Radiation research in psychology: An analysis of techniques in maze experimentation.

The Lashley III maze has been frequently used in studying the effects of radiation on rats because it has been efficient in showing differential effects upon learning as related to amount of cortical insult. Although results have been remarkably consistent, an analysis of methodological procedures reveals a considerable variation. The need for standardizing apparatus and procedures is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The assessment of anxiety in psychological experimentation: A theoretical reformulation and test.

The paper begins with an extensive formulation of anxiety from the psychoanalytic frame of reference and 2 traditional methods of investigating the phenomenon, viz., questionnaire method on level of experienced anxiety and attempts to create anxiety regarding fictitious reports of inadequate performance on certain tasks. Limitations of this methodology were discussed in the light of psychoanalytic theory. It was assumed that experienced or not, anxiety will be consequent when a drive is aroused which is perceived as being dangerous, and that the effects of such anxiety can be demonstrated in terms of interference with a complex problem solving task. Ss were exposed to a situation designed to arouse anxiety and their general level of defensiveness was measured. High and low defensive Ss performed differentially in the problem solving situation (anagrams). From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4HK66R. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Revisiting gay men's body image issues: Exposing the fault lines.

For over 25 years the varying idealizations of gay men's bodies and the behaviors associated with achieving such bodies has been the focus of an increasingly large body of research. What first constituted an idealized body in this research, in the 1980s, was a thin and youthful image, which evolved into a muscular ideal in the 2000s with thinness translated into lean muscle mass and a small waist. To account for the emergence of both body image dissatisfaction and eating disorders, researchers in both paradigms have tended to either pathologize gay men or speculate about the contribution of a range of social-cultural and psychological factors. These include the role of the gay community, being effeminate or less masculine, and internalized homophobia. HIV and the “wasted” body is claimed to have also influenced the purported recent emergence of the muscular ideal. The underlying driver for both paradigms is the proposition that gay men are universally fixated on their appearance and presenting an idealized body to other men. This critical review examines the fault lines in both paradigms that can be found within prevalence studies, the methodology, data analysis, and the contradictory and problematic theorizing that arise as a result. It concludes that the prevalence and the truth of gay men's body image issues are overstated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Alterations of Consciousness: An Empirical Analysis for Social Scientists.

Reviews the book by Baruss (see record 2003-02669-000), which reviews the experimental and phenomenological research on alterations of consciousness, ranging from sleep and dreaming to mystical and near-death experience. The reviewer suggests there is a clear agenda announced by the book's subtitle, "An Empirical Analysis for Social Scientists." In the view of Baruss, all too often in states of consciousness research a preoccupation with theory has kept investigators from full engagement with the actual data. The book provides readable and at times appropriately controversial discussions of empirical literature on dreaming and lucid dreams, daydreaming and fantasy proneness, hypnosis, dissociative identity disorder, shamanism and possession states, psychedelic drug research, parapsychology, trance-chanelling and mediumship, the alien abduction syndrome, classical mystical experience, out-of-body and near-death experiences, and recent attempts by MacDonald and others to assess individual differences in spirituality through multifactor questionnaires. However, the reviewer believes that the breadth of coverage of both recent and past research is too often highly selective, and that the author's rejection of theory is both questionable in itself and more illusion than reality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Why psychology is/is not traditional science: The self-referential bases of psychological research and theory.

The hyperspecialization, fragmentation, curious faddishness of major research topics, and perceived incommensurabilities of theories and methods in contemporary psychology are often seen as a discipline-specific crisis over our status as a single, identifiable "science." These features can, however, be understood as the contemporary expression of early discussions by Giambattista Vico and Wilhelm Dilthey on the inherently self-referential basis of psychology, based on its emergent, even paradoxical, combination of the methods of physical science with the underlying themes of the humanities. This defining tension between "explanation" and "understanding" can account for these features of ostensible disunity, along with the unique importance of "ecological validity" in empirical methodology and the roots of theory in largely implicit world-views and the matrix of ordinary language, quite different from the explicit role of law in physical science. Current neuroscience, although exemplifying "high consensus, rapid discovery" physical science, also illustrates this broader "hermeneutic" perspective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Aging and cognition: Research methodologies and empirical advances.

