Social control and smoking: Examining the moderating effects of different dimensions of relationship quality

A common form of social regulation of an individual’s health behavior is social control. The contextual model of social control assumes that higher relationship quality goes along with more beneficial effects of social control on health behavior. This study examined potential differential moderating effects of different dimensions of relationship quality on the associations between positive and negative social control and smoking behavior and hiding smoking. The sample consisted of 144 smokers (n = 72 women; mean age = 31.78, SD = 10.04) with a nonsmoking partner. Positive and negative social control, dimensions of relationship quality consensus, cohesion and satisfaction, numbers of cigarettes smoked (NCS), hiding smoking (HS), and control variables were assessed at baseline. Four weeks later NCS and HS were assessed again. Only for smokers with high consensus, but not cohesion and satisfaction, a negative association between positive control and NCS emerged. Moreover, smokers with high consensus tended to report more HS when being positively and negatively socially controlled. This also emerged for cohesion and positive control. Satisfaction with the relationship did not display any interaction effects. This study’s results emphasize the importance of differentiating not only between positive and negative social control but also between different dimensions of relationship quality in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics in romantic dyads with regard to social regulation of behavioral change.

Social and cognitive predictors of fruit and vegetable intake among adolescents: The context of changes in body weight

Two studies investigated differences in the relationships between adolescents' fruit and vegetable intake (FVI) and the predictors specified in the Health Action Process Approach and Social-Cognitive Theory. Retrospective (Study 1; N = 502) and prospective (Study 2; N = 668) designs were applied. Among adolescents with overweight/obesity, intention was cross-sectionally associated with FVI (Study 1); no social or cognitive predictors explained FVI at 14-month follow-up (Study 2). The planning - FVI and self-efficacy - FVI relationships were stronger among adolescents who reduced their body weight to normal, compared to effects observed among those who maintained their body weight (Studies 1 and 2).

Social support and oxytocin interact to suppress cortisol and subjective responses to psychosocial stress

BACKGROUND The presence of social support has been associated with decreased stress responsiveness. Recent animal studies suggest that the neuropeptide oxytocin is implicated both in prosocial behavior and in the central nervous control of neuroendocrine responses to stress. This study was designed to determine the effects of social support and oxytocin on cortisol, mood, and anxiety responses to psychosocial stress in humans. METHODS In a placebo-controlled, double-blind study, 37 healthy men were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test. All participants were randomly assigned to receive intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) or placebo 50 min before stress, and either social support from their best friend during the preparation period or no social support. RESULTS Salivary free cortisol levels were suppressed by social support in response to stress. Comparisons of pre- and poststress anxiety levels revealed an anxiolytic effect of oxytocin. More importantly, the combination of oxytocin and social support exhibited the lowest cortisol concentrations as well as increased calmness and decreased anxiety during stress. CONCLUSIONS Oxytocin seems to enhance the buffering effect of social support on stress responsiveness. These results concur with data from animal research suggesting an important role of oxytocin as an underlying biological mechanism for stress-protective effects of positive social interactions.

Social Support at the Workplace, Motivation to Transfer, and Training Transfer: A Multi-Level Indirect Effects Model

Supervisor support, peer support and transfer motivation have been identified as important predictors for training transfer. Transfer motivation is supposed to mediate the support–training transfer relationship. Especially after team training interventions that include all team members (i.e., intact-team training), individual perception of these factors might be shared among team members. However, an integration of the team level in the training transfer process is rare, yet still needed. Analyzing 194 employees from 34 teams in the context of intact-team training interventions, we found similar relationships and processes at both levels of analysis: Social support enhances transfer motivation at the individual and team levels. Furthermore, motivation to transfer increases training transfer and serves as a connecting mechanism in the social support–training transfer link. The results underline the importance of (1) considering multiple levels in theories and research about the training transfer process and (2) ensuring the practice of individual-directed support and a shared, supportive climate within teams.

Social support reciprocity and occupational self-efficacy beliefs during mothers’ organizational re-entry

The present study assesses the effects of a lack of social support reciprocity at work on employees' occupational self-efficacy beliefs. We assume that the self-efficacy effects of received support and support reciprocity depend on the specific work context (e.g., phase in the process of organizational socialization). 297 women who returned to work after maternity leave participated at three measurement points (five weeks, eleven weeks, six months after re-entry). We measured self-reported received and provided support as well as occupational self-efficacy beliefs. Women who received a high amount but provided only little support at work (overbenefitting) reported lowered self-efficacy beliefs. As expected, this effect was not found at the beginning of re-entry, but only later, when over-benefitting began to be negatively related to recipients' self-efficacy beliefs.

