Parental grief of a perinatal loss: A comparison of individual and relationship variables

Abstract

This study focuses on the comparison of individual variables of bereavement, depression, and stress with variables associated with the couple relationship, including cohesion, adaptability, communication, satisfaction, and partner support. In total, 24 couples completed self-report instruments within 2 weeks after a miscarriage. Mothers had significantly stronger grief reactions than fathers. Fathers and mothers perceived their relationships similarly as highly functional. Except for mothers' depression and their satisfaction with the couple relationship, the correlations between individual and relationship variables were rather weak. Implications of the results for family professionals are discussed.     

Emotion regulation difficulties in trauma survivors: the role of trauma type and PTSD symptom severity

Two different hypotheses regarding the relationship between emotion regulation and PTSD are described in the literature. First, it has been suggested that emotion regulation difficulties are part of the complex sequelae of early-onset chronic interpersonal trauma and less common following late-onset or single-event traumas. Second, PTSD in general has been suggested to be related to emotion regulation difficulties. Bringing these two lines of research together, the current study aimed to investigate the role of trauma type and PTSD symptom severity on emotion regulation difficulties in a large sample of trauma survivors (N=616). In line with the hypotheses, PTSD symptom severity was significantly associated with all variables assessing emotion regulation difficulties. In addition, survivors of early-onset chronic interpersonal trauma showed higher scores on these measures than survivors of single-event and/or late-onset traumas. However, when controlling for PTSD symptom severity, the group differences only remained significant for 2 out of 9 variables. The most robust findings were found for the variable "lack of clarity of emotions." Implications for future research, theoretical models of trauma-related disorders, and their treatment will be discussed.     

Mothers as a Resource in Times of Stress: Interactive Contributions of Socialization of Coping and Stress to Youth Psychopathology

This study examined the hypothesis that maternal socialization of coping would make a differential contribution to youth depression and externalizing psychopathology depending on youths’ level of exposure to life stress. A sample of 155 youth (M age = 12.41, SD = 1.21) and their maternal caregivers completed semi-structured interviews and questionnaires in a two-wave longitudinal study over a 1-year period. Results provided evidence for two types of socialization × stress interactions—an amplification-effects model and a differential-effects model. In the context of interpersonal stress, findings supported an amplification-effects model wherein the risk and protective effects of engagement and disengagement socialization of coping emerged in youth exposed to high but not mild levels of stress. In the context of noninterpersonal stress, findings supported a differential-effects model wherein disengagement socialization of coping contributed to heightened risk among youth exposed to high stress but dampened risk among youth exposed to mild stress. This research identifies maternal socialization of coping as a noteworthy contributor to risk for youth psychopathology, and highlights the need to consider parenting × environment interactions when investigating parenting processes related to youth psychopathology.     

The effect of performance trend on performance ratings occurs through observer attributions,but depends on performance variability

Research regarding the influence of dynamic performance characteristics on performance ratings suggests that raters are remarkably susceptible to observed trends in performance over time, such that systematic trends or patterns in performance can have an undue influence on how performance is evaluated. However, research in this domain has not fully explained how dynamic performance characteristics influence performance judgments. Drawing on attribution theory, we introduce a model whereby the impact of dynamic performance characteristics on subsequent performance judgments occurs through attributions for performance. Then, in three experimental studies, we show that dynamic performance characteristics influence attributions for performance, which in turn affect performance ratings.     

The combined effect of ratee's bodyweight and past performance information on performance judgments

Few studies have examined how various biases operate in combination to influence performance judgments. Along these lines, the current study used experimental methods to test four competing models of the combined influence of ratee's bodyweight and past performance information on performance judgments. Results were consistent with an additive model, such that ratee's bodyweight and information about ratee's past performance combined independently to affect performance judgments. Consistent with a double disadvantage effect, the least favorable performance judgments were made for an overweight ratee with poor previous performance. Finally, mixed evidence was obtained for the interaction of ratee's bodyweight and perceptions of ratee's physical attractiveness, such that high‐perceived attractiveness buffered against the otherwise negative performance ratings associated with overweight status.     

Developmental influences on interpersonal stress generation in depressed youth

This research tested the hypothesis that the transition through adolescence, particularly undergoing puberty early relative to one's peers, would amplify the effect of depression on the subsequent generation of interpersonal stress. This hypothesis was examined in 158 youth (M age=12.39 years, SD=1.21) using semistructured interviews of depression and life stress. Three indexes of development--chronological age, pubertal status, and pubertal timing--were examined as possible moderators of the stress-generation effect. As anticipated, depression predicted interpersonal stress generation in early-maturing but not late-maturing youth. These findings provide an important developmental context for theory and research on stress generation.