Mediators of Neighborhood Influences on Externalizing Behavior in Preadolescent Children

This study tested a mediation model of neighborhood influences on children’s externalizing behavior. In the proposed model, neighborhood disadvantage, ethnic heterogeneity, and low residential stability affect children’s behavior indirectly through their impact on neighborhood social processes, which in turn influence parenting and deviant peer affiliations. A community sample of 704 preadolescents (76% African American, 22% Caucasian) and their parents and teachers provided information for the study. Neighborhood concentrated poverty, derived from the 2000 U.S. Census, was positively associated with children’s externalizing behavior. This effect was fully mediated by neighborhood social processes and parenting quality, while deviant peer affiliations made independent contributions to problem behavior. The final mediation model explained children’s externalizing behavior equally well across gender and ethnicity, suggesting the presence of universal processes.     

Achievement Motivation and Type A Behavior as Motivational Orientations

This study investigated the relationships among achievement motivation, Type A behavior, and motivational orientation in a sample of college undergraduates. Employing a content analytic scoring system to assess intrinsic and extrinsic motivational orientations in open-ended material, intrinsic orientation was associated with achievement motivation and extrinsic orientation with Type A behavior. Supplementary analyses revealed a linkage between Type A behavior and instrumental concerns about interpersonal superiority and prestige. The findings help to bridge previously disparate research traditions in dispositional achievement behavior and contextual motivational orientation.     

高等师范生成就动机取向特点的研究

本文以120名在校大学生为研究对象,分析了高等师范生的成就动机取向的特点。研究结果表明：1、高师生的个我取向成就动机明显高于社会取向成就动机;2、高师生成就动机取向的性别差异不明显;3、不同文化背景(城市与农村)学生的成就动机取向无明显差异;4、不同年级学生的成就动机取向无明显差异。     

The Relationship of Achievement Motivation to Entrepreneurial Behavior: A Meta-Analysis

Entrepreneurship is a major factor in the national economy; thus, it is important to understand the motivational characteristics spurring people to become entrepreneurs and why some are more successful than others. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis of the relationship between achievement motivation and variables associated with entrepreneurial behavior. We found that achievement motivation was significantly correlated with both choice of an entrepreneurial career and entrepreneurial performance. Further, we found that both projective and self-report measures of achievement motivation were valid. Finally, known group studies yielded a higher validity coefficient than did individual difference studies.     

The Search for Employment: Motivation to Engage in a Coping Behavior1

The search for employment was examined as coping through engagement in motivated behavior. A model predicting social networking and employer contact behavior was tested with a sample of persons anticipating college graduation. Proposed relations among behavioral antecedents were primarily drawn from Ajzen's (1985) theory of planned behavior, with the addition of cognitively appraised challenge. Structural equations analysis revealed general support for hypothesized relations among attitude, norms, perceived behavioral control, intentions, and behaviors. Cognitively appraised challenge partially mediated the effects of perceived behavioral control on job search intentions. Significant variance in job search attitude was attributed to a valence by outcome expectancy interaction. Findings may be useful in promoting job search efforts, as well as furthering theoretical delineation of the search process.     

师范生成就行为心理素质的调查研究

1　问题的提出　　当前 ,随着素质教育改革的深化 ,教师的素质成为一个越来越突出的问题。要实现素质教育的目标 ,教师仅有专业素质是不够的 ,还必须具备良好的成就行为心理素质 ,即个体在行动时作出正确决策 ,并有效实现目标的行为心理品质 ,只有这样才能更大地发挥潜能及专长。为此我们开展了师范大学学生成就行为心理素质的调查研究 ,以期了解师范生在大学四年中的发展状况 ,为进一步深化高师院校教育改革 ,培养高素质的教育人才提供心理学的依据。2　研究方法　　本研究采用问卷调查法。以年级、性别、系别 (文科、理科、艺术 )为变量考…     

Motivation and Achievement (Book)

The present article reviews recent work with the Sentence Completion Method (SCM) and examines the method's effectiveness as an assessment instrument. Studies in which the SCM was employed in testing hypotheses concerning personality and its development, as well as reports that deal with maladaptive functioning and psychopathology are covered. Also reviewed is some work that investigates the nature of the method itself. The overall conclusion is that the SCM is flexible, readily adaptable in various research and clinical settings, and to be recommended for continuing use and application.     

Women, Motivation, and Achievement

Women's educational and occupational achievements are crucial to the economic productivity and prosperity of the nation, as well as to the mental health of women and their families. In this article we review psychological research on motivation and on educational achievement, focusing on gender and the contributions that have been made by feminist researchers. Feminist psychologists noted the sex bias and methodological flaws in traditional research on achievement motivation and proposed vastly improved models, such as Eccles's expectancy x value model of achievement behavior. Contrary to stereotypes, gender similarities are typically found in areas such as mathematics performance. Policymakers should be concerned about gender bias in the SAT and about the Female Underprediction Effect. Additional threats to girls' and women's achievements include stereotype threat and peer sexual harassment in the schools.     

