Evaluating a Measure of ‘Social Orientation’ of Chinese Students in Social Work: Developing its Reliability and Validity

This study examines the reliability and validity of a measure of ‘social orientation’ indigenously developed from Chinese students of social work in Hong Kong. By administering two tests with Chinese social work students (n = 293 and n = 304) at associate degree level, the measure achieves strong internal consistency with r>0.75 and test–retest consistency with r>0.63. The instrument also has strong validity by attempting factor analysis of items generated from qualitative data in in‐depth interviews. The development of this indigenous measure of ‘social orientation’ will contribute to an understanding of the authoritarian, relationship and ‘other’ orientation of Chinese social work students. The authors propose that this will be a crucial factor in influencing the response of Chinese students towards different teaching and learning approaches in social work education.     

Internet alternative media,movement experience,and radicalism: the case of post-Umbrella Movement Hong Kong

This article examines the relationship between online alternative media consumption and public support for radical social movement goals and tactics. Theoretically, online alternative media use could relate to the holding of more radical views either because such views are propagated by the alternative media or because of the breeding of extreme views through communications among like-minded people. At the same time, this relationship is expected to be particularly strong when online alternative media use is coupled with specific types of movement experiences. Analysis of a representative survey (N = 1012) in Hong Kong shows that both online alternative media use and participation in the Umbrella Movement in 2014 related positively to the attitude toward violent protests and toward Hong Kong independence, and the relationship between online alternative media use and radical views was particularly strong among the Umbrella Movement participants. The analysis also shows a distinction between the implications of consumption of alternative media belonging to different political factions.     

Single Parenthood,Parental Involvement and Students’ Educational Outcomes in Hong Kong

Analyzing data from the Programme for International Student Assessment Hong Kong 2009 and 2012 (n = 7,669), we examined the differences in socioeconomic characteristics of fathers and mothers and levels of parental involvement between two-parent, single-mother, and single-father families in Hong Kong. We found that parents from single-mother and single-father families fare differently in terms of sociodemographic background and parental involvement at home. We also investigated the differences in students’ academic performance among these families. Past studies failed to find any significant effect of single parenthood on students’ academic performance in Hong Kong. We found negative effects of single fatherhood, but not single motherhood, on educational outcomes. The disadvantages of single fatherhood are partially explained by the poorer sociodemographic background and lower levels of parental involvement.     

Influence of musical genres with Andean contents on the components of Peruvian national identity / Influencia de géneros musicales con contenidos andinos en los componentes de la identidad nacional peruana

The purpose of this study is to analyse the influence of different musical genres with Andean influences (Huayno, Chicha and Rock/Fusion) on the components of Peruvian national identity. To this end, we enlisted the participation of 92 upper-middle-class people (M = 19.91, SD = 1.95). The participants were randomly assigned each music genre in three experimental groups: Huayno (n = 30), Chicha (n = 31) and Rock/Fusion (n = 31). The results show that Rock/Fusion is the most highly rated musical genre with the most positive influence on some stereotypical components of national identity, attitude towards music and positive emotions. In contrast, the more ‘Andeanized’ genres, especially Chicha music, are perceived more negatively and have fewer positive effects on the stereotypical components of national identity, attitude towards music and positive emotions. The discussion suggests that the influence of the musical expressions evaluated depends on the ascribed status of the social group where these expressions were originally conceived and are currently consumed.     

Evaluating the effectiveness of four Hong Kong antismoking cartoon posters with humor and threat elements

Although cartoons are widely used in health communication, their effectiveness has seldom been tested. In this study, the effects of four humor–threat antismoking cartoon posters are evaluated in a sample of 12- to 15-year-olds (n = 183) in Hong Kong. The five-group comparison (including the control group) revealed that these posters did not increase antismoking attitudes in the sample but did decrease antismoking behavioral intentions. The better liked, more humorous, and more frightening posters did not produce increased antismoking attitudes or behavioral intentions. These findings warrant the development of theories to clarify the role of humor in health communication. Although cartoons are well liked by adolescents, practitioners must be aware of the possible negative effects of humor in cartoon-based messages.     

