Core Beliefs Research Articles

Heathen: Religion and Race in American History

Heathen: Religion and Race in American History

Learning together out of climate change denial

AbstractClimate change denial is often rooted in an array of conspiracy theories with climate change itself viewed by some as the real conspiracy. While not all of us are climate change conspiracy theorists, it is upsetting for most of us to learn and accept that our climate is changing, that it is primarily human‐caused, and that it is harming people, animals, and other living organisms. It is even harder to accept this new reality when it goes against our core and fundamental beliefs, and against the professed beliefs and positions of those groups with which we identify. The media—whether old or new—has not really helped educate, and has tended to reinforce what is termed ‘myside’ bias. Those of us in adult education know that presenting the correct information or facts is not enough to really teach people. Instead, I sense that learning to live together, to accept the painfulness of learning, and connecting in a shared concern for our fragile blue planet and what we have managed to create, needs to be part of the answer—as complex as this topic is.

Advocacy coalitions and policy change for decarbonisation of international maritime transport: The case of FuelEU maritime

The legislators of the European Union (EU) have agreed on the FuelEU Maritime regulation, so far, the world's most ambitious pathway to maritime decarbonisation. FuelEU Maritime establishes a common EU regulatory framework to stimulate an increased share of renewable and low-carbon fuels in the fuel mix of international maritime transport. This article analyses, through the lens of the Advocacy Coalition Framework, the policy process leading to the political agreement on the FuelEU Maritime regulation. Core beliefs of two different advocacy coalitions including the European Commission, the Council of Ministers, EU Member States, the European Parliament and different IGs are identified like Transport & Environment and the European Community Shipping Association, as are the paths to policy change. The agreement on the FuelEU Maritime regulation follows the Paris Agreement and the following international discussions on how to curb the climate impact from shipping, the presentation of the ‘European Green Deal’ with a European Climate Law and the presentation of a broad package of EU climate, energy and transport legislation. In addition, it is a result of problem-solving bargaining between the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.

The Up-Side of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are Core Belief Violation and Meaning Making Associated with Post-Traumatic Growth?

The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health has been extensively documented, while its possible positive impact on the individual, defined as Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG), has been much less investigated. The present study examines the association between PTG and socio-demographic aspects, pre-pandemic psychological adjustment, stressors directly linked to COVID-19 and four psychological factors theoretically implicated in the change processes (core belief violation, meaning-making, vulnerability and mortality perception). During the second wave of the pandemic 680 medical patients completed an online survey on direct and indirect COVID-19 stressors, health and demographic information, post-traumatic growth, core belief violation, meaning-making capacity, feelings of vulnerability and perceptions of personal mortality. Violation of core beliefs, feelings of vulnerability and mortality, and pre-pandemic mental illness positively correlated with post-traumatic growth. Moreover, the diagnosis of COVID-19, stronger violation of core beliefs, greater meaning-making ability, and lower pre-existing mental illness predicted greater PTG. Finally, a moderating effect of meaning-making ability was found. The clinical implications were discussed.

‘Against everything that got you into the job’: experiences of potentially morally injurious events among Canadian public safety personnel

ABSTRACT Background: Moral injury (MI) has become a research and organizational priority as frontline personnel have, both during and in the years preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, raised concerns about repeated expectations to make choices that transgress their deeply held morals, values, and beliefs. As awareness of MI grows, so, too, does attention on its presence and impacts in related occupations such as those in public safety, given that codes of conduct, morally and ethically complex decisions, and high-stakes situations are inherent features of such occupations. Objective: This paper shares the results of a study of the presence of potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) in the lived experiences of 38 public safety personnel (PSP) in Ontario, Canada. Method: Through qualitative interviews, this study explored the types of events PSP identify as PMIEs, how PSP make sense of these events, and the psychological, professional, and interpersonal impacts of these events. Thematic analysis supported the interpretation of PSP descriptions of events and experiences. Results: PMIEs do arise in the context of PSP work, namely during the performance of role-specific responsibilities, within the organizational climate, and because of inadequacies in the broader healthcare system. PMIEs are as such because they violate core beliefs commonly held by PSP and compromise their ability to act in accordance with the principles that motivate them in their work. PSP associate PMIEs, in combination with traumatic experiences and routine stress, with adverse psychological, professional and personal outcomes. Conclusion: The findings provide additional empirical evidence to the growing literature on MI in PSP, offering insight into the contextual dimensions that contribute to the sources and effects of PMIEs in diverse frontline populations as well as support for the continued application and exploration of MI in the PSP context.

