Organization-, supervisor-, and workgroup-directed commitments and citizenship behaviours: A comparison of models

The purpose of this study was to test two competing theoretical models explaining the relationships between affective commitment to the organization, the supervisor, and the workgroup, and organizational citizenship behaviours (OCB) specifically directed toward these foci. Drawing on cohesion theory, the first model stated that commitment to the organization is a key mediating variable intervening between “local” commitments and OCB (Hunt & Morgan, 1994). Building on Lewin's (1943) field theory and the notion of psychological proximity, the second model proposed that commitment to the most proximal focus should mediate the effect of commitment to more distal entities on OCB. Data drawn from a sample of blue-collar workers and their supervisors in an iron and steel company indicated that the model of a proximal mediation best represented the relationships between commitments and OCB.     

Approaching the religious patient in forensic psychiatry,with special focus on ethnic minority patients

ABSTRACT

Ethnic minority patients are overrepresented in Danish forensic psychiatry and knowledge is needed on how these patients are approached in relation to religious and cultural issues. The aim of this study was to investigate how psychiatrists in Danish forensic psychiatry approach religious ethnic minority patients. The study revealed positive approach towards religious ethnic minority patients. However, unless religion features as part of the illness, the tendency is to not incorporate the patients’ religiosity in treatment. The study finds that the hospital chaplain is regarded by the psychiatrists as an important part of the ward and expressed the desire for a more formal cooperation with religious specialists to be developed. Finally, the study finds that religious practices such as Ramadan, common prayer, and Islamic edicts on food and unlawful touch are areas where more knowledge is needed, especially in relation to anxiety, potential stress, and conflict situations.     

How Much for the Child?

In this paper we explore what sacrifices you are morally required to make to save a child who is about to die in front of you. It has been argued that you would have very demanding duties to save such a child (or any adult who is in similar circumstance through no fault of their own, for that matter), and some examples have been presented to make this claim seem intuitively correct. Against this, we argue that you do not in general have a moral requirement to bear more than moderate cost to save even a child who is just in front of you. Moreover, we explain why you have a much more demanding moral requirement in certain cases by appealing to the notions of undue risk and cost sharing.     

Sleep duration and chronotype in adults in Côte d'Ivoire: influence of gender,religion and age

This study investigated the sleep-wake rhythm and chronotype of people living in Côte d'Ivoire. We assessed sleep-wake behaviour in 556 adults (336 men, 220 women) between 25 and 54 years (mean: 38.63) by means of structured interviews. Data were analysed by linear models with sleep wake variables as dependent variables and age, gender, religion and region (urban/rural) as fixed factors controlling for number of working hours and children. Results suggest sleep length not to differ between weekdays and weekends but sleep timing (chronotype) was later on weekends with a midpoint of sleep at 1:37am during weekdays compared to 1:58am on weekends. The more children, the earlier was the midpoint of sleep and the shorter was sleep length. Midpoint of sleep was earlier in older people. Women slept longer during weekdays and were earlier chronotypes. Sleep duration was longer in the rural areas and midpoint of sleep was later in the urban areas on weekdays and on the weekend. Muslims showed the shortest sleep duration and were earliest chronotypes. Sleep-wake cycles in the African setting sample were shorter for women, Moslems, and older people.     

Understanding of and reasoning about object–object relationships in long-tailed macaques?

Diagnostic reasoning, defined as the ability to infer unobserved causes based on the observation of their effects, is a central cognitive competency of humans. Yet, little is known about diagnostic reasoning in non-human primates, and what we know is largely restricted to the Great Apes. To track the evolutionary history of these skills within primates, we investigated long-tailed macaques’ understanding of the significance of inclinations of covers of hidden food as diagnostic indicators for the presence of an object located underneath. Subjects were confronted with choices between different objects that might cover food items. Based on their physical characteristics, the shape and orientation of the covers did or did not reveal the location of a hidden reward. For instance, hiding the reward under a solid board led to its inclination, whereas a hollow cup remained unaltered. Thus, the type of cover and the occurrence or absence of a change in their appearance could potentially be used to reason diagnostically about the location of the reward. In several experiments, the macaques were confronted with a varying number of covers and their performance was dependent on the level of complexity and on the type of change of the covers’ orientation. The macaques could use a board’s inclination to detect the reward, but failed to do so if the lack of inclination was indicative of an alternative hiding place. We suggest that the monkeys’ performance is based on a rudimentary understanding of causality, but find no good evidence for sophisticated diagnostic reasoning in this particular domain.     

