The effect of cultural values on pro-environmental attitude in the context of travel mode choice: A hierarchical approach

The cultural theory explains social behavior through four elementary types of cultural values consisting of hierarchy, individualism, egalitarianism, and fatalism. The knowledge of how these values influence attitudes and behaviors specifically pertain to the environment is limited. Understanding individuals’ values and attitudes should be addressed in travel mode choice based on possible impacts of transportation on the environment. This study investigates the effect of cultural values on pro-environmental attitude and the influence of this attitude on travel mode choice in light of a hierarchical latent choice model. The model is estimated using data from a random sampling in CBD (Central Business District) of Tehran, Iran. The pro-environmental attitude, which is postulated to be affected by cultural values, is considered as the latent variable directly affecting travel mode choice. The cultural values drivers of pro-environmental attitude have been seen in a hierarchical structure. The estimated results show that hierarchical cultural tendency has the strongest and positive effect on being pro-environmental. Also, individualistic culture indicates a positive trend in being pro-environmental. On the other side, people with egalitarianism value tend to report an orientation towards pro-environmental attitude. Moreover, pro-environmental attitude increases the utility of public and active modes of transportation and a negative significant effect is found on the utility of private car and motorcycle.     

反刍思维的脑功能网络机制

反刍思维是指个体在经历了消极生活事件后不由自主地反复思考该事件的产生原因、经过和结果, 表现出负性自我参照加工、消极情绪性以及持续性的特点。采用脑功能网络分析方法, 研究者发现反刍思维的上述三个特点分别与默认网络内部的异常活动模式、突显网络功能连接的改变以及注意相关网络之间的异常耦合有关。未来研究应进一步明确反刍思维与相关脑网络活动之间的因果关系, 探究反刍思维脑功能网络的结构基础, 同时也应关注反刍思维及其脑网络的老龄化特征, 并致力于探索有效干预反刍思维的神经调控技术。     

媒体多任务经验对不同注意模式下内隐记忆的影响

本研究采用经典背景线索范式,在分布式注意（限制眼动）和集中式注意（自由观看）两种模式下考察不同媒体多任务经验者的内隐记忆表现。实验1要求被试在学习阶段自由观看场景并搜索目标,在测试阶段限制眼动并使用外周视野搜索目标。实验2将学习、测试阶段的注意模式反转。结果发现,高媒体多任务经验者在两种注意模式下均表现出背景线索效应;低媒体多任务经验者仅在集中式注意模式下表现出背景线索效应。结果表明,高媒体多任务经验者在分布式注意模式下存在一定的内隐记忆优势。     

Self‐regulation predicts risk‐taking through people's time horizon

In the context of decision‐making research, people's regulatory orientation mode (i.e., assessment and locomotion modes) has been included among the most prominent individual difference variables, which may potentially account for choice behaviour. Thus, the main objective of our experiment was to investigate the relations between habitual use of regulatory mode and risk‐taking through people's time horizon. Risk‐taking was appraised using a behavioural measure (i.e., BART) 1 month following evaluation of habitual use of regulatory mode. The findings revealed a significant negative association between the assessment mode and risk‐taking through individual differences in time horizon.     

Neural correlates of viewing paintings: Evidence from a quantitative meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data

Many studies involving functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have exposed participants to paintings under varying task demands. To isolate neural systems that are activated reliably across fMRI studies in response to viewing paintings regardless of variation in task demands, a quantitative meta-analysis of fifteen experiments using the activation likelihood estimation (ALE) method was conducted. As predicted, viewing paintings was correlated with activation in a distributed system including the occipital lobes, temporal lobe structures in the ventral stream involved in object (fusiform gyrus) and scene (parahippocampal gyrus) perception, and the anterior insula—a key structure in experience of emotion. In addition, we also observed activation in the posterior cingulate cortex bilaterally—part of the brain’s default network. These results suggest that viewing paintings engages not only systems involved in visual representation and object recognition, but also structures underlying emotions and internalized cognitions.     

