Thematic relations affect similarity via commonalities

Thematic relations are an important source of perceived similarity. For instance, the rowing theme of boats and oars increases their perceived similarity. The mechanism of this effect, however, has not been specified previously. We investigated whether thematic relations affect similarity by increasing commonalities or by decreasing differences. In Experiment 1, thematic relations affected similarity more than difference, thereby producing a non-inversion of similarity and difference. Experiment 2 revealed substantial individual variability in the preference for thematic relations and, consequently in the non-inversion of ratings. In sum, the experiments demonstrated a non-inversion of similarity and difference that was caused by thematic relations and exhibited primarily by a subgroup of participants. These results indicate that thematic relations affect perceived similarity by increasing the contribution of commonalities rather than by decreasing the contribution of differences

What Attracts Men Who Batter to Their Partners? An Exploratory Study

Men who batter, because of particular personality traits and sense of entitlement, may select partners whom they perceive will be dependent on them, meet their emotional needs, or be “objects” of physical attractiveness. During treatment intake, 181 offenders responded to the question, “What attracted you to her (your partner)?” We explored whether men who mentioned their own needs or her physical traits would engage in more frequent and severe violence and would have specific forms of personality disorder dimensions or personality traits. Six categories of attraction, including “her physical traits” and “his needs,” were derived from the men’s responses. The results showed that men who focused on their partners’ physical attractiveness were more likely to be violent after treatment. Men who cited their own needs for their attraction had higher scores on borderline personality, alcohol abuse, and psychotic thinking and lower scores on compulsive-conformingPeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89970/1/Saunders-Kurko-Barlow-Crane 2011 What Attracts Men Who Batter to Their Partners JIV.pd

Learning New Practices in Small Business: Engagement and Localised Support

Discusses the findings of a study that investigated how the learning of innovative practices might best proceed in small businesses. The recent implementation of the Goods and Service Tax (GST) in Australia presented an opportunity for understanding how small business operatives learned to implement a new practice. The procedures comprised semi¬-structured interviews with 30 small businesses about how they had learned about and implemented the GST. A case study was written about each small business' experience that were verified for their accuracy by each small business. These case studies became the data source. It was found that the small business operatives that appeared to have learned most about the GST were those who were highly engaged in the task of learning about the GST - active learners and also accessed high levels of support from localised sources. A typology comprising dimensions of support needed and engagement by small business operatives was synthesised from the findings and is discussed

Leadership conversations: the impact on patient environments

Purpose – The aim of this study is to examine 15 NHS acute trusts in England that achieved high scores at all their hospitals in the first four national Patient Environment audits. No common external explanations were discernible. This paper seeks to examine whether the facilities managers responsible for the Patient Environment displayed a consistent leadership style. Design/methodology/approach – Overall, six of the 15 trusts gave permission for the research to take place and a series of unstructured interviews and observations were arranged with 22 facilities managers in these trusts. Responses were transcribed and categorised through multiple iteration. Findings – The research found common leadership and managerial behaviours, many of which could be identified from other literature. The research also identified managers deliberately devoting energy and time to creating networks of conversations. This creation of networks through managing conversation is behaviour less evident in mainstream leadership literature or in the current Department of Health and NHS leadership models. Practical implications – The findings of this study offer managers (particularly those in FM and managers across NHS) a unique insight into the potential impact of leaders giving an opportunity to re-model thinking on management and leadership and the related managerial development opportunities. It provides the leverage to move facilities management from the role of a commodity or support service, to a position as a true enabler of business. Originality/value – Original research is presented in a previously under-examined area. The paper illuminates how facilities management within trusts achieving high Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT) scores is led.</p

Revisiting the Far Right Violent Extremist Threat: Violent Extremist Plot Success From 1948 Through 2017

