Testing the Francis Burnout Inventory among Anglican clergy in England

ABSTRACT

Drawing on the classic model of balanced affect, the Francis Burnout Inventory (FBI) conceptualised good work-related psychological health among religious leaders in terms of negative affect being balanced by positive affect. In the FBI negative affect is assessed by the Scale of Emotional Exhaustion in Ministry (SEEM) and positive affect is assessed by the Satisfaction in Ministry Scale (SIMS). A sample of 99 Anglican clergy serving in a rural diocese in the Church of England (75 men and 24 women) completed SEEM and SIMS together with the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) as an independent measure of wellbeing. The results confirm the hypothesis that high SIMS scores reduced the negative effects of high SEEM scores on the independent measure of wellbeing.     

Work-Related Psychological Health Among Clergy Serving in The Presbyterian Church (USA): Testing the Idea of Balanced Affect

Drawing on the classic model of balanced affect, the Francis Burnout Inventory (FBI) conceptualises good work-related psychological health among clergy in terms of negative affect being balanced by positive affect. In a random sample of 744 clergy (539 clergymen and 205 clergywomen) serving in The Presbyterian Church (USA), negative affect was assessed by the Scale of Emotional Exhaustion in Ministry (SEEM) and positive affect was assessed by the Satisfaction in Ministry Scale (SIMS). At the same time, burnout was independently assessed using self-report measures of overall health and burnout, and by the extraversion and neuroticism scales of Eysenck’s dimensional model of personality. These independent measures of burnout indicated higher burnout among those who were emotionally exhausted and lower burnout among those who had high levels of satisfaction with their ministry. Crucially for proving the idea of balanced affect, there was a significant interaction between the effects of SEEM and SIMS scores on these independent measures of burnout, showing that the mitigating effects of positive affect on burnout increased with increasing levels of negative affect.     

Clergy Burnout: Two Different Measures

A modified form of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used alongside the Francis Burnout Inventory’s two scales—the Scale of Emotional Exhaustion in Ministry (SEEM) and the Satisfaction in Ministry Scale (SIMS)—and the shorter form of Eysenck’s Revised Personality Questionnaire. The respondents were Anglican clergy in England and Wales in their seventh year in ministry. SEEM and SIMS were shown to map onto the same personality constructs as the MBI. This suggests that the Francis Burnout Inventory can be used satisfactorily to measure clergy burnout.     

A confirmatory factor analysis of the Francis Burnout Inventory: preliminary psychometric support to a replicable two factor model of the Italian version

ABSTRACT

This study set out to examine the properties of the revised version of the Francis Burnout Inventory (FBI) among Catholic priests and religious sisters in Italy. The psychometric properties of the FBI were examined in two phases. Phase 1 demonstrated the instrument's factorial validity and internal consistency of two derived dimensions (the Scale of Emotional Exhaustion in Ministry and the Satisfaction in Ministry Scale), with a sample of Catholic priests and religious sisters coming from Lazio, a region around Rome in Italy (N?=?156). In Phase 2, the FBI dimensionality was cross-validated using confirmatory factor analysis with Catholic priests and religious sisters coming from all over Italy (N?=?287). Alpha and stability coefficients computed with this sample provided further evidence for the FBI's reliability. Implications for work-related health are included.     

Religion,Personality, and Well-being: The Relationship Between Church Attendance and Purpose in Life

A sample of 517 first-year, undergraduate students attending an Anglican College in Wales completed the Purpose-in-Life Scale (PILS) together with the short-form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQR) and a measure of church attendance. After controlling for individual differences in personality, the data demonstrate a significant positive correlation between church attendance and scores on the PILS. A growing body of evidence indicates that attendance at religious services tends to promote the psychological wellbeing of college students.     

Symptom-positively and -negatively worded items in two popular self-report inventories of anxiety and depression.

Substantially higher mean scores on symptom-negatively versus symptom-positively worded items have consistently been reported in the literature for the balanced State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. In this study we aimed to replicate and extend these findings to Dutch trait versions of the inventory and Zung's similarly balanced Self-rating Depression Scale. Analysis indicated significantly higher mean subscale scores for symptom-negative as opposed to symptom-positive items of both measures, across sexes and age groups as well as across different levels of distress in nonclinical (n = 863), subclinical (n = 450), and clinical subject samples (n = 96). Sex and age differences were mainly confirmed to symptom-positive subscales. Scale intercorrelations were lowest between symptom-positively and symptom-negatively worded scales both within and across measures. Factor analyzing the combined measures identified a symptom-negative and a symptom-positive factor, tentatively labeled "absence of positive affect" and "presence of negative affect." Several explanations of the findings among which item-intensity specificity, the response style of social desirability, and the trait model of positive and negative affectivity are discussed.     

