Distress, Social Support, and Self-Compassion: Relationships With Mental Health Among College Students.

This study investigated how distress, conceptualized as an interaction between hassles and stress perceptions, related to mental health, whether the type of distress (social or nonsocial) was consequential, and whether perceived support and self-compassion attenuated these relationships. Students (N = 185) from a mid-sized university in the southeast completed a survey. Survey questions pertained to hassles and stress perceptions, mental health (i.e., anxiety, depression, happiness, and love of life), perceived social support, and self-compassion. As predicted, students reporting more hassles and stress (both social and nonsocial) as well as those reporting less support and self-compassion, were worse off regarding mental illness and mental wellness. This was observed for both social and nonsocial distress. Although we did not support our hypotheses regarding buffering effects, we found perceived support and self-compassion are beneficial, regardless of hassles and stress levels. We discuss implications for students' mental health and ideas for future research.

Scale of Unpredictability Beliefs: Reliability and Validity.

Experiencing unpredictability in the environment has a variety of negative outcomes. However, these are difficult to ascertain due to the lack of a psychometrically sound measure of unpredictability beliefs. This article summarizes the development of the Scale of Unpredictability Beliefs (SUB), which assesses perceptions about unpredictability in one's life, in other people, and in the world. In Study I, college students (N = 305) responded to 68 potential items as well as other scales. Exploratory factor analysis yielded three internally consistent subscales (Self, People, and World; 16 items total). Higher SUB scores correlated with more childhood family unpredictability, greater likelihood of parental alcohol abuse, stronger causal uncertainty, and lower self-efficacy. In Study II, a confirmatory factor analysis supported the three-factor solution (N = 186 college students). SUB scores correlated with personality, childhood family unpredictability, and control beliefs. In most instances the SUB predicted family unpredictability and control beliefs beyond existing unpredictability measures. Study III confirmed the factor structure and replicated family unpredictability associations in an adult sample (N = 483). This article provides preliminary support for this new multi-dimensional, self-report assessment of unpredictability beliefs, and ideas for future research are discussed.

THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL HEALTH LOCUS OF CONTROL SCALE: PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES AND FORM EQUIVALENCE.

This study examined the psychometric equivalence of Forms A and B of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale in a sample of college students (N = 370; M = 19.5 yr.; 318 Caucasians; 281 women). Given the dearth of studies that address the issue of form equivalence directly, this study sought to ascertain whether these forms could be used interchangeably by researchers. Subscales on the two forms had fairly high correlations (range of r = .77-.81), and similar alpha and omega reliability coefficients. Additionally, confirmatory factor analysis revealed both forms fit a three-factor model well. However, paired-sample t tests yielded significant mean differences for all three subscales. Furthermore, the two forms yielded inconsistent associations with relevant measures. Although the observed pattern of associations with social desirability and safe swimming behaviors were similar for Forms A and B, the pattern of differences was not identical for smoking groups and bicycle helmet use groups between forms. Overall, these results suggested that Forms A and B do not meet the strict criteria for parallel forms, but instead should be considered alternative forms.

Parenting influences on bicycle helmet rules and estimations of children's helmet use.

The present study examined the potential relationship between parenting variables and estimations of children's bicycle helmet use. Parents (N = 121) completed surveys asking about parental monitoring and questions about their bicycle habits and attitudes, as well as their expectations for their children to wear a helmet and their estimation of how often their children wear a helmet. Parents reported stronger helmet rules for their children who are beginning cyclists rather than experienced cyclists, and rules for experienced cyclists were more strongly endorsed among parents who reported more parental monitoring as well. Parents who wear helmets themselves endorsed stronger helmet rules for their experienced riders, compared to parents who do not wear helmets. Parents without helmet rules reported more peer pressure in that they were more likely to agree that their friends do not make their kids wear helmets and that their child's friends do not wear helmets. In addition, believing other parents do not wear helmets and believing one's child's friends do not wear helmets were both associated with a lower likelihood that their children wear a helmet. This appears to be the first study linking perceptions of parental peer pressure with helmet rules and use. For public health reasons, it is imperative to examine parental factors that may establish children's helmet wearing.

The free will inventory: measuring beliefs about agency and responsibility.

In this paper, we present the results of the construction and validation of a new psychometric tool for measuring beliefs about free will and related concepts: The Free Will Inventory (FWI). In its final form, FWI is a 29-item instrument with two parts. Part 1 consists of three 5-item subscales designed to measure strength of belief in free will, determinism, and dualism. Part 2 consists of a series of fourteen statements designed to further explore the complex network of people's associated beliefs and attitudes about free will, determinism, choice, the soul, predictability, responsibility, and punishment. Having presented the construction and validation of FWI, we discuss several ways that it could be used in future research, highlight some as yet unanswered questions that are ripe for interdisciplinary investigation, and encourage researchers to join us in our efforts to answer these questions.

