Attribution Scale Research Articles

الذکاء الوجداني وعلاقته بأساليب العزو السببي لدى طلبة التربية العملية بالکلية الجامعية بالقنفذة

This study aimed to identify the level of emotional intelligence and the level of causal attribution among field education students at the University College in Al-Qunfudhah, as well as to identify the nature of the relationship between emotional intelligence and methods of causal attribution among the study sample which consisted of (70) students who were chosen in a simple random sample method from the first grade of the academic year 2018/2019. To achieve the objectives of the study, two measures were applied, the Intelligence and Emotional Scale prepared by Othman and Rizk. (1998), and the causal attribution scale of Lekfort (Lefcourt, 1979). The results of the study showed that the level of emotional intelligence among field education students at Al-Qunfudhah University College came with high values, and the results of the study also indicated that the level of causal attribution among students of practical education for internal factors and unstable factors came with a high degree as well, While the results indicated that the level of causal attribution among the study sample came in a medium degree with regard to the two dimensions of external factors and stable factors, the results of the study also showed a positive correlation between the level of emotional intelligence and causal attribution among field education students. Key words: emotional intelligence, causal attribution, fieldelationship to the methods of causal attribution among students education students, Al-Qunfudhah University College. هدفت الدراسة إلى التعرف على مستوى الذکاء الوجداني ومستوى العزو السببي لدى طلبة التربية الميدانية بالکلية الجامعية بالقنفذة ، وکذلک التعرف على طبيعة العلاقة بين الذکاء الوجداني وأساليب العزو السببي لدى عينة الدراسة , وتکونت عينة الدراسة من (70) طالبا تم اختيارهم بطريقة العينة العشوائية البسيطة في الفصل الدراسي الأول من العام الجامعي 2018 / 2019، ولتحقيق أهداف الدراسة تم تطبيق مقياسين هما, مقياس الذکاء والوجداني من إعداد عثمان ورزق (1998), ومقياس العزو السببي لليکفورت (Lefcourt,1979) , وقد أظهرت نتائج الدراسة أن مستوى الذکاء الوجداني لدى طلبة التربية الميدانية بالکلية الجامعية بالقنفذة جاء بقيم مرتفعة, کما أشارت نتائج الدراسة أيضا إلى أن مستوى العزو السببي لدى طلبة التربية العملية لعوامل داخلية وعوامل غير مستقرة جاء بدرجة مرتفعة کذلک , في حين أشارت النتائج إلى أن مستوى العزو السببي لدى عينة الدراسة جاء بدرجة متوسطة فيما يتعلق ببعد العوامل الخارجية والعوامل المستقرة, کما أظهرت نتائج الدراسة وجود علاقة طردية موجبة بين مستوى الذکاء الوجداني والعزو السببي لدى طلبة التربية الميدانية.

Comprensión lectora en estudiantes de escuela preparatoria abierta: efecto de una intervención basada en la motivación y las estrategias metacognitivas

El propósito de este estudio fue determinar si existe una diferencia significativa del nivel de comprensión lectora entre un pretest y un postest, en alumnos de una escuela preparatoria abierta de Nuevo León (México) después de una intervención basada en la motivación y las estrategias metacognitivas. Se utilizó un diseño cuantitativo cuasi experimental con una intervención de 14 semanas entre la aplicación de ambas mediciones. La población estuvo compuesta por 18 alumnos a quienes se les aplicaron tres instrumentos, el Test de Cloze para medir la comprensión lectora, la Escala Atribucional de Motivación de Logro General y el Inventario de Estrategias Metacognitivas Generales. Los hallazgos mostraron que existe una diferencia significativa de comprensión lectora (t(17) = 3.653, p = .002, Cohen´s d = 0.86) y estrategias metacognitivas (W = 30.00, p = .017, Correlación biserial r = 0.649) entre el pretest y el postest, aunque no fue significativo en el nivel de motivación (t(17) = -0.341, p = .737, Cohen´s d = 0.008). En conclusión, mediante la ejecución de un programa de intervención en estrategias metacognitivas y motivación hacia la lectura, se obtuvo una mejora en el nivel de comprensión lectora de los participantes.

