Personality traits and endocrine response as possible asymmetry factors of agonistic outcome in karate athletes

Individual variations of plasma levels of hormones testosterone (T) and cortisol (C), before (pre) and after (post) Kumite (real fight) and Kata (ritualized fight) were measured in male karate athletes and analyzed in relation with the agonistic outcome (i.e. winning or losing the fight) and personality trait measures. T and C increased only during Kumite contest and pre‐ and post‐competition C levels were higher in losers than winners. Losers showed higher levels of harm avoidance and anxiety as well as lower level of novelty seeking than winners. Importantly, novelty seeking negatively correlates with pre C and the higher the level of risk assessment, emotionality and insecurity indexes the higher the pre C level. In conclusion, personality traits might be an important factor asymmetry between athletes influencing both the probability of winning or losing an agonistic interaction and the different anticipatory endocrine response to the incipient fight. Aggr. Behav. 35:324–333, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Anxiety,hormonal responses,and coping during a judo competition

Competitive situations induced hormonal changes, depending on the outcome, victory or defeat. This study aimed to investigate the salivary testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) and the mental state responses to a real judo championship. Data about individuals’ anxiety levels, strategies of coping, and patterns of behavior were thus collected. The relationship between hormonal changes and psychological variables were also analyzed. Our results showed a C response to competition, which was especially characterized by an anticipatory rise. Depending on outcome, results did not show statistically significant different C responses. The T values noted after the last fight were significantly greater in the losers than those obtained in the winners. Hormonal response did not show a relationship with psychological variables depending on the outcome. Losers showed just before the first fight an elevated cognitive anxiety, accompanied by low self‐confidence. Moreover, they were characterized by type B behavior. Types of coping strategies also differentiated losers from winners. Finally, even if no relationships between hormonal and psychological variables depending on the outcome were found, our results showed that state and trait psychological variables, as well as the coping strategies, must be taken into account to better understand the response to competitive situations. Aggr. Behav. 27:55–63, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

The Role of Individual Factors in Friendship Formation: Considering Shyness,Self‐Esteem,Social Skills,and Defensive Pessimism

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of four individual factors (shyness, self‐esteem, social skills, and defensive pessimism) on the formation of friendships among undergraduate students. Freshmen (N = 93) completed a questionnaire assessing their shyness, self‐esteem, social skills, and level of defensive pessimism. Then, they answered questions about interpersonal indices (number of friends, satisfaction with friendships, their willingness to continue relationships, and their feelings of interpersonal friction). After 3 months, they completed a questionnaire about their anxiety state and behavior when talking with the people they had met since university admission. Moreover, they discussed the interpersonal indices they used in a pre‐questionnaire. Path analysis indicated that shyness directly leads to having fewer friends, whereas social skills lead to having more friends through extroversive behavior. Moreover, self‐esteem was positively related to an increase in the willingness to continue relationships, and reflection and pessimistic thinking (which is one component of defensive pessimism) led to a feeling of being fatigued from the effort of considering and respecting the reactions of others.     

Violent phenotype in SAL mice is inflexible and fixed in adulthood

Violence was shown to be qualitatively different from functional hyper‐aggression in mice selected for high aggression namely Short Attack Latency (SAL), Turku Aggressive (TA) and North Carolina (NC900) strains. This study aimed at investigating whether this adulthood violent phenotype as seen previously in the SAL mice is fixed and hence behaviorally inflexible right from day 1 of the experiment or consequential, i.e., subject to gradual change from functional aggression to violence. The functionally hyper‐aggressive strains namely TA and NC900 strains served as controls for the study. Methodologically, behavioral (in)flexibility was studied using the overall sequential structure of agonistic behavior. In particular, intra‐individual variations in the overall agonistic behavior as well as offensive, pre‐ and post‐offensive behavior transitions, directly related to the resident–intruder interactions were investigated. The SAL mice showed the least intra‐individual variation in their overall sequential agonistic structure as well as a fixed offense‐oriented agonistic behavior of highest magnitude when compared with the other strains. Additionally, the pre‐ and post‐ offensive transitions were most salient in the functionally hyper‐aggressive TA and NC900 strains, whereas virtually absent in the SAL mice. Thus, the violent behavior of the adult SAL mice is behaviorally inflexible or fixed, whereas the functionally hyper‐aggressive behavior of the adult TA and NC900 mice is behaviorally flexible and constantly adaptive to the opponent behavior, over 3 days of repeated resident–intruder interaction. Aggr. Behav. 35:430–436, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

