The psychosocial impact of Hurricane Katrina: contextual differences in psychological symptoms, social support, and discrimination

This study tested a contextual model of disaster reaction by examining regional differences in the psychosocial impact of Hurricane Katrina. A total of 386 individuals participated in this study. All were recruited in the primary areas affected by Hurricane Katrina and included residents of metropolitan New Orleans (Orleans Parish, Louisiana), Greater New Orleans (i.e., Metairie, Kenner, Gretna), and the Mississippi Gulf Coast (i.e., cities along the coast from Waveland to Ocean Springs, Mississippi). Participants were assessed for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, other psychological symptoms, perceptions of discrimination, perceptions of social support, evacuation distance, and the extent to which they experienced hurricane-related stressful events. Results were consistent with previous research on the impact of disasters on mental health symptoms. Findings extended research on individual differences in the response to trauma and indicated that regional context predicted unique variance in the experience of discrimination, social support, and emotional symptoms consistent with the theoretical model presented.     

Quality of Work Life as a Mediator Between Emotional Labor and Work Family Interference

Purpose  We adopted the conservation of resources model (COR, Hobfoll Am Psychol 44:513–524, 1989; Hobfoll in Stress, culture, and community: the psychology and philosophy of stress, Plenum, New York, 1998) to examine the associations among emotional labor, work family interference, and quality of work life. Design/Methodology/Approach  Cross-sectional, self-reported data were obtained from 442 Hong Kong Chinese service employees. Findings  Correlation and hierarchical regression analyses showed that surface acting was a salient correlate of work-to-family interference, even when organizational display rules and employees’ demographic information were controlled. Furthermore, quality of work life had partially mediated the relationship between surface acting and work-to-family interference. However, deep acting and expression of naturally felt emotion did not relate to work-to-family interference. Finally, we found that family-to-work interference was a salient correlate of the use of surface acting in workplace. Implication  This study provided useful information of how adopting different emotional labor strategies related to work family interference. Based on our results, the use of deep acting should be promoted in workplace because it related positively to quality of work life and it did not amplify the work-to-family interference. Originality/value  While past studies often explored the role of emotional labor as the precursor of work family interference, our study is among the first attempt to examine family-to-work interference as the antecedent of emotional labor. Additionally, we had also confirmed the role of quality of work life as an important mediator between emotional labor-work-to-family interference.     

Can a Laboratory Measure of Emotional Processing Enhance the Statistical Prediction of Aggression and Delinquency in Detained Adolescents with Callous-unemotional Traits?

In this cross-sectional study, we investigated whether the combination of the presence of callous-unemotional (CU) traits and emotional deficits to distressing stimuli, assessed by a computerized dot-probe task, enhanced the statistical prediction of aggression and delinquency in a sample of 88 detained and predominantly African-American (68%) adolescents (M age = 15.57; SD = 1.28). Overall, self-reported CU traits were associated with self-report measures of aggression and delinquency, but not with official records of arrests. However, there was an interaction between CU traits and emotional deficits for predicting self-reported aggression, self-reported violent delinquency, and a record of violent arrests. Youth high on CU traits and who showed a deficit in their responses to visual depictions of distress showed the highest levels of aggression and violent delinquency.     

神经质对青少年情绪化饮食的影响：一个有调节的中介效应模型

摘 要 为探讨神经质、青少年情绪化饮食、体验回避及自尊之间的关系,选取1000名青少年为被试,采用简式大五人格问卷、荷兰饮食行为问卷、接纳行动量表及自尊量表进行测试。结果表明：（1）神经质对青少年情绪化饮食有显著的正向影响,并间接地通过体验回避对青少年情绪化饮食产生作用;（2）自尊在体验回避对青少年情绪化饮食的影响中起显著的调节作用,具体而言,在低自尊水平下,体验回避能显著地正向预测青少年情绪化饮食,而在高自尊水平下,体验回避对青少年情绪化饮食的预测作用不显著。     

情绪体验影响估算策略运用的认知与脑机制

揭示情绪体验影响个体完成各种认知任务的认知神经机制是研究者关注的热点问题。以往研究主要采用问卷法和行为实验, 集中考察了焦虑对估算策略运用的影响, 但这种影响潜在的脑机制尚不清楚, 对焦虑以外的情绪体验与估算策略运用之间关系的研究也极其缺乏, 而情绪调节对估算策略运用影响方面的研究基本处于空白。本研究将采用面孔表情图片作为情绪刺激材料, 结合事件相关电位(event related potential, ERP)技术, 采用启动范式, 尝试从外显和内隐两个角度, 考察不同效价的情绪体验在估算策略运用过程中所起的作用, 进而揭示情绪调节影响估算策略执行的时间动态特征和大脑激活模式。这将有助于充分认识情绪体验影响估算策略运用的认知与脑机制, 为更好的优化估算策略运用效果提供实证依据。     

时间任务需求对无关情绪面孔注意捕获的影响

注意捕获是指与任务无关的刺激能够不自觉地吸引注意的现象。实验一采用视觉搜索任务,考察与主任务无关的情绪面孔的注意捕获水平及其机制,实验二进一步探究时间任务需求对无关情绪面孔注意捕获的影响。结果发现:与其他情绪面孔相比,愤怒的情绪面孔捕获了更多的注意,且受到整体情绪加工的影响;时间任务需求影响了目标刺激的注意选择,但愤怒优势效应不受到时间任务需求的影响,因此可能是一种较为自动化的加工过程。     

听障儿童外部情绪理解研究

通过自编的外部情绪理解问卷,考察了听障儿童表情识别、情绪情景识别和提示物理解等外部情绪理解三个成分的发展状况。结果表明:(1)听力障碍儿童在外部情绪整体理解、表情识别、情绪情景识别和提示物理解四方面的得分都显著低于普通儿童;(2)不同年级听力障碍儿童的外部情绪理解、表情识别、情绪情景识别和提示物理解四方面得分存在显著差异,不同性别听力障碍儿童外部情绪理解差异不显著;年级和性别的交互作用显著;(3)父母听力状况不同的听障儿童,其外部情绪理解水平差异显著。DD儿童的外部情绪整体理解、表情识别和情绪情景识别得分显著高于DH儿童。     

The impact of counsellor training on emotional intelligence

This study evaluated the impact of counsellor training on emotional intelligence (EI) in 45 undergraduates and 58 postgraduates. Significant improvements were recorded by students on completion of both programmes, suggesting that these were attributable to training which enhanced intra- and interpersonal aspects of emotional functioning. As a group, postgraduates were older than undergraduates, and at the outset of the study, EISAQ scores were comparable; however, at follow-up, undergraduates recorded significantly higher EISAQ scores. Students’ EI was not significantly related to their age, and these findings indicate the potential for effective EI-skills training which is unrelated to quantity of life experiences. It is hoped that this study contributes to a growing quantitative evidence base from which the counselling profession can evaluate its training profile.