Showing papers on "Judgement published in 2014"

Continuing Professional Development: nurturing the expert within

Abstract: Major educational reform initiatives in England since 1988 have been based on a technicist view of curriculum and teaching which assumes that change can be ‘delivered’ in a linear way from the ‘centre’ to teachers for implementation in classrooms. ‘Expertise’ in judgement and decision-making is seen to reside outside schools, to be conferred in a hierarchical way to those inside schools. There is no account in such models of teachers’ own expertise, understanding and judgement at the heart of reform or ‘good practice’. Will current initiatives from the Teacher Training Agency on a national framework for continuing professional development address this anomaly? This paper critiques the notion of ‘delivery’ or ‘teacher as technician’ as a deficient and dangerous model for educational reform. It argues for a model of continuing professional development which attends to the development of teachers’ understanding of learning, to their sense of voice, their judgement and their confidence to cultivate in...

Current debates on variability in child welfare decision-making: a selected literature review

Abstract: This article considers selected drivers of decision variability in child welfare decision-making and explores current debates in relation to these drivers. Covering the related influences of national orientation, risk and responsibility, inequality and poverty, evidence-based practice, constructions of abuse and its causes, domestic violence and cognitive processes, it discusses the literature in regards to how each of these influences decision variability. It situates these debates in relation to the ethical issue of variability and the equity issues that variability raises. I propose that despite the ecological complexity that drives decision variability, that improving internal (within-country) decision consistency is still a valid goal. It may be that the use of annotated case examples, kind learning systems, and continued commitments to the social justice issues of inequality and individualisation can contribute to this goal.

Student-teachers doing action research in their practicum: why and how?

Abstract: Teaching in today’s changing society requires teachers’ independent judgement and development One way of fostering professional development is action research; described, however, as a challenging and time-consuming process This qualitative study asks whether action research is worthwhile already in pre-service teacher education, or whether the challenges outweigh the gains Furthermore, it asks how a teacher educator, here the author of the article, could guide student-teachers’ action research projects The main data source is student-teachers’ research reports, which are analysed and reflected upon in light of professional development The study revealed that action research under certain conditions offers a potential for professional development for student-teachers

Homogenizing Responses to Different Survey Questions on the Same Topic: Proposal of a Scale Homogenization Method Using a Reference Distribution

Abstract: Survey data are often used for comparison purposes, such as comparisons across nations or comparisons over time. To be effective, this would require equivalent questions and equivalent responses options to the questions. Yet there is a lot of variation in the response scales used, which, for example, differ in the number of response options used and the labeling of these options. This is the case in happiness research, and as a result most of the research data in this field is incomparable. Several methods have been proposed to transform ratings on verbal response scales to a common numerical scale, typically ranging from 0 to 10. In this paper we give an overview of the progress made in those Scale Homogenization methods over time. We describe two early methods: Linear Stretch and the Semantic Judgement of Fixed Word Value Method. Next we discuss the Semantic Judgement of Word Value in Context Method in more detail. Based on these discussions we propose a new Reference Distribution Method. We apply the Semantic Judgement of Word Value in Context and the Reference Distribution Methods to data on happiness in The Netherlands for the years 1989–2009. We show that the Reference Distribution Method produces comparable time series on different questions and that it allows discontinuities in data to be corrected.

Subjective Probability and Human Judgement

Abstract: Psychological research on Subjective Probability has used a variety of strategies to investigate how reliable people are at judging probabilities. The issue is of considerable practical importance as all sorts of critical decisions depend on assessment of the likelihood of events for which there is neither a method for mathematically computing its probability nor actuarial data for measuring it empirically. Since the development of Decision theory, a plethora of management technologies have emerged that can take advantage of likelihood information for decision support. While the concept of subjective probability remains a theoretically contentious notion for some, people can and do express and request judgments of the likelihood of uncertain events. Here, research investigating the validity of subjective probabilities – judged likelihood – is reviewed. Keywords: subjective probability; Decision theory; Bayes' theorem; psychology; heuristics and biases; decision support

Meta-analysis of the impact of microcredit on women’s control over household decisions: methodological issues and substantive findings

