The formation of a generalized categorization repertoire: effect of training with multiple domains,samples, and comparisons

The present experiment explored the effects of three variables on the spontaneous categorization of stimuli in perceptually distinct and novel domains. Each of six stimulus domains was created by morphing two images that were the domain endpoints. The endpoints of the domains were male and female faces, two abstract drawings, a car and a truck, two banded-elevation satellite land images, a tree and a cat, and two false-color satellite images. The stimulus variants at each end of a domain defined two potential perceptual classes. Training was conducted in a matching-to-sample format and used stimuli from one or two domains, one or three variants per class as samples, and one or three variants per class as comparisons. The spontaneous categorization of stimuli in the untrained stimulus domains showed the emergence of a generalized categorization repertoire. The proportion of spontaneously categorized stimuli in the new domains was positively related to the number of domains and samples used in training, and was inversely related to the number of comparisons used in training. Differential reaction times demonstrated the discriminability of the stimuli in the emergent classes. This study is among the first to provide an empirical basis for a behavior-analytic model of the development of generalized categorization repertoires in natural settings.     

中小学生认知能力发展水平测验的研究

以皮亚杰的认知发展理论为基础,采用皮亚杰及其学生研究认知发展时的任务为测验题目,编制成测量中小学生认知能力发展水平的测验.通过对2240名中小学生施测,结果表明本测验不仅具有很好的信度和效度,而且也具有适中的难度.然后以一所中学特长班学生为被试,通过对他们进行测量,并将测验结果与同年级普通班学生的认知成绩进行比较,结果存在很明显的差异.最后对中小学生认知能力发展水平测量问题进行了探讨.     

师生关系与中小学生学校适应性的关系

师生关系作为儿童人际关系的一部分,是儿童社会化的重要内容,对儿童的学校适应产生重要影响。本研究运用问卷法、访谈法等对6个年级867名中小学生进行测查,以了解中小学生师生关系对学生学校适应性的影响。结果表明:(1)中小学生学校适应性与师生关系之间存在显著正相关;(2)师生关系是影响学生学校适应性的重要因素。其影响程度从大到小依次为:亲密性、主动性、合作性;年龄也影响学生的学校适应性,但程度较小。     

Individual Accountability in Cooperative Learning Groups at the College Level: Differential Effects on High,Average, and Low Exam Performers

Over a three-semester period in a large undergraduate human development course, students were assigned to 5–7 member groups to work together in preparing for an exam in one of the five content units in the course. Their exam performance was tracked over three units: a baseline unit in which students worked only individually, a unit in which they worked in cooperative teams, and a follow-up unit in which the formal cooperative team structure was removed. Three different bonus-credit contingencies were used in the cooperative learning unit across the three semesters: (a) awarding full bonus credit to each individual in the group if the group as a whole improved its exam performance by the specified amount, (b) awarding partial bonus credit to each individual in the group if the group as a whole improved it exam performance by the specified amount and full bonus credit to each individual who also improved by the specified amount, and (c) awarding full bonus credit to an individual in the group if both the group and the individual improved exam performance by the specified amount. The three contingencies produced somewhat similar patterns of change for low and average performers, but the high performers fared better under the last two contingencies than under the group-only contingency.     

Schizophrenia and the Developmental Moratorium

Jay B. Sisun is a Clinical Research Assistant at Taunton State Hospital. Glen A. Eskedal is the Chair and Professor of Education and Human Services at Suffolk University. Of challenge to developmental psychologists and mental health practitioners is the management of positive and negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia and their effects on mastering psychosocial developmental tasks. The intent of this article is to provide specific information pertinent to understanding this disorder, to understand the age-appropriate struggle for individuation, and to offer recommendations for effective treatment.     

