Showing papers in "Psychological Studies in 2019"

Do All Positive Psychology Exercises Work for Everyone? Replication of Seligman et al.’s (2005) Interventions among Adolescents

Abstract: Children and youth comprise nearly 39% of the Indian population and are often considered the future demographic dividend of the country. The mental health and well-being of these young people are a pressing challenge in current times. The present study aimed to replicate the widely popular positive psychology interventions of Seligman et al. (Am Psychol 60:410–421, 2005) in a different culture and demographic groups of Indian adolescents. 372 students (MAge= 12.73, SD = 0.98, age range 11–13 years, 56% male) from two schools participated in the study. Participating classrooms were randomized across 5 interventions (Three good things in life, Gratitude visit, You at your best, Using signature strengths and Using signature strengths in a new way) and 1 placebo control group (Recalling early memories). Each exercise was completed over 1 week. Self-reported measures of well-being, affect, happiness and depressive symptoms were obtained at pre- and post-intervention. Participants who undertook the Gratitude visit and signature strength-based interventions reported gains in well-being, life satisfaction and happiness at post-test. Interventions involving only self-reflection and journaling showed no statistically significant impact on outcome variables. None of the interventions led to perceived gains in scores of depressive symptoms.

The experience of power in teacher–student relationships in collectivistic context

Abstract: While previous research had mainly studied social power in various relationship contexts in Western countries, very little emphasis has been given to non-Western countries, especially in a teacher–student relationship context. This qualitative study explored the experiences of power in a teacher–student relationship context among Filipino teachers and students. Open-ended and semi-structured interviews were conducted among teachers (n = 8) and college students (n = 8) in private universities in the Philippines. Using thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke in Qual Res Psychol 3:77–101, 2006), findings revealed themes that characterized the unique and convergent experiences of Filipino teachers and students. Both groups generally describe that the experience of power (and powerlessness) in a teacher–student relationship contexts can be described by the difference in knowledge and expertise between teachers and students, hierarchy dictated by social role and age, responsibility and obligation, and response to power and authority. However, both groups also identified several limits to teachers’ authority. Unique experiences of teachers and students are elaborated, and implications and future research directions are discussed.

Entrepreneurial Passion, Self-efficacy, and Spiritual Intelligence among Iranian SME Owner–Managers

Abstract: This research aims to explore the concept of entrepreneurial passion among private sector business people and study the effects of spiritual intelligence and self-efficacy on developing and enhancing its levels. Structural equations modeling approach is being utilized. Drawing on a survey conducted among a sample of SME owner–managers in an industrial park in Tehran (Iran), it has been verified that spiritual intelligence and self-efficacy are positively associated with two dimensions of entrepreneurial passion (passion for inventing and passion for founding). However, their impact on the third dimension (passion for developing) is not statistically significant. Entrepreneurial passion is a newly formed construct in the intersection of entrepreneurship and psychological studies of the workplace literature. Empirically proved to be an effective motivator for initiating economic activities, sufficient theoretical explanations in this field are yet to come. This study is one of the first to investigate the issue in the context of a developing nation.

Resilience and Self-Compassion Related with Achievement Emotions, Test Anxiety, Intolerance of Uncertainty, and Academic Achievement

Abstract: This article focuses on the interrelationships between resilience, self-compassion, achievement emotions, test anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, and academic performance induced by examinations. The study includes a total of 202 undergraduates selected from universities in Hong Kong through convenience sampling. Students who participated in the study filled out an anonymous questionnaire. Path analyses and structural equation modeling were used in this study. The results showed that cognitive test anxiety is positively significant to self-compassion, which was also found to be a positive predictor of resilience. In fact, resilience is the strongest positive predictor of intolerance of uncertainty, which was significantly related to the factors of self-referent implications and “spoiled everything.”

How Five-Factor Personality Traits Affect Psychological Distress and Depression? Results from a Large Population-Based Study

Abstract: The objective of this study was to explore the association of five factors personality traits, as predictor variables, with the depression and psychological distress as joint-dependent variables in an Iranian general population. NEO-big five, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were used for collecting data regarding personality traits and psychological problems from 3177 participants in a cross-sectional population-based study. Our findings showed that higher neuroticism scores increase the risk of psychological distress and depression score (p < 0.05). Participants with higher extraversion scores experienced lower levels of depression and lower risk of psychological distress (p < 0.05). Furthermore, higher scores of conscientiousness significantly increase, while agreeableness decreases the scores of psychological distress (p < 0.05). It is suggested to perform longitudinal studies focusing on both genetic and environmental factors on the relationships between personality and psychological disorders.

