Sex and Age Differences in Achievement Goal Orientations in Turkish Adolescents

Culture plays an important role in the achievement goal orientations of students, which may vary as they progress through their lifespan. However, research examining achievement goal orientations in the Turkish cultural context is scarce. Based on contextual and developmental theories, the aim of this study was to examine sex and age differences in achievement goal orientations in Turkish high school students. Participants consisted of 386 female and 250 male high school students (61% female, M=15.67 yrs; SD=1.22) who completed the 2x2 Achievement Goal Orientation Scale. Two way analyses of variance were used to test the research hypotheses. Study results suggested that there was no difference between boys and girls in achievement goal orientation dimensions; however, older students were more likely to less mastery and performance approach oriented than younger students. Based on contextual and developmental theories, some cultural factors related to achievement goal orientations in Turkish high school students were discussed and future studies were recommended. Keywords: Achievement goal orientations, high school students, sex, age, Turkey

Öğrenme ve Ders Çalışma Yaklaşımları Envanteri’nin Uyarlanması ve İlgili Yapılarla İlişkisinin İncelenmesi

The purposes of the study were (a) to conduct the reliability and validity studies of the Approaches to Learning and Studying Inventory (ALSI-short version) and (b) to explore the relationship between epistemological beliefs, self-efficacy beliefs, learning and studying approaches and academic achievement. For the first purpose of the study, the data were collected from 537 university students attending Ege University and from 630 students for the second purpose of the study. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the data supported the proposed model. The test-retest reliability coefficient was r=0.82. McDonald’s ω reliability coefficient results were also at an adequate level. The findings of the path analysis showed that epistemological beliefs determine learning and studying approaches indirectly through self-efficacy beliefs and also, the belief that there is only one unchanging truth influence academic achievement through strategic learning and studying approaches.Bu araştırmanın amaçları, a) Öğrenme ve Ders Çalışma Yaklaşımları Envanteri’nin (ÖDYEKısa Form) Türkiye’deki üniversite öğrencileri için geçerlilik ve güvenilirlik çalışmalarını yapmak, b) epistemolojik inançlar, özyeterlilik inançları ve öğrenme ve ders çalışma yaklaşımları ile akademik başarı arasındaki ilişkileri modellemektir. Araştırmanın ilk amacı için Ege Üniversitesi’nin çeşitli fakültelerinde öğrenim gören 537 öğrenciden, ikinci amacı için ise 630 farklı öğrenciden veri toplanmıştır. Envanterin yapı geçerliliğini test etmek için yapılan doğrulayıcı faktör analizi sonucuna göre kurulan beş faktörden ve toplam 18 maddeden oluşan modelin model veri uyumunun yüksek olduğu belirlenmiştir. Envanterin test-tekrar test güvenilirliğinin yüksek olduğu ( r= 0.82) belirlenmiştir. Path analizi sonucunda, öğrenme ve ders çalışma yaklaşımlarının epistemolojik inançlar ile akademik başarı arasındaki yapısal ilişkide aracı bir değişken olduğu, benzer biçimde, öğrenme ve ders çalışma yaklaşımlarının özyeterlilik inançları ile akademik başarı arasındaki yapısal ilişkide aracı olduğu belirlenmiştir

Examining the Dimensionality, Reliability, and Invariance of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale–21 (DASS-21) Across Eight Countries

© The Author(s) 2020. This study evaluated the dimensionality, invariance, and reliability of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale–21 (DASS-21) within and across Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Romania, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and the United States (N = 2,580) in college student samples. We used confirmatory factor analyses to compare the fit of four different factor structures of the DASS-21: a unidimensional model, a three-correlated-factors model, a higher order model, and a bifactor model. The bifactor model, with three specific factors (depression, anxiety, and stress) and one general factor (general distress), presented the best fit within each country. We also calculated ancillary bifactor indices of model-based dimensionality of the DASS-21 and model-based reliability to further examine the validity of the composite total and subscale scores and the use of unidimensional modeling. Results suggested the DASS-21 can be used as a unidimensional scale. Finally, measurement invariance of the best fitting model was tested across countries indicating configural invariance. The traditional three-correlated-factors model presented scalar invariance across Canada, Hong Kong, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. Overall, these analyses indicate that the DASS-21 would best be used as a general score of distress rather than three separate factors of depression, anxiety, and stress, in the countries studied

Cross-Cultural Validation of the Perceptions of Stigmatization by Others for Seeking Help (PSOSH) Scale

