Perception Of Atmosphere Research Articles

Students' perception of school moral atmosphere: From moral culture to social competence. A generalizability study

The School Moral Atmosphere Questionnaire (SMAQ) was constructed to measure differences in students' perception of school moral atmosphere between schools. The instrument is based upon the constructs defined by the Just Community Approach that focused on students' shared perspective and portrayed ideal types of school moral culture. This study presents reliability estimates of the SMAQ based on a generalizability study. A total of 1280 students from 32 normal secondary schools participated in the study. The design of the study includes the factors: type of school varying in educational level; school; grade level; class; and student. Variance components and reliabilities are estimated for two models. In Model 1 grade level is a fixed effect, in Model 2 grade level is a random effect. The results indicate that moral atmosphere in school can be measured reliably, although in Model 2 a considerable number of observations may be needed. Because score levels for some subscales depend on the school type, reliabilities are higher for the entire population than for populations consisting of one particular school type. It is concluded that students' perception of moral atmosphere in normal secondary schools have a strong individual flavour. Perceived moral atmosphere should not be regarded primarily as a shared perspective among students within a school like a moral school culture, but as an instance of the social competence of the individual student.

Perception of moral atmosphere in school and norm transgressive behaviour in adolescents: An intervention study

How students perceive the moral atmosphere in their school may affect their behaviour in and around school. The perception of the moral atmosphere in school demands an assessment of the majority perspective among students, and is influenced by several individual and group-related characteristics. Can students learn to perceive the moral atmosphere in their school more accurately, and would an increase in perception accuracy reduce students’ norm transgressive behaviour in and around the school? To answer these questions an intervention programme, based on Galperin’s educational theory, was implemented class-wide and evaluated in a field study with a pre-test–post-test control group design with an added delayed post-test. Participants were 752 students from 40 Grade 8 and Grade 10 classes from 9 secondary schools. In hierarchical multiple regression analyses students’ perception of a school’s moral atmosphere, moral self-complexity, and moral judgment contributed to the prediction of norm transgressive behaviour and/or prosocial behaviour. As expected, the intervention produced a more unanimous perception of moral atmosphere (i.e., less variation within a class), particularly among boys. A more unanimous perception of moral atmosphere was negatively related to frequency of self-reported norm transgressive behaviour and positively to pro-social behaviour. The intervention effects on behaviour depended on the school. The significance of these results for the programme is discussed.

The Effects of Personal and Group Level Factors on the Outcomes of Simulated Auditor-Client Teams

The way that auditors and their clients develop team resources that they can later use in negotiating with their counterparts is a critical but unexplored issue in auditing research. This study explores several important issues that may affect the development of these team resources. Specifically, it uses interacting groups to evaluate the dynamic interplay between personal and perceived group level factors in determining individual team member's satisfaction with the teams' solution, and the development of perceptions of the team's atmosphere. First, a model of the intra-person and intra-team decision processes is introduced. This model posits that individual's personalities and hierarchical levels influence their choice of conflict styles, the development of their perceptions of the team's atmosphere, and ultimately their satisfaction with the solution reached by the team. Conflict style also is posited to affect perceptions of the team's atmosphere and solution satisfaction. We then test the model using structural equation modeling. We also examine the development of consensus within the teams. Students working on their MBA and MS in Business and Accounting at two AACSB-accredited universities participated in this study. The results provide dramatic evidence of the influence of the factors of interest on the resources that each team brings to the ultimate negotiation with its counterpart team.

Contextual Influences on Moral Functioning of College Basketball Players

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of moral atmosphere and perceived performance motivational climate on moral functioning of college basketball players and to determine the relationship between moral atmosphere and perceived performance motivational climate. A total of 199 athletes participated in the study. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the interrelationships among the variables of interest. Athletes’ perceptions of the moral atmosphere of their team had a significant effect on moral functioning, while the effect of performance motivational climate on moral functioning was not significant. Perceptions of a performance motivational climate were positively associated with the moral atmosphere of the team. Implications of the findings for eliminating unsportspersonlike conduct in the sport realm are discussed.

