Representational pseudoneglect and reference points both influence geographic location estimates

Our mental representation of the world is far from objective. For example, western Canadians estimate the locations of North American cities to be too far to the west. This bias could be due to a reference point effect, in which people estimate more space between places close to them than far from them, or to representational pseudoneglect, in which neurologically intact individuals favor the left side of space when asked to image a scene. We tested whether either or both of these biases influence the geographic world representations of neurologically intact young adults from Edmonton and Ottawa, which are in western and eastern Canada, respectively. Individuals were asked to locate North American cities on a two-dimensional grid. Both groups revealed effects of representational pseudoneglect in this novel paradigm, but they also each exhibited reference point effects. These results inform theories in both cognitive psychology and neuroscience.     

Evidence for positive mood buffering among college student drinkers

Positive experiences play an important role in buffering the effects of negative experiences. Although this process can play out in a myriad of contexts, the college context is one of particular importance because of significant concerns about student stress levels and alcohol abuse. Building on evidence that at least some students drink in response to negative experiences, we considered the possibility that positive moods would moderate college student negative mood-drinking relationships. Using a Web-based daily process study of 118 (57% women) undergraduate student drinkers, the authors reveal that positive moods indeed buffer the effects of negative moods on student drinking, depending on the mood and drinking context. Furthermore, the buffering of ashamed mood appears to explain the buffering of other negative moods. Implications of these findings are considered in terms of the relationship between negative self-awareness and drinking to cope.     

Relationships among depressive symptoms, benefit-finding, optimism, and positive affect in multiple sclerosis patients after psychotherapy for depression.

OBJECTIVE: While many patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience psychological problems, such as depression, benefit-finding is commonly reported. Using the Broaden-and-Build Model of positive emotions (Fredrickson, 2001) and the Expectancy-Value Model of optimism (Carver & Scheier, 1998) as two related, yet, distinct conceptual frameworks, this study examined positive affect and optimism as mediators of the relationship between improved depression and enhanced benefit-finding. DESIGN: MS patients (N=127), who participated in a larger, randomized clinical trial comparing two types of telephone psychotherapy for depression, were assessed at baseline, midtherapy (8 weeks), end of therapy (16 weeks), and 6- and 12-month posttherapy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Depression was measured with a telephone administered version of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression; Positive Affect was measured with the Positive Affect Subscale from the Positive and Negative Affect Scale; Optimism was measured with the Life Orientation Test-Revised; Benefit-Finding was measured with the revised version of the Stress-Related Growth Scale. RESULTS: Data were analyzed with multilevel random-effects models, controlling for time since MS diagnosis and type of treatment. Improved depression was associated with increased benefit-finding over time. The relationship between improved depression and benefit-finding was significantly mediated by both increased optimism and increased positive affect. CONCLUSION: Findings provide support to both theoretical models. Positivity appears to promote benefit-finding in MS.     

The Impact of Protective Factors on Posttraumatic Growth for College Student Survivors of Childhood Maltreatment

Many college students experience traumatic life events in childhood, yet demonstrate personal growth following these experiences. Deriving benefit in the face of adversity has been termed “posttraumatic growth.” The relationship between posttraumatic growth and childhood experiences of abuse and neglect was investigated in a sample of 501 college students. The primary focus was on what protective factors moderated the relationship between childhood experiences of abuse and neglect and later posttraumatic growth. It was found that although the protective factors of acceptance, positive reframing, and emotional support all significantly predicted scores on the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, only the factor of prosocial adults and the overall number of social and emotional resources experienced moderated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and posttraumatic growth. These findings have implications for designing effective interventions that foster growth in college students who report a history of childhood maltreatment.     

Gay and bisexual male clients' perceptions of counseling: the role of perceived sexual orientation similarity and counselor universal-diverse orientation

A recurring question in multicultural counseling is whether client-counselor similarity on sociodemographic characteristics benefits counseling. A related issue is how counselor orientation to diversity relates to counseling process and outcome, both as a main effect and in interaction with counselor-client sociodemographic match. This cross-sectional study investigated these questions in relation to gay and bisexual male clients' counseling experiences by examining clients' perceived similarity to their counselor in sexual orientation, as well as counselors' self-reported orientation to diversity (assessed in terms of level of universal-diverse orientation [UDO]). Data were from 83 male-male client-counselor dyads recruited from lesbian/gay/bisexual-affirming counseling practices, where clients identified as gay or bisexual and counselors identified as gay, bisexual, or heterosexual. Counselor UDO was positively and uniquely associated with client ratings of the working alliance, session depth, and session smoothness. Perceived sexual orientation similarity was not directly related to any of the counseling-related criterion variables. Moreover, when counselors reported low levels of UDO, perceived similarity was negatively associated with the client-rated alliance and perceived improvement. Client religious commitment-a control variable in all analyses--was uniquely and negatively associated with client ratings of perceived improvement in counseling.     

