Is Early Smoking a Causal Risk Factor for Later Cognitive Impairment? A 20-year Prospective Study with Time-varying Propensity Score Matching Based on Random Intercept and Slope

Although epidemiological studies support an association between smoking and cognitive impairment, existing data do not answer the question of whether this association is causal or arises from covariates. In this paper, we investigate smoking status, assessed from adolescence to adulthood, and subsequent cognitive problems in a large representative sample of youths. To analyze this data, we propose a method for causal effects using full matching based on the subject-specific random intercept and slope of the propensity scores. The findings suggest that earlier smoking is not a causal factor for later cognitive problem (odds ratio = 1.64, 95% CI: 0.97–2.80, p = 0.06).     

A latent space model for cognitive social structures data

This paper introduces a novel approach for modeling a set of directed, binary networks in the context of cognitive social structures (CSSs) data. We adopt a relativist approach in which no assumption is made about the existence of an underlying true network. More specifically, we rely on a generalized linear model that incorporates a bilinear structure to model transitivity effects within networks, and a hierarchical specification on the bilinear effects to borrow information across networks. This is a spatial model, in which the perception of each individual about the strength of the relationships can be explained by the perceived position of the actors (themselves and others) on a latent social space. A key goal of the model is to provide a mechanism to formally assess the agreement between each actors’ perception of their own social roles with that of the rest of the group. Our experiments with both real and simulated data show that the capabilities of our model are comparable with or, even superior to, other models for CSS data reported in the literature.     

The performance advantage of traveling

Many individuals travel between countries as part of their professional routines. How do they perform during those short trips abroad? To begin to answer this question, I analyzed the outcomes of over 5 million chess games played around the world. Importantly, tournament chess provides a clean setting in which location-dependent factors are mostly irrelevant; the audiences are quiet and the referees make hardly any judgments. Controlling for differences in chess skills, I found enhanced performance among players who were competing outside of their home countries. This finding was robust to additional controls such as age, sex, and skill momentum or game practice, and to the inclusion of individual or country fixed effects. This advantage, an approximately 2% increase in game outcome, suggests that traveling has a positive effect on performance.     

The role of perceived social reality in the adoption of postmaterial values: The case of Hong Kong

While much research in the past four decades has demonstrated a turn toward postmaterial values in many developed countries in the world, there are continual debates regarding the factors behind such cultural changes. This study examines the role of certain cognitive factors in the adoption of postmaterial value orientations. Analysis of three surveys conducted between 2012 and 2016 in Hong Kong illustrate that postmaterial values are, at the individual level, tied to criticisms against social inequality and immobility. The relationship is stronger among better educated people and people with higher levels of news exposure. The analysis contributes to the broader literature on cultural change in modern societies by suggesting that social affluence is not a sufficient condition for the rise of postmaterial values. Instead, specific combinations of social conditions and a process of cognitive mobilization could initiate a postmaterial turn.     

人本疗法与认知行为疗法相结合的探讨——社会工作介入社交恐惧症的案例报告

社交恐惧心理障碍是青少年群体中较为常见的心理问题,它严重影响青少年的身心健康。本文通过一个典型案例对青少年群体的社交恐惧心理障碍进行社会工作介入：采用人本疗法与认知行为疗法相结合的方法,对案主的认知、行为和情绪等各个方面进行系统、全面的咨询与干预。从而帮助他们克服心理障碍,并取得较为满意的效果。     

英语短语动词语义扩展的认知理据

英语动词短语被广泛地认为难以掌握因为动词和小品词的组合似乎无理可循。过去一直认为它们是任意组合起来的语言现象,只能通过死记硬背的方法来学习。然而,认知语言学却认为动词短语的组合是有理据的,可以分析并加以系统化。文章援用认知语言学中的原型范畴、理想认知模型及认知域、意象图式、概念隐喻等几个经典理论,具体探讨了短语动词语义延伸的认知理据,进而阐明小品词在建构短语动词时的原理,为短语动词理解提供了认知理据。     

认知语境与话语歧义的解释

话语歧义是一种间接言语行为,它产生于言语交际双方所依赖的具体环境。认知语境观揭示了生成和理解语义的认知心理理据。认知语境是传统语境内在化的结果,它可以使歧义结构的意义具体化。本文探讨了话语歧义的成因以及认知语境对语义歧义的解释和制约。     

Death-qualified jurors and the assumption of innocence: A cognitive dissonance perspective on conviction-prone verdicts

The conviction-prone behavior of death-qualified juries is a phenomenon that has been widely observed, but is not fully understood. This work presents a cognitive dissonance perspective as a possible mechanism that may be contributing to the high rate of conviction in death-qualified juries. This review contends that the selection procedures for death qualification may create juries with attitudes that are contrary to the fundamental assumption of innocence presupposed by the court. As a result of this conflict between juror attitudes and the assumption of innocence, dissonance will occur. One path to dissonance resolution may be the act of conviction. The empirical findings from juror studies support this dissonance interpretation of the conviction-prone status of death-qualified juries. This work also reviews the legal history of the death qualification process in Witherspoon v. Illinois (1968) and Hovey v. Superior Court (1980) and summarizes the social psychological criticism that process has received.     

从认知过程谈PETS听力应试技能

听力理解的认知过程是信息处理的过程。根据PETS听力理解的要求及听力理解的认知过程理论,PETS考生应具备四项应试技能:(1)夯实的语言基础;(2)用英语思维的能力;(3)短时听觉记忆的能力;(4)预测与综合判断能力。     

Divergent Validity of Measures of Cognitive Distortions, Impulsivity, and Time Perspective in Pathological Gambling

The present study assessed the divergent validity of several self-report and objective behavioral measures for assessing pathological gambling using three samples divided by South Oaks Gambling Scale score [Lesieur, & Blume (1987). American Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 1184–1188]: pathological gamblers, potential pathological gamblers, and non-pathological gamblers. Self-report measures included the Gamblers’ Beliefs Questionnaire [GBQ; Steenbergh, Meyers, May, & Whelan (2002). Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 16, 143–149], the Gambling Passion Scale [GPS; Rousseau, Vallerand, Ratelle, Mageau, & Provencher, (2002). Journal of Gambling Studies, 18, 45–66], the Eysenck Impulsivity Questionnaire [EIQ; Eysenck, & Eysenck (1978). Psychological Reports, 43, 1247–1255], and the Stanford Time Perspective Inventory [STPI; Zimbardo, & Boyd (1999). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 1271–1288]. Behavioral tasks included the delay discounting task [Madden, Petry, Badger, & Bickel (1997). Experimental & Clinical Psychopharmacology, 5, 256–263] and the Future Time Perspectives [FTP; Wallace (1956). Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 52, 240–245]. The GBQ, GPS, Impulsivity subscale of the EIQ, and DDT all exhibited robust divergent validity, however, neither measure of time perspective discriminated between groups. Applications of these findings to etiological research and clinical contexts are discussed.This work was originally presented in November, 2003 at the 37th annual convention of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy in Boston, MA.