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The article provides information on the National Institute on Aging Edward R. Roybal Centers which focused on supporting innovative research that fosters the health and independence of older adults while studying conditions that affect the most vulnerable among Americans aging population. Topics discussed include the primary aims of the iteration of the Royal Center foci, categories of the Roybal Center publications, and name and descriptions of Roybal Centers.

Two types of sexual beliefs, growth and destiny, have been found in past research to be differentially associated with sexual and relationship outcomes; however, past research has not explored these beliefs with dyadic data nor considered common intervening variables that might be pathways through which beliefs influence outcomes. Consequently, using the sexual wholeness model, we analyzed how couples' specific sexual beliefs (growth and destiny) influenced their sexual mindfulness, communication, and functioning within their couple relationships and how each of these variables influenced sexual satisfaction and harmonious sexual passion. Using a national sample of dyadic data from 964 sexually active individuals (482 heterosexual couples) who had been in a committed relationship for at least 2 years, we evaluated an actor/partner structural equation model with distinguishable dyads. We found that while sexual growth and destiny beliefs had a significant association with sexual mindfulness, communication, and functioning for both partners, sexual beliefs had no direct association with sexual satisfaction and harmonious sexual passion. Because growth beliefs had strong associations with sexual communication, it may be beneficial to help couples identify their implicit beliefs and encourage the development of sexual growth beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical research suggests that married women may more commonly experience spousal pornography use as a relational attachment threat and are more likely to experience negative relational outcomes such as distress and loss of trust. The purpose of this study was to develop a grounded theory of married women's response to the discovery or disclosure of spousal pornography use. This study included the experiences of 30 married women who reported spousal pornography use as a threat to relational attachment, who chose to remain with their spouse, and who reported evidence of individual and relational healing thereafter. The research question, "How do married women describe the experience of learning of their spouse's pornography use and the individual and relationship sequelae that follow?" was explored using grounded theory methods to analyze deidentified blogpost accounts emphasizing response to a spouse's pornography use. The results describe a process model highlighting three interrelated informant categories—emotional response, mental response, and physical response—and one resultant category—behavioral response. Implications include (a) the importance of open communication regarding pornography use within relationships, (b) the necessity for individual and relational healing following betrayal trauma, and (c) the role of therapeutic intervention in shaping adaptive healing processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity remains a serious public health concern in rich countries and the current obesogenic food environments and food insecurity are predictors of this disease. The impact of these variables on rising obesity trends is, however, mixed and inconsistent, due to measurement issues and cross‐sectional study designs. To further the work in this area, this review aimed to summarize quantitative and qualitative data on the relationship between these variables, among adults and children across high‐income countries. A mixed‐method systematic review was conducted using 13 electronic databases, up to August 2021. Two authors independently extracted data and evaluated quality of publications. Random‐effects meta‐analysis was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for the association between food insecurity and obesity. Where statistical pooling for extracted statistics related to food environments was not possible due to heterogeneity, a narrative synthesis was performed. Meta‐analysis of 36,113 adults and children showed statistically significant associations between food insecurity and obesity (OR: 1.503, 95% confidence interval: 1.432–1.577, p <.05). Narrative synthesis showed association between different types of food environments and obesity. Findings from qualitative studies regarding a reliance on energy‐dense, nutrient‐poor foods owing to their affordability and accessibility aligned with findings from quantitative studies. Results from both qualitative and quantitative studies regarding the potential links between increased body weight and participation in food assistance programs such as food banks were supportive of weight gain. To address obesity among individuals experiencing food insecurity, wide‐reaching approaches are required, especially among those surrounded by unhealthy food environments which could potentially influence food choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This novel and mixed‐method study investigated food poverty conversations at the beginning of the COVID‐19 pandemic and the subsequent national lockdown on the social media platform Twitter. NodeXL Pro software was used to collect tweets using the terms 'food' and 'poverty' in any order somewhere in a tweet sent on selected days between April 5 and May 23, 2020. The data obtained from NodeXL Pro were cleaned. Social network analysis tools were used to analyse and visualise our data. Using this method, sentiment‐related words (positive or negative words), the top (the most mentioned) 10 hashtags, top words and top word pairs were identified. The patterns of word pairs communicated in our network were visualised based