Positive and negative reinforcement effects on behavior in a three-person microsociety

Three-person groups, either of males or of females, resided for 6 to 12 days in a continuously programmed environment. Subjects followed a behavioral program that determined the sequential and contingent relations within an inventory of activities. The program consisted of positive reinforcement days and avoidance days. During a positive reinforcement day, each work unit completed by a subject incremented a group account. The account was divided evenly among the three participants at the conclusion of the study. During a negative reinforcement day, no money was earned, and the group was assigned work unit criterion that, if completed, prevented a reduction in accumulated earnings. During negative reinforcement days, subjects made aggressive verbal responses, which differed in magnitude among the four groups. These differences were evident in several distinct behavioral measures. Performances on components of the work unit were not demonstrably affected by the reinforcement schedules in effect, although during the avoidance condition one subject stopped working and another subject's productivity declined.     

Parenting and child behaviour problems: a longitudinal analysis of non‐shared environment

This study examined potential non‐shared environmental processes in middle childhood by estimating statistical associations between monozygotic (MZ) twin differences in externalizing and internalizing problems and positive social engagement, and differential maternal positivity and negativity, over 1 year. Seventy‐seven pairs of identical twins participated (M=6.08‐years old, 65% male) in two annual home visits. Observers' ratings and maternal reports were gathered. At both assessments, the twin who showed more conduct problems (maternal report and observers' ratings) and less positive social engagement (positive affect, responsiveness) received more maternal negativity and less maternal warmth (self‐reports and observers' ratings), relative to his or her genetically identical co‐twin. The same patterns held over time, for the associations between change in differential MZ twin conduct problems and social engagement and change in differential maternal behaviour. Effects for child internalizing problems were not consistent within or across raters. Overall, these results indicated that differential maternal warmth and negativity—self‐perceived and observed by others—are important aspects of sibling differentiation for both problematic and adaptive behaviours during middle childhood. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

小学儿童家庭环境、创意自我效能与创造力的关系

该文采用问卷法对473名小学五、六年级儿童的家庭环境、创意自我效能与创造力（创造性个性倾向和创造性思维）的关系进行调查,运用SPSS、AMOS等软件,进行数据的处理与分析。结果表明,家庭环境的知识性、创意自我效能与创造力之间显著正相关。创意自我效能在家庭环境、创造性个性倾向间,家庭环境的知识性与创造性思维的独创性间,家庭环境的知识性与创造力间起完全中介作用。     

Genetics and personality affect visual perspective in autobiographical memory

Major depression is associated with a decrease of 1st person (versus 3rd person) visual perspective in autobiographical memory, even after full remission. This study aimed to examine visual perspective in healthy never-depressed subjects presenting with either genetic or psychological vulnerability for depression. Sixty healthy participants performed the Autobiographical Memory Test with an assessment of visual perspective. Genetic vulnerability was defined by the presence of at least one S or L_G allele of the polymorphism of the serotonin-transporter-linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR). Psychological vulnerability was defined by high scores of harm avoidance measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory. Life stress exposure, depressive mood, rumination, and familial history of depression were assessed through standardized procedures. Visual perspective for positive memories was independently predicted by both harm avoidance and a gene by environment interaction between the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and life stress exposure. Visual perspective and vulnerability for depression may share some biological bases.     

Dopamine and serotonin systems modify environmental effects on human behavior: A review

The relative influences of genetic and environmental factors in the development of human behavior have been a long‐term topic for an intense debate. Recent behavioral genetic studies suggest focusing on the joint effect of genes and environment, and especially on the life‐course developmental interplay between nature and nurture. Vulnerability to environmental adversities and sensitivity to its benefits may be conditional on genetic background, and regarding psychological outcomes, these kinds of gene × environment interactions may be of higher importance than direct gene–trait associations. In our recent series of studies, we have shown that different variants of serotonergic and dopaminergic genes may moderate the influence of environmental conditions on a range of psychological outcomes, i.e. temperament, depression, hostility, and educational attainment. These studies suggest that depending on their genotype, people may be differentially sensitive to the environmental conditions they encounter. In the light of these results it seems highly plausible that the effects of genes may become evident only when studied in the context of environmental factors.     

