The Psychopharmacology of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Preclinical Roadmap

This review evaluates current knowledge about obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), with the goal of providing a roadmap for future directions in research on the psychopharmacology of the disorder. It first addresses issues in the description and diagnosis of OCD, including the structure, measurement, and appropriate description of the disorder and issues of differential diagnosis. Current pharmacotherapies for OCD are then reviewed, including monotherapy with serotonin reuptake inhibitors and augmentation with antipsychotic medication and with psychologic treatment. Neuromodulatory therapies for OCD are also described, including psychosurgery, deep brain stimulation, and noninvasive brain stimulation. Psychotherapies for OCD are then reviewed, focusing on behavior therapy, including exposure and response prevention and cognitive therapy, and the efficacy of these interventions is discussed, touching on issues such as the timing of sessions, the adjunctive role of pharmacotherapy, and the underlying mechanisms. Next, current research on the neurobiology of OCD is examined, including work probing the role of various neurotransmitters and other endogenous processes and etiology as clues to the neurobiological fault that may underlie OCD. A new perspective on preclinical research is advanced, using the Research Domain Criteria to propose an adaptationist viewpoint that regards OCD as the dysfunction of a normal motivational system. A systems-design approach introduces the security motivation system (SMS) theory of OCD as a framework for research. Finally, a new perspective on psychopharmacological research for OCD is advanced, exploring three approaches: boosting infrastructure facilities of the brain, facilitating psychotherapeutic relearning, and targeting specific pathways of the SMS network to fix deficient SMS shut-down processes. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: A significant proportion of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) do not achieve remission with current treatments, indicating the need for innovations in psychopharmacology for the disorder. OCD may be conceptualized as the dysfunction of a normal, special motivation system that evolved to manage the prospect of potential danger. This perspective, together with a wide-ranging review of the literature, suggests novel directions for psychopharmacological research, including boosting support systems of the brain, facilitating relearning that occurs in psychotherapy, and targeting specific pathways in the brain that provide deficient stopping processes in OCD.

Interobserver agreement issues in radiology

Agreement between observers (i.e., inter-rater agreement) can be quantified with various criteria but their appropriate selections are critical. When the measure is qualitative (nominal or ordinal), the proportion of agreement or the kappa coefficient should be used to evaluate inter-rater consistency (i.e., inter-rater reliability). The kappa coefficient is more meaningful that the raw percentage of agreement, because the latter does not account for agreements due to chance alone. When the measures are quantitative, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) should be used to assess agreement but this should be done with care because there are different ICCs so that it is important to describe the model and type of ICC being used. The Bland-Altman method can be used to assess consistency and conformity but its use should be restricted to comparison of two raters.

An immersive virtual reality game to train spatial attention orientation after stroke: A feasibility study

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) may boost neglect recovery, as it can provide an engaging experience in a 3D environment. We designed an IVR rehabilitation game for neglect patients using the Oculus Rift. Multisensory cues were presented in the neglected visual field in a patient-tailored way. We acquired pilot data in 15 neurologically healthy controls and 7 stroke patients. First, we compared cybersickness before and after VR exposure. Second, we assessed the user experience through a questionnaire. Third, we tested whether neglect symptoms corresponded between the VR game and a computerized cancelation task. Fourth, we evaluated the effect of the multisensory cueing on target discrimination. Last, we tested two algorithms to tailor the game to the characteristics of the neglected visual field. Cybersickness significantly reduced after VR exposure in six stroke patients and was low in healthy controls. Patients rated the user experience neutral to positive. In addition, neglect symptoms were consistent between a computerized cancelation and VR rehabilitation task. The multisensory cue positively affected target discrimination in the game and we successfully presented sensory stimulation to the neglected visual field in a patient-tailored way. Our results show that it is promising to use gamified patient-tailored immersive VR for neglect rehabilitation.

The New Ecological Paradigm, Pro-Environmental Behaviour, and the Moderating Effects of Locus of Control and Self-Construal

Acquiring a better understanding of what drives pro-environmental and sustainable behaviour is important for both researchers and practitioners alike. The purpose of this paper is to explore the moderating role of locus of control and self-construal on the relationship between pro-environmental beliefs and pro-environmental consumer behaviour. We explicitly model the endorsement of the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) as a predictor of three specific types of environmental behaviour—travel, purchasing and day to day activities. The results show a positive and significant association between the endorsement of NEP and a person’s pro-environmental traveling behaviour, purchasing behaviour and day to day activities. Moreover, we find that the effects are moderated by a person’s locus of control, specifically, it remains positive and significant only for people with an internal locus of control. However, we found no moderating effect of a person’s self-construal on the association between NEP and pro-environmental behaviour. The findings are important in the continuing work to understand what is limiting consumers to behave according to their beliefs. Practical and theoretical implications of the results as well as suggestions for future research are presented.

Accuracy in Judging Others' Personalities: The Role of Emotion Recognition, Emotion Understanding, and Trait Emotional Intelligence

The ability to accurately judge others’ personality and the ability to accurately recognize others’ emotions are both part of the broader construct of interpersonal accuracy (IPA). However, little research has examined the association between these two IPA domains. Little is also known about the relationship between personality judgment accuracy and other socio-emotional skills and traits. In the present study, 121 participants judged eight traits (Big Five, intelligence, cooperativeness, and empathy) in each of 30 targets who were presented either in a photograph, a muted video, or a video with sound. The videos were 30 second excerpts from negotiations that the targets had engaged in. Participants also completed standard tests of emotion recognition ability, emotion understanding, and trait emotional intelligence. Results showed that personality judgment accuracy, when indexed as trait accuracy and distinctive profile accuracy, positively correlated with emotion recognition ability and was unrelated to emotion understanding and trait emotional intelligence. Female participants were more accurate in judging targets’ personality than men. These results provide support for IPA as a set of correlated domain-specific skills and encourage further research on personality judgment accuracy as a meaningful individual difference variable.

Potential contributing roles of early affiliative memories, social safeness and body appreciation to adolescents' well-being

Interpersonal and body image-related factors have been associated with adolescents' well-being. Since data on positive body image in adolescence and its relationship with well-being remain scarce, the present study explored the roles of early affiliative memories, social safeness, and body appreciation in adolescents' well-being. Path analysis' results showed that social safeness and body appreciation mediated the relationship between early affiliative memories and physical, psychological and school environment well-being. This suggests that not only early affiliative memories are important for adolescents' well-being but also current feelings of social belonging and body appreciation. Future longitudinal studies should further confirm these results.

