Authority-based Argumentative Strategies: A Model for their Evaluation

In this paper, I try to develop an informal model for the analysis and evaluation of argumentative strategies based on active authorities. The explanations necessary to understand the idea of the model and what is modelled are given through the development of the paper. I first give an example of argumentative activities. After that, the main assumption of the model is given. In the third part, the relevant aspects of the argumentative activity are analysed, while the principles of the evaluation are explained in the fourth part. The informal model is presented in the fifth part. In the final remarks, the suggestions for further work are given, as well as a comparison with some related recent works in argumentation theory.     

虚拟学习有效性的影响因素研究

本研究以68名参加过国际远程合作课程的MBA学员为研究对象,采用问卷调查的方法对虚拟条件下学习有效性的影响因素进行了研究。结果表明：学员特点、效能感、对虚拟学习的态度、技术可靠性、媒体丰富性、虚拟团队支持和虚拟学习有效性不同程度地存在显著相关;回归分析显示,对虚拟学习的态度是虚拟学习有效性的一个重要影响因素,另外,一般自我效能感会对课程有效性产生影响．而技术效能感对总体有效性有影响;虚拟团队的学习环境支持对虚拟有效性产生影响。     

Individual differences in coping with criticism of one's physical appearance among Taiwanese students

When someone is criticized for some failure or deficiency, he or she is faced with a dilemma about whether or how to respond. To date, most research on responses to criticism has adopted a communication approach and has focused on general social complaints. The present study instead adopted the perspective of stress and coping and aimed to delineate possible responses to criticism pertaining to one's physical appearance. We investigated the efficacy of three coping styles, namely acceptance, avoidance, and retaliation in explaining emotional reactions towards such criticism, and we additionally controlled for personality characteristics, in particular assertion and harmony beliefs. A sample of Taiwanese university students (N = 300) was surveyed for their coping styles and psychological outcomes, and personality traits were examined as possible predictors of response options. We found that (1) acceptance, retaliation, and avoidance were three broad coping styles in this problematic social situation; (2) the individual trait of assertion was negatively related to the use of avoidance, while harmony beliefs were positively related to acceptance and avoidance, but negatively related to retaliation; and (3) the use of acceptance and avoidance were positively related to positive emotions, whereas retaliation was positively related to negative emotions. Males tended to use more acceptance. Implications of these findings were discussed in relation to existing studies of communication, stress and coping. Possible influences of the Chinese collectivist culture on people's responses to criticism were also delineated, such as valuing interpersonal harmony and face-work in social situations.     

Use of an analogue method to examine children’s appraisals of threat and emotion in response to stressful events

An analogue methodology was used to present a set of realistic, salient stressors to children in grades 3, 5, and 7. Children (N = 146) viewed eight videotaped vignettes depicting interpersonal and non-interpersonal stressors; these were expected to differentially threaten psychological needs for relatedness, competence and autonomy and provoke different emotional reactions. Analyses showed that scenarios portrayed stressors that were commonly experienced by children and evoked a differentiated profile of appraisals and emotions. When tenets of the motivational theory of stress and coping were tested, scenarios more threatening to needs were more distressing, sadness was linked to relatedness and competence threat appraisals, and fear was a more common reaction to parent stressors that involved dyadic conflict. After accounting for threat appraisals and previous experience of stressors, younger children and girls appraised events as more distressing than older children and boys. Future research could use the analogue procedure to focus on children’s development of regulation and coping with stress.     

The lived experience of alopecia areata: A qualitative study

This study explored experiences of individuals living with alopecia areata (AA) and alopecia universalis (AU) and investigated their accounts of adjusting to, and coping with, such conditions. Whilst previous research has primarily focused on the adverse psychosocial impact of alopecia, this investigation used Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis to provide a more holistic perspective. Biographical interviews were undertaken with 12 participants (7 women; 5 men) diagnosed with alopecia for periods ranging between 2 and 49 years. Results revealed that strategies used by participants evolved over time and that there were clear gender differences. In the early stages, participants did not want to contemplate that their hair loss would be lasting and managed the condition via concealment. Later coping strategies reflected an embodied acceptance with participants managing the effects of AA/AU and becoming more optimistic about living with the condition. Limitations of the study are discussed as well as implications for patient care.     

