Positive Personal Attributes Research Articles

Personal Attributes Contributing to Chinese EFL Students' Well‐being: Uncovering the Role of Mindfulness and Grit

ABSTRACTThe role of students' well‐being in their academic development and growth has been reported in the literature. Nonetheless, most of the previous studies have revolved around the predictive role of interpersonal factors in students' well‐being, and the influence of personal factors is overlooked. To bridge this gap, this study probed the role of two personal attributes, namely mindfulness and grit, in English students' well‐being. To accomplish this, three valid questionnaires were sent to 623 Chinese English as a foreign language (EFL) students chosen from different language institutes in China. Following that, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) were implemented to analyse the potential associations between mindfulness, grit, and well‐being, as well as the role of mindfulness and grit in Chinese students' well‐being. The results demonstrated that Chinese students' well‐being was tightly associated with their mindfulness and grit. Students' grit and mindfulness could uniquely predict 59% and 64% of students' well‐being changes, respectively. The complexity and dynamic nature of positive emotions and personal attributes may also be reasons for the obtained predicting role. It is asserted that L2 practitioners should strike a balance between personality‐related factors and psychological ones to facilitate their students' well‐being.

Examining the Authenticity of Autistic Portrayals in US Adult and Children's Television Shows Using Medical and Social Models of Disability.

Television programs have introduced viewers to characters on the autism spectrum (e.g., Sesame Street, The Good Doctor), impacting audiences' knowledge and attitudes. Thus, it is essential that character representations convey accurate health information. This study explores how autistic portrayals across six adult and children's television programs align with the medical (e.g., American Psychiatric Association in Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5th ed., text rev., 2022, https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787 ) and social models of disability. A content analysis methodology was used to investigate defining characteristics of autism (i.e., medical model) and how characters navigated their environment (i.e., social model) in 252 scenes (across six characters in 22 episodes). Measures included the frequency with which autism characteristics (e.g., social-communicative difficulties, restrictive repetitive behaviors) were present across autistic portrayals and the valence (e.g., positive, negative, neutral) with which characters interacted with their environment (e.g., character and neurodiversity affirming valence). Findings indicate that (a) television portrayals depict social-communication difficulties significantly more than behavioral characteristics, (b) children's programming portrays autistic characters with significantly more positive personal attributes (i.e., character valence) than adult programs, and (c) the majority of programs portray characters navigating autism in positive or neutral ways (i.e., neurodiversity affirming valence). Results offer stakeholders (e.g., writers, advocates, neurodiverse community) insight into how autistic characters are portrayed on television, adding to a growing body of literature examining how such representations impact public knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards individuals on the autism spectrum. Collectively, such studies highlight how changes in diagnostic criteria, legal protections, and social inclusivity are presented to viewers, who are seeking entertainment but gaining public health information.

Lessons Learned From Co-Designing Educational Programs for Student and Practicing Healthcare Professionals in Nursing Homes: A Participatory Qualitative Study

Our aim was to examine the co-design process of two educational programs based on scientific research, to investigate which factors influenced the co-design processes and which lessons we learned. Participatory qualitative research on multiple cases was conducted with representatives of the university, healthcare education (university of applied science), secondary vocational education and training and nursing home care practice. Data were analyzed using a critical creative hermeneutic analysis. Three themes influenced the co-design processes: (1) facilitation of the processes, (2) team members’ attributes and (3) diverse interests and structures. Participants’ diversity slowed down and deepened the collaboration. The positive climate and personal attributes enabled the processes. The complexity of the co-design processes, conflicting interests and making use of the full potential of the diversity were challenging aspects. These challenges can be overcome by organizing and facilitating co-design processes skillfully.

Cyberbullying and internet gaming disorder in Chinese youth: The role of positive youth development attributes.

