There are many situations of potential conflict that can be defused with humor. Humor in discipline can be used when it is a natural part of the adult's personality and style, and/or there is a relationship that has been built with a child that allows for off-beat words or actions to be accepted in a nondefensive way. (Author)

Used Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory and Profile of Mood States to assess psychological characteristics in 72 adolescent males: 24 adolescent athletes who reported steroid use, 24 athletes with no steroid use, and 24 nonathletes. Although some personality variables differentiated between athletes and nonathletes, no personality variables…

Characteristics of adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) among traditional-age college students were investigated. Personality characteristics were examined based on birth order, gender of alcoholic parent, and honor society membership. Differences between ACOAs and non-ACOAs are discussed. (Author)

After conducting 10 interviews with outstanding educators for the "Educational Leadership" portrait series, the author realized his subjects had more in common than extraordinary achievement. They shared patterns constituting a leitmotif in their careers--characteristics such as vision, tenacity, recursiveness, time commitment, and…

Superintendents and principals (248 usable responses out of 652) gave high ratings to such personality traits as enthusiasm, confidence, maturity, and outgoing nature and professional qualities such as teaching excellence, flexibility, communication, and judgment as hiring criteria for new technology teachers. (SK)

Describes investigation examining model of sibling relationship's mediation between quality of youths' best friendships and several individual and family variables via self-report and observational assessments. Results demonstrate that youths' temperaments and quality of relationships with parents both predicted best friendship quality indirectly…

This study compared neurotic and depressive personality characteristics in autobiographies of creative achievers (n=30) versus eminent but noncreative achievers (n=18). California Q-Set ratings assessed the five personality factors of neuroticism, extroversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Creative achievers were…

Describes culturally competent assessment practice as a context for discussing advantages and disadvantages of various "corrections" currently available for the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory with Hispanic populations. Corrections include moderator variables, special scales, special norms, translations, and aids to…

This study attempted to identify gifted child humorists among 1,204 children in grades 3-6. Final identification of 13 gifted child humorists was determined through application of such criteria as funniness, originality, and exemplary performance or product. The influence of intelligence, development, social factors, sex differences, family…

Completion of the Bem Sex Role Inventory and Attitudes toward Women Scale by 95 female managers (of 200 surveyed) found that most were androgynous or masculine in gender-role orientation and had highly egalitarian views of women's role. Most had middle-class backgrounds, close relationships with parents, mothers employed outside the home, mostly…

In sample of 30 consecutively admitted sex offenders at treatment facility inside Austrian prison system, found 23 patients with diagnosis of personality disorder. Distribution of diagnoses did not differ significantly from other samples found in general outpatient clinic with exception of relatively high rate of sadistic personality disorder…

Examined degree to which personality hardiness, career beliefs, self-efficacy, and occupational choice status related to career self-efficacy among 181 college juniors and seniors. Results indicated that motivation, self-efficacy, occupational choice status, and commitment correlated significantly to career self-efficacy. (Author/NB)

Considers definitional, methodological, and theoretical issues of comorbidity, then reviews data on comorbidity among anxiety disorders as well as data on comorbidity of anxiety disorders with depressive, personality, and substance use disorders. Presents treatment implications with preliminary data on effects of psychosocial treatment of panic…

Data from 725 Norwegian adults were analyzed using Holland's and Schein's theories. Although some correlation between the type of work preferred and career goal were found, the two types of decisions were not highly related. Persons' career anchors cannot be derived from assessment of their vocational personality and vice versa. (SK)

University counseling center clients self-reporting childhood physical, sexual, or emotional abuse (n=30) or no childhood abuse (n=54) completed measures of psychological functioning. Abused clients were more depressed, had more symptomatology, and scored higher on Borderline Personality scale of Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory. (Author/NB)