Marital distress and DSM-IV psychiatric disorders in a population-based national survey

The associations between marital distress and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) Axis I psychiatric disorders were evaluated in a United States population-based survey of married individuals in which there was no upper age exclusionary criterion (N = 2,213). Marital distress was associated with (a) broad-band classifications of anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders and (b) all narrow-band classifications of specific disorders except for panic disorder, with the strongest associations obtained between marital distress and bipolar disorder, alcohol use disorders, and generalized anxiety disorder. The association between marital distress and major depressive disorder increased in magnitude with increasing age; there was no evidence that the association between marital distress and other psychiatric disorders was moderated by gender or age. Results support continued research on the association between couple functioning and mental health.     

Marital adjustment and interleukin-6 (IL-6)

Building on prior research that marital functioning is associated with a variety of health outcomes, we evaluated the association between marital adjustment and a marker of inflammation in a sample of married adults between the ages of 35 and 84 years old (N = 415) from the second wave of the population-based Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS II). Specifically, we evaluated associations between positive (i.e., partner support) and negative (i.e., partner strain) dimensions of marital adjustment and interleukin-6 (IL-6) separately for men and women, and whether these associations were moderated by age. Results indicated that (a) marital adjustment was not associated with IL-6 in men, (b) age moderated the association between marital adjustment and IL-6 in women, (c) partner support and partner strain were associated with IL-6 in younger women, and (d) partner support but not partner strain was uniquely associated with IL-6 in younger women. The associations between marital adjustment and IL-6 in younger women were significant when controlling for demographic variables, health status indicators, health behaviors, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress. These findings suggest that IL-6 may be a useful biomarker for studying health-relevant biological responses within intimate relationships, and that young women, in particular, may exhibit increased inflammation when partner support is low.     

Partners' internal stress and well-being: The role of dyadic coping and problem resolution

Couples' experiences of daily stress can be detrimental for partners' individual and relational well-being, specifically their identity as a couple, their relational satisfaction, and their life satisfaction. Grounded in the Systemic Transactional Model, this study aimed at analyzing factors that may safeguard partners and their relationship from detrimental effects of internal stress (i.e., stress that originates inside the relationship). We examined the buffering effect of partners' positive dyadic coping and internal problem resolution. Daily diary data were collected across 7 days from 82 heterosexual couples. Multilevel dyadic analyses showed that internal stress was negatively associated with partners' individual and relational well-being. Positive dyadic coping moderated the association between partners' internal stress and couple satisfaction for both partners, but not life satisfaction and couple identity. Moreover, for partners who reported a resolution to the internal problem, the negative associations of internal stress with life satisfaction, couple satisfaction, and couple identity were significantly lower than for those who did not resolve the internal problem. This study confirms the negative role of internal stress on well-being, shows the associations between internal stress and couple identity, and highlights the protective role of dyadic coping and internal problem resolution in couples' daily lives.     

Personal Control as a Mediator and Moderator Between Life Strains and Psychological Well-Being in the Unemployed

This study surveyed 214 unemployed adults on well-being, the latent (status, social support, activity, time structure, collective purpose) and manifest benefits (financial strain) of employment, and personal control. We tested whether personal control would predict well-being over and above the effects of the latent and manifest benefits, and tested whether it moderated or mediated the relationship between the latent and manifest benefits and well-being. Personal control explained additional variance over and above the latent and manifest benefits; it moderated the effect of both activity and financial strain on well-being; and it mediated the relationship between financial strain, time structure, collective purpose, status, and well-being. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

An examination of the impact of harsh parenting contexts on children's adaptation within an evolutionary framework

The current study tests whether propositions set forth in an evolutionary model of temperament (Korte, Koolhaas, Wingfield, & McEwen, 2005) may enhance our understanding of children's differential susceptibility to unsupportive and harsh caregiving practices. Guided by this model, we examined whether children's behavioral strategies for coping with threat and challenge cohered into 2 broad, phenotypic dimensions--hawk and dove--that have been maintained by frequency-dependent selection throughout our ancestral history: Hawk-like strategies are characterized by approach, dominant-negative affect, and activity, whereas dove-like strategies are evidenced by avoidance, inhibition, and vulnerable affect. In turn, we examined the moderating effect of hawk or dove profile membership on children's physiological and psychological adaptation to harsh rearing environments. Participants included 201 2-year-old toddlers and their mothers. Consistent with the Korte model, latent profile analyses extracted 2 profiles that cohered into hawk and dove strategies. Children were classified within hawk or dove profiles and separately examined in a process model of harsh caregiving. As predicted, associations between harsh caregiving practices and children's basal cortisol, parasympathetic nervous system, and sympathetic nervous system activity were moderated by profile membership. In turn, basal physiological levels were differentially predictive of children's psychological adaptation over time. Collectively, findings highlight the potential value of translating the study of evolutionary models to understanding developmental outcomes associated with harsh caregiving.     

