Feeling Guilty or Not Guilty. Identifying Burnout Profiles among Italian Teachers

This study aimed at the assessment of psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Spanish Burnout Inventory (SBI-Ita) in a sample of Italian teachers and the analysis of burnout profiles based on a model that includes four dimensions: Enthusiasm toward job, Psychological exhaustion, Indolence, and Guilt. A self-reported questionnaire was filled out by 689 Italian teachers. Data analyses performed Multi-sample Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis. Results confirmed the hypothesized four-factor structure and the discriminant role of Guilt in differentiating clusters. Results highlights the reliability of the SBI-Ita in the assessment of teachers’ burnout. Furthermore, results evidence for a new typology of burnout that differentiate guilty from non-guilty professionals.     

Retest reliability of the Rosenzweig Picture-Frustration Study and similar semiprojective techniques

Surveys the evidence for the reliability of the Adult, Adolescent and Children's Forms of the Rosenzweig Picture-Frustration (P-F) Study. Analysis of variance and split-half methods, which assume item homogeneity and internal consistency, may be appropriate to psychometric tests, but they are not apposite to projective and semi-projective techniques. The implications of applying such criteria are critically examined, with the P-F Study as an example to demonstrate their nonapplicability. Investigations on retest (total test) reliability from the laboratory of the senior author and from those of other investigators demonstrate statistically significant consistency for the main scoring categories of the P-F, especially those relating to directions of aggression. Implications for other semiprojective techniques are expounded.     

Passion and intrinsic motivation in digital gaming.

Digital gaming is fast becoming a favorite activity all over the world. Yet very few studies have examined the underlying motivational processes involved in digital gaming. One motivational force that receives little attention in psychology is passion, which could help us understand the motivation of gamers. The purpose of the present study was to identify subgroups of young people with distinctive passion profiles on self-determined regulations, flow dispositions, affect, and engagement time in gaming. One hundred fifty-five students from two secondary schools in Singapore participated in the survey. There were 134 males and 8 females (13 unspecified). The participants completed a questionnaire to measure harmonious passion (HP), obsessive passion (OP), perceived locus of causality, disposition flow, positive and negative affects, and engagement time in gaming. Cluster analysis found three clusters with distinct passion profiles. The first cluster had an average HP/OP profile, the second cluster had a low HP/OP profile, and the third cluster had a high HP/OP profile. The three clusters displayed different levels of cognitive, affective, and behavioral outcomes. Cluster analysis, as this study shows, is useful in identifying groups of gamers with different passion profiles. It has helped us gain a deeper understanding of motivation in digital gaming.     

Identification of cognitive profiles among women considering BRCA1/2 testing through the utilisation of cluster analytic techniques

Based on the cognitive-social health information processing model, we identified cognitive profiles of women at risk for breast and ovarian cancer. Prior to genetic counselling, participants (N = 171) completed a study questionnaire concerning their cognitive and affective responses to being at genetic risk. Using cluster analysis, four cognitive profiles were generated: (a) high perceived risk/low coping; (b) low value of screening/high expectancy of cancer; (c) moderate perceived risk/moderate efficacy of prevention/low informativeness of test result; and (d) high efficacy of prevention/high coping. The majority of women in Clusters One, Two and Three had no personal history of cancer, whereas Cluster Four consisted almost entirely of women affected with cancer. Women in Cluster One had the highest number of affected relatives and experienced higher levels of distress than women in the other three clusters. These results highlight the need to consider the psychological profile of women undergoing genetic testing when designing counselling interventions and messages.     

A multivariate investigation of the reinforcer structure of occupations

Earlier research based on 81 Occupational Reinforcer Patterns (ORPs) suggested a nine-category classification of occupations. The present research, based on 148 ORPs, investigated the ability of that classificatory system to assimilate new information. Cluster analysis of the 148 ORPs yielded an eight-category classification of occupations in which five of the original occupational clusters appeared virtually unchanged; the other four original clusters were combined into two occupational clusters. One new cluster was identified. Principal factors analysis was employed to study the factor structure of the occupational reinforcers and to highlight the essential nature of the classificatory system. Five reinforcer factors were identified.     

