MyMedR

Displaying publications 61 - 80 of 183 in total

Abstract:

Sort:

Culture, gender, and the self: variations and impact of social comparison processes

Guimond S, Branscombe NR, Brunot S, Buunk AP, Chatard A, Désert M, et al.

J Pers Soc Psychol, 2007 Jun;92(6):1118-34.
PMID: 17547492

Psychological differences between women and men, far from being invariant as a biological explanation would suggest, fluctuate in magnitude across cultures. Moreover, contrary to the implications of some theoretical perspectives, gender differences in personality, values, and emotions are not smaller, but larger, in American and European cultures, in which greater progress has been made toward gender equality. This research on gender differences in self-construals involving 950 participants from 5 nations/cultures (France, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United States, and Malaysia) illustrates how variations in social comparison processes across cultures can explain why gender differences are stronger in Western cultures. Gender differences in the self are a product of self-stereotyping, which occurs when between-gender social comparisons are made. These social comparisons are more likely, and exert a greater impact, in Western nations. Both correlational and experimental evidence supports this explanation.

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
Estimating self, parental, and partner multiple intelligences: a replication in Malaysia

Swami V, Furnham A, Kannan K

J Soc Psychol, 2006 Dec;146(6):645-55.
PMID: 17172142

Participants were 230 adult Malaysians who estimated their own, their parents', and their partners' overall IQs and 10 multiple intelligences. In accordance with both the previous literature and the authors' hypotheses, men rated themselves higher than did women on overall, verbal, logical-mathematical, and spatial intelligences. There were fewer gender differences in ratings of parents and in those of partners. Participants believed that they were more intelligent than both parents (but not their partners) and that their fathers were more intelligent than their mothers. Regressions indicated that participants believed that verbal intelligence and--to a lesser extent--logical-mathematical intelligence were the main predictors of overall intelligence. The authors discussed results in terms of the extant cross-cultural literature in the field.

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
Employability among people with uncontrolled seizures: An interpretative phenomenological approach

Wo MC, Lim KS, Choo WY, Tan CT

Epilepsy Behav, 2015 Apr;45:21-30.
PMID: 25794681 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.02.016

This study aimed to explore positive and negative factors affecting the employability in patients with uncontrolled seizures.

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
Sex differences in creative perceptions of Malaysian students

Palaniappan AK

Percept Mot Skills, 2000 Dec;91(3 Pt 1):970-2.
PMID: 11153876

Scores for creative perception of 101 boys and 69 girls on What Kind of Person Are You and Something About Myself were not significant for overall scores on both measures, but boys obtained somewhat higher means on Initiative than girls. Further replications on similar samples are needed.

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
Preliminary study of the bilingual version of the self-actualization value subscale of the Personal Orientation Inventory

Palaniappan AK

Percept Mot Skills, 1994 Dec;79(3 Pt 2):1625-6.
PMID: 7870556

A bilingual version of Shostrom's Self-actualization Value subscale of the Personal Orientation Inventory was administered to 62 Malaysian students. For the 26-item paired-opposite inventory, test-retest reliability over 6 mo. was .39 (for boys .42, for girls .37) and criterion validity was .57. Replication with other groups is recommended.

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
Translation and validation of a Bahasa Malaysia (Malay) version of the Functionality Appreciation Scale

Swami V, Todd J, Aspell JE, Mohd Khatib NA, Toh EKL, Zahari HS, et al.

Body Image, 2019 Sep;30:114-120.
PMID: 31238276 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2019.06.001

The Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS; Alleva et al., 2017) is a 7-item measure of an individual's appreciation of their body for what it can do and is capable of doing. To date, its psychometric properties have not been examined beyond the parent study and outside English-speaking samples. To rectify this, we examined the psychometric properties of a Bahasa Malaysia (Malay) translation of the FAS. An online sample of 815 Malaysia citizens completed a Malay translation of the FAS, along with validated measures of body appreciation, weight discrepancy, drive for muscularity, perceived pressure from and internalisation of appearance ideals, self-esteem, and trait mindfulness. Exploratory factor analyses supported a 1-dimensional factor structure of FAS scores, which was upheld using confirmatory factor analysis. FAS scores were also invariant across sex and there was no significant sex difference in scores. Construct validity was generally supported through significant associations with the additional measures included in the study. Incremental validity was also established insofar as functionality appreciation predicted self-esteem over-and-above the variance accounted for by other body image measures. The availability of the Malay FAS will be of use to scholars in Malaysia, but establishing cross-linguistic invariance will be an important next step.

