Indicators of Affect Dynamics: Structure,Reliability, and Personality Correlates

Researchers are increasingly interested in the affect dynamics of individuals for describing and explaining personality and psychopathology. Recently, the incremental validity of more complex indicators of affect dynamics (IADs; e.g. autoregression) has been called into question (Dejonckheere et al., 2019), with evidence accumulating that these might convey little unique information beyond mean level and general variability of emotions. Our study extends the evidence for the construct validity of IADs by investigating their redundancy and uniqueness, split-half reliability based on indices from odd-numbered and even-numbered days, and association with big five personality traits. We used three diverse samples that assessed daily and momentary emotions, including community participants, individuals with personality pathology, and their significant others (total N = 1192, total number of occasions = 51 278). Mean and variability of affects had high reliability and distinct nomological patterns to big five personality traits. In contrast, more complex IADs exhibited substantial redundancies with mean level and general variability of emotions. When partialing out these redundancies by using residual variables, some of the more complex IADs had acceptable reliability, but only a few of these showed incremental associations with big five personality traits, indicating that IADs have limited validity using the current assessment practices. © 2020 The Authors. European Journal of Personality published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Association of Personality Psychology     

Applying theory to the black box: A model for empirically scoring biodata

Despite being an effective predictor of job performance, empirically keyed biodata assessments have been criticized as black box empiricism unlikely to generalize to new contexts. This paper introduces a model that challenges this perspective, explicating how biodata content, job demands, and criterion variables collectively influence the construct validity, and generalizability of empirically scored biodata. Across two field studies, expected changes in scale correlations with external measures were found that coincided with changes in the contextual similarity between calibration and holdout contexts, the criteria used, and the content validity of biodata items. Collectively, this paper offers a framework that helps understand and optimize empirical biodata keying in practice, furthering confidence for their use in applied settings.     

耐挫心理结构的探索：基于大学生群体的测量

采用质性和量化研究方法,探讨耐挫心理的结构及因素间关系。研究1采用质性研究方法,对23名被试进行深度访谈,结果发现：（1）耐挫心理的结构由坚信、乐观、可控和醒悟构成;（2）坚信、可控和醒悟共同影响乐观。研究2采用量化研究方法,基于研究1的耐挫心理结构编制大学生耐挫心理量表,对大学生进行施测。结果发现：（1）耐挫心理四因素结构有良好的拟合指数;（2）醒悟正向预测坚信,进而正向预测可控,最终正向预测乐观;（3）量表有良好的信度和效度。结果表明,耐挫心理的结构包含坚信、乐观、可控和醒悟四个因素;大学生耐挫心理量表符合心理测量学要求,可作为未来研究的工具。     

Theory change in immunology part II: The clonal selection theory

This two-part article examines the competition between the clonal selection theory and the instructive theory of the immune response from 1957–1967. In Part I the concept of a temporally extended theory is introduced, which requires attention to the hitherto largely ignored issue of theory individuation. Factors which influence the acceptability of such an extended theory at different temporal points are also embedded in a Bayesian framework, which is shown to provide a rational account of belief change in science. In Part II these factors, as elaborated in the Bayesian framework, are applied to the case of the success of the clonal selection theory and the failure of the instructive theory.     

唯识心法之认识结构论

本文从现代心理学角度考察了唯识学之心法八识所建构的认识结构。     

Processing focus structure and implicit prosody during reading: differential ERP effects

Several recent studies have shown that focus structural representations influence syntactic processing during reading, while other studies have shown that implicit prosody plays an important role in the understanding of written language. Up until now, the relationship between these two processes has been mostly disregarded. The present study disentangles the roles of focus structure and accent placement in reading by reporting event-related brain potential (ERP) data on the processing of contrastive ellipses. The results reveal a positive-going waveform (350-1300 ms) that correlates with focus structural processing and a negativity (450-650 ms) interpreted as the correlate of implicit prosodic processing. The results suggest that the assignment of focus as well as accent placement are obligatory processes during reading.     

