Measures Of Attitudes Research Articles

Gender Attitudes in the Judiciary: Evidence from US Circuit Courts

Do gender attitudes influence interactions with female judges in US circuit courts? In this paper, we propose a judge-specific measure of gender attitudes based on use of gender-stereotyped language in the judge’s authored opinions. Exploiting quasi-random assignment of judges to cases and conditioning on judges’ characteristics, we validate the measure showing that higher-slant judges vote more conservatively in gender-related cases. Higher-slant judges interact differently with female colleagues: they are more likely to reverse lower court decisions if the lower court judge is a woman than a man, are less likely to assign opinions to female judges, and cite fewer female-authored opinions. (JEL D91, J16, K41)

Bystander Intervention in Bullying and Sexual Harassment Training: Mixed-Method Evaluation of NAB IT!

The goal of the current pilot study was to examine the effects of bystander intervention training on a sample of 27 high school students who were selected by their peers as opinion leaders. Measures of bystander intervention knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors were included in the within-subjects design. Sixteen of the students also participated in focus groups to provide feedback about their experiences with the training. Results showed that participating students reported increases in knowledge about bullying and sexual harassment, confidence in intervening, acceptance of responsibility, knowing what to do, and acting to intervene (including direct intervention, providing support, and reporting to an adult) from pre-to posttest. Themes from focus groups indicated that students found the training relevant and helpful, particularly for focusing on both bullying and sexual harassment and for providing opportunities to learn and practice multiple intervention strategies. Barriers to intervening based on the type of violence (e.g., physical vs. relational or verbal) and relationship with the people involved were also themes. Directions for future research and implications for practice, such as focusing on dissemination to the larger student body and implementing bystander intervention training within the context of a positive school climate that emphasizes social and emotional competencies, are discussed.

Do Open-ended Questions Influence the Measurement of Attitudes? An Investigation

Measuring attitudes is gaining even more importance in travel behavior research. Previous research indicates that the open-ended questions prime closed-ended responses. In this research, we use a questionnaire that analyses the stated choice of use of autonomous vehicles (AV). Attitudes are measured using an extended version of the Technology Acceptance Model. Two questionnaire versions were used to collect data from 2000 respondents from the USA. An integrated latent variable and choice model was estimated to predict the intention to use AVs for commute trips. The models’ performance along with the estimated for the two datasets were compared.

Technology in Suicide Prevention: Fears and Functionality for Crisis Supporters

Background: Crisis supporters at Lifeline Australia consistently engage with distressed and often suicidal help‐seekers. The development of technological methods, such as machine learning (ML), in suicide prevention may complement their support work. Investigating attitudes towards the use of ML in crisis support is an important first step.Aims: The current study is aimed at investigating crisis supporters’ attitudes towards ML in crisis support/suicide prevention, beliefs about the effect of technology on the service and help‐seeking, and concerns/opinions about any future technology implementation.Methods: Two hundred fifty‐five crisis supporters aged 20–84 years were recruited through Lifeline Australia. Participants voluntarily completed an anonymous questionnaire, including measures of attitudes towards technology as well as open‐text options, which provided the data for a thematic analysis.Results: Crisis supporters were neutral to negative on an adapted measure of ML use in crisis support. Less than one‐third held the belief that technology would enhance Lifeline services, and over half of the participants felt help‐seekers would be less likely to contact Lifeline if technology was implemented. Thematic analysis of the open‐text questions revealed loss of human connection and mistrust of algorithms to be the most prominent barriers to future technological adoption by Lifeline crisis supporters.Limitations: Clearly defining terms of ML and technology was difficult to do in this hypothetical context, potentially impacting the attitudes expressed.Conclusions: Any new technology to support crisis supporters needs to be carefully codesigned with the workforce to ensure effective implementation and avoid any potential or perceived negative impacts on help‐seekers.

