Investigating the Validity Evidence of the Swedish TriPM in High Security Prisoners Using the PCL-R and NEO-FFI

The triarchic model of psychopathy was developed to bridge opposing descriptions of psychopathy by separating the core construct in three domains; boldness, meanness, and disinhibition. The Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM) operationalizes the model through a 58-item self-report questionnaire. The current study examined the psychometric properties of the Swedish translation by investigating intercorrelations and associations to expert-rated psychopathy, general personality and psychopathy-related traits in male high-security prisoners (n = 191). Psychopathy rated with TriPM and the Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R) demonstrated expected convergence, as did empathy and impulsivity measures. The Disinhibition and Meanness scales were highly correlated, indicating that the scales might not be adequately differentiated. Nevertheless, the divergent association patterns to other important variables, particularly neuroticism and empathy, also points to meaningful differences. However, the lack of association between Disinhibition and Boldness may put into question if these domains are related at all, especially since there was a lack of similarity in the association patterns with other clinical variables. The influence of antisocial behavior in the TriPM operationalization might amplify the similarities of the Meanness and Disinhibition scales, while diluting the associations between Meanness and Boldness. In conclusion, the Swedish TriPM is effective in measuring the domains of triarchic model in forensic settings, even though a revision of the scales might improve the psychometric properties of the instrument.

The Experience of Learning to Drive for People With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Gaining a driver’s license can be difficult for student drivers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet little is known about their experiences of learning to drive. In this qualitative study, focus groups and individual interviews were employed to ascertain the perceptions of three participant groups, including people with ASD, parents of people with ASD, and driving instructors with experience teaching people with ASD to drive. Participants in each group were asked to discuss their feelings, concerns, and barriers, encountered while learning to drive, along with the driving behaviors, challenges, and strategies used when supporting people with ASD to learn to drive. Grounded theory analysis was used to shed light on the experience of learning to drive for people with ASD. Five themes emerged supporting the core construct that targeted support ameliorates intrinsic driving complexities, generating success: (a) challenges that increase the complexity of learning to drive, (b) external challenges to overcome, (c) concerns about the reality of driving, (d) the need for a specialized model of training, and (e) success is possible. These findings highlight the importance of developing an autism-specific driving training intervention designed for people with ASD, their families, and driving instructors.

Understanding FinTech Platform Adoption: Impacts of Perceived Value and Perceived Risk

FinTech platforms are one of the most important elements in the rapidly digitized world’s economy. This study investigates the factors that affected individuals’ acceptance of FinTech services, especially on internet wealth management platforms. The current research extends the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) published by MIS Quarterly with integrated financial consumption attributes (i.e., perceived value and perceived risk) alongside the core construct of UTAUT. Data were collected from an established survey company. The empirical results indicate that perceived value, perceived risk, and social influence are strongly related to individuals’ FinTech adoption intention, whereas performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and perceived risk affect individuals’ perceived value, which in turn influences adoption intention. The proposed FinTech adoption model could contribute to information technology (IT) adoption research by extending the UTAUT in which individuals’ performance expectancy and effort expectancy affect their adoption intention indirectly through perceived value. Finally, the implications of the proposed new model for future research and FinTech practice are discussed.

Development and Validation of an Empirical Model-based Instrument to Measure Empathy-driven Organizational Cultures in Indian Schools

It has been widely acknowledged that empathy plays an important role in school education, but empathy as a part of school organizational culture has not been extensively studied in the Indian context. This study explores empathy as the driver for school organizational culture and strives to create a platform for school organizational designs with empathy as the core construct. The study was conducted with two main objectives: (a) to establish and validate a model of empathy-driven school organizational culture and (b) to develop a valid and reliable instrument to measure organizational empathy in Indian schools. A random sample of 441 students participated in the study. The empathy-driven model was validated through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. A part of the questionnaire used for the first part of the study was used for the second part as an independent instrument and validated through confirmatory factor analysis. The instrument was further validated for convergent, discriminant and concurrent validity. Thus, a model for empathy-driven school organizations was validated and a reliable and valid instrument for measuring empathy-driven cultures in schools was developed.

