Work Analysis Methods Research Articles

Working as a contact center attendant: Relating purpose, meaning, sustainability and mental health.

There are companies that can be considered financially successful while creating negative externalities for their workers. This is the case of contact centers. The objective of this article is to investigate the challenges for a service company (such as a contact center) in reconciling its economic and financial objectives with the promotion of the work dimension, guaranteeing workers the possibility of professional, collective, and human development. This research has a qualitative ethnographic approach. An activity-centered work analysis method, also known as "Ergonomic Work Analysis" (EWA), was carried out in one of the largest companies in the Brazilian contact center market. The case shows that the achievement of economic-financial objectives of the analyzed company is mainly done by harming the well-being of its workers. In particular, the work of the attendants did not bring any development perspective for them. The prevalence of instrumental rationality in decision-making processes and the asymmetry of power relations between stakeholders are the main reasons why workers' well-being is not considered. The discussion proposes that work-related sciences, such as ergonomics and psychodynamics of work, can bring another type of rationality to the decision-making processes of companies. The work also needs to be sustainable enough to allow the construction and development of professionals, and the health of working population, while improving the company's performance.

Research on Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction in the Construction Industry under the "Dual Carbon" Goal

This article focuses on the issue of building carbon emissions reduction in Jiangsu Province. Based on the building energy balance equation and the mathematical model of air conditioning work, weighted evaluation and principal component analysis methods are used to evaluate the energy efficiency of buildings, and the carbon emissions of the entire construction process in Jiangsu Province in 2023 are predicted. To achieve the "dual carbon" strategic goal, it is recommended that Jiangsu Province pay attention to the use of green and environmentally friendly materials and equipment in the design and construction process of low-carbon buildings, strengthen energy management and monitoring, encourage the use of renewable energy, improve building energy efficiency, and reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. At the same time, the government should increase financial subsidies to support innovation in environmental protection technology and the development of low-carbon industries, promote the formation of a good atmosphere for society to participate in low-carbon energy conservation, and thus promote the sustainable development of the construction industry in Jiangsu Province.

Selective Aqueous Extraction and Green Spectral Analysis of Furfural as an Aging Indicator in Power Transformer Insulating Fluid

Furfural is an intermediary and aldehyde compound degraded from paper insulation, which is used with liquid fluid in power transformers. It can be utilized as an important indicator to evaluate the degradation degree of the paper insulation and the condition of transformers to predict their lifetime. However, the conventional methods are inevitably inconvenient as they require additional derivatization with hazardous agents and time-consuming chromatographic separation and processes. In this work, a facile and green analysis method for the determination of furfural concentration in the insulating fluid of operating power transformers was developed. As furfural was selectively extracted from the insulting fluid by deionized water, the aqueous solution could be directly subjected to a UV spectral analysis without any derivatization using hazardous agents or hindrance of the fluid in the UV spectrum. The results showed that the spectral method could obtain a favorable linear relationship between the concentration of furfural and its characteristic absorbance at 280 nm (λ max). The limit of detection (LOD) was below 0.1 ppm, which is a sufficient detection level to evaluate the condition of the insulating fluid. Furthermore, the method was compared with the conventional HPLC and colorimetric analyses, revealing satisfactory accuracy and verification of the results. It is possible to measure the furfural concentration in situ using a portable UV-spectrometer at a single wavelength, 280 nm, after simple extraction in the field. This approach offers a novel and green analytical method to quantitatively determine the aromatic furan compounds in a power transformer’s insulating fluid in place without the use of an organic extraction solvent or hazardous reagents for derivatization and analysis.

Biomarker Responses, Gene Expression Alterations, and Histological Changes in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) After In Vivo Exposure to Polychlorinated Diphenyl Ethers.

