Walkability,risk perception and safety assessment among urban college pedestrians in Kuwait

The aim of this study was to examine what factors worried people as pedestrians in Kuwait. It aimed also to assess the correlation between perceived risk and worry and between worry and walking frequencies. The focus of this study was on urban college pedestrians as one of the most vulnerable population groups that suffered recently from many safety problems related to walking activities. This is relevant since most of the college’s students in Kuwait University are female (almost 90%). To do so, an online questionnaire was conducted to assess how respondents perceived risk and how worried they were when exposed to different hazards (traffic accident, harassment, and theft). Another online questionnaire was used to calculate the walkability index at different areas of Kuwait. From the results, it was shown that worry had influenced the pedestrian’s behavior as walking frequencies had dropped among respondents who had higher levels of worry. Cohen’s d showed a large difference in worry levels between those who walk daily and those who rarely walk. People reporting high levels of worry from experiencing accidents, harassment, and theft during nighttime were around 15 to 20% higher than those during daytime. The results from the second questionnaire showed that the area with the highest walkability index was Sabah Al-Salem as it was rated as the safest, the highest density of interesting businesses, and the best public transit area. These observations showed that major improvements are needed in Kuwait to increase the modal shift from cars to walking. In order to induce healthier lifestyles and improve the pro-environment by reducing the emissions linked to car usage.     

Initial development and validity evidence for the processes of change in Psychological Skills Training Questionnaire

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to create and provide validity evidence for the Processes of Change in Psychological Skills Training Questionnaire (PCPSTQ).DesignThe current study used a cross-sectional research design.MethodsFive hundred fifty nine NCAA Division I, professional, and Olympic level athletes participated in the current study. To create the PCPSTQ, an initial pool of 114 items was generated by the research team. After a content validity process, 65 items were retained for analysis. Exploratory structural equation modeling was used as an analytic strategy to identify the most appropriate factor structure for the PCPSTQ. Decisions about the most appropriate model were made using multiple fit indices. To examine the construct validity of the PCPSTQ, a series of one-way ANOVAs were conducted to examine differences in processes of change use across stage of change.ResultsIn the current study, validity evidence provided support for a 7-factor process of change measure (χ² = 325.84, p < .001; Comparative Fit Index = .971; Tucker Lewis Index = .945; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = .037; Standard Root Mean Square Residual = .020). Results also supported the construct validity of the scale as a significant difference in process of change use across stage of change was reported for all seven processes.ConclusionsResults of the current study support the factor structure and construct validity of the PCPSTQ. It appears that the processes of behavior change reported across multiple behavior change domains might also be viable for sport psychology professionals.     

Bibliometric reflections on the history of consumer research

This article analyzes citation data for over 7000 articles published in the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, and Journal of Consumer Research between 1936 and the end of 2009 to address five questions relating to the history of consumer research: What types of articles have been influential in consumer research? Does consumer research have sleeping beauties and shooting stars? How do consumer researchers achieve impact? Has consumer research become more or less influential over time? And finally, how much do older articles inform current consumer research?'     

The Duke Religion Index: A Psychometric Investigation

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Duke Religion Index (DRI) in two separate samples (n ₁=628, n ₂=243) of college students enrolled in randomly selected courses. An exploratory factor analysis of the DRI in the first sample supported a one-factor structure. A subsequent confirmatory factor analysis in the second sample confirmed this model. The internal consistency was excellent in both samples. A significant, positive correlation was found between the DRI and a measure of religious beliefs, supporting the convergent validity of the DRI. These findings provide further support for the reliability and construct validity of the DRI.     

An Empirical Evaluation of Millon's Dimensional Polarities

LASTPAGE study investigated the theoretical consistency for Millon's dimensional polarities (T. Millon &; R. D. Davis, 1996; T. A. Widiger, 1999) by administering the Millon Index of Personality Styles (MIPS; T. Millon, 1994) and Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III; T. Millon, 1997) to 50 university counseling center students. Data were analyzed by correlating the MIPS polarity dimension scales with the personality disorder scales of the MCMI-III. Findings suggested more inconsistencies than consistencies with the underlying theoretical model. The greatest discrepancies were found for the expected relationships between the polarity dimensions and the narcissistic and compulsive scales, and to a lesser degree, the schizoid, avoidant, schizotypal, and negativistic scales. Discussion concerned how these divergencies might best be understood in light of Millon's conceptualization of Axis II disorders.     