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
A Compassionate Self Is a True Self? Self-Compassion Promotes Subjective Authenticity

Zhang JW, Chen S, Tomova Shakur TK, Bilgin B, Chai WJ, Ramis T, et al.

Pers Soc Psychol Bull, 2019 09;45(9):1323-1337.
PMID: 30658553 DOI: 10.1177/0146167218820914

Theory and research converge to suggest that authenticity predicts positive psychological adjustment. Given these benefits of authenticity, there is a surprising dearth of research on the factors that foster authenticity. Five studies help fill this gap by testing whether self-compassion promotes subjective authenticity. Study 1 found a positive association between trait self-compassion and authenticity. Study 2 demonstrated that on days when people felt more self-compassionate, they also felt more authentic. Study 3 discovered that people experimentally induced to be self-compassionate reported greater state authenticity relative to control participants. Studies 4 and 5 recruited samples from multiple cultures and used a cross-sectional and a longitudinal design, respectively, and found that self-compassion predicts greater authenticity through reduced fear of negative evaluation (Study 4) and heightened optimism (Study 5). Across studies, self-compassion's effects on authenticity could not be accounted for by self-esteem. Overall, the results suggest that self-compassion can help cultivate subjective authenticity.

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
Fulltext Body weight satisfaction: association with weight control practices among type 2 diabetic patients

Noor SZ, Lua PL, Nik MM

Malays J Nutr, 2011 Apr;17(1):55-66.
PMID: 22135865 MyJurnal

The recommendation to lose weight has been the guiding principle in the treatment of type 2 diabetic patients. However, to facilitate this process, it is vital to understand factors associated with personal feelings about body weight and related behaviour.

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
Fulltext Childhood obesity, self-esteem and health-related quality of life among urban primary schools children in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

Lee PY, Cheah Wl, Chang CT, Siti Raudzah G

Malays J Nutr, 2012 Aug;18(2):207-19.
PMID: 24575667 MyJurnal

There is limited data on childhood obesity and its impact on children from diverse cultural backgrounds. This study is aimed at determining the association between obesity, self-esteem and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among Malaysian urban primary school children of different ethnicity.

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
Factors associated with clinical and perceived oral malodor among dental students

Rani H, Ueno M, Zaitsu T, Furukawa S, Kawaguchi Y

J. Med. Dent. Sci., 2015;62(2):33-41.
PMID: 26183831 DOI: 10.11480/620202

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with clinical and perceived oral malodor among dental students. Clinical oral malodor was measured in 163 Malaysian dental students using organoleptic method and Oral ChromaTM and they were asked about their perception of self-oral malodor. Oral examination was performed to assess oral health status. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 19.0. There were 52.7% students who had clinical oral malodor, while 19.0% students perceived they had oral malodor. The sensitivity (0.244) of self-perceived oral malodor was lower than its specificity (0.870). Tongue coating was closely associated with clinical oral malodor whereas high plaque index was closely associated with perceived oral malodor. These results showed that clinical oral malodor was prevalent among dental students, but students' perception of oral malodor did not always reflect actual clinical oral malodor. Furthermore, associating factors of clinical oral malodor differ from perceived oral malodor. The importance of controlling clinical oral malodor with proper tongue cleaning should be emphasized and dental students should be taught on the differences between clinical and perceived oral malodor in order to manage this problem.

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
Fulltext The relationship of tobacco and alcohol use with ageing self-perceptions in older people in Ireland

Villiers-Tuthill A, Copley A, McGee H, Morgan K

BMC Public Health, 2016 07 22;16:627.
PMID: 27448397 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-3158-y

