从字形到语义：跨语言Stroop效应的ERP研究

According to the influential dual-route model of reading (Coltheart, Rastle et al. 2001), there are two routes to access the meaning of visual words: one directly by orthography (orthography-semantic) and the other indirectly via the phonology (phonology-semantic). Because of the dramatic difference between written Chinese and alphabetical languages, it is still on debate whether Chinese readers have the same semantic activation processes as readers of alphabetical languages. In this study, the semantic activation processes in alphabetical German and logographic Chinese were compared. Since the N450 for incongruent color words in the Stroop tasks was induced by the semantic conflict between the meaning of the incongruent color words and color naming, this component could be taken as an index for semantic activation of incongruent color words in Stroop tasks. Two cross-script Stroop experiments were adopted to investigate the semantic activation processes in Chinese and German. The first experiment focused on the the role of phonology, while the second one focused on the realative importance of orthography. Cultural differences in cognitive processing between individuals in western and eastern countries have been found (Nisbett & Miyamoto, 2005). In order to exclude potential differences in basic cognitive processes like visual discrimination capabilities during reading, a visual Oddball experiment with non-lexical materials was conducted with all participants. However, as indicated by the P300 elicited by deviant stimuli in both groups, no group difference was observed. In the first Stroop experiments, color words (e.g., “green”), color-word associates (e.g., “grass”), and homophones of color words were used. These words were embedded into color patches with either congruent color (e.g. word “green” in green color patch) or incongruent colors (e.g. word “green” in either red or yellow or blue color patch). The key point is to observe whether homophones in both languages could induce similar behavioral and ERP Stroop effects to that induced by color words. It was also interesting to observe to which extent the N450 was related to the semantic conflicts. Nineteen Chinese adult readers and twenty German adult readers were asked to respond to the back color of these words in the Stroop experiment in their native languages by pressing the corresponding keys. In the behavioral data, incongruent conditions (incongruent color words, incongruent color-word associates, incongruent homophones) had significantly longer reaction times as compared to corresponding congruent conditions. All incongruent conditions in the Geman group elicited an N450 in the 400 to 500 ms time window. In the Chinese group, the N450 in the same time window was also observed for the incongruent color words and incongruent color-word associates. These results indicated that the N450 was very sensitive to semantic conflict-even words with semantic association to colors (e.g. “grass”) could elicite similar N450. However, the N450 was absent for incongruent homophones of color words in the Chinese group. Instead, in a later time window (600-800 ms), incongruent homophones elicited a positivity over left posterior regions as compared to congruent homophones. Similar positivity was also observed for color words in the 700 to 1000 ms time window in the Chinese group and 600 to 1000 ms time window for incongruent color words and homophones in the Geman group. These results indicate that phonology plays an important role in Geman semantic activation processes, but not in Chinese. In the second Stroop experiment, color words and pseudowords which had similiar visual shape to color words in both languages were used as materials. Another group of eighteen Chinese and twenty Germans were involved in the Stroop experiment in their native languages.The ERPs were recorded during their performance. In the behavioral data, strong and comparable Stroop effects (as counted by substract the reaction times in the congruent conditions from reaction times in the incongruent conditions) were observed. In the ERP data, both incongruent color words and incongruent pseudowords elicited an N450 over the whole brain scalp in both groups. These results indicated that orthography played an equally important role in semantic activation processes in both languages. The results of the two Stroop experiments support the view that the semantic activation process in Chiense readers differs significantly from that in German readers. The former rely mainly on the direct route (orthography-semantic), while the latter use both direct route and incirect route (phonology-semantic). These findings also indicate that the characteritics of different languages shape the semantic activation processes.