People with dyslexia or dyscalculia are less biased: Results of a preregistered study from over 450,000 people on the implicit association test

The implicit association test (IAT) provides a sensitive measure of attitudes to social dimensions such as race, gender or disability using a response speed procedure. The automatisation deficit account of dyslexia attributes the reading (and broader) difficulties of dyslexic people to reduced speed and strength of stimulus–response habit formation and, therefore, predicts reduced implicit bias for individuals with dyslexia. This novel prediction was tested using the ‘Project Implicit’ IAT database on attitudes to disability. Data from over 460,000 respondents was analysed, including 22,747 with physical disability (PD), 14,700 with dyslexia, and 1721 with dyscalculia. The dyslexia group did indeed show significantly less ‘Disability Bias’ than both the PD and no disability groups. Intriguingly, the dyscalculia group showed significantly less disability bias even than the dyslexia group. The results are interpreted within the learning framework of broader automatisation deficit and have ramifications for understanding both conditions and the processes of development of implicit bias in neurodiverse and neurotypical populations.

Navigating the death attitudes and anxiety during COVID-19: Role of dispositional mindfulness and tranquil ego.

Anecdotally, the concept of death consistently evokes profound unease. This study explores the intricate relationship between individuals' attitudes toward death and the associated anxiety, introducing a two-step model that posits dispositional mindfulness and tranquil ego as mediators. We used a correlational design in this study and assessed 209 Indian adults (111 males and 98 females) who recovered from corona symptoms on self-report measures of attitudes toward death, death anxiety, dispositional mindfulness, and tranquil ego. Bivariate correlational analyses and path analysis were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that attitudes toward death involving fear, avoidance, approach, and escape acceptance of death correlated positively with death anxiety. Dispositional mindfulness and tranquil ego correlated negatively with death anxiety. Path analyses with percentile bootstrapping supported our hypothesis and showed that dispositional mindfulness and tranquil ego sequentially mediated the relationship. These findings indicate that various aspects of attitudes toward death differentially predict death anxiety. Moreover, the relationship between death attitudes and death anxiety is potentially mediated by dispositional mindfulness and a tranquil ego. The findings were discussed in light of existing literature.

Tıp Fakültesi Öğrencilerinin Farmakoloji Dersine Yönelik Tutumları: Ölçek Geliştirme ve Uygulama Çalışması

Aim: The objective of this study was to develop a valid and reliable attitude scale by determining the attitudes of medical school students towards pharmacology course, and to examine these attitudes in terms of selected variables.
 Methods: This study was conducted with the participation of 498 students, 250 female and 248 male, from the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth terms of XXXX University Faculty of Medicine. A 21-item 5-point Likert-type scale was used as a data collection tool. The survey was performed face-to-face with term 4, 5, and 6 students, and online with term 3 students. While developing the scale, factor analysis with Principal Axis Factoring method, and reliability analyses with Cronbach Alpha and McDonald's Omega levels were performed.
 Results: The attitude scale of medical school students towards pharmacology course was developed as 12 items and two factors. Two factors were determined in the scale, namely "indispensable course pharmacology" and "useless course pharmacology". Although the students reached high mean and median values in two negative items of the pharmacology attitude scale, they reached high mean and median values in mostly positive items. In general, the students considered the pharmacology course necessary and displayed a positive attitude. While the gender of the students did not make a difference in the attitude, the term, the reasons for choosing the medical school, scope of medical resource usage, and their desire to be an expert created a significant difference in their attitudes towards pharmacology course.
 Conclusions: The results of this study show that the developed pharmacology attitude scale is a reliable and valid measure of students' attitudes towards the pharmacology course. These findings can be used to improve pharmacology teaching and encourage positive attitudes towards the course among medical students.

INFLUENCE OF RESEARCH ATTITUDE ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: A CROSS-SECTIONAL APPROACH

The existing study aimed to scrutinize the impact of research attitudes on students' academic achievement. The researcher delineated measures of the research attitude and academic achievement of health and physical education students enrolled in research, the relationship between research attitude and academic achievement of health and physical education students enrolled in research, and analyzed the effects of research attitude upon academic achievement of health and physical education students enrolled in research. The study focused on the population of both private and public sector universities in KP, Pakistan. The sample comprised male and female students in the field of physical education who were actively involved in research activities. Data collection utilized an adapted version of the Attitude towards Research (ATR) instrument. A cross-sectional approach was employed for data gathering, and the researcher applied inferential statistics for data analysis. The findings revealed a negative correlation between research attitudes and academic achievement. Moreover, the study uncovered adverse effects of research attitudes on the academic success of health and physical education students enrolled in research programs.

