Table of Content

15 January 2022, Volume 38 Issue 1

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Unstable Control Deprivation Impairs Working Memory Updating

XU Junting, BAO Wei, LUO Junlong

Psychological Development and Education. 2022, 38(1):  1-9.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2022.01.01

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Updating function is important for working memory. Some studies found control deprivation can impair the cognitive flexibility in working memory, while others believed that control deprivation can improve information processing capabilities. The important function of working memory updating is to process information. Therefore, the relationship between control deprivation and working memory updating is not clear. The present study intended to investigate whether and how updating function changes in a state of control deprivation. Two experiments were conducted to examine the influence of the stability of control deprivation on working memory updating. The result of experiment 1 indicated that no difference was observed between baseline group and deprivation group in terms of response time and accuracy. Meanwhile, there was no interaction effect between sense of control and difficulty of the updating task. Experiment 2 also demonstrated that there was no difference between baseline group and stable deprivation group. However, compared with baseline group, unstable deprivation showed a lower level of accuracy of the updating task, and the discrimination ability was lower than that of the stable deprivation group. In conclusion, the results of these two experiments proved that stable control deprivation did not hinder working memory updating. Interestingly, under the condition of deprivation of unstable control sense, the performance of updating task was significantly reduced. That is to say, the effect of control deprivation on working memory updating might depend on the stability of its manipulation.

Employing Signal Detection Theory and Structural Knowledge to Separate Knowledge Acquired from Artificial Grammar Learning

YANG Haibo, DONG Liang, ZHOU Wanru

Psychological Development and Education. 2022, 38(1):  10-16.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2022.01.02

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The logic process of SDT is identical with the PDP (Jacoby,1991), which helps to separate conscious and unconscious knowledge to some extent. The hit means that participants consciously or unconsciously identify the grammatical letter strings as grammatical, which is approximate to the inclusion test, p_(hit)=C+UC(1-C).The false alarm means that participants unconsciously regard the ungrammatical letter strings as grammatical, which is approximate to the exclusion test, p_{(false alarm)}=UC(1-C).This procedure can avoid three drawbacks of structural knowledge measures(Ivanchei & Moroshkina, 2018), which conceals the dissociation between conscious and unconscious knowledge. This paper investigates the dissociation between conscious and unconscious knowledge, employing structural knowledge and signal detection theory.With 2 (measure methods:SDTT vs. SKT)×2(degree of learning:30 trials vs. 60 trials) mixed design and the same experimental materials to Ivanchei and Moroshkina (2018)' experiment 2, the results showed that the degree of learning affects the unconscious knowledge acquired, but does not affect the conscious knowledge acquired. Further, in separating the knowledge acquired from artificial grammar learning, the sensitivity of the SDTT is higher than that of the SKT. Additionally, the SKT exaggerated the consciousness components in metacognition.

Age Alters the Effects of Emotional Valence on the Cognitive Mechanisms Underlying False Memory

GUO Ying, XIAO Hongrui, GONG Xianmin, WANG Dahua

Psychological Development and Education. 2022, 38(1):  17-25.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2022.01.03

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Using categorical pictures with positive, negative and neutral valence, we applied a modified version of the simplified conjoint recognition paradigm, combined with a statistical method of multinomial processing tree model to 28 old adults (aged 67.95±4.70 years) and 29 (aged 22.60±2.74 years) younger adults so as to investigate how age alters the effects of emotional valence on the cognitive mechanisms underlying false memory. The behavioral results revealed significant age-related differences in emotional false "remembering". Specifically, both age groups showed higher rates of false "remembering" for negative related probes, but only old adults showed higher rates of false "remembering" for positive related probes. The cognitive mechanism underlying the observed "positivity effects" in false "remembering" among old adults stemmed from the process of phantom recollection, as positive valence promotes the process of phantom recollection only in old adults, but not in younger adults.

