The work environment in which South African employees have to function in is highly demanding, offering them little in terms of job security, but simultaneously expecting them to give more in terms of inter alia flexibility, competency, and effort. Tracking and addressing government employees' functioning in areas that could affect their wellness and consequent standard of service is essential. Job insecurity, affectivity, burnout and work engagement are specific focus areas in this research. It is important to use reliable and valid measuring instruments to measure these constructs. It appears that job insecurity may affect employees' levels of burnout and work engagement and that affectivity may also influence the stress outcome relationship. A lack of South African research exists regarding job insecurity and wellness of employees, hence the importance of this research. The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationship between job insecurity, affectivity, burnout, and work engagement of employees (N = 297) in a government organisation. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Constructs were measured by means of the Job Insecurity Inventory (JII), the Affectometer 2 (AFM 2), the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). The research method for each of the three articles consists of a brief literature review and an empirical study. Exploratory factor analyses, as well as Cronbach's alphas were computed to assess the reliability and validity of the OLBI, UWES and AFM 2. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the construct validity of the JII, while alpha coefficients were computed to assess the internal consistency of its scales. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data and Pearson product moment correlation coefficients, as well as regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between the constructs employed in this research. Structural equation modeling results confirmed the two-factor structure of the JII, consisting of an affective and cognitive dimension, although a one-factor model also resulted in a good, but not superior fit. Exploratory factor analyses of the OLBI resulted in a two-factor model of burnout, consisting of exhaustion disengagement and engagement subscale and the UWES resulted in a one-factor model of engagement. Exploratory factor analyses of the AFM 2 resulted in a two-factor model, consisting of a negative and positive affect scale. All scales used in this research demonstrated adequate internal consistencies. It was found that white participants experience higher levels of cognitive job insecurity and lower levels of engagement (OLBI) compared to black participants. Shorter tenure was associated with increased engagement (OLBI). It was furthermore found that participants who had been working in the organisation for less than one year and those who worked for two to five years demonstrated higher levels of positive affect compared to employees who had been working in the organisation for 11 years and longer. Regarding negative affect, it was established that participants with tenure less than one year presented lower negative affect levels compared to participants who had been employed in the organisation for longer. Job insecurity and burnout were found to be statistically significantly correlated. Cognitive and affective job insecurity demonstrated a practically significant relationship with work engagement. Positive and negative affectivity showed a practically significant correlation with both the affective and cognitive job insecurity scales and work engagement. Positive affectivity partially mediated the relationship between cognitive job insecurity and exhaustion disengagement. Furthermore, both positive and negative affectivity partially mediated the relationship between cognitive job insecurity and work engagement. Conclusions are made, limitations of the current research are discussed and recommendations for future research are put forward. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2005.

Recent estimates suggest that a large percentage of the population experiences some type of traumatic event over the course of the lifetime, but a relatively small proportion of individuals develop severe, long-lasting problems (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder; PTSD). One major goal for trauma researchers is to understand what factors contribute to these differential outcomes, and much of this research has examined correlates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity. An important next step in this line of research is the development of conceptual frameworks to foster a deeper understanding of the relationships among these diverse predictors of PTSD and their predictive power in relation to each other. A framework proposed by Rubin, Boals, and Hoyle centers on the influence of narrative centrality (construal of a traumatic experience as central to one's identity and to the life story) and negative affectivity (the tendency to experience negative emotion and to interpret situations and experiences in a negative light), suggesting many variables may correlate with PTSD symptoms via shared variance with these two factors. With a sample of 477 participants recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk, this dissertation project extended the work of Rubin and colleagues by a) utilizing structural equation modeling techniques to simultaneously examine relationships among variables, b) investigating the utility of the model with a carefully-selected list of PTSD correlates, c) extending the model by including PTSD symptom severity, and d) exploring both direct and indirect effects to assess the roles of narrative centrality and negative affectivity as they relate to known PTSD correlates and PTSD symptom severity. PTSD correlates included social support quality and quantity, peritraumatic dissociation, negative posttraumatic cognitions, perceived injustice, and negative religious coping. Hypotheses were partially supported, and there was some evidence that the model may be effective in distinguishing between variables more and less germane to the individual's construal of a traumatic experience.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to identify the partners' traits and skills that predict relationship satisfaction in committed, premarital relationships in which one person has neurotic traits, as well as to examine the degree of consensus about neuroticism for both individuals. Data from 198 never-married, young adult, premarital couples who had completed the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE) questionnaire were used in the analyses. Measures of perceived partner traits and skills included levels of empathic communication, clear sending, flooding, kindness, flexibility, criticism, and contempt and defensiveness. Relationship satisfaction as measured by RELATE was the criterion variable. Results showed little agreement between self and partner perceptions of the specific neurotic traits manifested by neurotic individuals; that is, levels of anxiety, depression, anger, and low self-esteem. A negative relationship between partner-rated neurosis and each person's relationship satisfaction, however, was present for both genders. The significant positive predictors of the neurotic female actor's relationship satisfaction were her perceptions of her partner's: 1) empathic communication, 2) flexibility, and 3) clear sending, as well as 4) the length of the relationship. The only significant predictor of the non-neurotic male partner's relationship satisfaction was the neurotic female actor's perception of his empathic communication. The significant predictors of the neurotic male actor's relationship satisfaction were his perceptions of his partner's: 1) criticism (a negative relationship), 2) kindness, 3) flooding (a negative relationship), and 4) empathic communication. The significant predictors of the healthy female partner's relationship satisfaction were the neurotic male actor's perceptions of her: 1) kindness, 2) flexibility, 3) criticism, 4) flooding, and 5) empathic communication, as well as 6) the length of the relationship. These results suggest that certain partner traits and skills may help to increase the relationship satisfaction for both partners in relationships in which one partner possesses neurotic traits. Implications of these results for therapists working with premarital couples in which one partner has neurotic traits are outlined.

