Smartphone use and daily cognitive failures: A critical examination using a daily diary approach with objective smartphone measures

While smartphones have brought many benefits and conveniences to users, there is continuing debate regarding their potential negative consequences on everyday cognition such as daily cognitive failures. A few cross-sectional studies have found positive associations between smartphone use and cognitive failures. However, several research gaps remain, such as the use of cross-sectional designs, confounds related to stable individual differences, the lack of validity in self-report measures of smartphone use, memory biases in retrospective self-reports, and the lack of differentiation between smartphone checking and smartphone screen time. To simultaneously address the aforementioned shortcomings, the current study examined the within-person associations between various objective indicators of smartphone use and daily cognitive failures using a 7-day daily diary study. Multilevel modelling revealed that smartphone checking, but not total smartphone screen time, predicted a greater occurrence of daily cognitive failures at the within-person level. Surprisingly, we also found negative within-person associations between smartphone screen time for social- and tools-related applications and daily cognitive failures, suggesting that some types of smartphone use may temporarily benefit one's cognitive functioning. This finding demonstrates the importance of studying the specific functions of smartphone use and their differential cognitive consequences, as well as highlights the complex relations between smartphone use and cognition.     

An exploratory investigation of the reliability and validity of the Independent-Interdependent Problem-Solving Style Scale

The Independent-Interdependent Problem-Solving Scale is based on Cross et al.'s conceptualisation of relational-interdependent self-construal. The IIPSS provides a relatively context-free measure of people's tendencies to solve problems independently or with the help of others. Because previous investigations have not provided extensive evidence for the reliability and validity of the IIPSS, the current research aimed to test the psychometric properties of this novel measure. Investigations of four student samples (combined N = 1157) and one sample comprised of academic researchers (N = 198) generally supported the reliability and validity of the IIPSS. Exploratory factor analysis of IIPSS items yielded a single factor structure. However, confirmatory factor analyses did not demonstrate good model fit for the one factor solution and instead yielded good model fit for two underlying factors. The IIPSS showed adequate test–retest reliability and predicted positive associations with social personality traits. It also showed no significant associations with measures of demand characteristics and social desirability. Future research needs to be undertaken to further assess the factor structure and address shortcomings of the present research such as utilising objective data in addition to self-reports to assess the scale's validity.     

Stepwise variable selection in factor analysis

It is very important to choose appropriate variables to be analyzed in multivariate analysis when there are many observed variables such as those in a questionnaire. What is actually done in scale construction with factor analysis is nothing but variable selection.In this paper, we take several goodness-of-fit statistics as measures of variable selection and develop backward elimination and forward selection procedures in exploratory factor analysis. Once factor analysis is done for a certain numberp of observed variables (thep-variable model is labeled the current model), simple formulas for predicted fit measures such as chi-square, GFI, CFI, IFI and RMSEA, developed in the field of the structural equation modeling, are provided for all models obtained by adding an external variable (so that the number of variables isp + 1) and for those by deleting an internal variable (so that the number isp – 1), provided that the number of factors is held constant.A programSEFA (Stepwise variable selection in Exploratory Factor Analysis) is developed to actually obtain a list of the fit measures for all such models. The list is very useful in determining which variable should be dropped from the current model to improve the fit of the current model. It is also useful in finding a suitable variable that may be added to the current model. A model with more appropriate variables makes more stable inference in general.The criteria traditionally often used for variable selection is magnitude of communalities. This criteria gives a different choice of variables and does not improve fit of the model in most cases.The URL of the programSEFA is http://koko15.hus.osaka-u.ac.jp/~harada/factor/stepwise/.     

Should we pass on minimum passing distance laws for cyclists? Comparing a tactical enforcement option and minimum passing distance laws using signal detection theory

Legislation mandating minimum distances for motorists passing cyclists is seen by advocates as a straightforward way to increase the perceived safety of cycling and thus remove a prominent barrier to the uptake of cycling. The evidence, however, is not as clear. The alternative to compliance-based enforcement via Minimum Passing Distance Laws (MPDLs) is performance-based enforcement as recently highlighted by UK Police forces under the name ‘Operation Close Pass’. This existing legislation and enforcement method relies on police officer judgement and discretion. For a MPDL to be introduced it has to show an improvement by identifying more manoeuvres that make cyclists feel unsafe, whilst at the same time not penalising drivers for manoeuvres that are benign. This study uses Signal Detection Theory to show that on almost every measure the current performance-based enforcement is preferable. Officer discretion is aligned more closely to cyclists’ real-world perceptions of risk than an objective, compliance-based MPDL. Any level of enforcement harshness can be achieved equally well, if not better, through officer discretion than through a fixed passing distance law, with the former being significantly easier to adjust if needed. Further discussion about the unintended effects of passing distance laws is discussed, such as the risk of a net loss to the effectiveness of cyclist safety because it is more difficult to prosecute and enforce manoeuvres which make cyclists feel unsafe than the performance-based alternative.     

