Perceived discrimination and relative deprivation in Chinese migrant adolescents: the mediating effect of locus of control and moderating effect of duration since migration

Background Associations between perceived discrimination and relative deprivation have been observed among both general and migrant populations. However, it is unclear how, and under what conditions, perceived discrimination relates to relative deprivation, a subjective cognition and affective experience in which individuals or groups perceive themselves as disadvantaged, compared to their peers. Therefore, this study aimed to construct a moderated mediation model to examine the roles of locus of control and duration since migration in the relationship between perceived discrimination and relative deprivation among Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using a convenience sampling method in three coastal cities in southeast China. We recruited 625 Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents, who completed a battery of questionnaires assessing perceived discrimination, relative deprivation, locus of control, and demographic variables. Regression-based statistical mediation and moderation were conducted using the PROCESS macro for SPSS. Results After controlling for sex and age, perceived discrimination was positively associated with migrant adolescents’ relative deprivation, and external locus of control partially mediated this connection. Furthermore, the mediating effect was moderated by the duration of the migration. In relatively recently migrated adolescents, perceived discrimination was significantly related to relative deprivation through a greater external locus of control; however, this indirect association was not significant for adolescents with long-term migratory duration. Conclusion The results of our analysis expand our understanding of the link between perceived discrimination and relative deprivation. Moreover, these findings may provide practical guidance for interventions among Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents to raise their social status and improve their mental health by addressing the macro-social psychological causes of relative deprivation.

The Dark Core of personality: Individual’s expression of locus of control and spirituality

Dark personality traits are amongst the most popular research topics recently. In 2018 the Dark Core of personality was proposed as a common core to capture all aversive subclinical manifestations. In this study, we aimed at investigating how individuals with high scores on the Dark Core perceive control (i.e., internally or externally) and express their spirituality. Participants were 614 adults, mostly females (85.17%), aged from 18 to 73 years-old (M = 36.00; SD = 12.26), and identified themselves as agnostics (22.63%) or Catholics (19.05%). Participants responded to a measure that assessed the Dark Core of personality (D35), the Locus of Control Scale (ELOCUS), and the WHOQOL-spirituality, religiousness, and personal beliefs (WHOQOL-SRPB). We used a path analysis model to estimate their connection. Results indicated that the Dark Core better predicts external locus of control, which respectively predicts connect, strength, and faith, which can be considered as spiritual coping strategies. We concluded that men and women tend to blame external forces when things do not go their way and use personal beliefs to relieve emotional distress.

Peran Moderasi Komitmen Profesional terhadap Perilaku Reduksi Kualitas Audit Periode Pandemi Covid-19

The aims of this study was to examine the effect of time budget pressure and locus of control on the behavior of auditors performing audit quality reduction behavior in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic. In addition, to find out profesional commitment to moderate the effect of time budget pressure and locus of control on audit quality reduction behavior in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic. The population in this study are auditors who work in Public Accounting Firms, the sampling method used purposive sampling and obtained a sample of 64 respondents who collected data using google form. Data analysis used multiple linear regression and moderated regression analysis (MRA). This study found that external locus of control had a positive effect on audit quality reduction behavior and the moderating role of profesional commitment was not supported. This study implies that auditors can adapt to current conditions except for auditors who have an external locus of control and policy makers can pay attention to this.

