Incorporación de un aula virtual a un contexto de formación universitario: una perspectiva psicosocial

Tesis doctoral inédita leida en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Psicología, Departamento de Psicología Social y Metodología. Fecha de lectura: 24-09-200

The long way towards knowledge management

La capacidad de adaptación al cambio es esencial para la supervivencia de las organizaciones y el conocimiento, el elemento clave. Gestionar el conocimiento de la organización demanda modelos integradores que vayan más allá de proporcionar información a las personas. El primer paso es obtener la visión global del conocimiento de la compañía (Krogh, Nonaka y Aben, 2001), sólo entonces es posible determinar acciones para su creación y transferencia. Se presenta una revisión de publicaciones, desde los años 80, sobre Gestión de Conocimiento. Los resultados muestran un desfase entre la investigación aplicada, centrada en el desarrollo de herramientas para la gestión de conocimiento y la creación de modelos que sustenten conceptos y procesos. La inversión en recursos tecnológicos para la gestión de conocimiento ha dado lugar a resultados marginales que no aportan ventaja competitiva a las organizaciones. Problemas básicos como la medición del conocimiento organizacional y el contexto de la organización siguen sin resolverse. Se propone un ciclo de Gestión de Conocimiento que se inicia en el diagnóstico, con la creación del modelo de gestión ajustado a las necesidades y recursos de la compañía. La retroalimentación sobre los resultados cierra el ciclo del conocimiento.The ability of organizations to adapt to changes is critical for their survival. Knowledge is the key element. Managing organization knowledge requires comprehensive models going beyond providing people with information. A first step is to gain an overall view of company knowledge (Krogh, Nonaka and Aben, 2001). Then, it will be possible to determine which actions shall be taken in order to create and transfer knowledge. A review of literature on knowledge management since the eighties is carried out. An imbalance is revealed between applied research –focused on the development of knowledge management tools, and the making of models supporting concepts and processes. Investment in technological resources for knowledge management has led to marginal outcomes unable to contribute competitive advantage to organizations. Basic issues such as the measuring of organizational knowledge and the organizational environment have not been yet solved. A Knowledge Management Cycle is suggested, beginning by a diagnosis, with the creation of a management model fitted to company’s needs and resources. A result feedback closes the knowledge cycle

The present projects past behavior into the future while the past projects attitudes into the future: how verb tense moderates predictors of drinking intentions

Three studies examined how the use of the present versus the past tense in recalling a past experience influences behavioral intentions. Experiment 1 revealed a stronger influence of past behaviors on drinking intentionswhen participants self-reported an episode of excessive drinking using the present tense. Correspondingly, therewas a stronger influence of attitudes towards excessive drinking when participants self-reported the episode in the past tense. Experiments 2 and 3 liked this effect to changes in construal level (Liberman, Trope, & Stephan, 2007; Trope & Liberman, 2003), with the present tense being similar to a concrete construal level and the past tense being similar to an abstract construal level.This research was supported by grants from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PSI2008-04849 and Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad PSI2011-28720 and by grants from the National Institutes of Health (K02-MH01861 and R01-NR08325)

Cambios evolutivos (14–21 años) en los patrones de ingesta puntual de alcohol en exceso y en sus factores explicativos

In order to design prevention programs, it is important to understand the evolution of drinking behaviour patterns among adolescents and young people. The aim of this paper is to analyse the changes in these patterns based on age and their role in explaining this behaviour in the Theory of Planned Behaviour framework. We used 273 participants divided into three sub-samples (3rd and 4th ESO [Educación Secundaria Obligatoria, ‘Compulsory Secondary Education’] students and university students). For older ages, the frequency of binge drinking is higher and the attitudes were also more positive towards alcohol consumption. Structural equation analyses show that drinking behaviour is explained by a different model in each agegroup: in older groups, the role played by positive attitude and perceived control is more important than in the younger; by contrast, the influence of reference groups decreases with age. Results show significant differences between age groups regarding the reasons that young people report for engaging or not engaging in this behaviourConocer la evolución de los patrones de consumo de alcohol en adolescentes y jóvenes constituye una información relevante para el diseño de programas de prevención. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la evolución de dichos patrones en función de la edad y su papel para explicar dicho comportamiento en el marco de la Teoría de la Conducta Planeada. Trabajando con 273 participantes divididos en tres grupos (estudiantes de 3º de ESO, estudiantes de 4º de ESO y estudiantes universitarios), se constata un aumento con la edad de la frecuencia personal de consumo puntual de alcohol en exceso y una actitud más positiva hacia dicho consumo. Así mismo, los resultados obtenidos al aplicar análisis de ecuaciones estructurales muestran que este comportamiento es explicado por un modelo distinto en cada grupo de edad, de forma que a medida que aumenta la edad de los jóvenes, aumenta el papel de la actitud positiva hacia el comportamiento y del control percibido en la explicación del consumo, disminuyendo el peso de los grupos de referencia. Los resultados también muestran importantes diferencias entre los distintos grupos de edad respecto a los motivos que los jóvenes atribuyen a la realización y no realización de esta conductaEsta investigación ha sido financiada con el proyecto PSI2011-28720 del Ministerio español de Economía y Competitivida

