Character Strengths, Strengths Use, Future Self-Continuity and Subjective Well-Being Among Chinese University Students

The study was designed to explore the relationships among character strengths, strengths use, future self-continuity and subjective well-being. A total of 225 undergraduates completed paper-and-pencil questionnaires assessing character strengths, strengths use, future self-continuity, and subjective well-being. Results suggested several character strengths were correlated with subjective well-being and the strongest correlations were found for hope, curiosity, zest, perseverance and love. All character strengths were significantly correlated with strengths use. Strengths use and future self-continuity were robustly correlated with subjective well-being. The mediation analysis showed that strengths use mediates the relationship between character strengths and subjective well-being, and specifically, the indirect effects of strengths use varies from different character strengths. The moderated mediator suggested that future self-continuity moderated the mediation of strengths use because future self-continuity moderates the effect of strengths use on subjective well-being. Furthermore, the indirect effect of strengths use was stronger with high level of future self-continuity than those with low level of future self-continuity. The present findings make a contribution to understand the underlying mechanisms involving in character strengths are associated with higher level of well-being. Additionally, the findings expand knowledge about future self-continuity and its relation to strengths use and subjective well-being among undergraduates, having significant implications in the educational context.

Subverting Heteronormativity: An Intervention to Foster Positive Attitudes Toward Homosexuality Among Indian College Students

Prejudice against gay and lesbian persons remains largely an unaddressed issue in India. This experimental study involved designing, implementing, and assessing the effectiveness of an intervention to foster positive attitudes toward the homosexual community among Indian college students. The experimental group (n = 60) received a three-component module including perspective taking, education, and direct contact with gay and lesbian persons. Attitudes toward homosexuals, empathy, and self-esteem were measured using standardized questionnaires 15 days before the intervention and immediately following the intervention. No intervention was carried out with the control group (n = 55). Their attitudes were measured 15 days apart, parallel to the experimental group. Results showed that attitudes toward homosexuality improved significantly in the experimental group. The control group also showed a significant, but small, improvement in attitudes. Further, levels of empathy were found to increase only in the experimental group. Limitations, future directions, and implications of the study are discussed.

Five Popular Study Strategies: Their Pitfalls and Optimal Implementations

Researchers’ and educators’ enthusiasm in applying cognitive principles to enhance educational practices has become more evident. Several published reviews have suggested that some potent strategies can help students learn more efficaciously. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, students do not report frequent reliance on these empirically supported techniques. In the present review, we take a novel approach, identifying study strategies for which students have strong preferences and assessing whether these preferred strategies have any merit given existing empirical evidence from the cognitive and educational literatures. Furthermore, we provide concrete recommendations for students, instructors, and psychologists. For students, we identify common pitfalls and tips for optimal implementation for each study strategy. For instructors, we provide recommendations for how they can assist students to more optimally implement these study strategies. For psychologists, we highlight promising avenues of research to help augment these study strategies.

Developing Organizational Competences for Conflict Management: The Use of the Prisoner's Dilemma in Higher Education

Interpersonal relationship require sophisticated competences of cohabitation. However, the availability of training tools to develop conflict management skills is limited and problematic. The prisoner's dilemma game (PDG), the most widely known example of game theory, a nonzero-sum game, has been used, in higher education, to provide students with an opportunity of active learning and for understanding counterintuitive concepts. It creates a condition of emotive, moral and decisional conflict in and between agents. This paper presents a case-study in higher education in which PDG was proposed to enhance organizational competences for conflict management, according to the psychoanalytic approach to organizational studies. The study aims to explore: (1) the significant characteristics of PDG used in an affective-emotional key in higher education; (2) the learning outcomes that PDG enables to activate in the participants in relation to the development of organizational skills for conflict management. Twenty students' reflective journals were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings indicated that PDG is perceived as a useful device in students' learning experience, which is appreciated in relation to its concreteness, intensity and debriefing phase. Learning outcomes allow new meanings about conflict, by emphasizing its defensive, automatic and interpersonal dimension. This paper contributes to the understanding of PDG as a tool to develop competences in dealing with the challenges of conflict management, since it seems to favor the overcoming of the individualistic stereotype in conflict representation by highlighting the interdependence of social interaction.

Evaluation of the contribution of values clarification to a brief mindfulness meditation intervention for anxiety

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate the incremental effects of a computerized values clarification (VC) activity on anxiety symptomology and quality of life over and above establishment of a mindfulness meditation (MM) practice.