Long-term efficacy of exercise across diagnostically heterogenous mental disorders and the mediating role of affect regulation skills

BackgroundExercise interventions are efficacious in reducing disorder-specific symptoms in various mental disorders. However, little is known about long-term transdiagnostic efficacy of exercise across heterogenous mental disorders and the potential mechanisms underlying treatment effects.MethodsPhysically inactive outpatients, with depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, insomnia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were randomized to a standardized 12-week exercise intervention, combining moderate exercise with behavior change techniques (BCTs) (n = 38), or a passive control group (n = 36). Primary outcome was global symptom severity (Symptom Checklist-90, SCL-90-R) and secondary outcomes were self-reported exercise (Physical Activity, Exercise, and Sport Questionnaire), exercise-specific affect regulation (Physical Activity-related Health Competence Questionnaire) and depression (SCL-90-R) assessed at baseline (T1), post-treatment (T2) and one year after post-treatment (T3). Intention-to-treat analyses were conducted using linear mixed models and structural equations modeling.ResultsFrom T1 to T3, the intervention group significantly improved on global symptom severity (d = −0.43, p = .031), depression among a depressed subsample (d = −0.62, p = .014), exercise (d = 0.45, p = .011) and exercise-specific affect regulation (d = 0.44, p = .028) relative to the control group. The intervention group was more likely to reveal clinically significant changes from T1 to T3 (p = .033). Increases in exercise-specific affect regulation mediated intervention effects on global symptom severity (ß = −0.28, p = .037) and clinically significant changes (ß = −0.24, p = .042).ConclusionsThe exercise intervention showed long-term efficacy among a diagnostically heterogeneous outpatient sample and led to long-lasting exercise behavior change. Long-term increases in exercise-specific affect regulation within exercise interventions seem to be essential for long-lasting symptom reduction.     

Associational social capital and psychological type: an empirical enquiry among cathedral Friends in England

A sample of 1131 members of the Friends associations of six English cathedrals (616 women and 515 men) completed the Francis Psychological Type Scales (FPTS) and a modified version of the Williams Religious Social Capital Index (WRSCI). The data demonstrated that higher levels of religious social capital were found among extraverts (compared with introverts), sensing types (compared with intuitive types), and feeling types (compared with thinking types). No significant differences were found between judging types and perceiving types. The finding that extraverts displayed higher levels of religious social capital poses a challenge for the cathedrals, given that introverts outnumbered extraverts by nearly 2:1 in the Friends groups. Since religious social networks are known to influence generosity with time and money, it is suggested that cathedrals not only develop strategies to recruit more extravert Friends but also devise novel ways of encouraging introvert types to participate in associational activities where social capital will be generated.     

Evaluation of an Air Force Child Physical Abuse Prevention Project Using the Reliable Change Index

Three hundred and seventy-nine parents at 25 Air Force bases participated in a collaborative child physical abuse prevention project designed by the United States Air Force Family Advocacy Program and Father Flanagan's Boys' Home (Boys Town). These participants were active duty or civilian employee parents and their spouses who completed the Boys Town Common Sense Parenting ® program as part of a comprehensive prevention effort. We hypothesized that participants would report decreased child behavior problems, improved relationships with family members, and reduced risk for child physical abuse after attending parenting sessions. Results supported this hypothesis. The data were also analyzed to determine the frequencies of individual parents who made statistically reliable changes on the dependent measures using Jacobson's Reliable Change Index. Nineteen to 30% of the participants reported significant improvement in the areas assessed. Parents who improved in abuse risk were at a higher level of risk and were less satisfied with family relationships prior to their participation than those who did not change. Implications for prevention of child physical abuse and future directions for research are discussed.     

Suffering a Loss Is Good Fortune: Myth or Reality?

We sometimes decide to take an offered option that results in apparent loss (e.g., unpaid overtime). Mainstream decision theory does not predict or explain this as a choice we want to make, whereas such a choice has long been described and highly regarded by the traditional Chinese dogma “吃亏是福” (suffering a loss is good fortune). To explore what makes the dogma work, we developed a celebrity anecdote‐based scale to measure “Chikui” (suffering a loss) likelihood and found that:(i) people with higher scores on the Chikui Likelihood Scale (CLS) were more likely to report higher scores on subjective well‐being and the Socioeconomic Index for the present and (ii) the current Socioeconomic Index could be positively predicted not only by current CLS scores but also by retrospective CLS scores recalled for the past, and the predictive effect was enhanced with increasing time intervals. Our findings suggest that “suffering a loss is good fortune” is not a myth but a certain reality. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Behavioral Decision Making Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.