Farideh Salili

Effectiveness of an empowerment intervention in abused Chinese women.

BACKGROUND Chinas HIV epidemic commenced in its agrarian provinces through contaminated commercial plasma donation centers and is now becoming a public health concern nationwide. Little is known of the psychiatric and substance use disorder characteristics of this population, or their impact on everyday function, employment, and life quality. METHODS HIV-infected (HIV+) former plasma donors (N=203) and HIV-negative (HIV-) donor controls (N=198) completed the World Mental Health Survey Composite International Diagnostic Interview to determine lifetime major depressive disorder (MDD), substance use disorders, and suicidality. Current mood and suicidality were assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Everyday function was measured by an Activity of Daily Living questionnaire; life quality was evaluated by the Medical Outcomes Study-HIV. RESULTS HIV+ participants had known their infected status for 2 years on average. Most were taking antiretroviral treatment and had frank AIDS. Rates of current MDD were similar across groups (1-2%), but HIV+ had a higher frequency of lifetime MDD (14% vs. 5%, p<.05). Its onset preceded date of known infection in one-third of cases. Alcoholism was the only substance use disorder detected; HIV+ had a higher proportion of lifetime substance use diagnoses (14% vs. 6%, p<.05). Depression and AIDS independently predicted worse daily functioning and life quality, and unemployment. LIMITATIONS The epicenter of China HIV has moved into urban injection drug users, limiting the representativeness of this sample. CONCLUSIONS High rates of MDD and its impact suggest that in China, as elsewhere, comprehensive care requires detection and treatment of mood disorder.

The Influence of Culture and Context on Students’ Motivational Orientation and Performance

The influence of culture and context on student learning and motivation has long been documented by empirical research. In recent years, however, the topic has received special attention by education researchers. This is partly because of the much publicized superior achievement of Asian students compared to their Western counterparts in standardized achievement tests. Among many reasons, proposed differences in cultural values (Stevenson et al., 1990), beliefs (Hess, Chang, & McDevitt, 1987; Holloway & Hess, 1990), and practices (Hess & Azuma, 1991; Salili, 1995; Stevenson & Stigler, 1992) have been the foci of many studies. These cultural values and practices are assumed to influence student motivation and subsequent achievement.

Structure and Semantic Differential Placement of Specific Causes: Academic Causal Attributions by Chinese Students in Hong Kong

Abstract The present study explored the structure and dimensional meaning of causal attributions for actual academic performance. Chinese high school students were asked to rate the importance as well as dimensional meaning (along locus, controllability, stability, and globality dimensions) of thirteen specific causes. A principal components analysis of the importance ratings generated four factors among which three were loaded on partially overlapping dimensions and the fourth was unrelated to any dimension. Results also revealed that effort, interest in study, study skill, and ability in study shared common characteristics in that they were the most important causes and were very internal, controllable, stable, and global. The findings were discussed in terms of socio-cultural values in the Chinese culture.

Age, Sex, and Cultural Differences in the Meaning and Dimensions of Achievement

The present study explored variations in the meaning and psychological dimensions of achievement among people of different ages, sexes, and cultures. Subjects were 504 British and Chinese males and females, aged 13 to 55. The repertory grid technique was used to elicit success situations and related constructs. A group grid was then constructed and administered to the subjects. Results revealed two major types of achievement situations (affiliative and individualistic/competitive) and three major dimensions of achievement (outcome/emotional state, instrumental activity, and causal attributions). Although these dimensions were the same for all, significant differences were found between groups on importance attached to success situations. The results are discussed in terms of sociocultural, situational, and developmental factors.

Achievement and morality: a cross-cultural analysis of causal attribution and evaluation.

A recent study by Weiner and Peter has considered the emergence of certain patterns of attribution and evaluation in achievement and moral situations. According to their analysis, judgments should generally follow a Piagetian sequence in which younger children are influenced more by the outcome of an episode and older children by the intent of the protagonist. With a sample of U.S. subjects they found overall support for this analysis. A major of the present study is to determine how sociocultural factors may influence the judgmental patterns outlined by Weiner and Peter by essentially replicating their study in the manifestly different cultural context provided in Iran. Important discrepancies with Weiner and Peter were found which can be attributed to sociocultural factors. However, the cognitive-developmental framework proved generally valuable in working toward a comparative understanding of socialization patterns extant in the two cultures.

