Moral reasoning about school bullying in involved adolescents

The aim of the present study was to investigate how bullying incident participant roles and moral reasoning relate to each other in adolescents. To do so, we examined sociomoral judgments about hypothetical bullying incidents and moral disengagement in adolescents identified as bullies, defenders of the victim and passive bystanders. Six-hundred and twenty-six high school students (13- to 15-years-old) took part in this study and 131 were assigned a specific bullying incident participant role through peer nomination. Findings reveal that defenders of the victim show greater and more uniform moral sensibility than did both bullies and passive bystanders. Sociomoral reasoning helped differentiate between both bully subtypes (bully-leaders and bully-followers) and passive bystander beyond displaying greater moral disengagement than defenders did.     

The influence of the nonverbal behaviour of examiners on children’s psychometric performances

This study analysed the effects of the nonverbal behaviour of an examiner on low and high achievers’ psychometric performances. The examiner, who was blind to children’s’ achievement level, varied the nonverbal style she adopted when giving instructions. As expected, a warm style led children to score higher than a neutral one. Moreover, warmth effect did not depend on achievement level. It implies that the nonverbal behaviour of an examiner may modify psychological assessments and play a subtle role both in educational decisions and educational guidance.     

Does Cartoon Violence Beget Aggressive Behavior in Real Life? An Opposing View

A commonly accepted belief is that the violence depicted in television programs, particularly cartoons, has a negative impact on young children’s behavior. However, young children may be less inclined to emulate violent actions seen on television than currently thought. Research indicates that young children have limited comprehension of television content but relatively sophisticated moral reasoning. Children’s understanding of the immorality of violence on television and the distinction between reality and make-believe may mediate these effects, as may the comic aspect of cartoons they view. We review current research concerning the effects of cartoon violence on children’s moral understanding and behavior to with the goal of helping early childhood educators and parents make informed decisions about children’s television viewing.     

Lower limb muscle activity during table tennis strokes

This study aimed to compare the muscle activity of lower limbs across typical table tennis strokes. Fourteen high-level players participated in this study in which five typical strokes (backhand top, forehand top, forehand spin, forehand smash, flick) were analysed. Surface electromyography activity (EMG) of eight muscles was recorded (gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, gastrocnemius medialis, gastrocnemius lateralis, soleus) and normalised to the maximal activity measured during squat jump or isometric maximal voluntary contractions. The forehand spin, the forehand top and the forehand smash exhibited significant higher EMG amplitude when compared with other strokes. Both biceps femoris and gluteus maximus were strongly activated during the smash, forehand spin and forehand top (from 62.8 to 91.7% of maximal EMG activity). Both vastii and rectus femoris were moderately to strongly activated during the forehand spin (from 50.4 to 62.2% of maximal EMG activity) whereas gastrocnemii and soleus exhibited the highest level of activity during the smash (from 67.1 to 92.1% of maximal EMG activity). Our study demonstrates that offensive strokes, such as smash or forehand top, exhibit higher levels of activity than other strokes.     

The AGTR2 rs11091046 (A>C) polymorphism and power athletic status in top-level Brazilian athletes

The main purpose of this study was to investigate if the rs11091046 (A>C) polymorphism in AGTR2 gene is associated with athletic status in top-level athletes from Brazil. Since the AGTR2 gene is located on the X chromosome, the case-control association study was done separately for women and men. The female cohort was composed of 205 athletes and 241 non-athletes, and the male cohort was composed of 419 athletes and 490 non-athletes. We did not identify an association between the C-allele and the endurance phenotype. However, power athletes had a higher frequency of the A-allele. In women, A/A genotype was overrepresented in international-level power group compared with non-athletes or international-level endurance athletes (23.2% vs. 16.6% or 8.8%, respectively; p < 0.05). In men, the A-allele frequency observed in power athletes or international-level power athletes was statistically different from that observed in non-athletes (51.6% or 57.8% vs. 40.4%; p < 0.009). Furthermore, men sprinters with the A-allele showed significantly faster personal best times for the 100 m than those with the C-allele (10.56 ± 0.32 s vs. 10.93 ± 0.49 s; p < 0.02). In conclusion, it was found that the AGTR2 A-allele is a candidate genetic marker for top-level power athletes.     