Health and Aging: A Perspective from the Far East

Singapore is an urban, highly industrialized country in South East Asia. By 2030, one-fifth of the population is projected to be composed of citizens aged above 65 years. Research on aging has largely focused on the effects of deteriorating physical ability on daily functioning capabilities (Iwarsson & Isacsson, 1997; Warr, 1995). More recently, the role of self-perceived usefulness, competence and control on well-being in the elderly have been investigated (Heberlein, Licht & Licht, 1999; Ranzjin, Keeves, Luszcz, & Feather, 1998). In other fields, activity and involvement have been identified as effective coping devices (Nair, 1989; Shalit, 1988). The present study compared the conceptual understanding of the esteem and well-being of the elderly on the dimensions of activity, involvement, and control, as viewed by an undergraduate sample (n = 60) and a cross-section of seniors (n = 71). Three separate factor analyses reflected interesting variations in the conceptual frameworks.     

Group problem-solving among teachers: A case study of how to improve a colleague’s teaching

A case study of six teachers cooperating to improve a teacher’s teaching showed the dynamics of the group problem-solving process. An analysis of their verbal interactions showed the importance of shared understanding to successful group problem solving. The cooperative group structure helped members resolve cognitive conflicts and build group understanding. During this process, the members’ past teaching experiences and knowledge contributed to their conceptualization of the teacher’s teaching problems and their proposed solutions to improve the teacher’s teaching. Tsz Cheung Lam graduated from the Department of Educational Psychology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2004 and obtained his Master of Education degree. His research interests lie primarily on cooperative learning and problem solving. As a primary school teacher in practice, he is now studying part-time for another master degree in data science at the Department of Statistics of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.     

A comparative assessment of the factor structures and psychometric properties of the GHQ-12 and the GHQ-20 based on data from a Finnish population-based sample

The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) is a self-report questionnaire designed to identify psychological distress. Psychometric properties of two versions of GHQ-12 and GHQ-20 were assessed in a large population-based sample of Finnish twins, ages 22 to 27 (n= 4580). Participants were randomized into two subgroups, namely Twin1 (n= 2294) and Twin2 (n= 2286). The GHQ-12 data were assessed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The factor structure of the GHQ-20 was first assessed with Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) in the Twin1 dataset, and the results obtained were then subjected to CFA in Twin1 and Twin2 datasets. The CFA of the GHQ-12 indicated that the best fit and the simplest solution were provided by the three-factor solution in both subpopulations. Analyses of the GHQ-20 suggested that the four-factor structure was superior to the three-factor model. This result is also theoretically justifiable. Compared to the 12-item version, GHQ-20 provides additional fourth factor of anhedonia, suggesting some discriminative power.     

An empirical test of a comprehensive model of intrapersonal empowerment in the workplace

A comprehensive model of intrapersonal empowerment in the workplace posits that empowerment mediates the relationship between the social structural context and behavioral outcomes. The social structural context is operationalized as perceptions of role ambiguity, sociopolitical support, access to strategic information and resources, and work unit culture, whereas behavioral outcomes are operationalized as innovativeness and effectiveness. The model is examined on a sample of 324 middle managers from different units of a Fortune 50 organization. Survey data are examined using a series of regression analyses to assess the mediating effect of intrapersonal. Results suggest that intrapersonal empowerment mediates the relationship between some elements of workplace social structure and innovativeness, but not effectiveness. Although not a mediating mechanism for effectiveness, intrapersonal empowerment is nonetheless directly related to effectiveness (as assessed by the respondent's subordinates). Implications of the results are discussed as are study limitations and directions for future research. This paper is based on the author's dissertation, presented in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the doctoral degree at the University of Michigan. I am grateful to my dissertation committee which included Robert E. Quinn (chair), Susan Ashford, Richard Bagozzi, Karl Weick, and Marc Zimmerman for their thoughtful guidance. Thanks is also extended to Neil Sendelbach for his help in facilitating data collection. The University of Michigan and the University of Southern California both provided financial support for this research. This paper was prepared while the author was a Zumberge Fellow at the University of Southern California.