Child–Mother Attachment Security and Child Characteristics as Joint Contributors to Young Children's Coping in a Challenging Situation

Moderate challenges provide opportunities for young children to develop coping skills, yet little is known about factors related to individual differences in early coping. This study investigated child–mother attachment security (9‐point rating) assessed via a modified Strange Situation procedure, child expressive language, and child social fearfulness as contributors to coping responses among 33‐month‐old children (N = 128, 66 girls) following receipt of an empty gift box. Associations between child–mother attachment security and child coping were moderated by child characteristics. As hypothesized, greater attachment security was associated with more action towards the stressor (i.e. vocalizing about the empty box and searching for the missing gift), but only for children high on social fearfulness. Further, greater attachment security was associated with seeking more physical proximity to mothers for children low on expressive language and less physical proximity for children high on expressive language. Lastly, greater attachment security was related to more self‐distraction for children with moderate to high expressive language. Results are discussed in terms of child–mother attachment security as a psychological resource constructed over time, which the child may draw upon when confronted with a moderate non‐attachment‐related stressor. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Comparison of Enrollees Versus Non-enrollees in a Patient/Family HCV Psychoeducation Study

Despite the seriousness of Hepatitis C (HCV), many patients do not receive treatment. One promising means of addressing these issues for medically ill patients is through participation in support group services. This study examined individual-, treatment- and system-level factors associated with enrolling in a support group intervention (psychoeducation) for persons with HCV. A total of 235 research participants were recruited as part of a NIAAA-funded randomized clinical trial for patients with HCV and their family members, with 172 (73.2 %) agreeing to enroll in the psychoeducation trial and 63 (26.8 %) declining. Factors leading to enrollment indicated that individuals without employment, with certain personality structures (low cooperativeness and self-directedness), and traveling greater distance to their group were more likely to agree to participate. Populations being seen in public settings demonstrate a desire for additional support and education, but at the same time these potential participants are faced with challenges to following through and enrolling in the desired services.     

Spirituality and Substance Abuse Recovery

Researchers explored patient and staff perceptions of spiritual well-being and the spiritual needs of patients enrolled in a residential substance abuse treatment program. The Spiritual Well-Being Scale was used to gather quantitative data. Additionally, a brief questionnaire containing one qualitative and two quantitative questions was completed by both clients and staff. A statistically significant difference was found, indicating a more positive sense of spiritual well-being among patients upon discharge. Although the staff and clients of the residential program have similar perceptions regarding the concept of spiritual well-being, their definitions do not appear identical.     

Externalizing behavior,the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior scale and Reward and Punishment Sensitivity

The UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior scale is a promising measure of impulsivity facets involved in the etiology of Externalizing behaviors (e.g., substance abuse, antisocial behavior, and aggression). The purpose of this study was to determine whether measures of motivational systems, specifically Reward and Punishment Sensitivity, accounted for variance in Externalizing behaviors beyond the UPPS-P scales. Undergraduates (N = 282; 50% men) completed online self-reports of alcohol and drug use, antisocial behavior, and aggression, as well as the UPPS-P and measures of Reward and Punishment Sensitivity. Principal components analysis was used to create summary Externalizing scores related to Disinhibition and Aggression. Lack of Premeditation, low Perseverance and Sensation Seeking had significant partial relationships with Disinhibition, but Reward Sensitivity accounted for additional variance. Both Reward Sensitivity and (Low) Punishment Sensitivity were related to Aggression, beyond variance explained by UPPS-P Negative Urgency and (lack of) Perseverance. Impulsivity facets appear to have differential relationships with measures of Externalizing and, although the UPPS-P accounts for a significant portion of individual differences, it does not fully account for variance associated with Reward and Punishment Sensitivity.     

Gender-linked personality and mental health: The role of trait emotional intelligence

The present study examined the role of the emotion-related personality dimension, or trait emotional intelligence (EI), in the relationship between gender-linked personality (GLP) traits and internalizing mental health difficulties (IMHDs). GLP traits were measured as Agency and Communion, due to conceptual advantages over other semantic representations (e.g., masculinity, femininity) in the literature. IMHDs as the outcome variable were conceptualized as a latent composite of anxiety, stress, and emotion-oriented coping. A moderate relationship between Agency and IMHDs was fully mediated by trait EI. Trait EI also divided an overall non-significant effect of Communion on IMHDs into an indirect, protective effect via trait EI and a direct, adverse effect. The results suggest that Agency and Communion subsume different sets of trait EI facets, which may account for much of the differential protective effects of these GLP traits on IMHDs. Discussion focuses on implications of the results for sex differences in mental health.     

Conferring humanness: The role of anthropomorphism in hoarding

Hoarding is characterized by a persistent and extreme difficulty with discarding one’s possessions, often resulting in cluttered living spaces and marked distress or impairment. Despite being increasingly recognized as a substantial public health burden, much remains unknown about the etiology. One facet within the cognitive-behavioral model of hoarding that remains poorly understood is the strong emotional attachment to possessions. The tendency to anthropomorphize (i.e., see human-like qualities in non-human entities) may be one possible mechanism contributing to this emotional attachment. The current report is the first empirical study to examine the association between anthropomorphism and hoarding. Non-clinical participants (n = 72) completed a battery of self-report measures focused on hoarding symptoms, saving cognitions, anthropomorphism, and emotional attachments to personal and novel items. Anthropomorphic tendencies were significantly associated with greater saving behaviors and the acquisition of free things. Levels of anthropomorphism moderated the relationship between specific hoarding beliefs and acquiring tendencies, as well as the emotional attachment towards a novel item. Results are discussed with regard to future research directions, and implications for the cognitive-behavioral model of hoarding.     

Implicit Coping Responses to Racism Predict African Americans' Level of Psychological Distress

African Americans report experiencing discrimination on a frequent basis, and these experiences have been linked to psychological distress. Coping responses to racism have been suggested to mediate the relationship between discrimination and distress. This study introduces the first measure of African Americans' implicit emotional and coping responses to racism and examines the measure's ability to predict psychological distress. The Go/No-Go Association Task (Nosek &; Banaji, 2001 Nosek , B. A. , &; Banaji , M R. ( 2001 ). The go/no-go association task . Social Cognition , 19 , 625 – 664 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) was adapted to assess African Americans' implicit association of racial prejudice with each of four coping and two emotional responses. Anxiety and general psychological distress were assessed with the Brief Symptom Inventory. Greater implicit association between prejudice and “seeking support” was found to predict lower anxiety and general distress, demonstrating the potential utility of implicit measures in assessing coping responses to racism and their consequences.