Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) involves trapping carbon dioxide (CO2) from power generation and heavy industrial processes and directing it into long-term geological storage (e.g., in depleted oil ...fields or saline aquifers). In doing so, CCS could facilitate global carbon abatement efforts. Yet, it remains controversial with high-profile public opposition to particular CCS developments. For instrumental, normative and substantive reasons, it is increasingly recognised that public acceptance of CCS as a vital precondition for its commercial-scale rollout. While much is known about factors influencing public support for CCS, relatively few cross-national studies have so far been undertaken. Here, we present findings from a large-scale international experimental study of public perceptions of CCS, to examine how individual, geographical and informational factors influence support for CCS. In particular, we compare the lens through which CCS is seen – as a ‘techno-fix’ climate change solution, as reusing a waste product (through Carbon Dioxide Utilisation CDU), or as part of a systemic approach to climate change mitigation. Pairing CCS with CDU led to higher support for CCS, although information frames interacted with national and individual-level factors. Depending on which CCS lens is chosen, different groups will be more or less likely to support CCS implementation. As with other issues, targeting CCS information to audience values is likely to be more effective than untargeted communication. Our findings also show mentioning (modest) costs of deploying CCS can lead to lower support. Discussing CCS costs should be done in the context of costs of broader energy system transformation and of not mitigating climate change so that the public can deliberate over the relative risks and benefits of CCS and alternatives in the context of broader sustainability pathways.
Governments around the world are recognising the importance of measuring subjective well-being as an indicator of progress. But how should well-being be measured? A conceptual framework is offered ...which equates high well-being with positive mental health. Well-being is seen as lying at the opposite end of a spectrum to the common mental disorders (depression, anxiety). By examining internationally agreed criteria for depression and anxiety (DSM and ICD classifications), and defining the opposite of each symptom, we identify ten features of positive well-being. These combine feeling and functioning, i.e. hedonic and eudaimonic aspects of well-being: competence, emotional stability, engagement, meaning, optimism, positive emotion, positive relationships, resilience, self esteem, and vitality. An operational definition of flourishing is developed, based on psychometric analysis of indicators of these ten features, using data from a representative sample of 43,000 Europeans. Application of this definition to respondents from the 23 countries which participated in the European Social Survey (Round 3) reveals a four-fold difference in flourishing rate, from 41% in Denmark to less than 10% in Slovakia, Russia and Portugal. There are also striking differences in country profiles across the 10 features. These profiles offer fresh insight into cultural differences in well-being, and indicate which features may provide the most promising targets for policies to improve well-being. Comparison with a life satisfaction measure shows that valuable information would be lost if well-being was measured by life satisfaction. Taken together, our findings reinforce the need to measure subjective well-being as a multi-dimensional construct in future surveys.
Motivations for preservice teachers' choice of teaching as a career were investigated using the Factors Influencing Teaching Choice scale (FIT-Choice scale; Watt & Richardson, 2007). This scale was ...initially developed and validated in the Australian context; our study applied it across international samples from Australia, the United States, Germany, and Norway. Support for strong factorial invariance implied the scale functioned similarly, and could fruitfully be employed in different contexts. Sample comparisons revealed that motivations for teaching were more similar than they were different across these samples; whereas, perceptions about the teaching profession tended to reflect country differences.
► First cross-cultural examination of teaching motivations using the FIT-Choice scale. ► Teaching motivations were similar in samples from Australia, US, Germany and Norway. ► Perceptions about the teaching profession tended to reflect country differences.
The present study evaluates a brief, cross-cultural scale that maps a wide range of social resources, useful in large-scale assessments of perceived social support. The Brief Perceived Social Support ...Questionnaire (Fragebogen zur Sozialen Unterstützung Kurzform mit sechs Items, F-SozU K-6) was examined in representative and university student samples from the United States (Nrepresentative = 3038), Germany (Nrepresentative = 2007, Nstudent = 5406), Russia (Nrepresentative = 3020, Nstudent = 4001), and China (Nstudent = 13,582). Cross-cultural measurement invariance testing was conducted in both representative and student samples across countries. Scores on the F-SozU K-6 demonstrated good reliability and strong model fit for a unidimensional structure in all samples, with the exception of poor model fit for German students. The scores on F-SozU K-6 correlated negatively with scores on depression, anxiety, and stress measures and positively with scores on positive mental health measures. Norms for gender and age groups were established separately based on each representative sample. Cross-cultural measurement invariance testing found partial strong measurement invariance across three general population samples and three student samples. Furthermore, a simulation study showed that the amount of invariance observed in the partial invariance model had only a negligible impact on mean comparisons. Psychometric findings across diverse cultural contexts supported the robustness and validity of the F-SozU K-6 for cross-cultural epidemiologic studies.
