Formación de modelos mentales en la resolución de problemas de genética

From the perspective of the so-called «Psychology of Information Processing» we analyse the building of mental models through the resolution of problems in the field of classical genetics. This analysis is focused on the representation of the knowledge and the problems, as well as on the inference process, used by students while trying to find a solution. The methodology used in the research, of a causal-explanatory type, has finally rendered hypotheses on the general principles controlling the formation of mental representations and their redescription to develop more consistent and flexible models

J'Marcuse : La tarea intelectual de Herbert Marcuse ante la sociedad unidimensional

El propósito de la ponencia es reconstruir el vínculo entre el derrotero teórico de Herbert Marcuse y su diagnóstico de la sociedad norteamericana. Más específicamente, el objetivo es comprender las versiones contrastantes de Estados Unidos que conviven en la obra del autor a la luz de su preocupación por el papel de la teoría crítica en los procesos de transformación social. En primer término, se examina el lugar preponderante que ocupa Estados Unidos en el estudio de las sociedades industriales avanzadas emprendido por Marcuse en El hombre unidimensional. En esta sección, se presta particular atención al problema de la vigencia de la teoría crítica en el marco de una sociedad que, como la norteamericana, parece capaz de fagocitar las fuerzas tendientes al cambio social. En segundo término, la ponencia analiza cómo la irrupción de nuevas corrientes contestatarias en la escena cultural y política norteamericana modificó la visión de Marcuse sobre los Estados Unidos, así como las reformulaciones conceptuales implicadas en ese viraje. Para finalizar, la deriva intelectual y política de Marcuse por Estados Unidos se coteja con la de Theodor W. Adorno, propiciando una reflexión acerca de sus modos contrastantes de comprender y ejercer la teoría crític

Effectiveness of a computerized intervention in a child with ADHD

El Trastorno por Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad (TDAH) es uno de los problemas del comportamiento más prevalente en niños. En este estudio se evalúa una intervención dirigida a mejorar la inatención y la competencia lecto-escritora de un niño de 9 años con TDAH en presentación combinada. Para la evaluación se administró el test EMLE-TALE 2000, el EMAV y el test d2. Se aplicó el programa computerizado Fíjate y Concéntrate Más, que ha demostrado ser efectivo para mejorar la atención sostenida, la calidad atencional y la lectura y escritura en población infantil. Los resultados tras 20 sesiones semanales de intervención revelaron mejoras significativas en indicadores atencionales como la atención sostenida, la calidad atencional, la concentración y la efectividad, así como en los errores en tareas de dictado y copia y un aumento de la velocidad lectora. Los hallazgos obtenidos apoyan la necesidad de tratamientos integrales en el TDAH que se centren en aquellos ámbitos que el trastorno ha dañado en el niño.Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent behavioral problems in children. This study evaluates the effectiveness of an intervention to improve inattention and writing and reading competency in a 9-years-old child with ADHD using combined presentation. In the evaluation, EMLE-TALE 2000, EMAV and d2 tests were administered. The computerized program Fíjate y Concéntrate Más, which has shown its effectiveness for improving sustained attention, selective attention, writing and reading on children, was applied. Results after 20 weekly sessions of intervention revealed significant improvement in attentional indicators, such as sustained attention, selective attention, concentration and effectivity, as well, errors in dictation tasks and copy and increased reading speed. The findings support the need for comprehensive treatment for ADHD that focus on those areas damaged disorder in children

Estructura y libertad : Sobre las afinidades entre el Free Cinema y los Estudios Culturales

Esta ponencia se concentra en un análisis del Free Cinema, procurando identificar las modificaciones que introdujo en el proceso de producción cinematográfica, su dimensión política y su afinidad con la reformulación crítica del marxismo emprendida por la Escuela de Birmingham. El Free Cinema es una corriente cinematográfica surgida en Gran Bretaña a mediados de la década de 1950, cuyas intenciones originales fueron explicitadas a través de una serie de manifiestos que acompañaron las primeras proyecciones del grupo. El manifiesto, punto de encuentro de las pasiones políticas y los impulsos estéticos, constituye un corpus privilegiado para iniciar un estudio de la articulación entre ambas dimensiones que luego se concentrará en las producciones audiovisuales. En primera instancia, la ponencia da cuenta de las rupturas formales y temáticas que caracterizan la irrupción del Free Cinema dentro del cine británico. A continuación, explora particularmente las transformaciones que supuso en los modos de representar y relacionarse con la clase obrera. Nos interesa rastrear cómo se manifiesta, en ese vínculo, un conjunto de asociaciones valorativas ligadas a formas específicas de alineamiento y compromiso político que colocan al Free Cinema en las proximidades de los Estudios Culturale

