Investigating the causes of wrap-up effects: Evidence from eye movements and E-Z Reader

Wrap-up effects in reading have traditionally been thought to reflect increased processing associated with intra- and inter-clause integration (Just, M. A. & Carpenter, P. A. (1980). A theory of reading: From eye fixations to comprehension. Psychological Review,87(4), 329-354; Rayner, K., Kambe, G., & Duffy, S. A. (2000). The effect of clause wrap-up on eye movements during reading. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology,53A(4), 1061-1080; cf. Hirotani, M., Frazier, L., & Rayner, K. (2006). Punctuation and intonation effects on clause and sentence wrap-up: Evidence from eye movements. Journal of Memory and Language,54, 425-443). We report an eye-tracking experiment with a strong manipulation of integrative complexity at a critical word that was either sentence-final, ended a comma-marked clause, or was not comma-marked. Although both complexity and punctuation had reliable effects, they did not interact in any eye-movement measure. These results as well as simulations using the E-Z Reader model of eye-movement control (Reichle, E. D., Warren, T., & McConnell, K. (2009). Using E-Z Reader to model the effects of higher-level language processing on eye movements during reading. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review,16(1), 1-20) suggest that traditional accounts of clause wrap-up are incomplete.     

A cross-cultural validation of stage development: A Rasch re-analysis of longitudinal socio-moral reasoning data

Kohlberg's characterization of moral development as displaying an invariant hierarchical order of structurally consistent stages is losing ground. However, by applying Rasch analysis, Dawson recently gave new interpretation and support to his characterization of stage development. Using Rasch models, we replicated and strengthened her findings in a re-analysis of three sets of longitudinal socio-moral reasoning data collected in Iceland. A new application of Rasch analysis provided support for upward development. Our results supported Kohlberg's characterization of stage development and the cross-cultural stability of Dawson's findings that were exclusively based on US samples. We conclude that proposals to replace Kohlberg's characterization of moral development are premature.     

Comparison of the construct validity of the Gray–Wilson Personality Questionnaire and the BIS/BAS scales

345 subjects completed a translated, shortened version of the Gray–Wilson Personality Questionnaire (GWPQ), along with Russian versions of Carver and White’s BIS/BAS scales, the Eysenck Personality Profiler, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and Spielberger’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Exploratory factor analysis of GWPQ items pointed to a three-factor solution and three new scales were created which demonstrated adequate psychometric characteristics. Confirmatory factor analysis of the BIS/BAS scales showed that a four-factor model best fitted the data but the three BAS subscales should be treated as sub-factors of a second-order factor. Structural equation modelling showed that GWPQ scales generally explained Eysenck’s dimensions better than BIS/BAS scales. The distinction between GWPQ and Carver and White’s scales mainly concerned BAS measures. GWPQ BAS captured more of Psychoticism, whereas Carver and White’s BAS captured more of Extraversion.     

The Relationship between Local Identification,Urban Disorder Sensitivity,and Prejudice Toward Immigrants: The Role of Autochthony

Autochthony is the belief that a place belongs to those who were born there and that they are more entitled. Autochthony and local identification can foster sensitivity to any source of disorder that threatens local stability. The aims of this study were to determine whether: (a) local identification is associated with a higher level of sensitivity to urban disorder and a higher level of prejudice toward immigrants; (b) higher city identifiers use autochthony (entitlement for first comers) as a justification for both of these attitudes. A self‐report questionnaire was administered to 254 adult residents of Turin, Italy. Local identification was found related to autochthony and to urban disorder sensitivity, autochthony was positively associated with both urban disorder sensitivity and prejudice toward immigrants and it mediated the relationship between local identification and prejudice.     

Modeling implicit learning in a cross-modal audio-visual serial reaction time task

This study examined implicit learning in a cross-modal condition, where visual and auditory stimuli were presented in an alternating fashion. Each cross-modal transition occurred with a probability of 0.85, enabling participants to gain a reaction time benefit by learning the cross-modal predictive information between colors and tones. Motor responses were randomly remapped to ensure that pure perceptual learning took place. The effect for the implicit learning was extracted from the data by fitting five different models to the data, which was highly variable due to motor variability. To examine individual learning rates for stimulus types of different discriminability and modality, the models were fitted per stimulus type and individually for each participant. The model selection identified the model that included motor variability, surprise effects for deviants and a serial position for effect onset as the most explanatory (Akaike weight 0.87). Further, there was a significant global cross-modal implicit learning effect for predictable versus deviant transitions (40 ms reaction time difference, p < 0.004). The learning rates over time differed for both modality and the stimuli within modalities, although there was no correlation to global error rates or reaction time differences between the stimulus types. These results demonstrate a modeling method that is well suited to extract detailed information about the success of implicit learning from high variability data. It further shows a cross-modal implicit learning effect, which extends the understanding of the implicit learning system and highlights the possibility for information to be processed in a cross-modal representation without conscious processing.     