As digital natives, young people enjoy the convenience and benefits of the internet but also suffer from unique developmental problems of this age, such as cyberbullying and internet gaming disorder (IGD). Research suggests that these online problem behaviors enjoy high prevalence and various negative impacts. To prevent or intervene, this study attempts to explore the association between cyberbullying and IGD and the potential protectors from the positive youth development (PYD) perspective. Through the convenience sampling method, a sample of 463 Chinese adolescents was recruited and participated in the survey. They completed a questionnaire regarding PYD attributes, cyberbullying, IGD, and demographic information. After controlling adolescents' sex and age, results of regression analyses indicated that cyberbullying was positively associated with IGD; PYD attributes had negative cumulative effects on cyberbullying and IGD; and cyberbullying and IGD were negatively related to PYD attributes. Moreover, the mediating effect of PYD attributes was significant in the relationship between cyberbullying and IGD. Specifically, it is very possible for adolescents who have experienced one online problem behavior to suffer from another one. Fortunately, positive personal attributes could effectively buffer this cascading effect. These findings may provide theoretical and practical guidance for practitioners that improving PYD attributes may be a promising approach to prevent or reduce adolescent cyberbullying and IGD.

Learning Management in Virtual Classroom: A Phenomenological Study

This study explored the online learning management experiences of the teachers during the COVID-19 crisis. This paper used the phenomenological research design, and it employed the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as its data analysis method. A semi-structured interview was used to capture the lived experiences of the ten (10) higher education teachers from the selected schools in Central Visayas in the Philippines. After an intensive and careful analysis of the transcripts, three (3) significant themes from the teachers' perspectives emerged. They were: a) the lows; b) the highs; and c) the gains from the online learning setup. The study revealed that learning management failure was due to poor grading bases since teachers were not sure whether the students were honest in answering their tasks. The informants also noticed abysmal participation and inappropriate behavior from the students. However, they highlighted that at some point, managing a classroom online was made easy because of the secured, accessible, and organized files that teachers could use in handling their classes. They have also gained some positive personal attributes, professional teaching insights, and practical financial benefits. This study could be of great help to teachers who have not embraced the use of virtual classrooms in managing students’ learning. This is a timely research topic since the pandemic has just struck.

Exploring African American Male Youth’s Perceptions of Community Involvement Through 4-H Programs

Civic engagement research suggests that youths’ involvement in their communities results in a number of positive personal and social attributes. However, among urban populations, there is still a dearth of research on their involvement and the impact of civic participation on their development. More importantly within these populations, there is limited understanding of how Black male youth engage within civic participatory spaces. Increasing but limited research on young Black male youth usually focuses on identity, participation in programs, and socioeconomic levels. Further understanding is needed as to the factors which influence and impact Black male youths’ interests and actual participation in community and extracurricular activities. This paper explores data from urban African American high school male youth that include their perceptions and knowledge and attitudes toward being involved in their community through 4-H youth programs. The authors find that opportunities to learn a new skill and building professional portfolios assist these young Black males in their perception of being effective in their communities and making a difference for themselves.

The Influence of Competency towards the Performance of Islamic Banking Industry in Malaysia

The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of competency which comprises of technical and behavioral competency among the employees of Islamic banking towards the performance improvement of Islamic banking industry in Malaysia. The study needed to be conducted due to the unfavorable achievement of Islamic banking industry after three decades of its establishment. Islamic banking needs to be more aggressive in providing competent human capital in line with the development of Islamic banking industry. The study related to the Islamic banking has been widely conducted but the use of McClelland and Spencer & Spencer theories to examine the effect of technical and behavioral competency towards the performance improvement of Islamic banking industry in Malaysia is still limited. Therefore, the first objective of the study is to determine the influence of technical competency among the Islamic banking employees towards the performance improvement of Islamic banking industry in Malaysia. The second objective is to find out the influence of behavioral competency among the Islamic banking employees towards the performance improvement of Islamic banking industry in Malaysia. Quantitative approaches through self-administered questionnaire were adopted and analyzed by using SEM-PLS. The total number of respondents is 370, where cluster and random sampling is used to select the respondents from each branch of Islamic banks in Malaysia. The results showed that both variables technical competency (β = 0.317, t = 4.484 p < 0.05), and behavioral competency (β = 0.294, t = 3.594 p < 0.05) were significantly influencing the improvement Islamic banking industry performance. Finally, this study has significant implications to the relevant parties to provide competent and highly performance human capital to the Islamic banking industry in Malaysia. The recruitment should not merely base on the experience and educational level but also taking into highly consideration positive personal attributes, attitudes and values. This is because the career in Islamic banking is not merely a career but a responsibility and sincerity which both are required in every aspect of the working environment.

