Theory-Based Evaluation Meets Ambiguity: The Role of Janus Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dahler-Larsen, Peter

2018-01-01

As theory-based evaluation (TBE) engages in situations where multiple stakeholders help develop complex program theory about dynamic phenomena in politically contested settings, it becomes difficult to develop and use program theory without ambiguity. The purpose of this article is to explore ambiguity as a fruitful perspective that helps TBE face…

The Value of Failing in Career Development: A Chaos Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pryor, Robert G. L.; Bright, James E. H.

2012-01-01

Failing is a neglected topic in career development theory and counselling practice. Most theories see failing as simply the opposite of success and something to be avoided. It is contended that the Chaos Theory of Careers with its emphasis on complexity, uncertainty and consequent human imitations, provides a conceptually coherent account of…

Interdisciplinarity and the Question of Being

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welch, James, IV

2012-01-01

The question of being adds another dimension to interdisciplinary theory and practice. The interdisciplinary approach to complex problems requires engaging with multiple perspectives from various disciplines, schools of thought, ideologies, and belief systems. All of these perspectives possess underlying and often unacknowledged ontological…

A Complexity Theory Approach to Sustainability: A Longitudinal Study in Two London NHS Hospitals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitleton-Kelly, Eve

2011-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that organisational sustainability is not a continuation of the status quo but, seen from a complexity theory perspective, is a continuous dynamic process of co-evolution with a changing environment. It is underpinned by learning, and it creates new structures and ways of working to adjust and…

Intersections: Theory-Practice in the Writing Center.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mullin, Joan A., Ed.; Wallace, Ray, Ed.

The 15 essays in this book reveal the complexity of teaching writing, with some contributors calling into question the gap between classroom theory and classroom practice as seen through students' and tutors' perspectives. The book analyzes the cornerstone of theory and proposes a reexamination of some taken-for-granted composition practices.…

The Viability of Using Various System Theories to Describe Organisational Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Terence J.

2004-01-01

This article discusses the viability of concepts such as complex systems theory, evolutionary theory and chaos theory as metaphors for being able to give a global perspective of one particular school described in a previous article entitled "Leading people in a chaotic world." The article restates and re-explains this one particular case in…

Using complexity theory to analyse the organisational response to resurgent tuberculosis across London.

PubMed

Trenholm, Susan; Ferlie, Ewan

2013-09-01

We employ complexity theory to analyse the English National Health Service (NHS)'s organisational response to resurgent tuberculosis across London. Tennison (2002) suggests that complexity theory could fruitfully explore a healthcare system's response to this complex and emergent phenomenon: we explore this claim here. We also bring in established New Public Management principles to enhance our empirical analysis, which is based on data collected between late 2009 and mid-2011. We find that the operation of complexity theory based features, especially self-organisation, are significantly impacted by the macro context of a New Public Management-based regime which values control, measurement and risk management more than innovation, flexibility and lateral system building. We finally explore limitations and suggest perspectives for further research. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neutral Theory: From Complex Population History to Natural Selection and Sociocultural Phenomena in Human Populations.

PubMed

Austerlitz, Frédéric; Heyer, Evelyne

2018-06-01

Here, we present a synthetic view on how Kimura's Neutral theory has helped us gaining insight on the different evolutionary forces that shape human evolution. We put this perspective in the frame of recent emerging challenges: the use of whole genome data for reconstructing population histories, natural selection on complex polygenic traits, and integrating cultural processes in human evolution.

Executive function is necessary for perspective selection, not Level-1 visual perspective calculation: evidence from a dual-task study of adults.

PubMed

Qureshi, Adam W; Apperly, Ian A; Samson, Dana

2010-11-01

Previous research suggests that perspective-taking and other "theory of mind" processes may be cognitively demanding for adult participants, and may be disrupted by concurrent performance of a secondary task. In the current study, a Level-1 visual perspective task was administered to 32 adults using a dual-task paradigm in which the secondary task tapped executive function. Results suggested that the secondary task did not affect the calculation of perspective, but did affect the selection of the relevant (Self or Other) perspective for a given trial. This is the first direct evidence of a cognitively efficient process for "theory of mind" in adults that operates independently of executive function. The contrast between this and previous findings points to a distinction between simple perspective-taking and the more complex and cognitively demanding abilities more typically examined in studies of "theory of mind". It is suggested that these findings may provide a parsimonious explanation of the success of infants on 'indirect' measures of perspective-taking that do not explicitly require selection of the relevant perspective. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Positive deviance: an elegant solution to a complex problem.

PubMed

Lindberg, Curt; Clancy, Thomas R

2010-04-01

As systems evolve over time, their natural tendency is to become increasingly more complex. Studies in the field of complex systems have generated new perspectives on management in social organizations such as hospitals. Much of this research appears as a natural extension of the cross-disciplinary field of systems theory. This is the 13th in a series of articles applying complex systems science to the traditional management concepts of planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and controlling. This article provides one example of how concepts taken from complex systems theory can be applied to real-world problems facing nurses today.

The Complexity of One-Step Equations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngu, Bing

2014-01-01

An analysis of one-step equations from a cognitive load theory perspective uncovers variation within one-step equations. The complexity of one-step equations arises from the element interactivity across the operational and relational lines. The higher the number of operational and relational lines, the greater the complexity of the equations.…

Analysis of Students' Conceptions of Basic Magnetism from a Complex Systems Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemmer, Miriam; Kriek, Jeanne; Erasmus, Benita

2018-03-01

This study established whether 12 South African secondary school physics students had incorrect conceptions of basic magnetism and if they had, to what extent they consistently applied such conceptions. Different scenarios in the form of thought experiments were presented in a clinical interview approach. A complex systems perspective underpinned the study and was firstly used to analyze 12 students' conceptions in terms of intuitive fragments of knowledge elements, structured misconceptions, and theory-like system of knowledge elements. Secondly, coherence in each student's ideas expressed across ten themes using thought experiments was analyzed in an effort to determine variations or coherence in responses. Examples of student explanations and sketches are discussed in the paper to illustrate the conceptual structures they applied. Most of the students in this study used a variety of knowledge elements in accord with a complex systems perspective, but three students seemed to prefer a specific perspective. One student's ideas tended to be mainly fragmented, a second exposed a number of structured misconceptions, while another student's reasoning can be described as a theory-like system of knowledge elements. Accordingly, the emphasis of physics education research should no longer be on the compilation of a list of misconceptions that have to be remedied or replaced, but on the conceptual connections, students make and their associative reasoning patterns (i.e., knowledge systems revealed). It remains for the teacher to use the complex systems perspective as a framework to facilitate students' conceptual development and understanding, proceeding on their existing knowledge systems.

Parental Involvement in the Habilitation Process Following Children's Cochlear Implantation: An Action Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zaidman-Zait, Anat; Young, Richard A.

2008-01-01

Action theory and the qualitative action-project method are used in this study to address and illustrate the complexity of parenting children who have received cochlear implants (CIs) as well as the intentionality of parents engaged in that process. "Action" refers to individual and joint goal-directed and intentional behaviors. Action theory has…

Sustainable System Management with Fisher Information based Objectives

EPA Science Inventory

Sustainable ecosystem management that integrates ecological, economic and social perspectives is a complex task where simultaneous persistence of human and natural components of the system must be ensured. Given the complexity of this task, systems theory approaches based on soun...

Children Writing Ethnography: Children's Perspectives and Nomadic Thinking in Researching School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hohti, Riikka

2016-01-01

This article makes a connection between narrative ethnography, childhood studies and new materialist theories in studying children's perspective on school. It presents "children writing ethnography" as an approach based on complexity and involving participatory research. The question of "what is happening in the classroom" is…

Adult and Community Education in Complex Societies: Reconsidering Critical Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wildemeersch, Danny

2014-01-01

In this contribution, I explore how critical pedagogical perspectives can inspire adult and community education practices. The central argument is that today, in contrast with the heydays of emancipatory practices and theories, the classical critical approaches need reconsideration. The paper explores how these approaches sometimes have a…

Understanding and Remediating Social-Cognitive Dysfunctions in Patients with Serious Mental Illness Using Relational Frame Theory.

PubMed

Hendriks, Annemieke L; Barnes-Holmes, Yvonne; McEnteggart, Ciara; De Mey, Hubert R A; Janssen, Gwenny T L; Egger, Jos I M

2016-01-01

Impairments in social cognition and perspective-taking play an important role in the psychopathology and social functioning of individuals with social anxiety, autism, or schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, among other clinical presentations. Perspective-taking has mostly been studied using the concept of Theory of Mind (ToM), which describes the sequential development of these skills in young children, as well as clinical populations experiencing perspective-taking difficulties. Several studies mention positive results of ToM based training programs; however, the precise processes involved in the achievement of these improvements are difficult to determine. Relational Frame Theory (RFT) is a modern behavioral account of complex cognitive functions, and is argued to provide a more precise approach to the assessment and training of perspective-taking, among other relational skills. Results of RFT-based studies of perspective-taking in developmental and clinical settings are discussed. The development of training methods targeting perspective-taking deficits from an RFT point of view appears to provide promising applications for the enhancement of current treatments of people with social-cognitive dysfunctions.

Complexity Thinking and Methodology: The Potential of "Complex Case Study" for Educational Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hetherington, Lindsay

2013-01-01

Complexity theories have in common perspectives that challenge linear methodologies and views of causality. In educational research, relatively little has been written explicitly exploring their implications for educational research methodology in general and case study in particular. In this paper, I offer a rationale for case study as a research…

Unpacking the Complexity of Linear Equations from a Cognitive Load Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngu, Bing Hiong; Phan, Huy P.

2016-01-01

The degree of element interactivity determines the complexity and therefore the intrinsic cognitive load of linear equations. The unpacking of linear equations at the level of operational and relational lines allows the classification of linear equations in a hierarchical level of complexity. Mapping similar operational and relational lines across…

Life History of a Topic in an Online Discussion: A Complex Systems Theory Perspective on How One Message Attracts Class Members to Create Meaning Collaboratively

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vogler, Jane S.; Schallert, Diane L.; Jordan, Michelle E.; Song, Kwangok; Sanders, Anke J. Z.; Te Chiang, Yueh-hui Yan; Lee, Ji-Eun; Park, Jeongbin Hannah; Yu, Li-Tang

2017-01-01

Complex adaptive systems theory served as a framework for this qualitative study exploring the process of how meaning emerges from the collective interactions of individuals in a synchronous online discussion through their shared words about a topic. In an effort to bridge levels of analysis from the individual to the small group to the community,…

Overcoming the Problem of Embedding Change in Educational Organizations: A Perspective from Normalization Process Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Phil

2017-01-01

In this article, I begin by outlining some of the barriers which constrain sustainable organizational change in schools and universities. I then go on to introduce a theory which has already started to help explain complex change and innovation processes in health and care contexts, Normalization Process Theory. Finally, I consider what this…

Relational Frame Theory and Industrial/Organizational Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Ian; Barnes-Holmes, Dermot; Barnes-Holmes, Yvonne; Bond, Frank W.; Hayes, Steven C.

2006-01-01

The current paper argues that a Relational Frame Theory account of complex human behavior including an analysis of relational frames, relational networks, rules and the concept of self can provide a potentially powerful new perspective on phenomena in the applied science of industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology. In this article, we first…

Life in the Hive: Supporting Inquiry into Complexity Within the Zone of Proximal Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danish, Joshua A.; Peppler, Kylie; Phelps, David; Washington, Dianna

2011-10-01

Research into students' understanding of complex systems typically ignores young children because of misinterpretations of young children's competencies. Furthermore, studies that do recognize young children's competencies tend to focus on what children can do in isolation. As an alternative, we propose an approach to designing for young children that is grounded in the notion of the Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky 1978) and leverages Activity Theory to design learning environments. In order to highlight the benefits of this approach, we describe our process for using Activity Theory to inform the design of new software and curricula in a way that is productive for young children to learn concepts that we might have previously considered to be "developmentally inappropriate". As an illuminative example, we then present a discussion of the design of the BeeSign simulation software and accompanying curriculum which specifically designed from an Activity Theory perspective to engage young children in learning about complex systems (Danish 2009a, b). Furthermore, to illustrate the benefits of this approach, we will present findings from a new study where 40 first- and second-grade students participated in the BeeSign curriculum to learn about how honeybees collect nectar from a complex systems perspective. We conclude with some practical suggestions for how such an approach to using Activity Theory for research and design might be adopted by other science educators and designers.

Computational Complexity and Human Decision-Making.

PubMed

Bossaerts, Peter; Murawski, Carsten

2017-12-01

The rationality principle postulates that decision-makers always choose the best action available to them. It underlies most modern theories of decision-making. The principle does not take into account the difficulty of finding the best option. Here, we propose that computational complexity theory (CCT) provides a framework for defining and quantifying the difficulty of decisions. We review evidence showing that human decision-making is affected by computational complexity. Building on this evidence, we argue that most models of decision-making, and metacognition, are intractable from a computational perspective. To be plausible, future theories of decision-making will need to take into account both the resources required for implementing the computations implied by the theory, and the resource constraints imposed on the decision-maker by biology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Constructing Knowledge via a Peer Interaction in a CAS Environment with Tasks Designed from a Task-Technique-Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hitt, Fernando; Kieran, Carolyn

2009-01-01

Our research project aimed at understanding the complexity of the construction of knowledge in a CAS environment. Basing our work on the French instrumental approach, in particular the Task-Technique-Theory (T-T-T) theoretical frame as adapted from Chevallard's Anthropological Theory of Didactics, we were mindful that a careful task design process…

Young Children's Knowledge About the Moon: A Complex Dynamic System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venville, Grady J.; Louisell, Robert D.; Wilhelm, Jennifer A.

2012-08-01

The purpose of this research was to use a multidimensional theoretical framework to examine young children's knowledge about the Moon. The research was conducted in the interpretive paradigm and the design was a multiple case study of ten children between the ages of three and eight from the USA and Australia. A detailed, semi-structured interview was conducted with each child. In addition, each child's parents were interviewed to determine possible social and cultural influences on the child's knowledge. We sought evidence about how the social and cultural experiences of the children might have influenced the development of their ideas. From a cognitive perspective we were interested in whether the children's ideas were constructed in a theory like form or whether the knowledge was the result of gradual accumulation of fragments of isolated cultural information. Findings reflected the strong and complex relationship between individual children, their social and cultural milieu, and the way they construct ideas about the Moon and astronomy. Findings are presented around four themes including ontology, creatures and artefacts, animism, and permanence. The findings support a complex dynamic system view of students' knowledge that integrates the framework theory perspective and the knowledge in fragments perspective. An initial model of a complex dynamic system of young children's knowledge about the Moon is presented.

A new perspective on the perceptual selectivity of attention under load.

PubMed

Giesbrecht, Barry; Sy, Jocelyn; Bundesen, Claus; Kyllingsbaek, Søren

2014-05-01

The human attention system helps us cope with a complex environment by supporting the selective processing of information relevant to our current goals. Understanding the perceptual, cognitive, and neural mechanisms that mediate selective attention is a core issue in cognitive neuroscience. One prominent model of selective attention, known as load theory, offers an account of how task demands determine when information is selected and an account of the efficiency of the selection process. However, load theory has several critical weaknesses that suggest that it is time for a new perspective. Here we review the strengths and weaknesses of load theory and offer an alternative biologically plausible computational account that is based on the neural theory of visual attention. We argue that this new perspective provides a detailed computational account of how bottom-up and top-down information is integrated to provide efficient attentional selection and allocation of perceptual processing resources. © 2014 New York Academy of Sciences.

"Synergistic selection": a Darwinian frame for the evolution of complexity.

PubMed

Corning, Peter A; Szathmáry, Eörs

2015-04-21

Non-Darwinian theories about the emergence and evolution of complexity date back at least to Lamarck, and include those of Herbert Spencer and the "emergent evolution" theorists of the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In recent decades, this approach has mostly been espoused by various practitioners in biophysics and complexity theory. However, there is a Darwinian alternative - in essence, an economic theory of complexity - proposing that synergistic effects of various kinds have played an important causal role in the evolution of complexity, especially in the "major transitions". This theory is called the "synergism hypothesis". We posit that otherwise unattainable functional advantages arising from various cooperative phenomena have been favored over time in a dynamic that the late John Maynard Smith characterized and modeled as "synergistic selection". The term highlights the fact that synergistic "wholes" may become interdependent "units" of selection. We provide some historical perspective on this issue, as well as a brief explication of the underlying theory and the concept of synergistic selection, and we describe two relevant models. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pedagogy of complex relationality exploring complexity theory, neuro-phenomenology, and attentiveness for education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khattar, Randa

What do the new sciences of complex relationality offer education? This work draws on complexity theory, neurological understandings of biology and phenomenology, and attentiveness to study what the new sciences might offer education and the possibilities of a pedagogical understanding of embodied knowing. Complexity theory provides understandings of local-global relationality, self-organization, far-from-equilibrium conditions, and emergent dynamics that are important for describing pedagogical relationality. In itself, however, complexity theory is lacking an attention to issues of embodiment that respond directly to an ethical understanding of relationality. Phenomenology provides important views on the human experience of perception, for example, Merleau-Ponty's, whose research opens up possibilities for embodiment and attentiveness. At the level of pedagogical practice, I will pose, following biologists Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela's autopoietic self-making understanding of life, that attentiveness perspectives, which have been largely absent from western pedagogical theory and practice, are crucial to promoting embodied knowing for education. Maturana and Varela's autopoietic perspective offers an embodied understanding of living---and therefore education---which opens up necessary attentive spaces to listen to one another in non judgmental awareness in the present moment of experience. I offer insights into a relationally complex conception of education drawing on this biological and autopoietically-grounded framework. These insights are framed in the context of five clusters of relations: (1) emergence, far-from-equilibrium, and local-global relationality; (2) autopoietic autonomy, structural determination and sensory-motor coupling; (3) triggering perturbations, structural plasticity, and autopoietic organization; (4) knowing as adequate action, domains of interaction, and blind spots; and (5) attentiveness and responsive relationality. Four examples of pedagogical practices that are illustrative of these clusters are offered: the L'Arche Communities, the conditional teaching of the Mindfulness Research Lab, the purposeless assignment, and the progettazione of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood.

A complex-network perspective on Alexander's wholeness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Bin

2016-12-01

The wholeness, conceived and developed by Christopher Alexander, is what exists to some degree or other in space and matter, and can be described by precise mathematical language. However, it remains somehow mysterious and elusive, and therefore hard to grasp. This paper develops a complex network perspective on the wholeness to better understand the nature of order or beauty for sustainable design. I bring together a set of complexity-science subjects such as complex networks, fractal geometry, and in particular underlying scaling hierarchy derived by head/tail breaks - a classification scheme and a visualization tool for data with a heavy-tailed distribution, in order to make Alexander's profound thoughts more accessible to design practitioners and complexity-science researchers. Through several case studies (some of which Alexander studied), I demonstrate that the complex-network perspective helps reduce the mystery of wholeness and brings new insights to Alexander's thoughts on the concept of wholeness or objective beauty that exists in fine and deep structure. The complex-network perspective enables us to see things in their wholeness, and to better understand how the kind of structural beauty emerges from local actions guided by the 15 fundamental properties, and in particular by differentiation and adaptation processes. The wholeness goes beyond current complex network theory towards design or creation of living structures.

Service quality and maturity of health care organizations through the lens of Complexity Leadership Theory.

PubMed

Horvat, Ana; Filipovic, Jovan

2018-02-01

This research focuses on Complexity Leadership Theory and the relationship between leadership-examined through the lens of Complexity Leadership Theory-and organizational maturity as an indicator of the performance of health organizations. The research adopts a perspective that conceptualizes organizations as complex adaptive systems and draws upon a survey of opinion of 189 managers working in Serbian health organizations. As the results indicate a dependency between functions of leadership and levels of the maturity of health organizations, we propose a model that connects the two. The study broadens our understanding of the implications of complexity thinking and its reflection on leadership functions and overall organizational performance. The correlations between leadership functions and maturity could have practical applications in policy processing, thus improving the quality of outcomes and the overall level of service quality. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Learner-Centred Pedagogy for Swim Coaching: A Complex Learning Theory-Informed Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Light, Richard

2014-01-01

While constructivist theories of learning have been widely drawn on to understand and explain learning in games when using game-based approaches their use to inform pedagogy beyond games is limited. In particular, there has been little interest in applying constructivist perspectives on learning to sports in which technique is of prime importance.…

A Complexity Perspective on Leadership and Change in the Post-Merger Integration Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lauser, Barbel; Peters, Mike

2008-01-01

After 30 years of research in mergers and acquisitions and advances in the research of post-merger integration (PMI) processes, the outcome of a merger remains hardly predicable. Traditional leadership and change theories have not succeeded in fully explaining PMI processes and therefore new theories are needed. This article offers new insights…

Path Analysis on the Factors Influencing Learning Outcome for Hospitality Interns--From the Flow Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shu-Tai; Chen, Cheng-Chung

2015-01-01

Learning outcome is an important indicator for educators in evaluating curriculum design. The focus of this study has been to examine the factors within internship programs, recognizing the complex nature of knowledge application in a practical industry environment. Flow theory was adopted to explain the psychological state of hospitality students…

Complex Mapping of Aerofoils--A Different Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, Miccal T.

2012-01-01

In this article an application of conformal mapping to aerofoil theory is studied from a geometric and calculus point of view. The problem is suitable for undergraduate teaching in terms of a project or extended piece of work, and brings together the concepts of geometric mapping, parametric equations, complex numbers and calculus. The Joukowski…

Achieving Complex Learning Outcomes through Adoption of a Pedagogical Perspective: A Model for Computer Technology Delivered Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellard, Breshanica

2018-01-01

Professionals responsible for the delivery of education and training using technology systems and platforms can facilitate complex learning through application of relevant strategies, principles and theories that support how learners learn and that support how curriculum should be designed in a technology based learning environment. Technological…

Engineers' professional learning: a practice-theory perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reich, Ann; Rooney, Donna; Gardner, Anne; Willey, Keith; Boud, David; Fitzgerald, Terry

2015-07-01

With the increasing challenges facing professional engineers working in more complex, global and interdisciplinary contexts, different approaches to understanding how engineers practice and learn are necessary. This paper draws on recent research in the social sciences from the field of workplace learning, to suggest that a practice-theory perspective on engineers' professional learning is fruitful. It shifts the focus from the attributes of the individual learner (knowledge, skills and attitudes) to the attributes of the practice (interactions, materiality, opportunities and challenges). Learning is thus more than the technical acquisition and transfer of knowledge, but a complex bundle of activities, that is, social, material, embodied and emerging. The paper is illustrated with examples from a research study of the learning of experienced engineers in the construction industry to demonstrate common practices - site walks and design review meetings - in which learning takes place.

Too Good to be True? Ideomotor Theory from a Computational Perspective

PubMed Central

Herbort, Oliver; Butz, Martin V.

2012-01-01

In recent years, Ideomotor Theory has regained widespread attention and sparked the development of a number of theories on goal-directed behavior and learning. However, there are two issues with previous studies’ use of Ideomotor Theory. Although Ideomotor Theory is seen as very general, it is often studied in settings that are considerably more simplistic than most natural situations. Moreover, Ideomotor Theory’s claim that effect anticipations directly trigger actions and that action-effect learning is based on the formation of direct action-effect associations is hard to address empirically. We address these points from a computational perspective. A simple computational model of Ideomotor Theory was tested in tasks with different degrees of complexity. The model evaluation showed that Ideomotor Theory is a computationally feasible approach for understanding efficient action-effect learning for goal-directed behavior if the following preconditions are met: (1) The range of potential actions and effects has to be restricted. (2) Effects have to follow actions within a short time window. (3) Actions have to be simple and may not require sequencing. The first two preconditions also limit human performance and thus support Ideomotor Theory. The last precondition can be circumvented by extending the model with more complex, indirect action generation processes. In conclusion, we suggest that Ideomotor Theory offers a comprehensive framework to understand action-effect learning. However, we also suggest that additional processes may mediate the conversion of effect anticipations into actions in many situations. PMID:23162524

Theories of Memory and Aging: A Look at the Past and a Glimpse of the Future

PubMed Central

Festini, Sara B.

2017-01-01

The present article reviews theories of memory and aging over the past 50 years. Particularly notable is a progression from early single-mechanism perspectives to complex multifactorial models proposed to account for commonly observed age deficits in memory function. The seminal mechanistic theories of processing speed, limited resources, and inhibitory deficits are discussed and viewed as especially important theories for understanding age-related memory decline. Additionally, advances in multivariate techniques including structural equation modeling provided new tools that led to the development of more complex multifactorial theories than existed earlier. The important role of neuroimaging is considered, along with the current prevalence of intervention studies. We close with predictions about new directions that future research on memory and aging will take. PMID:27257229

A Middle-Range Theory for Diabetes Self-management Mastery.

PubMed

Fearon-Lynch, Jennifer A; Stover, Caitlin M

2015-01-01

Diabetes mellitus is the seventh leading cause of death in America and affects 382 million people worldwide. Individuals with diabetes must manage the complexity of the disease, its treatment, and complications to avert deleterious consequences associated with the illness. However, not all patients with diabetes successfully gain mastery to positively impact self-management. A new middle-range theory is proposed that merges 2 extant theories, theory of mastery and organismic integration theory, to better understand this human response. The theories' philosophical, theoretical, and conceptual perspectives were examined and relational properties synthesized to provide a conceptual representation of the phenomenon of interest.

A Complex Systems Investigation of Group Work Dynamics in L2 Interactive Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poupore, Glen

2018-01-01

Working with Korean university-level learners of English, this study provides a detailed analytical comparison of 2 task work groups that were video-recorded, with 1 group scoring very high and the other relatively low based on the results of a Group Work Dynamic (GWD) measuring instrument. Adopting a complexity theory (CT) perspective and…

Comparing Theory and Practice: An Application of Complexity Theory to General Ridgway’s Success in Korea

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-02

Theory Defined 48 Doctrine 48 Interwar Doctrine a Historical Perspective 52 Adaptive Campaigning 53 Carl von Clausewitz 53 Comparative Analysis of...order effects that may be traced through an understanding of the environment. Carl von Clausewitz suggested using history as a tool, to provide a lens...Cworks/Works.htm (accessed 10/2, 2010). 6 Carl von Clausewitz, On War, trans. Ed. Michael Howard and Peter Paret (Princeton: Princeton University

Nature and potency interactions of the hydrogen bond through the NBO analysis for charge transfer complex between 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-methylpyrimidine and 2,3-pyrazinedicarboxylic acid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faizan, Mohd; Afroz, Ziya; Alam, Mohammad Jane; Bhat, Sheeraz Ahmad; Ahmad, Shabbir; Ahmad, Afaq

2018-05-01

The intermolecular interactions in complex formation between 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-methylpyrimidine (AHMP) and 2,3-pyrazinedicarboxylicacid (PDCA) have been explored using density functional theory calculations. The isolated 1:1 molecular geometry of proton transfer (PT) complex between AHMP and PDCA has been optimized on a counterpoise corrected potential energy surface (PES) at DFT-B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory in the gaseous phase. Further, the formation of hydrogen bonded charge transfer (HBCT) complex between PDCA and AHMP has been also discussed. PT energy barrier between two extremes is calculated using potential energy surface (PES) scan by varying bond length. The intermolecular interactions have been analyzed from theoretical perspective of natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis. In addition, the interaction energy between molecular fragments involved in the complex formation has been also computed by counterpoise procedure at same level of theory.

Revisiting the Wittgensteinian Legacy: Perspectives on Representational and Non-Representational Language-Games for Educational History and Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smeyers, Paul; Fendler, Lynn

2015-01-01

Debates in science seem to depend on referential language-games, but in other senses they do not. Language works in more complex ways, even in work that purports to be purely scientific. This article investigates the scope and limitations of language-games in educational history and theory. The study addresses concepts and pictures as examples of…

Complexity, flow, and antifragile healthcare systems: implications for nurse executives.

PubMed

Clancy, Thomas R

2015-04-01

As systems evolve over time, their natural tendency is to become increasingly more complex. Studies in the field of complex systems have generated new perspectives on the application of management strategies in health systems. Much of this research appears as a natural extension of the cross-disciplinary field of systems theory. In this article, I further discuss the concept of fragility, its impact on system behavior, and ways to reduce it.

Improving processes through evolutionary optimization.

PubMed

Clancy, Thomas R

2011-09-01

As systems evolve over time, their natural tendency is to become increasingly more complex. Studies on complex systems have generated new perspectives on management in social organizations such as hospitals. Much of this research appears as a natural extension of the cross-disciplinary field of systems theory. This is the 18th in a series of articles applying complex systems science to the traditional management concepts of planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and controlling. In this article, I discuss methods to optimize complex healthcare processes through learning, adaptation, and evolutionary planning.

Menstruation, perimenopause, and chaos theory.

PubMed

Derry, Paula S; Derry, Gregory N

2012-01-01

This article argues that menstruation, including the transition to menopause, results from a specific kind of complex system, namely, one that is nonlinear, dynamical, and chaotic. A complexity-based perspective changes how we think about and research menstruation-related health problems and positive health. Chaotic systems are deterministic but not predictable, characterized by sensitivity to initial conditions and strange attractors. Chaos theory provides a coherent framework that qualitatively accounts for puzzling results from perimenopause research. It directs attention to variability within and between women, adaptation, lifespan development, and the need for complex explanations of disease. Whether the menstrual cycle is chaotic can be empirically tested, and a summary of our research on 20- to 40-year-old women is provided.

A network dynamics approach to chemical reaction networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Schaft, A. J.; Rao, S.; Jayawardhana, B.

2016-04-01

A treatment of a chemical reaction network theory is given from the perspective of nonlinear network dynamics, in particular of consensus dynamics. By starting from the complex-balanced assumption, the reaction dynamics governed by mass action kinetics can be rewritten into a form which allows for a very simple derivation of a number of key results in the chemical reaction network theory, and which directly relates to the thermodynamics and port-Hamiltonian formulation of the system. Central in this formulation is the definition of a balanced Laplacian matrix on the graph of chemical complexes together with a resulting fundamental inequality. This immediately leads to the characterisation of the set of equilibria and their stability. Furthermore, the assumption of complex balancedness is revisited from the point of view of Kirchhoff's matrix tree theorem. Both the form of the dynamics and the deduced behaviour are very similar to consensus dynamics, and provide additional perspectives to the latter. Finally, using the classical idea of extending the graph of chemical complexes by a 'zero' complex, a complete steady-state stability analysis of mass action kinetics reaction networks with constant inflows and mass action kinetics outflows is given, and a unified framework is provided for structure-preserving model reduction of this important class of open reaction networks.

CTE Teachers' Perspectives on the Process of CTE and Science Content Integration: A Grounded Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spindler, Matthew Kenneth

The integration of career and technical education (CTE) and academic curricular content that capitalizes on natural and inherent connections represents a challenge for CTE professionals. The research question that was used to guide the current study was: What are CTE teachers' perspectives of and experiences with the process of CTE and science content integration? And more specifically, to generate a grounded theory which explicates the process of CTE and science content integration from the perspective of CTE teachers. The CTE teachers expressed that the process of CTE and science content integration was a process of evolutionizing. From the perspective of the CTE teachers involved integrating CTE and science content resulted in their programs of study being adapted into something different than they were before the process of integration was begun. The CTE teachers revealed that the evolutions in their programs of study and themselves were associated with three other categories within the grounded theory: (a) connecting; (b) enacting; and (c) futuring. The process of CTE and science content integration represents a deep and complex episode for CTE teachers. The process of CTE and science content integration requires connecting to others, putting ideas into action, and an orienting towards the future.

The Complexity of Primary Care Psychology: Theoretical Foundations.

PubMed

Smit, E H; Derksen, J J L

2015-07-01

How does primary care psychology deal with organized complexity? Has it escaped Newtonian science? Has it, as Weaver (1991) suggests, found a way to 'manage problems with many interrelated factors that cannot be dealt by statistical techniques'? Computer simulations and mathematical models in psychology are ongoing positive developments in the study of complex systems. However, the theoretical development of complex systems in psychology lags behind these advances. In this article we use complexity science to develop a theory on experienced complexity in the daily practice of primary care psychologists. We briefly answer the ontological question of what we see (from the perspective of primary care psychology) as reality, the epistemological question of what we can know, the methodological question of how to act, and the ethical question of what is good care. Following our empirical study, we conclude that complexity science can describe the experienced complexity of the psychologist and offer room for personalized client-centered care. Complexity science is slowly filling the gap between the dominant reductionist theory and complex daily practice.

Hypothesis: the chaos and complexity theory may help our understanding of fibromyalgia and similar maladies.

PubMed

Martinez-Lavin, Manuel; Infante, Oscar; Lerma, Claudia

2008-02-01

Modern clinicians are often frustrated by their inability to understand fibromyalgia and similar maladies since these illnesses cannot be explained by the prevailing linear-reductionist medical paradigm. This article proposes that new concepts derived from the Complexity Theory may help understand the pathogenesis of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and Gulf War syndrome. This hypothesis is based on the recent recognition of chaos fractals and complex systems in human physiology. These nonlinear dynamics concepts offer a different perspective to the notion of homeostasis and disease. They propose that the essence of disease is dysfunction and not structural damage. Studies using novel nonlinear instruments have shown that fibromyalgia and similar maladies may be caused by the degraded performance of our main complex adaptive system. This dysfunction explains the multifaceted manifestations of these entities. To understand and alleviate the suffering associated with these complex illnesses, a paradigm shift from reductionism to holism based on the Complexity Theory is suggested. This shift perceives health as resilient adaptation and some chronic illnesses as rigid dysfunction.

A study of the spreading scheme for viral marketing based on a complex network model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jianmei; Yao, Canzhong; Ma, Weicheng; Chen, Guanrong

2010-02-01

Buzzword-based viral marketing, known also as digital word-of-mouth marketing, is a marketing mode attached to some carriers on the Internet, which can rapidly copy marketing information at a low cost. Viral marketing actually uses a pre-existing social network where, however, the scale of the pre-existing network is believed to be so large and so random, so that its theoretical analysis is intractable and unmanageable. There are very few reports in the literature on how to design a spreading scheme for viral marketing on real social networks according to the traditional marketing theory or the relatively new network marketing theory. Complex network theory provides a new model for the study of large-scale complex systems, using the latest developments of graph theory and computing techniques. From this perspective, the present paper extends the complex network theory and modeling into the research of general viral marketing and develops a specific spreading scheme for viral marking and an approach to design the scheme based on a real complex network on the QQ instant messaging system. This approach is shown to be rather universal and can be further extended to the design of various spreading schemes for viral marketing based on different instant messaging systems.

Variable speed limit strategies analysis with mesoscopic traffic flow model based on complex networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shu-Bin; Cao, Dan-Ni; Dang, Wen-Xiu; Zhang, Lin

As a new cross-discipline, the complexity science has penetrated into every field of economy and society. With the arrival of big data, the research of the complexity science has reached its summit again. In recent years, it offers a new perspective for traffic control by using complex networks theory. The interaction course of various kinds of information in traffic system forms a huge complex system. A new mesoscopic traffic flow model is improved with variable speed limit (VSL), and the simulation process is designed, which is based on the complex networks theory combined with the proposed model. This paper studies effect of VSL on the dynamic traffic flow, and then analyzes the optimal control strategy of VSL in different network topologies. The conclusion of this research is meaningful to put forward some reasonable transportation plan and develop effective traffic management and control measures to help the department of traffic management.

Tell Me How to Do This Thing Called Design! Practical Application of Complexity Theory to Military Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-04-08

into how economics, information theory and computer science, psychology, sociology, evolutionary biology, physics (quantum mechanics) and cosmology ...include knowledge and definition of “self” (as “self” is part of the environment) and the shared experience and perspective of others  That...including information, entropy, quantum behavior, and cosmological progress In short I assume the above and therefore my recommendations could be

Life on moduli space?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Stephen D. H.

2009-10-01

While the number of metastable landscape vacua in string theory is vast, the number of supermoduli vacua which lead to distinct low-energy physics is even larger, perhaps infinitely so. From the anthropic perspective it is therefore important to understand whether complex life is possible on moduli space—i.e., in low-energy effective theories with (1) exact supersymmetry and (2) some massless multiplets (moduli). Unless life is essentially impossible on moduli space as a consequence of these characteristics, anthropic reasoning in string theory suggests that the overwhelming majority of sentient beings would observe 1-2. We investigate whether 1 and 2 are by themselves automatically inimical to life and conclude, tentatively, that they are not. In particular, we describe moduli scenarios in which complex life seems possible.

The Emergence of Interdisciplinarity from Epistemological Thought

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welch, James, IV

2011-01-01

Interdisciplinary studies has positioned itself as an innovative approach to comprehending, navigating, and transforming knowledge. The emphasis in recent scholarship upon complex systems and integration of insights from disciplinary perspectives mark decisive progress toward the development of a cohesive theory of interdisciplinarity. Such a…

Measurement and simulation of the relatively competitive advantages and weaknesses between economies based on bipartite graph theory.

PubMed

Guan, Jun; Xu, Xiaoyu; Wu, Shan; Xing, Lizhi

2018-01-01

The input-output table is very comprehensive and detailed in describing the national economic systems with abundant economic relationships, which contain supply and demand information among various industrial sectors. The complex network, a theory, and method for measuring the structure of a complex system can depict the structural characteristics of the internal structure of the researched object by measuring the structural indicators of the social and economic systems, revealing the complex relationships between the inner hierarchies and the external economic functions. In this paper, functions of industrial sectors on the global value chain are to be distinguished with bipartite graph theory, and inter-sector competitive relationships are to be extracted through resource allocation process. Furthermore, quantitative analysis indices will be proposed under the perspective of a complex network, which will be used to bring about simulations on the variation tendencies of economies' status in different situations of commercial intercourses. Finally, a new econophysics analytical framework of international trade is to be established.

Measurement and simulation of the relatively competitive advantages and weaknesses between economies based on bipartite graph theory

PubMed Central

Guan, Jun; Xu, Xiaoyu; Wu, Shan

2018-01-01

The input-output table is very comprehensive and detailed in describing the national economic systems with abundant economic relationships, which contain supply and demand information among various industrial sectors. The complex network, a theory, and method for measuring the structure of a complex system can depict the structural characteristics of the internal structure of the researched object by measuring the structural indicators of the social and economic systems, revealing the complex relationships between the inner hierarchies and the external economic functions. In this paper, functions of industrial sectors on the global value chain are to be distinguished with bipartite graph theory, and inter-sector competitive relationships are to be extracted through resource allocation process. Furthermore, quantitative analysis indices will be proposed under the perspective of a complex network, which will be used to bring about simulations on the variation tendencies of economies’ status in different situations of commercial intercourses. Finally, a new econophysics analytical framework of international trade is to be established. PMID:29813083

Toward a Child Rights Theory in Pediatric Bioethics.

PubMed

Goldhagen, Jeffrey; Mercer, Raul; Webb, Elspeth; Nathawad, Rita; Shenoda, Sherry; Lansdown, Gerison

2016-01-01

This article offers a child rights theory in pediatric bioethics, applying the principles, standards, and norms of child rights, health equity, and social justice to medical and ethical decision-making. We argue that a child rights theory in pediatric bioethics will help pediatricians and pediatric bioethicists analyze and address the complex interplay of biomedical and social determinants of child health. These core principles, standards and norms, grounded in the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), provide the foundational elements for the theory and a means for better understanding the complex determinants of children's health and well-being. Rights-based approaches to medical and ethical decision-making provide strategies for applying and translating these elements into the practice of pediatrics and pediatric bioethics by establishing a coherent, consistent, and contextual theory that is relevant to contemporary practice. The proposed child rights theory extends evolving perspectives on the relationship between human rights and bioethics to both child rights and pediatric bioethics.

Correspondence between quantization schemes for two-player nonzero-sum games and CNOT complexity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vijayakrishnan, V.; Balakrishnan, S.

2018-05-01

The well-known quantization schemes for two-player nonzero-sum games are Eisert-Wilkens-Lewenstein scheme and Marinatto-Weber scheme. In this work, we establish the connection between the two schemes from the perspective of quantum circuits. Further, we provide the correspondence between any game quantization schemes and the CNOT complexity, where CNOT complexity is up to the local unitary operations. While CNOT complexity is known to be useful in the analysis of universal quantum circuit, in this work, we find its applicability in quantum game theory.

Border Cracks: Approaching Border Security From a Complexity Theory and Systems Perspective

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

The judicial system ensures the laws passed, along with the enforcement, are legal and in accordance with the Constitution . Judicial rulings are...54 4. Prohibition: The Beginning of Border Security as a Law Enforcement Tool...64 5. Law Enforcement ...............................................................................65 6

An experiential perspective on persecutory paranoia: a grounded theory construction.

PubMed

Boyd, Tom; Gumley, Andrew

2007-03-01

Recently there has been a large volume of research on persecutory paranoia. Evidence has emerged for the role of social factors in the development of paranoia. There have, however, been no studies that have collaborated with users to develop an experiential perspective on paranoia. This study used a social constructionist version of grounded theory to develop an experiential perspective on persecutory paranoia. Ten individuals who had experience of persecutory paranoia were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using the grounded theory method. A core process of fear and vulnerability was constructed. Subcategories of confusion and uncertainty, and self under attack contributed to the core process. These processes led to an engaging of the safety systems. Subthemes of these categories were identified. Many of these factors interacted to create the complex and dynamic experience of paranoia. Participants were often responding to genuinely frightening experiences but were also attacking themselves. Paranoia evolved as a mechanism of keeping oneself safe in dangerous situations. The need to negotiate a shared meaning of paranoia with users is emphasized. Direction for future research was discussed.

Intercultural caring-an abductive model.

PubMed

Wikberg, Anita; Eriksson, Katie

2008-09-01

The aim of this study was to increase the understanding of caring from a transcultural perspective and to develop the first outline of a theory. The theoretical perspective includes Eriksson's theory of caritative caring. Texts on caring by the transcultural theorists, including Campinha-Bacote, Kim-Godwin, Leininger and Ray, are analysed using content analysis. The overall theme that resulted from this analysis was that caring is a complex whole. Three main categories of caring emerged: inner caring, outer caring and the goal of caring. Inner caring consists of caring is a relationship, and caring and culture are seen in different dimensions. Outer caring refers to caring affected by educational, administrative and social and other structures. The goal of caring consists of caring leading to change towards health and well-being. The main categories include categories and subcategories that are compared with Eriksson's theory of caritative caring. A model for intercultural caring is generated abductively. Caring and culture appear in three dimensions: caring as ontology independent of context; caring as a phenomenon emphasised differently in different cultures; caring as nursing care activities is unique. Caring alleviates suffering and leads to health and well-being. This model describes caring from an intercultural perspective as a mutual but asymmetric relationship between the nurse and the patient, including the patient's family and community. The patient's cultural background and acculturation influence caring. The cultural background, cultural competence and organisation of the nurse also influence caring. Caring is seen as a complex whole. This study integrates Campinha-Bacote's, Kim-Godwin's, Leininger's and Ray's views of caring with Eriksson's caritative caring and presents caring from a transcultural perspective in a new way as a model for intercultural caring, which can benefit nursing care, education, research and administration.

The stability of the international oil trade network from short-term and long-term perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Qingru; Gao, Xiangyun; Zhong, Weiqiong; Liu, Nairong

2017-09-01

To examine the stability of the international oil trade network and explore the influence of countries and trade relationships on the trade stability, we construct weighted and unweighted international oil trade networks based on complex network theory using oil trading data between countries from 1996 to 2014. We analyze the stability of international oil trade network (IOTN) from short-term and long-term aspects. From the short-term perspective, we find that the trade volumes play an important role on the stability. Moreover, the weighted IOTN is stable; however, the unweighted networks can better reflect the actual evolution of IOTN. From the long-term perspective, we identify trade relationships that are maintained during the whole sample period to reveal the situation of the whole international oil trade. We provide a way to quantitatively measure the stability of complex network from short-term and long-term perspectives, which can be applied to measure and analyze trade stability of other goods or services.

Life on moduli space?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hsu, Stephen D. H.

2009-10-15

While the number of metastable landscape vacua in string theory is vast, the number of supermoduli vacua which lead to distinct low-energy physics is even larger, perhaps infinitely so. From the anthropic perspective it is therefore important to understand whether complex life is possible on moduli space - i.e., in low-energy effective theories with (1) exact supersymmetry and (2) some massless multiplets (moduli). Unless life is essentially impossible on moduli space as a consequence of these characteristics, anthropic reasoning in string theory suggests that the overwhelming majority of sentient beings would observe 1-2. We investigate whether 1 and 2 aremore » by themselves automatically inimical to life and conclude, tentatively, that they are not. In particular, we describe moduli scenarios in which complex life seems possible.« less

Attachment in integrative neuroscientific perspective.

PubMed

Hruby, Radovan; Hasto, Jozef; Minarik, Peter

2011-01-01

Attachment theory is a very influential general concept of human social and emotional development, which emphasizes the role of early mother-infant interactions for infant's adaptive behavioural and stress copying strategies, personality organization and mental health. Individuals with disrupted development of secure attachment to mother/primary caregiver are at higher risk of developing mental disorders. This theory consists of the complex developmental psycho-neurobiological model of attachment and emerges from principles of psychoanalysis, evolutionary biology, cognitive-developmental psychology, ethology, physiology and control systems theory. The progress of modern neuroscience enables interpretation of neurobiological aspects of the theory as multi-level neural interactions and functional development of important neural structures, effects of neuromediattors, hormones and essential neurobiological processes including emotional, cognitive, social interactions and the special key role of mentalizing. It has multiple neurobiological, neuroendocrine, neurophysiological, ethological, genetic, developmental, psychological, psychotherapeutic and neuropsychiatric consequences and is a prototype of complex neuroscientific concept as interpretation of modern integrated neuroscience.

Engineers' Professional Learning: A Practice-Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reich, Ann; Rooney, Donna; Gardner, Anne; Willey, Keith; Boud, David; Fitzgerald, Terry

2015-01-01

With the increasing challenges facing professional engineers working in more complex, global and interdisciplinary contexts, different approaches to understanding how engineers practice and learn are necessary. This paper draws on recent research in the social sciences from the field of workplace learning, to suggest that a practice-theory…

Faith-Based Human Services Initiatives: Considerations for Social Work Practice and Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tangenberg, Kathleen M.

2005-01-01

Faith-based human services initiatives present numerous challenges to professional social work. This article explores ways a theoretical integration of ecosystems and structuration perspectives may help social workers navigate complex ideological and practical implications of changing service delivery policies. The article highlights diversity…

QCD and strongly coupled gauge theories: Challenges and perspectives

DOE PAGES

Brambilla, N.; Eidelman, S.; Foka, P.; ...

2014-10-21

We highlight the progress, current status, and open challenges of QCD-driven physics, in theory and in experiment. We discuss how the strong interaction is intimately connected to a broad sweep of physical problems, in settings ranging from astrophysics and cosmology to stongly-coupled, complex systems in particle and condensed-matter physics, as well as to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. We also discuss how success in describing the strong interaction impacts other fields, and, in turn, how such subjects can impact studies of the strong interaction. In the course of the work we offer a perspective on the many researchmore » streams which flow into and out of QCD, as well as a vision for future developments.« less

QCD and strongly coupled gauge theories: challenges and perspectives.

PubMed

Brambilla, N; Eidelman, S; Foka, P; Gardner, S; Kronfeld, A S; Alford, M G; Alkofer, R; Butenschoen, M; Cohen, T D; Erdmenger, J; Fabbietti, L; Faber, M; Goity, J L; Ketzer, B; Lin, H W; Llanes-Estrada, F J; Meyer, H B; Pakhlov, P; Pallante, E; Polikarpov, M I; Sazdjian, H; Schmitt, A; Snow, W M; Vairo, A; Vogt, R; Vuorinen, A; Wittig, H; Arnold, P; Christakoglou, P; Di Nezza, P; Fodor, Z; Garcia I Tormo, X; Höllwieser, R; Janik, M A; Kalweit, A; Keane, D; Kiritsis, E; Mischke, A; Mizuk, R; Odyniec, G; Papadodimas, K; Pich, A; Pittau, R; Qiu, J-W; Ricciardi, G; Salgado, C A; Schwenzer, K; Stefanis, N G; von Hippel, G M; Zakharov, V I

We highlight the progress, current status, and open challenges of QCD-driven physics, in theory and in experiment. We discuss how the strong interaction is intimately connected to a broad sweep of physical problems, in settings ranging from astrophysics and cosmology to strongly coupled, complex systems in particle and condensed-matter physics, as well as to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. We also discuss how success in describing the strong interaction impacts other fields, and, in turn, how such subjects can impact studies of the strong interaction. In the course of the work we offer a perspective on the many research streams which flow into and out of QCD, as well as a vision for future developments.

