Evaluation and training of Executive Functions in genocide survivors. The case of Yazidi children

Executive Functions (EFs) development is critically affected by stress and trauma, as well as the socioeconomic context in which children grow up (Welsh, Nix, Blair, Bierman, & Nelson, 2010, Journal of Educational Psychology, 102 , 43–53). Research in this field is surprisingly lacking in relation to war contexts. This study represents a first attempt at addressing this topic by evaluating EFs in Yazidi children. The Yazidi community is an ethnic and religious minority living in Iraq. From August 2014 onwards, the Yazidi community has been the target of several atrocities perpetrated by ISIS and described as genocide by the international community at large. The University of Trieste, thanks to a program financed by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, developed a study aimed at (a) evaluating hot and cool EFs in children living in a war context and (b) developing a specific training method to enhance hot and cool EFs in Yazidi children of preschool age (N = 53). Data related to this group of children were compared with a sample of typically developing Italian children randomly assigned to either an EFs training group (N = 55) or a passive control group (N = 51). Results indicate different baselines in EFs in Yazidi and Italian samples and a significant effect of the program on both trained groups, especially in tasks measuring hot EFs. Data are discussed in terms of hot and cool EFs in children growing in adverse environments, as well as the evaluation of educational and developmental opportunities to prevent children who survived genocide from becoming a ‘lost generation’. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/7t_08TbxR_8 .     

The behavioural self-regulation strategies of Indian South African university students: An exploratory study

This study explored the race-related self-regulation strategies of eight Indian South African university students (females: n = 4) attending a historically white university. Interactive qualitative analysis of their race-related experiences revealed that the students felt that they had been judged as being different, which resulted in overwhelming unwanted emotions, primarily anger and sadness. Moreover, the students reported the use a range of self-regulation strategies (such as introspection, engaging with trusted others, managing the situation, tolerating the experience of being judged, and making friends with people from other races) in a specific sequence to enhance their social acceptance on the campus. The findings suggest that adaptive self-regulation may enhance the social outcomes of historically disadvantaged, racial minority students.     

Right-wing adherence and objective numeracy as predictors of minority group size perceptions and size threat reactions

Racial, ethnic, religious, and sexual minority populations are growing rapidly in the West. We investigate predictors and consequences of threat responses to perceived minority group size, and perceptions of minority group size itself. Study 1 (N = 274) finds that right-wing adherence predicts greater size threat, whereas lower numerical ability predicts larger perceived group size (confirmed in Studies 2–3). Study 2 (Sample 1, N = 124; Sample 2, N = 263) finds that the relation between right-wing adherence and prejudice toward minorities exhibits an indirect effect via group size threat (but not perceived size), explaining 35–66% of this relation. Study 3 (N = 310) finds a comparable indirect effect explaining 27–40% of this relation, even after statistically controlling for indirect effects of realistic, symbolic, and terroristic threat. These findings provide novel insights into psychological processes surrounding perceived minority group size, identifying size threat as especially crucial in understanding intergroup relations.     

A Community's Response to Adverse Childhood Experiences: Building a Resilient,Trauma‐Informed Community

Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, may be mitigated by trauma‐informed social environments—programs, services, systems, communities—that offer responses to trauma that promote healing, recovery, and resilience. However, there is currently little empirical evidence to support the use of specific approaches to do so. Guided by a population health perspective, this paper describes a participatory community change process in response to ACEs that seeks to build a resilient, trauma‐informed community in Pottstown, PA. We examine the initial implementation phase of this change process, centered originally on the education sector and the social and behavioral health services sector, and then eventually expanding to 14 community sectors across two years. A variety of data sources and methods are used to track individual and organizational processes, as well as service system network processes. A central feature of this research is the use of data to generate hypotheses rather than test them. Data were also used to guide understanding and decision‐making during implementation. The results show that moving forward the community is well‐positioned to establish stronger inter‐agency and system supports for trauma‐informed practice in the service system and in the broader community. We discuss results for their implications for building resilient, trauma‐informed communities.     

