abstract: This case study explores similarities and differences between the instructors' beliefs about oral corrective feedback and their actual practices in a summer Chinese program. This kind of feedback is beneficial for beginning college-level learners of Chinese to improve their speaking accuracy. The researcher conducted face-to-face interviews with two teachers of Chinese, focusing on their beliefs about oral corrective feedback in their language classrooms. In addition, the researcher recorded teacher-student interactions through class observation in order to analyze the teachers' actual practices of oral corrective feedback. The main findings show that the teachers hold similar beliefs on oral corrective feedback and its beneficial role in helping improve learners speaking accuracy. The fact is that they frequently provide oral corrective feedback in classroom, mostly using recasts. Implications are discussed in view of the necessity of using explicit feedback and recasts appropriately. In addition, this study demonstrates the need for specific professional development and teacher training about how to provide efficient corrective feedback. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Asian Languages and Civilizations 2012

Background: Diabetes is a serious condition affecting the UK South Asian (SA) population. Beliefs amongst a number of factors have been reported to impede on self-management behaviours. Social networks (SN) are known to be an important source of support for diabetes management. Yet little is known about how much and what types of diabetes 'work' is undertaken and the impact of SN in shaping beliefs about diabetes. The aim of this study was to explore and gain knowledge about the association between illness beliefs and SN in British SA adults with diabetes. Methods: A mixed methods approach was used. Firstly, a systematic review was conducted to assess the feasibility of using standardised questionnaires to measure diabetes-related beliefs in this target population. Secondly, using a cross-sectional design, a Postal Health Survey (PHS) explored illness beliefs (Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire-BIPQ) and health outcomes (health status, self-efficacy, normalisation and self-care) in a sample of (N=67) recruited using random, purposive and snowball sampling. A Social Network Survey Interview (SNSI) with (N=37) (who completed the PNS), identified SN in each participant's network using concentric circles, and closed- questions on the amount of 'work' done by the network. A topic guide, specific to the aims of the Qualitative Study (QS) was embedded within the SNSI to explore the social, cultural and religious context related to diabetes management. Participants who completed the SNSI also completed the QS. Data was collected during 2010 and 2011. Results: Five studies meeting the review criteria were identified from the systematic review. The results supported the need to measure illness beliefs using standardised questionnaires. Certainsocialnetworkcharacteristics:sizeofthesupportnetwork, number of supportive females, practical and emotional work was related to diabetes- related beliefs. After multivariate analysis, emotional work remained a significant predictor of concern and emotional distress related to diabetes. The qualitative study identified six themes: fatalism, normalising diabetes, social networks, alternative food therapies, and travel back home to the East and religion related to beliefs and management practices. The QS also complemented and extended some of the findings of the cross-sectional study, related to social networks and fatalism beliefs. Conclusion: This study provides a unique contribution to the research on diabetes management in British SA, using a mixed methods approach. It has addressed the gap in knowledge with regards to illness beliefs about diabetes in British SA, as measured by five dimensions of the CS-SRM (Leventhal et al, 1980) and described the importance of the social context, particularly the family in being at the forefront of 'work' related to diabetes management. Future studies need to establish utility of the BIPQ in the UK South Asians to ensure it is appropriateness to the experience of diabetes in SA. Policy guidelines on diabetes may need to move beyond the notion of 'self' to include support and education for the SN, with a recognition of the impact of cultural and religious beliefs on diabetes management.

The goal of this dissertation was to develop a relatively comprehensive and culturally de-centered measure of worldview assumptions, basic beliefs that humans have about the world and reality. A pool of 179 items was compiled from a selective review of the literature and submitted to Exploratory Factor Analysis in a US sample. The emergent 6-factor structure was submitted to increasingly stringent tests of invariance in samples from Lebanon, Singapore, and India and met the standards for factorial invariance. The 6-factors showed a diverse set of relationships with measures of the potential functions of worldview: subjective well-being, meaning in life, and tolerance for inequality.

