Belief In Personal Responsibility Research Articles

Can teacher quality be profiled? A cluster analysis of teachers' beliefs, practices and students' perceptions of effectiveness

AbstractA critical aim of teacher quality research is to identify and distil its multiple components. While many such components have been identified in the literature, there is a scarcity of research that has attempted to empirically investigate how these elements integrate within a larger profile of teacher quality, including how particular teachers' beliefs, behaviours and outcomes cluster into unique profiles of teachers. In this study, a group of Australian high‐school teachers completed an extensive teacher beliefs questionnaire, undertook the Visible Classroom program to record and document their use of high‐leverage teaching practices and had their students complete a survey based on perceptions of effective teaching. The results were analysed using cluster analysis to determine if distinct groups of teachers could be identified based on similarities in beliefs, behaviours and student perceptions of teaching. The results suggested multiple distinct clusters of teachers with distinguishing types of beliefs, frequency of practices and student perceptions of teaching. Most notably, the results pointed to a unique cluster of teachers who were most distinguishable in their self‐efficacy, intrinsic motivation and personal responsibility beliefs, as well as highly active teaching behaviours in the classroom. This group also possessed the highest levels of student perceptions of teaching. The findings provide new insights into the complex profiles that shape teacher quality and implications for future research.

Perceptions of Deliberate Self-Harm in Thailand: The Role of Gender and Public Stigmas

Previous studies on the general public’s perception of self-harm have focused on “nonsuicidal self-injury” (NSSI). Research on “deliberate self-harm” (DSH) as a form of impulsive non-lethal suicide has rarely been examined. To address the paucity of literature available within the Asian context, the present study examined the Thai general public’s perception toward acts of DSH in the context of failed suicide attempts. The central question of this study is “how do members of the Thai general public perceive impulsive acts of DSH with suicidal intent?” One hundred twenty-six Thais completed the attribution model of public discrimination questionnaire as adopted from a study by Corrigan et al. (2003). The present study employed two vignettes and compared male and female responses to acts of DSH. Assessments were made in regards to the attribution of: 1) personal responsibility beliefs (PRB); 2) affective responses (e.g., pity, anger, and fear); and 3) coercionsegregation responses toward persons who committed acts of DSH. Independent sample t-test showed a significant difference in Thai men and women’s attribution of helping responses.

Factors Associated with Nurses' Motivation to Provide Care for Patients with Alcohol Use and Alcohol Use-Related Problems.

There is a high human and economic cost associated with alcohol use and alcohol use-related problems. Nurses have a pivotal role in addressing the needs of this patient population. Purpose: The study aimed to examine the correlation between nurses' demographics/background characteristics, personal attitudes, professional attitudes, and their motivation to provide care to patients with alcohol use and alcohol use-related problems. A descriptive, cross-sectional correlational design was utilized. Nurses were recruited from four Southwestern Pennsylvania hospitals. The study variables were examined using questionnaires that explored nurses' demographic/background characteristics, their personal and professional attitudes, and motivation to care for patients with alcohol use and alcohol use-related problems. The sample included 234 nurses. Demographic/background characteristics were identified as associated with nurse's alcohol use-related motivation, including gender, primary work setting and specialization. Previous personal experience with alcohol use-related problems (nurses themselves or co-workers), familiarity, perceived dangerousness, fear, social distance, personal responsibility beliefs and disease model were also associated with nurses' alcohol use-related motivation to care for these patients. In addition, all professional attitudes were associated with nurses' motivation toward caring for patients with alcohol use and alcohol use-related problems. The study revealed that certain demographic/background characteristics and personal and professional attitudes were associated with nurses' motivation to provide care to this patient population. This study provides the foundation for future studies aimed at exploring predictors of nurse's motivation to care for patients with alcohol use and alcohol use-related problems.

Socioeconomic Status and Individual Personal Responsibility Beliefs Towards Food Access.

