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Two prominent theories of lifespan development, socioemotional selectivity theory and selection, optimization, and compensation theory, make similar predictions for differences in the goal representations of younger and older adults. Our purpose was to test whether the goals of younger and older adults differed in ways predicted by these two theories. Older adults and two groups of younger adults (college students and non-students) listed their current goals, which were then coded by independent raters. Observed age group differences in goals generally supported both theories. Specifically, when compared to younger adults, older adults reported more goals focused on maintenance/loss prevention, the present, emotion-focus and generativity, and social selection, and less goals focused on knowledge acquisition and the future. However, contrary to prediction, older adults also showed less goal focusing than younger adults, reporting goals from a broader set of life domains (e.g., health, property/possessions, friendship). (Contains 7 footnotes, 3 tables, and 1 figure.)

Comprehension of statistics and research methods is crucial to understanding psychology as a science (APA, 2007). However, psychology majors sometimes approach methodology courses with derision or anxiety (Onwuegbuzie & Wilson, 2003; Rajecki, Appleby, Williams, Johnson, & Jeschke, 2005); consequently, students may postpone enrollment (Onwuegbuzie, 2004). We examined the importance of methodology course performance (i.e., grade) and timing of enrollment in these courses for the academic success of psychology majors. After controlling for number of courses taken, relevant American College Test (ACT) scores, and prior Grade Point Average (GPA), we found that methodology course grade and timing of enrollment predicted upper-division psychology GPA. In addition, methodology course grade predicted performance on an assessment of knowledge in psychology. We discuss implications of these results for teaching and advising. (Contains 1 note and 2 tables.)

The relationship between cognitive self-regulatory processes and depression was examined in American Indian adolescents from a Northern Plains tribe. Students completed measures of negative life events, self-efficacy, goals, and depressive symptoms. Results indicated that academic self-efficacy was strongly associated with depression. Academic self-efficacy also correlated with intrinsically motivating goal representations, such that students who indicated high academic self-efficacy had goals that were more important to them, goals they thought more about, and goals they viewed as wanted by the self instead of as imposed on by others. However, we did not find the hypothesized mediational model in which academic self-efficacy influenced depression indirectly by influencing goal characteristics. Rather, this indirect model varied by grade, and differed from what we expected. Specifically, for older adolescents, higher levels of academic self-efficacy predicted goals that were more likely to be identified as the adolescent's own, and in turn, these self- as opposed to other-oriented goals predicted higher levels of depressive symptoms. Results are discussed as providing support for continued investigations into the role of specific cognitive self-regulatory processes in youth adjustment.

The present study extended previous tests of cognitive priming theories of depression by examining cognitive self-regulatory, motivational, and affective functioning of depression-vulnerable and nonvulnerable individuals after a failure experience. Participants were enrolled in a clinic-based smoking cessation program that consisted of seven group meetings. Major findings show that compared to the nonvulnerable group, depression-vulnerable individuals were less motivated to quit and experienced more negative affect, but only after a failure to quit smoking. However, after controlling for actual smoking rate, depression-vulnerable individuals did not evaluate their success any more negatively, nor did they indicate lower self-efficacy for quitting. Results are discussed in terms of cognitive self-regulatory and affect temperament models of motivation and depression. (Contains 3 tables.)

