Mindfulness research has historically focused on individual benefits (e.g., Brown & Ryan, 2003), yet more recently also has considered relational outcomes influenced by mindfulness, such as romantic relationship quality (e.g., McGill, Adler-Baeder, & Rodriguez, 2015) and parent-child relationship quality (e.g., Coatsworth et al., 2016). Overall, mindfulness research has assessed global measures of mindfulness and does not consider the distinct elements of mindfulness and their relationship with various outcomes. Based on the assumption that there are multiple components of mindfulness, Baer and colleagues (2006) delineated and validated a measure of five facets of mindfulness. With a growing trend of incorporating mindfulness into prevention programs for parents (Cohen & Semple, 2010), it is valuable to examine the relationship between parenting outcomes and facets of mindfulness. Specifically, our research questions are: Are facets of mindfulness related at baseline to parenting efficacy and do some facets of mindfulness have a stronger association with parenting efficacy than others? Does initial change in mindfulness dimensions (after exposure to relationship education) result in subsequent change in parenting efficacy? Does the age of the child(ren) affect these relationships? Parents (n=578 parents—308 mothers, 270 fathers) were recruited as part of a larger randomized control trial (RCT) examining the program effectiveness of couple relationship education programs. Measures utilized include the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (Gibaud-Wallston & Wandersmann, 1978) and three subscales—nonreactivity to inner experience, acting with awareness, and nonjudging of inner experience—from the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer, & Toney, 2006). Analyses utilized three waves of data—baseline, 6-week and 6-month follow-up. We utilized linear regression to test for a relationship at baseline between the three facets of mindfulness and parenting efficacy for both mothers and fathers, separately. Level of parenting efficacy was predicted by nonreactivity to inner experiences for mothers (β=.184, p=.001) and fathers (β=.126, p=.03) and by acting with awareness for mothers (β=.192, p=.004) and fathers (β=.179, p=.009), accounting for other variables in the model. Nonjudging of inner experience marginally predicted level of parenting efficacy for fathers (β=.127, p=.058), but not for mothers (β=.053, p=.421), considering all other variables in the model. Path models were conducted using only the program participant group (n=370 parents). We tested with mothers and fathers separately whether initial change in three facets of mindfulness predicted change in parenting efficacy six months after couples relationship education intervention. Positive change in nonreactivity to inner experience for fathers after intervention was significantly (β=.150, p=.041) associated with positive change in parenting efficacy six months later. Our cross-sectional findings suggest that the facets of mindfulness are not equally predictive of parenting efficacy. The findings from our path models suggest that enhanced nonreactivity to inner experience promotes greater parenting efficacy six months after receiving relationship education for fathers. This is an important first step to discovering what aspects of mindfulness may be particularly important for educators to emphasize when teaching mindfulness to parents. Final analyses presented in March will test if the age of the child(ren) affects these findings.

Relationship quality, satisfaction and stability have been topics of interest for some time, as marriage and family structure have undergone significant changes since the 1970s. Researchers have observed a continuing decline in marital quality and satisfaction among first-time married couples (Amato, Johnson, Booth, & Rogers, 2003; Schramm & Harris, 2010). This interest in dyadic couple relationship quality was likely driven by the expanding awareness that quality of marital relationships influences a broad range of positive and negative outcomes; healthy, satisfying marriages provide numerous benefits important to individuals and society, while marital dissolution has a profoundly negative effect (Amato, 2010; Cowan & Cowan, 2005; Harris, Schramm, Marshall, & Lee, 2012; Schramm & Harris, 2010). Furthermore, subjective levels of marital quality and satisfaction are predictive of both marital stability and marital dissolution (Gottman, 1994; Gottman & Notarius, 2000). Furthermore, subjective levels of marital quality and satisfaction are predictive of both marital stability and marital dissolution (Gottman, 1994; Gottman & Notarius, 2000). This study represents a continuing line of research into correlations between relationship quality and satisfaction, intimate partner consensus, and relevant contextual factors among married and unmarried cohabiting couples in a sample of residents in the Gulf States region, which encompasses the States of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas and included 1,360 respondents. The current study proceeds from an initial baseline study of dyadic couple trends in this region and is part of an ongoing line of research scheduled to continue over the next four years through a federal healthy marriages and relationships grant.