What do positive and negative experiences of patients, relatives, general practitioners, medical assistants, and nurses tell us about barriers and supporting factors in outpatient palliative care? A critical incident interview study

Background: The strengthening of the general practitioners’ (GPs’) role in palliative care (PC) has been identified as a top priority in order to improve PC in Germany. This study aims at exploring positive and negative experiences in PC in Germany from the perspectives of patients, relatives, and health care professionals in a primary care setting.

Methods: Between March 2017 and August 2017, a total of 16 interviews with patients, relatives, GPs, medical assistants, and nurses were conducted. The Critical Incident Technique (CIT) was used to explore factors that influence excellent versus undesirable events in PC provision. Two researchers independently defined and counted critical incidents (CIs) from interview transcripts, performed a thematic analysis, and clustered the CIs into dimensions.

Results: In summary, 16 interviews contained 280 CIs, divided into 130 positive and 150 negative CIs. The thematic analysis resulted in seven content domains, with each including positive and negative CIs, respectively: 1) way of care provision, 2) availability of care providers, structures, medication, and aids, 3) general formal conditions of care provision, 4) bureaucracy, 5) working practices in health care teams, 6) quality and outcome of care provision, and 7) communication.

Conclusions: The results raise awareness for the aspects that lead to successful or undesirable PC experiences, observed from different perspectives. They open up the potential for primary PC improvement. Future research will facilitate development and implementation of more tailored interventions in order to improve generalists’ PC.

Higher-Order Cognition Does Not Affect Multisensory Distractor Processing

Multisensory processing is required for the perception of the majority of everyday objects and events. In the case of irrelevant stimuli, the multisensory processing of features is widely assumed to be modulated by attention. In the present study, we investigated whether the processing of audiovisual distractors is also modulated by higher-order cognition. Participants fixated a visual distractor viewed via a centrally-placed mirror and responded to a laterally-presented audiovisual target. Critically, a distractor tone was presented from the same location as the mirror, while the visual distractor feature was presented at an occluded location, visible only indirectly via mirror reflection. Consequently, it appeared as though the visual and auditory features were presented from the same location though, in fact, they actually originated from different locations. Nevertheless, the results still revealed that the visual and auditory distractor features were processed together just as in the control condition, in which the audiovisual distractor features were both actually presented from fixation. Taken together, these results suggest that the processing of irrelevant multisensory information is not influenced by higher-order cognition.

Improving the quality of sexual history disclosure on sex offenders: Emphasis on a polygraph examination

The increasing recidivism rate of sex offenders indicates potential problems in existing recidivism programs. The present study was conducted to determine whether the polygraph examination is a useful technique to obtain a sex offender’s concealed past sexual history. We collected fifty-two sex offenders’ data and analyzed it. Among the 52 participants, the court ordered 26 sex offenders to take the psychiatric evaluation and the polygraph test. The other half were prisoners at the hospital who were currently undergoing treatment. The participants in the polygraph group disclosed more deviant sexual behaviors and paraphilia interests/behaviors than the comparison group. Thus, the polygraph examination is a powerful tool that can encourage sex offenders to disclose hidden information to help create suitable psychological therapy programs for preventing recidivism in the future.

Dopaminergic Modulation of Human Intertemporal Choice: A Diffusion Model Analysis Using the D2-Receptor Antagonist Haloperidol

The neurotransmitter dopamine is implicated in diverse functions, including reward processing, reinforcement learning, and cognitive control. The tendency to discount future rewards over time has long been discussed in the context of potential dopaminergic modulation. Here we examined the effect of a single dose of the D2 receptor antagonist haloperidol (2 mg) on temporal discounting in healthy female and male human participants. Our approach extends previous pharmacological studies in two ways. First, we applied combined temporal discounting drift diffusion models to examine choice dynamics. Second, we examined dopaminergic modulation of reward magnitude effects on temporal discounting. Hierarchical Bayesian parameter estimation revealed that the data were best accounted for by a temporal discounting drift diffusion model with nonlinear trialwise drift rate scaling. This model showed good parameter recovery, and posterior predictive checks revealed that it accurately reproduced the relationship between decision conflict and response times in individual participants. We observed reduced temporal discounting and substantially faster nondecision times under haloperidol compared with placebo. Discounting was steeper for low versus high reward magnitudes, but this effect was largely unaffected by haloperidol. Results were corroborated by model-free analyses and modeling via more standard approaches. We previously reported elevated caudate activation under haloperidol in this sample of participants, supporting the idea that haloperidol elevated dopamine neurotransmission (e.g., by blocking inhibitory feedback via presynaptic D2 auto-receptors). The present results reveal that this is associated with an augmentation of both lower-level (nondecision time) and higher-level (temporal discounting) components of the decision process.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Dopamine is implicated in reward processing, reinforcement learning, and cognitive control. Here we examined the effects of a single dose of the D2 receptor antagonist haloperidol on temporal discounting and choice dynamics during the decision process. We extend previous studies by applying computational modeling using the drift diffusion model, which revealed that haloperidol reduced the nondecision time and reduced impulsive choice compared with placebo. These findings are compatible with a haloperidol-induced increase in striatal dopamine (e.g., because of a presynaptic mechanism). Our data provide novel insights into the contributions of dopamine to value-based decision-making and highlight how comprehensive model-based analyses using sequential sampling models can inform the effects of pharmacological modulation on choice processes.

Construct validity of the Child-Initiated Pretend Play Assessment-For 3-year-old Brazilian children

INTRODUCTION

Play is an indication of children's development and how they function. In occupational therapy it is regarded as an important occupation of childhood. Assessment of a child's play should be included in the test batteries of occupational therapists, who understand the construct validity of the assessment they have chosen. Our aim was to provide evidence of reliability, internal consistency and hypotheses testing of the construct validity of the cross-culturally adapted version of the Child-Initiated Pretend Play Assessment.

METHODS

Two hundred typically developing Brazilian children aged 3 years were evaluated individually using the Child-Initiated Pretend Play Assessment.

RESULTS

The internal consistency showed a Cronbach's alpha coefficient to Percentage of Pretend Play Actions (PEPA) of 0.86 and NOS of 0.81. There were significant differences between the younger children (aged 36-41 months) and the older children (aged 42-47 months) for elaborate play across both conventional-imaginative play (p = .002), symbolic play (p = .012), and the combined score (p = .005). There were significant differences between younger and older girls for elaborate play with symbolic play materials (p = .009) and elaborate play overall (p = .039). There were significant differences between young and older boys for elaborate play with conventional toys (p = .006) and elaborate play overall (p = .025). There were no significant differences for object substitution or imitated actions.

CONCLUSION

The measurement properties of the cross-culturally adapted version of the Child-Initiated Pretend Play Assessment for 3-year-old Brazilian children identified evidence for response processes, internal structure, with discussion of consequences of testing for 3-year-old Brazilian children.

