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Steinert SW, Daugherty AM, Shankar S, Schwarb H, Cerjanic A, Sutton BP, Arble EP. A performance-based measure of emotion response control: A preliminary MRI study. Scand J Psychol 2021; 62:321-327. [PMID: 33403701 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Identifying performance-based assessments of emotion regulation is needed for the study of myriad mood and neurological disorders. Color and form responses on the Rorschach Inkblot Method are valid measures of emotion response control, but have not been studied in relation to known neural correlations of emotion regulation. A discrepancy of color (CF + C) greater than form (FC) responses suggests low cognitive control over emotional responses. This preliminary report explores the discrepancy between form-color responses as a correlate of regional cortical thickness. A sample of community-dwelling adults were administered the Rorschach Inkblot Method and participated in a structural MRI scan. Greater middle frontal cortex thickness was associated with a positive discrepancy score [(CF + C) - FC], indicating less emotion response control (rs = 0.48, p < 0.05); a moderate, non-significant correlation was also observed with insula cortex (rs = 0.42, p = 0.07).The results provide evidence in support of the Rorschach Inkblot Method as a valid behavioral measure of emotion response control. More specifically, these results support the use of color-related variables included in contemporary evidence-based Rorschach methods. The results are discussed with implications for the study of emotion regulation in mood disorders and sensitivity analyses based on the observed effect sizes are reported to inform future study planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven W Steinert
- Department of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA
| | - Ana M Daugherty
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.,Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Sneha Shankar
- Department of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA
| | - Hillary Schwarb
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Alex Cerjanic
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Bradley P Sutton
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Eamonn P Arble
- Department of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA
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Arble EP, Shankar S, Steinert SW, Daugherty AM. Mental Health in Residential Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Role of Selfobject Needs. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:596618. [PMID: 34777029 PMCID: PMC8578853 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.596618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 outbreak has affected healthcare across all levels. Older adults and those with chronic illness are at greatest risk for infection complications and mortality, which presents significant psychological distress for residential healthcare workers. The concept of selfobject needs, consisting of Mirroring, Idealizing, and Twinship, may be relevant in explaining psychological distress. This study seeks to enhance our understanding of the needs of healthcare workers responsible for elderly patients and evaluate the role of psychosocial support through selfobject needs to mitigate the effects of trauma during the pandemic. Participants (N = 103) employed in residential healthcare facilities in the metropolitan Detroit, MI (USA) region completed an online survey during the peak initial infection. Assessments included standardized measures of trauma-related symptoms, depression, anxiety, and general distress symptoms, as well as a validated measure of selfobject needs. Residential healthcare workers reported mental health symptoms across domains, including clinical elevations in symptoms of trauma, depression, and anxiety. Selfobject needs and mental health outcomes were positively correlated, indicating that greater unmet relational need was associated with greater severity of symptoms. Greater trauma symptom severity as a proxy index of current experience during the pandemic predicted high depressive symptoms, and greater Mirroring need worsened the effect. These results suggest that interventions targeting selfobject needs, specifically Mirroring, may be effective at mitigating acute mental health symptoms among healthcare workers during a distressing event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eamonn P Arble
- Department of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, United States
| | - Sneha Shankar
- Department of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, United States
| | - Steven W Steinert
- Department of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, United States
| | - Ana M Daugherty
- Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, and Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
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Abstract
Abstract. The Rorschach Inkblot test has been adopted and adapted by many researchers to assess and predict different aspects of human experience and cognitive performance. The present review examines research that incorporates the Rorschach to evaluate neural and cognitive aging as well as decline in age-related disease. Specifically, differences in amygdala and cortical regions, as well as mirror neuron and asymmetrical hemisphere activity that correlate with specific responses to Rorschach stimuli are discussed in the context of typical changes in brain structure and function in the course of aging. In addition, the present review provides a proposed framework for expanding the use of the Rorschach to evaluate other domains of neural and cognitive function. The authors conclude that, despite a need for increased research, the Rorschach is a viable measure to evaluate certain aspects of cognitive function and decline throughout the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eamonn Arble
- Department of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA
| | - Steven W. Steinert
- Department of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA
| | - Ana M. Daugherty
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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Abstract
The present study sought to explore whether musical information is processed by the phonological loop component of the working memory model of immediate memory. Original instantiations of this model primarily focused on the processing of linguistic information. However, the model was less clear about how acoustic information lacking phonological qualities is actively processed. Although previous research has generally supported shared processing of phonological and musical information, these studies were limited as a result of a number of methodological concerns (e.g., the use of simple tones as musical stimuli). In order to further investigate this issue, an auditory interference task was employed. Specifically, participants heard an initial stimulus (musical or linguistic) followed by an intervening stimulus (musical, linguistic, or silence) and were then asked to indicate whether a final test stimulus was the same as or different from the initial stimulus. Results indicated that mismatched interference conditions (i.e., musical - linguistic; linguistic - musical) resulted in greater interference than silence conditions, with matched interference conditions producing the greatest interference. Overall, these results suggest that processing of linguistic and musical information draws on at least some of the same cognitive resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan P Atherton
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI, USA
| | - Quin M Chrobak
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI, USA
| | - Frances H Rauscher
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI, USA
| | - Aaron T Karst
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI, USA
| | - Matt D Hanson
- 2 The University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA
| | | | - Kyra L Bowe
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI, USA
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