Dimensions of the psychosocial work environment in a sample of the US metropolitan population

The present study investigates the dimensional structure of the psychosocial work environment as assessed by Karasek's job characteristics scales and a set of factorial scales derived from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) observers' ratings of occupational characteristics for census occupations. Scale scores on the Karasek and DOT were linked to information on occupation from the Epidemiologc Catchment Area (ECA) study sample. Scale intercorreladons and factor analysis were performed on those ECA subjects who reported ever having a full-time job (n=11,789). DOT'sS Substantive Complexity scale was positively correlated with Karasek's Skill Discretion and Decision Authority scales, and DOT's Physical Demands and Hazards scale was positively correlated with Karasek's Physical Demands scale. In addition, the DOT system compared to the Karasek system seems to assess psychosocial work domains less characteristic of traditional industrial jobs (interpersonal stress, expressive work). The content validity of the Karasek scales might be increased with the assessment of these domains. Giving support to Karasek's Demand/Control Model, the factor structure of the psychosocial work enviromnent in the probability sample of five US metropolitan populations yielded two major dimensions: Control, and Physical Demands.     

The influence of gender on the Self-Perception of disturbed children

This investigation examined the relationship between gender, psychopathology and self-perception. The sample consisted of 24 boys and 24 girls involved in psychotherapy. Self-perception was measured using The Self-Perception Profile (Harter, 1985). Results indicated that boys and girls both reported relatively high levels of self-esteem. It was found, however, that the various components of self-perception were strongly interrelated for girls and not for boys. Furthermore, girls did not appear to value those competencies which they possessed while holding in high regard those that they felt they lacked. From these results, it was concluded that self-concept in girls is more tenuously constructed.     

Do you think that your health or safety are at risk because of your work? A large European study on psychological and physical work demands

Throughout Europe there are relatively few statistics, gathered a national level, which deal specifically with the problem of violence at work. In the UK, the revised Reporting of Injuries. Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995 now require that certain violent incidents are reported on a national basis. The criteria for reporting, which are entirely dependent on the physical outcome of incidents, are discussed. It is recommended that employing organizations should establish their own internal systems for reportmg and recording a wider range of violent, and potentially violent, incidents. These should then be used to inform risk assessment and risk management.     

On uniform approximation of Poisson variates by normal ones

In this paper the accuracy of the normal approximation to the Poisson is treated from the viewpoint of direct approximation of Poisson variables by normal ones. The conclusions that are derived on the accuracy of this approximation lead (among others) to very useful results on confidence limits for the mean of a linear combination of independent Poisson variables; these latter are employed in precise determination of the composition of a mixture of radioactive isotopes by means of a scintillation counter.     

Inequalities for linear combinations of gamma random variables

We study the behavior of the tail probabilities of weighted averages of certain independently and identically distributed random variables as the weights are varied. We show that the upper and lower tails are smallest when all the weights are equal. Our results apply to exponential, chi-squared, gamma, and Weibull random variables.