Low self-esteem: a refined cognitive behavioural model.

Melanie Fennell's (1997) seminal cognitive approach to low self-esteem was published in Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy. The current paper proposes a refined model, drawing on social theories, and research with people with socially devalued characteristics. This model emphasises how self-esteem relates to perceptions of one's value in the eyes of others. It is proposed that core beliefs typical of low self-esteem relate to one's value in relation to personal adequacy (e.g. having worth or status) and/or to social connection (e.g. being liked, loved, accepted or included). In each of these value domains, beliefs about both the self (e.g. 'I am a failure', 'I am unlovable') and others (e.g. 'Others look down on me', 'Others don't care about me') are considered important. The model suggests that everyone monitors their value but in people with low self-esteem, cognitive biases associated with underlying beliefs occur. In the context of trigger situations, this results in a greater likelihood of negative appraisals of perceived threat to one's value. Such appraisals activate underlying negative beliefs, resulting in negative mood (e.g. low mood, anxiety, shame, disgust) and other responses that maintain low self-esteem. Responses which can be used excessively or in unhelpful ways include (a) corrective behaviours; (b) compensatory strategies; (c) increased value monitoring; (d) safety-seeking behaviours; (e) rumination; (f) unhelpful mood regulation responses. These responses can adversely impact daily functioning or health, having the counterproductive effect of maintaining negative beliefs about one's value. Examples are provided for low self-esteem in lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals.

Realitas Sosial Perempuan Bercadar : Penolakan Dan Penerimaan di Masyarakat Sumbersari Kabupaten Jember

Each religion has its own symbols and uniqueness. Islam is the dominant religion in Indonesia. Islamic women are usually symbolized by the hijab and long clothes. Not infrequently there are also Muslim women who wear the veil. The veil is a face covering for Muslim women that covers all parts of the face except for the eye area, which is combined with a hijab and long clothes which are usually dominated by dark colors. But in Indonesia itself, women who wear the veil reap many pros and cons. This research was conducted to find out how the interactions that occur between women who wear the veil and the surrounding community. This study uses a type of qualitative research with an ethnographic approach. Qualitative research helps researchers to obtain an answer to a symptom, fact or reality that is being faced and to be able to understand a problem that is being studied. Ethnography is the study of culturally shared groups involving the core values and beliefs of their members. The subjects of this study were students studying at several campuses in Jember Regency. The results showed that the motivation of the informants in wearing the veil was as a form of obedience to religion and also to protect and avoid bad things. Several informants stated that they experienced some difficulties in interacting with the surrounding community when they wore the veil. Not infrequently they also receive negative stigma from society. So this is also a big challenge for veiled women in Indonesia, especially in the area around Jember Regency.

The post-traumatic growth approach to psychological trauma.

The post-traumatic growth approach to psychological trauma.

Iravatham Mahadevan’s Reading of Indus Script: A Critical Review

This paper comprehensively summarizes, analyses, and reviews Iravatham Mahadevan’s attempts to decipher the Indus script. Spanning a period of over thirty five years, Iravatham Mahadevan made continuous attempts to interpret and decipher the Indus script. Mahadevan claimed to have adapted the method of parallels between the symbolic representation and the text, between the written object and its designation, between the written symbol itself and its meaning, and the similarity throughout the ancient East of certain portions of the inscriptions, with the assumption that the underlying language of the script is Dravidian. Mahadevan was very flexible in changing his views and finding new interpretations, and gradually he shifted his interpretation of Indus signs from being phonetic/logographic/word to ideographic, leaving unshaken his core personal hypothesis and belief in the Veḷier clan and Tamil cultural settings. While Mahadevan did not succeed in making a self-consistent system of readings applicable to a large number of discovered pieces of writings, he did make a determined, persistent effort to develop a Dravidian framework for deciphering of the Indus script. This study seeks to find weaknesses in the methodology and assumptions of Mahadevan and searches for possible alternatives within that framework.

