scholarly journals Causal Mapping as a Teaching Tool for Reflecting on Causation in Human Evolution

Author(s):  
Susan Hanisch ◽  
Dustin Eirdosh

Abstract Teleological reasoning is viewed as a major hurdle to evolution education, and yet, eliciting, interpreting, and reflecting upon teleological language presents an arguably greater challenge to the evolution educator and researcher. This article argues that making explicit the role of behavior as a causal factor in the evolution of particular traits may prove productive in helping students to link their everyday experience of behavior to evolutionary changes in populations in ways congruent with scientific perspectives. We present a teaching tool, used widely in other parts of science and science education, yet perhaps underutilized in human evolution education—the causal map—as a novel direction for driving conceptual change in the classroom about the role of organism behavior and other factors in evolutionary change. We describe the scientific and conceptual basis for using such causal maps in human evolution education, as well as theoretical considerations for implementing the causal mapping tool in human evolution classrooms. Finally, we offer considerations for future research and educational design.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Hanisch ◽  
Dustin EIrdosh

Teleological reasoning is viewed as a major hurdle to evolution education, and yet, eliciting, interpreting, and reflecting upon teleological language presents an arguably greater challenge to the evolution educator and researcher. This article argues that making explicit the role of behavior as a causal factor in the evolution of particular traits may prove productive in helping students to link their everyday experience of behavior to evolutionary changes in populations in ways congruent with scientific perspectives. We present a teaching tool, used widely in other parts of science and science education, yet perhaps underutilized in human evolution education - the causal map - as a novel direction for driving conceptual change in the classroom about the nature of evolutionary change. After describing the scientific and conceptual basis for using such causal maps in human evolution education, we describe a classroom intervention within the context of a larger Design-Based Implementation Research (DBIR) project. An overview of the teacher-researcher collaborative design process and preliminary results from classroom interventions using causal maps within a human evolution unit are described. Initial results of the interventions indicate that causal maps allow students to make visible their causal reasoning about complex processes in human evolution, and can facilitate classroom reflection and conceptual change. Based on these insights, we offer considerations for future research and educational design.


2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-50
Author(s):  
Julien Delhez

Abstract The present essay compares two books dealing with the evolution of human mental abilities. Agustín Fuentes’ The Creative Spark focuses on creativity. Fuentes argues that creativity is the central element that makes human uniqueness, and highlights continuity between modern examples of creativity and early forms of human creative behaviour. Mark Maslin’s The Cradle of Humanity discusses the role of East Africa’s climate in increasing the intelligence of humans. To understand this role, Maslin combines geological and climatic data with the latest discoveries in human evolution and palaeontology. The essay compares the books’ content as well as their tone, and concludes on whether they might inspire future research on human evolution.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1335-1355
Author(s):  
Stefan Schulte-Holthaus ◽  
Andreas Kuckertz

PurposeNon-entrepreneurial passions may be the beginning of an extensive entrepreneurial journey. However, current passion theories cannot fully capture the essence of such passions and their effects. The purpose of this study is to explore and explain the real-life composition of passion and performance.Design/methodology/approachThe investigation was conducted with comparative causal mapping (CCM) on a qualitative sample of people we designate rock “n” roll entrepreneurs (i.e. individuals driven by a passion for music and who are successful both artistically and economically). Aggregated causal maps of passion elicited through semi-structured interviews were analyzed and contrasted with performance indicators.FindingsPassion is revealed to be an individual phenomenon, one composed of central and peripheral concepts that include—contrary to prior theories—personality traits and life contexts. Furthermore, the results suggest that the concordance of concepts determines the scope, degree and performance of passion.Research limitations/implicationsThis study complements prevailing passion theories in psychology and entrepreneurship. As a context-bound study, the generalizability of the results is limited to its context, which, however, paves a clear way for future research.Practical implicationsCreative economy entrepreneurs and educators can use the mechanism of concordance to consciously reflect passion-driven tensions between artistic, social and entrepreneurial demands and to translate passion into behavioral effectiveness.Originality/valueThis study is the first to use a CCM approach to investigate passion. Findings highlight the potential to research entrepreneurial phenomena at the intersection of emotion, cognition and action.


