A sciencing programme and young children's exploratory play in the sandpit

A six-week sciencing programme, directed at stimulating exploratory play, was implemented with 2- and 3-year-olds in a day-care centre. The core of the programme consisted of guided play with children in the centre's sandpit. The effectiveness of the programme was determined with ecologically valid methods consisting of pre- and post-observations of children's exploratory behaviour during free sandpit play in the experimental group as well as in a control group. A systematic observation scheme for exploratory play, the Exploratory Play Scale, was used for this purpose. The experimental group showed an increase in level of exploratory play from pre- to post-observations, while the control group did not. This study shows that a small-scale sciencing programme can have an effect on children's level of free exploratory play.     

Verbal probabilities: An alternative approach

Previous studies of verbal probabilities have tried to place expressions like a chance, possible, and certain on 0–1 numerical probability scales. We ask instead, out of a range of outcomes, which outcome a verbal probability suggests. When, for instance, a sample of laptop batteries lasts from 1.5 to 3.5 hours, what is a certain and what is a possible duration? Experiment 1 showed that speakers associate certain with low values and possible with (unlikely) high or maximal values. In Experiment 2, this methodology was applied to several positive and negative verbal probability phrases, showing a preference for high rather than low or middle values in a distribution. Experiment 3 showed that such maxima are not universally described by large numbers. For instance, maximum speed is often described in terms of a small number of time units. What can (possibly) happen is accordingly sometimes described with very low and sometimes with very high values, depending upon focus of interest. Finally, participants in Experiment 4 were given the role of hearers rather than speakers and were asked to infer outcome ranges from verbal probabilities. Hearers appeared to be partly aware of speakers' tendencies to describe outcomes at the top of the range.     

The Baldwin Effect and the persistent problem of Preformation versus Epigenesis

Despite the relatively recent ascendency of epigenetics as a subfield in biology, the issues at its heart have a much longer past. Similarly, psychology's part in this discussion is not new. This article examines one of the earliest engagements of a psychologist with what is now known as epigenetics. Briefly: in 1896, American developmental psychologist James Mark Baldwin proposed an evolutionary theory that has come to be known as the “Baldwin Effect” (so coined by Simpson, 1953). Baldwin's theory asserts that learning may set the course of biological evolution in a non-Lamarckian manner. In proposing this theory he provided a needed intermediate to Darwinian natural selection and the Lamarckian inheritance of acquired characteristics. The value of detailing how Baldwin came to put forward this theory, in light of recent advances, is that it illuminates some of the persistent arguments in the Preformation versus Epigenesis debate. Insofar as these debates continue, examining the origins of the Baldwin Effect provides useful insights.     

分类活动对归纳推理多样性效应的影响

归纳推理多样性效应被证实为普遍存在的,然而研究者Heit和Medin却对多样性效应的普遍性存在分歧。本文通过三个实验针对两位学者的分歧展开研究。结果发现:1.两位学者之间的分歧是由不同的分类活动引起的。当分类活动为外显时,被试的推理结果既不支持Medin,也不支持Heit;当分类活动内隐时,被试的推理结果支持Heit的观点。2.人们在日常生活及现实情境中,往往是根据直觉对事物进行分类及多样性推理。     

愤怒的聚光灯效应对个体新闻阅读的归因影响

最初情绪的聚光灯理论仅从效价角度出发,解释了情绪通过影响注意范围,干涉个体归因,没有针对其它情绪（譬如愤怒）做进一步验证。本研究通过2（情绪）×2（因素显著性）×2（性别）的被试间实验设计,进一步揭示了愤怒的聚光灯效应对个体新闻类信息归因的影响方式。共有243名在校学生参加实验,其中男生99名,年龄在19~25岁之间。本研究将原有的锚式（anchor）归因计分改为对显著和非显著信息独立计分。结果发现：愤怒对个体归因的影响结果与负性情绪的聚光灯效应相一致,并且具有双向性。一方面增加了对显著因素的归因倾向,一方面抑制对非显著的归因素因倾向,且不存在性别差异。另外,本研究发现新闻中某一信息的显著程度亦会造成归因偏差。本研究为聚光灯理论提供了新的实验支持,并就愤怒效价上的模糊性做了进一步的解释和讨论。     

