Search results for: mediation education

Authors: Ifeanyi Adigwe, Thomas Van der Walt

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Digital media has been integrated into the social and entertainment life of young children, and as such, the impact of digital media appears to affect young people of all ages and it is believed that this will continue to shape the world of young children. Since, technological advancement of digital media presents adolescents with diverse contexts, platforms and avenues to engage with digital media outside the home environment and from parents' supervision, a wide range of new challenges has further complicated the already difficult tasks for parents and altered the landscape of parenting. Despite the fact that adolescents now have access to a wide range of digital media technologies both at home and in the learning environment, parenting practices such as active, restrictive, co-use, participatory and technical mediations are important in mitigating of online risks adolescents may encounter as a result of digital media use. However, these mediation practices only focus on the home environment including digital media present in the home and may not necessarily transcend outside the home and other learning environments where adolescents use digital media for school work and other activities. This poses the question of who mediates adolescent's digital media use outside the home environment. The learning environment could be a ''loose platform'' where an adolescent can maximise digital media use considering the fact that there is no restriction in terms of content and time allotted to using digital media during school hours. That is to say that an adolescent can play the ''bad boy'' online in school because there is little or no restriction of digital media use and be exposed to online risks and play the ''good boy'' at home because of ''heavy'' parental mediation. This is the reason why parent mediation practices have been ineffective because a parent may not be able to track adolescents digital media use considering the diversity of contexts, platforms and avenues adolescents use digital media. This study argues that due to the diverse nature of digital media technology, parents may not be able to monitor the 'whereabouts' of their children in the digital space. This is because adolescent digital media usage may not only be confined to the home environment but other learning environments like schools. This calls for urgent attention on the part of teachers to understand the intricacies of how digital media continue to shape the world in which young children are developing and learning. It is, therefore, imperative for parents to liaise with the schools of their children to mediate digital media use during school hours. The implication of parents- teachers mediation practices are discussed. The article concludes by suggesting that third party mediation by teachers in schools and other learning environments should be encouraged and future research needs to consider the emergent strategy of teacher-children mediation approach and the implication for policy for both the home and learning environments.

Keywords: digital media, digital age, parent mediation, third party mediation

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Authors: Ven. Bhikkhu Ananda

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Mind emerged from the quantum field. The practice of mediation can take one to the state of enlightenment. During meditation, the change in the very behaviour of electrons, protons, and photons and their fields, known to be quantum fields, create mental states. This could well be expressed in the mathematical language of quantum mechanics. This paper qualifies and quantifies mental states created during meditation and is explained by quantum mechanics. In meditation, phenomenology can be seen as the process of enlightenment. In this process, the emptiness shown in Buddhist philosophy and the emptiness of quantum fields is compared. The methodologies used here are mindfulness meditation and metta mediation (compassion meditation ). The research findings suggest not only quantumness and change are consciousness, but well-founded behaviour of an individual in the society, which can amplify the positive behaviour caused by mental states, and that emptiness and impermanence of phenomenon are based on dependent arisings. The presence of quantum coherence indicates that quantum mechanics has a role in the evolution of the pure mind and the phenomenology created thereof in mediation.

Keywords: meditation, mental states, quantum mechanics, enlightenment

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Authors: Ali Asghar Sotoudeh

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Mediation Diplomacy has emerged as one of the main pillars of China's foreign policy goals and practices, and Beijing has established itself as a peacekeeping force in regional conflicts and crises such as Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, Yemen, and the Arab-Israeli peace process. China is deepening and intensifying its diplomatic interventions in the Middle East and trying to shape the security and political developments in the Middle East. On the other hand, economically, China has become one of the most important trading partners with Middle Eastern governments. China is also seeking to expand its foreign policy and economic interests in the Middle East through the New Silk Road initiative and has signed cooperation agreements with 17 Arab countries. In this regard, due to the importance of the subject, this research focuses on answering this question; what is the basis of China's political mediation and economic expansionism in the Middle East? In parallel with this question, this study follows the hypothesis that the mediating role of peace is a legitimate way for China to intervene in Middle East political crises, Without causing China to deviate from its traditional guiding principles based on non-interference in the internal affairs of other actors in the international system. This policy also promotes the security of economic interests and increases the country's political influence in the Middle East. The research method is descriptive-analytical based on the qualitative method, and the data collection method is library and internet resources.

Keywords: China, middle east, political mediation, economic expansionism

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Authors: Massimiliano Nastri

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The study examines the façade systems according to the constitutive and typological characters, as well as the functional and applicative requirements such as the expressive, constructive, and interactive criteria towards the environmental, perceptive, and energy conditions. The envelope systems are understood as instruments of mediation, interchange, and dynamic interaction between environmental conditions. The façades are observed for the sustainable concept of eco-efficient envelopes, selective and multi-purpose filters, adaptable and adjustable according to the environmental performance.

