The exploration of interpersonal relationships has led to the recognition that similarity has played a large role in the relationship quality, e.g. satisfaction, of dyads, specifically romantic dyads. Three categories of similarity have been shown to best predict satisfaction: communication, attitudes, and values. This study examined the actual, perceived, and ideal value similarity of heterosexual romantic dyads at the University of Tennessee and assessed relationship quality which included satisfaction, intimacy, trust, and social provisions. Using stepwise regressions and Pearson Product correlations this study determined that actual, perceived, and ideal value similarity significantly predicted the relationship quality of the individual and the couple. Results showed that no difference was found between actual similarity and perceived similarity in their ability to significantly predict relationship quality. This study primarily explored the relationships of values of the self, partner, and ideal partner in order to further understand relationship quality and identity. Intraindividual and dyadic correlations were formed to assess the degree of similarity of values for each gender and the couple. Results demonstrated that ideal value perceptions were significantly and positively related to relationship quality and also revealed a gender difference. For example, when an individual’s rating of their partner was correlated with the rating of an ideal partner for each gender, results demonstrated a gender difference where only male correlations significantly predicted relationship quality. Possible implications for future research concerning value similarity, gender differences, and identity were then discussed.

This study explored the use of the PAI as a tool to help differentiate borderline personality disorder from two other similar and frequently comorbid disorders of bipolar disorder (I & II) and posttraumatic stress disorder. Using discriminant analysis, the PAI profile scale scores of college counseling center clients that had been given one of these three diagnoses were analyzed. The analysis was able to predict group assignment accurately using four particular scores. A discussion of the predictor variables and clinical presentation of these disorders is offered. Support for the use of the PAI as a routine screening tool in college counseling centers also is suggested.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between transition variables and Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) profiles of university counseling center clients. If these variables have a significant impact on PAI profiles, then understanding how these variables are related to personality profiles will provide important information for diagnosis and treatment planning. Archival data was reviewed for 838 clients seen at a midsized southeastern university counseling center. Transition variables included international or domestic student status, distance from home, student classification (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate), parent education level, and rural or urban classification of hometown. Ethnicity and gender were also considered as important demographic variables. Mean scores were compared on each of the PAI clinical, treatment, and interpersonal scales. The results indicated that there were significant differences between the profiles of international and domestic clients, student clients far from home and student clients close to home, clients by academic classification, White and Non-White clients, and male and female clients. There were insufficient data in the archive to investigate differences between students from rural and urban hometowns. The differences between PAI profiles based on transition variables were relatively minor in terms of differences in means and effect size. Therefore, it is not likely that these variations would alter a decision about client treatment or that clients are at risk of being misdiagnosed or inappropriately prioritized as urgent. The largest differences were found between men and women, suggesting that further research examining the differences between the genders on PAI profiles is necessary. Overall, the research suggests that the PAI is appropriate for use as a screening tool in university counseling centers; however, differences were found which suggest that transition variables may impact the PAI profiles of counseling center clients.

The purpose of this study was to further the developing understanding of mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Although recent studies have examined this construct using various self-report measures, there is a paucity of research concerning the potential impact of mindfulness on unconscious aspects of personality structure as understood in psychodynamic theory. A total of 81 university students were recruited from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and administered several cards from the Thematic Apperception Test, along with two validated self-report measures of mindfulness, and a measure of social desirability. The TAT stories were scored for defensive functioning using the Defense Mechanism Manual (Cramer, 2002), and for quality of object relations using the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale (Westen, 1995). Findings were expected to demonstrate a general maturity of character structure for those participants evidencing greater levels of dispositional mindfulness. The study’s hypotheses were not supported. The study’s discussion touches on the frequently modest relationship between self-report and projective measures of personality characteristics, the potential use of mindfulness as a coping strategy in some cases, the potential relationship between mindfulness and psychotherapeutic outcome, and the need for further research to clarify the role of mindfulness in change processes.

The construct of “suggestibility” has garnered great interest in the field of psychology over the years. It has been invoked as an explanatory construct in social, clinical, and forensic psychology. Yet, the nature of the construct and of its factor structure is unclear. In earlier studies we operationalized suggestibility by measuring conformity, interrogative suggestibility, placebo effects, persuasibility and hypnotizability. There was no discernible factor structure obtained. Similar results were found when we narrowed our focus to sensory suggestibility. There was no cohesion among responsiveness to these types of suggestive situations by examining this phenomenon across eight sensory measures (tactile, auditory, visual, and olfactory). The present study broadens the focus of our research by investigating the stability (test/re-test) of previously evoked suggestion and suggestibility tests (e.g., sensory suggestibility, conformity, interrogative suggestibility, persuasibility, placebo effects, and hypnotizability). Factor analytic methodologies will be applied foreseeing that our previous finding of a non-coherent unitary or multi-factorial solution will be replicated. Results and implications of these findings will be discussed.

