Korean Journal of Psychology: General
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- KOREAN
- P-ISSN1229-067X
- E-ISSN2734-1127
- KCI
ISSN : 1229-067X
Vol.31 No.3
Abstract
The goal of the present study was to test the hypothesis that Asperger disorder is associated with executive function (EF) deficits. A common limitation in prior related studies was an experimental design that could not clearly distinguish EF deficits from other cognitive deficits. To overcome this limitation, the present study employed a paired-task method, in which one task strongly demanded executive function and the other task did not. Fifteen Asperger disorder and fifteen control children were compared on six paired-tasks: Wechsler IQ-Executive IQ, Verbal IQ-Performance IQ, simple trial-interference trial, common sense-verbal fluency, picture completion-design fluency and recognition-recall. The results indicated a significant interaction between group (Asperger, control) and executive function (low, high) on all paired-tasks except recognition-recall. Each significant interaction reflected the fact that Asperger children had a greater deficit in the tasks that strongly demanded EF than the tasks that did not strongly demand EF. These results provide stronger evidence for the ‘executive dysfunction’ hypothesis than prior related studies have offered. Other findings indicated that cognitive functions other than executive function are normal in Asperger disorder.
Abstract
This study examined the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Strengths Use Scale (SUS; Linley & Govindji, 2007). Four hundred and fifty-three undergraduates, graduated students, and employees completed the research packet. The results of exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis favoured the two-factor structure of the K-SUS in this sample over the one-factor structure. Also, the results of reliability analysis provided support for the reliability of the K-SUS. The K-SUS was correlated positively with measures of positive affect, satisfaction with life, hope, self efficacy, and psychological well-being, but negatively with negative affect, hopelessness, and perceived stress. This supports good convergent and criterion-related validity of the K-SUS. Also, hierarchical multiple regression results suggested that the K-SUS accounted for unique additional variance in predicting subjective well-being and psychological well-being beyond the variance explained by self-efficacy and hope. This study discussed potential cultural differences in the concept of hope, the utility of the K-SUS, and study limitations.
Abstract
The association between religiosity and mental health outcomes was examined with meta-analytic methods across 66 independent studies (N = 25,353) extracted from electronic databases between 1995 and 2011. The mental health outcome measures were categorized as negative mental health of anxiety and depression and positive mental of subjective and psychological well-being, and were examined with respect to the influence of religiosity. The correlation between religiosity and depressive symptoms was -.176, indicating that greater religiosity is mildly associated with fewer symptoms. The correlation between religiosity and well-being is .263, indicating that greater religiosity is moderately associated with higher levels of subjective and psychological well-being. The association between religiosity and anxiety was insignificant (r = -.024). The results were not moderated by gender or age, but by the type of measure of religiosity used in the study. Specifically, in the association between religiosity and negative mental health (i. e., anxiety and depression) religious behaviors, intrinsic religious orientation and spiritual well-being were negatively associated with anxious and depressive symptoms while extrinsic religious orientation was positively associated with anxious and depressive symptoms. In the association between religiosity and subjective and psychological well-being, subjective and psychological well-being was positively associated with religiosity regardless of the type of measure of religiosity.
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to verify the validity of assessment tools to evaluate the risk of recidivism for mentally disordered offenders. The subjects of our study are mentally disordered offenders admitted to the National Forensic Hospital, and we used their official records in order to create a well-organized and in-depth interview based on semi-structured questionnaires. By reviewing previous research, this study identified the reliability and validity of recidivism risk assessment tools (LSI-R, HCR-20, VRAG), which had been widely used in other countries. Cronbach's α of internal consistency in the results of this study were shown as followed: LSI-R .81, HCR-20 .71, VRAG .60. Additionally, the inter-rater reliability ranged from ICC .78 to 1.00. The correlations of each assessment's total score and factors were presented in this study. By analyzing ROC, we found the predicting power and cut-off score of each assessment tool. We expect that we can estimate and predict, objectively and reasonably, the recidivism risk of mentally disordered offenders by conducting a follow-up study, which would focus on demographic factors and four other recidivism-related factors which had shown significant differences between high-risk groups and low-risk groups. We also discussed the limitations of this study and the direction of follow-up research.
