Doing business: an obscure notion of the ethics of public associations in ordinary Chinese

Along with the notion of being a person (zero run 做人), the notion of doing business (zuo shi 做事) in ordinary Chinese is basically an over-all notion of the norms in the practical and associative activities, carrying typically obscure meanings on practice and association affairs in some external world. Ordinary Chinese not only distinguishes these two notions but also defines a dictionary order of them, with the affairs of the internal world prior to those of the external. The fact that the notion of doing business refers to business (shi 事) rather than person (ren 人) makes this order clear at a deeper level. It shows that this notion regards the practical affairs of the external world less important to the person itself than those of the internal. Except for these qualities, the notion of doing business holds some normative meanings, although contains no definite rules. These meanings indirectly relate to the notion of person that people form in their private associations and emerge as some mixture with a tactical attitude out of the need of earning a life. The notion of person gives birth to some obscure requirements, for instance, the requirement of ‘doing business in accordance with your conscience’ and that of ‘doing business seriously’. The core world of family is marginalized in the public transition of associations. There are reasons to anticipate that in this process the notion of doing business will undergo more radical changes than that of being a person. __________ Translated from Zhexue Yanjiu 哲学研究 (Philosophical Studies), 2005 (7)     

The relationship between acceptance,fatigue, and subjective cognitive impairment in hematologic cancer survivors

Background/Objective: Cancer and its treatment can have a detrimental impact on psychological well-being. Acceptance as the basis of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has shown beneficial effects on depression and anxiety. However, its relationship to fatigue and cognitive impairment has not been investigated. A protective effect of acceptance may open up a new target for psychological intervention.Method: A cross-sectional postal survey was undertaken. 922 hematological cancer survivors (≥ 2.5 years post diagnosis) were recruited through two regional cancer registries in Germany. Acceptance (AAQ-II), fatigue (BFI) and subjective cognitive impairment (AFI) were assessed.Results: Higher levels of acceptance were negatively associated with fatigue and subjective cognitive impairment (R²= .34 and R²= .26, respectively). The relationship between fatigue and fatigue-related impairment of daily life was weaker for survivors with high acceptance.Conclusions: Acceptance is strongly associated with fatigue and subjective cognitive impairment. ACT may be useful to reduce symptoms of fatigue and subjective cognitive impairment in cancer survivors.     

A French validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM)

IntroductionA large number of studies have been devoted to the development of mindfulness questionnaires, a potential central mechanism in therapy. Although these questionnaires are well validated for adults, their accessibility to young populations are still in its infancy.ObjectiveThis study aims to validate a French version of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM) to foster the use of mindfulness questionnaires in clinical studies on children and adolescents, and to fix limitations of a previous French-Canadian version.MethodA total of 545 youth aged from 10 to 17 were recruited in a Belgian and a French school in order to test the validity and reliability of the CAMM.ResultsThe results indicate a one-factor structure and suggest a good internal consistency. As expected, the CAMM was positively correlated to another mindfulness questionnaire and negatively correlated to depressive symptomatology and psychological inflexibility.ConclusionOverall, the French version of the CAMM presents good psychometric qualities and seems to remain faithful to its original scale. This measure could help to assess mindfulness in young French speakers.     

Les objets connectés et applications de santé : étude exploratoire des perceptions,usages (ou non) et contextes d’usage

In a contemporary context of major health challenges, the market of digital technologies has increasingly developed in past years. This article aims to explore main profiles of use in relation to connected objects and health apps, as well as attitudes related to uses, non-uses and contexts of use. Therefore, our objective is to contribute to the scientific debate by proposing an empirical study in psychology that focusses on the perspectives of consumers and non-consumers of these technologies in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. To do this, a survey was conducted among participants of a large public health exhibition (n = 760). According to our results, the majority of respondents declare not having a connected object/health app and a third of non-users does not intend to acquire such technologies. Also, there is a trend among younger generations to have a connected object/health app. Concerning the contexts of use, such technologies are employed to self-track physical activity and eating practices. The degree of satisfaction of such use is rather high. Given these results, our analyses point out a divide within our sample, between individuals who seem resistant and declare not willing to have this kind of technology and those who use it in the long run. These results cast new light upon concrete uses and contexts of use among consumers and non-consumers of connected objects/health apps beyond techno-scientific promises that prevail today in our societies.     

Changing behaviors: Using norms to promote physical activity for type 2 diabetes patients

IntroductionGiven that diabetes is a major public heath issue around the world, it is vital that we find effective means to change behaviors, especially levels of physical activity among type 2 diabetes patients.ObjectiveThis study aims to provide proof of the effectiveness of programs promoting physical activity, based on cognitive dissonance and normative focus theories which are designed to produce behavioral changes in persons with type 2 diabetes.MethodNinety-six type 2 diabetes patients were assigned to one of three programs: a traditional information program, a norm-based program, and a dissonance-based program. The participants filled out a short French version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) one week before and one week after the program.ResultsThe results showed that the participants in the norm-based program made progress compared to those in the traditional information program. No significant difference was observed between the traditional information program and dissonance-based program.ConclusionsThese findings are consistent with both the focus normative theory and previous studies showing that recalling the norm increases compliance. The procedure to be used in diabetes prevention programs should focus on the normative dimensions of the desired behaviors in order to improve patients’ quality of life.     

Influence du leadership éthique sur l’engagement affectif et l’épanouissement psychologique : le rôle médiateur de la satisfaction vis-à-vis de l’équilibre entre domaines de vie

The inter-professional national agreement of 19 June 2013 emphasizes the role of managers in promoting quality of work life. The latter aims jointly at employees’ health and company performance due to commitment. In the present study we tested the indirect effect of ethical leadership on affective commitment and psychological flourishing via satisfaction with work–family balance. Among employees, 221 filled out a questionnaire. The results indicate, on the one hand, the positive links between ethical leadership and affective commitment and psychological flourishing, and on the other hand the mediating role of satisfaction with work–family balance in these two relationships. We provide recommendations to improve quality of work life.     

A balanced time perspective: Is it an exercise in empiricism,and does it relate meaningfully to health and well‐being outcomes?

Time perspective research assesses the degree to which thoughts and feelings about the past, present and future influence behaviour, and a balanced time perspective profile has been posited as being ideal. Although this area of research has seen a move towards person‐centred analyses, using either cluster analyses or a deviation from balanced time perspective (DBTP) approach, there are a number of theoretical and methodological issues that must be addressed. Using data from diverse samples in four countries, the present study used both cluster analyses and the DBTP approach to assess how cluster membership and DBTP scores related to a range of health and well‐being outcomes. As in previous studies, a balanced profile only emerged once in cluster analyses, and positive‐oriented profiles were associated with optimal outcomes. The study also found evidence of a relationship between DBTP scores and scores on well‐being indicators. However, results gained after manipulating the DBTP equation in two different ways again indicated that higher than expected positive past and present or past and future scores were responsible for the positive outcomes. As such, these findings raise concerns regarding the use of the DBTP construct within clinical settings.     

The Garden of the Heart and Soul: the image,the way,and the meaning

This paper begins with an explanation of the four Chinese characters that represent the project of the Garden of the Heart and Soul. This project was founded to help the psychological development of orphans, as well as to provide psychological relief for the victims of ecological disasters such as earthquakes through the use of Jungian psychology, sandplay therapy, and the psychology of the Heart. Eleven years after its founding, there are 83 work‐stations on mainland China. The authors discuss how the Chinese characters influenced the way they set up their project and the values that guide them. In addition to helping the individuation of the people they work with, their work provides a container for the collective psyche and a connection with the cultural archetypal roots.