Predictors of Sextypical and Asextypical Career Choice in College Undergraduates

This study examined potential powerful predictors of sextypical and asextypical career choice in college men and women.     

Enhancing Compassion: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Compassion Cultivation Training Program

Psychosocial interventions often aim to alleviate negative emotional states. However, there is growing interest in cultivating positive emotional states and qualities. One particular target is compassion, but it is not yet clear whether compassion can be trained. A community sample of 100 adults were randomly assigned to a 9-week compassion cultivation training (CCT) program (n = 60) or a waitlist control condition (n = 40). Before and after this 9-week period, participants completed self-report inventories that measured compassion for others, receiving compassion from others, and self-compassion. Compared to the waitlist control condition, CCT resulted in significant improvements in all three domains of compassion—compassion for others, receiving compassion from others, and self-compassion. The amount of formal meditation practiced during CCT was associated with increased compassion for others. Specific domains of compassion can be intentionally cultivated in a training program. These findings may have important implications for mental health and well-being.     

The Psychic Costs of Empathic Engagement: Personal and Demographic Predictors of Genetic Counselor Compassion Fatigue

Empathic connection with one’s patients is essential to genetic counselor clinical practice. However, repeatedly engaging with distressed patients may cause compassion fatigue, a phenomenon characterized as feeling overwhelmed by experiencing patients’ suffering. In order to extend findings of an initial qualitative study, we surveyed 222 genetic counselors about their compassion fatigue and factors that predict its occurrence. Multiple regression analysis identified seven significant predictors accounting for 53.7% of the variance in compassion fatigue. Respondents at higher risk of compassion fatigue were more likely to report being burned out, using self-criticism and giving up to manage stress, experiencing a greater variety of distressing clinical events, having larger patient caseloads, relying on religion as a coping strategy, having no children, and seeking support to manage stress. Respondents also provided critical incidents regarding their compassion fatigue and themes in these incidents are described. Practice and research recommendations are provided.     

Frustration Intolerance Beliefs as Predictors of Emotional Problems in University Undergraduates

The present study examined the relationship between Frustration Intolerance Beliefs as suggested by the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy framework and emotional problems. Data were collected from 332 university undergraduate students (age 19–26) who completed Demographic Information Sheet, Frustration Discomfort Scale and three subscales of Brief Symptom Inventory including depression, anxiety and hostility. The current findings confirmed the association between frustration intolerance and irrational beliefs and their respective roles in psychological distress among non-clinical student population. Results indicated that FDS subscales were differently related to specific emotions as entitlement and emotional intolerance sub-scales were significantly positively associated with depression, anxiety, and hostility while achievement was significantly negatively associated with hostility. The study has implications for counsellors, school psychologists and policy makers as it highlights the importance of rational group and individual counselling of rational ideas to reduce the emotional problems of students hindering their educational and personal growth.     

Friendsickness in the Transition to College: Precollege Predictors and College Adjustment Correlates

In this study friendsickness (preoccupation with and concern for the loss of or change in precollege friendships) is seen as a significant source of distress for college students, affecting college adjustment. A short‐term longitudinal study of college students (N = 70) examined associations between friendsickness, precollege predictors, and dimensions of college adjustment 10 weeks into the first semester. As hypothesized, friendsickness was associated with precollege social concerns, discrepancy between precollege expectations and college experiences, more precollege friends in the college social network, and loneliness and poor self‐esteem in college. Implications for precollege prevention of and college intervention efforts for friendsickness are discussed.     

The Difference Catholic Makes: Catholic Faculty and Catholic Identity

This study examines, for the case of Catholics, the thesis that a "critical mass" of devoted faculty members—50 percent or more, according to the papal document Ex Corde Ecclesia—serves to promote or preserve the religious character of religiously affiliated institutions of higher education. Factor analysis and structural equations are employed to analyze a random sample of faculty members ( n = 1,290) and institutional profiles ( n = 100) of American Catholic colleges and universities. Catholic faculty show higher support for Catholic identity in latent structures of aspiration for improved Catholic distinctiveness, a desire for more theology or philosophy courses, and longer institutional tenure. Institutions having a majority of Catholic faculty exhibit four properties consistent with stronger Catholic identity: a policy of preferential hiring for Catholics ("hiring for mission"), a higher proportion of Catholic students, higher faculty aspiration for Catholic identity, and longer faculty tenure in the institution. These latter two characteristics are not due simply to aggregation, but are stronger, on average, for Catholic faculty when they are in the majority. Preferential hiring marks Catholic identity, but is ineffective to increase the proportion of Catholic faculty. I conclude that the prediction of the critical mass thesis is correct.     