Interindividual differences in incentive sensitivity moderate motivational effects of competition and cooperation on motor performance

Established research has documented the pervasive influence of incentives (i.e., food, sex, money) on animal and human behavior. Additionally, motivational theories postulating intra–individually stable preferences for specific types of incentives (i.e., motives) highlight that effects of a given incentive are highly dependent on the motive disposition of the individual. Indeed, also research on motor performance has documented the interactive effects of motives and motive–specific incentives on motor outcomes. However, the majority of this research has relied on correlational designs focusing on the effects of the achievement motive, with few studies addressing the role of the affiliation and power motive. In order to extend findings in this domain, we tested whether a fit between individuals’ power (affiliation) motive and incentives of competition (cooperation) would improve motor performance. Following baseline measures, participants performed a dart–throwing task as part of a dyadic performance (i.e., cooperative) or a one–on–one competition scenario. In the dyadic performance scenario, a stronger affiliation motive did not translate to better performance. However, in the one–on–one competition scenario a stronger power motive was associated with better performance. Results highlight the role of the power motive in predicting motor performance, particularly in competitive situations.

Heterogeneous Influences of Social Support on Physical and Mental Health: Evidence from China

Employing a national representative survey (the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey 2016, CLDS2016) data (N = 14246), this paper examines the heterogeneous influences of social support on individual physical and mental health in China. Social support is characterized by four dimensions: emotional support, tangible or instrumental support, interaction or exchange support, and community support. Physical health is measured by self-rated health and body mass index (BMI), while mental health is measured by depression, hopelessness, failure, fear, loneliness, and meaninglessness. The results indicate that different dimensions of social support have heterogeneous effects on individual physical and mental health. Specifically, the correlation between emotional support and individual physical health is not significant, but emotional support is significantly related to some mental health variables. Tangible or instrumental support is significantly related to individual self-rated physical health but not to BMI or mental health. Interaction or exchange support is significantly correlated with individual self-rated health and some mental health variables. In general, there are significant correlations between community support, and individual physical and mental health. The results also suggest that the influences of social support on physical and mental health of individuals at different ages (<60 years and ≥60 years) are heterogeneous. The results of this study provide direction for the dimension selection of social support to promote individual health.

The Promotion of Physical Activity from Digital Services: Influence of E-Lifestyles on Intention to Use Fitness Apps

E-Lifestyles are individual forms of behavior in the digital environment that reflect the values, activities, interests, and opinions of consumers. Likewise, fitness Apps are considered technological tools for promoting physical activity online. Although there are studies related to sports lifestyles, it has not been analyzed yet how e-lifestyles are related to the use of fitness Apps. Based on this, this study represents a step to clarify how e-lifestyles influence different relationships with perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude, and intentions to use Fitness Apps. Therefore, the objective of the study was to analyze the relationship between the e-lifestyles of consumers of Boutique fitness centers and their relationship with the perceived ease of use, the perceived usefulness, the attitude, and the intention to use Fitness Apps. The sample was 591 customers (378 women and 213 men) of 25 Boutique fitness centers. An online questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was analyzed with confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation model. Findings provide an insight into the importance of e-lifestyles in the intention of using fitness Apps and therefore in promoting physical activity through online fitness services. The results showed positive relationships between e-lifestyles, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and attitude toward fitness Apps. Finally, the attitude toward fitness Apps offered a very high predictive value on use intention. This study provides a better understanding of consumer´s intention to use fitness Apps. The conclusions and recommendations for sports managers of fitness centers highlight the importance of e-lifestyles as a predecessor for the use of fitness Apps.

Developing scaled tools for residential and nursing home inspection: feasibility study

Purpose

This study explored the feasibility of developing scaled inspection tools for use during external inspection of health and social care facilities to give improved accuracy in identifying facilities “at risk”, a tool for risk-adjusted frequency of inspection, and greater consistency of judgements.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper summarises the development through working groups and workshops involving 20 experienced inspectors (nurses and social workers) of the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority who inspect the 206 nursing and 182 residential care homes in Northern Ireland. A brief evaluation survey, including response to a case vignette, gathered inspectors' views after using the tools for six months.

Findings

Eight two-dimensional Scaled Inspection Tools were created, each embodying a scale of performance (seriousness of risk issue) and a scale of the ability of the facility to manage that issue, each axis comprising four points. The Scaled Inspection Tools were used for on-site inspections during 2017–18. Evaluative comments were generally positive. The case vignette seemed to highlight greater risk aversion amongst newer inspectors.

Research limitations/implications

The creation of scaled inspection tools adds credibility to the potential for developing risk-based governance in service regulation. Further testing of domains and their scope is required.

Practical implications

Prompts for each domain were found essential to guide inspectors. Despite the challenge of change, inspectors became enthusiastic about use for evaluating risks, and managers about improvements in consistency of inspection.

Social implications

Knowledge derived from statistical approaches needs to be incorporated into inspection and regulation, just as in other aspects of professional practice.

Originality/value

Scaled inspection tools, with two orthogonal axes corresponding to seriousness of risk and ability to manage the risk (inverse of likelihood of harm), proved acceptable and intuitive in use. The study gives credibility to the possibility of developing screening and surveillance approaches to risk-based governance in service regulation.

Differential Experiences of Mental Health among Trans/Gender Diverse Adults in Michigan

Transgender and gender diverse individuals experience high rates of health disparities, as compared with their cisgender (non-transgender) counterparts. One area in which these disparities is most grave is that of mental health, with some studies indicating transgender and gender diverse individuals as having a 40% rate of lifetime suicide attempts and similarly high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. These rates vary further within this population, with differential rates seen across sociodemographic factors, including race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, education level, and income. This study explores mental health experiences across different social identities, using data from the 2018 Michigan Trans Health Survey (N = 659), a community-based participatory action research project collected in Michigan, United States, analyzed using chi-square tests of independence and logistic regressions. Findings indicate incredibly high rates of mental health concerns; 72.2% had been diagnosed with depression in their lifetime and 73.0% had been diagnosed with anxiety in their lifetime. In the past year, 49.9% had had non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) thoughts, 45.4% had suicidal thoughts, 26.3% engaged in NSSI, and 7.7% had attempted suicide. Bivariate regressions showed some nuanced experiences of rates of mental health diagnoses and experiences, such as greater odds of experiencing all mental health disparities among those with disabilities, and differential odds across gender in regard to ever having a depression diagnosis, non-suicidal self-injury thoughts and engaging in non-suicidal self-injury behavior. This indicates a need for social workers, counselors, therapists, and other human services professionals to act more intentionally and with an intersectional lens when it comes to exploring the mental health of transgender and gender diverse persons.

