Jonathan P. Schwartz

Best Practice Guidelines on Prevention Practice, Research, Training, and Social Advocacy for Psychologists:

Preventive interventions have been shown to successfully aid the development of children, youths, and adults and avert maladjustment in individuals at risk for negative outcomes. Continued scientific advancement of preventive interventions is crucial to further the health of U.S. children, youths, and families. This article presents 15 best practice guidelines on prevention practice, research, training, and social advocacy for psychology. These guidelines articulate clear standards and a framework for moving the profession toward improving the well-being of a greater number of individuals and communities. The guidelines are intended to assist psychologists in evaluating their preparation for engaging in prevention work and in furthering their understanding through increased knowledge, skills, and experience in prevention.

Internalization of messages from society and perfectionism as predictors of male body image

The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of male body image dissatisfaction, specifically ethnicity, societal factors and a personality variable. A total of 202 college males (37.3% Asian, 27.7% Caucasian, 14.5% Hispanic, and 13.6% African American) completed measures of perfectionism, internalization of societal messages, and a multidimensional measure of male body attitude. The results indicated that an Asian ethnic identity, socially prescribed perfectionism, and internalizing societal messages were predictors of muscle dissatisfaction. Socially prescribed perfectionism and internalization were the only predictors of low body fat dissatisfaction. Ethnicity, perfectionism and internalization were not predictive of height dissatisfaction. Unique aspects of perfectionism appear to predict specific body image dissatisfaction in men.

Effects of a Group Preventive Intervention on Risk and Protective Factors Related to Dating Violence.

A group intervention was designed to impact protective and risk factors related to dating violence in college students. The group used a manualized approach to address gender-role stereotypes and conflicts, healthy and nonhealthy entitlement attitudes, and communication and anger management skills.

Gender-Role Conflict and Self-Esteem: Factors Associated With Partner Abuse in Court-Referred Men.

This study investigated the relationship between gender-role conflict, self-esteem, and domestic violence. Seventy-four men entering a domestic violence treatment program completed self-report measures of gender-role conflict, self-esteem, and abusive and controlling behavior. Regression analysis revealed that high gender-role conflict with respect to success, power, and competition was positively related to physical abuse. Restrictive emotionality and self-esteem both negatively related to use of intimidation and threats. Finally, restrictive affectionate behavior between men was positively related to using isolation.

Exploring entitlement as a moderator and mediator of the relationship between masculine gender role conflict and men's body esteem.

Extant literature has suggested that entitlement stemming from masculine gender role socialization may moderate and/or mediate the relationship between gender role conflict and intrapersonal variables. This study tested this assertion with 236 college men, with body esteem serving as the intrapersonal variable. Results revealed that both conceptualizations of entitlement (i.e., self-assertive and narcissistic) moderated the relationships between two components of gender role conflict (i.e., success/power/ competition and work-family conflict) and body esteem, with self-assertive entitlement (i.e., a more adaptive form) buffering these relationships and narcissistic entitlement (i.e., a more maladaptive form) strengthening these relationships. Narcissistic entitlement also strengthened the relationship between restricted affection between men and body esteem. In addition, self-assertive entitlement mediated the relationships between (a) restricted emotionality and body esteem, and (b) work-family conflict and body esteem.

Attachment Styles: Relationship to Masculine Gender Role Conflict in College Men

This study examined the relationship between masculine gender role conflict and attachment in college men. One hundred seventy male undergraduate students completed the Gender Role Conflict Scale (J. M. O’ Neil, B. Helms, R. Gable, L. David, & L. Wrightsman, 1986) and the Relationship Questionnaire (K. Bartholomew & L. M. Horowitz, 1991). The results demonstrated that men with secure attachment styles had significantly less gender role conflict with Restrictive Emotionality when compared with men with preoccupied, dismissive, or fearful attachment styles. In addition, men with a secure attachment style had significantly less conflict with Success, Power, and Competition when compared with men with fearful attachment styles. Implications of the results for understanding the relationship between attachment and masculine gender role conflict are discussed.

Relationship Between Gender Role Conflict and Attitudes Toward Women and African Americans.

The relationship between gender role conflict and attitudes toward women and African Americans was explored using a sample of undergraduate men enrolled in a southern university. The 1st regression involved attitudes toward women as the dependent variable and gender role conflict as the independent

Impacting sexism through social justice prevention: implications at the person and environmental levels.

Sexism in our society leads to multiple negative outcomes for women. Although traditional therapeutic approaches as well as preventive interventions address the specific negative outcomes of sexism, they rarely utilize a social justice approach. The deleterious effects of sexism occur complexly; sexist interpersonal events often occur within family systems that may endorse traditional gender roles, which exist within a societal and cultural context that contains sexist norms and formalized sexist policies. These multifaceted, ingrained circumstances delineate the need for preventive social justice to address sexism on multiple levels. A prevention/social justice model will be used to critique existing interventions and identify avenues for change in research and practice.

Adult attachment orientations: Relation to affiliation motivation

This study examines the multifaceted relationship between attachment and affiliation motivation. In a sample of 322 participants differences were found between attachment styles or dimensions and affiliation motivation. Anxious attachment was positively related to seeking attention from others, social comparison, and positive stimulation as motivations for affiliation. Avoidant attachment was negatively related to emotional support and positive stimulation as motivations for affiliation. Also, results indicated that individuals with a dismissing attachment style scored lower on several dimensions of affiliation motivation than individuals characterized by secure, fearful, or preoccupied attachment styles. Implications for the impact of attachment on motivation to seek social support and counseling are discussed.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Clusters, Depression, Alcohol Abuse, and General Stress Among Hispanic Male Firefighters

This study examined the association of the four posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom clusters (re-experiencing, avoidance, dysphoria, and hyperarousal) included in the Dysphoria factor model to depression, substance abuse, and general stress among 551 male, Hispanic firefighters in a large metropolitan city in the United States. Approximately 11% of the participants demonstrated elevated PTSD compared with a 7% PTSD prevalence rate in the U.S. Hispanic population. Results of bivariate correlations and regression analyses indicated that, as expected, the dysphoria cluster captured a general distress dimension common to other affective disorders, whereas re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal symptoms demonstrated stronger specificity to depression than to substance abuse or general stress. Findings suggest that treatment approaches to PTSD with Hispanics should include interventions such as behavioral activation, which are designed to address non-specific distress.