Sense of Community in Web Environment

The study of social phenomena in the World Wide Web has been rather fragmentary, andthere is no coherent, reseach-based theory about sense of community in Web environment. Sense of community means part of one's self-concept that has to do with perceiving oneself belonging to, and feeling affinity to a certain social grouping. The present study aimed to find evidence for sense of community in Web environment, and specifically find out what the most critical psychological factors of sense of community would be. Based on known characteristics of real life communities and sense of community, and few occational studies of Web-communities, it was hypothesized that the following factors would be the most critical ones and that they could be grouped as prerequisites, facilitators and consequences of sense of community: awareness and social presence (prerequisites), criteria for membership and borders, common purpose, social interaction and reciprocity, norms and conformity, common history (facilitators), trust and accountability (consequences). In addition to critical factors, the present study aimed to find out if this kind of grouping would be valid. Furthermore, the effect of Web-community members' background variables to sense of community was of interest. In order to answer the questions, an online-questionnaire was created and tested. It included propositions that reflect factors that precede, facilitate and follow the sense of community in Web environment. A factor analysis was calculated to find out the critical factors and analyses of variance were calculated to see if the grouping to prerequisites, facilitators and consequences was right and how the background variables would affect the sense of community in Web environment. The results indicated that the psychological structure of sense of community in Web environment could not be presented with critical variables grouped as prerequisites, facilitators and consequences. Most factors did facilitate the sense of community, but based on this data it could not be argued that some of the factors chronologically precedesense of community and some follow it. Instead, the factor analysis revealed that the most critical factors in sense of community in Web environment are 1) reciprocal involvement, 2) basic trust for others, 3) similarity and common purpose of members, and 4) shared history of members. The most influencing background variables were the member's own participation activity (indicated with reading and writing messages) and the phase in membership lifecycle (from visitor to leader). The more the member participated and the further in membership life cycle he was, the more he felt sense of community. There are many descreptions of sense of community, but the present study was one of the first to actually measure the phenomenon in Web environment, and that gained well documented, valid results based on large data, proving that sense of community in Web environment is possible, and clarifying its psychological structure, thus enhancing the understanding of sense of community in Web environment. Keywords: sense of community, Web-community, psychology of the Internet

Violence against the adolescents of Kolkata: A study in relation to the socio-economic background and mental health

This study attempts to understand the nature of violence suffered by the adolescents of Kolkata (erstwhile Calcutta) and to identify its relation with their socio-economic background and mental health variables such as anxiety, adjustment, and self-concept. It is a cross-sectional study covering a total of 370 adolescents (182 boys and 188 girls) from six higher secondary schools in Kolkata. The data was gathered by way of a semi-structured questionnaire and three standard psychological tests. Findings revealed that 52.4%, 25.1%, and 12.7% adolescents suffered psychological, physical, and sexual violence in the last year. Older adolescents (aged 17–18 years) suffered more psychological violence than the younger ones (15–16 years) (p < 0.05). Sixty nine (18.6%) adolescent students stood witness to violence between adult members in the family. More than three-fifth (61.9%) adolescents experienced at least one type of violence, while one-third (32.7%) experienced physical or sexual violence or both. Whatever its nature is, violence leaves a scar on the mental health of the victims. Those who have been through regular psychological violence reported high anxiety, emotional adjustment problem, and low self-concept. Sexual abuse left a damaging effect on self-concept (p < 0.05), while psychological violence or the witnessing of violence prompted high anxiety scores (p < 0.05), poor emotional adjustment (p < 0.05), and low self-concept (p < 0.05). This study stresses the need to provide individual counselling services to the maltreated adolescents of Kolkata so that their psychological traumas can heal and that they can move on in life with new hopes and dreams.

Autoeficacia académica, burnout académico y desgranamiento universitario

Resumen: El presente estudio evalúa si existen diferencias significativas en la autoeficacia académica y el burnout académico entre los alumnos que han pasado por desgranamiento universitario y aquellos que no han pasado por este fenómeno. La muestra estuvo constituida por 286 estudiantes universitarios de ambos sexos de la ciudad de Paraná, Entre Ríos. La recolección de los datos se hizo mediante la Escala Unidimensional de Burnout Estudiantil, el Cuestionario de Autoeficacia Académica (construido a los fines de esta investigación) y un cuestionario para medir el desgranamiento universitario. Los resultados indican que el burnout académico y la autoeficacia académica no influyen en el desgranamiento universitario, lo cual podría estar mediado por otras variables que no se académico y la autoeficacia académica no influyen en el desgranamiento universitario, lo cual podría estar mediado por otras variables que no se tuvieron en cuenta en el estudio.