on each word pair's frequency. This also enabled us to carry out a content analysis to create coding of the word pairs' data. A total of 81 249 tweets were identified that contained the terms 'food' and 'poverty'. Our findings revealed that individuals' tweets overwhelmingly contained views about the increase in hunger, food poverty and food insecurity due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Twitter users perceived that when the pandemic measures began, many food‐secure families were pushed into food insecurity due to a rapid rise in unemployment and rising poverty due to the quarantine and stay‐at‐home instructions in place at the time. They also addressed the sharp rise in food poverty being driven by panic buying, food shortages, food affordability and disruptions in food supply and food systems. Our analysis of this data suggests that to mitigate food poverty or to prevent a 'hunger pandemic' for future pandemic emergencies, comprehensive and longer term policy responses and economic supports are needed to strengthen the resilience of food systems. However, the highlighted limitations of this study must be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal ecosystems are constantly buffeted by anthropogenic forces that degrade habitats and alter ecological processes and functions; in turn, this habitat degradation diminishes the ecosystem goods and services on which humans rely. Within the last few decades, the field of restoration ecology has burgeoned into a discipline that marries scientific rigor with functional restoration practice—an idea championed by Pete Peterson and his research. Here, we describe our efforts to restore the hard‐bottom sponge communities of Florida Bay, FL (USA)—a once‐diverse subtropical lagoon severely degraded by cyanobacteria blooms—and the scientific and practical lessons learned from those efforts. Sponge community restoration yielded insights into basic sponge biology and ecology (e.g., density‐dependent growth rates) and hastened the recovery of ecological processes (e.g., rates of sedimentation, structuring of water column characteristics, soundscape productions). Because the results of our initial restoration efforts were promising, our collaboration among academic researchers, natural resource managers, and non‐governmental organizations has begun scaling up restoration efforts to re‐establish the sponge communities over large areas of degraded hard‐bottom to "jump start" the ecological recovery of Florida Bay. Though our efforts show promise for ecological recovery, restoration will require a concerted effort by scientists, resource managers, and citizens to stem the anthropogenic drivers of ecological degradation of this unique South Florida ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An overarching conceptual perspective on motivational interviewing (MI) captures how it evokes intrinsic motivation for change by relying on four key elements: establishing vision, exploring discrepancy, and building efficacy, which coalesce to resolve for change. We suggest that the Christian narrative and doctrines of creation, fall, and redemption, motivating repentance resolve, invoke these same motivating processes. In this paper we explore these parallels between MI and Christian doctrine and use empirical literature to suggest how secular and religious counselors can enhance their efforts to evoke intrinsic motivation for change with religious clients by employing their "native language" within this framework of MI process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In the context of relationship trauma, partners' reactive patterns of engagement can disrupt and derail attempts at relationship correction and healing. A circumplex typology of couple patterns of engagement in relational trauma context is defined in terms of partners' underlying views of self in relation to other (VSIRO). VSIRO is conceptualized along a continuum anchored at opposite poles by inflated (self‐aggrandizing) versus collapsed (self‐abnegating) VSIRO, with a balanced (egalitarian) VSIRO, characterized by accountability and forbearance, as the target position. The circumplex model delineates four problematic couple configurations—a dejected couple, a taker–enabler couple, an ultimate fighting couple, and a debtor–collector couple. Where problematic engagement occurs, therapists need to reshape couple engagement toward the balanced, egalitarian position prior to relational trauma work. Clinical vignettes depict these couples and springboard an analysis of unique needs and interventions associated with each couple configuration. Reshaping couple patterns of engagement using a circumplex model of couple configurations is an essential prerequisite to effective and ethical relational trauma work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine sponges are hosts to large, diverse communities of microorganisms. These microbiomes are distinct among sponge species and from seawater bacterial communities, indicating a key role of host identity in shaping its resident microbial community. However, the factors governing intraspecific microbiome variability are underexplored and may shed light on the evolutionary and ecological relationships between host and microbiome.Here, we examined the influence of genetic variation and geographic location on the composition of the Ircinia campana microbiome.We developed new microsatellite markers to genotype I. campana from two locations in the Florida Keys, USA, and characterized their microbiomes using V4 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing.We show that microbial community composition and diversity is influenced by host genotype, with more genetically similar sponges hosting more similar microbial communities. We also found that although I. campana was not genetically differentiated between sites, microbiome composition differed by location.Our results demonstrate that both host genetics and geography influence the composition