manymome: An R package for computing the indirect effects, conditional effects, and conditional indirect effects, standardized or unstandardized, and their bootstrap confidence intervals, in many (though not all) models

Mediation, moderation, and moderated mediation are common in behavioral research models. Several tools are available for estimating indirect effects, conditional effects, and conditional indirect effects and forming their confidence intervals. However, there are no simple-to-use tools that can appropriately form the bootstrapping confidence interval for standardized conditional indirect effects. Moreover, some tools are restricted to a limited type of models. We developed an R package, manymome, which can be used to estimate and form confidence intervals for indirect effects, conditional effects, and conditional indirect effects, standardized or not, using a two-step approach: model parameters are estimated either by structural equation modeling using lavaan or by a set of linear regression models using lm, and then the coefficients are used to compute the requested effects and form confidence intervals. It can be used when there are missing data if the model is fitted by structural equation modeling. There are only a few limitations on some aspects of a model, and no inherent limitations on the number of predictors, the number of independent variables, or the number of moderators and mediators. The goal is to have a tool that allows researchers to focus on model fitting first and worry about estimating the effects later. The use of the model is illustrated using a few numerical examples, and the limitations of the package are discussed.

Disentangling genetic and environmental influences on early language development: The interplay of genetic propensity for negative emotionality and surgency, and parenting behavior effects on early language skills in an adoption study

Parenting and children's temperament are important influences on language development. However, temperament may reflect prior parenting, and parenting effects may reflect genes common to parents and children. In 561 U.S. adoptees (57% male) and their birth and rearing parents (70% and 92% White, 13% and 4% African American, and 7% and 2% Latinx, respectively), this study demonstrated how genetic propensity for temperament affects language development, and how this relates to parenting. Genetic propensity for negative emotionality inversely predicted language at 27 months (β = -.15) and evoked greater maternal warmth (β = .12), whereas propensity for surgency positively predicted language at 4.5 years (β = .20), especially when warmth was low. Parental warmth (β = .15) and sensitivity (β = .19) further contributed to language development, controlling for common gene effects.

The moderating effect of environmental gamification on the relationship between social media marketing and consumer-brand engagement: A case study of Ant Forest Gen Z users

Social media marketing plays a relevant role in the brand promotion of enterprises owing to its advantages of rapid and diversified communication with consumers. The Chinese Internet enterprise Alipay launched Ant Forest as a mobile application with gamified social functions, bringing consumer-brand engagement. Ant Forest provides a variety of gamification functions (e.g. point, leaderboard, badge, task and teamwork) to encourage users to participate in environmental protection and public welfare activities. These gamification mechanisms, combined with the spread of social media, have realised the co-creation of user brand value. In the current study, 305 Gen Z users of Ant Forest were surveyed through an online questionnaire, and the data analysis was conducted using the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) method. This study indicates that the four elements of entertainment, trendiness, customisation and word-of-mouth in social media marketing have statistically significant direct effects on the consumer-brand engagement in Ant Forest. In addition, gamification shows a significant positive moderating effect on the relationship between customisation and consumer-brand engagement and a significant negative moderating effect on the relationship between trendiness and consumer-brand engagement in Ant Forest. This study adds gamification to the conceptual system of social media marketing and provides suggestions for the development of gamified social media marketing applications.

Childhood abuse and neglect and profiles of adult emotion dynamics

Childhood maltreatment (CM) is experienced by ∼40% of all children at major personal and societal costs. The divergent associations between emotional, physical, and sexual abuse or neglect in childhood and differences in adult emotional functioning and regulation were examined in terms of daily emotion intensity, variability, instability, inertia, and diversity, reported over 30 days by 290 Dutch aged 19-73. Participants described their abuse/neglect experiences retrospectively using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Dissecting CM effects on adult emotion dynamics may inform theories on the ontogenesis and functioning of emotions, on effects of abuse and neglect, to better understand (dys)functional emotional development, and to prevent their adverse sequelae. Structural equation models (SEM) showed that most types of CM were associated with specific patterns of emotion dynamics, and only emotional abuse had no unique effects on the emotional dynamic indices. Emotional neglect was associated with most measures of emotion dynamics (i.e., less intense, variable, unstable, and diverse emotions). Sexual abuse associated with increases and physical neglect decreases in negative affect variability and instability. Physical abuse was associated with inertia but with a small effect size. Social contact frequency did not mediate much of the relationship between CM types and emotion dynamics.