Perceptions of the real and the ideal ward atmosphere among trainees and staff before and after the introduction of a new work rehabilitation model

Changes in the ward atmosphere of a psychiatric work rehabilitation unit were investigated. Both trainees and staff filled in the Community-Oriented Programs Environment Scale (COPES) before and after a new rehabilitation model was implemented. It was hypothesised that the levels of autonomy and practical orientation would increase from both the trainees’ and staff’s perspective concerning the real ward atmosphere and that the staff’s perceptions of an ideal ward atmosphere would change in the same way. The staff perceived an increased level of autonomy with respect to both the real ward atmosphere and to what constitutes an ideal ward atmosphere, which partly confirmed the hypotheses, but the level of practical orientation was stable. Concerning the staff’s estimate of an ideal ward atmosphere, further changes were an increased level of involvement and a decrease in spontaneity, which was not hypothesised, but was not in conflict with the philosophy behind the new model. From the trainee’s perspective there was no change of either autonomy or practical orientation. Instead, there was a decrease in personal problem orientation. Compared to an optimal profile, the ward atmosphere was beneficial, before as well as after implementation of the new programme. Differences were found between the staff and the trainees, but they were not large enough to separate the groups according to what is considered an optimal profile. The few changes found support earlier conclusions that the ward atmosphere is a stable phenomenon over time.

Ward atmosphere in acute psychiatric in-patient care: patients' perceptions, ideals and satisfaction.

To investigate the relationship between patients' perception of the real and ideal ward atmosphere and their satisfaction. Patients filled in the Ward Atmosphere Scale (WAS, Real and Ideal Form) and a satisfaction questionnaire. Patient characteristics were derived from clinical assessments. WAS ratings were almost independent of patient characteristics. Patients in locked wards perceived more anger and aggression and patients subjected to coercive measures perceived less autonomy and practical orientation. Patient satisfaction was predicted by higher scores on the WAS Relationship- and System Maintenance dimensions, explaining 41% of the variance. In particular support, order and organization predicted satisfaction. Except from the areas of anger/aggression and staff control, patients gave the 'ideal' ward higher ratings on all subscales. The perceived gap between the 'ideal' and 'real' ward explained 45% of variance in satisfaction. Patients' perception of ward atmosphere is a clinically meaningful measure appearing to be a strong predictor of satisfaction.

Ward atmosphere, client satisfaction, and client motivation in a psychiatric work rehabilitation unit.

This study investigated the ward atmosphere of a psychiatric work rehabilitation unit and its relationships to clients' satisfaction with the unit and client motivation, operationalised as proneness to set personal goals for their rehabilitation. The Community-oriented Programs Environment Scale was used and 52 clients participated. Their report of the ward atmosphere was in accordance with recommended levels on 5 sub-scales out of 10. A regression analysis revealed that optimal levels of order-and-organization and support were of importance for satisfaction with the unit. An optimal level of support was associated with a high rating of personal goals. This study added two therapeutically interesting factors-satisfaction and motivation-to the flora of factors that have been related to perceptions of the ward atmosphere.

The hundred year hunt for the sprite

The scientific community's perception of the middle atmosphere above thunderstorms as “uninteresting” changed completely in the last decade. Today, a host of lightning‐related Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) have been identified, including sprites, blue jets, elves, sprite halos, and trolls. Others may remain to be discovered.Aside from the intrinsic scientific issues arising from this linkage of tropospheric electrical phenomena with that of middle atmosphere, a number of practical questions emerge. What, if any threats might TLEs pose to aerospace operations above 20 km? Do sprites represent a heretofore undocumented source of middle atmospheric Nox? What role might they play in the global electrical circuit, as well as in the energetics of the upper atmosphere [Bering et al., 1998]? Might these phenomena impact satellite‐based global monitoring and surveillance efforts?

Gendered Differences in Young Tourists' Leisure Spaces and Times

ABSTRACT The use of leisure spaces and leisure times by young men and women tourists is studied. It is based on information collected about the behaviour of young tourists during their holiday in the beach-oriented resort of Torquay, in southwest England. This work is required because of the importance of the young beach-oriented tourist to the tourism industry and the paucity of previous research on this subject. The need to study gendered differences is related to the suggestion that such differences exist in the leisure behaviour of people in their home environment. The study found relatively few gendered differences, in terms of use of leisure spaces and times, group composition, or perception of atmosphere in the holiday environment.

Students’ Perception of the Moral Atmosphere in Secondary School and the Relationship Between Moral Competence and Moral Atmosphere

This study of students’ perceptions of the moral atmosphere in secondary schools was mainly inspired by the Just Community theory of Power, Higgins and Kohlberg (1989). The concepts they used in their intervention studies of schools developing into a Just Community were operationalised through a paper‐and‐pencil instrument for the measurement of students’ perception of the moral atmosphere in school. To assess the reliability, validity and the power of the instrument a study was carried out in which 1553 students from 32 Dutch secondary schools participated. The schools were selected from among four types of schools varying in educational level: (1) junior vocational secondary education, (2) intermediate secondary education, (3) university preparatory and higher secondary education and (4) schools that were a mixture of intermediate secondary education, and university preparatory and higher secondary education. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences between schools and school types. Analyses of covariance with students’ moral competence (assessed with the SROM‐sf) as a covariate and moral atmosphere as dependent variable, showed that the effect of school, for all the schools taken together and for each school type, remained significant. The practical significance of these results is addressed.

