Peer Victimization and Substance Use in Early Adolescence: Influences of Deviant Peer Affiliation and Parental Knowledge

Being the target of peer victimization contributes to alcohol and cigarette use during early adolescence. This 1-year longitudinal study extended the current literature by investigating the potential links between peer victimization and alcohol and cigarette initiation among a sample of 723 youths recruited from three middle schools in Southern China. We proposed a moderated mediation model to examine whether peer victimization is indirectly related to substance use via deviant peer affiliation, and whether the strength of this mediation is moderated by the level of parental knowledge for both genders. All participants self-reported using questionnaires to assess peer victimization, deviant peer affiliation, parental knowledge, and substance use. The results revealed that peer victimization was indirectly associated with increased alcohol use via deviant peer affiliation for both genders. However, deviant peer affiliation mediated the impact of peer victimization on trying cigarettes for only boys. Moreover, parental knowledge acted as a protective role for increases in alcohol use for girls, but not for boys. These findings highlight the potential role of deviant peer affiliation to explain the relationship between peer victimization and substance use, and provide important implications for addressing the adverse consequences of peer victimization.     

Association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and depression: a meta-analysis in the Chinese population

Depression is a worldwide public health issue, and its prevalence increases each year. Although a number of studies have been conducted on the association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and depression in China, this association remains elusive and controversial. To clarify the impact of MTHFR C677T polymorphism on the risk of depression, a meta-analysis was performed in the Chinese population. Relevant studies were identified using PubMed, Springer Link, Ovid, Chinese Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure and Chinese Biology Medicine through May 5, 2015. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of the associations. A total of 13 case–control studies including 1895 patients and 1913 controls were involved in this meta-analysis. Overall, T variant of MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism was significantly associated with an increased risk of depression in the Chinese population (T vs. C: OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.24–1.85; TT + CT vs. CC: OR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.16–2.30; TT vs. CC: OR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.49–3.24; TT vs. CC + CT: OR = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.31–2.46). In subgroup analyses stratified by geographic area and source of controls, the significant results were found in population-based studies, in hospital-based studies, in North and South China. The risk conferred by MTHFR C677T polymorphism is higher in North China than in South China. In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggests that MTHFR C677T polymorphism is associated with depression in the Chinese population, but these associations vary in different geographic locations.     

A study of mild cognitive impairment in veterans: role of hypertension and other confounding factors

Introduction: Hypertension has shown to be an important risk factor for the decline in cognitive function. Aim of our study is to investigate the presence of cognitive impairment of the elders with hypertension and other confounding factors.

Methods: This study was conducted on 400 veterans who were matched one-to-one with the confounding factors for assessing the presence of mild cognitive impairment using both MMSE and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The 13 related factors of patient data were studied.

Results: The prevalence rate of cognitive impairment was 29.25%. Age (OR 2.679, 95%CI 1.663–6.875), sleep impairment (OR 1.117, 95%CI 1.754–7.422), uncontrolled hypertension (OR 1.522, 95%CI 1.968–4.454), type 2 diabetes (OR 2.464, 95%CI 1.232–4.931), and hyperlipidaemia (OR 1.411, 95%CI 1.221–8.988) are the risk factors for the cognitive deterioration, while the protective factors are high level of education (OR 0.032, 95%CI 0.007–0.149) and regular exercise (OR 0.307, 95%CI 0.115–0.818).

Discussion: Because some vascular disease risk factors, such as hypertension, can be treated effectively, cognitive decline related to these risk factors, and vascular disease per se, may be prevented or its course modified through more aggressive treatment and improved compliance.     

