Self processing in the brain: A paradigmatic fMRI case study with a professional singer

Understanding the mechanisms involved in perception and conception of oneself is a fundamental psychological topic with high relevance for psychiatric and neurological issues, and it is one of the great challenges in neuroscientific research. The paradigmatic single-case study presented here aimed to investigate different components of self- and other-processes and to elucidate corresponding neurobiological underpinnings. An eminent professional opera singer with profound performance experience has undergone functional magnetic resonance imaging and was exposed to excerpts of Mozart arias, sung by herself or another singer. The results indicate a distinction between self- and other conditions in cortical midline structures, differentially involved in self-related and self-referential processing. This lends further support to the assumption of cortical midline structures being involved in the neural processing of self-specific stimuli and also confirms the power of single case studies as a research tool.     

课堂环境目标影响学生成就目标的实验研究

采用现场教学实验的方法,探讨了在我国中学课堂教学中,运用TARGET教学模式引导学生的掌握目标定向,激发学习动机的有效性和可行性。被试是来自同一所中学的初中二年级两个班的学生(实验班36人,控制班34人)。研究结果表明,通过教师在课堂上实施强调掌握目标的教学干预策略,可以有效地改善学生的学习动机模式,促使学生更多地采取掌握目标,提高学生的学习兴趣和学习成绩。     

模拟互变问题解决认知策略的实验研究

本实验通过对模拟互变问题解决认知策略的定性和定量分析,研究认知策略的类型及其信息加工程序。结果表明,存在尝试性策略、分析性策略和直觉性策略三类策略。最佳策略属于分析性策略。     

On A Different Ground: From Contests Between Monologues To Dialogical Contest

Feeling that they must aim for certainty in their claims, each side presents its version of reality, monologically, simply for acceptance or rejection by the other. In this form of argumentation, one individualistically formulated, systematic, finished version is pitted (in an essentially Neo-Darwinian struggle) against another. By its very nature, such a form of rational argumentation prevents the construction of a shared version of things; it is not dialogical. In attempting to recover what has been rendered rationally-invisible by our modern modes of (monological) reasoning, I first explore the "structures of passion and feeling" (Raymond Williams) embodied in the ways in which people in a community interrelate themselves. Attention to such structures illuminates the nature of argument in a novel, dialogical, light: those who share in such structures do not share in a system of foundational principles or a logical framework, but in a "living tradition" (MacIntyre) or "living ideology" (Billig et al.). Bakhtins concept of the utterance is then explored as the basic unit for understand dialogical communication and argument within such living traditions.     

Spatial versus tree representations of proximity data

In this paper we investigated two of the most common representations of proximities, two-dimensional euclidean planes and additive trees. Our purpose was to develop guidelines for comparing these representations, and to discover properties that could help diagnose which representation is more appropriate for a given set of data. In a simulation study, artificial data generated either by a plane or by a tree were scaled using procedures for fitting either a plane (KYST) or a tree (ADDTREE). As expected, the appropriate model fit the data better than the inappropriate model for all noise levels. Furthermore, the two models were roughly comparable: for all noise levels, KYST accounted for plane data about as well as ADDTREE accounted for tree data. Two properties of the data proved useful in distinguishing between the models: the skewness of the distribution of distances, and the proportion of elongated triangles, which measures departures from the ultrametric inequality, Applications of KYST and ADDTREE to some twenty sets of real data, collected by other investigators, showed that most of these data could be classified clearly as favoring either a tree or a two-dimensional representation.A portable PASCAL program implementing the Sattath and Tversky [1977] ADDTREE algorithm is available from J. Corter, Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305.     

A note to Bollen's alternative fit measure

The problem of dependence of the nonnormed fit index on sample size in covariance structure analysis is discussed. Contrary to Bollen (1986) we show that the mean of the nonnormed fit index is independent of sample size for true and almost true models whereas Bollen's alternative index does depend on sample size.     

Improper solutions in the analysis of covariance structures: Their interpretability and a comparison of alternate respecifications

A Monte Carlo approach was employed to investigate the interpretability of improper solutions caused by sampling error in maximum likelihood confirmatory factor analysis. Four models were studied with two sample sizes. Of the overall goodness-of-fit indices provided by the LISREL VI program significant differences between improper and proper solutions were found only for the root mean square residual. As expected, indicators of the factor on which the negative uniqueness estimate occurred had biased loadings, and the correlations of its factor with other factors were also biased. In contrast, the loadings of indicators on other factors and those factor intercorrelations did not have any bias of practical significance. For initial solutions with one negative uniqueness estimate, three respecifications were studied: Fix the uniqueness at .00, fix it at .20, or constrain the domain of the solution to be proper. For alternate, respecified solutions that were converged and proper, the constrained solutions and uniqueness fixed at .00 solutions were equivalent. The mean goodness-of-fit and pattern coefficient values for the original improper solutions were not meaningfully different from those obtained under the constrained and uniqueness fixed at .00 respecifications.This investigation was supported in part by a grant from the Baylor University Research Committee (#018-F83-URC). The authors gratefully acknowledge the comments and suggestions of Claes Fornell and Roger E. Kirk, and the assistance of Timothy J. Vance with the analysis.     

Estimation of covariance structure models with parameters subject to functional restraints

This paper demonstrates the feasibility of using the penalty function method to estimate parameters that are subject to a set of functional constraints in covariance structure analysis. Both types of inequality and equality constraints are studied. The approaches of maximum likelihood and generalized least squares estimation are considered. A modified Scoring algorithm and a modified Gauss-Newton algorithm are implemented to produce the appropriate constrained estimates. The methodology is illustrated by its applications to Heywood cases in confirmatory factor analysis, quasi-Weiner simplex model, and multitrait-multimethod matrix analysis.The author is indebted to several anonymous reviewers for creative suggestions for improvement of this paper. Computer funding is provided by the Computer Services Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.     

画概念图对高中二年级学生认知结构形成的影响

运用联想测试方法探索高二学生学习新陈代谢一章后的认知结构。运用相关系数值绘制出了学生的认知结构图。结果显示,运用概念图策略进行教学的实验班学生更容易形成认知结构。实验班学生所形成的认知结构更良好、更合理。