Screen-based and non-screen-based sedentary behaviors are differentially associated with affective states in older adults

Excessive sedentary behavior (SB) contributes to poor affective and physical feeling states, which is particularly concerning for older adults who are the most sedentary sector of the population. Specific types of SB have been shown to differentially impact health in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, with screen-based SB more negatively impacting aspects of mental health. This study used Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), a real-time, intensive longitudinal data capture methodology, to examine the differential impact of screen-based behaviors on momentary affective responses during SB in naturalistic settings. A diverse sample of older adults (pooled across 2 studies) completed an EMA protocol for 8–10 days with six randomly delivered, smartphone assessments per day. At each EMA prompt, participants reported their current activity, whether they were sitting while doing that activity, and affective states. Multilevel models assessed whether screen-based (vs. non-screen-based) behavior moderated affective response during SB.At the within-person level, older adults experienced less positive affect during SB when engaged in a screen-based behavior compared to a non-screen-based SB (B = −0.10, p < 0.01). At the between-person level, positive associations between SB and negative affect (B = 0.79, p = 0.03) were stronger if participants reported engaging in screen-based behaviors for a greater proportion of prompts. Among older adults, screen-based SB may lead to poorer affective states compared to non-screen-based SB. Interventions aiming to reduce SB in this population should consider targeting reductions in screen-based SB as means to improve affective states.     

Does partisan media make a pawn of mistrust? Institutional trust and preventive COVID-19 health behaviors in a polarized pandemic

In a rapidly developing crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, people are often faced with contradictory or changing information and must determine what sources to trust. Across five time points (N = 5902) we examine how trust in various sources predicts COVID-19 health behaviors. Trust in experts and national news predicted more engagement with most health behaviors from April 2020 to March 2022 and trust in Fox news, which often positioned itself as counter to the mainstream on COVID-19, predicted less engagement. However, we also examined a particular public health behavior (masking) before and after the CDC announcement recommending masks on 3 April 2020 (which reversed earlier expert advice discouraging masks for the general public). Prior to the announcement, trust in experts predicted less mask-wearing while trust in Fox News predicted more. These relationships disappeared in the next 4 days following the announcement and reversed in the 2 years that follow, and emerged for vaccination in the later time points. We also examine how the media trusted by Democrats and Republicans predicts trust in experts and in turn health behaviors. Broadly we consider how the increasingly fragmented epistemic environment has implications for polarization on matters of public health.     

Sex,race, and experiences of aggression

Most previous research on sex differences in experienced aggression has confounded the sex of the aggressor and of the target by considering married or dating couples. In the present study, black and white male and female college students were asked about specific acts of aggression which they had received from or directed toward a male or female. As predicted, males were likely to have both received and exhibited more forms of aggressive behavior, although females were somewhat more likely to have been honked at, to have been forced by a male to have sex, and to have slapped someone. Few racial differences were found, but it appeared that blacks might have been relatively more likely to exhibit physical aggression and whites to exhibit nonphysical aggression. Some differences were found in specific behaviors directed toward and received from males and females, but in general subjects said that they received more aggressive behaviors than they directed toward others. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Novel odors evoke risk assessment and suppress appetitive behaviors in mice

The effects of four novel odors on risk assessment by mice (i. e., flat back approach, stretched attention, immobility) and the suppression of appetitive behaviors were examined in two experiments. When novel odors were presented in a straight runway, subjects spent significantly less time in the odor compartment, relative to controls, when it contained sheep wool, chocolate, or citronella (but not cat fur) odors. Risk assessment behaviors occurred at similar levels among all groups and appetitive behaviors were not suppressed by the novel odors. When odorants were scattered over one half of the subjects' home cage floor in Experiment 2, all novel odors increased the duration of at least on e risk assessment measure and/or suppressed appetitive behaviors (i. e., eating, grooming, rearing). The results clearly reveal that a reasonably wide range of novel odors evoke at least some level of risk assessment which presumably reflects increased fearfulness. The odors of sheep wool and cat fur induced a wider range of such responses than did chocolate or cinnamon suggesting that mammalian odors may be particularly effective stimuli. If so, however, it is clear that predator odors are not uniquely effective in this regard. Experiment 1 also underscores the importance of the testing environment in assessing the behavioral effects of novel odors in mice. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Examining personality—Job characteristic interactions in explaining work outcomes

Although research suggests personality traits and job characteristics are each important drivers of work outcomes, there has been little focus on potential interactions between the two. In the current studies, we integrate the theory of purposeful work behavior with the job demands-resources model to examine how five-factor model personality traits interact with job resources and challenging job demands in explaining employee motivation and performance. We tested our hypotheses in two studies with different sample types and utilized item response theory scoring. Results across the studies were mixed, but generally support that there are important interactive effects between certain traits and contextual factors in explaining work behavior. Implications for theory and practice and future directions are discussed.     

