Sense Of Personal Responsibility Research Articles

Mengenal Lebih Dekat Konseling Gestalt: Sebuah Studi Literatur

Gestalt counselling is an approach to psychotherapy and counselling that focuses on the counselee's awareness of current experience and the ability to make better choices. This research uses a qualitative method of literature study that aims to introduce gestalt counselling comprehensively, starting from the historical background, basic concepts, goals, therapeutic process, to the various techniques used. Gestalt counselling was born in the 1940s and developed by Fritz Perls, Laura Perls, and Paula Goodman based on various psychological approaches. The essence of gestalt counselling lies in enhancing the counselee's present self-awareness, sense of personal responsibility, personality integration and self-actualisation. The techniques used and discussed include general techniques, frustrating the counselee, externalising techniques, top dog and under dog. The author hopes that this paper can increase the reader's understanding of the intricacies of gestalt counselling so that it can be applied appropriately in the field.

From personal to corporate social responsibility: (de)individuation in luxury retailing

PurposeThe New York Times has suggested replacing sustainable fashion with responsible fashion, emphasizing the need for joint efforts by both individual consumers and retailers to take responsibility for their own decisions and actions. This study seeks to investigate the mechanism that activates individuals' personal social responsibility (PSR) and its association with their perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) from a responsible luxury fashion retailer.Design/methodology/approachAn online experiment was conducted with a nationwide US sample of luxury consumers who were randomly assigned to either individuation or deindividuation groups. Covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) and multi-group SEM were employed to test the hypotheses.FindingsIndividuals' universalism positively affected PSR, which then enhanced their recognition of a responsible luxury retailer’s CSR and led to a greater willingness to pay a premium. More importantly, the positive effect of universalism on PSR was strengthened when consumers’ unique individuality, rather than their deindividuated state, was emphasized. Moreover, the moderating effect of individuation was indirectly transmitted through PSR to perceived CSR, hence reinforcing the relationship between PSR and CSR.Originality/valueThis study significantly advances existing scholarship on sustainable luxury retailing and adds rigor to deindividuation theory by demonstrating the central role of PSR and the moderating effect of individuation in enhancing recognition of a luxury fashion retailer’s CSR commitments. The findings provide luxury fashion retailers with communication and marketing strategies that highlight consumers' unique individuality to more effectively activate their sense of personal responsibility and thereby increase their recognition of the retailer’s CSR.

Perceptions of social support usage among single men experiencing recurrent homelessness

ABSTRACT Introduction: Single adult men are at increased risk of recurring homelessness and comprise a large percentage of those experiencing episodic homelessness. This manuscript explored pathways into repeated episodes of homelessness for single men through participants’ perceptions of using social support to find and maintain housing. Method: This study utilized qualitative methods to understand experiences of men who had been housed but had lost permanent housing within the past two years. Grounded theory methods were adapted, specifically techniques of using open and focused coding, constant comparison, and memo-writing. Results: Two themes captured participants’ (n = 25) views on utilizing social support. First, men shared their experiences with insufficient social support, both in terms of quality and quantity. Second, participants expressed hesitancy to utilize available support and resources. Three sub-themes around hesitancy are described: a sense of personal responsibility/ self-reliance, concerns about being a burden, and feelings of disdain towards those dependent on support. Discussion: Social networks were described as small and sometimes detrimental to well-being with participants having few healthy, secure relationships. Although some participants described longstanding isolation, even those with social and familial connections described a strong sense of self-reliance and hesitancy to seek assistance.