Building the Causal Attribution Scale of Winning and Losing for Basketball Coaches

Sports psychology is concerned with studying human behavior as a living being that seeks to adapt to thestimulation and the sports coach is one of the samples to which this applies, as he has to follow a certainbehavior to deal with his players, which requires him to form his own philosophy and this philosophyappears clearly through his training profession As the work in training aims to gain more respect and selfesteem and good social status.All of this appears through the sporting competition that ends either with winning or losing, and here comesto the coach’s mind the evaluation of many justifications and the reasons behind the gain or loss, includingpersonal and external or administrative reasons, and here the issue of causal attribution emerges, and thereis no study that has identified this topic and for this This study aimed to build a measure of the causalattribution of victory and loss for basketball coaches.

Coordinated assertive aftercare: Measuring the experience and impact of a hybrid clinical/non-clinical post-suicidal assertive outreach team

• Brief, assertive follow-up after a suicide attempt can reduce future risk. • Combined multidisciplinary clinical and non-clinical practical and emotional support. • Showed substantial improvements to suicidality, distress, coping and wellbeing. • Emergency healthcare use was also significantly reduced. • Experience of care through this model was found to be highly positive. The most significant risk factor for suicide is a previous suicide attempt. For individuals who present to hospital, accessing aftercare is essential to ameliorate this risk, but frequently discharge occurs without adequate follow-up. To improve post-suicidal aftercare, a hybrid team (Alfred Hope) was developed offering three-months of psychosocial and clinical assertive outreach support. This study aimed to measure change in distress, suicidal ideation and coping beliefs and experience of care. For 92 consumers, initial and end-of-contact measures were collected: Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (suicidal ideation), Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (distress), Outcome Rating Scale (wellbeing), State Hope Scale (current hopeful thinking) and Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (coping ability beliefs). Qualitative responses regarding experience of care were also collected. At initial contact, 79% of consumers reported at least moderate distress, 78% suicidal ideation suggesting high risk of suicidal behaviour and 83% impaired wellbeing. Large effects were observed for reduced suicidal ideation and distress and improved wellbeing, coping self-efficacy and hopeful thinking (all p <.001) and emergency department presentations reduced significantly ( p <.001). Qualities of staff, what was received, and outcome of engagement were themes summarising what consumers reported was helpful. Uncontrolled longitudinal study and not all consumers completed end-of-contact measures. Operation of a clinical/non-clinical assertive post-suicidal outreach team is feasible, highly valued and supported improvement for most consumers. With some participants displaying persistent high suicide risk, clinical and psychosocial expertise is needed alongside being collaborative and respectfully persistent to address stressors and build coping ability to better overcome future adversity.

Validity of the Personal Suicide Stigma Questionnaire in a Community Sample

Abstract. The Personal Suicide Stigma Questionnaire (PSSQ) is a new scale assessing the experience of stigma in those who have been suicidal. This study examined the construct validity of the scale using a sample of participants from the general community who reported being suicidal at some point in their lives ( N = 3,947). The Distress Questionnaire – 5 and the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale were used to assess the severity of distress and suicidality. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed a three-factor model (Rejection, Minimization, Self-Blame) with one general Personal Stigma factor influencing the three first-order factors, which best fit the data. Scalar invariance was reached for both age and gender. The same factor structure was maintained when the format of the scale was altered for a subsample to provide a “not applicable” option for each item. PSSQ total score remained a significant predictor of distress after suicidality and demographic variables were accounted for. The PSSQ and its subscales can be used for the assessment of personal suicide stigma.

An exploratory factor analysis of the Nerdy Personality Attributes Scale in a sample of self-identified nerds/geeks

ABSTRACT In the past, the terms ‘geek’ and ‘nerd’ had negative social connotations, but so-called ‘Geek’ subculture is becoming increasingly mainstream, and its social and economic influence is expanding. There has been very little psychological research into this subculture and its associated personality types, but some authors have reported links with narcissism, extraversion, openness to experience, depression and subjective wellbeing. In a sample of 425 self-identified geeks/nerds registered with the Facebook community Geek Asylum and the Facebook page of the Manchester 2019 Comic-Con, we explored the factor structure of the Nerdy Personality Attributes Scale. Using exploratory factor analysis, we find that the scale items load onto three factors – ‘Social awkwardness’, ‘Interest in learning and science’ and ‘Interest in books’, with all correlating weakly to moderately with self-reported nerdiness. This scale may form a useful starting point to further assess the personality and behavioural characteristics of nerdiness.

