Teaching Religion Around the World: A Modest First Glimpse

This essay introduces a collection of short essays solicited from authors around the globe who teach religion courses at the college level (not for professional religious training). The central question uniting this collection is whether religious studies is a unified and global pedagogical field, and this introduction teases out salient continuities and discontinuities driven by broad cultural and political contexts. These essays are published together with this introduction in Teaching Theology and Religion 18:3 (July 2015). The authors were asked to provide a brief overview of the curriculum, student learning goals, and pedagogical techniques employed in their courses.     

Character strengths in 75 nations: An update

This study represents an extension of Park, Peterson, and Seligman, who found substantial convergence across 54 nations and all 50 US states in the self-report of character strengths. Though their overall sample was substantial, some countries were represented by as few as 20 cases. The present study updates their work, using a sample of 1,063,921 adults who completed the Values in Action Inventory-Inventory of Strengths online between 2002 and 2012. The results for 75 nations each represented by at least 150 respondents suggest substantial cross-cultural similarity in endorsement of the strengths. The most highly endorsed character strengths were Honesty, Fairness, Kindness, Judgment, and Curiosity, while the least endorsed were Self-Regulation, Modesty, Prudence, and Spirituality. Though the participants probably represent a biased sample for many of the countries examined in the study, these results suggest grounds exist for cross-cultural dialog on how to advance the development of good character.     

Developing an indicator of family function and a practicable outcome measure for systemic family and couple therapy: the SCORE

There is a need for a measure of outcome in systemic family and couples therapy (SFCT) that reflects current theory and practice. To meet the needs of SFCT practice the measure needs to use self‐report by family members, take a short time to complete and be easy to understand. The development of such a measure, called the SCORE, is reported in this article. Substantial piloting, consultation and review in terms of clinical judgement led to the construction of the SCORE 40 which has forty items about how the family functions, rated by family members over 11 years of age on a Likert scale, in addition to independent ratings of the family and its difficulties. The SCORE 40 is shown to be a viable instrument but is too substantial for everyday clinical use. In a research project to reduce and refine the measure and determine its psychometric properties the SCORE 40 was administered to 510 members of 228 families at the start of their first appointment for family therapy at clinics throughout the UK. The scale has good psychometric properties and could operate with either three or four dimensions. The analyses of these data, combined with data from a convenience sample of 126 non‐clinical families, allowed a reduction to fifteen items while retaining most of the information provided by the SCORE 40. This version is offered with three dimensions of: (1) Strengths and adaptability; (2) Overwhelmed by difficulties; and (3) Disrupted communication. It is hoped that the ready availability of the SCORE 15 will encourage routine evaluation of outcomes in clinics as well as the SCORE being used flexibly for both therapy and research.     

The practice of crime linkage: A review of the literature

Crime linkage has been the subject of increasing attention in academic research. Research has found support for the principles of behavioural consistency and distinctiveness, which underpin crime linkage, but this does not provide direct evidence as to whether crime linkage is useful in practice. This literature review draws together documentation that refers to the practice of crime linkage, from assessing analysts' efficacy, to discussing the usage of computerised tools to assist with the linkage process, to providing a comprehensive outline of the process itself. The implications of the amount and type of information currently available are discussed, including the variations in practice and terminology that were explored. Avenues for future investigation and the manner in which future research could be conducted are set out in a research agenda.     

Are there virtuous types? Finite mixture modeling of the VIA Inventory of Strengths

ABSTRACT

Philosophical and religious traditions often refer to ‘the virtuous person.’ This terminology usually carries with it the assumption that a class of individuals exists who have achieved a virtuous state. This study attempted to test that implication. The VIA Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) is intended as a comprehensive assessment of character strengths, which are conceptualized as markers of virtuous character. One prior study using taxometric methods found no evidence for the existence of such a category of individuals using VIA-IS scores. Subsequent literature has suggested the superiority of finite mixture modeling for identifying categorical structure. Latent profile analyses of 1–10 classes were conducted in a stratified sample of 10,000 adults. The results provided little evidence for class structure, and support thinking of virtue as something we must continuously pursue rather than a state that we achieve.     

Strengths use and deficit correction in organizations: development and validation of a questionnaire

Although the positive psychology tradition emphasizes the importance of a balanced approach regarding individual strengths and weaknesses, there is no valid instrument to measure these phenomena in organizations. The purpose of the present studies is to develop and validate an instrument that measures four dimensions, namely perceived organizational support (POS) for strengths use, POS for deficit correction, strengths use behaviour, and deficit correction behaviour. In study 1 and 2, the Strengths Use and Deficit COrrection (SUDCO) questionnaire was developed and tested for its factor structure, reliability, and convergent and criterion validity in two samples of South African employees (N = 338 and N = 361, respectively). In study 3, the convergent and criterion validity of the SUDCO were examined in a sample of Dutch engineers (N = 133). Results indicated that the intended dimensions of strengths use and deficit correction can be measured reliably with 24 items and showed convergent validity. Moreover, POS for strengths use and strengths use behaviour correlated positively with self- and manager-ratings of job performance, supporting the criterion validity of these scales. As expected, POS for deficit correction and deficit correction behaviour were unrelated to the performance ratings.     

Team roles: Their relationships to character strengths and job satisfaction

Well-functioning teamwork has frequently been linked to increased work satisfaction and performance. However, there is a paucity of research on the different types of roles in teams. Recently, a new model of role behavior in teams was proposed (comprising seven such team roles: Idea creator, information gatherer, decision-maker, implementer, influencer, energizer, and relationship manager), but an assessment instrument was lacking so far. The present study describes the construction of an instrument for the assessment of these roles in two samples (N = 291 and 274) and examines their relationships with character strengths and job satisfaction. Results show that the team roles are positively related to job satisfaction and most character strengths. The findings support the important role of character strengths in work-related settings and lay ground for further studies on team roles.     

Scarecrow,Tin Woodsman,and Cowardly Lion: The three-factor model of virtue

Recent research has identified three virtues from the 24 strengths in the VIA Classification of Strengths and Virtues, labeled caring, inquisitiveness, and self-control. This article explored this model further. Study 1 demonstrated substantial congruence in three-factor loadings across 12 samples (total N = 1,082,230) despite substantial differences in methodology. Study 2 (N = 1719) provided support for the use of aggregate scores for the three virtues. Study 3 (N = 498) demonstrated substantial overlap between measures of personality and the virtues. We conclude these three are potentially essential components of a theory of virtue. They cannot be considered a sufficient model, which may be unattainable. We also note that treating virtue as an individual difference concept neglects key elements of our understanding of virtue as a social construct, and these more amorphous elements must be considered in developing an optimal model of virtue.     

医本仁术 命大于天——反思一尸两命案

孕妇因呼吸道感染求诊,必须实施剖腹产手术,医院因陪同人员拒不在手术知情同意书上签字,未能进行手术并眼睁睁地看着孕妇和胎儿死亡。本案是个极其个别的案例,但是仔细反思足以说明当前的相关法律法规尚有不足,医院处理也有许多值得商榷之处。除了法律法规之外,不仅医患沟通出了障碍,临床医务人员之间的交流,更是需要大大加强。