Testing an International Measure of Public Service Motivation: Is There Really a Bright or Dark Side?

‘Public service motivation’ (PSM) is usually reported as a bright force although recent debate alludes to a dark side. Variables representing each side are, respectively, job satisfaction and burnout. This study tests for both the bright and potential dark direct effects of PSM and responds to calls to further validate the international PSM instrument developed by Kim et al. ( 2013 ). Using a sample of 455 local council workers in Australia, analysis confirmed that while the measure was robust and generalizable in its structure, none of the dimensions of PSM were found to influence either job satisfaction or burnout. Plausible explanations include contextual factors, nomological concerns with the measurement instrument, and the notion that PSM has a non‐significant influence on either. The implications of these findings are discussed and future research proposed.     

we say what we are and we do what we say: feminisms in educational practice in Aotearoa New Zealand

From four countries (Canada, England, New Zealand and the United States of America) and five disciplines (Counselling & Guidance, Adult Education, Early Years Education, Indigenous Education and Human Development), five feminists in academia come together to share how feminism affects their practice. Ranging in reflections on teaching, research, service and scholarship, this article describes a cooperative enquiry into feminism in action in Aotearoa, New Zealand.     

The Role of Cognitive Distortion in the Relationship Between Abuse,Assault, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between childhood abuse, assault, cognitive distortion, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in a clinical adolescent sample. The sample included one hundred eighty-five psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents and their parents. Adolescent participants were predominantly female (71.4%), Caucasian (84%), and of non-Hispanic ethnicity (9.2%). Participants completed a diagnostic interview and self-report measures to assess youth history of abuse and assault, cognitive errors, negative self-views, and recent NSSI. No relationship was found between childhood abuse and NSSI. However, a history of assault was associated with NSSI among youth who reported higher cognitive errors and more negative self-views, even after controlling for gender and internalizing disorders. These results suggest that existing affect regulation models of NSSI may be enhanced by incorporating the role of cognitive distortion. Clinically, results also suggest that assessing adolescent victims of assault for cognitive errors and negative self-views, and helping them restructure these cognitive distortions when present, may reduce the likelihood of NSSI.     

Never Pick a Fight with an Ugly Person,They’ve Got Nothing to Lose

In the 1970s, social psychologists conducted numerous studies analyzing physical appearance as a social variable. More recent studies in the social sciences appear to have abandoned this topic as unimportant; in any case, very few social scientific studies have been found that incorporate a measure of attractiveness into their analyses. The present study seeks to revive the emphasis on physical attractiveness as a social variable by testing the relationship between crime severity and physical attractiveness, i.e., by presenting evidence to suggest that physically unattractive men commit more serious offenses.

Refugees,Economic Capacity,and Host State Repression*

Does hosting refugees affect state repression? While there have been numerous studies that examine the link between refugees and the spread of civil and international conflict, an examination of the systematic links between refugees and repression is lacking. We contend that researchers are missing a crucial link, as the dissent-repression nexus is crucial to understanding the development of armed conflict. Drawing upon logics of the relationship between refugees and the spread of conflict as well as economic capacity, we argue that increased numbers of refugees lead to increased repression. We contend that willingness to increase repression when hosting refugees is in part conditional on a host state’s economic capacity. We argue that, on the whole, the greater the population of refugees in a host state, repression becomes more likely. That said, we argue that increased economic capacity will moderate this relationship. We find empirical support for both predictions.     

Remembering Tony King

Tony King combined scholarship with a real‐world grasp that few could match. This was evident both in his public activities and in his published work. His studies of legislatures and of career politicians changed the way in which issues were viewed and he was skilled at identifying emerging trends before anyone else. He analysed the failings of government, but always as a practical improver. He was a natural communicator in the Bagehot tradition, as evidenced in his writings on the constitution, and he wanted a less adversarial political culture. He showed political scientists that it was possible to combine good scholarship with an ability to communicate.