Neighborhood & Family Effects on Learning Motivation among Urban African American Middle School Youth

Motivational theorists in psychology have moved away from individual-based approaches to socio-cognitive and socio-ecological models to explain student engagement and motivation for learning. Such approaches consider, for example, the influence of family and neighborhood environments as important constructs in youth behavior. In this study, links between neighborhood condition (e.g. external appearance of the blocks nearest to the respondents’ home), family dysfunction, and motivation for learning are investigated. Data were obtained from two hundred and sixteen (216) urban African American middle school children enrolled in a substance use prevention intervention. Analytic models show associations between poor neighborhood condition, and both family dysfunction and lower learning motivation, and poor neighborhood condition and lower learning motivation. Family dysfunction was also found to mediate the effect of neighborhood condition on motivated learning. Neighborhood and family characteristics are important determinants of urban schoolchildren’s motivation for learning.     

Stress inoculation for reduction of burnout: A conservation of resources approach

We evaluated the efficacy of two programs designed to reduce stress among nurses by increasing their coping resources. The interventions were based on principles of Stress Inoculation Training and Conservation of Reources stress theory. A dual resource intervention targeted the enhancement of both social support and mastery resources. A single resource intervention targeted the enhancement of only mastery resources. Both interventions were contrasted to a no intervention control condition. Participants in the dual resource intervention experienced significant enhancements in social support and mastery compared to the no intervention control. The social support enhancement persisted through a five-week follow-up. Participants in the dual resource intervention with low initial levels of social support or mastery experienced significant reductions in psychological distress. Participants in the single resource intervention experienced a slight enhancement in mastery compared to the no intervention control. Implications for stress theory and the design of stress reduction programs are discussed.     

Secondary migration and relocation among African refugee families in the United States

The purpose of this study was to understand the secondary migration and relocation of African refugees resettled in the United States. Secondary migration refers to moves out of state, while relocation refers to moves within state. Of 73 recently resettled refugee families from Burundi and Liberia followed for 1 year through ethnographic interviews and observations, 13 instances of secondary migration and 9 instances of relocation were identified. A family ecodevelopmental framework was applied to address: Who moved again, why, and with what consequences? How did moving again impact family risk and protective factors? How might policies, researchers, and practitioners better manage refugees moving again? Findings indicated that families undertook secondary migration principally for employment, affordable housing, family reunification, and to feel more at home. Families relocated primarily for affordable housing. Parents reported that secondary migration and relocation enhanced family stability. Youth reported disruption to both schooling and attachments with peers and community. In conclusion, secondary migration and relocation were family efforts to enhance family and community protective resources and to mitigate shortcomings in resettlement conditions. Policymakers could provide newly resettled refugees jobs, better housing and family reunification. Practitioners could devise ways to better engage and support those families who consider moving.     

Contingent faculty: More than a tribe of nomads

In this essay I review the advantages and challenges of contingent faculty service from a perspective which crosses programs, but chiefly from within one academic institution, a church‐related but independent theological seminary. I anecdotally relate certain “value‐added” potentialities which accrue for students and instruction when an adjunct faculty's primary institutional connections are outside the academic environment. I cite benefits to the student, school, and instructor. See companion essays published in this issue of the journal by Hoon J. Lee, Adam Wirrig, Bradley Burroughs, and Kyle A. Schenkewitz.     

The productivity measurement and enhancement system: a meta-analysis

Meta-analytic procedures were used to examine data from 83 field studies of the Productivity Measurement and Enhancement System (ProMES). The article expands the evidence on effectiveness of the intervention, examines where it has been successful, and explores moderators related to its success. Four research questions were explored and results indicate that (a) ProMES results in large improvements in productivity; (b) these effects last over time, in some cases years; (c) the intervention results in productivity improvements in many different types of settings (i.e., type of organization, type of work, type of worker, country); and (d) moderator variables are related to the degree of productivity improvement. These moderator variables include how closely the study followed the original ProMES methodology, the quality of feedback given, whether changes were made in the feedback system, the degree of interdependence of the work group, and centralization of the organization. Implications based on these findings are discussed for future use of this intervention, and the system is discussed as an example for evidence-based management.     

Masculinity and farming-related accidents

Survey data collected from 450 male farmers in Canada revealed that three variables — conservative farming, willingness to risk life and limb to make a profit, and safe equipment operation — directly predicted the rate of serious farming-related accidents. Three dimensions of masculinity — suppression of emotions, “men in charge,” and recklessness — had strong indirect effects. Masculine recklessness tended to increase profit-oriented personal risk taking and to decrease the safe operation of farm equipment. Suppression of emotions also increased risk taking.     

How Antisocial and Prosocial Coping Influence the Support Process Among Men and Women in the U.S. Postal Service

The influence of antisocial and prosocial copingon the acquisition of social support and on subsequentpsychological distress among 67 male and 47 femalepostal employees was examined allowing genderdifferences in coping to be studied in a single worksetting. Seventy seven percent of the respondents wereEuropean American, 18% were African American, and theremaining 5% were of varying ethnicities including:Asian American and Latin American. Employingstructural equation modeling, women were found to useprosocial coping as a coping response significantly morethan men, and men were found to use antisocial coping as a coping response significantly more thanwomen. Prosocial strategies were related to increasedworkplace social support in both the short-term andlong-term. Antisocial coping strategies were related to less support from co-workers in theshort-term. Contrary to predictions, antisocial copingstrategies were not related to decreased support acrosstime. Finally, increased social support was related to less psychological distress within eachassessment period.