Application of the Within- and Between-Series Estimators to Non-normal Multiple-Baseline Data: Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Approaches

In single-case research, multiple-baseline (MB) design provides the opportunity to estimate the treatment effect based on not only within-series comparisons of treatment phase to baseline phase observations, but also time-specific between-series comparisons of observations from those that have started treatment to those that are still in the baseline. For analyzing MB studies, two types of linear mixed modeling methods have been proposed: the within- and between-series models. In principle, those models were developed based on normality assumptions, however, normality may not always be found in practical settings. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the robustness of the within- and between-series models when data were non-normal. A Monte Carlo study was conducted with four statistical approaches. The approaches were defined by the crossing of two analytic decisions: (a) whether to use a within- or between-series estimate of effect and (b) whether to use restricted maximum likelihood or Markov chain Monte Carlo estimations. The results showed the treatment effect estimates of the four approaches had minimal bias, that within-series estimates were more precise than between-series estimates, and that confidence interval coverage was frequently acceptable, but varied across conditions and methods of estimation. Applications and implications were discussed based on the findings.     

Indistinguishability tests in the actor–partner interdependence model

When considering dyadic data, one of the questions is whether the roles of the two dyad members can be considered equal. This question may be answered empirically using indistinguishability tests in the actor–partner interdependence model. In this paper several issues related to such indistinguishability tests are discussed: the difference between maximum likelihood and restricted maximum likelihood based tests for equality in variance parameters; the choice between the structural equation modelling and multilevel modelling framework; and the use of sequential testing rather than one global test for a set of indistinguishability tests. Based on simulation studies, we provide guidelines for best practice. All different types of tests are illustrated with cross-sectional and longitudinal data, and corroborated with corresponding R code.     

A Note on Prototypes,Convexity and Fuzzy Sets

The work on prototypes in ontologies pioneered by Rosch [10] and elaborated by Lakoff [8] and Freund [3] is related to vagueness in the sense that the more remote an instance is from a prototype the fewer people agree that it is an example of that prototype. An intuitive example is the prototypical “mother”, and it is observed that more specific instances like ”single mother”, “adoptive mother”, “surrogate mother”, etc., are less and less likely to be classified as “mothers” by experimental subjects. From a different direction Gärdenfors [4] provided a persuasive account of natural predicates to resolve paradoxes of induction like Goodman’s “Grue” predicate [5]. Gärdenfors proposed that “quality dimensions” arising from human cognition and perception impose topologies on concepts such that the ones that appear “natural” to us are convex in these topologies. We show that these two cognitive principles — prototypes and predicate convexity — are equivalent to unimodal (convex) fuzzy characteristic functions for sets. Then we examine the case when the fuzzy set characteristic function is not convex, in particular when it is multi-modal. We argue that this is an indication that the fuzzy concept should really be regarded as a super concept in which the decomposed components are subconcepts in an ontological taxonomy.     

A rational analysis of rule-based concept learning

This article proposes a new model of human concept learning that provides a rational analysis of learning feature-based concepts. This model is built upon Bayesian inference for a grammatically structured hypothesis space—a concept language of logical rules. This article compares the model predictions to human generalization judgments in several well-known category learning experiments, and finds good agreement for both average and individual participant generalizations. This article further investigates judgments for a broad set of 7-feature concepts—a more natural setting in several ways—and again finds that the model explains human performance.     

白血病诱导分化治疗中的生态自然观

诱导分化是一种治疗白血病的新方法,它通过促使分化不完全的肿瘤细胞分化成熟,使恶性转为良性.临床应用全反式维甲酸(ATRA)和三氧化二砷(As2O3)诱导急性早幼粒细胞性白血病取得了较高的完全缓解率,毒副作用也较低.诱导分化治疗策略突破了将杀灭肿瘤细胞作为治疗肿瘤的惟一方法的思维局限,谋求在与白血病细胞的和谐中获得人类的健康,是生态自然观应用于医疗实践的成功范例.     

Toward an implicit measure of emotions: ratings of abstract images reveal distinct emotional states

Although implicit tests of positive and negative affect exist, implicit measures of distinct emotional states are scarce. Three experiments examined whether a novel implicit emotion-assessment task, the rating of emotion expressed in abstract images, would reveal distinct emotional states. In Experiment 1, participants exposed to a sadness-inducing story inferred more sadness, and less happiness, in abstract images. In Experiment 2, an anger-provoking interaction increased anger ratings. In Experiment 3, compared to neutral images, spider images increased fear ratings in spider-fearful participants but not in controls. In each experiment, the implicit task indicated elevated levels of the target emotion and did not indicate elevated levels of non-target negative emotions; the task thus differentiated among emotional states of the same valence. Correlations also supported the convergent and discriminant validity of the implicit task. Supporting the possibility that heuristic processes underlie the ratings, group differences were stronger among those who responded relatively quickly.     

影响图式归纳和类比迁移的三因素实验研究

该研究探讨被试的认知风格、源问题结构的清晰度及两个源问题间内容的相似性三者对图式归纳和类比迁移的影响。实验采用2×2×2的三因素完全随机设计。结果显示:(1)源问题图式表征的质量受到被试认知风格和源问题结构的清晰度两个变量的影响;(2)类比迁移的成绩只受到源问题结构清晰度的影响;(3)结构清晰的条件下,两类被试图式表征的质量无明显差异;结构不清晰的条件下,两类被试图式表征的质量出现明显差异。     

不同情绪诱发方法有效性的比较研究

采用自我报告和生理反馈法,从强度、纯度、时间进程三方面考察图片、音乐、电影和回忆四种常用情绪诱发方法诱发出的高兴、激动、悲伤和恐惧四种不同维度的情绪的有效性。得出结论：（1）总体上,音乐诱发情绪的强度最高,图片最低;在积极情绪中,音乐诱发的强度普遍较高,图片较低;消极情绪中,回忆诱发的强度普遍较高,音乐较低。（2）音乐诱发情绪的纯度较高,图片较低。（3）效价和激活度不同,情绪的时间进程不同,高兴能持续将近1分钟,激动能持续2分30秒,悲伤能持续1分30秒,而恐惧能持续2分钟。     

Reducing stimulus overselectivity through an increased observing-response requirement

An adult with autism and a mild intellectual disability participated in a 0-s delayed matching-to-sample task. In each trial, two sample stimuli were presented together until the participant completed an observing-response requirement consisting of 1 or 10 mouse clicks in the baseline and experimental phases, respectively. One of the two sample stimuli then appeared randomly as a comparison stimulus (S+), along with two other comparison stimuli (S-). Higher levels of correct responding occurred under the larger observing-response requirement, and the proportion of errors related to one of the two sample stimuli decreased. Thus, stimulus overselectivity was reduced without requiring differential observing responses.