The psychometric properties of the Recovery Experiences Questionnaire of employees in a higher education institution

The objective of this study was to investigate the factorial validity and reliability of scores from the Recovery Experience Questionnaire (REQ) in a higher education institution. As part of the measure validation, the relationships of the four recovery dimensions (psychological detachment, relaxation, mastery and control) to other variables in the nomological network (work-home interference, home-work interference and ill health) were investigated. Data was collected from 366 participants (females = 65.3%; white = 80.35%). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test competing factorial models. The results supported a four-factor structure for the REQ. Relationships with other variables in the nomological network were all theoretically consistent, as expected.     

Perceptions of and satisfaction with retirement: a comparison of six European union countries

The main aim of this study was to assess perceptions of and satisfaction with retirement among 1,686 recently retired people from 6 European Union countries. The authors compared their responses to a set of questions taken from the Retirement Satisfaction Inventory (F. J. Floyd et al., 1992). The first significant result was that Belgian, British, Finnish, French, and Spanish retirees all expressed very similar assessments of life satisfaction, whereas Portuguese retirees expressed a lower level of satisfaction. The 2nd result was that the major determinants of overall satisfaction in the 6 countries were (a) health and resources and (b) anticipated satisfaction. Finally, the data revealed that cultural background only accounted for a limited amount of variance in overall satisfaction with retirement.     

Timely Completion of Class Requirements: Effects of Student and Faculty Gender

Male and female students have displayed different reactions to the gender of their faculty. This research was designed to explore whether biases exist early in the school term. Students unfavorable attitudes toward instructors were measured by the extent to which they delayed completing a course requirement: participation in a subject pool. Students scheduled a date upon which to participate in a research study. Discrepancies between their scheduled and their actual participation dates reveal that male students delayed their requirement (a) more when their instructors were female than when they were male, and (b) more than female students when the instructors were female. Supporting data suggest that the delayed completion time reflects lower evaluations of female faculty. Discussion focuses on implications in academic settings.     

The power of statistical tests for moderators in meta-analysis

Calculation of the statistical power of statistical tests is important in planning and interpreting the results of research studies, including meta-analyses. It is particularly important in moderator analyses in meta-analysis, which are often used as sensitivity analyses to rule out moderator effects but also may have low statistical power. This article describes how to compute statistical power of both fixed- and mixed-effects moderator tests in meta-analysis that are analogous to the analysis of variance and multiple regression analysis for effect sizes. It also shows how to compute power of tests for goodness of fit associated with these models. Examples from a published meta-analysis demonstrate that power of moderator tests and goodness-of-fit tests is not always high.     

Psychopathic traits predict attitudes toward a juvenile capital murderer

The current study manipulated the presence/:absence of psychopathic traits and the ethnicity (Black/:White) of a juvenile capital murderer to examine their impact on layperson attitudes regarding what types of legal sanction were appropriate. Participants (N=360) reviewed a newspaper article concerning a death row inmate who was appealing his sentence primarily based on the fact that he committed the crime when he was 16 years of age. Compared to those in the control condition, those who read a scenario in which the defendant had been described at trial as exhibiting psychopathic traits (e.g. remorselessness, pathological lying) were significantly more likely to support a death sentence and less likely to believe he should receive any treatment in prison. Moreover, participant ratings of the extent to which they believed the defendant exhibited prototypically psychopathic traits (regardless of whether they were in the psychopathy or control condition) also significantly predicted these criterion measures. Ethnic status was relatively less influential, although participants were somewhat more punitive towards a Black defendant than a White defendant when considering the relevance of possible mitigating factors (e.g. history of sexual abuse).     

Animal ethical evaluation: an observational study of Canadian IACUCs

Three Canadian institutional animal care and use committees were observed over a 1-year period to investigate animal ethical evaluation. While each protocol was evaluated, the observer collected information about the final decision, the type of protocol (research vs. teaching), and the category of invasiveness. The observer also wrote down verbatim all verbal interventions, which were coded according to the following categories: scientific, technical, politics, human analog, reduction, refinement, and replacement. The data revealed that only 16% of the comments were devoted to the 3 explicit ethical categories (i.e., reduction, refinement, and replacement) and that most of the comments were technical. However, the analysis revealed that ethical concerns were implicit in both scientific and technical language, or some of the scientific and technical comments had an impact on the ethical treatment of animals. The results are discussed in relation to previous nonobservational research that identified potential pitfalls and bias in animal ethical evaluation.     

Timing of HIV Interventions on Reductions in Sexual Risk Among Adolescents

Examined the effectiveness of an HIV intervention program among 151 adolescents ages 13 to 24 years who were randomly assigned to (a) seven sessions of 1.5 hr each (10.5 hr); (b) three sessions of 3.5 hr each (10.5 hr); or (c) a no-intervention condition. Using cognitive-behavioral intervention strategies, social skills and HIV-related beliefs, perceptions, and norms were targeted in both the three- and seven-session, small-group intervention conditions. Regression analysis indicated that over 3 months, the number of unprotected risk acts and the number of sexual partners were lower in the seven-session condition compared to the other conditions. Factors mediating risk acts changed in a complex manner: For example, perceived vulnerability increased for those with initially lower vulnerability scores among youths in the seven-session condition compared to others. Self-approval of condom use was also higher for those with initially low scores in the seven-session compared to the three-session condition. Self-efficacy for risk avoidance and condom use was significantly higher in the three-session condition for those with initially low scores compared to other groups. On the role-play measure, those with higher baseline scores in the low-pressure situation improved significantly only in the three-session intervention; in the high-pressure situation, the participants reported significantly higher scores in the seven-session intervention, and those with higher scores improved the most. Results suggest the importance of multisession HIV intervention programs to be delivered with fidelity in community settings.     

Cognitive-Behavioral Self-Regulation of the Frequency, Duration, and Intensity of Anger

Within a self-regulation format, cognitive, behavioral, and (combined) cognitive-behavioral techniques were evaluated for effects on the frequency, duration, and intensity of anger. Twenty-seven subjects randomly assigned to three groups each received one of the three treatments after a baseline of self-monitoring and then completed another phase of self-monitoring. Results revealed a significant reduction in the frequency and duration of anger (but not anger intensity) under self-intervention, regardless of treatment type. These effects were preserved for a week following treatment. Thus, self-regulation may prevent incidents of anger and even cut short the persistence of anger, but once anger occurs, it tends to register about the same maximum intensity; this peak intensity is typically reached at the onset of the anger which then wanes at a decreasing rate over time. Further research is called for to determine the long-term durability of the treatment gains obtained and the generalizability of these findings in clinical populations.