Belief In Ability Research Articles

Inequality and Relative Ability Beliefs

I present experimental evidence for a novel mechanism yielding inequality persistence. Just world beliefs research suggests that individuals believe they merit unequal treatment they experience. Merit depends on ability and effort so that disadvantage (advantage) may undermine (bolster) confidence in own relative ability. Because decisions determining economic success rely on such beliefs (e.g. competitiveness), inequality may self‐perpetuate. In multiple experiments, I randomly assign unequal pay for an identical task where performance depends on cognitive ability. I find that pay level consistently and substantially affects beliefs but not performance. Finally, I show that among males high pay increases competitiveness by 33%.

Understanding Trust in IT Artifacts

This paper studies the role of trust and trustworthiness as it applies to inanimate software artifacts. Extrapolating from the meaning and theory of interpersonal trust and supporting theories, this study develops software artifact trustworthiness and trust scales for the context of antiviral software. The proposed constructs deal with trustworthiness beliefs in software predictability and performance, corresponding respectively to a partial conceptual overlap with the interpersonal trustworthiness beliefs of predictability and ability. Data collected from 232 users support the psychometric properties of the new scales and demonstrate their nomological validity. The analysis shows that in the case of this software artifact, trustworthiness but not trust, predicts user satisfaction. This is in apparent contrast to interpersonal trust in online contexts where trust and trustworthiness are mostly indistinguishable, and where in the few cases that trust was studied separately from trustworthiness, trust had always been a significant predictor. The importance of trustworthiness, but apparently not of trust, in a software artifact is discussed.

Using Productive Disposition to Differentiate Between Students' Level of Precision When Critiquing a Peer's Work

This study examined the productive disposition of pre‐algebra students who demonstrated similar knowledge of the focal content but varied in other academic behaviors expected in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM). Specifically, the study considered students' attention to precision when critiquing a peer's work. The comprehensive definition of productive disposition used included task values (interest, utility), an ability belief (efficacy), three personal achievement goals, and negative emotions. As hypothesized, the 61 students who provided a more precise critique reported higher productive disposition (in particular, significantly higher mastery‐approach personal achievement goals and less frequent negative emotions) than the 79 students who provided a basic critique. These findings illustrate how productive disposition can inform assessments of mathematical competence within the CCSSM recently implemented across the United States.

영재와 평재의 자기조절 전략에 미치는 요인: 자율성 지지와 지적 능력에 대한 신념을 중심으로

영재와 평재의 자기조절 전략에 미치는 요인: 자율성 지지와 지적 능력에 대한 신념을 중심으로

Quantitative and Qualitative Relations Between Motivation and Critical-Analytic Thinking

The authors examine two kinds of factors that affect students’ motivation to engage in critical-analytic thinking. The first, which includes ability beliefs, achievement values, and achievement goal orientations, influences the quantitative relation between motivation and critical-analytic thinking; that is, whether students are sufficiently motivated to put forth the high levels of mental effort needed for critical-analytic thinking. The second, which includes the promotion and prevention orientations posited by regulatory focus theory (Higgins 1997), influences the qualitative relation between motivation and critical-analytic thinking; that is, whether students prefer to engage in critical-analytic thinking over qualitatively distinct modes of processing (such as associative or divergent thinking), which at times may be just as effortful. After describing both kinds of factors, we examine how they are influenced and shaped by a variety of contextual variables. We also consider potential tradeoffs between analytic and associative processing in academic settings and explore the possibility of creating a temporary fit between students’ motivations and the processing demands of a particular task. Finally, we discuss future directions for research, such as further exploring the relations between specific aspects of motivation and the various cognitive processes that underlie critical-analytic thinking.

Experts in Hate Speech Cases:Towards a Higher Standard of Proof in Strasbourg?

The only neutral method to distil the ‘performative’ (discriminating, inciting xenophobia or provoking hostility) potential of speech is essentially rooted in epistemic paternalism. It stems from the idyllic belief in some expert ability to find the truth. The imagined expert is expected to catalogue various expressions, taking into account the historical, political, socio-linguistic, forensic, and numerous other contextualizations of speech. Roughly equivalent to speech act theory, this assumption signifies that certain types of speech do not just sound or appear in the semiotic space, but carry with them an action. In this respect, the standard of proof developed by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in hate speech cases has been largely driven by the (explicitly or implicitly cited) expert conclusions. In order to evaluate this role of experts within the standard of proof employed by the Strasbourg Court, I revisit recent (2008–2012) hate speech cases from the ECtHR and distinguish them into three streams:1. Soulas et autres v France (2008), Leroy v France (2008), Feret v Belgium (2009) and Vejdeland v Sweden (2012);2. Balsytė-Lideikienė v Lithuania (2008); 3. Aksu v Turkey (2012). What unites all three streams is the epistemic convenience of the Court in granting a wide margin of appreciation to the respective States. Yet on a closer reading, it appears that Strasbourg judges have been mixing largely incompatible methodologies in order to achieve that low (non-intrusive) standard.

