Do Chinese and English speakers think about time differently? Failure of replicating Boroditsky (2001)

English uses the horizontal spatial metaphors to express time (e.g., the good days ahead of us). Chinese also uses the vertical metaphors (e.g., 'the month above' to mean last month). Do Chinese speakers, then, think about time in a different way than English speakers? Boroditsky [Boroditsky, L. (2001). Does language shape thought? Mandarin and English speakers' conceptions of time. Cognitive Psychology, 43(1), 1-22] claimed that they do, and went on to conclude that 'language is a powerful tool in shaping habitual thought about abstract domains' (such as time). By estimating the frequency of usage, we found that Chinese speakers actually use the horizontal spatial metaphors more often than the vertical metaphors. This offered no logical ground for Boroditsky's claim. We were also unable to replicate her experiments in four different attempts. We conclude that Chinese speakers do not think about time in a different way than English speakers just because Chinese also uses the vertical spatial metaphors to express time.     

The evidence rejects the expertise hypothesis: reply to Gauthier & Bukach

In Robbins, R. & McKone, E. (2006). No face-like processing for object-of-expertise in three behavioural tasks. Cognition this issue, we showed face-like holistic/configural processing does not occur for objects-of-expertise on standard paradigms including inversion, part-whole, part-in-configurally-transformed-whole, and the standard composite task. In this reply to the discussion by Gauthier, I., & Bukach, C. (2006). Should we reject the expertise hypothesis? Cognition, this issue, we focus on several issues: the fact that they do not dispute our review of previous data; the strength of null effects obtained from multiple studies and paradigms; the evidence for domain-specificity of the neural substrate supporting face processing; the difference between the expertise hypothesis (as a theory about the origin of face processing) and studies of how experience affects object processing in general; and the problems with G&B's proposed alteration to the standard composite paradigm. We argue that overwhelming evidence suggests the expertise hypothesis should be put to rest so that researchers can focus on what the origin of "special" processing for faces actually is, and investigate the many interesting changes to object recognition that do occur with experience.     

当代西方语篇阅读信息加工过程理论的分歧与整合

当代西方语篇阅读研究过程中产生了多种理论与模式,它们试图对读者阅读过程的信息加工过程做出解释。文章从发展的角度介绍了建构主义理论、最低限度假设理论和记忆基础的文本加工观的历程、基本假设和实证研究,从中可以看出各种理论派别的分歧与整合的趋势。     

中国人人格结构的确认与形容词评定结果

中西方的人格结构既存在相似性,又有明显的差异性。该研究根据杨国枢和王登峰探讨中国人人格结构的“大七”模型时所用的中文人格特质形容词表,经过化简,由410个形容词压缩为273个;并扩大了被试量,由原来的733人（项目与人数比为1:1.8）扩大为1511人（项目与人数比为1:5.5）。采用相同的评定方法、评定程序和统计方法,得到了完全相同的人格结构。采用另外的样本进行的验证性因素分析也确认了中国人人格的七因素结构。由此揭示了中国人的人格结构及其与西方理论的差异,为系统研究中国人的人格特点和编制测量量表奠定了扎实的基础。文中还比较了大学生被试和社会人士在各个因素上的分数差异。     

人格结构的中西方差异与中国人的人格特点

该文旨在通过对中西方人格结构的比较和分析揭示文化与人格结构的关系,并探寻中国人人格结构的文化意义。根据词汇学假设进行的中西方人格结构的研究结果表明,人格结构的形成是建立在对行为归类的基础之上的,中西方人格结构的差异最直接的原因就在于中西方对行为归类的差别。中国文化比较强调整体性、联系性以及评价性是造成中国人与西方人行为归类差异的原因,而更深层次的原因则是中西方文化中对人性看法的差异。中国人人格量表有着比较理想的预测效度,而且与西方大五人格量表相比更高的预测效度,这些均表明中国人人格结构的合理性。文中还提出了进一步研究的展望     