Participative management and correctional personnel: A study of the perceived atmosphere for participation in correctional decision making and its impact on employee stress and thoughts about quitting

Participatory management has been identified in the empirical literature as a technique to alleviate job related stress in criminal justice organizations. Although many advantages have been noted, few criminal justice agencies have developed programs to capitalize on the benefits of employee participation in decision making. This article focuses on the perceptions of correctional officers regarding their participation in decision making and the relationship between organizational stress, physical stress, and thoughts about quitting the job. Four hundred eighty-six employees were surveyed from seven correctional institutions in the Southeast United States. A structural model, which explained 31 percent of the variation, showed that as employee participation increased, physical and occupational stress decreased. Thoughts about quitting were associated with higher levels of physical stress, occupational stress, and the perception of a negative atmosphere for participation. The results lend support for the use and development of participatory management programs in the field of corrections.

The importance of ward atmosphere in inpatient treatment of schizophrenia on short-term units.

The reorganization in 1981 of a general hospital psychiatric ward in Oslo, Norway, to achieve a more suitable treatment milieu for patients with schizophrenia resulted in a change in patients' perceptions of the ward atmosphere. Reduced group participation and increased individualized support from staff led patients to perceive of the ward as having a low level of anger and aggression and a high level of order and organization. This study examined whether the reorganization was associated with improved treatment outcome. Psychiatrists retrospectively examined the charts of all patients with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder who were admitted to the ward the year before and the second year after the reorganization. Multiple regression analyses were used to examine treatment outcomes for both groups. Outcome was measured indirectly by length of stay, level of functioning at discharge, and whether the patient was rehospitalized during the following seven years. Patients treated after the reorganization had significantly shorter stays with no reductions in either level of functioning at discharge or length of community tenure after discharge. Differences in demographic characteristics, illness history, or psychopharmacological treatment could not account for differences in outcome. The results supported the hypothesis that the organization and milieu of brief-stay wards influence the short-term outcome of inpatient treatment of patients with schizophrenia.

Occupational Group Therapy in a Psychiatric Day Care Unit for Long-term Mentally Ill Patients

The outcomes of 20 patients participating in occupational group therapy at a psychiatric outpatient unit were explored and related to perceptions of the ward atmosphere and the treatment process. The outcome variables—psychiatric symptoms, global mental health, quality of life and occupational functioning—were measured at admission, at discharge and 1 year after discharge. The ward atmosphere was rated twice a year and the treatment process once a month. The study used a combined within-group and between-group design. The ward atmosphere showed stability over a period of 5 years and was rated by patients and staff as beneficial for both psychotic and non-psychotic patients. Low levels of anger and aggression and staff control and high levels of support and order and organization were the most prominent features of the unit. Several characteristics of the ward atmosphere were related to outcome, e.g. an optimal level of anger and aggression as perceived by the patients initially in treatment was significantly related to improvement in global mental health and occupational functioning. The patients improved from admission to discharge on all the outcome variables except for quality of life. Contrasted with a matched comparison group, the patients' improvement was significantly higher regarding a measure of global functioning. Thirteen of the twenty patients were judged as having attained clinically significant change. With respect to the treatment process, patient ratings of a better working relationship vis à vis the main therapist compared to the other occupational therapists were significantly related to improvement in global mental health and occupational functioning, as well as to a principal component accounting for a large proportion of the variance in the outcome measures used. Furthermore, patient participation, especially in a psychological sense, was related to a better performance in everyday occupations and to the principal component reflecting outcome. In-depth analyses of three representative case studies illustrated the relationships that were established at a group level and mediated specific patient experiences. A percept-genetic test (PORT) revealed that the patients' external life situations and psychiatric problems were reflected in their internal object representations, and vice versa. A more benign picture testing at a 1–year follow-up indicated that the therapy had influenced the patients' internal object representations.

The evaluation of a nursing model for long-stay psychiatric patient care. Part 2—Presentation and discussion of findings

A nursing model selected by a population of ward managers was implemented on a long-stay psychiatric ward in Northern Ireland using an adapted action research approach within a quasi-experimental design. A range of dependent variables were appraised at one pre-test and two post-test evaluation points on an experimental (Ward X) and a control ward (Ward Y). A thorough review of the literature and methods used can be found in Part 1 (McKenna et al., 1995, Int. J. Nurs. Stud., 32, 79–94). The findings and their interpretations are presented here. Results indicate that on the experimental ward there were statistically significant improvements in “Psychiatric Monitor”, patients' and staff's perception of ward atmosphere, patient satisfaction, staff's views about nursing models, and patient dependency levels. No significant changes were noted in nurse satisfaction levels nor nurses' perception of patients' behaviour. Particular emphasis is placed on the possible threats to the internal and external reliability of these findings and on the attempts made to control these threats.