2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 155-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peizhen Sun ◽  
Jennifer J. Chen ◽  
Hongyan Jiang

Abstract. This study investigated the mediating role of coping humor in the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and job satisfaction. Participants were 398 primary school teachers in China, who completed the Wong Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, Coping Humor Scale, and Overall Job Satisfaction Scale. Results showed that coping humor was a significant mediator between EI and job satisfaction. A further examination revealed, however, that coping humor only mediated two sub-dimensions of EI (use of emotion and regulation of emotion) and job satisfaction. Implications for future research and limitations of the study are discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-38
Author(s):  
Daniel Hummel

A small but growing area of public administration scholarship appreciates the influence of religious values on various aspects of government. This appreciation parallels a growing interest in comparative public administration and indigenized forms of government which recognizes the role of culture in different approaches to government. This article is at the crossroads of these two trends while also considering a very salient region, the Islamic world. The Islamic world is uniquely religious, which makes this discussion even more relevant, as the nations that represent them strive towards legitimacy and stability. The history and core values of Islam need to be considered as they pertain to systems of government that are widely accepted by the people. In essence, this is being done in many countries across the Islamic world, providing fertile grounds for public administration research from a comparative perspective. This paper explores these possibilities for future research on this topic.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-102
Author(s):  
Tasnim Rehna ◽  
Rubina Hanif ◽  
Muhammad Aqeel

Background: Widespread social paradigms on which the status variances are grounded in any society, gender plays pivotal role in manifestation of mental health problems (Rutter, 2007). A hefty volume of research has addressed the issue in adults nonetheless, little is vividly known about the role of gender in adolescent psychopathology. Sample: A sample of 240 adolescents (125 boys, 115 girls) aging 12-18 years was amassed from various secondary schools of Islamabad with the approval of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), relevant authorities of the schools and the adolescents themselves. Instruments: Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale (Taylor & Spence, 1953) and Children’s Negative Cognitive Errors Questionnaire (CNCEQ) by Leitenberg et al., (1986) were applied in present study. Results: Multiple regression analysis revealed that cognitive errors jointly accounted for 78% of variance in predicting anxiety among adolescents. Findings also exhibited that gender significantly moderated the relationship between cognitive errors and adolescent anxiety. Implications of the findings are discoursed for future research and clinical practice.


2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 130-133
Author(s):  
Astra Zviedre ◽  
Arnis Engelis ◽  
Mohit Kakar ◽  
Aigars Pētersons

Potential Role of Cytokines in Children with Acute Appendicitis and Acute Mesenteric Lymphadenitis Although, AAP and AML have different etiological factors, clinical symptoms are very much similar but treatment tactics in both the disease differ a lot. In case of AML, treatment is more conservative and does not require hospitalization while in case of AAP immediate hospitalization and maybe further surgery can be mandatory. With the identification of group of cytokines serum inflammatory mediators IL-8, IL-10, IL-12[p70], IL-17, TNF-a and MCP-1, it is believed early and proper diagnosis of AAP in the near future. Research of cytokines-serum inflammatory mediators has opened new opportunities for an early detection and differentiation of these two diseases in children.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 860-865
Author(s):  
Sedigheh Tavakoli-Dastjerdi ◽  
Mandana Tavakkoli-Kakhki ◽  
Ali R. Derakhshan ◽  
Azam Teimouri ◽  
Malihe Motavasselian

Background: Anal fissure (AF) is a common disease associated with severe pain and reduced quality of life. Factors related to lifestyle, including diet and bowel habits, play a pivotal role in its pathogenesis. Most of the chronic fissures are not responsive to drugs and more likely to recur. Given the significance of diet in Persian medicine (PM), investigation on physiopathology and appropriate foods can be useful for decreases in AF symptoms and consequences. Objective: This study was intended to evaluate the role of diet in the formation and progression of AF from the perspective of PM. Methods: In this study, the most important resources of PM dating back to thousands of years were reviewed. All these textbooks contained a section on AF, its causes, and treatment. Further analysis was performed on these resources in comparison with databank and resources of modern medicine to develop a food-based strategy for AF management. Results: From the view of PM, the warmth and dryness of anus temperament accounted for AF. Both Persian and modern medicine identified constipation as another cause for AF. Therefore, avoidance from some foods and commercial baked goods was recommended. Both Persian and modern medicine forbad the following foods: potato, cabbage, cauliflower, pasta, beef, fish, and so forth. High fiber and oligo-antigen diets with some limitations have garnered more attention. Conclusion: An integrative approach is recommended employing both Persian and modern medicine for AF. There have been some evidence in this regard, however standardized clinical trials are required for future research.


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