Catholic Disaffiliation in Britain: A Quantitative Overview

This article presents a quantitative assessment of Catholic disaffiliates—those who were brought up Catholic, but who now no longer identify as such—in contemporary Britain. Using British Social Attitudes data, it seeks to: 1) gauge the overall extent of Catholic disaffiliation and its significance relative to the retention/disaffiliation rates of other major Christian groupings; 2) identify patterns in the changing rates of Catholic retention/disaffiliation over the course of the twentieth century; 3) analyse Catholic disaffiliation in terms of key demographic variables (sex and age); 4) compare the current religious beliefs and prayer practices of different groups of Catholic disaffiliates and retainees. As will be argued throughout this article, in-depth study of Catholic disaffiliates sheds important new light on the sociology of Catholicism in modern Britain. Furthermore, it contributes to ongoing discussions of secularisation, precisely as a case study of change over time within a significant religious minority.     

Specific Virtues as Predictors of Smartphone Addiction among Chinese Undergraduates

Smartphones are important communication and technological tools that have become an indispensable part of university students’ lives. Although empirical research has evaluated factors that influence Smartphone addiction, few studies have explored positive and potentially protective factors such as virtues that may increase the efficacy of future Smartphone addiction prevention programs. Thus, this study examined the relationship between three key virtues (i.e., relationship, vitality, and conscientiousness) and Smartphone addiction as well as evaluated the specific contributions of these virtues as applied to Smartphone use among Chinese university students. A total of 682 undergraduates (aged 18–24 years) from three universities completed the 96-item Chinese Virtues Questionnaire and Mobile Phone Addiction Index. Results showed that three virtues were significantly correlated with Smartphone addiction. Specifically, conscientiousness and relationship virtues negatively predicted Smartphone addiction and explained 82.61% of addiction-related variance. Vitality positively predicted Smartphone addiction and accounted for the remaining 17.39% variance. Thus, this study demonstrated that conscientiousness and relationship virtues were potential protective factors for Smartphone addiction, while vitality led to increased vulnerability. Gender-related differences were also discovered. Specifically, male students may be more sensitive to the conscientiousness virtue, while female students may show increased sensitivity to the relationship virtue. Consequently, future efforts to prevent Smartphone addiction could focus on how to enhance conscientiousness and relationship virtues and how to reduce the vitality virtue.     

Nursing Practices in Catholic Healthcare: A Case Study of Nurses in a Catholic Private Hospital

We aimed to investigate Catholic Identity and Mission communication specifically how nurses were expressing the Catholic healthcare values in practice. A mixed-methods, case study design was used and included non-participant observation, a mid-level manager focus group (n = 7) and online surveys (n = 144). Document and observational data analysis revealed the organisation’s commitment to visible indication of Catholic values adherence. Focus group analysis revealed two themes, ‘Catholic values in action’ and ‘taking the extra step’. The impact of Catholic Identity and Mission on nurses and nursing care recipients remains elusive and warrants further understanding.     

Predictors of Distress in Chicana College Students

This study examined the influence of sociocultural variables on distress in bicultural Chicana college students. Results indicated that a higher level of social support is related to lower distress. Findings highlight the importance of family and peer support for Chicana students. Implications for counselors are provided. Este estudio examinó la influencia de variables sociocultural en la anguista de estudiantes colegiales Chicanas bicultural. Los resultados indicaron que el nivel más alto de apoyo social se relaciona para bajar la anguista. Los hallazgos destacan la importancia de apoyo de familia y amistades para estudiantes Chicanas. Las implicaciones para consejeros se proporcionan.     

The Catholic Diocese: A Transversalized Institution

The Catholic Church is built, on the one hand, upon a hierarchical structure and vertical relationships, with stratified duties, centered around an organizational culture which is based on strict obedience to institutional directives and which has a monopoly on the administration of the goods and resources concerning salvation. On the other hand, since the Second Vatican Council, the Church has proposed to incorporate lay people into God's Kingdom, a development which represents an opening to the active participation of diverse groups and a redistribution of access to the goods of salvation. Analysts may take a position one way or the other regarding their definition of the Church, and some even state the existence of a dominant church and a people's church. In contrast to both these perspectives, this paper looks at a methodological and theoretical model for studying diversity within Catholic unity. The model is based on the concept of the 'transversalized institution' as it is applied to the way in which Guadalajara's diocese functions.     

