Communication, the Heart of a Relationship: Examining Capitalization, Accommodation, and Self-Construal on Relationship Satisfaction

The study of processes that enrich positive relationships has been an under-researched area within positive psychology practice. The way an individual responds during couple conflicts (accommodation response) and toward the disclosure of good news of a partner (capitalization response) has been linked to relationship quality. Although the accommodation and capitalization communication processes are part and parcel of our everyday lives, the two processes have been examined separately and dominated by the Western perspectives in past research. Prior work has suggested that Western and Asian cultures differ in expressing and perceiving beneficial communication behaviors. Yet, it is still unclear which accommodation and capitalization responses matter the most from an Asian lens. To date, there is no research examining these interconnected variables simultaneously in Asia, specifically in Malaysia. In this study, two forms of communication processes, namely, (1) accommodation and (2) capitalization, were explored concurrently to disentangle the unique associations and influence on relationship satisfaction. This study also sought to understand the moderating effects of culture in terms of interdependent self-construal on the link between these two communication processes and relationship satisfaction. Responses of 139 Malaysians in dating relationships between the age of 18 and 30 years (M_age = 23.15) were collected through online surveys. An active and constructive reaction was captured as the most favorable response through both the capitalization and accommodation processes. Prominently, an active-constructive capitalization response bore the strongest influence on relationship satisfaction above and beyond other responses. A passive and constructive response was revealed only fruitful for disclosures of positive news and not during conflicts. Conversely, in the destructive paradigm, passive-destructive responses were the most detrimental factor in relationships compared to other destructive responses. The results also uncovered that interdependent self-construal did not moderate the two forms of communication processes. However, the findings discovered unexpected individual and cultural variations. This pioneering study is a noteworthy addition to the positive psychology literature from an Asian standpoint. It highlights the significance of not only protecting relationships through better conflict management but also enriching relationships by capitalizing on the positive aspects across the lives of the couple, ultimately providing a greater holistic insight into cultivating flourishing lives.

Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown in Malaysia: An Examination of the Psychological Well-Being of Parent-Child Dyads and Child Behavior in Families With Children on the Autism Spectrum

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns have adversely impacted children on the autism spectrum and their families, especially in Malaysia where this population is often marginalized. The current quantitative research aimed to investigate the impact of the Malaysian COVID-19 lockdown on the behavior and psychological distress of children formally diagnosed with an autism spectrum condition (ASC) as well as the psychological distress and well-being of their parents, in comparison with a typically developing (TD) control group. Methods: The children's ages ranged between 5 and 17 years. The sample included 72 ASC parent-child dyads and 62 TD parent-child dyads. The primary caregiver completed an online survey including the following: demographic and diagnostic information; ASC symptoms; children's inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, perceived stress, depression, and anxiety; parents' perceived stress, depression, anxiety, and well-being based on their experience pre- and mid-lockdown (March 18th to June 9th 2020) in Malaysia. Results: Among the ASC group, no significant pre- and mid-lockdown change was found in ASC symptoms (p > 0.05). There were no significant gender differences (boys/girls) in all the child scales. The 2 [diagnosis (ASC, TD)] × 2 [lockdown (pre-lockdown, mid-lockdown)] mixed-model ANOVAs revealed main effects of lockdown on children's attention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, anxiety, and parents' perceived stress, depression, and psychological well-being (p < 0.005). There was a main effect of diagnosis in all child and parent variables, except parents' perceived stress (p >0.005). However, there was no significant interaction effect between diagnosis and lockdown (p >0.005). All child behavior (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity) and child psychological distress (anxiety, depression, and perceived stress) were significantly correlated in both the ASC and TD groups (p < 0.005). On the other hand, only some of the parent variables were significantly correlated with child variables (p < 0.0045) in the ASC group while none of the parent variables were significantly correlated with the child variables (p > 0.005) in the TD group. Conclusion: The results provide preliminary evidence indicating negative effects of the Malaysian lockdown on both children on the autism spectrum and TD children, as well as their parents. These quantitative results will be triangulated with the qualitative interview data to provide a holistic understanding of the impact of the pandemic, informing translational policy and practice recommendations.

Risk and Resilience Among Mothers and Fathers of Primary School Age Children With ASD in Malaysia: A Qualitative Constructive Grounded Theory Approach

Little is known about the coping and resilience experiences of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the Malaysian cultural context. This study utilized a qualitative methodological approach adopting constructive grounded theory. The study sought to address the lack of research to date exploring the risk and protective experiences that contribute to parental stress and resilience for parents of primary school age children with ASD in the Malaysian setting. Twenty-two parents of children with ASD (13 mothers and 9 fathers) participated in semi-structured interviews. A strength of the study was the inclusion of both mother and father participant perspectives. The interviews lasted 50-80 min (mean: 67.5 min). The 22 parents had a total of 16 children (12 males; 4 females) formally diagnosed with ASD. Child age ranged between 5 and 12 years (mean age: 8.44). Overall, analysis of the 22 interviews revealed four prominent themes - "initial reaction to child's ASD symptoms and diagnosis," "family life affected by a child with ASD," "awareness about ASD in Malaysia," and "coping strategies, wellbeing, and becoming resilient." The first three themes revolved around stress and adversity, and, the adaptability and acceptance of the parents. These processes illustrated the risks experienced by the parents of children with ASD in Malaysia. The last theme especially highlighted the strengths and determination of the parents and illustrated the protective experiences and processes that helped parents to develop and enhance resilience. Overall, the findings revealed that resilience develops synergistically and dynamically from both risk and protective experiences across different levels - individual, family, community, society and government. The findings motivated the development of our theoretical model of resilience that can help health and education professionals tailor assessment and interventions for parents of children with ASD in the Malaysian context. Clinical, policy, and research suggestions were discussed.

