Exploring the factor structure of the Francis Psychological Type Scales among a sample of Anglican clergy in England

ABSTRACT

The Francis Psychological Type Scales (FPTS) were designed to provide a fresh conceptualisation and operationalisation of psychological type theory suitable for application within self-report quantitative studies in the individual differences tradition. The present study tests the factor structure of this instrument among a sample of 722 Anglican clergy. The Varimax Rotated Solution with Kaiser Normalisation recovered the hypothesised location of 74 of the 80 items across four factors with factor weightings of or above .38. The FPTS are commended for use.     

Recognition of psychopathology with religious content by clergy members: a case vignette study

Clergy members (CMs) frequently offer support and counselling for people with mental health problems. The current study aims to obtain insight into the ability among CMs to recognise psychopathology and need for psychiatric treatment. A random sample of CMs (N?=?143) and a control sample of mental health professionals (MHPs, N?=?73), were compared as to their evaluations of four vignettes. CMs considered the psychiatric states to be related to religious or spiritual problems to a similar degree as they did for the non-psychiatric states. Sensitivity of CMs with regard to the need of psychiatric care for the psychiatric states was modest (66%) and differed significantly from MHPs (96%). Specificity of the CMs was 89%, which was significantly lower than the MHPs (97%). The CMs did recognise psychopathology with religious content but clearly to a lower extent than MHPs. Requests by CMs for education about recognising psychopathology may be considered as justified.     

Missions without missionaries: the social dimension of church growth in Muslim Java,Indonesia

We live in a world where religion is not confined to the private sphere and where faith-based acts, from Qur'an burning to terrorist activities, affront not only believers but also non-believers. Indonesia, where moderate Islam has long enjoyed its compatibility with other religions, has recently emerged as a hot spot of Muslim–Christian violence. In order to examine the social face of faith in ‘unfavourable’ circumstances, this article analyses church growth in Muslim Java by addressing the sociological issues related to what makes a church strong. Through an empirical investigation into the Java Christian Church, the article demonstrates that a church manages to establish a firm foothold in a Muslim society by developing the porosity of the religious frontier at the organizational level.     

Studying the ecclesiology of a national church: the Danish context

Studying the ecclesiology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark is a complicated matter. It requires knowledge of a broad range of subjects such as theology, political science, history, and anthropology. This article shows some of the difficulties and problems related to studying a national church which is heavily politicised, because a national church, in a globalised context, easily becomes the symbol of a past identification of nation, state, church, and people. Today, this identification is changing because of immigration, secular ideologies, and secularisation. Researchers in ecclesiology must be aware of the political and national dimensions of their research and how their conclusions are used in the political debate.     

A spectrum of belief: a qualitative exploration of candid discussions of clergy on mental health and healing

Since clergy are often first responders to mental health issues, it is important to understand clergy views on handling such issues. A discussion occurred in 2012 amongst clergy involved in a popular social utility network clergy’s group. One clergyperson asked peers: “If the church is where we are to come for healing, how do we handle people who are depressed, suicidal, suffering from PTSD or anxiety?” Over 140 comments were made during 13 days, and 35 clergy from the United States, Africa, and India contributed to the discussion. Data from this conversation were examined via classic grounded theory. Analysis revealed a spectrum of beliefs that clergy hold regarding the causes and best treatments for emotional issues. Findings shed light on the candid thoughts clergy have about mental health care. The findings provide greater understanding for mental health practitioners with clients who rely on their church for emotional support.     

Empirical and historical perspectives on the growth of Pentecostal-style churches in Malaysia,Singapore and Hong Kong

This article considers the growth of Pentecostal-style churches in Southeast Asia, and specifically in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. It outlines four reasons for the growth that occurred and then, using qualitative and quantitative data in a mixed mode, seeks to test the hypotheses it derives. It concludes that each of the hypotheses remains plausible but notes that contextual factors or major social disruptions undermine any deterministic account.     

The association between personality,attachment, psychological distress,church denomination and the god concept among a non-clinical sample

The association between personality, attachment, psychological distress, church denomination and the God concept was studied among a sample of 208 subjects from the normal population. Subjects were Christians, members of an Orthodox reformed church or the Pentecostal church. Negative feelings towards God were associated with a high level of harm avoidance, insecure attachment and a high level of psychological distress. Psychological distress mediated the association between personality and attachment variables and negative feelings towards God. Psychological distress and church denomination were the only two independent predictors of negative feelings towards God. Moreover, results showed that the Orthodox reformed church members hold a more negative concept of God than the Pentecostal church members do. Orthodox reformed church members see God in particular as a punitive judge, independent of personality, attachment and psychological distress, suggesting a large influence of religious culture on this particular type of God concept. Results are discussed from a psychotherapeutic point of view. Finally, several ethical issues regarding psychotherapy with religious clients are addressed.     

