Exploration of implicit theories in the formation of expert opinion in portuguese criminal law

This dissertation examines different aspects involved in the formation of psychologists’ expert opinion in the Portuguese criminal justice system, more precisely, as this opinion is reflected in assessment reports. The present dissertation is comprised of three qualitative studies, the first sought to provide a general portrait of a sample of 106 forensic psychological reports as to their overall quality as measured in terms of relevance and coherence. Results show that the formal markers of quality are present in the sample analysed, a certain number of weaknesses have been observed, notably concerning the internal coherence of the reports as well as the relevance of the information reported on. The second study explored the opinions of 17 Portuguese judges and state prosecutors concerning the use they make of this type of forensic report. It appears that they consider these reports to be useful and very credible, specially so when they have been produced under the auspices of the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, which is the state forensic institution. Furthermore, it appears that judges and prosecutors were particularly interested in data that allowed for a personalised portrait of the assessee. The third study sought to better comprehend the conceptual bases on which psychologists construct their reports. To this end, an exploratory study was undertaken with a sample of key-actors; the analysis of their interviews shows that they define their judicial mandate as well as the basic concepts that are associated to this mandate in different ways. A theoretical framework provided by an implicit theories model was used to help understand these results.

Implicit self-theories of shyness : predictors and correlates in preadolescence /

Implicit theories of shyness refer to a beUef that shyness is a fixed trait versus the belief that shyness is changeable and controllable. In this study, I explored the association between overall shyness and children's implicit self-theories of shyness, as well as between implicit self-theories of shyness and children's other shyness-related beliefs (perceptions of others' theories of shyness, shyness as a perceived problem, and ideas about treatment for shyness). Forty-six 10-12- year- old children (M = 10.74, SD = .88) were interviewed individually, filled out a set of questionnaires, and completed a computer-presented task. ' "^ As was expected, in ambiguous social situations, children perceived others' theories of shyness in a way that confirmed their own theories. The hypothesized curvilinear relation between shy and implicit self-theories of shyness was not found; instead, a linear positive relationship between these two variables emerged. Although implicit self-theories of shyness were not effective in predicting either the children's views of shyness as a perceived problem or children's ideas about treatment for shyness, some interesting results were found. Specifically, children's motivation to change their shyness correlated with their views of shyness as a problem for children in general and their perceptions of others' theories of shyness. Specific agents and strategies were regarded by children as having different effectiveness in their potential to change shyness. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings were discussed. Suggestions for future research were provided.

A natureza pedagógica da experimentação: uma pesquisa na licenciatura em química

In this paper we discuss the characteristics of experimental activities described by teachers and students in a teaching credentials course in Chemistry. The research pointed out a set of characteristics that seem to favor the learning process: the bringing up of the student's knowledge; the mediation by peers; the dialogue to set out the student's knowledge; the debate; the validation of arguments; the discussion about the context. The authors argument that, because of the empirical view of Science present in Chemistry courses, the discussion about the nature of Science is important.

Words on wisdom: perspective transformation in a "learning in retirement institute" /

In this study, 7 men and women with an average age of 77 were interviewed regarding their experience of attending courses at a Learning in Retirement Institute (LRI) in southern Ontario. The purpose was to explore the role of wisdom in the learning of these retirees. Explicit theories of wisdom developed by selected philosophers, psychologists, and religious thinkers were compared to the implicit theories of wisdom that respondents expressed. Further comparisons were drawn between these implicit theories of wisdom and the act of perspective transformation in transformative learning. Some evidence was found that the development of wisdom compares favourably to perspective transformation, especially with regards to the behavioural changes associated with critical self-reflection. Among all the respondents, those 3 LRI stude.its who had also moderated courses indicated that they had experienced the most opportunities for critical self-reflection. These 3 also expressed deep satisfaction in having been able to put their learnings to use as teachers. A recommendation of this study is that opportunities for sharing and acting upon the results of discourse within Learning in Retirement Institutes should be implemented. In the absence of evaluation, opportunities for praxis (such as coop placements) must be developed so that students can measure their success against objective criteria and hence attach meaning to their studies.

