The heritability of implicit self-esteem: A twin study

No elephant in the room: The incremental validity of implicit self-esteem measures

Correlational research aiming to validate measures and the construct of implicit self-esteem (ISE) has produced heterogeneous results in the past. We argue that this might be caused by two underappreciated obstacles: the situational malleability and construct irrelevant variance in conventional ISE measures. To minimize these problems, we applied process and latent state-trait modeling to Implicit Association Test and Name Letter Task data collected on four occasions across six weeks in a preregistered online study (initial N = 360, final N = 302). We investigated the relation of supposed trait ISE parameters with trait explicit self-esteem (ESE) and criteria. Results indicated no latent trait correlation among the different supposed indicators of ISE, small latent trait correlations of indicators of ISE and ESE, and little incremental validity of the supposed ISE measures in predicting potential criterion measures over and above ESE. These findings align with previous critical evaluations regarding the supposed measures of ISE and the conceptual validity of ISE as an association. Implications for future research on ISE are discussed.

The Neural Correlates of the Abnormal Implicit Self-Esteem in Major Depressive Disorder: An Event-Related Potential Study

Implicit self-esteem (ISE) has been considered a critical factor in the development and maintenance of major depressive disorder (MDD). Further investigating the event-related potential (ERP) characteristics underlying abnormal ISE in MDD would be helpful for understanding the neural mechanism of MDD. For this purpose, 32 MDD patients and 31 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in this study. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) was used to evaluate explicit self-esteem (ESE), and a self-esteem go/no-go association task (GNAT) was used to assess ISE. Electroencephalograms were synchronously recorded when performing the self-esteem GNAT. Behavioral data and ERP characteristics under different conditions were analyzed and compared within and across groups. The results showed that compared to HCs, MDD patients had significantly lower RSES scores and self-D scores of GNAT, which reflected lower levels of ESE and ISE, respectively. No significant correlation was found between RESE and self-D scores, and only RESE scores were significantly negatively correlated with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) score. The averaged centroparietal go-P3 amplitude under the self-positive condition was significantly smaller in MDD than in HCs. Moreover, HCs had a significantly larger average centroparietal go-P3 amplitude in self-positive than in self-negative conditions, while this pattern was opposite in the MDD group. The neural activity patterns for other conditions were similar between MDD and HCs. Our results suggested that patients with MDD have a decreased level of both ESE and ISE, and ISE might be more independent of clinical symptoms. Decreased neural processing that implicitly associate self with positive conditions (and relatively increased implicit association between self and negative conditions) might be important neural correlates for abnormal ISE in MDD.

Parental and Child Self-Efficacy Explaining Food Intake through Self-Regulation: A Dyadic Prospective Study

BACKGROUND

According to social cognitive theory and socio-ecological models, self-efficacy and temptation-related self-regulation (the use of distraction or suppression) are modifiable predictors of health behaviors, such as food intake. Yet, there is limited evidence explaining how these factors are interlinked among parent-child dyads. This study investigated indirect effects of parental and child self-efficacy on food intake, via parental and child self-regulation.

METHODS

The prospective study (the baseline [T1] and the 10-month follow-up [T2]) enrolled 924 parent-child dyads (1,848 individuals; 54.3% girls, aged 5-11 years, 88.9% mothers). Dyads were interviewed or completed self-report measures. Path analyses with maximum likelihood estimation were conducted.

RESULTS

Child self-efficacy and distraction (T1) mediated between parental self-efficacy (T1) and higher levels of child fruit and vegetable intake (T2). No significant mediating effects of suppression were found, nor indirect effects of parental self-efficacy (T1) on energy-dense food intake (T2).

CONCLUSION

Health promotion interventions aiming at changing fruit and vegetable intake among 5-11-year-old children should target enhancing parental and child self-efficacy that may facilitate the use of self-regulation and, in turn, healthy diet.

The Beijing Twin Study (BeTwiSt): An Update

The Beijing Twin Study (BeTwiSt), which was established in 2006, is an ongoing study aiming to investigate the genetic and environmental etiology of adolescent psychopathology. Resting-state brain imaging datasets have been examined for same-sex twins, and other psychological traits and emotional and behavioral variables have been examined for all twins. Based on the registry, the main findings regarding the etiological mechanism underlying adolescent development, magnetic resonance imaging results, and genetic and environmental influences on other psychological traits have been published. This article summarizes the key findings in these three areas and discusses future plans for the BeTwiSt.