An integrative typology of personality assessment for aggression: implications for predicting counterproductive workplace behavior

This study presents an integrative typology of personality assessment for aggression. In this typology, self-report and conditional reasoning (L. R. James, 1998) methodologies are used to assess 2 separate, yet often congruent, components of aggressive personalities. Specifically, self-report is used to assess explicit components of aggressive tendencies, such as self-perceived aggression, whereas conditional reasoning is used to assess implicit components, in particular, the unconscious biases in reasoning that are used to justify aggressive acts. These 2 separate components are then integrated to form a new theoretical typology of personality assessment for aggression. Empirical tests of the typology were subsequently conducted using data gathered across 3 samples in laboratory and field settings and reveal that explicit and implicit components of aggression can interact in the prediction of counterproductive, deviant, and prosocial behaviors. These empirical tests also reveal that when either the self-report or conditional reasoning methodology is used in isolation, the resulting assessment of aggression may be incomplete. Implications for personnel selection, team composition, and executive coaching are discussed.     

Movements execution in amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease

We evaluated the relationship between motor and neuropsychological deficits in subjects affected by amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) and early Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Kinematics of goal-directed movement of aMCI and AD subjects were compared to those of age-matched control subjects. AD showed a slowing down of motor performance compared to aMCI and controls. No relationships were found between motor and cognitive performances in both AD and aMCI. Our results suggest that the different motor behaviour between AD and aMCI cannot be related to memory deficits, probably reflecting the initial degeneration of parietal-frontal circuits for movement planning. The onset of motor dysfunction in early AD could represent the transition from aMCI to AD.     

Aging and capacity in the same-different judgment

The same-different judgment was used in two experiments to investigate age-group differences in visual processing. Two targets next to fixation were presented; the targets on one-half of the trials were the same, and on the other half of the trials, the targets differed by color, shape, or color and shape (redundant). Response times were lower for redundant trials than for color-only and shape-only trials; this redundancy gain was greater for older observers than for young observers. Capacity measures based on the integrated hazard functions indicated that young adults, but not older adults, experienced a slowing of processing (reduction of capacity) in the redundant condition. These capacity measures may provide a method for interpreting age-group effects in the presence of overall response-time differences.     

Bedürfnis- und Motivorientierte Beziehungsgestaltung

According to the Bernese concept of motivational attunement therapists are supposed to offer each patient a custom tailored relationship taking into account the patients’ individual motivational goals. While empirical studies validate the concept, concrete implementation of motivational attunement into practice is not always easy. Therapists have to be able to correctly identify the patients’ motivational goals and attune their behavior to them flexibly. In the following article concrete instructions for therapists are given in order to better realize motivational attunement.     

The content of mother stereotypes

Although there is considerable empirical support for the existence of social stereotypes about different types of mothers, the content of those stereotypes is less clear. The purpose of this study was to identify the content of stereotypes related to different types of mothers. Stereotyped attributes of married mothers, stepmothers, divorced mothers, and never married mothers were generated by several samples and combined into one list. A subsequent sample was asked to indicate the percentage of each type of mother possessing each characteristic. The content of mother stereotypes was examined, and the results discussed in light of effects on social interactions, the self-image of women, and future attempts to assess family-related stereotypes.     

Researcher and clinician: Role conflict and resolution

Group therapy investigations are often conducted by researchers rather than by experienced clinicians who also possess research expertise. Given the fact that doctorally prepared clinicians must demonstrate research competence in their education programs, it is surprising that there is not more research on group therapy. The literature indicates that research and group psychotherapy practice are considered quite separate entities. However, there is much that both processes have in common. The principal investigator's experience during a group psychotherapy research project suggested that the conflict between the roles of researcher and clinician may not be due to differences in the external processes but rather to difficulties in trying to combine them within one person. The value of the researcher-clinician is elaborated, and recommendations are offered.This paper was supported by a grant from the Group Psychotherapy Foundation.     

Rational-emotive therapy and the religious client

The religious client presents a particular challenge to the RET therapist in that the irrational beliefs responsible for the client's problems are often created or supported by distortions in the religious belief system. This paper will discuss the connections between religious distortions and the irrational ideas, ways to deal with them, and then present the most common religiously based irrational beliefs along with biblical disputations.Constance Lawrence, M.S., is Director of the Christian Counseling Center in Norwalk, CT, and also has a private practice in Weston, CT.     

A microcomputer-based system for evoked-potential augmenting/reducing measurements

Evoked-potential measurements can readily be implemented on a microcomputer. We present as an example a system for obtaining an evoked-potential augmenting/reducing measure using the Apple II microcomputer. Specialized features of the PASCAL program and peripheral equipment are described.     

An application of signal detection theory with finite mixture distributions to source discrimination

A mixture extension of signal detection theory is applied to source discrimination. The basic idea of the approach is that only a portion of the sources (say A or B) of items to be discriminated is encoded or attended to during the study period. As a result, in addition to 2 underlying probability distributions associated with the 2 sources, there is a 3rd distribution that represents items for which sources were not attended to. Thus, over trials, the observed response results from a mixture of an attended (A or B) distribution and a nonattended distribution. The situation differs in an interesting way from detection in that, for detection, there is mixing only on signal trials and not on noise trials, whereas for discrimination, there is mixing on both A and B trials. Predictions of the mixture model are examined for data from several recent studies and in a new experiment.