Can People With Higher Versus Lower Scores on Impression Management or Self-Monitoring Be Identified Through Different Traces Under Faking?

According to faking models, personality variables and faking are related. Most prominently, people's tendency to try to make an appropriate impression (impression management; IM) and their tendency to adjust the impression they make (self-monitoring; SM) have been suggested to be associated with faking. Nevertheless, empirical findings connecting these personality variables to faking have been contradictory, partly because different studies have given individuals different tests to fake and different faking directions (to fake low vs. high scores). Importantly, whereas past research has focused on faking by examining test scores, recent advances have suggested that the faking process could be better understood by analyzing individuals' responses at the item level (response pattern). Using machine learning (elastic net and random forest regression), we reanalyzed a data set (N = 260) to investigate whether individuals' faked response patterns on extraversion (features; i.e., input variables) could reveal their IM and SM scores. We found that individuals had similar response patterns when they faked, irrespective of their IM scores (excluding the faking of high scores when random forest regression was used). Elastic net and random forest regression converged in revealing that individuals higher on SM differed from individuals lower on SM in how they faked. Thus, response patterns were able to reveal individuals' SM, but not IM. Feature importance analyses showed that whereas some items were faked differently by individuals with higher versus lower SM scores, others were faked similarly. Our results imply that analyses of response patterns offer valuable new insights into the faking process.

The change of working alliance and the association to treatment outcome in an internet-based therapy after pregnancy loss

BACKGROUND

Working alliance is a prominent non-specific factor for treatment outcomes in face-to-face and internet-based interventions. The association between working alliance and therapy outcome appears to be time- and disorder-specific, but less is known about the change of working alliance during the intervention and the impact of working alliance in grief-specific interventions. The present study examines the association between the change of working alliance and treatment outcomes in an internet-based intervention for parents who experienced pregnancy loss.

METHODS

228 participants received a grief intervention based on cognitive behavioral therapy with asynchronous text-based therapist feedback. Prolonged grief and related symptoms of traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and general psychopathology were assessed with validated instruments before and after the intervention. The change of working alliance was assessed using the short version of the Working Alliance Inventory at mid-treatment (session 4) and the end of the treatment (session 10).

RESULTS

Data for N = 146 persons was analyzed. Working alliance in total and all subscales increased significantly from sessions 4 to 10. This change in working alliance correlated significantly with a reduction in prolonged grief. Changes in subscales of working alliance also correlated with symptoms of depression and general psychopathology. Regression analysis showed that a change in working alliance predicted a reduction in prolonged grief but did not predict improvements in other grief-related symptoms.

CONCLUSION

The results examine the change of working alliance during an internet-based intervention and the association with treatment outcome. A small impact of change in working alliance on treatment outcome of prolonged grief was confirmed, but not on related symptoms. Further research is needed to assess moderators of the alliance-outcome association to improve internet-based interventions.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Not applicable.

Perceived Stress and Depressive Symptoms Are Associated With Emotional Eating but Not Nutritional Intake During Pregnancy: A Prospective Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION

Pregnancy is a major life event during which women may experience increased psychological distress and changes in eating behaviors. However, few studies have investigated the influence of psychological distress on pregnant women's eating behaviors. The primary objective of this prospective study was to examine the associations of changes in perceived stress and depressive symptoms with emotional eating and nutritional intake during pregnancy. In addition, we examined the direct and moderating effects of perceived social support.

METHODS

Participants were racially diverse pregnant women (14-42 years) from 4 clinical sites in Detroit, MI, and Nashville, TN (N = 678). We used multiple linear and logistic regression models to determine if changes in stress and depressive symptoms across pregnancy were associated with changes in emotional eating and nutritional intake. We examined residualized change in stress and depressive symptoms from second to third trimester of pregnancy; positive residualized change scores indicated increased stress and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Participants showed significant improvement in emotional eating and nutritional intake from second to third trimester of pregnancy (P < .001 for both). At second trimester, higher depressive symptoms were associated with a greater likelihood of emotional eating (P < .001) and worse nutritional intake (P = .044) at third trimester. Increased stress and depressive symptoms during pregnancy were both associated with increased risk, whereas increased perceived social support reduced risk of emotional eating at third trimester (stress: adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.17; 95% CI, 1.08-1.26; depressive symptoms: AOR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.08; social support: AOR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.88-0.99). None were associated with changes in nutritional intake. Perceived social support did not show any moderating effects.

DISCUSSION

Increased psychological distress during pregnancy may increase emotional eating. Efforts to promote healthy eating behaviors among pregnant women should consider and address mental health.

Studying Daily Social Interaction Quantity and Quality in Relation to Depression Change: A Multi-Phase Experience Sampling Study

Day-to-day social life and mental health are intertwined. Yet, no study to date has assessed how the quantity and quality of social interactions in daily life are associated with changes in depressive symptoms. This study examines these links using multiple-timescale data (iSHAIB data set; N = 133), where the level of depressive symptoms was measured before and after three 21-day periods of event-contingent experience sampling of individuals' interpersonal interactions (T = 64,112). We find weak between-person effects for interaction quantity and perceiving interpersonal warmth of others on changes in depressive symptoms over the 21-day period, but strong and robust evidence for overwarming-a novel construct representing the self-perceived difference between one's own and interaction partner's level of interpersonal warmth. The findings highlight the important role qualitative aspects of social interactions may play in the progression of individuals' depressive symptoms.

Distress tolerance, coping motives, and alcohol craving and consumption: Two experiments testing momentary responses to a mood induction

BACKGROUND

The current studies examined the relationship between state and trait distress tolerance (DT), drinking-related variables (alcohol craving and consumption), and the moderating role of drinking to cope with negative affect (i.e., coping motives).

