La pratique répétée du Trail Making Test réduit les différences liées à l’âge sur la performance à ce test

Age-related impairment in executive functioning has been found to explain partially the decrease of cognitive performance with aging. However, the practice of an executive test can improve performance to this test. In the present study, we investigated first how the practice of the Trail Making Test (TMT, flexibility test) may influence the age-related deficit to the performance in this test and then how the performance tended to improve, and at which pace, through the practice of this executive test. Two age groups of participants (young and older adults) practiced the TMT and were compared to two control groups (i.e., no practice between pre- and post-test). The practice groups’ scores were obtained at the end of each session. Globally, the results showed an improvement of performance (1) greater in the practice groups than in the control groups and (2) in practice groups, greater in older adults than in younger ones. Both younger and older adults progressed during the early practice sessions but the younger ones reached their optimal level earlier than the older adults who continued to improve over the sessions. These results could have a major impact on adapting cognitive stimulation programs to individual's characteristics such as age.     

Le voisinage orthographique influence la catégorisation de couleur des mots différemment selon l’âge et la vitesse de traitement

The objective of this research was to determine to what extent the effect of higher-frequency orthographic neighbourhood in a word colour-categorization task is changed during aging when processing speed is taken into account. In addition, the effect of the lexicality of the stimuli on colour categorization was examined, as well as its variation according to age and processing speed. Fifty-two young adults (M_age = 21.62) and 52 older adults (M_age = 66.04) participated in this study. For each age group, two sub-groups were created according to the processing speed of the participants as measured by the WAIS Coding subtest. Two conditions of words (written in red, yellow, green or blue) were presented in a colour-categorization task. Half of the words did not have any orthographic neighbours (e.g., pistil [pistil]), while the other half had a higher-frequency neighbour (e.g., tirade [tirade]/TIRAGE [draw]). A control condition with a series of Xs was added to test the influence of the effect of the lexicality of words on the colour-categorization times. As a whole, the results showed slower colour-categorization times for words compared to a series of Xs, which did not vary with age and processing speed. Importantly, the results showed that orthographic neighbourhood frequency interacted with age and processing speed, on colour categorization response times. More precisely, the neighbourhood frequency effect was found to vary differently according to processing speed in each age group. For the fastest young adults, the facilitatory effect of higher-frequency orthographic neighbourhood was obtained, whereas no such effect was found for the slowest young adults. The fastest older adults did not exhibit any effect of higher-frequency orthographic neighbourhood whereas a facilitatory effect was observed for the slowest older adults. Therefore, these data suggest that both aging and the processing speed of the participants influence the interference effect of reading on colour categorization. These findings are discussed in the context of cognitive aging theories and models of written word recognition.     

Planification de l’âge du départ à la retraite professionnelle : contribution de l’ouverture aux expériences

The present research examines mechanisms underlying planned retirement age by applying Beehr’Model (1986). The contribution of personality traits was investigated among 300 active employees. Multiple regression analyses, performed at both broad and facet-level, revealed that Openness to experiences and ideas positively contribute to planned retirement age beyond variables of Beehr’Model (i.e., personal, contextual and psychological variables). This study contributes to an in-depth understand of planning retirement mechanisms and insists on the major role of dispositional variables.     

Recherche en santé et protection des données personnelles à l’heure du Règlement général relatif à la protection des données

France has a very rich legal framework, which defines the conditions of access and use of health data for scientific research purposes and ensures their protection. Currently, this legal framework is undergoing revision. The European regulation of April 27th 2016 on protection of natural persons in relation to the processing of personal data came into effect in EU member states since 25th May 2018 and substitute a rationale of administrative process for a rationale that empowers the researchers to document and prove compliance with the regulation (“accountability”). This regulation must be coordinated with the other regulation applicable to research in UE and with national law.     

