Bridging in social networks: Who are the people in structural holes and why are they there?

The current paper examines the psychological characteristics of people who link tightly connected cliques to each other with friendship ties. Based on the work of sociologist Georg Simmel, I argue that these people are characterized by two separate motivations, which I call entrepreneurial and relationship-building motivations. Using a complete network from a heterogeneous class of Jewish-, Arab-, and Druze-Israelis, I provide the first empirical evidence of their existence. Gould and Fernandez's brokerage roles were calculated for each participant, and triad proportions from each brokerage type were correlated with well-established psychological questionnaires. Results indicate the existence of two psychologically distinct network orientations, easily interpretable in terms of Simmel's analysis of processes in triads.     

Social identity, status characteristics and social networks: Predictors of advice seeking in a manufacturing facility

In the sociological tradition, status characteristics and patterns of interpersonal relations within a social network are considered important in explaining organizational behaviour (e.g. influence, cooperation). In the social identity tradition, perceptions of shared psychological group membership and group prototypicality are considered important in explaining many of the same organizational behaviours. The present paper explores core variables within each of these perspectives as predictors of advice seeking among supervisors in a manufacturing facility. Dyadic measures of group assignment are found to better predict advice seeking than measures taken at the individual level. Identification with work groups predicted advice seeking from those perceived to be in the same group, and also from structural equivalents. Implications for theory and further research are discussed.     

Nonparametric Estimation of Standard Errors in Covariance Analysis Using the Infinitesimal Jackknife

The infinitesimal jackknife provides a simple general method for estimating standard errors in covariance structure analysis. Beyond its simplicity and generality what makes the infinitesimal jackknife method attractive is that essentially no assumptions are required to produce consistent standard error estimates, not even the requirement that the population sampled has the covariance structure assumed. Commonly used covariance structure analysis software uses parametric methods for estimating parameters and standard errors. When the population sampled has the covariance structure assumed, but fails to have the distributional form assumed, the parameter estimates usually remain consistent, but the standard error estimates do not. This has motivated the introduction of a variety of nonparametric standard error estimates that are consistent when the population sampled fails to have the distributional form assumed. The only distributional assumption these require is that the covariance structure be correctly specified. As noted, even this assumption is not required for the infinitesimal jackknife. The relation between the infinitesimal jackknife and other nonparametric standard error estimators is discussed. An advantage of the infinitesimal jackknife over the jackknife and the bootstrap is that it requires only one analysis to produce standard error estimates rather than one for every jackknife or bootstrap sample.     

IRT框架下追踪数据的测量不变性分析——————以4至5岁儿童认知能力测验为例

本研究以4岁~5岁儿童认知能力测验为例,在IRT框架下探讨了如何进行追踪数据的测量不变性分析。分析模型采用项目间多维项目反应理论模型(between-item MIRT model)和项目内（within-item MIRT model）多维two-tier model,被试为来自全国的882名48个月的儿童,工具为自编4岁~5岁儿童认知能力测验。经测验水平 分析和项目水平分析,结果表明：(1)本文对追踪数据的测量不变性分析方法合理有效; (2)该测验在两个时间点上满足部分测量不变性要求,测验的潜在结构稳定; (3)“方位题”的区分度和难度参数都发生变化,另有4题难度参数出现浮动; (4)儿童在4岁~5岁期间认知能力总体呈快速发展趋势,能力增长显著。     

内隐学习中的知识习得及其无意识性测量*

本研究采用经典的人工语法范式,并引入迁移任务探讨在记忆和规则探索两种指导语条件下,被试所习得的究竟是规则还是组块？同时采用结构知识主观测量的方法,对内隐学习习得知识的无意识性进行测量。结果发现记忆指导语条件下的被试能成功区分合法串和非法串,即出现语法学习效应,但规则探索指导语条件下的被试并没有表现出语法或组块学习效应,结构知识的主观测量发现这种内隐学习的优势效应主要来自无意识结构知识的贡献;在迁移研究中发现附带学习组和有意学习组均在迁移任务上表现出语法学习效应,这表明在人工语法学习中所获得的语法规则是抽象的和可迁移的。     

Evaluating Cognitive Training Outcomes: Validity and Utility of Structural Knowledge Assessment

Conventional approaches to evaluating cognitive outcomes of training typically use paper-and-pencil tests that emphasize gains or differences in declarative knowledge. Yet a key factor in differentiating expert and novice performance is the way individuals organize their knowledge. Accordingly, the acquisition of meaningful knowledge structures and methods of assessing structural knowledge are potentially important issues for designing and evaluating training programs. Two studies were conducted to examine the validity and utility of one structural assessment technique called Pathfinder (Schvaneveldt, Durso, & Dearholt, 1989). Results from academic and organizational samples indicated that Pathfinder measures of structural knowledge quality predicted individual differences in performance self-efficacy. After controlling for differences in declarative knowledge, measures of structural knowledge quality added to the prediction of performance self-efficacy in the student sample, but not in the organizational sample. The unique features and potential advantages of structural assessment for training evaluation are discussed.     

A widely applicable extension of the random effects two-way layout: Its definition and statistical analysis based on group invariance

A type of data layout that may be considered as an extension of the two-way random effects analysis of variance is characterized and modeled based on group invariance. The data layout seems to be suitable for several scenarios in psychometrics, including the one in which multiple measurements are taken on each of a set of variables, and the measurements can be divided into exchangeable subsets. The algebraic structure of the model is studied, which leads to results that are applicable to such problems as estimating correlation matrix corrected for attenuation and testing symmetry hypotheses.The author would like to thank NIH for support through grants M01 RR00044 and P01 DE13539, and NSF and ASA Survey Section for a travel grant which allowed him to present this paper as an invited young researcher at the Conference in Celebration of Wayne A. Fuller's 70th birthday.     

团体认知影响数学概念结构表征的实验研究

概念结构表征一直是认知心理学研究的重要内容。本研究以团体及表征理论为基础,通过设计不同的团体认知条什来研究认知交互作用对概念结构表征的影响。实验结果表明不同的团体认知表现出了不同的认知交互,对概念结构表征也产生了不同的影响。     

社会称许性量表的测量等价性探讨

若观测变量和潜在特质之间的关系在相比较的群体之间等同,就称该量表具备测量等价性。测量工具满足测量等价性的要求是进行组间差异比较的前提条件。该文首先明确测量等价性的概念及在结构方程模型中所要满足的5个条件,然后以社会称许性的性别差异为例,阐述测量等价性检验和建立的方法。结果表明,男性群体和女性群体的测量等价。文章最后讨论了该研究的理论意义和不足之处。