Message Derogation and Self‐Distancing Denial: Situational and Dispositional Influences on the Use of Denial to Protect Against a Threatening Message1

Five types of denial to protect against the implications of a personal health threat message (cardiovascular disease or CVD) were examined. Undergraduates (N = 150) were randomly assigned to levels of threat and difficulty, read the message, and completed measures of objective risk for CVD, optimistic denial threat orientation, measures of 1 type of message‐oriented denial (message derogation) and 4 types of self‐oriented denial, and intentions to engage in protective action. High threat and difficulty both provoked message derogation, but low threat led to more self‐oriented denial. Individual differences were evident: Those higher in optimistic denial used more self‐oriented denial and had lower intention to engage in protective actions. Self‐oriented denial mediated the relationship between optimistic denial and behavioral intentions.     

Attachment avoidance and the cultural fit hypothesis: A cross-cultural investigation

This study examined the impact of attachment avoidance on relationship outcomes. A "cultural fit" hypothesis, which states that individual differences in personality should be associated with relationship problems if they encourage patterns of behavior that are incongruent with cultural norms, was investigated. It was hypothesized that attachment avoidance, a style of relationship in which emotional distance and independence are emphasized, would be more strongly associated with relationship problems in more collectivist societies (Hong Kong and Mexico) than in a more individualist one (the United States), given the greater emphasis placed on closeness and harmony in relationships in collectivist cultures. As predicted, associations between avoidant attachment and relationship problems were stronger in Hong Kong and Mexico than in the United States.     

Age‐related Changes in Creative Thinking

Age‐related differences in cognitive processes were used to understand age‐related declines in creativity. According to the Geneplore model (Finke, Ward, & Smith, 1992), there are two phases of creativity — generating an idea and exploring the implications of the idea — each with different underlying cognitive processes. These two phases are measured in the Creative Invention Task (CIT; Finke, 1990). Younger adults (n = 41) and older adults (n = 41) completed the CIT, the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT), and a measure of working memory capacity (Paper Folding test). In addition, the CIT was scored by both younger and older adults. There were age‐related declines on both phases of the CIT, but not on the TTCT. These declines were noted by both the younger and older raters. After adjusting for working memory capacity, however, age‐related differences on the CIT were nonsignificant.     

UNDERSTANDING RESPONSE BEHAVIOR TO AN ONLINE SPECIAL TOPICS ORGANIZATIONAL SATISFACTION SURVEY

In this study we sought to better understand response intentions and response behavior to an online special topics university satisfaction survey to not only advance theory but to better inform practice on the meaning and implications of nonresponse to their efforts. Using the Rogelberg, Luong, Sederburg, and Cristol (2000) response behavior model, data collected in this 2-wave field study (394 students, 50% men) supported most of the framework's major assertions, supported our proposed extensions, and resulted in a few unexpected findings. Overall, to understand response behavior to an online special topics organizational survey, one must take into consideration factors related to technology, attitudes toward surveys in general, satisfaction with the specific topic in question, and response intentions.     

The Direction of Denominational Switching in Judaism

This research note examines patterns of denominational switching and the characteristics of switchers within Judaism in the United States. Viewing orthodox, conservative, and reform Judaism and a fourth "nonspecific" group as categories that range from the most traditional to the least traditional, respectively, we focus on the movement of individuals toward or away from a more traditional denomination in comparison with remaining in the same denomination in which they were raised. The data were drawn from the National Jewish Population Survey (NJPS) 2000–2001 (NJPS 2003). We found that 62 percent stay within the same group, 29 percent move away from tradition, and 9 percent move to a more traditional denomination. Multivariate logistic regression analyses show that a lower level of Jewish background, higher previous travel to Israel, a greater extent of organizational affiliation, and a higher level of spiritual feelings and beliefs are associated with moving to a more traditional denomination whereas a higher level of Jewish background, lower previous travel to Israel, and a lower level of spiritual feelings and beliefs are associated with moving to a less traditional denomination. In addition, a few sociodemographic factors (previously married, has a child at home, lives in a western state) are associated with movement toward tradition whereas others (older age, female, not living in the northeast or west) are associated with movement in the other direction.     

Cultural Variability in the Manifestation of Expressed Emotion

We examined the distribution of expressed emotion (EE) and its indices in a sample of 224 family caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia pooled from 5 studies, 3 reflecting a contemporary sample of Mexican Americans (MA 2000, N =126), 1 of an earlier study of Mexican Americans (MA 1980, N =44), and the other of an earlier study of Anglo Americans (AA, N =54). Chi-square and path analyses revealed no significant differences between the 2 MA samples in rates of high EE, critical comments, hostility, and emotional over-involvement (EOI). Only caregiver warmth differed for the 2 MA samples; MA 1980 had higher warmth than MA 2000. Significant differences were consistently found between the combined MA samples and the AA sample; AAs had higher rates of high EE, more critical comments, less warmth, less EOI, and a high EE profile comprised more of criticism/hostility. We also examined the relationship of proxy measures of acculturation among the MA 2000 sample. The findings support and extend Jenkins' earlier observations regarding the cultural variability of EE for Mexican Americans. Implications are discussed regarding the cross-cultural measurement of EE and the focus of family interventions.     

Criteria Used by College Students to Select Employment Referents

Content analysis of college students' rationales for selecting employment referents suggests that their choices do not always match with what employers value in reference reports. The concluding section of the article offers suggestions for effective referent selection.     

College Students and Their Part-Time Jobs: Job Congruency,Satisfaction, and Quality

Randomly selected undergraduate students (1,438) at an urban west coast university were surveyed about their college employment experiences. Results indicate that students employed in part-time jobs congruent with their career interests were more likely to be satisfied with their jobs. Implications for practice and research are discussed.     

Ethnicity and emotional support in same-sex friendship: A comparison of Asian-Americans,African-Americans,and Euro-Americans

Emotional support is a central feature around which white, middle-class adults organize their same-sex friendships. The purpose of this study was to examine whether emotional support is accorded the same significance in the friendships of Asian- and African-Americans. Participants included 199 students (60 Euro-American men and women, 80 Asian-American men and women, and 59 African-American men and women) attending either a state or private university in California. Each participant completed three different questionnaires designed to assess perceptions of (a) the importance of comforting skill in same-sex friendship; (b) the significance of emotion-focused versus problem-focused goals in situations requiring emotional support; and (c) the sensitivity and effectiveness of various comforting strategies. Several significant differences due to ethnicity were found in participants’perceptions of emotional support and its attendant behaviors. These and related findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the conduct of same-sex friendship among individuals from different ethnic backgrounds.