METHODS

Study 1 was a laboratory-based experiment. Participants (n=71) completed measures of trait DT, craving, coping motives, and affect valence prior to a negative mood induction task. Post-mood induction, participants completed measures of affect valence, alcohol craving, and state DT. Next, participants completed an alcohol taste task, measuring alcohol consumption. Study 2 was completed online. Participants (n=592) completed the same pre- and post-mood induction measures as study 1, but were randomized to a mood condition (neutral, negative, or positive). Study 2 did not include alcohol consumption.

RESULTS

Negative mood induction lowered reported affect in both studies. In study 1, higher coping motives predicted increased craving in response to negative mood induction but state and trait DT did not predict craving change alone. Contrary to our hypothesis, individuals with higher coping motives showed a positive relationship between trait DT and craving. Analyses predicting alcohol consumption were not significant. In study 2, lower trait DT predicted post-mood induction craving prior to inclusion of interactions in the model. Higher coping motives were the strongest and most consistent predictor of craving. Other predictors (state DT, mood condition) and interaction terms were not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings broadly align with previous research suggesting that coping motives are predictive of craving and indicate that trait DT may also impact craving.

Unmet and Exceeded Expectations for Sexual Concerns across the Transition to Parenthood

Expectations play a key role in shaping sexual and relationship well-being. Across the transition to parenthood, couples navigate many changes to their sexual relationships, yet little is known about their expectations related to sex. This longitudinal study investigated how unmet and exceeded expectations for postpartum sexual concerns - assessed in pregnancy and compared to experiences at 3-months postpartum - affect sexual and relationship well-being. Data were collected from 200 new-parent couples mid-pregnancy and at 3, 6, 9, and 12-months postpartum. Mothers' unmet expectations (i.e., sexual experiences were worse than expected) were associated with their own lower sexual and relationship satisfaction at 3-months postpartum. Partners' unmet expectations were associated with their own lower sexual satisfaction, higher sexual distress and relationship conflict, and mothers' lower sexual satisfaction. Mothers' exceeded expectations (i.e., sexual experiences were not as bad as they expected) were linked to their own and their partners' higher sexual satisfaction and lower sexual distress and relationship conflict at 3-months postpartum. Partners' exceeded expectations were only associated with mothers' lower sexual distress at 3-months postpartum. Expectations did not predict change in outcomes over time. Findings provide novel evidence that expectations for one's sexual relationship are associated with new parents' sexual and relationship adjustment during a vulnerable period for sexuality and well-being.

Resilience of primal world beliefs to the initial shock of the COVID-19 pandemic

INTRODUCTION

People hold general beliefs about the world called primals (e.g., the world is Safe, Intentional), which are strongly linked to individual differences in personality, behavior, and mental health. How such beliefs form or change across the lifespan is largely unknown, although theory suggests that beliefs become more negative after disruptive events. The COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to test whether dramatic world changes and personal adversity affect beliefs.

METHOD

In a longitudinal, quasi-experimental, pre-registered design, 529 US participants (51% female, 76% White) provided ratings of primals before and several months after pandemic onset, and information about personal adversity (e.g., losing family, financial hardship). Data were compared to 398 participants without experience of the pandemic.

RESULTS

The average person in our sample showed no change in 23 of the 26 primals, including Safe, in response to the early pandemic, and only saw the world as slightly less Alive, Interactive, and Acceptable. Higher adversity, however, was associated with slight declines in some beliefs. One limitation is that participants were exclusively American.

CONCLUSION

Primals were remarkably stable during the initial shock wrought by a once-in-a-century pandemic, supporting a view of primals as stable lenses through which people interpret the world.

Parent-adolescent informant discrepancy on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in the UK Millennium Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Developmental researchers often use a multi-informant approach to measure adolescent behaviour and adjustment, but informant discrepancies are common. In general population samples, it is often found that parents report more positive and less negative outcomes than adolescents themselves. This study aimed to investigate factors associated with informant discrepancy, including adolescent sex, and parental level of psychological distress and education.

METHODS

Informant discrepancy on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was investigated using a Latent Difference Score (LDS) approach, which estimates the true difference between parent and adolescent reports in a structural equation model. The sample were parent-adolescent dyads from the seventh wave of the UK Millennium Cohort Study (N = 6947, 49.3% female, aged 17 years).

RESULTS

Parents reported lower levels of difficulties (emotion symptoms, peer problems, conduct problems), and higher levels of pro-social behaviour than adolescents themselves. Conditional effects were found, as discrepancy was greater amongst parent-daughter dyads for emotion and peer problems, and greater amongst parent-son dyads for conduct problems and pro-social behaviour. Parent-adolescent discrepancy was also greater generally if parents had a lower level of psychological distress or a higher level of education.

CONCLUSIONS

In a large general population sample from the UK, it was found that adolescents tended to report more negative and less positive outcomes than parents reported about them. Conditional effects were found at the parent and adolescent level suggesting that specific informant biases are likely to impact the measurement of adolescent behaviour and adjustment across reporters.

What predicts individual response to language treatment in bilingual children with developmental language disorder?

Purpose

For bilingual children with developmental language disorder (DLD), language treatment response is the degree to which an individual child progresses in both of their languages. Understanding what predicts language treatment response for an individual child can help clinicians plan treatment more effectively.

Methods

This study is a retrospective analysis of data from Ebert et al. (2014). Participants included 32 school-age Spanish-English bilingual children with DLD who completed an intensive language treatment program. Gains in Spanish and English were measured using raw test scores in each language. Predictors of language gains include language, cognitive, and demographic variables. To examine which predictors were significant, we calculated partial correlations between the potential predictors and the posttreatment language test scores, controlling for the effects of pretreatment test scores.

Results

In Spanish, several predictors correlated with the outcome measures. After controlling for pretreatment scores, English grammaticality, female sex, processing speed, age, and fluid reasoning were related to Spanish posttreatment scores. In English, correlations with individual predictors were minimal. After controlling for pretreatment scores, only one variable was associated with one English posttreatment score: English grammaticality.