Polychlorinated diphenyl ethers (PCDEs) have been detected in various aquatic matrices, which pose potential threats to aquatic ecosystem security. In this work, both micro and macro analysis methods were used to assess the toxicity of PCDEs to zebrafish. Results indicated that after in vivo PCDE exposure, the oxidative stress and related gene of Danio rerio were significantly changed. The higher concentration or longer exposure time could cause more severe oxidative stress in zebrafish tissues. Compared with among the five tested compounds, more obvious changes in the level of oxidative biomarkers of lower chlorinated PCDEs’ (4-mono-CDE and 4,4′-di-CDE) exposure groups were observed. The integrated biomarker response analysis and gene expression results also indicate a similar trend. Histopathological observation suggested that 4,4′-di-CDE could render liver nuclei enlargement and necrosis, hepatocyte vacuolation, and the development inhibition of ovarian cells. Transmission electron microscope photos showed that 4,4′-di-CDE caused organelle damage in the liver and ovary, including the rupture of the endoplasmic reticulum, swelling of mitochondria, and condensation of chromatin in the liver and mitochondria disappeared significantly in the ovary. The degree of damage is enhanced with the increasing exposure doses. In addition, PCDEs also significantly altered vitellogenin content and related gene (vtg1) expression, suggesting that PCDEs may be estrogen endocrine disruptors. Overall, these results provided some valuable toxicological data of PCDEs on aquatic species.

Fast and highly sensitive Cd isotopic analyses in low-Cd complex samples with MC-ICPMS based on plasma electrochemical vapor generation

Cd isotopes have provided a powerful tool for better understanding Cd geochemical cycling in soil, water and biological systems. Conventional solution-based MC-ICPMS techniques used for Cd isotopic analysis typically requires time-consuming purification, which greatly limits the wide application of Cd isotope. In this work, a fast, highly sensitive and cost-effective Cd isotopic analysis method has been developed based on plasma electrochemical vapor generation (PEVG) coupled with MC-ICPMS. PEVG enhances sensitivity by more than 6 times compared with conventional pneumatic nebulization (PN) system, allowing Cd analysis to be carried out with samples as low as ∼ 13 ng. Usefully, the tolerance level for organic resin materials and matrix elements (Sn/In/Pd/Zr/Mo/Zn:Cd > 250:1) is greatly improved because of the excellent matrix separation capability inherent to PEVG. This allows simplification of the complex and time-consuming ion-exchange chromatography purification process, achieving a reduction of time by > 20 times compared to conventional two-step Cd purification process. The precision and accuracy of this method were first assessed by measuring NIST 3108 and BGEG-Cd standard under optimum conditions (δ114/110Cd of 0.00 ± 0.06‰ and −1.00 ± 0.06‰ (2sd, n = 25)). The method was also successfully applied to sensitive and fast determination of δ114/110Cd in various reference materials (soil, sediment, and basalt) and environmental samples (pyrite, galena, sphalerite, soils and tap water), validating the applicability of the proposed technique. Owing to the sensitivity, selectivity, low power, and low gas consumption of the PEVG, the proposed PEVG-MC-ICPMS technique provides a much faster and cost-effective approach for the accurate measurement of Cd isotopic compositions in low-Cd complex samples.

Dynamic Work Analysis of Manual Material Handling With Digital Human Modeling

The activity of loading and unloading rice in Indonesia is still carried out using human power. Porters transport rice manually from truck to warehouse or the otherwise. Manual material handling work (MMH) will pose a risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The application of the work analysis method generates an analysis per one body position only. There is a need for a model that can perform a work analysis quickly for any change in body movement if it is carried out in dynamic work, for instances on rice porters. In this research, Digital Human Modeling Tecnomatix Jack is used in the Task Simulation Builder menu to simulate dynamic work and generate analysis. The dynamic work carried out is to compare the risk of transporting rice weighing 10 kg and 25 kg. The results obtained are Ergonomic Report, Static Strength Prediction (SSP), Low Back Compression Analysis (LBA), Fatigue, Cumulative Loading and Metabolic Energy Expenditure (MEE). The simulator also provides the SSV file extension as in SSP. If needed, this result can be entered in a formula according to work analysis method such as RULA or REBA so that every change in movement obtained results related to the risk that may occur.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of the chronic heart failure therapy using the device cardiac contractility modulation according to the new non-invasive method of the myocardium work analysis

