药物成瘾者相关线索反应的自动化用药行为特征及其消退

采用ERP技术考察海洛因成瘾者相关线索下的用药行为的性质和神经机制, 在此基础上结合虚拟现实技术(VR)和途径偏向矫正训练(AAT), 探究基于“相关线索-习惯性用药”联结的自动化用药行为的动作消退、替代训练的有效性。研究发现, (1)相比对照线索, 成瘾者在相关线索下的反应时更长, N1波幅更小, N1潜伏期更短; 相比对照组被试, 成瘾者在相关线索下的行为任务的正确率更低, 反应时更长, N1波幅更小; N1波幅的组间组内差异和潜伏期的组内差异主要集中在中央区。(2)结合VR技术的途径偏向矫正训练后, 训练组被试的生理指标和途径偏向系数显著降低, 且显著低于对照组被试; 追踪测试中, 训练组被试的分数显著低于对照组。这表明相关线索下成瘾者的用药行为具有自动化、无意识的性质, 感觉运动区N1的异常活动是其神经机制之一。VR提取用药动作记忆-AAT消退替代训练, 可以有效削弱或消退成瘾者的成瘾动作倾向, 而且训练效果持续性较好, 可达到减少或停止现实情境中的用药和复吸行为的目的。     

认知诊断框架下多级评分题目的DIF检测方法及其应用

本文对多级计分认知诊断测验的DIF概念进行了界定,并通过模拟实验以及实证研究对四种常见的多级计分DIF检验方法的适用性进行理论以及实践性的探索。研究结果表明：四种方法均能对多级计分认知诊断中的DIF进行有效的检验,且各方法的表现受模型的影响不大;相较于以总分为匹配变量,以KS为匹配变量时更利于DIF的检测;以KS为匹配变量的LDFA方法以及以KS为匹配变量的曼特尔检验方法在检测DIF题目时有着最高的检验力。     

Balanced states of mind in psychopathology and psychological well-being

The balanced states of mind (BSOM) model proposes that coping with stress and psychological well-being is a function of the BSOM ratio of positive thoughts to the sum of positive and negative thoughts. Based on different BSOM ratios, different BSOM categories are constructed to quantitatively differentiate levels of coping with stress and psychological well-being. The cognitive content-specificity hypothesis states that there are unique themes of semantic content in self-reported automatic thoughts particular to depression or anxiety. This study investigated the BSOM model and its cognitive content-specificity for depression, anxiety, anger, stress, life satisfaction, and happiness, based on negative and positive automatic thoughts. Three hundred and ninety-eight college students from Singapore participated in this study. First, BSOM ratio and positive automatic thoughts were positively correlated with life satisfaction and happiness, and negatively correlated with stress, anxiety, depression, and anger. In contrast, negative automatic thoughts were positively correlated with stress, anxiety, depression, and anger, and negatively correlated with life satisfaction and happiness. Second, levels of psychopathology and psychological well-being were statistically differentiable among the BSOM categories for depression, happiness, perceived stress, and life satisfaction; and less statistically differentiable among the BSOM categories for anxiety and anger, as expected based on the BSOM model and cognitive content-specificity hypothesis. Third, the results were more supportive of the BSOM model for depression, followed by happiness, perceived stress, life satisfaction, anxiety, and anger in terms of percentage of variance accounted for by BSOM categories, as expected based on the cognitive content-specificity hypothesis. Taken together, the results suggested that the more moderately positive thoughts one has (balanced by negative thoughts), the better mental health outcomes one has. Implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.     

The Effects of Domain Knowledge and Instructional Manipulation on Creative Idea Generation

The experiment was designed to explore the effects of domain knowledge, instructional manipulation, and the interaction between them on creative idea generation. Three groups of participants who respectively possessed the domain knowledge of biology, sports, or neither were asked to finish two tasks: imagining an extraterrestrial animal and creating a new sport. Participants in each group were randomly assigned to one of three instructions, in order to encourage them to perform the tasks using a specific instance strategy (relying on specific instances), an abstract strategy (relying on abstract principles), or their habitual ways. Based on an analysis of the participants' verbal reports and their creations, the results suggested that domain knowledge enhanced the tendency to use the abstract strategy, and improved the originality and practicality of the generated ideas. Instructions also influenced the strategy participants used in creative idea generation. The instruction to use abstract principles brought forth the most original creations. Moreover, there was an interaction between domain knowledge and instructions. Encouraging participants to use the specific instance strategy blocked the knowledgeable people from developing novel ideas. Other factors, such as age, grade and gender, were found to be unrelated to either the originality or the practicality of the creations. The implications of the results were discussed in detail.     