Dos formatos (papel y online) de un programa educativo para la mejora del autoconcepto físico

[Es] El autoconcepto físico juega un papel decisivo en el bienestar personal y la prevención de trastornos y dificultades de conducta. De ahí la importancia de ayudar educativamente al desarrollo de adecuadas autopercepciones físicas. En este artículo se ofrece un análisis comparativo de dos formatos (papel y on line) de un mismo programa de intervención educativa para la mejora del autoconcepto implementado con estudiantes universitarios. Los datos obtenidos en la medida del autoconcepto físico no confirman una mejora significativa, lo cual no necesariamente desacredita el programa ya que puede atribuirse en parte a determinadas limitaciones observadas en la aplicación del mismo. Por otra parte, la valoración del programa que realizan los sujetos participantes es notablemente positiva, en particular, la de quienes han utilizado la versión on line.

Los dominios social y personal del autoconcepto

[Es] El estudio del autoconcepto continúa siendo uno de los grandes retos de la investigación psicológica. Se trata de un campo de investigación muy amplio en el que tanto la dimensión física como la académica han sido objeto de numerosas investigaciones; por el contrario son pocas las investigaciones llevadas a cabo tanto sobre el autoconcepto social como sobre el autoconcepto personal. En este trabajo se informa de dos estudios llevados a cabo con el fin de verificar si los análisis factoriales confirman una estructura multidimensional de tres componentes en el caso del social (la responsabilidad social, la aceptación social y la competencia social) y de cuatro componentes en la del personal: la autorrealización, la honradez, la autonomía, y el ajuste emocional. Los resultados obtenidos a partir de la aplicación de dos cuestionarios elaborados específicamente para medir ambos dominios (APE y AUSO) confirman en buena medida esta estructura; los factores identificados explican un 52,56% y un 41,43%, respectivamente, de la varianza. Por otro lado, los índices de consistencia interna son aceptables en ambos casos: alpha 0.85 en el APE y alpha 0.76 en el AUSO. Se proponen algunos cambios a incorporar en la versión definitiva de ambos cuestionarios.

Diseño y puesta en practica de una intervención psicoeducativa en relación al logro de un autoconcepto ajustado.

El autoconcepto es una pieza esencial para el desarrollo adecuado del individuo, por lo que en este trabajo se elabora y aplica una intervención en relación al logro de un autoconcepto ajustado. Para ello, se llevan a cabo una serie de dinámicas en un grupo-clase y periodo de tiempo específicos. Asimismo, se utilizan una serie de instrumentos de medida previa y posteriormente a la intervención, con el objetivo de evaluar las posibles variaciones en lo que al autoconcepto de los alumnos respecta. Finalmente, se concluyen ciertas variaciones que más que reflejar grandes cambios en el autoconcepto del alumnado, indican la importancia y posible eficacia de programas que dirigen su atención a dicho constructo