Displacement as trauma and trauma as displacement in the experience of refugees

This paper investigates the relations between displacement, home, trauma and the self in the experience of refugees, which has become an issue of unexpected and far-reaching proportions in recent times. It questions to what extent and under what conditions displacement in the world may be traumatic and how trauma may be considered the effect of an inner displacement. Refugees’ lives are marked by forced migration that is related to a certain suffering due to the changes in their family, relational, social and cultural lives. The paper explores the extent to which these changes can represent a break so significant as to be traumatic. It outlines the way in which traumatic experiences can produce an inner displacement and reorganization of one’s mental life that leads to a focus on traumatic complexes. Under the most severe traumatic conditions, this can be understood as a displacement of the central axis of Self, in which the ego complex yields its position to other complexes, with a deep change in the organization and functioning of self. The experience of refugees highlights the way in which we live in a matrix of conscious and unconscious links between inner and outer worlds that need deeper and simultaneous consideration to understand their implications and mutual resonances for the psyche. Clinical cases of refugees will illustrate some aspects of these interconnections.     

Supporting Creativity Or Conformity? Influence of Home Environment and Parental Factors on the Value of Children's Creativity Characteristics

Although creativity is a desirable skill, parenting for creativity may be quite a challenge and may be less favored than parenting for conformity. The present study aims to investigate parent-related factors that may support creativity versus conformity at home. To this end, this study examined how parents’ attitudes and values toward creativity, creative home environment, and mindful parenting style are related to parents’ perceptions of creative versus socially acceptable characteristics. Analyses of the data collected from 1324 parents (predominantly mothers) indicated that parents were more supportive of creativity traits than socially acceptable characteristics. Most importantly, parents’ attitudes and values toward creativity and creative home environment were significantly and positively related to support for creativity characteristics, whereas mindful parenting was significantly and negatively related to support for socially acceptable characteristics in children. Those findings show that parents who value creativity and set up a creative environment are more likely to support children's creativity. Mindful parenting style seems to indirectly support creativity because it is associated with lower respect for socially acceptable characteristics, some of which are at odds with creativity. Findings are discussed in terms of the implications for training programs that enhance awareness of creativity.     

求同方能存异：上下级学习目标导向契合对创造力的影响

为探讨领导-员工学习目标导向与领导反馈环境对员工创造力的交互作用机制,对305名领导-员工配对样本进行问卷调查。结果表明：（1）领导学习目标导向显著正向预测员工创造力;（2）领导反馈环境在领导学习目标导向和员工创造力之间起中介作用;（3）员工学习目标导向对领导学习目标导向和领导反馈环境之间的关系起调节作用,相对于学习目标导向低的员工,当员工学习目标导向高时,领导学习目标导向对反馈环境的积极影响大。     

家庭读写环境与儿童接受性词汇发展关系的元分析

家庭读写环境(home literacy environment, HLE)与儿童接受性词汇(receptive vocabulary)发展的关系一直备受关注,但HLE内涵不清、各指标效应值强度不明,以及近年来两者关系差别较大等问题极大地限制了人们对该领域的认识。本文运用元分析技术对近30年国内外84篇相关实证研究进行分析。结果显示：HLE与儿童接受性词汇发展为中等程度正相关(r=0.31)。针对年代、文化背景、儿童年龄以及测量方法的调节效应检验表明：HLE效应值随年代发展显著降低,但其核心指标亲子阅读频率的效应值基本稳定;评估HLE的问卷法和现场观察法效应值无差异,但评估亲子阅读频率的书目清单法效应值显著高于问卷法。未见文化背景和儿童年龄的显著调节作用,原因值得进一步探究。后续研究应完善HLE的概念框架,更关注社会经济及文化视角下的概念建构以及测量改进。