Aim To analyze echocardiographic parameters that reflect left ventricular (LV) myocardial contractility, using a novel method for evaluation of myocardial performance in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) during heart contractility modulation (HCM).Material and methods Standard echocardiographic parameters and indexes of myocardial strain and work were analyzed for 66 patients (52 men and 14 women; median age, 60 [54; 66] years). 36 patients had paroxysmal AF and 30 patients had permanent AF. All patients had CHF with a duration of 17 [4; 60] months; duration of AF was 12 [6; 36] months. At baseline, the left ventricular ejection fraction (LV EF) was 33 [27; 37] %.Results After one year of HCM, LV EF significantly increased from 33 [27; 37] to 38 [33; 44] % (р=0.001). Also, there were improvements in the myocardial global longitudinal strain (from -6.00 [ - 8; - 4] to -8 [ - 10; - 6] %; р=0.001) and parameters of myocardial work, including the global work efficiency (from 74 [65; 79] to 80 [73; 87] mm Hg%; р=0.001), global constructive work (from 699 [516; 940] to 882 [714; 1242] mm Hg%; р=0.001), and global myocardial work index (from 460 [339; 723] to 668 [497; 943] mm Hg%; р=0.001). A segmentary analysis of LV work parameters showed positive changes in the myocardial constructive work in the area of the interventricular septal apical segment (at baseline, 844 [614; 1224]; after HCM, 1027 [800; 1520] mm Hg%; р=0.05) and the medium segment of the LV anteroseptal wall (at baseline, 593 [312; 1000]; after HCM, 877 [494; 1145] mm Hg%; р=0.05).Conclusion This method for analysis of the myocardial work provides a more detailed examination of LV structural and functional remodeling and mechanisms for its effects on the LV contractile function in patients with CHF. This method is promising and merits further study in various clinical situations.

Towards data-driven group inferences of resting-state fMRI data in rodents: Comparison of group ICA, GIG-ICA, and IVA-GL

BackgroundA trend in the development of resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) data analysis is the drive towards more data-driven methods. Group Independent Component Analysis (GICA) is a well-proven data-driven method for performing fMRI group analysis, though not without issues, especially the back-reconstruction from group-level independent components to individual-level components. Group information-guided ICA (GIG-ICA) and Independent Vector Analysis (IVA) are recent extensions of GICA that were shown to outperform GICA in the identification of unique rsfMRI biomarkers in psychiatric conditions. New methodIn this work, GICA, GIG-ICA, and IVA-GL analysis methods were applied to rsfMRI data acquired from 9 mice under different doses of medetomidine (0.1 – 0.3 mg/kg/h) in the before and after forepaw stimulation, and their performance was compared to determine whether GIG-ICA and IVA-GL outperform GICA in identifying robust and reliable resting-state networks in the rodent brain. ResultsOur results showed IVA-GL method had certain desirable performance characteristics over the other two methods under minimal data pre-processing and data-driven assumptions in application to analysis of mouse resting-state functional MRI. Comparison with existing methodsIVA-GL provides better stability towards detecting group differences at different model order assumptions and performed better at separating data well-defined and functionally reasonable components in mouse resting-state fMRI. At higher model order and more likely functional component assumptions, GIG-ICA and IVA-GL were found to have greater sensitivity at detecting functional connectivity changes due to physiological challenges compared to GICA. ConclusionsThis study indicates that IVA-GL yields better detection of resting-state networks in the rodent brain compared to other ICA methods and a promising data-driven analysis method for rodent rsfMRI.

The Influence of the Clearance on Performance of Compressor

Cold compressor (CC) was adopted to pump saturated liquid helium to obtain subcooled helium. In the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) system, cold presses were studied and would replace the oil ring pump. The cold compressor processing and installation had been completed, and it had been tested by cold nitrogen gas. For cold compressors, testing at low temperature was essential, but the real working condition of low-temperature helium gas had great risks for large helium cryogenic system. Therefore, an independent cold nitrogen test system was an economical solution. In this work, numerical simulation and quantitative analysis method were used to investigate the flow field around different tip clearances and mass flow by CFD at liquid nitrogen temperature, and they were validated by experiments. When the tip clearance was increased by 0.1mm, the pressure ratio dropped 0.27% and the polytropic efficiency dropped 0.82%. To a certain extent, a larger tip clearance could improve the surge condition and had little influence on the efficiency. Therefore, in the design and operation, the tip clearance could be appropriately increased.

