Duty, Responsibility, and Pride

Case Vignette: Graduate Student Teaching Assignments. Sally Student, a doctoral candidate in experimental psychology, has spent much of the summer preparing to teach an undergraduate course in experimental psychology, scheduled for the upcoming fall semester. Approximately 1 week before the semester begins, she receives a call from the department chair, who asks whether Sally could teach another course instead. The chair explains that a new faculty member has elected to teach Experimental Psychology but that she may teach the other course that is available, Clinical Psychology, an area in which Sally has little experience or training. Sally explains to the chair that she has spent some time preparing for the experimental course and that the clinical course would require additional preparation, as it is not within her field of study. The chair responds that flexibility is a part of academic life and reminds Sally that she must teach at least one course per semester to retain her funding within the graduate department. Discussion Questions. What course of action should Sally take? What are her responsibilities in accepting a teaching assignment? How might graduate students\u27 multiple responsibilities conflict? What are the department chair\u27s considerations in assigning a course? How might the department chair\u27s duties to Sally, the new faculty member, and Sally\u27s students conflict? What are the new faculty member’s rights regarding course selection? Can this dilemma be resolved equitably for all

The influence of cognitive, affective, and developmental factors on alcohol consumption by adolescents and young adults

The present study tested a model of alcohol consumption during adolescence and early adulthood that included the following rational and developmental-contextual predictors: attitudes about the positive and negative consequences of alcohol consumption, self-efficacy, subjective parental and peer norms, and emotional autonomy. The model of contributors toward alcohol consumption was tested with a sample of 87 eleventh grade, 105 college freshmen, and 107 college junior students. Multisample path analyses examined the fit of the hypothesized model across the three age groups and tested for age differences in each of the path coefficients. Each of the variables predicted alcohol consumption, directly or indirectly; the model accounted for 46% to 76% of the variance in self-reported alcohol consumption. Age differences and trends emerged such that, with increasing age, attitudes about the positive consequences of drinking and self-efficacy were less important predictors of alcohol consumption. Among college students, attitudes about the negative consequences of drinking were indirectly and positively associated with self-reported alcohol consumption, as mediated by self-efficacy. These results suggest that during adolescence, decisions to consume alcohol are rational, based on the consideration of the positive consequences of drinking and one\u27s sense of control, while discounting the negative consequences. Youth are aware of the risks associated with alcohol consumption, but drink despite their awareness, perhaps coping with the contradiction between their knowledge and behavior by perceiving the behavior as uncontrollable. Rational decision components are not adequate to explain alcohol consumption, as developmental-contextual factors, such as the perceived behavior and attitudes about alcohol consumption by parents and peers, and emotional autonomy, emerged as significant predictors in the present study. A model integrating rational and life-span developmental perspectives may aid in theoretically and empirically accounting for alcohol consumption during adolescence and early adulthood