Implicit–Explicit Relations

ABSTRACT— Mental process and mental experience are not the same thing. The former is the operation of the mind; the latter is the subjective life that emerges from that operation. In social evaluation, implicit and explicit attitudes express this distinction. Although it is clear that they are not the same, how they differ is not. Across content domains, implicit and explicit attitude measures show substantial variability in the strength of correspondence, ranging from near zero to strongly positive. Variation in controllability, intentionality, awareness, or efficiency is thought to differentiate implicit and explicit attitudes. Dual-process theories and empirical evidence for moderating influences of implicit–explicit attitude relations provide a framework for comprehending relations between the operation and the experience of the mind.     

英国新马克思主义的哲学探索

英国新马克思主义者站在时代的前沿,对马克思主义的传统理论命题,经济基础与上层建筑、社会主体、意识形态等问题进行了全新的解读,在此基础上,形成了一种独具特色的马克思主义文化理论阐释模式,并在当今世界上日益彰显出优越的价值。     

欧洲社会心理学的成长历程

论文以学科制度化过程和学科理智演化为分析视角 ,概要研究欧洲社会心理学的成长历程。论文结论是 :经过近 40年的不懈努力 ,欧洲社会心理学 ,已经成功地解构美国社会心理学的主宰地位 ,并和美国社会心理学一起 ,建构国际社会心理学新的研究范式。     

Neurocognitive Effects of Methamphetamine: A Critical Review and Meta-analysis

This review provides a critical analysis of the central nervous system effects of acute and chronic methamphetamine (MA) use, which is linked to numerous adverse psychosocial, neuropsychiatric, and medical problems. A meta-analysis of the neuropsychological effects of MA abuse/dependence revealed broadly medium effect sizes, showing deficits in episodic memory, executive functions, information processing speed, motor skills, language, and visuoconstructional abilities. The neuropsychological deficits associated with MA abuse/dependence are interpreted with regard to their possible neural mechanisms, most notably MA-associated frontostriatal neurotoxicity. In addition, potential explanatory factors are considered, including demographics (e.g., gender), MA use characteristics (e.g., duration of abstinence), and the influence of common psychiatric (e.g., other substance-related disorders) and neuromedical (e.g., HIV infection) comorbidities. Finally, these findings are discussed with respect to their potential contribution to the clinical management of persons with MA abuse/dependence.     

Social Support as Predictor of Psychopathology in the Adolescent Offspring of Psychiatric Patients

The potential role of social support for the adolescent offspring of psychiatric patients has hitherto not been examined. We examined whether the adolescent's level of psychiatric symptoms is dependent on the content and the function of social support (whether direct or moderating), controlling for perceived stress. In a cross-sectional design, 40 adolescents (11–18 yrs) with a parent exhibiting an affective or personality disorder were given several questionnaires, including the Youth Self Report (Achenbach), a Social Support Inventory, and the MUSIC, an inventory assessing perceived emotional and physiological stress reactions. The social support inventory consisted of three subscales to assess the positive and negative perception of social support, and the discrepancy between demand and supply of social support. The mentally-ill parents were given the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Data were then analyzed using multiple linear regression analyses. Analyses showed that perceived stress and negative social support predicted the adolescent's level of psychiatric symptoms, and that social support served as a direct effect, and was independent of parental GHQ score. Results are discussed and the presently under-utilized potential of social support for this population at risk is highlighted as something warranting increased attention both in terms of research and practical preventative steps.     

Effectiveness of a Parent Training Program for Improving Children’s Social Behavior

We tested the efficacy of a social skills training program for the parents of school-aged children experiencing socio-emotional problems. Participating families (N = 42) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: parent social skills training; parent plus parallel child social skills training; or no-treatment control. The two treatment groups did not differ on any of the outcome measures. Treatment was associated with improvements in parent and child social skills knowledge, parent social problem solving, and child emotional functioning. In follow-up analyses examining mechanisms of change, parental attendance and change in child social skills knowledge predicted response to treatment. Overall, our results highlight the utility of engaging parents as primary participants in the treatment of children’s socio-emotional problems and suggest methods for maximizing the impact of such an intervention.     

Cognitive-behavioral Strategies for Parkinson’s Disease: A Report of Three Cases

Three patients diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD) were treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): a 43-year-old woman suffering from depression and social anxiety, a 45-year-old man with sexual problems and maladaptive coping strategies, and a 78-year-old man with freezing of gait. On the basis of functional analyses, interventions were selected, including cognitive methods, social skills training, paradoxical instructions and strategies to improve management of freezing. The interventions were related to improved adaptation to motor impairments and better ability to cope with the disease. These case presentations suggest that CBT can improve quality of life in PD by modifying maladaptive cognitive, emotional and behavioral reactions to the disease and its symptoms.     

A perceptual account of definitions

The traditional definition per genus et differentiam is argued to be cognitively grounded in perception and in order to avoid needless argument, definitions are stipulated to assert boundaries. An analysis of the notion of perspective shows that a boundary is a composite of two distinctions: similarity that includes and difference that excludes. The concept is applied to the type-token distinction and percepts are shown to be the result of a comparison between a token as representing some phenomenon and a type as representing the kind of object the phenomenon might be. The Principle of Connection is proposed as the mental architecture that gives rise to percepts. The value of a percept is shown to be one of Identical, Similar, Different or Contrary and its perceptual aspects represent the cognitive schema of Essence, Quality, Quantity and Relation. The two notions of similarity and difference are claimed to constitute the necessary and sufficient conditions for definitions. Accordingly, the qualitative elements of a definition signify the genus as representing the similarity of the defined entity in terms of others of its kind and the quantitative elements signify the differentia as representing the difference it has from everything else. Paying proper attention to both qualitative and quantitative aspects will enable formulation of definitions that are ‘good’. This paper is based on my master’s thesis at Monash University (2003). I thank Keith Allan for commenting on an earlier draft—any remaining infelicities are mine only.     

What do we learn from the Implicit Association Test about intergroup attitudes in Hong Kong? The case of social identification inclusiveness and need for closure

The current study tests an implication of the Associative-Propositional Evaluation model of implicit and explicit attitude measures in Hong Kong's intergroup context. We argued that the Implicit Association Test taps associative intergroup evaluations that are not necessarily consistent with the propositional implications of one's social identification inclusiveness and need for closure. In contrast, explicit intergroup attitude measures tap propositional evaluations resulting from validating the inferences drawn from pertinent propositional information in the evaluation context. Thus, explicit intergroup attitude should be consistent with the propositional implications of social identification inclusiveness and need for closure. We tested and found support for these hypotheses in a study of Hong Kong adolescents' ( N  = 65) perception of Hong Kong people and Mainland Chinese.     

School social climate and teachers’ perceptions of classroom behavior problems: a 10 year longitudinal and multilevel study

Using longitudinal and cross-sectional data, the present research sought to identify school social climate predictors of teachers’ perceptions of classroom behavior problems. The social climate and classroom behavior in 107 public and private French speaking Canadian high schools was evaluated by 1399 teachers. The present analysis is unique in its ability to control for school differences in the enrollment of students with a history of problem behavior. As hypothesized, between-school variation in the proportion of students with histories of disruptive problems predicted high school classroom behavior problems. Moreover, when controlling for these between-school differences, concurrently measured school-level variables (type of school, location of school, and academic emphasis) are found to be significant predictors of classroom behavior problems. The theoretical and practical implications of the present findings are examined and recommendations are made for future research.