Positive evidence for Eysenck’s arousal hypothesis: A combined EEG and MRI study with multiple measurement occasions

Eysenck’s arousal hypothesis suggests that introverts have greater cortical activity than extraverts. This prediction was tested in several studies that used the electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha activity to index cortical arousal, but empirical findings are inconsistent. Possibly, external factors of the measurement situation or static factors such as skull thickness may act as nuisance variables on alpha activity and thus mitigate the relation between arousal and extraversion. The aim of the present study was to test the arousal hypothesis with a focus on these methodological issues. Resting EEG was acquired on several occasions of measurement, skull thickness was quantified with anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and extraversion was assessed by questionnaire. There was a positive association between alpha activity and extraversion, which was neither affected by external factors nor by skull thickness. This finding is in line with the arousal hypothesis and suggests that external or static factors do not contribute to the inconsistency of empirical findings.     

Mapping Gray’s BIS and BAS constructs onto Factor 1 and Factor 2 of Hare’s Psychopathy Checklist – Revised

Reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST; Gray, 1987; Gray & McNaughton, 2000) has proven to be a valuable tool for understanding psychopathy (e.g., Fowles, 1980, 1988; Newman & Malterer, 2009; Poythress et al., 2008). Recent research has linked two RST constructs, the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) and the Behavioral Activation System (BAS), to individuals with primary psychopathy and secondary psychopathy (Lykken, 1995; Newman, MacCoon, Vaughn, & Sadeh, 2005): Primary psychopaths manifest low BIS reactivity and secondary psychopaths manifest high BAS reactivity. In the present study, we examine the relationships between the BIS/BAS constructs and Factors 1 and 2 of the Psychopathy Checklist – Revised (PCL-R) in a sample of 472 incarcerated male offenders. Paralleling their relationships with primary and secondary psychopathy, the BIS/BAS constructs were differentially related to the two PCL-R factors. Specifically, the influence of the BIS was found to be more prominent than the influence of the BAS for Factor 1, and the influence of the BAS was more prominent than that of the BIS for Factor 2.     

12-20岁个体前瞻记忆的发展与影响因素的研究

以334名12～20岁个体为被试,采用两因素混合设计,探讨这一年龄阶段个体前瞻记忆的发展及影响因素。结果发现,被试前瞻记忆水平随年龄增长而提高,且在14～16岁发展最快;提高基于时间的前瞻记忆负载,会使前瞻记忆成绩降低;前瞻记忆与当前任务的完成呈负相关。表明前瞻记忆是一种策略加工过程。     

三段论推理中的个体内在影响因素

推理是人们认知的根本。人们在推理过程中,受到许多因素的影响,大致可以分为内在（个体差异）因素和外在（任务）因素。该文主要针对影响三段论推理的内在因素（个体差异）进行评论,并且讨论了将来的研究方向。     

Has 60 Years of Research in Psychology Really Gone Astray?

The author presents several arguments against Toomela’s (Culture of science: Strange history of the methodological thinking in psychology. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 2007a, doi:, History of methodology in psychology: Starting point, not the goal. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 2007b, doi:) pessimistic thesis: “The last 60 years of research in psychology seems to have gone astray.” Nevertheless he admits that Toomela’s article despite the excessively categorical assessments contained in it and the undue pessimism crowing its conclusion, represents a substantial contribution to the highlighting of socio-cultural impact on various models of psychological cognition, which lurks behind the international unification of globalizing science.

The Cognitive Relation in a Formal Setting

This paper proposes a formal framework for the cognitive relation understood as an ordered pair with the cognitive subject and object of cognition as its members. The cognitive subject is represented as consisting of a language, conequence relation and a stock of accepted theories, and the object as a model of those theories. This language allows a simple formulation of the realism/anti-realism controversy. In particular, Tarski’s undefinability theorem gives a philosophical argument for realism in epistemology. Special Issue Formal Epistemology II. Edited by Branden Fitelson     

整体-局部范式下的负启动效应

在通常的负启动范式基础上 ,以小数字构成的大数字 ,即以同时具有整体特征和局部特征的复合数字为实验材料 ,采用数字命名任务 ,将刺激画面中复合数字的数目和注意指向作为变量进行实验。大学生充任被试。结果发现 ,在单个复合数字条件下对同一客体的非注意指向的特征进行忽略重复 ,注意整体时出现负启动 ,而注意局部时不出现负启动 ;在两个复合数字条件下对启动刺激中充当干扰项的复合数字进行忽略重复 ,则注意整体与注意局部都出现了负启动。该研究表明 ,在不同注意指向时 ,整体 -局部范式下的负启动效应具有知觉组织的层次性 ,并显示出客体内选择和客体间选择对负启动的不同影响。     

瑞文测验项目认知难度因素分析及LLTM拟合验证

该文在以认知和测量相结合为特征的新一代测验理论的指导下,针对项目刺激特征,对影响瑞文测验项目认知难度的因素进行了分析,提取出图块繁简度、整体布局、变化维度和题序等4个因素,然后应用线性逻辑潜在特质模型（LLTM）对这四个因素进行了拟合检验,结果证明提取出的四个因素是有效的。文章还进一步探讨了研究结果在智力测验中的应用。     

三校大学生竞争／合作策略取向的特点及影响因素

为研究大学生竞争／合作策略取向的特点及影响因素,采用”合作与竞争策略标度”量表对144名大学生进行测查,并从能力变量、期望变量及背景变量进一步研究其影响因素。结果表明大学生竞争策略均分值普遍显著高于合作策略均分值,提示学生更崇尚竞争策略;女生的竞争策略均分值明显高于男生分值,表现出策略取向的性别差异。通过相关分析和多元逐步回归分析,表明学习能力、总体能力与父母期望对学生的竞争策略取向有一定的预测性,而性别和母亲受教育程度可部分预测学生合作策略取向。     

个人目标取向、课堂目标结构及文化因素与学业求助策略的关系研究

本研究以982名初中学生为被试,采用验证性因素分析和多元回归方法对个人目标取向、课堂目标结构及文化因素与学业求助策略的关系进行研究。结果表明:(1)个人目标取向可以区分出任务取向、趋向型自我取向和逃避型自我取向,它们对学业求助的影响是不同的,只有逃避型自我取向的学生才倾向于作不利于学习的执行性求助。(2)课堂目标结构对学业求助有影响 ,在任务取向的课堂里 ,学生倾向于作工具性求助。(3)文化因素对学业求助有影响。认同中国求助格言的学生愿意作工具性求助,在意他人评价的学生倾向于回避求助或作执行性求助。(4)个人目标取向、课堂目标结构和文化因素对不同年级学生学业求助的影响模式不同。