Relationships between quality of life and finding benefits in a diagnosis of colorectal cancer

This longitudinal study investigated relations between benefit‐finding domains and outcome measures. Participants were 1,757 individuals diagnosed with colorectal cancer. A written questionnaire and telephone interview were completed at 5‐months (Time 1) and 12‐months post‐diagnosis (Time 2). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed three psychometrically sound factors: personal growth, interpersonal growth, and acceptance. Results of regression analyses were conducted and found that Time 1 benefit‐finding domains accounted for significant amounts of variance in Time 1 positive affect and cancer‐related quality of life (both the aggregate score and its social/family, functional, and colorectal cancer‐specific well‐being subscales). Time 1 personal growth also predicted Time 1 psychological distress. After controlling for Time 1 positive affect, personal growth continued to predict Time 2 positive affect. Results delineate the benefit‐finding domains in the context of colorectal cancer and their differential links with outcome measures cross‐sectionally, and longitudinally. These findings have implications for theory building and the measurement of benefit‐finding.     

Two Dimensions of Attachment to God and Their Relation to Affect, Religiosity, and Personality Constructs

In this study we sought to address several limitations of previous research on attachment theory and religion by (1) developing a dimensional attachment to God scale, and (2) demonstrating that dimensions of attachment to God are predictive of measures of affect and personality after controlling for social desirability and other related dimensions of religiosity. Questionnaire measures of these constructs were completed by a sample of university students and community adults (total n = 374). Consistent with prior research on adult romantic attachment, two dimensions of attachment to God were identified: avoidance and anxiety . After statistically controlling for social desirability, intrinsic religiousness, doctrinal orthodoxy, and loving God image, anxious attachment to God remained a significant predictor of neuroticism , negative affect , and (inversely) positive affect ; avoidant attachment to God remained a significant inverse predictor of religious symbolic immortality and agreeableness . These findings are evidence that correlations between attachment to God and measures of personality and affect are not merely byproducts of confounding effects of socially desirable responding or other dimensions of religiosity.     

Six-year change in affect optimization and affect complexity across the adult life span: a further examination

This study examines the life course of 2 independent components of adult affective development, 1 aimed at differentiation and complexity, the other aimed at optimization and positive emotional balance. These 2 components are predicted to have different developmental trajectories over the adult life span and to become related in a compensatory fashion under conditions of resource restrictions, such as those related to late life. Using individual growth curve estimation, we modeled 6-year longitudinal changes in the 2 components in a total sample of 388 individuals ranging in age from 15 to 88 years. As predicted, initial level of affect optimization was positively associated with age up to late middle age with a subsequent leveling off; individual rates of change were found to decelerate with age up to age 60 years and accelerate again around age 80 years. For affect complexity, initial level of affect complexity was positively associated with age up to age 45 years and negatively associated with age from then on, whereas individual rates of change were negatively associated with age, and this association tended to get stronger with age.     

Perceiving one's romantic partner: Schema structure and affective extremity

Abstract

This study attempted to extend research on cognitive structure and affective extremity to help understand the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. Individual members of dating couple relationships (n = 51) described their partners in a card-sorting task used to assess cognitive complexity and completed measures of affect in their relationships. Contrary to earlier studies that had found a number of cognitive dimensions to play a large rok in judgemental extremity, the redundancy of the dimensions (i.e. whether unique or the same attributes were used to describe different facets of the partner) was most important. Greater redundancy in a perceiver's cognitive representation of the partner was associated with greater perceived likelihood of remaining with the partner, and greater positive affect and less negative affect being felt toward the parnter.     

