Becoming a 'Bastion Against Tyranny' : Australian legal education and the government of the self

Research into legal education suggests that many students enter law school with ideals about using the law to achieve social change, but graduate with some cynicism regarding these ideals. It is often argued that law schools provide a negative, competitive, and conservative environment for students, pushing many away from social justice ideals towards more self-interested, vocational concerns. This article uses Michel Foucault’s work on the government of the self to suggest another way of understanding this process. It examines a range of prescriptive texts that provide students with advice about how to study law and ‘survive’ law school. In doing so, it posits that this apparent loss of social ideals does not necessarily always signify that the student has become politically conservative or has had a negative educational experience. While these legal personae may appear outwardly conservative, and indeed still reflect particular gendered or raced perspectives, by examining the messages that these texts offer students, this article suggests that an apparent loss of social ideals can be the result of a productive shaping of the self. The legal persona they fashion can incorporate social justice ideals and necessitate specific ways of acting on those ideals. This analysis adds to the growing body of research that uses Foucault’s work to rethink common narratives of power and the shaping of the self in legal education, and provides legal educators with new ways of reflecting on the effects of legal education.

Do drivers respond emotionally and behaviourally differently to an intentionally anger provoking driving situation than to an ambiguous, but potentially provocative, one? Results of a self-report survey.

Aggressive driving is considered an important road-safety concern for drivers in highly motorised countries. However, understanding of the causes and maintenance factors fundamental to aggressive driving is limited. In keeping with theoretical advances from general aggression research such as the General Aggression Model (GAM), research has begun to examine the emotional and cognitive antecedents of aggressive driving in order to better understand the underlying processes motivating aggressive driving. Early findings in the driving area have suggested that greater levels of aggression are elicited in response to an intentionally aggressive on-road event. In contrast, general aggression research suggests that greater levels of aggression are elicited in response to an ambiguous event. The current study examined emotional and cognitive responses to two hypothetical driving scenarios with differing levels of aggressive intent (intentional versus ambiguous). There was also an interest in whether factors influencing responses were different for hostile aggression (that is, where the action is intended to harm the other) versus instrumental aggression (that is, where the action is motivated by an intention to remove an impediment or attain a goal). Results were that significantly stronger negative emotion and negative attributions, as well as greater levels of threat were reported in response to the scenario which was designed to appear intentional in nature. In addition, participants were more likely to endorse an aggressive behavioural response to a situation that appeared deliberately aggressive than to one where the intention was ambiguous. Analyses to determine if greater levels of negative emotions and cognitions are able to predict aggressive responses provided different patterns of results for instrumental aggression from those for hostile aggression. Specifically, for instrumental aggression, negative emotions and negative attributions were significant predictors for both the intentional and the ambiguous scenarios. In addition, perceived threat was also a significant predictor where the other driver’s intent was clearly aggressive. However, lower rather than higher, levels of perceived threat were associated with greater endorsement of an aggressive response. For hostile aggressive behavioural responses, trait aggression was the strongest predictor for both situations. Overall the results suggest that in the driving context, instrumental aggression is likely to be a much more common response than hostile aggression. Moreover, aggressive responses are more likely in situations where another driver’s behaviour is clearly intentional rather than ambiguous. The results also support the conclusion that there may be different underlying mechanisms motivating an instrumental aggressive response to those motivating a hostile one. In addition, understanding the emotions and cognitions underlying aggressive driving responses may be helpful in predicting and intervening to reduce driving aggression. The finding that drivers appear to regard tailgating as an instrumental response is of concern since this behaviour has the potential to result in crashes.

Factor analysis of the Self Report Version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in a sample of children with intellectual disability

The rate of emotional and behavioral disturbance in children with intellectual disability (ID) is up to four times higher than that of their typically developing peers. It is important to identify these difficulties in children with ID as early as possible to prevent the chronic co-morbidity of ID and psychopathology. Children with ID have traditionally been assessed via proxy reporting, but appropriate and psychometrically rigorous instruments are needed so that children can report on their own emotions and behaviors. In this study, the factor structure of the self-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was examined in a population of 128 children with ID (mean age = 12 years). Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed a three factor model (comprising Positive Relationships, Negative Behavior and Emotional Competence) to be a better measure than the original five factor SDQ model in this population.

Media education, collaboration and industry : a case study of what a group of year 10 and 11 students value in a community of practice

This case study incorporated an analysis of a group of young people as media producers and placed young people’s perspectives of their media education learning at the core of the analysis. Communities of practice social learning theory provided an effective conceptual framework for investigating the nature of the participants’ involvement in a secondary school and creative industry partnership. The analysis of the data in this study indicated that the participants valued their learning by imagining, actively participating and belonging to a media education community of practice. By enabling young people to work directly with creative industries this school and industry partnership provided students with what they saw as valuable first-hand experience of professional expertise, that contributed to students’ understanding of their own and others’ identities.

Application of the self-efficacy model in nursing practice [自我效能模式於護理臨床應用之剖析]

Self-efficacy has two cognitive components, efficacy expectations and outcome expectations, and their influence on behavior change is synergistic. Efficacy expectation is effected by four main sources of information provided by direct and indirect experiences. The four sources of information are performance accomplishments, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion and self-appraisal. How to measure and develop interventions is an important issue at present. This article clearly analyzes the relationship between variables of the self-efficacy model and explains the implementation of self-efficacy enhancing interventions and instruments in order to test the model. Through the process of the use of theory and feasibility in clinical practice, it is expected that professional medical care personnel should firstly familiarize themselves with the self-efficiency model and concept, and then flexibly promote it in professional fields clinical practice, chronic disease care and health promotion.

