Meta-Analyses of the Associations Between Disinhibited Social Engagement Behaviors and Child Attachment Insecurity or Disorganization

Children with disinhibited social engagement disorder show reduced reticence with strangers, do not check back with their caregiver after venturing away, and may willingly leave with an unfamiliar adult. The recent DSM-5 has moved away from an attachment framework to understand disinhibited social engagement behavior (DSEB) due to studies indicating its presence in previously institutionalized children even after these children are adopted and show a selective, more secure attachment with their substitute caregiver (e.g. Chisholm et al., 1998). This meta-analysis aims to clarify the size of the associations between DSEB and attachment insecurity or disorganization. It also examines whether studies effect sizes differ according to various moderators (e.g., child age, type of attachment and DSEB measures). The results (k?=?24) showed that the associations between DSEB and attachment insecurity (d?=?0.48) or attachment disorganization (d?=?0.47) were of small magnitude. There were no publication biases. As for moderator analyses on both attachment insecurity and disorganization, the effect sizes in studies using DSEB observational measures (respectively d?=?0.63 and 0.57) were of moderate magnitude and stronger than those in studies not using an observational component (respectively d?=?0.28 and 0.32). Given these small-to-moderate associations, attachment can be considered a relationship process associated with DSEB, and attachment-informed interventions could be potential tools to reduce DSEB in children. Nevertheless, given the sizable unshared portion of variance between DSEB and child attachment, future studies should examine other variables related to caregiving and noncaregiving contexts to further understand DSEB.

     

Religiosity and forgiveness among first-married and remarried adults

The current study examined the relationship between religiosity and forgiveness among first-married and remarried adults. Seven hundred and eighty-seven married adults from the Flanders region in Belgium completed the Enright Forgiveness Inventory and a four-item Religiosity Scale measuring forgiveness and religiosity, respectively. The results indicated that religiosity positively correlated (p?=?0.0001, r?=?0.15) with forgiveness. There was a significant difference between the religiosity of the first-married and the remarried adults (p?=?0.0001 (two-tailed) d?=?0.61). In an analysis by gender, the women showed a statistically significantly higher religiosity than did men (p?=?0.00005 (one-tailed) d?=?0.28). Among the demographic variables, age (r?=?0.26), number of children (r?=?0.35), and number of years in marriage (r?=?0.34) showed a statistically significant (p?=?0.0001) positive correlation with religiosity. The basic purpose of this study was to inform clinicians of the value of forgiveness and religiosity in therapeutic interventions.     

Breaking the Habit: On the Highly Habitualized Nature of Meat Consumption and Implementation Intentions as One Effective Way of Reducing It

Reducing meat consumption is an important element of an effective climate protection strategy, but meat consumption is highly habitualized and therefore difficult to change. This article uses an extended version of the theory of planned behavior with habit strength as additional predictor. In one longitudinal (N?=?227) and one prospective correlational study (N?=?212), attitudes toward and perceived ease of meat consumption reduction explained about 60% of variance of meat consumption reduction intentions, with habit strength being the strongest correlate of actual self-reported meat consumption. A third experimental study (N?=?192) demonstrated that implementation intentions can be an effective strategy for realizing reduction aims. We discuss the central role of habits for meat consumption.     

Investigating the Effects of a Persuasive Digital Game on Immersion,Identification, and Willingness to Help

Abstract

Recent years have seen a tremendous rise in the development and distribution of persuasive games: digital games that are used to influence players’ attitudes and/or behavior. Three studies (N_{Study 1}?=?134; N_{Study 2}?=?94; N_{Study 3}?=?161) tested the effects of a persuasive game on immersion, identification, and willingness to help. The results showed that playing the persuasive game did not result in substantially stronger willingness to help, relative to the control conditions. Video and printed text resulted in more immersion than the digital game, but playing the game resulted in substantially higher perceptions of embodied presence.     

