Inhibitory stroke neighbour priming in character recognition and reading in Chinese

In alphabetic languages, prior exposure to a target word's orthographic neighbour influences word recognition in masked priming experiments and the process of word identification that occurs during normal reading. We investigated whether similar neighbour priming effects are observed in Chinese in 4 masked priming experiments (employing a forward mask and 33-ms, 50-ms, and 67-ms prime durations) and in an experiment that measured eye movements while reading. In these experiments, the stroke neighbour of a Chinese character was defined as any character that differed by the addition, deletion, or substitution of one or two strokes. Prime characters were either stroke neighbours or stroke non-neighbours of the target character, and each prime character had either a higher or a lower frequency of occurrence in the language than its corresponding target character. Frequency effects were observed in all experiments, demonstrating that the manipulation of character frequency was successful. In addition, a robust inhibitory priming effect was observed in response times for target characters in the masked priming experiments and in eye fixation durations for target characters in the reading experiment. This stroke neighbour priming was not modulated by the relative frequency of the prime and target characters. The present findings therefore provide a novel demonstration that inhibitory neighbour priming shown previously for alphabetic languages is also observed for nonalphabetic languages, and that neighbour priming (based on stroke overlap) occurs at the level of the character in Chinese.     

Visual context does not promote concurrent sequence learning

Concurrent sequence learning (CSL) of two or more sequences refers to the concurrent maintenance, in memory, of the two or more sequence representations. Research using the serial reaction time task has established that CSL is possible when the different sequences involve different dimensions (e.g., visuospatial locations versus manual keypresses). Recently some studies have suggested that visual context can promote CSL if the different sequences are embedded in different visual contexts. The results of these studies have been difficult to interpret because of various limitations. Addressing the limitations, the current study suggests that visual context does not promote CSL and that CSL may not be possible when the different sequences involve the same elements (i.e., the same target locations, response keys and effectors).     

汉字:国人释梦实践的本土化面向

汉字释梦是根据梦像的视觉形象构造,寻找书写结构与其相对应的汉字,再依于汉字的本义把握梦的意义。首先依据现代心理学探讨传统梦学中汉字释梦的思想;然后对汉字释梦的可行性进行深入分析,认为梦和汉字都以表意为首要目的,都采取象形的表达方式,进而提出汉字释梦的操作思路;最后结合案例展现了汉字释梦在实践中的应用。     

阅读中自然学习生词的实验研究

本研究对儿童阅读时从语境中自然学习生词的过程及其多个影响因素进行了探讨。301名三、五年级小学生参加了实验。首先要求他们阅读文章,然后测验他们对文章中生词的知识。本研究在不同年级和能力的儿童中都发现了显著的自然学习效应。结果还表明,词的概念难度、词结构的语义透明度、语境线索强度和儿童课外阅读量对儿童的自然学习有重要影响。     

No Time of Day Modulation or Time Stamp on Multiple Memory Tasks in Rats

Various demonstrations of “time stamp” effects in the animal learning literature have reinforced the idea that circadian information is encoded as part of a combined internal/external representation of context and that this contextual information is utilized for complex retrieval processes supporting memory. The goal of the present series of experiments is to assess this idea by manipulating training/testing circadian times on a battery of learning and memory tasks commonly used in the rodent. The data obtained from five experiments using four different learning and memory paradigms provide no evidence for “time stamp” effects on place memory, context memory (aversive or appetitive), or S-R habit learning.     

A Latent Variable Framework for Power Estimation Within Intervention Contexts

This paper presents a latent growth SEM approach for the estimation of treatment effects, and power to detect such effects, within a true experimental design setting in which subjects are randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions. Power estimation is a critical component of intervention experiment design and the testing of their results. Although researchers have become increasingly sophisticated in applying tests for statistical significance in intervention contexts, few are aware of the power of these tests. The issues raised in this paper are not new; however, reminding researchers to consider these points is important. Exactly how the researcher handles these issues will depend on the questions asked and the resources available, as well as other considerations. Discussion underscores the relationship between the reliability of a study's measures and concomitant increases in power obtained within the SEM framework.     

试论《周易》的原初意义与现代意义

文章首先阐述了考察《周易》价值的方法,然后运用这一方法全面考察了《周易》的原初意义与现代意义。作者认为,《周易》的产生标志着中华民族抽象思维能力的关键性跃迁;《周易》的内容折射着当时的自然、社会和人文状况,记载着古代先民对于当时复杂的自然、社会和人生问题的特别关注与初步思考;《周易》的人生智慧和行为原则,反映着趋利避害和预见未来的价值取向;《周易》的思维方式汇集着当时的思维工具和认识方法,表达着最初的终极关怀和哲学意识。而《周易》所提供的始源性材料,有助于我们从根源性上来把握中华文化及其当代特点;易学史的演变与发展则为我们更好地把握历史文化发展进程提供了重要的思想资料;《周易》所表达的人生智慧和思维方式对于当今人类把握现实与面向未来也具有极为重要的启示和借鉴意义。     

生存结构与心灵境界——面向21世纪的中国哲学

中国哲学可视为一种“生命哲学”或“生存哲学”,它所关注的核心问题就是“生存结构”或“生命结构”,而这种生命结构本质上又体现为阴阳结构.阴阳结构或阴阳范畴,从其内容来看,其实也就是中国人的心灵结构,同时也是我们的心灵境界,体现了一种生命关怀或“生命忧患”意识;从其形式方面来看,则是一种“结构思维”方法。当今人类面临着许许多多紧迫的世界性、全球性问题,以《周易》哲学为代表的中国生命结构哲学或许能够给我们以相当的启示.答案就是;多元一体,共存互补。     

易学的推类逻辑

易学中的逻辑问题,是一个在易学和逻辑学研究中被忽视的问题,但又是一个关系到对中国文化史、思想史和逻辑史的再认识的重要问题。易学中的逻辑是推类逻辑,本文给出了理由,同时以现代逻辑的方法给出了易学推类逻辑的形式系统,并作了讨论。指出易学逻辑是在中国文化背景下的以汉字表述的特有逻辑形式,建立了中国古代的普遍语言,形成了自我满足的语义系统,其在为人们提供正确的认识方法和为古代科学提供认识工具方面与西方逻辑是一致的。     

Spiritual Development Across the Adult Life Course: Findings from a Longitudinal Study

Longitudinal data spanning early (30s) and older (late 60s/mid-70s) adulthood were used to study spiritual development across the adult life course in a sample of men and women belonging to a younger (born 1928/29) and an older (born 1920/21) age cohort. All participants, irrespective of gender and cohort, increased significantly in spirituality between late middle (mid-50s/early 60s) and older adulthood. Members of the younger cohort increased in spirituality throughout the adult life cycle. In the second half of adulthood, women increased more rapidly in spirituality than men. Spiritual involvement in older age was predicted by religious involvement and personality characteristics in early adulthood and subsequent experiences of negative life events.