Abstract
There is much to be learned from examining the successes and challenges of the past from both basic and applied researches in the field of children's testimony and they have contributed to advancements for the fundamental understanding of children's reports about their past experiences. To develop good practices of investigative interview in court, state-of-the-art empirical research findings should reach those who practice in the field and vice versa. There were, however, few ideas of the ways in which building a constructive relationship between researchers and practitioners in the context of children's testimony in Korea and the relationship should be supportive, respectful, and open to accomplish successful outcomes in each field. Thus, the goals of this paper were to organize what we currently know about the status of both researchers and practitioners by examining the abroad literature through focused on children's testimony and ultimately, the critical importance of establishing a reciprocal relationship between the parties was discussed in depth.
Abstract
The current study examined whether a school-based preventive intervention program could reduce elementary school students' depressive vulnerability and promote subjective well-being. It also explored the roles of moderator variables, which could affect the intervention effects, through the analysis of subjective well-being according to depressive vulnerability levels. The participants were 187 fifth- and sixth-grade elementary-school students, with 93 children in the experimental intervention program and 94 in the control condition. To measure the intervention effects, I used the Korean Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale for Children, the Global Self-Esteem Scale and Subjective Well-Being Scale for the pre- and post-tests. This intervention program comprised ten sessions that were based on the cognitive-behavioral approach and positive psychotherapy. The results showed a statistically more significant reduction in the experimental group's dysfunctional attitudes and a greater improvement in that group's self-esteem than in those of the control group. The results also showed a significant reduction of negative self-efficacy and negative emotion, and a significant improvement of positive self-efficacy in the experimental group. The analysis of the moderating effect showed that the level of pre-dysfunctional attitudes might be a moderator variable affecting intervention effects; that is, the program might be more effective for children with high levels of pre-dysfunctional attitudes than for children with low levels in the reduction of negative well-being. The results suggest that this cognitive-behavioral program, when administered at school, is effective in both normal and vulnerable children.
Abstract
The present study aims at identifying the levels of knowledge and beliefs about eyewitness testimony for Korean judges in comparison to those in three other countries: China, Norway, and the USA. Fifty-eight Korean judges have participated in the survey. Results from the Korean judges were compared to those from judges of the three other countries, obtained from previous studies (Magnusse et al., 2008; Wise et al., 2009). The percentage of correct answers for the Korean judges were lower than Norwegian judges, but higher than those of U.S. judges and Chinese judges. Also, consistnt with previous findings related to three other contries, it was found that the Korean judges also had limited knowledge about eyewitness testimony. Thus, to enhance the level of knowledge and beliefs about eyewitness testimony, there is an urgent need for development and implementation of systematic training programs. After verification of their effectiveness, such programs should be extended to attorneys and prosecutors.
Abstract
Since Frankl proposed Logotherapy, a lot of research has focused on the meaning in life. More recently, as positive psychology emerged and there is an increasing interest in happiness, research in the meaning in life has been revisited from the perspective of psychological wellbeing. However, because the meaning in life is a vague and abstract concept, it has been variously defined by different scholars and there is no agreement on its types. This study attempted to integrate the concepts of meaning in life, based on the dictionary definition of meaning, and proposed types of meaning in life by reviewing literature on typology of meaning in life. Also, this study discussed why people pursue the meaning in life and what experiences lead people to think about it, and examined the influence of three types of meaning in ones' life on their mental health through the review of empirical studies. In addition, by examining the Logotherapy of Frankl, Meaning-Centered counseling of Wong, Acceptance-Commitment therapy of Hayes, it discussed the clinical implications that can be drawn from the meaning in life. Lastly, some suggestions were made for further research on the meaning in life.
Abstract
The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) is a widely known, self-applied measurement of impulsivity. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11). Seoul college students were used to verify the reliability and validity of the scale. The BIS-11 was found to have good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. In addition, it had appropriate concurrent and discriminant validity, with a significant positive correlation with impulsivity and attention- deficit/hyperactivity, and a low positive correlation with depression and anxiety. Consequently, the Korean version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 appears to be a reliable and valid psychometric property.
