Academic Motivation of Students Experiencing Person-Environment Misfit in Social Work Educational Settings: The Role of Social Dominance Orientation.

Interweaving social dominance, person-environment fit, and self-determination theories, the present study sought to understand whether the attrition between students' levels of social dominance orientation and the hierarchy-attenuating function of the social work faculty in which they study may influence students' academic motivational pathways. A total of 221 undergraduate social work students participated in the study and completed a self-report questionnaire. Participants' social dominance orientation, person-environment misfit, and academic intrinsic and extrinsic motivation were measured. Results indicated that students' social dominance orientation was associated with an external rather than an internal regulation of their academic motivation, mediated by their perceived person-environment misfit. For those students who personally support group-based inequalities, exposure to hierarchy-attenuating contexts would lead to regulating their academic behavior toward the pursuit of extrinsic (vs. intrinsic) goals, that is, studying to gain financial benefits and social prestige, in accordance with the pursuit of their beliefs of social dominance.

Intergroup Contact Is Associated with Less Negative Attitude toward Women Managers: The Bolstering Effect of Social Dominance Orientation.

This cross-sectional study examined the intergroup contact hypothesis in the workplace by enrolling 150 Italian employees. Within the framework of social dominance theory, the purpose of this study was to test the assumption that individuals with higher levels of social dominance orientation are more likely to exhibit prejudice against women in managerial positions and benefit more from intergroup contact with a female supervisor. In particular, we found that individuals with higher levels of social dominance orientation exhibited more negative attitudes towards women in manager positions, but this effect only appeared when their superiors were women, as opposed to men. In addition, participants with higher social dominance orientation experienced more positive outcomes from intergroup contact, resulting in less negative attitudes toward women managers, than those with lower social dominance orientation. Overall, these findings yield insights into how intergroup contact affects individuals with prejudice tendencies, indicating that contact with the targeted group (i.e., women in managerial positions) is negatively associated with negative attitudes towards the group, even when the prejudice is driven by social dominance orientation. These results could shed light on new routes to design practical intervention aimed at solving prejudice towards women in leadership roles.

The Pathway between Social Dominance Orientation and Drop out from Hierarchy-Attenuating Contexts: The Role of Moral Foundations and Person-Environment Misfit.

The present study examines the role of individuals' preference for unequal intergroup relations in exacerbating a process of differential attrition from organizations that value intergroup equality (i.e., hierarchy-attenuating contexts). We proposed that people functioning within a well-recognized hierarchy-attenuating context (i.e., students of social work) who were higher on social dominance orientation (SDO) would be more likely to leave their institution through two pathways; first, people higher on SDO would have fewer moral concerns of social fairness and human harm-avoidance (i.e., individualizing); in turn, a lack of individualizing morality would stimulate a perceived person-environment misfit, ultimately increasing their intention to leave. We conducted a single cross-sectional design study involving a convenience sample of 245 undergraduate social work students. Overall, the results of the serial mediation model suggest that people higher on SDO intend to leave their organization that supports inclusive equality via reduced individualizing morality and high perceived P-E misfit. These findings contribute to understanding the role of socio-political orientations and moral beliefs in hindering proper adaptation to contexts that value egalitarian social norms, with relevant implications for individuals and groups.

The hopeful dimension of locomotion orientation: Implications for psychological well-being.

Individuals who have a strong locomotion orientation tend to be future-oriented and motivated to move from the present state toward a future state, making swift and steady progress toward their goals. The current study has assessed the conceptual possibility that such motivation leads locomotors to experience greater hopeful thinking, an active cognitive process that consists in planning the future and implementing these plans. The results of Study 1 lend preliminary support to this possibility. The practical implication was linked to the importance of hope in the subjective well-being experienced in everyday life. For this reason, Study 2 tested a model in which hopeful thinking mediated the subjective well-being experienced by locomotors. The results supported the hypothesis: locomotion orientation was associated with enhanced hope capabilities that, in turn, were associated with higher subjective well-being, with significant positive implications for individuals.

[The study of psycho-social well being in the educational contexts toward the Va.RP tool: a study case.] / Il benessere psicosociale nei contesti scolastici: analisi di un caso di studio attraverso lo strumento Va.RP.

OBJECTIVES: The organizational well-being construct has become a theme with broad scientific and law debate, pertaining prevention and protection measures concerning work-related stress, both for assessment and intervention on psychosocial risks. This paper focuses on a case study identified in a specific organizational context of a upper middle school. METHODS: Starting from a research-intervention perspective, this paper was primarily based on the use of the "Psychosocial Risk Assessment" (Va.RP) Italian tool, in shape for medium organizations, Va.RP-M, in a further form specially remodeled for organizational school contexts. Some of the dimensions measured by the instrument are: the role, transparency of information, support, the relationship between work vs. private life, the perception of organizational and managerial aspects. In addition to this instrument, it was made a board regarding the "practical solutions" deemed most relevant according to the critical organizational received by workers, closing with a request for comments and suggestions on initiatives in order to prevent work-related stress. RESULTS: The results show an emerging dissatisfaction primarily related to the dimensions of perceived lack of organizational justice, role, career advancement, leadership and work flexibility. As for "practical solutions" suggested, respondents identify priorities for high salient specific actions. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, it is confirmed as the face and prevent work-related stress is a process that must involve all stakeholders comprised into the organization, with a particular concern in promoting a strength of organizational management, to improve the well-being in partcular in classroom settings. Teachers emerge as a figure of multiparty function experienced in the psychosocial dynamics considered.