折中效应的整合性机制

摘要：文中通过导入适应水平理论,使用二分类Logistics回归模型分析复合因素下折中效应的变化规律。共有以下发现：第一,信息提示方式对于折中效应有主效应,而且,信息的单面提示比双面提示方式下更易出现折中效应;第二,信息提示方式、精致化、风险认知对于折中效应有显著的二阶交互效应;第三,消费者的产品卷入、产品知识、风险认知分别与折中效应有正或负的关系。结论表明,在信息提示方式的调节作用之下,折中效应中不但分别存在单一的ELM抑制机制以及风险认知促进机制,而且还存在它们的双重机制。     

内隐联结测验(IAT)研究回顾与展望

Greenwald等人提出的内隐联结测验(Implicit Association Test,IAT),引起了心理学家的广泛关注,是当前心理学研究的热点之一。虽然IAT以其突出的优点被广泛应用,但由于它仅仅有五年的历史,所以还不够成熟,在程序、效度等方面有很多争议。本文对以前的有关研究成果进行了总结,并从IAT的程序、效度和变式三个方面进行了概括,展望了今后的研究方向。     

Group Creativity Training for Children: Lessons Learned from Two Award‐Winning Teams

The development of group creativity can be challenging for both young students and their teachers. This study examined the processes and learning outcomes of group creativity training from the perspectives of elementary school students and teachers while identifying critical factors that contributed to the success of the training. Data were collected from two Korean elementary school teams that won the gold (1st) and a special medal at the 2011 Destination Imagination global competition. Both individual and group interviews were carried out with 13 students and two teachers to investigate their perspectives of group creativity training. The analysis of the interview data revealed three major factors and subthemes: group dynamics (conflict and play), individual characteristics of the students (personality and motivation), and teachers’ roles (training strategies, training style, and commitment). In addition, a semi‐longitudinal survey conducted a year after the interviews examined nine skill or competency domains (self‐management, creativity, leadership, interpersonal relationship, patience, cooperation, information processing, communication, and presentation) to evaluate effects of the group creativity training on student learning. Synthesizing the analyses, we addressed the following three topics that arose from the discussions: the Safe Nest Effect, teachers’ training style, and multiple learning experiences derived from group creativity training.     

复杂情境下不同角度及思维方式的决策表现差异:决策视角-心理距离的作用

本研究运用2个行为实验探讨了复杂情境下自我决策、为他人决策和预期他人决策在无意识思维方式和有意识思维方式下的决策表现差异。实验1发现复杂情境中无意识思维方式下,自我决策和为他人决策的决策表现显著优于预期他人决策,自我决策和为他人决策表现没有显著差异。实验2发现复杂情境中有意识思维时,在陌生人条件下,为他人决策表现分数显著高于自我决策与预期他人决策,自我决策和预期他人决策表现无显著差异;在朋友条件下,为他人决策和预期他人决策的决策表现显著优于自我决策,为他人决策和预期他人决策表现无显著差异。研究结果支持了本文提出的决策视角-心理距离作用假设(the Perspective-Distance Effect Hypothesis,PDEH)。     

儿童青少年协作促进的发展

旨在考察不同年龄的个体, 在不同回忆序列和学习材料上协作促进的发展情况。采用3(回忆序列:协作—个人—个人〔CII〕、个人—协作—个人〔ICI〕、个人—个人—个人〔III〕)× 5(年龄:9、11、14、17、20)× 2(材料:图片、文字)的被试间设计。结果发现:(1)各年龄个体在CII和ICI两种回忆序列上均出现了协作促进, 且两种序列条件下被试的最终个人回忆成绩无差异;(2)另外, 17岁个体的协作促进量显著高于9岁、11岁、14岁和20岁, 其他各年龄之间无差异;(3)图片和文字的协作促进量无差异。这说明小组协作回忆的顺序对协作促进没有太大影响, 17岁个体协作促进的效果最好。