Effects of self-construals on university students' causal attributions, self-efficacy beliefs, and self-handicapping behavior.

Participants were administered the Self-Construal Scale (Singelis, 1994), the Implicit Theory Measure (Dweck & Henderson, 1989), the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Survey (Midgley et al., 2000), the subject-specific self-efficacy scale used in Bong's (2000) research, the Revised Causal Dimension Scale (McAuley, Duncan, & Russell, 1992), and measures of perceived importance of pervasive causal factors and confidence developed by the research.The primary purpose of the present study was to examine the applicability of the model and Singelis' argument by investigating individuals in the same cultural setting (United States). In particular, the present study explored the relationships between each self-construal and the following psychological constructs: causal attribution patterns, levels of self-efficacy and confidence, implicit theory of ability, and use of self-handicapping strategies. In addition, the present study was aimed at examining associations between level of self-efficacy and causal attributions, and confirming the predictive power of self-efficacy for academic achievement.Markus and Kitayama (1991) have presented a self-construal model and identified two types of self-images held by individuals in individualistic and collectivistic cultures. The model proposes that individualists tend to have self-images that emphasize the uniqueness of the individual (independent self-construal), while collectivists tend to have self-images that emphasize connectedness with others (interdependent self-construal). Furthermore, the model illustrates how these two types of self-images differently reflect on cognition, emotion, and motivation. Arguing that the two types of self-images coexist within an individual, Singelis (1994) has extended the model to apply to interpret variations in psychological patterns demonstrated by individuals in the same type of cultures.The results showed that individuals who scored higher on the independent self-construal measure demonstrated self-enhancement in some of the attribution patterns, while those who scored higher on the interdependent self-construal measure did not exhibit self-enhancement in regard to the corresponding attributions. Additionally, the latter exhibited lower self-efficacy compared to the former. These findings supported the model and Singelis' argument by demonstrating variations in causal attributions and self-efficacy as related to individual differences in the level of each self-construal. However, some findings were inconsistent with the self-construal theory, and thus indicate a need to re-examine the model

Does the Welfare State Affect Individual Attitudes towards Immigrants? Evidence Across Countries

This paper analyzes welfare-state determinants of individual attitudes towards immigrants - within and across countries - and their interaction with labor-market drivers of preferences. We consider two different mechanisms through which a redistributive welfare system might adjust as a result of immigration. In the first model, immigration has a larger impact on individuals at the top of the income distribution, while under the second model it is low-income individuals who are most affected through this channel. Individual attitudes are consistent with the first welfare-state model and with labor-market determinants of immigration attitudes. In countries where natives are on average more skilled than immigrants, individual income is negatively correlated with pro-immigration preferences, while individual skill is positively correlated with them. These relationships have the opposite signs in economies characterized by skilled migration (relative to the native population). These results are confirmed when we exploit international differences in the characteristics of destination countries' welfare state

Three essays on racial discrimination

The first chapter shows that small business owners in credit markets, in particular minority owners, have difficulty in securing sources of capital for their business operation in spite of their economic importance. The literature on credit market discrimination shows consistent results that can be interpreted as evidence that minority owners are discriminated against compared to their counterparts (i.e., white owners) in obtaining loans, which may be caused by lenders' discrimination, although such behavior is prohibited under current fair-lending laws. The first chapter uses pooled cross sectional data from the Survey of Small Business Finances (1993, 1998, and 2003) and a bivariate probit model based on Heckman's approach to deal with sample selection bias for those choosing to apply for loans that has been ignored in analyses of credit markets for small businesses owners. Our analyses confirm previous results suggesting that minority owners are discriminated against in credit markets. The second chapter examines the determinants of discriminatory preferences. The economic literature mainly presumes that racial preferences are exogenous in explaining racial disparities. The research in this area, however, has shown that economic and noneconomic considerations can influence racially prejudiced sentiments. The second chapter adds to the literature by 1) combining repeated cross-sectional survey data - from multiple waves (1976-2018) of the General Social Survey (GSS) - to get more precise estimates and test statistics with more power; 2) conducting regression analyses with different model specifications to show the robustness of the empirical results; 3) showing how empirical results are affected when careful controls for age, period, and cohort are included in the model; and 4) using a quantile regression approach to examine whether there exist differential effects of the variables of interest across the entire distribution of discriminatory preferences. Our findings show that unemployment rates are closely associated with discriminatory preferences, which is consistent with what classical labor market competition theories predict. Also, education seems to be particularly important in predicting discriminatory preferences, especially at the upper end of the preference distribution. The third chapter argues that it is important to investigate how age, period, and cohort impact the shift in racial preference, since any temporal change can be attributed to the effects of these three variables. However, it is noteworthy that there are few attempts in this area that examine the effects of these three time-dimensional variables in explaining the shifts in racial preference, reflecting the difficulties of obtaining estimates due to the linear dependence among them. To separate the contributions of age, period, and cohort on racial preference, the third chapter uses the General Social Survey from multiple waves (1972-2018) and estimates the bounds of the effects instead of obtaining point estimates. Our bounding analyses, combined with theoretical assumptions, is consistent with the theory in allowing for positive effects of age on discriminatory preferences, which interact with negative effects of period and cohort in explaining changing discriminatory preferences over time. These findings suggest that discriminatory preferences in the United States will continue to show a general downward trend, although there may be variations over time.Includes bibliographical references