A modeling framework for exposing risks in complex systems.

PubMed

Sharit, J

2000-08-01

This article introduces and develops a modeling framework for exposing risks in the form of human errors and adverse consequences in high-risk systems. The modeling framework is based on two components: a two-dimensional theory of accidents in systems developed by Perrow in 1984, and the concept of multiple system perspectives. The theory of accidents differentiates systems on the basis of two sets of attributes. One set characterizes the degree to which systems are interactively complex; the other emphasizes the extent to which systems are tightly coupled. The concept of multiple perspectives provides alternative descriptions of the entire system that serve to enhance insight into system processes. The usefulness of these two model components derives from a modeling framework that cross-links them, enabling a variety of work contexts to be exposed and understood that would otherwise be very difficult or impossible to identify. The model components and the modeling framework are illustrated in the case of a large and comprehensive trauma care system. In addition to its general utility in the area of risk analysis, this methodology may be valuable in applications of current methods of human and system reliability analysis in complex and continually evolving high-risk systems.

The future (and past) of quantum theory after the Higgs boson: a quantum-informational viewpoint.

PubMed

Plotnitsky, Arkady

2016-05-28

Taking as its point of departure the discovery of the Higgs boson, this article considers quantum theory, including quantum field theory, which predicted the Higgs boson, through the combined perspective of quantum information theory and the idea of technology, while also adopting anon-realistinterpretation, in 'the spirit of Copenhagen', of quantum theory and quantum phenomena themselves. The article argues that the 'events' in question in fundamental physics, such as the discovery of the Higgs boson (a particularly complex and dramatic, but not essentially different, case), are made possible by the joint workings of three technologies: experimental technology, mathematical technology and, more recently, digital computer technology. The article will consider the role of and the relationships among these technologies, focusing on experimental and mathematical technologies, in quantum mechanics (QM), quantum field theory (QFT) and finite-dimensional quantum theory, with which quantum information theory has been primarily concerned thus far. It will do so, in part, by reassessing the history of quantum theory, beginning with Heisenberg's discovery of QM, in quantum-informational and technological terms. This history, the article argues, is defined by the discoveries of increasingly complex configurations of observed phenomena and the emergence of the increasingly complex mathematical formalism accounting for these phenomena, culminating in the standard model of elementary-particle physics, defining the current state of QFT. © 2016 The Author(s).

What can complexity do for diabetes management? Linking theory to practice.

PubMed

Cooper, Helen C; Geyer, Robert

2009-08-01

Diabetes presents a multifaceted picture with its rapidly rising prevalence associated with changing demographics and increasing levels of obesity in the developed world. Deaths from diabetes are predicted to rise by 25% over the next 10 years. The enormity of this public health challenge has been recognized the world over, but little attention has been paid to the theoretical frameworks underpinning practical management. This paper aims to introduce complexity theory and discuss its practical application to diabetes, focusing on a single 'tool' to provide an example of how theory can be linked to practice. Critics have questioned the all inclusive nature of complexity seeing it as an intangible concept that fails to offer anything new to health care. However, few have appraised its practical application to a chronic disease that is currently managed using an outdated, linear, reduce and resolve model which fails to address the multiple interacting systems inherent within this condition. This article proposes that complexity theory provides an interprofessional perspective for describing and understanding the processes involved, and provides working 'tools' for patients, carers and practitioners that capture the reality of managing this chronic disease in modern life.

A review of human factors challenges of complex adaptive systems: discovering and understanding chaos in human performance.

PubMed

Karwowski, Waldemar

2012-12-01

In this paper, the author explores a need for a greater understanding of the true nature of human-system interactions from the perspective of the theory of complex adaptive systems, including the essence of complexity, emergent properties of system behavior, nonlinear systems dynamics, and deterministic chaos. Human performance, more often than not, constitutes complex adaptive phenomena with emergent properties that exhibit nonlinear dynamical (chaotic) behaviors. The complexity challenges in the design and management of contemporary work systems, including service systems, are explored. Examples of selected applications of the concepts of nonlinear dynamics to the study of human physical performance are provided. Understanding and applications of the concepts of theory of complex adaptive and dynamical systems should significantly improve the effectiveness of human-centered design efforts of a large system of systems. Performance of many contemporary work systems and environments may be sensitive to the initial conditions and may exhibit dynamic nonlinear properties and chaotic system behaviors. Human-centered design of emergent human-system interactions requires application of the theories of nonlinear dynamics and complex adaptive system. The success of future human-systems integration efforts requires the fusion of paradigms, knowledge, design principles, and methodologies of human factors and ergonomics with those of the science of complex adaptive systems as well as modern systems engineering.

Correspondence of I- and Q-balls as non-relativistic condensates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mukaida, Kyohei; Takimoto, Masahiro, E-mail: mukaida@hep-th.phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp, E-mail: takimoto@hep-th.phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp

2014-08-01

If a real scalar field is dominated by non-relativistic modes, then it approximately conserves its particle number and obeys an equation that governs a complex scalar field theory with a conserved global U(1) symmetry. From this fact, it is shown that the I-ball (oscillon) can be naturally understood as a projection (e.g., real part) of the non-relativistic Q-ball solution. In particular, we clarify that the stability of the I-ball is guaranteed by the U(1) symmetry in the corresponding complex scalar field theory as long as the non-relativistic condition holds. We also discuss the longevity of I-ball from the perspective ofmore » the complex scalar field in terms of U(1) charge violating processes.« less

Analyzing the causation of a railway accident based on a complex network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xin; Li, Ke-Ping; Luo, Zi-Yan; Zhou, Jin

2014-02-01

In this paper, a new model is constructed for the causation analysis of railway accident based on the complex network theory. In the model, the nodes are defined as various manifest or latent accident causal factors. By employing the complex network theory, especially its statistical indicators, the railway accident as well as its key causations can be analyzed from the overall perspective. As a case, the “7.23” China—Yongwen railway accident is illustrated based on this model. The results show that the inspection of signals and the checking of line conditions before trains run played an important role in this railway accident. In conclusion, the constructed model gives a theoretical clue for railway accident prediction and, hence, greatly reduces the occurrence of railway accidents.

Protein-Protein Interface and Disease: Perspective from Biomolecular Networks.

PubMed

Hu, Guang; Xiao, Fei; Li, Yuqian; Li, Yuan; Vongsangnak, Wanwipa

Protein-protein interactions are involved in many important biological processes and molecular mechanisms of disease association. Structural studies of interfacial residues in protein complexes provide information on protein-protein interactions. Characterizing protein-protein interfaces, including binding sites and allosteric changes, thus pose an imminent challenge. With special focus on protein complexes, approaches based on network theory are proposed to meet this challenge. In this review we pay attention to protein-protein interfaces from the perspective of biomolecular networks and their roles in disease. We first describe the different roles of protein complexes in disease through several structural aspects of interfaces. We then discuss some recent advances in predicting hot spots and communication pathway analysis in terms of amino acid networks. Finally, we highlight possible future aspects of this area with respect to both methodology development and applications for disease treatment.

Outcome Assessment from the Perspective of Psychological Science: The TAIM Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinke, Pamela; Fitch, Peggy

2011-01-01

In this chapter, the authors outline an approach to assessing complex constructs supported by psychological science and research. This approach is informed by their background as psychologists but is general enough to incorporate other disciplinary approaches as well. They identify this approach as TAIM (Theory, Activities, Indicators, Multiple…

Using Activity Theory to Understand Learning Design Requirements of Patient Self-Management Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaffer, Scott P.; Reyes, Lisette; Kim, Hannah; Collins, Bart

2010-01-01

Learning designs aimed at supporting transformational change could significantly benefit from the adoption of socio-historical and socio-cultural analysis approaches. Such systemic perspectives are gaining more importance in education as they facilitate understanding of complex interactions between learning environments and human activity. The…

Skill Acquisition in Physical Education: A Speculative Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Wayne W.

2011-01-01

How we learn motor skills has always been of interest to physical educators. Contemporary conceptual frameworks about motor skill learning draw from earlier behavioral and cognitive psychology learning theories. As a point of departure this paper foregrounds complexity theorizing, arguing that skill is contingent upon the performer's physical and…

Emerging Perspectives on Organizational Behavior: Implications for Institutional Researchers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidtlein, Frank A.

1999-01-01

Examines common assumptions about the rationality or irrationality of organizational behavior and finds that decision making occurs in a complex context that successful college/university institutional research offices must recognize and work with. Finds that emerging organizational theories suggest there are limitations on the use of data and…

Understanding the Listening Process: Rethinking the "One Size Fits All" Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolvin, Andrew

2013-01-01

Robert Bostrom's seminal contributions to listening theory and research represent an impressive legacy and provide listening scholars with important perspectives on the complexities of listening cognition and behavior. Bostrom's work provides a solid foundation on which to build models that more realistically explain how listeners function…

Interdisciplinary Critical Inquiry: Teaching about the Social Construction of Madness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connor-Greene, Patricia A.

2006-01-01

Theories and treatments of mental illness reflect the social, philosophical, and historical context in which they developed. This article describes ways to invite students to grapple with complex questions about "madness" from an interdisciplinary perspective. Looking at the construct of madness through multiple lenses (e.g., literature,…

Complex Mobile Learning That Adapts to Learners' Cognitive Load

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deegan, Robin

2015-01-01

Mobile learning is cognitively demanding and frequently the ubiquitous nature of mobile computing means that mobile devices are used in cognitively demanding environments. This paper examines the use of mobile devices from a Learning, Usability and Cognitive Load Theory perspective. It suggests scenarios where these fields interact and presents an…

Globalization and Education: Complexities and Contingencies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rizvi, Fazal; Lingard, Bob

2000-01-01

Introduces a collection of essays that examine the notions of globalization from the perspective of educational theory and explore the ways in which the discourses, practices, and institutions of education have been affected by globalization and the ways in which educational policies have both expressed and responded to the pressures of…

Engaging or Distracting: Children's Tablet Computer Use in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEwen, Rhonda N.; Dubé, Adam K.

2015-01-01

Communications studies and psychology offer analytical and methodological tools that when combined have the potential to bring novel perspectives on human interaction with technologies. In this study of children using simple and complex mathematics applications on tablet computers, cognitive load theory is used to answer the question: how…

Integrative Perspectives of Academic Motivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chittum, Jessica Rebecca

My overall objective in this dissertation was to develop more integrative perspectives of several aspects of academic motivation. Rarely have researchers and theorists examined a more comprehensive model of academic motivation that pools multiple constructs that interact in a complex and dynamic fashion (Kaplan, Katz, & Flum, 2012; Turner, Christensen, Kackar-Cam, Trucano, & Fulmer, 2014). The more common trend in motivation research and theory has been to identify and explain only a few motivation constructs and their linear relationships rather than examine complex relationships involving "continuously emerging systems of dynamically interrelated components" (Kaplan et al., 2014, para. 4). In this dissertation, my co-author and I focused on a more integrative perspective of academic motivation by first reviewing varying characterizations of one motivation construct (Manuscript 1) and then empirically testing dynamic interactions among multiple motivation constructs using a person-centered methodological approach (Manuscript 2). Within the first manuscript (Chapter 2), a theoretical review paper, we summarized multiple perspectives of the need for autonomy and similar constructs in academic motivation, primarily autonomy in self-determination theory, autonomy supports, and choice. We provided an integrative review and extrapolated practical teaching implications. We concluded with recommendations for researchers and instructors, including a call for more integrated perspectives of academic motivation and autonomy that focus on complex and dynamic patterns in individuals' motivational beliefs. Within the second manuscript (Chapter 3), we empirically investigated students' motivation in science class as a complex, dynamic, and context-bound phenomenon that incorporates multiple motivation constructs. Following a person-centered approach, we completed cluster analyses of students' perceptions of 5 well-known motivation constructs (autonomy, utility value, expectancy, interest, and caring) in science class to determine whether or not the students grouped into meaningful "motivation profiles." 5 stable profiles emerged: (1) low motivation; (2) low value and high support; (3) somewhat high motivation; (4) somewhat high empowerment and values, and high support; and (5) high motivation. As this study serves as a proof of concept, we concluded by describing the 5 clusters. Together, these studies represent a focus on more integrative and person-centered approaches to studying and understanding academic motivation.

Interprofessional communication and medical error: a reframing of research questions and approaches.

PubMed

Varpio, Lara; Hall, Pippa; Lingard, Lorelei; Schryer, Catherine F

2008-10-01

Progress toward understanding the links between interprofessional communication and issues of medical error has been slow. Recent research proposes that this delay may result from overlooking the complexities involved in interprofessional care. Medical education initiatives in this domain tend to simplify the complexities of team membership fluidity, rotation, and use of communication tools. A new theoretically informed research approach is required to take into account these complexities. To generate such an approach, we review two theories from the social sciences: Activity Theory and Knotworking. Using these perspectives, we propose that research into interprofessional communication and medical error can develop better understandings of (1) how and why medical errors are generated and (2) how and why gaps in team defenses occur. Such complexities will have to be investigated if students and practicing clinicians are to be adequately prepared to work safely in interprofessional teams.

Self-organization versus self-management: two sides of the same coin?

PubMed

Clancy, Thomas R

2009-03-01

As systems evolve over time, their natural tendency is to become increasingly more complex. Studies in the field of complex systems have generated new perspectives on management in social organizations such as hospitals. Much of this research appears as a natural extension of the cross-disciplinary field of systems theory. This is the eighth in a series of articles applying complex systems science to the traditional management concepts of planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and controlling. In this article, the author explores self-organization as it relates to self-management in complex social organizations.

Inhabiting the sexual landscape: toward an interpretive theory of the development of sexual orientation and identity.

PubMed

Gordon, Liahna E; Silva, Tony J

2015-01-01

Building on Paula Rust's (1996) concept of a sexual landscape, we propose an interpretive theory of the development of both sexual orientation and sexual identity. We seek to reconcile human agency with active and shifting influences in social context and to recognize the inherent complexity of environmental factors while acknowledging the role that biological potential plays. We ground our model in the insights of three compatible and related theoretical perspectives: social constructionism, symbolic interactionism, and scripting theory. Within this framework, we explain how sexual orientation and sexual identities develop and potentially change.

Regulating with imagery and the complexity of basic emotions. Comment on "The quartet theory of human emotions: An integrative and neurofunctional model" by S. Koelsch et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, Marcel; Kuchinke, Lars

2015-06-01

Literature, music and the arts have long attested to the complexity of human emotions. Hitherto, psychological and biological theories of emotions have largely neglected this rich heritage. In their review Koelsch and colleagues [1] have embarked upon the pioneering endeavour of integrating the diverse perspectives in emotion research. Noting that the focus of prior neurobiological theories relies mainly on animal studies, the authors sought to complement this body of research with a model of complex ("moral") emotions in humans (henceforth: complex emotions). According to this novel framework, there are four main interacting affective centres in the brain. Each centre is associated with a dominant affective function, such as ascending activation (brainstem), pain/pleasure (diencephalon), attachment-related affects (hippocampus) or moral emotions and unconscious cognitive appraisal (orbitofrontal cortex). Furthermore, language is ascribed a key role in (a) the communication of subjective feeling (reconfiguration) and (b) in the conscious regulation of emotions (by means of logic and rational thought).

Theory testing in prehistoric North America: fruits of one of the world's great archeological natural laboratories.

PubMed

Bingham, Paul M; Souza, Joanne

2013-01-01

This paper has several interconnected goals. First and most generally, we will review the project represented by the papers in this dedicated issue and the SAA Symposium (2012) on Social Complexity and the Bow. This project centers on the ever-stronger and broader theory testing now becoming feasible in archeology and anthropology, in this case exploiting the unique natural laboratory represented by what we refer to as the North American Neolithic transitions. Second, we will strive to synopsize the papers in this issue as opportunities to falsify two general theories of the cause of increases in social complexity associated with the North American Neolithic: warfare and social coercion theories.(1) We argue that, though much work remains to be done, the current evidence supports one of the central predictions of both these theories, that the local arrival of elite bow technology was a central driver of local transitions to increased social complexity. This conclusion, if ultimately verified, has profound implications for the possibility of general theories of history. Third, we will argue that several important details of this evidence falsify warfare theory and support (fail to falsify) social coercion theory (the authors' favored perspective). Moreover, several potential falsifications of social coercion theory are amenable to alternative interpretations, leading to new falsifiable predictions. Finally, we discuss how interactions with our colleagues in this project produced new insights into several details of the predictions of social coercion theory, improving our interpretative capacity. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Theory's role in shaping behavioral health research for population health.

PubMed

King, Abby C

2015-11-26

The careful application of theory often is used in the behavioral health field to enhance our understanding of how the world currently works. But theory also can help us visualize what the world can become, particularly through its potential impacts on population-wide health. Applying a multi-level ecological perspective can help in expanding the field's focus upward toward the population at large. While ecological frameworks have become increasingly popular, arguably such perspectives have fallen short of their potential to actively bridge conceptual constructs and, by extension, intervention approaches, across different levels of population impact. Theoretical and conceptual perspectives that explicitly span levels of impact offer arguably the greatest potential for achieving scientific insights that may in turn produce the largest population health effects. Examples of such "bridging" approaches include theories and models that span behavioral + micro-environment, behavioral + social/cultural, and social + physical environment constructs. Several recommendations are presented related to opportunities for leveraging theories to attain the greatest impact in the population health science field. These include applying the evidence obtained from person-level theories to inform methods for positively impacting the behaviors of community gatekeepers and decision-makers for greater population change and reach; leveraging the potential of residents as "citizen scientists"--a resource for enacting behavioral health changes at the individual, environmental, and policy levels; using empirical observations and theory in equal parts to build more robust, relevant, and solution-oriented behavior change programs; exploring moderators and mediators of change at levels of impact that go beyond the individual; and considering the circumstances in which applying conceptual methods that embrace a "complexity" as opposed to "causality" perspective may lead to more flexible and agile scientific approaches that could accelerate both population-relevant discoveries and applications in the field. The commentary closes with suggestions concerning additional areas to be considered to facilitate continued advances in the health behavior field more generally to attain the greatest impacts on population health.

Making communication research matter: what do patients notice, what do patients want, and what do patients need?

PubMed

Epstein, Ronald M

2006-03-01

To explore limitations of current communication theory by considering different perspectives of researchers, clinicians, patients and teachers of communication. Theory development based on limitations of the current communication research literature due to inconsistencies between patient reports and observed communication behavior. While researchers focus on the mechanics and techniques of communication, patients seek relationships in which they experience trust, the right amount of autonomy, caring, and expertise. Patients', physicians', and communication experts' perspectives do not always define the same problems and often point to different solutions. In addition to studying clinician behaviors and patient perceptions of care, communication research should focus on five additional factors: what patients notice, want and need, and how their perspectives differ from those of physicians and researchers; the context, including illness severity and type and family influences; how complex health systems facilitate and impede communication; patients' influences on physician communication behavior; and habits of mind that promote attentive care.

Context, Complexity and Contestation: Birmingham's Agreed Syllabuses for Religious Education since the 1970s

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Stephen G.; Freathy, Rob J. K.

2011-01-01

The present article offers an historical perspective on the 1975, 1995 and 2007 Birmingham Agreed Syllabuses for Religious Education. It draws upon historical evidence uncovered as part of "The hidden history of curriculum change in religious education in English schools, 1969-1979" project, and curriculum history theories, especially…

Social Relations in Childhood and Adolescence: The Convoy Model Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levitt, Mary J.

2005-01-01

Research on the development of social relations has been largely fragmented along role-specific lines and dominated conceptually by attachment theory. The Convoy Model is presented as an alternative to traditional approaches that fail to capture the complexity of social relationships across time and context. Research based on the model converges…

ICT Reform Initiatives in Singapore Schools: A Complexity Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toh, Yancy; So, Hyo-Jeong

2011-01-01

The past two decades have witnessed an exponential growth in the use of technology in our daily life. Notwithstanding its phenomenal influence, the use of technology in education remains sporadic and disjointed. The promise that technology will bring deep-seated changes in the way that educators teach and students learn remains, disappointedly,…

Climate Cases: Learning about Student Conceptualizations of Global Climate Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tierney, Benjamin P.

2013-01-01

The complex topic of global climate change continues to be a challenging yet important topic among science educators and researchers. This mixed methods study adds to the growing research by investigating student conceptions of climate change from a system theory perspective (Von Bertalanffy, 1968) by asking the question, "How do differences…

From Access to Success: An Integrated Approach to Quality Higher Education Informed by Social Inclusion Theory and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gidley, Jennifer M.; Hampson, Gary P.; Wheeler, Leone; Bereded-Samuel, Elleni

2010-01-01

Equitable access, success and quality in higher education are examined from a variety of ideological perspectives. "Quality" is positioned as a complex generic concept while "access" and "success" are identified as key concepts in the social inclusion domain, supplemented by the concept of "participation."…

The Utility of Vignettes to Stimulate Reflection on Professionalism: Theory and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernabeo, E. C.; Holmboe, E. S.; Ross, K.; Chesluk, B.; Ginsburg, S.

2013-01-01

Professionalism remains a substantive theme in medical literature. There is an emerging emphasis on sociological and complex adaptive systems perspectives that refocuses attention from just the individual role to working within one's system to enact professionalism in practice. Reflecting on responses to professional dilemmas may be one…

Building a Model of Employee Training through Holistic Analysis of Biological, Psychological, and Sociocultural Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schenck, Andrew

2015-01-01

While theories of adult learning and motivation are often framed as being either biological, psychological, or sociocultural, they represent a more complex, integral process. To gain a more holistic perspective of this process, a study was designed to concurrently investigate relationships between a biological factor (age), psychological factors…

Theory and Practice in EFL Teacher Education: Bridging the Gap. New Perspectives on Language and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huttner, Julia; Mehlmauer-Larcher, Barbara; Reichl, Susanne; Schiftner, Barbara

2011-01-01

This volume addresses the complex issues surrounding language teacher education, especially in EFL, and the development of professionalism in this field. By applying such concepts as Shulman's "pedagogical content knowledge", the development of teachers' knowledge base is investigated in a variety of settings, thus underpinning the contextual…

The filial piety complex: variations on the Oedipus theme in Chinese literature and culture.

PubMed

Gu, Ming Dong

2006-01-01

The Oedipus complex is central to Western tradition, but not to Chinese culture. Occurrence of oedipal themes in Chinese literature is almost negligible. This phenomenon seems to support a contra-Freud claim: that a theory of European origin, the Oedipus complex, is not universal to human experience in non-Western cultures. However, this article suggests that powerful moral repression may cause the Oedipus complex to undergo structural transformations in some cultures. Through studying a sample of Chinese literary and film representations, the author argues that the Oedipus complex in Chinese culture has been transformed into a filial piety complex. Some conceptual issues are considered from a cross-cultural perspective.

Social networks as embedded complex adaptive systems.

PubMed

Benham-Hutchins, Marge; Clancy, Thomas R

2010-09-01

As systems evolve over time, their natural tendency is to become increasingly more complex. Studies in the field of complex systems have generated new perspectives on management in social organizations such as hospitals. Much of this research appears as a natural extension of the cross-disciplinary field of systems theory. This is the 15th in a series of articles applying complex systems science to the traditional management concepts of planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and controlling. In this article, the authors discuss healthcare social networks as a hierarchy of embedded complex adaptive systems. The authors further examine the use of social network analysis tools as a means to understand complex communication patterns and reduce medical errors.

Perspective: Quantum mechanical methods in biochemistry and biophysics.

PubMed

Cui, Qiang

2016-10-14

In this perspective article, I discuss several research topics relevant to quantum mechanical (QM) methods in biophysical and biochemical applications. Due to the immense complexity of biological problems, the key is to develop methods that are able to strike the proper balance of computational efficiency and accuracy for the problem of interest. Therefore, in addition to the development of novel ab initio and density functional theory based QM methods for the study of reactive events that involve complex motifs such as transition metal clusters in metalloenzymes, it is equally important to develop inexpensive QM methods and advanced classical or quantal force fields to describe different physicochemical properties of biomolecules and their behaviors in complex environments. Maintaining a solid connection of these more approximate methods with rigorous QM methods is essential to their transferability and robustness. Comparison to diverse experimental observables helps validate computational models and mechanistic hypotheses as well as driving further development of computational methodologies.

Grip on health: A complex systems approach to transform health care.

PubMed

van Wietmarschen, Herman A; Wortelboer, Heleen M; van der Greef, Jan

2018-02-01

This article addresses the urgent need for a transition in health care to deal with the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and associated rapid rise of health care costs. Chronic diseases evolve and are predominantly related to lifestyle and environment. A shift is needed from a reductionist repair mode of thinking, toward a more integrated biopsychosocial way of thinking about health. The aim of this article is to discuss the opportunities that complexity science offer for transforming health care toward optimal treatment and prevention of chronic lifestyle diseases. Health and health care is discussed from a complexity science perspective. The benefits of concepts developed in the field of complexity science for stimulating transitions in health care are explored. Complexity science supports the elucidation of the essence of health processes. It provides a unique perspective on health with a focus on the relationships within networks of dynamically interacting factors and the emergence of health out of the organization of those relationships. Novel types of complexity science-based intervention strategies are being developed. The first application in practice is the integrated obesity treatment program currently piloted in the Netherlands, focusing on health awareness and healing relationships. Complexity science offers various theories and methods to capture the path toward unhealthy and healthy states, facilitating the development of a dynamic integrated biopsychosocial perspective on health. This perspective offers unique insights into health processes for patients and citizens. In addition, dynamic models driven by personal data provide simulations of health processes and the ability to detect transitions between health states. Such models are essential for aligning and reconnecting the many institutions and disciplines involved in the health care sector and evolve toward an integrated health care ecosystem. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Multiscale structure in eco-evolutionary dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stacey, Blake C.

In a complex system, the individual components are neither so tightly coupled or correlated that they can all be treated as a single unit, nor so uncorrelated that they can be approximated as independent entities. Instead, patterns of interdependency lead to structure at multiple scales of organization. Evolution excels at producing such complex structures. In turn, the existence of these complex interrelationships within a biological system affects the evolutionary dynamics of that system. I present a mathematical formalism for multiscale structure, grounded in information theory, which makes these intuitions quantitative, and I show how dynamics defined in terms of population genetics or evolutionary game theory can lead to multiscale organization. For complex systems, "more is different," and I address this from several perspectives. Spatial host--consumer models demonstrate the importance of the structures which can arise due to dynamical pattern formation. Evolutionary game theory reveals the novel effects which can result from multiplayer games, nonlinear payoffs and ecological stochasticity. Replicator dynamics in an environment with mesoscale structure relates to generalized conditionalization rules in probability theory. The idea of natural selection "acting at multiple levels" has been mathematized in a variety of ways, not all of which are equivalent. We will face down the confusion, using the experience developed over the course of this thesis to clarify the situation.

Level of Construal, Mind Wandering, and Repetitive Thought

PubMed Central

Watkins, Edward R.

2010-01-01

In this reply to the comment of McVay and Kane (2010)Watkins’s (2008) elaborated control theory informs their perspective on the role of executive control in mind wandering. I argue that although in a number of places the elaborated control theory is consistent with the perspective of McVay and Kane that mind wandering represents a failure of executive control, their account makes a number of claims that are not articulated in the elaborated control theory—most notably, the hypothesis that level of construal moderates entry of thoughts into awareness. Moreover, the relevant literature suggests that the relationship between level of construal and executive control may be more complex, and may be determined by multiple factors beyond those proposed in this executive-control failure account of mind wandering. Finally, the implications of this model of mind wandering for understanding repetitive thought in general are considered, and it is proposed that examining level of executive control as a further moderating variable within elaborated control theory may be of value.

Big Data, Big Challenges: Implications for Chief Nurse Executives.

PubMed

Clancy, Thomas R; Reed, Laura

2016-03-01

As systems evolve over time, their natural tendency is to become increasingly more complex. Studies in the field of complex systems have generated new perspectives on the application of management strategies in health systems. Much of this research appears as a natural extension of the cross-disciplinary field of systems theory. In this edition, I begin a series of articles on the growing challenge faced by nurse administrators of finding value in the vast amounts of information collected by health systems today.

Investigation on law and economics of listed companies’ financing preference based on complex network theory

PubMed Central

Yang, Jian; Bai, Shuying; Qu, Zhao; Chang, Hui

2017-01-01

In this paper, complex network theory is used to make time-series analysis of key indicators of governance structure and financing data. We analyze scientific listed companies’ governance data from 2010 to 2014 and divide them into groups in accordance with the similarity they share. Then we select sample companies to analyze their financing data and explore the influence of governance structure on financing decision and the financing preference they display. This paper reviews relevant laws and regulations of financing from the perspective of law and economics, then proposes reasonable suggestions to consummate the law for the purpose of regulating listed companies’ financing. The research provides a reference for making qualitative analysis on companies’ financing. PMID:28301510

Investigation on law and economics of listed companies' financing preference based on complex network theory.

PubMed

Yang, Jian; Bai, Shuying; Qu, Zhao; Chang, Hui

2017-01-01

In this paper, complex network theory is used to make time-series analysis of key indicators of governance structure and financing data. We analyze scientific listed companies' governance data from 2010 to 2014 and divide them into groups in accordance with the similarity they share. Then we select sample companies to analyze their financing data and explore the influence of governance structure on financing decision and the financing preference they display. This paper reviews relevant laws and regulations of financing from the perspective of law and economics, then proposes reasonable suggestions to consummate the law for the purpose of regulating listed companies' financing. The research provides a reference for making qualitative analysis on companies' financing.

Placing Motivation and Future Time Perspective Theory in a Temporal Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simons, Joke; Vansteenkiste, Maarten; Lens, Willy; Lacante, Marlies

2004-01-01

An overview of the conceptual development of future time perspective theory [Nuttin, J. R. (1984). "Motivation, Planning and Action: A Relational Theory of Behavior," Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ; Nuttin, J., and Lens, W. (1985). "Future Time Perspective and Motivation: Theory and Research Method," Leuven University Press and Erlbaum, Leuven, Belgium…

VBOT: Motivating computational and complex systems fluencies with constructionist virtual/physical robotics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berland, Matthew W.

As scientists use the tools of computational and complex systems theory to broaden science perspectives (e.g., Bar-Yam, 1997; Holland, 1995; Wolfram, 2002), so can middle-school students broaden their perspectives using appropriate tools. The goals of this dissertation project are to build, study, evaluate, and compare activities designed to foster both computational and complex systems fluencies through collaborative constructionist virtual and physical robotics. In these activities, each student builds an agent (e.g., a robot-bird) that must interact with fellow students' agents to generate a complex aggregate (e.g., a flock of robot-birds) in a participatory simulation environment (Wilensky & Stroup, 1999a). In a participatory simulation, students collaborate by acting in a common space, teaching each other, and discussing content with one another. As a result, the students improve both their computational fluency and their complex systems fluency, where fluency is defined as the ability to both consume and produce relevant content (DiSessa, 2000). To date, several systems have been designed to foster computational and complex systems fluencies through computer programming and collaborative play (e.g., Hancock, 2003; Wilensky & Stroup, 1999b); this study suggests that, by supporting the relevant fluencies through collaborative play, they become mutually reinforcing. In this work, I will present both the design of the VBOT virtual/physical constructionist robotics learning environment and a comparative study of student interaction with the virtual and physical environments across four middle-school classrooms, focusing on the contrast in systems perspectives differently afforded by the two environments. In particular, I found that while performance gains were similar overall, the physical environment supported agent perspectives on aggregate behavior, and the virtual environment supported aggregate perspectives on agent behavior. The primary research questions are: (1) What are the relative affordances of virtual and physical constructionist robotics systems towards computational and complex systems fluencies? (2) What can middle school students learn using computational/complex systems learning environments in a collaborative setting? (3) In what ways are these environments and activities effective in teaching students computational and complex systems fluencies?

Putting it altogether: improving performance in heart failure outcomes, part 2.

PubMed

Clancy, Thomas R

2009-09-01

As systems evolve over time, their natural tendency is to become increasingly more complex. Studies in the field of complex systems have generated new perspectives on management in social organizations such as hospitals. Much of this research appears as a natural extension of the cross-disciplinary field of systems theory. This is the 10th in a series of articles applying complex systems science to the traditional management concepts of planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and controlling. As follow-up to the case study in this column's June 2009 article, this article highlights the interventions and outcomes of the study.

Thermodynamics and the evolution of a city: a tale of how Chicago came to be, from biophysical and socio-economic perspectives

EPA Science Inventory

Cities are complex organized systems, similar to biological and ecological systems in the way that they are structured and function. These systems are subject to the laws of thermodynamics and the principles of Energy Systems Theory (EST). Like other systems, cities experience l...

The Business of Internationalisation: Emerging Issues for the Entrepreneurial University. AIR 1999 Annual Forum Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poole, David; Pratt, Graham

This paper analyzes various strategic management models for international programs from an Australian perspective. It presents the results of a qualitative case study of one Australian university faculty of business in the context of the relevance of chaos and complexity theories to strategic management. The case study is organized around the…

Reasons for Demotivation across Years of Study: Voices from Iranian English Major Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hassaskhah, Jaleh; Mahdavi Zafarghandi, Amir; Fazeli, Maryam

2015-01-01

Language learning failure is often directly related to demotivation. The purpose of this study is to examine the process of demotivation and identify its sources within four years of an undergraduate degree programme. To this end, based on the complex dynamic systems perspective of the dynamic systems theories (DSTs), the demotivation test battery…

The Roles of Internal Representation and Processing in Problem Solving Involving Insight: A Computational Complexity Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wareham, Todd

2017-01-01

In human problem solving, there is a wide variation between individuals in problem solution time and success rate, regardless of whether or not this problem solving involves insight. In this paper, we apply computational and parameterized analysis to a plausible formalization of extended representation change theory (eRCT), an integration of…

Zoning in On Parents’ Needs: Understanding parents’ perspectives in order to provide person-centered care

PubMed Central

Jones, Jana E.; Kessler-Jones, Alanna; Thompson, Mary K.; Young, Kate; Anderson, Amelia J.; Strand, David M.

2014-01-01

Purpose In order to develop a theoretical framework for person-centered care models for children with epilepsy and their parents, we conducted a qualitative study to explore and understand parents’ needs, values, and preferences to ultimately reduce barriers that may be impeding parents from accessing and obtaining help for the child’s co-occurring problems. Methods A qualitative grounded theory study design was utilized to understand parents’ perspectives. The participants were 22 parents of children with epilepsy who ranged in age from 31-53 years. Interviews were conducted using open ended semi-structured questions to facilitate conversation. Transcripts were analyzed using grounded theory guidelines. Results In order to understand the different perspectives parents had about their child, we devised a theory composed of three zones (Zones 1, 2, 3) that can be used to conceptualize parents’ viewpoints. Zone location was based on parents’ perspectives of their child’s comorbidities in the context of epilepsy. These zones were developed to help identify distinctions between parents’ perspectives and to provide a framework within which to understand parents’ readiness to access and implement interventions to address the child’s struggles. These zones of understanding describe parents’ perspectives of their child’s struggles at a particular point in time. This is the perspective from which parents address their child’s needs. This theoretical perspective provides a structure in which to discuss parents’ perspectives on conceptualizing or comprehending the child’s struggles in the context of epilepsy. The zones are based on how the parents a) describe their concerns about the child’s struggles, b) their understanding of the struggles, and c) the parent’s view of the child’s future. Conclusions Clinicians working with individuals and families with epilepsy are aware that epilepsy is a complex and unpredictable disorder. The zones help clinicians conceptualize and build a framework within which to understand how parents view their child’s struggles, which influences the parents’ ability to understand and act on clinician feedback and recommendations. Zones allow for increased understanding of the parent at a particular time and provide a structure within which a clinician can provide guidance and feedback to meet parents’ needs, values and preferences. This theory allows clinicians to meet the parents where they are and address their needs in a way that benefits the parents, family and child. PMID:25050778

Using resource dependency theory to measure the environment in health care organizational studies: a systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Yeager, Valerie A; Menachemi, Nir; Savage, Grant T; Ginter, Peter M; Sen, Bisakha P; Beitsch, Leslie M

2014-01-01

Studies using the resource dependency theory (RDT) perspective commonly focus on one or more of the following environmental dimensions: munificence, dynamism, and complexity. To date, no one has reviewed the use of this theory in the health care management literature and there exists no consensus on how to operationalize the market environment in health care settings. The purpose of this review is to examine and summarize the ways in which RDT has been applied in empirical studies of the external environments of health care organizations. In so doing, we identify gaps in the literature and examine the extent to which previous empirical findings aligned with hypothesized relationships based on RDT. We conducted a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature using a bibliographic search of PubMed and ABI/Inform databases. To identify all health care studies that incorporated the RDT perspective, the words "healthcare" or "health care" were searched in combination with any of the following words: resource dependency theory, uncertainty perspective, environment, munificence, dynamism, and complexity. We also performed a hand search of the reference lists of all manuscripts identified in the initial search to identify additional articles. Twenty studies were included in this review. Wide variability existed in the number of variables used to measure the environment, the environmental constructs measured, and the specific variables used to operationalizethe environmental constructs. Of the 198 tests examining the relationship between environmental variables and the outcome of interest, 26.8% resulted in findings that supported the RDT-predicted hypotheses. The RDT literature is limited to studies of hospitals, nursing homes, and medical practices. There is little consensus on how to measure or operationalize the environment in these studies. No previous studies have measured the environment for other health care settings such as ambulatory surgery centers, public health departments, or assisted living facilities.

Newton, Laplace, and The Epistemology of Systems Biology

PubMed Central

Bittner, Michael L.; Dougherty, Edward R.

2012-01-01

For science, theoretical or applied, to significantly advance, researchers must use the most appropriate mathematical methods. A century and a half elapsed between Newton’s development of the calculus and Laplace’s development of celestial mechanics. One cannot imagine the latter without the former. Today, more than three-quarters of a century has elapsed since the birth of stochastic systems theory. This article provides a perspective on the utilization of systems theory as the proper vehicle for the development of systems biology and its application to complex regulatory diseases such as cancer. PMID:23170064

Theoretical Perspectives on Gender in Education: The Case of Eastern and Southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mannathoko, Changu

1999-11-01

In recent years, throughout Eastern and Southern Africa, there has been a proliferation of research on gender in education. It is possible to point to a wide variety of publications, courses and programmes planned and organized by universities, national governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and the private sector relating to this field. This article examines the feminist and gender theories underpinning all these endeavors. The theories are assessed for their potential capacity to assist in elucidating the complex relationship between gender and development within the region.

A hydrodynamic model for cooperating solidary countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Luca, Roberto; Di Mauro, Marco; Falzarano, Angelo; Naddeo, Adele

2017-07-01

The goal of international trade theories is to explain the exchange of goods and services between different countries, aiming to benefit from it. Albeit the idea is very simple and known since ancient history, smart policy and business strategies need to be implemented by each subject, resulting in a complex as well as not obvious interplay. In order to understand such a complexity, different theories have been developed since the sixteenth century and today new ideas still continue to enter the game. Among them, the so called classical theories are country-based and range from Absolute and Comparative Advantage theories by A. Smith and D. Ricardo to Factor Proportions theory by E. Heckscher and B. Ohlin. In this work we build a simple hydrodynamic model, able to reproduce the main conclusions of Comparative Advantage theory in its simplest setup, i.e. a two-country world with country A and country B exchanging two goods within a genuine exchange-based economy and a trade flow ruled only by market forces. The model is further generalized by introducing money in order to discuss its role in shaping trade patterns. Advantages and drawbacks of the model are also discussed together with perspectives for its improvement.

Coherent Patterns in Nuclei and in Financial Markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DroŻdŻ, S.; Kwapień, J.; Speth, J.

2010-07-01

In the area of traditional physics the atomic nucleus belongs to the most complex systems. It involves essentially all elements that characterize complexity including the most distinctive one whose essence is a permanent coexistence of coherent patterns and of randomness. From a more interdisciplinary perspective, these are the financial markets that represent an extreme complexity. Here, based on the matrix formalism, we set some parallels between several characteristics of complexity in the above two systems. We, in particular, refer to the concept—historically originating from nuclear physics considerations—of the random matrix theory and demonstrate its utility in quantifying characteristics of the coexistence of chaos and collectivity also for the financial markets. In this later case we show examples that illustrate mapping of the matrix formulation into the concepts originating from the graph theory. Finally, attention is drawn to some novel aspects of the financial coherence which opens room for speculation if analogous effects can be detected in the atomic nuclei or in other strongly interacting Fermi systems.

Robot-assisted surgery: an emerging platform for human neuroscience research

PubMed Central

Jarc, Anthony M.; Nisky, Ilana

2015-01-01

Classic studies in human sensorimotor control use simplified tasks to uncover fundamental control strategies employed by the nervous system. Such simple tasks are critical for isolating specific features of motor, sensory, or cognitive processes, and for inferring causality between these features and observed behavioral changes. However, it remains unclear how these theories translate to complex sensorimotor tasks or to natural behaviors. Part of the difficulty in performing such experiments has been the lack of appropriate tools for measuring complex motor skills in real-world contexts. Robot-assisted surgery (RAS) provides an opportunity to overcome these challenges by enabling unobtrusive measurements of user behavior. In addition, a continuum of tasks with varying complexity—from simple tasks such as those in classic studies to highly complex tasks such as a surgical procedure—can be studied using RAS platforms. Finally, RAS includes a diverse participant population of inexperienced users all the way to expert surgeons. In this perspective, we illustrate how the characteristics of RAS systems make them compelling platforms to extend many theories in human neuroscience, as well as, to develop new theories altogether. PMID:26089785

Evidence for Healthy Cities: reflections on practice, method and theory.

PubMed

de Leeuw, Evelyne

2009-11-01

The European Healthy Cities project can be characterized as a social movement that employs an extremely wide range of political, social and behavioural interventions for the development and sustenance of urban population health. At all of these levels, the movement is inspired by ideological, theoretical and evidence-based perspectives. The result of this stance is a dynamic, complex and diverse landscape of initiatives, plans, programmes and actions. In quantitative terms (the number of WHO designated cities and associated cities and communities through national networks), 'Healthy Cities' can be regarded as an extraordinary accomplishment and a credit for both WHO and cities in the movement. In qualitative terms, however, critics of the movement have maintained that little evidence on its success and effectiveness has been generated. This critique finds its foundations in the mere perceptions of evidence, the politics of science and urban governance, and perspectives on the preferred or professed utilities of evidence-based health notions. The article reviews the nature of evidence and its interface with politics and governance. Applying a conceptual framework combining insights from knowledge utilization theory, theoretical perspectives on (health) policy development, theory-based evaluations and planned intervention approaches, it demonstrates that, although the evidence is overwhelming, there are barriers to the implementation of such evidence that should be further addressed by 'Healthy Cities'.

[The dimension of the paradigm of complexity in health systems].

PubMed

Fajardo-Ortiz, Guillermo; Fernández-Ortega, Miguel Ángel; Ortiz-Montalvo, Armando; Olivares-Santos, Roberto Antonio

2015-01-01

This article presents elements to better understand health systems from the complety paradigm, innovative perspective that offers other ways in the conception of the scientific knowledge prevalent away from linear, characterized by the arise of emerging dissociative and behaviors, based on the intra and trans-disciplinarity concepts such knowledges explain and understand in a different way what happens in the health systems with a view to efficiency and effectiveness. The complexity paradigm means another way of conceptualizing the knowledge, is different from the prevalent epistemology, is still under construction does not separate, not isolated, is not reductionist, or fixed, does not solve the problems, but gives other bases to know them and study them, is a different strategy, a perspective that has basis in the systems theory, informatics and cybernetics beyond traditional knowledge, the positive logics, the newtonian physics and symmetric mathematics, in which everything is centered and balanced, joint the "soft sciences and hard sciences", it has present the Social Determinants of Health and organizational culture. Under the complexity paradigm the health systems are identified with the following concepts: entropy, neguentropy, the thermodynamic second law, attractors, chaos theory, fractals, selfmanagement and self-organization, emerging behaviors, percolation, uncertainty, networks and robusteness; such expressions open new possibilities to improve the management and better understanding of the health systems, giving rise to consider health systems as complex adaptive systems. Copyright © 2015. Published by Masson Doyma México S.A.

Actor-Network Theory and its role in understanding the implementation of information technology developments in healthcare.

PubMed

Cresswell, Kathrin M; Worth, Allison; Sheikh, Aziz

2010-11-01

Actor-Network Theory (ANT) is an increasingly influential, but still deeply contested, approach to understand humans and their interactions with inanimate objects. We argue that health services research, and in particular evaluations of complex IT systems in health service organisations, may benefit from being informed by Actor-Network Theory perspectives. Despite some limitations, an Actor-Network Theory-based approach is conceptually useful in helping to appreciate the complexity of reality (including the complexity of organisations) and the active role of technology in this context. This can prove helpful in understanding how social effects are generated as a result of associations between different actors in a network. Of central importance in this respect is that Actor-Network Theory provides a lens through which to view the role of technology in shaping social processes. Attention to this shaping role can contribute to a more holistic appreciation of the complexity of technology introduction in healthcare settings. It can also prove practically useful in providing a theoretically informed approach to sampling (by drawing on informants that are related to the technology in question) and analysis (by providing a conceptual tool and vocabulary that can form the basis for interpretations). We draw on existing empirical work in this area and our ongoing work investigating the integration of electronic health record systems introduced as part of England's National Programme for Information Technology to illustrate salient points. Actor-Network Theory needs to be used pragmatically with an appreciation of its shortcomings. Our experiences suggest it can be helpful in investigating technology implementations in healthcare settings.

Medical ethics research between theory and practice.

PubMed

ten Have, H A; Lelie, A

1998-06-01

The main object of criticism of present-day medical ethics is the standard view of the relationship between theory and practice. Medical ethics is more than the application of moral theories and principles, and health care is more than the domain of application of moral theories. Moral theories and principles are necessarily abstract, and therefore fail to take account of the sometimes idiosyncratic reality of clinical work and the actual experiences of practitioners. Suggestions to remedy the illness of contemporary medical ethics focus on re-establishing the connection between the internal and external morality of medicine. This article discusses the question how to develop a theoretical perspective on medical ethical issues that connects philosophical reflection with the everyday realities of medical practice. Four steps in a comprehensive approach of medical ethics research are distinguished: (1) examine health care contexts in order to obtain a better understanding of the internal morality of these practices; this requires empirical research; (2) analyze and interpret the external morality governing health care practices; sociological study of prevalent values, norms, and attitudes concerning medical-ethical issues is required; (3) creation of new theoretical perspectives on health care practices; Jensen's theory of healthcare practices will be useful here; (4) develop a new conception of bioethics that illuminates and clarifies the complex interaction between the internal and external morality of health care practices. Hermeneutical ethics can be helpful for integrating the experiences disclosed in the empirical ethical studies, as well as utilizing the insights gained from describing the value-contexts of health care practices. For a critical and normative perspective, hermeneutical ethics has to examine and explain the moral experiences uncovered, in order to understand what they tell us.

Why Could Father Involvement Benefit Children? Theoretical Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pleck, Joseph H.

2007-01-01

Four theoretical perspectives about why father involvement could have positive consequences for child development are briefly reviewed: attachment theory, social capital theory, Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory, and "essential father" theory. Strengths and weaknesses of each perspective are discussed, and the prospects for an integrated…

Understanding Observational Learning: An Interbehavioral Approach

PubMed Central

Fryling, Mitch J; Johnston, Cristin; Hayes, Linda J

2011-01-01

Observational learning is an important area in the field of psychology and behavior science more generally. Given this, it is essential that behavior analysts articulate a sound theory of how behavior change occurs through observation. This paper begins with an overview of seminal research in the area of observational learning, followed by a consideration of common behavior analytic conceptualizations of these findings. The interbehavioral perspective is then outlined, shedding light on some difficulties with the existing behavior analytic approaches. The implications of embracing the interbehavioral perspective for understanding the most complex sorts of behavior, including those involved in observational learning are considered. PMID:22532764

Speaking for ourselves: feminist methods and community psychology.

