Sensitivity analysis and choosing between alternative polytomous IRT models using Bayesian model comparison criteria

Polytomous Item Response Theory (IRT) models are used by specialists to score assessments and questionnaires that have items with multiple response categories. In this article, we study the performance of five model comparison criteria for comparing fit of the graded response and generalized partial credit models using the same dataset when the choice between the two is unclear. Simulation study is conducted to analyze the sensitivity of priors and compare the performance of the criteria using the No-U-Turn Sampler algorithm, under a Bayesian approach. The results were used to select a model for an application in mental health data.     

Identifying beliefs behind boys’ use of mobile phones to monitor girlfriends and girls’ acceptance: a reasoned-action approach

Monitoring/controlling behaviours can be present in the early stages of an abusive relationship. Because of the need for evidence-based interventions grounded on behavioural models that identify the determinants of abusive behaviours, we applied the formative research of the reasoned action approach to: (1) conduct an elicitation study on the behavioural and normative beliefs that explain why boys use mobile phones to monitor their girlfriends and why these accept it, (2) analyse the items designed to assess the different constructs in the model and (3) carry out a preliminary exploration of the relationship between constructs. The sample was composed of 119 adolescent girls and boys between 14 and 18 years of age. Boys and girls seem to hold complementary beliefs that could produce a feedback loop that maintains the abusive behaviour. Parents are a protective factor against the behaviour whereas peers are not. Results on the item analysis and reliability of the scales were good. Intention seems an important predictor of the performance (51%) and acceptance (60%) of the behaviour and attitudes and perceived social norms of the intention (boys: 67%; girls: 65%), which suggests the appropriateness of the model for the prediction of the behaviour.     

Attitudes Toward Homosexuality in China: Exploring the Effects of Religion,Modernizing Factors,and Traditional Culture

Using the zero-inflated model and nationally representative sample data from the Chinese General Social Surveys 2013, this study systematically explored the effects of religion, modernizing factors, and traditional culture on attitudes toward homosexuality in China. The findings indicate that most Chinese people generally hold conservative attitudes toward homosexuality, as approximately 78.53% of the respondents believed that “same-sex sexual behavior is always wrong.” Modernizing factors (i.e., education, exposure to Internet information, and liberal inclinations) predicted greater tolerance for homosexuality, whereas Islamic beliefs negatively influenced respondents’ attitudes toward homosexuality. In contrast to the findings of the existing literature, Christian beliefs and traditional culture did not have significant effects on attitudes toward homosexuality. These findings may contribute to the literature by not only quantitatively testing the applicability of several factors identified in most Western studies of this topic but also providing new knowledge of attitudes toward homosexuality in the social context of China.     

“文化”场域的博弈与“遗产”价值的重构——基于彝族禳灾记忆遗产化案例的思考

彝族禳灾仪式及节日是特定人群在特定生存环境中的生活经验与集体记忆,是适应其生产生活的有效地方性知识,是彝族人对日常生活世界的意义表达。但在当下社会场域中,不同主体从自身所属利益共同体出发,赋予其形态各异的价值取向。在此过程中,禳灾记忆主体的传统地位被改变,原有“价值”在新的评判标准下被重新评价和书写。因此,本文将通过不同主体在申遗“在场”中的话语、行动和博弈,呈现申遗作为一种公共行为如何被行政权力、商业资本、地方精英、当地民众等主体进行价值重构并符号化;分析概念化的非遗保护在实践语境中的差异性及原因。在此基础上,从禳灾仪式之一的彝族儿童节“阿依蒙格”反思申遗与文化认同之间的矛盾及可能的解决路径。     

Calibrated Bayes factors for model comparison

A Bayes factor between two models can be greatly affected by the prior distributions on the model parameters. When prior information is weak, very dispersed proper prior distributions are known to create a problem for the Bayes factor when competing models differ in dimension, and it is of even greater concern when one of the models is of infinite dimension. Therefore, we propose an innovative method which uses training samples to calibrate the prior distributions so that they achieve a reasonable level of ‘information’. Then the calibrated Bayes factor can be computed over the remaining data. This method makes no assumption on model forms (parametric or nonparametric) and can be used with both proper and improper priors. We illustrate, through simulation studies and a real data example, that the calibrated Bayes factor yields robust and reliable model preferences under various situations.     

习近平“让红色基因代代相传”重要论述的三重意蕴

红色资源是我们党和国家宝贵的精神财富,见证了中国共产党艰辛、辉煌的奋斗历程。习近平“让红色基因代代相传”重要论述为新时代用好红色资源指明了前进方向,提供了根本遵循。从思想意蕴维度看,“让红色基因代代相传”重要论述体现了中国共产党人坚定理想的精神信仰,彰显了中国共产党人服务人民的政治本色,凸显了中国共产党人忠诚于党的爱国情怀,展现了中国共产党人艰苦奋斗的革命传统。从理论意蕴维度看,“让红色基因代代相传”重要论述坚持和发展了马克思主义哲学的科学方法论,创造性转化和创新性发展了中华优秀传统文化的思想智慧,为指导新时代治国理政实践提供了基本方略。从实践意蕴维度看,“让红色基因代代相传”重要论述构建了发挥好新时代人才资源、保护好红色基因物态资源、弘扬好红色基因精神资源的具体路径。     

民间信仰对女娲形象的双重演绎

在远古神话中,女娲创造世界、孕育人类,是一副大神的气派,而在后世驳杂的民间信仰中,女娲形象又被重新演绎塑造。民间信仰的世俗性与神圣性的复杂扭结造成了女娲形象双重演绎过程,一方面将女娲由远古神祇演绎为人类慈祥的母亲,充满了人间烟火气;另一方面女娲又被赋予无所不能的神力,成为万人敬仰的大神。这是一个交叉式的双向互动,其复杂性是和民间信仰的混沌性共生的。女娲在民间的这种存在方式最终决定了女娲文化信仰现存状态和未来演变的流向,这对于民间女娲文化信仰的传承与发展有着重要的意义。     

汉藏大学生精神信仰的跨文化比较

本文采用问卷法,对778名汉族和776名藏族大学生进行了调查,结果表明：汉藏大学生社会信仰占优势;藏族大学生比汉族大学生有更明确的信仰。藏族大学生重视生命崇拜、宗教信仰、家族崇拜和金钱崇拜;汉族重视民族主义、家庭主义。     

传统民间信仰与现代生活

本文从民间信仰的三类主要崇拜对象俗神、灵物、符号入手,探讨了中国传统民间信仰的构成、演变规律。并着重探讨了传统民间信仰对当代生活的影响,认为大部分传统民间信仰已演变成无害甚至有益的文化事象,只有少部分仍起着危害民众的作用。