Memory bias for threatening information related to anxiety: an updated meta-analytic review

The evidence for an anxiety-related memory bias is contradictory. We compiled 171 articles published until October 2016 including a group with clinical or subclinical anxiety and a control group in tasks involving implicit or explicit memory using threatening stimuli. There was an anxiety-related memory bias in free recall tasks, but it was not observed in another memory task. The between-groups differences showed that the anxious group recalled more threatening stimuli than the control group (d?=?0.321). When we compared the group differences (anxious vs. control participants) in the within-groups effect (threatening vs. neutral stimuli), a moderate effect size emerged (d_bw?=?0.714). This anxiety-related memory bias was observed with shallow processing, that is consistent with attentional biases related to anxiety. There was also evidence that high-anxious persons recall fewer positive stimuli. Future research is needed to investigate whether this result is a memory or encoding bias and explore other moderator variables.     

Sublexical and syntactic processing during reading: evidence from eye movements of typically developing and dyslexic readers*

Skilled, typically developing readers and children with dyslexia read correct sentences and sentences that contained verb errors that were pseudo-homophones, morphological over-regularisations or syntactic errors. All errors increased looking time but the nature of the error and participant group influenced the time course of the effects. The pseudo-homophone effect was significant in all eye-movement measures for adults (N?=?26), intermediate (N?=?37) and novice typically developing readers (N?=?38). This effect was larger for intermediate readers than other groups in total duration. In contrast, morphological over-regularisations increased gaze and total duration (but not first fixation) for intermediate and novice readers, and only total duration for adult readers. Syntactic errors only increased total duration. Children with dyslexia (N?=?19) demonstrated smaller effects of pseudo-homophones and over-regularisations than controls, but their processing of syntactic errors was similar. We conclude that dyslexic children's difficulties with reading are linked to overreliance on phonological decoding and underspecified morphological processing, which impacts on word level reading. We highlight that the findings fit well within the grain-size model of word reading [Grainger, J., &; Ziegler, J. C. (2011). A dual-route approach to orthographic processing. Frontiers in Psychology, 2, 54. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00054].     

The verifiability approach to deception detection: A preregistered direct replication of the information protocol condition of Nahari,Vrij, and Fisher (2014b)

Nahari, Vrij, and Fischer [(2014b), Applied Cognitive Psychology, 28, 122–128] found that, when participants were forewarned that their statements would be checked for verifiable details, truth tellers gave much more verifiable details than liars. In this direct replication (n = 72), participants wrote a statement claiming they had carried out their regular campus activities, whereas liars had actually stolen an exam. Statements were coded for verifiable details. Our primary prediction was confirmed: Truth tellers provided significantly more verifiable details than liars. Of note, the replication effect size (d = 0.49) was less than half that of the original (d = 1.14), and – like in the original study – was smaller than the lie‐truth effect size for total details (verifiable and unverifiable details combined; d = 0.80). We hope this will stimulate other independent investigations of VA to tell whether or not coding for verifiability will pass Ockham's razor test.     

Do teachers’ cultural beliefs matter for students’ school adaptation? A multilevel analysis of students’ academic achievement and psychological school adjustment

Based on two large-scale studies from Germany, we examined how different types of teachers’ cultural beliefs are related to immigrant students’ school adaptation. Specifically, we investigated the relationship of teachers' multicultural beliefs appreciating cultural diversity, their egalitarian beliefs focusing on all students' similarities and their assimilationist beliefs that immigrant students should conform to the mainstream context with immigrant students' academic achievement and psychological school adjustment as indicators of their school adaptation. We also explored all of these associations for non-immigrant students. Study 1 used data on the multicultural, egalitarian, and assimilationist beliefs of German language (N_Teachers?=?220) and mathematics (N_Teachers?=?245) teachers and on students’ achievement and feelings of helplessness in German language classes (N_Students?=?2606) and mathematics classes (N_Students?=?2851) as well as students’ school satisfaction. Study 2 analyzed data on teachers’ multicultural and egalitarian beliefs (N_Teachers?=?456) and students’ achievement and self-concept in mathematics (N_Students?=?4722). Overall, multilevel analyses revealed no relationship between teachers’ cultural beliefs and any of the indicators of immigrant and non-immigrant students’ school adaptation. These findings challenge the notion that overall, teachers’ cultural beliefs effectively translate into students’ school adaptation.

