Digital Commons Network^™

The Value Of Academic Libraries: Library Services As A Predictor Of Student Retention, Ashley Ireland, Adam Murray, Jana Hackathorn

Jana Hackathorn

This study examined the predictive relationship between library use by individual students and their retention status in university settings. The methodology builds on a small number of previous studies to examine library use at the individual level to determine if use of specific library services is predictive of retention for freshmen and sophomores. Binary logistic regression yielded results that indicate a strong positive predictive relationship between library use of any kind with both freshmen and sophomore retention. These results suggest that academic libraries add value to institutional retention efforts.

Sources Of Gender Difference In Rural To Urban Migration In Kenya: Does Human Capital Matter?, Richard U. Agesa, Jacqueline Agesa

Jacqueline Agesa

Using data from Kenya this article estimates the urban to rural gender gap in the rate of migration and then decomposes the gap into the explained portion and the portion due to gender differences in coefficients. The former is further decomposed to unveil the relative influence of each explanatory variable on the explained portion of the gender gap in the rate of migration. A non-trivial finding suggests that human capital variables may exert the strongest influence on gender differences in migration, partially explaining the higher incidence of male migration.

Validation Of The Swedish Translation Of The General Self-Efficacy Scale, Jesper Löve, Crystal Moore, Gunnel Hensing

Crystal Moore

Purpose

To study the internal consistency, factorial structure, and convergent validity of the Swedish translation of the General Self-Efficacy scale (S-GSE).

Methods

The S-GSE and two items on mental and physical work capacity were completed by a randomized population cohort (n = 4,027) and two cohorts (n = 3,310 and n = 498) of incident cases of sick-leave (>14 days).

Results

S-GSE means were higher among men than women in two of the cohorts and higher in the randomized population cohort than in the two sick-leave cohorts. Internal consistency was high with α = .90. Unidimensionality was …

Predicting Self-Protection Against Sexual Assault In Dating Relationships Among Heterosexual Men And Women, Gay Men, Lesbians, And Bisexuals, Caroline Waterman, Crystal Moore

Crystal Moore

To measure self-protective behavior on dates, the Dating Self-Protection Against Rape Scale (DSPARS) was developed. The relationship among previous sexual victimization, self-perceived risk for sexual assault, rape awareness education, gender of dating partner, and DSPARS scores was assessed among 152 college students. Results, implications, and limitations of the study are discussed.

Myth: Hard Work And Credentials Determine Employment Opportunities

Alev Dudek

Newspaper Theft, Self-Preservation And The Dimensions Of Censorship, Erik Ugland, Jennifer Lambe

Erik Ugland

One of the most common yet understudied means of suppressing free expression on college and university campuses is the theft of freely-distributed student publications, particularly newspapers. This study examines news accounts of nearly 300 newspaper theft incidents at colleges and universities between 1995 and 2008 in order to identify the manifestations and consequences of this peculiar form of censorship, and to augment existing research on censorship and tolerance by looking, not at what people say about free expression, but at what they do when they have the power of censorship in their own hands. Among the key findings is that …

Relationships Among Transformational And Transactional Leadership Styles, Role Pressures, Stress Levels, And Coping Resources In Senior Queensland Catholic Education Executives, Lynette Hand, Richard Hicks, Mark Bahr

Mark Bahr

There is considerable research available on general organizational leadership but limited research in relation to religious educational organizations and the leadership styles of executive staff. The Queensland Catholic Education (QCE) executives are thought to emphasize transformational more than transactional leadership styles but little information is available on the relationships of these styles to stress within the faith-based organizations, and to the role stressors faced and levels of coping resources. This paper reports on a study of 136 QCE executive leaders (of the total 220 executives) relating leadership styles adopted, strain (stress) experienced, personal coping resources, and selected role stressors (role …

Intersection Theory: A More Elucidating Paradigm Of Quantitative Analysis, Marla Kohlman

