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Anthropos 3-4 (211-212) 2008
PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH: SELF-CONCEPT
AND SELF-PERCEPTION
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Article deals with the so far less researched relation between self-concept and competition. The stereotype that competition is a non-welcomed motive, which hinders the individual or a group psychological development, and renders impossible the restoration of qualitative interpersonal relations, is rejected in present research. The areas of competition that originate from the research of relations between competition and self-concept are investigated. Article distinguishes between hyper-competition and competition as a personal growth, which is important for development of positive and stable self-concept. 464 students from Slovenia, Serbia and Spain participated in the study (their average age was 19), and they were answering questions on self-concept, competition, and school motivation. Based on various multivariate analyses the multidimensional model of self-concept and competition is presented in conclusion. The model is suggested to split into five independent areas, one is regarded to present self-concept, two of them are meant to present motivation, and the last two the competition. They are supposed to deepen their structure.
Key words: self-concept, hyper-competition, competition as a personal growth, school motivation, multidimensional model
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In actual research, we tried to analyse mutual national perceptions between Slovene and Italian participants. Eleven different target groups participated in the research, which were later classified into seven/ four/ subgroups: Group 1 = Slovene students of psychology; Group 2 = Slovene students of sociology; Group 3 = Italian students from Gorizia - ISIG; Group 4 = Slovene gymnasium from Trieste; Group 5 = Slovene pedagogical high school from Trieste; Group 6 = Slovene technical high school from Trieste; Group 7 = Italian pupils from Trieste; Group 8 = Slovene pupils from Koper- Capodistria; Group 9 = Italian minority (pupils) from Koper-Capodistria and Piran; Group 10 = Slovene pupils from Nova Gorica; Group 11 = Slovene pupils from Gorizia/Italy. Menitoned 11 groups were divided into a/ seven and b/ four subgroups: Ad a: Group 1 = Slovene pupils from Koper-Capodistria and Nova Gorica; Group 2 = Slovene pupils from Trieste; Group 3 = Italian pupils from Trieste; Group 4 = Italian pupils from Koper-Capodistria; Group 5 = Slovene students of psychology and sociology from Ljubljana; Group 6 = Slovene pupils from Gorizia ; Group 7 = Italian students of ISIG Gorizia/Italy. - Ad b/ Group 1 = Slovenes from Slovenia; Group 2 = Slovene minority from Italia; Group 3 = Italians from Italy; Group 4 = Italian minority from Slovenia.
All together 545 pupils and students participated in the research, about 33 % females and 67 % males, with average age about 18 years and half. Mostly originally constructed questionnaire was applied, together with Rokeach list of values, evaluation of Slovenes and Italians, perceptions of similarity of each of both national groups with other nations and perceived degree of own psychosocial needs satisfaction. One way analysis of variance for the factor with 11 target groups was found as significant for each dependent variable (evaluation of Italians, of Slovenians and of own needs satisfaction), evaluation of Italians having the greatest number of significant post hoc pair differences. Results of two way analysis in the case of factors “sex” and (national) “groups” showed significant effects of “sex” for evaluation of Italians, significant effects of “group” for each dependent variable and significant interactive effect for perceived degree of own needs satisfaction. Discriminant analysis so in the case of 11, as in the case of 4 groups on the level of the first and the most important discriminant function showed significant and the highest contribution of the evaluation of Slovenians for the discrimination between the groups.
Key words: national perceptions and stereotypes, evaluation of Slovenians and Italians, values, values, perceived degree of own psychosocial needs, Slovene and Italian participants.
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In the actual contribution, which is the part of much more comprehensive research, which had occupied with social representations and organizational culture in Slovene army, we were interested above all into the questions: a/ how, by particular different groups of employed in the Slovene army, perceived degree of realization of instrumental and terminal values (Rokeach) is correlated with evaluation of social climate in the army and with perceived degree of own psychosocial needs satisfaction (Cronbach alpha > 0.05). We were also interested into the relation between particular objective status characteristics (sex and category of employed) on one side and chosen evaluations and beliefs on the other side (variables like ad a/ with additional beliefs into the possible success of female engagement in the work in Slovene army). - Evaluations and beliefs ad a/ and ad b/ represent a group of variables in different multivariate approaches in the present research. From 7126 employed in the Slovenian army, 10% quota sample ( = 730 members of the army organization, 615 male and 115 female members) participated in the research. There were 14.8% of participants in age category up to 30 years, 49.3% between 31 and 45 years and 14.8% between 46 and 60 years. There were 54 civilians in the army, 72 military employees, 272 soldiers, 196 junior officers and 133 officers. Perceived degree of own psychosocial needs satisfaction relatively the most frequently significantly correlates with the perceived degree of realization of military, instrumental and terminal values, while relatively less frequently correlates by the groups of civilians and civil employees in the Slovene army. So for single dependent variables “evaluation of social climate” and “perceived own psychosocial needs satisfaction”, null hypothesis was accepted for effect of “sex” and “category of employment”, while its interaction was found significant only in the case of evaluation of social climate. So multivariate analysis of variance, as complementary discriminate analysis confirmed significant multivariate effects. Regardless the fact, if group of variables are treated as the dependent one/s (multivariate analysis of variance), or as group of predictors (discriminate analysis) with category of employees as dependent criterion classifying variable, so univariate option for multivariate analysis of variance, as inspection of structure matrix for discriminate analysis confirms “perceived degree of own psychosocial needs satisfaction” as variable, with the most significant role for differentiation between four groups of employees in Slovenian army, which, in the same time, represent one of the basic structural aspects of Slovene military organization.