Effects of Group Prenatal Health Care Combined with Happiness Training on Delivery Mode and Maternal Role Adaptation in Elderly Primiparous Women: A Study for Improvements in Patients Health Behavior

Objective: This study aimed to explore the effects of group prenatal health care combined with happiness training on delivery mode and maternal role adaptation in elderly primiparous women. Methods: A total of 110 elderly primiparous women who were expected to deliver in hospital from January 2020 to December 2021 were selected and assigned to two equal size groups: Group A and Group B. Results:After the nursing intervention, the natural delivery rate of Group A was 85.45%, significantly higher than that of Group B at 52.73% (P<0.05). The initial feeding time and first lactation time of Group A were significantly shorter than those of Group B, and the 48-hour lactation volume was higher than that of Group B (P<0.05). The RAQ scores of Group A, including maternal role happiness score, the baby's impact on the mother's life score, baby's daily living care ability score, and maternal role belief score, were all higher than those of Group B (P<0.05). The GWB score of Group A was significantly higher than that of Group B, while the EPDS score was significantly lower than that of Group B (P<0.05). Conclusion: Group prenatal health care combined with happiness training can improve the delivery mode of elderly primiparous women, help them adapt better to their maternal role, and enhance their subjective sense of well-being.

Advocacy Coalitions and Paths to Policy Change for Promoting Energy Efficiency in European Industry

This paper applied the advocacy coalition framework to explore and explain the political processes creating policies to enhance energy efficiency of European Union (EU) industry. The paper used legislation on energy audits and energy management systems as a proxy for EU policy on energy efficiency in industry. Based on qualitative text analysis of EU policy documents, including a proposal to recast the energy efficiency directive, amendments to the proposal suggested by Member States, the Council and the European Parliament, and reports from negotiations, the paper identified four advocacy coalitions with different core beliefs, spanning from those that want few companies to implement energy audits or energy management systems, and that recommendations from audits should not be mandatory to implement, to those that advocate that many companies implement energy audits and management systems and that it should be mandatory to implement measures recommended in audits. It was further found that policy change followed an external shock, deliberative negotiations, and policy-oriented learning. The identification of core beliefs and advocacy coalitions will help policymakers and other stakeholders become more aware of their own and others’ values on energy efficiency and how these could be changed. As important was the differentiation of deep core beliefs, policy core beliefs and secondary beliefs. Which beliefs can be easily changed, which cannot?

Identifying core beliefs of an intercultural educator: How polyculturalism and group malleability beliefs shape teachers’ pedagogical thinking and practice

Manifestations of educational inequity in diversifying societies have led to a wide acknowledgement of the need to develop all teachers’ competencies to work in the context of diversity. The domain of beliefs and attitudes is generally included as one key component of teachers’ intercultural competence, but there is little consensus over what the core beliefs shaping teachers’ intercultural competencies are. This mixed methods study draws from social psychological research on inter-group relations and explores the role of polyculturalist beliefs and group malleability beliefs in shaping teachers’ orientation to teaching for diversity and social justice. A hypothesized model was tested on survey data from Finnish comprehensive school teachers (N = 231) with structural equation modeling. Findings indicate that polyculturalism, in particular, strongly explains teachers’ teaching for social justice beliefs and enthusiasm for teaching in the context of diversity. Furthermore, we present a case analysis, based on classroom observations and stimulated recall interviews, of how polyculturalism actualizes in one Finnish elementary school teacher’s pedagogical thinking and practice, and discuss the implications of our findings for teacher education and further research.

