Comparing the Level of Positive Tendency in a Life Satisfaction Evaluation between Chinese and Western People

We demonstrate that people from Chinese cultural backgrounds have a smaller positive tendency in life evaluation compared to people in typical Western cultures. Participants first described their imagined best and worst life and then rated their current life on scale anchored by those imaginings (Mellor et al. International Journal of Social Research Methodology Theory and Practice, 2, 263–278, 1999), with scores above 50 indicating the strength of positive tendency. We compare responses from 82 Taiwanese students to data from the 22 Australian students in Mellor et al.’s (International Journal of Social Research Methodology Theory and Practice, 2, 263–278, 1999) study. Results of independent t tests support the hypothesis that culturally Chinese subjects have a lower positive tendency (65.32%SM) than Australian participants (76.12%SM) in life satisfaction evaluation. Shih-jung Lee and Chia-huei Wu have made equal contributions to this study.     

Arthritis Impact on U.S. Life Quality: Morbidity and Mortality Effects From National Health Interview Survey Data 1986–1988 and 1994 Using QWBX1 Estimates of Well-Being

Objective: To estimate the impact ofarthritis using a general health index andNational Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data.Methods: Morbidity data came from NHISPublic Use data, from the years 1986–1988 and1994. The data are 423 400 cases, representing975 421 153 person-years. Quality ofWell-being Scale (QWB) morbidity scores wereimputed from NHIS questions about healthconditions and limitations in functioning. Both the QWB and multiple linear regressionwere used to estimate the effects of arthritiswith and without adjustments for co-morbidity. Mortality data for NHIS-sampled adults weredrawn from the National Death Index by staff ofthe National Center for Health Statistics.Results: The mean QWB for those withself-reported arthritis was 0.608 on a scaleranging from 0.0 (for death) to 1.0 (for fullyfunctional without symptoms or problems). Thisobserved mean for arthritis is 39.2% below the1.000 comparison standard. QWB morbidityscores for self-reported arthritis appear(0.701 – 0.608=) 9.3% more severe than meaneffects of all other health conditions. Mortality adds an average 13.8% to themorbidity burden. Persons with arthritisconstitute 4.7% of the population, but accountfor 9.6% of Quality-Adjusted Life Years(QALYs) lost to morbidity.Conclusions: Self-reported arthritis isassociated with very significant losses inQuality-Adjusted Life in the US population.     

Sources of occupational stress in the police

This paper describes an empirical study (n = 954) of occupational stress conducted in a large provincial English police force. Conceptual distinctions were made between stressors, i.e., potential external sources of adverse reactions; felt stress, i.e., self-perceived negative impact; and distress, i.e., self-reported symptoms of anxiety, depression, social dysfunction, and somatic disturbance. Findings indicates that overall exposure rates are highest for organizational and management stressors rather than routine operational duties. Differential rates of exposure, felt stress, and distress are reported for different ranks of officers. The paper confirms the nature of postulated sources of police stress from earlier studies and extends analysis to differentiate between exposure to stressors and experience of distress.     

阿拉伯民族的客观时间与主观时间

时间有客观、主观双重含义。人们既生活在根据自然现象划分的客观时间中,也生活在受自己生活经验和思想感情影响的主观时间中。本文探讨的就是阿拉伯人的客观时间和主观时间。     

模棱两可的民间——质疑陈思和的"民间"理论及其运用

“民间”是一个极其复杂、充满内在矛盾的概念 ,本文所要探讨的是 ,在陈思和的“民间”理论中 ,民间的客体世界和主体世界能否统一 ?“民间”能否以独立于“庙堂”、“广场”之外的形态存在于 2 0世纪文学史之中 ?自由自在是否是民间最基本的审美风格 ,民间的自由自在是否任何文明进步都无法涵盖 ?     

Savage''''s Concept of Probability

Starting with personal preference, Savage [3] constructs a foundation theory for probability from the qualitative probability to the quantitative probability and to utility. There are some profound logic connections between three steps in Savage's theory; that is, quantitative concepts properly represent qualitative concepts. Moreover, Savage's definition of subjective probability is in accordance with probability theory, and the theory gives us a rational decision model only if we assume that the weak order preference is rational.     

抗战时期中国国民党内外政策调整的主观因素分析

中国国民党在抗战时期内外政策的调整是由多种因素促成的,其中中国国民党的光荣革命历史传统,内部要求抗日的进步力量,蒋介石的民族意识和抗日愿望是其转变的主观因素。     

Assisting employees with drinking problems: Changes in mental health, job perceptions and work performance

A sample of 104 British transportation employees with alcohol-related problems were examined for changes in mental health and job perceptions before and after a company-based counselling programme. Data was mainly obtained by means of structured interviews. When clients were assessed at a 6-month follow-up, significant positive changes were found for the group as a whole in terms of context-free mental health, self- and supervisor ratings of work performance as well as measures of absenteeism. Small positive differences were observed for measures relating to perceived work demands. However, no significant differences were observed for the measures of job satisfaction and job commitment. The findings are discussed in relation to the expected client and organizational outcomes of workplace counselling interventions.     

Well-Being and Family Role Strains Among Cuban American and Puerto Rican Mothers of Adults with Mental Retardation

Abstract

This article examines predictors of depressive symptoms and caregiving burden in a sample of Cuban American and Puerto Rican caregivers of an adult child with mental retardation. Using a stress process model of caregiving, the focus of this analysis was on family role strains that result from the caregiving process, which were hypothesized to be particularly strong predictors of maternal well-being in Latino families. Findings indicate that Cuban American mothers of adults with mental retardation had higher socioeconomic status than Puerto Rican mothers, yet there was a substantial amount of within-group heterogeneity in family socio-demographic characteristics, linked closely with immigration patterns for the Cuban American mothers. However, taking into account socio-demographic diversity and ethnicity, findings demonstrate that mothers whose family had more problems had higher levels of burden and depressive symptoms, supporting the hypothesized importance of family functioning to Latina mothers with a non-normative parenting challenge.     

Subjective sexual arousal and involvement: Development of multiple indicators

Three measures of subjective sexual arousal were observed across four erotic conditions in a sample of 241 college men and women (a) to refine two multi‐item scales of subjective sexual arousal, (b) to determine the convergent and discriminant validity of three measures of sexual arousal, and (c) to relate these operational definitions of subjective sexual arousal to the construct of subjective sexual arousal within Mosher's (1980) involvement theory. From the perspective of involvement theory, subjective sexual arousal is conceived to be an affect‐cognition blend, consisting of awareness of physiological sexual arousal, sexual affects, and affect‐cognition blends, which is transmuted into consciousness and deepens involvement by amplifying the perception of sexual stimulation, sexual cognitions, sexual behavior, physiological sexual response, and itself. Evidence of convergent validity was strong with a median validity coefficient of .51 for the three measures across the four conditions.