Sexual Orientation-Based Victimization and Internalized Homonegativity Among Latinx Sexual Minority Youth: The Moderating Effects of Social Support and School Level

Latinx sexual minority adolescents and young adults experience sexual orientation-based victimization at school and may internalize these heterosexist experiences. However, social support may buffer the deleterious contributions of sexual orientation-based victimization. The current study explored associations between sexual orientation-based victimization and internalized homonegativity in different social contexts (family, peer, school adult) and across development (high school versus college) among 238 Latinx sexual minority adolescents and young adults (M = 19.03, SD = 2.28). Results indicated that sexual orientation-based victimization was positively associated with internalized homonegativity among Latinx sexual minority adolescents and young adults. Such associations were moderated by family support and the school level in the family context, such that in high school, family support exacerbated the association between sexual orientation-based victimization and internalized homonegativity. Yet, in college, family support mitigated that association. Findings also indicated that peer support exacerbated the association between sexual orientation-based victimization and internalized homonegativity in high school and college. No moderation of school adult support emerged in the context of school adults. Findings support the application of the minority stress model in Latinx sexual minority adolescents and young adults and highlight the complex moderating effect of social support across social contexts and development.

Work-related resources and demands predicting the psychological well-being of staff in children's hospices

OBJECTIVES

This study assessed the work-related resources and demands experienced by children's hospice staff to help identify staff support systems and organizational practices that offer the most potential to prevent staff burnout and enhance well-being at work.

METHODS

The relationships between individual and organizational characteristics, work-related resources and demands, and burnout and work engagement outcomes experienced by children's hospice staff were explored using two surveys: the Children's Hospice Staff survey, completed by UK children's hospice staff, and the Children's Hospice Organisation and Management survey, completed by the Heads of Care. We used structural equation modeling to assess the relationships between the variables derived from the survey measures and to test a model underpinned by the Job Demands-Resource (JD-R) theory.

RESULTS

There were 583 staff responses from 32 hospices, and 414 participants provided valid data for burnout and work engagement outcome measures. Most participants were females (95.4%), aged 51-65 years old (31.3%), and had more than 15 years of experience in life-limiting conditions (29.7%). The average score for burnout was 32.5 (SD: 13.1), and the average score for work engagement was 7.5 (SD: 1.5). The structural model validity showed good fit. Demands significantly predicted burnout (b = 4.65, p ≤ 0.001), and resources predicted work engagement (b = 3.09, p ≤ 0.001). The interaction between resources and demands only predicted work engagement (b = -0.31, p = 0.115). Burnout did not predict work engagement (b = -0.09, p = 0.194).

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

The results partly supported the JD-R model, with a clear association between resources and work engagement, even when the demands were considered. Demands were only directly associated with burnout. The findings also identified a set of the most relevant aspects related to resources and demands, which can be used to assess and improve staff psychological well-being in children's hospices in the UK.

Leading indicators of readiness among the general Army and Special Operations Forces: Predictive and psychometric analysis of the Global Assessment Tool

Self-assessments are commonly used to track Army readiness in specialized communities, but they are rarely analyzed for reliability and predictive validity. Before introducing new assessments, existing ones should be reevaluated. We examined the Global Assessment Tool (GAT), an annual Army-required self-assessment with multiple psychosocial and health behavior short scales. Psychometric analyses on nine scales included item response theory (IRT) and measurement invariance models across total Army (n = 743,057) and special operations forces (SOF; n = 3,478) cohorts. Predictive analyses examined demographic-adjusted associations between GAT scales and one-year incident medical non-readiness (MNR). Most scales had adequate reliability, although some exhibited highly skewed distributions, which likely increased measurement error. Most scales exhibited metric and scalar measurement equivalence across total Army and SOF groups. Scores from scales measuring positive characteristics were associated with lower odds of MNR (good coping, flexibility, optimism, positive affect, work engagement, friendship, organization trust; adjusted odds ratios ≤ 0.75); scores from scales measuring negative characteristics were associated with increased odds of MNR (poor sleep, depression, negative affect, loneliness; adjusted odds ratios ≥ 1.4). Associations were similar across Army and SOF cohorts. In conclusion, self-report data can potentially contribute to command surveillance, but iterative quality-checks are necessary after deployment.

Psychosocial drivers influencing local food purchasing: beyond availability, the importance of trust in farmers

Introduction

Although consumers bought more local food during the changing context of pandemic COVID -19, this positive modification may not become a stable habit afterward.

Methods

To understand this change in drivers of consumers' intention to buy local food, we investigated the role of perceptions of various intrinsic and extrinsic attributes of local food, its perceived quality, price and availability, and consumers' trust in local food producers. We also investigated the role of sociodemographic variables as well as the moderating role of consumers' stage of change (i.e., absence, reduction, maintenance, and increase) in the purchase of local food.

