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Mindset, Virtue Signaling and Volunteering
Get PDFVirtue signaling, or publicly showing off one’s good character or actions to others, has been studied in many contexts. This research expands on previous work and focuses on investigating the impact of fixed vs. growth mindsets on virtue signaling in a volunteering context. Mindsets, in the context of this research, are the beliefs people hold about the consistency of human’s personality as well as their moral characteristics. We hypothesize that given the different goal orientations of people with growth vs. fixed mindsets, the impact of obligatory virtue signaling on volunteer behavior will be stronger among people with a growth (vs. fixed) mindset since obligatory (vs. voluntary) signaling reduces the “showing off” concern. We additionally explore potential mitigating and augmenting factors of this moderation, including the perceived relevance of the audience for any virtue signaling and the likelihood that virtue signaling would yield a favorable judgment. To investigate the validity of our hypothesized relationships, 62 Pepperdine students participated in a pretest during the Fall 2023 semester. Results show that people with a growth mindset were more interested in volunteering, were more OK with receiving recognition from volunteering, and were more OK with receiving obligatory recognition from volunteering than were people with a fixed mindset. This work underscores the importance of understanding mindsets and recognitions as nonprofits devise marketing programs to target volunteers. Future work includes implementing an online survey at Cedars-Sinai with 100 current volunteers and looking at perceived efficacy as a mediating variable to the relationship between mindset and volunteering
The Past, the Future, or an Imitation: Jenny de Mayer and Home
No full textThroughout her letters, Jenny de Mayer’s use of varying terminology inreference to the concept of home demonstrates that her ideal of homeonly ever existed in the past or the future, rendering her presentsituations mere imitations of this ideal. Raised as a German-Russian noblewoman with a cosmopolitan background, Jenny de Mayer became a Christian missionary in the early 20th Century. Throughout her life, she traveled across the world, residing in many different places but never staying in a single place for long. Despite her current location – United States, Canada, Switzerland, Algiers, Samarkand, Russia, etc. – she sent letters to various friends and family members, which were collected and saved by her surviving relatives. These collections include many letters in which she describes home. In understanding how Jenny de Mayer viewed home, it is important to note the temporal and geographic aspects of her idea of home. From Jenny de Mayer’s perspective, home was either a situation from her past, a goal for her future, or a location far away but never the place she currently resided in. A place could be “homelike” or “homey” or she could feel “at home,” but these spaces called “home” never measured up to her ideal of home. Thus, for Jenny de Mayer, home in its actuality was always out of reach, as only an imitation of her true home was possible in her present situation
The Effect of Submarine Groundwater Discharge on Greenhouse Gas Production on a Coral Reef in Maunalua Bay, HI
Get PDFTHE EFFECT OF SUBMARINE GROUNDWATER DISCHARGE ON GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN MAUNALUA BAY, HI
Authors: Kylie Nichols, Dr. Carmella Vizza, Dr. Florybeth La Valle
Abstract: In the urban coastal environments of Honolulu, Hawai’i, water high in inorganic nutrients such as nitrates, phosphates, and ammonia, often becomes further enriched by human activity. This water seeps into the ocean by mode of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD).