PubMed

Cosgrove, L; McHugh, M C

2000-12-01

Although feminist and community psychology share a number of epistemological and methodological perspectives that guide their respective theories and research practices, it has been argued that community psychology has not fully integrated a feminist perspective into the discipline. This paper examines how community psychology and feminist research methods might combine to help us better understand women's experiences without essentializing or universalizing those experiences. The authors offer a series of suggested directions for feminist research that may also prove promising for community psychology. Particular attention is paid to feminist social constructionist approaches insofar as they address the complex relationship between epistemology and methodology.

The Use of Video Cases in a Multimedia Learning Environment for Facilitating High School Students' Inquiry into a Problem from Varying Perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zydney, Janet Mannheimer; Grincewicz, Amy

2011-12-01

This study investigated the connection between the use of video cases within a multimedia learning environment and students' inquiry into a socio-scientific problem. The software program was designed based on principles from the Cognitive Flexibility Theory (CFT) and incorporated video cases of experts with differing perspectives. Seventy-nine 10th-grade students in an urban high school participated in this study. After watching the expert videos, students generated investigative questions and reflected on how their ideas changed over time. This study found a significant correlation between the time students spent watching the expert videos and their ability to consider the problem's perspectives as well as their ability to integrate these perspectives within their questions. Moreover, problem-solving ability and time watching the videos were detected as possible influential predictors of students' consideration of the problem's perspectives within their questions. Although students watched all video cases in equivalent ways, one of the video cases, which incorporated multiple perspectives as opposed to just presenting one perspective, appeared most influential in helping students integrate the various perspectives into their own thinking. A qualitative analysis of students' reflections indicated that many students appreciated the complexity, authenticity, and ethical dimensions of the problem. It also revealed that while the majority of students thought critically about the problem, some students still had naïve or simplistic ways of thinking. This study provided some preliminary evidence that offering students the opportunity to watch videos of different perspectives may influence them to think in alternative ways about a complex problem.

Exploring "Knowings" in Human Movement: The Practical Knowledge of Pole-Vaulters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyberg, Gunn

2014-01-01

The aim of this paper is to explore and develop ways to describe what there is to know, from the perspective of the one who knows, when knowing how to carry out a complex movement. The paper will challenge the distinction between mental and physical skills, drawing on theories of tacit knowing (Polanyi, 1969), knowing how (Ryle, 1949) and…

Evaluating the Study Abroad Experience Using the Framework of Rotter's Social Learning Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLeod, Mark; Carter, Vince; Nowicki, Steve; Tottenham, Dana; Wainwright, Philip; Wyner, Dana

2015-01-01

The goal of most if not all study abroad programs is to provide students with a set of life experiences that will broaden their perspectives and expectations and have a positive impact on the way they live and think. Over the past decade, the education abroad field has experienced tremendous growth, diversification and complexity. This expansion…

Assessment of Scientific Literacy: Development and Validation of the Quantitative Assessment of Socio-Scientific Reasoning (QuASSR)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Romine, William L.; Sadler, Troy D.; Kinslow, Andrew T.

2017-01-01

We describe the development and validation of the Quantitative Assessment of Socio-scientific Reasoning (QuASSR) in a college context. The QuASSR contains 10 polytomous, two-tiered items crossed between two scenarios, and is based on theory suggesting a four-pronged structure for SSR (complexity, perspective taking, inquiry, and skepticism). In…

Unified functional network and nonlinear time series analysis for complex systems science: The pyunicorn package

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donges, Jonathan F.; Heitzig, Jobst; Beronov, Boyan; Wiedermann, Marc; Runge, Jakob; Feng, Qing Yi; Tupikina, Liubov; Stolbova, Veronika; Donner, Reik V.; Marwan, Norbert; Dijkstra, Henk A.; Kurths, Jürgen

2015-11-01

We introduce the pyunicorn (Pythonic unified complex network and recurrence analysis toolbox) open source software package for applying and combining modern methods of data analysis and modeling from complex network theory and nonlinear time series analysis. pyunicorn is a fully object-oriented and easily parallelizable package written in the language Python. It allows for the construction of functional networks such as climate networks in climatology or functional brain networks in neuroscience representing the structure of statistical interrelationships in large data sets of time series and, subsequently, investigating this structure using advanced methods of complex network theory such as measures and models for spatial networks, networks of interacting networks, node-weighted statistics, or network surrogates. Additionally, pyunicorn provides insights into the nonlinear dynamics of complex systems as recorded in uni- and multivariate time series from a non-traditional perspective by means of recurrence quantification analysis, recurrence networks, visibility graphs, and construction of surrogate time series. The range of possible applications of the library is outlined, drawing on several examples mainly from the field of climatology.

The complexity of divisibility.

PubMed

Bausch, Johannes; Cubitt, Toby

2016-09-01

We address two sets of long-standing open questions in linear algebra and probability theory, from a computational complexity perspective: stochastic matrix divisibility, and divisibility and decomposability of probability distributions. We prove that finite divisibility of stochastic matrices is an NP-complete problem, and extend this result to nonnegative matrices, and completely-positive trace-preserving maps, i.e. the quantum analogue of stochastic matrices. We further prove a complexity hierarchy for the divisibility and decomposability of probability distributions, showing that finite distribution divisibility is in P, but decomposability is NP-hard. For the former, we give an explicit polynomial-time algorithm. All results on distributions extend to weak-membership formulations, proving that the complexity of these problems is robust to perturbations.

Golden Gait: An Optimization Theory Perspective on Human and Humanoid Walking

PubMed Central

Iosa, Marco; Morone, Giovanni; Paolucci, Stefano

2017-01-01

Human walking is a complex task which includes hundreds of muscles, bones and joints working together to deliver harmonic movements with the need of finding equilibrium between moving forward and maintaining stability. Many different computational approaches have been used to explain human walking mechanisms, from pendular model to fractal approaches. A new perspective can be gained from using the principles developed in the field of Optimization theory and in particularly the branch of Game Theory. In particular we provide a new insight into human walking showing as the trade-off between advancement and equilibrium managed during walking has the same solution of the Ultimatum game, one of the most famous paradigms of game theory, and this solution is the golden ratio. The golden ratio is an irrational number that was found in many biological and natural systems self-organized in a harmonic, asymmetric, and fractal structure. Recently, the golden ratio has also been found as the equilibrium point between two players involved into the Ultimatum Game. It has been suggested that this result can be due to the fact that the golden ratio is perceived as the fairest asymmetric solution by the two players. The golden ratio is also the most common proportion between stance and swing phase of human walking. This approach may explain the importance of harmony in human walking, and provide new perspectives for developing quantitative assessment of human walking, efficient humanoid robotic walkers, and effective neurorobots for rehabilitation. PMID:29311890

Integrating succession and community assembly perspectives

PubMed Central

Chang, Cynthia; HilleRisLambers, Janneke

2016-01-01

Succession and community assembly research overlap in many respects, such as through their focus on how ecological processes like dispersal, environmental filters, and biotic interactions influence community structure. Indeed, many recent advances have been made by successional studies that draw on modern analytical techniques introduced by contemporary community assembly studies. However, community assembly studies generally lack a temporal perspective, both on how the forces structuring communities might change over time and on how historical contingency (e.g. priority effects and legacy effects) and complex transitions (e.g. threshold effects) might alter community trajectories. We believe a full understanding of the complex interacting processes that shape community dynamics across large temporal scales can best be achieved by combining concepts, tools, and study systems into an integrated conceptual framework that draws upon both succession and community assembly theory. PMID:27785355

Perspectives on hand function in girls and women with Rett syndrome.

PubMed

Downs, Jenny; Parkinson, Stephanie; Ranelli, Sonia; Leonard, Helen; Diener, Pamela; Lotan, Meir

2014-06-01

Rett syndrome is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder that is usually associated with a mutation on the X-linked MECP2 gene. Hand function is particularly affected and we discuss theoretical and practical perspectives for optimising hand function in Rett syndrome. We reviewed the literature pertaining to hand function and stereotypies in Rett syndrome and developed a toolkit for their assessment and treatment. There is little published information on management of hand function in Rett syndrome. We suggest assessment and treatment strategies based on available literature, clinical experience and grounded in theories of motor control and motor learning. Additional studies are needed to determine the best treatments for hand function in Rett syndrome. Meanwhile, clinical needs can be addressed by supplementing the evidence base with an understanding of the complexities of Rett syndrome, clinical experience, environmental enrichment animal studies and theories of motor control and motor learning.

Middle Range Theory: A Perspective on Development and Use.

PubMed

Liehr, Patricia; Smith, Mary Jane

This replication and critique addresses ongoing development and use of middle range theory since considering this body of nursing knowledge 18 years ago. Middle range theory is appreciated as essential to the structure of nursing knowledge. Nine middle range theories that demonstrate ongoing use by the theory authors are analyzed using the criteria of theory name, theory generation, disciplinary perspective, theory model, practice use and research use. Critique conclusions indicate the importance of staying with the theory over time, naming and development consistent with the disciplinary perspective, movement to an empirical level, and bringing middle range theory to the interdisciplinary table.

Applying principles from the game theory to acute stroke care: Learning from the prisoner's dilemma, stag-hunt, and other strategies.

PubMed

Saposnik, Gustavo; Johnston, S Claiborne

2016-04-01

Acute stroke care represents a challenge for decision makers. Decisions based on erroneous assessments may generate false expectations of patients and their family members, and potentially inappropriate medical advice. Game theory is the analysis of interactions between individuals to study how conflict and cooperation affect our decisions. We reviewed principles of game theory that could be applied to medical decisions under uncertainty. Medical decisions in acute stroke care are usually made under constrains: short period of time, with imperfect clinical information, limit understanding about patients and families' values and beliefs. Game theory brings some strategies to help us manage complex medical situations under uncertainty. For example, it offers a different perspective by encouraging the consideration of different alternatives through the understanding of patients' preferences and the careful evaluation of cognitive distortions when applying 'real-world' data. The stag-hunt game teaches us the importance of trust to strength cooperation for a successful patient-physician interaction that is beyond a good or poor clinical outcome. The application of game theory to stroke care may improve our understanding of complex medical situations and help clinicians make practical decisions under uncertainty. © 2016 World Stroke Organization.

Some thoughts about consciousness: from a quantum mechanics perspective.

PubMed

Gargiulo, Gerald J

2013-08-01

The article explores some of the basic findings of quantum physics and information theory and their possible usefulness in offering new vistas for understanding psychoanalysis and the patient-analyst interchange. Technical terms are explained and placed in context, and examples of applying quantum models to clinical experience are offered. Given the complexity of the findings of quantum mechanics and information theory, the article aims only to introduce some of the major concepts from these disciplines. Within this framework the article also briefly addresses the question of mind as well as the problematic of reducing the experience of consciousness to neurological brain functioning.

The System of the Learner Experiencing Difficulty: Some Reflections on the Use of a Simulation as a Tool for Investigating and Analysing Elements of a Complex System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thatcher, Donald; Robinson, June

1990-01-01

Discusses learning systems and learning difficulties, and describes the use of a simulation to help professionals better understand people with learning difficulties. The General Systems Theory and a systems approach are discussed, the role of debriefing is considered, and theoretical perspectives on the development of learning disabilities are…

Assessing Proposals for Interagency Reorganization

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-05-26

is useful to have a single entity responsible for operations. Though postmodernist theory is based on a diffusion of knowledge there is an... of knowledge …[for] the general good of mankind.”32 Their research tends to focus on technological solutions to complex information management issues...from an institutional perspective different from that of CSIS. The Markle Foundation was created in 1927 “to promote the advancement and diffusion

Hybrid modeling and empirical analysis of automobile supply chain network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Jun-yan; Tang, Jian-ming; Fu, Wei-ping; Wu, Bing-ying

2017-05-01

Based on the connection mechanism of nodes which automatically select upstream and downstream agents, a simulation model for dynamic evolutionary process of consumer-driven automobile supply chain is established by integrating ABM and discrete modeling in the GIS-based map. Firstly, the rationality is proved by analyzing the consistency of sales and changes in various agent parameters between the simulation model and a real automobile supply chain. Second, through complex network theory, hierarchical structures of the model and relationships of networks at different levels are analyzed to calculate various characteristic parameters such as mean distance, mean clustering coefficients, and degree distributions. By doing so, it verifies that the model is a typical scale-free network and small-world network. Finally, the motion law of this model is analyzed from the perspective of complex self-adaptive systems. The chaotic state of the simulation system is verified, which suggests that this system has typical nonlinear characteristics. This model not only macroscopically illustrates the dynamic evolution of complex networks of automobile supply chain but also microcosmically reflects the business process of each agent. Moreover, the model construction and simulation of the system by means of combining CAS theory and complex networks supplies a novel method for supply chain analysis, as well as theory bases and experience for supply chain analysis of auto companies.

Spatio-structural granularity of biological material entities

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background With the continuously increasing demands on knowledge- and data-management that databases have to meet, ontologies and the theories of granularity they use become more and more important. Unfortunately, currently used theories and schemes of granularity unnecessarily limit the performance of ontologies due to two shortcomings: (i) they do not allow the integration of multiple granularity perspectives into one granularity framework; (ii) they are not applicable to cumulative-constitutively organized material entities, which cover most of the biomedical material entities. Results The above mentioned shortcomings are responsible for the major inconsistencies in currently used spatio-structural granularity schemes. By using the Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) as a top-level ontology and Keet's general theory of granularity, a granularity framework is presented that is applicable to cumulative-constitutively organized material entities. It provides a scheme for granulating complex material entities into their constitutive and regional parts by integrating various compositional and spatial granularity perspectives. Within a scale dependent resolution perspective, it even allows distinguishing different types of representations of the same material entity. Within other scale dependent perspectives, which are based on specific types of measurements (e.g. weight, volume, etc.), the possibility of organizing instances of material entities independent of their parthood relations and only according to increasing measures is provided as well. All granularity perspectives are connected to one another through overcrossing granularity levels, together forming an integrated whole that uses the compositional object perspective as an integrating backbone. This granularity framework allows to consistently assign structural granularity values to all different types of material entities. Conclusions The here presented framework provides a spatio-structural granularity framework for all domain reference ontologies that model cumulative-constitutively organized material entities. With its multi-perspectives approach it allows querying an ontology stored in a database at one's own desired different levels of detail: The contents of a database can be organized according to diverse granularity perspectives, which in their turn provide different views on its content (i.e. data, knowledge), each organized into different levels of detail. PMID:20509878

An Overview of Conceptual Change Theories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Özdemir, Gökhan; Clark, Douglas B.

2007-01-01

Conceptual change researchers have made significant progress on two prominent but competing theoretical perspectives regarding knowledge structure coherence. These perspectives can be broadly characterized as (1) knowledge-as-theory perspectives and (2) knowledge-as-elements perspectives. These perspectives can be briefly summarized in terms of…

Applying a contemporary grounded theory methodology.

PubMed

Licqurish, Sharon; Seibold, Carmel

2011-01-01

The aim of this paper is to discuss the application of a contemporary grounded theory methodology to a research project exploring the experiences of students studying for a degree in midwifery. Grounded theory is a qualitative research approach developed by Glaser and Strauss in the 1950s but the methodology for this study was modelled on Clarke's (2005) approach and was underpinned by a symbolic interactionist theoretical perspective, post-structuralist theories of Michel Foucault and a constructionist epistemology. The study participants were 19 midwifery students completing their final placement. Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews and participant observation, and analysed using the grounded theory analysis techniques of coding, constant comparative analysis and theoretical sampling, as well as situational maps. The analysis focused on social action and interaction and the operation of power in the students' environment. The social process in which the students were involved, as well as the actors and discourses that affected the students' competency development, were highlighted. The methodology allowed a thorough exploration of the students' experiences of achieving competency. However, some difficulties were encountered. One of the major issues related to the understanding and application of complex sociological theories that challenged positivist notions of truth and power. Furthermore, the mapping processes were complex. Despite these minor challenges, the authors recommend applying this methodology to other similar research projects.

Networks as systems.

PubMed

Best, Allan; Berland, Alex; Greenhalgh, Trisha; Bourgeault, Ivy L; Saul, Jessie E; Barker, Brittany

2018-03-19

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of the World Health Organization's Global Healthcare Workforce Alliance (GHWA). Based on a commissioned evaluation of GHWA, it applies network theory and key concepts from systems thinking to explore network emergence, effectiveness, and evolution to over a ten-year period. The research was designed to provide high-level strategic guidance for further evolution of global governance in human resources for health (HRH). Design/methodology/approach Methods included a review of published literature on HRH governance and current practice in the field and an in-depth case study whose main data sources were relevant GHWA background documents and key informant interviews with GHWA leaders, staff, and stakeholders. Sampling was purposive and at a senior level, focusing on board members, executive directors, funders, and academics. Data were analyzed thematically with reference to systems theory and Shiffman's theory of network development. Findings Five key lessons emerged: effective management and leadership are critical; networks need to balance "tight" and "loose" approaches to their structure and processes; an active communication strategy is key to create and maintain support; the goals, priorities, and membership must be carefully focused; and the network needs to support shared measurement of progress on agreed-upon goals. Shiffman's middle-range network theory is a useful tool when guided by the principles of complex systems that illuminate dynamic situations and shifting interests as global alliances evolve. Research limitations/implications This study was implemented at the end of the ten-year funding cycle. A more continuous evaluation throughout the term would have provided richer understanding of issues. Experience and perspectives at the country level were not assessed. Practical implications Design and management of large, complex networks requires ongoing attention to key issues like leadership, and flexible structures and processes to accommodate the dynamic reality of these networks. Originality/value This case study builds on growing interest in the role of networks to foster large-scale change. The particular value rests on the longitudinal perspective on the evolution of a large, complex global network, and the use of theory to guide understanding.

College students' multiple stereotypes of lesbians: A cognitive perspective.

PubMed

Geiger, Wendy; Harwood, Jake; Hummert, Mary Lee

2006-01-01

This paper examines stereotypes of lesbians held by college students. Multiple stereotypes are elicited from a free response trait listing task, followed by a sorting task. The results of the sorting task are submitted to cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling to reveal the complexity of cognitive representations of this group. Eight types are described, reflecting underlying distinctions between positive perceptions (e.g., lipstick lesbian, career-oriented feminist) and negative perceptions (e.g., sexually deviant, angry butch) and also between relative strength and weakness. The research is discussed in terms of cognitive perspectives on stereotyping and gender inversion theory. Suggestions for future research are provided.

Reframing Person-Centered Nursing Care for Persons With Dementia

PubMed Central

Penrod, Janice; Yu, Fang; Kolanowski, Ann; Fick, Donna M.; Loeb, Susan J.; Hupcey, Judith E.

2010-01-01

Alzheimer’s dementia manifests in a complex clinical presentation that has been addressed from both biomedical and phenomenological perspectives. Although each of these paradigmatic perspectives has contributed to advancement of the science, neither is adequate for theoretically framing a person-centered approach to nursing care. The need-driven dementia-compromised behavior (NDB) model is discussed as an exemplar of midrange nursing theory that promotes the integration of these paradigmatic views to promote a new level of excellence in person-centered dementia care. Clinical application of the NDB promotes a new level of praxis, or thoughtful action, in the care of persons with dementia. PMID:17378465

Me, us, and them: Testing sociometer theory in a socially diverse real-life context.

PubMed

Reitz, Anne K; Motti-Stefanidi, Frosso; Asendorpf, Jens B

2016-06-01

Although numerous studies have emphasized the role evaluations by others play for people's self-esteem, the perspective of others and the social diversity of real-life contexts have largely been ignored. In a large-scale longitudinal study, we examined the link between adolescents' self-esteem and their self- and peer-perceived popularity in socially diverse classrooms. First, we tested the competing directions of effects predicted by sociometer theory (i.e., peer-perceived popularity affects self-esteem, mediated by self-perceived popularity) and the self-broadcasting perspective (i.e., self-esteem affects peer-perceived popularity). Second, we examined differential effects of popularity in the own social group ("us") versus others ("them") by using immigrant status groups (i.e., immigrants versus host-nationals). We examined 1,057 13-year-old students in 3 annual waves. Cross-lagged analyses revealed that popularity among peers of the in-group but not among peers of the out-group prospectively predicted self-esteem, which was mediated by self-perceived popularity. Self-esteem in turn prospectively predicted self- but not peer-perceived popularity. In sum, the findings provide support for sociometer theory and a conscious sociometer mechanism but no support for the self-broadcasting perspective. The findings further demonstrate that the sociometer was more responsive to popularity in immigrant status in- than out-groups. In conclusion, the findings underscore the need to consider the perspective of others and their social group memberships to better understand the complexities of the link between self-esteem and popularity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Feminist Framework Plus: Knitting Feminist Theories of Rape Etiology Into a Comprehensive Model.

PubMed

McPhail, Beverly A

2016-07-01

The radical-liberal feminist perspective on rape posits that the assault is motivated by power and control rather than sexual gratification and is a violent rather than a sexual act. However, rape is a complex act. Relying on only one early strand of feminist thought to explain the etiology of rape limits feminists' understanding of rape and the practice based upon the theory. The history of the adoption of the "power, not sex" theory is presented and the model critiqued. A more integrated model is developed and presented, the Feminist Framework Plus, which knits together five feminist theories into a comprehensive model that better explains the depth and breadth of the etiology of rape. Empirical evidence that supports each theory is detailed as well as the implications of the model on service provision, education, and advocacy. © The Author(s) 2015.

Understanding African American Adolescents’ Identity Development: A Relational Developmental Systems Perspective

PubMed Central

Brittian, Aerika S.

2012-01-01

This article examines the development of African American adolescents’ identity using a relational developmental systems theory framework, which led to the expectation that identity development is linked to both the reduction of risk behaviors and the promotion of African American adolescents’ healthy development. Different personological theories of identity development were discussed, including Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development and Marcia’s theory of identity statuses. Developmental systems theory was used to further the literature on African American adolescents’ identity development, by integrating various views of identity development as they pertain to these youth. Furthermore, the formation of many aspects of identity may be an important coping and resilience process for such youth. In addition, directions for future research are discussed, including a consideration of the complexity of diversity that exists within the African American adolescent population, and a call for more longitudinal assessments of identity development is presented. PMID:23243325

The emergence of complex behaviours in molecular magnetic materials.

PubMed

Goss, Karin; Gatteschi, Dante; Bogani, Lapo

2014-09-14

Molecular magnetism is considered an area where magnetic phenomena that are usually difficult to demonstrate can emerge with particular clarity. Over the years, however, less understandable systems have appeared in the literature of molecular magnetic materials, in some cases showing features that hint at the spontaneous emergence of global structures out of local interactions. This ingredient is typical of a wider class of problems, called complex behaviours, where the theory of complexity is currently being developed. In this perspective we wish to focus our attention on these systems and the underlying problematic that they highlight. We particularly highlight the emergence of the signatures of complexity in several molecular magnetic systems, which may provide unexplored opportunities for physical and chemical investigations.

Evaluating deceased organ donation: a programme theory approach.

PubMed

Manzano, Ana; Pawson, Ray

2014-01-01

Organ donation and transplantation services represent a microcosm of modern healthcare organisations. They are complex adaptive systems. They face perpetual problems of matching supply and demand. They operate under fierce time and resource constraints. And yet they have received relatively little attention from a systems perspective. The purpose of this paper is to consider some of the fundamental issues in evaluating, improving and policy reform in such complex systems. The paper advocates an approach based on programme theory evaluation. The paper explains how the death to donation to transplantation process depends on the accumulation of series of embedded, institutional sub-processes. Evaluators need to be concerned with this whole system rather than with its discrete parts or sectors. Policy makers may expect disappointment if they seek to improve donation rates by applying nudges or administrative reforms at a single point in the implementation chain. These services represent concentrated, perfect storms of complexity and the paper offers guidance to practitioners with bio-medical backgrounds on how such services might be evaluated and improved. For the methodological audience the paper caters for the burgeoning interest in programme theory evaluation while illustrating the design phase of this research strategy.

Science and technology convergence: with emphasis for nanotechnology-inspired convergence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bainbridge, William S.; Roco, Mihail C.

2016-07-01

Convergence offers a new universe of discovery, innovation, and application opportunities through specific theories, principles, and methods to be implemented in research, education, production, and other societal activities. Using a holistic approach with shared goals, convergence seeks to transcend existing human limitations to achieve improved conditions for work, learning, aging, physical, and cognitive wellness. This paper outlines ten key theories that offer complementary perspectives on this complex dynamic. Principles and methods are proposed to facilitate and enhance science and technology convergence. Several convergence success stories in the first part of the 21st century—including nanotechnology and other emerging technologies—are discussed in parallel with case studies focused on the future. The formulation of relevant theories, principles, and methods aims at establishing the convergence science.

Bird's eye view of black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simien, Clayton

1998-03-01

Black hole theory can be quite complex, and from a mathematical point of view very abstract. However, from a bird's perspective its concepts and theories can be easily understood with the aid of a few fundamental ideas of physics. Black holes are just massive dead stars whose very existence originates from the ideas of the great mathematician and scientific pioneer, Pierre Laplace. These astrological wonders of the universe are currently governed by Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. It must be understood that the laws of the universe in accord with the black hole are only valid to its surface known as the horizon . After the horizon, the laws of physics are no longer valid. Consequently, science is replaced with imaginative ideas that are meaningfully probable through hypothetical assumptions.

Towards physical principles of biological evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katsnelson, Mikhail I.; Wolf, Yuri I.; Koonin, Eugene V.

2018-03-01

Biological systems reach organizational complexity that far exceeds the complexity of any known inanimate objects. Biological entities undoubtedly obey the laws of quantum physics and statistical mechanics. However, is modern physics sufficient to adequately describe, model and explain the evolution of biological complexity? Detailed parallels have been drawn between statistical thermodynamics and the population-genetic theory of biological evolution. Based on these parallels, we outline new perspectives on biological innovation and major transitions in evolution, and introduce a biological equivalent of thermodynamic potential that reflects the innovation propensity of an evolving population. Deep analogies have been suggested to also exist between the properties of biological entities and processes, and those of frustrated states in physics, such as glasses. Such systems are characterized by frustration whereby local state with minimal free energy conflict with the global minimum, resulting in ‘emergent phenomena’. We extend such analogies by examining frustration-type phenomena, such as conflicts between different levels of selection, in biological evolution. These frustration effects appear to drive the evolution of biological complexity. We further address evolution in multidimensional fitness landscapes from the point of view of percolation theory and suggest that percolation at level above the critical threshold dictates the tree-like evolution of complex organisms. Taken together, these multiple connections between fundamental processes in physics and biology imply that construction of a meaningful physical theory of biological evolution might not be a futile effort. However, it is unrealistic to expect that such a theory can be created in one scoop; if it ever comes to being, this can only happen through integration of multiple physical models of evolutionary processes. Furthermore, the existing framework of theoretical physics is unlikely to suffice for adequate modeling of the biological level of complexity, and new developments within physics itself are likely to be required.

Theory and research in audiology education: understanding and representing complexity through informed methodological decisions.

PubMed

Ng, Stella L

2013-05-01

The discipline of audiology has the opportunity to embark on research in education from an informed perspective, learning from professions that began this journey decades ago. The goal of this article is to position our discipline as a new member in the academic field of health professional education (HPE), with much to learn and contribute. In this article, I discuss the need for theory in informing HPE research. I also stress the importance of balancing our research goals by selecting appropriate methodologies for relevant research questions, to ensure that we respect the complexity of social processes inherent in HPE. Examples of relevant research questions are used to illustrate the need to consider alternative methodologies and to rethink the traditional hierarchy of evidence. I also provide an example of the thought processes and decisions that informed the design of an educational research study using a constructivist grounded theory methodology. As audiology enters the scholarly field of HPE, we need to arm ourselves with some of the knowledge and perspective that informs the field. Thus, we need to broaden our conceptions of what we consider to be appropriate styles of academic writing, relevant research questions, and valid evidence. Also, if we are to embark on qualitative inquiry into audiology education (or other audiology topics), we need to ensure that we conduct this research with an adequate understanding of the theories and methodologies informing such approaches. We must strive to conduct high quality, rigorous qualitative research more often than uninformed, generic qualitative research. These goals are imperative to the advancement of the theoretical landscape of audiology education and evolving the place of audiology in the field of HPE. American Academy of Audiology.

Towards a general theory of implementation

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Understanding and evaluating the implementation of complex interventions in practice is an important problem for healthcare managers and policy makers, and for patients and others who must operationalize them beyond formal clinical settings. It has been argued that this work should be founded on theory that provides a foundation for understanding, designing, predicting, and evaluating dynamic implementation processes. This paper sets out core constituents of a general theory of implementation, building on Normalization Process Theory and linking it to key constructs from recent work in sociology and psychology. These are informed by ideas about agency and its expression within social systems and fields, social and cognitive mechanisms, and collective action. This approach unites a number of contending perspectives in a way that makes possible a more comprehensive explanation of the implementation and embedding of new ways of thinking, enacting and organizing practice. PMID:23406398

Towards a general theory of implementation.

PubMed

May, Carl

2013-02-13

Understanding and evaluating the implementation of complex interventions in practice is an important problem for healthcare managers and policy makers, and for patients and others who must operationalize them beyond formal clinical settings. It has been argued that this work should be founded on theory that provides a foundation for understanding, designing, predicting, and evaluating dynamic implementation processes. This paper sets out core constituents of a general theory of implementation, building on Normalization Process Theory and linking it to key constructs from recent work in sociology and psychology. These are informed by ideas about agency and its expression within social systems and fields, social and cognitive mechanisms, and collective action. This approach unites a number of contending perspectives in a way that makes possible a more comprehensive explanation of the implementation and embedding of new ways of thinking, enacting and organizing practice.

Qualitative Data Analysis for Health Services Research: Developing Taxonomy, Themes, and Theory

PubMed Central

Bradley, Elizabeth H; Curry, Leslie A; Devers, Kelly J

2007-01-01

Objective To provide practical strategies for conducting and evaluating analyses of qualitative data applicable for health services researchers. Data Sources and Design We draw on extant qualitative methodological literature to describe practical approaches to qualitative data analysis. Approaches to data analysis vary by discipline and analytic tradition; however, we focus on qualitative data analysis that has as a goal the generation of taxonomy, themes, and theory germane to health services research. Principle Findings We describe an approach to qualitative data analysis that applies the principles of inductive reasoning while also employing predetermined code types to guide data analysis and interpretation. These code types (conceptual, relationship, perspective, participant characteristics, and setting codes) define a structure that is appropriate for generation of taxonomy, themes, and theory. Conceptual codes and subcodes facilitate the development of taxonomies. Relationship and perspective codes facilitate the development of themes and theory. Intersectional analyses with data coded for participant characteristics and setting codes can facilitate comparative analyses. Conclusions Qualitative inquiry can improve the description and explanation of complex, real-world phenomena pertinent to health services research. Greater understanding of the processes of qualitative data analysis can be helpful for health services researchers as they use these methods themselves or collaborate with qualitative researchers from a wide range of disciplines. PMID:17286625

Qualitative data analysis for health services research: developing taxonomy, themes, and theory.

PubMed

Bradley, Elizabeth H; Curry, Leslie A; Devers, Kelly J

2007-08-01

To provide practical strategies for conducting and evaluating analyses of qualitative data applicable for health services researchers. DATA SOURCES AND DESIGN: We draw on extant qualitative methodological literature to describe practical approaches to qualitative data analysis. Approaches to data analysis vary by discipline and analytic tradition; however, we focus on qualitative data analysis that has as a goal the generation of taxonomy, themes, and theory germane to health services research. We describe an approach to qualitative data analysis that applies the principles of inductive reasoning while also employing predetermined code types to guide data analysis and interpretation. These code types (conceptual, relationship, perspective, participant characteristics, and setting codes) define a structure that is appropriate for generation of taxonomy, themes, and theory. Conceptual codes and subcodes facilitate the development of taxonomies. Relationship and perspective codes facilitate the development of themes and theory. Intersectional analyses with data coded for participant characteristics and setting codes can facilitate comparative analyses. Qualitative inquiry can improve the description and explanation of complex, real-world phenomena pertinent to health services research. Greater understanding of the processes of qualitative data analysis can be helpful for health services researchers as they use these methods themselves or collaborate with qualitative researchers from a wide range of disciplines.

Constructing food choice decisions.

PubMed

Sobal, Jeffery; Bisogni, Carole A

2009-12-01

Food choice decisions are frequent, multifaceted, situational, dynamic, and complex and lead to food behaviors where people acquire, prepare, serve, give away, store, eat, and clean up. Many disciplines and fields examine decision making. Several classes of theories are applicable to food decision making, including social behavior, social facts, and social definition perspectives. Each offers some insights but also makes limiting assumptions that prevent fully explaining food choice decisions. We used constructionist social definition perspectives to inductively develop a food choice process model that organizes a broad scope of factors and dynamics involved in food behaviors. This food choice process model includes (1) life course events and experiences that establish a food choice trajectory through transitions, turning points, timing, and contexts; (2) influences on food choices that include cultural ideals, personal factors, resources, social factors, and present contexts; and (3) a personal system that develops food choice values, negotiates and balances values, classifies foods and situations, and forms/revises food choice strategies, scripts, and routines. The parts of the model dynamically interact to make food choice decisions leading to food behaviors. No single theory can fully explain decision making in food behavior. Multiple perspectives are needed, including constructionist thinking.

Enlarging the scope: grasping brain complexity

PubMed Central

Tognoli, Emmanuelle; Kelso, J. A. Scott

2014-01-01

To further advance our understanding of the brain, new concepts and theories are needed. In particular, the ability of the brain to create information flows must be reconciled with its propensity for synchronization and mass action. The theoretical and empirical framework of Coordination Dynamics, a key aspect of which is metastability, are presented as a starting point to study the interplay of integrative and segregative tendencies that are expressed in space and time during the normal course of brain and behavioral function. Some recent shifts in perspective are emphasized, that may ultimately lead to a better understanding of brain complexity. PMID:25009476

The challenge of genuine power sharing in participatory research: the gap between theory and practice.

PubMed

Mason, R; Boutilier, M

1996-01-01

Participatory research is often suggested as a strategy to overcome power imbalances between researchers and research "subjects" because it values equally the knowledge of each individual who participates in the project. However, there is little documentation of the dilemmas that may arise when a complex community service organization attempts to engage in participatory research. In our experience of a participatory research project with multiple partners, power imbalances arose from organizationally based perspectives that were unaccounted for in the participatory research literature, demonstrating that power is a complex and elusive factor in establishing equal relations.

Questioning Mechanisms During Complex Learning

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-11

1989; Kass & Finin, 1988). It is the "given" information from the perspective of the given-new contract in discourse processing theories (Clark 6...versus 43%. Graesser 15 Another way of cutting the pie is to segregate deep questions (i.e., why, why not, how, what-if) from shallow questions...regulate their own learning. As discussed earlier, however, it is widely acknowledged that students need some guidance in this process if deep knowledge

Pseudosatellite technologies based on the use of functionally stable complexes of remote-piloted aircrafts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mashkov, O. A.; Samborskiy, I. I.

2009-10-01

A bundle of papers dealing with functionally stable systems requires the necessity of analyzing of obtained results and their understanding in a general context of cybernetic's development and applications. Description of this field of science, main results and perspectives of the new theory of functionally stability of dynamical systems concerning the problem of remote-piloted aircrafts engineering using pseudosatellite technologies are proposed in the paper.

Towards An Integrative Theory Of Consciousness: Part 1 (Neurobiological And Cognitive Models)

PubMed Central

De Sousa, Avinash

2013-01-01

The study of consciousness is poised today at interesting crossroads. There has been a surge of research into various neurobiological underpinnings of consciousness in the past decade. The present article looks at the theories regarding this complex phenomenon, especially the ones that neurobiology, cognitive neuroscience and cognitive psychology have to offer. We will first discuss the origin and etymology of word consciousness and its usage. Neurobiological correlates of consciousness are discussed with structures like the ascending reticular activating system, the amygdala, the cerebellum, the thalamus, the frontoparietal circuits, the prefrontal cortex and the precuneus. The cellular and microlevel theories of consciousness and cerebral activity at the neuronal level contributing to consciousness are highlighted, along with the various theories posited in this area. The role of neuronal assemblies and circuits along with firing patterns and their ramifications for the understanding of consciousness are discussed. A section on the role of anaesthesia and its links to consciousness is presented, along with details of split-brain studies in consciousness and altered states of awareness, including the vegetative states. The article finally discusses the progress cognitive psychology has made in identifying and theorising various perspectives of consciousness, perceptual awareness and conscious processing. Both recent and past researches are highlighted. The importance and salient features of each theory are discussed along with the pitfalls, if present. A need for integration of various theories to understand consciousness from a holistic perspective is stressed, to enable one to reach a theory that explains the ultimate neurobiology of consciousness. PMID:23678241

Toward a Multiple Perspective in Family Theory and Practice: The Case of Social Exchange Theory, Symbolic Interactionism, and Conflict Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rank, Mark R.; LeCroy, Craig W.

1983-01-01

Examines the complementarity of three often-used theories in family research: social exchange theory, symbolic interactionism, and conflict theory. Provides a case example in which a multiple perspective is applied to a problem of marital discord. Discusses implications for the clinician. (Author/WAS)

Control Theory Perspective of Effects-Based Thinking and Operations: Modelling Operations as a Feedback Control System

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-01

Control Theory Perspective of Effects-Based Thinking and Operations Modelling “Operations” as a Feedback Control System Philip S. E... Theory Perspective of Effects-Based Thinking and Operations Modelling “Operations” as a Feedback Control System Philip S. E. Farrell...Abstract This paper explores operations that involve effects-based thinking (EBT) using Control Theory techniques in order to highlight the concept’s

By design: James Clerk Maxwell and the evangelical unification of science.

PubMed

Stanley, Matthew

2012-03-01

James Clerk Maxwell's electromagnetic theory famously unified many of the Victorian laws of physics. This essay argues that Maxwell saw a deep theological significance in the unification of physical laws. He postulated a variation on the design argument that focused on the unity of phenomena rather than Paley's emphasis on complexity. This argument of Maxwell's is shown to be connected to his particular evangelical religious views. His evangelical perspective provided encouragement for him to pursue a unified physics that supplemented his other philosophical, technical and social influences. Maxwell's version of the argument from design is also contrasted with modern 'intelligent-design' theory.

Balancing grief and survival: Experiences of children with brain tumors and their parents.

PubMed

Eaton Russell, Ceilidh; Bouffet, Eric; Beaton, John; Lollis, Susan

2016-01-01

Psychosocial research about childhood brain tumors is limited because of varied abilities and prognoses, with children's voices largely absent. Research has focused on the impacts on families and their reactions; this qualitative study used constructivist grounded theory methods to explore experiences of childhood brain tumors from the perspectives of 12 children and 12 parents using semistructured interviews. Their stories illustrated efforts to maintain positivity and normalcy as they faced grief and uncertainty. The substantive grounded theory of balancing grief and survival offers a lens through which to view children's and parents' complex experiences, struggles, and coping strategies as integrated, dynamic processes.

Numerical algebraic geometry: a new perspective on gauge and string theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehta, Dhagash; He, Yang-Hui; Hauensteine, Jonathan D.

2012-07-01

There is a rich interplay between algebraic geometry and string and gauge theories which has been recently aided immensely by advances in computational algebra. However, symbolic (Gröbner) methods are severely limited by algorithmic issues such as exponential space complexity and being highly sequential. In this paper, we introduce a novel paradigm of numerical algebraic geometry which in a plethora of situations overcomes these shortcomings. The so-called `embarrassing parallelizability' allows us to solve many problems and extract physical information which elude symbolic methods. We describe the method and then use it to solve various problems arising from physics which could not be otherwise solved.

[History and biology: possible dialogues, necessary distances].

PubMed

Duarte, Regina Horta

2009-01-01

Evolution has often been rejected as a theory incompatible with proper historical reflection. While there are undoubtedly insurmountable barriers between biology and the study of man and society, a rigorous analysis of Darwinist theory demonstrates epistemological areas of contact between history and evolutionary biology. The amazing temporal perspective shared by both areas of knowledge points to some bridges of communication, like the importance of the event and of creation processes, the rejection of teleology and the idea of progress, the complexity of events between chance and necessity, and the impossibility of making predictions. This affords an opportunity for a transdisciplinary approach at a moment of various contemporary challenges.

The Impact of Comparative Education Research on Institutional Theory. International Perspectives on Education and Society. Volume 7

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, David, Ed.; Wiseman, Alex, Ed.

2006-01-01

This volume of International Perspectives on Education and Society explores how educational research from a comparative perspective has been instrumental in broadening and testing hypotheses from institutional theory. Institutional theory has also played an increasingly influential role in developing an understanding of education in society. This…

Criteria for Assessing Good Theory in Human Resource Development and Other Applied Disciplines from an Interpretive Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lincoln, Yvonna S.; Lynham, Susan A.

2007-01-01

Utilizing Patterson's (1983) eight criteria for assessing theory in applied fields from a conventional (empirical-analytical) perspective, these criteria are evaluated and where applicable reconstructed from an interpretive (social constructivist) perspective of theory building research and assessment. Four additional criteria are proposed and…

Self-organization of meaning and the reflexive communication of information

PubMed Central

Leydesdorff, Loet; Petersen, Alexander M.; Ivanova, Inga

2017-01-01

Following a suggestion from Warren Weaver, we extend the Shannon model of communication piecemeal into a complex systems model in which communication is differentiated both vertically and horizontally. This model enables us to bridge the divide between Niklas Luhmann’s theory of the self-organization of meaning in communications and empirical research using information theory. First, we distinguish between communication relations and correlations among patterns of relations. The correlations span a vector space in which relations are positioned and can be provided with meaning. Second, positions provide reflexive perspectives. Whereas the different meanings are integrated locally, each instantiation opens global perspectives – ‘horizons of meaning’ – along eigenvectors of the communication matrix. These next-order codifications of meaning can be expected to generate redundancies when interacting in instantiations. Increases in redundancy indicate new options and can be measured as local reduction of prevailing uncertainty (in bits). The systemic generation of new options can be considered as a hallmark of the knowledge-based economy. PMID:28232771

Theory, simulations and the design of functionalized nanoparticles for biomedical applications: A Soft Matter Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angioletti-Uberti, Stefano

2017-11-01

Functionalised nanoparticles for biomedical applications represents an incredibly exciting and rapidly growing field of research. Considering the complexity of the nano-bio interface, an important question is to what extent can theory and simulations be used to study these systems in a realistic, meaningful way. In this review, we will argue for a positive answer to this question. Approaching the issue from a "Soft Matter" perspective, we will consider those properties of functionalised nanoparticles that can be captured within a classical description. We will thus not concentrate on optical and electronic properties, but rather on the way nanoparticles' interactions with the biological environment can be tuned by functionalising their surface and exploited in different contexts relevant to applications. In particular, we wish to provide a critical overview of theoretical and computational coarse-grained models, developed to describe these interactions and present to the readers some of the latest results in this fascinating area of research.

Nursing theory: everything the artist spits is art?

PubMed

Timpson, J

1996-05-01

This paper explores the concept and utility of nursing theory in and for the practice of nursing. Working from the premise that many nurse practitioners appear uncertain as to the value of theory in relation to their everyday working experience, the paper investigates the contribution nursing theory makes in terms of sustaining and developing nursing as a practice discipline. The fact that nursing theory remains at once poorly evaluated, articulated or understood appears to be compounded by a general perception of nurse theorists as being removed from the realities of the practice setting and by the confusion precipitated, not least, by the semantic ambiguity engendered by their writings. The paper reviews the complex relationships extant between the development of nursing theory in regard to its utility for nursing practice, and concludes by suggesting a practice-led perspective by which nursing theory may be better articulated and assimilated within the discipline. In order to facilitate the study, it has been necessary to investigate the historical, theoretical and philosophical imperatives pertaining not only to the development of nursing theory but to nursing research and nursing practice per se.

Occupational medicine: toward a worker/patient empowerment approach to occupational illness.

PubMed

Lax, Michael B

2002-01-01

Clinicians practicing occupational medicine are increasingly confronted with patients who have complex illnesses with chronic nonspecific symptoms. Most clinicians use the traditional tools of biomedicine to diagnose and treat the illness, determine etiology, and assess disability. This article argues that the biomedical approach is inadequate to effectively evaluate and treat occupational illness. After reviewing several critiques of biomedicine, including biopsychosocial, feminist, class, and critical theory/postmodern perspectives, the author offers an alternative approach that builds on aspects of these perspectives as well as the "popular education" work of Paulo Freire. Constraints on, and possibilities for, the development of an alternative approach that attempts to build patients' capacities for transformative action are explored.

Utilising a collective case study system theory mixed methods approach: a rural health example

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Insight into local health service provision in rural communities is limited in the literature. The dominant workforce focus in the rural health literature, while revealing issues of shortage of maldistribution, does not describe service provision in rural towns. Similarly aggregation of data tends to render local health service provision virtually invisible. This paper describes a methodology to explore specific aspects of rural health service provision with an initial focus on understanding rurality as it pertains to rural physiotherapy service provision. Method A system theory-case study heuristic combined with a sequential mixed methods approach to provide a framework for both quantitative and qualitative exploration across sites. Stakeholder perspectives were obtained through surveys and in depth interviews. The investigation site was a large area of one Australian state with a mix of rural, regional and remote communities. Results 39 surveys were received from 11 locations within the investigation site and 19 in depth interviews were conducted. Stakeholder perspectives of rurality and workforce numbers informed the development of six case types relevant to the exploration of rural physiotherapy service provision. Participant perspective of rurality often differed with the geographical classification of their location. The numbers of onsite colleagues and local access to health services contributed to participant perceptions of rurality. Conclusions The complexity of understanding the concept of rurality was revealed by interview participants when providing their perspectives about rural physiotherapy service provision. Dual measures, such as rurality and workforce numbers, provide more relevant differentiation of sites to explore specific services, such rural physiotherapy service provision, than single measure of rurality as defined by geographic classification. The system theory-case study heuristic supports both qualitative and quantitative exploration in rural health services research. PMID:25066241

Utilising a collective case study system theory mixed methods approach: a rural health example.

PubMed

Adams, Robyn; Jones, Anne; Lefmann, Sophie; Sheppard, Lorraine

2014-07-28

Insight into local health service provision in rural communities is limited in the literature. The dominant workforce focus in the rural health literature, while revealing issues of shortage of maldistribution, does not describe service provision in rural towns. Similarly aggregation of data tends to render local health service provision virtually invisible. This paper describes a methodology to explore specific aspects of rural health service provision with an initial focus on understanding rurality as it pertains to rural physiotherapy service provision. A system theory-case study heuristic combined with a sequential mixed methods approach to provide a framework for both quantitative and qualitative exploration across sites. Stakeholder perspectives were obtained through surveys and in depth interviews. The investigation site was a large area of one Australian state with a mix of rural, regional and remote communities. 39 surveys were received from 11 locations within the investigation site and 19 in depth interviews were conducted. Stakeholder perspectives of rurality and workforce numbers informed the development of six case types relevant to the exploration of rural physiotherapy service provision. Participant perspective of rurality often differed with the geographical classification of their location. The numbers of onsite colleagues and local access to health services contributed to participant perceptions of rurality. The complexity of understanding the concept of rurality was revealed by interview participants when providing their perspectives about rural physiotherapy service provision. Dual measures, such as rurality and workforce numbers, provide more relevant differentiation of sites to explore specific services, such rural physiotherapy service provision, than single measure of rurality as defined by geographic classification. The system theory-case study heuristic supports both qualitative and quantitative exploration in rural health services research.

Methodological approach and tools for systems thinking in health systems research: technical assistants' support of health administration reform in the Democratic Republic of Congo as an application.

PubMed

Ribesse, Nathalie; Bossyns, Paul; Marchal, Bruno; Karemere, Hermes; Burman, Christopher J; Macq, Jean

2017-03-01

In the field of development cooperation, interest in systems thinking and complex systems theories as a methodological approach is increasingly recognised. And so it is in health systems research, which informs health development aid interventions. However, practical applications remain scarce to date. The objective of this article is to contribute to the body of knowledge by presenting the tools inspired by systems thinking and complexity theories and methodological lessons learned from their application. These tools were used in a case study. Detailed results of this study are in process for publication in additional articles. Applying a complexity 'lens', the subject of the case study is the role of long-term international technical assistance in supporting health administration reform at the provincial level in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Methods section presents the guiding principles of systems thinking and complex systems, their relevance and implication for the subject under study, and the existing tools associated with those theories which inspired us in the design of the data collection and analysis process. The tools and their application processes are presented in the results section, and followed in the discussion section by the critical analysis of their innovative potential and emergent challenges. The overall methodology provides a coherent whole, each tool bringing a different and complementary perspective on the system.