Results

Structural equation modeling results on a representative sample of Italian consumers (N = 511) showed that local food availability is the main driver of purchase intention (β = 0.20; p = 0.001), especially among consumers who have changed their habits toward buying local food (reduction stage = β = 0.24; increase stage = 0.30; p = 0.001). In addition, trust in local food producers was found to be a key antecedent to consumers' perceptions of local food as environmentally friendly (β = 0.57; p = 0.001), healthy (β = 0.55; p = 0.001), authentic (β = 0.58; p = 0.001), tasty (β = 0.52; p = 0.001), socially sustainable (β = 0.59; p = 0.001), and as a product with a good appearance (β = 0.55; p = 0.001).

Discussion

Overall, these results improve our understanding of which food attributes should be emphasized in communication to promote the purchase of local food.

Gender differences in perceived racism threat and activism during the Black Lives Matter social justice movement for Black young adults

A longitudinal study involving 455 Black young adults living in Canada investigated whether gender and autonomous motivation influenced the relationship between perceived racism threat and Black Lives Matter (BLM) activism, and whether BLM activism influenced life satisfaction over time. A moderated mediation analysis using PROCESS Macro Model 58 tested the indirect effect of autonomous motivation on the relationship between perceived racism threat and BLM activism varying by gender. Multiple linear regression assessed how well BLM activism predicted life satisfaction. Black women perceived greater racism threat than Black men related to increases in BLM activism via the influence of autonomous motivation. BLM activism had a positive influence on life satisfaction over time, regardless of gender. This research suggests Black young women are playing pivotal roles in the BLM movement and helps us understand how motivation may be influencing involvement and well-being in social justice issues.

Perceiving intraorganizational mobility ameliorates the effects of low-level position on detrimental workplace attitudes and behaviors

How do the perceived chances to get a better position in a company affect how individuals feel and behave towards their employer? Confirming the theory of relative deprivation, recent research showed that social mobility belief has attenuating effects on anger about one's relative social standing. When an individual believes they can change their current social status, negative affect about one's disadvantaged standing is appeased compared to when people believe the present hierarchy is fixed. We tested this model in a workplace context, examining whether perceived intraorganizational mobility ameliorates the effects of a low position at work on negative workplace attitudes (Study 1) and behavior (Study 2). Study 1 (n = 498) found that indeed, perceiving chances of promotion weakened the association of position at work with hostile affect towards the employer. Expanding this model to provide a direct test of the theory of relative deprivation, we designed a moderated mediation model testing whether the effect of workplace position on counterproductive work behaviors was mediated by relative deprivation, and whether this indirect effect was moderated by perceived chances of promotion. As hypothesized, Study 2 (n = 408) found that perceiving chances of promotion attenuated the detrimental effect of workplace position via relative deprivation on counterproductive work behaviors. Effects in both studies occurred independently of company hierarchy, salary, educational attainment, sex, and job sector. Overall, the results suggest that perceiving potential for individual promotion is linked to lower levels of negative workplace attitudes and counterproductive work behaviors.

Predicting earthquake preparedness intention among Croatian residents: Application of the theory of planned behaviour

After several earthquakes occurred in Croatia in 2020, it became clear that the country's inhabitants were not prepared for seismic hazards. The aim of this study was to investigate what factors determine intention to prepare for earthquakes, based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 374 participants (70.1% women) aged 18-64 years. Participants self-reported their attitudes toward earthquake preparedness, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and intention to prepare for an earthquake. Structural equation modelling showed that stronger intention to prepare for an earthquake was predicted by more positive attitudes toward earthquake preparedness and by more supportive subjective norms relating to earthquake preparedness. In contrast, perceived behavioural control was not associated with intention to prepare for an earthquake, nor did it moderate the association of attitudes or subjective norms with such intention. These results suggest that attitudes and subjective norms relating to earthquake preparedness are important factors that should be considered in future programmes to improve earthquake preparedness in the Croatian population.

Automaticity mediates the association between action planning and physical activity, especially when autonomous motivation is high

OBJECTIVES

Action planning promotes physical activity (PA). However, mechanisms underlying this association are poorly understood, as are the variables that moderate this link remain unexplored. To fill these gaps, we investigated whether automaticity mediated the association between action planning and PA, and whether autonomous motivation moderated this mediation.

METHODS AND MEASURES

PA was measured by accelerometry over seven days among a sample of 124 adults. Action planning, automaticity, and autonomous motivation were assessed by questionnaires.