The relationship of body image dissatisfaction to cigarette smoking in college students

This study examined the association of cigarette smoking status and body image dissatisfaction as measured by the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ), in 1575 young adult college students, 18–24 years of age. Respondents were current cigarette smokers (N = 482) or never tobacco users (N = 1093). Smoking status was found to be significantly associated with 5 of the 10 MBSRQ subscales, with current smokers having lower scores on Fitness Orientation, Health Evaluation and Health Orientation (all p < 0.001) and higher scores on Appearance Orientation (p = 0.01) and Overweight Preoccupation (p = 0.03) compared with never tobacco users. Furthermore, among current smokers, a higher number of days smoked in the last 30 days were associated with lower scores on all MBSRQ subscales, except Self-Classified Weight. In terms of clinical implications, interventions for smoking cessation among college students might benefit from inclusion of components for addressing body image dissatisfaction and improving health beliefs.     

小学生心理素质与学业成绩的关系

运用《瑞文标准推理测验》和自编的《小学生心理素质问卷》对1247名小学生作心理素质团体测试。利用方差分析和聚类分析,探讨小学生心理素质与学业成绩的关系。结果表明:(1)总体上,学业成绩高分组心理素质优于学业成绩中等组和低分组,学业成绩中等组优于学业成绩低分组。(2)分年级看,不同年级不同学业成绩组的小学生在心理素质因素上的差异有不同。(3)学业成绩高分组学生主要分布在心理素质较好的水平层次,学业成绩中等组主要分布在心理素质中等水平层次上,而学业成绩低分组主要分布在心理素质不好的水平层次。     

初中生认同的亲社会行为的初步研究

通过对8名11～14岁初中生的深入访谈,初步探讨了处于初中阶段的青少年认同的亲社会行为。发现:(1)初中生最认同的亲社会行为是帮助行为,其次是交往行为。此外,安慰行为、公益行为、礼貌行为和遵规行为也被他们认同;(2)初中生对不同行为主体间发生的亲社会行为的认同有明显差异,他们更关心发生在他们之间的亲社会行为;(3)普通学校、打工子弟学校的初中生对帮助行为和交往行为认同的比率差异明显;(4)初中生认同的亲社会行为的种类不存在明显的性别差异。     

Noncontingent reinforcement, alternative reinforcement, and the matching law: a laboratory demonstration

Basic researchers, but not most applied researchers, have assumed that the behavior-decelerating effects of noncontingent reinforcement result at least partly from adventitious reinforcement of competing behaviors. The literature contains only sketchy evidence of these effects because few noncontingent reinforcement studies measure alternative behaviors. A laboratory model is presented in which concurrent schedules of contingent reinforcement were used to establish a "target" and an "alternative" behavior. Imposing noncontingent reinforcement decreased target behavior rates and increased alternative behavior rates, outcomes that were well described by the standard quantitative account of alternative reinforcement, the generalized matching law. These results suggest that adventitious reinforcement of alternative behaviors can occur during noncontingent reinforcement interventions, although the range of conditions under which this occurs remains to be determined in future studies. As an adjunct to applied studies, laboratory models permit easy measurement of alternative behaviors and parametric manipulations needed to answer many research questions.     

“Seeing Conversion Whole”: Testing a Model of Religious Conversion

Rambo (1993) theorized that religious conversion consists of a process involving seven dimensions, labeled context, crisis, quest, encounter, interaction, commitment, and consequences. To test the Rambo model, a new measure, the 97-item Adult Religious Conversion Experiences Questionnaire (ARCEQ), was developed, revised on the basis of feedback from a focus group, and administered by mail to 110 adult volunteers who self-identified as having experienced conversion. Reliability analysis of the subscales of the ARCEQ resulted in five (crisis, quest, encounter, commitment, and consequences) meeting the criterion ( > .80). A sixth (interaction) achieved a reliability of .76 and was retained, but the seventh (context) was dropped. Principal components factor analysis with Varimax rotation produced factors labeled Redemptive Love, Zealous Dedication, Dysphoric Need, Openness to Uncertainty, Extrinsic Crisis, and Experiential Learning, which could readily be interpreted in relation to Rambo's model. Subsidiary analyses showed a number of significant correlations between demographic characteristics of the sample and differences in religious conversion experience.