Marla Kohlman

Intersection theory, a theoretical paradigm which calls attention to the interlocking forces of race, class, and gender, among other master status characteristics, is used to predict that respondents report having been targeted for sexual harassment under circumstances that are quite different from one demographic group to another. Sexual harassment is interpreted as primarily a power relation such that workers in less powerful positions are expected to be more vulnerable to targeting. This study may be distinguished from most studies utilizing intersection theory as a theoretical paradigm because it is a quantitative analysis of a broad, national set of data, the …

Changing Women: An Ethnographic Study Of Homeless Mothers And Popular Education, Lorna Rivera

Lorna Rivera

This article discusses ethnographic research conducted between 1995 and 1998 that studied the impact of popular education on the lives of fifty homeless and formerly homeless mothers. Data collection involved indepth interviews and participant observation in a family shelter located in one of Boston's poorest neighborhoods. The article argues that popular education increased the women's self-esteem, they were inspired to help other low-income women, they learned to advocate for their rights and they became more involved in their children's education. The findings suggest that popular education can best address the academic, personal, and community goals of very poor women.

Capital, Consumption, Communication, And Citizenship: The Social Positioning Of Taste And Civic Culture In The United States, Mark Rademacher

Mark A. Rademacher

In this paper, we analyze the field of cultural consumption in the United States, drawing on the methods of correspondence analysis employed by Bourdieu (1979/1984). Using the 2000 DDB Lifestyle Study, we analyze a cross section of Americans (N=3,122) in terms of their occupational categories, media usage, consumption practices, social behaviors, and indicators of civic and political engagement. In doing so, we find many parallels to the determinants of taste, cultural discrimination, and choice within the field structure observed by Bourdieu in 1960s French society, though there are also some notable differences, consistent with Peterson and Kern's (1996) concept of …

Gender And Theory Of Mind In Preschoolers’ Group Effort: Evidence For Timing Differences Behind Children’S Earliest Social Loafing, Robert Thompson, Bill Thornton

Bill Thornton

This study explored mental state reasoning within the context of group effort and possible differences in development between boys and girls. Preschool children (59 girls, 47 boys) were assessed for theory of mind (ToM) ability using classic false belief tests. Children participated in group effort conditions that alternated from one condition, where individual effort was transparent and obvious, to one where individual effort remained anonymous. The aim was to investigate if emergent mental state reasoning, after controlling for age, was associated with the well-known phenomenon of reduced effort in group tasks (“social loafing”). Girls had slightly higher ToM scores and …

Heroines Of Film And Television: Portrayals In Popular Culture, Carol Savery, Maja Bajac-Carter, Bob Batchelor

Carol Savery

As portrayals of heroic women gain ground in film, television, and other media, their depictions are breaking free of females as versions of male heroes or simple stereotypes of acutely weak or overly strong women. Although heroines continue to represent the traditional roles of mothers, goddesses, warriors, whores, witches, and priestesses, these women are no longer just damsels in distress or violent warriors.

In Heroines of Film and Television: Portrayals in Popular Culture, award-winning authors from a variety of disciplines examine the changing roles of heroic women across time. In this volume, editors Norma Jones, Maja Bajac-Carter, and Bob Batchelor …

Black Male College Achievers And Resistant Responses To Racist Stereotypes At Predominantly White Colleges And Universities, Shaun R. Harper, Ph.D.

Shaun R. Harper, Ph.D.

In this article, Shaun R. Harper investigates how Black undergraduate men respond to and resist the internalization of racist stereotypes at predominantly White colleges and universities. Prior studies consistently show that racial stereotypes are commonplace on many campuses, that their effects are usually psychologically and academically hazardous, and that Black undergraduate men are often among the most stereotyped populations in higher education and society. The threat of confirming stereotypes has been shown to undermine academic performance and persistence for Blacks and other minoritized students. To learn more about those who succeed in postsecondary contexts where they are routinely stereotyped, Harper …

Radical Academia: Beyond The Audit Culture Treadmill, Rowan Cahill, Terry Irving

Rowan Cahill

The pathos of radical academia: notes on the impact of neo-liberalism on the universities, especially the audit culture, the production-model, casualization, academic scholarship, academic writing, peer reviewing, and open access. The authors suggest ways scholars can be radical within, and outside, of neoliberal academia. Part I, 'Missing in Action' appeared as an Academia.edu session in May 2015, where it attracted many comments. Part II, 'What Can Be Done?' is the authors' response to these comments. The whole piece was posted on the Cahill/Irving blog 'Radical Sydney/Radical History' on 22 October 2015.

