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Caprara et al. (European Journal of Social Psychology 39:1002–1020, 2009) criticized existing measures of internal political efficacy for not taking into account psychological theories of self-efficacy and for the resulting low construct validity. As an alternative, they presented a ten-item measure called Perceived Political Self-Efficacy (P-PSE) Scale. Based on social cognitive theory, it adopts a psychological understanding of self-efficacy and captures the phenomenon in a more systematic and complete manner than previous measures of internal efficacy.We translated the P-PSE scale to German and tested it in a German national quota sample, using quotas for age, gender and education (N = 1025). We provided evidence on the scale’s construct validity (by testing its correlations towards related constructs) and on its criterion validity (by regressing political participation propensity on the P-PSE score). The scale explained ΔR2 = 26% of people’s propensity for political participation over and above sociodemographic variables, and ΔR2 = 12% over and above previously existing measures, demonstrating its incremental value. We also tested cross-cultural measurement invariance towards an Italian sample, establishing configural, as well as partial metric and scalar invariance. In addition, we validated a four-item short version of the scale, which proved to be similarly valid as the full version. We argue, that these two measurement instruments provide a more adequate way of assessing internal political efficacy for research in German-speaking countries.

Happenstance ’20s hopes to reflect the times and artefacts of the 2020s, when different chance meetings happened online due to COVID-19, when dialogues between hosts and guests have taken some new directions during lockdowns, cultural attitudes have changed due to Brexit, and media constructs demand new types of literacy regarding a cultural identity deconstruction.In order to emphasize the role of cultural artefacts, such as art, film, language and images, this textbook draws from a rich array of disciplines and theoretical frameworks in the study of the 2020s phenomena in the global contexts. The binary functions of a wide spectrum are grounded in a communicative approach, with a fair share of linguistic education in the language classroom. The authors wish to intrigue, perhaps even beyond their intention, with the attempt to document a moment in time, often pointing towards the detrimental planning of stereotypes. The expertise tries to span the globe and reflect the role of binary opposition in bridging the gaps and reconnecting cultures. In Chapter 1, film narratives and characters bring together the ways of understanding the interrelations between binary oppositions of multiculturalism and American Creed. Chapter 2 analyses synonymous lexical relations of newspaper headlines about COVID-19, which refer to binary oppositions of stereotypes about the superpowers: the USA and Japan. In Chapter 3, the host-guest social encounters are presented according to a binary concept of face-to-face communication vs. the counters we have frequented in Zoom meetings. Chapter 4 depicts globalization in language in Croatian online news and social media, as well as tackles the post-Brexit situation, with special regards to a binary concept of cultural appropriation and appreciation. At the end of each chapterthere are activities and appendixes. The linguistic and multimodal tool of the trade should empower and inspire readers to realise the versatile and diverse nature of possible happenstances as collateral events in the 2020s participatory practice. Happenstance '20s nastoji odraziti vrijeme i artefakte 2020-ih, kada su se različiti slučajni susreti dogodili online zbog COVID-19, dijalozi između domaćina i stranca krenuli nekim novim smjerovima tijekom lockdowna, kulturni su se sustavi promijenili zbog Brexita, a medijski konstrukti iziskuju nove vrste pismenosti u pogledu dekonstrukcije kulturnog identiteta. Koristeći umjetničke artefakte poput filma i svijeta slika te vizualnosti, udžbenik crpi iz bogatog niza disciplina i teorijskih okvira koristeći fenomene našeg vremena u globalnom kontekstu. Binarne funkcije širokog spektra utemeljene su stoga na komunikacijskom pristupu proučavanja medija i kulture dok je značajan udio jezičnog prostora okrenut prema praktičnom nastavnom radu. Autori nastoje zaintrigirati čitatelje te dokumentirati određena zbivanja, pritom često ukazujući na štetno djelovanje stereotipnih obrazaca. Stručni dio udžbenika osvrće se na ulogu binarnih opozicija u premošćivanju jaza i povezivanju kultura. U 1. poglavlju filmske pripovijesti i likovi donose različite načine razumijevanja međuodnosa u sferi multikulturalizma i američkog Creeda. Poglavlje br. 2 analizira sinonimne leksičke odnose povezujući korpus novinskih naslova vezanim uz COVID-19 te uspoređujući odnose medijskih stereotipa o dvjema supersilama: SAD-u i Japanu. U 3. poglavlju prikazani su društveni susreti na relaciji domaćin-gost prema binarnom konceptu izravne komunikacije (licem u lice) nasuprot susretima koji se događaju isključivo online uslijed naše česte posjećenosti Zoom- u tijekom lockdowna. Poglavlje br. 4 opisuje globalizaciju u jeziku na korpusu hrvatskih informativnih emisija na društvenim mrežama nakon Brexita te uz osobit naglasak na binarni koncept kulturološkog prisvajanja i uvažavanja. Na kraju svakog poglavlja nalaze se nastavne aktivnosti i dodaci. Udžbenik pruža jezične i multimodalne alate koji mogu osnažiti i potaknuti čitatelje da spoznaju svestranu i raznoliku prirodu kolateralnih događaja u participativnoj praksi 2020-ih.