Keywords: typologies of façades, environmental and energy sustainability, interaction and perceptive mediation, technical skins

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Authors: Man Chung Chu

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In the dynamic family interaction, parental self-efficacy is connected with parent-child attachment. Parental self-efficacy and its corresponding behavior played an influential role in the lifespan development of the child. Recently, Mindful parenting is popularly addressed as it lightens parents’ awareness to their own thoughts feelings and behaviors by adapting a nonjudgmental attitude in the present moment being with the child. The effectiveness of mindful parent is considerably significant in enhancing parent-child relationship as well as family functioning. Parenting in early developmental stage is always challenging and essential for later growth, however, literature is rarely exploring the mediation of mindful parenting on the effect of parent self-efficacy on parent-child attachment in preschoolers’ families. The mediation effect of the research shed light on how mindful parenting should head, where parental self-efficacy training should be incorporated together with mindful family program in attempt to yield the best outcome in the family of young-aged children. Two hundred and eight (208) parents, of two to six years old children, were participated in the study and results supported the significance in the mediator effect of mindful parenting in both facets, i.e. Parent-focused - ‘Mindful Discipline’ and Child-focused – ‘Being in the moment with the child’ where parental self-efficacy is a significant predictor of mindful parenting. The implication of the result suggests that mindful parenting would be a therapeutic framework in promoting family functioning and child’s well-being, it would also be a ‘significant helping hand’ in maintaining continuous secure attachment relationship and growing their mindful children in a family.

Keywords: mediation effect, mindful parenting, parental self efficacy, parent-child attachment, preschoolers

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Authors: Masa Popovac, Philip Fine

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Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have altered our social environments, and young people in particular have immersed themselves in the digital age. Despite countless benefits, younger ICT users are being exposed to various online risks such as contact with strangers, viewing of risky content, sending or receiving sexually themed images or comments (i.e. ‘sexting’) as well as cyber bullying. Parents may not be fully aware of the online spaces their children inhabit and often struggle to implement effective mediation strategies. This quantitative study explored (i) three types of online risks (contact risks, content risks and conduct risks), (ii) cyber bullying victimization and perpetration, and (iii) parental mediation among a sample of 689 South African adolescents aged between 12-17 years. Survey data was also collected for 227 of their parents relating to their perceptions of their child’s online experiences. A comparison between adolescent behaviors and parental perceptions was examined on the three variables in the study. Findings reveal various online risk taking behaviors. In terms of contact risks, 56% of adolescents reported having contact with at least one online stranger, with many meeting these strangers in person. Content risks included exposure to harmful information such as websites promoting extreme diets or self-harm as well as inappropriate content: 84% of adolescents had seen violent content and 75% had seen sexual content online. Almost 60% of adolescents engaged in conduct risks such as sexting. Eight online victimization behaviors were examined in the study and 79% of adolescents had at least one of these negative experiences, with a third (34%) defining this experience as cyber bullying. A strong connection between victimization and perpetration was found, with 63% of adolescents being both a victim and perpetrator. Very little parental mediation of ICT use was reported. Inferential statistics revealed that parents consistently underestimated their child’s online risk taking behaviors as well as their cyber bullying victimization and perpetration. Parents also overestimated mediation strategies in the home. The generational gap in the knowledge and use of ICTs is a barrier to effective parental mediation and online safety, since many negative online experiences by adolescents go undetected and can continue for extended periods of time thereby exacerbating the potential psychological and emotional distress. The study highlights the importance of including parents in online safety efforts.

Keywords: cyber bullying, online risk behaviors, parental mediation, South Africa

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Authors: Patrizia Barroero, Saliha Yagoubi

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Mindfulness meditation practices in the context of higher education are becoming more and more common. Some of the reported benefits of mediation interventions and workshops include: improved focus, general well-being, diminished stress, and even increased resilience and grit. A series of workshops free to students, faculty, and staff was offered twice a week over two semesters at Hudson County Community College, New Jersey. The results of an exploratory study based on participants’ subjective reactions to these workshops will be presented. A qualitative approach was used to collect and analyze the data and a hermeneutic phenomenological perspective served as a framework for the research design and data collection and analysis. The data collected includes three recorded videos of semi-structured interviews and several written surveys submitted by volunteer participants.

Keywords: mindfulness meditation practices, stress reduction, resilience, grit, higher education success, qualitative research

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Authors: Fazli Idris, Jihad Mohammad

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The study aims to determine the impact of technology and service operations flexibility, which is divided into external flexibility and internal robustness, on operations costs. A mediation model is proposed that links technology to operations costs via operation flexibility. Drawing on a sample of 475 of operations managers of various service sectors in Malaysia and South Africa, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the relationship using Smart-PLS procedures. It was found that a significant relationship was established between technologies to operations costs via both operations flexibility dimensions. Theoretical and managerial implications are offered to explain the results.

