Relationship Between Perceived Organizational Support,Proactive Personality,and Perceived Employability in Workers Over 50

This article examines the relationship between perceived organizational support, proactive personality, and perceived employability in a sample of workers over 50. An online questionnaire assessing these variables were filled by 213 employees. Results confirmed that individual dispositions have a significant impact on perceived employability but also indicated that organizational context may have a greater impact on employability. The implications of the findings are discussed, and suggestions are offered for future research on employability.     

INCREASING TREATMENT ACCEPTABILITY THROUGH VIDEO

The effects of a video vignette on the treatment acceptability ratings of four behavioral interventions were evaluated. Two interventions involved positive reinforcement (DRO and DRI) and two negative consequences (contingent physical restraint and contingent electric shock). Seventy-four undergraduate psychology students were randomly assigned into two groups. The experimental group (n=36) viewed a video vignette of a self-abusive individual whereas the control group (n=38) did not. Acceptability ratings prior to the video showed no differences between the experimental and control groups. The post video ratings indicated significant acceptability increases for physical restraint for the experimental group. There also was a significant group by testing effect because the means for the experimental group rose whereas the control group's means were stable. These results replicated and extended Foxx, McHenry and Bremer (in press) who showed that treatment acceptability is alterable through video.     

Effects of a problem-solving strategy on the independent completion of vocational tasks by adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have few employment opportunities and a lower job quality than individuals of typical development. Social deficits and lack of independence may contribute to underemployment and unemployment of individuals with ASD. The ability to solve problems might ameliorate some of these barriers. We taught four adolescents with ASD a problem-solving strategy (i.e., use of a textual activity schedule) to assist with independent completion of vocational tasks in the face of three types of problems (e.g., missing or broken items) and nonproblem situations. Following introduction of the problem-solving strategy, all four participants independently completed the tasks when a problem was presented and responding generalized to untaught vocational tasks.     

Daily mood and stress predict pain, health care use, and work activity in African American adults with sickle-cell disease.

This study examined the extent to which daily mood and stress were associated with pain, health care use, and work activity in 41 adults (mean age=36 years) with sickle-cell disease. Multilevel model analyses of daily diaries (M=91 days) indicated that increases in stress and negative mood were associated with increases in same-day pain, health care use, and work absences. Lagged models suggested bidirectional relationships, with evidence that pain may be the more powerful initiating variable in pain-mood and pain-stress cycles. Of importance, positive mood was associated with lower same-day and subsequent day pain, as well as fewer health care contacts, suggesting that positive mood may serve to offset negative consequences of pain and other illness symptoms.     

counselor nonverbal self‐disclosure and fear of intimacy during employment counseling: an aptitude—treatment interaction illustration

This study investigated the effects of nonverbal self‐disclosure within the dynamic of aptitude—treatment interaction. Participants (N= 94) watched a video of a career counseling session aimed at helping the jobseeker to find employment. The video was then edited to display 3 varying degrees of nonverbal self‐disclosure. In conjunction with the measure of counselor assessment, the authors measured the fear‐of‐intimacy level by using the Doi and Thelen (1993) model. Results showed that when self‐disclosure does not have an effect on counselor assessment, a moderator effect due to the fear of intimacy becomes evident. Implications for research and practice are presented.     

Effects of relationship maintenance on psychological distress and dyadic adjustment among couples coping with lung cancer

OBJECTIVE: Relationship maintenance strategies help to ensure the continuation of valued relationships by keeping them at a certain level of intimacy. This study evaluated how lung cancer patients' and spouses' efforts to maintain their relationships affected their psychological and marital adjustment over time. DESIGN: Psychosocial questionnaires were administered within 1 month of lung cancer treatment initiation (baseline) and 3 and 6 months later to 158 lung cancer patients and their spouses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Study outcomes were global severity index scores on the Brief Symptom Inventory, and total scores on the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. RESULTS: Multilevel modeling analyses using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model showed that, regardless of gender or social role (i.e., patient or spouse), individuals who engaged in the strategies of positivity, networks, and shared tasks reported less distress at baseline than other participants. Over time, the effects of providing more assurances and experiencing a partner's increased reliance on social networks differed: patient distress was exacerbated, and spouse distress was alleviated. Couples where both partners engaged in more frequent maintenance behaviors reported greater dyadic adjustment at baseline and over time. CONCLUSION: For couples coping with lung cancer, the initial treatment period may be an important time that sets the tone for future spousal interactions. Engaging in relationship maintenance during this stressful time may help mold more resilient relationships and facilitate adjustment as the disease progresses.