Distance from a partner can put a strain on romantic relationships, especially when one is surrounded by attractive alternatives, as is often the case when moving away to college. Long distance relationships are often associated with increased stress, less relationship stability, and lower levels of relationship satisfaction. Distance may also be associated with cheating on one's romantic partner. The few studies that have examined cheating behavior in college students have found an increase in cheating over a very short, non-representative interval of time when partners were separated (e.g. spring break) but did not control for important variables such as alcohol use or relationship satisfaction. We were interested in determining if these effects could be replicated over a longer, more representative period of time (a full college semester). We examined whether distance predicted cheating among college students in committed relationships while accounting for relationship satisfaction and binge drinking, variables likely to play a role in cheating behavior. Using a large, aggregated sample (N=1,333) of college students in exclusive dating relationships, 10% percent of respondents reported physical cheating, 15% reported emotional cheating, and 6% reported both. Being 11-200 miles from a romantic partner was associated with a 31% increased likelihood of physical cheating compared to those in the same city as their partner. However, being 200+ miles from a romantic partner was associated with a slight reduction in the likelihood of physical cheating. There were no significant difference in the rates of cheating between men and women in our sample; however, these effects were moderated by gender such that distance was only related to an increased likelihood of physical cheating for women. For emotional cheating, distance was associated with an increased likelihood of cheating for both men and women. These results suggest that there is a distance danger zone for college students. Being in the same town and being very far away are associated with less likelihood of physical or emotional cheating than being in a middle zone in which your partner is around 100 miles away. Perhaps because those who have chosen to continue a relationship while living across the country are very committed to their partner, whereas living within driving distance but not the same city creates conditions that make cheating more likely.

Researchers have noted the important role which passion plays in people's lives. This study investigated an existing theoretical framework of passion and suggests an additional construct, inhibition, to this framework in regards to sexual passion. Additionally, this study investigated the constructs of passion and how they relate to sexual and relationship satisfaction. A sample of 1,429 men and women completed the Sexual Passion Scale, the Sexual Satisfaction Scale, and the Relationship Satisfaction Scale. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that sexual passion may represent three distinct approaches (harmonious, obsessive, inhibited). In terms of sexual and relationship satisfaction, data analyses revealed that the harmonious passion scale is the best predictor. Overall, these findings may further the discussion in understanding the complex nature of sexual passion in committed, long-term relationships.

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Given that analysts expect companies to invest $22 billion in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems by 2017, it is critical that leaders understand the impact of CRM on their bottom line. The purpose of this correlational study was to investigate potential relationships between the independent variables of customer satisfaction and CRM utilization on the dependent variable of business revenue. The service-profit chain formed the theoretical framework for this study. The study population included 203 service branches for an industrial equipment manufacturer in North America. The service director for the subject organization provided the data for the study via data extracts from the company's corporate database. Some branches were eliminated, leaving a total sample size of 178. The results of a multiple linear regression analysis showed that the proposed model could significantly predict branch revenue F (2,175) = 37.321, p < .001, R2 = .298. Both CRM use and customer satisfaction were statistically significant, with CRM use (beta = .488, p < .001) showing a higher contribution than customer satisfaction (beta = -.152, p = .021). This study provides evidence to business executives that CRM use has a strong positive influence on revenue. Additionally, this study supports the findings of other studies that show a point of diminishing returns in improved customer satisfaction. This study contributes to positive social change by allowing firms to make better decisions with their investment dollars and by increasing CRM utilization through cause-related marketing.

Previous investigators have indicated that low socio-economic students have difficulty experiencing success on tests heavily loaded with verbal material. Differences in personality characteristics between students of high and low creativity have also been found. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of manifest needs and anxiety on creative thinking. The Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, which determines anxiety level, the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule, which measures manifest needs, and the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, which provides an index of creativity were administered to Spanish-American, Anglo-American, Negro, and Navaho high school students, who constituted the 1967 Upward Bound population at Utah State University. The total sample, composed of the four ethnic backgrounds, was administered the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. The students were ranked on the basis of their total creativity score, and high and low creativity groups were extracted at the median. The results indicate that Upward Bound students are significantly higher in figural than in verbal creativity. No significant differences between high and low creativity students were found on anxiety or manifest needs, although a negative trend between anxiety and creativity was suggested.

