The influence of organizational death on work priorities and the moderating role of attachment internal working models.

Downturns in the global economy have caused even large organizations to cease to operate; a phenomenon often dubbed "organizational death". Two studies focused on individual coping strategies in times of organizational death and the possible moderating role of attachment as a personality factor. Experiment 1 (N = 162) explored the effects of the saliency of organizational death on work priorities, and the moderating role of dispositional attachment orientation. Experiment 2 (N = 119) examined the interaction between dispositional attachment and the recall of an attachment event on work priorities. Participants reported their work priorities after being primed to imagine that their organization must either shut down or undergo an organizational crisis (or were assigned to a neutral control group), and completed the Experiences in Close Relationships scale to determine their attachment orientation. In Experiment 2, participants were also asked to recall a secure/insecure event after organizational death (or organizational crisis) priming to test the impact of external attachment event recall saliency and its interaction with dispositional attachment on work priorities. Dispositional avoidance (but not anxiety) moderated the effects of the organizational priming condition on work priorities. Recall of an attachment event interacted with dispositional avoidance (but not anxiety) on work priorities after organizational death priming. The saliency of organizational death mitigated the moderating role of individual differences on the effects of both dispositional orientation and priming of an attachment event on work priorities. Thus, a significant event that undermines one of the pillars of security in adulthood may lessen individual differences in work priorities following this exposure.

Encounters with offspring help terminally ill adult patients cope with death anxiety.

This overview of recent work drawing on the theories of terror management and symbolic immortality suggests practical ways of helping the terminally ill to cope with death anxiety and its potential effects. The literature review shows that parenthood can act as an anxiety buffer mechanism against the fear of death but that individual differences, including attachment avoidance, moderate this association. Encounters with adult patients' offspring may help minimize fear of death, improve coping, and increase quality of life and emotional well-being. Practical suggestions for psychologists, social workers and physicians are presented.

Exposure to music and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among professional pop/rock/jazz musicians.

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) has been extensively studied in industrial work environments. With the advent of new technologies, loud music has been increasingly affecting listeners outside of the industrial setting. Most research on the effects of music and hearing loss has focused on classical musicians. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between the amount of experience a professional pop/rock/jazz musician has and objective and subjective variables of the musician's hearing loss. This study also examined professional pop/rock/jazz musicians' use of hearing protection devices in relation to the extent of their exposure to amplified music. Forty-four pop/rock/jazz musicians were interviewed using the Pop/Rock/Jazz Musician's Questionnaire (PRJMQ) in order to obtain self-reported symptoms of tinnitus and hyperacusis. Forty-two of the subjects were also tested for air-conduction hearing thresholds in the frequency range of 1-8 kHz. Results show that the extent of professional pop/rock/jazz musicians' exposure to amplified music was related to both objective and subjective variables of hearing loss: Greater musical experience was positively linked to higher hearing thresholds in the frequency range of 3-6 kHz and to the subjective symptom of tinnitus. Weekly hours playing were found to have a greater effect on hearing loss in comparison to years playing. Use of hearing protection was not linked to the extent of exposure to amplified music. It is recommended that further research be conducted with a larger sample, in order to gain a greater understanding of the detrimental effects of hours playing versus years playing.

Reducing PTSD in mass medical events: An immediate preventive intervention.

A preventive approach to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) through an Immediate Psycho-Trauma Intervention (IPTI) may significantly reduce PTSD likelihood and provide a cost-effective way to alleviate suffering. This mixed-method study 1) compared medics who received an IPTI to those who did not after a mass medical event, 2) compared the number medics diagnosed with PTSD from the IPTI group to the minimum number in similar cases reported in the literature. The results indicated that 1.09 % of the medics who underwent the IPTI (N = 275) followed by peer discussion groups and a memorial ceremony were formally diagnosed with PTSD in contrast to the 5 %-20 % reported in similar circumstances. Of these, all but three resumed work within their emergency medical teams. In the one-year qualitative follow-up interviews (N = 14), the IPTI recipients exhibited significantly fewer PTSD symptoms and negative effects than the non-IPTI group. They reported fewer negative themes and a reduced need for professional psycho-trauma assistance, with no significant differences in event recollections between groups. These findings point to the efficacy of the VIOS IPTI in mitigating PTSD risk and suggest its potential for widespread application in clinical settings as a preemptive measure in response to traumatic events.