Despite worldwide attention given to food access, very little progress has been made under the current model. Recognizing that individual engagement is likely based on individual experiences and perceptions, this research study investigated whether or not a correlation exists between one’s socioeconomic status (SES) and perceived personal responsibility for food access. Discussion of results and implications provide fresh insight into the ongoing global debate surrounding food access. Outcomes also provide insight into willing and able participants and point to least-cost solutions which may be better suited to implement and initiate change. Results indicate that the issue of food access is more complex than simply lobbying for better decision-making among individuals and populations, highlighting the importance of unit of analysis considerations.

Personal and professional attitudes associated with nurses’ motivation to work with patients with opioid use and opioid use-related problems

Background: Opioid use and opioid use-related problems contribute significantly to increased morbidity rates and premature deaths as well as an increased economic burden. Nurses have key roles in providing care to this patient population; however, they often report low motivation toward working with these patients. Examining personal and professional attitudes associated with nurses’ motivation to work with this population can present a valuable opportunity to enhance their willingness to intervene at an earlier stage when patients do not have a diagnosable opioid use disorder. Methods: A descriptive, correlational design was used. Nurses were recruited from four hospital settings in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Data on nurses’ demographic/background characteristics, personal attitudes, professional attitudes, and motivation related to working with patients with opioid use and opioid use-related problems were collected via a paper/pencil survey and analyzed using linear regression. Results: A sample of 234 nurses were included in the final analyses. Personal attitudes associated with nurses’ motivation included personal experience with a family member related to alcohol and/or other drugs, and stigma perceptions (familiarity, perceived dangerousness, fear, social distance and personal responsibility beliefs). Professional attitudes associated with nurses’ motivation included working experience with substance use (SU), SU education as continuing education or other educational resources, role security, therapeutic commitment, role responsibility, and self-efficacy. Conclusions: This study’s findings provide valuable information regarding the bivariate relationships between nurses’ personal attitudes, professional attitudes, and motivation to work with patients with opioid use and opioid use-related problems. The study provides a base for future studies aimed at developing interventions to enhance nurses’ motivation to work with this patient population particularly related to preventing the progression of opioid use to a diagnosable disorder.

The Janus face of imprisonment: Contrasting judicial conceptions of imprisonment purposes in the European Court of Human Rights and the Supreme Court of the United States

This article considers how the Supreme Court of the United States and the European Court of Human Rights apply, interpret and frame abstract imprisonment purposes, and how they view their relevance to prison conditions, while discussing the constitutionality of prison conditions. The article argues that the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights view, conceptualise and interpret the purposes of imprisonment differently. Regarding the purposes of retribution and rehabilitation specifically, the analysis presented in the article exposes a ‘Janus face’, meaning that each purpose can, and is, interpreted in two different, and almost contrasting ways. The article offers three themes regarding the conceptualisation of imprisonment purposes by the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights: First, the relationship between the purposes of sentencing and imprisonment along the penal continuum, and the role of rehabilitation in a prison regime: should sentencing purposes be relatively static during their implementation in prison, meaning that retributive-oriented sentencing purposes should be pursued (Supreme Court), or should they conversely progress with the passage of time, from retribution to resocialisation as the primary purpose of imprisonment (European Court of Human Rights). Second, the meaning of retributivism in regard to prison conditions: should prisoners pay a debt to society by suffering in restrictive prison conditions (Supreme Court), or is retributivism achieved by atonement and by finding ways to compensate or repair harms caused by crime (European Court of Human Rights). Third, the way in which prison rehabilitation is framed and understood: should prison rehabilitation be seen as a risk management tool aimed purely at lowering recidivism (Supreme Court), or as a moral concept grounded in a prisoner’s ability to change his life and belief in personal responsibility for one’s actions (European Court of Human Rights). Possible theoretical implications and general policy implications are considered in the article.