Conclusions

The original study reported limited gains in Spanish compared to robust gains in English (Ebert et al., 2014). Treatment response in Spanish is more variable given the lack of environmental support for Spanish in the US. As a result, individual factors (including nonverbal cognition, pretreatment language levels, and demographic variables) influence treatment gains in Spanish. In contrast, strong environmental support for English supports a more consistent treatment response, with a smaller role for individual factors.

Characterizing Interoceptive Differences in Autism: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Case-control Studies

Interoception, the body's perception of its own internal states, is thought to be altered in autism, though results of empirical studies have been inconsistent. The current study systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the extant literature comparing interoceptive outcomes between autistic (AUT) and neurotypical (NT) individuals, determining which domains of interoception demonstrate robust between-group differences. A three-level Bayesian meta-analysis compared heartbeat counting performance, heartbeat discrimination performance, heartbeat counting confidence ratings, and self-reported interoceptive attention between AUT and NT groups (15 studies; nAUT = 467, nNT = 478). Autistic participants showed significantly reduced heartbeat counting performance [g = - 0.333, CrI95% (- 0.535, - 0.138)] and higher confidence in their heartbeat counting abilities [g = 0.430, CrI95% (0.123, 0.750)], but groups were equivalent on other meta-analyzed outcomes. Implications for future interoception research in autism are discussed.

Brain and behavioral contributions to individual choices in response to affective-cognitive persuasion

Affective and cognitive information conveyed by persuasive stimuli is evaluated and integrated by individuals according to their behavioral predispositions. However, the neurocognitive structure that supports persuasion based on either affective or cognitive content is poorly understood. Here, we examine the neural and behavioral processes supporting choices based on affective and cognitive persuasion by integrating 4 information processing features: intrinsic brain connectivity, stimulus-evoked brain activity, intrinsic affective-cognitive orientation, and explicit target evaluations. We found that the intrinsic cross-network connections of a multimodal fronto-parietal network are associated with individual affective-cognitive orientation. Moreover, using a cross-validated classifier, we found that individuals' intrinsic brain-behavioral dimensions, such as affective-cognitive orientation and intrinsic brain connectivity, can predict individual choices between affective and cognitive targets. Our findings show that affective- and cognitive-based choices rely on multiple sources, including behavioral orientation, stimulus evaluation, and intrinsic functional brain architecture.

Social Norms Support the Protein Transition: The Relevance of Social Norms to Explain Increased Acceptance of Alternative Protein Burgers over 5 Years

Developing alternative protein products-based on protein sources other than regular meat-is a possible pathway to counter environmental and health burdens. However, alternative proteins are not always accepted by consumers, and more research is needed to support a shift to more alternative proteins. Prior studies have mainly focused on individual drivers and perceptions; although we expect that social norms-the perceptions of the opinions of relevant others-are highly relevant in accepting alternative proteins. Online surveys were conducted among 2461 respondents in 2015 and 2000 respondents in 2019 (cross-sectional datasets); a subsample (n = 500) responded to both surveys (longitudinal dataset). We add to the literature by (1) demonstrating the added explanatory value of social norms beyond a range of individual drivers; (2) showing that this finding holds over time, and (3) comparing the impact of social norms across different dietary consumer groups. Meat lovers and flexitarians are more prone to follow social norms whereas meat abstainers are more prone to follow their individual attitudes and values. This study highlights the relevance of investigations beyond personal variables such as personal norms and attitudes and underscores the relevance of considering the social aspects of accepting alternative proteins.

Compensatory role of verbal learning and consolidation in reading and spelling of children with dyslexia

The present study investigated the compensatory role of verbal learning and consolidation in reading and spelling of children with (N = 54) and without dyslexia (N = 36) and the role of verbal learning (learning new verbal information) and consolidation (remember the learned information over time) on the response to a phonics through spelling intervention of children with dyslexia. We also took phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, verbal working memory, and semantics into account. Results showed that children with dyslexia performed better in verbal learning and equal in verbal consolidation compared to typically developing peers. Regression analyses revealed that verbal learning did not predict reading but did predict spelling ability, across both groups; verbal consolidation did not predict reading, nor spelling. Furthermore, neither verbal learning nor verbal consolidation was related to responsiveness to a phonics through spelling intervention in children with dyslexia. Verbal learning may thus be seen as a compensatory mechanism for spelling before the intervention for children with dyslexia but is beneficial for typically developing children as well.

Commentary: The construct validity of 'camouflaging' in autism: psychometric considerations and recommendations for future research - reflection on Lai et al. (2020)

Research on the construct of 'camouflaging' in autism and its sociodemographic/clinical correlates has far outpaced the work being done to establish the construct validity of camouflaging and its distinction from other similar constructs. The imprecision with which camouflaging is defined and measured has serious implications for future research on this topic, and unless additional effort is made to produce reliable and valid measurements of this construct, researchers will not be able to meaningfully assess important questions such as whether the effort of camouflaging one's behavior contributes to increased mental health difficulties. By reviewing the psychometric strengths and weaknesses of various operationalizations of camouflaging, this commentary highlights a pressing need for further measure validation in this area. Specific methodological guidance is provided for researchers interested in rigorously testing the validity of putative camouflaging measures.

Longitudinal measurement invariance of the international spinal cord injury quality of life basic data set (SCI-QoL-BDS) during spinal cord injury/disorder inpatient rehabilitation

Purpose

This study aimed at testing the internal consistency and longitudinal measurement invariance of a brief quality of life questionnaire—the spinal cord injury quality of life basic data set (SCI-QoL-BDS)—among individuals with spinal cord injury/disorder undergoing first inpatient rehabilitation.

