Presurgical MMPI-2 Cluster Profiles Predict 1-Year Low-Back Surgery Outcomes

The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether empirically derived cluster profiles based on scores from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) predicted outcomes of surgery at 1 year for patients with low-back pain. On the basis of hierarchical cluster analysis of presurgery MMPI-2 scores for 60 patients, three interpretable and significant subgroups were formed. These consisted of a pathological/neurotic type, a double V-code type, and a normal type. The patents in the normal type were significantly more likely to report beneficial outcomes of surgery in terms of disability and pain than those in the other 2 types. These findings extend previous research and suggest (1) low-back surgery candidates are heterogeneous in their psychological profiles, and (2) MMPI-2 profiles are predictive of low-back surgery outcome. Future research should focus on identifying physiological substrates for these distinct profiles and investigating the effectiveness of presurgical psychological interventions based on profile type.     

汉语语句重音的分类和分布

通过两个独立进行的重音标注实验对汉语语句重音的分类和分布进行了初步探讨。实验l是由60位普通被试参加的音节重音突显度的知觉实验。实验2是由本文三位作者参加的重音类别标注实验,在此实验中语句重音被划分为节奏重音和语义重音。实验2中对于语句重音的分类性标注结果得到了实验l中普通被试对音节重音突显度知觉结果的支持,这说明人们确实能够感知到两种不同类型的重音。实验结果还表明,节奏重音倾向于出现在较大韵律单元内的最末韵律词的末音节上,并且与适当的停延相伴生,语义重音的分布则与语句的韵律结构的关系不大。     

上级反馈对员工行为的影响

采用2×2(反馈方式、反馈对象)两因素组间实验设计,选取303名被试考察了上级反馈对员工积极整合行为倾向、冲突行为倾向和中立行为倾向的影响,以及个人主义-集体主义倾向对这种影响的调节作用。结果表明,Singelis、Triandis等人有关个人主义、集体主义的理论框架基本适合中国被试,个体的个人主义、集体主义倾向对反馈的效果起到一定的调节作用。领导的反馈方式、反馈针对的对象对员工的行为主效应都显著,上级的表扬会增加员工的中立行为倾向,针对个人的反馈会引起较强的冲突行为倾向。     

效果量的意义及测定方法

文介绍了效果量在心理学研究中的意义以及评价效果量大小的标准,特别是说明了d,rpb^2,η^2和ω^2几个效果量的测定方法,并提出了提高效果量的措施及对效果量作研究的评论。     

Evidence for spontaneous level-2 perspective taking in adults

Social interactions are fostered by humans’ propensity to compute their partner’s perspective online. However, due to the mindreading system’s limited capacity perspective taking (PT) was argued to occur spontaneously only for level-1, but not level-2 perspectives. We propose that level-2 perspectives (containing aspectual information) can also be computed spontaneously if participants have reason to assume that the partner is indeed aware of the objects’ aspectual properties. Pairs of adult participants took part in the modified version of Surtees, Butterfill, and Apperly’s (2012) number verification paradigm. Participants had prior information on their partner’s task, which either called for processing aspectual properties or did not. The partner’s inconsistent perspective was found to interfere with RT-s providing evidence for spontaneous level-2 PT. However, such interference only occurred when the partner’s task involved processing the perspective dependent object feature, suggesting that PT was sensitive to the other’s awareness of the to be represented information.     

Psychological Interventions and Genetic Testing: Facilitating Informed Decisions About BRCA1/2 Cancer Susceptibility

Genetic testing for inherited cancer susceptibility, based on the recently identified. BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, will soon be available on a large scale. However, at present, genetic test results do not lead to clearly indicated diagnostic or preventive measures, and the nature of the psychological impact of BRCA1/2 testing is still largely unknown. This uncertainty, combined with preliminary evidence suggesting significant individual differences in reactions to genetic susceptibility feedback, constitutes a unique challenge for any individual contemplating such testing. We outline the nature of this challenge and then propose an intervention strategy designed to help individuals make deeply processed and psychologically well-informed decisions with regard to their genetic susceptibility. The intervention is guided by recent research findings and theory on the cognitive–emotional processing of cancer-risk information. Specifically, the goal is to prepare the individual for genetic testing by (1) cognitively and emotionally activating, or preliving, the individual's potential reactions to testing feedback; (2) facilitating accurate appraisal of the individual's cognitive–emotional reactions; and (3) enabling the individual to process these reactions through the use of well-established clinical techniques.     

Inducing ordinal and cardinal representations of the first five natural numbers

The prediction that the ordinal property of natural number symbols (using these symbols to represent the terms in an ordered progression) is more easily learned than the cardinal property of natural number symbols (using these symbols to represent the manyness of collections) was examined in this experiment. Preschoolers who evidenced no proficiency with either the ordinal or cardinal properties of natural number symbols were trained to acquire these properties via simple feedback. Both properties proved to be trainable. The most important findings were that the ordinal property was much easier to train than the cardinal property, ordinal training effects were more durable across a 1-week interval than cardinal training effects, and ordinal training appeared to transfer better than cardinal training.     

Positive contrast obtained in reacquisition following interpolation of nonreinforced or partially reinforced trials

Two experiments investigated the effects of shifting from either nonreinforcement or partial reinforcement (PRF) to continuous reinforcement conditions (CRF). In the first experiment, three groups of rats were given food reinforcement under CRF conditions in a runway followed by regular extinction trials (RE), extinction trials where Ss were delayed for 30 sec before entering the empty goal box (DE), or CRF trials where Ss were delayed for 30 sec before entering the baited goal box (DF). Then all Ss were run on the delayed reinforcement condition (DF). In the final delayed reinforcement condition, group DE ran significantly faster than group DF, reflecting positive contrast. In the second experiment, four groups of rats were trained in a runway to receive either 4% or 18% sucrose reinforcers under either PRF or CRF conditions. Then all Ss were transferred to a Skinner box and bar presses were continuously reinforced, with each S continuing to receive the same sucrose concentration as before. The former PRF Ss, regardless of the reinforcer, bar pressed at a significantly higher rate in the Skinner box than the former CRF Ss. The evidence seemed to favor the view that the effectiveness of a reinforcer is not an absolute, unchanging quantity but rather depends on the historical context in which the reinforcer occurs.