Relation of self-acceptance and acceptance of others

A significant positive correlation of .33 was found for ratings on the Self-acceptance Scale and on the Acceptance of Others Scale for 13 undergraduate men and 45 women.     

The relationship between campus diversity, students' ethnic identity and college adjustment: a qualitative study

The present study was a qualitative exploration into the meaning of ethnic identity and its association with college adjustment in students attending ethnically diverse university campuses. The sample consisted of 103 participants recruited from 2 ethnically diverse universities in southern California. A constant comparative analysis of the interview data revealed 9 themes as being relevant to students' experiences of ethnicity within a multiethnic campus that reflect both the positive aspects and the negative aspects associated with campus diversity. Students' experiences with campus diversity varied by ethnic background and type of institution attended, as did the overall frequencies of reported positive and negative themes associated with diversity. The implications of these findings for ethnic identity, campus climate, and interethnic relations are discussed.     

The clinical pain acceptance Q-sort: a tool for assessment and facilitation of pain acceptance

The topic of pain acceptance can be clinically difficult to raise in a respectful way. This article introduces a method of managing the topic of pain acceptance in daily clinical practice: The clinical pain acceptance Q-sort. The Q-sort procedure comprises 13 small cards with printed statements concerning pain acceptance on the one side, score numbers on the other side. The procedure involves the patient handling and prioritizing the statements in a personally meaningful order. Both quantitative and qualitative use of the tool is possible. The method has a three-fold outcome: (1) topics of pain acceptance are presented in a multi-faceted way for the chronic pain patient, (2) an approximate assessment of the level of pain acceptance issues is offered to the clinician, and (3) good opportunities for a therapeutic discussion on pain acceptance are made available. The clinical pain acceptance Q-sort procedure may positively contribute to daily clinical work with pain acceptance in a straightforward way. The method provides options for assessment of pain acceptance, for better understanding of the patient, and for clinical training in psychological pain management.     

Investigating the relationship between variations in students' perceptions of their academic environment and variations in study behaviour in distance education

Background. Recent research on student learning in higher education has identified clear associations between variations in students' perceptions of their academic environment and variations in their study behaviour. Aims. This research investigated a general theoretical model linking students' demographic characteristics, perceptions and study behaviour with measures of outcome and in particular compared four accounts of the casual relationship between perceptions and study behaviour. Samples. Study 1 employed data from 1,123 students taking six courses by distance learning; Study 2 employed data from 2,049 students taking seven courses by distance learning. Methods. Path analysis was used to assess the causal relationships among the students' age, gender and prior qualifications, their scores on the Course Experience Questionnaire, their scores on a short version of the Approaches to Studying Inventory or the Revised Approaches to Studying Inventory, their overall marks and their ratings of general satisfaction. Results. Both studies yielded evidence for the causal efficacy of all the paths identified in the general theoretical model. Conclusions. There exists a bi‐directional causal relationship between variations in students' perceptions of their academic environment and variations in their study behaviour.     

The relationship of paternal acceptance and control to college females' personality adjustment

This study examined the relationship between father acceptance, father control, and personality adjustment of college-aged women. Women participating in this questionnaire study were 72 never-married students aged 18 to 26 who were raised with their natural father present in the home until age 16. Father acceptance and father control were assessed by means of the Children's Report of Parent Behavior Inventory (CRPBI). Personality adjustment was measured by the Adjective Check List. As hypothesized, the father's acceptance and control was found to be positively related to the daughter's level of personality adjustment. Both paternal behavior dimensions added significantly to the amount of variance of the daughter's level of personality adjustment. Implications in terms of Baumrind's (1972) model of authoritative parenting were discussed.     

The relationship of assertiveness to college students' safer sex behaviors.

Educational programs designed to curtail the present sexually transmitted disease (STD) epidemic emphasize the role of assertiveness in reducing personal risk. This study investigated the relationship between assertiveness tendencies and safer sex behaviors in heterosexual college students. It was predicted that assertiveness would vary positively, and nonassertiveness negatively, with three types of precautionary behaviors: caution about engaging in sexual intimacy, inquiry about a potential partner's STD risk history, and frequency of condom use. A convenience sample of 253 undergraduates (159 females and 94 males) anonymously completed a sexual behavior/demographic questionnaire and the Intimate Relationships Questionnaire (IRQ), designed for this study and involving assertive, nonassertive, and aggressive responses to scenarios relevant to safer sex. The findings confirmed the hypothesized relationships between IRQ assertiveness tendencies and safer sex practices. Gender differences were discovered on the IRQ and in the health-protective behaviors of using caution and inquiring about a prospective partner's STD risk history. Implications for STD prevention strategies are discussed.     

