Photographic Individuality, Breadth of Perspective, and Creativity

Individuality is valued in most conceptions of personality, but is seldom operationalized. The present research used photo essays about the self as the medium for operationalizing self-construals that are unlike others (i.e., are uniquely creative, abstract, self-reflective, and multidimensional). Ratings of these photo essays from two samples ( N = 183 university students) served as the measure of individuality. This measure was predicted and found to correlate in both samples with Breadth of Interest from the Jackson Personality Inventory (JPI; Jackson, 1994). In Study 1, individuality also correlated with the JPI Complexity scale and with two measures of divergent thinking (unique word associations, and fluency on Wallach & Kogan's [1965] creativity tasks). In Study 2, individuality correlated with having more permeable boundaries, a nonprejudicial universal orientation, and imagining greater cultural diversity in one's future. Results suggest that individualistic persons take a broader, more complex and more creative perspective to their lives.     

Gender Advertisements in Magazines Aimed at African Americans: A Comparison to Their Occurrence in Magazines Aimed at Caucasians

Advertisements from magazines aimed at AfricanAmericans were compared to ads from magazines aimedpredominantly at Whites. Over 200 magazineadvertisements were analyzed according to Goffman's(1976) rubrics of licensed withdrawal, function ranking,relative size, ritualization of subordination, femininetouch, and the family. Results indicated that the adsfrom White-oriented magazines were characterized by relatively frequent displays of licensedwithdrawal and ritualization of subordination. Thoseaimed at African Americans, however, were characterizedby more frequent portrayals of the family. Almost half of each sample were classified into another category which followed none ofGoffman's rubrics. Results are discussed in terms of thedemand characteristics implicit in gender advertisements and in terms of cultural differences in genderrole expectations.     

The Psychometric Properties of 360 Degree Feedback: An Empirical Study and a Cautionary Tale

Amongst the purported advantages of multi-rater feedback systems is their greater accuracy and objectivity. It is argued here that these benefits may be more imagined than real, and that there is no reason to believe such systems will avoid many of the rating errors and distortions found in traditional top-down appraisal. The first study reported in this paper investigates the psychometric soundness and concurrent validity of a pilot 360 degree feedback scheme operated by a multi-national oil company. The second study describes how analysis of the data provided by the first study was used to re-design the rating form, and demonstrates the resulting improvement achieved in the psychometric properties of the 360 degree scheme. It also examined some of the variables that influence rater’s assessment of the target managers. The conclusion is drawn that unless such feedback systems — irrespective of whether they are used for development or for appraisal — are constructed and evaluated along the lines associated with psychometric tests, they may produce assessments that are seriously misleading.     

Looming Responses to Obstacles and Apertures: The Role of Accretion and Deletion of Background Texture

Successful navigation in the world requires differentiating an obstacle in one's path from an aperture through which one could pass. An approaching obstacle is specified by texture expansion within the obstacle's contour and the deletion of background texture outside the object. In contrast, an approaching aperture contains texture expansion within the aperture's frame and accretion of background texture within the aperture's contour. This study investigated 3- to 5-month-old infants' discrimination of obstacles from apertures, examining eyeblink responses to the movement of both kinds of objects against backgrounds varying in salience. Obstacles produced stronger looming reactions than apertures, and the salience of the background influenced responses to apertures but not obstacles. These findings imply that infants differentiate obstacles from apertures based on their relative patterns of accretion versus deletion of background texture, and suggest that infants recognize the functional consequences of contact with these objects.     

Domestic violence and group treatment for male batterers

This paper examines the violent behavior of male batterers toward their female partners. Three major theoretical perspectives addressing the etiology of the male batterer's abusive behavior are reviewed. These perspectives, along with an understanding of personality characteristics common among batterers, offer insight into intervention and treatment options. Group intervention has proven to be the most effective form of treatment for batterers. Outcome studies suggest a decline in batterers' abusive behavior as a result of group treatment.     

Relations interculturelles de jeu à l'école élémentaire: une étude en contexte québécois hors de Montréal

Dans le but de connaître la généralisation de données recueillies auprès d'enfants américains de race blanche et de race noire, cette recherche a porté sur la tendance d'enfants québécois francophones de l^re, 3^e et 4^e années du primaire à partager leurs jeux avec les 25% d'enfants d'origines asiatique et latino-américaine de leur classe. S'aidant d'une photo du groupe, chaque sujet pouvait indiquer tous les enfants avec qui il aime ou n'aime pas jouer à la récréation. Outre une préférence pour les relations de même sexe, les résultats montrent, comme dans les études antérieures, une tendance, chez les Québécois, à partir de la troisième année, à créer des réseaux de relations où les néo-Québécois n'ont pas toute leur place. Par contre, ces derniers ne sont pas rejetés et bien peu d'enfants québécois les excluent complètement. Ces données sont mises en relation avec les caractéristiques générales de la population québécoise.     

Applying propensity score matching to assess the impact of the pandemic on intimate relationships

The COVID-19 pandemic produced multiple stressors that risk relationship conflict and dissatisfaction. We extended prior studies that yielded inconsistent effects of the pandemic on relationships by using propensity score matching to (1) compare levels of relationship conflict and satisfaction during the pandemic (pandemic group; N = 7268) to similar people immediately before the pandemic (matched control group; N = 7268), and (2) compare pandemic groups facing different types of restrictions, beginning with lockdowns involving household isolation to returning to normal life. Results reveal that relationship conflict increased and relationship satisfaction decreased in response to the pandemic, but these effects were very small and primarily occurred in the initial stages of the pandemic when lockdown involved household isolation. The results add to evidence of resilience in personal and relationship well-being in 2020, but also indicate the importance of understanding the effects of varying pandemic-related conditions across the years of the pandemic.     

Sexually abused children and post-traumatic stress disorder

Sexually abused children often develop post-traumatic stress disorder, a distressing and debilitating condition that is typically unresponsive to non-directive counselling. Empirically supported abuse-confronting, structured interventions are urgently required for use by counselling psychologists responsible for the management of this challenging clinical population. Given the success of cognitive-behavioural interventions with adult trauma victims, it has been suggested that this treatment approach be applied to sexually abused children. This paper presents a cognitive-behavioural treatment framework comprising two levels of intervention: child therapy and parent training. We selectively review emerging empirical support for the efficacy and acceptability of this treatment approach.     

Ottoman Women's Organizations: Sources of the past,sources for the future

In this article the author argues that for a full understanding of the women's movement in the Ottoman empire research on Ottoman women's organizations is essential. Based on her own research on the topic so far, she lists the potential sources for such research and their pitfalls and calls for (international) cooperation on the topic.     

A Cross-Modal Comparison of Telephone and Face-to-Face Selection Interviews in Graduate Recruitment

Although there has been an increase in the use of telephone interviews for graduate recruitment by companies in the UK, there is little evidence attesting to their equivalence with traditional face-to-face selection interviews. A total of 70 candidates applying to a multinational oil corporation received both face-to-face and telephone interviews as the first stage of the 1996 graduate recruitment milkround. Group A (N = 41) received an initial face-to-face interview followed by a telephone interview and group B (N = 29) a telephone interview followed by a face-to-face interview. Findings indicate that candidates received significantly lower ratings when interviewed by telephone than when interviewed face-to-face (p ≤ 0.001). A significant interaction was also found (p ≤ 0.05) with candidates who received face-to-face interviews following telephone interviews demonstrating improved performance in their face-to-face interviews. The practical implications of these findings for companies wishing to use telephone interviews are discussed.