Showing papers in "International Journal of Psychology in 2006"
TL;DR: This article examined the origin, development, and characteristics of the indigenous psychologies (IPs) initiated in various regions of the world, and found that IPs were generally seen as attempts to produce a local psychology within a specific cultural context.
Abstract: This article examines the origin, development, and characteristics of the indigenous psychologies (IPs) initiated in various regions of the world. These IPs arose as a reaction to the mainstream version of psychology and seek to reflect the social, political, and cultural character of peoples around the world. Fifteen contributions from researchers from different parts of the world are presented, replying to four questions that were posed to them. A number of common themes were identified in the contributions. Post-colonial reactions to mainstream psychology, and the belief that it was not an efficient aid to solving local social problems, were seen as important reasons for developing IPs. IPs were generally seen as attempts to produce a local psychology within a specific cultural context. Different views about what methods are legitimate in IPs were present (from experiments to various more "humanistic'' methods). IPs were commonly seen as being able to open up, invigorate, and improve mainstream psychology. The style of theorizing in the IPs was felt by many to be to build theories from the "bottom up'' on the basis of local phenomena, findings, and experiences. Some contributors saw the IP as a kind of cultural psychology, and a few noted that IP and cross-cultural psychology have an interactive mutually enriching relationship. Nearly half of the contributors emphasized the critical reaction to their work on IP by colleagues working more in the line of mainstream psychology. Many contributors felt that IP could contribute to the development of a more general universal psychology. Different indications of heterogeneity in the IPs were found among the contributors, for example, with respect to the role given to religion in the local IP. Sometimes the presence of different IPs within the same country was reported. This also indicates heterogeneity in the IPs.
181 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, an African worldview visualizes phases of human cyclical ontogenesis of systematic socialization of responsible intelligence in participatory curricula that assign stage-appropriate developmental tasks.
Abstract: Views on development and intelligence mirror mainstream Euro‐American ethnocentrism and are presented as being applicable to all of human diversity. In contrast, an African worldview visualizes phases of human cyclical ontogenesis of systematic socialization of responsible intelligence in participatory curricula that assign stage‐appropriate developmental tasks. In these curricula, knowledge is not separated into discrete disciplines, but all strands of it are interwoven into a common tapestry, which is learned by children at different developmental stages, who participate in the cultural and economic life of the family and society. This line of thought permits the integration of diverse ethnocultural realities and disparate theoretical threads into a common conceptual system—social ontogenesis. A theory of social ontogenesis addresses how, throughout ontogeny, children are co‐participants in social and cultural life. The theory anchors human development as partly determined by the social ecology in which...
179 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed that, in the future, tests included in psychological and neuropsychological batteries should fulfil the following criteria (1) have a large enough normative database (normative criterion) Performance of subjects of different ages and different educational levels, including illiterates, should be well established Normative data from different countries and cultural contexts should be available (2) Know the effects of brain damage on different characteristics on the test (clinical criterion) (3) Know how the brain is activated when the test is performed (experimental criterion)
Abstract: We are proposing that, in the future, tests included in psychological and neuropsychological batteries should fulfil the following criteria (1) Have a large enough normative database (“normative criterion”) Performance of subjects of different ages and different educational levels, including illiterates, should be well established Normative data from different countries and cultural contexts should be available (2) Know the effects of brain damage on different characteristics on the test (“clinical criterion”) (3) Know how the brain is activated when the test is performed (“experimental criterion”) (4) Know how this test correlates with other cognitive tests (“psychometric criterion”) Few contemporary tests fulfil all these criteria A notable exception is Semantic Verbal Fluency test using the category ANIMALS This test requires the generation of words corresponding to a specific semantic category, such as animals, fruits, vegetables, etc Typically, the number of correct words produced in 1 minu
158 citations
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors reviewed three empirical studies related to the Chinese concept of face to provide examples of the indigenous approach of Chinese psychology and found that college students feel that they "have face" most when they do well in their academic performance, followed by being morally upright.
Abstract: Three empirical studies related to the Chinese concept of face are reviewed to provide examples of the indigenous approach of Chinese psychology. Using the technique of paired comparison, the first study indicated that college students (who are preparing to enter the job market) feel that they “have face” most when they do well in their academic performance, followed by being morally upright. Retirees (who have withdrawn from the workplace) feel that they “have face” most when their children are morally upright and successful in their careers. The second study (on patterns of emotional reactions of related others to an agent's social and moral incidents) showed, first, that incidents of positive achievement were generally evaluated by college students as being experienced with a more intense feeling of having face than were incidents of positive morality, while incidents of negative morality were experienced with a more intense feeling of “having no face” than were incidents of negative achievement. Secon...