The Leader Ship Is Sinking: A Temporal Investigation of Narcissistic Leadership

Individuals higher in narcissism have leader emergent tendencies. The characteristics of their personality suggest, however, that their leadership qualities will decrease over time as a function of group acquaintance. We present data from two studies that provide the first empirical support for this theoretical position within a transformational leadership framework. In Study 1 (N = 112), we tested narcissistic leadership qualities in groups of unacquainted individuals over a 12‐week period. In Study 2 (N = 152), we adopted the same protocol with groups of acquainted individuals. In Study 1, narcissism was positively associated with peer‐rated leadership during initial group formation but not later. In Study 2, narcissism was not significantly associated with peer‐rated leadership during initial group formation and was negatively associated with peer‐rated leadership later. In Study 1, transformational leadership mediated the relationship between narcissism and leadership initially but not later on. In Study 2, transformational leadership failed to mediate the relationship between narcissism and leadership throughout the study. Despite enjoying a honeymoon period of leadership, the appeal and attractiveness of the narcissistic leader rapidly wane. This decline is explained in part by their changing transformational leadership qualities.     

Confirmatory Factor Analyses of Self- and Parent- Report Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits in 8- to 10-Year-Olds

The factorial structure of the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU; Frick 2004) has been inconsistent across various studies using different rater versions and samples. In this study the factorial structure of the self- and parent-report versions of the ICU was examined in a community sample of 340 boys and girls aged 8- to 10- years. A series of confirmatory factor analyses revealed that (1) for self-report ICU, a two-factor model comprising one Uncaring and one Callousness factor fit the data best; the factorial structure was invariant across sex, although boys showed higher scores than girls on the Uncaring factor; (2) for the parent-report ICU, a three-factor structure was supported, and boys and girls did not differ on factor structure or levels of the factors. For both versions, CU traits were positively associated with the count of Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder and internalizing behavior symptoms, demonstrating ICU’s good convergent albeit unsatisfactory discriminant validity. Findings suggest further refinement of this instrument for the self-report and parent versions separately.     

A Scanpath Analysis of the Risky Decision‐Making Process

In the field of eye tracking, scanpath analysis can reflect the sequential and temporal properties of the cognitive process. However, the advantages of scanpath analysis have not yet been utilized in the study of risky decision making. We explored the methodological applicability of scanpath analysis to test models of risky decision making by analyzing published data from the eye‐tracking studies of Su et al. (2013); Wang and Li (2012), and Sun, Rao, Zhou, and Li (2014). These studies used a proportion task, an outcome‐matched presentation condition, and a multiple‐play condition as the baseline for comparison with information search and processing in the risky decision‐making condition. We found that (i) the similarity scores of the intra‐conditions were significantly higher than those of the inter‐condition; (ii) the scanpaths of the two conditions were separable; and (iii) based on an inspection of typical trials, the patterns of the scanpaths differed between the two conditions. These findings suggest that scanpath analysis is reliable and valid for examining the process of risky decision making. In line with the findings of the three original studies, our results indicate that risky decision making is unlikely to be based on a weighting and summing process, as hypothesized by the family of expectation models. The findings highlight a new methodological direction for research on decision making. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The relationship between multidimensional spirituality and depressive symptoms in college students: Examining hope agency and pathways as potential mediators

In this study, we examined goal-focused hope as a potential mediator between the association of multidimensional spirituality and depressive symptoms in a sample of 319 college students. Results of conducting a series of multiple mediation tests indicated that hope agency, but not hope pathways, fully and significantly accounted for the associations of ritualistic, theistic, and existential spirituality with depressive symptoms. Overall, our findings offer support for the contention that hope agency plays an important role in accounting for the association between spirituality and psychological adjustment in college students. Some implications of the present findings are discussed.     

Crafting messages to promote water conservation: Using time‐framed messages to boost conservation actions in the United States and China

Grounded in construal‐level theory (CLT), this experiment examines how messages with different temporal frames (i.e., present‐ vs. future‐framed) influence individuals' perceptions of, and reactions to, water conservation. One hundred ninety‐three participants, 99 from China and 94 from the United States, participated in this study. Results indicated that a present‐framed message results in more positive attitudes toward water conservation than the future‐framed message. Participants who scored higher on individual future‐time orientation show stronger behavioral intention to conserve water than participants who scored lower. A significant interaction between temporal message framing and country emerged such that the future‐framed message resulted in greater behavioral intention for Chinese participants than their U.S. counterparts whereas the present‐framed message did not differentially influence Chinese and U.S. participants. Implications of findings for theory‐building and application are discussed.