Aims: Children who experience abuse and neglect prior to being fostered and/or adopted are a particularly vulnerable group within society and more research is required to better understand the outcomes for these young people. In relation to this population, this thesis had three aims: to review the impact of attachment based interventions, to evaluate the role of foster carer factors in the provision of quality placements and to assess foster carer and social worker agreement on ratings of placement quality. Methods: Aims are addressed separately in three journal articles. A systematic review of attachment based interventions is presented in journal article 1. The findings from a quantitative cross sectional study involving foster carers (n=91) and social workers (n=87) are presented in journal articles 2 and 3. Correlation and multiple regression analyses explore the relationship between foster carer self-efficacy, coping, attributions and placement quality. The weighted kappa statistic is used to explore the agreement between ratings of placement quality within foster carer/social worker dyads. Results: The systematic review indicated that there is some support for the positive impact of attachment based interventions, particularly with young children (0-6 years) in foster/adoptive care. There are significant limitations of the research in this area and further research is required to establish the efficacy of such interventions. Foster carer self-efficacy emerged as a significant predictor of placement quality. Due to a number of measurement and statistical issues, this finding requires replication. Agreement between foster carers and social workers regarding placement quality was slight to fair, indicating the presence of some discrepancies. Conclusions: The results are discussed in relation to previous research with this population of children/young people. Findings from the systematic review suggest the importance of further intervention studies and the results from the empirical study highlight possible areas for intervention, namely foster carer self-efficacy. A number of issues in relation to future research are raised, specifically the development of a standardized measure of placement quality and the impact of systemic issues, such as foster carer/social worker communication on children and young people’s outcomes.

The purpose of this paper is to test the ability of Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior and Shapero's model of the entrepreneurial event to predict entrepreneurial intent (EI) among Swedish university students. A conceptual framework was developed where attitude towards entrepreneurial behavior was constituted by perceived self-efficacy, perceived social norms, and independence and serves as a mediator for the EI.A comparison between three focus groups composed of non-business students, business students and participants from the 'Enterprising & Business Development' (EBD) program at Linnaeus University was undertaken. The results show all three studied variables are significant determinants of EI, which in turn is a precursor of the attitude toward entrepreneurial behaviour. However, evidence suggests a negative relationship between the perceived social norms and the EI among EBD and business students.This paper contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by testing how certain factors affect the EI of university students. Its originality arises from combining the two most significant models for EI and applying them to three groups with different prerequisites. Although the study is subject to some limitations, they can be overcome by further studies.

Bakgrund: Mjuka ryggortoser har länge använts som behandling för personer med ländryggssmärta. Det finns viss forskning som påvisar ortosens positiva effekt på både de fysiska och de psykologiska besvären. Det saknas dock studier på hur personerna själva upplever ortosbärandet vid fysisk aktivitet. Syfte: Att utifrån ett socialkognitivt perspektiv undersöka upplevelsen av användningen av mjuka ryggortoser vid fysisk aktivitet hos personer med ländryggssmärta. Metod: Studien har en kvalitativ design med en induktiv ansats. Data samlades in via sex individuella intervjuer baserade på en semistrukturerad intervjuguide. Sedan gjordes en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Den kvalitativa innehållsanalysen resulterade i fem kategorier som sedan skapade ett tema: Inre och yttre faktorer av användandet förändrar kvalitet och kvantitet på fysiska aktiviteter. Slutsats: Intervjupersonerna upplever inre faktorer och yttre faktorer av användandet av den mjuka ryggortosen vid fysisk aktivitet. Dessa faktorer påverkar kvaliteten och kvantiteten på fysiska aktiviteter enligt intervjupersonerna. De utför aktivitet på ett bättre sätt, under längre tid eller vid fler tillfällen än tidigare. Studiens resultatkan användas till att öka förståelsen för användandet av mjuka ryggortoser vid fysisk aktivitet hos personer med ländryggssmärta. Vidare bör fler studier göras för att öka förståelsen för användningen av mjuka ryggortoser. / Background: Soft lumbar orthosis have been used as a treatment for people with low back pain for many years. Some research has been positive for both physical and psychological effects of soft lumbar orthosis. However there is a lack of studies focusing on peoples’ own experience of using soft lumbar orthosis during physical activity. Aim: To, from a social cognitive theory perspective, investigate the experiences of soft lumbar orthosis during physical activity in persons with low back pain. Method: The study was made with a qualitative design with an inductive approach. The data was collected during six individual interviews based on a semi-structured guideline. A qualitative content analysis was then conducted. Result: The qualitative content analysis produced five categories which were made into one theme: Internal and external factors of the use has an impact on the quality and quantity of physical activities. Conclusions: The interviewed persons experience internal and external factors from the use of the soft lumbar orthosis during physical activity. These factors have an impact on the quality and quantity of physical activities. The activities are performed in a better way, during a longer period of time or in a more frequent way than before. The result of the study can help increase the understanding of the use of soft lumbar orthosis during physical activity for people with low back pain. Furthermore, it is suggested that future studies are made to provide more knowledge about the use of soft lumbar orthosis.