METHOD

Anxious participants (N = 120, Female = 86; M_age  = 22.26) were randomly assigned to a 2-week, 10-min daily MM practice + control task or a 2-week, 10-min daily MM practice + VC task. Pre-assessments and post-assessments included well-established and ideographic self-report measures.

RESULTS

Overall decreases in past week and past 24-h anxiety symptom frequency, as well as increased quality of life during the previous 24-h cycle only. VC did not have a demonstrable impact on outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Though findings are preliminary, brief VC exercises may not enhance outcomes that follow from mindfulness practice. Additional research is needed to isolate specific and shared impacts of mindfulness-based and values-based treatment strategies on anxiety symptoms and quality of life.

Education and employment outcomes of young adults with a history of developmental language disorder

BACKGROUND

Developmental language disorder (DLD) presents a considerable barrier for young adults to engage in further education and training. Early studies with young adults with DLD revealed poor educational achievement and lack of opportunities to progress in education. More recent studies have provided more positive findings. Relatively sparse data exist, however, on current cohorts and the factors that predict outcomes.

AIMS

To examine educational and employment outcomes in young adulthood in a sample of people with histories of DLD compared with an age-matched peer group without DLD. We ask: How do educational pathways and early jobs compare between those with and without DLD? Are young adults with DLD receiving similar levels of income as their peers? To what extent are language and literacy abilities associated with outcomes?

METHODS & PROCEDURES

Participants included 84 individuals with DLD (67% males) and 88 age-matched peers without DLD (56% males). Participants were on average 24 years of age. They completed a battery of psycholinguistic, literacy and nonverbal skills assessments. Data were also collected on educational qualifications, current educational status, extent of educational support received, employment status, history and support, as well as current income.

OUTCOMES & RESULTS

Those with DLD obtained lower academic and vocational qualifications. Higher educational/vocational qualifications were associated with better language, better reading and higher performance IQ (PIQ). There were few differences between the two groups in terms of engagement with education, but the mean age at leaving education was significantly earlier in the participants with DLD. Substantially more participants with DLD reported receiving support or dispensation from their educational institution. There was no significant difference between groups in the proportion of young people currently employed, though a higher proportion of the age-matched peers was in work full time. Participants with DLD were much more likely to be in non-professional occupations. However, when examining pay in relation to types of occupation, the groups' incomes were broadly comparable.

CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS

At the group level, young people with a history of DLD more commonly have less skilled employment and more rarely achieve professional roles. At the individual level there is considerable variation with smaller but not trivial proportions of young adults with a history of DLD showing good educational and employment outcomes. There are positive aspects to early adult outcomes for some young people with a history of DLD.

A Systematic Review of the Psychometric Properties of Composite LGBT Prejudice and Discrimination Scales

Prejudice and discrimination against LGBT individuals is widespread and has been shown to have negative consequences for sexual and gender minority persons' physical and psychological wellbeing. A recent and problematic trend in the literature is to compositely measure prejudice toward and discrimination against LGBT persons. As such, a review of the psychometric properties of scales assessing, in a combinatory fashion, negative attitudes and/or behaviors toward LGBT persons is warranted. In the current study, 32 scales were identified, and their psychometric properties were evaluated. Most of the scales reviewed did not provide sufficient information regarding item development and refinement, scale dimensionality, scale score reliability, or validity. Properties of the reviewed scales are summarized, and recommendations for better measurement practice are articulated.

An Investigation of First-Year Students' and Lecturers' Expectations of University Education

Transition from school to university can cause concern for many students. One issue is the gap between students' prior expectations and the realities of university life, which can cause significant distress, poor academic performance and increased drop-out rates if not managed effectively. Research has shown several similarities in the expectations of staff and students in regards to which factors determine academic success, but there is also evidence of dissonance. For example, staff consider independent study and critical evaluation as key factors, whereas students view feedback on drafts of work and support from staff as being most important. The aim of the current study was to determine what expectations students hold when starting university education, and what expectations university lecturers have of students entering university. Lecturers (n = 20) and first year students (n = 77) completed a series of questionnaires concerning their expectations of learning in HE (staff and students) and their approach to teaching (staff). Results revealed that students have largely realistic expectations of university. For example, the majority expected to be in charge of their own study. Some unrealistic expectations were also evident, e.g., most expected that teaching would be the same at university as it had been at school. The expectation that lecturers would provide detailed notes varied as a function of student age. Lecturers reported modifying their expectations of students and adapting their teaching approach according to year of study. Information-transmission/teacher-focused style was more common when teaching 1st year students; a more concept-changing/student-focused approach tended to be used when teaching 2nd year students (and above). Lecturer's expectations of student engagement did not differ according to year. Less experienced lecturers reported more negative expectations of student engagement than did experienced lecturers. In line with previous work, we observed overlap in expectations of staff and students, but some clear differences too.

