Tolerance For Ambiguity Research Articles

Bibliometric Analysis of Ambiguity Tolerance: Unearthing Its Role in Sustainable Language Education

Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 post-pandemic era, ambiguity tolerance has been the subject of extensive research and scholarship. While ambiguity tolerance has long been a hot topic across multiple disciplines, scant attention has been given to its role in language education via bibliometric analysis. Two authors adopt an integrative study on ambiguity tolerance in sustainable language education to fill this void. Through a general review and visualization analysis, this study seeks to explore the various influential factors that are associated with ambiguity tolerance in language education. Author co-citation analysis (ACA) and the mapping knowledge domain (MKD) are the underlying theoretical frameworks for bibliographic visualization. VOSviewer and CitNetExplorer are two analytical software utilized to visualize bibliographic data. It is concluded that multilingualism, motivation, self-efficacy, and engagement are positively correlated with ambiguity tolerance and collectively contribute to improving language learning outcomes. Future research could further discuss ambiguity tolerance in the application of emerging technologies in the new decade.

Teacher distress tolerance and willingness to teach children with special educational needs in Nigeria: Teacher job satisfaction as a mediator

AbstractWe examined the association between regular teachers' distress tolerance (tolerance of frustration, ambiguity and discomfort) and their willingness to include children with special educational needs (SENs) in their classes, as well as the mediating function of teacher job satisfaction. We sampled 502 teachers in Anambra State, Nigeria. Our findings revealed that while teachers' tolerance of frustration had significant positive effects on job satisfaction and inclusive education willingness for children with SENs, tolerance of ambiguity did not. Tolerance of emotional discomfort was significantly related to inclusive willingness of teachers. Furthermore, teacher job satisfaction mediated the relationship between tolerance of frustration and their inclusive education willingness but could not mediate that between tolerance of ambiguity and willingness to include SENs. We concluded that tolerance of frustration and discomfort can positively impact teachers' willing efforts for inclusion, highlighting the need to foster the emotional capacity of teachers, and provide supportive structures to enhance teachers' job satisfaction.

How is transition to medical practice shaped by a novel transitional role? A mixed-methods study

ObjectivesThis study considered a novel ‘interim’ transitional role for new doctors (termed ‘FiY1’, interim Foundation Year 1), bridging medical school and Foundation Programme (FP). Research questions considered effects on doctors’...

Generalized Common Best Proximity Point Results in Fuzzy Metric Spaces with Application

The symmetry of fuzzy metric spaces has benefits for flexibility, ambiguity tolerance, resilience, compatibility, and applicability. They provide a more comprehensive description of similarity and offer a solid framework for working with ambiguous and imprecise data. We give fuzzy versions of some celebrated iterative mappings. Further, we provide different concrete conditions on the real valued functions J,S:(0,1]→R for the existence of the best proximity point of generalized fuzzy (J,S)-iterative mappings in the setting of fuzzy metric space. Furthermore, we utilize fuzzy versions of J,S-proximal contraction, J,S-interpolative Reich–Rus–Ciric-type proximal contractions, J,S-Kannan type proximal contraction and J,S-interpolative Hardy Roger’s type proximal contraction to examine the common best proximity points in fuzzy metric space. Also, we establish several non-trivial examples and an application to support our results.

Visual Thinking Strategies in medical education: a systematic review

BackgroundArts-based pedagogical tools have been increasingly incorporated into medical education. Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) is a research-based, constructivist teaching methodology that aims to improve visual literacy, critical thinking, and communication skills through the process of investigating works of art. Harvard Medical School pioneered the application of VTS within medical education in 2004. While there are several studies investigating the use of VTS, there is a need to systematically assess the different programs that exist for medical education and their efficacy in improving relevant clinical skills. This systematic review aims to critically analyse the available evidence of the effectiveness of VTS in medical education to guide future research and provide a framework to adapt medical curricula.MethodsA systematic search of PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases (through November 2022) was conducted to identify studies of VTS-based interventions in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. Two reviewers independently screened citations for inclusion criteria, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. The extracted data was then narratively synthesized.ResultsOf 5759 unique citations, 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. After reference review, one additional study was included. Therefore, 11 studies were included in our review. Of these, eight reported VTS-based interventions for undergraduate medical students and three reported interventions in residency training, specifically in dermatology and ophthalmology. The main goal of most studies was to increase observational or visual diagnostic skills. Three of the studies in undergraduate medical education and two in postgraduate achieved a statistically significant improvement in observational skills in post-course evaluations. Some studies reported increased tolerance for ambiguity and empathy.ConclusionsAlthough the studies varied considerably in study design, learning objectives, and outcomes, findings consistently indicate that the VTS approach can serve as a vehicle to develop crucial clinical competencies, encouraging more in-depth visual analysis that could be applied when observing a patient. Despite some limitations of the included studies (lack of control groups, self-selection bias, or non-standard outcome measures), the results of this review provide support for greater inclusion of VTS training in the medical curriculum.

