Volume 2 Issue 1

Authors: Camacho Alberto; Sánchez Bertha Ivonne

Abstract: This paper presented a learning sequence design to an alternative representation construction that allowed students to acquire the function concept through associate meanings such as variable, variation and variability. The study was carried out under the social representation theory.

Keywords: Function; Central Node; Social Representations; Peripheral System; Variability

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Authors: Christian M. End; Kate Saunders

Abstract: The present study examines the impact of a speech disorder (a lateral lisp) and powerless speech on an applicant’s hireability. College students (N = 113) reviewed an applicant’s resume, as well as a description of two occupations/job openings that varied in regard to necessitating speech. Participants listened to one of three interviews (speech disorder vs. powerless speech vs. control), indicated their willingness to hire the applicant, and then completed hire-ability and employability scales for both positions, as well as an impressions ratings form. Contrary to the hypotheses, few differences between the “employers” responses to the control and speech disorder applicants were found. The speech disorder applicant was discriminated against only when the job required speech. Powerless speech negatively affected the participants’ impressions. Compared to the other applicants, the powerless speech applicant was perceived to be the least hirable and was perceived least favorably on the majority of the impression ratings.

Keywords: Discrimination;Speech Disorders;Powerless Speech Impression Formation;Attribution

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Authors: Smaragda Kazi; Stavroula Samartzi

Abstract: Time is a central topic in social sciences and humanities. Whereas it is well-known that subjective time is affected by emotion, i.e., the duration of “unhappy” real-life events is overestimated and the duration of “happy” events is underestimated, little is known about the effect of emotion on logical temporal reasoning. Our research focused on temporal reasoning in an everyday activity, that is, in reading. We investigated whether emotion evoked by texts influenced the estimation of the described events’ duration. Based on an original text, we constructed three a-temporal texts, aiming to trigger different emotional states to the readers: positive, negative, and flat emotions. The emotional valence of the texts was validated in a sample of 124 students. Participants were randomly placed in three groups, according to the type of text (Negative=40, Positive=44, and Flat=40 participants, respectively). Participants were also asked to estimate the duration of the described events in the text. Results showed that, although participants garnered emotional information from text, this did not affect their estimations of the narrative events’ duration. Our results reveal that, in contrast to real life, time estimations are not affected by emotion in the case of narrative events. These findings support the distinction between “subjective” and “logical” time. We postulate that when reading, an objective time line is created by the reader. It might be argued that the estimation of the subjective time resides at a first-order-representation (the reader represents, on a time line, the duration of the event, with him/herself being the agent). In contrast, the estimation of a logical-narrative time resides at a higher-order-representation level (the reader re-represents the events that are represented on a time line in the text). For skilled readers, such as the ones in our sample, the construction of the later representation resides at the implementation of reasoning procedures, which are activated even in the case of absence of any temporal markers in the text.

Keywords: Time Estimation; Temporal Reasoning; Narrative Events; Text Reading; Emotion

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Authors: Shao-I Chiu; Lee-Min Wei; Der-Hsiang Huang

Abstract: The primary goal of this research is to investigate factors influencing body image among adolescents and their group differences in Taiwan. Subjects were 180 vocational high school students aged 16 yrs. to 18 yrs. equally distributed by gender (m = 17.28; sd = 1.06). Scales included a basic inventory, personal trait inventory (including self-esteem and depression), parental influence inventory, peer influence inventory, body image inventory, and figure rating scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, stepwise regression, and t-tests. Findings include: adolescents with higher self-esteem had lower body image scores; parental influence and peer influence showed significant positive correlation with body image; and both body mass index (BMI) and depression showed significant positive correlation with body image. The variables of peer influence, BMI, self-esteem, and gender show predictive value with respect to body image. Groups with high/low self-esteem, parental influence, peer influence, and BMI scores showed significant variance in body image. Most adolescents would like to lose weight and be taller. Of the nine body type figures, subjects' ‘actual’ body type corresponded to Numbers 3 or 4, while ‘ideal’ body type tended toward Number 3, tall and slender.

Keywords: Body Image; Body Satisfaction; Personal Traits; Parental Influence; Peer Influence; BMI; Body Change Behaviors; Taiwanese Adolescents

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Authors: Adam Chuderski; Zbigniew Stettner

Abstract: This study tested the dual-component model of working memory (WM) against its unitary alternative. The former account predicts that WM consists of two functionally distinct mechanisms: a very accessible but capacity-limited primary memory (PM) and a less accessible secondary memory (SM). The latter account assumes only one long-term memory component. We used a novel version of the Sternberg serial recognition paradigm, which selectively impedes access to either early or late items, by asking participants about the location of a probe in relation to either the end or the start of encoded memory set, respectively. When locations matched probes, our manipulation harmed recognition of early items, while it left late items intact, in the case of both latency and accuracy. However, in trials in which locations did not match probes, such an effect regarded only latency but not accuracy. This result suggests that a way of access to WM may depend on the level of conflict among accessed memory items. Finally, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed two distinct sources of variance in recognition accuracy. In total, our results are consistent with the dual-component view of WM, and they implicate that early items were presumably held in SM, while late items benefited from being held in PM.

Keywords: Working Memory; Primary Memory; Secondary Memory; Serial Recognition

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Authors: Oluyinka Ojedokun; Shyngle Kolawole Balogun

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediatory role of attitude towards littering in the relationship between self-monitoring and responsible environmental behaviour among a sample of residents of Ibadan city, Oyo State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect data from 1,360 participants using measures of self-monitoring, attitude towards littering and responsible environmental behaviour. Findings of the research are that there is a negative influence of self-monitoring on attitude towards littering, but no significant influence on responsible environmental behaviour; in addition, attitude towards littering had a negative influence on responsible environmental behaviour. Lastly, attitude towards littering can reinforce the part of influence of self-monitoring on individual responsible environmental behaviour. According to the findings, stakeholders in the urban environmental management should emphasize attitudinal change through cognitive intervention to encourage responsible environmental behaviour.

Keywords: Responsible environmental behaviour; Self-monitoring; Attitude towards littering; Ibadan metropolis; Nigeria

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