Is choice a reliable predictor of choice? A comment on Sagarin and Skowronski

In a recent working paper, Chen (2008) argues that a methodology central to the cognitive dissonance literature (the free-choice paradigm) has suffered from an inability to separately measure how much choices affect people’s preferences, and how much they simply reflect those preferences, by failing to fully control for the fact that subjects tend to choose goods they prefer. Although Sagarin and Skowronski concede this, they discount Chen’s argument, claiming that for revealed preferences to completely account for observed choice-effects the relationship between choice and preference would have to be unrealistically high. In this comment, we argue that their critique both misses the crux of Chen’s analysis, and is incorrect. Specifically, to properly test whether choices affect preferences, it is essential that researchers experimentally control for revealed preferences rather than speculate how much of a role they may play. Moreover, Sagarin and Skowronski’s critique rests on two fundamental errors—a misunderstanding of the function of the null-hypothesis and a misunderstanding of preference-measurement psychometrics. These errors leads Sagarin and Skowronski to suggest alternative experimental designs which while a good first step, do not address the problems identified in Chen (2008).     

Language specific prosodic preferences during the first half year of life: Evidence from German and French infants

There is converging evidence that infants are sensitive to prosodic cues from birth onwards and use this kind of information in their earliest steps into the acquisition of words and syntactic regularities of their target language. Regarding word segmentation, it has been found that English-learning infants segment trochaic words by 7.5 months of age, and iambic words only by 10.5 months of age [Jusczyk, P. W., Houston, D. M., & Newsome, M. (1999). The beginnings of word segmentation in English-learning infants. Cognitive Psychology, 39, 159–207]. The question remains how to interpret this finding in relation to results showing that English-learning infants develop a preference for trochaic over iambic words between 6 and 9 months of age [Jusczyk, P. W., Cutler, A., & Redanz, N. (1993). Preference for the predominant stress patterns of English words. Child Development, 64, 675–687]. In the following, we report the results of four experiments using the headturn preference procedure (HPP) to explore the trochaic bias issue in German- and French-learning infants. For German, a trochaic preference was found at 6 but not at 4 months, suggesting an emergence of this preference between both ages (Experiments 1 and 2). For French, 6-month-old infants did not show a preference for either stress pattern (Experiment 3) while they were found to discriminate between the two stress patterns (Experiment 4). Our findings are the first to demonstrate that the trochaic bias is acquired by 6 months of age, is language specific and can be predicted by the rhythmic properties of the language in acquisition. We discuss the implications of this very early acquisition for our understanding of the emergence of segmentation abilities.     

Functional hemispheric differences for the categorization of global and local information in naturalistic stimuli

Up to now functional hemispheric asymmetries for global/local processing have mainly been investigated with hierarchical letters as stimuli. In the present study, three experiments were conducted to examine whether corresponding visual-field (VF) effects can also be obtained with more naturalistic stimuli. To this end, images of animals with a pattern placed on their body were displayed as stimuli. The task for the global level and for the local level was to categorize the animals and the patterns, respectively. As a result, VF-effects were also found for these stimuli and tasks. It is concluded that the hemispheric differences observed for hierarchical letters also hold for naturalistic stimuli.     

三维适形放疗治疗晚期腹部恶性肿瘤的临床受益和毒副反应

为观察三维适形放疗治疗晚期腹部恶性肿瘤的临床受益情况和毒副反应。对38例晚期腹部恶性肿瘤患者进行三维适形放疗,疗中和疗后进行临床受益情况和毒副反应的观察和评价。结果临床受益情况：有效为28．9％,稳定为42．1％,疼痛缓解率为28．9％;毒副反应主要为骨髓抑制、胃肠道反应、生化指标改变,除少数病例出现Ⅳ度生化指标改变外,其余均在Ⅲ度以下。结论三维适形放疗可以提高晚期腹部恶性肿瘤患者的生存质量,毒副反应轻微,是一种有效的姑息治疗手段。     

The Interaction of Job Satisfaction, Job Search, and Job Changes. An Empirical Investigation with German Panel Data

Using the rich data set of the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) this article analyzes the effects of job characteristics on job satisfaction as well as the conditions under which low job satisfaction leads to job search, and under which job search leads to job changes. Individual fixed effects are included into the analysis in order to hold unobserved heterogeneity constant. According to the empirical results, the strongest determinants of job satisfaction are relations with colleagues and supervisors, task diversity and job security. Furthermore, job satisfaction is an important determinant of the self-reported probability of job search, which in turn effectively predicts actual job changes. The effect of job search on the probability of changing jobs varies with job satisfaction and is strongest at low levels of job satisfaction. The effects of job dissatisfaction on job search and of job search on quits are stronger for workers with lower tenure, better educated workers, workers in the private sector and when the economy and labor market are in a good condition.     