Extant research suggests a link between child temperamental negativity and parental anxiety and depression. However, most studies focus on temperamental negativity generally, and over fairly short longitudinal time spans. The present study extended the time span well beyond immediate postnatal infancy and explored associations between specific child temperament dimensions, both positive and negative, and parental psychopathology. We expected positive relationships between temperamental negative affectivity and parental mental health problems, but an inverse relation involving temperamental effortful control. Data were collected on child temperament, and parental anxiety and depression, using a cross-sectional design and anonymous survey methodology across five child age groups: infancy (INF; 3 - 13 months, N ≅ 83), toddler (TOD; 14 - 36 months, N ≅ 94), early childhood (EC; 3 - 7 years, N ≅ 81), middle/late childhood (MLC; 8 - 10 years, N ≅ 31), and early adolescence (EA; 10 - 15 years, N ≅ 38). REDCap survey links were published on several dozen social media outlets and relevant listservs. Across all datasets, parental respondents primarily identified as white and female. Child gender distribution was approximately equal between girls and boys. We used the Rothbart family of instruments to assess temperamental negative affectivity and effortful control in each sample (i.e., IBQ-R Short Form, ECBQ Short Form, CBQ Short Form, TMCQ Standard Form, and EATQ-R Short Form, respectively). Parental anxiety was measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7), and parental depression was measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Associations involving child negative affectivity were generally consistent with expectations. Results indicated positive correlations between parental anxiety and child negative affectivity in 4 out of 5 groups (INF: r(83) = .25, p = .02; TOD: r(94) = .27, p = .01; EC: r(81) = .37, p < .001; EA: r(39) = .57, p < .001), and between parental depression and child negative affectivity in all age groups (INF: r(81) = .26, p = .02; TOD: r(91) = .22, p = .03; EAC: r(80) = .26, p = .02; MLC: r(30) = .42, p = .02; EAA: r(37) = .42, p = .01). Effortful control was negatively, but less robustly, correlated with parental anxiety (TOD: r(94) = -.22, p = .03; EAA: r(39) = -.44, p = .02) and depression (TOD: r(91) = -.29, p = .01; MLC: r(30) = .45, p = .01). Although we make no assumptions regarding directions of effect between child temperament and parental mental health, bidirectional influences seem likely. For example, parental mental health problems probably exacerbate temperamental negative affectivity, and temperamental negative affectivity probably exacerbates parental mental health problems. This study provides an important expansion of the timeframes of associations between parental mental health and child temperament.

The relationship of attributional style to anxiety and depression in children and adolescents has received little attention in comparison to studies conducted with adult populations. However, preliminary studies suggest that children and adolescents evidence similar attributional style patterns to those expressed by adults. This study further examines the relationship of anxiety and depression to attributional style to determine the utility and applicability of the adult model to children and adolescents. In addition, this study examines the accuracy of obtaining attributional style ratings using hypothetical events (i.e., questionnaire method) versus real-life events. Further, this study was designed to study the relationship of emotional measures of anxiety and depression (Le., Children's Depression Inventory and Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale) versus cognitive measures of anxiety and depression (Negative Affect Self-Statement Questionnaire). It was hypothesized that real life events (as measured by the Specific Life Events Schedule; SLES) would prove to be a concurrently valid measure of attributional style in relation to hypothetical events presented through a questionnaire method (as measured by the Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire; CASQ). As well, it was predicted that real life events of the SLES would prove to be a more accurate measure of attributional style than hypothetical life events of the CASQ, in relation to achieved depression scores. Furthermore, it was predicted that certain indices of attributional style and negative self-statements would prove to be significant predictors of depression (as measured by the CDI) and anxiety scores (as measured by the RCMAS). / Master of Science