Prediction of Medication Adherence Based on Dispositional Resilience, Ambiguity Tolerance and Perceived Social Support in Patients with Lung Cancer

Introduction:Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. In recent years, the role of psychological factors in adherence to medication in patients with lung cancer has attracted more attention. This study aimed to investigate the prediction of medication adherence based on dispositional resilience, tolerance for ambiguity and perceived social support in patients with lung cancer in Yazd.
 Method: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted using a cross-sectional design. The statistical population consisted of all patients with lung cancer visiting Shahid Ramezan Zadeh Radiation Therapy Center in Yazd in 2020-2021, and 120 male patients were selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected using Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-8), Dispositional Resilience Scale (HARDY), Ambiguity Tolerance Scale-I (MSTAT-I) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), whose validity and reliability were confirmed. Then, they were analyzed in SPSS 23 using Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression.
 Results:Results suggested a significant positive correlation between dispositional resilience and medication adherence (R=0/47), ambiguity tolerance and medication adherence (R=0/61), as well as perceived social support and medication adherence (R=0.68) (P<0/001). According to the results, the predictor variables generally explained 46.3% of the variance of medication adherence.
 Conclusion: Based on the results, medication adherence in patients with lung cancer is predictable using dispositional resilience, ambiguity tolerance and perceived social support.

The Foreign Language Effect on Tolerance of Ambiguity

AbstractPrevious research has shown that bilingual speakers may be more tolerant to ambiguity, they might perceive situations of ambiguity more interesting, challenging and desirable (e.g., Dewaele & Li, 2013). To our knowledge, no data are available addressing the question whether the language in use can have an effect on the personality trait of tolerance of ambiguity (ToA). This study investigated whether and how reading statements in a second language (L2), as opposed to the native language (L1), affects ToA. 387 Italian–English bilingual adults completed a questionnaire measuring levels of ToA either in English or Italian. Results revealed that processing information in L2 promoted higher scores of ToA overall and in sentences that were related to challenging perspectives and change. Age, gender and L2 proficiency were significant predictors of higher ToA scores. This study offers new evidence that processing information in a L2 can affect tolerance of ambiguous situations.

Benefits of exercise training on divergent thinking: The mediating role of ambiguity tolerance.

Exercise training has been proposed as a method for improving cognitive function. However, it is unknown whether chronic physical activity promotes divergent thinking and its underlying mechanism. Ambiguity tolerance has been considered relevant to divergent thinking. Therefore, this study sought to investigate whether individuals engaging in different types of exercise training differed in divergent thinking and to examine the mediating role of ambiguity tolerance underlying the training effect. The study was conducted in a sample of 492 university students who completed the unusual use task and the ambiguity tolerance questionnaire. The results revealed that individuals who underwent physical training proposed more creative ideas than non-physical training individuals did. Individuals engaging in multiple movement training scored higher in fluency, flexibility, and originality than their counterparts engaging in single movement training. Furthermore, ambiguity tolerance fully explained the difference in divergent thinking fluency between the physical and non-physical training groups. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the benefits of physical training on divergent thinking.

What is important for you makes you think about the pandemic differently: moral foundations, pandemic-related fears and convictions (Lo que cada uno consideramos importante nos hace reflexionar sobre la pandemia de forma distinta: fundamentos morales, temores y convicciones sobre la pandemia)

ABSTRACT Building on the Moral Foundations Theory and findings regarding the linkage of values, convictions and beliefs, the aim of the study was to compare people displaying various constellations of moral foundations regarding their tolerance of ambiguity, fear of COVID-19 (FCV), endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories and the extent to which they believed in the effectiveness of five COVID-19 preventive measures. This study was self-report- and questionnaire-based (N = 212), performed on the general public (aged from 18 to 65). Moral foundations clustered into four groups: Individualizing, Binding, Anti-Individualizing and Generally Moral. The endorsement of Individualizing values (Harm/Care, Fairness/Reciprocity) was linked to higher FCV and higher rating of the effectiveness of COVID-19 preventive measures. Endorsing Binding values (Ingroup/Loyalty, Authority/Respect and Purity/Sanctity) was related to lower tolerance of ambiguity and displaying higher conspiracy beliefs. Findings are discussed in the light of their meaning of values for socially responsible behaviour during a pandemic.

