Analysis of the elements of attention: A neuropsychological approach

A model for conceptualizing the components or elements of attention is presented. The model substitutes for the diffuse and global concept of attention a group of four processes and links them to a putative system of cerebral structures. Data in support of the model are presented; they are derived from neuropsychological test scores obtained from two samples, the first consisting of 203 adult neuropsychiatric patients and normal control subjects, and the second, an epidemiologically-based sample of 435 elementary school children. Principal components analyses of test scores from these two populations yielded similar results: a set of independent elements of attention that are assayed by different tests. This work presents a heuristic for clinical research in which the measurement of attention is essential.     

Perception of autonomic reactions and actual heart rate in phobic patients

The relationship between perceived physiological arousal and actual heart-rate reactions was studied in two behavioral test situations. The subjects were 70 phobic patients (34 social phobics and 36 claustrophobics) who were given the general form of the Autonomic Perception Questionnaire about 1 month before the respective behavioral test and the specific form immediately after the test. The results showed significant correlations between APQ and actual heart rate for the social phobics, while the picture was more complicated for the claustrophobics. The implications of these results are discussed.This research was supported by Grant 05452 from the Swedish Medical Research Council.     

The effects of primary reward on the I.Q. performance of grade-school children as a function of initial I.Q. level

The effect of candy reward on I.Q. scores was investigated in 72 first- and second-grade children. All subjects were administered Form A of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and, based upon these scores, were divided into three blocks: low, middle, and high. From each block, subjects were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (contingent reward, noncontingent reward, or no reward) that were in effect during administration of Form B. Results showed that candy given contingent upon each correct response increased I.Q. scores for the initially low scoring subjects, but had no influence on the scores of middle and high scoring subjects.     

福至心灵：幸运感知对消费行为的影响及其理论解释

寻求幸运的行为从古至今广泛存在于人类生活的方方面面,幸运感知如何影响消费行为的理论成果为消费研究领域做出了重要贡献。通过系统回顾相关文献发现,个体的幸运感知会对冒险行为、独特性寻求、传染效应、特定事物的态度和幸运消费产生影响。归因理论、人格特质理论、认知启动理论、反事实思维、社会比较理论、控制感理论和启发式决策可以用于解释幸运感知对消费行为的影响。未来研究应深化幸运感知影响消费行为的作用机制并拓展边界条件及其双向结果。     

主动性人格与工作绩效：个体-组织匹配的调节作用

本研究的目的：考察主动性人格在中国企业内对工作绩效的预测性及个体-组织匹配在其中的调节作用。方法：研究以三家中国本土企业的253名员工为被试,使用修订过的主动性人格量表。结果：（1）除了大五人格和社会赞许性之外,主动性人格还可以解释工作绩效8．5％的方差变异;（2）整体分析时只有团队导向因素显著,单独分析时高新独资企业中注重细节因素、团队导向因素和结果导向因素有显著的调节作用;民营企业中尊重员工因素有显著的调节作用;国有企业中革新性因素和团队导向因素有显著的调节作用。结论：主动性人格可以有效地预测工作绩效,个体-组织匹配则根据不同的企业组织,不同的因素在主动性人格和工作绩效的关系中起调节作用。关于本研究的贡献与不足以及未来的研究方向都有所讨论。     

基层党政领导干部的人格特点与行为类型

本研究旨在系统研究基层党政领导干部的人格特点及其与行为风格的关系。采用中国人人格量表对1237名基层党政领导干部和419名对照组被试的人格特点所作比较表明,党政领导干部比对照组更外向、更善良、行事更严谨和自我克制、对人更热情,而且更注重成功和成就,但同时也更加爽直、更优柔寡断,对工作的坚定、认真程度也低于对照组,而且党政领导干部中女性化人数的比例远远高于对照组。党政领导干部的行为风格与人格特点之间也存在显著的相关。文中还对这一结果的含义及进一步研究的方向进行了讨论。     

Toward a More Credible Understanding of Post-Traumatic Growth

Traditional research on post-traumatic growth has utilized methodologically flawed cross-sectional designs that involve retrospective assessments of post-traumatic growth. This has resulted in a majority of research in this field suffering from a lack of credibility and reliability. In this special issue, we present nine articles that seek to make innovative conceptual and methodological contributions with the goal of promoting better research practices on post-traumatic growth. In the introduction to this special issue, we provide an overview of these contributions, and discuss the implications of these articles both to improving future scholarship and to encouraging personality scientists to examine this important phenomenon in the years and decades to come.     

Do voices carry valid information about a speaker’s personality?

Research on links between peoples’ personality traits and their voices has primarily focused on other peoples’ personality judgments about a target person based on a target person’s vocal characteristics, particularly voice pitch. However, it remains unclear whether individual differences in voices are linked to actual individual differences in personality traits, and thus whether vocal characteristics are indeed valid cues to personality. Here, we investigate how the personality traits of the Five Factor Model of Personality, sociosexuality, and dominance are related to measured fundamental frequency (voice pitch) and formant frequencies (formant position). For this purpose, we conducted a secondary data analysis of a large sample (2217 participants) from eleven different, independent datasets with a Bayesian approach. Results suggest substantial negative relationships between voice pitch and self-reported sociosexuality, dominance and extraversion in men and women. Thus, personality might at least partly be expressed in people’s voice pitch. Evidence for an association between formant frequencies and self-reported personality traits is not compelling but remains uncertain. We discuss potential underlying biological mechanisms of our effects and suggest a number of implications for future research.     

Personality pathology severity,cluster type and specific therapeutic interventions in outpatient psychotherapy

We explored the relationship between severity of personality pathology, cluster type and therapeutic interventions (psychodynamic–interpersonal [PI] and cognitive–behavioural [CB]) in 76 outpatients across two early sessions (3rd and 9th) of psychodynamic psychotherapy, while accounting for patients' baseline global symptom severity. Pretreatment personality pathology severity was assessed using the Personality Disorder Index (PDI), where DSM‐IV Axis II PD was assigned a value of 2, subclinical traits and features were assigned a 1 and absence of Axis II psychopathology was assigned a 0. Interrater reliability of personality pathology severity was excellent (ICC [1, 1]: 0.85). Interrater agreement for Cluster A (κ = 0.75), Cluster B (κ = 0.92) and Cluster C (κ = 0.70) was high. Interventions were coded with Comparative Psychotherapy Process Scale (CPPS) from videotapes, and reliability was excellent (CPPS‐PI = 0.86; CPPS‐CB = 0.78). Stepwise linear regressions indicated that therapists' focus on mood shift/topic avoidance (B = 0.29, p = .009) and future events (B = ?0.26, p = .020) predicted Axis II severity. Overall use of PI techniques and Cluster A personality disorder (CLA) were positively correlated (r = .312, p = .006). Stepwise binomial logistic regressions indicated that therapists' focus on uncomfortable feelings (B = 1.915, p = .008) and explaining rationale behind approach (B = 1.276, p =. 038) predicted CLA. All results remained significant when controlling for patients' baseline general symptomatology (Brief Symptom Inventory‐Global Severity Index [BSI‐GSI]), except for the relation between explaining rationale and CLA. Discussion highlights how using psychodynamic treatment model, therapists' focus on patient's in‐session affect expression and explaining rationale behind approach are highly relevant when working with CLA patients.