The CEO Selection Decision Process: Bounded Rationality and Decision Component Ordering

This paper presents a model of the basic components of the CEO selection decision process used by corporate boards of directors. It describes selection as a purposeful and boundedly rational process characterized by three key components: aspiration, judgment and justification. Each of these components is described in detail. In addition, the ordering of these elements is examined. Specifically, it is suggested that the exact ordering varies depending on a number of factors. Among the most important are (1) the performance of the organization, (2) the availability of qualified candidates and (3) the standardization of the CEO's office within the organization at the time of the succession decision. Examples are provided to help illustrate various order effects. Following this, sample research propositions are presented to assist researchers in future studies devoted to this topic.     

执行控制研究的重要范式——任务切换

任务切换是当前研究执行控制的重要范式。被试完成切换任务要慢于完成重复任务,并且往往有更高的错误率,这种差异称为切换损失。该文对此领域的研究进行了回顾,介绍了任务切换研究范式的发展,重点阐述了对切换损失来源的三种主要解释：任务重建、联结竞争和任务设置的惯性;指出任务切换与其他范式的结合是更深入地了解执行控制的可行途径。最后进行了简要的总结与展望。     

无意识成就目标激活与追求:来自ERP的证据

为探索无意识目标激活的神经机制,采用单因素被试内设计,自变量为目标激活阶段无意识成就目标激活(有、无),因变量为阈下呈现的成就目标相关词(成就目标无关词)出现后所诱发的ERP成分,以及目标追求阶段被试判断两位数加减法算术式的正确率和平均反应时。结果发现:(1)无意识成就目标能够通过阈下启动得以激活;(2)阈下呈现的成就目标相关词诱发了一个明显的N200成分,可能反映了大脑执行控制功能在个体无意识成就目标激活与追求中的重要作用。     

Executive Functioning Among College Students With and Without History of Childhood Maltreatment

This study utilized performance-based and self-report measures to examine differences in executive functions in college students with and without histories of childhood maltreatment. On the performance-based measures of executive function, all scores fell within the normal range for age. However, participants in the childhood maltreatment group reported more problems with metacognition than those without history of maltreatment. Severity of childhood maltreatment was associated with poorer cognitive inhibition/switching and phonetic fluency. Although significant group differences were found on a laboratory-based task of executive function, performance across the other tasks was generally similar. However, those with a history of maltreatment reported more problems with metacognition, suggesting a potential avenue for brief interventions focused on improving metacognitive skills important for success in the college environment. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

虚拟现实技术在执行功能评估中的应用

执行功能反映了个体对自身的认知过程进行调节和控制的能力,其评估在儿童认知能力发展水平和特殊人群认知功能损伤程度的评定中起着重要作用。虽然执行功能的评估自20世纪初就开始被实施和应用,但传统评估方法仍存在着生态效度不高、不易操纵实验环境的复杂性、不易操纵被试觉醒水平等缺陷。近年来,虚拟现实技术以其有限的成本和快速的发展被越来越多地应用于执行功能评估,并被证实具有生态效度高、实验条件高度可控等显著优点。     

Theory of mind in spina bifida: Relationship with intellectual and executive functioning

This article investigates emotion recognition ability, a central aspect of Theory of Mind (ToM), in a group of individuals with spina bifida myelomeningocele (SBM) experiencing executive function deficits, and examine associations between emotion recognition, and intellectual and executive functioning. A total of 38 adult subjects with SBM were included in this study, participating in a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effects of a cognitive rehabilitation intervention for executive dysfunction. Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) was used as a measure of emotion recognition, and neuropsychological tests and questionnaires were utilized as executive function measures. One third of the participants performed poorer on the emotion recognition task compared to normative data. Emotion recognition may represent an area being affected in adults with SBM, and it is related to verbal IQ. Findings also suggest that executive functions and emotion recognition ability in adults with SBM are independent.     

Washing away your sins will set your mind free: physical cleansing modulates the effect of threatened morality on executive control

The effect of threatened morality on negative emotions and on altruistic behaviour has been shown to diminish following physical cleansing (hand-washing). We hypothesised that threatened morality will broadly impair the executive control system, and that physical cleansing will moderate this detrimental effect. Thirty-seven participants were asked to write about an immoral deed they had committed, whereupon half of them were allowed to wipe their hands. Three executive control tasks—Stroop, stop-signal, and object interference—were then administered to all participants. Participants who had not wiped their hands, but not those who did, demonstrated impaired performance, compared to hand-washing controls, in all three tasks. We conclude that threatened morality has a detrimental effect on executive control, specifically on conflict monitoring and response inhibition, and that physical cleansing “frees” this system, counteracting the detrimental effects of morality threats. We discuss possible implications for obsessive–compulsive disorder, which is characterised by deficient executive control and in which both threatened morality and physical cleansing are central concerns.     

The shared and unique genetic relationship between mental well-being,depression and anxiety symptoms and cognitive function in healthy twins

Alterations to cognitive function are often reported with depression and anxiety symptoms, yet few studies have examined the same associations with mental well-being. This study examined the association between mental well-being, depression and anxiety symptoms and cognitive function in 1502 healthy adult monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins, and the shared/unique contribution of genetic (G) and environmental (E) variance. Using linear mixed models, mental well-being was positively associated (p?β?=?0.127), inhibition (β?=?0.096), cognitive flexibility (β?=?0.149), motor coordination (β?=?0.114) and working memory (β?=?0.156), whereas depression and anxiety symptoms were associated (p?β?=??0.134), inhibition (β?=??0.139), cognitive flexibility (β?=??0.116) and executive function (β?=??0.139). Bivariate twin modelling showed well-being shared a small environmental correlation with motor coordination and a small genetic correlation with working memory. Trivariate twin modelling showed well-being shared a small genetic correlation with inhibition, whereas depression and anxiety symptoms shared a small environmental correlation with inhibition. The remaining variance was mostly driven by unique G and/or E variance. Overall, well-being and depression and anxiety symptoms show both independent and shared relationships with cognitive functions but this is largely attributable to unique G or E variance and small shared G/E variance between pairs of variables.     

Positive emotion infusions of elevation and gratitude: Increasing help-seeking intentions among people with heightened levels of depressive symptomatology

Three online studies assessed a new approach for increasing help seeking among people with depressive symptomatology (i.e. a positive emotion infusion, PEI). A PEI refers to the induction of positive emotion such that people’s mindsets – including perceptions of help-seeking – are temporarily altered. Study 1 (n = 382) indicated that help-seeking intentions are negatively correlated with depressive symptomatology and positively correlated with elevation and gratitude. Studies 2 and 3 implemented fully randomized experimental designs. In Study 2, two elevation-based (Study 2a, n = 285) and two gratitude-based (Study 2b, n = 338) emotion inductions increased levels of elevation and gratitude, respectively. Results of Study 3a (n = 390) indicate a causal relationship between experiencing the story-based elevation induction and increased help-seeking intentions. The two gratitude-based PEIs (Study 3b, n = 466) were unsuccessful at influencing help-seeking; auxiliary analyses indicate the possibility of iatrogenic effects. Overall, the potential of PEIs was indicated, as was need for caution.