Application of the Within- and Between-Series Estimators to Non-normal Multiple-Baseline Data: Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Approaches

In single-case research, multiple-baseline (MB) design provides the opportunity to estimate the treatment effect based on not only within-series comparisons of treatment phase to baseline phase observations, but also time-specific between-series comparisons of observations from those that have started treatment to those that are still in the baseline. For analyzing MB studies, two types of linear mixed modeling methods have been proposed: the within- and between-series models. In principle, those models were developed based on normality assumptions, however, normality may not always be found in practical settings. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the robustness of the within- and between-series models when data were non-normal. A Monte Carlo study was conducted with four statistical approaches. The approaches were defined by the crossing of two analytic decisions: (a) whether to use a within- or between-series estimate of effect and (b) whether to use restricted maximum likelihood or Markov chain Monte Carlo estimations. The results showed the treatment effect estimates of the four approaches had minimal bias, that within-series estimates were more precise than between-series estimates, and that confidence interval coverage was frequently acceptable, but varied across conditions and methods of estimation. Applications and implications were discussed based on the findings.     

First Year Post-Katrina: Changes in Occupational Performance and Emotional Responses

The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine whether Hurricane Katrina affected the occupational performance and emotional states of New Orleans area residents affected by the hurricane over the first year post-Katrina. A purposeful sample of 143 adults who lived in the New Orleans area just prior to Katrina completed a questionnaire one year after Katrina. Participants were asked to rate their satisfaction with their occupational performance and emotional states at four time periods: August 2005, before Katrina; September 2005, one month after Katrina; March 2006, six months post-Katrina; and September 2006, one year post-Katrina. The most notable findings were that both satisfaction with occupational performance and emotional states showed marked declines during the month immediately following Katrina, with some recovery six months post-Katrina, and further recovery a year after Katrina. At one year post-Katrina however, the recovery of satisfaction with occupational performance and emotional states approached, but did not quite reach pre-Katrina baseline responses. Further, women did not fare as well as men post-Katrina, on both variables. Limitations of the study, implications of findings for the theory and practice of occupational therapy in the area of disaster responses, and possible future research are discussed.     

Distinguishing voluntary from involuntary attention to emotion

This study explored whether voluntary attention to emotion is distinguishable from involuntary attention to emotion. University students (N = 166) completed self-report questionnaires, designed for this study, intended to measure voluntary and involuntary attention to one’s own emotions. Moreover, participants completed questionnaires measuring other emotional constructs and distress. Finally, participants completed a dot probe task intended to obtain a behavioral measure of voluntary attention to emotion. Affect intensity was positively correlated with both voluntary and involuntary attention to emotion. As expected, dot probe emotional bias scores were associated with self-reported voluntary attention to emotion, but not with involuntary attention to emotion. Voluntary and involuntary attention to emotion were also differentially associated with clarity of emotion, anhedonic depression, and worry. The results of this study suggest it is important to distinguish between voluntary and involuntary attention to one’s own emotions.     

社会支持与主观幸福感关系的元分析

研究目的是探讨基于社会支持评定量表的社会支持与主观幸福感的相关,并探讨影响二者关系的研究特征.纳入元分析86篇原始研究,产生了89个独立样本,样本总量为32948.结果显示,主观支持、客观支持和支持利用度,与主观幸福感总体、生活满意度、积极情感之间存在中等程度的显著正相关,与消极情感之间呈中等程度的显著负相关.二者之间的相关受被试群体类型的调节,即在不同被试群体中二者的相关大小不同.     

