The relationship between personality, social functioning, and depression: a structural equation modeling analysis

The relationship between personality, social functioning, and depression remains unclear. The present study employs structural equation modeling to examine the mediating role of social functioning between harm avoidance (HA), self-directedness (SD), and depression. A sample of 902 individuals completed a self-report questionnaire consisting of the following scales: HA and SD subscales of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale (SASS). Structural equation modeling via analysis of moment structure was used to estimate the fit of nine related models. Results indicated that social functioning is a mediator between harm avoidance or self-directness and depression. Self-directedness was also shown to have direct effects on depression. The results support the social reinforcement theory of depression and provide a theoretical account of how the variables are related based on correlation methods. Suggestions are offered for future experimental and longitudinal research.     

Group problem-solving among teachers: A case study of how to improve a colleague’s teaching

A case study of six teachers cooperating to improve a teacher’s teaching showed the dynamics of the group problem-solving process. An analysis of their verbal interactions showed the importance of shared understanding to successful group problem solving. The cooperative group structure helped members resolve cognitive conflicts and build group understanding. During this process, the members’ past teaching experiences and knowledge contributed to their conceptualization of the teacher’s teaching problems and their proposed solutions to improve the teacher’s teaching. Tsz Cheung Lam graduated from the Department of Educational Psychology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2004 and obtained his Master of Education degree. His research interests lie primarily on cooperative learning and problem solving. As a primary school teacher in practice, he is now studying part-time for another master degree in data science at the Department of Statistics of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.     

Role of contextual imagery in associative recall

The advantage of interactive over separation imagery in associative recall was markedly diminished when a unique imaginary context was provided for each imaged pair of words. Separation imagery was much more sensitive to contextual redundancy than was interactive imagery. Context was viewed as facilitating organization at encoding as well as affecting cue loading at retrieval. A three-element associative model is described.     

Sex differences in ADHD: Conference summary

Clinical samples of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been dominated by males. Consequently, female manifestations and sex differences have been relatively neglected in the extensive ADHD research. Because ADHD is so common (3% to 5% of school children) and chronic (lifelong in many cases), even a small proportion of females multiplied by such a large base means hundreds of thousands of girls and women with ADHD, a significant public health problem. An NIMH conference concluded that research is needed not only on sex differences related to ADHD, but also on manifestations of ADHD in females as such. Areas of focus should include differences in life course (sex-differential age effects); effects of hormones; effects of ADHD parenting (in utero and postnatal) on the next generation; response to and implications for design of psychosocial treatment; effects of differential comorbidity; normative background sex differences that influence the manifestation of ADHD; differences in development of verbal fluency and social behavior; possible interactions of sex and ethnicity; a prospective study of both sex offspring of ADHD adults; and such methodological issues as appropriate instruments and diagnostic thresholds, power to prevent false negatives, valid impairment measures, validity and reliability of child self-reports, and more inclusive samples (all three subtypes: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and combined).The following participants in the November 16–17, 1994, NIMH Conference on Sex Differences in ADHD may be considered ghost co-authors of the contents in this summary. Special thanks are due to Euthymia Hibbs, Ph.D., co-organizer of the conference; Peter Jensen, M.D., who suggested the successful format; Delores Parron, Ph.D., who gave much helpful advice on the conference arrangements; Emily Areia, Ph.D., who thoroughly critiqued the summary; Joan Cole, who helped abstract the recorded proceedings; and Jose Bauermeister, Ph. D., F. Xavier Castellanos, M.D., Stephen Hinshaw, Ph.D., and Mark Stein, Ph.D., who helped with referencing. Other participants, in alphabetical order, included Russell Barkley, Ph.D.; Joseph Biederman, M.D.; Caryn Carlson, Ph.D.; C. Keith Conners, Ph.D.; Monique Ernst, M.D.; Miranda Gaub; Jay N. Giedd, M.D.; Michael Gordon, Ph.D.; Jeffrey Halperin, Ph. D.; Betsy Hoza, Ph.D.; Hans Huessy, M.D.; Jean King, Ph.D.; Kathleen Kiely; Rachel Klein, Ph.D.; Benjamin Lahey, Ph.D.; Jan Loney, Ph.D.; Elizabeth Lorch, Ph.D.; Spero Manson, Ph.D.; Keith McBurnett, Ph.D.; Richard Milich, Ph.D.; Douglas Novins, M.D.; Daisy Pascualvaca, Ph.D.; Linda Pfiffner, Ph.D.; Jane Steinberg, Ph.D.; James Swanson, Ph.D.; Marcus Thomeer, Ph.D.; Lillie Williams, M.D.; Alan Zametkin, M.D.The opinions expressed herein are the views of the author and conference participants and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the National Institute of Mental Health or any other part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.     

