Lost confidence and potential: a mixed methods study of underachieving college students’ sources of self-efficacy

This study investigated the sources of self-efficacy of college students enrolled in a learning frameworks course, whom we identified as underachievers. Through weekly journal entries, the group of underachievers ( \(n=13\) ) cited the factors that made them feel confident or not confident. Students’ responses to open-ended prompts were coded according to Bandura’s (Self-efficacy: the exercise of control, W.H. Freeman, New York, 1997) four hypothesized sources of self-efficacy and an additional emergent theme of self-regulated learning. After, through student responses on a self-report survey, we compared the group of underachievers to a group of achievers ( \(n=36\) ) on their self-efficacy and its sources. Both quantitative and qualitative results underscored the importance of mastery experiences for underachievers. The underachievers had significantly less mastery experiences and verbal persuasions despite having similar levels of self-efficacy. Implications for how to cultivate mastery and to provide efficacy-supportive feedback as well as psychological mechanisms regarding high potential underachievers are discussed.     

Belief,Credence, and Pragmatic Encroachment1

This paper compares two alternative explanations of pragmatic encroachment on knowledge (i.e., the claim that whether an agent knows that p can depend on pragmatic factors). After reviewing the evidence for such pragmatic encroachment, we ask how it is best explained, assuming it obtains. Several authors have recently argued that the best explanation is provided by a particular account of belief, which we call pragmatic credal reductivism. On this view, what it is for an agent to believe a proposition is for her credence in this proposition to be above a certain threshold, a threshold that varies depending on pragmatic factors. We show that while this account of belief can provide an elegant explanation of pragmatic encroachment on knowledge, it is not alone in doing so, for an alternative account of belief, which we call the reasoning disposition account, can do so as well. And the latter account, we argue, is far more plausible than pragmatic credal reductivism, since it accords far better with a number of claims about belief that are very hard to deny.     

God-Mediated Control and Optimism: Exploring Variations by Denominational Affiliation

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between feelings of God-mediated control and optimism in Conservative Protestants and individuals affiliated with all other denominations. God-mediated control is defined as the belief that problems in life can be overcome and important goals can be reached by working together with God. Findings from a nationwide survey of older people reveal that Conservative Protestants are more optimistic than people who affiliate with other denominations. Moreover, the results indicate that differences in optimism across the two groups can be explained to a significant extent by a stronger relationship between God-mediated control and optimism in the Conservative Protestant group.     

Exploring the effects of self-esteem and mortality salience on proximal and distally measured death anxiety: a further test of the dual process model of terror management

The dual process model of terror management theory posits that proximal and distal defenses prevent death-related cognition from leading to death-anxiety. Further, the theory identifies self-esteem as a trait level resource that helps people avoid the awareness of death-anxiety. However, to date, no studies have examined the proximal and distal effects of death-related cognition and self-esteem on death-anxiety. In the present study, we assessed trait self-esteem, manipulated the awareness of death (mortality salience), and measured death-anxiety either immediately (proximally) or after a delay/distraction task (distally). Mortality salience did not lead to increased death-anxiety immediately after the mortality salience, but did so after a delay. Furthermore, this distal increase in death anxiety was only observed at low levels of self-esteem.     

The Experience of Former Women Officials and the Impact on the Sporting Community

In an effort to explore the shortage of female sport officials, the authors examined the experience of eight former female basketball officials from five geographically diverse states in the U.S. who voluntarily left the role. Specifically, the authors asked former female basketball officials to describe their workplace experiences. Utilizing a phenomenological approach and workplace incivility framework, the results indicated that the felt social inequity for female officials detracted from the participants experiencing a sense of community in the workplace, which ultimately led to their discontinuation in the role. Results indicate four key factors that created this uncivil work environment. An examination of the data revealed four major themes. Specifically the female basketball officials reported experiencing a Lack of Mutual Respect from male counterparts; Perceived Inequity of Policies; a Lack of Role Modeling and Mentoring for and from female officials; and experiencing more Gendered Abuse than did their male counterparts. The combination of these four factors exacerbated the female officials’ inability to connect to the officiating community and led to their withdrawal from the role. The results further indicate that women officials likely threatened the hegemonic characteristics of a sport setting. Although females have made great strides in terms of sport participation, the practical implications of this research suggest that understanding females in workplace roles, such as officiating, is vital if social equity is to be achieved in the sporting community.     

