Protestant Ethic Scale Research Articles

Internalized weight stigma and its ideological correlates among weight loss treatment seeking adults

There are significant economic and psychological costs associated with the negative weight-based social stigma that exists in American society. This pervasive anti-fat bias has been strongly internalized among the overweight/obese. While the etiology of weight stigma is complex, research suggests that it is often greater among individuals who embrace certain etiological views of obesity or ideological views of the world. This investigation examined 1) the level of internalized weight stigma among overweight/obese treatment seeking adults, and 2) the association between internalized weight stigma and perceived weight controllability and ideological beliefs about the world ('just world beliefs', Protestant work ethic). Forty-six overweight or obese adults (BMI >or=27 kg/m2) participating in an 18- week behavioral weight loss program completed implicit (Implicit Associations Test) and explicit (Obese Person's Trait Survey) measures of weight stigma. Participants also completed two measures of ideological beliefs about the world ("Just World Beliefs", Protestant Ethic Scale) and one measure of beliefs about weight controllability (Beliefs about Obese Persons). Significant implicit and explicit weight bias was observed. Greater weight stigma was consistently associated with greater endorsement of just world beliefs, Protestant ethic beliefs and beliefs about weight controllability. Results suggest that the overweight/obese treatment seeking adults have internalized the negative weight-based social stigma that exists in American society. Internalized weight stigma may be greater among those holding specific etiological and ideological beliefs about weight and the world.

Construct Validity of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory in a Correctional Sample

The relations between the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI; Lilienfeld & Andrews, 1996) and 4 theoretically related constructs (empathy, aggression, work ethic, and borderline personality disorder) were examined. Additionally, the relation between the PPI and heroism was explored. One hundred male inmates were administered the PPI, the Questionnaire Measure of Emotional Empathy (Mehrabian & Epstein, 1972), the Aggression Questionnaire (Buss & Perry, 1992), the Protestant Ethic Scale (Mirels & Garrett, 1971), the Self-Report for Borderline Personality Scale (Oldham et al., 1985), and the Activity Frequency Inventory (Lilienfeld, 1998). As predicted, the PPI was significantly negatively correlated with empathy and significantly positively related to aggression and borderline personality. Contrary to prediction, the correlation between the PPI and work ethic was not significant. Eight of 11 hypotheses regarding the relations of the PPI subscales to these 4 constructs were corroborated. Results support the construct validity of the PPI in a correctional sample. The exploratory analysis of the relation between the PPI and heroism revealed no significant relations.

Construct and concurrent validity of three Protestant work ethic measures in an Arabian Gulf society

Discusses the data analysed in the present study which was collected from 284 Qatari men and women college students. Examines the internal reliability estimates, construct and concurrent validity of the Protestant ethic scale. Internal consistency estimates of reliability and the pattern of relationships among the scales yielded similar results to those reported in the Western culture. Shows that, the factor analysis yielded four interpretable factors for the Protestant ethic scale, two factors for the work ethic scale, two factors for the Protestant ethic attitudes and five factors for the total items of the three Protestant work ethic scales and the leisure ethic scale. Posits that, these results are generally consistent with previous research findings, and, similar to previous research findings, the mean scores of the three Protestant ethic scales were relatively higher than those generally reported in developed countries. Suggests that, the results show that the three Protestant work ethic scales are moderately valid and reliable instruments to use for studying Arabian Gulf students.

The Construct Validity of Four Protestant Ethic Attitude Scales

The six subscales of the Survey of Work Values, the Protestant Ethic Scale, and the pro- and nonProtestant Ethic Scales were intercorrelated for a sample of 152 college students. Compared to those scores obtained 15 years earlier, the current data yielded comparable internal-consistency estimates of reliability and a similar pattern of relationships among the scales. However, mean scores on the scales were significantly higher for the current sample ( p < .01). The nonProtestant Ethic Scale was significantly related to three of the Survey of Work Values subscales ( p < .01): (a) positively with Social Status and Attitude Toward Earnings (both extrinsic scales) and (b) negatively with the Activity Preference intrinsic scale.

The protestant ethic among college students in two Chinese societies

The Mirels‐Garrett Protestant Ethic scale along with several sociodemographic and attitudinal measures was administered to a sample of Taiwanese college students and a sample of Hong Kong college students in an attempt to empirically investigate the Protestant Ethic in the Chinese culture. Analyses indicated that both samples of Chinese students exhibited lower scores on the scale than American students. The data suggests that compared to Taiwanese students, Hong Kong college students embraced less the Protestant Ethic and just world beliefs, and were less alienated and sexually permissive. However, they adhered more to authoritarianism than their counterparts in Taiwan. Among sociodemographic measures, type of parenting ,was found to be the only significant variable for the Protestant Ethic scores in both samples. Students raised in the dictatorially‐parented families tended to show stronger belief in the Protestant Ethic than those raised in the democratically‐parented families. Religion was not related to the Protestant Ethic scores, suggesting that the Protestant Ethic as not Protestant but represented a general value orientation cutting across all social groups among college students in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The Protestant Ethic in West Africa

