Variations in the Understanding of Interpersonal Behavior: Adherence to the Interpersonal Circle as a Moderator of the Rigidity–Psychological Well‐Being Relation

ABSTRACT The idiothetic structure of interpersonal trait perceptions was examined as it moderated the interpersonal rigidity–psychological well‐being relation. The focus was on the extent to which individuals' perceptions of the similarity of interpersonal behavior fits (i.e., adhered to) the normative interpersonal circle. In two samples of college students, individual differences in adherence to the interpersonal circle moderated the relation of interpersonal rigidity with various indices of psychological well‐being. We found that those individuals whose perceptions of interpersonal traits were better represented by the interpersonal circle had negative relations between interpersonal rigidity and satisfaction with life, self‐confidence, self‐liking, and complementarity and positive relations with interpersonal problems. The results suggest that adherence to the interpersonal circle may be a new means of viewing traitedness and that cognitive interpretation of traits may have an important moderating function.     

Perceptions of social influence when messages favour ‘us’ versus ‘them’: A closer look at the social distance effect

The third‐person effect (TPE) is the tendency for individuals to assume that persuasive communications have a stronger effect on other people than on themselves. In turn the social distance effect (SDE) is the tendency for this TPE to increase with the psychological distance between self and comparator. Two experiments showed that the SDE is moderated by whether the message favours the ingroup or the outgroup, holding all other content constant. In Study 1, male and female participants read a message arguing that either women were better drivers than men or vice versa, and then indicated how much they thought themselves, ingroup members, outgroup members and society would be influenced. The results indicate that for the pro‐outgroup message the SDE was found. However, for the pro‐ingroup message the SDE was reversed with ingroup members perceived as more influenced than all other targets, including the self. Study 2 replicated this finding using minimal groups, which eliminated the effects of prior stereotypes about male and female drivers. Across both studies the self was perceived as relatively invulnerable to influence regardless of message bias. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relationships Between Adult Workers' Spiritual Well‐Being and Job Satisfaction: A Preliminary Study

The authors studied the relationships between adult workers' spiritual well‐being and job satisfaction. Two hundred participants completed 2 instruments: the Spiritual Well‐Being Scale (C. W. Ellison & R. F. Paloutzian, 1982) and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form (D. J. Weiss, R. V. Dawis, G. W. England, & L. H. Lofquist, 1967). A bivariate correlational analysis showed spiritual well‐being, religious well‐being, and existential well‐being to be positively related to job satisfaction for this sample. With a forced‐entry multiple regression analysis, overall spiritual well‐being was found to have a moderate influence, existential well‐being had a much stronger influence, and religious well‐being had a minimal influence all on, general job satisfaction.     

The interest-major congruence and college success relation: A longitudinal study

The relation of interest-major congruence to indicators of college success was examined in an initial sample of 80, 574 individuals enrolled in 87 colleges. Both college achievement (GPA after 1 year, after 2 years and at graduation) as well as persistence (enrollment status after 1 year, after 2 years and graduation after 5 years) were used as criteria of college success. Two different representations of interest-major congruence were examined: Euclidean distance and angular agreement. The incremental validity of these two congruence indices above that of standardized academic skills tests (i.e., ACT scores) was examined for each of the six criteria using mixed level modeling so that institutional differences could be examined. Results indicated that both types of congruence were predictors of each of the GPA criteria regardless of institutional differences. However for the enrollment criteria, the overall level of interest scores was found to moderate the congruence-enrollment relation. Congruence for individuals with low overall interest level but not for individuals with high overall interest levels was predictive of persistence. Findings point to the importance of interest-major congruence in the college outcome process, but also highlight the complexity of the congruence-outcome relation.     

Risky sexual behaviors in immigrant adolescent girls from the former Soviet Union: Role of natal and host culture

In recent years, schools have been increasingly involved in youth's health-related behavior, particularly risky health behaviors (e.g., HIV/AIDS and pregnancy prevention programs). This study examined how acculturation processes among adolescent girls who are recent immigrants from the former Soviet Union (FSU) affect their practices of risky sexual behavior (RSB), defined as behavior that leads to increased risk for unplanned pregnancy or HIV infection. The study used an ecological perspective to understand how families and peers play a pivotal role in these acculturation processes. The results highlight the protective role of natal culture for RSB for this group of recent immigrants. The study also indicates that a higher level of acculturation to American culture is related to increased RSB in these recent immigrants. Thus, the study challenges the notion that biculturalism is always advantageous. School-based and after-school activities that incorporated Russian culture were found to play a protective role. The intergenerational discrepancies between adolescent girls and their parents and between peers and parents were predictive of RSB. Practical implications for practice of school professionals are discussed.     

Team roles: Their relationships to character strengths and job satisfaction

Well-functioning teamwork has frequently been linked to increased work satisfaction and performance. However, there is a paucity of research on the different types of roles in teams. Recently, a new model of role behavior in teams was proposed (comprising seven such team roles: Idea creator, information gatherer, decision-maker, implementer, influencer, energizer, and relationship manager), but an assessment instrument was lacking so far. The present study describes the construction of an instrument for the assessment of these roles in two samples (N = 291 and 274) and examines their relationships with character strengths and job satisfaction. Results show that the team roles are positively related to job satisfaction and most character strengths. The findings support the important role of character strengths in work-related settings and lay ground for further studies on team roles.     

Cognitive Appraisal of Dissertation Stress Among Undergraduate Students

The Psychological Record - The present study examined changes in primary and secondary appraisal, and coping strategies utilized in the final weeks leading to dissertation submission. Sixty...     

Intelligence,Executive Functions,and Decision Making as Predictors of Antisocial Behavior in an Adolescent Sample of Justice‐Involved Youth and a Community Comparison Group

A clinical sample of justice‐involved male adolescents and a community comparison group were compared on a battery of cognitive ability tasks (intelligence and executive functions), decision making measures, and other individual difference measures, including ratings of self‐control, recognition of morally debatable behaviors, and antisocial beliefs. The clinical sample displayed lower performance on cognitive abilities and decision making than the community comparison group. In particular, the clinical group displayed less otherside thinking and more hostile attribution biases in unintentional situations compared with the community comparison group. Cognitive abilities and the decision making performance predicted group membership. Then, group membership, ratings of self‐control, attitudes about morally debatable behaviors, and antisocial beliefs predicted ratings of antisocial behavior in the full sample. These findings suggest that measures of cognitive ability and decision making make separate contributions to explaining antisocial behaviors. In addition, the predictors of group membership and antisocial behavior did not overlap, suggesting that antisocial behavior engagement in clinical samples may be separable from the continuum of antisocial behavior across the full sample. Cognitive science models of decision making can provide a framework for understanding antisocial behavior in clinical and community samples of adolescents. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.