A cross-cultural study of trait self-enhancement, explanatory variables, and adjustment

We investigated trait self-enhancement, explanatory variables, and adjustment in European American (n = 141), Asian American (n = 72), Mexican (n = 141), and Filipino (n = 174) college students. Consistent with trait perspectives, students in all cultural groups rated their traits with moderate to high accuracy, using peer ratings as a criterion. European Americans did not exhibit self-enhancement relative to peers, but both self and peer ratings were higher (i.e., more positive) for European Americans than for the other three groups. Support was found for some, but not all, cultural psychology explanations of self-enhancement. In all cultural groups, self-enhancement was more associated with personal (intrapsychic) adjustment than interpersonal adjustment, as judged by peers. The results provided support for an integration of trait and cultural psychology perspectives.     

Drinking Motives as Mediators of Social Anxiety and Hazardous Drinking Among College Students

Although social anxiety (SA) and alcohol use disorders commonly co-occur, the relationship between these variables in college populations has been inconsistent. The present study tested the hypothesized model that negatively reinforcing, but not positively reinforcing, drinking motives (or reasons for drinking) would mediate the association between SA and three aspects of hazardous drinking (quantity/frequency, consequences, and dependence symptoms) in an ethnically diverse sample of college drinkers (N = 817; mean age = 19.9 years, range = 18–29). Structural equation modeling (SEM) results using the asymmetrical distribution of products test indicated that coping motives partially mediated the relationship between SA and negative consequences and dependence symptoms but not the quantity/frequency outcome. Contrary to the hypothesized model, conformity motives did not mediate the association between SA and hazardous drinking. As expected, positive reinforcement motives did not mediate the SA–hazardous drinking association. Multigroup SEM analyses revealed that the mediation models did not differ for men (n = 215) and women (n = 602). Overall, the present findings support extant research and theoretical models regarding the mediating role of coping motives in the relationship between SA and problem drinking, suggesting a potential pathway for the development and maintenance of SA and alcohol use disorder comorbidity. Such findings could contribute to improved intervention programs by targeting coping drinking motives and building coping skills.     

Thyroid hormones,psychophysiological reactivity,and anxiety

Thirty-eight adults were assigned to three groups: posttreatment hyperthyroid (n=13), low euthyroid (n=12), and high euthyroid (n=13). Physiological and subjective responses to three anxiety-induction procedures—public speaking, personally distressing imagery, and threat of shock—were compared across groups. Although there were differences across stressors for physiological and subjective measures, group differences were not detected. Results are discussed with regard to the risk for residual anxiety following treatment for hyperthyroidism and the possible influence of thyroid function on the etiology or maintenance of anxiety.     

Relational and Content Differences Between Elites and Outsiders in Innovation Networks

This study investigated the nature of network communication patterns based on innovation. As expected from previous work on uncertainty and informal organizational elites, a central group of core, integrated members was apparent in each network structure from three organizational subunits in a school district. Earlier studies have shown that communication about new ideas tends to occur in strong, multiplex relationships rather than weak ties in organizations. Such findings are apparent at the group level in the analyses of these data; the central, elite groups are characterized by dense linkages and high volumes of social/personal, and work communication. Relational attributions and content data were analyzed in a 2 × 2 table of elite and outsider sources and their judgments of elite and outsider contacts. As expected, elites view one another more favorably (on affect, influence, and receptiveness to new ideas) than they do outsiders. Outsiders also tend to rate elites more favorably in each area than they do other outsiders. Implications are discussed in terms of the way that elites manage uncertainty, others’ attributions, and their close versus weak ties in order to retain influence and control over innovation processes.     

Repressors report fewer intrusions following a laboratory stressor: The role of reduced stressor-relevant concept activation and inhibitory functioning

Abstract

This study investigated whether a repressive coping style is associated with fewer intrusions following an experimentally controlled stressor. Furthermore, we examined whether lower activation of stressor-relevant concepts in long-term memory and better inhibitory functioning may contribute to this association. Extreme-scoring participants on a trait anxiety and a social desirability scale were selected to form repressor (n=35), low anxious (n=15), high anxious (n=30), and defensive (n=21) groups. In line with predictions, repressors reported fewer intrusions following a failure manipulation compared to non-repressors. Furthermore, pre-stressor inhibitory functioning was negatively associated with color-naming interference of stressor-related words. This suggests that overall, higher inhibitory control is related to lower activation of failure-related concepts. However, there was no evidence that concept activation and inhibitory control were responsible for repressors’ lower number of self-reported intrusions.     

