Imitation vs.observational learning : a comparison from the perspective of behavior analysis and the social learning

Observational learning is one of the mechanisms of developmental change, and the skill of imitation is an important milestone in every child’s development. In order to explain imitation, cognitive psychologists turn to a covert, complex learning process, whereas behavior analysts point to the skill of generalized imitation, which is shaped during ontology, and to environmental contingencies which determine the occurrence of imitation. In case of therapy for children with developmental disabilities, if one intends to produce new teaching methods based on imitation or to optimize the existing ones, it is important to understand the mechanism underlying this way of learning. The present article will investigate imitation from the perspective of behavior analysis and the social learning theory. Not only does the former approach provide stronger empirical basis, but it also enables the design of more effective teaching methods based on imitation

Naśladowanie a uczenie się przez obserwację.Porównanie perspektywy analizy zachowania i teorii społecznego uczenia się

Observational learning is one of the mechanisms of developmental change, and the skill of imitation is an important milestone in every child’s development. In order to explain imitation, cognitive psychologists turn to a covert, complex learning process, whereas behavior analysts point to the skill of generalized imitation, which is shaped during ontology, and to environmental contingencies which determine the occurrence of imitation. In case of therapy for children with developmental disabilities, if one intends to produce new teaching methods based on imitation or to optimize the existing ones, it is important to understand the mechanism underlying this way of learning. The present article will investigate imitation from the perspective of behavior analysis and the social learning theory. Not only does the former approach provide stronger empirical basis, but it also enables the design of more effective teaching methods based on imitation.

The significant impact of age on the clinical outcomes of laparoscopic appendectomy : results from the Polish Laparoscopic Appendectomy multicenter large cohort study

Acute appendicitis (AA) is the most common surgical emergency and can occur at any age. Nearly all of the studies comparing outcomes of appendectomy between younger and older patients set cut-off point at 65 years. In this multicenter observational study, we aimed to compare laparoscopic appendectomy for AA in various groups of patients with particular interest in the elderly and very elderly in comparison to younger adults. Our multicenter observational study of 18 surgical units assessed the outcomes of 4618 laparoscopic appendectomies for AA. Patients were divided in 4 groups according to their age: Group 1- 8 days. Logistic regression models comparing perioperative results of each of the 3 oldest groups compared with the youngest one showed significant differences in odds ratios of symptoms lasting >48hours, presence of complicated appendicitis, perioperative morbidity, conversion rate, prolonged LOS (>8 days). The findings of this study confirm that the outcomes of laparoscopic approach to AA in different age groups are not the same regarding outcomes and the clinical picture. Older patients are at high risk both in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative period. The differences are visible already at the age of 40 years old. Since delayed diagnosis and postponed surgery result in the development of complicated appendicitis, more effort should be placed in improving treatment patterns for the elderly and their clinical outcome

Risk factors for serious morbidity, prolonged length of stay and hospital readmission after laparoscopic appendectomy : results from Pol-LA (Polish Laparoscopic Appendectomy) multicenter large cohort study

Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) for treatment of acute appendicitis has gained acceptance with its considerable benefits over open appendectomy. LA, however, can involve some adverse outcomes: morbidity, prolonged length of hospital stay (LOS) and hospital readmission. Identification of predictive factors may help to identify and tailor treatment for patients with higher risk of these adverse events. Our aim was to identify risk factors for serious morbidity, prolonged LOS and hospital readmission after LA. A database compiled information of patients admitted for acute appendicitis from eighteen Polish and German surgical centers. It included factors related to the patient characteristics, peri- and postoperative period. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors for serious perioperative complications, prolonged LOS, and hospital readmissions in acute appendicitis cases. 4618 laparoscopic appendectomy patients were included. First, although several risk factors for serious perioperative complications (C-D III-V) were found in the univariate analysis, in the multivariate model only the presence of intraoperative adverse events (OR 4.09, 95% CI 1.32-12.65, p = 0.014) and complicated appendicitis (OR 3.63, 95% CI 1.74-7.61, p = 0.001) was statistically significant. Second, prolonged LOS was associated with the presence of complicated appendicitis (OR 2.8, 95%CI: 1.53-5.12, p = 0.001), postoperative morbidity (OR 5.01, 95% CI: 2.33-10.75, p < 0.001), conversions (OR 6.48, 95% CI: 3.48-12.08, p < 0.001) and reinterventions after primary procedure (OR 8.79, 95% CI: 3.2-24.14, p < 0.001) in the multivariate model. Third, although several risk factors for hospital readmissions were found in univariate analysis, in the multivariate model only the presence of postoperative complications (OR 10.33, 95% CI: 4.27-25.00), reintervention after primary procedure (OR 5.62, 95% CI: 2.17-14.54), and LA performed by resident (OR 1.96, 95%CI: 1.03-3.70) remained significant. Laparoscopic appendectomy is a safe procedure associated with low rates of complications, prolonged LOS, and readmissions. Risk factors for these adverse events include complicated appendicitis, postoperative morbidity, conversion, and re-intervention after the primary procedure. Any occurrence of these factors during treatment should alert the healthcare team to identify the patients that require more customized treatment to minimize the risk for adverse outcomes