Effects of mindfulness exercises as stand-alone intervention on symptoms of anxiety and depression: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are currently well established in psychotherapy with meta-analyses demonstrating their efficacy. In these multifaceted interventions, the concrete performance of mindfulness exercises is typically integrated in a larger therapeutic framework. Thus, it is unclear whether stand-alone mindfulness exercises (SAMs) without such a framework are beneficial, as well. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis regarding the effects of SAMs on symptoms of anxiety and depression. Systematic searching of electronic databases resulted in 18 eligible studies (n = 1150) for meta-analyses. After exclusion of one outlier SAMs had small to medium effects on anxiety (SMD = 0.39; CI: 0.22, 0.56; PI: 0.07, 0.70; p < .001, I² = 18.90%) and on depression (SMD = 0.41; CI: 0.19, 0.64; PI: -0.05, 0.88; p < .001; I² = 33.43%), when compared with controls. Summary effect estimates decreased, but remained significant when corrected for potential publication bias. This is the first meta-analysis to show that the mere, regular performance of mindfulness exercises is beneficial, even without being integrated in larger therapeutic frameworks.

Customer Orientation and Leadership in the Health Service Sector: The Role of Workplace Social Support

Health care is a critical context due to unpredictable situations, demanding clients, workload, and intrinsic organizational complexity. One key to improve the quality of health services is connected to the shift in organization perspective of viewing patients as active consumers rather than passive users. Therefore, higher levels of customer orientation (CO) are expected to improve organizational service effectiveness. According to a cultural perspective to CO, the aim of the study was to explore how different leaders' behaviors (task-oriented and relationship-oriented) interact with CO of health organizations. Specifically, the aim of the paper was to contribute to this topic, by considering the leaders' point of view. Since leader's experience of CO is influenced by social processes in the work environment, workplace social support (WSS) was inserted as moderator in the relationship between leader behavior and CO. A survey study was conducted among 57 Health Department directors belonging to the National Health Service in the North of Italy in 2016. Findings showed that WSS moderated the influence of leadership concern for relationship on CO. Practical implications of the study are discussed.

Teaching a Psychology-Based Study Abroad Pre-Departure Course

In response to recent research indicating that the benefits of study abroad are significantly enhanced by pre-departure training, tertiary institutions are increasingly offering pre-departure courses to students preparing to study abroad. Teachers of psychology are well positioned to contribute to such courses in that a large number of psychological concepts are relevant to the student sojourner experience and the goals of pre-departure training. In this article I present the goals, format, content, and assessment of a psychology-based study abroad pre-departure course, describe relevant psychological concepts, and provide suggestions for psychology instructors interested in developing and teaching such courses.

Evolution of Wikipedia's medical content: past, present and future

As one of the most commonly read online sources of medical information, Wikipedia is an influential public health platform. Its medical content, community, collaborations and challenges have been evolving since its creation in 2001, and engagement by the medical community is vital for ensuring its accuracy and completeness. Both the encyclopaedia’s internal metrics as well as external assessments of its quality indicate that its articles are highly variable, but improving. Although content can be edited by anyone, medical articles are primarily written by a core group of medical professionals. Diverse collaborative ventures have enhanced medical article quality and reach, and opportunities for partnerships are more available than ever. Nevertheless, Wikipedia’s medical content and community still face significant challenges, and a socioecological model is used to structure specific recommendations. We propose that the medical community should prioritise the accuracy of biomedical information in the world’s most consulted encyclopaedia.

Different and Similar at the Same Time. Cultural Competence through the Leans of Healthcare Providers

Cultural competence (CC) for professionals and organizations has been recognized as a key strategy to reduce health care inequalities for migrants and to promote responsiveness to diversity. For decades its main aim has been matching health services to the cultural needs of migrant users. Otherwise literature highlighted the need to find a pragmatic middle way between the ‘static’ and the ‘dynamic’ views of culture that are recognizable in CC approaches. A pragmatic middle way to CC will be proposed as the way to respect diversity, even responding to cultural issues, without stereotyping or discriminating. To understand conditions that favor this pragmatic middle way this study aims to explore: (1) perceptions of healthcare providers in managing diversity; (2) strategies used to meet health needs at a professional and organizational level. A qualitative case study was conducted in a healthcare service renowned for its engagement in migrant sensitive care. Four different professional figures involved in CC strategies at different levels, both managerial and non-managerial, were interviewed. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings indicated that dealing with diversity poses challenges for healthcare providers, by confronting them with multilevel barriers to quality of care. A pragmatic middle way to CC seems to rely on complex understanding of the interaction between patients social conditions and the capacity of the institutional system to promote equity. Professional and organizational strategies, such as inter-professional and intersectional collaboration, cultural food adaptation and professional training can enhance quality of care, patient compliance responding to social and cultural needs.

