Psychological Evidence Research Articles

Turning stories into learning journeys: the principles and methods of Immersive Education

This paper describes the theoretical and practical aspects of Immersive Education, an educational methodology based on interactive narratives, articulated as emotional journeys, to develop competencies. It has been developed throughout three school years (2021–2024) with more than 400 students (8–12 years old) in Public Schools in Italy and Spain. Immersive Education can be integrated with curricular school activities and can be used to target both curricular and transversal learning objectives, specifically the ones connected with the Personal, Social and Learning to learn Key Competence (LifeComp European framework). The paper describes the inspirations that led to the creation of the methodology, including similar experiential learning approaches. It then analyses the theoretical principles of the methodology, dividing them in four key-concepts, along with psychological evidence supporting them. The four key-concepts describe how immersive education aims at being a motivation trigger, featuring a dramatic structure, how it is based on the involvement of the self, and how it focuses on fostering a continuous engagement. It continues with a detailed analysis of implementation strategies, specifically about the management of emotional triggers and reactions, enriched by numerous examples taken from the projects implemented with the students. The conclusions open the way to future research directions to measure the impact of this approach on the development of transversal and specific competences.

Митрополит Антоний (Храповицкий) между Кантом и французским спиритуализмом

Today there is no need to prove the importance of I. Kant’s ideas for Russian religious-philosophical thought. A considerable amount of serious recent academic research confirms this obvious truth. At the same time, the field of Russian academic theology is much less developed in this respect, although Kant’s presence in it, both as an opponent demanding an answer from the “theological faculty” and as a source of fruitful ideas, is no less obvious. In particular, Metropolitan Anthony Khrapovitsky’s extramural dialogue with Kant remains unexplored to this day. Meanwhile, as early as in his master’s thesis “Psychological Evidence in favour of Free Will” Anthony devotes an entire chapter to criticism of Kant's “Critiques”, and later, in his articles of the 90s, he addresses Kant’s “Religion within the Bounds of Bare Reason”. This work attracted the attention of Russian theologians more than once. In particular, an answer to Kant’s Christological challenge was already sought by St Innocent of Kherson. Relying by default on his work, however, Metropolitan Anthony concentrates more on an attempt to complete the Kantian idea of moral duty with the idea of love as a divine power that wills and transforms the world. Here he finds unexpected, at first glance, allies in the person of the French spiritualists Ch. Secrétan and A. Fouillée. The latter, in their turn, relied to a considerable extent in their philosophical constructions on French Augustinianism of the 17th century with its ideas of pure or selfless love, ideas that were peculiarly refracted in the autonomous morality of Kant himself. As a result, in the Christological concept of redemptive compassionate love proposed by Metropolitan Anthony, we recognise the ideas of Bl. Augustine, the forefather of Modern philosophy, which have gone through many philosophical iterations.

A learning theory‐based exploratory analysis of teacher professional development interventions for formative assessment

AbstractThere is substantial evidence in cognitive psychology for the effectiveness of learning theory‐based principles, such as activating prior knowledge or retrieval practice, for learning. In this exploratory study, we analysed to what degree such learning theory‐based principles are applied in teacher professional development (TPD) interventions for formative assessment and how, and whether differences in the use of these principles between TPD interventions explain differences in the effectiveness of such interventions. We found that the impact of TPD interventions for formative assessment on student achievement was evaluated rigorously in very few studies, with only five in our sample. Our results also showed that most learning theory‐based principles were applied only to a very limited degree, and not deliberately. Both findings imply that no patterns relating the application of learning theory‐based principles and intervention effectiveness were discernible. However, given the general evidence for the principles, there is probably much to gain by applying the learning theory‐based principles when developing TPD interventions for formative assessment. Context and implicationsRationale for this studyStudies in cognitive psychology have resulted in clear principles to promote learning. It is unknown whether these have been used to improve teacher professional development (for formative assessment).Why the new findings matterThe limited use of learning theory‐based principles in TPD development is remarkable, as there is strong evidence that these principles are effective.Implications for researchersOnly 5 of 44 evaluated studies adhered to high standards for randomised controlled trials set by Cheung and Slavin (2016) and What Works Clearinghouse (2020), meaning that we ultimately have very little reliable data on the effectiveness of TPD interventions for formative assessment. If we want to know what influences improvement in teacher skills when conducting TPD interventions, then better interventions and evaluations are needed.The learning theory‐based principles themselves are the result of thorough research, and it is therefore worthwhile to further investigate how the learning theory‐based principles can be used to improve TPD interventions for formative assessment.

