Validating a “spurning scale” for teachers

Based on a model on helpers’ reactions to rejection of their help, a spurning scale for teachers was constructed, comprising items that examine teachers’ perception of spurning of their help/advice by students and colleagues. Three avenues were taken to assess the validity of the scale: The relationships of the spurning scores with burnout scores; the relationships of spurning scores with job (dis)satisfaction and with job turnover; and relationships of spurning scores with job stresses from different sources. In-service teachers enrolled in a teacher training program were invited to fill out a questionnaire that contained these variables. Results suggest that the spurning scale is valid.     

Are older adults in Hong Kong “living in history” in their autobiographical memories?

Transition theory posits that autobiographical memories are organized by major life transitions, which is often supported by the Living-in-History effect that occurs when people frequently refer to public events to support their date estimates of personal events. In the present study, 52 Chinese older adults in Hong Kong recalled autobiographical events using cue-word method and justified the date estimates of the events. They also reported the most important events and assessed their impacts. Results showed that participants referred to public events only when estimating the date of 5.5% of word-cued events and reported a few public events as personally important, suggesting an absence of the Living-in-History effect. Nonetheless, word-cued events and important events accumulated around major life transitions to form a transition bump; the material change that important events brought about predicted whether the important events were used to organize autobiographical memory, thereby providing new evidence for the transition theory.     

“Decoding MH”—A de-stigmatization campaign in the Hong Kong Police Force

Police officers are under high level of stress given the intense and emergent work nature. If left untreated, their mental wellbeing would be at risk and work performance compromised. However, mental health stigma is common among police officers and is perpetuated by factors like police cultures emphasizing toughness and self-reliance. In view of this, since 2016, the Hong Kong Police Force had launched a holistic campaign for Force members which was the first among law enforcement organizations in Hong Kong, aiming to reduce stigma, by enhancing mental health knowledge and decreasing negative attitudes and behaviors towards mental health issues. The programme incorporated standardised trainings of the Mental Health First Aid course with examples modified to the local police context, and psychoeducation via the use of digital medium and sharing by public figures. Positive feedback was received. It was foreseen that the campaign effects would increase Force members' awareness of their mental health, encourage help-seeking and facilitate officers' decision making when encountering crises in the community.     

Current teaching practice for religious education in Hong Kong: implications for ‘learning from religion’

The human development (HD) model for religious education (RE) emphasises how students benefit from studying religion. However, detailed teaching practices for ‘learning from religion’ are not fully understood. In this article, lesson observations, school documents and interview data were collected from two Christian primary schools in Hong Kong (HK) . Two lessons were analysed as paradigmatic examples of the teaching for student development in RE lessons. This study found that the teachers helped their students engage in religion by giving them opportunities to associate religion with their lives through religious and moral-related contents. The use of daily life and religious experiences with discussions was the pedagogical approach for moving RE from just ‘the teaching of religion’. Moreover, various opportunities for student reflections to enhance personal and moral development were observed. Future studies should consider examining the theory of the adopted model and its classroom practice, which can aid understanding regarding the role of RE for student development and its global identity.     

Pedagogical issues in the teaching of classroom guidance curriculum—a hybrid Hong Kong case

Unlike many other places in the world, guidance lessons in Hong Kong are taught mainly by class teachers rather than school counsellors. Given the unique educational context of Hong Kong as East meets West and given that guidance is essentially a concept from the West, it is important to investigate what kind of pedagogy is suitable for teaching guidance in Hong Kong. This paper examines what teaching guidance lessons are like in Hong Kong for the researcher and for some primary teachers. A qualitative case study methodology is used. Data are drawn from the author's own experience in a primary school teaching attachment and interviews with guidance professionals, primary school principals, teachers and students in three selected primary schools in Hong Kong. Pedagogical issues for the teaching guidance curriculum are explored and discussed. The researcher argues for a hybrid guidance pedagogy for the teaching of classroom guidance in Hong Kong. Findings are applicable to countries facing similar issues in parallel mixed cultural settings.     

The Eysenckian personality structure: a Giant Three or Big Five model in Hong Kong?

