Reward value effects on timing in the peak procedure

Three experiments examined the effect of motivational variables on timing in the peak procedure. In Experiment 1, rats received a 60-s peak procedure that was coupled with long-term, between-phase changes in reinforcer magnitude. Increases in reinforcer magnitude produced a leftward shift in the peak that persisted for 20 sessions of training. In a final phase, the rats received lithium chloride-induced aversion prior to testing and a rightward shift in the peak was observed. Experiment 2 confirmed the rightward shift in the peak under lithium chloride devaluation and induced a comparable shift with satiety devaluation. The degree of rightward shift was neither additive nor multiplicative, suggesting that two processes may have contributed. Experiment 3 examined the effect of extinction on peak responding, revealing a decrease in response rate, but no evidence of any change in the timing of responding. The implications of the results for contemporary timing theories are discussed.     

句子产生中的句法启动

句子产生中的句法启动是指个体产生一个句子时,倾向于重复使用刚刚加工过的句法结构。研究发现：（1）句法启动不能简单用词汇、题元或韵律等因素来解释;（2）启动句和目标句动词、题元角色数目以及顺序是否一致,影响句法启动;（3）层级结构和线性结构具有心理现实性;（4）存在说和写之间以及从理解到产生的跨通道句法启动。这些发现促使研究者提出了新的句子产生理论,如句法启动模型和动词句法表征模型。论文最后指出了进一步研究的方向     

决策中损益值大小效应的发生条件及机制再探 —— 一种齐当别视角及兼对视角本身的一些探讨

通过两个研究,损益值大小效应在1元~1亿元的广阔范围内,以及在只采用选择反应模式的条件下得到了进一步探讨,其机制也在齐当别模型的全新视角下得到了讨论;此外,齐当别模型本身以及模型的经典判断任务也得到了探讨。结果发现：基于选择反应模式时,损益值大小效应在获得情景中稳定存在,并只存在一个风险倾向的拐点,而它在损失情景中则不存在;损益值大小效应的机制能够被齐当别模型很好的解释;齐当别模型的经典判断任务对模型预测效能的检验力不足,但其与新设计的维度内判断任务联合后却有很大改善;齐当别模型对损失情景中的均含0结果值的决策任务的解释力还有待进一步探讨     

Some effects of response-correlated increases in reinforcer magnitude on human behavior

After training under short or long fixed-interval schedules, humans responded under a modified fixed-interval schedule in which magnitude of reinforcement (X or 2X) was minimally correlated with response frequency. Response frequencies that equaled or exceeded a minimum response criterion were followed by the larger reinforcer at the end of the interval; otherwise, the smaller reinforcer was delivered. The modified schedule alternated with the baseline schedule across conditions. In a control condition, the reinforcer magnitudes produced by control subjects were yoked to those of experimental subjects. Experimental subjects, but not control subjects, showed increased responding. In addition to the baseline and modified fixed-interval schedules used in Experiment 1, subjects in Experiment 2 also responded under a second modified fixed-interval contingency in which increases in reinforcer magnitude were more highly correlated with response frequency. Experimental subjects, but not control subjects, showed increased responding under both procedures. Direct comparison of these two procedures showed that the high-correlation procedure produced greater increases in responding than did the low-correlation procedure.     

数学学习不良儿童视觉-空间表征与数学问题解决

采用临床访谈的方法,考察了30名数学学习不良(MD)儿童和31名一般儿童的数学问题解决、视觉-空间表征策略和空间视觉化能力。结果发现：图式表征能促进数学问题的解决,图像表征则起妨碍作用;空间视觉化能力与解题正确率及图式表征策略有显著正相关,与图像表征策略有显著负相关。MD儿童的解题正确率以及使用图式表征策略的程度显著低于一般儿童,使用图像表征策略的程度则显著高于一般儿童。在解题正确率和图式表征策略这两个变量上,MD儿童和一般儿童的年级发展趋势相同,都随年级的升高而提高。但在图像表征策略的使用上,一般儿童有随年级的升高而下降的趋势,MD儿童却没有下降的趋势。两类儿童的空间视觉化能力都随年级的升高而提高。     

4~8年级学生分数数量表征的准确性及形式

在分数学习中,分数数量表征是非常重要的方面。本研究利用数字线估计任务对四到八年级学生分数数量表征的情况进行探索。研究结果表明：随着年级升高,被试分数数量表征的准确性也随之提高;被试对单位分数和非单位分数表征的准确性存在显著差异,表现为对单位分数表征的准确性显著高于对非单位分数的表征,这种差异在低年级显著,随着年级的增长,差异逐渐消失;四到八年级学生在0~3数字线上,对分数数量的表征表现为线性形式而非对数形式,且这种线性表征形式是在六年级开始出现并随着年龄增长逐渐发展起来的。中西方儿童在分数数量表征的准确性和形式上有相似的发展路径,但是在表征准确性上中国儿童更高、线性形式出现年级上中国儿童可能更早。     

Asthma-specific cognitions,self-focused attention,and fear of negative evaluation in adolescents and young adults diagnosed with childhood-onset asthma

The present study examined the impact of asthma-specific thought intrusion (TI) and thought suppression (TS) on two cognitive-affective variables (self-focused attention and fear of negative evaluation) among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) diagnosed with childhood-onset asthma. Participants were 290 AYAs who completed assessment questionnaires and participated in a written exercise electronically. Asthma-TI and TS were reported by participants following participation in a writing assignment. Asthma-TI was associated with increased private, public, and social anxiety self-focused attention, and greater fear of negative evaluation. Interestingly, asthma-TS was not associated with these same outcome variables. Findings suggest illness-specific cognitions are associated with cognitive-affective variables and it may be important to assess for illness-specific intrusive thoughts following asthma-focused medical appointments. Additionally, findings suggest the importance of assessing asthma-TI and TS separately in order to better understand thoughts about health and psychological functioning.     

Police responses to diversity: A social representational study of rural British policing in a changing representational context

In the first decade of the 21st century, British policing faced two new challenges in how it responded to social diversity: As well as instituting reforms in response to a highly publicized report describing the British police as ‘institutionally racist’ (Macpherson, 1999 ), they faced challenges associated with rapid increases in numbers of immigrants into the UK. Studying social representations at such times of change allows access into processes, themes and value systems that may otherwise remain hidden. This paper uses social representations theory to explore interview accounts provided by regular police officers of interactions with members of minority groups. Empirically, we focus on an area of diversity policing that has received relatively little previous attention: Police work in a rural context that has recently played host to large numbers of migrant workers. Our analysis shows that interviews operate as a site of resistance in which respondents attempt to rework hegemonic representations of the police as prejudiced and to re‐present themselves and their work as able to respond appropriately to diversity. Fairness as a defining characteristic of good police practice is a central representational theme that links identity construction processes to police work with minority groups. Recent immigrant groups are represented as both needing and deserving help to assimilate into British culture: Their lack of acculturation and language difficulties provide additional challenges to police work and to how this is judged as ‘fair’. We discuss the broader origins and implications of police officers' understandings of fairness and the use of social representations theory to study representational fields within organizational settings. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.