How foreign exchange dealers in the City of London cope with occupational stress

Two hundred and twenty-five foreign exchange dealers working in the City of London completed the Coping Inventory of the Occupational Stress Indicator as part of an investigation of the mental health, job satisfaction, alcohol intake, and occupational stress of this employment group. Results indicate that dealers make less use of the coping strategies examined than the normative population, and that dealers appear to be a very homogeneous group in their use of coping techniques. The coping strategies adopted by various subgroups of dealers were also examined. Problems with the reliability of the Coping Inventory are highlighted.     

Discourse analysis in neuropsychology: comment on Chapman and Ulatowska.

This paper discusses a recent article by Chapman and Ulatowska (1989, Brain and Language, 36, 651-658) on discourse analysis in aphasia. As such, the research in this area is interdisciplinary drawing from neuropsychology, as well as cognitive psychology, and, in part, aging. We illustrate problems that can arise when theoretical constructs and methodological considerations in this interdisciplinary approach are not rigorously observed. It is argued that definitive conclusions regarding the functional organization of the brain and discourse can be offered only when discourse analysis uses the state of the art from neuropsychology and cognitive psychology.     

Violence Exposure and PTSD: The Role of English Language Fluency in Latino Youth

Although Latinos have been a rapidly growing population in the US, little is known about how mental health symptoms may present in Latino children especially in the context of those living in poverty and exposed to violence. We explored the level of violence exposure and trauma symptoms in Latino youth and the relationship of these factors with English language fluency. During 2000–2002, 1,601, Latino students from seven middle schools participated in a school-based screening to identify students with exposure to community violence and symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The students completed a self-report instrument, in either Spanish or English, that combined a modified version of the Life Events Scale and the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS). Bivariate analyses and multivariate regression models showed that youth with higher English language fluency reported greater violence exposure and PTSD symptoms than those with lower fluency. No difference was found in functioning by English language fluency. English language fluency appears to be related to violence exposure and PTSD symptoms in these Latino youth. We discuss the importance of school-based programs especially designed to serve Latino students of varying English language fluency.     

Can fixed views of ability boost performance in the context of favorable stereotypes?

Prior research has demonstrated that stereotypes affect negatively stereotyped groups in part through the implied immutability of group members’ abilities. Accordingly, a belief that ability is malleable through effort and hard work has been shown to boost the performance of negatively stereotyped groups. We predicted, however, that among favorably stereotyped groups, a belief that ability is fixed would reinforce the immutability of the group differences upon which stereotype-induced social comparisons are made [Walton, G. M., & Cohen, G. L. (2003). Stereotype lift. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 39, 456–467] and result in enhanced performance. We found experimental support for these predictions in two favorably stereotyped groups in math: Asians (Study 1) and men (Study 2). Perceived difficulty of the math test helped explain the performance effects in Study 2. Implications of schooling emphasizing innate ability for exacerbating achievement gaps are discussed.     

Making Gender Comparisons More Meaningful: A Call for More Attention to Social Context

We challenge researchers to consider sex and gender as a marker for possible social contextual differences. Disappointed by both philosophical and empirical attempts to find coherence in research making gender comparisons, we selectively review studies showing both context-specific similarities between women and men where overall comparisons found differences as well as context-specific differences where general patterns of similarity existed. These examples cut across embedded levels of social context, ranging from those immediately proximal to the individual (interpersonal) to organizational and broad societal structures. They suggest that seemingly identical contexts can have sweepingly different impacts on women and men and that effective social interventions be gender-sensitive.     

Anxiety associated with money market dealers — sex and cultural differences

This study examines the predictors of two measures of anxiety, viz. free-floating anxiety and somatic anxiety (Crown & Crisp, 1979), in (a) male and female money market dealers, and (b) money market dealers working in organizations of differing national ownership, in the City of London. Previous research suggests that differences in anxiety may be sex-based, and also that takeovers and mergers, particularly by foreign-based organizations, result in particular anxieties. Following interviews, 225 questionnaires were completed by dealers in the City of London. Analysis of questionnaire data indicates that the sources of anxiety are different for the sexes; and that the sources of anxiety are different for dealers working in U.K.-owned and U.S.-owned financial institutions. The implications of the results and suggestions for future research are discussed.