Local Legislation is Associated With Regional Transgender Attitudes.

Using a newly developed measure of implicit transgender attitudes, we investigate the association between state-level antitransgender policies and individual-level attitudes about transgender people among residents. In a large sample of U.S. participants (N = 211,133), we find that individuals living in states with more discriminatory policies against transgender people (e.g., not allowing changes to one's gender identity on official identity papers) exhibited more negative implicit and explicit transgender attitudes. This pattern held after controlling for participant race and gender, as well as when looking only at cisgender participants. These findings extend prior work concerning how intergroup biases relate to regional characteristics such as legislation and do so in a novel and consequential context. This research also informs ongoing work concerning the role of policy-making and social norms on the development and expression of intergroup prejudice.

Measuring criminal thinking among convicts imprisoned in Punjab prisons of Pakistan

PurposeThis study aims to differentiate crime-related characteristics (such as the number of cases filed against current convictions and criminal history) based on the criminal thinking prevailing among convicts. However, because of the low reliability of subscales and poor structural validity of indigenous and translated versions of international instruments, a new instrument criminal attitude measure (CAM) was extracted to measure criminal thinking patterns among convicts incarcerated in central prisons of Punjab.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional research design was used. Data was collected from 1,949 male convicts (extracting mutually exclusive data from 649 respondents for EFA and 1,300 respondents for confirmatory factor analysis [CFA]). Both data samples were collected from convicts incarcerated in the nine (all) central jails of Punjab, Pakistan.FindingsThe results of this study showed poor model fit for both the indigenous criminal thinking scale and the translated version of criminogenic cognition scale. CAM was extracted through principal component analysis and proposed as a 15-item questionnaire with five factors extracted through varimax rotation. Those five factors are power orientation, mollification, entitlement, mistrust toward authorities and short-term orientation. The results of CFA for CAM confirmed the proposed five-factor structure for the construct. Findings based on MANOVA further found that CAM differentiates between the thinking patterns of recidivists, convicts with multiple charges filed against them in current convictions and convicts with a familial criminal record. The findings of this study showed that CAM is a practical, valid and reliable instrument for measuring criminal thinking among convicts.Research limitations/implicationsIn this study, using the survey method was inevitable because of the restrictions imposed by the granted permission. However, this time duration was extended because of the courtesy of the Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent of each jail. This study is focused on a male sample only, and the findings cannot be generalized to females. The phenomena proposed (based on large data sets) in this study can further be elaborated using qualitative research designs and methods (using a small sample with an in-depth study). So, it is also suggested to test this new instrument on a comparative study between prisoners and non-prisoners to explore whether scale can differentiate between these two groups.Practical implicationsA short-scale and easy-to-administer instrument was developed for assessing major criminogenic needs among convicts for prison management, i.e. assigning barracks, allocating treatment and also detecting changes in attitude after imprisonment.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first study to explore and validate the construct of criminal attitudes among convicts using both the EFA and CFA. A small and valid instrument facilitates the measurement of criminogenic needs among prisoners. Data was collected from all central jails in Punjab. This study explored comparatively less researched crime characteristics in a relatively large sample.

Brain response to errors in children who stutter

PurposeHeightened rates of social anxiety have been reported in adults who stutter (AWS), but it is unclear whether anxiety is heightened also in children who stutter (CWS). Objective neurophysiological responses such as the error-related negativity (ERN) have been associated with anxiety, and ERN was reported to be increased in AWS. In this study, we examined whether ERN and error positivity (Pe) are increased in CWS. We further characterized ERN associations with age and anxiety in CWS relative to children who do not stutter (CWNS). MethodsEEG data were recorded from twenty-four CWS and twenty-four matched CWNS aged 3–9 years as they performed a Go/No-Go task. Parent-reported anxiety, and child-reported speech-associated attitude measures were collected. Linear regression models tested the effects of age, group, and their interaction, and the effects of anxiety, group, and their interaction on ERN and Pe. ResultsContrary to expectations, no ERN or Pe difference were observed between CWS and CWNS. However, larger ERN amplitudes were associated with older age in CWS but not CWNS, suggesting altered development of the error monitoring system in CWS. Association of Pe with anxiety also differed between groups: smaller Pe amplitudes were associated with higher level of parent-reported child anxiety in CWNS but not in CWS. Neither anxiety nor self-reported communication attitude differed between groups. ConclusionsBrain responses to errors were overall comparable between CWS and CWNS. However, CWS differed in how error monitoring responses varied with age and with anxiety levels. More research is warranted to examine how these factors contribute to persistent stuttering.

