An exploration of the benefits of animal‐assisted activities in undergraduate students in Singapore

The rise in psychological problems, attrition, and suicide rates of university students has been linked to the stressful challenges faced during university life. To buffer this, animal assisted activities (AAA) may assist in improving psychological and physiological well‐being in students, however, to date, there is little empirical evidence for their effectiveness. Consequently, this study explored the psychological and physiological benefits of AAA in a sample of undergraduate students. Sixty‐two students from two local universities participated in an hour‐long AAA session delivered by Therapy Dogs Singapore. Measures of perceived stress, anxiety, state self‐esteem, and blood pressure (BP) were taken before and after the sessions. The results indicated that students experienced significant decreases in state anxiety, systolic, and diastolic BP post AAA, and when compared to a quiet reading comparison session. State self‐esteem increased post AAA and, further, was found to moderate the change in anxiety in addition to perceived stress, whereby perceived anxiety reduced more in those with low state self‐esteem and high perceived stress. These results suggest that AAA can be an effective intervention for stress among undergraduate students, which utilizes a novel, easy to implement and enjoyable approach for Singaporean students.     

Engaging university casual tutors in collaborative reflection for improving student learning outcomes

There is a growing trend in universities to rely on casual tutors to fill the shortfall in permanent teaching staff. However, casual tutors often feel marginalised and excluded from having a voice in designing unit improvements. This research analyses five casual tutors’ perspectives on their teaching, learning, and assessing role. Data were gathered through reflective processes and semi-structured interviews. The research project and findings provide a collaborative model for capturing their input and feedback at critical points in the unit delivery and marking process. The results identify tutors’ insights, concerns, and underlying principles informing their roles. This investigation highlights the importance of listening to casual tutors’ voices. Their views can inform new ways of looking at issues, leading to enhanced student learning and progressing quality teaching.     

样例类型与解释方式对初中生数学概率问题解决的效果

为考察样例类型与解释方式对初中生数学概率问题解决的促进作用,实验1随机选取初中生90名,比较正确样例组、正误样例组、对照组的学习效果,实验2随机选取另外90名初中生,比较有教学解释、有自我解释与无解释的正误样例组的即时与延时测试学习效果,研究发现:(1)正误样例学习效果显著好于正确样例;(2)有解释的正误样例学习效果显著好于无解释的正误样例;(3)与有教学解释的正误样例学习效果相比,有自我解释的正误样例学习效果显著且更持久。     

False consensus in situational judgment tests: What would others do?

We introduce an alternative response instruction to reduce the fakability of situational judgment tests. This novel instruction is based on the false consensus effect, a robust social psychological bias whereby people infer that the majority of other people’s thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors are aligned with their own. In four studies, including both field and laboratory data (total N = 882), we demonstrate that participants show a false consensus bias when asked what others would do in situational judgment tests. Furthermore, the situational judgment test based on the false consensus effect turned out to relatively difficult to be fake, and produced scores that were meaningfully correlated with conceptually related traits, as well as both self-reported and behavioral outcomes.     

高校学术论文奖励政策的误区及其对策

目前高校在奖励学术论文中,存在以下问题:重刊物,轻论文;重国外,轻国内;以及重IF等方面。通过深入地分析了这些问题并提出了应对的措施,即国内外并重,重视论文被索引、引用、转载或摘录情况,尤其是对经济和社会发展的促进作用等。     

关于临床实践教学中患者隐私权的调查与分析

临床实践教学中患者隐私权的界定与保护一直是舆论界和学术界争论的问题之一.通过发放调查问卷,综合分析患者、医学生及带教医生对这一问题的观点,为解决这一争议进行了理性的思考,并给出了合理的建议.     

抱负水平指导和归因训练对提高学习成功感的影响研究

在学习成功感影响因素研究的基础上,本研究进行了抱负水平指导和归因训练的实验研究,以探索提高学习成功感这一重要的实践问题。研究一的结果表明：通过抱负水平指导,可以使学生的“抱负水平与实际成绩之间的差距”变小．从而帮助学生提高学习成功感,并使其行为变得更为积极。研究二的结果表明：归因训练可以帮助学生的归因向积极方向转化,有助于学生的学习成功感的提高,并可以促使学生的行为向积极的方向转化。     

Observing ben wyckoff: from basic research to programmed instruction and social issues

L. Benjamin Wyckoff's seminal contributions to both psychological theory and application are the subject of this review. Wyckoff started his academic career as a graduate student at Indiana University, where he developed the observing-response procedure under the guidance of B. F. Skinner and C. J. Burke. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wyckoff refined his mathematical theory of secondary reinforcement. This theory was the impetus for his creation of an electronic simulation of a rat running a T maze, one of the first "computer models" of learning. Wyckoff next went to Emory University, leaving there to help create two of the most successful companies dedicated to the advancement of programmed instruction and teaching machines: Teaching Machines, Inc. and the Human Development Institute. Wyckoff's involvement in these companies epitomizes the application of basic behavior-analytic principles in the development of technology to improve education and human relationships. The emergent picture of Wyckoff is that of a man who, through his research, professional work in educational applications of behavioral principles, and active involvement in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, was strongly committed to applying behavioral science to positively influence human behavior change.     

高校毕业生择业焦虑问卷的跨地区验证和比较

对高校毕业生择业焦虑问卷的结构进行必要的修订和跨地区验证。使用修订后的问卷对内蒙古、陕西、山东、广东等四省区7所大学的1458名2007届毕业生进行调查,考察不同地区毕业生择业焦虑状况。结果表明:修订后的问卷具有较好的心理测量学指标和跨地区普遍适用性;不同地区高校毕业生的择业焦虑在4个维度和问卷总分上均存在显著差异。说明问卷的修订是有效的,可用于不同地区毕业生择业焦虑的测量和心理教育效果的评定;地区间的经济、文化、教育水平的差距可能是导致毕业生择业焦虑差异的主要因素。