Psychological antecedents and motivational models of collective action: examining the role of perceived effectiveness in political protest participation

The present study examines Hong Kong citizens’ willingness to participate in the Occupy Central/Umbrella Movement. A representative adult survey (N = 816) was conducted before the Occupy Central protest in 2014. Regression analyses showed that the core psychological antecedents of political identity (psychological attachment to pro-democracy parties and Occupy activists), political efficacy (perceived effectiveness of individual and movement agency), ideology (dissatisfaction with the pace of democratization), and emotion (anger with the political environment) were significant predictors of likely participation. Measures of perceived effectiveness of the Occupy movement to achieve successful outcomes (i.e. its ability to influence public opinion, strengthen the pro-democracy cause in Hong Kong, and facilitate opinion expression) explained additional variance even after controlling for demographics and the core antecedents. An integrated motivational model of collective action was then tested using structural equation modeling. Findings are consistent with the extant literature. Moral convictions (democracy as a fundamental human value) served as an antecedent of identity, efficacy, ideology, and anger, while identity exhibited direct and indirect effects on participation through efficacy, ideology and anger. The model also pointed to a role for perceived effectiveness, supporting the idea that individuals are motivated by other potential outcomes of a protest beyond achieving its primary objective.     

The Incident: Not Just Another Organizational Disruption

Issue and crisis: These concepts are well-understood, even though various definitions exist. A third concept, incident, is less defined. This article reports a content analysis of articles from two public relations journals (n = 67) and three prominent public relations industry publications (n = 56) to understand how incident is contextualized and applied. Findings reveal a statistically significant difference in how academic and industry publications contextualize the concept and expose a need for a formal conceptualization. Building on the results of the analysis, this article, then, argues that incident is (a) defined as a theoretical concept and pragmatic communication-management matter, (b) implemented within a continuum of organizational disruption, (c) presented as a necessary concept for greater precision for the reporting and analyzing of disruptive events, and (d) needs to be included in future scholarly research about and models of disruptive events.     

Controlling Anxiety Mediates the Influence of Childhood Adversities on Risky Sexual Behaviors Among Emerging Adults

Relatively little research has assessed the exposure-response relationship of childhood adversities on engaging in risky sexual behaviors. Also, no previous research has examined the interrelationship among childhood adversities, adult anxiety and depressive symptoms, and risky sexual behaviors. This study aimed to investigate their interrelationships. We used data from a multisite survey of emerging adults aged 18 to 29 studying at four universities in Hong Kong between September and December 2015. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the pathways from childhood adversities to risky sexual behaviors. Participants who had higher childhood adversity scores reported more severe adult anxiety symptoms (β = 0.20, p = 0.002); and adult anxiety symptoms were associated with significantly more risky sexual behaviors (β = 0.46, p < 0.0001). The model with adult anxiety symptoms as the mediator between childhood adversities and risky sexual behaviors showed good fit (root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.04, comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.96, Tucker-Lewis index [TLI] = 0.94 and standardized root mean square residual [SRMSR] = 0.04). However, adult depressive symptoms failed to mediate between childhood adversities and risky sexual behaviors. This study demonstrates the link between childhood adversities and risky sexual behaviors via adult anxiety but not adult depressive symptoms. It is essential to reduce anxious symptoms in dealing with emerging adults who have risky sexual behaviors to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancy.     

Development of an assessment tool to evaluate the risk potential of different gambling types

Based on different characteristics of gambling types, this study aimed to develop an assessment tool to evaluate the risk potential of available and planned gambling types in German-speaking countries. In the first module, 26 experts were interviewed over the course of a Delphi study, and an analysis of those results led to the selection of relevant characteristics and scaling values. Building on the first module, the second module consisted of standardized data collection of nonproblem, problem and pathological gamblers (characteristics: n = 363; scales: n = 356), which served as an empirical validation. Ten characteristics were identified with different weights and differentiated scaling values to evaluate the risk potential, and a psychometric validation indicated that the assessment tool was reliable (α = 0.91; r _ik  = 0.50; r _it  = 0.33–0.80). The correlation measures from data of epidemiological studies (R ² = 0.84) and a treatment survey (p < 0.001) demonstrated that the assessment tool was valid. This assessment tool, which was verified by psychometric validation, can serve the legislation and jurisdiction, the gaming industry and consumers as a future basis for risk evaluation of gambling types.     

The relationship between explicit and implicit learning processes and probable pathological gambling

This paper reports the findings of a study of explicit and implicit learning and gambling with non-problem (n = 107), sub-clinical problem gamblers (n = 13), and probable pathological gamblers (n = 46). Two probability learning tasks modeled after gambling games and an artificial grammar task were used to explore how people learn patterns. In each of the two probability learning tasks, the outcome of the game was biased during the first part (learning phase) of the task. The results showed that many of the participants in the experimental conditions learned the bias and gradually unlearned the bias during the extinction phase of the study. Probable pathological gamblers showed less retention of the bias during two probability tasks and repeated the same errors during the artificial grammar task suggesting that they emphasize explicit learning strategies rather than implicit learning strategies. The results are consistent with the idea that pathological gamblers are more likely to utilize explicit rules than implicit rules.     

