<p>Bandura definierar (1997) outcome expectancy som individens skattning av sannolikheten att ett beteende ska leda till ett specifikt utfall. Utöver individens skattning av sitt eget beteendes följder (individual outcome expectancy), är hennes bedömning av sin grupps möjlighet att nå ett specifikt utfall (collective outcome expectancy) en del av begreppet (Riggs & Knight, 1994). Studien syftar till att undersöka huruvida arbetsrelaterad- self efficacy, locus of control och collective efficacy predicerar outcome expectancy. En enkätundersökning genomfördes med 102 deltagare från olika yrkesgrupper. Resultatet visade att arbetsrelaterad- self efficacy och locus of control samvarierade med individual outcome expectancy och att collective efficacy predicerade collective outcome expectancy. Dock var gruppstorleken av betydelse för prediktionen. Studiens hypoteser bekräftades av tidigare forskning.</p>

<p>Tidigare forskning har visat att människor överskattar chanserna för att positiva händelser ska inträffa dem och underskattar riskerna för att negativa händelser ska inträffa dem jämfört med genomsnittet. Detta kallas orealistisk optimism (OO). En faktor som påverkar detta är grad av upplevd kontroll. Studiens huvudsakliga syfte var att undersöka sambanden mellan upplevd kontroll och OO. I en enkätstudie undersöktes OO och upplevd kontroll för diverse händelser. Deltagarna fick t ex svara på hur sannolikt det är att de utsattes för vissa händelser jämfört med genomsnittet. Händelserna var bl a hälsorelaterade. Deltagarna var studenter från en högskola i Mellansverige, 18 män och 109 kvinnor. OO uppstod för alla händelser utom två. Det fanns vissa samband mellan OO och upplevd kontroll. Nytt med studien är att vissa händelser som i tidigare undersökningar skattats som okontrollerbara i själva verket kan upplevas som delvis kontrollerbara. Sambanden mellan OO och upplevd kontroll bör vidare undersökas.</p>

The aim of this thesis is to study (1) the impact of physicians' locus of control (LOC) on their communication styles in interviews with cancer patients as well as (1) the impact of physicians' LOC on their acquisition of effective communication skills in a communication skills training program. LOC is a generalised belief regarding the extent to which life outcomes are controlled by an individual's actions (“internal” LOC) or by external forces such as luck, fate or other individuals (“external” LOC). (1) Although is it widely recognised that physicians' characteristics could influence their communication styles and may thus interfere with a patient-centred communication, no empirical evidence is currently available. No studies are available on the impact of physicians' LOC on their communication skills. It was hypothesised that physicians with an “external” LOC have a different communication style than physicians with an “internal” LOC. Eighty-one voluntary physicians with a practice in oncology were recorded performing an actual and a simulated interview with a cancer patient as wall as an actual and a simulated interview with a cancer patient and a relative. Physicians' communication skills were assessed using the Cancer Research Campaign Workshop Evaluation Manual. Physicians' LOC was assessed using the Rotter I-E scale. Communication skills of the upper and lower quartiles of physicians in respect of their scores on this scale were compared using Student's t-test. Results show that physicians with “external” LOC give more appropriate information than physicians with “internal” LOC in simulated interviews with a cancer patient (P=0.011) and less premature information than physicians with “internal” LOC in clinical interviews with a cancer patient (P=0.015). Moreover, in actual interviews with a cancer patient and a relative, physicians with an “external” LOC talked more to the relative (P=0.017) and used more utterances with an assessment function (P=0.010) than physicians with an “internal” LOC. In simulated interviews with a cancer patient and a relative, physicians with an “external” LOC used less utterances giving premature information (P=0.031) and used more utterances with a supportive function such as empathy and reassurance (P=0.029) than physicians with an “internal” LOC. (2) Although it is widely recognised that educational interventions may be more effective for people with an “internal” LOC compared to people with an “external” LOC, no study has yet assessed the influence of physicians' LOC on communication skills learning. This study aims to test the hypothesis that, in a communication skills training program, physicians with an “internal” LOC would demonstrate communication skills acquisition to a greater degree than those with an “external” LOC. A non-randomised longitudinal intervention study was conducted between January 1999 and April 2001. Sixty-seven volunteer physicians from private and institutional practice in Belgium participated to a learner-centred, skills-focused, practice-oriented communication skills training program. Communication skills changes were assessed in 2 standardised simulated interviews before and after training (one two-person and one three-person interview). Communication skills were assessed using the Cancer Research Campaign Workshop Evaluation Manual. Physicians' LOC was assessed using the Rotter I-E scale. Communication skills changes of the upper and lower third of physicians in respect of their scores on this scale were compared using group by time repeated measures of variance. In the two-person and three-person interviews, the increase in open directive questions was more important among physicians with an “internal” LOC compared to physicians with an “external” LOC (P=0.066 and P=0.004 respectively). In the three-person interview, the increase in directive questions (P=0.001), in assessing functions (P=0.002) and in the use of moderate feelings stated explicitly (P=0.011) was more important among physicians with an “internal” LOC compared to physicians with an “external” LOC. Conclusion. These results provide evidence that physicians' LOC can influence their communication styles as well as the efficacy of a communication skills training program. Physicians' awareness of first results constitutes a step towards a tailoring of their communication skills to every patient's and relative's concerns and needs and thus towards a patient-centred communication. The second results support the idea that a psychological characteristic such as "internal" LOC may facilitate communication skills acquisition through physicians' belief that communication with patients may be controlled by physicians themselves.

