Measuring parent–infant interaction: the Parent−Infant Relational Assessment Tool (PIRAT)

The paper describes the genesis, construction and preliminary reliability testing of the Parent?Infant Relational Assessment Tool (PIRAT). PIRAT is a clinical assessment tool for the identification of risk in the early parent?infant relationship. The rationale was to design a flexible, reliable measure that would enable professionals working with infants and their caregivers to assess the parent?infant relationship as it appears in the consulting room, clinic or home environment and to pinpoint areas of concern at the earliest possible opportunity. The measure was developed in the Parent–Infant Project at the Anna Freud Centre and a subsequent study was undertaken to establish whether it could be successfully transferred to healthcare professionals for use in their workplace settings. A reliability study was conducted with a panel of health professionals, including midwives, health visitors, child protection social workers and clinical psychologists, using videotapes of their consultations in the home or clinic with mothers and infants of 0?2 years old. The results demonstrate good interrater reliability for the 10 participants in the study. Verbatim excerpts from the training sessions are included to elucidate the process of training and the ways in which participants engaged with and embedded the measure into their practice.     

The longitudinal relations between self-esteem and affective self-regulatory efficacy

The present study examines the longitudinal relations between self-esteem and perceived affective self-regulatory efficacy (i.e., self-efficacy beliefs in managing negative emotions and in expressing positive emotions). Participants were a group of 206 late adolescents (47% males) aged 16, 18, 20 and 24 years at T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively. Findings corroborated the posited paths of mutual relations, while pointing to a major contribution of self-esteem in predicting perceived affective self-regulatory efficacy across time. In particular, self-esteem consistently predicted subsequent levels of self-efficacy beliefs in managing negative emotions and in expressing positive emotions. Paths in the opposite direction were significant but small. Findings are discussed in light of the contributions of perceived affective self-regulatory efficacy to promote self-esteem from 16 to 24 years.     

Intergroup Contact Facilitates Physiological Recovery following Stressful Intergroup Interactions

A growing body of research has demonstrated the importance of intergroup contact in reducing fear, threat and anxiety in intergroup domains. Here we focus on the regulatory benefits of intergroup contact. We hypothesized that past intergroup contact would facilitate recovery from a stressful intergroup evaluation. White and Black participants completed a stressful evaluative task in the presence of two White or two Black interviewers while autonomic nervous system and hormonal responses were assessed. When examining how participants recovered after the stressful task, intergroup contact predicted faster physiological recovery for both autonomic and neuroendocrine reactivity. The importance of recovery from stress for physiological resilience in diverse contexts is discussed.     

Cultural,contextual, and gender differences in peer talk: A comparative study

Tulviste, T., Mizera, L., De Geer, B. & Tryggvason, M.‐T. (2010). Cultural, contextual, and gender differences in peer talk: A comparative study. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. The study focused on cultural, contextual, and gender differences in children’s peer talk. Same‐sex dyads of Estonian (n = 38), Finnish (n = 38), and Swedish (n = 34) preschool age children were videotaped during unstructured and structured play settings. We found only one gender difference in children’s talkativeness and in the use of regulatory speech: during free play, Swedish boys used more imperatives per directives than Swedish girls. At the same time there were significant cultural and contextual differences. Estonian children were most directive and Swedish children were least directive. Finnish children were less directive than Estonian children but more directive than Swedish children. It was concluded that cultural and contextual factors strongly influence the likelihood, extent, and nature of gender differences in peer talk.     

Tonal synchrony in mother–infant interaction based on harmonic and pentatonic series

This study reports the occurrence of ‘tonal synchrony’ as a new dimension of early mother–infant interaction synchrony. The findings are based on a tonal and temporal analysis of vocal interactions between 15 mothers and their 3-month-old infants during 5 min of free-play in a laboratory setting. In total, 558 vocal exchanges were identified and analysed, of which 84% reflected harmonic or pentatonic series. Another 10% of the exchanges contained absolute and/or relative pitch and/or interval imitations. The total durations of dyads being in tonal synchrony were normally distributed (M = 3.71, SD = 2.44). Vocalisations based on harmonic series appeared organised around the major triad, containing significantly more simple frequency ratios (octave, fifth and third) than complex ones (non-major triad tones). Tonal synchrony and its characteristics are discussed in relation to infant-directed speech, communicative musicality, pre-reflective communication and its impact on the quality of early mother–infant interaction and child's development.     

The effect of deal exclusivity on consumer response to targeted price promotions: A social identification perspective

Discounts offered selectively to consumers are commonplace in the market and reflect the assumption that individuals will respond positively to targeted discounts. We consider whether exclusive deals evoke more positive responses than inclusive offers, an outcome referred to as a deal exclusivity effect. Contrary to the intuition that targeted promotions will always be evaluated more favorably than inclusive offers, we show that deal exclusivity effects (1) can be attenuated based upon factors influencing the extent to which recipients identify with other deal recipients and (2) are mediated by the offer's ability to enable the recipient to engage in self-enhancement.     

Marital Status and Health Beliefs: Different Relations for Men and Women

Although relations between marital status and health have been substantiated, the results of relatively few studies suggest how or why marriage is associated with health. To understand how marriage and health are associated, this study was designed to examine the role of health beliefs. Two thousand two hundred and six (2,206) adults who participated in the New Jersey Family Health Survey provided information about their marital status, proactive health beliefs, and proactive health behaviors. Results indicated that being married (vs. single) was positively associated with men's proactive health beliefs, whereas marriage did not appear to influence women's proactive health beliefs positively. Significant relations between participants' reports of proactive health beliefs and proactive health behaviors were found. Findings are discussed in terms of the importance of understanding the complex nature of associations between social relationships and health.     

视觉空间指令条件下SOAs变化对数字-空间联结编码的影响:来自ERP的证据

采用数字奇偶判断任务,以数字1-9(5除外)及汉字标签(左、右)作为实验材料,在视觉空间任务指令下探讨系统改变SOAs对数字-空间联结编码方式的影响。行为结果发现,SNARC效应以视觉空间编码方式为主,SOA为0ms并未出现SNARC效应; ERP结果发现,物理一致性在早期成分N1上的主效应显著。表明任务指导语影响SNARC效应的编码方式,其本质受词语信息标签加工程度的影响,且对SNARC效应的编码出现早期感觉阶段,SOAs与目标数字的特性影响SNARC效应的产生。     

Initial goals,goal trajectories,and changes in perceived resolvability during serial arguments

This study examined how dyadic patterns of goal importance during a serial argument interaction predict changes in perceptions of argument resolvability over the course of a specific episode. Seventy romantic couples engaged in a 7‐min discussion of a current serial argument and used a video‐assisted recall method to report their goals at each minute. Although arguers' initial goals did not predict changes in perceptions of resolvability, increases in a partner's endorsement of partner‐identity goals predicted increases in individuals' own perceptions of resolvability. Conversely, increases in a partner's endorsement of self‐identity goals predicted declines in individuals' perceived resolvability. Results suggest that trajectories of identity‐focused goals during serial argument episodes may shape the progress of argument perceptions toward or away from resolvability.     

网络交往中的人际信任

网络人际信任是人际信任在网络交往中的延伸.网络人际信任表现出脆弱性、认知性的特点,其产生与发展是一个动态的持续过程.网络环境因素、网络使用行为、个体因素和社会文化因素影响网络人际信任水平;此外,网络人际信任对个体网络自我表露、知识共享、行为决策以及团队合作等网络行为起促进作用.在此基础上指出现有研究的不足,并提出未来应基于网络人际信任的特点开展深入研究,明晰网络人际信任的影响因素及其发展过程.