Escalas y medición de magnitudes no-métricas

La práctica de la medición mediante el uso de instrumentos alcanza en primera instancia a diversos aspectos del dominio físico y tardíamente se extiende al área de la investigación social, como secuela del interés por medir magnitudes no métricas del tipo de la inteligencia, las sensaciones, las actitudes, las opiniones En la presente contribución planeo discutir el sentido y alcance de la medición derivada del uso de escalas en la teorización psicosocial, recurriendo para ello a un análisis centrado en las escalas Likert

"Hay conjuntos y conjuntos"

La concepción estructural se inscribe en la tradición semanticista, a. pesar de los escrúpulos y objeciones que esta inclusión suscita en Snppe. Los reparos que este autor opone en The Semantic Conception of Theories and Screntific Realism (1989) refieren al hecho dicho que Sneed emplea reglas de correspondencia. Razón suficiente para excluir al estructuralismo de la Concepción Semántica es -a juicio de Suppe- que " ... el análisis de Sneed retiene ciertas reglas de correspondencia explicitas en la forma de oraciones de Ramsey" (íd., p. 19)

Un "colectivo de pensamiento" no estable

El estudio y reconstrucción de la teoría de La personalidad autoritaria - que Adorno y colaboradores produjeran en la década del cuarenta y cristalizara en la publicación (en su versión inglesa) de la obra homónima en 1950 - condujo a la revisión del concepto estructuralista de generación científica y a la definición del que sería en principio un nuevo concepto pragmático: el de intergeneración (ej. Sota y Horenstein, 2002)

Assessing Participant Group Affiliation and Attitudes Towards CTSI Services

Analyzing open-ended survey text responses holds the capacity to yield greater insight about participants’ perceptions of clinical translational science institute (CTSI) initiatives. Few translational research studies have explored their effectiveness. The aim of this mixed methods analysis was to assess participant perspectives of the impact and effectiveness of our CTSI program and services. We selected two open-ended survey question items (how CTSI benefitted research, and the most important impact of the research facilitated by the CTSI) from a larger set and compared responses by participant affiliations (clinical/non-clinical; lab/non-lab). We used a three-step analysis. First, nodes were generated using NVivo word frequency function. Next, with the aid of Python, we used sentiment analysis to classify each node (as positive, negative, or neutral) to indicate participant ratings toward their experiences with the CTSI and computed the average differences between groups. Third, we selected nodes that met pre-established criteria and report the qualitative distinctions. We recommend using precisely worded open-ended questions in future annual surveys or administering a survey using only opened-ended questions every six months

Teaching Critical Thinking Skills In Higher Education: A Review Of The Literature

The authors reviewed 42 empirical studies of teaching of critical thinking skills in postsecondary education published between 1994 and 2009. The instructional intervention, test measure, and research design of the studies were analyzed. Study results suggest that: (1) the same instructional interventions can lead to different results, depending on the intervention’s implementation; (2) qualitative data can inform researchers about intervention effects that are not easily captured by quantitative instruments; and (3) most studies reviewed are subject to limitations in research design, sample size, or sample representativeness. The following recommendations are made: (1) statistical significance should not be the only criterion for instructors to consider when choosing new teaching methods; (2) multiple test measures, including quantitative and qualitative, should be used to assess changes in students’ critical thinking skills; (3) future research should properly address internal validity threats, e.g. by adopting at least a quasi-experimental design, in order to establish causal relationship between intervention and changes in students’ critical thinking skills

Enhancing Cultural Competence Among Dental Students Through Active Teaching and Experiential Learning

Dental schools are required to utilize teaching practices that increase students’ culture competence and ensure their ability to deliver equitable oral care. This study explored the impact of active teaching, an approach that offered comprehensive engagement and experiential learning. Students participated in small group activities, conducted interviews and developed reflective writings. A QUAN→qual sequential mixed method was used to analyze their reflective writings. Quantitative results indicated that students’ cultural competence was significantly enhanced. Qualitative findings showed that students recognized their unconscious biases and reported an increase of cultural competence. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of experiential learning, particularly the addition of small group discussions, in instruction aimed at enhancing cultural competence among 84 first year pre-doctoral dental students

From Contemplation to Action: Mechanisms of Change in the Mentoring Academy

Mentoring is fundamental to the professional development of research scientists in academic health centers (AHC). Qualified mentors can support the development of competencies considered most significant in training research scientists. Yet AHC faculty may have little preparation in and knowledge of how to mentor. Emerging AHC mentor academies provide educational environments whereby faculty can learn the art and practice of mentoring. However, little is known about their effectiveness. Using the Transtheoretical Change Model (TTM), this study explored how 23 mentors used newly learned information to change their communication styles and develop shared expectations with mentees. Based on an inductive analysis of 46 reflective writing assignments, the results showed that the mentor academy enabled progress through the stages of contemplation and preparation, however, mentors rarely implemented new knowledge to make changes in their approach to mentoring. The authors suggest instructional strategies that will promote actionable change and accountability for implementation

What Open-Ended Comments Reveal: An Analysis of a Clinical Translational Science Institute’s Annual Surveys

Analyzing open-ended responses can provide insight regarding participants’ experiences or illuminate organizational issues. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively analyze 1096 open-ended responses to a longitudinal survey and report patterns observed across participants. Word frequency, text search and matrix coding were used to analyze the data. Thematic differences were noted by the college group denoting the participant’s primary appointment. Although perceived gaps between expectations and service delivery were expected, participants’ statements pointed out informational inaccuracies or an absence of awareness. The inherent richness and insight of the analysis yielded complexities, otherwise not discernable using quantitative analyses. The authors offer suggestions for improving the university clinical translational science institute’s delivery of biomedical research services

¿Puede hablarse de acumulación y progreso en las ciencias sociales?

No es inusual la opinión de que el conocimie1úo científico-social se caracteriza por una proliferación teórica que conspira contra toda posibilidad de afirmar que, en ese campo, se da alguna clase de progreso. Mucho pesa en este tipo de evaluación la renuencia de los teóricos a reconocer explícitamente influencias de otros investigadores en sus propias construcciones y desarrollos, así como la vigencia de una concepción de progreso cuya necesidad y pertinencia se pretende examinar en el presente trabajo. La presentación se articula a partir de la consideración de la que podría denominarse concepción dominante del progreso científico entre quienes estudian las teorías sociales desde un metanivel. Para ello se discutirán las posiciones sustentadas por Agnes Heller y Michel Foucault v se las contrastará con las nociones de progreso y acumulación emergentes de un análisis estructural, con especial alusión a los conceptos de red teórica y de holán teórico

Necesidad y contingencia en algunas tesis del siglo XIX

Hemos formulado la oposición determinismo/indeterminismo a partir de la idea de que, o bien todo cambio obedece a un cambio anterior, estando todo el proceso regulado por una ley causal necesaria, o bien los cambios son absolutamente contingentes, es decir, los acontecimientos del universo no están predeterminados y la contextualizamos en el siglo XIX. En el primer caso todo acontecimiento puede ser retrodicho o predicho a partir del análisis del estado actual del mundo pues rige la doctrina de la necesidad -característica, por otra parte de un mundo aferrado a la causalidad universal. La derogación de la doctrina de la necesidad -el indeterminismo- nos pone frente a un mundo plural en el que la historia ya no puede ser ni es lineal, donde lo que hallamos son puras alternativas ónticas