Análisis de la resolución de problemas como estrategia de enseñanza de la biología

Solving-problems as a biology teaching strategy could make the process of comprehension easier and lead to the student's acquisition of knowledge. This paper analyses problem-solving as a basic element of the above strategy (method). For this reason it first proposes the definition of the terms «problem» and «problem-solving» inside practical teaching and secondly discusses the nature of solving as a method within the particular case of biology teaching-learning

Justicia organizacional en el sector servicios: El impacto de “peer justice” sobre el desempeño de la organización, la calidad percibida por los clientes y el bienestar de los empleados

The aim of this doctoral thesis is to examine the impact of peer justice—i.e., unit-level perceptions of the fairness with which coworkers generally treat one another—in service organizations. Five empirical studies were conducted to this end, using two samples from the health care industry, and controlling the effect of its counterpart, justice climate—i.e., unit-level perceptions of the fairness with which the unit is collectively treated by an authority figure. Sample 1 consisted of 79 supervisors, 532 employees, and 748 customers nested in 79 work units, whereas Sample 2 consisted of 692 employees nested in 111 work units. Study 1 tests the validity of peer justice and justice climate as second-order constructs. Study 2 tests a structural equation model in which peer justice and justice climate relate to unit-level performance, through the mediating role of service climate—a critical predictor of performance within service organizations. Study 3 tests a multilevel Justice-Quality model in which peer justice and justice climate relate to employees’ shared perceptions of service quality which, in turn, translate to customers’ perceptions of service quality and, finally, to customers’ quality of life. Study 4 tests the cross-level effect of peer justice on the core dimensions of burnout—emotional exhaustion and cynicism—, above and beyond the effect of justice climate. Study 5 tests the role of justice climate strength—i.e., degree of agreement among members of the same work unit on whether the unit has been treated fairly by the authority figures—as a moderator of the effect of justice climate on peer justice. Despite showing the importance of authority figures as sources of justice, the results of the five studies presented in this doctoral thesis indicate that this source is not sufficient to explain the effects of shared justice perceptions. Altogether, the results reported in this doctoral thesis provide evidence that support the positive impact of peer justice on service organizations. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.The aim of this doctoral thesis is to examine the impact of peer justice—i.e., unit-level perceptions of the fairness with which coworkers generally treat one another—in service organizations. Five empirical studies were conducted to this end, using two samples from the health care industry, and controlling the effect of its counterpart, justice climate—i.e., unit-level perceptions of the fairness with which the unit is collectively treated by an authority figure. Sample 1 consisted of 79 supervisors, 532 employees, and 748 customers nested in 79 work units, whereas Sample 2 consisted of 692 employees nested in 111 work units. Study 1 tests the validity of peer justice and justice climate as second-order constructs. Study 2 tests a structural equation model in which peer justice and justice climate relate to unit-level performance, through the mediating role of service climate—a critical predictor of performance within service organizations. Study 3 tests a multilevel Justice-Quality model in which peer justice and justice climate relate to employees’ shared perceptions of service quality which, in turn, translate to customers’ perceptions of service quality and, finally, to customers’ quality of life. Study 4 tests the cross-level effect of peer justice on the core dimensions of burnout—emotional exhaustion and cynicism—, above and beyond the effect of justice climate. Study 5 tests the role of justice climate strength—i.e., degree of agreement among members of the same work unit on whether the unit has been treated fairly by the authority figures—as a moderator of the effect of justice climate on peer justice. Despite showing the importance of authority figures as sources of justice, the results of the five studies presented in this doctoral thesis indicate that this source is not sufficient to explain the effects of shared justice perceptions. Altogether, the results reported in this doctoral thesis provide evidence that support the positive impact of peer justice on service organizations. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings

Cartografía corológica ibérica.