Integration of Population Health, Social Determinants, and Social Justice in Transcultural Nursing and Culturally Competent Care: White Paper by the Scholars Education Interest Group

As part of its mission to advance Transcultural Nursing worldwide, the Transcultural Nursing Society Scholars upholds the central role of the discipline and cultural competence in advocacy, empowerment, and transformation of the life conditions of disadvantaged populations. This White Paper affirms the Scholars' core belief in the value of Transcultural Nursing and culturally competent care in addressing social determinants to promote health equity. The Scholars Education Interest Group proposes recommendations for changes in education, practice, and research undergirding the discipline and expand cultural competence to directly address social structural and historical forces that perpetuate health vulnerability in diverse populations. Collaborative leadership between the TCNS Scholars, Board of Trustess and members should develop initiatives to foster implementation of the recommendations and promote global dissemination of exemplars in education, research and practice. Collaborative implementation of recommendations will generate evidence of health equity outcomes through TCN and culturally competent care.

Correlation Between Family Functioning and Health Beliefs in Patients with Stroke in Beijing, China.

To explore the relationship between family functioning and health beliefs in patients with stroke. A total of 253 patients with stroke were selected from Beijing Luhe Hospital, Capital Medical University from May 2021 to November 2021. All patients were of Chinese nationality, and 240 valid questionnaires were obtained. The Family Assessment Device and Champion's Health Belief Model Scale were used to collect patients' family functioning and health beliefs information, and correlation analysis was used to analyse it. The total score for family functioning in patients with stroke was 130.5 (22). The highest mean score was 2.46 for behaviour control, and the lowest score was 2.00 for total function. The items were ranked from high to low in this order: behaviour control, emotional response, role, communication, emotional intervention, problem solving and total function. The total score of the patients' health beliefs was 116 (33), The items were ranked from high to low in this order: were self-efficacy, health motivation, perceived benefit, susceptibility, severity and perceived impairment. The scores for family functioning were negatively correlated with the total scores for health beliefs (P < 0.05). Stroke can reduce the self-care ability of the patients and aggravate the burden of family care. This can lead to abnormal function roles for patients and their families, emotional reactions in patients with stroke and weaker levels of family functioning. The health beliefs scores of patients with stroke were at the middle level, and family functioning was at the general level. There was a negative correlation between the family functioning score and the total score for health beliefs in patients with stroke.

The Fragmented Mind

<i>The Fragmented Mind</i>

Primary Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices for Boosting Students Creativity and Critical Thinking Skills

Within the context of primary education, teachers are essential in helping pupils in enhancing their creativity skills. The main goal of this study consisted to find out how teachers felt about these skills, how important they were, and how they affected their teaching practices; to assess how these skills were used in the classroom; to ascertain whether the beliefs and practices aligned; and to offer recommendations based on the best available evidence. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study discovered that primary teachers regularly link their beliefs about the importance of creativity and critical thinking with the activities that take place in the classroom. Nonetheless, there are difficulties due to real-world limitations including resource scarcity and standardized testing. The study emphasizes how crucial it is to provide these abilities through resource allocation, continual professional development, and supportive learning environments in schools. Overall, the results demonstrate how important it is for primary teachers to have an impact on their children' cognitive development and provide guidance to stakeholders who want to improve critical thinking in primary education to meet today's learning objectives.

Screening behaviors and related factors among the first-degree relatives of Chinese patients with gastric cancer

ObjectiveThis study was aimed at investigating the screening behaviors of the first-degree relatives (FDRs) of Chinese patients with gastric cancer as well as the factors influencing screening behaviors. MethodsIn a cross-sectional design, 197 FDRs of patients with gastric cancer were enrolled at the Peking University Cancer Hospital. Four questionnaires were used: a demographic questionnaire, a knowledge questionnaire of risk factors and warning symptoms for gastric cancer, the Gastric Cancer Health Belief Scale, and a questionnaire screening for behavioral motivators and barriers. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors influencing screening behaviors. ResultsAmong the 197 FDRs of patients with gastric cancer, 30.96% (61/197) of patients had undergone gastric cancer screening. Among those who participated in gastric cancer screening, the most common screening methods were gastroscopy and the Helicobacter pylori testing, both of which were applied in 63.93% (39/61) of participants, followed by serum tumor marker testing (55.74%, 34/61) and barium meal examination of the upper digestive tract (29.51%, 18/61). The gastric cancer risk factor knowledge score was 9.02 ​± ​3.95, and the gastric cancer warning symptom knowledge score was 4.39 ​± ​1.85. The participants’ knowledge score was moderate, at 13.41 ​± ​5.16. The total health beliefs score was low, at 88.91 ​± ​12.66. Factors independently associated with the screening behaviors of FDRs included educational background, knowledge of gastric cancer risk factors, and health motivation (P ​< ​0.05). ConclusionsThe participation rate in gastric cancer screening of FDRs of patients with gastric cancer was relatively low and was affected by multiple factors. Our results highlighted the urgent need for educational campaigns and precision interventions to raise gastric cancer awareness.

