Perception Inventory Research Articles

Climate Stress, Behavioral Adaptation and Subjective Well Being in Coastal Cities of India

India has been identified as one amongst 27 countries which are most vulnerable to the impacts of global warming related accelerated SLR (UNEP,1989). There is a perceived potential threat to coastal India owing to the vast sea-side development and huge populations in the vicinity of the coast. Therefore, there is a pressing need to address issues related to climate stress, adaptation, vulnerability and coping in coastal cities of India, especially from the psychological perspective. Climate change in coastal areas is associated much with flooding, SLR, land inundation, storms, cyclones etc. Coping with and adapting to climate stress are therefore issues of concern for experts worldwide. If environmental stressors persist chronically, they may lead to inner conflicts that can be psychologically disturbing for individuals and may even give rise to physiological, emotional, cognitive and behavioral changes. The established fact that anthropogenic factors account for one of the major contributors to climate change makes it necessary to probe into behavioral facets as in spite of the best possible efforts around the globe to combat climate change, it is felt that people are still not as seriously aware/ alarmed of the expected future risk as they should be. In view of above background, the present behavioral study to assess the cognitive understanding of climate change, climate stress and actions and reactions of coastal people with a special focus on behavioral adaptation and subjective well being was undertaken. The study was conducted on a sample of 150 males and female respondents mainly in four coastal cities of India namely Mumbai, Chennai, Daman and Pondicherry keeping in mind the coastal hazards and vulnerability issues associated with Indian coastal cities (TERI,1996). Especially designed Climate change perception Inventory (CCPI) based on a four-point Likert type rating scale format was used to assess the respondents’ Climate Change Awareness (CCA), Climate Stress and Emotional Concern (CSEC), Coping/Adaptation, Institutional Accountability (IA), and Coastal Subjective Well Being (CSWB). Results indicated a good level of CCA and subjective well being among coastal people. Respondents were found to be experiencing a moderate amount of climate stress and were unable to fully cope with it. They expected more efforts on the part of government and environmental institutions for adapting with climate change in coastal cities and suggested various adaptive strategies in this regard. Results were interpreted in line with article 6 of New Delhi Work Program of UNFCCC (2007) in which special effort to foster psychological/behavioral change has been stressed through public awareness.

The Italian version of the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory: cross-cultural adaptation, factor analysis, reliability and validity

To create an Italian version of the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory (PBAPI-I) and evaluate its psychometric properties. The PBAPI was culturally adapted in accordance with international standards. The psychometric testing included factor analysis, investigating reliability by internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and test/retest stability (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC), and exploring construct validity by comparing the PBAPI-I with a pain numerical rating scale (NRS), the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score (HADS) and the Chronic Pain Coping Inventory (Pearson's correlation). One hundred and sixty-seven subjects with chronic low back pain (83% compliance) completed the tool. Factor analysis revealed a three-factor (Time, Mystery and Self-Blame), 16-item solution (explained variance: 80%). The questionnaire was internally consistent (α=0.91-0.96), and its stability was good (ICCs=0.73-0.82). As expected, the construct validity estimates indicated that the Time and Mystery subscales moderately correlated with the NRS (r=0.33-0.54), RMDQ (r=0.34-0.47), PCS (r=0.37-0.49) and TSK (r=0.30-0.43), whereas the correlations between the Self-Blame subscale and the same measures were poorer. The correlations with the HADS were moderate and poor (anxiety: r=0.37-0.05; depression: r=0.39-0.07). Maladaptive coping strategies were more related to pain beliefs than adaptive strategies. The PBAPI-I has good psychometric properties that replicate those of other versions.

