A Pilot Study on Job Satisfaction and Conflict Resolution of Female Employees Working for Female Employers

Whether in business, volunteering, family life, personal friendships or daily interactions, employers view individuals who manage conflict successfully as competent communicators and capable leaders. “Indeed, those who are unable to manage conflict effectively may have trouble reaching organizational goals (Mathur & Sayeed, 1983; Nicotera, 1995), maintaining positive relationships and cohesiveness (Canary, Cupach & Messman, 1995; Coser, 1956), and solving problems (Hall, 1986). Individuals who have difficulty handling conflict are also more likely to be dissatisfied with their jobs (Infante & Gorden, 1985a, 1985b, 1991; Infante, Anderson, Martin, Herington, & Kim, 1993). Thus, it is imperative that researchers determine how competent various styles of conflict management are perceived to be” (Gross & Guerrero, 2(X)0, p.2(X)). Unresolved conflict within the workplace is among the primary reasons why employees are unsatisfied with their jobs. Therefore, this study seeks to explore the relationship between female employers’ and employees’ conflict management styles and employees’ satisfaction with conflict resolution in the workplace

Restricted Access and Delays to HCV Treatment Among Medicaid Patients in Louisiana

Background: Many people living with chronic Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) have seen delays in accessing treatment or been denied entirely due to Medicaid restrictions requiring patients to meet certain criteria prior to receiving approval for medication pre-authorization. Methods: This study identified a cohort of Medicaid-insured patients with chronic HCV infection within New Orleans, LA. Patient medical records were reviewed and information regarding HCV care was gathered. This study sought to determine the degree to which HCV care was delayed for this population and describe common reasons for prior-authorization denials for direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medications. Results: For this population of Medicaid-insured patients with HCV RNA assay-confirmed chronic infection, the average number of days it took to reach a specialist was three-times greater than the number of days it took to reach a primary care physician. After attending an appointment with a specialist to seek HCV care, patients experienced wait periods of an average of 150 days before being deemed eligible for treatment per Medicaid requirements. After being deemed eligible for treatment, patients experienced an average wait period of 194.4 days to initiation of treatment, with low fibrosis status being cited as the most common reason for treatment delay. Conclusion: This population of Medicaid-insured patients in New Orleans, LA with chronic HCV infection experienced delays in treatment related to reduced accessibility of a specialist who was eligible to request DAA prior-authorization. Prior-authorization was most frequently denied based on low fibrosis status or recent alcohol/drug use

The cognitive adaptability and resiliency employment screener (CARES): tool development and testing

IntroductionTo decrease psychological risk for content moderators, the study initiated the first steps of developing a robust employment screening tool, namely, the Cognitive Adaptability and Resiliency Employment Screener.MethodThe study consisted of three phases with 4,839 total participants.ResultsIn Phase 1, a set of 76 items were developed and tested via exploratory factor analysis, yielding three factors (i.e., Psychological Perseverance & Agility, Rumination & Emotional Lingering, and Expressiveness & Sociability) and also reducing the scale to 68 items. In Phase 2 through confirmatory factor analysis, the three-factor structure showed good fit (CFI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.05) and demonstrated sufficient overall reliability. In Phase 3, the convergent validity and divergent validity of the tool were established relative to constructs such as resilience, cognitive control and flexibility, emotion regulation, and optimism.DiscussionAltogether, the findings revealed that the scale demonstrated good psychometric properties that, pending future studies, may serve as a promising employment screener for content moderators

Locating Triarchic Model Constructs in the Hierarchical Structure of a Comprehensive Trait-Based Psychopathy Measure: Implications for Research and Clinical Assessment

Abstract: The triarchic model posits that distinct trait constructs of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition underlie psychopathy. The triarchic model traits are conceptualized as biobehavioral dimensions that can be assessed using different sets of indicators from alternative measurement modalities; as such, the triarchic model would hypothesize that these traits are not confined to any one item set. The current study tested whether the triarchic model dimensions would emerge from a hierarchical-structural analysis of the facet scales of the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA), an inventory designed to comprehensively index psychopathy according to the five factor personality model. Study participants (Ns = 811, 170) completed the EPA and three different scale sets assessing the triarchic traits along with a criterion measures of antisocial/externalizing behaviors. Bass-ackwards modeling of the EPA facet scales revealed a four-level structure, with factors at the third level appearing similar to the triarchic trait dimensions. An analysis in which scores for the level-3 EPA factors were regressed onto corresponding latent-trait dimensions defined using the different triarchic scale sets revealed extremely high convergence (βs = .84 to .91). The level-3 EPA factors also evidenced validity in relation to relevant criteria, approximating and sometimes exceeding that evident for the level-4 EPA factors. Together, these results indicate that the triarchic trait constructs are embedded in a psychopathy inventory designed to align with a general personality model, and effectively predict pertinent external criteria

A Hypothetical Lottery Task to Assess Relative Resource Allocation towards Alcohol and Cannabis

Objective: Relative spending on substances (versus alternatives) is predictive of several substance use outcomes, but it can be challenging to assess. We examined a novel method of assessing relative resource allocation through use of a hypothetical lottery task wherein participants assume they collected $100,000 USD in lottery winnings, and were tasked with allocating their winnings across spending categories (e.g., savings, leisure, alcohol, cannabis, etc.). We hypothesized relative allocation of funds towards alcohol and cannabis would be positively associated with more use and problems of each substance. Method: College students (N = 479; Mage = 19.9 [SD = 2.2]) reported on their substance use and problems, alcohol and cannabis demand, and the hypothetical lottery task. Results: Relative resource allocation towards alcohol and cannabis on the lottery task positively correlated with alcohol and cannabis demand indices (intensity, breakpoint, Omax, and elasticity [negatively]), respectively. Using zero-inflated modeling, greater relative allocation towards alcohol positively related to alcohol use and problems in models that controlled for alcohol demand indices. For cannabis, relative resource allocation was also positively associated with cannabis use, but not problems, independently from alcohol demand indices. Conclusions: Results provide initial support for the hypothetical lottery task as an indicator of relative resource allocation toward substances. Generally, these results extend previous behavioral economic research demonstrating the utility of relative resource allocation as unique predictor of clinically relevant outcomes

Preparing U.S. Medical Students to Respond to Climate Change

The devastating hurricane season this year has brought the economic and health impacts of a changing global climate into stark relief. The varied health impacts of climate change can no longer be ignored by anyone who practices medicine – whether primary care or specialist. Physicians are already at the forefront of the response to climate change, advocating on behalf of their patients. Through professional organizations, membership groups, and individual actions, doctors are working to mitigate the impact of climate change as well as advocating for reductions in carbon emissions. In the future, physicians will be managing the health impacts of climate change, from worsening air quality to frequent heat waves. Medical schools provide a structured space for future physicians to learn about the interaction between human health and climate change. While international efforts to prepare the future health workforce have proceeded at a rapid clip, US medical schools have lagged behind. Medical schools must incorporate environmental health concepts into general curriculum efforts to prepare their graduates to meet the challenges of a changing climate