Unemployment Normalization in Different Economic Contexts

A recent strand of research has raised the question of whether a change is underway in the relationships that people have with work and nonwork. This body of work suggests that the manner in which people view unemployment and not working is changing. This chapter pursues and clarifies the first results of this research. The authors hypothesize a process of unemployment normalization, defined as the view that unemployment is a normal or even inevitable phase of life in a person’s career path and is the result of external circumstances rather than personal ones. This was tested with 600 unemployed people in two different economic contexts—France and Luxembourg—using a scale that revealed two latent factors: Justification for current unemployment situation and Perceived normality of unemployment. The findings reveal differences in the degree of normalization according to socioeconomic variables as well as an impact on the perceived health of the unemployed

Mediators’ Self-Perception of their Work and Practice: Content and Lexical Analysis

Mediation is increasingly used in various areas of society. Yet few studies have shed light on the unique work of mediators and their perception of the “mediator effect” on the process. The purpose of this qualitative study is to gather and compare mediators’ views about their work through feedback on their practices and to understand what they perceive as the bases for reaching a favorable outcome. This article presents the results of a content analysis of interviews with 13 mediators from different countries and cultures. The analysis grouped professional discourses into four areas: the process of the mediation meeting, mediation models and styles, mediator training, and family mediation. Each of these classes is broken down into sub-classes that describe the more salient elements of their perceived practice of mediation and self-efficacy. These results are then discussed regarding their application for the process and success of mediation

Alternative Object Use in Adults and Children: Embodied Cognitive Bases of Creativity

Why does one need creativity? On a personal level, improvisation with available resources is needed for online coping with unforeseen environmental stimuli when existing knowledge and apparent action strategies do not work. On a cultural level, the exploitation of existing cultural means and norms for the deliberate production of novel and valuable artifacts is a basis for cultural and technological development and extension of human action possibilities across various domains. It is less clear, however, how creativity develops and how exactly one arrives at generating new action possibilities and producing multiple alternative action strategies using familiar objects. In this theoretical paper, we first consider existing accounts of the creative process in the Alternative Uses Task and then present an alternative interpretation, drawing on sociocultural views and an embodied cognition approach. We explore similarities between the psychological processes underlying the generation of new uses in the Alternative Uses Task and children’s pretend play. We discuss possible cognitive mechanisms and speculate how the generation of new action possibilities for common objects in pretend play can be related to adults’ ability to generate new action strategies associated with object use. Implications for creativity development in humans and embodied artificial agents are discussed

From social robots to creative humans and back

The research on physically and socially situated artificial agents could complement and enrich computational models of creativity. This paper discusses six perspective lines of inquiry at the intersection of creativity and social robotics. It provides a description of ways in which the field of social robotics may influence (and be influenced by) creativity research in psychology and speculates how human-machine co-creation will affect the notions of both human and artificial creativity. By discussing potential research areas, the authors hope to outline an agenda for future collaboration between creativity scholars in psychology, social robotics, and computer science

The Role of Motivation and Self-regulation in Dropping Out of School

Dropping out of secondary education is a major problem in modern economies. Several explanations have been put forward, but not all have been systematically tested due to methodological and ethical problems. We compared two groups of pupils from the same secondary school classes. The groups were selected by teachers on the basis of their anticipated school outcomes (continuing school, n=585, versus dropping out, n=196). Motivational variables were intrinsic motivation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, external regulation, amotivation, academic self-efficacy and consistency of interest. Self-regulation variables were perseverance of effort, learning strategies and resistance to peer influence. All these dimensions were measured through shortened versions of validated scales. Statistical analyses showed that most, but not all of the tested dimensions were significantly different for both groups. Significant motivational variables were intrinsic motivation, introjected regulation, amotivation, and academic self-efficacy. Self-regulation variables that differentiated the two groups were perseverance of effort, and some learning strategies (elaboration, organisation, rehearsal, but not monitoring, planning and regulating) as well as resistance to peer influence. The factors which have been found are often cited, but in our study they are measured through a systematic design. While motivational factors are difficult to affect, self-regulatory skills could be taught and their systematic integration into school curricula could contribute to reducing dropout rates for students at risk

What Do They Want from a Career? University Students’ Future Career Expectations and Resources in a Health Crisis Context

Young people and students, in particular, have often been presented as being particularly affected by the health crisis and its various psychological, social, and economic consequences. In this context, the present study sought to better understand the links between the anxiety generated by this crisis regarding one’s professional future, the resources available, and future career expectations. A total of 585 higher education students participated in the study during the third lockdown in France and completed a questionnaire that focused on anxiety and apprehension about the future, psychological and adaptative resources, and preferences for dimensions of new careers (kaleidoscopic, sustainable, protean, boundaryless, and opportunistic). The results show, on the one hand, significant links between anxiety, optimism, hope, career adaptability and preferences expressed for dimensions of new careers; on the other hand, dimensions that are more preferred than others. Finally, these results will be discussed in relation to the correlations already highlighted in the literature between individuals and career expectations, and to the more global reflection on the future of work. Possible avenues in the field of career counselling will be proposed

A model of guidance and counselling for young people with few qualifications

The aim of the European Leonardo da Vinci project Acrojump is to create a web-based E-profile for young people aged 16-25, who have few qualifications, no diploma and limited professional experience. All relevant information about the past experience of these young people will be put online with the help of counsellors trained to elicit all pertinent facts that can be put into an electronic résumé (sports, participation in projects, field interventions, etc.). These details can represent different levels of competencies which may or may not tie to the professional domain

Mental health (GHQ12; CES-D) and attitudes towards the value of work among inmates of a semi-open prison and the long-term unemployed in Luxembourg

Aim: To analyse the relationships between mental health and employment commitment among prisoners and the long-term unemployed (LTU) trying to return to work. Method: Fifty-two of 62 male inmates of a semi-open prison (Givenich Penitentiary Centre, the only such unit in Luxembourg), and 69 LTU registered at the Luxembourg Employment Administration completed a questionnaire exploring: 1) mental health (measured by means of scales GHQ12 and CES-D); 2) employment commitment; 3) availability of a support network, selfesteem, empowerment; and 4) socio-demographic characteristics. Results: Compared with LTU, inmates were younger, more had work experience (54.9% vs 26.1%), and more were educated to only a low level (71.1% vs 58.0%). The link between employment commitment and mental health in the LTU was the opposite of that seen among the prisoners: the more significant the perceived importance of employment, the worse the mental health (GHQ12 p = 0.003; CES-D p < 0.001) of the LTU; in contrast, among prisoners, the GHQ12 showed that the greater the perceived value of work, the lower the psychic distress (p = 0.012). Greater empowerment was associated with less depression in both populations. The education levels of people who did not reach the end of secondary school, whether inmates or LTU, were negatively linked with their mental equilibrium. Conclusion: The two groups clearly need professional support. Future research should further investigate the link between different forms of professional help and mental health. Randomized controlled trials could be carried out in both groups, with interventions to improve work commitment for prisoners and to help with getting a job for LTU. For those LTU who value employment but cannot find it, the best help may be psychological support