137 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the factors that contribute to the high educational achievement of Korean students and outlined the limitations of psychological and educational theories that emphasize the biological basis (i.e., innate ability, IQ), individualistic values (e.g., intrinsic motivation, ability attribution, and self-esteem), and structural features (e., high educational spending, small class size and individualized instruction).
Abstract: This paper examines the factors that contribute to the high educational achievement of Korean students. The authors outline the limitations of psychological and educational theories that emphasize the biological basis (i.e., innate ability, IQ), individualistic values (e.g., intrinsic motivation, ability attribution, and self‐esteem), and structural features (e.g., high educational spending, small class size, and individualized instruction). Although the Korean government spends significantly less per student, class size is larger, cooperative learning is emphasized, and students have lower self‐concepts, they outperform their Western counterparts in reading, mathematics, and sciences (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2000; Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development, 2003). The indigenous psychology approach is used to examine factors that explain the high academic achievement of Korean students. Empirical studies that examine the role of self‐efficacy at the individual level, socia...
110 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a Spanish-speaking sample was analyzed to establish appropriate age and educational ranges in which data from the digit span test can be best analyzed, and to determine the contribution of age and education to performance on digit span forward and backward.
Abstract: The Digit Span test is one of the most commonly used measures of immediate verbal recall, attentional capacity, and working memory in neuropsychological research and clinical evaluations. This test comprises two modalities, digits forward and digits backward. It has been established that age, education, and culture are important variables that affect performance on this test. The purposes of this study were as follows. First, performance on digit span in a Spanish‐speaking sample was analysed to establish appropriate age and educational ranges in which data from the Digit Span test can be best analysed, and to determine the contribution of age and education to performance on the digit span forward and backward. Second, different studies on digit span were compared and reviewed in order to identify differences in terms of the variables of age, education, and culture. This study evaluated 2574 Spanish‐speaking subjects and three studies were included in the cross‐cultural analysis. Scores from the Spanish‐s...
105 citations
TL;DR: This paper found that people who accept the new environmental paradigm reject the human exception paradigm (HEP), which conceives of humans as being superior and apart from nature, and a marked dichotomy exists between these two apparently contradictory paradigms.
Abstract: Throughout history, the way in which people conceive nature/human relationships has dramatically changed, and different cultures also have divergent notions regarding the role humans play in nature. In Western societies a “new environmental paradigm” (NEP) of ecological nature has apparently replaced the old “human exception paradigm” (HEP), which conceives of humans as being superior and apart from nature. Previous research has shown that, in those societies, a marked dichotomy exist between these two apparently contradictory paradigms, meaning that people who accept the NEP reject the HEP. Countries other than Western ones also exhibit a bias towards the ecological paradigm; however, their world‐views are not necessarily dualistic, since they may adhere to the NEP and, simultaneously, believe that human beings are “special.” This study compares world‐views in four different countries. Responses of 1358 undergraduates from USA, Japan, Mexico, and Peru to the HEP and the NEP scale were analysed to see if ...
93 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the individual and joint effects of the Big Five personality traits and acculturation on coping styles were examined at the intracultural level to exploit previously unexplored withinculture variability for an unstudied Asian American group (Korean Americans).
Abstract: The current study examined the individual and joint effects of the Big Five personality traits and acculturation on coping styles. Using the proposed framework of McCrae (2001), the relations among these variables were evaluated at the intracultural level to exploit previously unexplored within‐culture variability for an unstudied Asian American group (Korean Americans). This approach emphasizes the unique expression of specific personality traits in a single culture. A community sample of Korean Americans completed measures of the Five‐Factor Model of Personality (NEO‐PI‐R; Costa & McCrae, 1992), coping (Brief COPE; Carver, 1997), and acculturation (SL‐ASIA; Suinn, Ahuna, & Khoo, 1992). The results primarily showed statistically significant relations between the Big Five personality traits and coping. Neuroticism was positively related to indices of emotion‐focused coping (emotional support) and avoidance (substance abuse, behavioural disengagement, venting, self‐blame); Extraversion, Conscientiousness, ...