Danske gymnasieelever bliver – ligesom norske – eksamineret ved mundtlig præsen-tation og samtale om et udtrukket emne af deres lærer og en censor fra et andet gymnasium. Disse eksaminer undersøges ikke systematisk, og der forskes ikke i dem. Det samlede eksamensresultat er high-stakes og får konsekvenser for elevens fremtidige uddannelsesmuligheder. Artiklen undersøger centrale danske styredokumenter, der regulerer mundtlige danske eksaminer i gymnasiet ved at lægge et teoretisk blik hentet fra international anerkendt assessmentteori: Hvad intenderer eksamen at måle? Assess¬mentteoretiske begreber defineret af Standards for Educational and Psychological testing og Michael T. Kanes argumentationsbaserede tilgang til validitet bruges til at søge efter et konstrukt og slutninger i eksamenssystemet. Data er lovdokumententer samt læreplan og vejledning i historiefaget som eksempel i det almene gymnasium med et almendannende og studieforberedende formål. Dermed er artiklen et tillæg til Acta Didactica Norges temanummer vol. 12 nr. 4 om Test og eksamen i Sverige og Norge. Studiet finder, at konstruktet er vanskeligt at identificere. Antagelser om mundtlige eksaminer er ikke ekspliciterede i dokumenterne, og slutninger må analyseres frem. Eleven eksamineres i et dobbelt udtræk- eller samplingssystem: Eksamensfaget udtrækkes og emnet inden for disciplinen udtrækkes. Der etableres dermed en antagelse om vidtgående generaliseringsmulighed af testresultatet på tværs af fag. Det diskuteres om assessmentteori egner sig til diskussion af traditionsrige danske mundtlige eksaminer. Nøkkelord: mundtlig eksamen, assessment, konstrukt, gymnasiet, Danmark Construct, Generalization and Luck in Danish Oral Examinations in Upper Secondary School AbstractDanish and Norwegian upper secondary school students are assessed on their presen-tation and discussion of a sampled topic by their teacher (the examiner) and a teacher from another school (external examiner). These oral exams are not investigated systematically even though they are high stakes tests with considerable consequences for the students’ potential choice of further education. The article investigates the construct of the oral exam: What are oral exams intended to assess? Data are key law documents, the curriculum and the instructions given for the subject of History as an example. The documents are read with assessment theory as defined in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing and Michael T. Kane’s argument-based approach to validity. The study finds that the construct is difficult to identify. No explicit arguments or inferences are found in the documents read, and inferences must be interpreted between the lines. Each student is assessed in a double sampling system: The subject is sampled, and the theme of the exam is sampled within the subject. The article shows a system built with inferences of extensive generalization from one score interpretation to potential other performances across the curricula. It is discussed whether assessment theory is adequate for the Danish educational traditions. Keywords: oral exam, assessment, construct, upper secondary school, Denmark

