Beyond organizational entry and newcomer stress: Building a self-reliant workforce

This article extends the organizational entry and newcomer stress literature by focusing on the importance of building a self-reliant workforce. It posits that newcomer socialization now and in the future requires building a workforce of self-reliant managers and employees who can function effectively in a dynamic, global workplace. This article suggests that socializing workers to be self-reliant helps employees and organizations to thrive in the uncertain economic environment that is the determining factor in the success of today's organizations. It further contends that by reducing ambiguity and increasing employability, employees are likely to suffer less distress and organizations are less likely to pay the price for distressed employees.     

Causal Attributions, Depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Victims of Crime

The major purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between causal attributions and symptomatology in victims of crime. Fifty-one subjects who had not been crime victims and 120 subjects who had been crime victims participated in the study and were assessed for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Subjects also completed two attributional questionnaires. The potential differences in symptomatology among victims of a single crime, multiple crimes, and nonvictims were investigated. Results did not indicate differences in depression and PTSD based on single vs. multiple victimization, although differences between victims and nonvictims were found. Results using the Causal Dimension Scale (CDS; Peterson et al., 1982) indicated significant differences in the causal attributions of victims and nonvictims. On the Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ; Russell, 1982), group comparisons among nonvictims, PTSD victims, depression victims, both depression and PTSD victims, and victims with low symptoms did not yield significant results. However, regression analyses indicated that several subscales of both the CDS and ASQ were found to be moderate predictors of symptomatology. Implications for future research are discussed.     

Perfectionism, life events, and depressive symptoms: A test of a diathesis-stress model

The present research tested the hypothesis that perfectionists who experience stress are vulnerable to depression, in part because negative life events represent a failure to maintain control over negative outcomes. In Study 1, 215 subjects completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS) and control measures. The MPS assesses self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed perfectionism. It was confirmed that self-oriented and other-oriented perfectionism were associated with both higher desire for control and greater perceived personal control. Study 2 examined whether trait levels of perfectionism moderate the link between life stress and symptoms of depression. In addition, prospective analyses investigated whether perfectionism accounts for changes in levels of depressive symptomatology over time. Two samples comprised of 374 students (Sample 1) and 173 students (Sample 2) completed the MPS and measures of major life stress and depression symptoms. Subjects in Sample 2 completed these measures at two timepoints separated by a three-month interval. Regression analyses indicated that self-oriented perfectionism and life stress interact significantly to produce higher levels of depressive symptomatology. Moreover, in Sample 2, self-oriented perfectionism at Time 1 was associated with increases in depression symptoms three months later for those individuals who had experienced a major life event. The results provide support for diathesis-stress models, which maintain that perfectionists exposed to life stress are vulnerable to symptoms of depression. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for the study of personality, stress, and vulnerability to symptoms of depression. This research was supported by grants #410-89-0335, #410-91-8056, and #410-93-1256 from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada awarded to the authors.     

Effects of counsellor interpretations and client reactance on social influence and the working alliance

These two studies investigated the main and interaction effects of client reactance and counsellor interpretation discrepancy and style on counsellor social influence and the working alliance. Undergraduate students who were divided into high and low reactant pups listened to low, moderate, or high discrepancy interpretations given by counsellors who used a tentative or absolute interpretation. Contrary to the hypotheses, results showed only one interaction effect for reactance, interpretation discrepancy, and interpretation style. Low reactant participants rated the working alliance higher with tentative interpretations while high reactant participants rated it higher with absolute. High reactant participants consistently tended to perceive the counsellor less positively than low reactant participants. There were unexpected gender differences, suggesting that females saw the counselling more positively in the low discrepancy condition while males did in the moderate. The results were not supportive of an interaction among reactance, discrepancy, and style, but are in line with macro-results in the counselling and psychotherapy literature indicating the primary importance of client variables.     

The role of facial masculinity/femininity in the attribution of homosexuality

This study examined whether subjects would differentially perceive male and female faces as homosexual based upon facial masculinity/femininity, and the extent to which their attitudes toward homosexuals would influence their perceptions. Sixty-eight undergraduates indicated how likely they thought it was that 6 male and 6 female faces were homosexual; they also rated the individuals on attractiveness. The present sample also completed the Index of Homophobia, the Bem Sex Role Inventory, the Attitudes Toward Women Scale, a conservatism scale, and a demographic questionnaire. The subjects assigned higher homosexuality ratings to feminine male and masculine female faces compared to their masculine and feminine counterparts, respectively. In addition, unattractive female faces received higher attribution of homosexuality ratings compared to the attractive faces; such an effect was not observed for the male photographs. Sex of subject and attitudes toward homosexuality did not significantly affect evaluations.Portions of this paper were presented at the meetings of the American Psychological Association, New Orleans, Louisiana, August 1989.     

Limbic networks and associative learning: I. Entorhinal contributions to instrumental conditioning

The hippocampal formation is a highly delineated brain structure that is believed to play a prominent role in learning and memory. The present experiment evaluated the contributions of medial and lateral perforant path input to bar press-conditioning under (a) continuous and (b) differential reinforcement of low rates of responding (DRL) schedules, and (c) shuttlebox avoidance conditioning. Bilateral deafferentation of either pathway had no effect on the acquisition of bar press responses or on performance under the DRL schedule. Deafferentation of the medial pathway facilitated acquisition of avoidance responses in a manner much like the effects seen in hippocampectomized animals. It is suggested that the medial perforant path participates in the expression of correlated patterns of neuronal discharge known to develop within the hippocampus and that this “model” serves to modulate the temporal characteristics of simple conditioned reflexes. Loss of the modulatory influence of the model may affect acquisition and extinction rates. Contributions of other hippocampal circuits are discussed in relation to established deficits. Preliminary results of this experiment were presented at the second annual convention of the American Psychological Society, Dallas, Texas, June 1990.     

Substantiating psychological injury under the federal employees' compensation act

This paper examines the administration of the Federal Employees Compensation Act by the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP). It examines compensation claims originating at a large federal agency with a psychological component as either cause or consequence of a work-related injury. Patterns of case outcomes are noted to be similar to those in other jurisdictions, and are discussed in terms of dirticdty of proof and policy preferences. Possible anomalies in the administration of the statutes are noted. The paper describes difliculties for mental health professionals attempting to substantiate psychological injuries, and addresses ethical issues related to tension between the nature of science and the requirements of administrative systems. Knowledge regarding idormational requirements and evaluative criteria used by OWCP is necessary to effectively substantiate the work-relatedness of an injury. The paper provides guidelines concerning these requirements and criteria.     

Is valentine still doubtful? A workshop model for children of divorce

We present this eight-session structured workshop format aimed at school-aged children of divorce who are considered psychologically healthy by family and teachers, in which we review the situations most frequently encountered by these families.In the workshop we offer an understanding vision of divorce while providing the children with the experience of working with therapists who are able to deal with highly troublesome issues in a caring atmosphere.Acknowledgements are expressed to Bernardita Cruz, school counselor, and Ilana Meler and Patricia Tahl, child psychologists.