Masaryk University Journals / Časopisy Masarykovy univerzity
Not a member yet
25996 research outputs found
Sort by
Meme-ingful connections: Unleashing the power of memes, GIFs, and emojis in relationship-oriented online communication
No full textThis study examines the influence of graphic icons in building and maintaining social connections in computer-mediated communication interactions. Through an online survey, participants (N = 395) were randomly assigned to reflect on conversations with either a close contact (strong tie) or an acquaintance (weak tie) and reported their use of graphic icons. We found that the use of graphic icons can be viewed as part of routine relational maintenance practices. More frequent use of memes, GIFs, and emojis was associated with greater self-disclosure breadth and depth, stronger intimacy, and better relationship maintenance. Social anxiety and tie strength moderated these relationships. The effects were stronger for less socially anxious individuals and in weak tie relationships, suggesting that graphic icons may serve different social functions depending on individual characteristics and relational contexts. These findings provide evidence that memes, GIFs, and emojis can serve as useful tools to improve social connection and relationship management in digital communication
Theory of mind predicts emoji comprehension in a sample of early adolescents: The moderating effect of social media use
No full textDespite the widespread use of social media and communication apps among early adolescents, little is known about which psychological variables affect their comprehension of emojis, i.e., pictograms delivering emotional cues in digital messages. To fill this gap, the present study explores the role of Theory of Mind (ToM) in emoji comprehension at the boundary condition of low vs high Social Media Use (SMU), in a sample of 303 Italian early adolescents (134 females) aged between 10 and 14 years old. Participants completed an SMU scale, two ToM measures, namely the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test and Real/apparent Emotions task, and an emoji comprehension task. Results showed that both ToM measures positively predicted emoji comprehension. Moreover, there was a significant interaction between the Real/apparent Emotions task and SMU, with stronger relationships between ToM and emoji comprehension for low SMU. Separate analyses with easy- and difficult-to-classify emojis as dependent variables showed the same interaction effect only on easy emojis, while we found no significant interaction effect on difficult emojis. Taken together, these results suggest that youngsters less familiar with social media rely on ToM to encode and decode emojis and interpret digital messages. Conversely, the more they use social media, the more automated this task becomes. In this sense, ToM training could be relevant to promote preparatory skills among early adolescents starting to approach digital communication
Lived Reality of School Socialization from the Perspective of Romani Mothers
Get PDFThe aim of our study is to explore Romani mothers’ narratives about school, especially in relation to how they accept or reject school expectations directed at Romani pupils. Methodologically, we focus on the discursive framing of how the needs of Romani mothers are constructed. Our research study is grounded in the premise that understanding the lived reality of a parent requires insight into how they interpret their own identity and experiences with social roles. These roles are particularly significant as they are affirmed within the institutional structures of the school syste
Roma National Identity and its Reflection in the Context of Czech Social Discourse
Get PDFThe aim of the study is to offer a basic insight into the theoretical background of the issue of Roma national identity, which takes different forms among various social actors and is an important topic of research and social practice not only in the context of the Czech Republic. The study works with three main theses related to the topic of Roma national identity, which it discusses with the help of expert literature. The theses of the study are as follows: 1) The concept of Roma national identity is not shared by all Roma in the Czech Republic, and therefore nationality cannot form an overarching and unifying element of Roma identity, in which other aspects play an important role. 2) The reasons why the Roma do not claim a Roma identity may be diverse and will differ for different Roma people. This diversity is based on the different identities of Roma people, which must be accepted in academic and social terms. 3)The national dimension of Roma identity and the associated ethno-emancipation movement can be seen as a source of the Roma struggle for human rights and equal life opportunities, as well as a potential obstacle to the transformation of a nationally oriented society into a civil society
[Bijlert, Victor A. van. Vedantic Hinduism in Colonial Bengal: Reformed Hinduism and Western Protestantism]
No full textGenetic constructivism and its allies
