Patterns of Response and Remission Following a One-Session Treatment for Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia in Youth

Blood-Injection-Injury (BII) Phobia is a severe and impairing disorder that has been understudied in youth. The present study aimed to define patterns of response and remission following a modified One-Session Treatment (OST) including an e-therapy maintenance program for children and adolescents with BII Phobia. Moreover, characteristics of different responder groups were examined in order to determine correlates of a poorer response. Youth (n?=?20; 8–18 years) were categorized into four responder groups (e.g., immediate remitter, delayed remitter, partial responder, and nonresponder) based upon defined criteria for remission. Immediate remitters to treatment were more likely to have a primary diagnosis of injection phobia, rather than a combined blood and injection phobia. Nonresponders reported significantly greater disgust sensitivity at pretreatment and were more likely to have a comorbid diagnosis of Social Phobia. In regards to within session change, youth who achieved the exposure goal of having a blood test during treatment had a significantly stronger treatment response. These preliminary findings may assist clinicians in the planning and delivering of intensive Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT) approaches for BII Phobia in youth.     

Motives matter: The emotional consequences of recalled self- and other- focused prosocial acts

Past research has demonstrated that engaging in and reflecting upon past instances of prosocial behavior promote happiness. Yet, people provide help for a myriad of reasons. Do the motives for giving impact its emotional consequences? In three experiments (N?>?680), we compared the emotional outcomes of recalling a past instance of prosocial behavior motivated by self-focused and other-focused concerns. Using both between and within subjects designs, we find that recalling an instance of other-focused helping leads to higher positive affect than recalling an instance of self-focused helping. This finding was mediated by feelings of morality. The present work suggests that not all acts of kindness offer equivalent well-being benefits and that selfish motives may undermine the emotional rewards that typically follow other-focused prosocial behavior.     

The MCMI-III personality disorders scores predicted by the NEO-FFI-R and the ZKPQ-50-CC: a comparative study

This study was designed to compare the NEO-FFI-R versus the ZKPQ-50-CC in their relationships with the fourteen MCMI-III personality disorder scales in a Spanish non-clinical sample (N = 674). Previous studies showed consistent relationships between the Five Factor Model and the DSM-IV personality disorders (PD), but there is no comparative study between both Five Factor and Zuckerman's personality models. The aim was to replicate previous results about relationships between the Big-Five and PDs using the revised short version of the NEO-PI-R, and to compare the NEO-FFI-R versus the ZKPQ-50-CC regarding the relationships with MCMI-III personality disorder scales. Results showed no sharp differences between the NEO-FFI-R and ZKPQ-50-CC scales. Each instrument explained around 30% of the PDs MCMI-III scales variance. Using conjointly the 10 personality scales from the NEO-FFI-R and ZKPQ-50-CC, the PDs accounted variance rose to 38%. Differences and similarities between both short personality questionnaires are discussed.     

Keeping up impressions: Inferential rules for impression change across the Big Five

Not all first impressions have equal longevity. Which kinds of impression have the greatest mobility—downward and upward—over the course of acquaintanceships? In this article, we propose an inferential account of impression maintenance across Big Five trait domains. With data from field and laboratory studies, we provide evidence that positive impressions of agreeableness (A), conscientiousness (C), and emotional stability (ES) are especially vulnerable to small amounts of contrary evidence, whereas positive first impressions of extraversion (E) and openness (O) are more resistant to contrary information. Impressions of E and O demonstrated minimal susceptibility to negativity effects in a longitudinal study of college roommate impressions (Study 1), in a study of perceivers’ implicit theories about different trait domains (Study 2), and in an experimental study of manipulated impression change (Study 3).     

Spinal cord injured people: differences in psychological variables from a gender perspective

This ex post factor study is within the framework of studies dealing with the psychological aspects involved in the rehabilitation of people with physical handicaps from the perspective of gender. From this perspective, the study focuses on comparing and studying the differences between men and women using the EMELM Scale (Multidimensional Evaluative Scale for People with Spinal Cord Injury). Participants were 143 people -99 men and 44 women- with spinal cord injuries. The results showed no differences as a result of gender in any of the following psychological variables related to the spinal cord injury adjustment process: extraversion-neuroticism, motivation and anxiety, locus of control, current coping strategies, remembrance of coping strategies and depression. The implications of these results for future research are discussed.     

Social Support,Economic Hardship and Psychological Distress in Spanish and Portuguese At-Risk Families

Individuals with low socioeconomic status generally have worse mental health outcomes than their wealthier counterparts; a tendency that is exacerbated during financial crises. However, social support might buffer the effects of stress on mental health. In this study, we tested whether social support mitigated the effects of economic hardship on psychological distress on an at-risk sample from two of the European countries most affected by the 2008 economic downturn: Spain and Portugal. Participants were 249 caregivers enrolled in Child Welfare Services (73.0% women). Results showed that economic hardship and a negative indicator of social support (network dysfunctionality) were significant predictors of belonging to the psychological distress clinical group (OR: 2.35 and 1.80, respectively). However, no significant interaction effects were observed, thereby refuting the buffering effect hypothesis. When we conducted an in depth analysis of the clinical group, a significant moderation effect emerged. Our results suggest that, for at-risk populations, the detrimental effects of dysfunctional networks on mental health can outweigh the benefits of positive assistance and that social support is a potential stress buffer only for individuals in the clinical spectrum. These findings indicate that the protective effect of social support during circumstances of intense economic adversity is limited.