Gedruckt erschienen im Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin, ISBN 978-3-7983-3076-4, Der C-Test gilt als ein objektives, reliables und valides Instrument zum Erheben allgemeiner Sprachkompetenz. Zahlreiche Studien belegen den Zusammenhang des C-Tests mit verschiedenen sprachlichen Teilfertigkeiten: Leseverstehen, Hörverstehen, Sprechen, Schreiben, Wortschatz, Grammatik. Im Gegensatz dazu ist der S-C-Test – eine stark beschleunigte Variante des Testformats – noch kaum erforscht. Diesem Desiderat kommt die vorliegende Arbeit nach. Die Studie beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, wie sich eine drastische Verkürzung der Bearbeitungszeit auf den C-Test auswirkt. Zugrunde liegt die Hypothese von Grotjahn et al. (2010), dass eine Geschwindigkeitskomponente dazu beitrage, Sprachverwendung in Echtzeit zu simulieren und sich so der Zusammenhang zwischen der Leistung in Hörverstehens- und mündlichen Tests mit den C-Test Ergebnissen erhöhen könnte. Nach einer theoretischen Abhandlung von Entstehung, Konstruktion, Varianten und Einsatzmöglichkeiten des C-Tests werden ausgewählte Studien, die Korrelationsanalysen beinhalten oder einen S‑C‑Test verwenden, detailliert diskutiert. Im empirischen Teil der Arbeit werden anhand von Daten erwachsener Deutschlerner im universitären Bereich C-Tests mit und ohne Geschwindigkeitskomponente miteinander verglichen. Es zeigt sich, dass der S-C Test eine zufriedenstellende Reliabilität aufweist. Korrelationsanalysen ergeben, dass der S-C-Test einen stärkeren Zusammenhang mit Hörverstehen aufweist als der herkömmliche C-Test. Für die Fertigkeit Sprechen zeigen sich zwischen beiden Testverfahren kaum Unterschiede. Der Zusammenhang des S-C-Tests mit den beiden genannten Fertigkeiten fällt bei leistungsstarken Probanden deutlich stärker aus als bei schwächeren Testteilnehmern. Zusammenfassend weisen die Ergebnisse in die Richtung, dass der S-C-Test ein zuverlässiges Messinstrument darstellt, das insbesondere bei fortgeschrittenen Lernern dazu geeignet ist, in low stakes-Testsituationen Fremdsprachenkompetenz zu ermitteln., The C-test has come to be known as an objective, reliable and valid means of measuring general language proficiency. Many studies support its interrelation with several language sub-skills: reading comprehension, listening comprehension, speaking, writing, vocabulary, grammar. By contrast, the S-C-test – a substantially speeded up version of this testing format – has not yet been investigated in depth. The purpose of the study at hand is to help fill this gap. This thesis deals with the question concerning the influence the drastic reduction of time allotted to complete the test has on the C-test. Underlying is an assumption made by Grotjahn et al. (2010) hypothesizing that adding a speed factor to the C-test, thus simulating real time language use, might lead to higher correlations with listening comprehension and speaking tasks. After a theoretical discussion of the origin, construction, variants and applications of C-tests, studies dealing with correlational analyses or using a speeded C-test will be examined. In the second part of this thesis, C-tests and speeded C-tests will be compared, with data gathered from adult learners of German in a university context. As will be seen, S-C-tests reach a sufficient reliability. In fact, correlational analyses show that S-C-tests are more closely related to listening comprehension than commonly used C-tests. As far as speaking is concerned, both test versions yield similar results. Correlations with both language skills are considerably stronger for advanced learners than for less advanced ones. To sum up, the S-C-test appears to be a reliable test instrument that is appropriate for measuring foreign language competence in low stakes situations, especially for advanced learners.

The aim of this paper is to inspect the work of Louise Erdrich with the optics of semiotics, literary theory and cultural anthropology and to find topics related to the cultural conflict of Native American and Christian tradition. The theoretical part is devoted to the theories of the ontological definition of the fictional world, its relation to culture and its construction within a literary piece. In the practical part, we will deal with the cultural features associated with nature, religion, space and social ordering, as they are illustrated in the novels. The paper is not an anthropological material dealing with Native American culture as such. Here we perform a literary analysis and examine the anthropomorphic dimension of the unique fictional world.

The purpose of this article is to address the issues of validity and reliability in existing additive indices measuring the strength of executives. Many data efforts, such as Frye et al. (2000) as well as Armingeon and Careja (2007), propose indices of presidential power based on a simple accumulation of a set of individual constitutional prerogatives allotted to the head of state according to the design proposed by Shugart and Carey (1992). These indices usually gather and count the powers of presidents on package and partial vetoes, decrees, budgetary powers, referenda provisions, initiation of legislation, cabinet formation, cabinet dismissal, censure, and the dissolution of assemblies. Despite the general acceptance of such measures of presidential power and their widespread use, empirical investigations to ascertain the degree to which existing indices measure a single latent construct, and are valid and reliable, were never conducted. In this article, I refute the assumptions of unimodality and unidimensionality underlying these indices, and challenge their usefulness in allowing researchers to differentiate between presidential, semi-presidential, and parliamentary institutional arrangements. (author's abstract)