As crenças conjugais podem ser entendidas como um conjunto de ideias acerca de como o casamento e o cônjuge devem ser. Observa-se que os padrões de crenças mantidos em relação ao casamento interferem na qualidade conjugal, de modo que crenças realistas estariam vinculadas a relações mais satisfatórias e crenças irrealistas estariam associadas à insatisfação com o casamento. Assim, evidencia-se a importância de conhecer quais os estilos de crenças mantidos no casamento, o que traz à tona a questão da avaliação. Em âmbito internacional foram identificados alguns instrumentos criados e validados para a avaliação de elementos cognitivos influentes nas relações entre casais. Todavia, no cenário nacional verificou-se a ausência de instrumentos sobre crenças no casamento construídos e validados para a população brasileira. Dessa lacuna metodológica surgiu o interesse de criar um instrumento de avaliação das crenças no casamento. Desse modo, o presente estudo objetivou a construção e a validação da Escala de Crenças Conjugais (ECC). Para tanto, esta pesquisa foi composta por dois estudos: 1) Estudo I Construção da Escala de Crenças Conjugais (ECC); 2) Estudo II Validação da Escala de Crenças Conjugais (ECC). O Estudo I correspondeu à criação da ECC, com a realização de entrevistas e pesquisa na literatura para obtenção das crenças mais comuns sobre o casamento, seguida pela avaliação da validade de conteúdo dos itens da ECC. Desse primeiro estudo, resultou uma versão da ECC composta por 33 itens, dentre crenças conjugais realistas e irrealistas. O Estudo II correspondeu à validação de construto da ECC. Para tanto a versão da escala resultante do Estudo I foi aplicada numa amostra de 333 participantes, com escolaridade a partir do ensino fundamental completo, dentre homens e mulheres, solteiros e casados. Para verificar a validade de construto da ECC foram realizados testes de análise fatorial (AF), em que o método escolhido para este estudo foi o método de máxima verossimilhança com rotação quartimax. Os resultados da AF revelaram a existência de dois Fatores para a ECC identificados como Comunicação Interpessoal e Compromisso (CIC) e Papéis Sociais (PS). Após a obtenção dos Fatores foi realizada a análise da consistência interna de cada Fator por meio do cálculo do coeficiente alfa de Cronbach (α), em que constatou-se que ambos os Fatores apresentaram níveis satisfatórios de confiabilidade: CIC (α = 0,81) e PS (α = 0,70). Testes adicionais acerca de eventuais contrastes nos resultados de acordo com as características da amostra também foram realizados, por meio do Teste t de Student, verificando-se que na amostra deste estudo, os indivíduos mais jovens apresentaram níveis mais elevados no Fator 2 (PS), os indivíduos que haviam concluído um curso superior possuíam níveis mais elevados no Fator 1 (CIC) e os indivíduos solteiros apresentaram níveis mais elevados no Fator 2 (PS). Os dois estudos resultaram numa medida inédita de avaliação das crenças conjugais a ser utilizada em pesquisas brasileiras. Espera-se que a ECC possa ser útil no estudo das relações entre casais, possibilitando a realização de novas pesquisas e quiçá novas intervenções terapêuticas. / The marital beliefs can be understood as a set of ideas about how marriage and the spouse should be. It is observed that the patterns of beliefs held about marriage interfere with marital quality, so that realistic beliefs were linked to more satisfying relationships and unrealistic beliefs were associated with dissatisfaction with the marriage. Thus it is clear the importance of knowing which types of beliefs are held in a marriage, which raises the question about the evaluation. At the international level have been identified and validated instruments designed to evaluate cognitive elements influence the relationship between couples. However, on the national scene there is a lack of belief in marriage on instruments constructed and validated for the Brazilian population. With this methodological gap, there is the interest of creating an instrument for assessing beliefs in marriage. Thus, this study aimed at the construction and validation of the Marital Beliefs Scale (MBS). For this purpose, this research consisted of two studies: 1) First study - Construction of Marital Beliefs Scale (MBS), 2) Second study - Validation of the Marital Beliefs Scale (MBS). The first study corresponded to the creation of the MBS, with interviews and literature search to obtain the most common beliefs about marriage, followed by the evaluation of the content validity in MBS. This first study resulted in a version of the MBS included 33 items, among marital realistic and unrealistic beliefs. The second study was the construct validity of the MBS. For this purpose, was applied a sample of 333 participants using the scale of the first study. This sample covered education levels from complete elementary school, among men and women, married and single.To verify the construct validity of the MBS, tests were performed using the factor analysis (FA). In the FA were used the maximum likelihood method and the quartimax rotation. The results showed the existence of two significant factors identified as Interpersonal Communication and Commitment (ICC) and Social Role (SR). After obtaining these two factors, then the internal consistency was evaluated through Cronbach's alpha (α), where been observed satisfactory levels of reliability: ICC (α = 0.81) and SR (α = 0.70). Additional tests were also applied in relation to any contrasts within the results according to the characteristics of the sample, through the Student's t test. It was verified that the sample in this work: (a) younger subjects showed higher levels in Factor 2 (SR), (b) subjects who had completed a college degree had higher levels in Factor 1 (ICC); and (c) unmarried individuals showed higher levels in Factor 2 (SR). Both studies resulted in an unprecedented step for the evaluation of marital beliefs to be used in Brazilian studies. It is expected that the MBS can be useful in the study of relationships between couples, enabling new researchs and perhaps new therapeutic interventions.