The role of intuition in entrepreneurship and business venturing decisions

Entrepreneurial intuition is the affectively charged recognition and evaluation of a business venturing opportunity arising as a result of involuntary, rapid, non-conscious, associative processing. This article integrates theories of dual-processing and models of the business venturing (opportunity recognition, evaluation, and exploitation) in a model of entrepreneurial intuition, which links intuitive expertise, cognitive style, somatic state, and the affect heuristic with System 2 interventions and the contingencies of the decision environment. Six research propositions are offered with suggestions for how they can be tested. The theoretical and practical implications of entrepreneurial intuition are discussed in terms of the unfolding of a research agenda relating to this important but under-theorized and under-researched construct in work and organizational psychology.     

Effects of priming self‐construals on self‐evaluations: Cultural game player perspective

This study examined the validity of situational view on culture‐specific behaviours focusing on self‐evaluation. Two experiments with American students as samples were conducted to examine whether priming their self‐construals would affect individuals' self‐evaluation. In Experiment 1, the participants' self‐evaluation was compared across different conditions of primed self‐contruals. In Experiment 2, the participants were split into 2 groups based on their initial default self‐consturals and, the self‐evaluations were compared across the 2 groups after priming self‐contruals. The results demonstrated that although the participants' self‐evaluation was initially in accord with their default self‐construal, it changed into accord with the primed self‐construals. The findings supported the proposed cultural game player view. Implications on situational view of self‐evaluation are also discussed.     

Four Covariance Structure Models for Canonical Correlation Analysis: A COSAN Modeling Approach

The mathematical connection between canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and covariance structure analysis was first discussed through the Multiple Indicators and Multiple Causes (MIMIC) approach. However, the MIMIC approach has several technical and practical challenges. To address these challenges, a comprehensive COSAN modeling approach is proposed. Specifically, we define four COSAN-CCA models to correspond with four possible combinations of the data to be analyzed and the unique parameters to be estimated. In terms of the data, one can analyze either the unstandardized or standardized variables. In terms of the unique parameters, one can estimate either the weights or loadings. Besides the unique parameters of each COSAN-CCA model, all four COSAN-CCA models also estimate the canonical correlations as their common parameters. Taken together, the four COSAN-CCA models provide the correct point estimates and standard error estimates for all commonly used CCA parameters. Two numeric examples are used to compare the standard error estimates obtained from the MIMIC approach and the COSAN modeling approach. Moreover, the standard error estimates from the COSAN modeling approach are validated by a simulation study and the asymptotic theory. Finally, software implementation and future extensions are discussed.     

Exposure to national flags reduces tax evasion: Evidence from the United States,Australia, and Britain

There have been numerous theories from numerous academic fields explaining why individuals engage in tax evasion. Drawing broadly on Social Identity Theory, we predict that exposure to one's national flag can reduce tax evasion by making salient one's national identity, motivating one to sacrifice one's self-interests for one's country—which would presumably include paying one's fair share of taxes. In three experiments, we found that exposure to American, Australian, and British flags reduced Americans', Australians', and Britons' tax evasion in financially incentivized tasks (Experiments 1, 3) and increased tax-paying attitudes (Experiment 2). The effects arose because flag primes made salient participants' national identities that then motivated them to help their country. We ruled out social norms and trust in authorities as alternative explanations. As such, flag primes might reduce tax evasion and in doing so improve the economic and societal welfare of a country.     

A prologue to nostalgia: savouring creates nostalgic memories that foster optimism

How are nostalgic memories created? We considered savouring as one process involved in the genesis of nostalgia. Whereas nostalgia refers to an emotional reflection upon past experiences, savouring is a process in which individuals deeply attend to and consciously capture a present experience for subsequent reflection. Thus, having savoured an experience may increase the likelihood that it will later be reflected upon nostalgically. Additionally, to examine how cognitive and emotional processes are linked across time, we tested whether nostalgia for a previously savoured experience predicts optimism for the future. Retrospective reports of having savoured a positive event were associated with greater nostalgia for the event (Study 1). Retrospective reports of savouring a time period (college) were associated with greater nostalgia for that time period when participants were in a setting (alumni reunion event) that prompted thoughts of the time period (Study 2). Savouring an experience predicted nostalgia for the experience 4–9 months later (Study 3). Additionally, nostalgia was associated with greater optimism (Studies 2-3). Thus, savouring provides a foundation for nostalgic memories and an ensuing optimism.     

Conversation with 2016 American Academy of Religion Excellence in Teaching Award Winner Joanne Maguire Robinson

This conversation between the editors of Teaching Theology and Religion and Joanne Maguire Robinson continues an occasional series of interviews that has previously featured Jonathan Z. Smith, Stephen Prothero, Mary Pierce Brosmer, and Mary Elizabeth Mullino Moore. The exchange takes as its point of departure the teaching statement that Professor Robinson produced in support of her candidacy for the American Academy of Religion's Excellence in Teaching Award. Issues addressed include the impact of institutional context on one's teaching, teaching the humanities in universities that are ever more focused on job training, making the transition from a graduate program focused on research to teaching undergraduates who are unlikely to take even a second course in the study of religion, and ways in which women are challenged to navigate multiple responsibilities while striving to make their way in a male‐dominated academy.