The Social Neuroscience of Prejudice

The social neuroscience approach to prejudice investigates the psychology of intergroup bias by integrating models and methods of neuroscience with the social psychology of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination. Here, we review major contemporary lines of inquiry, including current accounts of group-based categorization; formation and updating of prejudice and stereotypes; effects of prejudice on perception, emotion, and decision making; and the self-regulation of prejudice. In each section, we discuss key social neuroscience findings, consider interpretational challenges and connections with the behavioral literature, and highlight how they advance psychological theories of prejudice. We conclude by discussing the next-generation questions that will continue to guide the social neuroscience approach toward addressing major societal issues of prejudice and discrimination.

Impact of Stress and Loneliness on Health-Related Quality of Life Among Low Income Senior African Americans

Low income senior African Americans are at risk for low health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Loneliness may exacerbate the effects of stress on health. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of perceived stress and loneliness on the HRQoL of low income senior African Americans (N = 281). Results indicate that loneliness may exacerbate the inverse relationship of perceived stress with psychological HRQoL among this sample. Additionally, both loneliness and perceived stress were associated with poorer physical HRQoL. The present study has implications for interventions seeking to improve HRQoL among a similar sample of senior adults given that loneliness is a modifiable variable.

Development of a Benchmarking Tool for Dairy Herd Management Using Routinely Collected Herd Records

Simple Summary

Continuous monitoring of the herd status is important but routine assessments on farm can be challenging. In this study, a remote herd assessment tool was developed to help producers and advisors detect herd management issues related to herd welfare and health. This tool was based on pre-recorded indicators from routinely collected on-farm records. Indicators were aggregated to a composite index to benchmark the overall herd status, with a large composite index indicating an overall high herd status and a small composite index indicating an overall low herd status. Robustness of the composite index was evaluated and indicated little fluctuation for herds with a low or high status. These results suggest that herds in need of support could be prioritized and effectively monitored over time, limiting the need for time-consuming farm visits. The benchmarking tool allows evaluating herds relative to their peers, highlights areas with opportunities to improve, may be further suitable for certification systems, and may be applied to studies to benchmark multidimensional aspects of livestock farming such as environmental and socio-economic studies.

Abstract

Continuous assessment of the herd status is important in order to monitor and adjust to changes in the welfare and health status but can be time consuming and expensive. In this study, herd status indicators from routinely collected dairy herd improvement (DHI) records were used to develop a remote herd assessment tool with the aim to help producers and advisors benchmark the herd status and identify herd management issues affecting welfare and health. Thirteen DHI indicators were selected from an initial set of 72 potential indicators collected on 4324 dairy herds in Eastern Canada. Data were normalized to percentile ranks and aggregated to a composite herd status index (HSI) with equal weights among indicators. Robustness analyses indicated little fluctuation for herds with a small HSI (low status) or large HSI (high status), suggesting that herds in need of support could be prioritized and effectively monitored over time, limiting the need for time-consuming farm visits. This tool allows evaluating herds relative to their peers through the composite index and highlighting specific areas with opportunities for improvements through the individual indicators. This procedure could be applied to similar multidimensional livestock farming issues, such as environmental and socio-economic studies.

Firearm suicide mortality among emergency department patients with physical health problems

PURPOSE

Individuals with poor physical and mental health may face elevated risk for suicide, particularly suicide by firearm.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study used statewide, longitudinally linked emergency department (ED) patient record and mortality data to examine 12-month incidence of firearm suicide among ED patients presenting with a range of physical health problems. Participants included all residents presenting to a California ED in 2009-2013 with nonfatal visits for somatic diagnoses hypothesized to increase suicide risk, including myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, cancer, back pain, headache, joint disorder, and injuries. For each patient diagnostic group, we calculated rates of firearm suicide per 100,000 person-years and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) relative to the demographically matched California population.

RESULTS

Firearm suicide rates per 100,000 person-years ranged from 9.6 (among patients presenting with unintentional injury) to 55.1 (patients with cancer diagnoses), with SMRs from 1.48 to 7.45 (all p < 0.05). SMRs for patients with cardiovascular conditions ranged from 2.45 to 5.10. Men and older individuals had higher firearm suicide rates, and there was substantial between-group variability in the proportion of suicide decedents who used a firearm.

CONCLUSIONS

ED patients presenting with deliberate self-harm injuries, substance use, and cancer were especially at risk for firearm suicide. To avoid missed suicide prevention opportunities, EDs should implement evidence-based suicide interventions as a best practice for their patients.

Psychological Flexibility Among Competitive Athletes: A Psychometric Investigation of a New Scale

There is increasing interest in applying acceptance and mindfulness interventions among athletes. However, there is a lack of sport-specific psychometrically evaluated scales to measure the impact of these interventions. The present study describes the development of a measure: the Psychological Flexibility in Sport Scale (PFSS). Its validity was tested in two studies. In the first study, with 152 elite athletes from various sports, explorative factor analysis was used to evaluate the scale's validity, and one factor emerged with seven items. Significant correlations between psychological flexibility, performance, and quality of life were found. Moreover, the PFSS was significantly negatively associated with age, number of years in sport, and number of years as an elite athlete. In the second study, the confirmatory factor analysis with a new population (252 athletes) supported the one-factor solution. Further, positive associations were found with anxiety (BAI) and depression (BDI-I), indicating construct validity. In conclusion, this study presents a scale for measuring psychological flexibility in a broad range of athletes, with satisfactory psychometric properties and the potential to be a useful instrument for both researchers and clinicians in the sport field.

Risk and protective factors for symptoms of depression and anxiety among American Indians: Understanding the roles of resilience and trauma

OBJECTIVE

Depression and anxiety are comorbid conditions that are disproportionately high among American Indians (AIs) or Alaska Natives. The purpose of this study was to identify potential risk (e.g., low income, intimate partner violence [IPV], adverse childhood experiences [ACEs]) and protective factors (e.g., family resilience, social and community support) related to symptoms of depression and anxiety among AI adults.

METHOD

As part of larger exploratory sequential mixed-methods research, the study focused on survey data with 127 AI adults from two Southeastern tribes (n = 117 when missing data were removed). We used the following three-stage hierarchical regression to understand factors related to depressive and anxiety symptoms: (a) demographics, including income; (b) ACEs and IPV; and (c) family resilience, along with family and community support.

