The impact of hope, self-esteem, and attributional style on adolescents’ school grades and emotional well-being: A longitudinal study

We examined the distinctiveness of three “positive thinking” variables (self-esteem, trait hope, and positive attributional style) in predicting future high school grades, teacher-rated adjustment, and students’ reports of their affective states. Seven hundred eighty-four high school students (382 males and 394 females; 8 did not indicate their gender) completed Time 1 measures of verbal and numerical ability, positive thinking, and indices of emotional well-being (positive affect, sadness, fear, and hostility), and Time 2 measures of hope, self-esteem, and emotional well-being. Multi-level random coefficient modelling revealed that each positive thinking variable was distinctive in some contexts but not others. Hope was a predictor of positive affect and the best predictor of grades, negative attributional style was the best predictor of increases in hostility and fear, and low self-esteem was the best predictor of increases in sadness. We also found that sadness at Time 1 predicted decreases in self-esteem at Time 2. The results are discussed with reference to the importance of positive thinking for building resilience.     

Negative life events and stability of sense of coherence: a five-year follow-up study of Finnish women and men

A strong sense of coherence (SOC) is found to be associated with good mental health. This study investigated (1) whether negative life events affect level of SOC, (2) whether initial level of SOC modifies the effect of negative life events on SOC, and (3) whether stability of SOC differs between genders. The data were derived from the 15-year Health and Social Support study (N= 17,271). Ordinary linear regression analysis was used. Negative life events decreased the level of SOC among both genders irrespective of the timing of the event. The more recent the life event, the lower the SOC. A strong SOC in 1998 did not protect SOC from declining during follow-up. Specific gender differences were not discovered. SOC was related to negative changes in people's environment. Initially strong SOC was not more stable than initially mediocre or weak SOC. Men and women reacted quite similarly to negative life events.     

Negative mood regulation mediates the relationship between distraction and engagement in pleasurable activities among college smokers

Smoking for negative mood alleviation is a strong predictor of early smoking and early dependence among undergraduates. Little is known about whether adaptive cognitive coping processes (e.g., distraction) may help decrease the likelihood of student smoking for negative mood regulation. The present study tested the hypothesis that distraction would predict (a) greater engagement in adaptive pleasant pastimes and (b) lower rates of smoking behavior among undergraduates (n = 162, 41.9% female). We further assessed whether negative mood regulation expectations would explain both relationships. Results indicated that negative mood regulation fully mediated the relationship between distraction and engagement in pleasurable activities among college smokers. Although the relationships among distraction, negative mood regulation, and cigarette consumption were not significant, they were in the expected direction (negative). Results from the present study point to the importance of prevention efforts focused on enhancing cognitive coping skills in college smokers. Such a focus may lead to more frequent adaptive cognitive coping during negative mood states, presumably instead of smoking.     

The phenonenological idealism controversy in light of possible worlds semantics

In the paper there is presented the semantic interpretation of idealism/realism controversy which is one of the most essential issues in Ingarden’s phenomenological project of ontology. The procedure of semantic paraphrase which is contemporary developed by Woleński, is the main interpretative tool. In the central part of the paper, there is formulated the formal theory of the semantic framework underlying idealism/realism discourse. Finally, there are formulated some notes showing that intentional conception of negation may be used for defending various idealistic positions.

Understanding the relationship between obesity and positive and negative affect: the role of psychosocial mechanisms

We examined the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and positive and negative affect, and evaluated whether this relationship is mediated (or suppressed) by physical health, intrusiveness of weight on physical functioning, and distressing interpersonal interactions. Analyses were based on a national sample of more than 3,000 adults ages 25 to 74. Class II (BMI 35–39.9) and Class III (BMI ≥ 40) obesity were associated with more frequent negative affect and less frequent positive affect, even after demographic and socioeconomic status characteristics were controlled. After the purported pathway variables were controlled, however, obese I persons reported significantly more frequent positive affect, while overweight, obese I, and obese II persons reported significantly less frequent negative affect, compared to normal weight persons. These patterns did not differ significantly by race or gender. Our findings suggest that excessive body weight is not necessarily distressing, yet the physical and interpersonal strains associated with obesity may impair one's mood. We discuss the implications for policy and practice.     

