On Assumptions of, Relations between, and Evaluations of Some Process Dissociation Measurement Models

In this article, we analyze both M. J. Wainwright and E. M. Reingold's (1996) view of the process dissociation measurement models presented by A. Buchner, E. Erdfelder, and B. Vaterrodt-Plunnecke (1995) and their suggestions on that topic. This analysis reveals a number of problems in Wainwright and Reingold's approach. Some of these problems are more subtle than others, but they are nevertheless consequential. Thus, researchers working with the process dissociation procedure should be aware of these problems.     

Effects of sentential stress and word class upon comprehension in Broca's aphasics

The roles which word class (open/closed) and sentential stress play in the sentence comprehension processes of both agrammatic (Broca's) aphasics and normal listeners were examined with a word monitoring task. Overall, normal listeners responded more quickly to stressed than to unstressed items, but showed no effect of word class. Aphasics also responded more quickly to stressed than to unstressed materials, but, unlike the normals, responded faster to open than to closed class words regardless of their stress. The results are interpreted as support for the theory that Broca's aphasics lack the functional underlying open/closed class word distinction used in word recognition by normal listeners.     

Formal assessment of problem-solving and planning processes in preschool children

While much is known about adult problem-solving, the materials, analyses, and theoretical issues from the adult literature rarely make contact with the tasks typically used to investigate children's thinking. This paper examines the behavior of 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old children attempting to solve a novel variant of the Tower of Hanoi task. Problems varied in difficulty (one to seven moves for the minimum path solution) and in goal type: tower (all objects on one peg) or flat (all pegs occupied). For each problem, children gave verbal statements of their complete solution plan. The Plan Analysis examined performance as a function of goal type and age. Better performance was observed for tower ending problems, and among older children. The Error Analysis revealed that specific error propensities were related to both age and goal type. The Strategic Analysis compared the first move profiles of 6-year-olds to those of several plausible move selection models, and a high degree of correspondence was obtained between specific models and individual children. Young children appear to have rudimentary forms of many of the problem-solving processes previously identified in adults, but they may differ in encoding and representational processes.     

Management of a dying patient in group therapy

In the last few years there has been an increased interest in the psychosocial aspect as well as in the therapeutic needs of the dying patient. Although much has been written about the treatment of the dying patient, most of these works were done in the individual setting, either with out-patients or with hospitalized patients. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the treatment and management of the dying patient in a group therapy setting. In this paper the authors describe their experience in working with a dying patient in an ongoing therapy group. The effect on the group, on the individual patient and on the therapist are discussed. Moreover, the conflicting needs of the individual patients versus those of the remaining group members are discussed and compared to similar reports from the group therapy literature.     

Manager behavior in a social context: the impact of impression management on attributions and disciplinary actions

Two experimental studies were run to test the effects of subordinate impression management on the appraisals and responses of a manager, following an incident of poor performance. Two common impression management tactics, accounts and apologies, were manipulated in each of the studies. Subjects in both studies were experienced nursing supervisors. On the basis of the "discounting effect" reported in the attributional literature it was hypothesized that accounts of external causes for poor performance, i.e., excuses, would lead subjects to (1) attribute less responsibility to the subordinate, (2) be less personal in their responses, and (3) be less punitive in their responses. Apologies, because of their "equity restoration" effects, were expected to influence subjects' disciplinary responses to the poor performance, without necessarily affecting their attributions of responsibility. Experiment 1. which employed written stimulus materials and a repeated-measures design, provided strong support for all hypotheses. Experiment 2. which employed a film stimulus and between-subjects design, provided strong support for the accounts hypotheses but only minimal support for the apology hypotheses. The results highlight the importance of social information cues in the appraisal of performance.     

You must leave before you can cleave: A family systems approach to premarital pastoral work

We advocate the use of a family systems approach to premarital pastoral work, involving exploration of the families of origin of the intended spouses. Family systems theory argues that a marriage is like a merger of two corporations, each having its own stockholders; thus, adequate preparation for marriage involves coming to terms with the realities of one's family of origin and that of one's intended spouse. Exploratory techniques include genograms, house tours, family photo albums, and discussions of the rules and rituals in the respective families. Leaving father and mother is the central prerequisite to marriage.Dr. Mitchell is Professor of Pastoral Care and Theology, Eden Theological Seminary, 475 E. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, Missouri 63119. Dr. Anderson is Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology, Wartburg Theological Seminary, 333 Wartburg Place, Dubuque, Iowa 52001.     

How Important Is Vocational Success to the Overall Satisfaction of Immigrants?

An ex post facto experiment considered the influence of two main stages of the immigrant's career reconstruction (the preparatory career stage and the establishment stage) on the relationship between vocational achievement and overall satisfaction. The research used a sample of 83 immigrants, mostly of Eastern European origin. Satisfaction scores were correlated with objective measures of adjustment (governmental examination at retraining courses, promotion, and earnings at the job) and with tests measuring personality traits and values as the presumed moderators of the relationship. The results revealed two models of link between vocational achievement and satisfaction: Korman's consistency model and a dissonance model, each of them appearing in a different circumstantial setting. Spiritual need gratification was found to have a great influence on immigrant satisfaction, especially before establishment in a job was achieved. It allows then for satisfaction to appear also at objective vocational failure.