Using 50 psychology undergraduates, an attempt was made to find positive correlations between transliminality (psychological material crossing thresholds into or out of consciousness) and creative personality and figure-complexity preference. Only the correlation between transliminality and creative personality was significant. (Contains…

Youth development moves beyond risk reduction by turning a narrow negative focus on at-risk factors into positive action strategies. Critical components of youth development are providing positive ways for young people to meet their needs and building competencies. Physical, social, cognitive, vocational, and moral competence are described, and…

Reviews the trend toward integrating vocational interest measurement with self-efficacy and personal styles measures. States that parallel measures of interests and self-efficacy can improve prediction of vocational choice behavior; personal styles and interests can be useful in choosing occupational settings and building career paths. Contains 53…

Examined whether a procedure based on item response theory (IRT) for assessing the scalability of response patterns could detect deliberate dissimulation (faking good) on scores from three tests of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised. Results for 489 and 140 undergraduates show that IRT measures were not powerful enough to detect…

Studies 49 incarcerated women to examine the complex relationship among women's criminal history, victimization, relational supports, personal strengths and their mental health. A cluster analysis produced four typologies shaping recommendations for assessment and treatment. Findings suggest that women with the greatest mental health needs have…

Describes the results of a survey of undergraduate students enrolled in courses that incorporate Web-based modules that assessed their satisfaction with learning in a digital instructional environment, with the goal of identifying learners' temperaments as possible predictors of satisfaction. Discusses use of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter II.…

Describes a summer institute for Hawaiian teachers, counselors, and administrators that emphasized constructing and nourishing student resiliency to combat pathological and self-destructive responses to problems (e.g., substance abuse) and promoted three internal assets (caring relations, high expectations, and meaningful participation). Describes…

The construct, family resilience, is defined differently by practitioners and researchers. This study tries to clarify the concept of family resilience. The foundation is family stress and coping theory, particularly the stress models that emphasize adaptation processes in families exposed to major adversities. (JDM)

A study of 371 involuntarily laid-off workers found that openness to experience and neuroticism were important predictors of their psychological state in career transition. Low neuroticism, high extraversion, and high openness were related to higher self-efficacy in transition. The importance of the role of personality traits in the transition…

Proposed a model of the development of self-criticism in adolescent girls in which maternal dissatisfaction leads to maternal coldness. The model was supported in a sample of 54 early adolescent girls and their mothers. Discusses implications of the findings for theory and future research. (SLD)

Examined relations between personality and parenting behavior in 78 mothers of adolescent boys. Results suggest that mothers high in dependency relate to competent sons in ways that encourage independence, but relate to their less competent sons in ways that may foster dependency by thwarting attempts at autonomy. (SLD)

The multiplicity of approaches in the field of counseling, together with a growing interest in eclecticism and integration amongst practitioners, present a challenge for counselor trainers. This challenge is being met by the development of training programs that purport to be integrative. Since sophisticated integration is rare, article explores…

Three studies examined the capacity of 4-year olds, kindergartners, second- and fifth graders, and adults to use trait labels (nice, mean, shy, not shy) as tools for making inferences about mental states. Findings suggested that even for 4-year olds, trait labels can serve as a basis for making non-obvious inferences. (Author/KB)

Discusses relationships between a mathematical measurement model and its real-world applications. Makes a distinction between large-scale data matrices commonly found in educational measurement and smaller matrices found in attitude and personality measurement. Also evaluates nonparametric methods for estimating item response functions and…

Business students (n=730) identified traits they perceived important for successful telecommuters. Independence, honesty, dependability, resourcefulness, initiative, and ethical behavior were most highly rated. Reinforcement of these traits to prepare for telecommuting was recommended. (Contains 25 references.) (SK)