Tolerance of ambiguity: A review of the concept,its measurement and applications

This paper reviews the scattered and diffuse literature on the tolerance of ambiguity construct (AT). The work by Frenkel-Brunswik (1948) is considered in some detail to help explain the origin of the concept as well as its diffusion to many areas of psychology. Second, thirty years of correlational research, which looks at the studies correlating AT measures with a variety of psychological variables, are reviewed. Third, evidence for the differential distribution of AT among particular groups is reviewed. Fourth, the psychometric properties of the various self-report AT measures are considered in some detail. The two final sections look at organizational and cultural correlates of AT (the areas currently most interested in the AT concept). The conclusion attempts to explain varying patterns of interest in the AT construct and its current status.     

Conditioned reinforcement: Experimental and theoretical issues

The concept of conditioned reinforcement has received decreased attention in learning textbooks over the past decade, in part because of criticisms of its validity by major behavior theorists and in part because its explanatory function in a variety of different conditioning procedures has become uncertain. Critical data from the major procedures that have been used to investigate the concept (second-order schedules, chain schedules, concurrent chains, observing responses, delay-of-reinforcement procedures) are reviewed, along with the major issues of interpretation. Although the role played by conditioned reinforcement in some procedures remains unresolved, the results taken together leave little doubt that the underlying idea of conditioned value is a critical component of behavior theory that is necessary to explain many different types of data. Other processes (marking, bridging) may also operate to produce effects similar to those of conditioned reinforcement, but these clearly cannot explain the full domain of experimental effects ascribed to conditioned reinforcement and should be regarded as complements to the concept rather than theoretical competitors. Examples of practical and theoretical applications of the concept of conditioned reinforcement are also considered.     

Le capital psychologique : un construit d’intérêt majeur pour les psychologues du travail

This literature review focuses on the concept of Psychological Capital (PsyCap), a construct that comprises dimensions of self-efficacy, hope, resilience and optimism. France has not a particular interest at the moment in PsyCap. The objective of this article is to provide a comprehensive review on both the relevance and use of PsyCap in work psychology. Once we have reviewed the conceptual foundations of PsyCap, its measurement and its consequences on various areas such as health and occupational attitudes will be dealt with. We will also identify the antecedents of this construct. Finally, research prospects will be developed.     

ON EXPLICATING THE CONCEPT THE POWER OF AN ARITHMETICAL THEORY

In this paper I discuss possible ways of measuring the power of arithmetical theories, and the possiblity of making an explication in Carnap’s sense of this concept. Chaitin formulates several suggestions how to construct measures, and these suggestions are reviewed together with some new and old critical arguments. I also briefly review a measure I have designed together with some shortcomings of this measure. The conclusion of the paper is that it is not possible to formulate an explication of the concept.     

Using Indirect Measurement Tasks to Assess the Self‐concept of Personality: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analyses

This systematic review presents the current state of research investigating the implicit self‐concept of personality. First, we present results on meta‐analyses estimating internal consistency, reliability coefficients, the implicit–explicit consistency and the single association predictive effect of implicit self‐concept of personality measures. To do this, studies were aggregated over personality domains. Second, for each of the Five Factor personality domains, different aspects of construct validity and predictive validity are reviewed in a narrative way. Results show that implicit self‐concept of personality measures are reliable, and there is evidence for the construct and predictive validity of these implicit measures, especially in the extraversion and agreeableness domains of personality. However, it must be kept in mind that clear evidence for publication bias was found for studies examining the single association predictive pattern. Finally, this systematic review identifies some achievable improvements that are needed in future research. Large cross‐lab efforts are important in this respect. Moreover, the implicit self‐concept of personality field must move from an ‘ad hoc’ to a ‘validation’ approach in developing new indirect measurement tasks. By adopting these research objectives, the information processing account of personality will increase its potential to become integrated into mainstream personality theory and research. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Personality Psychology     

Frustration Intolerance as a Multidimensional Concept

The Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) concept of frustration intolerance is briefly reviewed and placed in historical context. It is argued that this concept includes a wide range of belief content, and is best considered as a multidimensional construct. A multidimensional model is presented, and the implications for theory and practice discussed.     

Das Konstrukt „sexuelle Sucht“ im Zusammenhang mit forensisch psychiatrischen Fragestellungen

The construct of sexual addiction is still of great importance for forensic psychiatry in German-speaking countries. The aim of this article is to examine the concept in relation to the forensic psychiatric topic in more detail. Given the different historical developments in German and Anglo-American countries, definitions of hypersexuality as opposed to diagnostic categories and etiological considerations are presented. A central topic for forensic psychiatry is in the context of the assessment of self-control and criminal responsibility as well as a dynamic risk factor and thus also as a target for therapy. Finally, problem areas of the construct are discussed.     

