Moderators and Processes of Change in Traditional Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Versus Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-Informed ERP for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

The present study evaluated moderators and processes of change in a randomized controlled trial comparing exposure and response prevention (ERP) delivered from a traditional framework versus ERP from an acceptance and commitment therapy framework (ACT+ERP) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This paper presents baseline, weekly session, posttreatment, and follow-up data from the study. We examined (a) moderation effects of anxiety, depression, psychological inflexibility, and interpretation of intrusions and (b) the role of psychological inflexibility and interpretation of intrusions respectively as processes of change. Participants with less dysfunctional appraisals at pretreatment performed consistently better in ERP relative to ACT+ERP. In process analyses, psychological inflexibility and interpretation of intrusions positively influenced OCD severity over time in both conditions but OCD symptom severity also positively influenced psychological inflexibility and interpretation of intrusions in both conditions. Furthermore, whereas OCD symptom severity strongly and positively predicted dysfunctional appraisals over the course of treatment in ERP, symptom severity had a weaker positive effect on dysfunctional appraisals in ACT+ERP. Clinical and theoretical implications as well as study limitations are discussed

The Role-Based Performance Scale: Validity Analysis of a Theory-Based Measure

This study introduces a theory-based measure of employee performance (Role Based Performance Scale, RBPS) that is supported with results from a validation study using 10 data sets from six companies. In contrast to traditional, job-related measures of employee performance, we propose an alternative measure of performance based on role theory and identity theory. Because our results support the validity of the scale, we think that the instrument can be used for future research that requires a generalizable measure of performance. The scale demonstrates diagnostic properties that make it useful for practitioners as well as researchers

Negative Appraisal Correlation to PTSD Symptoms Among Law Enforcement Officers

Law enforcement officers are exposed to traumatic events through their daily work responsibilities. Traumatic events have increased within recent decades and can have long-term and critical outcomes on officers such as health concerns, long-term psychological issues, social impairment, and work performance. Thus, this quantitative study was conducted to explore negative appraisals of cumulative traumatic events and their relation to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in law enforcement officers. Based on the theoretical framework for the study, Ehlers and Clark\u27s cognitive model, negative appraisals involve how an individual interprets a situation, negative appraisals of traumatic events lead to maladaptive behavior and the inability to cope causes persistent PTSD symptoms. Investigative and patrol law enforcement officers from central Florida completed surveys based on cumulative trauma, negative appraisals, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Results of multiple regression analysis and Pearson\u27s correlation coefficient indicated that cumulative trauma did not predict negative appraisals; however, cumulative trauma and negative appraisals significantly predicted PTSD symptoms. This study can enhance positive social change by encouraging future studies on cognitive processing and the development of specialized prevention and intervention protocols to assist in diminishing long-term effects of traumatic events

Perceived fairness of and satisfaction with employee performance appraisal

Employee performance appraisal is one of the most commonly used management tools in the United States. Over 90 percent of large organizations including 75 percent of state employment systems require some type of annual performance appraisal (Seldon, Ingraham & Jacobson, 2001). Performance appraisal is one of the most widely researched areas in industrial/organizational psychology (Murphy & Cleveland, 1993). However, the traditional research agenda has done little to improve the usefulness of performance appraisal as a managerial tool. Recent research has moved away from studies of rater accuracy and psychometric measures to themes of employee reactions towards performance appraisal as indicators of system satisfaction and efficacy. Employee perception of fairness of performance appraisal has been studied as a significant factor in employee acceptance and satisfaction of performance appraisal. This study investigated employee reactions to fairness of and satisfaction with an existing performance appraisal system utilizing a hypothesized four-factor model (Greenberg, 1993) of organizational justice as the theoretical basis. The underlying hypothesis was that the conceptualized four-factor model, which differentiated between the constructs of interactional and procedural justice, would best represent the underlying factor structure of the data. Data were obtained via a survey questionnaire from 440 participants from two organizations that were part of a large public employment system. Ten multi-item scales representing four factors of organizational justice and performance appraisal fairness and three scales indicating satisfaction were included. The findings of the study indicated that respondents perceived the performance appraisal system was to be fair as indicated by their agreement with 9 of the 10 scales used to measure reactions to fairness. The respondents also indicated their relative satisfaction with their most recent performance appraisal rating and with their supervisor. Less satisfaction (although not dissatisfaction) was indicated with the performance appraisal system overall. The conceptualized four-factor model was not found to represent the underlying factor structure substantially better than alternative plausible three-factor models. The best fit three–factor model, however, provided some support for the differentiation between procedural and interactional organizational justice factors, which is a distinction that has been debated in the organizational justice literature

Eye quietness and quiet eye in expert and novice golf performance: an electrooculographic analysis

