Factors Influencing the Development of School Bonding Among Middle School Students

The goal of this research is to examine the trajectory of school bonding over the middle school period and how factors such as gender, substance use, antisocial peers, delinquent behavior, and academic achievement affect this developmental process. Data from 4 waves of measurement of 2,902 adolescents are analyzed using hierarchical growth curve modeling. Results suggest that school bonding decreases in a non-linear fashion from Grade 6-8. However, school bonding development varies based on inter-individual differences. Boys have lower initial levels and greater decreases in school bonding than girls. Student deviant behavior, having antisocial peers, and low academic achievement are associated with lower levels of school bonding at Grade 6. Low grades and an increase in substance use are associated with a steeper decrease of school bonding over time. Increases in substance use and being male are also associated with a curvilinear pattern of school bonding. Implications for interventions are discussed.     

Similarities and Differences Between African Americans’ and European Americans’ Attitudes,Knowledge, and Willingness to Communicate About Organ Donation1

While little is known about African Americans’ attitudes and knowledge about organ donation, even less is known about how African Americans’ attitudes, values, and beliefs affect their behavior and behavioral intentions regarding organ donation; or how African Americans’ views are similar to or different from those of European Americans. Adults working 2 sites of a national corporation were randomly selected to complete a survey about organ donation willingness, intention to sign an organ donor card, knowledge and attitudes toward organ donation, and level of altruism. Results indicate that African Americans differ significantly from Whites on several individual attitude and knowledge items. However, the basic relationship between knowledge, attitudes, values, and behaviors regarding organ donation between the 2 groups appears the same. Furthermore, these results indicate that future organ donation promotion campaigns must focus on increasing basic knowledge and countering myths about organ donation for both populations.     

Acculturation attitudes, perceived attitudes of the majority, and adjustment of Israeli-Arab and Jewish-Ethiopian students to an Israeli University

The authors investigated adjustment to an Israeli university by students from two minority groups, Israeli Arabs and Jewish Ethiopians, as a function of their different acculturation attitudes (J. W. Berry, 1990). Social adjustment of both Arabs and Ethiopians was contingent on acculturation attitudes supporting participation with the majority. Psychological adjustment of both groups was negatively associated with personal acculturation preferences that deviated from the shared acculturation attitudes of the respective in-group (i.e., assimilation in the Arab group, and separation in the Ethiopian group). The perceived attitude of the majority also contributed to the psychological adjustment of both groups. Major theoretical implications are that both attitudes of the majority and adjustment to the in-group play an important role in psychological adjustment of immigrants.     

Supervisor Workplace Stress and Abusive Supervision: The Buffering Effect of Exercise

Purpose

We examine how supervisor stress is associated with employee-rated abusive supervision. In addition, we test the premise that higher levels of physical exercise by supervisors can buffer the negative effects of stress on their relationship with their subordinates.

Design/Methodology/Approach

A matched sample of 98 employed individuals and their direct supervisors was used to test our hypotheses.

Findings

Results suggest that increased levels of supervisor-reported stress are related to the increased experience of employee-rated abusive supervision. We also find that the relationship between supervisor stress and abusive behavior can be diminished when supervisors engage in moderate levels of physical exercise.

Implications

While the current economic conditions and a host of other trying workplace factors mean that supervisors are likely to experience workplace stress, we found evidence that they do not necessarily have to transfer these frustrations onto those they supervise. Our study supports a link between supervisor stress and employee perceptions of abusive supervision, but this is a link that can be loosened if supervisors engage in moderate levels of physical exercise.

Originality/Value

The results of this study add to the modest number of antecedents to abusive supervision that have been discovered in existing research. In addition, this is the first study to examine how exercise can buffer the relationship between supervisor stress and employee perceptions of abusive supervision.     