Social work field education: believing in students who are living with a disability

This paper is an exploration of social work placements with students who are living with a disability. The paper discusses hurdles including censoring placements and opportunities, equal access, strategies for building a belief in ability and self-esteem. Field education is a significant part of the social work degree internationally. It allows social work students to further develop their social work identity and to apply their knowledge to professional practice through real-life learning. The paper broadens the conversation on social work placements and ability, adding some personal narratives and sharing some insights from an Australian university context.

Exploring Differences in Practicing Teachers’ Valuing of Pedagogical Knowledge Based on Teaching Ability Beliefs

In this investigation, we assessed 443 teachers’ beliefs with the Teaching Ability Belief Scale (TABS) and the Importance of Teaching Knowledge Scale (ITKS). Using cluster analysis, we identified four groups of teachers based on their responses to the TABS reflecting Innate, Learned, Hybrid, and Requires Polish perspectives on the ability to teach. A comparative analysis, using the identified clusters, indicated differences in teachers’ valuing of teaching knowledge across the clusters. Teachers in the Learned cluster valued knowledge of theory significantly more so than other groups.

Parental Attributions of Children’s Success and Failure and Family Processes in Poor Chinese Families

The relationships between parental attributions of children’s success and failure and family processes of Chinese families experiencing economic disadvantage were examined in this study. A sample of 275 Chinese couples who had at least one child aged 11–16 experiencing economic disadvantage in Hong Kong were invited to participate in the study. Fathers and mothers completed the Parental Attributions Questionnaire, Parenting Style Scale, Chinese Parental Control Scale, Parental Sacrifice for Child’s Education Scale and Chinese Family Assessment Instrument. Results indicated that paternal attribution of children’s success and failure to effort influenced different family processes, including paternal control, paternal sacrifice for children’s education, and fathers’ perceived family functioning, whereas maternal attribution of children’s success and failure to effort influenced maternal control and maternal sacrifice for children’s education. Furthermore, we found that paternal and maternal attribution of children’s success and failure to ability predicted paternal and maternal control, respectively. On the contrary, attribution of children’s success and failure to luck did not predict any family processes in economically disadvantaged Chinese families. The present findings provide important insights on the relationships between parental attributions and family processes in Chinese families experiencing economic disadvantage, which helps to develop Chinese family model in the context of poverty. The study also suggests that human service workers should assess and promote parental attributional beliefs of effort and ability in assisting their children in their future development.

Health Equilibrium Initiative: a public health intervention to narrow the health gap and promote a healthy weight in Swedish children.

BackgroundInequity in health is a global concern. Even in Sweden there are considerable health gaps between different social groups, not least concerning life-style related conditions. Interventions drawing on Community-based participatory research (CBPR) have potential to build prerequisites for complex, supportive structures that constitute basis for implementation of sustainable health promoting programs. CBPR rests on principles of empowerment. The researchers are responsible for the scientific quality and that ethical standards are met. Health Equilibrium Initiative (HEI) aims at narrowing the health gap and promoting healthy weight in children; “healthy weight” including both anthropometric criteria and aspects having to do with self-esteem and self-efficacy. Evaluation objectives are to compare outcome between children in intervention and control areas, conduct health economic assessments (HEA) and evaluate the processes of the project.Methods/designHEI is a repeated cross-sectional and longitudinal study. The Program Logic Model is based on Social Cognitive Theory and Intervention Mapping. Primary contact groups are children in disadvantaged communities. Core efforts are to confirm and convey knowledge, elucidate and facilitate on-going health work and support implementation of continuous health work. Socioeconomic status is assessed on area level by the parameters yearly average income, degree of employment, tertiary education and percent of inhabitants born in countries where violent conflicts recently have taken place or were ongoing. Anthropometry, food patterns, physical activity and belief in ability to affect health; together with learning, memory and attention assessment will be assessed in 350 children (born 2006). Examinations will be repeated after two years, forming the basis of a health economic analysis. The process evaluation procedure will use document analysis (such as structured reports from meetings and dialogues, school/workplaces policies and curriculum, food service menus); key informant interviews and focus groups with parents, children and professionals.DiscussionInviting, awaiting and including local perspectives create mutual confidence and collaboration. Enhanced self-efficacy and access to relevant knowledge has potential to enable individuals and communities to choose alternatives that are relevant for their health and well-being in a long perspective. The economic of this study may contribute in decision- making processes regarding appropriate public health interventions.

