Assessing Transportation Management Associations (TMAs) In Rural Maine As An Approach To Increase Transportation Options

Maine has the distinction of being a beautiful state defined by natural forests, crystal-clear lakes, and a landscape unblemished by the usual marks of the densely populated regions of the U.S. The downside to this rural beauty is the remoteness of the sparsely populated communities which present challenges to residents who are unable to drive themselves to procure basic services because of physical, legal, or economic conditions. Many rural residents are unable to rely on personally-owned, single driver vehicles. According to the Maine Department of Transportation Bureau of Planning (2013), the Eastern Maine region has an estimated unmet need (number of trips needed compared to available services) of 75% (Penobscot County) and 84% (Piscataquis County). The recent reduction in the cost of gasoline has made travel more affordable, but the reality is that many can’t afford the purchase price tag, insurance, and/or maintenance costs to keep their vehicle on the road. The funding trends at the state and local levels will not support an expansion of public transportation to bring rural residents to hub centers for social services, healthcare, school, employment or other destination points. As noted in the Maine Department of Transportation Final Strategic Plan 2025 (2015, p. 13), federal funding in rural regions has remained at 2012 levels, and there is little local funding support for rural transit systems operating outside the more urban cities of Bangor and Ellsworth. A review of the literature on transportation challenges and barriers, particularly in respect to the sparsely populated region of Eastern Maine, provided the basis for this grounded theory qualitative study. A series of thirteen interviews were performed with study participants living in Eastern Maine who were characterized by one or more of the following traits: Low-income; elderly; medically restricted; student; and commuting worker. The results of the study provide insight into factors contributing to the gap, and whether a transportation management association (TMA) and rideshare boards represent reasonable solutions. The study also suggests methods to encourage use of alternative solutions to get Eastern Maine residents to their destinations

The Michelangelo phenomenon

This paper reviews theory and research regarding the “Michelangelo phenomenon.” The Michelangelo model suggests that close partners sculpt one another's selves, shaping one another's skills and traits and promoting versus inhibiting one another's goal pursuits. As a result of the manner in which partners perceive and behave toward one another, each person enjoys greater or lesser success at attaining his or her ideal-self goals. Affirmation of one another's ideal-self goals yields diverse benefits, both personal and relational. The Michelangelo model and supportive empirical evidence are reviewed, the phenomenon is distinguished from related interpersonal processes, and directions for future work are outlined

Impact of Exchange Variables on Exit, Voice, Loyalty, and Neglect: An Integrative Model of Responses to Declining Job Satisfaction

This research offers a new theory predicting the effects of three exchange variables, job satisfaction, investment size, and quality of alternatives, on four general responses to dissatisfaction—exit, voice, loyalty, and neglect. Three studies designed to test model predictions\u27 received good support. High satisfaction and investment encouraged voice and loyalty and discouraged exit and neglect. Satisfaction and investment interacted, with variations in investment most strongly promoting voice given high satisfaction. Better alternatives encouraged exit and voice and discouraged loyalty. However, there was no link between alternatives and neglect

Navigating personal and relational concerns: the quest for equilibrium

The authors' personal-relational equilibrium model suggests that people come to seek equilibrium in their dedication to personal and relational concerns in that these 2 important needs cannot always be gratified simultaneously. The authors proposed that the experience of personal-relational disequilibrium motivates attempts to restore equilibrium and that achieving equilibrium promotes life satisfaction. Four studies revealed good support for the model. In Study 1, a manipulation of anticipated future disequilibrium (vs. equilibrium) as a result of overdedication to either the personal or relational domain caused reduced motivation to address concerns in that domain and increased motivation toward the complementary domain. In Study 2, narratives describing disequilibrium experiences (vs. equilibrium experiences) exhibited increased motivation to restore equilibrium and reduced life satisfaction. In Study 3, diary reports of everyday disequilibrium were associated with increased same-day motivation to restore equilibrium, reduced same-day life satisfaction, and increased next-day dedication of effort to the complementary domain. In Study 4, experiences of disequilibrium predicted reduced well-being 6 months later. Collectively, these findings extend knowledge of how people regulate themselves toward equilibrium in pursuing 2 fundamental human concerns

"The part of me that you bring out": Ideal similarity and the Michelangelo phenomenon

