ABSTRACT
Diagnoses of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have been on the rise, and the need for knowledgeable and competent professionals is dire. However, few social workers enter the field of ASDs. Rooted in social cognitive theory, this study examined the extent to which knowledge, interest, contact, and training predicted master's in social work students' self-efficacy in working with individuals with ASDs. Approximately 18% of the variance was explained (R(2) = .18, p < .001), with knowledge and contact predicting a significant proportion of the variance. Implications for social work practice and education are discussed.
Subject(s)
Autism Spectrum Disorder/psychology , Self Efficacy , Social Work , Students, Health Occupations/psychology , Adult , Career Choice , Female , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Social Work/education , Southeastern United States , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young AdultABSTRACT
Payday loans refer to small-dollar, high-interest, short-term loans usually extended to lower-income consumers. Despite much research to the contrary, the payday loan industry asserts that it primarily serves middle-class Americans. This article discusses the authors' investigation of the industry's claim, by analyzing data from a U.S. bankruptcy court serving a Southern district. Results of the multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that, controlling for various sociodemographic and economic variables, two middle-class indicators--home-ownership and annual income at or greater than the median income--are associated with a decreased likelihood of using payday loans. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the results for social work practice and advocacy in regard to financial capability, particularly asset development, income maintenance, and payday loan regulation.