Identification of cognitive profiles among women considering BRCA1/2 testing through the utilisation of cluster analytic techniques

Based on the cognitive-social health information processing model, we identified cognitive profiles of women at risk for breast and ovarian cancer. Prior to genetic counselling, participants (N?=?171) completed a study questionnaire concerning their cognitive and affective responses to being at genetic risk. Using cluster analysis, four cognitive profiles were generated: (a) high perceived risk/low coping; (b) low value of screening/high expectancy of cancer; (c) moderate perceived risk/moderate efficacy of prevention/low informativeness of test result; and (d) high efficacy of prevention/high coping. The majority of women in Clusters One, Two and Three had no personal history of cancer, whereas Cluster Four consisted almost entirely of women affected with cancer. Women in Cluster One had the highest number of affected relatives and experienced higher levels of distress than women in the other three clusters. These results highlight the need to consider the psychological profile of women undergoing genetic testing when designing counselling interventions and messages.     

Expressions of life meaning among college students

This study examined the views of 132 undergraduate students (35 men, 97 women) regarding what they considered to be contributing factors to a worthwhile or meaningful life. They rated, on a 5-point Likert scale, their agreement with each of 40 statements. Cluster analysis yielded three clusters which best described the data. One cluster comprised a religious group, and the other two clusters were nonreligious, with one having characteristics of both the religious and nonreligious cluster.     

Patterns in Blame Attributions in Maltreated Youth: Association with Psychopathology and Interpersonal Functioning

This investigation explored patterns of blame attributions in 128 youth, primarily (87%) female, with maltreatment histories. Second, the study also evaluated the relative variance in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, emotional distress, and interpersonal functioning outcomes, accounted for by age, abuse characteristics, and blame attribution patterns. Cluster analyses revealed distinctive blame profiles: high perpetrator blame, moderate perpetrator blame, high self-blame, high perpetrator/high self-blame, and low perpetrator/low self-blame. Regression analyses yielded significant models, accounting for 15% to 34% of the variance of outcomes. Most notably, youth endorsing a high perpetrator/high self-blame (i.e., compounded blame) attribution pattern reported poorer outcomes as compared to youth presenting with other blame profiles. Maltreatment type and age differences were not demonstrated across clusters. Implications and limitations are discussed.     

Taxonomic Examination of ADHD and Conduct Problem Comorbidity in Elementary School Children Using Cluster Analyses

Cluster analysis was used to investigate the classification of comorbid Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) +Conduct Problems (CP). Teachers rated 1394 elementary school children on symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, opposition, and conduct problems using the ADS-IV behavior-rating scale. Results suggested that a seven-cluster solution, including two distinct comorbid clusters, was the most appropriate method of classifying children according to behavioral symptoms. A one-way MANOVA showed that overall cluster profiles differed significantly from each other, whereas one-way ANOVAs indicated that clusters differed on age and symptom scores. Chi-square analyses indicated that clusters differed on gender. Post hoc analyses and effect sizes calculations revealed that the comorbid clusters differed from each other and from their single-disorder counterparts on some variables, but not on all. These results provide support for an additive conceptualisation of ADHD +CP.     

MCMI-II profiles of women with eating disorders: a cluster analytic investigation

A three-factor model of personality pathology was investigated in a clinical sample of 183 female patients in an outpatient eating disorders treatment program. Cluster analysis of MCMI-II personality scales (Millon, 1987) yielded three distinct personality profiles, which were consistent with previous studies. First, 16.9% of the sample comprised a High Functioning cluster, which manifested no clinical elevations on the MCMI-II and had significantly lower scores on the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI; Garner; 1991) scales than the other two clusters. Second, 49.1% of the sample comprised an Undercontrolled/Dysregulated cluster. Finally, the remaining 34% of the sample comprised an Overcontrolled/Avoidant cluster. This final cluster had significantly higher EDI Ineffectiveness scale scores than the Undercontrolled/Dysregulated cluster group. Cluster membership was not associated with eating disorder subtype, suggesting that there is considerable variance in personality pathology within eating disorder diagnostic categories.     

A QUANTIFIED APPROACH TO MEASUREMENT OF JOB CONTENT: PROCEDURES AND PAYOFFS1

Procedures used for developing a quantified job analysis system for 1710 exempt employees in a power utility firm are described. Factor analysis of these data yielded 60 job dimensions which were used to describe position and job profiles. These job profiles then served as the basic input into the development of job clusters, defined as jobs at the same organizational level which have similar job content. The usefulness of information in this format for selection, promotion, transfer, compensation and training decisions is discussed.     

