Effect of reward probability on spatial and temporal variation.

Gharib, Derby, and Roberts (2001) proposed that reducing reward expectation increases variation of response form. We tested this rule in a new situation and asked if it also applied to variation of response location and timing. In 2 discrete-trial experiments, pigeons pecked colored circles for food. The circles were of 6 possible colors, each associated with a different probability of reward. Reducing reward expectation did not affect peck duration (a measure of form) but did increase horizontal variation of peck location and interpeck-interval variation. The effect of reward probability on the standard deviation of interpeck intervals was clearer (larger t value) than its effect on mean interpeck interval. Two datasets from rats had similar interresponse-interval effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality Traits in Dumpling Squid (Euprymna tasmanica) : Context-Specific Traits and Their Correlation With Biological Characteristics.

Personality traits are a major class of behavioral variation often observed within populations of animals. However, little is known of the integration between personality and an individual's underlying biology. To address this, the authors measured personality traits in squid (Euprymna tasmanica) in 2 contexts while also describing trait correlates with biological parameters. Four traits (shy avoidance- bold aggression, activity, bury persistence, and reactivity) were reliably measured; however, trait expression between contexts was not correlated and thus was context-specific. Trait variation was not a function of gender or of somatic or reproductive condition but was explained partially by a squid's sexual maturity and its size. Results are discussed in terms of the interplay between personality variation and resulting life history strategies in animals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Entry and Exit Stress Variation of Cold Rolling Strip

 The shortcomings of an exit stress variation formula which has been well accepted are analyzed; it is found that the exit stress variation formula violates the premise of the law of volume constancy. The shortcomings of an entry stress variation formula are analyzed too, and the basic assumption of the formula is uniform exit velocity. However, for a rigid-plastic material uniform exit velocity implies that the lateral distribution of elongation is uniform, so the exit stress must be uniform and any type of flatness defect is impossible, which is contrary to the practice. In fact, entry and exit velocity variation influence entry and exit stress variation, and entry and exit stress variation influence entry and exit velocity variation too, so a precise explicit stress variation formula cannot be got easily. Considering the relationship between stress variation and velocity variation, an iteration method is presented to calculate entry and exit stress variation of cold rolling strip. To avoid divergent phenomenon of the iteration course, a relaxation factor method is adopted. The calculation results are compared with the entry and exit stress variation formula commonly used by many researchers. The difference is remarkable, while the result calculated agree more well with measured result if the exit elastic recovery zone is considered. Specially, the incoming flatness′ propagate efficiency calculated gives a more realistic result.     

Is phonological context always used to recognize variant forms in spoken word recognition? The role of variant frequency and context distribution.

Several mechanisms have been proposed to account for how listeners accommodate regular phonological variation in connected speech. Using a corpus analysis and 5 cross-modal priming experiments, the authors investigate phonological variant recognition for the American English word-final flap. The corpus analysis showed that the flap variant occurs relatively frequently compared with the citation form [t] variant and is only probabilistically constrained by prosodic and phonemic context. The experienced distribution of the flap production is reflected in lexical processing: 4 cross-modal priming experiments demonstrated that lexical activation is not influenced by contextual constraints (inappropriate phrase boundary or phonemic contexts). A 2nd finding was a smaller priming effect for the less frequent flap as compared with the more frequent [t] variant. The contrasts between these findings for the flap and other context conditioned variants are discussed in terms of their implications for models of phonological variation recognition and in terms of the role of language experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Representational specificity of within-category phonetic variation in the long-term mental lexicon.

This study examines the potential encoding in long-term memory of subphonemic, within-category variation in voice onset time (VOT) and the degree to which this encoding of subtle variation is mediated by lexical competition. In 4 long-term repetition-priming experiments, magnitude of priming was examined as a function of variation in VOT in words with voiced counterparts (cape-gape) and without (cow-*gow) and words whose counterparts were high frequency (pest-best) or low frequency (pile-bile). The results showed that within-category variation was indeed encoded in memory and could have demonstrable effects on priming. However, there were also robust effects of prototypical representations on priming. Encoding of within-category variation was also affected by the presence of lexical counterparts and by the frequency of counterparts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Environmental variation in studies of organizational behavior.

The desirability of incorporating environmental variation into research designs has often been pointed out, but few procedures for doing so have been developed. Attempts to operationalize the concept of "organizational climate" in studies of organizational behavior provide a number of methods for assessing environmental variation, and yield data relevant to hypotheses regarding the interaction of persons and environments. Methods for observing climate variation include field studies, assessments of participant's perceptions, observations of objective indices, and experimental control of organizational variables. Conditions may affect behavior by determining stimuli, by restraining freedom of response, and by rewarding and punishing behavior. Illustrative of the organizational properties meriting further study are size, structure, systems complexity, leadership pattern, and goal directions. Selected bibliography of 104 titles indicates how studies of organizations make possible the variation of both person and climate variables. (3-p. ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The strength and time course of lexical activation of pronunciation variants.