团队领导行为对团队效能影响之研究

对修订的团队领导行为量表和自编的团队效能量表进行了信效度检验,并在此基础上探讨了团队领导行为对团队效能的影响情况。结果表明修订的中文版团队领导行为量表具有良好的结构效度和信度,可分为动机激励、魅力领导、挑战陈规和个别关怀四个维度;团队效能量表同样具有良好的结构效度和信度,可分为任务绩效和周边绩效两个维度。路径分析和多元线性回归分析的结果表明,转换型团队领导行为对周边绩效的影响显著高于对任务绩效的影响;转换型团队领导行为中动机激励、魅力领导和个别关怀这三个维度对团队效能影响显著,而挑战陈规这一维度对团队效能的影响并不显著。     

变革型领导风格的实证研究

以72家企业的193名管理者为被试,通过多来源评估法收集数据,采用因素分析、信度分析和回归分析等方法对变革型领导的理论结构及其与领导有效性的关系进行了深入研究。结果表明,变革型领导具有二阶单因素结构。即四个独立子因素为领导魅力、感召力、智力激发和个性化关怀,这些子因素归属于一个单一二阶因素;研究所使用的《变革型领导问卷》具有良好的构想效度和信度,适用于中国文化;变革型领导及其子维度对领导有效性有一定的预测力。     

Interpersonal feedback in everyday life: Empirical studies in Germany and the United States

The present research examines occurrences of interpersonal feedback in everyday life. Drawing upon retrospective self-reports from three student samples in Germany and the US, we investigate why, how, and with what effect such feedback is shared. We found that feedback was common, occurring mostly within stable interpersonal relationships, and that positive feedback was reported to occur more often than negative feedback. Positive and negative feedback was provided to achieve different goals (acknowledgement vs. behavioral change), and feedback senders perceived negative feedback as less successful than positive feedback. Negative feedback was withheld primarily when potential senders perceived it as futile or potentially dangerous to their relationship with the recipient. However, negative feedback that was shared was not seen as particularly harmful in that regard. We discuss potential barriers to feedback effectiveness, whether and how the exchange of interpersonal feedback in everyday life may be promoted, and give recommendations for future research.     

Reducing car use by volitional strategy of action and coping planning enhancement

Personalized travel plans have been regarded as potentially effective soft measures in mobility management. This research conducted a randomized social experiment aiming at citizen car-use reduction, and examined the effect of implementing two personalized travel plans: action plans and coping plans. The two types of plans were designed respectively for enhancing action planning and coping planning as the volitional factors of behavior change. The results supported the effectiveness of the combined action-plus-coping plan intervention in reducing car use, but not of the action plan alone intervention. In addition, the influence of intervention on behavioral intention, action planning, and coping planning, were also presented.     

Unemployment, coping and psychological distress

This study addressed the role of coping sytle in anxiety and depression of unemployed people. Two-hundred thirty-three people checking in at unemployment services participated. They filled in Carver, Scheier and Weintraub's (1989) coping measure (COPE), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD), gave information as to age, duration of unemployment and their appraisal of their situation. Four secondary dimensions of COPE were used in data analyses. Multiple regression analyses were undertaken with anxiety/depression as dependent and the coping variables as independent variables, with background/appraisal variables entered first. Coping variables added to the prediction of anxiety and depression over and above background/appraisal variables. For women Focus on Emotion coping as well as Avoidance was related to higher anxiety/depression scores ( p <0.01), whereas Reappraisal was related to lower anxiety/depression ( p <0.05). For men only Avoidance was related to anxiety/depression ( p <0.01). More Avoidance co-occurred with higher levels of anxiety as well as depression. The results are discussed with respect to possible intervention.