Gender attitudes and gender discrimination among ethnically and geographically diverse young children

AbstractDespite increasing advocacy for gender equality, gender prejudice and discrimination persist. The origins of these biases develop in early childhood, but it is less clear whether (1) children's gender attitudes predict discrimination and (2) gender attitudes and discrimination vary by ethnicity and US region. We examine these questions with an ethnically (Asian, Black, Latinx and White) and geographically (Northeast, Pacific Northwest, West, Southeast and Hawaii) diverse sample of 4‐ to 6‐year‐old children (N = 605) who completed measures of gender attitudes and discrimination in a preregistered study. Children, across groups, demonstrated more positive attitudes towards their gender ingroup. Children who showed more pro‐ingroup attitudes also showed more pro‐ingroup behavioural discrimination. Girls showed stronger ingroup favouritism than boys, but ethnic and regional groups generally did not vary in levels of bias. These findings contribute to our understanding of how gender intergroup biases develop and highlight the generalizability of these processes.

METHODOLOGICAL CORRECTNESS OF RESEARCH IN MEASURING IMPLICIT ATTITUDES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Implicit measures of attitudes provide an assessment of attitudes that respondents are unwilling to express or might not be aware of. This paper presents a systematic review of scientific literature in the field of measuring implicit attitudes, in which the current state and position of this construct are reviewed with the aim of assessing the meeting of scientific methodological criteria of knowledge acquisition. Empirical materials were obtained in February 2023 through the following search engines and platforms: Google, Google Scholar, SAGE, APA PsycNet, EBSCO, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate and JSTOR. Inclusion criteria: a paper published in a scientific journal, in English, available in its entirety in electronic form, in the field of psychology/social sciences, published from 2000 to the date of the search. In most reviewed sources, the Implicit Association Test (IAT) instrument was used, so this was added as an inclusion criterion. The final number of studies for analysis was 22 – five review papers and 17 research papers, mostly experimental studies. The papers were published in scientific journals with a high impact factor, written in the IMRAD format, the methods used were adequately presented, systematically controlled research procedures and appropriate statistical techniques were used, the conclusions were based on data, and the critical attitude of the researchers is present. The metric characteristics of the instruments are generally at an acceptable level – adequate internal consistency reliability, convergent and internal validity, predictive ability, but there are problems in the domain of construct and ecological validity.

FURTHER EVALUATION OF A MODIFIED VERSION OF THE HOSPICE PHILOSOPHY SCALE: A DIFFERENTIAL ITEM FUNCTIONING ANALYSIS

Abstract The hospice philosophy of care (HPOC) is a set of values applicable to all interdisciplinary group members that drives organizational and individual approaches to hospice care. As the only established measure of HPOC attitudes, we aimed to extend previous exploratory psychometric evaluation of the eight-item Hospice Philosophy Scale (HPS-8). An interdisciplinary convenience sample of 481 hospice clinicians participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants were recruited through hospice and palliative care membership associations representing the core members of the Medicare Hospice Benefit-designated hospice interdisciplinary group (physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains). After examining uniformity through confirmatory factor analysis, we tested HPS-8 items for differential item functioning (DIF) by professional discipline using multiple indicators, multiple causes models. We compared models via nested chi-square difference tests. Our final model assessed uniform DIF for the HPS-8 factor, controlling for DIF-indicated items. We also assessed internal consistency reliability. After correlating errors for two similarly worded items, global fit indices met prevailing thresholds, χ²(19)=55.18, p<.001 (RMSEA=.06, SRMR=.03, CFI=.98, TLI=.97). The uniform DIF model indicated two items with DIF. Chaplains endorsed the need for mental and spiritual preparation for death more than physicians (β=0.21, p<.001). Nurses endorsed involving patients and families in deciding treatments and services more than physicians (β=0.21, p=.006). Despite statistically significant DIF on these items, statistically significant differences among professions were not observed at the factor level (p>.50 for all). Composite reliability estimates satisfied internal consistency thresholds (CR=.76). Results support the HPS-8’s use as a valid and reliable measure for assessing HPOC in hospice clinicians.

