The moderating role of intrinsic value in the relation between psychological needs support and academic engagement in mathematics among Chinese adolescent students

This study was to assess the moderating roles of intrinsic value in the relation of basic psychological needs support to academic engagement in mathematics. We recruited 246 middle school students by using the Basic Psychological Needs Support Scale, the Intrinsic Value Scale and the Academic Engagement Scale. This study found that both basic psychological needs support and intrinsic value had significant predictions on the three aspects of academic engagement. Moreover, the interaction item between basic psychological needs support and intrinsic value could significantly affect emotional and cognitive engagement, but not behavioural engagement. The findings indicated that except for behavioural engagement, the associations between basic psychological need support and emotional or cognitive engagement could be moderated by intrinsic value. This study provides a special perspective for educators and researchers to recognise the role of intrinsic value in promoting adolescents' higher levels of involvement in mathematics class.     

A Way to Interpret Łukasiewicz Logic and Basic Logic

Fuzzy logics are in most cases based on an ad-hoc decision about the interpretation of the conjunction. If they are useful or not can typically be found out only by testing them with example data. Why we should use a specific fuzzy logic can in general not be made plausible. Since the difficulties arise from the use of additional, unmotivated structure with which the set of truth values is endowed, the only way to base fuzzy logics on firm ground is the development of alternative semantics to all of whose components we can associate a meaning. In this paper, we present one possible approach to justify ex post Łukasiewicz Logic as well as Basic Logic. The notion of ambiguity is central. Our framework consists of a Boolean or a Heyting algebra, respectively, endowed with an equivalence relation expressing ambiguity. The quotient set bears naturally the structure of an MV- or a BL-algebra, respectively, and thus can be used to interpret propositions of the mentioned logics.     

Development and initial validation of public domain Basic Interest Markers

Goldberg (Goldberg, L. R. (1999). A broad-bandwidth, public-domain, personality inventory measuring the lower-level facets of several five-factor models. In: I. Mervielde, I. Deary, F. De Fruyt, & F. Ostendorf (Eds.), Personality psychology in Europe (Vol. 7, pp. 7-28). Tilburg, The Netherlands: Tilburg University Press) has argued that the commercialization of personality measures limits the range of questions investigated in empirical research. We propose that the commercialization of interest measures has had a similar effect on research in vocational psychology. Following Goldberg’s example of developing public-domain personality markers, we also propose that the development of public-domain interest markers would facilitate new directions in career-related research. The present study outlines the development and validation of a set of public-domain Basic Interest Markers (BIMs) that are freely available on a website. Using Day and Rounds’ (Day, Susan. X, & Rounds, J. (1997). A little more than kin, and less than kind: Basic interests in vocational research and career counseling. Career Development Quarterly, 45, 207-220) basic interest taxonomy, 343 items and 31 BIM scales were generated. Validity evidence is presented from correlations with the General Occupational Themes and Basic Interest Scales of the Strong Interest Inventory (Harmon, L. W., Hansen, J. C., Borgen, F. H., & Hammer, A. L. (1994). Strong Interest Inventory applications and technical guide. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press). Discriminant validity is demonstrated by the capacity for the BIMs to differentiate major field of education or training. Implications for research and use in applied settings are discussed.     

Nonparametric item response theory axioms and properties under nonlinearity and their exemplification with knowledge space theory

This paper investigates the dichotomous Mokken nonparametric item response theory (IRT) axioms and properties under incomparabilities among latent trait values and items. Generalized equivalents of the unidimensional nonparametric IRT axioms and properties are formulated for nonlinear (quasi-ordered) person and indicator spaces. It is shown that monotone likelihood ratio (MLR) for the total score variable and nonlinear latent trait implies stochastic ordering (SO) of the total score variable, but may fail to imply SO of the nonlinear latent trait. The reason for this and conditions under which the implication holds are specified, based on a new, simpler proof of the fact that in the unidimensional case MLR implies SO. The approach is applied in knowledge space theory (KST), a combinatorial test theory. This leads to a (tentative) Mokken-type nonparametric axiomatization in the currently parametric theory of knowledge spaces. The nonparametric axiomatization is compared with the assumptions of the parametric basic local independence model which is fundamental in KST. It is concluded that this paper may provide a first step toward a basis for a possible fusion of the two split directions of psychological test theories IRT and KST.     