Keywords: Operations flexibility, technology, costs, mediation

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Authors: Akshay Patil

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Objective: Mediation analysis identifies causal pathways by testing the relationships between the NCR, the OS, and an intermediate variable that mediates the relationship between the Nimotuzumab-cisplatin-radiation (NCR) and OS. Introduction: In randomized controlled trials, the primary interest is in the mechanisms by which an intervention exerts its effects on the outcomes. Clinicians are often interested in how the intervention works (or why it does not work) through hypothesized causal mechanisms. In this work, we highlight the value of understanding causal mechanisms in randomized trial by applying causal mediation analysis in a randomized trial in oncology. Methods: Data was obtained from a phase III randomized trial (Subgroup of HPVNOCP). NCR is reported to significantly improve the OS of patients locally advanced head and neck cancer patients undergoing definitive chemoradiation. Here, based on trial data, the mediating effect of NCR on patient overall survival was systematically quantified through progression-free survival(PFS), disease free survival (DFS), Loco-regional failure (LRF), and the disease control rate (DCR), Overall response rate (ORR). Effects of potential mediators on the HR for OS with NCR versus cisplatin-radiation (CR) were analyzed by Cox regression models. Statistical analyses were performed using R software Version 3.6.3 (The R Foundation for Statistical Computing) Results: Effects of potential mediator PFS was an association between NCR treatment and OS, with an indirect-effect (IE) 0.76(0.62 – 0.95), which mediated 60.69% of the treatment effect. Taking into account baseline confounders, the overall adjusted hazard ratio of death was 0.64 (95% CI: 0.43 – 0.96; P=0.03). The DFS was also a significant mediator and had an IE 0.77 (95% CI; 0.62-0.93), 58% mediated). Smaller mediation effects (maximum 27%) were observed for LRF with IE 0.88(0.74 – 1.06). Both DCR and ORR mediated 10% and 15%, respectively, of the effect of NCR vs. CR on the OS with IE 0.65 (95% CI; 0.81 – 1.08) and 0.94(95% CI; 0.79 – 1.04). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that PFS and DFS were the most important mediators of the OS with nimotuzumab to weekly cisplatin-radiation in HPVNOCP.

Keywords: mediation analysis, cancer data, survival, NCR, HPV negative oropharyngeal

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Authors: Stefan Kurbatfinski, Aliyah Dosani, Andrew F. Hayes, Deborah Dewey, Nicole Letourneau

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Background: Maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems in preschool children. However, little is known about the influence of maternal adult attachment patterns on this association. Further, potential moderation by maternal mental health, maternal social support, or child sex is poorly understood. Therefore, this study examined associations between 1) maternal ACEs and preschool children’s behavioural problems, with mediation through maternal attachment patterns and moderation by maternal mental health, maternal social support, and child sex; and 2) maternal attachment patterns and children’s behavioural problems, with mediation through maternal mental health and social support and moderation by child sex. Methods: This secondary analysis used data (n=625) from a high socioeconomic, longitudinally prospective cohort (Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition). Child behaviour (BASC-2) and maternal adult attachment (ECR-Q) were measured at five years of child age, maternal ACEs (ACEs Questionnaire) at around 12 months, and maternal mental health (CESD and SCL-90-R) and social support (SSQ) across various prenatal and postnatal time points. All moderation and mediation analyses occurred through RStudio using PROCESS, interpreting significant interactions through Johnson-Neyman plots. Findings: Maternal ACEs interacted with maternal anxiety symptoms to predict both behavioural problems (pexternalizing=0.007; pinternalizing=0.0159). An indirect pathway via dismissive attachment was moderated by maternal social support ([0.0058, 0.0596]). Attachment patterns predicted all behavioural problems (p<0.05) and interacted with maternal anxiety symptoms to predict internalizing behaviours among male children ([0.0321, 0.1307]; [0.0321, 0.1291]). Interpretation: Maternal attachment patterns may predict children’s behavioural problems more than ACEs. Social support interventions may not always be beneficial for highly dismissively attached mothers. Implications for policy and child health include mandatory sex and gender education for teachers; assessing attachment patterns prior to recommending social support as an intervention; and anxiety-focused interventions for mothers in higher socioeconomic populations.

Keywords: maternal adverse childhood experiences, internalizing behaviours, externalizing behaviours, mediators and moderators, attachment patterns, child health

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Authors: Abdolamir Gatezadeh, Jamal Daghaleh

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The lifestyle of individuals is important and determinant for the status of psychological and social health. Recently, especially in developed countries, the relationship between lifestyle and mental illnesses, including depression, has attracted the attention of many people. In order to test the causal model of depression based on lifestyle with mediation of social health in the study, basic and applied methods were used in terms of objective and descriptive-field as well as the data collection. Methods: This study is a basic research type and is in the framework of correlational plans. In this study, the population includes all adults in Ahwaz city. A randomized, multistage sampling of 384 subjects was selected as the subjects. Accordingly, the data was collected and analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results: In data analysis, path analysis indicated the confirmation of the assumed model fit of research. This means that subscales lifestyle has a direct effect on depression and subscales lifestyle through the mediation of social health which in turn has an indirect effect on depression. Discussion and conclusion: According to the results of the research, the depression can be used to explain the components of the lifestyle and social health.

Keywords: depression, subscales lifestyle, social health, causal model

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Authors: Hami-Ziniman Revital, Ashwall Rachelly