Pain mystery score beliefs: a comparison of fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives. To compare the mysteriousness scores of the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory in fibromyalgia. Methods. Two cohorts of patients, one with fibromyalgia (FM) and one with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), completed the Mystery Scale component of the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory to determine whether subjects in the two diagnostic groups had significantly different scores on the Mystery Scale. Results. A total of 126 subjects (64 FM, 62 RA) completed all questionnaires. The FM group had a greater percentage of female subjects, more severe pain, more severe anxiety, more severe depression, and a higher perceived injustice score. When the RA and FM group scores for the Mystery Scale were adjusted for age, sex, pain severity, HADS scores, and perceived injustice scores, the FM group still had a higher Mystery Scale score. Discussion. Fibromyalgia is associated with a higher level of perception of mysteriousness in the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory than is seen with rheumatoid arthritis. This difference appears to be independent of levels of pain, depression, anxiety, and perceived injustice. This sense of mysteriousness may reflect a lack of understanding of pain in fibromyalgia as previously reported and may be an area to be addressed in therapy.

Negative effect of aging on psychosocial functioning of adults with congenital heart disease.

Improvements in life expectancy among adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) provide them with unique challenges throughout their lives and age-related psychosocial tasks in this group might differ from those of healthy counterparts. This study aimed to clarify age-related differences in psychosocial functioning in ACHD patients and determine the factors influencing anxiety and depression. A total of 133 ACHD patients (aged 20-46) and 117 reference participants (aged 20-43) were divided in 2 age groups (20 s and 30 s/40 s) and completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Independent-Consciousness Scale, and Problem-Solving Inventory. Only ACHD patients completed an illness perception inventory. ACHD patients over 30 showed a significantly greater percentage of probable anxiety cases than those in their 20 s and the reference group. Moreover, ACHD patients over 30 who had lower dependence on parents and friends, registered higher independence and problem-solving ability than those in their 20 s, whereas this element did not vary with age in the reference participants. Furthermore, ACHD patients may develop an increasingly negative perception of their illness as they age. The factors influencing anxiety and depression in patients were aging, independence, problem-solving ability, and NYHA functional class. Although healthy people are psychosocially stable after their 20 s, ACHD patients experience major differences and face unique challenges even after entering adulthood.

Evaluation of Belbin's Team Roles : A Case Study of Nizwa College of Technology , Sultanate of Oman

The aim of this paper is to conduct an empirical research by applying Belbin’s team role model. It attempts to contribute to the team roles and team performance where researchers have pursued. The main purpose of this study is to make an evaluation of the students of Nizwa College of Technology, Sultanate of Oman, where team management has been experienced in accordance with Belbin’s (1981) team roles theory. The study group of the research consists of 93 students from three departments. The data was obtained from the answers given to the questions in Belbin Team Roles Self Perception Inventory. The results indicate that team roles characteristics are related with the gender the students from three departments.

Application of team role theory to construction design teams

Teams are the primary unit of working in the construction industry, and thus the performance of an industry can be improved when team performance is improved. Therefore, managers in the field should be well aware of good team-working practices for successful forming and managing of teams within construction industry and many authors in the field have pointed out this as a necessity. Team composition is a key factor in influencing team performance; when considering the team composition, it is relevant to take into account the different roles which the members play and the way they interact with one another. Team roles of the members can be used as a tool for the team to have effective execution of their work, effective management of their relationships with its environment and also to maintain the team's strength in meeting social needs of individuals who form the team. The design team being a major and most prominent sub-team will have an impact on project success; the applicability of team role concept in construction design teams will be beneficial to its clients, project managers, team members and, finally, for the project and construction industry as a whole. According to Belbin's team role theory, when a team is more balanced in terms of the spread of naturally occurring team roles, it tends to be high performing. This study explored the existence of team roles and their effect to team performance in construction design teams. To explore this research problem, three case studies of in-house design teams which were involved in building construction projects with separated procurement arrangement were conducted in Sri Lanka. Team roles of the design team members were assessed using the Belbin Team Role Self Perception Inventory, while semi-structured interviews were conducted with the key design team members as well as team selectors. The findings revealed that individuals are assigned to design teams considering their functional roles rather than team roles. But, team members naturally adopted team roles in a way that it suits their functional role, project requirements and team setting under which they operate, in most of the situations. Team performance was affected by several complex factors. Hence, even though there seems to be an effect from team role balance to team performance, it could not be isolated and figured out. Despite this limitation, this study offers implications particularly to design team selectors such as clients and their project managers on application of team role theory in construction context.

