Identifying Specific Factors Underlying Attitudes Toward Change: Using Multiple Methods to Compare Expectancy‐Value Theory to Reasons Theory1

This study used multiple methods to compare expectancy‐value theory (EVT) to reasons theory for identifying specific factors underlying attitudes toward a planned organizational change. Reasons theory utilizes an accessible reason construct within a decision‐making framework. Study 1 used the correlational method to statistically identify the strength of specific factors underlying attitudes according to each theory. The value and accessible reason factors demonstrated the strongest associations with attitudes toward change. The strength of specific factors was then manipulated experimentally according to each construct to examine the impact on potential change in Study 2. The interventions developed from expectancy and accessible reason factors were evaluated most positively by individuals in the target organization, with accessible reasons having the strongest effect. Unexpectedly, interventions based on the value and expectancy value factors had less efficacy in Study 2. Implications for applied research are discussed.     

Hypothesis Testing as a Moral Choice

Although many researchers may perceive empirical hypothesis testing using inferential statistics to be a value free process, I argue that any conclusion based on inferential statistics contains an important and intractable value judgment. Consequently, I conclude that researchers should use the same rationale for examining the ethical ramifications of committing errors in statistical inference that they use to examine the ethical parameters of a proposed research design.     

影响全子宫切除术施术途径选择的因素的初步分析

通过回顾分析（n=1238）和电话问卷调查（n=864），分析子宫切除术手术途径（开腹、腹腔镜、阴式）选择有关的因素，并探讨其在决策过程中的作用。结果发现，疾病本身的特点是影响手术途径选择的最主要因素。如果有备选途径，医师的偏好成为重要的抉择因素。患者在决策过程中的作用除受医师影响外，还受医疗费用支付方式制约。伤口美观和术后恢复快是腹腔镜子宫切除术患者选择该途径的主要原因。     

影响全子宫切除术施术途径选择的因素的初步分析

通过回顾分析(n=1 238)和电话问卷调查(n=864),分析子宫切除术手术途径(开腹、腹腔镜、阴式)选择有关的因素,并探讨其在决策过程中的作用.结果发现,疾病本身的特点是影响手术途径选择的最主要因素.如果有备选途径,医师的偏好成为重要的抉择因素.患者在决策过程中的作用除受医师影响外,还受医疗费用支付方式制约.伤口美观和术后恢复快是腹腔镜子宫切除术患者选择该途径的主要原因.     

Group Psychotherapy: A Behavioral Approach

Abstract

This clinical report highlights some of the processes arising in a therapy group of persons with persistent and chronic psychiatric illnesses as they cope with the stress of their long–standing therapist’s impending retirement. Members were initially disbelieving that the therapist would leave and were also concerned about their future care, particularly in terms of medications. Gradually they were more able to experience their feelings of loss and their genuine caring for the therapist and the group, using higher level defenses and increasing their ability to tolerate strong affects. They became increasingly able to demonstrate empathy, notably in their ability to consider the therapist’s emotions. The clinical material also illustrates the therapist’s personal involvement, countertransferences and expressions of concern.     

Predicting the Underlying Factors of Academic Dishonesty among Undergraduates in Public Universities: A Path Analysis Approach

Building on the modified theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study examined the underlying psychological motives for academic dishonesty in a sample of 250 undergraduates drawn from three selected Malaysian public universities. The results yielded additional supports for usefulness of modified TPB model in predicting academic misconduct. All components of the model exerted statistically significant effects on intention towards academic misconduct, and intention itself exerted a statistically significant impact on academic dishonesty. This suggests that students’ academic misconducts could be addressed effectively if proper attention is given to the underpinning factors. Further, the findings revealed that the hypothesized relationships among variables of the modified model were all statistically significant. The uniqueness of this study lies in the large amount of variance (69 % and 75 %) explained by components of the model (in the prediction of intention and academic dishonesty respectively). These variances have rarely been accounted for in the previous studies. Implications of the findings are discussed and suggestions advanced for future studies.     

Factors Underlying the Psychological and Behavioral Characteristics of Office of Strategic Services Candidates: The Assessment of Men Data Revisited

During World War II, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency, sought the assistance of clinical psychologists and psychiatrists to establish an assessment program for evaluating candidates for the OSS. The assessment team developed a novel and rigorous program to evaluate OSS candidates. It is described in Assessment of Men: Selection of Personnel for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS Assessment Staff, 1948). This study examines the sole remaining multivariate data matrix that includes all final ratings for a group of candidates (n = 133) assessed near the end of the assessment program. It applies the modern statistical methods of both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to this rich and highly unique data set. An exploratory factor analysis solution suggested 3 factors underlie the OSS assessment staff ratings. Confirmatory factor analysis results of multiple plausible substantive models reveal that a 3-factor model provides the best fit to these data. The 3 factors are emotional/interpersonal factors (social relations, emotional stability, security), intelligence processing (effective IQ, propaganda skills, observing and reporting), and agency/surgency (motivation, energy and initiative, leadership, physical ability). These factors are discussed in terms of their potential utility for personnel selection within the intelligence community.     