Quality of life in childhood epilepsy with lateralized epileptogenic foci

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Measuring quality of life (QOL) helps to delineate mechanisms underlying the interaction of disease and psychosocial factors. In adults, epileptic foci in the left temporal lobe led to lower QOL and higher depression and anxiety as compared to the right-sided foci. No study addressed the development of QOL disturbances depending on the lateralization of epileptogenic focus. The objective of our study was to examine QOL in children with lateralized epileptiform discharges.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirty-one parents of children with epilepsy filled the Health-Related Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire (QOLCE). Fifteen children had foci in the left hemisphere and sixteen in the right, as verified with Electroencephalography (EEG) examinations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found a significant correlation between foci lateralization and reduced QOL (Spearman's rho = 0.361, p < 0.046). Children with right hemispheric foci exhibited lower overall QOL, particularly in five areas: anxiety, social-activities, stigma, general-health, and quality-of-life.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We demonstrated for the first time that in children left- and right-hemispheric foci were associated with discordant QOL scores. Unlike in adults, foci in the right hemisphere led to worse emotional and social functioning demonstrating that seizures impact the brain differentially during development.</p

Intensity of fear of crime and its conditioning factors

Criminological analyses of fear of crime conducted to date have lead to formulating many various ways of defining this phenomenon and to concepts explaining its intensity and diversity. This article assumes that the most effective definition (by Sandra Walklate) is that fear of crime is partly rational and partly irrational state of anxiety or fear caused by belief that the individual is at risk of becoming a crime victim. Basic hypotheses regarding factors influencing level of fear concern such aspects as: victimization experiences and objective crime risk level; socio-demographic characteristics of individuals and psychological features which define their sensitivity to dangers and risks, features of environment where an individual lives, and in particular manifestations of social disorganization, size of local population, and presence of social ties, mutual trust, common goals and values among local residents; actions of persecution organs and the justice system and their social perception; macro-social factors (such as quality of social security) as well as media reports and politicians’ actions. Multi-dimensional models of fear of crime constructed by researchers integrate these hypotheses into complex system which offer much more explaining power and possibility of presentation of relations between particular variables in question. The conducted research presented in the article aimed to present the level of crime fear perceived in Poland and other European countries as well as to find social, demographic, and macro-social factors conditioning that fear. The research was based on secondary data analysis from several editions of International Victimisation Studies, Polish Crime Study, and last issue of European Social Survey. Analysis of the crime level in Poland revealed there has been a definite, almost twofold, decrease of percentage of persons declaring such fear during the past 20 years. In the beginning of 21st century, Poles perceived above-European average fear of crime. In 2010 it was lower than in most European countries. As a result of conducted two-dimensional analyses, it was established that crucial factors influencing perceived lack of security contributed to the following hypotheses: victimization, sensitivity to risks, disorganization and urbanization and those focusing on the action of prosecution and macro-social characteristics of inhabited locations. Used techniques of classification tree allowed for initial examination of joint influence of particular independent and dependent variables as well as for separation of many interesting groups of respondents regarding frequency of occurrence of fear of crime. Above-average fear of crime was characteristic of women from middle-sized and big cities who had been victims of crime against property and of men who had been victims of crime against property or as-sault and lived in areas where unemployment was below average