Attitudes toward Arab ascendance: Israeli and global perspectives.

Arab nations are decades behind many other previously colonized nations in developing stronger economies, more democratic institutions, and more autonomy and self-government, in part as a result of external interference. The year 2011 brought the potential for greater Arab autonomy through popular uprisings against autocratic governments in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen, and through the Palestinian request for state recognition by the United Nations. We examined the psychology of support for Arab ascendancy among adults in 14 nations in the Balkans, the Middle East, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and North America. We predicted and found that people low on social dominance orientation endorsed forming an independent Palestinian state and desired that the Arab uprisings succeed. Rejection of ideologies that legitimize outside interference with Arabs mediated this support. Measures and model results were robust across world regions. We discuss theoretical implications regarding the advent of new ideologies and extending social dominance theory to address international relations.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) ligand release by substrate-specific a disintegrin and metalloproteases (ADAMs) involves different protein kinase C (PKC) isoenzymes depending on the stimulus.

The dysregulation of EGF family ligand cleavage has severe consequences for the developing as well as the adult organism. Therefore, their production is highly regulated. The limiting step is the ectodomain cleavage of membrane-bound precursors by one of several a disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM) metalloproteases, and understanding the regulation of cleavage is an important goal of current research. We have previously reported that in mouse lung epithelial cells, the pro-EGF ligands TGFα, neuregulin 1ß (NRG), and heparin-binding EGF are differentially cleaved depending on the cleavage stimulus (Herrlich, A., Klinman, E., Fu, J., Sadegh, C., and Lodish, H. (2008) FASEB J.). In this study in mouse embryonic fibroblasts that lack different ADAMs, we show that induced cleavage of EGF ligands can involve the same substrate-specific metalloprotease but does require different stimulus-dependent signaling pathways. Cleavage was stimulated by phorbol ester (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), a mimic of diacylglycerol and PKC activator), hypertonic stress, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA)-induced G protein-coupled receptor activation, or by ionomycin-induced intracellular calcium release. Although ADAMs showed substrate preference (ADAM17, TGFα and heparin-binding EGF; and ADAM9, NRG), substrate cleavage differed substantially with the stimulus, and cleavage of the same substrate depended on the presence of different, sometimes multiple, PKC isoforms. For instance, classical PKC was required for TPA-induced but not hypertonic stress-induced cleavage of all EGF family ligands. Inhibition of PKCζ enhanced NRG release upon TPA stimulation, but it blocked NRG release in response to hypertonic stress. Our results suggest a model in which substantial regulation of ectodomain cleavage occurs not only on the metalloprotease level but also on the level of the substrate or of a third protein.

[The assessment of work-related stress in micro and small enterprises: a validation study of the instrument "CSL" (checklist on job-related stress)]. / La valutazione dello Stress Lavoro-correlato nelle micro e piccole imprese: uno studio di validazione dello strumento "CSL" (checklist sullo stress Lavoro-correlato).

INTRODUCTION: Many studies investigated the importance of a correct assessment of work-related stress because of its large effects on work planning and work management. The aim of the present study is to demonstrate the psychometric validity of the CSL Checklist questionnaire for the assessment of work related stress regarding micro and small enterprises. This tool has been conceived to investigate the perception of stress in the workplace by workers. METHOD: The questionnaire has been submitted to 1033 workers belonging to 136 firms differentiated by production sectors and sizes. In order to conduct these analysis, objective data were considered too. RESULTS: The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), present three factors with a good internal consistency and reliability: "Organizational Culture" (alpha = .84), "Workload" (alpha = .76), and "Quality of relations and support" (alpha = .79). The Structural Equation Modelling confirms the goodness of the factorial solution (NNFI = 0,98; CFI = 0,99; RMSEA = 0,076). Good relations between the CSL dimensions and the organizational indicators have been observed (p < 0.01). Finally, the logistic regression shows how the Organizational Culture and Workload are good predictors of some of the organizational indicators like use of Proctective Equipment at Work and the number of work accidents. CONCLUSIONS: Psychometric qualities of the CSL questionnaire are good. The CSL is a short and simple tool, useful to assess work-related stress regarding micro and small enterprises.

Neighbourhood planning improvement: physical attributes, cognitive and affective evaluation and activities in two neighbourhoods in Rome.

This study proposes a psychological analysis of the relationships between people and their residential environment in two neighbourhoods in Rome, within the theoretical framework of place theory. The analysis was aimed at getting indications for neighbourhood improvement, which can lead to residential satisfaction and neighbourhood attachment. We considered both constructs as the result of the relationships between the physical attributes of the environment, the cognitive perceptions and the affective appraisals of residents, and the activities they carry out. The role of socio-demographic and residential variables was also considered. Theoretical implications of results and indications for neighbourhood improvement are discussed. Residential satisfaction and neighbourhood attachment have a different pattern of predictors, emerging from all the dimensions of analysis we considered. Using hierarchical linear models, cognitive, affective and behavioural variables emerged as significant first-level predictors of both criteria, and physical attributes were found to be significant second-level predictors. In addition, the joint analysis of objective neighbourhood features and residents' experience within a place-specific framework showed to be an effective approach to identify relevant domains for neighbourhood improvement. Commercial and leisure facilities can contribute to make the neighbourhood more lively; building density and green areas have inverse effects on the prevalence of social activities.