Assessment of neuroretinal function in a group of functional amblyopes with documented LGN deficits

Purpose In this study we examine neuroretinal function in five amblyopes, who had been shown in previous functional MRI (fMRI) studies to have compromised function of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), to determine if the fMRI deficit in amblyopia may have its origin at the retinal level. Methods We used slow flash multifocal ERG (mfERG) and compared averaged five ring responses of the amblyopic and fellow eyes across a 35 deg field. Central responses were also assessed over a field which was about 6.3 deg in diameter. We measured central retinal thickness using optical coherence tomography. Central fields were measured using the MP1-Microperimeter which also assesses ocular fixation during perimetry. MfERG data were compared with fMRI results from a previous study. Results Amblyopic eyes had reduced response density amplitudes (first major negative to first positive (N1-P1) responses) for the central and paracentral retina (up to 18 deg diameter) but not for the mid-periphery (from 18 to 35 deg). Retinal thickness was within normal limits for all eyes, and not different between amblyopic and fellow eyes. Fixation was maintained within the central 4° more than 80% of the time by four of the five participants; fixation assessed using bivariate contour ellipse areas (BCEA) gave rankings similar to those of the MP-1 system. There was no significant relationship between BCEA and mfERG response for either amblyopic or fellow eye. There was no significant relationship between the central mfERG eye response difference and the selective blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) LGN eye response difference previously seen in these participants. Conclusions Retinal responses in amblyopes can be reduced within the central field without an obvious anatomical basis. Additionally, this retinal deficit may not be the reason why the LGN BOLD (blood oxygen level dependent) responses are reduced for amblyopic eye stimulation.

A prospective longitudinal survey of fatigue self-management behaviors in patients with advanced cancer

Background: Fatigue is a distressing symptom experienced by approximately 74-88% of patients with advanced cancer. Although there have been advances in managing fatigue with the use of a range of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic strategies, fatigue is not well-managed in patients with advanced cancer. Objectives: For patients with advanced cancer, the aims of the study were to examine the self-management (SM) behaviours associated with fatigue; the perceived effectiveness of these SM behaviours, and the socio-demographic and clinical factors influencing the effectiveness of these SM behaviours. Methodology: A prospective longitudinal study was undertaken with 152 patients with metastatic breast, lung, colorectal and prostate cancer experiencing fatigue (>3/10) over a two month period. SM behaviours associated with fatigue, medical/demographic characteristics, social support, depression, anxiety, self-efficacy and other symptoms were assessed. Results: Findings indicate that on most fatigue severity measures, levels of fatigue increased slightly over time. On average, participants used nine fatigue SM behaviours at each time point. Participants reported that the most effective SM behaviours were ‘pacing their activities during the day’, ‘planning activities to make the most of energy’, ‘taking short sleeps’, ‘doing things that distract them from their fatigue’, and ‘doing things to improve sleep at night’. Factors associated with the increased effectiveness of fatigue SM behaviours included higher self-efficacy, higher education level, lower levels of depressive symptoms, and lower functional status. These results can be used to inform the design of future interventions to support the use of effective fatigue SM behaviours in this population.

Usefulness of a self-reported history of chickenpox in adult women in the Top End

Early determination of immune status is essential for the prevention and/or amelioration of disease following exposure to chickenpox. This is of particular significance for pregnant women because of the additional risks to the foetus or newborn.1 To determine the usefulness of a self-reported history of chickenpox in adult women in the Top End, we compared it with serological evidence of immunity.

Not all dimensions of work self-efficacy are equal : understanding the role of tertiary work placements in the development of the elements of work self-efficacy

This paper examines the relationship between a final year tertiary work placement for criminology students at Griffith University in Brisbane and the development of their work self-efficacy. Using a work self-efficacy instrument developed by Professor Joe Raelin at Northeastern University in Boston, a pilot phase in 2006 and a larger study in 2007 investigated the students’ responses across seven self-efficacy factors of learning, problem-solving, teamwork, sensitivity, politics, pressure, and role expectations. Both studies utilised a pre- and post-test and comparisons between these indicated that they believed their abilities to participate constructively in their professional work contexts significantly improved as a result of their placement experience except in the areas of learning, teamwork and sensitivity. This finding will allow us to continue to refine the processes of work placements in order to ensure the integrity of this method for student learning.

Management of atopic dermatitis in children : evaluation of parents' self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and self-reported task performance using the Child Eczema Management Questionnaire

Child behaviour management is crucial to successful treatment of atopic dermatitis. This study tested relationships between parents’ self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and self-reported task performance when caring for a child with atopic dermatitis. Using a cross-sectional study design, a community-based convenience sample of 120 parents participated in pilot-testing of the Child Eczema Management Questionnaire - a self-administered questionnaire which appraises parents’ self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and self-reported task performance when managing atopic dermatitis. Overall, parents’ self-reported confidence and success with performing routine management tasks was greater than that for managing their child’s symptoms and behaviour. Therewas a positive relationship between time since diagnosis and self-reported performance of routine management tasks; however, success with managing the child’s symptoms and behaviour did not improve with illness duration. Longer time since diagnosis was also associated with more positive outcome expectations of performing tasks that involved others in the child’s care (i.e. healthcare professionals, or the child themselves). This study provides the foundation for further research examining relationships between child, parent, and family psychosocial variables, parent management of atopic dermatitis, and child health outcomes. Improved understanding of these relationships will assist healthcare providers to better support parents and families caring for children with atopic dermatitis. KEYWORDS