Reading a story. Different degrees of learning in different learning environments

he learning environment in which material is acquired may produce differences in delayed recall and in the elements that individuals focus on. These differences may appear even during development. In the present study, we compared three different learning environments in 450 normally developing 7-year-old children subdivided into three groups according to the type of learning environment. Specifically, children were asked to learn the same material shown in three different learning environments: reading illustrated books (TB); interacting with the same text displayed on a PC monitor and enriched with interactive activities (PC-IA); reading the same text on a PC monitor but not enriched with interactive narratives (PC-NoIA). Our results demonstrated that TB and PC-NoIA elicited better verbal memory recall. In contrast, PC-IA and PCNoIA produced higher scores for visuo-spatial memory, enhancing memory for spatial relations, positions and colors with respect to TB. Interestingly, only TB seemed to produce a deeper comprehension of the story's moral. Our results indicated that PC-IA offered a different type of learning that favored visual details. In this sense, interactive activities demonstrate certain limitations, probably due to information overabundance, emotional mobilization, emphasis on images and effort exerted in interactive activities. Thus, interactive activities, although entertaining, act as disruptive elements which interfere with verbal memory and deep moral comprehensio

Pierre Bourdieu Homo academicus

Nella Prefazione a Homo academicus si presenta l'opera del sociologo francese Pierre Bourdieu e la questione epistemologica che pone al centro della sua riflessione sul sistema accademico a cui egli stesso appartiene. L'università per Bourdieu è un struttura relazionale in cui i docenti si scontrano per trasformare o conservare i rapporti di potere

The gender pay gap in Italy. A multidimensional approach to gender discriminations

Although women are increasing in education and emplyment participation , the gender equality in pay is still a long way off. The paper deals with this topic and focuses on the case of Italy

The homuncular jigsaw: investigations of phantom limb and body awareness following brachial plexus block or avulsion

Many neuropsychological theories agree that the brain maintains a relatively persistent representation of one's own body, as indicated by vivid "phantom" experiences. It remains unclear how the loss of sensory and motor information contributes to the presence of this representation. Here, we focus on new empirical and theoretical evidence of phantom sensations following damage to or an anesthetic block of the brachial plexus. We suggest a crucial role of this structure in understanding the interaction between peripheral and central mechanisms in health and in pathology. Studies of brachial plexus function have shed new light on how neuroplasticity enables "somatotopic interferences", including pain and body awareness. Understanding the relations among clinical disorders, their neural substrate, and behavioral outcomes may enhance methods of sensory rehabilitation for phantom limbs

Recursive Least Squares Filtering Algorithms for On-Line Viscoelastic Characterization of Biosamples

The mechanical characterization of biological samples is a fundamental issue in biology and related fields, such as tissue and cell mechanics, regenerative medicine and diagnosis of diseases. In this paper, a novel approach for the identification of the stiffness and damping coefficients of biosamples is introduced. According to the proposed method, a MEMS-based microgripper in operational condition is used as a measurement tool. The mechanical model describing the dynamics of the gripper-sample system considers the pseudo-rigid body model for the microgripper, and the Kelvin–Voigt constitutive law of viscoelasticity for the sample. Then, two algorithms based on recursive least square (RLS) methods are implemented for the estimation of the mechanical coefficients, that are the forgetting factor based RLS and the normalised gradient based RLS algorithms. Numerical simulations are performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Results confirm the feasibility of the method that enables the ability to perform simultaneously two tasks: sample manipulation and parameters identification

A Relational Approach for the Understanding of the Hegemonic Masculinities. Insights from Pierre Bourdieu, Georg Simmel and Marianne Weber

This paper addresses the issue of relationality between man and woman and how this can undermine the forms of masculine hegemony in the society. Simmel’s relational approach, rooted in an essentialist vision of gender construction, and Bourdieu’s constructivist realism, seem not effective in questioning the gender relation in itself. Indeed, both are more concerned to how hegemony works in crystallizing gendered roles in the society and less on how this changes or can change. The binary scheme that informs Simmel’s and Bourdieu’s efforts in understanding power in gender relations is, 2 in line with Marianne Weber’s statement, the main obstacle that hides relations generative of social transformations. Nowadays the symbolic negotiations between the pluralities of gender configurations require a focus on the relationality and we share this analytical perspective. Indeed, it is from the point of view of the social construction of gender that it seems to be possible to approach the hegemonic masculinity and how it changes in different times and places

EMDR therapy for PTSD after motor vehicle accidents: meta-analytic evidence for specific treatment

Motor vehicle accident (MVA) victims may suffer both acute and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). With PTSD affecting social, interpersonal and occupational functioning, clinicians as well as the National Institute of Health are very interested in identifying the most effective psychological treatment to reduce PTSD. From research findings, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is considered as one of the effective treatment of PTSD. In this paper, we present the results of a meta-analysis of fMRI studies on PTSD after MVA through activation likelihood estimation. We found that PTSD following MVA is characterized by neural modifications in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a cerebral structure involved in fear-conditioning mechanisms. Basing on previous findings in both humans and animals, which demonstrate that desensitization techniques and extinction protocols act on the limbic system, the effectiveness of EMDR and of cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) may be related to the fact that during these therapies the ACC is stimulated by desensitization

