Psychological processes in adversarial growth

This thesis set out to investigate some of the variables associated with, and the processes and mechanisms of, positive change following trauma and adversity, or adversarial growth, in diverse populations. A systematic and comprehensive review of the literature (Chapter 2) identified the state of knowledge, and pointed to a number of salient directions for future research. Some of these directions were pursued in the subsequent empirical chapters. Five empirical chapters (Chapters 3 –7) examined a range of variables and processes in adversarial growth, using a variety of populations. Using two large student samples, it was found that emotion-focused coping mediated the association between subjective distress and adversarial growth, and that emotional intelligence was a potentially key variable in the role of emotions in adversarial growth (Chapter 3). A longitudinal study of people who had been severely traumatised and were suffering chronic psychological distress revealed that the experience of positive change predicted lower psychological distress and negative change six months later (Chapter 4). Vicarious processes in adversarial growth were investigated in therapists, and it was shown that the working alliance may be a core channel through which the process of vicarious growth operates (Chapter 5). Extending this focus on vicarious processes, in two samples of disaster workers, and funeral directors, it was shown that psychosocial variables were more salient in their associations with adversarial growth than professional experience variables. Specifically, the role of cognitive processing was emphasised, together with an exploration of the novel area of death attitudes (Chapter 6). A more explicitly existential focus, using three samples of churchgoers, members of the general population, and funeral directors, addressed the role of Yalom’s ultimate existential concerns and adversarial growth. Negative death attitudes were shown to be consistently associated with more negative changes and fewer positive changes, but the associations with negative changes were mediated, in some instances, by the presence of meaning in life and satisfying close relationships, consistent with theoretical predictions. Further, aspects of the organismic valuing theory of growth through adversity were tested, and broadly supported (Chapter 7). The concluding chapter (Chapter 8) reviewed the main findings from the thesis, identified ongoing questions from the literature, and indicated salient directions for research, including an emphasis on the clinical applications of adversarial growth

A social-cognitive model of trait and state levels of gratitude.

Three studies tested a new model of gratitude, which specified the generative mechanisms linking individual differences (trait gratitude) and objective situations with the amount of gratitude people experience after receiving aid (state gratitude). In Study 1, all participants (N = 253) read identical vignettes describing a situation in which they received help. People higher in trait gratitude made more positive beneficial appraisals (seeing the help as more valuable, more costly to provide, and more altruistically intended), which fully mediated the relationship between trait and state levels of gratitude. Study 2 (N = 113) replicated the findings using a daily process study in which participants reported on real events each day for up to14 days. In Study 3, participants (N = 200) read vignettes experimentally manipulating objective situations to be either high or low in benefit. Benefit appraisals were shown to have a causal effect on state gratitude and to mediate the relationship between different prosocial situations and state gratitude. The 3 studies demonstrate the critical role of benefit appraisals in linking state gratitude with trait gratitude and the objective situation

Coaching Research: who? what? where? when? why?

The remarkable growth of coaching to date has not, so far, been matched by a similar growth in the research corpus that underpins it. There may be several explanations for this, including the pace of growth relative to the pace of research; coaching’s location at the juxtaposition of business consultancy and applied psychology; and competing imperatives that leave coaches themselves torn between being coaches and being researchers. Drawing from a model of these competing imperatives of research and practice in occupational psychology, this article outlines some of the core issues that coaches might face when thinking about research. It suggests some possible answers to the questions of who, what, where, when and why of coaching research, and concludes by identifying the critical questions that will likely shape the future evolution of coaching