Sense of failure in end of life care: Perspectives from physicians and nurses

Limited knowledge exists regarding sensed failure resulting provision of end-of-life (EOL) care. Among medical health professionals (MHP), a sense of failure is associated with impaired patientcare and reduced worker wellbeing, including higher rates of burnout and secondary traumatic stress. As part of a larger mixed-methods study on the effects of EOL-care provision on MHP in general hospitals, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 22 physicians and nurses at three tertiary Israeli hospitals, representing a wide range of medical specialties, training, experience, and cultural backgrounds. Qualitative thematic analysis of the interviews led to the identification of the theme ‘sense of failure’ with the sub-themes ‘sources’ and ‘lived meanings’ of the sensed failure. Apart from the source ‘losing a patient’ all other identified sources were recognized as work-related risk factors, including ‘unsupportive environments’ and ‘shortcomings of the medical practice.’ Two of the lived meaning ‘sense of personal responsibility’ and ‘moral injury’ were also recognized as work-related risk factors. Surprisingly, albeit the adverse context of EOL-care, the two remaining lived meanings ‘learning from failure’ and ‘sense of purpose’ were recognized as protective resilience factors. Changes in workplace norms by focusing on leadership and mentoring programs and implementation of evidence based interventions aimed at reducing the sense of failure and enhancing feelings of purpose are recommended. Finally, the findings described in the study would benefit from continued studies on larger scales.

University Students’ Awareness and Attitudes Regarding Environmental Responsibility

Drawing on UNESCO's Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) for 2030 Framework, the importance of integrating environmental programs into different disciplines and subject areas at the tertiary education level is highlighted in the paper. The main aim was to investigate whether computer science students’ personal sense of responsibility and concern in regard to protecting the environment have grown over the years due to the availability of information on sustainability issues. Students’ attitudes toward taking a more active role in caring for the environment were examined and the results were compared with those from the previous study conducted in 2017. This earlier study was a part of an ecological approach to language teaching implemented in the professional English course at the University of Applied Sciences Velika Gorica. It is crucial to deepen the culture of ESD. Further, it appears that recent computer science students are better informed of sustainability practices as well as risks in the context of Green Information Technology (IT) area than the previous groups. With regard to that, by using a survey it was investigated if current computer science students’ attitudes toward more active pro-environmental behaviour and thinking were significantly more positive than of those students from the previous study.

Values, attitudes, and media exposure: Public perception of sharks and shark conservation in the USA

Public values and attitudes are increasingly relevant to wildlife conservation and management. For species historically perceived negatively, including sharks and predators, conservation action may be partially reliant on changing perceptions. We present the results of a large-scale, in-depth survey of public attitudes towards sharks and their conservation in the United States (n = 640). The survey covered a wide range of attitudes, beliefs, and practices, including where respondents encounter information about sharks, their perceptions of current conservation threats and attack risk, their interest in and self-reported knowledge about sharks, what value they attribute to sharks, what policy approaches to shark conservation they most support, and their attitudes regarding the personal relevance of and their relative responsibility for shark conservation. Results deepen our understanding of cultural trends around wildlife, demonstrating the potential influence of value shifts on other, more specific attitudes. Findings highlight a need for a conservation focus in media and messaging, as public perceptions, including potential biases or misperceptions, track closely with aggregate media coverage, and exposure to media coverage of shark bites is associated with beliefs that these events are common. Finally, we found a tendency to assign blame for shark declines to “others” outside of the United States, particularly commercial fishers in Asia, and little sense of personal responsibility or efficacy related to shark conservation. These findings have implications for conservation messaging for diverse wildlife values, specifically around self-efficacy and personal responsibility.

Redefining liberal arts education in the twenty-first century

Redefining liberal arts education in the twenty-first century

Exploring the determinants of reinvestment decisions: Sense of personal responsibility, preferences, and loss framing.

