Work-Related Psychological Health among Clergy Serving in the Presbyterian Church (USA): Testing the Idea of Balanced Affect

Abstract

Drawing on the classic model of balanced affect, the Francis Burnout Inventory (FBI) conceptulises good work-related psychological health among clergy in terms of negative affect being balanced by positive affect. In a random sample of 744 clergy (539 clergymen and 205 clergywomen) serving in The Presbyterian Church (USA), negative affect was assessed by the Scale of Emotional Exhaustion in Ministry (SEEM) and positive affect was assessed by the Satisfaction in Ministry Scale (SIMS). At the same time, burnout was independently assessed using self-report measures of overall health and burnout, and by the extraversion and neuroticism scales of Eysenck's dimensional model of personality. These independent measures of burnout indicated higher burnout among those who were emotionally exhausted and lower burnout among those who had high levels of satisfaction with their ministry. Crucially for proving the idea of balanced affect, there was a significant interaction between the effects of SEEM and SIMS scores on these independent measures of burnout, showing that the mitigating effects of positive affect on burnout increased with increasing levels of negative affect.

Testing the Balanced Affect Model of Clergy Work-Related Psychological Health: Drawing on the U.S. Congregational Life Survey

“…Fifth, the earlier study reported by Francis, Village, Robbins and Wulff (2011) confirmed the construct validity of the balanced affect model of work-related psychological health among a sample of 744 clergy serving in The Presbyterian Church (USA), employing the two measures of positive affect and negative affect proposed by Francis, Kaldor, Robbins, and Castle (2005): the Scale of Emotional Exhaustion in Ministry (SEEM) and the Satisfaction in Ministry Scale (SIMS). The fact that the present study has come to the same conclusion using two very different measures of positive affect (SIMLI) and negative affect (EEMLI) adds further confirmation of the basic theory of the balanced affect approach to clergy work-related psychological health and suggests that the theory is sufficiently robust to be operationalised through a variety of instruments.…”

“…In a study conducted among clergy serving in The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Francis, Village, Robbins, and Wulff (2011), set out to test the balanced affect model of clergy work-related psychological health. The strategy adopted by this study examined the incremental impact on independent measures of burnout of the interaction term created by the product of the two measures of negative affect and positive affect after taking into account the impact of these two factors considered separately.…”

“…Consistent with the theory of balanced affect, the data demonstrated that the mitigating effects of positive affect on burnout increased with increasing levels of negative affect. The study reported by Francis, Village, Robbins, and Wulff (2011) tested the theory of balanced affect by employing the two instruments proposed by Francis, Kaldor, Robbins, and Castle (2005) An eight-page Leader Survey to be completed by the principal leader was included in the package sent out to churches participating in Wave 2. The package also included a separate business-reply envelope for leaders to mail back the survey to maintain their confidentiality.…”

Psychological Type Profile and Work-Related Psychological Health of Clergy Serving in the Diocese of Chester

“…The internal consistency reliability and construct validity of the two component scales of the Francis Burnout Inventory have been recently tested and supported in a study by Francis, Village, Robbins, and Wulff (2011). More importantly, this study has tested and supported the balanced affect model of work-related psychological health by demonstrating how high levels of positive affect serve to offset high levels of negative affect in order to maintain a form of psychological equilibrium.…”

The Science of Clergy Work-Related Psychological Health, Stress, Burnout and Coping Strategies: Introduction to the Special Section

“…Inventory and the psychometric properties of the instrument led to a reconceptualization of burnout in terms of the two dimensions proposed by the balanced affect model of psychological wellbeing (Bradburn, 1969) and operationalised in the Francis Burnout Inventory: positive affect measured by the Satisfaction in Ministry Scale and negative affect measured by the Scale of Emotional Exhaustion in Ministry (Francis, Kaldor, Shevlin, & Lewis, 2004;Francis, Kaldor, Robbins, & Castle, 2005;Francis, Village, Robbins, & Wulff, 2011). A series of studies reported on the application of the Francis Burnout Inventory in the UK Brewster, Francis, & Robbins, 2011;Francis, Gubb, & Robbins, 2012;Randall, 2013;Francis, Payne, & Robbins, 2013).…”