Les représentations philosophiques de la relation entre l’« esprit » et le cerveau des enseignants-chercheurs de psychologie : quelques implications

The history of psychology has been marked by strong methodological, theoretical and epistemological controversies. In this paper, we evaluate the hypothesis that these well-known controversies are often implicitly supported by philosophical, metaphysical and probably religious oppositions. The focus of our investigation concerns the classical opposition in philosophy between dualism and physicalism, more specifically the complex relationship between the brain and the mind. One hundred and sixty-six teachers and researchers (30 in clinical psychology, 37 in cognitive psychology, 31 in development psychology, 38 in social psychology and 30 in neurosciences) from 8 French universities have accepted to participate in this survey by responding to a questionnaire made of 17 questions. Data were analyzed using factor analysis technique and the results of the principal component analysis (PCA) revealed four main factors that are more likely to define accurately the philosophical profile of each sub-discipline. The main result of this survey is that philosophical and metaphysical positions, at the foundations of psychology, clearly distinguish and oppose the five studied sub-disciplines. At one extreme, there are cognitive psychologists and neuroscientists who are strongly physicalist. To the contrary, clinical and social psychologists exhibit more dualistic representation. Developmental psychologists occupy an intermediate position between these two extremes. Finally, we analyzed the implications of the participants’ philosophical representation differences, from an epistemological and clinical/practical point of view. The important point is that these philosophical and metaphysical oppositions are largely implicit. Indeed, inside our community, it is very rare, if not exceptional, that they are explicitly involved in the theoretical or epistemological conflicts, which exist inside our discipline. However, it is probable that they play a massive role in our debates, a role all the more important, as we are largely unconscious of them. The current study is the first to tackle such an important topic by describing more accurately the philosophical representation of scholars in major sub-fields of psychology. By revealing such deep metaphysical oppositions, we hope to shed a new light on the origins of these persisting conflicts in psychology.     

Stress scolaire des collégiens et des lycéens : effet de l’appréhension de l’orientation et de la pression de la note

The aim of this study was to test the predictive effect of two variables related to meritocratic ideology and possibly associated with academic stress: academic orientation related worries and apprehension of school evaluation. Differential effects of these variables on stress were also investigated regarding gender and school (middle-high and high schools). Six hundred and nine secondary students completed a questionnaire. Results show that emotional worries regarding academic orientation and apprehension of school evaluation are significant predictors of academic stress. Results reveal differential effects for middle-high school and high school students. In practice, grading and methods used to this aim should be carefully considered as well as the support offered regarding orientation project of middle-high school students especially.     

Déclaration de l’ITC sur l’utilisation des tests et autres instruments de mesure à des fins de recherche scientifique

This document is intended to promote the belief that test use in research should abide by legal and ethical principles as well as best practice standards and that tests should be used by competent professionals who focus attention on the rights of test-takers and other parties involved in the testing process. Issues discussed in this document highlight these considerations.     

Le protocole individuel en psychologie : tutoriel à l’usage des psychologues praticiens

Although single-case design seems to be an appropriate method for practicing psychologists as it fits perfectly with the evidence-based practice framework, their use remains quasi-anecdotal in psychology. The aim of the present article is to present the advantages of single-case protocols and to demonstrate the ease of their implementation. It provides practitioners with a tutorial of a free open-source statistical program (SCDA) to analyze single-case data. The main results from a single-case protocol are presented and illustrated through an example. Strategies for integrating these protocols in the clinical practice are discussed. This tutorial could encourage the use of the single-case design in research and practice settings.     

Ouvrir le dialogue pour comprendre l’activité. Un exemple de méthode en psychologie du travail

The investigations in occupational psychology are conditioned by the way events are observed and interpreted. When we approach subjectivity, it is necessary to understand what is hidden. And the angle from which we look at determines the analysis. This is to highlight the significance of the action. Those who work interpret situations, so they cannot be reduced to their action. But how can we reach the sense of a behaviour? The problem of interpretation arises. Understanding the activity, is trying to share the contents with the subject investigated. Therefore, the direct observation of a behaviour is not synonymous with objectivity. Through two examples of the preparatory phase of our inquiries, we present persons who explain us their professional activity. In these exchanges, what is said depends on the mode of entry. The objective is to engage the subject to explain his work to understand and transform. For this, the methodology can only be indirect. The resulting methods enable the subject to talk about what he does and come back on his activity to develop.     