Environmental Facilitators and Barriers to Student Persistence in Online Courses: Reliability and Validity of New Scales

This study aimed at building a reliable and valid scale for environmental factors related to student persistence in online courses, particularly relevant for adults or lifelong learners. Drawing on the social integration and external attribution scales and subscales of Kember et al. as a starting point, data collected in Canadian universities were randomly split into two samples. The first sample (n 1 = 385) was used to explore the data set through principal component and reliability analyses. These confirmed a two-factor environmental scale composed of encouragements (factor 1) and time-events items (factor 2), as well as a two-factor persistence scale that included potential dropout (factor 3) and cost-benefit items (factor 4). All factors showed a very good internal consistency. The second sample (n 2 = 381) was used to confirm the structural validity of environmental and persistence scales through confirmatory factor analyses and to compare this new structure to the subscales of Kember et al. While the latter resulted in an insufficient model fit, the new environmental and persistence scales yielded a very good model fit with strong goodness-of-fit indices and statistics. These results confirmed the structural validity of the new scales, which can be trusted for use in further empirical studies related to online student persistence. The new scales can also be used by practitioners to detect at-risk students early in a semester, allowing to offer them specific individual support to foster student persistence in online courses.

Ambivalent Sexism, Interpersonal Relationships and Attributional Complexity of School Counselors in Istanbul

Since school counselors became an internal part of the school system, they are responsible for promoting psychological and mental health of their students as well as providing guidance for them. In order to fulfill these responsibilities, school counselors are expected to have empathetic, inclusive, democratic, and egalitarian attitudes. As a repercussion of these required such attitudes, the school counselors are expected to treat every person equally regardless of their gender, race, and lifestyle, and not to discriminate people based on their attributions, and maintain healthy interpersonal relationships within the counseling settings. Thus, the aim of this research is to examine school counselors’ ambivalent sexism in the context of interpersonal relationships and attributional complexity. For this purpose, the relationships between interpersonal relationship dimensions (empathy, approval dependence, trust others, and emotional awareness), ambivalent sexism, and attributional complexity were analyzed. Ambivalent Sexism Inventory, Attributional Complexity Scale, and Scale of Interpersonal Relationship Dimensions were used as instruments. With a sample of 340 school counselors from Istanbul, our findings indicate that ambivalent sexism, interpersonal relationship dimensions, and attributional complexity are correlated with each other on different levels. Furthermore, we found some unexpected results such as a high level of sexism and a low level of empathy accompanied by positive causal relationships between ambivalent sexism and empathy and emotional awareness. In the end, the findings of this study essentially aspire to raise awareness about the issue of sexism among prospective and working school counselors in addition to stressing the need for boosting empathetic attitudes.

Correlates of depression, anxiety, self-esteem, and suicidal ideas in COVID-associated mucormycosis patients and the effects of treatment.

Aim:The aim was to study the correlates of depression, anxiety, self-esteem, and suicidal ideas in patients of COVID-associated mucormycosis (CAM) and effects of treatment.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional, analytical study was performed in a tertiary care center in Western Maharashtra. By purposive sampling, 34 patients of CAM were included in the study with their informed consent and after obtaining ethical clearance. A self-made questionnaire to include demographic and clinical details was filled. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS) were applied after initial diagnosis. The HADS, RSES, and SIDAS were reapplied after their operative treatment.Results:A significant reduction in anxiety and depression scores postoperatively was seen. No significant difference was found in self-esteem or suicidal ideas postoperatively in the study population. However, patients who underwent orbital exenteration showed a significant reduction in level of self-esteem with anxiety and depression postoperatively. No specific correlation was found between the computed tomography score, family history, intensive care unit admission, or orbital exenteration with anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and suicidal ideas.Conclusion:Levels of anxiety and depression in patients of CAM reduced significantly after treatment, but self-esteem worsened in males more than females owing to disfigurement. There is a need of psychological counseling in patients of mucormycosis undergoing a debilitating surgery both pre- and postoperatively for a better outcome and recovery.