In the last decade, the area of personality measurement has been dominated by three major systems: the Eysenckian Giant Three, the Cattellian sixteen factors and the Big Five. While many of the Cattellian second-stratum factors have been shown to fit the Big Five system, can the factors measured by the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire also be described by the five-factor model? The study reported in this article was designed to determine whether the dimensions measured by a revised Chinese version of the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire would, in a Hong Kong population, replicate the Giant Three or the Big Five and whether there is evidence to support the suggested dual nature of the Extraversion dimension and the Lie scale in this Cantonese-speaking group. A four-factor solution indicated that the data did not support the notion of a Giant Three model plus a Lie scale and lacks clarity. A five-factor solution produced factors that can clearly be labelled Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Sociability, Excitement-Seeking and Agreeableness. Sociability, focusing on meeting people and Excitement-Seeking, which consists of Impulsivity and Liveliness, derive from items in Eysencks Extraversion dimension. The Openness factor of the Big Five system is absent in this population.     

Prevalence and correlates of metabolic syndrome in Hong Kong Chinese adults—a random community sample study

The study investigates the prevalence and correlates of metabolic syndrome (MS) among Hong Kong Chinese adults. Random cluster sampling design and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) MS criteria were adopted. Totally 737 adults participated in questionnaire survey and received waist circumference (WC) measurement. Among them 335 showed central obesity (WC > 80 and 85 cm for women and men respectively). Subsequently 229 accepted blood test. Totally 71 participants met MS criteria, suggesting an overall prevalence of 14.1%. Both central obesity and MS increase sharply with age. Chi-square/ANOVA analyses revealed significant positive associations between central obesity with: being male, marital status being married/cohabit, lower education level, occupation as managers or housewives, and alcohol consumption. For MS, the significant positive correlates were: lower education level, occupation as service workers or housewives, lower income level, and alcohol consumption. After controlling for age, binary logistic regression analyses suggested the significant risk factors for central obesity were being male (OR = 1.4), married/cohabit (OR = 1.8), longer working hours (OR = 1.5), eating less vegetables (OR = 1.5), and alcohol consumption (OR = 1.8). For MS, only alcohol consumption appeared to be a significant risk factor (OR = 2.3). Multivariate binary logistic regressions also supported that age group and alcohol consumption were significant predictors of MS. To conclude, adopting randomized cluster sampling and IDF criteria, the study revealed a prevalence rate of MS at 14.1%. Alcohol consumption appears to be the strongest risk factor of MS, which however needs further investigation.     

Stonewalling through Schizophrenia: An Anti-Gay Rights Culture in Hong Kong?

With its British colonial legacy and Chinese make-up, Hong Kong provides a stimulating stadium and lens through which to examine the validity of the use of “culture” in arguing against homosexuality and the development and protection of the rights of sexual minorities. After a brief account on the legal developments in Hong Kong on homosexuality, this article examines how the argument that Hong Kong has an inherently anti-gay rights culture, which simultaneously emphasizes Confucianism and Christianity, and which the government then uses to stonewall the development and protection of the rights of sexual minorities, merely illuminates an underlying schizophrenia as to what that culture actually is. In the process of my diagnosis, I will also discuss whether Confucianism and Christianity indeed oppose homosexuality and sexual minority rights.

Male/Male Sex in Hong Kong: Privacy,Please?

In August 2005, the age of consent for male/male sexual activity in Hong Kong was held to be arbitrarily and discriminatorily targeting gay men and thus in violation of an individual’s right to privacy and his right of equality on the basis of sexual orientation. While the decision has since been affirmed on appeal, it has been argued that judicial recourse to equality rights where privacy rights would have sufficed for the provisions to be struck down was a misguided, if not mistaken, effort that merely reinforced the stereotype that gay men are “hypersexualized” and was a setback for the gay rights movement in Hong Kong. This article examines whether the argument is a well-founded one and discusses the implications of confining a man’s right to have consensual sex with another man to his privacy rights alone.

Empowerment or disempowerment? A review of youth training schemes for non-engaged young people in Hong Kong

This paper investigates the school-to-work experiences of non-engaged youth aged 15-24 who do not participate in education, training, and employment. Based on data from focus groups involving 50 non-engaged young people in Hong Kong, it examines how they are being systematically propelled to the edges of conventional pathways to adulthood, and assesses the efficacy of governmental training schemes that aim to develop employability as a strategy for engaging this population. The paper concludes by outlining prospects for future policy development, focusing on gaps and weaknesses in current provision and practice. It is suggested that effective guidance for non-engaged young people must pay attention to the social context of the individual. Assumptions behind the government's individualistic lifelong learning policy are called into question.     