Exploring Strategic CSR paradigm: A Review of Strategy – CSR linkages

This study explores the contentious linkages between Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Strategy by reviewing the CSR and strategy literature. Further, the study investigates how the changing paradigms of CSR approach strategy. A critical review of existing literature unfolds ‘Strategic CSR’ as a sustainable and pragmatic paradigm as it delivers competitive advantage for a firm. Further, stakeholder engagement and market orientation were identified as the dominant linking themes whereas the latter is also identified as a core construct of Strategic CSR. Market orientation is an antecedent while competitive advantage delivered by strategic CSR can be measured through customer loyalty ,stakeholder commitment and reputation. Besides, this process is found to be mediated by social opportunity orientation and social co-creation. This exploratory study also suggests future direction of research for further insights and validation.

Upping my game as a parent: Attributed gains in participating in a cancer parenting program for child-rearing parents with advanced cancer

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to describe in the words of child-rearing parents with incurable cancer, what they had gained or thought about as a result of participating in a five-session, scripted, telephone-delivered psycho-educational parenting intervention, the Enhancing Connections Program in Palliative Care.MethodsA total of 26 parents completed the program. Parents’ responses were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim and verified for accuracy. The analysis proceeded through four steps: unitizing, coding into categories, defining categories, and formation of a core construct that explained parents’ attributed gains. Trustworthiness of study results was protected by coding to consensus, formal peer debriefing, and maintaining an audit trail.ResultsAlthough 50% reached or exceeded clinical cutoff scores on anxiety and 42% reached or exceeded clinical cutoff scores on depressed mood, parents extensively elaborated what they gained. Results revealed six categories of competencies they attributed to their participation in the program: (1) being ready for a conversation about my cancer, (2) bringing things out in the open, (3) listening better to my child, (4) getting my child to open up, (5) not getting in my child's way, and (6) changing my parenting.ConclusionsDespite an extensive symptom burden, parents with incurable cancer attributed major gains from a brief, fully scripted, cancer parenting communication intervention. A manualized telephone-delivered educational counseling program for symptomatic parents with incurable cancer has the potential to augment competencies for parents as they assist their children manage the cancer experience.

Walking on Eggshells: Parents’ First Year After Their Adolescent Completes Their Cancer Treatment

Background: Despite an awareness that parents experience distress and heightened uncertainty at the end of their adolescent’s treatment for cancer, little is known about the specific challenges and concerns parents hold for their adolescent survivors or how they manage these challenges. This study described challenges parents experience in the first year after their adolescent’s cancer treatment and what parents did to manage those challenges. Method: Single occasion semistructured interviews were conducted with parents and were transcribed verbatim. Data were coded using inductive content analysis methods adapted from grounded theory. Results: Participants were 30 parents of adolescent survivors (13-18 years) who were in the first year following treatment completion. The core construct, “Walking on Eggshells,” explained the processes and experiences parents faced once treatment was complete. Two additional domains captured how parents managed posttreatment challenges (“Doing What We Can”) and the ways parents helped their adolescents adjust (“Balancing”). Conclusion: Study results suggest that services and materials are needed to help parents know common struggles that arise after treatment and ways to mitigate the severity of distress parents experience.

Dispositional Individual Differences in Cognitive Effort Investment: Establishing the Core Construct

It is commonly assumed that individuals tend to avoid effort, be it physical or cognitive. Yet, recent evidence suggests that individual differences exist and that personality traits related to the willingness to invest cognitive effort in goal-directed behavior are associated with experimental measures of cognitive effort investment. The personality traits need for cognition (NFC) and self-control were found to be related to behavioral measures of effort discounting and demand avoidance, respectively. Given that NFC and self-control are only moderately related, this evidence raises the question whether these associations are specific for these traits or whether they reflect a common core that these traits both involve cognitive effort investment. If so, the common core of both traits might be related to behavioral measures of the avoidance of cognitive effort in a more systematic fashion. Thus, the present study aimed at specifying a core construct of cognitive effort investment that reflects dispositional differences in the willingness and tendency to exert effortful control. Therefore, we conducted an online-study (N = 613) with questionnaires related to cognitive motivation and effort investment including the NFC and the self-control scale. Our findings support the hypothesized correlations between the assessed traits, where the relationship of NFC and self-control is specifically mediated via an aspect that can be conceptualized as goal-directedness. We found that a hierarchical factor model of cognitive motivation and effortful self-control can explain the shared variance of these two first-order factors by a second-order factor of cognitive effort investment. These findings are backed up by results of an independent second sample (N = 244). Taken together, our results integrate currently only loosely related research strands on cognitive motivation and self-control and provide a basis for further experimental research on the role of dispositional individual differences in goal-directed behavior.