Fairy Tales: Visions for Problem Resolution in Eating Disorders

This article introduces a framework that uses fairy tales, such as Cinderella, as a vision-to-action treatment alternative for psychological dysfunctions focusing on eating disorders. Clinical examples are provided that integrate guided imagery, cognitive reframing, and behavioral assignments.     

TIME-SPENT RESPONSES AS TIME ALLOCATION STRATEGIES: RELATIONS WITH SALES PERFORMANCE IN A STOCKBROKER SAMPLE

Most research on job analysis treats within-job interrater disagreement on structured job analysis surveys as measurement error. The present research conceptualized time-spent responses as expressions of time allocation strategies for the relatively autonomous stockbroker job, and differences between responses as reflecting different strategies. Stockbrokers ( n = 580) in a large financial services firm provided time-spent data on a job analysis survey, and results showed that for relatively inexperienced stockbrokers (with 1-4 years'job experience), and for more experienced stockbrokers with more than 4 years'experience, adjusted RS between sales performance and time spent on activity factors were both .49. Also, there was evidence suggesting that the relatively inexperienced and experienced stockbrokers spend significantly different amounts of time on some activities and that different patterns of relationships between time spent and sales performance exist for the two groups. Discussion focuses on difficulties with interpreting certain time-spent/performance relationships, and research approaches that might better separate differential time allocation strategies from measurement error.     

Using the relational turbulence model to understand negative emotion within courtship

We employ the relational turbulence model to deduce hypotheses about how intimacy, relational uncertainty, and interference and facilitation from partners predict people’s experience of negative emotion. We test our hypotheses using data from a self‐report, cross‐sectional study of 525 individuals involved in dating relationships. Results indicated that intimacy shared very small convex curvilinear associations with anger, sadness, fear, and jealousy (H1). Relational uncertainty and interference from partners were positively correlated with negative emotion (H2, H3), and facilitation from partners was negatively correlated with negative emotion (H4). Also as expected, relational uncertainty and interference from partners mediated the association between intimacy and negative emotion (H5). We interpret how our findings shed light on people’s experience of negative emotion within courtship.     

DIFFERENT WRONGS,DIFFERENT REMEDIES? REACTIONS TO ORGANIZATIONAL REMEDIES AFTER PROCEDURAL AND INTERACTIONAL INJUSTICE

To alleviate the negative effects of workplace unfairness and resulting conflict, organizations can take remedial action to atone for a perceived injustice. We argue that the effectiveness of organizational remedies may depend on the match between type of injustice perceived and type of remedy offered. Specifically, based on the multiple needs model of justice ( Cropanzano, Byrne, Bobocel, & Rupp, 2001 ), we expect procedural injustice to be particularly associated with preference for instrumental remedies that address the need for control. On the other hand, interactional injustice should be particularly associated with preference for punitive remedies that address the need for meaning. Confirming this hypothesis, a field study involving recently terminated employees found that procedural injustice was positively associated with preference for an instrumental remedy (monetary compensation) and interactional injustice was positively associated with preference for a punitive remedy (disciplinary action against those involved in the termination). Further supporting the hypothesis, a laboratory experiment manipulating the unfairness of performance feedback found greater preference for an instrumental remedy relative to a punitive remedy following a procedural injustice than following an interactional injustice. In discussing these results, we present a taxonomy of organizational remedies as they relate to the multiple needs model of justice. Practical implications are discussed.     

Effective social support: Antecedents and consequences of partner support during pregnancy

This longitudinal study investigated a new conceptualization of the effectiveness of social support attempts called social support effectiveness (SSE) that takes into account the quantity and quality of support attempts and the extent to which they meet the needs of recipients. SSE was assessed in a sample of 176 pregnant women with regard to their partners’ social support behaviors. Potential antecedents of SSE were investigated, including individual and relationship variables. In addition, it was hypothesized that women who appraised their partner’s support as more effective would have lower prenatal anxiety, both concurrently (in mid‐pregnancy) and prospectively (in late pregnancy). Factor analyses confirmed that all hypothesized aspects of SSE contributed to a unitary factor of SSE. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed antecedents and consequences of SSE. Results revealed that women’s ratings of the effectiveness of partner support were predicted by their interpersonal orientation (adult attachment, network orientation, kin individualism–collectivism, and social skills) and by characteristics of their relationships with their partners (relationship quality, emotional closeness and intimacy, and equity). Furthermore, women who perceived themselves to have more effective partner support reported less anxiety in mid‐pregnancy and showed a reduction in anxiety from mid‐ to late pregnancy. Findings are discussed with regard to implications for advancing research on social support processes, especially within relationship contexts.     

Words as Weapons—When Do They Wound? Investigations of Harmful Speech

The following investigations juxtapose jurisprudence and communication literatures to examine under what conditions racist speech is perceived as harmful. Specifically, one theory of legal liability, the tort of intentional infliction of emotional distress, and one intergroup approach, social identity theory, guided three empirical studies investigating verbally disturbing communication targeted at Asian Americans. The studies examined how the attribution of harm was influenced by variables such as group membership, message severity, message explicitness and the medium ofpresentation. One finding in particular, an interaction between group membership and message explicitness (direct vs. indirect), emerged across the three studies. Results revealed that as “objective” evaluators of deprecating speech, out-group members attributed the direct messages of racism to be more harmful than in-group members did, but, conversely, in-group members evaluated the indirect messages of racism to be more harmful than the out-group members did. Theoretical explanations for this finding and its resulting legal implications are discussed.     

Effects of relationship education on emerging adults' relationship beliefs and behaviors

In this multisite study, we used a randomized controlled trial to examine how a relationship education intervention affected emerging adults' maladaptive relationship beliefs, mutuality, relationship decision making, relationship quality, and psychological distress. In addition, we explored whether one intervention modality (i.e., facilitated group discussion) was more/less effective than another (i.e., self‐facilitated online) and whether there were differential effects for participants in a relationship. We found that the facilitated group evidenced a decline in maladaptive relationship beliefs and an improvement in deliberate decision making. Moreover, facilitated group participants in a relationship reported higher levels of mutuality. Contrary to our hypothesis, there were no changes in relationship quality or psychological distress. Implications for the content and delivery of relationship education for emerging adults are discussed.     

An Analysis of Deceptiveness: Incarcerated Prisoners

The problem of deliberate deception in self-presentation is always of concern in situations where persons have something definite to gain by being viewed in a particular manner. The authors sought to confirm that the item content of the “faking-good” dimensions and the “faking-bad” dimensions are distinct from each other, and to identify the item content that is central to each dimension.