Les repre´sentations des futurs enseignants que´becois du primaire au regard de la formation initiale et des responsabilite´s des formateurs

Dans cet article, nous faisons état des résultats d'une recherche menée auprès des divers intervenants du processus de formation initiale à l'enseignement préscolaire et primaire à l'Université de Sherbrooke. L'objectif de la recherche était de dégager les représentations sociales des diverses catégories d'intervenants au regard des concepts de compétence, de pédagogie et de didactique, ainsi que sur la place et les fonctions attribuées par les étudiants aux différents types de formateurs. Les résultats suggèrent que les étudiants ont des positions beaucoup plus rapprochées de celles des enseignants du primaire que de celles des formateurs universitaires. Ils montrent également plusieurs distinctions quant à l'attribution des compétences de formation aux divers types d'intervenants et quant aux lieux privilégiés de formation. Ces constats soulignent l'importance d'établir un dialogue plus étroit entre les divers partenaires de la formation initiale des futurs enseignants. In this paper, we present various results of a piece of research undertaken with different partners involved in the teacher education programme offered by the University of Sherbrooke (Canada). The main purpose of the research was to identify the place and role that should be taken by various categories of trainer. Our results suggest that students align their behaviour far more closely to that of serving teachers than they do to those of academics. Results also reveal many distinctions between students' categories about what are the specific competencies of the trainers as well as what is the best training context. These results confirm the importance that should be given to improving dialogue between the various partners in programmes of teacher education. En este artículo tratamos de los resultados de una investigación realizada con los varios actores del proceso de formación inicial docente al preescolar y al primario en la Universidad de Sherbrooke. El objectivo central de esta investigación era de indicar las representaciones sociales de dichas categorías de actores a propósito de los conceptos de competencia, de pedagogía y de didáctica, asíque el lugar y la función atribuida, de parte de los estudiantes, a las varias categorias de formadores. Segun los resultados de la investigación, las representaciones de los estudiantes quedan mucho mas cercanas de aquellas compartidas por los docentes del medio (preescolar y primario) que de las representaciones de los docentes universitarios. Se notan también muchas diferencias en terminos de reconocimiento de unas competencias a la formación y de lugares de formación mas importantes atribuidas a las varias categorias de formadores. Estos logros van en el sentido de mejorar el diálogo entre los varios partenarios de la formación de los docentes. In diesem Artikel stellen wir die Ergebnisse einer wissenschaftlichen Forschungsarbeit gegenüber verschiedener Intervenienten im Entwicklungsprozess der Grundausbildung in der Kindergartenausbildung sowie in der Grundschulausbildung auf der Universität von Sherbrooke vor. Vorhaben dieser Forschung war es die sozialen Vorstellungen der verschiedenen Kategorien von Interventienten gegenüber der Vorstellung von Kompetenz, Pädagogik und Didaktik, sowie die Stellung und Funktion verschiedener Ausbildungstypen hervorzuheben. Die Ergebnisse lassen darauf schliessen dass der Standpunkt der Studenten näher an den der Grundschullehrer herankommt als an den der Universitätsausbilder. Sie zeigen auch grundlegende Unterschiede in der Zuteilung der Kompetenzen der Ausbildung in den verschiedenen Interventionstypen sowie in den bevorteiligten Ausbildungsorten. Diese Feststellung unterstreicht die Wichtigkeit eines engeren Dialogs zwischen den verschiedenen Partnern der Grundausbildung des zukünftigen Lehrpersonals.     

Spatial learning by rats across visually disconnected environments

Experiments were designed in which some properties of spatial representations in rats could be examined. Adult subjects were trained to escape through a hole at a fixed position in a large circular arena (see Schenk, 1989). The experiments were conducted in the dark, with a limited number of controlled visual light cues, in order to assess the minimal cue requirement for place learning. Three light cues identical in shape, height, and distance from the table were used. Depending on the condition, they were either permanently on or alternatively on or off, contingent on the position of the rat in the field. Two questions were asked: (1) How many identical visual cues were necessary for spatial discrimination in the dark, and (2) could rats integrate the relative positions of separate cues, under conditions in which the rat was never allowed to perceive all three cues simultaneously. The results suggest that rats are able to achieve a place discrimination task even if the three cues necessary for efficient orientation can never be seen simultaneously. A dissociation between the discrimination of the spatial position of the goal and the capacity to reach it by a direct path suggests that, with a reduced number of cues, prolonged locomotion might be required for accurate orientation in the environment.     

Elite male field hockey players have symmetric isokinetic glenohumeral strength profiles,but show asymmetry in scapular muscle strength

Shoulders of elite field hockey players are loaded continuously during play. However, shoulder girdle muscle performance in this population has never been examined yet. This study aimed to compare isokinetic shoulder girdle performance in elite male field hockey players to matched controls, with respect to strength, endurance and muscle balance. The complete male national field hockey team of Belgium (n = 25) was included and matched to a gender- and age-matched control group of healthy participants (n = 25). A Biodex system-4 dynamometer was used to measure glenohumeral and scapular muscle strength at 2 velocities in a concentric/concentric mode. With the main outcome measures being isokinetic strength values, peak force (protraction-retraction), peak torque (rotations), fatigue index and agonist/antagonist ratio’s. Measurement results showed that elite male field hockey players were stronger than their matched controls, for both the rotational and the protraction-retraction movement. Concerning rotational strength, symmetrical findings were established, contrary to scapular strength, where side differences were noted. At low velocity, retraction peak force was higher on the dominant side. Protraction peak force was higher on the non-dominant side when measured at high velocity. In conclusion, elite field hockey players have a symmetrical rotational strength profile, in contrast to their scapular strength profile.