Recovery From Ostracism Distress: The Role of Attribution.

Ostracism is known to cause psychological distress. Thus, defining the factors that can lead to recovery or diminish these negative effects is crucial. Three experiments examined whether suggesting the possible causes of ostracism to victims could decrease or eliminate their ostracism distress. They also examined whether death-anxiety mediated the association between the suggested possible cause for being ostracized and recovery. Participants (N = 656) were randomly assigned to six experimental and control groups and were either ostracized or included in a game of Cyberball. Two control conditions were used: participants who were ostracized but received no explanation and participants who were included. Immediately after the ostracism experience, participants in the experimental groups were presented with one of four causes for being ostracized, using locus of control (internal, external) and stability (stable, unstable), the two causal dimensions of Weiner's attribution theory. After a short delay they were administered a mood or needs-satisfaction questionnaire. The results highlight the interaction between locus of control and stability, and underscore the relative importance of different attributions in alleviating self-reported ostracism distress. Specifically, both external and unstable attributions decreased distress, and an unstable attribution led to complete recovery in some participants. Thus, recovery from ostracism may be accelerated when the victim receives an explanation for ostracism that attributes the incident to unstable, external causes soon after the incident. Death-anxiety fully mediated the association between locus of control attribution and mood, but for on needs-satisfaction or the stability of the attribution.

Personality as a moderator of immediate and delayed ostracism distress.

Although ostracism is known to have negative consequences, individuals are affected to differing extents and show different patterns of recovery. To better understand these differences, the Big Five personality model was used to examine the moderating role of personality on immediate and delayed ostracism distress. In this laboratory study, 408 participants played Cyberball and completed batteries on needs satisfaction and mood distress. The results show that more Agreeable or Conscientious individuals experienced greater distress on the immediate and the delayed distress measures (needs satisfaction and mood). Greater Openness to experience was related to greater effects of Agreeableness or Conscientious on distress experienced after being ostracized than when included. The discussion centres on the steps that can be taken to achieve greater relief after ostracism. This research contributes new theoretical insights and presents practical implications leading to a better understanding of those individuals who are at greater risk of being affected by ostracism, the personality characteristics that moderate ostracism distress, and when.

The significance of right ear auditory processing to balance.

Although the association between balance and hearing thresholds at different frequencies in the right/left ear is crucial, it has received scant empirical attention. Balance is widely ignored when evaluating hearing in adults. This study examined the relative contribution of left versus right ear hearing at different frequencies to balance, and the mediating role of suprathreshold speech perception on age-balance associations. Pure tone hearing thresholds (500-4000 Hz), suprathreshold speech perception, balance, and risk of falling were evaluated in 295 adults. The results indicate that the right ear contributes more to balance than the left ear. This might imply dominance of the left hemisphere in processing hearing cues for balance. Frequencies within the speech range (500/1000/2000 Hz) were correlated with balance and mediated the interaction between age and balance. These results should be considered when tailoring hearing and balance rehabilitation programs.

Intergenerational attachment orientations: Gender differences and environmental contribution.

After more than four decades of research and almost 100 attachment studies, the mechanisms of intergenerational transmission of attachment still remain unclear. To better understand the mechanisms moderating the associations of attachment orientations from one generation to the next, this empirical study examined the roles of 1) shared and non-shared environmental factors that characterize critical events in adulthood such as career choice, income and child care; 2) gender differences in attachment between parents (Generation 1, G1) and their adult offspring (Generation 2, G2) and their possible interactions. A sample of 321 families with G2 adults aged 18 and over and two G1 parents up to the age of 81 took part in this study. Both generations completed the Experiences in Close Relationships attachment measure as well as a comprehensive detailed measure of current core characteristics in adulthood (e.g. employment status, income, whether they had children) and demographic variables (gender, age). The findings suggest that the associations between the attachment orientations of G1 and the attachment orientations of G2 were moderated by G2's income, their G1 paternal income and employment status, whether G2 had children (G3) of their own, and their family status after controlling for the age of G2, and the age of both paternal and maternal G1. When the associations for both paternal and maternal G1attachment orientation with both their male and female G2 was analyzed separately, this accounted for 35% of the variance of males' G2 attachment orientation. The discussion focuses on the contribution of these findings to attachment theory and draws clinical conclusions.