Depression,Panic-Fear,and Quality of Life in Near-Fatal Asthma Patients

The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between depressive symptoms and symptom-centered panic-fear (P-F), and reports of health-related quality of life (HRQOL), in persons with near-fatal asthma (NFA), controlling for age, gender, and pulmonary function. Forty persons with NFA were interviewed. Sociodemographic and clinical asthma-related information were collected. HRQOL was assessed by the SF-36 Health Questionnaire, depressive symptoms were assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory, and P-F was assessed by the P-F scale of the Asthma Symptom Checklist. Multiple regression analyses were carried out with the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and the Mental Component Summary (MCS) of the SF-36 as a dependent variable, and depressive symptoms, P-F, age, gender, and pulmonary function as independent variables. Results showed that P-F and age were associated with PCS, whereas depressive symptoms accounted for a marked percentage of the variance explained in MCS. Neither gender nor pulmonary function were related to HRQOL. In conclusion, depressive symptoms and P-F play an important role in how persons with NFA assess their HRQOL. These patient-centered variables are potentially modifiable and may offer new ways to intervene in order to improve HRQOL in persons with NFA.     

Longitudinal Associations Between the Five-Factor Model of Personality and The Bi-Factor Model of Psychopathology: Continuity,Pathoplasty and Complication Effects in Adolescents

The study of the bifactor structure of psychopathology, which includes a general factor of psychopathology (or p factor) in addition to the internalizing and externalizing factors, has gained attention. However, its associations with the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality has been addressed in few studies, and none has examined different plausible etiological models (i.e., continuity, pathoplasty, complication) to explain its relationship, which is the aim of the present research. Additionally, the longitudinal association of the General Factor of Personality (GFP) and the p factor will be also explored. Personality and psychopathological symptoms of high school students were assessed at three time points (once a year) (n?=?655; M?=?13.79, SD?=?1.24; 49.8% girls). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (and measurement invariance across waves) were tested for the traits, the GFP and the bifactor model of psychopathology. While the bifactor model and the one-factor solution for each personality trait displayed good fit to the data and remained invariant over time, the structure of the GFP was adequate and invariant in two of the three waves. The resulting factors were included in cross-lagged panel models and showed that the FFM traits and the psychopathology factors influenced each other reciprocally. Most associations fell in line with the continuity model, but minor pathoplastic and complication effects were also reported. Similar associations were found between the GFP and the p factor. These results suggest that interventions in riskier personality profiles might prevent the development of general and more specific psychopathology spectra.

     

Patterns of adaptation to Parkinson's disease

Forty-four 50- to 80-year-old Parkinson patients were interviewed about the effects of the disease on their lives. The Q-sort technique was used to analyze the interview data. In addition, the Symptom Checklist 90, the Mini-Mental State, and physician ratings of disease severity were obtained. Four clusters of patients were identified. Cluster I patients were sanguine and engaged; Cluster III patients were depressed and apprehensive about the future; Cluster III patients felt depressed, ashamed, and misunderstood; and Cluster IV patients were passive and resigned. Disease severity, but not demographic or other health variables, discriminated the groups. Patients with a mild to moderate impairment who adjusted effectively to their illness (Cluster I) were distinguished by an ability to put negative thoughts out of mind, by their belief that there are worse fates than having Parkinson's disease, and by efforts to influence certain aspects of their illness. The particular patterns of adaptation of the patients who were depressed and misunderstood (Cluster III) and passive and resigned (Cluster IV) seemed primarily a function of physical condition. This suggest that the degree to which personal attitudes can influence adaptation to somatic disease is limited by specific realities of the disease.     

Behavioural Profiles and Offender Characteristics across 111 Korean Sexual Assaults

Although the potential usefulness of the offence action–offender characteristic (A–C) relationships is widely accepted and operational ‘offender profiling’ units now exist around the world, few such relationships have been empirically established. To explore this, the offending action patterns within 111 sexual assault cases from South Korea were coded in terms of 16 distinctive, objective crime scene criteria and subjected to an agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis. Background psychiatric and general characteristics, Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) scale scores, and criminal histories were described for each cluster. The cluster analysis drew attention to six clusters or behavioural profiles within the sexual assaults. Cluster 1 included serial offenders who aggressively raped and robbed adult women, with some pseudo‐intimate sexual behaviour, in their homes. Two thirds of these offenders had histories of sexual assault. Cluster 2 included offenders who again targeted adults in their homes, but without pseudo‐intimate sexual behaviour. Cluster 3 included offenders who targeted adults outdoors at night. These offenders showed high antisocial personality PAI scores and psychiatric histories of sexual sadism. Cluster 4 included unarmed offenders who targeted adults in their homes without robbery. These offenders often had psychiatric histories of depression. Cluster 5 included offenders who targeted adults outdoors with a blitz‐style attack, and Cluster 6 included offenders who targeted minors outdoors, without weapons, using a confidence‐trick style of approach. Paedophilia and histories of psychiatric treatment were prominent amongst these offenders. The results indicate therefore some of the key empirical relationships that future research may develop as the basis for sexual assault ‘profiles’. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

