生运用双策略以及题材个体化策略均产生了积极效果;题材个体化策略对于解决不熟悉题材的应用题将产生积极效果,运用以上两策略解决问题情境与解题操作相矛盾的问题没有帮助。除了应用题陈述图式以外,本实验证明还存在着应用题结构图式;可把题材个体化和问题重述作为解题策略教给学生运用。     

心理表征对正投影问题解决及轴测投影图再认水平的影响

借鉴内隐记忆的研究范式,采用平面、分离的正投影问题解决及其相应轴测投影图的再认任务,探讨问题表征的结构特征性对空间问题解决和再认水平的影响。实验结果表明,一般在正投影问题获得正确解决时,对其相应的、先前从未见到过的轴测投影图往往也可获得正确再认,而且基于正投影问题获得正确解决条件下的再认水平（PCC）显著地高于那些问题未得获得解决下的再认水平（PCI）。在结合被试口语记录的基础上,研究结果证明：基于正投影图上的问题解决过程是受到一个具有三维结构特性而非正投影图中二维特性心理表征的调节;并且,正是这一具有三维结构特性心理表征的建构,使得对具有相同结构特性的轴测投影图获得了更为有效的再认。     

学习不良儿童社会性发展特点的研究

对211名10—15岁学习不良儿童社会性发展特点的研究表明,学习不良儿童在本研究确定的社会交往、自我概念和行为问题诸维度上具有独特的年龄和性别特点。学习不良女孩的社会性发展水平略高于学习不良男孩;随年龄递增．学习不良儿童的社会性发展水平不断得到提高,但其在不同年龄阶段的特点则有所不同。同时．学习不良儿童社会性发展诸方面存在着交互作用。     

教师解决结构不良问题策略的发展研究

以成人期个体解决结构不良问题的有关认知加工理论为框架,运用多因素设计的方法,对９０名不同年龄的教师在解决教育和教学实践中常见的三种冲突情景下使用策略的情况进行了探讨。结果发现,教师在解决结构不良问题时,从总体上说不存在年龄差异,但在处理教师与教师、教师与家长等较为复杂的冲突问题时,随着年龄的增长,更趋向于使用元认知和认识论认知策略。该研究对教师培训中如何根据不同年龄特点来进行教育机智训练有一定的理论意义和应用价值。     

Cognitive Science: What One Needs to Know

Cognitive science is a new paradigm that informs and involves several disciplines, including artificial intelligence, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, cognitive ethology, and the philosophy of mind. Cognitive science studies the mind as an information processor, with the computer often operating as a metaphor for the operations of the mind. Developments in the cognitive sciences stand to affect tremendously how we think of the mind and, consequently, how we think of theological and religious claims that concern the human subject. The unity of self, claims of human uniqueness, the relation of mind and body, human nature, and the personal agency of God are all areas of religious import in which the cognitive sciences need to be taken into account.     

The Structure of Problem and Positive Behavior Among American Indian Adolescents: Gender and Community Differences

Using Problem-Behavior Theory as a framework, the latent structure of problem and positive behaviors was examined within a sample of 1,894 American Indian adolescents. Support was found for a two-factor second-order structure in which problem behaviors (antisocial behavior, alcohol use, drug use, and risky sexual behavior) and positive behaviors (school success, cultural activities, competencies, and community-mindedness) represented two relatively uncorrelated aspects of behavior. Hierarchical multiple regressions demonstrated that the positive behaviors construct contributed significant incremental construct validity in the statistical prediction of psychosocial outcomes, over and above the problem behaviors. In addition, the fit of the structure was examined across gender and the four participating communities. The importance of the inclusion of positive behaviors is discussed from the standpoint of both prevention/promotion activities and the communities' perceptions. Further recommendations are made for deeper understandings of community concerns and strengths in conducting preventive/promotive research efforts.     

Behavioral community psychology: training a community board to problem solve

This study demonstrated the effect of training nine lower socio-economic adults participating as policy board members in a federally funded rural community project to make behaviorally defined statements to increase problem-solving behaviors in board meetings. A multiple-baseline design across subjects and skills was used to analyze the behavioral categories of: (1) stating the problem; (2) finding solutions to the problem, and (3) implementing the action to the solution. Problem-solving responses during board meetings increased for subjects following training and remained higher than baseline during follow-up.     

Discrimination theory of rule-governed behavior

In rule-governed behavior, previously established elementary discriminations are combined in complex instructions and thus result in complex behavior. Discriminative combining and recombining of responses produce behavior with characteristics differing from those of behavior that is established through the effects of its direct consequences. For example, responding in instructed discrimination may be occasioned by discriminative stimuli that are temporally and situationally removed from the circumstances under which the discrimination is instructed. The present account illustrates properties of rule-governed behavior with examples from research in instructional control and imitation learning. Units of instructed behavior, circumstances controlling compliance with instructions, and rule-governed problem solving are considered.