Charting directions for a new research era: addressing gaps and advancing scholarship in the study of psychological contracts

ABSTRACT

The nature of work and the contexts in which firms operate have changed significantly in the many decades since the study of psychological contracts (PCs) at work began in earnest. These changes have altered the contours of the traditional employer-employee relationship and are key motivators of this Special Issue. We seek to chart new directions for PC research over the next decade by widening the theoretical and methodological lenses used to explore PC processes. In the introductory editorial we briefly outline the PC construct, overview the collected papers, and discuss the next exciting wave of PC research (exploring PC dynamics, PC counterparties, and the PC context) inspired by this collection.     

Cyber-bullying: An investigation of the psychological profile of university student participants

The present study investigated the psychological profile of 430 Greek university students who reported cyber-bullying/victimization experiences. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire, measuring cyber-bullying, cyber-victimization, Internet frequency and use, personality characteristics, and psychological symptoms. Results indicated that 58.4% of the sample had participated in a cyber-bullying incident assuming any role. Cyber bully/victims, the most common participant role, endorsed more psychological symptoms, more psychopathic traits, and were high sensation seekers, compared to the rest of the groups, whereas cyber-victims scored higher on empathy. Cyber-bullying was predicted by callous/unemotional and impulsive/irresponsible traits, depression, Internet use, as well as lack of social skills. The latter four variables also predicted cyber-victimization along with gender. Findings are discussed in terms of prevention and intervention strategies.     

Primary prevention of psychological difficulties in vulnerable mothers: pilot programme evaluation

This pilot study evaluated a primary prevention programme delivered to mothers who were considered to be vulnerable to the development of psychological difficulties (N = 11). Beneficial effects were noted in terms of mood and coping, as well as a reduction in the mothers' attendance at their general practitioners surgery. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

From state church to faith community: an analysis of worldly and spiritual power in the Church of Sweden

The aim of this article is to discuss the current legislation, and power structures in and between different levels of the Church of Sweden in terms of church–state relations and secularisation, with the help of theories from sociology of religion and ecclesiology drawn from José Casanova, Grace Davie and Avery Dulles. With themes from Lutheran theology, including the two regiments and the common priesthood of all believers, we analyse the current legislation and power structures from the perspective of the so-called ‘dual line of responsibility’. The underlying hypothesis is that the structures of the former state church are still deciding the power structures in the Church of Sweden. This creates obscurity concerning the role of the church in public society and negatively affects the ecclesiastical development of the church now that it has lost its earlier status as a state church.     

辱虐管理与员工创造力：心理契约破坏和中庸思维的不同作用

近年来, 辱虐管理与员工创造力的关系受到越来越多研究者的关注。在以往研究的基础上, 本研究构建了一个有调节的中介作用模型, 以探讨中国文化情境下辱虐管理影响员工创造力的中介心理机制及边界条件。采用多阶段-多来源的策略, 以93名主管和369名员工为对象, 通过多水平结构方程建模技术对三阶段主管-员工配对调查所获取的数据进行分析, 结果表明：主管的辱虐管理行为会通过心理契约破坏的中介作用, 对员工创造力产生间接的消极影响; 但该负向的间接关系的强度对高中庸思维者而言较弱。本研究有助于揭示辱虐管理影响员工创造力的心理机制及边界条件, 研究结果对企业员工创造力及创新行为的管理实践也有一定启示。     

Associational social capital and psychological type: an empirical enquiry among cathedral Friends in England

A sample of 1131 members of the Friends associations of six English cathedrals (616 women and 515 men) completed the Francis Psychological Type Scales (FPTS) and a modified version of the Williams Religious Social Capital Index (WRSCI). The data demonstrated that higher levels of religious social capital were found among extraverts (compared with introverts), sensing types (compared with intuitive types), and feeling types (compared with thinking types). No significant differences were found between judging types and perceiving types. The finding that extraverts displayed higher levels of religious social capital poses a challenge for the cathedrals, given that introverts outnumbered extraverts by nearly 2:1 in the Friends groups. Since religious social networks are known to influence generosity with time and money, it is suggested that cathedrals not only develop strategies to recruit more extravert Friends but also devise novel ways of encouraging introvert types to participate in associational activities where social capital will be generated.     

Assessing clergy work-related psychological health: reliability and validity of the Francis Burnout Inventory

ABSTRACT

Drawing on the classic model of balanced affect, the Francis Burnout Inventory (FBI) conceptualised good work-related psychological health among clergy 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). In support of the idea of balanced affect, previous work had shown a significant interaction between the effects of SEEM and SIMS scores, showing that the mitigating effects of positive affect on burnout increased with increasing levels of negative affect. In this paper a convenience sample of 155 priests serving with the Roman Catholic Church in Italy have been assessed on the Purpose in Life Scale (PILS) as an independent measure of well-being and concurrently on the two scales, SEEM and SIMS. Crucially for confirming the idea of balanced affect, there was a significant interaction between the effects of SEEM and SIMS scores on scores recorded on the PILS, confirming that the mitigating effects of satisfaction in ministry on purpose increased with increasing levels of emotional exhaustion.     