Influence of national and engineering culture on team role selection

Engineering education is an emerging field of research. Due to its applied nature, recent theoretical developments have been followed by empirical evidence and interdisciplinary research. The present study attempted to describe the team roles assumed by members of project teams composed of young engineering students. The study was conducted in Pakistan by using the Belbin Team Role Self Perception Inventory. It was found that young Pakistani engineers assumed the roles of implementer, coordinator, shaper and team worker. This study attempts to understand role choices through the framework of national cultural dimensions proposed by Hofstede and engineering education culture offered by Godfrey and Parker. The study strongly recommends that engineering curriculum should incorporate activities which could foster creativity among engineers. Moreover, engineering students should be motivated to innovate through collaboration in a problem and project based environment, which is seriously lacking in engineering education of Pakistan.

Is there a Gay Advantage in Creativity?

Common speculations hold that homosexual individuals can be more creative, considering the overrepresentation of homosexuals in the artistic and creative pursuits. The few past studies available did not find evidence to support this contention. However, research has found gender differences in creativity indicating girls being more creative. If gay males share more female-typical personality traits, it would be interesting to ask if this would be reflected in any difference in creativity between homosexuals and heterosexuals. The present study thus aimed to disentangle the association between creativity and sexual orientation. A total of 38 homosexual males (mean age = 31.6 years, S.D. = 9.7 years) and 34 heterosexual males (mean age = 21.8 years, S.D. = 4.3 years) participated. All participants completed an online survey on creativity (using Khatena-Torrance Creative Perception Inventory) and sexual orientation (using the adapted Klein Sexual Orientation Grid). A one-way between –groups multivariate analysis of variance was conducted to examine differences in creative perception as a function of sexual orientation. The results indicated that there was no significant difference for each of the dimensions of creativity perception between homosexual and heterosexual males. The present findings were compatible with previous studies that homosexuals are no more or less creative. A distinction between actual and self-perceived creativity however, should also be noted.

Su1316 Beyond Abdominal Pain: Pain Beliefs, Pain Affect, and Distress As Determinants of Quality of Life in Patients With Chronic Pancreatitis

Background: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a chronic, gastrointestinal disease whose predominant symptom is pervasive and oftentimes intractable upper abdominal pain. While pain is regarded as a multidimensional experience produced by sensory, affective, and cognitive inputs (Melzack, 2001), little is known about their contribution to pain in CP patients or their association, if any, with health outcomes such as quality of life (QOL). The purpose of this study was to examine how different aspects of pain relate to QOL in CP patients. Subjects: Subjects included 41 CP patients (Male = 58%; M Age = 49 yrs.; Caucasian = 73%) who were referred to a specialty clinic in a tertiary teaching hospital in the southeast part of the US and administered a psychometrically validated test battery that included the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory, McGill Pain Questionnaire-Short Form, Pain Discomfort Scale (pain affect or emotional unpleasantness of pain), Depression Stress Anxiety Scale, and the EORTCQOLQuestionnaire (QLQC-30). Results: A series of partial correlations (controlling for demographic variables) showed statistically significant relationships between QOL and both the intensity of pain (r = .51, p , . 05) and its emotional unpleasantness (r = -.35, p , . 05). In other words, CP patients who described their pain as more intense and emotionally bothersome reported greater QOL impairment. We also examined the relationship between QOL and 3 discrete types of beliefs that reflect CP patients' own conceptualization of what pain is and what pain means for them. CP patients with greater quality of life impairment tended to blame themselves for pain (r = .36, p , . 05), see pain as more mysterious (r = .37 p , . 05), and characterize the duration of pain as more continuous (r = .37 p , . 05). With respect to non-pain factors, QOL impairment was associated with greater stress (r =. 32, p ,. 05) and depression (r = .35, p ,. 05). A series of hierarchical linear regression was conducted to determine the predictive power of pain and non-pain variables. After controlling for demographic variables, pain intensity (t = -3.51) and perceived self-blame for pain (t = 3.42) were significant predictors of overall QOL. Conclusions: These data are conistent with prior research (Pezzilli et al., 2005) showing that the intensity of pain is an important determinant of QOL in CP patients. Findings dovetail with broader pain research showing that how patients appraise their pain influences their quality of life. Data add to the literature by identifying specific pain-related beliefs of CP patients that are correlated with quality of life impairment. Future research is necessary to determine whether modification of patients' pain beliefs is associated with improvements in CP patients' perception of their quality of life. This study is supported partly by NIH grant DK77738.

