Pandemic boredom: Little evidence that lockdown-related boredom affects risky public health behaviors across 116 countries

Some public officials have expressed concern that policies mandating collective public health behaviors (e.g., national/regional "lockdown") may result in behavioral fatigue that ultimately renders such policies ineffective. Boredom, specifically, has been singled out as one potential risk factor for noncompliance. We examined whether there was empirical evidence to support this concern during the COVID-19 pandemic in a large cross-national sample of 63,336 community respondents from 116 countries. Although boredom was higher in countries with more COVID-19 cases and in countries that instituted more stringent lockdowns, such boredom did not predict longitudinal within-person decreases in social distancing behavior (or vice versa; n = 8,031) in early spring and summer of 2020. Overall, we found little evidence that changes in boredom predict individual public health behaviors (handwashing, staying home, self-quarantining, and avoiding crowds) over time, or that such behaviors had any reliable longitudinal effects on boredom itself. In summary, contrary to concerns, we found little evidence that boredom posed a public health risk during lockdown and quarantine. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Intentions to be Vaccinated Against COVID-19: The Role of Prosociality and Conspiracy Beliefs across 20 Countries

Understanding the determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake is important to inform policy decisions and plan vaccination campaigns. The aims of this research were to: (1) explore the individual- and country-level determinants of intentions to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, and (2) examine worldwide variation in vaccination intentions. This cross-sectional online survey was conducted during the first wave of the pandemic, involving 6697 respondents across 20 countries. Results showed that 72.9% of participants reported positive intentions to be vaccinated against COVID-19, whereas 16.8% were undecided, and 10.3% reported they would not be vaccinated. At the individual level, prosociality was a significant positive predictor of vaccination intentions, whereas generic beliefs in conspiracy theories and religiosity were negative predictors. Country-level determinants, including cultural dimensions of individualism/collectivism and power distance, were not significant predictors of vaccination intentions. Altogether, this study identifies individual-level predictors that are common across multiple countries, provides further evidence on the importance of combating conspiracy theories, involving religious institutions in vaccination campaigns, and stimulating prosocial motives to encourage vaccine uptake.

Cooperating with Different Types of Strangers: The Influence of Guanxi Perception, Trust, and Responsibility

This study explored people's estimation of cooperative intention when paired with people with different types of relationships, and the mediating roles of trust and responsibility between guanxi perception and the estimation of cooperative intention. We recruited 398 university students from the Greater Bay Area of China to complete two public goods dilemma experiments. Study 1 manipulated the type of partner to be either family member, classmate, and stranger, representing different types of guanxi. Study 2 manipulated the type of partner to be either stranger with intermediary, stranger within ingroup, and complete stranger. In both studies, the mediating roles of trust and responsibility in the relationship between guanxi perception and the estimation of cooperative intention were tested. The results of study 1 showed that the participants' estimation of cooperative intention with a family member was higher than with acquaintances or with strangers. In study 2, the estimation of cooperative intention with stranger with intermediary was higher than with a stranger within one's ingroup or with a complete stranger. Multivariate analysis verified the mediating effects. The results are discussed with reference to why Chinese people treat different types of guanxi distinctly, especially to different types of strangers, and how guanxi perception, trust, and responsibility work together to the influence of the estimation of cooperative intention.

Profiling low-proficiency science students in the Philippines using machine learning

Filipino students' performance in global assessments of science literacy has always been low, and this was confirmed again in the PISA 2018, where Filipino learners' average science literacy scores ranked second to last among 78 countries. In this study, machine learning approaches were used to analyze PISA data from the student questionnaire to test models that best identify the poorest-performing Filipino students. The goal was to explore factors that could help identify the students who are vulnerable to very low achievement in science and that could indicate possible targets for reform in science education in the Philippines. The random forest classifier model was found to be the most accurate and more precise, and Shapley Additive Explanations indicated 15 variables that were most important in identifying the low-proficiency science students. The variables related to metacognitive awareness of reading strategies, social experiences in school, aspirations and pride about achievements, and family/home factors, include parents' characteristics and access to ICT with internet connections. The results of the factors highlight the importance of considering personal and contextual factors beyond the typical instructional and curricular factors that are the foci of science education reform in the Philippines, and some implications for programs and policies for science education reform are suggested.

