Anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty: Evidence of incremental specificity in relation to health anxiety

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) reflects the fear of arousal-related sensations and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) represents the dispositional fear of the unknown. Within cognitive–behavioral models, AS and IU are individual difference variables considered central to the phenomenology of health anxiety. However, prior studies have cast doubt on whether both variables incrementally contribute to our understanding of health anxiety. Addressing limitations of these prior studies, the present study examined the incremental specificity of AS and IU as these two variables relate to health anxiety in a large medically healthy sample of community adults (N = 474). Both AS and IU incrementally contributed to the concurrent prediction of health anxiety beyond both negative affect and one another. However, within these analyses, the physical dimension of AS and the inhibitory dimension of IU were the only AS and IU dimensions to evidence incremental specificity in relation to health anxiety.     

Identity,coping style,and health behaviour among first generation Irish immigrants in England

Abstract

Berry's (1997) framework for acculturation research was used to explore the relationship between identity and health among Irish immigrants in England. One hundred and twelve first generation Irish immigrants completed questionnaire measures of ethnic identity, opportunities for identity expression, generalised coping style, and health behaviour. Significant, though small, positive correlations were observed between identity and health behaviour as predicted. Regression analyses and path analysis were used to present a model of the link between variables. Of particular note were the contrasting ways in which the two dimensions of identity were associated with health behaviour. Participants who positively evaluated their ethnic origins reported engaging in healthier behaviour and adopting more beneficial coping strategies when faced with day-to-day stresses and problems. Participants who reported their ethnic origin as more central to their overall identity were also more likely to adopt beneficial coping strategies. Concomitantly, however, they had fewer than desired opportunities for expressing their ethnic identity which was, in turn, associated with less beneficial coping and health behaviour. In looking for ways to tackle the well-documented health problems of both first and second generation Irish in England, the results suggest that encouragement to feel more positive about their ethnic identity might result in greater usage of behavioural approach coping and, relatedly, to improved health behaviour.     

After-effects of reinforcement magnitude: Dependence upon context

On a fixed-interval schedule with rat subjects the duration of the post-reinforcement pause was found to be an increasing function of the magnitude of the preceding reinforcer. This relationship was observed when two magnitudes were contrasted closely in time, but not when the subjects were trained on each magnitude until the establishment of stable responding. After the behaviour was stable, the effect of the magnitude of reinforcement re-emerged when 50% of the scheduled reinforcers were omitted. Thus, the positive relationship between the magnitude of reinforcement and the duration of the post-reinforcement pause depended on the context of presentation of a given magnitude.     

AGE DIFFERENCES IN CUMULATIVE LEARNING OF MEANINGFUL AND MEANINGLESS MATERIAL

Age differences in cumulative learning were explored using a technique developed by Hebb. In the first experiment Finnish subjects recalled messages of English digits and in two subsequent experiments English subjects recalled messages of Finnish and of English digits. The finding from the first experiment was that young subjects exhibited cumulative learning while old subjects did not but it was concluded on the basis of the two further experiments that both age groups could show cumulative learning under the conditions used. An age difference in immediate memory for meaningful and meaningless material is noted and the possibility of increasing vulnerability with age to different forms of interference is discussed.     

Addressing Psychometric Limitations of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale Through Item Modification

Through its frequent use, a pattern has emerged showing psychometric limitations of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz &; Roemer, 2004 Gratz, K. L., &; Roemer, L. (2004). Multidimensional assessment of emotion regulation and dysregulation: Development, factor structure, and initial validation of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 26, 41–54.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). This 3-part study sought to (a) determine whether these limitations are due to a method effect by rewording all reverse-coded items in a straightforward manner and submitting them to exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and (b) examine the tenability of an adaptation of the original measure. EFA results from Study 1 (N = 743) supported retention of 29 modified items across 5 factors. Consistent with the original theoretical underpinnings of the DERS, Awareness and Clarity items loaded on the same factor. In Study 2 (N = 738), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the factor structure of the pool of items identified in Study 1. All of the modified subscales clustered strongly with one another and evidenced large loadings on a higher-order emotion regulation construct. These results were replicated in Study 3 (N = 918). Results from Study 3 also provided support for the reliability and validity of scores on the modified version of the DERS (i.e., internal consistency, convergent and criterion-related validity). These findings provide psychometric support for a modified version of the DERS.     

Perceptual reasons

The two main theories of perceptual reasons in contemporary epistemology can be called Phenomenalism and Factualism. According to Phenomenalism, perceptual reasons are facts about experiences conceived of as phenomenal states, i.e., states individuated by phenomenal character, by what it’s like to be in them. According to Factualism, perceptual reasons are instead facts about the external objects perceived. The main problem with Factualism is that it struggles with bad cases: cases where perceived objects are not what they appear (illusions, broadly speaking) or where there is no perceived object at all (hallucinations). The main problem with Phenomenalism is that it struggles with good cases: cases where everything is perfectly normal and the external object is correctly perceived, so that one’s perceptual beliefs are knowledge. In this paper we show that there is a theory of perceptual reasons that avoids the problems for Factualism and Phenomenalism. We call this view Propositionalism. We use ‘proposition’ broadly to mean the entities that are contents of beliefs and other doxastic attitudes. The key to finding a middle ground between Phenomenalism and Factualism, we claim, is to allow our reasons to be false in bad cases. Despite being false, they are about the external world, not our phenomenal states.     

Support for collective action against refugees: The role of national,European, and global identifications,and autochthony beliefs

To understand recent anti-refugee protests in Europe, we examined how different levels of inclusiveness of group identities (national, European, and global) are related to intentions to protest among native Europeans. We focused on the mediating role of autochthony (a belief that the first inhabitants of a territory are more entitled) and the moderating role of threat. Survey data from 11 European countries (N = 1,909) showed that national identification was positively associated with autochthony, and therefore, with the intention to protest against refugees. In contrast, global identification was related to lower protest intentions via lower autochthony. These paths were found only among Europeans who perceived refugees as a threat. European identification was not related to the endorsement of autochthony or to collective action. These findings indicate why and when majority members are willing to participate in collective action against refugees, and underscore the importance of global identification in the acceptance of refugees.