Effects of aging on the relation between episodic simulation and prosocial intentions

Imagining helping a person in need can facilitate prosocial intentions. Here we investigated how this effect can change with aging. We found that, similar to young adults, older adults were more willing to help a person in need when they imagined helping that person compared to a baseline condition that did not involve helping, but not compared to a conceptual helping control condition. Controlling for heightened emotional concern in older adults revealed an age-related difference in the effect of imagining on willingness to help. While we observed age-related condition effects, we also found that the subjective vividness of scene imagery predicted willingness to help for both age groups. Our findings provide insight into the relations among episodic simulation, healthy aging, emotion, and prosociality. Implications for effects of episodic memory and aging on social decision-making are discussed.     

Reporting daily and critical events: journalists’ perceptions of coping and savouring strategies,and of organizational support

Although journalists are increasingly being viewed by scientific research as an at-risk occupational group, there is still little knowledge on their strategies for dealing with occupational stressors, in both daily work settings and in critical scenarios, and on the support provided by the media organizations. Taking the occupational stress model as a framework, 25 Portuguese journalists, experienced in reporting critical events, were interviewed on their perceptions of the coping and savouring strategies they use, as well as of their organizations’ support in daily work and critical events. Differences among these variables, according to deployment frequency to critical events were statistically analysed. The data content analysis showed that emotion-focused coping strategies were the most frequently mentioned for both settings, whereas savouring strategies were only referred to for critical events. Perceptions of coping strategies were four times more frequent than those of savouring, and the need for organizational support was especially stressed. Significant differences were identified in all variables according to the number of deployments to critical events. These findings may contribute to a reflection on the role of media organizations in promoting journalists’ occupational health in both settings. The article closes by suggesting directions for future studies.     

‘Making’ as a catalyst for reflective practice

Within the research and teaching program of maker pedagogy(TM), this study analyzes how teacher candidates construct knowledge about teaching and teaching with technology. The study applies an experiential-intuitive framework of reflective practice and takes cues from critical thinking to analyze the participants’ interactions in a maker pedagogy lab. Schön’s conception of reflection drove the data collection and analysis of participants who were asked to reflect on their experiences gained in the maker pedagogy lab. The researchers argue that the maker pedagogy lab provides participants with a way to understand their teaching practice. The results demonstrate that the maker projects enabled teacher candidates to engage in exploratory and hypothetical talk about how they are thinking about teaching and learning, particularly with technology. Furthermore, the researchers uncovered that teacher candidates’ prior knowledge and frames of reference affect their making experiences and their developing identities as science and technology teachers.     

Critical reflection on the ESL teacher’s subjectivity

This study explores the possibility of raising the author’s own critical awareness as an ESL teacher by reflecting critically on his subjectivity involved in the implementation of critical literacy in the reading classroom, especially examining not just his thoughts and feelings but also his teaching practices. It highlights discrepancies between his expectations and realities, and conflicts between his own beliefs. It also highlights not just effective aspects of his teaching, which show his contribution to enhancing dialogue among students and their engagement with critical social practices, but also less-effective aspects of his teaching, which show his failure to push participants for more information and his distortions of participants’ statements. Further, the study demonstrates the need for encouraging teachers to reflect critically on themselves as transformative beings.     

Transformative professional learning: an ecological approach to agency through critical reflection

Within the global economy, education leverages social and economic improvement. Teachers are positioned as drivers and agents of compliance within change processes. Addressing this concern, we investigate intern teacher agency, as transformative professional learning, that occurs through a process of critical reflection. Critical reflection is conceived as an important element of teacher agency within the current political milieu. This article addresses the role of critical reflection in school-based intern teacher professional learning (PL). It is argued that intern teacher agency is inherent in transformative PL characterized through partnerships, which provide scope for decision-making and critical reflection.     

Trace.space: a psychogeographical community project with members of an arts and health organisation

In this article we present a psychogeographical community project involving members of an arts and health organisation. Using creative ways to improve the mental health and well-being of individuals, we draw on the concepts of trace and spaces to map relationships between researchers and participants. This project was underpinned by three aims which were: to do community group work to produce contributions both in and beyond the University; to playfully critique everyday life in consumer capitalist society and finally, to consider the extent to which personal and social changes could be enabled. To realise those aims, we put into practice a range of architectural, community psychological and psychogeographical methods such as photo-elicitation, dice walking and scavenger hunting. We also facilitated participatory workshops which involved the production of artistic maps, writing poems and short stories. We conclude the paper with reflections from stakeholders with conclusions and future psychogeographical research being considered.     

未来情景思考对目标达成的双刃作用及其机制

未来情景思考指个体想象并预先感受某个可能在未来发生的自我相关情景事件的心理加工,它对目标达成可产生双刃影响:一些思考方式会妨碍目标达成,如想象理想的结果或过程;而另一些思考方式则会促进目标达成,如过程模拟和想象较为消极的目标相关场景。对于未来情景思考是促进还是妨碍目标达成,动机水平的高低和执行意向的清晰程度可能是关键调节因素,相应的干预策略可通过增强这两者而将未来情景思考对目标达成的妨碍作用转化为促进作用。进一步的研究需系统探讨不同方式的未来情景思考影响目标达成的认知神经机制,并对目标特征和人格特点如何调节未来情景思考对目标达成的影响进行探讨。     

批判性思维对中国人创新观念与行为的影响

批判性思维是指个体基于良好判断、使用恰当的评估标准对事物的价值进行评估和思考的过程。尽管心理学家对它的研究时间并不长,但对这个概念的探索却从启蒙运动时代的笛卡尔就开始了。笛卡尔认为人们的很多知识都是建构在错误的基础上的,所以为了追求真理,最好的方法就是对现有的观念和认知统统加以怀疑,怀疑后才会发现并解决问题,从而达到促进知识发展和寻找确定性的目标,这种怀疑和质疑正是批判性思维的本质。Ennis、Facione等从20世纪80年代中期开始用心理学的方法确定了西方人批判性思维的特征,并从批判性分析能力、思维开放性和运用批判性思维倾向性三个方面衡量批判性思维。本研究计划包括4个系列实验:研究1是确立中国人批判性思维的结构;研究2是探讨智力、批判性思维与大学生创造力的关系;研究3是探究批判性思维与知识型员工创新之间的关系;研究4是通过对批判性思维的干预提升中国人的创新能力。通过这一系列的研究,找到批判性思维影响创新的机制,以及智力到创新行为之间的作用路径,从而使我们更好地理解培养批判性思维的价值,为党的十八大提出的万众创新提供理论支持。