The assessment of unwanted intrusive thoughts: A review and critique of the literature

In this paper we review the assessment and measurement of normal unwanted intrusive thoughts, images, and impulses that are considered the basis of clinical obsessions. After highlighting some difficulties with how the definition of cognitive intrusion has been applied to the development of assessment measures, we evaluate the construct validity of a number of retrospective self-report instruments such as the Intrusive Thoughts Questionnaire, Cognitive Intrusions Questionnaire, and Obsessional Intrusions Inventory, as well as interview and diary procedures. Measures of personal responsibility and meta-cognitive beliefs, which are still in the developmental phase, are also discussed. We conclude with a number of recommendations and areas of further research which would strengthen the construct validity of measures of intrusive thoughts and related constructs.     

Measurement equivalence/invariance of the abusive supervision measure across workers from Taiwan and the United States

Growing international research interest in negative-leadership behaviors prompts the need to examine whether measures of ineffective leadership developed in the United States are equivalent across countries outside the United States. B. J. Tepper's (2000) abusive supervision measure has been used widely inside and outside the United States and merits research attention on its construct equivalence across different cultural settings. The authors conducted a series of multigroup confirmatory factor analyses to investigate the measurement equivalence of this measure across Taiwan (N = 256) and the United States (N = 389). Configural invariance was established, suggesting that both U.S. and Taiwanese samples perceive abusive supervision as a single-factor concept. Furthermore, the establishment of partial metric invariance and partial scalar invariance suggests that the abusive supervision measure is applicable to crosscultural comparisons in latent means, construct variance, construct covariances, and unstandardized path coefficients with the caution that workers from different cultures calibrate their responses differently when answering some items.     

Conditioned reinforcement: Neglected or outmoded explanatory construct?

The construct of conditioned reinforcement has been challenged over the past two decades, both as an adequate explanation of behavior in various situations (e.g., behavioral chains) in which it was previously regarded as crucial and in terms of the validity of the concept of conditioned value on which it is based. Recent research is reviewed that answers these criticisms and vindicates the importance of the construct. Also discussed are unanswered empirical issues regarding the concept and its implications for behavioral phenomena of major importance for general-process learning theory, such as autoshaping and imprinting.     

Measurement Equivalence/Invariance of the Abusive Supervision Measure Across Workers From Taiwan and the United States

Growing international research interest in negative-leadership behaviors prompts the need to examine whether measures of ineffective leadership developed in the United States are equivalent across countries outside the United States. B. J. Tepper's (2000) abusive supervision measure has been used widely inside and outside the United States and merits research attention on its construct equivalence across different cultural settings. The authors conducted a series of multigroup confirmatory factor analyses to investigate the measurement equivalence of this measure across Taiwan (N = 256) and the United States (N = 389). Configural invariance was established, suggesting that both U.S. and Taiwanese samples perceive abusive supervision as a single-factor concept. Furthermore, the establishment of partial metric invariance and partial scalar invariance suggests that the abusive supervision measure is applicable to crosscultural comparisons in latent means, construct variance, construct covariances, and unstandardized path coefficients with the caution that workers from different cultures calibrate their responses differently when answering some items.     

Attitude-behavior congruity, mindfulness, and self-focused attention: A behavior-analytic reconstruction

Social psychologists have responded to research reporting low agreement between attitude measures and related behavior with attempts to explain the incongruities and enhance agreement. This article examines attitude-behavior incongruity from a behavior-analytic point of view. Traditional and behavior-analytic views of attitudes and behaviors are compared. In the behavior-analytic view, answering an attitude scale should be considered as behavior displayed by a person under rather unusual social conditions, not as a reflection of an enduring personal disposition. Reasons why questionnaire-answering behavior will not resemble behavior in other functionally different social conditions are reviewed. Special attention is extended to two representative lines of attitude-behavior research: mindfulness and self-focused attention. Discriminative stimuli in both areas of study have produced more predictable agreement between questionnaire-answering behavior and behavior in other settings.     

Maturational Constraints on Language Learning

This paper suggests that there are constraints on learning required to explain the acquisition of language, in particular, maturational constraints. First, empirical evidence for this claim is reviewed. The evidence from several studies of both first and second language acquisition suggests that normal language learning occurs only when exposure to the language begins early in life. With exposure beginning later in life, asymptotic performance in the language declines: the effects over age of first exposure are approximately linear through childhood, with a flattening of the function in adulthood. These outcomes argue that some type of constraints ensuring successful language learning exist early in life, and weaken with increasing maturation. Second, two hypotheses are considered as to the nature of these maturational changes. One hypothesis is that constraints on learning particular to language acquisition undergo maturational decay. A second hypothesis, which is considered in more detail, suggests that language learning abilities decline because of the expansion of nonlinguistic cognitive abilities.     

