Adaptation, evolution, and religion

Neo-Darwinian theories of religion include both nonadaptationist and adaptationist versions. Nonadaptationist versions contend that the mental architecture of the brain is wired for religious thinking but that religious concepts have piggybacked on other cognitive adaptations, especially those for agency detection. Religious concepts are not evolved biological adaptations but rather by-products of more general cognitive structures that are adaptations. Adaptationist versions concentrate on the benefits provided by religion, such as increased social cohesion and the individual benefits that stem from it, such as better physical and mental health and greater longevity. After clarifying the meaning of the terms “adaptation” and “adaptationism,” this article presents four lines of evidence in favor of the adaptationist position: (1) in the ancestral environment the role of the shaman was nearly universal and was primarily devoted to the crucial human goals of curing illness and protecting and finding vital resources; (2) religion generally has positive effects on both physical and mental health; (3) religions tend to be pro-natalist and more religious people tend to leave more offspring than less religious or nonreligious people; (4) the major world religions that evolved in the first millennium BCE during a period of major social chaos and disruption emphasized an omnipotent, transcendent God of love and mercy who offered salvation in a heavenly afterlife and released individuals from earthly suffering. None of these facts demonstrate conclusively that cognitive modules specifically oriented to supernatural agents evolved by natural selection, but they are highly suggestive and make a good inferential case.     

Long‐term immigrant adaptation: Eight‐year follow‐up study among immigrants from Russia and Estonia living in Finland

This study was a longitudinal investigation of the three different dimensions of long‐term immigrant adaptation (i.e., psychological, sociocultural, and socioeconomic adaptation) and the relationships between them in an 8‐year follow‐up with panel data. The 282 respondents were immigrants in Finland, born between 1961 and 1976, coming from the former Soviet Union. The results suggest that the adaptation of these immigrants has developed favourably. In 8 years, the respondents had improved their Finnish language skills and their position in the labour market. No differences were observed in their levels of psychological well‐being between the two assessments. Of the three adaptation dimensions assessed, sociocultural adaptation, measured as proficiency in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing Finnish, turned out to be the most significant predictor of the two other long‐term outcomes of immigrant adaptation (i.e., socioeconomic and psychological). In particular, the better the initial command of the Finnish language, the better were their socioeconomic and psychological adaptation outcomes after 8 years of residence. These results demonstrate the importance of parallel and longitudinal assessments of the different outcomes of immigrant adaptation in order to address which particular dimensions of adaptation are most critical in the beginning of acculturation in terms of determining positive development and long‐term immigrant adaptation.     

Personal values and relational models

In this study, the comprehensive value research by Schwartz (e.g. 1992) was linked to Fiske's relational models theory (RMT, e.g. Fiske, 1991). A sample of 297 people answered the personal values questionnaire (PVQ), the modes of relationship questionnaire (MORQ) and the relationship profile scale (RPS) in a web‐based online survey. As hypothesized, the set of 10 values correlated in a systematic manner—according to the circular structure of personal value systems—with both trait‐like construal of and motivational investment in the relational models communal sharing (CS), authority ranking (AR) and market pricing (MP). Further research concerning a person–environment value congruency approach to predict well‐being is suggested combining the two research traditions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

创伤性截肢的适应证与手术原则探讨

截肢是肢体严重损伤时的一个重要治疗方法,在决定截肢与肢体挽救时受到多方面因素的影响,但在相当程度取决于原发损伤的严重性。目前还没有一个明确的截肢适应证标准,需要一个客观的对肢体估价的方法以明确是否行截肢术,损毁肢体严重程度评分MESS（mangled extremity security score）有较大的临床指导意义。截肢虽是一种破坏性手术,也是一种重建与修复手术,同样遵守矫形外科手术的基本原则。当肢体损伤必须截肢时,要认真周密地设计、仔细地组织处理,在满足治疗的前提下,合理保存肢体长度,最大限度地保留患肢功能,获得较为理想的残肢,以使装配的假肢发挥最佳的功能。严格创伤截肢的标准,掌握截肢的手术原则,了解假肢的安装要求,与患者及家属的积极沟通,进行必要的会诊,是截肢手术医生必须要做到的。     

青少年父母、同伴依恋与社会适应性的关系

对519个初、高中生施测青少年父母同伴依恋量表(IPPA)、自尊(SES)、中学生社会适应性量表,以探讨青少年父母、同伴依恋的现状,以及它们和自尊、社会适应之间的关系.结果表明:(1)青少年总体依恋质量较高.同伴的依恋质量高于父母依恋质量.(2)青少年的父母依恋在性别上没有差异;女生的同伴依恋得分显著高于男生.父母依恋的发展呈先降后升的趋势,初一年级最高,初三年级最低;同伴依恋呈先升后降再升趋势,但未见显著差异.(3)父亲依恋对青少年的心理弹性预测力最强,母亲依恋对心理优势感预测力最强,同伴依恋对人际适应性预测力最强.这种影响通过自尊的部分中介作用而实现.     