Methods

Longitudinal data from the Swiss spinal cord injury inception cohort study were used. Participants (n = 218) completed the SCI-QoL-BDS at one and three months post injury and at discharge. The SCI-QoL-BDS consists of three items assessing satisfaction with life as a whole, physical health, and psychological health. Internal consistency was examined at each time point and longitudinal measurement invariance was tested using longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis.

Results

Internal consistency coefficients ranged between .82 and .90. The confirmatory factor analysis revealed invariance of the factor structure and of all factor loadings across time. Additionally, all item intercepts except the one of satisfaction with physical health were invariant across time, suggesting partial intercept invariance of the SCI-QoL-BDS. Indeed, a response shift was observed in satisfaction with physical health. This item was evaluated more negatively in the early phase of inpatient rehabilitation, indicating the change of the evolving physical situation after the onset of a spinal cord injury.

Conclusion

The SCI-QoL-BDS is a consistent and valid measure to assess quality of life among individuals undergoing first spinal cord injury/disorder inpatient rehabilitation. However, we recommend using latent variable frameworks instead of mean scores when examining longitudinal changes in the measure to account for potential response shift.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11136-021-03027-5.

The assessment of physical risk taking: Preliminary construct validation of a new behavioral measure

Risk taking is a complex heterogeneous construct that has proven difficult to assess, especially when using behavioral tasks. We present an exploratory investigation of new measure–the Assessment of Physical Risk Taking (APRT). APRT produces a variety of different outcome scores and is designed as a comprehensive assessment of the probability of success and failure, and magnitude of reward and punishment of different types of simulated physically risky behaviors. Effects observed on the simulated behaviors are hypothesized to reflect similar effects on real world physical risks. Participants (N = 224) completed APRT in a laboratory setting, half of whom had a 1.5 s delay interposed between button presses. Exploratory analyses utilizing generalized estimating equations examined the main effects and two-way interactions among five within-subject factors, as well as two-way interactions between the within-subject factors and Delay across four APRT outcome scores. Results indicated that Injury Magnitude and Injury Probability exerted stronger effects than any of the other independent variables. Participants also completed several self-report measures of risk taking and associated constructs (e.g., sensation seeking), which were correlated with APRT scores to assess the preliminary convergent and divergent validity of the new measure. After correcting for multiple comparisons, APRT scores correlated with self-reported risk taking in thrilling, physically dangerous activities specifically, but only for those who did not have a delay between APRT responses. This promising exploratory investigation highlights the need for future studies comparing APRT to other behavioral risk taking tasks, examining the robustness of the observed APRT effects, and investigating how APRT may predict real-world physical risk taking.

Semantics impacts response to phonics through spelling intervention in children with dyslexia

We examined the response to a phonics through spelling intervention in 52 children with dyslexia by analyzing their phonological, morphological, and orthographical spelling errors both before and after the intervention whereas their spelling errors before the intervention were compared with those of 105 typically developing spellers. A possible compensatory role of semantics on the intervention effects was also investigated. Results showed that before the intervention, children with dyslexia and the typically developing children both made most morphological errors, followed by orthographic and phonological errors. Within each category, children with dyslexia made more errors than the typically developing children, with differences being largest for phonological errors. Children with dyslexia with better developed semantic representations turned out to make less phonological, morphological, and orthographic errors compared with children with dyslexia with less developed semantic representations. The intervention for children with dyslexia led to a reduction of all error types, mostly of the orthographic errors. In addition, semantics was related to the decline in phonological, morphological, and orthographic spelling errors. This study implicates that semantic stimulation could benefit the spelling development of children at risk for or with dyslexia.

The Discrepancies Between Individual-Set and Parent-Set Career Goals Scale: Development and Initial Validation

As there was no existing, psychometrically sound scale that directly assessed the discrepancies that young people experience between individual-set career goals and parent-set career goals, we developed and provided initial validation for a 15-item scale for use with young adults. In Study 1, items were developed, reviewed by experts, and administered to a sample of first year, undergraduate Indonesian students ( N = 426, Mage = 18.42 years). We used exploratory factor analysis to reduce the number of items and assess the factor structure and used confirmatory factor analyses on a holdout sample to assess this underlying structure. We then provided evidence for construct validity. Recommendations for use in research and practice are discussed.

Cognitive Change and Relaxation as Key Mechanisms of Treatment Outcome in Chronic Pain: Evidence From Routine Care

Despite effective treatment approaches within the cognitive behavioral framework general treatment effects for chronic pain are rather small to very small. Translation from efficacy trials to naturalistic settings is questionable. There is an urgent need to improve the effectiveness of well-established treatments, such as cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) and the investigation of mechanisms of change is a promising opportunity. We performed secondary data analysis from routine data of 1,440 chronic pain patients. Patients received CBT in a multidisciplinary setting in two inpatient clinics. Effect sizes and reliable change indices were computed for pain-related disability and depression. The associations between changes in the use of different pain coping skills (cognitive restructuring, activity despite pain, relaxation techniques and mental distraction) and changes in clinical outcomes were analyzed in structural equation models. Pre-post effect sizes range from g = 0.47 (disability) to g = 0.89 (depression). Changes in the use of cognitive restructuring, relaxation and to a lesser degree mental distraction were associated with changes in disability and depression. Effects from randomized trials can be translated to naturalistic settings. The results complement experimental research on mechanisms of change in the treatment of chronic pain and indicate an important role of cognitive change and relaxation as mechanisms of change. Our findings cautiously suggest that clinicians should optimize these processes in chronic pain patients to reduce their physical and emotional disability.

