Application of the Chinese Version of the BIS/BAS Scales in Participants With a Substance Use Disorder: An Analysis of Psychometric Properties and Comparison With Community Residents

Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of the sensitivity to punishment and sensitivity to reward questionnaire-revised and its psychometric evaluation among Chinese person with substance use disorder

The Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ) is a self-report tool widely used to assess individuals' level of reinforcement sensitivity. Drug addiction is strongly associated with reinforcement sensitivity, but there is a lack of measurement tools to assess reinforcement sensitivity in drug users, necessitating the revision and application of the SPSRQ among drug users. This study recruited 819 drug users (mean age = 34.74; 56.41% female) from five compulsory rehabilitation centers in Hunan Province, China. The applicability of the SPSRQ among person with substance use disorder was assessed by conducting reliability analyses and validity analyses, with retesting performed by 127 individuals after 6 weeks. Exploratory factor analysis for the SPSRQ showed a stable two-factor structure in person with substance use disorder. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated acceptable goodness of fit indexes for the two-factor structure. The SPSRQ also demonstrated good reliability and convergent and discriminant validity evidence. The two-factor structure of the SPSRQ also demonstrated measurement invariance across gender. Further comparative analysis found that the degree of reward sensitivity was higher for males than for females. Generally, the SPSRQ has shown evidence of good reliability and validity in Chinese drug-dependent populations, and it is suitable for research and application with Chinese person with substance use disorder. These findings about the personality traits of people with substance use disorder provide a solid basis for further research.

Vulnerability Factors, Adjustment, and Opioid Misuse in Chronic Noncancer Pain Individuals

Several person variables predate injury or pain onset that increase the probability of maladjustment to pain and opioid misuse. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of 2 diathesis variables (impulsiveness and anxiety sensitivity [AS]) in the adjustment of individuals with chronic noncancer pain and opioid misuse. The sample comprised 187 individuals with chronic noncancer pain. The hypothetical model was tested using correlation and structural equation modeling analyses. The results show a significant association between impulsiveness and AS and all the maladjustment variables, and between impulsiveness and AS and opioid misuse and craving. However, although the correlation analysis showed a significant association between adjustment to pain and opioid misuse, the structural equation modeling analysis showed a nonsignificant association between them (as latent variables). The findings support the hypothesis that both impulsiveness and AS are vulnerability factors for maladaptive adjustment to chronic pain and opioid misuse. PERSPECTIVE: This article adds to the empirical literature by including AS and impulsiveness as antecedent variables in a model of dual vulnerability to chronic pain maladjustment and opioid misuse. The findings suggest the potential utility of assessing both factors in individuals in the first stages of chronic pain.

Meta-Analytic Review of Temperamental Correlates of the Five-Factor Model and Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology Domains

Background

There is little and heterogeneous knowledge on the links between the temperamental predispositions of psychopathology and the contemporary dimensional models of psychopathology, such as the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) classification system, which can be aligned with the five-factor model (FFM) of personality. This meta-analysis seeks to expand the temperamental theoretical basis of the HiTOP model by incorporating associations of temperament traits of two temperamental theories measured, respectively, by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A) with (a) the FFM's personality domains and (b) HiTOP's five psychopathological spectra.

Methods

A systematic search was done on Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, ProQuest, Cochrane Database, and Google Scholar for all articles published in English from January 1990 to August 2020. Because of heterogeneity in the results of almost 70% of studies, pooled estimates of correlation coefficients were calculated using the random-effects method. Risk of bias (low-quality studies) and publication bias are reported.

Results

The pooled correlations obtained from the analysis of 35 studies showed that the temperamental profile associated with each FFM domain and HiTOP spectra is distinct. Specifically, TCI-harm avoidance (HA) and all TEMPS temperaments were more strongly related to neuroticism/internalizing, extraversion/low detachment, and conscientiousness/disinhibition. In contrast, TCI-novelty seeking was more strongly related to both disinhibited/antagonistic externalizing and thought disorder.

Conclusions

A large body of research supports maladaptive variants of all FFM domains and some psychopathological spectra of HiTOP related to the abnormal-range temperaments.

