The Impact of Behaviors upon Burnout Among Parish-Based Clergy

Burnout has an important impact upon the professional satisfaction of clergy. Identifying protective behaviors that may prevent against burnout is important for the long-term emotional health of individual clergy as well as the wider church. This research reports findings among 358 parish-based clergy that identifies the prevalence of burnout and correlates this data with demographic risk factors and protective behaviors. Clergy who met criteria for burnout were younger, identified themselves as being depressed and unsatisfied with their spiritual life, and have endured a traumatic church placement. This research also suggests that having a variety of interests and activities outside of one’s vocation may protect against burnout. In particular, behaviors that enhance relationships—such as seeking mentors and attending retreats—as well as pursuing outside activities—such as regular exercise and scholarly reading—protect against burnout. Further implications for the wider church are discussed.     

The Relationship Between Personality,Burnout, and Engagement Among the Indian Clergy

This study examined the relationship between the Big Five personality dimensions, burnout, and engagement among 511 Indian Catholic diocesan priests. We expected that Neuroticism would be positively associated with burnout and negatively associated with engagement. Moreover, we expected Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness to be negatively associated with burnout and positively associated with engagement. Hierarchical regression analyses largely confirmed these expectations. Results are discussed in the context of the broader literature on burnout and engagement, as well as the literature on priesthood.     

Burnout and Depression Among Roman Catholic Secular,Religious, and Monastic Clergy

Burnout and depression among Roman Catholic secular, religious order, and monastic (Cistercian) priests was investigated using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CESD) scale. Additionally, a Self-Report-Inventory (SRI) was included requesting information on demographics as well as four categories of predictor variables (vocational satisfaction, social support, spiritual activities, and physical environment) associated with burnout and depression. All participants were randomly selected. The survey yielded a return rate of 90.67%. Secular clergy reported significantly greater emotional exhaustion than did monastic clergy. Secular priests also had significantly greater depression (72%), when compared to religious (40.8%) and monastic (39.5) clergy. Overall group comparisons revealed that secular clergy experienced the highest degree of burnout and depression, monastics the least, and religious priests falling in between. The lack of social support and sense of isolation, for secular clergy, were key elements associated with their experience of both burnout and depression. Candidate in Psychology atand a Psychology Intern at the Ohio State University     

The Femininity Ideology Scale: Factor Structure, Reliability, Convergent and Discriminant Validity, and Social Contextual Variation

This study reports on the psychometric properties of the Femininity Ideology Scale (FIS) from the responses of 407 undergraduate participants in the USA. Factor analysis supported the five factor structure. Cronbach alpha coefficients of the factors and total scale were adequate. Support for discriminant validity was found after examining the relationship between the FIS and the Bem Sex Role Inventory, which measures feminine traits. Support for convergent validity was found after examining, first, with the entire sample, the relationships between the FIS and the Male Role Norm Inventory, and second, with the female sample, the relationships between the FIS and the Feminist Identity Development Scale. We also found that FIS scores vary in relationship to the social contextual variables of race/ethnicity and sex.     

The Revised Conners' Parent Rating Scale (CPRS-R): Factor Structure, Reliability, and Criterion Validity

The Conners' Parent Rating Scale (CPRS) is a popular research and clinical tool for obtaining parental reports of childhood behavior problems. The present study introduces a revised CPRS (CPRS-R) which has norms derived from a large, representative sample of North American children, uses confirmatory factor analysis to develop a definitive factor structure, and has an updated item content to reflect recent knowledge and developments concerning childhood behavior problems. Exploratory and confirmatory factor-analytic results revealed a seven-factor model including the following factors: Cognitive Problems, Oppositional, Hyperactivity-Impulsivity, Anxious-Shy, Perfectionism, Social Problems, and Psychosomatic. The psychometric properties of the revised scale appear adequate as demonstrated by good internal reliability coefficients, high test-retest reliability, and effective discriminatory power. Advantages of the CPRS-R include a corresponding factor structure with the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale—Revised and comprehensive symptom coverage for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and related disorders. Factor congruence with the original CPRS as well as similarities with other parent rating scales are discussed.     