The mediating influence of unconditional self-acceptance and labile self-esteem on the relationship between multidimensional perfectionism and exercise dependence

ObjectivesPrevious research has indicated that perfectionism may be an important antecedent of exercise dependence (Hagan, A. L., & Hausenblas, H. A. (2003). The relationship between exercise dependence and perfectionism. American Journal of Health Studies, 18, 133–137; Hausenblas, H. A., & Symons Downs, D. (2002a). Exercise dependence: a systematic review. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 3, 89–123, Hausenblas, H.A., & Symons Downs, D. (2002b). How much is too much? The development and validation of the exsrcise dependence scale. Psychology and Health, 17, 387–404). To date, however, few studies have sought to examine the psychological processes that underpin this relationship. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the degree to which self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism were associated with exercise dependence, and to ascertain whether the relationships were mediated by unconditional self-acceptance and labile self-esteem.MethodThree hundred and seven middle-distance runners completed a multi-section inventory that included Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. [(1991). Perfectionism in the self and social contexts: conceptualization, assessment, and association with psychopathology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 456–470] Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, Chamberlain, J. M., & Haaga, D. A. F. [(2001). Unconditional self-acceptance and psychological health. Journal of Rational Emotive and Cognitive Behavior Therapy, 19, 163–176] Unconditional Self-acceptance Scale, Dykman, B. M. [(1998). Integrating cognitive and motivational factors in depression: initial tests of a goal orientation approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 139–158] Labile Self-Esteem Scale, and Ogden, J., Veale, D., & Summers, Z. [(1997). The development and validation of the Exercise Dependence Questionnaire. Addiction Research, 5, 343–356] Exercise Dependence Questionnaire.ResultsStructural Equation Modeling provided support for three hypotheses. First, that self-oriented perfectionism had a direct positive effect on exercise dependence. Second, that unconditional self-acceptance fully mediated the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and exercise dependence. Third, that labile self-esteem mediated the relationship between unconditional self-acceptance and exercise dependence. Multi-group invariance analysis further indicated that there were subtle variations in the nature of these relationships for male and female samples.ConclusionsThe findings from the present study indicate that both self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism may be critical antecedents of exercise dependence, but that the psychological mechanisms underpinning their association with exercise dependence may differ.     

Relationship between students' self-assessment of their capabilities and their teachers' judgments of students' capabilities in mathematics problem-solving

The study examined the judgments made by four seventh-grade mathematics teachers of their 107 students' competence in solving mathematics problems. Simultaneously, the 107 students made self-efficacy judgments about their capability in solving mathematics problems. The two sets of judgments were tested for predicting students' mathematics performance. Also, students' prior mathematics achievement was studied for its influence on both teachers' and students' judgments and students' mathematics performance. Teachers were asked to make judgments of each student for every mathematics problem solved. Results were consistent with prior research indicating that students' mathematics self-efficacy beliefs were highly predictive of their performance. Path analysis indicated that the mathematics teachers' judgments were also highly predictive of students' performance and self-efficacy. In turn, these variables predicted students' postperformance judgments. Combining students' self-efficacy judgments and teachers' judgments of students increased predictiveness for students' mathematics performance. Educational implications were also discussed.     

Analysis of college students' online life-styles and their psychological profiles in South Korea

This study examines the relationships between the online life-styles of South Korean students as Internet users and Internet use, their tendency toward Internet addiction, and the level of cyber ethics. A sample of 324 students, aged between 18 and 23 years, from a medium-sized university in South Korea was asked to complete a survey. They were categorized into three groups depending on their online life-styles: a Social group (SG), an Individual group (IG), and a Loner group (LG). In the following analyses, no group difference was found in hours of Internet use on either weekdays or weekends, but the SG reported higher engagement in interaction-oriented activities (e.g. blogging, games, and instant messenger services) than the LG. As for tendency toward Internet addiction, all three groups belonged to the first phase of the "at-risk" classification in Korea. Interestingly, the IG characteristics of sensation seeking and independence reported the lowest scores in cyber ethics, while the LG characteristics of apathetic attitude toward the Internet reported the highest scores in cyber ethics. This preliminary study showed that Internet users impose different meanings and values on their Internet experiences, which contribute to their use of Internet services, their tendency toward Internet addiction, and their level of cyber ethics.     

Effects of college students' learning styles and gender on their test preparation strategies

This study investigated the effects of approach to studying, gender and type of examination on test preparation strategies. Educational psychology students completed the Approaches to Studying Inventory (Entwistle and Ramsden, 1983) regarding their general learning characteristics, and thus were assigned to four approach groups. Students also answered questions about how they might study for either an essay or a multiple-choice examination. Factor analysis of those items yielded several study strategy subscales. When scores on the time-effort, integration, selection and cognitive monitoring subscales were used as dependent variables in a 4×2×2 (cluster × gender × type of test) MANCOVA, a significant three-way interaction suggested that male and female students using different approaches react differently to multiple-choice or essay tests, and the patterns differ by strategy.     