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The conflict resolution realm has developed tremendously during the last half-decade. Three main approaches should be mentioned: an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) suggesting processes such as Arbitration or Interests-based Negotiation was developed as an answer to obligations and rights-based conflicts. The Pragmatic mediation approach focuses on the gap between interests and needs of disputants. The Transformative mediation approach focusses on relations and suits identity-based conflicts. In the current study, we examine the conflictual relations between religious and non-religious Jews in Israel and the impact of three transformative mechanisms: Inter-group recognition, In-group empowerment and Value-based reframing on the relations between the participants. The research was conducted during four facilitated joint mediation classes. A unique finding was found. Using both transformative mechanisms and the Contact Hypothesis criteria, we identify transformation in participants’ relations and a considerable change from anger, alienation, and suspiciousness to an increased understanding, affection and interpersonal concern towards the out-group members. Intergroup Recognition, In-group empowerment, and Values-based reframing were the skills discovered as the main enablers of the change in the relations and the research participants’ fostered mutual recognition of the out-group values and identity-based issues. We conclude this transformation was possible due to a constant intergroup contact, based on the Contact Hypothesis criteria. In addition, as Interests-based mediation uses “Reframing” as a skill to acknowledge both mutual and opposite needs of the disputants, we suggest the use of “Value-based Reframing” in intergroup identity-based conflicts, as a skill contributes to the empowerment and the recognition of both mutual and different out-group values. We offer to implement those insights and skills to assist conflict resolution facilitators in various intergroup identity-based conflicts resolution efforts and to establish further research and knowledge.

Keywords: empowerment, identity-based conflict, intergroup recognition, intergroup relations, mediation skills, multi-cultural society, reframing, value-based recognition

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Authors: Yin Ma, Xun Wang, Kelsey Austin

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Purpose – Building upon career construction theory and the conservation of resources theory, we developed a moderated mediation model to examine how the perceived university support impact students’ career adapting responses, namely, crystallization, exploration, decision and preparation, via the mediator career adaptability and moderator perceived parental support. Design/methodology/approach – The multi-stage sampling strategy was employed and survey data were collected. Structural equation modeling was used to perform the analysis. Findings – Perceived university support could directly promote students’ career adaptability, and promote three career adapting responses, namely, exploration, decision and preparation. It could also impact four career adapting responses via mediation effect of career adaptability. Its impact on students’ career adaptability can greatly increase when students’ receive parental related career support. Research limitations/implications – The cross-sectional design limits causal inference. Conducted in China, our findings should be cautiously interpreted in other countries due to cultural differences. Practical implications – University support is vital to students’ career adaptability and supports from parents can enhance this process. University-home collaboration is necessary to promote students’ career adapting responses. For students, seeking and utilizing as much supporting resources as possible is vital for their human resources development. On an organizational level, universities could benefit from our findings by introducing the practices which ask students to rate the career-related courses and encourage them to chat with parents regularly. Originality/ value – Using recently developed scale, current work contributes to the literature by investigating the impact of multiple contextual factors on students’ career adapting response. It also provide the empirical support for the role of human intervention in fostering career adapting responses.

Keywords: career adapability, university and parental support, China studies, sociology of education

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Authors: Kristine Tuliao

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Although it is of primary concern to ensure that supervisors behave appropriately, research shows that unethical behaviors are prevalent and may cost organizations’ economic and reputational damages. Nevertheless, few studies have considered the roles of the different levels of values in shaping one’s ethicality, and the examination of the possible mediation in the process of their influence has been rarely done. To address this gap, this research employs Merton’s anomie theory in designing a mediation analysis to test the direct impacts of national cultural values on supervisors’ justification of unethical behaviors as well as their indirect impacts through personal values. According to Merton’s writings, individual behaviors are affected by the society’s culture given its role in defining the members’ goals as well as the acceptable methods of attaining those goals. Also, Merton’s framework suggests that individuals develop their personal values depending on the assimilation of their society’s culture. Using data of 9,813 supervisors across 30 countries, results of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) indicated that national cultural values, specifically assertiveness, performance orientation, in-group collectivism, and humane orientation, positively affect supervisors’ unethical inclination. Some cultural values may encourage unethical tendencies, especially if they urge and pressure individuals to attain purely monetary success. In addition, some of the influence of national cultural values went through personal monetary and non-monetary success values, indicating partial mediation. These findings substantiated the assertions of Merton’s anomie theory that national cultural values influence supervisors’ ethics through their integration with personal values. Given that some of the results contradict Merton’s anomie theory propositions, complementary arguments, such as incomplete assimilation of culture, and the probable impact of job position in perceptions, values, and behaviors, could be the plausible rationale for these outcomes. Consequently, this paper advances the understanding of differences in national and personal values and how these factors impact supervisors’ justification of unethical behaviors. Alongside these contributions, suggestions are presented for the public and organizations to craft policies and procedures that will minimize the tendency of supervisors to commit unethical acts.

Keywords: mediation model, national culture, personal values, supervisors' ethics

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Authors: Razia Anjum, Zaqia Bano, Chan Wai