Two ways to be complex and why they matter: implications for attitude strength and lying

Integrative complexity broadly measures the structural complexity of statements. This breadth, although beneficial in multiple ways, can potentially hamper the development of specific theories. In response, the authors developed a model of complex thinking, focusing on 2 different ways that people can be complex within the integrative complexity system and subsequently developed measurements of each of these 2 routes: Dialectical complexity focuses on a dialectical tension between 2 or more competing perspectives, whereas elaborative complexity focuses on complexly elaborating on 1 singular perspective. The authors posit that many variables have different effects on these 2 forms of complexity and subsequently test this idea in 2 different theoretical domains. In Studies 1a, 1b, and 2, the authors demonstrate that variables related to attitude strength (e.g., domain importance, extremism, domain accessibility) decrease dialectical complexity but increase elaborative complexity. In Study 3, the authors show that counterattitudinal lying decreases dialectical complexity but increases elaborative complexity, implicating a strategic (as opposed to a cognitive strain) view of the lying-complexity relationship. The authors argue that this dual demonstration across 2 different theoretical domains helps establish the utility of the new model and measurements as well as offer the potential to reconcile apparent conflicts in the area of cognitive complexity.     

Police officer job satisfaction in relation to mood,well-being,and alcohol consumption

The authors examined job satisfaction, job stress, and thoughts of quitting in relation to positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, self-esteem, and alcohol consumption among police officers. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed that 2 dimensions, positive affect and negative affect, provided a clear family-tree organizational framework for representing the otherwise confusing pattern of associations between job and well-being variables. Job satisfaction was primarily associated with positive affect, life satisfaction, and self-esteem; job stress was primarily associated with negative affect and alcohol consumption; thoughts of quitting had moderate loadings on both factors. The 2-dimensional framework may prove useful as a guide in reviewing research in this field and in selecting constructs and measures for inclusion in future research.     

Most People are Pretty Happy,but There is Cultural Variation: The Inughuit,The Amish,and The Maasai

Diener and Diener (1996; Psychological Science 7: 181–185) suggested that most people are happy, and offered support for this claim from surveys in industrialized societies. We extend their findings to include people who lead materially simple lives and live in cultures far removed from those of typical survey respondents. We found that the Kenyan Maasai, the United States Amish, and the Greenlandic Inughuit, all reported positive levels of life satisfaction, domain satisfaction, and affect balance (more frequent positive emotions than negative ones). Across satisfaction and affect measures, including methods in addition to global self-reports, our 358 respondents from these cultures were one average, positive on all 54 scales, and significantly above neutral on 53 of them. Across all measures and samples 84% of participants scored above neutral. However, nobody was perfectly happy and satisfied, and the groups reported unique configurations of satisfaction and affect. Although all three groups were high in satisfaction with so cial domains, the Amish reported lower satisfaction with self-related domains, and the Maasai and Inughuit were relatively lower in satisfaction with material domains. All three groups reported frequent positive emotions, but only the Maasai reported frequent feelings of pride. Thus, the fact that most people tend to be moderately happy does not mean that they are ecstatic, or that there is no variation across cultures in happiness.     

Complexity of health care needs and interactions in multidisciplinary medical teams

By using an information processing and social identity approach, this study examines the relationships between the complexity of the health care needs of a patient and (1) the interactions among physicians during team meetings and (2) how the meeting participants evaluate the discussion. Three dimensions of the complexity of the health care needs are related to the interactive behaviour of medical specialists during meetings of multidisciplinary medical teams. Three medical teams from a Dutch university hospital, each discussing a total of 40 patients, were observed. The results show that component complexity was positively related to the amount of information team members exchanged, to positive reactions, and to the positive evaluation of the discussion. Two other dimensions (interrelatedness of needs and ambiguity) have to be considered in concert: interrelatedness was positively related to negative reactions but only if ambiguity was low; and, further, ambiguity was positively related to evaluative behaviour and to positive reactions, and negatively to the evaluation of the discussion, but only if interrelatedness was low.     

Breadth and intensity: Salient,separable, and developmentally significant dimensions of structured youth activity involvement

In recent years, an impressive volume of evidence has accumulated demonstrating that youth involvement in structured, organized activities (e.g. school sports, community clubs) may facilitate positive youth development. We present a theory‐based framework for studying structured activity involvement (SAI) as a context for positive youth development based on two key dimensions: breadth and intensity of involvement. Our main goal is to demonstrate the separability, salience, and developmental significance of these two dimensions. We review three developmental theoretical approaches (identity development, life‐span selection–optimization–compensation theory, and affordances) that support our conceptualization of breadth and intensity as salient and significant dimensions of SAI. We also summarize our recent program of research on SAI demonstrating the separability of breadth and intensity dimensions, which shows links between these dimensions and indicators of positive development. Finally, we discuss how the proposed breadth‐intensity approach could be used to extend research on the linkage between youth SAI and successful development.     