Abstract: Systematic reviews and meta-analysis have risen in popularity in international development to provide evidence on ‘what works’. This paper reports the findings of a meta-analysis to assess the impact of microcredit on women’s control over household spending to illustrate the challenges of conducting meta-analysis in the case of a diverse evidence base. We provide an assessment of methodological quality and present the findings of a meta-analysis. The results suggest that the effect sizes are small. Furthermore, the confidence that we can place in these findings is limited by the high level of heterogeneity within and between studies and the general reliance on non-experimental studies and statistical analyses which are not reported in sufficient detail to enable confident judgement as to their robustness.

Explaining decision‐making in government: the neo‐durkheimian institutional framework

Abstract: In understanding styles of political judgement in government decision-making, explanatory limitations of rational choice, prospect theoretic, historical institutional, groupthink, and other approaches suggest that there is space for developing other frameworks. This article argues that the neo-Durkheimian institutional theoretical framework deserves serious consideration. It shows that it offers a powerful causally explanatory framework for generating theories of decision-making in government which can be examined using historical comparative research designs. The value of the concept of a ‘thought style’ for understanding political judgement is demonstrated, and contrasted sharply with ideology. The theory argues that informal institutions explain thought styles. Well-known cases from the Cuban missile crisis, and the Wilson and Heath governments illustrate the argument. The article rebuts criticisms offered of the neo-Durkheimian institutional framework in the literature. Finally, it identifies recent developments and innovations in the approach that make it especially suited to explaining political judgement in government decision-making.

The Discourse of Public Participation Media: From talk show to Twitter

Abstract: 1. Introduction: Talking on Television and Radio 2. Identity and expertise 3. Performance and the Mediated 'Self' 4. Discourses of Participation: Telling Stories 5. Discourses of Participation: Opinion and Argument 6. Discourses of Participation: Conflict and Judgement 7. Discourses of Participation: Advice and Makeover 8. Conclusions References

The athlete as citizen: judgement and rhetorical invention in sport

Abstract: The prevailing wisdom in the USA is that sport and politics should not mix. Accordingly, highly paid professional athletes are often criticized when they express their views about politics. This es...

The foundations of environmental decision-making

Abstract: An account of judgement is developed, which is used to show that deliberative procedures can provide a substantially different input to environmental decision–making from that afforded by cost–benefit analysis and, specifically, by the method of contingent valuation. It is argued that environmental concern typically invokes values, which are in turn formed and expressed through the exercise of judgement – itself the outcome of a deliberative rather than a calculative process. It is concluded that environmental concern is more effectively articulated through deliberative procedures than through the method of cost–benefit analysis.

Vigilance and restraint in the common law of judicial review : scope, grounds, intensity, context

Abstract: The mediation of the balance between vigilance and restraint is a fundamental feature of judicial review of administrative action in the Anglo-Commonwealth. This balance is realised through the modulation of the depth of scrutiny when reviewing the decisions of ministers, public bodies and officials. While variability is ubiquitous, it takes different shapes and forms. In this thesis I identify the main approaches employed in judicial review in England, Canada, Australia and New Zealand over the last 50 years or so: (a) scope of review, based on an array of formalistic categories which determine whether judicial intervention is permissible; (b) grounds of review, based on a simplified and generalised set of grounds of intervention; (c) intensity of review, based on explicit calibration of the depth of scrutiny taking into account a series of constitutional, institutional and functional factors; and (d) contextual review, based on an unstructured (and sometimes instinctive) overall judgement about whether to intervene according to the circumstances of the case. This thesis has three dimensions. In the doctrinal dimension, I isolate the four schemata from the case law throughout the Anglo-Commonwealth. Professor Stanley de Smith’s acclaimed judicial review textbook – particularly its changing language and format – is used to provide structure for the study. In the conceptual dimension, I identify the conceptual foundations of the schemata, exposing their commonality and differences. I use the scholarly debate about the constitutional underpinnings of judicial review to provide insight into the justifications advanced for the different approaches. In the normative dimension, I evaluate the virtues of the different schemata. The qualities of the different approaches are drawn out, using Fuller’s ruleof-law-based criteria to guide the assessment of efficacy. Overall, the grounds and intensity of review schemata generally display the most virtue when measured against these criteria.