of the sponge microbiome. Host genotypic influence on microbiome composition may be due to stable vertical transmission of the microbial community from parent to offspring, making microbiomes more similar by descent. Alternatively, sponge genotypic variation may reflect variation in functional traits that influence the acquisition of environmental microbes. This study reveals drivers of microbiome variation within and among locations, and shows the importance of intraspecific variability in mediating eco‐evolutionary dynamics of host‐associated microbiomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a circumplex model and typology of patterns of couple engagement to help therapists assess and shape positive couple engagement, prerequisite to successful resolution of relational trauma. View or value of self in relation to other (VSIRO) is conceived as a primary engine organizing couple relationships and patterns of engagement. VSIRO is conceptualized along a continuum anchored at opposite poles by inflated (self-aggrandizing) versus collapsed (self-negating) VSIRO, with a balanced (egalitarian) VSIRO as the target position, consisting of self and other mutuality, respect, and equality. Two axes (one for each partner) form the circumplex model of five couple configurations-four quadrants plus a balanced, mid-axes region. Using couple configuration conceptualization to address patterns of engagement is an essential prerequisite to resolving couple relational trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conflict arising from differences in business practices. standards, values, and norms guiding behavior are inherent in international business. These conflicts are evident in Mexico's maquiladora industry, particularly relating to issues of worker health, safety, and environment. This article extends a model of conflict management; illustrates the model's dimensions with case study examples; discusses strategic human resource management implications of the model's various outcomes; offers recommendations for managing worker health, safety, and environment issues; and identifies directions for future research. INSET: Table III: Strengths, Weaknesses, HRM Outcomes, & Examples.... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anger is a significant human emotion with far‐reaching implications for individuals and relationships. We propose a transactional model of anger that highlights its relational relevance and potentially positive function, in addition to problematic malformations. By evolutionary design, physical, self‐concept, or attachment threats all similarly trigger diffuse physiological arousal, psychologically experienced as anger‐emotion. Anger is first a signaling and motivational system. Anger is then formed to affirming, productive use or malformed to destructive ends. A functional, prosocial approach to anger organizes it for protective and corrective personal and relational adaptation. In our model, threat perception interacts with a person's view of self in relation to other to produce helpful or harmful anger. Inflated or collapsed views of self in relation to other produce distinct manifestations of destructive anger that are harmful to self, other, and relationship. Conversely, a balanced view of self in relation to other promotes constructive anger and catalyzes self, other, and relationship healing. Clinical use of the model to shape healing personal and relational contact with anger is explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This retrospective cohort study compared blood pressure (BP) control (BP <140/90 mm Hg) and all-cause mortality between US- and foreign-born blacks. We used data from a clinical data warehouse of 41 868 patients with hypertension who received care in a New York City public healthcare system between 2004 and 2009, defining BP control as the last recorded BP measurement and mean BP control. Poisson regression demonstrated that Caribbean-born blacks had lower BP control for the last BP measurement compared with US- and West African-born blacks, respectively (49% vs 54% and 57%; P<.001). This pattern was similar for mean BP control. Caribbean- and West African-born blacks showed reduced hazard ratios of mortality (0.46 [95% CI, 0.42-0.50] and 0.28 [95% CI, 0.18-0.41], respectively) compared with US-born blacks, even after adjustment for BP. BP control rates and mortality were heterogeneous in this sample. Caribbean-born blacks showed worse control than US-born blacks. However, US-born blacks experienced increased hazard of mortality. This suggests the need to account for the variations within blacks in hypertension management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel ideas are needed to increase adherence to antihypertensive medication. The current study used data from the Counseling African Americans to Control Hypertension (CAATCH) study, a sample of 442 hypertensive African Americans, to investigate the mediating effects of expectation of hypertension care, social support, hypertension knowledge, and medication adherence, adjusting for age, sex, number of medications, diabetes, education, income, employment, insurance status, and intervention. Sixty-six percent of patients had an income of $20,000 or less and 56% had a high school education or less, with a mean age of 57 years. Greater expectation of care was associated with greater medication adherence (P=.007), and greater social support was also associated with greater medication adherence (P=.046). Analysis also showed that expectation of care mediated the relationship between hypertension knowledge and medication adherence (P<.05). Expectation of care and social support are important factors for developing interventions to increase medication adherence among blacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of self-reported attachment change (avoidance and anxiety) in the context of six sessions of couple therapy designed to emphasize both therapist-centered and