Paper by A&M International Faculty Member to be Published

A paper authored by Dr. Ramiro Martinez Jr., assistant professor of psychology at Texas A&M International University, will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Rehabilitation.

The paper is titled "Explanatory Style as a Predictor of College Performance in Students with Physical Disabilities."

It examines the correlation between pessimistic explanatory style and academic grades of college students. Pessimistic explanatory style is characterized by an individual's belief that bad things occur to them due to irrevocable, all-encompassing internal factors. Persons with this explanatory style are prone to depression-like deficits in mood, thoughts, and behaviors.

The paper also compares the explanatory styles of students with various physical disabilities to the explanatory styles of their non-disabled counterparts. Dr. Martinez' statistical findings show that for students with physical disabilities, the pessimistic explanatory style was related to a poorer level of academic performance. Additionally, his findings show that whether or not a physical disability was present, the manner in which an individual perceives and explains the occurrence of bad events can have serious repercussions on how well he or she does.

Dr. Martinez holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Texas, an M.A. in Clinical Psychology, also from North Texas, and an M.A. in Counseling and Guidance and B.A. in Psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

He joined the faculty of A&M International in 1998.

For more information on Dr. Martinez' paper, please call the University's Office of Public Affairs at 326-2180. Office hours are 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Affairs and Information Services at pais@tamiu.edu