75 citations
TL;DR: The present study demonstrated that social reinforcement in combination with prompting procedures, provided by a shadler, may improve the social interactions of children with autism upon their inclusion in the “regular” preschool.
Abstract: Inclusion in “regular” schools has become a considerable option for children with autism only in recent years, but we are still far from having a global appreciation of the needs that arise upon the inclusion of children with such a severe disability. The main purpose of the present study was to identify empirically supported procedures that may improve the social interactions of children with autism upon their inclusion in the “regular” preschool. The identification of the needs of preschoolers with autism in Greek schools, as well as the specific skills that would be taught, were based on normative data collected and analysed in a series of prior studies. A long‐lasting controversy has been going on between professionals who either advocate for “schools for all children,” or stress the importance of making individualized decisions based on each child's needs during the inclusion process. The present study demonstrated that social reinforcement in combination with prompting procedures, provided by a shad...
70 citations
TL;DR: For instance, the authors found that children with autism tend to process the parts of a complex object as a priority, rather than attending to the whole object as well as the whole.
Abstract: A typical modes of visual processing are common in individuals with autism. In particular, and unlike typically developing children, children with autism tend to process the parts of a complex object as a priority, rather than attending to the object as a whole. This bias for local processing is likely to be due to difficulties in assembling subparts into a coherent whole, as proposed by Frith (1989) using the term “weak central coherence” or WCC. This study was aimed to better characterize the processing of complex visual stimuli by children with autism. Thirteen children with autistic spectrum disorders were individually paired with children of two control groups, one matched on verbal mental age (VMA) and one matched on chronological age (CA). Participants from the three groups were tested in two tasks. The first task involved hierarchical global/local stimuli, inspired by Navon (1977). The second task employed compound face‐like or geometrical stimuli. This task emphasized the processing of configural...
62 citations
TL;DR: In all cultures, the notions of psychological damage, injustice, and violation of rights have been determinants for the concept of morals as mentioned in this paper, which can be distinguished from social conventionalities, which are standards for particular behaviours that are determined consensually by a certain social group.
Abstract: Morals (defined in terms of justice, well‐being, and rights) can be distinguished from social conventionalities, which are standards for particular behaviours that are determined consensually by a certain social group. In all cultures, the notions of psychological damage, injustice, and violation of rights have been determinants for the concept of morals. The study of moral behaviour has been dominated for decades by theories that emphasize the role of reasoning in the moral judgment of adults. Debates about morality have occupied the centre of discussion among theoreticians. Morality‐driven behaviours have traditionally been attributed to logically and verbally mediated processes, commonly referred to as moral reasoning and judgment. However, certain aptitudes, such as social sensitivity and cognition, have been considered to lie at the heart of the evolution of humankind. The assimilation of rules based on punishment or reward, and the attribution of intentions, beliefs, feelings, and desires to other p...
TL;DR: In this paper, an indigenized conceptual scheme for the psychological components of Chinese familism at the cognitive, affective, and intentional levels was proposed, and standardized family scales were constructed and used to study the relationships among the major components at each psychological level.
Abstract: An academic movement to switch from Westernized Chinese psychology to an indigenized Chinese psychology in Chinese societies (Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China) has existed for about three decades. Indigenous‐oriented Chinese psychologists have conducted serious indigenized research on about 50 different broad topics. Kuo‐Shu Yang's conceptual and empirical analyses on 3 of them are briefly reviewed in this article: (a) Chinese familism, familization and pan‐familism; (b) Chinese psychological traditionality and modernity; and (c) theoretical and empirical analyses of the Chinese self. On the first topic, an indigenized conceptual scheme for the psychological components of Chinese familism at the cognitive, affective, and intentional levels was proposed. On the basis of the framework, standardized familism scales were constructed and used to study the relationships among the major components at each psychological level, using Taiwan students and adults as participants. In addition, the process of familization,...
TL;DR: The authors explored acculturation groups among Chinese Canadians and examined the demographic and adjustment profiles associated with each group, and found that three of the five groups were similar to the original Berry's model, and the other two groups demonstrated unique constellations of cultural orientations.