Displaying Altruism as a Sexual Signal in Human Mate Choice is an Adaptation – An Interdisciplinary Overview of the Evidence

AbstractNumerous studies in humans have shown that altruism may influence mate choice decisions, highlighting its potential role as a sexual signal. Whether using altruism as a signal is an adaptation, however, remains largely unresolved. In this review, we aim to investigate the adaptive nature of altruism as a sexual signal by constructing a comprehensive nomological network of evidence. Drawing upon interdisciplinary scientific modes of evidence (psychology, medicine, physiology, genetics, phylogenetics, hunter-gatherer studies, cross-cultural studies, and theoretical studies), our analysis reveals an extensive breadth of evidence across the various disciplines supporting the hypothesis that altruism is an adaptive sexual signal. However, only the psychological evidence demonstrates substantial depth. Other fields exhibit a lack of variation in research methods or a minimal amount of studies, limiting the strength of their respective contributions. Despite these limitations, there is still sufficient support for the nomological network. Based on the evidence of the various disciplines, we conclude that there is sufficient support that altruism as a sexual signal is an adaptation. We provide considerations for future research that would expand the scope of the evidentiary depth across the various disciplines, which would strengthen our understanding of the role of sexual selection in human altruism.

Processing of social closeness in the human brain

Healthy social life requires relationships in different levels of personal closeness. Based on ethological, sociological, and psychological evidence, social networks have been divided into five layers, gradually increasing in size and decreasing in personal closeness. Is this division also reflected in brain processing of social networks? During functional MRI, 21 participants compared their personal closeness to different individuals. We examined the brain volume showing differential activation for varying layers of closeness and found that a disproportionately large portion of this volume (80%) exhibited preference for individuals closest to participants, while separate brain regions showed preference for all other layers. Moreover, this bipartition reflected cortical preference for different sizes of physical spaces, as well as distinct subsystems of the default mode network. Our results support a division of the neurocognitive processing of social networks into two patterns depending on personal closeness, reflecting the unique role intimately close individuals play in our social lives.

Ecological validity of architectural cognition: a framework

Architects are often criticized for not using psychological evidence in design. This paper explores whether the issue lies in the relevance of this evidence for predicting behaviour, perception and cognition in unbuilt buildings. Psychological experiments often fail to mirror real-world building experiences. We introduce the Ecological Validity of Architectural Cognition (EVAC) framework, which evaluates the generalizability of experimental results to real buildings by comparing experimental participants with actual building users in behavioural, perceptual and cognitive terms. We apply EVAC to studies on perceived spaciousness to identify research gaps and suggest methods that better align with real-world building experiences.

Delegitimizing protest: Psychology's omissions and commissions

AbstractPsychological research has failed to take accountability for the ways it has aligned with State interests, at the expense of solidarity with Black people protesting the criminal legal system and pursuing liberation in the U.S. Through a case study analysis of six psychological research articles, ranging from 1968 to 2022, this paper tracks evidence of psychology's alignment with the State's interests. Evidence emerges in clinical disease(s) assigned to enslaved and incarcerated Black people (drapetomania, protest psychosis) and in empirical assumptions and (il)logics binding research methods and analyses. While theoretical and methodological frameworks, language (“patients,” “rioters,” “ghetto residents,” “minority group members”) and levels of analysis (psyche, personality, social, community, identity, movement) evolve over time and across subdisciplines, racialized carceral ideologies persist across psychological research approaches. By tracing carceral footprints across this vast psychological literature, this analysis reveals how traditional empirical research weaponized pathologizing and criminalizing accounts to delegitimize Black protests of State violence from the Civil Rights Movement to the Movement for Black Lives and beyond.