Investigating Modern Students’ Self-actualization

В статье рассматриваются теоретические аспекты самоактуализации, которая в зарубежной и отечественной психологии представлена как реализация потенциала, стремление к самоосуществлению,непрерывное развитие духовного потенциала личности, особое восприятие мира, высокий уровень психического и психологического здоровья (Гозман, 1995), адекватная саморегуляция и самоуправление. Анализируются результаты эмпирического исследования самоактуализации студентов педагогического направления подготовки. Описываются особенности самоактуализации двух групп студентов. Представители первой группы только начинали воспринимать свою жизнь во всей полноте, проявляли зависимость, конформность, несамостоятельность «извне» направляемой личности, имеющей внешний локус контроля, только учились быть относительно независимыми в своих поступках, стремились руководствоваться в жизни собственными целями, убеждениями, установками и принципами, в отличие от представителей другой группы, воспринимающих свою жизнь как целостный процесс, «изнутри» направляемых самоактуализирующихся личностей, не враждебных к окружающим и групповым нормам, организующих свое поведение на основе личностных ценностных ориентаций. Представлены выявленные связи между различными проявлениями самоактуализации у выделенных групп студентов. С помощью корреляционного анализа у всех студентов были обнаружены значимые сильные положительные связи между поддержкой, ценностной ориентацией, гибкостью поведения и самоуважением; между ценностной ориентацией, самоуважением и синергией; между гибкостью поведения и контактностью; между самоуважением и самопринятием. Эти связи указывали на то, что чем сильнее было естественное соотнесение их поведения с ценностями и самооценкой своих возможностей, тем более независимыми от воздействия извне были поведение и ценности; чем выше была самооценка студентами своих возможностей и сильнее целостное восприятие мира, тем более проявлялись у них принципы и оценки, присущие самоактуализирующейся личности; чем более глубокими и тесными были эмоционально насыщенные контакты с окружающими людьми в процессе субъект-субъектного общения, тем сильнее поведение соизмерялось с ценностями; чем больше они принимали самих себя, тем выше была самооценка своих возможностей. The article treats theoretical aspects of self-actualization, which is viewed by Russian and foreign scholars as the realization of one’s potential, desire to accomplish one’s goals, continuous development of one’s spiritual potential, one’s unique perception of the world, one’s emotional and psychological well-being (Gozman, 1995), efficient self-regulation and self-control. The article analyzes the results of an empirical research of novice teachers’ self-actualization. It describes the peculiarities of self-actualization of two groups of students. The representatives of the first group were highly conformable and dependent on others, were easily controlled by external powers, had the external locus of control, were learning to be independent in their actions, were learning to be guided by their own principles and beliefs. The representatives of the second group treated their life as a comprehensive process, were affable and friendly, abided by social norms, were guided by their own moral values and principles. The authors use correlation analysis to identify the correlation between students’ self-respect and their behavioural flexibility, their system of values and the support they get, as well as the correlation between their system of values, their behavioural flexibility and synergy, between behavioural flexibility and communicability, between self-respect and self-perception. These correlations show that people who respect themselves, who display respectful behaviour and have strong values are less prone to feel externally imposed depression, are guided by principles of self-actualization. The correlations also show that close emotional contact with other people involves other people’s moral values and self-respect.

The Internal–External Locus of Control Short Scale–4 (IE-4): A comprehensive validation of the English-language adaptation

The Internal–External Locus of Control Short Scale–4 (IE-4) measures two dimensions of the personality trait locus of control with two items each. IE-4 was originally developed and validated in German and later translated into English. In the present study, we assessed the psychometric properties (i.e., objectivity, reliability, validity) of the English-language IE-4, compared these psychometric properties with those of the German-language source version, and tested measurement invariance across both language versions. Using heterogeneous quota samples from the UK and Germany, we find that the English-language adaptation has satisfactory reliability and plausible correlations with 11 external variables (e.g., general self-efficacy, self-esteem, impulsive behavior, Emotional Stability), which are comparable with those of the German-language source version. Moreover, metric measurement invariance of the scale holds when comparing the UK and Germany, implying the comparability of correlations based on the latent factors across the two nations. As an ultra-short scale (completion time < 30 s), IE-4 lends itself particularly to the assessment of locus of control in survey contexts in which assessment time or questionnaire space are limited. It can be applied in a variety of research disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, or economics.