A Cross-Cultural Examination of SNS Usage Intensity and Managing Interpersonal Relationships Online: The Role of Culture and the Autonomous-Related Self-Construal

Perception of the autonomy and relatedness of the self may be influenced by one's experiences and social expectations within a particular cultural setting. The present research examined the role of culture and the Autonomous-Related self-construal in predicting for different aspects of Social Networking Sites (SNS) usage in three Asian countries, especially focusing on those aspects serving interpersonal goals. Participants in this cross-cultural study included 305 university students from Malaysia (n = 105), South Korea (n = 113), and China (n = 87). The study explored specific social and interpersonal behaviors on SNS, such as browsing the contacts' profiles, checking for updates, and improving contact with SNS contacts, as well as the intensity of SNS use, hypothesizing that those with high intensity of use in the Asian context may be doing so to achieve the social goal of maintaining contact and keeping updated with friends. Two scales measuring activities on other users' profiles and contact with friends' profiles were developed and validated. As predicted, some cross-cultural differences were found. Koreans were more likely to use SNS to increase contact but tended to spend less time browsing contacts' profiles than the Malaysians and Chinese. The intensity of SNS use differed between the countries as well, where Malaysians reported higher intensity than Koreans and Chinese. Consistent with study predictions, Koreans were found with the highest Autonomous-Related self-construal scores. The Autonomous-Related self-construal predicted SNS intensity. The findings suggest that cultural contexts, along with the way the self is construed in different cultures, may encourage different types of SNS usage. The authors discuss study implications and suggest future research directions.

Defects in the nutrient-dependent methylation of a membrane-associated protein in spo mutants of Bacillus subtilis

Methylation of a membrane-associated protein with an apparent molecular mass of 40,000 daltons has been observed in Bacillus subtilis. The methylation was nutrient dependent and occurred with a doubling time of 4 +/- 1 min. In wild-type strains, the half-life of turnover of the methyl group(s) was 17 +/- 6 min. Several isogenic strains of B. subtilis containing spo0 mutations (spo0A and spo0H) were found to be normal in glutamate-dependent methylation of the protein and turnover of the methyl group(s). In strains containing spo0B and spo0E mutations, the methyl group(s) were incorporated in response to glutamate addition but turnover was not at a normal rate. The half-life of methyl group turnover was extended to 45 +/- 3 min in these strains. In a spo0K mutant and in spoIIJ and spoIIF mutants, the protein was not significantly methylated. The methylation of a 40,000 dalton protein was also found to be dependent on phosphate. This methylation was observed in wild-type and spo0A and spo0H strains with a doubling time of 4 +/- 1 min and a half-life of turnover of the methyl group(s) of 11 +/- 3 min. In strains containing spo0B, spo0E, and spo0F mutations, the phosphate-dependent incorporation of the methyl group(s) was normal (5 +/- 1 min) but the turnover half-life was extended to 46 +/- 8 min. It is not known whether the nitrogen-dependent and phosphate-dependent systems methylated the same protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Nutrient-stimulated methylation of a membrane protein in Bacillus licheniformis

When nitrogen-starved vegetative cells of Bacillus licheniformis A5 were presented with a good nitrogen source in the presence of chloramphenicol and methyl-labeled methionine, a 40-kilodalton (kDa) protein was found to be reversibly methylated, with a half-life of approximately 10 to 15 min. The 40-kDa protein was strongly methylated in response to the addition of ammonia, glutamine, or sodium glutamate nitrogen sources that produce generation times of less than or equal to 90 min) but was very poorly methylated in the absence of a nitrogen source or in the presence of potassium glutamate or histidine (generation times of greater than 150 min). The methylated protein was found to be membrane associated, but the methylation reaction did not appear to be related to chemotaxis, because the spectrum of nutrients that promoted methylation was different from that which prompted a chemotactic response. In addition, the methyl residue on the 40-kDa protein was found to be alkali stable. Approximately 180 to 640 molecules of the methylated protein were found per cell. The characteristics of this methylated protein were consistent with the hypothesis that the reversible methylation of the protein functions in nutrient sensing to regulate growth, cell division, and the initiation of sporulation.

Nitrogen catabolite repression of the L-asparaginase of Bacillus licheniformis

We report the presence of a single L-asparagine aminohydrolase activity (EC 3.5.1.1) in extracts of Bacillus licheniformis A5. The synthesis of the enzyme was apparently under nitrogen catabolite repression control.