A comparison of older adolescent and adult females' responses to anger-provoking situations

There has been an increase in research on anger in girls and women. However, few researchers have examined anger across different groups of females. The goal of this study was to examine the experience and expression of anger in individuals who differ by age and employee/student status. Two female populations, university students and employees, described their reactions to a hypothetical work/school-related situation. Similar factors elicited an angry emotion, but there were group differences in the responses to the anger experience. The results are interpreted from a gender schema perspective, taking the contextual influence of developmental period and employee/student role into account.     

Coping with conflict situations: middle-aged and elderly men

In this study we investigated the coping responses of fairly healthy, middle-aged (40-64 years, n = 76) and elderly (65-92 years, n = 106) men to five conflict situations (i.e., decision making, defeat in a competitive circumstance, frustration, authority conflict, and peer disagreement). Coping responses were measured by the Life Situations Inventory, developed to assess three forms of coping: problem-solving, avoidance, and resignation. Scales were based on a 28-item questionnaire and were derived rationally through item analysis. Alpha coefficients ranged from .75 to .82. Elderly subjects used avoidance significantly less often than did middle-aged subjects in handling decision-making and authority-conflict situations. No differences were noted between the age groups in use of problem solving or resignation. Both middle-aged and elderly persons favored use of problem solving in managing all conflicts. Results suggest that studies that do not address potential interactions between age and stress situation may be missing an important element in the age-coping relation.     

Assessment of adolescents' learned helplessness in achievement situations

Three studies are reported that describe the development, reliability, and initial validation of the Mastery Orientation Inventory (MOI; Reynolds & Miller, in press) as a measure of generalized learned helplessness in adolescents. In Study 1, an initial version of 50 items was administered to a sample of 112 adolescents. A revised 40-item scale with an internal consistency reliability of .94 was then constructed, which correlated significantly with measures of locus of control and depression. Study 2 involved the administration of the 40-item MOI to 645 adolescents. In this study, the reliability of the MOI was .92, and MOI scores were significantly correlated with subjects' depression scores and with self-reported grade point average. Factor analysis of the MOI items produced a strong first factor with high loadings for every item. In Study 3, the 112 subjects who participated in Study 1 were, 3 months later, readministered the MOI, locus of control, and depression measures. As an external criterion variable, 13 teachers provided global ratings of learned helpless/mastery-oriented behaviors for 99 of these subjects. The MOI demonstrated high internal consistency (r alpha = .95) and adequate test-retest (rtt = .77) reliability. Validity was supported by significant correlations between the MOI and the three criterion variables (/rs/ = .49-.58). The results of these investigations provide initial support for the reliability and validity of the MOI as a measure of learned helplessness.     

自恋与青少年亲社会行为之间的关系

本文以青少年为研究对象,使用相关研究和实验设计探究自恋与亲社会倾向及与现实情境中亲社会行为的关系。研究1表明,对男性而言,自恋与公开的亲社会倾向之间存在正相关,与匿名的亲社会倾向之间不存在相关;而女性的自恋与公开、匿名的亲社会倾向之间均不存在显著相关。研究2通过行为实验证实,在公开的情境下,男性青少年中高自恋者比低自恋者做出更多的亲社会行为;而在非公开的情境下,高低自恋者的亲社会行为没有差异。研究结果揭示,男性青少年自恋者将亲社会行为作为自我调节的策略之一。     

Young children's use of spatial categorization as a mnemonic strategy

The interdependence of knowledge and strategic behavior is becoming increasingly well established. The purpose of this research was to determine whether young children could use spatial categorization--a cognitive skill well within the repertoire of even 2-year-olds--as a mnemonic strategy. The results of three studies revealed that young children are capable of spatially organizing objects as a strategy in the service of future retrieval. There were clear developmental trends in the strategic deployment of categorization. Although there was some evidence of the mnemonic use of perceptually defined categories by 2- and 3-year-olds, these children rarely executed the strategy effectively. Four-year-old children were quite successful at exploiting perceptually defined categories to aid retrieval. By five years of age, children were able, in addition, to actively construct physical categories based on an internal representation and use them in the service of memory.     

