Constructive Thinking and Elevated Ratings of Self in Interpersonal Groups

Probing Taylor and Brown's (1988) connection of mental health with favorably slanted self-evaluations, responses to Epstein's (1987) Constructive Thinking Inventory (CTI) were correlated with ratings of interpersonal behavior. Several weeks after completing the CTI, 103 small-group members rated themselves and each other for self-accepting and other-accepting conduct. Separately for each acceptance scale, eight CTI measures were correlated with differences of self-ratings (S) from the mean rating individuals' received (R) from others, the mean rating each gave (G) to these others, and all components. Agreeing substantially, indicators S and R also correlated with the CTI measures similarly but in a pattern opposite to G's correlations. Supporting Taylor and Brown, 12 of 16 correlations of CTI measures with intrarater (S – G) differences attained statistical significance (p < .05) unlike any parallel correlation with interrater differences (S – R). Constructive thinking and rating oneself above peers—especially for acceptance of self—consistently correlated positively, suggesting an underlying sense of independence.     

The Impact of Territory Difficulty and Self Versus Other Ratings on Managerial Evaluations of Sales Personnel

Previous research has yielded inconclusive evidence regarding whether territory difficulty information influences evaluations of salesperson performance. Two studies were conducted to assess whether a territory difficulty bias exists. In addition, the research tested for a divergence in performance ratings depending upon whether the evaluation was completed by a salesperson or a sales manager. The results show that, given the right conditions, territory difficulty bias can be overcome, and that previous failures to find territory difficulty effects in similar studies were likely caused by Type II errors. Also, the results indicate that self-ratings do tend to exhibit an upward bias over ratings by others.     

Alliance Ratings as a Part of Trainee Evaluations Within Family Therapy Training

Client-reported therapeutic alliance scores were examined as a measure of improvement in therapeutic skills across master's-level marriage and family therapy (MFT) training. The results indicate significant correlations between alliance ratings and training variables, with the number of cumulative clinical hours identified as a significant predictor of alliance ratings according to a regression analysis. Trainees lacking the expected number of clinical contact hours in each level of training were found to be more likely to receive consistently marginal alliance ratings. Additionally, alliance ratings were especially useful in identifying trainees who were functioning at minimal levels of competency.     

初中生同伴群体交往与自我同一性发展研究

使用社会认知地图(SCM)与自我同一性状态客观测量的标准化同卷(EOM-EIS-II),对初中生群体交往与自我同-性发展的关系进行研究,结果发现:(1)初中生普遍存在群体归属需要,绝大多数人都认为自己从属于一个或多个群体.(2)群体类型不影响自我同-性发展,班级内不同群体类型间,个体的自我同-性状态不存在显著差异.(3)群体内的个体地位影响自我同-性发展,处于群体中不同地位的个体.其自我同-性状态存在显著差异.     

Adolescent Heterosexual Males Talk About the Role of Male Peer Groups in Their Sexual Decision-Making

This research draws on in-depth, one-on-one interviews with a racially and ethnically diverse sample of 17 adolescent males, both virgins and non-virgins, to explore how they use talk to construct their sexual selves and present themselves as sexual decision-makers. The emphasis here is how some of the boys (n = 8) drew upon a particular discourse in their self-productions and implicated male peer groups in that production. I introduce the concept of the male fraternity and show how its particular qualities mediate boys’ sense of masculinity and belonging, as well as their understanding of females as sex partners. Attention is also paid to how the group context generates social control features that limit individual resistance to collective understandings about gender and sexuality. The findings require corroboration but suggest important ways in which adolescent talk and male peer groups are implicated in the production of male sexuality and the denial of female subjectivity.

Peer Ratings of Children's Assertive and Unassertive Behavior:

The purpose of this investigation was to explore children's judgements of peers' assertive and unassertive behavior in positive and negative interactions. Subjects were 142 third and fourth graders, 8 to 11 years of age. Stimulus materials were sets of three short videotaped scenes in which a female target child behaved either assertively or unassertively with a female peer. Four types of scenes were utilized: positive situations and assertive behavior (PA), positive situations and unassertive behavior(PU), negative situations and assertive behavior (NA), and negative situations and unassertive behavior (NU). Groups of 8 to 10 male and female subjects each viewed one set of scenes and then completed a 10-item questionnaire assessing their judgements of the target children's social skillfulness and likability. Results indicate that subjects rated assertive behavior in positive situations significantly higher than in negative situations for the majority of the items. Also, ratings for the PA and NU scenes and for the NA and PU scenes generally did not differ significantly. No significantly main effect of target child or gender of subject was demonstrated although some trends were noted. These findings strongly suggest that children's judgments of peers' assertive and unassertive behavior are situationally specific. Results of the present study have important implications for children's social skills training.     

