Peter Verboon

Job resources and emotional exhaustion: The mediating role of learning opportunities

The Job Demands-Resources model predicts that job demands increase and job resources decrease emotional exhaustion in employees. In this study, we investigated one possible mechanism for this, in order to provide a deeper insight into the role of job resources in this energy-depletion process. We assumed that job resources (autonomy and task variety) reduce emotional exhaustion through the promotion of opportunities for personal growth and development, especially workplace learning. Moreover, we expected that job demands (workload, cognitive and emotional demands) would be positively related to work-related learning opportunities. Our research model was tested in a large and heterogeneous sample out of the Dutch working population (N = 4589), following a cross-validation procedure. Multi-group structural equation modelling revealed that autonomy and task variety promoted learning opportunities, which in turn partially mediated between these job resources and emotional exhaustion. With respect to job demands, our study showed mixed results: cognitive demands promoted learning opportunities, workload frustrated such opportunities, and emotional demands were not significantly related to learning opportunities. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the interplay between job demands, job resources and learning opportunities in the energy-depletion process, and support the need for the promotion of learning opportunities in the workplace.

The role of fairness in tax compliance

The purpose of this paper is to study the relation between fairness considerations and tax compliance attitudes and intentions. Data from a large panel survey among small business owners in the Netherlands were analysed. Besides a number of background and control variables the questionnaire contained measures of personal norms, procedural and distributive justice, tax compliance attitudes and intentions to comply with tax rules. Results support the hypothesis that personal norms and justice concerns are related to tax compliance attitudes. Moreover, analyses confirm the hypothesis that distributive fairness positively affects both tax compliance attitudes and intentions to comply among entrepreneurs with relatively low personal norms, while distributive justice has no significant effect among entrepreneurs with high personal norms. Implications of these results for research on tax compliance and for tax policy are discussed. (Netherlands Journal of Psychology, 65, 136-145).

Long-term effects of a web-based cancer aftercare intervention on moderate physical activity and vegetable consumption among early cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThe number of cancer survivors is growing. Negative physical and psychosocial consequences of cancer treatment can occur during survivorship. Following healthy lifestyle recommendations is beneficial to increase quality of life and to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and comorbidities. To meet individual needs, web-based interventions can supply a large population of cancer survivors with easily accessible and personalized information. Evidence concerning the long-term effects of web-based cancer aftercare interventions on lifestyle outcomes is limited. The present study evaluates the 12-month effects of a fully automated web-based cancer aftercare intervention. We investigated whether the previously determined 6-month effects on moderate physical activity and vegetable intake were maintained over 12 months. Possible moderator effects of using specific intervention modules, gender, age, and education were also explored.MethodA two-armed randomized controlled trial was conducted using online self-report questionnaires among survivors of various types of cancer (N = 462). The intervention group had access to the online intervention for 6 months, and the control group received access after 12-months. Multilevel linear regression analyses (complete cases and intention-to-treat) were conducted to explore 12- month effects.ResultsA significant intervention effect after 12 months was found for moderate physical activity (complete cases: B = 128.475, p = .010, d = .35; intention-to-treat: B = 129.473, p = .011). Age was the only significant moderator (p = .010), with the intervention being effective among participants aged younger than 57 years (B = 256.549, p = .000, d = .59). No significant intervention effect remained for vegetable consumption after 12 months (complete cases: B = 5.860, p = .121; intention–to-treat: B = 5.560, p = .132).ConclusionThe online cancer after care intervention is effective in increasing and maintaining moderate physical activity in the long term among early cancer survivors younger than 57 years. Short-term increases in vegetable consumption were not sustained in the long term. These findings indicate the value and potential of eHealth interventions for cancer survivors. Based on the study results, web-based self-management interventions could be recommended for younger cancer survivors (<57 years of age) as a possible method to increase physical activity.Trial registrationDutch Trial Register NTR3375. Registered 29 March 2012.

Organizational justice as buffer against stressful job demands

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of organizational justice in the context of Karasek’s job demand-control model. It is suggested that employees benefit from organizational justice in order to cope with high job demands. Furthermore, it is argued that justice perceptions are a precondition for the buffering role of job control with respect to job demands. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional study on employees (n=197) in nursing houses was used. The hypotheses were tested by hierarchal regression analysis. Findings – Results showed that organizational justice buffered for the positive effect of job demands on turnover intentions and for the negative effect of job demands on job satisfaction. Furthermore, the results showed that justice serves as an important precondition for the moderating role of job control on the effect of job demands on job satisfaction and turnover intentions. Justice appeared to strengthen the role of job control as a buffer for high job demands. ...

Lance Armstrongs Era of Performance - Part I: Are his Time Trial Performances Much Different from Other Winners?

