Why individuals in larger teams perform worse

Research shows that individuals in larger teams perform worse than individuals in smaller teams; however, very little field research examines why. The current study of 212 knowledge workers within 26 teams, ranging from 3 to 19 members in size, employs multi-level modeling to examine the underlying mechanisms. The current investigation expands upon Steiner’s (1972) model of individual performance in group contexts identifying one missing element of process loss, namely relational loss. Drawing from the literature on stress and coping, relational loss, a unique form of individual level process, loss occurs when an employee perceives that support is less available in the team as team size increases. In the current study, relational loss mediated the negative relationship between team size and individual performance even when controlling for extrinsic motivation and perceived coordination losses. This suggests that larger teams diminish perceptions of available support which would otherwise buffer stressful experiences and promote performance.     

Cognitive tendencies of focusing on positive and negative information

We hypothesized individual differences in the tendency to attend to, think about, and focus on positive (or negative) information. A scale measuring these individual differences was constructed and its validity and reliability were examined in three studies. Attention to positive information was related to positive affectivity, extraversion, BAS, optimism. Attention to negative information was related to negative affectivity, neuroticism, BIS, and optimism (inversely). Validity was partially confirmed by a person perception task: individuals high in attention to positive information perceived the character in a story as happy. Attention to positive information was a partial mediator of the relation between extraversion and positive affect and attention to negative information was a partial mediator of the relation between neuroticism and negative affect.     

Marriage and Family Therapy Students’ Change in Multicultural Counseling Competencies after a Diversity Course

Attention to diversity is required in Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education-accredited programs, yet not much research exists regarding the effectiveness of graduate training on therapists’ multicultural counseling competencies. In this study, 12 students enrolled in a masters-level diversity class were given pre- and post-tests of their multicultural counseling competencies. Results showed that students significantly increased their multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills after completing the diversity class. The discussion includes implications for educators who seek to improve students’ multicultural counseling competencies.     

回到真切(Direct)的个体体验——从奥古斯丁及安萨里的忏悔录说起

宗教思想发展史上,两位有杰出贡献的哲学家不约而同地提出了,将宗教的超越与神圣意义,与个人的切身(Personal)体验相关起来的问题。基督教神学家奥古斯丁以其著名的《忏悔录》,展现了他如何从真切的生活体验(experience)中,感悟人性、神性及人与神的关系等普遍性问题;而伊斯兰教哲学家安萨里则从其辉煌的学术经历中,深刻反思人类在超越与神圣面前,认识能力所必然具有的局限性。重新理解和比较他们思想的独特性,相信对于我们看待人类共同面对的问题,从独特的个体角度出发,也有取之不尽的宝贵资源。     

存在问题的逻辑语言维度

存在问题在分析哲学的背景下取得了深入细致的研究成果。在“何谓存在”问题上,围绕“存在”是不是个体的属性从而是不是逻辑谓词的争论呈现出三派观点:弗雷格、罗素等从一阶逻辑出发,认为“存在”不是逻辑谓词,而是量词;皮尔士、斯特劳森等结合精致的自然语言分析,认为“存在”在某些特殊情况下表达了个体的属性,是一种特殊的谓词;自由逻辑学家则从自由逻辑的角度给出了肯定的答案。在“何物存在”问题上,蒯因“存在就是约束变项的值”的本体论承诺标准机智地揭示了存在问题的语言学实质。可以说,利用一阶逻辑解释存在问题的方法是比较成功的。如果将弗雷格、罗素的一阶语言扩展到高阶语言,则既能与蒯因的理论连贯一致,又能避免无谓的“存在”本体论纷争。这种做法的结果是“存在”具有了层次性的特征。掌握一定的逻辑学基础知识,有助于我们深入研究西方哲学。     

On aspiring to present a developmental theory of occupational aspirations: A reader's guide to Gottfredson

L. S. Gottfredson's preceding comment (Journal of Vocational Behavior 1983, 23, 203–212)is characterized by undocumented and arbitrary assertions. Moreover, we still maintain and cite further evidence that the features of the stages she describes represent an implausible account of development. We conclude that there is nothing in either L. S. Gottfredson's original (Journal of Counseling Psychology 1981, 28, 545–579) article or her preceding paper that leads us to alter our belief that the views we present in our own article (Journal of Vocational Behavior 1983, 23, 179–212) will be useful for the future development of vocational theory and intervention.     

The importance of the individual in the ‘causal’ relationship between attractiveness and self-esteem

This paper argues that many psychological explanations underlying health and social behaviour stress the importance of the relationship between attractiveness and self-esteem. The nature of this relationship is not well understood, yet can have important implications for the individual in areas of medical intervention which involve treatment on aesthetic grounds. A survey of psychosocial factors among 1018 children aged 11-12 years is reported. The study examined the association between perception of physical attractiveness and self-esteem in order to clarify the relationship between self-esteem and self versus others' perception of attractiveness. Self-ratings of attractiveness were linked to judges' ratings to determine whether subjects underrated, over-rated, or accurately perceived their own physical attractiveness. The results showed that although ratings of general facial attractiveness by others were associated with self-perceived attractiveness, in the specific area of dental health, attractiveness (as judged by others) was not. There were no significant relationships between ratings of attractiveness by others and self-esteem. Self-perception of attractiveness, however, was significantly associated with self-esteem. Further analyses showed that children who under-rated their own facial attractiveness had a lower mean score for self-esteem than over-raters or accurate perceivers (who did not differ significantly). In contrast, under-raters of dental attractiveness had a lower mean score for self-esteem than over-raters, but did not differ significantly from accurate perceivers. Over-raters of dental attractiveness had a higher mean score for self-esteem than accurate perceivers. These finding suggest that if an over-rater were to receive treatment on aesthetic grounds it is unlikely, given that they have high self-esteem already, that such intervention will have a profound psychological impact. These data indicate the importance of determining the way in which individuals evaluate their appearance compared to others, and may help to clarify previously equivocal findings concerning the relationship between self-esteem and attractiveness.     

The History of Family Therapy in South Africa

The history of family therapy in South Africa is presented from 1960 up to the present. The early days leading to the establishment of the South African Association of Marital and Family Therapy, national conferences, publications, national and international links are discussed.