Quiet eye (QE) is the final ocular fixation on the target of an action (e.g., the ball in golf putting). Camerabased eye-tracking studies have consistently found longer QE durations in experts than novices; however, mechanisms underlying QE are not known. To offer a new perspective we examined the feasibility of measuring the QE using electrooculography (EOG) and developed an index to assess ocular activity across time: eye quietness (EQ). Ten expert and ten novice golfers putted 60 balls to a 2.4 m distant hole. Horizontal EOG (2ms resolution) was recorded from two electrodes placed on the outer sides of the eyes. QE duration was measured using a EOG voltage threshold and comprised the sum of the pre-movement and post-movement initiation components. EQ was computed as the standard deviation of the EOG in 0.5 s bins from –4 to +2 s, relative to backswing initiation: lower values indicate less movement of the eyes, hence greater quietness. Finally, we measured club-ball address and swing durations. T-tests showed that total QE did not differ between groups (p = .31); however, experts had marginally shorter pre-movement QE (p = .08) and longer post-movement QE (p < .001) than novices. A group × time ANOVA revealed that experts had less EQ before backswing initiation and greater EQ after backswing initiation (p = .002). QE durations were inversely correlated with EQ from –1.5 to 1 s (rs = –.48 - –.90, ps = .03 - .001). Experts had longer swing durations than novices (p = .01) and, importantly, swing durations correlated positively with post-movement QE (r = .52, p = .02) and negatively with EQ from 0.5 to 1s (r = –.63, p = .003). This study demonstrates the feasibility of measuring ocular activity using EOG and validates EQ as an index of ocular activity. Its findings challenge the dominant perspective on QE and provide new evidence that expert-novice differences in ocular activity may reflect differences in the kinematics of how experts and novices execute skills

Measuring client modes of engagement in humanistic experiential psychotherapy

The role of clients' emotional engagement has progressively played a central role in psychotherapy. This project inserts itself in this debate by seeking to validate the Client Modes of Engagement (CME) theoretical model (Elliott 2006; 2013a). While Elliott's CME framework-a process-diagnostic map based on clients' experiential content-was grounded on decades of research and clinical practice, it had yet to be made amenable to empirical investigation.;This project responds to this absence by offering the Client Modes of Engagement Observational Coding System (CME-OCS) and the Client Modes of Engagement Questionnaire (CMEQ-R2). These instruments measure the construct from both the perspective of external observers (CME-OCS) and therapists (CMEQ-R2).;This dissertation explores the application and validation process for both the CME-OCS and the CMEQ-R2. The results confirmed that the CME-OCS is a reliable coding system for identifying CMEs during EFT psychotherapy. Additionally, the findings suggest that there are interactions between CMEs, phases of therapy, and outcome groups. Moreover, I established that there are differences in the ways outcome groups' transition between CMEs at particular stages of therapy.;I applied both classical psychometric properties methods and Rasch modelling with the purpose of examining the CMEQ-R2's psychometrics, refining the instrument, and later applying it in a process outcome study. The results suggest that levels of CME early in therapy and changes in levels of CME over therapy-as measured by the CMEQ-R2-are significantly associated with client pre-post therapeutic improvement.;I also found firm ground for arguing that therapists can distinguish between levels of CMEs and that their perspective can be systematically analysed. Together, both instruments pose important implications for research and clinical practice. Overall, this study validates the contention that researchers and therapists should be particularly attentive to clients' manner of engagement and focus of attention on specific levels of their emotion scheme.The role of clients' emotional engagement has progressively played a central role in psychotherapy. This project inserts itself in this debate by seeking to validate the Client Modes of Engagement (CME) theoretical model (Elliott 2006; 2013a). While Elliott's CME framework-a process-diagnostic map based on clients' experiential content-was grounded on decades of research and clinical practice, it had yet to be made amenable to empirical investigation.;This project responds to this absence by offering the Client Modes of Engagement Observational Coding System (CME-OCS) and the Client Modes of Engagement Questionnaire (CMEQ-R2). These instruments measure the construct from both the perspective of external observers (CME-OCS) and therapists (CMEQ-R2).;This dissertation explores the application and validation process for both the CME-OCS and the CMEQ-R2. The results confirmed that the CME-OCS is a reliable coding system for identifying CMEs during EFT psychotherapy. Additionally, the findings suggest that there are interactions between CMEs, phases of therapy, and outcome groups. Moreover, I established that there are differences in the ways outcome groups' transition between CMEs at particular stages of therapy.;I applied both classical psychometric properties methods and Rasch modelling with the purpose of examining the CMEQ-R2's psychometrics, refining the instrument, and later applying it in a process outcome study. The results suggest that levels of CME early in therapy and changes in levels of CME over therapy-as measured by the CMEQ-R2-are significantly associated with client pre-post therapeutic improvement.;I also found firm ground for arguing that therapists can distinguish between levels of CMEs and that their perspective can be systematically analysed. Together, both instruments pose important implications for research and clinical practice. Overall, this study validates the contention that researchers and therapists should be particularly attentive to clients' manner of engagement and focus of attention on specific levels of their emotion scheme