Les théories implicites des agresseurs sexuelles d'enfants

Objectif: Ce mémoire avait pour objectif d’examiner le contenu cognitif du discours d’agresseurs sexuels d’enfants dans un échantillon d’hommes francophones afin de déterminer s’il est possible de reproduire les catégories de théories implicites telles que proposées par Ward et Keenan (1999). Le but était également d’investiguer la possibilité de retrouver de nouvelles théories implicites. Méthode: 20 entrevues semi-structurées ont été réalisées auprès d’un échantillon d’agresseurs sexuels d’enfants judiciarisés (Centre hospitalier Robert-Giffard, Établissement Montée St-François). À partir de ces entrevues, 2 juges indépendants ont sélectionné le contenu cognitif du discours des agresseurs sexuels. Ce contenu a ensuite été classé thématiquement. Chacun des thèmes émergents a fait l’objet d’une analyse indépendante afin de déterminer si les catégories permettaient une classification optimale des distorsions cognitives. Les juges ont donc repris 3 entrevues et ont recodifié les données afin de comparer la codification. Les données ont été analysées à l’aide de NVivo, un logiciel d’analyse de données qualitatives. Les résultats ont été discutés et comparés aux résultats de Ward et Keenan (1999). Résultats: Les analyses ont permis de trouver 6 théories implicites. Les théories Le droit d’agir à sa guise, Le monde est incontrôlable et L’agression ne cause pas de tort aux enfants étaient identiques à leur version originale. La théorie Le monde est dangereux variait de sa version originale car aucun lien causal n’a été trouvé entre la perception des adultes et des enfants. Deux visions uniques et indépendantes l’une de l’autre ont plutôt été observées. Aussi, les résultats ont montré que les agresseurs partageaient une image dichotomique de la femme. D’ailleurs, ce résultat est consistant avec la théorie implicite Les femmes sont dangereuses de Polaschek et Ward (2004). La théorie Les enfants sont des êtres sexuels variait de sa version originale quant à sa conceptualisation. Les enfants sont des partenaires de vie est une nouvelle théorie implicite n’ayant pas été discutée par Ward et Keenan. Ce résultat est consistant avec les recherches de Wilson (1999) sur la congruence émotionnelle envers les enfants des agresseurs sexuels.

Exploration des schèmes de pensée chez les adolescents agresseurs sexuels au Centre de psychiatrie légale de Montréal

Rapport de stage présenté à la Faculté des Arts et des Sciences en vue de l'obtention du grade de Maîtrise ès sciences (M.Sc.) en criminologie.

Théories implicites chez les agresseurs de femmes adultes

La présence de distorsions cognitives chez les délinquants sexuels est considérée comme étant intimement liée à l’étiologie et au maintient des comportements sexuels déviants. Selon Ward et Keenan (1999), les distorsions cognitives émergent des théories implicites. Les théories implicites peuvent être définies comme étant un réseau de croyances interreliées que les délinquants ont à propos d’eux et du monde qui les entoure. Polaschek et Ward (2002) ainsi que Polaschek et Gannon (2004) ont postulé qu’il existe 5 théories implicites chez les violeurs : Les femmes sont des objets sexuels; L’excitation sexuelle de l’homme est incontrôlable; Le droit de faire ce que nous voulons; Le monde est dangereux; et Les femmes sont dangereuses. La présente recherche avait pour but d’examiner si les théories implicites chez les violeurs étaient pleinement représentées par les travaux de Polaschek et collègues. Les distorsions cognitives de 21 agresseurs sexuels de femmes adultes ont été analysées à partir de l’analyse de leurs discours. Les analyses indiquent que quatre des cinq théories implicites sont présentes dans notre échantillon. De plus, la théorie implicite Les femmes sont des objets sexuels serait mieux conceptualisée en tant que Les femmes sont des objets. Finalement, et en complément aux résultats des études de Polaschek, notre échantillon présente des cognitions qui normalisent la criminalité, la délinquance, la violence et la sexualité pour atteindre leurs buts; nous conduisant à la création d’une nouvelle théorie implicite : Normalisation du crime. Nos résultats indiquent qu’il y aurait peut-être d’autre

La pensée des femmes violentes : les théories implicites liées au comportement violent.

Les théories implicites (TIs) sont des croyances sous-jacentes et interconnectées qui influencent les pensées conscientes et le comportement (Ward, 2000). Elles ont été étudiées chez les délinquants et les délinquantes sexuels, ainsi que chez les délinquants violents, mais pas chez les délinquantes violentes. La recherche montre que les cognitions des délinquants violents peuvent être organisées en quatre TIs: 1) Battre ou être battu, 2) Je suis la loi, 3) La violence est normale, et 4) Je perds le contrôle (Polaschek, Calvert & Gannon , 2008). L’objectif de la présente étude était de déterminer quelles sont les TIs des délinquantes violentes afin de mieux comprendre leur comportement. Des entrevues semi structurées ont été menées avec 21 femmes violentes incarcérées. Dans l'analyse, les cognitions des participantes ont été extraites en utilisant l’analyse du discours (Angers, 2005). Ces cognitions ont ensuite été plus profondément analysées pour en ressortir les TIs en suivant la méthode de la théorisation ancrée (Strauss & Corbin, 1990). Les résultats suggèrent qu’il existe six théories implicites liées au comportement violent des femmes. Deux d'entre elles sont neutres, car aussi retrouvées chez les hommes: 1) la violence est normale et 2) je perds le contrôle. Les quatre autres sont sexo-spécifiques: 3) ceux qui agissent injustement méritent d'être battus, 4) j'ai besoin de me protéger et protéger les autres, 5) je ne suis pas violente, et 6) ma vie est trop difficile. En outre, les résultats suggèrent qu'il existe deux groupes distincts d’agresseures en ce qui concerne les cognitions: les « antisociales » et les « classiques ». Les implications et explications théoriques de nos résultats seront discutées.

