Dependent effect sizes in meta-analysis: incorporating the degree of interdependence

In the present article, a commonly used meta-analytic procedure for handling dependent effect sizes from a single sample was examined, and 2 revised procedures that estimate and incorporate the degree of interdependence were proposed. The authors' simulation results reveal that the commonly used procedure that averages the effect sizes from a single sample (denoted as the samplewise procedure) underestimates the degree of heterogeneity. The proposed variations are less biased than the samplewise procedure in estimating the degree of heterogeneity in most of the situations that we examined. Future directions to further improve the procedures for handling dependent effect sizes from a single sample are discussed.     

Sources of Meaning in Life Among Chinese University Students

The current studies were designed to explore the structure of sources of meaning in life among Chinese university students. In Study 1, we content-analyzed 171 students’ answers to the question of what made their lives meaningful and derived 74 frequently mentioned ideas. Then, we composed a questionnaire based on these ideas and administered it to another sample of 523 university students in Study 2. Seven underlying dimensions were identified through exploratory factor analysis: Self-development (i.e., to accomplish one’s aspirations and actualize one’s potential), social commitment (i.e., to contribute to society and to adhere to moral principles), interpersonal relationships (i.e., relationships with family members, friends and others), secular pursuits (i.e., stable jobs, material possessions and social status), experiences in life (i.e., to experience all the joys and sorrows in life), civilization (i.e., reading, thinking, music and arts), and autonomy (i.e., to make decisions freely and take charge of one’s own life). Results are discussed in light of the philosophical influences in Chinese culture, especially those from Confucianism and Taoism.     

Maternal Relationship Insecurity and Depressive Symptoms as Moderators of Home Visiting Impacts on Child Outcomes

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which maternal relationship insecurity and severe depressive symptoms moderate home visiting impacts on developmental and behavioral outcomes in 2-year old children. In an experimental trial of the Healthy Families Alaska home visiting program, families (N = 249) were randomly assigned to home visiting (n = 126) or community services as usual (n = 123). Maternal severe depressive symptoms (CES-D ≥ 24) and relationship insecurity were measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and the Attachment Style Questionnaire at baseline. Child cognitive and psychomotor development and behavior problems were measured with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and the Child Behavior Checklist at follow-up. The results revealed that home visiting significantly impacted three outcomes—child cognitive development, internalizing behavior, and externalizing behavior. Home visiting impacts were limited to subgroups defined by maternal depressive symptoms and relationship insecurity. Home visiting improved cognitive development (B = 6.02, p < .03), and decreased internalizing behavior (B = ?3.83, p = .02) and externalizing behavior problems (B = ?3.74, p = .03) in children of mothers with either severe depressive symptoms or high levels of discomfort with trust at baseline, but not both. Family engagement in home visiting seems to play a role in mediating these moderating effects. These findings reflect the importance of screening for maternal relationship insecurity and depressive symptoms to distinguish family subgroups likely to benefit from home visiting from those for whom an enhanced service model might be needed.     

Differential Roles of Physical Attractiveness and Earning Capability in Explaining Sense of Power among Dating Individuals in China: A Gender Comparison

This cross-sectional study examined how self-assessed physical attractiveness and earning capability were associated with individuals’ sense of power through self-perceived mating success and investment size in romantic relationships among 196 young adults (88 men, 98 women) from Nanjing, China. Using path analysis, we tested the following hypotheses: self-assessed physical attractiveness would be more strongly associated with self-perceived mating success among women than men, whereas self-assessed earning capability would be more strongly linked to self-perceived mating success among men than women (H1); relative physical attractiveness, as compared to their partners’, would be more strongly associated with men’s rather than women’s self-perceived investment size, whereas relative earning capability would be more strongly related to women’s rather than men’s investment size (H2); for both men and women, self-perceived mating success would be positively associated with sense of power, whereas self-perceived investment size would be negatively associated with sense of power (H3). Results indicated that self-perceived physical attractiveness and earning capability were associated with self-perceived mating success similarly for both men and women, failing to support H1. Whereas relative physical attractiveness was negatively associated with investment in the relationship similarly for two genders, the negative association between relative earning capacity and investment size was only significant for women. H2 was partially supported. Finally, self-perceived mating success and investment size were significantly associated with sense of power in the expected directions for both genders, lending support to our H3. Results are discussed in light of gender differences in mate preferences and the investment theory.     

Regulatory focus influences perseveration and distractibility in task switching

In two experiments, we investigated the effect of regulatory focus (Higgins, Am Psychol, 52, 1280–1300, 1997) on people’s maintenance and switching behavior. In the experimental tasks, participants were asked to react selectively to one category of stimuli while ignoring the other. After several practice trials, participants had to switch either to new stimuli which were paired with former target stimuli (i.e., in the perseveration condition), or switch to former distracter stimuli which were paired with new stimuli (i.e., in the learned irrelevance condition). Results from both experiments indicated that a promotion focus promoted switching to new stimuli in the perseveration condition, at the cost of poorer performance on switching to former distracters in the learned irrelevance condition. This pattern of results applied to both chronic individual differences in regulatory focus (Experiment 1), and regulatory focus temporarily manipulated in the laboratory (Experiment 2). It suggests that whereas a promotion focus indeed promotes cognitive flexibility, it also incurs a cost in terms of increased likelihood of being distracted.     

