Work-family conflict and burnout among practicing psychologists.

Research has found that men and women psychologists experience burnout differentially depending on the work setting. A total of 497 psychologists responded to a survey designed to replicate this finding and to investigate the role of work-family conflict in contributing to this difference. Results failed to replicate gender differences in levels of burnout according to work setting. In general, the overall pattern of results was the same for men and women. Findings indicated that family support was important for well-being at work and that conflict between work and family domains was associated with burnout. Mediational models indicated that work-family conflict and family-work conflict can help researchers understand the process by which resources or demands in work and family domains influence burnout at work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Recall latency following pure- and mixed-strength lists: A direct test of the relative strength model of free recall.

Strong items (e.g., those studied for a longer period of time) are not recalled faster than weak items in pure-strength lists. Although counterintuitive, this result is consistent with a relative strength model of free recall. In mixed-strength lists, by contrast, the relative strength model requires that strong items be recalled significantly faster than weak items. A considerable body of recent research on this issue suggests that, if anything, the opposite may be true. Four experiments reported here measured free-recall latency following pure- and mixed-strength lists. Recall latency for strong items was consistently shorter than that for weak items, but in mixed lists only. Moreover, as uniquely predicted by a relative strength model, in mixed lists, strong items were recalled more quickly than items from a pure-strength list of the same size, and weak items were recalled more slowly by a corresponding amount. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stability, bistability, and instability in small group influence patterns.

Three models of change and continuity in group structure were tested using existing longitudinal data on 20 small groups. Groups met face-to-face or via a computer-mediated communication system for 13 wks. Computer-mediated groups fit the robust equilibrium pattern best, with initial fluctuations in the influence hierarchy followed by a more stable structure that persisted despite changes in operating conditions. Face-to-face groups fit a bistable punctuated equilibrium pattern best, retaining their initial influence structure until an environmental cue triggered a shift. Contrary to the predictions of this model for radical change, adjustments were modest. Poor performance on tasks failed to trigger changes predicted by the adaptive response model, probably because outcomes were not very important to group members. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction: The JEMCO-2 Study of time, technology, and groups

An experimental study of 60 work groups that met weekly either face to face or via a computer conferencing system for seven weeks is described. The experimental design, computer technology, experimental tasks, and composition of the groups are described in detail. A brief overview is given of the five empirical pieces in this special issue that report findings from this experimental study.     

Time, technology and groups: An integration

This paper summarizes main findings of the five empirical papers in this issue, and discusses certain themes that connect them.     

Expression of 4F2-activation antigen in middle ear cholesteatoma

Cholesteatoma consists of a keratinising squamous epithelium in the middle ear cavity. The human 4F2 antigen appears at the end of the phase G0 and at the beginning of the phase G1, remaining detectable throughout mitosis. This antigen is therefore considered to be an activation marker. In this study the presence and distribution of 4F2 in the cholesteatoma epithelium was investigated using monoclonal antibodies and the alkaline-phosphatase-anti-alkaline-phosphatase method. Normal skin showed positive immunostaining exclusively in the basal keratinocytes. In contrast, all cholesteatomas showed a suprabasal expression of the 4F2 antigen. The results confirm the hyperproliferative character of cholesteatoma epithelium.     

Maternal behavior in rats: Evidence for the involvement of preoptic projections to the ventral tegmental area.

In Exp I, with 21 female Charles River CD rats, bilateral electrolytic lesions of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) severely disrupted maternal behavior. In Exp II, with 56 Ss, lactating Ss that received a unilateral knife cut severing the lateral connections of the medial preoptic area (MPOA) paired with a contralateral lesion of the VTA showed more severe maternal behavior deficits than Ss that received (a) a cut severing the lateral connections of the MPOA paired with an ipsilateral VTA lesion; (b) a cut severing the lateral connections of the MPOA paired with a contralateral lesion of the medial hypothalamus posterior to the MPOA; or (c) a cut severing the lateral connections of the lateral preoptic area paired with a contralateral VTA lesion. The oral components of maternal behavior (retrieving and nest building) were particularly affected as a result of bilateral damage to the system extending from the preoptic area to the VTA. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Earthquake activity near Ascension Island, South Atlantic Ocean, as seen by a combined seismic/hydrophone array

Earthquake activity in the vicinity of Ascension Island is studied using data from a recently installed, very broadband seismographic station and a network of ocean hydrophones deployed around the island. The seismic station ASCN recorded 121 local earthquakes over a 188-day period. Distance from ASCN is computed for 41 of these events, most of which occurred at approximately 100 km—the distance to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. A local magnitude scale is calibrated and applied to the same 41 events with mahnitudes ranging from 0.4 to 4.2. Six earthquakes were located using data from the hydrophones and ASCN. Two of the earthquakes occur on the Ascension Fracture Zone 35 km northwest of the island and the other four near the ridge-transform intersection. The locations have errors less than 10 km and frequently less than 3 km. There is no direct evidence for seismicity connected with geothermal activity on Ascension Island during the observation period.     

Infants' manipulative exploration of objects: Effects of age and object characteristics.

Examined the ways that infants acquire information about the haptic and visual properties of objects. The 1st study was a cross-sectional investigation of exploratory behavior in 60 6-, 9-, and 12-mo-old infants. Each S was presented with 2 series of objects having some common characteristic. Several general behaviors—looking, handling, mouthing, and banging—were considered along with more specific measures—turning the object while looking, alternating between looking and mouthing, transferring the object from hand to hand, and fingering. Duration of mouthing and particular types of mouthing decreased with age, whereas fingering and other more precise forms of manipulation increased. There were significant stimulus effects showing that the Ss adjusted their behavior to the particular characteristics of the objects. Decrements with increasing familiarization were also observed in most behaviors. The 2nd study addressed the issue of whether the different behaviors are actually used to pick up information about object characteristics. 48 9- and 12-mo-old infants were presented with 3 problems that involved a period of familiarization followed by a trial in which the object was changed along 1 dimension: shape, texture, or weight. Ss' behavior in the change trials suggests that different types of manipulation are used to explore the different changes. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)