In diesem Beitrag wird ein konsumentenorientiertes Einkaufsconvenience-Modell in Bezug auf den Lebensmitteleinzelhandel entwickelt und empirisch überprüft. Zentrale Größe des Modells ist das theoretische Konstrukt „Einkaufsconvenience“. Es wird die Konzeptualisierung und Operationalisierung dieser Größe aufgezeigt. Das Konstrukt stellt eine mehrdimensionale Größe dar, die anhand der vier Dimensionen Zugangs-, Such-, Abwicklungs- und Nachkauf-Convenience inhaltlich konkretisiert wird. Gemessen wird es mit Hilfe eines Multi-Item-Messinstruments. Gegenstand des Modells sind neben der Konstruktmessung die Wirkungen der wahrgenommenen Einkaufsconvenience auf die verhaltenswissenschaftlichen Wirkungsgrößen Kundenzufriedenheit, Preisbereitschaft, Wiederbesuchs- und Weiterempfehlungsabsicht. Im Rahmen einer empirischen Studie (n = 479 Konsumenten) wurden die wahrgenommene Einkaufsconvenience und die Wirkungsgrößen am Beispiel der beiden Lebensmittel-Einzelhandelsunternehmen Aldi und Real gemessen. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich, dass mit dem entwickelten Messinstrument ein reliabler und valider Messansatz vorliegt, der betriebsformenübergreifend eingesetzt werden kann. Die dem Modell zugrunde liegenden Wirkungshypothesen konnten empirisch bestätigt werden. Das Modell bietet dem Management im Lebensmitteleinzelhandel vielfältige diagnostische Informationen (Consumer Insights), die insbesondere für den Einsatz von Maßnahmen zur Verbesserung der Einkaufsconvenience genutzt werden können.

Diploma thesis "Cellulite as a social phenomenon: Analysis of Czech Press" deals with the topic of origination and development of a conception of cellulite as an illness and defect to the beauty in Czech press and also deals with constructing of this phenomenon in present time. The aim of the study was to analyze and show how the conception of cellulite, thanks to which a normal physiological fact changed into a defect to the beauty and to an illness, was developed and medialized, by using a brief quantitative analysis of Czech press as a whole, a brief quantitative analysis of the research sample and consequently a qualitative analysis of this research sample. Hereafter the aim of the diploma thesis was also seeking of an answer to a question to what extent cellulite is an construct created by advertising industry and manufacturers of cosmetic devices and products, which is abusing and supporting normative imaginings of ideal female body and beauty.

Hintergrund: Der Einsatz von Gesundheitsfachkräften in den Frühen Hilfen leistet einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Unterstützung von Familien mit psychosozialen Belastungen. Eine Bedingung für den Betreuungserfolg ist die Fähigkeit der Gesundheitsfachkraft, ihre Hilfeleistungen während des Betreuungsprozesses immer wieder an den individuellen Hilfebedarf der Familien anzupassen. Methodik: Das hier vorgestellte "Systematische Explorations- und Verlaufsinventar für Gesundheitsfachkräfte in den Frühen Hilfen" (SEVG) wurde vom Nationalen Zentrum Frühe Hilfen (NZFH) entwickelt, um Gesundheitsfachkräfte bei der Identifizierung von Ressourcen und Hilfebedarfen der Familien zu unterstützen. Ziel des vorliegenden Beitrags ist die Darstellung der statistischen Analysen, die zur Absicherung der psychometrischen Qualität des SEVGs durchgeführt wurden. Ergebnis: Im Ergebnis kann festgestellt werden, dass das Inventar die Ausgangsbedingungen in den Familien zuverlässig und objektiv zu erfassen scheint. Mit der durchgeführten Hauptkomponentenanalyse (PCA) kann eine eindeutige Skalenstruktur belegt werden und die Bildung von Skalenmittelwerten zur Datenreduktion ist möglich. Schlussfolgerung: Die Entwicklung von validen und reliablen Erhebungsinventaren ist ein unbedingt erforderlicher Schritt in Richtung Qualitätssicherung und Professionalisierung von Angeboten in den Frühen Hilfen. Background: Health professionals in early childhood intervention and prevention support burdened families with young children in order to help them to cope with every-day life and child raising issues. This requires means which help to tailor health professional's services to individual needs of families. Methodology: The here presented "Systematic Exploration and Process Inventory for health professionals in early childhood intervention services (SEVG)" can be used to identify individual resources and needs of each family. This enables a valid, reliable and objective assessment of the conditions and the process of counseling service. The article presents an analysis of factorstructure and reliability of the inventory. Results: As a result of reliability analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) the SEVG seems to be a reliable and objective inventory for assessing the family's need for support. Also the calculation of average values of each scale is permitted. Conclusion: The development of valid and reliable assessments is essential for quality assurance and professionalization of interventions in early childhood service.