Psychologie en première et en troisième personne : de la « psychologie concrète » à la psychologie clinique

This article presents some basic concepts proposed by G. Politzer, articulated around the concept of “tragic life”, in the literary sense of the composition of a complex of events, actions and people, unity and meaning can only be realized in “first person”. In this context, defining the perimeter of legitimacy of clinical psychology, a “fact” specifically psychological necessarily corresponds to an act which takes existence and feel like segment of a human drama, as an effective act of the singular individual. Critics resulting analyzes relate to the abstract and formal perspective of scientific psychology, which considers classes of facts rather than facts, designing them as entities in themselves, the external I they are demonstrations. The explanatory model which necessarily carries out field of concrete psychology since its causalists schemes have lost sight of the act “first person”. And psychologists would not have noticed that “I remove the psychological facts is destroying them.” (G. Politzer). The person, in his psychic dimension, can only be understood from the person, which makes it possible to specify the field of clinical psychology, and more generally, of any clinical approach.     

Intérêts et limites de l’utilisation d’une méthodologie mixte : à propos d’une recherche en psychologie de la santé

Recently, the health social sciences, like some fields of psychology, have progressively adopted qualitative methods, particularly in English-speaking countries. When they come in addition to quantitative methods, they are called “mixed methodologies”. Among other reasons, these approaches suffer nonetheless of a lack of acknowledgement because of a still topical debate opposing the positivist-objectivist and the constructivist paradigms. Another reason to this lack of acknowledgement is due to the fact that several authors explain the use of a mixed methodology according to pragmatic arguments. The authors of this paper briefly present these debates and their pertinence in health psychology research and try to overcome them by showing that it is possible to make mixed methodologies fall within a constructivist approach. Their proposal is exemplified through a research work about organ donation decision led in Switzerland. Actually, this research embed multiple and complex factors that offer an appropriated ground for the use of a mixed methodology, qualitative and quantitative.     

Jeux de hasard et d’argent en ligne : quelles spécificités en matière de réduction des risques ?

Initially conceived as an alternative to abstinence-based approaches, the initial goal of harm-reduction was to reduce the health consequences of drug use. Applied to all addictive behaviors (with or without use), it aims to reduce the individual and social problems generated by addiction without condemning the behavior. Harm-minimisation remained very poor in the gambling field. However, the legalization of online gambling in France and their specific characteristics, update the need to develop this field, which is still a new and relatively uncommon part of harm-reduction. The aim of this article is to draw up an inventory of existing knowledge, whether it has been tested empirically or not, in an ecological environment or in a laboratory situation, as regards tools allowing the player to remain in control of his gambling behavior. A reflection on future research and other possible tools is envisaged.     

Faire face à des émotions négatives intenses en protection de l’enfance : un travail émotionnel qui mobilise des processus de régulation de l’anxiété et de la colère avec le soutien de l’équipe

This research aims at a better understanding of one aspect of emotional labor in child welfare: coping with intense negative emotions. It is based on 15 interviews conducted with social workers from Child Protective Services. Results indicate that the drivers of this aspect of emotional labor are characterized by unpredictability and interpersonal conflict. They give rise to surprise, anxiety and especially anger, particularly against institutions. Emotional regulation is carried out implicitly with a professional instrumental purpose. Different strategies are mobilized sequentially: social sharing of emotions and cognitive strategies allow recovery. The team social support during informal times appears central. These results underline the role of the team and plead for the recognition and professionalization of emotional work in this sector.     

Les processus de coping et leur association avec l’auto-efficacité perçue chez des enseignants de suisse romande : résultats d’une étude préliminaire

Within the Swiss context of the present study, important on-going school reforms lead to new challenges and constraints for teachers. Thus, it is legitimate to question how teachers can deal with the difficulties inherent to their profession. The aim of the study was to explore the coping responses of 86 teachers (women = 70; men = 16; mean age = 38.9 ± 12.0), and to assess the possible relationships between those responses and teaching self-efficacy. Self-report questionnaires were administered between June 2016 and February 2017, with a return rate of 37.5%. Participants completed two questionnaires: the Ways of Coping Checklist (WCC) assessing five coping responses (solving problem, social support approbation, avoidance, positive reevaluation and self-blamed), and the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) measuring three dimensions of teachers’ self-efficacy (for classroom management, instructional strategies and student engagement). The most frequent coping responses were social support approbation and solving problem. Positive reevaluation seemed to be used as an intermediate coping response for both women and men. Women were more likely to seek social support than men in order to deal with difficulties, whereas men did not report the use of specific process. Participants reported high levels of teaching self-efficacy, without significant difference between women and men. Moreover, teachers with high level of self-efficacy for classroom management and instructional strategies were less likely to use self-blamed and avoidance coping responses. Teachers with high level of self-efficacy for student engagement were also less likely to use self-blamed coping responses. Partial correlations with sex, age and years of experience as control variables were performed, and no variation was found. The findings of the present study demonstrate that social support approbation and solving problem are coping responses commonly used in our sample of teachers. The high levels of teaching self-efficacy and the lack of significant correlation between this variable, social support approbation and solving problem coping responses question us about the protective role of self-efficacy. It could be considered as a coping response, helping to appropriately overcome the difficulties linked to the teaching profession. Due to the important school reforms in Switzerland, pre-service teachers need resources and tools to deal with these new challenges. Further studies are necessary in order to better understand relationships between coping responses and teaching self-efficacy, and their potential protective or damaging effects.     