抑郁倾向对个体情绪调节目标的影响——来自事件相关电位的证据

目前抑郁症情绪失调的研究主要关注策略的选择和应用, 但是对于情绪调节目标是否异常及其背后的电生理基础尚不清楚。情景选择是成熟的情绪反应产生之前运用的一种调节策略, 可以反映情绪调节目标。本研究要求抑郁倾向被试与控制组被试观看并选择快乐、中性和悲伤场景图片, 同时记录事件相关电位(ERP)和主观情绪偏好。结果发现, 抑郁倾向组悲伤图片的LPP波幅显著小于健康控制组, 并更多地选择再次观看悲伤图片。此外, 抑郁倾向组对于悲伤情绪的偏好显著增加, 对快乐情绪的偏好则显著降低。结果提示抑郁倾向个体对快乐刺激的趋近动机和对悲伤刺激的回避动机都降低, 从而使得抑郁倾向被试的情绪调节目标为更多地体验到悲伤。     

The Emotion Mapping Activity: Preliminary evaluation of a mindfulness‐informed exercise to improve emotion labeling in alexithymic persons

Alexithymia is a psychoemotional trait associated with many treatment‐resistant psychological and social difficulties. Research suggests that these difficulties stem primarily from an inability to appropriately apply linguistic labels to emotional experiences and content. The present research introduces and preliminarily evaluates a novel mindfulness‐informed exercise to improve emotion‐labeling ability in alexithymic persons. Based in culturally universal patterns of somatic experience, the Emotion Mapping Activity (EMA ) directs alexithymic persons to reflect on their internal, somatic experiences as a source of information for interpreting and labeling emotional experiences. In the present study, 67 alexithymic persons completed a series of emotion‐labeling tasks either with or without assistance of the EMA . Results suggest that completion of the EMA may improve ability to label emotions that would be otherwise misinterpreted – without interfering with labeling that is already intact. Though further research is necessary, the present study suggests that the EMA may hold the potential to be incorporated into psychotherapy protocols as an exercise for improving emotion‐labeling ability in alexithymic clients.     

Expressed emotion and causal attributions in relatives of post-traumatic stress disorder patients

This study investigates the relationship between expressed emotion (EE) and causal attributions in relatives of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients, and examines the contributions of EE and attributions to patient outcomes. Thirty-eight relatives of patients with PTSD participating in a treatment trial were assessed on EE, causal attributions for patient problems and nature of attributions. Patients' PTSD symptoms at 6 and 12 months were assessed. Criticism and hostility in relatives were associated with attributing problems to factors controllable by patients. Relatives with marked emotional over-involvement (EOI) had an attributional profile similar to low EE relatives. Deficits in normal behaviour ("negative symptoms") were perceived as more controllable, internal and stable than were more obvious signs of an illness or mental health problem such as hypervigilance and intrusive thoughts and nightmares ("positive symptoms"). Irritability or anger was perceived as more controllable and personal than any other problem. Hostility was associated with less psychological understanding. EE (hostility) but not attributions was found to predict clinical outcome. The results are consistent with previous studies of relatives of schizophrenia patients. The study suggests a need for interventions, which focus on helping relatives to reappraise the impact of PTSD.     

Are you talking to me?! Separating the people from the problem when expressing emotions in negotiation

Emotions such as anger and happiness have pervasive interpersonal effects in negotiations. We propose that the nature of the effects depends on the target of the emotion, that is, whether the emotion is directed toward a person or a specific behavior. In a computer-mediated negotiation (N = 87), participants received either angry or happy messages from a simulated opponent, which were either behavior-oriented or person-directed. Behavior-oriented anger elicited larger concessions than behavior-oriented happiness, whereas person-directed anger elicited smaller concessions than person-directed happiness. This reversal could be attributed to the strategic value of the emotional expression, which was higher in the behavior-oriented condition than in the person-directed condition. These findings show that the interpersonal effects of anger and happiness depend critically on the target of the emotion.     

诱发负性情绪时人际情绪调节与个体情绪调节对前瞻记忆的影响

依据在情绪调节过程中大量存在的人际互动现象,首次明确提出人际情绪调节概念,并采用以前瞻记忆成绩为因变量的前后衔接、递进的两阶段实验模式研究其与个体情绪调节对缓解负性情绪影响的差异。结果表明：诱发的负性情绪会干扰双任务前瞻记忆;在高认知负载情境下,人际情绪调节对这种干扰的调节效果显著优于个体情绪调节。这说明从理论上确认人际情绪调节概念具有合理性,从实证上探讨了这种调节方式可能更有效地调节负性情绪对认知资源的占用,从而有助于扩展情绪调节领域的研究视角,并推进对其作用机制的研究