Broadening the mind: Beneficial effects of sojourn experiences and contact with visiting international students on prospective teachers’ motivation to avoid prejudiced behavior

Opportunities for intergroup contact are particularly important for prospective teachers because they bear responsibility for an ethnically diverse student population. Using data from a sample of 330 students inscribed in Austrian university colleges of teacher education, we investigated the long-term effects of international student exchange on prospective teachers’ motivation to avoid prejudiced behavior (MAPB). Both sojourning and domestic students’ friendships with visiting international students (VIS) were evaluated as potential instances of naturally occurring intergroup contact that can affect students’ MAPB. Sojourning students had an increased MAPB even nine months after returning to their home country. No effect was found for domestic students’ friendships with VIS. Possibly, the quality of these friendships was insufficient to result in long-term prejudice reduction. Implications of these results are discussed, and the need to advance interventions that are appropriate to improve domestic students’ contact with VIS is ascertained.     

Research on multiculturalism in Canada

Canada announced a policy of multiculturalism in 1971. The goal of the policy was to improve the quality of intercultural relations. Two main elements of the policy were proposed as steps towards achieving this goal: support for the maintenance and development of cultural communities (the cultural component); and promotion of intercultural contact along with the reduction of barriers to such participation (the intercultural component). Research on these issues can provide a basis for the development and implementation of multiculturalism policies and programmes. A review of psychological research on multiculturalism over the past 40 years is summarised. Topics include: knowledge about the multiculturalism policy; acceptance of multiculturalism; acceptance of ethnocultural groups; acceptance of immigrants; discrimination and exclusion; and attachment and identity. Research assessing three hypotheses derived from the policy is also briefly reviewed. Current evidence is that there is widespread support for these features of the multicultural way of living in Canada. Of particular importance for the success of multiculturalism is the issue of social cohesion: is the first component (the promotion of cultural diversity) compatible with the second component (the full and equitable participation and inclusion of all ethnocultural groups in civic society)? If they are compatible, together do they lead to the attainment of the fundamental goal of attaining positive intercultural relations? Current psychological evidence suggests that these two components are indeed compatible, and that when present, they are associated with mutual acceptance among ethnocultural groups in Canada. I conclude that research in Canada supports the continuation of the multiculturalism policy and programmes that are intended to improve intercultural relations.     

Measurement of contact forces on a kayak ergometer with a sliding footrest–seat complex

Kinematic analysis is done by measurement of the position of bodies, followed by differentiation to get the accelerations of the centres of mass, and it is widely used in sport research. Another common approach is to measure the forces directly. Our intention here is to perform both a kinematic and a kinetic analysis of the same athlete-equipment system, in this case an athlete on a sliding kayak ergometer, with the aim of exploring the errors that may occur with each measurement type. The kayak ergometer with a sliding trolley, instrumented by seven uniaxial force sensors and two goniometers, was placed in a filming area. The instrumentation was validated in the direction of the anteroposterior axis using Newton’s second law. Ten athletes paddled at 92 strokes per minute, following a stationary phase. The comparison between the net force and the time-derivative of the linear momentum indicated a friction level of about 20 N between the trolley and the frame. Other errors came mainly from the inertial parameters of the trunk. A first analysis of contact forces shows a large inter-subject variability, in particular for the forces applied to the footrest and the seat.     

Examining the effect of perceived group norms on the indirect relationship between intergroup contact and anti-Muslim prejudice among white Americans

Prior studies have found that normative group pressure plays a significant role in shaping prejudice-related attitudes. The present paper examined the role of perceived group norms on the indirect relationship between intergroup contact and anti-Muslim prejudice in a cross-sectional sample of 428 non-Hispanic White American adults, the racial group with the strongest anti-Muslim sentiment. To begin, we tested the indirect relationship between intergroup contact and anti-Muslim prejudice via perceived realistic and symbolic threats as well as intergroup anxiety. Next, we tested whether these mediation effects were conditional on whether group norms were perceived as tolerant or intolerant. We employed Process Macro to test these hypotheses. Our data confirmed (partial) mediation of the contact-prejudice relationship via threat perceptions and intergroup anxiety. Moreover, the moderated mediation analysis showed that while the mediation effects of threat perceptions were not conditional on perceived group norms, the mediation effect of intergroup anxiety was. Specifically, for respondents with perceived intolerant norms, negative intergroup contact demonstrated a stronger relationship with anti-Muslim prejudice through intergroup anxiety compared to respondents with perceived tolerant norms. Furthermore, given the possible bidirectionality of the contact-prejudice relationship, we tested an alternative model examining whether perceived intolerant norms mediate the effect of prejudice on contact. Our data supported this hypothesis, fitting a model that prejudice creates the intolerant group norms that in turn leads to negative contact with Muslims. The alternative model in fact showed a better fit to the data than the proposed model. This study advances theories of contact, integrated threats, and group norm theory to the context of intergroup relations with Muslims. Our findings provide support for the notion of changing the normative climate, and equally promoting positive intergroup contact, with the goal of enhancing relations between Muslim and non-Muslim individuals.     

