A review of career anchors in use

Abstract

As organizations respond to the competitive pressures of today, so their management structures become leaner and fitter. In this process, the nature of the career opportunities change as does the organization's perspective of the individual and his or her career. An employer for life is a thing of the past. The corollary to this is that companies now want their people to be less dependent on their employer and to take more responsibility for ensuring their career path is right for them. To do this, people must be provided with the tools to take on this mantle. They need to understand themselves better. Their decisions are now even more critical. Career Anchors is one such tool and its applications are reviewed in this article. It provides an effective insight for individuals and enables them to recognize their talents, values, and motives.     

Reappraisal and mindfulness: A comparison of subjective effects and cognitive costs

The present study investigated the relative effects of mindfulness and reappraisal in reducing sad mood and whether trait mindfulness and habitual reappraisal moderated the effects. The study also compared the extent to which implementation of these strategies incurred cognitive resources. A total of 129 participants were randomly assigned to receiving training in mindfulness, reappraisal, or no training prior to undergoing an autobiographical sad mood induction. Results showed that mindfulness and reappraisal were superior to no training, and equivalent in their effects in lowering sad mood. Compared to mindfulness, reappraisal resulted in significantly higher interference scores on a subsequent Stroop test, reflecting greater depletion of cognitive resources. Higher trait mindfulness, but not habitual reappraisal, predicted greater reductions in sadness across conditions. The study suggests that although mindfulness and reappraisal are equally effective in down-regulating sad mood, they incur different levels of cognitive costs.     

Application of functional analysis methods to assess human–dog interactions

Research on owner–dog relationships suggests that they have remarkable features, paralleling those of infant to parents. In this study, we investigated whether, after being separated, access to the owner would function as a reinforcer for domestic dog behavior. We then conducted a functional analysis to determine the specific functional reinforcer (e.g., owner access, attention). Our results demonstrate that owner access can function as a reinforcer. This has implications for understanding the owner–dog relationship and using owner access as a training tool.     

Evaluating a humane alternative to the bark collar: Automated differential reinforcement of not barking in a home‐alone setting

The aim of this study was to develop a humane alternative to the traditional remote devices that deliver punishers contingent on home‐alone dog barking. Specifically, we evaluated the use of remote delivery of food contingent on intervals of not barking during the pet owner's absence. In Experiment 1, 5 dogs with a history of home‐alone nuisance barking were recruited. Using an ABAB reversal design, we demonstrated that contingent remote delivery of food decreased home‐alone barking for 3 of the dogs. In Experiment 2, we demonstrated that it is possible to thin the differential‐reinforcement‐of‐other‐behavior (DRO) schedule gradually, resulting in a potentially more acceptable treatment. Our results benefit the dog training community by providing a humane tool to combat nuisance barking.     

The psychometric properties of the Quality of Life Inventory in an Australian community sample

The Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI, Frisch) is an importance‐weighted measure of life satisfaction that has been found to possess adequate psychometric properties in US and clinically‐based samples. The current study aimed to investigate the normative distribution, factor structure and key psychometric properties of the QOLI in an Australian general community sample. Results indicated that the Australian sample (n = 259) reported slightly better quality of life than the US‐based standardisation sample. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that a three‐factor model provided the best fit for the data. Psychometric properties were all generally found to be adequate and close to Frisch's reported levels. In conclusion, this study indicated that the QOLI may be used in the Australian context with confidence. Future research could examine the clinical utility of the three‐factor model.