Aaron B. Rochlen’s research while affiliated with University of Texas at Austin and other places

Purpose Workplace mindfulness training has many benefits, but designing programs to reach a wide audience effectively and efficiently remains a challenge. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of a widely adopted workplace mindfulness program on the mindfulness, active listening skill, emotional intelligence, and burnout of employees in a large, multinational internet company. Design/methodology/approach The study sample included 123 employees across three company offices who completed the two‐day Search Inside Yourself (SIY) program. Data were collected using self‐report measures pre‐, post‐, and four‐weeks post‐intervention and were analyzed using paired samples t -tests. Findings Significant increases were detected in mindfulness and the “awareness of emotion” components of emotional intelligence four weeks post-course. No significant changes were found in participants' self-reported levels of burnout, active listening skill or the “management of emotion” components of emotional intelligence. Practical implications Teaching workplace mindfulness and emotional intelligence skills through a highly applied, condensed course format may be effective for increasing mindfulness and the “awareness” components of emotional intelligence. Longer courses with more applied practice may be necessary to help participants build emotional management and listening skills and to reduce burnout. Originality/value The present study is, to the authors’ knowledge, the first academic, peer-reviewed assessment of SIY, a workplace mindfulness training program that has been taught to over 50,000 people worldwide.

The benefits of self‐compassion interventions have been well documented in the counseling literature. Despite these benefits, access to such interventions remains a considerable barrier for a range of populations. We addressed the issue of limited access by using a randomized controlled trial to evaluate an online, self‐guided course on self‐compassion specifically targeted toward women. Fifty‐seven women were randomly assigned to receive immediate or delayed access to a 10‐week course designed to increase self‐compassion and reduce self‐judgment, shame, and perfectionism. Analysis of the data revealed that participants in the treatment condition experienced significant increases in self‐compassion and decreases in self‐judgment, shame, and perfectionism compared with participants in the wait‐list group. Results provide evidence that self‐compassion can be fostered in a nonclinical population of women through participation in a self‐paced online course. Related findings and potential implications, including the use of such interventions to address accessibility concerns, are discussed within the existing literature.

As research on retention for working women matures, it is necessary to identify particular factors that influence work satisfaction for women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This study collected data on 249 women who had worked 11.51 years on average in STEM. To investigate retention, we modeled the relationship between perfectionism, depression, and stigma consciousness on work engagement and intention-to-leave one’s job using hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Depression, stigma consciousness, and perceived lack of comparable pay positively predicted greater intent to leave one’s job, with a perfectionistic mind-set representing a nonsignificant predictor. In terms of reported work engagement, depression, perfectionistic discrepancy, and stigma consciousness were significant negative predictors, while having perfectionistic high standards positively predicted work engagement. For work engagement, lack of comparable pay was a nonsignificant predictor. Implications and future directions for culturally responsive and intersectional research on the psychological and occupational functioning of STEM women are discussed.

Eight U.S.-based psychotherapists were interviewed regarding their personal and professional use of social media networks (SMNs), professional SMN policies, and experiences of navigating a significant Facebook (FB)-related discussion with a client. Discussions were stimulated by clients seeking FB contact with therapists, with the majority being attempts to “friend” therapists. Most discussions involved therapists explaining why they do not “friend” clients, largely because of concerns about boundaries and how the therapy relationship differs from relationships clients have with others. Positive consequences included the impact of the incident and discussion on strengthening SMN practices/policies and enhancing the therapy relationship. In contrast, negative consequences included evoking distressing emotions in clients and eliciting discomfort for practitioners. Participants offered a range of advice for avoiding problematic FB interactions with clients, with many suggesting strict and consistent policies regarding FB/SMN with clients. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Despite the damaging effects of shoplifting on individuals, the current literature offers little guidance for changing shoplifting behavior. One limitation in this area of research has been the failure to use empirically and theoretically sound methodologies to identify individuals’ diverse characteristics and motivations. The present study addressed these limitations by developing an empirically and theoretically supported typology of the varied individuals who shoplift. Participants included 202 community individuals who reported repeated shoplifting and provided information about their shoplifting behavior, motivations, mental health, ethical attitudes, personal histories, and life circumstances. Cluster analyses revealed that the sample could be divided into six discrete groups. These clusters comprise a typology of shoplifting, including Loss-Reactive (28% of the sample), Impulsive (20%), Depressed (18%), Hobbyist (18%), Addictive–Compulsive (9%), and Economically Disadvantaged (7%) types. Each type comprises a unique pattern of shoplifting with unique needs. This research establishes a promising foundation for treating the diverse individuals who shoplift.

