“Touch Me If You Can!”: Individual Differences in Disease Avoidance and Social Touch

The threat of diseases varies considerably among individuals, and it has been found to be linked to various proactive or reactive behaviors. In the present studies, we investigated the impact of individual differences in the perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD) on social touch before (Study 1) or during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (Study 2). We also investigated the influence of personality traits in the covariation between these two dimensions. We found that people who are the most disease-avoidant are also the most reluctant to touching or being touched by others (and this relationship holds when personality traits are taken into account). Interestingly, the association between PVD and social touch increased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with a few months before. By showing that the fear of contamination has an association with social touch, the findings provide further evidence for the behavioral immune system ( Schaller and Park, 2011 ), a psychological system acting as a first line of defense against pathogens.

Development of the Psychological System of Pedagogical Abilities of Students – Future Primary School Teachers

Introduction. Psychological and pedagogical support for the professionalization of a teacher should be based on modern knowledge in the development of pedagogical abilities. The most popular strategy for studying abilities is still the analytical approach, which does not allow to consider abilities as a holistic, continuously developing psychological education. The purpose of the article is to present the results of research into the development of the psychological system of pedagogical abilities of students – future primary school teachers in the context of continuous pedagogical education at secondary school, pedagogical college and pedagogical university. Materials and Methods. The survey involved 201 subjects, including students of the pedagogical class (n = 15), students of the vocational pedagogical college (n = 82), students of the pedagogical university (n = 104). In order to study the psychological system of pedagogical abilities, test methods, questionnaires, self-assessment scales, as well as an analysis of indicators of academic performance were used. The analysis of the psychological system of abilities was made by using systemic indices (coherence, divergence, organization), assessing the homogeneity/ heterogeneity of structures, identifying the basic and leading components of the system. Results. The uneven development of the psychological system of pedagogical abilities at different levels of pedagogical education was shown. It has been established that the development of the system of pedagogical abilities during the period of study at school, college and university cannot be characterized as continuous. Students of the pedagogical class are characterized by a higher organization of the ability system than those in college and university; for college students – their continuous restructuring and a decrease in organization by the end of their studies; for university students – a more stable and progressively developing system of abilities. Qualitative differences in the structural organization of the system are determined by the different contributions of the types of abilities (individual, subjective, personal) to its functioning and achievement of academic results. The organization of the system of abilities of schoolchildren is largely determined by the abilities of an individual, college students – by the abilities of a subject of activity and personality, university students – by the abilities of an individual. Discussion and Conclusion. The conclusions formulated in the research paper serve the basis for the organization of special activities on the purposeful formation of the system of pedagogical abilities in the conditions of continuous pedagogical education.

Individual differences in proactive interference in rats (Rattus Norvegicus)

Individual differences in behaviors are seen across many species, and investigations have focused on traits linked to aggression, risk taking, emotionality, coping styles, and differences in cognitive systems. The current study investigated whether there were individual differences in proactive interference tasks in rats (Rattus Norvegicus), and tested hypotheses suggesting that these tasks should load onto a single factor and there should be clusters of rats who perform well or poorly on these tasks. The performance of 39 rats was tested across three learning tasks that all involved disengagement from an irrelevant previously learned stimulus to a relevant stimulus: latent inhibition (LI), partial reinforcement extinction effect (PREE), and reversal learning (RL). An exploratory factor analysis revealed the existence of one factor underlying performance. A cluster analysis revealed the existence of sets of rats displaying either weak LI and strong PREE and RL effects, or vice versa. These findings suggest that proactive interference may be based on a single underlying psychological system in rats.

Deceptive affection is strategically expressed under relational threat—but not towards partners with low mate value

Drawing on data from 1,993 participants, we demonstrated that deceptive affectionate messages (DAMs; e.g., faking sexual pleasure, expressing affection when feeling negatively) are the behavioral output of an evolved psychological system that strategically operates to maintain significant pair bonds (i.e., high mate value partners)—but not non-significant pair bonds (i.e., low mate value partners)—and regulates the expression of this behavioral output depending on an underlying cost-benefit ratio. This system is uniquely and nonrandomly designed to increasingly generate DAMs when the target individual’s highly-valued partnership is under relational threat and increasingly withdraw DAMs when the highly-valued partnership is not under threat—but neither increasingly generate nor withdraw DAMs for non-valuable partnerships—to maximize the benefits afforded by valuable romantic partnerships.

Is the biological adaptiveness of delusions doomed?

Delusions are usually considered as harmful and dysfunctional beliefs, one of the primary symptoms of a psychiatric illness and the mark of madness in popular culture. However, in recent times a much more positive role has been advocated for delusions. More specifically, it has been argued that delusions might be an (imperfect) answer to a problem rather than problems in themselves. By delivering psychological and epistemic benefits, delusions would allow people who face severe biological or psychological difficulties to survive in their environment - although this has obvious epistemic costs, as the delusion is fixed and irresponsive to compelling counterevidence. In other words, it has been argued that delusions are biologically adaptive. The adaptiveness of delusions has been compared by Ryan McKay and Daniel Dennett to a shear pin, a mechanism installed in the drive engine of some machines which is designed to shear whenever the machine is about to break down. By breaking, shear pins prevent the machine from collapsing and allow it to keep functioning, although in an impaired manner. Similarly, when delusions form, they would allow a cognitive or psychological system which is about to collapse to continue its functioning, although in an impaired manner. However, this optimistic picture of delusions risks being undermined by both theoretical and empirical considerations. Using Sarah Fineberg and Philip Corlett’s recent predictive coding account as a paradigmatic model of the biological adaptiveness of delusions, I develop two objections to it: (1) principles of parsimony and simplicity suggest that maladaptive models of delusions have an upper hand over adaptive models; and (2) the available empirical evidence suggests that at least some delusions stand good chances of being psychologically adaptive, but it is unlikely that they also qualify as biologically adaptive.