The drivers of month-of-birth differences in children's cognitive and non-cognitive skills.

Previous research has found that children who are born later in the academic year have lower educational attainment, on average, than children who are born earlier in the year, especially at younger ages; much less is known about the mechanisms that drive this inequality. The paper uses two complementary identification strategies to estimate an upper bound of the effect of age at test by using rich data from two UK birth cohorts. We find that differences in the age at which cognitive skills are tested accounts for the vast majority of the difference in these outcomes between children who are born at different times of the year, whereas the combined effect of the other factors (age of starting school, length of schooling and relative age) is close to zero. This suggests that applying an age adjustment to national achievement test scores may be an appropriate policy response to overcome the penalty that is associated with being born later in the academic year. Age at test does not, however, explain all of the difference in children's view of their own scholastic competence. Age adjusting national achievement test scores may help to overcome differences in ability beliefs between children who are born at different times of the year, but our results suggest that additional policy responses may be required.

‘Go over there and look at the pictures in the book’: an investigation of educational marginalisation, social interactions and achievement motivation in an alternative middle school setting

The middle years of school represent a time of educational turbulence, serving to marginalise some students from educational opportunities. Much research has focussed on individual cognitive factors influencing educational engagement, with less attention directed towards social interactions. Theoretically positioned within an expectancy–value model of achievement motivation, this study draws on the lived experience of a 12-year-old student within an alternative school in South Australia, Australia, to explore how social encounters may contribute to educational marginalisation. Findings from a narrative case study employing a semi-structured interview suggested that connections exist between social influences, such as interactions with teachers and peers, and subsequent achievement motivation. This study suggests that social interactions are critical determinants to an individual's educational engagement, affecting educational ability, expectancy and value beliefs.

Randomized Controlled Trial of the Acceptability, Feasibility, and Preliminary Effects of a Cognitive Behavioral Skills Building Intervention in Adolescents With Chronic Daily Headaches: A Pilot Study

IntroductionThe treatment challenge of adolescents with chronic daily headaches (CDHs) creates an urgent need for evidence-based interventions. Therefore the purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary effects of a brief cognitive behavioral skills building intervention with 36 adolescents, 13 to 17 years of age, who had CDHs and mild to moderate depressive symptoms. MethodsParticipants were randomly assigned either to the Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment–Headache Education Program (COPE-HEP) or to a headache education comparison group. ResultsAdolescents and parents found the COPE-HEP to be highly acceptable. Medium to large positive effects were demonstrated on the adolescents' depression in both groups and on anxiety and beliefs in the COPE-HEP group. COPE-HEP offered additional benefits of a larger decrease in adolescent anxiety over time and stronger beliefs in the teens' ability to manage their headaches. DiscussionAdolescents with CDHs and elevated depressive/anxiety symptoms should be offered headache hygiene education plus cognitive-behavioral skills building interventions. A full-scale trial to determine the more long-term benefits of COPE-HEP is now warranted.

Is Science Me? Exploring Middle School Students’ STE-M Career Aspirations

This study explores middle school students’ aspirations in science, technology, engineering, and medical (STE-M) careers by analyzing survey data during their eighth and ninth grade years from an ethnically and economically diverse sample of Southern California urban and suburban public school students (n = 493). Students were classified based on their responses to questions about their science ability beliefs and subjective task values using latent class analysis (LCA). Four distinct groups of students were identified: Science is Me; I Value Science But Don’t Do It Well; I Can Do Science but I Don’t Value It Highly; and Science is Not Me. Few students (22 %) were classified as having strong science ability beliefs, and only a third as strongly valuing learning/doing science; a majority (57 %) were in the Science is Not Me category, underscoring the scope of the challenge to invite more young people to want to learn science. As predicted, students who believed they could do science and valued science were more likely than others to indicate interest in STE-M careers. This relationship between perceptions and aspirations was true regardless of gender, ethnicity, and type of STE-M field, but varied depending on socioeconomic status. Using LCA to organize information about students’ science self-perceptions may help target specific interventions to student interests and aspirations and better support and encourage their persistence in STE-M careers.