欺负行为测量:问题及解决

近20年来,各国心理学家就欺负问题做了大量的研究工作。本文主要分析了欺负行为研究中对欺负行为的评价和测量上存在的局限以及相应的改进策略。目前欺负行为评价中的问题主要有：对欺负定义的理解和界定不一致;对欺负的评价角度不一致;测量工具在适用年龄上缺乏连续性;测量方法存在单一性;测量时间取样不明确等。针对上述问题,本研究提出了操作性定义的界定基础、研究工具的开发方向、测量方法的选取技巧和数据分组的原则等来提高对校园欺负行为研究的科学性。     

Positive and negative associations underlying ambivalent attitudes

In two studies, we compared the strength of positive and negative associations of ambivalent attitudes to those of nonambivalent attitudes. In Study 1, results from an implicit association task showed that, in contrast to nonambivalent attitudes, ambivalent attitudes were characterized by strong positive and negative associations. In Study 2 responses to ambivalent attitude objects were faster following a positive as well as following a negative prime, compared to a non-word prime, whereas for neutral attitude objects prime type did not influence response times. Results provide direct evidence for the assumption that both positive and negative associations of ambivalent attitudes are relatively strong. Implications for attitude strength and attitude structure are discussed.     

An inkblot for sexual preference: A semantic variant of the Affect Misattribution Procedure

A newly developed Semantic Misattribution Procedure (SMP), a semantic variant of the Affect Misattribution Procedure (AMP), was used in three studies as an indirect measure of sexual interest. Using a known-group approach, homosexual men (Studies 1 and 2), heterosexual men (Studies 1 to 3) and heterosexual women (Study 3) were asked to guess the meaning of briefly presented Chinese ideographs as “sexual” or “not sexual”. The ideographs were preceded by briefly presented primes depicting male and female individuals of varying sexual maturity. As hypothesised, the frequency of “sexual” responses increased after priming with pictures of individuals of the preferred sex and increasing sexual maturation. The SMP showed satisfactory reliability and convergent validity as indicated by correlations with direct and two indirect measures of sexual interest. In two further studies, the hypothesised pattern was replicated whereas a standard AMP with the identical prime stimuli did not produce this result. The potential usefulness of semantic variants of the AMP is discussed.     

Informed Outcomes: Self-rating measures and their use in psychodynamic therapy with adolescents

I am currently engaged in an A Space ¹ 1. A Space for Creative Learning and Support was set up as a research and development project in 1997 by The Glass-House Trust (a Sainsbury Family Charitable Trust), the Social Science Research Unit (Institute of Education, University of London) and Hackney Education. A core aim is to deliver psychodynamic therapies in the school setting, adapting and evolving current models of child and adolescent psychotherapy, where necessary, both in response to the educational context and to ensure that the needs of children and adolescents are best met. In 2010, A Space and The Centre for Psychoanalytic Studies, University of Essex, began a formal study into school-based therapy. Funded by The Glass-House Trust, this research will run through to 2013. A conference will be held in 2013, so that the findings can be more widely disseminated. /University of Essex research study looking at the ways in which psychodynamic counselling can best meet the needs of young people accessing therapy in the school setting. As part of the study, I have looked at the main outcome measures used in work with adolescents in clinics, the community and voluntary sector and in education settings. In this article, I look at the process of assessment, including the use of written self-rating outcome measures with young people. I critically review a selection of these and reflect on their application in practice. I go on to consider how collaborative written assessment procedures may be more appropriate for use by psychodynamic therapists working with school-based clients, given the challenges of delivering therapy in the education sector.     

Development of a therapists’ self-report measure of pluralistic thought and practice: the Therapy Pluralism Inventory

This study aimed to develop a self-report measure of pluralistic thought and practice. Following pilot development, a 23-item inventory was placed on an online survey site, and 474 participants satisfactorily completed the measure. Respondents were trainee or qualified therapists, predominantly female, based in the UK, and of a humanistic or integrative/eclectic orientation. A principal components analysis resulted in two scales, Pluralistic Philosophy and Pluralistic Practice, which had good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α?=?.72 and .80, respectively). Confirmatory factor analysis showed good model fit for this two factor solution. The Therapy Pluralism Inventory (TPI) has potential for use in training and research, although additional validity and normative data are needed.     

医疗安全：观念更新与措施的革命

在医疗安全方面,中国和目前医疗安全领域内先进的国家之间有较大差距。这个差距首先表现在对待医疗安全的观念上,其次是在不同的观念引导下,应对的具体措施差异更加显著。因此,是到了我国在医疗安全问题上进行观念的更新和措施的革命的时候了。通过对一些新的相关信息的分析,引进新的观念和措施,希望可以对国内医疗安全领域的观念的更新与措施的革命起到一定作用。