Split Genders: Medical versus Legal Understanding of Gender Identity (De Lege Lata and De Lege Ferenda)

Abstract For centuries, the law accepted the legal gender of an individual that was indicated at birth by the appearance of their genitalia and stated on their birth certificate. Nowadays, however, we have plenty of scientific, medical and psychological evidence (and thus reasons) to revise the adopted way of thinking about legal gender to associate it more with gender identity. Most people do not perceive a potential conflict between genital sex and gender identity, because their genital sex is consistent with their gender identity. Trans- and intersex comunnity needs recognition of their gender identity independent of their genital sex as a condition for a life of self-determination, personal freedom, respect and dignity; these are, aft er all, values that are extremely important for the law. The purpose of this analysis is to determine whether the concept of gender identity is perceived generally in the Polish language and the Polish legal system in a way that takes into account current medical knowledge and the legitimate needs of the individual. If not, then what de lege ferenda recommendations can be made to change this situation?

Positive and negative intergroup contact: Evidence of their interactions in a child sample

AbstractResearch has demonstrated that positive intergroup contact improves intergroup relations among children. However, empirical evidence about how positive and negative intergroup contact relates to intergroup outcomes at different ages is scant. By combining theories and empirical evidence in social and developmental psychology, this study aimed to examine positive and negative intergroup contact in a sample of N = 394, 9 and 12‐year‐old Italian children (females and males). We expected to find interactive effects of positive and negative intergroup contact on outgroup trust and behavioural intentions. Furthermore, for both types of contact, we predicted that associations with intergroup outcomes (outgroup trust, behavioural intentions) would be stronger among older than younger children. Results provided support for the interactive effects of positive and negative intergroup contact (bs ≥ .08, ps ≤ .08, interaction coefficients), but not for age‐related differences. Negative intergroup contact facilitated the effects of positive intergroup contact and positive intergroup contact buffered the effects of negative intergroup contact. These findings suggest that intergroup relations in childhood can be improved by creating opportunities for positive intergroup contact in educational and social settings.

Command responsibility in military AI contexts: balancing theory and practicality

AbstractArtificial intelligence (AI) has found extensive applications to varying degrees across diverse domains, including the possibility of using it within military contexts for making decisions that can have moral consequences. A recurring challenge in this area concerns the allocation of moral responsibility in the case of negative AI-induced outcomes. Some scholars posit the existence of an insurmountable “responsibility gap”, wherein neither the AI system nor the human agents involved can or should be held responsible. Conversely, other scholars dispute the presence of such gaps or propose potential solutions. One solution that frequently emerges in the literature on AI ethics is the concept of command responsibility, wherein human agents may be held responsible because they perform a supervisory role over the (subordinate) AI. In the article we examine the compatibility of command responsibility in light of recent empirical studies and psychological evidence, aiming to anchor discussions in empirical realities rather than relying exclusively on normative arguments. Our argument can be succinctly summarized as follows: (1) while the theoretical foundation of command responsibility appears robust (2) its practical implementation raises significant concerns, (3) yet these concerns alone should not entirely preclude its application (4) they underscore the importance of considering and integrating empirical evidence into ethical discussions.

Virtual reality exposure effect in acrophobia: psychological and physiological evidence from a single experimental session

In recent years, virtual reality (VR) has gained attention from researchers in diverse fields, particularly in therapy of phobias. Currently, virtual reality exposure therapy therapy (VRET) is considered a promising cognitive-behavioral therapy technique. However, specific psychological and physiological responses of VR users to virtual exposure in such a context are still only vaguely explored. In this experimental study, we mapped VR exposure in a height environment in people with a moderate fear of heights–acrophobia. Thirty-six participants were divided into experimental and control groups–with and without psychological guidance during exposure. Participants' subjective level of anxiety was examined, and objective physiological response was captured via heart rate variability (HRV) measurement. Psychological assessments recorded an anticipated rise in participant anxiety following exposure to height; nevertheless, no distinctions were observed in self-reported anxiety concerning psychological guidance. Notably, objective physiological measures revealed that VR exposure prompts physiological responses akin to real-world scenarios. Moreover, based on the analysis of heart rate variability, participants who received psychological guidance were identified as better at compensating for anxiety compared to those without such support. These findings support VRET as a promising tool for psychotherapy and advocate for psychological guidance as beneficial in reducing anxiety and managing stress during exposure. The results may help improve our understanding of anxiety during exposure to phobic stimuli.