Características pessoais e institucionais e comportamentos de autocuidado de docentes de enfermagem segundo os modos adaptativos de Roy: estudo em Instituições Públicas do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Este trabalho enfoca a promoção da vida através de comportamentos saudáveis, tendo como objetivos: delinear o perfil sociodemográfico e institucional/profissional dos docentes de enfermagem e analisar seus hábitos de vida, segundo os modos adaptativos de Roy. Foi utilizada a Teoria de Sister Callista Roy, destacando-se os modos de adaptação: fisiológico, autoconceito e interdependência. Implementou-se o método descritivo, quantitativo, transversal através da técnica de autorelato em amostra de 101 docentes. Para investigar esses aspectos, utilizou-se dois questionários, um deles com a escala de Likert, adaptado para a pesquisa. A produção de dados transcorreu de janeiro a março de 2009, após aprovação do Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa, Protocolo 2187, e concordância das quatro instituições públicas de ensino universitário, do Estado do Rio de Janeiro-Brasil, selecionadas. Os dados obtidos foram submetidos á estatística, aplicando-se medidas de tendência central. Quanto ao perfil docente: predomina a faixa etária de 40 a 59 anos, com 69,3%, de união estável. Relacionando cor e crença religiosa, constatou-se 37,6% de católicos brancos. Dos 50 docentes, 5% têm residência própria, na zona norte. Possuem renda individual acima de 8 salários mínimos, 67,32%, a maioria com vínculo trabalhista. No tempo de serviço, 22,94% situam-se entre 11 a 15 anos, com carga horária de 20 a 40 horas. Quanto à titulação, 42,56% são doutores e 80,2% possuem um tipo de regime estatutário. Concernente aos Modos Adaptativos de Roy foi atribuído, predominantemente, o conceito A- hábitos de vida saudável, aos modos Fisiológicos e de Autoconceito, seguindo-se o de Interdependência, que apresentou quatro conceitos B- em busca de hábitos de vida saudável, sendo o mais homogêneo dos três modos. Identificou-se que o Modo Fisiológico foi heterogêneo, pois os valores das medidas de tendência central se distanciam entre si. Concluindo-se que o pressuposto formulado atendeu parcialmente às expectativas dos docentes por utilizarem, em benefício próprio, seus saberes sobre o cuidar promovendo o bem-estar com qualidade. Considerou-se que a interdependência pode ser conquistada pelos sujeitos, visto que o enfrentamento das suas atividades profissionais, paralelamente ao viver pessoal, pode ser motivo de satisfação com o trabalho docente, remuneração recebida, ambiente institucional, relações de poder/saber no trabalho, além da possibilidade de atender sua necessidade gregária promovendo o convívio com a família e amigos. Lembra-se que lidar com pessoas cujas subjetividades devem ser objetivadas, visando sua compreensão para o atendimento de saúde, exige equilíbrio e progresso das dimensões corporais física, mental e espiritual do profissional.

O baú e o balão de memórias: autofigurações em Pedro Nava

Esta dissertação tem por objetivo investigar as memórias do escritor Pedro Nava, destacando as estratégias de autorrepresentação adotadas pelo autor nas obras Baú de osso e Balão cativo. Essas duas obras compreendem as etapas do nascimento até os treze anos do memorialista, ou seja, período no qual Pedro Nava recebeu as maiores influências para sua formação. Analisamos que os autobiografemas elementos comuns nas escritas de si foram utilizados por Pedro Nava para moldar uma autofiguração de pesquisador, observador, analista de perfis humanos, além de grande leitor e intelectual. Abordamos a história familiar, a descoberta do mundo através das cidades, a paixão pelos livros e as experiências como interno dos colégios Anglo-Mineiro e Pedro II. Locais, inclusive, de descobertas para o caminho da medicina e da literatura. Consideramos que esses procedimentos fazem parte de um processo de construção de sua autoimagem

成就目标与心理健康的关系及相关因素的作用

The relationship between achievement goal and mental health, and the effect of the related factors Abstract Recently, adolescent’s mental health and depression problem have been widely concerned all over the world. Studies concerning it have been done from different perspectives. High school is the key period of adolescent’s physical and mental development, when they may have a high risk of mental conflicts, certain behavioral and emotional problems. Through questionnaire with high school students as subjects, this study examines achievement goal, self-concept, social comparison and the relationship between these factors and mental health. This study consists of three parts: 1) a preliminary exploration of the relationship between vocational school students’ achievement goal, self-concept and their mental health; 2) a revision of the simplified Chinese version for Dykman’ s goal Orientation Inventory; 3) a further discussion on the relationship between high school students’ achievement goal, self-concept, social comparison and depression. Major findings of this study are: 1. Dykman’s Goal Orientation Inventory is revised. This revised version, with high validity and reliability, conforms to Dykman’s theoretical assumptions and can be a convenient and effective measurement for achievement goal. 2. Self-concept and achievement goal of vocational school students can make a significant prediction of their mental health. Learning goal influences mental health through self-concept. 3. Achievement goal, self-concept and social comparison of high school students are closely related to their depression. 4. Self-concept and social comparison of high school students are the mediator variable between achievement goal and depression. The theoretical and practical implications of this study: 1. With the simplified Chinese version of Dykman’s Goal Orientation Inventory revised and used first in this study, its applicability is inspected and the conclusion drawn by Dykman on the prediction of achievement goal on depression is examined as well; on the basis of previous studies, a comprehensive and systematic study is done on how the factors work together to influence mental health(particularly depression). 2. This study enrichs the studies with high school students as subjects. It provides methods and basis for the theoretical studies and interference about high school students’ mental health education and depression problem.

