Access to multiliteracies: A critical ethnography

This paper reports the key findings of a critical ethnography, which documented the enactment of the multiliteracies pedagogy in an Australian elementary school classroom. The multiliteracies pedagogy of the New London Group is a response to the emergence of multimodal literacies in contemporary contexts of increased cultural and linguistic diversity. Giddens' structuration theory was applied to the analysis of systems relations. The key finding was that students, who were culturally and linguistically diverse, had differential access to multiliteracies. Existing degrees of access were reproduced among the student cohort, based on the learners' relation to the dominant culture. Specifically, students from Anglo-Australian, middle-class backgrounds had greater access to transformed designing than those who were culturally or socio-economically marginalized. These experiences were influenced by the agency of individuals who were both enabled and constrained by structures of power within the school and the wider educational and social systems

Anxiety from a Phylogenetic Perspective: Is there a Qualitative Difference between Human and Animal Anxiety?

A phylogenetic approach to anxiety is proposed. The different facets of human anxiety and their presence at different levels of the phylum are examined. All organisms, including unicellular such as protozoan, can display a specific reaction to danger. The mechanisms enabling the appraisal of harmful stimuli are fully present in insects. In higher invertebrates, fear is associated with a specific physiological response. In mammals, anxiety is accompanied by specific cognitive responses. The expression of emotions diversifies in higher vertebrates, only primates displaying facial expressions. Finally, autonoetic consciousness, a feature essential for human anxiety, appears only in great apes. This evolutive feature parallels the progress in the complexity of the logistic systems supporting it (e.g., the vegetative and central nervous systems). The ability to assess one's coping potential, the diversification of the anxiety responses, and autonoetic consciousness seem relevant markers in a phylogenetic perspective

Commentary on: Are we overpathologizing everyday life? A tenable blueprint for behavioral addiction research : Can the emerging domain of behavioral addictions bring a new reflection for the field of addictions, by stressing the issue of the context of addiction development?

Background This paper is a commentary to the article entitled: “Are we overpathologizing everyday life? A tenable blueprint for behavioral addiction research”, by Billieux, Schimmenti, Khazaal, Maurage and Heeren (2015). Methods and Aims In this manuscript, we commented on two aspects developed by the authors. Billieux et al. (2015) propose that the recent development of propositions of behavioral addiction is driven by an unwise application of an addiction model to excessive behaviors and rests on a confirmatory research strategy that does not question the psychological processes underlying the development of the conduct. They also show that applying a process driven strategy leads to a more appropriate description of the reality of the behavior and conduct, in particular by describing a variety of motivations for the excessive behavior, which is central to understanding the nature of the conduct. We believe that this new approach, which is fruitful to the emerging domain of behavioral addictions, could also apply to the domain of addictions in general. The latter is characterized by the application of a generic biological model, largely influenced by animal models, focusing on neurophysiological determinants of addiction. This approach may have decreased the attention paid to dimensions of addictions that are more specifically human. We will firstly briefly argue on the limitation of this neurophysiological addiction model for the field of excessive behavioral conducts. Secondly, we will argue for an approach centered on the differentiation of motivations and on the adaptive dimension of the behavior when it first developed and on the evocation of a transition where the conduct became independent of its original function. Conclusions The emerging domain of behavioral addictions, where no animal model has been developed so far, may bring a new reflection that may apply to the domain of addictions in general, with a specific attention to human questions

Beyond Trauma, What Kept them Going? An Analysis of the Lives and Narratives of Five Syrian Women in Lebanon

Using interpretive phenomenological analysis, this paper analyzes the narratives of five women who fled from Syria to Lebanon, with the objective of understanding how they continue to lead their lives beyond trauma. Results showed that these women’s ability to create meaning of their traumatic experiences and link it to their current lives is a determining factor in understanding their ability to move on. Finding a reason to keep going, creating a way to cope with loss, and perceiving an evolving sense of agency were significant aspects of getting over the traumatic event or enduring pain. Finally, changes in gender roles were identified by all five women, but their evaluation of these changes differed

Attention Training Toward and Away from Threat in Social Phobia: Effects on Subjective, Behavioral, and Physiological Measures of Anxiety