The Effects of Aging on Top-down Attentional Processing under Different Search Situations

WU Xia, ZHONG Xiping, JIANG Yunpeng

Psychological Development and Education. 2022, 38(1):  26-34.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2022.01.04

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In visual search, top-down and bottom-up processing can flexibly capture task-relative information and inhibit task-irrelative information according to different search situations. Specifically, the top-down processing can be enhanced when target is a salient stimulus among distractors, while the bottom-up processing can be enhanced when the target is not the salient stimulus. However, it is unclear that whether older people can adopt different attentional processing under different target situations as young people. In order to investigate the effects of aging on the flexibility of attention, the present study employed young and old people to participate a spatial cue target paradigm. Participants were instructed to search for a predefined color target and the target displays were preceded by spatially unpredicted color singleton cues. Color consistency of the distractors (consistent vs. inconsistent) was manipulated to change the salience situations of the target, Matching level of cue and target (task-relative vs. task-irrelative) was manipulated to investigate the top-down and bottom-up processing, Validity of cue (valid vs. invalid) was manipulated to measure the effects of attentional capture and inhibition. Results showed that, for young people, the effects of attentional capture for task-relative cues in salient situation was significantly smaller than that in the non-salient situation, suggesting that the young people can flexibly regulate the attentional processing according to different target situations. However, the result was disappeared for elders, indicating a lack of flexibility with aging. More importantly, the results of the IES (RT/ACC) showed a cue validity effect for the task-relative cue and a reversed cue validity effect for the task-irrelative cue in elder, indicating the remaining effects of attentional capture and inhibition of aging. In sum, the present study reveals that aging can decrease the flexibility of cognitive control, but still can retain the attentional capture for task-relative stimulus and the attentional inhibition for task-irrelative stimulus, which challenges the impaired inhibition ability of aging.

The Relationships between Executive Functions and Problem Behavior: Situational Specificity and Gender Differences

BAI Rong, YAN Rong, WANG Qian, LI Ye, XING Shufen

Psychological Development and Education. 2022, 38(1):  35-44.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2022.01.05

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This study examined the relationships between the specific components of executive function (EF) and problem behavior across different genders and contexts. Executive functions of 101 preschool children (48 boys) were measured by cognitive experimental tasks. One year later, boys' and girls' internalizing and externalizing behavior in home-and school-settings were measured by mother's reports and teachers' assessments. The results showed that boys' inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and working memory negatively predicted their externalizing behavior in home-context; their cognitive flexibility negatively predicted externalizing behavior in school-context. Boys' inhibition positively predicted their internalizing behavior only in school-context. For girls, their cognitive flexibility positively predicted externalizing behavior only in school-context. No relationship was found among the girls between EFs and problem behavior in home-context. These findings suggested that the relationships between executive functions and problem behavior showed not only different patterns, but also situational specificity and gender differences.

The Relationship between Adolescents' Online Positive Self-presentation and Well-being: The Role of Online Positive Feedback and Self-esteem

JIANG Yongzhi, BAI Xiaoli, ZHANG Lu, ZHAO Siqi

Psychological Development and Education. 2022, 38(1):  45-53.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2022.01.06

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In order to investigate the relationship between online positive self-presentation and well-being, and the mediating role of online positive feedback in the relationship between them and the moderating role of self-esteem on this mediating model. A survey research method was adopted in which the social networking self-presentation questionnaire, social networking positive feedback questionnaire, oxford well-being questionnaire as well as the self-esteem Scales were administered to 1804 middle and high school students. The results indicated that:(1)The relationships between online positive self-presentation, online positive feedback, self-esteem and well-being were significantly positive correlation; (2)Online positive self-presentation not only had a direct negative predictive effect on well-being, but also affects well-being through the mediating role of online positive feedback; (3)Self-esteem not only moderate the direct effect of online positive self-presentation on well-being, but also moderate the first half of the mediating effect of online positive self-presentation on well-being through online positive feedback. The research reveals the mechanism of the relationship between online positive self-presentation and well-being of adolescents, which helps to guide adolescents to promote the development of positive psychological quality through the use of social networks.