Beit-Hallahmi had found Protestant Work Ethic beliefs did not discriminate between Protestants and Catholics. It may be interesting to measure these values in an Islamic context. The Protestant Ethic Scale (6) was administered to 163 secondary school students (81 girls and 82 boys) from Dakar, ranging in age from 17 to 21 yr. The mean was 19.6 yr. They were subdivided according to socioeconomic status (33 subjects from rich families, 80 from the middle class, and 50 from poor farnilies). The scale is one of the most widely used rating scales for measurement of the Protestant work ethic ( 3 ) . Although severely criticized (8) for the pugnacious tone of the items, this scale has excellent reliability coefficients ( 4 ) . Present results are very similar to prior ones (5, 6 ) . The mean score was 85.0 and the standard deviation 13.7. Over two-thirds of subjects endorsed strongly the items: Any man who is willing and able has a good chance to succeed; Life would have little meaning if we never had to suffer; and If one works hard enough, he will make a good life for himself. Like others ( 2 , 3 ) we found no significant correlations for demographic variables such as age, sex, and class, and scores on the Protestant Ethic Scale. Earlier research (7) in which university students had a very high mean score cannot be generalized to West Africa.

The Protestant Ethic Among Taiwanese College Students

ABSTRACT In an attempt to provide a cross-cultural examination and documentation of the Protestant ethic in an Eastern society, the Mirels-Garrett (1971) scale was administered along with several sociodemographic and attitudinal measures to 700 students in a major university in Taiwan. Results showed that Taiwanese students scored much lower on the Protestant ethic scale than did American students. Among the sociodemographic variables examined, only community origin, standing in school class, and type of parenting were found to be significant. Among the attitudinal measures, authoritarianism and alienation showed a modest correlation with the Protestant ethic, and just-world belief failed to show any correlation. For Taiwanese students, scores on the Protestant ethic scale were not related to age, sex, rural or urban background, socioeconomic status, family power structure, or religious belief or affiliation. The lack of significance of religious variables for the Protestant Ethic scale is interpreted as ...

The Relationship between Parental Social Class and Endorsement of Items on the Protestant Ethic and Conservatism Scales

The influence of family background, especially parental social class on offsprings' value orientations has led to much debate. The correlations between parental social class and endorsement of the Mirels and Garrett Protestant Ethic Scale and Wilson and Patterson's Conservatism Scale for a sample of 108 undergraduates were significant between lower-class background and endorsement on both scales.

Work ethic, daily activities, and retirement satisfaction.

Relationships among satisfaction in retirement, strength of the work ethic, and daily activities were examined. Seventy-six retired men and women aged 53 to 88 years (M = 69.6) completed two measures of retirement satisfaction (the Life Satisfaction Index-A and the Retirement Description Index), the Protestant Ethic scale, and kept activity diaries for 1 week, in which activities were rated for usefulness and pleasantness. Retirement satisfaction, work values, and usefulness ratings were related complexly such that the least satisfied retirees, as measured by the RDI, were those with high work values who did not perceive their activities as being useful and those with low work values who perceived their activities as being highly useful. Greater satisfaction, as measured by the LSI-A, was associated with higher usefulness ratings. The mean number of activities listed correlated negatively with Protestant Ethic scores, but positively with both measures of retirement satisfaction, suggesting that retirees with strong work values are not as active or as satisfied in retirement.

The Protestant Work Ethic in Britain and Malaysia

Summary Two matched groups of British (N = 73) and Malaysian (N = 73) Ss completed the Mirels-Garrett Protestant ethic scale on which high scores indicate strong beliefs in the Protestant work ethic (PWE) and low scores, weak beliefs. Although there was no significant difference in scores between the three ethnic groups comprising the Malaysian sample (Malay, Indian, Chinese), there were large significant differences between the British and Malaysians: the former had less belief in the PWE. There were also significant sex differences—females had higher scores than males—and socioeconomic differences—working-class Ss had higher scores than middle-class Ss. The results are interpreted in terms of the previous studies of the Protestant work ethic in Asia and the social, cultural, and economic differences between Britain and Malaysia.

The Relationship between the Protestant Ethic and Social Class for Afro-Caribbeans and Afro-Americans

A comparison of the endorsement patterns on the Protestant Ethic scale indicated that the mean for 20 Afro-Caribbeans exceeded that of 22 Afro-Americans. However, middle-class individuals from the latter group gave most favorable endorsements of the items.