BACKGROUND: Health behaviour patterns in older groups, including tobacco and alcohol use, are key factors in chronic disease prevention. We explore ageing self-perceptions as motivating factors behind smoking and drinking alcohol in older adults, and the complex reasons why individuals engage harmfully in these behaviours.
METHODS: Cigarette and alcohol use was assessed in a large cross-sectional national sample aged 50 years and above from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) (n = 6,576). The Brief Ageing Perceptions Questionnaire (BAPQ) assessed individual's views of their own ageing across five domains. Study hypothesis that stronger beliefs on each of the BAPQ domains would be related to drinking and smoking was examined using multinomial logit models (MNLM). Regression parameter estimates for all variables were estimated relative risk ratios (RRR).
RESULTS: More women were non-drinkers (30 % vs. 20 %) and men displayed significantly higher alcohol use patterns. One in five older Irish adults was a current smoker (16.8 % of women, 17 % of men), and smoking and harmful drinking were strongly associated (P

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
Investigating the mediating role of self-construal on the relationship between cultural group (Malay and Australian) and the characteristics and functional use of autobiographical memory

Jobson L, Whittles N, Tsecoutanis E, Raj S, Yew RY, Haque S

Memory, 2019 09;27(8):1054-1062.
PMID: 31104591 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2019.1619776

Cultural differences in autobiographical memory characteristics and function have often been presumed to be associated with different cultural beliefs related to the self. The current research aimed to investigate whether self-construal mediated the relationship between cultural group and the characteristics and functional use of autobiographical memory. Caucasian Australians (n = 71) and Malay Malaysians (n = 50) completed an online questionnaire that included the Self-Defining Memory task, the Thinking About Life Experiences Revised Questionnaire and the Self Construal Scale. As expected, the Australian group provided longer, more autonomously oriented, specific memories than the Malay group. However, contrary to our predictions, self-construal did not mediate the relationships between cultural group and memory characteristics. The Malay group reported more frequently using autobiographical memories for self-continuity than the Australian group. Finally, there was support for an indirect pathway between cultural group and use of autobiographical memories for self-continuity and social-bonding through self-construal (i.e. independent self relative to interdependent self). The findings highlight the importance of explicitly examining values assumed to be associated with autobiographical remembering, and relating these values to memory characteristics and function.

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
Fulltext Attitude towards problem-based learning and its relationship with locus of control and academic self-concept among medical students

Abdalla MMI, Abdelal MS, Soon SC

Korean J Med Educ, 2019 Mar;31(1):11-18.
PMID: 30852857 DOI: 10.3946/kjme.2019.114

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the degree of acceptance of problem-based learning (PBL) among phase one medical students and its association with academic self-concept (ASC) and internal locus of control (ILOC).
METHODS: A 5-point Likert scale valid and reliable questionnaire assessing the attitude towards PBL, ASC, and ILOC was given to phase one medical students at MAHSA University. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS ver. 22.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, USA).
RESULTS: Out of 255 participants, there were 84 males and 171 females, 175 Malaysians and 80 non-Malaysians. The results showed an overall acceptance of PBL with a mean of 3.7±0.07, ASC of 3.5±0.05 and ILOC of 2.9±0.05. Females showed a higher significant acceptance of PBL, ASC, and ILOC as compared with males. There was no difference between Malaysians and non-Malaysians in any of the variables measured. Simple regression analysis revealed a significant predictive effect of acceptance of PBL on ASC and ILOC (r=0.44 and r=0.88, respectively).
CONCLUSION: The higher the acceptance of PBL among students, the higher is the ASC and ILOC. This reflects the importance of PBL as a teaching method as well as the importance of increasing the level of appreciation of PBL amongst students.

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
Fulltext Development and Validation of Positive Smoker Identity Questionnaire (PSmoQi): A New Instrument for Smoking Cessation Correlates

Ahmad MH, Ibrahim MI, Ab Rahman A, Musa KI, Mohd Zin F, Mohd Zain R, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2019 01 26;16(3).
PMID: 30691181 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16030351

Background: The positive smoker identity construct, which was based on West's PRIME Theory, affected the smoking prevalence, quit attempts and cessation success. A validated questionnaire which could measure this rich and complex construct may facilitate prediction models of successful cessation. We aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire that assesses positive smoker identity based on West's PRIME Theory. Method: The initial item pool was developed based on a theoretical framework, empirical literature, existing scales and expert review. The questionnaire was conveniently distributed to 100 smokers. Exploratory factor analysis was utilized to explore domains in the questionnaire. Construct and criterion validity, internal consistency and reliability of the domains were analyzed. Results: The final positive smoker identity questionnaire (PSmoQi) has 26 items under four internally-consistent and reliable domains: Contributory factors, contextual and temporal patterning, identity related to smoking, and behaviour in relation to smoking. The full scale demonstrated good internal consistency (∝ = 0.78), acceptable convergent and divergent validity, and good concurrent validity with the smoker self-concept scale. Conclusion: The current study provides fundamental evidence for the PSmoQi as a valid instrument in research related to smoking cessation and interventional strategy. The PSmoQi contained validated domains which could measure almost a full spectrum of smoking cessation components.