In What Sense Are Emotions Evaluations

Abstract: In this chapter, we first introduce the idea that emotions are evaluations. Next, we explore two approaches attempting to account for this idea in terms of attitudes that are alleged to become emotional when taking evaluative contents. According to the first approach, emotions are evaluative judgments. According to the second, emotions are perceptual experiences of evaluative properties. We explain why this theory remains unsatisfactory insofar as it shares with the evaluative judgement theory the idea that emotions are evaluations in virtue of their contents. We then outline an alternative – the attitudinal theory of emotions. It parts with current theorizing about the emotions in elucidating the fact that emotions are evaluations not in terms of what they represent, but in terms of the attitude subjects take towards what they represent. We explore what sorts of attitudes emotions are and claim that they are felt bodily attitudes.

Counterfactual thinking in moral judgment: an experimental study

Abstract: Counterfactual thinking is thinking about a past that did not happen. This is often the case in 'if only...' situations, where we wish something had or had not happened. To make a choice in a moral decision-making situation is particularly hard and, therefore, may be often associated with the imagination of a different outcome. The main aim of the present study is to investigate counterfactual thinking in the context of moral reasoning. We used a modified version of Greene’s moral dilemmas test, studying both the time needed to provide a counterfactual in the first and third person and the type of given response (in context-out of context) in a sample of 90 healthy subjects.We found a longer response time for personal vs. impersonal moral dilemmas. This effect was enhanced in the first person perspective, while in the elderly there was an overall slowing of response time. Out of context/omissive responses were more frequent in the case of personal moral dilemmas presented in the first person version, with females showing a marked increase in this kind of response.These findings suggest that gender and perspective have a critical role in counterfactual thinking in the context of moral reasoning, and may have implications for the understanding of gender-related inclinations as well as differences in moral judgement.

The last judgement: exploring intellectual leadership in higher education through academic obituaries

Abstract: The literature on leadership in higher education is focused mainly on senior academic leaders with managerial roles. It largely excludes informal and distributed forms of intellectual leadership offered by full professors among others. This article explores the concept of intellectual leadership using academic obituaries. A total of 63 obituaries were collected from Times Higher Education published between 2008 and 2010. These identify the importance of personal characteristics and academic achievements in the formation of reputation. Four elements of intellectual leadership are suggested, linked to academic obituaries: a passion for transformation, possessing a balance of personal virtues, a commitment to service, and overcoming adversity. Despite the limitations of obituaries, it is argued that they provide a valuable and under-utilised ‘last judgement’ on intellectual leadership.

Do You Need a Receipt? Exploring Consumer Participation in Consumption Tax Evasion as an Ethical Dilemma

Abstract: The paper focuses on the consumer side of consumption tax evasion (CTE), a subcategory of the shadow economy. The ethical dimensions of tax evasion have been effectively captured by the existent literature on tax morale, yet it fails to address the role consumers can play in CTE. Further, there is a shortage of tax morale studies that explore ethical decision making as a process composed of multiple steps and determinants. To bridge these gaps, we turned to the consumer ethics literature and Jones’ issue-contingent model of ethical decision making. We developed the conceptual model of consumer ethical decision making for CTE by incorporating four key elements from the issue-contingent model, i.e. moral recognition, moral judgement, moral intention and moral intensity, while personal moral philosophies were introduced as an antecedent to the consumer ethical decision-making process. The study was conducted on a sample of consumers from Slovenia, where CTE is a widespread phenomenon. The findings confirm that consumers’ recognition of CTE as a moral issue is influenced by their moral philosophy and perceptions regarding the magnitude of CTE’s consequences, their visibility, probability, and temporal immediacy. These perceptions also play an important role in determining consumers’ moral judgements and intentions regarding CTE. Moreover, through the process of moral recognition and moral judgement, consumers form intentions to participate in, or avoid CTE. The study holds important implications for public policy makers who are trying to reduce the tax gap in times of economic instability and fiscal crisis.

