The Relationship Between Parents' Attitudes Toward Child Rearing and the Sociometric Status of Their Preschool Children

A sociometric evaluation of 120 (60 male, 60 female) preschool children was made, using the Parent Attitude Research Instrument (PARI; Shaefer & Bell, 1958). Questionnaires were completed by the parents of a sample of children who had been sociometrically identified as belonging in one of four categories: popular, amiable, isolated, and rejected. Discriminant function analysis revealed that children who were identified by their peers as rejected or isolated had parents that reported child-rearing attitudes reflecting patriarchal family structure, low self-confidence, low preference for young children, infrequent use of praise, lack of promotion of independence, low use of disciplining (mothers) coupled with the view that child rearing is a mother's duty, definite expectations about child behavior, a feeling of responsibility for child-rearing activities, low child orientation, infrequent use of threat, and negative reaction to children's intrusive behavior (fathers). The four sociometric categories accounted for 42% of mothers and 62% of fathers variance in reported child-rearing attitudes. The mothers' function correctly classified 49% and the fathers' correctly classified 44% of the children into the correct sociometric category. These data suggest a potentially important relationship between parents' perception of their child-rearing role and peer relations during early childhood.     

Comparison of Return-on-Effort and Conventional Expectancy Theory Predictions of Work Effort and Job Performance: Results from Three Field Studies

It was predicted that a return-on-effort version of expectancy theory, an approach that examines the incremental benefits associated with increased effort, would yield superior predictions of work effort and job performance, in comparison with the conventional approach. Data were collected from the following three work settings: a manufacturing concern, a supermarket, and a bank. Unlike prior research that has uniformly found superior predictions using the return-on-effort model (and that has uniformly examined student samples), the present research found only modest support. Three possible boundary conditions were discussed—format effects, reward system responsiveness, and ability differences. The latter two, examined empirically via supplementary analyses, provided increased support for the return-on-effort model.     

God Give Me Strength: Exploring Prayer as Self-Disclosure

The current project was designed to examine the contention that written prayers about difficult life events function as self-disclosure to God and are structurally and effectively the same as other forms of written self-disclosure, at least in the short term. Over four writing sessions, 155 participants either wrote about mundane experiences (the control group) or wrote narratives about traumatic or stressful life events that were targeted at no one, targeted at a person of their choice, or construed as prayers to God. The results indicate that written prayers are lexically similar to the other two types of written narratives and distinct from the control group. Furthermore, the immediate effects of trauma writing on mood and physical well-being were similar as well. These findings have potentially important implications for understanding the relationship between personal prayer and a variety of health outcomes.     

Relationships between anxiety,self-consciousness,and cognitive failure

Abstract

Two studies of correlates of the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) are reported. The first study tested for empirical personality correlates of the CFQ; the second study investigated the role of self-consciousness as a possible mediator of the association betyeen cognitive failures and stress vulnerability. Study 1 (n = 60) showed significant correlations between CFQ score and several 16PF primary and secondary traits, notably anxiety. Study 2 (n = 100) used multiple regression to verify the hypothesis that the positive association between CFQ score and anxiety is at least partially mediated by individual differences in self-consciousness. It is concluded that high CFQ subjects are vulnerable to stress because self-attentional processing disrupts their coping strategies.     

An effect of mood on the perception of geographical slant

Previous research has shown that hills appear steeper to those who are fatigued, encumbered, of low physical fitness, elderly, or in declining health (Bhalla & Proffitt, 1999; Proffitt, Bhalla, Gossweiler, & Midgett, 1995). The prevailing interpretation of this research is that observers’ perceptions of the environment are influenced by their capacity to navigate that environment. The current studies extend this programme by investigating more subtle embodied effects on perception of slant; namely those of mood. In two studies, with two different mood manipulations, and two estimates of slant in each, observers in a sad mood reported hills to be steeper. These results support the role of mood and motivational factors in influencing spatial perception, adding to the previous work showing that energetic potential can influence perception.     

EDITORIAL COMMENT: GUEST COMMENTARY TEACHERS'THEORETICAL ORIENTATIONS AND THE REAL CLASSROOM

A four year‐study of teacher beliefs and conceptions about reading is reported. Teacher beliefs were determined outside the classroom context and while conducting instruction. It was determined that classroom teachers can articulate theories of reading outside the classroom but that their actual instructional practice is governed by a complex set of contextual factors. It is concluded that reading educators must not only teach reading theory but must also help teachers apply theory to the complex instructional context of classrooms.     

In Praise of a Model but Not Its Conclusions: Commentary on Cooper,Catmur, and Heyes (2012)

Cooper et al. (this issue) develop an interactive activation model of spatial and imitative compatibilities that simulates the key results from Catmur and Heyes (2011) and thus conclude that both compatibilities are mediated by the same processes since their single model can predict all the results. Although the model is impressive, the conclusions are premature because they are based on an incomplete review of the relevant literature and because the model includes some questionable assumptions. Moreover, a competing model (Scheutz & Bertenthal, 2012) is introduced that suggests the two compatibilities are not mediated by the same processes. We propose that more research is necessary before concluding that spatial and imitative compatibilities are mediated by the same processes.     

Unheard Alaska: Culturally Anchored Participatory Action Research on Sobriety with Alaska Natives

Alcohol research in Alaska Native communities has a contentious history. This project has attempted to address a critical need for research to guide alcohol abuse prevention and treatment with Alaska Natives using culturally anchored participatory action research. The process of grounding the research methodology in the culture and community is described, along with its contribution to community psychology's understanding of the importance of cultural factors. Tensions between indigenous values and ways of knowing, and Western research methodologies are delineated, along with how these tensions were resolved. Important issues that arose in doing culturally anchored participatory action research are described. These included the development of a community of inquiry, key methodological decisions, the empowerment of participants as coresearchers, and flexibility in research implementation.