Same gratitude, different pro-environmental behaviors? Effect of the dual-path influence mechanism of gratitude on pro-environmental behavior

The existing literature notes the effects of gratitude on pro-environmental behavior. However, most studies have examined the impact of gratitude on a single pro-environmental behavior, with a lack of research investigating the divergent pathways of gratitude's effects on various pro-environmental behaviors. Based on the appraisal tendency framework and cognitive-affective personality system theory, this research constructs a dual path influence mechanism of gratitude on pro-environmental behavior. Furthermore, it examines the moderating role of social class and the mediating role of ambiguity tolerance and environmental efficacy. First, in line with previous research, pro-environmental behavior is divided into private pro-environmental behavior and public pro-environmental behavior. Second, a longitudinal survey and three experiments are implemented to test the hypothesis model. The results show that gratitude promotes both private and public pro-environmental behavior. Moreover, individuals in low social class demonstrate a stronger preference towards private pro-environmental behavior, whereas those in high social class exhibit a stronger preference towards public pro-environmental behavior. In addition, ambiguity tolerance and environmental efficacy play mediating roles. This research provides valuable insights for social marketers and policymakers on leveraging gratitude to stimulate differentiated pro-environmental behaviors among diverse social classes.

Translation, adaptation, and validation of the Tolerance of Ambiguity in Medical Students and Doctors (TAMSAD) scale for use in Japan

BackgroundAmbiguity is inherent to the medical field; hence, assessing and educating medical trainees regarding ambiguity tolerance is essential. The Tolerance of Ambiguity in Medical Students and Doctors (TAMSAD) scale—a novel instrument that assesses ambiguity tolerance in clinical settings—has been widely used for medical education research in Western countries. However, a version of this scale applicable to the intricate clinical contexts of Japan has not yet been developed. In this study, we developed the Japanese version of the TAMSAD (J-TAMSAD) scale and tested its psychometric properties.MethodsIn this multicenter study, we collected data through a cross-sectional survey in two universities (medical students) and ten hospitals (residents) across Japan, and evaluated the structural validity, criterion-related validity, and internal consistency reliability of the J-TAMSAD scale.ResultsWe analyzed the data of 247 participants. The sample was randomly divided in half, with exploratory factor analysis (EFA) performed on one half and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the other. EFA led to an 18-item J-TAMSAD scale comprising five factors. CFA showed acceptable fit for this five-factor model (comparative fit index = 0.900, root mean square error of approximation = 0.050, standardized root mean square residual = 0.069, goodness of fit index = 0.987). There was a positive correlation between the J-TAMSAD scale scores and total reverse scores on the Japanese version of the Short Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (Pearson correlation coefficient 0.41). The internal consistency was found to be satisfactory (Cronbach’s alpha 0.70).ConclusionsThe J-TAMSAD scale was developed, and its psychometric properties were confirmed. The instrument can be useful for assessing tolerance of ambiguity among medical trainees in Japan. With further validation, it could be used to verify the educational effectiveness of curricula that foster ambiguity tolerance in medical trainees, or even in research assessing the relationship with other variables.

Brain Dominance and its relationship to Tolerance for Cognitive Ambiguity and Academic Achievement among gifted and normally developing secondary stage female students in Makkah Al-Mukarramah

هدفت الدِّراسَة إلى كشف العلاقة بين السيطرة الدِّماغيَّة وتحمُّل الغُموض المعرفي والتحصيل الدراسي لدى الطالبات الموهوبات والعاديَّات بالمرحلة الثانويَّة بمكَّة المكرَّمة، باستخدام المنهج الوصفي الارتباطي المقارن، وطبق مقياسي السيطرة الدِّماغيَّة للزعبي (2017)، وتحمُّل الغُموض Budner (1962) على عينة عشوائيَّة طبقيَّة عددها (562)، وأشارت النتائج لسيطرة النمط الأيسر للطالبات العاديَّات، والمتكامل للموهوبات، ووجود مستوى متوسِّط من تحمُّل الغُموض لدى الطالبات، وبيَّنت النتائج وجود علاقة سالبة دالة إحصائيًّا بين النمط المتكامل وتحمُّل الغُموض، وعلاقة موجبة دالة إحصائيًّا بين النمط الأيسر وتحمُّل الغُموض، وعلاقة موجبة دالة إحصائيًّا بين النمط الأيسر والتحصيل. ووجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائيَّة في التحصيل لصالح الموهوبات، وأظهرت نتائج تحليل التباين الثلاثي فروق بين متوسِّط الاستجابات للنمط الأيمن يعزى لمتغيِّر التخصُّص لصالح التخصُّص الإنساني، وبحسب الفئة لصالح العاديَّات، وفروق في النمط الأيسر يعزى لمتغيِّر التخصُّص لصالح التخصُّص العلمي، وفروق في النمط المتكامل يُعزى لمتغيِّر الفئة لصالح الموهوبات، ووجود فروق بين متوسِّط الاستجابات لمقياس تحمُّل الغُموض تُعزى للتفاعل بين (الفئة، والتخصُّص) لصالح العاديَّات للتخصُّص الإنساني. بناء على النتائج توصي الباحثة بتصميم برامج تعليميَّة تُراعي أنماط السيطرة المخُتلفة وتُنشط وظائف الجانب غير المسيطر، كما تعمل على رفع مستويات تحمُّل الغُموض لدى الطالبات.