Translation and Initial Validation of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) in Ilokano

The Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) is a self-report screening tool of psychological symptoms used in many countries and translated in different languages. The DASS-21 was translated into Ilokano, one of the major languages in the Philippines spoken by over 9 million people all over the world. The translation process involved independent translations by multilingual clinical psychologists, reviews by two multilingual mental health professionals, and pilot testing. The translation was then validated in a study with 668 Ilokano speakers mainly from three regions of the Philippines where Ilokano was a native language or a lingua franca. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit of the three-factor model compared to a one-factor model. The three subscales showed good internal consistency were also positively correlated with other measures of depression, anxiety, and negative affect, and negatively correlated with measures of positive affect and flourishing. Using a stringent test of criterion validity, the results also show that DASS-Depression was more strongly correlated with a criterion measure of depression, compared to with measures of anxiety and negative affect, and that DASS-Anxiety was more strongly correlated with a criterion measure of anxiety compare to a measure of negative affect. The results provide good initial evidence for the validity and viability of the DASS-21 in Ilokano, which should be a useful tool in mental health programs in parts of the Philippine community, particularly in identifying individuals who may need attention of mental health professionals.

Contrasting Profiles of Low-Performing Mathematics Students in Public and Private Schools in the Philippines: Insights from Machine Learning

Filipino students performed poorly in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) mathematics assessment, with more than 50% obtaining scores below the lowest proficiency level. Students from public schools also performed worse compared to their private school counterparts. We used machine learning approaches, specifically binary classification methods, to model the variables that best identified the poor performing students (below Level 1) vs. better performing students (Levels 1 to 6) using the PISA data from a nationally representative sample of 15-year-old Filipino students. We analyzed data from students in private and public schools separately. Several binary classification methods were applied, and the best classification model for both private and public school groups was the Random Forest classifier. The ten variables with the highest impact on the model were identified for the private and public school groups. Five variables were similarly important in the private and public school models. However, there were other distinct variables that relate to students’ motivations, family and school experiences that were important in identifying the poor performing students in each school type. The results are discussed in relation to the social and social cognitive experiences of students that relate to socioeconomic contexts that differ between public and private schools.

The Psychology of Well-Being in the Margins: Voices from and Prospects for South Asia and Southeast Asia

Research and publications on the psychology of well-being have steadily increased in recent decades, but research on the peoples of South Asian and Southeast Asian is quite underrepresented in the research literature. Even as people from the regions comprise one third of the current global population, studies on well-being of individuals and groups from countries in the two regions are disproportionately fewer compared to other countries and regions. The special issue is a modest attempt to call attention to this underrepresentation, and to individuals and groups that are in the margins of these societies. The special issue features 11 empirical studies focused on well-being of people who either face economic hardships, have low-status occupations, experience discrimination due to gender, or experience physical disabilities. The studies highlight how well-being can be conceptualized as an adaptive process, which involves finding meaning and coping and drawing from one’s agency and resources. The studies in the special, while limited in scope, will hopefully serve as catalyst for further research on the psychology of well-being in the two regions in ways that will enrich global theory and research.

Using machine learning to identify important predictors of COVID-19 infection prevention behaviors during the early phase of the pandemic

Before vaccines for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) became available, a set of infection-prevention behaviors constituted the primary means to mitigate the virus spread. Our study aimed to identify important predictors of this set of behaviors. Whereas social and health psychological theories suggest a limited set of predictors, machine-learning analyses can identify correlates from a larger pool of candidate predictors. We used random forests to rank 115 candidate correlates of infection-prevention behavior in 56,072 participants across 28 countries, administered in March to May 2020. The machine-learning model predicted 52% of the variance in infection-prevention behavior in a separate test sample—exceeding the performance of psychological models of health behavior. Results indicated the two most important predictors related to individual-level injunctive norms. Illustrating how data-driven methods can complement theory, some of the most important predictors were not derived from theories of health behavior—and some theoretically derived predictors were relatively unimportant.

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We studied predictors of COVID-19 prevention behaviors in a cross-national study

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The strongest predictors related to injunctive norms

In the absence of a vaccine or cure, virus containment depended on individual-level compliance with behaviors recommended by the World Health Organization. We used machine learning to identify the most important indicators of compliance, based on a large international psychological survey and on country-level secondary data. The most important indicators were not the “usual suspects,” such as personal threat of virus infection, but rather injunctive norms—namely, the belief that one’s community should engage in such behavior and that society should take restrictive virus-containment measures. People who tend to engage in infection-prevention behaviors also tend to believe that general compliance is necessary to defeat the pandemic, which extends to endorsement of “ought” norms and support for behavioral mandates. These results highlight the potential to intervene by shaping social norms and expectations.