Spoken words undergo frequent and often predictable variation in pronunciation. One form of variation is medial /t/ deletion, in which words like center and cantaloupe are pronounced without acoustic cues indicative of syllable-initial /t/. Three experiments examined the consequences of this missing phonetic information on lexical activation. In Experiment 1, the Ganong Paradigm (W. F. Ganong, 1980) was used to measure the strength of activation of /t/-deleted variants, comparing labeling and response time results with their citation counterparts. Phonemic restoration was used in Experiment 2 to generalize the results. In Experiment 3, Experiment 1 was replicated with a large number of trials so that the time course of activation could be mapped. Results show that lexical influences on labeling begin sooner and reach a higher level for the citation than for the /t/-deleted variant, although the overall shapes of their activation profiles are similar. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The evolution of personality variation in humans and other animals.

A comprehensive evolutionary framework for understanding the maintenance of heritable behavioral variation in humans is yet to be developed. Some evolutionary psychologists have argued that heritable variation will not be found in important, fitness-relevant characteristics because of the winnowing effect of natural selection. This article propounds the opposite view. Heritable variation is ubiquitous in all species, and there are a number of frameworks for understanding its persistence. The author argues that each of the Big Five dimensions of human personality can be seen as the result of a trade-off between different fitness costs and benefits. As there is no unconditionally optimal value of these trade-offs, it is to be expected that genetic diversity will be retained in the population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Traits and trade-offs are an important tier.

Replies to comments by K. M. Sheldon et al (see record 2007-18356-014) on the author's original article (see record 2006-11202-005) on evolution and personality variation. Sheldon et al concurred with the thrust of that article that the way natural selection shapes or gives rise to interindividual variation is a worthy topic for evolutionary psychologists to consider, so at a broad level Sheldon et al and Nettle are in agreement. The contention concerns the utility of broad traits such as the Big Five personality factors in undertaking evolutionary personality psychology. Nettle does not concur that traits do not provide a good approach to understanding interindividual variation. They have proved their utility in humans and in other species. Nettle does agree that traits alone are not sufficient for understanding personality functioning, particularly in humans, and hopes that other psychologists, including perhaps Sheldon et al, will add an evolution-informed understanding of those higher tiers of personality to the framework Nettle has suggested for the base tier. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Within- and between-culture variation: Individual differences and the cultural logics of honor, face, and dignity cultures.

The CuPS (Culture × Person × Situation) approach attempts to jointly consider culture and individual differences, without treating either as noise and without reducing one to the other. Culture is important because it helps define psychological situations and create meaningful clusters of behavior according to particular logics. Individual differences are important because individuals vary in the extent to which they endorse or reject a culture's ideals. Further, because different cultures are organized by different logics, individual differences mean something different in each. Central to these studies are concepts of honor-related violence and individual worth as being inalienable versus socially conferred. We illustrate our argument with 2 experiments involving participants from honor, face, and dignity cultures. The studies showed that the same “type” of person who was most helpful, honest, and likely to behave with integrity in one culture was the “type” of person least likely to do so in another culture. We discuss how CuPS can provide a rudimentary but integrated approach to understanding both within- and between-culture variation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

磷酸——三价锰滴定法测定铝锰钛合金中锰量

在分析铝锰钛合金中锰时,锰的滴定法是基于锰是一种变价元素,利用一定量的氧化剂、还原剂来促使锰发生价态变化,根据络合物灵敏紫红色的光强度求得锰量。     

Creativity and discovery as blind variation: Campbell's (1960) BVSR model after the half-century mark.

This article assesses and extends Campbell's (1960) classic theory that creativity and discovery depend on blind variation and selective retention (BVSR), with special attention given to blind variations (BVs). The treatment begins by defining creativity and discovery, variant blindness versus sightedness, variant utility and selection, and ideational variants versus creative products. These definitions lead to BV identification criteria: (a) intended BV, which entails both systematic and stochastic combinatorial procedures; and (b) implied BV, which involves both variations with properties of blindness (variation superfluity and backtracking) and processes that should yield variant blindness (associative richness, defocused attention, behavioral tinkering, and heuristic search). These conceptual definitions and identification criteria then have implications for four persistent issues, namely, domain expertise, ideational randomness, analogical equivalence, and personal volition. Once BV is suitably conceptualized, Campbell's theory continues to provide a fruitful approach to the understanding of both creativity and discovery. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral compatibility and reproductive outcomes in two distant populations of captive brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater).

