Appraisals of self and situation as determinants of upward influencing tactics

This study considers subordinate upward influencing as a proactive behavior and applies this lens to an investigation into the contributions of appraisals of self and situation in predicting tactic choice. One hundred seventy‐eight employees assessed the frequency with which they used influencing tactics in interactions with their direct line manager. The results indicated that favorable appraisals of self were associated with increased use of rationality and unfavorable appraisal of situation were associated with increased the use of ingratiation, assertiveness, and upward appeal. While the use of rationality could be explained within approaches to positive proactive work behaviors, the use of the remaining five tactics could not. The results are interpreted within a wider perspective of proactive discretionary behaviors.     

Modeling Female Social Aggression: Predictors from Multiple Developmental Contexts

A diverse array of proposed antecedents of social aggression (SA) were examined in two studies. This work is informed by ecological systems theory and examined predictors from the micro- and mesosystems. In Study 1, women (n?=?284). completed measures of aggression, digit ratio, emotional intelligence (EI), agreeableness, parenting styles, attachment insecurity with parents and peers, and television (TV) consumption. Aggression correlated with EI, agreeableness, parental authoritarianism, attachment insecurity with fathers and peers, and TV consumption; these variables accounted for 22% of the variance in SA. Father attachment insecurity moderated the TV-SA association, suggesting that positive experiences with parents can buffer negative effects of TV consumption. Study 2 aimed to increase the predictive power of the model. Females (n?=?115) completed measures of aggression, digit ratio, EI, agreeableness, parental authoritarianism, interparental conflict, dominance goals, popularity goals, physical appearance comparison, and TV consumption. Aggression correlated with EI, agreeableness, interparental conflict, dominance goals, popularity goals, and appearance comparison. Together, these variables accounted for 40% of the variance in SA; agreeableness, dominance goals, and popularity goals were significant predictors. Interparental conflict moderated the TV-SA association, again suggesting that positive experiences with parents can cushion effects of TV consumption. Implications for development of SA are discussed.     

An Examination of Potential Attractions of Women's Marital Infidelity

Due to the growing prevalence and potential negative effects of marital infidelity, it is important for both clinicians and researchers to understand its occurrence. This study focused on examining the process an individual goes through when making the decision to have an affair. Semi-structured interviews were audio taped, transcribed, and analyzed using the transcendental phenomenological model (Moustakas, 1994). The women reported developing relationships outside of their marriage, having support from family/friends for the extramarital relationship, and receiving positive attention from their affair partner. Clinical and research implications are discussed as well as the limitations of the current study.     

Effectiveness of an Educational and Support Program for Family Members of a Substance Abuser

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between marital adjustment and congruency of couple preference regarding wife employment. Implications for marriage and family therapists are emphasized. Husband, wife, and couple scores were obtained on the Marital Status Inventory and Dyadic Adjustment Scale for eight work pattern categories. The first four (Dual-Career, Dual-Work, Pre-Dual-Career, Traditional Single-Career) were current couple work patterns perceived as desirable by both spouses. The last four categories (Incongruent Dual-Career, Incongruent Dual-Work, Incongruent Pre-Dual-Career, Incongruent Traditional Single-Career) were current couple work patterns that one spouse, in conflict with the other spouse, perceived as undesirable. In addition, number and ages of children and number of wife work hours were analyzed for their effects on marital adjustment in these couples. The results of this study indicate that marital adjustment is negatively influenced only when the wife wants to work in her career, is not employed, and her husband does not want her to be employed now or in the future. Possible reasons for these findings and suggestions for further research are included.     

“Discredited” Versus “Discreditable”: Understanding How Shared and Unique Stigma Mechanisms Affect Psychological and Physical Health Disparities

One of the few studies to examine judgments of personal control in a contingency situation found that participants did not overestimate their control on a task where actual control was possible. However, that study used a design that confounded control and reinforcement. In this study, control (none, medium, high) and reinforcement (low, high) were independently manipulated. College students (N = 100) participated in a computer task in which they pressed or did not press the space bar, after which a target or nontarget screen appeared. Participants rated their control over the appearance of the target screen. Support was found for the idea that in some situations of actual control, illusions of control are found: high-control participants with high reinforcement overestimated their control. Results also indicated that underestimators, accurate estimators, and overestimators used different information when estimating their levels of control. Causes and implications are discussed.