Metacognitive Ability and Test Performance Among College Students

We studied college students' metacognitive ability to see whether or to what extent it would be correlated with actual test grades. We hypothesized that higher metacognitive ability would correlate with higher exam marks and that lower metacognitive ability would correlate with lower exam marks. College students (N = 109) were asked to guess the grade they expected to receive at the completion of a regular classroom exam. We found a significant negative correlation between the actual grade received, a measure of cognitive ability, and the difference between the actual grade and the expected grade, a measure of metacognitive ability.     

Chapter 2. Single Mothers' Transition to Self-Sufficiency

SUMMARY

In this chapter, I review the literature in four sections central to my research questions. First, I review the socio-historical context of trends that have had an impact on single mothers in transition from economic assistance to self-sufficiency. Next, I present research that focuses on poor women's interactions with barriers to work versus self-sufficiency. Then I examine the reported interactions between work, family role strain, and the psychological well-being of low-income women during their transition to work. Finally, I introduce related literature that reflects studies and reports on the outcomes of TANF after 1996.     

The happy cyclist: Examining the association between generalized authoritarianism and subjective well-being

Although authoritarianism can negatively impact others (e.g., by predicting prejudiced intergroup attitudes), implications for the self are mixed and require clarification. Extending previous research, we examined the association between generalized authoritarianism (GA, indicated by right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation) and subjective well-being (SWB, indicated by positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction) by testing simultaneously the general-level association between GA and SWB as well as specific residual associations between GA and SWB components, independent of basic personality dimensions. We observed a significant general-level association between GA and SWB whereby heightened authoritarianism predicted greater SWB. No residual associations were found between specific GA and SWB components. Despite being “bad” for others, generalized authoritarianism may be “good” for the self.     

“蚁族”群体的公正世界信念与幸福感研究

以居住在北京小月河地区的304名“蚁族”为被试,采用公正世界信念问卷、积极消极情感问卷和生活满意度问卷,考察了一般公正世界信念、个人公正世界信念以及幸福感之间的关系,结果表明:(1)“蚁族”的生活满意度偏低,但其情绪状态仍然乐观,积极情感体验较高,且具有较高水平的公正世界信念;(2)公正世界信念对幸福感有显著的正向预测作用,公正世界信念水平越高的“蚁族”越幸福;(3)个人公正世界信念在一般公正世界信念和幸福感间起中介作用,即越相信世界是公正的“蚁族”更倾向于相信自己已经或即将受到的对待是公正的,最终提升幸福感。     

Christian Life Emphasis in the Retirement Community: A Koinonia of Spiritual Awareness

ABSTRACT

Retirement Community living sponsored by groups of churches or related, in any direct sense, to a purpose that is called Christian, should, in very specific ways, demonstrate that faith in Christ is an integral part of resident life.

An organization, within the retirement community of Holly Hall in Houston, Texas, seeks to fulfill that requirement by a deliberate commitment to what is called Christian Life Emphasis. It involves a variety of bonding rituals and a ministry of resident to resident that enables spiritual awareness to permeate the continuum of care.     

Religiousness and Subjective Well-Being Among Jewish Female Residents of Old Age Homes in Israel

ABSTRACT

The present study explored the prevalence of religiousness among Jewish elderly women residing in old age homes in Israel and its impact on their subjective well-being. The sample included 464 respondents residing in 48 old age homes. Religiousness was measured through self-rated religiousness and religious faith scales (Ben Meir & Kedem, 1979). Subjective well-being was measured by the PGC (Philadelphia Geriatric Center) Morale Scale (Lawton, 1975). The findings revealed that the majority of the elderly define themselves as traditional, orthodox or ultra orthodox. Multiple regression analysis revealed that religiousness did not affect the residents' subjective well-being.     

情感适应的心理机制:AREA模型

情感适应是指对重复或连续刺激的情感反应变弱的心理过程.在解释情感适应的心理机制和过程的理论中,最有影响的是AREA模型.该模型认为个体注意到与自身相关且难以解释的事件时,对事件作出情感反应并试图解释或理解;若解释成功,注意力会减弱进而适应该事件,对应的情感反应也会变弱.大量关于消极事件与积极事件的研究为AREA模型提供了实证支持.未来研究需要从影响情感适应速度的因素、跨文化研究、适应轨迹的时间精确性以及干预措施等方面进一步探索.     

Perfectionism and coping with daily failures: positive reframing helps achieve satisfaction at the end of the day

Differentiating perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns, the present study examined how perfectionism predicts what coping strategies people use, when dealing with failures, and how perfectionism and coping influence people's satisfaction. A sample of 149 students completed daily reports for 3–14 days, reporting the most bothersome failure they experienced during the day, what strategies they used to cope with the failure, and how satisfied they felt at the end of the day. Multilevel regression analyses showed that perfectionistic concerns predicted more frequent use of self-blame, less frequent use of active coping and acceptance, and higher satisfaction at the end of the day, whereas perfectionistic strivings predicted less frequent use of self-blame and higher satisfaction. Although positive reframing, acceptance, and humor predicted higher satisfaction for all students, further analyses showed that positive reframing coping was particularly helpful for students high in perfectionistic concern. The findings suggest that accommodative coping strategies are generally helpful in dealing with personal failures, with positive reframing being a coping strategy that works particularly well for people high in perfectionistic concerns (who are prone to dissatisfaction) to achieve higher satisfaction at the end of the day.     

Testing the triple-match principle among technology employees

The triple-match principle (TMP) proposes that the strongest, interactive relationships between job demands and job resources are observed when job demands, job resources and job-related outcomes are based on qualitatively identical dimensions. This principle is tested with regard to three outcomes: cognitive failure, emotional exhaustion, and physical health complaints. Data were collected in a large sample of employees in the technology sector (n = 1533). Results demonstrate that the positive association between emotional job demands and emotional exhaustion is compensated by the availability of emotional job resources. No triple-match interactions are found with regard to cognitive failure or physical health complaints. In line with the TMP, results show that the likelihood of finding theoretically valid interactions is related to the degree of match between job demands, job resources, and outcomes.     

Adjusting to life in retirement: the protective role of new group memberships and identification as a retiree

ABSTRACT

Among the many factors that influence retirement adjustment, there is increasing recognition of the role played by people’s social relationships. In particular, research points to the benefits that joining new groups can have for people’s well-being when they experience life change. In three studies, we extend this research to assess the contribution that new groups and identities make to supporting the well-being and adjustment of people transitioning to retirement. Study 1, involving 302 retirees, demonstrates that joining new groups in retirement and developing a stronger sense of identification with retirees predicts life satisfaction after controlling for known predictors (e.g., financial planning, marital status, physical health status, retirement aspirations), while only retiree identification predicts adjustment. We then examine the extent to which multiple group memberships support retirement adjustment and well-being through the mediating role of new group memberships and retiree identification. This is first examined in a cross-sectional study of 90 retired academics (Study 2) and then in a two-wave study involving a general sample of 121 recent retirees (Study 3). Findings from both studies point to the importance of social group and identity gain in retirement adjustment and highlight the particular importance of retiree identification in the transition.