Thesis (MCom)--PU for CHE, 1999.

Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2006.

Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2005.

I en allt mer flexibel och osäker arbetsmarknad, har individers uppfattning av sin anställningsbarhet påverkan på deras hälsa och mentala välbefinnande. Syftet med föreliggande studie var att undersöka om core self-evaluations kunde predicera anställningsbarhet, det vill säga individens bedömning av sina egna möjligheter att skaffa ett nytt, likvärdigt arbete. Datainsamlingen bestod av enkäter som besvarades av 406 anställda vid tre olika rikstäckande organisationer i Sverige vid två tillfällen (2005 och 2006). Hierarkisk regressionsanalys utfördes för att studera effekten av core self-evaluations på anställningsbarhet; då kontrollvariablerna kön, ålder samt utbildning, kontrollerades för. Resultatet visade på ett positivt signifikant samband mellan core self-evaluations och anställningsbarhet. Genom att uppmärksamma personer med låg grad av core self-evaluations blir det möjligt att satsa extra på dessa individer för att förstärka deras anställningsbarhet och därigenom deras hälsa samt mentala välbefinnande. För företagens del blir den förväntade vinsten nöjdare samt produktivare anställda.

This study was aimed to identify the personality traits and individual differences that might predict the attitude toward motor insurance in Turkey. Demographic information, personality traits, self-esteem and locus of control were explored as the predictors of attitude toward motor insurance. Results were obtained from 343 people (201 males, 142 females) who participated an online questionnaire through internet or completed the printed form. Computer administered multi scaled questionnaire and printed form were used for data collection. The questionnaire includes Basic Personality Traits Inventory, Locus of Control Inventory, Self-Esteem Inventory and Motor Insurance Attitude Inventory in addition to demographic information form. The results of the survey indicated that gender, conscientiousness and openness to experience have power of prediction on the level of attitude toward insurance. According to the results, women have more positive attitude toward motor insurance than men. Also high levels of conscientiousness and openness to experience result in higher levels of positive attitude toward motor insurance. The findings of the study were discussed in the light of the literature and in relation to the implications of insurance ownership in Turkey. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future researches were also discussed.

Previous research shows that socio-cultural factors play an important role in determining the outcomes of natural resource conservation. Conservationists have discovered that when such factors are not properly incorporated from the earliest planning stages, projects are often less successful than hoped and at times outright failures. Thus, several core values that vary among cultures were studied to examine their relationships to natural resources and conservation. This study investigated the relationships between natural resources and conservation and the 3 value orientations individualism, collectivism, and locus of control and socio-demographics in the North Rupununi, Guyana. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected in 5 villages (Annai Central, Apoteri, Rewa, Aranaputa, and Wowetta) via participant observation and mostly structured interviews of 167 local residents. Field research took place from January to November 2008, and interviews occurred from July to October of the same year. Analysis indicates the following results for this sample. Neither the individualism measurement used in this study not the locus of control scale showed many statistically significant associations, but some interesting patterns and trends appear in the case of locus of control. In contrast, the collectivism scale showed associations to several of the natural resource items. The main conclusions from the study are that to promote more successful conservation, professionals need to focus on several factors that promote more effective communication and negotiation. Developing equity among participants; empowering people through their own knowledge, influence, and options; establishing respect by and for all parties; co-creating a common mental model among the parties; and fostering the competence and confidence of all parties to actively participate in the negotiations are key to success. This can be especially tricky in cases in which the various parties come from different socio-cultural backgrounds, such as in the case of Western scientists working with remote indigenous peoples. Coming to a shared mental model and feelings of true equity among the parties is even harder then because the disparate backgrounds make common understanding difficult at best. However, it is that much more necessary when common backgrounds are absent. In such cases, a well-trained, culturally sensitive, and neutral facilitator can be the most useful tool to help co-create the right circumstances for authoring solutions which foster natural resource conservation that can succeed.