Psychological Capital Augments Employee Engagement

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of psychological capital as a significant predictor of employees’ engagement and also how these positive psychological capabilities motivate employees to perform beyond their job description. In today’s competitive environment, it is a challenging task for all organizations to enhance the levels of work engagement among employees. To address this challenge, the present study focuses on how core dimensions of psychological capital are related to employee engagement, as it contributes positively to different workplace outcomes and performance level of employees. The study has been conducted using a sample of 200 IT professionals. Data analyses were performed using correlation analysis and structural equation modeling. The result of path coefficient (β = .70, p < .001) suggested that high (low) psychological capital was associated with high (low) employee engagement. A positive and significant correlation was reported between psychological capital and employee engagement. The findings suggested psychological capital work as a significant predictor, along with the other variables in fostering employee engagement.

Validating the Auckland Individualism–Collectivism Scale (AICS): Testing Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance in Hong Kong and Ghanaian Samples

Abstract: This study explores the dimensionality of individualism and collectivism constructs and provides evidence of validity for the Auckland Individualism–Collectivism Scale (AICS) on two separate samples from Hong Kong and Ghana. This study verified the dimensional structures of the AICS and tested the measurement invariance across ages and genders of undergraduate students in Hong Kong (N = 210) and Ghana (N = 187). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the three dimensions on the individualism construct (competition, uniqueness, and responsibilities) and the two dimensions on the collectivism construct (advice and harmony). The path analysis showed consistency with the original scale and verified the validity of the measurement scale to the Hong Kong and Ghanaian cultural contexts. The overall five-factor model and two high-order factors showed good fit in the two samples. The results of metric invariance and scalar invariance across ages and genders are also reported. The findings provide additional support to the construct validity of the AICS for further use.

Five-Factor Model Traits as Predictors of Pathological Gaming among Selected Filipino Gamers

Abstract: Pathological gaming is the recurrent, persistent, and excessive involvement of an individual with online or offline video games. According to the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution Model of Brand, Young, Laier, Wolfling, and Potenza, pathological gaming is a consequence of interactions between the person’s core characteristics, coping styles, and conditioning processes, which leads to behavioral addictions. Studies have shown that personality traits strongly influence video gaming behaviors. In this study, 1026 Filipino gamers completed the NEO-Five-Factor Inventory-3 and the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale. The results with the Five-Factor Model Traits showed Neuroticism to be positively correlated with pathological gaming, while Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness were negatively correlated with pathological gaming. Forward stepwise regression also indicated that Agreeableness and Conscientiousness were negative predictors, with Conscientiousness being the strongest predictor among the five factors. The findings of the study can help raise awareness about pathological gaming, and the importance of its prevention and possible rehabilitation, among Filipino gamers.

New Evidence for Gender Differences in Performing the Corsi Test but Not the Digit Span: Data from 208 Individuals

Abstract: We investigated whether the gender differences in working memory are linked to the nature of the stimuli (verbal vs. visuo-spatial) or to the type of processing (active vs. passive). With this aim, we administered two well-known tests: Corsi Block-tapping test (CBT) and the Digit span (DS) using two versions: forward (fCBT and fDS) and backward (bCBT and bDS). During the forward processing (fCBT and fDS), subjects being required to repeat stimuli in the same order they are presented, passive working memory is assessed. Otherwise, during the backward processing (bCBT and bDS), subjects being required repeating stimuli in an order opposite to that of presentation, active working memory is assessed. A total of 208 college students (104 women) were assessed. We found a gender effect on fCBT and bCBT, but not on fDS and bDS, with men outperforming women. The results from the present study support previous findings in which the presence of gender differences emerged in visuo-spatial working memory, that is, when verbal encoding is less efficacious with respect to other strategies. Failing in finding the opposite trend in fDS and bDS, that is, women performing better than men on these tasks, previously documented, may be due to the fact that we selected a sample of young subjects with the same educational level. Indeed, gender differences in verbal working memory have been reported especially for low level of education. Furthermore, our results suggest that such differences are more related to the type of material (verbal vs. visuo-spatial) more than to the type of processing (active vs. passive). This last finding supports the idea that when age and educational level are well matched among sexes, differences due to the stimuli processing disappear.