Predicting high risk sexual behaviour in heterosexual and homosexual men: the roles of impulsivity and sensation seeking

Impulsivity and sexual sensation seeking were examined as personality correlates of high risk sexual behaviour — unprotected sex with multiple partners — in samples of heterosexual (n=112) and homosexual (n=104) men. Among heterosexuals, both personality variables were associated with frequency of unprotected sex but only sexual sensation seeking was associated with number of sex partners. Sexual sensation seeking also mediated the association between use of drugs other than alcohol and number of sex partners. Among homosexuals, no personality or substance use variables predicted high risk sexual behaviour. Implications of the findings for the study of determinants of sexual risk-taking are discussed.     

Behavioral,psychological, and historical correlates of MacAndrew scale scores among male alcoholics

Male alcoholic veterans (N=194) were divided into four groups on the basis of their scores on the MacAndrew scale (MAC) of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and compared on psychological and sociodemographic measures and self-reported alcohol, drug, and legal histories. Nineteen subjects scored in the nonalcoholic (NA) range of the MAC (i.e., false negatives, MAC23). Remaining subjects, scoring in the alcoholic range of the MAC, were divided into thirds by MAC scores (lowest third, L-MAC=24–28,n=53; middle third, M-MAC=29–31,n=63; highest third, H-MAC>31,n=59). Groups did not differ on age, any important sociodemographic variables, or scores on the Profile of Mood States, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Symptom Checklist-90, or Rod and Frame Test. Significant group differences were obtained on several MMPI scales. Lower MAC scores were associated with higher scores onL, K, D, andR, and lower scores onMa. There was also a tendency for subjects with lower MAC scores to score higher onSi. NA subjects began drinking and heavy drinking later than other subjects, although groups did not differ on duration, quantity, or frequency of drinking. Subjects with higher MAC scores more often reported drinking in bars, drinking liquor straight, alcohol-related job disruptions, and previous use of marijuana, hallucinogens, and barbiturates. Subjects with higher MAC scores had more often been arrested, convicted, fined, and jailed for alcohol-related offenses but not for other offenses. Results are examined with respect to MacAndrew's distinction between primary and secondary alcoholics and with respect to the possible relations of MAC to important person variables such as sensation seeking.The authors wish to thank Craig MacAndrew for his helpful critical reading of an early draft of this paper. We also thank Theresa Hilliard, Shirley White, Vicki Brumbelow, and Pam Thompson for editorial assistance and Audrey Jefferson for help with data preparation.     

Cognitive-behavioral,solution-focused life coaching: Enhancing goal striving,well-being,and hope

Research is in its infancy in the newly emerging field of coaching psychology. This study examined the effects of a 10-week cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused life coaching group programme. Participants were randomly allocated to a life coaching group programme (n =?28) or a waitlist control group (n =?28). Participation in the life coaching group programme was associated with significant increases in goal striving, well-being and hope, with gains maintained up to 30 weeks later on some variables. Hope theory may explain such positive outcomes. Life coaching programmes that utilize evidence-based techniques may provide a framework for further research on psychological processes that occur in non-clinical populations who wish to make purposeful change and enhance their positive psychological functioning.     

Findings on the relationship between Internet addiction and psychological symptoms in Brazilian adults

This study evaluated the prevalence of Internet addiction (IA) and its association with negative psychological symptoms in Brazilian adults. A network analysis was conducted to estimate specific variables and their expected influence on IA. In this cross-sectional study, 15,476 adults (M_age = 37.5, SD = 9.59) completed an open web-based survey. Three questionnaires were used: the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Based on IAT scores, participants were classified as No-Risk user (NRU), Low-Risk user (LRU) or High-Risk user (HRU). We observed that 4.8% of the participants were classified in the HRU group. In addition, their risk for severe symptoms of depression was 10 times higher and, for anxiety, seven times higher than that in the NRU group (p < .001). Time spent using smartphones was also significantly higher in the HRU group (M_hours = 5.1, p < .001). The main factors associated with IA were depression, gender and anxiety, but the variable “having children” was the most influential in the IA network. These findings suggest that psychiatric symptoms are the main factors associated with IA among the adult population.     