Reviews the book, Aging and cognition: Research methodologies and empirical advances edited by Hayden B. Bosworth and Christopher Hertzog (see record 2009-08050-000). This book selectively summarises the latest methodological developments, broadly reviews recent empirical findings, and briefly describes the implications and challenges in the application of research findings in the area of adult development and aging. The first part of the book covers some methodological issues in research of human development and aging. The second part of the book reviews the empirical advances in cognitive, social, and psychological development across adulthood. The third part discusses the possible application of research findings to everyday cognition in an applied setting, taking medication use as an example. Although the book tries to present an integrated view, the breadth and diversity of the coverage make it a difficult and almost impossible task. As a result, the chapters are organised in such a framework that they look more like presentations in a conference proceeding. The positive side of this approach is that each chapter could stand alone as a complete review or research article; therefore, each specifically benefits those with the same research interests. Readers could easily get a quick update on the findings and developments in a specific area by selectively focusing on relevant chapters. However, this approach also has limitations. The coherence and integrity of the whole book are certainly compromised. The chapters may look disconnected from each other. Nevertheless, despite the limitations noted above, the book reports some cutting-edge methodological and empirical issues in the research of aging and cognition. The new and inspiring perspectives provided make it an informative guide for well-trained graduate students and established researchers in related research areas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A study of the logic of empirical arguments in psychological research: "the automaticity of social behavior" as a case study.

This article describes the logical structure of one type of empirical argument commonly used in psychological research. A characteristic flaw in its application is identified and illustrated with an analysis of a number of experiments. Intraindividual as well as social factors that contribute to the flaw's occurrence are discussed. The operation of the social factor is explored with an analysis of citation patterns in the literature. The citation analysis reveals the degree to which the flaw goes unnoticed, in deference to building a consensus of support for broad theoretical claims. The article closes with an outline of the decisions involved in choosing a research strategy and indicates the epistemic consequences of these choices. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Toward a richer view of the scientific method: The role of conceptual analysis.

Within the complex set of activities that comprise the scientific method, three clusters of activities can be recognized: experimentation, mathematization, and conceptual analysis. In psychology, the first two of these clusters are well-known and valued, but the third seems less known and valued. The authors show the value of these three clusters of scientific method activities in the works of the quintessential scientist Galileo Galilei. They then illustrate how conceptual analysis can be used in psychology to clarify the grammar and meaning of concepts, expose conceptual problems in models, reveal unacknowledged assumptions and steps in arguments, and evaluate the consistency of theoretical accounts. The article concludes with a discussion of three criticisms of conceptual analysis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethnography in Counseling Psychology Research: Possibilities for Application.

The emphasis placed on prolonged engagement, fieldwork, and participant observation has prevented wide-scale use of ethnography in counseling psychology. This article provides a discussion of ethnography in terms of definition, process, and potential ethical dilemmas. The authors propose that ethnographically informed methods can enhance counseling psychology research conducted with multicultural communities and provide better avenues toward a contextual understanding of diversity as it relates to professional inquiry. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Paul Meehl: Past and future lessons for the field.

Paul Everett Meehl (1920-2003) was an intellectual giant who made important contributions to several fields of thought. The present special section focuses on his contributions to psychopathology, personality, and methods of psychological inquiry. The editors identified six specific topic areas within these broad domains and invited a specialist on each topic to write a discussion. These authors were invited to review Meehl's contributions and clarify their historical significance and current relevance. In addition, two authors contributed personal perspectives on Meehl, revealing that Meehl profoundly affected psychological science by routes other than his publications and formal talks. Rather, his voluminous correspondence and his personal relationships allowed him to engage numerous colleagues in his passionate pursuit of ideas and insights. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Learning the control of variables strategy in higher and lower achieving classrooms: Contributions of explicit instruction and experimentation.

Students (n = 797) from 36 4th-grade classrooms were taught the control of variables strategy for designing experiments. In the instruct condition, classes were taught in an interactive lecture format. In the manipulate condition, students worked in groups to design and run experiments to determine the effects of four variables. In the both condition, classes received the interactive lecture and also designed and ran experiments. We assessed students' understanding using a written test of their ability to distinguish valid from invalid experimental comparisons. Performance on this test improved from the pretest to the immediate posttest in all conditions, and gains were maintained at a 5-month delay. For students from both higher and lower achieving schools, gains ordered as follows: both > instruct > manipulate. However, students from higher achieving schools showed greater gains in all conditions. Item analyses showed that the interactive lecture improved students' understanding of the need to control irrelevant variables, and experimentation improved students' understanding of the need to vary the focal variable. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mommy nearest: Revisiting the idea of infantile symbiosis and its implications for females.

Infantile symbiosis has a lengthy history. The concept, initiated by Freud and then taken up by Anna Freud and subsequent analysts, has continued to be theorized. It has been seen as especially relevant in the developmental history of females. This article, while acknowledging the importance of symbiosis as a construct in mental life, nonetheless challenges the infantile symbiosis concept and offers contrasting data. An alternative view is presented for early and ongoing experiences of symbiosis. Brief historical contributions from early feminists are offered as shaping and impacting psychoanalytic thought. Psychoanalytic theory, on the other hand, utilized and fostered the notion of an early symbiotic tie thereby configuring women's understanding of their needs and desires. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Developing a feminist psychology of women: Past and future accomplishments.

