Deconversion is a biographical change in which one goes from claiming adherence to a religion to departing from it. A meaning system model can help us understand the processes through which deconversion occurs. Drawing on that framework, we explored how perceiving hypocrisy in one's religious setting influences adolescent deconversion. Irrational…

The systematic literature review is based on a critical need in the area of values, where there are many uncertainties around universal definitions and drivers of values and traits. The study evaluated definitions, categories, drivers and the interdependence between values and personality traits and behaviours. Over 5,873 studies over a 70-year…

Students' learning environments often change during school career, due to school transitions and the introduction of educational innovations, causing discontinuity in teaching and learning. Success of students entering a new learning environment depends in part on their prior expectations of education, as these influence later perceptions.…

Climate change is a global issue affecting individuals, industries, and economies around the world. Many individuals know the risks of climate change and are willing to change their behaviour, but still contribute to high levels of greenhouse gas emissions. This discrepancy between willingness and action has been described as the…

The thesis of this paper is that we are now in the early stage of a revolution even more transformative than the Copernican. That great upheaval brought about a radical shift in the way men and women conceptualized their place in the universe. The revolution now under way entails a sea change in the way we think about ourselves in relation to the…

In the 21st-century sociotechnical context where humans are steeped in information, approaches to social work education that foster students' capacities to critically consume and be well poised to reflexively apply information are critical. This article presents findings from a qualitative study designed to deepen understanding of social work…

The authors report the results of a phenomenological, qualitative research study involving 20 students who participated in a weekend poverty immersion experience. Analysis of the tape-recorded interviews included coding, checks for internal validity, and the generation of themes common to most of the research participants. Two overall results were…

Many studies have shown that pharmaceutical marketing affects prescribing choices. Studies that have assessed the effects of educational interventions on perceptions of pharmaceutical promotion have found mixed results. This study assesses the short-term effects of an educational intervention about marketing tactics on the attitudes and fund of…

Purpose: Many education for sustainable development (ESD) programs are designed to change attitudes and values toward the natural environment. However, psychological research indicates that several factors in addition to attitude influence behavior, including contextual support, social norms, action difficulty, and habitual behavior. Thus, if…

Research Findings: The transition to school is a major developmental milestone, and behavior tendencies already evident at the point of school entry can impact upon a child's subsequent social and academic adjustment. The current study aimed to investigate stability and change in the social behavior of girls and boys across the transition from day…

Discusses how to choose physical activities with psychosocial objectives in mind in order to create avenues for practice and support for new behaviors, highlighting seven psychosocial dimensions of change (socialibility, spontaneity, self-motivation, aggressiveness, competitiveness, mental focus, and adventurousness). The paper examines the…

A three-stage model of marital enrichment designed to maximize valid effects and integrate participants' attitudinal and behavioral changes is presented. Goals of the three stages are differentiated; their advantages and limitations are discussed. Suggestions for well-designed research on the sequential model are presented. (Author)

Analyzes data on White attitudes toward Blacks, 1942-1985, to test Myrdal's hypothesis that racial bigotry in America would diminish as the South became more industrialized, urban, and literate. Discusses findings in relation to dominant ideologies, the gap between attitudes held by Blacks and Whites on levels of life satisfaction, and White…

Reports on a study designed to test whether or not individuals ingesting alcohol will be less affected by persuasive messages than individuals in a normal state. (PD)

Indicated that (1) arguments perceived as strong by receivers generated both more favorable, supportive cognitive responses and attitude change than weak message arguments; and (2) perceived source expertise and attractiveness influenced cognitive responses, but not in a coherent fashion or to the extent that they effect attitude change. (JD)