Dimensions of perceived control: A factor analysis of three measures and an examination of their relation to activity level and mood in a student and cross-cultural patient sample

Abstract

This study investigated whether measures of three perceived control (PC) concepts tapped independent dimensions, were invariant to population characteristics of health and culture, were differentially sensitive to health outcomes, and were discriminable from self-report disability. The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control, Generalized Self-efficacy, and Perceived Health Competence (PHC) Scales were administered to 106 Scottish students and 145 Scottish, Spanish and Irish patients, who also completed versions of the Sickness Impact Profile. Principal Components analyses revealed five factors reflecting scale constructions for students and six factors for patients, as PHC items fell on two factors. Disability items fell on a separate factor from all PC items. Results suggest: (a) PC is multidimensional regardless of health and culture; (b) adequate assessment requires multiple PC measures; and (c) it is meaningful to consider PC as a possible influence on disability.     

Outcomes of an Intensive Couple Relationship Education Program with Fragile Families

Couple relationship education (CRE) has been proposed as one means to help fragile families stabilize their relationships. The current research is one of the first studies to look at the outcomes of a CRE program with fragile families in the areas of couple stability and marriage formation. Data were from the Family Formation Project, a federal and state funded program working with fragile family couples (n = 96) in a metropolitan area. A historical cohort control group quasi‐experimental research design was used with a matched control group from the Fragile Family and Child Well‐being Study. The intervention consisted of in‐home education and support, group educational events, and social service referrals. Findings showed that couples had the same rate of couple stability as the control group but an increased rate of marriage. These findings suggest that CRE can help fragile families achieve marriage when that is their goal, but that some fragile families may need more than CRE to help them stabilize their relationship, or they may be better off separating.     

Critical Theory as an Approach to the Ethics of Information Security

Information security can be of high moral value. It can equally be used for immoral purposes and have undesirable consequences. In this paper we suggest that critical theory can facilitate a better understanding of possible ethical issues and can provide support when finding ways of addressing them. The paper argues that critical theory has intrinsic links to ethics and that it is possible to identify concepts frequently used in critical theory to pinpoint ethical concerns. Using the example of UK electronic medical records the paper demonstrates that a critical lens can highlight issues that traditional ethical theories tend to overlook. These are often linked to collective issues such as social and organisational structures, which philosophical ethics with its typical focus on the individual does not tend to emphasise. The paper suggests that this insight can help in developing ways of researching and innovating responsibly in the area of information security.     

Understanding and supporting the career implications of international assignments

International assignments represent an important form of migration in the global economy. In contrast to most other migrants, international assignees enjoy a relatively privileged position in the labor market. Authored by a diverse team of academics and practitioners, this paper draws on insights from empirical research and unpublished examples from practice to explore how international assignees can be supported before, during and after the international assignment. We move beyond the traditional expatriate cycle as a frame of reference, arguing that many of the challenges from the individual perspective are continuous, often pertinent well before and well after the assignment. We call for a reframing of career support for international assignees to reflect the reality of the experience. We propose that future studies of the impact of international assignments on career use more sophisticated methods including longitudinal studies of career trajectories and experiences of support practices. (138)