     

Religiosity and its association with subjective well-being and depression among Kuwaiti and Palestinian Muslim children and adolescents

The present study sought to investigate the association of religiosity and the self-ratings of happiness, satisfaction with life, mental health, physical health, and depression among Kuwaiti (N?=?1937) and Palestinian (N?=?1009) Muslim children and adolescents (M _age?=?14.1, SD?=?1.4). They responded to five self-rating scales and the Multidimensional Child and Adolescent Depression Scale. It was found that Palestinian males were significantly less religious than all other groups, while Kuwaiti males and females had significantly higher mean scores on happiness and satisfaction than Palestinians. Kuwaiti males had significantly higher mental health and less depression than all other groups. Among all the four groups, the correlations between religiosity and well-being rating scales were positively significant, but negatively significant with depression. The principal components analysis yielded a single salient factor for all groups and labelled “Religiosity and well-being vs. depression.” It was concluded that clinicians treating depression will probably make use of its negative association with religiosity mainly among Muslim clients.     

Age and Flexible Thinking: An Experimental Demonstration of the Beneficial Effects of Increased Cognitively Stimulating Activity on Fluid Intelligence in Healthy Older Adults

ABSTRACT

The disuse hypothesis of cognitive aging attributes decrements in fluid intelligence in older adults to reduced cognitively stimulating activity. This study experimentally tested the hypothesis that a period of increased mentally stimulating activities thus would enhance older adults' fluid intelligence performance. Participants (N?=?44, mean age 67.82) were administered pre- and post-test measures, including the fluid intelligence measure, Cattell's Culture Fair (CCF) test. Experimental participants engaged in diverse, novel, mentally stimulating activities for 10–12 weeks and were compared to a control condition. Results supported the hypothesis; the experimental group showed greater pre- to post-CCF gain than did controls (effect size d?=?0.56), with a similar gain on a spatial-perceptual task (WAIS-R Blocks). Even brief periods of increased cognitive stimulation can improve older adults' problem solving and flexible thinking.     

Preliminary Psychometric Evidence for Distinct Affective and Cognitive Mechanisms Mediating Contamination Aversion

Contamination aversion is implicated in a range of psychological disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and health anxiety. Despite broad implications, the core mechanisms mediating contamination aversion are mixed and have not clearly been elucidated. The present studies are psychometric investigations of the components of contamination aversion and tests of the different mechanisms that mediate the severity of these components. In Study 1, items from existing measures of contamination aversion were compiled into one measure and administered to a large sample of nonclinical participants (N?=?1,286). Exploratory factor analyses demonstrated a two-factor structure, with one factor comprised of items related to intrinsically (direct) contaminated objects and the other factor comprised of items related to extrinsically (indirect) contaminated objects. In Study 2, items were added and confirmatory factor analyses supported a two-factor model in another large nonclinical sample (N?=?612). In Study 3 (N?=?471), structural modeling demonstrated distinct relations between the two factors and affective and cognitive constructs. Affective constructs related more to aversions toward more directly contaminated objects and situations while cognitive constructs related more to aversions toward more indirectly contaminated objects and situations. The present studies help clarify and articulate the unique roles of cognition and affect in specific contamination aversions, and, as such, have important implications for conceptual modeling of contamination-related psychopathology.     

The Factor Structure of the Forms of Self-Criticising/Attacking & Self-Reassuring Scale in Thirteen Distinct Populations

There is considerable evidence that self-criticism plays a major role in the vulnerability to and recovery from psychopathology. Methods to measure this process, and its change over time, are therefore important for research in psychopathology and well-being. This study examined the factor structure of a widely used measure, the Forms of Self-Criticising/Attacking & Self-Reassuring Scale in thirteen nonclinical samples (N?=?7510) from twelve different countries: Australia (N?= 319), Canada (N?= 383), Switzerland (N?= 230), Israel (N?=?476), Italy (N?=?389), Japan (N?=?264), the Netherlands (N?=?360), Portugal (N?=?764), Slovakia (N?=?1326), Taiwan (N?=?417), the United Kingdom 1 (N?=?1570), the United Kingdom 2 (N?=?883), and USA (N?=?331). This study used more advanced analyses than prior reports: a bifactor item-response theory model, a two-tier item-response theory model, and a non-parametric item-response theory (Mokken) scale analysis. Although the original three-factor solution for the FSCRS (distinguishing between Inadequate-Self, Hated-Self, and Reassured-Self) had an acceptable fit, two-tier models, with two general factors (Self-criticism and Self-reassurance) demonstrated the best fit across all samples. This study provides preliminary evidence suggesting that this two-factor structure can be used in a range of nonclinical contexts across countries and cultures. Inadequate-Self and Hated-Self might not by distinct factors in nonclinical samples. Future work may benefit from distinguishing between self-correction versus shame-based self-criticism.     

