Doing Your Best when Stakes are High? Theory and Experimental Evidence

Achieving an ambitious goal frequently requires succeeding in a sequence of intermediary tasks, some being critical for the final outcome, and others not. Individuals are not always able to provide a level of effort sufficient to guarantee success in all the intermediary tasks. The ability to manage effort throughout the sequence of tasks is therefore critical. In this paper we propose a criterion that defines the importance of a task and that identifies how an individual should optimally allocate a limited stock of exhaustible efforts over tasks. We test this importance criterion in a laboratory experiment that reproduces the main features of a tennis match. We show that our importance criterion is able to predict the individuals' performance and it outperforms the Morris importance criterion that defines the importance of a point in terms of its impact on the probability to achieve the final outcome. We also find no evidence of choking under pressure and stress, as proxied by electrophysiological measures

Nonlinear properties of RTP for second harmonic generation at 1030nm (orale)

International audienceWe demonstrate that around 1030 nm, RbTiOPO4 (RTP) realizes the second harmonic generation of Yb-doped lasers in non-critically phase-matched configuration at ambient temperature, with efficiencies comparable to LBO and wide thermal acceptanc

Psychiatric trainees as second victims after exposure to patient suicide: a French qualitative study

BackgroundThe exposure to patient suicide (PS) has been identified as one of the most frequent and troubling professional experience for psychiatric trainees. Further studies are needed to better understand how residents cope with these experiences and the association between perceived support and the impacts of PS.MethodIn this qualitative study, we aimed to assess the impact of exposure to PS during psychiatric residency on trainees’ professional career and practical experience. A total of 19 French psychiatric residents participated in 4 focus-groups performed between November 2017 and May 2019.ResultsA total of 4 thematic clusters were identified through a five-step content analysis, namely: (a) reactions to the exposure; (b) coping strategies; (c) professional impact; and (d) prevention and postvention proposals. All participants described the critical impact of the support provided after PS, especially by their senior staff. Those who felt supported by their superior reported less negative impact, both in emotional and professional dimensions. Participants also shared proposals to improve the prevention and postvention issues related to the exposure to PS.ConclusionWe performed the first qualitative study based on focus groups on the impact of PS on psychiatric residents, which allowed for an in-depth understanding of the participants’ lived experiences of the exposure to PS. The narratives inform the need and means to implement prevention and postvention strategies designed to buffer the negative impact of the exposure to PS in psychiatric trainees

Les congés de formation-conversion et la gestion des mobilités : une étude de cas dans la sidérurgie

Marie-Claire Villeval and Philippe Méhaut, Der Bildungs- um Umschulungsurlaub und die Mobilitätsführung : eine Fallstudie in der Stahlindustrie. Der Umschulungsurlaub, Gegenstand einer neueren und starken institutionellen Investition, ist anfänglich in der Stahlindustrie und die bestimmten Automobilfirmen durchgeführt worden. Allgemein wurde vorgesehen. dass er an Stelle anderer Formen von Beschäftigungsabbau treten sollten, besonders der Altersmassnahmen. Sie bilden tatsächlich doch eine zusätzlichen Modalität in der Bandbreite von sozialen Lösungen für Entlassungen. Ausgehend von einer monographichen Studie über die Schliessung einer von über 4000 Arbeitnehmer Firme der Stahlindustrie, überprüft dieser Artikel aus welchen Gründen institutionelle und produktive Kennzeichen. Verhandlung mit den Sozialpartnern -. der Bildungs- und Umschulungsurlaub nur als alerletzte Phase des Schliessungsprozesses, nach Ausschôp- fung der anderen Formen von sozialer Lôsung durchgefûhrt wird. Er untersucht die Widerspriiche zwischen Streben nach erneuter Qualifikation durch Ausbildung - was einen bestimmten Fort- bestand der Beziehung zu Arbeit voraussetzt - und dem eigentli- chen Ziel dieses Urlaubs - was einen Bruch mit der vormaligen beruflichen Sozialisation bedeutet. Die Studie der hauptsachlichen Kennzeichen der Allgemeinheit der Betroffenen und der Durchfùhrung des Urlaubs, beschreibt einer selektiver Zugang und differenzierte Bildungswege. Darin besteht die Wirkung des Zusammenfalls der Unternehmens- praktiken und der Erziehungs- und Berufswegen der Arbeitnehmer. Wenn der Bildungsurlaub fur bestimmte Arbeitnehmergruppen Bestandteil des beruflichen Ubergangs ist - und aus diesem Grunde im Rahmen der Débatte und der Mittel zur Flexibilität steht - erscheint er doch mehr als ein gemeinsammes Produkt des Staates und der Industriebranchen, die die Arbeitskräfte bei Seite Stellen, als ein Bestandteil der Neustrukturierung der Qualifikation fur einen Zugang zu vorher definierten Arbeitsplätzen.Marie-Claire Villeval and Philippe Méhaut, Training and re-training leave and management of mobility : a case study in the steel industry. Retraining leave, which have been the subject of recent heavy institutional investment, appeared initially in the steel industry and in certain car manufacturing firms. Although it was intended as a substitute for other types of job reduction, especially for age provisions, it is in fact an additional means forming part of the range of provisions for the social treatment of dismissal. Based on the monographic study of the closure of a steelworks employing over 4.000 people, the article examines the reasons (institutional and productive characteristics, negotiation between social partners) why training and re-training leave appears only as the final phase of the closure process, after the exhaustion of other forms of social treatment. It studies the contradictions between the ambition to requalify via training (which assumes a certain continuity in the relationship with employment) and the actual aim of training leave - a break with former types of professional socialization. A study of the main features of the people involved and of the implementation of leave reveals selective access and differentiated training pathways. This should be seen as the joint effect of company policy and of the employees" educational and professional pathways. Although this leave forms part of the professional transition of certain categories of salaried workers - and can therefore be included among the debates and tools concerned with flexibility - it nevertheless appears rather as a joint product of the state and branches concerned with labour than as an element in reshaping skills for access to previously-defined jobs.Objets d'un récent et fort investissement institutionnel, les congés de conversion sont apparus initialement dans la sidérurgie et dans certaines firmes de l'automobile. Censés se substituer à d'autres formules de réduction d'emploi, et plus particulièrement aux mesures d'âge, ils constituent en réalité une modalité additionnelle dans la panoplie des mesures de traitement social des licenciements. S'appuyant sur l'étude monographique du processus de fermeture d'une usine sidérurgique de plus de 4 000 salariés, l'article examine pour quelles raisons - caractéristiques institutionnelles et productives, négociations entre les partenaires sociaux - les congés de formation-conversion n'interviennent que comme phase ultime du processus de fermeture, après épuisement des autres formes de traitement social. Il étudie les contradictions entre l'ambition de « requalification » par la formation - qui suppose une certaine continuité du rapport à l'emploi - et l'objectif même des congés - la cassure des anciennes socialisations professionnelles. L'étude des principales caractéristiques du public, et de la mise en œuvre des congés, révèle un accès sélectif et des trajectoires de formation différenciées. Il faut y voir l'effet de la conjonction des pratiques de l'entreprise et des trajectoires éducatives et professionnelles des salariés. Si les congés participent de la transition professionnelle pour certaines fractions de salariés - et s'inscrivent à ce titre dans les débats et les instruments de la flexibilité - ils apparaissent cependant plus comme un produit conjoint de l'État et des branches rejetant de la main-d'œuvre que comme un élément de reconfiguration de la qualification pour l'accès à des emplois préalablement définis.Villeval Marie-Claire, Méhaut Philippe. Les congés de formation-conversion et la gestion des mobilités : une étude de cas dans la sidérurgie. In: Formation Emploi. N.16, 1986. La formation continue et l'entreprise, sous la direction de Jean-François Germe . pp. 59-69

