EJOP Archives: 2008 Volume 4
Thinking Outside the Box of Individualism: Creativity in Light of a Socio-Cultural Approach
As in the previous decades it is with great hope that researchers in general and psychology researchers in particular turn to the study of creativity. The hope rests primarily in the enormous relevance of the topic for most segments of any society from scientists to practitioners, from politicians to artists, from teachers to economists, from specialists to lay people. Current changes at the macro level, challenges that threaten the economic stability of so many, wars that disrupt the lives of many others, all require solutions, transformations and innovation.
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The role of Psychology in Human Resources Management
HRM can be considered to be responsibility of all those who manage people as well as a description of persons who are employed as specialists. It is that part of management that involves planning for human resource needs, including recruitment and selection, training and development. It also includes welfare and safety, wage and salary administration, collective bargaining and dealing with most aspects of industrial relations.
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The Beauty of Self-Actualisation: Linking Physical Attractiveness and Self-Fulfilment
The current study examined the relationship between physical attractiveness and self-actualisation. It was hypothesized that higher levels of physical attractiveness lead to higher levels of self-actualisation, as physically attractive and self-actualised people share certain characteristics, such as inner-directiveness, sociability and self-acceptance.
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The Influence of Gender and Age in Mock Juror Decision-Making
This study examines the influence of demographic variables on mock juror decision-making in a case of psychopathy. The gender of a fictitious criminal defendant who was labeled a psychopath was manipulated in order to examine the potential prejudicial impact on mock juror’s decision-making.
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Prediction of scholastic performance by psychophysical indicators of temporal resolution power
The present study was designed to investigate whether scholastic achievement as a real world correlate of psychometric intelligence can also be predicted by temporal resolution power. For this purpose, the relation between temporal resolution power, assessed by two timing tasks, and scholastic achievement was examined in 40 second-graders, 40 fourth-graders, and 50 sixth-graders.
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Item Analysis of C, D and E Series from Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices with Item Response Theory Two-Parameter Logistic Model
The present report is focused on the Item Response Theory research methodology and descriptive potential. Its purpose is to present the item analysis of C, D and E Series from Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices which were given to 506 Bulgarian high school students. The basic concepts and underlying assumptions of IRT are briefly reviewed. The latent variable is defined after a short check of some intelligence theories and a detailed examination of the used items. After the verification of IRT assumptions, the Two-parameter logistic model is selected for the analysis. The estimated item parameters are interpreted in accordance to suggested guidelines. Item Characteristic Curves and Item Information Functions are plotted and their features are also discussed.
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Workaholism types among Turkish physicians: Potential antecedents and consequences
This study examined potential antecedents and consequences of workaholism types among 431 male and female physicians in Turkey. Three workaholism types (Work Enthusiasts, Work Addicts, Enthusiastic Addicts) and one non-workaholic type (Unengaged workers) previously identified by Spence and Robbins (1992) were compared. Antecedents included personal and work situation characteristics and personality factors; consequences included work experiences, work outcomes and indicators of psychological well-being.
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Depression and body image disturbances among females seeking treatment for obesity in Saudi Arabia
Obesity is an increasingly prevalent disease around the world and is becoming one of the main public health problems in developed countries. The relationship between obesity and psychological distress continued to be debated by researchers and clinicians. This study aimed to assess depression and body image disturbances in obese patients seeking treatment for obesity.
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On the Gift of Humor
Human beings were given many gifts when we were created, such as imagination, inventiveness, and reason, but I often think the greatest gift was a sense of humor. For it is our sense of humor that enables us to tolerate and, in a way, triumph over the terrible things that happen to all of us, from time to time, in the course of our lives. That is, mirthful humor has a remarkable therapeutic value that is connected to our survival, psychologically as well as physically. We now know that laughter leads to the release of endorphins and has physiological benefits of various kinds.
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Moving On
“Moving on” is a straightforward, accessible and inspiring guide offered by Roz D’Ombraine Hewitt to the public providing information on the myths and misconceptions surrounding schizophrenia, the possible causes and how the illness is diagnosed, medication and other treatment options, sources of support, improving health and well-being, employment-paid and voluntary, complementary therapies, counseling and psychotherapy.
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Positive and Negative Self-Worth Beliefs and Evaluative Standards
This study examined several different types of self-worth beliefs and evaluations as predictors of depression and self-esteem. Based upon a self-schema model of emotion, some of these beliefs and evaluations had a traditional negative focus (e.g., “I am failing at work”), whereas others focused specifically on positive aspects of self-worth (e.g., “I am able to give, as well as receive, in relationships”). Findings indicated that positive self-worth evaluations were one of the main predictors of greater self-esteem and less depression, thus indicating a need for further exploration of the role of positive evaluative components of the self-schema on psychological well-being.
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Psychology and the Problem of Evil
Psychology not playing a major part in squarely addressing the human problems. It has become a sophisticated clinical tool of discrimination and labeling, incapable of being moved by human suffering. Why is the field of psychology so self-obsessed and dehumanized?
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Scientific Insights Regarding the Orgasm
Several scientific insights about the orgasm are presented. Insights from evolutionary biology and psychology contribute to understanding the orgasm. Important issues are the point of inevitability (which only exists in males), effects of endorphins, differences regarding orgasm for the two sexes, and how the orgasm increases the strength of a relationship.
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On the media examination of the mental health of political figures
Wouldn’t it be great if we could identify and help people at risk of serious mental health problems before the onset of illness? In fact the British Medical Journal has reported on President George W Bush’s proposal to screen the American population for mental illness (Lenzer, 2004).
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Research Methods in Social Psychology: A Comparative Analysis
Research in social psychology would be inconceivable today without the use of questionnaires, interviews and focus groups. This essay will briefly present all three methods and compare their characteristics through an analysis of their importance for stereotype, identity and social representations research.
Both questionnaires and interviews / focus groups help researchers gather verbal data and all start from the same key-element: questions. This aspect is most obvious in the case of questionnaires that may resemble a “simple” set of questions.
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Imagery and Emotion Components of Event Descriptions about Self and Various Others
Imagery and emotion have been identified as two of the main component systems of autobiographical events. It is not yet known, however, whether a primary focus on either the self or others may have an impact on these components. To investigate this issue, half of the participants in this study provide a real and made-up event description about themselves, and half provide descriptions about a well-known other.
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EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, RELIGIOSITY AND SELF-EFFICACY AS PREDICTORS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS IN OGBOMOSO, NIGERIA
Adolescence as a developmental period is filled with many challenges. Early developmental theorists, particularly Erickson (Erickson, 1959) have defined the period of adolescence as one of identity versus role confusion, in which adolescents must determine who they are, combining their self-understanding and social roles into a coherent identity.
Today, Adolescents live in a society which has become multi-complex, thus making the roles of adolescents very diffuse and confusing.
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Workaholism components and perceptions of negative organizational acts(1)
Accumulating research findings on work addiction and work addicts has shown that individuals scoring higher on work addiction also report more negative affects and poorer psychological health. This study extends this research by examining the relationship of work addiction to perceptions of negative acts or bullying in a large sample of Norwegian oil rig workers.
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To Be or Not to Be a Psychologist?
To be or not to be a psychologist? This is the question, or, in other words, “who isn’t a psychologist nowadays”? Not very far can we find that, from the magazines filled with “tests”, that we like to read, the “practical” books full of good intentions and advices about how to live our lives, the news that make a “fashion” out of psychological portraits, and up to the discussions made with a lot of psychological delicacy by our parents at home, every setting, every space and each one of our contacts “suffers” the influence of psychology (as science, as art, as hobby, or – and this is the worse possible thing – as amusement).
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