Social brain development and the affective consequences of ostracism in adolescence

Recent structural and functional imaging studies have provided evidence for continued development of brain regions involved in social cognition during adolescence. In this paper, we review this rapidly expanding area of neuroscience and describe models of neurocognitive development that have emerged recently. One implication of these models is that neural development underlies commonly observed adolescent phenomena such as susceptibility to peer influence and sensitivity to peer rejection. Experimental behavioural evidence of rejection sensitivity in adolescence is currently sparse. Here, we describe a study that directly compared the affective consequences of an experimental ostracism manipulation (Cyberball) in female adolescents and adults. The ostracism condition led to significantly greater affective consequences in the adolescents compared with adults. This suggests that the ability to regulate distress resulting from ostracism continues to develop between adolescence and adulthood. The results are discussed in the context of models of neurocognitive development.     

Factors affecting the involvement of teachers in guidance and counselling as a whole-school approach

This study explores factors affecting the involvement of regular secondary school teachers in the whole-school approach to guidance and counselling by interviewing 12 secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. Emerging themes include teachers' ownership of their role in student guidance and counselling, the alignment of their disposition with education policies, school missions and culture, and their philosophy in education. Findings of what these teachers are actually doing in guidance and counselling are presented. Implications for policy-makers, administrators and leaders for comprehensive guidance and counselling programmes are drawn from constraints that limit interviewees' full potential in assisting students.     

What types of advice do decision-makers prefer?

In the decision-making literature, “advice” has typically been defined very restrictively, as a recommendation concerning which alternative the decision-maker should choose. The present paper examines decision-makers’ reactions to this and three additional types of advice (a recommendation concerning which alternative not to choose, information about alternatives, and a recommendation concerning how to make the decision), along with another common form of interpersonal assistance (Social Support), from the perspective of maximizing decision accuracy and maintaining decision autonomy. The role of situational and individual differences is also examined. Results from two multilevel policy-capturing studies indicate that, although they consider recommendations regarding which alternative to choose to be important in some contexts, decision-makers often prefer to receive a type of advice that is greatly understudied by researchers—namely, the provision of information about alternatives. The implications of these findings for the study of advice-taking are discussed, as are future research directions.     

When apologies work: How matching apology components to victims’ self-construals facilitates forgiveness

Apologies are useful social tools that can act as catalysts in the resolution of conflict and inspire forgiveness. Yet as numerous real-world blunders attest, apologies are not always effective. Whereas many lead to forgiveness and reconciliation, others simply fall on deaf ears. Despite the fact that apologies differ in their effectiveness, most research has focused on apologies as dichotomous phenomena wherein a victim either (a) receives an apology or (b) does not. Psychological research has yet to elucidate which components of apologies are most effective, and for whom. The present research begins to address this gap by testing the theory that perpetrators’ apologies are most likely to inspire victim forgiveness when their components align with victims’ self-construals. Regression and hierarchical linear modeling analyses from two studies support the primary hypotheses. As predicted, victims reacted most positively to apologies that were congruent with their self-construals.     

肌间隙入路与传统入路经椎间孔腰椎椎体间融合术治疗腰椎滑脱症的比较研究

为改良经椎间孔腰椎椎体间融合术(TLIF)治疗腰椎滑脱症的手术入路,对两组共41例患者分别经多裂肌与最长肌间隙入路和传统后正中骶棘肌剥离入路行TLIF手术,随访6个月。结果显示肌间隙入路组术中出血量、术后引流量、切口区域疼痛、腰腿痛功能障碍恢复情况均优于传统入路组。因此,经肌间隙入路行TLIF手术治疗腰椎滑脱症可以明显降低手术创伤造成的多裂肌退变和术后慢性腰背疼痛的发生率,提高临床疗效。     

The dialogical self in a cultural contact zone: Exploring the perceived ‘cultural correction’ function of schooling

This paper discusses a qualitative study that explores the impact the development of a cultural contact zone has upon identity processes in the Dialogical Self. The analysis draws upon interviews with Irish nationals, immigrants and asylum seekers in a new cultural contact zone. The findings illustrate uncertainty experienced as a result of immigration, suggesting that the development of the contact zone caused cultural discontinuity. The individuals' uncertainty for their cultural identities' future viability demanded the development of identity strategies to maintain continuity with their perceived cultural future, where they were faced with cultural others. Identity repositionings and a strategy to maintain continuity will be explored in the current paper. The Irish and asylum seeker participants' unprompted focus on schooling will be explored as a continuity strategy. The participants constructed schooling as a tool for the ‘cultural correction’ of migrant children and a means for the assimilation of migrants into the Irish community. The paper discusses the function of this strategy for the two groups, and the theoretical integration of cultural level processes in the theory of the Dialogical Self. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Role identities versus social identities: Masculinity, femininity, instrumentality and communality

Three studies were designed to prove that while instrumentality and communality are mainly dimensions related to role identities, and thus determined by occupational status, masculinity and femininity are social identities linked to gender. Some ideas are put forward as to the reasons that have led historically to the overlapping of role and gender identities. The studies showed that people differentiate communality/instrumentality and masculinity/femininity, perceiving the former as linked to professional status and the latter to gender membership. Finally, current representations of masculinity and femininity are explored.     

中学生自我同一性地位、情绪表达及其相关研究

本文根据埃里克森、玛西娅、加藤厚等人的自我同一性理论,对某中学初一至高三学生的自我同一性及情绪表达进行问卷调查研究。研究发现,中学生自我同一性发展各个维度总体呈"低-高-低-高"的发展趋势。高一是自我同一性发展的转折时期,在现在的自我投入上处于低谷,与其他各年级存在显著性差异。同时自我同一性度数分布也存在显著性差异。中学生的正性情绪表达在性别上存在显著差异。从初一至高三,学生的情绪表达三个维度都呈下降趋势,高二、高三学生的正性情绪表达、负性情绪表达、情绪表达强度显著低于初一、初二学生。中学生现在的自我投入和将来自我投入的愿望与正性情绪表达呈显著正相关。     

认同整合——自我和谐之路

认同整合(Identity integration)是认同研究领域的一个新的研究思路。认同整合是一个特质性的概念, 用于测量同时具有两(多)重不同身份认同者如何看待他们的两(多)重身份之间的关系的个体差异。个体可能认为他们所拥有的两(多)重身份是和谐统一的, 也可能认为这两(多)种身份之间是相互对立, 相互分离, 或者彼此冲突的。认同整合的概念已经被用于文化、种族和性别等领域的研究, 并被证明对文化适应、心理健康和创造性等有积极作用。但作为新概念, 需要深入探讨其作用机制及对其他相关领域的贡献, 尤其是探讨如何在中国背景下应用该概念来解决实际问题。     

自我-他人决策差异：问题、研究与思考

目前关于自我-他人决策差异的研究在采用的任务、得到的发现及理论解释上均存在诸多矛盾或不一致的地方, 且缺乏对此种现象深层心理机制的探讨。虽然一些研究者试图用心理距离假设来解释相关结果, 但由于对心理距离的实验操纵过于简单, 难以形成解释力较强的理论模型。近年来我们的一系列研究发现：得失情境下自我-他人决策差异存在不对称性; 直接操纵心理距离比操纵决策者角色和社会距离对诱发自我-他人决策差异更有效; 决策者个体的自尊水平影响自我-他人决策差异。未来的研究需要进一步探讨自我-他人心理距离的本质、决策者角色转换引起的心理距离变化及自我-他人决策差异的脑机制等问题。