The Janus Face of Imprisonment: Contrasting Judicial Conceptions of Imprisonment Purposes in the European Court of Human Rights and the Supreme Court of the United States

This paper considers how the Supreme Court of the United States (SC) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) apply, interpret and frame abstract imprisonment purposes, and how they view their relevance to prison conditions, while discussing the constitutionality of prison conditions. The paper argues that the SC and the ECtHR view, conceptualise and interpret the purposes of imprisonment differently. Regarding the purposes of retribution and rehabilitation specifically, the analysis presented in the paper exposes a ‘Janus face’, meaning that each purpose can, and is, interpreted in two different, and almost contrasting ways. The paper offers three themes regarding the conceptualisation of imprisonment purposes by the SC and the ECtHR: First, the relationship between the purposes of sentencing and imprisonment along the penal continuum, and the role of rehabilitation in a prison regime: should sentencing purposes be relatively static during their implementation in prison, meaning that retributive-oriented sentencing purposes should be pursued (SC), or should they conversely progress with the passage of time, from retribution to resocialization as the primary purpose of imprisonment (ECtHR). Second, the meaning of retributivism in regard to prison conditions: should prisoners pay a debt to society by suffering in restrictive prison conditions (SC), or is retributivism achieved by atonement and by finding ways to compensate or repair harms caused by crime (ECtHR). Third, the way in which prison rehabilitation is framed and understood: should prison rehabilitation be seen as a risk management tool aimed purely at lowering recidivism (SC), or as a moral concept grounded in a prisoner’s ability to change his life and belief in personal responsibility for one’s actions (ECtHR). Possible theoretical implications and general policy implications are considered in the paper.

Public perceptions of self-harm—A test of an attribution model of public discrimination.

This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study applied Corrigan, Markowitz, Watson, Rowan, and Kubiak’s (2003) attribution model of public discrimination toward individuals with mental ill-health to explore public perceptions of self-harm—an underresearched topic, given the size and scale of the problem of self-harm.Participants (community-based adult sample, N=355, aged 18–67 years) were presented with 1 of 10, first-person, vignettes describing an episode of adolescent self-harm and completed self-report measures assessing dispositional empathy, familiarity with self-harm (professional; personal), perceived dangerousness, personal responsibility beliefs, emotional responses toward the person depicted in the vignette and helping/rejecting intentions. Vignettes were manipulated across conditions for the controllability of the stated cause (controllable; uncontrollable; unknown), stated motivation for self-harm (intrapersonal; interpersonal; unknown) and presentation format (video; text). Across the sample, attitudes were largely tolerant, with significantly higher levels of sympathetic than fearful or angry responding and significantly higher endorsement of helping responses than avoidance, segregative or coercive approaches. The manipulation of controllability of cause (controllable; uncontrollable), but not stated motivation (intrapersonal; interpersonal), was related to differences in cognitive, emotional or behavioral responding. Taken together, results were largely consistent with the attribution model, suggesting this may be a useful framework for understanding public perceptions of self-harm.

Internalized Homophobia, HIV Knowledge, and HIV/AIDS Personal Responsibility Beliefs: Correlates of HIV/AIDS Discrimination among MSM in the Context of Institutionalized Stigma

ABSTRACTThere exists a paucity of research on the psychosocial risk factors of HIV/AIDS among men who have sex with men (MSM) in settings where they are stigmatized or face prosecution. The present study investigates discrimination against people living with HIV (PLHIV), internalized homophobia, HIV/AIDS personal responsibility beliefs and HIV knowledge in a purposive sample of 106 self-identified MSM obtained through a web-based survey disseminated by two voluntary welfare organizations. Results indicate that internalized homophobia is positively associated with discrimination against PLHIV. Internalized homophobia also substantially mediates the effect of HIV/AIDS personal responsibility beliefs on discrimination against PLHIV, highlighting the confounded nature of HIV/AIDS and homosexual stigma in a setting where stigma is deep-rooted and institutionalized. Internalized homophobia may thus serve as a barrier to the effectiveness of HIV prevention efforts among MSM in Singapore.