对我国男篮身体接触对抗问题的研究

运用文献资料法、调查法、观察法、逻辑法对决定身体接触对抗能力的主要因素和我国男篮身体接触对抗能力不足及其原因进行了分析,并提出提高中国男篮身体对抗能力的一些建议。     

Effect of proximal contact strength on the three-dimensional displacements of implant-supported cantilever fixed partial dentures under axial loading

Objective

This study investigated the effect of proximal contact strength on the three-dimensional displacements of cantilever fixed partial denture (CFPD) under vertically concentrated loading with digital laser speckle (DLS) technique.

Methods

Fresh mandible of beagle dog was used to establish the implant-supported CFPD for specimen. DLS technique was employed for measuring the three-dimensional displacement of the prosthesis under vertically concentrated loading ranging from 200 to 3 000 g. The effect of the contact tightness on the displacement of CFPD was investigated by means of changing the contact tightness.

Results

When an axial concentrated loading was exerted on the pontic of the implant-supported CFPD, the displacement of the CFPD was the greatest. The displacement of the prosthesis decreased with the increase of contact strength. When the contact strength was 0, 0.95, and 3.25 N, the displacement of the buccolingual direction was smaller than that of the mesiodistal direction but greater than that of the occlusogingival direction. When the force on the contact area was 6.50 N, the mesiodistal displacement of the prosthesis was the biggest while the buccolingual displacement was the smallest.

Conclusions

The implant-supported CFPD is an effective therapy for fully or partially edentulous patients. The restoration of the contact area and the selection of the appropriate contact strength can reduce the displacement of the CFPD, and get a better stress distribution. The most appropriate force value is 3.25 N in this study.     

关于齿轮传动设计中齿数对传动强度影响的探讨

阐述了齿数Z对齿轮强度的影响，通过分析可使设计在设计过程中，能够优化地选择齿数，使设计结果更加合理，满足不同场合的工作需要。     

“I’m Demi and I Have Bipolar Disorder”: Effect of Parasocial Contact on Reducing Stigma Toward People With Bipolar Disorder

Examining celebrity influence, participants (N = 594) completed an experiment to see if negative stereotypes toward bipolar disorder could be reduced as a function of mode of disease disclosure from a celebrity (Demi Lovato) diagnosed with the condition. Respondents were randomly assigned to view one of three conditions where the celebrity discusses her battle with bipolar disorder (or a comparison message). Measures assessing parasocial relationship (PSR), level of parasocial interaction (PSI), transportation, social distance towards, and negative stereotypes about people with bipolar disorder were used. Social distance and negative stereotypes toward people with bipolar disorder reduced significantly following exposure to Demi Lovato’s disclosure about the disease via either TV/magazine interview. Implications of results for how celebrity disease disclosures may help reduce stigma toward bipolar condition are discussed.     

论学习交往的教育意义、分类及对策

交往是人们普遍的存在方式和发展方式;教育作为一种促进人的发展的特殊社会实践活动,更典型地体现了人类活动的这种特点。因而教育不仅是要学生学会维持其生存和发展的知识技能,更需要使学生学会与人交往。在教育视野中,不仅要注意“交往”的工具性价值,同样应看到它的目的性价值,即把交往当作学生学习的目的,只有这样才能培养出全面和谐发展的人。     

Analysis of tensioned membrane structures considering cable sliding

In routine design of tensioned membrane st ructures, the membrane is gen erally modeled using space membrane elements and the cables by space cable eleme nts, with no sliding allowed between the membrane and the cables. On the other h and, large deflections are expected and sliding between the membrane and the cab les is inevitable. In the present paper, the general finite element code ABAQUS was employed to investigate the influence of cable sliding on membrane surface o n the structural behavior. Three analysis models were devised to fulfill this pu rpose: (1) The membrane element shares nodes with the cable element; (2) The cab le can slide on the membrane surface freely (without friction) and (3) The cable can slide on the membrane surface, but with friction between the cable and the membrane. The sliding problem is modeled using a surface-based contact algorithm . The results from three analysis models are compared, showing that cable slidin g has only little influence on the structure shape and on the stress distributio ns in the membrane. The main influence of cable sliding may be its effect on the dynamic behavior of tensioned membrane structures.