Relationship between Social Anxiety and Academic Engagement among Adolescence: The Mediating Role of Intentional Self-regulation and the Age Difference

ZHOU Aibao, HU Yanbing, LIU Jingtao, LU Xiaoyong, WANG Youli, ZHOU Yingxin

Psychological Development and Education. 2022, 38(1):  54-63.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2022.01.07

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In this study, 1597 adolescents were recruited from 6 middle schools, high schools and universities. On the one hand, the characteristics of social anxiety, intentional self-regulation and academic engagement in the development of adolescents were investigated; On the other hand, the study was investigated to examine the mediating effect of intentional self-regulation and the moderating of puberty between social anxiety and academic engagement. The results showed:(1) As adolescence age, their levels of social anxiety decrease; Compared to middle and late adolescence, the level of academic engagement is low in middle adolescence; (2)The social anxiety can significantly negative predictor of the academic engagement of adolescents; (3)The intentional self-regulation plays a completely mediating role between social anxiety and academic engagement; (4)The mediating effect of intentional self-regulation in middle and late adolescence was significant, but the mediating effect of intentionality self-regulation is not significant in early adolescence. It means:(1)Adolescence can reduce their levels of social anxiety as they age; (2)Middle adolescence is faced with complex developmental tasks, which are not conducive to their academic engagement; (3)Social anxiety can significantly predict adolescents academic engagement, and intentional self-regulation is the intermediary bridge between middle and late adolescence.

Relationship between Mother's Son Preference and Parent-child Communication: The Moderating Role of Children's Gender

LIU Chunhui, LIU Sijia, GUO Xiaolin, LUO Liang

Psychological Development and Education. 2022, 38(1):  64-71.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2022.01.08

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Son preference is a phenomenon in which parents prefer sons, breed more sons and invest more in sons. In present study, the mothers of 653 fifth grade students were surveyed in order to explore the relationship among son preference, parent-child communication and children's gender. Results are below:(1) Mothers of non-only and migrant children, with lower levels of education, more than 2 children in the family, and children ranked second and above with the children tested have higher levels of son preference; (2) Moderation modeling indicated that children's gender plays a significant moderating role in the relationship between mothers' son preference and the parent-child communication. Further simple slope test showed that for girls, parent-child communication showed a significant downward trend with the increase of mothers' son preference; for boys, mothers' son preference did not significantly predict parent-child communication. This moderating effect reveals the negative impact of son preference on daughters' parent-child communication, suggesting that in the context of emphasizing gender equality, son preference is still a noticeable phenomenon, especially in the key period of child personality and habit formation, mothers who are the primary caregivers deserve more attention.

How Does Computational Fluency Refine Math Anxiety in Early Elementary School Children? Evidence from Variable-oriented and Person-oriented Analyses

WU Jiawang, LI Hongxia, SI Jiwei

Psychological Development and Education. 2022, 38(1):  72-80.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2022.01.09

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To explore the relationship among computational fluency, interest in mathematical learning, teacher support and math anxiety in early elementary school using variable-oriented and person-oriented approaches, 592 children in the second grade of elementary school were measured by the Scale of Interest in Mathematical Learning, the Questionnaire on Perceived Mathematics Teacher Support, the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale and the Chinese Rating Scale of Pupil's Mathematics Abilities. Variable-oriented analysis revealed that computational fluency could predict math anxiety not only through interest in mathematical learning, but through interest in mathematical learning and teacher support indirectly. According to the LPA of computational fluency and interest in mathematics learning with the person-oriented analysis, we identified 3 latent profiles-low ability-low interest type, high ability-high interest type and low ability-high interest type-and found that these profiles differentially predicted math anxiety. Specifically, low ability-low interest type children's math anxiety was significantly higher than the other two types, while there was no significant difference between low ability-high interest and high ability-high interest types children in math anxiety. These findings emphasized the importance of computational fluency, interest in mathematics learning and teacher support in preventing and intervening math anxiety of children in the early grades of primary school.

Grade 10 Students' Achievement Goal Orientation Patterns and Their Academic Adjustment: Based on Latent Profile Analysis

XU Xinpei, MO Lingfei, LIU Ming, DENG Ciping

Psychological Development and Education. 2022, 38(1):  81-89.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2022.01.10

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The present study aimed to investigate high school students' achievement goal orientation patterns and their academic adjustment. Participants were 732 students in grade 10, from four high schools located in a major city of China (i.e., Beijing, Xi'an, Guangzhou and Fuzhou). Data were collected on students' reported achievement goal orientations, academic efficacy, academic self-handicapping, learning strategies and test anxiety. The results showed that:(1) Student achievement goal orientations could be divided into four types, namely, success-oriented group, academic-indifferent group, typical and non-typical mastery-oriented group. Typical and non-typical mastery-oriented groups were the majority; (2) The students in success-oriented group had the higher score on adaptive academic indicators (academic efficacy and learning strategies) and maladaptive academic indicators (self-handicapping and test anxiety) than typical and non-typical mastery-oriented groups; academic-indifferent group had the lowest scores on all variables. These results support the multiple goal theory and have important implications for the prevention and intervention of academic maladjustment.

