Integrating stage and continuum models to explain processing of exercise messages and exercise initiation among sedentary college students.

Concepts from the transtheoretical model (J.O. Prochaska, C.C. DiClemente, & J.C. Norcross, 1992), theory of planned behavior (I. Ajzen, 1985), and the elaboration likelihood model (R.E. Petty & J.T. Cacioppo, 1986b) were used to examine how exercise readiness impacted processing of exercise messages and exercise initiation. Sedentary college students (n = 147) were assessed for exercise attitude, intent, behavior, and stage of change. Students also listed their thoughts after reading messages with either strong or weak arguments for exercise. Attitude predicted depth of message processing, but stage of change did not. Stage of change and intent at baseline predicted exercise adoption at 1- to 3-month follow-up (n = 134), with baseline activity moderating the effect of intent. Tailoring messages to recipients' depth of processing and interactive effects of intent and behavior on exercise adoption should be considered in future research.     

Marital Adjustment of Army Spouses One Year After Operation Desert Storm1

One year after Operation Desert Storm, marital adjustment was studied among 773 Army spouses married to soldiers who had been deployed. Interviews with some spouses and soldiers, conducted during site visits to a sample of installations, led to the identification of 19 marital adjustment events. Questions regarding these events were included in a mailed questionnaire that was sent to a sample of Army spouses. A factor analysis of the 19 events produced five factors: (a) Distance, (b) Closeness, (c) Role sharing, (d) Independent Spouse, (e) Dependent Spouse/Withdrawn Soldier. Predictors of factor scores were examined through multiple regression analysis. Predictors of factor scores included stress, prior marital problems, social support, and emotional well-being. Most spouses adjusted well to the deployment. Adjustment patterns are discussed in light of previous literature on war separation and attachment theory.     

How (Fast) Can I Help You? Tone of Voice and Telephone Operator Efficiency in Interactions1

This study examined how tone of voice related to directory assistance operators' s]peed at handling customer calls. Brief (5-s) audio exerpts of telephone operator conversation were presented to judges who rated these on 5 personality dimensions and 5 vocal qualities. When these measures were correlated with a key measure of job performance, namely call duration, results showed that operators who were faster at handling calls were rated as significantly more enthusiastic, sympathetic, confident, professional, and friendly (average r= -.56). The voices of faster operators were also rated as significantly more changing (vs. monotonous) and as containing clearer (vs. slurred) pronunciation. Results are discussed in terms of the role that tone of voice plays in telephone operator-customer interaction, and telephone interactions more generally.