Avoiding affect in intergroup relations: The roles of dispositional and intergroup empathy in the relationship between alexithymia and prejudice

Alexithymia, that is, difficulties in recognizing, communicating, and processing one's own emotions, is associated with poorer interpersonal relations. Emotional processes are key drivers and mechanisms of prejudice and its reduction, and alexithymia is thought to influence individuals' empathic responses. This research examined the relationship between alexithymia and prejudice, and the role of empathy in this relationship. Three studies were conducted in three intergroup contexts to test whether alexithymia is also associated with poorer intergroup relations with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender+ individuals (Study 1, N = 126 heterosexual late adolescents) and Asian British people (Study 3, N = 300 White adults) in the United Kingdom, and immigrants in Italy (Study 2, N = 381 Italian adults). Participants completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), measures on dispositional and intergroup empathic concern (EC) and perspective taking (PT) as well as measures of prejudice (anti-outgroup hostility, anti-outgroup attitudes, and anti-outgroup behavioral intentions). Lower dispositional EC (Studies 1, marginal effect in Study 2) and intergroup EC and PT (Study 3) mediated the relationship between the Externally Oriented Thinking subscale of the TAS-20 (i.e., avoiding emotions and affective thinking) and greater prejudice. The findings are important for understanding the challenges of late adolescents and adults with alexithymia in intergroup relations, highlighting the role of dispositional and intergroup empathy for individual differences such as alexithymia in endorsing prejudice.     

A motivational model for environmentally responsible behavior

This paper presents a study examining whether self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation are related to environmentally responsible behavior (ERB). The study analysed past environmental behavior, self-regulatory mechanisms (self-efficacy, satisfaction, goals), and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in relation to ERBs in a sample of 156 university students. Results show that all the motivational variables studied are linked to ERB. The effects of self-efficacy on ERB are mediated by the intrinsic motivation responses of the participants. A theoretical model was created by means of path analysis, revealing the power of motivational variables to predict ERB. Structural equation modeling was used to test and fit the research model. The role of motivational variables is discussed with a view to creating adequate learning contexts and experiences to generate interest and new sensations in which self-efficacy and affective reactions play an important role.     

La psicología de los constructos personales: historia,presupuestos y alcance de una teoría

RESUMEN

La psicología de los constructos personales ha venido siendo casi una cita obligada en múltiples áreas del discurso psicológico, y la idea del “constructo personal” se ha convertido en una repetida alusión. El actual “constructivismo psicológico” ha podido contribuir a esta presencia. Este es un artículo de introducción al tema que intenta rescatar la historia de la psicología de los constructos personales, su definición, presupuestos, y el alcance que ha tenido y tiene, así como su ámbito de investigación.     

Approaches to Learning and Academic Achievement of Filipino Students

Research has shown that a critical variable in determining academic achievement in different cultures and educational systems is approaches to learning. In this study, the author sought to determine whether this variable influences academic achievement among Filipino college students. The Learning Process Questionnaire (LPQ; J. B. Biggs, 1987) was used to assess approaches to learning. The results indicated that (a) the LPQ was a valid instrument to assess the learning approaches of non-low-achieving Filipino college students; (b) the Deep and Achieving subscale scores of the LPQ were positively related to academic achievement even when the effects of school ability and prior academic achievement were controlled; and (c) with some slight exceptions, the relationship between the LPQ scale scores and academic achievement were génerally similar between male and female Filipino students. Implications for the study of student approaches to learning in different cultures and educational systems are discussed.     

Hope and Internal Working Models of the Self and Others: A Correlational Study on Filipino Adolescents

The study seeks to contribute to research on understanding the antecedents of hope cognitions by exploring how internal models of self and others are related to hope. Correlational analysis of Filipino adolescent students’ responses to the hope scale and life positions scale indicated that internal model of the self is positively associated with hope cognitions, but internal model of others is not. The results are discussed in relation to importance of cognitive representations of the self that emerge from person’s early attachment relationships.     

Greetings

Pretraining work behavior was investigated as a composition variable for group psychotherapy. The work behavior of sixty-six outpatients in nine pretraining groups was measured. Six of the pretraining groups were recomposed into either high or low work therapy groups on the basis of the pretraining scores. The other three groups entered therapy intact. Audiotapes from the first six months were analyzed to assess therapy process. Outcome measures were administered before therapy and after six months of therapy. Hypotheses concerned the effects of composition on process and outcome and the relationship between pretraining work behavior and outcome. The results suggest that pretraining work behavior has merit as a composition variable and may have promise as a selection variable. Therapeutic uses of pretraining are discussed.     

How do Curiosity,Meaning in Life,and Search for Meaning Predict College Students’ Daily Emotional Exhaustion and Engagement?

College students face numerous academic demands on a daily basis. The resources of the University and of the students to cope with these demands are essential to explain students’ levels of well-being. The purpose of this investigation is to explore the role of day-level curiosity and meaning in life in the explanation of students’ levels of engagement and emotional exhaustion at night. Two-hundred and nine college students participated in a daily study of five consecutive academic days, completing measures of curiosity and meaning in life in the afternoon and measures of engagement and emotional exhaustion at night. Data were analyzed using MLwiN software from a hierarchical linear modeling and daily approach. Curiosity in the afternoon showed a positive relationship with levels of engagement at night, and a negative relationship with levels of emotional exhaustion at night. Moreover, the interaction of curiosity and search for meaning and emotional exhaustion was positive. Although curiosity drives to exploring opportunities and challenges, decreases exhaustion and promotes daily engagement, when curiosity interacts with other emotional loads (such as search for meaning), it can become an emotional overload favoring exhaustion. From this perspective, it is necessary to continue investigating the mechanisms that predict students’ well-being and to create academic environments that stimulate curiosity and support students in their search for meaning in life.     

Workplace bullying and health complaints: the moderating role of physiological activation

Previous research has shown that workplace bullying is related to several negative outcomes. In this line of research, few studies have focused on possible moderators of the experience of bullying. The aim of the present study was to examine the moderating role of physiological activation, measured as systolic blood pressure, in the relationship between bullying and health problems. The sample was made up of 213 employees, who filled in a questionnaire about health and well being, and participated in a voluntary medical check-up that was carried out by an independent Occupational Health Service. Results revealed that physiological activation strengthened the relationship between bullying and health problems, so that those with high levels of blood pressure reported more health complaints in bullying situations. These results are in line with the allostatic load theory.     

Exploring noun bias in Filipino-English bilingual children

Researchers have suggested that there is a noun bias in children's early vocabularies brought about by features of adults' child-directed utterances, which may vary across languages (E. V. Bates et al., 1994; D. Gentner, 1982). In the present study, the authors explored noun bias in 60 Filipino-English bilingual children whose 2 languages differed in how they emphasized nouns and verbs in typical syntactic forms. The results revealed a noun bias, but only in the bilingual children's English vocabulary. The noun bias in English was associated with the frequency of nouns in the caregivers' utterances and the proportion of nouns in the initial positions of the caregivers' utterances. The authors also found different associations between salient positions in the adult utterances and children's vocabularies in English and Filipino.