No full textGenetický konštruktivizmus sa v kontexte kurikulárnych reforiem v ČR javí ako marginálna iniciatíva skupinky nadšencov. Cieľom predkladanej state je ukázať, že takýto dojem je skreslený a vzniká v dôsledku historicky vzniknutej obmedzenosti horizontu, na ktorom je genetický konštruktivizmus posudzovaný. Keď sa na reformy kurikula pozrieme v širšom kontexte reforiem vyučovania matematiky v západnej Európe a USA v priebehu posledných päťdesiatich rokov, zistíme, že genetický konštruktivizmus je v súlade s hlavným trendom týchto reforiem a v niektorých oblastiach môže ponúknuť riešenia problémov, s ktorými reformné snahy na západe bezvýsledne zápasia. Podobne, keď genetický konštruktivizmus zasadíme do širšieho teoretického rámca kognitívnych vied, zistíme, že je v súlade s trendmi v tejto oblasti. Cieľom predkladanej state je načrtnúť kontext v rámci ktorého je možné genetický konštruktivizmus vnímať ako štandardnú súčasť hlavného prúdu reformných snažení v oblasti didaktiky matematiky. Veríme, že zasadenie genetického konštruktivizmu do tohto širšieho kontextu pomôže prekonať animozitu, s ktorou je v niektorých kruhoch konfrontovaný.In the context of curriculum reforms in the Czech Republic, genetic constructivism appears to be a marginal initiative of a group of enthusiasts. The aimof the present paper is to show that such an impression is inaccurate and arises due to the historically created limitation of the horizon on which genetic constructivismis considered. When we look at curriculum reforms in the broader context of reforms in mathematics education in Western Europe and the USA over the last fifty years, we find that genetic constructivism is in line with the mainstream of these reforms and in some areas may offer solutions to problems that reform efforts in the West have struggled with to no avail. Similarly, when we situate genetic constructivism within the broader theoretical framework of cognitive science, we find that it is consistent with the current trends in the field. The aim of the present paper is to outline the context within which genetic constructivism can be seen as a part of mainstream reform efforts in the didactics of mathematics. We believe that placing genetic constructivism in this broader context will help to overcome the animosity with which it is confronted in some quarters
Influencer Marketing – Do We Need a New Law or a New Approach? Few Remarks From the European and Polish Perspective
Get PDFFacebook, Instagram, TikTok - any social media is full of advertising. The history of celebrity endorsement of products is nothing really new, but Internet brought it to the extreme level. A wide range of global population has been relying on influencers for all sorts of information. It creates the great responsibility as influencer marketing may lead to faulty advertising and misinformation, especially among minors and people with low digital literacy. Until recently influencers and their activities were not the subject of particular legal interest. These issues are currently addressed through tailored legislation neither at EU level nor in national regulations. To compensate for it, the last few years have seen a proliferation of soft law (regulatory guidelines) and industry self-regulatory measures to provide greater transparency. But is soft law combined with case law enough to provide the desired standard of consumer protection in the whole Single Market? Since platforms and technologies change at fast pace are we able to create a regulation that will not lag behind the development of the market? The digital environment in which influencer marketing takes place, which can hardly be confined to one country, creates additional challenges for legislators. The objective of the article is twofold: firstly, to present the existing legal framework at the EU and Polish levels; and secondly, to identify potential weaknesses in these regulations in the context of influencer marketing
Player-avatar bonds and gaming benefits and risks: Assessing self-discrepancy theory against a broader range of character and play experiences
No full textHow players relate to their avatars in digital and analog gaming predicts both positive and negative gaming experiences. For example, a perceived discrepancy between one’s actual and avatar self is associated with both gaming benefits and risks. However, such self-discrepancy approaches treat avatars narrowly as self-substitutes that allow players to project idealized identities in a virtual environment. Yet, those approaches have not examined how other kinds of player-avatar bonds—such as avatars experienced as distinct other persons or as impersonal objects used to accomplish gaming goals—might differentially predict gaming benefits and risk of harm. Nor has self-discrepancy research explored how avatar experiences might function in forms of play with positive and negative aspects, e.g., in situations where challenge, suffering, and repeated failure are preconditions for eventual feelings of accomplishment. In the current study, we use ethnographically informed survey responses from North American gamers (N = 149) to examine how a range of player-avatar relationships shape diverse gaming experiences. We find that relating to avatars as self-substitutes, including in situations where players’ experience discrepancies between their actual and avatar selves, does predict gaming benefits and risks, but so do other kinds of player-avatar bonds. Our research thus confirms the importance of self-discrepancy theory in assessments of gaming experience but nonetheless suggests the need for caution if claiming distinctive benefits or risks associated with particular kinds of player-avatar bonds