Male/Female Gaze in Same-Sex and Mixed-Sex Dyads Gender-Linked Differences and Mutual Influence

In this study, 108 university students (54 men and 54 women) were each videotaped in two 8-minute problem-solving dyadic interactions: (1) same-sex, and (2) mixed-sex. Trained observers coded the interactions for simultaneous, moment-to-moment gaze and talk behavior of both interactants. MANOVA results for three dyad types (male/male, female/female, and male/female) measured on 10 dyad gaze/talk variables showed that F/F dyads exhibited more mutual gaze/mutual talk and mutual gaze/mutual silence than either M/M or M/F dyads. F/F dyads exhibited less one gazes/same talks and mutual avert/one talks than either M/M or M/F dyads. No differences were found between M/M and M/F dyads on any variable. Analyses of individual change scores from same-sex to mixed-sex dyads indicated that the women in the M/F dyads converged to the male behavior in that dyad condition, whereas the men remained unchanged. The results are discussed in terms of speech accommodation theory.     

Group Psychotherapy in the Psychiatric Training of Medical Students

Group-as-a-whole theory is a relational paradigm of some complexity. Despite the growing popularity of this perspective, there is abiding confusion about the essence of group-as-a-whole practice and whether the approach attends sufficiently to members and part processes. The threefold aims of this article are to (a) show how group-centered thinking differs essentially from traditional psychodynamic theory that relies heavily on familial dynamics, interpretation, and transference analysis; (b) present the mind-set and working principles for a generic treatment that specifically utilizes collective forces generated in the context of the group matrix; and (c) compare and contrast the thrust of recent dyadic relational therapies with group therapy generally and the group-as-a-whole approach more particularly. The relationship between the whole (group) and its parts (members and what they bring) is detailed and demonstrated as it appears in the context of fused, affiliated, fragmented, and differentiated groups.     

Exploring the Relationship Between Interrater Correlations and Validity of Peer Ratings

A field study was conducted to investigate the relationship between interrater correlations and validity estimates of peer ratings. Validity coefficients and interrater correlations were calculated for 281 work units in a large law enforcement organization in Israel. The main result was a weak positive linear relationship between these two variables. Furthermore, in some of the analyses conducted, a nonlinear quadratic component in the relationship between these measures was evident. Validity was low only when interrater correlation was very low (r = .4 and less). Above this level, validity was stable and almost did not change as interrater correlation increased. This finding, together with other studies (Borman, 1975 Borman, W. C. 1975. Effects of instructions to avoid halo error on reliability and validity of performance evaluation ratings. Journal of Applied Psychology, 60: 556–560. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Buckner, 1959 Buckner, D. N. 1959. The predictability of ratings as a function of interrater agreement. Journal of Applied Psychology, 43: 60–64.  [Google Scholar]; Freeberg, 1969 Freeberg, N. E. 1969. Relevance of rater-ratee acquaintance in the validity and reliability of ratings. Journal of Applied Psychology, 53: 518–524.  [Google Scholar]; Weekley & Gier, 1989 Weekley, J. A. and Gier, J. A. 1989. Ceilings in the reliability and validity of performance ratings: The case of expert raters. Academy of Management Review, 32: 213–222.  [Google Scholar]), cast doubt on the assertion that interrater correlation in the field of performance rating is a proper measurement of reliability.     

Subtypes of Victims and Aggressors in Children's Peer Groups

This study reports an investigation of the behavioral profiles and psychosocial adjustment of subgroups of victims and aggressors in elementary school peer groups. Peer nomination scores for aggression and victimization were used to classify 354 inner-city children (mean age of 10.3 years) into one of four subgroups: aggressive victims, nonaggressive victims, nonvictimized aggressors, and normative contrasts. Subgroup comparisons were then conducted using multi-informant assessment of social behavior, social acceptance-rejection, behavioral regulation, academic functioning, and emotional distress. Children in each of the victim-aggressor subgroups were characterized by a degree of social and behavioral maladjustment. However, impairments in behavioral and emotional regulation were most evident for the aggressive victim subgroup. Aggressive victims were also characterized by academic failure, peer rejection, and emotional distress. The results of this investigation highlight the distinctive nature of the aggressive victim subgroup.     

Gender and Age Differences in Brazilian Children's Friendship Nominations and Peer Sociometric Ratings

This article reports on an investigation into the relation between young adults' retrospective reports of their mothers' and fathers' division of household labor (egalitarian or traditional) and parenting styles (authoritative, permissive, authoritarian, or disengaged). Participants' own gender attitudes were also tested in relation to parents' division of labor and parenting. The sample included 294 women and men (M =19-years old) who were raised in 2-parent households and came from a range of ethnic backgrounds. When mothers' parenting was evaluated, permissive parenting was more likely among those from egalitarian households whereas authoritarian parenting was more likely among those from traditional households. When fathers' parenting was evaluated, authoritative parenting was more likely among participants from egalitarian households and disengaged parenting was more likely among those from traditional households. The association between fathers' parenting style and division of labor was specific to the division of childcare (rather than housework). Participants' gender attitudes were not related to parents' division of labor or parenting style.     