Doing Your Best when Stakes are High? Theory and Experimental Evidence

Achieving an ambitious goal frequently requires succeeding in a sequence of intermediary tasks, some being critical for the final outcome, and others not. Individuals are not always able to provide a level of effort sufficient to guarantee success in all the intermediary tasks. The ability to manage effort throughout the sequence of tasks is therefore critical. In this paper we propose a criterion that defines the importance of a task and that identifies how an individual should optimally allocate a limited stock of exhaustible efforts over tasks. We test this importance criterion in a laboratory experiment that reproduces the main features of a tennis match. We show that our importance criterion is able to predict the individuals' performance and it outperforms the Morris importance criterion that defines the importance of a point in terms of its impact on the probability to achieve the final outcome. We also find no evidence of choking under pressure and stress, as proxied by electrophysiological measures

Always doing your best? Effort and performance in dynamic settings

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Always doing your best? Effort and performance in dynamic settings

Achieving an ambitious goal frequently requires succeeding in a sequence of intermediate tasks, some being critical for the final outcome, and others not. However, individuals are not always able to provide a level of effort sufficient to guarantee success in all such intermediate tasks. The ability to manage effort throughout the sequence of tasks is therefore critical when resources are limited. In this paper we propose a criterion that defines the importance of a task and identifies how an individual should optimally allocate a limited stock of exhaustible efforts over tasks. We test this importance criterion in a laboratory experiment that reproduces the main features of a tennis match. We show that our importance criterion is able to predict the individuals’ performance and it outperforms the Morris importance criterion that defines the importance of a point in terms of its impact on the probability of achieving the final outcome. We also find no evidence of choking under pressure and stress, as proxied by electrophysiological measures

Mechanical phase matching of birefringent non-linear crystals

International audienceSecond-order nonlinear processes such as second harmonic generation or parametric amplification have found numerous applications in the scientific and industrial world, from micromachining to petawatt laser facilities. These nonlinear interactions are mostly carried out in birefringent crystals because of their low cost and the possibility to operate at high powers Phase-matching configurations in birefringent crystals are determined by their refractive indexes. Here, we show that an important mechanical stress can be used to significantly change the phase-matching properties of a birefringent crystal. As an example, we demonstrate the shift of second harmonic non-critical phase matching wavelength of LiB3O5 (LBO) crystal at room temperature from 1200 nm to 1120 nm by applying compressive forces up to 100 MPa. We believe that this mechanical phase matching can be used as an additional degree of freedom to optimize nonlinear optical frequency mixing geometries

Potential of RbTiOPO4 for second harmonic generation of Yb-based lasers (poster)

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