Experience and information loss in auditory and visual memory

Recent studies show that recognition memory for sounds is inferior to memory for pictures. Four experiments were conducted to examine the nature of auditory and visual memory. Experiments 1–3 were conducted to evaluate the role of experience in auditory and visual memory. Participants received a study phase with pictures/sounds, followed by a recognition memory test. Participants then completed auditory training with each of the sounds, followed by a second memory test. Despite auditory training in Experiments 1 and 2, visual memory was superior to auditory memory. In Experiment 3, we found that it is possible to improve auditory memory, but only after 3 days of specific auditory training and 3 days of visual memory decay. We examined the time course of information loss in auditory and visual memory in Experiment 4 and found a trade-off between visual and auditory recognition memory: Visual memory appears to have a larger capacity, while auditory memory is more enduring. Our results indicate that visual and auditory memory are inherently different memory systems and that differences in visual and auditory recognition memory performance may be due to the different amounts of experience with visual and auditory information, as well as structurally different neural circuitry specialized for information retention.     

Examining the Incremental Validity and Adverse Impact of Cognitive Ability and Conscientiousness on Job Performance

Using archival data from a large home improvement organization, the current study examined the incremental validity of conscientiousness over cognitive ability in predicting different performance criteria. Also, the study examined the effects of conscientiousness and cognitive ability on adverse impact. Results indicated that conscientiousness provided incremental validity over cognitive ability in the prediction of several performance criteria. Specifically, conscientiousness had the highest increases in validity over cognitive ability in the prediction of contextual performance factors (e.g., contextual performance, customer service orientation, dealing with others). However, the addition of conscientiousness failed to ameliorate the adverse impact associated with cognitive ability. In addition, limitations of the study and future directions of research are addressed.     

举证责任倒置对医疗纠纷诉讼的影响

举证责任倒置是一般举证责任原则的例外,在医疗纠纷诉讼中施行举证责任倒置的法理依据。主要是医患双方的诉讼地位不平等和医患双方的信息不对称,导致患方举证困难,实施新的举证规则后,必将会对医疗纠纷诉讼产生一系列的影响,医方对此要有深刻的认识并积极研究其对策。     

Same‐gender and same‐race bias in assessment center ratings: A rating error approach to understanding subgroup differences

This study investigated leniency and similar‐to‐me bias as mechanisms underlying demographic subgroup differences among assessees in assessors’ initial dimension ratings from three assessment center (AC) simulation exercises used as part of high‐stakes promotional testing. It examined whether even small individual‐level effects can accumulate (i.e., “trickle‐up”) to produce larger subgroup‐level differences. Individual‐level analyses were conducted using cross‐classified multilevel modeling and conducted separately for each exercise. Results demonstrated weak evidence of leniency toward White assessees and similar‐to‐me bias among non‐White assessee–assessor pairs. Similar leniency was found toward female assessees, but no statistically significant effects were found for assessee or assessor gender or assessee–assessor gender similarity. Using traditional d effect size estimates, weak individual level assessee effects translated into small but consistent subgroup differences favoring White and female assessees. Generally small but less consistent subgroup differences indicated that non‐White and male assessors gave higher ratings. Moreover, analyses of overall promotion decisions indicate the absence of adverse impact. Findings from this AC provide some support for the “trickle‐up” effect, but the effect on subgroup differences is trivial. The results counter recent reviews of AC studies suggesting larger than previously assumed subgroup differences. Consequently, the findings demonstrate the importance of following established best practices when developing and implementing the AC method for selection purposes to minimize subgroup differences.     

不随意自传体记忆研究述评

不随意自传体记忆指,个人过去经历的事件在没有主动提取的情况下自动浮现于脑海的记忆现象。文章从不随意自传体记忆的研究方法、记忆特点和理论解释三个方面,分别介绍结构日记、词汇联想、栅栏任务和压力电影范式等研究方法;说明了不随意自传体记忆提取直接性、内容具体性和情绪影响性等特性,认为其原因是记忆内容的非整合性和显著联结;阐述了全局工作空间智能分布模型、双重表征理论和认知模型理论及其解释能力理论与不足。最后指出未来研究应关注特殊性质的解释、记忆结构整合和记忆的功能探究。     

The Metaphors of Knowledge and Academic Impact

This essay discusses critically the ways in which different metaphors employed to illustrate the practices of knowledge production and knowledge acquisition as well as scientific and scholarly research shape our understanding of the academic form of life. The essay examines the metaphors of knowledge and their role in academia by means of philosophical analysis and a rhetorical analysis of language, thereby defending the core values of academic freedom. It focuses on two pairs of metaphors highly relevant to the tensions characteristic of contemporary academic work: verticality and horizontality, on the one hand, and change and stability, on the other. The entanglement of perspectives from philosophy and historical rhetoric serves a metaphilosophical goal here: to show that our philosophical understanding of the nature of inquiry will be considerably enhanced if we seriously, and with both historical and literary sensibilities, study the metaphors we use in characterizing our epistemic and cognitive projects.     

Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Late Life Depression: Current Status and New Applications

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is an empirically-supported treatment for depression and other mental disorders. This article discusses the structure of IPT, its use with older adults, and research that supports its efficacy with depressed older people. Depressed older persons with significant health problems or cognitive impairment present special challenges for those conducting IPT and other psychotherapies. Promising new psychotherapies developed for depressed older adults with cognitive impairment and those living in nursing homes are reviewed. Recommendations are made for use of IPT with older adults in nursing homes.     

Doing good buffers against feeling bad: Prosocial impact compensates for negative task and self-evaluations

Although evidence suggests that negative task and self-evaluations are associated with emotional exhaustion, little research has examined factors that buffer against these effects. We propose that perceived prosocial impact, the experience of helping others, compensates for negative task and self-evaluations by focusing attention on positive outcomes for others. In Study 1, perceived prosocial impact attenuated the associations of low intrinsic motivation and core self-evaluations with emotional exhaustion among professional fundraisers. Study 2 replicated these results among public sanitation employees and extended them to supervisor performance ratings. Mediated moderation analyses indicated that by protecting against emotional exhaustion, perceived prosocial impact compensated for low intrinsic motivation and core self-evaluations to predict higher performance ratings. Our studies extend theory and research on burnout, helping, and citizenship.