Factorial Validity of the Student–Teacher Relationship Scale—Short Form, Latent Means Comparison of Teacher–Student Relationship Quality and Association with Child Problem and Prosocial Behaviours

Abstract: The present study verified the hypothesised two-factor structure of the student–teacher relationship scale, short form on Ghanaian sample, using confirmatory factor analysis, multi-group confirmatory factor analysis and structured latent means analysis. On preschool sample (N = 2583; Mage = 4.29, SD = 1.34) from 10 regions, the scale’s measurement invariance is tested across age, gender, and school types. The confirmatory factor analysis supported the two-factor structure: closeness and conflict. The proposed two-factor model is found to be valid and reliable in the Ghanaian preschool context. Partial strong factorial equivalence across age, gender, and school types was identified in the findings. Significant differences in teacher–child relationship quality were found between boys and girls, and school types. The results provide implications for early childhood education stakeholders in Ghana. Also, it adds to the evidence of cross-cultural applicability of the student–teacher relationship scale—short form.

Cross-Cultural Exploration of Honor: Perception of Honor in Germany, Pakistan, and South Korea

Abstract: The present paper explores the significance of Honor in the context of group dynamics underlying human behavior across three cultures, Germany, Pakistan, and South Korea. While earlier studies on Honor have focused on the negative connotations of Honor, the effects of these still remain as critical as ever. In this paper, Honor is defined as an assignment of recognition for being a member of a prestigious group where members of Honor group are obliged to follow their group’s Honor-code; not sticking to the Honor-code threatens reputation and instigates condemnation. To explore this assumption three studies were conducted: A Pilot Study, Study 1, and Study 2. The Pilot Study socially situates different groups in the assignment of Honor. Based on the findings of the Pilot Study, high Honor group (medical doctors) was chosen as a protagonist group for the studies that follow. Study 1 explores the effects of an Honor-code-related factor and an Honor-code unrelated factor in a vignette-based experiment. Loss of Honor, assessed in terms of an outsider perspective on Honor, is seen as an outcome of the violation of the Honor-code in three countries (Germany/Pakistan/South Korea). Study 2 further explores the effects of Honor-code violations from an insider perspective. The findings of Study 2 showed that the effects of Honor-code violation were stronger than outsider’s perspective. It is concluded that Honor may have a functional role in regulating the prestige of a group via outsiders’ and insiders’ monitoring of adherence to Honor-codes.

Meaning and Perceptions of the Good Life in Ghana

Abstract: This experimental study extends the geographical focus of empirical investigations of what makes life good to Ghana, West Africa. Data were collected from a sample of 189 Ghanaian college students (19–49 years old). A 2 (income: high vs. low) × 2 (happiness: high vs. low) × 2 (meaning: high vs. low) experimental design was used to investigate factors related to judgements about the good life. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to test the study’s hypotheses. The results highlighted that similar to previous research, concepts of happiness and meaning are central to the conceptualization of the good life in Ghana. Unlike previous studies however, quality of life, desirability, and perception of the good life were not significantly intercorrelated. The findings suggest that while some factors may consistently predict the good life across diverse cultural settings, complementary consideration of culturally constructed meaning systems may be warranted.

The Role of Job Satisfaction behind the Link between Group Cohesion, Collective Efficacy, and Life Satisfaction

Abstract: The thrust of this study is to understand whether a group member’s perception of their cohesion and collective efficacy impacts life satisfaction. It examines whether job satisfaction mediates between group cohesion and collective efficacy. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling on data obtained through questionnaire from 389 software professionals deployed on various projects. Controlling for the effects of job satisfaction, the results revealed that job satisfaction is a partial mediator between group cohesion and life satisfaction. However, job satisfaction did not mediate the relationship of collective efficacy with life satisfaction. Contrarily, collective efficacy is found to be negatively significantly associated with the mediator of job satisfaction. The authors discussed these results in relation to the literature on job satisfaction, group cohesion, collective efficacy, and issues related to life satisfaction specificity.

