Comparing Fathers' Physical and Toy Play and Links to Child Behaviour: An Exploratory Study

Increasing amounts of research show that fathers' involvement in children's lives contributes to the child's social, emotional and cognitive development; however, much of the evidence comes from fathers' caregiving and object play. This exploratory study compared the characteristics of 24 Australian fathers' play in two contexts – toy play and physical play – and examined the association of these play contexts with children's development. Correlational analyses revealed few conceptual similarities between toy play and physical play (rough‐and‐tumble). Rough‐and‐tumble quality was associated with children's emotional and behavioural functioning and self‐regulation, while intrusiveness in toy play related only to self‐regulation. The findings are discussed in terms of widening the conceptual and methodological reach of fathering measures in order to better capture the range of fathers' parenting behaviours and to be able to determine mechanisms of influence. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Maternal (Non) Responsiveness Questionnaire: Initial Factor Structure and Validation

The purpose of this paper was to examine the reliability, stability, and convergent and predictive validity of the newly developed Maternal Responsiveness Questionnaire (MRQ). Participants were 224 first‐time mothers. Mothers completed the MRQ when their infants were 6 and 14 months old. Convergent validity was examined in relation to mother‐reported personality, depressive symptoms, and emotion socialization practices and observed maternal sensitivity. Predictive validity was examined in relation to mother‐reported child behaviour problems and social competence, infant attachment security assessed via the Strange Situation, and observed child dysregulation. Three MRQ factors emerged based on exploratory factor analysis and were confirmed via confirmatory factor analysis: responsiveness, non‐responsiveness, and delayed responsiveness. All three scales demonstrated good internal consistency reliability and significant stability from 6 months to 14 months. Consistent evidence emerged for convergent and predictive validity of the non‐responsiveness subscale, but not the other subscales. The potential utility of the non‐responsiveness subscale of the MRQ is discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Scaffolding within the structure of Dialogical Self: Hierarchical dynamics of semiotic mediation

Scaffolding is a notion that allows us to conceptualize direction towards change. As a form of guidance, scaffolding may result in both change and non-change. In this paper I apply the notion of scaffolding by signs (semiotic mediation) to the theory of Dialogical Self (DS). The DS is a construct that brings into psychology a new way of theoretical thought—thinking in dualities. Dualities are systemic units of two opposites that are mutually related by functional dynamic relations. Within the theory of DS, human psychological functioning is explained by transformations of constantly changed I-positions that are mapped both structurally (internal/external) and temporally (past/present/future). Semiotic mediation within the DS guarantees the person's psychological distancing from the here-and-now setting. This distancing is guided by promoter signs—generalized meanings of field-like form that orient the self's transformation. These signs are parts of the semiotic mediating processes where higher-level signs guide the range of openness of the sign hierarchy itself for further transformation when that is needed.     

INEVITABLE HUMANS: SIMON CONWAY MORRIS'S EVOLUTIONARY PALEONTOLOGY

Abstract. Simon Conway Morris, noted Cambridge University paleontologist, argues that in evolutionary natural history humans (or beings rather like humans) are an inevitable outcome of the developing speciating processes over millennia; humans are “inherent” in the system. This claim, in marked contrast to claims about contingency made by other prominent paleontologists, is based on numerous remarkable convergences—similar trends found repeatedly in evolutionary history. Conway Morris concludes approaching a natural theology. His argument is powerful and informed. But does it face adequately the surprising events in such history, particularly notable in unexpected co‐options that redirect the course of life? The challenge to understand how humans are both on a continuum with other species and also utterly different remains a central puzzle in paleontology.     

从心理咨询与治疗的角度看自我

心理咨询和治疗离不开对自我的关注, 精神分析、行为疗法和认知疗法对自我的关注局限于认知或行为层面, 而新兴的正念疗法填补了对自我身体和感受层面关注的空白。具身认知和具身自我实验, 以及认知神经科学研究也证明了身体、感知觉和认知情绪的密切关系, 及其与自我的息息相关。本文在整合已有心理疗法和实验研究的基础上, 提出一种整体观的自我结构, 即自我是理性(符号机能、认知情绪)、感性(非符号机能、感知觉)、身体(生理机能)的综合体, 缺一不可。     

Young children’s developing conception of knowledge and ignorance: work in progress

When do children acquire an understanding of knowledge and ignorance? We analyzed the early development of children’s spontaneous references to knowing and not knowing and conclude that 2-year-olds talk explicitly and cogently about their own knowledge as well as that of an interlocutor. Two-year-olds also admit their own ignorance. Moreover, consistent with their realization that an informant may know what they do not, 2-year-olds ask many information-seeking questions. Finally, we discuss children’s receptivity and skepticism, especially toward the counterintuitive claims of an adult. We conclude that children’s conception of knowledge and ignorance begins early but undergoes protracted refinement.     

Baring Their Souls in Online Profiles or Not? Religious Self‐Disclosure in Social Media

This study measured the prevalence of religious self‐disclosure in public MySpace profiles that belonged to a subsample of National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) wave 3 respondents (N = 560). Personal attributes associated with religious identification as well as the overall quantity of religious self‐disclosures are examined. A majority (62 percent) of profile owners identified their religious affiliations online, although relatively few profile owners (30 percent) said anything about religion outside the religion‐designated field. Most affiliation reports (80 percent) were consistent with the profile owner's reported affiliation on the survey. Religious profile owners disclosed more about religion when they also believed that religion is a public matter or if they evaluated organized religion positively. Evangelical Protestants said more about religion than other respondents. Religiosity, believing that religion is a public matter, and the religiosity of profile owners’ friendship group were all positively associated with religious identification and self‐disclosure.