Public Significance Statement
This study found that the brief Perceived Social Support Questionnaire (F-SozU K-6) displayed overall good psychometric properties and validity in three large representative (the United States, Germany, and Russia) and three university student (Germany, Russia, and China) samples. Cross-cultural measurement invariance tests supported partial strong invariance across samples. The scale appears to be a reliable and economical tool for perceived social support measurement.
This report examines the measurement invariance of the Personal Well-being Index with 8 items (PWI-8). University students (N = 5731) from 26 countries completed the measure either through paper and ...pencil or electronic mode. We examined uni-dimensional structure of PWI and performed a Multi-group CFA to assess the measurement invariance across the 26 countries, using conventional approach and the alignment procedure. The findings provide evidence of configural and partial metric invariance, as well as partial scalar invariance across samples. The findings suggest that PWI-8 can be used to examine correlates of life satisfaction across all included countries, however it is impossible to compare raw scores across countries.
Expectancy-value theory (EVT) is a dominant theory of human motivation. Historically, the Expectancy × Value interaction, in which motivation is high only if both expectancy and value are high, was ...central to EVT. However, the Expectancy × Value interaction mysteriously disappeared from published research more than 25 years ago. Using large representative samples of 15-year-olds (N = 398,750) from 57 diverse countries, we attempted to solve this mystery by testing Expectancy × Value interactions using latent-variable models with interactions. Expectancy (science self-concept), value (enjoyment of science), and the Expectancy × Value interaction all had statistically significant positive effects on both engagement in science activities and intentions of pursuing scientific careers; these results were similar for the total sample and for nearly all of the 57 countries considered separately. This study, apparently the strongest cross-national test of EVT ever undertaken, supports the generalizability of EVT predictions--including the "lost" Expectancy × Value interaction.
The DASS‐21 is a well‐established instrument for measuring depression, anxiety, and stress with good reliability and validity reported from Hispanic American, British, and Australian adults. However, ...the lack of appropriate validation among Asian populations continues to pose concerns over the use of DASS‐21 in Asian samples. Cultural variation may influence the individual's experience and emotional expression. Thus, when researchers and practitioners employ Western‐based assessments with Asian populations by directly translating them without an appropriate validation, the process can be challenging. We conducted a series of rigorous statistical tests and minimized any potential confounds from the demographic information. Following factor analyses, we performed multigroup analysis across six nations to demonstrate consistency of our findings. The advantages of this revised DASS‐18 stress scale are twofold. First, it possesses fewer items, which results in a cleaner factorial structure. Second, it has a smaller interfactor correlation. With these justifications, the revised DASS‐18 stress scale is potentially more suitable for Asian populations. Nonetheless, given limitations, findings should be considered preliminary.
El DASS‐21 es un instrumento bien establecido para medir la depresión, la ansiedad y el estrés con buena confiabilidad y validez informada por adultos hispanoamericanos, británicos y australianos. Sin embargo, la falta de una adecuada validación en las poblaciones asiáticas sigue suscitando preocupaciones acerca del uso del DASS‐21 en muestras asiáticas. La variación cultural puede influir en la experiencia y expresión emocional del individuo. Por lo tanto, cuando los investigadores y los profesionales emplean evaluaciones basadas en Occidente en poblaciones asiáticas por medio de una traducción directa sin una validación adecuada, el proceso puede ser un desafío. Hemos llevado a cabo una serie de pruebas estadísticas rigurosas y redujimos cualquier potencial fuente de confusión a partir de la información demográfica. Luego de los análisis factoriales, se realizó un análisis multigrupo a través de seis naciones para demostrar la consistencia de nuestros resultados. Las ventajas de los análisis de la escala de estrés revisada DASS‐18 son dobles. En primer lugar, la escala revisada DASS‐18 posee menos ítems de estrés, lo que resultó en una estructura factorial más limpia. En segundo lugar, también se observó una correlación más baja entre factores. A partir de estas justificaciones, la escala de estrés revisada DASS‐18 es potencialmente más adecuada para las poblaciones asiáticas. No obstante, dadas las limitaciones, los resultados deben considerarse como preliminares.
