Poor peer work does not boost student confidence

Students' low confidence, particularly in numerical topics, is thought to be a barrier to keeping them engaged with education. We studied the effects on confidence of exposure to a peer's work of varying quality (very good or bad) and neatness (messy or neat). Previous research underpinned our hypothesis that a peer's bad-quality work—which students rarely see—might boost student confidence more than very good work. We also predicted that a peer's very good work—which students are often shown—might be less discouraging if it were messy, suggesting it required effort and struggle. However, in experiments with university students and low-educated adults, these hypotheses were not supported, and all participants decreased in confidence after seeing any peer work. The failure to find support for these hypotheses can inform future research into social comparison effects on self-confidence in numerical topics. These results also have practical implications for teachers and managers who are expected to provide examples of peer work.     

Work conditions and employees' self-set goals: goal processes enhance prediction of psychological distress and well-being

Although previous theory and research suggest that employee well-being should be predicted by work conditions (viz., Karasek and colleagues' job demands-control-social support [J-DCS] model), other factors are also likely to be important. In this study, the authors consider correlates of employee psychological distress and well-being using a goal-focused approach grounded in Ford's (1992) motivational systems theory. Specifically, work conditions and midlevel work goal processes (WGP) were examined in a questionnaire study of health care employees. Regarding predictions derived from the J-DCS model, the authors found full support for the iso-strain, partial support for the nonlinearity, and no support for the buffer hypothesis. Of importance, however, WGP (i.e., cognitions and emotions involved in the pursuit of self-set work goals) explained variance in job satisfaction, burnout, depression, and somatic complaints, over and above that of the J-DCS model. This suggests that investigation of WGP can enhance our understanding of employee psychological distress and well-being.     

From religious association to ethnic community: a research project on identity formation among the Syrian orthodox under muslim rule

At the Universityof Leiden, a research group is investigating the formation of a communal identity among West Syrian (or Syrian Orthodox) Christians after the Council of Chalcedon in 451 CE. Of the anti-Chalcedonians, the Syrian Orthodox were probably least likely to form a national or ethnic community. Yet a group emerged with its own distinctive literature and art, its own network and historical consciousness. In a process of adoption and rejection, the West Syrians selected elements from the cultures to which they were heirs and from those with which they came into contact, thus defining a position of their own. In order to study this phenomenon, scholars from various disciplines and affiliated to two different faculties are working together. This paper discusses their research programme and its basic hypothesis.     

Coloured Vowels: Wittgenstein on Synaesthesia and Secondary Meaning

The aim of this article is to give both a sustained interpretation of Wittgenstein’s obscure remarks on the experience of meaning of language, synthaesthesia and secondary use and to apply his insights to recent philosophical discussions about synthaesthesia. I argue that synthaesthesia and experience of meaning are conceptually related to aspect-seeing. The concept of aspect-seeing is not reducible to either seeing or imaging but involves a modified notion of experience. Likewise, synthaesthesia involves a modified notion of experience. In particular, the concept of synthaesthesia involves a secondary use of ‘experience’ and hence is intrinsically dependent on the primary use of language. Recent discussions tend to overlook this distinction between the primary and secondary use of language.     

Reconciling Evolution and Biblical Literalism: A Proposed Research Program

Many leading Christian thinkers today accept evolution, but others worry that certain incompatibilities with Biblical doctrines concerning Adam remain. In Should Christians Embrace Evolution, theologian Wayne Grudem succinctly summarizes their main objections when he claims that adopting evolution leads to eight positions contrary to the teaching of the Bible. In response, I show that, regardless of whether evolution occurred or not, there is no incompatibility even when a consistently literal reading of the relevant Biblical texts is maintained.     

Effects of cognitive-behavioural therapy on anxiety,depression and condom use in people with HIV in Mexico City: a pilot study

Anxiety and depression in people living with HIV (PLWH) are negatively associated with healthy sexual behaviours. We pilot-tested a Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT)-based intervention to reduce anxiety and depression, aimed to increase serostatus disclosure to sexual partners, quality of sexual life (QoSL) and condom use. The study had a single-case experimental design (AB) with follow-up measures. Eleven PLWH with moderate/severe anxiety/depression received six-module CBT intervention delivered in ten one-hour individual weekly sessions. Anxiety, depression, consistent/correct condom use and QoSL were measured. Depression and anxiety decreased after the intervention (depression baseline [BL] Mdn = 21, final [F] Mdn = 3, z = -2.934, p = .003; anxiety BL Mdn = 30, F Mdn = 4, z = -2.941, p = .003). QoSL improved (BL Mdn = 28, F Mdn = 13, z = -2.625, p = .009), along with participants’ ability to use condoms (57.14 vs.100, z = -2.937, p = .003). Effect size was large, changes were maintained at follow-up measurements. The CBT intervention had positive effects in reducing anxiety and depression, which could facilitate the acquisition of healthy sexual behaviours. Further studies are important to clarify the benefits of targeting emotional variables to improve wellbeing and prevention behaviours in PLWH.     

Thinking about Scenarios of Grandparenthood

ABSTRACT

The term “grandparenthood” was first coined by the psychoanalyst P. Redler, to denominate the intrapsychic and interpersonal relationship between grandparents and grandchildren. Grandparenthood involves a specific relationship with specific conflict areas and with its own process of development, named by this author “grandparenthood crisis”. In this phase, grandparents must cope with different experiences of mourning. The joys of becoming a grandparent help compensate for these sorrows. For children, the figure of grandparents evolves during their development and implies different functions across each development stage.

Despite the importance of grandparenthood in the family context, this is a poorly studied topic in Child Psychology. In this paper, we make a review of the scarce literature on this subject, aiming to relate it with the theory of the “Narcissistic scenarios of parenthood” described by Manzano and Palacio (2005). We emphasize the importance not only of the figure of the grandparents in the child’s development, but also the importance of the relation with the grandchild holds for the grandparent in this life stage. We also try to explore the subject of intergenerational transmission.