Jennifer L. Hughes

The Links Between Parenting Styles and Imposter Phenomenon

COPYRIGHT 2014 BY PSI CHI, THE INTERNATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY IN PSYCHOLOGY (VOL. 19, NO. 2/ISSN 2164-8204) *Faculty mentor Not all people enjoy their accomplishments. Clance and Imes (1978) referred to those who feel phony and fraudulent about their success as impostors, and this experience was named the impostor phenomenon. Impostors think of themselves as intellectual frauds, have tremendous difficulty internalizing their achievements, experience anxiety and depression, and endure the chronic fear that they might be found out. They attribute their success to external factors (i.e., luck, effort), personal charm, and knowing the right person, rather than to their capabilities and intelligence. Clance and Imes (1978) have observed that impostors often engage in behaviors that would maintain their impostor feelings (e.g., overpreparing, using charm or perceptiveness to win others over, and not revealing what they truly think). Therefore, positive feedback or success cannot change but only confirms impostors’ appraisals of themselves. Impostor phenomenon, as a relatively new clinical construct, is closely related with other ABSTRACT. Clance and Imes (1978) coined the term impostor phenomenon to describe the phoniness an individual feels about his/her achievement and the inability to internalize success. They proposed that impostor feelings are often rooted in early family relations. Prior empirical research found partial support for this proposition. The current study investigated the links between parenting styles and the impostor phenomenon, and examined the role of the sex of adult children as a moderator variable. The sample constituted 506 American undergraduate and graduate students (105 men, 401 women). Participants were recruited using a snowball sampling technique. We found that lack of parental care, r(444) = -.25, p < .001, and parental overprotection, r(445) = .23, p < .001, were linked with higher impostor scores. Parental care, β = -.18, t(442) = -3.30, p = .001, and parental overprotection, β = .18, t(442) = 2.38, p = .02, both emerged to be predictors of impostor scores. The predictive power of parenting variables weakened when maternal and paternal parenting styles were examined separately. Only maternal care was found to be negatively predictive of impostor scores, β = -.41, t(440) = -4.18, p < .001. Men were overall less responsive to parenting variables. For men, only maternal care was found to be negatively correlated with impostor scores. For women, maternal and paternal care was found to be negatively correlated with impostor scores, and maternal and paternal overprotection was found to be positively correlated with impostor scores. Our results provided support for the proposed relationship between family environments and impostor phenomenon, and indicated that men may develop impostor feelings based on different mechanisms than women. The Links Between Parenting Styles and Imposter Phenomenon

Connecting Gender and Mental Health to Imposter Phenomenon Feelings

74 COPYRIGHT 2013 BY PSI CHI, THE INTERNATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY IN PSYCHOLOGY (VOL. 18, NO. 2/ISSN 2164-8204) *Faculty mentor The imposter phenomenon (IP) is a psychological phenomenon of conflicting research. The term was first coined by Clance and Imes (1978) to describe a highachieving individual that feels like a fraud and thus attributes success to external factors, such as hard work, luck, and charm. Research was ambiguous in regard to gender differences in IP beliefs. Although some authors reported that women experience IP feelings more than men (King & Cooley, 1995; Kumar & Jagacinski, 2006; McGregor, Gee, & Posey, 2008), other data showed no significant difference (Caselman, Self, & Self, 2006; Cromwell, Brown, Sanchez-Huceles, & Adair, 1990; Sonnak & Towell, 2001). Additionally, other authors found relationships between cognitive distortions, such as perfectionism, and IP feelings (Henning, Ey, & Shaw, 1998; Thompson, Davis, & Davidson, 1998). In previous research, correlations existed between depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and IP feelings (Cozzarrelli & Major, 1990; Cromwell et al., 1990; Sonnak & Towell, 2001). These maladaptive cognitive patterns related to IP have clinical implications because of the potentially elevated risk for other issues such as depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. We designed this study to expand upon existing research to determine if gender is a significant factor in determining the IP and to determine other psychological variables that are related to IP beliefs.

Components of Love and Relationship Satisfaction: Lesbians and Heterosexual Women

171 COPYRIGHT 2012 BY PSI CHI, THE INTERNATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY IN PSYCHOLOGY (VOL. 17, NO. 4/ISSN 2164-8204) *Faculty mentor Research on intimate relationships has focused primarily on heterosexual couples (Kurdek, 1994). Little research is available to help researchers and practitioners alike understand if these theories and findings are applicable, in part or in whole, to lesbian and gay males in relationships. Large discrepancies exist between lesbians and heterosexual women in romantic relationships, ranging from the visibility of their relationships to how their relationships are perceived by society (Felicio & Sutherland, 2001). For instance, in research on heterosexual couples, a central concept is gender differences (Eldridge & Gilbert, 1990), and the heteronormative construct of gender does not pertain to lesbian and gay male relationships (Kurdek, 1994). Additionally, same-sex couples often develop outside of the context of social sanctions and support of family members (Kurdek, 1994). The current study seeks to fill a knowledge gap by focusing on lesbians in relationships. This study explores relationship satisfaction, commitment, passion, and intimacy in lesbians and heterosexual women. These three variables were chosen to provide a comprehensive understanding of relationships as experienced by women of varying sexual orientations.