Key words: Slovenian army, values, social climate, needs’ satisfaction, women in army
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This cross-cultural study aimed to investigate the effects of fashion media and different socio-demographic factors (gender, socio-economical status, parent’s education, place of living, BMI) on body image and body ideals in the group of Slovenian and Serbian university students. There were found some differences in body perception between the two national groups. The results indicated that only some factors (gender, parent’s education, BMI, fashion medias) had an influence on body image and it was concluded that frequency of fashion media exposure has no direct impact on someone’s body dissatisfaction.
Key words: body image, body ideals, fashion media, body mass index, socio-demographic factors, national-ethnical groups
SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCHES: SOCIAL CLIMATE, LEADERSHIP AND VALUES
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The main purpose of the research was the comparison of the chosen characteristics of social climate and organizational culture in the third classes of two high schools (a/ for “chemistry” and b/ for “print and paper”) in Ljubljana. The following number of the pupils participated in the following periods: 128 pupils in the year 1990, 173 pupils in 2003 and 228 pupils in the year 2006/ 07. Originally constructed questionnaire was applied, which tried to integrate so individual with social/ group aspects, as subjective with objective aspects of social climate (authors V.S. Rus and M. Rus – Makovec). Significant correlations were found, in each particular period, between perceived social climate and the following single variables: perceived discipline at the school, learning motivation, evaluation of interpersonal relationships and perceived tensions and pressures at the schools. In the year 1990, the pupils significantly higher evaluated their learning motivation, but significantly lower interpersonal relations between the pupils than in other periods of testing. In 1990, they perceived significantly more pression and tensions at their schools and manifested significantly more intense desire for the change on the field of relations pupils vs. school leadership. Results of ANOVA show significant differences in evaluation of organizational climate, (with the most positive in the year 2007), but no significant differences between the periods were found in the evaluation of the climate in the classroom.
Key words: high school, social/ organizational climate, comparative analysis (1990 – 2003 – 2007), school culture
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The most general problem of our research is the question, if chosen social representations and their chosen more specific aspects (perception, evaluation, belief connecting family, own leadership style, leadership style in Slovene economy, own life style, belief in “just world”) significantly differ regarding particular target student groups, mostly from University of Ljubljana. Following groups of students were included into the research: 1 = students from Faculty for economy from Ljubljana; 2 = students from Faculty for machines from Ljubljana; 3 = students from the faculty for the management from Koper/ Capodistria; 4 = students from the Faculty for law from Ljubljana; 5 = students of sociology form the Faculty of arts from Ljubljana;
6 = students of psychology from Faculty of arts from Ljubljana; all together 269 subjects were included into the research, n = 175 of them females and n = 94 males.
Comprehensive and mostly originally constructed questionnaire with different sub – questionnaires was applied, containing Rokeach value list with correspondent perception of realization of particular value, questionnaire about “just world” (Dalbert and Montana), Hofstede’s value questionnaire and scales toward different managerial aspects and levels.
Verification of hypothesis about correlations between perceived degree of realization of instrumental/ terminal values on one side and particular socio – value orientations on the other side for each group of participants showed also different trends of correlations, which represent a kind of profile of socio – value orientations, characteristic for particular group.
Mentioned profiles are different in different groups. Belief in just world significantly differ between “faculties”, but we found neither significant effect of sex, nor significant interactive effect between “sex” and “type of faculty”. On the level of the first and the only significant discriminate function, to the discrimination between the groups mostly contribute predictors “belief in just world” and “evaluation of own leadership style”.
Key words: values, social orientations/ representations, perception of leadership, self, just world, own family; different student groups.
PHILOSOPHY RESEARCH:
INTERCULTURAL, ANTI-MODERNITY, TEACHING
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The article deals with the Asian philosophers and Whitehead’s philosophy, possibilities of intercultural philosophy and transcendence of the classical philosophical methods which build on the religious delusions and appraisal of the Greek-Judeo- Christian paradigm as the pillar of “Western” civilization. Philosophical Daoism challenges the ways of searching for truth and reality. The legendary author of the Dao de jing, Lao Zi, as well as Zhuang Zi and Lie Zi developed ways of liberating understanding of nature and oneself and did not support any obsessive and objective verifications of truth.