RELATION OF SPECIFIC DOMAINS OF AGING KNOWLEDGE AND CONTACT TO AGEIST ATTITUDES AMONG DOCTORAL PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS

Abstract Knowledge about aging and intergenerational contact were identified in Levy’s (2018) Positive Education about Aging and Contact Experiences (PEACE) model as the two elements that are key to reducing ageist attitudes. Existing empirical literature examining these relationships has primarily focused on undergraduate, rather than graduate, students and has typically operationalized knowledge about aging as a unidimensional construct (i.e., total score). Thus, in this study, we examined how knowledge within three specific domains of aging (psychological, social, biological) as well as quantity of contact with older adults related to ageist attitudes among doctoral psychology students (N=192; age=21-58 years). Participants completed the Contact with Older Adults Scale, Facts about Aging Quiz, Fraboni Scale of Ageism (subscales: Stereotypes, Separation, Affective Attitudes), and Ambivalent Aging Scale (subscales: Hostile Ageism, Benevolent Ageism). Controlling for students’ age and aging coursework, the three knowledge domains and contact together explained between 8%-24% of the variance in the five measures of ageist attitudes. As expected, greater knowledge of psychological aging related to less endorsement of ageist stereotypes and less separation from older adults; however, greater knowledge of biological aging related to more ageist attitudes across all five measures, and greater knowledge of social aging related to more benevolent ageist attitudes. More contact with older adults related to less separation and less negative affect about older adults, but not to the other ageist attitudes measures. Differentiating between domains of aging knowledge produced unique relations with both explicitly negative and ambivalent ageist attitudes, which ageism intervention designers may need to consider.

ENGAGEMENT OR ENJOYMENT? ATTITUDES OF OLDER ADULTS IN GROUP LUNCH VERSUS. LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMS

Abstract Purpose This study examines aging attitudes among older adults who participated in the neighborhood lunch (NLP) and lifelong learning (LLP) programs. Methods Older adults from an NLP and an LLP in the same county in Florida participated. An aging attitudes measurement originally developed by German researchers was used. Results A total of 193 older adults participated, 43% from NLP. The mean age was 73.2 (SD=7.78) years. Data showed that LLP older adults endorsed higher on “would like to have responsibilities,” “have a task,” “do unpaid volunteer work,” and “help others” (p<.001). NLP participants, on the other hand, endorsed higher on “no longer have to contribute to society,” “want to enjoy life,” and “finally want to rest and relax” (all p<.001). Exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) using principal component extraction methods and varimax rotation with Kaiser normalization showed a clear balanced 2-factor pattern, with total variance explained 60% (30% each). These two factors were consistent with the theory representing engagement versus enjoyment aging attitudes. Reliabilities of the two-factor scales were satisfactory, with Cronbach’s alpha of .764 (CITC ranged: .457 ~ .660) for the engagement scale (4-item) and.634 (CITC ranged: .379~.499) for the enjoyment scale (3-item). Discussion Current findings showed that LLP participants endorsed higher engagement, while NLP participants endorsed higher enjoyment towards aging. This tested aging attitudes scale consists of 7 items with two clear theory-consistent factors among community-dwelling older adults. Results can help researchers quickly assess aging attitudes of diverse groups of older adults for tailored program and service development.