Client concealment and self-presentation in therapy: comment on Kelly (2000)

The authors disagree with A. E. Kelly's (2000) conclusions that clients conceal things from therapists primarily for self-presentational reasons and that client concealment is positively related to positive therapy process and outcome. They also disagree with A. E. Kelly regarding the implications of self-presentation theory for therapy. Their review of the research suggests that clients do not conceal much from therapists, that what they do conceal involves many different kinds of information hidden for many different reasons, that therapists have wide variability in being able to detect hidden client material, and that the relationship of client concealment and therapist awareness of client concealment with therapy process and outcome is not clear. Finally, the authors discuss their views about implications of client concealment and self-presentation for therapy.     

The Dark Side of Helping: Does Returning the Favor from Coworkers Hurt Employee Work Engagement?

This study investigated the potential "dark side" of helping behavior at work -- operationalized as provision of social support to coworkers. Drawing from the emotional contagion literature and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, we proposed and tested a moderated mediational model to examine the mechanisms by which social support received from one's coworkers contribute to the support recipient's work engagement. Employing data from a 12-week-long weekly diary among 142 acute care nurses, we did not find support for the proposed negative relationship between providing social support to coworkers and support providers' work engagement, nor for the overall mediational effect of the relationship between received coworker support and work engagement through support provision. However, we found that some work contextual factors (i.e., stable social support climates from coworkers and supervisors) moderated the weekly processes through which nurses' repaying social support received from coworkers predicts their subsequent work engagement. Specifically, providing support to coworkers had stronger beneficial effects on providers' engagement when coworker/supervisor support climates were relatively low; support received from coworkers had stronger indirect beneficial effects on nurses' engagement when coworker/supervisor support climates were relatively low. Our study findings highlight the complexity of the relationship between social support dynamics and work engagement, and that emotional contagion and COR theory may be insufficient, on their own, to explain social support dynamics between coworkers. We also discuss implications of the findings for managerial practices related to support dynamics at work.     

Internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy for anxiety and insomnia in a higher education context

Background and Objectives: Anxiety and insomnia can be treated with internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT). iCBT may be well-suited to students who are known to be poor help-seekers and suffer these symptoms. iCBT can offer easy access to treatment and increase service availability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of anxiety and insomnia iCBT programs in students. Design: A randomized, controlled study. Methods: Students were randomly allocated to intervention (“Anxiety Relief”: n?=?43; “Insomnia Relief”: n?=?48; control: n?=?47). Interventions lasted six weeks. Outcome measures were the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Results: Significant within-group reductions in anxiety (t(31)?=?2.00, p?=?.03) with moderate between-groups (compared to control) effect size (d?=?.64) and increases in sleep quality (t(31)?=?3.46, p?=?.002) with a moderate between-groups effect size (d?=?.55) were found for completers of the anxiety program from pre- to post-intervention. Significant within-group increases in sleep quality were found for completers of the insomnia program from pre- to post-intervention (t(35)?=?4.28, p?>?.001) with a moderate between-groups effect size (d?=?.51). Conclusions: Findings support the use of iCBT for anxiety and insomnia in students, and indicate that further research is needed.     

Portfolio Decisions and Brain Reactions via the CEAD method

Decision making can be a complex process requiring the integration of several attributes of choice options. Understanding the neural processes underlying (uncertain) investment decisions is an important topic in neuroeconomics. We analyzed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from an investment decision study for stimulus-related effects. We propose a new technique for identifying activated brain regions: cluster, estimation, activation, and decision method. Our analysis is focused on clusters of voxels rather than voxel units. Thus, we achieve a higher signal-to-noise ratio within the unit tested and a smaller number of hypothesis tests compared with the often used General Linear Model (GLM). We propose to first conduct the brain parcellation by applying spatially constrained spectral clustering. The information within each cluster can then be extracted by the flexible dynamic semiparametric factor model (DSFM) dimension reduction technique and finally be tested for differences in activation between conditions. This sequence of Cluster, Estimation, Activation, and Decision admits a model-free analysis of the local fMRI signal. Applying a GLM on the DSFM-based time series resulted in a significant correlation between the risk of choice options and changes in fMRI signal in the anterior insula and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Additionally, individual differences in decision-related reactions within the DSFM time series predicted individual differences in risk attitudes as modeled with the framework of the mean-variance model.