The Experiences in Close Relationship Scale (ECR)-Short Form: Reliability,Validity, and Factor Structure

Convergence between the MMPI–2 Restructured Form (MMPI–2–RF; Ben-Porath &; Tellegen, 2008) interpersonal scales and 2 interpersonal circumplex (IPC) measures was examined. University students (N = 405) completed the MMPI–2 and 2 IPC measures, the Interpersonal Adjectives Scales Revised Big Five Version (IASR–B5; Trapnell &; Wiggins, 1990) and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Circumplex (IIP–C; Horowitz, Alden, Wiggins, &; Pincus, 2000). Internal consistency was adequate for 3 of the 6 scales investigated. The majority of scales were located in their hypothesized locations, although magnitude of correlations was somewhat weaker than anticipated, partly owing to restricted range from using a healthy sample. The expected pattern of correlations that defines a circular matrix was demonstrated, lending support for the convergent and discriminant validity of the MMPI–2–RF interpersonal scales with respect to the assessment of interpersonal traits and problems.     

The Adolescent HIV Communication Belief Scale: Preliminary Reliability and Validity

Globally, there are nearly 2 million HIV positive children, many of whom are adolescents. The majority have perinatally acquired HIV. A key challenge for this population is communicating about HIV to meet emotional and practical needs. Despite evidence of its benefits, HIV communication in adolescents with HIV is rare. To enhance HIV communication, individuals’ beliefs may need to be taken into account. There is no measure of beliefs about HIV communication for adolescents living with HIV. A seven-item measure of HIV communication beliefs was developed and administered to 66 adolescents with HIV in the UK (39 female; aged 12–16 years). Data were explored using principal component analysis. Preliminary criterion-related validity was assessed by examining relationships between the measure and communication occurrence, frequency and intention. Preliminary construct validity was assessed by examining relationships between the measure and HIV stigma, HIV disclosure cognition and affect, quality of life and self-perception. Two factors were revealed: communication self-efficacy and normative beliefs; and communication attitudes. The full scale and its subscales were internally consistent. The total score showed statistically significant positive relationships with HIV communication intention, HIV disclosure cognitions and affect, and HIV stigma but not with other variables. Preliminary evidence of the measure’s good psychometric properties suggests it may be helpful in outlining relationships between HIV communication beliefs and other constructs. It may also be useful in testing interventions that aim to enhance HIV communication in this population. Further work needs to be done to establish the scale’s psychometric properties.     

A New Self-Report Scale for Assessment of Adolescent Psychopathology: Factor Structure, Reliability, Validity, and Diagnostic Sensitivity

This paper describes four studies on self-reported problems in 2,243 adolescent males and females, 12 to 17 years of age. In Study 1, principal-axis factoring of 102 items covering 11 problem domains revealed six factors comprising 49.5% of the variance. Study 2 used confirmatory factor analysis of a 64-item reduced set on a new sample of 408 adolescents. Goodness-of-fit indicators suggested that the six-factor model had excellent fit to the data. Study 3 used data from the 2,157 adolescents used in the first two studies. Coefficient alphas ranged from .83 to .92. Median test-retest reliability for the six factors was .86. There was a consistent structure of the correlation matrix across age and gender. Study 4 was a study of criterion validity, using an additional sample of 86 children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Sensitivity and specificity were high, with an overall diagnostic efficiency of 83%. This new self-report scale, the Conners/Wells Adolescent Self-Report of Symptoms (CASS), may provide a useful component of a multimodal assessment of adolescent psychopathology.     