Psychometric and Rash Analysis of the UCLA Loneliness Scale-16 in a Portuguese Sample of Older Adults

Abstract: Loneliness is a serious concern in modern societies, particularly among older adults, while being imperative that clinicians use reliable instruments for an accurate assessment of this problem. This study aims to describe a mixed statistical approach to assess the psychometric properties of the UCLA Loneliness Scale-16 in Portuguese old-aged individuals. The sample comprised 153 individuals (59.1% women and 40.3% men), aged 61–98 (M = 78.80, SD = 8.58). The psychometric properties of UCLA Loneliness Scale-16 were analyzed with exploratory factorial analysis, internal consistency, convergent and divergent validity and through the item response theory. The results suggested a bidimensional structure for this instrument. The scale showed satisfactory psychometric properties with a high internal consistency. In addition, a negative relationship with constructs of social support and functionality was also observed. Overall results suggest that the UCLA Loneliness Scale-16 is a psychometric reliable measure to evaluate social loneliness in the Portuguese elderly population.

Does Power Distance Influence Perceptions of Sexual Harassment at Work? An Experimental Investigation

Abstract: The influence of cultural values on perceptions of sexual harassment has often been examined by making comparisons across cultures. As the workplace becomes increasingly diverse, it becomes more important to investigate the effects of individual-level cultural values on workplace behaviors. In the present study, we investigated the influence of differences in power distance value orientation on perceptions of sexual harassment. Participants were primed with a high versus low power distance mindset using priming procedures (Brockner et al. in J Exp Soc Psychol 37:300–315, 2001) and then presented with sexual harassment scenarios (representing either hostile work environment or quid pro quo situations). Participant ratings of perceived severity of sexual harassment within the scenarios were obtained. Findings suggest that individuals primed with high power distance were more tolerant of sexual harassment and perceived these behaviors as less severe, as compared to those who were primed with low power distance. Implications for research and development of future sexual harassment training programs are discussed.

Perceived Parental Acceptance–Rejection in Childhood Predict Psychological Adjustment and Rejection Sensitivity in Adulthood

Abstract: The present study examined relationships between childhood parental acceptance–rejection and the current psychological adjustment and rejection sensitivity of young adult men and women. The study also explored independent effects of childhood parental acceptance–rejection on the current psychological adjustment and rejection sensitivity of young adult men and women. Data were collected from 514 university students (49% female and 51% male) in Bangladesh. The mean age of the respondents was 22 years with a range of 18 through 26 years. Measures used were Adult version (short form) of the Parental Acceptance–Rejection Questionnaire for Mothers and Fathers, the Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire, and the Adult version of the Personality Assessment Questionnaire. Results revealed significant correlations between remembered maternal and paternal acceptance–rejection in childhood and current psychological adjustment and rejection sensitivity of young adult men and women. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that both maternal and paternal acceptance in childhood have significant independent effects on the current psychological adjustment of both male and female young adults. Results also showed that perceived paternal rejection in childhood has significant independent effects on the rejection sensitivity of both young adult men and women, but perceived maternal rejection in childhood has no significant effects on the rejection sensitivity of young adult men and women.

Social Connections and Well-Being: With Whom Do You Identify and Why?

Abstract: Feeling connected to others is a basic human need, but there are types of social connections that have yet to be examined in relation to one’s well-being. We hypothesized that identifying with people in one’s community, country, and world would all predict unique variance in well-being. We also hypothesized that the association between identification with all humanity and well-being is stronger among ethnic minorities and participants in outreach programs. Study 1 (n = 507 college sample) and Study 2 (n = 258 middle adulthood sample) participants completed surveys that assessed their varying identifications and well-being levels. Study 1 revealed that identifying with people in one’s community and country predicted well-being, but identifying with all humanity did not. Study 2 revealed the association between identification with all humanity and well-being to be stronger among members of minority groups than among members of the majority.

Masculinity as Predictor of Rape-Supportive Attitude among Men

Abstract: Sexual aggression perpetrated by men is a serious health, social and interpersonal relationship problem in human society. The current study extends the existing literature in masculinity and rape-supportive attitude by exploring the role of masculinity and its subcomponents (i.e. hypermasculinity, sexual identity, dominance and aggression, conservative masculinity, and devaluation of emotion) in rape-supportive attitude. A survey using online questionnaire was used to collect data on rape myth, masculinity and its subcomponents from 107 men. The results indicated that masculinity, hypermasculinity, sexual identity, dominance and aggression, conservative masculinity, and devaluation of emotion contributed significantly to rape-supportive attitude. Limitations of the study and implications for research, education and intervention are discussed.