The mediating and moderating effects of differentiation of self on body mass index and depressive symptomatology among an American college sample

Differentiation of self – a core construct of Bowen's (Bowen, M. (1978). Family therapy in clinical practice. New York: Jason Aronson) family systems theory – was examined as a possible predictor of psychological health and physical health and as a mediator and moderator of the relation between overall functioning and psychological health and physical health. A total of 818 American college students participated (mean age?=?23.72, SD?=?4.79) in this study. Differentiation of self was correlated and was predictive of psychological health, as measured by the Beck depression inventory, and physical health, as measured by body mass index (BMI). A multivariate multiple regression model revealed that differentiation of self partially mediated the effects of overall functioning on depressive symptomatology and on BMI. Results from a hierarchical regression model showed that differentiation of self moderated the relation between overall functioning and depressive symptomatology but did not moderate the relation between overall functioning and BMI. Taken together, these preliminary findings provide initial evidence of the importance of the associations between family systemic factors (differentiation of self) and psychological and physical health factors among American college populations.     

LEARNED HELPLESSNESS ATTRIBUTIONAL STYLE AND EXAMINATION PERFORMANCE: ENHANCEMENT EFFECTS ARE NOT NECESSARILY MODERATED BY PRIOR FAILURE

Studies have replicated both negative and positive associations between helpless attributional style and academic performance. Laboratory studies indicate that when enhancement effects occur, they may be moderated by the degree of failure individuals experience prior to task performance. In a longitudinal study of 96 college students who completed four examinations in two introductory psychology courses, we examined the relationship between helpless attributional style and examination performance across the semester, and whether prior examination failure moderated this association. Correlational analyses revealed that helpless attributional style was unrelated to exam performance in the first half of the semester and was positively related to improvements in performance in the second half. Regression analyses indicated that these enhancement effects were not moderated by previous performance on examinations in the course. The present findings underscore the need for longitudinal studies that investigate the pattern of associations between helpless attributional style and performance across time in real-life contexts.     

Distinguishing among disruptive behaviors to help predict high school graduation: Does gender matter?

This study examined unique predictive associations of aggressive and hyperactive–inattentive behaviors in elementary school with high school graduation. The current study also investigated whether these associations were moderated by gender. At Time 1, 745 children in the 3rd through 5th grades completed peer ratings on their classmates’ disruptive behaviors. At Time 2, school records were reviewed to determine whether students graduated within four years of entering high school. Results showed that gender and hyperactivity-inattention are uniquely associated with high school graduation, but childhood aggression is not. Results also indicated that gender moderated associations between hyperactivity–inattention and graduation. Among boys, hyperactive–inattentive behaviors were not significantly associated with graduation, above and beyond aggression. In contrast, among girls, hyperactive–inattentive behaviors in childhood were significantly associated with graduation even after controlling for aggression. These findings suggest that in middle childhood, hyperactive–inattentive behaviors may be a more meaningful predictor of high school graduation than other forms of early disruptive behavior (e.g., aggression), especially for girls. Such findings could have significant implications for prevention and intervention programs designed to target children at risk for dropping out of school.     

Predictors of Relational Aggression and the Moderating Role of Religiousness

Predictors of relational aggression and the moderating role of religiousness on associations between relevant predictors and relational aggression were examined in a sample of 244 university students. Increased childhood relational aggression, increased adult relational victimization, lower agreeableness, and lower emotional stability significantly predicted increased adult relational aggression. Prayer moderated the relationship between agreeableness and adult relational aggression and the association between relational victimization and aggression, and religious service attendance moderated the relationship between emotional stability and relational aggression. Results are discussed in terms of the higher level latent personality constructs of self-regulation and communion, which suggest a potential protective function for religiousness in association with relational aggression.     