Should I test more babies? Solutions for transparent data peeking

Research with infants is often slow and time-consuming, so infant researchers face great pressure to use the available participants in an efficient way. One strategy that researchers sometimes use to optimize efficiency is data peeking (or “optional stopping”), that is, doing a preliminary analysis (whether a formal significance test or informal eyeballing) of collected data. Data peeking helps researchers decide whether to abandon or tweak a study, decide that a sample is complete, or decide to continue adding data points. Unfortunately, data peeking can have negative consequences such as increased rates of false positives (wrongly concluding that an effect is present when it is not). We argue that, with simple corrections, the benefits of data peeking can be harnessed to use participants more efficiently. We review two corrections that can be transparently reported: one can be applied at the beginning of a study to lay out a plan for data peeking, and a second can be applied after data collection has already started. These corrections are easy to implement in the current framework of infancy research. The use of these corrections, together with transparent reporting, can increase the replicability of infant research.     

Fisher与Neyman–Pearson的分歧与心理统计中的假设检验争议

假设检验思想的提出者Fisher与Neyman–Pearson在统计模型的方法论基础、两类错误的性质、显著性水平的理解、以及假设检验的功能等方面存在诸多分歧, 使得心理统计中最常用的原假设显著性检验模式呈现出隐含的各种矛盾, 从而引发了应用上的争议。心理统计不仅需要检讨现有检验模型的模糊之处和提出其他补充性的统计推论方式,更应注重反思心理统计的教育传统, 以建立更加开放和多元的统计应用视野, 使心理统计为更好地心理学研究服务。     

城市人口健康的性别差异及影响因素的实证分析

使用CHNS数据,在健康的社会分层模式下探讨城市人口健康的性别公平问题。研究认为,中国城市人口健康存在显著的性别不平等现象,男性健康水平要好于女性,而这种健康的性别差异主要是由于不同性别在社会经济地位上的差异造成的,女性处于明显的弱势地位。     

变通的题组项目功能差异检验方法在篇章阅读测验中的应用

篇章形式的阅读测验在语文学科考试与语言能力测试中占有越来越重要的地位。篇章阅读测验是一种典型的题组测验, 因此需要采用能够处理题组效应的统计方法进行分析。在进行项目功能差异(DIF)检验时, 也需要采用与之匹配的DIF检验方法。目前能够处理题组效应的DIF检验方法主要包括变通的题组DIF检验方法和基于题组反应模型的DIF检验方法, 基于题组反应模型的DIF检验方法由于实现过程繁琐, 目前只停留在理论探讨阶段。本研究将变通的题组DIF检验方法及其效应值指标引入篇章阅读测验的DIF检验中, 能够解决篇章阅读测验中DIF检验与测量的问题, 效应值指标能够为如何处理有DIF效应的题组项目提供重要依据。本研究首先选用非题组DIF检验方法与变通的题组DIF检验方法对一份试卷进行DIF检验, 两种方法的比较结果体现了进行题组DIF检验的必要性与优越性, 然后选用变通的题组DIF检验方法中有代表性的四种方法对某阅读成就测验进行题组DIF检验。研究结果表明, 在篇章阅读测验中, 能够处理题组效应的DIF检验方法较传统的DIF检验方法具有较大的优越性。     

心算活动中混合策略选择的ERP研究

考察问题大小、距离、奇偶及答案正误对心算策略选择的影响。采用先答案后算式的呈现方式, 记录了15名被试的64导ERP。研究发现, 在小问题中, 错误答案与正确答案相比, 诱发了算术不一致N400, 距离和奇偶因素影响其波峰及潜伏期。在大问题中, 距离和奇偶因素影响晚期正波, 近距离奇偶一致情境诱发了波幅较小的晚期正慢波。表明在混合情境, 距离比奇偶信息优先得到加工; 在小问题心算中距离和奇偶信息影响答案提取, 而在大问题心算中, 对于依靠距离信息较难直接判断的小距离问题, 在进一步的加工中会借助奇偶信息判断是否采用精确计算策略。     

心理学常用效应量的选用与分析

效应量在量化方面弥补了零假设检验的不足。除了报告检验结果外, 许多期刊还要求在研究报告中包括效应量。效应量可以分为三大类别：差异类、相关类和组重叠类, 它们在不同的研究设计(如单因素和多因素被试间、被试内和混合实验设计)或在不同的数据条件下(如小样本、方差异质等)可能有不同的计算方法和用法, 但许多效应量可以相互转换。我们梳理出一个表格有助应用工作者根据研究目的和研究类型选用合适的效应量。