Moderators and Predictors of Response After 36 Weeks of Treatment in the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS)

This study investigated pretreatment variables associated with depression severity in adolescents following maintenance treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). Data was derived from the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS). Participants received one of three treatments: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), fluoxetine (FLX), or combined CBT and fluoxetine (COMB). Participants received 12 weeks of acute treatment, 6 weeks of consolidation treatment, and 18 weeks of maintenance treatment (N = 327, M age = 14.62 yrs). Outcome was measured by the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised. Results showed adolescents with shorter depressive episodes, better global functioning, less suicidal ideation, better health/social functioning, and greater expectancy of positive treatment response were more likely to have lower depression severity following 36 weeks of treatment, regardless of modality. Adolescents with lower initial depression demonstrated lower depression severity if treated with CBT. FLX was more effective in reducing depression severity in adolescents with severe baseline depression than for those with mild or moderate depression. Adolescents with higher family incomes were more likely to have lower depression severity if they received CBT only. In conclusion, adolescents with shorter depressive episodes, better health, social, and global functioning, less suicidal ideation, and greater expectancy for treatment at baseline respond equally well to CBT, fluoxetine, and combined treatment. Adolescents who are more severely depressed at baseline may have a better treatment response if they are treated with FLX; whereas adolescents of higher income are more likely to have a better response if they receive CBT only.

Retest Reliability of Integrated Speed-Accuracy Measures

Cognitive tasks borrowed from experimental psychology are often used to assess individual differences. A cardinal issue of this transition from experimental to correlational designs is reduced retest reliability of some well-established cognitive effects as well as speed-accuracy trade-off. The present study aimed to address these issues by examining the retest reliability of various methods for speed-accuracy integration and by comparing between two types of task modeling: difference scores and residual scores. Results from three studies on executive functions show that (a) integrated speed-accuracy scoring is generally more reliable as compared with nonintegrated methods: mean response time and accuracy; and (b) task modeling, especially residual scores, reduced reliability. We thus recommend integrating speed and accuracy, at least for measuring executive functions.

Nothing wrong about change: the adequate choice of the dependent variable and design in prediction of cognitive training success

Background

Even though investigating predictors of intervention success (e.g Cognitive Training, CT) is gaining more and more interest in the light of an individualized medicine, results on specific predictors of intervention success in the overall field are mixed and inconsistent due to different and sometimes inappropriate statistical methods used. Therefore, the present paper gives a guidance on the appropriate use of multiple regression analyses to identify predictors of CT and similar non-pharmacological interventions.

Methods

We simulated data based on a predefined true model and ran a series of different analyses to evaluate their performance in retrieving the true model coefficients. The true model consisted of a 2 (between: experimental vs. control group) × 2 (within: pre- vs. post-treatment) design with two continuous predictors, one of which predicted the success in the intervention group and the other did not. In analyzing the data, we considered four commonly used dependent variables (post-test score, absolute change score, relative change score, residual score), five regression models, eight sample sizes, and four levels of reliability.

Results

Our results indicated that a regression model including the investigated predictor, Group (experimental vs. control), pre-test score, and the interaction between the investigated predictor and the Group as predictors, and the absolute change score as the dependent variable seemed most convenient for the given experimental design. Although the pre-test score should be included as a predictor in the regression model for reasons of statistical power, its coefficient should not be interpreted because even if there is no true relationship, a negative and statistically significant regression coefficient commonly emerges.

Conclusion

Employing simulation methods, theoretical reasoning, and mathematical derivations, we were able to derive recommendations regarding the analysis of data in one of the most prevalent experimental designs in research on CT and external predictors of CT success. These insights can contribute to the application of considered data analyses in future studies and facilitate cumulative knowledge gain.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12874-020-01176-8.

Office types and workers' cognitive vs affective evaluations from a noise perspective

Purpose

This study aims to examine the links between office types (cellular, shared-room, small and medium-sized open-plan) and employees' subjective well-being regarding cognitive and affective evaluations and the role perceived noise levels at work has on the aforementioned associations.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey with measures of office types, perceived noise levels at work and the investigated facets of subjective well-being (cognitive vs affective) was distributed to employees working as real estate agents in Sweden. In total, 271 useable surveys were returned and were analyzed using analyses of variance (ANOVAs) and a regression-based model mirroring a test of moderated mediation.

Findings

A significant difference was found between office types on the well-being dimension related to cognitive, but not affective, evaluations. Employees working in cellular and shared-room offices reported significantly higher ratings on this dimension than employees working in open-plan offices, and employees in medium-sized open-plan offices reported significantly lower cognitive evaluation scores than employees working in all other office types. This pattern of results was mediated by perceived noise levels at work, with employees in open-plan (vs cellular and shared-room) offices reporting less satisfactory noise perceptions and, in turn, lower well-being scores, especially regarding the cognitive (vs affective) dimension.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies to compare the relative impact of office types on both cognitive and affective well-being dimensions while simultaneously testing and providing empirical support for the presumed process explaining the link between such aspects.

Longitudinal course and predictors of posttraumatic stress symptoms after spinal cord injury

OBJECTIVE

This study examined longitudinal changes in post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in individuals newly diagnosed with spinal cord injury (SCI) and tested various psychosocial and injury-related characteristics as predictors for interindividual differences in symptom courses.

DESIGN

Longitudinal data from the larger Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study were used. The sample consisted of 269 patients (70.6% male; M_age = 53.21) admitted for inpatient rehabilitation to SCI rehabilitation centers.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

PTSS were measured at one and six months after injury using the Impact of Event Scale-6.

RESULTS

Latent change score modelling revealed no average change in PTSS in the sample, but significant variability in the individual symptom courses. Reliable change index analyses suggest that among individuals with an initial PTSS severity of clinical concern (n = 65), only 27.7% showed clinically significant decreases over time. Predictors explained 34% of the variance in PTSS change. Loss appraisals (β = .30, p < .001) and cause of injury (β = .16, p = .018) emerged as unique predictors.

CONCLUSION

Clinically elevated PTSS one month after SCI typically remain across the following months highlighting the need for early screening and intervention. Low loss appraisals were related to decreases in symptom severity and might therefore be a suitable intervention target for reducing PTSS after SCI.

