Search Results (5)

Background/Objectives: The current study compared Self-Figure drawings from Thai and Indian adolescents to assess the cross-cultural applicability of a child abuse assessment tool. The research aims to understand the extent to which distinctions or similarities arise in Self-Figure drawings among adolescents from two culturally similar yet distinct backgrounds characterized by differences in religious affiliations, socioeconomic contexts, and political environments. Methods: Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study utilized quantitative measures, including the Traumatic Events Checklist (TEQ-5) and Medical Somatic Dissociation Questionnaire (MSDQ), alongside a qualitative analysis of Self-Figure drawings. Ethical approval was obtained with waived informed consent, and a convenience sample of 386 adolescents aged 13–18 years (193 from Thailand [M = 14.8, SD = 1.73; 135 females (69.9%) and 58 males (30.1%)], and 193 from India [M = 15.2, SD = 1.64; 135 females (69.9%) and 58 males (30.1%)]), who reported experiencing child abuse, participated in the study by completing questionnaires and drawing themselves. Results: The analysis revealed that Thai adolescents had higher MSDQ scores, while Indian adolescents exhibited more prominent pictorial indicators. Indian participants reported experiencing a broader range of event types, whereas Thai adolescents predominantly depicted verbal or emotional abuse. Variations in pictorial indicators were found significant, except for hair, cheek or chin, omitted legs or feet, and omitted eyes. Conclusions: These findings contribute to the understanding of how cultural factors influence adolescents’ self-representations through drawing. The differences in pictorial indicators highlight the nuanced variations within similar cultures, emphasizing the cultural specificity of self-expression. Full article

The aim of this study was to shed light on the neural substrate of conceptual representations starting from the construct of higher-order convergence zones and trying to evaluate the unitary or non-unitary nature of this construct. We used the ‘Thematic and Taxonomic Semantic (TTS) task’ to investigate (a) the neural substrate of stimuli belonging to biological and artifact categories, (b) the format of stimuli presentation, i.e., verbal or pictorial, and (c) the relation between stimuli, i.e., categorial or contextual. We administered anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to different brain structures during the execution of the TTS task. Twenty healthy participants were enrolled and divided into two groups, one investigating the role of the anterior temporal lobes (ATL) and the other the temporo-parietal junctions (TPJ). Each participant underwent three sessions of stimulation to facilitate a control condition and to investigate the role of both hemispheres. Results showed that ATL stimulation influenced all conceptual representations in relation to the format of presentation (i.e., left-verbal and right-pictorial). Moreover, ATL stimulation modulated living categories and taxonomic relations specifically, whereas TPJ stimulation did not influence semantic task performances. Full article

Studies have reported that students find geometric optics topics difficult partly because of representations in textbooks. In Ethiopia, textbooks are the main source of content in schools. Therefore, a study of how textbooks present certain topics can shed light on students’ learning difficulties. This study specifically examines how image formation–observation is presented in Ethiopian textbooks and how these representations might be the possible causes of students’ learning difficulties. Sixth-, eighth-, and tenth-grade physics textbook chapters containing topics related to image were analyzed. The analysis followed a directed approach to qualitative content analysis. The results show that textbooks sometimes contain explanations that explicitly clarify pictorials and are consistently integrated. However, the textbooks also contain implicit, missing, and incorrect verbal representations as well as incomplete, selective, and patterned pictorial representations that are presented inconsistently. Moreover, the textbooks rarely show alternative representations that complement the problematic representations, hence limiting their misinterpretations. Students may intuitively interpret implicit, selective, and patterned representations that may not conform to scientific concepts. Similarly, incorrect, missing, and incomplete representations could be seen as a direct source of students’ misconceptions. The results suggest that authors and teachers of optics textbooks should be aware of students’ learning difficulties because of representations and should emphasize alternative representations. Full article

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the application of Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self-Measure (PRISM) in educating patients regarding oral health before endoprosthesis (EP). Methods: The study consisted of two parts: (I) a cross-sectional study, where patients received a PRISM interview, oral health briefing and oral examinations (treatment need, oral focus). (II) In an observational part, patients were randomly assigned to either PRISM task (Test) or flyer-based verbal briefing (Control). Before and after the interviews, patients answered a questionnaire regarding importance of oral health for EP. Results: (I) 122 patients were included. The distance between subject (“myself”) and objects (oral health issues or EP) in the PRISM task were mainly not associated with age, gender, and oral conditions. In part (II), 80 patients (PRISM: n = 40, Control: n = 40) were included. After the interview, the values for perceived relationship between EP and teeth (p < 0.01), EP and gums (p < 0.01), and EP and dental consultations (p < 0.01) significantly increased in both groups. Both groups perceived a high benefit of the interview and felt well educated. Conclusions: PRISM has comparable positive effects like a flyer-based verbal briefing. PRISM as a novel visual tool can support the patient education regarding oral health before EP. Full article

Over time, the view that creativity is embodied has emerged. In order to explore if visual creativity is supported by embodied mechanisms, the simulation approach was used as a framework of reference. The idea that visual creativity relies on mental representations that implement motor processes was faced. Participants were instructed to think aloud while carrying out the Creative Mental Synthesis Task, which allows to form pre-inventive structures and interpret them according to a specific category. Two independent judges scored verbal protocols in terms of the number of motor, spatial, and visual thoughts reported during the pre-inventive and inventive phases, and also evaluated the final objects according to originality and appropriateness. Originality was predicted positively by inventive motor thoughts and by pre-inventive spatial thoughts, but negatively by inventive spatial thoughts; appropriateness was only predicted by inventive visual thoughts. These results suggest that actions for future object utilization were simulated while interpreting pre-inventive structures, increasing originality of objects. In addition, spatial transformations are useful to construct the pre-inventive structures, but not to interpret them. Yet, thinking of the pictorial details of the object is also essential to classify it in a given category. Limitations and future research directions are discussed. Full article