Weighting of contingency information in causal judgement: Evidence of hypothesis dependence and use of a positive-test strategy

Contingency is an important cue to causation. Research shows that people unequally weight the cells of a 2 × 2 contingency table as follows: cause-present/effect-present (A) > cause-present/effect-absent (B) > cause-absent/effect-present (C) > cause-absent/effect-absent (D). Although some models of causal judgement can accommodate that fact, most of them assume that the weighting of information is invariant as a function of whether one is assessing a hypothesized generative versus preventive relationship. An experiment was conducted that tested the hypothesis-independence assumption against the predictions of a novel weighted-positive-test-strategy account, which predicts hypothesis dependence in cell weighting. Supporting that account, judgements of hypothesized generative causes showed the standard A > B > C > D inequality, but judgements of hypothesized preventive causes showed the predicted B > A > D > C inequality. The findings reveal that cell weighting in causal judgement is both unequal and hypothesis dependent.     

Using mnemonic images and explicit sound contrasting to help Japanese children learn English alphabet sounds

Although mnemonics have been shown to be effective in remembering letter-sound associations, the use of foreign words as cues for English phonemes had not been investigated. Learning phonemes in Japan is challenging because the Japanese language is based on a different sound unit called mora (mostly consonant-vowel combinations). This study investigated the effectiveness of using mnemonic images utilizing Japanese words as cues for the phonemes, and explicit sound contrasting of phonemic sounds with morae they could be confused with, in facilitating children's acquisition of knowledge about alphabet letter-sound correspondence. The participants were 140 6th-grade Japanese students who were taught phoneme-consonant correspondence, with or without the use of mnemonics or explicit sound contrasting. Analysis of the students’ pre- and post-instruction assessments revealed significant interaction effects between types of instruction provided and instruction phase, indicating better performance in letter-sound association as a consequence of the inclusion of both mnemonics and explicit sound contrasting.     

高中生目标定向、学习策略、归因与成绩的关系

该文采用问卷调查的方法,对270名高中生的目标定向、学习策略、归因的特点及其与成绩的关系进行了研究。结果表明：1）男生的掌握定向倾向强于女生,且在学习中更多地采用认知和元认知策略,而女生则具有更明显的能力和内部归因。2）归因与目标定向、学习策略间呈现出较为复杂的相关关系。3）复述策略和努力归因能够负向预测成绩,调节和努力管理策略可以正向预测成绩,而目标定向通过归因和学习策略间接影响成绩。     

类比推理的眼动研究:揭示个体类比推理策略发展的有效手段

近年来,研究者利用眼动技术具有高时间精度的优势,探明不同年龄群体完成类比推理过程的眼动模式特点并得出其在进行类比推理时所使用的策略。基于类比推理的眼动研究发现了三种典型的类比推理策略——项目优先策略、结构匹配策略和语义限制策略。成人更多表现为项目优先策略,儿童更多表现为语义限制策略。未来研究可以优化类比推理眼动指标,尤其是全局扫视路径的计算方法,并重点关注特殊群体的类比推理眼动模式以及关注类比推理策略与其他认知能力的交互作用。     

初一学生英语单词记忆策略的训练研究

在初一学生英语单词学习中引入关键词和概念归类策略训练,探讨了记忆策略的训练效果和自我效能对英语单词记忆的影响。结果发现：两种策略训练都能显著提高初一学生英语单词扇一效果相近;关键词策略训练可显著提高低自我效能被试的自我效能感;记忆自我效能对英语单词记忆行为有显著影响,高自我效能被试在训练后英语单词记忆成绩更好。     

小学三～五年级儿童类比问题解决及策略运用发展

以270名小学三~五年级儿童为被试,采用问题解决类比任务范式,探讨了小学儿童类比问题解决及策略运用的发展趋势.结果发现:(1)在儿童类比问题解决质量的发展方面,不同年级儿童差异显著,四年级儿童成绩最好;而儿童类比问题解决速度则随着年级增高而加快;(2)儿童类比策略发展更符合混合模型;随着年级发展,儿童初级、中级和高级类比策略运用逐渐增加,而非类比策略运用渐少;儿童类比策略发展的“飞跃”发生在四到五年级之间;儿童策略运用的发展呈现出多样性、竞争性、适应性的特点.     

Predicting Romantic Interest at Zero Acquaintance: Evidence of Sex Differences in Trait Perception but Not in Predictors of Interest

We evaluated five competing hypotheses about what predicts romantic interest. Through a half‐block quasi‐experimental design, a large sample of young adults (i.e. responders; n = 335) viewed videos of opposite‐sex persons (i.e. targets) talking about themselves, and responders rated the targets' traits and their romantic interest in the target. We tested whether similarity, dissimilarity or overall trait levels on mate value, physical attractiveness, life history strategy and the Big Five personality factors predicted romantic interest at zero acquaintance and whether sex acted as a moderator. We tested the responders' individual perception of the targets' traits, in addition to the targets' own self‐reported trait levels and a consensus rating of the targets made by the responders. We used polynomial regression with response surface analysis within multilevel modelling to test support for each of the hypotheses. Results suggest a large sex difference in trait perception; when women rated men, they agreed in their perception more often than when men rated women. However, as a predictor of romantic interest, there were no sex differences. Only the responders' perception of the targets' physical attractiveness predicted romantic interest; specifically, responders' who rated the targets' physical attractiveness as higher than themselves reported more romantic interest. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Personality Psychology     

“位置法”记忆训练对改善儿童至老年时期的认知功能研究

本工作采用“位置法”对118例被试(包括儿童、少年、青年、中年和老年五个年龄组)进行记忆训练研究,分析不同年龄人记忆的发展变化和认知训练对改善记忆的作用,进而探讨发展的认知功能储备能量的年龄差异。结果表明:1.老年和儿童组各项成绩明显低于青、少年组;2.认知干预措施可在一定程度上改善老年人的记忆,再次证明老年智力和记忆有一定的可塑性。但在发展的储备能量和对图形的迁移效应中也存在与记忆相似的年龄差异。     

儿童计算的元认知监测及其对策略选择的影响

为了考察儿童在计算中的元认知监测及其对策略选择的影响,选用两种实验材料,对五种元认知监测判断的特点及监测判断对策略选择的影响进行考察,发现:儿童的元认知监测判断等级值总体上具有较高的一致性,元认知监测判断大多与策略选择高度相关,具有较好的预测力,但受材料、指导语等因素影响,又呈现出复杂的关系。本研究从一个侧面证实了元认知监控的基本假说和元认知监测判断的状态说。     

算术应用题表征策略的眼动研究

采用EyelinkⅡ眼动记录仪,以21名大学生为被试,探讨了大学生解决三步比较应用题的表征策略。实验设计为2(正确率:高、低)×2(题型:一致、不一致)×2(无关信息:插入、未插入)的三因素混合实验。结果表明:(1)大学生被试解三步式比较应用题存在直译策略和问题模型策略;(2)解题正确率高者解难度较大的应用题时倾向于对应用题情境进行加工,即采用问题模型策略,正确率低者未表现出这一倾向,往往采用直译策略。