Virtue, royalty, dreams and power: Exploring the appeal of Disney Princesses to preadolescent girls in the United States

ABSTRACT For years the Disney Princesses have been at the top in box office tickets and their merchandising sales have reached into the billions. With this success there has been concern about the influence these princesses have on preadolescent girls’ lives and their self-esteem. The purpose of this study was to ask preadolescent girls why there is such a strong attraction toward, adoration for, and devotion to the Disney Princesses. The study was conducted using Q methodology, a behavioral research approach that allows for the measurement of attitudes, opinions, and beliefs. The results produced four factors labeled The Virtuous, who looked at the princesses’ positive personality attributes, The Royalists who liked the princesses because of their beauty, gowns, and royal status, The Dreamers who seemed to yearn for the princesses’ lifestyle and creating a better life for themselves, and The Grrrls who liked the princesses who were confident and strong. Overall, this study indicates that preadolescent girls do not take the princesses at face value and recognized the actions and behaviors of the princesses first. They see beyond the physical attributes of the princesses and understand they do not have to be beautiful to be confident and kind to others.

Posttraumatic growth among burn survivors 2 years after the 2015 Formosa Fun Coast Water Park explosion in Taiwan.

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is commonly observed in trauma survivors. Information on PTG and its predictors among burn survivors is relatively limited. The present study sought to investigate the prevalence and predictors of PTG in burn survivors. The predictors of interest included the variables from Tedeschi and Calhoun's model of PTG (core belief challenge, deliberate rumination, trauma disclosure, and perceived social support) and positive personality attributes (resilience, grateful disposition, and dispositional forgiveness). Participants were 116 burn survivors of the 2015 Formosa Fun Coast Water Park explosion in Taiwan. The mean age at the event was 22.3 years (SD = 4.2), with the average total body surface area (TBSA) burned of 49.5% (SD = 19.6). Two years after the explosion, 51.7% of the burn survivors experienced "significant" PTG (i.e., at least moderate growth). This proportion rose to 80.2% and 88.8% when assessing PTG at the domain and item levels, respectively. The variables from Tedeschi and Calhoun's model and positive personality attributes both significantly and substantially predicted PTG postburn, after adjusting for demographic and burn characteristics. Moderation analyses revealed that the effect of deliberate rumination on PTG postburn was stronger among those with low and moderate levels of resilience. The effect of trauma disclosure on PTG postburn was stronger among those with low and moderate dispositional forgiveness. These findings highlight the applicability of psychological theories of PTG to trauma-related growth of burn survivors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychological resilience to suicidal thoughts and behaviours in people with schizophrenia diagnoses : A systematic literature review.

Suicide deaths are a major concern in people with schizophrenia diagnoses. However, many people with such diagnoses do not attempt suicide, nor die by suicide, suggesting that some individuals are resilient to the impact of suicide triggers. This systematic literature review aimed to (1) appraise the evidence for psychological factors which confer resilience to suicidal thoughts and behaviours, and (2) categorize these psychological factors into broader psychological constructs which characterize resilience. The review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines for the reporting of systematic reviews. A literature search of four electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE) was conducted. A quality evaluation of the included studies was carried out by two independent researchers using a quality assessment tool. Psychological factors from 27 studies were categorized into four constructs: (1) perceived social support, (2) holding religious and spiritual beliefs, (3) identifying reasons for living, and (4) perceived positive personal skills and attributes. The limited literature showed that resilience is important in understanding suicidal thoughts and behaviours in people with schizophrenia diagnoses. There is a need for prospective research that investigates moderating effects of psychological resilience in the pathways to suicidal thoughts and behaviours in people with schizophrenia diagnoses. Novel evidence for four psychological constructs which may confer resilience to suicidal thoughts and behaviours in people with schizophrenia diagnoses. Strong evidence for the impact of perceived social support and appraisals of personal skills and attributes on the severity of suicidal experiences in people with schizophrenia diagnoses. There was equivocal evidence for the effect of holding religious and spiritual beliefs on suicide attempts. Clinical practice would benefit from assessing perceived personal attributes and levels of social support from significant others and health professionals.