Two potentially costly errors are common in sequential investment decisions: sticking too long to a failing course of action (escalation of commitment), and abandoning a successful course of action prematurely. Past research has mostly focused on escalation of commitment, and identified three critical determinants: personal responsibility, preferences for prior decisions, and decision framing. We demonstrate in three studies using an incentivized poker inspired task that these determinants of escalation reliably lead decision makers to keep investing even when real money is on the line. We observed in Experiments 1, 2 and 3 that reinvestments were more likely when decision makers were personally responsible for prior decisions. This likelihood was also increased when the decision makers had indicated a preference for initial investments (Experiments 2 and 3), and when outcomes were framed in terms of losses as compared to gains (Experiment 3). Both types of decision errors - escalation of commitment and prematurely abandoning a course of action - could be traced to the same set of determinants. Being personally responsible for prior decisions, having a preference for the initial investment, and loss framing did increase escalation, whereas lacking personal responsibility, having no preference for the initial investment, and gain framing increased the likelihood of prematurely opting out. Finally, personal responsibility had a negative effect on decision quality, as decision-makers were still more likely to reinvest when they were personally responsible for prior decisions, than when prior decisions were assigned optimally by an algorithm (Experiments 2 and 3).

11.M. Workshop: Vaccination hesitancy in the Western Balkans and inclusive governance

Abstract Vaccine hesitancy has been identified as one of the crucial contributors to the global decline in vaccination coverage for several well-established vaccines in previous decades and is listed by the World Health Organization as one of the top ten threats to global health. In developing countries, the leading reasons for under-vaccination appear to be the lack of access, low education and socio-economic status. In developed countries psychological, social, and contextual factors are defined as main drivers of vaccine hesitancy. With the COVID-19 pandemic the threat of vaccine hesitancy has become more evident and is now in the focus of strategies and efforts to improve and strengthen the interventions to combat vaccine hesitancy and increase vaccination coverage. Despite the availability of multiple effective vaccines against COVID-19, only 40% of population of Wester Balkans in average has been completely vaccinated (with a complete initial protocol), which is far below the world average (56%). Vaccine hesitancy largely jeopardizes the achievement of heard immunity, postponing the end of the pandemic. To explore reasons of vaccine hesitancy, the cross-sectional and quasi-experimental studies were performed from July to September 2021 in five countries of the Western Balkans: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The results will be presented and discussed from a policy perspective. The first presentation will introduce to the actual debate around vaccination hesitancy; the second presentation describes the survey design and key results related to societal factors (confidence in political and health authorities, science, and pharmaceutical companies), social responsibility (personal sense of responsibility in achieving collective immunity and contagion prevention) and the credibility of information sources about COVID-19 vaccines; the third presentation will discuss components of credibility (expertise, trustworthiness, and caring/goodwill) after respondents’ exposure to messages with narratives on COVID-19 vaccine decisions. The fourth presentation is going to identify promising policy options. The objective of the workshop is to present and discuss the results of the Western Balkans study, relate them to corresponding studies in Europe and beyond, and propose effective interventions. The audience is invited to discuss the findings and the practicability of strategies to improve the acceptance of qualified information in the population, how to enhance trustworthy, how to improve vaccination rates. The discussion will focus on the following questions: a) What are the main drivers of vaccination hesitancy? b) Which messaging format is most convincing and trustworthy? c) Why is the global dimension essential? Key messages • Vaccine hesitancy is a serious threat and reason for the insufficient vaccination coverage and suboptimal herd immunity in the Western Balkans. • Vaccination policy has to enhance information trustworthy and source credibility at the national level and argue for fair resource distribution in the global dimension.

Psychological responses, mental health, and sense of agency for the dual challenges of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic in young people in the UK: an online survey study