Spontaneous Gender-Stereotypical Categorization Of Trait Labels And Job Labels, Jerzy Karylowski, Michael Motes, Harry Wallace, Heather Harckom, Eric Hewlett, Stacy Maclean, John Parretta, Cherin Vaswani

Harry M. Wallace

Do people spontaneously categorize stereotypically masculine and stereotypically feminine trait and job labels according to gender even when the task at hand has nothing to do with gender? The present experiment provided a methodologically stringent test of such spontaneous gender-stereotypical categorization using a modification of a semantic priming task. Participants made name/no name judgments for targets that included nonsensical letter strings as well as male and female first names. Half of the first names in each gender category were selected to indicate members of participants’ own generation (Younger Generation names) and the other half were selected to indicate members of …

Presentation: Malawi Research Practicum, Richard Ghere

Richard K. Ghere

To train future human rights advocates and development professionals, the University of Dayton Department of Political Science sponsors an applied research practicum for undergraduate students in Malawi. Working closely with Determined to Develop, a Karonga-based NGO founded and directed by the University of Dayton alumnus Matt Maroon '06, practicum students spend eight weeks living, learning, and serving in the northern region of Malawi. Mr. Maroon serves as the practicum’s in-country coordinator and hosts the students at his economic development lodge, Maji Zuwa. Working closely with the local community leaders and organizations and other Malawian university students, each practicum student designs …

Anxiety, Stress, And Self-Esteem Across Genders In A University Sample: Exploring The Role Of Body Avoidance, Richelle Murphy, Peta Stapleton

Peta B. Stapleton

The present study aimed to investigate whether university students’ body avoidance behaviors could be predicted by their level of self-esteem, anxiety, and stress, as well as their BMI and gender. University students (n = 86) completed a self-report package and results indicated that anxiety was the most important predictor of body avoidance for university students. Gender was also predictive of avoidance for university students. Post Hoc analyses indicated that body avoidance, anxiety, stress, and BMI, were higher for female university students, yet no difference was found for self-esteem between genders. These results suggest preliminary evidence for the importance of elevated …

What Is More Likely To Predict Prejudicial Attitudes Towards Overweight Individuals: Gender, Locus Of Control, Or Social Dominance Orientation?, Joanna Kelly, Peta Stapleton

Peta B. Stapleton

As obesity has become an important healthcare issue, more research has revealed a pervasive bias against overweight individuals. Individuals are often perceived to be in control of their own weight, and therefore, if one is overweight they are considered lazy, lacking in self-control, and non-compliant (Rukavina & Li, 2011; Stapleton, 2013). Although obesity rates are rising across countries, there has been no reduction in the negative attitudes and prejudices expressed towards the overweight (Stapleton, 2013). This study was conducted to assess the effects that Health Locus of Control (HLOC), Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) (Pratto, Sidanius, Stallworth & Malle, 1994), and …

Use Of Complementary Therapies By Registered Psychologists: An International Study, Peta Stapleton, Hannah Chatwin, Emma Boucher, Sue Crebbin, Sandra Scott, Dean Smith, Gail Purkis

Peta B. Stapleton

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a category of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine. However, the use of CAM by lay people is increasing worldwide. This study investigated the utilization pattern of CAM among registered psychologists, and level of training in delivering a CAM service. Psychologists (N = 193) participated from Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. Almost all (99.6%) respondents reported using at least 1 CAM service in the past, and 64.2% indicate they were trained to deliver at least 1 area …

Experiences Of Australian Siblings Of An Individual With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Rebecca Mailli

Vicki Bitsika

The experiences of 75 non-Autism Spectrum Disorder (NASD) children and adolescents who had a sibling with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were investigated. Differences were found according to age and gender for issues such as amount of time spent with their sibling and access to parents. Having a younger sibling with an ASD was associated with a lower level of confidence in being able to live their lives as they wished. Female NASD participants commented that their lives were more influenced than male NASD participants. About half of all NASD participants reported inconsistencies in family rule adherences and parental expectation.