RESULTS

Many participants experienced elevated levels of clinically significant symptoms of depression and anxiety (15% and 20%, respectively). Results indicated lower income was associated with higher depressive and anxiety symptoms. IPV and ACE variables were positively associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms. Family resilience was negatively associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression. Social and community support were associated with symptoms of anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings provide strong preliminary support for the role of family protective and promotive factors in offsetting symptoms of anxiety and depression. This is contrary to most models of interventions for anxiety and depression focusing on individual psychotherapy rather than promoting family resilience or involvement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Beyond Happiness: Minority Stress and Life Meaning Among LGB Individuals

Scholars have recently started to examine how minority stressors are associated with wellbeing outcomes among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people. Such studies have examined mainly hedonic wellbeing, and those that have investigated eudaimonic wellbeing have tended to use composite measures. The present study draws from this literature to examine how minority stressors are associated with a key indicator of eudaimonic wellbeing: life meaning. Drawing from the minority stress model, we examined these associations using structural equation modeling among 266 LGB adults. Expectations of rejection and identity concealment, but not discrimination or internalized homophobia, had significant negative associations with life meaning. Discrimination had negative indirect associations with life meaning via expectations of rejection and concealment. Our results highlight the nuanced relations that exist between minority stressors and life meaning and highlight the need to move beyond composite measures of wellbeing. Implications for clinical practice and directions for research are discussed.

Impaired perceptual processing of facial expression categorization in social anhedonia

The current event-related potential study investigated the perceptual processing of the categorization advantage of happy over sad faces in social anhedonia with a nonclinical sample. A high social anhedonia (HSA, N = 25) group and a low social anhedonia (LSA, N = 27) group performed a facial expression categorization task during which they classified facial expressions (happy, neutral, sad), irrespective of face orientation (upright, upside-down). Behaviorally, happy faces were identified more quickly than sad ones in the upright but not inverted orientation. Electrophysiologically, the LSA group showed earlier N170 latencies for happy than for sad faces in the upright but not upside-down orientation, whereas the HSA group did not show any expression effect on N170 latencies. Moreover, N170 and P2 amplitude results revealed that HSA relative to LSA individuals showed delayed neural discrimination between happy and sad faces. These results suggest that social anhedonia is associated with a deficit of perceptual processing during facial expression categorization.

Inner speech

Inner speech travels under many aliases: the inner voice, verbal thought, thinking in words, internal verbalization, "talking in your head," the "little voice in the head," and so on. It is both a familiar element of first-person experience and a psychological phenomenon whose complex cognitive components and distributed neural bases are increasingly well understood. There is evidence that inner speech plays a variety of cognitive roles, from enabling abstract thought, to supporting metacognition, memory, and executive function. One active area of controversy concerns the relation of inner speech to auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) in schizophrenia, with a common proposal being that sufferers of AVH misidentify their own inner speech as being generated by someone else. Recently, researchers have used artificial intelligence to translate the neural and neuromuscular signatures of inner speech into corresponding outer speech signals, laying the groundwork for a variety of new applications and interventions. This article is categorized under: Philosophy > Foundations of Cognitive Science Linguistics > Language in Mind and Brain Philosophy > Consciousness Philosophy > Psychological Capacities.

Risk Perceptions and Psychological Effects During the Italian COVID-19 Emergency

The current study provides data about the immediate risk perceptions and psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic among Italian participants. A sample of 980 volunteers answered a web-based survey which aimed to investigate the many facets of risk perceptions connected to COVID-19 (health, work, institutional-economy, interpersonal and psychological), and risk-related variables such as perceived knowledge, news seeking, perceived control, perceived efficacy of containment measures, and affective states. Socio-demographic characteristics were also collected. Results showed that although levels of general concern are relatively high among Italians, risk perceptions are highest with regards to the institutional-economy and work, and lowest concerning health. COVID-19 has been also estimated to be the least likely cause of death. Cognitive and affective risk-related variables contributed to explain the several risk perception domains differently. COVID-19 perceived knowledge did not affect any risk perception while the perceived control decreased health risk likelihood. The other risk-related variables amplified risk perceptions: News seeking increased work and institutional-economy risk; perceived efficacy of containment measures increased almost all perceived risks; negative affective states of fear, anger and sadness increased health risk; anxiety increased health, interpersonal and psychological risks, and uncertainty increased work, institutional-economy, interpersonal and psychological risk perceptions. Finally, positive affective states increased health risk perception. Socio-psychological implications are discussed.

Psychosocial Factors and Chronic Illness as Predictors for Anxiety and Depression in Adolescence

Adolescence is a challenging time when emotional difficulties often arise. Self-esteem, good relationships with peers, and emotional competences can buffer the effects of these difficulties. The difficulties can be even greater when coupled with the presence of a chronic physical illness (CD). Our goal is to analyze psychosocial factors and CD as predictors for anxiety and depression. It was compared the results of structural equation models (SEM) with models based on qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to analyze the possible influence of these variables on levels of anxiety-depression in adolescents with and without CD. The sample consisted of 681 adolescents, between 12 and 16 years old (M = 13.94, SD = 1.32). 61.50% were girls and 13.40% (n = 222) presented a CD (mainly pneumo-allergic and endocrine). They were evaluated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Self-esteem Questionnaire, the Emotional Competences Questionnaire and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The results obtained by SEM show that low self-esteem, problems with peers and low emotional competencies predict anxiety in 41% of the variance and depression in 72%. The results obtained by QCA show that the different combinations of these variables explain between 24 and 61% of low levels of anxiety and depression and 47–55% of high levels. Our data show how the presence of a CD, low self-esteem, problems with peers and problems in emotional skills play a fundamental role in explaining levels of anxiety and depression. These aspects will help provide increased resources for emotional adjustment in the educational context, facilitating the transitions to be made by adolescents.

Individual differences in anxiety and automatic amygdala response to fearful faces: A replication and extension of Etkin et al. (2004)

Trait anxiety refers to the stable tendency to attend to threats and experience fears and worries across many situations. According to the widely noticed, pioneering investigation by Etkin et al. (2004) trait anxiety is strongly associated with reactivity in the right basolateral amygdala to non-conscious threat. Although this observation was based on a sample of only 17 individuals, no replication effort has been reported yet. We reexamined automatic amygdala responsiveness as a function of anxiety in a large sample of 107 participants. Besides self-report instruments, we administered an indirect test to assess implicit anxiety. To assess early, automatic stages of emotion processing, we used a color-decision paradigm presenting brief (33 ms) and backward-masked fearful facial expressions. N = 56 participants were unaware of the presence of masked faces. In this subset of unaware participants, the relationship between trait anxiety and basolateral amygdala activation by fearful faces was successfully replicated in region of interest analyses. Additionally, a relation of implicit anxiety with masked fear processing in the amygdala and temporal gyrus was observed. We provide evidence that implicit measures of affect can be valuable predictors of automatic brain responsiveness and may represent useful additions to explicit measures. Our findings support a central role of amygdala reactivity to non-consciously perceived threat in understanding and predicting dispositional anxiety, i.e. the frequency of spontaneously occurring anxiety in everyday life.