Öğretmen Adaylarının Akıl Yürütme Stillerinin ve Başarıya Dönük Nedensel Yüklemelerinin İncelenmesi

The aim of this research is to investigate reasoning styles and causal attributions for success of university students. The study is a quantitative study based on correlational survey model. The population of the study consists from 267 teacher candidates in Ondokuz Mayıs University. The sample was selected in terms of convenience sampling technique. The result shows that there is no significant difference among the sub-dimensions of causal attributions and reasoning styles except the metaphorical-deductive style of reasoning in terms of gender. Besides, the results show that there is no significant difference among the sub-dimensions of causal attributions and reasoning styles in terms of departments. The result shows that there is no significant difference among the sub-dimensions of causal attributions and reasoning styles in terms of students’ most liked courses. The result of the test statistics about whether causal attributions and reasoning styles differ according to the object of their causal attributions shows that there is no significant difference among the sub-dimensions of causal attributions and reasoning styles except personal control and external control dimension in the causal attribution scale. According to test results, some dimensions of reasoning styles are correlated with causal attributions at a low level. Importance level of reasoning styles for causal attributions show that metaphorical-deductive reasoning style is the most important factor for causality focus, emprical dimension is the most significant dimension for external control, analogical inductive and hypothetical dimensions are the most important factors for personal control and hypothetical dimension is the most important factor for persistance dimension.

When symptoms become side effects: Development of the side effect attribution scale (SEAS)

ObjectivesSymptom misattribution is a central process in the nocebo effect but it is not accurately assessed in current side effect measures. We have developed a new measure, the Side Effect Attribution Scale (SEAS), which examines the degree to which people believe their symptoms are treatment side effects. MethodsThe SEAS was tested in three New Zealand studies: a vaccination sample (n = 225), patients with gout or rheumatoid arthritis (n = 102), and patients switching to a generic medicine (n = 69). The internal reliability of the scale was examined using Cronbach's alpha. To assess validity, the Side Effect Attribution Total Score and Side Effect Attribution Binary Score were related to a number of psychological measures associated with side effect reporting. ResultsThe scale showed good internal reliability across the three studies, with Cronbach alphas ranging from 0.840 to 0.943. Analysis of the effect sizes showed that the Attribution Total Score was generally more strongly associated with nocebo responding than Attribution Binary Score. Participants had greater Side Effect Attribution Total Scores if they had higher expectations for vaccination side effects (r = 0.18, p = .028), more worry about future vaccine effects (r = 0.16, p = .046), a higher perceived sensitivity to medicines (r = 0.50, p < .001), greater anxiety (r = 0.25, p = .016), greater intentional non-adherence (r = 0.30, p = .003), greater medicine information seeking (r = 0.26, p = .010), lower trust in pharmaceutical agencies (r = −0.29, p = .026), and lower medicine efficacy beliefs (r = −0.46, p < .001). ConclusionsThe SEAS provides a more nuanced assessment of symptom attribution beliefs. It appears to be more sensitive measure than just a side effect total, as it is associated with a greater number of relevant psychological variables. Future research should examine the scale in other populations and settings.

The relationship between ideal L2 self, achievement attributions and L2 achievement

This study examines whether learners’ (high vs. low) ‘ideal L2 self’ exerts an effect on causal attributions and which of these causal attributions could predict future L2 achievement. To this end, 1006 EFL students were invited from a state university in Ankara, Turkey. The data were collected with an attribution scale composed of 29 questions and with a questionnaire containing 10 items measuring learners’ ideal L2 self. The researchers also collected the students’ achievement scores to measure the predictive power of causal attributions. The impact of high and low ideal L2 self on causal attributions was analyzed through MANOVA and the prediction power of these attributions for achievement was measured through regression analysis using SPSS 23. It was found that learners’ ideal L2 self (high vs. low) influenced causal attributions, including ability, school system, teacher, family and classroom environment. It was also found that the attribution to effort, luck and ability are the best predictors of future exam scores of learners. These predictors could provide insightful implications for EFL teachers with regard to the actions they can take in order to diagnose motivationally at risk students and to boost their motivation through effective designs of interventions embedded into the curriculum.