Heterophobia, defined as gay men’s fear and avoidance of heterosexual men, has been linked to behavioral health outcomes and could contribute to social disconnectedness and intergroup conflict. The Gay Male Heterophobia Scale assesses 3 meaningful aspects of gay male heterophobia: disconnectedness, expected rejection, and unease/avoidance. The current study sought to assess the development of heterophobia among gay men over 2 weeks using a longitudinal cross-lagged panel design. Using data gathered from 253 gay-identified men collected on MTurk, the results indicated that disconnectedness is an important mediator in the relationship between minority stress and unease/avoidance of heterosexual men but does not mediate the relationship between minority stress and expectations of rejection. Implications for future research and clinical applications are provided, in addition to a discussion of study limitations.

Social media/social networks (SM/SNs), while ubiquitous in their use, have not been well integrated into psychological theory or practice. Most research addressing SM/SNs has examined frequency and modality of SM/SN use, rather than the valence of online interactions or potential mental health consequences of use. Further, SM/SN use has also not been well integrated with relevant paradigms from the psychology of men and masculinities paradigms. The present study contributes to both of these research need areas by testing the associations among SM/SN use, toxic masculinity, positive or negative SM/SN interactions, and depression among a sample of 402 men. Results of a structural equation modeling analysis indicated that SM/SN use and toxic masculinity were associated with depression. Positive and negative SM/SN interactions mediated the relationship between SM/SN use and depression indicators, and negative SM/SN interactions mediated the relationship between toxic masculinity and depression. Implications for future research directions and for working with men who use SM/SNs are discussed.

The current study presents the initial validation of a new 20-item measure of heterophobia, a construct frequently discussed but inadequately researched in the literature on gay men’s lives. This process included initial focus groups, exploratory and confirmatory national samples of gay men. The sample included measures of homophobia, rejection sensitivity, discrimination history, gay identity development, and social desirability to address convergent and discriminant validity. Results of an exploratory factor analysis yielded three meaningful factors: Disconnectedness, Expected Rejection, and Unease/Avoidance. These factors had significant positive associations with constructs such as rejection sensitivity, homonegativity, and previous experiences of gay-related discrimination, but were only weakly associated with gay identity development. Heterophobia factors had insignificant or negative correlations with social desirability. This factor structure was supported by the results of confirmatory factor analyses. Implications for future research and clinical practice, along with limitations, are provided.

Background: Pregnancy outcomes in the United States rank among the worst of countries with a developed health care system. Although traditional prenatal health primarily focuses on women, promising findings have emerged in international research that suggest the potential of including men in prenatal health interventions in the United States. eHealth apps present a promising avenue to reach new and expectant fathers with crucial parenting knowledge and healthy, supportive behaviors. Objective: The aim was to explore the perceived role of men in prenatal health, acceptability of eHealth to positively engage men during pregnancy, and participant-suggested ways of improving a prenatal health app designed for new and expectant fathers. Methods: A nationally representative sample of adult males (N=962) was recruited through an online survey panel. A third-party market research and digital data collection agency managed the recruitment. The sample had a mean age of 30.2 (SD 6.3) years and included both fathers (413/962, 42.9%) and non-fathers (549/962, 57.1%). Nearly 12.0% (115/962) of participants had a partner who was pregnant at the time of the survey. Results: Despite perceived barriers, such as time constraints, financial burdens, and an unclear role, men believe it is important to be involved in pregnancy health. The majority of participants (770/944, 81.6%) found the site to contain useful and interesting information. Most substantially, more than three-quarters (738/962, 76.7%) of the sample said they would share the site with others who would benefit from the information. Participants recommended the addition of interactive modules, such as a financial planning tool and videos, to make the site stronger. Conclusions: We explored the use of targeted eHealth to introduce men to prenatal education. Results indicate men are favorable to this intervention. Additional refinement should include interactive tools to further engage men in this important issue. Reaching men at the prenatal phase is an early "teachable moment"-where new/expectant fathers are open to information on how to help their partners have a healthy pregnancy and promote the health of their unborn children. Findings will further inform best practices for engaging men in pregnancy, which is crucial for improving maternal and child health outcomes in the United States.

Pregnancy outcomes in the United States continue to rank among the worst in the developed world. Traditional maternal-child health promotion tends to focus exclusively on women, leaving men out of programs that can affect family health. Scholars advocate including men in prenatal health to reduce maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. This study explored the perceived role of men in prenatal health, the use of an e-health application, and participant-suggested ways of improving the application moving forward. This study interviewed men in a large Southwestern U.S. city with an average age of 26.0 years (N = 23). The sample was 52% White, 26% Hispanic, 9% Asian, 9% multiracial or other, and 4% Black. Participants were asked about pregnancy health and used a pregnancy-related e-health application on a tablet computer. Participants provided opinions on content, ease of use of tablets, and recommendations for a stronger application. Despite perceived barriers such as time constraints, financial burdens, and an unclear role, men believe it is important to be involved in pregnancy health. Most found the application to contain useful and interesting information. Participants recommended the addition of videos and interactive modules to make the application stronger. This study explored the use of a targeted e-health application to introduce men to prenatal health education. Results indicate men feel favorable to this type of intervention. Additional refinement of the application could include interactive tools or "push content" to further engage men in this important topic.