EXAMINATION OF SITUATIONAL AND ATTITUDINAL MODERATORS OF THE HESITATION AND PERFORMANCE RELATION

The hesitation dimension of action-state orientation refers to the behavioral capacity to start action on tasks. In this study, job characteristics (autonomy and routineness) and job attitudes (satisfaction and involvement) were examined as moderators of the relation between hesitation and supervisor ratings of work behaviors (overall job performance and self-management performance) in 2 different samples. In both samples, routineness moderated the hesitation and self-management performance relation such that individuals low in hesitation performed better than individuals high in hesitation when routineness was low, but no differences in performance were observed when routineness was high. In addition, job satisfaction and job involvement were significant moderators of the relation between hesitation and self-management performance, with individuals low in hesitation performing better than individuals high in hesitation when satisfaction or involvement was low, but no differences in performance were observed when satisfaction or involvement was high.     

The transition to uncertainty?: The impacts of Hong Kong 1997 on personal relationships

Despite considerable previous research into acculturation processes and family stress, we know little about how different groups of individuals or families respond to planned political changes within a culture and the impact of their expectations on their daily relationships. This study examines the appraisals of 403 Hong Kong married individuals of the forthcoming handover of Hong Kong to China, the impact of these appraisals on relationship disagreements regarding the transition, and perceived changes in their relationships. Results suggest that negative (external) locus of control and pessimistic group norms are predictors of a threatening appraisal of the transition, and that this perceived threat was a significant predictor of perceived change in the couple's relationship. Age and education had direct impacts on perception of relationship change and intradyadic disagreements about the transition. Results are discussed in the light of the complex political and economic climate in the lead-up to the handover of Hong Kong to China, as well as the broader literature on family stress, personal relationships, and social change.     

Parent-Adolescent Conflict and Stress When Parents Are Living with Aids

Parental perceptions of conflict and stress with their adolescent children are described, and their associations with demographic factors, physical health, and lifestyle are examined. Adolescent-parent conflicts, parenting stress, and parents' health, substance use, and sexual lifestyle were assessed among 151 parents living with AIDS. Parents living with AIDS reported a mean of 3.3 (SD = 1.3) areas of conflict with their adolescents and 1.5 (SD = 1.7) stressful parenting events over the previous 3 months. The parents were very ill, with many physical symptoms and diseases. Simultaneously, substance use was common (17% used daily), but not injection drug use (3.3%). Half had a sexual partner (63% protected their partners by using condoms consistently). Regression analysis revealed that parent-adolescent conflict was significantly associated with high parental drug use; stressful parenting events were significantly related to the lifestyle (high drug use and frequent sex acts) of Latino and African American parents, but not of white parents. Results of the analysis indicate that, in contrast to parents with other illnesses, parent-adolescent conflict and stressful parenting events were not influenced by parents' health status, but were significantly influenced by substance use and sexual lifestyles.     

Loneliness and life satisfaction among three cultural groups

Studies into loneliness and life satisfaction have rarely assessed the role of culture in moderating the relationship between these variables. The present study examined the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction using data from three nonstudent samples collected from Italian, Anglo‐Canadian and Chinese‐Canadian populations. A total of 206 respondents completed the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell, Peplau, & Cutrona, 1980) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985). Two contrasting hypotheses were compared: one, a “postmodern” hypothesis, predicting that the relationship between life satisfaction and loneliness would be stronger in our individualist sample of Anglo‐Canadians, and a second, “relational” hypothesis predicting this association to be strongest in our collectivist, Chinese‐Canadian sample. Our findings demonstrated that culture has a small but significant impact on the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction, and, consistent with the relational hypothesis, the relationship between the two concepts was strongest among our Chinese‐Canadian respondents and weakest among our Anglo‐Canadian participants This finding is discussed in the context of the strong expectations of social cohesion in collectivist societies.     

Conceptualization and assessment of disengagement in romantic relationships

Research examining relationship distress and dissolution highlights the importance of romantic disengagement. Nevertheless, prior conceptualizations and measures of romantic disengagement have tended to combine disengagement with related but distinct constructs hindering the study of romantic disengagement. The present research used exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to clarify the conceptualization of romantic disengagement and to develop a novel measure—the Romantic Disengagement Scale (RDS). The RDS demonstrated adequate fit across samples of dating individuals (n = 203), married couples (n = 77), and women in physically aggressive relationships (n = 42) from the Midwestern United States. The RDS also demonstrated strong divergent and incremental validity. The discussion focuses on implications for enhancing conceptual models, research methodology, and clinical interventions.