Unboxing the therapeutic community for addictions: a locus-of-hope theory perspective

Purpose

The therapeutic community (TC) is a widely used treatment approach for substance use disorders. Several psychological theories have been used to explain its processes but have put less emphasis on the specific contributions of the person’s cognitive resources. This paper aims to offer a theoretical conceptualization using the locus-of-hope theory which expounds on the person’s goal-directed thinking and how it bolsters the TC process.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviewed contemporary theoretical perspectives on TCs and studies on locus-of-hope theory to provide arguments for locus-of-hope’s utility in understanding TCs. From this review, this paper discusses a formal conceptualization of TCs using the locus-of-hope model.

Findings

In this conceptualization, the authors explained that the TC becomes a co-agent in the person’s goal-pursuit by strengthening the individual’s beliefs regarding one’s capability to develop goals together with the will and strategies to attain these important recovery goals. The person’s hopeful thinking boosts the TC protocols in a dynamic fashion.

Originality/value

This paper offers a locus-of-hope perspective that considers the person’s contributions in bolstering the TC process. Reflections on clinical and research implications were provided. This paper aids further in unboxing of the TC.

Correction: Politicization of COVID-19 health-protective behaviors in the United States: Longitudinal and cross-national evidence

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256740.].

Concern with COVID-19 pandemic threat and attitudes towards immigrants: The mediating effect of the desire for tightness

Tightening social norms is thought to be adaptive for dealing with collective threat yet it may have negative consequences for increasing prejudice. The present research investigated the role of desire for cultural tightness, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, in increasing negative attitudes towards immigrants. We used participant-level data from 41 countries (N = 55,015) collected as part of the PsyCorona project, a cross-national longitudinal study on responses to COVID-19. Our predictions were tested through multilevel and SEM models, treating participants as nested within countries. Results showed that people's concern with COVID-19 threat was related to greater desire for tightness which, in turn, was linked to more negative attitudes towards immigrants. These findings were followed up with a longitudinal model (N = 2,349) which also showed that people's heightened concern with COVID-19 in an earlier stage of the pandemic was associated with an increase in their desire for tightness and negative attitudes towards immigrants later in time. Our findings offer insight into the trade-offs that tightening social norms under collective threat has for human groups.

Politicization of COVID-19 health-protective behaviors in the United States: Longitudinal and cross-national evidence

During the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. conservative politicians and the media downplayed the risk of both contracting COVID-19 and the effectiveness of recommended health behaviors. Health behavior theories suggest perceived vulnerability to a health threat and perceived effectiveness of recommended health-protective behaviors determine motivation to follow recommendations. Accordingly, we predicted that-as a result of politicization of the pandemic-politically conservative Americans would be less likely to enact recommended health-protective behaviors. In two longitudinal studies of U.S. residents, political conservatism was inversely associated with perceived health risk and adoption of health-protective behaviors over time. The effects of political orientation on health-protective behaviors were mediated by perceived risk of infection, perceived severity of infection, and perceived effectiveness of the health-protective behaviors. In a global cross-national analysis, effects were stronger in the U.S. (N = 10,923) than in an international sample (total N = 51,986), highlighting the increased and overt politicization of health behaviors in the U.S.

'We are all in the same boat': How societal discontent affects intention to help during the COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has caused a global health crisis. Consequently, many countries have adopted restrictive measures that caused a substantial change in society. Within this framework, it is reasonable to suppose that a sentiment of societal discontent, defined as generalized concern about the precarious state of society, has arisen. Literature shows that collectively experienced situations can motivate people to help each other. Since societal discontent is conceptualized as a collective phenomenon, we argue that it could influence intention to help others, particularly those who suffer from coronavirus. Thus, in the present study, we aimed (a) to explore the relationship between societal discontent and intention to help at the individual level and (b) to investigate a possible moderating effect of societal discontent at the country level on this relationship. To fulfil our purposes, we used data collected in 42 countries (N = 61,734) from the PsyCorona Survey, a cross‐national longitudinal study. Results of multilevel analysis showed that, when societal discontent is experienced by the entire community, individuals dissatisfied with society are more prone to help others. Testing the model with longitudinal data (N = 3,817) confirmed our results. Implications for those findings are discussed in relation to crisis management. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

Lockdown Lives: A Longitudinal Study of Inter-Relationships Among Feelings of Loneliness, Social Contacts, and Solidarity During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Early 2020

We examine how social contacts and feelings of solidarity shape experiences of loneliness during the COVID-19 lockdown in early 2020. From the PsyCorona database, we obtained longitudinal data from 23 countries, collected between March and May 2020. The results demonstrated that although online contacts help to reduce feelings of loneliness, people who feel more lonely are less likely to use that strategy. Solidarity played only a small role in shaping feelings of loneliness during lockdown. Thus, it seems we must look beyond the current focus on online contact and solidarity to help people address feelings of loneliness during lockdown. Finally, online contacts did not function as a substitute for face-to-face contacts outside the home-in fact, more frequent online contact in earlier weeks predicted more frequent face-to-face contacts in later weeks. As such, this work provides relevant insights into how individuals manage the impact of restrictions on their social lives.