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic and climate change are both significant and pressing global challenges, posing threats to public health and wellbeing. Young people are particularly vulnerable to the distress both crises can cause, but understanding of the varied psychological responses to both issues is poor. We aimed to investigate these responses and their links with mental health conditions and feelings of agency.MethodsWe conducted an online survey between Aug 5 and Oct 26, 2020, targeting a diverse sample of young people (aged 16–24 years, n=530) in the UK. The survey was distributed using a combination of a survey panel (panel sample) and direct approaches to youth groups and schools who shared the survey with young people in their networks (community sample). We collected data on respondents’ psychological responses to both climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, their sense of agency to respond to each crisis, and the range of impacts on their lives. We also collected demographics data and screened for mental health and wellbeing indicators. We used non-parametric tests for most statistical comparisons. For paired samples, we used Wilcoxon's signed-rank test, and used Mann-Whitney U-tests or Kruskal-Wallis tests for two or more independent samples. Summed scale scores were considered as interval-level data and analysed with Student's t tests and ANOVAs. Effect sizes are reported as Cohen's d and partial eta-squared (η·2p), respectively.FindingsAfter excluding 18 suspected bots and 94 incomplete responses, 530 responses were retained for analysis. Of the 518 respondents who provided demographic data, 63% were female, 71·4% were White, and the mean family affluence score was 8·22 (SD 2·29). Most participants (n=343; 70%) did not report a history of diagnosis or treatment for a mental health disorder, but mental health scores indicated a common experience of (relatively mild) symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. Although UK youth reported more life disruption and concern for their future due to the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change was associated with significantly greater distress overall, particularly for individuals with low levels of generalised anxiety. The COVID-19 pandemic was more associated with feelings of anxiety, isolation, disconnection, and frustration; distress around loss and grief; and effects on quality of life. Climate change was more likely to evoke emotions such as interest and engagement, guilt, shame, anger, and disgust. The greater distress attributed to climate change overall was due, in particular, to higher levels of guilt, sense of personal responsibility, and greater distress triggered by upsetting media coverage. Agency to address climate change was associated with greater climate distress, but pandemic-related distress and agency were unrelated.InterpretationThe COVID-19 pandemic and climate change are affecting the wellbeing of UK young people in distinct ways, with implications for health service, policy, and research responses. There is a need for mental health practitioners, policy makers, and other societal actors to account for the complex relationship between climate agency, distress, and mental wellbeing in young people.FundingImperial College London.

Factors influencing uptake of diabetes health screening: a mixed methods study in Asian population

BackgroundHealth screens are the cornerstones for health promotion and preventive interventions at a community level. This study investigated the barriers and facilitators to the uptake of diabetes health screening in the general population of Singapore.MethodsIn this mixed methods study, participants without diabetes were recruited from the general population. The quantitative phase (n = 2459) included face to face survey of participants selected through disproportionate stratified random sampling. Those who participated in the quantitative survey were then randomly chosen for a one-to-one semi-structured interview (n = 30).ResultsAmong the survey respondents, 73.09% (n = 1777) had attended a diabetes health screening in their lifetime whilst 42.36% (n = 1090) and 57.64% (n = 1328, p < 0.0001) attended the health screens regularly (every 12 months) and irregularly, respectively. A significantly higher proportion of older adults (≥ 40 years) attended regular diabetes health screening compared to younger adults (less than 40 years; 55.59% vs 24.90%, p < 0.001). The top 3 reasons for attending regular health screens were to detect diabetes early, to make lifestyle changes in case of a diagnosis and being health conscious. Qualitative interviews identified similar issues and complex nuances that influenced the uptake of regular diabetes health screening. Several personal factors (laziness, self-reliance, psychological factors, etc.), competing priorities, fatalistic beliefs, affordability, misconceptions about the screens, and appointment related factors (inconvenient location, time, etc.) were identified as barriers, while affordable screens, sense of personal responsibility, perception of susceptibility /risk, role of healthcare team (e.g. reminders and prescheduled appointments) and personal factors (e.g. age, family, etc.) were facilitators. Age, household income, ethnicity and educational level were associated with the uptake of regular diabetes health screening.ConclusionThe uptake of regular diabetes health screening can be improved. Several barriers and enablers to the uptake of diabetes health screening were identified which should be addressed by the policy makers to alleviate misconceptions and create greater awareness of the importance of the programme that will improve participation.

Measuring Perceived Severity of Intimate Partner Violence against Women (IPVAW) among the General Population and IPVAW Offenders.