Affective facial expression in sub-clinically depressed and non-depressed mothers during contingent and non-contingent face-to-face interactions with their infants

BackgroundDepression in the postpartum period involves feelings of sadness, anxiety and irritability, and attenuated feelings of pleasure and comfort with the infant. Even mild- to- moderate symptoms of depression seem to have an impact on caregivers affective availability and contingent responsiveness. The aim of the present study was to investigate non-depressed and sub-clinically depressed mothers interest and affective expression during contingent and non-contingent face-to-face interaction with their infant.MethodsThe study utilized a double video (DV) set-up. The mother and the infant were presented with live real-time video sequences, which allowed for mutually responsive interaction between the mother and the infant (Live contingent sequences), or replay sequences where the interaction was set out of phase (Replay non-contingent sequences). The DV set-up consisted of five sequences: Live1-Replay1-Live2-Replay2-Live3. Based on their scores on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the mothers were divided into a non-depressed and a sub-clinically depressed group (EPDS score ≥ 6).ResultsA three-way split-plot ANOVA showed that the sub-clinically depressed mothers displayed the same amount of positive and negative facial affect independent of the quality of the interaction with the infants. The non-depressed mothers displayed more positive facial affect during the non-contingent than the contingent interaction sequences, while there was no such effect for negative facial affect.ConclusionsThe results indicate that sub-clinically level depressive symptoms influence the mothers’ affective facial expression during early face-to-face interaction with their infants. One of the clinical implications is to consider even sub-clinical depressive symptoms as a risk factor for mother-infant relationship disturbances.     

Emotion regulation mediates the effects of temperament traits and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms on affect in motor vehicle accident survivors

ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to investigate the associations among temperament traits postulated by the Regulative Theory of Temperament (RTT), posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSD symptoms), emotion regulation strategies, and affect in the 280 motor vehicle survivors (MVA).MethodsTemperament was measured with the Formal Characteristics of Behaviour–Temperament Inventory (FCB-TI), the level of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms was assessed by the PTSD Clinical Inventory (PTSD-C), emotion regulation was tested with the Polish adaptation of the Inventory of Cognitive Affect Regulation Strategies (ICARUS), and affect was evaluated by the Polish version of the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS).ResultsGreater emotional reactivity was associated with grater negative affect (also by maladaptive regulation) and lower positive affect whereas greater activity was linked to grater positive affect (also via adaptive regulation). Furthermore, greater PTSD symptoms were related to greater negative affect (also through maladaptive regulation) and lower positive affect. However, PTSD symptoms were not linked to adaptive regulation strategies.ConclusionThe findings significantly extends our current knowledge on the associations among temperament traits, PTSD symptoms, emotion regulation strategies, and affect in the motor vehicle survivors.     

Comparing static and dynamic measures of affect intensity and affective lability: do they measure the same thing?

This was the first study to our knowledge to examine whether dispositional scales of affect intensity and affective lability map on to corresponding momentary affective dynamics. Specifically, we assessed whether the Affect Intensity Measure (AIM) and Affective Lability Scale (ALS) are differentially associated with mean, variability, and instability of negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA). Young adults (n?=?135) completed the AIM, ALS, and 7 days of experience sampling assessments. Higher scores on the AIM were associated with variability and instability of NA and PA whereas the ALS was associated with mean levels of NA and PA. Neither the AIM nor the ALS were associated with reactivity to stressful, negative, or positive experiences in the moment. The AIM and ALS accounted for little variance in momentary affective dynamics and effects were generally small. Findings highlighted that static measures of dynamic phenomena poorly map onto momentary measures of affect in daily life. Theoretical and methodological implications are discussed.

     

Psychometric properties of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale in women with breast cancer

Background/Objective:The aim was to analyse the psychometric properties of the 10-item version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC 10©) in breast cancer patients. Method: A sample of 169 Spanish women who had undergone surgery for breast cancer completed the CD-RISC 10©, along with questionnaires assessing life satisfaction, emotional intelligence, self-esteem, and positive and negative affect. Results: Confirmatory Factor Analysis supported a single-factor structure with adequate fit indices. Reliability was analysed by calculating McDonald’s omega coefficient, which yielded a value of .83. Validity evidence based on relationships with other variables was provided by positive and significant correlations between scores on the CD-RISC 10© and scores on emotional intelligence (clarity and repair), life satisfaction, self-esteem and positive affect, and by a negative and significant correlation with negative affect. The majority of these correlations were above |.50|. Conclusions: The CD-RISC 10© has satisfactory psychometric properties and is a suitable tool for measuring resilience in patients with cancer. The instrument is quick and easy to apply and may be used in both clinical and research contexts.     