Afeminist approach to the psychology of women is defined. In terms of this definition four areas central to the psychology of women are examined. These areas are theory building, sex differences research, research describing women's lives, and feminist therapy. For each area past accomplishments are outlined and future directions are suggested. In conclusion, two important methodological paradoxes are presented, and their relevance to a developing feminist psychology of women is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Environmental psychology and sustainability: Comments on topics important for our future.

This article emphasises the importance of psychology for the study and mitigation of sustainability issues. Over the past 20 years, a number of special issues on human behaviour and the environment have emerged in the literature, characterising the breadth of environmental problems and their consequences for our quality of life. The articles in this special section focus on psychology's role in interdisciplinary approaches to sustainability, with special attention given to the interdependency of environmental and human health. In this article, the authors summarise the main points of each of these contributions. In addition, they suggest tangible ways in which psychologists can meaningfully contribute to the environmental cause as individuals, practitioners, teachers, researchers, and administrators. Finally, the authors highlight future directions for research and practice in environmental psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What we don't expect when expecting: Evidence for heterogeneity in subjective well-being in response to parenthood.

A recent article in New York Magazine echoed what psychological studies of parenthood have consistently demonstrated since the 1970s: “Most people assume that having children will make them happier. Yet a wide variety of academic research shows that parents are not happier than their childless peers, and in many cases are less so” (Senior, 2010). There is consistent evidence that, as opposed to other life events that cause transient disruptions in life satisfaction, becoming a parent appears to cause harm to individual subjective well-being (Twenge, Campbell, & Foster, 2003), and that this harm is sustained over time (Clark, Diener, Georgellis, & Lucas, 2008). The current investigation was predicated on the concern that these findings may be the result of the methodology used to examine them. As the experience of parenthood does not represent a unified phenomenon, we employed a methodological approach that allows for the exploration of heterogeneity as well as its predictors. By modeling heterogeneous trajectories within a prospective design from 4 years prior to 4 years after the birth of a parent's first child, we find that the majority of individuals (84.2%) demonstrate no long-term effects on life satisfaction in response to childbirth. Only a small percentage demonstrate the sustained declines (7.2%), and a significant cohort, previously unobserved in the literature, demonstrate dramatic and sustained improvements in response to parenthood (4.3%), providing compelling evidence for heterogeneity in life satisfaction among parents. Key demographic covariates that distinguish between trajectories of response are also explored. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Methodology for identifying specific psychological deficits: Introduction to the Special Section.

A long-standing problem in psychopathology research is establishing that patterns of differences between groups reflects differences of underlying constructs and not artifacts of research design, measurement, or analysis. This introduction provides a context for 4 articles that consider several controversial issues regarding this problem and presents a précis. Although these articles focus on schizophrenia, it is noted how the issues are of more general relevance to psychopathology researchers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An effect size primer: A guide for clinicians and researchers.

Increasing emphasis has been placed on the use of effect size reporting in the analysis of social science data. Nonetheless, the use of effect size reporting remains inconsistent, and interpretation of effect size estimates continues to be confused. Researchers are presented with numerous effect sizes estimate options, not all of which are appropriate for every research question. Clinicians also may have little guidance in the interpretation of effect sizes relevant for clinical practice. The current article provides a primer of effect size estimates for the social sciences. Common effect sizes estimates, their use, and interpretations are presented as a guide for researchers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Factor analysis as multivariate procedure: A review of multivariate analysis and psychological theory.

Reviews the book, Factor Analysis as Multivariate Procedure: A Review of Multivariate Analysis and Psychological Theory edited by Joseph R. Royce (1973). This publication represents a series of papers, along with competent discussions, presented at the Third Banff Conference on Theoretical Psychology. The conference included, appropriately enough, contributions by members of the Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology. It is fair to say that the contributions accurately reflect the general status of the field as of the end of 1971, when the conference was held. While the book is organized into two major parts, one dealing with "methodological, pre-theoretical and meta-theoretical issues" with the other aiming "toward a comprehensive, multivariate psychological theory", this organization will not communicate most effectively to the reader of this review. Instead, it seems to the reviewer that the papers can be most easily understood as falling into the categories of methodological contributions, presentations of general approaches to personality, and research and theory dealing with specific research areas. In the context of a large group of exciting papers, how can one single out individual papers for special praise, the reviewer believes that what is particularly praiseworthy will depend upon the eye of the beholder, his orientation to theory, and his relative interest in specific research areas. The empiricism/speculation ratio is quite high in most of the papers, and is consequently recommended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

济钢4#板坯中间包流场计算机模拟

给出了济钢 4#中间包流场的数学模型及求解方法。利用计算机仿真技术模拟了济钢 4#板坯中间包的流场 ,对坝和堰在控制流场中的作用进行了深入研究