Validation of the Young Schema Questionnaire: Short Form 3 in Indian Population

Abstract: Young Schema Questionnaire—Short Form 3 (YSQ-S3) which measures Early Maladaptive Schema (EMS) has received limited attention in Indian context. The goal of the study was to validate the psychometric properties of YSQ-S3 in a non-clinical Indian sample using data collected from 702 participants (age range 16–55 years). Based on reliability and confirmatory factor analysis, we established that our data supported Young’s proposed 18 EMS model based on the US population. Additionally, YSQ-S3’s concurrent validity was established with standardized instruments, namely Beck Depression Inventory-II, Scale of Positive and Negative Experience, Big Five Inventory and General Health Questionnaire-12. The findings from our analyses indicated that most EMSs correlated significantly with the validity dimensions. Furthermore, our findings identified age- and gender-related differences across the 18 EMS. Our findings confirmed that YSQ-S3 is a robust psychometric tool for assessing EMS on non-clinical population, and further research is needed to establish its use on clinical population in India.

Constructing Intercultural Selves: Bridging Cultural Conflict Through Dialectical Engagement

Abstract: This paper outlines a relational–dialectical approach to managing cultural diversity. Instead of looking at cultural diversity either through the lens of ethnocentrism or multiculturalism, the relational–dialectical view embraces the goal of creating intercultural selves and communities. The relational approach seeks ways to bridge cultural conflict through radical sociality and dialectical engagement. The process is organized around three principles: (a) engaging the humanity of the cultural other, (b) identifying culturally embedded needs, values and ideologies of conflicting individuals and groups, and (c) synthesizing novel forms of meaning and relating through the process of dialectical engagement. As a form of collaborative problem solving, dialectical engagement is the process of constructing novel ways of being and relating through the integration of opposites. We illustrate the process with the example of intercultural dialogue between a Bhutanese-American woman and her family.

Occupation of racial grief, loss as a resource : learning from ‘The Combahee River Collective Black Feminist Statement'

Abstract: The methodology of ‘occupation’ through rereading The Combahee River Collective Black Feminist Statement (The Combahee River Collective, in: James, Sharpley-Whiting (eds) The Black Feminist Reader. Blackwell Publishers Ltd., Oxford, pp 261–270, 1977) demonstrates the necessity of temporal linkages to historical Black feminist texts and the wisdom of Black feminist situated knowers. This paper argues that racism produces grief and loss and as long as there is racism, we all remain in racial grief and loss. However, in stark contrast to the configuration of racial grief and loss as something to get over, perhaps grief and loss can be thought about differently, for example, in terms of racial grief and loss as a resource. This paper questions Western Eurocentric paternalistic responses to Black women’s ‘talk about their feelings of craziness… [under] patriarchal rule’ (The Combahee River Collective 1977: 262) and suggests alternative ways of thinking about the psychological impact of grief and loss in the context of racism. In this paper, a Black feminist occupation of racial grief and loss includes the act of residing within, and the act of working with the constituent elements of racial grief and loss. The proposal is that an occupation of racial grief and loss is a paradoxical catalyst for building a twenty-first century global intersectional Black feminist movement.

Explorations of Forgiveness in Ghanaian Marriages

Abstract: This study examined marital forgiveness among 40 married individuals from southern Ghana. Analysis revealed various conceptualizations of forgiveness: (1) removal of negative emotions; (2) relationship restoration; (3) forgetting; (4) revenge, punishment, or retaliation avoidance; (5) refraining from making future references to the offense; and (6) minimizing the offense. Three reasons for granting forgiveness were observed: marital stability; marital harmony; and personal well-being. The process of granting forgiveness was partly influenced by Ghanaian culture and differed for men and women. Participants emphasized bodily expressions and gestures (e.g., “kneeling”) in the forgiveness process, and more women than men demanded pacification when they were wronged. The findings have implications for understanding and improving marital relationships of individuals with African ancestry.