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Temperament has been described as a multifaceted and potentially value-laden construct in literature but there is scarcity of research work in area of forensic psychology predominantly in south Asian countries. Present exposition explored the mediated effect of temperament towards the childhood maltreatment and delinquency. Further the moderated effect of prisoner’s age and education will be examined. Variable System for Windows 1.3 version was used to analyze the data provided by 517 prisoners (407 males, 110 females) from four districts prisons situated at Pakistan. Cross sectional research design was used in this study and representative sample was approached through purposive sampling technique. Only those prisoners were the part of study who maltreated in their childhood in form of physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse or experienced the emotional neglect. After exploration the childhood adversities through ‘Child Abuse Self-Report Scale’, then the prisoner’s temperament styles were explored through ‘Adult Temperament Scale’. Later on, the investigation with particular to the delinquent behaviors was carried out. The findings suggested that the presence of four temperamental styles (choleric, melancholic, phlegmatic, and sanguine) mediated the childhood maltreatment-delinquency relationship in late adulthood but not in early adulthood. Marked exploration was the significant moderated effect of Prisoner’s age and their level of education that effect the relationship of temperament towards the childhood maltreatment and the delinquency, in this way results are consistent with views on cumulative pathways to delinquency that undergone through the effect of childhood maltreatment. Results indicated that Choleric, Melancholic temperament was the positive predictor of delinquency, whereas. The Phlegmatic and Sanguine temperament were the negative predictor of delinquency, in this way, different types of temperament left an indelible trace on delinquency that can work out by modifying the individual temperament. On the basis of results, it could be concluded that inclination towards the delinquent behaviors including theft, drug abuse, lying, noncompliance behavior, police encounter, violence, cheating, gambling, harassment, homosexuality and heterosexuality could be minimized if properly screen out the temperament. Moreover, study determined the two other significant moderated effect of age towards the involvement in delinquent behaviors and moderated effect of education towards childhood maltreatment and the temperament. Findings suggested that with marked increase in number of years in age the probability to get involve in delinquent behaviors will decrease and the result was consistent with the assumption that education can work as buffered to maximize or minimize the effect of trauma and can shape the temperament accordingly. Results are consistent with views on cumulative disadvantage with the socio-psychological faultiness of community.

Keywords: delinquent behaviors, temperament, prisoners, moderated mediation analysis

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Authors: Prabhashini Wijewantha

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This study looks at the impact of protean career attitude of employees on their career success and next it looks at the mediation effect of career insights on the above relationship. Career success is defined as the accomplishment of desirable work related outcomes at any point in person’s work experiences over time and it comprises of two sub variables, namely, career satisfaction and perceived employability. Protean career attitude was measured using the eight items from the Self Directedness subscale of the Protean Career Attitude scale developed by Briscoe and Hall, where as career satisfaction was measured by the three item scale developed by Martine, Eddleston, and Veiga. Perceived employability was also evaluated using three items and career insight was measured using fourteen items that were adapted and used by De Vos and Soens. Data were collected from a sample of 300 mid career executives in Sri Lanka deploying the survey strategy and data were analyzed using the SPSS and AMOS software version 20.0. A preliminary analysis of data was initially performed where data were screened and reliability and validity were ensured. Next a simple regression analysis was performed to test the direct impact of protean career attitude on career success and the hypothesis was supported. The Baron and Kenney’s four steps, three regressions approach for mediator testing was used to calculate the mediation effect of career insight on the above relationship and a partial mediation was supported by the data. Finally theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Keywords: career success, career insight, mid career MBAs, protean career attitude

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Authors: Abeer Karaali

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This paper will seek to clarify important key terms such as home schooling and home education as well as the legalities attached to such terms. It will reflect on the recent proposed changes to terminology in NSW, Australia. The various pedagogical approaches to home education will be explored including their prominence in the Australian context. There is a strong focus on literature from Australia. The historical background of home education in Australia will be explained as well as the difference between distance education and home education. The statistics related to home education in Australia will be explored in the scope and compared to the US. The future of home education in Australia will be discussed.

Keywords: alternative education, e-learning, home education, home schooling, online resources, technology

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Authors: Tatjana Stefanovic Stanojevic, Milica Tosic Radev, Aleksandra Bogdanovic

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Depression is considered to be a leading cause of death and disability in the female population, and that is the reason why understanding the dynamics of the onset of depressive symptomatology is important. A review of the literature indicates the relationship between depressive symptoms and insecure attachment patterns, but very few studies have examined the mechanism underlying this relation. The aim of the study was to examine the pathway from the preoccupied attachment pattern to depressive symptomatology, as well as to test the mediation effect of mentalization, social anxiety and rumination in this relationship using a serial mediation model. The research was carried out on a geographical cluster sample from the general population of Serbia included within the project ‘Indicators and models of family and work roles harmonization’ funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia. This research was carried out on a subsample of 791 working-age female adults from 37 urban and rural locations distributed through 20 administrative districts of Serbia. The respondents filled in a battery of instruments, including Relationship Questionnaire - Clinical Version (RQ - CV), The Mentalization Scale (MentS), Scale of Social Anxiety (SA), Patient Ruminative Thought Style Questionnaire (RTSQ), Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The results confirm our assumption that the total indirect effect of the preoccupied attachment pattern to depressive symptoms is significant across all mediators separately. More importantly, this effect is still present in a model with a sequential mediator relationship, where social anxiety, rumination, and mentalization were perceived as serial mediators of a relationship between preoccupied attachment and depressive symptoms (estimated indirect effect=0.004, boot-strapped 95% CI=0.002 to 0.007). Our findings suggest that there is a significant specific indirect effect of the preoccupied attachment pattern to depressive symptoms, occurring through mentalization, social anxiety and rumination, indicating that preoccupied attachment cause decrease of a self related mentalization, which in turn causes increasing of social anxiety and rumination, concluding in depressive symptoms as a final consequence. The finding that the path from the preoccupied attachment pattern to depressive symptoms is typical in women is understandable from the perspective of both evolutionary and culturally conditioned gender differences. The practical implications of the study are reflected in the recommendations for the prevention and forehand psychotherapy response among preoccupied women with depressive symptomatology. Treatment of this specific group of depressed patients should be focused on strengthening mentalization, learning to accept and to understand herself better, reducing anxiety in situations where mistakes are visible to others, and replacing the rumination strategy with more constructive coping strategies.