催产素对不安全依恋者人际适应性的影响

催产素被誉为“爱的荷尔蒙”, 与依恋有着密切关系。以往研究已证明不同来源的催产素对不安全依恋者的人际适应性会产生不同的影响, 主要表现为内源性催产素水平越低, 不安全依恋者的人际适应性越差; 外源性催产素增强了依恋回避个体的人际适应性, 但降低了高依恋焦虑个体的人际适应性; A、G等位基因与不安全依恋者的人际适应性有关。此外还借助依恋理论和社会显著假说解释了上述影响, 不安全依恋者的防御性排斥、环境因素和个体差异调节了催产素的效应。未来应比较催产素受体基因与不安全依恋者人际适应性关系的差异, 催产素影响不安全依恋者人际适应性的性别差异问题, 并在人际互动过程中研究催产素对不安全依恋者人际适应性的影响, 以增强催产素研究的生态效度。     

地面参照框架形成的连续表面整合加工假说

地面参照框架是空间知觉的重要基础, 连续表面整合加工(SSIP)假说首次对其形成过程做出了推测, 将这一科学问题的研究向纵深推进, 开辟了一个新的研究领域。SSIP假说的核心观点及其相关证据包括地面的表征原理、整合条件和表征结果三个方面, 得到了大量研究的支持。未来研究需结合基于过程检验的技术手段, 直接探查地面参照框架的形成机制, 关注高级认知过程的作用, 并可考虑其在国防上的应用。     

The generality of belief in unsubstantiated claims

We tested the hypothesis that people show generality in their endorsement of unsubstantiated claims, employing more types of measures than used in previous studies. We found that measures of generic conspiracist ideation, specific fictitious conspiracy theory, and false conspiracy theory beliefs were all strongly and positively intercorrelated. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the measures of specific false and fictitious conspiracy theories both significantly predicted generic conspiracist ideation. A second broader test of the generality hypothesis showed that these measures of false and fictitious conspiracy belief were positively intercorrelated with measures of psychological misconceptions, pseudoscience, poorly supported psychological practices, and paranormal beliefs. However, the measures of misconceptions and pseudoscience displayed substantially lower correlations. The results provide support for the generality of acceptance of a wider variety of unsubstantiated claims than used in previous studies and also suggest differences in the types endorsed based on the kind of knowledge and content measured.     

习得的语言范畴对注意前颜色范畴知觉的影响:一项ERP研究

该研究探讨了语言范畴对注意前颜色知觉的影响依赖于语言范畴与颜色长期联结还是其即时分类颜色,同时检验了习得的语言范畴是否能因果性地改变早期颜色知觉机能。采用G1、G2、B1、B2（前两者为绿色,后两者为蓝色）4种连续变化的颜色为材料。学习组和分类组被试分别接受6次和1次色词与颜色重组训练,学习4种颜色不同的新名称,并在之后均接受视觉Oddball脑电测试。训练结果显示：学习组稳定地习得了4种颜色的新名称,分类组能以新名称将颜色分为4类。测试结果显示：学习组的颜色知觉中出现了与习得语言范畴对应的偏侧化注意前颜色范畴知觉,分类组的颜色知觉中未出现与颜色分类对应的偏侧化注意前颜色范畴知觉。研究结果表明：语言范畴对注意前颜色知觉的影响依赖于语言范畴与颜色长期联结而非其即时分类颜色;习得的语言范畴能引起偏侧化注意前颜色范畴知觉,提示习得的语言范畴能因果性地改变早期颜色知觉机能。     

The anatomy of an insult: Popular derogatory terms connote important individual differences in Agreeableness/Antagonism

In the current series of studies, we investigate the psychosocial connotations of common insults. In Studies 1 and 2, we investigated the most frequently used insults to denigrate men and women (asshole, dick, bitch), and generated trait profiles that can be considered prototypical of each insult. In Studies 3 and 4, we examined how these insults are relevant to other key indicators of interpersonal functioning, including aggression, social information processing, personality disorders, and substance use. We also gathered thin-slice and informant reports. Each of the insults was associated with trait Antagonism, as well as other behaviors that comprise Antagonism’s nomological network (e.g., bullying, psychopathy, etc.). Results are discussed in terms of the importance of everyday language to psychological research.