Dimensions of Posttraumatic Growth in Patients With Cancer: A Mixed Method Study.

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) refers to positive outcomes after exposure to stressful events. Previous studies suggest cross-cultural differences in the nature and amount of PTG. The aim of this study was to explore different dimensions of PTG in Iranian patients with cancer. A mixed method study with convergent parallel design was applied to clarify and determine dimensions of PTG. Using the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), confirmatory factor analysis was used to quantitatively identify dimensions of PTG in 402 patients with cancer. Simultaneously, phenomenological methodology (in-depth interview with 12 patients) was used to describe and interpret the lived experiences of cancer patients in the qualitative part of the study. Five dimensions of PTGI were confirmed from the original PTGI. Qualitatively, new dimensions of PTG emerged including "inner peace and other positive personal attributes," "finding meaning of life," "being a role model," and "performing health promoting behaviors." Results of the study indicated that PTG is a 5-dimensional concept with a broad range of subthemes for Iranian cancer patients and that the PTGI did not reflect all growth dimensions in Iranian cancer patients. Awareness of PTG dimensions can enable nurses to guide their use as coping strategies and provide context for positive changes in patients to promote quality care.

Character Strengths in Work Organizations: New Findings and Practical Implications

Character strengths are positive personal attributes, which are manifested in individuals’ behaviors, thoughts, and feelings (Peterson & Seligman, 2004). In 2004, Peterson and Seligman have identif...

Reaching for the stars: Iranian nurses' perceptions of career success.

The aim was to explore nurses' perceptions of career success. Career success is a concept which leads to improving professional behaviours. Research that focused on conceptualizing career success found it to be a complex, value-driven construct likely to be perceived differently across work and cultural contexts. It is not yet clear what constitutes career success, and how it is perceived by nurses in Iran. More comprehensive exploration of this concept in nursing is needed, so research and policymaking can advance in informed, data-driven manner. This is a qualitative descriptive study. The setting was teaching hospitals of Iran. Twenty-seven nurses participated in face-to-face interviews, and six field notes were collected. Data were analysed using conventional content analysis. Analyses identified five themes of career success: providing high-quality care, being exemplary employee, embarking on career growth, having positive personal attributes and being internally satisfied. Findings confirmed that career success in Iranian nurses was a multidimensional concept that represented five internally and externally driven dimensions set within its cultural and religious context. Policymakers and clinical educators can now plan interventions aimed at fostering career success in nursing staff. Future nurses could use these finding to reflect on their developed attributes throughout their studies and clinical placements and adjust their career preparation and learning to bridge any identified gaps. Organizational values and intervention for nursing staff could also be redesigned to align with the aspects of career success.

Intercandidate Facebook Agenda-Building Effect Of Webb County Judge Election Campaigns On the US-Mexico Border

Maxwell McCombs proposed a hypothesis that required testing in the digital media. McCombs predicted that the correlation between new media agendas would need to be greatly opposing rather than greatly redundant, like those typically found in traditional media agendas. This study tested McCombs’ hypothesis and provides evidence that confirms it. The research examines the Facebook (fb) agenda-building effect between two Democratic candidates, Danny Valdez and Tano Tijerina, who ran for the Webb County judge seat during the 2014 Texas primary. The census sample included a total of 246 FB posts, 73 percent from Valdez and 27 percent from Tijerina. The fb agenda-building effect of election issues showed a slight positive correlation (rho = + 0.286) between the two Democratic candidates. Similar behavior was observed in the fb agenda-building effect of positive personal attributes, showing a slight positive correlation (rho = + 0.386). These results show that both fb agenda-building effects have a weak degree of interdependence, indicating that the Democratic candidates’ agendas were independent of each other.