An outcome evaluation study of a psycho‐educational course in a primary care setting

Rationale: To date relatively little research has examined the effectiveness of psycho‐educational courses provided in a primary care setting to adults with mild‐to‐moderate mental health concerns. Aims: To determine whether group psycho‐education could be a viable alternative to individual counselling by (1) assessing the clinical effectiveness of an 8‐week psycho‐educational course, and (2) examining the group outcomes in comparison with individual treatment outcomes from a previous study in the same counselling service. Method: A total of 57 participants attending a psycho‐educational course provided data over a 36‐month period, using the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation – Outcome Measure (CORE‐OM) pre‐ and post‐intervention. A comparison was then made with the data of 58 previous participants of individual counselling evaluation, using the same CORE‐OM system. Results: Participants reported significantly lower levels of psychological distress after attending the course and these results are comparable to outcomes measured in the same service for individual counselling, indicating that group interventions could be considered a legitimate alternative to individual counselling, thus increasing cost effectiveness and reducing waiting times. Limitations of the study and implications for practice and further investigation are considered.     

The Determinants and Consequences of Intragroup Respect: An Examination Within a Sporting Context1

Although the term respect is widely used in society, its determinants and consequences on group‐related factors are unclear. In 4 studies (2 pilot studies, validation study, main study), we examined these issues. In the main study, high‐level rowing crew members completed measures of respect, liking, and group identification pre‐ and post‐competition; and attribution items post‐competition. Although respect and liking did not predict team success, success was associated with subsequent levels of respect, but not liking. The effect of success on group identification was mediated by respect. Moderation analyses indicated that intragroup liking, but not respect, increased the likelihood of group‐serving attributions. Results highlight the determinants of respect and its role in group processes and outcomes, and distinguish respect from liking.     

Assessment of fighting ability or simple habituation: What causes young pigs (Sus scrofa) to stop fighting?

To determine how pigs assess their relative fighting ability, I observed paired contests between young pigs that were either of similar weight or of different weight. On the first day the incidence of fighting was high, but this was not affected by the size of the weight difference. Fights between pigs of different weight were shorter than those between pigs of similar weight. When the pigs were of different weight, the eventual winner bit more frequently and spent more time attacking than did the eventual loser. This difference was not apparent when the pigs were of similar weight. On the first day, winners and losers were equally likely to initiate fights. The incidence of fighting was lower on the second day, although this was unaffected by the weight difference. Losers were less likely to initiate fights on the second day, and fights were shorter than on the first day. However, for the time that they did fight, the losers fought as vigorously (based on the rate of biting) on the second day as on the first. Seventy-two hours of visual and olfactory contact before the fight had no effect on the incidence of fighting and minimal effect on its duration. I suggest a young pig cannot assess its chance of success prior to the first encounter but only during the course of the fight. This assessment is reduced by attacks from the opponent until it drops below a critical threshold, whereupon the pig stops fighting. As a result of a previous defeat, a pig will lower its assessment and will be less likely to fight or to initiate fights on subsequent encounters. It is this change in assessment rather than habituation alone that makes pigs less likely to fight as they become acquainted.     

