Stretching the Traditional Notion of Experiment in Computing: Explorative Experiments

Experimentation represents today a ‘hot’ topic in computing. If experiments made with the support of computers, such as computer simulations, have received increasing attention from philosophers of science and technology, questions such as “what does it mean to do experiments in computer science and engineering and what are their benefits?” emerged only recently as central in the debate over the disciplinary status of the discipline. In this work we aim at showing, also by means of paradigmatic examples, how the traditional notion of controlled experiment should be revised to take into account a part of the experimental practice in computing along the lines of experimentation as exploration. Taking inspiration from the discussion on exploratory experimentation in the philosophy of science—experimentation that is not theory-driven—we advance the idea of explorative experiments that, although not new, can contribute to enlarge the debate about the nature and role of experimental methods in computing. In order to further refine this concept we recast explorative experiments as socio-technical experiments, that test new technologies in their socio-technical contexts. We suggest that, when experiments are explorative, control should be intended in a posteriori form, in opposition to the a priori form that usually takes place in traditional experimental contexts.     

The enactive computational basis of cognition and the explanatory cognitive basis for computing

The computational theory of cognition, or computationalism, holds that cognition is a form of computation. Two issues related to this view are comprised by the goal of this paper: A) Computing systems are traditionally seen as representational systems, but functional and enactive approaches support non-representational theories; B) Recently, a sociocultural theory against computationalism was proposed with the aim of ontologically reducing computing to cognition. We defend, however, that cognition and computation are in action, thus cognition is just a form of computing and that cognition is the explanatory basis for computation. We state that: 1. Representational theories of computing recurring to intentional content run into metaphysical problems. 2. Functional non-representational theories do not incur this metaphysical problem when describing computing in terms of the abstract machine. 3. Functional theories are consistent with enactive in describing computing machines not in a strictly functional way, but especially in terms of their organization. 4. Enactive cognition is consistent with the computationalism in describing Turing machines as functionally and organizationally closed systems. 5. The cognitive explanatory basis for computing improves the computational theory of cognition. When developed in the human linguistic domain, computer science is seen as a product of human socionatural normative practices, however, cognition is just an explanatory, not ontological, basis for computing. The paper concludes by supporting that computation is in action, that cognition is just one form of computing in the world and the explanatory basis for computation.     

An Empirical Investigation of the Impact of Process Monitoring on Computer-Mediated Decision-Making Performance

The need to support individuals in the implementation of their decision-making strategies has often been articulated. However, computerized decision support addressing this need is conspicuous by its absence. We argue that this lack is a consequence of the dearth of theoretical guidance for the derivation of practical design guidelines. This paper, utilizing research in psychology and cognitive engineering, attempts to fill this theoretical gap. A laboratory experiment testing the utility of a DSS incorporating the derived design guidelines is described. Results indicate that itispossible to incorporate implementation support into DSS, that such support increases decision making efficiency and effectiveness, and that need as well as usefulness of such support increases with the level of complexity of the decision strategy.     

Taxonic structure of infant reactivity: evidence from a taxometric perspective

Previously, we proposed a theoretical framework that classified infants into qualitative categories of reactivity, rather than on a continuous dimension. The present research used an objective statistical procedure (maximum covariance analysis, or MAXCOV) to determine if a qualitative latent structure, consistent with our theoretical conjectures, would be found to underlie quantitative indices of reactivity to stimuli in a sample of 599 four-month-old infants. Results of the MAXCOV analysis showed clear evidence of a latent discontinuity underlying the behavioral measures of infant reactivity. The base rate of the latent class (or taxon) was estimated at 10%. Infants within the putative high-reactivity taxon, compared with infants not in the taxon, were elevated on measures of behavioral inhibition at 4.5 years. These results provide objective empirical support for a central tenet in our theoretical model by supporting the taxonicity of infant reactivity.     