Convergent validity of a newly developed occupational performance assessment: A pilot study

Aim: This pilot study aimed to investigate the validity of an assessment for instrumental use of the mind: the Assessment and Intervention Instrument for Instrumentalism in Occupational Therapy (AIIIOT). The AIIIOT is used to guide individuals being assessed in developing personal mission statements to guide their lives. The individuals then assess themselves on perceived frequency, adequacy, satisfaction, and belief in ability to perform occupations that would help them achieve the stated missions. Method: The validity of the AIIIOT in evaluating occupational performance was investigated by comparing it with the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). Eleven people, aged 19–58 years, comprising of nine women and two men, participated in this convergent validity study. Data were gathered using the AIIIOT and the COPM. Pearson moment correlation and linear regression analyses were conducted to determine the convergent and predictive validities. Results: The participants' AIIIOT belief scores were correlated with the COPM performance and satisfaction scores, indicating that the AIIIOT belief scale had convergent validity. The AIIIOT belief scores were good predictors for the performance and satisfaction with performance of prioritised occupations as measured on the COPM. The AIIIOT adequacy scores were good predictors for the AIIIOT Frequency scores. Adequacy scores were also good predictors of the AIIIOT satisfaction scores. Conclusion: The above findings suggested that the AIIIOT had reasonable convergent and predictive validities. Further research with larger, more representative samples is indicated to confirm these findings.

Associations between first-graders’ maths knowledge and their class-teachers’ profiles of ability beliefs and outcome expectations

Õpilaste matemaatikateadmised ja nende areng sõltuvad paljudest individuaalsetest teguritest, aga ka õpetajaga seotud asjaoludest. Matemaatikateadmised algklassides määravad suuresti õpilase edasise edukuse matemaatikaga seotud õppeainetes. Õpetajate võimekususkumused ja tulemusootused mõjutavad seda, millised õpetamismeetodid õpetajad valivad ning kuidas õpilaste motivatsiooni suunavad. Algajate õpetajate võimekususkumusi ja tulemusootusi on mõjutanud muu hulgas nii nende varasemad õppimiskogemused kui ka õpetajakoolitus. Artiklis lähtutakse ideest, et õpetajate uskumusi ja tulemusootusi tuleb käsitleda ühtse süsteemina ning erineva uskumuste profiiliga õpetajad avaldavad õpilastele erinevat mõju. Uuringus osales 298 esimese klassi õpilast ja nende 15 klassiõpetajat, kes võtsid osa kutseaastaprogrammist. Õpilaste teadmisi testiti esimese klassi sügisel ja kevadel. Õpetajate võimekususkumusi ja tulemusootusi uuriti sügisel. Uuringus osalenud õpetajad olid eelneva, kõiki kahel õppeaastal kutseaastaprogrammis osalenud noori õpetajaid hõlmava latentsete profiilide analüüsi tulemusel jaotatud võimekususkumuste ja tulemusootuste alusel kahte rühma: õpetajad, kes pigem ei usu võimekuse sünnipärasusse ja arvavad, et õpilaste head õpitulemused on tingitud õpetaja tööst (nn optimistlike uskumustega õpetajad), ning õpetajad, kes pigem usuvad võimekuse sünnipärasusse ega pea end õpilaste õpitulemuste eest vastutavaks (nn reserveeritud uskumustega õpetajad). Töös analüüsisime konfiguraalse sagedusanalüüsi abil, kuidas on õpetajate võimekususkumuste ja tulemusootuste profiil seotud õpilaste teadmiste arenguga. Leidsime, et reserveeritud uskumustega õpetajate õpilaste seas on juhuslikust enam neid, kelle nõrgad teadmised kooliaasta alguses teiste lastega võrreldes aasta jooksul oluliselt ei parane, ning juhuslikust vähem õpilasi, kelle nõrgad teadmised kooliaasta alguses paranevad õppeaasta jooksul oluliselt. Optimistlike uskumustega õpetajate klassides oli juhuslikust vähem õpilasi, kes olid kooliaasta alguses küll heade matemaatikateadmistega, kuid kelle teadmised olid kooliaasta lõpus teistega võrreldes nõrgad. Töö tulemused näitavad noorte õpetajate võimekususkumuste mõju õpilaste teadmiste arengule ning juhivad tähelepanu tulevaste õpetajate võimekususkumuste ja nende mõju teadvustamisele õpetajahariduses. Summary