Inzest - das Drama in der Familie (Interview von Nathalie Bursac´ und Ruth Brüderlin)

Der Bundesrat will das Inzestverbot aufheben. Das sorgt für Kontroversen. Der Berner Ethnologe Heinzpeter Znoj erklärt, warum Blutschande überall auf der Welt ein Tabu ist – und weshalb das auch gut so ist.

Soziales Europa?

Nach innen heterogen, konfrontiert mit den Folgen einer massiven Finanz- und Schuldenkrise und gekennzeichnet von zunehmender sozialer Ungleichheit, nach außen hart gegen Flüchtlinge und Migranten und auf den Schutz der eigenen ökonomischen Interessen bedacht, scheint die Europäische Union von der Idee eines 'sozialen Europa' weit entfernt. Gleichwohl ist das Projekt einer europäischen Einigung fest mit der Vorstellung eines 'europäischen Sozialmodells' verbunden, in dem die verlässliche soziale Absicherung der Menschen in Europa hohe Priorität geniesst, auch wenn über die Form der Umsetzung intensiv gestritten wird. Im europäischen sozialen Protestantismus, der die wohlfahrtsstaatlichen Kulturen Europas in vielfältiger Weise geprägt hat, wird die Frage nach Möglichkeit und Gestalt einer möglichst effektiven, effizienten und gerechten sozialen Absicherung im europäischen Kontext in unterschiedlicher Weise diskutiert. Der Band informiert über institutionell-politische Strukturen, soziale Problemkonstellationen, ökonomische und politische Optionen und sozialethische Grundprinzipien für die Gestaltung eines 'sozialen Europa' und bietet Diskussionsstände aus vielfältigen Perspektiven des europäischen Protestantismus.

Soziales Europa?

Das weitverbreitete Konzept eines 'europäischen Sozialmodells' wird dargestellt und anhand eines konkreten Problems - der auch als 'Prekarisierung der Arbeit' bekannten Zunahme mangelhaft gesicherter und insofern problematischer Arbeitsverhältnisse im zeitgenössischen Europa - einem ethischen Realitätstest unterzogen. In einem Ausblick werden Schlussfolgerungen für die Weiterentwicklung dieses Modells gezogen.

Ausländerkriminalität in der polizeilichen Kriminalstatistik: Sozialstrukturelle Determinanten herkunftsspezifischer Beschuldigtenbelastungsraten

Herkunftsspezifische Kriminalitätsraten stehen immer wieder im Fokus des gesellschaftlichen und politischen Diskurses, belastbare empirische Zahlen zu dem Thema finden sich für die Schweiz jedoch nur spärlich. Um einen Beitrag zur Schliessung dieser Wissenslücke zu leisten, werden im vorliegenden Artikel einige Analysen der polizeilichen Kriminalstatistik (PKS) des Jahres 2011 präsentiert. In einem ersten Schritt werden anhand der PKS 2011 und der Statistik der Bevölkerung und der Haushalte des Bundesamts für Statistik (STATPOP 2010 und 2011) so genannte Beschuldigtenbelastungsraten (BBR; Anzahl Beschuldigte pro 1000 Einwohner) bezüglich Strafgesetzbuch und Betäubungsmittelgesetz berechnet und nach Herkunft und Aufenthaltsstatus verglichen. Es zeigt sich, dass Ausländer v.a. im Strafgesetz deutlich höhere BBR aufweisen als Schweizer. Ein guter Teil der Differenz ist jedoch der unterschiedlichen Altersstruktur der beiden Bevölkerungsgruppen geschuldet. Zudem bestehen enorme Unterschiede in den BBR je nach Herkunftsregion. In einem zweiten Schritt wird ausgehend von den Strukturerhebungen 2010 und 2011 eine Abschätzung vorgenommen, welcher Teil der Differenz in den BBR zwischen Schweizern und Ausländern auf Unterschiede in der sozialen Position zurückgeführt werden kann. Diese Analysen deuten darauf hin, dass unter Kontrolle einer Reihe von Statusmerkmalen (Bildung, berufliche Stellung, Stellung des Haushalts, familiäre Situation) kaum Unterschiede in den BBR zwischen Schweizern und Ausländern bestehen.