The effect of visual word features on the acquisition of orthographic knowledge

Research with adults has shown that the distortion of visual word features, and in particular of the multiletter features within words, hampers word recognition. In this study, "CaSe MiXiNg" was employed to examine the effect of disrupting visual word features on the acquisition of orthographic knowledge in children. During the training, 18 beginning and 27 advanced readers (in Grades 2, 4, and 5) repeatedly read a set of pseudowords in either lowercase or mixed case. During this training, case mixing appeared to impair reading speed in both reader groups. At posttest, 1 day after the training, case format was either the same as or different from that during the training. Lowercase pseudowords were recognized faster after a lowercase training than after a mixed-case training. In a second study, case was found not to affect the rapid naming of single letters. The combined results suggest that case mixing disrupted the multiletter features in pseudowords and that the disruption of these features can affect the acquisition of orthographic knowledge.     

解决人际问题的认知技能对4—5岁儿童同伴交往行为的影响的实验研究

通过对解决人际问题的认知技能（ＩＣＰＳ）低和高的幼儿同伴交往行为的比较,以及对ＩＣＰＳ低的幼儿进行训练所引起的ＩＣＰＳ变化的比较,发现ＩＣＰＳ高的幼儿同伴交往行为优于ＩＣＰＳ低的幼儿;对ＩＣＰＳ低的幼儿进行训练能改善幼儿的同伴交往行为,增加幼儿的被接受程度,降低幼儿的被拒绝程度;认知在幼儿同伴交往中起着重要作用．     

Assessment of social skills using a Thurstone Equal-Appearing Interval scale

Although Likert ratings of social skill are widely used in behavioral assessment, such ratings may have limited replicability potential and social validity. The present study compared the reliability of Likert and Thurstone Equal-Appearing Interval scales. The Thurstone-derived scale was slightly more reliable than its Likert counterpart. Moreover, the empirical and clinical potential of Thurstone scaling substantially exceeds that of Likert and other rating methods.     

Development of manipulatory skills and the deployment of attention

Two independent tasks, object manipulation and auditory-visual matching, were used to examine the relationship between developing manual action skills and attention to intermodal object properties in 3.5- and 5.5-month-olds. Although handling skills improved with age, with older infants demonstrating more varied manipulation, there were no age differences for the matching task. When grouped by handling skills, a significant interaction between skill and event type was found for the two age groups combined and for 5.5-month-olds alone. Auditory-visual matching of social events did not vary with handling skills, whereas auditory-visualmatching of object events did. Infants at higher skill levels responded similarly to social and object events, whereas less skilled infants' matching preferences were weaker for object events. These findings indicate that infants increase their attention to auditory and visual properties of objects as this information becomes useful for guiding new actions. This effect is independent of age due to considerable individual variability in the development of object handling skills.     

A functional assessment of heterosocial initiation behaviors in adults

The present investigation was designed to assess the relationship between empirically defined behavioral strategies and ratings of social effectiveness, liking, and skill. Female subjects rated audiotapes of dyadic heterosocial interactions. The dyads' verbal behavior was manipulated experimentally such that each male actor exhibited one of two strategies, other-enhancement and positive self-presentation, and each female coactor exhibited one of two responses, encourages and discourages. After each audiotaped interaction, subjects rated each male on five questions: liking, continued interaction, effectiveness, social skill, and similarity. The results indicated that subjects distinguished between effective and ineffective strategies. The data obtained from all questions indicated that subjects preferred the male who was encouraged irrespective of what strategy he used. This study analyzed relevant variables within an interactional framework allowing for a functional, rather than topographic, analysis of social behavior. From this functional perspective, topographically different heterosocial initiation strategies may be viewed as appropriate or effective based on the reactions of the other person in the interaction.     

Research on embedded counselling: An emerging topic of potential importance for the future of counselling psychology

A significant proportion of the counselling that people receive takes place within informal, situated encounters between service users and practitioners in fields such as nursing, medicine, teaching and social work. However, almost all of the research that has been carried out into the process and outcomes of counselling consists of studies of formal, contracted counselling and psychotherapy based in therapy clinics and offices. The competent and effective delivery of counselling that is embedded in a primary professional role, such as that of nurse, teacher or social worker, presents considerable challenges for practitioners. Research evidence around the process and outcomes of embedded counselling represents a valuable resource that has the potential to enhance the quality of counselling conversations enacted by practitioners in health, education, social work and other professions. An overview is provided of different types of research that has been carried out into informal and embedded counselling, and of the main themes that have emerged from these studies. Suggestions are made for the further development of this field.     

Modeling the development of vehicle lateral control skills in a cognitive architecture

The development of lateral control skills is crucial to driving safety. The current study examined a computational method using a cognitive architecture to model the learning process of vehicle lateral control. In a fixed-base driving simulator, an experiment compared the lateral control performance of non-drivers, novices, and experienced drivers. A cognitive model using Adaptive Control of Thought-Rational (ACT-R) was built to model the learning process of lateral control skills. The modeling results were compared with the human results. The drivers with more experience had better lateral control performance. The model produced similar results as the human results and modeled the progress of learning. The model provided a computational explanation for the mechanisms of lateral control skill learning. Implication and future studies were discussed.     

计算机辅助教学对英语阅读能力的影响

通过回顾与总结CAI英语阅读教学程序由普适化向具体阅读技能转化的发展历程,总结了英语阅读中最重要的能力、技能和主要应解决的问题,阐述了CAI程序对于阅读教学的有效性研究成果:发现相关的CAI程序有五大范畴。最后就教学语言、课程设计、教师对CAI程序的运用等问题进行了探讨与展望。     

改变“低挫折容忍度”的心理干预及效果评估 —— 一位奥运银牌运动员的个案研究

研究目的是描述对一名奥运选手L在奥运会前一年中进行的心理干预,以改变其“低挫折容忍度”的过程,以及评价这一理性情绪行为疗法与心理技能训练相结合的心理干预的效果。在不同的时间点采用各种评估方法对干预效果进行评估,主要的评估方法包括采用目标获得评价表进行的运动员L自我评估和教练员评估,运动员L、教练员、及搭档的“阶段性总结”评价,以及对L比赛行为的录像资料分析。通过各种评估方法所获得的结果的一致性证明了该干预方法在改变运动员的问题行为方面是有效的。通过对运动员L的问题行为的改变,提升了他在比赛中的运动表现,该运动员与其搭档在2004年雅典奥运会乒乓球男子双打项目上获得了银牌