Self-esteem and emotional reactivity may be important personality determinants of human functioning in situations of social exposure. In this study, we compared the levels of these personality variables in a group of professional theater actors and a group of professional illusionists with a control group of participants who were neither actors nor illusionists and had no artistic education. We also examined the correlations between emotional reactivity and self-esteem in the three groups. For emotional reactivity, we found (1) very strong evidence that the level is less for magicians than for controls, (2) substantial evidence that the level is less for magicians than for actors, (3) anecdotal evidence that the level is less for actors than for controls, and (4) decisive evidence that the average score is less for males than for females. For self-esteem, we found (1) anecdotal evidence that the level is higher for magicians than for controls, (2) substantial evidence that there is no difference between actors and magicians, (3) anecdotal evidence against a difference between actors and controls, and (4) anecdotal evidence against a difference between males and females. Based on the entire sample we found a moderate correlation between self-esteem and emotional reactivity (r = -.30, p < 0.001). Our results are compatible with the notion that emotional reactivity – as part of the temperament concept – is a factor influencing the choice of an artistic profession.

Many performing artists in the interwar period in Poland assumed stage names, which were considered a tool of promoting one’s image, but also served other functions, such as the concealment of identity. Over two hundred such pseudonyms — together with the respective artists’ birth names — have been collected and analysed in the article. Approximately in the case of half of them was the original given name retained, and only the surname underwent a change. The comparison of the assumed names with the real ones shows that many names were shortened, and/or made to sound foreign or exotic. Minority surnames — Jewish/German, Russian, Ukrainian — were frequently made to sound Polish, while the Polish ones were foreignised (to make them look English, Italian, French) or vaguely exoticised.

The number of publications inspired by Bruno Latour’s social thought has significantly grown in Poland over the last decade. Among them there are theoretical analyses, research programms as well as projects of social engineering. This situation makes it urgent to examine the credibility of Latour’s vision of science and society. The present article claims that the premises as well as arguments of the French thinker are not only fallacious but also dangerous. A number of absurdities following from the actor-network theory become evident in the works of the Polish followers of Latour. Thus the article focuses on selected examples of them. In the conclusion the author indicates certain advantages for Latour’s readers and formulates several hypotheses about the possible reasons for Latour’s growing popularity.

In this work, a novel approach to designing an on-line tracking controller for a nonholonomic wheeled mobile robot (WMR) is presented. The controller consists of nonlinear neural feedback compensator, PD control law and supervisory element, which assure stability of the system. Neural network for feedback compensation is learned through approximate dynamic programming (ADP). To obtain stability in the learning phase and robustness in face of disturbances, an additional control signal derived from Lyapunov stability theorem based on the variable structure systems theory is provided. Verification of the proposed control algorithm was realized on a wheeled mobile robot Pioneer–2DX, and confirmed the assumed behavior of the control system.

The aim of this article is to provide an empirical test of the model of non-economic transfers by migrants such as values, attitudes, behaviours, lifestyles, transnational social networks, know-how, skills and knowledge. The first part of the article discusses the current state of Polish society, identifies the direc-tion of social change in Poland since 1989 and analyses the mutual dependency between social change and migration. The second section offers the analytical model and describes how existing empirical data from official statistics and research reports as well as the author’s own research projects have been analysed. The crucial element of the model is the notion of ‘closure’, defined as any factor that makes the migrants’ non-economic transfers difficult or impossible. Within each of the three categories of closure – socio-economic, cultural and psycho-social – more specific barriers to non-economic trans-fers are tested, e.g., lack of cohesive policy towards return migrants, social narratives on migration or ‘homecomer syndrome’. The analysis leads to the conclusion that, however difficult the measurement of the impact of return migration on social change at this stage, return migrants’ transfers are accelerating the process of social change in Poland towards the model of well-developed, post-modern Western societies, whereas closures impede this process.

Forms and means of theatrical expression in ancient Roman culture, abounding in the diversity of artistic forms, had perfect conditions for development. The cultural activity of man has naturally created the need for stage performances. This publication presents a detailed analysis of the provisions of the synods summoned and debating in the 4th and 5th centuries, A.D. T heir content was carefully referenced, in relation to actors, mimes and circus drivers. The reason for such an outline of research is the classification common to all these professions generally describing them as representatives of performing arts. The analysis on this matter was subjected, inter alia, to canons proclaimed in Elvira (306), Arles (314), Carthage (15 June 401), Hippo (427) and again in Arles (442–506). In order to more fully illustrate the issue cited in the subject, the situation of representatives of performing arts was also discussed on the example of actors in Roman public law and a short description of the history of synods in the ancient Church was presented.