Personality and Nomophobia: The Role of Dysfunctional Obsessive Beliefs.

BACKGROUND: The development of new technologies (ICTs), and specifically the invention of smartphones, has offered users enormous benefits. However, the use of this technology is sometimes problematic and can negatively affect people's lives. Nomophobia has been defined as the fear of being unreachable by means of a smartphone and is considered a disorder of the modern world. The present study aims to provide additional evidence of the relationship between personality traits and nomophobia. Moreover, this research explores dysfunctional obsessive beliefs as another possible antecedent. Finally, this study also examines the effect of the combination of these antecedents on nomophobia. METHOD: The study sample was comprised of Spanish workers (males: 44.54%; females: 55.46%) in the city of Tarragona and its surroundings. RESULTS: Our results showed that nomophobia is directly related to personality traits such as extraversion, and that dysfunctional obsessive beliefs play a role in the development of nomophobia. Moreover, our study confirms that the combination of personality traits and dysfunctional obsessive beliefs can affect the degree of nomophobia experienced. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Our study contributes to the body of literature that examines how psychological variables of personality can be predictors of nomophobia. Additional research is needed to better understand the determinants of nomophobia.

Exhausted through client interaction-Detached concern profiles as an emotional resource over time?

OBJECTIVE: To identify long-term profiles of Detached Concern (DC), based on its core dimensions detachment (D) and empathic concern (C), and to determine their association with burnout among human service professionals. METHOD: Self-reported data from healthcare, teaching and social professionals (N = 108) were collected in 3-waves over an 8-month period. Latent profile analysis and analysis of covariance for repeated measures were applied. RESULTS: Five relatively stable longitudinal DC profiles emerged: (1) 'detached' (high D-low C; 33%); (2) 'empathic' (high C-moderate D; 31%); (3) 'balanced' (high D-high C; 21%); (4) 'boundless' (high C-low D, curvilinear trend; 8%); (5) 'moderately uninvolved' (low C-moderate D, increasing; 7%). Findings revealed profile differences based on gender (p < 0.05; χ2(4) = 9.73) and work experience (F [4, 103] = 3.26, p < .05). Differences could also be found for emotional exhaustion (F [4, 101] = 6.34, p < .001). The lowest emotional exhaustion over time occurred among balanced professionals. A stable or increasing risk of exhaustion over time was found in particular among profiles with moderate-to-low levels of detachment. CONCLUSION: A balanced DC protects professionals' mental health because it is associated with the lowest levels of emotional exhaustion over time among the distinct DC profiles. Findings provide evidence-based information for education and health-promoting interventions and contribute to self-awareness of the strengths and risks of DC and burnout for human service organisations and professionals.

Dealing with Organizational Double Binds: Three-way Interactive Effects of Role Stressors and Coping on Worker Exhaustion.

Based on theory regarding the dynamics of organizational double binds, hypotheses were developed about interactive effects of role conflict, role ambiguity, and coping on psychological exhaustion. Hypotheses were tested in a sample of 948 civil servants employed by a government administration in Germany. The sample included 250 (26.4%) women (M age = 43.6 year, SD = 8.3) and average organizational tenure was 17.1 year (SD = 10.0). Moderated multiple regression supported the two hypothesized three-way interactions. Under conditions of high role conflict and high role ambiguity, exhaustion was lower in workers reporting high control coping than in workers reporting low control coping. Under conditions of high role conflict and high role ambiguity, worker exhaustion was more pronounced when support coping was high than when it was low. Problem-focused control coping seems crucial to maintain mental health in dealing with contradictory and unclear work role expectations. Emotion-focused support coping appears symptomatic of prolonged involvement in psychologically dysfunctional work situations that cannot otherwise be addressed. Implications are discussed in the context of growing awareness of the contradictory demands organizations impose on employees.