The Role of Emotion in Job Search Behavior Among College Students

Korean college students preparing to enter the world of work are going through a long-term process of job searching. During the process, individuals experience various emotions, which can motivate (or demotivate) them to keep going. The present study, grounded in motivational systems theory, examined the roles of emotions in job search behavior. A sample of 116 college students, who were seeking a job for the first time, participated. Using three-wave longitudinal data and multilevel modeling, within- and between-person-level associations were examined. The outcome variables were job search behavior and the number of resumes submitted. The results showed that individuals who experience more positive emotions and negative emotions were more likely to engage in job search behavior at both the within- and between-person levels. However, the number of resumes submitted was not significantly related to positive or negative emotions. The implications of the study were discussed.

Cultural Disposition Influences in Workgroups: A Motivational Systems Theory of Group Involvement Perspective

Modern organizations often involve workgroup members who have different cultural heritage. This article provides an examination of how different cultural dimensions (e.g., uncertainty avoidance, individualism–collectivism) influence the ways that workgroups and their members respond to situations that involve threats and rewards. The threats and rewards activate distinct response patterns that are associated with a motivational systems theory of group involvement. Based on this theoretical foundation, a cultural dispositions approach is applied to reveal how culture could impact the ways group members respond (cognitively, affectively, motivationally) to situations that involve varying degrees of threats or rewards. This focus on cultural dispositions locates this article in the larger theoretical context of persons within situations that account for complexities of threat and reward cues as well as groups, organizations, and cultures. Consequently, this article has broad implications to the scientific and applied science communities interested in multicultural workgroups.

An analysis of a Borderline Personality Disorder case with compulsive sexual perversions according to Interpersonal Motivational Systems and Metacognitive functioning models

In this study we will show how to conceptualize a Borderline Personality Disorder case with sexual perversions in terms of Interpersonal Motivational Systems and of Metacognitive functioning models, in order to allow a more targeted and effective clinical treatment. To this end, after a theoretical discussion we will analyse some psychotherapy transcripts.In order to support our reflections and therapeutic choices we decided to refer to the metacognitive functioning model according to the Metacognitive- Interpersonal model (Semerari, 1999b; Dimaggio and Semerari, 2003; Carcione et al., 2008; Dimaggio et al., 2008; Dimaggio et al., 2009) and to the Interpersonal Motivational Systems theory within the Cognitive-Evolutionary model (Lichtenberg, 1989; Lichtenberg, Lachman and Fosshage, 1992, 1996; Liotti, 2001, 2005; Liotti, Cortina and Dazzi, 2008).

Predicting the Use of Learner-Centered Instructional Methods by Undergraduate Social Work Faculty

In this study we used Motivational Systems Theory (MST) to examine how use of learner-centered instructional methods varied based on faculty members' teaching goals, beliefs about their teaching abilities, and beliefs about the perceived adequacy of teaching resources, after controlling for experience and demographic factors. The population for this study was undergraduate social work educators with a minimum of 1 year of undergraduate social work education teaching experience. Findings suggest that MST factors influence the use of learner-centered teaching methods. Specifically, teaching goals were significant predictors of the use of learner-centered methods.

La terapia di coppia: un'influenza dall'ottica intersoggettiva

- The author redefines the analytic style adopted in couples therapy and in group therapy in light of self psychology, intersubjectivity perspective, relational psychoanalysis, neuropsychology, attachment theory, motivational systems theory and of social constructivism. With this synthesis emerges a theoretical eclecticism which is coherent and finally free from the obligation of adhering to a unique point of view. This allows maximum freedom to the therapist. In Segalla's work, the couple appears to be a therapeutic challenge more difficult and with greater risks compared to more traditional couple settings. In the face of the greater complexity and unpredictability of multiple settings (in our case the trio constituted by the couple and the therapist) the author suggests, also by a clinical example, the use, besides that of the analyst and his/her own history, of theoretical grids more articulated, less one-sided, and more adapted to comprehend the therapeutic contexts of the couple.

Motivational Systems Theory And The Academic Performance Of College Students

This study explored the validity of the Motivational Systems Theory (MST) as a measure of performance of college students pursuing business degrees and the level of academic performance attained across gender and race lines. This goal is achieved by investigating the relationships between motivational strategies, biological factors, responsive environment factors, skill/prior ability, and academic performance of these college students and the impact on the level of academic performance by the college students’ gender and race. The unit of analysis used in this study was 259 college students pursuing business degrees in an institution of higher learning in the south-eastern region of the United States. The instrument of choice was the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) which was used in prior studies to survey the relationship between motivation and learning strategies and performance of students in the disciplines of arts and sciences, philosophy, psychology and natural sciences. The MSLQ will be used to obtain students responses to 50 questions pertaining to their college experience as relates to their motivation and application of learning strategies. The results indicated that the motivational systems theory is a valid predictor of performance. The female students’ levels of academic performance were higher than their male counterparts irrespective of race. The biological trait, test anxiety, impacted Caucasian females more than the other gender or race groups. ANOVA confirmed that statistically significant relationships existed between academic performance and demographic variables gender and race. MANOVA confirmed that the differences in performance levels across gender and race lines were statistically significant. The results strongly supported the premise that the levels of academic performance are impacted significantly across gender and race lines for college students pursuing degrees in accredited business programs.