Psychosocial Predictors of Wellness in College Students

The authors examined how the first 6 stages of psychosocial development predict wellness in undergraduate college students using the Measures of Psychosocial Development (Hawley, 1988 ) and the Perceived Wellness Survey (Adams, Bezner, & Steinhardt, 1997 ). Results indicated that 4 of the 6 stages predict wellness in college students. Clinical implications for counselors of this population are provided.     

Predictors of Homophobia in Female College Students

Although much research has investigated predictors of homophobia in males, little attention has been given to the predictors of homophobia in females. The current study investigated how self-esteem, self-discrepancy (how much females think they fit others' expectations of how they should act with respect to gender-stereotyped attributes), and gender-attribute importance (how important gender stereotypes are to their gender identity) related to homophobia in 71 primarily White and middle-class college women. Other predictors evaluated were gender role attitudes, authoritarian attitudes, and extent of contact with lesbians and gay men. Results indicated that unlike for college men, self-discrepancy did not correlate with attitudes toward lesbians. The highest correlations with homophobia for college women were authoritarian attitudes, belief in sex role egalitarianism, degree of contact with gay men and lesbians, and importance of feminine attributes to participant's femininity. The only significant predictor, however, was authoritarian attitudes, which accounted for 62% of the variance.     

Catholic Reflections for an Updated Donum Vitae Instruction: A New Catholic Challenge in a Post-Christian Europe

On February 22, 1987, the Congregation for the Doctrine of theFaith published the Donum Vitae Instruction. Twenty years later,on February 22, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI asked for an updateof this Instruction. According to the Donum Vitae Instructionof 1987, the principle of the holiness of life imposes respectfor human persons from the very beginning of human life. Inthese past 20 years, new medical techniques have raised freshethical issues that are to be addressed by the Roman CatholicChurch Magisterium. The Roman Catholic Church, in its updateof the Instruction planned for 2007, will have to explain howcivil law is to be regulated according to the fundamental normsof the moral law. The moral message of the new Donum Vitae (justas in the 1987 version) will be to affirm the substance of humanjustice: respect for human life, as expressed in the resolvenot to infringe on, or to protect such life. Even in a post-ChristianEurope, this theological message can be understood if it istrue that Europe is marked by the principle of the absoluteprotection of human life.     

Cognitive-Based Compassion Training: A Promising Prevention Strategy for At-Risk Adolescents

Compared to the general population, youth in foster care experience multiple psychosocial difficulties due to exceptionally high rates of maltreatment. Many youth in care receive psychological and/or psychotropic treatment but not all require or are willing to accept that level of intervention. For many, a “mental health” approach feels pathologizing. Nevertheless, these youth have suffered maltreatment and interventions to improve their ability to cope with past trauma and their often uncertain present are clearly needed. Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT) provides an alternative perspective on suffering and can be framed as a wellness intervention that is appropriate for all humans. The present study examined whether a 6-week CBCT intervention would improve psychosocial functioning among adolescents in foster care. Seventy adolescents were randomized to CBCT (twice weekly) or a wait-list condition. Youth were assessed at baseline and after 6 weeks. Groups did not differ on measures of psychosocial functioning following training; however practice frequency was associated with increased hopefulness and a trend for a decrease in generalized anxiety. Qualitative results indicated that participants found CBCT useful for dealing with daily life stressors. Adolescents in care were willing to engage in CBCT. The majority reported CBCT was very helpful and almost all reported they would recommend CBCT to a friend. Participants reported specific instances of using CBCT strategies to regulate emotion, manage stress, or to respond more compassionately towards others. Standardized self-report measures were not sensitive to qualitative reports of improved functioning, suggesting the need for measures more sensitive to the positive changes noted or longer training periods to demonstrate effects. Practical issues surrounding implementation of such programs in high-risk youth populations are identified. Recommendations are provided for further development.     

Individual and Environmental Predictors of College Adjustment: Prevention and Intervention

In this study, an ecological model was used to expand the current understanding of what contributes to college adjustment. Individual and environmental variables, and their relative contributions to college adjustment, were explored. This study also included the additional feature of the examination of environmental variables as possible mediators between the individual variables and college adjustment. The sample included 240 college freshmen at a large urban university. As predicted, both groups of variables accounted for significant proportions of variance in college adjustment. Further, the combination of both groups explained a greater proportion of variance than did either group alone. Maladaptive coping and perceived university environment were the most essential to college adjustment. Surprisingly, social support and gender were not essential for college adjustment. However, the environmental variables proved to be significant partial mediators between the individual variables and college adjustment. Finally, possible interventions and suggestions for future research are outlined.