The role of evidence in the decision-making process of selecting essential medicines in developing countries: the case of Tanzania.

Abstract: Insufficient access to essential medicines is a major health challenge in developing countries. Despite the importance of Standard Treatment Guidelines and National Essential Medicine Lists in facilitating access to medicines, little is known about how they are updated. This study aims to describe the process of updating the Standard Treatment Guidelines and National Essential Medicine List in Tanzania and further examines the criteria and the underlying evidence used in decision-making. This is a qualitative study in which data were collected by in-depth interviews and document reviews. Interviews were conducted with 18 key informants who were involved in updating the Standard Treatment Guidelines and National Essential Medicine List. We used a thematic content approach to analyse the data. The Standard Treatment Guidelines and National Essential Medicine List was updated by committees of experts who were recruited mostly from referral hospitals and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Efficacy, safety, availability and affordability were the most frequently utilised criteria in decision-making, although these were largely based on experience rather than evidence. In addition, recommendations from international guidelines and medicine promotions also influenced decision-making. Cost-effectiveness, despite being an important criterion for formulary decisions, was not utilised. Recent decisions about the selection of essential medicines in Tanzania were made by committees of experts who largely used experience and discretionary judgement, leaving evidence with only a limited role in decision-making process. There may be several reasons for the current limited use of evidence in decision-making, but one hypothesis that remains to be explored is whether training experts in evidence-based decision-making would lead to a better and more explicit use of evidence.

Qualitative research synthesis for health policy analysis: what does it entail and what does it offer?

Abstract: This set of articles has its roots in the 2008 special edition of Health Policy and Planning, titled ‘Future directions for health policy analysis: a tribute to the work of Professor Gill Walt’, which among other things called for ‘better use of the existing but often descriptive body of policy analysis through synthesis of existing case study material’ (Gilson et al. 2008, p. 292). Picking up that challenge, this edition presents a set of five articles that, through synthesis of available research, seek to consolidate and develop the body of health policy analysis (HPA) work in lowand middle-income countries (LMICs). This work is currently fragmented across geographic settings and policy issues, is more descriptive than analytic and is weakly theorized (Gilson and Raphaely 2008; Walt et al. 2008). Policy analysis starts from the ‘understanding that policy making is a process of continuing interaction among institutions (the structure and rules which shape how decisions are made), interests (groups and individuals who stand to gain or lose from change) and ideas (including arguments and evidence) (John 1998)’ (Gilson et al. 2008, p. 291). Such analysis is a legitimate area of academic inquiry and has practical importance for health system development. Qualitative synthesis, meanwhile, can be defined as ‘as any methodology whereby study findings are systematically interpreted through a series of expert judgements to represent the meaning of the collected work. In a qualitative synthesis, the findings of qualitative studies—and sometimes mixed-methods and quantitative research—are pooled. Judgement-based qualitative methodologies are used to draw conclusions regarding the collective meanings of this pool of research’ (Bearman and Dawson 2013, p. 253). Although gaining attention in health research, qualitative synthesis remains a new area of work. Set against the traditions of systematic review, the interpretive judgements involved raise concerns about bias, and there are also questions about whether it is appropriate to draw any form of generalization from qualitative data generated in specific places and times (Wallace et al. 2006; Thomas and Harden 2008). Starting broadly from what Barnett-Page and Thomas (2009) identify as an objective idealist or critical realist epistemological position, we were, nonetheless, emboldened to explore the application of qualitative synthesis to HPA research. These articles are broadly based on the understandings that:

Evolutionary debunking arguments and the reliability of moral cognition

Abstract: Recent debate in metaethics over evolutionary debunking arguments against morality has shown a tendency to abstract away from relevant empirical detail. Here, I engage the debate about Darwinian debunking of morality with relevant empirical issues. I present four conditions that must be met in order for it to be reasonable to expect an evolved cognitive faculty to be reliable: the environment, information, error, and tracking conditions. I then argue that these conditions are not met in the case of our evolved faculty for moral judgement.