couple-centered (i.e., enactment-based) clinical process during the beginning stages of therapy. A total of 48 couples with at least one partner who reported clinically significant relationship dissatisfaction participated in this study. Findings confirmed that some couples experience positive attachment-related change (anxiety or avoidance), while also identifying a subset of individuals who may not experience optimal levels of attachment-related change. In addition, findings point toward both differences and similarities between change trajectories for avoidance and anxiety. Finally, there was evidence that socio-demographic factors may be associated with attachment change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been intensive effort to identify in vivo biomarkers that can be used to monitor drug-induced kidney damage and identify injury before significant impairment occurs. Kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and human macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) have been validated as urinary and plasma clinical biomarkers predictive of acute and chronic kidney injury and disease. Similar validation of a high throughput in vitro assay predictive of nephrotoxicity could potentially be implemented early in drug discovery lead optimization to reduce attrition at later stages of drug development. To assess these known in vivo biomarkers for their potential for in vitro screening of drug-induced nephrotoxicity, we selected a panel of nephrotoxic agents and examined their effects on the overexpression of nephrotoxicity biomarkers in immortalized (HK-2) and primary (commercially available and freshly in-house produced) human renal proximal tubule epithelial cells. Traditional cytotoxicity was contrasted with expression levels of KIM-1, NGAL, and M-CSF assessed using ELISA and real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Traditional cytotoxicity assays and biomarker assays using HK-2 cells were both unsuitable for prediction of nephrotoxicity. However, increases in protein levels of KIM-1 and NGAL in primary cells were well correlated with dose levels of known nephrotoxic compounds, with limited correlation seen in M-CSF protein and mRNA levels. These results suggest that profiling compounds against primary cells with monitoring of biomarker protein levels may have potential as in vitro predictive assays of drug-induced nephrotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attachment issues are viewed by many therapists as lying at the heart of couple distress. It is critical to empirically validate therapy processes that facilitate couples in responding to each other's attachment needs. This study examined enactments as a therapy process and change mechanism to promote secure attachment in couple therapy. Sixteen couples were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 experimental groups-1 group received 3 therapist-centered sessions followed by 3 enactment-based sessions, and a second group received 3 enactment-based sessions followed by 3 therapist-centered sessions. To measure between-session and within-session change, each spouse completed presession and postsession measures of attachment security each week. Results showed that couples who received enactment-based sessions first reported greater increases in attachment security than those receiving therapist-centered sessions first. These same couples continued to show improvement after switching to the therapist-centered sessions. Conversely, couples who received therapist-centered sessions first did not increase attachment after switching to enactment-based sessions. For wives, enactment-based sessions produced the greatest improvement in attachment, yet both therapy process modalities led to some improvement. Conversely, for husbands, attachment improved only when they received enactment-based sessions first. Enactment-based sessions may therefore be more important for husbands than wives. Overall, with some qualification it appears that enactment-based therapy process may improve attachment more than a therapist-centered process. These observed trends and findings are generally consistent with previous research supporting use of enactments in couple therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A critical and potentially polarizing decision in treating infidelity is whether facilitating partner disclosure or accommodating nondisclosure is most beneficial following private disclosure of infidelity to the therapist. Given couple distress and volatility following disclosure, understandably some therapists judge accommodating an infidelity secret both efficient and compassionate. Employing Western ethics and an attachment/intimacy lens, we consider ethical, pragmatic, and attachment intimacy implications of accommodating infidelity secrets. Issues bearing on the decision to facilitate disclosure or accommodate nondisclosure include (a) relationship ethics and pragmatics; (b) attachment and intimacy consequences; and (c) prospects for healing. We conclude that facilitating voluntary disclosure of infidelity, although difficult and demanding, represents the most ethical action with the best prospects for renewed and vital attachment intimacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical data, clinical observation, and theoretical rationales support use of enactments as a fundamental mechanism of change in relationship therapies. Yet beginning therapists may lack an adequate conceptual framework and operational training essential to effectively utilize enactments. Inadequate training may contribute to ineffective execution, and in turn to negative results, which could lead to abandonment of enactments. This study sought to identify proficiencies and nonproficiencies of beginning therapists in conducting enactments. Twenty beginning therapists from three Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE)-accredited programs were briefly trained in an indirect therapy style that