Correctional psychologist burnout, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction.

Corrections is a stressful environment, but do correctional psychologists experience greater levels of occupational burnout and life stress than other public sector and nonpublic sector psychologists? Data collected from 203 doctoral level psychologists including correctional (CR; n = 44), Veteran's Affairs (VA; n = 56), public psychiatric hospital (PPH; n = 54), and university counseling centers (CC; n = 49) indicated that CR psychologists do experience significantly more occupational burnout relative to VA and CC psychologists. Furthermore, CR and PPH psychologists reported significantly less job satisfaction than CC psychologists. Although psychologists working in PPH settings reported significantly lower levels of life satisfaction than VA and CC psychologists this was not the case for CR psychologists. Professional identity related to occupational setting emerged as a significant predictor of occupational burnout. Implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of positive and negative emotions in life satisfaction judgment across nations.

This study examined how the frequency of positive and negative emotions is related to life satisfaction across nations. Participants were 8,557 people from 46 countries who reported on their life satisfaction and frequency of positive and negative emotions. Multilevel analyses showed that across nations, the experience of positive emotions was more strongly related to life satisfaction than the absence of negative emotions. Yet, the cultural dimensions of individualism and survival/self-expression moderated these relationships. Negative emotional experiences were more negatively related to life satisfaction in individualistic than in collectivistic nations, and positive emotional experiences had a larger positive relationship with life satisfaction in nations that stress self-expression than in nations that value survival. These findings show how emotional aspects of the good life vary with national culture and how this depends on the values that characterize one's society. Although to some degree, positive and negative emotions might be universally viewed as desirable and undesirable, respectively, there appear to be clear cultural differences in how relevant such emotional experiences are to quality of life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The shifting basis of life satisfaction judgments across cultures: Emotions versus norms.

The relative importance of emotions versus normative beliefs for life satisfaction judgments was compared among individualist and collectivist nations in 2 large sets of international data (in total, 61 nations, N?=?62,446). Among nations, emotions and life satisfaction correlated significantly more strongly in more individualistic nations (r?=?.52 in Study 1; r?=?.48 in Study 2). At the individual level, emotions were far superior predictors of life satisfaction to norms (social approval of life satisfaction) in individualist cultures, whereas norms and emotions were equally strong predictors of life satisfaction in collectivist cultures. The present findings have implications for future studies on cultural notions of well-being, the functional value of emotional experiences, and individual differences in life satisfaction profiles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sources of life satisfaction.

Comments on R. R. Sears's (see record 1977-29605-001) analysis of sources of life satisfaction for gifted men, suggesting that the emphasis on family-life rather than occupational satisfaction among gifted men may not extend to more usual groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Career choices of married women: Effects on conflict, role behavior, and satisfaction.

Sent a questionnaire concerning marital status, work activities, roles and role conflicts, and satisfaction to 450 female college graduates (classes of 1948, 1953, 1958, 1963, and 1968). 261 usable responses were received. 3 groups were studied: full- and part-time employment and full-time housekeeping. The main hypothesis, that satisfaction would be related to the extent to which women actually did what they ideally preferred to do, was supported in the case of housekeeping and volunteer activities but not for full- or part-time employment. Role involvements and conflicts were generally greater for workers than housewives, although full-time workers differed greatly from part-timers and were the most satisfied of the 3 groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Employment status, social support, and life satisfaction among the elderly.

Relations among employment status, social support, and life satisfaction were examined in a sample of 292 community-living elderly (aged 65–97 yrs) as part of a larger investigation of the role of stressful life experiences and social support in the health of the elderly. Results of a path analysis suggested that the number of hours worked at a paying job, lower levels of depression, and greater perceived social support were directly related to higher levels of life satisfaction. Furthermore, social support mediated the effects of volunteer positions on life satisfaction. These findings are discussed in relation to previous research on vocational issues among the elderly. Limitations of this study are mentioned, and suggestions for future research are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Marital satisfaction across the transition to parenthood.

The purpose of the present study was to discriminate between the 2 dominant perspectives governing research on the nature of marital change over the transition to parenthood. Progress can be made in understanding this transition by recognizing the role of uncontrolled sources of variability in research designs, defining and using control groups, and timing of data collection around the child's arrival, and the authors conducted a study incorporating these methodological refinements. Growth curve analyses were conducted on marital satisfaction data collected twice before and twice after the birth of the 1st child and at corresponding points for voluntarily childless couples (N = 156 couples). Spouses who were more satisfied prior to pregnancy had children relatively early in marriage, and parents experienced greater declines in marital satisfaction compared to nonparents. Couples with planned pregnancies had higher prepregnancy satisfaction scores, and planning slowed husbands' (but not wives') postpartum declines. In sum, parenthood hastens marital decline--even among relatively satisfied couples who select themselves into this transition--but planning status and prepregnancy marital satisfaction generally protect marriages from these declines. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-appraisal, personal desirability, and perceived social desirability of personality traits.