The Relationship between Perceived Discrimination and Left-behind Adolescent's Loneliness: The Moderating Roles of Separation Age and Separation Duration

ZHANG Yihan, ZHANG Ting, ZHAO Jingxin

Psychological Development and Education. 2022, 38(1):  90-99.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2022.01.11

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A total of 1177 left-behind adolescents were recruited from five middle schools in Shandong province, including 394 adolescents from two-parent-migrant families and 783 adolescents from father-migrant families. These adolescents completed self-report scales on investigating relationships between perceived discrimination and loneliness, examining the moderating roles of separation age and separation duration the relationships. Results indicated that:(1) The adolescents from the two-parent-migrant families showed a significantly higher level of perceived discrimination than the adolescents from the father-migrant families, and the level of boy's loneliness was higher than girls; (2) Perceived discrimination significantly positively predicted left-behind adolescents's loneliness, especially for adolescents from two-parent-migrant families; (3) Perceived discrimination significantly predicted loneliness of adolescents from two-parent-migrant families when those adolescents separated from their parents at a younger age; Perceived discrimination strongly predicted left-behind adolescents's loneliness, especially for adolescents with shorter separation duration; (4) Separation duration moderated the relationship between perceived discrimination and adolescents's loneliness in father-migrated families, and the moderating effect varied according to the separation age.

The Relationship between Cumulative Family Risk and Emotional Problems among Impoverished Children: A Moderated Mediation Model

YUAN Yanyun, WANG Zhihang, SUN Qing, WANG Dongfang, YIN Xiayun, LI Zhihua

Psychological Development and Education. 2022, 38(1):  100-108.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2022.01.12

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With a sample of 468 Chinese impoverished children (mean age=13.76 years, SD=2.88), the current study aimed to examine the association between cumulative family risk and emotional problems, and further to explore the potential mediating role of school connectedness and the potential moderating role of self-esteem on such relationship. Results showed that:(1) Cumulative family risk positively predicted emotional problems among impoverished children; (2) School connectedness played a mediating role in the relationship between cumulative family risk and emotional problems, that is, cumulative family risk could predict children's emotional problems in poverty via school connectedness; (3) Self-esteem served as a moderator between cumulative family risk and school connectedness. Specifically, self-esteem buffered the impact of cumulative family risk on school connectedness, and this buffering effect of self-esteem was smaller under a higher level of cumulative family risk. Overall, these findings suggested that family risk factors and school connectedness are key predictors of children's emotional problems in poverty, and we should not be over-optimistic about the protective role of self-esteem in impoverished children.

Father Coparenting and Adolescent Depression in Nuclear Families: The Mediating Roles of Father-child Attachment and Mother-child Attachment

ZHAO Fengqing, CHENG Beibei, LI Yixuan, LIU Zhibin, LIU Bing, ZHANG Baoshan

Psychological Development and Education. 2022, 38(1):  109-117.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2022.01.13

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Based on family system theory, this study examined the relationship between father coparenting (four dimensions:integrity, consistency, conflict, and bias) and adolescents' depression, as well as the mediating roles of parental attachment. A total of 890 junior high and senior high school students from nuclear families finished father coparenting, father-child attachment, mother-child attachment, and depression measures voluntarily. The results showed that:(1) Coparenting integrity significantly and negatively predicted adolescents' depression, and coparenting conflict significantly and positively predicted adolescents' depression, while consistency and bias did not predict depression significantly; (2) Coparenting integrity, consistency, conflict, and bias significantly predicted adolescents' attachment with mother, supporting the "crossover effect"; coparenting integrity and conflict significantly predicted adolescents' attachment with father, supporting the "spillover effect"; (3) The mediation analysis showed that the direct effect of coparenting integrity, consistency, and conflict were not significant, coparenting integrity and conflict may influence adolescent depression via mother-child attachment, while the mediating role of father-child attachment was not significant. These results would contribute to the knowledge of father coparenting, benefit the practice of family education, and promote adolescents' positive development.