Body Dissatisfaction And Surveillance, Exercise Frequency, Depression And Self-Esteem In A University Population, Peta Stapleton, Natalie Dzodz

Peta B. Stapleton

The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between body dissatisfaction and body surveillance, exercise frequency, depression and self-esteem in 121 university students from various Australian tertiary institutions aged between 17 to 45 years old population. This study also aimed to observe gender differences in the experience of body dissatisfaction. Inconsistent with previous research and the present hypothesis, no significant relationship was found between body dissatisfaction and exercise frequency or body surveillance. However, a significant relationship was found between body dissatisfaction and depression, as well as with self-esteem. Gender was also found to significantly predict body dissatisfaction, …

The Influence Of Gender, Age, Psychological Resilience And Family Interaction Factors Upon Anxiety And Depression In Non-Autism Spectrum Disorder Siblings Of Children With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Rebecca Mailli

Vicki Bitsika

The influence of gender, age, Psychological resilience and family interaction factors upon generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) was investigated in 75 non-autism spectrum disorder (NASD) siblings who had a brother or sister with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). GAD and MDD were much more prevalent than in comparable age group samples, and adolescent females had the highest MDD rates. Several Psychological resilience skills were significantly associated with lower GAD and MDD, particularly being able to recognise mistakes in their thinking (for children) and being able to remain in control of their anger (for adolescents). Suggestions are …

Trait Impulsivity Predicts D-Kefs Tower Test Performance In University Students, Michael Lyvers, Vanessa Basch, Helen Duff, Mark Edwards

Mark Edwards

The present study examined a widely used self-report index of trait impulsiveness in relation to performance on a well-known neuropsychological executive function test in 70 university undergraduate students (50 women, 20 men) aged 18 to 24 years old. Participants completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe), after which they performed the Tower Test of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System. Hierarchical linear regression showed that after controlling for gender, current alcohol consumption, age at onset of weekly alcohol use, and FrSBe scores, BIS-11 significantly predicted Tower Test Achievement scores, b¼_.44, p

Trait Impulsivity Predicts D-Kefs Tower Test Performance In University Students, Michael Lyvers, Vanessa Basch, Helen Duff, Mark Edwards

Mike Lyvers

The present study examined a widely used self-report index of trait impulsiveness in relation to performance on a well-known neuropsychological executive function test in 70 university undergraduate students (50 women, 20 men) aged 18 to 24 years old. Participants completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe), after which they performed the Tower Test of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System. Hierarchical linear regression showed that after controlling for gender, current alcohol consumption, age at onset of weekly alcohol use, and FrSBe scores, BIS-11 significantly predicted Tower Test Achievement scores, b¼_.44, p

Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, And Psychoticism: Distinctive Influences Of Three Personality Dimensions In Adolescence, Patrick Heaven, Joseph Ciarrochi, Peter Leeson, Emma Barkus

joseph Ciarrochi

Researchers have suggested that the psychoticism (P) personality dimension of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire may be largely redundant with the agreeableness (A) and conscientiousness (C) constructs of the five-factor model. Little research has examined the distinctiveness of these constructs. We utilized a multi-wave, multi-method design to examine the ability of C, A, and P to uniquely predict a number of important outcomes amongst high school students. A total of 778 students (391 males, 387 females; mean age 15.41 years.) completed personality measures in Grade 10. Self-reported self-esteem, social support, health-related behaviours, religious values as well as teachers' assessments of students, …