Coping use versus effectiveness as moderating the stress—strain relationship

This paper takes another look at coping as a moderator of the stress—strain relationship by assessing the extent of correspondence between subjects' use of various coping behaviours and their perception of their helpfulness (coping effectiveness). The use of four coping strategies and the perception of their helpfulness, as well as the stress and psychological distress of 79 subjects whose spouses were hospitalized, were assessed by questionnaires. The results show that when applying coping effectiveness scores, problem-focused coping and avoidance coping moderate the stress—strain relationship. Coping use scales revealed that only positiveappraisal coping reduced psychological distress.     

Coping with Social Stress: Implications for Psychopathology in Young Adolescent Girls

This study investigated the impact of social stress on symptoms of psychopathology at the entry into adolescence (111 girls, Mage = 11.84, SD = 0.77). We examined whether peer stress and pubertal timing were associated with internalizing distress and aggression, and whether responses to stress and cortisol reactivity mediated or moderated these associations. Cortisol samples were collected from saliva samples during in-home visits, and the YSR was used to assess psychopathology. Interestingly, pubertal timing demonstrated a trend association with cortisol. Responses to stress mediated the association between social stress and symptoms of internalizing distress and aggression. Specifically, early maturers and girls with higher levels of peer stress exhibited more problematic responses to stress, in turn demonstrating higher levels of internalizing distress and aggression. Significant moderation effects also emerged. For example, early maturers who experienced higher levels of emotional/cognitive numbing in response to peer stress were at greater risk for aggression. Findings identify coping strategies that may be used in evidence-based programming to help girls transition more successfully into adolescence will be discussed.

Coping with stereotype threat: denial as an impression management strategy

Four experiments tested the hypothesis that people who are concerned with impression management cope with stereotype threat through denial. Consistent with this hypothesis, temporary employees threatened by a stereotype of incompetence (Study 1) and hostel-dwelling older adults (Study 2) were more likely to deny incompetence if they were high in impression management. African Americans (Study 3) showed a similar pattern of denying cognitive incompetence, which emerged primarily when they were interviewed by a White experimenter and had attended a predominantly Black high school. In Study 4, White students who expected to take an IQ test and were threatened by a stereotype of being less intelligent than Asians were more likely to deny that intelligence is important if they were high in impression management.     

Coping with racial discrimination: The role of substance use

Three studies tested the hypothesis that the relation between perceived racial discrimination and substance use reported in previous research is moderated by use of substances as a coping mechanism. Studies 1 and 2 were experimental studies of African American adolescents' and young adults' reactions to a discrimination experience. Results revealed that those who endorsed substance use-as-coping reported more willingness to use substances after experiencing discrimination. Study 3 was a prospective study of the relation between perceived discrimination and substance use over an 8-year period in African American adolescents. Results demonstrated that discrimination is associated with increases in substance use, but only among adolescents who endorse substance use-as-coping. Together, these three studies provide evidence that experiencing discrimination has both short- and long-term detrimental effects on African Americans' substance use, but significantly more so for those who adopt a pattern of using substances as a coping mechanism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).     

Young people's theories of anorexia nervosa and obesity

One hundred and forty-seven participants completed a 108-item questionnaire, based on that used by Fumham and Hume-Wright in 1992 aournal of Clinical Psychology, 48, 20-36) that looked at their beliefs about the causes and cures of anorexia neruosa and obesity. The four parts of the questionnaire were individually factor analysed and an intevretable factor structure emerged for each. while age and knowing someone with anorexia neruosa or obesity did not correlate with the factors obtained, sex, actual body size, estimated body size and having experience of an eating disorder were found to correlate significantly with a number of factors. Factors of cause and cure were not correlated regarding anorexia neruosa, but were for obesity. Several correlations within cause and cure, across both disorders, were also significant. The implications of these jindings and how they relate to the theories described in the Introduction are considered in the Discussion.     

