Simon Cassidy | University of Salford (original) (raw)

Papers by Simon Cassidy

The study examined levels of emotional labour in university lecturers and compared these data to ... more The study examined levels of emotional labour in university lecturers and compared these data to other occupations. Employing a mixed methods design, a sample of 61 university lecturers participated in the study. Emotional labour was measured using Mann's Emotional Requirements Inventory (MERI). Results showed that university lecturers reported significantly higher levels of emotional labour than other occupations including mental health nurses and a mix of frontline and back office employees. Age and length of service were found to be significant factors for emotional labour in university lecturers. Qualitative findings identified the main themes as increased workloads, eroding job autonomy, uncertainty about the future and job satisfaction. Based on findings from the study, a conceptual model of emotional labour in higher education was proposed, the Higher Education Emotional Labour Model (HEEL). Implications for university senior management in recognising the high levels of emotional labour levels were considered. Further suggested research directions considered include work to determine the frequency of emotional labour in university lecturers, testing the validity of the proposed Higher Education Emotional Labour Model and investigating the job role characteristics of a university lecturer.

Data in Brief, 2019

Fo r m o r e info r m a tio n, in cl u di n g o u r p olicy a n d s u b mi s sio n p r o c e d u ... more Fo r m o r e info r m a tio n, in cl u di n g o u r p olicy a n d s u b mi s sio n p r o c e d u r e , pl e a s e c o n t a c t t h e R e p o si to ry Te a m a t: u si r@ s alfo r d. a c. u k .

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 2022

The aim of this research was to develop a scale that could evaluate an individual’s confidence in... more The aim of this research was to develop a scale that could evaluate an individual’s confidence in using the Internet. Web-based resources are becoming increasingly important within higher education and it is therefore vital that students and staff feel confident and competent in the access, provision, and utilisation of these resources. The scale developed here represents an extension of previous research (Cassidy and Eachus, 2002) which developed a measure of self-efficacy in the context of computer use. An iterative approach was used in the development of the WUSE and the participants were recruited via a web site set up for this purpose. Initial findings suggest that the scale has acceptable standards of reliability and validity though work is continuing to improve the psychometric properties of the scale.

Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 2021

Researchers in organizational psychology report that team environments perceived as psychological... more Researchers in organizational psychology report that team environments perceived as psychologically safe and meaningful (positive psychological climate [PC]) are associated with greater levels of job satisfaction (e.g., Brown & Leigh, 1996). While PC has been examined in the sport setting with respect to player effort, its relationship to player satisfaction has yet to be examined. Our purpose was to study the relationship between PC and satisfaction in sport, while examining sex and competitive level as possible moderators. Athletes (N = 343) from 24 intact sport teams completed a sport-adapted PC measure (Spink et al., 2013) and satisfaction with how teammates contribute to the individual as a person (i.e., social contribution; Riemer & Chelladurai, 1998) near the end of a competitive season. Given the nested nature of the data (ICC = .10), HLM was used to predict satisfaction from 4 dimensions of PC (i.e., supportive management, role clarity, self-expression, and contribution). The overall model was significant, ?2 = 55.05, p < .001, with role clarity (s = .22) and self-expression (s = .46) emerging as significant predictors (ps < .01) of satisfaction with social contribution. Neither sex nor competitive level emerged as significant moderators of the PC/satisfaction relationship. While in need of replication, these results provide a preliminary suggestion that athletes with a clear indication of role responsibilities and the ability to express individuality within the group also report greater social satisfaction. Further, it appears that the relationship is robust across males and females and more versus less competitive sport levels.

The thesis comprises a collection of ten published works in the field of individual differences a... more The thesis comprises a collection of ten published works in the field of individual differences and student learning in a, mainly, higher education context involving undergraduate student participants. The works revolve primarily around three principal conceptual areas, identified within the field on the grounds of being recognized mediators of learning and achievement - namely, learning style, academic control beliefs and student self-evaluation. Students' perceptions of themselves as learners, and their use of various processes to regulate their learning, have been identified as critical factors in the analyses of academic development and achievement. On the basis of this, the thesis presents a programme of work concerned with establishing a clearer understanding of the conceptualisation, measurement and pedagogical utility of learning style, academic control beliefs, student peer assessment and student self-assessment. It is argued that each of these constructs plays a major ...

Proceedings of the 2008 InSITE Conference, 2008

Higher Education is increasingly relying on e-leaming as a means of providing students with teach... more Higher Education is increasingly relying on e-leaming as a means of providing students with teaching and learning resources. Almost inevitably, this means that students interact with these learning resources through the medium of the computer screen. Although there have been significant advances in the design and implementation of on-line resources, exactly how students interact with these resources is a relatively new field of research. In this study, students were asked to interact with three types of virtual learning environment, i.e. BlackBoard, IngentaConnect and Wikipedia, while their eye movements were scanned and recorded using a Tobii 1750 eye tracking system. The data gathered was analysed dynamically, statistically, and graphically in order to identify search patterns and “hot spots” within the online information source. The data was also correlated with a measure of Internet self-efficacy, the Web User Self-Efficacy scale (WUSE). Preliminary findings suggest that qualita...

Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 2018

Background: Despite evidence supporting cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)-based interventions a... more Background: Despite evidence supporting cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)-based interventions as the most effective approach for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in randomised control trials, alternative treatment interventions are often used in clinical practice. Psychodynamic (PDT)-based interventions are one example of such preferred approaches, this is despite comparatively limited available evidence supporting their effectiveness for treating PTSD. Aims: Existing research exploring effective therapeutic interventions for PTSD includes trauma-focused CBT involving exposure techniques. The present review sought to establish the treatment efficacy of CBT and PDT approaches and considers the potential impact of selecting PDT-based techniques over CBT-based techniques for the treatment of PTSD. Results: The evidence reviewed provided examples supporting PDT-based therapy as an effective treatment for PTSD, but confirmed CBT as more effective in the treatment of this particular disorder. Comparable dropout rates were reported for both treatment approaches, suggesting that relative dropout rate should not be a pivotal factor in the selection of a PDT approach over CBT for treatment of PTSD. Conclusion/Implications: The need to routinely observe evidence-based recommendations for effective treatment of PTSD is highlighted and factors undermining practitioner engagement with CBTbased interventions for the treatment of PTSD are identified.

Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology, 2006

The aim of this research was to develop a scale that could evaluate an individuals confidence in ... more The aim of this research was to develop a scale that could evaluate an individuals confidence in using the Internet. Web-based resources are becoming increasingly important within higher education and it is therefore vital that students and staff feel confident and competent in the access, provision, and utilisation of these resources. The scale developed here represents an extension of previous research (Cassidy & Eachus, 2002) that developed a measure of self-efficacy in the context of computer use. An iterative approach was used in the development of the Web User Self-Efficacy scale (WUSE) and the participants were recruited from the student body of a large University in the North West of the United Kingdom, and globally via a web site set up for this purpose. Initial findings suggest that the scale has acceptable standards of reliability and validity though work is continuing to refine the scale and improve the psychometric properties of the tool.

Personality and Individual Differences, 2019

Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, 2016

Virtual learning environments (VLE) have become a standard feature of most courses in higher educ... more Virtual learning environments (VLE) have become a standard feature of most courses in higher education, offering the potential to facilitate and improve teaching and learning. Whilst there is an implicit assumption that VLEs benefit student learning, much of the evidence originates from direct questioning of students about their satisfaction with the VLE itself. In order to establish the impact of VLEs on student satisfaction with teaching and learning in higher education, the present study gathered data from a sample of 128 undergraduate students using self-report module evaluation questionnaires (MEQs) completed before and after VLEs were introduced. MEQs were completed in relation one core (Research Methods) and one elected (Health Psychology) module. Results for the core module showed a marked increase in the percentage of students responding as extremely or very satisfied following the introduction of the VLE compared to the pre VLE period. There was also a fall in the percentage of students responding as neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. No clear or consistent change in student satisfaction was evident for the elected module. Improved communication and greater variety of teaching methods were reported by students post VLE for both the core and the elected module. Findings provide some support for the notion that VLEs mediate increased student satisfaction with teaching and learning in higher education, but that their impact may vary according to the course and the perceived utility of the VLE, pre-existing student satisfaction and the effectiveness with which VLEs are blended with traditional approaches to meet student expectations.

Frontiers in Psychology, 2015

Frontiers in psychology, 2016

The British Journal of Radiology, 2016

Objective: Apply psychometric theory to develop and validate a visual grading scale for assessing... more Objective: Apply psychometric theory to develop and validate a visual grading scale for assessing visual perception of AP pelvis digital image quality. METHODS: Psychometric theory was used to guide scale development. Seven phantom and 7 cadaver images of visually and objectively predetermined quality were used to help assess scale reliability and validity. 151 volunteers scored phantom images; 184 volunteers scored cadaver images. Factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha were used to assess scale validity and reliability. RESULTS: A 24 item scale was produced. Aggregated mean volunteer scores for each image correlated with the rank order of the visually and objectively predetermined image qualities. Scale items had good inter-item correlation (≥0.2) and high factor loadings (≥0.3). Cronbach's alpha (reliability) revealed that the scale has acceptable levels of internal reliability for both phantom and cadaver images (α= 0.8 and 0.9, respectively). Factor analysis suggested the scale is multidimensional (assessing multiple quality themes). CONCLUSION: This study represents the first full development and validation of a visual image quality scale using psychometric theory. It is likely that this scale will have clinical, training and research applications. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: This article presents data to create and validate visual grading scales for radiographic examinations. The visual grading scale, for AP pelvis examinations, can act as a validated tool for future research, teaching and clinical evaluations of image quality.