Study of the Developmentof a Korean Stuttering Perception Inventory

Study of the Developmentof a Korean Stuttering Perception Inventory

Development and evaluation of psychometric properties of an inventory of teachers' perceptions on socio-emotional needs

The objective of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of an assessment instrument on teachers' perceptions regarding the development of socio-emotional skills. Results revealed a consistent four-factor structure (School/teachers' needs for socio-emotional skills promotion; Needs regarding teaching-learning process; Difficulties in dealing with students' socio-emotional deficits, Socio-emotional needs related to teacher's initial training) with internal consistency values above .79. Confirmatory analyses revealed a good fit of the model to the data. Teachers reported having more needs at the school/ teachers conditions for the promotion of social and emotional needs, and less needs at the level of their Teachers' initial training. The instrument also showed to be sensitive in capturing teachers' perception of schooling social and emotional needs in terms of teachers' gender, pedagogic group and school level.

Vegetation impoverishment despite greening: A case study from central Senegal

Recent remote sensing studies have documented a greening trend in the semi-arid Sahel and Sudan zones of West Africa since the early 1980s, which challenges the mainstream paradigm of irreversible land degradation in this region. What the greening trend means on the ground, however, has not yet been explored. This research focuses on a region in central Senegal to examine changes in woody vegetation abundance and composition in selected sites by means of a botanical inventory of woody vegetation species, repeat photography, and perceptions of local land users. Despite the greening, an impoverishment of the woody vegetation cover was observed in the studied sites, indicated by an overall reduction in woody species richness, a loss of large trees, an increasing dominance of shrubs, and a shift towards more arid-tolerant, Sahelian species since 1983. Thus, interpretation of the satellite-derived greening trend as an improvement or recovery is not always justified. The case of central Senegal represents only one of several possible pathways of greening throughout the region, all of which result in similar satellite-derived greening signals.

What Happens in Therapy? Adolescents’ Expectations and Perceptions of Psychotherapy

A measure of adolescent pre-treatment expectations/perceptions of psychotherapy was developed, evaluated, and used to examine adolescent expectancies of psychotherapy. The development of the Psychotherapy Expectations and Perceptions Inventory (PEPI) is described and initial psychometric properties reported. Utilizing a sample of adolescents (N = 546), expectancies of psychotherapy were assessed using the PEPI. Results indicate adequate internal consistency and a 3 factor structure. Specifically, factors identified were labeled (1) measuring negative expectancies, (2) process/outcome expectancies, and (3) expectancies for a positive therapeutic relationship. Boys reported greater negative expectancies, but also greater expectancies for a positive therapeutic relationship. Girls reported greater therapy process/outcome expectancies. Prior contact with mental illness was not related to any studied factors. Clinicians may benefit from assessing adolescent expectancies to facilitate rapport and engagement in the therapy to foster more therapeutic change. Future research that examines the relationships between specific demographic characteristics (e.g., socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, etc.) and service utilization variables among adolescents is warranted.

Predictive capacity of pain beliefs and catastrophizing in Whiplash Associated Disorder