Biased Self-Perceptions,Peer Rejection,and Aggression in Children

This study examined whether children’s biased self-perceptions of peer acceptance are associated in a linear or curvilinear fashion with aggression, whether associations are moderated by peer rejection status, and whether associations apply uniquely to reactive aggression. Children in the 4th through 7th grades completed a self-report measure on their social functioning (SPPC; Harter 1982), and teachers reported on children’s social functioning and aggression. Self-perceptual bias was operationalized as the standardized residual difference between children’s self-perceptions and their teachers’ perceptions of their peer acceptance. Rejected status moderated associations between biased self-perceptions and reactive aggression. Among non-rejected children, biased perceptions were not significantly associated with reactive aggression. In contrast, among peer-rejected children, reactive aggression was elevated in those who greatly underestimated as well as in those who even modestly overestimated their peer acceptance. This pattern was observed whether or not proactive aggression was statistically controlled. In contrast, biased self-perceptions were not associated with proactive aggression for rejected or nonrejected children. Implications are discussed with regard to future research and potential interventions for aggressive children.     

Individual differences in vagal regulation moderate associations between daily affect and daily couple interactions

Previous research suggests that cardiac vagal regulation (indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia, or RSA) provides a physiological substrate for affect regulation, which presumably underlies adaptive interpersonal functioning.The authors tested these associations in the context of daily interactions between 68 cohabiting couples. Participants underwent a laboratory assessment of RSA during rest and also during a series of psychological stressors. Subsequently, they kept daily measures of affect and interaction quality for 21 days. Individual differences in baseline and stress levels of RSA moderated within-person associations between daily affect and the quality of couple interactions. The pattern of results differed for women versus men. Men with lower vagal tone or higher vagal reactivity had stronger associations between daily negative affect and daily negative interactions, and men with higher vagal tone had more positive daily interactions overall. Women with higher vagal tone had stronger associations between daily positive affect and daily positive interactions.     

Perceptions of treatment control moderate the daily association between negative affect and diabetes problems among adolescents with type 1 diabetes

Perceived control over diabetes may serve to buffer the relationship between adolescents’ experience of daily negative affect and daily problems with diabetes. In a daily diary study including 209 adolescents (ages 10.5–15.5) with type 1 diabetes, we examined how daily affect related to daily fluctuations in experience of diabetes problems, and whether perceptions of control moderated these daily associations. Using hierarchical linear modelling, we found that day-to-day experiences of negative affect were associated with more frequent daily diabetes problems. Perceptions of treatment control moderated associations between negative affect and number of problems; negative affect was more strongly associated with number of problems among teens perceiving lower versus higher treatment control over their illness. The same pattern of association was not apparent for personal control. Results suggest that perceived treatment control may help to buffer detrimental associations between negative affect and adolescents’ ability to successfully manage their diabetes.     

The Roles of Social Support and Self-Efficacy in Physical Health’s Impact on Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms in Older Adults

Physical illness may precipitate psychological distress among older adults. This study examines whether social support and self-efficacy moderate the associations between physical health and depression and anxiety. Predictions were tested in 222 individuals age 60 or older presenting for help with worry. Physical health was assessed through self-report (subjective) and physical diagnoses (objective). Objective physical health did not have a significant association with depression or anxiety. Worse subjective physical health was associated with increased somatic anxiety, but not with depression or worry. The relationship between subjective physical health and depressive symptoms was moderated by self-efficacy and social support. As predicted, when self-efficacy was low, physical health had its strongest negative association with depressive symptoms such that as physical health improved, depressive symptoms also improved. However, the moderation effect was not as expected for social support; at high levels of social support, worse physical health was associated with increased depressive affect.     

Stress and affective experiences: The importance of dark personality features

Personality has been shown to play an important role in the negative outcomes associated with stress. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether Dark Triad personality features (i.e., psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism) moderated the associations between stress and affective experiences. This was accomplished using a sample of 193 Israeli community participants who completed measures concerning dark personality features and affective expectations for their vacation prior to checking-into exclusive hotels in a resort city in southern Israel. Follow-up assessments concerning affective experiences and stress during vacation were completed by participants before checking-out. Results showed that psychopathy moderated the associations between stress and affective experiences such that individuals with high levels of psychopathy were more reactive to stress.     

Perceptions of treatment control moderate the daily association between negative affect and diabetes problems among adolescents with type 1 diabetes

Perceived control over diabetes may serve to buffer the relationship between adolescents' experience of daily negative affect and daily problems with diabetes. In a daily diary study including 209 adolescents (ages 10.5-15.5) with type 1 diabetes, we examined how daily affect related to daily fluctuations in experience of diabetes problems, and whether perceptions of control moderated these daily associations. Using hierarchical linear modelling, we found that day-to-day experiences of negative affect were associated with more frequent daily diabetes problems. Perceptions of treatment control moderated associations between negative affect and number of problems; negative affect was more strongly associated with number of problems among teens perceiving lower versus higher treatment control over their illness. The same pattern of association was not apparent for personal control. Results suggest that perceived treatment control may help to buffer detrimental associations between negative affect and adolescents' ability to successfully manage their diabetes.     