Exploring the Usage Intentions of Wearable Medical Devices: A Demonstration Study

Background

In the face of an aging society, an immediate and preventive medical system urgently needs to be established, and the application of wearable devices is essential. However, the application of smart medical care in Taiwan is still not widespread, and few studies have explored the related issues of wearable medical device usage. Thus, determining the success of a wearable medical device mainly depends on the degree of user adoption and use.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influence the intention to use wearable medical devices.

Methods

This study applied the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) to build a comprehensive model that explains intentions to use wearable medical devices.

Results

The research findings showed that health consciousness and trust were the strongest predictors of intentions to use wearable medical devices.

Conclusions

The results reveal the magnitudes of the impacts of the variables in a well-accepted revised UTAUT model in the context of the medical industry, particularly in the setting of wearable medical devices. Several important implications for academics and industry decision-makers can be formulated from these results.

Affect, Attention, and Episodic Performance

Any individual’s work performance can vary from day to day and even over the course of a single day. Traditional, static models of job performance that focus on modeling between-person differences in job performance can provide only an incomplete picture of work-performance processes. In this article, we explore within-person variability in performance and its association with changing emotional states and attentional resources. First, the notion of performance episodes is introduced as a useful unit for modeling within-person performance across the workday. Second, we explore the emotion–performance link and show that affective states influence work performance by impacting the attentional resources dedicated to the task. Finally, the variability in affective experiences is discussed in terms of core affect and emotion episodes and their unique effect on individuals’ attention and regulatory resources. The results describe a generalized model of work performance that is influenced by co-occurring affective states and fluctuating attentional resources.

A prospective study of cancer-related benefit finding in uveal melanoma patients

Little is known about contributors to the psychosocial impact of uveal melanoma, a rare cancer. Predictors and outcomes of benefit finding, a potentially favorable outcome, were investigated. Adults (n = 107) completed assessments prior to diagnosis of uveal melanoma and one week, three months and 12 months after diagnosis. Path analyses with the full information maximum likelihood estimation method were conducted. Objective disease impact on vision did not predict benefit finding (p > .05). Approach-oriented coping prior to diagnosis and one week later significantly predicted greater benefit finding 12 months later (p < .01). Avoidance-oriented coping at three months moderated the concurrent relationship of benefit finding and positive affect at 12 months (p < .001). This first study of predictors of benefit finding in uveal melanoma patients suggests that greater approach-oriented coping prospectively predicts higher benefit finding. Further, avoidance may condition the association of benefit finding with psychosocial outcomes.

The Effect of One Session Split-Belt Treadmill Training on Gait Adaptation in People With Parkinson's Disease and Freezing of Gait

BACKGROUND

Freezing of gait (FOG) in Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with gait asymmetry and switching difficulty. A split-belt treadmill may potentially address those deficits.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the immediate and retention effects of one-session split-belt treadmill training (SBT) in contrast to regular tied-belt treadmill training (TBT) on gait asymmetry and adaptation in people with PD and FOG (PD + FOG) and healthy controls (HC). Additionally, to investigate differential effects of 3 SBT protocols and compare different gait adaptation outcomes.

METHODS

PD + FOG (n = 45) and HC (n = 36) were randomized to 1 of 3 SBT groups (belt speeds' ratio 0.75:1; 0.5:1 or changing ratios) or TBT group. Participants were tested at Pre, Post, and Retention after one treadmill training session. Gait asymmetry was measured during a standardized adaptation test on the split-belt treadmill.

RESULTS

SBT proved beneficial for gait adaptation in PD + FOG and HC (P < .0001); however, HC improved more. SBT with changing ratios demonstrated significant effects on gait adaptation from Pre to Post in PD + FOG, supported by strong effect sizes (d = 1.14) and improvements being retained for 24 hours. Mean step length asymmetry during initial exposure was lower in HC compared with PD + FOG (P = .035) and differentiated best between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

PD + FOG improved gait adaptation after a single SBT session although effects were smaller than in HC. SBT with changing ratios was the most effective to ameliorate gait adaptation in PD + FOG. These promising results warrant future study on whether long-term SBT strengthens adaptation in PD + FOG and has potential to induce a better resilience to FOG. Clinical trial ID: NCT03725215.

Memory and Sleep: How Sleep Cognition Can Change the Waking Mind for the Better

The memories that we retain can serve many functions. They guide our future actions, form a scaffold for constructing the self, and continue to shape both the self and the way we perceive the world. Although most memories we acquire each day are forgotten, those integrated within the structure of multiple prior memories tend to endure. A rapidly growing body of research is steadily elucidating how the consolidation of memories depends on their reactivation during sleep. Processing memories during sleep not only helps counteract their weakening but also supports problem solving, creativity, and emotional regulation. Yet, sleep-based processing might become maladaptive, such as when worries are excessively revisited. Advances in research on memory and sleep can thus shed light on how this processing influences our waking life, which can further inspire the development of novel strategies for decreasing detrimental rumination-like activity during sleep and for promoting beneficial sleep cognition.

The complex interactions of context availability, polysemy, word frequency, and orthographic variables during lexical processing

In this study we examined the interactions of context availability, polysemy, word frequency, and orthographic neighborhood variables during lexical processing. Context availability and polysemy interacted, in that words that were both lower in context availability and had fewer related senses were especially disadvantaged, as was originally reported by Tokowicz and Kroll (2007). Word frequency interacted with both polysemy and context availability, in that the effects of polysemy and context availability were stronger for lower-frequency words. Finally, orthographic neighborhood size and frequency both interacted with polysemy: the effect of polysemy was greater for words with smaller orthographic neighborhoods and a greater number of higher-frequency neighbors. These findings provide support for the context availability hypothesis (Schwanenflugel & Shoben, 1983). Specifically, the feedback activation account (Hino & Lupker, 1996) offers a mechanistic explanation of our findings that is rooted in feedback from semantic to orthographic representations.

Face threat sensitivity in distributive negotiations: Effects on negotiator self-esteem and demands

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Face threat sensitivity (FTS) is reactive sensitivity to threats to self-image.

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Counterpart competitiveness reduces high FTS negotiators’ global self-esteem (GSE).

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Counterpart competitiveness reduces high FTS negotiators' performance self-esteem (PSE).

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High FTS negotiators’ reduced GSE and PSE lead them to make lower demands.