Are free testosterone and cortisol concentrations associated with training motivation in elite male athletes?

ObjectivesTo examine correlative associations between salivary free testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) concentrations and training motivation in elite male athletes.DesignSingle group, longitudinal design with repeated measures.MethodsParticipants (n = 15) completed a 5-week progressive resistance training programme. Across 2 weekly workouts, pre and post measures of salivary free T and C concentrations were taken along with voluntary chosen workload, as a proxy for training motivation. Strength and body mass were assessed pre and post training.ResultsIndividual changes in pre-workout free T concentrations correlated strongly to voluntary workloads (pooled r = 0.81, p < 0.001). Pre-workout free C concentrations was weakly correlated to voluntary workload (pooled r = 0.35). Pre-workout hormones (r = 0.57–0.89) and the strength gains were also related.ConclusionsThe salivary free T concentrations of male athletes presented before training were strongly associated with subsequent voluntary workloads, indicating a potential link to training motivation.     

Buddhism and Quantum Physics

Rudyard Kipling, the famous English author of The Jungle Book, born in India, wrote one day these words: ‘Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet’. In my paper I show that Kipling was not completely right. I try to show the common ground between Buddhist philosophy and quantum physics. There is a surprising parallelism between the philosophical concept of reality articulated by Nāgārjuna and the physical concept of reality implied by quantum physics. For neither is there a fundamental core to reality; rather, reality consists of systems of interacting objects. Such concepts of reality cannot be reconciled with the substantial, subjective, holistic or instrumentalistic concepts of reality that underlie modern modes of thought.     

Altruistic Discourse in the Informed Consent Process for Childhood Cancer Clinical Trials

Scholars have debated the role that altruistic considerations play—and should play—in recruitment and decision-making processes for clinical trials. Little empirical data are available to support their various perspectives. We analyzed 140 audiotaped pediatric informed consent sessions, of which 95 (68%) included at least one discussion of how participation in a cancer clinical trial might benefit: 1) the pursuit of scientific knowledge generally; 2) other children with cancer specifically; and 3) “the future” and other vaguely defined recipients. Clinicians initiated most (80%) of these discussions of altruism. The enrollment rate of children in the clinical trial was high (83%) overall, but not higher among children whose parents were involved in an altruism-oriented discussion. These findings suggest that: (1) clinicians invoke a spectrum of altruistic considerations rather than a single monothematic notion of altruism, and (2) the effect of altruistic considerations on subsequent enrollment decisions is marginal. While further research on this topic is warranted, bioethical debate should strive to reflect the diversity of altruistic discourse in clinical research encounters and to place this discourse in the context of other, including nonaltruistic, considerations.     

Critique of the Premises and Statistical Methodology of Parapsychology

A city-wide campaign involving various channels of communication was conducted to obtain high school seniors for a survey. Of the 102 seniors who telephoned to make appointments, 56 later attended their assigned questionnaire session. The rate of attendance differed for the communication channels. Newspaper advertisements attracted the most telephone calls but had the lowest attendance rate; notices on bulletin boards in city recreation centers produced the fewest telephone calls but had the highest attendance rate. Other channels, including personal contact, were intermediate in effectiveness. Additional findings were that nonpersonal channels differed in influence, and that exposure through multiple channels resulted in more influence than exposure through only one. The implications of the findings, especially for conceptualizations of channel influence, were noted.