The theory of planned behavior and helmet use among college students.

OBJECTIVES: To assess undergraduate helmet use attitudes and behaviors in accordance with the theory of planned behavior (TPB). We predicted helmet wearers and nonwearers would differ on our subscales. METHODS: Participants (N=414, 69% female, 84% white) completed a survey. RESULTS: Principal component analysis and reliability analysis guided the creation of subscales. Group differences were detected on 9 of 10 subscales: F(18,788) = 10.721, P=.001, eta(2) = .187. Few ethnicity and sex differences were detected. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the validity of the TPB in predicting college student helmet use and offers a new scale for future research purposes.

Nonconsensual sexual experiences and alcohol consumption among women entering college.

The authors investigated the relationship between precollege nonconsensual sexual experiences (NSEs) and drinking among women entering college. College women (N = 797) at a midwestern university participated. Eighteen percent reported one or more NSE prior to arriving at college. Having a precollege NSE was associated with recent drinking, binge drinking, and negative drinking consequences. The authors discuss implications for intervention and prevention programs targeting college women.

The bicycle helmet attitudes scale: using the health belief model to predict helmet use among undergraduates.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined bicycle helmet attitudes and practices of college undergraduates and developed the Bicycle Helmet Attitudes Scale, which was guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM; Rosenstock, 1974, in Becker MH, ed. The Health Belief Model and Personal Health Behavior. Thorofare, NJ: Charles B. Slack; 1974:328-335) to predict reported helmet use. PARTICIPANTS: Students (N = 337) from a mid-sized university in the southeast completed a survey between November 2006 and November 2007. METHODS: Participants completed a comprehensive survey on attitudes and behaviors relevant to bicycle helmet use. RESULTS: The resulting Bicycle Helmet Attitudes Scale contains 57 items and represents 10 reliable subscales that reflect the HBM. Only 12% of students were self-reported helmet users. Bicycle Helmet Attitudes Scale scores captured 52% of the variance associated with helmet use; each subscale differentiated wearers from nonwearers. Men reported more media influences than did women. CONCLUSIONS: The utility of the HBM to predicted bicycle helmet use was supported. Implications for promoting cycling safety are discussed.

Gender, alcohol consumption, and parental monitoring.

The authors examined the relationships among gender, alcohol consumption, and parental monitoring, including television monitoring. Student volunteers (N = 150; 90% Caucasian, 79% women) participated by reporting retrospective general parental monitoring, television monitoring, and recent drinking behaviors. On the basis of the retrospective reports by the participants, when they were growing up the men received less overall parental monitoring but not less television monitoring than the women. Women's drinking quantity was correlated with parental monitoring, whereas men's drinking frequency was associated with both parental monitoring and television monitoring. Interestingly, men's binge drinking frequency was correlated with television monitoring but not with overall parental monitoring, whereas women's binge drinking frequency was correlated with overall parental monitoring but not with television monitoring. Implications for preventing alcohol misuse and ideas for future research are discussed.

Comparing alcoholic and nonalcoholic parents on the family unpredictability scale.

Research findings and clinical observations suggest that families with an alcoholic parent are more unpredictable. Alcoholic parents (n=25, 68% men, 68% Euro-American, M age=38.6 yr.) and community parents (n=27, 52% men, 70% Euro-American, M age=38.8 yr.) completed the self-report Family Unpredictability Scale of Ross and Hill. Alcoholic parents reported significantly higher (less predictability) scores on the subscales of Nurturance, Finances, and Discipline, as well as on the Total Family Unpredictability Scale (ps<.01). This appears to be the first study on family unpredictability and parental alcoholism in which parental reports of multiple dimensions of unpredictability are used. We provide suggestions for research and clinical uses of the scale, especially pertaining to families with an alcoholic parent.

Eating disorders: relations with inconsistent discipline, anxiety, and drinking among college women.

Since as many as 20% of all college women report symptoms of eating disorders, the present study examined the relationship between self-reported eating disorder symptoms. anxiety, drinking, and retrospective reports of inconsistent parenting during childhood. 101 college women, 85% Euro-Americans of mean age 19 yr., completed an anonymous survey including questions from the Eating Disorder Index-1, the Retrospective Family Unpredictability Scale, the Trait Anxiety Scale, and measures of drinking in the previous month. Eating disorder symptoms correlated with self-reported drinking quantity, anxiety, and retrospective ratings of inconsistent discipline. This appears to be the first time eating disorder symptoms have been associated with inconsistent discipline. Implications for etiology and treatment of eating disorders are discussed.