Measuring moral distress and moral injury:A systematic review and content analysis of existing scales

BACKGROUND: Moral distress (MD) and moral injury (MI) are related constructs describing the negative consequences of morally challenging stressors. Despite growing support for the clinical relevance of these constructs, ongoing challenges regarding measurement quality risk limiting research and clinical advances. This study summarizes the nature, quality, and utility of existing MD and MI scales, and provides recommendations for future use.METHOD: We identified psychometric studies describing the development or validation of MD or MI scales and extracted information on methodological and psychometric qualities. Content analyses identified specific outcomes measured by each scale.RESULTS: We reviewed 77 studies representing 42 unique scales. The quality of psychometric approaches varied greatly across studies, and most failed to examine convergent and divergent validity. Content analyses indicated most scales measure exposures to potential moral stressors and outcomes together, with relatively few measuring only exposures (n = 3) or outcomes (n = 7). Scales using the term MD typically assess general distress. Scales using the term MI typically assess several specific outcomes.CONCLUSIONS: Results show how the terms MD and MI are applied in research. Several scales were identified as appropriate for research and clinical use. Recommendations for the application, development, and validation of MD and MI scales are provided.</p

Measuring moral distress and moral injury:A systematic review and content analysis of existing scales

BACKGROUND: Moral distress (MD) and moral injury (MI) are related constructs describing the negative consequences of morally challenging stressors. Despite growing support for the clinical relevance of these constructs, ongoing challenges regarding measurement quality risk limiting research and clinical advances. This study summarizes the nature, quality, and utility of existing MD and MI scales, and provides recommendations for future use.METHOD: We identified psychometric studies describing the development or validation of MD or MI scales and extracted information on methodological and psychometric qualities. Content analyses identified specific outcomes measured by each scale.RESULTS: We reviewed 77 studies representing 42 unique scales. The quality of psychometric approaches varied greatly across studies, and most failed to examine convergent and divergent validity. Content analyses indicated most scales measure exposures to potential moral stressors and outcomes together, with relatively few measuring only exposures (n = 3) or outcomes (n = 7). Scales using the term MD typically assess general distress. Scales using the term MI typically assess several specific outcomes.CONCLUSIONS: Results show how the terms MD and MI are applied in research. Several scales were identified as appropriate for research and clinical use. Recommendations for the application, development, and validation of MD and MI scales are provided.</p

Reducing Organizational Politics in Performance Appraisal: The Role of Coaching Leaders for Age-Diverse Employees

We examined whether a supervisor's coaching leadership style predicts the perception of organizational politics in performance appraisal (OPPA) reported by the collaborators. Additionally, we drew on social cognition and motivational life-span development theories to hypothesize age-related differences in perceived OPPA and its link with the coaching leadership style. Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) on a sample of 576 employees and 112 leaders, we found that coaching leaders are perceived as less manipulative in their performance ratings, especially by older employees. This article includes a discussion of the implications these results have for performance management of an age-diverse workforce. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Cognitive Appraisal, Workplace Social Courage, and PsyCap

This study responds to calls for empirical investigation of courage as well as the discovery of positive psychological capital (PsyCap) antecedents. Courage and PsyCap are considered positive constructs associated with beneficial workplace outcomes. As an example, Workplace Social Courage (WSC) predicts organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). PsyCap is robustly correlated with performance outcomes, well-being, and sustainability. For its societal appeal, courage is not yet robustly validated. Further, interventions have demonstrated resultant increases in PsyCap, yet little is known of its antecedent variables. Also, to be discovered, are what variables mediate WSC. These gaps in research present opportunity for additional empirical investigation of WSC and PsyCap as acts of framing and priming (cognitive appraisal) for formation, regulation, and maintenance of potent WSC and PsyCap. Mainstay motivation theories of Expectancy-, Goal-, Future Time Perspective-, and Self Determination-Theory are examined and intertwined with PsyCap variables reiterating the valid call for study of WSC and PsyCap antecedents, while emphasizing the need to unify motivation theories for composite research efforts which increase the prevalence of WSC and PsyCap in the individual and therefore the workplace. Pragmatic methodology able to serve diverse industries and cultures is required to surpass anecdotal quasi-impactful shortcomings. Results showed that Behavioral WSC and PsyCap are acts of positive cognitive appraisals and predictive of PsyCap, which partially mediated between WSC and Behavioral WSC