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Biomedical subjects

C M Pierce

Publications and source records attributed to C M Pierce.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

A modified Regressive Coping Checklist: some Australian data.

The Regressive Coping Checklist has been used to measure the extent to which individuals cope with stress by denying, minimizing, or avoiding stressful situations. In this study, the checklist was modified to include the frequency of use of regressive coping strategies and was shown to be a moderately reliable instrument (alpha = .57) when used with a sample of 750 Australian postprimary teachers.

Adaptation, Psychological

Psychological and biographical differences between secondary school teachers experiencing high and low levels of burnout.

A total of 750 teachers from 16 government and non-government schools from areas of contrasted socio-economic status (SES) responded to a questionnaire designed to investigate associations between selected aspects of burnout among teachers working in secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. By comparing high and low burnout groups on biographic, psychological and work pattern variables, differences between teachers experiencing high and low levels of burnout were identified. Multiple regression analyses assessed the relative importance of these variables in accounting for the variance in each of the three burnout subscales. School type was related to perceptions of stress and burnout. Higher levels of burnout were associated with poorer physical health, higher rates of absenteeism, lower self-confidence and more frequent use of regressive coping strategies. Teachers classified as experiencing high levels of burnout attributed most of the stress in their lives to teaching and reported low levels of career commitment and satisfaction. Further, teachers who recorded high levels of burnout were characterised by lower levels of the personality disposition of hardiness, lower levels of social support, higher levels of role stress and more custodial pupil control ideologies than their low-burnout counterparts. Psychological variables were found to be more significant predictors of burnout than biographical variables.

Australia

Some developmental trends in children's information-processing strategies.

The problem-solving strategies of 120 children from two age levels were compared by means of exploratory factor analyses. Essentially, these results replicated the factor structures of earlier studies based on the Das-Luria model. Disparities in factor loadings on some tasks were interpreted as suggestive of developmental differences in children's coding strategies which are compatible with Bruner's description of the course of cognitive growth.

Child

The construct validity of the Maslach Burnout Inventory: some data from down under.

The Maslach Burnout Inventory has been used to measure burnout among workers in the helping professions. The construct validity of the inventory was examined using a sample of 750 Australian postprimary (high school) teachers. Analyses of teachers' responses confirmed a three-factor structure and showed the inventory to be a reliable instrument.

Adult

Success rates in psychiatry and neurology certification examinations.

The authors traced the progress of a sample of 200 psychiatrists and 150 neurologists on the ABPN examination. Overall success rates were high-64% of psychiatrists and 75% of neurologists became Board-certified. Performance on the written exam was a significant predictor of outcome for both groups-88% of psychiatrists and 94% of neurologists who passed Part I on their first try eventually obtained certification. Given the criticism that has been directed toward the oral exam, it was interesting that only 10% of psychiatrists and 5% of neurologists failed to become diplomates because of difficulties with Part II. Future research will deal with the validity and reliability of the oral exam.

Achievement

Recent life changes and outcome of prolonged competitive stress.

To test the predictive utility of subjects' recent life changes with regard to outcome of prolonged competitive stress, the authors studied racers (N = 25) in a long distance Alaskan sled race, the Iditarod. Rank order correlations between subjects' 1-year life change units (LCU) total and adjusted place of finish proved significant by both Kendall's and Spearman's Test. Thus, lowe LCU scores correlated with better performance and higher scores with poorer performance. Differences between subgroupings of the racers are considered. The work suggests that the usefulness of recent life changes assessment may be extended beyong physical illness, particularly in the study of response and adaptation to prolonged stress.

Age Factors