“I definitely feel like a scientist”: Exploring science identity trajectories among Latinx students in a critical race theory-informed undergraduate research experience

The current study investigated science identity development among Latinx university students selected for a critical race theory (CRT)-informed undergraduate research experience. Twenty students (12 female, 8 male; M_age = 22.00; SD = 2.77) enrolled in biomedical-related majors at a 4-year university responded to open-ended questions regarding their identity as scientists at 2 weeks, 6 months, and 18 months after they began the program. Results illustrated a steady increase in the number of students identifying as scientists over 18 months. At 2 weeks into the program, only 35% of Latinx students felt like a scientist. At 6 months, 45% of Latinx students identified as a scientist. At 18 months, 70% of Latinx students reported feeling like a scientist. Results also revealed variation in science identity trajectories, with four trajectories viewed in the data: (1) consistent or fast achievement, (2) gradual achievement, (3) achievement adjustment, and (4) never reach achievement. The majority of students demonstrated a trajectory in which they reached science identity achievement (the feeling that they are “a scientist”). Our results provide evidence of the positive, longitudinal impact that a CRT-informed curriculum has on the science identity development of Latinx students. Implications surrounding future research and strategies to facilitate long-term Latinx student participation in the biomedical sciences are discussed.     

Relationship between fine/gross motor skills and language and math development in Colombian Caribbean children: A study in Barranquilla

Literature suggests that motor skills are associated with other areas of development or domains, such as language and math, especially at early ages. These results are mainly based on studies developed in medium-to-high sociocultural contexts. Thus, this study was conducted in a medium-to-low-income area. The aim was to know the 4–5 years old children's motor development (both fine and gross motor skills), and its relation to language and mathematical development. A total of 219 Colombian Caribbean children (105 boys and 114 girls) aged 4 and 5 years participated in this study. Results revealed higher motor skills among girls, although differences by gender were not notable. Positive and significant correlations were found between motor skills and language and mathematical skills, although most of the correlations were weak or moderate. Also, it was observed that fine motor skills were less related to language or mathematical development in comparison with gross motor skills, especially among boys. These results suggest that among Colombian Caribbean children gross motor skills could have a higher influence on the development and acquisition of some language and mathematical skills in comparison with fine motor skills.     

Defensive emotions and evaluative judgements: Sensitivity to anger and fear predicts moral judgements,whereas sensitivity to disgust predicts aesthetic judgements

Aesthetic and moral evaluations engage appetitive and defensive emotions. While the role played by pleasure in positive aesthetic and moral judgements has been extensively researched, little is known about how defensive emotions influence negative aesthetic and moral judgements. Specifically, it is unknown which defensive emotions such judgements tap into, and whether both kinds of judgement share a common emotional root. Here, we investigated how participants' individual sensitivity to disgust, fear, anger and sadness predicted subjective judgements of aesthetic and moral stimuli. Bayesian modelling revealed that participants who were more sensitive to anger and fear found conventional and moral transgressions more wrong. In contrast, participants who were more sensitive to disgust disliked asymmetrical geometric patterns and untidy rooms more. These findings suggest that aesthetic and moral evaluations engage multiple defensive emotions, not just disgust, and that they may rely on different defensive emotions as part of their computational mechanism.     

Electrophysiological correlates of dispositional mindfulness: A quantitative and complexity EEG study

While growing evidence supports that dispositional mindfulness relates to psychological health and cognitive enhancement, to date there have been only a few attempts to characterize its neural underpinnings. In the present study, we aimed at exploring the electrophysiological (EEG) signature of dispositional mindfulness using quantitative and complexity measures of EEG during resting state and while performing a learning task. Hundred twenty participants were assessed with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and underwent 5 min eyes-closed resting state and 5 min at task EEG recording. We hypothesized that high mindfulness individuals would show patterns of brain activity related to (a) lower involvement of the default mode network (DMN) at rest (reduced frontal gamma power) and (b) a state of ‘task readiness’ reflected in a more similar pattern from rest to task (reduced overall q-EEG power at rest but not at task), as compared to their low mindfulness counterparts. Dispositional mindfulness was significantly linked to reduced frontal gamma power at rest and lower overall power during rest but not at task. In addition, we found a trend towards higher entropy during task performance in mindful individuals, which has recently been reported during mindfulness meditation. Altogether, our results add to those from expert meditators to show that high (dispositional) mindfulness seems to have a specific electrophysiological pattern characteristic of less involvement of the DMN and mind-wandering processes.     

Why talk about sin? Luther's understanding of sin and hopeful sin-talk in the 21st century

For Luther talking about sin and the sinful nature of human beings has a strong pastoral significance. His emphasis on the “bondage” of the human will is tightly connected to his insistence on the human sinful condition, and our inability to choose to be or not to be held captive by sin. My conclusion is that it is indeed important to continue to talk about sin if the Christian discourse about God's forgiveness and grace is to make sense. Furthermore, I believe Luther's understanding of sin as misplaced trust, the distinction he makes between sin and sins, and his idea of a justified sinner can indeed make a significant contribution to a hopeful sin-talk within Christian communities today. It is, however, necessary to pay attention to Luther's historical context and to reevaluate his understanding of human nature and human sinfulness from a feminist critical perspective. The sin-concept has gradually been losing its relevance within Christian communities. Therefore the question: why should we continue to talk about sin? The aim of this article is to explore Luther's understanding of sin and human sinfulness, in order to find out if, and then how, he might prove helpful when it comes to the interpretation of the concept of sin in the 21st century. The focus is on Luther's pastoral writings in The Small and The Large Catechism (1529), together with his Smalcald Articles (1537).     