Public perceptions of the severity of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) incidents are an important factor that has been linked to key issues regarding this type of violence, such as acceptability or tolerance, personal sense of responsibility, attitudes toward intervention, and the public's, professionals', and victims' responses to IPVAW. The aim of the present study was to provide further validity evidence for the perceived severity of IPVAW scale (PS-IPVAW), by assessing its measurement invariance between gender and age groups, and between men from the general population and male IPVAW offenders. Item response theory was also used to assess the discrimination of the items and their position on the measured latent trait continuum (i.e., perceived severity of IPVAW). To this end, the psychometric properties of the scale were examined in four different samples from the general population (N = 2,627) and in one clinical sample of male IPVAW offenders (N = 200). Our findings showed that the PS-IPVAW scale has excellent internal consistency (α = .89-.90) and a clear one-factor latent structure (CFI = .91-.96, RMSEA = .055-.086), and that partial strict invariance holds across different gender and age groups. We also found that IPVAW offenders' perceptions of the severity of IPVAW may follow a different pattern to that of men from the general population. The PS-IPVAW scale is able to yield accurate assessments of the perceived severity of this type of violence among the general population and IPVAW offenders.

“I Believe I Can and Should”: Self‐efficacy, Normative Beliefs and Conservation Behavior

AbstractThis study examines the social‐psychological drivers of conservation action among landowners in Minnesota. In particular, we apply an integrated norm activation theory to understand landowner conservation behavior. Data were collected through a self‐administered mail survey of 3,000 landowners in La Crescent and Reno Watersheds in Southeastern Minnesota and analyzed using structural equation modeling. Study findings show that landowners' conservation action is driven by their feelings of personal obligation, and beliefs about whether one is capable of taking actions to influence outcomes (i.e., self‐efficacy). Landowners who feel a sense of personal obligation and believe that their actions can make a difference are more likely to take conservation actions. Further, landowners who believe it is their personal responsibility to protect water and perceive social expectations are more likely to develop feelings of personal obligation. Importantly, this study highlights the role of self‐efficacy as an activator of personal norm, as well as a driver of conservation behavior. Our study suggests that strategies that appeal to landowners' sense of personal responsibility and self‐expectations, promote conservation action as a social norm, and build landowners' self‐efficacy or confidence in their ability to make a difference, are likely to be successful.

Be Still and You Will Know: A Mixed-Method Study on Solitude and Consideration of Future Consequences Among Youth in Rehabilitation.

Although solitude is found to be undesirable to many, systematic practice of it can yield positive psychological outcomes. This mixed-method study explored the process and influence of solitude as a behavioral intervention among youths in a therapeutic community in Hong Kong. Qualitative interviews with 43 youths (67.4% male, mean age = 18.3) revealed that solitude facilitated growth in their sense of personal responsibility, increased perspective-taking, increased respect for rules, change in life attitudes, and growth in consideration of future consequences. A two-wave prospective study (n = 79, 82.3% male, mean age = 17.4) further demonstrated perceived meaningfulness in solitude predicted an increase in consideration of future consequences, but not in other types of behavioral intervention. This study preliminarily demonstrated solitude has beneficial outcomes among high-risk youths, and meaning-making can facilitate this relationship.

Nurses' perspectives on workarounds in clinical practice: A phenomenological analysis.

