The False-Hope Syndrome: Unfulfilled Expectations of Self-Change

Why do people persist in attempting to change themselves, despite repeated failure? Self-change is often perceived as unrealistically easy to achieve, in an unreasonably short period of time. Moreover, embarking on self-change attempts induces feelings of control and optimism that supersede the lessons of prior experience. Finally, people tend to expect an unrealistically high payoff from successful self-change. Some sorts of self-change are feasible, but we must learn to distinguish between realistic and unrealistic self-change goals, between confidence and overconfidence. Overconfidence breeds false hope, which engenders inflated expectations of success and eventually the misery of defeat.     

The Role of Expectations in Effective Genetic Counseling

The goals for this investigation were to assess individuals' expectations for social support from genetic counselors, and to explore how these expectations influence perceptions of genetic counselor effectiveness. Two studies were conducted to address these goals. Results from the first study show that individuals most frequently expect genetic counselors to provide options and support following the disclosure of distressing test results, while data from the second study demonstrate that expectations play a significant role in individuals' assessment of genetic counselor effectiveness. These findings shed light on what individuals expect from genetic counselors following the disclosure of medically positive test results and inform how these expectations influence the success of genetic counseling sessions.     

Experimental comparison of physical activity self-efficacy measurement: Do vignettes reduce motivational confounding?

ObjectivesSelf-efficacy is one of the most reliable correlates of physical activity, yet a growing body of literature has demonstrated that traditional self-efficacy measures may be flawed because they measure perceived capability and other constructs such as motivation. This study adds to this evidence base by comparing a standard self-efficacy measurement group and two measurement conditions that may provide greater validity: motivation held constant (i.e., adding “If you really wanted to” at the beginning of the item) and vignette (i.e., adding a clarifying vignette before the item). The first objective of this study was to compare these groups regarding self-efficacy scores. The second objective was to examine whether physical activity level (i.e., adhering to physical activity guidelines or not) interacted with measurement condition.DesignRandomized cross-sectional design with three independent groups.MethodParticipants were 444 undergraduate students (M age in years = 21.10, SD = 3.73) who completed an online survey measuring physical activity self-efficacy and behaviour.ResultsThe vignette group had higher self-efficacy scores than the standard and motivation held constant groups. Scores were also higher among those adhering to guidelines and there were no differences between the groups for physically active individuals. Finally, among those not adhering to the guidelines, the vignette group had especially high scores compared to the other groups.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that reading a vignette prior to completing a self-efficacy item clarifies the meaning of the item thereby improving validity of the measure.     

Happiness Trends Under Democracy: Where Will the New South African

Five years after South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994, life satisfaction and happiness still reflect societal divides sowed by apartheid social engineering. The paper reports the indicators: life satisfaction, happiness and expectations for the future, from national surveys conducted between 1983 and 1999 for the South African Quality-of-Life Trends Project. Post-election euphoria, which saw all South Africans happy and satisfied with life for a brief moment in 1994, raises the question where the new set-level of subjective well-being will eventually come to rest. In 1999, in spite of some gains in living conditions, the level of life satisfaction of blacks has not risen above the mid-point and happiness is only slightly above the mid-point. Meanwhile, whites, who have forfeited their political dominance, continue to score above the mid-point on happiness and life satisfaction. The paper draws on the literature, particularly on quality-of-life trends in reunified Germany and paradoxical trends in African-American life satisfaction when discussing the dynamics underlying South African subjective well-being. It is argued that coping mechanisms may play an important role in determining levels of subjective well-being in the complex situation of South Africa.     

Does a Marriage Ideal Exist? Using Q-Sort Methodology to Compare Young Adults’ and Professional Educators’ Views on Healthy Marriages

This study sought to understand whether young adults and family educators share beliefs about the components of a successful relationship. Young adults viewed successful relationships as having partners who agree on most issues. Educators characterized successful partners as exhibiting positive communication patterns and using relationship maintenance strategies. A third prototype included young adults and educators who described successful relationships in terms of agreement and problem solving behaviors. Implications for researchers and practitioners conclude the article.     

What do Patients Prefer: Informed Consent Models for Genetic Carrier Testing

The recent increased number of conditions for which patients can undergo genetic carrier testing raises the question of how best to obtain pre-test informed consent. Clinical approaches vary from a minimalist model to a model where patients are given detailed information about all conditions to be screened for. Few data exist as to patient preferences, or how information impacts decision-making. Eight high-literacy focus groups were conducted to assess the knowledge and preferences of pregnant patients and their male partners. Most groups indicated that some balance between details and brevity was optimal, recognizing that anxiety can occur when patients are provided with too much information and that the wide range of tests offered during pregnancy often led to confusion. Critical areas for the informed consent process included (1) details about the conditions and risk of being a carrier, (2) logistics of testing, (3) next steps if the test is positive, and (4) prognosis, options and resources if the child were to be affected with a disorder. It will be useful to develop model consent programs and prospectively assess their impact on informed consent and patient satisfaction, both when positive and negative results are received.     

Decomposing filial piety into filial attitudes and filial enactments

In an attempt to explore the attitude-behaviour relationship, the present study examined the mixed findings from research on filial piety by differentiating filial attitudes from filial behaviours. The Filial Behaviour Scale was developed to tap the behavioural manifestations of filial piety, and its nomological network was established in two Chinese contexts, Hong Kong and Beijing. In addition to filial attitudes, we used values, social beliefs, and self-construals to explain filial behaviours. The results of hierarchical regression analysis showed that the value factor of conservation and the social axiom of reward for application predicted filial behaviour above and beyond filial attitudes; an interdependent self-construal moderated the effect of cultural group on filial behaviour. Gender and regional differences in filial piety were also examined. Males were found to score higher on filial attitudes, but not significantly higher on filial behaviours. Regional differences existed in filial behaviours, but not in filial attitudes, with Mainland Chinese displaying a higher level of filial behaviours than their Hong Kong counterparts. These identified differences suggest the importance of differentiating filial attitudes from filial behaviours in future attempts to understand Chinese filiality.     

论孝文化的现代价值

孝文化在中国古代社会的作用包括道德教育、稳定社会和民族凝聚的功能。中国孝文化中的精华成分体现其对人类文明的普遍价值,从而决定了孝文化所具有的现代意义。通过对孝文化的改造实现孝道伦理的价值转化,通过孝道文化的教育实现孝道伦理的弘扬。     

试从"反哺"与"接力"看中西亲子关系

“反哺”和“接力”分别是中西方家庭中处理养老问题的两种不同模式,模式的区别也反映了中西方亲子关系的差异。导致这种差异的原因主要是中西方所处的社会发展阶段不同、中西方伦理价值观念的冲突等四个方面所致。在代际亲子观念的东西文化交流过程中,我们既要继续发扬我国尊老爱幼的优良传统,又要吸取西方重视代际亲子关系平等的合理因素,建立一个不分年龄、人人共享的和谐社会。     

Career barriers and reading ability as correlates of career aspirations and expectations of parents and their children

Data were obtained from 176 Year 7 children (mean age = 12.2 years) on career status aspirations and expectations, career barriers, academic engagement, academic control beliefs, general ability and literacy; and from parents, mainly mothers, on aspirations, expectations and career barriers. Discrepancy scores between aspirations and expectations were calculated for both children and parents. Children differed from parents on career status aspirations and expectations; boys did not differ from girls, and parents did not differentiate between boys and girls. Parents’ and children’s aspirations were both associated with reading ability, although the association was weak for the children. Children’s expectations were associated with perceptions of career barriers, and a trend towards reading abilities, while parents’ expectations were associated with general ability and reading.