200 college sophomores took the MMPI 3 times. Analysis showed the following results: (1) Variation of order or time of testing in the personal or social condition seemed to make no difference. (2) Intercorrelations between the 3 forms were low enough to show that the 3 tasks were different. (3) Variance on all 3 forms was lower than in the standardization of the MMPI. (4) The mean profiles were highly similar in all 3 groups. (5) The clinical scales were in general highest on self, as were the Si, A, and obvious scales. The L, K, and subtle scales were in general lowest on self. (6) Results based on analysis of item discrepancies rather than scale comparisons showed that the discrepancies tended to be very sizable. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cross-cultural correlates of life satisfaction and self-esteem.

College students in 31 nations (N?=?13,118) completed measures of self-esteem, life satisfaction, and satisfaction with specific domains (friends, family, and finances). The authors assessed whether cross-cultural variations in the strength of associations were related to societal dimensions including income and individualism. At the national level, individualism correlated –.24 (ns) with heterogeneity and .71 (p?     

Perceived trajectories of life satisfaction across past, present, and future: Profiles and correlates of subjective change in young, middle-aged, and older adults.

Despite longitudinal stability in subjective well-being across adulthood, many adults perceive self-related change. This study was aimed at identifying differential subjective change profiles in life satisfaction rated for the present, the past, and the future and to examine their associations with sociodemographic variables and changes in adaptive functioning. The authors addressed this aim using Midlife in the United States survey data from 2 measurement occasions (N = 3,631; age at Time 1: 24-75). A cluster analysis was used to identify a continuous high subgroup and an incremental subgroup at both occasions. A 3rd subgroup was labeled present low at Time 1 and decremental at Time 2. Although the average pattern across individual variables suggested stability, up to 60% of individuals fit profiles depicting perceived change, and some individuals changed subgroup membership over time. After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, subgroups differed in level and change in biopsychosocial measures of adaptive functioning, with sense of control and social relationship quality showing stronger associations than personality and physical health. Results indicate that a person-centered approach to assessing life satisfaction provides a rich and dynamic picture of individual differences in subjective well-being across the adult life span. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The life satisfaction of nonnormal persons.

Tested the proposition that membership in a fixed-status class would be unrelated to life satisfaction. In 2 experiments, questionnaire responses of handicapped persons (144 and 46) were compared with those of normals (151 and 44). No differences were found along the dimensions of life satisfaction, frustration with life, and mood, while some evidence indicated that the handicapped were less suicidal, more religious, more oriented toward the generalized other, and felt their lives were more difficult. Handicapped Ss who acquired their defect did not differ from those born with it. In Exp III, the observed moods of 40 mentally retarded children (mean age = 13) were compared with those of 40 normals (mean age = 13) via a time-sampling procedure while they were in class and at recess at school. Parents and teachers responded to a rating scale indexing intelligence, social adjustment, and happiness for each S. Differences uncovered favored the intelligence and social adjustment of the normals and the happiness of the male retardates. Results are construed as demonstrating essential equivalence in life satisfaction for handicapped, retarded, and normal persons. (16 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dimensions of work satisfaction in the occupational choices of college freshmen.

Intercorrelations among 21 items presumed to cover 3 areas of work satisfaction, based on responses of 200 college freshmen, were subjected to a cluster analysis. 3 independent factors emerged: managerial-aggressive, status-need, and organization-need. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measurement of social caution: Self-appraisal, role playing, and discussion behavior.

3 experiments indicate some characteristics of socially cautious individuals, selected on the basis of a modified leaderless group discussion. As predicted from social learning theory, the cautious participants reported lower expectations for social success, were more reluctant to engage in other social-verbal tasks, were uncomfortable and inhibited at role playing, and indicated lack of confidence on an inventory of social behavior. Their expectations for other kinds of tasks were not different and they did not perform differently on a concept attainment task or in a conformity situation. Their responses suggested that the "caution" measured in the discussion procedure relates to peer rather than authority approval. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Work-family spillover and life satisfaction among professional psychologists.

