Female Mexican Immigrants in the United States: Cultural Knowledge and Healing

ABSTRACT

Mexican American immigrant women have faced many adversities historically, resulting in significant injuries to their physical and psychological selves. In attempts to heal from such injuries, these women have long engaged in self-healing through maintenance of their own cultural values, identities, and beliefs and also through working with, or even becoming, traditional healers. Such healing processes can be seen as a form of adjustment to a new culture, as well as a maintenance of native culture (Espin, 1996 Espin, O. M. (1996). Latina healers: Lives of power and tradition. Encino, CA: Floricanto Press. [Google Scholar]) and may take the form of a blending of cultures representing a “new indigeneity.” This article highlights such healing practices, including the role of cultural values and beliefs for healing, as well as current efforts to blend cultural healing practices within a framework of equality and respect.     

Towards a new way of healing: experienced counsellors’ perceived influences of ch’i-related experiences on counselling practice in Taiwan

This narrative study explored how the experienced counsellors utilised the idea and practice of ch’i during counselling sessions. The data were co-constructed between the researcher and 12 senior counsellors with substantial ch’i-related experiences using a semi-structured in-depth interview method and were analysed employing a narrative analysis approach. The core themes emerging from the study were (a) an embodiment, which included two sub-themes: ch’i as a way of expressing health and illness and ch’i-related exercise lived out as an embodiment, and (b) ch’i as a way of understanding. The findings pointed to ‘a new way of healing’, which involves perceiving, containing and conveying ch’i and requires counsellors to empty themselves, and remain in a state of non-action and wholeness.     

从父母教育卷入到学业成就:自主支持与自主学习力的链式中介

家长教育卷入是为了提升学生的学业成就,但能否支持学生的自主学习从而提升其自主学习力,可能是提升学业成就的关键环节。研究将与自主学习相关的多种个人内部因素整合为自主学习力,对12万余名中小学生及其家长进行了大规模调查,建构了一个链式中介模型,分析显示父母教育卷入对学生学业成就的影响体现为两条路径:(1)父母主导路径:父母投入通过其自我报告的自主支持对学生学业成就产生显著影响;(2)学生发展路径:学生通过其所感知的父母自主支持提升其自主学习力,进而自主地促进其学业发展。研究提示,如何提高家长对学生“自主学习”的认识和支持能力,是家校协同促进学业发展的一个重要话题,也是保障“双减”不降学业成绩的一项关键举措。     

French translation and validation of the Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale

IntroductionPerceived parental self-efficacy (PSE) is thought to play a crucial role in parental well-being, the parent-infant relationship, and other aspects of infant development, particularly in the early postnatal period. The Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale (KPCS) is a 15-item self-report questionnaire designed for parents with infants aged 0–12 months.ObjectiveTo explore the factor structure of a French translation of the KPCS and assess its psychometric qualities.MethodUsing a French-language translation of the KPCS (KPCS-F), 257 parents of children aged 0–12 months were recruited via childcare structures (e.g. nurseries, community centers, mother and child protection centers). Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were conducted to examine 2- and 3-factor solutions for the KPCS-F scale. Internal reliability and convergent validity were evaluated.ResultsThe best model was a two-factor solution (PSE “infant care” and PSE “parental role”) restricted to 12 items. Sound internal consistency was indicated, with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.80 and a McDonald's omega coefficient of 0.80. Test-retest reliability was good. KPCS-F score was correlated with social support and psychological well-being scores.ConclusionThe KPCS-F showed substantial validity and reliability for this sample. The translated scale should therefore improve assessment and intervention processes for professionals working with parents of young children.     

Empirically distinguishing interpersonal styles within romantic relationships: What is helpful or harmful when having a goal for your romantic partner?

IntroductionRelationship research rooted in self-determination theory often focuses on autonomy support. However, rarely is this interpersonal style considered alongside other facets of relational behaviours such as directive support and control.ObjectiveThe present study aimed to distinguish the three styles by providing a tool that can simultaneously assess them.MethodA total sample of 710 French Canadians involved in a romantic relationship was used for factor extraction and test of dimensionality as well as reliability. Predictive validity was tested using multiple linear regressions with six outcomes: well-being, relationship quality, closeness, goal progress, cooperation and conflicts.ResultsResults suggested three distinct interpersonal styles, each of which showing a different pattern of prediction with the outcomes. Overall, autonomy support was associated with positive outcomes, whereas control was associated with negative outcomes. As for directive support, the global pattern was between the two others.ConclusionThe present research offers a scale which simultaneously assesses and distinguishes the autonomy-supportive, directive-supportive and controlling styles in a romantic relationship context using three items each. By examining the associations between these three interpersonal styles and various outcomes four months later, this study sheds light on helpful and harmful behaviours in relation to the goals people have for their romantic partner.     