Key words: intercultural philosophy, pluralism, Daoism, Whitehead.
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The purpose of the paper is to evaluate, from the perspective of the upper secondary school curriculum, the development of philosophy syllabus from content-oriented in the year 1991 towards process-oriented in 1998 and 2005. The overall objective of the philosophy syllabus is to encourage pupils to ask their own questions and to analyse philosophical texts in order to promote creative and critical thinking. The current syllabus is the most comprehensive since it is broken down to general and specific objectives according to modules A, B and C. It also contains teachers’ instructions. It has kept the number of hours and its constructivist didactical basis. The whole philosophy syllabus offers a systematic approach to philosophy and an overview of philosophical disciplines (epistemology, anthropology, ethics, aesthetics and metaphysic). Thus the previously cumbersome historical approach to teaching philosophy has been readjusted.
The paper argues that philosophy teachers should consider in their teaching both special didactics for philosophy and the philosophy of teaching. This means that they should ask their pupils questions in various ways, such as Socrates-Plato way, Kant way, Hegel way and Heidegger way. Thus they would motivate pupils to learn as if they were trying to resolve the world problems. The paper favours questioning in accordance to B. McCarthy’s 4MAT model. This model is multifunctional and provides for an efficient interpersonal communication and encourages pupils to ask questions.
Key words: special didactics, syllabus, process-oriented curriculum, questions, philosophy of teaching philosophy.
HUMANISM
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In the article, the humanism is founded by proving from the side our original philosophical anthropology. The human being is, among all known beings of the universe, permanently the most uncertain and unstable being. Just contrary, up to date, different philosophies theorized, that the human good is founded on something, what is (anthropologically and cosmically) the most certain/stable. Our analysis of humanism is just the contrary: human being urgently needs humanistic ideals, moral norms and different values just because it’s the most uncertain, the most oscillating and the most vulnerable being in the whole known cosmos. Human ideals, norms and values only facilitate, but never assure their original and effortful exit of human individuals and groups from their complex life situations. Persuasive proofs confirm that greater good for the majority of contemporary and future generations is not only a fantasy, but also a real possibility. In a big multitude of about billion people in contemporary developed countries in the last hundred years great and multisided biological, educational, social and economic progress was obtained. Human duty of the yet more profound development of multisided human personality is not at all formed in ideology or in fantasy - it is experientially strongly founded on all human history and persuasively proved in billions of productive processes and products of all the sorts. The most characteristic human humanistic micro processes of human potentials, which are in every individual, are socially evident and verifiable in the creative processes and their results of the billions of individuals. The concept of multisidnedness dominates already one hundred or more years in the structures of all civilized parliaments, governments, in education and in media. The basis fundament of the multisidnedness of all the people are already in previous millennia developed different autonomous and complementary physical processes, like perceptions (off all sensory modes), representation, discursive thinking with abstraction, generalization, conclusion, intuition, recognition, conceiving, purposes, ideas, ideations, fantasies, emotions, evaluation and motivation, instincts, will, decision, opinions, beliefs, hypothetical approach, habit, inclination, intellect, mind, structures of different physical/ mental characteristics, character, communication, language, psychical opposition, dreams, dreaming, meditation, myths, experience, memory, knowledge, learning etc. Human whole/ holistic and physical multisidnedness have been proved by: Aristotle’s Nikomah’s ethic, Bible, cannons, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, several thousand years lasting myths and lullabies of all the nations, Kant’s Critics of judging power, Scheler’s, Masaryk’s and Fromm’s philosophy and, particularly, General declaration of the human rights of the UN.
Key words: essential human uncertainty (as basis of humanism); reality of human multisidednes in billions of creative acts; multisided realization in the structures of parliaments, governments and media, human multisided ness, Aristotle, Bible, religious cannons, Kant, Masaryk, Scheler, General declaration of the human rights of the UN.
DIMENSIONS OF SPIRITUALITY
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Since the beginnings, the mankind is characterized by religious, spiritual and transcendental experience. This experience attracted the interests of many authors during the period of modern psychology and cognitive science, yet it has a rather short history of empirical research. Only recently, the concept of spiritual intelligence (SI) has been more widely promoted in psychology. In the first, theoretical part of the article the major domains and directions in the research of spiritual and related phenomena in psychology, cognitive psychology and neuroscience are outlined. In the second part, the main results of our own empirical research have been reported including the analyses of the structure of the SI and the analyses of the relationships between SI and religiosity, human values, personality dimensions, and well-being.
Key words: Spirituality, spiritual intelligence, values, personality, psychological well-being
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