Keywords: preoccupied attachment, depression, serial mediation model, mentalization, rumination

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Authors: Rabia Khaliala, Adi Vitman-Schorr

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Background: The increase in longevity of people on one hand, and on the other hand the fact that the social networks in later life become increasingly narrower, highlight the importance of Internet use to enhance quality of life (QoL). However, whether Internet use increases or decreases social networks, loneliness and quality of life is not clear-cut. Purposes: To explore the direct and/or indirect effects of Internet use on QoL, and to examine whether ethnicity and time the elderly spent with family moderate the mediation effect of Internet use on quality of life throughout loneliness. Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was carried out in 2016 by structured interviews with a convenience sample of 502 respondents aged 50 and older, living in northern Israel. Bootstrapping with resampling strategies was used for testing mediation a model. Results: Use of the Internet was found to be positively associated with QoL. However, this relationship was mediated by loneliness, and moderated by the time the elderly spent with family members. In addition, respondents' ethnicity significantly moderated the mediation effect between Internet use and loneliness. Conclusions: Internet use can enhance QoL of older adults directly or indirectly by reducing loneliness. However, these effects are conditional on other variables. The indirect effect moderated by ethnicity, and the direct effect moderated by the time the elderly spend with their families. Researchers and practitioners should be aware of these interactions which can impact loneliness and quality of life of older persons differently.

Keywords: internet use, loneliness, quality of life, social contacts

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Authors: Kumiko Inagaki

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Japanese society is experiencing an aging population and declining birth rate along with the popularization of higher education, spread of economic globalization, rapid progress in technical innovation, changes in employment conditions, and emergence of a knowledge-based society. Against this background, interest in career education at Japanese universities has increased in recent years. This paper describes how the government has implemented career education policies in Japan, and introduces the cases of two universities that have successfully linked career education to university education in Japan.

Keywords: career education, employability, higher education, japanese university, university education

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Authors: Eric S. Parilla, Marc Edward Abadilla

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The study aims to determine the effect of awareness of business students towards cryptocurrencies and the readiness of universities and colleges to accept cryptocurrencies as a medium of exchange, considering the mediation of business students’ attitudes. The research used partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and deployed a questionnaire attuned to the awareness and attitudes of business students towards cryptocurrencies and readiness and compatibility of use in universities and colleges in Ilocos Norte. The output of the investigation revealed that awareness of business students is not correlated to the readiness of universities and colleges, which means that even though students understand cryptocurrencies, it is not an assurance that universities and colleges are ready to accept them as the medium of exchange. The study proposes that training and seminars for business students and professionals should be conducted to expand understanding and acceptance of cryptocurrencies.

Keywords: cryptocurrencies, awareness, readiness, attitudes

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Authors: Asmau Zarma Gogaram

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The paper examines adult education and how it can be employed as a strategy for transformation and security challenges in Nigeria. It defines the meaning of adult education and its objectives.The issue of the necessity of employing adult education as a strategy for transformation and security challenges was also examined in the paper.In doing this it discussed the different types of adult education programmes, i.e.continuing education, literacy education, retirement and pre-retirement education and civic education. The paper concluded by stating that if the programmes stated are internalizes and applied they can help to raise awareness. Finally the paper proffered some recommendations one of which was that government should at all levels increase their efforts or promoting acquisition of adult education.

Keywords: adult education, transformation and security challenges, Nigeria, education and human development

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Authors: Barbara Rebecca Mutonyi, Chukwuemeka Echebiri, Terje Slåtten, Gudbrand Lien

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The concept of affective commitment to change has been scarcely explored among employees in the higher education literature. The present study addresses this knowledge gap in the literature by examining how various psychological factors, such as psychological empowerment (PsyEmp), and psychological capital (PsyCap), promotes affective commitment to change. As affective commitment to change has been identified by previous studies as an important aspect to implementation behavior, the study examines the correlation of affective commitment to change on employee innovative behavior (EIB) in higher education. The study proposes mediation relationship between PsyEmp, PsyCap, and affective commitment to change. 250 employees in higher education in Norway were sampled for this study. The study employed online survey for data collection, utilizing Stata software to perform Partial least square equation modeling to test the proposed hypotheses of the study. Through bootstrapping, the study was able to test for mediating effects. Findings of the study shows a strong direct relationship between the leadership factor PsyEmp on the individual factor PsyCap ( = 0.453). In addition, the findings of the study reveal that both PsyEmp and PsyCap are related to affective commitment to change ( = 0.28 and  = 0.249, respectively). In total, PsyEmp and PsyCap explains about 10% of the variance in the concept of affective commitment to change. Further, the direct effect of effective commitment to change and EIB is also supported ( = 0.183). The three factors, PsyEmp, PsyCap, and affective commitment to change, explains nearly 40% (R2 = 0.39) of the variance found in EIB. The relationship between PsyEmp, PsyCap, and affective commitment to change are mediated through the individual factor PsyCap. In order to effectively promote affective commitment to change among higher education employees, higher education managers should focus on both the leadership factor, PsyEmp, as well as the individual factor, PsyCap, of their employees. In this regard, higher education managers should strengthen employees EIB through providing autonomy, creating a safe environment that encourages innovation thinking and action, and providing employees in higher education opportunities to be involved in changes occurring at work. This contributes to strengthening employees´ affective commitment to change, that further improves their EIB in their work roles as higher education employees. As such, the results of this study implicate the ambidextrous nature of the concepts of affective commitment to change and EIB that should be considered in future studies of innovation in higher education research.

