A Longitudinal Study Examining the Psychological Reactions of Job Relocation

A longitudinal study is reported of relocating employees ( n = 51) and their partners ( n = 31) who relocated between two cities in England. A nonmoving comparison group of employees from the same organization ( n = 58) was included. The subjects completed a questionnaire before (approximately 6 weeks) and after (approximately 10 weeks) the relocation. Results showed that relocating employees' pre-move general stress was similar to that of nonmoving employees. Moreover, male relocators' stress reduced significantly following the move, while female relocators stayed the same. Stress specific to relocation was very high for relocating employees and partners, and remained so following the move. Evidence was found to show a relationship between attributions of the causes of relocation problems and the experience of stress.     

Using a Conceptually-Based Predictor of Tenure to Select Employees

This paper describes the development and validation of a personnel selection instrument designed to predict employee tenure. The instrument was developed using models of employee turnover, psychodynamic theory, and beliefs regarding the optimal way to advance one's career. Four predictive designs were conducted to validate the instrument. Correlation coefficients ranged from .14 (p < .07) to .28 (p < .05) in predicting tenure.     

The likely impact of introducing competence-based occupational standards in counselling/psychotherapy and guidance for learning and work

The national context in which occupational standards and NVQs have been developed is described. The NVQ methodology is explained, and issues arising from NVQ implementation are outlined. Developments in accreditation within the contexts of counselling and psychotherapy and guidance for learning and work are identified. The impact of introducing occupational standards and NVQs in these fields is assessed.     

Book notes

Mana: Revue de Sociologie et d'Anthropologie Caen: Department of Sociology, University of Caen, Esplanade de la Paix, 1400 Caen, France. 242 pp, 81 FF (in France, inch postage)

Desh Pardesh: The South Asian Presence in Britain Roger Ballard, ed., 1994 London: Hurst & Co. 296 pp., £9.95 (pb) ISBN 1–85065–092–6

Religions et sécurité international Jean‐François Mayer, 1995 Bern: Office Central de la Défense Series: Études relatives à la politique de sécurité, No. 2/1995 143 pp.

Essential Teachings His Holiness the Dalai Lama London: Souvenir Press, 1995 152 pp., £9.99 (hb) ISBN 0–285–63273–6

Voices of Islam John Bowker, 1995 Oxford: Oneworld Publications 188 pp., £8.95 ISBN 1–85168–095–0

A Short History of the Bahá'i Faith Peter Smith, 1996 Oxford: Oneworld Publications 168 pp., £5.95 (pb) ISBN 1–85168–070–5

A Short History of Islam William Montgomery Watt, 1996 Oxford: Oneworld Publications 156 pp., £5.95 (pb) ISBN 1–85168–109–4

Dictionary of the Middle East Dilip Hiro, 1996 Basingstoke: Macmillan 367 pp., £14.99 (pb) ISBN 0–333–65926–0

The Hebrew Bible Dan Cohn‐Sherbok, 1996 London: Cassell 257 pp., £55.00 (hb), £13.99 (pb) ISBN 0–304–33702–1 (hb), 0–304–33703‐X (pb)

The Puzzle of God Peter Vardy, 1995 London: Fount/Harper Collins 240 pp., £7.99 ISBN 0–00–627965–1     

Response Bias Correction in the Process Dissociation Procedure: A Reevaluation?

A Buchner and E. Erdfelder (this volume) provide a commentary on our analysis of response bias correction in the process dissociation procedure. Unfortunately, this commentary fails to address the substantive issues that were raised in M. J. Wainwright and E. M. Reingold (1996). In the present article, we attempt to clarify some of their misrepresentations and the inconsistency inherent in their position.     

Gravitational acceleration as a cue for absolute size and distance?

When an object’s motion is influenced by gravity, as in the rise and fall of a thrown ball, the vertical component of acceleration is roughly constant at 9.8 m/sec². In principle, an observer could use this information to estimate the absolute size and distance of the object (Saxberg, 1987a; Watson, Banks, von Hofsten, & Royden, 1992). In five experiments, we examined people’s ability to utilize the size and distance information provided by gravitational acceleration. Observers viewed computer simulations of an object rising and falling on a trajectory aligned with the gravitational vector. The simulated objects were balls of different diameters presented across a wide range of simulated distances. Observers were asked to identify the ball that was presented and to estimate its distance. The results showed that observers were much more sensitive to average velocity than to the gravitational acceleration pattern. Likewise, verticality of the motion and visibility of the trajectory’s apex had negligible effects on the accuracy of size and distance judgments.     

Expert and referent power: A framework for understanding and maximizing consultation effectiveness

This paper describes consultation as an influence process and, in particular, describes the two forms of social power—expert and referent power—which allow school psychologists or any mental health professional to influence the consultees with whom they work. Several hypotheses are presented derived from social psychology research and theory on these forms of power which have practical importance for the school psychologist.     

The effect of punishment and reinforcement procedures on a stutterer's factor II avoidance response

The purpose of this clinical experiment was to investigate the manipulability of a Factor II avoidance response (arm movement). The substantive hypothesis under test was that its suppression would be enhanced by repeated punishment sessions. During the first of nine therapy sessions response-contingent negative stimulation was not delivered. In the next five, after a base-rate period, “wrong” was made consequent upon the target response. In each of these sessions the suppression of arm movement was apparent. However, the magnitude of the suppression decreased from session to session. Evidently, the continued use of punishment did not enhance suppression. Because of this finding procedural changes were introduced in the next three therapy sessions. Verbal praise was added as a consequence of increasingly stringent omission criteria and three consecutive units of praise led to time-out from the reportedly fatiguing task of continuous speech. A marked reduction and then complete extinction resulted. Moreover, learning was evidenced since the frequency of arm movement lessened in the base-rate period of each session.