Congruence as a predictor of occupational stress

[Abstract]: This study examined the relation among nine measures of Holland's concept of congruence and the relation of these measures and occupational stress. Holland's Self-Directed Search (Holland, 1985b) and the Occupational Stress Inventory (Osipow & Spokane, 1987) were administered to 154 fully-employed adults. Two correlated factors accounted for the pattern of correlations among the congruence measures. The first factor was defined by measures which made use of the hexagonal arrangement of types and the second was based simply on discrepancies between the letters representing the person's type and the job environment. A number of markers for the second factor were related to stress and strain. Iachan's M index (Iachan, 1984;1990) was the best predictor, accounting for seven percent of variance on total stress scores and nine percent of variance on total strain scores. It is suggested that the relation between congruence and stress, like the relation between congruence and job satisfaction (Spokane, 1985), is significant but rather small and dependent on the measure of congruence used

Teaching vocational undergraduates in a further education college: a case study of practice

An avowed aim of higher education is to enable students to become able to think well, although what this might mean is problematic. This study contributes to our understanding of lecturers' and students' attempts to work towards this end in vocational degree courses provided in the further education sector. It describes these attempts from the viewpoint of students and lecturers. Individual interviews were conducted with 60 undergraduates in a further education college and with 10 lecturers. Additionally, a teaching session with each of the lecturers was observed, and 45 of the students responded to a questionnaire. The paper raises questions about how students' previous education experience might impact on current learning, about what might count as good practice in the circumstances described and about impediments to improving practice

Understanding Child Sexual Behavior Problems: A Developmental Psychopathology Framework

entific community. While a heterogeneous group, children with sexual behavior problems consistently demonstrate a number of problems related to adjustment and overall development. In order to appropriately intervene with these children, a comprehensive understanding of etiology is imperative. The overarching goal of the present paper is to review the extant research on mechanisms associated with the development of problematic sexual behavior in childhood within a developmental psychopathology framework. What is known about normative and nonnormative sexual behavior in childhood is reviewed, highlighting definitional challenges and age-related developmental differences. Further, the relationship between child sexual abuse and child sexual behavior problems is discussed, drawing attention to factors impacting this relationship. Risk factors for child sexual behavior problems, beyond that of sexual abuse, are also reviewed utilizing a transactional–ecological framework. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of implications of a developmental psychopathology perspective on problematic child sexual behaviors to inform future research and intervention efforts. Such implications include the need for attention to normative childhood sexual behavior, developmental sensitivity, and examinations of ecological domain in concert