Features of the Ward Atmosphere in a Psychiatric Day Care Unit Based on Occupational Therapy – a Comparative Study

As part of a process-outcome study the specific occupational therapy features of the ward atmosphere in a psychiatric day care unit were investigated. The Community-Oriented Programs Environment Scale (COPES) was used to investigate the patients' perceptions of the ward atmosphere in a psychiatric occupational therapy unit as compared to a sample of eight other psychiatric units. The results pointed to high levels of support and order and organisation, and low levels of anger and aggression and staff control as the most prominent features of the ward atmosphere in the investigated unit, indicating occupational therapy specific traits. Furthermore, the ward atmosphere in the unit showed a good balance between supportive and explorative factors and seemed to provide optimal levels for both psychosis and non-psychosis patients.

Motivation, Self‐confidence, and Group Cohesion in the Foreign Language Classroom

Defining the motivational basis of second and foreign language acquisition has been at the center of much research and controversy for many years. The present study applied social psychological constructs to the acquisition of English in the unicultural Hungarian setting. A total of 301 Grade 11 students from the region of Budapest answered a questionnaire assessing their attitude, anxiety, and motivation toward learning English, as well as their perception of classroom atmosphere and cohesion. In addition, their teachers rated each of the students on proficiency and a number of classroom behaviors and evaluated the relative cohesion of each class group. Factor and correlational analyses of the results revealed that xenophilic (M=4.22on a 1–6 scale), sociocultural (M=3.96), instrumental (M=3.78), and media‐use reasons (M=3.79) were most strongly endorsed by the students whereas an identification orientation (M=1.8l)was rejected. Factor analysis of the attitude, anxiety, and motivation scales confirmed the existence of attitude‐based (integrative motive) and self‐confidence motivational subprocesses and revealed the presence of a relatively independent class‐ room based subprocess, characterized by classroom cohesion and evaluation. Correlational analyses of these clusters further revealed that, while all subprocesses were associated with achievement, self‐confidenceand anxiety showed no relationship to classroom atmosphere. We discuss these findings in the context of current theories of second and foreign language acquisition and with reference to their applied implications.

Anti-Semitism on Campus

The authors present results of a study that investigates and compares Jewish and non-Jewish students’ perceptions of the anti-Semitic atmosphere at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Involving Children in Family Therapy and Systemic Consultation

After reviewing the rationale for including children in therapy and reasons for the widespread practice of excluding them a variety of strategies for engaging children in various aspects of family therapy are described and illustrated with case examples. These include: making the therapeutic context attractive, explaining the therapeutic process and systemic ideas in concrete terms, tracking patterns of interaction using dolls and drawings, using genograms and lifelines to assess perception of family structure and development, using face drawings to assess perception of emotional atmosphere, tracking perceived changes using visual analogue scales, teaching turn taking, using personification and externalisation of problems and strengths to solve problems, reframing problems using stories and metaphors, coaching children in new skills and providing children with advocacy.

Consensus Versus Devil's Advocacy: The Influence of Decision Process and Task Structure on Strategic Decision Making

This study compares decision processes of consensus and devil's advocacy within an additivetask, a disjunctive task, and a conjunctive task structure. The results suggest that high-conflictdecision processes such as devil's advocacy enhances decision making in disjunctive tasks,retards decision making in additive tasks, but has no effect on decision making in conjunctivetasks. Perceptions of the group's atmosphere were most positive within consensus groups.

The association between punitive childhood experiences and hyperactivity

This study compared the abuse histories and home environments of adult males who had been referred for Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with that of their nonADHD siblings. Probands and brothers did not differ in their reporting of physical punishment, discipline, parental rejection, or positive parental contact, nor did they differ in their perception of the general atmosphere of their home environments. These findings were generally replicated in a larger sample of ADHD probands, nonADHD brothers and a group of classmate controls. In addition, the relation between severity of hyperactive and aggressive symptoms and degree of abuse was examined within an ADHD sample. Neither the degree of hyperactive symptoms, the degree of aggressive symptoms, nor the interaction of the two was associated with the amount of physical punishment reported. These data challenge the “scapegoat” or “target child” hypothesis prevalent in the child abuse literature by suggesting that punitive parenting may not be significantly controlled by the behavioral characteristics of ADHD children.