An Evaluation Method for Emergency Procedures in Automatic Metro Based on Complexity

Complexity of emergency procedures have direct impacts on the accomplishment of tasks in metro system. In order to ensure the efficient operation of automated metro in emergency scenarios, it is necessary to understand the potential relationship between system change and emergency procedures. To solve this problem, an evaluation method for emergency procedures is proposed. Firstly, on the basis of investigation, interview and empirical analysis of different types of automated metro lines, combined with Team-Cognitive Work Analysis(CWA) method and network theory, the team emergency task network is established. Then four characteristic indexes, i.e. degree, average shortest path length, agglomeration coefficient and overall network efficiency, are selected as the analysis metrics of emergency task network complexity. The complexity of different emergency procedures under grades of automation(GOA) 4 and same emergency procedure under GOA1-GOA4 are comprehensively analyzed. The research results reveal that no matter what level of automation system, the more nodes and communication between nodes, the larger network scale is, which will lead to the emergency procedures more complicated, and vice versa. The driver's behavior plays a decisive role in the variation of communicating frequencies.

Tan Dun’s Concerto Pizzicato for piano and ten instruments in terms of his piano work

The purpose of the article is to study the musical poetics and dramaturgy of Tan Dun’s (PRC) first of four piano concertos – Concerto Pizzicato for piano and ten instruments (1995). The methodology is a comparative-historical method and method of musical-theoretical work analysis. The scientific novelty of the research involves the first attempt to the in-depth study of the musical poetics and dramaturgy of this highly artistic work in Ukrainian and Chinese musicology. Conclusions. The Concerto title reflects the main genre idea associated with the interpretation of piano as a fretted instrument, assimilated in sounding to the Chinese zither (tsin). The score is accompanied by a stage-arrangement scheme of instruments, a list of phonation approaches, and performance methods. The composition is dedicated to the memory of J. Cage, which was reflected in САGElight theme–name anagram of the outstanding avant-gardist of the XX century. Semantic sphere of the work involves nature images, national rituals, and theater with a highlight of the Chinese philosophy of “native places” and ideas of American transcendentalism. The single-frequency dramatic model reflects the idea of “organic music,” embodied by means of polystylism, minimalism, rehearsal, theatrical, and film music techniques. The orchestra has soloists dominated, with a significant role of percussion instruments.

Reduction of Stress Concentration Factor (SCF) on the Bolted Joint Connection for a Large Wind Turbine Rotor Blade through Various Design Modifications

The importance of a reliable blade root connection has grown due to the higher-gravity-induced edgewise loads on the blade root that resulted from the recent increased size and weight of a wind turbine rotor blade. To avoid the loosening of a bolt joint connection or even consecutive blade failures, the stress concentration factor (SCF) at the bolt thread root that is sensitive to fatigue should be understood comprehensively. In this work, two-dimensional and three-dimensional finite element (FE) analysis methods were used to determine the SCF at the bolt threads both between an insert and a M42 bolt used for a large offshore blade, and between a M42 bolt and a nut. The effect of various geometric parameters on the SCF were also investigated, which included shank diameter, nut height, nut type, and relief cone. Results showed that the decreased diameter of a M42 bolt shank diameter was the dominant design driver in reducing the stress concentration factor by 40%, from 3.94 to 2.32. The round nut type was also a recommended factor to be implemented to connect bolts and inner pitch bearing with an additional 10% SCF reduction. The relief cones applied to bolt threads and insert threads also contributed to the reduction of SCF to 2.01, a 49% reduction in total. This work not only provides guidelines by which to choose the proper geometry of the bolt and nut for a large blade, but also could be beneficial in designing bolted joint connections of segment or modular blades.

A Delphi study of human factors methods for the evaluation of adaptation in safety-related organisations

Advances in safety science point towards an approach to the management of safety-related risks within complex sociotechnical systems that focuses on the understanding of adaptation. The study of adaptation would benefit from the use of structured and formalised approaches at, and across, all levels of the organisational hierarchy (individual, team and organisation). However, with a large number of potential Human Factors methods available to the safety practitioner, it is unclear which methods are most appropriate for an exploration of this important tenet of systems thinking. A 3-round ranking Delphi study has been conducted to survey the range of methods to determine a soft consensus amongst subject matter experts. In each of the three rounds the list was successively refined. Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) and Critical Decision Method (CDM) were recommended for the micro level (which could be complemented by HTA). At the meso level, CDM and CWA together with complementary methods, such as Systems Theoretic Accident Modelling and Processes (STAMP), Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) and the Event Analysis for Systemic Teamwork (EAST) method. STAMP and FRAM were recommended at the macro level, which could be complemented with Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA), Ethnographic Analysis, EAST and the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS). The methods, taken together, should provide a means of exploring adaptation at all of the sociotechnical system levels. This work provides safety practitioners with consolidated guidance on the methods that could be used to explore adaptation as a source of safety in complex sociotechnical systems.