People exposed to suicide attempts: Frequency, impact, and the support received.

Little is known about people who have been exposed to a suicide attempt by someone they know. The purpose of this study was to examine how many people have been exposed to a suicide attempt by someone they knew and whether the exposure was associated with general well-being and suicidal ideation. A population-based online survey was conducted during 2019 in Denmark (n=6,191). The associations between exposures to suicide attempt and general well-being (WHO-5) and suicidal ideation (Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale) were examined using linear regression analyses. Overall, 24.6% reported having experienced a suicide attempt by someone they knew. Of those, 46.5% had experienced a suicide attempt of a close relation and this group reported having been more affected by the event. Those exposed scored lower on general well-being (b: -3.0; 95% CI: -4.2 to -1.8; p>0.001) and higher on suicidal ideation (b: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.3 - 1.9; p=0.001) than those not exposed. Half of the exposed reported not having received sufficient support after the event. Suicide attempt affects a substantial share of the population, and it might be relevant to ensure that support is available for those exposed perceived to be in need of support.

Rates and Predictors of Deterioration in a Trial of Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Reducing Suicidal Thoughts

Objective It is necessary for suicide prevention interventions to demonstrate safety. One important aspect of safety is evidence that deterioration rates are low. No studies have examined deterioration of suicidal ideation in the context of an internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention to reduce suicidal ideation. A secondary analysis of the outcomes of an online trial was conducted to determine rates of deterioration in a CBT intervention called Living with Deadly Thoughts, relative to an attention control condition, and to identify factors associated with deterioration. Method The randomized controlled trial included 418 adults with suicidal ideation at baseline (77% females, mean age 40.6 years). Deterioration was defined in two ways: a reliable increase in Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS score) of ≥6.0 units; or triggering the safety protocol during the trial as determined by high levels of suicidality. Analyses were repeated with multiply imputed data. Predictors of deterioration were identified using logistic regression analysis. Results 30 (14%) participants in the control group and 15 (7%) in the intervention group met criteria for reliable deterioration (Fisher’s exact p = 0.027). In a fully adjusted logistic regression model, greater initial severity of suicidal thinking was associated with lower odds of deterioration, while intervention condition, demographics, psychological factors and mental health factors had no significant association with deterioration. Conclusions Participation in an online suicide prevention intervention was associated with lower prevalence of reliable deterioration than participation in an attention-control intervention, providing further evidence that internet-based CBT interventions do not cause harm. Highlights First study to assess deterioration in an internet suicide prevention intervention Rates of reliable deterioration were higher in control (14%) than intervention (7%) No psychological or demographic factors were robustly associated with deterioration Findings provide further evidence that internet based CBT programs are not harmful