As crenças conjugais podem ser entendidas como um conjunto de ideias acerca de como o casamento e o cônjuge devem ser. Observa-se que os padrões de crenças mantidos em relação ao casamento interferem na qualidade conjugal, de modo que crenças realistas estariam vinculadas a relações mais satisfatórias e crenças irrealistas estariam associadas à insatisfação com o casamento. Assim, evidencia-se a importância de conhecer quais os estilos de crenças mantidos no casamento, o que traz à tona a questão da avaliação. Em âmbito internacional foram identificados alguns instrumentos criados e validados para a avaliação de elementos cognitivos influentes nas relações entre casais. Todavia, no cenário nacional verificou-se a ausência de instrumentos sobre crenças no casamento construídos e validados para a população brasileira. Dessa lacuna metodológica surgiu o interesse de criar um instrumento de avaliação das crenças no casamento. Desse modo, o presente estudo objetivou a construção e a validação da Escala de Crenças Conjugais (ECC). Para tanto, esta pesquisa foi composta por dois estudos: 1) Estudo I Construção da Escala de Crenças Conjugais (ECC); 2) Estudo II Validação da Escala de Crenças Conjugais (ECC). O Estudo I correspondeu à criação da ECC, com a realização de entrevistas e pesquisa na literatura para obtenção das crenças mais comuns sobre o casamento, seguida pela avaliação da validade de conteúdo dos itens da ECC. Desse primeiro estudo, resultou uma versão da ECC composta por 33 itens, dentre crenças conjugais realistas e irrealistas. O Estudo II correspondeu à validação de construto da ECC. Para tanto a versão da escala resultante do Estudo I foi aplicada numa amostra de 333 participantes, com escolaridade a partir do ensino fundamental completo, dentre homens e mulheres, solteiros e casados. Para verificar a validade de construto da ECC foram realizados testes de análise fatorial (AF), em que o método escolhido para este estudo foi o método de máxima verossimilhança com rotação quartimax. Os resultados da AF revelaram a existência de dois Fatores para a ECC identificados como Comunicação Interpessoal e Compromisso (CIC) e Papéis Sociais (PS). Após a obtenção dos Fatores foi realizada a análise da consistência interna de cada Fator por meio do cálculo do coeficiente alfa de Cronbach (α), em que constatou-se que ambos os Fatores apresentaram níveis satisfatórios de confiabilidade: CIC (α = 0,81) e PS (α = 0,70). Testes adicionais acerca de eventuais contrastes nos resultados de acordo com as características da amostra também foram realizados, por meio do Teste t de Student, verificando-se que na amostra deste estudo, os indivíduos mais jovens apresentaram níveis mais elevados no Fator 2 (PS), os indivíduos que haviam concluído um curso superior possuíam níveis mais elevados no Fator 1 (CIC) e os indivíduos solteiros apresentaram níveis mais elevados no Fator 2 (PS). Os dois estudos resultaram numa medida inédita de avaliação das crenças conjugais a ser utilizada em pesquisas brasileiras. Espera-se que a ECC possa ser útil no estudo das relações entre casais, possibilitando a realização de novas pesquisas e quiçá novas intervenções terapêuticas. / The marital beliefs can be understood as a set of ideas about how marriage and the spouse should be. It is observed that the patterns of beliefs held about marriage interfere with marital quality, so that realistic beliefs were linked to more satisfying relationships and unrealistic beliefs were associated with dissatisfaction with the marriage. Thus it is clear the importance of knowing which types of beliefs are held in a marriage, which raises the question about the evaluation. At the international level have been identified and validated instruments designed to evaluate cognitive elements influence the relationship between couples. However, on the national scene there is a lack of belief in marriage on instruments constructed and validated for the Brazilian population. With this methodological gap, there is the interest of creating an instrument for assessing beliefs in marriage. Thus, this study aimed at the construction and validation of the Marital Beliefs Scale (MBS). For this purpose, this research consisted of two studies: 1) First study - Construction of Marital Beliefs Scale (MBS), 2) Second study - Validation of the Marital Beliefs Scale (MBS). The first study corresponded to the creation of the MBS, with interviews and literature search to obtain the most common beliefs about marriage, followed by the evaluation of the content validity in MBS. This first study resulted in a version of the MBS included 33 items, among marital realistic and unrealistic beliefs. The second study was the construct validity of the MBS. For this purpose, was applied a sample of 333 participants using the scale of the first study. This sample covered education levels from complete elementary school, among men and women, married and single.To verify the construct validity of the MBS, tests were performed using the factor analysis (FA). In the FA were used the maximum likelihood method and the quartimax rotation. The results showed the existence of two significant factors identified as Interpersonal Communication and Commitment (ICC) and Social Role (SR). After obtaining these two factors, then the internal consistency was evaluated through Cronbach's alpha (α), where been observed satisfactory levels of reliability: ICC (α = 0.81) and SR (α = 0.70). Additional tests were also applied in relation to any contrasts within the results according to the characteristics of the sample, through the Student's t test. It was verified that the sample in this work: (a) younger subjects showed higher levels in Factor 2 (SR), (b) subjects who had completed a college degree had higher levels in Factor 1 (ICC); and (c) unmarried individuals showed higher levels in Factor 2 (SR). Both studies resulted in an unprecedented step for the evaluation of marital beliefs to be used in Brazilian studies. It is expected that the MBS can be useful in the study of relationships between couples, enabling new researchs and perhaps new therapeutic interventions.

