Explaining the Variable Effects of Social Support on Work-Based Stressor-Strain Relations: The Role of Perceived Pattern of Support Exchange

Seeking to explain mixed empirical findings regarding the buffering effect of social support on work-based stress-strain relations, we posit that whether an increase in the level of support received buffers or exacerbates the harmful effects of workload on employee health and well-being is contingent upon the general pattern characterizing an employee supportive exchanges across his/her close relationships. Specifically, we propose that the buffering effect of receiving social support depends on whether the employee perceives his/her social exchanges as reciprocal (support given equals support received), under-reciprocating (support given exceeds support received), or over-reciprocating (support received exceeds support given). Based on longitudinal data collected from a random sample of blue-collar workers, our findings support our predictions, indicating that the buffering effect of social support on the relationship between work hours (on the one hand) and employee health and well-being (on the other) varies as a function of the pattern of exchange relations between an employee and his/her close support providers.     

Dyadic and triadic skills in preterm and full term infants: a longitudinal study in the first year

This longitudinal study examined dyadic and triadic skills in 26 preterm and 31 full term infants at 3, 6 and 9 months of age. In dyadic interaction, infants engaged with a stranger in face-to-face play interrupted by a still-face episode. In triadic interaction, infants interacted with the adult stranger as she coordinated gaze between the infant and object. Both groups were sensitive for non-contingency in both dyadic and triadic interactions. There were significant group and developmental differences for dyadic and triadic competencies. Compared to full term infants, preterms made less positive elicits during the still-face at 6 months and followed gaze less at 9 months of age. Six-month dyadic skills and 9-month triadic competencies were positively related in preterm and full term infants.     

The parent/caregiver involvement scale – Short form is a valid measure of parenting quality in high-risk families

Measures of parenting quality that are valid among high-risk families are needed for research and program evaluation. This study investigates the functioning of the Parent-Caregiver Involvement Scale –Short Form (P/CIS-SF) in a high-risk sample. The P/CIS-SF measures several behaviors pertaining to both “amount” and “quality,” as well overall “impressions” of parenting. Participants were 170 six-month-olds and their mothers who were at risk for child abuse, impoverished, single, young, and had multiple children. Mother-infant interaction was videotaped in the home during semi-structured play. These high-risk parents scored in the midrange on most P/CIS-SF items, indicating that mothers engaged with their infants for approximately 50% of the semi-structured play session and the engagement tended to be of moderate quality. There were no floor or ceiling effects with the exception of “teaching behavior” which was rare among these parents. Analysis revealed that while “amount” and “quality” are interrelated, they capture distinct aspects of parenting. Validity of P/CIS-SF scores was indicated by correlation with Ainsworth’s sensitivity scale and the Emotional Availability Scales intrusiveness subscale. P/CIS-SF scores also correlated with maternal education, but were independent of maternal risk (i.e., depression, drug use, domestic violence, and child abuse) within this high-risk sample. Implications are that the P/CIS-SF is valid for measuring parenting quality in high-risk families and is able to distinguish between dimensions of parenting, making it useful for targeted interventions.     

无处不在的伤害:二元论视角下的道德判断

道德二元论认为人际伤害是道德认知的典型模板.道德判断由规范违反,消极情感,感知到的伤害结合产生, 并经由二元比较与二元完型, 完成从下至上,从上至下的认知加工.道德失声现象的产生源于混淆了主客观伤害; 电车难题剥离了道德二元模型, 有趣但可能不符合普遍的道德认知; 不同领域的道德判断皆可在二元论的框架下得到解释.未来的研究可以考虑:意图与痛苦影响道德判断的实证; 跨文化研究的开展; 统一认知系统与模块化认知系统的辩证; 伤害的人际与非人际划分以及其他相关因素的检验.     

Differentiation of Self and Dyadic Adjustment in Couple Relationships: A Dyadic Analysis Using the Actor‐Partner Interdependence Model

Bowen's multigenerational theory provides an account of how the internalization of experiences within the family of origin promotes development of the ability to maintain a distinct self whilst also making intimate connections with others. Differentiated people can maintain their I‐position in intimate relationships. They can remain calm in conflictual relationships, resolve relational problems effectively, and reach compromises. Fusion with others, emotional cut‐off, and emotional reactivity instead are common reactions to relational stress in undifferentiated people. Emotional reactivity is the tendency to react to stressors with irrational and intense emotional arousal. Fusion with others is an excessive emotional involvement in significant relationships, whilst emotional cut‐off is the tendency to manage relationship anxiety through physical and emotional distance. This study is based on Bowen's theory, starting from the assumption that dyadic adjustment can be affected both by a member's differentiation of self (actor effect) and by his or her partner's differentiation of self (partner effect). We used the Actor‐Partner Interdependence Model to study the relationship between differentiation of self and dyadic adjustment in a convenience sample of 137 heterosexual Italian couples (nonindependent, dyadic data). The couples completed the Differentiation of Self Inventory and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Men's dyadic adjustment depended only on their personal I‐position, whereas women's dyadic adjustment was affected by their personal I‐position and emotional cut‐off as well as by their partner's I‐position and emotional cut‐off. The empirical and clinical implications of the results are discussed.     