Negative Psychological Effects of Selection Methods: Construct Formulation and an Empirical Investigation into an Assessment Center

This paper defines and formulates the construct of negative psychological effects (NPEs) of selection and assessment methods upon applicants. The results of an empirical study into NPEs in an operational assessment center are also reported. Applicants (n=107) completed measures at three timepoints: Time 1 (just before the AC), Time 2 (immediately after the AC but before outcome decisions were known), and Time 3 (6 months after the AC). Both accepted and rejected candidates completed all three measures, which included self‐esteem, mental health, positive and negative affect, and career exploration behavior. No evidence of NPEs was found for rejected candidates despite significant between‐group differences on feedback reactions level items. Interestingly, well‐being and positive affect declined slightly for successful candidates at subsequent measurement compared against baseline Time 1 norms. Reactions level outcomes did, however, differ significantly between accepted and rejected candidates, with the latter rating feedback dimensions far less favorably. These results are discussed in relation to future research into the psychological impact of selection procedures upon candidates and the need for applied psychologists and HR practitioners to demonstrate that assessment methods do not exhibit NPEs upon applicants.     

Retail employees' self-efficacy and hope predicting their positive affect and creativity

The study shows how retail employees' self-efficacy and hope predict their creativity, both directly and through the mediating role of positive affect. Five hundred and seven retail employees reported their hope, self-efficacy, and positive affect, their supervisors reporting their creativity. Three main findings are: (1) hope and self-efficacy predict creativity; (2) positive affect also predicts creativity; (3) positive affect partially mediates the relationship between both dimensions of positive psychological capital (self-efficacy and hope), and creativity. The study suggests that retail organizations may foster employees' creativity by encouraging conditions that cultivate employees' hope and self-efficacy, as well as their positive affect.     

Benefit finding in multiple sclerosis and associations with positive and negative outcomes.

This study examined the direct and stress-buffering effects of benefit finding on positive and negative outcomes. A total of 502 people with multiple sclerosis completed a questionnaire at Time 1 and, 3 months later, at Time 2 (n = 404). Measures of illness were collected at Time 1, and number of problems, stress appraisal, benefit finding, subjective health, and negative (global distress, negative affect) and positive (life satisfaction, positive affect, dyadic adjustment) outcomes were measured at Time 2. Factor analyses showed the Benefit Finding scale to have 2 dimensions: Personal Growth and Family Relations Growth. Hierarchical regressions showed that after controlling for the effects of demographics, illness, problems, and appraisal, benefit finding showed strong direct effects on the positive outcomes. Benefit finding did not have a direct effect on distress or subjective health but had a weak association with negative affect. Family Relations Growth had a stress-buffering effect on distress.     

Culture and the Structure of Affect: A Bifactor Modeling Approach

This paper tested the impact of culture on the basic structure of affect. It examined positive affect and negative affect at three levels of activation in the U.S. and China. It used a well-suited tool, the bifactor model, to separate the common variance shared by all types of affect from the variance unique to each. The findings indicate that the structure of affect is different cross-culturally. In the U.S., the most fundamental dimension is defined by moderate activation of positive affect and negative affect, which is the largely bipolar dimension of pleasure-displeasure, whereas in China, it is defined by moderate activation of positive affect only, which is pleasure. In both cultures, negative affect across levels of activation forms another important dimension. Beyond these basic dimensions, secondary dimensions are also identified in both cultures: high activation positive affect, low activation positive affect, and low activation negative affect. They form relatively weak unique factors, independent of the two basic dimensions, suggesting that they are largely mixtures of the basic dimensions.     

Affect, personality, and social activity.

