Showing papers on "Reciprocal determinism published in 2018"

On Reciprocal Causation in the Evolutionary Process.

Abstract: Recent calls for a revision of standard evolutionary theory (SET) are based partly on arguments about the reciprocal causation. Reciprocal causation means that cause–effect relationships are bi-directional, as a cause could later become an effect and vice versa. Such dynamic cause-effect relationships raise questions about the distinction between proximate and ultimate causes, as originally formulated by Ernst Mayr. They have also motivated some biologists and philosophers to argue for an Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES). The EES will supposedly expand the scope of the Modern Synthesis (MS) and SET, which has been characterized as gene-centred, relying primarily on natural selection and largely neglecting reciprocal causation. Here, I critically examine these claims, with a special focus on the last conjecture. I conclude that reciprocal causation has long been recognized as important by naturalists, ecologists and evolutionary biologists working in the in the MS tradition, although it it could be explored even further. Numerous empirical examples of reciprocal causation in the form of positive and negative feedback are now well known from both natural and laboratory systems. Reciprocal causation have also been explicitly incorporated in mathematical models of coevolutionary arms races, frequency-dependent selection, eco-evolutionary dynamics and sexual selection. Such dynamic feedback were already recognized by Richard Levins and Richard Lewontin in their bok The Dialectical Biologist. Reciprocal causation and dynamic feedback might also be one of the few contributions of dialectical thinking and Marxist philosophy in evolutionary theory. I discuss some promising empirical and analytical tools to study reciprocal causation and the implications for the EES. Finally, I briefly discuss how quantitative genetics can be adapated to studies of reciprocal causation, constructive inheritance and phenotypic plasticity and suggest that the flexibility of this approach might have been underestimated by critics of contemporary evolutionary biology.

Testing a reciprocal causation model between anxiety, enjoyment and academic performance in postsecondary organic chemistry

Abstract: Affective factors such as the achievement emotions are considered critical for students’ academic performance in STEM degree programmes and careers. In this study, a reciprocal causation model was ...

Self-Regulation Shift Theory: A Dynamic Personal Agency Approach to Recovery Capital and Methodological Suggestions.

Abstract: Recovery capital highlights person and environmental resources associated with overcoming significant life challenges. This paper utilizes social cognitive theory as a framework for understanding how recovery capital functions in trauma adaptation. This theory outlines the bidirectional, dynamic interactions among person (e.g., cognitive and affective), behavioral (e.g., problem focused coping), and environmental variables (i.e., triadic reciprocal determinism). The value of this approach to understanding human adaptation to trauma is that it targets the self-regulatory processes that unfold for trauma survivors as they attempt to put their lives back together. Self-regulation shift theory (SRST), as an extension to social cognitive theory, is offered to explain how self-regulation is involved in both positive and negative adjustment. The theory uses a dynamical systems approach and highlights the mechanisms related to non-linear shifts in both positive and negative trauma recovery. According to SRST, trauma recovery may not be linear with threshold shifts (i.e., bifurcations) from one organized state (broken self) to another (empowered self). Coping self-efficacy perceptions are a critical factor influencing these threshold shifts. This paper concludes with a brief review of study designs and analytic procedures that can facilitate the application of non-linear dynamic research in this area.

Application of Social Cognitive Theory in Obesity Prevention: A Rapid Review

Abstract: Obesity, as a result of including the chronic positive energy balance, is associated with many chronic diseases. Prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide, including in selected developing countries, from previous very low status. Association or causality of one or more constructs of social cognitive theory to prevent and control obesity is paramount for program interventions. We searched titles and abstracts using End Note Software and then approached original articles in databases of PubMed, Google Scholar and Health Inter-Network Access to Research Initiative (HINARI) in English language published between Jan 1, 2000 and Jan 10, 2015. The articles included only when one or more of the constructs of social cognitive theory viz. reciprocal determinism, behavioral capability, observational learning, reinforcements, expectations and self-efficacy were examined quantitatively with obesity or overweight. The data from the articles were then summarized and interpreted. Out of 90 accessed and reviewed full-text articles, 22 included in the review, mostly of which studies were conducted in developing countries. The review results showed that intervening the constructs of social cognitive theory was found effective in preventing obesities including childhood obesities. In studies where media campaign was added with social cognitive theory, logistic regression results demonstrated that behavior change was greater among women. Self-efficacy and social support are the important constructs of social cognitive/learning theory to be effective and associated in obesity prevention, others remaining modest. It is suggested that the constructs are integrated with media campaign and ecological components when intervened. Key words: Social, cognitive, obesity, overweight, behaviour, self-efficacy, physical.

Quadratic Model of Reciprocal Causation for Monitoring, Improving, and Reflecting on Design Team Performance

Abstract: Design team performance is a complex phenomenon that involves person, behavior and environment parameters interacting with and influencing each other over time. In this chapter, we propose a quadratic model for team performance that allows for monitoring, improving, and reflecting on design teams at the individual, interactional and environmental levels. This model is an extension of Bandura’s theory of reciprocal causation and a synthesis of concepts from psychology, semiotics, improvisational theater, evolutionary biology, design thinking and innovation practice. We describe the development of the model based on cases of student behavior from a graduate level design course, and discuss its implications for design practice and design research.

Lived PhD Experiences: Critical Reflections from the Students’ Point of View

Abstract: There is a growing number of PhD students enrolled in Australian universities and yet there are high attrition rates and a decreasing number of permanent or tenured academic roles. Considerable discourse surrounds the purpose of the PhD (Group of Eight, 2013; McAlpine & Norton, 2006) and much less on the PhD experience from current student perspectives. Most research looks at ‘discrete’ aspects, such as supervision, gender or completion (Seagram, Gould & Pyke, 1998; Carter, Blumenstein, Cook, 2012; Green & Bowden, 2012; Jiranek, 2010). Of the research that focuses on the PhD experience, much is conducted upon completion of PhD study and is reflective—not adequately representing the PhD student, their circumstances or their personal experiences. Furthermore, research during the PhD experience mostly consists of one-off interviews and does not capture the longitudinal experience. This thesis reveals how a diverse cohort of PhD students reported their lived PhD experiences – critical reflections from the students’ point of view. This research did not presume or predetermine a framework. Instead, over a period of three-to-12 months, using a variety of introspective methods, 23 participants reported on their lived experience of being a PhD student. Following an initial thematic analysis, the findings were further analysed using Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive and self-efficacy theories. The findings are presented through an adaptation of Bandura’s (1997) reciprocal determinism theory model: to first, demonstrate from the students’ perspectives the bidirectional effects of the environmental, relational and behavioural dimensions; and second, identify the critical incidents that supported and reduced individual self-efficacy. This thesis presents the adventure park as a conceptual framework for the participants reported experiences of navigating the challenges encountered, which tested participants’ self-efficacy and sense of belonging, towards completion and ontological shift. The thesis concludes by introducing a telescopic lens to view the lived PhD experience as process aimed at developing new knowledge that shifts the individual’s way of being. The originality and contribution to knowledge of the outcomes of this research relate to: • the methodology adopted in this research • the process of the PhD • the outcomes of the PhD. vii The PhD experience is individual, based on the perceptions of PhD research and the expectations the individual brings with them. It is the process of being a PhD student and doing the research. It is not about the thesis or the knowledge they are creating; it is the process.