Linking psychological risk profiles to running-related injuries and chronic fatigue in long-distance runners: A latent profile analysis

IntroductionConsistently predicting adverse outcomes of long-distance running, such as running-related injuries (RRIs) and chronic fatigue, has proven to be a complicated matter. However, research suggests that a stronger focus on psychological factors of runners might provide further insights. Consequently, in this study, we explored the interplay between self-regulatory coping strategies and motivational aspects. Using a person-centered approach, we investigated whether latent psychological profiles of runners were associated with RRIs and chronic fatigue.MethodsQuestionnaire data were gathered from Dutch recreational long-distance runners (N = 425) using a cross-sectional design. We determined whether specific psychological combinations (i.e., latent profiles) based on coping strategies (i.e., running-related resources and recovery) and motivational aspects (i.e., harmonious and obsessive passion) could be distinguished using latent profile analysis (LPA). The resulting profiles were tested for their associations with RRIs and chronic fatigue.ResultsLPA revealed three different psychological risk profiles, termed the ‘low-risk’, ‘medium-risk’, and ‘high-risk’ profile. The low-risk profile showed low scores on obsessive passion and high scores on all recovery dimensions, whereas the high-risk profile resembled the opposite pattern. Furthermore, the low-risk profile showed significantly fewer RRIs and lower chronic fatigue scores than the high-risk profile.DiscussionThe results reveal that (1) patterns of passion and coping strategies interact in defining different profiles and (2) that such profiles are indeed linked to RRIs and chronic fatigue. Utilizing profiles might enable targeted intervention and more effective preventative measures by pinpointing at-risk runners. Specific combinations of psychological aspects, as reflected by our profiles, thus appear a worthwhile direction to consider in understanding RRIs and chronic fatigue in long-distance running.     

Marriages and psychological distress among adult offspring of divorce: a Norwegian study

The study compares the likelihood of getting married and of getting divorced among the adult offspring of divorced parents versus the adult offspring of parents who remain married (total N = 37,230). It also compares levels of psychological distress in the two groups (total N= 22,898). Data derive from The Nord‐Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) and population registries from Norway. Individuals with divorced parents tended to delay marriage or not marry at all. However, among those who married, there were more divorces among the offspring of divorced parents than among offspring of parents who were still married. Offspring of divorce tended to marry other offspring of divorce. These marriages were at especially high risk of dissolution. Parental divorce was particularly influential as a risk factor during the first years of marriage. Both parental divorce and the individuals’ own divorce were risk factors for psychological distress.     

Cognitive-behavioural treatment of pathological gambling in individuals with chronic schizophrenia: a pilot study

The current study aimed to test the clinical effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioural program (CBT) specifically adapted for pathological gamblers with chronic schizophrenia, carried out in a naturalistic setting of community Mental Health Centres. Forty-four pathological gamblers with chronic schizophrenia were assigned either to a standard drug therapy for schizophrenia (control group) or to cognitive-behavioural therapy for pathological gambling plus a standard drug therapy for schizophrenia (experimental group). Psychological treatment comprised a 20-session program including psychoeducation, stimulus control, gradual exposure and relapse prevention. Therapeutic success was defined as abstinence or the occurrence of only 1 or 2 episodes of gambling during the follow-up period. While the patients treated in the experimental group showed a rate of success of 73.9%, only 19% of the participants belonging to the control group gave up gambling at the 3-month follow-up. The CBT group also did better than the control group in the number of gambling episodes and in the amount of money spent on gambling. However, the improvement of the experimental group was weaker at the 6- and 12-month follow-up. These findings support the beneficial effects of CBT as adjunctive therapy for patients with dual diagnoses (schizophrenia and pathological gambling).     

Effect of a behavioral intervention on dimensions of self-regulation and physical activity among overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes: a pilot study

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the preliminary effect of a behavioral intervention on the use of self-regulation strategies and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes. 23 individuals recruited from ResearchMatc.org and campus advertisements were randomized into an intervention (n = 12) and control (n = 11) group. The intervention group received a behavioral intervention that used goal setting, time management, and self-monitoring to target dimensions of self-regulation and MVPA. The control received information regarding their PA habits. MVPA was measured via BodyMedia Armbands at pre- and post-test. The use of self-regulatory strategies for MVPA was assessed at pretest and posttest using the Self-Regulation for Exercise Scale. Cohen’s d effect sizes were calculated to determine the practical impact of the intervention. The intervention had a large effect on all dimensions of self-regulation across time: including total self-regulation (3.15), self-monitoring (4.63), goal setting (3.17), social support (1.29), self-reward (1.98), time management (4.41), and overcoming barriers (2.25). The intervention had no impact on dimensions of MVPA across time. This pilot study demonstrated the ability of a behavioral intervention to improve the use of self-regulation strategies for MVPA in a sample of adults with type 2 diabetes. These findings can further inform the development of health promotion programs to promote self-regulation. Future research should focus on determining ability of improvements in self-regulation to stimulate behavior change.