Higher Order Structure of Personality and Mental Health: Does General Affectivity Matter?

The higher order personality model, namely the Big Two, was tested in 2 studies (Ns = 878 and 467, respectively) by controlling for the effects of both general affectivity and common method variance. Study 2 also examined the associations of the metatraits with different mental health indicators through regression analyses. The results consistently provided support for the validity of the Big Two model in the latent space, with and without the effects of general affectivity and the common method variance. Moreover, in both studies, the high correlation between stability and plasticity decreased when these 2 method effects were controlled statistically. The regression analyses also showed that the associations of plasticity and stability with the indicators of both subjective and psychological well-being, as well as psychopathology, were consistent with the theoretical arguments behind the Big Two.     

The magic of collective emotional intelligence in learning groups: No guys needed for the spell!

Using a cross‐lagged design, the present study tests an integrative model of emergent collective emotions in learning groups. Our results indicate that the percentage of women in the group fosters the emergence of collective emotional intelligence, which in turn stimulates social integration within groups (increases group cohesion and reduces relationship conflict) and the associated affective similarity, with beneficial effects for group effectiveness.     

The role of context on boundary extension

Boundary extension (BE) is a memory error in which observers remember more of a scene than they actually viewed. This error reflects one’s prediction that a scene naturally continues and is driven by scene schema and contextual knowledge. In two separate experiments we investigated the necessity of context and scene schema in BE. In Experiment 1, observers viewed scenes that either contained semantically consistent or inconsistent objects as well as objects on white backgrounds. In both types of scenes and in the no-background condition there was a BE effect; critically, semantic inconsistency in scenes reduced the magnitude of BE. In Experiment 2 when we used abstract shapes instead of meaningful objects, there was no BE effect. We suggest that although scene schema is necessary to elicit BE, contextual consistency is not required.     

Trust as a determinant of entrepreneurs' preference to remain tenants in Turkish business incubators

Relations of two types of trust by entrepreneurs with the entrepreneurs' preference to remain an incubator tenant were examined using questionnaire data from 67 owners of companies in 6 Turkish incubators. As hypothesized, trust in incubator management had a positive and unique relation with preference to remain an incubator tenant. However, trust in other incubator tenants did not show the hypothesized positive and unique relation with preference to remain a tenant; the results indicated the relation is negative.     

Stuttering attitudes among Turkish family generations and neighbors from representative samples

PurposeAttitudes toward stuttering, measured by the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S), are compared among (a) two different representative samples; (b) family generations (children, parents, and either grandparents or uncles and aunts) and neighbors; (c) children, parents, grandparents/adult relatives, and neighbors of the same family/neighbor units vs. individuals from different family/neighbor units; and (d) attitudes from one Turkish city with an international database archive.MethodsFollowing a school-based, three-stage, cluster probability sampling scheme, two sets of children, parents, grandparents/adult relatives, and neighbors (50 each) in Eski?ehir, Turkey (PROB1 and PROB2) completed Turkish translations of the POSHA-S. The POSHA-S measures attitudes toward stuttering within the context of other attributes, such as obesity and mental illness.ResultsBoth replicates of the sampling procedure yielded strikingly similar attitudes for stuttering between children, parents, grandparents/adult relatives, and neighbors in PROB1 vs. PROB2, and between all pair-wise comparisons within PROB1 and PROB2. By contrast, attitudes toward obesity and mental illness were dissimilar. Correlations were small to moderate among attitudes of the same family/neighbor units but were essentially nonexistent between different family/neighbor units. Attitudes toward stuttering in Eski?ehir were estimated to be less positive than attitudes from a wide range of samples around the world, although exceptions occurred.ConclusionsA school-based probability sampling procedure yielded consistent findings that are likely different from results from convenience samples. Families appear to be an important influence in determining public attitudes toward stuttering and other human attributes.Educational objectives: The reader will be able to: (i) identify similarities and differences among attitudes toward stuttering across generations; (ii) identify similarities and differences among attitudes toward stuttering in Turkey vs. other places in the world; (iii) describe a school-based probability sampling scheme; (iv) describe advantages of using a standard instrument to measure public attitudes toward stuttering.     

Prevalence of bulimic behaviors and trends in eating attitudes among Turkish late adolescents

The eating attitudes and the prevalence of bulimic behaviors in a group of 300 late adolescents were investigated using the key questions from the Bulimia Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE), and additional questions. Only four subjects (1.3%) scored above the cut-off point on the BITE, and prevalence rates of males and females were the same. Results showed that higher symptom scale scores were associated with the emergence of binge eating behavior and high energy intake. Females were less likely than males to see themselves as normal eaters and more likely to feel "miserable" when they binge. Higher score groups evidenced more dieting behavior than other groups and also more abnormal eating behavior. It was concluded that the prevalence of bulimic behaviors in Turkish late adolescents was low, but there was an increasing risk since they share Western ideals of slimness and engage in dieting.     

Relations among hand preference,craniofacial asymmetry,and ear advantage in young subjects

The relations for hand preference with craniofacial asymmetry and ear advantage, and between craniofacial asymmetry and ear advantage were investigated in young healthy subjects. Ear advantage was recorded as duration of hearing, craniofacial asymmetry by computerized tomography in 44 right-handed and 38 left-handed male and female high school students. Right-handers had a right ear advantage and a larger left craniofacial region, whereas left-handers had a left ear advantage and a larger right craniofacial region. These results are consistent with the speculation that hand preference may be related to craniofacial and consequently aural asymmetries.