How do the professional lives of psychologists influence their personal and family lives? Data from 485 psychologists who responded to a survey on professional and family life were analyzed to examine work-to-family spillover, life satisfaction, and family support. Respondents reported a significantly higher incidence of positive spillover, termed family enhancers, than negative spillover, termed family stressors. The low incidence of family stressors suggested that stresses associated with the professional work of psychology do not routinely spill over into professionals' family lives. Both positive and negative spillover, however, played significant roles in mediating the relationship between work and family domains. On the positive side, a sense of personal accomplishment at work was associated with increased family enhancers, which appeared to lead to greater family support and life satisfaction. On the negative side, emotional exhaustion at work was associated with more family stressors, which appeared to lead to less family support and life satisfaction. The implications of these findings for training and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Autonomy and workload among temporary workers: Their effects on job satisfaction, organizational commitment, life satisfaction, and self-rated performance.

This study investigates the role of autonomy and workload in explaining responses of temporary employees (N=189) compared with permanent employees (N=371) on job satisfaction, organizational commitment, life satisfaction, and performance. Results based on regression analyses suggest that the effects of contract type are not mediated by autonomy or by workload. Rather, this study partially supports hypotheses on the differential reactions of temporaries and permanents to autonomy or workload; autonomy was not predictive for temporaries' job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and workload was not predictive for temporaries' life satisfaction, whereas they were predictive for permanents' responses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Culture, personality, and subjective well-being: Integrating process models of life satisfaction.

The authors examined the interplay of personality and cultural factors in the prediction of the affective (hedonic balance) and the cognitive (life satisfaction) components of subjective well-being (SWB). They predicted that the influence of personality on life satisfaction is mediated by hedonic balance and that the relation between hedonic balance and life satisfaction is moderated by culture. As a consequence, they predicted that the influence of personality on life satisfaction is also moderated by culture. Participants from 2 individualistic cultures (United States, Germany) and 3 collectivistic cultures (Japan, Mexico, Ghana) completed measures of Extraversion, Neuroticism, hedonic balance, and life satisfaction. As predicted, Extraversion and Neuroticism influenced hedonic balance to the same degree in all cultures, and hedonic balance was a stronger predictor of life satisfaction in individualistic than in collectivistic cultures. The influence of Extraversion and Neuroticism on life satisfaction was largely mediated by hedonic balance. The results suggest that the influence of personality on the emotional component of SWB is pancultural, whereas the influence of personality on the cognitive component of SWB is moderated by culture. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Misuse of statistical tests in three decades of psychotherapy research.

Reviews the misuse of statistical tests in psychotherapy research studies published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology in the years 1967–1968, 1977–1978, and 1987–1988. It focuses on 3 major problems in statistical practice: inappropriate uses of null hypothesis tests and p values, neglect of effect size, and inflation of Type 1 error rate. The impressive frequency of these problems is documented, and changes in statistical practices over the past 3 decades are interpreted in light of trends in psychotherapy research. The article concludes with practical suggestions for rational application of statistical tests. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Global self-esteem across the life span.

This study provides a comprehensive picture of age differences in self-esteem from age 9 to 90 years using cross-sectional data collected from 326,641 individuals over the Internet. Self-esteem levels were high in childhood, dropped during adolescence, rose gradually throughout adulthood, and declined sharply in old age. This trajectory generally held across gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and nationality (U.S. citizens vs. non-U.S. citizens). Overall, these findings support previous research, help clarify inconsistencies in the literature, and document new trends that require further investigation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor structure within and across three family-assessment procedures.

Examined higher order factor structures within and across the Family Environment Scale (FES), Family Assessment Measure (FAM), and Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales III. A sample of 138 families was obtained; separate analyses were conducted for mothers, fathers, and their adolescent children. Factor structures were assessed with exploratory and confirmatory procedures. The FES exhibited 3 factors consistent with the domains of its underlying model, whereas the FAM exhibited a single factor pertaining to affect. When combined, the instruments exhibited 3 factors pertaining to affect–cohesion, family activities, and control. Correspondence across the instruments was confined to the affect–cohesion and control dimensions. Although results were generally consistent across family members, some differences were noted; most important, mothers had more differentiated factor structures than did fathers or children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived determinants of highs and lows in life satisfaction.

91 men and women aged about 38 yrs (members of the Oakland Growth Study begun in 1932) estimated in 1958–1959 their satisfaction in each year of their lives since high school. Results support the utility of the Life Satisfaction Chart for examining individuals' interpretations of the course of their subjective experience. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)