Contextual override of pragmatic anomalies: evidence from eye movements

Readers typically experience processing difficulty when they encounter a word that is anomalous within the local context, such as 'The mouse picked up the dynamite...'. The research reported here demonstrates that by placing a sentence in a fictional scenario that is already well known to the reader (e.g., a Tom and Jerry cartoon, as a context for the example sentence above), the difficulty usually associated with these pragmatic anomalies can be immediately eliminated, as reflected in participants' eye movement behaviour. This finding suggests that readers can rapidly integrate information from their common ground, specifically, their cultural knowledge, whilst interpreting incoming text, and provides further evidence that incoming words are immediately integrated within the global discourse.     

Categorical priming of famous person recognition: a hitherto overlooked methodological factor can resolve a long-standing debate

The Burton, Bruce and Johnston [Burton, A. M., Bruce, V., & Johnston, R. A. (1990). Understanding face recognition with an interactive activation model. British Journal of Psychology, 81, 361-380] model of person recognition proposes that representations of known persons are connected by shared semantic attributes. This predicts that priming should be observed between persons from the same category, e.g. famous persons with the same occupation. Empirical investigations to date have produced mixed results, and comparison of methods suggests that priming based on shared occupation may have been suppressed by the presence of prime-target pairs representing a stronger relationship of close association. In the present experiment, 72 participants performed a familiarity decision to famous names preceded by close associates or members of the same occupational category. As predicted, categorical priming was observed in the group of participants for whom the same occupation prime-target pairs were presented before the close-associate pairs, but not in the group for whom the two types of relationship were intermixed. Associate priming was significant in both groups. These results are attributed to differing levels of processing of the primes, invoked by participants' observation of the most salient prime-target relationship.     

Effects of message framing and temporal context on college student drinking behavior

This study evaluated the interactive effects of message framing and temporal context on college student alcohol use. Participants (n = 228) were randomly assigned to read an alcohol prevention message that varied by message frame (gains vs. losses) and temporal context (short- vs. long-term consequences). Participants returned to the lab one month later to report their drinking behavior over the past month. As predicted, students exposed to the gain-framed message reported lower alcohol use (drank less frequently, drank fewer alcoholic beverages per drinking occasion, and engaged in less binge drinking) as compared to students exposed to the loss-framed message, but only if they read about short-term consequences of alcohol use. Message frame had no effect when participants were exposed to long-term consequences. This investigation extends previous research by demonstrating the effectiveness of message framing for reducing health-damaging behaviors and by identifying temporal context as a moderator of framing effects.     

MUSLIM PERSPECTIVES ON STEM CELL RESEARCH AND CLONING

In Islam, the acquisition of knowledge is a form of worship. But human achievement must be exercised in conformity with God's will. Warnings against feelings of superiority often are coupled with the command to remain within the confines of God's laws and limits. Because of the fear of arrogance and disregard of the balance created by God, any new knowledge or discovery must be applied with careful consideration to maintaining balance in the creation. Knowledge must be applied to ascertain equity and justice for all of humanity. Research in Islam must be linked to the broad ethical base set forth in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Whether embryonic stem cell research or cloning is ethically acceptable in Islam depends on the benefits derived from such applications. What is most important for the scholars is to adhere to the concepts of compassion, mercy, and benefit to everyone.     

Cohort Differences in Personal Goals and Life Satisfaction in Young Adulthood: Evidence for Historical Shifts in Developmental Tasks

This study investigated the influence of changing socio-historical conditions on personal goals in young adulthood. It was hypothesized that socio-historical changes related to individualization have resulted in shifts in goal pursuit. Participants from three birth cohorts reconstructed their important goals when they were 20 years old. Members of the oldest cohort were born between 1920 and 1925. Members of the middle cohort were born between 1945 and 1950. Members of the youngest cohort were born between 1970 and 1975. Goal content, the degree to which goals were perceived as being shared by members of the same cohort (social sharedness), perceived control over goal attainment, success in attainment, and life satisfaction at age 25 were measured in a retrospective study. Results show consistent shifts over time. Whereas members of older cohorts mentioned goals related to classical developmental tasks, members of younger cohorts mentioned more individualistic, self-related goals and goals related to education. The processes through which goal pursuit influenced life satisfaction also changed. Perceived social sharedness of goals was a direct predictor of life satisfaction for the oldest cohort. For the younger cohorts, perceived control over goal attainment influenced success which in turn influenced life satisfaction. These changes support the contention that developmental tasks and processes are historically variant.     

关于“职业医闹”现象的法律思考

医疗纠纷中患方放弃法律途径而选择雇请“职业医闹”的非法律途径维权的现象日益普遍,严重扰乱了医疗秩序,进一步激化了医患矛盾。鉴于此,拟通过从法律层面上深入分析“职业医闹”产生的根本原因,积极寻求根治“职业医闹”的法律对策,以让患方维权回归法律途径。     

民族冲突的社会心理机制

民族冲突是影响社会和谐与稳定的重大现实问题, 其社会心理机制是尚未解决的重要科学问题。本项目拟以我国西部地区藏族为例, 纳入社会威胁情境因素, 并整合社会认同理论和社会类别的心理本质论框架下的群际冲突研究。其基本理论命题是：民族冲突形成并不是单一因素所致, 而是基于个体层面、群体层面和社会情境层面的多水平变量相互作用的结果。本项目拟通过既相对独立又彼此关联的三个实证研究, 旨在考察少数民族关于“民族”的心理本质论对民族冲突的预测和影响作用, 探索民族身份延伸和社会威胁情境在其中的影响作用, 从而揭示民族冲突形成的社会心理机制, 旨在为构建民族冲突的预警机制模型奠定基础, 为跨越民族界限、实现多民族和谐共处和完善民族政策提供科学依据。     

什么决定着用户对产品的完整体验?

用户体验是以用户与产品的交互为基础而形成的用户对产品的完整感受。研究其决定因素可以有针对性地提高用户体验。早期研究表明, 可用性、美感和情感都有重要影响但皆不是唯一的决定因素, 近年来的研究重点关注于多因素整合理论及其模型的建立。在总结实效/享乐结构理论、用户-企业-产品双层结构理论和四种过程模型以提取用户体验影响因素的基础上, 提出目前研究的突破点可在三方面, 一是深入探讨各因素的作用, 二是揭示社会型产品用户体验的形成规律, 三是揭示用户体验随时间变化的规律。     

加强我国农民工职业病防治工作的思考

我国现有两亿多农民工,且遭受不同程度的职业病危害,以致近年新发现的职业病人几乎是农民工,但他们却没享受法律规定的平等待遇,为此中央领导多次批示,要求制定有利于《职业病防治法》贯彻落实和职业病防治工作的制本之策。结合广西开展农民工职业病防治工作的实践,指出其6个方面的主要原因和防治对策。     

当前医患纠纷解决模式的法律与道德评价

我国医患纠纷的最终解决是通过传统的民事诉讼途径,然而,这种模式并不符合医疗案件本身的特点。从法律和道德的角度而言,我们必须对医疗诉讼的制度设计重新进行反思,并在此基础上进行变革。