Explaining public satisfaction with health-care systems: findings from a nationwide survey in China.

ObjectiveTo identify factors associated with health‐care system satisfaction in China.ContextRecent research suggests that socio‐demographic characteristics, self‐reported health, income and insurance, ideological beliefs, health‐care utilization, media use and perceptions of services may affect health‐care system satisfaction, but the relative importance of these factors is poorly understood. New data from China offer the opportunity to test theories about the sources of health‐care system satisfaction.DesignStratified nationwide survey sample analysed using multilevel logistic regression. Setting and participants: 3680 Chinese adults residing in family dwellings between 1 November 2012 and 17 January 2013.Main outcome measureSatisfaction with the way the health‐care system in China is run.ResultsWe find only weak associations between satisfaction and socio‐demographic characteristics, self‐reported health and income. We do, however, find that satisfaction is strongly associated with having insurance and belief in personal responsibility for meeting health‐care costs. We also find it is negatively associated with utilization, social media use, perceptions of access as unequal and perceptions of service providers as unethical.ConclusionsTo improve satisfaction, Chinese policymakers – and their counterparts in countries with similar health‐care system characteristics – should improve insurance coverage and the quality of health services, and tackle unethical medical practices.

Stigma towards PLWHA: the role of internalized homosexual stigma in Latino gay/bisexual male and transgender communities.

Stigma negatively affects the health of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Negative attitudes and discriminatory actions towards PLWHA are thought to be based, among other factors, on stigma towards sexual minorities and beliefs about personal responsibility. Yet, there is little evidence to support these linkages and explain how they take place, especially among Latinos. This study analyzes attitudes towards PLWHA among 643 Latino gay/bisexual men and transgender (GBT) people. It examines whether discriminatory actions are predicted by beliefs about personal responsibility and internalized homosexual stigma. Results indicate that Discriminatory Actions towards PLWHA is associated with HIV/AIDS Personal Responsibility Beliefs and Internalized Homosexual Stigma. Further, HIV/AIDS Personal Responsibility Beliefs partially mediates the relationship between Internalized Homosexual Stigma and Discriminatory Actions towards PLWHA. Latino GBT persons who have internalized negative views about homosexuality may project those onto PLWHA. They may think PLWHA are responsible for their serostatus and, hence, deserving of rejection.

Beliefs and emotions have different roles in generating attitudes toward providing personal help and state-sponsored help for people with a mental illness

The aim of this study was to examine the role of emotions like pity and anger in mediating the relationship between beliefs about the controllability of a mental illness, and the willingness to help someone with a mental illness. In particular, we tested the hypothesis that the effects of beliefs about controllability on the willingness to provide personal help are mediated by the emotions of pity and anger, but that the effects of beliefs about controllability on the willingness to condone state-organised help were more direct, and not mediated by emotions. A between-groups design was employed to investigate the effects of manipulating controllability attributions via 3 hypothetical vignettes. ANOVA analysis of responses to a revised version of the AQ-27 from 371 participants demonstrated that beliefs about controllability lead to significantly higher personal responsibility beliefs, negative affective reactions and decreased helping intentions in comparison to when the cause of mental illness was believed to be uncontrollable. A mediation analysis demonstrated that pity and anger fully mediate the relationship between beliefs about controllability and the willingness to offer personal help, and also demonstrated that pity and anger partially mediate the relationship between beliefs about controllability and the willingness to condone help provided by the state. The partial mediation may indicate that the effects of beliefs about controllability on state-sponsored may be mediated by pity in some people, but that in other people, beliefs have a more proximal effect on behavior.

Associations between partner-venue specific personal responsibility beliefs and transmission risk behavior by HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM).