Stick-slip behavior of sessile drop on the surfaces with irregular roughnesses

In this work, sessile drop and low-bond axisymmetric drop shape analysis methods were coupled to provide some new aspects on stick-slip behavior as well as stick time of a drop on calcite surfaces. Slightly hydrophobic calcite surfaces typified with three irregular roughnesses were used to create irregular surfaces to mimic defects for the water-calcite-air systems. Polishing papers of 200, 600, and 1200 grit and a polishing machine were used to prepare surfaces. X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and atomic force microscopy techniques were employed to evaluate the chemical and physical properties of surfaces. A model was developed to predict stick time based on the Laplace equation to take into account the effect of gravity which is neglected in the spherical cap model. An irregular stick–slip behavior of the three-phase contact line was observed for different roughness levels. Increasing roughness level from nono-metric to micrometric scale induced variation of 77.4°, 9.0e−03 mN/m, 1.23 mN/m to 67°, 293.0e−03 mN/m, 7.20 mN/m for the datum contact angle, scaled energy barrier, and the unbalanced Young force per unit length, respectively. Comparison of the models predictions and the obtained experimental data of stick times in this work, showed that the developed model is more accurate than the spherical cap model. This work could provide new insights into the wetting phenomenon of surfaces with irregular roughnesses.

Optimal water distribution system based on water rights transaction with administrative management, marketization, and quantification of sediment transport value: A case study of the Yellow River Basin, China

Water rights transaction has proved to be an effective method for constructing an efficient water distribution system (WDS) in various regions of the Yellow River Basin (YRB). In this study, an optimal WDS in the YRB is proposed by considering the comprehensive value of water resources, administrative management system, and market-based system. To accurately quantify the comprehensive value of water resources, the work analysis method of suspended load and bedload based on the emergy theory and time-averaged motion equation is introduced, and the quantification process of sediment transport value in the river course is formulated in the YRB. Based on this, an administrative and market-based game for water rights transaction is formulated. In this double-layer game model, the administrative authorities of the basin (Yellow River Conservancy Commission) and the corresponding regions (Water Resources Department) seek to maximize their own target revenue function/comprehensive value of the water resources. Then, the optimal trading quantity of water in each region and the bargain price can be solved. A case study is presented in the YRB to verify the effectiveness of this method. The results reveal that (1) the error rate of the riverbed shear stress as well as the sediment transport rate between the theoretical value and the calculated value does not exceed 8.76%, which indicates the rationality of the calculation method of sediment transport value; (2) the proposed dynamic differential game and pricing game perform well in determining the optimal trading quantity of water in each region. They also reveal the bargain price with optimal results of ¥ 4151.1456 half yearly and ¥ 8197.3466 per year in 2018, outperforming other methodologies.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of waste management literature from 2000 to 2015

Waste management is one of the significant environmental issues. It is adverse for the human, environment, and health is avoidable. It is notable to say that nowadays investigation in all countries growing dramatically. In this study, the scientific production of waste management (from 2000 to 2015) is assessed in all the journals with all the subjects related to the Science Citation Index which are provided by ISI in Philadelphia, USA. The keyword was used in order to search the title is 'waste management'. As the output analysis showed, the revolution of this subject was increased over the last 15 years and the annual paper production in 2013 was about three times 2006-paper production. The number of papers considered in this research is 3,557 which have been published from 2000 to 2015. Considerably, there is a distinction among author keywords used in publications. The five high-publish countries in waste management studies are the USA, China, England, India and Italy. In order to evaluate this work, quantitative and qualitative analysis methods were used to consider the development of global scientific production in this specific research field. The analytical results eventually provide several key findings and consider the overview of waste management.

How to perform an ergonomic analysis of a workstation

In the face of numerous complaints about upper limb pain of employees involved with a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly line, there was a need to assess the level of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMD). To solve this problem, the research aimed to perform an ergonomic analysis in a workstation of an assembly line of a company X of the Manaus Industrial Pole (PIM). Therefore, the risks of WRMD were evaluated and the problems faced were diagnosed, to propose improvement actions to adapt the work environment to the workers. With the aid of the Ergonomic Work Analysis (EWA) method and the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method for the assessment of the risks of WRMD, it was found that the operator was subjected to an average risk of WRMD and that the intervention for resolution or risk minimization was required. The operator's complaints were a pain in the shoulders, arms, and neck. In the end, five recommendations were suggested to company managers to solve or mitigate the problem.