Athletes’ Preferred Characteristics and Qualifications of Sport Psychology Practitioners: A Consumer Market Analysis

Studies assessing the perceived characteristics of competent sport psychology practitioners have resulted in skewed data, making it difficult to discern the relative importance of each characteristic. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the attributes of gender, ethnicity, interpersonal skills, physical appearance, athletic background, professional status, and sport culture in relation to one another using conjoint analysis, a consumer market analysis. College student athletes (N = 464) indicated a preference for a female practitioner whose ethnicity matched that of the athlete and possessed high interpersonal skills and sport knowledge, an athletic background, a physically fit body type, and had earned a professional degree. These findings can be used by sport psychology consultants to modify the information they give to current clients and to develop marketing plans to appeal to potential clients.     

Ist die linguistische Theorie des logischen Apriori obsolet?

The linguistic theory of the logical A Priori: is it obsolete In holistic interpretations, the logical truths are considered as continuous with empirical science: they are revisable, a posteriori, though very near to the centre of our web of belief. In this paper, we consider the merits and demerits of this approach, and we propose that it is necessary to revaluate holistic philosophies of logic. Some arguments are put forward which point in favour of the logical empiricists’ theory of logical truth. We argue (following Hartry Field) that the concept of “correlation between logical facts and logical beliefs” (which is at the heart of the holistic theory) is inconsistent. Finally, we concentrate on the principle of contradiction and argue (following Manley Thompson) that this principle is fundamental for meaning, truth, and thinking. This thesis is derived from considerations on the nature of intentionality. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Hate: Evidence for a motivational conceptualization

Motivation and Emotion - Four studies (three Canadian, one African) tested whether lay understandings of hate are congruent with conceptualizing hate as a motive with the goal of diminishing or...     

Who Suffers More from Job Insecurity? A Meta‐Analytic Review

The present meta‐analysis examined the tenure, age, and gender differences in the relationship between job insecurity and its job‐related and health‐related consequences. A total of 133 studies, providing 172 independent samples, were included in the analysis. Our results basically replicated Sverke et al.'s (2002 ) meta‐analytic findings with an updated methodological approach and a larger database. The main differences between our findings and Sverke et al.'s are that the negative association between job insecurity and job performance was significant and that the relationship between insecurity and job involvement was smaller in our study. The moderator analysis also indicated that: (1) the positive association between job insecurity and turnover intention was stronger among employees with shorter tenure than those with longer tenure, and was stronger among younger than older employees; (2) the negative effect of insecurity on its health outcomes was more severe among employees with longer tenure than those with shorter tenure, and was more severe among older than younger employees; (3) the relationship between insecurity and the criterion variables was similar across gender. Results are discussed with reference to Hulin's (1991 ) theory of job adaptation and Greenhalgh and Rosenblatt's (1984 ) job dependence perspective. La présente méta‐analyse étudie les différences de statut (titulaire ou non), d’âge et de genre dans la relation entre l’insécurité de l’emploi et ses conséquences relatives au travail et à la santé. Un total de 133 recherches, comprenant 172 échantillons indépendants, a été inclu dans l’analyse. Nos résultats, obtenus avec une approche méthodologique actualisée et sur une plus grande base de données, sont pour l’essentiel congruents avec ceux de la méta‐analyse de Sverke et al. (2002 ). Les différences principales entre nos résultats et ceux de Sverke et al. sont les suivantes: d’une part, entre l’insécurité de l’emploi et la productivité la relation est significativement négative, d’autre part la relation entre l’insécurité de l’emploi et l’engagement au travail est moindre dans notre étude. L’analyse indique aussi que: (1) la relation positive entre l’insécurité de l’emploi et l’intention de le quitter est plus forte parmi les employés ayant un contrat à courte durée contrairement à ceux ayant un contrat à plus longue durée et est plus forte parmi les employés les plus jeunes; (2) l’effet négatif de l’insécurité sur la santé est plus important parmi les employés ayant un contrat de longue durée que pour ceux ayant un contrat de plus courte durée, ce qui est aussi le cas pour les employés les plus âgés; (3) le genre n’a pas d’effet sur la relation entre l’insécurité et les variables choisies. Les résultats sont discutés en référence à la théorie de l’adaptation au travail de Hulin (1991 ) et la perspective de dépendance au travail de Greenhalgh et Rosenblatt (1984 ).     

The (non-)benefit of choosing: If you get what you want it is not important that you chose it

Self-Determination Theory argues that autonomy plays a major role in intrinsic motivation. Autonomy can be operationalized as choice. Whether positive effects on motivation are caused by the mere act of choosing or by confounding variables is still unclear. In this study (N?=?299, M_age?=?13.1?±?0.6 years), students could work with two polarizing animals. The first group was allowed to choose (choosing & match), two groups were not. In these groups, the teacher allocated the animals to the students resulting in a second group that received the wanted animal (no choosing & match), and a third group that received the unwanted animal (no choosing & no match). Situational motivation and flow experience were assessed. Regarding intrinsic motivation and flow, students in the no choosing & match treatment scored the highest, students of the no choosing & no match group the lowest. In conclusion, matching and not choosing made the difference.