Reserve price and competing bids: Reference points for product evaluations in online auctions?

With an increasing number of products sold in online auctions, the effect of reference points on consumers' product valuations has received much attention in the literature. Two potentially relevant factors affecting bidders' preferences are the sellers' reserve price and the competing bids by other bidders. The current evidence regarding these reference points is mixed. We argue that a focus on studying bids prevents a clear identification of reference point effects. Directly observing product valuations, in two experiments, we find that willingness to pay in online auctions is affected by both reserve prices and competing bids, supporting the constructed values paradigm. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Development of Symbolic Uses of Objects in Infants in a Triadic Context: A Pragmatic and Semiotic Perspective

In this study, we address the construction of the first symbolic uses of objects in contexts of triadic interaction (adult–child–object). We assume that symbolic productions are based on public rules of the use of objects previously agreed by the community. The first symbols are not rooted in any literal, evident reality, but in shared rules of uses about the material world. We observed six dyads communicating and interacting together with 10 objects in a semi‐structured situation longitudinally from 9 to 15 months of age. We found that the infants gradually constructed symbolic meanings, and we identified five symbolic levels and sublevels. At 9 months, the infants attended and engaged in the symbolic uses produced by an adult even though they themselves were not yet able to produce them. At 12 months, infants began to use objects symbolically to communicate with adults. The highest percentage of these first symbolic uses was of level 1, that is, with a close relation to the conventional use of the object used to perform the symbol. At 15 months, children increased their symbolic uses and performed symbolic uses at all levels, whereas adults reduced such practices. Adult semiotic mediation and the social meanings of objects can be considered important factors in children's symbolic productions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the Double-Reference Character of ＂Hexagram＂ Names in the Yijing： Engaging Fregean＆Kripkean Approaches to the Issue of How Reference Is Possible

This paper aims to examine the general issue of how reference is possible in philosophy of language through a case analysis of the ＂double reference＂ semantic-syntactic structure of ideographic hexagram （guaxiang 卦象） names in the Yijing text. I regard the case of the ＂hexagram＂ names as being quite representative of the ＂double-reference＂ semantic-syntactic structure of referring names. I thus explore how the general morals drawn from this account of ＂hexagram＂ names can engage two representative approaches, the Fregean and Kripkean ones, and contribute to our understanding and treatment of the issue of reference.     

个体主义—集体主义问卷编制与信效度分析

编制区分参照对象的个体主义—集体主义问卷,检验其信度和效度.在文献和实证研究基础上,构建个体主义—集体主义的理论维度,编写问卷条目.先对385名被试实施初测,进行项目分析和探索性因素分析.再对766名被试实施再测,进行结构验证和信度检验.结果发现,区分参照对象的个体主义—集体主义问卷是包含价值选择和行为理念的两维结构,由19个条目组成.该问卷构想效度和信度良好.因此,区分参照对象的个体主义—集体主义问卷可以作为测量个体主义—集体主义的有效工具.     

Information Centrism and the Nature of Contexts

Information Centrism is the view that contexts consist of information that can be characterized in terms of the propositional attitudes of the conversational participants. Furthermore, it claims that this notion of context is the only one needed for linguistic theorizing about context-sensitive languages. We argue that Information Centrism is false, since it cannot account correctly for facts about truth and reference in certain cases involving indexicals and demonstratives. Consequently, contexts cannot be construed simply as collections of shared information.     

The influence of social and symbolic cues on observers' gaze behaviour

Research has shown that social and symbolic cues presented in isolation and at fixation have strong effects on observers, but it is unclear how cues compare when they are presented away from fixation and embedded in natural scenes. We here compare the effects of two types of social cue (gaze and pointing gestures) and one type of symbolic cue (arrow signs) on eye movements of observers under two viewing conditions (free viewing vs. a memory task). The results suggest that social cues are looked at more quickly, for longer and more frequently than the symbolic arrow cues. An analysis of saccades initiated from the cue suggests that the pointing cue leads to stronger cueing than the gaze and the arrow cue. While the task had only a weak influence on gaze orienting to the cues, stronger cue following was found for free viewing compared to the memory task.     

自我建构对内群体、外群体参照效应的影响

内群体身份被视为群体自我,也存在与个体自我类似的信息精细加工效应,并受到文化的影响。自我建构是文化在个体层面的体现,本研究通过两个实验考察自我建构内、外群体参照信息加工的作用。实验1选用记忆参照实验,实验2选用提取诱发遗忘实验,通过代词圈点法启动自我建构,两个实验共同发现：独立自我建构启动时,存在内群参照效应;而互依自我建构启动条件下,内群体信息加工优势消失,没有出现内群参照效应。     

Relative deprivation based on occupation: An effective predictor of Chinese life satisfaction

Relative deprivation (RD) refers to the fact that individuals may feel deprived of some desirable thing in social comparison relative to a reference group. Occupational group is widely recognized as the essential reference group and generally used to compare differences in earnings and social position. Four waves' data from the Social Attitudes Survey of Urban‐Rural Residents (China) (SAS‐C; 2005/2007/2008/2009) were used to compute to Stewart's new measure of RD for different occupational groups and its relationship to life satisfaction (a cognitive component of subjective well‐being). Results showed that both economic RD (defined as individuals' RD of material benefits, such as income, wealth etc.) and social status RD (defined as individuals' RD on their evaluation of social status) consistently predicted Chinese life satisfaction for a period of time from 2005 to 2009; meanwhile, individual economic RD was moderately correlated to social status RD. The effects of RD and some demographic variables on life satisfaction are discussed and possible improvements for future research are suggested.     

聊城市汉族正常人血清骨钙素参考值的研究

建立聊城市汉族正常人血清骨钙素水平的参考值。利用化学发光免疫分析法对聊城市162例汉族体检健康者血清骨钙素（BGP）水平进行检测,检测范围0．2ng／ml-100ng／ml。结果聊城市汉族正常人血清骨钙素水平的参考值为5．21±0．73ng／ml。首次报道了聊城市汉族正常人血清骨钙素参考值,为骨病骨代谢研究提供一项新的...