工作投入的短期波动

随着研究取向从静态到动态、从个体间到个体内部的转变, 工作投入的短期波动开始成为研究主流。针对国内尚未涉及工作投入波动研究的现状, 将引入状态性工作投入的概念, 并分析其波动的理论和构成来源。介绍了状态性工作投入的测量工具、日记研究和经验取样方法, 以及重复测量的多层线性模型。在分析现有工作投入波动理论、相关变量和边界条件的基础上, 构建了工作投入的研究框架, 总结了工作投入波动的形式。     

Engagement within occupational trainees: Individual difference predictors and commitment outcome

The present study examines occupational entrants' experiences of their vocational training, its relation with relevant internal characteristics, and its proposed impact on commitment to the profession. Particular focus is paid to trainees' engagement, hypothesizing motivation and self-efficacy as predictors, and occupational commitment as a distal outcome. Data were from 247 recent entrants into professional degree programs (architecture, engineering). All hypothesized predictive relations were supported, such that motivation (as both a composite and as solely intrinsic) and self-efficacy are predictive of engagement, and engagement is predictive of occupational commitment among early-stage trainees. Further, engagement partially mediated the relation between self-efficacy and commitment, and fully mediated the relation between motivation and commitment. Squared multiple correlations for endogenous variables indicated substantial variance in engagement and commitment accounted for by their respective predictors. Moreover, two structural equation models were examined and compared, proposing more holistic nomological nets for how these constructs fit together. A respecified model accounting for a sole focus on intrinsic motivation and a direct path between motivation and commitment was an excellent fit, superseding a competing model conceptualizing motivation as a composite and only an indirect motivation–commitment path. Finally, need for achievement moderated the relation between motivation and engagement such that the relation is stronger for individuals high in need for achievement than it is for those low in the desire to grow in their profession. The study contributes to our understanding of how early occupational trainees' experiences of work and individual characteristics impact their commitment to their intended profession.     

Analysis of correlations between psychological factors and self-reported behavior of motorcyclists in Malaysia,depending on self-reported usage of different types of motorcycle facility

Segregated road lanes for motorcyclists are one of the practices implemented by the Malaysian authority to decrease the number of road crashes involving motorcycles. In this study, the motorcycle lanes are divided into three types, exclusive, inclusive, and paved shoulder. This study examined the correlations between motorcyclists’ psychological factors and their risky riding behaviors (speeding and neglecting to wear helmet), depending on self-reported usage of different types of motorcycle facilities. The psychological factors discussed in this study were: attitude, desire, perceived behavior control, moral obligation, perceived danger, fear of being caught, and perception of others’ behaviors toward the risky behaviors. Quantitative analyses, including Structural Equation Modeling, were used as the analytical tools. The results demonstrated the statistically significant relationship of exclusive road lanes’ usage on speeding behavior. However, no statistically significant correlation was found for segregated lanes’ usage on helmet wearing behavior. Psychological factors were found affecting the motorcyclists’ likelihood of performing the risky behaviors. However, these factors influence speeding and helmet wearing behavior differently. The study offers recommendations and theoretical contributions to explain the complex relationships among the uses of segregated lanes, riders’ psychological factors, and their risky behaviors.     

Autonomy support enhances performance expectancies,positive affect,and motor learning

ObjectivesAccording to the OPTIMAL theory of motor learning (Wulf & Lewthwaite, 2016), autonomy support contributes to successful performance and learning in part by enhancing learners' expectancies. The present study was designed to test expectancy-related predictions. Specifically, we examined the effects of practice with autonomy support on learners’ self-efficacy, positive affect, and thoughts during practice.DesignExperimental study with two groups. Movement form was assessed in two different experimental phases, supplemented by questionnaire data.MethodTen-year old children were shown a sequence of 5 ballet positions they were asked to learn: Preparatory position, demi plié, tendu with arms and legs in second position, passé with arms in first position, and elevé with feet in first position. In the autonomy-support (AS) group, participants were able to choose video demonstrations throughout practice, while control (C) group participants were provided with demonstrations based on their yoked counterparts’ choices. One day after practice, participants performed in a retention test.ResultsThe AS group demonstrated greater improvements in movement form during practice and enhanced learning relative to the C group. Furthermore, AS participants had higher self-efficacy and greater positive affect than the C group. Also, AS participants reported having more positive thoughts during practice relative to C group participants, who reported more negative and self-related thoughts.ConclusionsThe present findings are in line with OPTIMAL theory predictions. They highlight the motivational underpinnings of the learning benefits that are seen when learners are given choices.