Effects of early alcohol use on adolescents' relations with peers and self-esteem: patterns over time

Strain or problem-solving models posit that deviance persists because it enhances youths' psychosocial properties and is therefore functional for adolescents. However, empirical tests of this assumption have been limited to determining whether a moderately social activity like delinquency produces time-ordered changes in self-esteem. This research examines whether a highly social activity like alcohol use improves adolescents' relations with peers and self-esteem over time. The results of a four-year panel study show that the effects of early alcohol use are limited to enhancing peer relations only among adolescents who use alcohol in order to be part of the group. Early alcohol consumption also has a delayed effect on boosting self-esteem, but this effect is restricted to youths who equate drinking with sophistication. The lack of generality of these findings and how the psychological functions of drinking might cancel these effects are discussed.     

The effectiveness of SpeechEasy during situations of daily living

A multiple single-subject design was used to examine the effects of SpeechEasy on stuttering frequency in the laboratory and in longitudinal samples of speech produced in situations of daily living (SDL). Seven adults who stutter participated, all of whom had exhibited at least 30% reduction in stuttering frequency while using SpeechEasy during previous laboratory assessments. For each participant, speech samples recorded in the laboratory and SDL during device use were compared to samples obtained in those settings without the device. In SDL, stuttering frequencies were recorded weekly for 9-16 weeks during face-to-face and phone conversations. Participants also provided data regarding device tolerance and perceived benefits. Laboratory assessments were conducted at the beginning and the end of the longitudinal data collection in SDL. All seven participants exhibited reduced stuttering in self-formulated speech in the Device compared to No-device condition during the first laboratory assessment. In the second laboratory assessment, four participants exhibited less stuttering and three exhibited more stuttering with the device than without. In SDL, five of seven participants exhibited some instances of reduced stuttering when wearing the device and three of these exhibited relatively stable amounts of stuttering reduction during long-term use. Five participants reported positive changes in speaking-related attitudes and perceptions of stuttering. Further investigation into the short- and long-term effectiveness of SpeechEasy in SDL is warranted. Educational objectives: The reader will be able to summarize: (1) issues pertinent to evaluating treatment benefits of wearable fluency aids and evaluate (2) the effect of SpeechEasy on stuttering frequency and the perceived benefits of device use in situations of daily living, as assessed weekly over the course of 9-16 weeks of wear, for seven adults who stutter.     

Coping with examinations: Exploring relationships between students' coping strategies,implicit theories of ability,and perceived control

Background Relatively little is known about the contribution of students' beliefs regarding the nature of academic ability (i.e. their implicit theories) on strategies used to deal with examinations. Aims This study applied Dweck's socio‐cognitive model of achievement motivation to better understand how students cope with examinations. It was expected that students' implicit theories of academic ability would be related to their use of particular coping strategies to deal with exam‐related stress. Additionally, it was predicted that perceived control over exams acts as a mediator between implicit theories of ability and coping. Sample Four hundred and ten undergraduate students (263 males, 147 females), aged from 17 to 26 years old (M = 19.73, SD = 1.46) were volunteers for the present study. Methods Students completed measures of coping, implicit theories of academic ability, and perception of control over academic examinations during regular classes in the first term of the university year. Results Multiple regression analyses revealed that incremental beliefs of ability significantly and positively predicted active coping, planning, venting of emotions, seeking social support for emotional and instrumental reasons, whereas entity beliefs positively predicted behavioural disengagement and negatively predicted active coping and acceptance. In addition, analyses revealed that entity beliefs of ability were related to coping strategies through students' perception of control over academic examinations. Conclusions These results confirm that exam‐related coping varies as a function of students' beliefs about the nature of academic ability and their perceptions of control when approaching examinations.     