Psychological Misconceptions: Recent Scientific Advances and Unresolved Issues

Psychological misconceptions present problems for psychology students as well as for laypersons, experts, and others who need to think critically about psychological information. Recent progress in measuring psychological misconceptions has led to fresh understandings of how people with better critical thinking skills and dispositions are less prone to misconceptions and how people who adopt a more intuitive approach to thinking are more prone to them, as predicted by dual process models of cognition. Recent studies also suggest that people who endorse more misconceptions show more impaired metacognition by failing to accurately monitor what they know. These new findings help to explain why refutational approaches, which explicitly activate misconceptions and debunk them with contrary evidence, often reduce misconception endorsement. Nevertheless, they may not readily explain why some efforts to eliminate misconceptions backfire or are otherwise ineffective, highlighting the need for more research on misconception content and individual differences in cognition, personality, and attitudes that predict misconception endorsement.

On addressing ‘Whiteness’ during clinical psychology training

In discussing ‘Whiteness’, a context is provided as to current issues facing British clinical psychology, with an overview of the history of clinical psychology in the United Kingdom, and a particular focus on how issues of immigration, diversity, and racism have been addressed. Following this, the constantly changing training context of clinical psychologists within Britain is explored, with lacunae evident around confronting institutional racism and Black trainee experiences. The history of addressing this issue within the University of East London’s clinical psychology training programme is outlined, as well as the recent introduction of workshops to focus on ‘Whiteness’ and ‘decolonising’ the profession, in response to consistent trainee concerns. This is integrated with respect to focusing on the sorts of psychologists that might be needed to advance and transform the profession positively in the current global political climate.

First-Year Students' Initial Motivational Beliefs at University: Predicted by Motivational Beliefs Derived from Within and Out-of-School Experience and Malleable Regardless of the Extent of Students' Out-of-School Experience

The present study tested how academic self-concept of ability (ASC) and intrinsic task value (ITV) transpose onto novel university programs that depart from traditional subject areas within the framework of expectancy-value theory. The study focused on two potential sources of information used to anticipate one's ASC and ITV regarding new learning content (here: business administration). First, students' experiences from secondary school, especially their ASCs and ITVs established in a school subject they consider similar to business administration-mathematics-should predict their business administration-specific ASC and ITV. Second, students may have gained relevant experience in out-of-school settings such as internships with business companies or commercial vocational training prior to entering higher education. ASC and ITV developed from out-of-school experiences was hypothesized to predict students' business administration-specific ASC and ITV as well. However, the likely mismatch between anticipated and actual experience with new contents should lead to revisions of ASC and ITV after entering university reflected in a presumably lower stability compared to secondary school settings. In addition, the extent of students' out-of-school experience might act as a moderator. Data were collected from 341 first-year students in higher education in Germany before they began their study program and again 3-4 months later. Confirmatory factor analyses support the discriminant validity of the measures used in the study. Results from structural equation modeling show that students' ASC/ITV derived from relevant out-of-school experience make an important contribution to their initial business administration-specific ASC and ITV beyond their mathematics-specific ASC/ITV. Furthermore, both business administration-specific ASC and ITV showed significantly lower stability coefficients over the initial study phase than research from secondary school indicating revisions to them via experience. Multiple-group structural equation modeling showed no moderating effect of the extent of students' out-of-school experience. The discussion focuses on interpretations of the expectancy-value theory that explicitly include motivational beliefs derived from out-of-school settings as antecedents of expectancy and value. With respect to practical implications, results are discussed in the light of student counseling and support to help students develop an adequate picture of a study program's learning contents and overcome initial motivational setbacks.

Human rights education in patient care

This article explores how human rights education in the health professions can build knowledge, change culture, and empower advocacy. Through a study of educational initiatives in the field, the article analyzes different methods by which health professionals come to see the relevance of human rights norms for their work, to habituate these norms in everyday practice, and to espouse these norms in advocacy for social justice. The article seeks to show the transformative potential of education for human rights in patient care.

Does A Brief Mindfulness Intervention Impact Quiz Performance?