Social Phobics exhibit an attentional bias for threat in probe detection and probe discrimination paradigms. Attention training programs, whereby probes always replace nonthreat cues, reduce attentional bias for threat and self-reported anxiety. However, it remains unclear whether the therapeutic benefits of attention training result from people learning to disengage attention from threat cues or acquiring greater control over their attention by learning to deploy it flexibly. Moreover, researchers have seldom taken behavioral measures, and have never taken physiological measures of fear reduction. Investigating these questions, we found that training to disengage attention from threat is more effective than training to deploy it flexibly in social phobia. Indeed, the former condition reduced self-report, behavioral and physiological measures of anxiety.Psycholog

Structure de buts, relations enseignants-élèves et adaptation scolaire des élèves : une analyse multi-niveaux

Cet article cherche à identifier les facteurs qui peuvent influencer la motivation des élèves et plus généralement leur adaptation scolaire. Les recherches passées en revue indiquent que la perception qu’ont les élèves des structures de buts et de la qualité des relations enseignants-élèves sont des éléments importants pour leur engagement scolaire. Une série d’analyses multi-niveaux visant à évaluer si ces perceptions des élèves peuvent refléter des différences de pratiques d’enseignement entre les classes ou si elles reflètent uniquement des interprétations individuelles et/ou des effets de composition sont présentées. Les seuls effets de composition observés de manière récurrente concernent le genre et l’année de scolarité des élèves. Confirmant les résultats antérieurs, les analyses montrent qu’une structure centrée sur la maîtrise a un effet positif sur la motivation des élèves. Mais ces analyses montrent en outre qu’une structure centrée sur la performance a un effet négatif sur la motivation des élèves et augmente le risque de victimation. Enfin, ces analyses indiquent que des relations enseignants-élèves de qualité ont un effet pacificateur sur l’agressivité des élèves.This article tries to identify the elements that can influence students’ motivation and more generally their adaptation to school. Research work that had been looked through showed that the way the students see the goal structures and the quality of student-teacher relationships is an important element in their involvement in school. The article presents a series of multilevel tests. They aim at gauging whether those perceptions from the students can be linked to different teaching practices or if they reflect only personal interpretations and/or composition effects. The only composition effects observed several times are the gender and grade of the students. Confirming past results, the tests show that mastery-centred structures have positive effects on the students’ motivation. But those tests show moreover that performance-centred structures increase the risks of victimisation. Finally, those tests indicate that high-quality student-teacher relationships have a pacifying effect on students’ aggressiveness.Este artículo intenta identificar los factores que pueden influir en la motivación de los alumnos y más generalmente en su adaptación escolar. Las investigaciones examinadas indican que la percepción que tienen los alumnos de las estructuras de objetivos y de la calidad de las relaciones docentes-alumnos son elementos importantes para su implicación escolar. Se presentan una serie de análisis a varios niveles que intentan evaluar si estas percepciones de los alumnos podían reflejar diferencias de prácticas de enseñanza entre las clases o si reflejaban únicamente interpretaciones individuales y/o efectos de composición. Los únicos efectos de composición observados de manera recurrente conciernen el género y el año de escolaridad de los alumnos. Confirmando los resultados anteriores, los análisis muestran que una estructura centrada en el dominio tiene un efecto positivo sobre la motivación de los alumnos. Pero estos análisis muestran además que una estructura centrada en la performancia tiene un efecto negativo sobre la motivación de los alumnos y aumenta el riesgo de victimación. En fin, estos análisis indican que relaciones docentes- alumnos de calidad tienen un efecto pacificador sobre la agresividad de los alumnos.Dieser Artikel versucht es, die Faktoren zu identifizieren, die die Motivation der Schüler und ferner ihre Schulanpassung beeinflussen. Die bearbeiteten Forschungsarbeiten deuten darauf hin, dass die Art und Weise, wie die Schüler die Zielstrukturen und die Qualität der Lehrer-Schüler Beziehungen wahrnehmen, wichtige Faktoren für ihren Einsatz in der Schule sind. Eine Reihe vielschichtiger Analysen wird vorgelegt, die sich vornimmt zu analysieren, ob diese Wahrnehmungen der Schüler etwa Unterschiede der Lehrpraktiken oder ausschließlich individuelle Interpretationen und/oder Zusammensetzungseffekte widerspiegeln. Die einzigen wiederkehrenden beobachteten Zusammensetzungseffekte betreffen das Taxon und das Schuljahr der Schüler. Die Analysen bestätigen die vorherigen Ergebnisse und zeigen, dass eine auf Beherrschung zentrierte Struktur eine positive Auswirkung auf die Motivation der Schüler aufweist. Dagegen zeigen diese Analysen darüber hinaus, dass eine auf Leistung zentrierte Struktur eine negative Auswirkung auf die Motivation der Schüler hat und das Risiko des Opferdenkens steigert. Zum Schluss deuten diese Analysen darauf hin, dass hochwertige Lehrer-Schüler Beziehungen eine befriedende Auswirkung auf die Aggressivität der Schüler aufweisen