This work examines the Michelangelo phenomenon, an interpersonal model of the means by which people move closer to (vs. further from) their ideal selves. The authors propose that partner similarity--similarity to the ideal self, in particular--plays an important role in this process. Across 4 studies employing diverse designs and measurement techniques, they observed consistent evidence that when partners possess key elements of one another's ideal selves, each person affirms the other by eliciting important aspects of the other's ideals, each person moves closer to his or her ideal self, and couple well-being is enhanced. Partner similarity to the actual self also accounts for unique variance in key elements of this model. The associations of ideal similarity and actual similarity with couple well-being are fully attributable to the Michelangelo process, to partner affirmation and target movement toward the ideal self. The authors also performed auxiliary analyses to rule out several alternative interpretations of these findings

Would I leave my partner? Influence of severity of the transgression, satisfaction and commitment on the decision making

Dejar una relación de pareja es una de las decisiones más difíciles que las personas tienen que tomar,en ocasiones, en algún momento de su vida. Esta investigación pretende contribuir a la comprensióndel proceso implicado en esta toma de decisión a través de 2 estudios. En el primero participaron265 personas de población general, examinándose los diferentes tipos de transgresiones (conflictos)que llevarían a las personas a dejar la relación, la gravedad y las diferencias de género en dichastransgresiones. En el segundo estudio (109 participantes de población general) se analiza la influenciade la gravedad de la transgresión, la satisfacción y el compromiso en la probabilidad de dejar la relacióna través de la huida. Los resultados del primer estudio mostraron que la infidelidad es la transgresión demayor gravedad y la mentira, la más leve. Además, las mujeres perciben las transgresiones como másgraves que los hombres. En el segundo estudio se comprueba que el compromiso media la relación entresatisfacción y probabilidad de dejar la relación ante una transgresión leve (vs. grave). Los resultadosresaltan la relevancia que la gravedad de la transgresión, el compromiso y la satisfacción tienen en latoma de decisión de dejar la relación de pareja o mantenerse en ella.Leaving a relationship is one of the most difficult decisions that people have to make at some point in theirlife. This research aims to contribute to understanding the process involved in this decision by analyzing2 studies. The first one included 265 participants from general population and the principal aim was toexamine different types of transgressions (conflicts) that would lead people to leave a relationship, as wellas severity and gender differences in this transgressions. The second one (90 participants from generalpopulation) analyzed the influence of the severity of the transgression, the satisfaction and commitmentin the probability of leaving the relationship. Results from the first study showed that infidelity is themost serious transgression and lying the least serious one. Moreover, women perceive the transgressionsas more severe than men. The second study proved that commitment mediated the connection betweensatisfaction and probability to leave the relationship only in the less serious transgression. Results high-light the relevance that severity of the transgression, commitment and satisfaction have in the decisionto leave a relationship or to stay in it.Esta investigación fue subvencionada por el plan propio de laUniversidad de Granada a través de una Beca de Iniciación a la Inves-tigación para Estudiantes de Másteres Oficiales (BOJA n.o250 de 23de diciembre de 2014), así como por el Ministerio de Educación,Ciencia y Deporte de Espa˜na, a través de una Beca de Formación del Profesorado Universitario (FPU14/02905)

Self-processes in interdependent relationships: Partner affirmation and the Michelangelo Phenomenon

This essay reviews theory and research regarding the "Michelangelo phenomenon," which describes the manner in which close partners shape one another's dispositions, values, and behavioral tendencies. Individuals are more likely to exhibit movement toward their ideal selves to the degree that their partners exhibit affirming perception and behavior, exhibiting confidence in the self 's capacity and enacting behaviors that elicit key features of the self 's ideal. In turn, movement towards the ideal self yields enhanced personal well-being and couple well-being. We review empirical evidence regarding this phenomenon and discuss self and partner variables that contribute to the process. © John Benjamins Publishing Company

The benefits of interpersonal regulatory fit for individual goal pursuit.

The present work examines whether individual goal pursuit is influenced by advice and suggestions from interaction partners whose regulatory orientation is perceived to fit (vs. not fit) the individual's orientation. We sought to investigate whether such interpersonal regulatory fit yields motivational consequences for goal pursuit that parallel those of intrapersonal regulatory fit. Furthermore, we investigated whether these effects occur in a symmetrical fashion for promotion-and prevention-oriented individuals. The results of 6 experiments revealed that promotion-oriented individuals profit from interpersonal regulatory fit, experiencing motivational benefits when receiving goal-relevant advice from promotion-oriented interaction partners; however, prevention-oriented individuals do not profit from prevention-oriented interaction partners. These findings support the proposal that regulatory fit can fruitfully be examined as an interpersonal phenomenon, highlighting the role that interaction partners may play in the pursuit of personal goals. © 2011 American Psychological Association