Physical activity and psychological well-being in advanced age: a meta-analysis of intervention studies

A meta-analysis examined data from 36 studies linking physical activity to well-being in older adults without clinical disorders. The weighted mean-change effect size for treatment groups (d(C). = 0.24) was almost 3 times the mean for control groups (d(C). = 0.09). Aerobic training was most beneficial (d(C). = 0.29), and moderate intensity activity was the most beneficial activity level (d(C). = 0.34). Longer exercise duration was less beneficial for several types of well-being, though findings are inconclusive. Physical activity had the strongest effects on self-efficacy (d(C).= 0.38), and improvements in cardiovascular status, strength, and functional capacity were linked to well-being improvement overall. Social-cognitive theory is used to explain the effect of physical activity on well-being.     

Is Gender or Gender-Role Orientation a Better Predictor of Empathy in Adolescence?

To assess the relative contribution of genderand gender-role orientation to empathy and itsdevelopment, 8th and 11th grade Israeli adolescentscompleted Davis' empathy scale and Bem's gender-roleorientation inventory, which yields a femininity score anda masculinity score for each participant. Withmasculinity and femininity treated as a within subjectsvariable, masculinity/femininity interacted with grade, such that whereas masculinity in both boys andgirls increased with grade, femininity decreased ingirls and increased in boys. Empathy was unrelated tograde or to masculinity but was related to gender and to femininity. When the contribution ofmasculinity/femininity was covaried, empathy was foundto be unrelated to gender. This pattern was found forthree of the empathy subscales: Perspective Taking, Empathic Concern, and Personal Distress, whichwere positively correlated. On the basis of a mediansplit, participants were then classified as Masculine,Feminine, Undifferentiated, or Androgynous. Androgynous individuals did not differ from Feminineindividuals on any of the empathy subscales. Thefindings were discussed in terms of the socialization ofemotions and gender-role orientation.     

A Strange Alliance: Isaiah Berlin and the Liberalism of the Fringes

This paper is a homage to Isaiah Berlin. It argues that Berlin's philosophy has preceded many of the present discussions concerning liberalism-culturalism. In an age in which most liberal philosophers ignored the importance of belonging, of member-ship, identity, cultural affiliations and historical continuity, Berlin stands out as a welcome exception. His philosophy is therefore fresh and innovative as it was in the sixties and seventies when it was written. It carries within it the germs of the liberalism of the fringes advocated nowadays by members of national minorities, immigrants, women, and gays, the kind of liberalism which fits well the politics of identity and recognition.     

The acquisition of taste aversions in humans

A written questionnaire or an interview was given to 517 undergraduates concerning their acquisition of illness-induced (taste) aversions to foods and drinks. The subjects reported 415 aversions, with 65% of the subjects reporting at least one aversion. The aversions were more likely to be reported as having been formed through forward rather than simultaneous or backward conditioning, and long-delay learning was frequent. The aversions usually formed to the taste of the foods, rather than the appearance or other aspects of the foods. Extinction appeared more effective in decreasing the aversions than did forgetting. The illness responsible for the aversion's forming was usually attributed to the subsequently aversive food, but for 21% of the reported aversions subjects were sure that something else had caused their illness. Aversions were more likely to have formed to relatively less familiar and less preferred foods. Aversions were also more likely to form between the ages of 13 and 20. Generalization of the aversions to similar foods occurred in 29% of the cases. Approximately one fourth of the aversions were to alcoholic beverages. Finally, instances of aversions forming without food or drink consumption and instances of observational learning were reported. The data were quite similar to laboratory taste aversion data collected using other species and can help in optimizing taste aversion treatments of eating and drinking disorders. Taste aversions among humans are frequent and strong.     

Five Phases of Dyadic Analysis: Stretching the Boundaries of Understanding of Family Relationships

In the last decade, an increasing number of qualitative studies sought to investigate the dynamics of various dyads by conducting in-depth, multiple family member interviews. The emphasis in the methodological literature dealing with this type of research is primarily on the data collection process, and much less on the development of methods suitable for the analysis of the data thus derived, especially with regard to dyads consisting of family members belonging to different systems: families of origin or nuclear families. The purpose of this paper is to propose a model for dyadic analysis based on examining the dynamics of the evolving relationships between key caregivers of a family member with brain injury. The model includes inductive and abductive phases of analysis, and it is based on an ecological-systemic perspective. The benefits of this model are highlighted, and its potential contribution is further discussed.     

Does Object Height Affect the Dart Throwing Motion Angle during Seated Activities of Daily Living?

Abstract

Complex wrist motions are needed to complete various daily activities. Analyzing the multidimensional motion of the wrist is crucial for understanding our functional movement. Several studies have shown that numerous activities of daily livings (ADLs) are performed using an oblique plane of wrist motion from radial-extension to ulnar-flexion, named the Dart Throwing Motion (DTM) plane. To the best of our knowledge, the DTM plane angle performed during ADLs has not been compared between different heights (e.g. table, shoulder and head height), as is common when performing day-to-day tasks. In this study, we compared DTM plane angles when performing different ADLs at three different heights and examined the relationship between DTM plane angles and limb position. We found that height had a significant effect on the DTM plane angles - the mean DTM plane angle was greater at the lower level compared to the mid and higher levels. A significant effect of shoulder orientation on mean DTM plane angles was shown in the sagittal and coronal planes. Our findings support the importance of training daily tasks at different heights during rehabilitation following wrist injuries, in order to explore a large range of DTM angles, to accommodate needs of common ADLs.     

Educational Polyphony

While much has been written about relativism, multiculturalism and dialogue the case of education is special as in education the teacher aims to promote a set of values. This role of the teacher as bearing a worldview to be advanced is rarely addressed in the literature and is the focus of this paper. In the first section we explore the concept of polyphony and the vision it presents for education. We then turn to the idea of dialogue as developed by Bakhtin and present a communicative model conducive to a polyphonic educational environment. In the third section we portray the dynamics of polyphony in the classroom suggesting an analysis of the parameters (perspective and position) defining the participants in the educational setting and the relations between them. We conclude by drawing the implications of our position to the question set out above: the paradox the teacher is subject to in advancing a set of values in a dialogue with students.