Justice statistics in the public service. Courts efciency and public criminology

How criminological are statistics of justice? How useful are courts efficiency data? How the public and public administration uses abuses this data? Paper is focused on the problems of collecting, processing and presenting statistical data on justice system for the purposes of the system itself, as well as for criminology. It considers five issues: public criminology and public statistics, so called standard criminological statistics, such as recorded crime, suspect, convict- ed, penalties, penal measures, prisoners etc., Polish Ministry of Justice statistics (if they are criminological or not or which of them could be interesting for criminologists) and results of current research of Economic Analysis of Justice Unit in Polish Institute of Justice. It was inter- esting how official statistics concerning courts efficiency are used and maybe abused in public debates, in criminology, criminal policy, and public media.Czy statystyki wymiaru sprawiedliwości to statystyki kryminologiczne? Na ile przydatne mogą być dane statystyczne dotyczące efektywności sądów? W jaki sposób mogą być one wykorzystane przez administrację publiczną, opinię publiczną i/lub kryminologię publiczną? Artykuł koncentruje się na problemie gromadzenia, przetwarzania i prezentacji danych statystycznych dotyczących wymiaru sprawiedliwości dla celów samego systemu, a także dla kryminologii Omawia on pokrótce pięć kwestii: nurt kryminologii publicznej i tak zwane standardowe statystyki kryminologiczne, dotyczące m.in. zarejestrowanych przestępstw, podejrzanych, skazanych, kar, więźniów, itp., statystyki Ministerstwa Sprawiedliwości oraz wybrane wyniki najnowszych badań Sekcji Analiz Ekonomicznych Wymiaru Sprawiedliwości Instytutu Wymiaru Sprawiedliwości. Szczególnym przedmiotem zainteresowania pozostają możliwości i sposoby wykorzystania statystyk sądowych w kryminologii i polityce kryminalnej oraz debacie publicznej i mediach

Przemiany przestępstwa niealimentacji w Polsce

How can the courts ensure someone pays maintenance? What is a sufficient and just reaction to avoiding these obligations? Non-payment of maintenance is an offence in most, but not all, European countries. Due to an amendment in the Polish Penal Code of 23 March 2017, the scope of the criminalisation of this offence in Poland expanded significantly. This paper presents a statistical analysis on this specific type of crime 30 years before and 30 years after the socio-political transformation in Poland and discusses the methods and purpose of criminal justice responses to this issue.  How can the courts ensure someone pays maintenance? What is a sufficient and just reaction to avoiding these obligations? Non-payment of maintenance is an offence in most, but not all, European countries. Due to an amendment in the Polish Penal Code of 23 March 2017, the scope of the criminalisation of this offence in Poland expanded significantly. This paper presents a statistical analysis on this specific type of crime 30 years before and 30 years after the socio-political transformation in Poland and discusses the methods and purpose of criminal justice responses to this issue.   Jak skłonić osobę zobowiązaną do płacenia alimentów, aby wypełniała ten obowiązek? Jaka jest wystarczająca i sprawiedliwa reakcja na unikanie tych zobowiązań? Niepłacenie alimentów jest przestępstwem w większości, ale nie we wszystkich krajach europejskich. W związku z nowelizacją polskiego Kodeksu karnego z 23 marca 2017 r. zakres kryminalizacji tego przestępstwa w Polsce znacznie się rozszerzył. W artykule przedstawiono wyniki analiz poświęconych przestępstwu niealimentacji z okresu 30 lat przed i 30 lat po transformacji ustrojowej w Polsce oraz poddano dyskusji sposoby reakcji wymiaru sprawiedliwości na to zjawisko.

Bezpośrednio, telefonicznie czy internetowo? Efekt techniki w badaniach wiktymizacyjnych

Badania wiktymizacyjne stanowią w kryminologii jedno z głównych źródeł rzetelnych danych ilościowych o rozmiarach wiktymizacji, poziomie lęku przed przestępczością i społecznych ocenach organów ścigania i wymiaru sprawiedliwości. Badania te realizowane mogą być przy wykorzystaniu różnych technik badawczych, które z kolei mogą być obarczone różnego rodzaju błędami.W artykule omówiono podstawowe rodzaje technik prowadzenia badań wiktymizacyjnych oraz rodzaje błędów związanych z realizacją badań sondażowych. Opisano szczególne problemy, jakie może nieść za sobą wykorzystanie dwóch, alternatywnych do wywiadu bezpośredniego (PAPI lub CAPI), sposobów prowadzenia badań wiktymizacyjnych, czyli sondaży telefonicznych (CATI) i kwestionariuszy internetowych (CAWI)