Brian P. Cole

A Psychometric Examination of the Interpersonal Sexual Objectification Scale Among College Men

Whereas sexual objectification has most commonly been studied among women, recent calls by counseling psychologists have urged for an extension of objectification research to more fully include men (e.g., Heimerdinger-Edwards, Vogel, & Hammer, 2011). The present study examined the factor structure of the Interpersonal Sexual Objectification Scale (ISOS; Kozee, Tylka, Augustus-Horvath, & Denchik, 2007) with men. Specifically, analyses included exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with a sample of 287 college men and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with an independent sample of 221 college men. A correlated 3-factor structure was suggested by multiple criteria in EFA and was further confirmed by CFA with a bifactor model illustrating the most item variance associated with a general interpersonal sexual objectification dimension for men.

Development and Validation of the Hope for Change Through Counseling Scale

Frank and Frank suggested that the primary goal of contextually oriented therapy is remoralization through the promotion of hope. According to Snyder’s hope theory, hope is a psychological characteristic consisting of pathways thinking, agency, and goals. Although these concepts are relevant to understanding how hope develops through therapy, no instrument exists to measure hope within counseling. The present research was undertaken to develop and validate the Hope for Change Through Counseling Scale (HCCS). Study 1 (N = 191) was an analogue study to pilot the scale and identify its factor structure. Study 2 (N = 306) consisted of a confirmatory factor analysis to further refine the HCCS. Study 3 utilized the HCCS with clients (N = 50), providing evidence of construct validity and incremental validity for the scale. Implications of the HCCS as an assessment tool to facilitate focus on client hopefulness within counseling are discussed.

Relations Between Intimate Partner Violence and Forgiveness Among College Women

The purpose of the current investigation was to examine forgiveness and intimate partner violence (IPV) among college women. Undergraduate women (N = 502) participated in an online study in which overall experiences of IPV, as well as experiences of psychological and physical IPV, were investigated with respect to transgression-specific and dispositional forgiveness. Simultaneous multivariate regressions revealed that (a) the experience of IPV was associated with higher levels of avoidance and revenge, and lower levels of benevolence, forgiveness of self, forgiveness of others, and forgiveness of uncontrollable situations; (b) types of IPV demonstrated differing impacts on forgiveness; and (c) the mere experience of IPV is more salient than its frequency.

An Evaluation of a Peer-Based HIV/AIDS Education Program as Implemented in a Suburban High School Setting

ABSTRACT This study presents the results of an evaluation of a peer-based HIV/AIDS education program, the BASE program, as implemented in a suburban high school setting. The participants were 132 high school students who participated in an “AIDS Awareness Day” as a part of the BASE program in their high school. Each student completed preintervention and postintervention measures of HIV knowledge and attitudes toward HIV/AIDS. Results indicated that no significant change in knowledge was observed from preintervention to postintervention. A significant decrease in fear of becoming HIV infected was observed from preintervention to postintervention; however, other attitudes did not change over time. The results suggest limited effectiveness of the program as implemented in changing student knowledge of and attitudes toward HIV/AIDS. The role of fidelity to the original program is highlighted. This study provides relevant data for individuals and organizations who are responsible for selecting and implementing school-based HIV prevention programs, including health educators and health care providers, administrators, and policymakers.

Associations between women's experiences of sexual violence and forgiveness.

The purpose of this study was to examine forgiveness and sexual violence among college women. Undergraduate women (N = 503) completed an online survey assessing experiences of sexual violence and forgiveness. Simultaneous multivariate regressions revealed that experiencing more sexual violence was associated with more revenge and avoidance, and less benevolence. Furthermore, findings indicated that more experiences of sexual violence were negatively associated with forgiveness of self, forgiveness of others, and forgiveness of uncontrollable situations. This work begins to fill critical gaps in the extant literature because it is the only study to date that examines sexual violence and the positive psychological construct of forgiveness. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

What’s Right With Men? Gender Role Socialization and Men’s Positive Functioning

This study explored relations between conformity to masculine norms, gender role conflict, hope, and psychological well-being among a sample of 389 men from a university, with a predominantly White student body, located in the Midwestern United States. Bivariate correlations revealed that men’s conformity to masculine norms and gender role conflict were positively correlated. Bivariate correlations revealed no significant relations between conformity to masculine norms, trait hope, and psychological well-being. Gender role conflict was associated with decreased hope and psychological well-being. Results of path analysis explained relations between conformity to masculine norms, gender role conflict, trait hope, and psychological well-being. This indicates that gender role conflict may contribute to lower trait hope and psychological well-being for college men. Although several aspects of conformity to masculine norms had positive associations with hope, these relations were significant and negative when men experienced gender role conflict. This work fills an important gap in the literature by examining the unique relations of conformity to masculine norms and gender role conflict to men’s positive functioning. Results are discussed within the context of positive psychological theories including Frederickson’s broaden and build theory of positive emotions, hope theory, Ryff’s model of psychological well-being, and self-determination theory. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Paternal Involvement With Infants Scale.

A growing body of research reflects the need to focus on fathers’ involvement with their infants. For many years, this was assessed by such domains as cohabitation, financial contributions, and/or asking mothers to rate the quality and quantity of the father’s interactions with their children. Current scholarship has designated father involvement as a multifaceted construct, reflective of changing gender roles of men and fathers in the United States. However, there exists no self-report instrument of father’s involvement with their infants that adequately measures the multifaceted components of the construct. The current project aims to develop a psychometrically sound, theoretically grounded instrument of father involvement. The Paternal Involvement With Infants Scale (PIWIS) is a self-report instrument that assesses a variety of ways in which new fathers are involved with their infant. In Sample 1, fathers of infants (N = 456) completed the PIWIS. Exploratory factor analyses (n = 250) and confirmatory factor analyses (n = 206) supported a 5-factor solution including positive engagement, indirect care, frustration, warmth and attunement, and control and process subscales. Sample 2 (N = 57) participants completed the PIWIS 4 weeks apart in order to provide test–retest reliability scores (r’s > .51). Concurrent evidence of validity was established via significant positive correlations with theoretically related measures of social support, paternal engagement, infant care self-efficacy, parental alliance, parental satisfaction, and overall life satisfaction as well as negative correlations with gender role conflict and depression. Clinical implications and implications for future research are discussed.