An Investigation of the Three-Way Joint Coaching Alliance: A Social Identity Theory Perspective

This study builds upon the previous research that recognised coaching as a triangular political space generating power relationships. We integrate social identity theory into this power negotiation process and consider that the ultimate purpose of coaching is to facilitate a shared coaching identity among all related collaborators. To gain in-depth understanding of factors that promote a three-way joint coaching identity, we conducted 25 critical incident interviews and two levels of Q-sorting (n = 10) with coaches, coachees, and organisational stakeholders. The research results indicated that a workplace coaching identity is a flexible space underpinned by coaches’ attitude, all collaborators’ positions, and the contracting process. Coaches’ accommodated communication techniques determine the relationship climate (instrumental or influential). Coaches’ position in the coaching space regulates their self-interests and motivation to change. Moreover, a transparent contracting process encourages communication flows and psychological exchanges among all collaborators that may gain more support from stakeholders.     

Hippocampal lesions attenuate latent inhibition and the decline of the orienting response in rats

Two experiments using rats assessed the effect of dorsal hippocampal lesions on the orienting response (OR) elicited by a discrete light and on the subsequent associability of that light. In both experiments subjects received extensive nonreinforced exposure to the light, and it was found that the decline in the OR evident in sham-operated animals was severely attenuated by hippocampal lesions. Subsequently the light was paired with condensed milk in Experiment 1, and it was found that conditioning was faster in the lesioned than in the sham-operated group. Experiment 2 used a conditioned inhibition procedure whereby the light was presented in a nonreinforced compound with a tone which, when presented alone, acted as a signal for condensed milk. Again this discrimination was mastered more rapidly by lesioned animals. Relevant control groups indicated no differences between lesioned and sham-operated animals in learning about a novel light. Thus, hippocampal lesions influence both the loss of associability of a stimulus and the decline in the OR it elicits, which, in turn, suggests that the OR acts as an index of stimulus associability.     

Rich contexts do not always enrich the accuracy of personality judgments

We test the common assumption that information ‘rich’ contexts lead to more accurate personality judgments than information ‘lean’ contexts. Pairs of unacquainted students rendered judgments of one another's personalities after interacting in one of three, increasingly rich, contexts: Internet ‘chat’, telephone, or face-to-face. Accuracy was assessed by correlating participants' judgments with a measure of targets' personalities that averaged self and informant ratings. As predicted, the visible traits of extraversion and conscientiousness were judged more accurately than the less visible traits of neuroticism and openness. However, judgment accuracy also depended on context. Judgments of extraversion and neuroticism improved as context richness increased (i.e., from Internet ‘chat’ to face-to-face), whereas judgments of conscientiousness and openness improved as context richness decreased (i.e., from face-to-face to Internet ‘chat’). Our findings suggest that context richness shapes not only the availability of personality cues but also the relevance of cues in any given context.     

Factors Associated with the Participation of Women Doctorates in the Labor Force

Participation in the labor force by 1,547 women doctorates of 1957 and 1958 and the factors associated with their career development and commitment were examined. 91 per cent of the women doctorates of 1957 and 1958 are in the labor force at present, and of those, 81 per cent work full time. When a woman doctorate's family responsibilities are greatest, i.e., during the rearing of her pre-school children, she is not as likely to participate fully in the labor force. However, if the married woman doctorate has demonstrated an early career commitment, she persists likewise later on.     

Event-related potentials in neuropsychological studies of language

Experiments are described in which event-related potentials (ERPs) are employed to study the specialization of functions between and within the cerebral hemispheres during the performance of language and nonlanguage tasks by normal adults. Similar studies of deaf subjects suggest that the functional organization of the brain may be altered after different early language and sensory experiences. Studies of patients with alexia without agraphia suggest that the ERP may be a valuable tool with which to study cerebral reorganization after brain damage.     

