Although the role of social support in promoting employees' health and well-being has been studied extensively, the evidence is inconsistent, sometimes even suggesting that social support might have negative effects. The authors examined some psychological processes that might explain such effects. On the basis of the threat-to-self-esteem model, the authors tested the hypothesis that receiving imposed support elicits negative reactions, which are moderated by someone's need for support. The authors distinguished 3 different reactions: (a) self-related, (b) interaction-related, and (c) physiological. The results of an experiment with 48 temporary administrative workers generally confirmed the hypothesis. Imposed support elicited negative reactions, except when there was an unsolvable problem, but even then the effect of imposed support was not positive but neutral.
Given that burnout is a major problem in many societies and that employers are legally obliged to act in preventing job stress, there is a need of validated and reliable short self-report instruments. The Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) is developed to measure burnout as a syndrome with four core components (exhaustion, mental distance, cognitive and emotional impairment). So far, the BAT was tested in over 40 studies with encouraging results. Although a short, 12-item version of the BAT exists, there is need for an ultra-short version with even less items. The overall aim is to develop an ultra-short 4-item version of the BAT (BAT4) and to evaluate its construct validity using Rasch analysis in samples from various countries along with its measurement invariance regarding country, age and gender. The BAT4 was developed using mixed methods, i.e. combining the results from a Rasch analysis, a subject matter analysis and expert judgements. Construct validity was tested on data from national representative samples from eight countries (the Netherlands, Belgium (Flanders), Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Ireland, and Japan) and in a pooled sample combing the data from all eight countries. Differential item functioning regarding age, gender and country was investigated. The BAT4 fulfilled all the criteria required by the Rasch measurement model to constitute a valid measure in the pooled and country specific samples, except Austria and Japan. In the pooled sample, measurement invariance between the eight countries as well as between gender and age was found. Analyses within different countries showed occasional gender and age DIF for some items. The results were promising regarding BAT4’s construct validity and measurement invariance. Although the BAT4 includes only four items, its content coverage is acceptable. The BAT4 can be used as a short screening instrument for burnout complaints at the group or organisational level.
Colorectal cancer progression is intrinsically linked to stepwise deregulation of the intestinal differentiation trajectory. In this process, sequential mutations of APC, KRAS, TP53, and SMAD4 enable oncogenic signaling and establish the hallmarks of cancer. Here, we use mass cytometry of isogenic human colon organoids and patient-derived cancer organoids to capture oncogenic signaling, cell phenotypes, and differentiation states in a high-dimensional single-cell map. We define a differentiation axis in all tumor progression states from normal to cancer. Our data show that colorectal cancer driver mutations shape the distribution of cells along the differentiation axis. In this regard, subsequent mutations can have stem cell promoting or restricting effects. Individual nodes of the cancer cell signaling network remain coupled to the differentiation state, regardless of the presence of driver mutations. We use single-cell RNA sequencing to link the (phospho-)protein signaling network to transcriptomic states with biological and clinical relevance. Our work highlights how oncogenes gradually shape signaling and transcriptomes during tumor progression.
Despite the large amount of research attention to engagement as well as positive psychology in a general context, there have been few attempts to increase academic well-being by means of positive psychological interventions. This article tests the potential of positive psychological interventions to enhance study-related positive emotions and academic engagement, and to reduce study-related negative emotions among university students. We modified two existing positive interventions that are aimed at increasing general happiness for use in an academic context. These interventions focused on "thoughts of gratitude" and "acts of kindness," respectively. The present study consisted of two randomized controlled trials with experimental (thoughts of gratitude or acts of kindness) and control conditions in which participants were monitored on a daily basis during the one-week intervention, and additional pre-, post-, and follow-up assessments were carried out. Results revealed that the gratitude intervention had a significant positive effect on daily positive emotions only. The kindness intervention had a positive influence on both positive emotions and academic engagement, though not in the long run. The results showed no effects on negative emotions in either of the two interventions. Positive psychological interventions seem to foster positive emotions and academic engagement, but do not decrease negative emotions. Keywords: academic engagementacts of kindnessemotionsthoughts of gratitudepositive psychology
Abstract The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Assay Guidance Manual (AGM) Workshop on 3D Tissue Models for Antiviral Drug Development, held virtually on 7–8 June 2022, provided comprehensive coverage of critical concepts intended to help scientists establish robust, reproducible, and scalable 3D tissue models to study viruses with pandemic potential. This workshop was organized by NCATS, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. During the workshop, scientific experts from academia, industry, and government provided an overview of 3D tissue models’ utility and limitations, use of existing 3D tissue models for antiviral drug development, practical advice, best practices, and case studies about the application of available 3D tissue models to infectious disease modeling. This report includes a summary of each workshop session as well as a discussion of perspectives and challenges related to the use of 3D tissues in antiviral drug discovery.