Who is a volunteer? A cultural and temporal exploration of volunteerism

This study’s purpose was to develop a temporal and cultural definition of volunteering in China. Using a comparative mixed-methods approach, N₁ = 218 Chinese students in Hong Kong were surveyed about their perceptions of volunteering. These quantitative data were compared cross-culturally with a sample of adults in the United States who used the same instrument called Who is a Volunteer? Subsequently, N₂ = 40 of these same students voluntarily participated in a series of focus groups, to further explore more in-depth their opinions about volunteering. The main quantitative results revealed that at the extreme ends of the volunteer scale, both the U.S. and Chinese samples could readily distinguish what volunteering was or was not. The more nuanced empirical differences on the scale (24% of the 21 items) were explained either by unique cultural differences, or the longer and more prominent history that volunteering has had in North America versus China. Main qualitative findings revealed additional between-group cultural differences exemplified by (1) a more family-centric and collectivist Chinese culture versus a more individualistic American culture, (2) a role blurring about volunteer activities versus paid work activities, and (3) that both organizational and cultural context must be seriously considered when defining volunteerism. This study adds to the growing definitional literature on this transformational concept and represents the largest comparative empirical investigation on this subject from East Asia.     

Comparing the efficacy of electronic-tablet to paper-based surveys for on-site survey administration

This study compares cost, completion times, and percent completion of electronic tablet (n = 244) to paper-based (n = 398) questionnaires administered to participants of scenic raft trips on the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park. We hypothesized e-tablet questionnaires would (1) cost less (2) be completed faster and (3) be completely filled more frequently than paper-based questionnaires. Our survey resulted in a greater per unit cost of e-tablet compared to paper-based questionnaires ($4.17 and $1.80, respectively). Although e-tablets were completed faster (230 [±66] s) than paper questionnaires (235 [±57] s), the difference was not significant (t₍₆₄₁₎ = 1.97, p = 0.39). E-tablets were filled completely more frequently than paper questionnaires (80% vs. 51%, respectively; χ² = 3.84, p < 0.01). We suggest that for multi-year projects with a sample size target of ≥100, and length ≥ 5 pages, e-tablets are more cost effective and efficient than paper-based surveys.     

Development and Validation of the Sexual Contingent Self-Worth Scale

Sexual contingent self-worth (CSW) refers to self-worth that is dependent on maintaining a sexual relationship, and has not been studied previously. This novel construct may have implications for sexual, relationship, and psychological well-being, because it could affect the cognitions, affect, and behaviors of individuals in sexual relationships. The purpose of this study was to develop the Sexual Contingent Self-Worth Scale and examine its reliability and validity in community samples. Two separate online studies (N = 329 and N = 282) included men and women who were in committed, sexually active relationships. The Sexual CSW Scale was adapted from a validated measure of relationship CSW. In Study 1, participants completed the Sexual CSW Scale, whereas in Study 2, participants also responded to standardized measures of related constructs. In addition, participants completed the Sexual CSW Scale again two weeks later in Study 2. Factor analysis yielded two subscales: (a) sexual CSW dependent on positive sexual events in the relationship and (b) sexual CSW dependent on negative sexual events. Results indicated good construct validity, incremental validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability for the Sexual CSW Scale. This research contributes to the fields of both CSW and sexuality by introducing a novel domain of CSW.     

Evaluation of and support for group prototypical leaders: a meta-analysis of twenty years of empirical research

The key premise of the social identity theory of leadership, that group prototypical leaders are more favorably evaluated than less prototypical leaders, is supported by twenty years of research. To establish overall how much variance in leader evaluation is attributable to leader prototypicality we conducted a meta-analysis of 35 independent studies (N = 6678). Prototypicality accounted for 24% of variance in leader evaluation. There was a large overall effect (r = .49), which was moderated by research method and type of evaluation. The relationship was stronger in correlational studies (r = .60) than experiments (r = .35), and on measures of leader trust (r = .63) than effectiveness (r = .43). Theoretical implications and future directions are discussed.     

Care networks in play: Understanding death of a parent as a contributing factor to homelessness

Offering an understanding of specialized service needs of those becoming homeless because of the death of a parent or parental figure, this project is set in Detroit’s urban context, where residents face economic hardship and intergenerational poverty. In this study, we analyze the voices of practitioners (n = 5) and men (n = 5) who have experienced parental death as a contributing factor to homelessness in Detroit, Michigan. Findings include the following: (1) the impact of death and dying experiences on these men and (2) the role of care networks in these men’s lives, particularly when these men have and lack “default” caregivers after death of a parent. This community-based research project was a result of a partnership between a local agency serving persons experiencing homelessness, where the practitioner initiated the project with the researcher. The paper concludes with implications for social work practice.     

