Elder financial abuse based on victim–perpetrator relationship as perceived by Asian young adults

Objective: The current study aimed to examine how Asian adults perceive the severity of elder financial abuse (EFA) based on victim–perpetrator relationship and the explanations they give for minimizing it when the perpetrator is a close family member. Background: Financial abuse, one of the fastest growing forms of abuse in the elderly population, has remained understudied, especially in Asian communities, due to cultural variations in its definition and perception. Method: A mixed‐methods study design was utilized. One hundred sixty‐four participants responded to two vignettes depicting EFA perpetrated by a close family member (son) and nonfamily member (neighbor). Results: Paired samples t test found significant differences in severity ratings of EFA committed by son and neighbor within Asian adults. The qualitative report explored participants' explanations for minimizing EFA perpetrated by close family member using thematic analysis, which identified two major themes: (a) dismissal of severity and responsibility and (2) justification of abuse. Conclusion: This is one of the few studies to provide valuable insight into the influence of culture on perceptions of elder abuse. Implications: With the elderly population in Asia increasing steadily, culturally relevant risk factors of abuse need to be identified because this could guide legal provisions that help protect the rights of older individuals

Understanding of Abstract Nouns in Linguistic Disciplines

AbstractDespite centuries of studying abstract nouns, linguists have so far failed to come to unanimous understanding of this category but agree on the ambiguity of the term and the concept itself. The main issue every researcher faces is the lack of clearly defined term ‘abstract’. Moreover, there have been suggested numerous and diverse approaches to distinguishing between abstract and concrete nouns ranging from selected formal grammar criteria to semantic and extra linguistic parameters. This paper aims at considering the existing methods of determining abstract words with an attempt to understand which are better applicable. Besides, the article covers the progress in this research covering the period from Ancient Greece to present day researchers in various fields of knowledge, including but not limited to linguistics, clinical psychology, and philosophy, as all these areas propose their own outlook on the issue of the nature of abstractions and their distinction from concrete words

Bringing books back: enhancing the understanding of psychotherapy in psychology students through book club participation

Background: The experiential and reflective nature of psychotherapeutic training is not always captured in undergraduate psychology teaching, therefore, there is a need for educational strategies that provide opportunities for deeper understanding of the therapeutic process. Objective: This article evaluates one such strategy—A Book Club, to support the understanding of psychotherapeutic practice and mental health in Psychology undergraduate students at a private university in Dubai, UAE. Method: Psychotherapy-related books were assigned as prior reading each month, which were then discussed in the group meetings facilitated by clinically experienced Psychology lecturers. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were carried out with students and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Four primary themes were generated—(1) Diversity in perspectives, (2) Autonomous learning environment, (3) Reality orientation, and (4) Sparking self-insight. The results highlight that Book Clubs are useful in fostering deeper conceptualizations of the therapeutic relationship, visualizing future careers in psychotherapy, and promoting self-awareness among students. Conclusion: Discussions centred around books can provide students with discourse opportunities that enhance students’ interpersonal skills and improve student engagement. Teaching Implication: Book clubs can be a useful platform for teachers to help students connect the knowledge that they have previously acquired in the classroom with real-life experiences of psychotherapists described in books

Evaluating student evaluations: Evidence of gender bias against women in higher education based on perceived learning and instructor personality.

Given student evaluations are an integral part of academic employment and progression in higher education, it is crucial to explore various biases amongst students that may influence their ratings. Several studies report a clear gender bias in student evaluation where male instructors receive significantly higher ratings as compared to female instructors. However, there is very limited research about gender biases in underrepresented samples such as South Asia and the Middle East. We examined whether perception of male and female instructors differed in terms of how they facilitate learning and level of engagement, using an experimental design. Six hundred and seventy-one university students were asked to watch a video of an online lecture on psychology, delivered by either a male or female lecturer, after which they were asked to evaluate their experience and instructor personality characteristics. To ensure consistency across content, tone, delivery, environment, and overall appearance, photorealistic 3D avatars were used to deliver the lectures. Only gender as a factor was manipulated. Given the racial representation in the region, a total of four videos were developed representing males (n = 317) and females (n = 354) of White and South Asian race. Overall, male instructors scored significantly higher in variables representing personality characteristics such as enthusiasm and expressiveness compared to female instructors. Participants did not however view male and female instructors to be different in terms of presentation and subject knowledge. Findings related to facilitating learning suggest that male instructors were perceived to have made instructions more interesting, kept participants' attention for longer, and were more interesting compared to female instructors. In terms of engagement, male instructors were perceived to be more expressive, enthusiastic, and entertaining, compared to female instructors. Given the experimental design, these findings can clearly be attributed to gender bias, which is also in line with previous research. With an underrepresented sample, an online platform delivery, and inclusion of multiple races, these findings significantly add value to the current literature regarding gender stereotypes in higher education. The results are even more concerning as they provide strong evidence of gender bias which may contribute to subconscious discrimination against women academics in the region

Grade of readiness of students for design of individual trajectories of training in informatics

The main results and conclusions of skilled and search work of the readiness of students for opportunity focused on examination to be directly involved in design of individual educational trajectories on informatics by introduction in structure of discipline of the short-term elective courses expanding its contents are given in articleВ статье приводятся основные результаты и выводы опытно-поисковой работы ориентированной на выяснение готовности студентов к возможности принимать непосредственное участие в проектировании индивидуальных образовательных траекторий по информатике путем внедрения в структуру дисциплины краткосрочных элективных курсов расширяющих ее содержани