Cultural Consensus Analysis of Stakeholder Beliefs toward Coastal Restoration in Southeast Louisiana

Coastal land loss is a singular threat to the people, economies, and biodiversity of Louisiana. Though opinion polls indicate broad support for restoration efforts, aspects of current plans remain contentious for some stakeholders. We used cultural consensuses analysis (CCA) to go beneath the surface of restoration policy debates and identify shared beliefs about coastal land loss and restoration efforts among select occupational stakeholder groups in Louisiana. Three latent consensus groups, spanning stakeholder groupings, were identified. Data indicate broad consensus on core beliefs related to the peril of land loss and the urgency of action. And though staunch disagreement exists, there is some evidence that differences are not wholly intractable. These findings highlight a need to better understand the nature of beliefs and the frames that motivate those beliefs in policy debates and offer CCA as avenue for doing so.

Positive Schemas, Coping, and Quality of Life in Pediatric Recurrent Abdominal Pain.

Pediatric recurrent abdominal pain is commonly associated with negative impacts on quality of life (QOL). Positive schemas (core beliefs about the self with subthemes of self-efficacy, optimism, trust, success, and worthiness) are a resilience factor that has not yet been examined within a pediatric recurrent pain context. This cross-sectional study examined (a) associations between positive schemas, pain coping, and youth QOL, and (b) exploratory analyses to investigate whether specific positive schema subthemes predicted QOL outcomes in youth with recurrent abdominal pain. Participants were 98 youth with recurrent abdominal pain (i.e., pain related to a disorder of gut-brain interaction [DGBI] or organic cause) who completed measures on positive schemas, QOL, and pain coping. Age and diagnostic status were controlled for in analyses. Positive schemas were significantly positively correlated with emotional, social, school, and overall QOL, as well as with approach and problem-focused avoidant coping, and significantly negatively correlated with emotion-focused coping. Worthiness was the strongest and only significant predictor of youth social functioning. Positive schemas may be an important cognitive resilience factor to consider within interventions for pediatric recurrent pain.

Predictive factors based on the health belief model on cancer screening behaviour in first degree relatives of patients with Lynch syndrome-associated colorectal cancer

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate colorectal cancer-related knowledge, health beliefs, and screening behaviour in first-degree relatives (FDRs) of patients with Lynch syndrome-associated colorectal cancer (CRC) and explore the predictive factors of screening behaviour based on a health belief model. MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in the colorectal department of a Class A tertiary hospital in Guangzhou from December 2017 to December 2019. A total of 265 FDRs of 96 patients with Lynch syndrome-related CRC were selected. The study was conducted in the colorectal department of a tertiary cancer centre in Guangzhou. The demographic questionnaire, the simplified CRC knowledge questionnaire, and the Champion’s Health Belief Model Scale were used for evaluation. Data were analyzed using statistical description, between-group comparisons, and binary logistic regression. ResultsA total of 160 (60.4%), 61 (23.0%), and 44 (16.6%) of the participants had high, medium, and low levels of knowledge about CRC, respectively; the average overall score of health belief was 121.36 ± 13.02. Sixty-one participants (23.0%) underwent Lynch syndrome-associated cancer screening. The predictive factors of screening behaviour included sex (male), age (older), married status (married), multiple primary cancers of the index patients, and high levels of knowledge and health beliefs (P < 0.05). ConclusionsThe knowledge and health beliefs of cancer and cancer screening in FDRs of patients with Lynch syndrome-associated CRC should be improved. Both knowledge and beliefs are critical in promoting their cancer screening behaviour. Interventions should focus on health education and enhance health beliefs of the FDRs for better screening behaviour.