Quality of workplace social relationships and perceived health

Associations between the quality of social relationships at work and mental and self-reported health were examined to assess whether these associations were independent of job strain. The study was based on cross-sectional survey data from 728 employees (response rate 58%) and included the Demand-Control-(Support) (DC-S) model, six items on the quality of social relationships at the workplace, the General Health Questionnaire (30), and an item on self-reported physical health. Logistic regression analyses were used. A first set of models were run with adjustment for age, sex, and socioeconomic group. A second set of models were run adjusted for the dimensions of the DC-S model. Positive associations were found between the quality of social relationships and mental health as well as self-rated physical health, and these associations remained significant even after adjustment for the dimensions. The findings add support to the Health and Safety Executive stress management standards on social relationships at the workplace.     

Implicit processing goals combine with explicit goal standards to motivate performance through underlying comparison processes

This research investigates whether explicit goals interact with implicit processing goals that are activated simultaneously. Based on the idea that (a) explicit goals are used as comparison standards, and (b) implicit processing goals have motivational consequences by influencing the process of comparison with those standards, these studies elucidate the mechanism by which explicit and implicit goals combine to influence task performance. Study 1 demonstrated that a primed goal to process similarities versus differences interacted with explicit goal standards in influencing subsequent task performance. High explicit goals resulted in better performance when participants had the implicit goal of processing similarities, whereas low explicit goals resulted in better performance when the implicit goal was processing differences. Study 2 provided evidence that perceived similarity to a target person is a critical factor for the pursuit of explicit goals and that this similarity influences task performance in the same way as the primed goal to process similarities. Study 3 indicated that processing similarities results from assimilation to a moderately high goal, whereas processing differences is the result of contrasting away from an extremely high goal. These findings confirm that implicit processing of similarities versus differences has a combined influence with explicit goals on task performance. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Violent, nonviolent, and substance-related offending over the life course in a cohort of males and females treated for substance misuse as youths

Most studies on adolescent offending heterogeneity are based on general population samples, and few include individuals with substance misuse or look specifically at substance-related offending. It is also unclear how offender subtypes develop after young adulthood or how offending heterogeneity varies between genders. This study aimed to identify subgroups of offending among adolescents with misuse problems and to examine associations with offending in adulthood. The study included 1,992 females and males that consulted a clinic for adolescents with misuse problems between 1968 and 1971. Latent Class Analyses were conducted to identify subgroups based on violent and nonviolent offending before age 20. Participants were then followed until age 50 and reexamined regarding violent, nonviolent, and substance-related crimes. Associations between subgroups before age 20 and subgroups age 21-50 were examined. Before age 20, three subgroups were identified among the females and six among the males. Males were more specialized in their offending and demonstrated higher levels of offending. Results pointed to both stability and decrease of violent and nonviolent offending, and to the emergence of substance-related offending in adulthood in both genders. The connection between substance-related crimes and general delinquency in adulthood among individuals treated for substance misuse suggests that interventions should also address substance misuse for reducing the overall volume of crime. This study also highlights the importance of including females in research on offending heterogeneity.     

Comparing Holographic Reprocessing and Prolonged Exposure for Women Veterans with Sexual Trauma: A Pilot Randomized Trial

This pilot study compares an emerging evidence-based treatment, holographic reprocessing (HR) to prolonged exposure (PE) versus a person-centered (PC) control group to treat symptoms of distress in female Veterans with sexual trauma. In contrast to PE, HR does not include exposure to a target event of trauma. Instead, HR focuses on healing the internal working model or type of attachment style that may form as a result of interpersonal trauma or maltreatment. The model reveals how people perceive themselves and others. These perceptions set in motion emotional, cognitive, and behavioral tendencies wherein people unconsciously replicate similar types of relationships that reinforce their worldview. Fifty-one female Veterans with sexual trauma were randomly assigned to one of three treatments and completed pre- and post-treatment measures of psychiatric symptoms (anxiety, depression, and PTSD) and post-traumatic cognitions. ANOVAs found significant decreases on all variables. Post-hoc comparisons revealed that HR and PE treatments demonstrated significantly greater decreases in symptoms compared to the PC control group. Chi square analyses revealed that HR produced a significantly lower dropout rate 1 (6 %) compared to PE 7 (41 %) and PC 6 (35 %). These initial results are promising and further investigation of HR is warranted.