incorporates enactments. Twenty-six therapist enactments were coded using a comprehensive observational measure designed to assess proficiencies and nonproficiencies in executing enactment phases, component tasks, and subcomponent operations. Results suggest that beginning therapists struggle with numerous clinical operations conceptually linked to the successful engagement of relationships in marriage and family therapy. In light of these findings, specific recommendations for additional enactment training in COAMFTE-accredited programs are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we evaluated the effectiveness of proxy voice (therapist acting as client's "voice") intervention, embedded within couple enactments, on client-perceived softening. The primary research question was whether use of proxy voice would be more likely to bring about softening, or if its use was counterintuitive to enactment conceptualization and would elicit struggle behavior (e.g., withdrawal or negativity). Results indicate that proxy voice has a significant, positive association with softening and is inversely related to withdrawal or negativity. Preliminary findings suggest that proxy voice intervention embedded within a fluid, carefully delineated, and discriminating model of enactments effectively facilitates essential elements of couple interaction (expression of primary affect and articulation of self-concept and attachment threats) while promoting self-reliant couple interaction and increased softening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activity causes wintering waterfowl to expend energy to avoid humans at a time in their annual cycle when energy conservation is important to survival, migration, and breeding reserves. Understanding the effects of recreational activities on waterfowl is important to managing natural resource areas where migratory birds depend on wetland habitat for resting and feeding. We investigated responses of 7 species of dabbling ducks to 5 different experimental human activities, (a pedestrian, a bicyclist, a truck traveling at 2 different speeds, and an electric passenger tram). Responses of ducks depended on type of disturbance, species, and distance from disturbances. Most birds responded to the treatments. People walking and biking disturbed ducks more than vehicles did. Northern pintail (Anas acuta) was the species least sensitive to disturbance, whereas American wigeon (A. americana), green-winged teal (A. crecca), and gadwall (A. strepera) were most sensitive. Ducks were more likely to fly when closer to sources of disturbance. These results will be helpful to managers making decisions about public use that strive to minimize disturbance of dabbling ducks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enactments are a potential common clinical process factor contributing to positive outcomes in many relational therapies. Enactments provide therapists a medium for mediating relationships through simultaneous experiential intervention and change at multiple levels of relationships--including specific relationship disagreements and problems, interaction process surrounding these issues, and underlying emotions and attachment issues confounded with those problems. We propose a model of enactments in marriage and family therapy, consisting of three components--initiation operations, intervention operations, and evaluation operations. We offer a conceptual framework to help clinicians know when and to what purpose to use this model of enactments. We provide an operational description of each component of an enactment, exemplifying them using a hypothetical clinical vignette. Directions for future research are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in change interventions that are common to different models of relationship therapy has spurred investigation of enactments as one such candidate. In change-focused enactments, therapists structure and coach couple/family interaction, as opposed to channeling interaction through the therapist. Still, varying levels of couple/family distress, volatility, and reactivity mean that readiness for enactment intervention varies along a broad continuum and changes over the course of therapy. This suggests the need for differentiated enactments. Currently, however, no model exists for adapting enactments to changing relationship conditions. We propose a five-stage developmental model of clinical operations in couple therapy that adapts the process and structure of enactments to changing levels of relationship distress, interactional volatility, and emotional reactivity. The model increases the possibility for therapists to use enactments successfully over the entire course of couple therapy. Issues to be considered in using the couple enactments model as a template for the development of enactment models for other relationship systems are noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forgiveness is a significant intervention for healing interpersonal injury. Yet therapists do not often use forgiveness intervention. Employing a semantic perspective and a survey design (n = 307), this study investigated whether the language used to rationalize forgiveness intervention (set at five levels: personal growth, relationship reconciliation, spiritual issue, others' growth, and pardoning/condoning) may affect its acceptability. Gender, problem type, and choice were also included in the analyses. Overall, forgiveness was found to be an acceptable intervention. A pardoning/condoning rationale led to significantly lower acceptability ratings. Other results are discussed. We conclude that therapists should be less apprehensive about using forgiveness, but need to inform themselves better concerning its purpose, process, and articulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on a study which evaluated an ethical decision-making model for family therapists. The essence of therapy is the helping relationship. Thus the goal of any clinical model, including a code of professional ethics is to describe as definitively as possible the idea helping relationship. Departures from ideal conditions must be warranted by significant and highly probable benefit, not outweighed by the possibility of countervailing harm. Sonic departures from ideal clinical conditions are of such gravity that they are expressly prohibited. as in the case of dual therapist sexual partner relationships. The prohibition of other departures is not absolute, but decidedly cautionary. The authors agree with Hill and Mamalakis that apparently unavoidable departures from ethical guidelines-as in the case of a duaI relationship within religious, rural, or minority communities-must be cautiously evaluated to avoid too casual dismissal of a prudent and consensus-based ethical standard.