Universal Screening and Progress Monitoring Within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports

Multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) is a systemic framework that includes response to intervention (RTI) and positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) practices, yet the combination of academic and behavioral supports is still foreign to many districts. Universal screening and progress monitoring is one component of many MTSS frameworks across the country; however, some states have chosen to incorporate it within other components, leaving it off the statewide visual model. This study, Universal Screening and Progress Monitoring within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports, is a qualitative study that focused on teacher perceptions of their school’s universal screening and progress monitoring practices. The perceptions of educators are what drive implementation with fidelity; therefore, the study included gaining insights from five focus groups within two different school districts. The major categories what were identified include (a) systems, (b) leadership, (c) intervention, (d) data, and (e) collaboration, with teachers expressing all of the categories as necessary in creating appropriate universal screening and progress monitoring practices that meet the needs of all students, regardless of their label. Systems that support appropriate practices include what district-level direction is provided as well as the MTSS system itself. Effective leadership was identified as a shared leadership model with a representative team, rather than one leader, consistently ensuring best practices through joint decision-making. A focus on appropriate intervention for students with behavioral needs was evident in this study as well as making certain that plans of adequate intensity are provided to meet the needs of students. Consistent progress monitoring practices ensure that educators are taking data and using data to drive decisions to write appropriate plans for students. Collaboration is what supports the entire process, with teaming being identified as the most important for all focus groups. These five categories reinforce the thinking that universal screening and progress monitoring practices are essential and need to be in the forefront of state models in order for the MTSS framework to seamlessly work for all students

The Traits, Characteristics, and Qualities of International Christian School Teachers Valued by Third Culture Kids

The Problem. In this qualitative study, 24 participants, ages 18-30, who had previously attended international Christian schools for at least 2 years at the secondary level, or a combination of 4 years at the primary and middle school levels, were interviewed to determine the traits, characteristics, and qualities they valued in their teachers. Methodology. Incorporating principles of Grounded Theory, a series of rigorous steps associated with the validity process of Grounded Theory construction was employed. These steps included the simultaneous involvement of the researcher in the data collection and analysis process. Twenty-four participants were interviewed, and written notes were taken during each interview. An initial coding construction was applied to such notes. All interviews were recorded and transcribed before being uploading to NVivo 9 Software, where 200 categories and subcategories for analysis were created and the development of multiple tree maps was incorporated to explore data connections. Additional coding processes further reduced the number of categories and subcategories for analysis to 51. Combining the practices of continual data comparison, repeated coding processes were employed. From this practice, along with the creation of additional tree maps, graphic representations, and vigorous memo writing, several theoretical categories and a common theme emerged from the data. This resulted in the construction of three primary findings identifying the traits, characteristics, and qualities TCKs valued in international Christian school teachers. These findings were then situated within an extensive literature review. Results. This study provides insight into the traits, characteristics, and qualities of the ideal international Christian school teacher desired and valued by Third Culture Kids (TCKs). For the first time, the voice of the TCK has been codified in respect to their preferences and dislikes of teachers they interact with on a daily basis. The findings of this study point to the multi-dimensional significance an effective teacher has on the lives of TCKs. Such teachers should be qualified and experienced, well versed in the subject matter they teach, and possess a vast array of effective pedagogical practices. They also need to possess a dual-focused desire to not only teach TCKs well, but to interact with them on deeper relational levels than is often experienced or expected by teachers in a mono-cultural setting. TCKs in international Christian schools also desire their teachers to demonstrate levels of care toward them (academically, personally, and spiritually) and model adult Christian living. Finally, TCKs value teachers who value what they hold as dearly important: culture. They desire teachers who respect and embrace cultural differences and can learn and teach from cultural perspectives. This study identifies that an international Christian school teacher need not be perfect, but they do need to be adept teachers possessing proven pedagogical knowledge and associated skill sets that enable them to genuinely relate to students and engage them in meaningful learning experiences. TCKs value educational excellence, but just as importantly, they value quality investment in their lives by Christian teachers who respect them, model adult Christian living, and value their cultural experiences and differences

