Follow-through in conflict resolution as a factor in marital satisfaction and personal happiness

Satisfaction in our intimate relationships, especially marriage, is central to our happiness in life. One of the most important factors in marital satisfaction and marriage duration is the successful resolution of conflicts. A distinguishable difference between happy and unhappy couples is that happy couples are able to resolve their conflicts satisfactorily. The success of conflict resolution has been measured in two ways: (1) The extent to which an agreement was reached, and (2) How satisfactory the resolution process was--the degree to which it was positive and not damaging to the relationship. The purpose of this study was to measure the outcome of conflict resolution in a third way: degree of follow-through. The questions asked were, Do satisfied and dissatisfied couples follow through differently on their agreed-upon behavior changes? and Are there gender differences in follow through? The present study assessed the conflict resolution behaviors of 37 couples. The couples were asked to identify, discuss, and propose solutions to problems in their relationship. Questionnaires measured such variables as satisfaction with the marriage, personality characteristics, and demographics. A follow-up was conducted approximately three weeks after the discussions to assess the degree of each partner\u27s follow-through on resolutions. Results indicated that (1) Satisfied couples followed through on their agreed upon behavior changes significantly more than did dissatisfied couples; (2) Husbands perceived their wives as following through more than the husbands on both the husbands and wives\u27 issues, whereas wives perceived both husbands and wives as following through more on their own issues and less on their spouses; (3) There was no significant correlation between follow through and sexual satisfaction. Minor hypotheses are discussed which involve the relationship of follow-through, selfishness, and equity of household task distribution

[c-theory]

In 2010 Reinhart and Rogoff published “Growth in a Time of Debt”, a wildly successful macro-economics paper. The conclusions made in that paper turned out to be based on a mistaken analysis of the available data. My intention here is to explain how they went wrong, without cleaving to mere worries about how to look at the data. I cover a number of different issues, and arrive at an account of the conceptual details of the paper, which emphasises the “fragility” of the “systematic relationship” the paper purports to have discovered. I discuss the question of “induction” and argue that the paper goes beyond induction anyway, which leads me to conclusions about how causation is built into economic theory, and how such building in requires more careful attention than the authors of “Growth in a Time of Debt” (Reinhart, Rogoff 2010), and their critics, attempted

Surgical training rotation design: effects of hospital type, rotation theme and duration

Background Entrants into UK surgical specialty training undertake a 2‐year programme of core surgical training, rotating through specialties for varying lengths of time, at different hospitals, to gain breadth of experience. This study aimed to assess whether these variables influenced core surgical trainee (CST) work productivity. Methods Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme portfolios of consecutive CSTs between 2016 and 2019 were examined. Primary outcome measures were workplace‐based assessment (WBA) completion, operative experience and academic outputs (presentations to learned societies, publications and audits). Results A total of 344 rotations by 111 CSTs were included. Incremental increases in attainment were observed related to the duration of core surgical training rotation. The median number of consultant‐validated WBAs completed during core surgical training were 48 (range 0–189), 54 (10–120) and 75 (6–94) during rotations consisting of 4‐, 6‐ and 12‐month posts respectively (P  < 0·001). Corresponding median operative caseloads (as primary surgeon) were 84 (range 3–357), 110 (44–394) and 134 (56–366) (P  < 0·001) and presentations to learned societies 0 (0–12), 0 (0–14) and 1 (0–5) (P = 0·012) respectively. Hospital type and specialty training theme were unrelated to workplace productivity. Multivariable analysis identified length of hospital rotation as the only factor independently associated with total WBA count (P = 0·001), completion of audit (P = 0·015) and delivery of presentation (P = 0·001) targets. Conclusion Longer rotations with a single educational supervisor, in one training centre, are associated with better workplace productivity. Consideration should be given to this when reconfiguring training programmes within the arena of workforce planning

Egalitarianism in surgical training: let equity prevail

This study aimed to quantify core surgical trainee (CST) differential attainment (DA) related to three cohorts; white UK graduate (White UKG) versus black and minority ethnic UKG (BME UKG) versus international medical graduates (IMGs). The primary outcome measures were annual review of competence progression (ARCP) outcome, intercollegiate Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (iMRCS) examination pass and national training number (NTN) selection. Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme (ISCP) portfolios of 264 consecutive CSTs (2010–2017, 168 white UKG, 66 BME UKG, 30 IMG) from a single UK regional post graduate medical region (Wales) were examined. Data collected prospectively over an 8-year time period was analysed retrospectively. ARCP outcomes were similar irrespective of ethnicity or nationality (ARCP outcome 1, white UKG 60.7% vs BME UKG 62.1% vs IMG 53.3%, p=0.395). iMRCS pass rates for white UKG vs BME UKG vs IMG were 71.4% vs 71.2% vs 50.0% (p=0.042), respectively. NTN success rates for white UKG vs BME UKG vs IMG were 36.9% vs 36.4% vs 6.7% (p=0.023), respectively. On multivariable analysis, operative experience (OR 1.002, 95% CI 1.001 to 1.004, p=0.004), bootcamp attendance (OR 2.615, 95% CI 1.403 to 4.871, p=0.002), and UKG (OR 7.081, 95% CI 1.556 to 32.230, p=0.011), were associated with NTN appointment. Although outcomes related to BME DA were equitable, important DA variation was apparent among IMGs, with iMRCS pass 21.4% lower and NTN success sixfold less likely than UKG. Targeted counter measures are required to let equity prevail in UK CST programmes