Mindfulness practices improve cognition, emotional balance, and well-being in clinical and non-clinical populations. The bulk of mindfulness research in higher education has focused on improving psychological and cognitive variables, leaving academic performance largely unexplored. We investigated the effects of a brief mindfulness intervention on quiz performance in two sections of an undergraduate upper-level human development class ( N = 67). We used a between-group experimental design (waiting control group) and compared student quiz scores. Students assigned to practice mindfulness performed better on the first two quizzes than the control group. When the control group received the mindfulness intervention, there was no significant difference on quiz performance between the two groups. Mindfulness training did not impact state mindfulness or exam scores. Taken together, our results suggest that small doses of mindfulness training can briefly enhance students' knowledge retention of lecture content.

Conducting research in clinical psychology practice: Barriers, facilitators, and recommendations

OBJECTIVES

The combination of clinical psychologists' therapeutic expertise and research training means that they are in an ideal position to be conducting high-quality research projects. However, despite these skills and the documented benefits of research to services and service users, research activity in practice remains low. This article aims to give an overview of the advantages of, and difficulties in conducting research in clinical practice.

METHOD

We reviewed the relevant literature on barriers to research and reflected on our clinical and research experiences in a range of contexts to offer practical recommendations.

RESULTS

We considered factors involved in the planning, sourcing support, implementation, and dissemination phases of research, and outline suggestions to improve the feasibility of research projects in post-qualification roles.

CONCLUSIONS

We suggest that research leadership is particularly important within clinical psychology to ensure the profession's continued visibility and influence within health settings.

PRACTITIONER POINTS

Clinical implications Emerging evidence suggests that clinical settings that foster research are associated with better patient outcomes. Suggestions to increase the feasibility of research projects in clinical settings are detailed. Limitations The present recommendations are drawn from the authors' practical experience and may need adaptation to individual practitioners' settings. This study does not attempt to assess the efficacy of the strategies suggested.

Supporting mentors working with students with intellectual disabilities in higher education

Project Panther LIFE is an inclusive postsecondary transition program for students with intellectual disabilities providing university access and participation with the primary goal of employment at program completion. Students in the program receive support from their academic mentors and peer coaches during the academic year. This study examines the skills and activities mentors use during their weekly sessions with students with intellectual disabilities and identifies areas in which mentors may require further support or training. Data analysis revealed major themes related to inclusion, self-determination, and adaptive behavior skills. Upon review of the data, we suggest that mentors need ongoing support from transition programs especially in areas related to encouraging self-advocacy and supporting time management.

Visions and reality: the idea of competence-oriented assessment for German medical students is not yet realised in licensing examinations

Objective: Competence orientation, often based on the CanMEDS model, has become an important goal for modern curricula in medical education. The National Competence Based Catalogue of Learning Objectives for Undergraduate Medical Education (NKLM) has been adopted in Germany. However, it is currently unknown whether the vision of competence orientation has also reached the licensing examination procedures. Methods: Therefore, a prospective, descriptive, single-centre, exemplary study design was applied to evaluate 4051 questions/tasks (from 28 examiners at 7 two-day licensing oral-practical exams) for undergraduate medical students at the University of Ulm. The oral and practical questions/tasks as well as the real bedside assessment were assigned to specific competence roles (NKLM section I), categories (NKLM section II) and taxonomy levels of learning domains. Results: Numerous questions/tasks were set per candidate (day 1/2: 70±24/86±19 questions) in the licensing oral-practical exam. Competence roles beyond the "medical expert" were scarcely considered. Furthermore, practical and communication skills at the bedside were hardly addressed (less than 3/15 min). Strikingly, there was a significant predominance of questions with a low-level taxonomy. Conclusions: The data indicate a misalignment of competence-oriented frameworks and the "real world" licensing practical-oral medical exam, which needs improvement in both evaluation and education processes.

Collaborative writing applications in healthcare: effects on professional practice and healthcare outcomes

