A short measure of Eriksonian ego identity

Developed a new measure of Erikson's (1950, 1959) concept of ego identity which would meet the following criteria: (a) that it be short, with an acceptable level of reliability; (b) that it be objective and easily scored; and (c) that it be free of response set contamination. A 12-item scale (Ego Identity Scale) with a forced choice format was constructed. Two further studies were conducted to test the validity of the scale. These studies showed that the Ego Identity Scale correlated as predicted with measures Of locus of control, intimacy, dogmatism, Tomkins' Left, occupational commitment, and political commitment. It also correlated in the predicted direction with measures of interpersonal trust and moral commitment though these correlations did not reach statistical significance.     

Modeling parenting stress trajectories among low-income young mothers across the child's second and third years: Factors accounting for stability and change.

This study investigated parenting stress trajectories among low-income young mothers and the factors that are associated with change and stability of parenting stress as children aged from 14 to 36 months old. With a sample of 580 young mothers who applied to the Early Head Start Program, growth mixture modeling identified 3 trajectory classes of parenting stress: a chronically high group (7% of the sample), an increasing group (10% of the sample), and a decreasing group (83% of the sample). Maternal personal resources distinguished between the increasing and decreasing classes, whereas maternal personal resources, child characteristics, and contextual influences explained differences between the chronically high and decreasing trajectory classes. Findings suggest that for interventions to be effective, programs need to assess maternal, child, and contextual factors to better address the particular unique needs of young mothers.     

Faking Fast and Slow: Within-Person Response Time Latencies for Measuring Faking in Personnel Testing

Purpose

Item response time (RT) latencies offer a potentially promising approach for measuring faking in personnel testing, but have been studied almost exclusively as either long or short RTs relative to group norms. As such, the ability to reliably assess faking RTs at the individual level remains a challenge. To address this issue, the present study set out to examine the usefulness of a within-person difference score index (DSI) method for measuring faking, in which “control question” (baseline) RTs were compared to “target question” RTs, within single test administrations.

Design/Methodology/Approach

Two hundred six participants were randomly selected to simulated faking or honest testing conditions, and were administered two types of integrity test items (overt and personality), whereby group classification (faking/honest) served as the main dependent variable.

Findings

Faking condition RTs were longer than honest condition RTs for both item types (overt: d = .43; personality: d = .47), and overt item RTs were slightly shorter than personality item RTs in both testing conditions (honest: d = .34; faking: d = .41). Finally, using a sample cut score, the DSI correctly classified an average of 26 % more cases of faking, and 53 % less false positives, compared to the traditional normative method.

Implications

The results suggest that the DSI can be an advantageous method for identifying faking in personnel testing scenarios.

Originality/Value

This is the one of the first studies to propose a practical method for identifying individual-level faking RTs within single test administrations.

     

The Divorce Process and Child Adaptation Trajectory Typology (DPCATT) Model: The Shaping Role of Predivorce and Postdivorce Interparental Conflict

Divorce has been conceptualized as a process. Research has extensively demonstrated that it is pre/postdivorce family environment factors that primarily account for the variability in children’s adaptation over parental divorce process rather than the legal divorce per se. Amongst various factors, interparental conflict has been consistently identified as a prominent one. Surprisingly, a single source is still lacking that comprehensively synthesizes the extant findings. This review fills this gap by integrating the numerous findings across studies into a more coherent Divorce Process and Child Adaptation Trajectory Typology (DPCATT) Model to illustrate that pre/postdivorce interparental conflict plays crucial roles in shaping child adaptation trajectories across parental divorce process. This review also summarizes the mechanisms (e.g., child cognitive and emotional processes, coparenting, parent–child relations) via which pre/postdivorce interparental conflict determines these trajectories and the factors (e.g., child gender and age, child coping, grandparental support) that interact with pre/postdivorce interparental conflict to further complicate these trajectories. In addition, echoing the call of moving beyond the monolithic conceptualization of pre/postdivorce interparental conflict, we also review studies on the differential implications of different aspects (e.g., frequency versus intensity) and types (e.g., overt versus covert) of interparental conflict for child adjustment. Last, limitations of prior studies and avenues for future research are discussed. The proposed framework may serve as a common knowledge base for researchers to compare/interpret results, detect cutting edges of the fields, and design new studies. The specificity, complexity, nuance, and diversity inherent within our proposed model await to be more fully revealed.

     

Acceptance-Enhanced Behavior Therapy for Trichotillomania in Adolescents

Although several studies have examined the efficacy of Acceptance Enhanced Behavior Therapy (AEBT) for the treatment of trichotillomania (TTM) in adults, data are limited with respect to the treatment of adolescents. Our case series illustrates the use of AEBT for TTM in the treatment of two adolescents. The AEBT protocol (Woods & Twohig, 2008) is a structured treatment manual that was adapted to the individual clients’ needs and clinical progress. Both clients reported clinically significant gains in treatment as determined by at least 2 weeks of abstinence from pulling, and subjective reports of decreased distress and impairment, although one required a booster session due to relapse. AEBT is worth further exploration as a treatment for adolescents with TTM.     

How the Performance of Mentoring Activities Affects the Mentor's Job Outcomes

Peer mentoring occurs in a sales force when a more experienced salesperson (mentor) takes responsibility for the development and guidance of a less experienced salesperson (protégé). Few studies have examined how this work relationship affects the mentor. This study explores the relationships between the mentoring activities performed by the mentor and the benefits that are achieved for the mentor. Data was collected from real estate salespeople who indicated they were serving as mentors. The exploratory findings demonstrate that the different activities performed by a mentor could affect the benefits received by the mentor. For example, providing a protégé with exposure to others in the organization rejuvenates the mentor's career and improves some aspects of the mentor's satisfaction. Helping the protégé with his or her selling skills has a positive impact on several aspects of the mentor's own performance. Results help explain why an experienced salesperson might choose to mentor.