Lives versus Livelihoods? Perceived economic risk has a stronger association with support for COVID-19 preventive measures than perceived health risk

This paper examines whether compliance with COVID-19 mitigation measures is motivated by wanting to save lives or save the economy (or both), and which implications this carries to fight the pandemic. National representative samples were collected from 24 countries (N = 25,435). The main predictors were (1) perceived risk to contract coronavirus, (2) perceived risk to suffer economic losses due to coronavirus, and (3) their interaction effect. Individual and country-level variables were added as covariates in multilevel regression models. We examined compliance with various preventive health behaviors and support for strict containment policies. Results show that perceived economic risk consistently predicted mitigation behavior and policy support-and its effects were positive. Perceived health risk had mixed effects. Only two significant interactions between health and economic risk were identified-both positive.

Exploring Chinese people’s attitudes towards “going through the backdoor”

The present investigation explored Chinese people's attitudes toward the social practice of going “through the back door” or zouhoumen. Zouhoumen is an informal approach to achieve one’s goal through personal connections (called guanxi). We propose that Chinese people distinguish between different acts of zouhoumen and propose at least two types that differ in terms of social cognitive aspects, and that the two types evoke different perceptions of fairness that shape attitudes towards zouhoumen. Two experiments (total N = 414) provided evidence for the differentiation between facilitative zouhoumen and expropriative zouhoumen and also explore the role of type of guanxi in attitudes towards the two types of zouhoumen. Both experiments indicated that facilitative zouhoumen was less unacceptable than expropriative zouhoumen, but there were no marked differences in attitudes between zouhoumen involving expressive or instrumental guanxi. The results support a more nuanced theoretical account of a pervasive social phenomenon in Chinese society that we assume is adaptive responses to features of Chinese historical socioeconomic context.

Society-level social axiom moderates the association between growth mindset and achievement across cultures

BACKGROUND

Meta-analytic studies show that the benefits of the growth mindset on academic achievement are heterogenous. Past studies have explored how individual characteristics and proximal environmental factors could explain these variations, but the role of the broader sociocultural environment has seldom been explored.

AIMS

We investigated society-level social axioms to explain variations in growth mindset effects on achievement across cultures. We hypothesized that three society-level social axioms (social complexity, fate control, and reward for application) imply social norms that would either support or obstruct the growth mindset effect.

SAMPLE AND METHODS

We conducted multilevel SEM with random slopes using data from 273,074 students nested within 39 countries/territories.

RESULTS

We found weaker growth mindset effects in societies with stronger social complexity beliefs; societies believing that there are multiple solutions to problems have social norms that obstruct the growth mindset effects on achievement. No moderating effects were found with other social axioms.

CONCLUSION

Relevant cultural-level normative beliefs should be considered to better assess the relevance of the growth mindset construct.

Coronavirus Pandemic Anxiety Scale (CPAS-11): development and initial validation

The mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will increase as the outbreak continues and persist even after the pandemic passes. We developed an 11-item Coronavirus Pandemic Anxiety Scale (CPAS-11) to measure symptoms of anxiety related to the COVID-19 pandemic to help identify individuals who might need mental health services. In developing the scale items, we considered previous research and theory on anxiety symptoms and symptoms reported by clinically referred cases in the Philippines. The scale was validated in a Filipino sample (N = 925). Exploratory factor analysis indicated two factors corresponding to somatic and non-somatic symptoms; confirmatory factor analysis showed good fit for the two-factor model. CPAS-11 showed good internal consistency, convergent and divergent validity, and screening accuracy. A cutoff score of 15 showed adequate sensitivity and specificity to distinguish GAD-7 screened participants. The results support the viability of CPAS-11 as a screening tool to identify individuals experiencing COVID-19-related anxiety.