BACKGROUND

Collaborative writing applications (CWAs), such as wikis and Google Documents, hold the potential to improve the use of evidence in both public health and healthcare. Although a growing body of literature indicates that CWAs could have positive effects on healthcare, such as improved collaboration, behavioural change, learning, knowledge management, and adaptation of knowledge to local context, this has never been assessed systematically. Moreover, several questions regarding safety, reliability, and legal aspects exist.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this review were to (1) assess the effects of the use of CWAs on process (including the behaviour of healthcare professionals) and patient outcomes, (2) critically appraise and summarise current evidence on the use of resources, costs, and cost-effectiveness associated with CWAs to improve professional practices and patient outcomes, and (3) explore the effects of different CWA features (e.g. open versus closed) and different implementation factors (e.g. the presence of a moderator) on process and patient outcomes.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and 11 other electronic databases. We searched the grey literature, two trial registries, CWA websites, individual journals, and conference proceedings. We also contacted authors and experts in the field. We did not apply date or language limits. We searched for published literature to August 2016, and grey literature to September 2015.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), non-randomised controlled trials (NRCTs), controlled before-and-after (CBA) studies, interrupted time series (ITS) studies, and repeated measures studies (RMS), in which CWAs were used as an intervention to improve the process of care, patient outcomes, or healthcare costs.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Teams of two review authors independently assessed the eligibility of studies. Disagreements were resolved by discussion, and when consensus was not reached, a third review author was consulted.

MAIN RESULTS

We screened 11,993 studies identified from the electronic database searches and 346 studies from grey literature sources. We analysed the full text of 99 studies. None of the studies met the eligibility criteria; two potentially relevant studies are ongoing.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

While there is a high number of published studies about CWAs, indicating that this is an active field of research, additional studies using rigorous experimental designs are needed to assess their impact and cost-effectiveness on process and patient outcomes.

Brief Online Training with Standardised Vignettes Reduces Inflated Supervisor Ratings of Trainee Practitioner Competencies

Objective

Supervisor assessments of trainee competence are integral to ensuring that clinical psychology trainees reach competency benchmarks. The commonly used Clinical Psychology Practicum Competencies Rating Scale (CΨPRS) has been shown to elicit inflated ratings of competency. Hence, the aim of this study is to examine whether brief supervisor training reduces ratings by providing objective criteria with which supervisors can assess trainee competency.

Method

The ratings included were of 124 psychology trainees from nine Australian university clinical programmes. Of 170 supervisors, 32 completed the online training immediately prior to commencing the CΨPRS. Training required supervisors to rate the competency level described in five standardised vignettes (Beginner through to Competent). Vignette ratings, as determined by a panel of expert supervisors, were provided as feedback. A sixth calibration vignette was also rated (no feedback provided). Firstly, CΨPRS ratings from the trained and untrained supervisors were compared. Secondly, the difference between supervisor and expert ratings of the calibration vignettes were compared across trained and untrained groups.

Results

Trained supervisors provided lower CΨPRS ratings than untrained supervisors. In addition, trained supervisors (vs untrained supervisors) provided ratings of the calibration vignette that more accurately matched the ratings provided by the expert panel.

Conclusions

Brief online training using standardised vignettes was associated with lower CΨPRS ratings. The standardised vignettes helped calibrate supervisors’ ratings and likely attuned supervisors to the skills and competency levels that are expected at particular developmental stages. As a consequence, training appeared to reduce ratings, arguably resulting in more accurate assessments of trainee performance.

Combined Effect of Levels in Personal Self-Regulation and Regulatory Teaching on Meta-Cognitive, on Meta-Motivational, and on Academic Achievement Variables in Undergraduate Students

The Theory of Self- vs. Externally-Regulated Learning™ (SRL vs. ERL) proposed different types of relationships among levels of variables in Personal Self-Regulation (PSR) and Regulatory Teaching (RT) to predict the meta-cognitive, meta-motivational and -emotional variables of learning, and of Academic Achievement in Higher Education. The aim of this investigation was empirical in order to validate the model of the combined effect of low-medium-high levels in PSR and RT on the dependent variables. For the analysis of combinations, a selected sample of 544 undergraduate students from two Spanish universities was used. Data collection was obtained from validated instruments, in Spanish versions. Using an ex-post-facto design, different Univariate and Multivariate Analyses (3 × 1, 3 × 3, and 4 × 1) were conducted. Results provide evidence for a consistent effect of low-medium-high levels of PSR and of RT, thus giving significant partial confirmation of the proposed rational model. As predicted, (1) the levels of PSR and positively and significantly effected the levels of learning approaches, resilience, engagement, academic confidence, test anxiety, and procedural and attitudinal academic achievement; (2) the most favorable type of interaction was a high level of PSR with a high level RT process. The limitations and implications of these results in the design of effective teaching are analyzed, to improve university teaching-learning processes.