Temporal self appraisal and continuous identity: Associations with depression and hopelessness

BackgroundWhile depression is associated with decreased self-worth, less is known about how depression relates to the degree of perceived unity of the self over time (CI; continuous identity) and appraisal of past and future selves (temporal self-appraisal). In Study 1, we examined the relationship between depression severity and temporal self-appraisal. In Study 2, we examined depression and hopelessness severity as it relates to temporal self-appraisal and continuous identity. It was hypothesized that individuals with significant levels of depressed mood would report lower self appraisals of current and future selves and that hopelessness about the future would be associated with disturbances in perception of self over time (CI; continuous identity) and temporal self-appraisal. MethodsStudy 1 examined depressed mood (n=75) and non-depressed mood (n=144) individuals to determine their self-rated personal attributes for their past, present and future selves using a validated task of temporal self-appraisal. Study 2 examined an independent sample of subjects. Based on cutoff scores for clinically significant depression and hopelessness, Depressed/Hopeless (n=63) and Non-Depressed /Non-Hopeless (n=168) subjects were asked complete the validated task of temporal self-appraisal and also complete a validated task to assess their continuous identity. ResultsIn Study 1, a significant difference was found between the depressed mood group and the non-depressed mood group in how they see themselves changing over time. The non-depressed group perceived themselves increasing in positive personal attributes from past, to present, to future self. The depressed mood group perceived themselves as deteriorating from the past to the present in terms of positive attributes about their self-identity. However, contrary to expectations, the depressed group perceived their future self as improved from their present self. Subjects’ past and future selves were at a similar level and both were significantly higher than perception of their present self-worth. Study 2 replicated these findings and also found severity of depression was significantly related to lower levels of CI. Additionally, it was found that the severity of hopelessness was minimally associated with continuous identity and temporal self-appraisal ratings. ConclusionThese results suggests that even people with depressed mood have an instinctive grasp of the possibility to an improved future self-worth despite the negative cognitions associated with present self-worth and hopeless expectations about the future. While depressed and hopeless individuals may view the world negatively and feel hopeless about their general future, these results suggest that depressed individuals distinguish between hopelessness about future external success and future self-improvement. Despite perceiving their past and future selves to be more positive, depression severity was associated with less continuous identity. Since depressed individuals perceive a future self as a return to or a recovery of a past self, therapeutic strategies may focus on improving a sense of continuous identity with past and future selves and focusing on deriving meaning from current life difficulties to improve beyond a past self, growing to a superior future self. Limitations and future researchLimitations include using self-report measures of depression and hopelessness. Future studies may wish to use individuals who were diagnosed with depression to explore further how depressed people see themselves changing from the present to the future. Additionally, future studies could determine if depressed individuals who do not perceive their future self to be improved are at higher risk for adverse outcomes.

Differential impact of student behaviours on group interaction and collaborative learning: medical students' and tutors' perspectives.

BackgroundCollaboration is of increasing importance in medical education and medical practice. Students’ and tutors’ perceptions about small group learning are valuable to inform the development of strategies to promote group dynamics and collaborative learning. This study investigated medical students’ and tutors’ views on competencies and behaviours which promote effective learning and interaction in small group settings.MethodsThis study was conducted at UNSW Australia. Five focus group discussions were conducted with first and second year medical students and eight small group tutors were interviewed. Data were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was conducted.ResultsStudents and tutors identified a range of behaviours that influenced collaborative learning. The main themes that emerged included: respectfulness; dominance, strong opinions and openness; constructiveness of feedback; active listening and contribution; goal orientation; acceptance of roles and responsibilities; engagement and enthusiasm; preparedness; self- awareness and positive personal attributes. An important finding was that some of these student behaviours were found to have a differential impact on group interaction compared with collaborative learning. This information could be used to promote higher quality learning in small groups.ConclusionThis study has identified medical students’ and tutors’ perceptions regarding interactional behaviours in small groups, as well as behaviours which lead to more effective learning in those settings. This information could be used to promote learning in small groups.