Magister Artium (Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science) - MA(SRES) / The law of attraction, which is referred to as a pseudo-science by most scientists, focuses on the ability of athletes to reach deep within their soul/ energy sources to re-align their thoughts and feelings in order to achieve their desired outcomes or goals. This study explores whether kickboxers within the African continent are using the phenomenon of the law of attraction in order to enhance their kickboxing performances. In context of law of attraction, kickboxers attract achievements or experiences that they focus on into their life’s, weather these are positive or negative. This means that if they stay focused on the good and positive things in their lives, they will automatically attract good and positive things into their lives. Being part of the cosmic Universe, we are, in our smallest form, nothing but energy with magnetic abilities, hence, we have the ability to attract things or push things away. This belief can contribute to the fulfilment of the desires of kickboxers and can ultimately enhance their sport performances. A qualitative methodology was followed to explore the use of the law of attraction by kickboxers within the sport of kickboxing to achieve optimal results. The population of this study was chosen from kickboxers in countries within the continent of Africa where kickboxing is practiced. These participants were elite athletes (international competitors). A semi-structured interview guide (questionnaire) was used to interview selected kickboxers. Data was recorded and analysed in order to verify the use of the phenomenon of the law of attraction. It was found that most of the participants were unaware that they were utilizing elements of law of attraction and that some elements are intertwined with various sport psychological tools being utilised for sport enhancement. Findings further indicated that the thought process of the participating kickboxers was occupied by various desires or goals that needed to be achieved. The kickboxers found it difficult to prioritize or to streamline their thoughts and this created a situation where energy flowed in the wrong direction. Their feelings in terms of what they thought, what they wanted to achieve and what they could achieve must be in sync. This did not come out strongly because the kickboxers concentrated on their own physical capabilities and kickboxing skills and, at the same time, felt very stressful prior to a kickboxing contest. It was recommended that the phenomenon of law of attraction should be explored more extensively in relation to its application in kickboxing and moreover in sport. It is further recommended that the study be repeated exploring the perspectives of the coaches in the application of law of extraction in their coaching techniques. This study concludes that the law of attraction is not used to its fullest extent in the practice of kickboxing even though some elements were already used by kickboxers.

Breast cancer is increasingly threatening the health of Chinese women. However, little is known about beliefs, attitudes or health practice related to breast cancer among Chinese women in the UK, which means that it is difficult for health professionals to provide evidence-based services to them. Using a triangulation research design, this study investigated the views on breast cancer among Chinese women in the UK. Moreover, factors influencing their views and the factors potentially threatening Chinese women's breast health were also examined. Chinese women who accessed the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK for primary care and were aged from 50 to 70 years were targeted. Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted initially. Based on interview findings, a questionnaire was developed and a questionnaire-based survey was undertaken in a larger population. The findings showed that although negative views on breast cancer were held by the majority of the Chinese women, most women engaged in a healthy lifestyle and actively attended breast screening in order to promote health and prevent breast cancer. Breast cancer views were significantly influenced by the extent to which these Chinese women had been in contact with western culture. Chinese women who were more acculturated to western culture were more likely to hold positive views on breast cancer. Two factors potentially threatened Chinese women's breast health, which were lack of knowledge on breast and barriers to accessing health services. In order to promote early detection, practice nurses in communities need to develop culturally sensitive educational intervention to improve Chinese women's knowledge on breast cancer, in particular on warning signs and risk factors. In addition, barriers to accessing health services need to be tackled. In particular, interpretation services should be provided to those with limited English proficiency.