Implementing Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) With Preteen Children Displaying Problematic Sexual Behavior

Problematic sexual behavior (PSB) is a fairly common presenting concern among preteen children with histories of trauma. Unfortunately, relatively little information about these concerns are provided in training programs and clinicians often report lacking the skills and confidence to intervene when PSB is present. Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), on the other hand, is a well-known and well-validated intervention for children who experienced maltreatment and trauma. Current evidence-based treatment techniques for PSB are primarily cognitive-behavioral in nature and easily delivered within the standard TF-CBT protocol. This paper reviews the empirical and theoretical premises of evidence-based treatment techniques for PSB and discusses how the clinician can implement them within the context of TF-CBT, while maintaining fidelity to the TF-CBT protocol. Conducting an assessment to determine the appropriateness of this form of treatment is examined as well as recommendations on addressing safety issues that may be identified during assessment.     

行为评价对3岁儿童掌控动机的影响

运用情境实验法,考察了71名3岁儿童掌控动机的基本特点及行为评价对其影响。结果发现:3岁儿童:(1)对新奇玩具具有强烈的掌控动机;(2)丰富的视听反馈会更加激发其探索与操控;(3)当成人对其探索行为有积极评价时,儿童获得更多愉悦感;(4)掌控成败体验出现;(5)积极评价可增强掌控成功时的兴趣感,缓解失败后的不良情绪;(6)多数(94.42%)儿童愿意尝试挑战,并能坚持较长时间以期成功,但坚持性存在个体差异。     

成就动机和性别对风险倾向的预测作用

研究通过对等同绝对值(CE)的比较将冒险倾向转换为可以量化比较的变量,旨在探讨成就动机和性别在经济获益和损失的各种概率情景下对冒险倾向的预测作用。结果发现,高低成就动机组并没有表现出冒险倾向的显著差异。进一步的相关分析发现,成就动机中的回避失败维度与获益情景下的冒险倾向相关显著,而追求成功维度与各个情景下的相关都不显著。以回避失败维度聚类得到的高低回避失败组,体现出来的冒险倾向趋势显示高回避失败组的被试在获益低概率、获益中等概率、获益高概率、损失低概率、损失中等概率和损失高概率6种情景下都更加回避冒险,而且两组等同绝对值中位数的差异在获益中等概率和获益高概率两种情况下达到显著。另外,冒险倾向的性别差异只在损失中等概率和损失高概率两种情景中达到显著,这两种情况下都是女性更冒险,这与传统的女性更保守的刻板印象不同。     

Appraisal and Coping as Mediators of the Effects of Cumulative Risk on Preadolescent Adjustment

This study examined the concurrent and longitudinal relations among cumulative risk, appraisal, coping, and adjustment. Longitudinal path models were tested in a community sample of 316 children in preadolescence to examine hypotheses that threat appraisal and avoidant coping mediate the effects of cumulative risk on child adjustment, whereas positive appraisal and active coping were hypothesized to predict better adjustment independently. Children and their mothers were assessed during in-home interviews at three time points at one-year intervals. Children reported on appraisal and coping strategies. Mothers and children reported on child adjustment problems and positive adjustment. Rank-order changes in appraisal and coping predicted rank-order changes in adjustment. Cumulative risk was concurrently related to higher threat appraisal and avoidant coping at each time point. Threat appraisal and avoidant coping mediated the relations of cumulative risk to rank-order changes in adjustment. There is specificity in the relations of cumulative risk to threat appraisal and avoidant coping, whereas positive appraisal and active coping are independent of risk and operate as individual resource factors.     

Long Term Child-Centered Play Therapy Effects on Academic Achievement with Normal Functioning Children

This follow up study with 23 normal functioning 1st graders examined the long-term effectiveness of Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) on academic achievement. Through the use of a one-way repeated measures analysis of variance, researchers examined the use of CCPT from pre-intervention to mid-intervention (16 sessions) to post-intervention (26 sessions). Results indicated that children who participated in 26 sessions of CCPT demonstrated statistically significant improvement on the Early Achievement Composite as measured on the Young Children’s Achievement Test (YCAT), along with increases in the Reading, Mathematics, and Spoken Language subscales. Participants showed statistically consistent improvement in academic scores of the full duration of the study. Overall, the findings imply that CCPT as a long term method can support academic achievement in the school system with normal functioning 1st grade students. The outcome suggests long term CCPT is an intervention for elementary/primary school counselors to use with children who have emotional or academic needs. The findings open the door for school counselors or outside professionals to use play therapy with children in the school system as a way of providing academic support and thereby promoting the field of play therapy in the school system.     

Coping strategies and leadership in the adaptation to social change: The Israeli Kibbutz

This research assessed adaptation to community change in the Israeli kibbutz. A sample of 270 kibbutz members provided self-reports on their perception of the leaders of the change, change appraisals, coping strategies, and assessment of change outcomes. The main results showed that the perception of transformational leadership was negatively related to threat/loss and positively related to challenge/controllability appraisals; challenge/controllability appraisals were related positively to problem-focused coping and positive affect, whereas threat/loss appraisals were related positively to emotion-focused coping and negative affect. The findings contribute to an understanding of the stress and coping processes during a major change in a communal way of life, and underline the importance of leadership perception as a resource that contributes to better adaptation.     