Le DASS‐21 est un instrument reconnu pour mesurer la dépression, l'anxiété et le stress avec un bon taux de fiabilité et de validité chez la population adulte hispanophone américaine, britannique et australienne. Toutefois, le manque de validation appropriée auprès des populations asiatiques continue de poser problème lors de l'utilisation du DASS‐21 dans les échantillons asiatiques. Les différences culturelles peuvent alors influencer l'expérience individuelle et l'expression des émotions. Ainsi, lorsque les chercheurs et les praticiens utilisent les formulations occidentales auprès des populations asiatiques en les traduisant directement sans aucune validation appropriée, le processus d'utilisation peut devenir risqué. Nous avons entrepris une série de tests statistiques rigoureux et avons réduit au minimum la confusion dans les énoncés sur les caractéristiques démographiques. Lors d'analyses factorielles, nous avons réalisé des analyses multi‐groupes à travers six pays pour établir la consistance de nos résultats. Les avantages de ces analyses sur les échelles de stress du DASS‐18 ainsi révisé sont de deux ordres. d'abord, l'échelle de stress révisée du DASS‐18 contient moins d'items, ce qui permet d'obtenir une structure factorielle plus nette. Ensuite, nous observons moins de corrélations interfactorielles. Avec ces constats, l'échelle de stress du DASS‐18 révisée apparaît mieux appropriée pour une utilisation auprès des populations asiatiques. Cependant, à titre limitatif, ces données doivent être considérées comme provisoires.
The present study investigates the hypothesis that brightness of colors is associated with positivity, postulating that this is an automatic and universal effect. The Implicit Association Test (IAT; ...Greenwald, McGhee, & Schwartz, 1998) was used in all studies. Study 1 used color patches varying on brightness, Study 2 used achromatic stimuli to eliminate the potential confounding effects of hue and saturation. Study 3 replicated Study 2 in a different cultural context (Japan vs. Austria), both studies also included a measure of explicit association. All studies confirmed the hypothesis that brightness is associated with positivity, at a significance level of p < .001 and Cohen's D varying from 0.90 to 3.99. Study 1–3 provided support for the notion that this is an automatic effect. Additionally, Study 2 and Study 3 showed that people also have an explicit association of brightness with positivity. However, as expected, our results also show that the implicit association was stronger than the explicit association. Study 3 shows clear support for the universality of our effects. In sum, our results support the idea that brightness is associated with positivity and that these associations are automatic and universal.
•People associate brightness with positivity.•This association is strong.•This association is automatic (implicit).•This association is universal.•This association can also be found explicitly.
The purpose of this study was to compare male and female college students in four countries (Canada, Germany, Sweden, and the U.S.) on their lifetime experiences (prevalence) and frequency of recent ...experiences with six types of online sexual activities (OSA): sexual information, sexual entertainment, sexual contacts, sexual minority communities, sexual products, and sex work. Participants (
N
= 2690;
M
age, 24.65 years; 53.4 % women, 46.6 % men) were recruited from a university in each of the countries to complete an online survey that included background and demographic questions, and questions about OSA. Most participants reported experience with accessing sexual information (89.8 %) and sexual entertainment (76.5 %) online. Almost half (48.5 %) reported browsing for sexual products, and a substantial minority reported having engaged in cybersex (30.8 %). Very few participants (1.1 %) paid for online sexual services or received payment (0.5 %). In general, participants showed relatively infrequent experience with all types of OSA within the last 3 months. Men showed both higher prevalence and frequency of use of sexually stimulating material online than did women. However, this gender gap was smaller than in previous studies. Country and gender by country effects were (with one exception) either very small or non-existent, suggesting that, overall, students in the four countries were similar in their OSA experiences. Results are discussed in light of an emerging global net generation and globalized sexual culture.
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