RESULTS

Structural equation models revealed that automaticity mediated the association between action planning and PA (total effect, β = .29, p < .001) - action planning was associated with automaticity (a path, β = .47, p < .001), which in turn related to PA (b path, β = .33, p = .003). Autonomous motivation moderated the a path (β = .16, p = .035) - action planning was more strongly associated with automaticity when autonomous motivation was high (+1 standard-deviation [SD]) (unstandardized b = 0.77, p < .001) versus low (-1 SD) (b = 0.35, p = .023).

CONCLUSION

These findings not only support that action planning favors an automatic behavioral regulation, but also highlight that a high autonomous motivation toward PA may reinforce this mechanism.

Bidirectional Causal Associations Between Same-Sex Attraction and Psychological Distress: Testing Moderation and Mediation Effects

Only one study has examined bidirectional causality between sexual minority status (having same-sex attraction) and psychological distress. We combined twin and genomic data from 8700 to 9700 participants in the UK Twins Early Development Study cohort at ≈21 years to replicate and extend these bidirectional causal effects using separate unidirectional Mendelian Randomization-Direction of Causation models. We further modified these models to separately investigate sex differences, moderation by childhood factors (retrospectively-assessed early-life adversity and prospectively-assessed childhood gender nonconformity), and mediation by victimization. All analyses were carried out in OpenMx in R. Same-sex attraction causally influenced psychological distress with significant reverse causation (beta = 0.19 and 0.17; 95% CIs = 0.09, 0.29 and 0.08, 0.25 respectively) and no significant sex differences. The same-sex attraction → psychological distress causal path was partly mediated by victimization (12.5%) while the reverse causal path was attenuated by higher childhood gender nonconformity (moderation coefficient = -0.09, 95% CI: -0.13, -0.04).

Trajectories in life satisfaction before and during COVID-19 with respect to perceived valence and self-efficacy

Actions taken by governments to counteract the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic led to profound restrictions in daily lives, especially for adolescents and young adults, with closed schools and universities, travel restrictions, and reduction in social contacts. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the development of life satisfaction with assessments before and during the pandemic, including separate measurement occasions during a strict lockdown and when the implemented restrictions were relaxed again. Data are based on the German Personality Panel (GePP) with 1,920 young adults, assessed on four measurement occasions over a period of three years. Using latent change score modeling, we investigate the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic with respect to its perception as a critical life event over time. Further, we examine the influence of self-efficacy on change in life-satisfaction, as the belief in one's innate abilities has been shown to promote health related behavior and buffers against effects of negatively perceived critical life events. While average life satisfaction remained stable across time, we found a main effect of perceived positive valence and self-efficacy on latent change in life satisfaction at the within person level. Expressions of self-efficacy did not moderate the influence of the perception of the pandemic on self-reported life satisfaction. This study provides an important contribution to the recent COVID-19 literature as well as to the debate on stability and change of self-reported life satisfaction.

Editorial of the Psych Special Issue “Computational Aspects, Statistical Algorithms and Software in Psychometrics”

Statistical software in psychometrics has made tremendous progress in providing open source solutions (e [...]

Assessing measurement invariance in the EORTC QLQ-C30

Purpose

We aimed to investigate measurement invariance (MI) in the European Organisation for research and treatment of cancer quality of life questionnaire core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) in a heterogeneous sample of patients with cancer.

Methods

Data from 12 studies within the PROFILES registry were used for secondary analyses (n = 7007). We tested MI by successive restrictions on thresholds, loadings, and intercepts across subgroups based on primary cancer sites, age, sex, time since diagnosis, and life stage, using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) for ordered categorical measures. We also evaluated the impact of potentially miss-specified parameter equality across groups on latent factor means by releasing threshold and loading equality constraints for each item at a time.

Results

Results showed that the highest level of MI (invariance of thresholds, loadings, and intercepts) was found across groups based on time since diagnosis and life stage and to a lesser extent across groups based on sex, age, and primary tumor site. On item level, however, changes in the item’s associated factor means were relatively small and in most cases canceled each other out to some extent.

Conclusions

Given only a few instances of non-invariance in our study, there is reason to be confident that valid conclusions can be drawn from between-group comparisons of QLQ-C30 latent means as operationalized in our study. Nonetheless, further research into MI between other subgroups for the QLQ-C30 (i.e., treatment effects and ethnicity) is warranted. We stress the importance of including MI evaluations in the development and validation of measurement instruments.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11136-021-02961-8.