Do Textbooks Matter for Reading Comprehension? A Study in Flemish Primary Education

This study assessed whether textbooks affect academic performance and engagement in reading comprehension in primary education in Flanders (Belgium). The data of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study 2016 and a reassessment of this study in 2018 were used to describe students’ learning progress in reading comprehension and evolution in engagement between the fourth and sixth grade. The sample consisted of 3051 students in 98 schools. The averages of students’ learning progress and engagement were compared for five textbooks by using multilevel autoregression model and multilevel change score models. Contrasts between textbooks in average learning progress and engagement were also estimated. To control for differences between student populations that are educated with the different textbooks, we controlled for student’s socioeconomic status, language and initial academic performance in fourth grade at the student- and school-level. The main hypotheses were that textbooks affect learning progress and reading engagement. This was based on the literature and prior (mainly) cross-sectional research which describe textbooks as playing an important role in the curriculum that is taught to students on a daily basis. The results of both models showed that textbooks do not affect student’s average learning progress in reading comprehension and evolution in engagement between the fourth grade and sixth grade in Flanders. Hence, the hypotheses were rejected.

Mother and Father Controlling Feeding Behaviors and Associations With Observed Mealtime Family Functioning

Objective

Mealtime family functioning is important in shaping health behaviors associated with overweight/obesity, particularly for preschool-aged children. Parental controlling feeding behaviors (i.e., restriction and pressure to eat), may impact mealtime family functioning and thus be targets of prevention and intervention efforts. The current study aimed to address literature gaps by examining both mother and father self-reports of controlling feeding behaviors, and the discrepancies between parents’ reports. Further, the study examined the associations among controlling feeding behaviors and objective mealtime family functioning in a community sample of preschool-aged children.

Methods

The sample included 27 children between 2 and 6 years of age and their immediate family members. Two mealtimes were videotaped for each family and coded for family functioning using the Mealtime Interaction Coding System, and self-reports of feeding practices were collected using the Child Feeding Questionnaire.

Results

Mother controlling feeding behaviors were not significantly related to any mealtime family functioning domain. Father controlling feeding behaviors were only significantly related to interpersonal involvement. However, discrepancies in the use of controlling feeding behaviors accounted for nearly one fourth of the variance in overall family functioning and affect management, with greater discrepancies being related to poorer family functioning.

Conclusions

Interventions may be designed to reduce parental discrepancies in the use of controlling feeding behaviors. Future research should consider longitudinal design, using larger, more representative samples, to better understand the impact of parental controlling feeding behaviors, particularly the impact of parental discrepancies in these areas, on mealtime family functioning and subsequent health outcomes.

Validity and responsiveness to change of the Active Australia Survey according to gender, age, BMI, education, and physical activity level and awareness

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate the validity of the Active Australia Survey across different subgroups and its responsiveness to change, as few previous studies have examined this.

METHODS

The Active Australia Survey was validated against the ActiGraph as an objective measure of physical activity. Participants (n = 465) wore the ActiGraph for 7 days and subsequently completed the Active Australia Survey. Moderate activity, vigorous activity and total moderate and vigorous physical activity were compared using Spearman rank-order correlations. Changes in physical activity between baseline and 3-month assessments were correlated to examine responsiveness to change. The data were stratified to assess outcomes according to different subgroups (e.g., gender, age, weight, activity levels).

RESULTS

With regards to the validity, a significant correlation of ρ = 0.19 was found for moderate physical activity, ρ = 0.33 for vigorous physical activity and ρ = 0.23 for moderate and vigorous physical activity combined. For vigorous physical activity correlations were higher than 0.3 for most subgroups, whereas they were only higher than 0.3 in those with a healthy weight for the other activity outcomes. With regards to responsiveness to change, a correlation of ρ = 0.32 was found for moderate physical activity, ρ = 0.19 for vigorous physical activity and ρ = 0.35 for moderate and vigorous physical activity combined. For moderate and vigorous activity combined correlations were higher than 0.4 for several subgroups, but never for vigorous physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Little evidence for the validity of Active Australia Survey was found, although the responsiveness to change was acceptable for several subgroups. Findings from studies using the Active Australia Survey should be interpreted with caution.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

World Health Organisation Universal Trial Number: U111-1119-1755. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12611000157976 . Registration date: 8 March 2011.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Chronic Tinnitus: Evaluation of Benefits in a Large Sample of Patients Attending a Tinnitus Clinic

OBJECTIVES

Mindfulness-based approaches may benefit patients with chronic tinnitus, but most evidence is from small studies of nonstandardized interventions, and there is little exploration of the processes of change. This study describes the impact of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in a "real world" tinnitus clinic, using standardized MBCT on the largest sample of patients with chronic tinnitus to date while exploring predictors of change.

DESIGN

Participants were 182 adults with chronic and distressing tinnitus who completed an 8-week MBCT group. Measures of tinnitus-related distress, psychological distress, tinnitus acceptance, and mindfulness were taken preintervention, postintervention, and at 6-week follow-up.

RESULTS

MBCT was associated with significant improvements on all outcome measures. Postintervention, reliable improvements were detected in tinnitus-related distress in 50% and in psychological distress in 41.2% of patients. Changes in mindfulness and tinnitus acceptance explained unique variance in tinnitus-related and psychological distress postintervention.

CONCLUSIONS

MBCT was associated with significant and reliable improvements in patients with chronic, distressing tinnitus. Changes were associated with increases in tinnitus acceptance and dispositional mindfulness. This study doubles the combined sample size of all previously published studies. Randomized controlled trials of standardized MBCT protocols are now required to test whether MBCT might offer a new and effective treatment for chronic tinnitus.