Implicit Theories and Achievement Behavior

Some commentators dismiss Arkes and Tetlock (this issue) on two grounds that we regard as specious, namely that we are either (a) political apologists for covert bigotry-the soft-on-racism charge raised by Sears (this issue) or (b) psychological na?fs who cling to obsolete definitions of attitudes and prejudice-the scientific incompetence charge raised by both Banaji, Nosek, and Greenwald (this issue) and Wittenbrink (this issue). To move the debate beyond such caricatures, the scholarly community must eventually confront the specific empirical objections that Arkes and Tetlock raised about how construct-validational work is done (whether researchers are giving fair weight to ideologically dissonant alternative explanations) and the specific logical objections that Arkes and Tetlock raise about the blurring of fact-value distinctions (whether psychological theory is advanced by researchers' opining on the political defensibility of their research participants' opinions).     

Motivation in Masters sport: Achievement and social goals

ObjectiveThis study examined the collective relationships amongst achievement goals, social goals and motivational correlates in Masters sport.MethodThe participants were 373 (184 females; 189 males) Masters athletes from six sports. Ages ranged from 29 years to 77 years (mean=48 years). Cluster analysis was employed to identify ‘goal profiles’ of two achievement goals (task and ego) and three social goals (affiliation, recognition, status). MANOVA was employed to examine the goal profiles for differences on self-perceptions, affect, and motivation.ResultsFive goal profiles were identified and labeled as follows: Cluster 1 (Lo-Aff) low affiliation, moderate task, ego, status, and recognition; Cluster 2 (Lo-Val) low ego, status, and recognition, moderate task and affiliation; Cluster 3 (Hi-Social) high affiliation and status, moderate recognition and task, and low ego; Cluster 4 (Lo-Ach) low task and ego, moderate affiliation, status, and recognition; and Cluster 5 (Hi-Ach) high task, ego, and recognition, moderate affiliation and status. MANOVA revealed that Cluster 3 (Hi-Social) was highest on enjoyment and perceived belonging, while Clusters 3 and 5 (Hi-Ach) were highest on intrinsic motivation, commitment, and perceived ability. Clusters 1 (Lo-Aff) and 4 (Lo-Ach) had lower levels of enjoyment and commitment.ConclusionIn general, these Masters athletes enjoyed their participation, they were committed, they had high perceptions of ability and belonging, and they were predominantly intrinsically motivated. The implications of these motivational profiles for Masters athletes are discussed from both theoretical and applied perspectives.     

情绪对成就动机与风险决策关系的调节效应

本研究在验证成就动机对风险决策倾向的预测作用的基础上,进一步探索情绪在成就动机和风险决策关系中的调节效应。通过对三所学校随机抽取的150名被试进行筛选,采用成就动机量表和自编风险决策任务问卷等对120名有效被试实施问卷调查。结果发现：情绪启动使大学生风险决策行为产生一致性效应,即心境一致性;情绪在成就动机和风险决策中起到了一定的调节作用,无论是高成就动机者还是低成就动机者,在愉悦情绪下都表现出更多的风险寻求倾向,并达到了极其显著的水平,而在悲伤情绪下,低成就动机者表现出更多的风险规避,高成就动机者的风险规避倾向虽有所增加,但并未达到显著水平。     

The Prediction of Achievement Motivation Using Performance and Attributional Variables

This study was designed to predict achievement motivation with attributions and performance in English course work among 346 ninth-grade boys and girls. Multiple regression analysis indicated that attribution of success to ability was the best predictor of achievement motivation. This finding diverges from previous work that supports the hypothesis that attribution of success to effort is a better predictor. The use of performance as an indicator variable showed that nonfailing students had higher levels of achievement motivation than did failing students.     

动机归因理论在成人学习中的应用

随着我国终身教育和学习化社会进程的推进,成人学习者的继续学习对社会发展具有重要意义。但由于在实际学习过程中存在着不可避免的学习障碍,成人学习者在遇到学习困难时的归因倾向直接影响他们的学习动机和学习效率。本文以韦纳的动机归因理论为基础,将着重阐述成人学习动机特点、成人学习动机归因中的现状及问题,并从成人教育者出发提出促进成人学习者恰当归因的建议,从而促进他们学习动机的增强。     

Self-compassion,Achievement Goals,and Coping with Academic Failure

Stress-buffering effects of high self-complexity can be explained by two different theoretical models. According to the affective spillover model (Linville, ), a large number of independent self-aspects prevents a generalization of affect after negative but also after positive events. According to the self-regulatory processes model, a large number of self-aspects promotes efficient self-regulation, which is restricted to negative events. Effects of negative and positive events on subsequent changes in depression were investigated in a prospective design. Having a large number of self-aspects was found to attenuate adverse effects of negative events on depression, irrespective of the distinctness of the self-aspects. No buffering effects were observed regarding the relation between positive events and depression. The self-regulatory processes model also predicts that for people with a large number of self-aspects, an increasing number of positive experiences should be generated in response to high levels of stress. This prediction was tested and confirmed in a second part of the study.