Organizational Citizenship Behavior Predicts Quality, Creativity, and Efficiency Performance: The Roles of Occupational and Collective Efficacies.

Although numerous studies have shown that prosocial behavior impacts performance within organizations, the mechanisms that encourage or discourage these effects have rarely been explored. Two studies were conducted to shed light on the role of psychological beliefs on prosocial dynamics in predicting organizational performance. In Study 1, employees' beliefs in their inner job-related resources (Occupational Efficacy - OE) were examined as a predictor of OCB. It was posited that OE, which is an inner resource, should positively predict OCB. Study 2 examined whether Collective Efficacy (CE), which is an external resource over which employees have less control, would moderate the OCB-performance prediction. Overall, performance and three core dimensions of performance (quality, creativity and efficiency) were assessed to better capture the specific influence of OCB effects on performance. In Study 1, employees completed inventories measuring their OE, OCB and performance. In Study 2, employees completed inventories measuring their CE and OCB. In addition, their managers completed inventories measuring the CE of their employees' teams and their employees' performance. The results of Study 1 revealed that OE emerged as an antecedent of OCB in predicting performance. In Study 2, OCB positively predicted employee performance above and beyond and the effects of their managers' tenure in position, and CEs. In addition, both employees' and managers' CEs moderated the effects of OCB on performance: the performance effects of OCB increased as employees' and managers' CE increased, and specifically performance efficiency and performance creativity. These findings contribute to a better theoretical and practical understanding of the core factors that affect the organizational dynamics of prosocial behaviors that can lead to higher performance, and the ways in which OCB positively predicts performance in organizational settings.

Ostracism and attachment orientation: Avoidants are less affected in both individualistic and collectivistic cultures.

Ostracism--being excluded and ignored--is painful and threatens needs for belonging, self-esteem, control and meaningful existence. Many studies have shown that immediate responses to ostracism tend to be resistant to moderation. Once ostracized individuals are able to reflect on the experience, however, personality and situational factors moderate recovery speed and behavioural responses. Because attachment orientation is grounded in perceptions of belonging, we hypothesized that attachment orientation would moderate both immediate and delayed reactions to laboratory-induced ostracism. Participants from individualistic or collectivistic cultures were either included or ostracized in a game of Cyberball, a virtual ball-toss game. In both cultures, we found that compared to more securely attached individuals, more avoidant participants were less distressed by ostracism, but more distressed by inclusion. It is suggested that over and beyond differences in culture, individuals who avoid meaningful attachment may be less affected by ostracism.

Desire to work as a death anxiety buffer mechanism.

Four studies were conducted to examine the death anxiety buffering function of work as a terror management mechanism, and the possible moderating role of culture. In Study 1, making mortality salient led to higher reports of participants' desire to work. In Study 2, activating thoughts of fulfillment of the desire to work after mortality salience reduced the accessibility of death-related thoughts. In Study 3, activating thoughts of fulfillment of the desire to work reduced the effects of mortality salience on out-group derogation. In Study 4, priming thoughts about obstacles to the actualization of desire to work led to greater accessibility of death-related thoughts. Although two different cultures with contrasting work values were examined, the results were consistent, indicating that the desire to work serves as a death anxiety buffer mechanism in both cultures.

Parenthood as a Terror Management Mechanism: The Moderating Role of Attachment Orientations.

Six studies examined the hypothesis that parenthood serves a terror management function, with effects that are moderated by attachment orientations. In Studies 1 and 2, mortality salience, as compared with control conditions, increased the self-reported vividness and implicit accessibility of parenthood-related cognitions. In Studies 3 and 4, activating parenthood-related thoughts reduced death-thought accessibility and romantic intimacy following mortality salience. In Study 5, heightening the salience of parenthood-related obstacles increased death-thought accessibility. Across the five studies, the effects were significant mainly among participants who scored relatively low on avoidant attachment. In Study 6, avoidant people also reacted to mortality salience with more positive parenthood-related cognitions following an experimental manipulation that made parenthood compatible with their core strivings. Overall, the findings suggest that parenthood can have an anxiety-buffering effect that is moderated by attachment-related avoidance.