Examining the Relationship between Childhood Sexual Abuse and Borderline Personality Disorder: Does Social Support Matter?

The relationship between childhood sexual abuse and borderline personality disorder is a prominent issue in the etiological research on borderline personality disorder. This study further explored the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and the development of borderline personality features while evaluating the moderating role of a primary social support source in a sample of 290 female undergraduate students enrolled at a major southeastern university. Consistent with previous research, retrospective self-reports of childhood sexual abuse and low social support were both positively correlated with current borderline personality features. It was hypothesized that the presence of a supportive relationship at the time the childhood sexual abuse occurred would moderate the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and borderline personality features. This moderation hypothesis was not supported in the current study, but post-hoc analyses reveal the need to further examine how we define social support following childhood sexual abuse. This research is a stepping stone toward the prevention of borderline personality disorder following childhood sexual abuse.     

Borderline Personality Disorder and Adolescence

SUMMARY

This chapter addresses many of the potential challenges clinicians face when working with adolescents with BPD. First, we present the diagnostic issues related to an adolescent population. Second, we review issues related to the families, peers, and larger systems (e.g., schools) that reciprocally influence the adolescent and the treatment. Third, we discuss specific treatment concerns and propose solutions, including how to effectively manage therapists' own reactions to working with this population. Many of the clinical vignettes and suggested interventions in this chapter derive from our experience working in an outpatient adolescent Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) program. As described later in this book, DBT is an evidence-based treatment effective for suicidal multi-problem individuals with promising data published with suicidal adolescents diagnosed with borderline features (Rathus & Miller, 2002).     

A Regression Analysis of Motivations for Saudi University Male Student Volunteers

Abstract

As a major national asset for promoting social development, volunteer groups have grown rapidly worldwide and have brought significant benefits to individuals, communities, and society in general. Volunteering is encouraged and common among Muslims in the Middle East, but there is rare study on why they volunteer. This study used multiple regression to explore what motivates Saudi male university students to volunteer with a sample of 223 subjects. The results show that all predictor variables such as pro-social personality, values function, career function, social function, enhancement function, protective function, and learning function of volunteering, community identity, institutional facilitation, and Islamic cultural motivation, are statistically significantly correlated to students’ volunteering intentions, but these factors contribute to the ordinary least square regression model at different levels. Only career (B?=?0.217), social (B?=?0.212), learning (B?=?0.280), and enhancement functions (B?=?0.230) of volunteering have statistically significant influence on Saudi university male students’ volunteering intention. Findings highlight a need for a focus on instrumental needs of volunteers by government and NGOs. In regards to future research, gender and educational impacts on volunteers’ motive should be explored.     

Modifying Earplug Wearing Behavior by Behavior Modification Techniques:

A token economy system for, workers and a managerial intervention were developed in an industrial setting to modify the use of ear protectors. The token economy increased workers' use of ear protectors during work shifts, while new managerial standards maintained the level of earplug usage reached during the token economy intervention. As a result of the intervention program, earplug usage reached an operant level of about 95%. This remained stable throughout the follow-up period during which the new managerial stand was in effect. Theoretical and applied implications of organizational maintenance strategies are dismissed in view of the demonstrated effectiveness of the present intervention.     

Personality and the effort-reward imbalance model of stress: Individual differences in reward sensitivity

Abstract

The Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) model comprises both situational components (i.e. effort and reward) and a person-specific component (overcommitment). The aims of this study were to investigate the role of theoretically and historically linked personality variables (i.e. overcommitment and Type A personality) within the ERI model and to expand and extend the ERI model by investigating the contribution of individual reward components to both psychological (i.e. psychological distress) and attitudinal (i.e. affective commitment) employee strain indicators. A total of 897 police officers from a large Australian police agency participated in the study. The results provided no evidence of an interaction effect of effort or reward with overcommitment. The Type A variables did, however, make significant contributions and were involved in a number of interactions, suggesting that the person-specific component of the ERI model could be extended with the Type A personality profile. The findings also suggest that the esteem component of reward has the greatest relevance to employee outcomes, although tangible aspects of reward are more likely to act as a buffer of perceived work demand.     

高等艺术院校人文素质教育问题反思

药家鑫案凸现当前高等艺术院校人文素质教育的缺失,表现在诚信规则意识和法律信仰不足、道德认知与其行为失衡、心理不健全及人格缺陷,对生命缺乏敬畏、成功判定标准偏移等,原因在于高等艺术院校人才培养模式不完善,应试教育的消极影响和社会转型期带来的功利化影响,对此,应通过更新艺术教育理念、提升专业课教师人文素质水平、完善人文素质课程教学体系并与艺术专业教育相融合、加强校园文化建设和人文素质教育实践活动等途径有效提升高等艺术院校人文素质教育的成效。     

性格与智慧的制约——贾平凹与德莱塞笔下悲剧性人物形象比较研究

刘高兴与赫斯特伍德分别代表了《高兴》与《嘉莉妹妹》两部中外作品中的“失败者”艺术形象.尽管他们在社会地位、文化教养等方面几乎没有任何表征上的类似,然而,他们的悲剧性命运模式却有着类似的诱因与发展逻辑,显示了性格与智慧对人物命运轨迹的重要影响.     

从《菊与刀》看露丝·本尼迪克特的文化模式理论

美国女人类学家露丝·本尼迪克特以其卓著的成就在人类学学术史上占据重要地位。通过《菊与刀》所作日本文化模式的经典个案研究来看本尼迪克特文化模式理论的特点,并论及《菊与刀》之于人类学研究的重要意义．以及文化模式理论所引发的争议与思考。     

男性青少年犯大五人格特征分析

采用大五人格问卷(BFI)和自编调查问卷对217名狱中男性青少年犯和263名在校中学生进行问卷调查。研究男性青少年犯大五人格特征及其影响因素,为有效预防青少年犯罪提供理论依据。调查发现青少年犯与正常同龄男生在宜人性、责任心、神经质和开放性等四个维度上有显著差异;宜人性与开放性在区分青少年犯与正常同龄男生有一定的鉴别力;家庭关系、父母是否离异、农村或城市户口、有无恋爱经历、上网频率、小时候父母是否在家、入监前生活状态等因素影响青少年宜人性人格因子的形成;家庭关系、上网频率等因素影响青少年开放性人格因子形成。本研究表明宜人性与开放性对青少年犯罪有一定预测力;家庭诸多因素对青少年犯罪人格特征有影响作用。