A Mobile Health Intervention (LifeBuoy App) to Help Young People Manage Suicidal Thoughts: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundSelf-help smartphone apps offer a new opportunity to address youth suicide prevention by improving access to support and by providing potentially high fidelity and cost-effective treatment. However, there have been very few smartphone apps providing evidence-based support for suicide prevention in this population. To address this gap, we developed the LifeBuoy app, a self-help smartphone app informed by dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), to help young people manage suicidal thoughts in their daily life.ObjectiveThis study describes the protocol for a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of the LifeBuoy app for reducing suicidal thoughts and behaviors, depression, anxiety, and psychological distress, and improving general mental well-being in young adults aged 18 to 25 years.MethodsThis is a randomized controlled trial recruiting 378 young adults aged between 18 and 25 years and comparing the LifeBuoy app with a matched attention control (a placebo app with the same display but no DBT components). The primary outcome is suicidal thoughts measured by the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS). The secondary outcomes are suicidal behavior, depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and general mental well-being. The changes in the levels of insomnia, rumination, suicide cognitions, distress tolerance, loneliness, and help seeking before and after using the app are evaluated in this study. The study also addresses risk factors and responses to the intervention. A series of items assessing COVID-19 experiences is included in the trial to capture the potential impact of the pandemic on this study. Assessments will occur on the following three occasions: baseline, postintervention, and follow-up at 3 months postintervention. A qualitative interview about user experience with the LifeBuoy app will take place within 4 weeks of the final assessment. Using linear mixed models, the primary analysis will compare the changes in suicidal thoughts in the intervention condition relative to the control condition. To minimize risks, participants will receive a call from the team clinical psychologist by clicking a help button in the app or responding to an automated email sent by the system when they are assessed with elevated suicide risks at the baseline, postintervention, and 3-month follow-up surveys.ResultsThe trial recruitment started in May 2020. Data collection is currently ongoing.ConclusionsThis is the first trial examining the efficacy of a DBT-informed smartphone app delivered to community-living young adults reporting suicidal thoughts. This trial will extend knowledge about the efficacy and acceptability of app-based support for suicidal thoughts in young people.Trial RegistrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12619001671156; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=378366.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/23655

Enviromics in breeding: applications and perspectives on envirotypic-assisted selection.

We propose the application of enviromics to breeding practice, by which the similarity among sites assessed on an "omics" scale of environmental attributes drives the prediction of unobserved genotype performances. Genotype by environment interaction (GEI) studies in plant breeding have focused mainly on estimating genetic parameters over a limited number of experimental trials. However, recent geographic information system (GIS) techniques have opened new frontiers for better understanding and dealing with GEI. These advances allow increasing selection accuracy across all sites of interest, including those where experimental trials have not yet been deployed. Here, we introduce the term enviromics, within an envirotypic-assisted breeding framework. In summary, likewise genotypes at DNA markers, any particular site is characterized by a set of "envirotypes" at multiple "enviromic" markers corresponding to environmental variables that may interact with the genetic background, thus providing informative breeding re-rankings for optimized decisions over different environments. Based on simulated data, we illustrate an index-based enviromics method (the "GIS-GEI") which, due to its higher granular resolution than standard methods, allows for: (1) accurate matching of sites to their most appropriate genotypes; (2) better definition of breeding areas that have high genetic correlation to ensure selection gains across environments; and (3) efficient determination of the best sites to carry out experiments for further analyses. Environmental scenarios can also be optimized for productivity improvement and genetic resources management, especially in the current outlook of dynamic climate change. Envirotyping provides a new class of markers for genetic studies, which are fairly inexpensive, increasingly available and transferable across species. We envision a promising future for the integration of enviromics approaches into plant breeding when coupled with next-generation genotyping/phenotyping and powerful statistical modeling of genetic diversity.

Assessment of the Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the Cardiac Self-Blame Attribution (CSBA-P) Scale in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease.

According to the studies done in Iran, there has been no study investigating self-blame attributions in patients with cardiovascular disease. Moreover, there has been no standard scale for assessing self-blame attributions available in Persian. Hence, this study was conducted to determine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of Cardiac Self-Blame Attribution (CSBA-P) Scale in patients with cardiovascular disease. In this 2019 methodological study, 400 patients with cardiovascular disease completed the Persian version of the Cardiac Self-Blame Attribution scale. We evaluated the face, content, and construct validity (both exploratory and confirmatory) of the measure. The results of the confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis extracted a separate factor explained 56.249% of the variance. One factor fit model was confirmed according to standard measures such as RMSEA = 0.074, CMIN/DF = 2.454. The reliability of the scale was calculated and confirmed with a Cronbach coefficient of 0.938, construct reliability of 0.938, and ICC of 0.895. The Persian version of the Cardiac Self-Blame Attribution scale (CSBA-P) yielded acceptable validity and reliability. Thus, this scale can be used in future research to assess self-blame attributions among cardiac populations who speak Persian.

