The effect of viewing distance on empirical discriminability and the confidence–accuracy relationship for eyewitness identification

The distance from which an eyewitness views a perpetrator is a critical factor for eyewitness identification, but has received little research attention. We presented three mock-crime videos to participants, varying distance to three perpetrators (3, 10, or 20 m). Across two experiments, increased distance reduced empirical discriminability in the form of a mirror effect, such that correct identifications decreased while false identifications increased. Moreover, high confidence identifications were associated with high accuracy at 3 m (Experiment 1 and 2) and 10 m (Experiment 2), but not at 20 m. We conclude that eyewitnesses may be less likely to identify a perpetrator viewed at a distance, and also more likely to falsely identify an innocent suspect. Furthermore, there may be certain boundary conditions associated with distance and the impact it has on the confidence–accuracy relationship. More research is needed to elucidate the effect of estimator variable manipulations on the confidence–accuracy relationship.     

Metacognitive monitoring and control processes in children with autism spectrum disorder: Diminished judgement of confidence accuracy

Metacognition consists of monitoring processes (the ability to accurately represent one’s own mental states) and control processes (the ability to control one’s cognitive processes effectively). Both processes play vital roles in self-regulated learning. However, currently it is unclear whether these processes are impaired in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). This study aimed to assess metacognition in thirty-two children with ASD, and 30 IQ-/age-matched neurotypical children, using a judgment of confidence task. It was found that children with ASD showed diminished accuracy in their judgments of confidence, indicating metacognitive monitoring impairments in ASD. Children with ASD also used monitoring to influence control processes significantly less than neurotypical children, despite little evidence of impairments in overall control ability.     

测验同质性系数及其区间估计

在决定将多维测验分数合并成测验总分时, 应当考虑测验同质性。如果同质性太低, 合成总分没有什么意义。同质性高低可以用同质性系数来衡量。用来计算同质性系数的模型是近年来受到关注的双因子模型(既有全局因子又有局部因子), 测验的同质性系数定义为测验分数方差中全局因子分数方差所占的比例。本文用Delta法推导出计算同质性系数的标准误公式, 进而计算其置信区间。提供了简单的计算同质性系数及其置信区间的程序。用一个例子说明如何估计同质性系数及其置信区间, 通过模拟比较了用Delta法和用Bootstrap法计算的置信区间, 发现两者差异很小。     

参数和非参数Bootstrap方法的简单中介效应分析比较

采用数据模拟技术比较了(偏差校正和未校正的)参数和非参数Bootstrap方法在简单中介效应分析中的表现。结果表明,1)偏差校正的Bootstrap法的总体表现优于未校正的Bootstrap方法,但在某些条件下会高估第Ⅰ类错误率,导致在 时的置信区间偏差较大。2)参数Bootstrap方法优于非参数Bootstrap方法,偏差校正的参数百分位残差Bootstrap法的综合表现最优,且具有适用范围广,对原始样本依赖性小的优点,最具实用性。     

Action Phases and Goal Setting: Being Optimistic After Decision Making Without Getting into Trouble

According to Gollwitzer's mindset theory, people in postdecisional action phases, who are about to implement a chosen action or goal, are supposed to be more optimistic than people in predecisional action phases, who are deliberating on different actions or goals (P. M. Gollwitzer, 1990). The present experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that postdecisional people are optimistic in a way that does not set them up for failure and disappointment. In three experiments it is shown that people who are in an implemental mindset neither set more demanding goals than do deliberative people nor do they inflate their performance predictions. Instead, they are more confident in reaching their goals and more cautious when predicting future performance. This behavior is interpreted in terms of a strategy that allows people to hold optimistic beliefs without facing the danger of exaggerated goal setting or a disconfirmation of their beliefs.     

Ideological Orientation and Political Transition in Hong Kong: Confidence in the Future

In the two-component model of ideological orientation, a person's ideological position is jointly influenced by attitudinal and affective components. The present study adopted this conceptual model to predict confidence in the future of Hong Kong. Questionnaire responses were collected from 395 adults (56.8% men and 43.2% women) in Hong Kong in April 1995, some 2 years before its transfer from British to Chinese control. The results show that the level of confidence in Hong Kong was related to both attitudinal and affective identification with Hong Kong and China. These findings suggest that the transfer of government may have brought to the surface a collision of the divergent political cultures of Hong Kong and mainland China, resulting in two antagonistic political orientations that predicted confidence in the future of Hong Kong.     

大学生成就动机、性格特征、控制点与自信关系的研究

本研究将成就动机、性格特征及内外控倾向三因素综合起来加以考察 ,探讨它们对大学生自信人格的影响作用及影响路径 ,从而揭示出四种人格特征之间的内在关系 ,2 3 5名大学生参加了测试。结果表明 :大学生成就动机、性格特征、内外控和自信等四种人格特征之间存在不同程度的相关 ;成就动机、内外控倾向和性别等主要变量对大学生自信有显著预测作用 ;成就动机和控制点对大学生自信具有直接效应 ,控制点和性格特征对自信具有间接效应     

反馈对目击证人辨认信心的影响

探讨辨认主持人对目击证人的辨认给予不同反馈对其辨认信心的影响。213名被试参加实验。先看一段模拟罪犯逃逸时的录像,然后对11张相继呈现的人像照片做辨认和确定程度的判断。随机给予肯定、否定或没有反馈之后,被试做辨认确定程度和其他一些相关问题的判断。结果表明,辨认错误的证人在得到肯定反馈后,受到的影响较小;而得到否定反馈后,受到的影响较大。不同专业背景、不同性别的被试受到反馈的影响也有所不同。     

Two modes of confidence rating: An effect of episodic information of participant's own past responses in a repeated-question paradigm

Abstract: General knowledge questions with two answer alternatives were employed in experimental session 1; in session 2, the same questions were presented together with participants' own session-1 responses. In order to examine whether or not the episodic information of participant's own responses would suppress standard confidence-rating mode in session 2, rates of answer- and confidence-changes between sessions were analyzed. In session 2, participants were able to change the confidence value to another, if they thought the initial value inadequate. They then had a chance to change the answer to the other and rated their confidence in the new answer. The major results were as follows: (a) Between-session answer change rate was very low; (b) Between-session answer change rate was not a monotonic decreasing function of confidence; (c) However, the rate depended on confidence change from session 1 to before-answer-change rating. These results clearly contrasted with a previous study ( Saito, 1998 ) in which episodic information of participant's own session 1 answers and confidence values was not presented. It was argued that the episodic information triggered another mode of confidence rating or a decision inertia effect.