Abstractness leads people to base their behavioral intentions on desired attitudes

People sometimes want attitudes that differ from the ones they currently possess. These desired attitudes appear to be psychologically meaningful, but little is known about the properties of these evaluations. Because desired attitudes are hypothetical constructs (i.e., attitudes that one does not yet possess) and are distant in time (i.e., attitudes one could have in the future), we argued, based on construal level theory, that they should be represented in a relatively abstract manner, and consequently, we examined the implications of this abstractness for the characteristics and impact of desired attitudes. Consistent with this, we demonstrate that people perceive desired attitudes as more invariant across time and context, that desired attitudes are less impacted by changes in low-level features related to the attitude object (Study 1a and 1b) and that desired attitudes have a greater impact on behavioral intentions when people are in an abstract rather than concrete mindset (Studies 2–3). Although we did not make specific predictions regarding actual attitudes, they better predicted behavioral intentions in the concrete mindset (Studies 2–3). This last result should be taken with caution, considering that the level of abstraction shown by actual attitudes in Study 1a was at or slightly above the midpoint of our abstraction indexThis work was supported by MINECO (PSI 2014-53321-P

La modalidad e-learning: elementos de un nuevo enfoque de enseñanza

When developing e-learning programs it is necessary to ensure -success by keeping a balance between three main elements: the platform, the contents and the infrastructure. For instance, a good platform with deficient contents renders the system inefficient. And vice versa, a difficult-to-use platform with great contents will make the system worthless. The purpose of this document is to establish the essential criteria to assess the functioning of a e-learning system. Moreover, several recommendations to improve the functionalities of a developing platform will be suggested.Para que haya una mínima garantía de éxito en el desarrollo de la enseñanza e-learning es necesario un cierto equilibrio de calidad entre los tres elementos en que se fundamenta esta modalidad de formación: la herramienta para la formación (la plataforma), los contenidos y la infraestructura necesaria. Una buena plataforma con contenidos deficientes convierten el sistema en ineficiente y, viceversa, magníficos contenidos en una plataforma inmanejable implica que el sistema adquiere la valoración del componente peor. Lo mismo podría decirse de la infraestructura de gestión ya que incide en el sistema de una manera trascendental. El objetivo de este documento es proporcionar una serie de criterios que consideramos esenciales al ahora de valorar el funcionamiento de una plataforma formativa. Además, se aportan una serie de recomendaciones básicas que podría ayudar a mejorar las funcionalidades de una plataforma en desarrollo

Cómo el tiempo verbal afecta a la interpretación de las acciones: el pasado simple conduce a las personas a un nivel de representación abstracto

Two experiments examined the influence of verb tense on how abstractly people construe action representations. Experiment 1 revealed that written descriptions of several daily events using the simple past tense (vs. simple present tense) resulted in actions and the action’s target being seen as less likely and less familiar, respectively. In Experiment 2 participants wrote about a personal episode of binge drinking (using the simple past tense vs. simple present tense), and the resulting narratives were coded using the Linguistic Category Model (see Semin & Fiedler, 1991). Results revealed that events were described at a more abstract level when texts were written using the simple past tense (vs. simple present tense). The results are discussed in the context of other effects of verb form and in relation to construal level of eventsDos experimentos examinan la influencia del tiempo verbal en el nivel de abstracción con el que las personas representan las acciones. El Experimento 1 mostró que descripciones escritas de eventos cotidianos utilizando el pasado simple indefinido (vs. presente simple) daba lugar a que las acciones descritas y los protagonistas de las mismas fueran evaluados como menos probables y menos familiares respectivamente. En el Experimento 2 los participantes escribieron sobre un episodio personal de borrachera (usando el tiempo verbal pasado simple vs. el tiempo verbal presente simple) y esas narraciones fueron analizadas utilizando el Modelo de Categorización Lingüística (LCM) (ver Semin & Fiedler, 1991). Los resultados mostraron que el episodio era descrito con mayor nivel de abstracción cuando las narraciones habían sido escritas utilizando el pasado simple indefinido (vs. presente simple). Los resultados son discutidos en el contexto de la influencia de otras formas verbales y en relación al nivel de constructo con el que se representan las accionesThis research was supported by grants from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (PSI 2011-28720) and by grants from the National Institutes of Health (K02-MH01861 and R01-NR08325

