Thomas M. Brinthaupt

The Self-Talk Scale: Development, Factor Analysis, and Validation

Researchers and theorists have argued that self-talk plays an important role in everyday behavior and self-regulation. To facilitate research on this role, we developed a new measure of self-talk for use with nonclinical adult populations. The Self-Talk Scale (STS) measures ones frequency of self-talk. Analysis indicated a factor structure consisting of Social Assessment, Self-Criticism, Self-Reinforcement, and Self-Management factors. In 5 studies, we demonstrated that the STS shows acceptable test–retest reliability and preliminary construct validity. We present implications for the use of the STS.

The Disconnected Values Model Improves Mental Well-Being and Fitness in an Employee Wellness Program

This study examined the effect of a 10-week wellness program on changes in physical fitness and mental well-being. The conceptual framework for this study was the Disconnected Values Model (DVM). According to the DVM, detecting the inconsistencies between negative habits and values (e.g., health, family, faith, character) and concluding that these “disconnects” are unacceptable promotes the need for health behavior change. Participants were 164 full-time employees at a university in the southeastern U.S. The program included fitness coaching and a 90-minute orientation based on the DVM. Multivariate Mixed Model analyses indicated significantly improved scores from pre- to post-intervention on selected measures of physical fitness and mental well-being. The results suggest that the Disconnected Values Model provides an effective cognitive-behavioral approach to generating health behavior change in a 10-week workplace wellness program.

Development and Implementation of an Online Careers Seminar in Psychology

Psychology departments are increasing their attention to providing career options and guidance for majors. I review the literature on the use of career courses in psychology and describe the development and implementation of an online careers seminar that provides psychology majors and minors with a wide range of information and resources. Student evaluative feedback of the course is uniformly positive. I conclude with suggestions for how departments can develop and individualize such a course to meet their specific needs.

Editorial: Inner Experiences: Theory, Measurement, Frequency, Content, and Functions

It is safe to posit that human beings have been interested in their own inner mental experiences from the moment they became aware of them, arguably over 60,000 years ago (Leary, 2004). In sharp contrast, growth in the actual scientific examination of these inner experiences is remarkably recent (e.g., Csikszentmihalyi and Figurski, 1982; Klinger and Cox, 1987–1988; Goldstein and Kenen, 1988; Hurlburt, 1990). Inner speech, in particular, has been the focus of even more recent efforts (e.g., Morin et al., 2011; Brinthaupt and Dove, 2012; Hurlburt et al., 2013; Alderson-Day and Fernyhough, 2015; Alderson-Day et al., 2015). We present 14 articles that cover theoretical ideas as well as current research results pertaining to the measurement, frequency, content, and functions of inner experiences. In what follows we summarize some exciting key findings highlighted in this research topic.

Assessing the accuracy of self-reported self-talk

As with most kinds of inner experience, it is difficult to assess actual self-talk frequency beyond self-reports, given the often hidden and subjective nature of the phenomenon. The Self-Talk Scale (STS; Brinthaupt et al., 2009) is a self-report measure of self-talk frequency that has been shown to possess acceptable reliability and validity. However, no research using the STS has examined the accuracy of respondents’ self-reports. In the present paper, we report a series of studies directly examining the measurement of self-talk frequency and functions using the STS. The studies examine ways to validate self-reported self-talk by (1) comparing STS responses from 6 weeks earlier to recent experiences that might precipitate self-talk, (2) using experience sampling methods to determine whether STS scores are related to recent reports of self-talk over a period of a week, and (3) comparing self-reported STS scores to those provided by a significant other who rated the target on the STS. Results showed that (1) overall self-talk scores, particularly self-critical and self-reinforcing self-talk, were significantly related to reports of context-specific self-talk; (2) high STS scorers reported talking to themselves significantly more often during recent events compared to low STS scorers, and, contrary to expectations, (3) friends reported less agreement than strangers in their self-other self-talk ratings. Implications of the results for the validity of the STS and for measuring self-talk are presented.

Many-faceted Rasch calibration: an example using the Self-Talk Scale.