心理弹性、负性生活事件和抑郁症状的关系：钢化效应和敏化效应

该研究追踪调查汶川地震后1573名青少年,考查心理弹性、生活事件和抑郁症状的关系,以探讨幸存者的心理修复过程。结果表明:（1）心理弹性既能直接预测抑郁症状,也能通过抑郁症状间接影响生活事件;（2）生活事件既能直接预测心理弹性,也能通过抑郁症状间接预测心理弹性;（3）抑郁症状既能直接影响心理弹性,也能通过生活事件间接影响心理弹性。结论：灾后不同特征的青少年心理修复过程不同,存在"钢化效应"和"敏化效应"。     

震后18个月都江堰地区青少年负性生活事件、父母教养方式与焦虑性情绪的关系

以1021名高中生为被试,于震后18个月用儿童焦虑性情绪筛查量表、父母教养方式问卷、青少年自评生活事件量表等进行评估,探索震后继发的负性生活事件、父母教养方式对青少年焦虑的影响。结果发现:震后18个月都江堰地区青少年焦虑问题仍较为严重;青少年的父亲、母亲过度保护和父亲关怀对震后焦虑问题有直接影响;负性生活事件对青少年焦虑影响显著,母亲过度保护和父亲自主性对这种关系调节作用显著。     

The spiral of distrust: (Non‐)cooperation in a repeated trust game is predicted by anger and individual differences in negative reciprocity orientation

This study investigated state anger and individual differences in negative reciprocity orientation as predictors of individuals' willingness to cooperate with strangers. In order to observe real behaviour, we used a trust game that was played over six periods. In the trust game, a first player (sender) determines how much of a certain endowment she/he wants to share with a second player (trustee), who then can give something back. We varied whether participants received feedback [feedback (yes, no)] about the trustee's behavioural decision (amount sent back). Supporting our hypotheses, the results suggest that feedback compared with no feedback about the trustee's behaviour increased anger. Specifically, information about low back transfers triggered anger and non‐cooperation in return. Importantly, participants with a strong negative reciprocity orientation reported higher levels of anger and were less willing to cooperate with the trustee compared with those with low negative reciprocity orientation. Moreover, even when anger was low, individuals with a strong negative reciprocity orientation were less willing to cooperate compared with those with a low negative reciprocity orientation. Thus, negative reciprocity orientation seems to arouse a spiral of distrust. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Intra-individual variability and psychological flexibility: Affect and health in a National US sample

Intra-individual variability (IIV) and psychological flexibility (PF) in affect both describe affective change over time (i.e., within-person variability). However, IIV and PF might differ from each other and predict different psychological and physical health outcomes. A large sample of adults (n = 793) completed two assessments of daily stress, daily affect, and health over a 10-year interval in The National Study of Daily Experiences (an 8-day daily diary portion of the Midlife Development in the United States study). IIV and PF in affect were modestly reliable within and between assessments. IIV, operationalized as total variability, predicted worse psychological and physical health concurrently and prospectively. PF, operationalized as changes in dimensionality, predicted better psychological and physical health concurrently and prospectively. Other operationalizations of PF were not consistently related to health. Within-person variability in affect could therefore be adaptive or maladaptive depending on how it was defined.     

Examining pathways linking maternal depressive symptoms in infancy to children’s behavior problems: The role of maternal unresponsiveness and negative behaviors

The extent to which maternal depressive symptoms in the first 6 months of life is linked with internalizing and externalizing behaviors in childhood through specific insensitive maternal behaviors (unresponsive and overtly negative behaviors) was examined in a sample of 259 mother-infant dyads. In addition, the extent to which these paths were moderated by infant negative emotionality was also examined. Maternal depressive symptoms were assessed prenatally and when infants were 6 months and 2 years old. Maternal unresponsive and overtly negative behaviors and infant negative emotionality were observed when infants were 6 months old. Mothers reported on infant’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors when infants were 2 years old. Maternal depressive symptoms were directly associated with higher internalizing behaviors; this path was not mediated by maternal behaviors. Depressive symptoms were unrelated to externalizing symptoms. Infant negative emotionality did not moderate these effects, but was related positively to overtly negative maternal behaviors, and temperament interacted with maternal depressive symptoms to predict unresponsive maternal behaviors. Results suggest that early maternal depressive symptoms, infant negative emotionality, and negative maternal behavior pose risk for infants’ later internalizing behaviors, but the proposed moderated mediation model was not supported.