极端环境下个体绩效的负性表现

极端环境是指太空、深海、南北极、大型竞技比赛等对人的心理、生理功能提出较高要求的复杂恶劣环境条件。个体与环境之间的相互作用会对绩效表现产生一定影响。本文通过系统回顾国内外研究,并结合最新的认知神经科学研究结果,将极端环境下负性绩效表现的相关研究进展进行梳理与探讨。     

Mainstreams and Perspectives in Research on Learning (Mathematics) From Instruction

Le domaine de l’enseignement et de l’apprentissage des mathématiques est un exemple des plus représentatives de l’orientation des recherches sur l’apprentissage et l’instruction dans les différentes matières. Au cours du dernier quart de siècle écoulé, ce champ de questionnement a produit nombre d’investigations qui résultent d’une conception de l’apprentissage des mathématiques comme construction sociale de la signification et de la comprehension basée sur la modélisation de la réalité. Dans cet article, quelques tendances majeures et perspectives de recherche s.0s principalement aux Etats‐Unis et en Europe. Il y sera montré que d’une part, les investigations empiriques ont déjà produit des blocs de construction pour l’élaboration d’une théorie de l’apprentissage des mathématiques à partir d’instructions mais que, d’autre part, des questions et des problèmes majeurs requièrent d’être démêlés par la poursuite d’investigations. Ceci y sera documenté de façon exemplaire en utilisant comme cadre de référence quatre composants principaux d’une théorie de l’apprentissage des mathématiques à partir d’instructions: une théorie de l’expertise visant à analyser des compétences dans un domaine; une théorie de l’acquisition tendant à comprendre et expliquer les processus d’apprentissage qui conduisent à la réalisation de compétences; une théorie de l’intervention, focalisée sur la conception d’environnements enseignement‐apprentissage puissants pour provoquer ces processus d’acquisition; et une théorie de l’évaluation s’adressant au développement de méthodes et techniques pour la construction et l’application d’outils et instruments d’évaluation. The domain of mathematics learning and teaching is one of the most representative examples of the subject‐matter orientation in research on learning and instruction. During the last quarter of the past century this field of inquiry has produced a vast body of investigations, resulting in an enriched conception of mathematics learning as involving the (social) construction of meaning and understanding based on modeling of reality. In this article some of the main trends and perspectives in the field of research on mathematics learning and instruction are discussed, and illustrated with examples of empirical research, mainly carried out in Europe and the United States. It will be shown that, on the one hand, the available empirical investigations have already yielded substantial building blocks for the elaboration of a theory of mathematics learning from instruction, but that, on the other hand, major issues and problems need to be unravelled by continued inquiry. This will be documented in an exemplary way, using as a frame of reference four main components of a theory of learning mathematics from instruction: a theory of expertise, aiming at analysing competence in a domain; a theory of acquisition, attempting to understand and explain the processes of learning that are conducive to the attainment of competence; a theory of intervention, focusing on the design of powerful teaching–learning environments for eliciting those acquisition processes; and a theory of assessment, addressing the development of methods and techniques for the construction and application of assessment tools and instruments.     

A particular resiliency to threatening environments

Being in the numerical minority can impair intellectual performance. We suggest, however, that these negative effects need not extend to everyone because some people—specifically high self-monitors—can overcome the effects of situationally activated stereotypes. In two studies, we manipulated the race/sex composition of small groups and assessed intellectual performance. Results revealed that: (a) self-monitoring moderated the effects of group-composition on performance, such that it was positively related to performance in stressful minority settings, (b) the number of out-group members in a group caused a linear effect on performance that differed for high and low self-monitors, and (c) stereotype activation mediated self-monitoring’s moderating effect on performance. Thus, high self-monitors may be resilient to threatening environments because they react to negative stereotypes with increased (and not decreased) performance. We discuss these results in relation to theories of inter-group contact, stereotype threat, and stress and coping.     

远离“城嚣”:自然对人的积极作用、理论及其应用

人类大部分进化时间都是在自然环境中发生的,自然在人的身心健康、认知功能等方面都有积极作用。3个主要的理论揭示了自然对人的积极作用:亲生命性假设认为亲近自然是人类的天性,并且会使人变得更健康和快乐;注意恢复理论认为人处于自然中使用的无意注意能对有意注意疲劳起到恢复作用;压力恢复理论认为接触自然能够激活人类的积极情绪,从而对压力有缓解作用。目前自然对人的积极作用已经在园艺疗法和自然环境疗法得到广泛应用。未来还可以从其他的心理学视角解释自然对人的积极作用,实证研究可以关注真实自然环境和虚拟自然环境的作用差别,还可以考察视觉以外的其他感觉通道接触自然的作用,并结合认知神经科学考察自然积极作用的神经机制。     

Active versus passive learning and testing in a complex outside built environment

A review of the evidence on active and passive learning in virtual environments (VEs) suggests that both conditions have shown superiority under some conditions of learning and testing, but there is no consistent outcome pattern. Measures of transfer between virtual and real environments have also revealed a variety of outcomes. Following either active or passive learning in a VE, experiment 1 assessed measures of orientation and distance estimation in that VE and in a real-world equivalent environment. On measures of direct and relative distance, more accurate estimates were found for active than passive VE explorers. A suggestion was also noted for the orientation estimates to benefit from real-world rather than VE testing. With an improvement to the procedure, experiment 2 found similar real versus virtual orientation judgements, suggesting that an opportunity for active learning during the test procedure probably influenced orientation measures in experiment 1. We conclude that the effects of interactivity are unreliable and vary with the measures used, and that testing in virtual and real environments leads to similar outcomes.     