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
Factor structure and psychometric properties of a Romanian translation of the Body Appreciation Scale-2

Swami V, Tudorel O, Goian C, Barron D, Vintila M

Body Image, 2017 Dec;23:61-68.
PMID: 28863282 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.08.001

We examined the psychometric properties of a Romanian translation of the 10-item Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2). A total of 453 university students from Romania completed the BAS-2, along with measures of disordered eating, self-esteem, satisfaction with life, and subjective happiness. In addition, a separate sample of university students (N=109) completed only the BAS-2 at two time-points three weeks apart. Principal-axis factor analysis indicated that BAS-2 scores had a one-dimensional factor structure in both women and men. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that this factor structure had adequate fit, but invariance across sex was not supported. Further analyses indicated that BAS-2 scores evidenced internal consistency, convergent validity, and test-retest reliability in both women and men. These results suggest that BAS-2 scores reduce to one dimension in Romanian adults, but the lack of sex invariance may indicate that the same latent construct is not being measured in women and men.

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
Factor structure and psychometric properties of a Romanian translation of the drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS) in university men

Swami V, Vintila M, Tudorel O, Goian C, Barron D

Body Image, 2018 Jun;25:48-55.
PMID: 29475191 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.02.004

We examined the psychometric properties of a Romanian translation of the 15-item Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS). Male university students from Romania (N = 343) completed the DMS, as well as measures of self-esteem, body appreciation, and muscle discrepancy. Exploratory factor analysis indicated that DMS scores reduced to two factors that related to muscularity-oriented attitudes and behaviours, with both first-order factors loading onto a higher-order factor. However, confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a model with two first-order factors and a higher-order factor had poor fit. A two-factor model without a higher-order construct achieved acceptable but mediocre fit. Scores on the two-factor DMS model had adequate internal consistency and demonstrated acceptable convergent validity (significant correlations with self-esteem, body appreciation, and muscle discrepancy). These results provide support for a two-factor model of DMS scores in a Romanian-speaking sample and extends the availability of the DMS to a rarely-examined linguistic group.

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
Self-perceived mental well-being amongst Malaysian dentists

Ab-Murat N, Mason L, Kadir RA, Yusoff N

Int J Occup Saf Ergon, 2018 Jun;24(2):233-239.
PMID: 28010176 DOI: 10.1080/10803548.2016.1268869

PURPOSE: To assess Malaysian dentists' perceptions of their mental well-being.
METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was developed based on a conceptual framework of mental health and well-being model. Two aspects were assessed, namely the physiological (two domains) and the psychological (six domains). Participants were asked to rate their experiences of the aforementioned aspects using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from all the time to never.
RESULTS: The response rate was 81%. Most of the dentists (61.7%) perceived having positive mental well-being. Under the physiological aspect, most respondents reported that they were 'generally happy' (93.3%), but about 30% stated they were 'stressed physically and emotionally'. Of the six domains under the psychological aspect, positive well-being was observed in the 'sense of coherence' and 'behavioural stress' domains. Participants who were above 40 years old, married and had children reported having a more positive mental well-being when compared with their counterparts.
CONCLUSION: Overall, most Malaysian dentists perceived having a positive mental well-being. It is crucial, however, to closely monitor and initiate early interventions for those with negative symptoms to ensure the safe practice of dentistry.