<p>Syftet med uppsatsen var att utröna en inkubators psykologiska betydelse för studenter som startar företag. En kvalitativ undersökning bland nio företagsstartande studenter som tagit hjälp av inkubatorn Idélab gjordes för att identifiera psykologiska faktorer för att en student ska starta företag. Tidigare forskning har visat att self-efficacy kan ha betydelse. Tonvikt lades därför på entreprenöriell self-efficy med hjälp av en andra frågeställning; ”På vilket sätt påverkar Idélab sina studenters entreprenöriella self-efficacy?” Det framkom att <em>entreprenöriell self-efficacy</em>, <em>utbildning</em>, <em>stödjande miljö</em>, <em>känslan av att skapa sitt eget liv och framtid</em> samt <em>styrkan av att vara flera</em> var betydelsefulla faktorer för studenter som startar eget. Det framkom att Idélab troligen höjer sina studenters entreprenöriella self-efficacy med tre av Banduras fyra källor till self-efficacy.</p><p> </p>

Higher levels of self-regulatory efficacy (SRE) appear to be helpful to those individuals with arthritis attempting to continue to be regularly physically active during an arthritis flare. Arthritis flares are presumed to represent a greater challenge to being physically active than usual arthritis symptoms but within-participant comparisons of pain intensity and SRE when considering flare status (flare vs no flare) have not been examined. While SRE has been compared between those who meet recommended levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during an arthritis flare, persistence with MVPA has not been examined in arthritis. Finally, pain acceptance has been associated with differential levels of MVPA in arthritis but has not been examined in the circumstances of a flare and persistence with MVPA. Thus, 4 objectives were advanced. Primary objective one was to explore within-participant comparisons of pain intensity and SRE during a flare or usual symptoms. Primary objective two was to compare those meeting and not meeting MVPA guidelines in terms of their persistence and SRE. Secondary objective one was to explore whether persistence with MVPA in a flare could be predicted by pain acceptance and SRE, and secondary objective two was to examine psychosocial variables ability to predict MVPA volume prospectively over 4 weeks. To pursue these objectives, 53 adults with arthritis were recruited to complete an online survey with potential follow-up questions completed online four weeks later. Concerning objective one, participants reported SRE to overcome arthritis barriers (SRE-AB) and to schedule/plan MVPA (SRE-SP) in two contexts; in a flare and in the absence of a flare. Pain intensity was reported in the same flare contexts. 2 x 2 ANOVAs were conducted comparing both SRE measures and pain between those that met MVPA guidelines or not, and within-participants in a flare or usual symptoms. A MANOVA was iii conducted between MVPA groups on SRE and persistence to satisfy primary objective two. Secondary objective one was examined using a hierarchical multiple regression (HMR) with pain acceptance and SRE-SP predicting persistence. A second HMR was conducted attempting to predict MVPA at time 2 (T2) using SRE and persistence. Results of the 2 x 2 ANOVAs were that SRE (AB and SP) and pain intensity were significantly different within-groups (p < .001) such that SRE was lower and pain was higher in a flare than not in a flare. Only SRE-SP was different between MVPA groups (p < .05). The MANOVA identified only SRE-SP in a flare as significantly different between MVPA groups (p < .05). Pain acceptance did predict persistence in block 1 of the HMR (p < .01) but when SRE-SP was added, SRE-SP was the only significant predictor (p < .001). Results of the second HMR indicated that of all the psychosocial variables entered, only SRE-SP in a flare significantly predicted T2 MVPA (p < .01). Findings suggest that, as active individuals with arthritis feel less efficacious to be active and higher pain intensity during a flare, a flare does indeed represent an increased challenge to MVPA adherence. Interestingly, pain intensity did not differ between MVPA groups while SRE-SP did, supporting that greater SRE beliefs are required in challenging circumstances. Pain acceptance did initially predict persistence until SRE-SP was added to the model. SRE may have consumed the variance in the model not because of pain acceptance’s inability to predict but rather due to the high correspondence between SRE and persistence measures. Finally, SRE-SP predicted MVPA volume prospectively, further supporting the utility of high SRE when attempting to adhere to MVPA during the increased challenge posed by an arthritis flare.