教养方式、亲子关系对青少年给予母亲情感支持的影响

Emotional support, as an important form of social supports, has great impact on the life of both caregivers and receivers. Many studies on adult children and old parents indicate that emotional support is closely related to parents’ well-being, and the relation quality between old parents and adult children is one of the factors influencing adult children’s support offering. However, the study on adolescents’ emotional support to their parents is quite rare. What’s more, it has been found that emotional support skills children have learnt at home have life-time influence on children’s response to other’s emotional needs. It is assumed that to some extent the emotional support styles between parents and adolescents are relatively stable, and they are related to the care children give to their parents after they advance to old age. Hence, it is necessary to study the emotional support of adolescent in order to at last improve the well-being of old parents. Totally speaking, the aim of this study is to explore the relation between parenting styles and adolescents’ emotional support offering, as well as the effects of mother-child relationships. In addition, culture is a factor having impact on parenting styles, parent-child relationships and emotional support. So we have designed this cross-cultural study to explore cultural differences. The results are as follows: (1) As to Chinese and Indonesian mothers, their Acceptance of adolescents’ behaviors has significant positive predictive effect on children’s emotional support. Besides, the Intimacy and Approval dimensions of mother-child relationships partially mediate the path from parenting styles to emotional support offering, and those effects have no significant difference in China and Indonesia. (2) Chinese and Indonesian mother’s Rejection to adolescents has significant positive predictive effect on Conflict between mothers and adolescents, but has no direct effect on adolescents’ emotional support offering. (3) Adolescents’ support offering has no significant predictive effect on their willingness to help their parents. (4) Adolescents’ support offering has significant predictive effect on their motivation to provide emotional support to their parents. However, the relation between adolescents’ support offering and the willingness to help their parents is not clear. (5) Adolescents have scored high in Acceptance parenting style dimension and relatively low in Rejection dimension, which indicate that mothers in China and Indonesia adopt positive parenting styles. Both Chinese and Indonesian mother-child relationships are good. However, Indonesian adolescents have perceived more Intimacy and Approval from mothers, and there is no significant difference between Chinese and Indonesian adolescents and mothers in the dimension of Conflict.

工作社会规范观念的心理学研究与跨文化比较

Data on meaning of working (MOW) were collected from 905 respondents in Beijing area through a stratified sampling procedure of the questionnaire used in the restudy of meaning of working (which is still on going, adapted for using in China). Some parts of the factor structure obtained in this study are similar to what found by the MOW International Research Team (1987). Detailed analysis and cross-cultural comparisons were concentrated on the most similar parts societal norms about working (SNW). T-scores of the obligation norm (ON) and entitlement norm (EN) of Chinese were calculated based on the reaction frequencies of relevant items provided by the MOW International Research Team and shown as follows. The results reveal the obligation orientation characteristic of Chinese respondents. And more, 4 SNW patterns of Chinese respondents were obtained through multivariate cluster analysis and multivariate discrimination analysis and shown as follows. The influences of antecedent variables on SNW and the consequences of SNW were analyzed. Two questions were raised from these analyses: 1) The present measurements of SNW are not able to reflect the nature of the relation and dependency between ON and EN and are not free from social desirability; 2) the relationship between SNW and actual working behaviors need to be tested while the relationship between SNW and several work intentions was confirmed. A forced-choice scale of SNW was designed to overcome the shortcomes of the original scale. This scale includes 30 items. Each item is composed of a ON statement and a EN statement with similar values of social desirability. A repertory grids test was used to exam the constructure validity and to analyze the differences of cognitive structures of the 4 SNW patterns. The results indicated that the new scale had a good discrimination power. An experiment was designed to test the relationship of SNW and the actual work behaviors of the respondents. The respondents' action in completing a task was chosen as working behavior index. 4 hypotheses were tested: 1) higher obligation orientation subjects are more likely to complete tasks no matter overtime; 2) scheduled tasks are more likely to be completed no matter overtime; 3) the obligation norm about working is positively correlated with general obligation norms; and, 4) external motivtors will enhance lower obligation orientation subjects' working motivation more than higher obligation orientation subjects' the results verified hypothesis 1 and 3, but didn't support hypothesis 2 and 4 these findings will have great implication in administrating.