Self-esteem,motivation and school attendance among sub-Saharan African girls: A self-determination theory perspective

Sub-Saharan samples are severely under-represented in the psychological literature. Taking an ecological approach, the current study examines key propositions derived from self-determination theory in a sample of adolescent girls in Mozambique. As a framework theory, self-determination theory consists of six sub-theories. We test the main premises of two of these theories: organismic integration theory and basic psychological need theory. In line with organismic integration theory, we assess the role of intrinsic, extrinsic, introjected and identified motivation for school attendance. We also test the possible moderating role of the ecological variable resource scarcity. The second part of the study focuses on the main premise of the basic psychological need sub-theory, which states that satisfaction of the needs for relatedness, competence and autonomy underlies intrinsic motivation, goal-directed behaviour (school attendance) and well-being (self-esteem). The study also assesses the moderation of resource scarcity in these relationships. Results provide support for both sub-theories of self-determination theory. Resource scarcity is not found to moderate the relationships between motivation and attendance or between need satisfaction and well-being, motivation and attendance. Implications for the universality claim of self-determination theory, as well as for the field of international development aid, are discussed.     

What are the values of young people and how are these different from the values of older generations in Georgia?

This article examines the basic values of young people (aged 18 to 25) and analyses how, if at all, these are different from the values of older generations in Georgia. Based on Shalom H. Schwartz’s Theory of Basic Values (2012), the study uses quantitative (secondary analysis of the World Values Survey [WVS]) and qualitative (40 in-depth interviews) research methods to explore basic values, perceptions and attitudes, as well as tolerance towards different minority groups in Georgia. The research findings reveal that Schwartz’s higher-ordered values ‘conservation’ (including ‘conformity’ and ‘tradition’) and ‘self-transcendence’ (including ‘benevolence’ and ‘universalism’) are very important for all age groups in Georgia. In contrast, the values of ‘openness to change’ and ‘self-enhancement’ are assessed quite dissimilarly by young and older generations. In addition, the youth turned out to be more tolerant towards different minority groups, such as people of a different religion and race, immigrants and sexual minorities.     

The Portuguese version of the Basic Empathy Scale (BES): Dimensionality and measurement invariance in a community adolescent sample

Empathy is the heightened ability to cognitively perceive and/or affectively share the emotions of others, which has been consistently associated with desirable social interactions. This paper aimed to test the bi-factorial structure of a Portuguese version of the Basic Empathy Scale and examine its variation by gender and age using a large community sample (n = 1029) of adolescents. The two-factor model, originally developed and supported by other cross-cultural validations, presented good fit indicators which was similar across genders and adolescent age groups. Girls were more empathic than boys and younger adolescents were more empathic than the older ones. Further support for the validity of the new scale comes from its relations to measures of social skills and aggression which were similar to theoretical predictions. In conclusion, the Portuguese version of the BES is a consistent and valid instrument for the assessment of empathy in samples of adolescents aged 12–18 years old in Portugal, which can now be used in cross-cultural studies of this important psychological construct.     

如何理解"德得相通"

道德与利益的关系问题可折射出整个社会道德的基础与取向,必须对之予以正确阐释。“德得相通”应该理解成“德”与“道之得”、“心之得”意义上的相通,不应该似是而非的理解成“德”主要与“利之得”意义上相通,更不能把如此理解的“德得相通”视为中国传统道德的基本精神与价值取向。中国传统道德的基本精神与价值取向,应该是以提升自我德性和实现理想人格为主旨,强调克己尚义的道德价值论。     

Salient Color Terms in Four Languages

Elicited lists of color terms were used to investigate the relative salience of basic and nonbasic color terms in four languages. Salience was operationalized in terms of frequency of mention and mean rank sequence of appearance on the lists. Primary basic terms were generally found to be the most salient, followed by derived basic and nonbasic terms, in that order. However, in some of the group lists the nonbasic terms beige, turquoise, navy blue and sky blue were found to have higher frequencies of mention and/or higher mean sequence ranks than some derived basic terms. The possible basicness of these terms is discussed.