Validation of the Postpartum Social Support Questionnaire in low-income,African American women

ABSTRACT

This study applied a previously developed Postpartum Social Support Questionnaire to low-income, African American women. The 33-question survey was administered to 95 African American women between 4- and 8-weeks postpartum. The survey was readministered 2 weeks later. All women were of low socioeconomic status based on their qualification for public insurance. The questionnaire addresses subscales of partner, parent, in-law, and other friend/relative support. Responses were used to evaluate internal reliability of each subscale, test–retest correlation, and factor loading. Results were compared between women with and without a positive postpartum depression screen. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for each subscale ranged from .90 to .96. Test-retest correlation coefficients ranged from .72 to .87. Exploratory factor analysis with orthogonal varimax rotation was consistent with previously studied samples. Those women with positive postpartum depression screens had significantly lower social support scores (M = 122, SD = 36) than women with negative postpartum depression screens (M = 149, SD = 38), t(79) = ?2.62, p = .01. The Postpartum Social Support Questionnaire is a useful assessment in low-income, African American mothers.     

Effects and Durability of an SBIRT Training Curriculum for First-Year MSW Students

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based process for identification, prevention, and treatment of alcohol misuse. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an alcohol-focused training on first-year MSW students’ (n = 71) knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about SBIRT. Changes in item means were assessed using repeated-measures analysis of variance (critical α = .002). Data indicated a significant and strong main effect for training; perceived competence improved immediately and remained significantly higher 30 days posttraining. Other improvements included knowing what questions to ask patients, ease making alcohol-related statements, and believing that it is rewarding to work with at-risk patients.     

Evaluation of Alcohol Screening,Brief Intervention,and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Training for Social Workers

Social work education is well positioned for workforce development initiatives that prepare practitioners to use Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) with people at risk for alcohol use disorders. This article presents preliminary process and outcome evaluation data from the first year of a three-year grant which suggests that the training is acceptable and results in significant changes in trainees’ knowledge, attitudes, and self-perceived SBIRT skills. Training was embedded within the curricula of an urban school of social work, which includes a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program and a single-concentration clinical Master of Social Work (MSW). Trainees included social work students (n = 134) and field instructors (n = 38). More than 90% of students were very satisfied or satisfied with the training, and 100% of field instructors rated the training as excellent or good. Students demonstrated significant changes from pre- to posttraining in substance use knowledge, confidence in SBIRT skills, and attitudes about integrating SBIRT into practice. Field instructors reported increased confidence in screening. Integrating SBIRT training into social work curriculum is a promising method of developing a workforce that can effectively prevent and alleviate alcohol misuse.     

From ‘be water’ to ‘be fire’: nascent smart mob and networked protests in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT

In recent months, masses of Hong Kong citizens have taken part in a remarkable wave of protests, known as the Water Revolution. Ignited by the Hong Kong government’s attempt to pass a bill that would have allowed extradition to mainland China, and later in response to numerous incidents of police brutality and human rights abuses, hundreds of thousands of protestors abruptly gathered in various parts of the city to rise up against the encroachment of the incumbent regime. Through novel uses of social media and mobile technology, they acted in concert to confront riot police in wildcat actions. In effect, they exhibit a contemporary type of smart mob, as digitally savvy citizens engage with each other in largely ad hoc and networked forms of pop-up protest. This profile illustrates both the continuity and changes in the recent development of a nascent smart mob in Hong Kong. It fleshes out how its protest repertoires and movement objectives have emerged and evolved vis-à-vis state suppression that has turned the global city of East Asia into a despotic police state. With a focus on changing contours, this profile brings to the fore the pragmatic and temporally emergent properties of the smart mob to consider the widespread and protracted movement in Hong Kong.     

Informal Caregiving and the Politics of Policy Drift in the United States

Informal caregivers play an increasingly important role in caring for aging Americans. Yet existing social policies that could support informal caregiving have experienced “policy drift,” a failure to adapt to social risks that develop after policies are initially enacted. This article examines policy makers’ success at updating seven major policies to address caregiver needs. It draws on an original data set of legislation in this area introduced between 1991 and 2006 (n = 96). Findings indicate that drift is more likely when policy updates are costly, lack support from members of majority parties in the House and Senate, and fail to generate bipartisan support.