Increased understanding of geographic variation in courtship behavior in animal species can provide insight into the ways behavior may influence evolutionary change. Here, the relationship of geographic variation in courtship behavior to reproductive outcomes was tested in two distant and behaviorally distinct populations of brown-headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater, by comparing rates of copulation and egg production. Females from an Indiana (IN) population and a South Dakota (SD) population were housed in aviaries with males from either their own population (INsame and SDsame) or the other population (INmix and SDmix). Over the breeding season, INsame females exhibited higher rates of copulation and egg production compared with INmix females, but no differences were detected between SDsame and SDmix females. The data suggest that behavioral differences between IN and SD cowbirds are the likely cause of lower egg production in the INmix females. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

15t燃气强对流罩式炉炉温控制

分析了攀长钢集团焊管钢丝厂新上15t燃气强对流罩式炉炉内（内罩内）温差大，热处理后钢带性能不均的原因，提出了合理的控制措施，炉内温差降低，产品质量大幅提高。     

Gravity variation associated with Wenchuan earthquake in western Sichuan

Based on the data of mobile gravity observation from 1998 to 2008 in western Sichuan, spatial dynamic variation results of regional gravity field are obtained. The relationship between the gravity variation features and Wenchuan Ms8.0 earthquake is systematically analyzed. The results show: 1 )Gravity variation is closely related to active fault tectonics, and gravity measurement can better reflect material migration following crustal tectonic activity near active fault. 2)The gravity field appeared a wider range regional gravity variation during Wenchuan earthquake occurrence. The dynamic patterns of gravity field demonstrates the evolution process of gravity field: quasi - homogeneous state--non - homogeneous state--earthquake occurrence.     

Effects of questions' repetition and variation on the efficiency of the Guilty Knowledge Test: A reexamination.

The effect of question repetition and variation on the efficiency of the Guilty Knowledge Test (GKT), based on electrodermal and respiration measures, was examined in a between-subjects experiment with 3 conditions. Each participant was presented with a sequence of 12 biographical questions. In Condition 1, a single question was repeated 12 times; in Condition 4, each of 4 different questions was repeated 3 times; and in Condition 12, 12 different questions were used. A monotonic relationship between the number of different questions used and detection efficiency was observed only with the electrodermal measure (the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves, obtained with this measure in Conditions 1, 4, and 12 were .68, .81, and .99, respectively). These results demonstrate that a GKT based on multiple questions is superior to the use of many repetitions of a single or a few questions, and it can reach an almost perfect detection efficiency. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Genetic variation and covariation in the original and restructured clinical scales of the MMPI.

The authors investigated genetic variation and covariation among the original Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory clinical and validity scales and the restructured clinical scales. Variation in most of these scales was best explained by a combination of moderate genetic influences and environmental influences not shared by cotwins. Genetic correlations among the standard clinical scales were generally substantial and positive (M = .48), whereas genetic correlations between the clinical scales and the K scale were strong and negative. The restructured clinical scales were strongly correlated with the general Demoralization scale (M = .55), with lower genetic correlations among the remaining scales (M = .39). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

ERPs in anterior and posterior regions associated with duration and size discriminations.

The main objective of the present study was to determine whether event-related potentials (ERPs) predominant in prefrontal cortex (PFC) respond in a similar fashion to ERPs predominant in posterior parietal cortex (PPC) in duration and size discrimination tasks. The results indicate that contingent negative variation (CNV) and P300 components changed according to task demands. In the time-related task, amplitudes and duration of both components increased as a function of stimulus duration and easier discriminability. This was not the case in the size discrimination task. These results are in accordance with the hypothesis of a functional link between PFC and PPC in timing behavior. The later-appearing LPCt component was observed in both tasks, but its amplitude increased only as a function of stimulus duration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Diurnal variation in rumination.

The present study investigated the daily fluctuation of ruminative thinking and its individual differences by using the experience sampling method. Participants recorded their thought contents and negative affect eight times a day for a week at semirandom intervals. High-trait ruminators showed high levels of self-focus, unpleasantness, and uncontrollability in their thoughts over the sampling course. These variables were interacted to predict the levels of concurrent negative affect: Self-focus was strongly associated with increased levels of negative affect when the thought was highly unpleasant and uncontrollable. A composite measure of rumination, including self-focus, unpleasantness, and uncontrollability, exhibited diurnal variation, which was assimilated by a quadratic function of time of day. However, there were differences in the estimated parameters of diurnal trajectories between high and low levels of depression, which indicated that individuals with higher levels of depression are more likely to engage in rumination in the evening, not in the morning, than those with lower levels of depression. These findings suggest that rumination in the evening would play an important role in the exacerbation and maintenance of depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

单位波长吸光度改变量-分光光度法的建立及其在环境样品中铬(Ⅵ)的检测应用

在吸收峰范围内,单位波长吸光度的变化幅度与被测物浓度存在一定关系,建立了基于此关系的单位波长吸光度改变量-分光光度法(ACW-S法),并探讨了其在减小样品浊度对检测结果影响方面的作用。以环境水体中铬(Ⅵ)的检测为例,验证了ACW-S法的可行性。以方法检出限、准确度和精密度为考量因素,对拟合波长范围进行了筛选,共筛选出包括570~590nm波段在内的共13个波段,在这13个波段中,铬(Ⅵ)校准曲线的线性范围介于5.0~300μg/L之间,方法检出限在0.7~1.0μg/L范围,直接测定实际样品所得加标回收率为80.0%~116%(加标的质量浓度为10.0μg/L和20.0μg/L)。ACW-S法能减小样品浊度带来的正干扰,对于显色后在750nm处的吸光度小于0.300的样品均适用,并能显著降低样品浊度对检测结果的影响,配合过滤法或浊度补偿法,可进一步提高检测效果。