A comparison of token and tandem schedules of reinforcement on response patterns for adolescents with autism

Token schedules of reinforcement are ubiquitous in clinical settings, yet little research has thoroughly evaluated the effects of token schedules on responding in clinical settings. Basic research has shown token schedules of reinforcement produce lower response rates and larger pre‐ratio pauses compared to tandem schedules. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether the same effects are produced with adolescents with autism or related disorders. We examined response patterns under otherwise identical FR token and FR tandem schedules. Tokens suppressed responding for one participant only under high schedule values and for a second participant under common clinical schedule values; no difference in responding occurred between token and tandem schedules for two participants. These results support the systematic evaluation of token schedules of reinforcement in clinical settings. Additional applied research is needed on token schedules to further our understanding of the underlying mechanisms that contribute to the overall effectiveness of token economies.     

Brains,brawn, and beauty: The complementary roles of intelligence and physical aggression in attracting sexual partners

The current study compared physical aggression to factors affecting socioeconomic status in the accumulation of sex partners over the life course. Our data sample was drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (men, n = 5,636; women, n = 6,787). Participants were examined in terms of the number of lifetime sex partners they reported, nonrelationship partners, cheating or infidelity, and concurrent relationships. Intelligence and physical violence emerged as being especially likely to boost sex partner accumulation for the number of lifetime sex partners and nonrelationship partners in men. Intelligence also interacted positively with men's violence in cross‐sectional models but not longitudinally. Women's violence was not significant regardless of the outcome or model specification. Intelligence showed less consistent effects for women's mating indicators compared to men. Analyses controlled for well‐known correlates of aggression and sexual behavior and factors associated with beauty, including interviewer reports of survey participants' physical attractiveness and maturity, as well as self‐reported attractiveness, maturity, and health. Findings are consistent with evolutionary ideas regarding costly signaling as an effective mating strategy among men.     

不同性别比和童年经济状况对未婚男性性态度的影响

基于进化心理学的生命史理论,通过两个实验探讨性别比和童年经济状况同男性性态度间的关系。实验1和实验2分别采用图片和文字材料启动被试的性别比感知,结果发现感知性别比和童年经济状况对未婚男性的"随意性行为"态度表现出显著的交互效应：童年家庭经济状况差的未婚男性在感知到周围女性数量相对充裕的情境下,其性开放态度会较感知到周围男性数量充裕时明显上升;童年家庭富裕的男性的性开放态度在不同感知性别比下保持相对稳定。     

信任水平存在性别差异吗?

信任水平是否存在性别差异, 学界观点莫衷一是。一派研究者持信任水平性别差异观, 其中风险偏好理论被用于佐证男性信任水平更高的观点, 女性在亲社会领域的优势则为女性具备更高信任水平提供支持; 另有一派研究者以性别相似性假设为依据, 持信任水平无性别差异观。两派观点及其理论基础虽得到一定程度支持, 但还有待从研究范式、东西方文化差异等角度阐明其合理性。未来研究可在合理运用信任测量方法的基础上, 澄清信任动态变化过程中的性别特征, 深化两性信任差异的神经生理机制研究, 从而更好地揭示信任水平的性别差异问题。     

大小数量加工机制分离现象的ERP研究

大量行为研究表明,个体对4以上非符号数量的加工存在加工机制分离现象,但是相关的神经机制研究还很少。本研究选取21名大学生被试,结合ERP技术和数量判断任务,以数量比率效应为指标,比较4以上不同大小数量加工的神经反应模式。结果显示,大小数量加工条件下数量比率效应对P2p成分幅值的调节模式存在显著差异。这支持了小数量加工基于数量属性,大数量加工基于非数量属性的观点。     

Heightened male aggression toward sexualized women following romantic rejection: The mediating role of sex goal activation

Research from a variety of disciplines suggests a positive relationship between Western cultural sexualization and women's likelihood of suffering harm. In the current experiment, 157 young men were romantically rejected by a sexualized or non‐sexualized woman then given the opportunity to blast the woman with loud bursts of white noise. We tested whether the activation of sexual goals in men would mediate the relationship between sexualization and aggressive behavior after romantic rejection. We also tested whether behaving aggressively toward a woman after romantic rejection would increase men's feelings of sexual dominance. Results showed that interacting with a sexualized woman increased men's sex goals. Heightened sex goal activation, in turn, predicted increased aggression after romantic rejection. This result remained significant despite controlling for the effects of trait aggressiveness and negative affect. The findings suggest that heightened sex goal activation may lead men to perpetrate aggression against sexualized women who reject them.