Background: Developing a well-adept social competence in preschool years is considered important and seems to play a pivotal role in later social functioning like school readiness and academic competence. Due to the individual development in children, establishing potential early markers of early social problems has been difficult. Although parent, peer, and contextual factors may be important to children’s development of social competence, the present study addressed the range of individual differences in children that may facilitate or impede social skills development. Method: The paper is based on data from the comprehensive longitudinal Trondheim Early Secure Study (TESS) of a screen-stratified community sample of 2475 children who were assessed at 4 year of age (T1) and followed up at the age of 6 (T2) (n=797). General linear modeling weighting data back to yield true population estimates of the predictive value of Social Competence, Gender, Negative Affectivity, Surgency, Effortful Control, Inattention, Hyperactivity, Impulsivity, Peer Problems, Disorganized Attachment and Callous-Unemotional traits assessed at T1 in predicting Social Competence at T2, when adjusting for Social Competence at T1. Results: Analysis indicates that Social Competence, Surgency, Inattention, Peer Problems high levels of Callous-Unemotional traits and Disorganization were unique predictors of Social Competence when adjusting for all variables. Negative Affectivity failed to predict Social Competence. Conclusions: Beyond a sizable continuity in social competence a range of child characteristics may enhance social skills development in young children . The identification of such child factors, when controlling for other potential factors, may inform health promotion efforts towards increasing young children’s social competence.

Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti asmenybės savybių ( kontrolės vietos, teigiamo / neigiamo emocionalumo ir polinkio rizikai) sąsajas su ketinimu išeiti iš darbo ir realiu išėjimu. Tyrimo metodika. Teigiamo / neigiamo emocionalumo savybėms tirti buvo naudotas Watson ir Clark ( 1988) sukurtas PANAS-X - išplėstas pastarąsias savybes matuojančio klausimyno variantas. Skalė sudaryta iš 20 būdvardžių, kurie išreiškia arba teigiamą, arba neigiamą jausmą. Šiuos žodžius tiriamieji turėjo pažymėti kaip jiems šiuo metu tinkančius skalėje nuo 1 – „visiškai ne“ arba „labai mažai“ iki 5 – „labai daug“. Tyrime taip pat buvo naudota J. B. Rotter ( 1966) sukurta kontrolės vietos skalė, susidedanti iš 13 klausimų. Kiekviename klausime yra du teiginiai, iš kurių reikia pasirinkti vieną. Rizikos polinkiui matuoti buvo pasirinkta D. N. Jackson ( 1994) Asmenybės savybių klausimyno polinkio rizikai skalė, sudaryta iš 20 klausimų, į kuriuos tiriamieji turėjo atsakyti „taip��� arba „ne“. Klausimynas diferencijuoja tiriamuosius į pasižyminčius aukštu polinkiu rizikai ir pasižyminčius žemu polinkiu rizikai. Ketinimui išeiti iš darbo tirti buvo naudoti D.Watson ir L. A. Clark ( 1994) sukurtos ir R. Žukauskienės išverstos į lietuvių kalbą organizacinio įsipareigojimo skalės paskutiniai trys klausimai – teiginiai, kurie matuoja ketinimą išeiti iš darbo. Tiriamieji turėjo apibraukti šalia teiginio esantį skaičių ( nuo 1 iki 7), kuris rodo kiek tas... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of the study was to establish a relationship among personality traits ( locus of control, risk-taking and positive / negative affectivity), turnover intentions and real turnover. Research Methodology. PANAS-X scale was used to predict positive / negative affectivity. The scale was developed by Watson and Clark ( 1988). The scae is created of 20 adjectives where 10 of them means positive affectivity and the other 10 means negative affectivity. The employee‘s have had to mark the adjectives in the scale from 1 ( „absolutely no“) to 5 („absolutely yes“). Locus of control was measured by J.B. Rotter ( 1966) developed Locus of cntrol scale. The scale was created of 13 questions, where the each of question had two posibilities of answer and the employee has to pick up one of them. Risk-taking was measured by using Risk-taking scale of Personality traits Questionaire that was developed by D.N.Jackson ( 1994). The scale was created of 20 questions where the respondent had to answer „yes“ or „no“ to each of them. Turnover intentions was measured by using D.Watson ir L. A. Clark ( 1994) developed Organisational Commitment scales‘ last three propositions, that measure Turnover intentions. On the each of proposition respondent had to decide ( from 1 to 7 points) how much the proposition fits to him/her now. Findings. 1) There’s no difference among internals and externals turnover intention and real turnover... [to full text]

In the present study, the relationship between dispositional affectivity and job performance was investigated under the potential mediating effects of job satisfaction. The study was conducted in three phases. In Phase I, the scale development phase, an assistant evaluation form (AEF) was developed by collecting job analytic information from 35 Teaching Assistants (TAs) and critical incidents from 38 faculty members from a wide range of departments in Middle East Technical University (METU). In the second phase of the study, the pilot study, factor structure of the AEF was examined using principle component analyses. Pilot data were gathered from the faculty members working in different departments at METU. Results yielded two factors underlying the AEF. The first factor was named task performance, the second factor was named contextual performance. In the main study phase of the study, hypotheses were tested by gathering dispositional affectivity and job satisfaction data from 103 TAs, and performance evaluation data from 103 instructors whom the TAs had worked with during the previous semester. Results supported only the hypothesis stating that positive affectivity (PA) would predict job satisfaction. Results are discussed along with the limitations of the study and suggestions for future research.

No description available.