IntroductionBeliefs about pain are known to be important factors in recovery, most notably in LBP. Relatively less is known about the role of pain beliefs in Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD). The widely advocated cognitive-behavioural approach to pain management necessitates cognitive factors such as pain beliefs be examined, even early after injury. The primary purpose of this study was to explore the predictive capacity of early post-injury pain beliefs and catastrophizing in patients with WAD. MethodsPatients (n=72) undergoing treatment for acute WAD in physical therapy and chiropractic clinics were invited to participate in the study. Research participants were asked to complete measures of beliefs (Survey of Pain Attitudes (SOPA) and Pain Beliefs and Perception Inventory (PBPI)) and catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale) at baseline (within 6 weeks of injury), and 3 and 6 months post-injury. In addition, pain severity and self-reported disability using the Whiplash Disability Questionnaire (WDQ) were recorded at each measurement occasion. Baseline belief and catastrophizing scores were examined for their relationship with future pain and disability using multiple linear regression. ResultsExpectancy beliefs (PBPI Permanence and SOPA Medical Cure) were negatively correlated with pain intensity at 6-months and uniquely accounted for 16% and 14% of explained variance, respectively, after controlling for baseline pain intensity, age, sex and history of WAD. Consistent with previous research, catastrophizing was also found to be predictive of future pain. The amount of unique variance explained by beliefs in the prediction of future disability was modest after controlling for baseline disability, age, sex and history of WAD. DiscussionThese results suggest that expectancy beliefs are potentially important constructs to include in future explanatory prognosis studies. The Medical Cure and Permanence subscales of the SOPA and PBPI are tools that could be used to measure these expectancy constructs.

The provider perception inventory: Psychometrics of a scale designed to measure provider stigma about HIV, substance abuse, and MSM behavior

Nongay identified men who have sex with men and women (NGI MSMW) and who use alcohol and other drugs are a vulnerable, understudied, and undertreated population. Little is known about the stigma faced by this population or about the way that health service providers view and serve these stigmatized clients. The provider perception inventory (PPI) is a 39-item scale that measures health services providers’ stigma about HIV/AIDS, substance use, and MSM behavior. The PPI is unique in that it was developed to include service provider stigma targeted at NGI MSMW individuals. PPI was developed through a mixed methods approach. Items were developed based on existing measures and findings from focus groups with 18 HIV and substance abuse treatment providers. Exploratory factor analysis using data from 212 health service providers yielded a two dimensional scale: (1) individual attitudes (19 items) and (2) agency environment (11 items). Structural equation modeling analysis supported the scale's predictive validity (N=190 sufficiently complete cases). Overall findings indicate initial support for the psychometrics of the PPI as a measure of service provider stigma pertaining to the intersection of HIV/AIDS, substance use, and MSM behavior. Limitations and implications to future research are discussed.

Internal consistency and construct validity of the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire adapted for work disability following a musculoskeletal disorder

Purpose: To assess internal consistency and construct validity of the French version of the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire adapted for Work Disability (IPQR-WD). Method: A cross sectional study was conducted in rehabilitation centers and private clinics in the Montreal region of Canada, involving 43 men and women, French speaking, absent from work between 3 months and a year due to musculoskeletal disorders. The 9 dimension IPQR-WD and the following eight-related instruments for construct validity were administered: Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Psychological Distress Index (PDI-14), Pain Disability Index (PDI), Self-Efficacy for Return to Work Scale (SERWS), Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory (PBPI), Implicit Models of Illness Questionnaire (IMIQ) and a Visual Analog Scale for pain intensity (VAS). Results: Calculations of Cronbach’s α (from 0.58 to 0.87) revealed satisfactory internal consistency of the IPQR-WD dimensions. Multiple regression analyses were performed with each IPQR-WD dimension and significant independent variables. Final models explained a good proportion of the variance (adjusted r2 = 0.33–0.70) for each dimension, except for the Cyclical timeline dimension for which associations became non-significant after adjusting for gender, age and length of sick leave. The SERWS and the VAS were not significantly associated to any of the IPQR-WD dimensions. Conclusions: Moderate to strong correlations were found with six-related instruments which support the multidimensional nature of the IPQR-WD and its unique contribution as one simple questionnaire that can assess representations related to work disability.Implications for RehabilitationCertain unhelpful beliefs related to the worker’s own understanding (i.e. representation) of his/her current health condition may lead to behaviours that are poorly adapted to reducing the work disability following a musculoskeletal disorder.The Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire adapted for Work Disability (IPQR-WD) is the only questionnaire available in French that can specifically assess the worker’s representation following a musculoskeletal disorder.The use of this questionnaire will facilitate a systematic evaluation of the worker’s representation according to a biopsychosocial approach, which may contribute to a clinical practice based on the latest scientific evidences available in the work disability field.