Nolan brings a fairly recognizable style to all his movies, often described as "dark" or "gritty." The tone is relentlessly serious, and the narratives are infused with the ambiguity and pessimism of film noir. His protagonists are, without exception, tortured, obsessed men, struggling with the loss of loved ones or past mistakes. Not only do these men face an uncaring world with murky morality, their sense of self is also unstable. To go along with the faulty memories and self-deceptions of his characters, Nolan also has a knack for misleading his audience with convoluted narratives. As Fisher puts it, he specializes in puzzles that can't be solved. 'Inception', to my mind, makes an excellent showcase for all these themes. Therefore, through an examination of its use of space and architecture as metaphors for the mind, I aim to determine the concept of the malleable self that underlies all of Nolan's movies.

With the first issue of 2015, I want to continue the series ofeditorials aimed at highlighting specific topics relevant dur-ing test construction. More importantly, I focus on issuesthat repeatedly lead to paper rejections. In this issue, I wantto take up the cudgels for a mixed methods approach in testconstruction. The quantitative aspects of testing a newlyconstructed assessment tool range prominently within thisjournal (Alonso-Arbiol & van de Vijver, 2010). However,some issues arising during the test development processcannot be dealt with using quantitative methods alone.Along with the coauthors of this editorial – experts in theapplication of a mixed methods approach in test construc-tion – I want to explore these issues.Many test constructions show a lack of awareness con-cerning the comprehensibility of items, specifically in per-sonality tests. However, this lack of awareness can haveimplications for psychometric quality. Frequently, it is sim-ply assumed that respondents’ understanding of a test itemmatches the meaning implied by the test developer. It is,however, rarely ever tested whether all respondents of thetargeted population actually understand the test items cor-rectly and in a similar way. As pointed out in the last edito-rial (Ziegler, 2014), item content should be precisely tunedto the needs of every potential respondent in a populationtargeted by a newly developed test. More specifically, per-son variables such as age, gender, and education (Ramm-stedt & Kemper, 2011) have to be taken into accountwhen constructing test items in order to assure that eachpotential respondent fully understands the meaning andmay respond accordingly. If these person variables areneglected in the process of test construction, the psycho-metric quality of a test may be substantially affected byfuzzy concepts. The goal of this editorial is to raise aware-ness for the detrimental effects fuzzy concepts can have intest development and possible remedies.

This thesis is based on a long-term field research in the Prague Jewish community in which I am trying to express the Jewish identity of young Czech Jews. The aim is to characterize the formation and construction of Jewish identities, their coexistence with other types of social identities and the role of material elements in this process. The formation has a processional nature and there are continual transformations and negotiations of concrete forms of Jewish identities over time. These identities are publicly manifested through various material elements and by this manifestation those identities are also strengthened. I also examine the impact of physical structures and other objects on the Jewish community, how they strengthen its cohesion and on the role that they play in materializing and bringing the collective memories into the present. I simultaneously work with the concept of materiality in the context of the Moishe House Prague project. I examine the position of techno-social tools and the power of leadership. This thesis is based on several theoretical perspectives that I connect and combine in order for me to explore social reality and Jewishness in their entirety. Key words Identity, Jewish identity, material culture, materiality, Moishe House, formation, construct, negotiation...

The submitted thesis is titled Representations of Femininity in Quentin Tarantino's Movies and it focuses on the process of femininity construction in six selected movies both written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The aim of this study is to identify how Tarantino operates the notions of conventional femininity and traditional female gender roles. Furthermore, it investigates to what extent his films either support or subvert stereotypical gender identities. In relation to the research issues the key concepts are defined by the theoretical part of this work. In particular it describes the theory of social and media construction of reality, gender as construct, film as a part of patriarchal structure or feminist perspectives related to the film production. This same part also offers basic information about Quentin Tarantino's personality and his film works in general. In order to answer the research questions the thesis employs a qualitative method of critical discourse analysis which functions as a helpful tool while reconstructing the image of femininity set by media. Moreover, the selected method serves to reveal latent meanings applied by film as a form of media to affect both behavioural and cognitive individual characteristics. Keywords Femininity, gender, construct, stereotype,...

