The heritability of conscientiousness facets and their relationship to IQ and academic achievement

The heritability of conscientiousness has been one of the least explored of the NEO PI domains. Here we focus on the facet scales of the conscientiousness domain, estimating both their heritability and their correlations with measures of IQ and academic achievement (Queensland Core Skills Test; QCST) in a sample of adolescent twins and their non-twin siblings. Our findings confirmed positive associations between IQ and the facets of Competence and Dutifulness (ranging 0.11-0.27), with academic achievement showing correlations of 0.27 and 0.15 with these same facets and 0.15 with Deliberation. All conscientiousness facets were influenced by genes (broad sense heritabilities ranging 0.18-0.49) and unique environment, but common environment was judged unimportant. A multivariate genetic analysis including Competence, Dutifulness, IQ (verbal, performance) and QCST scores showed that common variance was primarily explained by a general additive genetic factor (loadings ranging 0.15-0.84). Future multivariate genetic analysis which incorporates Openness to Experience dimensions may improve the interpretation of these findings. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Psychological ownership: Towards a theoretical and empirical understanding of causes and consequences

In much the same way we consider our house or car 'mine', we may also consider facets of employment as a possession. Psychological ownership is the state ascribed to such feelings of possession in the absence of any formal or legal claims of ownership. In the present context, the target of such feelings of ownership is directed towards the employing organisation, or individual employee's specific job. TJie aim of this research is to extend previous propositions of ownership feelings to encompass related work attitudes and behavioural outcomes of psychological ownership in an organisational context. As a result, a theory of psychological ownership in organisations is presented encompassing antecedents, consequences, and the related work attitudes of job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Questionnaire data from 68 employees and their managers was used to test hypotheses derived from the proposed theory. Results revealed that psychological ownership predicted the work attitudes of job satisfaction and organisational commitment, and mediated the relationship between autonomy and these work attitudes. Both organisation- based and job-based psychological ownership were found to be distinct work attitudes, distinguishable from job satisfaction and organisational commitment. There was no support, however, for a direct or mediated relationship between psychological ownership and behavioural outcomes, including in-role behaviour, and helping and voice extra-role behaviours. These findings have considerable theoretical and empirical implications for the field of psychological ownership, and offer support for psychological ownership as a real and important work attitude.

Applying ontologies to business and systems modelling techniques and perspectives: Lessons learned

For many years in the area of business systems analysis and design, practitioners and researchers alike have been searching for some comprehensive basis on which to evaluate, compare, and engineer techniques that are promoted for use in the modelling of systems' requirements. To date, while many frameworks, factors, and facets have been forthcoming, none appear to be based on a sound theory. In light of this dilemma, over the last 10 years, attention has been devoted by researchers to the use of ontology to provide some theoretical basis for the advancement of the business systems modelling discipline. This paper outlines how we have used a particular ontology for this purpose over the last five years. In particular we have learned that the understandability and the applicability of the selected ontology must be clear for IS professionals, the results of any ontological evaluation must be tempered by economic efficiency considerations of the stakeholders involved, and ontologies may have to be focused for the business purpose and type of user involved in the modelling situation.

Edge-to-edge matching and its applications - Part II. Application to Mg-Al, Mg-Y and Mg-Mn alloys

A model for the crystallography and morphology of diffusion-controlled phase transformations - edge-to-edge matching - has been used to predict the orientation relationships (OR) and habit planes of precipitates Mg17Al12 in Mg-Al alloy, Mg24Y5 in Mg-Y alloy and alpha-Mn in Mg-Mn alloy. Based on the crystal structures and lattice parameters only, the model predicts that the possible ORs between Mg17Al12 and Mg matrix are the near Burgers OR, the Potter OR, the Gjonnes-Ostmoe OR and the Crawley OR. In the Mg-Y alloy, the OR between Mg24Y5 precipitates and the Mg matrix is predicted to be the Burgers OR only. The model also predicts that there are no reproducible ORs between alpha-Mn and Mg in the Mg-Mn alloy. Combining the edge-to-edge matching model and W. Zhang's Deltag approach, the habit plane and side facets of the precipitate for each OR can be determined. All the predicted ORs and the corresponding habit planes in Mg-Al and Mg-Y alloys agree very well with the experimental results. (C) 2004 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perceptions of self and group in the context of a threatened national identity: A field study

Previous research indicates that people who are highly identified with their groups tend to remain committed to them under threat. This study examines the generalizability, of this effect to (a) a real-life context involving the perception that others view the ingroup (Australians) as intolerant of minorities and (b) various dimensions of social identification. The sample comprised 213 respondents to a random mail survey. Perceived threat was inversely related to self-stereotyping (i.e. perceptions of self-ingroup similarity), but only for individuals with weak subjective ties to other group members. Threat perceptions were also predictive of enhanced judgments of within-group variability on threat-relevant dimensions, particularly for individuals with weaker ingroup ties. Various strategies for coping with a threatened social identity are linked to different facets of social identification.

Marcelian charm in nursing practice: The unity of agape and eros as the foundation of an ethic of care

Abstract In the nursing literature, a number of qualities are associated with loving care. Reference is made to, among other things, humility, attentiveness, responsibility and duty, compassion, and tenderness. The author attempts to show that charm, in the Marcelian sense, also plays a central role. It is argued that the moral foundation of charm is a unity of agape and eros. An impartial giving of the self for others is clearly of fundamental importance in an ethic of care. Including charm in the discussion points to the fact that eros also plays a crucial role. Eros produces a passion for people and for life. It is a physical and spiritual energy that animates a person in all facets of her life, including her caring work.