Games of life and death: antibiotic resistance and production through the lens of evolutionary game theory.

PubMed

Conlin, Peter L; Chandler, Josephine R; Kerr, Benjamin

2014-10-01

In this review, we demonstrate how game theory can be a useful first step in modeling and understanding interactions among bacteria that produce and resist antibiotics. We introduce the basic features of evolutionary game theory and explore model microbial systems that correspond to some classical games. Each game discussed defines a different category of social interaction with different resulting population dynamics (exclusion, coexistence, bistability, cycling). We then explore how the framework can be extended to incorporate some of the complexity of natural microbial communities. Overall, the game theoretical perspective helps to guide our expectations about the evolution of some forms of antibiotic resistance and production because it makes clear the precise nature of social interaction in this context. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Theory of unpleasant symptoms: support for the management of symptoms in children and adolescents with cancer].

PubMed

Lopes-Júnior, Luís Carlos; de Omena Bomfim, Emiliana; Nascimento, Lucila Castanheira; Pereira-da-Silva, Gabriela; de Lima, Regina Aparecida Garcia

2015-09-01

To present an overview of the clusters of neuropsychological symptoms in children and adolescents with cancer from the perspective of the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms. A theoretical and reflective study based on international literature and the critical analysis of the authors. In scientific literature, there is scarcity of international studies and an absence of studies in Brazil regarding the neuropsychological symptom clusters in children and adolescents with cancer. The theory of unpleasant symptoms is consistent because it emphasizes the complexity and interaction of the symptoms, the interrelationship between symptoms, the factors that influence symptoms, and the results and consequences of symptoms, thus supporting the planning of nursing interventions in paediatric oncology. It is essential to update knowledge on this subject and discuss the theories that support research and the clinical practice of symptom management in order to better qualify nursing care.

Ethical perspectives in neuroscience nursing practice.

PubMed

Murphy, W J; Olsen, B J

1999-09-01

The role of neuroscience nurses in relation to ethical issues has become increasingly complex. Knowledge of ethical principles and theories assists the nurse in the development of a theoretical basis for resolution of ethical issues or concerns. Additionally, the nurse must possess information regarding practice codes or standards as well as legislative requirements. The nurse must act as an advocate for the patient and society through active participation in institutional ethics committees and legislative forums.

Terrorism in Pakistan: a behavioral sciences perspective.

PubMed

Nizami, Asad Tamizuddin; Rana, Mowadat Hussain; Hassan, Tariq Mahmood; Minhas, Fareed Aslam

2014-01-01

This article reviews the behavioral science perspectives of terrorism in Pakistan. It can be argued that Pakistan has gained worldwide attention for "terrorism" and its role in the "war against terrorism". The region is well placed geopolitically for economic successes but has been plagued by terrorism in various shapes and forms. A behavioral sciences perspective of terrorism is an attempt to explain it in this part of the world as a complex interplay of historical, geopolitical, anthropological and psychosocial factors and forces. Drawing from theories by Western scholars to explain the behavioral and cognitive underpinnings of a terrorist mind, the authors highlight the peculiarities of similar operatives at individual and group levels. Thorny issues related to the ethical and human right dimensions of the topic are visited from the unique perspective of a society challenged by schisms and divergence of opinions at individual, family, and community levels. The authors have attempted to minimize the political descriptions, although this cannot be avoided entirely, because of the nature of terrorism. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Chronic fatigue syndrome defies the mind-body-schism of medicine. New perspectives on a multiple realisable developmental systems disorder.

PubMed

Ulvestad, Elling

2008-09-01

The article maintains that chronic fatigue syndrome can be properly understood only by taking an integrated perspective in which evolutionary, developmental and ecological aspects are considered. The integrative approach, supplemented by a complexity theory and psychoneuroimmunological research, is capable of explaining why there are so few structural aberrations to be found in chronic fatigue syndrome and why specific treatment is so difficult to establish. A major outcome of the investigation, that all individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome are diseased in their own way, emphasises the need to study the development of personalised life histories. It also highlights an ethical dimension; personalised disease defies essentialist thinking on patient management. Another major outcome, which follows from the developmental systems perspective, is the dissolution of ontological mind-body dualism. This in turn allows for a methodological complementation of the biological and phenomenological approaches to knowledge. New research strategies that may help to resolve chronic fatigue syndrome, grounded in the revised perspective on individual development, are suggested.

Trials, tribulations, and triumphs of insider researchers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McBride, S.; Tilley, E. N.; Becker, J.; Orchiston, C.; Johnston, D. M.

2016-12-01

Is there merit in "insider" research? An insider researcher, in the social science context, is someone who conducts their research and provides their observations and perspectives on a project, sector or disaster setting which they are intimately familiar with. One strength of insider research is the unique insights and awareness that are gained as a consequence of the experience of working within the research setting. This could also be considered the most significant criticism of insider research, one that is fraught with bias and subjectivity. So, given their potential biases, can an insider develop worthwhile research? The trials and tribulations of an insider are many. Given the insider position, traditional observer empirical research is not ideal, so this research necessitates exploring different research theoretical perspectives, including the use of critical theory and constructivism. Constructivism-based research permits the researcher to use their unique perspectives and knowledge to `construct' knowledge through their research. However, using constructivist theoretical perspectives and methods may be a complex and challenging endeavor for those better acquainted with empirical methods. Further, ethical restrictions can create further complexities to insider research. Compounding the complexities of methodologies and theoretical perspective, an insiders' perspective can be difficult to manage, given their embedded viewpoint, and may include professional and emotional risks for the researcher. Given its many challenges, insider research is not a frequent pathway of academic examination, particularly in emergency management and natural hazards research. Triumphs of insider research endeavors become clear once ways to address methodological and ethical issues are resolved. I will explore these solutions in my presentation. Further, insider researchers laid the foundation for the contemporary emergency management discipline but this research has been largely been overlooked in the discourse. The triumph of insider research is how influential they may be to a sector; one historical piece of research assisted in the development of an entire sector. Finally, I explore my research pathway, as an insider, to research the communication lessons from the Canterbury Earthquake Sequence.

'In the eye of the beholder': perceptions of local impact in English Health Action Zones.

PubMed

Sullivan, Helen; Judge, Ken; Sewel, Kate

2004-10-01

Contemporary efforts to promote population health improvement and to reduce inequalities in the UK are characterised by their complexity as they engage with a multiplicity of agencies and sectors. Additionally, the emphasis on promoting evidence-based practice has challenged evaluators tasked with collecting and interpreting evidence of impact in complex local health economies. National policy makers, local implementers and other stakeholders will have varying perspectives on impact and the Labour Government's centralising tendencies have acted to 'crowd out' local voices from the policy process. Drawing on the national evaluation of Health Action Zones (HAZ) this article 'gives voice' to local stakeholders and their perceptions of impact. Informed by a Theories of Change perspective, we explore HAZ interventions to articulate the nature of impact and its limits. We analyse the claims made by local HAZs with reference to the evidence base and examine their significance in the context of overall HAZ objectives. We conclude that local implementer perspectives are no less sophisticated than those at the policy centre of central government, but that they are informed by three important factors: the local context, a need to be pragmatic and the limited potency of evidence in the public policy system.

Social complexity, modernity and suicide: an assessment of Durkheim's suicide from the perspective of a non-linear analysis of complex social systems.

PubMed

Condorelli, Rosalia

2016-01-01

Can we share even today the same vision of modernity which Durkheim left us by its suicide analysis? or can society 'surprise us'? The answer to these questions can be inspired by several studies which found that beginning the second half of the twentieth century suicides in western countries more industrialized and modernized do not increase in a constant, linear way as modernization and social fragmentation process increases, as well as Durkheim's theory seems to lead us to predict. Despite continued modernizing process, they found stabilizing or falling overall suicide rate trends. Therefore, a gradual process of adaptation to the stress of modernization associated to low social integration levels seems to be activated in modern society. Assuming this perspective, the paper highlights as this tendency may be understood in the light of the new concept of social systems as complex adaptive systems, systems which are able to adapt to environmental perturbations and generate as a whole surprising, emergent effects due to nonlinear interactions among their components. So, in the frame of Nonlinear Dynamical System Modeling, we formalize the logic of suicide decision-making process responsible for changes at aggregate level in suicide growth rates by a nonlinear differential equation structured in a logistic way, and in so doing we attempt to capture the mechanism underlying the change process in suicide growth rate and to test the hypothesis that system's dynamics exhibits a restrained increase process as expression of an adaptation process to the liquidity of social ties in modern society. In particular, a Nonlinear Logistic Map is applied to suicide data in a modern society such as the Italian one from 1875 to 2010. The analytic results, seeming to confirm the idea of the activation of an adaptation process to the liquidity of social ties, constitutes an opportunity for a more general reflection on the current configuration of modern society, by relating the Durkheimian Theory with the Halbwachs' Theory and most current visions of modernity such as the Baumanian one. Complexity completes the interpretative framework by rooting the generating mechanism of adaptation process in the precondition of a new General Theory of Systems making the non linearity property of social system's interactions and surprise the functioning and evolution rule of social systems.

Embracing chaos and complexity: a quantum change for public health.

PubMed

Resnicow, Kenneth; Page, Scott E

2008-08-01

Public health research and practice have been guided by a cognitive, rational paradigm where inputs produce linear, predictable changes in outputs. However, the conceptual and statistical assumptions underlying this paradigm may be flawed. In particular, this perspective does not adequately account for nonlinear and quantum influences on human behavior. We propose that health behavior change is better understood through the lens of chaos theory and complex adaptive systems. Key relevant principles include that behavior change (1) is often a quantum event; (2) can resemble a chaotic process that is sensitive to initial conditions, highly variable, and difficult to predict; and (3) occurs within a complex adaptive system with multiple components, where results are often greater than the sum of their parts.

Physical Complexity and Cognitive Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jedlicka, Peter

Our intuition tells us that there is a general trend in the evolution of nature, a trend towards greater complexity. However, there are several definitions of complexity and hence it is difficult to argue for or against the validity of this intuition. Christoph Adami has recently introduced a novel measure called physical complexity that assigns low complexity to both ordered and random systems and high complexity to those in between. Physical complexity measures the amount of information that an organism stores in its genome about the environment in which it evolves. The theory of physical complexity predicts that evolution increases the amount of `knowledge' an organism accumulates about its niche. It might be fruitful to generalize Adami's concept of complexity to the entire evolution (including the evolution of man). Physical complexity fits nicely into the philosophical framework of cognitive biology which considers biological evolution as a progressing process of accumulation of knowledge (as a gradual increase of epistemic complexity). According to this paradigm, evolution is a cognitive `ratchet' that pushes the organisms unidirectionally towards higher complexity. Dynamic environment continually creates problems to be solved. To survive in the environment means to solve the problem, and the solution is an embodied knowledge. Cognitive biology (as well as the theory of physical complexity) uses the concepts of information and entropy and views the evolution from both the information-theoretical and thermodynamical perspective. Concerning humans as conscious beings, it seems necessary to postulate an emergence of a new kind of knowledge - a self-aware and self-referential knowledge. Appearence of selfreflection in evolution indicates that the human brain reached a new qualitative level in the epistemic complexity.

Fuzzy-Trace Theory and Lifespan Cognitive Development

PubMed Central

Brainerd, C J.; Reyna, Valerie F.

2015-01-01

Fuzzy-trace theory (FTT) emphasizes the use of core theoretical principles, such as the verbatim-gist distinction, to predict new findings about cognitive development that are counterintuitive from the perspective of other theories or of common-sense. To the extent that such predictions are confirmed, the range of phenomena that are explained expands without increasing the complexity of the theory's assumptions. We examine research on recent examples of such predictions during four epochs of cognitive development: childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, and late adulthood. During the first two, the featured predictions are surprising developmental reversals in false memory (childhood) and in risky decision making (adolescence). During young adulthood, FTT predicts that a retrieval operation that figures centrally in dual-process theories of memory, recollection, is bivariate rather than univariate. During the late adulthood, FTT identifies a retrieval operation, reconstruction, that has been omitted from current theories of normal memory declines in aging and pathological declines in dementia. The theory predicts that reconstruction is a major factor in such declines and that it is able to forecast future dementia. PMID:26644632

Fuzzy-Trace Theory and Lifespan Cognitive Development.

PubMed

Brainerd, C J; Reyna, Valerie F

2015-12-01

Fuzzy-trace theory (FTT) emphasizes the use of core theoretical principles, such as the verbatim-gist distinction, to predict new findings about cognitive development that are counterintuitive from the perspective of other theories or of common-sense. To the extent that such predictions are confirmed, the range of phenomena that are explained expands without increasing the complexity of the theory's assumptions. We examine research on recent examples of such predictions during four epochs of cognitive development: childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, and late adulthood. During the first two, the featured predictions are surprising developmental reversals in false memory (childhood) and in risky decision making (adolescence). During young adulthood, FTT predicts that a retrieval operation that figures centrally in dual-process theories of memory, recollection, is bivariate rather than univariate. During the late adulthood, FTT identifies a retrieval operation, reconstruction, that has been omitted from current theories of normal memory declines in aging and pathological declines in dementia. The theory predicts that reconstruction is a major factor in such declines and that it is able to forecast future dementia.

Cancer dormancy and criticality from a game theory perspective.

PubMed

Wu, Amy; Liao, David; Kirilin, Vlamimir; Lin, Ke-Chih; Torga, Gonzalo; Qu, Junle; Liu, Liyu; Sturm, James C; Pienta, Kenneth; Austin, Robert

2018-01-01

The physics of cancer dormancy, the time between initial cancer treatment and re-emergence after a protracted period, is a puzzle. Cancer cells interact with host cells via complex, non-linear population dynamics, which can lead to very non-intuitive but perhaps deterministic and understandable progression dynamics of cancer and dormancy. We explore here the dynamics of host-cancer cell populations in the presence of (1) payoffs gradients and (2) perturbations due to cell migration. We determine to what extent the time-dependence of the populations can be quantitively understood in spite of the underlying complexity of the individual agents and model the phenomena of dormancy.

The Use of Multiple Theories of Inquiry in Educational Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Short, Edmund C.

This paper explores how various perspectives influence inquiry in education. Normative perspectives function as implicit theories of inquiry as a researcher undertakes formal inquiry, and such theories should be acknowledged. Epistemological as well as methodological issues raised by conceiving of such theories as normative rather than merely…

Therapeutic Theory and Social Context: A Social Constructionist Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Gordon

1997-01-01

Explores the foundation of therapeutic theory from the perspective of social constructionism. Proposes a theoretical description of the interaction between an individual and the social context in the formation of therapeutic theory. Then explores this description in relation to the early life and subsequent therapeutic theory of Carl Rogers. (RJM)

Spreading Effect in Industrial Complex Network Based on Revised Structural Holes Theory

PubMed Central

Ye, Qing; Guan, Jun

2016-01-01

This paper analyzed the spreading effect of industrial sectors with complex network model under perspective of econophysics. Input-output analysis, as an important research tool, focuses more on static analysis. However, the fundamental aim of industry analysis is to figure out how interaction between different industries makes impacts on economic development, which turns out to be a dynamic process. Thus, industrial complex network based on input-output tables from WIOD is proposed to be a bridge connecting accurate static quantitative analysis and comparable dynamic one. With application of revised structural holes theory, flow betweenness and random walk centrality were respectively chosen to evaluate industrial sectors’ long-term and short-term spreading effect process in this paper. It shows that industries with higher flow betweenness or random walk centrality would bring about more intensive industrial spreading effect to the industrial chains they stands in, because value stream transmission of industrial sectors depends on how many products or services it can get from the other ones, and they are regarded as brokers with bigger information superiority and more intermediate interests. PMID:27218468

Spreading Effect in Industrial Complex Network Based on Revised Structural Holes Theory.

PubMed

Xing, Lizhi; Ye, Qing; Guan, Jun

2016-01-01

This paper analyzed the spreading effect of industrial sectors with complex network model under perspective of econophysics. Input-output analysis, as an important research tool, focuses more on static analysis. However, the fundamental aim of industry analysis is to figure out how interaction between different industries makes impacts on economic development, which turns out to be a dynamic process. Thus, industrial complex network based on input-output tables from WIOD is proposed to be a bridge connecting accurate static quantitative analysis and comparable dynamic one. With application of revised structural holes theory, flow betweenness and random walk centrality were respectively chosen to evaluate industrial sectors' long-term and short-term spreading effect process in this paper. It shows that industries with higher flow betweenness or random walk centrality would bring about more intensive industrial spreading effect to the industrial chains they stands in, because value stream transmission of industrial sectors depends on how many products or services it can get from the other ones, and they are regarded as brokers with bigger information superiority and more intermediate interests.

Socio-material perspectives on interprofessional team and collaborative learning.

PubMed

McMurtry, Angus; Rohse, Shanta; Kilgour, Kelly N

2016-02-01

Interprofessional teamwork and collaboration have become important parts of health care practice and education. Most of the literature on interprofessional learning, however, assumes that learning is something acquired by individuals and readily transferred to other contexts. This assumption severely limits the ways in which interprofessional educators and researchers can conceptualise and support learning related to collaborative interprofessional health care. Socio-material theories provide an alternative to individualistic, acquisition-oriented notions by reconceiving learning in terms of collective dynamics, participation in social communities and active engagement with material contexts. Socio-material literature and theories were reviewed to identify concepts relevant to interprofessional learning. After briefly summarising the origins and key principles of socio-material approaches, the authors draw upon specific socio-material theories--including complexity theory, cultural-historical activity theory and actor-network theory--in order to reconceive how learning happens in interprofessional contexts. This reframing of interprofessional learning focuses less on individuals and more on collective dynamics and the actual social and material relations involved in practice. The paper proposes five ways in which learning may be enacted in interprofessional teamwork and collaboration from a socio-material perspective: (i) diverse contributions; (ii) social interactions and relationships; (iii) synthesis of professional ideas; (iv) integration of material elements, and (v) connections to large-scale organisations. For each of these categories, the paper provides practical illustrations to assist educators and researchers who wish to identify and assess this learning. Although more exploratory than comprehensive, this paper articulates many key aspects of socio-material learning theories and offers practical guidance for those who wish to employ and assess them in interprofessional contexts. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Learning challenges and sustainable development: A methodological perspective.

PubMed

Seppänen, Laura

2017-01-01

Sustainable development requires learning, but the contents of learning are often complex and ambiguous. This requires new integrated approaches from research. It is argued that investigation of people's learning challenges in every-day work is beneficial for research on sustainable development. The aim of the paper is to describe a research method for examining learning challenges in promoting sustainable development. This method is illustrated with a case example from organic vegetable farming in Finland. The method, based on Activity Theory, combines historical analysis with qualitative analysis of need expressions in discourse data. The method linking local and subjective need expressions with general historical analysis is a promising way to overcome the gap between the individual and society, so much needed in research for sustainable development. Dialectically informed historical frameworks have practical value as tools in collaborative negotiations and participatory designs for sustainable development. The simultaneous use of systemic and subjective perspectives allows researchers to manage the complexity of practical work activities and to avoid too simplistic presumptions about sustainable development.

Navigating the Perfect Storm: Research Strategies for Socialecological Systems in a Rapidly Evolving World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dearing, John A.; Bullock, Seth; Costanza, Robert; Dawson, Terry P.; Edwards, Mary E.; Poppy, Guy M.; Smith, Graham M.

2012-04-01

The `Perfect Storm' metaphor describes a combination of events that causes a surprising or dramatic impact. It lends an evolutionary perspective to how social-ecological interactions change. Thus, we argue that an improved understanding of how social-ecological systems have evolved up to the present is necessary for the modelling, understanding and anticipation of current and future social-ecological systems. Here we consider the implications of an evolutionary perspective for designing research approaches. One desirable approach is the creation of multi-decadal records produced by integrating palaeoenvironmental, instrument and documentary sources at multiple spatial scales. We also consider the potential for improved analytical and modelling approaches by developing system dynamical, cellular and agent-based models, observing complex behaviour in social-ecological systems against which to test systems dynamical theory, and drawing better lessons from history. Alongside these is the need to find more appropriate ways to communicate complex systems, risk and uncertainty to the public and to policy-makers.

The BRST complex of homological Poisson reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller-Lennert, Martin

2017-02-01

BRST complexes are differential graded Poisson algebras. They are associated with a coisotropic ideal J of a Poisson algebra P and provide a description of the Poisson algebra (P/J)^J as their cohomology in degree zero. Using the notion of stable equivalence introduced in Felder and Kazhdan (Contemporary Mathematics 610, Perspectives in representation theory, 2014), we prove that any two BRST complexes associated with the same coisotropic ideal are quasi-isomorphic in the case P = R[V] where V is a finite-dimensional symplectic vector space and the bracket on P is induced by the symplectic structure on V. As a corollary, the cohomology of the BRST complexes is canonically associated with the coisotropic ideal J in the symplectic case. We do not require any regularity assumptions on the constraints generating the ideal J. We finally quantize the BRST complex rigorously in the presence of infinitely many ghost variables and discuss the uniqueness of the quantization procedure.

Religion as culture: religious individualism and collectivism among american catholics, jews, and protestants.

PubMed

Cohen, Adam B; Hill, Peter C

2007-08-01

We propose the theory that religious cultures vary in individualistic and collectivistic aspects of religiousness and spirituality. Study 1 showed that religion for Jews is about community and biological descent but about personal beliefs for Protestants. Intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity were intercorrelated and endorsed differently by Jews, Catholics, and Protestants in a pattern that supports the theory that intrinsic religiosity relates to personal religion, whereas extrinsic religiosity stresses community and ritual (Studies 2 and 3). Important life experiences were likely to be social for Jews but focused on God for Protestants, with Catholics in between (Study 4). We conclude with three perspectives in understanding the complex relationships between religion and culture.

Development and Desire: A Postmodern Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hargreaves, Andy

Three theoretical perspectives guide this discussion of teacher development: symbolic interactionism, critical social theory, and theories of postmodernity. Drawing on these perspectives, key dimensions of teacher development can be addressed. Good teaching involves competence in technical skills, but it also involves moral purpose; emotional…

Controllability of Surface Water Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riasi, M. Sadegh; Yeghiazarian, Lilit

2017-12-01

To sustainably manage water resources, we must understand how to control complex networked systems. In this paper, we study surface water networks from the perspective of structural controllability, a concept that integrates classical control theory with graph-theoretic formalism. We present structural controllability theory and compute four metrics: full and target controllability, control centrality and control profile (FTCP) that collectively determine the structural boundaries of the system's control space. We use these metrics to answer the following questions: How does the structure of a surface water network affect its controllability? How to efficiently control a preselected subset of the network? Which nodes have the highest control power? What types of topological structures dominate controllability? Finally, we demonstrate the structural controllability theory in the analysis of a wide range of surface water networks, such as tributary, deltaic, and braided river systems.

On the histories of relativity. The propagation and elaboration of relativity theory in participant histories in Germany, 1905 - 1911.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staley, R.

1998-06-01

This essay explores the history and historiography of relativity through a study of the earliest, participant, histories of the subject. The author argues that participant histories from Einstein, Planck, Minkowski, and others provided an important means of shaping understandings of relativity - at a time when the theory was subject to major controversy and debate. One feature of the study is thus a detailed investigation of the use of historical resources in scientific research. Second, the accounts discussed provide a means of surveying the development of relativity in Germany. The study offers a new perspective on the complex process through which a plurality of approaches - many relativities with many histories - could become singular - one theory, one history - and through which the work of Einstein came to be sharply distinguished from that of others.

Combining Theory and Practice in the Gymnasium: "Constraints" within an Ecological Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gagen, Linda; Getchell, Nancy

2004-01-01

Preservice students do not always see the relationship between the theories they learn in motor development class and the practical applications of those theories in the gymnasium. This article begins to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Within the theoretical viewpoint known as the ecological perspective, the authors identify the…

Sociocultural Theories, Academic Achievement, and African American Adolescents in a Multicultural Context: A Review of the Cultural Compatibility Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whaley, Arthur L.; Noel, La Tonya

2012-01-01

Several theories suggest that African American culture facilitates academic achievement, but others suggest that identifying with Black culture contributes to the achievement gap by undermining the academic performance among youth. These opposing perspectives are labeled "cultural compatibility theories" and "cultural incompatibility theories,"…

Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Literacy Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beach, Richard, Ed.; And Others

This collection of conference papers explores the application of a range of different disciplinary perspectives to studying literacy, drawing not only on newer linguistic and cognitive psychological orientations, but also on cultural anthropology, sociolinguistics, reader-response theory, critical theory, and poststructuralist theory. The…

Sociocultural Theories, Academic Achievement, and African American Adolescents in a Multicultural Context: A Review of the Cultural Incompatibility Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whaley, Arthur L.; Noel, La

2011-01-01

Some theories have posited that African American youth are academic underachievers because of sociocultural factors. We label this point of view the cultural incompatibility perspective. Ogbu's oppositional culture theory and Steele's stereotype threat theory are selected as popular examples of this viewpoint. A critical review of the literature…

Career Theory from an International Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guichard, Jean; Lenz, Janet

2005-01-01

The Career Theory in an International Perspective group highlighted 7 approaches: action theory, self-construction model, transition model, dynamics of entering the workforce, narrative in career guidance, dilemma approach, and interactive identity construction. Three main characteristics appear to be common to these different contributions: (a)…

The Psychology of Career Theory--A New Perspective?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodd, Maureen

2000-01-01

New perspectives on human behavior have invalidated some assumptions of career theories such as personality type, career stages, and life-cycle models. Other theories, such as Driver's Objective Career Patterns, Schein's Temporal Development Model, and Nicholson's Transition Cycle, are compatible with current psychological understanding. (SK)

The psychology of fear of flying (part I): a critical evaluation of current perspectives on the nature, prevalence and etiology of fear of flying.

PubMed

Oakes, Margaret; Bor, Robert

2010-11-01

Fear of flying, its nature, prevalence, etiology and treatment, has been the subject of a substantial quantity of research over the past 30 years. With the exception of a dated review of treatment methods however, there has been no evaluation of this expanding body of evidence, its contribution to theory and influence on clinical practice. Published research has also generally failed to apply developments in the understanding and treatment of anxiety disorders generally to fear of flying. This review provides a critical evaluation of the existing literature and what it reveals about theory and practice. It does this from the perspective of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. The evidence reviewed demonstrates that fear of flying is a heterogeneous phenomenon which is acquired under the influence of complex psychological, social and physiological factors unique to each affected individual. Effective psychological interventions must therefore be founded on a comprehensive functional assessment of each individual, a finding which is considered in detail in the second part of this review. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interleaved concatenated codes: new perspectives on approaching the Shannon limit.

PubMed

Viterbi, A J; Viterbi, A M; Sindhushayana, N T

1997-09-02

The last few years have witnessed a significant decrease in the gap between the Shannon channel capacity limit and what is practically achievable. Progress has resulted from novel extensions of previously known coding techniques involving interleaved concatenated codes. A considerable body of simulation results is now available, supported by an important but limited theoretical basis. This paper presents a computational technique which further ties simulation results to the known theory and reveals a considerable reduction in the complexity required to approach the Shannon limit.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elber, Ron

Atomically detailed computer simulations of complex molecular events attracted the imagination of many researchers in the field as providing comprehensive information on chemical, biological, and physical processes. However, one of the greatest limitations of these simulations is of time scales. The physical time scales accessible to straightforward simulations are too short to address many interesting and important molecular events. In the last decade significant advances were made in different directions (theory, software, and hardware) that significantly expand the capabilities and accuracies of these techniques. This perspective describes and critically examines some of these advances.

New Perspectives on an Old Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosania, MaryJo

2006-01-01

Since the Renaissance, artists have used one- and two-point perspective to describe space in their work. After the release of artist David Hockney's theory questioning the use of lenses and "Scientific America's" attempt to disprove Hockney's theories, perspective has gotten quite controversial. The art world's perplexity surrounding the concept…

A Social Theory Perspective on e-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Remtulla, Karim A.

2008-01-01

Current research on e-learning that focuses predominantly on instructional programming, and on various hardware and software, essentially neglects the more socio-cultural perspectives on e-learning. With this in mind, this article proceeds from a social theory perspective with a more socio-culturally engaged look at e-learning for workplace…

Discovering Complementary Colors from the Perspective of STEAM Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karabey, Burak; Koyunkaya, Melike Yigit; Enginoglu, Turan; Yurumezoglu, Kemal

2018-01-01

This study explored the theory and applications of complementary colors using a technology-based activity designed from the perspective of STEAM education. Complementary colors and their areas of use were examined from the perspective of physics, mathematics and art, respectively. The study, which benefits from technology, makes the theory of…

The importance of symbolic interaction in grounded theory research on women's health.

PubMed

Crooks, D L

2001-01-01

A variety of grounded theory studies are presented in this issue of Health Care for Women International that attend to different factors and situations impacting women's health. In this paper I will provide the basic principles of symbolic interactionism (SI) for the reader unfamiliar with the conceptual underpinnings of the grounded theory research method. I will discuss why SI is a fitting perspective for use in the study of women, women's perspectives, and women's health. I will conclude with a brief discussion of challenges to researchers maintaining the symbolic interaction perspective in grounded theory research.

The robust nature of the biopsychosocial model challenge and threat: a reply to Wright and Kirby.

PubMed

Blascovich, Jim; Mendes, Wendy Berry; Tomaka, Joe; Salomon, Kristen; Seery, Mark

2003-01-01

This article responds to Wright and Kirby's (this issue) critique of our biopsychosocial (BPS) analysis of challenge and threat motivation. We counter their arguments by reviewing the current state of our theory as well as supporting data, then turn to their specific criticisms. We believe that Wright and Kirby failed to accurately represent the corpus of our work, including both our theoretical model and its supporting data. They critiqued our model from a contextual, rational-economic perspective that ignores the complexity and subjectivity of person-person and person-environmental interactions as well as nonconscious influences. Finally, they provided criticisms regarding possible underspecificity of antecedent components of our model that do not so much indicate theoretical flaws as provide important and interesting questions for future research. We conclude by affirming that our BPS model of challenge and threat is an evolving, generative theory directed toward understanding the complexity of personality and social psychological factors underlying challenge and threat states.

a Statistical Dynamic Approach to Structural Evolution of Complex Capital Market Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Xiao; Chai, Li H.

As an important part of modern financial systems, capital market has played a crucial role on diverse social resource allocations and economical exchanges. Beyond traditional models and/or theories based on neoclassical economics, considering capital markets as typical complex open systems, this paper attempts to develop a new approach to overcome some shortcomings of the available researches. By defining the generalized entropy of capital market systems, a theoretical model and nonlinear dynamic equation on the operations of capital market are proposed from statistical dynamic perspectives. The US security market from 1995 to 2001 is then simulated and analyzed as a typical case. Some instructive results are discussed and summarized.

Critical Theory and Everyday Educational Life.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taxel, Joel

This paper discusses the relevance of the neo-Marxist perspective (critical theory) to educational theory and practice, with partictular emphasis on the implications of this perspective for educational researchers and educators involved in teacher education programs. For purposes of comparative analysis, it also provides a brief overview of basic…

Learning Theories and Assessment Methodologies--An Engineering Educational Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hassan, O. A. B.

2011-01-01

This paper attempts to critically review theories of learning from the perspective of engineering education in order to align relevant assessment methods with each respective learning theory, considering theoretical aspects and practical observations and reflections. The role of formative assessment, taxonomies, peer learning and educational…

Educational Theory and Practice in an Aristotelian Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saugstad, Tone

2002-01-01

Uses an Aristotelian perspective to discuss the relationship between educational theory and practice. Draws on Aristotle's Nichomachean ethics and his description of three forms of knowledge to show that educational theory and practice are of qualitatively different categories and thus cannot automatically enter into a "fruitful…

Instructional change in academic departments: An analysis from the persepctive of two environment-focused change strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quardokus, Kathleen M.

Numerous reports demand changes in college and university teaching practices. This is especially true for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. STEM stakeholders are concerned about student retention within STEM majors, as well as the lack of sufficient graduates with the knowledge to advance these fields. A common conclusion of these reports is that teaching practices must change. Although these calls for change have occurred for decades, STEM fields have yet to experience widespread change. Thus, there is a need for more effective change strategies. Recently, researchers have suggested that effective change strategies should focus on changing the environments of academic departments. This is in contrast to most commonly-used change strategies that focus on individual instructors. Environmentfocused change strategies have two main varieties: those that have a goal of implementing prescribed outcomes, and those that expect the outcomes to emerge from the change process. Yet, little is known about how to enact environment-focused change strategies. The goal of this research is to provide guidance for change agents and researchers by analyzing a large-scale change initiative from the perspective of two environment-focused change strategies: Kotter's eight-stage leadership process (prescribed) and complexity leadership theory (emergent). This analysis was guided by two research questions. 1. Within the context of a higher education change initiative, how is the change process described from the perspectives of two distinct leadership theories? 2. How do these descriptions frame problems and solutions associated with change? Each change strategy identified different activities as contributing to change as well as different missed opportunities. For example, when the change vision was not communicated effectively, the eight-stage leadership process indicated that the involvement of the department chair was needed, while complexity leadership theory indicated that more collaboration among individuals was needed. Often the missed leadership opportunities had been used effectively by one of the other departments. In addition to providing researchers and change agents with clear articulation of two ways of thinking about the change process, the results of this project identify four common problems that arose in the case studies and propose solutions from the perspective of each change strategy.

Rethinking intractable conflict: the perspective of dynamical systems.

PubMed

Vallacher, Robin R; Coleman, Peter T; Nowak, Andrzej; Bui-Wrzosinska, Lan

2010-01-01

Intractable conflicts are demoralizing. Beyond destabilizing the families, communities, or international regions in which they occur, they tend to perpetuate the very conditions of misery and hate that contributed to them in the first place. Although the common factors and processes associated with intractable conflicts have been identified through research, they represent an embarrassment of riches for theory construction. Thus, the current task in this area is integrating these diverse factors into an account that provides a coherent perspective yet allows for prediction and a basis for conflict resolution in specific conflict settings. We suggest that the perspective of dynamical systems provides such an account. This article outlines the key concepts and hypotheses associated with this approach. It is organized around a set of basic questions concerning intractable conflict for which the dynamical perspective offers fresh insight and testable propositions. The questions and answers are intended to provide readers with basic concepts and principles of complexity and dynamical systems that are useful for rethinking the nature of intractable conflict and the means by which such conflict can be transformed. Copyright 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

Exploring complex causal pathways between urban renewal, health and health inequality using a theory-driven realist approach.

PubMed

Mehdipanah, Roshanak; Manzano, Ana; Borrell, Carme; Malmusi, Davide; Rodriguez-Sanz, Maica; Greenhalgh, Joanne; Muntaner, Carles; Pawson, Ray

2015-01-01

Urban populations are growing and to accommodate these numbers, cities are becoming more involved in urban renewal programs to improve the physical, social and economic conditions in different areas. This paper explores some of the complexities surrounding the link between urban renewal, health and health inequalities using a theory-driven approach. We focus on an urban renewal initiative implemented in Barcelona, the Neighbourhoods Law, targeting Barcelona's (Spain) most deprived neighbourhoods. We present evidence from two studies on the health evaluation of the Neighbourhoods Law, while drawing from recent urban renewal literature, to follow a four-step process to develop a program theory. We then use two specific urban renewal interventions, the construction of a large central plaza and the repair of streets and sidewalks, to further examine this link. In order for urban renewal programs to affect health and health inequality, neighbours must use and adapt to the changes produced by the intervention. However, there exist barriers that can result in negative outcomes including factors such as accessibility, safety and security. This paper provides a different perspective to the field that is largely dominated by traditional quantitative studies that are not always able to address the complexities such interventions provide. Furthermore, the framework and discussions serve as a guide for future research, policy development and evaluation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Generalized model of electromigration with 1:1 (analyte:selector) complexation stoichiometry: part II. Application to dual systems and experimental verification.

PubMed

Müllerová, Ludmila; Dubský, Pavel; Gaš, Bohuslav

2015-03-06

Interactions among analyte forms that undergo simultaneous dissociation/protonation and complexation with multiple selectors take the shape of a highly interconnected multi-equilibrium scheme. This makes it difficult to express the effective mobility of the analyte in these systems, which are often encountered in electrophoretical separations, unless a generalized model is introduced. In the first part of this series, we presented the theory of electromigration of a multivalent weakly acidic/basic/amphoteric analyte undergoing complexation with a mixture of an arbitrary number of selectors. In this work we demonstrate the validity of this concept experimentally. The theory leads to three useful perspectives, each of which is closely related to the one originally formulated for simpler systems. If pH, IS and the selector mixture composition are all kept constant, the system is treated as if only a single analyte form interacted with a single selector. If the pH changes at constant IS and mixture composition, the already well-established models of a weakly acidic/basic analyte interacting with a single selector can be employed. Varying the mixture composition at constant IS and pH leads to a situation where virtually a single analyte form interacts with a mixture of selectors. We show how to switch between the three perspectives in practice and confirm that they can be employed interchangeably according to the specific needs by measurements performed in single- and dual-selector systems at a pH where the analyte is fully dissociated, partly dissociated or fully protonated. Weak monoprotic analyte (R-flurbiprofen) and two selectors (native β-cyclodextrin and monovalent positively charged 6-monodeoxy-6-monoamino-β-cyclodextrin) serve as a model system. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Perspectives on theory at the interface of physics and biology.

PubMed

Bialek, William

2018-01-01

Theoretical physics is the search for simple and universal mathematical descriptions of the natural world. In contrast, much of modern biology is an exploration of the complexity and diversity of life. For many, this contrast is prima facie evidence that theory, in the sense that physicists use the word, is impossible in a biological context. For others, this contrast serves to highlight a grand challenge. I am an optimist, and believe (along with many colleagues) that the time is ripe for the emergence of a more unified theoretical physics of biological systems, building on successes in thinking about particular phenomena. In this essay I try to explain the reasons for my optimism, through a combination of historical and modern examples.

Perspectives on theory at the interface of physics and biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bialek, William

2018-01-01

Theoretical physics is the search for simple and universal mathematical descriptions of the natural world. In contrast, much of modern biology is an exploration of the complexity and diversity of life. For many, this contrast is prima facie evidence that theory, in the sense that physicists use the word, is impossible in a biological context. For others, this contrast serves to highlight a grand challenge. I am an optimist, and believe (along with many colleagues) that the time is ripe for the emergence of a more unified theoretical physics of biological systems, building on successes in thinking about particular phenomena. In this essay I try to explain the reasons for my optimism, through a combination of historical and modern examples.

Theoretical Borderlands: Using Multiple Theoretical Perspectives to Challenge Inequitable Power Structures in Student Development Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abes, Elisa S.

2009-01-01

This article is an exploration of possibilities and methodological considerations for using multiple theoretical perspectives in research that challenges inequitable power structures in student development theory. Specifically, I explore methodological considerations when partnering queer theory and constructivism in research on lesbian identity…

Grief as a Social Emotion: Theoretical Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jakoby, Nina R.

2012-01-01

The article explores a sociological perspective on grief as a social emotion. Focusing on the social bond with the deceased, the self-concept of the survivor or the power of feeling rules, general sociological theories of emotions (symbolic interactionism, structural theory, behavioral theory) have the potential to deepen the understanding of…

Identifying Support Functions in Developmental Relationships: A Self-Determination Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janssen, Suzanne; van Vuuren, Mark; de Jong, Menno D. T.

2013-01-01

This study examines the content of developmental networks from the perspective of self-determination theory. We qualitatively examine 18 proteges' constellations of developmental relationships to identify specific types of developmental support functions. Our study shows that the adoption of self-determination theory leads to a theory-based…

Theorizing healthy settings: a critical discussion with reference to Healthy Universities.

PubMed

Dooris, Mark; Wills, Jane; Newton, Joanne

2014-11-01

The settings approach appreciates that health determinants operate in settings of everyday life. Whilst subject to conceptual development, we argue that the approach lacks a clear and coherent theoretical framework to steer policy, practice and research. To identify what theories and conceptual models have been used in relation to the implementation and evaluation of Healthy Universities. A scoping literature review was undertaken between 2010 and 2013, identifying 26 papers that met inclusion criteria. Seven theoretical perspectives or conceptual frameworks were identified: the Ottawa Charter; a socio-ecological approach (which implicitly drew on sociological theories concerning structure and agency); salutogenesis; systems thinking; whole system change; organizational development; and a framework proposed by Dooris. These were used to address interrelated questions on the nature of a setting, how health is created in a setting, why the settings approach is a useful means of promoting health, and how health promotion can be introduced into and embedded within a setting. Although distinctive, the example of healthy universities drew on common theoretical perspectives that have infused the settings discourse more generally this engagement with theory was at times well-developed and at other times a passing reference the paper concludes by pointing to other theories that offer value to healthy settings practice and research and by arguing that theorization has a key role to play in understanding the complexity of settings and guiding the planning, implementation and evaluation of programmes. © 2014 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Pursuing Improvement in Clinical Reasoning: The Integrated Clinical Education Theory.

PubMed

Jessee, Mary Ann

2018-01-01

The link between clinical education and development of clinical reasoning is not well supported by one theoretical perspective. Learning to reason during clinical education may be best achieved in a supportive sociocultural context of nursing practice that maximizes reasoning opportunities and facilitates discourse and meaningful feedback. Prelicensure clinical education seldom incorporates these critical components and thus may fail to directly promote clinical reasoning skill. Theoretical frameworks supporting the development of clinical reasoning during clinical education were evaluated. Analysis of strengths and gaps in each framework's support of clinical reasoning development was conducted. Commensurability of philosophical underpinnings was confirmed, and complex relationships among key concepts were elucidated. Six key concepts and three tenets comprise an explanatory predictive theory-the integrated clinical education theory (ICET). ICET provides critical theoretical support for inquiry and action to promote clinical education that improves development of clinical reasoning skill. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(1):7-13.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

Social cognitive theory of gender development and differentiation.

PubMed

Bussey, K; Bandura, A

1999-10-01

Human differentiation on the basis of gender is a fundamental phenomenon that affects virtually every aspect of people's daily lives. This article presents the social cognitive theory of gender role development and functioning. It specifies how gender conceptions are constructed from the complex mix of experiences and how they operate in concert with motivational and self-regulatory mechanisms to guide gender-linked conduct throughout the life course. The theory integrates psychological and sociostructural determinants within a unified conceptual structure. In this theoretical perspective, gender conceptions and roles are the product of a broad network of social influences operating interdependently in a variety of societal subsystems. Human evolution provides bodily structures and biological potentialities that permit a range of possibilities rather than dictate a fixed type of gender differentiation. People contribute to their self-development and bring about social changes that define and structure gender relationships through their agentic actions within the interrelated systems of influence.

Theories on Drug Abuse: Selected Contemporary Perspectives. Research Monograph 30.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lettieri, Dan J., Ed.; And Others

This volume presents various theoretical orientations and perspectives of the drug abuse research field, derived from the social and biomedical sciences. The first section contains a separate theoretical overview for each of the 43 theories or perspectives. The second section contains five chapters which correspond to the five components of a drug…

A complexity theory model in science education problem solving: random walks for working memory and mental capacity.

PubMed

Stamovlasis, Dimitrios; Tsaparlis, Georgios

2003-07-01

The present study examines the role of limited human channel capacity from a science education perspective. A model of science problem solving has been previously validated by applying concepts and tools of complexity theory (the working memory, random walk method). The method correlated the subjects' rank-order achievement scores in organic-synthesis chemistry problems with the subjects' working memory capacity. In this work, we apply the same nonlinear approach to a different data set, taken from chemical-equilibrium problem solving. In contrast to the organic-synthesis problems, these problems are algorithmic, require numerical calculations, and have a complex logical structure. As a result, these problems cause deviations from the model, and affect the pattern observed with the nonlinear method. In addition to Baddeley's working memory capacity, the Pascual-Leone's mental (M-) capacity is examined by the same random-walk method. As the complexity of the problem increases, the fractal dimension of the working memory random walk demonstrates a sudden drop, while the fractal dimension of the M-capacity random walk decreases in a linear fashion. A review of the basic features of the two capacities and their relation is included. The method and findings have consequences for problem solving not only in chemistry and science education, but also in other disciplines.

What theory, for whom and in which context? Reflections on the application of theory in the development and evaluation of complex population health interventions.

PubMed

Moore, Graham F; Evans, Rhiannon E

2017-12-01

Recent years have seen a growing emphasis on the value of building and testing middle range theory throughout the development and evaluation of complex population health interventions. We agree that a coherent theoretical basis for intervention development, and use of evaluation to test key causal assumptions and build theory, are crucial. However, in this editorial, we argue that such recommendations have often been operationalised in somewhat simplistic terms with potentially perverse consequences, and that an uncritical assumption that an intervention explicitly based on theory is inherently superior carries significant risks. We first argue that the drive for theory-based approaches may have exacerbated a propensity to select 'off-the-shelf' theories, leading to the selection of inappropriate theories which distract attention from the mechanisms through which a problem is actually sustained. Second, we discuss a tendency toward over-reliance on individual-level theorising. Finally, we discuss the relatively slow progress of population health intervention research in attending to issues of context, and the ecological fit of interventions with the systems whose functioning they attempt to change. We argue that while researchers should consider a broad range of potential theoretical perspectives on a given population health problem, citing a popular off-the-shelf theory as having informed an intervention and its evaluation does not inherently make for better science. Before identifying or developing a theory of change, researchers should develop a clear understanding of how the problem under consideration is created and sustained in context. A broader conceptualisation of theory that reaches across disciplines is vital if theory is to enhance, rather than constrain, the contribution of intervention research. Finally, intervention researchers need to move away from viewing interventions as discrete packages of components which can be described in isolation from their contexts, and better understand the systems into which change is being introduced.

A Short Account of RRKM Theory of Unimolecular Reactions and of Marcus Theory of Electron Transfer in a Historical Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Di Giacomo, Francesco

2015-01-01

The RRKM Theory of Unimolecular Reactions and Marcus Theory of Electron Transfer are here briefly discussed in a historical perspective. In the final section, after a general discussion on the educational usefulness of teaching chemistry in a historical framework, hints are given on how some characteristics of Marcus' work could be introduced in…

Comprehension of insincere communication in neurodegenerative disease: Lies, sarcasm, and theory of mind

PubMed Central

Shany-Ur, Tal; Poorzand, Pardis; Grossman, Scott; Growdon, Matthew; Jang, Jung; Ketelle, Robin; Miller, Bruce L.; Rankin, Katherine P.

2011-01-01

Comprehension of insincere communication is an important aspect of social cognition requiring visual perspective taking, emotion reading, and understanding others’ thoughts, opinions, and intentions. Someone who is lying intends to hide their insincerity from the listener, while a sarcastic speaker wants the listener to recognize they are speaking insincerely. We investigated whether face-to-face testing of comprehending insincere communication would effectively discriminate among neurodegenerative disease patients with different patterns of real-life social deficits. We examined ability to comprehend lies and sarcasm from a third-person perspective, using contextual cues, in 102 patients with one of four neurodegenerative diseases (frontotemporal dementia [bvFTD], Alzheimer’s disease [AD], progressive supranuclear palsy [PSP], and vascular cognitive impairment) and 77 healthy older adults (NC). Participants answered questions about videos depicting social interactions involving deceptive, sarcastic, or sincere speech using The Awareness of Social Inference Test. All subjects equally understood sincere remarks, but bvFTD patients displayed impaired comprehension of lies and sarcasm compared with NCs. In other groups, impairment was not disease-specific but was proportionate to general cognitive impairment. Analysis of the task components revealed that only bvFTD patients were impaired on perspective taking and emotion reading elements and that both bvFTD and PSP patients had impaired ability to represent others’ opinions and intentions (i.e., theory of mind). Test performance correlated with informants’ ratings of subjects’ empathy, perspective taking and neuropsychiatric symptoms in everyday life. Comprehending insincere communication is complex and requires multiple cognitive and emotional processes vulnerable across neurodegenerative diseases. However, bvFTD patients show uniquely focal and severe impairments at every level of theory of mind and emotion reading, leading to an inability to identify obvious examples of deception and sarcasm. This is consistent with studies suggesting this disease targets a specific neural network necessary for perceiving social salience and predicting negative social outcomes. PMID:21978867

Comprehension of insincere communication in neurodegenerative disease: lies, sarcasm, and theory of mind.