Energy Justice in Dhaka's Slums

Access to energy is widely acknowledged to be a fundamental determinant of human wellbeing and a key element of poverty alleviation. The UN Sustainable Development Goal SDG7, target 1 demands that by 2030, we are to ‘ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services.’ This is an exceptionally ambitious aspiration, given that around one billion people live without electricity and about three billion, most of whom reside in the global South, depend on cooking with solid fuels. Research on the challenges of universal energy access for the urban poor has potential to contribute to substantial quality-of-life improvements for a vast population. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex and inequitable socio-technical infrastructures underlying access to energy for households in particularly challenging environments, the slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The nascent energy justice debate is far from comprehensive at this stage of its development, with a deficiency in studies in the global South and for household scale analyses. Scholarship to date is largely situated in the North and presents global or national scale principles. An understanding of the concepts around particularities of cities of the global South developed in the Southern urban critique provides an informative entry point for energy justice deliberations relating to informal settlements in poor cities. Through engaging with the capability approach, this thesis develops a detailed appreciation of the effects of energy injustices on households and individuals in a case study slum, Kalyanpur Pora Bostee in Dhaka. In these terms, this thesis opens a new dialogue between energy justice, the capability approach, and the Southern urban critique to develop a new framework for energy justice – a framework designed specifically for urban poverty conditions in the global South. The framework presents key principles for energy justice in this environment, and maps relationships and dependencies between those principles

Identification of success factors in the implementation of computer-integrated manufacturing

The review of recent literature showed a clear trend within the manufacturing sector toward the integration of design and production activities through increased application of the computer. The competitive advantages of computer integration were reported, as well as increased risk due to the amount of time and capital expended in system implementation. The identification of computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) success factors may reduce this risk. Prior efforts to identify success factors for other areas of endeavor showed that success factors tended to vary with the four project phases, but were stable over time within a particular phase. More recently, empirical derivations of success factors have been attempted. Using project success assessment dimensions similar to the Project Implementation Profile (Pinto & Slevin, 1988), this study was undertaken to better understand the success factors during the implementation phase of CIM systems. Using a modified Delphi methodology, an initial mail questionnaire was sent to 2,298 persons self-identified as manufacturing engineers interested in CIM. From the 415 returns (19.1% adjusted response rate), a pool of potential success factors was obtained. Following analysis by a jury of review, a second questionnaire containing 51 probable success factors was constructed and mailed to 105 potential respondents. Each of these individuals identified themselves as experienced in CIM implementation projects, and were willing to evaluate the factors with respect to project success dimensions. An adjusted response rate of 71% for this second questionnaire was obtained. Using these returns, an aligned comparison of factor means showed significant differences between the success groupings on three items. Prioritizing the factor means yielded the identification of seven items as key success factors. Additionally, support for the time-stability of those factors was offered. Finally, a step-wise, linear discriminant analysis revealed that the success classification of the respondents could be predicted with an estimated 82% accuracy, based on the user assessments of six factors. The findings of this project suggest that the support of those persons charged with evaluating a CIM implementation project is more important than the support of other involved personnel, the technical factors, or the experience aspects of the project. Application of the results in aptitude assessment and risk analysis were recommended. Further study of the reduced set of success factors using improved measures of project success was also recommended