The effects of videotape modeling and daily feedback on residential electricity conservation, home temperature and humidity, perceived comfort, and clothing worn: Winter and summer

Two studies were conducted in all-electric townhouses and apartments in the winter (N = 83) and summer (N = 54) to ascertain how energy conservation strategies focusing on thermostat change and set-backs and other low-cost/no-cost approaches would affect overall electricity use and electricity used for heating and cooling, the home thermal environment, the perceived comfort of participants, and clothing that was worn. The studies assessed the effectiveness of videotape modeling programs that demonstrated these conservation strategies when used alone or combined with daily feedback on electricity use. In the winter, the results indicated that videotape modeling and/or feedback were effective relative to baseline and to a control group in reducing overall electricity use by about 15% and electricity used for heating by about 25%. Hygrothermographs, which accurately and continuously recorded temperature and humidity in the homes, indicated that participants were able to live with no reported loss in comfort and no change in attire at a mean temperature of about 62 degrees F when home and about 59 degrees F when asleep. The results were highly discrepant with prior laboratory studies indicating comfort at 75 degrees F with the insulation value of the clothing worn by participants in this study. In the summer, a combination of strategies designed to keep a home cool with minimal or no air conditioning, in conjunction with videotape modeling and/or daily feedback, resulted in overall electricity reductions of about 15% with reductions on electricity for cooling of about 34%, but with feedback, and feedback and modeling more effective than modeling alone. Despite these electricity savings, hygrothermograph recordings indicated minimal temperature change in the homes, with no change in perceived comfort or clothing worn. The results are discussed in terms of discrepancies with laboratory studies, optimal combinations of video-media and personal contact to promote behavior change, and energy policies that may be mislabeled as sacrificial and underestimate the effectiveness of conservation strategies such as those investigated in these studies.     

妊娠合并结核临床诊治的决策

妊娠合并结核是一种对母婴健康危害极大的妊娠期疾病。在妊娠期结核病中,多数患者无明显症状,早期症状与妊娠期某些生理反应相似,加之妊娠与结核病的相互影响,x线、CT等重要的影像学检查受限,致使本病易被误诊或误治。某些抗结核药物对母婴的不良影响,使其治疗难以实施,由于结核病本身及治疗后可能对胎儿的影响,在临床上是否终止妊娠往往难以决策。本文就妊娠合并结核诊治过程中的相关问题进行综述,以期为临床诊治决策提供帮助。     

基于胃肠激素观点的高血压发病机制思考

本文基于胃肠激素的特点及其与目前高血压发病机制研究较集中的几个关键环节的联系,分析了肾素一血管肾张素一醛固酮系统、肥胖、2型糖尿病、胰岛素抵抗、精神应激等与胃肠激素的相关性,提出遗传与环境因素可能通过胃肠激素途径影响血压,胃肠激素变化可能为高血压发病机制之一。     

对建立我国艾滋病防治督导与评估体系的思考

随着我国艾滋病防治工作的持续深入,定期对艾滋病防治工作进行督导与评估越来越重要。但是,到目前为止,我国尚未建立国家综合协调的艾滋病防治督导与评估体系。通过对建立国家艾滋病防治督导评估体系的必要性、可行性及存在的问题进行分析,围绕如何构建一个统一、综合、有效的督导评估体系提出政策建议。     

慢性乙型肝炎抗病毒治疗的进展

针对目前乙型肝炎的抗病毒治疗现状以及临床用药中存在的问题进行分析,就如何选择合理治疗方法提出医疗原则,认为对于慢性乙型肝炎的抗病毒治疗,应坚持联合治疗和个体化治疗,长期用药和间断反复用药结合,把病毒抑制到最低水平,以使发生原发性肝癌的可能性减至最小。     

DEVELOPING EXECUTIVE LEADERS: THE RELATIVE CONTRIBUTION OF COGNITIVE ABILITY,PERSONALITY, AND THE ACCUMULATION OF WORK EXPERIENCE IN PREDICTING STRATEGIC THINKING COMPETENCY

We conceptually define and empirically investigate the accumulation of work experience—a concept that refers to the extent to which executives have amassed varied levels of roles and responsibilities (i.e., contributor, manager, lead strategist) in each of the key work activities that they have encountered over the course of their careers. In studying executives’ work experience accumulation, we consider key antecedents such as executives’ cognitive ability and personality traits, namely Extraversion and Openness to Experience, and examine the value of work experience accumulation on executives’ strategic thinking competency. Analyses of multisource data from 703 executives revealed 3 key findings: (a) accumulated work experience positively relates to executives’ strategic thinking competency after controlling for individual characteristics and other measures of work experience; (b) executives’ cognitive ability demonstrates the strongest and most positive relationship to executives’ strategic thinking competency; and (c) extraverted executives tend to achieve higher levels of work experience accumulation. Relative weight analyses also indicated that cognitive ability and accumulated work experience are the 2 most important predictors for executives’ strategic thinking competency among the other predictors. These findings are discussed in light of their practical implications.     

Effects of television modeling on residential energy conservation

A combination of social marketing, communications, social learning (particularly modeling), and behavior analysis may provide an effective framework for behavior change via films and television. We used this approach in developing special television programs about residential energy conservation. The programs were tailored and directed to preselected middle-class homeowners (N = 150), and delivered over a public access channel of a cable TV system. The results indicated that after one program exposure (about 20 minutes), viewers adopted simple strategies modeled in the programs which led to savings of approximately 10% on their home energy use for a substantial part of the cooling and heating season. Although the potential benefits to costs of large-scale media efforts seemed great, institutional barriers for such programs were identified. Less expensive, more local programs seem more viable.     

INCREASED ACCURACY FOR RANGE RESTRICTION CORRECTIONS: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ROLE OF PERSONALITY AND GENERAL MENTAL ABILITY IN JOB AND TRAINING PERFORMANCE

A recently developed procedure produces substantial improvements in the accuracy of corrections for range restriction and reveals that predictive validities of employment selection methods are higher than previously thought. This study applied this procedure to meta‐analytic validities of 2 personality measures (Conscientiousness and Emotional Stability) and general cognitive ability measures. Results show that the increases in validity estimates are greater for cognitive ability than for personality, reducing the relative validity of personality. In addition, the incremental validity of these personality measures over that provided by cognitive ability is smaller than previously estimated. Path analyses based on the more accurate data reveal relatively smaller path coefficients from these personality traits to job and training performance. These findings have implications for theories of job performance and for the practical value in selection of personality measures relative to cognitive ability measures.     

语义范畴特异性损伤的理论研究进展

在对人类认知机制的研究中,以患者为研究对象是最近兴起的一种重要的认知神经科学手段.期间,人们发现有些脑损伤患者具有语义范畴特异性损伤现象,即表现出对个别语义范畴的认知能力相对较弱.这一奇特现象的发现,为研究人类的语义记忆系统的结构和功能开辟了一个全新的领域.该文着重介绍了这一现象及其引发的4种新的语义记忆理论,从而对人类的语义记忆作出重新审视.     

组织中的心理契约

组织中的心理契约是联系员工与组织之间的心理纽带,也是影响员工行为和态度的重要因素.近年来在管理领域中对心理契约的研究出现了新的高潮.“新一代“的研究者对定量研究予以更多重视,研究主要沿着两条主线展开:心理契约的内容构成,心理契约的动态发展过程.研究结果对于在组织中形成良好的雇用关系、完善人力资源战略、制定薪酬福利政策、改进招聘及培训手段均有指导意义.