Developmental patterns of African American and Caucasian adolescents' alcohol use

This study examined the developmental alcohol use trajectories of Caucasian and African American adolescents. Participants were 1,358 adolescents (77.6% Caucasian). Results suggest that not only do patterns of alcohol use differ for Caucasian and African American adolescents, but that there is substantial within group variation as well. Results suggest that using a within-groups developmental approach is one promising way to identify subgroups of adolescents at greatest risk for substance use.     

Coping and psychological distress for men with substance use disorders

Coping with stress is a major focus for chemically dependent persons in relapse prevention programs. The relationships among coping and psychological distress were investigated in 71 men with substance use disorders, at both pre—and post-treatment. It was predicted that low task-oriented coping, high emotion-oriented coping, and high avoidance-oriented coping would predict psychological distress (e.g., anxiety and depression). It was also expected that use of task-oriented coping would increase following treatment and that use of emotion-oriented coping and avoidance-oriented coping, and reported levels of psychological distress would all decrease following treatment. Participants completed the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations and the General Health Questionnaire, took part in an intensive treatment program (e.g., relaxation, drug education, stress management) and completed these questionnaires again following treatment. Results indicated that high emotion-oriented coping predicted hypochondriasis, anxiety and depression. Task-oriented and avoidance-oriented coping did not predict psychological distress, although task-oriented coping was negatively related to hypochondriasis, anxiety and depression. The results regarding change in coping styles and levels of psychological distress were as hypothesized, except that avoidance-oriented coping did not significantly change following treatment. Theoretical and practical implications of the research are discussed.     

Getting involved: Testing the effectiveness of a volunteering intervention on young adolescents' future intentions

Past research has identified a host of benefits associated with volunteering and community involvement, yet involvement appears to be on the decline in recent years. We tested the effectiveness of an intervention designed to encourage involvement. We provided young adolescents with information about volunteer opportunities, benefits and ways to overcome barriers to involvement. Adolescents who participated in the volunteering intervention reported greater involvement intentions than control participants. In addition, mediation analyses indicated that adolescents in the volunteering intervention based their self‐worth to a greater degree on virtuous behaviour, which in turn predicted their involvement intentions, especially in the helping domain. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Coping and psychological distress for men with substance use disorders

Coping with stress is a major focus for chemically dependent persons in relapse prevention programs. The relationships among coping and psychological distress were investigated in 71 men with substance use disorders, at both pre—and post-treatment. It was predicted that low task-oriented coping, high emotion-oriented coping, and high avoidance-oriented coping would predict psychological distress (e.g., anxiety and depression). It was also expected that use of task-oriented coping would increase following treatment and that use of emotion-oriented coping and avoidance-oriented coping, and reported levels of psychological distress would all decrease following treatment. Participants completed the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations and the General Health Questionnaire, took part in an intensive treatment program (e.g., relaxation, drug education, stress management) and completed these questionnaires again following treatment. Results indicated that high emotion-oriented coping predicted hypochondriasis, anxiety and depression. Task-oriented and avoidance-oriented coping did not predict psychological distress, although task-oriented coping was negatively related to hypochondriasis, anxiety and depression. The results regarding change in coping styles and levels of psychological distress were as hypothesized, except that avoidance-oriented coping did not significantly change following treatment. Theoretical and practical implications of the research are discussed.     

Cognitive,Behavioral and Goal Adjustment Coping and Depressive Symptoms in Young People with Diabetes: A Search for Intervention Targets for Coping Skills Training

The aim of the present study was to find relevant coping factors for the development of psychological intervention programs for young people with Type 1 (T1) diabetes. A wide range of coping techniques was studied, including cognitive coping, behavioral coping and goal adjustment coping. A total of 78 young people with T1 diabetes participated. They were contacted through a social networking website, several Internet sites, and flyers. A wide range of coping techniques appeared to be related to depressive symptoms. Especially the cognitive coping strategies self-blame, rumination, refocus positive, and other-blame, together with goal adjustment coping, were of importance. A large proportion of the variance of depressive symptoms could be explained (65 %). These findings suggest that these specific coping strategies should be part of coping skills trainings for young people with T1 diabetes.