Temperament and self-based correlates of cooperative, competitive and individualistic learning preferences

People vary in the extent to which they prefer cooperative, competitive or individualistic achievement tasks. In the present research, we conducted two studies designed to investigate correlates and possible roots of these social interdependence orientations, namely approach and avoidance temperament, general self-efficacy, implicit theories of intelligence, and contingencies of self-worth based in others’ approval, competition, and academic competence. The results indicated that approach temperament, general self-efficacy, and incremental theory were positively, and entity theory was negatively related to cooperative preferences (|r| range from .11 to .41); approach temperament, general self-efficacy, competition contingencies, and academic competence contingencies were positively related to competitive preferences (|r| range from .16 to .46); and avoidance temperament, entity theory, competitive contingencies, and academic competence contingencies were positively related, and incremental theory was negatively related to individualistic preferences (|r| range from .09 to .15). The findings are discussed with regard to the meaning of each of the three social interdependence orientations, cultural differences among the observed relations, and implications for practicioners.

Entre a teoria e a prática: o projeto político-pedagógico do curso de medicina da UFMA

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Situational adaptiveness of control orientation mediates relation between fixed-world view and youth well-being in three cultures

When proposing primary control (changing the world to fit self)/secondary control (changing self to fit the world) theory, Weisz et al. (1984) argued for the importance of the “serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can” (p. 967), and the wisdom to choose the right control strategy that fits the context. Although the dual processes of control theory generated hundreds of empirical studies, most of them focused on the dichotomy of PC and SC, with none of these tapped into the critical concept: individuals’ ability to know when to use what. This project addressed this issue by using scenario questions to study the impact of situationally adaptive control strategies on youth well-being. To understand the antecedents of youths’ preference for PC or SC, we also connected PCSC theory with Dweck’s implicit theory about the changeability of the world. We hypothesized that youths’ belief about the world’s changeability impacts how difficult it was for them to choose situationally adaptive control orientation, which then impacts their well-being. This study included adolescents and emerging adults between the ages of 18 and 28 years (Mean = 20.87 years) from the US (n = 98), China (n = 100), and Switzerland (n = 103). Participants answered a questionnaire including a measure of implicit theories about the fixedness of the external world, a scenario-based measure of control orientation, and several measures of well-being. Preliminary analyses of the scenario-based control orientation measures showed striking cross-cultural similarity of preferred control responses: while for three of the six scenarios primary control was the predominately chosen control response in all cultures, for the other three scenarios secondary control was the predominately chosen response. This suggested that youths across cultures are aware that some situations call for primary control, while others demand secondary control. We considered the control strategy winning the majority of the votes to be the strategy that is situationally adaptive. The results of a multi-group structural equation mediation model with the extent of belief in a fixed world as independent variable, the difficulties of carrying out the respective adaptive versus non-adaptive control responses as two mediating variables and the latent well-being variable as dependent variable showed a cross-culturally similar pattern of effects: a belief in a fixed world was significantly related to higher difficulties in carrying out the normative as well as the non-normative control response, but only the difficulty of carrying out the normative control response (be it primary control in situations where primary control is normative or secondary control in situations where secondary control is normative) was significantly related to a lower reported well-being (while the difficulty of carrying out the non-normative response was unrelated to well-being). While previous research focused on cross-cultural differences on the choice of PC or SC, this study shed light on the universal necessity of applying the right kind of control to fit the situation.

Narraciones autobiográficas : relato, reconstrucción y sentido : de la experiencia escolar a la práctica docente

El presente trabajo evidencia como los procesos autobiográficos posibilitan tomar conciencia de las teorías implícitas que estructuran “un modo de ser y hacer docencia". Cuestiona nuestros propios modelos docentes e interroga a los posibles lectores a partir del descubrimiento de sentidos que atraviesan los relatos de los alumnos. Enfocando lo disciplinar rescata núcleos problemáticos del arte como la dialéctica entre el modelo académico tradicional y el modelo discursivo contemporáneo entre otros. Cuestiona además el rol docente y sus cualidades en un proceso educativo concreto: enseñar artes visuales. “Desde hace cien años, toda escritura es un ejercicio de domesticación o de repulsión frente a esa Forma-Objeto que el escritor encuentra fatalmente en su camino, que necesita mirar, afrontar, asumir, y que nunca puede destruir sin destruirse a sí mismo como escritor. La Forma se suspende frente a la mirada como un objeto, hágase lo que se haga es un escándalo: espléndida, aparece pasada de moda; anárquica, es asocial; particular en relación con el tiempo o con los hombres, de cualquier modo es soledad." Roland Barthes. El grado cero de la escritura