Lance Armstrong’s Era of Performance - Part I: Are his Time Trial Performances Much Different from Other Winners? The synthetic glycoprotein hormone erythropoietin - best known as recombinant human erythropoietin (rHu–EPO) or epo - became widespread in endurance sports such as professional cycling in the beginning of the 1990s. In 2000, the World Anti–Doping Agency (WADA) implemented a test for epo, after which cyclists are said to have resorted to blood doping as an alternative for epo to boost their performances.

Psychological Inflexibility and Child Anxiety

Psychological flexibility is the main outcome of acceptance commitment therapy. Insight into the usefulness of measuring psychological flexibility is an important step to enable studies on the effectiveness of acceptance commitment therapy in middle-aged children (8–10 years). For this purpose, we examined the factor structure, the construct validity and the reliability of the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth. The Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth taps psychological inflexibility (the opposite of psychological flexibility) in children and adolescents. Although the questionnaire has been extensively validated in older children, this is not the case for middle-aged children. The Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth contains 17 items and is constituted of the subscales cognitive fusion, experiential avoidance and behavioral ineffectiveness. A shortened 8-item version also exists, the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth-8, which does not distinguish between these subscales. We performed a confirmatory factor analysis. Additionally, we assessed the relationship between psychological flexibility and child anxiety. Children, aged 8–10 years, were recruited via regular primary schools. Of the 459 approached children, 267 (58 %) parents signed informed consents for their children (Age: M = 9.18; SD = .79; Sex: nboys = 137, 51 %). Children completed the questionnaires during regular classes. In this sample, the 17-item version of the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth was less appropriate for measuring psychological inflexibility than the 8-item version. Furthermore, we found a significant positive relationship between psychological inflexibility and child anxiety. We argue that acceptance commitment therapy would be an interesting candidate for intervening early on in dysfunctional child anxiety, as acceptance commitment therapy’s cognitive elements require cognitive skills that children are likely to master early on.

Working mechanisms of a web-based self-management intervention for cancer survivors: a randomised controlled trial

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether problem-solving skills and perceived personal control over cancer recovery mediated the intervention effects on depression and fatigue of a web-based computer-tailored intervention for cancer survivors – the Kanker Nazorg Wijzer (Cancer Aftercare Guide). Design: Patients were recruited through 21 Dutch hospitals (November 2013–June 2014). The mediation model was tested in a randomised controlled trial with an intervention group (n = 231) and a waiting list control group (n = 231). Main outcome measures: Hypothesised mediators problem-solving skills (SPSI-R) and personal control (IPQ-R) were measured at baseline and 3 months from baseline. Outcomes depression (HADS) and fatigue (CIS) were measured at baseline and 6 months from baseline. Results: The intervention effects in decreasing depression and fatigue were mediated by personal control. Problem-solving skills did not mediate the intervention effects on depression and fatigue. Conclusion: While personal control in the control group decreased in the first three months after baseline, levels of personal control within the intervention group were maintained. This effect partially explained the intervention effects on depression and fatigue. The results provide evidence for the relevance of addressing personal control in web-based interventions in order to improve psychosocial well-being in early cancer survivors.

The Effect of Perceived Deterrence on Compliance with Authorities: The Moderating Influence of Procedural Justice

In order to stimulate compliance, authorities often use deterrence instruments. However, scientific literature from the fields of criminology, sociology and psychology has not been consistent in when or why deterrence is effective in shaping compliance. In the present study we investigated the role of procedural justice in relation to deterrence. Procedural justice has strong effects on peoples attitudes and behaviour regarding the social collective, including compliance with authorities. We argued that particularly authorities who are considered procedurally fair are successful in stimulating compliance with the use of deterrence instruments. In support of these ideas, a field survey in which we focused on sanction severity as the first element of deterrence and an experiment in which we focused on detection probability as the second element of deterrence revealed that procedural justice and deterrence instruments interactively strengthen each others effect in promoting compliance. These finding may partly explain the sometimes-contradictory results from prior work about the effectiveness of deterrence by supporting a justice perspective on the effectiveness of deterrence in increasing compliance with authorities. Keywords: Deterrence, sanction severity, detection probability, procedural justice, compliance. Language: en

Social absorption and social individuation: Dutch validation

Social absorption (SA) and social individuation (SI) are two dimensions that may help understand and predict the quality of interpersonal experiences and relationships (Ickes, Hutchison, & Mashek, 2004). A Dutch translation of the SA and SI scales was validated with a circumplex of interpersonal adjective scales, vulnerability factors to depression and attachment style dimensions among a sample of 429 Flemish and Dutch Open University students. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that SA consisted of two subfactors; SI was shortened for reliability reasons. Subsequent correlational analyses revealed that both SA subfactors correlated positively with warm and assertive interpersonal behaviours, secure attachment style and sociotropy. The shortened SI factor correlated positively with cold and aloof interpersonal behaviours, autonomy and fearful and dismissive attachment. A graphical projection of scales in the interpersonal circumplex further informs the reader about behavioural commonalities between all the variables.(Netherlands Journal of Psychology 65, 40-52.)