Niniejszy artykuł będzie analizował znaczenie i rozumienie tradycji. Wychodząc od filozofii Rortego, poprzez myśl Foucaulta, postkolonialistów, po Appaduraiego czy Geertza w artykule będę starała się pokazać, iż tradycja jest swoistego rodzaju konstrukcją. Konstrukcją zależną od historii, uwarunkowań teraźniejszości, rozumienia i potrzeb człowieka, społecznego nastawienia i dojrzałości. Tradycja w takim ujęciu rozumiana jest jako zbiór różnego rodzaju idei, które dają się zmieniać, oraz idei które nie tylko kształtują uczestników życia społecznego, ale również są przez tychże same kształtowane. W tekście szczególnie ważne będzie przeanalizowanie tradycji postmodernistycznej i poststrukturalistycznej, gdyż te dwie filozoficzne szkoły dały możliwość dekonstrukcji i krytycznego myślenia wobec fenomenów i kategorii w filozofii klasycznej traktowanych jako niezmiennych. Własnie te dwie szkoły uwalniają myślenie o tradycji jako stałej i niezmiennej, pokazując iż jest ona taką samą narracją, jak każda inna kulturowa wykładnia rzeczywistości. Dlatego też badanie tradycji powinno opierać się na zrozumieniu jej kształtowania i możliwościach oddziaływania w teraźniejszości. W niniejszym artykule będę starała się przedstawić, jak zmieniająca się tradycja pozwala człowiekowi dostosować się do jego codzienności dając nie tylko możliwość zakorzenienie w kulturze, ale pozwalając na podjęcie dyskusji z różnymi przejawami kulturowego życia. Presented article will analyse the meaning and understanding of tradition. What I will attempt to accomplish, by reference to: Rorty, Foucault, Appadurai, Geertz and postcolonial theorists, is to show, that tradition is a unique type of construct. It is a construct dependent on history, conditions of temporality, understanding and needs of human being; social attitude and maturity. Such view of tradition is understood as a composition of different ideas, which not only shape the participantof social life but are shaped by them as well. This text will stress the importance of postmodern and poststructural meaning of tradition, as these schools of philosophical thought gave rise to deconstruction and critical attitude towards phenomena and categories, previously considered invariable. These two movements free the understanding of tradition form previous constraints, showing that it is one more narration of cultural understanding of reality. A proposition is thus made to consider studying tradition through understanding how it is formed and how it affects the present. What I will try to show by the presented article, is how a changing tradition allows the human being to adapt himself to his/her everydayness, giving not only a possibility of cultural foundation but also allowing a dialogue with different types of cultural life.

Iako se proučavanju mudrosti u posljednjih dvadesetak godina posvećuju znatni istraživački napori, još uvijek nema jednoznačne definicije. Postoji jedino suglasnost da je mudrost višedimenzionalni konstrukt. Često se smatra da mudrost predstavlja vrhunac ljudskog razvoja te da je svojevrsno sredstvo i cilj dobrog života. Pri opisivanju ovoga konstrukta uočavaju se razlike s obzirom na važnost koja se pridaje kognitivnim ili afektivnim osobinama. Mudrost se često povezuje s kognitivnim kompetencijama, dok je neki ipak smatraju integracijom kognitivnih i afektivnih elemenata. U ovom se radu koristimo mjerom koja u mudrosti naglašava osobine ličnosti, a osnovni ciljevi istraživanja bili su a) provjeriti mjerne osobine skale za samoprocjenu mudrosti (Self-Assessed Wisdom Scale ; SAWS, Webster, 2003) te b) ispitati postoje li u mudrosti dobne i spolne razlike. Istraživanjem je obuhvaćeno 316 sudionika i sudionica u dobi od 18 do 80 godina. Mudrost je mjerena pomoću 40 čestica upitnika samoprocjene SAWS koje uključuju pet subskala: iskustvo, emocionalnu regulaciju, reminiscenciju, humor i otvorenost. Faktorska analiza potvrdila je postojanje pet faktora kao u izvornom istraživanju, a utvrđena je i dobra pouzdanost ukupne skale. Spolne razlike u korist su žena: viši rezultat na ukupnoj skali te na subskalama reminiscencije, otvorenosti i humora vjerojatnije je da su uzrokovani činjenicom da SAWS mjeri pretežito afektivne dimenzije, a ne nužno time da su žene mudrije od muškaraca. Dobne razlike nisu utvrđene u ukupnom rezultatu, no starije skupine pokazuju više iskustva te manju sklonost humoru i otvorenosti u odnosu na mlađe. Zanimljivo je da svaka od pet subskala pokazuje različitu razvojnu putanju u funkciji dobi, potvrđujući na taj način višedimenzionalnu prirodu mudrosti kao konstrukta.