Dyadic coping and marital adjustment during pregnancy: A cross‐sectional study of Italian couples expecting their first child

Although the transition to parenthood is currently defined as a normative event, it can be potentially stressful for the couple relationship as it may contribute to psychological distress and reduced marital satisfaction. Using the systemic‐transactional conceptualisation of stress and coping as a theoretical framework, we claimed that the ability of the parents‐to‐be to adjust to their new roles and identity is influenced by dyadic coping strategies. This study examined the effects of dyadic coping on marital adjustment in a sample of 78 primiparous couples. Women and partners completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Dyadic Coping Questionnaire during late pregnancy. Data were analysed using the Actor‐Partner Interdependence Model. Results revealed that both women and partners' scores on positive dyadic coping behaviours contributed to higher marital adjustment, suggesting that risks for marital dissatisfaction may exist for couples not able to implement adaptive dyadic coping strategies, or for those unsatisfied with the implemented coping behaviours.     

Differences in caregiver behaviors of infants at-risk for autism and typically developing infants from 9 to 15 months of age

During an object sharing paradigm, we compared infant-caregiver interactions between two groups: i) infants at high-risk (HR) for being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ii) low-risk (LR) infants, observed at 9, 12, and 15 months of age. 16 HR infants (14 infants with an older sibling diagnosed with ASD and 2 preterm infants that received a diagnosis of ASD at 2 years) and 16 LR infants (typically developing infants without older siblings diagnosed with ASD) were included in the study. At each visit, infants played with objects in the presence of their caregivers as crawlers or walkers. Previously, we found that HR infants are less likely to share their object play with caregivers at walker ages. The present study found that caregivers of HR infants used greater directive bids including being more proximal to infants and using greater verbal and non-verbal bids to sustain their infant’s attention and to ensure their compliance during the task compared to caregivers of LR infants. Our study emphasizes the bidirectional and dynamic nature of infant-caregiver interactions. Our findings have implications for caregiver training programs that teach parents appropriate strategies to promote early social communication skills in at-risk infants.     

Self-esteem is a shared relationship resource: Additive effects of dating partners’ self-esteem levels predict relationship quality

Though self-esteem is known to positively impact individuals’ romantic relationship outcomes and those of their partners, the interactive nature of both partners’ self-esteem levels has not been systematically investigated. Using actor-partner interdependence model analyses we estimated actor, partner, and four types of dyadic effects of self-esteem on relationship quality in a sample of over 500 heterosexual dating couples. Lower self-esteem individuals and their partners reported lower satisfaction and commitment to their relationships than did higher self-esteem individuals and their partners. An additive effect whereby both partners’ self-esteem levels combine to predict relationship quality best described the dyadic effects. Results highlight the importance of considering the interactive nature of individual characteristics in dyadic research.     

Relationships between restrictive mother-child interactions and anxiety of the child

Abstract

The “two-process model” postulates that there are specific associations between patterns of parental child-rearing styles and the development of the child's anxiety and coping dispositions. Besides parameters of parental feedback to the child, this model considers support and restriction to be the central dimensions of child-rearing behavior. The present study aims at assessing behavioral indicators for restriction. For this purpose, the working and intervention behavior of 47 mothers and their ten- to 13-year-old children was observed and registered during a 15-minute period of common problem-solving (putting together a difficult puzzle-like cube). In order to register processes of problem-oriented cooperation between mother and child, transitional probabilities between defined state and event classes were analyzed. Based on the theoretical definition of the child-rearing style “restrictio”, hypotheses concerning the significance of variable transitional probabilities are formulated and tested regarding their correspondence with anxiety-related characteristics of the child.     

A dyadic examination of the role of relationship characteristics and age on relationship satisfaction in a formal mentoring programme

Research was conducted to test ideas derived from Wanberg, Welsh, and Hezlett's (2003) dynamic process model of formal mentoring to examine (1) the role of respect and communication in mentorship relationship satisfaction, and (2) whether the age of the mentor or the protégé would impact those relationship qualities. The sample was comprised of 117 matched mentor–protégé pairs from an organization's formal mentoring programme. We received survey data from both partners and used the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model to examine individual and dyadic effects. Data suggest that protégés' respect for the mentor and communication quality, as perceived by both partners, were independent predictors of mentorship relationship satisfaction. Protégés rated their relationships as more satisfying than did their mentors. Hypotheses regarding age differences in relational qualities were not supported. We suggest that researchers continue to examine formal relationships at the dyadic level, and that practitioners designing formal mentoring programmes consider interventions to enhance communication and respect.