Assessing Freshman Engineering Students' Understanding of Ethical Behavior

Academic dishonesty, including cheating and plagiarism, is on the rise in colleges, particularly among engineering students. While students decide to engage in these behaviors for many different reasons, academic integrity training can help improve their understanding of ethical decision making. The two studies outlined in this paper assess the effectiveness of an online module in increasing academic integrity among first semester engineering students. Study 1 tested the effectiveness of an academic honesty tutorial by using a between groups design with a Time 1- and Time 2-test. An academic honesty quiz assessed participants' knowledge at both time points. Study 2, which incorporated an improved version of the module and quiz, utilized a between groups design with three assessment time points. The additional Time 3-test allowed researchers to test for retention of information. Results were analyzed using ANCOVA and t tests. In Study 1, the experimental group exhibited significant improvement on the plagiarism items, but not the total score. However, at Time 2 there was no significant difference between groups after controlling for Time 1 scores. In Study 2, between- and within-group analyses suggest there was a significant improvement in total scores, but not plagiarism scores, after exposure to the tutorial. Overall, the academic integrity module impacted participants as evidenced by changes in total score and on specific plagiarism items. Although future implementation of the tutorial and quiz would benefit from modifications to reduce ceiling effects and improve assessment of knowledge, the results suggest such tutorial may be one valuable element in a systems approach to improving the academic integrity of engineering students.

Efficacy of an Intervention Program to Improve Employability of University Students

In the current socioeconomic situation, the need to improve employability of potential workers is especially relevant. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an intervention program focusing on improving employability of university students. To do this, a two-group study was designed: one group undertook the intervention program and the other group were used for comparison. Two measurements were taken at different times (pre-intervention and post-intervention). The sample consisted of 271 university students. The results show that the group that underwent the intervention program improved their perceived employability F(1, 269) = 17.49, p < .001; η2 = .06, openness to learning F(1, 269) = 4.24, p < .05; η2 = .02, self-efficacy for labor market insertion F(1, 269) = 75.70, p < .001; η2 = .22 and for teamwork F(1, 269) = 39.43, p < .001; η2 = .13, and their knowledge of employment resources F(1, 269) = 512.89, p < .001; η2 = .66 compared to the group that did not. Furthermore, there was a high level of satisfaction of participants with the intervention program.

They're NICE and Neat, but Are They Useful? A Grounded Theory of Clinical Psychologists' Beliefs About and Use of NICE Guidelines

Guidelines are ubiquitous but inconsistently used in UK mental health services. Clinical psychologists are often influential in guideline development and implementation, but opinion within the profession is divided. This study utilized grounded theory methodology to examine clinical psychologists' beliefs about and use of NICE guidelines. Eleven clinical psychologists working in the NHS were interviewed. The overall emerging theme was; NICE guidelines are considered to have benefits but to be fraught with dangers. Participants were concerned that guidelines can create an unhelpful illusion of neatness. They managed the tension between the helpful and unhelpful aspects of guidelines by relating to them in a flexible manner. The participants reported drawing on specialist skills such as idiosyncratic formulation and integration. However, due to the pressures and dominant discourses within services they tended to practice in ways that prevent these skills from being recognized. This led to fears that their professional identity was threatened, which impacted upon perceptions of the guidelines. To our knowledge, the theoretical framework presented in this paper is the first that attempts to explain why NICE guidelines are not consistently utilized in UK mental health services. The current need for services to demonstrate 'NICE compliance' may be leading to a perverse incentive for clinical psychologists in particular to do one thing but say another and for specialist skills to be obscured. If borne out by future studies, this represents a threat to continued quality improvement and also to the profession. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

KEY PRACTITIONER MESSAGE

Guidelines have many benefits, but the current pressure for services to be 'NICE compliant' may be having unintended negative as well as positive effects. Lack of implementation may be partly the result of active choice by clinicians concerned to use the full range of professional skills and to offer flexibility and choice to service users. The current context is creating a perverse incentive for clinicians to say one thing but do another. This is problematic for services and a potential threat to the profession of clinical psychology.

Cultural Diversity in Introductory Psychology Textbook Selection: The Case for Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs)

The present study describes a culturally relevant approach to introductory psychology textbook selection for students attending a historically Black college/university (HBCU). The following multistage procedure was used: (1) a survey of HBCU psychology departments was conducted to ascertain how they selected their introductory psychology textbooks; (2) a review of the literature on introductory psychology textbook selection was performed to identify criteria; and (3) rating criteria were developed; used in the actual selection of a textbook for HBCU students; and were subjected to psychometric analysis. The psychometric analyses of 240 ratings (10 criteria X 4 raters X 6 books) involved both reliability assessment of the scale with the selection criteria as items and interrater reliability in evaluating introductory psychology textbooks. The survey of HBCU faculty yielded no consensus or systematic process from the respondents. Both internal consistency reliability and agreement among faculty were adequate on the rating instrument for the total scores and subscale scores of Quality of Learning Resources and Learning and Comprehension. However, the subscale scores for Cultural Relevance yielded mixed results by type of reliability: Interrater agreement was adequate but internal consistency reliability was poor. Future research using multiple methodologies must address the relevancy of cultural diversity for introductory psychology courses