Incremental beliefs of ability, achievement emotions and learning of Singapore students

This study investigated the relationships of students’ incremental beliefs of math ability to their achievement emotions, classroom engagement and math achievement. A sample of 273 secondary students in Singapore were administered measures of incremental beliefs of math ability, math enjoyment, pride, boredom and anxiety, as well as math classroom attention and disruption. In addition, students’ end-of-year math achievement scores were collected from school records. The hypothesised mediation model was supported in structural equation modelling analysis. Incremental beliefs of math ability were associated positively with math enjoyment and pride, and negatively with math boredom and anxiety. Achievement emotions fully mediated the relationships of incremental beliefs of math ability to classroom engagement and math achievement. Incremental beliefs of math ability were associated positively with classroom attention through math enjoyment and pride, negatively with classroom disruption through math anxiety and positively with math achievement through the two outcome-related emotions, math pride and anxiety. The findings and implications are discussed in the academic context of Singapore.

Implicit beliefs of ability, approach-avoidance goals and cognitive anxiety among team sport athletes

People's implicit beliefs of ability have been suggested as an antecedent of achievement goal adoption, which has in turn been associated with behavioural, cognitive and affective outcomes. This study examined a conditional process model with team sport athletes' approach-avoidance achievement goals as mediators between their implicit beliefs of sport ability and sport-related cognitive anxiety. We expected gender to moderate the paths from implicit beliefs of ability to approach-avoidance goals and from approach-avoidance goals to cognitive anxiety. Team sport athletes with a mean age of 20 years (163 females and 152 males) responded to questionnaires about their implicit beliefs of sport ability, approach-avoidance goals and sport-related cognitive anxiety. Incremental beliefs, gender and the interaction between them predicted mastery-approach goals. Gender also predicted mastery-avoidance goals, with females reporting higher levels than males. Mastery-avoidance goals, gender and the interaction between them predicted cognitive anxiety, with females reporting higher levels of anxiety than males. Entity beliefs positively predicted performance-avoidance goals and the interaction between performance-approach and gender predicted anxiety. The indirect effects also showed gender differences in relation to performance-approach goals. Taken together, our results suggest that coaches trying to create a facilitating climate for their male and female athletes may be wise to consider their athletes' anxiety and achievement goal patterns as these may affect both the athletes' well-being and performance.

Moderating effects of online shopping experience on customer satisfaction and repurchase intentions

Purpose – Satisfaction and experience are essential ingredients for successful customer retention. This study aims to verify the moderating effect of experience on two types of relationships: the relationship of certain antecedents with satisfaction, and the relationship of satisfaction with intention to repurchase. Design/methodology/approach – This paper applies structural equation modelling (SEM) and multi-group analysis to examine the moderating role of experience in a conceptual model estimating the intention to repurchase. Responses from 393 people were used to examine the differences between high- and low-experienced users of online shopping. Findings – The research shows that experience has moderating effects on the relationships between performance expectancy and satisfaction and satisfaction and intention to repurchase. This study empirically demonstrates that prior customer experience strengthens the relationship between performance expectancy and satisfaction, while it weakens the relationship of satisfaction with intention to repurchase. Practical implications – Practitioners should differentiate the way they treat their customers based on their level of experience. Specifically, the empirical research demonstrates that the expected performance of the online shopping experience (performance expectancy) affects satisfaction only on high-experienced customers. Instead, the effort needed to use online shopping (effort expectancy) and the user's belief in own abilities to use online shopping (self-efficacy) influence satisfaction only on low-experienced customers. The effect of trust and satisfaction is significant on online shopping behaviour on both high- and low-experienced customers. Originality/value – This paper investigates how different levels of experience affect customers' satisfaction and online shopping behaviour. It is proved that experience moderates the effect of performance expectancy on satisfaction and the effect of satisfaction on intention to repurchase. It also demonstrates that certain effects (effort expectancy and performance expectancy) are valid for only one of the two examined groups, while only one effect (trust) is valid for both (high- and low-experienced).

Considering the Role of Affect in Learning: Monitoring Students' Self-Efficacy, Sense of Belonging, and Science Identity

While emphasis is often placed on assessing students' conceptual knowledge, less has been placed on investigating affective aspects of student biology learning. In this paper, we explore self-efficacy, sense of belonging, and science identity, as well as emerging assessment tools to monitor these dimensions of students' learning.