This article explores some of the issues surrounding changing patterns of managerial careers, management development and management education in the UK and the USA. It addresses three lines of questioning: the new rhetoric of careers in the new economy, the evidence on changing organisational forms and the implications for careers and management development and education, and the future of management education and the role of business schools. The article is intended as a 'think piece' and acts as a backdrop for a comparative study of management development in Scotland and California currently being undertaken by the authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistance or struggle in therapy looms large as a predictor of treatment outcomes. This study organizes the significant empirical data on struggle into a coherent, operational framework for use by therapists in preventing and/or ameliorating harmful struggle in therapy. First, we review the prevalence and significance of struggle. Second, we offer a historical and conceptual overview, with emphasis on a contemporary interactional/systemic perspective on struggle. Third, we provide a synthesis of peer-reviewed research, profiling struggle at speech-act and episode levels of interaction process and across assessment/joining, intervention, and integration-consolidation phases of therapy. Fourth, based upon this review, we propose a three-factor model--consisting of eliciting dialogue, enactments, and accommodation--for successful therapy process relative to the occurrence of struggle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapist-couple struggle vs. cooperation is linked to clinical outcome. This research conceptualizes and investigates treatment process as it relates to the occurrence of struggle versus cooperation, Models of couple-responsible and therapist-responsible process in couple therapy were developed. Couple-responsible process consists of enactments, accommodation, and inductive process. Therapist-responsible process consists of primary therapist-couple interaction, therapist interpretation, and direct instruction. In counterbalanced order, 25 couples were exposed to couple-responsible and therapist-responsible episodes during one therapy session. Couples reviewed videotapes of the episodes and completed measures of responsibility, struggle, and cooperation. Perceived responsibility was higher and struggle was lower during couple-responsible episodes. No difference in cooperation was found. Presence or absence of a contrast condition, where couples reported on one therapist process after already experiencing its opposite, led to main effects for responsibility and struggle, and mediated effects of struggle and cooperation. Generally speaking, responsibility was even higher during couple-responsible episodes and even lower during therapist-responsible episodes when contrast was present. Similarly, struggle was even lower during couple-responsible episodes and even higher during therapist-responsible episodes when contrast was present. For bath couple-responsible and therapist-responsible episodes, cooperation was negatively affected by a shift from the prior, opposite therapist process. Significant proportions of the variance in responsibility, struggle, and cooperation, however, were not accounted for by therapist process alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For religious couples, the spiritual domain stands alongside biological, psychological, and systemic domains as an influence upon interaction and mechanism for change. A qualitative methodology consisting of structured interviews of religious spouses was used to investigate effects of prayer on couple interaction during conflict. A reliable description of the dynamics of prayer across spouse interviews was extracted by four analysts using a group interpretive procedure. Findings suggest that prayer invokes a couple-God system, which significantly influences couple interaction during conflict. Overall, prayer appears to be a significant ‘softening’ event for religious couples, facilitating reconciliation and problem solving. Prayer 1) invokes an experience of relationship with Deity; 2) deescalates hostile emotions and reduces emotional reactivity; 3) enhances relationship and partner orientation and behavior; 4) facilitates empathy and unbiased perspective; 5) increases self-change focus; and 6) encourages couple responsibility for reconciliation and problem solving. Therapists' support of religious couples' use of prayer as a change mechanism is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article investigates the psychometric properties of the Health Opinion Survey (HOS) in terms of dimensional characteristics and factor invariance. The study also explores relationships of the HOS with family and job strain, dissatisfaction with the work environment, and the occurrence of physical disorders. Data were collected from two independent samples of the U. S. Navy enlisted personnel. Results indicated that the total HOS scale possessed acceptable internal consistency, but could be reduced to reflect physical and psychological distress dimensions.