Face threat sensitivity (FTS) is defined as reactive sensitivity to threats to one’s social self-worth. In negotiations, such threats may come from a counterpart's competitive behavior. We developed and tested the argument that individuals high in face threat sensitivity, when negotiating with a competitive (vs. cooperative) counterpart, exhibit psychological responses that inhibit them from claiming value in distributive negotiations. Employing a face-to-face interaction paradigm, Study 1 revealed that higher counterpart competitiveness was negatively associated with high (but not low) FTS negotiators’ global self-esteem, which in turn led them to be less demanding and obtain worse negotiation outcomes. In Study 2, employing a simulated on-line interaction paradigm, we manipulated counterpart’s behavior (cooperative vs. competitive) to establish causality and examined specific aspects of negotiator global self-esteem that may account for the effect. We found that the effect of counterpart’s competitiveness on high FTS negotiators’ demand levels was mediated by their performance self-esteem, but not by their social self-esteem. In Study 3, we manipulated performance self-esteem to establish it as a causal underlying psychological mechanism. For high FTS negotiators, when performance self-esteem was low, demand levels were significantly lower with a competitive (vs. cooperative) counterpart. However, when performance self-esteem was high, there was no significant difference in demand levels depending on counterpart’s behavior. This finding suggests that negotiating with a competitive (vs. cooperative) counterpart reduces high FTS negotiators’ performance self-esteem, which in turn leads them to make lower demands. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Reliability and Change in Erosion Measurements by High-resolution Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography in a Longitudinal Dataset of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this multireader exercise was to assess the reliability and change over time of erosion measurements in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT).

METHODS

HR-pQCT scans of 23 patients with RA were assessed at baseline and 12 months. Four experienced readers examined the dorsal, palmar, radial, and ulnar surfaces of the metacarpal head (MH) and phalangeal base (PB) of the second and third digits, blinded to time order. In total, 368 surfaces (23 patients´ 16 surfaces) were evaluated per timepoint to characterize cortical breaks as pathological (erosion) or physiological, and to quantify erosion width and depth. Reliability was evaluated by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), percentage agreement, and Light k; change over time was defined by means ± SD of erosion numbers and dimensions.

RESULTS

ICC for the mean measurements of width and depth of the pathological breaks ranged between 0.819-0.883, and 0.771-0.907, respectively. Most physiological cortical breaks were found at the palmar PB, whereas most pathological cortical breaks were located at the radial MH. There was a significant increase in both the numbers and the dimensions of erosions between baseline and follow-up (P = 0.0001 for erosion numbers, width, and depth in axial plane; P = 0.001 for depth in perpendicular plane).

CONCLUSION

This exercise confirmed good reliability of HR-pQCT erosion measurements and their ability to detect change over time.

Functional MR imaging beyond structure and inflammation-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis is associated with proteoglycan depletion of the lumbar spine

BACKGROUND

To compare the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content of lumbar intervertebral disks (IVDs) of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and healthy volunteers and to investigate the association of GAG depletion and disease-related clinical and imaging features.

METHODS

Lumbar spines of 50 AS patients (mean age 50 ± 10.5 years) and 30 age-matched volunteers were studied with 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and conventional radiographs (CR). The MRI protocol included high-resolution morphological sequences and the compositional GAG chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging technique (gagCEST). Morphological images were analyzed by three raters for inflammatory activity, fat deposition, disk degeneration, and structural changes on CR. Clinical and serological measures included the Bath AS Disease Activity (BASDAI) and Bath AS Function (BASFI) Indices and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. GagCEST values of both groups were compared using a linear mixed model. Kendall-Tau correlation analyses were performed.

RESULTS

GagCEST values were significantly lower in AS patients (2.0 ± 1.7%) vs. healthy volunteers (2.4 ± 1.8%), p = 0.001. Small, yet significant correlations were found between gagCEST values and CRP levels (τ = - 0.14, p = 0.007), BASFI (τ = - 0.18, p < 0.001) and presence of syndesmophytes (τ = - 0.17, p = 0.001). No significant correlations were found with BASDAI, inflammation, and fat deposition MRI scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Lumbar spines of r-AS patients undergo significant GAG depletion, independently associated with syndesmophyte formation, functional disability, and increased serological inflammation markers. Beyond establishing a pathophysiological role of the cartilage in AS, these findings suggest that gagCEST imaging may have an adjunct confirmatory role in the assessment of disease-related pathological MRI findings in axial spondyloarthritis.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

3980 ( https://studienregister.med.uni-duesseldorf.de ).

Bone density and frame size in adult women: Effects of body size, habitual use, and life history

OBJECTIVE

Bone mineral density (BMD) and frame size are important predictors of future bone health, with smaller frame size and lower BMD associated with higher risk of later fragility fractures. We test the effects of body size, habitual use, and life history on frame size and cortical BMD of the radius and tibia in sample of healthy adult premenopausal women.

METHODS

We used anthropometry and life history data from 123 women (age 18-46) from rural Poland. Standard techniques were used to measure height, weight, and body fat. Life history factors were recorded using surveys. Grip strength was measured as a proxy for habitual activity, wrist breadth for skeletal frame size. Cortical BMD was measured at the one-third distal point of the radius and mid-point of the tibia using quantitative ultrasound (reported as speed of sound, SoS).

RESULTS

Radial SoS was high (mean t-score 3.2 ± 1.6), but tibia SoS was average (mean t-score 0.35 ± 1.17). SoS was not associated with age, although wrist breadth was positively associated with age after adjusting for height. Radius SoS was not associated with measures of body size, habitual use, or life history factors. Wrist breadth was associated with body size (p < .05 for all), lean mass, and grip strength. Tibia SoS was associated with height. Life history factors were not associated with frame size or cortical SoS.

CONCLUSIONS

Habitual use and overall body size are more strongly associated with frame size and cortical SoS than life history factors in this sample of healthy adult women.

Choosing to view morbid information involves reward circuitry

People often seek out stories, videos or images that detail death, violence or harm. Considering the ubiquity of this behavior, it is surprising that we know very little about the neural circuits involved in choosing negative information. Using fMRI, the present study shows that choosing intensely negative stimuli engages similar brain regions as those that support extrinsic incentives and “regular” curiosity. Participants made choices to view negative and positive images, based on negative (e.g., a soldier kicks a civilian against his head) and positive (e.g., children throw flower petals at a wedding) verbal cues. We hypothesized that the conflicting, but relatively informative act of choosing to view a negative image, resulted in stronger activation of reward circuitry as opposed to the relatively uncomplicated act of choosing to view a positive stimulus. Indeed, as preregistered, we found that choosing negative cues was associated with activation of the striatum, inferior frontal gyrus, anterior insula, and anterior cingulate cortex, both when contrasting against a passive viewing condition, and when contrasting against positive cues. These findings nuance models of decision-making, valuation and curiosity, and are an important starting point when considering the value of seeking out negative content.