The current project examines the relationships between attachment security, parenting style, and mindfulness. The level of mindfulness an individual demonstrates is argued to mediate the relationship between an individual’s attachment security and her respective parenting style. The population is composed of 35 mothers who were drawn from a university clinic setting. Measures utilized included: the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ), which measures adult attachment security, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), which measures the level of mindfulness an individual demonstrates, and the Parental Authority Questionnaire – Revised (PAQ-R), which measures parenting style attitudes. Results demonstrated no significant relationships between attachment security and parenting style. In examining the relationship between attachment security and mindfulness, individuals designated securely attached demonstrated higher levels of mindfulness than their insecure counterparts. With respect to mindfulness and its relationship with parenting style, mindfulness was positively correlated with an authoritative parenting style but did not demonstrate a significant relationship with either an authoritarian or a permissive parenting style. A test of mediation was conducted to examine the relationship between attachment security and parenting style, with mindfulness as the mediator. The model evidenced a significant reduction in the relationship between attachment security and an authoritative parenting style, suggesting that mindfulness successfully mediated this relationship. Mediation was not found in the case of the permissive and authoritarian styles. Discussions of the methodological approach, the implications of these findings, and future directions for research are presented.

The purpose of the present study is to further examine the relationship between personality traits and Psychological Sense of Community (PSC). It attempts to confirm previous research findings that indicate a significant relationship between the Big Five traits and PSC. In addition, it seeks to determine whether selected narrow personality traits are significantly related to PSC and whether those traits add incremental validity to the Big Five personality traits in predicting PSC. This study is a secondary analysis of data collected by Resource Associates, Inc between 2003-2005. Participants (N=1468) were students at a large, southeastern university. Results confirmed a positive relationship between PSC and four of the Big Five traits. Correlational analysis further indicated that all four selected narrow personality traits are positively related to PSC. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that the narrow traits of Career-Decidedness, Optimism, Work Drive, and Sense of Identity, while significant, accounted for a modest proportion of the variance in the prediction of PSC. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

The purpose of the current investigation was to develop the Counselor Color Consciousness Scale (CCCS) that was constructed based on Ridley’s (1995, 2005) theoretical conceptions of this construct. This study aimed to assess the relevance, reliability, and validity of the CCCS as a scientific tool measuring racial attitudes of white therapists and their work with clients of color. The sample consisted of 73 white therapists in Study 1, and 118 white therapists in Study 2. Both studies used a web survey format. Overall, the results were noteworthy in several respects. First, the CCCS showed high internal consistency in both studies. Second, the CCCS demonstrated discriminant and convergent validity. More specifically, the CCCS was significantly correlated, in the hypothesized directions, with multicultural knowledge, confidence in the counseling relationship, an avoidant racial attitude, a dissonant racial attitude, and color blind racial attitudes (and each of its subscales). Finally, the CCCS demonstrated concurrent validity by being correlated, in the hypothesized direction, with the constructs of public and private self-consciousness, affective empathy, and self-monitoring. These findings highlight the fact that the CCCS can be a new variable to be used in multicultural research. Other implications of these findings for theory, practice, and research, the limitations of the study, and directions for future research are discussed.

The current study examined the Spousal Model of Stress in a sample of healthy, married controls (n=52) and a sample of persons with multiple sclerosis and their spousal caregivers (n=51). The Spousal Model of Stress was created by joining together Ruben Hill’s (1958) ABCX Model of Stress and Karney & Bradbury’s (1995) Vulnerability- Stress-Adaptation Model of Marriage. Factors in the Spousal Model include stress, resources/vulnerabilities, perceptions/adaptive processes, and outcomes (marital satisfaction, marital quality, life satisfaction, and depression). The new model revealed that spousal attributions were an important factor in predicting marital quality and marital satisfaction in a group of healthy spouses. Life satisfaction and depression in this group was predicted by amount of perceived stress. The Model also revealed that social support was an important factor in predicting marital quality, marital satisfaction, and life satisfaction in a group of persons with MS and their spousal caregivers. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

The purpose of this study is to investigate object relational and interpersonal functioning among self-injuring and non-injuring college students. It was hypothesized that self-injury would be associated with more pathological object relational functioning as measured by the Mutuality of Autonomy (MOA) and Social Cognition and Object Relation Scale (SCORS). Additionally, it was hypothesized that self-injurers would evidence significantly more global interpersonal distress on the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-32 (IIP-32), as well as show elevations in four of the subscales of the IIP-32; self-sacrifice, non-assertiveness, over-accommodation, and interpersonal neediness. Lastly, a number of publications suggest that childhood abuse is a significant risk factor for later developing self-injurious behaviors. This study hypothesized that object relational functioning as measured by the SCORS and MOA would account for additional variance in self-injury even after abuse is taken into account. A survey of 413 college undergraduates indicated that approximately 18.6% of the sample had self-injured at least once, and rates of self-injury were not significantly different across gender. All 77 of the individuals with a history of self-injury and 77 randomly selected individuals with no history of self-injury were re-contacted and invited to participate in further research. In total, 44 self-injuring and 34 non-injuring individuals took part in the second phase of research. Each of the 78 participants completed the IIP-32, SCORS and the MOA. Findings indicate that individuals with a history of self-injury evidenced significantly more pathological scores on the MOA than individuals with no such history. Results only partially supported the hypothesis that self-injury would be related to significantly more pathological scores on the SCORS, with only one subscale of the SCORS being significantly related to self-injury. Participants with a history of self-injury also endorsed more interpersonal distress on the IIP-32 than did non-injuring participants. In addition, self-injurers were more likely to endorse a pattern of interpersonal functioning characterized by self-sacrifice, interpersonal neediness, non-assertiveness and overaccommodation than were individuals with no history of self-injury. Results of a hierarchical regression did not support the final hypothesis.