Getting along or ahead: Effects of gender identity threat on communal and agentic self‐presentations

When faced with a threat to gender identity, people may try to restore their gender status by acting in a more gender‐typical manner. The present research investigated effects of gender identity threat on self‐presentations of agentic and communal traits in a Swedish and an Argentine sample (N = 242). Under threat (vs. affirmation), Swedish women deemphasized agentic traits (d [95% CI] = ?0.41 [?0.93, 0.11]), Argentine women increased their emphasis on communal traits (d = 0.44 [?0.08, 0.97]), and Argentine men increased their emphasis on agentic traits (d = 0.49 [?0.03, 1.01]). However, Swedish men did not appear to be affected by the threat regarding agentic (d = 0.04 [?0.47, 0.55]) or communal traits (d = 0.23 [?0.29, 0.74]). The findings are to be considered tentative. Implications for identity threat research are discussed.     

Optimisation of phase ratio in the triple jump using computer simulation

The triple jump is an athletic event comprising three phases in which the optimal proportion of each phase to the total distance jumped, termed the phase ratio, is unknown. This study used a whole-body torque-driven computer simulation model of all three phases of the triple jump to investigate optimal technique. The technique of the simulation model was optimised by varying torque generator activation parameters using a Genetic Algorithm in order to maximise total jump distance, resulting in a hop-dominated technique (35.7%:30.8%:33.6%) and a distance of 14.05 m. Optimisations were then run with penalties forcing the model to adopt hop and jump phases of 33%, 34%, 35%, 36%, and 37% of the optimised distance, resulting in total distances of: 13.79 m, 13.87 m, 13.95 m, 14.05 m, and 14.02 m; and 14.01 m, 14.02 m, 13.97 m, 13.84 m, and 13.67 m respectively. These results indicate that in this subject-specific case there is a plateau in optimum technique encompassing balanced and hop-dominated techniques, but that a jump-dominated technique is associated with a decrease in performance. Hop-dominated techniques are associated with higher forces than jump-dominated techniques; therefore optimal phase ratio may be related to a combination of strength and approach velocity.     

样例设计及呈现方式对学习代数运算规则的促进

为了考察"解释法"、"解释-标记法"两种样例设计方法及其"分步呈现"方式对六年级小学生学习代数运算规则的促进作用,以六年级小学生为被试,以"完全平方和"和"平方差"代数运算样例为学习材料,进行了3项实验研究。结果表明:(1)采用"解释法"设计"完全平方和"和"平方差"的代数运算样例,明显提高了代数运算规则的样例学习效果。(2)在"解释法"设计的样例上添加"运算标记"要运用适当,如果运用不当,特别是"运算标记"过多时,容易增加样例学习的认知负荷,从而降低标记的使用效果。(3)对于运算步骤和"运算标记"过多的样例,采用被试自主控制的"分步呈现"运算步骤的样例学习方式,其学习效果显著优于整体呈现样例的学习效果。     

呈现方式、自我效能感和成就动机对FOK判断影响的研究

以英汉配对词为实验材料探讨了呈现方式、自我效能感和成就动机对ＦＯＫ判断（Ｆｅｅｌｉｎｇ ｏｆ Ｋｎｏｗｉｎｇ）的影响,被试是１４４名大学生。实验结果表明：（１）呈现方式、自我效能感和成就动机均显著影响ＦＯＫ判断等级的高低和判断的准确性;（２）自我效能感和成就动机在影响ＦＤＫ判断方面有显著的交互作用,成就动机对ＦＤＫ判断的作用受自我效能感影响;（３）被试的回忆成绩、再认成绩和ＦＤＫ判断准确性之间均有显著的正相关,表明客体记忆与无记忆之间有较密切的联系。     

3~5岁儿童理解和使用空间表征的特点

以96名3~5儿童为被试,采用自编的儿童空间表征实验任务,在语言表征、模型表征和图画表征三种空间表征形式上,考察了儿童理解和使用空间表征的发展特点。结果表明:(1)总体上,3~5岁儿童理解空间表征的发展水平均显著高于使用空间表征的发展水平。(2)3~5岁儿童理解和使用空间表征的发展表现出显著的年龄效应。(3)从不同的空间表证形式来看,3岁儿童理解语言表征的能力与理解模型表征的能力之间差异显著,4岁儿童使用语言表征的能力与使用模型表征的能力之间的差异、使用语言表征的能力与使用图画表征的能力之间的差异、以及使用模型表征的能力与使用图画表征的能力之间的差异都显著,其余形式的空间表征理解之间的差异或空间表征使用之间的差异在各年龄段中均不显著。     

Breaking face processing tasks apart to improve their predictive value in the real world: A comment on Ramon,Bobak, and White (2019)

In this commentary, I will expand on three aspects suggested by Ramon et al. (2019, British Journal of Psychology, 110, 461) to improve the predictive value of laboratory‐based tasks in real‐world applications. There are potential benefits that may arise from three interrelated considerations, particularly in terms of predicting agents’ susceptibility to errors in operational settings. The first is a proposal to conduct a detailed examination of performance on face processing tests rather than only analysing overall accuracy scores. The second involves considering non‐face‐related cognitive and meta‐cognitive sub‐processes involved in face processing tasks. The third highlights the contribution of superior recognisers in creating challenging tests that simulate difficult real‐world situations.     

Effects of negative incentive shifts in food reward on rats' consumption of concurrent ethanol solutions

Frustration stress, typically operationalized as the unexpected loss of reinforcement, has been shown to engender substance use. Abrupt reductions in reinforcer magnitude likely also function as frustration stressors. These negative incentive shifts were previously shown to produce tap‐ and sweetened‐water drinking in rats. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether these shifts in food reward would occasion oral ethanol self‐administration. Nine male Long‐Evans rats operated on a two‐component multiple fixed‐ratio schedule with signaled components producing either a large (4 pellets) or small (1pellet) reinforcer. Components were pseudorandomly arranged to present 4 transitions between past and upcoming reinforcer magnitudes: small‐to‐large, small‐to‐small, large‐to‐large, and large‐to‐small (negative incentive shift). Experiment 1 investigated the effects of negative incentive shifts on consumption of concurrent, freely available 10% sucrose, 10% sucrose plus 10% ethanol, and following sucrose fading, 10% ethanol. Experiment 2 entailed continuation of schedule contingencies with a dose manipulation of 4 ethanol concentrations (0, 5, 10, and 20%) to assess dose‐dependent differences in transition‐type control and consumption. A lever‐press extinction condition was then conducted with 10% ethanol availability. In this novel model of frustration stress, negative incentive shifts prompted ethanol self‐administration at each dose investigated, whereas the other transitions did not.