Abstract: This study adopted a person‐centred approach to explore acculturation groups among Chinese Canadians and to examine the demographic and adjustment profiles associated with each group. A total of 234 Chinese Canadian university students completed measures assessing different aspects of their Chinese and Canadian cultural orientations. Cluster analyses identified five acculturation groups: Integrated Group, Separated Group, Assimilated Group, Integrated Group without Chinese Practices, and Marginalized Group with Chinese Practices. Three of the five groups resembled Berry's acculturation model, and the other two groups demonstrated unique constellations of cultural orientations. The differences between the current acculturation groups and Berry's acculturation strategies were due to the differentiation between internal and external domains of cultural orientation, the addition of the domain of ethnic group evaluation, which is not typically included in acculturation research, and the use of cluster analysis...
TL;DR: In this article, a multidimensional scaling (MDS) profile analysis is proposed as an approach for studying both group and/or individual profile patterns, which re-parameterizes the linear latent variable model in such a way that the latent variables can be interpreted in terms of profile patterns rather than factors.
Abstract: Because profile analysis is widely used in studying types of people, we propose an alternative technique for such analysis in this article. As an application of the multidimensional scaling (MDS) model, MDS profile analysis is proposed as an approach for studying both group and/or individual profile patterns. This approach requires one to think of MDS solutions as profiles. The MDS profile analysis approach re‐parameterizes the linear latent variable model in such a way that the latent variables can be interpreted in terms of profile patterns rather than factors. It is an exploratory profile analysis method to identify major patterns among psychological variables and can serve as the basis for further study of correlates and/or predictors of profiles and other background and external variables. In the article, we have outlined the procedure of MDS profile analysis and discussed the issues that are related to parameter estimation and interpretation of the results. Such a discussion is presented in the cont...
TL;DR: This article investigated the psychological effects of brush writing in Chinese calligraphy and found that the practitioner experiences relaxation and emotional calmness evident in decelerated respiration, slower heart-rate, decreased blood pressure, and reduced muscular tension.
Abstract: This paper presents an overview of psychological research on the Chinese art of calligraphy (Shufa). Using a theoretical framework, we have investigated the scientific nature of calligraphic brush handwriting as well as its treatment effects on behavioural and clinical disorders. The paper begins with an introduction to Chinese calligraphy, Chinese characters, and the character structures. This is followed by an account of a research‐based framework of the psychological characteristics of Chinese calligraphy handwriting (CCH). Our basic research includes measures of the writer's physiological changes associated with the brush‐writing act, and the results show that the practitioner experiences relaxation and emotional calmness evident in decelerated respiration, slower heart‐rate, decreased blood pressure, and reduced muscular tension. The cognitive effects of the CCH practice included quickened response time and improved performance in discrimination and figure identification, as well as enhanced visual s...
TL;DR: The authors investigated dysphoric individuals' self-referential processing of autobiographical memories and future personal events, in relation to specificity and response latency, and found that dysphoric persons were less specific in describing pleasant and unpleasant experiences (particularly pleasant), irrespective of time condition.
Abstract: The present study investigated dysphoric individuals' self‐referential processing of autobiographical memories and future personal events, in relation to specificity and response latency. Dysphoric individuals (n = 17) and nondysphoric controls (n = 17) were selected from a larger sample based on self‐reported depression. Participants completed an autobiographical memory task (AMT) and a future event task (FET), using pleasant and unpleasant (anxiety‐relevant, depression‐relevant) emotional word cues. In response to each emotional cue, participants were required to access and write down a specific personal memory and future event, respectively. Consistent with the hypotheses, dysphoric individuals were less specific in describing pleasant and unpleasant experiences (particularly pleasant), irrespective of time condition. As expected, dysphoric individuals' specificity for distinct depression‐relevant and anxiety‐relevant experiences did not differ significantly. As predicted, all participants were les...
TL;DR: The authors reviewed recent studies on ethical dilemmas reported by psychologists in nine primarily Western countries: United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Finland, Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, South Africa, and Mexico.
Abstract: This article provided a brief history of the development of codes of ethics for psychologists and the desire for a universal code. It reviewed recent studies on ethical dilemmas reported by psychologists in nine primarily Western countries: United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Finland, Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, South Africa, and Mexico. The Pope and Vetter (1992) model was used to ask psychologists for an ethically troubling incident encountered over the previous year. The combined data of a total of 2698 responses revealed that issues of confidentiality followed by dual relationships were the most frequent. There was considerable agreement on the nature of ethical dilemmas in the countries represented. There are limitations in reviewing studies based on reports in the public arena without access to the original data. Sample sizes were small and it is not known to what extent there was a lack of standardization in the methodology and analysis of responses. However, these studies were of practical val...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe a higher education change initiative based on a behavioural systems analysis approach at the National Pedagogical University at Veracruz (Mexico), which is a large institution with high illiteracy and low productivity.