Beliefs about the Meaning of Life in American and Indian College Students: Similar or Different?

Abstract: The top ten themes regarding beliefs about the meaning of life were obtained from archival research by Kinnier et al. (J Humanist Psychol 48:196–202, 2003) from quotes of eminent people like Einstein, Gandhi, Nietzsche, and the Dalai Lama. These themes included the following: “To enjoy or experience life, enjoy the moment, the journey,” “to love, help, or serve others; to show or experience compassion,” “life is meaningless,” “to serve or worship God and/or prepare for the next (or after-) life,” “to become self-actualized,” and “life is absurd or a joke.” The present study compared American (N = 108) and Indian (N = 110) college students’ degree of agreement or disagreement with these themes. Both American and Indian participants reported the most agreement with these two themes: “Main aim of life is to love, help, or serve others; to show or experience compassion,” and “main aim of life is to enjoy or experience it.” Similarly, both American and Indian participants reported the least agreement with the following two themes: “Life is meaningless” and “life is absurd or a joke.”

Expressions of Women Survivors of Domestic Violence: Idioms of Distress

Abstract: Domestic violence is prevalent worldwide; however, there are cultural differences in women’s experiences of this phenomenon. This study used the concept of idioms of distress, to understand the impact of domestic violence on women survivors in India. A qualitative method was adopted, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with six women survivors of domestic violence. Using thematic network analysis, one global theme, four organizing themes and 19 basic themes emerged. The idioms of distress identified included, physiological idioms (such as aches and pains, nutritional deficiencies, reproductive), psychological idioms (such as depression, low self-confidence, change in aspirations and ambitions, mistrust, rumination) and behavioral idioms (such as crying, withdrawal, irritability, disturbed sleep). Of all the idioms, only nutritional deficiencies and the reproductive idioms were of concern to the survivors and their marital family. Implications for improving the screening of domestic violence are discussed based on the identified idioms and the responses toward them.

Images of Self in Psychological Thought

Abstract: The concept of self is a multi-faceted one that is used by different theorists in different ways. In this paper, we present an overview of the dominant themes and images that structure conceptions of self as used by psychologists, sociologists, philosophers and other scholars. In order for concepts like self and identity to be meaningful, it is necessary that we compare and clarify their various uses, identify the different aspects of experience that they are intended to illuminate, and seek to consolidate them in ways that are coherent and integrative. In this paper, we identify four broad models of self in psychology: self as inner life, social conceptions of identity, relational conceptions of self and conceptions of self based on group identifications. We offer this typology as an initial framework for coordinating different conceptions of self and identity.

A Relational Conception of Self and Its Development

Abstract: To what do we refer when we speak of self? How does self differ from related concepts, such as person, agent, individual or organism? I address these questions by situating the concept of self within a broader model of relational personhood. In this conception, persons are relational beings who act on the basis of the meaning that events have for them. The experience of self is implicit in the very structure of action. As such, the experience of self emerges in early infancy as a reflexive aspect of action and develops within intersubjective encounters with caregivers. The capacity to represent self becomes transformed in the second year of life with the emergence of the capacity for symbolism. At this point, in intersubjective exchanges with others, consciousness gains the capacity to take itself as its own object of awareness. The development of higher-order representations of self is mediated through the discursive use cultural tools—most notably language. Over time, children and adults construct valued images of self which come to function as self-defining goals that drive social activity. In this way, the quest for a valued identity becomes a defining aspect of the developing person.

Exploring Intersubjective Interactions: A Sociocultural Analysis of Pedagogical Practices in a Digantar School

Abstract: The paper makes two set of arguments, one, that creation of intersubjective spaces is central to children’s engagement in the classroom teaching–learning process and two and more importantly that creation of intersubjective spaces facilitates concept development in children. Using empirical data of the classroom teaching–learning processes in a Digantar school in rural Rajasthan, India, the study presents the components of intersubjective interactions that facilitate development of concepts in children. Intersubjectivity, here, is not conceptualised as a knowledge neutral, culture neutral or historicity neutral spaces but as knowledge laden spaces which provide the possibility for mutual alignment of participants’ motives. It has been argued that the multiple contact points and the nature of interaction between the teacher and learners in the school provide the possibility for investigation of the main components of intersubjective spaces in the classroom context. Negotiation of the object of activity, pedagogical interventions (such as exploratory questioning, teacher presenting herself as a non-expert, evoking classroom’s long-term trajectory), focus on epistemological underpinnings of the subject and teacher’s and children’s engagement with metaperspectives were found to be the main factors that contributed to the creation of intersubjective spaces.