PubMed

Shany-Ur, Tal; Poorzand, Pardis; Grossman, Scott N; Growdon, Matthew E; Jang, Jung Y; Ketelle, Robin S; Miller, Bruce L; Rankin, Katherine P

2012-01-01

Comprehension of insincere communication is an important aspect of social cognition requiring visual perspective taking, emotion reading, and understanding others' thoughts, opinions, and intentions. Someone who is lying intends to hide their insincerity from the listener, while a sarcastic speaker wants the listener to recognize they are speaking insincerely. We investigated whether face-to-face testing of comprehending insincere communication would effectively discriminate among neurodegenerative disease patients with different patterns of real-life social deficits. We examined ability to comprehend lies and sarcasm from a third-person perspective, using contextual cues, in 102 patients with one of four neurodegenerative diseases (behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia [bvFTD], Alzheimer's disease [AD], progressive supranuclear palsy [PSP], and vascular cognitive impairment) and 77 healthy older adults (normal controls--NCs). Participants answered questions about videos depicting social interactions involving deceptive, sarcastic, or sincere speech using The Awareness of Social Inference Test. All subjects equally understood sincere remarks, but bvFTD patients displayed impaired comprehension of lies and sarcasm compared with NCs. In other groups, impairment was not disease-specific but was proportionate to general cognitive impairment. Analysis of the task components revealed that only bvFTD patients were impaired on perspective taking and emotion reading elements and that both bvFTD and PSP patients had impaired ability to represent others' opinions and intentions (i.e., theory of mind). Test performance correlated with informants' ratings of subjects' empathy, perspective taking and neuropsychiatric symptoms in everyday life. Comprehending insincere communication is complex and requires multiple cognitive and emotional processes vulnerable across neurodegenerative diseases. However, bvFTD patients show uniquely focal and severe impairments at every level of theory of mind and emotion reading, leading to an inability to identify obvious examples of deception and sarcasm. This is consistent with studies suggesting this disease targets a specific neural network necessary for perceiving social salience and predicting negative social outcomes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Srl. All rights reserved.

Models and theories of prescribing decisions: A review and suggested a new model.

PubMed

Murshid, Mohsen Ali; Mohaidin, Zurina

2017-01-01

To date, research on the prescribing decisions of physician lacks sound theoretical foundations. In fact, drug prescribing by doctors is a complex phenomenon influenced by various factors. Most of the existing studies in the area of drug prescription explain the process of decision-making by physicians via the exploratory approach rather than theoretical. Therefore, this review is an attempt to suggest a value conceptual model that explains the theoretical linkages existing between marketing efforts, patient and pharmacist and physician decision to prescribe the drugs. The paper follows an inclusive review approach and applies the previous theoretical models of prescribing behaviour to identify the relational factors. More specifically, the report identifies and uses several valuable perspectives such as the 'persuasion theory - elaboration likelihood model', the stimuli-response marketing model', the 'agency theory', the theory of planned behaviour,' and 'social power theory,' in developing an innovative conceptual paradigm. Based on the combination of existing methods and previous models, this paper suggests a new conceptual model of the physician decision-making process. This unique model has the potential for use in further research.

Decision making and coping in healthcare: the Coping in Deliberation (CODE) framework.

PubMed

Witt, Jana; Elwyn, Glyn; Wood, Fiona; Brain, Kate

2012-08-01

To develop a framework of decision making and coping in healthcare that describes the twin processes of appraisal and coping faced by patients making preference-sensitive healthcare decisions. We briefly review the literature for decision making theories and coping theories applicable to preference-sensitive decisions in healthcare settings. We describe first decision making, then coping and finally attempt to integrate these processes by building on current theory. Deliberation in healthcare may be described as a six step process, comprised of the presentation of a health threat, choice, options, preference construction, the decision itself and consolidation post-decision. Coping can be depicted in three stages, beginning with a threat, followed by primary and secondary appraisal and ultimately resulting in a coping effort. Drawing together concepts from prominent decision making theories and coping theories, we propose a multidimensional, interactive framework which integrates both processes and describes coping in deliberation. The proposed framework offers an insight into the complexity of decision making in preference-sensitive healthcare contexts from a patient perspective and may act as theoretical basis for decision support. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The care network of the families involved in violence against children and adolescents: the Primary Health Care perspective.

PubMed

Carlos, Diene Monique; de Pádua, Elisabete Matallo Marchesini; da Silva, Lygia Maria Pereira; Silva, Marta Angélica Iossi; Marques, Walter Ernesto Ude; Leitão, Maria Neto da Cruz; Ferriani, Maria das Graças Carvalho

2017-08-01

To contribute the understanding of the network care provided to families involved in family violence against children and adolescents (FVACA), from the Primary Health Care (PHC) perspective. Children and adolescents figure among the main victims of violence around the world, which occurs predominantly in the family context. PHC-guided network care has emerged as a new process that contrasts with traditional approaches, which rely on fragmented, punctual and compensatory actions and produce simplified and segmented interventions in response to complex phenomena like violence. The Paradigm of Complexity interacts with the network care approach and, by articulating the multiple dimensions of the research phenomenon, contributes to its understanding. Qualitative research, based on the Paradigm of Complexity. Data were collected through minimal maps of the external institutional social network, focus groups and semi-structured interviews held with 41 PHC professionals in Brazil. The notions of comprehension and contextualisation as well as dialogical, recursive and holographic principles from complexity theory guided the data analysis. The two thematic categories that emerged revealed reduced institutional networks, with low-density and homogeneous bonds, which resulted in fragmented care in all stages of the care process. Although the network organisation of care for the families involved in FVACA is fundamental, the construction of these networks still represents a great challenge, as it requires the joint work of a multiprofessional team. For nursing to respond to the contemporary care demands in a contemplative and pertinent manner, a perspective and a reference framework need to be developed, leading to broader and more contextualised actions, with a multidimensional approach to the families and communities of which child and adolescent victims of violence are a part. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Complex adaptive systems: concept analysis.

PubMed

Holden, Lela M

2005-12-01

The aim of this paper is to explicate the concept of complex adaptive systems through an analysis that provides a description, antecedents, consequences, and a model case from the nursing and health care literature. Life is more than atoms and molecules--it is patterns of organization. Complexity science is the latest generation of systems thinking that investigates patterns and has emerged from the exploration of the subatomic world and quantum physics. A key component of complexity science is the concept of complex adaptive systems, and active research is found in many disciplines--from biology to economics to health care. However, the research and literature related to these appealing topics have generated confusion. A thorough explication of complex adaptive systems is needed. A modified application of the methods recommended by Walker and Avant for concept analysis was used. A complex adaptive system is a collection of individual agents with freedom to act in ways that are not always totally predictable and whose actions are interconnected. Examples include a colony of termites, the financial market, and a surgical team. It is often referred to as chaos theory, but the two are not the same. Chaos theory is actually a subset of complexity science. Complexity science offers a powerful new approach--beyond merely looking at clinical processes and the skills of healthcare professionals. The use of complex adaptive systems as a framework is increasing for a wide range of scientific applications, including nursing and healthcare management research. When nursing and other healthcare managers focus on increasing connections, diversity, and interactions they increase information flow and promote creative adaptation referred to as self-organization. Complexity science builds on the rich tradition in nursing that views patients and nursing care from a systems perspective.

Modeling and dynamical topology properties of VANET based on complex networks theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hong; Li, Jie

2015-01-01

Vehicular Ad hoc Network (VANET) is a special subset of multi-hop Mobile Ad hoc Networks in which vehicles can not only communicate with each other but also with the fixed equipments along the roads through wireless interfaces. Recently, it has been discovered that essential systems in real world share similar properties. When they are regarded as networks, among which the dynamic topology structure of VANET system is an important issue. Many real world networks are actually growing with preferential attachment like Internet, transportation system and telephone network. Those phenomena have brought great possibility in finding a strategy to calibrate and control the topology parameters which can help find VANET topology change regulation to relieve traffic jam, prevent traffic accident and improve traffic safety. VANET is a typical complex network which has its basic characteristics. In this paper, we focus on the macroscopic Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) inter-vehicle communication network with complex network theory. In particular, this paper is the first one to propose a method analyzing the topological structure and performance of VANET and present the communications in VANET from a new perspective. Accordingly, we propose degree distribution, clustering coefficient and the short path length of complex network to implement our strategy by numerical example and simulation. All the results demonstrate that VANET shows small world network features and is characterized by a truncated scale-free degree distribution with power-law degree distribution. The average path length of the network is simulated numerically, which indicates that the network shows small-world property and is rarely affected by the randomness. What's more, we carry out extensive simulations of information propagation and mathematically prove the power law property when γ > 2. The results of this study provide useful information for VANET optimization from a macroscopic perspective.

Modeling and dynamical topology properties of VANET based on complex networks theory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Hong; Li, Jie, E-mail: prof.li@foxmail.com

2015-01-15

Vehicular Ad hoc Network (VANET) is a special subset of multi-hop Mobile Ad hoc Networks in which vehicles can not only communicate with each other but also with the fixed equipments along the roads through wireless interfaces. Recently, it has been discovered that essential systems in real world share similar properties. When they are regarded as networks, among which the dynamic topology structure of VANET system is an important issue. Many real world networks are actually growing with preferential attachment like Internet, transportation system and telephone network. Those phenomena have brought great possibility in finding a strategy to calibrate andmore » control the topology parameters which can help find VANET topology change regulation to relieve traffic jam, prevent traffic accident and improve traffic safety. VANET is a typical complex network which has its basic characteristics. In this paper, we focus on the macroscopic Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) inter-vehicle communication network with complex network theory. In particular, this paper is the first one to propose a method analyzing the topological structure and performance of VANET and present the communications in VANET from a new perspective. Accordingly, we propose degree distribution, clustering coefficient and the short path length of complex network to implement our strategy by numerical example and simulation. All the results demonstrate that VANET shows small world network features and is characterized by a truncated scale-free degree distribution with power-law degree distribution. The average path length of the network is simulated numerically, which indicates that the network shows small-world property and is rarely affected by the randomness. What’s more, we carry out extensive simulations of information propagation and mathematically prove the power law property when γ > 2. The results of this study provide useful information for VANET optimization from a macroscopic perspective.« less

Student perceptions of secondary science: A performance technology application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Small, Belinda Rusnak

The primary purpose of this study was to identify influences blocking or promoting science performance from the lived K-12 classroom experience. Human Performance Technology protocols were used to understand factors promoting or hindering science performance. The goal was to gain information from the individual students' perspective to enhance opportunities for stakeholders to improve the current state of performance in science education. Individual perspectives of 10 secondary science students were examined using grounded theory protocols. Findings include students' science learning behaviors are influenced by two major themes, environmental supports and individual learning behaviors. The three environmental support factors identified include the methods students receive instruction, students' opportunities to access informal help apart from formal instruction, and students' feelings of teacher likability. Additionally, findings include three major factors causing individual learners to generate knowledge in science. Factors reported include personalizing information to transform data into knowledge, customizing learning opportunities to maximize peak performance, and tapping motivational opportunities to persevere through complex concepts. The emergent theory postulated is that if a performance problem exists in an educational setting, then integrating student perspectives into the cause analysis opens opportunity to align interventions for influencing student performance outcomes. An adapted version of Gilbert's Behavioral Engineering Model is presented as an organizational tool to display the findings. The boundaries of this Performance Technology application do not extend to the identification, selection, design, or implementation of solutions to improved science performance. However, as stakeholders begin to understand learner perspectives then aligned decisions may be created to support learners of science in a direct, cost effective manner.

Children's Ability to Distinguish between Memories from Multiple Sources: Implications for the Quality and Accuracy of Eyewitness Statements.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Kim P.

2002-01-01

Outlines five perspectives addressing alternate aspects of the development of children's source monitoring: source-monitoring theory, fuzzy-trace theory, schema theory, person-based perspective, and mental-state reasoning model. Discusses research areas with relation to forensic developmental psychology: agent identity, prospective processing,…

Continuing Bonds in Bereavement: An Attachment Theory Based Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Field, Nigel P.; Gao, Beryl; Paderna, Lisa

2005-01-01

An attachment theory based perspective on the continuing bond to the deceased (CB) is proposed. The value of attachment theory in specifying the normative course of CB expression and in identifying adaptive versus maladaptive variants of CB expression based on their deviation from this normative course is outlined. The role of individual…

Educational Theories, Cultures and Learning: A Critical Perspective. Critical Perspectives on Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniels, Harry, Ed.; Lauder, Hugh, Ed.; Porter, Jill, Ed.

2011-01-01

"Educational Theories, Cultures and Learning" focuses on how education is understood in different cultures, the theories and related assumptions we make about learners and students and how we think about them, and how we can understand the principle actors in education--learners and teachers. Within this volume, internationally renowned…

A Theory of Competence in Anesthesiology: Faculty Perspectives on Resident Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Street, John P.

2009-01-01

This study was conducted to develop a theory of resident competence in anesthesiology and was guided by this research question: from the perspective of anesthesiology faculty members, "What are the attributes and indicators of clinical competence in residents?" The author used a grounded theory approach for this multi-case, multi-site…

Finding common ground in implementation: towards a theory of gradual commonality.

PubMed

Ter Haar, Marian; Aarts, Noelle; Verhoeven, Piet

2016-03-01

This article reports on an empirical study that aimed to design a practice-based theory about collaboration on the local implementation of a nationally developed health-promoting intervention. The study's objective is to better understand the dynamic process of complex collaboration. The research is based on a Delphi study among some 100 individuals in local and regional networks, in which various professionals work together to implement the BeweegKuur, which translates as 'course of exercise'. The BeweegKuur is a combined lifestyle intervention aimed at promoting sufficient physical exercise and a healthy diet among people in the Netherlands who are overweight and at risk of diabetes. The Delphi study in three rounds systematically and interactively constructs a common perspective on implementation, reflecting stakeholders' ideas about the collaboration and providing an insight into how these ideas are influenced by the context of the implementation. The statistical and qualitative analyses of the responses to the feedback in the Delphi study form the basis for this practice-based theory on complex collaboration, called the theory of gradual commonality. During interaction, consensus gradually emerges about co-creation as a collaboration strategy. Co-creation leaves room for various ways of achieving the ambitions of the BeweegKuur. This article discusses the importance of this practice-based theory and the value of the Delphi research strategy for promoting health. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Perspective of Postpartum Depression Theories: A Narrative Literature Review

PubMed Central

Abdollahi, Fatemeh; Lye, Munn-Sann; Zarghami, Mehran

2016-01-01

Postpartum depression is the most prevalent emotional problem during a women's lifespan. Untreated postpartum depression may lead to several consequences such as child, infant, fetal, and maternal effects. The main purpose of this article is to briefly describe different theoretical perspectives of postpartum depression. A literature search was conducted in Psych Info, PubMed, and Science Direct between 1950 and 2015. Additional articles and book chapters were referenced from these sources. Different theories were suggested for developing postpartum depression. Three theories, namely, biological, psychosocial, and evolutionary were discussed. One theory or combinations of psychosocial, biological, and evolutionary theories were considered for postpartum depression. The most important factor that makes clinicians’ choice of intervention is their theoretical perspectives. Healthcare providers and physicians should help women to make informed choices regarding their treatment based on related theories. PMID:27500126

Unified functional network and nonlinear time series analysis for complex systems science: The pyunicorn package

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donges, Jonathan; Heitzig, Jobst; Beronov, Boyan; Wiedermann, Marc; Runge, Jakob; Feng, Qing Yi; Tupikina, Liubov; Stolbova, Veronika; Donner, Reik; Marwan, Norbert; Dijkstra, Henk; Kurths, Jürgen

2016-04-01

We introduce the pyunicorn (Pythonic unified complex network and recurrence analysis toolbox) open source software package for applying and combining modern methods of data analysis and modeling from complex network theory and nonlinear time series analysis. pyunicorn is a fully object-oriented and easily parallelizable package written in the language Python. It allows for the construction of functional networks such as climate networks in climatology or functional brain networks in neuroscience representing the structure of statistical interrelationships in large data sets of time series and, subsequently, investigating this structure using advanced methods of complex network theory such as measures and models for spatial networks, networks of interacting networks, node-weighted statistics, or network surrogates. Additionally, pyunicorn provides insights into the nonlinear dynamics of complex systems as recorded in uni- and multivariate time series from a non-traditional perspective by means of recurrence quantification analysis, recurrence networks, visibility graphs, and construction of surrogate time series. The range of possible applications of the library is outlined, drawing on several examples mainly from the field of climatology. pyunicorn is available online at https://github.com/pik-copan/pyunicorn. Reference: J.F. Donges, J. Heitzig, B. Beronov, M. Wiedermann, J. Runge, Q.-Y. Feng, L. Tupikina, V. Stolbova, R.V. Donner, N. Marwan, H.A. Dijkstra, and J. Kurths, Unified functional network and nonlinear time series analysis for complex systems science: The pyunicorn package, Chaos 25, 113101 (2015), DOI: 10.1063/1.4934554, Preprint: arxiv.org:1507.01571 [physics.data-an].

An examination of conceptual change in undergraduate biology majors while learning science concepts including biological evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McQuaide, Glenn G.

2006-12-01

Without adequate understanding of science, we cannot make responsible personal, regional, national, or global decisions about any aspect of life dealing with science. Better understanding how we learn about science can contribute to improving the quality of our educational experiences. Promoting pathways leading to life-long learning and deep understanding in our world should be a goal for all educators. This dissertation project was a phenomenological investigation into undergraduate understanding and acceptance of scientific theories, including biological evolution. Specifically, student descriptions of conceptual change while learning science theory were recorded and analyzed. These qualitative investigations were preceded by a survey that provided a means of selecting students who had a firmer understanding of science theory. Background information and survey data were collected in an undergraduate biology class at a small, Southern Baptist-affiliated liberal arts school located in south central Kentucky. Responses to questions on the MATE (Rutledge and Warden, 1999) instrument were used to screen students for interviews, which investigated the way by which students came to understand and accept scientific theories. This study identifies some ways by which individuals learn complex science theories, including biological evolution. Initial understanding and acceptance often occurs by the conceptual change method described by Posner et al. (1982). Three principle ways by which an individual may reach a level of understanding and acceptance of science theory were documented in this study. They were conceptual change through application of logic and reasoning; conceptual change through modification of religious views; and conceptual change through acceptance of authoritative knowledge. Development of a deeper, richer understanding and acceptance of complex, multi-faceted concepts such as biological evolution occurs in some individuals by means of conceptual enrichment. Conceptual enrichment occurs through addition of new knowledge, and then examining prior knowledge through the perspective of this new knowledge. In the field of science, enrichment reinforces complex concepts when multiple, convergent lines of supporting evidences point to the same rational scientific conclusion.

Complexity in electronic negotiation support systems.

PubMed

Griessmair, Michele; Strunk, Guido; Vetschera, Rudolf; Koeszegi, Sabine T

2011-10-01

It is generally acknowledged that the medium influences the way we communicate and negotiation research directs considerable attention to the impact of different electronic communication modes on the negotiation process and outcomes. Complexity theories offer models and methods that allow the investigation of how pattern and temporal sequences unfold over time in negotiation interactions. By focusing on the dynamic and interactive quality of negotiations as well as the information, choice, and uncertainty contained in the negotiation process, the complexity perspective addresses several issues of central interest in classical negotiation research. In the present study we compare the complexity of the negotiation communication process among synchronous and asynchronous negotiations (IM vs. e-mail) as well as an electronic negotiation support system including a decision support system (DSS). For this purpose, transcripts of 145 negotiations have been coded and analyzed with the Shannon entropy and the grammar complexity. Our results show that negotiating asynchronically via e-mail as well as including a DSS significantly reduces the complexity of the negotiation process. Furthermore, a reduction of the complexity increases the probability of reaching an agreement.

Looking from a CHAT-IT Perspective to Undergraduate Mexican Physics: Organizational Trajectories or Professors as Agents of Change?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahveci, Ajda

2010-01-01

Recent elaborations on cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) (Engestrom et al., eds., "Perspectives on activity theory." New York: Cambridge University Press, "1999") and its relation to organizational theories have produced a theoretical amalgam of these earlier ideas, which allow for the exploration of learning in formal…

Aligning the Quantum Perspective of Learning to Instructional Design: Exploring the Seven Definitive Questions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janzen, Katherine J.; Perry, Beth; Edwards, Margaret

2011-01-01

This paper builds upon a foundational paper (under review) which explores the rudiments of the quantum perspective of learning. The quantum perspective of learning uses the principles of exchange theory or borrowed theory from the field of quantum holism pioneered by quantum physicist David Bohm (1971, 1973) to understand learning in a new way.…

Student trajectories in physics: the need for analysis through a socio-cultural lens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zapata, Mara

2010-09-01

An analysis of student connections through time and space relative to the core discipline of physics is attempted, as viewed through the lens of actor-network-theory, by Antonia Candela. Using lenses of cultural realities, networks, and perceived power in the discourse of one specific university in the capital city of Mexico and one undergraduate physics classroom, the trajectories and itineraries of students are analyzed, relative to a physics professor's pedagogical practices. This ethnographic study then yields comparisons between Mexican undergraduate students and students from the United States. Actor network theory recognizes that the symbiotic relationship existing between an actor and a continuum of space and time is defined by the symbiotic yet interdependent relationships and networks of practice (Lemke in Downward causation: Minds, bodies, and matter 2000). As part of this study and in line with actor-network-theory, human actors and non-human participants were viewed in relation to how subjects acted and were acted upon within networks of practice. Through this forum I reflect on this work with particular focus on the issues of situatedness of actors from a sociocultural perspective and how established networks viewed within this perspective frame and subsequently impact student trajectories and itineraries. In essence I argue for a need to look at a myriad of further complexities driving the symbiotic relationships being analyzed.

Culture and cognition in health systems change.

PubMed

Evans, Jenna M; Baker, G Ross; Berta, Whitney; Barnsley, Jan

2015-01-01

Large-scale change involves modifying not only the structures and functions of multiple organizations, but also the mindsets and behaviours of diverse stakeholders. This paper focuses on the latter: the informal, less visible, and often neglected psychological and social factors implicated in change efforts. The purpose of this paper is to differentiate between the concepts of organizational culture and mental models, to argue for the value of applying a shared mental models (SMM) framework to large-scale change, and to suggest directions for future research. The authors provide an overview of SMM theory and use it to explore the dynamic relationship between culture and cognition. The contributions and limitations of the theory to change efforts are also discussed. Culture and cognition are complementary perspectives, providing insight into two different levels of the change process. SMM theory draws attention to important questions that add value to existing perspectives on large-scale change. The authors outline these questions for future research and argue that research and practice in this domain may be best served by focusing less on the potentially narrow goal of "achieving consensus" and more on identifying, understanding, and managing cognitive convergences and divergences as part of broader research and change management programmes. Drawing from both cultural and cognitive paradigms can provide researchers with a more complete picture of the processes by which coordinated action are achieved in complex change initiatives in the healthcare domain.

Mode-coupling theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reichman, David R.; Charbonneau, Patrick

2005-05-01

In this set of lecture notes we review the mode-coupling theory of the glass transition from several perspectives. First, we derive mode-coupling equations for the description of density fluctuations from microscopic considerations with the use the Mori Zwanzig projection operator technique. We also derive schematic mode-coupling equations of a similar form from a field-theoretic perspective. We review the successes and failures of mode-coupling theory, and discuss recent advances in the applications of the theory.

Network biology: Describing biological systems by complex networks. Comment on "Network science of biological systems at different scales: A review" by M. Gosak et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jalili, Mahdi

2018-03-01

I enjoyed reading Gosak et al. review on analysing biological systems from network science perspective [1]. Network science, first started within Physics community, is now a mature multidisciplinary field of science with many applications ranging from Ecology to biology, medicine, social sciences, engineering and computer science. Gosak et al. discussed how biological systems can be modelled and described by complex network theory which is an important application of network science. Although there has been considerable progress in network biology over the past two decades, this is just the beginning and network science has a great deal to offer to biology and medical sciences.

Relationships and Betrayal among Young Women: Theoretical Perspectives on Adolescent Dating Abuse

PubMed Central

Burton, Candace W.; Halpern-Felsher, Bonnie; Rankin, Sally H.; Rehm, Roberta S.; Humphreys, Janice C.

2010-01-01

AIMS Adolescent dating abuse is not specifically described by any current nursing theory, and this paper presents discussion of some existing theories that could inform a nursing theory of adolescent dating abuse. To account for the effects of gender, this discussion is limited to young women. BACKGROUND Adolescent dating abuse is an important and understudied international issue for nursing. Theoretical frameworks can support development of nursing scholarship for such issues. No single theory yet exists within nursing to explain the experiences and health ramifications of dating abuse among young women. DATA SOURCES A summary table of theories is provided. Literature was gathered via database search and bibliographic snowballing from reference lists of relevant articles. Included literature dates from 1982 through 2010. DISCUSSION Theories of relationship formation and function are discussed, including attachment, investment, feminist and gender role conflict theories. Betrayal trauma theory is considered as a mechanism of injury following an abusive dating experience. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Gender, relationship, and adolescence combine in a complex developmental moment for young women. To improve nursing care for those at risk for or in the throes of abusive relationships, it is critical to develop specific nursing approaches to understanding these relationships. CONCLUSION Existing theories related to relationship and traumatic experiences can be combined in the development of a nursing theory of adolescent dating abuse among young women. PMID:21261691

Relationships and betrayal among young women: theoretical perspectives on adolescent dating abuse.

PubMed

Burton, Candace W; Halpern-Felsher, Bonnie; Rankin, Sally H; Rehm, Roberta S; Humphreys, Janice C

2011-06-01

Adolescent dating abuse is not specifically described by any current nursing theory, and this article presents discussion of some existing theories that could inform a nursing theory of adolescent dating abuse. To account for the effects of gender, this discussion is limited to young women. Adolescent dating abuse is an important and understudied international issue for nursing. Theoretical frameworks can support development of nursing scholarship for such issues. No single theory yet exists in nursing to explain the experiences and health ramifications of dating abuse among young women. A summary table of theories is provided. Literature was gathered via database search and bibliographic snowballing from reference lists of relevant articles. Included literature dates from 1982 through 2010. Theories of relationship formation and function are discussed, including attachment, investment, feminist and gender role conflict theories. Betrayal trauma theory is considered as a mechanism of injury following an abusive dating experience. Gender, relationship and adolescence combine in a complex developmental moment for young women. To improve nursing care for those at risk for or in the throes of abusive relationships, it is critical to develop specific nursing approaches to understanding these relationships. Existing theories related to relationship and traumatic experiences can be combined in the development of a nursing theory of adolescent dating abuse among young women. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

'Complexity-compatible' policy for integrated care? Lessons from the implementation of Ontario's Health Links.

PubMed

Grudniewicz, Agnes; Tenbensel, Tim; Evans, Jenna M; Steele Gray, Carolyn; Baker, G Ross; Wodchis, Walter P

2018-02-01

Complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory views healthcare as numerous sub-systems characterized by diverse agents that interact, self-organize, and continuously adapt. We apply this complexity science perspective to examine the extent to which CAS theory is a useful lens for designing and implementing health policies. We present the case of Health Links, a "low rules" policy intervention in Ontario, Canada aimed at stimulating the development of voluntary networks of health and social organizations to improve care coordination for the most frequent users of the healthcare system. Our sample consisted of stakeholders from regional governance bodies and organizations partnering in Health Links. Qualitative interview data were coded using the key complexity concepts of sensemaking, self-organization, interconnections, coevolution, and emergence. We found that the complexity-compatible policy design successfully stimulated local dynamics of flexibility, experimentation, and learning and that important mediating factors include leadership, readiness, relationship-building, role clarity, communication, and resources. However, we saw tensions between preferences for flexibility and standardization. Desirable developments occurred only in some settings and failed to flow upward to higher levels, resulting in a piecemeal and patchy landscape. Attention needs to be paid not only to local dynamics and processes, but also to regional and provincial levels to ensure that learning flows to the top and informs decision-making. We conclude that implementation of complexity-compatible policies needs a balance between flexibility and consistency and the right leadership to coordinate the two. Complexity-compatible policy for integrated healthcare is more than simply 'letting a thousand flowers bloom'. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interleaved concatenated codes: New perspectives on approaching the Shannon limit

PubMed Central

Viterbi, A. J.; Viterbi, A. M.; Sindhushayana, N. T.

1997-01-01

The last few years have witnessed a significant decrease in the gap between the Shannon channel capacity limit and what is practically achievable. Progress has resulted from novel extensions of previously known coding techniques involving interleaved concatenated codes. A considerable body of simulation results is now available, supported by an important but limited theoretical basis. This paper presents a computational technique which further ties simulation results to the known theory and reveals a considerable reduction in the complexity required to approach the Shannon limit. PMID:11038568

Seeing the Forest from the Sky: Joint Airpower Through the Lens of Complex Systems Theory

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

sufficient to understand what a forest is or what it does as a whole. If we could transition back and forth between both the micro and macro perspectives...we might come up with a better overall description of the forest and what goes on there, but we would still be lacking crucial information about... what a forest is if we only looked during one hour, one day, or one season of the year. In fact, if we could observe the forest long enough, we

Evaluation of Fuzzy Rulemaking for Expert Systems for Failure Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laritz, F.; Sheridan, T. B.

1984-01-01

Computer aids in expert systems were proposed to diagnose failures in complex systems. It is shown that the fuzzy set theory of Zadeh offers a new perspective for modeling for humans thinking and language use. It is assumed that real expert human operators of aircraft, power plants and other systems do not think of their control tasks or failure diagnosis tasks in terms of control laws in differential equation form, but rather keep in mind a set of rules of thumb in fuzzy form. Fuzzy set experiments are described.

Expanding the News Frame: The Systems Theory Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendrickson, Laura J.; Tankard, James W., Jr.

1997-01-01

Outlines the main features of the systems perspective, focusing on general systems theory. Suggests that teaching future reporters to think of news events and issues in systems terms may be one approach to expanding the news frame. (PA)

The Cultural Context of Career Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blustein, David L.; Ellis, Michael V.

2000-01-01

Building on social constructivism, culturally affirming career assessment should take a unificationist perspective, which does not assume the validity of tests across cultural contexts. Generalizability and item response theory are better suited than classical test theory to the unificationist perspective. (SK)

Reciprocity, Punishment, Institutions: The Streets to Social Collaboration -- New Theories on How Emerging Social Artifacts Control Our Lives in Society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerace, Giuliana

What mechanisms induce and support cooperation in social interaction? Traditional rational-choice perspective has resulted ineffective to keep track of complex real-world dynamics of cooperation. On the other hand, perspectives based on the justification of fairness preferences as internalized behavioural forces driving realistic cooperative interactions are notoriously incomplete and rather fuzzy with respect to their theoretical foundations. After considering recognized evolutionary accounts of the emergence and resilience of social standards, we endorse the view according to which the key to understanding evolutionary dynamics of social engagement is to be found in individual motivational attitudes to interaction. But, beyond any psychological implications, we suggest not exiting from the "logic of reciprocity" in considering the rationality of preferences for social interaction. Preliminary supporting experimental evidence is provided.

Management of female sexual pain disorders.

PubMed

Boyer, Stéphanie C; Goldfinger, Corrie; Thibault-Gagnon, Stéphanie; Pukall, Caroline F

2011-01-01

Our understanding of the sexual pain disorders vaginismus and dyspareunia has been fundamentally altered over the past two decades due to increased attention and empirically sound research in this domain. This increased knowledge base has included a shift from a dualistic view of the etiology of painful and/or difficult vaginal penetration being due to either psychological or physiological causes, to a multifactorial perspective. The present chapter reviews current classification and prevalence rates, including ongoing definitional debates. Research regarding the etiology, assessment and management of sexual pain disorders is discussed from a biopsychosocial perspective. Cyclical theories of the development and maintenance of sexual pain disorders, which highlight the complex interplay among physiological, psychological and social factors, are described. Medical/surgical treatment options, pelvic floor rehabilitation and psychological approaches are reviewed, as well as future directions in treatment research. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Learning "in" or "with" Games? Quality Criteria for Digital Learning Games from the Perspectives of Learning, Emotion, and Motivation Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hense, Jan; Mandl, Heinz

2012-01-01

This conceptual paper aims to clarify the theoretical underpinnings of game based learning (GBL) and learning with digital learning games (DLGs). To do so, it analyses learning of game related skills and contents, which occurs constantly during playing conventional entertainment games, from three perspectives: learning theory, emotion theory, and…

Choreographing Theory: An Analysis of Edouard Lock's "Amelia" (2002) Questioning the Limits of Feminist and Poststructuralist Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ireland, Ruby

2009-01-01

Edouard Lock's dance film "Amelia" (2002) is the focus of this essay. Second-wave feminist and poststructuralist perspectives inform the analysis of this piece of contemporary dance. Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory and Julia Kristeva's theory of the semiotic and symbolic realms of representation are explored and critiqued, whilst Jacques Derrida's…

Standardizing practices: a socio-history of experimental systems in classical genetic and virological cancer research, ca. 1920-1978.

PubMed

Fujimura, J H

1996-01-01

This paper presents a narrative history of technologies in cancer research circa 1920-1978 and a theoretical perspective on the complex, intertwined relationships between scientific problems, material practices and technologies, concepts and theories, and other historical circumstances. The history presents several active lines of research and technology development in the genetics of cancer in the United States which were constitutive of proto-oncogene work in its current form. I write this history from the perspective of technology development. Scientists participating in cancer research created tools with which to study their problems of interest, but the development of the tools also influenced the questions asked and answered in the form of concepts and theories developed. These tools included genetic ideas of the 1920s, inbred mouse colonies, chemicals and antibiotics developed during World War Two, tissue cultures and their technical procedures, and viruses. I examine these tools as standardized experimental systems that standardized materials as well as practices in laboratories. Inbred animals, tissue culture materials and methods, and tumor viruses as experimental systems gave materiality to "genes' and "cancer'. They are technical-natural objects that stand-in for nature in the laboratory.

Deterministic chaos and fractal complexity in the dynamics of cardiovascular behavior: perspectives on a new frontier.

PubMed

Sharma, Vijay

2009-09-10

Physiological systems such as the cardiovascular system are capable of five kinds of behavior: equilibrium, periodicity, quasi-periodicity, deterministic chaos and random behavior. Systems adopt one or more these behaviors depending on the function they have evolved to perform. The emerging mathematical concepts of fractal mathematics and chaos theory are extending our ability to study physiological behavior. Fractal geometry is observed in the physical structure of pathways, networks and macroscopic structures such the vasculature and the His-Purkinje network of the heart. Fractal structure is also observed in processes in time, such as heart rate variability. Chaos theory describes the underlying dynamics of the system, and chaotic behavior is also observed at many levels, from effector molecules in the cell to heart function and blood pressure. This review discusses the role of fractal structure and chaos in the cardiovascular system at the level of the heart and blood vessels, and at the cellular level. Key functional consequences of these phenomena are highlighted, and a perspective provided on the possible evolutionary origins of chaotic behavior and fractal structure. The discussion is non-mathematical with an emphasis on the key underlying concepts.

Deterministic Chaos and Fractal Complexity in the Dynamics of Cardiovascular Behavior: Perspectives on a New Frontier

PubMed Central

Sharma, Vijay

2009-01-01

Physiological systems such as the cardiovascular system are capable of five kinds of behavior: equilibrium, periodicity, quasi-periodicity, deterministic chaos and random behavior. Systems adopt one or more these behaviors depending on the function they have evolved to perform. The emerging mathematical concepts of fractal mathematics and chaos theory are extending our ability to study physiological behavior. Fractal geometry is observed in the physical structure of pathways, networks and macroscopic structures such the vasculature and the His-Purkinje network of the heart. Fractal structure is also observed in processes in time, such as heart rate variability. Chaos theory describes the underlying dynamics of the system, and chaotic behavior is also observed at many levels, from effector molecules in the cell to heart function and blood pressure. This review discusses the role of fractal structure and chaos in the cardiovascular system at the level of the heart and blood vessels, and at the cellular level. Key functional consequences of these phenomena are highlighted, and a perspective provided on the possible evolutionary origins of chaotic behavior and fractal structure. The discussion is non-mathematical with an emphasis on the key underlying concepts. PMID:19812706

Complex systems as lenses on learning and teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurford, Andrew C.

From metaphors to mathematized models, the complexity sciences are changing the ways disciplines view their worlds, and ideas borrowed from complexity are increasingly being used to structure conversations and guide research on teaching and learning. The purpose of this corpus of research is to further those conversations and to extend complex systems ideas, theories, and modeling to curricula and to research on learning and teaching. A review of the literatures of learning and of complexity science and a discussion of the intersections between those disciplines are provided. The work reported represents an evolving model of learning qua complex system and that evolution is the result of iterative cycles of design research. One of the signatures of complex systems is the presence of scale invariance and this line of research furnishes empirical evidence of scale invariant behaviors in the activity of learners engaged in participatory simulations. The offered discussion of possible causes for these behaviors and chaotic phase transitions in human learning favors real-time optimization of decision-making as the means for producing such behaviors. Beyond theoretical development and modeling, this work includes the development of teaching activities intended to introduce pre-service mathematics and science teachers to complex systems. While some of the learning goals for this activity focused on the introduction of complex systems as a content area, we also used complex systems to frame perspectives on learning. Results of scoring rubrics and interview responses from students illustrate attributes of the proposed model of complex systems learning and also how these pre-service teachers made sense of the ideas. Correlations between established theories of learning and a complex adaptive systems model of learning are established and made explicit, and a means for using complex systems ideas for designing instruction is offered. It is a fundamental assumption of this research and researcher that complex systems ideas and understandings can be appropriated from more complexity-developed disciplines and put to use modeling and building increasingly productive understandings of learning and teaching.

Left inferior-parietal lobe activity in perspective tasks: identity statements

PubMed Central

Arora, Aditi; Weiss, Benjamin; Schurz, Matthias; Aichhorn, Markus; Wieshofer, Rebecca C.; Perner, Josef

2015-01-01

We investigate the theory that the left inferior parietal lobe (IPL) is closely associated with tracking potential differences of perspective. Developmental studies find that perspective tasks are mastered at around 4 years of age. Our first study, meta-analyses of brain imaging studies shows that perspective tasks specifically activate a region in the left IPL and precuneus. These tasks include processing of false belief, visual perspective, and episodic memory. We test the location specificity theory in our second study with an unusual and novel kind of perspective task: identity statements. According to Frege's classical logical analysis, identity statements require appreciation of modes of presentation (perspectives). We show that identity statements, e.g., “the tour guide is also the driver” activate the left IPL in contrast to a control statements, “the tour guide has an apprentice.” This activation overlaps with the activations found in the meta-analysis. This finding is confirmed in a third study with different types of statements and different comparisons. All studies support the theory that the left IPL has as one of its overarching functions the tracking of perspective differences. We discuss how this function relates to the bottom-up attention function proposed for the bilateral IPL. PMID:26175677

Sociotechnical attributes of safe and unsafe work systems.

PubMed

Kleiner, Brian M; Hettinger, Lawrence J; DeJoy, David M; Huang, Yuang-Hsiang; Love, Peter E D

2015-01-01

Theoretical and practical approaches to safety based on sociotechnical systems principles place heavy emphasis on the intersections between social-organisational and technical-work process factors. Within this perspective, work system design emphasises factors such as the joint optimisation of social and technical processes, a focus on reliable human-system performance and safety metrics as design and analysis criteria, the maintenance of a realistic and consistent set of safety objectives and policies, and regular access to the expertise and input of workers. We discuss three current approaches to the analysis and design of complex sociotechnical systems: human-systems integration, macroergonomics and safety climate. Each approach emphasises key sociotechnical systems themes, and each prescribes a more holistic perspective on work systems than do traditional theories and methods. We contrast these perspectives with historical precedents such as system safety and traditional human factors and ergonomics, and describe potential future directions for their application in research and practice. The identification of factors that can reliably distinguish between safe and unsafe work systems is an important concern for ergonomists and other safety professionals. This paper presents a variety of sociotechnical systems perspectives on intersections between social--organisational and technology--work process factors as they impact work system analysis, design and operation.

The utility of positioning theory to the study of ageing: Examples from research with childless older people.

PubMed

Allen, Ruth E S; Wiles, Janine L

2013-04-01

Growing older is hard to make sense of. Opposing perspectives are presented on everything from individual to population ageing, and there is widespread ambivalence towards many aspects of ageing. Positioning theory is a research approach that can tolerate such ambiguity and provides a clear, useful framework to make sense of research data, while doing justice to its complexity. It is starting to be used in gerontology; the aim of this paper is to give gerontologists the tools and impetus to use it more. The positioning triad is outlined, comprising positions (how we position ourselves and others within a single conversation or across a lifetime), storylines (the individual and social narratives which furnish those positions), and the speech acts (and acts of research) through which storylines and positions are enacted. In addition, considering the rights and duties associated with different positions and storylines can usefully illuminate some of the tensions around competing positions on ageing. Worked examples from a qualitative study on childless older people (38 participants aged 63 to 93) in terms of their positioning of childlessness, views on residential care, and positioning of emotional support show how the complexity of such diverse topics can be usefully studied using a positioning theory framework. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Humanist ideology and nurse education. I. Humanist educational theory.

PubMed

Purdy, M

1997-06-01

Nurse education is dominated by the humanist perspective and the educational theory that it generates. Following a brief description of the perspective's phenomenological foundations and definition of humanist ideology, humanist educational theory is illustrated in an outline of the key contributions of John Dewey, Carl Rogers, Malcolm Knowles and Paulo Freire. The article concludes by noting Freire's sociological challenge to the individualism of the humanist perspective. This challenge recognizes the ideological and social control role of education in securing the reproduction of power relations and leads to questioning the function of individualism and the interests that humanist ideology may serve.

Functional lateralization of temporoparietal junction - imitation inhibition, visual perspective-taking and theory of mind.

PubMed

Santiesteban, Idalmis; Banissy, Michael J; Catmur, Caroline; Bird, Geoffrey

2015-10-01

Although neuroimaging studies have consistently identified the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) as a key brain region involved in social cognition, the literature is far from consistent with respect to lateralization of function. For example, during theory-of-mind tasks bilateral TPJ activation is found in some studies but only right hemisphere activation in others. Visual perspective-taking and imitation inhibition, which have been argued to recruit the same socio-cognitive processes as theory of mind, are associated with unilateral activation of either left TPJ (perspective taking) or right TPJ (imitation inhibition). The present study investigated the functional lateralization of TPJ involvement in the above three socio-cognitive abilities using transcranial direct current stimulation. Three groups of healthy adults received anodal stimulation over right TPJ, left TPJ or the occipital cortex prior to performing three tasks (imitation inhibition, visual perspective-taking and theory of mind). In contrast to the extant neuroimaging literature, our results suggest bilateral TPJ involvement in imitation inhibition and visual perspective-taking, while no effect of anodal stimulation was observed on theory of mind. The discrepancy between these findings and those obtained using neuroimaging highlight the efficacy of neurostimulation as a complementary methodological tool in cognitive neuroscience. © 2015 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Flash crashes, bursts, and black swans: parallels between financial markets and healthcare systems.

PubMed

West, Bruce J; Clancy, Thomas R

2010-11-01

As systems evolve over time, their natural tendency is to become increasingly more complex. Studies in the field of complex systems have generated new perspectives on management in social organizations such as hospitals. Much of this research appears as a natural extension of the cross-disciplinary field of systems theory. This is the 16th in a series of articles applying complex systems science to the traditional management concepts of planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and controlling. In this article, Dr Clancy, the editor of this column, and co-author, Dr West, discuss how the collapse of global financial markets in 2008 may provide valuable insight into mechanisms of complex system behavior in healthcare. Dr West, a physicist and expert in the field of complex systems and network science, is author of a chapter in the book, On the Edge: Nursing in the Age of Complexity (Lindberg C, Nash S, Linberg C. Bordertown, NJ: Plexus Press; 2008) and his most recent book, Disrupted Networks: From Physics to Climate Change (West BJ, Scafetta N. Singapore: Disrupted Networks, World Scientific Publishing; 2010).

Is the destabilization of the cournot equilibrium a good business strategy in cournot-puu duopoly?

PubMed

Canovas, Jose S

2011-10-01

It is generally acknowledged that the medium influences the way we communicate and negotiation research directs considerable attention to the impact of different electronic communication modes on the negotiation process and outcomes. Complexity theories offer models and methods that allow the investigation of how pattern and temporal sequences unfold over time in negotiation interactions. By focusing on the dynamic and interactive quality of negotiations as well as the information, choice, and uncertainty contained in the negotiation process, the complexity perspective addresses several issues of central interest in classical negotiation research. In the present study we compare the complexity of the negotiation communication process among synchronous and asynchronous negotiations (IM vs. e-mail) as well as an electronic negotiation support system including a decision support system (DSS). For this purpose, transcripts of 145 negotiations have been coded and analyzed with the Shannon entropy and the grammar complexity. Our results show that negotiating asynchronically via e-mail as well as including a DSS significantly reduces the complexity of the negotiation process. Furthermore, a reduction of the complexity increases the probability of reaching an agreement.

The role of syntax in complex networks: Local and global importance of verbs in a syntactic dependency network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Čech, Radek; Mačutek, Ján; Žabokrtský, Zdeněk

2011-10-01

Syntax of natural language has been the focus of linguistics for decades. The complex network theory, being one of new research tools, opens new perspectives on syntax properties of the language. Despite numerous partial achievements, some fundamental problems remain unsolved. Specifically, although statistical properties typical for complex networks can be observed in all syntactic networks, the impact of syntax itself on these properties is still unclear. The aim of the present study is to shed more light on the role of syntax in the syntactic network structure. In particular, we concentrate on the impact of the syntactic function of a verb in the sentence on the complex network structure. Verbs play the decisive role in the sentence structure (“local” importance). From this fact we hypothesize the importance of verbs in the complex network (“global” importance). The importance of verb in the complex network is assessed by the number of links which are directed from the node representing verb to other nodes in the network. Six languages (Catalan, Czech, Dutch, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese) were used for testing the hypothesis.

Role theory: a framework to investigate the community nurse role in contemporary health care systems.

PubMed

Brookes, Kim; Davidson, Patricia M; Daly, John; Halcomb, Elizabeth J

2007-01-01

Nurses' perceptions of their role are influenced by societal attitudes, government policies and trends in professional issues. Dynamic factors in contemporary health environments challenge traditional nursing roles, in particular those of community nurses. Role theory is a conceptual framework that defines how individuals behave in social situations and how these behaviours are perceived by external observers. This paper reviews the role theory literature as a conceptual framework to explore community nurses' perceptions of their role. Three theoretical perspectives of role theory have emerged from the literature review: 1. social structuralism 2. symbolic interactionism and 3. the dramaturgical perspective. These philosophical perspectives provide a useful framework to investigate the role of community nurses in the contemporary health care system.

Ligand-Induced Energy Shift and Localization of Kondo Resonances in Cobalt-Based Complexes on Cu(111).

PubMed

Knaak, Thomas; Gruber, Manuel; Lindström, Christoph; Bocquet, Marie-Laure; Heck, Jürgen; Berndt, Richard

2017-11-08

Magnetic sandwich complexes are of particular interest for molecular spintronics. Using scanning tunneling microscopy, we evidence the successful deposition of 1,3,5-tris(η 6 -borabenzene-η 5 -cyclopentadienylcobalt) benzene, a molecule composed of three connected magnetic sandwich units, on Cu(111). Scanning tunneling spectra reveal two distinct spatial-dependent narrow resonances close to the Fermi level for the trimer molecules as well as for molecular fragments composed of one and two magnetic units. With the help of density functional theory, these resonances are interpreted as two Kondo resonances originating from two distinct nondegenerate d-like orbitals. These Kondo resonances are found to have defined spatial extents dictated by the hybridization of the involved orbitals with that of the ligands. These results opens promising perspectives for investigating complex Kondo systems composed of several "Kondo" orbitals.