Young citizens in Hong Kong: obedient,active and patriotic?

There are multiple ways of understanding citizenship: as a status conferred by a nation state, a personal identity constructed in response to particular circumstances or a social identity developed out of group membership. These are not mutually exclusive categories: an individual may experience “citizenships” that integrate these legal, personal and social identities. Yet how do young people who are not yet citizens understand what it means to be a citizen? In the present study, 15-year-old Hong Kong students were surveyed 2 years after the transition from colonial rule to Chinese sovereignty. They were asked to respond to a series of questions about citizenship responsibilities and the way they saw these reflected in ‘good citizens’. The results showed that students viewed citizenship responsibilities as multidimensional with reference to specific groups. They identified legal obligations related to civil authorities, personal obligations to support other members of the community and patriotic obligations to support the nation-state.     

Gender Differences in Campaign Materials and Politicians’ Professional Orientation: The Case of a Hong Kong Election

This study examines gender differences in election campaigns with a specific focus on whether professional orientation, defined as the extent to which a politician sees politics as a career with its own ladder of advancement, would suppress gender differences. This is because candidates with higher levels of professional orientation may tend to see themselves primarily as “politicians” instead of as women or men. A content analysis of 836 candidates’ campaign leaflets in a local level election in Hong Kong was conducted. The results show some differences in the extent to which women and men candidates mentioned certain issues and used certain appeals in their platforms. However, when gender differences existed, they were more pronounced among candidates with weaker professional orientation.     

Eternal Mothers or Flexible Housewives? Middle-aged Chinese Married Women in Hong Kong

How do Hong Kong Chinese women position themselves in relation to this stigmatized social category of “si-nai” (middle aged-housewives) and the prevailing norms and values regarding women’s roles? The case of middle-aged, married women in Hong Kong provides empirical support for an alternative understanding of the identity of adult woman and helps to problematize conceptualizations of women’s identity as centered on their mother roles. The narratives of these twenty-six women show the fluidity of their roles as mothers (and wives). These roles change with reference to social context, life circumstances, and life course. Many middle-aged women have tried to resist becoming “mad housewives” and have learnt to be “flexible housewives” by actively decentering their role as mothers.     

Perceived Parental Control and Parent–Child Relational Qualities in Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong

Chinese secondary school students (N = 3,017) were asked to respond to instruments that measure subjective evaluation of parental behavioral control (indexed by parental knowledge, expectation, monitoring, discipline, and demandingness, as well as Chinese parental control attributes), parental psychological control, and parent–child relational qualities (satisfaction with parental control, child's readiness to communicate with the parents, and perceived mutual trust). Results showed that Chinese adolescents perceived their fathers and mothers to be different in terms of the above indicators, and they suggest that the notion of “strict father, kind mother” in traditional Chinese culture has changed to “strict mother, kind father” in contemporary Chinese culture. Results also showed significant main effects of the child (boys vs. girls) and interaction effects of parents and gender of the child. Finally, parental educational levels were positively related to perceived parental control processes and parent–child relational qualities.     

Gender Voices in Hong Kong English Textbooks—Some Past and Current Practices

This paper seeks to investigate whether recent improvements in the status of women in Hong Kong are reflected in patterns of gender representation in Hong Kong secondary English textbooks. A comparison of ten recently published books which are currently in use with ten published in the late 1980s/early 1990s and no longer in use revealed that women appeared more frequently in the former, and that greater use was made of gender-inclusive pronouns and the neutral address title Ms. Nevertheless some writers, it was found, continue to perpetuate the stereotyped image of women as weaker than men, and as operating primarily within domestic rather than social domains. The “male-first” phenomenon and the visual under-representation of women are still prevalent in recent textbooks.     

