Expectation confirmation: An examination of three competing models

We discuss three theoretical models from met expectations research in the fields of organizational behavior and consumer psychology. Based on the fundamental arguments in the models, we term these models: disconfirmation, ideal point, and experiences only. We present three-dimensional graphical and analytical representations of the models, with satisfaction being a function of expectations and experiences. We tested the models in the context of a new information system implementation in an organization, with expectations, experiences, and system satisfaction measured for both ease of use and usefulness, the focal constructs of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). We found that an experiences only model in which expectations had no measurable effect best explained the data for ease of use. The results for usefulness indicated a modified version of the experiences only model in which the positive effect of experiences becomes slightly stronger—i.e., more positive—as expectations increase.     

小学儿童自我意识情绪理解发展及其与亲社会行为、同伴接纳的关系

自我意识情绪理解会影响儿童的社会行为与社会适应。运用自我意识情绪理解情境故事、亲社会行为问卷和社会计量方法,对314名1～6年级小学儿童进行施测,探讨了小学儿童自我意识情绪理解的发展特点及其与亲社会行为、同伴接纳的关系。研究发现:(1)小学儿童自我意识情绪理解水平随着年级的升高而提高,1～3年级提高的较快,3年级以后提高速度变缓。(2)小学儿童的自我意识情绪理解水平与亲社会行为、同伴接纳显著呈正相关,并且自豪的理解和亲社会行为对同伴接纳有显著的预测力,羞愧的理解对亲社会行为有显著的预测力。     

接纳与承诺疗法的理论背景、实证研究与未来发展

接纳与承诺疗法(Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, ACT)于上世纪90年代初由美国治疗师Steven C. Hayes提出。作为基于正念技术的第三代行为治疗理论之一, 该疗法以功能情境主义为哲学基础, 立足于人类认知和语言基本性质的实证研究, 旨在通过平衡接纳与改变来提高心理灵活性。临床研究已证明其在相当广泛的临床问题上都取得了良好效果, 并在与CBT等传统疗法的对比中展现优势。ACT的临床效果和技术细节可做进一步研究, 该疗法与CBT的融合及其在临床领域之外的应用也是未来的研究方向。     

Friendship as a moderator of the relationship between social skills problems and peer victimisation

Previous research, primarily in North America, has found that individual factors (e.g., ‘internalising problems’) and social factors (e.g., friendship) interact to influence children's levels of peer victimisation. Some research has found that the identity of children's friends and friendship quality (as ‘protective factors’) are more important than the sheer number of friends. However, studies have produced conflicting findings. A peer nomination inventory was used to assess social skills problems, peer victimisation, peer acceptance, and several different aspects of friendship. Four hundred and forty‐nine children aged 9 to 11 years completed the inventory at two time points over the course of an academic year. Social skills problems were found to predict an increase in peer victimisation over time. Two friendship variables were found to moderate this relationship: a) number of friends, and b) the peer acceptance of the very best‐friend. The relationship was found to be weaker for those children with lots of friends and for those children with a ‘popular’ best‐friend. The findings advance understanding of the factors that promote peer victimisation. Aggr. Behav. 32:110–121, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

幼儿情绪理解、亲社会行为与同伴接纳之间的关系

以131名3~6岁的儿童为被试,探讨了不同层次情绪理解能力的发展及其与儿童的亲社会行为、同伴接纳之间的关系。结果表明,儿童的表情识别、情绪解码和二级情绪理解能力表现出了不同的发展趋势;在总体上,儿童的情绪解码能力和亲社会行为能显著地预测其同伴接纳;情绪理解和亲社会行为对儿童同伴接纳的影响存在一定的年龄效应,情绪解码能力是年幼儿童同伴接纳的最佳预测变量,亲社会行为则是年长儿童同伴接纳的最佳预测变量。     

Accept Yourself! A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Self-Acceptance-Based Treatment for Large-Bodied Women With Depression