Using abstractness to confront challenges: How the abstract construal level increases people´s willingness to perform desirable but demanding actions

Previous research has shown that while considering future behavioral intentions, desirability is more salient in making decisions in an abstract mindset than in a concrete one. Based on this premise, we test whether behavioral intentions to engage in desirable but difficult actions are more likely in an abstract mindset than a concrete mindset. We experimentally manipulated (Studies 1 through 4 using cognitive primes) and measured as a personal disposition (Study 5 using the Behavioral Identification Form) the construal level to evaluate its influence on the willingness to perform challenges. The behaviors tested focused on self-benefits (Studies 4 and 5) and benefits to others (Studies 1 through 3 and 5). Studies 1 and 2 included only demanding behaviors, whereas Studies 3 through 5 included both difficult and easy conditions. In Studies 1 and 2, the participants were more motivated to attempt a difficult task when they were in an abstract mindset. In Studies 3 through 5, the participants in the abstract (compared to concrete) mindset reported a greater willingness and commitment to attempt desirable but demanding behaviors. Finally, in Study 5, the influence of the construal level on the global behavioral plan index (three behaviors) was moderated by feasibilityThis study was funded by FEDER , MINECO, MUNCYT (grants: PSI 2014-53321-P and PGC2018-093821-B-I00

Construal level as a moderator of the role of affective and cognitive attitudes in the prediction of health-risk behavioural intentions

In two preliminary control checks it was shown that affective attitudes presented greaterabstraction than cognitive attitudes. Three further studies explored how construal levelmoderated the role of affective and cognitive attitudes in predicting one health-promoting behaviour (exercising) and two risk behaviours (sleep debt and binge drinking). There was astronger influence of affective attitudes both when participants were in abstract (vs.concrete) mindsets induced by a priming task in Studies 1a and 1b, and when behaviouralintentions were formed for the distant (vs. near) future in Study 2. In the case of concretemindsets, the results were inconclusive; the interaction between construal level andcognitive attitudes was only marginally significant in Study 1b. The present researchsupports the assertion that in abstract mindsets (vs. concrete mindsets) people use moreaffective attitudes to construe their behavioural intentions. Practical implications forhealth promotion are discussed in the framework of construal-level theoryThis research was supported by grant PSI 2011-28720

The emotional experience and the prediction of risk behaviours

La capacidad predictiva de la teoría de la conducta planificada (TCP) (Ajzen y Madden, 1986) en una conducta de riesgo prototípica como es la relación sexual sin preservativo es moderada (Albarracín, Johnson, Fishbein y Muellerleile, 2001). En este trabajo hemos elegido la conducta de montar en un vehículo sabiendo que su conductor ha bebido alcohol en exceso, y a la TCP hemos añadido como predictor de la intención conductual la experiencia emocional que el sujeto informa haber experimentado cuando en el pasado inmediato realizó esta conducta. Nuestros resultados señalan la importancia de la experiencia emocional vivida en el pasado como predictor de las intenciones de repetir la conducta de riesgo en el futuro (R= 49.1%), siendo incluso las variables emocionales más relevantes que la actitud, que la norma social subjetiva y que el control percibidoThe predictive capacity of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) (Ajzen & Madden, 1986) in a prototypical risk behaviour such as unprotected sex has shown itself to be no more than moderate (Albarracín, Johnson, Fishbein & Muellerleile, 2001). In the present work we chose the behaviour of getting into a vehicle knowing that the driver has drunk excessive alcohol, and we took as predictors of behavioural intention, in addition to the TPB variables, the emotional experience reported by the subject on performing this behaviour in the recent past. Our results indicate the importance of considering people’s emotional experience in the past as predictor of intention to repeat the risk behaviour in the future (R2= 49%), the emotional variables being even more relevant than attitude, subjective social norm and perceived controlEste trabajo se ha financiado con el proyecto de investigación «Conductas de riesgo en la población juvenil: la situación social, emoción y cognición» (BSO 2000-0113