The genetic architecture of youth anxiety: a study protocol

BACKGROUND

Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric problems among Canadian youth and typically have an onset in childhood or adolescence. They are characterized by high rates of relapse and chronicity, often resulting in substantial impairment across the lifespan. Genetic factors play an important role in the vulnerability toward anxiety disorders. However, genetic contribution to anxiety in youth is not well understood and can change across developmental stages. Large-scale genetic studies of youth are needed with detailed assessments of symptoms of anxiety disorders and their major comorbidities to inform early intervention or preventative strategies and suggest novel targets for therapeutics and personalization of care.

METHODS

The Genetic Architecture of Youth Anxiety (GAYA) study is a Pan-Canadian effort of clinical and genetic experts with specific recruitment sites in Calgary, Halifax, Hamilton, Toronto, and Vancouver. Youth aged 10-19 (n = 13,000) will be recruited from both clinical and community settings and will provide saliva samples, complete online questionnaires on demographics, symptoms of mental health concerns, and behavioural inhibition, and complete neurocognitive tasks. A subset of youth will be offered access to a self-managed Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy resource. Analyses will focus on the identification of novel genetic risk loci for anxiety disorders in youth and assess how much of the genetic risk for anxiety disorders is unique or shared across the life span.

DISCUSSION

Results will substantially inform early intervention or preventative strategies and suggest novel targets for therapeutics and personalization of care. Given that the GAYA study will be the biggest genomic study of anxiety disorders in youth in Canada, this project will further foster collaborations nationally and across the world.

Exploring Socioeconomic, Demographic and Psychological Predictors of At-risk Gambling and Participation in Specific Gambling Activities: A Comparative Approach

In this research, we aimed to provide a comparative examination of at-risk gambling and four types of gambling activities from the standpoint of socioeconomic, demographic and psychological factors. Using data collected from 7,385 adults aged 18-64 from Serbia, we investigated how specific variables contribute to the likelihood of participation in lottery playing, sports betting, casino games, and slot games across the three time frames (lifetime, last year, and last month), and at-risk gambling. Logistic regressions revealed that male sex, ages 18 to 34, drug use, harmful alcohol use, and elevated levels of distress were significant predictors of participation in any point of life in sports betting, casino games, and slot games, and at-risk gambling. Secondary education, residing in an urban area, and harmful alcohol use predicted - across three time frames - the engagement in lottery playing, sports betting, and slot games playing, respectively. Smoking, and specifically heavy smoking, was shown to be predictive of lifetime participation in all types of gambling, while having single marital status and being unemployed emerged as the factors increasing the odds for the last-month slot games playing. Notably, the 18 to 24 age cohort turned out to be the most vulnerable part of the population, as they displayed the largest odds for at-risk gambling, and both lifetime and last-year involvement in sports betting, casino games, and slot games playing. This highlights the necessity of targeted public health interventions for the young adult population and people who experiment or already experience problems related to substance use.

Romantic Love and Behavioral Activation System Sensitivity to a Loved One

Research investigating the mechanisms that contribute to romantic love is in its infancy. The behavioral activation system is one biopsychological system that has been demonstrated to play a role in several motivational outcomes. This study was the first to investigate romantic love and the behavioral activation system. In study 1, the Behavioral Activation System-Sensitivity to a Loved One (BAS-SLO) Scale was validated in a sample of 1556 partnered young adults experiencing romantic love. In study 2, hierarchical linear regression was used to identify BAS-SLO Scale associations with the intensity of romantic love in a subsample of 812 partnered young adults experiencing romantic love for two years or less. The BAS-SLO Scale explained 8.89% of the variance in the intensity of romantic love. Subject to further validation and testing, the BAS-SLO Scale may be useful in future neuroimaging and psychological studies. The findings are considered in terms of the mechanisms and evolutionary history of romantic love.

The roles of behavioral inhibition/activation systems and impulsivity in problematic smartphone use: A network analysis

Background

Behavioral inhibition/activation systems (BIS/BAS) and impulsivity are associated with problematic smartphone use (PSU). However, no studies to date have explored how the subdomains of BIS/BAS and the dimensions of impulsivity relate to the components of PSU in a joint framework. This study aimed to examine the relationships between the three constructs at a fine-grained level and identify the central nodes and bridge nodes of their relationships using network analysis.

