Development and Validation of the Workplace Age Discrimination Scale

Purpose

Workplace age discrimination research is proliferating, but researchers lack a valid measure with which to capture targets’ discriminatory experiences. We developed a measure of perceived workplace age discrimination that assesses overt and covert forms of discrimination and then compared older, middle-aged, and younger workers’ experiences.

Design/Methodology

In Study 1, we developed the Workplace Age Discrimination Scale (WADS) based on older workers’ experiences using a deductive approach, a qualitative study, and two quantitative surveys. In Study 2, we validated the measure among young employees using a qualitative and two quantitative surveys. In Study 3, we tested the WADS among middle-aged workers and tested models of invariance between age groups.

Findings

Participants frequently endorsed covert discriminatory experiences, which the WADS reflects. The WADS contains convergent and discriminant validity, high reliability, and a unidimensional structure across age groups. It demonstrates criterion-related validity among older and younger workers but not middle-aged workers, given their low experiences of age discrimination. Age discrimination frequency follows a U-shaped pattern across age groups.

Implications

Researchers can use the WADS to identify long-term outcomes of age discrimination and to further compare workers’ discriminatory experiences. Practitioners and policymakers can use the measure to develop interventions to ameliorate workplace age discrimination and inform policymaking.

Originality/Value

The WADS is the first validated measure of targets’ perspectives of workplace age discrimination. Our results challenge assumptions that only older workers experience age discrimination (younger workers’ means were highest) and that age discrimination is usually overt in nature (it is often covert).

     

Openness to Experience Enhances Creativity: The Mediating Role of Intrinsic Motivation and the Creative Process Engagement

Studies indicate that there is a positive relationship between openness to experience and creativity. However, relatively little attention has been given to the mechanism of this relationship. On the basis of previous findings, we hypothesized a conceptual model and tested the mediating role of intrinsic motivation and the creative process engagement in the relationship between openness to experience and creativity. One hundred and ninety‐eight undergraduates in Malaysia participated in the study and completed an online measure of openness to new experience, creativity, intrinsic motivation, and the creative process engagement. Consistent with the hypothesis, people who scored high on openness reported high intrinsic motivation. The high motivation enhanced engagement in creativity‐related activities, which in turn, improved self‐rated creativity. The findings not only shed light on mechanisms that underlie in the openness‐creativity linkage but they also highlight the importance of intrinsic motivation and creative process engagement in the linkage. Together, the study extends the effect of personality trait on creativity and offers a new direction for future studies.     

The Mediating Role of Creative Process Engagement in the Relationship between Shyness and Self‐Rated Creativity

Shyness has been found to have a negative impact on creativity. However, little attention has been given to the underlying process of the relationship between shyness and creativity. On the basis of literature, we hypothesize that shyness has an indirect impact on creativity through creative process engagement. Two studies were conducted on undergraduate students (Study 1) and working adults (Study 2) to test the hypothetical relationship. Analysis on participants self‐report showed that shyness was negatively associated with self‐reported creativity as well as creative process engagement. There was a positive relationship between creative process engagement and creativity. More importantly, mediation analysis supported that shyness was indirectly linked to creativity via creative process engagement. Specifically, shy people are found to be less involved in creativity‐relevant processes such as information searching and idea generation. The low level of creative process engagement, in turn, hinders their creativity. The findings not only lend support to the detrimental effect of shyness on creativity but also shed light on the underlying mechanism of the relationship.     

父母婚姻质量与青少年外化问题的关系:教养方式的中介作用

本研究采用婚姻调适问卷、教养方式问卷及儿童行为量表对全国四大地理区域9个城市的2396名青少年及其父母进行测查。婚姻质量由青少年的父母自评,父母的教养方式由青少年报告,青少年的外化问题由父母分别报告,考察了父母婚姻质量与青少年外化问题之间的关系,以及教养方式在其中的中介作用。采用包含潜变量的结构方程模型和Bootstrap中介效应检验进行分析,研究发现：（1）父母婚姻质量与积极教养呈显著正相关,与严厉教养呈显著负相关。父母的婚姻质量、积极教养及严厉教养与青少年的外化问题之间呈现跨轮的显著相关。（2）父母婚姻质量能直接正向预测青少年外化问题,教养方式在父母婚姻质量和青少年外化问题中起到部分中介作用。     

人类胚胎干细胞研究伦理问题的调查和讨论

此次对各级医生进行关于人类胚胎干细胞研究伦理认知的调查研究,其目的是为制订相关的伦理准则提供认知依据,调查是在我国东西部二个城市的8家三级医院进行,采用随机抽样、自愿无记名填写信息表方法调查.调查结果表明,50%以上医生认为早期胚胎不是道德意义的人,70%以上医生对胚胎干细胞的研究表示支持.海峡两岸的医生由于有相同的文化根源,在对待胚胎干细胞研究的伦理观点及态度上极其接近.     

反思启蒙与理解宗教

启蒙运动主要是指发生在西方18世纪的思想和社会运动,其宗旨是批判基督教中的保守和专制思想,反对教会政教合一的残酷政制.如伏尔泰所鼓吹的自然神论、狄德罗所宣扬的怀疑主义以及休谟所坚持的不可知论的经验主义等,对于基督教传统的神学独断论确实具有摧枯拉朽的作用.     

不幸福感的概念和模型

心理学家对幸福感的研究已有丰富的成果, 但是对不幸福感的研究还比较缺乏。对不幸福感的研究是从另一个角度来探究幸福感。本文对不幸福感的概念、不幸福感与幸福感关系以及不幸福感的模型进行介绍。Uchida和Kitayama提出了不幸福感的文化民俗模型, 认为不幸福感包括两个维度：即时享乐体验/应对行为, 认知评价/情感或动机的卷入。他们发现这两个维度具有跨文化的一致性。     

解析成功老龄化的新角度——毕生控制理论

本文介绍了成功老龄化研究领域中Heckhausen朗等人提出的毕生控制理论以及初级控制和次级控制的最优化模型.该模型综合了Baltes的带有补偿的选择性最优化模型以及Rothbaum的控制理论.文中对其进行了简单的评述及研究展望.     

社会认知中的样例激活效应与内-外群体效应

采用信号检测论技术,以人格词单记忆为实验任务,探讨社会认知过程中样例激活效应与内-外群体效应对记忆过程的干扰作用.实验结果表明,(1)样例激活与群体范畴的交互效应对社会信息加工过程存在显著干扰作用.(2)与外群体相比,内群体的信息加工更不易受到干扰;与积极样例特质相比,消极他相关样例特质的信息加工更不易受到干扰.(3)在加工内群体成员信息而激活的是反面样例时,被试的判断标准最严.     

工作嵌入概述

工作嵌入是个体和组织内外所有与工作相关的情境之间所形成关系网络的密切程度,它从非主观和工作之外的因素入手,为我们理解组织行为提供了一个全新的视角。本文就工作嵌入的内涵、结构、理论背景展开阐述,并在对以往研究进行总结的基础之上,对未来的研究做出了展望。