The Climate‐Change Dilemma: Examining the Association Between Parental Status and Political Party Support1

Determining when, and for whom, positive attitudes toward climate‐change actions translate into actual behavior is critically important in promoting pro‐environmental behavior. An important way climate change can be tackled is through changes to social policy at the governmental level, which, in turn, depends on individual voting behavior in democratic nations. The present study examined this issue with regard to political party support in New Zealand, and demonstrated—using a large general population sample of voters—that support for climate‐change actions predict differential support for center‐left and center‐right political parties only for people who have children. Parental status moderated the link between support for climate‐change actions and voting intentions. Practical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.     

Inducing cognitive development and learning: A review of short-term training experiments I. The organismic developmental approach

The author reviewed and interpreted the literature of experimental studies whose purposes were to determine rules of generation that transform a child's cognitive organization at one stage of development into that of the next, more advanced stage. The categories of the research methodology were consistent with the organismic-developmental approach, and the findings of the studies tended to support most of the hypotheses generated from this approach. Some unresolved theoretical and methodological issues were presented, and research strategies to shed light on these issues were proposed.     

Third‐Order Thinking in Family Therapy: Addressing Social Justice Across Family Therapy Practice

We contend that the field of family therapy is undergoing a notable shift from second‐ to third‐order thinking. We offer theoretical support and examples to demonstrate how third‐order thinking provides a framework for integrating heightened sociocultural attunement into family therapy practice. We discuss the importance of third‐order thinking relative to being prepared to invite families into third‐order change. Finally, we offer a case example to show specific guidelines for third‐order practice.     

“Basic black” renascent: A new wardrobe

In the dozen years since publication of Uttal’s fundamental paper, “‘Basic Black’ in Com-puter Interfaces for Psychological Research,” many changes have taken place in on-line real-time computing. A look at the basic wardrobe today reveals some striking changes and certain fundamental constants. Most of the interface elements in the wardrobe specified by Uttal are still commonplace in the fashion catalogs of real-time computing. However, they are offered now as fully integrated circuits, chips, or subsystems that are added by inserting a chip into a socket or a printed circuit board into a chassis. Missing in Uttal’s specification are the essential software tools for using the hardware of that wardrobe. The current real-time computing laboratory psychologist will find that the most significant elements in a really adaptable wardrobe are software tools.     

L’accompagnement à la recherche d’un emploi : enjeux,modèles,et perspectives de recherche

What is at stake in the process of elaborating support to provide job seekers with personal advice, both theoretically and practically speaking? All through a review of papers, this article focuses on different theoretical schemes in the process of helping jobseekers to get back to work, but it also details the currently existing support devices and analyses their effects. Eventually it concentrates on the main psychological features taken into account in the process of counseling. As a conclusion, this article examines the perspectives and the consequences of molding and shaping personal counseling for jobseekers from a research angle.     

Understanding the Links Between Social Support and Physical Health: A Life-Span Perspective With Emphasis on the Separability of Perceived and Received Support

ABSTRACT— Social support has been reliably related to physical health outcomes. However, the conceptual basis of such links needs greater development. In this article, I argue for a life-span perspective on social support and health that takes into account distinct antecedent processes and mechanisms that are related to measures of support over time. Such a view highlights the need to distinguish measures of perceived and received support and its links to more specific diseases (e.g., chronic, acute) and stages of disease development (e.g., incidence). I discuss both the novel implications of these theoretical arguments for research on social support and physical health, as well as the potential intervention approaches that are apparent from this perspective.     

Prospective predictors of suicidality: defeat and entrapment lead to changes in suicidal ideation over time

Theoretical perspectives into suicidality have suggested that heightened perceptions of defeat and entrapment lead to suicidality. However, all previous empirical work has been cross-sectional. We provide the first longitudinal test of the theoretical predictions, in a sample of 79 students who reported suicidality. Participants completed self-report measures of suicidal ideation, depression, defeat, and entrapment at two time points, approximately 12 months apart. People higher in defeat became more suicidal over time (β= .45), with baseline levels of suicidality and depressive symptoms controlled. The current results support the posited role of perceived defeat in driving suicidal ideation.     