A recent study, the Diabetes Complications and Control Trial (DCCT), demonstrated intensive therapy to manage blood glucose levels significantly reduced the incidence of some debilitating complications (DCCT, 1993). Self-care management is an integral part of any diabetic's care. Yet, research has demonstrated as many as 80% of known diabetics are noncompliant to a prescribed regimen.The purpose of this study was to examine self-efficacy in low-income insulin dependent diabetics. The framework for the study was the concept of self-efficacy as developed by Bandura (1977). The instruments used was the Insulin Management Diabetes Self-Efficacy Scale (IMDSES), (Hurley, 1990) and a researcher developed Demographics and Diabetes History Questionnaire. Data analysis included correlations between self-efficacy and ethnicity, educational level, years since diagnosis and years of experience with diabetes complications.Permission was received from the clinic administration to conduct this study at Matthew 25 Health and Dental Clinic in Northeast Indiana. This clinic serves the uninsured and the underinsured of the area. Procedures for the protection of human subjects were followed.A convenience sample of 82 ethnically mixed, low income individuals was surveyed. Relationships between total self-efficacy, diet self-efficacy, insulin self-efficacy and self-efficacy and the general ability to care for self were examined. These self-efficacy scales were also examined in relation to ethnicity, education, years of diagnosis and complication experiences. Result indicated Hispanics were significantly lower in insulin self-efficacy than African Americans.Correlations performed demonstrated that education correlated positively with insulin selfefficacy and the number of complications correlated negatively with insulin self-efficacy. Hispanics have a lower mean level of education and a greater number of complications. This could possibly explain why Hispanics have lower insulin self-efficacy than African Americans.The findings of this study evidenced a relationship between insulin self-efficacy, education, and experiences with complications. / School of Nursing

Research was conducted examining death anxiety from existential, psychodynamic, cognitive and sociological perspectives. The intent was to consider the role of death anxiety on well-being; four studies were conducted to examine how death anxiety influenced PTSD and mental health among people who have experienced a life-threatening event. These studies were conducted using undergraduate university students in Lithuania. The first study used a mixed-method design and in phase 1, participants (N=97) completed self-report questionnaires that gathered information on demographics, death anxiety, trauma and well-being. Results indicated a significant correlation between death anxiety and PTSD, but not psychiatric co-morbidity. Phase 2 attempted to further explore the phenomenological experience of participants with full PTSD, and 6 semi-structured interviews were conducted. IPA analysis found three major themes in response to the life-threatening event; self-efficacy, religious coping and existential attitude. Subsequent studies were then conducted to understand these themes as possible factors of death anxiety resilience in regards to life-threatening events. The second study (N=109) examined the role of self-efficacy and found that it was significantly related to death anxiety and psychiatric co-morbidity, but not PTSD. The third study (N=104) examined religious coping, but did not find evidence to support its significance; however again self-efficacy emerged as significantly related to psychiatric co-morbidity and death anxiety. The fourth study (N=110) looked at the role of existential attitude via posttraumatic growth and sense of coherence. Although posttraumatic growth did influence PTSD, existential attitude was not a significant factor for death anxiety or outcomes. However, self-efficacy again emerged as related to death anxiety and psychiatric co-morbidity. In studies two to four, self-efficacy did not act as a mediating factor and was independently related to death anxiety and psychiatric co-morbidity. Results were discussed in light of theories regarding death anxiety and their application to clinical treatment.

This study examines the relationship between truancy and levels of self-efficacy in adolescents. Results revealed no significant relationship between truancy and levels of self-efficacy. However, when the self-efficacy sums of the General Self-efficacy Survey and the Academic Self-efficacy Survey were analyzed individually with the dependent variable truancy, there was a statistical significant relationship in levels of academic self-efficacy in adolescents ages 12-1 7 years old who were truant versus those who were not truant.

Prokrastinering är ett fenomen som är vanligt bland en stor mängd av befolkningen, framförallt hos studenter. Prokrastinering kan ha negativa effekter och self-efficacy ska vara en faktor som kan påverka graden av prokrastinering. I studien har en enkätundersökning gjorts på 45 studenter på Karlstad Universitet, för att undersöka om det finns ett samband mellan prokrastinering och self-efficacy. 44 stycken enkäter sammanställdes och analyserades i dataprogrammet SPSS. Resultaten av analysen visar på ett signifikant, negativt samband mellan prokrastinering och self-efficacy. Resultatet i studien visar på att högre nivå av prokrastinering innebär lägre nivå av self-efficacy.

This study examined mathematics self-efficacy and the characteristics of flow in the context of performing mathematical tasks.  In particular, it explored the subjective experiences of 113 undergraduate students enrolled in a developmental mathematics course while they were independently solving certain mathematical problems.  This study supplemented the literature on the role of self-efficacy as a mediator of the effect of the challenge/skill ratio on flow by applying it to the context of mathematical problem solving. This study also expanded the discussion on how findings may indicate a direction for further research on mathematics anxiety.   Additionally, the relationship between mathematics self-efficacy and flow-like experiences as measured by the Flow Short Scale was considered.