Les émotions académiques vécues lors de la préparation aux premiers examens universitaires:d’où proviennent-elles et que pensent les étudiant·e·s de celles-ci et de leur régulation?

Se confronter à des émotions dans l’apprentissage et savoir les réguler constitue un défi pour tout apprenant·e, y compris pour l’étudiant·e universitaire confronté·e à la préparation de ses premiers examens. Au sein de cette période, cet article investigue a) ce qui fait naître des émotions académiques chez les 23 étudiant·e·s primo-arrivant·e·s interrogé·e·s et b) leurs théories personnelles sur ces émotions et leur régulation. L’analyse de contenu réalisée suggère que a) le modèle de Scherer (2001) est pertinent à utiliser pour comprendre la source des émotions académiques générées à cette période; b) les étudiant·e·s diffèrent dans leur vision des émotions comme fonctionnelles ou non pour l’apprentissage. En outre, ils ou elles considèrent que la régulation de celles-ci s’apprend et dépend du contexte.Confronting emotions in learning and knowing how to regulate them is a challenge for all learners, including university students that must prepare for their first exams. Within this period, this article investigates a) what triggered academic emotions in the 23 newly arrived students who were interviewed and b) their personal theories about these emotions and their regulation. The content analysis conducted suggests that (a) the Scherer (2001) model is relevant as a means to understand the source of academic emotions generated during this period; b) students differ in their view of emotions as being functional or non-functional for learning. Moreover, they consider that the regulation of these emotions is learned and depends on the context.Enfrentar las emociones en el aprendizaje y saber regularlas es un reto para cualquier aprendiz, incluso para los universitarios que se enfrentan a la preparación de sus primeros exámenes. Dentro de este período, este artículo investiga a) lo que hace surgir las emociones académicas en 23 estudiantes entrevistados recién ingresados a la universidad y b) sus teorías personales sobre estas emociones y su regulación. El análisis de contenido realizado sugiere que a) el modelo de Scherer (2001) es relevante para comprender el origen de las emociones académicas generadas durante este período; b) los estudiantes difieren en su visión de las emociones como funcionales o no para el aprendizaje. Además, consideran que la regulación de estas se aprenden y dependen del contexto

Probing smoking craving with a multidimensional approach: validation of the 12-item French-language version of the Questionnaire on Smoking Urges.

BACKGROUND: The current study examined the psychometric properties of the 12-item French-language version of the Questionnaire on Smoking Urges (QSU-12), a widely used multidimensional measure of cigarette craving. METHODS: Daily smokers (n=230) completed the QSU-12, the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence, and items about addiction-related symptoms. Additional participants (n=40) completed the QSU-12 and the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence and were assessed for expired carbon monoxide. RESULTS: Consistent with studies validating the English version of the scale, confirmatory factor analyses supported a two-factor solution in the French version of the scale. Good scale and subscales reliabilities were observed, and convergent validity was evidenced through relationships with dependence and addiction-related symptoms. CONCLUSION: The French-language version of the QSU-12 is an adequate instrument to assess the multidimensional construct of craving in both research and clinical practice