Purpose in life and cognitive functioning in adulthood

With an increasingly aging population, more work is needed to identify factors which may promote the maintenance of normal cognitive functioning. The current study tested the concurrent association between sense of purpose in life and the cognitive variables of episodic memory, executive functioning, and composite cognitive functioning in adults (N = 3489, M_age = 56.3 years, SD = 12.27, Range = 32–84 years) from the Midlife in the United States study (MIDUS). Correlational analyses suggested that purpose in life was associated with higher scores for memory, executive functioning, and overall cognition. Bootstrapping tests of moderation found no evidence for a moderating effect of age on purpose and the cognitive variables. Future studies should attempt to explain the mechanisms behind this relationship and explore the potential for interventions to promote healthy cognitive and purposeful aging.     

Differentiating Cognitive Content between Depressed and Anxious Outpatients

Quantitative research suggests that depressed and anxious patients can be differentiated based on their cognitive content. This study used qualitative research methods to separate the specific components of open‐ended depressive and anxious thought content in 79 psychiatric outpatients. Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD; n = 36), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD; n = 10), and other psychiatric disorders (PC; n = 33) were instructed to (a) describe their most bothersome problem; (b) imagine the worst possible negative outcome followed by the best possible positive outcome; and (c) describe associated thoughts and emotions for each scenario. The content of patients' responses were coded to examine (a) the types and severity of problems; (b) the presence or absence of hopelessness, catastrophizing, hopefulness, and unrealistic positive expectations; and (c) the presence or absence of particular emotions associated with imagined worst and best outcomes. More GAD patients than MDD and PC patients indicated anticipated anxious emotions associated with imagined worst outcomes, and fewer MDD patients than GAD and PC patients indicated anticipated happiness associated with imagined best outcomes. No group differences emerged for the other variables considered. These findings suggest that depressed and anxious patients differ in their cognitive expectancies about future life events in terms of their own anticipated emotional reactions.     

Improving the Emotional Adjustment and Communication Patterns of Incarcerated Mothers: Effectiveness of a Prison Parenting Intervention

Incarcerated mothers at a state prison participated in an eight-session parenting class designed to help them manage the stress of separation from children and to improve communication patterns with children and home-caregivers. In comparison to a waitlist control group (n = 46), inmates who received immediate intervention (n = 60) experienced less parenting distress regarding upcoming visitation experiences; however, waitlist and immediate treatment groups did not differ on other intervention measures. Additional analyses contrasted pre- and post-intervention differences on adjustment measures for inmates from either treatment condition who completed the parenting program (N = 90). After intervention, mothers reported reduced parenting stress, improved alliance with home caregivers, increased letter-writing, and reduction of mental distress symptoms. Large drop-out rates in both subgroups may have reduced the benefits of the random assignment used to form groups. Results support the value of interventions for incarcerated mothers that focus on ways to manage the emotional distress and poor communication patterns associated with being a parent in prison.     

A linear growth curve analysis of inpatient treatment response by conduct‐disordered,ADHD, and comorbid preadolescents

Conduct disorder (CD) comorbid with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is widely reputed to be treatment refractory, particularly when accompanied by aggression and early‐onset symptoms. Few studies, however, have assessed inpatient treatment response among early onset CD/ADHD children in detail. In the present investigation, behavioral and rating scale data were compared among CD (n=13), ADHD (n=20), and CD/ADHD (n=45) preadolescents during one‐month of multimodal inpatient treatment that included methylphenidate administration. As expected, linear growth curve analyses revealed that CD/ADHD children were the most symptomatic of the three groups. However, all groups benefited from hospitalization, with few differences in treatment responsiveness observed. Analyses of residualized symptoms suggested that methylphenidate administration was effective in curbing impulsive but not aggressive behaviors. Aggr. Behav. 29:440–456, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Social Contagion and Multiplexity Communication Networks as Predictors of Commitment and Role Ambiguity

This research compares two contrasting perspectives of social contagion processes associated with the organizational outcome variables of commitment and role ambiguity in organizations. The two perspectives are structural equivalence (which focuses on the positions of individuals in social networks) and cohesion (which focuses on an individual's direct communication contacts). It was hypothesized that structural equivalence would be more associated with role ambiguity and that commitment would be more associated with cohesion. The relationship between these variables and multiplex content networks was also studied. It was hypothesized that commitment was a much more broadly based concept in the sense that a number of functional content networks systematically relate to it. On the other hand, role ambiguity was hypothesized to be more closely associated with uniplex networks, especially those related to job duties and organizational goals. While there were exceptions, generally the research results supported the hypotheses relating to multiplexity. The hypotheses that structural equivalence was more associated with role ambiguity and that commitment was more associated with cohesion also were supported in this research.     