Polygenic risk score for schizophrenia and structural brain connectivity in older age: A longitudinal connectome and tractography study

Higher polygenic risk score for schizophrenia (szPGRS) has been associated with lower cognitive function and might be a predictor of decline in brain structure in apparently healthy populations. Age-related declines in structural brain connectivity-measured using white matter diffusion MRI -are evident from cross-sectional data. Yet, it remains unclear how graph theoretical metrics of the structural connectome change over time, and whether szPGRS is associated with differences in ageing-related changes in human brain connectivity. Here, we studied a large, relatively healthy, same-year-of-birth, older age cohort over a period of 3 years (age ∼ 73 years, N = 731; age ∼76 years, N = 488). From their brain scans we derived tract-averaged fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), and network topology properties. We investigated the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between these structural brain variables and szPGRS. Higher szPGRS showed significant associations with longitudinal increases in MD in the splenium (β = 0.132, pFDR = 0.040), arcuate (β = 0.291, pFDR = 0.040), anterior thalamic radiations (β = 0.215, pFDR = 0.040) and cingulum (β = 0.165, pFDR = 0.040). Significant declines over time were observed in graph theory metrics for FA-weighted networks, such as mean edge weight (β = -0.039, pFDR = 0.048) and strength (β = -0.027, pFDR = 0.048). No significant associations were found between szPGRS and graph theory metrics. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that szPGRS confers risk for ageing-related degradation of some aspects of structural connectivity.

Value development during adolescence: Dimensions of change and stability

OBJECTIVE

Value change stability was examined in a longitudinal sample of Jewish and Arab Israeli adolescents.

METHOD

Adolescents (N = 520; 55.4% girls; M_age  = 13.76, SD = 0.52, at initial assessment) reported value importance at four annual evaluations.

RESULTS

Adolescents increased in values' internal coherence and rank-order stability. Their value hierarchy was consistent and differentiated from the hierarchy of adults. Latent growth curve analyses indicated a similar pattern of mean-level value change for both ethnic groups: an increase in power and a decrease in tradition values; an increase in self-direction values among Jewish adolescents but not among Arab participants. Overall, the perceived importance of power, achievement, and self-direction values was more likely to increase than decrease, and the importance of conformity, tradition, security, and benevolence values was more likely to decrease than increase. Intraindividual changes in value importance followed the postulated pattern, as compatible values changed together, whereas conflicting values changed in opposite directions.

CONCLUSIONS

This article suggests that values become better indicators of individual characteristics during adolescence. Adolescents increase their endorsement of self-focused values and decrease their valuation of other-focused values. They maintain the integrity of their value system despite value changes, confirming and validating value theory.

Impact of confrontations by therapists on impairment and utilization of the therapeutic alliance

OBJECTIVE

Striking the balance between creating challenge through confrontation (drawing attention to discrepancies) to encourage change and offering support through the therapeutic relationship to ensure safety for patients represents a central issue for psychotherapists. The aim of the present study was to assess immediate effects of confrontations by therapists on the therapeutic alliance.

METHOD

We rated video recordings of 77 therapies to measure incidences of alliance ruptures/resolution attempts as well as confrontations by therapists. Change in the therapeutic alliance and therapy outcome were measured through questionnaires filled out by patients.

RESULTS

Confrontations were significantly associated with ruptures/resolution attempts on the micro level. Changes in the therapeutic alliance moderated the association between confrontations and alliance ruptures on the macro level: The bigger the fraction of a session containing confrontations, the larger the fraction containing ruptures, given a prior positive change in the therapeutic alliance. Therapists' use of confrontation during a resolution attempt was associated with significantly better therapy outcomes than no use of confrontation during or no resolution attempt.

CONCLUSIONS

Confrontations by therapists may temporarily impair the therapeutic alliance, but might also lead to better therapy outcomes when used to make an alliance rupture explicit as part of a resolution attempt. Clinical or methodological significance: This study provides quantitative explorations of therapists' fears and hopes regarding the use of confrontations (defined as focus on a discrepancy by the therapist). Results point to associations between confrontations and alliance ruptures, especially in the context of a secure alliance. Furthermore, resolution attempts might profit from initial confrontations regarding the relevant alliance rupture.

The Roles of Social Complexity Belief and Perceived Contact Characteristics in Cultural Intelligence Development Among Individuals Receiving Contact-Based Training

Contact-based cross-cultural training (CCT) is essential in cultural intelligence (CQ) development; however, little is known about how individual differences and training characteristics influence CQ development. This work argues that in the context of contact-based CCT, a participant’s social complexity belief predicts the perception of disconfirmation in culturally shaped expectations, and ultimately his or her CQ development. Furthermore, using person–situation interactionist research, this study explores the interaction of social complexity belief with perceived optimal contact characteristics: common goals, personalized contact, equal status, and support of authorities. The hypotheses were tested in a pre- and postdesign study involving 174 management students who participated in a multiweek contact-based CCT. The results reveal that social complexity belief is positively associated with CQ development and that the perception of disconfirmation mediates this relationship. The perception of common goals by a CCT participant during contact attenuates the positive effect of his or her social complexity belief on the perception of disconfirmation. These findings highlight the importance of considering individual differences and training characteristics in CCT design and selection.

Accuracy and Bias in Perception of Distress Level and Distress Change Among Same-Sex College Student Roommate Dyads

University students often experience high levels of stress and, in some cases, the stress leads to tragic outcomes. An important question is whether roommates can perceive the level and change in distress in their peers. We examined self- and other-reports of 187 same-sex undergraduate dyads at two times in a spring semester. Using the truth and bias model, we found that roommates tended to underestimate their partner's distress at both time points, and that ratings were equally influenced by truth and self-focus bias forces. For change, however, there was no evidence of directional (average) bias, and perceived change was only significantly related to the truth force. There were no consistent moderation effects by closeness or gender. These findings are interpreted in the context of person perception theory and the practical need for early warning about extreme distress in college students.

Wo sind die wissenschaftlichen Standards für hochwertige Replikationsforschung?