Underlying construct of empathy, optimism, and burnout in medical students.

ObjectivesThis study was designed to explore the underlying construct of measures of empathy, optimism, and burnout in medical students.MethodsThree instruments for measuring empathy (Jefferson Scale of Empathy, JSE); Optimism (the Life Orientation Test-Revised, LOT-R); and burnout (the Maslach Burnout Inventory, MBI, which includes three scales of Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment) were administered to 265 third-year students at Sidney Kimmel (formerly Jefferson) Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. Data were subjected to factor analysis to examine relationships among measures of empathy, optimism, and burnout in a multivariate statistical model. ResultsFactor analysis (principal component with oblique rotation) resulted in two underlying constructs, each with an eigenvalue greater than one. The first factor involved “positive personality attributes” (factor coefficients greater than .58 for measures of empathy, optimism, and personal accomplishment). The second factor involved “negative personality attributes” (factor coefficients greater than .78 for measures of emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization). ConclusionsResults confirmed that an association exists between empathy in the context of patient care and personality characteristics that are conducive to relationship building, and considered to be “positive personality attributes,” as opposed to personality characteristics that are considered as “negative personality attributes” that are detrimental to interpersonal relationships. Implications for the professional development of physicians-in-training and in-practice are discussed.

Students-teacher Perspectives on the Qualities of Mentor-teachers

Where policy-makers generally focus on the importance of outcomes in terms of competencies, many researchers emphasize the more personal characteristics of teachers (Tickle, 1999). In this pilot study we wanted to identify the essential qualities of a mentor. Students were asked to reflect on positive and negative personal attributes related to being,good mentors, and list 10 essential attributes for each. The student-teachers (80) interacted for 2 semesters with 12 teacher-mentors in high schools and learned teaching from a model teacher. The reflection is based on the experience of mentoring (external influences), personal conception (internal influences) about a good mentor and attributes incompatible with mentoring.

Health Benefits of Physical Exercise for Children and Adolescents

Several manifestations of physical exercise providing health benefits for children and adolescents are evident in healthy and functional muscles and bones, increased strength and endurance, angiogenesis and neurogenesis, the reduced risk for chronic disease such as overweight and diabetes, improved self-esteem and psychological well-being, and finally higher levels of subjective and psychological well-being as well as reduced stress, anxiety and depression. Since obesity and being overweight impacts adversely on happiness, psychological well-being and several important positive personal attributes, most physical activity interventions, if properly designed and maintained appear to promise a satisfying degree of improvement. Physical exercise influences cognitive, emotional, learning and neurophysiological domains, both directly and indirect, thereby rendering it essential that this noninvasive, nonpharmacological intervention ought to form a part of children’s and adolescents’ long-term health programs.

Teaching English in South Korea: mobility norms and higher education outcomes in youth migration

In many Western contexts, travel has a long historical association with youth, young adults and coming of age, an association that often connects temporary mobility with the lives of the educated middle classes and elite. Indeed, from the colonial adventure and the ‘grand tour’, to contemporary ideas of the ‘gap year’ or ‘overseas experience’, the mobility of Western youth and young adults is often considered voluntary and based on a desire to explore places and develop positive personal attributes, marking a stark contrast to depictions of migration from the developing world as directly or indirectly forced and driven primarily by economic considerations. This paper questions this depiction of developed world mobility in the context of the changing economic conditions that face young graduates in many Western countries. Drawing on survey and interview data I focus on the profiles and biographies of young adults from English-speaking countries working as foreign language instructors in South Korea. Although the personal narrative of travel and exploration amongst these individuals remains significant, findings from this research also suggest that many of these young graduates are also driven by economic circumstances: unemployment or underemployment and high levels of debt usually associated with tertiary studies. This tension between the opportunities available to young people and the constraints imposed by their own circumstances raises important questions about the multiple layers of social and economic differentiation operating through higher education and international mobility in the lives of young people.