Mental rotation performance and the effect of gender in fourth graders and adults

The DSM-IV implicitly assumes that development is uniform across ability domains, which implies that relationships between ability measures do not differ across development. We assessed whether correlations between measures of nine ability constructs differed across samples of children aged 3 – 5 (n = 117), 6 – 8 (n = 116), 9 – 11 (n = 124) and 12 – 14 years (n = 92). LISREL analyses show that correlations in each age group differ from those of each other age group. Parallel analyses indicate that the latent structure of ability differs across age groups. We conclude that shared maturational processes, including changes in the connectivity of neural systems, are responsible for decreasingly and increasingly strong relationships between some ability measures.     

Relationships between identity domains and life satisfaction in minority and majority youth in Albania,Bulgaria, Czech Republic,Kosovo, and Romania

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between identity domains (educational and relational identity) and life satisfaction in a cross-national perspective, by targeting minority (Roma) and majority youth in Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Kosovo, and Romania. Based on the three-factor identity formation model, we investigated the interplay between three identity processes (i.e., commitment, in-depth exploration, and reconsideration of commitment) and life satisfaction. Participants were 1860 adolescents aged 12–19 years from Albania (n = 350), Bulgaria (n = 398), the Czech Republic (n = 293), Kosovo (n = 542), and Romania (n = 277). They completed self-reports of the Utrecht-Management of Identity Commitments Scale (U-MICS) and the Life Satisfaction Scale (SWLS). We adopted a structural equation modelling approach to test (a) measurement invariance of identity and life satisfaction models across groups and (b) associations between identity domains (educational and relational) and life satisfaction. Findings indicated measurement invariance for identity and life satisfaction measures across cultural groups. In the total sample, life satisfaction was consistently associated with high commitment, high in-depth exploration, and low reconsideration of commitment in the educational identity domain. Sample-specific associations highlighted important cultural differences. Implications of these findings for identity and well-being in minority and mainstream youth across the countries under investigation are discussed.     

The Relationship Between Sluggish Cognitive Tempo,Subtypes of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder,and Anxiety Disorders

The objective of the present study was to examine the relationship between sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT), subtypes of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and anxiety disorders (AnxDs). One hundred and forty-one children (90 males, 51 females) aged 7–13 years were assigned to four groups, i.e., referred children with comorbid AnxDs and ADHD (n = 25), ADHD (n = 39), AnxDs (n = 41), and nonreferred controls (n = 36). Furthermore we explored the association between SCT and several neurocognitive measures (reaction time, verbal memory, and spatial memory). Diagnoses were established using Kiddie-SADS P/L. SCT was assessed using a 17-item mother-reported questionnaire. SCT correlated significantly with inattentiveness, regardless of the subtype of ADHD. Furthermore, we found significant differences in the levels of SCT among the four groups, with the highest SCT scores observed in the comorbid group. SCT correlated with variability in spatial memory; in contrast, there was no correlation between SCT and reaction time.     

The relation between social engagement and pretend play in autism

The focus of this study is the nature and concomitants of pretend play among young children with autism. Age‐ and language‐matched children with autism (n= 27), autism spectrum disorder (n= 14), and developmental disorders without autism (n= 16) were administered the Test of Pretend Play (ToPP; Lewis & Boucher, 1997 ), with an additional rating of ‘playful pretence’. As predicted, children with autism showed less playful pretend than participants with developmental disorders who did not have autism. Across the groups, playful pretence was correlated with individual differences in communication and social interaction, even when scores on the ToPP were taken into account. Limitations in creative, playful pretend among children with autism relate to their restricted interpersonal communication and engagement.     

Emotional,behavioral, and cognitive factors that differentiate obsessive-compulsive disorder and other anxiety disorders in youth

Abstract

The current study examined specific emotional, behavioral, and cognitive variables that may distinguish obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social phobia (SoP), and separation anxiety disorder (SAD) in youth. Youth with OCD (n=26) and other anxiety disorders (ADs; n=31), aged 7–12 years (56.1% males), and their parents participated. The study compared the two anxious groups on levels of emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning, as well as impairment associated with the disorder. Results indicated that in comparison to youth with GAD, SoP, or SAD, youth with OCD were found to have poorer emotion regulation skills, as well as greater oppositionality, cognitive problems/inattention, and parent impairment associated with the disorder. The findings suggest that there are unique characteristics of OCD that may differentiate this disorder from other ADs in youth. Potential clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.