Self in the Supernatural Belief Context: A Conceptual Analysis

Abstract: This paper explores the notion of self from evolutionary, cognitive, and sociocultural perspectives. It is argued that the supernatural constructs embedded in religious rituals and ceremonies and various local traditions do inform peoples’ notions of self and identity. These constructs are rooted in the primitive social systems and represent a creative synthesis of evolutionary process, group functioning, and religious processes. This articulation involves the relations of events in the macrocosm, the natural world, and the microcosm, the inner world. The beliefs about self too contribute to this synthesis. The supernatural beliefs prevailing among various communities in India often reveal these aspects of self. From the evolutionary viewpoint, Sigmund Freud foresaw the role of supernatural entities in understanding group. The paper revisits this leap of imagination in view of advances in neurology, cognitive science, information processing, and psychotherapy. The supernatural entities vary in their scope of application or use and have their life span. These attributes allow us to visualize collective self in diverse forms of conflict within and between religious groups. The evolutionary model of Wynne-Edwards suggests that the evolution of supernatural elements explains cooperation among the group members. The personification of nature is an important phenomenon, and we have to explore the psychological mechanism by which one experiences a supernatural entity. It has two aspects: the plausible neural and mental mechanisms and the processes of evolution of supernatural figures in the natural world. Hayek’s theory of mind helps in exploring these two aspects. These supernatural entities travel in minds of people and are transmitted through culture. There is likelihood of inhibition and facilitation of a supernatural entity inside and outside the mind and are reflected in various activities. The interactions between mind and social milieu need to be understood to explicate the social embedding of self. Instead of focusing upon some specific aspect of the self, the attempt here is to look into a range of phenomena from evolutionary, group, and religious domains that has relevance for understanding self.

Context and Personality in Personal and Work-Related Subjective Well-Being: The Influence of Networks, Organizational Trust, and Personality

Abstract: We propose an investigation of subjective well-being in companies, analyzing both happiness and life satisfaction (we named personal subjective well-being) and job satisfaction (we named work-related subjective well-being). In this research, we explore the three types through analysis of contextual factors (networks and organizational trust) and personality factors, due to its impact on the subjective well-being, observed in the scientific research carried out in this area. We aggregate in our research model the personal networks and personality factors—as significant factors in happiness and life satisfaction research—to job network and organizational trust factors—as significant factors in job satisfaction research—and we search their mediating influence on happiness (model 1), life satisfaction (model 2), and job satisfaction (model 3). Our data set was collected through application of an original survey in Portuguese and Galician companies. The ordered probit regressions performed show that the factors analyzed influence each type of subjective well-being in different ways. Coworker and family networks factors, as well as trust in the company, seem to influence happiness and job satisfaction positively and significantly. Personality factors are influential only in personal subjective well-being (happiness and life satisfaction). Very good health is positively related to all types of subjective well-being, while being in the 46–67 age range and having a secondary or university education are negatively and significantly related to all types of subjective well-being.

The Self: Cohesive and Fragmented, Elusive and Kaleidoscopic

Abstract: In this paper, we discuss processes of self-development in the contemporary context of rapid cultural change and social/vocational mobility. People must make and remake themselves continuously as technology evolves; education must be life-long to prepare people for the fading of long-term jobs and the emergence of short-term consultancies. Traditional and stable cultural forms and mores rapidly give way to flexible practices in relationships and in work life. We focus on social media, particularly Snapchat, to illustrate how identities have come to be formed only for the immediate present in a visual medium. Claude Lanzmann’s refusal to include archival footage of the Jewish Holocaust in his film Shoah is a precedent for a timeless approach to history that recognizes the past only by its reflection in the present. We compare this notion to the psychoanalytic idea of transference, in which the personal past is understood to exist, to all intents and purposes, only in the present moment of the analytic relationship. This way of thinking allows us to orient ourselves to a cultural world in which the history of the self is sedimented into its immediately present manifestation.