A pilot parallel randomized controlled trial compared a self-acceptance, non-weight-loss intervention, Accept Yourself! (AY), to a weight loss program, Weight Watchers (WW), in order to provide preliminary safety, feasibility, and efficacy data in preparation for a definitive RCT of AY as an intervention to enhance the mental and physical health of larger-bodied women with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Adult women with MDD and a Body Mass Index ≥30 were eligible. Nineteen women were randomized by random number table into AY (n = 9) or WW (n = 10). Intake, pretreatment, posttreatment, 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month follow-up assessments occurred at a rural academic medical center. Primary outcomes included depression severity and cardiovascular fitness. Chi-square and t-tests assessed attrition and participant preferences for treatment; other analyses used intention-to-treat, linear mixed-effects models for repeated measures, including all participants’ available data. Both groups improved in self-reported, F(5, 43.81) = 7.45, p < .001, partial η² = .38, and blinded-clinician-rated depression, F(6, 62.03) = 10.41, p < .001, partial η² = .5. AY was superior to WW in self-reported depression, F(5, 43.81) = 2.72, p = .03, partial η² = .11. Neither group improved in fitness. Eating disorder symptoms and weight gain worsened in WW. AY appeared safe, feasible, and offered initial evidence of efficacy for depression; it should be investigated in a definitive RCT, with modifications to increase potency. WW may not be suitable as a comparator intervention for AY because of risk to participants.     

From Social Withdrawal to Social Confidence: Evidence for Possible Pathways

Children born with a possible predisposition toward shyness face many social challenges. Researchers over the past four decades have begun to identify specific factors that influence shy children’s social skill development and their level of peer acceptance. The purpose of this article is to review factors across each developmental stage that have been found to either promote or hinder the development of social competence and peer acceptance in shy children. These factors include physiological differences, caregiver influences, emotion socialization, friendships, general peer support, coping skills, organized social activities, and socioeconomic status.     

Creating a strategy for progress: a contextual behavioral science approach

Behavior analysis is a field dedicated to the development and application of behavioral principles to the understanding and modification of the psychological actions of organisms. As such, behavior analysis was committed from the beginning to a comprehensive account of behavior, stretching from animal learning to complex human behavior. Despite that lofty goal, basic behavior analysis is having a generally harder time finding academic support, and applied behavior analysis has narrowed its focus. In the present paper we argue that both of these trends relate to the challenge of human language and cognition, and that developments within clinical behavior analysis and the analysis of derived relational responding are providing a way forward. To take full advantage of these developments, however, we argue that behavior analysts need to articulate their unique approach to theory, to develop more flexible language systems for applied workers, and to expand their methodological flexibility. This approach, which we term contextual behavioral science, is meant as an evolutionary step that will allow behavior analysis to better capture the center of modern psychological concerns in both the basic and applied areas. Clinical behavior analysis is showing a way forward for behavior analysis to regain its vision as a comprehensive approach to behavior.     

Becoming irreplaceable: How comparisons to the partner’s alternatives differentially affect low and high self-esteem people

It is proposed that people are motivated to feel hard to replace in romantic relationships because feeling irreplaceable fosters trust in a partner’s continued responsiveness. By contrast, feeling replaceable motivates compensatory behavior aimed at strengthening the partner’s commitment to the relationship. A correlational study of dating couples and two experiments examined how satiating/thwarting the goal of feeling irreplaceable differentially affects relationship perception and behavior for low and high self-esteem people. The results revealed that satiating the goal of feeling irreplaceable increases trust for people low in self-esteem. In contrast, thwarting the goal of feeling irreplaceable increases compensatory behaviors meant to prove one’s indispensability for people high in self-esteem.     

中小学生的情绪表达方式认知及其与同伴接纳的关系

本研究采用D.Matsumoto等编制的情绪表达规则评估问卷,探讨了237名中小学生情绪表达方式的认知发展,并通过同伴提名法选择了192名同伴关系良好和同伴关系不良的中学生为被试,探讨了情绪表达方式认知与同伴接纳的关系。结果表明:情绪类型与情境类型对中小学生多种情绪表达方式的认知具有主效应;中小学生的情绪表达向更具有社会效益方向发展,对自我和他人情绪表达存在认识分化,并随年龄而增加;同伴关系不良的中学生在情绪表达的认知上存在发展滞后。