Multiple family therapy for Chinese families of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): treatment efficacy from the children’s perspective and their subjective experiences

This paper reports the results of our study that assessed the treatment efficacy of multiple family therapy (MFT) from the perspective of participating Chinese children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and identified their subjective experiences. Forty‐three children with ADHD in the experimental group (EG) completed a forty‐two‐hour MFT, whilst forty‐five children with ADHD in the control group (CG) had attended two writing classes scheduled three months apart that were similar to those of the MFT. Data from the outcome study were gathered using standardized questionnaires and data from the qualitative study were drawn from thirteen children with ADHD who had completed the MFT and attended the focus group interviews (n = 5) or individual interviews (n = 8) conducted in the post‐treatment phase. The results of the Paired sample t‐test and MANOVA indicated no significant changes on the scores for the four measures adopted (perception of competence, hopefulness, parent‐child relationship and perceived social support) in the pre‐ and post‐treatment for the EG and the CG. Five themes emerged from the narratives of children with ADHD, which revealed the children’s subjective experiences with the MFT: (a) full of fun; (b) building friendships through common experiences; (c) a happy family time; (d) safe space; and (e) positive parental responses and communications.     

Strengthening socio‐emotional competencies in a school setting: Data from the Pyramid project

Background. Development of socio‐emotional competencies is key to children's successful social interaction at home and at school. Aims. This study examines the efficacy of a UK primary school‐based intervention, the Pyramid project, in strengthening children's socio‐emotional competencies. Sample. Participants were 385 children from seven schools in two UK cities. All children were aged 7–8 years and in school Year 3. Children were screened for socio‐emotional difficulties through the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman, 1997 ) and a multi‐agency meeting of relevant professionals before being allocated to attend a Pyramid Club intervention (n= 103) or a comparison group (n= 282). Method. A 2 × 2 mixed‐model design was used: group (intervention group vs. comparison group) × 2 time points (pre‐ vs. 12 weeks post‐intervention) with repeated measures on the time factor to investigate the impact of the Pyramid Year 3 intervention. Teachers completed the SDQ‐T4‐16 for all children pre‐ and post‐intervention to measure participants’ socio‐emotional health status. Results. As measured by the two SDQ difficulty sub‐scales of Emotional and Peer problems and the SDQ strength sub‐scale of Prosocial behaviour, post‐intervention improvements in the Pyramid attendee group were of greater magnitude than those of the comparison group. Conclusions. The Pyramid project intervention improves the socio‐emotional health of vulnerable children through promoting positive outcomes as well as reducing socio‐emotional deficits. These findings further support the inclusion of a salutogenic approach in promoting children's socio‐emotional well‐being.     

A randomized pilot study of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy and group cognitive‐behavioral therapy for young adults with social phobia

Piet, J., Hougaard, E., Hecksher, M. S., & Rosenberg, N. K. (2010). A randomized pilot study of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy and group cognitive‐behavioral therapy for young adults with social phobia. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51, 403–410. Twenty‐six young participants, 18–25 years, with social phobia (SP) were randomly assigned to eight 2‐hour sessions of group mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and twelve 2‐hour sessions of group cognitive‐behavioral therapy (CBT) in a crossover design with participants receiving treatments in reversed order. Outcome was assessed after treatments, and at 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐ups. MBCT achieved moderate‐high pre‐post effect sizes (d = 0.78 on a composite SP measure), not significantly different from, although numerical lower than those of CBT (d = 1.15). Participants in both groups further improved in the periods following their first and second treatment until 6‐months follow‐up (pre‐follow‐up ds = 1.42 and 1.62). Thus, MBCT might be a useful, low cost treatment for SP, although, probably, less efficacious than CBT.     

Heart rate and blood pressure responses to a competitive role‐playing game

The effects of the outcome of competitive encounters on physiological parameters have been studied, especially testosterone levels, but hardly on other systems that, however, present a high sensitivity to stress. This study assessed the effect of a competitive game on heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) in a sample of university students. In addition, the influence of anxiety and attributions of the outcome was also explored. Only winners significantly showed a rise in HR during the competition followed by a decrease along the posttask phase in addition to more internal attributions. On the contrary, the average HR for losers during the competition was lower compared with their baseline values. No differences depending on the outcome were found in BP. The cardiovascular response as well as the subjective interpretation of the outcome suggest a more active strategy employed by winners vs. a more passive strategy of losers. Future studies should specifically investigate the importance of coping strategies for psychophysiological adaptation to contests and for the outcome reached. This would permit an advance in the understanding of the role of individual differences in the processes of stress and in associated diseases. Aggr. Behav. 27:351–359, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