An Examination of the Factor Structure and Scale Reliability of the Work Motivation Scale,the Motivation Sources Inventory

This study examined the factor structure and scale reliability of the Motivation Sources Inventory (MSI; Barbuto & Scholl, 1998 ), an instrument designed to measure the motivational concepts contained within the meta‐theory of motivation ( Leonard, Beauvais, & Scholl, 1999 ). Participants were comprised of financial‐service professionals, health‐industry administrators, and retail and distribution workers, all engaged in full‐time employment in Ireland. Data were collected through the administration of the Motivation Source Inventory (MSI) to a sample of working professionals (N = 252). Factor analyses, scale reliabilities, and inter‐item correlations were conducted. Results of the current study did not support the scale structure reported by the instrument developers. The implications of these results and suggestions for future research are presented.     

Evaluating the Factor Structure and Internal Consistency Reliability of the Therapeutic Reactance Scale

Psychological reactance is an important construct for social scientists. The measure most often used to tap psychological reactance is the Therapeutic Reactance Scale (TRS; E. T. Dowd, C. R. Milne, & S. C. Wise, 1991). However, little research to date has examined the psychometric properties of the TRS. Eight hundred and eighty‐three individuals completed the TRS, and their responses were factor analyzed. Evidence indicates that psychological reactance is a multidimensional phenomenon. As currently written and interpreted however, the TRS is unable to accurately measure these multiple dimensions.     

The Relationship of Clergy Burnout to Self-Compassion and Other Personality Dimensions

Religious leaders often experience burnout, which is characterized by emotional exhaustion and/or low satisfaction. Clergy with high emotional exhaustion feel drained and discouraged. Clergy with high satisfaction report that the ministry gives purpose and meaning to their lives. Hierarchichal regression was used to examine if current clergy’s desire to please others, guilt or shame orientation, ability to be self-compassionate, and ability to differentiate self from role uniquely predicted variation in burnout. Although all personality dimensions explained significant variation in emotional satisfaction when examined individually, due to inter-correlations among predictors only self-compassion was significant in the full model. Higher self-compassion was also related to increased satisfaction in ministry. Increasing self-compassion may prevent clergy burnout.     

Clergy Response to Domestic Violence: A Preliminary Survey of Clergy Members,Victims, and Batterers

Although the presence of both religious organizations and violence in American communities is pervasive, scant attention has focused on how to best enroll clergy and religiously oriented resources in the battle against family violence. Given that it is not uncommon for women or couples to seek counseling or advice from clergy before accessing community-based resources, the frequency, nature, and utility of these contacts were assessed in this exploratory study from the perspectives of 47 female victims and 70 male perpetrators of domestic violence. Forty-one clergy members from various denominations were also surveyed about their contacts with those seeking help for domestic violence. Results indicated that 43% of the victims and 20% of the perpetrators did seek help from clergy. Almost all of the victims who contacted clergy reported satisfaction with the counsel they received. All clergy respondents reported counseling people who had experienced domestic violence during their career, and 80% had violence-related contacts in the past year. The service-related implications of these clergy contacts from victim, perpetrator, and clergy perspectives are discussed.     

Revision and Restandardization of the Conners Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS-R): Factor Structure, Reliability, and Criterion Validity

The Conners Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS) is a commonly used research and clinical tool for assessing children's behavior in the classroom. The present study introduces the revised CTRS (CTRS-R) which improves on the original CTRS by (1) establishing normative data from a large, representative North American sample, (2) deriving a factor structure using advanced statistical techniques, and (3) updating the item content to reflect current conceptualizations of childhood disorders. Using confirmatory factor analysis, a six-factor structure was found which includes Hyperactivity-Impulsivity, Perfectionism, Inattention/Cognitive Problems, Social Problems, Oppositionality, and Anxious/Shy factors. The reliability of the scale, as measured by test-retest correlations and internal consistency, is generally satisfactory. Using all of the scale factors to discriminate between attention deficit hyperactivity disordered and normal children, 85 percent of children were correctly classified, supporting the validity of the scale and indicating excellent clinical utility. Similarities and differences between the original CTRS factor structure and the CTRS-R factor structure are discussed.     