ANGRY AND AFRAID: WOMEN'S APPRAISAL OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT DURING LITIGATION

The purpose of this study was to examine primary appraisal of sexual harassment, that is, a victim's cognitive evaluation of the harassment and the factors that influence this appraisal. The perspectives of 72 female plaintiffs were investigated by measuring their primary appraisal of the event, examining the structure of this appraisal, and assessing the influence of stimulus and individual factors on appraisal. Cluster analysis revealed four distinct emotion clusters: demoralization, anxious arousal, fear, and self-blame. Significant correlations suggest that these four appraisal clusters are differentially related to certain stimulus (e.g., intensity) and individual (e.g., self-esteem, previous victimization, feminist attitudes, and attributions) factors. Theoretical and practical implications for the role of primary appraisal are discussed.     

城市居民风险认知结构研究

尝试探索城市居民风险认知的结构。在深度访谈和文献整理的基础上,研究形成了23个项目的城市居民风险认知调查问卷。探索性因素分析表明城市居民的风险认知结构由5个因子构成,分别是:风险的可控性,风险的可见性,风险的可怕性,风险的可能性和风险的严重性,五个因子共解释了风险认知总变异的54.775%。信效度检验表明,各因子与总分的α系数在0.5799-0.8527之间,分半信度在0.5352-0.8420之间,各因子与总分的相关高于各因子间的相关,都达到了统计学的显著性,同时验证性因素分析也证实了该问卷的构想效度。     

Overt and Covert Coparenting Processes in the Family

This article introduces a new self-report instrument designed to measure the frequency of parental behaviors thought to promote or undermine children's sense of family. Members of 103 married couples rated their behavior in both public (all family members present) and private (alone with child) contexts. Factor analyses of these data revealed four distinct factors indexing: behaviors in the service of promoting a sense of Family Integrity; largely covert parent-to-child communications undermining, or conveying Disparagement of, the coparental partner; overt interparental Conflict in the presence of the child; and coparental disciplinary activities (Reprimand). Significant husband-wife correlations were found on each of the four individual subscales. Construct-specific intercorrelations also obtained between like scales on the new measure and on the Family Environment Scale and Quality of Coparenting Scale. Cluster analyses of husbands' and wives' scores on the four Coparenting Scale factors suggested five “types” of coparenting families: Disconnected, Supportive, Average, Distressed-Conflicted, and Passionate. These clusters, along with the value of self-report instruments in assessing coparenting behaviors that may be largely clandestine in nature, are discussed.     

Personality of Counselors and Administrators

The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire was administered to 41 counselors and 41 administrators enrolled in graduate courses at Auburn University. The scores were compared in terms of individual factors and profiles. A discriminate analysis of scores correctly identified counselors in 31 out of 40 cases while principals were classified correctly in 34 out of 41 cases. Five factors found to be significantly different (P < .05) between counselors and administrators were: Factor C (Emotional vs Mature, Calm), Factor G (Expedient vs Conscientious), Factor I (Tough-Minded vs Tender-Minded), Factor L (Trusting vs Suspicious), and Factor N (Forthright vs Shrewd).     

Profiles of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: A person-centered approach to motivation and achievement in middle school

The present study was designed to identify and evaluate naturally-occurring combinations of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Cluster analysis revealed four distinct motivational profiles based on a sample of middle-school students (N = 343): those with high levels of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations (high quantity), low levels of both types of motivation (low quantity), high intrinsic coupled with low extrinsic motivation (good quality) and low intrinsic coupled with high extrinsic motivation (poor quality). Across two time points, students in the good quality cluster received higher grades than their peers in other clusters with poorer quality motivation, even if that motivation was present in high quantities. An examination of shifts in motivational profiles over the course of a school year revealed an intriguing balance of stability and change. Consistent with variable-centered research, movement tended to be away from the good quality and high quantity clusters and toward the poor quality and low quantity clusters.