Attitudes and perceptions of workers to sexual harrassment

The authors investigated how individual factors (age, gender, gender role, past experiences of sexual harassment) and organizational factors (gender ratio, sexual harassment policies, the role of employers) related to workers' attitudes toward and perceptions of sexual harassment. In Study 1, participants were 176 workers from a large, white-collar organization. In Study 2, participants were 75 workers from a smaller, blue-collar organization. Individuals from Study 2 experienced more sexual harassment, were more tolerant of sexual harassment, and perceived less behavior as sexual harassment than did individuals from Study 1. For both samples, organizational and individual factors predicted workers' attitudes toward and experiences of sexual harassment. Individual factors—such as age, gender, gender role, past experiences of sexual harassment, and perceptions of management's tolerance of sexual harassment—predicted attitudes toward sexual harassment. Workers' attitudes, the behavioral context, and the gender of the victim and perpetrator predicted perceptions of sexual harassment. The authors discussed the broader implications of these findings and suggested recommendations for future research.

Characterization of Australian fur seal vocalizations during the breeding season

The vocal repertoire, structure, and behavioral context of airborne vocalizations produced by Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) are described using recordings made at a breeding colony on Kanowna Island, Bass Strait, Australia. The study identified six different call types: three produced by males (bark, guttural threat, and submissive call); five produced by females (bark, guttural threat, submissive call, growl, and pup attraction call) and the female attraction call produced by pups and yearlings. Vocalizations were compared according to age and sex classes. The overall structure and function of the pup attraction and female attraction call produced by females, yearlings, and pups, was similar. However, while similar in their overall appearance, certain call types have a lower fundamental frequency when compared with other fur seals. In addition, the male bark call alters in rate of production according to the context used, where calls are slower when males are stationary and advertising their territorial status and faster when males are involved in confrontations with other males or actively herding females. Further research is required to investigate changes in environmental conditions and their effects on shaping the call structure and communication in Australian fur seals.

Drop out from behavioral management training programs for ADHD: a prospective study

To investigate dropout from parenting programs for disruptive behavior disorders, we followed 18 clients prospectively from the beginning of a manualized treatment program to three month follow-up. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, we then compared those who dropped out of the program with those who completed it. We found that in general, those participants who dropped out of the program were parents of children with more disturbed behavior, who perceived their children to be more difficult than others, and who experienced more subjective parenting stress. Those who dropped out were also not convinced that the strategies proposed in the program to help manage their children were useful. On the other hand, those who completed the program reported a determination to persevere with the strategies which they saw as assisting them to re-establish positive relationships with their adolescent children. The findings are discussed in the context of how manualized programs might be modified to increase retention.

A further development in social marketing application of the MOA framework and behavioral implications

This social marketing study discusses the application of Rothschild’s MOA framework (Motivation, Opportunity, and Ability) in a land-use management context. The authors hypothesize that landholders with higher levels of MOA are positively associated with behavior that would result in the effective control of a vertebrate pest (the European rabbit). A random sample of 566 land managers in southeastern Australia was obtained. The development of scales associated with this study were the result of intensive qualitative research, including focus groups, in-depth interviews, and a thorough review of secondary resources. The scales were developed through a factor analytic process and were piloted and pre-tested before being used.

From the study it is ascertained that about one-third of land managers fall into the highest level of effective behavior, and for the remainder, social marketing interventions, using marketing, education, and the law, could be applied to changebehavior. The study provides evidence that Rothschild’s theoretical MOA framework can be applied to a social market and thus provides guidance on the types of interventions that may be effective in altering behavior. The MOA framework also provides a mechanism for segmentation that can be used to describe various markets and gives direction to the interventions that may be effective in altering behavior.

Extending technology acceptance model to the E-recruitment context in Iran

Using a sample of 332 job applicants in Iran, this study integrates Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and signaling theory to explain factors influencing applicants' behavioral intentions to apply for jobs online. Of the two main constructs of TAM, perceived usefulness was found to have a significant impact on applicants' behavioral intentions, while perceived ease of use was not. Based on the signaling theory, impression of the organizational website appeared to create interests in organization as a potential employer; hence, prompt applicants to apply for jobs. These results extend our understanding of the online recruitment in different context and provide further insights with regard to possible effects of website features on applicants' attractions toward organizations operating in Iran.

Staff compliance with protocols to improve the management of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia

Using data from a larger study investigating the effectiveness of a structured clinical protocol to manage individuals in residential facilities who experience behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), the current study investigated whether external clinical support in using the protocol with specific residents increased compliance in its use, over and above only providing a generic workshop about the protocol and management of BPSD. Results indicated that provision of the workshop, in addition to clinical support, was associated with significantly higher compliance. However, compliance was only found to be related to positive outcomes when staff received the generic workshop and not clinical support. When clinical support was provided, compliance was not related to outcomes or worse outcomes. These findings, when considered in the context of the results of the larger trial, suggest that the relationship among clinical support, compliance with BPSD protocols, and clinical outcomes for residents and staff is complex and needs further investigation.