Les foyers de protection judiciaire de la jeunesse et la prise en charge des jeunes auteurs de délit : représentations sociales et réflexions autour de groupes d’adolescents et d’éducateurs

The educators’ work in juvenile justice residential communities and their capacity of affective attunement to the adolescent's needs is essential for the creation of a protective and enriching context for the adolescent and his life trajectories. This article aims to explore the social representations of educators and young people in residential communities in Italy, through the analysis of their discourses gathered during focus groups. Our results reveal the need to compare these representations and work to narrow the gap between the caregivers and the users, in order to improve the relationship between the different protagonists of the interaction and, consequently, the possibilities of good success of interventions.     

Maîtrise de l’oral et de l’écrit en français et en tahitien : une étude longitudinale du CP au CM2 en Polynésie française

Many international scientific studies underline the advantage of bilingual children in oral language. This is especially evident in their meta-linguistic skills, as well as their writing, reading and written expression. Bilingualism could facilitate meta-linguistic development by allowing the child to differentiate early formal and semantic aspects of the code, perceive the arbitrary relationship between “ signified ” and “ significant ” and develop greater cognitive flexibility. This study, conducted in French Polynesia, had examined the specific effect of bilingual program on the morphological awareness and the cross-lingual effects of Tahitian-French transfers via the written word. A group of 128 Polynesian students were followed longitudinally from the end of First Grade to the end of Fifth Grade. Of these 128 students, 59 were part of an experimental group involved beginning in the First Grade, in two successive educational programs with five hours per week of Polynesian language and culture, which included systematic learning of reading and writing in Tahitian. A selection of 69 other students, who had never participated in these programs, constituted the control group. All students were tested each year on their oral language skills in French and Tahitian. At the end of Third Grade, a morphological awareness assessment in French was introduced (Reder et al., 2013), as well as a task of word recognition (TIME3 of Ecalle, 2006), a reading-comprehension (Lobrot, 1980) and spelling tasks (ECS3, Khomsi, 1998). These standardized assessments have been adapted in Tahitian. The first results acknowledged a positive effect of the bilingual education curriculum on Tahitian oral skills and on cross-lingual links between written skills and morphological awareness. In addition, the Tahitian word recognition greatly helped to explain the French written skills, after controlling the level of French morphological awareness.     

Professionnalisation des assistantes familiales et intérêt de l’enfant accueilli

For 30 years, in France, foster care has been regulated by specific legislation which provides for the professionalization of one of the foster parents – the mother, more often than not. The authors – clinical psychologists – analyse the impact of the last legislation on foster care. A recent law aims to consider foster care as a job like any other, at the risk of underestimating the specificity of this social function, that is, offering to a child in trouble with his own family an ordinary living environment and the “ordinary” parenting skills of foster parents. The authors suggest ways to conceive the professionalization of foster parents in order that it will meet the child's interests and needs.     

Juger la recrutabilité des candidats : quels effets de l’apparence et des aptitudes en fonction des types de postes ?

Scientific research has shown the influence of norms and of gender and beauty stereotypes on evaluations and hiring decisions. Recent studies (Desrumaux, 2005; Jawahar & Mattson, 2005) have shown an evolution of the lack of Fit model (Heilman, 1983). The objective of this research is to test the effects of physical appearance, GMA and normative pieces of information (internality/externality) related to the candidate on the candidates’ recrutabilty. This study has also taken into account hierarchy level and sexual connotation of the job. We have tested its effects on medical jobs, of higher level (surgeon, doctor nutritionist) or subordinate (ambulance man and dental assistant). The results indicate that an attractive candidate is judged more recrutable for a subordinate job than a superior one. Moreover, for a subordinate job, the effect of the attractiveness was more important for male target than for feminine target. Results show also that men are judged less hirable than the women for female type jobs. Moreover, the effect of the aptitude is more discriminating for the external ones than for the internals. Results were discussed on the line of the lack of fit correspondence model.