Determinants of How Managers Cope with Organisational Downsizing

201 cadres de deux services relevant du gouvernement fédéral qui ont été confrontés à une réduction d’effectifs ont constitué un panel en vue d’une étude longitudinale qui a porté sur la relation entre les ressources présentes avant la réduction du personnel (T1) et les contraintes et stratégies de traitement du problème évaluées pendant la période elle‐même (T2 et T3). Les contraintes en T2 (travail aliénant, absence perçue de succès professionnel à venir et conséquences jugées négatives de la contraction des effectifs) agissaient sur la relation entre les ressources disponibles en T1 et les stratégies déployées en T2. Les ressources relevant de l’individu (optimisme et sécurité perçue du travail) et celles relevant de l’organisation (le vécu du soutien apporté par le supérieur et l’organisation et l’implication affective dans l’organisation) étaient en relation avec une appréciation plus favorable des contraintes, ce qui, en retour, avaient des retombées sur la mise en ?uvre des stratégies T2 de fuite et de contrôle. Les conduites T2 de contrôle étaient significativement corrélées de façon négative aux contraintes T3 tandis que les conduites de fuite T2 étaient significativement corrélées de façon positive à ces mêmes contraintes T3. Les futures recherches ne devraient pas seulement étudier le rôle des ressources exploitées par ceux qui affrontent victorieusement une contraction des effectifs, mais aussi identifier et tenir compte des contraintes qui peuvent contrecarrer ou inhiber l’usage de certaines stratégies de coping. Managers (N= 201) in two federal government departments undergoing downsizing participated in a longitudinal panel study examining the relationship among pre‐downsizing (T1) coping resources and coping constraints and coping strategies assessed during the downsizing period (T2, T3). T2 coping constraints (work alienation, perceived lack of future career success, and perceived negative downsizing effect) mediated the relationship between T1 coping resources and T2 coping strategies. Individual‐related (optimism and perceived job security) coping resources and organisation‐related (perceived organisational and supervisor support and organisational affective commitment) coping resources were associated with a more favourable evaluation of the coping constraints which, in turn, influenced the use of T2 control‐oriented and escape coping strategies. T2 control‐oriented coping was significantly negatively related to T3 coping constraints whereas T2 escape coping was significantly positively related to T3 coping constraints. Future research should not only examine the role of coping resources in how survivors cope with organisational downsizing but also identify and examine coping constraints that may restrict or inhibit the use of certain coping strategies.     

Infants' use of social partnerships to predict behavior

The experiences of social partners are important motivators of social action. Can infants use such experiences to make predictions about how social agents will behave? Sixteen‐month‐old infants were introduced to two social pairs. Initial events established within‐pair cooperation as well as between‐pair conflict involving an individual from each pair. Following these events, infants looked longer when between‐pair members who had never previously interacted now cooperated – instead of conflicted – with each other. Thus, infants tracked the third‐person allegiances and inferred that the conflict would generalize across social partnerships. These findings demonstrate a critical feature of early social cognition and promote needed, further research on the role of social allegiances in social cognition across development.     

The impact of parents, child care providers, teachers, and peers on early externalizing trajectories

This study utilized growth mixture modeling to examine the impact of parents, child care providers, teachers, and peers on the prediction of distinct developmental patterns of classroom externalizing behavior in elementary school. Among 241 children, three groups were identified. 84.6% of children exhibited consistently low externalizing behavior. The externalizing behavior of the Chronic High group (5.8%) remained elevated throughout elementary school; it increased over time in the Low Increasing group (9.5%). Negative relationships with teachers and peers in the kindergarten classroom increased the odds of having chronically high externalizing behavior. Teacher–child conflict increased the likelihood of a developmental pattern of escalating externalizing behavior. Boys were overrepresented in the behaviorally risky groups, and no sex differences in trajectory types were found.     

Curriculum-based measurement of math problem solving: A methodology and rationale for establishing equivalence of scores

The purpose of this article is to discuss curriculum-based measurement (CBM) as it is currently utilized in research and practice and to propose a new approach for developing measures to monitor the academic progress of students longitudinally. To accomplish this, we first describe CBM and provide several exemplars of CBM in reading and mathematics. Then, we present the research context for developing a set of seven curriculum-based measures for monitoring student progress in math problem solving. The rationale for and advantages of using statistical equating methodology are discussed. Details of the methodology as it was applied to the development of these math problem solving measures are provided.     

Externalizing Metaphors Therapy and Innovative Moments: A Four-Session Treatment Group for Anxiety

The zeitgeist for brief services psychotherapy efficacy is well underway within the individual and family therapy treatment modalities. However, this paradigm shift, to produce clinically significant mental health outcomes in a much shorter time, has evolved to a much lesser degree within the treatment group format. Longer-term treatment group protocols typically do not match treatment-seeking behaviors with high dropout rates for clients. The current authors describe a structured, four-session treatment protocol that integrates the tenets of Externalizing Metaphors Therapy (EMT) with Innovative Moments (IMs) in addressing anxiety for children and youth. EMT is based upon the externalization of problems, transformation of metaphoric imagery, and the shifting of underlying maladaptive emotional schemas. It is suggested that treatment outcomes are enhanced through the integration of three IMs between-session exercises.