Thinking magically or thinking scientifically: Cognitive and belief predictors of complementary and alternative medicine use in women with and without cancer diagnosis

Background Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is popular among the general population and patients with various diseases, but our understanding of the predictors of CAM use for the population of women with or without cancer diagnosis is still quite limited. This paper examines predictors of attitudes toward and use of CAM, including cognitive factors (scientific reasoning, health literacy, locus of control), beliefs (holistic and magical health beliefs pseudoscientific beliefs, and trust in doctors), sociodemographic factors, and cancer diagnosis. Methods The sample consisted of 177 women (103, 58.2% without cancer, 74, 41.8% with cancer diagnosis; Mage = 38.81, SD = 11.43). Results Pseudoscientific/magical beliefs and external locus of control were the strongest predictors of positive attitudes toward CAM and its higher use, as well as preference for CAM instead of conventional treatment. Cancer diagnosis predicted only higher CAM use, but not more positive attitudes to CAM, nor preference for CAM instead of conventional medicine. There was no difference between women with and without cancer diagnosis in using CAM after we controlled for age and education. Women in our sample had a similar level of magical beliefs, holistic health beliefs, and attitudes toward CAM regardless of their cancer diagnosis. However, women with cancer had significantly more pseudoscientific beliefs than women without cancer and a higher external locus of control over their health. Conclusion Women who have an inclination toward holistic and magical beliefs about health tend to favor CAM treatments independently of the cancer diagnosis, although the diagnosis of cancer also contributes to their higher use of CAM. In other words, it seems improbable that women would turn toward CAM treatment only after being diagnosed with cancer.

STUDY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS OF INDIVIDUAL NUTRITIONAL STYLE

Purpose. The research concerns the problem of choosing an individual eating style and identifying possible psychological factors of choosing an eating style by a person. Methods. To achieve this purpose theoretical methods were used: analysis of psychological literature and generalization of psychological dates; empirical methods: Kugler-Jones guilt questionnaire, J. Rotter’s “Locus of Control” method, methods of mathematical and statistical processing and visualization of empirical data: one-way analysis of variance.Results. The results of an empirical study of psychological characteristics, in particular the features of guilt and personal responsibility in people with different eating styles. The sample was 80 people. Respondents were people aged 20 to 45 with different eating styles: traditional, healthy, alternative and interval. The traditional diet meant the consumption of food, characteristic of the culture of the subjects, healthy eating – strict restrictions on food consumption (calories, the ratio of macro- and micro-elements in the diet, restriction of harmful products and sugar), alternative (complete rejection of certain products or Interval or intermittent – alternation between meals, fasting for a day or several days. The greatest experience of guilt as a condition is inherent in people with a choice of alternative, healthy and interval eating styles. That is, people who choose a style of eating with certain restrictions have a fairly high, compared to the traditional style of eating emotional reaction to a particular behavior that may be contrary to their personal moral principles. The highest prevalence of guilt as a trait in people who follow a healthy and alternative diet. Such people have an emotional attitude, which is associated with responsibility for violating personal moral principles. Such specificity of guilt presupposes that such individuals are more likely to adhere to such severe restrictions on food consumption.Conclusions. It was researched the problem of choosing an individual eating style and identifying possible psychological factors of choosing an eating style by a person. Representatives of the traditional style of eating are attracted to the external locus of control, in contrast to the representatives of a healthy, alternative diet, which is characterized by an internal locus of control. At the same time, people with interval nutrition showed the same manifestation of both internal and external locus of personality control.Key words: orthorexia, eating styles, guilt, locus of control, morality. Мета. Дослідити проблему вибору індивідуального стилю харчування та виявлення можливих психологічних факторів вибору стилю харчування особистістю. Методи. Для реалізації цієї мети було використано теоретичні методи: аналіз психологічної літератури та узагальнення психологічних даних із проблеми дослідження, емпіричні: опитувальник провини Куглера-Джонс, методика «Локус-контролю» Дж. Роттера, методи математично-статистичної обробки та візуалізації емпіричних даних: однофакторний дисперсійний аналіз.Результати. Представлено результати емпіричного дослідження психологічних характеристик, зокрема особливостей прояву почуття провини та особистісної відповідальності в осіб з різним стилем харчування. Вибірка становила 80 осіб. Респондентами виступили особи віком від 20-ти до 45-ти років із різним стилем харчування: традиційним, здоровим, альтернативним та інтервальним. Під традиційним харчуванням малося на увазі споживання їжі, характерної для культури досліджуваних, під здоровим харчуванням – дотримання чітких обмежень у споживанні страв (калорійність, співвідношення макро- та мікроелементів у раціоні, обмеження шкідливих продуктів та цукру), альтернативним – повна відмова від певних продуктів або способів приготування їжі. Інтервальне або переривчасне – чергування між прийомами їжі, голодування протягом дня або кількох днів. Найбільше переживання провини як стану притаманне людям із вибором альтернативного, здоро-вого та інтервального стилів харчування. Тобто у людей, які вибирають стиль харчування з певними обмеженнями, виявлено досить високу, порівняно із представниками традиційного стилю харчування, емоційну реакцію на конкретну поведінку, яка може суперечити їхнім особистісним моральним прин-ципам. Найбільше переважає високий рівень переживання провини як риси у людей, які дотримуються здорового та альтернативного способу харчування. У таких осіб існує емоційна установка, яка пов’я-зана з відповідальністю за порушення особистісних моральних принципів. Така специфічність переживання почуття провини зумовлює те, що такі особистості з більшою ймовірністю можуть дотриму-ватися таких жорстких обмежень у споживанні їжі.Висновки. Досліджено особливості вибору індивідуального стилю харчування та виявлено мож-ливі психологічні фактори вибору стилю харчування. Представникам традиційного стилю харчування приманний екстернальний локус контролю на відміну від представників здорового, альтернативного харчування, яким притаманний інтернальний локус контролю. Причому в осіб з інтервальним харчуванням виявлено однаковий прояв як інтернального, так і екстернального локус контролю особистості.Ключові слова: орторексія, стилі харчування, провина, локус контролю, мораль.