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the differences in emotion regulation according to age from adolescence to adulthood focusing on the emotion dysregulation and the emotion regulation strategies. For this purpose, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and Emotion Regulation Strategy Questionnaire (ERSQ) were implemented to adolecents and adults aged 13~59 years. The main results were as follows. First, linear regression analysis indicated that emotion dysregulation decreased progressively with age. Second, hierarchical multiple regression showed that maladaptive emotion regulation strategies decreased and adaptive emotion regulation strategies increased significantly with age. Third, among adaptive strategies only approaching strategies increased significantly with age but distractive strategies and support-seeking strategies showed no significant change. Fourth, cognitive and experiential strategies among cognitive, experiential and behavioral strategies showed no significant change with age but behavioral strategies showed significant age effect. Finally, the implications and limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Abstract
Unrealistic optimism refers to people's tendency to consistently believe that risky events are less likely to happen to themselves than to others. Two experimental studies investigated the interaction between perceived controllability and event frequency of this unrealistic optimism by measuring it directly and indirectly using questionnaires. When using the direct method, unrealistic optimism was greater when an event frequency was low rather than high, and the interaction between perceived controllability and event frequency was not significant, which is consistent with the egocentrism account. On the other hand, when using the indirect method, the event frequency interacted with the perceived controllability. For uncontrollable events, the event frequency effect disappeared as the egocentrism account predicted, but for controllable events an opposite event frequency effect was found, which was that a greater rate of unrealistic optimism occurred when an event absolute frequency was high rather than low. This opposite event frequency effect occurred because the event frequency was considered lower for the subjects’ own likelihood estimates than others. Therefore, a kind of overconfidence of the subjects’ own control over risky events seems to produce the opposite event frequency effect on the unrealistic optimism when measuring with the indirect method. The importance of the opposite event frequency effect in risk perception and research of unrealistic optimism was discussed.
Abstract
This study distinguished the content and structural aspects of self-concept and examined the relationships between self-esteem, stability of self-esteem, and self-concept clarity, and the relationship between those variables and psychological adjustment. Self-concept was measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Stability of Self-Esteem Scale, and Self-Concept Clarity Scale. There was a significant correlation among the three variables. Hierarchical and multiple regressions were used, with subjective well-being and mental health index as criterion variables, to investigate the relationship between the three variables and the individual’s psychological adjustment. Hierarchical regression showed that after controlling for self-esteem, the stability of self-esteem strongly predicted subjective well-being and accounted for an additional variance; however, self-concept clarity did not explain any incremental variance. Multiple regression revealed that self-esteem is the most predictable variable for subjective well-being, but self-concept clarity did not show any significant relation. However, the mental health index constructed with depression, anxiety and stress had a discriminative pattern. Regression controlled for self-esteem and demonstrated that the stability of self-esteem and self-concept clarity explain any incremental variances. The variances were higher than those of self-esteem in every criterion variable. Multiple regression also showed that the stability of self- esteem is the most accountable variable in predicting the mental health index, and that the variance of self-esteem was lower than that of self-concept clarity. Finally, a number of implications, limitations and suggestions for future research were discussed.
Abstract
This study reviewed theoretical models of sex offender treatment program and its treatment components as well as significant factors that might affect therapy process. The purpose of theoretical review was to establish main principles and directions through which the Korean sex offender treatment programs can be improved and advanced. We reviewed the three main theoretical models for treating sex offenders: Relapse Prevention Model; Risk, Needs, Responsivity Model; Good Lives Model. Then we reviewed treatment components of sex offender group therapy, which was decreasing cognitive distortions and deviant sexual arousal that sex offenders have and increasing their victim empathy and socio-affective functioning and enforcing relapse prevention. Regarding the factors that affect therapy process we addressed characteristics of therapist and client, and therapeutic climate and approach. Lastly, based on the review made here, we derived two major principles that Korean sex offender treatment programs should pay attention to: considering Risk and Responsivity in administering sex offender treatment program; enforcing the motivation of sex offenders to participate in therapy and emphasizing the strength of sex offenders rather than their deficits.
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the psychometric properties of 90the Korean version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (K-SWLS) in various samples. In order to examine the psychometric properties of the SWLS three independent and separate samples are included in this study, i.e. police officers (n = 516), university students (n = 421), and adolescents (n = 437). As for the reliability of this instrument, internal consistency and item-total correlation coefficients are found to be satisfactory for all samples. Concerning the validity studies, concurrent validity of the measure is approved in all three samples by showing the association of SWLS with conceptually and empirically related constructs, which are emotional well-being, social well-being, psychological well-being, positive affect and negative affect. Inconsistent with the earliest version, two-factor model was found to be an optimal fit for all samples. The practical and theoretical implications of the current study are discussed.
Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to investigate whether people of individualistic disposition and those of collectivistic disposition perceive the natural scenes differently. It was hypothesized that the former pays more attention to the targets than the grounds, whereas the latter pays attention to the relation between the targets and the grounds as well as the targets themselves in the scene perception. In Experiment 1 where Korean individualists were contrasted with Korean collectivists, cultural disposition (individualism vs. collectivism), figure-ground relevance (naturalness vs. unnaturalness), and change of scene(no change vs. change of figures vs. change of grounds) were manipulated. The results of Experiment 1 showed that the correct recognition rates of the collectivists were better than those of the individualists only when the scenes were unnatural and the grounds were changed in the recognition phase. The similar patterns were observed in Experiment 2 in which Korean as collectivists and European American as individualists were contrasted with each other. In sum, these results suggest that the collectivists who tend to see the scenes holistically respond to the unnatural scenes more sensitively than the individualists. Implications and the limitations of this study and the future directions of related research were discussed in the final discussion section.
Abstract
The present study aimed to examine the relations of two sides of forgiveness including trait forgiveness and situation-specific forgiveness, adult-attachment consisting of two sub dimensions, and well-being measured with Satisfaction With Life Scale and to examine the moderation effects of adult-attachment on these relations. For this study, the data of 400 college students were analyzed. The research packet included Trait Forgiveness Scale, Korean-Forgiveness Scale, Experiences in Close Relationship Scale-Revised, and Satisfaction With Life Scale. The results showed the followings: 1) the two sides of forgiveness were negatively associated with the two sub dimensions of adult-attachment, namely, attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance, 2) the two sides of forgiveness were positively associated with well-being, 3) the two sub dimensions of adult-attachment were negatively associated with well-being, 4) attachment anxiety moderated the relation between the two sides of forgiveness and well-being. Finally, the implications of these findings and directions for future study were discussed.
Abstract
This study tried to examine the reliability and validity of the smartphone based questionnaire and neuropsychological tests we developed. Self-report questionaire tests include a Conners’ADHD Rating ScaleKorea, a Beck Anxiety Inventory, and an Internet Addiction Scale for adults. In addition, Android Application based neuropsychological tests include a Continuous Performance Test(CPT) and a Change Blindness Task(CBT). In Study 1, the results of analyses for the smartphone based tests and the paper-pencil tests showed significant correlations among sub-scale scores, and in most of the sub-scale scores there was no significant mean differences. In study 2, we conducted two neuropsychological attention tests(CPT and CBT) with web-based tests and the smartphonebased tests. The result of the analysis for the CPT showed significant correlations between the two test scores, especially in standard deviations of RT, accuracy, and false alarm. The result of the analysis for the CBT showed significant correlations in all three indices. However, there were significant differences in RT and standard deviation of RT in both tasks, which might have been caused by the differences in the manner of hand response between the two tests. Taken together, despite of several limitations, it is concluded that smartphone based psychological tests can be useful and valid.
Abstract
This study was conducted to examine the influences of objective and subjective temporal distance on perceived offense severity and the forgiveness process. Participants were university students, each of whom was given a packet that contained the transgression narratives. They were then asked to read the situation and imagine that the event had actually happened to them, after which they assessed the temporal distance, offense severity, and the forgiveness process. In the group of objective temporal distance, the sample of 135 university students (36 men and 99 women) determined the objective temporal distance based on perceived offense severity and the forgiveness process. However, objective temporal distance did not affect the perceived offense severity and made no difference in the phases of the forgiveness process. These results suggest that if simply time has passed, it is not enough to lower the perceived offense severity or to forgive with greater willingness. In the group of subjective temporal distance, the sample of 156 university students (55 men and 101 women) determined the influence of subjective temporal distance on offense severity and the forgiveness process. The results showed that subjective temporal distance affected the perceived offense severity and the forgiveness process. These findings suggest that it is more important to feel relatively distant from an event than the actual duration of time since the event, in terms of the effect on perceived offense severity and the forgiveness process. Implications and limitations of this study were discussed, along with suggestions for future research.