Relationships among resilience, depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and quality of life in children with cancer

OBJECTIVE

To examine the interrelationships among resilience, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms and determine whether resilience was a factor associated with quality of life for Hong Kong Chinese children with cancer.

METHODS

We used a cross-sectional study design. Participants were 138 Hong Kong Chinese children (aged 7-14 years) who were admitted to the pediatric oncology units of an acute public hospital. The resilience, depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and quality of life of participating children were assessed. The primary outcome was the association between resilience and quality of life in children with cancer.

RESULTS

In total, 72 boys and 66 girls were recruited for this study (mean age 10.6 years). The mean levels of resilience, depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and quality of life were 23.4, 30.0, 23.0, and 63.6, respectively. There was a statistically significant strong positive correlation between resilience and quality of life (r = 0.60, p < 0.01), indicating that greater resilience was associated with better quality of life. Children with cancer from single-parent families, those diagnosed with a brain tumor, and those who received multiple treatments reported significantly lower levels of resilience, self-esteem, and quality of life, and greater depressive symptoms than other children (all p's < 0.001). Results of a multiple regression analysis revealed that resilience (p < 0.001) was a strong factor associated with quality of life among children with cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

It is essential that healthcare professionals implement interventions to boost the resilience of children with cancer, thereby enhancing their quality of life.

Comparison of Corneal Densitometry Between Penetrating Keratoplasty and Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty in Keratoconus Patients

OBJECTIVES

Our aim was to compare corneal densitometry values in keratoconic eyes undergoing deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty with the "big bubble" and manual lamellar dissection techniques, as well as penetrating keratoplasty.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study evaluated the postoperative outcomes of 31 eyes treated with big bubble-deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty, 23 eyes with manual lamellar dissectiondeep anterior lamellar keratoplasty, and 37 eyes with penetrating keratoplasty. Corneal densitometry, best corrected visual acuity, and other corneal tomographic parameters were recorded at 1, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. The groups were compared with respect to the outcomes.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to the anterior, central, and total corneal densitometry values at 0 to 2 mm and 2 to 6 mm. At 1 month postoperatively, the densitometric value in the posterior corneal layer of the 0- to 2-mm and 2- and 6-mm corneal zones was higher in the manual lamellar dissection-deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty group than in the big bubble-deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty and penetrating keratoplasty groups (P = .001). At 6, 12, and 24 months, the manual lamellar dissectiondeep anterior lamellar keratoplasty and penetrating keratoplasty groups had similar values in both zones in the posterior layer. The difference between manual lamellar dissection-deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty and big bubble-deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty in both zones in the posterior layer was statistically significant at 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively (P < .05). The best corrected visual acuity of big bubble-deep anterior lamellar kerat oplasty and penetrating keratoplasty groups was better than that of the manual lamellar dissection-deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty group (P = .047).

CONCLUSIONS

Corneal densitometry values may vary depending on the type of keratoplasty used in keratoconus patients. Higher densitometry values may affect visual quality in keratoplasty patients by decreasing or filtering the light that reaches the retina.

Social values, self- and collective efficacy explaining behaviours in coping with Covid-19: Self-interested consumption and physical distancing in the first 10 days of confinement in Spain

The appearance of a new coronavirus (Covid-19) and its rapid expansion throughout the world has forced all countries to establish regulations based on social confinement. In the early days of a pandemic, the adherence to regulations is crucial to be able to block its spread. This research aims to analyse the relationship between motivational variables associated with physical distancing and self-interested consumption behaviours in the first 10 days of confinement in Spain. A total of 1,324 people participated throughout the country (mean age 28.92 years). Participants answered an online survey about socio-demographic, motivational variables, which included a) risk information seeking, b) confidence in self- and collective efficacy in coping with the pandemic, and c) the four higher-order personal values ‒conservation (security, conformity, and tradition), self-transcendence (universalism and benevolence), openness (self-direction actions and stimulation), and self-improvement (hedonism and power) ‒ and the aforementioned behaviours in coping with Covid-19. Results showed a positive association between self- and collective efficacy and both coping behaviours analysed: a protective role of conservation values on normative behaviours; and a negative relationship between self-transcendence values and self-interested consumption. Additionally, risk information seeking was positively associated with the development of physical distancing behaviour.

Perception of Dating Violence in Teenage Couples: A Cross Validation Study in Spain and Colombia

BACKGROUND

dating violence, or violence in teenage couples, is a socially interesting topic, due to its prevalence and its possible use in predicting violence in adult couples. The perception of violence, or the detection of abusive behaviors by teenagers and young people (which can be considered as equivalent concepts), is essential to prevent violence itself. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to determine which behaviors are identified as abusive by teenagers and young people, and the severity that they attribute to them-meaning how they perceive them. Moreover, we will be able to determine whether there are differences between boys and girls in two countries: Spain and Colombia.

METHODS

for this study, we used two samples from both countries, with a total of 389 teenagers (50.9% females and 49.1% males) who were, on average, 16.56 years old (SD = 1.94 years). We analyzed the factorial invariance depending on sex and country of the sample and the different profiles of violence perception.

RESULTS

we found evidence of the internal validity of the questionnaire for what concerns the perception of inter-partner violence. The results point out that the perception of violence in the relationship is composed of two factors related to each other (Multiple and Emotional Abuse), which are invariant depending of sex and country of origin of the sample. The internal consistency of the test is adequate (>0.90). The analysis of the violence perception profiles indicates that Spanish teenagers have a higher perception of it, and, also, that girls hold a higher perception than boys.

CONCLUSIONS

the results of this research have shown how dating violence (or violence in teenage couples) is differentially perceived not only between genders, but also across cultural contexts. Moreover, these outcomes may enhance the development of possible evidence-based interventions approaching the social problem generated by violence in teenage couples.

Affective and Stress Consequences of Cyberbullying

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effects of cyberbullying through social exclusion and verbal harassment on emotional, stress, and coping responses. Twenty-nine undergraduate students (16 females aged 18.25 ± 0.58 years and 13 males aged 18.46 ± 1.13 years) volunteered for the study. All volunteers participated in two experiments that stimulated cyberbullying through social exclusion or verbal harassment. In the first experiment, the effects of cyberbullying through social exclusion were investigated using a virtual ball-tossing game known as Cyberball. In the second experiment, the influence of cyberbullying through verbal harassment was tested using a hypothetical scenario together with reading of online comments. Emotional, stress, and coping responses were measured via the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale, the Dundee Stress State Questionnaire, and the Coping Inventory for Task Stress, respectively. The results demonstrated that social exclusion and verbal harassment induced a negative emotional state. We also found that verbal harassment through the use of impolite language increased engagement, and increased worry compared with social exclusion effects.