Business Model Design from an ANT Perspective: Contributions and Insights of an Open and Living Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, Cristina Chuva; da Cunha, Paulo Rupino

The way the Internet has connected millions of users at negligible costs has changed playing field for companies. Several stakeholders can now come together in virtual networks to create innovative business models that would be unfeasible in the physical world. However, the more radical the departure from the established models of value creation, the bigger the complexity in ensuring the sustained interest of the involved parties and the stability of the bonds. To address this problem, we sought inspiration in the Actor-Network Theory (ANT), which is capable of providing insights into socio-technical settings where human and non-human agents interact. We describe how several of its principles, ideas, and concepts were adapted and embedded in our approach for complex business model design or analysis. A simple illustration is provided. Our iterative approach helps systematically scrutinize and tune the contributions and returns of the various actors, ensuring that all end up with an attractive value proposal, thus promoting the robustness of the network. Guidelines for the services that an underlying information system must provide are also derived from the results.

THE ETIOLOGY OF BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS

PubMed Central

Turovskiy, Yevgeniy; Noll, Katia Sutyak; Chikindas, Michael L.

2011-01-01

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection among women of childbearing age. This condition is notorious for causing severe complications related to the reproductive health of women. Five decades of intense research established many risk factors for acquisition of BV, however due to the complexity of BV and due to lack of a reliable animal model for this condition, its exact etiology remains elusive. In this manuscript we use a historical perspective to critically review the development of major theories on the etiology of BV, ultimately implicating BV-related pathogens, healthy vaginal microbiota, bacteriophages and the immune response of the host. None of these theories on their own can reliably explain the epidemiological data. Instead, BV is caused by a complex interaction of multiple factors, which include the numerous components of the vaginal microbial ecosystem and their human host. Many of these factors are yet to be characterized because a clear understanding of their relative contribution to the etiology of BV is pivotal to formulation of an effective treatment for and prophylaxis of this condition. PMID:21332897

Promoting meaning-making to help our patients grieve: an exemplar for genetic counselors and other health care professionals.

PubMed

Douglas, Heather A

2014-10-01

Genetic counselors and other health professionals frequently meet with patients who are grieving a loss. It is thus helpful for medical professionals to be familiar with approaches to bereavement counseling. Grief theory has evolved over the last few decades, from primarily stage theories of grief such as Kübler-Ross's "five stages of grief" to frameworks that promote more complex and long-term ways to cope with a loss. Herein I present one recent grief theory - meaning-making - and describe how it can be applied to help parents of children with disabilities grieve the loss of the child that they expected. In particular, I describe a scenario that many genetic counselors face - meeting with the parents of a child with Down syndrome. I outline the research done on the reactions, grief and coping experienced by parents in this circumstance, and I present suggestions for encouraging healthy coping and adjustment for parents, based on the meaning-making perspective. The meaning-making theory can also be applied to many of the other losses faced by genetic counseling patients.

Gaze-Following and Awareness of Visual Perspective in Chimpanzees

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-07-01

visual search, provides an important developmental step towards the development of theory -of- mind (Baron-Cohen, 1995; Butterworth, 1991...conditions most children will eventually develop a full theory of mind and have full visual perspective taking (Corkum & Moore, 1995,1998; Moll...J., Bothell, D., Byrne, M., Douglass, S ., Lebiere, C., & Qin, Y. (2004). An integrated theory of the mind. Psychological Review, 111 (4), 1036-1060

The Social Structuring of Mental Health over the Adult Life Course: Advancing Theory in the Sociology of Aging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Philippa; Marshall, Victor; House, James; Lantz, Paula

2011-01-01

The sociology of aging draws on a broad array of theoretical perspectives and social theories from several disciplines, but rarely has it developed its own theories or theoretical perspectives. We build on past work to further advance and empirically test a model of mental health framed in terms of structural theorizing and situated within the…

Interpretation du choix de carriere de la femme dans une perspective sociologique. (Interpretation of the Career Choices of Women from a Sociological Perspective).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gagne, Evelyn; Poirier, Pierre

1985-01-01

Examines the career choices and aspirations of women in two contexts: social divergency theories derived from Marx and Simmel, and personal symbolization theories based on George Mead's writings. Presents a series of propositions to help formulate a coherent social theory about women's career choices, supported by empirical confirmation. (AYC)

Dynamical mean-field theory, density-matrix embedding theory, and rotationally invariant slave bosons: A unified perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayral, Thomas; Lee, Tsung-Han; Kotliar, Gabriel

2017-12-01

We present a unified perspective on dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT), density-matrix embedding theory (DMET), and rotationally invariant slave bosons (RISB). We show that DMET can be regarded as a simplification of the RISB method where the quasiparticle weight is set to unity. This relation makes it easy to transpose extensions of a given method to another: For instance, a temperature-dependent version of RISB can be used to derive a temperature-dependent free-energy formula for DMET.

Age-related perspectives and emotion processing.

PubMed

Lynchard, Nicholas A; Radvansky, Gabriel A

2012-12-01

Emotion is processed differently in younger and older adults. Older adults show a positivity effect, whereas younger adults show a negativity effect. Socioemotional selectivity theory suggests that these effects can be elicited in any age group when age-related perspectives are manipulated. To examine this, younger and older adults were oriented to actual and age-contrasting possible selves. Emotion activations were assessed using lexical decision. In line with socioemotional selectivity theory, shifts in emotion orientation varied according to perspective, with both younger and older adults showing a negativity effect when a younger adult perspective was taken and a positivity effect when an older adult perspective was taken. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

"Please Don't Just Hang a Feather on a Program or Put a Medicine Wheel on Your Logo and Think 'Oh Well, This Will Work'": Theoretical Perspectives of American Indian and Alaska Native Substance Abuse Prevention Programs.

PubMed

Walsh-Buhi, Margaret L

Many current theories guiding substance abuse prevention (SAP) programs stem from Western ideologies, leading to a scarcity of research on theories from, and a disconnect with, Indigenous perspectives. This qualitative research study explored perceptions of theory by SAP researchers (N = 22) working with American Indian and Alaska Native communities. In-depth interviews identified components of Indigenous theoretical perspectives, including cultural elements such as balance, social cohesion, and belonging as being particularly significant and currently absent from many SAP programs. Recommendations for conducting metatheory studies and operationalization of Indigenous perspectives into guiding theoretical underpinnings for future SAP programming are provided.

Some research perspectives in galloping phenomena: critical conditions and post-critical behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piccardo, Giuseppe; Pagnini, Luisa Carlotta; Tubino, Federica

2015-01-01

This paper gives an overview of wind-induced galloping phenomena, describing its manifold features and the many advances that have taken place in this field. Starting from a quasi-steady model of aeroelastic forces exerted by the wind on a rigid cylinder with three degree-of-freedom, two translations and a rotation in the plane of the model cross section, the fluid-structure interaction forces are described in simple terms, yet suitable with complexity of mechanical systems, both in the linear and in the nonlinear field, thus allowing investigation of a wide range of structural typologies and their dynamic behavior. The paper is driven by some key concerns. A great effort is made in underlying strengths and weaknesses of the classic quasi-steady theory as well as of the simplistic assumptions that are introduced in order to investigate such complex phenomena through simple engineering models. A second aspect, which is crucial to the authors' approach, is to take into account and harmonize the engineering, physical and mathematical perspectives in an interdisciplinary way—something which does not happen often. The authors underline that the quasi-steady approach is an irreplaceable tool, tough approximate and simple, for performing engineering analyses; at the same time, the study of this phenomenon gives origin to numerous problems that make the application of high-level mathematical solutions particularly attractive. Finally, the paper discusses a wide range of features of the galloping theory and its practical use which deserve further attention and refinements, pointing to the great potential represented by new fields of application and advanced analysis tools.

Quantum mechanics of excitation transport in photosynthetic complexes: a key issues review.

PubMed

Levi, Federico; Mostarda, Stefano; Rao, Francesco; Mintert, Florian

2015-07-01

For a long time microscopic physical descriptions of biological processes have been based on quantum mechanical concepts and tools, and routinely employed by chemical physicists and quantum chemists. However, the last ten years have witnessed new developments on these studies from a different perspective, rooted in the framework of quantum information theory. The process that more, than others, has been subject of intense research is the transfer of excitation energy in photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes, a consequence of the unexpected experimental discovery of oscillating signals in such highly noisy systems. The fundamental interdisciplinary nature of this research makes it extremely fascinating, but can also constitute an obstacle to its advance. Here in this review our objective is to provide an essential summary of the progress made in the theoretical description of excitation energy dynamics in photosynthetic systems from a quantum mechanical perspective, with the goal of unifying the language employed by the different communities. This is initially realized through a stepwise presentation of the fundamental building blocks used to model excitation transfer, including protein dynamics and the theory of open quantum system. Afterwards, we shall review how these models have evolved as a consequence of experimental discoveries; this will lead us to present the numerical techniques that have been introduced to quantitatively describe photo-absorbed energy dynamics. Finally, we shall discuss which mechanisms have been proposed to explain the unusual coherent nature of excitation transport and what insights have been gathered so far on the potential functional role of such quantum features.

Artificial grammar learning meets formal language theory: an overview

PubMed Central

Fitch, W. Tecumseh; Friederici, Angela D.

2012-01-01

Formal language theory (FLT), part of the broader mathematical theory of computation, provides a systematic terminology and set of conventions for describing rules and the structures they generate, along with a rich body of discoveries and theorems concerning generative rule systems. Despite its name, FLT is not limited to human language, but is equally applicable to computer programs, music, visual patterns, animal vocalizations, RNA structure and even dance. In the last decade, this theory has been profitably used to frame hypotheses and to design brain imaging and animal-learning experiments, mostly using the ‘artificial grammar-learning’ paradigm. We offer a brief, non-technical introduction to FLT and then a more detailed analysis of empirical research based on this theory. We suggest that progress has been hampered by a pervasive conflation of distinct issues, including hierarchy, dependency, complexity and recursion. We offer clarifications of several relevant hypotheses and the experimental designs necessary to test them. We finally review the recent brain imaging literature, using formal languages, identifying areas of convergence and outstanding debates. We conclude that FLT has much to offer scientists who are interested in rigorous empirical investigations of human cognition from a neuroscientific and comparative perspective. PMID:22688631

The Jackson Heart KIDS Pilot Study: Theory-Informed Recruitment in an African American Population.

PubMed

Beech, Bettina M; Bruce, Marino A; Crump, Mary E; Hamilton, Gina E

2017-04-01

Recruitment for large cohort studies is typically challenging, particularly when the pool of potential participants is limited to the descendants of individuals enrolled in a larger, longitudinal "parent" study. The increasing complexity of family structures and dynamics can present challenges for recruitment in offspring. Few best practices exist to guide effective and efficient empirical approaches to participant recruitment. Social and behavioral theories can provide insight into social and cultural contexts influencing individual decision-making and facilitate the development strategies for effective diffusion and marketing of an offspring cohort study. The purpose of this study was to describe the theory-informed recruitment approaches employed by the Jackson Heart KIDS Pilot Study (JHKS), a prospective offspring feasibility study of 200 African American children and grandchildren of the Jackson Heart Study (JHS)-the largest prospective cohort study examining cardiovascular disease among African American adults. Participant recruitment in the JHKS was founded on concepts from three theoretical perspectives-the Diffusion of Innovation Theory, Strength of Weak Ties, and Marketing Theory. Tailored recruitment strategies grounded in participatory strategies allowed us to exceed enrollment goals for JHKS Pilot Study and develop a framework for a statewide study of African American adolescents.

The role (or not) of economic evaluation at the micro level: can Bourdieu's theory provide a way forward for clinical decision-making?

PubMed

Lessard, Chantale; Contandriopoulos, André-Pierre; Beaulieu, Marie-Dominique

2010-06-01

Despite increasing interest in health economic evaluation, investigations have shown limited use by micro (clinical) level decision-makers. A considerable amount of health decisions take place daily at the point of the clinical encounter; especially in primary care. Since every decision has an opportunity cost, ignoring economic information in family physicians' (FPs) decision-making may have a broad impact on health care efficiency. Knowledge translation of economic evaluation is often based on taken-for-granted assumptions about actors' interests and interactions, neglecting much of the complexity of social reality. Health economics literature frequently assumes a rational and linear decision-making process. Clinical decision-making is in fact a complex social, dynamic, multifaceted process, involving relationships and contextual embeddedness. FPs are embedded in complex social networks that have a significant impact on skills, attitudes, knowledge, practices, and on the information being used. Because of their socially constructed nature, understanding preferences, professional culture, practices, and knowledge translation requires serious attention to social reality. There has been little exploration by health economists of whether the problem may be more fundamental and reside in a misunderstanding of the process of decision-making. There is a need to enhance our understanding of the role of economic evaluation in decision-making from a disciplinary perspective different than health economics. This paper argues for a different conceptualization of the role of economic evaluation in FPs' decision-making, and proposes Bourdieu's sociological theory as a research framework. Bourdieu's theory of practice illustrates how the context-sensitive nature of practice must be understood as a socially constituted practical knowledge. The proposed approach could substantially contribute to a more complex understanding of the role of economic evaluation in FPs' decision-making. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A novel approach to characterize information radiation in complex networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaoyang; Wang, Ying; Zhu, Lin; Li, Chao

2016-06-01

The traditional research of information dissemination is mostly based on the virus spreading model that the information is being spread by probability, which does not match very well to the reality, because the information that we receive is always more or less than what was sent. In order to quantitatively describe variations in the amount of information during the spreading process, this article proposes a safety information radiation model on the basis of communication theory, combining with relevant theories of complex networks. This model comprehensively considers the various influence factors when safety information radiates in the network, and introduces some concepts from the communication theory perspective, such as the radiation gain function, receiving gain function, information retaining capacity and information second reception capacity, to describe the safety information radiation process between nodes and dynamically investigate the states of network nodes. On a micro level, this article analyzes the influence of various initial conditions and parameters on safety information radiation through the new model simulation. The simulation reveals that this novel approach can reflect the variation of safety information quantity of each node in the complex network, and the scale-free network has better ;radiation explosive power;, while the small-world network has better ;radiation staying power;. The results also show that it is efficient to improve the overall performance of network security by selecting nodes with high degrees as the information source, refining and simplifying the information, increasing the information second reception capacity and decreasing the noises. In a word, this article lays the foundation for further research on the interactions of information and energy between internal components within complex systems.

Towards understanding the complexity of cardiovascular oscillations: Insights from information theory.

PubMed

Javorka, Michal; Krohova, Jana; Czippelova, Barbora; Turianikova, Zuzana; Lazarova, Zuzana; Wiszt, Radovan; Faes, Luca

2018-07-01

Cardiovascular complexity is a feature of healthy physiological regulation, which stems from the simultaneous activity of several cardiovascular reflexes and other non-reflex physiological mechanisms. It is manifested in the rich dynamics characterizing the spontaneous heart rate and blood pressure variability (HRV and BPV). The present study faces the challenge of disclosing the origin of short-term HRV and BPV from the statistical perspective offered by information theory. To dissect the physiological mechanisms giving rise to cardiovascular complexity in different conditions, measures of predictive information, information storage, information transfer and information modification were applied to the beat-to-beat variability of heart period (HP), systolic arterial pressure (SAP) and respiratory volume signal recorded non-invasively in 61 healthy young subjects at supine rest and during head-up tilt (HUT) and mental arithmetics (MA). Information decomposition enabled to assess simultaneously several expected and newly inferred physiological phenomena, including: (i) the decreased complexity of HP during HUT and the increased complexity of SAP during MA; (ii) the suppressed cardiorespiratory information transfer, related to weakened respiratory sinus arrhythmia, under both challenges; (iii) the altered balance of the information transferred along the two arms of the cardiovascular loop during HUT, with larger baroreflex involvement and smaller feedforward mechanical effects; and (iv) an increased importance of direct respiratory effects on SAP during HUT, and on both HP and SAP during MA. We demonstrate that a decomposition of the information contained in cardiovascular oscillations can reveal subtle changes in system dynamics and improve our understanding of the complexity changes during physiological challenges. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

On Allometry Relations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

West, Damien; West, Bruce J.

2012-07-01

There are a substantial number of empirical relations that began with the identification of a pattern in data; were shown to have a terse power-law description; were interpreted using existing theory; reached the level of "law" and given a name; only to be subsequently fade away when it proved impossible to connect the "law" with a larger body of theory and/or data. Various forms of allometry relations (ARs) have followed this path. The ARs in biology are nearly two hundred years old and those in ecology, geophysics, physiology and other areas of investigation are not that much younger. In general if X is a measure of the size of a complex host network and Y is a property of a complex subnetwork embedded within the host network a theoretical AR exists between the two when Y = aXb. We emphasize that the reductionistic models of AR interpret X and Y as dynamic variables, albeit the ARs themselves are explicitly time independent even though in some cases the parameter values change over time. On the other hand, the phenomenological models of AR are based on the statistical analysis of data and interpret X and Y as averages to yield the empirical AR: = ab. Modern explanations of AR begin with the application of fractal geometry and fractal statistics to scaling phenomena. The detailed application of fractal geometry to the explanation of theoretical ARs in living networks is slightly more than a decade old and although well received it has not been universally accepted. An alternate perspective is given by the empirical AR that is derived using linear regression analysis of fluctuating data sets. We emphasize that the theoretical and empirical ARs are not the same and review theories "explaining" AR from both the reductionist and statistical fractal perspectives. The probability calculus is used to systematically incorporate both views into a single modeling strategy. We conclude that the empirical AR is entailed by the scaling behavior of the probability density, which is derived using the probability calculus.

Self-Regulation and Mechanisms of Action in Psychotherapy: A Theory-Based Translational Perspective

PubMed Central

Strauman, Timothy J.; Goetz, Elena L.; Detloff, Allison M.; MacDuffie, Katherine E.; Zaunmüller, Luisa; Lutz, Wolfgang

2012-01-01

Psychotherapy is a complex, multi-layered process with the potential to bring about changes at multiple levels of functioning, from the neurobiology of the brain to the individual’s role in the social world. Although studies of the mechanisms by which psychotherapy leads to change continue to appear, there remains much to be learned about how psychological interventions work. To guide explorations of how and for whom particular treatment approaches lead to change, researchers can rely on theory to identify potential loci for change and on translational research methods to integrate basic behavioral science and neuroscience with clinical science. In this article, we describe research linking individual differences in the self-regulation of personal goal pursuit with the etiology and treatment of mood disorders. The research draws upon regulatory focus theory as a model of self-regulation and on microintervention designs – controlled laboratory investigations of a specific therapeutic technique – to generate and test hypotheses about how psychological interventions can help to reverse maladaptive self-regulatory processes. PMID:23072383

Predictors of change among male batterers: application of theories and review of empirical findings.

PubMed

Scott, Katreena L

2004-07-01

The efficacy of batterer treatment is a concern of clinicians, researchers, and policy makers. Most past research on batterer treatment has defined success as a cessation of men's physical abuse against their intimate partner. Although clearly an important outcome, focus on assault leaves many questions unanswered about the broader impact of batterer treatment and the processes through which successful change may be promoted. With the aim of encouraging complexity in the consideration of change among batterers, the current article reviews studies that go beyond dichotomous outcomes. First, evidence for the success of batterer treatment is considered from multiple perspectives: men's, women's, and the intervention system. Next, an in-depth review of research on factors relating to change in abusive men is completed using feminist, family systems, individual, and typology theories as an organizing framework. Numerous recommendations are made for integrating theories of change with investigations of treatment success in future work. Copyright 2004 Sage Publications

Working memory deficits in high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: neuropsychological and neuroimaging correlates.

PubMed

Barendse, Evelien M; Hendriks, Marc Ph; Jansen, Jacobus Fa; Backes, Walter H; Hofman, Paul Am; Thoonen, Geert; Kessels, Roy Pc; Aldenkamp, Albert P

2013-06-04

Working memory is a temporary storage system under attentional control. It is believed to play a central role in online processing of complex cognitive information and may also play a role in social cognition and interpersonal interactions. Adolescents with a disorder on the autism spectrum display problems in precisely these domains. Social impairments, communication difficulties, and repetitive interests and activities are core domains of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and executive function problems are often seen throughout the spectrum. As the main cognitive theories of ASD, including the theory of mind deficit hypotheses, weak central coherence account, and the executive dysfunction theory, still fail to explain the broad spectrum of symptoms, a new perspective on the etiology of ASD is needed. Deficits in working memory are central to many theories of psychopathology, and are generally linked to frontal-lobe dysfunction. This article will review neuropsychological and (functional) brain imaging studies on working memory in adolescents with ASD. Although still disputed, it is concluded that within the working memory system specific problems of spatial working memory are often seen in adolescents with ASD. These problems increase when information is more complex and greater demands on working memory are made. Neuroimaging studies indicate a more global working memory processing or connectivity deficiency, rather than a focused deficit in the prefrontal cortex. More research is needed to relate these working memory difficulties and neuroimaging results in ASD to the behavioral difficulties as seen in individuals with a disorder on the autism spectrum.

The Morality of Employing Remotely Piloted Weapon Systems in Combat

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

ethics of remotely piloted weapon systems involve utilitarianism and Just War Theory. Although the other two perspectives, pacifism and realism, do...perspectives of utilitarianism , Just War Theory, pacifism, and realism are evaluated to justify the claim. With the exception of pacifism, each of these...of utilitarianism , Just War Theory, pacifism, and realism are evaluated to justify the claim. With the exception of pacifism, each of these

Domain-specific reasoning: social contracts, cheating, and perspective change.

PubMed

Gigerenzer, G; Hug, K

1992-05-01

What counts as human rationality: reasoning processes that embody content-independent formal theories, such as propositional logic, or reasoning processes that are well designed for solving important adaptive problems? Most theories of human reasoning have been based on content-independent formal rationality, whereas adaptive reasoning, ecological or evolutionary, has been little explored. We elaborate and test an evolutionary approach. Cosmides' (1989) social contract theory, using the Wason selection task. In the first part, we disentangle the theoretical concept of a "social contract" from that of a "cheater-detection algorithm". We demonstrate that the fact that a rule is perceived as a social contract--or a conditional permission or obligation, as Cheng and Holyoak (1985) proposed--is not sufficient to elicit Cosmides' striking results, which we replicated. The crucial issue is not semantic (the meaning of the rule), but pragmatic: whether a person is cued into the perspective of a party who can be cheated. In the second part, we distinguish between social contracts with bilateral and unilateral cheating options. Perspective change in contracts with bilateral cheating options turns P & not-Q responses into not-P & Q responses. The results strongly support social contract theory, contradict availability theory, and cannot be accounted for by pragmatic reasoning schema theory, which lacks the pragmatic concepts of perspectives and cheating detection.

What is interesting? Exploring the appraisal structure of interest.

PubMed

Silvia, Paul J

2005-03-01

Relative to other emotions, interest is poorly understood. On the basis of theories of appraisal process and structure, it was predicted that interest consists of appraisals of novelty (factors related to unfamiliarity and complexity) and appraisals of coping potential (the ability to understand the new, complex thing). Four experiments, using in vivo rather than retrospective methods, supported this appraisal structure. The findings were general across measured and manipulated appraisals, interesting stimuli (random polygons, visual art, poetry), and measures of interest (self-reports, forced-choice, behavioral measures). Furthermore, the appraisal structure was specific to interest (it did not predict enjoyment, a related positive emotion), and appraisals predicted interest beyond relevant traits (curiosity, openness). The appraisal perspective offers a powerful way of construing the causes of interest. Copyright 2005 APA, all rights reserved.

Crew collaboration in space: a naturalistic decision-making perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orasanu, Judith

2005-01-01

Successful long-duration space missions will depend on the ability of crewmembers to respond promptly and effectively to unanticipated problems that arise under highly stressful conditions. Naturalistic decision making (NDM) exploits the knowledge and experience of decision makers in meaningful work domains, especially complex sociotechnical systems, including aviation and space. Decision making in these ambiguous, dynamic, high-risk environments is a complex task that involves defining the nature of the problem and crafting a response to achieve one's goals. Goal conflicts, time pressures, and uncertain outcomes may further complicate the process. This paper reviews theory and research pertaining to the NDM model and traces some of the implications for space crews and other groups that perform meaningful work in extreme environments. It concludes with specific recommendations for preparing exploration crews to use NDM effectively.

Ethical School Leadership: Defining the Best Interests of Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stefkovich, Jacqueline; Begley, Paul T.

2007-01-01

This article explores the alternate ways ethical school leadership in the best interests of students is conceptualized in the educational leadership literature from several foundational perspectives including philosophy, psychology, critical theory and case law. Perspectives which are grounded solely in theory are differentiated from those…

Unraveling Underachievement among African American Boys from an Identification with Academics Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osborne, Jason W.

1999-01-01

Reviews three prominent theories addressing social and cultural factors that can inhibit academic excellence among African American boys: Steele's stereotype threat model; Ogbu's cultural-ecological perspective; and Majors and Billson's "cool pose" theory. All three emphasize barriers preventing these boys from incorporating academics…

Coherent states field theory in supramolecular polymer physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fredrickson, Glenn H.; Delaney, Kris T.

2018-05-01

In 1970, Edwards and Freed presented an elegant representation of interacting branched polymers that resembles the coherent states (CS) formulation of second-quantized field theory. This CS polymer field theory has been largely overlooked during the intervening period in favor of more conventional "auxiliary field" (AF) interacting polymer representations that form the basis of modern self-consistent field theory (SCFT) and field-theoretic simulation approaches. Here we argue that the CS representation provides a simpler and computationally more efficient framework than the AF approach for broad classes of reversibly bonding polymers encountered in supramolecular polymer science. The CS formalism is reviewed, initially for a simple homopolymer solution, and then extended to supramolecular polymers capable of forming reversible linkages and networks. In the context of the Edwards model of a non-reacting homopolymer solution and one and two-component models of telechelic reacting polymers, we discuss the structure of CS mean-field theory, including the equivalence to SCFT, and show how weak-amplitude expansions (random phase approximations) can be readily developed without explicit enumeration of all reaction products in a mixture. We further illustrate how to analyze CS field theories beyond SCFT at the level of Gaussian field fluctuations and provide a perspective on direct numerical simulations using a recently developed complex Langevin technique.

Physics of human cooperation: experimental evidence and theoretical models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez, Angel

2018-02-01

In recent years, many physicists have used evolutionary game theory combined with a complex systems perspective in an attempt to understand social phenomena and challenges. Prominent among such phenomena is the issue of the emergence and sustainability of cooperation in a networked world of selfish or self-focused individuals. The vast majority of research done by physicists on these questions is theoretical, and is almost always posed in terms of agent-based models. Unfortunately, more often than not such models ignore a number of facts that are well established experimentally, and are thus rendered irrelevant to actual social applications. I here summarize some of the facts that any realistic model should incorporate and take into account, discuss important aspects underlying the relation between theory and experiments, and discuss future directions for research based on the available experimental knowledge.

Application of high level wavefunction methods in quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics hybrid schemes.

PubMed

Mata, Ricardo A

2010-05-21

In this Perspective, several developments in the field of quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approaches are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the use of correlated wavefunction theory and new state of the art methods for the treatment of large quantum systems. Until recently, computational chemistry approaches to large/complex chemical problems have seldom been considered as tools for quantitative predictions. However, due to the tremendous development of computational resources and new quantum chemical methods, it is nowadays possible to describe the electronic structure of biomolecules at levels of theory which a decade ago were only possible for system sizes of up to 20 atoms. These advances are here outlined in the context of QM/MM. The article concludes with a short outlook on upcoming developments and possible bottlenecks for future applications.

Communities of Practice and Social Learning Systems: the Career of a Concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wenger, Etienne

The concept of community of practice was not born in the systems theory tradition. It has its roots in attempts to develop accounts of the social nature of human learning inspired by anthropology and social theory (Lave, 1988; Bourdieu, 1977; Giddens, 1984; Foucault, 1980; Vygotsky, 1978). But the concept of community of practice is well aligned with the perspective of systems traditions. A community of practice itself can be viewed as a simple social system. And a complex social system can be viewed as constituted by interrelated communities of practice. In this essay I first explore the systemic nature of the concept at these two levels. Then I use this foundation to look at the applications of the concept, some of its main critiques, and its potential for developing a social discipline of learning.

One perspective on the Freud-Klein controversies 1941-45.

PubMed

Schafer, R

1994-04-01

Comments on the complex relations obtaining between, on the one hand, tradition, innovations and existential perspective and, on the other, presuppositions about method, evidence and truth are prefaced by a review of the helpful and hindering attitudes and conduct of the three parties to these controversial discussions, the third group being the indigenous ('independent') British group. This group directed the process into productive channels against great odds. The subsequent history of psychoanalysis shows, in addition to increased organisational stability and tolerance in times of crisis, an evolving enrichment and refinement of theory and practice in all three groups. Those following Melanie Klein have developed further their own kind of ego-psychological emphasis, while those following Anna Freud and 'the Viennese' around her have developed a more inclusive theoretical and clinical perspective, one that makes more salient the influence of the very first years of life and early infantile aggression as well as accepting a broadening of the idea of transference to include child analysis. This history supports the view that pluralism in psychoanalysis has been of much benefit.

African American Perspectives and Experiences of Domestic Violence in a Rural Community.

PubMed

Valandra; Murphy-Erby, Yvette; Higgins, Brandon M; Brown, Lucy M

2016-09-01

Relatively few studies have explored domestic violence from a multiplicity of African American perspectives, experiences, and socio-demographic backgrounds within rural African American communities. Community-based participatory action research methods were used to explore domestic violence perceptions of African Americans with heterogeneous backgrounds and experiences of violence. Ten focus groups were held throughout the community with 52 diverse women ( n = 33) and men ( n = 19) living in the northwest region of Arkansas. Demographic data were collected from 47 women ( n = 28) and men ( n = 19) participating in focus groups regarding their perceptions and experiences of domestic violence, media messages, help-seeking behaviors, and services. Data were analyzed using grounded theory methods. Three major themes emerged, including (a) a heightened awareness of race, gender, and class differences; (b) imbalanced and mixed messages from media; and (c) multi-systemic dynamics influencing abusive behavior and relationships. Results indicate that study participants' perspectives and experiences with domestic violence reflect a complex interrelated gamut of societal, community, familial, and individual dynamics. Participant recommendations related to interpersonal dynamics, media messages, and societal influences are reported with implications for practice, policy, and future research.

Pathogen evolution and the immunological niche

PubMed Central

Cobey, Sarah

2014-01-01

Host immunity is a major driver of pathogen evolution and thus a major determinant of pathogen diversity. Explanations for pathogen diversity traditionally assume simple interactions between pathogens and the immune system, a view encapsulated by the susceptible–infected–recovered (SIR) model. However, there is growing evidence that the complexity of many host–pathogen interactions is dynamically important. This revised perspective requires broadening the definition of a pathogen's immunological phenotype, or what can be thought of as its immunological niche. After reviewing evidence that interactions between pathogens and host immunity drive much of pathogen evolution, I introduce the concept of a pathogen's immunological phenotype. Models that depart from the SIR paradigm demonstrate the utility of this perspective and show that it is particularly useful in understanding vaccine-induced evolution. This paper highlights questions in immunology, evolution, and ecology that must be answered to advance theories of pathogen diversity. PMID:25040161

Identity: a complex structure for researching students' academic behavior in science and mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aydeniz, Mehmet; Hodge, Lynn Liao

2011-06-01

This article is a response to Pike and Dunne's research. The focus of their analysis is on reflections of studying science post-16. Pike and Dunne draw attention to under enrollments in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, in particular, in the field of physics, chemistry and biology in the United Kingdom. We provide an analysis of how the authors conceptualize the problem of scientific career choices, the theoretical framework through which they study the problem, and the methodology they use to collect and analyze data. In addition, we examine the perspective they provide in light of new developments in the field of students' attitudes towards science and mathematics. More precisely, we draw attention to and explicate the authors' use of identity from the perspective of emerging theories that explore the relationships between the learner and culture in the context of science and mathematics.

Driving into danger: Perception and communication of flash flood risk from a cultural perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coles, A.; Hirschboeck, K. K.; Fryberg, S.

2009-04-01

Flood risk managers educate the public on the dangers of driving through flooded roadways, yet losses to life and property continue to occur. This study integrates cultural psychology and risk perception theory to explore how culture, psychological processes, and behavior influence one another. Flood risk managers in Tucson, Arizona collaborated in the development of a questionnaire mailed to local residents. Questions regarding levels of trust, self-efficacy, social autonomy, social incorporation, time perspective, and situational factors were analyzed with respect to whether respondents stated that they have or have not driven through a flooded roadway. Respondents' decisions are influenced by the presence of signs and barricades, passengers, risk of personal injury or damage to the vehicle, and the availability of flood-related information. The most influential factor is the prior successful crossing of other vehicles. The results illuminate complex interrelations among the cultural factors and provide considerations for future risk perception research.

Quality of life after percutaneous coronary intervention: part 1.

PubMed

Cassar, Stephen; R Baldacchino, Donia

Quality of life (QOL) is a complex concept comprised of biopsychosocial, spiritual and environmental dimensions. However, the majority of research addresses only its physical function perspectives. This two-part series examines the holistic perspective of QOL of patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Part 1 explains the research process of a cross-sectional descriptive study and its limitations. Data were collected by a mailed WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire in Maltese from a systematic sample of patients who had undergone PCI; the response rate was 64% (n=228; males n=169, females n=59, age 40-89 years). Part 1 also considers limitations, such as its cross-sectional design and retrospective data collection. The hierarchy of human needs theory (Maslow, 1999) guided the study. Part 2 gives the findings on the holistic view of QOL. Having social and family support, as a characteristic of Maltese culture appeared to contribute towards a better QOL.

Neurocognitive poetics: methods and models for investigating the neuronal and cognitive-affective bases of literature reception.

PubMed

Jacobs, Arthur M

2015-01-01

A long tradition of research including classical rhetoric, esthetics and poetics theory, formalism and structuralism, as well as current perspectives in (neuro)cognitive poetics has investigated structural and functional aspects of literature reception. Despite a wealth of literature published in specialized journals like Poetics, however, still little is known about how the brain processes and creates literary and poetic texts. Still, such stimulus material might be suited better than other genres for demonstrating the complexities with which our brain constructs the world in and around us, because it unifies thought and language, music and imagery in a clear, manageable way, most often with play, pleasure, and emotion (Schrott and Jacobs, 2011). In this paper, I discuss methods and models for investigating the neuronal and cognitive-affective bases of literary reading together with pertinent results from studies on poetics, text processing, emotion, or neuroaesthetics, and outline current challenges and future perspectives.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dale, Virginia H; Kline, Keith L; Kaffka, Stephen R

Landscape sustainability of agricultural systems considers effects of farm activities on social, economic, and ecosystem services at local and regional scales. Sustainable agriculture entails: defining sustainability, developing easily measured indicators of sustainability, moving toward integrated agricultural systems, and offering incentives or imposing regulations to affect farmer behavior. A landscape perspective is useful because landscape ecology provides theory and methods for dealing with spatial heterogeneity, scaling, integration, and complexity. To implement agricultural sustainability, we propose adopting a systems perspective, recognizing spatial heterogeneity, addressing the influences of context, and integrating landscape-design principles. Topics that need further attention at local and regional scalesmore » include (1) protocols for quantifying material and energy flows; (2) effects of management practices; (3) incentives for enhancing social, economic, and ecosystem services; (4) integrated landscape planning and management; (5) monitoring and assessment; (6) effects of societal demand; and (7) consistent and holistic policies for promoting agricultural sustainability.« less

Systems architecture: a new model for sustainability and the built environment using nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and cognitive science with living technology.

PubMed

Armstrong, Rachel

2010-01-01

This report details a workshop held at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, to initiate interdisciplinary collaborations for the practice of systems architecture, which is a new model for the generation of sustainable architecture that combines the discipline of the study of the built environment with the scientific study of complexity, or systems science, and adopts the perspective of systems theory. Systems architecture offers new perspectives on the organization of the built environment that enable architects to consider architecture as a series of interconnected networks with embedded links into natural systems. The public workshop brought together architects and scientists working with the convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and cognitive science and with living technology to investigate the possibility of a new generation of smart materials that are implied by this approach.

The neuroscience of learning: beyond the Hebbian synapse.

PubMed

Gallistel, C R; Matzel, Louis D

2013-01-01

From the traditional perspective of associative learning theory, the hypothesis linking modifications of synaptic transmission to learning and memory is plausible. It is less so from an information-processing perspective, in which learning is mediated by computations that make implicit commitments to physical and mathematical principles governing the domains where domain-specific cognitive mechanisms operate. We compare the properties of associative learning and memory to the properties of long-term potentiation, concluding that the properties of the latter do not explain the fundamental properties of the former. We briefly review the neuroscience of reinforcement learning, emphasizing the representational implications of the neuroscientific findings. We then review more extensively findings that confirm the existence of complex computations in three information-processing domains: probabilistic inference, the representation of uncertainty, and the representation of space. We argue for a change in the conceptual framework within which neuroscientists approach the study of learning mechanisms in the brain.

Becoming who you are: An integrative review of self-determination theory and personality systems interactions theory.

PubMed

Koole, Sander L; Schlinkert, Caroline; Maldei, Tobias; Baumann, Nicola

2018-03-10

One of the enduring missions of personality science is to unravel what it takes to become a fully functioning person. In the present article, the authors address this matter from the perspectives of self-determination theory (SDT) and personality systems interactions (PSI) theory. SDT (a) is rooted in humanistic psychology; (b) has emphasized a first-person perspective on motivation and personality; (c) posits that the person, supported by the social environment, naturally moves toward growth through the satisfaction of basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. PSI theory (a) is rooted in German volition psychology; (b) has emphasized a third-person perspective on motivation and personality; and (c) posits that a fully functioning person can form and enact difficult intentions and integrate new experiences, and that such competencies are facilitated by affect regulation. The authors review empirical support for SDT and PSI theory, their convergences and divergences, and how the theories bear on recent empirical research on internalization, vitality, and achievement flow. The authors conclude that SDT and PSI theory offer complementary insights into developing a person's full potential. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Personality Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ecological determinants of health: food and environment on human health.

PubMed

Li, Alice M L

2017-04-01

Human health and diseases are determined by many complex factors. Health threats from the human-animal-ecosystems interface (HAEI) and zoonotic diseases (zoonoses) impose an increasing risk continuously to public health, from those emerging pathogens transmitted through contact with animals, food, water and contaminated environments. Immense challenges forced on the ecological perspectives on food and the eco-environments, including aquaculture, agriculture and the entire food systems. Impacts of food and eco-environments on human health will be examined amongst the importance of human interventions for intended purposes in lowering the adverse effects on the biodiversity. The complexity of relevant conditions defined as factors contributing to the ecological determinants of health will be illuminated from different perspectives based on concepts, citations, examples and models, in conjunction with harmful consequential effects of human-induced disturbances to our environments and food systems, together with the burdens from ecosystem disruption, environmental hazards and loss of ecosystem functions. The eco-health literacy should be further promoting under the "One Health" vision, with "One World" concept under Ecological Public Health Model for sustaining our environments and the planet earth for all beings, which is coincidentally echoing Confucian's theory for the environmental ethics of ecological harmony.

First-principles molecular dynamics simulation of the Ca 2UO 2(CO 3) 3 complex in water

DOE PAGES

Priest, Chad; Tian, Ziqi; Jiang, De-en

2016-01-22

Recent experiments have shown that the neutral Ca 2UO 2(CO 3) 3 complex is the dominant species of uranium in many uranyl-containing streams. However, the structure and solvation of such a species in water has not been investigated from first principles. Herein we present a first principles molecular dynamics perspective of the Ca 2UO 2(CO 3) 3 complex in water based on density functional theory and Born–Oppenheimer approximation. We find that the Ca 2UO 2(CO 3) 3 complex is very stable in our simulation timeframe for three different concentrations considered and that the key distances from our simulation are inmore » good agreement with the experimental data from extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. More important, we find that the two Ca ions bind differently in the complex, as a result of the hydrogen-bonding network around the whole complex. Furthermore, this finding invites confirmation from time-resolved EXAFS and has implications in understanding the dissociative equilibrium of the Ca 2UO 2(CO 3) 3 complex in water.« less

Are maternal mitochondria the selfish entities that are masters of the cells of eukaryotic multicellular organisms?

PubMed Central

Barlow, Peter W; Baldelli, E; Baluška, Frantisek

2009-01-01

The Energide concept, as well as the endosymbiotic theory of eukaryotic cell organization and evolution, proposes that present-day cells of eukaryotic organisms are mosaics of specialized and cooperating units, or organelles. Some of these units were originally free-living prokaryotes, which were engulfed during evolutionary time. Mitochondria represent one of these types of previously independent organisms, the Energide, is another type. This new perspective on the organization of the cell has been further expanded to reveal the concept of a public milieu, the cytosol, in which Energides and mitochondria live, each with their own private internal milieu. The present paper discusses how the endosymbiotic theory implicates a new hypothesis about the hierarchical and communicational organization of the integrated prokaryotic components of the eukaryotic cell and provides a new angle from which to consider the theory of evolution and its bearing upon cellular complexity. Thus, it is proposed that the “selfish gene” hypothesis of Dawkins1 is not the only possible perspective for comprehending genomic and cellular evolution. Our proposal is that maternal mitochondria are the selfish “master” entities of the eukaryotic cell with respect not only to their propagation from cell-to-cell and from generation-to-generation but also to their regulation of all other cellular functions. However, it should be recognized that the concept of “master” and “servant” cell components is a metaphor; in present-day living organisms their organellar components are considered to be interdependent and inseparable. PMID:19513277

Self-determination theory and romantic relationship processes.

PubMed

Knee, C Raymond; Hadden, Benjamin W; Porter, Ben; Rodriguez, Lindsey M

2013-11-01

Self-determination theory can be viewed as a theory of optimal relationship development and functioning. We examine the concept of self that is employed in self-determination theory and explain how its unique definition allows an important and novel characterization of investing one's "self" in romantic relationships. A self-determined perspective on romantic relationships integrates several theories on romantic relationship development, but also goes beyond them by explicitly articulating the personality, developmental, and situational factors that facilitate optimal self-investment and relational functioning. Self-determination promotes openness rather than defensiveness and facilitates perspective-taking, authenticity, and support of close others. The dyadic context of romantic relationships affords great opportunity for theoretical development and integration of self-determination theory with current theories of interdependence and relational well-being.

Dynamical mean-field theory, density-matrix embedding theory, and rotationally invariant slave bosons: A unified perspective

DOE PAGES

Ayral, Thomas; Lee, Tsung-Han; Kotliar, Gabriel

2017-12-26

In this paper, we present a unified perspective on dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT), density-matrix embedding theory (DMET), and rotationally invariant slave bosons (RISB). We show that DMET can be regarded as a simplification of the RISB method where the quasiparticle weight is set to unity. Finally, this relation makes it easy to transpose extensions of a given method to another: For instance, a temperature-dependent version of RISB can be used to derive a temperature-dependent free-energy formula for DMET.

Dynamical mean-field theory, density-matrix embedding theory, and rotationally invariant slave bosons: A unified perspective

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ayral, Thomas; Lee, Tsung-Han; Kotliar, Gabriel

In this paper, we present a unified perspective on dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT), density-matrix embedding theory (DMET), and rotationally invariant slave bosons (RISB). We show that DMET can be regarded as a simplification of the RISB method where the quasiparticle weight is set to unity. Finally, this relation makes it easy to transpose extensions of a given method to another: For instance, a temperature-dependent version of RISB can be used to derive a temperature-dependent free-energy formula for DMET.

A Dramaturgical Perspective on Academic Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quinn, Brian

2005-01-01

Although many social sciences theories have been applied to the field of library and information science, one theory that has received relatively little attention is dramaturgy. The dramaturgical perspective posits that social life is inherently theatrical in nature. When applied to the academic library setting, both librarians and library users…

Makiguchian Perspectives in Language Policy and Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatano, Kazuma

2013-01-01

In this article, the author applies Makiguchi Tsunesaburo's (1871-1944) perspectives to language policy and planning (LPP). One theoretical question in LPP theory is why individuals opt to use particular languages and varieties of languages in certain contexts. The author contends that Makiguchi's theory of value can be used to systematically…

Executive Function and Reading Aptitude: A Grounded Theory Analysis of Teacher Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nordman, Jenny

2013-01-01

This qualitative, grounded theory study investigated teacher perspectives on the relationship between executive function and reading aptitude. The influence of executive function may be underestimated in terms of its impact on reading aptitude, which could have significant implications on how reading aptitude is currently defined. The foundational…

The Creative Identity: Creative Behavior from the Symbolic Interactionist Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petkus, Ed, Jr.

1996-01-01

This article examines the motivation of certain creative behaviors from the perspective of symbolic interactionism. The fundamental tenets of symbolic interactionism are described and the mechanics of symbolic interactionist-based, role-identity theory are explained. Ways that the theory can be applied to the motivation of creative behavior are…

The Possibility and Importance of Postperspectival Working

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jay, Tim

2013-01-01

This article addresses the issue of the plurality of theories and perspectives in education research, and introduces postperspectival theory as a means to work with this plurality. Three pieces of research are discussed, all focusing on children's learning of numbers, one taking a cognitivist perspective, the other two a more sociocultural…

Global Education--An Educational Perspective to Cope with Globalisation?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehner, Daniela; Wurzenberger, Julia

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of Global Education (GE) from a "theory of action plan" and an "evolutionary and systems theory" approach as an educational perspective to cope with globalisation--more specifically, the challenges of globalisation. Moreover, an additional aim is to analyse the…

Perspectives on the Aetiology of ODD and CD: A Grounded Theory Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McFarland, Patrick; Sanders, James; Hagen, Bradley

2016-01-01

Antisocial disorders, such as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD), are common reasons for youth to be seen for clinical intervention. The intent of this constructivist grounded theory study was to evaluate clinicians' perspectives on the aetiology of antisocial disorders. Six professionals from various professional…

Education Theory and Practice: Caribbean Perspectives (Second Edition).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bastick, Tony, Ed.

Chapters in this collection provide the perspectives of Caribbean educators on a variety of issues related to the theory and practice of education. Section 1, "Professional Development," contains these chapters: (1) "Is There Still Room for the Model Teacher?" (Sonia Jones); (2) "Using an In-Service Programme To Develop as…

Restorative Practices: Graduate Students' Perspectives Seen through a Transformative Learning Lens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adamson, Craig W.

2012-01-01

This dissertation explores students' learning experiences in a newly accredited graduate school focused on Restorative Practices Theory, which enables people to restore and build community collectively. This exploration was conducted using a Transformative Adult Learning Theory lens in order to understand graduate students' perspectives regarding…

Educational Research and Theory Perspectives on Intelligent Computer-Assisted Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tennyson, Robert D.; Christensen, Dean L.

This paper defines the next generation of intelligent computer-assisted instructional systems (ICAI) by depicting the elaborations and extensions offered by educational research and theory perspectives to enhance the ICAI environment. The first section describes conventional ICAI systems, which use expert systems methods and have three modules: a…

Self, College Experiences, and Society: Rethinking the Theoretical Foundations of Student Development Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winkle-Wagner, Rachelle

2012-01-01

This article examines the psychological theoretical foundations of college student development theory and the theoretical assumptions of this framework. A complimentary, sociological perspective and the theoretical assumptions of this approach are offered. The potential limitations of the overuse of each perspective are considered. The conclusion…

Trauma and Psychotherapy: Implications from a Behavior Analysis Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prather, Walter

2007-01-01

Attachment theory provides a useful conceptual framework for understanding trauma and the treatment of abuse in children. This article examines attachment theory and traditional models of family therapy from the perspective of behavior analysis, and provides a rationale for a behavioral treatment approach for abused children and their foster or…

Distributive Equality, Relational Equality and Preferences about Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Voigt, Kristin

2017-01-01

Are scenarios in which disadvantaged students prefer not to attend (certain) universities a concern from the perspective of an egalitarian theory of justice? I consider this question from the respective perspectives of two prominent approaches to equality: distributive theories, which focus on the fairness of inequalities in outcomes, and…

Understanding Frame-of-Reference Training Success: A Social Learning Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sulsky, Lorne M.; Kline, Theresa J. B.