A Comparison of Women in Lesbian and Heterosexual Dual-Income Couples: Communication and Conflict

170 COPYRIGHT 2013 BY PSI CHI, THE INTERNATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY IN PSYCHOLOGY (VOL. 18, NO. 4/ISSN 2164-8204) *Faculty mentor Relatively little attention has been devoted to the study of lesbian and heterosexual dual-career women. The relationship satisfaction, well-being, and social support of heterosexual couples have been examined in detail (Geist & Gilbert, 1996; Quek & Knudson-Martin, 2006), and researchers have explored lesbian couples’ issues in the context of lesbian and gay couples research (Kurdek, 2005). Few studies, however, have compared lesbian and heterosexual dual-career women on various relationship issues (Kurdek, 1993). Communication about domestic chores, social support within the partnership, and work-family and family-work conflict are prominent factors in the maintenance and health of relationships (Kurdek, 1993, 2008), regardless of orientation, and we examine them here. Also important to consider is the current legal and cultural movement toward the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States and around the world. A discussion of lesbian and heterosexual relationship issues is especially timely with the recent action by the United State Supreme Court, in which the court declared California Marriage Protection Act (Proposition 8) unconstitutional. Proposition 8, which made same-sex marriage in California illegal, was proposed to and passed in the California state legislature in 2008. Another decision by the Supreme Court, a ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in which Section 3 of DOMA was ruled unconstitutional, signaled changing tides in the legal discussion of same-sex marriage and related federal benefits. Additionally, several states have recently legalized same-sex marriages, and various countries are reexamining their laws surrounding civil unions and marriage. These recent social changes, along with the sizable presence of same-sex couples throughout the country, are further reasons that an examination of lesbian and heterosexual couples is necessary and timely.

Relationships Among Work and Family Conflict, Stress, and Parenthood in Dual-Income Couples

work and family. Whereas in the mid-20th century a typical middle-class American family consisted of a bread-winner husband, a stay-at-home wife, and 2.5 children, the roles and expectations in American families today have changed. More and more women are going to work, both part-time and full-time. Nearly sixty percent of women over the age of 16 were employed in 2004, and in the same year women comprised forty-six percent of the labor force (United States Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau, 2005). These changes in the work force have accordingly led to changes in the home. Women no longer have the same amount of time to dedicate to childcare and household tasks as they did in the past, yet these responsibilities cannot be shirked. Thus, employed married women are either expected to maintain the same level of involvement in the home as married women who do not work, or to have a lower level of home involvement regardless of the husband’s effort. Either way, incongruencies in the demands of home and work are bound to arise for both women and men, leading them to experience work-family conflict (WFC) and family-work conflict (FWC). Workfamily conflict can be defined as the extent to which pressures within a person’s work role interfere with responsibilities from their family role (e.g., not having time to do yard work because of a work deadline that requires extra hours; Grant-Vallone & Donaldson, 2001). In contrast, family-work conflict is experienced within the work domain and can be defined as the extent to which pressures within a person’s family role interfere with obligations from their work role (e.g., missing work in order to take care of a sick child). Because WFC has been shown to negatively impact a person’s overall well -being (Grant-Vallone & Donaldson), researchers should continue to gather information about which factors contribute to work and family interference and who these conflicts burden most frequently.

Parental Attachment Predicting Emotions and Stress During Positive Life Events

Relationships with parents such as those addressed in attachment theory can dictate emotion processing and perception of situations. Namely, insecure parental attachment (i.e., higher attachment-based anxiety and avoidance scores; Fraley, Heffernan, Vicary, & Brumbaugh, 2011b) can compromise emotion regulation and affect. However, although previous attachment research has addressed emotions during daily positive events (Gentzler, Kerns, & Keener, 2010), to our knowledge no studies have evaluated participants’ attachment in relation to their emotions during major positive life events that involve their parents (e.g., a wedding or holiday). Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate this and extend previous research (Gentzler & Kerns, 2006; Gentzler et al., 2010; Sheinbaum et al., 2015). This is important because major positive life events might solidify internal working models of attachment. Additionally, secure attachment and savoring positive emotions correlate with well-being. Participants (N = 310; Mage = 31.26) completed measures of attachment (i.e., attachment-based anxiety and avoidance) and emotions (e.g., joy, stress) in positive life events involving parents. Results of multiple hierarchical regression showed that insecure attachment predicted decreased joy (p < .001) and increased stress (p < .001) for positive events, after controlling for gender and age. Similarly, for imagined future events, insecure attachment predicted less positive emotions (p < .001) and more negative emotions (p < .001). These results imply that parental attachment can negatively impact positive emotions such as joy during positive life events. Implications and applications are discussed.