Psychological processes in adversarial growth

This thesis set out to investigate some of the variables associated with, and the processes and mechanisms of, positive change following trauma and adversity, or adversarial growth, in diverse populations. A systematic and comprehensive review of the literature (Chapter 2) identified the state of knowledge, and pointed to a number of salient directions for future research. Some of these directions were pursued in the subsequent empirical chapters. Five empirical chapters (Chapters 3 –7) examined a range of variables and processes in adversarial growth, using a variety of populations. Using two large student samples, it was found that emotion-focused coping mediated the association between subjective distress and adversarial growth, and that emotional intelligence was a potentially key variable in the role of emotions in adversarial growth (Chapter 3). A longitudinal study of people who had been severely traumatised and were suffering chronic psychological distress revealed that the experience of positive change predicted lower psychological distress and negative change six months later (Chapter 4). Vicarious processes in adversarial growth were investigated in therapists, and it was shown that the working alliance may be a core channel through which the process of vicarious growth operates (Chapter 5). Extending this focus on vicarious processes, in two samples of disaster workers, and funeral directors, it was shown that psychosocial variables were more salient in their associations with adversarial growth than professional experience variables. Specifically, the role of cognitive processing was emphasised, together with an exploration of the novel area of death attitudes (Chapter 6). A more explicitly existential focus, using three samples of churchgoers, members of the general population, and funeral directors, addressed the role of Yalom’s ultimate existential concerns and adversarial growth. Negative death attitudes were shown to be consistently associated with more negative changes and fewer positive changes, but the associations with negative changes were mediated, in some instances, by the presence of meaning in life and satisfying close relationships, consistent with theoretical predictions. Further, aspects of the organismic valuing theory of growth through adversity were tested, and broadly supported (Chapter 7). The concluding chapter (Chapter 8) reviewed the main findings from the thesis, identified ongoing questions from the literature, and indicated salient directions for research, including an emphasis on the clinical applications of adversarial growth.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceUniversity of WarwickGBUnited Kingdo

Personality predictors of levels of forgiveness two and a half years after the transgression

The aim of the present study was to explore whether the domains and facets of the five-factor model of personality predicted motivational states for avoidance and revenge following a transgression at a second temporal point distant from the original transgression. A sample of 438 university students, who reported experiencing a serious transgression against them, completed measures of avoidance and revenge motivations around the transgression and five-factor personality domains and facets at time 1, and measures of avoidance and revenge motivations two and a half years later. The findings suggest that neuroticism, and specifically anger hostility, predicts revenge and avoidance motivation

Implicit theories of a desire for fame

The aim of the present studies was to generate implicit theories of a desire for fame among the general population. In Study 1, we were able to develop a nine-factor analytic model of conceptions of the desire to be famous that initially comprised nine separate factors; ambition, meaning derived through comparison with others, psychologically vulnerable, attention seeking, conceitedness, social access, altruistic, positive affect, and glamour. Analysis that sought to examine replicability among these factors suggested that three factors (altruistic, positive affect, and glamour) neither display factor congruence nor display adequate internal reliability. A second study examined the validity of these factors in predicting profiles of individuals who may desire fame. The findings from this study suggested that two of the nine factors (positive affect and altruism) could not be considered strong factors within the model. Overall, the findings suggest that implicit theories of a desire for fame comprise six factors. The discussion focuses on how an implicit model of a desire for fame might progress into formal theories of a desire for fame

Protective behaviour of citizens to transport accidents involving hazardous materials: A discrete choice experiment applied to populated areas nearby waterways

Background To improve the information for and preparation of citizens at risk to hazardous material transport accidents, a first important step is to determine how different characteristics of hazardous material transport accidents will influence citizens' protective behaviour. However, quantitative studies investigating citizens' protective behaviour in case of hazardous material transport accidents are scarce. Methods A discrete choice experiment was conducted among subjects (19-64 years) living in the direct vicinity of a large waterway. Scenarios were described by three transport accident characteristics: odour perception, smoke/vapour perception, and the proportion of people in the environment that were leaving at their own discretion. Subjects were asked to consider each scenario as realistic and to choose the alternative that was most appealing to them: staying, seekin

A global look at time: a 24-country study of the equivalence of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory

In this article, we assess the structural equivalence of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) across 26 samples from 24 countries (N = 12,200). The ZTPI is proven to be a valid and reliable index of individual differences in time perspective across five temporal categories: Past Negative, Past Positive, Present Fatalistic, Present Hedonistic, and Future. We obtained evidence for invariance of 36 items (out of 56) and also the five-factor structure of ZTPI across 23 countries. The short ZTPI scales are reliable for country-level analysis, whereas we recommend the use of the full scales for individual-level analysis. The short version of ZTPI will further promote integration of research in the time perspective domain in relation to many different psycho-social processes