农民工的工作退缩行为：基于多重嵌入和身份压力的视角

2.9亿农民工的工作退缩行为——为减少工作和组织角色而有意采取的行为(回避工作和降低努力、迟到缺勤、离职等)影响重大。为此, 本研究以资源保存理论作为“伞”理论, 整合了多重嵌入和身份压力的视角, 构建了一个全面预测农民工的工作退缩行为的模型。在该模型中, 提出了同时包含隐性和显性的工作退缩行为的测量指标体系; 构建了农民工在城市和家乡的多重嵌入对不同工作退缩行为的预测关系, 以及“农村人”和“城市人”的双重身份压力经由农民工在城市的多重嵌入对工作退缩行为的间接预测效应。本研究基于农民工样本的特异性, 构建了一个“背景化”的全面预测工作退缩行为的理论模型, 不仅弥补了微观层面农民工研究的理论空白, 也丰富了身份、多重嵌入和工作退缩行为领域的理论和文献。     

自我决定理论视角下的教师控制

教师控制是指教师通过情感操纵或行为对学生施加压力,迫使学生以特定方式思考、体验或行动。已有研究基于自我决定理论,验证了教师控制对学生的学业表现、情绪、行为等的影响作用和影响机制,但对于教师控制影响的跨文化差异和性别差异问题尚未形成共识。后续研究可进一步精细化分析不同类型的教师控制,采用混合式研究方法和纵向追踪设计分析教师控制的影响,进一步深化教师控制的本土化研究和群体异质性研究。     

Association rule learning in neuropsychological data analysis for Alzheimer’s disease

Efficient methods of analysis readily available for clinicians continue to be limited within neuropsychological assessment at the raw data level. Here, a novel approach for generating predictive response patterns and analysing neuropsychological raw data is offered. In order to assess the usefulness of association rule learning as an analysis tool for neuropsychological raw data, Frequent Pattern Growth (FP-Growth) was used to mine patterns from the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Neuropsychological Battery (CERAD-NB) database. Complete assessment data for 84 post-mortem confirmed Alzheimer’s disease (AD) cases and 294 age, race, and education matched controls were analysed across baseline and one-year follow-up using FP-Growth, for the purpose of assessing the clinical utility of a finer analysis at the raw data level and the feasibility of predicting response patterns for clinical/control groups. Output from FP-Growth, in terms of the number of frequent itemsets retained across both evaluation timepoints, was discernable between controls, mild, and moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease cases (p < .001, and η² = .488). Patterns within raw data scores, both in terms of frequent itemsets and predictive association rules, appear to be differentiable across groups within neuropsychological analysis, which indicates that FP-Growth is applicable as a supplementary analysis tool for neuropsychological assessment by means of offering an additional level of data analysis, predictive item response capabilities, and aiding in clinical decision making.     

Assessment of apathy in neurological patients using the Apathy Motivation Index caregiver version

Apathy is a common, disabling neuropsychiatric syndrome that occurs across many brain disorders and may be associated with diminished motivation in behavioural, cognitive, emotional and social domains. Assessment is complicated by the variability of symptoms across apathy domains and self-report from patients, which can be misleading due to their lack of insight. Independent evaluation by clinicians also has limitations though if it has to be performed with limited time. Caregiver reports are a viable alternative, but current assessments for them either do not distinguish between different apathy domains or are interview-based and take long to administer. In this study, we developed a brief caregiver questionnaire version of the recently developed Apathy Motivation Index (AMI), which is a self-report tool. We confirmed three apathy factors in this new caregiver measure (AMI-CG) that were also present in the AMI: Behavioural Activation, Emotional Sensitivity and Social Motivation. Furthermore, we validated the scores against more extensive caregiver interviews using the established Lillle apathy rating scale as well as patient self-reports of apathy, measures of depression, anhedonia, cognition, activities of daily living and caregiver burden across four different neurological conditions: Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, subjective cognitive impairment and limbic encephalitis. The AMI-CG showed good internal reliability, external validity and diagnostic accuracy. It also uncovered cases of social apathy overlooked by traditional instruments. Crucially, patients who under-rated their apathy compared to informants were more likely to have difficulties performing everyday activities and to be a greater burden to caregivers. The findings provide evidence for a multidimensional conceptualization of apathy and an instrument for efficient detection of apathy based on caregiver reports for use in clinical practice.     

Is Locke’s answer to Molyneux’s question inconsistent? Cross-modal recognition and the sight–recognition error

Abstract

Molyneux’s question asks whether someone born blind, who could distinguish cubes from spheres using his tactile sensation, could recognize those objects if he received his sight. Locke says no: the newly sighted person would fail to point to the cube and call it a cube. Locke never provided a complete explanation for his negative response, and there are concerns of inconsistency with other important aspects of his theory of ideas. These charges of inconsistency rest upon an unrecognized and unfounded assumption that seeing entails recognition. Locke’s negative answer to Molyneux’s question is consistent with his other philosophical commitments.