Tao Psychotherapy: Introducing a New Approach to Humanistic Practice 1

This article introduces a relatively new and unknown approach to humanistic psychotherapy, called Tao Psychotherapy that was founded by a Korean psychiatrist, Dr. Rhee Dongshick, in 1974. Today, Tao psychotherapy is a synthesis of Eastern and Western psychotherapies seeking to integrate psychoanalytic, existential, humanistic, and transpersonal, and Eastern perspectives in a single coherent approach. The article opens with a brief overview of the Tao and Taoism. A sample of writings attributed to Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu is presented as a prelude to a discussion of the meaning of the Tao itself. Following this, the author, a daseinsanalytic psychotherapist who has been studying Tao psychotherapy in South Korea for over two years, presents an overview of this approach, introducing Rhee Dongshick and the Korean Academy of Psychotherapists as well as the distinctive character of this new approach to humanistic practice. The article closes with a reflection on the ancient allegory of the ox herder, as seen in the famous ten ox herder pictures, discussing it from Taoist and Heideggerian perspectives, especially as it is relevant to the process of psychotherapy. Throughout the article the author reflects on the cultural sources of Tao psychotherapy and on the implications of the approach for humanistically attuned, depth psychological thought and practice.     

Behavioral Pediatrics: A Team-Based Interprofessional Approach

An interprofessional approach to pediatric behavioral care is increasingly important in the care of pediatric patients, who present to healthcare settings with a wide variety of concerns ranging from potty training to depression. Previously, much of the care of these patients have focused on a narrow approach to the problem, based on the expertise of the professional providing care. Faculty from three disciplines: Social Work, Psychology, and Medicine collaborated to design a course for students from these three disciplines to collaborate in attaining three goals: (1) reinforce the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration, (2) share clinical techniques and skills in a simulated interprofessional setting, and (3) practice collaboration within interprofessional teams. We detail the course goals and design and topics covered and discuss implementation of this course. Suggested module content and pedagogical design are discussed, and case examples are detailed with the goal of encouraging the adoption of similar courses.

     

An Optimized Design of Choice Experiments: A New Approach for Studying Decision Behavior in Choice Task Experiments

In this paper, we present a new approach for the optimal experimental design problem of generating diagnostic choice tasks, where the respondent's decision strategy can be unambiguously deduced from the observed choice. In this new approach, we applied a genetic algorithm that creates a one‐to‐one correspondence between a set of predefined decision strategies and the alternatives of the choice task; it also manipulates the characteristics of the choice tasks. In addition, this new approach takes into account the measurement errors that can occur when the preferences of the decision makers are being measured. The proposed genetic algorithm is capable of generating diagnostic choice tasks even when the search space of possible choice tasks is very large. As proof‐of‐concept, we used this novel approach to generate respondent‐specific choice tasks with either low or high context‐based complexity that we operationalize by the similarity of alternatives and the conflict between alternatives. We find in an experiment that an increase in the similarity of the alternatives and an increase in the number of conflicts within the choice task lead to an increased use of non‐compensatory strategies and a decreased use of compensatory decision strategies. In contrast, the size of the choice tasks, measured by the number of attributes and alternatives, only weakly influences the strategy selection. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

HIV-Antibody Testing: Beliefs Affecting the Consistency Between Women's Behavioral Intentions and Behavior1

A sample of 763 nonpregnant, heterosexual, sexually active women residing in an HIV-endemic area participated in a study to assess psychological predictors of HIV-antibody testing. In this sample, 464 women said that they might or would be tested that day, although only 56 did so. We examine salient beliefs that influenced testing decisions. In contrast to other studies, which have focused on predictors of behavioral intentions at only one point in time, the current study accounts for the fact that different concerns become salient to women at different stages of the counseling and testing process. Prior to counseling, women were deterred from testing because they feared the anxiety of waiting for their test results. This suggests that efforts aimed at same-day testing may be beneficial for increasing rates of test taking. After counseling and immediately preceding testing, women tended to follow through on their intentions if they believed that testing would better enable them to plan a pregnancy, and if they believed that it would not be too late for treatment. The implications of these findings for the counseling and testing process are discussed.     

Decompositional Equivalence: A Fundamental Symmetry Underlying Quantum Theory

Decompositional equivalence is the principle that there is no preferred decomposition of the universe into subsystems. It is shown here, by using a simple thought experiment, that quantum theory follows from decompositional equivalence together with Landauer’s principle. This demonstration raises within physics a question previously left to psychology: how do human—or any—observers identify or agree about what constitutes a “system of interest”?     

沉没成本效应的产生根源与影响因素

沉没成本效应是指决策者的决策行为因受沉没成本影响而产生的一种非理性决策现象。针对这一决策偏差的产生根源,研究者从认知、动机和神经三个角度提出了解释。沉没成本效应的影响因素包括沉没成本特性、情境因素、个体差异和文化差异等。基于先前研究存在的问题和不足,沉没成本效应的未来研究应着眼于改进研究方法,探究产生根源,关注行为沉没成本和加强应用研究。