Measuring and reducing college students' procrastination

We examined college students' procrastination when studying for weekly in-class quizzes. Two schedules of online practice quiz delivery were compared using a multiple baseline design. When online study material was made available noncontingently, students usually procrastinated. When access to additional study material was contingent on completing previous study material, studying was more evenly distributed. Overall, the mean gain in percentage correct scores on weekly in-class quizzes relative to pretests was greater during contingent access than during noncontingent access conditions.     

Asian American college students' suicide ideation: a mixed-methods study

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore the phenomenon of suicide ideation among 293 Asian American college students. Guided by T. Joiner's (2005) interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior, the authors examined the relationships among perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, self-construals, and suicide ideation. Compared with thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness was a more robust predictor of suicide ideation. However, thwarted belongingness moderated the positive association between perceived burdensomeness and suicide ideation. Furthermore, interdependent self-construal and independent self-construal both weakened the link between perceived burdensomeness and suicide ideation and between thwarted belongingness and suicide ideation. The authors also conducted a qualitative analysis of participants' open-ended responses about their perceptions of why Asian American college students might consider suicide. The authors identified a core phenomenon of unfulfilled expectations as well as 2 broad themes related to this core phenomenon: unfulfilled intrapersonal expectations and unfulfilled interpersonal expectations, comprising the subthemes of (a) family, (b) relationship, (c) cultural differences, and (d) racism. These findings are discussed in terms of implications for suicide-related clinical interventions and primary prevention efforts among Asian American college students.     

The relationship between Facebook and the well-being of undergraduate college students

We investigated how Facebook use and attitudes relate to self-esteem and college adjustment, and expected to find a positive relationship between Facebook and social adjustment, and a negative relationship between Facebook, self-esteem, and emotional adjustment. We examined these relationships in first-year and upper-class students and expected to find differences between the groups. Seventy undergraduate students completed Facebook measures (time, number of friends, emotional and social connection to Facebook), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Student Adaptation to College Scale. First-year students had a stronger emotional connection to and spent more time on Facebook while they reported fewer friends than upper-class students did. The groups did not differ in the adjustment scores. The number of Facebook friends potentially hinders academic adjustment, and spending a lot of time on Facebook is related to low self-esteem. The number of Facebook friends was negatively associated with emotional and academic adjustment among first-year students but positively related to social adjustment and attachment to institution among upper-class students. The results suggest that the relationship becomes positive later in college life when students use Facebook effectively to connect socially with their peers. Lastly, the number of Facebook friends and not the time spent on Facebook predicted college adjustment, suggesting the value of studying further the notion of Facebook friends.     

College students' acceptance of potential treatments for ADHD

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the influence that the professional occupation of a consultant making a treatment recommendation may have on college students' (82 women and 52 men) acceptance of a proposed treatment for a child displaying characteristics of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Consultants were special education teachers, school psychologists, or physicians. The study also examined college students' ratings of treatment acceptability associated with three frequently implemented interventions of either nonspecific medication, token economy with response cost, or time-out for children with characteristics of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Analysis indicated college students found a token economy intervention was the least acceptable recommendation by a physician.     

Role of relationship context in influencing college students' responsiveness to HIV prevention videos.

This research examined the effectiveness of different HIV prevention videos for students as a function of whether they were in a dating relationship. Two hundred two college students completed pretest measures and were randomly assigned to watch one of three 42-min videos (communication skills, technical skills, combined skills). Posttest and 3-month follow-up data indicated that receiving the technical skills video was associated with greater self-efficacy for condom use across several different dimensions. However, students who received the combined skills video and were not currently in a dating relationship had the greatest proportion of protected acts of intercourse. These findings suggest that video-based interventions can be an effective way of decreasing risky sexual behavior, and that HIV prevention messages that focus on both technical and communication skills are the most successful in leading to behavioral change.     

Goal agreement and relationship quality among college students and their parents

Two hundred eight parent–college student dyads (total N = 416) participated in the current study, which examined the link between goal agreement and perceived conflict within their relationships. Undergraduate participants (91 male, 117 female) completed a demographic form, a 65 items goal measure, and a measure of parental conflict. Parents (98 fathers, 110 mothers) were asked to rate the importance of the same 65 goals for their emerging adult children. College students tended to place more importance on independence, affect control, health, social relationships, and financial concern goals than their parents did, whereas parents placed more importance on moral and religious goals than their emerging adult children did. However, relative goal agreement between parents and college students was found to be moderately high. Those parent–college student dyads who experienced less conflict tended to have higher goal agreement, whereas those dyads with a higher level of conflict had lower goal agreement. These findings provide further evidence for the link between interpersonal relationships and the personality construct of goals.