副中央凹-中央凹效应的研究现状及展望

副中央凹-中央凹效应指在阅读过程中副中央凹处词语(通常是注视词右侧的词)的特性对中央凹处词语的注视时间产生的影响。主要从四个方面总结了副中央凹-中央凹效应的研究进展：(1)副中央凹-中央凹效应的类型：同向效应、反向效应和不确定效应; (2)副中央凹-中央凹效应的研究范式：边界范式、句子正常阅读范式和词对阅读范式; (3)分析序列加工模型和平行加工模型对副中央凹-中央凹效应的认识; (4)探讨词n+1特性、词n的特性以及误差眼跳对副中央凹-中央凹效应的影响。在此基础上, 提出未来需要从研究范式和分析方法等方面对副中央凹-中央凹效应进行研究。     

高中生不同类型的沉思对抑郁症状发展的中介作用

探讨不同类型的沉思对抑郁症状变化的中介作用及性别差异。用流调中心用抑郁量表和沉思反应量表等自评量表对512名高中生追踪调查3个月,用层次回归法分析数据。结果表明：（1）男、女生的抑郁情绪、强迫性冥思和反思不存在差异。（2）强迫性冥思对抑郁症状的变化起部分中介作用;反思与第二次抑郁症状不相关,不存在中介作用。（3）女生的强迫性冥思对抑郁症状的变化起部分中介作用;男生的强迫性冥思对抑郁症状变化不存在中介作用。结论不同类型的沉思对抑郁症状变化的中介作用是不同的,并且存在性别差异。     

On undesirable consequences of thinking: framing effects as a function of substantive processing

Three studies investigate the impact of effortful constructive processing on framing effects. The results replicated previous findings: Participants avoided the risky option when the scenario was framed in terms of gains, but preferred this option when the scenario was framed in terms of losses. Importantly, framing effects were most pronounced when conditions allowed for an effortful constructive processing style (i.e., substantive processing). This impact of decision frames varied when decision time served as an indicator for the elaboration extent (Study 1), and also when processing motivation (accountability; Study 2) and processing ability (decision time; Study 3) were manipulated. Moreover, effortful processing did not increase framing effects when contextual cues reduced the necessity for constructive thinking (Study 1). We suggest that decision frames may take on very different roles as a function of the ambiguity of the decision problem, and the degree and style of processing. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improving Service Evaluation in Clinical Genetics: Identifying Effects of Genetic Diseases on Individuals and Families

Outcome measurement in clinical genetics is challenging. Outcome attributes used currently have been developed by service providers or adapted from measures used in other areas of healthcare. Many of the ‘patients’ in clinical genetics are healthy but at risk of developing or transmitting a condition. Usually no pharmacological or surgical treatment is offered, although information-giving is an objective of most consultations. We argue that services should be evaluated on the basis of how well they alleviate the effects of disease, from a patient perspective. This paper describes a qualitative study using seven focus groups with health professionals, patients and patient representatives. Social and emotional effects of genetics diseases were identified. Some differences emerged between the effects identified by health professionals and those identified by patients. These findings will be used to inform the evaluation of existing outcome measures and develop robust measures of outcome for clinical genetics services.     

汉词和图画再认的ERP效应及脑机制

目的：比较汉词与图画材料再认过程中的事件相关电位（ERP）表现并探讨其脑机制。方法：使用经典“学习一再认”实验模式对21名大学生进行测验,同时记录EEG,离线处理后对汉词及图画再认诱发的ERP波形主要成分及新旧效应进行比较。结果：两种材料的再认均诱发出了明显的新旧效应。顶区新旧效应头皮分布基本一致,但图画再认该效应波幅大于汉词再认;两种材料诱发的额区新旧效应有所不同,图画再认该效应为正走向,而汉词再认此效应表现为负走向趋势。结论：汉词与图画再认既存在某种共同的神经加工机制,叉分别涉及一些特异性的神经活动模式。