Family functioning within the context of families with adolescent children in urban India

Research on family functioning within given cultural contexts is needed. This study aims to describe salient dimensions of family functioning in two urban contexts in India and to examine differences in family functioning by sociodemographic groups. We measured differences in family functioning using cross-sectional survey questionnaire data collected from 13 to 15-year-old adolescents and one of their parents/primary caregivers in Mumbai (n = 843) and Kolkata (n = 913) during 2019–2020. We drew a multi-stage sample representative of neighborhoods and households in both cities. We assessed a multi-dimensional family functioning latent factor that included parent-reported measures (parent–adolescent communication, family cohesion, and parent monitoring of peers) and adolescent-reported measures (parent support, family cohesion, and parent supervision). Our results support an overall measure of family functioning manifested by multiple dimensions for parent- and adolescent-reported data. Families with male adolescents had worse adolescent-reported family functioning in Mumbai and parent-reported family functioning in Kolkata. Higher socioeconomic status was associated with better parent-reported family functioning in both cities and better adolescent-reported family functioning in Kolkata. Muslim religious identification in Kolkata and the Hindi native language in both cities were associated with better adolescent-reported family functioning. Our findings indicate heterogeneity in family functioning across demographic and social-cultural groups within the two urban contexts of India. This study may inform the development of culturally congruent prevention interventions for families with adolescents in India.     

Why do we share aggressive online content? Testing a short cycle model

The present study aimed to observe the impacts of aggressive online content exposure and personality on aggressive content sharing, considering the mediating role of positive and negative affects. A total of 302 Brazilians, equally divided into two groups, participated in a social network simulation, being exposed to aggressive (experimental group) or neutral (control group) posts and choosing what they would like to share on this site (among aggressive or nonaggressive material). A factorial MANOVA showed a significant difference for positive and negative affects and aggressive content sharing (Wilks' Λ = 0.936; F[3, 298] = 6.812; p = .001; η² = 0.064). Through structural equation modeling, an explanatory model was also tested, in which this behavior was directly predicted by aggressive online content exposure and suffered indirect effects from openness, conscientiousness, and extroversion, mediated by positive affects (goodness-of-fit index = 0.997, comparative fit-index = 0.998, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.996, SRMR = 0.028, root-mean-square error of approximation = 0.035, CI = 0.003−0.054). It is possible to conclude that the objectives are met, highlighting the contribution to understanding aggressive online behavior through the proximal processes described in the general aggression model.     

Medical or relational language? Problem and goal formulation in family therapy with adolescents conducted in a psychiatric outpatient setting

The constructionist view assumes that therapy participants' maps of understanding depend on the institutional context and their personal perspectives. The purpose of this study was to investigate the initial maps of difficulties reported by family members starting family therapy. 106 families that were referred to a psychiatric institution for outpatient family therapy were asked open-ended questions regarding the context of the referral, and goal and problem formulation for the therapy. The data were analysed via the consensual qualitative research-modified (CQR-M) method, and comparisons between groups were performed. The obtained results show a diversity of perspectives. Of interest was the predominance of medical language in describing the problem and relational language in describing the goal of therapy. An analysis of differences between mothers, fathers, adolescent patient and their siblings was also performed. The findings highlight the complexity of notions that families start family therapy with and may help therapists navigate through the therapeutic contract formulation process.     

Cognitive and Value Correlates of Health-Related Behavior in Brazilian Middle-class Women

The prevalence of several health-related behaviors was studied in a random sample of 294 Brazilian middle-class women between 25 and 45 years of age. The interrelationships among these behaviors confirmed previous findings in North America and provided the basis for the computation of a composite index of health behavior. The sociodemographic, cognitive, and value correlates of scores on the Health Behavior Index (HBI) were investigated using regression analysis. Women who behave in favor of good health were mothers of more children, had a definition of health as higher level functioning and self-realization, believed that care outweighs chance as a determinant of health, and valued inner harmony as opposed to comfort and independence. These findings verified most aspects of Pender's health promotion model (Pender, Walker, Sechrist, & Stromberg, 1990).     

Name or hum that tune: Feeling of knowing for music

This is the first reported research that explores the feeling of knowing (FOK) for musical stimuli. Subjects attempted to recall melodies and titles of musical pieces, made FOK ratings when recall failed, and then had a recognition test. With instrumental music (Experiment 1), more titles were recalled when melodies were given as cues than vice versa. With songs whose lyrics were not presented (Experiment 2), however, more melodies were recalled than were titles. For nonrecalled items, although the overall levels of recognition did not differ, FOK ratings were higher for titles than for melodies in Experiment 1, and the opposite pattern occurred in Experiment 2. In both experiments, the FOK ratings predicted melody recognition more accurately than they did title recognition.