PTSD and substance-related problems: the mediating roles of disconstraint and negative emotionality

The authors examined competing hypotheses regarding the role of 2 personality dimensions, disconstraint and negative emotionality, in mediating the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity and substance-related problems. Data were drawn from a large sample of male Vietnam veterans. The best-fitting structural model included significant indirect paths from PTSD to both alcohol- and drug-related outcomes through disconstraint, and a significant indirect path from PTSD to alcohol-related problems through negative emotionality. There were no direct effects of PTSD on either substance-related outcome. These findings indicate distinct pathways to different forms of substance-related problems in PTSD and underscore the role of personality in mediating these relationships.     

Injury increases the risk for PTSD: an examination of potential neurobiological and psychological mediators

A growing number of common traumatic events involve both physical and emotional injuries. In contrast to previously held beliefs, the rapidly growing body of literature shows quite convincingly that physical injury, over and above exposure to the traumatic event itself, increases rather than decreases the risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A pertinent question becomes how bodily injury contributes to the risk of developing PTSD. In this article, we review contemporary findings regarding the neurobiological and psychological mechanisms by which bodily injury may augment or independently contribute to chronic posttraumatic stress. In addition, we propose three theoretical pathways through which physical injury can increase the risk for PTSD. These pathways are: additive, unique, and recovery impeding. Finally, we highlight unresolved issues pertaining to each one of these pathways and propose directions for future research to address them.     

Do ad metaphors enhance or dilute the consumers' brand preferences? Exploring the moderating role of goal orientation

This research aims to explore the impacts of ad metaphors and goal orientation on the relationship between brand commitment and attitudes toward the competitor brands. Results show that prevention‐focused consumers with high brand commitment do not exhibit differentially favorable attitudes toward the competitor brands, regardless of ad metaphors. In contrast, prevention‐focused consumers with low brand commitment exhibit more favorable attitudes toward competitor brands advocated by highly metaphorical ads than those advocated by low metaphorical ads. Moreover, promotion‐focused consumers exhibit more favorable attitudes toward competitor brands advocated by highly metaphorical ads than those advocated by low metaphorical ads, regardless of brand commitment.     

Are community studies of psychological trauma's impact accurate? A study among Jews and Palestinians

We evaluated the accuracy of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression (MD) diagnoses using brief assessment instruments conducted by phone. PTSD and MD were assessed by telephone interview in a randomly selected sample of Jewish and Palestinian residents of Jerusalem (N = 150) during a period of marked threat of terrorism and war. We utilized the PTSD Symptom Scale Interview Format (Foa, Riggs, Dancu, & Rothbaum, 1993) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9; Kroenke, Spitzer, & Williams, 2001). We then conducted in-depth, in-person interviews within 2 weeks, assessing PTSD and MD using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI; Kessler et al., 2004). The prevalence of PTSD and MD diagnosis ascertained by the 2 assessment modalities was similar. Indices of classification accuracy for the phone interview, using the in-person interview as the standard, ranged from modest to high. Brief phone and in-depth in-person measures of PTSD and MD also correlated similarly with other demographic, stress, and coping factors, suggesting convergent validity. Brief phone interviews appear useful for estimating the prevalence of psychological disorders in mass casualty contexts and may have a critical role in both epidemiologic work and guiding public health interventions.     

The Impact Message Inventory–Circumplex (IMI–C): A Replication Study of Its Circumplex Structure in a Dutch Sample

The 56-items Impact Message Inventory–Circumplex (IMI–C) has been developed to describe the interpersonal styles of target persons in terms of the 2-dimensional interpersonal circle, divided in 8 subscales (octants). The IMI–C is based on the assumption that a target person's interpersonal styles can validly be measured by assessing the internal (cognitive and emotional) reactions of the IMI–C respondent (e.g., therapists), interacting with the target person (e.g., psychotherapy patients). This replication study tested the circumplexity of a computer-delivered Dutch IMI–C. The computer-delivered Dutch IMI–C approached circumplexity in a large clinical sample (N = 812) of psychotherapy and psychiatric patients, after removing 3 items from the Submissive octant scale. These 3 items clearly disturbed the IMI–C circumplex structure. It is concluded that, even with the inevitable problem of nested data, circumplexity was approached sufficiently to justify the interpretation of the IMI–C at the octant level, provided that the 3 troublesome Submissive items are removed from the calculations of octant scores. Our replication test of the Dutch IMI–C circumplexity might be an impetus for researchers in the United States to invest in the further validation of the original American version.     

Temporal considerations in the study of family firms: Reflections on “the study of organizational behaviour in family business”

We complement the work of Gagné et al. by discussing how an extended time dimension shapes organizational behaviour in family firms. Using insights from family dynamics, identity theory, and social identity theory, we show how early formative experiences in the family can influence commitment, conflict, and motivation in family firms. Then we examine how a family's intention to pass on the firm to later generations can impact leadership, human-resources practices, and corporate cultures.     

Integrating leadership: The leadership circumplex

The present study aims to integrate leadership conceptualizations into one overarching model, using a “leadership circumplex”. Two studies describe the construction and examine the psychometric characteristics of an operationalization of the leadership circumplex, the Circumplex Leadership Scan (CLS). Results showed that the CLS complies with the criteria of a true circumplex. Furthermore, scales, representing leadership styles, showed reasonable to high reliability. A third study confirmed the stability of the CLS structure and additionally explored the circumplex structure of subordinates’ ratings of their leaders, which were found to have the same underlying circumplex structure. A fourth study was conducted to assess the convergent validity with other leadership styles from the existing leadership literature, the predictive validity of the styles, as well as the test–retest reliability. A fifth study confirmed the predictive validity results observed in Study 4 using different-source ratings of leadership outcomes. Finally, a sixth study explored the possibility of creating a short version of the CLS.     

A review of research on the prevalence,antecedents, consequences and prevention of workplace aggression in clinical medical practice

A broad-ranging review of the published research literature was undertaken on workplace aggression in clinical medical practice. Prevalence studies have found that 15–75% of survey respondents reported verbal aggression and 2–29% reported physical aggression in medical practice settings in the previous 6–24 months. In comparison, there was limited published research on the antecedents and consequences of clinician exposure to workplace aggression, and a dearth of published research on the prevention and minimization of workplace aggression in medical practice settings. Future research efforts need to investigate workplace aggression from all sources and across all medical clinician sub-populations in the diverse settings in which they work. Specific attention needs to be given to identifying key risk and protective factors for workplace aggression exposure, including in relation to clinician profiles, the settings and conditions of medical work, and the presence of key aggression prevention and minimization efforts, both individually and in combination. The impact of workplace aggression on clinician health, well-being, performance and work participation remains under-researched. Overall, a more extensive and robust evidence base is required to enable informed decision-making on reducing the likelihood and consequences of workplace aggression in clinical medical practice.