2007-01-01

Employing the social learning theory (SLT) perspective on training, we analysed the effects of alternative frame-of-reference (FOR) training protocols on various criteria of training effectiveness. Undergraduate participants (N = 65) were randomly assigned to one of four FOR training conditions and a control condition. Training effectiveness was…

Grief as a social emotion: theoretical perspectives.

PubMed

Jakoby, Nina R

2012-09-01

The article explores a sociological perspective on grief as a social emotion. Focusing on the social bond with the deceased, the self-concept of the survivor or the power of feeling rules, general sociological theories of emotions (symbolic interactionism, structural theory, behavioral theory) have the potential to deepen the understanding of grief as a social emotion. The article concludes by presenting a cognitive-structural model of grief that integrates the different theoretical elements.

Power, uncertainty, self-transcendence, and quality of life in breast cancer survivors.

PubMed

Farren, Arlene T

2010-01-01

The purpose of the study was to examine the relations among power, uncertainty, self-transcendence, and quality of life in breast cancer survivors from the perspective of Rogers' science of unitary human beings. A correlational, cross-sectional study with purposive sampling (n = 104) was conducted. The results included statistically significant correlations, explained variance, and mediating relations among the pattern manifestations. The researcher concluded that there are complex and synergistic relations among the cluster of field pattern manifestations that contribute to quality of life in breast cancer survivors. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed.

Membrane Protein Structure, Function, and Dynamics: a Perspective from Experiments and Theory

DOE PAGES

Cournia, Zoe; Allen, Toby W.; Andricioaei, Ioan; ...

2015-06-11

It is fundamental for the flourishing biological cells that membrane proteins mediate the process. Membrane-embedded transporters move ions and larger solutes across membranes; receptors mediate communication between the cell and its environment and membrane-embedded enzymes catalyze chemical reactions. Understanding these mechanisms of action requires knowledge of how the proteins couple to their fluid, hydrated lipid membrane environment. Here, we present here current studies in computational and experimental membrane protein biophysics, and show how they address outstanding challenges in understanding the complex environmental effects on the structure, function, and dynamics of membrane proteins.

An Ecological Model of Well-being After Sexual Assault: The Voices of Victims and Survivors.

PubMed

Wadsworth, Pamela; Krahe, Eve; Searing, Kim

In this article, the authors describe factors that enhance or detract from well-being after adult sexual assault from the perspective of sexual assault victims and survivors. The authors present a holistic view of the complex ways in which women respond to and cope with the impact of adult sexual assault while trying to create a sense of well-being. The forces that facilitate or detract from well-being are organized into an ecological model. The data originate from a grounded theory study in 2015, with 22 adult female adult sexual assault victims/survivors.

Auditory Power-Law Activation Avalanches Exhibit a Fundamental Computational Ground State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoop, Ruedi; Gomez, Florian

2016-07-01

The cochlea provides a biological information-processing paradigm that we are only beginning to understand in its full complexity. Our work reveals an interacting network of strongly nonlinear dynamical nodes, on which even a simple sound input triggers subnetworks of activated elements that follow power-law size statistics ("avalanches"). From dynamical systems theory, power-law size distributions relate to a fundamental ground state of biological information processing. Learning destroys these power laws. These results strongly modify the models of mammalian sound processing and provide a novel methodological perspective for understanding how the brain processes information.

A New Perspective on Changing Arctic Marine Ecosystems: Panarchy Adaptive Cycles in Pan-Arctic Spatial and Temporal Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiese, F. K.; Huntington, H. P.; Carmack, E.; Wassmann, P. F. J.; Leu, E. S.; Gradinger, R.

2016-02-01

Changes in the physical/biological interactions in the Arctic are occurring across a variety of spatial and temporal scales and may be mitigated or strengthened based on varying rates of evolutionary adaptation. A novel way to view these interactions and their social relevance is through the systems theory perspective of "Panarchy" proposed by Gunderson and Holling. Panarchy is an interdisciplinary approach in which structures, scales and linkages of complex-adaptive systems, including those of nature (e.g. ocean), humans (e.g. economics), and combined social-ecological systems (e.g. institutions that govern natural resource use), are mapped across multiple space and time scales in continual and interactive adaptive cycles of growth, accumulation, restructuring and renewal. In complex-adaptive systems the dynamics at a given scale are generally dominated by a small number of key internal variables that are forced by one or more external variables. The stability of such a system is characterized by its resilience, i.e. its capacity to absorb disturbance and re-organize while undergoing change, so as to retain essentially similar function, structure, identity and feedbacks. It is in the capacity of a system to cope with pressures and adversities such as exploitation, warming, governance restrictions, competition, etc. that resilience embraces human and natural systems as complex entities continually adapting through cycles of change. In this paper we explore processes at four linked spatial domains in the Arctic Ocean and link it to ecosystem resilience and re-organization characteristics. From this we derive a series of hypotheses concerning the biological responses to future physical changes and suggest ways how Panarchy theory can be applied to observational strategies to help detect early signs of environmental shifts affecting marine system services and functions. We close by discussing possible implications of the Panarchy framework for policy and governance.

Disparities in new graduate transition from multiple stakeholder perspectives.

PubMed

Adamack, Monica; Rush, Kathy L

2014-09-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand multiple stakeholder perspectives of new graduate (NG) transition programs. It was part of a larger mixed-methods study (2011) designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of new graduate nurse transition best practices, across six British Columbia health authorities. Data collection involved individual interviews with academic nurse educators (n=4) and separate focus groups with new graduate (n=48) and front-line nurse leaders (n=69). Disparity emerged as the overriding theme and described differences between stakeholder group perspectives, between expectations and reality, and within and across programs. Four disparities emerged: entry-level education and practice, perspectives on employment and career planning, transition program elements and support. Despite general satisfaction with undergraduate preparation, theory-practice gaps were identified. New Graduates experienced misalignments between their employment expectations and their realities. The employed student nurse program in which many new graduates had participated did not always yield employment, but when it did, differences in transitional expectations arose between new graduates and leaders. There was considerable variation across and within provincial new graduate programs with respect to orientation, supernumerary time and preceptorship characteristics, including lack of training. Disparities arose in the nature, amount of and access to support and the monitoring of new graduate progress. Findings reinforced organizational complexities and the importance of communication across education and practice sectors. This paper uncovers the tensions between the perspectives of new graduates and nurse leaders about transitional programs and opens the opportunity to collaborate in aligning the perspectives.

Orchestrating care: nursing practice with hospitalised older adults.

PubMed

Dahlke, Sherry Ann; Phinney, Alison; Hall, Wendy Ann; Rodney, Patricia; Baumbusch, Jennifer

2015-12-01

The increased incidence of health challenges with aging means that nurses are increasingly caring for older adults, often in hospital settings. Research about the complexity of nursing practice with this population remains limited. To seek an explanation of nursing practice with hospitalised older adults. Design. A grounded theory study guided by symbolic interactionism was used to explore nursing practice with hospitalised older adults from a nursing perspective. Glaserian grounded theory methods were used to develop a mid-range theory after analysis of 375 hours of participant observation, 35 interviews with 24 participants and review of selected documents. The theory of orchestrating care was developed to explain how nurses are continuously trying to manage their work environments by understanding the status of the patients, their unit, mobilising the assistance of others and stretching available resources to resolve their problem of providing their older patients with what they perceived as 'good care' while sustaining themselves as 'good' nurses. They described their practice environments as hard and under-resourced. Orchestrating care is comprised of two subprocesses: building synergy and minimising strain. These two processes both facilitated and constrained each other and nurses' abilities to orchestrate care. Although system issues presented serious constraints to nursing practice, the ways in which nurses were making meaning of their work environment both aided them in managing their challenges and constrained their agency. Nurses need to be encouraged to share their important perspective about older adult care. Administrators have a role to play in giving nurses voice in workplace committees and in forums. Further research is needed to better understand how multidisciplinary teams influence care of hospitalized older adults. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Metacommunity theory as a multispecies, multiscale framework for studying the influence of river network structure on riverine communities and ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, B.L.; Swan, C.M.; Auerbach, D.A.; Campbell, Grant E.H.; Hitt, N.P.; Maloney, K.O.; Patrick, C.

2011-01-01

Explaining the mechanisms underlying patterns of species diversity and composition in riverine networks is challenging. Historically, community ecologists have conceived of communities as largely isolated entities and have focused on local environmental factors and interspecific interactions as the major forces determining species composition. However, stream ecologists have long embraced a multiscale approach to studying riverine ecosystems and have studied both local factors and larger-scale regional factors, such as dispersal and disturbance. River networks exhibit a dendritic spatial structure that can constrain aquatic organisms when their dispersal is influenced by or confined to the river network. We contend that the principles of metacommunity theory would help stream ecologists to understand how the complex spatial structure of river networks mediates the relative influences of local and regional control on species composition. From a basic ecological perspective, the concept is attractive because new evidence suggests that the importance of regional processes (dispersal) depends on spatial structure of habitat and on connection to the regional species pool. The role of local factors relative to regional factors will vary with spatial position in a river network. From an applied perspective, the long-standing view in ecology that local community composition is an indicator of habitat quality may not be uniformly applicable across a river network, but the strength of such bioassessment approaches probably will depend on spatial position in the network. The principles of metacommunity theory are broadly applicable across taxa and systems but seem of particular consequence to stream ecology given the unique spatial structure of riverine systems. By explicitly embracing processes at multiple spatial scales, metacommunity theory provides a foundation on which to build a richer understanding of stream communities.

Conceptual Models and Theory-Embedded Principles on Effective Schooling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scheerens, Jaap

1997-01-01

Reviews models and theories on effective schooling. Discusses four rationality-based organization theories and a fifth perspective, chaos theory, as applied to organizational functioning. Discusses theory-embedded principles flowing from these theories: proactive structuring, fit, market mechanisms, cybernetics, and self-organization. The…

Discovering complementary colors from the perspective of steam education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karabey, Burak; Yigit Koyunkaya, Melike; Enginoglu, Turan; Yurumezoglu, Kemal

2018-05-01

This study explored the theory and applications of complementary colors using a technology-based activity designed from the perspective of STEAM education. Complementary colors and their areas of use were examined from the perspective of physics, mathematics and art, respectively. The study, which benefits from technology, makes the theory of complementary colors accessible to all through practical applications and provides a multidisciplinary, integrated and innovative technique of teaching the subject of colors, which could be used to teach complementary colors.

Language-Learning Motivation during Short-Term Study Abroad: An Activity Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Heather Willis

2010-01-01

This study investigated the development of language-learning motivation during short-term study abroad (SA) for six intermediate-level students of French. Taking an activity theory perspective, findings demonstrated that one of two orientations motivated participants to study or continue studying French at the college level: linguistic motives or…

Perspectives on Self-Theory: A Comment on Loevinger and Kegan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrett, Thomas C.; Harren, Vincent A.

1979-01-01

Reviews and comments upon articles by Jane Loevinger and Robert Kegan devoted to self and ego. A spiral-process model of self-conception is offered as an elaboration of the processes that might be involved in equilibration. The clarifying purpose of theory should not be forgotten. A phenomenological perspective is presented. (Author/BEF)

An Activity Theory Perspective on Student-Reported Contradictions in International Telecollaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basharina, Olga K.

2007-01-01

This process-oriented study focuses on contradictions that emerged in a WebCT bulletin board collaboration among English learners from Japan, Mexico and Russia, and explains them from the perspective of activity theory (Leont'ev, 1978, 1981; Engestrom, 1987, 1999). The study identified a) two "intra-cultural" contradictions--to post or…

Integral Methodological Pluralism in Science Education Research: Valuing Multiple Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Nancy T.; Callihan, Laurie P.

2013-01-01

This article examines the multiple methodologies used in educational research and proposes a model that includes all of them as contributing to understanding educational contexts and research from multiple perspectives. The model, based on integral theory (Wilber in a theory of everything. Shambhala, Boston, 2000) values all forms of research as…

Survey of Spouse Abuse Shelters: A Family Systems Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindegren, Tina M.

Traditional psychological theories which focus on the pathological tendencies of the individual account for little of the reported widespread spouse abuse. Social exchange and general systems theories focus on problems in the relationship rather than problems in the person. Given that a family perspective may be helpful in long-term treatment of…

Everyday Theory: A Practical Application of the Ecological Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barry, Adam; Honore, Heather

2009-01-01

Knowledge of health behavior theory allows health practitioners to design health promotion interventions that are based on factors that influence behavior. Objectives: At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to: (1) identify and define the three major levels of influence of the Ecological Perspective, (2) identify how each level of…

A Grounded Theory Study of Effective Global Leadership Development Strategies: Perspectives from Brazil, India, and Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lokkesmoe, Karen Jane

2009-01-01

This qualitative, grounded theory study focuses on global leadership and global leadership development strategies from the perspective of people from three developing countries, Brazil, India, and Nigeria. The study explores conceptualizations of global leadership, the skills required to lead effectively in global contexts, and recommended…

Psychological Analysis of "Humboldt's Gift" from the Perspective of Lacan's Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xiang, Fang

2017-01-01

Two protagonists Humboldt and Citrine in "Humboldt's gift" are characterized as restless even lunatic, for they are constantly or madly seeking something such as honor, power or intimate relationship something or other. This thesis intends to analyze Humboldt and Citrine's psychological troubles from the perspective of Lacan's theory and…

Taking and Coordinating Perspectives: From Prereflective Interactivity, through Reflective Intersubjectivity, to Metareflective Sociality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Jack; Sokol, Bryan W.; Elfers, Theo

2008-01-01

Despite being eclipsed in recent years by simulation theory, theory of mind and accounts of executive functioning, social-relational approaches to perspective taking and coordination based on the ideas of Jean Piaget and George Herbert Mead have never completely disappeared from the literature of developmental psychology. According to the…

Teachers from Five Nations Share Perspectives on Culture and Citizenship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sunal, Cynthia Szymanski; Christensen, Lois McFadyen; Shwery, Craig S.; Lovorn, Michael; Sunal, Dennis W.

2010-01-01

Online discussions enabled preK-12 teachers (n = 125) from five nations (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and the United States) to share their perspectives of culture and citizenship and the intersections of those concepts. Discussion moved between elements of personal and others' theory into effects of theory on practice. Teachers identified…

Leadership, Organizational, and Institutional Studies: Reconciling and Teaching Competing Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shoup, John R.

2016-01-01

Leadership, organizational, and institutional theories provide competing explanations on the nature of leadership and role of leaders. Part of the problem is that each theory is often studied in isolation, leading to incomplete perspectives on the essence of leadership in value driven contexts. A holistic paradigm that blends the three dominant…

Critical Race Theory and Research on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teranishi, Robert T.; Behringer, Laurie B.; Grey, Emily A.; Parker, Tara L.

2009-01-01

In this article, the authors offer critical race theory (CRT) as an alternative theoretical perspective that permits the examination and transcendence of conceptual blockages, while simultaneously offering alternative perspectives on higher education policy and practice and the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) student population. The…

A Contribution to a Theory of Organizations: An Examination of Student Protest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norr, James L.

Until recently most of the research on college student protest of the 1960's has taken either a political socialization or cultural-historical perspective. The research reported here takes an organizational perspective with the expectation that an examination of student protest should contribute to a theory of organizations. Two classes of…

The Constant Comparative Analysis Method Outside of Grounded Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fram, Sheila M.

2013-01-01

This commentary addresses the gap in the literature regarding discussion of the legitimate use of Constant Comparative Analysis Method (CCA) outside of Grounded Theory. The purpose is to show the strength of using CCA to maintain the emic perspective and how theoretical frameworks can maintain the etic perspective throughout the analysis. My…

A perspectivist approach to theory construction.

PubMed

McGuire, William J

2004-01-01

A perspectivist approach is taken to the theory-construction process in psychological research. This approach assumes that all hypotheses and theories are true, as all are false, depending on the perspective from which they are viewed, and that the purpose of research is to discover which are the crucial perspectives. Perspectivism assumes also that both the a priori conceptual phase of research and the a posteriori empirical phase have both discovery and testing functions. Topics discussed include how the perspectivist approach can improve methodology training and practice (particularly as regards theory construction); what researchers accept as theoretical explanations; the nature of mediational theories; how theories can be formalized, expressed in multiple modalities and for various scaling cases; and how experimental designs can be enriched by theory-guided mediational and interactional variables.

Sociotechnical attributes of safe and unsafe work systems

PubMed Central

Kleiner, Brian M.; Hettinger, Lawrence J.; DeJoy, David M.; Huang, Yuang-Hsiang; Love, Peter E.D.

2015-01-01

Theoretical and practical approaches to safety based on sociotechnical systems principles place heavy emphasis on the intersections between social–organisational and technical–work process factors. Within this perspective, work system design emphasises factors such as the joint optimisation of social and technical processes, a focus on reliable human–system performance and safety metrics as design and analysis criteria, the maintenance of a realistic and consistent set of safety objectives and policies, and regular access to the expertise and input of workers. We discuss three current approaches to the analysis and design of complex sociotechnical systems: human–systems integration, macroergonomics and safety climate. Each approach emphasises key sociotechnical systems themes, and each prescribes a more holistic perspective on work systems than do traditional theories and methods. We contrast these perspectives with historical precedents such as system safety and traditional human factors and ergonomics, and describe potential future directions for their application in research and practice. Practitioner Summary: The identification of factors that can reliably distinguish between safe and unsafe work systems is an important concern for ergonomists and other safety professionals. This paper presents a variety of sociotechnical systems perspectives on intersections between social–organisational and technology–work process factors as they impact work system analysis, design and operation. PMID:25909756

A reductionist perspective on quantum statistical mechanics: Coarse-graining of path integrals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sinitskiy, Anton V.; Voth, Gregory A., E-mail: gavoth@uchicago.edu

2015-09-07

Computational modeling of the condensed phase based on classical statistical mechanics has been rapidly developing over the last few decades and has yielded important information on various systems containing up to millions of atoms. However, if a system of interest contains important quantum effects, well-developed classical techniques cannot be used. One way of treating finite temperature quantum systems at equilibrium has been based on Feynman’s imaginary time path integral approach and the ensuing quantum-classical isomorphism. This isomorphism is exact only in the limit of infinitely many classical quasiparticles representing each physical quantum particle. In this work, we present a reductionistmore » perspective on this problem based on the emerging methodology of coarse-graining. This perspective allows for the representations of one quantum particle with only two classical-like quasiparticles and their conjugate momenta. One of these coupled quasiparticles is the centroid particle of the quantum path integral quasiparticle distribution. Only this quasiparticle feels the potential energy function. The other quasiparticle directly provides the observable averages of quantum mechanical operators. The theory offers a simplified perspective on quantum statistical mechanics, revealing its most reductionist connection to classical statistical physics. By doing so, it can facilitate a simpler representation of certain quantum effects in complex molecular environments.« less

A reductionist perspective on quantum statistical mechanics: Coarse-graining of path integrals.

PubMed

Sinitskiy, Anton V; Voth, Gregory A

2015-09-07

Computational modeling of the condensed phase based on classical statistical mechanics has been rapidly developing over the last few decades and has yielded important information on various systems containing up to millions of atoms. However, if a system of interest contains important quantum effects, well-developed classical techniques cannot be used. One way of treating finite temperature quantum systems at equilibrium has been based on Feynman's imaginary time path integral approach and the ensuing quantum-classical isomorphism. This isomorphism is exact only in the limit of infinitely many classical quasiparticles representing each physical quantum particle. In this work, we present a reductionist perspective on this problem based on the emerging methodology of coarse-graining. This perspective allows for the representations of one quantum particle with only two classical-like quasiparticles and their conjugate momenta. One of these coupled quasiparticles is the centroid particle of the quantum path integral quasiparticle distribution. Only this quasiparticle feels the potential energy function. The other quasiparticle directly provides the observable averages of quantum mechanical operators. The theory offers a simplified perspective on quantum statistical mechanics, revealing its most reductionist connection to classical statistical physics. By doing so, it can facilitate a simpler representation of certain quantum effects in complex molecular environments.

Living With Limited Time: Socioemotional Selectivity Theory in the Context of Health Adversity

PubMed Central

Sullivan-Singh, Sarah J.; Stanton, Annette L.; Low, Carissa A.

2016-01-01

The current research was designed to test the applicability of socioemotional selectivity theory (SST; Carstensen, 2006), a life span theory that posits that perceived time remaining in life (time perspective) is a critical determinant of motivation, to individuals who face foreshortened futures (limited time perspective) due to life-limiting medical illness. In Study 1, we investigated whether life goals and biases in attention and memory for valenced emotional stimuli differed between women living with metastatic breast cancer (n = 113; theoretically living under greater limited time perspective than peers without cancer) and similarly aged women without a cancer diagnosis (n = 50; theoretically living under greater expansive time perspective than peers with cancer) in accordance with SST. As hypothesized, metastatic group goals reflected greater emphasis on limited versus expansive time perspective relative to comparison group goals. Hypotheses regarding biases in attention and memory were not supported. Study 2 followed metastatic group participants over 3 months and revealed that, consistent with hypotheses, whereas limited time perspective goals predicted decreased intrusive thoughts about cancer, expansive time perspective goals predicted decreased perceived cancer-related benefits. Together, these studies suggest that SST is a useful lens through which to view some components of motivation and psychological adjustment among individuals confronting medically foreshortened futures. PMID:25984789

Living with limited time: Socioemotional selectivity theory in the context of health adversity.

PubMed

Sullivan-Singh, Sarah J; Stanton, Annette L; Low, Carissa A

2015-06-01

The current research was designed to test the applicability of socioemotional selectivity theory (SST; Carstensen, 2006), a life span theory that posits that perceived time remaining in life (time perspective) is a critical determinant of motivation, to individuals who face foreshortened futures (limited time perspective) due to life-limiting medical illness. In Study 1, we investigated whether life goals and biases in attention and memory for valenced emotional stimuli differed between women living with metastatic breast cancer (n = 113; theoretically living under greater limited time perspective than peers without cancer) and similarly aged women without a cancer diagnosis (n = 50; theoretically living under greater expansive time perspective than peers with cancer) in accordance with SST. As hypothesized, metastatic group goals reflected greater emphasis on limited versus expansive time perspective relative to comparison group goals. Hypotheses regarding biases in attention and memory were not supported. Study 2 followed metastatic group participants over 3 months and revealed that, consistent with hypotheses, whereas limited time perspective goals predicted decreased intrusive thoughts about cancer, expansive time perspective goals predicted decreased perceived cancer-related benefits. Together, these studies suggest that SST is a useful lens through which to view some components of motivation and psychological adjustment among individuals confronting medically foreshortened futures. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

The Uncanny Valley Does Not Interfere with Level 1 Visual Perspective Taking

PubMed Central

MacDorman, Karl F.; Srinivas, Preethi; Patel, Himalaya

2014-01-01

When a computer-animated human character looks eerily realistic, viewers report a loss of empathy; they have difficulty taking the character’s perspective. To explain this perspective-taking impairment, known as the uncanny valley, a novel theory is proposed: The more human or less eerie a character looks, the more it interferes with level 1 visual perspective taking when the character’s perspective differs from that of the human observer (e.g., because the character competitively activates shared circuits in the observer’s brain). The proposed theory is evaluated in three experiments involving a dot-counting task in which participants either assumed or ignored the perspective of characters varying in their human photorealism and eeriness. Although response times and error rates were lower when the number of dots faced by the observer and character were the same (congruent condition) than when they were different (incongruent condition), no consistent pattern emerged between the human photorealism or eeriness of the characters and participants’ response times and error rates. Thus, the proposed theory is unsupported for level 1 visual perspective taking. As the effects of the uncanny valley on empathy have not previously been investigated systematically, these results provide evidence to eliminate one possible explanation. PMID:25221383

From theory to 'measurement' in complex interventions: methodological lessons from the development of an e-health normalisation instrument.

PubMed

Finch, Tracy L; Mair, Frances S; O'Donnell, Catherine; Murray, Elizabeth; May, Carl R

2012-05-17

Although empirical and theoretical understanding of processes of implementation in health care is advancing, translation of theory into structured measures that capture the complex interplay between interventions, individuals and context remain limited. This paper aimed to (1) describe the process and outcome of a project to develop a theory-based instrument for measuring implementation processes relating to e-health interventions; and (2) identify key issues and methodological challenges for advancing work in this field. A 30-item instrument (Technology Adoption Readiness Scale (TARS)) for measuring normalisation processes in the context of e-health service interventions was developed on the basis on Normalization Process Theory (NPT). NPT focuses on how new practices become routinely embedded within social contexts. The instrument was pre-tested in two health care settings in which e-health (electronic facilitation of healthcare decision-making and practice) was used by health care professionals. The developed instrument was pre-tested in two professional samples (N=46; N=231). Ratings of items representing normalisation 'processes' were significantly related to staff members' perceptions of whether or not e-health had become 'routine'. Key methodological challenges are discussed in relation to: translating multi-component theoretical constructs into simple questions; developing and choosing appropriate outcome measures; conducting multiple-stakeholder assessments; instrument and question framing; and more general issues for instrument development in practice contexts. To develop theory-derived measures of implementation process for progressing research in this field, four key recommendations are made relating to (1) greater attention to underlying theoretical assumptions and extent of translation work required; (2) the need for appropriate but flexible approaches to outcomes measurement; (3) representation of multiple perspectives and collaborative nature of work; and (4) emphasis on generic measurement approaches that can be flexibly tailored to particular contexts of study.

Implications of complex adaptive systems theory for interpreting research about health care organizations.

PubMed

Jordon, Michelle; Lanham, Holly Jordan; Anderson, Ruth A; McDaniel, Reuben R

2010-02-01

Data about health care organizations (HCOs) are not useful until they are interpreted. Such interpretations are influenced by the theoretical lenses used by the researcher. Our purpose was to suggest the usefulness of theories of complex adaptive systems (CASs) in guiding research interpretation. Specifically, we addressed two questions: (1) What are the implications for interpreting research observations in HCOs of the fact that we are observing relationships among diverse agents? (2) What are the implications for interpreting research observations in HCOs of the fact that we are observing relationships among agents that learn? We defined diversity and learning and the implications of the non-linear relationships among agents from a CAS perspective. We then identified some common analytical practices that were problematic and may lead to conceptual and methodological errors. Then we described strategies for interpreting the results of research observations. We suggest that the task of interpreting research observations of HCOs could be improved if researchers take into account that the systems they study are CASs with non-linear relationships among diverse, learning agents. Our analysis points out how interpretation of research results might be shaped by the fact that HCOs are CASs. We described how learning is, in fact, the result of interactions among diverse agents and that learning can, by itself, reduce or increase agent diversity. We encouraged researchers to be persistent in their attempts to reason about complex systems and learn to attend not only to structures, but also to processes and functions of complex systems.

"Let's stick together"--a grounded theory exploration of interprofessional working used to provide person centered chronic back pain services.

PubMed

Howarth, Michelle; Warne, Tony; Haigh, Carol

2012-11-01

Chronic back pain is a global phenomenon and a common reason why patients seek help from health professionals. Person-centered interprofessional working is acknowledged as the main strategy for chronic back pain management; however, the complexity of chronic pain can present significant challenges for teams. Although methods used by interprofessional teams to collaborate have been previously explored, how they work together to deliver person-centered chronic back pain care has received limited attention. The aim of this study was to explore person-centered care from the perspectives of people with chronic back pain and the interprofessional teams who cared for them. A grounded theory methodology was used to capture the interprofessional team's perspectives of person-centered working. A purposive sample of four chronic back pain management teams participated in semi-structured face-to-face interviews and focus groups. Data were thematically analyzed using a constant comparative method. Three categories emerged, collective efficacy, negotiated space and team maturity, which illustrated the attributes of interprofessional teams that influenced person-centered working. The findings suggest that collective efficacy matures over time within a negotiated coalesced space and re-enforces the need for teams to stick together to ensure effective person-centered care.

Whole mind and shared mind in clinical decision-making.

PubMed

Epstein, Ronald Mark

2013-02-01

To review the theory, research evidence and ethical implications regarding "whole mind" and "shared mind" in clinical practice in the context of chronic and serious illnesses. Selective critical review of the intersection of classical and naturalistic decision-making theories, cognitive neuroscience, communication research and ethics as they apply to decision-making and autonomy. Decision-making involves analytic thinking as well as affect and intuition ("whole mind") and sharing cognitive and affective schemas of two or more individuals ("shared mind"). Social relationships can help processing of complex information that otherwise would overwhelm individuals' cognitive capacities. Medical decision-making research, teaching and practice should consider both analytic and non-analytic cognitive processes. Further, research should consider that decisions emerge not only from the individual perspectives of patients, their families and clinicians, but also the perspectives that emerge from the interactions among them. Social interactions have the potential to enhance individual autonomy, as well as to promote relational autonomy based on shared frames of reference. Shared mind has the potential to result in wiser decisions, greater autonomy and self-determination; yet, clinicians and patients should be vigilant for the potential of hierarchical relationships to foster coercion or silencing of the patient's voice. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Client satisfaction with reproductive health-care quality: integrating business approaches to modeling and measurement.

PubMed

Alden, Dana L; Do, Mai Hoa; Bhawuk, Dharm

2004-12-01

Health-care managers are increasingly interested in client perceptions of clinic service quality and satisfaction. While tremendous progress has occurred, additional perspectives on the conceptualization, modeling and measurement of these constructs may further assist health-care managers seeking to provide high-quality care. To that end, this study draws on theories from business and health to develop an integrated model featuring antecedents to and consequences of reproductive health-care client satisfaction. In addition to developing a new model, this study contributes by testing how well Western-based theories of client satisfaction hold in a developing, Asian country. Applied to urban, reproductive health clinic users in Hanoi, Vietnam, test results suggest that hypothesized antecedents such as pre-visit expectations, perceived clinic performance and how much performance exceeds expectations impact client satisfaction. However, the relative importance of these predictors appears to vary depending on a client's level of service-related experience. Finally, higher levels of client satisfaction are positively related to future clinic use intentions. This study demonstrates the value of: (1) incorporating theoretical perspectives from multiple disciplines to model processes underlying health-care satisfaction and (2) field testing those models before implementation. It also furthers research designed to provide health-care managers with actionable measures of the complex processes related to their clients' satisfaction.

Understanding PGM-free Catalysts by Linking Density Functional Theory Calculations and Structural Analysis: Perspectives and Challenges

DOE PAGES

Gonzales, Ivana; Artyushkova, Kateryna; Atanassov, Plamen

2018-03-13

Here, we discuss perspectives and challenges in applying density functional theory for the calculation of spectroscopic properties of platinum group metal (PGM)-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction. More specifically, we discuss recent advances in the density functional theory calculations of core-level shifts in binding energies of N 1s electrons as measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The link between the density functional theory calculations, the electrocatalytic performance of the catalysts, and structural analysis using modern spectroscopic techniques is expected to significantly increase our understanding of PGM-free catalysts at the molecular level.

Understanding PGM-free Catalysts by Linking Density Functional Theory Calculations and Structural Analysis: Perspectives and Challenges

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gonzales, Ivana; Artyushkova, Kateryna; Atanassov, Plamen

Here, we discuss perspectives and challenges in applying density functional theory for the calculation of spectroscopic properties of platinum group metal (PGM)-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction. More specifically, we discuss recent advances in the density functional theory calculations of core-level shifts in binding energies of N 1s electrons as measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The link between the density functional theory calculations, the electrocatalytic performance of the catalysts, and structural analysis using modern spectroscopic techniques is expected to significantly increase our understanding of PGM-free catalysts at the molecular level.

Situativity theory: a perspective on how participants and the environment can interact: AMEE Guide no. 52.

PubMed

Durning, Steven J; Artino, Anthony R

2011-01-01

Situativity theory refers to theoretical frameworks which argue that knowledge, thinking, and learning are situated (or located) in experience. The importance of context to these theories is paramount, including the unique contribution of the environment to knowledge, thinking, and learning; indeed, they argue that knowledge, thinking, and learning cannot be separated from (they are dependent upon) context. Situativity theory includes situated cognition, situated learning, ecological psychology, and distributed cognition. In this Guide, we first outline key tenets of situativity theory and then compare situativity theory to information processing theory; we suspect that the reader may be quite familiar with the latter, which has prevailed in medical education research. Contrasting situativity theory with information processing theory also serves to highlight some unique potential contributions of situativity theory to work in medical education. Further, we discuss each of these situativity theories and then relate the theories to the clinical context. Examples and illustrations for each of the theories are used throughout. We will conclude with some potential considerations for future exploration. Some implications of situativity theory include: a new way of approaching knowledge and how experience and the environment impact knowledge, thinking, and learning; recognizing that the situativity framework can be a useful tool to "diagnose" the teaching or clinical event; the notion that increasing individual responsibility and participation in a community (i.e., increasing "belonging") is essential to learning; understanding that the teaching and clinical environment can be complex (i.e., non-linear and multi-level); recognizing that explicit attention to how participants in a group interact with each other (not only with the teacher) and how the associated learning artifacts, such as computers, can meaningfully impact learning.

Exploration of dynamics in a complex person-centred intervention process based on health professionals' perspectives.

PubMed

Friberg, Febe; Wallengren, Catarina; Håkanson, Cecilia; Carlsson, Eva; Smith, Frida; Pettersson, Monica; Kenne Sarenmalm, Elisabeth; Sawatzky, Richard; Öhlén, Joakim

2018-06-13

The assessment and evaluation of practical and sustainable development of health care has become a major focus of investigation in health services research. A key challenge for researchers as well as decision-makers in health care is to understand mechanisms influencing how complex interventions work and become embedded in practice, which is significant for both evaluation and later implementation. In this study, we explored nurses' and surgeons' perspectives on performing and participating in a complex multi-centre person-centred intervention process that aimed to support patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer to feel prepared for surgery, discharge and recovery. Data consisted of retrospective interviews with 20 professionals after the intervention, supplemented with prospective conversational data and field notes from workshops and follow-up meetings (n = 51). The data were analysed to construct patterns in line with interpretive description. Although the participants highly valued components of the intervention, the results reveal influencing mechanisms underlying the functioning of the intervention, including multiple objectives, unclear mandates and competing professional logics. The results also reveal variations in processing the intervention focused on differences in using and talking about intervention components. The study indicates there are significant areas of ambiguity in understanding how theory-based complex clinical interventions work and in how interventions are socially constructed and co-created by professionals' experiences, assumptions about own professional practice, contextual conditions and the researchers' intentions. This process evaluation reveals insights into reasons for success or failure and contextual aspects associated with variations in outcomes. Thus, there is a need for further interpretive inquiry, and not only descriptive studies, of the multifaceted characters of complex clinical interventions and how the intervention components are actually shaped in constantly shifting contexts.

Chemical Applications of Graph Theory: Part II. Isomer Enumeration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Peter J.; Jurs, Peter C.

1988-01-01

Discusses the use of graph theory to aid in the depiction of organic molecular structures. Gives a historical perspective of graph theory and explains graph theory terminology with organic examples. Lists applications of graph theory to current research projects. (ML)

Is pictorial perception robust? The effect of the observer vantage point on the perceived depth structure of linear-perspective images.

PubMed

Todorović, Dejan

2008-01-01

Every image of a scene produced in accord with the rules of linear perspective has an associated projection centre. Only if observed from that position does the image provide the stimulus which is equivalent to the one provided by the original scene. According to the perspective-transformation hypothesis, observing the image from other vantage points should result in specific transformations of the structure of the conveyed scene, whereas according to the vantage-point compensation hypothesis it should have little effect. Geometrical analyses illustrating the transformation theory are presented. An experiment is reported to confront the two theories. The results provide little support for the compensation theory and are generally in accord with the transformation theory, but also show systematic deviations from it, possibly due to cue conflict and asymmetry of visual angles.

The termination phase of psychoanalysis as seen through the lens of the dream.

PubMed

Grenell, Gary

2002-01-01

The decision about when to terminate analysis has long been underpinned by a theory-driven criterion model, which may steer the analytic dialogue away from its customary activities of free association, empathic listening, and interpretation. As a remedy to this situation, the author proposes that by paying careful attention to less consciously crafted patient communications such as dreams, the analytic dyad can consider readiness to set a termination date from a perspective that is context-sensitive and less encumbered by preordained criteria. Tracing the dreams of one analysand from the vantage point of contemporary dream theory, the author demonstrates how careful attention to the dream elucidated the patient's readiness to terminate and her complex feelings about the termination process. Finally, the author challenges the notion that the termination phase is of greater evaluative than therapeutic importance, and provides clinical material as evidence that this is not the case.

A dialectical perspective on informed consent to treatment: an examination of radiologists' dilemmas and negotiations.

PubMed

Olufowote, James Olumide

2011-06-01

Informed consent to treatment (ICT), designed to honor patient autonomy, has been an important subject of inquiry in many disciplines. To foreground the dynamic and dilemmatic tendencies of ICT practice implied by previous inquiries, I advanced relational dialectics theory into the realm of physicians' experiences with ICT. On performing a dialectical analysis of transcripts from focus group discussions with radiologists, I found them experiencing four primary tensions: (a) between simple and complex ICT; (b) between radiologist and patient control; (c) between standardized and idiosyncratic practice (involving struggles between documentation and conversational process, and between vague and detailed language use); and (d) between withholding and disclosing alternatives. Moreover, I drew on concepts from relational dialectics theory to capture the various ways radiologists negotiate these dialectics. I conclude with practical applications for physician and patient training and interprofessional coordination.

Towards a mechanistic foundation of evolutionary theory.

PubMed

Doebeli, Michael; Ispolatov, Yaroslav; Simon, Burt

2017-02-15

Most evolutionary thinking is based on the notion of fitness and related ideas such as fitness landscapes and evolutionary optima. Nevertheless, it is often unclear what fitness actually is, and its meaning often depends on the context. Here we argue that fitness should not be a basal ingredient in verbal or mathematical descriptions of evolution. Instead, we propose that evolutionary birth-death processes, in which individuals give birth and die at ever-changing rates, should be the basis of evolutionary theory, because such processes capture the fundamental events that generate evolutionary dynamics. In evolutionary birth-death processes, fitness is at best a derived quantity, and owing to the potential complexity of such processes, there is no guarantee that there is a simple scalar, such as fitness, that would describe long-term evolutionary outcomes. We discuss how evolutionary birth-death processes can provide useful perspectives on a number of central issues in evolution.

Reasons why undergraduate women comply with unwanted, non-coercive sexual advances: A serial indirect effect model integrating sexual script theory and sexual self-control perspectives.

PubMed

Quinn-Nilas, Christopher; Kennett, Deborah J

2018-01-16

This study explored the predictors of young women's compliance with unwanted sexual activities, integrating the social with the cognitive and behavioral correlates of sexual compliance. In total, 222 young heterosexual women completed measures examining the Sexual Self-Control model, including reasons for consenting, sexual resourcefulness, and compliance with unwanted sex, as well as gender role measures pertaining to sexual script theory, including the sexual double standard, gender role stress, and virginity scripts. An exploratory analysis of serial indirect effects demonstrated that women scoring lower in sexual resourcefulness endorsed higher female gender role stress, which in turn was associated with higher endorsement of reasons for consent, translating into more frequent compliance with unwanted sexual activities. The relationship between one's ability to refuse and their decision to refuse appears quite complex. Understanding one's decision requires consideration of the social aspects of gender role endorsement.

Barrett oesophagus: lessons on its origins from the lesion itself.

PubMed

McDonald, Stuart A C; Lavery, Danielle; Wright, Nicholas A; Jansen, Marnix

2015-01-01

Barrett oesophagus develops when the lower oesophageal squamous epithelium is replaced with columnar epithelium, which shows both intestinal and gastric differentiation. No consensus has been reached on the origin of Barrett oesophagus. Theories include a direct origin from the oesophageal-stratified squamous epithelium, or by proximal migration of the gastric cardiac epithelium with subsequent intestinalization. Variations of this theory suggest the origin is a distinctive cell at the squamocolumnar junction, the oesophageal gland ducts, or circulating bone-marrow-derived cells. Much of the supporting evidence comes from experimental models and not from studies of Barrett mucosa. In this Perspectives article, we look at the Barrett lesion itself: at its phenotype, its complexity, its clonal architecture and its stem cell organization. We conclude that Barrett glands are unique structures, but share many similarities with gastric glands undergoing the process of intestinal metaplasia. We conclude that current evidence most strongly supports an origin from stem cells in the cardia.

Rules of performance in the nursing home: A grounded theory of nurse-CNA communication.

PubMed

Madden, Connie; Clayton, Margaret; Canary, Heather E; Towsley, Gail; Cloyes, Kristin; Lund, Dale

This study offers an initial theoretical understanding of nurse-CNA communication processes from the perspectives of nurses and CNAs who are providing direct care to residents in nursing homes. A grounded theory approach provided an understanding of nurse-CNA communication process within the complexities of the nursing home setting. Four themes (maintaining information flow, following procedure, fostering collegiality, and showing respect) describe the "rules of performance" that intertwine in nuanced relationships to guide nurse-CNA communication processes. Understanding how these rules of performance guide nurse-CNA communication processes, and how they are positively and negatively influenced, suggests that nurse-CNA communication during direct care of nursing home residents could be improved through policy and education that is specifically designed to be relevant and applicable to direct care providers in the nursing home environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Driving and sustaining culture change in Olympic sport performance teams: a first exploration and grounded theory.

PubMed

Cruickshank, Andrew; Collins, Dave; Minten, Sue

2014-02-01

Stimulated by growing interest in the organizational and performance leadership components of Olympic success, sport psychology researchers have identified performance director-led culture change as a process of particular theoretical and applied significance. To build on initial work in this area and develop practically meaningful understanding, a pragmatic research philosophy and grounded theory methodology were engaged to uncover culture change best practice from the perspective of newly appointed performance directors. Delivered in complex and contested settings, results revealed that the optimal change process consisted of an initial evaluation, planning, and impact phase adjoined to the immediate and enduring management of a multidirectional perception- and power-based social system. As the first inquiry of its kind, these findings provide a foundation for the continued theoretical development of culture change in Olympic sport performance teams and a first model on which applied practice can be based.

Putting Families Into Place: Using Neighborhood-Effects Research and Activity Spaces to Understand Families

PubMed Central

Noah, Aggie J.

2015-01-01

Neighborhood is an important context in which individuals and families are embedded. Yet family studies researchers have been relatively slow to incorporate spatial approaches into family science. Although limited theoretical and methodological attention has been devoted to families in neighborhood-effects research, family scholars can contribute greatly to theories about neighborhood effects, and neighborhood-effects research can help move the field of family studies forward. This article reviews the theories, applications, and limitations of research on neighborhood effects and discusses how family studies can benefit from incorporating a spatial perspective from neighborhood-effects research. I then present an innovative methodology—referred to as activity spaces—emerging in neighborhood-effects research, and I discuss how this approach can be used to better understand the complexity and heterogeneity of families. Last, I highlight ways to incorporate space into family studies by “putting families into place.” PMID:26681979

The CiCs(SiI)n Defect in Silicon from a Density Functional Theory Perspective.

PubMed

Christopoulos, Stavros-Richard G; Sgourou, Efstratia N; Vovk, Ruslan V; Chroneos, Alexander; Londos, Charalampos A

2018-04-16

Carbon constitutes a significant defect in silicon (Si) as it can interact with intrinsic point defects and affect the operation of devices. In heavily irradiated Si containing carbon the initially produced carbon interstitial-carbon substitutional (C i C s ) defect can associate with self-interstitials (Si I 's) to form, in the course of irradiation, the C i C s (Si I ) defect and further form larger complexes namely, C i C s (Si I ) n defects, by the sequential trapping of self-interstitials defects. In the present study, we use density functional theory to clarify the structure and energetics of the C i C s (Si I ) n defects. We report that the lowest energy C i C s (Si I ) and C i C s (Si I )₂ defects are strongly bound with -2.77 and -5.30 eV, respectively.

Models and theories of prescribing decisions: A review and suggested a new model

PubMed Central

Mohaidin, Zurina

2017-01-01

To date, research on the prescribing decisions of physician lacks sound theoretical foundations. In fact, drug prescribing by doctors is a complex phenomenon influenced by various factors. Most of the existing studies in the area of drug prescription explain the process of decision-making by physicians via the exploratory approach rather than theoretical. Therefore, this review is an attempt to suggest a value conceptual model that explains the theoretical linkages existing between marketing efforts, patient and pharmacist and physician decision to prescribe the drugs. The paper follows an inclusive review approach and applies the previous theoretical models of prescribing behaviour to identify the relational factors. More specifically, the report identifies and uses several valuable perspectives such as the ‘persuasion theory - elaboration likelihood model’, the stimuli–response marketing model’, the ‘agency theory’, the theory of planned behaviour,’ and ‘social power theory,’ in developing an innovative conceptual paradigm. Based on the combination of existing methods and previous models, this paper suggests a new conceptual model of the physician decision-making process. This unique model has the potential for use in further research. PMID:28690701

The Information Available to a Moving Observer on Shape with Unknown, Isotropic BRDFs.

PubMed

Chandraker, Manmohan

2016-07-01

Psychophysical studies show motion cues inform about shape even with unknown reflectance. Recent works in computer vision have considered shape recovery for an object of unknown BRDF using light source or object motions. This paper proposes a theory that addresses the remaining problem of determining shape from the (small or differential) motion of the camera, for unknown isotropic BRDFs. Our theory derives a differential stereo relation that relates camera motion to surface depth, which generalizes traditional Lambertian assumptions. Under orthographic projection, we show differential stereo may not determine shape for general BRDFs, but suffices to yield an invariant for several restricted (still unknown) BRDFs exhibited by common materials. For the perspective case, we show that differential stereo yields the surface depth for unknown isotropic BRDF and unknown directional lighting, while additional constraints are obtained with restrictions on the BRDF or lighting. The limits imposed by our theory are intrinsic to the shape recovery problem and independent of choice of reconstruction method. We also illustrate trends shared by theories on shape from differential motion of light source, object or camera, to relate the hardness of surface reconstruction to the complexity of imaging setup.

Approaching Adult Education Literature Using the Donlevy Template of Perspectives: A Focus on the Psychological Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donlevy, James G.; Donlevy, Tia Rice

1998-01-01

Provides brief descriptions of adult education from technological, psychological, ideological, and sociological perspectives. Author examines the psychological perspective, highlighting the work of Jack Mezirow (transformation theory), Roger Gould (seven-step adult development process), Patricia Cranton (Understanding and Promoting Transformative…

Training Social Cognition: From Imitation to Theory of Mind

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santiesteban, Idalmis; White, Sarah; Cook, Jennifer; Gilbert, Sam J.; Heyes, Cecilia; Bird, Geoffrey

2012-01-01

Evidence for successful socio-cognitive training in typical adults is rare. This study attempted to improve Theory of Mind (ToM) and visual perspective taking in healthy adults by training participants to either imitate or to inhibit imitation. Twenty-four hours after training, all participants completed tests of ToM and visual perspective taking.…

Theorizing Teachers' Perspectives on an EFL Textbook for Public High Schools of Iran: A Grounded Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Namaghi, Seyyed Ali Ostovar; Moghaddam, Mohammad Reza Saboor; Tajzad, Maryam

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explore language teachers' perspectives on Iranian third grade senior high school EFL textbook, which is prescribed by the Ministry of Education. In data collection and analysis, the researchers used theoretical sampling and the coding schemes presented in grounded theory. Final analysis yielded "Negative…

Enhancing Student Motivation: A Longitudinal Intervention Study Based on Future Time Perspective Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schuitema, Jaap; Peetsma, Thea; van der Veen, Ineke

2014-01-01

The authors investigated the effects of an intervention developed to enhance student motivation in the first years of secondary education. The intervention, based on future time perspective (FTP) theory, has been found to be effective in prevocational secondary education (T. T. D. Peetsma & I. Van der Veen, 2008, 2009). The authors extend the…

A Cognitive Science Approach to Writing. Technical Report No. 89.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruce, Bertram; And Others

This paper explores the process of writing from several perspectives, as a first step toward a more comprehensive theory. The first perspective sees writing as a communicative act. The observation that to write is to communicate, though commonplace, has major and sometimes surprising implications for a theory of writing. It forces a focus on the…

Towards a Natural Systems Theory of Organizational Effectiveness: Integrating Geopolitical, Darwinistic and Strategic Planning Perspectives. ASHE Annual Meeting 1981 Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cope, Robert

A theory of organizational development is developed from turn-of-the-century geopolitical studies by combining the following: Smithian and Darwinian perspectives; the firmer concepts of management; and strategic planning views. An attempt is made to explore natural organizational processes by considering geopolitical, economic, biological, and…

Reinterpreting Internalization and Agency through G. H. Mead's Perspectival Realism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Jack

2006-01-01

Toward the end of his life, George Herbert Mead developed a theory of perspectives that may be used to reinterpret his social, developmental psychology. This paper attempts such a reinterpretation, leading to the emergence of a theory of perspective taking in early childhood that looks quite different from that which is assumed in most extant work…

More than associations: an ideomotor perspective on mirror neurons.