The More “Gossip”, the More Addicted: The Relationship Between Interpersonal Curiosity and Social Networking Sites Addiction Tendencies in College Students

DING Qian, WANG Zhaoqi, ZHANG Yongxin, ZHOU Zongkui

Psychological Development and Education. 2022, 38(1):  118-125.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2022.01.14

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Based on the Uses and Gratifications Theory and the Limited Resource Model of Self-Control, the present study examined the relationship between interpersonal curiosity and social networking sites (SNS) addiction tendencies among college students. On this basis, a moderated mediation model was constructed to investigate the mediating role of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and the moderating role of trait self-control. Through a convenient sampling, 621 college students who had been using WeChat Moments or QQ zone in a comprehensive university in Hubei or Henan provinces were recruited to complete a battery of questionnaires. Results indicated that:(1) Interpersonal curiosity was positively correlated with FoMO and SNS addiction tendencies, and negatively correlated with trait self-control; FoMO was positively correlated with SNS addiction tendencies, and negatively correlated with trait self-control; and trait self-control was negatively correlated with SNS addiction tendencies; (2) FoMO played a mediating role between interpersonal curiosity and SNS addiction tendencies, trait self-control moderated the second half of this mediating pathway. In particular, compared with the students with high trait self-control, the indirect effect was more significant for the students with low trait self-control. The present study reveals the influence of interpersonal curiosity on SNS addiction tendencies and its mechanism among college students, which has certain guiding significance for the intervention of college students SNS addiction.

Effects of Mental Health of Disabled Children on Parenting Stress: A Moderated Mediation Model

MA Li, WANG Tao

Psychological Development and Education. 2022, 38(1):  126-133.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2022.01.15

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Adopting Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to investigate 199 parents of disabled children in this study, to explore the relationship between mental health of disabled children and parenting stress, and to reveal the mediating role of prosocial behavior, as well as the moderating role of the influence level of difficulties. The results displayed that:(1) Emotional behavior problems of disabled children positively predicted parenting stress; (2) Prosocial behavior mediated the relationship between mental health of disabled children and parenting stress; (3) The influence level of difficulties moderate the mediating effect, when the influence is smaller, the mediation effect is more significant. The results suggest that prosocial behavior plays a buffering role in the relationship between mental health of disabled children and parenting stress, and the effect will be more obviously when the influence is smaller.

The Mechanisms of Poverty Impedes Children's Executive Function

REN Yi, HUANG Silin

Psychological Development and Education. 2022, 38(1):  134-143.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2022.01.16

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Children from low socioeconomic status backgrounds generally show poorer executive function performances, which may far reach into their adulthood as compared to their peers from more affluent families. In response to reveal the underlying mechanism between poverty and children's executive function, significant research efforts have been made from a range of levels, such as behavior, physiological and brain level. In this review, the relationship between poverty and children executive function was studied comprehensively by systematical reviewing of recent research literatures on cumulative risk, adaptive load and prefrontal structure and function. It is important to note that several aspects such as the positive effect of poverty on certain components of children's executive function, the mechanism of deprivation risk, adaptive load and the neural mechanism of related brain areas are necessary for future study. Additionally, an integrated framework of behavior-physiology-brain underlying the poverty is introduced for expanding future research fields.

What is Intelligence? Adults' Naïve Theories of Intelligence

WANG Zhiqiao, HU Qingfen

Psychological Development and Education. 2022, 38(1):  144-152.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2022.01.17

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Naïve Theories of Intelligence are laypeople's empirical understandings about intelligence. As an important part of Naïve Theories, naïve theories of intelligence enrich our knowledge of how people understand the real world. The present article reviewed a wide range of studies about adults' naïve theories of intelligence through three topics:adults' concepts of the nature of intelligence, their influence factors, and adults' estimations of self and others' intelligence. Across cultures, adults' concepts of intelligence include three components invariably, i.e., problem solving ability, verbal ability, and social competence. These results resemble the conclusions scientific theories of intelligence drew. Environment, culture, and age of the prototypes also influence adults' conceptions of intelligence. Moreover, adults are mediumly accurate when estimating self and others' IQ. In conclusion, adults have mediumly precise understandings of both the components and the extent of peoples' intelligence. Personal experiences from variable sources might shape adults' naïve theories of intelligence.