Marginal mean weighting through stratification: a generalized method for evaluating multivalued and multiple treatments with nonexperimental data

Propensity score matching and stratification enable researchers to make statistical adjustment for a large number of observed covariates in nonexperimental data. These methods have recently become popular in psychological research. Yet their applications to evaluations of multi-valued and multiple treatments are limited. The inverse-probability-of-treatment weighting method, though suitable for evaluating multi-valued and multiple treatments, often generates results that are not robust when only a portion of the population provides support for causal inference or when the functional form of the propensity score model is misspecified. The marginal mean weighting through stratification (MMW-S) method promises a viable nonparametric solution to these problems. By computing weights on the basis of stratified propensity scores, MMW-S adjustment equates the pretreatment composition of multiple treatment groups under the assumption that unmeasured covariates do not confound the treatment effects given the observed covariates. Analyzing data from a weighted sample, researchers can estimate a causal effect by computing the difference between the estimated average potential outcomes associated with alternative treatments within the analysis of variance framework. After providing an intuitive illustration of the theoretical rationale underlying the weighting method for causal inferences, the article demonstrates how to apply the MMW-S method to evaluations of treatments measured on a binary, ordinal, or nominal scale approximating a completely randomized experiment; to studies of multiple concurrent treatments approximating factorial randomized designs; and to moderated treatment effects approximating randomized block designs. The analytic procedure is illustrated with an evaluation of educational services for English language learners attending kindergarten in the United States.     

The impact of different sources of social support on academic performance: Intervening factors and mediated pathways in the case of master's thesis

IntroductionAcademic failure and dropout are pervasive challenges at all levels of the education system. Research so far pointed out different aspects of this large phenomenon. On the one hand, some scholars have argued that social support is a key factor to foster learning and persistence. On the other hand, some other scholars have rather highlighted the role of student motivation and engagement itself in improving performance on academic tasks. In this article, we tested theoretical models that combine the two approaches in a whole process.AimsWe aimed at clarifying (1) the specific contribution of several sources of perceived social support to academic performance, and (2) the mediation role of motivation and engagement in the relationships between perceived social support and performance.MethodThe sample consisted of 226 last year university students. Structural equation modeling analyses were used to test the hypothesized associations.ResultsStructural equation modeling analysis revealed that institutional and supervisor support were associated with motivation, which in turn predicted greater behavioral, cognitive and emotional engagement. Further, behavioral engagement was the unique contributor of academic performance at the master's thesis.ConclusionThe results clarify the specific contribution of different sources of perceived social support and underline the importance of the supervisor and the institution. They also underline the importance of considering different sources of perceived social support at the same time. Finally, theoretical assumptions concerning the mediational role of motivation were confirmed.     

Eclecticism as the Foundation of Meta-theoretical,Mixed Methods and Interdisciplinary Research in Social Sciences

This article examines the value of “eclecticism” as the foundation of meta-theoretical, mixed methods and interdisciplinary research in social sciences. On the basis of the analysis of the historical background of the concept, it is first suggested that eclecticism-based theoretical scholarship in social sciences could benefit from the more systematic research method that has been developed for synthesizing theoretical works under the name metatheorizing. Second, it is suggested that the mixed methods community could base its research approach on philosophical eclecticism instead of pragmatism because the basic idea of eclecticism is much more in sync with the nature of the combined research tradition. Finally, the Kuhnian frame is used to support the argument for interdisciplinary research and, hence, eclecticism in social sciences (rather than making an argument against multiple paradigms). More particularly, it is suggested that integrating the different (inter)disciplinary traditions and schools into one is not necessarily desirable at all in social sciences because of the complexity and openness of the research field. If it is nevertheless attempted, experience in economics suggests that paradigmatic unification comes at a high price.     