A IMAGINAÇÃO COMO ATIVIDADE CRIADORA

This article seeks to analyze the concept of imagination in relation to other functions of the personality and some aspects of how it has been addressed in school education. The resources and methods used for writing the text involve bibliographic researchof articles and books by authors linked to historical-cultural theory and dialectical historical materialism such as Vigotski, Leontiev, Marino Filho, Heller, Marx, etc. The human capacity to jointly articulate several actions to produce something new is to be fundamental in the organization of the human psychological system. Representing the real in images has enabled artistic, philosophical and scientific advancement throughout history. Throughout the text, we demystified the idea that imagination is something typical of genius people, but rather something that is present in all moments of life. We conclude that although the creative processes of the imagination are vital for human development and have been intensively worked on in school education today,the intentionality that permeates this education has a market and capitalist bias in the search for the development of skills to maximize the exploitation of work. Even if the scope of the educational work for the development of the imagination is to promote capital, we consider that it still impacts the personality and enhances human capacities.

Heat exposure and workers’ health: a systematic review

Objectives Several studies on the health effects of heat exposure on workers have been reported; however, only few studies have summarized the overall and systematic health effects of heat exposure on workers. This study aims to review the scientific reports on the health status of workers exposed to high temperatures in the workplace. Methods We reviewed literature from databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar, using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to identify studies that address health effects of heat exposure among workers. Results In total, 459 articles were identified, and finally, 47 articles were selected. Various health effects of heat exposure on workers have been reported, such as heat-related diseases, deaths, accidents or injuries, effects on the urinary system, reproductive system, and on the psychological system. Conclusions Our review suggests that many workers are vulnerable to heat exposure, and this has a health effect on workers.

THE CONCEPTUAL IDEA OF HAPPINESS IN G.S. KOSTIUK’S PSYCHOLOGICAL SYSTEM

G.S. Kostiuk, a prominent scientist and the founder of Ukrainian psychology, initiated the consideration of «happiness – personality» approach, continuing also in the modern national psychological space. He applied this approach for the first time into the theoretical and methodological analysis of personality formation and development. Such point of view was innovative and unique for the Ukrainian psychological science at the 60s of the twentieth century and testifies to G.S. Kostiuk’s unique ability to anticipate the key problems of current time. The thesis presents G.S. Kostiuk’s conceptual idea of happiness in connection to his theoretical and methodological foundations for personality development. Our scientific research shows that G.S. Kostiuk used the idea of happiness for the first time in the Ukrainian psychological science for the comprehensive analysis of an individual’s abilities, as well as ontogenetic analysis of a «growing personality». The idea of happiness was also included into the concept of an individual’s professional self-determination, developed by the scientist, which was an innovation for his time. G.S. Kostiuk described the architectonics of an individual’s professional self-determination and revealed “the source of an individual’s personal happiness” connected with such self-determination, and such approach was unique. KEY WORDS: personality, happiness, development, abilities, professional selfdetermination.

The concept «little man» in the present Russian cinema discourse

The article deals with the peculiarities of the existence of the concept «little man», «a person of no importance» in modern Russian cultural space. The author selects two opposite tendencies in understanding the concept that have been outlined in modern art. One of the tendencies shows that the comprehension of the concept in literature, journalism is transferred to the psychological system of co-ordinates that is connected with leveling and oversimplifying national humanistic perception of concept. The other tendency shows that renascence of the concept has emerged in word usage that was set by Russian classic literature in the cinema discourse. This tendency is illustrated by examining A. Zvyagintsev’s films.

СОВРЕМЕННАЯ МОЛОДАЯ АРМЯНСКАЯ СЕМЬЯ КАК СОЦИАЛЬНО-ПСИХОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ СЛОЖНАЯ СИСТЕМА / MODERN YOUNG ARMENIAN FAMILY AS A SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL COMPLEX SYSTEM

Статья посвящена проблемам современной молодой армянской семьи, как социально-психологической сложной системы и группы социального риска. Рассмотрены основные условия, критерии и характеристики ее создания, развития и становления в ней брачно-семейных отношений. Проанализированы типы семей, система ценностей, влияние общественных установок, внутрисемейных ролей и степень их воздействия на процесс социально-психологической адаптации молодых супругов. / The article is devoted to the problems of the modern young Armenian family as a complex so-cial and psychological system and a group of social risk. The main conditions, criteria and characteristics of its creation, development and formation of marriage and family relations in it are considered. The types of families, the system of values, the influence of social attitudes, intrafamily roles and the degree of their influence on the process of socio-psychological adaptation of young spouses are analyzed.