Social network stigma refers to the perceived negative views about seeking help for mental health problems that are held by those closest to an individual, such as family and friends. This form of stigma predicts help-seeking attitudes and intentions beyond other forms of stigma, and is predominantly measured using the Perceptions of Stigmatization by Others for Seeking Help scale (PSOSH; Vogel, Wade, & Ascheman, 2009). However, the PSOSH was normed using samples from the United States and, until the cross-cultural validity of this measure is established, it cannot reliably be used within other countries (Miller & Sheu, 2008). As such, the current study (N = 3,440) examined the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the PSOSH using the sequential constraint imposition approach across 11 countries/regions: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Portugal, Romania, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom (U.K.), and the United States (U.S.). Overall, findings indicate that the PSOSH measures a meaningful construct (i.e., configural and metric invariance) across the 11 countries/regions and that future cross-cultural research could use the PSOSH to examine relationships between social network stigma and other variables. Scalar invariance results also supported the examination of mean differences in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Portugal, Turkey, the U.K., and the U.S., but not in Hong Kong, Romania, Taiwan, and UAE. Implications for future cross-cultural research are discussed

Cross-Cultural Validation of the Perceptions of Stigmatization by Others for Seeking Help (PSOSH) Scale.

Social network stigma refers to the perceived negative views about seeking help for mental health problems that are held by those closest to an individual, such as family and friends. This form of stigma predicts help-seeking attitudes and intentions beyond other forms of stigma, and is predominantly measured using the Perceptions of Stigmatization by Others for Seeking Help scale (PSOSH; Vogel, Wade, & Ascheman, 2009). However, the PSOSH was normed using samples from the United States and, until the cross-cultural validity of this measure is established, it cannot reliably be used within other countries (Miller & Sheu, 2008). As such, the current study (N = 3,440) examined the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the PSOSH using the sequential constraint imposition approach across 11 countries/regions: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Portugal, Romania, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom (U.K.), and the United States (U.S.). Overall, findings indicate that the PSOSH measures a meaningful construct (i.e., configural and metric invariance) across the 11 countries/regions and that future cross-cultural research could use the PSOSH to examine relationships between social network stigma and other variables. Scalar invariance results also supported the examination of mean differences in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Portugal, Turkey, the U.K., and the U.S., but not in Hong Kong, Romania, Taiwan, and UAE. Implications for future cross-cultural research are discussed

Hizmet öncesi psikolojik danışmanların cinsel bilgi kaynakları, yeterlik düzeyleri, bilgi ihtiyaçları ve cinselliğe yönelik tutumları

The purpose of the present study was fourfold: First, to understand pre-service counselors’ primary sources of sexuality information; second, to examine pre-service counselors’ perceived competence level of providing sexuality related information to their clients; third, to identify pre-service counselors’ need to obtain more information on sexuality related topics, and finally, to assess pre-service counselors’ attitudes toward sexuality. Demographic Data Form, Sexuality Information Form, and Turkish version of the Sexual Knowledge and Attitude Test for Adolescents (SKAT-A) - Attitude Section were used as the data collection instuments. The data were gathered from 552 undergraduate students, recruited from three State universities that offer Psychological Counseling and Guidance undergraduate program in Ankara, Turkey. The results of the study revealed that mothers and peers were cited as the primary sources by pre-service counselors. School/teacher, educational materials, and TV/movie were also mentioned as the important sources of information in relatively a few sexuality related topics. Moreover, female and male pre-service school counselors’ perceived competence level of providing information to their clients was higher among students who are about to finish their education compared to those who are at first or second year of his/her education in many sexuality topics. The findings also yielded that the majority of the females primarily need more information regarding sexual activities, whereas the majority of the males mainly need more information regarding society, culture, and sexuality. The results of MANOVA demonstrated that freshman and sophomore students reported more conservative masturbation, conventional morality, and homosexuality attitudes in comparison with either of the junior and senior students. Furthermore, female pre-service counselors held more liberal homosexuality attitudes than male pre-service counselors. The results indicated no significant differences with respect to gender and mother education as well as gender and father education of pre-service counselors and their masturbation, conventional morality, pornography, and homosexuality attitudes. Additionally, results showed that pre-service counselors who received previous sexuality education endorsed more liberal masturbation, conventional morality, and homosexuality attitudes as compared with pre-service counselors who did not receive any education.M.S. - Master of Scienc