Testing sociometer theory: Self-esteem and the importance of acceptance for social decision-making

The present study examined the sociometer’s role in guiding social behavior. The authors hypothesized that low self-esteem people (LSEs), but not high self-esteem people (HSEs), base their social decision-making on acceptance. Undergraduate participants were invited to join a social group and were led to believe that acceptance either was guaranteed, or was likely but not guaranteed. HSEs always were eager to join the group, whereas LSEs were keen to join the group only when acceptance was guaranteed. Furthermore, mediation analyses indicated that LSEs’ willingness to join the group was dependent on their anticipated social outcomes, which were contingent on acceptance from the group, whereas acceptance did not affect HSEs’ decision-making. These results support a sociometer account of social decision-making.     

The relationship between career decision status and important work outcomes

This paper describes a longitudinal study exploring the relationship between career decision status and work outcomes (i.e. job satisfaction, organizational commitment and performance) in a group of newly appointed graduates. Graduates employed into similar roles in a large Multinational Consultancy were tracked over 12 months at three time intervals: on appointment; 6 months after appointment and 12 months after appointment. It was concluded that job satisfaction promotes career comfort, decidedness predicts organizational commitment and this relationship is moderated by met expectations, and that neither being decided or comfortable predicts performance. Some evidence was found to suggest that those employees claiming high self-clarity (that is knowledge of their abilities, skills, and personality) were rated as higher performers. It was concluded that career decidedness is still relevant to a contemporary work environment, but that comfort with career decisions and knowledge of self (i.e. self-clarity) has the potential for far greater impact.     

Effects of psychotherapy with people who have been sexually assaulted: A meta-analysis

This paper presents the results of a meta-analysis of the treatment outcome studies of different types of psychotherapeutic approaches for sexual assault victims experiencing PTSD or rape trauma symptoms. There were 15 outcome studies identified for inclusion in the meta-analysis dating from 1988–2005, and these studies comprised 25 treatment conditions. Separate meta-analyses were conducted according to study design (independent samples and repeated measures), in keeping with meta-analytic conventions. The overall results for the two meta-analyses were highly consistent, and effect sizes were in the large range for independent samples (g = .91) and repeated measures treatments (g = .90). Effects were maintained at follow-up from 6–12 months after treatment. Studies represented diverse treatment approaches, and most treatments were effective in improving outcome according to symptom reduction. A number of moderating variables were examined. Better outcomes were achieved with individual therapy compared to group approaches. The use of semi-structured approaches and homework techniques were positively related to the magnitude of effect size.     

Impact of simulated visual impairment on the cognitive test performance of young adults

Aims. This study investigated the effect of simulated visual impairment on the speed and accuracy of performance on a series of commonly used cognitive tests. Methods. Cognitive performance was assessed for 30 young, visually normal subjects (M=22.0±3.1 years) using the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), Trail Making Test (TMT) A and B and the Stroop Colour Word Test under three visual conditions: normal vision and two levels of visually degrading filters (Vistech^TM) administered in a random order. Distance visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were also assessed for each filter condition. Results. The visual filters, which degraded contrast sensitivity to a greater extent than visual acuity, significantly increased the time to complete (p<.05), but not the number of errors made, on the DSST and the TMT A and B and affected only some components of the Stroop test. Conclusions. Reduced contrast sensitivity had a marked effect on the speed but not the accuracy of performance on commonly used cognitive tests, even in young individuals; the implications of these findings are discussed.     

Diagnostic Features,Symptom Severity,and Help-Seeking in a Media-Recruited Sample of Women with Driving Fear

This paper examines the clinical features, symptom severity, diagnostic profile, and help-seeking behaviour of a media-recruited sample of driving-fearful women. Results support previous findings of the primary foci of fear as motor vehicle accidents as well as specific driving situations and conditions. Consistent with prior research, there was difficulty relating the foci of fear to current diagnostic concepts. Social concerns were identified as having a role in driving fear for some individuals. Fearful participants exhibited high levels of fear and symptom severity according to various diagnostic and self-report measures, although most reported that they would be unlikely to seek professional psychological help or driving instruction. Assessment of cognitions indicated a range of errors likely to maintain anxiety and fear reactions that would be a target of treatment. There were no group differences in number of major recent accidents, although fearful drivers learnt to drive later than controls, suggesting early fearfulness.

A comparison of working memory skills and learning in children with developmental coordination disorder and moderate learning difficulties

The present study compared 6–11 years old with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and those with moderate learning difficulties (MLD) on measures of memory (verbal short‐term and working memory, visuo‐spatial short‐term and working memory), literacy and numeracy, and IQ. The findings indicate that children with DCD appear to be impaired in all four areas of memory function; in particular they performed at significantly lower levels than children with MLD in measures of verbal short‐term memory, visuo‐spatial short‐term and working memory. In contrast, performance of children with MLD in the memory measures was within age‐expected levels, with deficits observed only in verbal working memory tasks. There were also differential links between memory and attainment between the two groups, and these were significant even after statistically accounting for the contribution of IQ. Reasons for why working memory contributes to learning in these two developmental groups are discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Longitudinal relations between forgiveness and conflict resolution in marriage.

Does forgiveness predict later conflict resolution in married couples? Twelve-month follow-up data on conflict resolution were collected from the couples studied by F. D. Fincham, S. R. Beach, and J. Davila, who had provided earlier reports of forgiveness and conflict resolution. For wives, the positive dimension of forgiveness or benevolence predicted husbands' later reports of better conflict resolution controlling for initial levels of conflict resolution. This finding was independent of wives' marital satisfaction and the degree of hurt engendered by husbands' transgressions. For husbands, the only predictor of wives' reports of later conflict resolution was initial level of conflict resolution. The findings are discussed in terms of the direction of effect between forgiveness and conflict resolution and of the mechanisms that might link them.     

Driving fear and driving skills: comparison between fearful and control samples using standardised on-road assessment

The present study explores driving skills in a group of 50 media-recruited driving-fearful and 50 control drivers, all of whom were women. Participants completed an on-road practical driving assessment with a professional driving instructor. Diagnostic as well as pre-post self-report and instructor driving assessments were conducted. Fearful drivers made more errors on the driving assessment than controls. However, the pattern of errors was identical for both groups, indicating that fear and anxiety may be associated with the number rather than the type of driving errors made. These differences remained when factors such as driving history, current driving frequency, and diagnosis were controlled using case selection. More research is needed to replicate the findings in more diverse samples. Additional work should also aim to clarify the specific role of driving skills in driving fear, which will facilitate treatment planning for exposure-based treatments and help identify cases where driving skills assessment may be appropriate.     

Early language and the development of children's reading skills

There is considerable agreement that vocabulary plays a central role in reading acquisition, but there is less agreement about whether this association is direct or indirect through phonological and print-related knowledge. Longitudinal data from 77 African-American children were analyzed to examine the relationship between language skills, phonological knowledge and print processing skills at pre-kindergarten and kindergarten with reading at pre-kindergarten through second grade. Analyses indicated that home and child care experiences were related to reading indirectly through language and that language and phonological knowledge were both directly related to acquisition of reading skill. This study of African-American children and previous studies of lower- and middle-income children indicate both language and phonological skills play an important role in children becoming successful readers, and that experiences at home and in child care during in early childhood play a role in the acquisition of reading through their enhancement of early language and phonological skills.