Understanding families as systems

In this article, we discuss recent research that has arisen from theoretical and conceptual models that use a systems metaphor for understanding families. We suggest that research stimulated by such models leads social scientists in new and important directions in understanding the social and emotional development of children in their families. These models view development as resulting from the dynamic transactions across multiple levels of family systems, which regulate a child's behavior. Thus, these models are important in considering multiple influences on development and adaptation.     

On the logic of psychoanalytic theory

Psychoanalytic theory shows some specific features and problems. It exists in a number of variations, according to different schools as well as cultural and subcultural conditions, with different understandings even of core concepts. Instead of producing definite knowledge, results remain uncertain. They vary in use and imply a permanent reworking of ideas and conceptions. This is the effect of the kind of theory psychoanalysis has to use. Since psychodynamics are a special kind of heterogeneous, changing, always different, emergent-in a word, autopoietic-reality, psychoanalysis cannot use the methods of a denotative theory (algorithmic reduction leading to strictly defined and formulated calculations) but has to use connotative theories. Connotative theories use open concepts which provide an active and flexible access to autopoietic reality. They are able to cope with the difference between singularities as well as with the distance between general logic and empirical reality. Problems tied to this possibility are structural fuzziness, a dependence on forms of use, multiple paradigms and difficulties in legitimation and balance of theories. This causes problems of institutionalisation. These problems are not a sign of immaturity but the normal way in which connotative theories appear and develop. They can therefore not be eliminated but only be treated in a better way.     

Languages for Gestalts of line patterns

Any formal model of visual Gestalt perception requires a language for representing possible perceptual structures of visual stimuli, as well as a decision criterion that selects the actually perceived structure of a stimulus among its possible alternatives. This paper discusses an existing model of visual Gestalt perception that is based on Structural Information Theory. We investigate two factors that determine the representational power of this model: the domain of visual stimuli that can be analyzed, and the class of perceptual structures that can be generated for these stimuli. We show that the representational power of the existing model of Structural Information Theory is limited, and that some of the generated structures are perceptually inadequate. We argue that these limitations do not imply the implausibility of the underlying ideas of Structural Information Theory and introduce alternative models based on the same ideas. For each of these models, the domain of visual stimuli that can be analyzed properly is formally defined. We show that the models are conservative modifications of the original model of Structural Information Theory: for cases that are adequately analyzed in the original model of Structural Information Theory, they yield the same results.     

进化心理学择偶心理机制假设的跨文化检验

通过对404例天津和432例Boston征婚启事的内容分析,结果发现：（1）男性更关注未来异性配偶的相貌、身材信息,而女性更关注对方的资源与承诺信息,但天津男女征婚者在这两方面都表现得更为强烈;（2）男性随年龄增长,会倾向于更大程度地寻找比自己小的女性,而中美女性则较稳定;（3）Boston人的配偶选择年龄空间较天津人广;（4）在个性特质方面,天津人更关注承诺性,Boston人更关注精神性与“享乐性”。结果表明,进化心理学对男女间差异有较大解释力,但对中美之间的文化差异却缺乏足够说服力。     

双任务间隔对特征搜索方式的影响

采用RSVP序列,以两个实验探讨了双任务间隔对特征搜索方式的影响。要求试被首先辨认数字序列中包含的字母(任务一,T1),随后完成特征搜索任务(任务二,T2)。在实验一中,T2是检测在同时呈现的多个椭圆中是否有方向不一致的目标出现;在实验二中,T2是检测同时呈现的多个灰色圆点中是否有红色圆点出现。结果发现:随T1-T2间距缩短,T2的正确率显著下降;T2所含刺激数目的增加并未引起其正确率下降,即任务转换只影响特征搜索的绩效而未改变搜索方式,特征搜索仍以并行方式进行。根据动态控制理论,由于在本研究范式中两个任务之间存在任务转换过程,特征搜索应当为系列搜索。可见上述结果与动态控制理论不符。     

人造物概念的表征：功能、意图和目的论的解释

以概念结构研究从“相似”到“解释”的理论转向为背景,评述人造物领域的“意图-历史论”（Bloom, 1996）,提出人造物概念结构中自上而下的约束是来自“使用目的”而不是“设计意图”。分析近期报告的大量实验,最后提出人造物概念表征的“基于使用的目的论”的解释模式和人造物归类的双重目标模型。     

复合命题理解能力的发展

采用命题-图形匹配实验法,探讨了儿童、少年和青年人三个阶段的5种类型复合命题理解能力的发展.结果表明:(1)随着年龄增长,复合命题理解能力迅速提高;(2)对复合命题理解的难易,决定于构建的心理模型的数目.理解能力的发展根据心理模型的类型呈现不同的步调,单模型命题的理解在小学阶段已经很好地获得发展,双模型命题则在初中阶段获得较好的发展,三模型命题发展较迟,直至成年仍需发展.     

Ⅱ型糖尿病人认知功能特点

综述了近10国内外关于Ⅱ型糖尿病人认知功能特点的研究。结果表明：（1）流行病学筛查因天花板效应难以发现认知损伤。（2）采用对年老化较敏感的行为学指标证实,60~70岁的糖尿病人认知能力显著低于对照组;但60岁以下或70以上病人则少有类似表现。认知阈限理论可解释这一年龄相关现象。（3）Ⅱ型糖尿病人认知功能损伤主要表现为语词记忆损伤、学习能力下降、脑电（P300）潜伏期延长等。（4）认知损伤程度与血糖和胰岛素水平相关,也受高血压等共病因素的影响。控制糖代谢可改善认知功能。糖尿病人的认知损伤与年龄相关,但其机制不同于正常年老化过程中的认知衰退