Stratégies de contrôle adaptatives au fil de l’âge adulte et rôle des ressources cognitives dans leur déploiement

The current study investigated the age-related differences in control strategies deployment, and examined the relations of control strategies with indicators of well-being and cognitive efficiency. Eighty-five participants aged from 18 to 93 years old completed measures of control strategies and anxiety, and were administered several cognitive tests designed to assess processing speed, reasoning and episodic memory. Results showed that (1) middle-aged individuals use more control strategies based on emotional regulation and goal disengagement than younger and older individuals, (2) individuals who deploy more control strategies focused on emotions report lower levels of anxiety, and (3) cognitive resources moderate the relation between age and control strategies deployment. That is, although increased age is associated with lower deployment of control strategies, the current project showed that age effects in control strategies were weaker for people with higher levels of cognitive resources than for people with lower levels of cognitive resources.     

Différences liées à l'âge lors de la lecture de phrases : étude des processus d'activation et d'inhibition

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether a performance decrease related to normal aging can be accounted for by a decrease in activation and inhibition processes. An original categorical decision task was performed by young participants (mean: 21.46 years) and older participants (mean: 66.48 years). The task was to decide whether affirmative or negative sentences including a categorical component were correct or not. A self-space presentation was used in order to measure separate processing times for different parts of the sentence. The results showed a differential processing of the sentence components related to the participant age, which suggests a decrease in activation and inhibition processes with aging.     

L’appropriation de l’espace chez les personnes âgées dépendantes résidants en EHPAD

IntroductionThe present study focuses on space acquisition process in dependant elderly people living in institution.ObjectiveOur aim was to assess the role of the type of space and level of control on the quality of life in dependant elderly people living in institution.MethodThree variables were examined. The type of space (private versus collective, evaluated with two scales), the level of control (Levenson's IPC and EHIPA) and the quality of life (SF-36 and Geriatric Depression Scale). Our sample consisted of 30 elderly people living in institution.ResultsOur results showed that: (1) subjects appropriate more the private space than the collective space; (2) the level of control influences the acquisition process of collective space but not private space; and (3) the more subjects appropriate the collective space, the better is their quality of life.ConclusionThe results propose that potential applications should be developed in institution.     

Tracasseries quotidiennes,réminiscence et santé mentale chez l’adulte et la personne âgée : test d’un modèle structural des effets médiateurs de la réminiscence

The various functions of reminiscence are now well known. Less known is, on the other hand, the role of these functions in psychological functioning among elderly. A conceptual model in which reminiscence functions mediate the relationship between adverse experiences of everyday life and psychological well-being was developed and estimated using structural equation modeling. Data was obtained from a sample of 241 adults and elderly (55–98 years old). Hypotheses involving mediation were demonstrated using the rationale suggested by Holmbeck (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 65 [1997] 599–610) and Bootstrap procedure (MacKinnon, D.P. [2008]. Introduction to statistical mediation analysis. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates). Results indicated that reminiscence totally mediated the relationship between daily hassles and mental health as evaluated by Sense of Coherence and Ego Integrity.     

Un regard structural sur l’inégalité des genres au travail : La causalité des différences « genrées » dans les caractéristiques de réseau de l’employé

This study aims at identifying gender differences in network structure and, hence, at understanding the underlying nature of gender inequalities in organisations. The hypotheses address four ego-network characteristics: network size and density, and ego’s centrality and brokerage. Contrary to the existing body of literature, none significant isolated gender difference in network structure is identified. Instead, those gender differences are triggered exclusively by organisational status, that is to say, they are due to the increased level of power. Thus, organisational status is considered as moderating the relationship between gender and network structure’s characteristics. Some further perspectives are suggested to clarify and generalise the phenomena observed.     

Formation à la psychologie dans le contexte de l’université brésilienne

The current article aims to describe the policies and practices related to improving the teaching skills of professionals offering psychology courses in secondary school and higher education in Brazil. We first present an overview of the teacher training process, as it was adopted in this country. We also present quantitative data about professionals’ ongoing teaching activities, as well as data on the number of undergraduate and graduate programs available in various administrative categories, and in various geographic regions in Brazil. In addition, we discuss public and private policies that have had an impact on efforts to improve the quality of psychology teaching in Brazil. We conclude with some comments and suggestions, based on national literature, regarding steps that could be taken in Brazil to make further progress in promoting excellence in the teaching of psychology.     