Keywords: affective commitment to change, psychological capital, innovative behavior, psychological empowerment, higher education

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Authors: Jacques Wels

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Japan has one of the highest average retirement ages within the OCDE and is paving the way to raise the retirement age to 70. However, the Japanese labour market is facing two main issues that can have detrimental effects on health: non-standard employment forms are widespread among the ageing workforce, and poor working conditions can contribute to explain poor health in late career. To assess such a relationship, the study uses data from JSTAR. Using mediation analysis, it particularly looks at the association between job dissatisfaction, employment status, self-perceived health (SPH), and use of health care services. Results show that work quality and employment status are associated with SPH. Contract work has a particularly negative impact and therefore contributes to explain the use of health care services but is not significantly associated with lower job satisfaction levels. SPH is a good predictor of the use of health care services.

Keywords: self-reported health, occupational health, employment, older workers, mediation

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Authors: Neisha Shepherd

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In Australia, an independent children's lawyer is appointed to represent a child in parenting disputes in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, where there are complex issues such as child protection, family violence, high conflict, relocation, and parental alienation. The appointment of an Independent Children's Lawyer is to give effect in the family law proceedings of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, in particular Article 3.1, 12.1, and 12.2. There is a strong focus on alternative dispute resolution in the Australian Family Law jurisdiction in matters that are before the Court that has formed part of the case management pathways. An Independent Children's Lawyer's role is even more crucial in assisting families in resolving the most complex parenting disputes through mediation as they are required to act impartial and be independent of the Court and the parties. A child has the right to establish a professional relationship with the Independent Children's Lawyer. This relationship is usually established over a period of time, and the child is afforded the opportunity to talk about their views and wishes and participate in decisions that affect them. In considering the views and wishes of the child, the Independent Children's lawyer takes into account the different emotional, cognitive, and intellectual developmental levels, family structures, family dynamics, sibling relationships, religious and cultural backgrounds; and that children are vulnerable to external pressures when caught in disputes involving their parents. With the increase of child-inclusive mediations being used to resolve family disputes in the best interests of a child, an Independent Children's Lawyer can have a critical role in this process with the specialised skills that they have working with children in the family law jurisdiction. This paper will discuss how inclusive child mediation with the assistance of an Independent Children's Lawyer can assist in the resolution of some of the most complex parenting disputes by examining through case studies: the effectiveness and challenges of such an approach; strategies to work with child clients, adolescents, and sibling groups; ways to provide feedback regarding a child's views and wishes and express a child's understanding, actual experiences and perspective to parties in a mediation and whether it is appropriate to do so; strategies and examples to assist in developing parenting plans or orders that are in the best interest of a child that is workable and achievable; how to deal with cases that involve serious child protection and family violence and strategies to ensure that child safety is paramount; the importance of feedback to the child client. Finally this paper will explore some of the challenges for Independent Children's Lawyers in relation to child-inclusive mediations where matters do not resolve.

Keywords: child inclusive mediation, independent children's lawyer, family violence, child protection

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Authors: Sonny Nyeko, Moses Niwe

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Purpose: This research paper examined the mediation effect of organization culture in the relationship between information technology (IT) competence and IT governance effectiveness in Ugandan public universities. The purpose of the research paper is to examine the role of organizational culture in the relationship between IT competence and IT governance effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach: The paper adopted the MedGraph program, Sobel tests and Kenny and Baron Approach for testing the mediation effects. Findings: It is impeccable that IT competence and organization culture are true drivers of IT governance effectiveness in Ugandan public universities. However, organizational culture reveals partial mediation in the IT competence and IT governance effectiveness relationship. Research limitations/implications: The empirical investigation in this research depends profoundly on public universities. Future research in Ugandan private universities could be undertaken to compare results. Practical implications: To effectively achieve IT governance effectiveness, it means senior management requires IT knowledge which is a vital ingredient of IT competence. Moreover, organizations today ought to adopt cultures that are intended to have them competitive in their businesses, with IT operations not in isolation. Originality/value: Spending thousands of dollars on IT resources in advanced institutes of learning necessitates IT control. Preliminary studies in Ugandan public universities have revealed the ineffective utilization of IT resources. Besides, IT governance issues with IT competence and organization culture remain outstanding. Thus, it’s a new study testing the mediating outcome of organization culture in the association between IT competence and IT governance effectiveness in the Ugandan universities.

Keywords: organization culture, IT competence, IT governance, effectiveness, mediating effect, universities, Uganda

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Authors: Rizwan Ali, Hammad Zafar

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The purpose of this research is to investigate the mediation effect of customer satisfaction in the relationship between service quality, corporate image to customer loyalty, in Pakistan banking sector. The population of this research is banking customers and sample size of 210 respondents. This research uses the SPSS, Correlation, ANOVA and regression analysis techniques along with AMOS methods. The service quality and corporate image applied by the banks are not all variables can directly affect customer loyalty, but must first going through satisfaction. Which means that banks must first need to understand what the customer basic needs through variable service quality and corporate image so that the customers feel loyal when the level of satisfaction is resolved. The service quality provided by the banking industry needs to be improved in order to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty of banking services, especially for banks in Pakistan.