Behavioral and Biological Bases of Herding and Conformity.

Humans are inherently complex creatures, and this issue became even more complicated when they decided to construct social relationships. Research into human behavior is an interdisciplinary and multifaceted endeavor studied by various disciplines, such as psychology, economics, sociology, anthropology, and neurosciences. Today, with the cooperation of researchers in different fields, it is possible to link the cellular dynamic of neurons to brain function and human behavior. Cognitive science and neurosciences, along with other disciplines, can enrich our knowledge about mechanisms of social influence, which may assist policymakers in influencing public behaviors toward creating a better society. This review aims to describe previous research on social influence's behavioral, cognitive, and neural basis and provide more understanding of human behavior in society. I review and evaluate the relevant literature from multiple databases of peer-reviewed journals, books, and conferences and hand-searching reference lists of relevant studies that consider conformity from psychological, economic, neurobiological, and neurochemical aspects. This paper has been divided into four parts. First, I start by defining and describing two kinds of social influences. The second section focuses on psychological and economic evidence of social influence. It will then explore the neurobiological and neurochemical approaches to studying social influence. Finally, the conclusion summarizes and highlights three points I believe social neuroscience as an interdisciplinary and vibrant field should consider for future developments.

Analisis Pertimbangan Hakim Terkait Permohonan Ganti Kelamin Di Pengadilan Negeri Batam

This article explores the judicial considerations and decisionmaking process regarding a petition for gender reassignment at the Batam District Court, exemplified by Case Number 176/Pdt. P/2024/PN Btm. The analysis encompasses legal aspects, presented evidence, principles of justice, and the societal impacts of the court's decision. The study utilizes a descriptiveanalytical approach to examine the legal framework, notably the Law No. 24 of 2013 on Population Administration, and evaluates medical and psychological evidence supporting the petitioner's gender identity. Additionally, comparative analysis of previous cases aids in understanding the application of Indonesian law concerning gender reassignment. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of a fair and legally sound decision that respects societal norms and ensures equitable outcomes for all stakeholders

Analogy as the Swiss Army Knife of Human-like Learning

There is ample psychological evidence that analogy is ubiquitous in human learning, suggesting that computational models of analogy can play important roles in AI systems that learn in human-like ways. This talk will provide evidence for this, focusing mostly on recent advances in hierarchical analogical learning and working-memory analogical generalizations.

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) and the Functions of Consciousness.

"Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response" (ASMR) refers to a sensory-emotional experience that was first explicitly identified and named within the past two decades in online discussion boards. Since then, there has been mounting psychological and neural evidence of a clustering of properties common to the phenomenon of ASMR, including convergence on the set of stimuli that trigger the experience, the properties of the experience itself, and its downstream effects. Moreover, psychological instruments have begun to be developed and employed in an attempt to measure it. Based on this empirical work, we make the case that despite its nonscientific origins, ASMR is a good candidate for being a real kind in the cognitive sciences. The phenomenon appears to have a robust causal profile and may also have an adaptive evolutionary history. We also argue that a more thorough understanding of the distinctive type of phenomenal experience involved in an ASMR episode can shed light on the functions of consciousness, and ultimately undermine certain "cognitive" theories of consciousness. We conclude that ASMR should be the subject of more extensive scientific investigation, particularly since it may also have the potential for therapeutic applications.

Almost Faces? ;-) Emoticons and Emojis as Cultural Artifacts for Social Cognition Online

Emoticons and facial emojis are ubiquitous in contemporary digital communication, where it has been proposed that they make up for the lack of social information from real faces. In this paper, I construe them as cultural artifacts that exploit the neurocognitive mechanisms for face perception. Building on a step-by-step comparison of psychological evidence on the perception of faces vis-à-vis the perception of emoticons/emojis, I assess to what extent they do effectively vicariate real faces with respect to the following four domains: (1) the expression of emotions, (2) the cultural norms for expressing emotions, (3) conveying non-affective social information, and (4) attention prioritization.