"Using two clinical samples of patients, the presented studies examined the construct validity of the recently revised Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3). Confirmatory factor analyses established a clear three-factor structure that corresponds to the postulated subdivision of the construct into correlated somatic, social, and cognitive components. Participants with different primary clinical diagnoses differed from each other on the ASI-3 subscales in theoretically meaningful ways. Specifically, the ASI-3 successfully discriminated patients with anxiety disorders from patients with nonanxiety disorders. Moreover, patients with panic disorder or agoraphobia manifested more somatic concerns than patients with other anxiety disorders and patients with nonanxiety disorders. Finally, correlations of the ASI-3 scales with other measures of clinical symptoms and negative affect substantiated convergent and discriminant validity. Substantial positive correlations were found between the ASI-3 Somatic Concerns and body vigilance, between Social Concerns and fear of negative evaluation and socially inhibited behavior, and between Cognitive Concerns and depression symptoms, anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, and subjective complaints. Moreover, Social Concerns correlated negatively with dominant and intrusive behavior. Results are discussed with respect to the contribution of the ASI-3 to the assessment of anxiety-related disorders." (auhtor's abstract)

Das ACL ist eine der am häufigsten verletzten Strukturen des menschlichen Körpers bei Sportunfällen und die Anzahl der Rekonstruktionen wird weiterhin zunehmen. In den letzten Jahren wurden große Fortschritte in der Charakterisierung der biomechanischen Eigenschaften von Sehnen und Bändern erzielt und neue Ansätze auf dem Gebiet des Tissue Engineering eröffnen neue Möglichkeiten. In dieser Arbeit wurde ein ACL-Konstrukt aus biomaterialbasiertem Kollagen I entwickelt und getestet. Die gewonnenen Ergebnisse können als Grundlage für die Herstellung eines Kreuzbandkonstruktes verwendet werden., The ACL is one of the most common injured structures of the human body in sports accidents and the number of reconstructions will continue to grow. In recent years, major advances in the characterization of the biomechanical properties of tendons and ligaments have been achieved and new approaches in the field of tissue engineering offer new opportunities. In this work an ACL construct of biomaterial based collagen I was developed and tested. The results can be used as a basis for the production of a ligament constructs.

U svakodnevnom se životu daju percipirati neki karakteristični stavovi pojedinaca, koji se mogu opisati kao pretjerano samopouzdanje. Riječ je o samouvjerenosti koja nije podudarna s realističnom procjenom vlastitih karakteristika, odnosno sposobnosti i vještina u različitim područjima života. Da bi se pokušalo teorijski rastumačiti pretjerano samopouzdanje, krenulo se od pretpostavki koje daju psihoanaliza (obrambeni mehanizmi ličnosti), te koncept precjenjivanja točnosti rješavanja postavljenih zadataka («overconfidence»). Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi postoji li relativno jedinstveni skup međusobno povezanih karakteristika koji bi se mogao opisati kao pretjerano samopouzdanje. Ispitan je prigodni uzorak od 197 sudionika oba spola, heterogenih zanimanja te stupnjeva obrazovanja. Sastavljena je preliminarna verzija Upitnika pretjeranog samopouzdanja. Upitnik je pokazao zadovoljavajuću pouzdanost. Također, utvrdili smo da tri dobivene dimenzije upitnika značajno razlikuju sudionike u odnosu na spol ali ne i stručnu spremu. Dimenzije pak nisu bile značajno povezane s demografskim varijablama. Upitnik je pokazao zadovoljavajuće metrijske karakteristike. Pretpostavljena je mogućnost primjene konstrukta u području sporta i dane su smjernice za buduća istraživanja., In everyday life can be perceived some typical attitudes of individuals, which can be described as excessive self-confidence. It is about self-esteem that does not match with a realistic appraisal of their own characteristics and abilities and skills in different areas of life. To attempt to theoretically explain over-confidence, we started from the assumptions that make psychoanalysis (the defense mechanisms of the personality), and the concept of over-estimation of the accuracy of solving the set tasks ("overconfidence"). The aim of the research was to determine whether the relatively unique set of interrelated characteristics that could be described as self-sufficiency exist. For this purpose, the occasional sample of 197 respondents of both genders is tested. The subjects in sample had heterogeneous occupations and levels of education. The preliminary version of the Overconfidence Questionnaire for measuring this hypothetic construct was applied. The Questionnaire showed satisfactory reliability. Also, we have found that the dimensions of the questionnaire differ significantly the respondents in relation to their gender but not in realtion to education. The dimensions were not significantly associated with demographic variables. The questionnaire has shown satisfactory metric characteristics. The possibility of applying the construct in the sport and the guidance for future researches were given.

U praksi se mogu opaziti neke zajedničke karakteristike posljedica motiviranosti “prosječnih” zaposlenika različitih razina obrazovanja. Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi postoji li jedinstveni skup međusobno povezanih specifičnih stavova i značajki kao posljedica radne motiviranosti prema kojemu bi se mogli razlikovati ljudi različitih razina stručne spreme. S tom namjerom ispitan je „snowball“ uzorak od 193 ispitanika. Konstruiran je Upitnik stavova i značajki stručne spreme (SZSS) prema kojemu bi se mogli razlikovati ljudi različitih razina stručne spreme. Instrument je pokazao nisku, ali zadovoljavajuću pouzdanost za sve njegove dimenzije. Na temelju rezultata faktorske analize dobivene su tri latentne dimenzije koje se nalaze u osnovi stavova i značajki prema kojima bi se mogli razlikovati ljudi različitih razina stručne spreme, a to su: eksternalna atribucija/racionalizacija neuspjeha, cijenjenost posla te procjena drugih ljudi koji tumače ukupno 39% ukupne varijance. Upitnik statistički značajno razlikuje ispitanike u odnosu na stručnu spremu u dimenzijama eksternalna atribucija/racionalizacija neuspjeha te cijenjenost posla., Some common characteristics of the motivation consequences for "average" employees of various levels of education could be perceived in practice. The aim of the research was to determine whether there is a unique set of interrelated specific attitudes and features that are the result of work motivation, which could differentiate people at different education levels. For this purpose, the „snowball“ sample of 193 subjects is examined. The questionnaire for measuring the attitudes and features of qualification (SZSS) was constructed, with the purpose of finding differences between people at different levels of qualification. Instrument showed a low but satisfactory reliability for all of its dimensions. Factor analysis produced three latent dimensions that are the basic element of attitudes and characteristics according to which the distinction could be made between different people at different levels of qualification, such as: external attribution / rationalization of failure, the value of job, and assessment of other people. These three factors interpreted total of 39% of the total variance. Questionnaire respondents were statistically significantly different in terms of professional qualifications with regards to the dimensions of external attribution / rationalization of failure and job value.

U praksi se mogu opaziti neke zajedničke karakteristike posljedica motiviranosti “prosječnih” zaposlenika različitih razina obrazovanja. Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi postoji li jedinstveni skup međusobno povezanih specifičnih stavova i značajki kao posljedica radne motiviranosti prema kojemu bi se mogli razlikovati ljudi različitih razina stručne spreme. S tom namjerom ispitan je „snowball“ uzorak od 193 ispitanika. Konstruiran je Upitnik stavova i značajki stručne spreme (SZSS) prema kojemu bi se mogli razlikovati ljudi različitih razina stručne spreme. Instrument je pokazao nisku, ali zadovoljavajuću pouzdanost za sve njegove dimenzije. Na temelju rezultata faktorske analize dobivene su tri latentne dimenzije koje se nalaze u osnovi stavova i značajki prema kojima bi se mogli razlikovati ljudi različitih razina stručne spreme, a to su: eksternalna atribucija/racionalizacija neuspjeha, cijenjenost posla te procjena drugih ljudi koji tumače ukupno 39% ukupne varijance. Upitnik statistički značajno razlikuje ispitanike u odnosu na stručnu spremu u dimenzijama eksternalna atribucija/racionalizacija neuspjeha te cijenjenost posla.