Personal responsibility beliefs of HIV-positive individuals to protect sex partners are an important determinant of engagement in transmission risk behavior. However, the degree to which such beliefs vary across different partners is unknown. HIV-positive men who have sex with men (n = 248) completing an online survey rated their personal responsibility beliefs for partners met in up to four different ways: (a) in a bar; (b) through the internet; (c) in a public sex environment (PSE); or (d) through friends or family. For those reporting two or more partner-meeting venues in the prior 3 months (n = 98), about a third reported variation in responsibility ratings. Means among the venues were compared in pairwise fashion, with the strongest beliefs accruing to partners met through friends or family and the least with partners met in PSEs. These results provide further evidence that identifying ways to increase personal responsibility beliefs is an important goal, as well as is the application of Bandura's theory of moral agency to HIV transmission risk behavior.

Misperceptions of Nicotine Replacement Therapy Within Racially and Ethnically Diverse Smokers

Underuse of evidence-based treatment for smoking cessation, including use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), is widespread, particularly among minority smokers. This paper examines perceptions of NRT among and between racially and ethnically diverse groups of smokers. Nine focus groups were held among homogenous groups of African American, European American, and Hispanic smokers (N = 70). Specific themes included perceptions of: (a) the mechanism by which NRT works; (b) NRT development and regulation (ie, purpose and methods of clinical trials, Food and Drug Administration oversight, etc); (c) efficacy; (d) safety; and (e) overall cost effectiveness. Across all groups, there was a general lack of knowledge of NRT effects and its efficacy, with only moderate knowledge of the mechanism by which NRT works. Concerns about NRT safety were expressed in all groups, with particular apprehension about addictive potential and possible interactions with other medications. Among African American smokers in particular, there was strong suspicion of pharmaceutical industry and government oversight, which coincided with the consensus view that there are too many unknowns about NRT. Among Hispanic smokers, there was less suspicion of NRT but a strong cultural belief in personal responsibility for smoking cessation. Results highlight enduring misperceptions about NRT that likely undermine usage. More education about NRT is needed, not only about its efficacy and safety, but also with regard to its development and regulation. Health care professionals, many of whom are viewed as trustworthy sources of health information, have a particularly important role to promote wider use of proven cessation strategies.

Reflection and direction

Let me start why saying that I am not one of the founders of the CAC but I did find the CAC many years ago when I was a student in a two semester criminalistics course at Cal-State Long Beach in 1963 or 4. And my association with the CAC has been a memorable and wonderful relationship for the many years that have followed. By the end of next month I will have been employed as a criminalist for 46 years and a CAC member for 39 years. By the middle of the following month I will be 71 years of age. I thought that a bit of autobiographical information would be of interest. Not out of some exaggerated sense of self-importance, but because I know that I must seem odd and out of step to many that have some familiarity with me. My constant and seeming all consuming interest in firearms and most anything having to do with firearms may have always troubled some CAC members or made them a bit uneasy. About 10 years ago I offered something of an explanation in the fall 2000, fourth-quarter CACnews although some of my childhood photographs included in that article may only have increased some readers' concerns. [I hope that you have noticed that back issues of the CAC news have been archived and are accessible on our website going back as far as October of 1971.] I am a dinosaur like the dinosaurs a species that is destined for extinction. But before my kind is gone I'd like you to know how it once was and how I came to be the way I am. I was born in Springfield Illinois in July of 1940 and grew up in a small community called Southern View on the south side of Springfield. Everyone there knew everyone. On summer evenings parents sat out in lawn chairs in their front yards. The men shared a beer or two, talked about the recent war, the weather and the government while the women talked about whatever and we kids chased and captured lightning bugs in jars. At the end of October my friends and I went trick-or-treating without any parental accompaniment. It simplywasn't necessary in thosewonderful times. In winter we hitched rides with our sleds on the back of cars as they came to a stop on snow-covered streets at one of the local four-way stop intersections. (There were no traffic lights in Southern View.) None of you here today will ever know or experience these things because of today's child predators, possible poisoned candy, new laws, regulations, claims and possible charges of child abuse or child endangerment for someof the things our parents did or allowedus todo. Our parents were patriotic, conservative Midwesterners that had a strong belief in personal responsibility. Mine were strict when they needed to be. I got spanked when I deserved it. My father's assurances

Moral agency and the sexual transmission of HIV.