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the application of the many-faceted Rasch model to a personality measure. The authors use the model to calibrate the Self-Talk Scale (STS). Good model–data fit supported the measurement of self-talk frequency in adults as a unidimensional construct. Results also supported the proper functioning of the original five-category STS response format. Because of evidence that different items do not contribute equally to the total score, the authors provide information for converting raw STS total scores into more appropriate logit scores. The methodology and results demonstrate how the Rasch model can provide additional support for the validity of measures. Implications for using the Rasch model for personality assessment in general and for using the STS in particular are discussed.

Teaching the social aspects of clothing in an online course

With the increasing importance of fashion-related web resources and e-commerce, providing online course options has several advantages. In addition to allowing students to be better equipped to understand and work with web-based fashion content, online delivery provides both students and instructors with greater flexibility. Collaborations with international partners (e.g. educational institutions and fashion industries) can also be more easily managed through online courses. In this paper, we describe the development, implementation and evaluation of an online Social Aspects of Clothing course. We provide example discussion topics as well as describe specific projects used in the course. Issues pertaining to the conversion of a traditional course to online delivery are also discussed. At the end of the course, a total of 54 undergraduate students completed an online evaluation survey to assess its strengths and weaknesses. Student evaluative feedback of the structure, design and implementation of the course was uniformly positive. Students reported that they had the technical skills to take the course online and were satisfied with the amount of contact they had with other students and the instructor. We conclude with suggestions for how instructors can develop and individualise such a course for their own purposes.

A values‐based approach for changing exercise and dietary habits: An action study

Abstract This action study examined the effect of a 10‐week intervention, based on the Disconnected Values Model (DVM), on promoting health behavior change—changes in fitness and blood lipids, in particular. The DVM predicts that health behavior change is more likely to occur if the individual detects a misalignment (i.e., disconnect) between ones values and his or her negative or unhealthy habits and that, given the short‐term costs and long‐term consequences of maintaining unhealthy habits, the disconnect is unacceptable. Participants were 111 females and 58 males (N = 169), ranging in age from 24 to 72 years (M = 48.05, SD = 10.46), who were full time faculty and staff employed at a university in the southeastern United States. Each individual registered for and participated in an employee campus wellness program. Program content included fitness testing, exercise prescription, weekly coaching from a personal trainer, and one private consultation and five group seminars from a registered dietician. Fitness and blood tests (i.e., a lipids profile), and an inventory measuring the persons values (intrinsic to the DVM), were conducted immediately prior to and following the program. Multivariate mixed model analyses indicated significantly improved scores from pre‐ to postintervention on improved fitness and reduced disconnected values (ps < .05). While none of the blood lipid measures were statistically significant, changes from pre‐ to posttest measures were in a favorable direction, indicating improved scores. A relatively low dropout rate (11%), superior to that of most previous studies, lends credence to the programs efficacy. The mechanisms by which the DVM may influence health behavior change and the implications for future research to test the model are provided

Barriers to and Strategies for Faculty Integration of IT

At most institutions of higher education, faculty members wear many “hats.” Among other responsibilities, they are expected to teach, conduct research, and participate in institutional and public service. Within the teaching realm, faculty members have always had multiple responsibilities. For example, in addition to being content experts, they may need to become course design, assessment, communication, community or interaction experts. Instructors can be described as architects, consultants, resources, reviewers, and role models (Oblinger & Hawkins, 2006). It is primarily (though not exclusively) in the teaching realm where instructional technology (IT) is relevant. The more that faculty utilize IT, the more the non-content aspects of teaching become salient. Depending on level of faculty expertise, asking them to increase the time and effort they put into their teaching might reduce the time and effort they can devote to research, service, and other institutional requirements and responsibilities. Why should they, especially if there is very little acknowledgment or tenure/promotion credit given for incorporating IT into their teaching? This is, in part, why many faculty members may have to be dragged “kicking and screaming” into using these technologies.

Starting Off Right: Institutional Resources for Online Student Success

Dianna Z. Rust is Associate Professor, Thomas M. Brinthaupt is Director of Faculty Development, Learning, Teaching, and Innovative Technologies Center and Professor of Psychology, and Rodney D. Robbins is Manager, Distance Education Student Services, at Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN. Address correspondence to Dianna Z. Rust, Associate Professor, Middle Tennessee State University, 1301 E. Main Street, Box 16, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, USA (E-mail: dianna.rust@mtsu.edu). Starting Off Right: Institutional Resources for Online Student Success