Interminority Contact and Solidarity under Conflict: Evidence from the Hungarian and Roma Minorities in Romania

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between interminority contact and solidarity underconflict. The analysis of representative samples of Hungarian (N?=?604) and Roma (N?=?602) ethnics from Romania revealed restricted positivity among the high-status minority (i.e., positive associations of interminority contact with outgroup attitudes and support for nonspecific pro-outgroup policies, but negative associations with support for tangible actions helping the outgroup) and toxic positivity among the low-status minority (i.e., improved attitudes toward the Hungarians but decreased support for specific pro-ingroup policies). Moreover, for both minority groups, contact with the majority was associated with diminished support for specific pro-ingroup and pro-outgroup policies.     

Does habit strength moderate the intention–behaviour relationship in the Theory of Planned Behaviour? The case of fruit consumption

The present study examined if habit strength moderated the influence of intention on fruit consumption in a Dutch adult sample (N?=?521, 46.3% males, mean age?=?34.50, SD?=?10.87), using the theoretical relations of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). TPB variables and habit strength were assessed at baseline. Fruit consumption was assessed with a validated questionnaire five weeks later. Three groups were created: low habit strength (n?=?180), medium habit strength (n?=?185) and high habit strength (n?=?156). Confirmatory factor analyses and multi-group path analyses were performed using AMOS 4.0. A good fit was obtained for the overall measurement model and the structural models. Multi-group path analyses showed that intention was a significant predictor of fruit consumption in the low habit (β?=?0.36, p?<?0.001) and medium habit group (β?=?0.30, p?<?0.001), but a non-significant predictor in the high habit group (β?=?0.05, p?=?0.596). Implications for information-based and motivation-based interventions are discussed.     

Long-term adherence to a physical activity intervention: The role of telephone-assisted vs. self-administered coping plans and strategy use

Objective: This study investigated the role of coping plans and the use of selection, optimisation and compensation (SOC) strategies within an experimental evaluation of a 26-week physical exercise intervention.

Methods: Older women (N?=?86, M _age?=?73.7 years) were randomly assigned to a telephone-assisted or a self-administered coping planning intervention after 6 weeks’ participation in an exercise programme. The number of different coping plans formulated, exercise-specific SOC strategy use and their interaction were used to predict objectively measured long-term adherence to the intervention.

Results: The number of coping plans formulated (β?=?0.28) and goal-pursuit strategies reported (sum score of optimisation and compensation strategies, β?=?0.39) predicted adherence to the exercise programme over 20 weeks. The predictive strength of coping plans increased with decreasing numbers of goal-pursuit strategies (β?=??0.21). Women supported via telephone reported significantly more coping plans than did women in the self-administered coping planning group, F(1,80)?=?9.47, p?=?0.003.

Conclusion: Coping plans have a buffering effect on adherence levels when use of SOC strategies is low. Older women's adherence to physical activities may be improved if they are given direct support in generating coping plans involving strategies of selection, optimisation and compensation.     

Social identification and depression: A meta-analysis

A meta-analysis of 76 studies (N = 31,016) examined the relationship between social identification and depression. Overall, individuals who identify highly with a group tend to report less depression (average r_z = −.15). However, a large amount of variability between studies was observed. The 95% prediction interval, which indicates the true effect size that can be expected in future research, ranged from r_z = −.50 to .19. The relationship between depression and social identification is more complex than previously assumed. Some variability is related to the social identification measure used. Studies that focused on identification with interactive groups (r_z = −.28) had larger effect sizes than studies that focused on social categories (r_z = −.11). Moreover, studies of non-stigmatized groups (r_z = −.24) had larger effect sizes than studies of stigmatized groups (r_z = −.10). In conclusion, the structure and social identity content of groups appear to play an important role in the relationship between depression and social identification.     

