The General Confidence Scale: Coping With Environmental Uncertainty and Threat

We investigated general confidence as a psychological buffer for coping with environmental uncertainty and threat. In Study 1, a new scale to measure general confidence was developed and cross‐validated with different samples. Study 2 examined general confidence as a moderator of the influence of environmental stress on individual strains. Two groups of participants were presented with photographs either of terrorist attacks or of neutral scenes. We found a significant interaction between presented scenes and general confidence. Study 3 examined the effect of general confidence on acceptance of mobile phone stations while controlling for relevant variables. The results showed good incremental validity for the General Confidence Scale over related personality and social psychological constructs.     

Enhancement of Creativity through a One‐Semester Course in University

With the increasing interest by Asian countries in developing a more creative workforce through the education system, many universities have introduced courses that aim to enhance the creativity of their students. Students also perceive a need for increased creativity. However, there is some debate about whether short‐term creativity training is effective at university level. This study examines the effect of a short (one‐semester) course, which included elements of creativity training and practice, at a Hong Kong university. Training in creativity techniques for part of the semester led to increases in two key aspects of creative ability as measured by standard creativity tests conducted outside the classroom: verbal creativity increased compared with a control group, and drawing creativity also increased. Students enjoyed the course, felt it was useful and rated themselves as more creative after the course. Short‐term out‐of‐discipline training courses in creative thinking have a number of other benefits, demonstrably for learning strategies, in addition to an increase in creative abilities.     

The Creative Imperative Model: A Four‐Quadrant Approach to the Categorization of Industries and Firms by Types of Creativity Demanded

Organizational creativity, in the model that follows, is subcategorized according to the type of creativity demanded by the industry in which a firm competes. Industries that demand the constant creation of new products are referred to as creativity‐centered while others, which benefit from creative refinements to current services, are referred to as creativity‐enhanced. Creativity is further subcategorized according to whether a given industry or market demands aesthetic or technological creativity. The two dimensions are combined in a four‐quadrant model yielding four types of firms described as Technical Artists, Artists, Inventors, and, more broadly, Distributors and Adaptors. Implications for organizational structure and inter‐organizational relationships are then discussed.     

PAY PREFERENCES AND JOB SEARCH DECISIONS: A PERSON-ORGANIZATION FIT PERSPECTIVE

The present study investigated the degree to which pay preferences influenced job search decisions in both hypothetical and actual organizations, and the degree to which preferences for particular compensation attributes depended on job seekers' dispositional characteristics. Based on prior theory and research, we hypothesized that certain pay systems generally would be preferred by job seekers, that these pay systems would affect applicant attraction to organizations, and that different types of job seekers would be attracted to different types of pay systems. The sample comprised 171 college students who were seeking jobs during the study, and who represented six majors, three degree types, and two degree levels. Experimental policy-capturing results and results obtained about actual companies with which the job seekers would potentially interview supported hypotheses that organizations perceived to offer high pay levels, flexible benefits, individual-based pay, and fixed pay policies were more attractive to job seekers. Results further suggested that the attractiveness of these pay policies may be heightened by greater levels of fit between individual personality traits and compensation system characteristics.     

Counseling Native Americans: An introduction for Non-Native American Counselors

This article provides a primer on counseling Native American clients for non-Native American counselors and psychotherapists. The diversity of this population is described and a general model of healing from a traditional Native American perspective is presented, with implications for counseling practice. Relevant research is reviewed and practical suggestions are offered for providing counseling services to Native Americans.     

Moral Responsibility and Tourette Syndrome1

Philosophers generally assume that individuals with Tourette syndrome are not responsible for their Tourettic tics, and so not blameworthy for any harm their tics might cause. Yet this assumption is based largely on ignorance of the lived experience of Tourette syndrome. Individuals with Tourette syndrome often experience their tics as freely chosen and reason‐responsive. Yet it still seems wrong to treat a Tourettic individual's tic as on a moral par with others’ actions. In this paper, I examine the options and argue that, if this is correct, then a surprising consequence follows: the standard, motivation‐based theory of desire must be false. I go on to argue that, given what is known about the neurological basis of Tourette syndrome, this is a reasonable conclusion to draw.     

The Structure of Family Perceptions Among Adolescents and Their Parents: Individual Satisfaction Factors and Family System Factors

This study examined the underlying structure of self-reports of family functioning by adolescents, mothers, and fathers (N of individuals = 360) from intact families. Participants completed a multidimensional self-report measure of family functioning, and their responses were entered into a factor analysis with the family as the unit of analysis (N of cases = 120). The results indicate two types of factors: individual satisfaction factors and family system factors. The findings are consistent with the view that different types of characteristics assessed in self-report measures of the family may be stored as different kinds of memories. The findings also provide preliminary data toward understanding the linkages between family system factors and satisfaction with the family based on family roles as adolescents, mothers, and fathers.     

TRAIT, RATER AND LEVEL EFFECTS IN 360-DEGREE PERFORMANCE RATINGS

Method and trait effects in multitrait-multirater (MTMR) data were examined in a sample of 2,350 managers who participated in a developmental feedback program. Managers rated their own performance and were also rated by two subordinates, two peers, and two bosses. The primary purpose of the study was to determine whether method effects are associated with the level of the rater (boss, peer, subordinate, self) or with each individual rater, or both. Previous research which has tacitly assumed that method effects are associated with the level of the rater has included only one rater from each level; consequently, method effects due to the rater's level may have been confounded with those due to the individual rater. Based on confirmatory factor analysis, the present results revealed that of the five models tested, the best fit was the 10-factor model which hypothesized 7 method factors (one for each individual rater) and 3 trait factors. These results suggest that method variance in MTMR data is more strongly associated with individual raters than with the rater's level. Implications for research and practice pertaining to multirater feedback programs are discussed.