Corticospinal excitability during the observation of social behavior

Evidence suggests that the observation of an action induces in the observers an enhancement of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) recorded by the observer’s muscles corresponding to those involved in the observed action. Although this is a well-studied phenomenon, it remains still unclear how the viewer’s motor facilitation is influenced by the social content characterizing the observed scene. In the present study we investigated the facilitation of the corticospinal system during the observation of either an action that does not imply a social interaction (i.e., an actor throwing a ball against a wall), or an action which implies a social interaction (i.e., an actor passing a ball to a partner). Results indicate that MEPs amplitude is enhanced during the observation of a social rather than an individual action. We contend that the increase in MEPs activation might reflect an enhancement of the simulative activity stemming from the mirror system during the observation of social interactions. Altogether these findings show that the human corticospinal system is sensitive to social interactions and may support the role of the mirror neurons system in social cognition.     

Motivational Effects of Outcome Feedback on Motor Performance

This study examined the effects of success and failure feedback on subsequent motor performance. Based upon the general motivation (or level-of-aspiration) hypothesis, initial success should lead to better subsequent performance than does initial failure, while the reverse prediction was derived from the cognitive dissonance theory. To test these rival hypotheses, two experiments were conducted on undergraduate male students (n =120) performing a motor maze task. Initial failure improved subjects’ subsequent performance, thus supporting the dissonance theory. However, this effect was observed only under low-ego-involving conditions, thereby suggesting that the effects of dissonance and ego involvement are interdependent. The findings were discussed in terms of motivational and informational/attributional effects of outcome feedback on motor performance.     

The institutional evolution of religion: innovation and entrepreneurship in ancient Israel

In light of contemporary advances and in an effort to supplement and add to the vibrant discourse surrounding the evolution of religion, a distinctly sociological theory that returns to and pushes forward the insights of Durkheim and Weber is offered. The unit of evolution is the institutional sphere, or the macro-level structural and cultural sphere of religious action, exchange, and communication; and evolution is the process by which religious entrepreneurs are able to secure material and symbolic independence vis-à-vis other strata and, thereby, carve out an autonomous religious institution to reproduce their symbolic, normative, and organizational innovations. To illustrate the way this sociological theory of institutional evolution works, and how it accounts for multi-linear evolutionary paths, while considering contingencies, the evolution of the Ancient Israelite religion from the late 8th century BCE to the end of the Exile in the late 6th century BCE is examined.     

当前俄罗斯心理学发展的现状和趋势

苏联解体后,伴随俄罗斯社会政治的变革,俄罗斯心理学也发生了相应的变化,其现状和趋势主要表现为:继承了苏联心理学的宝贵遗产,加强了维果茨基心理学思想的研究,形成了对心理现象的统一认识,出现了轻基础研究重应用研究的倾向,产生了许多新的分支学科.     

威廉斯综合症及其研究现状

威廉斯综合症是一种上世纪 60年代才被人类认识的疾病。该病症有特殊的生理、行为和认知异常 ,脑发育伴随着结构和临床异常。本文对国外40年的研究成果进行了总结 ,初步介绍了威廉斯综合症的症状表现、认知特征、行为特征及诊断治疗方面的研究现状 ,最后对该领域的研究提出了展望。     

Eating Disorders in Men: Current Considerations

Over the past two decades, there has been a change in the way men think about their bodies. The media portrays images of men with muscular bodies and a six pack abdomen. These images can create body dissatisfaction in males. With the change in the way that the media and society in the United States look at men, so has the drive for men to achieve this ideal body image. Eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and strict exercise and diet regimens seem to plague young men as do the images in advertisements. Although eating disorders in men are similar to what women experience, men seem to strive for more body mass whereas women try to obtain thinness. Gay men and heterosexual men seem to experience eating disorders in the same way although there are differences between how they perceive their bodies. This paper outlines how the media contributes to body dissatisfaction in men. In addition to understanding how the media affects men, it is important to review and possibly revise out understanding of eating disorders and body dysmorphia symptoms to gain a solid understanding of how these symptoms appear in men today.     

医学伦理的多元、通约及其他--《医学伦理学》序

要重视医学伦理学的理论研究,案例分析不能完全取代理论讲授。医学伦理学是多元的,许多伦理问题的答案可有多种选择。许多不同伦理思想之间不仅有其差异,同时又是相容和可通约的。我们在尊重伦理多元化的同时,还应致力于寻求人类共同的道德准则和全球伦理的建设。     

一部大众急需的心理学工具书--评黄希庭教授主编的《简明心理学辞典》

《简明心理学辞典》是我国大众急需的一部优秀的心理学工具书。其主要特点是：权威性与科学性的统一、基础性与近时性的统一、丰富性与简明性的统一、实用性与可读性的统一。     

MULTIPLE TREATMENT INTERFERENCE IN THE ALTERNATING TREATMENTS DESIGN AS A FUNCTION OF THE INTERCOMPONENT INTERVAL LENGTH

In experimental designs requiring the administration of more than one treatment to the same subject(s), the effect of one treatment may be influenced by the effect of another treatment (Campbell & Stanley, 1963), a phenomenon known as multiple treatment interference. We conducted two studies in which multiple treatment interference in an alternating treatments design was shown to be a function of the length of the intercomponent interval (ICI) separating treatment conditions. In the first study, we evaluated the effects of four different treatments on the mouthing of a severely retarded boy. Under a 1-min ICI no consistent differential responding to treatment was obtained. Differential responding emerged when the ICI was increased from 1 min to 120 min, thus suggesting multiple treatment interference in the lack of differential responding under a 1-min changeover interval. Functional control of the nondifferential and differential responding as a function of the ICI length was replicated in a reversal phase. In the second study, we compared two treatment procedures for the disruptive noncompliant behavior of a moderately retarded boy. Multiple treatment interference (i.e., the lack of differential responding) occurred with the 1-min intercomponent interval. An increase to a 120-min ICI again resulted in differential responding. A replication of multiple treatment interference by a reversal to a short interval phase was not achieved in the second subject. Results of this study support much of the basic literature on discrimination and multiple treatment interference. Major findings of this study are twofold: Multiple treatment interference can depend on the length of the changeover interval between treatments and multiple treatment interference can take the form of a lack of differential responding to various treatments. Implications for future research are discussed.     

论孝文化的现代价值

孝文化在中国古代社会的作用包括道德教育、稳定社会和民族凝聚的功能。中国孝文化中的精华成分体现其对人类文明的普遍价值,从而决定了孝文化所具有的现代意义。通过对孝文化的改造实现孝道伦理的价值转化,通过孝道文化的教育实现孝道伦理的弘扬。