Psychological Epiphenomenalism

Researchers in the psychological sciences have put forward the thesis that various sources of psychological, cognitive, and neuroscientific evidence demonstrate that being conscious of our mental states does not make any difference to our behaviour. In this paper, I argue that the evidence marshalled in support of this view — which I call psychological epiphenomenalism — is subject to major objections, relies on a superficial reading of the relevant literature, and fails to engage with the more precise ways in which philosophers understand mental states to be conscious. I then appeal to work on implementation intentions to demonstrate that an intention's being 'access conscious' enhances its functional role, which makes it more likely that we will successfully carry out our intended behaviour. The result is that consciousness in at least one relevant sense is not epiphenomenal, with further work remaining to be done to show how other kinds of consciousness cause behaviour too.

Are Individual Care Investments Affected by Past Accident Experiences?

Abstract In this paper, we analyze the impact of past accident experiences on individual care choices. By relying on standard economic theory and evidence of behavioral economics and psychology, we posit that individuals’ care investments should be affected by their past accidents as injurers or victims (accident-history effect hypothesis), or by their prior exposure to accident risks in the opposite role (role-reversal effect hypothesis). We test these two hypotheses using experimental data. We find that individuals’ accident history has no statistically significant effect on their care investments, but that care decisions vary with changes in the parties’ roles. Specifically, injurers with prior experience as victims invest statistically more in care than injurers without prior victim experience. By contrast, care investments are not sensitive to victims’ prior experience as injurers. Our research can be regarded as a preliminary study toward the understanding of the role of past accident experiences on individuals’ care behavior, and calls for both replication efforts and reconsideration of traditional economic models of torts.

A Cross-Cultural Exploration of Student Development in Higher Education: Acknowledging, Exercising, and Enhancing Agency

Purpose Students develop and grow throughout higher education. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Building on the premise that individuals develop and grow through interacting with the world, this study explores how students develop, grow, and become empowered in higher education through the lens of I–world interactions. Design/Approach/Methods This study employs a multicultural and multidisciplinary approach by first examining different cultural philosophical approaches to I–world interactions. This is followed by an elaboration of what the interactions mean for individual development and growth in higher education by drawing on psychology, sociology, and educational research. Findings This study argues that there are three essential elements of I–world interactions across three philosophical approaches: acknowledged, exercised, and enhanced individual agency. In higher education, students are strong agents, as demonstrated by sociological theories of agency and psychological evidence of agentic human functioning. Students actively exercise their agency, particularly when interacting with the environment. If organized and practiced well, universities can help students enhance their agency. Originality/Value The three shared elements and empirical evidence together form the foundation for understanding how students become empowered in higher education and for positioning the enhancement of students’ agency at the center of higher education across contexts.

WEIRD-Confucian comparisons: Ongoing cultural biases in psychology's evidence base and some recommendations for improving global representation.

The realization that most behavioral science research focuses on cultures labeled as WEIRD-Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (Arnett, 2008; Henrich et al., 2010; Thalmayer et al., 2021)-has given an impetus to extend the research to more diverse populations. Confucian East Asian societies have relatively strong social and technological infrastructure to advance science and thus have gained much prominence in cross-cultural studies. This has inadvertently fostered another bias: the dominance of WEIRD-Confucian comparisons and a tendency to draw conclusions about "non-WEIRD" cultures in general based on data from Confucian societies. Here, analyzing 1,466,019 scientific abstracts and, separately, coverage of 60 large-scale cross-cultural psychological projects (Nsamples = 2,668 from Ncountries = 153 covering nparticipants = 3,722,940), we quantify the dominance of Confucian over other non-WEIRD cultures in psychological research. Our analysis also reveals the underrepresentation of non-European Union postcommunist societies and the almost total invisibility of Pacific Island, Caribbean, Middle African, and Central Asian societies within the research database of psychology. We call for a shift in cross-cultural studies toward midsize (7+ countries) and ideally large-scale (50+ countries) cross-cultural studies, and we propose mitigations that we believe could aid the inclusion of diverse researchers as well as participants from underrepresented cultures in our field. People in all world regions and cultures deserve psychological knowledge that applies to them. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).