The role of numerosity in processing nonsymbolic proportions

The difficulty in processing fractions seems to be related to the interference between the whole-number value of the numerator and the denominator and the real value of the fraction. Here we assess whether the reported problems with symbolic fractions extend to the nonsymbolic domain, by presenting fractions as arrays of black and white dots representing the two operands. Participants were asked to compare a target array with a reference array in two separate tasks using the same stimuli: a numerosity task comparing just the number of white dots in the two arrays; and a proportion task comparing the proportion of black and white dots. The proportion task yielded lower accuracy and slower response, confirming that even with nonsymbolic stimuli accessing proportional information is relatively difficult. However, using a congruity manipulation in which the greater numerosity of white dots could co-occur with a lower proportion of them, and vice versa, it was found that both task-irrelevant dimensions would interfere with the task-relevant dimension suggesting that both numerosity and proportion information was automatically accessed. The results indicate that the magnitude of fractions can be automatically and holistically processed in the nonsymbolic domain.     

Internal number magnitude representation is not holistic,either

Over the last years, evidence has accumulated that the magnitude of two-digit numbers is not only represented as one holistic entity, but also decomposed for tens and units. Recently, Zhang and Wang (2005) suggested such separate processing may be due to the presence of external representations of numbers, whereas holistic processing became more likely when one of the to-be-compared numbers was already internalised. The latter conclusion essentially rested on unit-based null effects. However, Nuerk and Willmes (2005) argued that unfavourable stimulus selection may provoke such null effects and misleading conclusions. Therefore, we tested the conclusion of Zhang and Wang for internal standards with a modified stimulus set. We observed reliable unit-based effects in all conditions contradicting the holistic model. Thus, decomposed representations of tens and units can also be demonstrated for internal standards. We conclude that decomposed magnitude processing of multidigit numbers does not rely on external representations. Rather, even when two-digit numbers are internalised, the magnitudes of tens and units seem to be (also) represented separately.     

汉族、基诺族及布朗族7～9岁儿童心理旋转能力的比较研究

该研究探讨了我国7～9岁汉族、基诺族、布朗族儿童的“心理旋转”能力,了解不同民族的文化背景、年龄及性别差异是否对“心理旋转”产生影响。结果表明：汉族儿童的结果与基诺族及布朗族儿童结果存在明显差异,7～9岁儿童的心理旋转能力随着年龄增长而发展。未见男女性别上存在“心理旋转”能力上的差异。     

幼儿在集合比较中运用数数的实验研究

本研究中运用了两个实验探讨数数干预和测查条件对儿童在集合比较中运用数数的影响。干预对3岁儿童(M=3：9)没有影响。在平均年龄为4岁4个月时．干预组儿童比控制组儿童更倾向于用数数比较集合．自然组儿童也比传统组更倾向于用数数。许多4岁儿童在无干预时不用数数可能是因为,1)不知数数比视觉性比较更有效,或2)他们在集合比较中的数数极易受测查情景因素的影响。儿童在集合比较中的数数运用与他们的数数水平密切关联。     

Jealousy at work: The role of rivals’ characteristics

The present study examined rival characteristics that may evoke jealousy in the workplace, differences between men and women in this regard, and the relationship between jealousy responses and intrasexual competitiveness and social comparison orientation. Participants were 426 male and female employees. By means of a questionnaire, participants were presented with a jealousy‐evoking scenario after which jealousy responses to 24 rival characteristics were assessed. Findings showed that a rival's social communal attributes evoked highest levels of jealousy, and that, compared to men, women reported more jealousy in response to a rival's physical attractiveness. Overall, as individuals had higher scores on intrasexual competitiveness and social comparison orientation, they also experienced more jealousy in response to their rival, regardless of his or her characteristics. These findings suggest that those characteristics that are highly valued in employees may backfire when employees perceive co‐workers as rivals.     

Comparing the body to superior others: Associations with daily exercise and body evaluation in men and women

ObjectivesThis study tested the link between daily body-related upward social comparisons (BUSCs) and exercise behavior, and examined how appearance evaluation and gender may impact this association.MethodIn a weeklong assessment, 87 participants (54% women) completed daily retrospective measures of social comparisons and exercise behavior, and a one-time trait measure of appearance evaluation.ResultsBased on findings from hierarchical linear modeling, men with more negative appearance evaluations reported higher exercise engagement on days when they made more (compared to less) BUSCs. Meanwhile, women with more negative appearance evaluations reported less exercise engagement on days when they engaged in more (compared to less) BUSCs.ConclusionsAmong individuals who experience negative appearance evaluations, upward body comparisons are associated with more exercising among men, and lower exercise among women. BUSCs have an important role in promoting adaptive exercise behaviors and managing negative body image.     

基于QQ空间的社交网站使用对青少年抑郁的影响:上行社会比较和自尊的序列中介作用

为探讨社交网站(QQ空间)使用对青少年抑郁的影响及其作用机制,在社会比较和抑郁易感性模型的视角下,采用社交网站使用强度问卷、上行社会比较问卷、自尊量表和抑郁量表,对964名中学生进行调查。结果表明:(1)在控制了性别、年龄以及社交网站使用年限后,社交网站使用对抑郁和社交网站中的上行社会比较都有显著的正向预测作用;(2)社交网站使用能通过社交网站中的上行社会比较和自尊的中介作用对抑郁产生影响,且该中介作用包含了两条路径——上行社会比较的单独中介作用以及上行社会比较-自尊的链式中介作用。本研究揭示了社交网站使用与抑郁的关系及其作用机制,深化了社交网站使用对个体影响的研究。     

Developing Pairwise Preference-Based Personality Test and Experimental Investigation of Its Resistance to Faking Effect by Item Response Model

Recent years have shown increased awareness of the importance of personality tests in educational, clinical, and occupational settings, and developing faking-resistant personality tests is a very pragmatic issue for achieving more precise measurement. Inspired by Stark (2002) and Stark, Chernyshenko, and Drasgow (2005), we develop a pairwise preference-based personality test that aims to measure multidimensional personality traits using a large-scale statement bank. An experiment compares the resistance of the developed personality test to faking with that of rating scale-based personality tests in the item response theory model framework. Results show that latent traits estimated from the personality test based on the rating scale method are severely biased, and that faking effect can be pragmatically ignored in the personality test developed based on the pairwise preference method.     

符号数量和非符号数量的空间表征:5岁儿童的SNARC效应和距离效应

对物理刺激的数量信息表征是符号数字表征的前提和基础,据此假设在儿童的SNARC效应发生的时序问题上,非符号数量(如面积)的空间表征早于符号数量(如阿拉伯数字)的空间表征。本研究邀请5岁幼儿完成数字比较和面积比较两类任务,结果发现在数字比较任务中没有出现SNARC效应,但却存在距离效应;在面积比较任务中出现了SNARC效应和距离效应。可以推断,在阿拉伯数字的空间表征出现之前,儿童已经能够对非符号数量信息进行空间表征。