We hypothesize that SGD influences greenhouse gas (GHG) production in coastal systems at a measurable rate and is overlooked as a significant source of methane emissions. Marshes and wetlands are the largest contributors to methane production due to methanogenic bacteria metabolizing large amounts of organic matter, but this phenomenon is less studied in coastal systems with SGD because these systems are not usually oxygen-limited. Our research seeks to quantify methane production in areas with low salinity and high nutrients by collecting water and sediment samples from coastal areas near SGD and creating closed systems where methane and other greenhouse gasses can accumulate. The methane, nitrous oxide, and other GHG rates of production will be measured with respect to the water and sediment samples’ proximity to the SGD so we can quantify the magnitude of GHG on SGD in coastal systems
Psychological Disorders
No full textTwo perspectives on psychological disorders and culture have been developed in cross-cultural psychology: relativist and universalist. The relativist perspective views psychological phenomena in a relative perspective and focuses on the unique cultural context of psychological disorders. The universalist perspective maintains that there are common, invariable symptoms of psychopathology across cultures. When attempting to diagnose and treat an individual, a professional should know the client’s reference groups and the ways in which cultural context is relevant to clinical care. Cultural norms, availability of resources, national standards on health, access to technology, social inequality, and many other environmental factors could affect the individual’s health and general well-being. Differences in diagnostic practices can account for cross-cultural differences in reported symptoms and could explain cross-cultural variability. In addition, the cultural background of the professional can influence his or her perceptions of different behaviors. Psychotherapy across countries has different historical and cultural roots and varied cultural expressions. In general, the context of therapy should be consistent with the client’s culture to achieve the goal of cultural accommodation
Examining women’s persistence in stem: a mixed methods study of autonomy, competence, relatedness, and sociocultural influences on women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
Get PDFSeveral decades of effort have improved the participation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), but the gender gap remains. Researchers have found diverse reasons for women’s underrepresentation in STEM, but less is understood about factors supporting persistence. This study’s purpose was to understand how women persist in STEM, through the lens of self-determination theory. Self-determination theory posits that persistence improves when one’s needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are satisfied. This embedded mixed methods study provides evidence of how autonomy, competence, relatedness, and sociocultural factors influence women’s persistence in STEM. Using network and snowball sampling, the researcher recruited 641 diverse women with 6+ years of STEM experience for an anonymous online survey. The instrument included the 24-item Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS) and several open-ended questions. Statistical analyses resulted in findings of high satisfaction and low frustration levels of autonomy, competence, and relatedness among the STEM persisters. Competence was rated highest in satisfaction and relatedness rated lowest in frustration. Significant associations were found between persistence and the combined satisfaction of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as well as for the satisfaction score for competence. Educational attainment level, race, living in a rural area, and occupation also showed significant associations with persistence. Thematic analyses of narrative responses revealed qualitative support for the BPNSFS results, including 17 satisfaction themes, with the most prevalent being social support, communal benefit, enjoyment, and self-efficacy. Ten frustration themes emerged, with the most prevalent being lack of relatedness and lack of knowledge. In addition to affirming the influence of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, participants’ narratives indicated six sociocultural themes, including discrimination and bias, and career and money. By integrating quantitative and qualitative findings, four conclusions were determined. First, that women in the study were highly satisfied overall, and second, that they have persisted despite negative experiences with discrimination and bias. Third, organizations must support women’s autonomy, competence, relatedness, and financial equity to promote persistence. Finally, there are career trajectory points where risk of attrition is more likely to occur. Recommendations include programs to promote women’s interest, self-efficacy, and belonging in STEM
Rethinking interventions for dementia through a nonpharmaceutical lens: An analysis of five interventions
No full textThe future welfare of older adults is a worldwide concern. By 2034, it is estimated that individuals 65 and older in the U.S. will be 77 million. Consequently, this reality will impact healthcare facilities and increase Medicare and Medicaid costs, resulting in higher incidents of homeless older adults, children caring for parents, the need for more caregivers, and an increased number of older individuals experiencing various forms of dementia. To address these concerns, the current trend for treating the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease has been moving toward nonpharmaceutical interventions. Even though researchers have tapped into the benefits of several nonpharmaceutical treatments, there appears to be a constant debate on establishing which method is most effective. Deciding on best practices and methods to slow down and/or halt the progression of dementia is the gap this research needs to fill. To provide clarity on the topic, an analysis of alternative interventions to treat the onset of dementia is what this paper strived to achieve. The analysis involved comparing and contrasting the benefits of each intervention as well as illustrating the implications of the findings. In this regard, a systematic review was conducted examining the benefits of five nonpharmaceutical strategies; mental training, music therapy, technology usage, physical activity, and social interaction. Although findings revealed some form of improvement in each of the nonpharmacological interventions examined, the overarching theme appeared to lean toward providing mental stimulation. It was also not conclusive that physical activity prevented cognitive decline. More research is recommended