Abstract: Countless demonstrations across a variety of settings have shown how behaviour analysis can alter the behaviour of individuals by manipulating behavioural contingencies. However, changing organizations is more complex than changing specific behaviours. Organizations involve different units of analysis and require distinct interventions. This article describes a higher education change initiative based on a behavioural systems analysis approach. The work was carried out at the National Pedagogical University at Veracruz (Mexico). This large institution presented significant problems, as well as low productivity: enrolment was declining, programs were outdated, and complaints about the administrative processes were frequent. Three types of complexity were analysed: environmental, hierarchical, and component. From the analysis, four improvement strategies were identified and implemented: (1) the incorporation of adult literacy training at the macro system level to attend to the high adult illiteracy and the ...
TL;DR: Given the interaction of cognitive, behavioural, psychological, and physical factors resulting from traumatic brain injury (TBI), a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and neuropsychologically oriented rehabilitation could prove to be particularly promising and efficacious in the neuropsychological rehabilitation of post‐acute brain‐injured individuals.
Abstract: Given the interaction of cognitive, behavioural, psychological, and physical factors resulting from traumatic brain injury (TBI), a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and neuropsychologically oriented rehabilitation could prove to be particularly promising and efficacious in the neuropsychological rehabilitation of post‐acute brain‐injured individuals. Kurt Goldstein, an eminent pioneer in the development of holistic rehabilitation, stated that brain‐injured patients need environments that help them to avoid catastrophic reactions. In his view, the tasks of rehabilitation are to create, for the brain‐injured individual, an environment that will minimize the chances for the occurrence of catastrophic responses. In this environment, the individual can engage optimally in various remedial activities, which will gradually culminate in the individual finding new meaning in life after rehabilitation. Yehuda Ben‐Yishay incorporated many of Goldstein's ideas and developed a milieu or holistic rehabilitation progra...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors assessed the personality constructs of masculinity and femininity and hypothesized that the gender-masculine ( GM) scale of the MMPI-2 would be more effective than the Gender-Feminine (GF) scale in predicting psychological well-being.
Abstract: Previous research measuring various biosocial factors such as age, sex, and marital status has found them to be essentially unrelated to measures of psychological health. Recent empirical studies have revealed that personality constructs may be more significant than demographic variables in the prediction of psychological well-being. The present study assessed the personality constructs of masculinity and femininity and hypothesized that the Gender-Masculine ( GM) scale of the MMPI-2 would be more effective than the Gender-Feminine (GF) scale in predicting psychological well-being. This hypothesis stems from previous research that has indicated the dominance of the masculinity model. It is suggested that previous research supporting androgyny as a primary indicator of well-being was influenced by the masculinity component of this gender orientation. One hundred and seventy-seven psychiatric patients from Australia (N = 107) and Singapore ( N 5 70) completed the MMPI-2. Hierarchical multiple regression revealed significantly stronger masculinity effects, with significance achieved on measures of ego strength and low self-esteem. No significant relationship between psychological well-being and the GF variable was found. Similarly, androgyny did not add any further variance to the model when masculinity was controlled for. Overall, the results are consistent with an interpretation that GM is a better correlate of psychological well-being as compared to the GF scale.
TL;DR: In this article, observers watched a series of video clips showing senders answering three questions about an event that they had witnessed, and had to indicate whether each sender's statement was truthful or deceptive, their judgmental confidence, and when they had made their decision about the sender's credibility: during his or her first, second, or third answer.
Abstract: Research into the nonverbal detection of deception has typically been conducted by asking observers to judge whether a number of videotaped statements are truthful or deceptive. In most cases, the behavioural segments used in this research have been very short. A typical result is that observers tend to judge the statements as truthful (truth bias). In the present experiment, observers watched a series of video clips showing senders answering three questions about an event that they had witnessed. Observers had to indicate whether each sender's statement was truthful or deceptive, their judgmental confidence, and when they had made their decision about the sender's credibility: during his or her first, second, or third answer. Competing predictions were made about the influence of the decision moment on the observers' judgments and accuracy. The results replicated most research findings reported in the US and North‐European literature, including the truth bias phenomenon. However, the proportion of judgme...