Psychometric Properties of the Response to Anxiety Questionnaire

Recent research highlights the importance of transdiagnostic factors of psychopathology, particularly in understanding comorbidity. Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is one such factor, which may elucidate anxiety-depression comorbidity. The Response to Anxiety Questionnaire (RAQ) aims to evaluate repetitive negative thinking (RNT) related to anxiety-depression comorbidity, specifically hopelessness and rumination about anxiety symptoms. Anxious hopelessness is negative thoughts about the future due to anxiety symptoms, and anxious rumination includes negative evaluations of the meaning of anxiety symptoms, therefore the current study assessed the RAQ in three studies. We used exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis methodologies to examine the factor structure of the RAQ. In addition, we tested indirect effects of the two factors of RAQ (Rumination and Hopelessness) between anxiety and depression, and tested measure convergent validity. Results of the current study provide additional support for the psychometric properties of the RAQ, suggesting a two factor makeup (hopelessness, rumination), as well as its use in predicting anxiety and depressive symptoms.     

Schematherapie bei antisozialem Verhalten und Psychopathie

In the Netherlands schema therapy is the first evidence-based treatment to be recommended for patients with personality disorders in forensic settings. Initial results show that schema therapy can even be effective in cases of “psychopathy”. The central concept in schema therapy are schema modes which can also be seen as emotional states or “parts of the personality”, which dominate temporary thoughts, emotions and behavior. Schema modes are the basis of individual mode models, which guide understanding and treatment of the disorder throughout the complete therapy. The schema therapeutic analysis of delinquency is part of the schema mode model and connects the sequences of the crime with the offender’s schema modes. With respect to the mode treatment, emotion-focused techniques and the therapeutic relationship are of special importance. The schema therapeutic treatment plan combines short-term behavior-related therapeutic goals with the underlying themes (needs and modes) in order to plan concrete interventions based on this. This has to be embedded into the individual structure of therapeutic options in the respective institutions (e.?g. individual psychotherapy, nursing staff, occupational therapy). This article demonstrates the practice of the schema therapeutic approach with a forensic case study and discusses resources and limits of the schema therapeutic approach in a forensic setting.     

The Practice of Community Psychology in Chile

Cet article aborde plusieurs aspects du travail en psychologie des communautés et met l'accent sur l'expérience pratique personnelle dans ce domaine au Chili. Durant la dictature militaire, la psychologie chilienne des communautés dut prendre son essor dans des conditions exceptionnelles, ce qui complexifia le travail et permit, tel un prisme, de faire ressortir plus clairement à la fois les limites, les contradictions, les possibilités et les défis de la pratique de la psychologie des communautés. Le praticien centré sur la communauté plonge dans une réalité politico-sociale structurée de telle façon que la portée et le style de son travail doivent souvent être redéfinis, et il est parfois impossible d'échapper à l'engagement. Tout cela est illustré et discutéà partir d'exemples actuels tirés de la pratique quotidienne de la psychologie des communautés au Chili.
This paper deals with several aspects of community psychology work and focuses on personal practical experience in the field of community psychology in Chile. The exceptional conditions during the military dictatorship, under which Chilean community psychology had to develop, not only made the work more difficult but can also be seen as a prism, which enables both the limitations and contradictions, as well as the opportunities and challenges, of the practice of community psychology to stand out more clearly. Community-oriented practitioners take part in a social and political reality, which is construed in such a way that the type and scope of their work often has to be defined anew, and it is sometimes not possible to avoid committing oneself. This will be illustrated and discussed using actual examples from everyday practice of community psychology in Chile.     

Creating Connection and Reducing Distress: the Effects of Functional Analytic Psychotherapy on Measures of Social Connection across Levels of Analysis

The Psychological Record - Research on functional analytic psychotherapy's (FAP) proposed process of change has focused on the turn-by-turn coding of FAP. In these studies, FAP-consistent...