Complexity in patterns of racial segregation

Cities are complex systems, their complexity manifests itself through fractality of their spatial structures and by power law distributions (scaling) of multiple urban attributes. Here we report on the previously unreported manifestation of urban complexity -- scaling in patterns of residential racial segregation. A high-resolution racial grid of a city is segmented into racial enclaves which are patches of stationary racial composition. Empirical PDFs of patch areas and population counts in 41 US cities were analyzed to reveal that these variables have distributions which are either power laws or approximate power laws. Power law holds for a pool of all patches, for patches from individual cities, and patches restricted to specific racial types. The average value of the exponent is 1.64/1.68 for area/population in 1990 and 1.70/1.74 in 2010. The values of exponents for type-specific patches vary, but variations had decreased from 1990 to 2010. We have also performed a multifractal analysis of patterns formed by racial patches and found that these patterns are monofractal with average values of fractal dimensions in the 0.94-1.81 range depending on racial types and the year of analysis. Power law distribution of racial patch sizes and a fractal character of racial patterns present observable and quantifiable constraints on models of racial segregation. We argue that growth by preferential attachment is a plausible mechanism leading to observed patterns of segregation.

Causal Attribution Scale for Elementary and Middle School: Convergent validity evidence study with achievement goals

The assessment of intrapersonal causal attributions through instruments with adequate psychometric parameters is a resource to know the motivation to learn of elementary school students. In this study, we investigated the convergent validity evidence for the Causal Attributions Evaluation Scale for Elementary and Middle School Students (Escala de Avaliacao das Atribuicoes de Causalidade para Alunos do Ensino Fundamental [EAVAT-EF]), and we verified part of the self-regulation’s cyclic model process. We used the EAVAT-EF and the Learning Motivation Assessment Scale (Escala de Avaliacao da Motivacao para a Aprendizagem [EMAPRE-EF]) that assesses achievement goals. The study sample consisted of 935 students from Brazilian public schools (3rd to 9th grades). Pearson’s moment-product indices indicated statistically significant correlations between the EAVAT-EF and EMAPRE-EF factors. Structural equation modeling indicated that EAVAT-EF predicted EMAPRE-EF factors (48%, learning goal; 14% performance-approach goal; 37%, performance-avoidance goal). The convergent validity evidence obtained for EAVAT-EF will contribute to psychology and education professionals to use it to assess students’ causal attributions. The verification of part of the functioning of the cyclical process of self-regulated learning presupposes advances for the knowledge of this model in Brazil.

Suicidality, self-harm, and their correlates among transgender and cisgender people living in Aotearoa/New Zealand or Australia

BackgroundTransgender people experience high rates of suicidality and self-harm. Past research has established a range of correlates of suicidality/self-harm among transgender people but little is known about whether these correlates are similar for transgender and cisgender people.AimsThe aim of this study was to test whether a range of potential demographic and psychosocial correlates of suicidality/self-harm hold for both transgender and cisgender people living in Aotearoa/New Zealand and Australia.MethodsAn online survey was completed by 700 adults living in Aotearoa/New Zealand (n = 328) or Australia (n = 372). Targeted advertising was used to recruit transgender respondents (n = 392) and cisgender respondents (n = 308). Participants completed questions about demographics, discrimination (the Everyday Discrimination Scale), distress (the Kessler-10 scale), social support (the Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), resilience (the Brief Resilience Scale), suicidality (the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale and other questions about ideation/attempts), and self-harm (the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory).ResultsLifetime suicidal ideation, lifetime suicide attempts, and lifetime self-harm were more common among transgender participants. Discrimination was associated with lifetime suicide attempts and lifetime self-harm, particularly for transgender participants. Distress was consistently associated with recent suicidality and self-harm for transgender participants. Younger cisgender participants were more likely to report lifetime self-harm. Recent suicidal ideation was associated with lower social support among transgender participants but with lower resilience among cisgender participants.DiscussionThese findings reaffirm and expand on past research on suicidality/self-harm among transgender or cisgender people and demonstrate the relevance of tackling discrimination and distress experienced by transgender people. In addition, the findings highlight the importance of meeting additional social support needs among transgender people to help prevent suicide and self-harm.