Personality,threat identification and emotional processing

Individual differences in threat identification moderate the associations of personality with emotional experience and behaviour. The present two studies examined whether adeptness at threat identification also moderates the associations between personality and emotional processing. Participants completed personality scales, different emotional processing measures and a threat versus non‐threat categorization task. Adeptness at threat identification moderated the relations between agreeableness and negative interpretation of ambiguous stimuli, negative reactivity and positive likelihood judgments, and the relation between neuroticism and negative recall. The results supported the view that agreeableness and adeptness at threat identification together form a self‐regulation system. The results may have important implications for trait and health psychology. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A comparison of methods for estimating quadratic effects in nonlinear structural equation models

Two Monte Carlo simulations were performed to compare methods for estimating and testing hypotheses of quadratic effects in latent variable regression models. The methods considered in the current study were (a) a 2-stage moderated regression approach using latent variable scores, (b) an unconstrained product indicator approach, (c) a latent moderated structural equation method, (d) a fully Bayesian approach, and (e) marginal maximum likelihood estimation. Of the 5 estimation methods, it was found that overall the methods based on maximum likelihood estimation and the Bayesian approach performed best in terms of bias, root-mean-square error, standard error ratios, power, and Type I error control, although key differences were observed. Similarities as well as disparities among methods are highlight and general recommendations articulated. As a point of comparison, all 5 approaches were fit to a reparameterized version of the latent quadratic model to educational reading data.     

The association between personality and cognitive ability: Going beyond simple effects

To examine the relationship between the Big Five and cognitive ability, we investigated whether we could replicate in a heterogeneous population sample the positive association between cognitive ability and Openness and Emotional Stability and its negative association with Conscientiousness. Besides analyzing the pure associations, we shed further light on sources of these associations by investigating potential moderating effects of education and labor force participation. Our results clearly replicate the previously found positive association between cognitive ability and Emotional Stability and Openness and the negative relationship between Conscientiousness and cognitive ability. The correlation between cognitive ability and Openness was found to be moderated by educational attainment, the negative association between Conscientiousness and cognitive ability was moderated by labor force participation.     

D型人格对大学新生心理健康的影响:基于三个时间点调查数据的有调节的中介模型

为考察感知到的压力在D型人格与大学新生心理健康关系中的中介作用及心理韧性的调节作用。在新生入学3个月内的不同时间点,利用D型人格量表（T1）、心理韧性量表（T2）、感知到的压力量表（T2）和心理健康量表（T3）对某大学1428名大学新生进行调查。结果显示：（1）在控制性别、年龄、是否恋爱和心理健康（T1）后,社交抑制对感知到的压力具有显著预测作用,感知到的压力对心理健康具有显著预测作用,即社交抑制通过感知到的压力的中介作用间接影响心理健康;在负性情感与心理健康的关系中,感知到的压力中介作用不成立;（2）心理韧性在社交抑制与心理健康的关系中调节效应显著;心理韧性在感知到的压力与心理健康的关系中调节效应显著;（3）一个有调节的中介模型成立。研究结果不仅有助于理解大学新生适应大学生活过程中的心理状况,而且为提高大学新生心理健康水平提供参考依据。     

D型人格对大学新生心理健康的影响:基于三个时间点调查数据的有调节的中介模型

为考察感知到的压力在D型人格与大学新生心理健康关系中的中介作用及心理韧性的调节作用。在新生入学3个月内的不同时间点,利用D型人格量表（T1）、心理韧性量表（T2）、感知到的压力量表（T2）和心理健康量表（T3）对某大学1428名大学新生进行调查。结果显示：（1）在控制性别、年龄、是否恋爱和心理健康（T1）后,社交抑制对感知到的压力具有显著预测作用,感知到的压力对心理健康具有显著预测作用,即社交抑制通过感知到的压力的中介作用间接影响心理健康;在负性情感与心理健康的关系中,感知到的压力中介作用不成立;（2）心理韧性在社交抑制与心理健康的关系中调节效应显著;心理韧性在感知到的压力与心理健康的关系中调节效应显著;（3）一个有调节的中介模型成立。研究结果不仅有助于理解大学新生适应大学生活过程中的心理状况,而且为提高大学新生心理健康水平提供参考依据。