First steps toward an understanding of procedural fairness

In four experiments, we tested whether 20‐month‐old infants are sensitive to violations of procedural impartiality. Participants were shown videos in which help was provided in two different ways. A main character provided help to two other agents either impartially, by helping them at the same time, or in a biased way, by helping one agent almost immediately while the other after a longer delay. Infants looked reliably longer at the biased than at the unbiased help scenarios despite the fact that in both scenarios help was provided to each beneficiary. This suggests that human infants can attend to departures from impartiality and, in their second year, they already show an initial understanding of procedural fairness.     

Exercise as a coping strategy and its impact on the psychological well-being of Japanese community-dwelling older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study

This study aimed to examine the prevalence of exercise as a coping strategy among Japanese community-dwelling older adults and its impact on their psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2019 (baseline [BL]), 720 community-dwelling older adults living in an urban area in Japan participated in a comprehensive health survey. Of these, 618 responded to a mail survey (follow-up [FL]) in June 2020, after the first state of emergency was lifted. Their psychological well-being was assessed using the WHO-5 Well-Being Index (WHO-5). Exercise as a coping strategy during the stay-at-home period was determined at FL by asking respondents whether they had engaged in 1) walking and 2) at-home exercise and strength training to maintain their physical and mental health. Each type of exercise’s impact and the effective exercise combinations were examined. Time and group interaction effects on the WHO-5 scores were investigated using a two-way analysis of covariance. Of the final sample, 65.1% engaged in walking. The WHO-5 mean scores at BL and FL were 16.7 and 15.4 for the walking group and 16.7 and 14.5 for the non-walking group, respectively; interaction for time and group was significant. Additionally, 56.4% of the participants engaged home training. The WHO-5 mean score at BL and FL were 17.5 and 15.5 for the home training group and 15.7 and 14.5 for the no home training group, respectively; there was no significant interaction. Older adults who engaged in both walking and home training received higher score on the WHO-5 than those who engaged in only one activity at FL. The decline in psychological well-being was most attenuated in the walking only group compared to the at-home exercise and strength training groups. Exercise as a coping strategy during the stay-at-home period was associated with psychological well-being, with different impacts observed depending on the type of activity.     

Investigating How Test-Takers Change Their Strategies to Handle Difficulty in Taking a Reading Comprehension Test: Implications for Score Validation

This article investigates how test-takers change their strategies to handle increased test difficulty. An adult sample reported their test-taking strategies immediately after completing the tasks in a reading test. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling specifying a measurement-invariant, ability-moderated, latent transition analysis in Mplus (Muthén & Asparouhov, 2011). It was found that almost half of the test-takers (47%) changed their strategies when encountering increased task-difficulty. The changes were characterized by augmenting comprehending-meaning strategies with score-maximizing and test-wiseness strategies. Moreover, test-takers' ability was the driving influence that facilitated and/or buffered the changes. The test outcomes, when reviewed in light of adjusted test-taking strategies, demonstrated a form of process-based validity evidence.     

Heuristics versus direct calculation,and age-related differences in multiplication: an evidence accumulation account of plausibility decisions in arithmetic

We offer a new theoretical angle for cognitive arithmetic, which is that evidence accumulation may play a role in problem plausibility decisions. We build upon previous studies that have considered such a hypothesis, and here formally evaluate the paradigm. We develop the finding that performance differences, due to variations in strategy use and aging effects, can indeed be reasonably explained through these accumulation-to-bound cognitive models. Results suggest that these models may be effectively used to learn more about the underlying cognitive processes. In this study, we modelled young (18–24) and older (68–82) adults’ solution times in performing arithmetic verification (e.g. whether 8?×?5?=?41 is true/false). The domain-relevant factors in strategy use (problem-verification heuristics) and aging differences (older/younger adult groups) were analyzed by a response process model of the latency data, that is fit by participant and item. Lower thresholds accounted for the faster response times (RTs) for problems solved with heuristics (arithmetic rule-violation checking strategies), as opposed to problems solved by calculation approaches. A more rapid accumulation accounted for faster RTs on problems in which two arithmetic rules were violated (strategy combination) rather than one. Third, higher thresholds (i.e. preferring to have greater certainty before responding) accounted for older adults’ slower speed. These findings are in support of accumulation models being relevant for more complex cognitive tasks, as well as to account for the age-related differences therein.     

Does mediator use contribute to the spacing effect for cued recall? Critical tests of the mediator hypothesis

When study is spaced across sessions (versus massed within a single session), final performance is greater after spacing. This spacing effect may have multiple causes, and according to the mediator hypothesis, part of the effect can be explained by the use of mediator-based strategies. This hypothesis proposes that when study is spaced across sessions, rather than massed within a session, more mediators will be generated that are longer lasting and hence more mediators will be available to support criterion recall. In two experiments, participants were randomly assigned to study paired associates using either a spaced or massed schedule. They reported strategy use for each item during study trials and during the final test. Consistent with the mediator hypothesis, participants who had spaced (as compared to massed) practice reported using more mediators on the final test. This use of effective mediators also statistically accounted for some – but not all of – the spacing effect on final performance.     

Wealth inequality and activism: Perceiving injustice galvanizes social change but perceptions depend on political ideologies

What motivates people to engage in activism against wealth inequality? The simple answer is perceiving injustice. However, the current work demonstrates that these perceptions depend on political ideologies. More specifically, for political liberals who frequently question the fairness of the economic system, messages simply describing the extent of the inequality (distributive injustice) are enough to motivate activism (Study 1). For political conservatives, who are inclined to believe that inequality results from fair procedures, messages must also detail how the system of economic forces is unjust (procedural injustice; Studies 2 and 3). Together, these studies suggest perceiving injustice can galvanize social change, but for conservatives, this means more than simply outlining the extent of the inequality.     

临床研究结果发布的伦理审查辨析

《涉及人的生命科学和医学研究伦理审查办法》对于临床研究结果的发布提出了伦理审查和知情同意告知的要求。探讨临床研究的结果发布可以最大程度实现临床研究的价值,包括有利于实现临床研究的透明性,有利于增强公众的信赖,有利于落实研究参与者的知情权,并分析了研究结果发布在隐私保护、发布形式、发布时间、科研诚信和学术不端方面带来的潜在伦理问题。建议伦理委员会从隐私风险最小化、发布形式规范化、发布时间合理化三方面进行伦理审查,同时给出了加强多部门协作和跟踪审查以及参与学术不端治理的伦理审查策略建议。

     

基于项目区分度的双目标CD-CAT选题策略

针对双目标CD-CAT,将六种项目区分度（鉴别力D、一般区分度GDI、优势比OR、2PL的区分度a、属性区分度ADI、认知诊断区分度CDI）分别与IPA方法结合,得到新的选题策略。模拟研究比较了它们的表现,还考察了区分度分层在控制项目曝光的表现。结果发现：新方法都能明显提高知识状态的判准率和能力估计精度;分层选题均能很好地提高题库利用率。总体上,OR加权能显著提高测量精度;OR分层选题在保证测量精度条件下显著提高项目曝光均匀性。