Les préjudices professionnels des jeunes victimes de dommages corporels. Partie 3 : Les difficultés liées à l’évaluation de l’incidence professionnelle

Though professional damages in respect of young personal injury victims are recognized in principle by the Dintilhac group, and confirmed by the Court of Cassation in terms of full compensation for damages suffered, the assessment of such professional damages remains difficult, and the source of myriad legal disputes. The recognition and assessment of professional incidence raises the question of the risk of double compensation: The cumulative award of lifetime compensation for lost future earnings and of compensation for professional incidence not recognized at first by the 2nd chamber of the Court of Cassation is a source of debate in terms of both doctrine and jurisprudence. Though a source of discussion, the cumulative award of compensation for professional incidence and for educational, academic or training damages (PSUF) is more consensual.     

Construction et validation de l’échelle de mesure des croyances relatives à la laïcité

Recently, social psychology has taken an interest in attitudes and beliefs about laïcité and their relations to other variables, such as expressions of prejudice. Laïcité can be defined as the separation of churches and State, the role of the State being to assure an equality and a freedom of religion. The aim of this study was to construct a measure of beliefs of laïcité, and then to compensate for the lack of reliable measures about the possible interpretations of laïcité. The exploratory (study 1) and confirmatory factor analyses (study 2) led to sixteen items being included in the scale and representing four laïcité dimensions: public expression of religious beliefs, religious neutrality of the State and its institutions, equality of different religious beliefs, and protection of religious groups. Correlations across different dimensions showed that the public expression of religious beliefs was positively correlated with equality of different religious beliefs and negatively to neutrality of the State and its institutions. Moreover, convergent and discriminant validity (studies 2 and 3) showed that dimensions of laïcité are differently correlated with prejudice, SDO, religiosity, or with the republican model's adhesion. t-tests showed that compared to Catholics, agnostics and atheistics want a stronger religious neutrality of the State, are more in favor of an equalitarian treatment of different religious beliefs, but are less in favor of a protection of religion by State. Concerning the attachment to laïcité, this variable is only very weakly correlated with the four dimensions. Statistical analysis conducted on attachment to laïcité and other psychosocial variables such as prejudice, social dominance orientation (SDO), religiosity, religious beliefs (atheistics and agnostics vs. catholics) and political orientation showed that only SDO is (negatively) related to attachment to laïcité. These results suggest different conceptions of laïcité depending on psychosocial variable such as religion, prejudice or SDO. Finally, a test-retest has been effected on the scale (study 4). The results shown that the adhesion to the laïcité’s dimensions is stable in the time.     

Valorisation de la recherche en santé humaine et protection des données à l’ère du numérique

Medical research collects a huge number of medical data sheltered in Data Centers. An European regulation rule (GDRP) or General Data Protection Regulation aims to give an ethic frame to protect personal data and delegate responsability to citizens.     

Tâche d’évaluation de la mémoire autobiographique (TEMA) adaptée à l’enfant

IntroductionResearch on depression in children (Vrielynck, Deplus & Philippot, 2007) has documented that an overgeneral memory in autobiographical recall constitutes a vulnerability factor for affective disorders. Until now, no valid and reliable instrument in French was available to measure this variable in school-age children.ObjectiveThe objective of the study was to develop an instrument for the evaluation of the generality of the autobiographical memory recall in French speaking school-age children (7–13 years). This instrument is based on the task generally used with adults, the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT; Williams & Broadbent, 1986).MethodIn the first study, a corpus of cue words for the Tâche d’Evaluation de la Mémoire Autobiographique (TEMA) adapted for children was selected. Forty French words were judged by 221 children between 7 and 13 years on features which could impact on the specificity and emotional valence of the memories recalled (familiarity and comprehension of the word, visual imagineability, emotional assessment). In the second study, this tool was proposed to a sample of 149 children between 7 and 13 years.Results and conclusionThe between-judges reliability was comparable to the adult version of the test. The lack of stability of measured variables after 8 to 12 months is discussed in relationship with age-related developments in autobiographical memory. At last, norms are provided with respect to the emotional valence of the recalled memory and to age.