The impact of working memory training on near and far transfer measures: Is it all about fluid intelligence?

This randomized control study investigates the effects of working memory (WM) training on near (similar WM memory tasks) and far (math problem-solving processes and accuracy tasks) transfer in children aged 7 to 11 years who vary in fluid intelligence. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control group or one of two WM training conditions (repeated practice vs. cued recall). ?When compared to the control condition, the results show that the cued recall condition yields higher post-test scores for the far transfer measures, whereas the repeated practice condition yields higher scores for the near transfer? measures. However, these finding are qualified by significant treatment × fluid intelligence interactions. Thus, improvements in WM and related measures, as well as the positive transfer in learning outcomes, are moderated by fluid intelligence.     

Sensory Modulation for People with Anxiety in a Community Mental Health Setting

Anxiety is a common mental health issue involving cognitive and physiological hypersensitivity to threat. It negatively affects occupational participation. Sensory modulation intervention aims to use calming sensory input to manage the hypersensitivity and physiological arousal associated with anxiety. The empirical evidence for using sensory interventions for anxiety, however, is limited. This mixed methods single subject case design explored the effectiveness of a 6-week sensory modulation intervention for reducing anxiety and improving occupational participation. Results showed significant reduction in anxiety and improved participation, providing further evidence that sensory modulation is an effective approach for the self-management of anxiety.     

Emotion Regulation as a Moderator of Outcomes of Transdiagnostic Group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Emotional Disorders

The aim of this study was to examine the potential moderating effect of baseline emotion regulation skills—cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression—on the relationship between treatment allocation and treatment outcomes in primary care patients with emotional symptoms. A total of 631 participants completed scales to evaluate emotion regulation, anxiety, depression, functioning, and quality of life (QOL). The moderation analysis was carried out using the SPSS PROCESS macro, version 3.5. Expressive suppression was a significant moderator in the relationship between treatment allocation and treatment outcomes in terms of symptoms of anxiety (b = −0.530, p = .026), depression (b = −0.812, p = .004), and QOL (b = 0.156, p = .048). Cognitive reappraisal acted as a moderator only in terms of QOL (b = 0.217, p = .028). The findings of this study show that participants with higher scores of expressive suppression benefited more from the addition of transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy to treatment as usual (TAU) in terms of anxiety and depressive symptoms, and QOL. Individuals with higher levels of cognitive reappraisal obtained a greater benefit in terms of QOL from the addition of psychological treatment to TAU. These results underscore the relevant role that emotion regulation skills play in the outcomes of psychological therapy for emotional symptoms.     

“近朱者赤”：同事主动行为如何激发员工动机和绩效

以往有关主动性的研究通常聚焦员工本身, 忽略了团队或组织中同事会对员工行为产生影响这一重要管理实践和理论视角。为此, 本研究以社会学习理论为基础, 探讨了同事主动行为对员工自主动机和工作绩效的影响, 以及员工主动性人格的调节作用。通过多时点、上下级匹配问卷(研究1)及情景实验(研究2)两项研究, 本文发现, 同事主动行为可以激发员工的自主动机, 进而提升工作绩效; 并且, 员工主动性人格强化了同事主动行为对员工自主动机的正向作用。本研究不仅从理论上将现有关于主动行为的研究视角迁移到同事, 也为如何更好地激励员工提供了实践指导。     

员工跨界行为的收益与代价：元分析的证据

为探究员工跨界行为产生的影响、作用机制和边界条件, 通过文献检索、筛选和编码, 对50项员工跨界行为研究的52个独立样本(总样本量N = 14366)进行元分析, 结果表明: 员工跨界行为既会产生收益也需要付出代价, 收益表现为员工跨界行为提升工作满意度、组织承诺、绩效和创新, 付出的代价表现为跨界行为引发角色压力。员工跨界行为与结果变量的关系受员工类型(知识型员工-非知识型员工)和个人主义-集体主义、权力距离的调节。工作态度在员工跨界行为和绩效、创新的关系中发挥中介效应, 但在跨界行为和压力与耗竭的关系中出现了遮掩效应。本元分析为员工跨界行为提供了综合而可靠的结论, 对未来员工跨界行为的相关研究具有一定借鉴意义。     

Executive functions,math anxiety and math performance in middle school students

Previous studies mainly investigated working memory (WM) and math anxiety (MA) leaving almost unexplored other aspects of executive functions (EFs) in middle school period. Filling the gap in the literature, the aims of this study were: (1) to better examine the relationship between MA and math performance, (2) to better examine the relationship between EFs and math performance and (3) to investigate the interplay between EFs and MA on math performances. This study confirmed a significant and negative relationship between MA and math performance, indicates a significant and positive relationship between visuospatial WM and math performance, shifting and math performance and highlight a scarcely investigated indirect influence of MA through the measure of shifting on math performance. Our findings shed further light on the mediating role of EFs between MA and math performance and underline some future perspectives.     