农村留守儿童领悟家庭支持、朋友支持与抑郁的交叉滞后分析

为考察农村留守儿童领悟家庭支持、朋友支持与抑郁之间的双向预测关系,本研究对河南省159名留守儿童进行两次间隔四个月的问卷调查。结果发现：控制年级、性别后, T1抑郁显著负向预测T2领悟家庭支持与朋友支持;T1领悟朋友支持显著预测T2领悟家庭支持。研究揭示了农村留守儿童抑郁对领悟家庭支持与朋友支持的耗损效应以及朋友支持对家庭支持的溢出效应,对农村留守儿童心理关爱和预防干预具有一定的理论和实践启示。     

Wearable Activity Technology And Action-Planning (WATAAP) to promote physical activity in cancer survivors: Randomised controlled trial protocol

Background/Objective: Colorectal and gynecologic cancer survivors are at cardiovascular risk due to comorbidities and sedentary behaviour, warranting a feasible intervention to increase physical activity. The Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) is a promising theoretical framework for health behaviour change, and wearable physical activity trackers offer a novel means of self-monitoring physical activity for cancer survivors. Method: Sixty-eight survivors of colorectal and gynecologic cancer will be randomised into 12-week intervention and control groups. Intervention group participants will receive: a Fitbit Alta? to monitor physical activity, HAPA-based group sessions, booklet, and support phone-call. Participants in the control group will only receive the HAPA-based booklet. Physical activity (using accelerometers), blood pressure, BMI, and HAPA constructs will be assessed at baseline, 12-weeks (post-intervention) and 24-weeks (follow-up). Data analysis will use the Group x Time interaction from a General Linear Mixed Model analysis. Conclusions: Physical activity interventions that are acceptable and have robust theoretical underpinnings show promise for improving the health of cancer survivors.     

Implementing peer support in schools: using a theoretical framework in action research

The implementation of a peer support project in 13 schools from a disadvantaged background is discussed using the social ecological, systems and social construction theory as a theoretical guide in action research. The goal was to establish an alternative helping system in schools that was sustainable within the school system. In the implementation of peer support attention was given to the integration of the project into the existing context; encouraging participation on all levels, facilitating change and creating shared meanings, supporting the process of reorganizing and restructuring and providing feedback to facilitate further change. From a process evaluation of the programme implementation challenges in the implementation process were identified and recommendations made that could contribute to the optimal functioning and sustainability of the project to address the needs of learners and enhance well being in the school community. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The utility of the PND statistic: A reply to Allison and Gorman

Quantitative synthesis (“meta-analysis”) of single-subject research has rarely been conducted, partly because of a lack of agreement on how study outcomes are to be quantified. This article provides a response to Allison and German (Behaviour Research and Therapy, 31, 621–631, 1993), who listed some problematic characteristics of use of the PND (percent of non-overlapping data) statistic for computing single-subject study outcomes, and recommended a regression-based solution to computation of effect sizes from single-subject research reports. Although Allison and Gorman are generally accurate in pointing out some limitations of the use of the PND statistic, they have been less thorough in identifying its relative strengths. Among these strengths is the fact that the PND statistic and its variations (a) have been shown to be strongly related to qualitative, “expert” ratings, (b) have been successfully employed in at least seven separate integrative reviews, and (c) have produced results which are complementary to more qualitative reviews of the same literature. In contrast, Allison and Gorman did not report results of applications of their procedure and, although their procedure has apparent theoretical support, it may be less useful in synthesizing existing single-subject literature.     

ProtoMatch: a tool for analyzing high-density, sequential eye gaze and cursor protocols

ProtoMatch is a software tool for integrating and analyzing fixed-location and movement eye gaze and cursor data. It provides a comprehensive collection of protocol analysis tools that support sequential data analyses for eye fixations and scanpaths as well as for cursor “fixations” (dwells at one location) and “cursorpaths” (movements between locations). ProtoMatch is modularized software that integrates both eye gaze and cursor protocols into a unified stream of data and provides an assortment of filters and analyses. ProtoMatch subsumes basic analyses (i.e., fixation duration, number of fixations, etc.) and introduces a method of objectively computing the similarity between scanpaths or cursorpaths using sequence alignment. The combination of filters, basic analyses, and sequence alignment in ProtoMatch provides researchers with a versatile system for performing both confirmatory and exploratory sequential data analyses (Sanderson & Fisher, 1994).