A Longitudinal Study Into The Link Between Adolescent Personality And Peer-Rated Likeability And Adjustment: Evidence For Gender Differences, Joseph Ciarrochi, Patrick Heaven

joseph Ciarrochi

We explored the possibility that male and female adolescents respond differently to the personality traits of their male and female peers. Students (381 boys; 389 girls) completed personality measures in Grades 7 (Mean age 12.28) through 10, and completed peer-ratings of adjustment and likeability in Grades 9 and 10. Analyses indicated that girls’ adjustment ratings were influenced by boys’ level of agreeableness, conscientiousness, and Eysenckian psychoticism, whereas boys’ ratings were relatively uninfluenced by these characteristics in girls. Girls and boys liked extraversion in the opposite-gender more than they liked it in the same gender. We discuss the implications of these …

Cognitive Ability And Health-Related Behaviors During Adolescence: A Prospective Study Across Five Years, Joseph Ciarrochi, Patrick Heaven, Timothy Skinner

joseph Ciarrochi

Longitudinal research on the links between intelligence and health behaviors among adolescents is rare. We report longitudinal data in which we assessed the relationships between intelligence as assessed in Grade 7 and consequential health outcomes in Grade 11. The mean age of respondents (N=420; 188 males, 232 females) was 12.30 years (SD=0.49) in Grade 7and 16.17 years (SD=0.45) in Grade 11. They completed standardized verbal and numerical ability tests and a measure of conscientiousness in Grade 7 and health related questions in Grade 11. Results indicated that higher intelligence was associated with a number of healthy behaviors including delay in …

Motivation For And Commitment To Social Values: The Roles Of Age And Gender, Patty Ferssizidis, Leah Adams, Todd Kashdan, Christine Plummer, Anjali Mishra, Joseph Ciarrochi

joseph Ciarrochi

No abstract provided.

Traits Linked To Executive And Reward Systems Functioning In Clients Undergoing Residential Treatment For Substance Dependence, Michael Lyvers, Rachel Hinton, Stephanie Gotsis, Michelle Roddy, Mark S. Edwards, Fred Thorberg

Mark Edwards

Traits presumed to reflect dopaminergic reward and prefrontal executive systems functioning were assessed in 100 clients undergoing residential treatment for substance dependence and a community sample of 107 social drinkers. All participants completed self-report measures of impulsivity, alexithymia, frontal systems dysfunction, sensitivity to rewards and punishments, dispositional mindfulness, alcohol use, illicit drug use, mood and demographic characteristics. The percentage of in-patients meeting the criterion for alexithymia was more than twice as high as in the community sample (p < .0001). Multivariate analysis of covariance controlling for age, education, head injury and gender revealed significant differences (p < .0001) between clinical and community samples such that clients scored higher on negative moods, frontal systems dysfunction, reward sensitivity, punishment sensitivity and impulsivity, and lower on dispositional mindfulness. Time in treatment was correlated only with negative mood, supporting the stability of the trait measures; controlling for negative mood eliminated group differences on punishment sensitivity and mindfulness only. Results are consistent with the notion that addiction is linked to reward sensitivity and frontal lobe deficits, with associated implications.

Blood Alcohol Concentration Is Negatively Associated With Gambling Money Won On The Iowa Gambling Task In Naturalistic Settings After Controlling For Trait Impulsivity And Alcohol Tolerance, Michael Lyvers, Nicole Mathieson, Mark Edwards

Mark Edwards

Introduction: Acute alcohol intoxication has been found to increase perseverative errors on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, a well known neuropsychological index of prefrontal cortical functioning, in both laboratory and naturalistic settings. Method: The present study examined the relationship between levels of alcohol consumption at campus drinking venues and performance of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), another neuropsychological test designed to assess prefrontal cortex dysfunction, after controlling for potential confounding variables including habitual alcohol intake (as a proxy for alcohol tolerance), trait impulsivity, and everyday executive functioning. Results: The 49 participants of both genders aged 18 to 30 years were …