Tightness-Looseness Revisited: Some Preliminary Analyses in Japan and the United States

The construct of tightness-looseness is considered to be important in differentiating cultures (Pelto, 1968; Triandis, 1977, 1989). The objective of the present paper is to advance understanding of this construct. Specifically, we present a conceptual framework for the construct and formulate some general research hypotheses derived from our conceptualization. In addition, we examine one of our general hypotheses that cultures differing in the tight-loose dimension will differ in the way language is used. Using a data set from Osgood, May, and Miron (1975), we compared the Japanese and the US samples of this study and found evidence supporting the hypothesis that Japan is a tighter culture, as compared to the USA. In addition to studying the construct of individualism-collectivism, we suggest that tightness-looseness is an important cultural dimension that can explain and predict cultural differences in many kinds of social behaviour.     

Acceptability of urban transport pricing strategies

Several research projects all over the world have considered transport pricing measures and policies as promising attempts to solve urgent traffic problems in urban areas. One important precondition for the successful implementation of pricing strategies is public acceptability. However, empirical findings have shown that the acceptability of such strategies is low. Until now economists have been looking for reasons for this refusal by analysing first of all socio-economic characteristics of the drivers concerned. But it is doubtful whether these alone have high explanatory value. Based on a heuristic acceptability model [IATSS Research 21 (1997) 134] different determinants of the acceptability of road pricing strategies are identified and analysed in more detail. A public acceptability survey was carried out in four European cities (N=952 motorists) to investigate two main questions. Firstly, how high is the current acceptability level of different urban transport pricing strategies? Secondly, do the factors as outlined in the acceptability model explain the level of acceptability? As expected, motorists’ stated acceptability of the investigated pricing strategies is rather low. Concerning the factors influencing the degree of acceptability the analyses showed that in particular the variables ‘social norm’, ‘personal outcome expectations’ and the ‘perceived effectiveness’ are positively related with the acceptability of pricing strategies. These variables account for nearly 40% of the criterion variance and thus can explain acceptability of such measures much better than the socio-economic variables included.     

Coronary Prone Behavior: Components of the Type A Pattern and Hostility

Traditional and nontraditional risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) are discussed with special attention devoted to the Type A behavior pattern (TABP). Positive and negative epidemiological evidence bearing on the risk factors status of global TABP is reviewed. Results of the review suggest that component scoring of the multidimensional global TABP in attempts to uncover "toxic" components, particularly Potential for Hostility, is a profitable research strategy. Similarly, evidence is presented that suggests merit in component scoring of hostility, also a multidimensional construct. To explicate more fully the nature of Potential for Hostility and its categories, correlations between the SI-derived ratings and ratings of established dimensions of individual differences based on the five-factor taxonomic model of personality from subsamples of the MRFIT and WCGS studies are presented. Total Potential for Hostility and especially the Style of interaction category show highly significant relations to Low Agreeableness or Antagonism. High ratings of Potential for Hostility identify individuals who can be described as uncooperative, antagonistic, rude, disagreeable, unsympathetic, callous, and the like. Implications of the evolving concept of coronary-prone behavior, as distinguished from TABP, are briefly considered.     

Why Doesn’t He Just Leave Me Alone? Persistent Pursuit: A Critical Review of Theories and Evidence

An integrative review of three theories that explain why some individuals engage in persistent pursuit—coercive control theory, relational goal pursuit, and attachment theory—is presented. The meta-analytic evidence pointing to persistent pursuit as a gendered behavior is reviewed, and coercive control theory is used to explain gender differences. The strong conceptual and empirical overlap between coercive control as a form of intimate partner violence and persistent pursuit is examined. It is suggested that persistent pursuit measures do not adequately assess behaviors that may be used more commonly by women, such as use of physical attractiveness or gossip to damage one’s reputation. Given the promising empirical support for the theories, longitudinal and comparative evaluations, with new methods are needed.     

Homophobia: Conceptual,definitional, and value issues

The construct of homophobia and the psychometric properties of instruments purporting to measure homophobia are critically evaluated. The history of the term and its various definitions are briefly reviewed. We conclude that existing measures of homophobia have been inadequately psychometrically evaluated and therefore it is not clear whether currently this construct can be accurately measured. It is also concluded that the construct of homophobia, as it is usually used, makes an illegitimately pejorative evaluation of certain open and debatable value positions, much like the former disease construct of homosexuality. Finally, proposals for theory development and construct definition in the domain of reactions to homosexuals and homosexuality are provided.