北京市中学生考试焦虑状况及其相关因素分析

In order to analyze the test anxiety of Beijing's high school students, relevant factors affecting test anxiety and how those factors have effect on the test anxiety of those high school students, a cross-sectional study had been conducted among 2,089 students randomly selected from 15 high schools in Beijing, using the Test Anxiety Scale（TAS）, Parenting Style Scale (PSS) and Academic Aggregate Graphic (AAG). Five months later, 194 students from one of those high schools were retested with TAS with students remaining anonymous. In the retest, the classes and birth dates of those students were strictly matched. This paper is composed of three parts to examine the issue. The first part examines the test anxiety among high school students in Beijing and establishes the model; the second part conducts a comparative study of issues related to test anxiety and academic performance; the third part examines the factors affecting test anxiety and establishes the model. Results showed that: 1. The reliability and validity of TAS are satisfied and can meet survey requirement. The 25-item version of TAS turned out to have equal or even better performance compared with the original 37-item version. 2. Incidence of test anxiety in high schools of Beijing: 57.9 percent of samples have an overall score at or higher 15. 55 percent of male student samples have a score at or higher than 15 while that for female student samples is 61 percent. A score of 20 refers to fairly serious test anxiety and 31.9 percent of samples have a score over 20. 28.1 percent of the male student samples have a score of over 20 while that for female student samples is 35.9 percent. 3. The effect of grade and sex and the interaction between the two factors are statistically significant. Female students have higher test anxiety than male students and the level of test anxiety varies from grade to grade. 4. Samples are divided into two groups, one with test anxiety and the other without. The academic performance gap between the two groups is very significant. There is a significant negative correlation between academic score and test anxiety. 5. There is a negative correlation between test anxiety and mastery goal orientation and a positive correlation between test anxiety and performance goal orientation. Students with higher academic self-efficiency have lower test anxiety. The more one thinks study is valuable, the lower his/her test anxiety is. Those whose parents communicate smoothly with them have lower test anxiety. Those whose parents have an inconsistent communication style have higher test anxiety. 6. Achievement goal is mediate variable for the effect of lack of values on test anxiety. 7. The indirect effect of introduction of achievement goal and parenting style, including communication, monitoring and communication consistence, on test anxiety is significant. Key words: Test anxiety，reliability, validity, self-efficiency，parenting style，achievement goal orientation, academic values, academic score

Dynamics of learner affective development in early FLL

Affective learner factors were first considered as a cause of success in language learning. This was followed by a change in approach and recently authors (e.g., Edelenbos, Johnstone, & Kubanek, 2006) have considered them an important outcome, especially in early foreign language learning (FLL). Current research into affective learner factors in early FLL tries to catch the developmental aspects too, and studies are emerging that take a contextual view as well. This paper describes a study on affective characteristics of young FL learners that combines the developmental and contextual perspectives. Using the case study methodology the author analyses the affective profiles of three young learners of English as a foreign language who were followed for 4 years. The analyses are done taking into account their immediate language learning environment, home support, out-of-school exposure to English and language achievement. The findings suggest that affective learner factors contribute to the dynamic complexity of early FLL.

Constructing Universities as Organizations: University Reforms in Poland in the Light of Institutional Theory