Some Correlates of Attributional Style

Some correlates of attributional style were investigated for a sample of 248 subjects (121 males, 127 females) L Subjects provided causal attributions for 16 items that sampled achievement and affiliation situations and positive and negative outcomes in equal amounts. They also rated the ascribed causes for internality, stability, and globality and subsequently they completed the Backman et al. Self-Esteem Scale, the Mirels and Garrett Protestant Ethic Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Analysis of both the rating data and the causes that subjects provided (classified as characterological, behavioral, and external) showed that a consistent syndrome existed involving depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and attributional style. In addition, Protestant Ethic (PE) values were associated with more frequent behavioral attributions but with less frequent external attributions. Behavioral attributions and PE values were uncorrelated with depression scores. Relation-ships between the types of causes ascribed to good and bad events and the ratings of these causes for internality, stability, and globality supported assumptions. They also suggest that self is seen as more consistent and wide-ranging in its effects when compared with the perceived causal influence of the situation.

ATTITUDES TO POVERTY, THE PROTESTANT ETHIC, AND POLITICAL AFFILIATION: A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION

This study investigated attitudes to the poor as measured by MacDonald's Poverty Scale and the Protestant Ethic Scale. Supporters of the British Conservative Party were found to have more negative attitudes to the poor, and were more likely to blame the poor for their fate than supporters of the British Labour Party. Supporters of the Liberal/SDP Alliance occupied position between the other two parties on this issue. These results accord with others found in India regarding attribution of the causes of poverty and political ideology.

Protestant Ethic and Performance: A Re-Examination

An experiment was conducted to examine the relationship between endorsement of the Protestant Ethic and work performance and satisfaction. Employing an electronic sorting task with 95 subjects, the study did not confirm earlier findings of Merrens and Garrett (1975), despite high statistical power. Results question the interpretation of the Protestant Ethic scale as an indicant of work attitudes and behavior.

The Protestant Ethic Scale in South Africa

The Protestant Ethic Scale in South Africa

Personal and Social Components of the Protestant Ethic

Summary In an attempt to assess social group correlates of scores on the Mirels-Garrett Protestant Ethic scale, 219 American male and female students were administered the scale, together with items dealing with religious group affiliation, ethnic self-identification, political self-identification, socioeconomic status, and religious beliefs. Results showed that for the American students, Protestant Ethic scores were related significantly to religious self-identification, ethnic background, political self-identification, and religious beliefs. They were not related to socioeconomic status. Results are interpreted as indicating that for the American student sample Protestant Ethic scores are not a “personality variable” but reflect social and cultural background elements.

Protestant ethic endorsement and the fairness of equity inputs

Two studies are reported which show how endorsement of the Protestant ethic is related to the perceived fairness of using various equity inputs. In Experiment 1, male undergraduates scoring high and low on the Protestant Ethic (PE) Scale made salary decisions for hypothetical workers who differed with respect to their performance quantity and duration. High PEs paid workers in proportion to their total productivity by taking into account both quantity and duration. However, low PEs ignored differences in quantity by paying workers the same amount, but did pay in proportion to duration. In the follow-up study, high PEs reported that it is fairer to base reward on performance when differences are attributable to internal causes than external causes, while the reverse was found for low PEs.

Equity, equality, and the protestant ethic: Allocating rewards following fair and unfair competition

Female undergraduates scoring high and low on the Mirels-Garrett Protestant Ethic (PE) Scale divided a fixed reward between themselves and a co-worker following competition on a clerical task. Half the subjects were told that they had either won or lost in fair competition. The remaining subjects were told they had either won or lost because of an error that gave a favorable advantage to one of the performers. When the competition was fair, high PEs distributed the rewards available according to an equity norm, keeping more than half when they won and less than half when they lost. When the competition was unfair, high PEs attempted to reestablish fairness by compensating the performer with the unfair disadvantage. However, low PEs kept approximately half the reward regardless of fairness and regardless of whether they won or lost.

AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS' PROTESTANT ETHIC: A SMALLEST SPACE ANALYSIS

Results are reported of responses of liberal arts undergraduates from three southwest universities and one university in Hawaii to the Mirels-Garrett Protestant Ethic Scale. The findings indicate a moderate endorsement of the scale. Interpretation of the scale using smallest space analysis R-l indicates that the American Protestant Ethic for university students has two major clusters?one emphasizing work and the other emphasizing leisure

Protestantism and Retrospective Labeling: A Cross-Cultural Study in Person Perception

Person perception was studied experimentally to test certain predictions following from Rotenberg's theory concerning the effects of the Calvinist conception of Man on Western culture. Americans scored significantly higher than Israelis on a Protestant ethic scale. When American and Israeli subjects were asked to rate, on the basis of past information, the probabilities of a person being at present a mental patient ("damned') or a successful businessman ("elect'", Americans were consistently more deterministic in their interpersonal perceptions than Israelis. The hypothesis that in retrospective labeling increases in probability ratings of the outcomes, once a label has been assigned, will be greater among Americans than Israelis was not confirmed. Implications for future research are briefly discussed.