Youth Suicide: The Knowledge and Attitudes of Australian Teachers and Clergy

This is the first study of the suicide-related knowledge and attitudes of teachers and clergy in Australia. These professional groups have been identified as “gatekeepers” who might serve as a first line of assistance for distressed young people. Such gatekeepers, along with medical and mental health professionals, have a vital role to play in the prevention of youth suicide, of which Australia has the highest rates in the world. This research confirmed that high numbers of teachers and clergy have been approached by suicidal young persons. However, their gatekeeping role may be compromised by a low level of knowledge about signs of suicide risk, which was found even among those who had taken courses in suicide or death and dying or who had personally known someone who suicided. Suicidal behavior was found to be generally regarded as unacceptable, especially by those with a high religious commitment. Further educational efforts about suicide risk identification and prevention seem to be needed for both teachers and clergy; it will be important for such education to take into account attitudinal issues and how these might affect communication with young suicidal people.     

Validation of the Japanese Version of the Modified Balanced Time Perspective Scale: Factor Structure,Reliability, and Validity Results1

A balanced time perspective (BTP) is defined as a frequent and equal tendency to think positively about both one's past and future. A BTP is related to greater psychological well-being, such as life satisfaction and wisdom, and these BTP associations may vary cross-culturally, although few studies of BTP in non-Western countries exist. In order to advance cross-cultural comparisons of BTP, an important methodological step is to validate BTP measures in different cultures. This study aimed to develop and validate a Japanese version of the modified Balanced Time Perspective Scale (mBTPS). Japanese participants (N = 1,020, aged 18–79 years) completed the mBTPS-J, along with Japanese versions of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI-J) and measures of well-being (life satisfaction and wisdom scales). Factor analysis of the mBTPS-J resulted in a 27-item mBTPS-J consisting of Past, Present, and Future subscales. Correlations between the relevant mBTPS-J and ZTPI-J subscales, and with the well-being measures, supported both convergent and predictive validity, respectively. The demonstrated psychometric strengths of the mBTPS-J will allow for specific testing of important cross-cultural questions.     

The Greek Version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale: Testing the Factor Structure, Reliability and Validity in an Adult Community Sample

We examined the factor structure, reliability, convergent and criterion validity of the Greek version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) using data from a community lifespan sample. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a clear six-factor structure consistent with the factor structure evidenced in English-speaking samples. The results also demonstrated adequate classical psychometric properties in terms of internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The scale branches demonstrated convergent and concurrent validity with personality, emotion intelligence abilities and coping strategies. The importance of using culturally validated dimensional measures of emotion regulation is discussed.     

The Conservatism Scale: In Search of a Replicable Factor Structure

Abstract

Responses of three independent groups of subjects to the Wilson-Patterson Conservatism Scale were submitted to principal components analyses followed by varimax rotation. Inspection of the unrotated factor loadings provided evidence for the presence of a general factor in all three groups, supporting the contention of the scale's authors (Wilson & Patterson, 1968). Detailed analyses of the present and previously published results revealed a consistent underlying theme of fundamental religious conservatism. Examination of loadings obtained from two-, three-, and four-factor rotations, using the FACTOREP procedure for factor comparison, failed to identify any other consistently replicable factor structure, a result consistent with conclusions based on an examination of previously published research.     

Personality and Glossolalia: A Study Among Male Evangelical Clergy

A sample of 991 male clergy affiliated with the Evangelical Alliance in the United Kingdom completed the short-form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, together with a question regarding the practice of glossolalia. The data demonstrated that glossolalia was correlated positively with extraversion, correlated negatively with neuroticism, and unrelated to psychoticism. Glossolalia was associated with stable extraversion, and contrary to some theories, completely unrelated to psychopathology.     

The Chinese Translation of the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity: Factor Structure, Internal Consistency Reliability, and Construct Validity among Protestant Christians in Shanghai

A sample of 131 Chinese Christians attending a Protestant church in Shanghai completed the Chinese translation of the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity developed originally by Francis et al. (North American Journal of Psychology 4, 431–440, 2002) in Hong Kong. The data support the factor structure, internal the internal consistency reliability, and construct validity of this instrument and commend it for further use in studies conducted among Christians in China.