We present a novel personality assessment method that applies social cognitive personality theory, and more specifically, the Knowledge and Appraisal Personality Architecture model (KAPA; Cervone, 2004; 2021; see Scott & Cervone, 2016). Our assessment method generates descriptions of how personality structures, including temperament, beliefs, goals, and evaluative standards, are activated in "functionally equivalent" situations to generate if–then personality signatures (Mischel, 2004). These descriptions represent models of personality coherence, which we characterize as strong attractor states. We define personality incoherence as nonexistent or perturbed attractor states, in which the situational "if" does not consistently produce a coherent "then" pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving. We provide a step-by-step description of our personality assessment method, and include lists of measures that can be used to assess temperament, beliefs, goals, and standards. To illustrate our personality assessment method, we present a case study of a man in his forties who met criteria for persistent depressive disorder, with intermittent major depressive episodes, with current episode and generalized anxiety disorder. For this client, we describe two "attractor states," one maladaptive and one adaptive, each providing an example of personality coherence. We conclude by discussing potential future directions and limitations of our personality assessment method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern self-schema theory posits multiple representations in memory of the self, with each individual self-schema possessing associative connections to relational contexts (i.e., self-with-other). However, existing self-schema measures typically assess a generalized self unmoored from context. In two studies, we present a new instrument—the Relational Self-Schema Measure (RSSM)—designed to represent the self-schema construct with greater content validity. In Study 1, 512 adults completed an initial version of the RSSM that was subjected to exploratory factor analyses. Support emerged for a reduced four-factor model that included relatedness satisfaction, control satisfaction, self-esteem/status frustration, and autonomy frustration psychological need themes. In Study 2, 516 adults completed a revised RSSM along with measures of self-esteem, attachment, and mood and anxiety symptoms. A separate sample of 191 college students completed the revised RSSM and a measure of dysfunctional attitudes. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the same four-factor model. Moreover, the RSSM exhibited good convergent and discriminant validity as well as incremental validity in predicting positive affect, distress, and anxiety symptoms. Finally, significant within-person variability was apparent across relational schemata that accounted for additional variance in positive affect, distress, and anxiety symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examined the effects of induced mood on personal standards for performance and judgments of one's performance capabilities, or self-efficacy judgments. In Experiment 1, standards and self-efficacy judgments were assessed on common social and academic tasks. In Experiment 2, these variables were assessed on 2 novel tasks. In both experiments, negative mood induced higher standards for performance. Induced mood had no effect on perceived self-efficacy. Negative mood Ss thus held minimal standards for performance that significantly exceeded the levels of performance they judged they actually could attain. A 3rd experiment provided support for the hypothesis that negative mood raises standards by lowering evaluations of prospective outcomes. Processes underlying the results and their relation to research on naturally occurring depressed mood and stringent personal standards are discussed.

Background: There is a need to understand resiliency factors which can be used to inform and design interventions to prevent externalizing problems, substance use, and depressive symptoms among American Indian (AI) youth. Objectives: The present study examined the role of self-efficacy in externalizing problems, alcohol use, and depressive symptoms among AI youth from the North American plains. Methods: Participants for this study included 146 (53 boys and 93 girls) adolescents, with an age range of 13-18 (M = 14.5) years of age. Results: High self-efficacy for resisting negative peer influences predicted both lower rates of alcohol use and fewer externalizing behaviors. Furthermore, higher levels of both academic and social self-efficacy predicted fewer depressive symptoms. The hypothesis that academic self-efficacy would predict depressive symptoms was not supported. Conclusion: As expected, the best-fitting path model showed self-efficacy for resisting negative peer influences predicting both alcohol use and externalizing problems, and social self-efficacy (as well as being female) predicting depressive symptoms among AI youth. Therefore, this study supports the importance of self-efficacy beliefs for alcohol use and externalizing problems, as well as depressive symptoms, among AI youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive self-preoccupation is frequently associated with dysfunctional information processing in social situations. Although a number of studies have used interpersonally evaluative stimuli to examine the effect of self-preoccupation on cognitive processes, few have examined the effect of noninterpersonal self focusing stimuli. Thus article reports two experiments. In the first, socially anxious participants were exposed to a self-focusing stimulus and then participated in a levels-of-processing task that assessed recall of self-referent and other-evaluative information. Results showed that when socially anxious people were exposed to a self-focusing stimulus, they recalled more other-evaluative information. The second experiment controlled several factors and again found that socially anxious individuals recalled significantly more other-evaluative information than did nonsocially anxious participants. In addition, socially anxious participants in the self-focusing condition recalled significantly more other-evaluative information than did nonsocially anxious participants in the self-focusing condition. Although previous studies have found that excessive self-preoccupation increases attention toward other;' evaluations in interpersonal social situations, these experiments indicate that such cognitive vigilance is also present in situations that are not interpersonal in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a cross-sectional study, we examined the role of explanatory styles and negative life events in the depressive experiences of AI youth. Ninety-three AI youth (49% female, ages 11-14 years) completed surveys assessing for explanatory style, negative life events, and depressive symptoms. Path analyses indicated that both the occurrence of negative life events within the past 6 months and a pessimistic explanatory style predicted more depressive symptoms. However, a moderation path model provided a superior ft to the data, indicating that the occurrence of negative life events was more strongly associated with depressive symptoms for those AI youth with a more pessimistic explanatory style. Findings are discussed in terms of potential interventions that can promote the well-being of this understudied and underserved population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]