Symptom-positive and symptom-negative items in the state-trait anxiety inventory: A comparison and replication

Substantially higher mean scores on symptom-negatively versus symptom-positively worded items have consistently been reported in the literature for the balanced Stait-Trait Anxiety Inventory. In this study we aimed at replicating and comparing these findings for the Dutch adaptation of the inventory. Results indicated significantly higher mean subscale scores for symptom-negative as opposed to symptompositive items of both the Trait and State version, across sexes and age groups as well as across different levels of distress in students, policemen and psychiatric out-patients. Positive-negative mean difference scores were consistently larger for the State than for the Trait version. State and Trait mean difference scores were found to be mainly confined to symptom-positive subscales. Scale intercorrelations were lowest between symptom-positive and symptom-negative subscales both within and across measures. Factor analyzing the combined versions identified separate symptom-negative and symptom-positive factors, tentatively labeled “absence of positive affect” and “presence of negative affect”. Several explanations of the findings among which item-intensity specificity, the response style of social desirability and the model of positive and negative affectivity are discussed.     

Positive and negative affect and well-being in cardiac patients and their spouses: the mediating role of illness representations

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine whether illness representations of control and consequences mediate the relation of cardiac patients’ affect to well-being. A further aim was to examine this indirect relationship at a dyadic level (i.e. patient and spouse). Design and main outcome measures: One hundred and four patients with a cardiovascular disease and their spouses participated in the study. Positive and negative affect was assessed at baseline; illness representations were assessed 2 months later, and physical and psychological well-being 4 months later. Results: Illness representations generally mediated the impact of patients’ and spouses’ affect on well-being, while several actor and partner effects were found. However, it was only positive affect that was indirectly related to well-being, while the representations of personal and treatment control chiefly acted as mediators. The effects were stronger for patients than spouses, as well as for physical well-being. Conclusion: The results underline the strong connection between illness-related self-regulation and the overall person/environment interaction as depicted by affect. They also indicate the need to integrate theories on adaptation to illness, with models describing adaptation of couples to stressful conditions, and specific theories about the role of emotion in adaptation to illness.     

The (Dis)Pleasures of Creativity: Spontaneous Eye Blink Rate during Divergent and Convergent Thinking Depends on Individual Differences in Positive and Negative Affect

Previous research has demonstrated that individual differences in affect and motivation predict divergent and convergent thinking performance, two thinking processes involved in creative idea generation. Individual differences in affect and motivation also predict spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR) during divergent and convergent thinking; and sEBR predicts divergent and convergent thinking performance. This study investigates experimentally whether the relationship between sEBR and divergent and convergent thinking depends on individual differences in affect and motivation. Eighty-two participants completed the Emotion/motivation-related Divergent and Convergent thinking styles Scale (EDICOS; G. Soroa et al., 2015), performed the alternative uses task (AUT; divergent thinking) or the remote associates task (RAT; convergent thinking), while their sEBR was captured with an eye-tracker. The results showed that individual differences in positive affect positively correlated with sEBR for the AUT, whereas individual differences in negative affect positively correlated with sEBR for the RAT. Furthermore, the interaction between individual differences in positive and negative affect and sEBR predicted divergent and convergent thinking performance. The contribution of our study is therefore that individual differences in positive and negative affect can both positively correlate with sEBR during divergent and convergent thinking; and that this predicts divergent and convergent thinking performance.     

自我同情和睡眠质量的关系：积极和消极情绪与自我控制的中介作用

为探究积极和消极情绪与自我控制在自我同情与睡眠质量间的中介机制,采用问卷法对477名成人进行调查,建立结构方程模型对中介效应进行检验。结果发现：（1）自我同情、积极情绪、自我控制和睡眠质量两两之间均为显著正相关,而上述变量与消极情绪均为显著负相关;（2）自我同情可分别以积极情绪、消极情绪和自我控制为中介来预测睡眠质量;还可依靠消极情绪与自我控制的链式中介效应来间接预测睡眠质量,但自我同情对睡眠质量的直接效应不显著。该研究结果为改善睡眠质量提供了新的干预视角。     

The role of affect in the decision to exercise: Does being happy lead to a more active lifestyle?

ObjectiveThis study investigated the influence of affect on individuals' intentions to engage in physical activities such as exercise. Behavior intentions were examined through the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB).MethodAn experimental survey was conducted among 153 undergraduates randomly assigned to three conditions – positive affect, neutral, and negative affect. Key variables from the TPB were assessed across these conditions.ResultsAnalyses showed that participants in the positive affect and the negative affect conditions reported lower intentions to exercise than those in the neutral condition. Participants in the negative affect condition also reported more unfavorable attitudes toward exercise than their positive or neutral counterparts. Other TPB measures remained stable across the three conditions. In particular, perceived behavioral control and attitude were significant predictors of behavior intention in the pooled sample.ConclusionThese results underline the important role that affect, especially negative affect, plays in individuals' decision to exercise. Rational models for health behavior change, such as the TPB, should take into account the impact of affect.     