Internalizing disorders cause serious psychological problems for many adolescents. The effects can be both debilitating and long lasting. However, assessment of internalizing disorders has been plagued by limited measurement strategies. Historically, individual measures were developed to assess the narrow-band symptoms that are subsumed under the broad construct of internalizing disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, somatic complaints, and social withdrawal). Recently, the Internalizing Symptom Scale for Adolescents has been created. The Internalizing Symptom Scale for Adolescents is a short screening measure that includes newer models of affect such as the tripartite model of affect. Additionally, there has been limited research on the relationship between self-concept and internalizing disorders. Although the inverse relationship between depression and self-concept is well documented, the relationship between self-concept and other internalizing syndromes is essentially unknown. The present study addressed the underlying factor structure of the Internalizing Symptom Scale for Adolescents. A factor analysis using principal axis extraction with varimax rotation was conducted. A two-factor solution was identified as superior to any other factor solution considered. The two factors accounted for 34.2% of the total variance in the Internalizing Symptom Scale for Adolescents scores and were identified as Factor 1, Negative Affect/General Distress and Factor 2, Positive Affect. The two-factor solution of the Internalizing Symptom Scale for Adolescents provided some support for Watson and Clark's tripartite model of affectivity. The present study also considered the relationship between the Internalizing Symptom Scale for Adolescents and the Multidimensional Self-Concept Scale. Bivariate correlations were run to evaluate the relationship between internalizing symptoms and self-concept. The correlations ranged from moderate to large (-.42 to -.78) and were inversely related as expected. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine if the Multidimensional Self-Concept Scale subscales could predict internalizing symptoms. The combined predictors accounted for 62% of the variance in the Internalizing Symptom Scale for Adolescents. These findings indicate that self-concept is a robust predictor for internalizing disorders. The study provides evidence for the use of the Internalizing Symptom Scale for Adolescents a s a pscyhometrically sound measure for assessing internalizing disorders in adolescents. Implications of this study for clinical practice and directions for future research are discussed.

From Cache Valley Dairy Association in Smithfield, Utah, milk from two to three cheese vats plus the corresponding Swiss cheese trimmings, salted cheese, and whey were sampled each week from October 1981 to October 1982. The weights of the Swiss Cheese were recorded. Milk samples were analyzed for fat and protein; cheese samples were analyzed for fat, protein, and moisture; whey samples were analyzed for fat. By using Gauss-Newton nonlinear Least Squares method of iteration, the data was analyzed. Two formulas for predicting Swiss cheese yield were derived. A good relationship was found to exist between Swiss cheese yield and fat and protein. In this study it was found that the season affected the percentage of fat and protein in the milk and thereby the cheese yield. The highest cheese yields corresponded with the months with highest protein and fat percentage in the milk.

This thesis discusses how local forces, despite being the weaker actor in a proxy relationship, manipulate external powers’ support to pursue their own objectives. Three factors – practical advantage, relative will, and diverging objectives – explain this counterintuitive power dynamic. First, local forces have better local knowledge, more extensive networks, and greater legitimacy, which give them leverage and make them desirable partners. Second, local forces' involvement is often existential rather than selective; unlike external powers, local forces are thus unconstrained by domestic political vulnerabilities. This enables them to close the significant power gap with external powers. Third, local forces' objectives may diverge from their sponsors', creating incentives for exploitation and manipulation of external support to pursue their own agenda, regardless of the external powers’ interests. These three factors effectively explain the dynamic between the Soviet Union and Cuba during the Angolan civil war and the relationship between the U.S. and the Kurds in the fight against ISIS. Cuba mostly operated within the Soviet strategic parameters, while at the same time manipulating Soviet support to forward its own interests in Africa. The Kurds manipulated U.S. support while fighting ISIS to acquire territories and to pursue autonomy and independence, goals inconsistent with US interests. Further research is still needed to identify under what conditions local partners will wield this counterintuitive power, since there also are cases in which this does not take place.