Proposal of a structured methodology for the measure of intangible criteria and for decision making

Abstract: Making decisions requires judgement. Judgement depends on feelings and thoughts and on the ability to interpret the information from the feelings and thoughts which arise from things happening that are inherently tacit, into attributes with different levels of intensity of preference, of importance, or of likelihood. This paper places special emphasis on the measurement of intangible criteria and on their incorporation into the resource allocation process through a proper decision making approach. In this paper, a well-known decision-making method, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is applied to identify a quality model to evaluate Italian racecourses’ performances. The aim of the work is to provide a contribution to better understand the decision process of Italian racecourses because it is characterised by a decision process that is not well structured.

Is This Art? An Experimental Study on Visitors’ Judgement of Contemporary Art

Abstract: ‘Is this art?’ is a question often raised by museum visitors when encountering contemporary artworks. But what factors influence museum visitors’ judgement on contemporary art? To what extent do vi...

A new witness of the third recension of ps.‐Methodius' Revelationes: Winithar's manuscript St Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, MS 238 and the role of Rome in human history

Abstract: Winithar, monk and decanus at Saint-Gall in the second half of the eighth century, is known to modern scholarship as the writer of one charter and of several manuscripts. This article focuses on Winithar's autograph St Gallen 238, arguing that its various texts were in part collected and copied, and in part perhaps composed by Winithar himself, in light of a specific editorial plan. In this plan, the text entitled De gentibus, a new witness of the Revelationes by ps.-Methodius in its so-called third recension, confers on the Romans of Rome the leading role among western peoples until Judgement Day.

Perceptions of document relevance

Abstract: This article presents a study of how humans perceive the relevance of documents.Humans are adept at making reasonably robust and quick decisions about what information is relevant to them, despite the ever increasing complexity and volume of their surrounding information environment. The literature on document relevance has identified various dimensions of relevance (e.g., topicality, novelty, etc.), however little is understood about how these dimensions may interact.We performed a crowdsourced study of how human subjects judge two relevance dimensions in relation to document snippets retrieved from an internet search engine.The order of the judgement was controlled.For those judgements exhibiting an order effect, a q-test was performed to determine whether the order effects can be explained by a quantum decision model based on incompatible decision perspectives.Some evidence of incompatibility was found which suggests incompatible decision perspectives is appropriate for explaining interacting dimensions of relevance.

Canine Sense and Sensibility: Tipping Points and Response Latency Variability as an Optimism Index in a Canine Judgement Bias Assessment

Abstract: Recent advances in animal welfare science used judgement bias, a type of cognitive bias, as a means to objectively measure an animal's affective state. It is postulated that animals showing heightened expectation of positive outcomes may be categorised optimistic, while those showing heightened expectations of negative outcomes may be considered pessimistic. This study pioneers the use of a portable, automated apparatus to train and test the judgement bias of dogs. Dogs were trained in a discrimination task in which they learned to touch a target after a tone associated with a lactose-free milk reward and abstain from touching the target after a tone associated with water. Their judgement bias was then probed by presenting tones between those learned in the discrimination task and measuring their latency to respond by touching the target. A Cox's Proportional Hazards model was used to analyse censored response latency data. Dog and Cue both had a highly significant effect on latency and risk of touching a target. This indicates that judgement bias both exists in dogs and differs between dogs. Test number also had a significant effect, indicating that dogs were less likely to touch the target over successive tests. Detailed examination of the response latencies revealed tipping points where average latency increased by 100% or more, giving an indication of where dogs began to treat ambiguous cues as predicting more negative outcomes than positive ones. Variability scores were calculated to provide an index of optimism using average latency and standard deviation at cues after the tipping point. The use of a mathematical approach to assessing judgement bias data in animal studies offers a more detailed interpretation than traditional statistical analyses. This study provides proof of concept for the use of an automated apparatus for measuring cognitive bias in dogs.

Informal Fallacies as Cognitive Heuristics in Public Health Reasoning

Abstract: The public must make assessments of a range of health-related issues. However, these assessments require scientific know-ledge which is often lacking or ineffectively utilized by the public. Lay people must use whatever cognitive resources are at their disposal to come to judgement on these issues. It will be contended that a group of arguments—so-called informal fallacies—are a valuable cognitive resource in this regard. These arguments serve as cognitive heuristics which facilitate reasoning when knowledge is limited or beyond the grasp of reasoners. The results of an investigation into the use of these arguments by the public are reported.

