Unit price as a useful metric in analyzing effects of reinforcer magnitude.

In this paper, we applied the behavioral-economic concept of unit price to the study of reinforcer magnitude in an attempt to provide a consistent account of the effects of reinforcer magnitude on behavior. Recent research in the experimental analysis of behavior and in behavioral pharmacology suggests that reinforcer magnitude interacts with the schedule of reinforcement to determine response rate and total consumption. The utility of the unit-price concept thus stems from its ability to quantify this interaction as a cost-benefit ratio (i.e., unit price = characteristics of the schedule of reinforcement divided by magnitude of reinforcement). Research employing the unit-price concept has shown that as unit price increases, a positively decelerating function exists for consumption (i.e., a function with an increasingly negative slope, when plotted on log coordinates) and a bitonic function exists for response rate. Based on these findings, the present analysis applied the unit-price concept to those studies of reinforcer magnitude and drug self-administration that examined the effects of reinforcer magnitude on response rate using simple schedules of reinforcement (e.g., fixed-ratio schedule). This resulted in three findings: (a) Reinforcer-magnitude manipulations and schedule manipulations interact in a manner that can be quantified in terms of unit price as benefit and cost factors, respectively; (b) different reinforcer-magnitude manipulations are functionally interchangeable as benefit factors in the unit-price ratio; and (c) these conclusions appear warranted despite the differences in reinforcers (food or drug), species (dogs, monkeys, or rats), and schedules (interval or ratio), and despite the fact that these studies were not designed for a unit-price analysis. In methodological terms, these results provide further evidence that employing the unit-price concept is a parsimonious method for examining the effects of reinforcer magnitude. In theoretical terms, these results suggest that a single process may underlie the effect of combined reinforcer-magnitude and schedule manipulations.     

Tempo discrimination in infants

An habituation/dishabituation paradigm demonstrates that 2- and 4-month-old infants are able to discriminate auditory sequences that vary slightly in tempo. Discriminations were only observed for intermediate tempi (600 ms but not 100, 300, 1500 ms IOI), suggesting that infants have the same optimal tempo range as adults.     

自我关联汉字的内隐记忆研究

实验用实字、虚字、与被试自身相关字三类汉字作刺激材料,将直接测量（再认任务）和间接测量（喜好判断任务）进行匹配,考察了被试对不同类别汉字在两种测量方式中的反应。结果发现：实字和虚字间在各种不同的实验处理中均未表现出明显的差异;中性汉字和自我关联汉字都在直接测量的两种注意水平间产生了显著差异,而在间接测量时未产生显著差异;“拥有效应”的作用不是单向的,当自我关联汉字处于注意焦点以外的位置时,直接测量出现了反转的结果。     

自由回忆和线索回忆测验中的系列位置效应

本文以96个中国汉字为材料,使用自由回忆和线索回忆测验方法,对20名被试进行6组分测验和最后所有汉字的总测验。发现自由回忆分测验中存在明显的系列位置效应,总测验出现负近因现象;线索回忆分测验也表现出明显的系列位置效应,但最后的总测验没有出现负近因现象。上述结果验证了Bjork和Whitten（1974）提出的顺序或情景理论。     

小学儿童对习俗时间的周期性特点的认知

本研究探讨了小学儿童对习俗时间周期性特点的认知发展．实验任务是让被试判断两个给定日期之间的时间距离是正向接近还是反向接近。结果表明:儿童对习俗时间的周期性特点的认知成绩随年龄增长而不断提高;随着两个日期之间距离的增大,反应时不断增加,正确率不断降低,在两个日期相互接近的方向发生改变的边界处,反应时最长,正确率最低,表现出显著的“距离效应”和“边界效应”;儿童可以利用数字系统进行判断,他们的认知加工策略包括计数、数字运算和凭借习俗时间的空间表象进行模拟加工等等。     

传统统计方法面临的挑战:元分析方法

利用计算机构造实验组和控制组总体,进行传统统计方法与元分析比较实验研究。在实验组总体高出控制组总体０．５０个标准差的提下,传统ｔ检验的统计检验能力（Ｐ）仅为为４１％;而利用元分析的方法进行统计分析,其结果与计算机构造模型有很高的一致性从而提出元分析方法在进入心理学实验研究和证实理论方面的有效性和可靠性,以及传统统计方法面临挑战的事实。     

A general linear model for estimating effect size in the presence of publication bias

When the process of publication favors studies with smallp-values, and hence large effect estimates, combined estimates from many studies may be biased. This paper describes a model for estimation of effect size when there is selection based on one-tailedp-values. The model employs the method of maximum likelihood in the context of a mixed (fixed and random) effects general linear model for effect sizes. It offers a test for the presence of publication bias, and corrected estimates of the parameters of the linear model for effect magnitude. The model is illustrated using a well-known data set on the benefits of psychotherapy.Authors' note: The contributions of the authors are considered equal, and the order of authorship was chosen to be reverse-alphabetical.     

Risk perception and the location of a repository for spent nuclear fuel

This study investigates lay people's reactions to a repository for nuclear waste. Risk perception is seen as a complex concept, comprising both affective and cognitive components. Attitude towards nuclear power and trust in experts and authorities had a substantial impact on risk perception, while personal knowledge about nuclear waste disposal had no effect. Thus, the more positive one's attitude towards nuclear power is and the more trust one has in experts and authorities, the lower one's risk perception is. Also, reactions were expected to vary with distance between the home district and the location of a repository. These variations differed in nature for people with alternative levels of risk judgement. The distance between the home and a repository affected approval of the proposed site. Distance between home and repository also had an effect on risk feelings and somewhat less on beliefs about consequences. Estimated total risk was directly mediated by beliefs about consequences, but even more so by risk feelings. With regard to risk, one can conclude that it is important to make a distinction between an emotional and a cognitive component of risk perception.     

5-11岁儿童元知觉发展的实验研究

本项研究旨在探索 5 -1 1岁儿童元认知发展的规律 ,2 80名昆明市及路南县汉、撒尼族儿童参与了三项知觉实验 ,实验结果表明 :1儿童随年龄的增长 ,有关知觉组织策略的知识及自我监察的能力也逐渐发展 ,表现为系统观察、选取有效策略及计划性的增强。 2儿童对信息的加工不断深入 ,从表浅的加工过渡到详尽的加工 ,不仅要求补充必要的信息 ,而且主动搜索隐蔽的线索以促进识辨。3儿童自我评价从笼统、含糊逐渐向客观、全面发展。4路南儿童元知觉的发展晚于昆明儿童两年 ,但在路南的汉族儿童和撒尼族儿童之间不存在显著差异 ,说明文化教育对儿童元知觉发展的重要影响。     

内隐记忆研究的实验方法探索：启动效应计量方法的改进思路及其实验研究

以实验鉴定了常规的启动效应计量方法的有效性程度,并为客观地计量启动效应,创用了“超意识广度法”、“二次比较法”等．结果发现：（１）如被试数量较少,以不同补笔率为“基线值”所求得的启动效应之间发生显著差异的可能性存在;（２）超意识广度法能克服“阈下呈现刺激法”“分散注意法”的不足,为内隐记忆提供有利的识记情境;（３）“二次比较法”能为正常人内隐记忆的存在提供更为直接、可靠的证据,并能客观、精确地计量启动效应。