CAMP: A community‐based approach to promoting safe sex behaviour in adolescence

The primary goal of this study was to describe the development and assessment of the Community Awareness Motivation Partnership (CAMP) Teen Theatre intervention. Based on the behavioural ecological model, CAMP addressed the role of contraceptive use in safe sex behaviour through a brief informative, entertaining, and culturally responsive dramatization programme. Adolescents (N = 1613) between the ages of 11 and 18 (M = 13.31, SD = 0.76) received the intervention, and 961 participants completed both pre‐ and post‐tests. The majority of participants were Latino (78.5%, n = 1039), many of whom were first generation immigrants. Results indicated that the intervention increased participants' reported intentions to delay sex and use contraceptives. The intervention produced short‐term changes in safe‐sex behavioural intentions and knowledge. Suggestions for producing long‐term changes were discussed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multiple contest experiences interact to influence each other’s effect on subsequent contest decisions in a mangrove killifish

Many animals modify behavioural decisions based on information they have previously acquired. Contest behaviour is often affected by previous contest experiences: individuals behave more and less aggressively after a victory and defeat, respectively (winner/loser effect). Individuals in the field sometimes encounter multiple competitors in quick succession, but whether these experiences interact to influence each other’s importance is unclear. We tested five hypotheses for experience interaction (no interaction, retroactive interference, proactive interaction, reinforcement and diminishing returns) using Kryptolebias marmoratus. Focal individuals were paired up with opponents having the same 1-month contest outcome (1 month before the experiment), as this difference in actual or perceived fighting ability has been shown to affect the fish’s response to new experiences. We gave the focal individual of a pair a winning or losing experience on day 1. Then both fish of the pair received the same winning, losing or no-contest experience on day 2. Then we organised fights between the two. The effect of a day-1 losing experience did depend on the fish’s actual or perceived fighting ability: one-month losers readily showed loser effects from the day-1 losing experience, irrespective of the day-2 experience (i.e. no interaction between day-1 and day-2 experiences). One-month winners, however, only showed loser effects from a day-1 losing experience when the day-2 experience was also a loss (i.e. reinforcement). Day-1 winning experiences did not interact with day-2 experiences in 1-month losers or winners. Therefore, multiple experiences sometimes reinforce each other, but how they combine to influence behaviour depends on an individual’s actual or perceived fighting ability.     

The Deal on Testosterone Responses to Poker Competition

The following study investigated the effect of poker competition on testosterone (T) responses. Thirty-two participants played one-on-one poker in a lab on campus. Saliva samples were obtained before and after the poker games. On average, participants produced a significant increase in T during the competition, with no difference between winners and losers. This study is the first of its kind to examine T responses in a gambling competition. Possible implications for destructive gambling behaviors are discussed.     

Older (but not younger) preschoolers understand that knowledge differs between people and across time

We examined 3‐ to 5‐year‐olds' understanding of general knowledge (e.g., knowing that clocks tell time) by investigating whether (1) they recognize that their own general knowledge has changed over time (i.e., they knew less as babies than they know now), and (2) such intraindividual knowledge differences are easier/harder to understand than interindividual differences (i.e., Do preschoolers understand that a baby knows less than they do?). Forty‐eight 3‐ to 5‐year‐olds answered questions about their current general knowledge (‘self‐now’), the general knowledge of a 6‐month‐old (‘baby‐now’), and their own general knowledge at 6 months (‘self‐past’). All age groups were significantly above chance on the self‐now questions, but only 5‐year‐olds were significantly above chance on the self‐past and baby‐now questions. Moreover, children's performance on the baby‐now and self‐past questions did not differ. Our findings suggest that younger preschoolers do not fully appreciate that their past knowledge differs from their current knowledge, and that others may have less knowledge than they do. We situate these findings within the research on knowledge understanding, more specifically, and cognitive development, more broadly.     

