Learning from exemplars: emulation,character formation and the complexities of ordinary life

In the field of character education role-modelling is advocated as an important pedagogical strategy. It is supposed that students learn from ‘significant others’ who exemplify important virtues and values. However, in these strategies it is not clear what and how students precisely can and should learn from exemplars and how the following of exemplars relates to the educational aim of ‘becoming a self.’ In this article, it is argued that modelling is only a relevant pedagogical strategy if moral exemplars are somehow related to life in its full extent, including its moral complexities and ambiguities. Understanding moral exemplarity demands not only the reappropriation of an Aristotelian conception of emulation but also an understanding of the typical modern relocation of moral exemplarity in the fullness of life, importantly originating from what Charles Taylor calls the Protestant ‘affirmation of ordinary life.’ In addition, a distinction is introduced between ‘role exemplarity’ and ‘existential exemplarity.’ Based on this distinction it is argued that emulation should not be limited to learning from role models, but should also include something that runs deeper, to the depth of our own subjectivity or self.     

Transport risk evaluations associated with past exposure to adverse security events in public transport

The current study aims to examine differences in risk evaluations according to whether individuals have been exposed to adverse security events in transport during the last five years. In addition, a path model is tested where risk evaluations predict intentions to use public transport and use of such transport in these groups. The results are based on a survey conducted in a randomly obtained representative sample of the Norwegian urban public (n = 1043). The results showed that individuals who had been exposed to adverse security events in public transport reported substantially higher risk perception of experiencing security issues in such transport than those who were not exposed. Exposed individuals also reported higher probability judgements and more worry of experiencing injury in public transport. The path model showed that high probability judgements of experiencing injury in public transport were related to a lower intention of using such transport, whereas corresponding worry in the private motorized sector predicted a stronger intention to use public transport. Demand for risk mitigation in the public transport sector was found to be more relevant for intentions to use public transport than similar demands in the private motorized sector. The path model and coefficients were not found to differ significantly according to exposure to security events in public transport. The findings are discussed in relation to the role of negative risk experiences for risk evaluations in transport.     

大学生的性格优势及与主观幸福感的关系

性格优势与主观幸福感是积极心理学的两大核心研究领域,其中,关于性格优势的"价值实践分类体系"被认为是积极心理学发展至今最具影响的成就之一。研究招募115名在校大学生(69女,46男),分别完成优势价值实践调查、牛津幸福体验问卷,以及生活满意度量表。研究发现:(1)在24种优势中,大学生的五大"显著优势"依次为爱与被爱、正直诚实、感恩感激、美的领悟、善良慷慨;(2)希望乐观、爱与被爱、社交智慧、洞察悟性等性格优势与主观幸福感密切相关;(3)希望乐观、爱与被爱、谨慎审慎、洞察悟性对幸福体验的回归方程拟合程度最优,而希望乐观、宽容宽恕、社交智慧、创造才能对生活满意度的回归方程拟合程度最优。     

The modulation of stimulus structure on visual field asymmetry effects: The case of Chinese character recognition

Recent research suggests that visual field (VF) asymmetry effects in visual recognition may be influenced by information distribution within the stimuli for the recognition task in addition to hemispheric processing differences: Stimuli with more information on the left have a right VF (RVF) advantage because the left part is closer to the centre, where the highest visual acuity is obtained. It remains unclear whether visual complexity distribution of the stimuli also has similar modulation effects. Here we used Chinese characters with contrasting structures—left-heavy, symmetric, and right-heavy, in terms of either visual complexity of components or information distribution defined by location of the phonetic component—and examined participants' naming performance. We found that left-heavy characters had the largest RVF advantage, followed by symmetric and right-heavy characters; this effect was only observed in characters that contrasted in information distribution, in which information for pronunciation was skewed to the phonetic component, but not in those that contrasted only in visual complexity distribution and had no phonetic component. This result provides strong evidence for the influence of information distribution within the stimuli on VF asymmetry effects; in contrast, visual complexity distribution within the stimuli does not have similar modulation effects.     

BUILDING CHARACTER: A LEADERSHIP ESSENTIAL

Character is an increasingly important topic of discourse and analysis, however, much of the research remains problematic and conceptual. Even less evidence exists of the nature of the relationship between character and leadership. This study examined self-reported character and associated demographic correlates among a sample of 238 Australian business leaders. Exploratory factor analysis identified three dimensions of character consistent with theory. These dimensions were examined in relation to demographic variables. After controlling for social desirability bias, few statistically significant demographic differences were found. Further research is recommended to validate the model of character developed in our paper.

On the methodology of body image assessment: the use of figural rating scales to evaluate body dissatisfaction and the ideal body standards of women

We examined the use of figural rating scales to measure body dissatisfaction and the ideal body standards of women. We also attended to the potential influence of demand characteristics in body assessment research using these measures, a methodological concern largely ignored in this field. We used both within- and between-subjects designs to assess whether women hold different body standards for themselves compared to their same sex peers and whether their own ideal body size (IBS) is different from what they think men prefer. Regardless of the method of data collection (within or between design), we failed to find any differences on separate items of body image ideals. The findings do provide evidence of robust and large effects for the current–ideal discrepancy as measured by figural rating scales, but argue against including multiple questions about ideal body preferences on these types of scales. Concerns about the influence of demand characteristics were not supported by the data.     

Institutional culture and individual behavior: Creating an ethical environment

Much of the work in professional ethics sees ethical problems as resulting from ethical ignorance, ethical failure or evil intent. While this approach gets at real and valid concerns, it does not capture the whole story because it does not take into account the underlying professional or institutional culture in which moral decision making is imbedded. My argument in this paper is that this culture plays a powerful and sometimes determinant role in establishing the nature of the ethical debate; i.e., it helps to define what are viable action options, what is the organization’s genuine mission, and what behaviors will be rewarded or criticized. Given these conclusions, I also argue that consulting ethicists need more than an understanding of ethics theory, concepts and principles; they also need a sufficiently rich understanding of organizational culture and a willingness and an ability to critique that culture. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the “Ethics and Social Responsibility in Engineering and Technology” meeting, New Orleans, 2003.     

结构对称性汉字视觉识别特点的实验研究

用命名作业通过二个实验考察了结构对称性汉字的视觉识别特点,结果表明,汉字识别具有显著的结构对称性效应,识别结构对称性汉字的加工明显快于非对称性汉字,对称性效应与字频效应,笔画效应具有显著的交互作用,进一步的简单效应的分析表明,这种结构对称性效应在低频字中起作用,而在高频字中不起显著作用;在多笔画字中起作用,而在少毛画字中不起显著作用,这表明,对称性汉字中的具有冗余信息的格式塔部件促进地识别汉字的加     

关于社会性格的跨文化研究

本文针对当前中国处于社会转型的现状,通过调研发现当代人社会性格系由八个因素构成,包括集体主义,独立性,依存性、支配性与安定感。