Environmental influences on psychological restoration

Research on psychological restoration and restorative environments is a needed complement to work on stress and environmental stressors. Two laboratory experiments tested the utility of two restorative environments theories, one concerned with directed attention capacity renewal and the other with stress reduction and associated changes in emotion. Various strategies were employed to distinguish restorative effects from other effects, to limit the role of arousal reduction in attentional restoration, and to begin mapping the time course for the emergence of outcomes. Both experiments tested for differential emotional and performance effects as a function of photographic environmental simulation (natural or urban environment). Across the experiments the natural environment simulation engendered generally more positive emotional self-reports. That consistent performance effects were not found in either study suggests that attentional restoration as reflected in performance is a more time-intensive process.     

The empowering effect of punishment on forgiveness

We examined the process by which punishment enables forgiveness, testing the proposition that punishment restores a sense of justice to victims, an experience that is empowering. In Study 1 (N = 69), university students received insulting feedback and were given the opportunity (or not) to sanction the offender. In Study 2 (N = 91), participants imagined having the opportunity (or not) to recommend punishment for a person who had vandalized their house. A two‐step mediation model (punishment justice restoration empowerment forgiveness) was supported in these two studies. In Study 3 (N = 227), punishment options were expanded to test the role of victim voice in the context of third‐party and personal retributive and restorative justice responses to workplace bullying, as well as taking into account revenge as an alternative to justice restoration. When victims had voice, empowerment again played a central indirect role in relations between punishment and forgiveness.     

The impact of a child bike seat and trailer on the objective overtaking behaviour of motorized vehicles passing cyclists

IntroductionThe lateral clearance distance of a motorized vehicle while overtaking a cyclist is a key indicator of safety. This lateral clearance distance has never been measured for cyclists transporting a child. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate the behaviour of motorized vehicles in overtaking cyclists with and without a child on the same bicycle.MethodsThe lateral clearance distance of the overtaking manoeuvres of motorized vehicles was measured using an instrumented bicycle when performing 19 cycling trips on one single road with two different types of cycling infrastructure (a bike lane and shared lane marking) in the Brussels Capital Region (Belgium). Mixed effect regression was used to examine the effect of cycling condition (cyclist without a child [control], cyclist with a child bike seat and cyclist with a child bike trailer) and secondary independent variables (i.e. cycling infrastructure, peak traffic hours and traffic density) on the lateral clearance distance.ResultsThe mean lateral clearance distance in ‘cyclists without child’ was significantly smaller (117.3 cm) than in ‘cyclists with child’ (128.8 cm) (95%CI [7.2;15.9]). Looking at ‘morning peak traffic hours’ (i.e. 7:00 to 9:00 a.m.) a cyclist with child bike seat was overtaken at greater lateral clearance distances than a cyclist with a child bike trailer or a cyclist without child (p=0.041). Furthermore, the percentage of passing manoeuvres under 100 cm was significantly higher in ‘cyclist without child’ (35.3%) in comparison to ‘cyclist with child bike seat’ (21.8%) and ‘cyclist with child bike trailer’ (21.8%) (Chi2=29.19, p<0.001). No significant differences were found between a shared lane marking and bike lane.ConclusionDrivers of motorized vehicles do adapt their overtaking manoeuvre when they overtake cyclists transporting a child, keeping greater and therefore safer lateral clearance distances. In morning peak traffic hours and/or crowded circumstances the child bike seat can be considered as the safest way to transport a child in terms of lateral clearance distance. In general, with 25.3% overtaking manoeuvres under 100cm, police should monitor compliance with the traffic rules with regard to cyclists, and motorists should be more aware of the overtaking traffic rules.     

Healing Together

As part of the World Council of Churches’ pilgrimage of justice and peace, the Just Community of Wo/Men organized the “Walking Her-Story” activity as a gender response. These have remained pilgrim team visits that focus on listening to the stories of wo/men young and old and particularly addressing gender injustice specifically as expressed in sexual and gender-based violence. This article focuses on the process triggered by such stories in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, and South Sudan that became the midwife that gave birth to Healing Together – an ecumenical resource for faith- and community-based counselling of those psychosocially wounded by injustice and violence. Rooted in the understanding of mission as healing and wholeness, the stories listened to became a cry for healing and wholeness. The process and product benefited from the richness of my being an ethicist of care nurtured by my ubuntu (communitarian) ethical background, trained in Healing of Memories’ facilitation and as a student of Franklian logotherapy. I worked with survivors of injustice and violence, post-traumatic stress disorder healing facilitators, and church leaders through the council of churches in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan.