École Supérieure de Psychologie

Longing for touch (LFT) refers to a discrepancy between touch wish and touch frequency. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the implications of LFT for general wellbeing and the perception of touch in adults. First, the prevalence of LFT during and after the COVID-19 pandemic was measured. Results showed that the prevalence remained high (78.2-80%), even in the absence of social distancing regulations. Second, the potential causes of LFT were explored. Physical distance (e.g., living further away from your family and friends) was more often identified as a cause of LFT than internal barriers (e.g., being afraid of being rejected). Third, the relation between LFT and quality of life (QoL) was assessed during the pandemic. LFT was found to be negatively associated with physical, psychological and social QoL. This further highlights the importance of touch for general wellbeing. Fourth, two novel physiological (the post-auricular reflex) and cognitive (the implicit association task) measures were used to investigate the relation between LFT and the pleasantness perception of touch in non-clinical adults. This association was also studied in clinical outpatients and women with interpersonal trauma. LFT was positively associated with the perception of images and videos of touch, suggesting that the appeal these visual stimuli increases when someone longs to be touched. However, LFT was not found to be associated with the perception of actual physical touch. Taken together, this thesis provides novel insights into the potential causes and consequences of LFT in adults. Further research is needed to better understand the mixed perceptual results, and to determine how the development of LFT could be prevented.

BACKGROUND: One of the key tasks of contemporary dentistry is the analysis of radiographic images of the temporomandibular joint. Errors arising during analysis of cone-beam computed tomography data of the temporomandibular joint may lead to incorrect radiologic interpretation and inadequate treatment planning. AIM: This work aimed to determine the extent to which observer variation influences the radiologic interpretation of temporomandibular joint status based on cone-beam computed tomography data. METHODS: Сone-beam computed tomography scans of the facial bones were obtained from 20 patients (14 women, 6 men; age range, 25–64 years) with temporomandibular joint disorders. To assess the impact of observer variation on the analysis of cone-beam computed tomography images of the temporomandibular joint, unified software and a standardized protocol for identifying craniometric landmarks were used to calculate the anatomic and topographic position of the mandibular condyle. Cone-beam computed tomography analysis was performed using our method of automated craniometry of cranial anatomical structures (Certificate of State Registration of Computer Programs No. 2017662860). The obtained data were used to analyze deviations in calculations. RESULTS: The study revealed substantial systematic and random errors in the assessment of the analyzed craniometric parameters, which are unacceptable in clinical practice. CONCLUSION: To reduce the impact of observer variation on radiologic interpretation in cone-beam computed tomography analysis of the facial bones, training programs should include not only theoretical instructions but also substantial time for workplace internship under the supervision of an experienced mentor.

Abstract: Background: Teaching has been considered a very demanding job and high-stress occupation. Moroccan teachers face several constraints and demands (e.g., overcrowded classrooms, work overload, lack of pedagogical resources, student misbehaviors) that impact their motivation and engagement. In this context, this study aims to identify the factors of well-being and psychological distress at work among primary and secondary school teachers in Morocco. Method: Data were collected by semi-structured interviews among 60 public teachers: 19 teachers in primary school, 16 teachers in middle school, and 25 teachers in high school. Results: The thematic analysis shows that teachers highlighted many harmful aspects of their job, namely: low-level students, lack of support from hierarchy, workload and overcrowded classrooms, emotional demands and student misbehaviors, poor working conditions, and low pay. It indicates that there are several sources of well-being at work among Moroccan teachers, such as a positive organizational climate, achieving objectives at work, motivation, seriousness, and desire to learn among students, having free time for itself, autonomy at work, and utility of the profession. Conclusion: The findings are in line with previous work and add some enrichment to the Job Demands-Resources theory.

The visual world around us contains an overwhelming amount of information, yet our perceptual system can only process a fraction of it at any given moment, and even less is retained in working memory. To efficiently achieve our behavioral goals, we must optimize the effectiveness of visual perception and memory. Luckily, the visual environment around us is often stable and highly structured, characterized by recurring regularities (e.g., books typically appear on the desks rather than on the floor) and repeated stimuli (e.g., our own faces). This dissertation investigates whether and how visual learning affects visual perception and memory. Specifically, we looked at the effects of the learning of regularities (i.e., the extraction of distributional probabilities of stimuli in space or time, termed as ‘statistical learning’) and repeated stimuli (repetition of certain stimuli across time, termed as ‘visual repetition’) respectively. Chapter 1 demonstrated that statistical learning influences awareness, enabling faster conscious detection of frequently occurring visual objects compared to infrequent ones. Chapter 2 revealed that statistical learning enhances visual working memory performance, but only when the learned regularity is relevant to the task. Specifically, learning that an object frequently appears at a location does not improve memory recall, whereas learning that an object is frequently probed at a location does. Chapter 3 showed that passively viewed objects are encoded into working memory more efficiently when they later become task relevant. Chapter 4 further demonstrated that repeated exposure to target stimuli shifts observers' reliance from effortful short-term memory to long-term memory, thereby reducing the need for frequent (re)checks of the target stimuli. Overall, this dissertation showed that statistical learning optimizes the efficiency of perception and memory by prioritizing probable targets over improbable ones; in addition, visual repetition leads to the buildup of memory traces for future targets and an increased reliance on long-term memory. These findings improve our understanding of how past visual experiences shape visual perception and memory of the present.

Education is a key factor for human development and social progress. However, in the context of capitalism, education is also influenced by economic inequalities and power structures. Scientific information selected through a critical review has identified the main theories and findings regarding education conceived within the capitalist model and inherent social mobility. The results demonstrate that in more egalitarian states, wage increases associated with education vary only slightly based on socioeconomic status. However, significant class disparities exist in states with moderate to high levels of inequality. While some argue that education can be a tool for upward mobility, others emphasize how capitalism and pre-existing inequalities can limit such mobility. Understanding this relationship is crucial for addressing issues of equity and social justice in capitalist societies.

Abstract Introduction The objective was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practices of private doctors about pulmonary tuberculosis and their application of the recommendations of the national tuberculosis control program. Methods This cross-sectional study involved 315 doctors (180 general practitioners and 135 specialists) in the private sector of El-Jadida, excluding pulmonologists. The self-questionnaire included knowledge about pulmonary tuberculosis disease, the national tuberculosis control program, screening and diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Results 263 doctors participated in the survey: 51.7% were general practitioners and 48.3% specialists but only 46.30% of doctors have perfect knowledge of national tuberculosis control program: the mode of contamination is essentially airborne with a very high predisposition in HIV-positive patients. 88%, 43.8% and 37.3% of doctors respectively identified sputum bacteriology, chest x-ray and biology as elements allowing the confirmatory diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis and only 20.1% recognized that Quantiferon was a diagnostic tool. Discussion Moroccan doctors from the El Jadida region who participated in this study had a working understanding of tuberculosis, but there were gaps in knowledge regarding the national tuberculosis control program, diagnosis and progression of the disease. Studies Interventional interventions are necessary to ensure that the right knowledge has been Transmitted, to avoid negative attitudes. Conclusion Knowledge of medical data on tuberculosis is good but this is not the case for the content and operation of the national tuberculosis control program

pneumotrax espontneo importante para reduzir sua mortalidade.

Peu d’études comparent les adultes plus jeunes aux aînés quant aux séquelles cognitives et affectives après un traumatisme craniocérébral léger (TCCl). Celles qui l’ont fait présentent des résultats très variables concernant les symptômes anxio-dépressifs et les études sur le fonctionnement cognitif sont rares chez les aînés. Cette étude compare les symptômes dépressifs, anxieux et cognitifs perçus 12 mois après un TCCl chez des aînés et des adultes plus jeunes. 113 adultes de 18 à 64 ans et 57 personnes âgées de 65 ans et plus ont été évalués avec le Medical Outcomes Study Cognitive Functioning Scale (MOS-Cog) et le Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Les résultats suggèrent que les adultes plus jeunes ont davantage de symptômes anxieux (t(146,658) = 4,591, p < 0,001, d = 0,071) et des difficultés cognitives perçues plus importantes (t(168) = -2,491, p = 0,014, d = 0,445), mais aucune différence significative n’a été trouvée concernant les symptômes dépressifs (t(168) = 1,631, p = 0,105, d = 0,028). Les pressions plus grandes chez l’adulte plus jeune liées aux responsabilités familiales et occupationnelles pourraient expliquer partiellement ces symptômes. Ces résultats permettent de mieux cibler les particularités et les interventions spécifiques pour chaque groupe d’âge post-TCCl.

In backward immediate serial recall, participants recall lists of items immediately after their presentation by beginning with the last presented item and ending with the first presented one. Despite the similarities with forward recall in which participants recall the items from the first to the last presented, benchmark memory phenomena reliably found in forward recall are not constantly observed in backward recall. Here, we proposed a new framework called the encoding-retrieval matching (ERM) hypothesis to account for backward recall. The ERM retains the main features of the visuospatial hypothesis and the item-order trade-off hypothesis, the two dominant accounts of backward recall. According to the ERM, output modality and foreknowledge of recall direction influence the availability of visuospatial representations and the weight devoted to item and order processing. We tested the ERM with irrelevant speech, a well-known working memory factor disrupting forward recall. In two experiments, we manipulated recall direction (forward vs. backward), irrelevant speech (control vs. irrelevant speech), and response modality (manual vs. oral). As predicted by the ERM, when recall direction was unpredictable in Experiment 1, the magnitude of the irrelevant speech effect was larger in backward manual recall than in backward oral recall. In Experiment 2, recall direction was predictable. As predicted by the ERM, in backward recall, the irrelevant speech effect was reduced with a manual response and absent with an oral response. We concluded that ERM effectively accounts for the complex interplay between response modality, foreknowledge of recall direction, and benchmark memory effects in backward recall. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).