Florent Lheureux

Test d’Indépendance au Contexte (TIC) et Structure des Représentations Sociales

Deux techniques permettent le reperage systematique du systeme central d’une representation sociale: la technique de la mise en cause (MEC) et le modele des schemes cognitifs de base (SCB). Malgre cet apport, ces techniques presentent des inconvenients: la MEC, de par son principe de double negation, et les SCB, de par la longueur de passation. Une nouvelle technique a ete developpee: le test d’independance au contexte (TIC). Elle vise a rendre compte des caracteres trans-situationnel ou contingent des elements representationnels, tout en presentant un moindre cout cognitif percu. Deux objets de representation ont ete etudies aupres d’une population etudiante. Les resultats revelent que le TIC parait, aux participants, cognitivement moins couteux que la MEC. De plus, le TIC permet un reperage du noyau central identique a celui offert par la MEC.

Traffic offences: planned or habitual? Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour and habit strength to explain frequency and magnitude of speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol

This study addresses the socio-cognitive determinants of traffic offences, in particular of speeding and drinking and driving. It has two aims: (1) to test the hypothesis of a direct effect of habits on offences (i.e., independent of intentions) by employing a specific measure of habits (i.e., the SRIH) and (2) to analyse the offences by taking account of three distinct parameters: Frequency, usual magnitude (i.e., the most frequent deviation from the law) and maximal magnitude (i.e., the greatest deviation occasionally adopted) in order to represent more accurately the variability of the offending behaviours. A total of 642 drivers replied to a questionnaire. The results corroborate the idea that intention and habit are distinct and direct determinants of offences. The use of the SRIH dismisses the criticisms made with regard to the measure of past behaviour. The distinction between the three behavioural parameters proves to be relevant, as their determinants are not exactly similar. Finally, attitude and subjective norm had direct effects on the maximal magnitude and/or on the frequency of the offence. The discussion concerns the contribution of this study to the analysis of offences as well as its limitations and addresses the theoretical plausibility of the direct effects of attitude and the subjective norm.

Suicidal tendency, physical health problems and addictive behaviours among general practitioners: their relationship with burnout

ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to analyse further the association of burnout with (poor) physical health, addictive behaviours and suicidal tendency among general practitioners (GPs). Four hypotheses were studied: (H1): burnout (i.e. emotional exhaustion, EE, and depersonalization, DP) will be positively associated with suicidal tendency; (H2): will be negatively related to physical health (i.e. large number of physical symptoms and long-lasting impairment); and (H3): positively linked to addictive behaviours (i.e. addiction to alcohol and psychotropic medication) of GPs. Based on the “spiral of losses” depicted by the conservation of resources theory, we also considered whether physical health mediates the relationships of burnout/suicidal tendency and burnout/addictive behaviours (H4). 1890 French GPs completed a questionnaire administered by phone. Information was collected on burnout, three physical health indicators (BMI, number of physical symptoms and lasting physical health problems), four health behaviours (consumption of tobacco, alcohol, anxiolytics and antidepressants) and suicidal tendency (ideation, plan and attempt). Concerning EE, the results supported the hypotheses, except for alcohol consumption. However, the findings showed that DP was associated with more positive outcomes when controlling for exhaustion. The difference in findings for EE and DP are discussed, together with the need for GPs to develop strategies for resilience.

Représentations professionnelles, satisfaction au travail et choix de carrière des personnels infirmiers : le rôle des valeurs d’autonomie

Resume On s’interesse aux facteurs pouvant inciter les infirmiers a quitter leur profession. Dans ce cadre, la satisfaction au travail apparait comme un facteur explicatif majeur, dependant de la place accordee au “role propre” infirmier. Par ailleurs, plusieurs etudes ont mis en evidence l’importance des valeurs concernant la satisfaction au travail. Des lors, et en reference au concept de representations professionnelles, on pose que la satisfaction des infirmiers depend de l’importance du role propre dans la representation de leur fonction, et cela d’autant plus que les valeurs d’Autonomie sont primordiales pour eux. Une etude, realisee aupres d’infirmiers titulaires et stagiaires, conforte cette approche, soulignant ainsi le role crucial de ces valeurs dans la satisfaction des infirmiers.

