Deconstructing the tower: Parameters and predictors of problem difficulty on the Tower of London task

The Tower of London (TOL) task has been widely used in both clinical and research realms. In the current study, 104 healthy participants attempted all possible moderate- to high-difficulty TOL problems in order to determine: (1) optimal measures of problem solving performance, (2) problem characteristics, other than the minimum moves necessary to solve the problem, that determine participants’ difficulty in solving problems successfully, quickly, and efficiently, and (3) effects of increased task experience on which problem characteristics determine problem difficulty. A factor analysis of six performance measures found that, regardless of task experience, problem difficulty could be captured well either by a single factor corresponding to general quality of solution or possibly by three subordinate factors corresponding to solution efficiency, solution speed, and initial planning speed. Regression analyses predicting these performance factors revealed that in addition to a problem’s minimum moves three problem parameters were critical in determining the problem difficulty: goal position hierarchy, start position hierarchy, and number of solution paths available. The relative contributions of each of the characteristics strongly depended on which performance factor defined performance. We conclude that TOL problem performance is multifaceted, and that classifying problem difficulty using only the minimum moves necessary to solve the problem is inadequate.     

时间距离、自我差异的自动激活与价值偏好

本研究对时间距离对自我差异的自动激活假说进行了检验。研究首先启动个体不同的时间自我知觉,然后利用评价性条件反射使先前激活的自我知觉中止,以检验对价值偏好的影响。结果证实了本研究的假设,当消极情绪词语和自我词语同时启动时,先前激活的自我知觉回落到未激活前的基线水平,并使得远期时间距离所引发的可能自我差异或近期时间距离所引发的当前自我差异减弱,从而导致价值偏好不再随时间线索发生系统改变。研究最后讨论了这一发现对自我调节研究的意义。     

Moderating effect of Zhong Yong on the relationship between creativity and innovation behaviour

The present study examined the moderating effect of Zhong Yong on the relationship between perceived creativity and innovation behaviour in Chinese companies. A total of 273 paired questionnaires were collected with employee self-rated creativity and Zhong Yong and supervisor-rated innovation behaviour. The results show that for people higher on Zhong Yong, their creativity was not correlated with innovation behaviour; for people less immersed in Zhong Yong, this correlation is significant. This finding provides a new insight into the effects of Zhong Yong on the creativity-innovation behaviour transformation processes. The implications for future research are also discussed.     

希望和乐观——两种未来指向的积极预期

在积极心理学中,希望和乐观虽然存在很大程度的概念重叠,但二者本质上是不同的概念。希望的概念核心是以目标为中心的动力思维和路径思维,乐观的概念核心是指向未来的积极预期。作为两种指向未来的积极预期,希望和乐观属于人格特质的范畴,共同成分是对目标的信念;二者的差异性在于对未来预期的方式和对预期事件的个人控制。相关研究发现,相对于乐观,希望通常是主观幸福感和学业成就更好的预测指标。未来研究应明确希望和乐观的整合,验证是否存在控制点的调节作用,并开展跨文化研究。     

创造性思维的社会文化基础

创造性思维作为创造性的内核, 是个体在一定社会文化背景上产生新颖独特且实用观点或产品的思维形式。文章基于社会文化的三层次模型, 分别从文化观念、文化活动或经历以及文化工具三个层面, 围绕人性价值观、中庸取向、非价值性文化传统、海外旅居、多语种学习、以及文化工具所涵盖的文化规则、符号和实物七个方面阐述了社会文化对创造性思维的影响。未来研究有必要在此基础上继续从文化与社会因素的依存性、个体差异控制、文化和创造性思维的类型差异以及多重研究取向协作四方面深入。     

个体的政治倾向及其变化机制

政治倾向是个体在意识形态上的定位, 可以分为自由主义和保守主义, 政治倾向使个体在认知和行为等方面存在显著差异。虽然个体的政治倾向相对稳定, 但也会受威胁的影响而变化。动机性社会认知理论认为威胁使所有人都变得更加保守, 恐惧管理理论认为威胁使个体更坚信自己原有的文化世界观, 使原有政治倾向更加明显。本文在深入分析讨论的基础上, 指出两种理论分歧的原因在于忽略了外部威胁与内部威胁的不同。内部威胁可加强人们原有的政治倾向, 外部威胁可使人们更趋向保守。未来研究应在内外部威胁影响政治倾向变化的机制、政治倾向的本土化研究以及促进不同政治倾向个体间的和谐关系上做出努力。     

3-5岁儿童汉字方向敏感性的发展

通过Surface Pro触屏电脑呈现知觉匹配任务,记录儿童的主动反应,探查了83名3-5岁学前儿童汉字方向（倒置与镜像）敏感性的早期发展及其与汉字阅读能力的关系。结果发现,4岁儿童可以很好地区分正反方向的汉字,表现出汉字倒置方向的敏感性。但是,各年龄组儿童还未对镜像汉字表现出敏感性。学前儿童对汉字两种方向的认识表现出不同的发展轨迹。学前儿童的汉字倒置方向敏感性与其汉字阅读能力显著相关。     

The Association of Daily Hassles and Uplifts with Family and Life Satisfaction: Does Cultural Orientation make a Difference?

The study examined similarities and differences between people having individualist and collectivist cultural orientations in terms of what they perceive as stressful and uplifting experiences in their daily lives, and the relation between daily experiences and family and life satisfaction. Data were collected from two representative community samples (697 Jews and 303 Arabs). Each sample was grouped into individualist and collectivist cultural orientations. The two cultural orientation groups differed with respect to the appraisal of positive and negative daily experiences. A structural equation modeling (SEM) multi-group analysis indicated a similar factor structure for hassles and uplifts in both groups. However, the two groups differed in the effects of positive and negative daily occurrences on family and life satisfaction.     

The darker side of accommodating others: Examining the interpersonal structure of maladaptive constructs

To better understand the greater prevalence of depression among women, compared to men, we explored the darker side of accommodating others by examining where maladaptive relational constructs fit within a general structural framework provided by the interpersonal circumplex and 5-factor model of personality. Participants were four samples of undergraduate students (Ns = 302–2070) who completed questionnaires. Results indicated two clusters of maladaptive items: Submission with Connection and Submission without Connection. In general, the most maladaptive relational constructs were concentrated in the first cluster and were located in the low agency, low communion region of the interpersonal circumplex.