Aims and objectivesTo explore the phenomenon of workarounds in clinical practice through the nurses’ perspective and identify which factors according to their experience contribute to activities carried forth non‐compliantly to procedures, protocols and rules defined by an Institution.BackgroundA workaround in clinical practice is a non‐compliance and a violation of an organisation's defined procedures, regulations or rules that may prevent adverse events. Its increasing recurrence in the workplace calls for a deeper analysis of the phenomenon.DesignA phenomenological descriptive design, following Colaizzi's analysis.MethodsIn‐depth interviews were conducted with 16 nurses about their experience of workarounds. The interviews were digitally audio‐recorded and transcribed verbatim. Two researchers conducted data analysis independently and followed three phases: extracting significant statements, creating formulated meanings and aggregating them into themes. The process employed NVivo 12 software. COREQ checklist was used for reporting.ResultsData analysis identified 17 sub‐themes falling into the four macro‐themes: (i) living the profession in saved times; (ii) Perceiving contingencies as a guide to action; (iii) sense of personal responsibility; and (iv) emotional aspects.ConclusionsFrom a nurses’ perspective, a workaround is often triggered by the need to overcome problems interfering with efficient and timely patient care in everyday clinical practice. This will of undertaking responsibilities favouring gained efficiency is closely linked to their confidence acquired over years of experience in the field.Relevance to clinical practiceThe results of this study can help clinical leadership to acknowledge workaround, understand the underlying triggers and work towards reconciling official procedures with real‐world situations. They can help nurses working in clinical practice to reflect and understand how to reconcile the needs related to the demands of organisations with the need to live their profession, which is more patient‐oriented.

COVID-19: Identifying and addressing determinants of adherence to physical distancing guidance

BackgroundOptimising physical distancing measures has been a critical part of the global response to the spread of COVID-19. Adherence to these recommendations has been poorer than adherence to other key transmission reduction behaviours. The current project aimed to identify psychosocial determinants of adherence to physical distancing, and to determine whether Government of Ireland COVID-19 communications adequately address the determinants.MethodsA nationally representative cross-sectional survey as part of the International COVID-19 Awareness and Responses Evaluation (iCARE) study, a qualitative interview study, and a content analysis of COVID-19 poster communications were conducted to identify psychosocial determinants of adherence and determine the extent to which these were addressed in government communications.ResultsThe iCARE survey showed adherence to physical distancing measures varies by sociodemographic group (e.g., age, sex, COVID-19 risk category) and beliefs. Poorest adherence was reported by younger people, males, those at lower risk of serious illness from COVID-19, and those who were less concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on public health and the economy. The qualitative interview study revealed maintaining and negotiating close relationships, public physical environments, habituation to threat, risk-taking to maintain wellbeing, and confusion and uncertainty around government guidelines as barriers to physical distancing behaviour. Having a sense of personal responsibility and control over one's own behaviour was identified as a potential facilitator of adherence to distancing. Content analysis revealed some important gaps, particularly in terms of rationale for specific public health guidelines.ConclusionsThough adherence was high overall, there was variability among sociodemographic groups. Government communications to promote physical distancing could be refined to better address key barriers and facilitators of the behaviour.

Pre-service teachers’ achievement goal orientations, teacher identity, and sense of personal responsibility: The moderated mediating effects of emotions about teaching

Pre-service teachers’ achievement goal orientations, teacher identity, and sense of personal responsibility: The moderated mediating effects of emotions about teaching

FORMATION OF SELF-DEPENDENCE OF JUNIOR SCHOOLCHILDREN IN THE COMPREHENSIVE SPACE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL

The article highlights that provision of a person with the ability to quickly adapt and solve problems in new, unusual situations is challenge of today. Its implementation starts being provided by the school of the first degree and represents not only filling of knowledge sphere, but also formation of key competences of schoolchildren which promote their activity as participants of effective development and dynamic development of the state.&#x0D; Performed analysis of the possibilities of primary education in the implementation of the competency approach, which contributes to the organization of educational activities of primary school students with a predominance of cognitive activity to achieve their independence is provided in the process of acquiring new knowledge and skills. The development of students' self-dependence, their manifestation of initiative, creativity, cognitive interest, etc., is provided by various didactic tools that allow to make learning interesting and exciting not only at the creative and exploratory level, but also in the daily study of subjects.&#x0D; It is stated that achieving the required level of education and personal development is impossible without systematic independent work, the need in it lies in the school years. Therefore, the school should pay much attention to self-dependent learning activities of students, this concept means a generalized personality trait, which is manifested in initiative, critical thinking, adequate self-esteem and a sense of personal responsibility for their activities and behavior, which is manifested in thinking, willpower. In view of this, only now is a holistic theory and methodology of this process for educational activities being created.&#x0D; It is established that the importance of self work in the educational process is difficult to overestimate, it forms independence, which is a quality of each person and contributes to the achievement of a truly conscious and strong mastery of information. Based on this, it is confirmed that the level of self-dependence is formed in all primary school lessons gradually. That is, this characteristic is the result of constant, persistent, long-term work of teachers, students and all interested participants in the didactic process.&#x0D; It is proved that the development of self-dependence is facilitated by a gradual increase in the amount of self work in the classroom, a variety of tasks, the introduction of creative work, combining them with work of a training nature. The ratio of creative and training work in the educational activities of primary school children depends on the stage of study, its content and purpose of the lesson. An essential condition for success is a clear statement of questions, tasks to students. Awareness of their students directs mental activity. The didactic game in the classroom, which not only provides maximum satisfaction to the child is of great importance, but is a powerful means of its development, a means of forming a full-fledged personality. This form promotes the self-dependence of educational activities, promotes the level of skills and knowledge, activates the creative thinking of students and the reserves of their memory, develops interest in the subject, cultivates the ability to work.&#x0D; The selection of games and game situations for activation of different types of perception and comprehension at all stages of the lesson is offered. Their use was the most timely and effective compared to other methods, the organization of which does not require, on the one hand, time for the teacher to develop them, and on the other hand, memorizing cumbersome rules by students. The results of their application in the educational process provide a higher level of self-dependence in the experimental groups than in the control and are characterized by emotionality, accessibility, cognitive information. Such work should be based on the proposals of such didactic games, the implementation of which does not allow students to act on ready-made templates, but requires the use of knowledge in new situations.

Human dimensions of crayfish conservation in Appalachian coalfields

Cambarus veteranus and Cambarus callainus are two closely related crayfish federally protected under the Endangered Species Act. While government protection provides vital funding for research and management initiatives, it is rare for the average citizen to be involved or impacted by this process. Less popular animal groups, such as invertebrates, lack public conservation support contributed by apathetic perceptions. The objective of this project is to foster appreciation for C. veteranus and C. callainus through public engagement. The Project Crawdadpilot is an education module designed for 3rd grade students. Five lesson plans, aligned with state standards, will allow students to explore local aquatic ecosystems, interact with native species, and develop experiments of their own design. Pre and post tests accompanied with each lesson will be facilitated to gauge student development. As community understanding and familiarity increases, potential pre-existing negative associations are likely to be supplanted by appreciation and sense of personal responsibility. This environmental education study aims to increase conservation literacy and stewardship of C. veteranus and C. callainus and the ecosystems they depend on.

“We’re Just Geeks”: Disciplinary Identifications Among Business Students and Their Implications for Personal Responsibility

This research shows how business students’ disciplinary specializations can affect their sense of personal responsibility by providing rationalizations for moral disengagement. It thereby conceptualizes business students’ disciplinary specializations as a key dimension of the business school responsibility learning environment. Students use four main rationalizations to displace responsibility variously away from their own disciplinary specializations, to claim responsibility as the prerogative of their specialization, and to shift irresponsibility onto disciplinary out-groups. Yet despite their disciplinary identifications, students largely rationalized that their sense of responsibility was an individual matter that was unlikely to be affected by contextual influences, and they attributed irresponsible behavior to incorrigible ‘bad apples.’ A theoretical model is offered which illustrates these dynamics by combining Bandura’s social cognitive theory with social identity theory. The research is based on secondary data, specifically focus-group interviews conducted with undergraduate students at a major Scandinavian business school in connection with the implementation of the UN Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative. The implications for management education include the need to strengthen students’ ‘disciplinary reflexivity,’ and to explicitly address the tension between students’ disciplinary solidarities and their faith in their own individual moral infallibility.