Competency for Execution: Factors Affecting the Judgement of Forensic Psychologists

The determination of a death-row inmate\u27s competency to be executed is a compelling ethical issue for mental health professionals. It has been suggested that forensic psychologists who offer such services to the courts may tend to approach the problem of determining competency by diverse and unstandardized methods (Grisson, 1986). Heilbrun (1986) has questioned the effect of the psychologist\u27s potential death penalty bias on the outcome of the evaluation process. Death penalty attitudes have a demonstrated effect on the decision-making processes of capital jurors who are death-qualified, (willing to impose the death penalty under some circumstances) or excludable (unwilling to consider the death penalty under any circumstances) (Fitzgerald & Ellsworth, 1984). The present study surveyed Ph.D. clinical psychologists specializing in forensic services to the courts to determine which characteristics associated with the inmate (mitigating factors and behavior on death-row) ; the capital crime- aggravating factors); or the evaluating psychologist (death-qualified or excludable) might be related to the final decision of the inmate\u27s competency to be executed. Results indicated that death-qualified but not excludable psychologists were significantly more likely to assess an inmate as competent for execution when the inmate had committed a premeditated or a heinous crime or when the inmate had been diagnosed as a sociopath. The competency decisions of the death-qualified psychologists were not affected by the presence of any mitigating factors, whereas the excludable psychologists appeared more likely than the death-qualified to consider mitigating circumstances, although the relationship did not achieve statistical significance. The results were interpreted within Wrightsman\u27s (1991) assertion that the first dilemma between law and psychology is belief in the protection of the rights of the accused versus protection of society at large. The sensitivity of death-qualified psychologists to aggravating factors may tend to indicate that they might align themselves on the side of protecting society at large while the excludable psychologists who are so strongly opposed to the death penalty that they would refuse to consider imposing it even under extraordinary circumstances of crime might tend to align themselves with protection of the rights of the accused

An Empirical Investigation of the Role Of Ownership in Creating Sustained School Reform

School reform policies have failed to produce sustained positive changes in education practice. Theories of school change provide structure to reform policy. Program evaluations focus on implementation and outcomes but seldom test the theoretical assumptions of the initiative. This study tested theory, specifically the influence of ownership , against the experience of Reading First Ohio. This literacy program was implemented in elementary schools in low performing and very low socio-economic status urban and rural public districts in Ohio from 2003-2009. Archival data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The analysis confirmed that the constructs of leadership and classroom change are mutually critical elements in school reform. The model failed to identify specific variables within the initiative structure that were tightly aligned to the theoretical assumptions. This study has implications for strengthening school reform polic

How Do a Group of Trainee Primary Teachers Collaborate Discursively?

The research took place in a UK context and explores how a group of graduate-level trainee primary-school teachers collaborated discursively on a final year assessment task. It examines how one high-achieving group develop their ideas over time, discursively construct roles within the group and identify themselves as a group through their use of language. The thesis draws on a case-study using audio/video recording of the group over the course of three meetings. It also includes an initial study of extracts of talk involving five other groups. The talk is transcribed and a discourse-analytical approach is applied to the data. Individual participant evaluations of the case-study group-work are also used to shed further light on the trainees’ perspective of their group collaboration. Several factors emerge as important in the successful operation of the high-achieving group. These include an attention to shared common knowledge, a collective identity as teachers, the use of the first person plural to emphasise collective activity as a group, exploratory talk, the use of humour in promoting teamwork and the adoption of negative politeness strategies to manage relations between speakers (Leech 2014). It appeared from their discourse that participants shared the leadership of the task and also realised some of the other team-roles discussed by Belbin (1993; 2010). An additional team-role emerged through the data as, the Humorist, which acted in maintaining conviviality and building solidarity within the group. The potential significance of this thesis for education is that it shows how a successful group of trainee-teachers collaborate in their discussion; and how in the process, they produce themselves as a team. It also offers an addition to the management literature in proposing a new metaphor to replace Tuckman (1965) and shows how team-roles based on psychometric testing and self-perception may be realised in authentic discourse

