Using a Gain/Loss Framework to Measure Impact: The Perceived Impact of Life Event Scale

The author describes three interconnected investigations focused on the development and psychometric evaluation of the Perceived Impact of Life Event Scale (PILES), a measure developed using a gain/loss framework for assessing the multidimensional impact of single life events. In Study 1 (N = 160), the author describes the item generation process and results of a pilot study. In Study 2 (N = 244), exploratory factor analysis suggested a 29-item scale with the four following gain/loss factors: existential, discretionary time, romantic relationship/sexual, and career and employment. In Study 3 (N = 244), confirmatory factor analysis indicated a three-factor model (26-item scale), and findings suggested convergent validity of the measure.     

Stress and worry: examining intolerance of uncertainty's moderating effect

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU), or the way an individual perceives, interprets, and reacts to uncertainty in life, has been frequently investigated in relation to anxiety and worry. While a substantial body of research suggests that individual differences in IU foster stress and anxiety, IU's involvement as a potential moderator in the relation between stressful events and worry has only recently been investigated. Therefore, the present study examined the moderating effect of IU on the relation between daily hassles and worry as well as major life events and worry in a sample of 1092 young adults. Results revealed that IU showed a significant moderation effect in the relation between daily stress and worry. More specifically, when the two factors were examined individually only inhibitory IU served as a moderator between daily stress and worry. While major life events significantly predicted worry, no moderation effect was found for this relation. These findings highlight the need to better understand the mechanisms through which IU impacts worry and contributes to anxiety.     

The relationships between stressful life events during childhood and differentiation of self and intergenerational triangulation in adulthood

This study examined the relationships between stressful life events in childhood and differentiation of self and intergenerational triangulation in adulthood. The sample included 217 students (173 females and 44 males) from a college in northern Israel. Participants completed the Hebrew versions of Life Events Checklist (LEC), Differentiation of Self Inventory‐Revised (DSI‐R) and intergenerational triangulation (INTRI). The main findings were that levels of stressful life events during childhood and adolescence among both genders were positively correlated with the levels of fusion with others and intergenerational triangulation. The levels of positive life events were negatively related to levels of emotional reactivity, emotional cut‐off and intergenerational triangulation. Levels of stressful life events in females were positively correlated with emotional reactivity. Intergenerational triangulation was correlated with emotional reactivity, emotional cut‐off, fusion with others and I‐position. Findings suggest that families that experience higher levels of stressful life events may be at risk for higher levels of intergenerational triangulation and lower levels of differentiation of self.     

Don’t worry,be happy! Positive affect at work,greater balance at home. A daily diary study on work-family balance

IntroductionThe dynamics pertaining to work-family interface such as conflict, enrichment, etc. have received considerable scholarly attention in social sciences. However, the daily processes that are involved have been examined to a lesser extent, least of all including the role played by emotions.ObjectiveThis study aimed at examining, consistently with the Affective Events Theory, if positive and negative affect experienced during the working day played a mediational role in the associations between daily levels of work-family conflict and work-family enrichment on one side, and work-family balance on the other. Moreover, the moderating cross-level role of trait emotional stability was examined.MethodThe study included a convenience sample of 104 Italian employees who completed a diary-book over five consecutive working days.ResultsMultilevel-modelling results highlighted, controlling for emotional stability, a mediational role of only daily positive affect in the relationships between both work-family conflict and enrichment on the one side and work-family balance on the other side.ConclusionThis study contributed to the literature emphasizing the role of positive affective states experienced at the workplace and their connections with the private life. Limitations and implications for research and practice are described.     

青少年心理应激模型的初步研究

为考察生活事件、社会支持、应对方式、自我评价、人格等影响青少年心理健康的诸因素之间及其与心理健康的关系,初步建构青少年心理应激的结构方程模型,采用ASLEC、CSQ、EPQ、PEI、SSRS、SCL-90对湖南省470名青少年进行问卷调查。结果表明：1）社会支持对自我评价、应对方式有显著的预测作用,并通过人格、自我评价与应对方式间接影响心理健康。2）人格对心理健康有显著的直接效应,并通过应对方式间接影响心理健康。3）自我评价和应对方式是生活事件—心理健康的内部中介过程。     

Personality,life events and the course of anxiety and depression

Using data from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety, we examined among 1322 participants with a DSM‐IV diagnosis of depression or anxiety: (i) whether positive and negative life events influence 1‐year course of anxiety and depressive symptoms; (ii) whether personality traits (neuroticism and extraversion) predict symptom course and moderate the impact of life events on symptom course; and (iii) whether life events mediate relationships of neuroticism and extraversion with symptom course. Negative life events were predictive of both anxiety and depressive symptoms, while positive life events predicted the course of depressive symptoms only. Personality traits had significant predictive and moderating effects on symptom course, though these effects were rather small. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Time frames and the distinction between affective and cognitive well-being

We examined whether the empirical differences between affective well-being (AWB) and cognitive well-being (CWB) might be due to (a) the use of different time frames in measures of AWB and CWB or (b) structural differences. In Study 1, a multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) analysis indicated that levels of different components are more similar but do not converge completely when the same time frame is used. In Study 2, we found that people are more likely to consider global life circumstances (as opposed to specific events and activities) when they evaluate their CWB, regardless of the specific time frame. In both studies, the time frame did not moderate the associations between AWB and CWB and important correlates (personality, life circumstances).     

员工建言行为的情绪机制：一个新的探索视角

已有研究考察了建言行为的诸多影响因素, 然而探讨情绪影响建言的研究则是新崛起的一个方向。文章一方面从情绪影响认知信息加工最终影响建言决策的微观角度来分析情绪与建言的关系, 另一方面从组织行为研究的宏观层面探讨情绪与建言关系, 并以情绪事件理论、情绪循环理论和情绪反馈理论为基础, 结合情绪研究的相关文献, 对员工情绪产生的几大来源, 员工情绪对建言决策的影响, 建言者的情绪对被建言者(建言对象)的情绪影响, 员工建言被采纳与否等几个涉及情绪的过程进行分析和阐述, 并构造了建言行为情绪机制模型; 系统地揭示了整个建言行为链上伴随的情绪机制, 并对恐惧、希望、心理安全、后悔等情绪对建言的影响作了示例分析。文章最后进行了总结与展望。     

辱虐管理的成因

辱虐管理会对组织和员工造成一系列消极影响,因此探究辱虐管理的成因对于减少和预防辱虐管理十分必要和重要。现有研究认为辱虐管理与主管的个人特征有关,或是主管自我损耗或社会学习的结果,也与受害者的特征有关。在回顾现有研究的基础上,基于情感事件理论提出了新的研究框架,并指出未来研究应关注主管对辱虐管理的态度、组织内关于辱虐管理的规范以及主管自我控制资源的恢复在辱虐管理产生过程中的作用。