Correlates of relationship, psychological, and sexual behavioral factors for HIV risk among Indian women

The rate of HIV/AIDS among women in India is expected to rise yet few studies have examined factors related to HIV risk among Indian women. The objective of this prospective, cross-sectional study was to characterize similarities and differences in the relationships, psychological well-being, and sexual behaviors among Indian women (N=459). Both HIV positive (N=216) and negative (N=243) women from urban and rural areas in India were included in this study. Chi-square, analysis of variance, and logistic regression analyses revealed that in both geographic groups, HIV-positive women were significantly more likely to report marital dissatisfaction, a history of forced sex, domestic violence, depressive symptoms and husband's extra marital sex when compared to the HIV-negative women. Findings also indicate that specific factors related to the quality of the marital relationship such as domestic violence, martial dysfunction, and depressive symptoms may be related to HIV-related risks for women. Implications for future research and culturally relevant interventions are discussed.     

‘It all boils down to respect doesn't it?’: Enacting a sense of community in a deprived inner‐city area

Audio recordings of meetings of two community groups in a deprived inner‐city area were analysed, using discursive psychological and conversation analytic techniques to explore situated enactments of ‘community’. Participants situated themselves as members of a geographical community, of an ‘imagined’ community and of other constitutive communities. A sense of community was enacted through five interactional strategies: Affirming moral codes, ‘defending’ other members, distinguishing insiders from outsiders, enacting empowerment and challenging institutions. Participants regularly employed emotional displays and affirmed moral positions, both to constitute ‘community’ and to take action in it. In so doing they worked up social capital and positioned community concerns in ways more reflective of their own situated values than of criminal law or government policy. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Childhood experiences and psychosocial influences on HIV risk among adolescent Latinas in southern California

This study determined how adverse childhood experiences influenced risky sexual behavior in a community sample of Latina adolescents in Los Angeles (N = 904) within a modified ecodevelopmental perspective. Psychosocial, sociocultural, and environmental mediators of the relations between childhood experiences and risky sexual behavior were tested. Many direct and mediated paths were revealed using structural equation modeling. Childhood maltreatment was associated with risk sexual practices, including more partners, less condom use, more frequent intercourse, and less HIV testing. Drug use and general self-efficacy mediated several relationships. Reducing childhood maltreatment reduced HIV risk and improved psychosocial functioning. Many factors tested did not influence HIV risk. Much of what is known about HIV risk among other populations may not apply to young Latina women.     

Construct validity of the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form among psychotherapy clients

Interest has been growing in the mental health benefits of self-compassion. Whereas, most research on this topic has been conducted with the 26-item Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), a briefer 12-item version of the instrument, the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF), also exists. The SCS-SF has demonstrated good validity and reliability in non-clinical samples, but it has not been used often in research with psychotherapy clients. This study was designed to examine the factor structure and construct validity of the SCS-SF in a clinical population. Data for this study were collected from 1609 college students receiving services at 10 campus counseling centers. The previously proposed factor structure of the SCS-SF was not supported. Instead, analyses revealed two factors, Self Care and Self Disparagement. Evidence for the construct validity of these factors was found via expected relationships with indices of depression, anxiety, social anxiety, hostility, academic distress, eating concerns, family distress, maladaptive perfectionism, suicidality, self-injurious behavior, and social support. SCS-SF scores were unrelated to various measures of substance use. Implications for clinical work and future research are discussed.     

Motivation through conscious goal setting

The article describes what has been found during 30 years of research by the author and others on the relationship between conscious performance goals and performance on work tasks. This approach is contrasted with previous approaches to motivation theory which stressed physiological, external or subconscious causes of action. The basic contents of goal setting theory are summarized in terms of 14 categories of findings. An applied example is provided.     

A Cross-National and Cross-Sectional Comparison of Men's Gender Role Conflict and Its Relationship to Social Intimacy and Self-Esteem

We hypothesized that men's nationality and age group would affect (a) their level of gender role conflict and (b) the strength of the relationship between gender role conflict and the psychological health variables of social intimacy and self-esteem. Three hundred twenty-five men (97 college-aged American, 86 middle-aged American, 82 college-aged Australian, and 60 middle-aged Australian) completed the Gender Role Conflict, Miller Social Intimacy, and Coopersmith Self-Esteem Scales. MANCOVA results revealed two significant interaction effects between (a) age group and social intimacy and (b) nationality and self-esteem. The discussion highlights a contextual interpretation of the results, limitations, and future research.     

Self-efficacy, values, and complementarity in dyadic interactions: integrating interpersonal and social-cognitive theory

Dyadic interactions were analyzed using constructs from social-cognitive theory (self-efficacy and subjective values) and interpersonal theory (interpersonal circumplex [IPC] and complementarity). In Study 1, the authors developed a measure of efficacy for interpersonal actions associated with each IPC region--the Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Efficacy (CSIE). In Study 2, the authors used the CSIE and the Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Values (which assesses the subjective value of interpersonal events associated with each IPC region) to predict the dominance expressed and satisfaction experienced by members of 101 same-sex dyads trying to solve a murder mystery. Structural equation modeling analyses supported both social-cognitive and interpersonal theory. A social-cognitive person-variable (dominance efficacy) and an interpersonal dyadic-variable (reciprocity) together predicted dominant behaviors. Likewise, both a social-cognitive variable (friendliness values) and an interpersonal variable (correspondence of friendliness efficacy) predicted satisfaction. Finally, both shared performance outcomes and dynamic interpersonal processes predicted convergence of collective efficacy beliefs within dyads.     

Evaluation of Potential Kidney Donors with the Personality Assessment Inventory: Normative Data for a Unique Population

Many transplant centers require personality assessment and/or psychiatric clearance prior to allowing an individual to donate a kidney. This is a unique cohort for personality assessment, and there is no normative information available for this population on standardized self-report measures such as the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI). We evaluated a prospective sample of 434 kidney donor candidates with development of normative T-scores relevant to this specific comparison group. Compared to the original normative group from the PAI manual, potential kidney donors are 5–7 T-score points above the mean on PIM, RXR, DOM, and WRM and 4–6 points below the mean on the majority of the remaining scales. Raw score/T score conversion tables are provided. The normative data provided here is meant to supplement the original normative information and aid psychologists in evaluation of this unique medical population.     

Turnover and Aggregate Organisational Performance

Les recherches sur le turnover ont habituellement repris l'idée couramment admise selon laquelle la rotation du personnel constitue la conséquence négative de plusieurs variables antécédentes. On recense peu de recherches concernant l'impact du turnover sur des mesures d'ensemble de la performance de l'organisation. Cette étude fait appel à 302 variables de sortie d'une organisation pour appréhender la relation entre la rotation des salariés de la base, les bénéfices et les ventes. On a en outre pris en considération deux aspects du bénéfice, les coûts salariaux et les pertes. Seule une faible relation avec les coûts salariaux a été mise en évidence. Les résultats suggèrent la complexité de la relation entre le turnover et les mesures de la performance d'une organisation, sans compter que des effets contradictoires de la rotation peuvent disparaître dans des mesures générales de la performance. Il faudrait développer un modéle qui tiendrait compte de certaines des découvertes récentes sur le turnover.