Investigating the genes for bile acid metabolism in nocardioform bacteria

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of' the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of Science in the field ·of Biotechnology. February 1991.Nocardioform bacteria were studied for their ability to interconvert bile acids. From the studies of utilisation and resistance curves, the most suitable donor and recipient strains for complementary gene cloning, were Arthrobacter oxydans strain C1 and Rhodococcus erythropolis strain ATCC 4217-1 respectively. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version]MT201

HENRY CARTER STUART: VIRGINIA FARMER - POLITICIAN, 1855-1933

Henry Carter Stuart was a prominent farmer and wealthy businessman in Southwestern Virginia. He was a politician in the hard fought Redeem the Ninth Congressional election of 1910. And, he was elected, unopposed in both the primary and general elections, to the governorship of Virginia in 1913. Although he reached the highest political office in the State, Virginia history gives Stuart no more than a mere mention. It was because of this lack of recognition that I selected to study Henry Carter Stuart. My purpose was to determine if he had been unfairly accorded the position of relative unimportance, or if Stuart, by virtue of his own action, failed to qualify himself for a place in Virginia history. Stuart was not the type of person to permit people to know about him or his private and business affairs. His descendants believe that before he died, he destroyed his private letters and papers. Therefore, it was necessary to compile this study through research of his associates, by interviews with is descendants and other people who knew him in the 1920\u27s and 1930\u27s, and through study of the political conditions during the time that Stuart was active in Virginia politics. The man who has received so little recognition of his political record evidentally preferred to leave no record at all. Therefore, I submit this study of Henry Carter Stuart: Virginia farmer, politician and incidentally, Governor

Ethics Research in the Context of Social Media

In this paper we position a perspective for exploring ethical issues in the context of social media which we conceptualise as an instance of an information system (IS) artefact. We follow a general systems theory-informed view of the IS artefact (and hence social media), constituted by social, technology and information components. Information is placed at the nexus of the social and technology subsystems and positioned at the centre of moral claims. Differences between distinguishing characteristics of social media and IS artefacts that preceded its development and use raise new ethical issues and call into question the efficacy of applied ethics concepts in use in the IS field of study to effectively address these. We submit that new perspectives are needed for research exploring ethical issues associated with social media

Derby Fisheries, Individual Quotas, and Transition in the Fish Processing Industry

Processors adapt to the pulse of landings in derby fisheries by investing in large-scale facilities capable of preserving and storing fish products. In fisheries where the pulse of landings suppresses the ability of processors to meet consumer demand for fresh product, the imposition of individual quota (IQ) systems transforms the associated fish processing industry. The cost of fresh fish processing is generally lower and more malleable than that for preserved fish, and consumers may pay a price premium for fresh product, which creates an opportunity for entry by fresh-fish processors and results in higher equilibrium ex-vessel prices. Incumbent firms are likely to experience an economic dislocation due to a diminished value of nonmalleable capital used to preserve and store fish products. Our paper generalizes and provides a modeling framework for the observed changes in the British Columbian halibut harvester/processor industry complex following the introduction of an IQ system.Derby fishery, individual quotas, pulse of landings, fish processing, fresh fish, preserved fish, product forms, ex-vessel price, wholesale fish price, processing capital, malleability, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q13, Q22,

Growing Your Small Market Farm Business Planning Program

Small farm business enterprises receive technical advice and planning assistance

'Baptism of Fire': The First Year in the Life of a Newly Qualified Social Worker.

This paper describes research commissioned by Skills for Care South West to identify and track the learning and development needs of newly qualified social workers through their first year of employment. The perceptions of 22 newly qualified social workers based in statutory settings are reported concerning the effectiveness of the social work degree (England), their induction and probationary periods and their progress towards post-qualifying social work education as part of their continuing professional development. The perspectives of line managers, people who use services and carers are also discussed. Findings from the research suggest that the social work degree has been well received by most newly qualified social workers and highlights the perceived importance of a statutory placement for social work degree students. Key social work practice skills that require further development are identified and a rationale is presented for greater investment in the induction and probationary periods of newly qualified social workers