Maxim the Confessor about Perfect Love

Introduction. The subject of study in the article was the experience of the ascent of the famous Byzantine theologian to the mystical-metaphysical contemplation of divine reality, embodied in his book “Chapters on Love”. According to the Orthodox version of the metaphysics of the Way, this ultimate goal can be achieved during life only in the process of hard and practical work of an ascetic, during which the task is set not only to kill worldly desires, but also to ultimately spiritual and moral purification of the monk’s soul. In this small work, Maxim the Confessor described in detail the technology of advancing an ascetic to the last stop and staying in a blissful state of perfect love for God. Materials and Methods. The source of the research was the works of the ancient Indian, Orthodox and Sufi ascetics, which are different versions of the metaphysics of the Way. During the work, mainly thematic and transcendental analysis methods were used, which together made it possible to track the desire of Maxim the Confessor to describe and comprehend the ascent of the Orthodox monk to the mystical-metaphysical contemplation of the Lord. Discussion. The author of the article in numbered and distributed throughout the chapters of the statements of the Byzantine theologian revealed a complex system of mystical and metaphysical views, which can be called the metaphysical theory of theology. From the point of view of modern methodology and philosophy of science, he created effective theoretical constructs “pure mind”, “perfect love”, “selfishness”, “thoughts” and others, which together fully describe the mystical existential reality of a harsh Orthodox monk, which is difficult to reflect by means of language. However, his reasoning is not speculative thoughts. It is quite obvious to the researcher that they are based on rich personal experience and other prominent ascetics of Byzantine Orthodoxy. Results. The study of the soulful book of Maximus the Confessor “Chapters on Love” allows you to advance in understanding one of the most important and the most difficult moments of the Orthodox version of the metaphysics of the Way.

Employees First, Technology Second

Abstract. Digitization and connectivity are hot topics for nearly every company today; numerous new technologies offer diverse options. In this project, a specific technology − smart glasses − was implemented in a manufacturing company. The implementation process was innovative, as the employees’ perspective was taken into account from the beginning, rather than solely designing the technological aspects and involving the users after decisions were taken. Employees involved with the new technology were surveyed to take into account the employees’ expectations and fears regarding work design characteristics. This allowed us to customize features of the smart glasses, adapt the work organization, and inform employees about unclear points concerning the implementation process. Moreover, the competencies required for future work were analyzed using a comprehensive work analysis method. We report the results of two quantitative studies and summarize the lessons learned from this project, which can serve as a guideline for other companies.

The Mirroring Phenomenon in Cultural Consciousness of Russia

The article considers the understanding of the phenomenon of mirroring. In particular, the specifics of the mirroring phenomenon interpretation in scientific studies is analyzed with the help of the comparative historical method and the integral method of literary work analysis. Mirroring is considered as a philosophical and aesthetic phenomenon, as well as a category of modern cultural studies, semiotics and literary studies. The paper in question follows the history of mirror not as a materialistic object, but rather as the phenomenon which meaning goes beyond “physical” nature; it is traced what meanings mirroring acquires in different epochs in the European and Russian culture – from ancient times (the folklore understanding of a mirror as a boundary between worlds) to modern interpretations. It is mentioned in the work that the mirror was not only a common household item, but also a symbolic object that accompanies an individual’s search for himself in the process of self-understanding since one’s own reflection can reveal similarities or differences, kinship or alienity within oneself. The article examines the interpretation of the phenomenon of mirroring in the humanitarian thought of the twentieth century, primarily in the research of M. M. Bakhtin. The entire corpus of the most important scientific works of M. M. Bakhtin has been analyzed: “Author and hero in aesthetic activity”, “Man at the mirror”, “Problems of Dostoevsky's creativity”, “Problems of Dostoevsky's poetics” etc. It is found that the phenomenon of mirroring in the works of M. M. Bakhtin is directly associated with the categories of the “other”, “out-of-search”, “double”, which are dominant in the dialogical concept of the scientist (the other as an “I-twin” turns “others” into objects of his own vision with the help of the mirror). The mirror appears as the object of a character’s identification with his own reflection, himself, and is connected with the conception of “strange consciousness” as a means of “internal” self-equality on looking at yourself with “other’s” eyes.