Sin resume

Validación de una escala de autoeficacia académica en universitarios chilenos

24 p.La Autoeficacia Académica (ASE) o aquellos juicios de los alumnos relativos a sus capacidades para completar con éxito sus tareas educativas, han mostrado de forma consistente ser una variable clave en el proceso educativo, debido a que influye en la motivación, aprendizaje y resultados de los estudiantes. El presente estudio describe un trabajo de validación para las escalas de ASE, la MSQL (Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire) con estudiantes universitarios en Chile. Las dimensiones que en la literatura demostraron mayor validez predictiva del Cuestionario de Estrategias Motivadas para el Aprendizaje (MSLQ) fueron traducidas, adaptadas y aplicadas a 341 estudiantes de ambos sexos de la universidad de Tarapacá. Los datos fueron analizados por medio del software SPSS 22 y Factor 10. Los resultados indican que las subescalas poseen adecuadas propiedades psicométricas, variando en su utilidad para predecir el rendimiento. El trabajo finaliza sugiriendo la eliminación de ítems con características psicométricas inadecuadas, ya que esto podría aumentar el apoyo a la estructura teórica de la escala y fortalecer la utilidad predictiva de sus subescalas. Palabras Clave: Traducción, Validez, Autoeficacia, MSQL, IPIP, Rendimiento, Universitarios./ABSTRACT:Academic Self-Efficacy, i.e., judgments of the students regarding their abilities to successfully complete their educational tasks, were consistently a key variable in the educational process, because it influences the motivation, learning and results of the students. The present study analyzes the psychometric properties of a self-efficacy scale, the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) with university students in Chile. Only the dimensions that reports in previous literature greater predictive validity indices of the MSLQ, were translated, adapted and applied to 341 students of both sexes of the University of Tarapacá. The data were analyzed by means of the SPSS 22 and Factor 10 software. The results showed adequate psychometric properties, varying in their power for predicting academic performance. The work ends by suggesting the elimination of items with inadequate psychometric indices, besides this could improve the construct and predictive validity for future research. Keywords: Translation, Validity, Self-efficacy, MSQL, IPIP, Performance, University

Aptitud viso-espacial en test dinámicos

Facultad de Psicología. Departamento de Psicología Biológica y de la Salud. Fecha de lectura: 14 de diciembre de 201

Do the sex differences play such an important role in explaining performance in spatial tasks?

Authors posting Accepted Author Manuscript online should later add a citation for the Published Journal Article indicating that the Article was subsequently published, and may mention the journal title provided they add the following text at the beginning of the document: “NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Personality and individual differences. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Personality and individual differences, [VOL#, ISSUE#, (DATE)] DOI#”The largest average sex differences in cognitive performance derives from spatial tasks (Voyer, Voyer, & Bryden, 1995). Analyses performed to date have not been able to satisfactorily explain this difference in performance. Frequently, the ‘‘sex’’ variable is considered a causal factor. However, ‘‘sex’’ is a broad category that entails so many confounding factors that it is nearly impossible to consider it as a causal factor. It would be more appropriate to consider the ‘‘sex’’ variable like a construct that requires the analysis of the test’s cognitive requirements. This research is aimed at explaining sex differences in spatial task performance in terms of sex differences in lower-level cognitive processes. In the task at hand (SODT, Spatial Orientation Dynamic Test) we identified three processes that can be evaluated independently: Mental Rotation (MR), Spatial Orientation (SO), and Time Management (TM). The correlation between these proceses was relatively low (.16 < r < .36). Together, the three variables explain a significant portion of the variance in performance (R2 = 0.871). The variable Gender, surprisingly, did not increase the percentage of explained variance. The results are discussed in relation to the objective of identifying the psychological variables that account for differences in spatial tasks due to sex of the sample.This work has been partially funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (Science & Technology State Department) (SEJ2007-64448/PSIC) and by the Scientific-Technical Collaboration Agreement AENA-UAM/785005