Approximations to the distribution of a test statistic in covariance structure analysis: A comprehensive study

In structural equation modelling (SEM), a robust adjustment to the test statistic or to its reference distribution is needed when its null distribution deviates from a χ² distribution, which usually arises when data do not follow a multivariate normal distribution. Unfortunately, existing studies on this issue typically focus on only a few methods and neglect the majority of alternative methods in statistics. Existing simulation studies typically consider only non-normal distributions of data that either satisfy asymptotic robustness or lead to an asymptotic scaled χ² distribution. In this work we conduct a comprehensive study that involves both typical methods in SEM and less well-known methods from the statistics literature. We also propose the use of several novel non-normal data distributions that are qualitatively different from the non-normal distributions widely used in existing studies. We found that several under-studied methods give the best performance under specific conditions, but the Satorra–Bentler method remains the most viable method for most situations.     

归类不确定时特征推理的单类说理论

人们不能完全确定某个事物应该归入哪个类别的情境,被称作“归类不确定的情境”。关于归类不确定情境中的特征推理,目前有两种理论解释：Anderson的理性模型和Murphy与Ross的“单类说”。理性模型认为,在归类不确定情境中,预测事物是否具有某个特征时,人们会考虑该事物可能属于的所有类别,既会考虑靶类别的信息,又会考虑非靶类别的信息。单类说则相反,认为在归类不确定情境下的特征推理,人们只会考虑靶类别的信息,而不考虑非靶类别的信息。该文重点介绍了单类说的发展进程,并对归类不确定情境中的特征推理进行了展望     

A scaled difference chi-square test statistic for moment structure analysis

A family of scaling corrections aimed to improve the chi-square approximation of goodness-of-fit test statistics in small samples, large models, and nonnormal data was proposed in Satorra and Bentler (1994). For structural equations models, Satorra-Bentler's (SB) scaling corrections are available in standard computer software. Often, however, the interest is not on the overall fit of a model, but on a test of the restrictions that a null model sayM ₀ implies on a less restricted oneM ₁. IfT ₀ andT ₁ denote the goodness-of-fit test statistics associated toM ₀ andM ₁, respectively, then typically the differenceT _d =T ₀−T ₁ is used as a chi-square test statistic with degrees of freedom equal to the difference on the number of independent parameters estimated under the modelsM ₀ andM ₁. As in the case of the goodness-of-fit test, it is of interest to scale the statisticT _d in order to improve its chi-square approximation in realistic, that is, nonasymptotic and nonormal, applications. In a recent paper, Satorra (2000) shows that the difference between two SB scaled test statistics for overall model fit does not yield the correct SB scaled difference test statistic. Satorra developed an expression that permits scaling the difference test statistic, but his formula has some practical limitations, since it requires heavy computations that are not available in standard computer software. The purpose of the present paper is to provide an easy way to compute the scaled difference chi-square statistic from the scaled goodness-of-fit test statistics of modelsM ₀ andM ₁. A Monte Carlo study is provided to illustrate the performance of the competing statistics. This research was supported by the Spanish grants PB96-0300 and BEC2000-0983, and USPHS grants DA00017 and DA01070.     

The Effect of the Balance of Orthographic Neighborhood Distribution in Visual Word Recognition

The present study investigated whether the balance of neighborhood distribution (i.e., the way orthographic neighbors are spread across letter positions) influences visual word recognition. Three word conditions were compared. Word neighbors were either concentrated on one letter position (e.g.,nasse/basse-lasse-tasse-masse) or were unequally spread across two letter positions (e.g.,pelle/celle-selle-telle-perle), or were equally spread across two letter positions (e.g.,litre/titre-vitre-libre-livre). Predictions based on the interactive activation model [McClelland & Rumelhart (1981). Psychological Review, 88, 375–401] were generated by running simulations and were confirmed in the lexical decision task. Data showed that words were more rapidly identified when they had spread neighbors rather than concentrated neighbors. Furthermore, within the set of spread neighbors, words were more rapidly recognized when they had equally rather than unequally spread neighbors. The findings are explained in terms of activation and inhibition processes in the interactive activation framework.     

论霍克海默的审美教育观及其当代价值

文章阐明了霍克海默的审美教育观及其当代价值,提出他的审美教育观是以主客体相互中介的"社会批判理论"为基础,以强调培育反思能力与自由个性的人为目标;他的这一审美教育观念不仅影响了现代德国美育教育学理论,也影响了美育教学和艺术创作,对于我国当代美育理论与教学实验及发展文化产业,都具有积极的借鉴及启示意义。     

R．D．莱因对传统精神疾病诊疗观的变革

传统的精神疾病诊断以一种经验式的分类手册来诊断精神疾病,而莱因主张从存在主义——现象学的视角来理解精神疾病,认为家庭或社会才是精神疾病的真正来源。在精神疾病的治疗方面,莱因主张通过改变患者的生存环境来促使其进行自我恢复。莱因的思想推动了当代精神病学的变革与发展,具有重要的现实意义。     

孔子的“义利观”与医院的经营之道

义利关系是中国传统思想中与政治、经济、文化最为密切的一种价值观。以孔子“义利观”为代表的中国传统企业经营的指导思想,对医院构建遵守道德规范、讲求诚信、以人为本、完善激励机制、“以质量为核心”等经营之道具有重大的理论价值和现实意义,它将引导医院实现其所追求的道德观念和法律价值,达到道义与功利综合的发展。     

Aging and intraindividual variability in performance: analyses of response time distributions

It has been suggested that older adults are more variable in their performance because they are more prone to lapses of either attention or intention. In the present experiment, 9 young and 9 older adults each performed nearly 2000 trials of a same-different judgment task. As expected, older adults were slower and more variable than young adults. When the age-related difference in speed was taken into account, however, the older adults were, if anything, less variable than the young adults. When younger and older adults' RT distributions were analyzed using quantile-quantile plots and by fitting ex-Gaussian and Weibull functions, there was no consistent evidence that older adults' distributions were more skewed than young adults', as would be predicted by age-related increases in lapses of attention or intention. Importantly, there was a positive, linear relation between RT and intraindividual variability, and the same relation was observed both within subjects (practice increased speed and reduced variability) as well as between subjects (regardless of age, slower individuals were more variable). Thus, the present results suggest that there may be a general law governing the relation between average RT and variability, and that the greater performance variability of older adults primarily reflects their greater average RTs.     

Too Few Tensions, But Not Enough Utopia? Comments on Equality: From Theory to Action

This welcomes Equality: From Theory to Action as an important contribution both to linking egalitarian political philosophy to public policy and as a book which helps communicate a wealth of philosophical ideas in an accessible way to a wide public. On the critical side, it argues that the authors understate some tensions between egalitarianism and pluralism, and that the book’s discussion of egalitarian economic institutions is quite narrow in scope. As a complement and development of this latter discussion, the paper discusses some policy proposals to address inequality of wealth.