Testing equality of correlated proportions with incomplete data on both responses

Two test statistics are proposed for testing the equality of two correlated proportions when some observations are missing on both responses. The performance of these tests in terms of size and power is compared with other tests by means of Monte Carlo simulations. The proposed tests are easily computed and compare favorably with other tests.     

Correspondence analysis and optimal structural representations

Many well-known measures for the comparison of distinct partitions of the same set ofn objects are based on the structure of class overlap presented in the form of a contingency table (e.g., Pearson's chi-square statistic, Rand's measure, or Goodman-Kruskal'sτ _b ), but they all can be rephrased through the use of a simple cross-product index defined between the corresponding entries from twon ×n proximity matrices that provide particular a priori (numerical) codings of the within- and between-class relationships for each of the partitions. We consider the task of optimally constructing the proximity matrices characterizing the partitions (under suitable restriction) so as to maximize the cross-product measure, or equivalently, the Pearson correlation between their entries. The major result presented states that within the broad classes of matrices that are either symmetric, skew-symmetric, or completely arbitrary, optimal representations are already derivable from what is given by a simple one-dimensional correspondence analysis solution. Besides severely limiting the type of structures that might be of interest to consider for representing the proximity matrices, this result also implies that correspondence analysis beyond one dimension must always be justified from logical bases other than the optimization of a single correlational relationship between the matrices representing the two partitions.     

The social environments of early infancy in Japan and the United States

The social environments of early infancy in Japan and the United States were compared in terms of the context of caregiving and the quality of the month-infant interaction. Mothers of 17 Japanese infants and 17 infants in the United States were interviewed in their homes about the experiences that they provided for their 4-month-old infants, and mother-infant interactions were recorded on videotape. Levels of parents' education were similar in both countries. The context of the infant's development varied substantially with culture. Mothers in the United States provided a greater variety of experiences on the HOME and care of Japanese infants tended to be more exclusively provided by mothers whereas care of infants in the United States was shared by fathers and other caregivers to a greater extent. Examination of behaviour frequencies during mother-infant interaction indicated that mothers in Japan provided their infants with more vocal input and more physical play than mothers in the United States and Japanese mothers were more vocally responsive to their infants' vocalizations.     

学前儿童近似数量系统敏锐度与符号数学能力的关系

选取杭州市122名学前儿童(3~6岁)为被试,以点数比较任务及点数异同任务测量幼儿的近似数量系统敏锐度,以数数测验、基数测验、符号数字知识测验及简单计算来测量幼儿的符号数学能力,以此考察学前儿童近似数量系统敏锐度的发展及与符号数学能力的关系。结果发现:(1)随年龄增长,学前儿童的近似数量加工的敏锐度逐渐提高;(2)点数比较任务与点数异同任务均适合测量学前儿童近似数量系统敏锐度,但儿童完成点数比较任务的正确率要高于点数异同任务的正确率;(3)在抑制控制、短时记忆、工作记忆和言语测验成绩被控制后,根据点数比较任务计算的韦伯系数能显著预测学前儿童的基数和符号数字知识测验分数,总正确率能显著预测学前儿童的数数、基数、符号数字知识测验分数;(4)点数异同任务中只有点数不同试次下的正确率能显著预测学前儿童的符号数字知识测验分数。     

Cognitive and social comparison processes in brainstorming

This brainstorming experiment assessed the extent to which idea exposure produced cognitive stimulation and social comparison effects. One hundred and sixty participants were exposed to either a high or low number of common or unique ideas. The participants’ likelihood of engaging in social comparison processes (high or low) was also manipulated through instructional sets. The results indicated both cognitive stimulation and social comparison effects. Exposure to a high number of ideas and to common ideas enhanced the generation of additional ideas. The effects of exposure to a high number of ideas was greater under high than under low social comparison conditions. Finally, recall of exposed ideas was related to enhanced idea generation. These results are consistent with the social/cognitive influence model of group brainstorming (Paulus, Dugosh, Dzindolet, Putman, & Coskun, 2002).     

8～11岁儿童解决加法等值问题的策略发展特点

本研究选取142名8～11岁儿童进行了加法等值问题测试,采用口头报告的方法考察了儿童解决加法等值问题的策略发展特点。研究表明:(1)儿童在解决加法等值问题中,策略具有多样性;(2)儿童在策略使用的数量上没有显著的年级差异,但在不同学习成绩的被试之间存在明显的不同;(3)总体上看儿童对正确策略的使用基本上都是随着年级的增加在逐渐提高,而对错误策略的使用却相反。     

社交网站中的上行社会比较与抑郁的关系:一个有调节的中介模型及性别差异

为明确社交网站中的上行社会比较对青少年抑郁的作用机制,本研究构建了一个有调节的中介模型,重点考察了妒忌在二者关系中的中介作用、反刍思维的调节作用及其性别差异。以836名高中生为被试(M=16.34岁,SD=1.06),采用问卷法对社交网站中的上行社会比较、妒忌、反刍思维以及抑郁进行调查。结果显示:(1)在控制性别、年龄、年级、社交网站好友数量以及平均每天使用社交网站频率、时间后,社交网站上行社会比较对抑郁具有显著的正向预测作用;(2)妒忌能够在社交网站上行社会比较与抑郁的关系中起中介作用,且这种间接效应会受到反刍思维的调节;(3)有调节的中介模型存在性别差异:与男生相比,妒忌的中介效应在女生被试群体中更显著;在男生被试群体中,妒忌的中介作用会受到反刍思维的调节作用的影响,而在女生被试群体中,该调节效应不显著。     

Local dominance effects on self-evaluations and intrinsic motivation

Previous research indicates that local comparisons with one or a few people in the immediate environment have a stronger influence on self-evaluations than general comparisons with larger samples. Two studies examined whether this local dominance effect extends to intrinsic motivation. Study 1 suggests that local comparisons have a stronger effect on both self-evaluations and task enjoyment than general comparisons. Study 2 suggests that local comparisons have a stronger effect on intrinsic motivation than general comparisons and that local comparisons have a significant indirect effect on persistence via intrinsic motivation. Altogether, the present findings are among the first to demonstrate the contribution of local social comparisons to intrinsic motivation. We highlight the implications of these findings for social comparison theories.     

Examining different types of comparison questions in a field study of CQT polygraph technique: Theoretical and practical implications

Two types of questions are most important in the CQT polygraph examination, relevant questions that deal directly with the case under query and comparison questions, which usually deal with past probable misdeeds of the examinees that they choose to deny. The simplistic core reasoning behind the CQT is that the risk of being detected for lying is a threatening situation and like any kind of threat, it automatically triggers the autonomic nervous system to respond with the “fight or flight” type of reaction. For the deceptive examinee, the relevant questions pose the main threat, whereas the truthful examinee, knowing that he is telling the truth on the relevant issue while probably lying to the comparison questions, perceives the latter as more threatening, considering his goal to appear truthful on the test. Accordingly, the deceptive examinee reactions are focused on the relevant questions, whereas the truthful focuses them on the comparison ones. Results of the current field study suggest that at least with truthful examinees, comparison questions, which do not incorporate any lies to be afraid of their exposure, or any lies at all, might function similarly to probable lie questions, by just increasing their salience in a manner that presumably creates some concerns about them. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in line with the RIG strength notion (Ginton, 2009 ).