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Traditionally, psychological research has focused on negative states, their determinants, and consequences. Theoretical conceptions of coping focus on strategies used to diminish distress. This approach is derived from the perspective that coping is mainly reactive, a strategy used once stress has been experienced. In contrast, proactive coping involves goal setting, having efficacious beliefs, and is associated with resources for self-improvement, including social support. In the present research, a theoretical model was developed in which coping and social support were seen in a synergistic relationship and were associated with a positive state that, in turn, was expected to relate to better psychological functioning. The general theoretical model was tested in three different samples: First year university students coping with depression (n = 68), rehabilitation patients mastering independent functioning following major surgery (n = 151), and employee absenteeism (n = 313). Results of path analyses showed that proactive coping was a partial mediator of social support on positive affect and that positive affect was associated with better psychological functioning. In students only, positive affect mediated the relationship between proactive coping and depression. This research represents a contribution within the field of positive psychology by empirically demonstrating how positive constructs contribute to improved psychological functioning. Theoretical and applied implications of the results are discussed.

Examines the effects of hospital restructuring and downsizing on components of psychological burnout experienced by a predominantly female sample of hospital‐based nursing staff. Collects data from 1,362 staff nurses using anonymous questionnaires Considers three components of psychological burn‐out: emotional exhaustion, cynicism and prfessional efficacy. Includes three blocks of predictors: personal demographics, work situation characteristics, and three different measures of demands resulting from a restructuring experience. Concludes the experience of hospital restructuring and downsizing was consistently related to a high level of emotional exhaustion and cynicism, controlling for personal demographic and work situation characteristics.

AbstractFour career orientations proposed by Cherniss (1980) were related to measures of satisfaction and well being among men and women in teaching using a longitudinal study design. The career orientations were: Self Investors, Social Activists, Careerists and Artisans. Self Investors, a type of nonwork orientation, reported greater burnout, greater experienced stress and the least satisfying work setting. In addition, Self Investors reported greater psychological burnout and work alienation (less job satisfaction, greater absenteeism). Social Activists reported the poorest emotional and physical well being. Careerists reported the least marital satisfaction with the greatest conflict between work, parental and self roles. Artisans exhibited the most positive work and life experiences. The concept of person job or person culture fit is proposed to explain the distress of the Self Investors and Social Activists.RésuméQuatre types de profits de carrière proposés par Cherniss (1980) étaient guidés par des mesures de satisfaction et de bien‐être d'enseignants et d'enseignantes selon un modèle d'étude longitudinal. Ces profils de carrière étaient: les individualistes, les activistes sociaux, les gens de carrière et les artisans. Les individualistes, des individus dont les priorités ne sont pas orientées vers leur carrière, sont plus enclins au "burnout", connaissent plus de stress et moins de satisfaction vis‐à‐vis leur travail. De plus, ils ont démontré un plus haut taux de "burnout psychologique" et plus d'aliénation vis‐à‐vis leur travail (moins grande satisfaction face à leur travail et plus haut taux d'absentéisme). Les activistes sociaux ont montré le plus faible bien‐être émotionnel et physique. Les gens de carrière connaissent des problemes matrimoniaux, ils vivent des conflits entre leur vie professionnelle, leur vie de couple et leur rôle personnel. Les artisans, quant à eux, montrent le plus d'harmonie et d'équilibre entre leur vie professionnelle et personnelle. Le concept de "I'emploi versus la personne" ou de "I'intégration de la culture de la personne" explique bien les écarts constatés entre les individualistes et les activistes sociaux.

This investigation examined psychological burnout among 833 men and women in teaching using a framework developed by Cherniss (1980). Work setting characteristics in concert with person variables (both individual differences and extra-work factors) were hypothesized to result in experienced stress. Some individuals cope with these sources of stress by developing the negative attitude change termed psychological burnout. Respondents provided data by completing questionnaires anonymously. The data provide strong preliminary support for the model and produced findings consistent with previous research. Suggestions for organizational intervention are offered.

This investigation examined whether trait variables (empathy, global social responsibility) and perceived human responsibility predict and interact to predict people's helping of natural-disaster victims. In Study 1, participants completed a questionnaire and read one of two bogus earthquake reports which portrayed victims as either prepared or unprepared for a foreseeable earthquake. In Study 2, participants completed a questionnaire about the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Across studies, helping was best elicited from high-empathy individuals who attributed responsibility for disasters to human actions (e.g., government), not natural phenomena (e.g., hurricane). Trait variables correlated with helping when assessed individually, but accounted for little unique variance in helping in multiple regression analyses. Judgment of human responsibility predicted helping when participants were familiar with the target disaster (Study 2) but did not predict helping when the disaster was unfamiliar (Study 1). Theoretical implications for researchers and practical implications for aid agencies are discussed. Adapted from the source document.

In this article we address the three general themes that emerged from the commentary articles regarding our target article. These were: (1) victim culpability; (2) the nature of the empathy‐helping relation, and; (3) victim characteristics that influence helping rates. For each topic, we review overarching concerns made in the commentaries, any ideas that these authors proposed, and our response or perspective on each topic. As the commentaries were rich in content and broad in scope, we could not address each and every concern individually. This article addresses only what we considered to be the big‐picture issues.

This investigation examined whether trait variables (empathy, global social responsibility) and perceived human responsibility predict and interact to predict people's helping of natural‐disaster victims. In Study 1, participants completed a questionnaire and read one of two bogus earthquake reports which portrayed victims as either prepared or unprepared for a foreseeable earthquake. In Study 2, participants completed a questionnaire about the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Across studies, helping was best elicited from high‐empathy individuals who attributed responsibility for disasters to human actions (e.g., government), not natural phenomena (e.g., hurricane). Trait variables correlated with helping when assessed individually, but accounted for little unique variance in helping in multiple regression analyses. Judgment of human responsibility predicted helping when participants were familiar with the target disaster (Study 2) but did not predict helping when the disaster was unfamiliar (Study 1). Theoretical implications for researchers and practical implications for aid agencies are discussed.

A modified version of a process model of psychological burnout proposed by Cherniss (1980) was used to study the relationship between job satisfaction and burnout. The research involved a secondary analysis of longitudinal data collected from 245 school-based educators from a single Board of Education. The results showed that negative work setting characteristics and marital dissatisfaction were associated with greater work stressors, which in turn were associated with increased burnout, which in turn resulted in decreased job satisfaction. When the longitudinal design was employed, psychological burnout appeared to have a causal relationship to job satisfaction, not vice versa.