毅力人格与数学成绩之间的关系以及学习行为投入的中介作用:以PISA 2012中国上海数据为例

通过分析PISA 2012中国上海中学生样本,探讨毅力人格对数学成绩的影响,尤其是学习行为投入的中介作用。结果显示,毅力人格包含了代表缺乏毅力、容易放弃的负性维度,以及代表富有毅力、追求完美的正性维度。负性维度能负向预测数学成绩,学习行为投入起部分中介作用。正性维度对数学成绩的总效应和直接效应不显著,只通过学习行为投入产生正向间接影响。负性维度对数学成绩的负面影响整体强于正性维度的正面作用。因此教学中对数学成绩不佳的学生,应根据其毅力水平给予不同引导。     

An evaluation of the effectiveness of countermeasures for improving the safety of dilemma zones: A driving simulator study

The main objective of this driving simulator study is to analyze the behavior of the driver at the start of the yellow signal of a signalized rural intersection and identify the most effective countermeasures for tackling the dilemma zone, namely an area on the intersection approach where vehicles at the start of the yellow phase can neither safely stop before the stop line nor cross the intersection. The following countermeasures were tested in the study on a sample of 48 drivers: green signal countdown timers, GSCT (C₁); a new pattern of vertical and horizontal warning signs (C₂); and an advanced on-board driver assistance system based on augmented reality (AR) and connected vehicle technologies (C₃). These countermeasures were tested and compared to a baseline condition (B) where no countermeasures were applied. Based on the results of this study, the C₂ and C₃ countermeasures have proven to be valid tools for reducing driver indecision when approaching signalized intersections at the start of the yellow signal. In fact, using C₂ and C₃, the length of the dilemma zone was equal to 30 m and 36 m, respectively, with a reduction of about 50%, as compared to the baseline condition (B). Moreover, a reduced number of false behaviors was recorded, as well as a greater consistency in driver decision-making behaviors. Conversely, the C₁ countermeasure did not lead to a significant improvement in the dilemma zone: an unnecessary increase in early stop rates was recorded, resulting in reduced intersection efficiency and operations.     

The relationship between simulator sickness and driving performance in a high-fidelity simulator

Driving simulators are highly valuable tools for various applications such as research, training, and rehabilitation. However, they are also known to cause simulator sickness, a special form of traditional motion sickness. Common side effects of simulator sickness include nausea, headache, dizziness, eye-strain, and/or disorientation, all symptoms which may negatively impact driving performance. The goal of the present study was to investigate the relationship between simulator sickness and driving performance obtained in a high-fidelity driving simulator. Twenty-one healthy participants were engaged in a simulated driving task containing rural, city, and highway sections for approx. 25 min. Participants were asked to drive naturally while obeying traffic rules and completing common driving maneuvers (including reactions to sudden events). Driving performance was evaluated based on various driving measures, such as lane positioning, speed measures, following distance, or the number of steering reversals. Simulator sickness was measured before, during, and after the simulated drive using a combination of the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire and the Fast Motion Sickness scale. Overall, correlations between the level of simulator sickness and driving performance measures were low to moderate (r’s from -0.37 to 0.40) and were not significant. Additionally, participants who reported higher levels of simulator sickness did not differ with regards to their driving performance from those who reported lower simulator sickness scores. Our results suggest that the presence of simulator sickness is not strongly related to performance in a driving simulator.     

Effect of multiple monitoring requests on vigilance and readiness by measuring eye movement and takeover performance

Drivers do not need to supervise the L3 automated driving system but have to resume dynamic driving tasks when necessary, where the takeover request system plays a crucial role in alerting drivers to take over control. Previous studies have investigated the feasibility of the two-stage takeover system, which divides the takeover request system into monitoring requests and takeover requests. However, whether it will affect drivers’ situation awareness and takeover performance if the monitoring request is issued multiple times without the takeover request has not been fully considered. This research conducted a driving simulation study to investigate the effect of multiple monitoring requests on participants’ vigilance to monitoring requests and readiness for takeover requests by measuring their eye movement and takeover performance. Forty-two participants experienced three kinds of takeover conditions: no monitoring request, once monitoring request, and four monitoring requests. Simultaneously, the eye movement and takeover performance of participants were recorded and analyzed. Results showed that participants gained sufficient situation awareness in the monitoring request phase and showed better takeover performance in the two-stage takeover system than the single-stage takeover system. However, participants’ vigilance to the monitoring request and readiness for the takeover request decreased after experiencing multiple monitoring requests. Specifically, 62% and 59% of participants put their hands on the steering wheel during the monitoring request phase when experiencing the first monitoring request, which decreased to 35% after experiencing four monitoring requests. Moreover, after experiencing multiple monitoring requests, more participants shifted their attention to non-driving-related tasks after first observing the road and with a reduced percentage of time in the road center. These findings suggest that the monitoring request should be more reasonable to avoid reducing the vigilance and readiness of drivers to take advantage of the two-stage takeover system effectively.