Class of 2017 Abstract / Objectives: To first educate undergraduates involved in social sororities about prescription stimulant medications and to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention in influencing the attitudes and beliefs regarding prescription stimulant medication use of undergraduates involved in a social sorority. Methods: The intervention, an educational session, was presented to undergraduates involved in social sororities. Questionnaire that included demographic data of gender, age, ethnicity, race, undergraduate year, grade point average, type of member, history of an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis, and previous or current non-medical use of prescription stimulants were collected. The participants’ beliefs on nine statements regarding prescription stimulants were queried pre- and post-intervention using a four-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. To analyze change in attitudes and beliefs, Mann-Whitney test was used. Results: One hundred sixty-three sorority members participated in the study. The average age of participants was 19 years with the majority of respondents identifying as an active sorority member (81%) and in their first year of undergraduate study (69%). There was a statistically significant change in beliefs regarding the safety (p < 0.01) and health risks (p = 0.02) associated with prescription stimulants. There was no significant difference in topics relating to addiction, legality, emotional and academic outcomes from the use of prescription stimulants. Conclusions: The education session was effective in changing participants’ beliefs on safety and health risks of nonmedical use of prescription stimulants.

This paper describes the development of the Beliefs About Overt and Relational Aggression Scale. The Beliefs About Overt and Relational Aggression Scale was designed to assess preschoolers' normative beliefs about these two types of aggression. Findings about the scale's internal reliability and test-retest reliability are presented. Findings about similarities and differences between beliefs about relational and overt aggression and gender are also discussed. Discussions about correlates of aggression, measuring aggression, and measuring beliefs are included.

Moral outrage is an emotional, cognitive, and behavioral response to moral violations, resulting in a desire to punish the transgressor. Previous research has examined moral outrage toward transgressive behaviors, but no studies have examined the potential for moral outrage to be roused by another’s beliefs alone. Do people experience moral outrage at one another’s thoughts? If so, how do they punish someone who has roused their outrage but has “done nothing wrong”? In Study 1 (n = 209), I examined moral outrage reactions at people’s unacceptable beliefs on three topics (pedophilia, sexual assault, fraud) by comparing moral outrage elicited by people holding an indefensible belief (e.g., “sexual assault is no big deal”) but doing absolutely nothing to express or further that belief, versus people acting on these beliefs to various degrees (e.g., talking about it on social media, or assaulting someone themselves). Results indicated that people can become morally outraged at outrageous beliefs alone, and to a similar degree as at actual outrageous behaviors. In Study 2 (n = 327), I investigated whether the pattern would generalize from extreme beliefs most people would find outrageous to ideologically divided issues. Specifically, I examined the consequences of experiencing moral outrage when the target’s beliefs violated participants’ own moral convictions about abortion rights. Study 2 also investigated how participants punished the transgressor in a workplace setting, which is consequential and relevant to the fraught current political climate. Participants read a hypothetical male co-worker’s controversial and outrageous Facebook post, rated their feelings of moral outrage at the co-worker, and finally indicated how likely they would be to punish the co-worker directly (e.g., confrontation), indirectly (e.g., exclusion), or by avoiding him. Transgressive beliefs not only elicited more moral outrage when compared to control conditions, but transgressive beliefs elicited moral outrage to a similar degree as transgressive behaviors. Further, moral outrage at both beliefs and actions encouraged people to be more punitive toward the transgressor in direct ways (as seen in previous research), but also in indirect ways (such as social exclusion) or just by avoiding the transgressor. Finally, across both studies, I also found that participants’ intellectual humility (i.e., the degree to which a person recognizes that their beliefs and attitudes might be incorrect) predicted the intensity of their moral outrage: the intellectually humble reported overall lower levels of moral outrage than the intellectually arrogant. Implications for these findings for workplace discrimination and the study of moral outrage are discussed.