To Weight or Not to Weight? Balancing Influence of Initial Items in Adaptive Testing

It has been widely reported that in computerized adaptive testing some examinees may get much lower scores than they would normally if an alternative paper-and-pencil version were given. The main purpose of this investigation is to quantitatively reveal the cause for the underestimation phenomenon. The logistic models, including the 1PL, 2PL, and 3PL models, are used to demonstrate our assertions. Our analytical derivation shows that, under the maximum information item selection strategy, if an examinee failed a few items at the beginning of the test, easy but more discriminating items are likely to be administered. Such items are ineffective to move the estimate close to the true θ, unless the test is sufficiently long or a variable-length test is used. Our results also indicate that a certain weighting mechanism is necessary to make the algorithm rely less on the items administered at the beginning of the test. This research was partially supported by the NSF Grants SES0241020 and SES0613025. The authors thank the Editor, Associate Editor and two anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions. Send further information to Hua-Hua Chang, Department of Psychology, 603 E. Daniel Street, M/C 716, Champaign, IL 61820.     

社会网络视角下的同伴关系与心理健康

近年来, 从社会网络视角考察同伴关系与心理健康的相互作用正成为发展心理学和健康心理学研究的热点。研究者多借助整体网和纵向数据, 通过两种作用机制, 即选择过程(selection process) (强调心理和行为变量对社会网络和同伴关系的影响, 如关系的形成、维持和解除)和影响过程(influence process) (强调社会网络和同伴关系对心理和行为变量的影响), 来分析同伴关系与心理健康协同演进的动态过程。实证研究关注的领域集中在青少年健康风险行为(如吸烟、喝酒、药物滥用)和情绪问题(如抑郁、焦虑、孤独感)。未来研究应该注重拓展社会网络的类型和样本、加强理论建构、增加对积极心理和消极关系的研究, 并有望在互联网领域及社会网络的生物学基础等方面取得进展。     

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。     

基于自我相似面孔的亲缘选择与配偶选择行为

根据广义适合度理论, 自我相似面孔与亲缘选择和配偶选择行为密切相关。自我相似面孔可以促进个体的亲缘利他行为, 影响配偶选择行为。来自“夫妻相”、“性印刻”的描述性研究数据支持自我相似面孔与配偶选择偏好之间的相关关系。来自实验研究的数据, 结论尚不统一。有些证实自我相似面孔可以引发配偶选择偏好, 有些却不支持这一结论。最近的研究从内隐及外显认知上分离择偶过程中对自我相似面孔的偏好：认为偏好是内隐的, 一旦上升到意识层面便会消失。另有研究从性选择策略上对自我相似面孔偏好的原因进行解读。对自我相似面孔偏好的神经机制的研究也有一些新的发现。未来研究可借助fMRI等工具从认知过程及神经机制上对自我相似面孔偏好的现象作进一步探讨。     

Pluralism and Ambivalence in the Evolution of Morality

Much good work has been done on the evolution of human morality by focusing on how “selfish genes” can give rise to altruistic human beings. A richer research program is needed, however, to take into account the ambivalence of naturally evolved biopsychological motivators and the historical pluralism of human morality in religious systems. Such a program is described here. A first step is to distinguish the ultimate cause of natural selection from proximate causes that are the results of natural selection. Next, some proximate causes are suggested as possible conditions of biological and emotional valuing as well as of customary social morality and individual rational ethical thought. Finally, different moral perspectives of Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity are briefly presented in order to illustrate how one might inquire about the selection of a variety of biopsychological and cultural proximate causes that enable the evolution of a plurality of religious moral systems.     

Managers' Reactions to Utility Analysis and Perceptions of What Influences Their Decisions

Recent research on providing utility analysis (UA) information has shown small positive effects on acceptance of selection tests by human resource decision-makers (Carson, Becker, & Henderson, Journal of Applied Psychology, 83 84–96 (1998). In the present study, 218 managers provided reactions to UA information. Not only do our findings replicate the positive effects of UA, we found managers also responded favorably to UA information when asked independently of the decision making process. Specifically, when asked to rank order information in terms of what they perceived to be most influential in helping them make their final decisions, those who received UA information ranked it among the highest.     

New multinomial models for the Chechile-Meyer task

This paper provides a critique of the Chechile and Meyer (J. Math. Psychol. 13 (1976) 269) multinomial processing tree (MPT) models that were generated for the measurement of storage and retrieval components of the correct recall rate. These models were developed for a specific test procedure that involved the random mixing of recall and recognition trials. A key problem with the Chechile and Meyer (J. Math. Psychol. 13 (1976) 269) models is the validity of an assumption made for foil recognition test trials. Three new MPT models for obtaining separate storage and retrieval measures are provided. These new models circumvent the difficulties of the Chechile and Meyer (J. Math. Psychol. 13 (1976) 269) models. Both maximum likelihood estimates (MLE) and population-parameter mapping (PPM) estimates (discussed in Chechile (J. Math. Psychol. 42 (1998) 432)) are provided for the model parameters. Monte Carlo studies were conducted to compare the relative accuracy of the MLE and PPM storage estimates. Both methods have the same average error rate for samples that are very large in size; however, for all the more practical sample sizes, the PPM estimates were more accurate. Statistical methods for model selection were also developed and tested. Finally, the new models were used to reanalyze some existing data. The new analyses provide strong validation evidence for the new models.     

大学生友伴选择标准及其友伴关系

从湖南两所大学选取297名大学生为被试,采用定性研究的方法探讨大学生友伴选择的影响因素,并制定友伴选择标准调查问卷,然后再从湖南一所大学选取1166名大学生为被试,采用定量研究的方法对大学生友伴选择标准及其友伴数量、友伴关系质量之间的关系进行调查。结果发现:大学生在友伴选择标准方面可以归为完美型、适度型和低要求型3种类型;不同类型在性别、年级、专业上的分布存在显著差异;适度型大学生的友伴数量显著多于完美型;完美型、适度型大学生在与友伴的帮助与支持、与友伴的冲突方面显著多于低要求型,完美型在与友伴的冲突强度上也显著大于低要求型。     

What Is and Can Be Attributed to the Therapeutic Relationship?

This paper reviews findings from two studies that support the contentions of the Generic Model of Psychotherapy that therapeutic outcome must be viewed as arising from a complex interaction of common and specific factors. Patient, therapy, and relationship factors are shown to selectively add to the variance predicted in psychotherapy outcome studies. Moreover, an inspection of procedures that are common to two different therapies, and those that are unique to these approaches reveal that both contribute to outcome and do so in ways that suggest the presence of both synergistic and inhibiting effects.     

Effects of Guided Notes on University Students' Responding and Recall of Information

The present study assessed the effects of guided notes on student responding and accuracy of recall of lecture material in an undergraduate psychology class using multi-element design. Guided notes were administered for approximately half of the class sessions on a random schedule. Data were collected on the frequency of student responses and daily quizzes were administered to assess accuracy of recall of information presented in the lecture. Results indicated higher mean quiz scores and response frequencies during the guided notes condition. Social validity questionnaires administered to participants revealed satisfaction with results and procedures.