An inverse Ruddlesden-Popper nitride Ca7(Li1−xFex)Te2N2 grown from Ca flux

Nitridoferrates containing monovalent iron ions are a class of materials of recent interest as potentially novel magnetic materials. Aiming at the exploration of nitridoferrates of calcium, we report the single crystal growth from Ca ?ux and crystal structure of the first member (n?=?2) of a series of inverse Ruddlesden-Popper nitrides with a general formula of A_n?1A'₂B_nX_3n+1, where A?=?Li/Fe, A'?=?Te, B?=?N, and X?=?Ca. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses indicate the crystal with a composition of Ca₇(Li_0.32(1)Fe_0.68(1))Te₂N₂ and the tetragonal space group I4/mmm (a?=?4.7884(1) Å, c?=?25.3723(4) Å, Z?=?2). The structure features alternately stacking NaCl-type A'X slabs and the perovskite-type ABX₃ slabs along the c axis. The Li/Fe atoms are located in cuboctahedral cavities surrounded by eight Ca₆N octahedra in the ABX₃ slab. This work demonstrates the viability of the Ca-rich ?ux as a suitable solvent for the exploration of new complex nitrides with interesting crystal structure and properties.     

Walking versus biofeedback: a comparison of acute interventions for stressed students

Background: High rates of stress-related problems in college students and low utilization of treatment options demonstrate the need for effective stress-reducing interventions that can be self-regulated. This study compared the effect of brief paced-breathing with biofeedback and exercise interventions on heart rate variability, state anxiety and affect. Methods: Students (n?=?32) with high levels of perceived stress completed three 10-min interventions on separate days: paced-breathing with biofeedback (Biofeedback), a self-paced walk (Exercise), and an attention control condition of quiet studying (Quiet Study). Anxiety and affect were measured before (Pre), immediately after (Post0) and 15 mins after (Post15) the intervention. Heart rate variability was measured pre- and post-intervention using electrocardiogram. Results: Biofeedback reduced anxiety more than the exercise condition (Pre to Post0: Biofeedback d?=??0.48, Exercise d?=??0.13). Secondly, Exercise temporarily increased energy (Pre to Post0: d?=?0.67), whereas Biofeedback temporarily increased calmness (Pre to Post0: d?=?0.51). All conditions significantly increased total heart rate variability (p?Conclusions: Biofeedback and Exercise interventions improved emotional states in high-stress college students, but the type of change observed (i.e. energizing, calming or anxiety reducing) depended upon the condition.     

Path analysis of exercise treatment-induced changes in psychological factors leading to weight loss

Physical activity may affect weight loss largely through psychological pathways associated with eating changes, especially in obese individuals whose caloric expenditure through exercise is typically small. Direct testing of this is, however, lacking. Previously sedentary adults (N?=?114; 77% female; M _age?=?43.3 years), with a minimum body mass index (BMI) of 35?kg/m² (M _BMI?=?42.0?kg/m²), participated in a 24-week treatment of cognitive-behavioural exercise support and nutrition information. A path model based on tenets of social cognitive and self-efficacy theory was constructed. It was expected that improvements in self-efficacy, physical self-concept, body satisfaction and mood associated with the exercise treatment would predict changes in self-regulation and increased physical activity. It was also hypothesised that improvements in self-efficacy and self-regulation for appropriate eating would transfer from these relationships and predict weight loss. After three theoretically viable paths were added based on modification indices, structural equation modelling indicated a good fit with the data, χ ²(16)?=?20.53, p?=?0.20; RMSEA?=?0.05; SRMR?=?0.06; CFI?=?0.97; TLI?=?0.95. Associations of psychological effects linked to exercise programme participation with predictors of appropriate eating and weight loss were found, and may inform theory, research and treatments.