The Mental Vulnerability Questionnaire: A psychometric evaluation

Eplov, L.F., Petersen, J., Jørgensen, T., Johansen, C., Birket‐Smith, M., Lyngberg, A. C. & Mortensen, E. L. (2010). The Mental Vulnerability Questionnaire: A psychometric evaluation. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 51, 548–554. The Mental Vulnerability Questionnaire was originally a 22 item scale, later reduced to a 12 item scale. In population studies the 12 item scale has been a significant predictor of health and illness. The scale has not been psychometrically evaluated for more than 30 years, and the aim of the present study was both to evaluate the psychometric properties of the 22 and 12 item scales and of three new scales. The main study sample was a community sample comprising more than 6,000 men and women. In this sample the coefficients of homogeneity were all over 0.30 for the three new scales, but below 0.30 for the 12 and the 22 item scales. All five Mental Vulnerability scales had positively skewed score distributions which were associated significantly with both SCL‐90‐R symptom scores and NEO‐PI‐R personality scales (primarily Neuroticism and Extraversion). Coefficient alpha was highest for the 22 and 12 item scales, and the two scales also showed the highest long‐term stability. The three new scales reflect relatively independent dimensions of Psychosomatic Symptoms, Mental Symptoms, and Interpersonal Problems, but because of reliability problems it remains an open question whether they will prove useful as predictors of health and morbidity.     

Comparison of classical and modern methods for measuring and correcting for acquiescence

Likert-type self-report scales are frequently used in large-scale educational assessment of social-emotional skills. Self-report scales rely on the assumption that their items elicit information only about the trait they are supposed to measure. However, different response biases may threaten this assumption. Specifically, in children, the response style of acquiescence is an important source of systematic error. Balanced scales, including an equal number of positively and negatively keyed items, have been proposed as a solution to control for acquiescence, but the reasons why this design feature worked from the perspective of modern psychometric models have been underexplored. Three methods for controlling for acquiescence are compared: classical method by partialling out the mean; an item response theory method to measure differential person functioning (DPF); and multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) with random intercept. Comparative analyses are conducted on simulated ratings and on self-ratings provided by 40,649 students (aged 11–18) on a fully balanced 30-item scale assessing conscientious self-management. Acquiescence bias was explained as DPF and it was demonstrated that: the acquiescence index is highly related to DPF; balanced scales produce scores controlled for DPF; and MIRT factor scores are highly related to scores controlled for DPF and the random intercept is highly related to DPF.     

Cognitive diagnosis models for multiple strategies

Cognitive diagnosis models (CDMs) have been used as psychometric tools in educational assessments to estimate students’ proficiency profiles. However, most CDMs assume that all students adopt the same strategy when approaching problems in an assessment, which may not be the case in practice. This study develops a generalized multiple-strategy CDM for dichotomous response data. The proposed model provides a unified framework to accommodate various condensation rules (e.g., conjunctive, disjunctive, and additive) and different strategy selection approaches (i.e., probability-matching, over-matching, and maximizing). Model parameters are estimated using the marginal maximum likelihood estimation via expectation-maximization algorithm. Simulation studies showed that the parameters of the proposed model can be adequately recovered and that the proposed model was relatively robust to some types of model misspecifications. A set of real data was analysed as well to illustrate the use of the proposed model in practice.     

Does cross‐frequency phase coupling of oscillatory brain activity contribute to a better understanding of visual working memory?

Nesting of fast rhythmical brain activity (gamma) into slower brain waves (theta) has frequently been suggested as a core mechanism of multi‐item working memory (WM) retention. It provides a better understanding of WM capacity limitations, and, as we discuss in this review article, it can lead to applications for modulating memory capacity. However, could cross‐frequency coupling of brain oscillations also constructively contribute to a better understanding of the neuronal signatures of working memory compatible with theoretical approaches that assume flexible capacity limits? Could a theta‐gamma code also be considered as a neural mechanism of flexible sharing of cognitive resources between memory representations in multi‐item WM? Here, we propose potential variants of theta‐gamma coupling that could explain WM retention beyond a fixed memory capacity limit of a few visual items. Moreover, we suggest how to empirically test these predictions in the future.     

Assessing the validity of inferences from scores on the cognitive reflection test

Decision‐making researchers purport that a novel cognitive ability construct, cognitive reflection, explains variance in intuitive thinking processes that traditional mental ability constructs do not. However, researchers have questioned the validity of the primary measure because of poor construct conceptualization and lack of validity studies. Prior studies have not adequately aligned the analytical techniques with the theoretical basis of the construct, dual‐processing theory of reasoning. The present study assessed the validity of inferences drawn from the cognitive reflection test (CRT) scores. We analyzed response processes with an item response tree model, a method that aligns with the dual‐processing theory in order to interpret CRT scores. Findings indicate that the intuitive and reflective factors that the test purportedly measures were indistinguishable. Exploratory, post hoc analyses demonstrate that CRT scores are most likely capturing mental abilities. We suggest that future researchers recognize and distinguish between individual differences in cognitive abilities and cognitive processes.     

暴力暴露对大学生网络攻击行为的影响:有调节的中介模型

为探讨暴力暴露、大学生网络攻击行为、负性自动思维及自我控制之间的关系,选取黑龙江大学、哈尔滨师范大学两所高校共600名大一至大四的大学生为被试,采用暴力暴露问卷、网络攻击行为量表、自动思维问卷及自我控制问卷进行测试。结果表明：（1）暴力暴露对大学生网络攻击行为有着显著的正向影响,并间接地通过负性自动思维对大学生网络攻击行为产生作用;（2）自我控制在暴力暴露对大学生网络攻击行为的影响中起显著的调节作用,具体而言,在低自我控制水平下,暴力暴露能显著的正向预测大学生网络攻击行为,而在高自我控制水平下,暴力暴露对大学生网络攻击行为的预测作用不显著。