Investigating whether controlling and aggressive relationship behaviors are discriminant

Control is theorized as central to intimate partner aggression (IPA). Tools measuring nonphysical “controlling behaviors” in relationships have therefore been developed to identify the latent construct of control. However, the underlying assumption that “controlling behaviors” form a distinct subset of IPA has not been validated. This study investigates the divergent validity of acts considered as “controlling behaviors” against other aggressive acts used in relationships. The IPA and relationship literatures were reviewed to identify 1,397 items involving “controlling,” physical, sexual, and psychologically aggressive acts perpetrated and/or experienced by an intimate partner. In total, 101 item pairs were identified and used to measure IPA tactics across these categories. In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis in a community sample (N = 561) found no evidence of a distinct factor of “controlling behaviors.” Behaviors labeled as “controlling” in existing measures were distributed across other factors, including “eclectic aggression,” “direct psychological aggression,” and “monitoring acts.” In Study 2A (N = 424 students), confirmatory factor analysis replicated the results of Study 1 and established configural measurement invariance (Study 2B), indicating no evidence for psychometric differences between samples. These results indicate that behaviors described as “controlling” in existing measures were not statistically distinguishable from other forms of IPA, and suggest that future research should investigate motivational, rather than behavioral, differences in the use of IPA. The findings challenge research to confirm whether a set of discrete behaviors can be used to accurately identify control in relationships and question the validity of tools that adopt this methodology.     

Parent–Child Interaction Therapy with Toddlers in a community-based setting: Improvements in parenting behavior,emotional availability,child behavior,and attachment

Parent–Child Interaction Therapy with Toddlers (PCIT-T) is a new attachment-based parenting intervention designed to meet the needs of children aged 12–24 months presenting with challenging behaviors. This study examined outcomes of the first phase of PCIT-T, Child Directed Interaction–Toddler (CDI-T), 4-months post treatment. Participants were 56 toddlers (Child Mage = 19.13 months) referred to receive CDI-T over an 8-week period at an Australian community-based child behavior treatment clinic for treatment of difficult toddler behaviors. Participants completed questionnaires and observational measures at baseline (Time 1), post-treatment (Time 2), and 4-month follow-up (Time 3). At both Time 2 and Time 3, there were statistically significant increases in observed positive parenting skills and emotional availability and decreases in negative parenting behaviors and child noncompliance. There were also significant improvements in parent-reported child externalizing and internalizing behaviors, parental stress, and maternal depression. There was a pattern of a shift away from attachment insecurity and attachment disorganization. Results suggest that the CDI-T phase of PCIT-T is a promising intervention for toddlers presenting with behavioral issues. Future studies should be conducted to assess efficacy in other settings, using larger samples and utilizing randomized controlled designs.     

Seeking harmony in Chinese families: A dyadic analysis on Chinese parent‒child relations

Based on Leung, Koch, and Lu’s (2002) dualistic harmony model, we examined the relations of two harmony‐seeking behaviors—harmony enhancement and disintegration avoidance—to family functioning among 177 Hong Kong Chinese adolescent?parent dyads. Structural equation modeling results showed that adolescent‐rated harmony enhancement was positively related to adolescent‐rated family functioning whereas parent‐rated harmony enhancement was positively related to parent‐rated family functioning. Disintegration avoidance, however, was not related to family functioning in the two samples. Furthermore, no significant cross‐path association between harmony‐seeking behaviors and family functioning was identified, meaning that the harmony‐seeking behaviors of adolescents and their parents did not relate to each other’s perception of family functioning. Implications of these findings to our understanding of family in Chinese culture are discussed.     

Transgender and gender non-conforming adult preparedness for aging: Concerns for aging,and familiarity with and engagement in planning behaviors

Abstract

Background: Research on transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) aging is limited. To date, most of the literature about TGNC aging has focused on discrimination (particularly in healthcare), violence and abuse, caregiving and family relations, and religiosity.

Aims: The purposes of this study were to: (a) document concerns about aging among TGNC adults, including concerns that are identity-specific; (b) examine preparation for aging and end of life (i.e., familiarity and planning) among TGNC adults; and (c) examine potential differences in familiarity and planning based on gender identity.

Methods: One hundred fifty-four individuals who currently or have ever identified as TGNC completed a national online survey assessing these constructs.

Results: TGNC individuals reported many concerns about aging, both gender identity-specific and not. The most common aging concern was losing the ability to care for themselves followed by having to go into a nursing home or assisted living facility. The age preparatory behaviors individuals were most commonly aware of included: life insurance, wills, organ donation, regular medical checkups, living wills, durable power of attorney for healthcare, and trusts. Gender-nonconforming individuals had significantly more familiarity with age preparatory behaviors than trans feminine individuals, but had lower levels of planning to engage in age preparatory behaviors than both trans masculine and trans feminine individuals.

Conclusion: The current findings highlight the need for providers to address age preparatory behaviors with TGNC individuals or provide referrals to support individuals in this planning.     

校园排斥对初中生外化问题行为的影响：有调节的中介效应

为考察初中生外化问题行为的心理机制,研究采用青少年行为自陈量表、青少年遭受校园排斥问卷、领悟社会支持量表、冷酷无情特质量表对黑龙江、福建两省的1284名初中生进行调查。结果表明：（1）校园排斥对初中生的外化问题行为具有正向预测作用;（2）冷酷无情特质在校园排斥与外化问题行为之间具有中介作用;（3）领悟社会支持调节了初中生冷酷无情特质对校园排斥与外化问题行为中介过程的后半段路径。研究结果为初中生群体的校园排斥、冷酷无情特质、领悟社会支持和外化问题行为之间的动态关系提供了有效的数据支持。