     

面孔性别辨认中返回抑制效应的性别差异

采用线索-靶子实验范式, 要求被试完成面孔性别辨认任务, 从注意定向方面探讨面孔性别靶刺激返回抑制效应的性别差异。结果显示有效线索位置上面孔性别靶刺激的反应时均显著长于无效线索位置上的面孔性别靶刺激的反应时, 即表现出明显的返回抑制效应。进一步分析显示, 男性被试对同性和异性面孔靶刺激的返回抑制量无显著差异, 表明男性对面孔刺激的返回抑制不受面孔性别的影响; 而卵泡期女性对异性面孔靶刺激的返回抑制量显著小于黄体期女性, 表明女性对面孔靶刺激的返回抑制量与面孔性别和生理周期的交互作用有关。这些结果再一次为返回抑制的盲目机制提供了部分实验证据, 同时我们推测面孔性别对返回抑制的影响可能依赖于观察者对性信息的敏感性。     

Social judgment of aggressive language: Effects of target and sender sex on the evaluation of slurs

We investigated the influence of the sex of the target and the sex of the sender on the judgment of slurs (verbal derogation). From previous research, we selected and clustered slurs into seven categories and respondents rated their degree of perceived insult in two consecutive questionnaire surveys (N = 281 and N = 224, respectively). Results confirm that slurs are generally judged as being more insulting when directed towards females than towards males. In comparison, differences in sex of sender were small. When directed towards females, slurs referring to “being loose” were rated as the most insulting. For both target sexes, remarks referring to homosexuality and physical unattractiveness were among those rated as the most insulting. Least insulting were slurs referring to unethical acts, lack of intelligence and cowardliness. A sex of respondent effect was found, suggesting that women rated slurs generally more insulting than men. The pattern of results showed considerable stability across surveys attesting for the reliability of the method for measuring the social evaluation of slurs.     

Parents Think Their Sons Are Brighter Than Their Daughters: Sex Differences in Parental Self-Estimations and Estimations of Their Children's Multiple Intelligences

In this study, 156 participants, predominantly White British adults (M age = 44.3 years) rated themselves on overall IQ and on H. Gardner's (1983) 7 intelligence subtypes. Parents (n = 120) also estimated the intelligence of their children. Men's self-estimates were significantly higher than women's (110.15 vs. 104.84). Participants thought their verbal, mathematical, and spatial intelligence scores were the best indicators of their own overall intelligence. Parents estimated that their sons had significantly higher IQs than their daughters (115.21 vs. 107.49). Self-estimates and estimates of children's multiple intelligences were higher for men and sons, significantly so for logical-mathematical and spatial intelligence. Parents rated 2nd-born daughters as having significantly higher verbal and musical intelligence than their male counterparts. Higher parental IQ self-estimates corresponded with higher IQ estimates for children. Results for 1st-born children were clearest and showed the most significant differences. The findings are interpreted in terms of sociocultural and familial influences and the possibility of actual sex differences in particular abilities.     

Gender Influences on Preschool Children's Social Problem-Solving Strategies

The authors investigated gender influences on the nature and competency of preschool children's social problem-solving strategies. Preschool-age children (N = 179; 91 boys, 88 girls) responded to hypothetical social situations designed to assess their social problem-solving skills in the areas of provocation, peer group entry, and sharing or taking turns. Results indicated that, overall, girls' responses were more competent (i.e., reflective of successful functioning with peers) than those of boys, and girls' strategies were less likely to involve retaliation or verbal or physical aggression. The competency of the children's responses also varied with the gender of the target child. Findings are discussed in terms of the influence of gender-related social experiences on the types of strategies and behaviors that may be viewed as competent for boys and girls of preschool age.