Alcohol use and workplace aggression: an examination of perpetration and victimization.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the relationship between victimization from and perpetration of workplace aggression between coworkers and frequency of alcohol use during the last year. METHODS: Civilian employees (N = 300) selected from the US population were interviewed over the telephone with psychometrically sound measures of workplace aggression and alcohol use frequency during the last year. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between alcohol use and workplace aggression, after controlling for sociodemographic variables. RESULTS: Both percentage of days of any drinking and percentage of days of heavy drinking during the last year were positively related to (a) victimization from verbal and physical aggression at work and (b) perpetration of verbal and physical aggression at work. IMPLICATIONS: Consistent with research studies spanning the sociobehavioral literature, the present investigation found alcohol use was associated with perpetration of and victimization from verbal and physical workplace aggression. Although the study established an association exists between alcohol use and workplace aggression, future investigations should attempt to understand employee alcohol use in the context of a multifaceted model that includes other likely factors that contribute to the incidence of aggressive behavior on the job.

Means to the goal of remembering: developmental changes in awareness of strategy use--performance relations.

We examined awareness of the causal relation between strategy use and recall performance among preschoolers, first graders, and third graders, and the relation of this awareness to children's study behavior and recall. In session 1, children were presented with two study-recall trials; the second trial included questions concerning the child's study behavior. During Session 2, children viewed videotapes in which a model's strategy use (labeling versus no labeling) and recall level (high versus low) were varied orthogonally. Children judged whether the model tried to remember, rated how hard the model tried to remember, and described how they knew. Children who gave mentalistic explanations for their study behaviors in Session 1 recalled more than those giving nonmentalistic explanations. In Session 2, age-related differences were observed in awareness of the relation between strategy use and performance level. Further, children who demonstrated understanding of strategy use-performance relations in Session 2 were more likely to give mentalistic explanations for their own study behaviors in Session 1. The results further delineate the metamemorial development that contributes to effective strategy utilization.

Social sensitivity in adolescents and adults with learning disabilities.

This study investigated social sensitivity and self-concept in students with learning disabilities (LD) and their non-learning-disabled (non-LD) peers. Thirty students each from public junior and senior high schools and a community college participated in the study; at each grade level, half were identified as learning disabled and half experienced no learning problem. Students were individually assessed in 30-minute interviews for their accuracy in interpreting the thoughts and feelings of actors in tape-recorded stories depicting two adults in happy angry, anxious, and sad interactions. A questionnaire assessing four dimensions of self-concept in learning situations (motivation, task orientation, problem-solving ability, and class membership) was also administered. LD students at all grade levels were significantly less accurate at interpreting social situations than were their non-LD peers, and had significantly lower self-concepts. These results support the need for remediation efforts specifically aimed at social skills for overcoming social deficits in adulthood.