Opinion. Discusses the issue of pseudoreplication as published by Stuart Hurlbert in his review of ecological literature. Definition of pseudoreplication; Types of pseudoreplication; Incidence of pseudoreplication.

The authors investigated gender differences in psychological problems in the career decision making (CDM) process of young adults. Specifically, problems with decision anxiety, life-goal awareness, luck-fate orientation, authority orientation, and secondary gain motivation were investigated. Methodology involved administering the Career Decision Diagnostic Assessment (CDDA) instrument to 1,006 college students from four universities. Results indicated no gender differences in global levels of problems in CDM. Women reported more problems with life-goal awareness and authority orientation than did men. Men reported more problems with secondary gain motivations than did women. The results are discussed in terms of implications for gender-differentiated career counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the degree to which the role transitions model postulated by Burr (1972) could be used to explore the incompatibility between family and job role demands as a source of job-related stress. The sample consisted of 181 married sailors aboard four deployed U.S. Navy ships. These individuals responded to questionnaires about different aspects of job-role conflict and ambiguity, goal attainment facilitation, role strain, and family/work role incompatibility. Relationships among the various measures were assessed on both a concurrent and predictive basis employing correlational and hierarchical regression techniques. The results suggested that incompatibility between job and family demands is significantly related to the ease of the role transition process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated whether narrative job descriptions could be converted to quantitative rating scores using traditional job analysis questionnaire techniques. Detailed written descriptions of 121 job categories in a military health care facility were rated using the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ), Indices of interrater agreement suggested acceptable levels of agreement for job dimension scores derived from these ratings. Further, when regressed against GATB abilities estimates, the job dimension scores produced values very similar to those reported by previous studies using the PAQ, Finally, cluster analyses of the 121 job categories suggested that the dimensions reflected important differences and similarities among the job categories and thus provided a viable means of grouping jobs into higher order families. Potential uses for data derived from narrative job descriptions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This field study was designed to examine the impact of an organizationally sponsored exercise program on attitudes and self-perceptions under shipboard conditions. Pre- and postsurvey data were collected from 245 Navy and Marine Corps men participating in either experimental circuit weight-training (N=111) or control (N=134) groups. Survey measures included: (1) attitudes towards the organization; (2) perceptions of performance, health, self-esteem and stress, and (3) turnover intent. Results indicate that organizational commitment, satisfaction and internal work motivation declined significantly during the study period. Reported job stress decreased significantly during the study for the exercise group while increasing among control group members. No significant (p<0.05) time or group by time effects for indices of self-perception were observed. Findings suggest that organizationally induced, stress: (1) affects attitudes towards the organization in a negative direction; and (2) is attenuated somewhat by involvement in an exercise program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the factors that influence subjective well-being of rural adults in late old age in the united States. Includes personal competence, health and economic adequacy; Change in morale; Marriage as a positive predictor of morale.

Incoporating both Bowenian and structural approaches, this article offers a constructivist view for dealing with religious belief systems of couples. After exploring the evolving process by which couples mutually define an ongoing triadic relationship with their Deity, different triangular processes from an integrated structural and Bowenian perspective are presented. This view is evaluative in terms of the triangulation process rather than the belief systems themselves, and, as such, it can be useful in marital therapy regardless of the religious beliefs of the therapist. Implications for marital therapy are examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]