“We were just fated together”… Chinese love and the concept of yuan in England and Hong Kong

Recent research into cultural variations in personal relationships has stressed the significance of “etic” measures such as individualism-collectivism. This study, however, focuses on a more culture-specific concept, the Chinese notion of yuan, derived from a Buddhist belief in the role of predestiny and fate in relationship development. One hundred Hong Kong Chinese and 100 British respondents completed a specially constructed yuan beliefs scale and then a 24-item version of Hendrick and Hendrick's (1986) Love Attitudes Scale. Although Chinese respondents scored significantly higher lhan did British respondents on the yuan scale, replies in both cultures demonstrated at least a moderate endorsement of yuan beliefs. Belief in yuan was highly correlated with pragmatic and agapic love styles, and was negatively correlated with erotic love. Results are interpreted in the context of the wider relationship beliefs and practices of the two cultures.     

Visual‐motor and executive functions in children born preterm: The Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test revisited

Böhm, B., Lundequist, A. & Smedler, A.‐C. (2010). Visual‐motor and executive functions in children born preterm: The Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test revisited. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51, 376–384. Visual‐motor development and executive functions were investigated with the Bender Test at age 5½ years in 175 children born preterm and 125 full‐term controls, within the longitudinal Stockholm Neonatal Project. Assessment also included WPPSI‐R and NEPSY neuropsychological battery for ages 4–7 ( Korkman, 1990 ). Bender protocols were scored according to Brannigan & Decker (2003) , Koppitz (1963) and a complementary neuropsychological scoring system (ABC), aimed at executive functions and developed for this study. Bender results by all three scoring systems were strongly related to overall cognitive level (Performance IQ), in both groups. The preterm group displayed inferior visual‐motor skills compared to controls also when controlling for IQ. The largest group differences were found on the ABC scoring, which shared unique variance with NEPSY tests of executive function. Multiple regression analyses showed that hyperactive behavior and inattention increased the risk for visual‐motor deficits in children born preterm, whereas no added risk was seen among hyperactive term children. Gender differences favoring girls were strongest within the preterm group, presumably reflecting the specific vulnerability of preterm boys. The results indicate that preterm children develop a different neurobehavioral organization from children born at term, and that the Bender test with a neuropsychological scoring is a useful tool in developmental screening around school start.     

The Incidence of Workplace Bullying

This paper reports on a survey into workplace bullying carried out at Staffordshire University in 1994. The 1137 respondents were part time students at the University. Approximately half the sample reported they had been bullied during their working lives. Apart from the gender of the bully, there were no significant differences in the bullying experience between men and women in the parameters examined in this paper. Many people reported being bullied in groups, which is contrary to the current anecdotal evidence. Those who had not been bullied anticipated a more assertive reaction to the situation than those who had been bullied actually took. Data are presented and the findings are discussed, and future research potential identified. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A real-time assessment of interpersonal complementarity

The principle of complementarity asserts that the interpersonal behaviors of interaction partners tend to complement each other by encouraging partners to act similarly in terms of warmth and opposite in terms of dominance. The current study applied Sadler's computer joystick tracking device (originally designed to assess personality perception) to examine complementarity. Sixty-six unacquainted females were videotaped during an unstructured dyadic interaction, and their warmth and dominance behaviors were coded using the joystick. Results indicated that both partners tended to alter their behaviors in a complementary manner. In addition, partners who complemented each other in terms of warmth tended to like each other more and performed tasks more accurately and quickly than dyads who were not as complementary on this dimension.     

Self-appraisal and coping in out-patients with chronic disease

Self-appraisal, coping efforts, muscle function, and activity and severity of disease were examined in out-patients with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthrosis or diabetes mellitus. Factor analysis of a 31-item self-appraisal and coping questionnaire yielded eight factors (self-appraisal, acceptance, minimization, planful problem-solving, avoidance, persistence, attribution of responsibility, and support seeking). For the factors of avoidance, minimization, and persistence, as well as for measures of activity and severity of disease, significant differences between the diagnostic groups were found. For patients with rheumatic arthritis, hierarchical regression analysis indicated disease duration to be associated with acceptance and with attribution of responsibility, and disability measures to be associated with self-appraisal. For patients with osteoarthrosis, they showed disability in muscle function to be associated with avoidance, and more negative self-appraisal as well as lower levels of support seeking to be associated with long disease duration. Results are discussed in terms of structural and adaptive defence forms and of adherence to a coping model ("medical model") which tends to foster acceptance and dependency.     

Schools and Newcomers: A National Survey of Innovative Programs

This article presents the findings of a national survey of coordinators of counseling services in public middle schools concerning American children who change residence.     

Effects of Assertiveness Training on the Self-Esteem of Black High School Students

Effects of assertiveness training on assertive behaviors and self-esteem were investigated among Black high school students. Results showed a significant difference between scores of males and females on the written assertiveness measure. Scores of the 9 females in the experimental group accounted for all of the change, whereas scores of the 18 males actually dropped somewhat. No significant differences appeared on assertiveness or self-esteem across conditions, however. Possible reasons for lack of effects of the training are discussed. Continued study is necessary to identify ways for Blacks to meet their needs by moving from passive or aggressive approaches to assertive ones.