TL;DR: This work states that programming for successful recombinations when teaching language and reading to typically and not‐typically developing children is still minimal and Matrix training approaches to recombinative generalizat...
Abstract: Aprimary goal of behavioural interventions aimed at teaching skills is to establish generative responding Recombinative generalization, which has been defined as the demonstration of novel arrangements of previously established linguistic units, is a process involved in generative responding Successful recombinations contribute to the development of a functional, not rote, language repertoire that often generalizes across stimuli, responses, and time Although research on recombinative generalization began some 80 years ago, understanding of this process is still not complete Furthermore, programming for successful recombinations when teaching language and reading to typically and not‐typically developing children is still minimal The early recombinative generalization studies worked on a “miniature linguistic system”; the referential stimuli (words) were arranged in a pattern that included all possible combinations of the dimensions of interest Matrix training approaches to recombinative generalizat
TL;DR: In this article, the influence of education, culture, and primary language on the performance of phonological verbal fluency in neurologically intact subjects from different countries was analyzed. But, the authors did not report subjects' execution comparing the level of education and age ranges.
Abstract: The Verbal Fluency test is used extensively in clinical neuropsychological assessment as well as in research protocols. The phonological fluency task can be administered to individuals of various ages and different levels of education. Diverse investigations suggest that phonological fluency can be influenced by age and education. Up to now, cross‐cultural studies comparing phonological verbal fluency in different languages are scarce, and those studies that exist do not report subjects' execution comparing the level of education and age ranges. The purpose of the present study was to analyse the influence of education, culture, and primary language on the performance of phonological verbal fluency in neurologically intact subjects from different countries. The performance of phonological fluency in high‐ and lower‐frequency letters of a sample of 926 healthy subjects living in five different countries and speaking diverse languages (Danish, English, Spanish, Hebrew), with a higher level of education (mor...
TL;DR: In this article, a survey was conducted to describe Australian Yellow Pages Advertised Counsellors, thus providing a snapshot of advertised counsellors in Australia and found that the majority of Australian counsellor tend to be female, mature, Caucasian, married or partnered, heterosexual, have families, and hold Christian beliefs.
Abstract: As counselling is a developing profession without statutory regulation in Australia, anyone can engage in counselling practice and use “counsellor” as a professional title. Not much is known about those who call themselves counsellors in Australia. This survey research in a field setting aimed to describe Australian Yellow Pages Advertised Counsellors, thus providing a snapshot of advertised counsellors in Australia. This research was thus designed to describe those who are engaging in advertised counselling practice in Australia. Data was collected using a multiple mailing survey method and resulted in a 62.2% return rate. The counsellors' (1) demographic characteristics, (2) counselling training and development, (3) provision of counselling services, and (4) professional involvement were assessed. Advertised Australian counsellors tend to be female, mature, Caucasian, married or partnered, heterosexual, have families, and hold Christian beliefs. The majority of counsellors live in urban areas. The field...
TL;DR: The conceptual underpinnings of Goldstein's views on the neurops... as discussed by the authors have been developed to explain the observable changes in ego-identity of persons with brain injury as well as diverse rehabilitation programs centred on the re-establishment of the ego identity changes.
Abstract: Cognitive alterations are frequently observed and studied in persons who present with psychiatric and neurological disorders. Recently an increased number of investigations on the self and attendant processes have interested psychologists, psychiatrists, and neuropsychologists, particularly when a person has suffered brain damage that upsets their daily function in economic, social, personal, behavioural, and emotional ways. At the same time, many theories have been developed to explain the observable changes in ego‐identity of persons with brain injury as well as diverse rehabilitation programs centred on the re‐establishment of the ego‐identity changes. The present article focuses on: (1) the elucidation of the construct of self in current personality theoretical formulations; (2) the major negative effects of brain impairments on the cognitive, neurobehavioural, emotional, and personality functions of persons with brain injuries; (3) the conceptual underpinnings of Kurt Goldstein's views on the neurops...
TL;DR: The development of behaviourism in Italy is presented, beginning with Virgilio Lazzeroni who in 1942 published a paper in which he claimed that behaviour was the subject matter of psychology.