Zusammenfassung. Es gibt einen breiten Konsens, dass Replikation ein wichtiges Instrument ist, um valide Befunde und solide Forschung zu erkennen. Wenn sie aber wissenschaftlich bedeutsam ist, dann muss auch die Replikationsforschung an strengen methodischen Regeln und an klar artikulierten wissenschaftlichen Zielen gemessen werden. Eine kritische Beschäftigung mit der aktuellen Replikationsforschung – etwa im jüngst veröffentlichten Bericht der Open Science Collaboration – zeigt jedoch, dass eine strenge und forschungslogisch begründete Methodologie für Replikationsstudien bislang weder angewandt noch entwickelt wurde. Infolgedessen bleibt die Validität der Schlüsse, die aus Replikationsstudien gezogen werden dürfen, oftmals unklar. Dieses grundlegende Problem wird hier unter vier Gesichtspunkten diskutiert: Unklarheit des Gegenstandes der Replikation (Replicandum), Vernachlässigung einschlägiger methodischer Probleme (Regressivität; Reliabilität der Veränderungsmessung), einseitige Vermeidung von angeblich kostenträchtigen „Falsch-Positiven“ ohne Versuch einer systematischen Kosten-Nutzen-Messung sowie das vernachlässigte Ziel, Replikationsforschung so zu implementieren, dass sie echte Erkenntnisfortschritte bringt und als exzellente Forschung anerkannt werden kann.

Loneliness, socio-economic status and quality of life in old age: the moderating role of housing tenure

The study investigated housing tenure as a factor moderating the effects of loneliness and socio-economic status (SES) on quality of life (control and autonomy, pleasure, and self-realisation) over a two-year period for older adults. Data from the 2010 and 2012 waves of the New Zealand Health, Work, and Retirement Study were analysed. Using case-control matching, for each tenant (N = 332) we selected a home-owner (N = 332) of the same age, gender, ethnicity, SES, working status and urban/rural residence. Structural equation modelling was employed to examine the impact of SES, housing tenure and loneliness on quality of life over time. Emotional loneliness exerted a significant negative main effect on control and autonomy and pleasure. Tenure and SES influenced control and autonomy, but not pleasure or self-realisation. Tenure moderated the effect of emotional loneliness on control and autonomy, with the negative effect of emotional loneliness weaker for home-owners compared to renters. Tenure moderated the effect of SES on control and autonomy, with the positive impact of SES stronger for home-owners. Findings suggest that owners capitalise on their material and financial resources more than tenants in terms of their quality of life. In addition, home-ownership can act as a protective factor against the harmful effects of emotional loneliness in old age.

The role of cognitions in short-term temporal changes in dental fear among Australian adults

OBJECTIVES

To determine if temporal changes in dental fear over a 4-month period are predicted by changed cognitive vulnerability-related perceptions of going to the dentist.

METHODS

Australian adults (n = 484) completed mailed questionnaires at baseline and follow-up, containing measures of dental fear, cognitive vulnerability-related perceptions, dental services received, and possible aversive experiences during the study period. Change in dental fear was the main outcome measure, categorized as decreased (Fear^- ), unchanged (Fear⁰ ), and increased (Fear⁺ ).

RESULTS

Across the study period, 15.5 percent of people had Fear^- , 73.4 percent had Fear⁰ , and 11.1 percent had Fear⁺ . In a multinomial logistic regression, after controlling for participant gender, income, time since last dental visit at baseline, dental fear at baseline and experiencing an aversive event, increased vulnerability-related perceptions were significantly associated with Fear⁺ (OR = 2.83, P < 0.001) while decreased vulnerability-related perceptions were associated with Fear^- (OR = 0.17, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study found, across a relatively short 4-month period, that increased vulnerability-related perceptions of visiting the dentist predicted increased dental fear while decreased vulnerability-related perceptions predicted decreased dental fear. More appropriate study designs, such as longitudinal designs, and longer follow-up periods are needed to determine the possible causal nature of these associations.

Sex differences in cortisol's regulation of affiliative behavior

A contribution to a special issue on Hormones and Human Competition. A stress perspective is used to illuminate how competitive defeat and victory shape biology and behavior. We report a field study examining how change in cortisol following perceived defeat (vs. victory) in a competition-in this case, a dog agility competition-relates to affiliative behavior. Following competition, we measured cortisol change and the extent to which dog handlers directed affiliative behaviors toward their dogs. We found striking sex differences in affiliation. First, men were more affiliative toward their dogs after victory, whereas women were more affiliative after defeat. Second, the greater a female competitor's increase in cortisol, the more time she spent affiliating with her dog, whereas for men, the pattern was the exact opposite: the greater a male competitor's increase in cortisol, the less time he spent affiliating with his dog. This pattern suggests that, in the wake of competition, men and women's affiliative behavior may serve different functions-shared celebration for men; shared consolation for women. These sex differences show not only that men and women react very differently to victory and defeat, but also that equivalent changes in cortisol across the sexes are associated with strikingly different behavioral consequences for men and women.

Predicting Follow-up Outcomes in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy: The Role of Change in Trust, Relationship-Specific Attachment, and Emotional Engagement

Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT), an evidence-based couple therapy (Johnson, Hunsley, Greenberg, & Schindler, 1999), strives to foster lasting change through the creation of secure attachment bonds in distressed couples. Although studies have demonstrated lasting change in follow-up (Wiebe et al., in press), research is needed to investigate predictors of long-term outcomes. Our goal was to investigate predictors of long-term outcomes in relationship satisfaction. Relationship satisfaction was assessed across 24 months in a sample of 32 couples who received an average of 21 EFT sessions. Decreases in attachment avoidance were most predictive of higher relationship satisfaction across follow-up. These findings support the theoretical assumption that EFT helps couples foster lasting change in relationship satisfaction through the facilitation of secure attachment bonds.