Teaching practice and the personal and socio-professional development of prospective teachers

This study investigates the interplay between individual and contextual variables during teaching practice and its impact on the personal and socio-professional development of prospective teachers. The purpose of the study was to survey how prospective teachers experienced the process of becoming aware of their emerging identities as teachers, and to demonstrate how the unique, individual student teachers’ teaching and socio-professional identities are cultivated in the learning-toteach process. A non-experimental survey research design involving quantitative data was used. A questionnaire, adapted from Caires and Almeida’s Inventory of Experiences and Perceptions at Teaching Practice (IEPTP), was used to collect the data. The data were assessed through statistical analysis, using mean ranking scores. Higher levels of success were observed with regard to the professional and institutional socialisation, learning and professional development, and vocational sub-scales. Lower levels of success were found in the support and supervision and socio-emotional sub-scales. Ralph’s contextual supervision model and exploration of feelings and emotions are put forward as measures to scaffold, respectively, the supervision and socio-emotional dimensions of becoming a teacher. Keywords: contextual supervision model; dimensions of becoming a teacher; initial teacher education; learning to teach; personal and socio-professional development; student teachers; teaching practice

Becoming a teacher: student teachers’ experiences and perceptions about teaching practice

In an attempt to build a more comprehensive and holistic understanding of the complexity, dynamics and idiosyncrasies involved in becoming a teacher, this study focussed on the experiences of 295 student teachers. Their feelings, cognitions and perceptions regarding teaching practice were analysed using the short version of the Inventory of Experiences and Perceptions of the Teaching Practice. Results emphasise some of the difficulties experienced during this period (e.g., stress, sense of weariness and ‘vulnerability’), as well the positive perceptions of these student teachers regarding their growing knowledge and skilfulness, as well as their sense of efficacy, flexibility and spontaneity in their performance and interactions. Their perception of their accomplishments in achieving reasonable levels of acceptance and recognition within the school community and their positive evaluation of the guidance and support provided by their supervisors are also emphasised. Differences were found – in terms of gender and graduate course background – in the way these student teachers experienced some aspects of teaching practice.

Predicting strategies to improve student perceptions about connections between biology knowledge areas using innovative network analysis software

Students vary in their knowledge, experience and confidence (KEC) when they enter a course. A goal is to build their understanding by integrating emergent properties of life from molecules to organisms with evidence from experiments. What connections do students see among knowledge areas? What factors describe the clusters perceived by students? A perception inventory was administered in an undergraduate biology course for first year students, covering target course outcomes in potentially overlapping subjects: the physical and chemical basis of life, molecular basis of regulation, plant biology, animal biology, and the experimental and empirical basis of biology. For each outcome, students’ reported KEC were averaged to yield one score per student. Factor Analysis validated the target subject areas identified for the course. A correlation network diagram energized using the Kamada‐Kawai transformation, revealed that students’ prior KEC with biomolecules and molecular representation was unrelated to their KEC for experimental biology and both were unrelated to their KEC for plant physiology. By the end of the course, plant and animal physiology were connected but still separate from the experimental and empirical basis of biology and from molecules. Network diagrams show connections students perceive and guide innovative instructional strategies to help students make new connections.

Human Values in the Team Leader Selection Process

The selection process of team leaders is fundamental if the effectiveness of teams is to be guaranteed. Human values have proven to be an important factor in the behaviour of individuals and leaders. The aim of this study is twofold. The first is to validate Schwartz's survey of human values. The second is to determine whether there are any relationships between the values held by individuals and their preferred roles in a team. Human values were measured by the items of the Schwartz Value Survey (SVS) and the preferred roles in a team were identified by the Belbin Self Perception Inventory (BSPI). The two questionnaires were answered by two samples of undergraduate students (183 and 177 students, respectively). As far as the first objective is concerned, Smallest Space Analysis (SSA) was performed at the outset to examine how well the two-dimensional circular structure, as postulated by Schwartz, was represented in the study population. Then, the results of this analysis were compared and contrasted with those of two other published studies; one by Schwartz (2006) and one by Ros and Grad (1991). As for the second objective, Pearson correlation coefficients were computed to assess the associations between the ratings on the SVS survey items and the ratings on the eight team roles as measured by the BSPI.