A model of downward abusive communication: exploring relationships between cognitive complexity, downward communicative adaptability, and downward abusive communication

Thesis (M.A.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2013A model was proposed to understand the antecedents of abusive supervision. Relationships were explored between cognitive complexity, downward communicative adaptability, and downward abusive communication. Superiors from various organizations were asked to take an online survey which measured superiors' cognitive complexity, downward communicative adaptability and abusive supervision. There was no evidence to support H1, which linked cognitive complexity to downward communicative adaptability, but there was evidence for H2, which stated that downward communicative adaptability was negatively correlated with downward abusive communication. The RCQ proved to be reliable but its validity was questioned in the present study which is why H1 may not have been supported.Chapter 1. Theory and research -- 1.1. Abusive supervision -- 1.2. Cognitive complexity -- 1.2.1. Constructs -- 1.2.2. Cognitive complexity -- 1.2.3. Effects of cognitive complexity -- 1.2.3.1. Relational compatibility -- 1.2.3.2. Interpersonal problem solving -- 1.2.3.3. Perceptual differentiation -- 1.3. Communicative adaptability -- 1.3.1. Effects of communicative adaptability -- 1.3.1.1. Interpersonal attraction -- 1.3.1.2. Friendship formation -- 1.3.1.3. Conflict management -- 1.4. Linking cognitive complexity to communicative adaptability -- 1.5. Abusive supervision -- 1.5.1. Individual difference variables as causes of abusive supervision -- 1.5.1.1. Personality characteristics -- 1.5.1.2. Demographic characteristics -- 1.5.1.3. Supervisors' beliefs -- 1.6. Linking communicative adaptability to abusive communication -- 1.7. Hypotheses -- 2. Research methodology -- 2.1. Participants -- 2.2. Procedures -- 2.3. Measures -- 2.3.1. Cognitive complexity -- 2.3.2. Downward commicative adaptability -- 2.3.3. Downward abusive communication -- Chapter 3. Results -- 3.1.1. Linking cognitive complexity with downward communicative adaptability -- 3.1.2. Linking downward communicative adaptability and downward abusive commication -- Chapter 4. Discussion -- References

Examining the differences between university students' levels of resilience on mindfulness, psychological distress and coping strategies

University students can face numerous stressors which can contribute to the development of psychological distress shown to be associated with decreasing completion and retention issues throughout Australian universities (Willcoxson, Cotter, & Joy, 2011). A positive predictor and outcome of successful student coping and adjustment to university and retention outcomes is resilience, the ability to cope in difficult situations and bounce back from adversity. Mindfulness has also been shown to be promote resilience. The present study examined differences in psychological distress, mindfulness, and coping strategies (adaptive vs. maladaptive) in university students (N = 122) with high and low levels of resilience. The results of a one-way MANOVA were consistent with hypotheses, revealing higher resilience scores were associated with greater mindfulness, higher adaptive coping scores, lower maladaptive coping, and reduced psychological distress. Students in the low resilience group were also found to have significantly lower levels of mindfulness, higher levels of psychological distress, reduced use of adaptive coping, and greater use of maladaptive coping, when compared to students with high resilience levels. Overall, findings of the current study are consistent with previous research and highlight the potential benefit of mindfulness-based coping interventions to foster resilience in university students

Professional issues in maternal mental health scale (PIMMHS): The development and initial validation of a brief and valid measure

Introduction:The life-threatening consequences of perinatal mental health problems (PMHP) are well documented. Midwives are ideally placed to effectively identify women at risk and facilitate early intervention. However, a multitude of factors contribute to failure in recognition and treatment. It would be of value for service providers to be able to identify key professional issues in their own context. The present study sought to develop and evaluate a ‘professional issues in maternal mental health’ scale (PIMMHS), explore its psychometric properties and potential application.Methods:A cross-sectional design and instrument evaluation approach was taken to investigate the psychometric properties of the PIMMHS. A total of 266 student midwives from 10 UK institutions completed the PIMMHS via Survey Monkey.Results:PIMMHS comprises two sub-scales of emotion/communication (PIMMHSEmotion sub-scale) and training (PIMMHS-Training sub-scale). Both PIMMHS subscales demonstrate adequate divergent and convergent validity. Sub-optimal internal consistency was observed for the training sub-scale, however, the PIMMHS-Training had a more impressive effect size in terms of known-groups discriminant validity compared to PIMMHS-Emotion.Conclusions:The PIMMHS appears to be a sound psychometric instrument for assessing professional issues that influence the practice of student midwives in PMH. The PIMMHS could support education providers to identify areas for curriculum development, as well as maternity services in proactive assessment of service provision, to identify training and service development opportunities

Fitting-in: Sociocultural Adaptation of International Graduate Students

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between sociocultural adaptation of international graduate students and selected demographic characteristics, and to explore the students’ perceptions of institutional support with regard to their adaptation. A three-phased, mixed methods approach was used to study international graduate students at a private, urban, mid-sized, Northeastern university. Preliminary discussion groups (N = 42), followed by a questionnaire (N = 129), and then follow-up focus groups (N = 11), resulted in 28 statistically significant findings and five major themes. These findings resulted in recommendations for: improving university communication with international students, expanding international orientation, including more Americans in international activities, expanding English language improvement activities, and continually assessing international programs

African American Students on a Predominantly White Campus: Stressful Experiences and Coping Strategies

Stressful experiences and coping strategies were examined in African American college students at a predominantly white institution. The Ways of Coping-Revised and the Survey of Recent Life Experiences were mailed to all full-time African American students both on and off campus. The results indicated that African American students are not more likely to experience high stress; that stress level does not predetermine coping strategy and that academic class standing does not influence stress level. However, females are likely to experience more stress due to the pressures of time than males. Furthermore, Wishful Thinking was preferred by students who encounter high stress experiences. Administrators and counselors must consider unique attributes of African American students to help them reach their full potential

"Debating as a classroom tool for adapting learning outcomes to the European higher education area"

The creation of the European Higher Education Area has meant a number of significant changes to the educational structures of the university community. In particular, the new system of European credits has generated the need for innovation in the design of curricula and teaching methods. In this paper, we propose debating as a classroom tool that can help fulfill these objectives by promoting an active student role in learning. To demonstrate the potential of this tool, a classroom experiment was conducted in a bachelor’s degree course in Industrial Economics (Regulation and Competition), involving a case study in competition policy and incorporating the techniques of a conventional debate (presentation of standpoints, turns, right to reply and summing up). The experiment yielded gains in student attainment and positive assessments of the subject. In conclusion, the incorporation of debating activities helps students to acquire the skills, be they general or specific, required to graduate successfully in Economics.European Higher Education Area; Debating; Industrial Organization; Academic Success; European Credit Transfer System. JEL classification:A23, B4, I2.

Recent Advances in Academic Performance Analysis

[EN] Academic performance analysis has gained popularity in the past decade. Using various prediction and classification methods, researchers aim to provide clues to help students to improve their performance, and to assist educational institutions to improve quality and make better administrative decisions. This work provides a brief survey of 56 papers related to academic performance prediction, published in 2019 and 2020. Statistics and analysis on the prediction target categories, the target population size, prediction and classification methodologies used, and evaluation metrics are presented. It is found that the most commonly used techniques are decision tree, ensemble methods, and neural networks. Futhermore, these techniques also give the highest accuracy in their target prediction.Zhang, L.; Li, KF.; Bourguiba, I. (2021). Recent Advances in Academic Performance Analysis. En 7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 607-614. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd21.2021.13196OCS60761