These studies examined relations between social activity and state and trait measures of Positive and Negative Affect. In Study 1 Ss completed scales relevant to 3-factor models of personality and a weekly mood and social activity questionnaire for 13 weeks. In Study 2 Ss completed measures of the 5-factor model of personality and a daily mood and social activity survey for 6-7 weeks. In within- and between-Ss analyses, socializing correlated significantly with state measures of Positive Affect and with trait measures of Extraversion/Positive Emotionality. These relations were relatively general across various types of positive affect and social events; however, specific types of social events also were differentially related to affect. In contrast, social activity had no consistent association with measures of Negative Affect or the other personality dimensions. The results support a temperamental view of Extraversion.     

Clarifying the Relation Between Extraversion and Positive Affect

This article clarifies two sources of ambiguity surrounding the relation between extraversion and positive affect. First, positive affect is defined differently across major models of the structure of affect. Second, no previous research has examined potentially diverging associations of lower‐order aspects of extraversion (i.e., assertiveness and enthusiasm) with positive affect. Australian (Study 1: N = 437, 78% female, M_age = 20.41) and American (Study 2: N = 262, 39% female, M_age = 33.86) participants completed multiple measures of extraversion and positive affect. Correlations were employed to examine relations among these measures. In both studies, extraversion was most clearly associated with positive affect as conceptualized within a major factor model of affect—specifically, as positive activation (Watson & Tellegen, 1985)—rather than the valence‐based conceptualization of positive affect provided by a circumplex model of affect (Russell, 1980). This was also the case for the assertiveness and enthusiasm aspects of extraversion. Our findings clarify the nature of the positive affective component of extraversion, which is best described in terms of both positive valence and high activation.     

大学生性别自我概念的结构

同时运用外显的自陈式量表和自行设计的内隐联想测验来研究大学生的性别自我概念 ,结果表明 :(1)运用内隐联想测验来测量内隐性别自我概念是可靠、有效、敏感的 ;(2 )在性别自我概念的内隐层面上 ,性别差异十分显著 ;在性别自我概念的外显层面上 ,除了女性正性量表外 ,其他量表上均未表现出显著的差异。 (3)性别自我概念是一个双重的结构 :包括一个内隐的性别自我概念和一个外显的性别自我概念 ,前者是一个一维的未分化的结构 ,后者是一个两维的结构 ,并且二者相对独立     

主观幸福感的结构及其与人格特质的关系

以239名大学生为被试,考察了主观幸福感(SWB)的结构及其与人格特质的关系。分析表明,SWB由生活满意度、积极情感和消极情感三个相关的维度构成,而且它们可以共同负荷于一个高阶因子。外倾和神经质是SWB的重要预测指标,积极情感的主要预测指标是外倾,神经质则是消极情感最有力的预测指标,而外倾和神经质对消极情感和生活满意度有相同的预测力。情感平衡是外倾和神经质影响生活满意度的中介变量。     

Categorical invariance and structural complexity in human concept learning

An alternative account of human concept learning based on an invariance measure of the categorical stimulus is proposed. The categorical invariance model (CIM) characterizes the degree of structural complexity of a Boolean category as a function of its inherent degree of invariance and its cardinality or size. To do this we introduce a mathematical framework based on the notion of a Boolean differential operator on Boolean categories that generates the degrees of invariance (i.e., logical manifold) of the category in respect to its dimensions. Using this framework, we propose that the structural complexity of a Boolean category is indirectly proportional to its degree of categorical invariance and directly proportional to its cardinality or size. Consequently, complexity and invariance notions are formally unified to account for concept learning difficulty. Beyond developing the above unifying mathematical framework, the CIM is significant in that: (1) it precisely predicts the key learning difficulty ordering of the SHJ [Shepard, R. N., Hovland, C. L., & Jenkins, H. M. (1961). Learning and memorization of classifications. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 75(13), 1-42] Boolean category types consisting of three binary dimensions and four positive examples; (2) it is, in general, a good quantitative predictor of the degree of learning difficulty of a large class of categories (in particular, the 41 category types studied by Feldman [Feldman, J. (2000). Minimization of Boolean complexity in human concept learning. Nature, 407, 630-633]); (3) it is, in general, a good quantitative predictor of parity effects for this large class of categories; (4) it does all of the above without free parameters; and (5) it is cognitively plausible (e.g., cognitively tractable).