Computational exploration of metaphor comprehension processes using a semantic space model

Recent metaphor research has revealed that metaphor comprehension involves both categorization and comparison processes. This finding has triggered the following central question: Which property determines the choice between these two processes for metaphor comprehension? Three competing views have been proposed to answer this question: the conventionality view ( Bowdle & Gentner, 2005 ), aptness view ( Glucksberg & Haught, 2006b ), and interpretive diversity view ( Utsumi, 2007 ); these views, respectively, argue that vehicle conventionality, metaphor aptness, and interpretive diversity determine the choice between the categorization and comparison processes. This article attempts to answer the question regarding which views are plausible by using cognitive modeling and computer simulation based on a semantic space model. In the simulation experiment, categorization and comparison processes are modeled in a semantic space constructed by latent semantic analysis. These two models receive word vectors for the constituent words of a metaphor and compute a vector for the metaphorical meaning. The resulting vectors can be evaluated according to the degree to which they mimic the human interpretation of the same metaphor; the maximum likelihood estimation determines which of the two models better explains the human interpretation. The result of the model selection is then predicted by three metaphor properties (i.e., vehicle conventionality, aptness, and interpretive diversity) to test the three views. The simulation experiment for Japanese metaphors demonstrates that both interpretive diversity and vehicle conventionality affect the choice between the two processes. On the other hand, it is found that metaphor aptness does not affect this choice. This result can be treated as computational evidence supporting the interpretive diversity and conventionality views.     

Beyond freedom and dignity at 40: comments on behavioral science, the future, and chance (2007)

Forty years after the publication of Beyond Freedom and Dignity (Skinner, 1971) and the continuing growth of behavior analysis, the future of humanity and the role of behavioral science in that future remain uncertain. A recent paper by Chance (2007) documented a shift in Skinner's views during the last years of his life. Skinner had long advocated a science and technology of behavior for finding and engineering solutions to cultural and global problems and advancing human development. This optimism had given way under a gradual realization that the science of behavior was in fact showing how such problems were unlikely to be solved in time to avert a variety of possible disasters. Chance described nine behavioral phenomena that appear to interfere with effective problem-solving behavior on a large scale and in effective time frames. These phenomena are reviewed toward an analysis of common themes. Research is also reviewed that involves nonverbal, verbal, and cultural contingencies that may lead to applications designed to address the common themes. Problems and strategies of implementation are also discussed. The challenges are daunting, but may nevertheless be regarded as technical problems best suited for a science and technology of behavior.     

Tuberculosis detection by giant african pouched rats

In recent years, operant discrimination training procedures have been used to teach giant African pouched rats to detect tuberculosis (TB) in human sputum samples. This article summarizes how the rats are trained and used operationally, as well as their performance in studies published to date. Available data suggest that pouched rats, which can evaluate many samples quickly, are sufficiently accurate in detecting TB to merit further investigation as a diagnostic tool.     

"Frequent frames" in German child-directed speech: a limited cue to grammatical categories

Mintz (2003) found that in English child-directed speech, frequently occurring frames formed by linking the preceding (A) and succeeding (B) word (A_x_B) could accurately predict the syntactic category of the intervening word (x). This has been successfully extended to French (Chemla, Mintz, Bernal, & Christophe, 2009). In this paper, we show that, as for Dutch (Erkelens, 2009), frequent frames in German do not enable such accurate lexical categorization. This can be explained by the characteristics of German including a less restricted word order compared to English or French and the frequent use of some forms as both determiner and pronoun in colloquial German. Finally, we explore the relationship between the accuracy of frames and their potential utility and find that even some of those frames showing high token-based accuracy are of limited value because they are in fact set phrases with little or no variability in the slot position.     

单病种平均住院日影响因素分析

为探讨单病种平均住院日的影响因素,采用多元逐步回归分析,对住院构成前5位病种的平均住院日影响因素进行分析。结果显示,有10个影响因素进入回归方程,不同病种平均住院日影响因素略有不同,是否转科对平均住院日影响最大。在医院管理过程中,需不断加强医院流程管理与改造,实施临床路径,合理制定医院平均住院日指标。     

我国医生的心理状况meta分析

回顾目前近5年我国医生的心理状况实证性研究,以了解医生的心理健康,通过CNKI、维普、万方数据库进行文献检索,得到30篇文献,9篇符合纳入条件,采用Meta统计方法分析数据。结果显示,近5年我国医生的心理健康水平普遍低于全国常模,SCL-90症状自测量表中有8项高于普通成年人,其中以焦虑和偏执郁最为严重,其次为抑郁,强...     

美国住院医师培训制度对完善上海市住院医师培训制度的启示

美国住院医师培训制度经过100多年的发展,目前已经形成了一套系统化、规范化和科学化的制度。上海市的住院医师培训制度起步晚,亟待规范、完善和发展。本文对美国住院医师培训制度的现状及特点进行深入分析,为上海市住院医师培训制度的进一步完善提供经验和做法。     

大学生学校适应性简明问卷的编制与验证

该研究旨在探讨当前大学生学校适应性的结构维度并编制简明评定问卷,运用了探索性因素分析和验证性因素分析的方法。结果表明,我国大学生学校适应性的结构维度包括四个方面的内容,分别是学习能力适应、人际关系适应、学校政治适应、学校文化适应。研究结果还显示,大学生学校适应性评定问卷具有良好的信度和效度指标,问卷的α系数达到0.80,探索性因素分析中总方差解释量达到62.89%,验证性因素分析的各项指标均达到理想水平。     

近五年来《心理学报》与《心理科学》文献计量比较研究

该研究采用文献计量学方法,以2005—2009年《心理学报》与《心理科学》的载文为研究对象,分别统计了两种期刊载文的研究领域、研究方法、载文体裁和作者特征等方面的数据信息。结果发现：基础领域是两种期刊心理学研究的主要领域;在应用领域方面两种期刊侧重点不同;两种期刊在研究方法的选择上是一致的,即实验法是心理学研究的主要研究方法,数据的搜集则主要靠测评法;两种期刊在心理学研究者的地区分布中都出现了明显的地区优势,优势地区与核心作者群略有不同。     

青少年情绪调节策略的结构与测量

情绪调节策略是个体应对消极情绪的重要手段,对个体身心发展起着重要的作用。通过采用文献综述和实证分析相结合的方法编制符合我国青少年实际的情绪调节策略量表。量表包括认知重评、积极设想、求助他人、行为转移、自我责备、沉思默想、自我压抑、发泄不满和攻击他人九个维度。对量表进行信效度检验的结果表明,该量表具有良好的信度效度指标。