Methods

A regularized partial correlation network of PSU, BIS/BAS, and impulsivity communities was estimated to investigate the connections between variables and determine the expected influence and bridge expected influence for each variable based on data from 325 Chinese adults. PSU, BIS/BAS, and impulsivity were assessed using the Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale (SABAS), BIS/BAS scales, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-Version 11 (BIS-11), respectively.

Results

In addition to connections within each community, network analysis revealed that there were connections between different communities, especially connections to PSU. I2 "motor impulsivity" was strongly associated with PSU2 "conflict" and PSU6 "relapse"; BASR "BAS-reward responsiveness" was strongly associated with PSU5 "withdrawal." Nodes BASR "BAS-reward responsiveness" and PSU6 "relapse" were the most central variables, while nodes BASR "BAS-reward responsiveness" and I2 "motor impulsivity" were the strongest bridge variables.

Conclusion

The connections between the subdomains of BIS/BAS and the components of PSU and between the dimensions of impulsivity and the components of PSU may be particularly important in the development and maintenance of PSU. The central variables identified here, along with the bridge variables, could be promising and effective targets for the prevention and intervention of PSU.

Reward sensitivity, eating behavior, and obesity-related outcomes: A systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Previous research has identified reward sensitivity as an important factor that may contribute to the engagement in eating behavior (e.g., binge eating, emotional eating, etc.) and increase obesity risk. In the current study, we conducted a systematic review of the literature to determine the relationships between reward sensitivity, eating behavior, and obesity-related outcomes. The study focused on two commonly used measures of reward sensitivity in the literature: the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ) and the Behavioral Inhibition Scale/Behavioral Activation Scale (BIS/BAS Scale).

METHOD

We conducted a systematic search to identify studies that analyzed reward sensitivity as a predictor of eating behavior or obesity-related outcomes, and measured reward sensitivity using the SPSRQ or BIS/BAS Scale. The search yielded N=19 total publications included in the review.

RESULTS

Findings indicated that reward sensitivity, primarily measured by summary scores on the SPSRQ or BIS/BAS Scale, were positively associated with a variety of eating behaviors and obesity-related outcomes with small to moderate effect sizes. Findings were most consistent across studies that examined the association between reward sensitivity and eating behavior outcomes (e.g., binge eating, emotional eating) (r values= .08 to .41; p values < .001 to p < .05) and food consumption outcomes (e.g., palatable food intake) (r values = .21 to .40; p < .001 to p values < .05). Findings were less consistent for food craving and BMI outcomes, and revealed these relationships may depend on individual-level factors and/or environment-related factors, (e.g., food cues). A quality evaluation using the Critical Appraisal Tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS tool) indicated that most studies were rated as moderate to strong quality (84%).

CONCLUSION

Findings indicate that elevated reward sensitivity may be a risk factor for engagement in eating behaviors that may increase obesity risk.

Role of anterior midcingulate cortex in self-reward representation and reward allocation judgments within social context

Evaluating rewards for the self and others is essential for social interactions. Previous research has probed the neural substrates signaling rewards in social decision-making tasks as well as the differentiation between self- and other-reward representations. However, studies with different designs have yielded mixed results. After analyzing and comparing previous designs, we differentiated three components in this study: task (reward representation vs. social judgment of reward allocation), agency (self vs. other), and social context (without vs. within). Participants were asked to imagine various share sizes as a proposer in a dictator game during fMRI, and then rated their willingness and preference for these offers in a post-scan behavioral task. To differentiate the regions involved in processing rewards without and within context, we presented the reward to each agent in two sequential frames. Parametric analyses showed that, in the second frame (i.e., within social context), the anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC) signaled self-reward and preferences for the offer, whereas the right insula tracked the likelihood of proposing the offer. Belief in a just world is positively associated with aMCC responses to self-reward. These results shed light on the role of the aMCC in coding self-reward within the social context to guide social behaviors.