No one is safe! But who’s more susceptible? Locus of control moderates pandemic perceptions’ effects on job insecurity and psychosocial factors amongst MENA hospitality frontliners: a PLS-SEM approach

Background The research aimed to formulate and test a model concerning COVID-19 perceptions effects on job insecurity and a set of psychosocial factors comprising anxiety, depression, job burnout and job alienation in the Middle East and North African (hereafter, MENA) regional context. Also, the study attempted to examine whether locus of control can moderate these hypothesised linkages amongst customer service employees working in MENA hospitality organisations. Methods The study is based on a sample of 885 responses to an online survey and Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Results The main findings show the existence of a significant correlation between COVID perceptions and job insecurity and all psychosocial factors, i.e., more intense COVID-19 perceptions accompany higher levels of job insecurity, anxiety, depression, job burnout and job alienation. Furthermore, our results revealed that, in pandemic time, hospitality customer service employees with external locus of control are more likely to suffer higher alienation, anxiety and depression than those with internal locus of control. Conclusions The research originality centres on the establishment that COVID-19 has a severe negative impact within the hospitality customer service labour force (in the MENA region). These effects were more profound for participants who claimed external locus of control than those with internal locus of control.

On the psychological importance of control and valorisation in psychiatric environments

When people suffering from severe mental illnesses are treated in psychiatric facilities, there appear conflicting priorities between security and individual control that are often skewed towards security. As a result, patients admitted to highly institutionalised psychiatric wards do not only suffer from mental illness but also from loss of control as a basic human need (Grawe, 2000). Through this loss of control (e.g., not being able to choose where to go), people become especially dependent on their immediate social and spatial surroundings. From a psychological point of view, the concept of control reflects in concepts such as self-efficacy (Bandura, 1977), internal vs. external locus of control (Rotter, 1966), or environmental mastery (Ryff, 1989), all pointing to a beneficial influence on well-being and health. Yet, depending on their current situation, psychiatric patients may also feel overwhelmed by an excess of choices. Increasing patients' sense of control by offering them small choices during their stay at a psychiatric environment, however, might increase well-being (cf. Langer & Rodin, 1968). This possibility of control has the potential to also activate the feeling of valorisation in patients: As a positive fundamental attitude towards another person, implying appreciation and respect, valorisation poses an important element of psychotherapy (e.g., Rogers, 1951). Especially as people with psychiatric disorders are still stereotyped and stigmatized (e.g., as a homogenous group of “the mentally ill”), actively searching for new ways to foster valorisation in psychiatric environments may further contribute to patients' well-being and individualisation. Transferring the concept of valorisation to physical objects as primes affords an opportunity to extend feeling appreciated beyond immediate social interaction.