An examination of within-person variance in contextual display rules and deviation from display rules

Contextual display rules refer to perceptions of the particular emotions that should be displayed in a specific set of circumstances. As such, it is important to examine within-person variance in such perceptions within the dynamic context of real-life organizations. To this end, experience sampling methodology was used to highlight within-person variance in display rules and examine event-level predictors of these contextual display rules. Thirty-nine university staff members were surveyed four times per day about their most recent interaction. Employee momentary affect (pleasantness and activation) and relationship with the interaction target (solidarity and relative power) were examined as predictors of both contextual display rule perceptions and deviation from those display rules. Pleasantness of affect related positively to the level of expression allowed by the display rule, whereas activation of affect and target solidarity related positively to deviation from display rules. Complex interactions were also found between the predictors, further highlighting the complexity of the emotional labour process.     

Mechanisms for the object-based negative compatibility effect: voluntary versus involuntary inhibition

This study investigates whether the object-based negative compatibility effect (NCE) originates from involuntary or voluntary inhibition. We hypothesised that both supraliminally presented primes (the prime is a mug with its handle pointing either left or right) and experimental instructions (i.e., ignoring the prime) in previous studies might induce participants to develop a voluntarily inhibitory strategy that is responsible for the object-based NCE. To test this hypothesis, we conducted 3 experiments. Experiment 1 confirmed a suitable paradigm. Experiment 2 altered participants’ strategies by varying the frequency of compatible trials across blocks. The results revealed a significant NCE for the low-frequency condition, which suggested that voluntary strategy might be primarily responsible for the object-based NCE. Experiment 3 combined a free-choice target with an object-based NCE paradigm. The results showed equivalent frequencies and mean response times between the free-choice responses that corresponded to or were opposite from the orientations of the mug handle. Combined with the results of response time quartiles, which revealed NCEs in fast responses (Q1–Q3) but no compatibility effect in slow (Q4) responses, we concluded that the object-based NCE might be primarily based on voluntary inhibition. Moreover, this inhibition might take effect earlier than that of the arrow-based NCE.     

Emotional regulation as a mediator between interpersonal mistreatment and distress

Theory and research from the emotional labour literature focusing on mistreatment of employees by customers were used to examine interpersonal mistreatment by customers, coworkers, and supervisors. Specifically, we examined the relationships between all three of these sources of interpersonal mistreatment and psychological distress. We also examine the possibility that emotional regulation strategies mediated these relationships. In Study 1, we focused on surface acting as the mediating emotional regulation strategy. Using a sample of 256 working adults, the results of that study found a mediating role for surface acting between mistreatment and distress for mistreatment by customers and coworkers but not supervisors. In Study 2, we included measures of both deep acting and surface acting as potential mediators between sources of mistreatment and distress. Using a sample of 138 working adults, this second study again found that surface acting mediated the relationship between mistreatment and distress for mistreatment by customers and coworkers but not supervisors. Further, deep acting did not mediate any of the relationships between sources of mistreatment and psychological distress. We conclude surface acting plays an important mediating role in the relationship between interpersonal mistreatment by both customers and coworkers, and psychological distress.     

Muscle Damaging Exercise Affects Isometric Force Fluctuation as well as Intraindividual Variability of Cognitive Function

Healthy untrained men (N = 11) were asked to perform 10 series of 12 repetitions of knee eccentric extension (EE) at 160° per second. Quadriceps muscle torques evoked by electrical stimulation at 20 Hz (P20) and 100 Hz (P100), maximal voluntary isometric contraction torque (MVC), maximal isokinetic concentric torque (IT) at 30° per second, voluntary activation index (VA), simple reaction time (RTs), complex reaction time (RTc), and torque variability at 30% of MVC were measured before EE, immediately after EE, and 60 min and 24 hr after EE. MVC, IT, P20, P100, and VA decreased significantly after EE and remained depressed 24 hr later. Torque variability increased significantly after EE. Average RTs and RTc did not change after EE, whereas intraindividual variability in RTs and RTc increased significantly after EE.     

Freely Chosen Index Finger Tapping Frequency Is Increased in Repeated Bouts of Tapping

Healthy individuals (n = 40) performed index finger tapping at freely chosen frequency during repeated bouts and before and after near-maximal muscle action consisting of 3 intense flexions of the index finger metacarpal phalangeal joint. One experiment showed, unexpectedly, that a bout of tapping increased the tapping frequency in the subsequent bout. Thus, a cumulating increase of 8.2 ± 5.4% (p < .001) occurred across 4 bouts, which were all separated by 10 min rest periods. Follow-up experiments revealed that tapping frequency was still increased in consecutive bouts when rest periods were extended to 20 min. Besides, near-maximal muscle activation, followed by 5 min rest, did not affect the tapping frequency. In conclusion, freely chosen tapping frequency was increased in repeated bouts of tapping, which were separated by 10–20 min rest periods. The observed phenomenon is suggested to be termed repeated bout rate enhancement.     

Epicurus and B. F. Skinner: In search of the good life

This paper examines similarities in the works of Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher, and B. F. Skinner, a behavioral psychologist. They both were empiricists who argued in favor of the lawfulness of behavior while maintaining that random events were included within those laws. They both devoted much effort to describing how individuals could live effective, rewarding and pleasurable lives. They both emphasized simple and natural pleasures (or reinforcers) and the importance of combining personal pleasures with actions that benefit friends and community. They both opposed punishment and all aversive measures used by governments and religions to control behaviors. And both created utopias: a real community, The Garden, where Epicurus lived with his followers, and a fictional one, Walden Two, by Skinner. We consider how a combination of the ideas of Epicurus and Skinner can contribute to their common goal of helping people to live better lives.     

Schools and the twenty-first century labour market: perspectives on structural change

ABSTRACT

The focus of this article is the youth labour market and how changes within it have (negatively) affected the economic prospects of young Britons. It suggests ways in which schools and colleges can respond to such change in order to optimise the life chances of their students. The paper reviews the perspectives of two important groups of people well-placed to offer informed views to educationalists: policy commentators close to the political and academic debates surrounding youth employment; and, HR professionals with first-hand experience of recruitment. Synthesising perspectives, the paper highlights three key changes demanding attention: the growing complexity of the labour market; increased competition for entry level employment; and, the changing requirements of employers who increasingly seek new employees well placed to be personally effective in applying knowledge and skills in changing situations. The paper concludes by offering a framework for structuring school provision to optimise the school to work transitions of young people.     

试论金州区新型农村合作医疗管理模式

建立和完善新型农村合作医疗制度是新时期农村卫生工作的重要内容.金州区在新型农村合作医疗管理中,探索出一条自己的模式.这种模式既有可资借鉴的地方,如管理与监督分离、多方参与、服务方便快捷等;也存在着不少问题,如群众对农村合作医疗仍存在认识上的误区、用药品种太少、报销比例太低;经办人员的编制等.建议政府制定政策要有持续性和稳定性,广泛宣传,提高参合农民健康意识;增加基本药物目录的范围,适当情况下,可采取二次救助;确定合适编制,建立一支稳定、高效的新型农村合作医疗管理队伍.     

描述性规范提升义务献血的意愿而非行为

描述性规范指大多数人的做法对他人态度和行为的影响。本研究试图利用描述性规范改变公众的义务献血意愿和行为。研究由两个相似实验组成。实验1发现描述性规范促进了被试义务献血的意愿, 但并没有影响实际献血行为; 实验2在实验1的基础上试图通过增加短信提醒来促进义务献血行为, 但是结果同样显示描述性规范促进了被试的献血意愿而非行为。本文对此原因进行了讨论。