Are Entrepreneurial Intentions Self-Regulated? Self-Consciousness, Core Self-Evaluations and Entrepreneurial Intentions of Higher Education Students

The main aim of this study is to demonstrate that private self-consciousness (SC) and core self-evaluations (CSEs) influence their formation, via the perceived feasibility and desirability of entrepreneurship or in interaction with it. Two hundred and sixteen students, from a university, an engineering college and a management school, participated in a survey questionnaire which measured these variables as well as controlled factors (e.g. entrepreneurship education, presence of entrepreneurs in their close social network). The results confirm that CSEs have a positive effect on feasibility and desirability (p < .001) which mediate their effect on intention (p < .007). They also show that private SC has a positive direct effect on intention (p < .001). Additionally, the positive interaction effects of desirability and feasibility and public SC and feasibility on intention are highlighted (p < .05). Unexpectedly, none of the hypothesized moderation effects of private SC were corroborated. The convergence of these results with prior research, the limitations of the study and practical implications are discussed.

Me, an entrepreneur? Entrepreneurial identity, outgroup social identification, attitudes and intentions towards business creation / ¿Yo, un emprendedor? Identidad emprendedora, identificación social con el exogrupo, actitudes e intenciones respecto a la creación de empresas

Abstract This article aims to further investigate the role of social identity processes in the formation of entrepreneurial intentions (EI). We investigate the general hypothesis that social identification with entrepreneurs is positively associated with EI and its antecedents such as attitude, perceived social norm (subjective norm) and perceived behavioural control (self-efficacy), considered as mediators. In particular, the role of three dimensions of social identification (affects, ties and self-typicality) was empirically studied in a sample of students that answered a questionnaire. Results from regression analyses show that the affects dimension is positively linked to attitude and the perceived social norm, which mediate its association with EI. Likewise, the ties dimension appears to relate positively to EI and attitude, the latter mediating the relationship with the former. Results regarding the self-typicality dimension are mixed (significant association with perceived behavioural control, non-significant association with EI). The discussion addresses the importance of social identity processes in EI formation, study limitations, as well as possible future studies of both theoretical and practical relevance.

Not all high-alexithymia individuals are risk-takers: private self-consciousness moderates the relationship between alexithymia and risk-taking behaviours

This article concerns the influence which alexithymia exerts on risk-taking. In particular, alexithymia is seen as a factor which encourages risk-taking as it allows high-alexithymia individuals to feel emotions which are sufficiently intense to compensate for their deficit of emotional awareness. In this connection, we make the hypothesis that alexithymia’s influence is moderated by private self-consciousness (SC). This is because private SC increases the likelihood that high-alexithymia individuals become aware of their risk-taking tendency and that this tendency is discrepant with their pro-safety standards (‘putting someone in danger is bad’) or self-schemas (‘I am a responsible person’). Thus, private SC is likely to enable and motivate them to consciously regulate their behaviour in a safer direction. This hypothesis was empirically tested by a questionnaire amongst 372 French drivers, whose SC, alexithymia, as well as their current adoption of eight risky behaviours (with a more detailed analysis of speeding). The use of conditional process analyses reveal no main effects of alexithymia and private SC but strong interaction effects, while controlling for other predictors. More precisely, when private SC is low high-alexithymia individuals break more the speed limits and adopt more frequently risky behaviours than low-alexithymia drivers. Conversely, when private SC is high, they are less risk-prone. As practical implication, we recommend the use of techniques increasing private SC amongst high-alexithymia persons.

When the social discourse on violation behaviours is challenged by the perception of everyday life experiences: Effects of non-accident experiences on offending attitudes and habits.

The aim of this article is to introduce the concept of the Non-Accident Experience (NAE) with regard to violations of traffic safety regulations. An NAE refers to the fact of not having been involved in an accident following the adoption of a behaviour socially recognised as promoting its occurrence. We hypothesise that this type of experiences has a strong effect on attitudes (valence and strength) and habits with regard to traffic offences such as speeding and drink-drive. An empirical study was conducted to test the relevance of this set of hypotheses. 543 French drivers participated to a survey designed to measure all these theoretical constructs. As expected, the results showed that the more frequently NAEs were experienced the more individuals had a favourable and weak (less certain, less important, more ambivalent) attitude towards violations, as well as strong habits. In addition, the more numerous NAEs experienced by others were perceived to be, the more ambivalent was the attitude. The discussion firstly concerns the methodological limitations of this study (e.g. use of cross-sectional design) as well as the integration of this concept into current research, especially in relation to the attitude strength concept and the theory of planned behaviour. Then, we discuss its practical implications (use of the experience based analysis technique, with consideration of both accident and non-accident experiences).