This research presents the results of two related studies on the convergent and construct validity of three measures of reciprocity in exchange relationships at work. In Study 1, 71 Dutch teachers were interviewed about their specific investments and outcomes in the exchange relationships with their students, colleagues and school. ANOVA revealed that they reported significantly more investments than outcomes, and that the number of reported investments and outcomes mentioned varied as a function of the type of exchange relationship. Building on these results, multi-item scales were created to assess reciprocity at a detailed level for each of the three exchange relationships. Study 2 validated these specific reciprocity measures by relating them to two global assessments of reciprocity (convergent validity) as well as to measures of job stress and well-being (construct validity). LISREL-analysis of data obtained from a further sample of 224 teachers revealed that for each type of exchange relationship there were significant, consistent and meaningful relationships among the three reciprocity measures. Further, hierarchical regression analysis showed that the reciprocity measures were differentially related to job stressors and measures of well-being. Implications are discussed. Keywords: ReciprocityEquity TheoryMeasurementTeachersWork Stress
Results are presented of a study on burnout among 249 Dutch elementary and secondary school teachers. The current study considers burnout in terms of the exchange of investments and outcomes at interpersonal (teacher‐student) and organizational (teacher‐school) levels. In addition, demographic (age and gender) and work‐related factors (school type, teaching experience, number of hours employed) are included. Findings show that when teachers invest more than they get back from their school, they report higher levels of emotional exhaustion. As expected, at the interpersonal level, low outcomes from students are related to higher burnout levels; whereas at the organizational level, low investments are related to higher burnout levels. These findings are discussed in terms of the extent to which psychological contact is more intimate or impersonal in both types of relationships.
This research investigated the impact on burnout of inequity experienced by human service professionals. Two studies were conducted, among therapists working with inmates in a forensic psychiatric center (N = 112) and among staff members of an institute for the direct care of mentally disabled (N = 189). Two types of inequity were examined: interpersonal inequity in the relations with recipients and inequity in relation with the organization. The majority of the professionals in both studies felt underbenefited in relation with recipients as well as in relation with their organization. As expected, inequity was curvilinearly related to burnout, especially with the emotional exhaustion dimension. Surprisingly, professionals who felt overbenefited experienced more burnout than colleagues who felt underbenefited. No gender effects were found for the distribution of inequity nor for the relation between inequity and burnout.
In this study the relationship between health problems and objectively recorded absence frequency is investigated from a social psychological perspective in a prospective design. By employing LISREL, a model is developed (tested and revised) among blue-collar workers in Plant North (N = 254) of a metal fatory and successfully cross-validated in Plant South (N = 199). The results of this study support the assumption that health complaints affect absence frequency through two social comparison processes. First, employees are more inclined to attribute their health complaints to the work environment, the more often they communicate with their colleagues about problems in their work situation. Second, the more employees experience health problems, and the more employees attribute these problems to the work environment, the less well off they feel compared with others outside the company. This unfavourable external comparison results in absences, indicating that absence from work can be interpreted as an attempt by the employee to reduce an inequitable relationship with the company. These results are discussed in the context of theoretical and practical implications. Key Words: Health complaintsSocial comparisonAttributionAbsenteeism
Drawing on Ryan and Deci's Self-Determination Theory, this study examines longitudinally how need satisfaction at work affects four forms of intrinsic and extrinsic work motivation and two types of heavy work investment (workaholism and work engagement). Using two-wave data from 314 Dutch employees, structural equation modeling supported our expectations that high need satisfaction was longitudinally associated with low levels of external and introjected regulation, and high levels of identified regulation and intrinsic motivation. Interestingly, none of these forms of regulation predicted later levels of work engagement and workaholism. Rather, high levels of work engagement predicted later high levels of intrinsic motivation and identified regulation, and high levels of workaholism predicted later low levels of intrinsic motivation and high levels of introjected regulation. Although this study did not support the expected longitudinal effects of motivation on the two types of heavy work investment examined in this study, it (a) underlined the important role of need satisfaction for motivation, (b) challenged previous ideas on the effects of motivation on workaholism and work engagement, and (c) revealed the different motivational correlates of work engagement and workaholism.