The Effect of Teachers’ Evaluative Feedback on Chinese Students’ Perception of Ability: a cultural and situational analysis

Summary The research explored the effect of teachers’ evaluative feedback on students’ perception of ability. The subjects were 758 Chinese students from elementary schools, high schools, and a university in Hong Kong. Subjects rated ability and effort of two hypothetical students who achieved identical results (success or failure) in a mathematics test but received different feedback (praise, blame, or neutral feedback) from the teacher. They also rated the teachers perception of their own and their friends’ ability and effort in a similar situation after a real mathematics test. The results of this study support previous findings which indicate that ability perception is influenced by cultural and contextual variables. Contrary to the findings with Western students, ability and effort were positively correlated. The importance of effort among the Chinese students appears to mitigate the effects of teachers’ feedback on students’ ability. Age‐related differences were also observed. The results are discu...

Examination Result Attribution, Expectancy and Achievement Goals among Chinese Students in Hong Kong∗

Summary The structure of Chinese primary school students’ causal attributions for actual examination results was examined. A factor analysis of the attributions revealed dimensions which supported Weiners classification. Age‐related differences as well as interrelationships among perceived attainment, expectancy of success, causal attributions and achievement goals were also explored. Results showed that older students had lower but more accurate perceived attainment than younger students. They also attributed more to internal causes and study at home, and they had stronger learning goals. Results also showed that leaming‐oriented students attributed more to internal causes and study at home but less to home conditions, while performance‐oriented students attributed more to uncontrollable causes. Results were explained and discussed with reference to the socialisation patterns in the Chinese culture. ∗ This article is based on a paper presented at the Fifth Annual Conference of the Hong Kong Educational ...

Achievement Motivation: a cross‐cultural comparison of British and Chinese students

Abstract This study investigated age, sex and cultural differences in achievement motivation. Subjects were a total of 764 male and female British high school and Chinese students aged 13‐55. The thematic Apperception Test (TAT) was administered to measure need for achievement (nAch). Results revealed that Chinese high school students had significantly higher nAch scores than their British counterparts. They also had significantly higher scores than the two older groups of Chinese students. Female subjects of both cultures had higher scores than males, although this difference was significant for British female subjects only. The results were discussed in terms of sociocultural and situational factors.

The Relationship among Causal Attributions, Learning Strategies and Level of Achievement: A Hong Kong Chinese Study

Abstract The relationship between causal attributions, motives and learning strategies and their influence as determinants of achievement was investigated. Two hundred and thirty seven grade 9 high‐ and low‐achieving students from Anglo‐Chinese schools responded to the Academic Achievement Attribution and Learning Process Questionnaires. Both groups attributed academic success and failure more to internal than external causes, but high achievers were higher on achieving motive and approach to learning and low achievers were higher on surface motive and approach. The results of path analysis revealed that the influence of attributions on achievement was mediated by students’ motives and strategies for learning. Findings and implications are discussed in relation to the social and cultural context of Hong Kong. Descriptors: Causal attributions and learning strategies of Chinese students.

Subjective meaning of success in high and low achievers

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore differences between high and low achievers in the meaning of success. Subjects were 80 Chinese female high school students aged 14 to 17, selected from eight high school classes. They were classified into high and low achievers according to their examination results. Success was defined in terms of the affective meaning of success goals as well as the antecedents and consequents of success. Subjects rated 10 success goal concepts on Cantonese Semantic Differential Scales. They also selected from a list of concepts, the antecedents and consequents of the success goals. Results indicated that while success was equally important to both high and low achievers, the two groups attached different values to achievement goals. However, overall results showed some interesting similarities between high and low achievers. These are discussed in terms of cultural and developmental factors.