Attentional bias for words and faces in social anxiety

Conflicting findings concerning the nature and presence of attentional bias in social anxiety and social phobia have been reported in the literature. This paper reports the findings of two studies comparing people with high and low social anxiety on dot probe tasks using words, faces photographed in front view, and faces photographed in profile as stimuli. In Study 1 those with high social anxiety displayed an attentional bias towards negative faces. The low social anxiety group showed an attentional bias towards positive faces. No significant effects were observed on the dot probe using words as stimuli. Study 2 used pairs of faces presented in profile as though looking at each other. One of the faces displayed either a positive, negative or neutral expression. The second face always had a neutral expression, and in half of the trials it was the subject's own face. The findings of this more ecologically valid procedure replicated those of Study 1. Facilitated attention to dots following emotional faces was specific to threatening facial stimuli. From these studies it appears that the facial dot probe task is a more sensitive index of attentional bias than the word task in a non-clinical sample with social anxiety.     

Coaches' perceptions of athletes' stress-related growth following sport injury

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine coaches' perceptions of athletes' stress-related growth following sport injury.DesignQualitative inquiry, grounded in a post-positivism paradigm was used to gain an in-depth understanding of the study's objective.MethodA purposeful sample of eight coaches (M age = 45.7; SD = 11.2) were interviewed across different sports and competitive standards. The semi-structured life world interviews were analysed using content analysis, and two trustworthiness procedures were employed to bolster the rigour of the findings (i.e., peer-debriefing and member checking).ResultsFindings revealed four general dimensions of stress-related growth: personal growth (e.g., beliefs), psychological growth (e.g., sporting qualities), social growth (e.g., social support), and physical growth (e.g., strength). The coaches also reported a number of behavioural indicators that reflected the four general dimensions (e.g., health and performance).ConclusionsFindings ‘validate’ or provide coherence with athletes' self-reports of stress-related growth in previous research and also extend the literature by identifying a number of novel types of growth and perceived behavioural correlates. Future avenues of research include the need to conduct prospective studies and explore related concepts (e.g., vicarious stress-related growth).     

Maladaptive Correlates of the Failure to Forgive Self and Others: Further Evidence for a Two-Component Model of Forgiveness

We examined relations between the Five-factor model (FFM) domains and facets of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, hypothesized behavioral manifestations of these traits (e.g., social information processing and delay discounting), and externalizing behaviors in an undergraduate sample. Agreeableness and Conscientiousness were differentially related to the externalizing behaviors and the laboratory tasks, which in turn evinced significant relations with externalizing behaviors. The personality facets displayed evidence of modest incremental validity over the broader domains and were related to the externalizing behaviors even when controlling for the social information processing and behavioral discounting variables. In general, the results support the validity of the FFM domains and facets, particularly Agreeableness, in the prediction of a variety of externalizing behaviors.     

Anxiety and Drinking: Are Personal Beliefs Regarding Control and Unpredictability Relevant?

Abstract

Anxiety and drinking problems are fairly common, and it is important to know what factors affect these issues. Previous studies document that control beliefs are associated with anxiety and drinking. Unpredictability beliefs correlate with anxiety, yet whether they relate to drinking is unknown. The present study explored these relationships in a sample of adults (N?=?150; 40.0% female; M?=?34.4?years old) and in a sample of college students (N?=?182; 74.7% female; M?=?18.9 years old). Among adults, unpredictability beliefs correlated with anxiety and control beliefs, but not drinking. Similarly, control beliefs correlated with anxiety but not drinking. Furthermore, anxiety and drinking were uncorrelated. Among undergraduates, unpredictability and control beliefs predicted anxiety, whereas unpredictability (pertaining to the self and others) and internality predicted frequency of drinking. Personal unpredictability beliefs emerged as having the strongest association with anxiety across both samples. Future research and treatment should take into account unpredictability beliefs when addressing anxiety problems.