亲子沟通的三层次模型:理论、工具及在小学生中的应用

目前的亲子沟通研究存在测量工具缺乏理论依据、测量层次和内容混乱等问题.本研究在系统论思想的指导下提出亲子沟通的三层次模型,从元素、关系和系统三个层面考察亲子沟通状况,并以此模型为基础编制了相应测量工具.经过文献梳理、理论建构、工具编制等环节,逐步完善了模型和相应测量工具.以371名小学五、六年级儿童为被试,检验了亲子沟通量表的可靠性和有效性,并考察亲子沟通基本状况.结果表明,(1)亲子沟通量表的信、效度指标达到了心理测量学要求,能够用于相关实证研究中;(2)被试家庭中,父母的沟通能力优于儿童,母子沟通质量优于父子沟通,母亲的沟通地位比父亲高;(3)父母的倾听能力能有效预测亲子沟通质量,提高父子沟通质量是让父子和母子两种沟通更协调的主要途径.     

繁衍线索对风险信息加工的影响

进化理论认为风险行为与求偶有关。研究通过比较求偶信息(异性照片或描述异性的词语)、养育后代(孕妇照片)及奖赏信息(金牌照片等)试图进一步探讨繁衍线索对两性知觉和判断风险信息的影响。研究1中, 被试描述理想约会对象后求偶动机得到激发, 相对于描述晴朗天气的控制组, 求偶动机让两性更慢地从高风险信息(如滑雪、冲浪等)转移注意力, 且两性对风险信息的注意转移与社群性向无关。研究2显示, 相对于养育后代和奖赏信息, 求偶信息更为迅速地促使男性对高风险信息做出判断, 但求偶信息让女性比男性更慢地对高风险信息做出判断。研究结果进一步证实了自然选择理论及性选择理论对两性加工风险信息的认知机制具有预测作用。     

注视方向的知觉对注视追随行为的影响

他人的注视线索可诱导观察者将注意自动地转移到该线索所指示的方向上去(注视追随), 但仍不清楚注视方向的知觉在注视追随中起到何种作用。本研究结合注视适应和注视线索提示范式发现：知觉到的注视线索角度越大, 其线索提示效应越强; 知觉适应后被试判断注视方向的准确性下降, 注视线索引起的注意转移量显著减少。可见, 对注视方向的知觉能直接影响注视追随行为, 而注视方向抽取受到刺激显著性(注视角度)和知觉适应等因素的调节。这提示：在意识状态下, 注视知觉与注视追随存在直接联系, 即可能存在从注视知觉系统到注意转移系统的皮层加工通路; 注视追随并非纯粹的反射式加工, 它受自上而下知觉经验的调节。     

Translation and Standardization of the Sex-Role Egalitarianism Scale (SRES-B) on a German Sample

This study presents a German-language version of the sex-role egalitarianism scale (SRES-B) L. A. King, & D. W. King, 1993]. The SRES measures a person’s attitude toward egalitarianism between women and men. It has been normed on different populations, but there was no German version of the scale. The purpose of the present study was to translate and assess the psychometric properties of the SRES-B on a German population (n=379). As expected, sex, age, and educational level affected the scores of individuals on the scale. The results of factor analyses of the domain scores and correlations of subscales demonstrate a unidimensionality of the construct. The quality of the psychometric properties of items and scale was satisfactory. Implications and future directions for research are discussed.The research was conducted as part of the author’s master thesis, while at the University of Osnabrueck, Germany.     

A Brief Scale for Measuring “Behavioral Inhibition to the Unfamiliar” in Children

The behavioral inhibition scale (BIS) is a brief rating scale for measuring behavioral inhibition in children. The present study examined the test–retest stability of the BIS in a sample of 7–12-year-olds consisting of inhibited and non-inhibited children (N = 83). Results demonstrated that the BIS scores were fairly stable over a 2-year period, with a test–retest correlation of .77. Further, the BIS scores of inhibited children significantly increased over the 2-year period, whereas those of the non-inhibited comparison group significantly decreased. Finally, the BIS was in a theoretically meaningful way associated with temperamental traits as measured by the Rothbart scales. Altogether, these results provide support for the reliability and validity of the BIS.