Keywords: customer loyalty, service quality, corporate image, customer satisfaction

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Authors: Celine Jaspers

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The Belgian legal system is slowly evolving to mandatory mediation to promote ADR. One of the reasons for this evolution is the lack of use of alternative methods in relation to their possible benefits. Especially in divorce cases, ADR can play a beneficial role in resolving disputes, since the emotional component is very much present. When children are involved, a solution provided by the parent may be more adapted to the child’s best interest than a court order. In the first part, the lack of use of voluntary ADR and the evolution toward mandatory ADR in Belgium will be indicated by sources of legislation, jurisprudence and social-scientific sources, with special attention to divorce cases. One of the reasons is lack of knowledge on ADR, despite the continuing efforts of the Belgian legislator to promote ADR. One of the last acts of ADR-promotion, was the implementation of an Act in 2018 which gives the judge the possibility to refer parties to mediation if at least one party wants to during the judicial procedure. This referral is subject to some conditions. The parties will be sent to a private mediator, recognized by the Federal Mediation Commission, to try to resolve their conflict. This means that at least one party can be mandated to try mediation (indicated as “semi-mandatory mediation”). The main goal is to establish the factors and elements that Belgium has to take into account in their further development of mandatory ADR, with consideration of the human rights perspective and the EU perspective. Furthermore it is also essential to detect some dangerous pitfalls other systems have encountered with their process design. Therefore, the second part, the comparative component, will discuss the existing framework in California, USA to establish the necessary elements, possible pitfalls and considerations the Belgian legislator can take into account when further developing the framework of mandatory ADR. The contrasting and functional method will be used to create key elements and possible pitfalls, to help Belgium improve its existing framework. The existing mandatory system in California has been in place since 1981 and is still up and running, and can thus provide valuable lessons and considerations for the Belgian system. Thirdly, the key elements from a human rights perspective and from a European Union perspective (e.g. the right to access to a judge, the right to privacy) will be discussed too, since the basic human rights and European legislation and jurisprudence play a significant part in Belgian legislation as well. The main sources for this part will be the international and European treaties, legislation, jurisprudence and soft law. In the last and concluding part, the paper will list the most important elements of a mandatory ADR-system design with special attention to the dangers of these elements (e.g. to include or exclude domestic violence cases in the mandatory ADR-framework and the consequences thereof), and with special attention for the necessary the international and European rights, prohibitions and guidelines.

Keywords: Belgium, divorce, framework, mandatory ADR

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Authors: Niveen M. Hassan-Abbas

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The COVID-19 pandemic created a range of stressors, among them difficulties related to work conditions, financial changes, lack of childcare, and confinement or isolation due to social distancing. Among families and married individuals, these stressors were often expressed in additional daily hassles, with an influence on mental health. This study examined two moderated mediation models based on Bodenmann’s systemic-transactional stress model. Specifically, the models tested the hypothesis that intra-dyadic stress mediates the association between extra-dyadic stress and mental health, while two measures of family functioning, cohesion, and flexibility, moderate the relationship between extra and intra-dyadic stress. Participants were 480 heterosexual married Palestinians from Israel who completed self-report questionnaires. The results showed partial mediation patterns supporting both models, indicating that family cohesion and flexibility weakened the mediating effect of intra-dyadic stress on the relationship between extra-dyadic stress and mental health. These findings increase our understanding of the variables that affected mental health during the pandemic and suggested that when faced with extra-dyadic stress, married individuals with good family environments are less likely to experience high levels of intra-dyadic stress, which is in turn associated with preserved mental health. Limitations and implications for planning interventions for couples and families during the pandemic are discussed.

Keywords: Palestinian families in Israel, COVID-19 pandemic, family cohesion and flexibility, extra-dyadic stress, intra-dyadic stress, mental health

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Authors: Fatima Zehra Allahverdi, Nukhet Bayer

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Objective: Three questions were formulated to examine stressful working units (intensive care units, emergency unit nurses) utilizing the self-perception theory and social support theory. This study provides a distinctive input by inspecting the combination of variables regarding stressful working environments. Method: The descriptive research was conducted with the participation of 400 nurses working at Ankara City Hospital. The study used Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), regression analysis, and a mediation model. Hypothesis one used MANOVA followed by a Scheffe post hoc test. Hypothesis two utilized regression analysis using a hierarchical linear regression model. Hypothesis three used a mediation model. Result: The study utilized mediation analyses. Findings supported the hypotheses that intensive care units have significantly high scores in virtual communication and virtual tolerance. The number of years on the job, virtual communication, virtual tolerance, and phubbing significantly predicted 51% of the variance of perception of addiction. Interestingly, the number of years on the job, while significant, was negatively related to perception of addiction. Conclusion: The reasoning behind these findings and the lack of significance in the emergency unit is discussed. Around 7% of the variance of phubbing was accounted for through working in intensive care units. The model accounted for 26.80 % of the differences in the perception of addiction.

Keywords: phubbing, social media, working units, years on the job, stress

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