Siblings as babysitters: responses of adolescents to younger siblings in problem situations.

Adolescents (75 males, 150 females) assumed the role of parent surrogate and responded to nine problem situations involving younger siblings. Responses were coded into 21 categories--grouped as high, medium, low and non-power as well as "effective" or "ineffective"--and analyzed by sex, grade (10, 11, or 12) and birth order (first-, second-, or laterborn). Ninety-two percent of responses were categorized as "ineffective" (i.e., not communicating own or sibling's feelings). Seniors used less high and more medium and non-power responses than younger students. Most students, particularly females, expressed interest in joining a group to learn better ways of relating to younger siblings.     

Binaural integration of melodic patterns

It has been argued that there is a limit to the rate at which we can switch attention between ears in monitoring auditory information. Listeners identified melodic configurations formed by rapid sequences of tones. When these sequences were presented binaurally, excellent performance was obtained. Yet when the component tones of the melody were distributed between the ears, performance was largely nullified when a drone (i.e., a lower constantfrequency tone) was presented to the ear opposite that receiving the melody component. This improvement in performance cannot be attributed to processing the harmonic relationships between melody and drone, since when, instead, the drone was presented to the same ear as the melody component, performance was at chance. Onset-offset asynchronies between the drone and melody components resulted in performance levels between those where the drone and melody components were synchronous and those where the melody switched between ears without an accompanying drone. It is argued that difficulties in binaural integration are due not to processing limitations, but to a mechanism that is invoked under certain conditions to prevent confusion in monitoring individual sound sources.     

A mixed methods research study on the video‐based counselling method Marte Meo

Marte Meo is a video‐based counselling method founded by Maria Aarts in the Netherlands and now in worldwide use (Aarts, Aarts Production, 2008). Marte Meo has been adopted and put into practice by a large and diverse network of trained and certified counsellors across the world. It was invented, developed and spread by a vanguard of practising counsellors who have adapted it to a variety of contexts. This is a classic example of research and theory emerging from and following practice; we first need to synthesise the lessons the practitioners and families have learned. We need to better understand how it is implemented; how it is viewed by its practitioners and recipients; and the extent to which variability in implementation may be an asset or a drawback in the continuing evolution of the programme, and in any eventual attempt to document its effects. Therefore, the present article aimed to address this important and hitherto unexplored research topic of the Marte Meo method in counselling and to describe the current state of use of Marte Meo. How is Marte Meo used and applied in a counselling and therapeutic context? Who uses Marte Meo in professional practice? Which function and which meaning does Marte Meo have in general practice and especially in counselling and therapy? What are typical concerns, goals or areas of application? We report on an ongoing mixed methods research project which began in 2015. This paper focuses on the research methods. We will explain why an integrated exploratory sequential design (Cresswell, 2017) is best suited to our purposes. The exploratory sequential design of the Marte Meo project has five phases: as the first phase, we conducted a systematic literature review, analysing the status of existing research. The staged qualitative research consisted of designing, conducting and analysing semi‐structured interviews with parents and Marte Meo counsellors (phase 2), and then using that analysis to inform the design, the conduct and the analysis of videotaped observations of everyday situations in day‐care centres to examine the process and effects of Marte Meo interaction elements on children (phase 3). Combining these qualitative analyses then became the basis for the development of an online questionnaire that could enable us to collect quantitative data on the current use of Marte Meo in practice by experts (phase 4). This builds into the fifth phase in the final interpretation. One of the key findings of the qualitative parts is that Marte Meo is perceived as advantageous. The experts reported more joy and success in their work. In particular, in the pedagogical context, the daily, resource‐oriented ‘Marte Meo view’, which was sharpened by the training, seems to be essential, as it enables an awareness of the needs of the interaction partners and the beneficial interaction elements. Moreover, for some interviewees the use of Marte Meo does not seem to be limited to professional practice, but is expressed in a general humanistic attitude towards interpersonal relationships of all kinds. The quantitative survey has confirmed and supplemented these results. On the other hand, we found that Marte Meo is most often used in addition to the systemic approach. A later article will focus more on the findings. This article will conclude with a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of the research design—concerning this special research project and concerning counselling research in general.     

Still the same dilemma for conceptual engineers: reply to Koch

Philosophical Studies - Steffen Koch (Koch 2020) raises several objections to my critique of conceptual engineering (Deutsch in ‘Speaker’s Reference, Stipulation, and a Dilemma for...     

Early Adolescents' Achievement Goals,Social Status,and Attitudes Towards Cooperation with Peers

This qualitative study used a semi-structured interview with 50 fifth grade Israeli students to investigate the relations among achievement goals and social identity processes that concern orientation towards social structure and status in the classroom, and preference and willingness to cooperate with peers from different social groups. Mastery-oriented students were found to evaluate cooperation with respect to its contribution to learning, friendship, and class cohesion, and to be willing to cooperate with peers regardless of their social group membership. Performance-approach and performance-avoidance oriented students were found to evaluate cooperation with regard to its implications for social status, and to prefer to cooperate with peers of the in-group and with high status peers. Performance-avoidance oriented students with low social status were found to also adopt a defensive avoidant orientation in the social domain.