Efficacy of Tailored Clinic Trainings to Improve Knowledge of Men Who Have Sex with Men Health Needs and Reduce Homoprejudicial Attitudes in South Africa

PURPOSE

An urgent need exists for training on men who have sex with men (MSM) health needs at public health clinics across Africa. There is also a need to consider the impact of specific training for clinicians and clinic support staff, both of whom come into contact with MSM. Consideration must also be given to the relationship between two key outcomes of such training: increased knowledge regarding MSM and their health and reductions in homoprejudicial attitudes.

METHODS

This article explores the impact of training for clinicians and clinic support staff in the Western Cape, South Africa (n = 196), where some training modules were undertaken by both groups and some modules only by clinicians. Participants were evaluated at baseline and post-training on MSM knowledge and homoprejudicial attitudes.

RESULTS

After training, both clinicians and clinic support staff showed an increase in knowledge and a reduction in homoprejudicial attitude scores, with similar proportional improvements for both groups. Additional trainings for clinicians also resulted in significant improvements in their knowledge. However, reductions in homoprejudicial attitudes were related to the type of knowledge obtained. A threshold effect in post-training knowledge scores of 9 or greater on sensitivity material significantly increased the likelihood of a reduction in homoprejudicial attitudes.

CONCLUSION

These findings show that training for both types of clinic workers is important and effective, but facilitators should be mindful of complex relationships between knowledge and homoprejudicial attitudes.

Emergency medicine residents' beliefs about contributing to an online collaborative slideshow

OBJECTIVE

Collaborative writing applications (CWAs), such as the Google DocsTM platform, can improve skill acquisition, knowledge retention, and collaboration in medical education. Using CWAs to support the training of residents offers many advantages, but stimulating them to contribute remains challenging. The purpose of this study was to identify emergency medicine (EM) residents' beliefs about their intention to contribute summaries of landmark articles to a Google DocsTM slideshow while studying for their Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) certification exam.

METHOD

Using the Theory of Planned Behavior, the authors interviewed graduating RCPSC EM residents about contributing to a slideshow. Residents were asked about behavioral beliefs (advantages/disadvantages), normative beliefs (positive/negative referents), and control beliefs (barriers/facilitators). Two reviewers independently performed qualitative content analysis of interview transcripts to identify salient beliefs in relation to the defined behaviors.

RESULTS

Of 150 eligible EM residents, 25 participated. The main reported advantage of contributing to the online slideshow was learning consolidation (n=15); the main reported disadvantage was information overload (n=3). The most frequently reported favorable referents were graduating EM residents writing the certification exam (n=16). Few participants (n=3) perceived any negative referents. The most frequently reported facilitator was peer-reviewed high-quality scientific information (n=9); and the most frequently reported barrier was time constraints (n=22).

CONCLUSION

Salient beliefs exist regarding EM residents' intention to contribute content to an online collaborative writing project using a Google DocsTM slideshow. Overall, participants perceived more advantages than disadvantages to contributing and believed that this initiative would receive wide support. However, participants reported several barriers that need to be addressed to increase contributions. Our intention is for the beliefs identified in this study to contribute to the design of a theory-based questionnaire to explore determinants of residents' intentions to contribute to an online collaborative writing project. This will help develop implementation strategies for increasing contributions to other CWAs in medical education.

Helping When They Are Listening: A Midterm Study Skills Intervention forIntroductory Psychology

This study examined the effectiveness of a study skills training session offered at midterm to students enrolled in a large section of Introductory Psychology. In the training session, students watched a series of five, short videos on effective learning and answered related clicker questions that encouraged them to reflect their own study strategies and beliefs about learning. Students across all levels of course performance rated the training as helpful and effective. Although there were no differences in subsequent study time and metacognitive skills between students who attended the training and those who did not, students who attended the training gained insight into some of the limitations of their own past study strategies. Additionally, although students who chose to attend the training had lower scores on exams taken prior to training, the difference between those groups disappeared for exams that followed training. Embedding study skills training into an existing course at a point in the semester when students are highly motivated to change and can meaningfully reflect on their own past course performance appears to be a useful pedagogical strategy for introductory-level students.