The Relationship Between Trust-in-God,Positive and Negative Affect,and Hope

We aimed to test the relationships between Trust-in-God, positive and negative affect, and feelings of hope. A sample of university students (N = 282, 50 % female) completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Adult Dispositional Hope Scale, and a Persian measure of Trust-in-God for Muslims. The results of a series of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that Trust-in-God was positively associated with participants’ scores for hope and positive affect but was negatively associated with their scores for negative affect. The results support the relationship between Trust-in-God and indices of mental health.     

Age-related differences and change in positive and negative affect over 23 years

Positive and negative affect, measured by the Bradburn Affect Balance Scale, were studied in a longitudinal sample spanning from 1971 to 1994. The sample (N = 2,804) represented 4 generations of families. Linear trend analyses compared generations over time for positive and negative affect and also examined the possible influences of neuroticism and extraversion on initial levels of affect and patterns of change in affect. Negative affect decreased with age for all generations, although the rate was attenuated among the oldest adults. Higher neuroticism scores also attenuated the decrease in negative affect across time. For positive affect, the younger and middle-aged adults showed marked stability, but the older group evidenced a small decrease over time. Higher levels of extraversion were related to more stability in positive affect.     

Psychometric Evaluation of the Parent Anger Scale

This study assessed the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Parent Anger Scale in a sample of 326 parents of children ages 2–18 years. Exploratory factor analysis identified a two-factor solution: parent anger experience and parent anger expression. Subscales based on the items of each factor demonstrated excellent internal consistency and concurrent validity with measures of other negative affect and parent discipline. The Parent Anger Scale subscales also evidenced incremental validity, predicting discipline behaviors uniquely above that predicted by parents’ general anger and general anxiety. Specifically, analyses indicated that the Parent Anger Scale experience and expression scores were each unique predictors of inconsistent and punitive parental discipline after controlling for the influences of general anger and anxiety. However, only the Parent Anger Scale expression score had a significant incremental effect in negatively predicting positive parenting above the effects of parents’ general anger and anxiety. Results suggest that the Parent Anger Scale is a valid and useful measure for assessing anger specific to the parent-child context. However, additional research exploring the factor analytic structure and predictive value of the Parent Anger Scale in a clinical sample is needed.     

Method Effects on an Adaptation of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale in Greek and the Role of Personality Traits

Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale is a balanced, 10-item scale designed to be unidimensional; however, research has repeatedly shown that its factorial structure is contaminated by method effects due to item wording. Beyond the substantive self-esteem factor, 2 additional factors linked to the positive and negative wording of items have been theoretically specified and empirically supported. Initial evidence has revealed systematic relations of the 2 method factors with variables expressing approach and avoidance motivation. This study assessed the fit of competing confirmatory factor analytic models for the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale using data from 2 samples of adult participants in Cyprus. Models that accounted for both positive and negative wording effects via 2 latent method factors had better fit compared to alternative models. Measures of experiential avoidance, social anxiety, and private self-consciousness were associated with the method factors in structural equation models. The findings highlight the need to specify models with wording effects for a more accurate representation of the scale's structure and support the hypothesis of method factors as response styles, which are associated with individual characteristics related to avoidance motivation, behavioral inhibition, and anxiety.     

Mindfulness meditation is associated with decreases in partner negative affect in daily life

To date, very little research has examined the extrapersonal effects of mindfulness meditation practice. In this study, we investigated whether individual meditation practice exerted an influence on friends or romantic partners. Thirty-five dyads completed an 8-week single-subject protocol using an A-B-A-B design to compare non-meditation phases with meditation phases. One member of each pair was randomly assigned to meditate daily for 15 min during the B-phases of the study; the other dyad member did not meditate in either the A or B phases. Daily diaries for each participant assessed negative affect, positive affect, and facets of mindfulness. For participants in the intermittent meditation condition, meditation was associated with decreased negative affect, increased positive affect, and higher scores on the mindfulness facets of observing, describing, and nonreactivity to inner experience. Results further demonstrated that the negative affect of non-meditating partners decreased during the weeks that their partner meditated and was lower on days that their partner meditated. We did not find similar results for positive affect or mindfulness at the group level. Exploratory analyses suggested that the extrapersonal effects of meditation days on a partner's negative affect might be stronger in romantic couples. This study indicates that 15 min of daily meditation in novice meditators can decrease the negative affect of relationship partners.