Retrieval-induced forgetting as motivated cognition

Recalling information from a particular category can reduce one's memory capability for related, non-retrieved information. This is known as the retrieval-induced forgetting effect (RIF; Anderson et al., 1994). The present paper reviews studies that show that the RIF effect is motivated. More specifically, we describe research showing that the need for closure (NFC; the motivation to attain epistemic certainty; Kruglanski and Webster, 1996) generally enhances the RIF, because this prevents uncertainty and confusion from the intrusion of unwanted memories during selective-retrieval. However, when the content of the to-be-forgotten information serves the retriever's goals, NFC reduces RIF. Overall, the present findings are consistent with the view that motivation can affect the magnitude of RIF effects which, in turn, can serve as a mechanism for reaching preferred conclusion

La manipolazione mentale nei gruppi distruttivi

Scopo di questo lavoro è descrivere i meccanismi di manipolazione mentale utilizzati dai leader di gruppi distruttivi per sottomettere gli adepti e creare in loro uno stato permanente di dipendenza dal leader del gruppo. La motivazione che spinge i manipolatori è principalmente il potere e, attraverso il dominio, vengono soddisfatti anche obiettivi economici o sessuali. I manipolatori mentali si avvalgono di tecniche quali la persuasione, la suggestione e l’ipnosi per creare un canale di comunicazione privilegiato, all’interno di una relazione fortemente asimmetrica, che consenta al pensiero ed alle idee del leader di penetrare ed essere accolte con facilità nella mente degli adepti. In questo lavoro sono descritte le caratteristiche del leader, la personalità degli adepti, le tattiche di adescamento, le strategie per agire sugli stati di coscienza e sull’identità dei membri e gli indicatori rilevabili in persone manipolate. Al termine saranno effettuate alcune considerazioni su possibili azioni di prevenzione e cura. L’objectif de cet article est de décrire les mécanismes de manipulation mentale utilisés par les leaders des groupes destructifs pour soumettre les adeptes et pour créer chez eux un état permanent de dépendance. La motivation qui pousse les manipulateurs à agir est principalement le pouvoir et, par la domination, ils veulent réaliser des objectifs économiques et sexuels. Les manipulateurs mentaux se servent des techniques telles que la persuasion, la suggestion et l’hypnose pour créer un canal de communication privilégié, dans une relation fortement asymétrique, qui permet aux pensées du leader de pénétrer dans l’esprit des adeptes. Cet article décrit les caractéristiques du leader, la personnalité des adeptes, les stratégies de séduction, les tactiques pour agir sur les états de conscience et sur l’identité des membres ainsi que les indicateurs qu’on peut observer chez les personnes manipulées. Pour conclure, uméquelques considérations sont faites sur les actions de prévention et de traitement possibles des victimes. The aim of this paper is to describe the mechanisms of psychological manipulation used by leaders of destructive groups in order to submit adepts and create a permanent state of dependence from them. When members are captured in a destructive group, satanic or pseudo-religious sect, or psycho sects or similar groups, leaders will work on their minds in order to reduce their autonomy and their willing, so they can be totally subdued. The main motivation is power and, by power, leaders can also reach sexual and economic goals. Mental manipulators use techniques as persuasion, suggestion and hypnosis in order to create a facilitated channel of communication, in an asymmetric relation, that allows leader’s ideas to easily be accepted into adepts’ minds. This paper will describe leaders’ characteristics, adepts’ personality, enticement’s tactics, strategies to influence consciousness and identity of members, and indicators that can be observed in someone who are be manipulated. Finally, some consideration on operative implications and prevention strategies will be discussed

Developmental motor profile in preschool children with primary stereotypic movement disorder

Aim. Different neuropsychological dysfunctions have been described in children with primary Stereotypic Movement Disorder (SMD), mainly attention or motor coordination problems. Up to now with no study has evaluated psychomotor functions in preschoolers primary SMD. The aim of this observational study was to gather information on the motor profiles of SMD patients in this age range in comparison with typically developing children. Patients and Methods. Twenty-six children (four girls) aged 36 to 76 months (mean= 53 ±10) with primary SMD were assessed by a structured evaluation including the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition (MABC-2), the Beery-Buktenica Developmental test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI), the Repetitive Behaviour Scale-Revised (RBS-R), the Motor Severity Stereotypy Scale (MSSS), and the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL). The diagnoses of Intellectual Disability or Autism Spectrum Disorder were exclusion criteria from the study. A comparison group of twenty-seven (four girls) typically developing children without stereotypies aged 36 to 59 months (mean= 48 ±7) was also examined. Results. The MABC-2 total score was lower than 15th percentile in fifteen children with SMD (58%); the worst performances were observed in Balance and Manual Dexterity subtests. The motor coordination score of VMI was lower than 15th percentile in ten children (38%). The majority of the children with low scores at MABC-2 also had low scores at the motor coordination subscale of VMI. MABC-2 standard scores of the clinical group were significantly lower than those of controls on MABC-2 Total, Balance, and Ball Skills subtests. Conclusion. The finding of widespread dysfunction of gross and fine motor abilities in preschoolers with primary SMD seems to delineate a peculiar phenotype and could provide new approaches to the management of this neurodevelopment disorder