Far Right violent extremists have successfully executed over 150 violent plots in the United States in just the past decade. This exploratory study analyzed Far Right violent extremist plot success with the plot success of Islamist violent extremists, Far Left violent extremists, and Single Issue violent extremists based on publicly available data from the Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the United States (PIRUS) for the period of 1948 through 2017. By evaluating existing literature on Far Right violent extremism and analyzing the available PIRUS data, it was discovered that while Far Right violent extremists executed more successful violent plots than the other violent ideological extremist groups, Far Left violent extremists proportionally had more successful violent plots. A sample from the PIRUS database was explored, and the analysis demonstrates that the variables of Far Left radicalization, violence against persons and property, and plot preparation are significantly correlated with violent plot success

Community building with people of Mexican decent [sic] living in the United States

This study explored community building as a method for addressing the problems faced by Mexican Immigrant and Mexican American communities. One of the assumptions that underpinned this study is that community building can be used to counteract racist attitudes toward ethnic minorities. Historically, people of Mexican descent have been the victims of such attitutudes have found their way in oppressive social and economic policy

Historical Analysis of African Immigrants with Specific Reference to Ethiopia: their Cultural Adaptation, Resiliency and Implication for Social Work Practice

Because of political unrest, civil wars, and economic problems in Africa, the number of African immigrants entering the United States since 1960 has greatly escalated. Beginning in 1914, for example, when junior military officers overthrew Emperor Haile Selassie\u27s Government up to 1991, a year in which a new group took over power and introduced the administration of the country based on ethnic lines to the present time, thousands of Ethiopians fled their country to escape execution, torture, and arbitrary arrest. Although those Ethiopians who did so managed to avoid political and economic sufferings at home, the new way of life and cultural adaptation in America became extremely challenging. The purpose of this study is to analyze the historical restraints and impediments that awaited African, especially Ethiopian immigrants in the United States. The significance of this study is to review and to analyze previous studies and provide social workers and professionals dealing with human services an understanding of pre- and post- immigration experiences of Ethiopian/African immigrants in order to guide them to render efficiently the required social services

Psychological Contracts, OCB and Customer Service: An Exploratory Examination

This paper examines the relationships among the psychological contract, fairness, OCB, and customer service. We report on two exploratory studies that provide insight into psychological contract violations and subsequent perceptions of fairness, as well as OCB activity. A linkage is made between psychological contracts and behavior directed internally and those directed externally (i.e., customer service). We extend the current theory to suggest implications for effectively managing customer service employee OCB. Finally, suggestions are made for both practice and future research to be conducted in a multidisciplinary design

An analysis of institutional engagement: perceptions of faculty, staff and administration in the College of Agriculture at Iowa State University

Significant movement is afoot in higher education around a reinvigoration of civic engagement as well as efforts to reform the \u27ivory tower\u27 from societal isolation and irrelevance. This movement is based on the assumption that land grant institutions should play a key role in sustaining our democracy and collaborating to solve complex societal problems. Against this backdrop, in February 1999, the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities issued the third of its reports, Returning to Our Roots: The Engaged Institution (NASULGC, 1999), calling for greater institutional engagement with society. Specifically the Commission concluded that it is time to go beyond outreach and service to engagement. By engagement, the commission refers to institutions that have redesigned their teaching, research, and extension functions to become even more sympathetically and productively involved with their communities (NASULGC 1999b, p vii).;In light of the Kellogg Commission report, the purpose of this research project was to assess the organizational structure in order to address leadership issues needed to facilitate the engagement agenda. The purpose of this research project was to use Iowa State Universities College of Agriculture internal stakeholders (faculty, staff and administrators) as a starting point to better understand the process of building and maintaining institutional engagement. The study had three specific objectives: (1) to build and apply a conceptual framework based on organizational adaptation theory, literature and the researcher\u27s experience, (2) to empirically describe, by applying the conceptual framework, how college\u27s of agriculture, build and maintain an engagement agenda; and (3) to seek commonalties across these descriptions that will add in advancing the engagement agenda within other disciplines in higher education. In order to meet the purpose and objective of this study the following research questions were asked: (1) Is there a clear sense of what engagement means among various institutional stakeholders? (2) Do college of agriculture internal stakeholders (faculty, staff and administration) have a clear commitment to the basic idea of engagement? (3) Is there strong support from institutional stakeholders for infusing engagement into the teaching, research and outreach activities of the college of agriculture