Conquering APA Style: Advice From APA Style Experts

Learning and teaching APA style is often a challenge because of the detailed rules for the writing style. Resources that provide accurate information about APA style that are easy for learners to consume can be useful tools for students and instructors. The goal of this article is to provide information to help writers become more competent and comfortable with APA style. The first section of this article contains lists of common APA style mistakes that are made when papers are submitted for publication. Editors look for very specific APA formatting and style, and this section will cover these issues. Moreover, the second section includes a list of APA style rules frequently encountered by an APA style tutor. The third section has information to help students navigate writing assignments in a research methods class. The fourth section addresses additional APA style rules that many writers do not know about. Finally, this information can serve as a guide for writers to use when writing APA style papers. https://doi.org/10.24839/2325-7342.JN22.3.154

Examining Relationships: Communication and Satisfaction in Lesbian and Heterosexual Women

*Faculty mentor While var i ab le s inc lud ing sexua l satisfaction, communication, and relationship satisfaction have been examined extensively in heterosexual women, the habits and experiences of lesbian women in these areas are notably under-researched (Kurdek, 1993). Researchers have explored lesbian couples’ issues in the context of lesbian and gay couples research (Kurdek, 2005); few studies, however, have compared lesbian and heterosexual women on various relationship and sexual issues (Kurdek, 1993). Communication about sex and relationship, sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction are important factors in the maintenance and health of relationships (Kurdek, 1993, 2008) regardless of orientation, and we examine them here. Communication A central issue when examining relationships is communication. A core component of satisfaction in both heterosexual marriage (Gottman & Levenson, 1992) and same-sex partnerships (Kurdek, 1998) is that effective communication is key for sustaining a healthy relationship over time (Regan, 2011; Spanier & Lewis, 1980). Here, we use Gottman’s (1994) definition: clear and honest communication (pertaining to relationship and/or sexual issues) between partners. There exists a demonstrated and significant connection between communication and satisfaction in relationships (Gottman & Levenson, 1992; Regan, 2011; Rogge & Bradbury, 1999). Partners who lack the necessary skills to communicate effect ively often suffer from heightened ABSTRACT. In light of the current literature concerning communication and satisfaction in relationships, we examined whether there are differences in communication and its impact on the relationship and sexual satisfaction of lesbian and heterosexual women. A sample of 209 heterosexual and 94 lesbian women completed an online survey about relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and communication variables. Greater physical touch indicated greater relationship satisfaction for lesbian compared to heterosexual women. There was not a significant interaction between sexual orientation and physical touch in relation to sexual satisfaction. Greater words of affirmation indicated greater sexual satisfaction for heterosexual women compared to lesbian women. There was no significant interaction between sexual orientation and words of affirmation in relation to relationship satisfaction. There was no significant difference between lesbian and heterosexual women on relationship satisfaction, nor was there a significant difference between lesbian and heterosexual women on sexual satisfaction. A central implication from these findings is that working to improve verbal communication in heterosexual couples and physical touch in lesbian couples might lead to improved sexual satisfaction. These findings are important to consider from the perspective of both couples and sex therapy work. Examining Relationships: Communication and Satisfaction in Lesbian and Heterosexual Women

Gender Differences in the Psychological Impact of the Dual-Income Lifestyle

129 COPYRIGHT 2011 BY PSI CHI, THE INTERNATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY IN PSYCHOLOGY (VOL. 16, NO. 3/ISSN 1089-4136) *Faculty mentor Since the 1960s, more women have pursued careers outside the home. These women sought to enjoy the freedom, power, and selffulfillment that come from vocational achievement that had previously been accessible to only men. Today, millions of women are able to call themselves career women, many of them in dual-income couples (United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 2011). These women have made efforts to empower themselves and challenge the boundaries left behind by traditional gender role beliefs. However, many wives are still unequal to their working husbands because the traces of traditional household expectations are evident in the division of their household labor. Wives often perform the majority of household chores —including cooking, cleaning, and childcare—in addition to completing all job-related activities (Frisco & Williams, 2003; Home, 1998; Sayer, England, Bittman, & Bianchi, 2009). These multiple demands make it make it difficult for women to fulfill the requirements of each role (Sayer et al., 2009; Wilkie, Ferree, & Ratcliff, 1998). Husbands tend to not have the same difficulties meeting the needs of their worker and husband roles (Almeida, Maggs, & Galambos, 1993). The extra work put on women in these unequal relationships can contribute to role overload and stress in the dual-income wife (Coverman, 1989; Viers & Prouty, 2001). Several factors, including the egalitarian division of labor, are important for wives’ marital satisfaction (Frisco & Williams, 2003; Meier, McNaughton-Cassill, & Lynch, 2006; Wilkie et al., 1998). The purpose of our study was to explore gender differences in role overload, stress, and marital satisfaction in dual-income couples and to measure how these experiences may differ among age groups.