Developing Local Education Content Supplementary Textbook Innovation by Referencing to Women in Floating Market

For local content is required in the Indonesian curriculum, the current study aims at determining local values derived from women struggling in floating markets of South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Five distinctive values were revealed using direct observation and Delphi Techniques: a high tolerance for ambiguity, sustainable innovation, independence, high risk-taking propensity, and external locus of control. Since teachers consist-ently claim that materials centred on events on the island of Java (Java-based approach) dominate social studies instruction, the finding of this study can be used as a model for developing supplementary materi-al based on the real example of locality uniqueness.

Intelligence, Personality and Tolerance of Ambiguity.

In this study, 3836 adults completed a personality test (the HPTI) and a multidimensional intelligence test (GIA). Two prominent theories that link personality traits to intelligence (compensation and investment) were tested. There were more sex differences in the personality traits than in the IQ scores. Correlational and regression analyses results provided little evidence for either theory but pointed to the role of tolerance of ambiguity as a consistently significant, positive correlate of IQ at both the facet and domain levels. The role of this neglected trait is discussed. Limitations of various aspects of this study and its implications are considered.

Learner autonomy and English achievement in Chinese EFL undergraduates: the mediating role of ambiguity tolerance and foreign language classroom anxiety

Abstract For Chinese EFL students, learning English has always been a great challenge, and research has shown that cognitive and affective factors increasingly become important issues in the field of foreign language learning and teaching (Naderifar and Esfandiari 2016). This study is designed to investigate the relationship between learner autonomy, ambiguity tolerance, foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) and English achievement. It also explores the inner mechanism of the relationship between learner autonomy and English achievement in Chinese EFL undergraduates. A sample of 291 third and fourth grade undergraduates in China was assessed for their levels of learner autonomy, ambiguity tolerance and foreign language anxiety using the Learner Autonomy Questionnaire (LAQ), Second Language Tolerance of Ambiguity Scale (SLTAS) and Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), respectively. Participants’ scores of the College English Test Band Four (CET-4) were used to measure their achievement in English. The results revealed a link between learner autonomy, ambiguity tolerance, FLCA, and English achievement. Ambiguity tolerance and FLCA mediated the relationship between learner autonomy and English achievement, accounting for 36.58 % of the total effect. These findings suggest a process through which ambiguity tolerance can decrease FLCA and identify the mediating effects of ambiguity tolerance and FLCA in the relationship between learner autonomy and English achievement in Chinese EFL undergraduates. Pedagogical implications of the study are presented and discussed.

Development of cultural agility competencies through global mobility

PurposeThis paper aims to understand how these competencies gained will help human resource (HR) leaders become more strategic about when and how to use global mobility for talent development.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, the author defines the construct of cultural agility and describes the theoretical mechanisms through which employees can gain cultural agility through culturally novel situations such as global mobility. Cultural agility enables individuals to work comfortably and effectively with people from different cultures and in situations of cultural novelty. People with cultural agility have task-management competencies (cultural minimization, adaptation and integration), self-management competencies (tolerance of ambiguity, resilience, curiosity) and relationship-management competencies (humility, relationship building and perspective taking).FindingsThis study aims at focusing on the development of cultural agility, this paper focuses on four cascading features of a culturally novel experience that can help individuals gain this competence: (1) the level of cultural novelty in the experience, (2) the readiness of an individual for that level of cultural novelty, (3) the individual's level of awareness of the cultural norms and values inherent in the culturally novel experience and (4) the level of social support offered to that individual to learn how to understand and respond in that experience.Originality/valueEach feature is discussed, concluding with the implications for future research and practitioners in global mobility and talent development.

