Ten years of career success in relation to individual and situational variables from the employee development literature

Individual, situational, and socio-demographic variables from the employee development literature were combined with theory and research on career success in a ten-year study of 289 workers from across many jobs and industries in the workforce. Support for employee development by one's employer ten years prior and a trend of increasing/accumulating support contributed to career success, providing the first long-term confirmation of the value to careers from support for development by employers. Proactive personality had unique effects on success not accounted for by a broad array of other variables, strengthening conclusions from prior research about the predictive value of proactive personality which were based on data not controlling for these variables. Finally, achievement goal orientation influenced success in a unique way via “profile effects:” Goal orientation dimensions interacted to predict success, suggesting simple linear effects (e.g. being more learning-oriented) may be inadequate in explaining career success. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.     

The Effects On and Of Depression - An Exploratory Study of Rehabilitation and Secondary Prevention in Coronary Artery Disease

Forty consecutive participants in a comprehensive, behaviourally oriented coronary rehabilitation and secondary prevention program were followed for three years. Changes in depression (as measured with the Beck Depression Inventory) as well as the influence of baseline levels of depression on achieved changes in lifestyle behaviour and on rehabilitation and secondary prevention effects were analyzed. Subjects with moderate levels of baseline depression experienced short-term reductions of depression, which was maintained at the 12-month follow-up. Clinically depressed subjects experienced less positive results, with smaller immediate reductions as well as relapse to baseline levels after 12 months, specifically in non-physical, cognitive-affective depression symptoms. There were, however, no differences in lifestyle changes or in hospital treatment between groups with different pre-treatment depression levels. These results are discussed in relation to earlier research on the detrimental effects of depression on the prognosis of coronary artery disease.     

Leaders’ receptivity to subordinates’ creative input: The role of achievement goals and composition of creative input

We identified leaders’ achievement goals and composition of creative input as important factors that can clarify when and why leaders are receptive to, and supportive of, subordinates’ creative input. As hypothesized, in two experimental studies, we found that relative to mastery goal leaders, performance goal leaders were less receptive to subordinates’ voiced creative input. In Study 1, we further showed that image threat appraisal and learning opportunity appraisal mediated this effect. In Study 2, we demonstrated that when merely creative ideas were expressed by the subordinate, performance goal leaders responded like mastery goal leaders. However, as in Study 1, performance goal leaders were less receptive to, and less supportive of, subordinates’ creative input than mastery goal leaders when the composition of subordinates’ creative input included both problem identifications and creative ideas.     

Positivity bias in employees' self-ratings of performance relative to supervisor ratings: The roles of performance type,performance-approach goal orientation,and perceived influence

As hypothesized, data from two field studies among employees and their supervisors showed that employees are more likely to positively bias their self-ratings relative to supervisor ratings when creative performance rather than inrole performance is being evaluated. In addition, employees' performance-approach goal orientation and perceived influence were found to enhance positivity bias in self-ratings of creative performance. Moreover, performance-approach goal orientation and perceived influence appeared to combine and interact in their effects, such that the impact of perceived influence on positivity bias in self-ratings was larger when performance-approach goal orientation was weaker rather than stronger.     

Do lesbian women have a better body image? Comparisons with heterosexual women and model of lesbian-specific factors

Body dissatisfaction is prevalent among women but may be less common among lesbian women. Although research trends toward this conclusion when samples are well-matched and body mass index (BMI) is controlled for, many studies do not exhibit these characteristics. Furthermore, few studies have examined sociocultural contributors to group differences. I addressed limitations of past research with a large community sample of lesbian (n = 479) and heterosexual (n = 400) women. I contrasted the two sexual identity groups on several body dissatisfaction measures, and tested theoretically derived relationships between lesbian-specific cultural factors and body dissatisfaction. As predicted, lesbian women reported lower body dissatisfaction than did heterosexual women on three of four measures, and expressed a larger ideal body size. A structural equation model of lesbian-specific risk and protective factors for body dissatisfaction did not reveal significant relationships. This study represents a first attempt to model culturally specific influences on lesbian body image.     

Means or outcomes? Goal orientation predicts process and outcome focus

Previous research has demonstrated that the representation of goals primarily in terms of means (process focus) compared to outcomes of goal pursuit (outcome focus) increases across the lifespan. Nothing is known, however, about the processes underlying this age-related difference. The current study investigates age-related differences in growth and maintenance orientation as one of the factors contributing to age-related differences in goal focus. A self-report study (N = 123, 18 to 82 years, M = 48.59) presents first evidence that process focus is predicted by maintenance goal orientation, whereas outcome focus is predicted by growth goal orientation. Moreover, maintenance goal orientation mediates the positive association of age and process focus. Results are discussed taking a functional perspective of the role of goal orientation in age-related differences in goal focus.     

大学生价值取向的特点及其与家庭因素的相关研究

采用问卷法对大学生的价值取向及其与家庭因素的关系进行了研究。发现当代大学生的价值取向呈现出注重平等、公正,男生比女生更看重个人发展的特点;相对来说,不重视个人需要的表达,而对权威的服从表现了相当的重视;大学生价值取向的特点状况与家庭因素,尤其与父母的养育风格、个体认同的影响源密切相关。     

中学生人际冲突解决策略取向及影响因素研究

本研究针对中学生常见的人际冲突问题 ,分别设计了与教师、家长、同学冲突的 9种情境 ,考察 1 80名初一至高三的学生在不同情境中解决冲突的策略取向、防御机制发展以及影响策略取向的因素。实验表明 :( 1 )总体上中学生更倾向于选择协商策略解决人际冲突 ,退让或服从策略以及对峙性策略运用的多寡与具体情境因素或冲突对象有关。对峙性策略多出现在与教师和家长的冲突情境 ,而退让策略较多出现在与同学的冲突中。 ( 2 )随着年龄的增长和社会化的发展 ,学生逐渐采用成熟性防御机制替代不成熟性防御机制以促使问题得到更好解决。初、高中学生在运用成熟性防御机制方面差异显著。 ( 3 )文化背景及个性特点与策略取向有关。