Perceived Parental Rearing Style, Self-Esteem and Self-Criticism as Predictors of Happiness

This study set out to determine to what extent three recalled parental (care, discouragement of behavioural freedom, denial of psychological autonomy), self-esteem, and self-criticism predicted self-rated happiness in a normal, non-clinical, population of young people in their late teens and early 20s. Three hundred and sixty-five participants completed four questionnaires: Parental Bonding Instrument (Parker, Tupling and Brown: 1979, British Journal of Medical Psychology 55, pp. 1–10), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg: 1965, Society and the Adolescent Self-Image (Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ)), Self-Criticism Questionnaire (Brewin, Firth-Cozens, Furnham and McManus: 1992, Journal of Abnormal Psychology 101, pp. 561–566), and the Oxford Happiness Inventory (Argyle, Martin and Crossland: 1989, Recent Advances in Social Psychology: An International Perspective (Elsevier, North Holland)). Regressions showed self-esteem (the positive five items) to be the most dominant and powerful correlate of happiness. Maternal care was a significant correlate of both self-esteem and self-criticism. Maternal care was the only direct correlate of happiness when paternal and maternal rearing styles were examined together suggesting that the warmth showed by mothers towards their children was particularly beneficial in increasing the offsprings' scores on self-reported happiness. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Managing diversity in organizations: An integrative model and agenda for future research

The literature on policies, procedures, and practices of diversity management in organizations is currently fragmented and often contradictory in highlighting what is effective diversity management, and which organizational and societal factors facilitate or hinder its implementation. In order to provide a comprehensive and cohesive view of diversity management in organizations, we develop a multilevel model informed by the social identity approach that explains, on the basis of a work motivation logic, the processes by, and the conditions under which employee dissimilarity within diverse work groups is related to innovation, effectiveness, and well-being. Building on this new model, we then identify those work group factors (e.g., climate for inclusion and supervisory leadership), organizational factors (e.g., diversity management policies and procedures, and top management's diversity beliefs), and societal factors (e.g., legislation, socioeconomic situation, and culture) that are likely to contribute to the effective management of diversity in organizations. In our discussion of the theoretical implications of the proposed model, we offer a set of propositions to serve as a guide for future research. We conclude with a discussion of possible limitations of the model and practical implications for managing diversity in organizations.     

Psychopathology in children of parents with recurrent depression

We examined the prevalence of psychopathology in children of parents with recurrent major depression (n=61)and children of normal control parents (n=46).Rates of psychopathology in the children of depressed parents were consistently higher when compared either with the control children or with rates of disorder reported for nonclinically referred children from other studies. Forty-one percent of high-risk children met criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder compared with 15% of low-risk children. Significant differences between groups were found for affective disorders and attention deficit disorder, and a nonsignificant trend was noted for anxiety disorder, all of which were more prevalent in the children of depressed parents.This work was supported, in part, by a W. T. Grant Foundation Faculty Scholar Award, No. 8308700.     

Further validation of the Penny Beliefs Scale - Weapons

The Penny Beliefs Scale - Weapons (PBS-W) comprises of 36 items that measure young people’s beliefs about carrying and using weapons. It was designed to facilitate our understanding of weapons carrying and use. The PBS-W has excellent internal reliability (Cronbach’s alpha of .92), extremely good test-retest consistency (ICC = .83) and is significantly positively correlated with self-reported delinquency. In order to further demonstrate the utility of the PBS-W it was compared with other measures that would be expected to be associated with weapons carrying and use. The PBS-W, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-R-SV), the Maudsley Violence Questionnaire (MVQ), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), and the Brief Measure of Sensation Seeking (SS2) were administered to 189 school pupils in South Wales, aged between 16 and 18 years. Results demonstrated that the PBS-W is significantly positively correlated with EPQ Psychoticism (P), violent cognitions, impulsivity, and sensation seeking. Multiple regressions, controlling for gender and impression management (EPQ-Lie), showed that violent cognitions predicted beliefs about carrying and using weapons above and beyond P, sensation seeking and impulsivity. These findings suggest that violent cognitions are the single most powerful predictors of positive beliefs about carrying and using weapons.     

An evaluation of equivalence in body dissatisfaction measurement across cultures

We evaluated gender-based and cross-cultural equivalence of the Body Dissatisfaction Scale of the Body Change Inventory in a sample of 4,005 adolescents from 7 cultures that represent diverse body image ideals and response styles. Results of multigroup confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated equivalence of the scale across gender but not across cultures. Follow-up analyses identified small but significant cross-cultural differences in response styles (specifically, acquiescence and middle response option endorsement) as the source of this noninvariance. We recommend use of this scale for gender-based comparisons but caution that researchers should evaluate the presence of response biases before making substantive conclusions about cross-cultural differences in body dissatisfaction.