PubMed

Brass, Marcel; Muhle-Karbe, Paul S

2014-04-01

In this commentary, we propose an extension of the associative approach of mirror neurons, namely, ideomotor theory. Ideomotor theory assumes that actions are controlled by anticipatory representations of their sensory consequences. As we outline below, this extension is necessary to clarify a number of empirical observations that are difficult to explain from a purely associative perspective.

Caught in the Middle: Understanding Asian Pacific American Perspectives on Affirmative Action through Blumer's Group Position Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inkelas, Karen Kurotsuchi

2003-01-01

This study examines Asian Pacific American undergraduates' views on affirmative action and their perspectives on U.S. race relations through Herbert Blumer's (1958) theory of group position. Results indicate that Asian Pacific American (APA) students may perceive other minority student applicants as inferior to APA applicants and feel threatened…

Do Reasons for Attending College Affect Academic Outcomes?: A Test of a Motivational Model from a Self-Determination Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guiffrida, Douglas A.; Lynch, Martin F.; Wall, Andrew F.; Abel, Darlene S.

2013-01-01

A survey of 2,520 college students was conducted to test relationships between academic success and college student motivational orientation, conceptualized from a self-determination theory (SDT) perspective, while also considering the moderating effects of background characteristics such as gender, socioeconomic status, race/ ethnicity, and…

Construction of a Conceptualization of Personal Knowledge within a Knowledge Management Perspective Using Grounded Theory Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Straw, Eric M.

2013-01-01

The current research used grounded theory methodology (GTM) to construct a conceptualization of personal knowledge within a knowledge management (KM) perspective. The need for the current research was based on the use of just two categories of knowledge, explicit and tacit, within KM literature to explain diverse characteristics of personal…

Predictors of Academic Performance and School Engagement--Integrating Persistence, Motivation and Study Skills Perspectives Using Person-Centered and Variable-Centered Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moreira, Paulo A. S.; Dias, Paulo; Vaz, Filipa Machado; Vaz, Joao Machado

2013-01-01

There is a growing need for the integration of various theoretical perspectives on academic performance, especially the theories on educational persistence, and motivational theories. Recent models of students' engagement with school incorporate different dimensions of students, family and school. However, some authors are arguing that academic…

Intersectoral action for health equity as it relates to climate change in Canada: contributions from critical systems heuristics.

PubMed

Buse, Chris

2013-12-01

Intersectoral action (ISA) has been at the forefront of public health policy discussions since the 1970s. ISA incorporates a broader perspective of public health issues and coordinates efforts to address the social, political, economic and environmental contexts from which health determinants operate and are created. Despite being forwarded as a useful way to address and treat complex or 'wicked' problems, such policy issues are still often addressed within, rather than across, disciplinary silos and ISA has been documented to fail more often than it succeeds. This paper contributes to an understanding of ISA by outlining and applying critical systems heuristics (CSH) theory and methods. CSH theory and methods are described and discussed before applying them to the example of addressing climate change and health equity through public health practice. CSH thinking provides useful tools to engage stakeholders, question relations of power that may exist between collaborating partners, and move beyond power inequalities that guide ISA initiatives. CSH is a compelling framing that can improve an understanding of the collaborative relationships that are a prerequisite for engaging in ISA to address complex or 'wicked' policy problems such as climate change. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Perspectives on the metabolic management of epilepsy through dietary reduction of glucose and elevation of ketone bodies.

PubMed

Greene, Amanda E; Todorova, Mariana T; Seyfried, Thomas N

2003-08-01

Brain cells are metabolically flexible because they can derive energy from both glucose and ketone bodies (acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate). Metabolic control theory applies principles of bioenergetics and genome flexibility to the management of complex phenotypic traits. Epilepsy is a complex brain disorder involving excessive, synchronous, abnormal electrical firing patterns of neurons. We propose that many epilepsies with varied etiologies may ultimately involve disruptions of brain energy homeostasis and are potentially manageable through principles of metabolic control theory. This control involves moderate shifts in the availability of brain energy metabolites (glucose and ketone bodies) that alter energy metabolism through glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle, respectively. These shifts produce adjustments in gene-linked metabolic networks that manage or control the seizure disorder despite the continued presence of the inherited or acquired factors responsible for the epilepsy. This hypothesis is supported by information on the management of seizures with diets including fasting, the ketogenic diet and caloric restriction. A better understanding of the compensatory genetic and neurochemical networks of brain energy metabolism may produce novel antiepileptic therapies that are more effective and biologically friendly than those currently available.

Theories of change in therapeutic work.

PubMed

Stacey, Ralph

2006-04-01

This article explores how theories of personal change differ from each other according to the assumptions made about the nature of the individual, the relationship between the person and the social, and the nature of causality. Three different concepts of the individual person are distinguished, namely, the autonomous, the expressivist, and the social individual. Each of these implies different relationships between the individual and the social, and different theories of causality. From the perspective of the autonomous individual, change in a person is a rational reordering of individual thought processes. The cause of any personal change is rational effort of the individual. Clinical psychology and psychoanalysis reflect this perspective. From the expressivist perspective, each individual has an inner urge to self-actualize which is the cause of change. Humanistic psychology is based on this view. From the perspective of social individuals, the individual is a cultural being, necessarily dependent on others, who only develops a mind in interaction with others. From this perspective, individual change cannot be separated from change in the groups to which an individual belongs.

Integrative mental health care: from theory to practice, Part 2.

PubMed

Lake, James

2008-01-01

Integrative approaches will lead to more accurate and different understandings of mental illness. Beneficial responses to complementary and alternative therapies provide important clues about the phenomenal nature of the human body in space-time and disparate biological, informational, and energetic factors associated with normal and abnormal psychological functioning. The conceptual framework of contemporary Western psychiatry includes multiple theoretical viewpoints, and there is no single best explanatory model of mental illness. Future theories of mental illness causation will not depend exclusively on empirical verification of strictly biological processes but will take into account both classically described biological processes and non-classical models, including complexity theory, resulting in more complete explanations of the characteristics and causes of symptoms and mechanisms of action that result in beneficial responses to treatments. Part 1 of this article examined the limitations of the theory and contemporary clinical methods employed in Western psychiatry and discussed implications of emerging paradigms in physics and the biological sciences for the future of psychiatry. In part 2, a practical methodology, for planning integrative assessment and treatment strategies in mental health care is proposed. Using this methodology the integrative management of moderate and severe psychiatric symptoms is reviewed in detail. As the conceptual framework of Western medicine evolves toward an increasingly integrative perspective, novel understanding of complex relationships between biological, informational, and energetic processes associated with normal psychological functioning and mental illness will lead to more effective integrative assessment and treatment strategies addressing the causes or meanings of symptoms at multiple hierarchic levels of body-brain-mind.

Integrative mental health care: from theory to practice, part 1.

PubMed

Lake, James

2007-01-01

Integrative approaches will lead to more accurate and different understandings of mental illness. Beneficial responses to complementary and alternative therapies provide important clues about the phenomenal nature of the human body in space-time and disparate biological, informational, and energetic factors associated with normal and abnormal psychological functioning. The conceptual framework of contemporary Western psychiatry includes multiple theoretical viewpoints, and there is no single best explanatory model of mental illness. Future theories of mental illness causation will not depend exclusively on empirical verification of strictly biological processes but will take into account both classically described biological processes and non-classical models, including complexity theory, resulting in more complete explanations of the characteristics and causes of symptoms and mechanisms of action that result in beneficial responses to treatments. Part 1 of this article examines the limitations of the theory and contemporary clinical methods employed in Western psychiatry and discusses implications of emerging paradigms in physics and the biological sciences for the future of psychiatry. In part 2, a practical methodology for planning integrative assessment and treatment strategies in mental health care is proposed. Using this methodology the integrative management of moderate and severe psychiatric symptoms is reviewed in detail. As the conceptual framework of Western medicine evolves toward an increasingly integrative perspective, novel understandings of complex relationships between biological, informational, and energetic processes associated with normal psychological functioning and mental illness will lead to more effective integrative assessment and treatment strategies addressing the causes or meanings of symptoms at multiple hierarchic levels of body-brain-mind.

Evaluation Theory Tree Re-Examined

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christie, Christina A.; Alkin, Marvin C.

2008-01-01

When examining various evaluation prescriptive theories comparatively, we find it helpful to have a framework showing how they are related that highlights features that distinguish theoretical perspectives, thus a "theory" about theories. The evaluation theory tree that we presented in Alkin's recent book, "Evaluation Roots"…

Three perspectives on complexity: entropy, compression, subsymmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagaraj, Nithin; Balasubramanian, Karthi

2017-12-01

There is no single universally accepted definition of `Complexity'. There are several perspectives on complexity and what constitutes complex behaviour or complex systems, as opposed to regular, predictable behaviour and simple systems. In this paper, we explore the following perspectives on complexity: effort-to-describe (Shannon entropy H, Lempel-Ziv complexity LZ), effort-to-compress (ETC complexity) and degree-of-order (Subsymmetry or SubSym). While Shannon entropy and LZ are very popular and widely used, ETC is relatively a new complexity measure. In this paper, we also propose a novel normalized complexity measure SubSym based on the existing idea of counting the number of subsymmetries or palindromes within a sequence. We compare the performance of these complexity measures on the following tasks: (A) characterizing complexity of short binary sequences of lengths 4 to 16, (B) distinguishing periodic and chaotic time series from 1D logistic map and 2D Hénon map, (C) analyzing the complexity of stochastic time series generated from 2-state Markov chains, and (D) distinguishing between tonic and irregular spiking patterns generated from the `Adaptive exponential integrate-and-fire' neuron model. Our study reveals that each perspective has its own advantages and uniqueness while also having an overlap with each other.

The Impact of Mindfulness and Perspective-Taking on Implicit Associations Toward the Elderly: a Relational Frame Theory Account

PubMed Central

McEnteggart, Ciara; Barnes-Holmes, Yvonne; Lowe, Rob; Evans, Nicky; Vilardaga, Roger

2017-01-01

Perspective-taking interventions have been shown to improve attitudes toward social outgroups. In contrast, similar interventions have produced opposite effects (i.e., enhanced negativity) in the context of attitudes toward elderly groups. The current study investigated whether a brief perspective-taking intervention enhanced with mindfulness would be associated with less negativity than perspective-taking alone. One hundred five participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 conditions which comprised of an active or control perspective-taking component and an active or control mindfulness component. Participants were then administered an Implicit Associated Test to assess implicit biases toward the elderly. Results supported previous findings in that the condition in which perspective-taking was active but mindfulness was inactive was associated with greater negative implicit bias toward the elderly; however, some of this negativity decreased in the active perspective-taking and active mindfulness condition. The current findings and other mixed effects that have emerged from perspective-taking interventions are discussed from a Relational Frame Theory perspective. PMID:29399210

Re-examination of cumulative fatigue damage analysis - An engineering perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manson, S. S.; Halford, G. R.

1986-01-01

A method which has evolved in the laboratories for the past 20 yr is re-examined with the intent of improving its accuracy and simplicity of application to engineering problems. Several modifications are introduced both to the analytical formulation of the Damage Curve Approach, and to the procedure for modifying this approach to achieve a Double Linear Damage Rule formulation which immensely simplifies the calculation. Improvements are also introduced in the treatment of mean stress for determining fatigue life of the individual events that enter into a complex loading history. While the procedure is completely consistent with the results of numerous two level tests that have been conducted on many materials, it is still necessary to verify applicability to complex loading histories. Caution is expressed that certain phenomenon can also influence the applicability - for example, unusual deformation and fracture modes inherent in complex loading especially if stresses are multiaxial. Residual stresses at crack tips, and metallurgical factors are also important in creating departures from the cumulative damage theories; examples of departures are provided.

Re-examination of cumulative fatigue damage analysis: An engineering perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manson, S. S.; Halford, G. R.

1986-01-01

A method which has evolved in our laboratories for the past 20 yr is re-examined with the intent of improving its accuracy and simplicity of application to engineering problems. Several modifications are introduced both to the analytical formulation of the Damage Curve Approach, and to the procedure for modifying this approach to achieve a Double Linear Damage Rule formulation which immensely simplifies the calculation. Improvements are also introduced in the treatment of mean stress for determining fatigue life of the individual events that enter into a complex loading history. While the procedure is completely consistent with the results of numerous two level tests that have been conducted on many materials, it is still necessary to verify applicability to complex loading histories. Caution is expressed that certain phenomena can also influence the applicability - for example, unusual deformation and fracture modes inherent in complex loading - especially if stresses are multiaxial. Residual stresses at crack tips, and metallurgical factors are also important in creating departures from the cumulative damage theories; examples of departures are provided.

Philosophy at the bedside - phenomenology, complexity and virtue in the care of patients.

PubMed

Mitchell, Derek

2014-12-01

This personal reflection, based partly on my own experience as a patient, is written from the triple perspective of patient, former Health Service manager and philosopher. By beginning with the accounts of the first-hand lived experiences of patients (my own and those of Havi Carel), which I argue are central to an understanding of illness, and by then moving through the complexity of the health care environment, I aim to show that only the promulgation of a virtue-based theory of ethics and action can lead to real improvements in the quality of care delivered to patients. The case is set out to bring together the philosophical insights of phenomenology, complexity theory and Virtue Ethics. The argument shows that only Virtue Ethics provides an adequate means to respond to the unique situation and feelings of the individual person who is ill. This conclusion inevitably implies criticism of the ways that the performance of the institutions and the people who provide health care have been measured and regulated in the UK National Health Service. Overall the conclusions of this paper suggest that an approach based on virtuous agency and more closely directed towards the lived experience of people who are ill is needed to ensure both safety and improved quality in health care services. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

GENERAL PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE COMPLEX, VIEW LOOKING NORTHWEST AT ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

GENERAL PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE COMPLEX, VIEW LOOKING NORTHWEST AT THE OREGON FORESTER'S OFFICE BUILDING, WITH MILL CREEK IN THE FOREGROUND. - Oregon State Forester's Office Complex, 2600 State Street, Salem, Marion, OR

GENERAL PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE COMPLEX, VIEW LOOKING WEST AT ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

GENERAL PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE COMPLEX, VIEW LOOKING WEST AT THE MOTORPOOL, AUTOMOTIVE SHOP AND FOREST PROTECTION BUILDING (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT). - Oregon State Forester's Office Complex, 2600 State Street, Salem, Marion, OR

The roles of chronological age and time perspective in memory positivity.

PubMed

Kan, Irene P; Garrison, Shaina L; Drummey, Anna B; Emmert, Brian E; Rogers, Leeland L

2018-07-01

The observation that older adults show enhanced cognition for emotionally positive information has been labeled the positivity effect (Reed, Chan, & Mikels, 2014). According to the Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST, Carstensen, 1991), a prominent lifespan development theory, cognition is strongly influenced by motivational goals, and these goals are impacted by subjective time perspective. Although the positivity effect is most commonly observed in older adults, as age usually co-varies with time perspective, the SST posits that time perspective, not age, is the key explanatory factor of positivity. We examined the effects of these predictors on positivity in an episodic memory task in younger and older adults and found that age, not time perspective, was a key predictor of memory positivity. Our results add to the growing literature that challenge the notion that time perspective is the driving force behind age-related differences in emotional processing and functioning.

Medical student selection and society: Lessons we learned from sociological theories.

PubMed

Yaghmaei, Minoo; Yazdani, Shahram; Ahmady, Soleiman

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to show the interaction between the society, applicants and medical schools in terms of medical student selection. In this study, the trends to implement social factors in the selection process were highlighted. These social factors were explored through functionalism and conflict theories, each focusing on different categories of social factors. While functionalist theorists pay attention to diversity in the selection process, conflict theorists highlight the importance of socio-economic class. Although both theories believe in sorting, their different views are reflected in their sorting strategies. Both theories emphasize the importance of the person-society relationship in motivation to enter university. Furthermore, the impacts of social goals on the selection policies are derived from both theories. Theories in the sociology of education offer an approach to student selection that acknowledges and supports complexity, plurality of approaches and innovative means of selection. Medical student selection does not solely focus on the individual assessment and qualification, but it focuses on a social and collective process, which includes all the influences and interactions between the medical schools and the society. Sociological perspective of medical student selection proposes a model that envelops the individual and the society. In this model, the selection methods should meet the criteria of merit at the individual level, while the selection policies should aim at the society goals at the institutional level.

Transformation of engineering education: Taking a perspective for the challenges of change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siddiqui, Junaid Abdul Wahid

There are a variety of imperatives which call us to transform engineering education. Those who have made attempts to facilitate a change in engineering education have experienced slow or no progress. The literature on change has suggestions and strategies related to educational change but most of them are not able to guide the conversations and actions effectively. People interested in understanding the challenges often ask 'what makes educational change so difficult?' This research is an effort towards finding an answer to this question. The study adopted a transdisciplinary approach while taking a systems perspective on educational change in order to examine the challenges. Instead of exploring the effectiveness of change strategies and interventions, this study sought to understand the basic nature of change in engineering education organizations. For this purpose, the study adopted an integrated theoretical framework consisting of systems thinking, complexity theory, and transformative learning theory. The methodology was designed on the complexity research paradigm with interpretive qualitative methods used for data analysis. This approach enabled understanding the social and human conditions which reduce or enhance the likelihood of change in the context of an engineering education organization. The context for this study to investigate the challenges of transformation in engineering education is efforts around educating the Engineer of 2020. Four institutional initiatives at various stages in the transformation process provided cases for investigation in the study. The engineering educators at the four institutions participating in the study had experiences of active engagement in educational change. The interpretive qualitative analysis of the participants' accounts induced a systems perspective of the challenges which faculty face in their educational transformation efforts. The inertia which educational organizations experience against change appears to be caused by the commitment which the faculty members have to the educational paradigm prevalent in the organization and by the organizational structures and culture established in this paradigm. A condition that seems essential for the emergence of a new educational formation within an organizational context is the formation of a neighborhood of faculty who have a commitment for innovative education. The new ways of education seem to emerge in sustained, serendipitous, and long-term communicative interactions among the inhabitants of a neighborhood.

Conceptualizing the therapist's role in therapy in psychosis.

PubMed

Dilks, Sarah; Tasker, Fiona; Wren, Bernadette

2013-09-01

This paper reports on a subset of findings from a wider ranging grounded theory analysis of therapy and recovery processes in psychosis. It describes therapist activities involved in maintaining an observational perspective during therapy and the links between these and other therapist activities. Grounded theory was used to examine the qualitative data collected. An initial sample of 19 taped therapy sessions and 23 interviews with psychologists and their clients was collected. This sample was extended through the collection of three further interviews with psychoanalytically aware psychologists. The data were analysed using grounded theory. A grounded theory model of therapy processes in psychosis was developed that conceptualized therapist actions as providing an observational scaffold to support the client's efforts in moving to new perspectives on their situation. Consistent with the understanding of the core therapy activity as a dialogical process, this set of therapist actions was understood as occurring alongside other therapist activities involved in managing emotion and building a relationship in therapy. The central activity of therapy in psychosis was understood as a dialogical process continuously negotiated between therapist and client in conversation and was conceptually summarized in the grounded theory as 'building bridges to observational perspectives'. However, the active and strategic efforts of psychologists to sustain the dialogue implied a particular assumption of responsibility for maintaining this process. In particular, therapists appeared to be 'working to maintain observational perspectives', 'managing emotion', and 'doing relationship' during the therapy conversation as part of the joint effort with clients to build bridges to new observational perspectives on distress and psychosis. © 2012 The British Psychological Society.

Isomorphic pressures, institutional strategies, and knowledge creation in the health care sector.

PubMed

Yang, Chen-Wei; Fang, Shih-Chieh; Huang, Wei-Min

2007-01-01

Health care organizations are facing surprisingly complex challenges, including new treatment and diagnostic technologies, ongoing pressures for health care institutional reform, the emergence of new organizational governance structures, and knowledge creation for the health care system. To maintain legitimacy in demanding environments, organizations tend to copy practices of similar organizations, which lead to isomorphism, and to use internal strategies to accommodate changes. A concern is that a poor fit between isomorphic pressures and internal strategies can interfere with developmental processes, such as knowledge creation. The purposes of this article are to, first, develop a set of propositions, based on institutional theory, as a theoretical framework that might explain the influence of isomorphic pressures on institutional processes through which knowledge is created within the health care sector and, second, propose that a good fit between isomorphic pressures factors and health care organizations' institutional strategic choices will enhance the health care organizations' ability to create knowledge. To develop a theoretical framework, we developed a set of propositions based on literature pertaining to the institutional theory perspective of isomorphic pressures and the response of health care organizations to isomorphic pressures. Institutional theory perspectives of isomorphic pressures and institutional strategies may provide a new understanding for health care organizations seeking effective knowledge creation strategies within institutional environment of health care sector. First, the ability to identify three forces for isomorphic change is critical for managers. Second, the importance of a contingency approach by health care managers can lead to strategies tailoring to cope with uncertainties facing their organizations.

Perspective: Sloppiness and emergent theories in physics, biology, and beyond.

PubMed

Transtrum, Mark K; Machta, Benjamin B; Brown, Kevin S; Daniels, Bryan C; Myers, Christopher R; Sethna, James P

2015-07-07

Large scale models of physical phenomena demand the development of new statistical and computational tools in order to be effective. Many such models are "sloppy," i.e., exhibit behavior controlled by a relatively small number of parameter combinations. We review an information theoretic framework for analyzing sloppy models. This formalism is based on the Fisher information matrix, which is interpreted as a Riemannian metric on a parameterized space of models. Distance in this space is a measure of how distinguishable two models are based on their predictions. Sloppy model manifolds are bounded with a hierarchy of widths and extrinsic curvatures. The manifold boundary approximation can extract the simple, hidden theory from complicated sloppy models. We attribute the success of simple effective models in physics as likewise emerging from complicated processes exhibiting a low effective dimensionality. We discuss the ramifications and consequences of sloppy models for biochemistry and science more generally. We suggest that the reason our complex world is understandable is due to the same fundamental reason: simple theories of macroscopic behavior are hidden inside complicated microscopic processes.

Drug-Resistant Epilepsy: Multiple Hypotheses, Few Answers

PubMed Central

Tang, Fei; Hartz, Anika M. S.; Bauer, Björn

2017-01-01

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that affects over 70 million people worldwide. Despite the recent introduction of new antiseizure drugs (ASDs), about one-third of patients with epilepsy have seizures refractory to pharmacotherapy. Early identification of patients who will become refractory to ASDs could help direct such patients to appropriate non-pharmacological treatment, but the complexity in the temporal patterns of epilepsy could make such identification difficult. The target hypothesis and transporter hypothesis are the most cited theories trying to explain refractory epilepsy, but neither theory alone fully explains the neurobiological basis of pharmacoresistance. This review summarizes evidence for and against several major theories, including the pharmacokinetic hypothesis, neural network hypothesis, intrinsic severity hypothesis, gene variant hypothesis, target hypothesis, and transporter hypothesis. The discussion is mainly focused on the transporter hypothesis, where clinical and experimental data are discussed on multidrug transporter overexpression, substrate profiles of ASDs, mechanism of transporter upregulation, polymorphisms of transporters, and the use of transporter inhibitors. Finally, future perspectives are presented for the improvement of current hypotheses and the development of treatment strategies as guided by the current understanding of refractory epilepsy. PMID:28729850

GENERAL PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE COMPLEX, VIEW LOOKING EAST AT ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

GENERAL PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE COMPLEX, VIEW LOOKING EAST AT THE FOREST PROTECTION BUILDING, THE MOTORPOOL, AND THE AUTOMOTIVE SHOP (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT). - Oregon State Forester's Office Complex, 2600 State Street, Salem, Marion, OR

Complexity: the organizing principle at the interface of biological (dis)order.

PubMed

Bhat, Ramray; Pally, Dharma

2017-07-01

The term complexity means several things to biologists.When qualifying morphological phenotype, on the one hand, it is used to signify the sheer complicatedness of living systems, especially as a result of the multicomponent aspect of biological form. On the other hand, it has been used to represent the intricate nature of the connections between constituents that make up form: a more process-based explanation. In the context of evolutionary arguments, complexity has been defined, in a quantifiable fashion, as the amount of information, an informatic template such as a sequence of nucleotides or amino acids stores about its environment. In this perspective, we begin with a brief review of the history of complexity theory. We then introduce a developmental and an evolutionary understanding of what it means for biological systems to be complex.We propose that the complexity of living systems can be understood through two interdependent structural properties: multiscalarity of interconstituent mechanisms and excitability of the biological materials. The answer to whether a system becomes more or less complex over time depends on the potential for its constituents to interact in novel ways and combinations to give rise to new structures and functions, as well as on the evolution of excitable properties that would facilitate the exploration of interconstituent organization in the context of their microenvironments and macroenvironments.

The Disillusionment of Students Denied Admission to a Preferred Major Viewed from the Perspective of a Psychological Theory of Alienation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barber, Clifton E.

2014-01-01

Why students respond differently when they are denied admission to a preferred academic major may be explained using a psychological theory of alienation. Using this theoretical perspective, three trajectories producing feelings of alienation are presented. The most intense of these trajectories, the process of disillusionment, is examined using a…

The Relative Effect of Team-Based Learning on Motivation and Learning: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeno, Lucas M.; Raaheim, Arild; Kristensen, Sara Madeleine; Kristensen, Kjell Daniel; Hole, Torstein Nielsen; Haugland, Mildrid J.; Mæland, Silje

2017-01-01

We investigate the effects of team-based learning (TBL) on motivation and learning in a quasi-experimental study. The study employs a self-determination theory perspective to investigate the motivational effects of implementing TBL in a physiotherapy course in higher education. We adopted a one-group pretest-posttest design. The results show that…

Multiple Intelligences Theory and Foreign Language Education: Perspectives of College Students in a German Immersion Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weber-Segler, Ellen

2013-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore and comprehend the role of Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences (MI) in foreign language learning by analyzing the perspectives of college students in a German immersion program at a liberal arts college in the Midwest. Data collection included 10 in-depth student…

Analysis of the Underlying Cognitive Activity in the Resolution of a Task on Derivability of the Absolute-Value Function: Two Theoretical Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pino-Fan, Luis R.; Guzmán, Ismenia; Font, Vicenç; Duval, Raymond

2017-01-01

This paper presents a study of networking of theories between the theory of registers of semiotic representation (TRSR) and the onto-semiotic approach of mathematical cognition and instruction (OSA). The results obtained show complementarities between these two theoretical perspectives, which might allow more detailed analysis of the students'…

Understanding the Association between Future Time Perspective and Self-Regulated Learning through the Lens of Self-Determination Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Bilde, Jerissa; Vansteenkiste, Maarten; Lens, Willy

2011-01-01

The present cross-sectional research examined a process underlying the positive association between holding an extended future time perspective (FTP) and learning outcomes through the lens of self-determination theory. High school students and university students (N = 275) participated in the study. It was found that students with an extended FTP…

Investigating Causality between Global Experience and Global Competency for Undergraduates in Contemporary China's Higher Education: A Transformative Learning Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Jian; Xu, Jinhui

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the causal relationship between global experience and global competency from a transformative learning theory perspective. China society is becoming more and more linguistically and culturally diverse in a global context. Moreover, Chinese students should be knowledgeable about the international issues…

The Ethics of Writing Instruction: Issues in Theory and Practice. Perspectives on Writing: Theory, Research, Practice. Volume 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pemberton, Michael A., Ed.

This collection of essays reveals a keen awareness of the degree to which ethics and ethical systems are located in particular instructional contexts. The essays consider the implications of these contexts from a variety of perspectives, both theoretical and pedagogical. In the collection's first part, Ethics and the Composition Classroom, are the…

Does Physical Environment Contribute to Basic Psychological Needs? A Self-Determination Theory Perspective on Learning in the Chemistry Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sjöblom, Kirsi; Mälkki, Kaisu; Sandström, Niclas; Lonka, Kirsti

2016-01-01

The role of motivation and emotions in learning has been extensively studied in recent years; however, research on the role of the physical environment still remains scarce. This study examined the role of the physical environment in the learning process from the perspective of basic psychological needs. Although self-determination theory stresses…

Exploring Perspectives of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Histories of Challenging Behaviors about Family Relationships: An Emergent Topic in a Grounded Theory Focus Group Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Julie F.; Hamilton-Mason, Johnnie; Maramaldi, Peter; Barnhill, L. Jarrett

2016-01-01

The perspectives of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) about family relationships are underrepresented in the literature. The topic of family relationships emerged in a grounded theory exploratory focus group study that involved thirty dually diagnosed participants with moderate or mild intellectual disabilities and histories of…

Building Employer Capacity to Support Meaningful Employment for Persons with Developmental Disabilities: A Grounded Theory Study of Employment Support Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rashid, Marghalara; Hodgetts, Sandra; Nicholas, David

2017-01-01

To explore strategies to build employer capacity to support people with DD in meaningful employment from perspective of employment support workers. A grounded theory study was conducted with 34 employment support individuals. A theoretical sampling approach was used to identify and recruit participants from multiple sites in Ontario and Alberta.…

The Process of General Education Reform from a Faculty Perspective at a Research-Extensive University: A Grounded Theory Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hachtmann, Frauke

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a theory for institutional change that explains the process and implementation of "Achievement-Centered Education" (ACE) from the faculty perspective. ACE is a new general education program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a public, doctoral/research-extensive institution. A constant…

What Makes Them Happy and Curious Online? An Empirical Study on High School Students' Internet Use from a Self-Determination Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Ling; Lu, Yaobin; Wang, Bin; Huang, Wayne

2011-01-01

From a self-determination theory perspective, this study tries to investigate how perceived autonomy support, perceived relatedness and competence affect high school students' intrinsic motivations (enjoyment and curiosity) to use the Internet, and the related outcomes of the motivation. Surveys are distributed to seven junior and ten senior high…

Understanding Students' Motivation in Sport and Physical Education: From the Expectancy-Value Model and Self-Efficacy Theory Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gao, Zan; Lee, Amelia M.; Harrison, Louis, Jr.

2008-01-01

In this article, the roles of individuals' expectancy beliefs and incentives (i.e., task value, outcome expectancy) in sport and physical education are examined from expectancy-value model and self-efficacy theory perspectives. Overviews of the two theoretical frameworks and the conceptual and measurement issues are provided, followed by a review…

Shifting attention from objective risk factors to patients' self-assessed health resources: a clinical model for general practice.

PubMed

Hollnagel, H; Malterud, K

1995-12-01

The study was designed to present and apply theoretical and empirical knowledge for the construction of a clinical model intended to shift the attention of the general practitioner from objective risk factors to self-assessed health resources in male and female patients. Review, discussion and analysis of selected theoretical models about personal health resources involving assessing existing theories according to their emphasis concerning self-assessed vs. doctor-assessed health resources, specific health resources vs. life and coping in general, abstract vs. clinically applicable theory, gender perspective explicitly included or not. Relevant theoretical models on health and coping (salutogenesis, coping and social support, control/demand, locus of control, health belief model, quality of life), and the perspective of the underprivileged Other (critical theory, feminist standpoint theory, the patient-centred clinical method) were presented and assessed. Components from Antonovsky's salutogenetic perspective and McWhinney's patient-centred clinical method, supported by gender perspectives, were integrated to a clinical model which is presented. General practitioners are recommended to shift their attention from objective risk factors to self-assessed health resources by means of the clinical model. The relevance and feasibility of the model should be explored in empirical research.

Archaeology as a social science.

PubMed

Smith, Michael E; Feinman, Gary M; Drennan, Robert D; Earle, Timothy; Morris, Ian

2012-05-15

Because of advances in methods and theory, archaeology now addresses issues central to debates in the social sciences in a far more sophisticated manner than ever before. Coupled with methodological innovations, multiscalar archaeological studies around the world have produced a wealth of new data that provide a unique perspective on long-term changes in human societies, as they document variation in human behavior and institutions before the modern era. We illustrate these points with three examples: changes in human settlements, the roles of markets and states in deep history, and changes in standards of living. Alternative pathways toward complexity suggest how common processes may operate under contrasting ecologies, populations, and economic integration.

Enhancing quantitative approaches for assessing community resilience

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chuang, W. C.; Garmestani, A.S.; Eason, T. N.; Spanbauer, T. L.; Fried-Peterson, H. B.; Roberts, C.P.; Sundstrom, Shana M.; Burnett, J.L.; Angeler, David G.; Chaffin, Brian C.; Gunderson, L.; Twidwell, Dirac; Allen, Craig R.

2018-01-01

Scholars from many different intellectual disciplines have attempted to measure, estimate, or quantify resilience. However, there is growing concern that lack of clarity on the operationalization of the concept will limit its application. In this paper, we discuss the theory, research development and quantitative approaches in ecological and community resilience. Upon noting the lack of methods that quantify the complexities of the linked human and natural aspects of community resilience, we identify several promising approaches within the ecological resilience tradition that may be useful in filling these gaps. Further, we discuss the challenges for consolidating these approaches into a more integrated perspective for managing social-ecological systems.

[Identity construction in adolescents of migrant parents. Crosswise analysis of the identity process].

PubMed

Bouche-Florin, Laëtitia; Skandrani, Sara Marie; Moro, Marie Rose

2007-01-01

Adolescence is the specific stage during which psychological changes and identity searching are at the forefront of preoccupations. The identity construction proves to be particularly complex in a transcultural context. Starting from their clinical questioning, the authors propose a literature review of the process of identity construction in a population of adolescent children of migrant parents. This theoretical reflection is based on conceptualisations of this process in intercultural psychology, transcultural psychology and in the theory of dialogical self. Putting into perspective these different approaches and their interconnections will help better understand the reality of hybrid or half-breed identity during adolescence.

A critical intersection: human rights, public health nursing, and nursing ethics.

PubMed

Easley, Cheryl E; Allen, Carol Easley

2007-01-01

Public health nurses must make moral decisions regarding practice in complex situations fraught with competing moral claims. While nurses often frame practice decisions within the context of ethical theory, consideration of human rights perspectives is more recent. Basic concepts of nursing and public health ethics and of human rights, in relationship to public health, will be discussed and related to the practice of public health nursing. Intersections of human rights, ethics, and public health nursing practice will be discussed in light of the assertion of health as a human right and described using the issues of HIV/AIDS and genetics/genomics.

Archaeology as a social science

PubMed Central

Smith, Michael E.; Feinman, Gary M.; Drennan, Robert D.; Earle, Timothy; Morris, Ian

2012-01-01

Because of advances in methods and theory, archaeology now addresses issues central to debates in the social sciences in a far more sophisticated manner than ever before. Coupled with methodological innovations, multiscalar archaeological studies around the world have produced a wealth of new data that provide a unique perspective on long-term changes in human societies, as they document variation in human behavior and institutions before the modern era. We illustrate these points with three examples: changes in human settlements, the roles of markets and states in deep history, and changes in standards of living. Alternative pathways toward complexity suggest how common processes may operate under contrasting ecologies, populations, and economic integration. PMID:22547811

Enhancing quantitative approaches for assessing community resilience.

PubMed

Chuang, W C; Garmestani, A; Eason, T N; Spanbauer, T L; Fried-Petersen, H B; Roberts, C P; Sundstrom, S M; Burnett, J L; Angeler, D G; Chaffin, B C; Gunderson, L; Twidwell, D; Allen, C R

2018-05-01

Scholars from many different intellectual disciplines have attempted to measure, estimate, or quantify resilience. However, there is growing concern that lack of clarity on the operationalization of the concept will limit its application. In this paper, we discuss the theory, research development and quantitative approaches in ecological and community resilience. Upon noting the lack of methods that quantify the complexities of the linked human and natural aspects of community resilience, we identify several promising approaches within the ecological resilience tradition that may be useful in filling these gaps. Further, we discuss the challenges for consolidating these approaches into a more integrated perspective for managing social-ecological systems. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Understanding the complex relationships among actors involved in the implementation of public-private mix (PPM) for TB control in India, using social theory.

PubMed

Salve, Solomon; Harris, Kristine; Sheikh, Kabir; Porter, John D H

2018-06-07

Public Private Partnerships (PPP) are increasingly utilized as a public health strategy for strengthening health systems and have become a core component for the delivery of TB control services in India, as promoted through national policy. However, partnerships are complex systems that rely on relationships between a myriad of different actors with divergent agendas and backgrounds. Relationship is a crucial element of governance, and relationship building an important aspect of partnerships. To understand PPPs a multi-disciplinary perspective that draws on insights from social theory is needed. This paper demonstrates how social theory can aid the understanding of the complex relationships of actors involved in implementation of Public-Private Mix (PPM)-TB policy in India. Ethnographic research was conducted within a district in a Southern state of India over a 14 month period, combining participant observations, informal interactions and in-depth interviews with a wide range of respondents across public, private and non-government organisation (NGO) sectors. Drawing on the theoretical insights from Bourdieu's "theory of practice" this study explores the relationships between the different actors. The study found that programme managers, frontline TB workers, NGOs, and private practitioners all had a crucial role to play in TB partnerships. They were widely regarded as valued contributors with distinct social skills and capabilities within their organizations and professions. However, their potential contributions towards programme implementation tended to be unrecognized both at the top and bottom of the policy implementation chain. These actors constantly struggled for recognition and used different mechanisms to position themselves alongside other actors within the programme that further complicated the relationships between different actors. This paper demonstrates that applying social theory can enable a better understanding of the complex relationship across public, private and NGO sectors. A closer understanding of these processes is a prerequisite for bridging the gap between field-level practices and central policy intentions, facilitating a move towards more effective partnership strategies for strengthening local health systems. The study contributes to our understanding of implementation of PPP for TB control and builds knowledge to help policy makers and programme managers strengthen and effectively implement strategies to enable stronger governance of these partnerships.

Evidence Combination From an Evolutionary Game Theory Perspective.

PubMed

Deng, Xinyang; Han, Deqiang; Dezert, Jean; Deng, Yong; Shyr, Yu

2016-09-01

Dempster-Shafer evidence theory is a primary methodology for multisource information fusion because it is good at dealing with uncertain information. This theory provides a Dempster's rule of combination to synthesize multiple evidences from various information sources. However, in some cases, counter-intuitive results may be obtained based on that combination rule. Numerous new or improved methods have been proposed to suppress these counter-intuitive results based on perspectives, such as minimizing the information loss or deviation. Inspired by evolutionary game theory, this paper considers a biological and evolutionary perspective to study the combination of evidences. An evolutionary combination rule (ECR) is proposed to help find the most biologically supported proposition in a multievidence system. Within the proposed ECR, we develop a Jaccard matrix game to formalize the interaction between propositions in evidences, and utilize the replicator dynamics to mimick the evolution of propositions. Experimental results show that the proposed ECR can effectively suppress the counter-intuitive behaviors appeared in typical paradoxes of evidence theory, compared with many existing methods. Properties of the ECR, such as solution's stability and convergence, have been mathematically proved as well.

Uncovering paradoxes from physicians' experiences of patient-centered ward-round.

PubMed

Bååthe, Fredrik; Ahlborg, Gunnar; Edgren, Lars; Lagström, Annica; Nilsson, Kerstin

2016-05-03

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to uncover paradoxes emerging from physicians' experiences of a patient-centered and team-based ward round, in an internal medicine department. Design/methodology/approach Abductive reasoning relates empirical material to complex responsive processes theory in a dialectical process to further understandings. Findings This paper found the response from physicians, to a patient-centered and team-based ward round, related to whether the new demands challenged or confirmed individual physician's professional identity. Two empirically divergent perspectives on enacting the role of physician during ward round emerged: We-perspective and I-perspective, based on where the physician's professional identity was centered. Physicians with more of a We-perspective experienced challenges with the new round, while physicians with more of an I-perspective experienced alignment with their professional identity and embraced the new round. When identity is challenged, anxiety is aroused, and if anxiety is not catered to, then resistance is likely to follow and changes are likely to be hampered. Practical implications For change processes affecting physicians' professional identity, it is important for managers and change leaders to acknowledge paradox and find a balance between new knowledge that needs to be learnt and who the physician is becoming in this new procedure. Originality/value This paper provides increased understanding about how physicians' professional identity is interacting with a patient-centered ward round. It adds to the knowledge about developing health care in line with recent societal requests and with sustainable physician engagement.

Workplace learning from a socio-cultural perspective: creating developmental space during the general practice clerkship.

PubMed

van der Zwet, J; Zwietering, P J; Teunissen, P W; van der Vleuten, C P M; Scherpbier, A J J A

2011-08-01

Workplace learning in undergraduate medical education has predominantly been studied from a cognitive perspective, despite its complex contextual characteristics, which influence medical students' learning experiences in such a way that explanation in terms of knowledge, skills, attitudes and single determinants of instructiveness is unlikely to suffice. There is also a paucity of research which, from a perspective other than the cognitive or descriptive one, investigates student learning in general practice settings, which are often characterised as powerful learning environments. In this study we took a socio-cultural perspective to clarify how students learn during a general practice clerkship and to construct a conceptual framework that captures this type of learning. Our analysis of group interviews with 44 fifth-year undergraduate medical students about their learning experiences in general practice showed that students needed developmental space to be able to learn and develop their professional identity. This space results from the intertwinement of workplace context, personal and professional interactions and emotions such as feeling respected and self-confident. These forces framed students' participation in patient consultations, conversations with supervisors about consultations and students' observation of supervisors, thereby determining the opportunities afforded to students to mind their learning. These findings resonate with other conceptual frameworks and learning theories. In order to refine our interpretation, we recommend that further research from a socio-cultural perspective should also explore other aspects of workplace learning in medical education.

Support following total laryngectomy: Exploring the concept from different perspectives.

PubMed

Bickford, J M; Coveney, J; Baker, J; Hersh, D

2018-04-19

Adjustment after total laryngectomy is complex, and the resultant support needs are extensive. Current practice is often guided by health-related quality of life measures. While useful, many of these tools were developed without considering the perspectives of people who have experienced the surgery. To improve understanding of the support needs after total laryngectomy, multiple viewpoints were examined, for example individuals with a laryngectomy (IWL), significant others (SO) and health professionals (HP). A qualitative study explored the perspectives of 28 individuals (IWL-seven men and five women, nine SO and seven HP). Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and analysed using constructivist grounded theory and symbolic interactionism. The data suggested that the construct "being supported to develop competence and resilience" is a multidimensional and nonlinear phenomenon underpinned by the interactive processes "perceiving influencing factors," "building trusting relationships" and "sharing and balancing the care." The findings highlight the significant contribution the care triad (i.e., IWL, SO and HP) plays and the factors influencing care, safety and dignity for IWL. Furthermore, support is optimised when all stakeholders are competent with the care. In turn, reduced competence increases the burden for one or all in the triad. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Moral motivation based on multiple developmental structures: an exploration of cognitive and emotional dynamics.

PubMed

Kaplan, Ulas; Tivnan, Terrence

2014-01-01

Intrapersonal variability and multiplicity in the complexity of moral motivation were examined from Dynamic Systems and Self-Determination Theory perspectives. L. Kohlberg's (1969) stages of moral development are reconceptualized as soft-assembled and dynamically transformable process structures of motivation that may operate simultaneously within person in different degrees. Moral motivation is conceptualized as the real-time process of self-organization of cognitive and emotional dynamics out of which moral judgment and action emerge. A detailed inquiry into intrapersonal variation in moral motivation is carried out based on the differential operation of multiple motivational structures. A total of 74 high school students and 97 college students participated in the study by completing a new questionnaire, involving 3 different hypothetical moral judgments. As hypothesized, findings revealed significant multiplicity in the within-person operation of developmental stage structures, and intrapersonal variability in the degrees to which stages were used. Developmental patterns were found in terms of different distributions of multiple stages between high school and college samples, as well as the association between age and overall motivation scores. Differential relations of specific emotions to moral motivation revealed and confirmed the value of differentiating multiple emotions. Implications of the present theoretical perspective and the findings for understanding the complexity of moral judgment and motivation are discussed.

Critical Theory: Implications for School Leadership Theory and Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peca, Kathy

The school leader's behaviors are inspired by theories, and theories are intrinsic to practice. This paper provides an overview of an emerging perspective in educational administration, critical theory. The paper first highlights the philosophies of Immanuel Kant, Fichte, Hegel, Marx, and the Frankfurt School. It then discusses critical theory…

The "New Institutionalism" in Organization Theory: Bringing Society and Culture Back in

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senge, Konstanze

2013-01-01

This investigation will discuss the emergence of an economistical perspective among the dominant approaches of organization theory in the United States since the inception of "organization studies" as an academic discipline. It maintains that Contingency theory, Resource Dependency theory, Population Ecology theory, and Transaction Cost theory…

A Primer on Consultation Theory: Building a Flexible Worldview.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brack, Greg; And Others

1993-01-01

Presents broad introduction to learning, gestalt, systems, organizational, psychoanalytic, and chaos theories of consultation. Demonstrates how consultant can map each of these theories onto consultation environment to produce unique perspective that each theory alone cannot provide. Describes each theory as to how it views and frames consultation…

A Comparative Analysis of Three Unique Theories of Organizational Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leavitt, Carol C.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present three classical theories on organizational learning and conduct a comparative analysis that highlights their strengths, similarities, and differences. Two of the theories -- experiential learning theory and adaptive -- generative learning theory -- represent the thinking of the cognitive perspective, while…

Perspectives on the dental school learning environment: putting theory X and theory Y into action in dental education.

PubMed

Connor, Joseph P; Troendle, Karen

2008-12-01

Theory X and Theory Y are terms coined by Douglas McGregor to express the belief that managers' behaviors are shaped by their assumptions about the motivation of their subordinates. The theories were applied to dental education in a Perspectives article published in the August 2007 issue of the Journal of Dental Education. This article explains how those seemingly contradictory theories can be reconciled using the concept of the "emotional bank account" introduced by Stephen Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Understanding the underlying concept of an emotional bank account helps dental educators to bridge the generation gap between instructors, born during the baby boom period of 1946-63, and dental students, born after 1980, who are referred to as "Generation Y" or "millennials."

Impulse and constraint: perspectives from personality psychology, convergence with theory in other areas, and potential for integration.

PubMed

Carver, Charles S

2005-01-01

A behavioral dimension of impulse versus constraint has long been observed by personality psychologists. This article begins by reviewing processes underlying this dimension from the perspectives of several personality theories. Some cases of constraint reflect inhibition due to anxiety, but some theories suggest other roots for constraint. Theories from developmental psychology accommodate both possibilities by positing 2 sorts of control over action. These modes of influence strongly resemble those predicated in some personality theories and also 2 modes of function that are asserted by some cognitive and social psychological theories. Several further literatures are considered, to which 2-mode models seem to contribute meaningfully. The article closes by addressing questions raised by these ideas, including whether the issue of impulse versus constraint applies to avoidance as well as to approach.

Perspectives on Complexity, Its Definition and Applications in the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koopmans, Matthijs

2017-01-01

There is considerable variation in the dynamical literature in how the term "complexity" is used. While there have been several attempts to describe from an educational perspective what complexity encompasses, the term is frequently used without an explicit definition. To forge a shared understanding of what complexity means, the purpose…

Level of Construal, Mind Wandering, and Repetitive Thought: Reply to McVay and Kane (2010)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watkins, Edward R.

2010-01-01

In this reply to the comment of McVay and Kane (2010), I consider their argument concerning how Watkins's (2008) elaborated control theory informs their perspective on the role of executive control in mind wandering. I argue that although in a number of places the elaborated control theory is consistent with the perspective of McVay and Kane that…

A Latent Class Growth Analysis of School Bullying and Its Social Context: The Self-Determination Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lam, Shui-fong; Law, Wilbert; Chan, Chi-Keung; Wong, Bernard P. H.; Zhang, Xiao

2015-01-01

The contribution of social context to school bullying was examined from the self-determination theory perspective in this longitudinal study of 536 adolescents from 3 secondary schools in Hong Kong. Latent class growth analysis of the student-reported data at 5 time points from grade 7 to grade 9 identified 4 groups of students: bullies (9.8%),…