The influence of competitive status (winner/loser) on the behavior of male rats in three models of anxiety

Studies indicate that features such as prior stressful experience, strain, gender, and age can influence the behavior of rats in animal models of anxiety. In the present study, we examined the possible influence of competitive status (winner/loser) in three such models: the elevated plus‐maze, the open field, and the social interaction test. One hundred to 135‐day‐old male Wistar rats were conditioned to traverse a straight runway tube to obtain food. Subsequently, two rats were placed at the same time in the runway tube and, being unable to pass each other, one of them pushed the other to the opposite end‐box. The rats were categorized as winners or losers in this competition. One week after the straight runway tube test, the rats were submitted to the anxiety models, where it was observed that winner rats showed greater locomotor activity than the losers in the three models studied. Furthermore, winner rats showed less immobility and higher central and total locomotor activity in the open field and a greater duration of social interaction in the social interaction test. These results suggest that competitive status has an influence on the locomotor activity of rats in animal models of anxiety. However, whether competitive status influences anxiety as assessed in these models is unclear, and further investigations are warranted. Aggr. Behav. 28:164–171, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

The mixed blessings of migration: Life satisfaction and self‐esteem over the course of migration

We investigated the psychological adaptation of Ingrian–Finnish migrants from Russia to Finland between 2008 and 2013. Pre‐migration data (N = 225) were collected at the Finnish language courses that were part of the immigration training program. The three post‐migration follow‐ups were conducted half a year (N = 155), and 2 (N = 133) and 3 years (N = 85) after migration. Well‐being was assessed with measures of Life Satisfaction and Self‐Esteem. Life Satisfaction increased from pre‐migration to the first post‐migration measurement point, after which it stabilized. Self‐Esteem decreased throughout the study. Variables reflecting adjustment to the event of migration (e.g., acculturation stress, socio‐cultural adaptation) were primarily associated with well‐being at the first post‐migration measurement point. More general determinants of well‐being (e.g., social support and subjective economic situation) were more consistently associated with well‐being throughout the study. The results suggest that migration can be beneficial to some but detrimental to other types of well‐being.     

Effect of pre- and postcompetition emotional state on salivary cortisol in top-ranking wrestlers

The purpose was three-fold: (1) to investigate the effect of baseline, precompetition, and postcompetition stress on salivary cortisol levels in top-ranking Brazilian wrestlers (N = 17) participating in a national competition; (2) to estimate correlations among three stress measures (perceived stress, salivary cortisol, and physiological stress reaction); and (3) to compare cortisol concentrations between losers and winners. Salivary cortisol was collected at baseline, pre-, and postcompetition. Physiological stress reaction and perceived stress scores were measured just before warm-up for the competition. Analysis showed a significant main effect for testing time. Correlations among the stress measures were not significant. Analysis of covariance between the winners (n = 10) and the losers (n = 7) was also not significant. Salivary cortisol concentrations increased after the intense exercise of competition. The wrestlers did not perceive any physiological effects.     

Coping strategies of Ethiopian immigrants in Israel: Association with PTSD and dissociation

Finklestein, M., Laufer, A. & Solomon, Z. (2012). Coping strategies of Ethiopian immigrants in Israel: Association with PTSD and dissociation. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 53, 490–498. The aim of this study was to examine the relations between coping strategies, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and dissociation among Jewish Ethiopian refugees in Israel (following exposure to pre‐, peri‐ and post‐migration stressful events). Method: A random sample (N = 478) of three waves of refugees took part in the research (N = 165; N = 169; N = 144). Religiosity, coping strategies, stressful and traumatic events, pre‐ and peri‐ migration, post‐migration difficulties, posttraumatic symptoms, and dissociation were assessed. Results: A significant relationship was found between PTSD symptoms and avoidance coping over and above immigration wave and traumatic events. Dissociation was positively associated with passivity and antisocial coping and negatively associated with social joining and level of religiosity, over and above immigration wave and traumatic events. The findings are discussed in the light of the coping strategies employed by Ethiopian refugees.