Abstract: The development of behaviourism in Italy is presented, beginning with Virgilio Lazzeroni, who in 1942 published a paper in which he claimed that behaviour was the subject matter of psychology. The behaviourist tradition is relatively young in Italy, due to the influence of the cultural environment centred on idealistic philosophy. The tree of Italian behaviourism has two roots, which can be labelled Pavlovian‐reflexiological‐psychiatric, and Skinnerian‐operant‐psychological. The founding of the Italian Association for Behaviour Analysis and Modification (AIAMC, for its initials in Italian) in 1977 was particularly influential. The first ABA International Convention was held in Venice in 2001 and the first Conference of the European Association of Behaviour Analysis was held in Parma in 2003. Other national and international scientific meetings have been organized, and also 4‐year postgraduate courses in behaviour analysis and therapy. Almost all of the main books of the behavioural literature have been tr...
TL;DR: For example, psychology undergraduate programs in the US are 4 years in length and do not prepare professional psychologists as mentioned in this paper, unlike graduate programs in most of the world, which are 5 years and designed to train professional psychologists.
Abstract: Until the last quarter of the 19th century, many colleges and universities in the USA did not have separate departments of psychology. Now, psychology undergraduate degrees are among the most popular and frequently awarded in US higher education. Undergraduate psychology programs appeal to students for many reasons, including self‐understanding as well as their relatedness to other career paths of interest. Unlike undergraduate programs in most of the world, which are 5 years in length and designed to prepare professional psychologists, programs in the US are 4 years in length and do not prepare professional psychologists. Licensed psychologists in the US are generally required to hold doctoral degrees. Graduate programs to prepare psychologists are accredited by the American Psychological Association, but undergraduate programs vary widely and are evaluated by state and regional accrediting entities. Teaching methods, materials, and forms of student assessment also differ widely. Providing specific infor...
TL;DR: Atraining programme is presented with two parts: professional training is received by graduate students at the Institute for Mental Health of Beijing University, based on the principles of behaviour assessment and modification, radical behaviourism, and applied research methods.
Abstract: Atraining programme is presented with two parts. (1) Professional training is received by graduate students at the Institute for Mental Health of Beijing University, based on the principles of behaviour assessment and modification, radical behaviourism, and applied research methods. (2) Parent training focused on parents with autistic children, using the behaviour analysis and modification methods. China has between 400,000 and 800,000 children with autism. In comparison to its fast economic growth the development of social welfare and social insurance systems are far behind. Once the child is diagnosed with autism, the parents or the primary caregivers of the child, not the government or the community, take the responsibility for the child's rehabilitation. The diagnosis of autism was first introduced in China in 1982, and for years the work was based on clinical appearances and diagnosis. The main mission of child psychiatrists was early diagnosis, but there was little change obtained with autistic chil...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined gender differences in physical self-concept and the influence of geographic place of residence on both adolescents' physical selfconcept and gender differences of physical self -concept.
Abstract: The objectives of this exploratory study were to examine gender differences in physical self‐concept, and the influence of geographic place of residence on both adolescents' physical self‐concept and gender differences in physical self‐concept. The Physical Self Inventory was used to measure physical self‐perceptions and global self‐esteem. Participants were 323 boys and 282 girls living in the North or South of France. First a Mann‐Whitney U test was used to assess gender differences and the influence of geographic region differences on physical self‐perceptions (physical self‐worth, physical condition, sport competence, attractive body, physical strength) and global self‐esteem. Then a Kruskal‐Wallis ANOVA for ranked data was used to assess geographic region influence on boys' and girls' physical self‐concept and global self‐esteem. The results showed that not only did boys have significantly higher physical self scores (on all scales) and global self‐esteem than girls, but also that adolescents from th...
TL;DR: This article found that older adults are more likely than younger adults to exhibit information selectivity in decision making, and two alternative explanations have been proposed to account for this age difference: one explanation attributes the increase in information selectivities to older adults' reliance on prior knowledge, whereas the other explanation suggests that it reflects reduced information processing capacity.
Abstract: Past research has demonstrated that older adults are more likely than younger adults to exhibit information selectivity in decision making. Two alternative explanations have been proposed to account for this age difference. One explanation attributes the increase in information selectivity to older adults' reliance on prior knowledge, whereas the other explanation suggests that it reflects reduced information processing capacity. The aim of this research was to explore the latter explanation by controlling for experiential factors and varying the cognitive demands involved in decision making. Specifically, participants were faced with unfamiliar decision problems, and had to base their decisions on the available information in order to reach a desired goal. In Experiment 1 younger and older participants were required to play a game involving chance. The outcome payoff was varied between three conditions (approach, avoidance, and control). The results indicated that both the younger and the older participa...