习得性无助是习得的吗？——对习得性无助理论及其反思的评述

Seligman和Maier（1967）在动物实验的基础上提出了著名的习得性无助理论,但在2016年,Maier和Seligman二人却联合发文对该理论进行了反思：从最新的神经生物学证据来看,习得性无助的经典理论概括存在基本错误,习得性无助并非习得而来！所谓“习得性”无助,实质上是动物对厌恶刺激长期作用的先天适应性反应,而非认知学习的结果。本文简要梳理习得性无助理论的起源与发展,深入分析这一反思的核心内容、依据及意义,对其中否定习得性无助理论概括的观点,从证据的充分性、研究范式的效度、规范概念等角度作了进行进一步的探讨,并结合新的实验范式对未来研究提出建议。     

Crossover of burnout from leaders to followers: a longitudinal study

The primary purpose of this 6-month two-wave longitudinal study among 104 Chinese leader–follower dyads is to investigate whether burnout could cross over from leaders to followers, and if so, whether this crossover process could be mediated by changes of followers’ job and personal resources. As expected, the structural equation modelling results show that after controlling for follower burnout at T1, leader burnout at T1 is negatively related to changes of followers’ job and personal resources over a period of 6 months, which in turn are negatively related to follower burnout at T2. Our longitudinal study has demonstrated that resource loss plays a mediating role in the crossover of burnout from leaders to followers. The implications of these findings for the intervention of burnout in the work context are discussed.     

The effect of a simulated hearing loss on performance of an auditory memory task in driving

Hearing loss has been shown to exacerbate the effect of auditory distraction on driving performance in older drivers. This study controlled for the potentially confounding factor of age-related cognitive decrements, by applying a simulated hearing loss in young, normally hearing individuals. Participants drove a simulated road whilst completing auditory tasks under simulated hearing loss or normal hearing conditions. Measures of vehicle control, eye movements and auditory task performance were recorded. Results showed that performing the auditory tasks whilst driving resulted in more stable lateral vehicle control and a reduction in gaze dispersion around the road centre. These trends were not exacerbated by simulated hearing loss, suggesting no effect of hearing loss on vehicle control or eye movement patterns during auditory task engagement. However, a small effect of simulated hearing loss on the performance of the most complex auditory task was observed during driving, suggesting that the use of sound-based in-vehicle systems may be problematic for hearing impaired individuals. Further research incorporating a wider variety of driving scenarios and auditory tasks is required in order to confirm the findings of this study.     

Exposure,Resource Loss,and Posttsunami Trauma

This study analyzed whether survivors’ resource loss mediates the effects of exposure on posttsunami trauma. Fourteen months posttsunami, 416 survivors were interviewed from the nine worst-affected habitations of the Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu (India). Exposure was measured using a checklist; trauma and resource loss were assessed using inventories. Findings indicate that the indirect effects of tsunami exposure on trauma via resource loss were a more potent predictor than the direct effects of exposure on trauma. Resource loss was a vehicle through which the effects of exposure passed on to posttsunami trauma.     

Effects of a Self-Help Program on Depressed Mood for Women with an Unfulfilled Child Wish

This randomized controlled trial aimed to examine the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral self-help program (CBS) with minimal coaching in improving depressed mood for women with a permanent unfulfilled child wish. Participants completed pretest, posttest, and follow-up questionnaires and were randomly allocated to CBS (n = 27) or a waiting list condition (WLC, n =27). Respondents who followed the CBS improved significantly on depression scores compared to the WLC. This positive effect remained at follow-up. This study suggests that a low-resource, low-cost self-help program could be an effective intervention in reducing depressed mood in women living with the loss of a desired child.     

得失情境下的图形框架对跨期选择倾向的影响

为分离言语表述的干扰,实验采用简单选择任务,通过2(图形框架)×2(跨期选择)×2(得失情境)被试内实验设计探讨得失情境下图形框架对个体跨期选择的影响。结果发现:(1)在突出时间条件下,被试更倾向于选择小而即时的选项,而在突出金额条件下,被试选择小而即时和大而延时的概率没有差异;(2)收益情境中,个体更多地选择大而延时的选项,而在损失情境中,个体选择即时损失的概率更高。结果表明,跨期选择中个体的决策偏好会随着得失情境及决策选项描述方式的变化而变化。     

Conducting exercise trials for obese adolescents within the effectiveness setting: A response with commentary to Ejima et al. (2019)

We appreciate Ejima et al.‘s interest in and comments towards our article describing a 12-week randomized controlled trial of a coordination exercise program on cognitive function in obese adolescents that was conducted at a junior high school in Taipei City, Taiwan (Liu et al., 2018). Ejima et al. mentioned the apparent extraordinary effects of the interv ention on body mass index (BMI) both in the magnitude of the effects and distribution of the weight loss. On several points, we agree with Ejima et al. and in the spirit of transparency and reproducibility, we appreciate the opportunity to set the record straight about our study. We also genuinely appreciate Ejima et al.‘s time and efforts in reviewing our study and analyzing the data, and helping to uncover these mistakes. We hope this commentary aids in better understanding the findings from Liu et al. (2018) and in encouraging future effectiveness trials aimed at improving cognitive function, fitness, and BMI among obese adolescents.     

Self-regulation foci and mood affect healthy and unhealthy eating behaviours differently in successful weight-loss treatment participants

An increased understanding of how self-regulation and mood affects both healthy and unhealthy eating behaviours is required to improve weight-loss intervention architectures. Women with obesity (N = 54, M_BMI = 34.80 kg/m²), who obtained ≥5% weight loss over 12 months (M = −9.01 kg) within a community-based behavioural weight-loss treatment, were assessed. Improvements in exercise- and eating-focused self-regulation (over 3 and 6 months), and the consumption of fruits/vegetables and sweets (over 6 and 12 months), were each significant. Multiple regression analyses indicated that changes in (a) aggregated (exercise-focused + eating-focused) self-regulation, (b) eating-focused self-regulation alone and (c) eating self-regulation that carried over from exercise-focused self-regulation, each significantly predicted fruit/vegetable consumption changes (R² = .15–.28). Entry of overall mood did not significantly increase those models' predictive strength. Conversely, mood was the most salient predictor of change in sweets intake. There were significant inverse relationships between changes in fruits/vegetables and sweets consumption. Implications for self-regulation theory and treatment improvements were suggested.     

Framing Political Risks: Individual Differences and Loss Aversion in Personal and Political Situations

People are motivated to avoid losses. In the context of politics, studies consistently show that the threat of losses increases support for risky public policies more than the promise of gains. Here, we predict that this loss aversion is calibrated by individual differences related to one’s ability to accommodate resource loss, and we investigate how these individual differences moderate reactions to the threat of losses and the promise of gains. Results from large-N experiments consistently demonstrate that this moderation effect crucially depends on whether the resource loss relates to oneself or one’s group—whether the setting is personal or political. Consistent with classic assumptions, individuals with inferior abilities to cope with resource loss are more loss averse in personal settings. In political settings where group resources are threatened, effects reverse: Individuals with superior resources and a more central position within the group consistently respond more to the prospect of loss. As discussed, these findings have important implications for our understanding of why and for whom the threat of loss motivates risky personal and political choices. By consequence, the findings also shed novel light on the psychological underpinnings of recent risky political events.      

Differentiability of Kruskal's stress at a local minimum

It is shown that Kruskal's multidimensional scaling loss function is differentiable at a local minimum. Or, to put it differently, that in multidimensional scaling solutions using Kruskal's stress distinct points cannot coincide.