Jesus and the Cross: Necessity, Meaning, and Atonement

Abstract: The proliferation of alternative models of atonement in recent academic literature, many of which stand in complete contrast to the traditional teachings of the Church, raises the question of how to determine faithfulness to the Christian doctrine of redemption. This thesis contends that such determination can be made when the alternative model proposed is able to demonstrate sufficient continuity with the meaning that Jesus of Nazareth constituted for his death. To argue this point requires a five stage investigation. Firstly the recent rejection, both academic and popular, of the so-called 'myth' of redemptive suffering, insists that it be demonstrated that God can create meaning out of the contingent - and evil - event of the cross without becoming responsible for, or the transcendent cause of, Jesus' death. Taking a firm classical theistic stance it is argued that God can in no way will the death of Jesus because, as an evil contingent event, the cross falls outside the intelligibility of the divine providential order. Therefore, God is freely able to create meaning (ex nihilo) out of the event without validating and justifying the violence of the event itself. In addition, the upholding of a Chalcedonian Christology requires that the meaning which Jesus of Nazareth constituted for his death be understood to have divine significance, and thus should be investigated for what it reveals to a theological understanding of the cross. This leads to the second stage of the investigation which is to defend the theological right to engage in matters of history. Arguing for the value of critical realism, the point is made that a faith perspective does not negate the possibility of objective historical knowledge since, contrary to postmodernism, such knowledge does arise out of a spiralling dialogue between the knower and the object known.;The third stage then follows, which is to argue how historical investigation into the Jesus of history might be done. Building upon James Dunn's conception of impact, this study appropriates Bernard Lonergan's understanding of constitutive meaning in order to highlight how the world of meaning that Jesus constituted for his death might actually function to impact the world of meaning of his followers. It is argued that what takes place is the constitution of a new world of meaning in which authentic existence is redefined. This redefinition challenges the disciples' existing world of meaning and requires that they make an existential judgement of their own. But if such an impact is to occur then the challenge to the existing world of meaning must also be carried and it is here that historical investigation has its place. Drawing once more on the work of Bernard Lonergan, five carriers of meaning are identified, three of which (incarnate, linguistic and symbolic) are highlighted as the most relevant. The fourth stage of the investigation ensues, which is an engagement with recent historical Jesus research particularly that associated with N.T. Wright, James Dunn, Scot McKnight and Ben Meyer. The purpose here is not to develop a portrait of the historical Jesus for ourselves but to engage with existing research in a theologically fruitful way. Here then, we ask what can be known about Jesus' intention for the cross by means of the incarnate, linguistic and symbolic carriers of meaning. Completing the examination yields the conclusion that Jesus intended his death to have redemptive significance but such significance must be understood within the framework of Jesus' mission to inaugurate the kingdom of God. The fifth and final stage is to address how a contemporary understanding of that redemptive judgement should be appropriated for a modern atonement motif.;Primarily this is a movement from judgement to understanding, the contention being that a 'faithful' motif will be one that takes due consideration of the judgement of faith, which seeks fuller understanding.

“It’s just a very taboo and secretive kind of thing”: making sense of living with stigma and discrimination from accounts of people with psychosis

Abstract: Stigma is a common and pervasive problem for many people with psychosis. Much of the research examining internalised stigma has utilised quantitative methodology; however, it has been argued that to conceptualise experiences of psychosis, research should also attend to subjective experience. This study explores accounts of stigma from nine people with psychosis through semi-structured interviews that were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Three super-ordinate themes of judgement, disclosure and psychological distress were identified. Analysis of the data found that stigma was experienced directly and indirectly through social judgements. In particular, it was considered that negative messages and the absence of positive images of psychosis in the media perpetuated social judgements. Difficulties were reported in relation to disclosure, including avoidance from others following disclosure and coping strategies to conceal experiences of psychosis. Ultimately, judgement and issues of d...