Sexual transmission of HIV occurs because an infected person has unprotected sex with a previously uninfected person. The majority of HIV infections are transmitted by individuals who are unaware of their infection, and most persons who are diagnosed with HIV significantly reduce or eliminate risk behaviors once they learn they have HIV. However, a minority of known-infected individuals engage in transmission risk behavior, sometimes without disclosure to their partners. Such behavior may involve a breakdown or temporary suspension of moral mechanisms, such as personal responsibility beliefs and anticipatory self-evaluative reactions to one's behavior. The present article reviews the literature on sexual transmission risk behavior within A. Bandura's (1999) theoretical framework of moral agency. The article first reviews evidence for the operation of moral agency in transmission risk behavior and HIV status disclosure. Next, suggestive evidence is presented for the operation of mechanisms of moral disengagement described by Bandura. Finally, the article reviews a small number of interventions that have been shown to be effective in reducing transmission risk behavior, through the lens of moral agency, and make recommendations for future intervention research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychotherapy as Religion

In Psychotherapy as Religion, author William M. Epstein seeks to demonstrate that the entire field of psychotherapy is based upon unscientific concepts and has never been shown to effectively treat any mental disorder. Dr. Epstein, a professor of social work at the University of Nevada, reports that the basis of his premises are derived from reviewing randomized controlled trials that addressed effectiveness and were published within the past decade in either the American Journal of Psychiatry, Archives of General Psychiatry, or the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. The introduction presents the author's conclusion that psychotherapy, while lacking in efficacy, is widely accepted in America because it is in concordance with the nation's “heroic individualism” and belief in personal responsibility for social ills. He argues that psychotherapy has taken on the role of social religion, and finds similarities with Christian Science. The major portion of the book is devoted to criticism of individual studies and meta-analyses. Specific topics include depression, anxiety, eating disorders, addictions, testing methodology, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. In each chapter, the author identifies apparent limitations in every study he encounters. Many of his arguments appear articulate and well crafted, such as rejecting studies with high attrition rates or lack of an adequate comparison arm. In other instances, he discounts studies on the basis of the argument that psychologists have an inherent conflict of interest when evaluating the validity of their own field, and therefore might not be able to objectively report upon the patients they evaluate. The author's use of complicated sentence structure and obscure vocabulary impairs the readability of the text. Likewise, redundant editorializing detracts from what would otherwise be a straightforward and logical presentation. The book may appeal most to those with an interest in evidence-based medicine and to those true believers in psychotherapy who enjoy having their faith challenged.

Alcoholics' beliefs about responsibility for, and recovery from, their condition

A study was carried out with a sample of in-patients and out-patients in an alcohol treatment programme examining beliefs about where responsibility lay for their condition and recovery from it. Brickman et al. [1] proposed a framework for understanding these beliefs consisting of four 'models'. In each model responsibility for causing the problem and for resolving it is considered either to lie with the individual or with other factors. The results indicated that the alcoholics' beliefs could not readily be understood in terms of this framework. As regards the cause of their condition, belief in the role of luck, personal responsibility and acceptance of a disease model emerged as independent factors. With regard to responsibility for recovery, belief in personal responsibility, the value of treatment and support and the importance of motivation emerged as separate factors. Belief in personal responsibility for causing the problem was significantly associated with acceptance of responsibility for recovery. Adoption of a disease model was negatively associated with belief in the importance of motivation in recovery. Treatment satisfaction was positively correlated with belief in the importance of treatment and support but not other dimensions. Younger patients tended to accept a lower level of personal responsibility for their condition. The results indicate the alcoholics tend to adopt quite specific beliefs about their condition and that satisfaction with a particular treatment regimen is related to belief in the value of treatment rather than any particular model concerning where responsibility for their condition and recovery from it lies.