中西方思维方式的文化差异研究——二元对立与连续统合的视角

目的:验证中西方在思维方式上存在二元对立与连续统合的差异。方法:通过自编的中西方思维特征问卷,对中国学生47名,以及西方留学生及访问学者43名施测,收回有效问卷中国被试34名,西方被试32名。结果:中西方在思维方式上存在着显著差异,思维方式不存在性别差异。结论:中国人的思维方式是倾向于连续统合的,而西方人的思维方式是倾向于二元对立的。     

Spinoza on the Essences of Modes

This paper examines some aspects of Spinoza's metaphysics of the essences of modes.2 ²I would like to thank John Carriero, Calvin Normore, Eliot Michaelson, Eileen Nutting, Paul Nichols, Alexi Patsaouras, Rachel Johnson and Sarah Jansen for reading and commenting on earlier versions of this paper. I situate Spinoza's use of the notion of essence as a response to traditional, Aristotelian, ways of thinking about essence. I argue that, although Spinoza rejects part of the Aristotelian conception of essence, according to which it is in virtue of its essence that a thing is a member of a kind, he nevertheless retains a different part of such a conception, according to which an essence is some structural feature of a thing which causally explains other, non-essential features. I go on to develop an account of Spinoza's metaphysics of essence, according to which essences, what he sometimes calls formal essences, are produced by the divine essence prior to and independent of the creation of finite modes, and according to which essences are the formal or exemplar causes of finite modes. I then argue that finite modes, in virtue of the formal essences which they actualize, are genuine causal relata. Finally, I offer some speculations about Spinoza's answer to the question, ‘Why, in a necessitarian cosmos filled with formal essences, should there be temporal finite modes at all?’     

Abstract recall of a happy memory to repair sad mood in dysphoria: A possible link to negative cognition

The capacity to repair sad mood through the deliberate recall of happy memories has been found to be impaired in dysphoric individuals. Rumination, or adopting an abstract processing mode, has been proposed as a possible mechanism underpinning this effect. In low and high dysphoric participants, we examined the relative consequences of adopting an abstract or concrete processing mode during happy memory recall or engaging in distraction for (1) mood repair and (2) cognitive content. Recalling a happy memory in either an abstract or concrete way resulted in greater happiness than distraction. Engaging in abstract recall of a happy memory resulted in high dysphoric participants generating negative evaluations and negative generalisations. These findings raise the interesting possibility that abstract processing of positive memories has the potential to generate negative cognition.     

Effect of heat treatment on the NO2-sensing properties of sputter-deposited indium tin oxide thin films

Transparent conducting indium tin oxide (ITO) films were deposited onto glass substrates by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering at 648?K, under an oxygen partial pressure of 1?Pa. The effect of annealing on the electrical properties of the films was studied. Characterization of the coatings revealed an electrical resistivity below 6.5?×?10^??3?Ω?cm. The ITO films deposited at 648?K were amorphous, while the crystallinity improved after annealing at 700?K. The surface morphology examined by scanning electron microscopy appears to be uniform over the entire surface area after annealing. The NO₂-sensing properties of the ITO films were investigated and showed sensitivity at concentrations lower than 50?ppm, at a working temperature of 600?K.     

Whispering gallery mode sensor for phase transformation and solidification studies

Whispering gallery mode (WGM) sensors are created by coupling a dielectric microresonator with the evanescent field of an optical fiber. Since the sensor is created by two separate entities, most of the existing studies are limited to using them in fluid environments, such as air or water, for the ease of manipulation and placement in the optimum configuration. This work is focused on studying the possibility of using WGM sensors inside a solid material. The sensor is immersed in water, which is cooled to solid state and the sensor survival is monitored. In subsequent studies, three remelting cycles are carried out and temperature measurements are obtained through the sensor. The sensor output is calibrated with the temperature data obtained from a thermocouple. The results show that a linear relationship exists between temperature and WGM shift, which enables application of these sensors in temperature measurement. Considering that the sensitivity of WGM sensors is very high (10^?6 N force and 10^?5 K temperature), they can be used for high resolution studies on solidification in cryogenic environments.