The Visual Art to Improve Skills for Paediatrics Staff

In healthcare working contexts, individuals are required to have a set of transversal skills that can be distinguished in technical-specialist, communicative-relational and organizational-management skills. This is the reason why interprofessional training has become a requirement in hospital wards. Art has been shown to be effective tools in educating medical students and healthcare professionals to a better self-awareness, reflective practice with the aim of better communication with the patient, better stress management, less burn-out etc. The aim of this study is to evaluate the use of art as a tool for the development of useful skills as observation, problem solving, critical thinking, communication, tolerance of ambiguity in paediatric practice.
 Method: The staff of the Umberto I paediatric department’s staff was chosen to be enrolled: 2 paediatricians, 3 nurses and 2 residents. A control group of 4 nurses and 1 resident was included in the study. The involved personnel participated in 4 to 8 one-hour meetings in two months. During these meetings, works of art were proposed by applying the method of Visual Thinking Strategies and other useful art practices to reinforce active listening and empathy. Validated test, VTSKill grid, was administered to evaluate the improvement of skills.
 Results: The comparison between pre and post-tests gave positive results in terms of Critical Thinking, Observation, Linguistic expression, problem solving and therefore analysis and communication skills. Same results were not recorded in the personnel who did not participate in the activities, registering in some cases a regression from the initial test.
 Conclusion: This experience, although realized with few participants, confirmed other experiences that have been suggesting Medical Humanities and in particular the Visual Art as a tool to improve useful skills and relationships within the staff of hospital departments. According to our experience, we believe improvement of some skills can be useful in the paediatric practice where the use of attentive listening, observation skills, communication through visual aids can improve the relationship with young patients and their families.

The ways school headteachers/principals in England at different stages of adult ego development work with organisational complexity

In this article, we analyse the ways school headteachers/principals (HT/Ps) at different stages of adult ego development (AED) make sense of and respond to the organisational complexity of their schools. The AED stage of 20 HT/Ps in England was assessed using the Washington University Sentence Completion Test. HT/Ps in the self-aware, conscientious and individualist AED stage were identified. The research used a critical incident technique to analyse how principals made sense of and responded to the complexity of their organisations. Those HT/Ps in the self-aware, conscientious and individualist stages differed in the way they acknowledged complexity, their capacity to recognise and accept ambiguity and unpredictability; and the way they acknowledged emergence in resolving wicked problems. Importantly, the way these differences were different in individuals in the self-aware, conscientious and individualist stages showed a clear development trend with an increasing acknowledgement of complexity; a growing tolerance of ambiguity and unpredictability; and an increasing acknowledgement of emergence in complex contexts. The findings have implications for the way the role of HT/P is viewed and developed in actual and potential HT/Ps. One important implication is that the stage of HT/Ps’ AED is likely to impact on their overall effectiveness in their role.

On the Psychological Nature of Language Anxiety

The study featured two models of language anxiety. The authors identified the psychological nature of this phenomenon by analyzing its relationships with ambiguity tolerance. The study involved the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale developed by E. K. Horwitz, M. B. Horwitz, and J. Cope, improved by Z. Na, and translated by the authors, as well as E. N. Osin’s General Tolerance for Ambiguity Scale. The study involved 102 students majoring in linguistics. For statistical processing, the authors employed such methods as internal consistency assessment (Cronbach's alpha), descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov-Smirnov one-sample test, Student's t-criterion, Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal- Wallis H-test, Pearson's coefficient, and Spearman's coefficient. The students demonstrated statistically significant gender differences in individual components of language anxiety and ambiguity tolerance. The attitudes to complex tasks and uncertain situations proved to be the most significant parameters of ambiguity tolerance in the context of understanding the psychological nature of language anxiety.

Self-regulatory Resources in Clients of an Online Psychological Support Service

The article discusses self-regulatory resources that can be used when working with clients of a psychological support service. The present study sought to examine the characteristics of self-regulatory resources in clients of an online psychological support service (Tomsk State University). The sample was collected using online measures from the clients who at that moment were solving their problems or had already solved them. To analyze self-regulatory resources we diagnosed the style of self-regulation, coping behavior, tolerance for uncertainty, basic assumptions of an individual and studied text messages from the clients. The correlation and cluster analysis revealed numerous correlations of self- regulation and other resources. It allowed us to identify groups of clients with dominant typological relationships between the self-regulatory features, strategies for coping with stress, ambiguity tolerance, and primary assumptions. We discussed the results, taking into account the current level of self-regulatory activity and personal resources.