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
Fulltext Medical students in their final six months of training: progress in self-perceived clinical competence, and relationship between experience and confidence in practical skills

Lai NM, Sivalingam N, Ramesh JC

Singapore Med J, 2007 Nov;48(11):1018-27.
PMID: 17975692

INTRODUCTION: We evaluated the progress in the self-perceived competence of medical students in a range of common clinical, practical and personal skills, in their final six months of training.
METHODS: The study was conducted on 65 final-year medical students undertaking their senior clerkship training at International Medical University, Malaysia. Questionnaire surveys were conducted at the beginning and the end of the six-month period, with 44 items covering clinical, practical, personal skills and readiness to work. Correlations were performed for experience and self-perceived competence, with the respective skills.
RESULTS: 64 students returned the first survey and 63 returned the second survey. When the two survey results were compared, significant increases were found in self-perceived competence for the majority of the skills examined. The items with no significant improvement were divided into those which the students were already proficient in before senior clerkship, and those in which experience and confidence remained poor at the end of training. There were significant, but moderate, correlations between the experience and confidence of all common practical skills (correlation coefficients: 0.348-0.522, p-value is less than 0.001 for all items). At the end of training, students were, in general, more prepared to work as house officers (mean rating in the first survey: 3.05, second survey: 3.97, p-value is less than 0.001).
CONCLUSION: Significant progresses in clinical experience and confidence can be observed in the final stages of medical training. The findings of inadequate improvements in some skills call for dedicated training sessions and strengthening of on-site supervision.
Study site: International Medical University, Batu Pahat Campus, Johor, Malaysia

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
Fulltext Religious affiliation and suicidality among college students in China: A cross-sectional study across six provinces

Lew B, Kõlves K, Zhang J, Zhizhong W, Koenig HG, Yip PSF, et al.

PLoS One, 2021;16(5):e0251698.
PMID: 34010317 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251698

BACKGROUND: Several past studies indicated that religious beliefs, orientation, and practice are protective of suicide. Findings from recent studies in China suggest that religiosity may contribute to increased suicidality. However, few studies have examined the associations between religious affiliation across different faiths and suicidality in China.
OBJECTIVE: The current study examines the association between religious affiliation and suicidality among college students in six provinces in China.
METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 11,407 college students from six universities in Ningxia, Shandong, Shanghai, Jilin, Qinghai, and Shaanxi. We collected the data between October 2017 and March 2018 using self-report questionnaires. They included self-report measures of depression, psychache, hopelessness, self-esteem, social support, and life purpose.
RESULTS: Participants with a Christian affiliation had 1.5 times (95% CI: 1.14, 1.99, p = 0.004) higher odds of indicating an elevated suicide risk, 3.1 times (95% CI: 1.90, 5.04, p<0.001) higher odds of indicating a previous suicide attempt, and increased overall suicidality (B = 0.105, p < 0.001) after accounting for demographic and risk/protective factors. Christians also scored the highest in depression, psychache, hopelessness, and the lowest social support, self-esteem, and purpose in life. Muslims reported decreased suicidality (B = -0.034, p = 0.031). Buddhism/Daoism yielded non-significant results in the multivariate analyses.
CONCLUSIONS: Christian college students reported increased suicidality levels, perhaps due to public policies on religion. The decreased suicidality levels among Muslims may be attributed to higher perceived social support. The associations between religious affiliation and suicidality, depression, and hopelessness contrast sharply with US samples. This finding may be influenced by interactions between the religious denomination, individual, and social/political factors. This conclusion includes the possibility of anti-religious discrimination, which this paper did not investigate as a possible mediator and therefore remains a conjecture worthy of future investigation.

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept*
Masculinities and ethnicities: Ethnic differences in drive for muscularity in British men and the negotiation of masculinity hierarchies

Swami V

Br J Psychol, 2016 Aug;107(3):577-92.
PMID: 26592864 DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12162

Although relatively little is known about ethnic differences in men's drive for muscularity, recent theoretical developments suggest that ethnic minority men may desire greater muscularity to contest their positions of relative subordinate masculinity. This study tested this hypothesis in a sample of 185 White, 180 Black British, and 182 South Asian British men. Participants completed self-report measures of drive for muscularity, need for power, adherence to traditional cultural values, and ethnic group affiliation. Taking into account between-group differences in body mass index, results indicated that White men had significantly lower drive for muscularity than Black and South Asian men, who were not significantly different from each other. In addition, greater need for power was significantly associated with higher drive for muscularity in ethnic minority, but not White, men. Greater adherence to traditional cultural values, but not ethnic group affiliation, was associated with lower drive for muscularity in all ethnic groups. These results suggest that ethnic minority men may desire greater muscularity as a means of negotiating masculinity and attendant ideals of appearance.

Matched MeSH terms: Self Concept

Filters

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links