First steps in the development of a new measure of attitudes toward sexual offending against children

It is unclear whether existing measures of attitudes and cognitive distortions regarding sexual offending against children (SOC) reflect evaluative attitudes toward SOC (i.e., how negatively or positively one views SOC). The purpose of the current study was to take the first steps toward creating a self-report measure of evaluative attitudes toward SOC. We created 30 items and asked 157 incarcerated people in a sexual offense treatment program to complete them. We retained the 13 items that were the least positively skewed (i.e., lowest endorsement of the most negative response option) and non-redundant (i.e., not too highly correlated with other items) for inclusion in the new measure, which we called the Evaluative Attitudes Toward Sexual Offending Against Children (EASOC) Scale. As an initial test of the relevance of the EASOC Scale, we examined its association with SOC. Participants with SOC (n = 58) reported more positive evaluative attitudes on the EASOC Scale than did those without SOC (n = 22). This expected association is a necessary (but not sufficient) indication that the EASOC Scale may be relevant for predicting and explaining SOC. Future research using more rigorous methodology should build on our modest first steps to revisit item selection and test the validity and relevance of the EASOC Scale.

Perceptions of Income Inequality and Women's Intrasexual Competition.

Income inequality has been empirically linked to interpersonal competition and risk-taking behaviors, but a separate line of findings consistently shows that individuals have inaccurate perceptions of the actual levels of income inequality in society. How can inequality be both consistently misperceived and yet a reliable predictor of behavior? The present study extends both these lines of research by evaluating if the scope of input used to assess income inequality (i.e., at the national, state, county, or postal code level) can account for perception discrepancies and if actual/perceived inequality is associated with female intrasexual competition. Female participants recruited online from the general US population (n = 691) provided demographic information, measures of perceived income inequality, and measures of intrasexual competition attitudes and behavior. Actual and perceived income inequality (at any level) did not predict negative attitudes toward other women or female weighting of physical appearance as a desirable trait. Perceived income inequality and actual county-level inequality was, however, predictive of female competition in the form of self-sexualization clothing choice. Further analyses found that age and importance placed on physical attractiveness also predicted women's clothing choices. Perceptions of income inequality were predicted not by actual Gini indices, but by beliefs about the levels of poverty and income gaps. These results highlight the importance of better understanding the proximate cues by which people perceive environmental features such as inequality, and how those cues are used to adjust interpersonal behaviors.

The Normative Judgment Test of Honesty-Humility: An Implicit Instrument for Organizational Contexts

ABSTRACT As traits, motives, and attitudes may partly operate outside of individuals’ awareness, implicit instruments hold great promise in organizational contexts. One understudied implicit paradigm is the partially-structured attitude measure (PSAM), which assesses individuals’ attributes through their judgments of hypothetical persons described in vignettes. Based on this paradigm, we developed the 18-item Normative Judgment Test to assess the personality trait of Honesty-Humility (the NJT-HH). In four studies, we examined the construct- and criterion-related validity of NJT-HH scores. Across studies, NJT-HH scores were positively related to Honesty-Humility, and not related to the other five HEXACO traits (apart from small exceptions). Scores on the NJT-HH were also positively related to scores on a PSAM of honesty, but not related to scores on PSAMs of dissimilar constructs (Study 2). Furthermore, scores on the NJT-HH were negatively related to counterproductive work behavior and positively related to organizational citizenship behavior and task performance, as measured through self-ratings (Study 3) and supervisor ratings (Study 4). Scores on the NJT-HH also explained unique variance in these outcomes above and beyond Honesty-Humility and the other five HEXACO traits. Altogether, these findings provide initial evidence for the practical value of the NJT-HH in organizational contexts.

Presence and Flow as Moderators in XR-Based Sustainability Education

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are emerging technologies with a variety of potential benefits for sustainability education. Here, learning processes such as flow and presence seem to determine the learning experience. Therefore, this paper presents the results of a mixed-methods study investigating a VR- and AR-based learning application on biodiversity developed by greenpeace. A total of 156 students tested the application addressing the Amazon rainforest and rated its efficacy in terms of effects on knowledge, interest, and attitude. Pre- and post-questionnaires as well as focus groups were used to uncover within-subject effects. The study results revealed that flow and presence had a moderating effect on knowledge and that this effect is strongest in learners with little prior knowledge. Presence also showed a moderating effect on one of three attitude measures. In general, the learning application was able to increase knowledge and improve attitude in this sample. The focus groups also revealed that the students engaged with environmental topics even after the experience. They also formed ideas for more environmentally friendly behavioral change. Moreover, the students described the application as impressive, captivating, and realistic. It can be concluded that presence and flow are crucial processes for learning with VR and AR technologies.