This chapter shows that apart from changes at the systemic and institutional levels, successful reform implementation struggles with a gradual change in academic beliefs, attitudes and behaviours. Currently, visions of the university proposed by the Polish academic community and visions of it proposed by Polish reformers and policymakers (within ongoing reforms) are worlds apart. I shall study recent reforms in the context of specific academic self--protective narratives being produced in the last two decades (at the collective level of the academic profession) and in the context of the Ivory Tower university ideals predominant at the individual level (as studied comparatively through a large--scale European survey of the academic profession). Institutions change both swiftly, radically – and slowly, gradually. Research literature on institutional change until recently was focused almost exclusively on the role of radical changes caused by external shocks, leading to radical institutional reconfigurations. And research literature about the gradual, incremental institutional change have been emergent for about a decade and a half now (Mahoney and Thelen 2010; Streeck and Thelen 2005, 2009; Thelen 2003). Polish higher education provides interesting empirical grounds to test institutional theories. Both types of transformations (radical and gradual) may lead to equally permanent changes in the functioning of institutions, equally deep transformations of their fundamental rules, norms and operating procedures. Questions about institutional change are questions about characteristics of institutions undergoing changes. Endogenous institutional change is as important as exogenous change (Mahoney and Thelen 2010: 3). Moments in which there emerge opportunities of performing deep institutional reforms are short (in Poland these moments occurred in 2009-2012), and between them there are long periods of institutional stasis and stability (Pierson 2004: 134-135). The premises of theories of institutional change can be applied systematically to a system of higher education which shows an unprecedented rate of change and which is exposed to broad, fundamental reform programmes. There are many ways to discuss the Kudrycka reforms - and "constructing Polish universities as organizations" (rather than traditional academic "institutions") is one of more promising. In this account, Polish universities are under construction as organizations, and under siege as institutions. They are being rationalized as organizations, following instrumental rather than institutional logics. Polish academics in their views and attitudes are still following an institutional logic, while Polish reforms are following the new (New Public Management-led) instrumental logics. Both are on a collision course about basic values. Reforms and reformees seem to be worlds apart. I am discussing the the two contrasting visions of the university and describing the Kudrycka reforms as the reistitutionalization of the research mission of Polish universities. The core of reforms is a new level of funding and governance - the intermediary one (and no longer the state one), with four new peer-run institutions, with the KEJN, PKA and NCN in the lead. Poland has been beginning to follow the "global rules of the academic game" since 2009. I am also discussing two academic self-protection modes agains reforms: (Polish) "national academic traditions" and "institutional exceptionalism" (of Polish HE). Both discourses prevailed for two decades, none seems socially (and politically) acceptable any more. Old myths do not seem to fit new realities. In this context I am discussing briefly and through large-scale empirical data the low connectedness to the outside world of Polish HE institutions, low influence of the government on HE policies and the low level of academic entrepreneurialism, as seen through the EUROAC/CAP micro-level data. The conclusion is that the Kudrycka reforms are an imporant first step only - Poland is too slow in reforms, and reforms are both underfunded and inconsistent. Poland is still accumulating disadvantages as public funding and university reforms have not reached a critical point. Ever more efforts lead to ever less results, as macro-level data show. Consequently, it may be useful to construct universities as organizations in Poland to a higher degree than elsewhere in Europe, and especially in Western Europe.

O autoconceito de crianças e pré-adolescentes com e sem história de maus-tratos numa amostra de 90 participantes

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Psicologia, especialização em Psicologia da Educação e Intervenção Comunitária.

The impact of structured support groups for pregnant South African women recently diagnosed HIV positive.

The authors of this study evaluated a structured 10-session psychosocial support group intervention for newly HIV-diagnosed pregnant South African women. Participants were expected to display increases in HIV disclosure, self-esteem, active coping and positive social support, and decreases in depression, avoidant coping, and negative social support. Three hundred sixty-one pregnant HIV-infected women were recruited from four antenatal clinics in Tshwane townships from April 2005 to September 2006. Using a quasi-experimental design, assessments were conducted at baseline and two and eight months post-intervention. A series of random effects regression analyses were conducted, with the three assessment points treated as a random effect of time. At both follow-ups, the rate of disclosure in the intervention group was significantly higher than that of the comparison group (p<0.001). Compared to the comparison group at the first follow-up, the intervention group displayed higher levels of active coping (t=2.68, p<0.05) and lower levels of avoidant coping (t=-2.02, p<0.05), and those who attended at least half of the intervention sessions exhibited improved self-esteem (t=2.11, p<0.05). Group interventions tailored for newly HIV positive pregnant women, implemented in resource-limited settings, may accelerate the process of adjusting to one's HIV status, but may not have sustainable benefits over time.

Credit scores, cardiovascular disease risk, and human capital.

Credit scores are the most widely used instruments to assess whether or not a person is a financial risk. Credit scoring has been so successful that it has expanded beyond lending and into our everyday lives, even to inform how insurers evaluate our health. The pervasive application of credit scoring has outpaced knowledge about why credit scores are such useful indicators of individual behavior. Here we test if the same factors that lead to poor credit scores also lead to poor health. Following the Dunedin (New Zealand) Longitudinal Study cohort of 1,037 study members, we examined the association between credit scores and cardiovascular disease risk and the underlying factors that account for this association. We find that credit scores are negatively correlated with cardiovascular disease risk. Variation in household income was not sufficient to account for this association. Rather, individual differences in human capital factors—educational attainment, cognitive ability, and self-control—predicted both credit scores and cardiovascular disease risk and accounted for ∼45% of the correlation between credit scores and cardiovascular disease risk. Tracing human capital factors back to their childhood antecedents revealed that the characteristic attitudes, behaviors, and competencies children develop in their first decade of life account for a significant portion (∼22%) of the link between credit scores and cardiovascular disease risk at midlife. We discuss the implications of these findings for policy debates about data privacy, financial literacy, and early childhood interventions.