Inclusion practices with Special Educational Needs students in a Hong Kong secondary school: teachers’ narratives from a school guidance perspective

Schools in Hong Kong are concerned about the growing enrolments of students with special educational needs (SEN) and how these students could be included in school guidance. This study examines teachers’ narratives of the inclusivity of school guidance. The study was qualitative, being a case study of a Hong Kong secondary school. School documents were collected for textual analysis and semi-structured interviews with 13 teachers were conducted, including nine guidance teachers and four other teachers who worked closely with these guidance teachers. Four dimensions for the inclusivity of school guidance were identified: the development of inclusive practices of guidance, the adoption of a proactive approach, the promotion of inclusive discipline, and the clear definition of the partnership between school guidance and professional organization offering specialised services for students with SEN. The study provides insights into contextual influences of Hong Kong education on school guidance and the development of an inclusive approach to guidance.     

Development and Preliminary Validation of a Chinese Version of the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire in a Population of Hong Kong Chinese

212 blind adults were administered the Sound Test, an auditory projective technique, to study their perceptual style and relate it to their functioning efficiency. The results indicated systematic significant differences between three employment criterion groups, employed in industry, in sheltered workshops and unemployed. The industry group demonstrated a higher ability to integrate, organize and differentiate the stimulus situations. The shop sample was stimulus bound, field dependent and rejected more stimulus situations. The unemployed group was significantly different from the industry and shop groups, exhibiting little or no effort to organize, integrate and differentiate. The results are discussed in terms of Witkin's principles of differentiation, field-dependency and field-independency. A cross validation study supports the results.     

Sense of Community in Hong Kong: Relations with Community-Level Characteristics and Residents’ Well-Being

Sense of community (SOC) has been one of the most studied topics in community psychology. However, no empirical study to date has investigated SOC in Hong Kong and its relations with community characteristics and residents’ psychological well-being. A representative sample of 941 Hong Kong Chinese based on a randomized household survey was conducted in all 18 districts in Hong Kong. Results of hierarchical linear modeling indicated that SOC was not associated with sociodemographic indicators on both the individual-level (i.e., gender, age, family income, education level, type of residence, and area-to-capita ratio of residence) and the community-level (i.e., proportion of individuals with tertiary education, median family income, ownership of residence, population density, and resident stability). SOC was negatively related to daily hassles and positively with social support and quality of life. Conceptualization of SOC in Hong Kong was discussed.     

To what extent do investors in a financial market anchor their judgments excessively? Evidence from the Hong Kong horserace betting market

A naturalistic study was employed to explore a new form of “basic anchoring.” In particular, we examined the degree to which decision makers in a financial market, the horserace betting market, anchored their probability judgments excessively on a factor present in the environment at the time the judgments were made and which was relevant and informative to the judgment: the advantage afforded by a horse's barrier‐position (BP). The results demonstrated that under certain conditions bettors anchored excessively on BP information revealed at previous race meetings, but not on the most recent race outcomes. In fact, bettors appeared to use the most recent race outcomes appropriately when forming probability estimates; but only when the results were in line with, what were likely to be, their expectations of BP advantage. Bettors with varying levels of expertise were shown to be subject to excessive anchoring, although greater expertise was generally associated with less excessive anchoring. The paper concludes that the manner and degree of basic anchoring in real‐world environments is complex. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Brief Parenting Intervention to Enhance the Parent–Child Relationship in Hong Kong: Harmony@Home

There is a dearth of high-level evidence for brief programs designed to promote positive parent–child relationships in nonwestern cultures. We present a pilot randomized controlled trial of a four-session intervention to enhance the parenting skills that promote a positive relationship with pre-adolescent children in Hong Kong. Our intervention, Harmony@Home, utilized Cunningham’s culturally appropriate coping modeling, problem-solving approach to change parental behavior. Our objective was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and initial evidence of benefit of the intervention. We blindly randomized 150 Hong Kong parents of children 10–13 years of age to (a) a Harmony@Home intervention group, (b) a waitlist control group, or (c) a third active intervention which shared the control group. Immediately following the intervention, we report increases in satisfaction with the parent–child relationship, one of the targeted parenting behaviors and family harmony, for the Harmony@Home group versus control group. However, only the results from satisfaction with the parent–child relationship were significant at 3-months post intervention. Most respondents reported high levels of program satisfaction. The results provide preliminary evidence that this parenting intervention is culturally acceptable for a nonwestern general population, is feasible for implementation in a community setting and shows evidence of benefit. This intervention is concordant with public health priorities because of the global importance of the parent–child relationship as a protective factor for adolescent outcomes, the need for culturally-appropriate interventions for nonwestern populations, and design characteristics that promote dissemination.