Treatment of Male Homosexuals in Groups

Abstract

The healing power of psychodynamically oriented therapy and training groups rests, to a large degree, upon the quality of the here and now interactions. For the work to be effective, the basic principles of analytic group work need to be followed, including the observance of no extra–group contact. Simply said, nothing leaves the room. This principle has both ethical and clinical implications. It is my premise that while some forms of outside contact between members are relatively benign, other types are not. Outside contact that is built into the fabric and context of the group may pose a risk, as may be the case where dual relationships exist between members. The impact of dual relationships between group members in the particular instance of analytic training institutes is the focus of this article. What happens to the transference in this context when members reveal too much of their personal lives to each other through dual relationships is explored. It is suggested that extra–group contact can disrupt the balance between reality and transference distortion in group interactions in at least three ways: (a) “The Emperor’s New Clothes” effect, (b) looping, and (c) gaslighting. Vignettes are presented to illustrate these phenomena and suggestions for reform are offered.     

Development of Body Build Stereotypes,Peer Ratings,and Self-Esteem in Australian Children

The relationships between self-esteem and peer group judgments to stereotypes attached to fat, average, and thin body builds were investigated in a study of 84 Australian boys and girls in grades 2, 4, and 6. 5 s performed three tasks: (a) rated drawings of fat, average, and thin children of their own age and sex on a 56-item checklist; (b) completed the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory; and (c) named classmates who fitted 12 of the items of task a. Results indicated that all age groups held firm body build stereotypes: negative for fat figures, positive for average figures. The strength of the stereotypes increased with age. However, S s did not apply these stereotypic judgments to their classmates, nor were Ss’ self-esteem scores related to their own body build or popularity. Thus, the use of stereotypes in relation to the social inculcation hypothesis must be seriously questioned, as there was no evidence that Ss related their idealized body build norms to themselves or to peers.     

The Effects of Team Context on Peer Ratings of Task and Citizenship Performance

Recent trends indicate that organizations will continue their strategic pursuit of teamwork for the foreseeable future, which will create a need for accurate assessments of individuals’ performance in teams. Although individual behaviors can be perceived and assessed by fellow team members (i.e., peers), the extent to which the team shapes perceivers’ judgments versus the target’s behavior is unclear. We conducted two studies to understand how and why team context influences peer ratings of individual performance. In study 1, we conducted cross-classified modeling on a sample of 7160 performance observations of 568 targets made by 567 perceivers, who were each members of four separate teams. Results indicated that team membership accounted for a substantially higher proportion of perceiver, relative to target, variance. In study 2, we conducted social relations modeling with a sample of 679 performance observations collected from 217 individuals nested in 46 teams to test the effects of psychological safety on perceiver, target, and team variance components. Perceptions of psychological safety accounted for proportionally larger perceiver, relative to target, variance in OCB, and task performance ratings. Altogether, team context appears to affect perceivers’ judgments of behavior more than the target’s behavior itself, implying that peer ratings sourced from different teams may not be comparable. We consider the implications for the collection and interpretation of peer performance ratings in teams and the potential implications for social cognitive theory, such that certain aspects of the team context, including psychological safety, may act as a cognitive heuristic by molding perceiver judgments of targets.

     

Peer Group and Family Relationships in Early Adolescence

This study explored the possible interface between family and peer group systems in early adolescence. Sixth-graders who were identified as group members were interviewed and given questions regarding their attitudes toward the group and group dynamics. Family atmosphere and parent-adolescent relationships were evaluated from the parents' perspective. The results show two different linkages of peer and family processes: On the one hand, family relationships are related to the perception of the peer group as a source of support, especially when individual growth is respected within an atmosphere of acceptance and support in the family. On the other hand, family life characterized by conflict and lack of support for individual development is related to an increased involvement with groups and more conformity to group pressure. Results are discussed in line with theories dealing with the role of the family in adolescent development.     

Sex Differences in Evaluations of Female and Male Victims' Responses to Assault

In an investigation of perceptions of victim response to assult, 84 female and 70 male subjects read a narrative in which either a female or a male victim was roughly assaulted by a male stranger. The victim was described as either offering no resistance, resisting in a verbally aggressive manner, or resisting in a physically aggressive manner. Results of 3 × 2 × 2 ANOVA's revealed that women and men expected different outcomes for aggressive victim resistance. Women anticipated a worse outcome than did men, especially for victims who resisted. Men expected the most favorable outcome for the victim when he or she fought with the assailant; women expected the most positive outcome with nonresistance, especially for female victims. Female victims were seen as much more likely than male victims to be raped by the assailant. Women rated rape as a more likely outcome for physically aggressive victims while men considered rape least likely when the victim fought back. Sex differences in evaluations of victim resistance are discussed in terms of identification and empathy with the victim, goals of the victim's response strategy, and the expected effectiveness of aggressive and nonaggressive reactions to attack.     

Therapist Self Disclosure in Group Psychotherapy from an Intersubjective and Self Psychological Standpoint

The history of therapist self disclosure is traced from the early struggles of Ferenczi and Burrow to its valued, yet still ambivalent, contemporary status. The symmetry of self disclosure by therapist and group members is differentiated from the parity of their different roles and responsibilities. Using a case example, the process is discussed through which a therapist's self disclosure fosters task-appropriate satisfaction of selfobject needs as it also helps group members articulate and loosen archaic selfobject binds. The therapy group is described as a transitional space within which a therapist's disclosure offers members an intersubjective bridge to the therapist as well as a model for members' own active participation in the group's work.