Measuring hope during the COVID-19 outbreak in the Philippines: development and validation of the state locus-of-Hope scale short form in Filipino

Various adaptations of the Dispositional Hope Scale have been validated and used for specific research and applied purposes. The Locus-of-Hope Scale was developed as a cultural adaptation that measures internal and external aspects of agency related to goal-pursuit that are typical in collectivist cultures. The scale has been used to account for variations in well-being-related factors in collectivist societies but still assumes that hope-related thoughts are dispositional. A State Locus-of-Hope Scale was developed to assess hope-related thinking concerning ongoing events and experience during the COVID-19 outbreak in the Philippines in March 2020. The 16-item scale in Filipino was adapted from a short version of Locus-of-Hope Scale. Using data from 3128 respondents, confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit between the four-factor model (compared to one-factor and two-factor models), supporting the scale's structural validity. There was also good evidence for the subscales' convergent and discriminant validity. Preliminary evidence for construct criterion validity was demonstrated by examining associations with well-being and anxiety. The results indicate the viability of the State Locus-of-Hope scale for assessing temporal hope-related thoughts that can inform efforts to understand how individuals engage in goal-related processes and maintain well-being in specific personal and social situations.

The Blessings of Social-Oriented Virtues: Interpersonal Character Strengths Are Linked to Increased Life Satisfaction and Academic Success Among Filipino High School Students

Some studies have shown that character strengths positively predicted optimal performance and well-being in Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) societies which may hold limited generalizability to individuals in non-WEIRD contexts. This prospective study examined the association of selected interpersonal character strengths (i.e., fairness, teamwork, leadership, forgiveness, and kindness) with life satisfaction, teacher-reported academic engagement, Mathematics achievement, English achievement, and overall academic achievement among Filipino high school students enrolled in a public high school in the Philippines ( M age = 14.33). There was a 2-month interval between Time 1 and Time 2 data collection. Results indicate that whereas fairness and kindness demonstrated stronger magnitudes of associations with subsequent life satisfaction, academic engagement, and achievement, teamwork and forgiveness had positive and moderate intensity of relationships to such outcomes. Compared to other interpersonal strengths, leadership showed weaker correlations with life satisfaction and achievement outcomes. Results allude to the benefits associated with interpersonal positive virtues in a non-WEIRD context.

Perceived Stress, Hope, and Health Outcomes Among Medical Staff in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study investigated the buffering role of hope between perceived stress and health outcomes among front-line medical staff treating patients with suspected COVID-19 infection in Shenzhen, China. In the cross-sectional study with online questionnaires, medical staff's perceived stress, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and hope were measured by the 10-item Chinese Perceived Stress Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Locus-of-Hope Scale, respectively. A total of 319 eligible front-line medical staff participated. The prevalence of anxiety (29.70%), depression (28.80%), poor sleep quality (38.90%) indicated that a considerable proportion of medical staff experienced mood and sleep disturbances during the COVID-19 pandemic. Internal locus-of-hope significantly moderated the effects of stress on anxiety, depression, and sleep quality. Moreover, external family locus-of-hope and external peer locus-of-hope significantly moderated the association between perceived stress and depression. The prevalence of symptoms indicates that both mental and physical health outcomes of front-line medical staff deserve more attention. Internal and external locus-of-hope functioned differently as protective factors for medical staffs' health and might be promising targets for intervention.

Polyculturalism and perceived effects of globalization in Macau

Attitudes toward increased cross-cultural contact associated with globalization vary depending on whether contact is perceived as a threat that disrupts psychological functions of one's own culture. I tested the hypothesis that belief about the dynamic connectedness of cultures, that is, polyculturalism, would be associated with the effects of increased contact through globalization being perceived more positively. Those who believe in polyculturalism assume fewer fixed cultural boundaries; thus, cross-cultural contact is not perceived as being disruptive. Data obtained from 598 undergraduate university students in Macau supported this hypothesis. It was found that polyculturalism was associated with more positive perceptions of the effects of globalization on the economy and culture of Macau, and there was a positive trend in the perceived effect of migration on Macau society. Although effect sizes were small, belief in polyculturalism could be further explored as a factor that predisposes individuals to take more positive attitudes about globalization.

Polyculturalism and Attitudes Toward the Continuing Presence of Former Colonizers in Four Postcolonial Asian Societies

Polyculturalism is the lay belief that cultures are dynamically interconnected and mutually influencing each other historically and in contemporary times. Belief in polyculturalism is associated with various positive intergroup outcomes in intercultural social contexts, but it has never been studied in relation to intergroup attitudes in postcolonial societies. Two studies with participants from four postcolonial Asian societies (total N = 1,126) explore whether polyculturalism will also be associated with positive attitudes toward the continuing presence of former colonizers. The historical colonial experience may be socially represented positively or negatively in different societies, and in this context, the studies inquire into whether current attitudes toward former colonizers are positively associated with the belief in polyculturalism. In two studies (after controlling for belief in multiculturalism, genetic and social constructivist lay theories of race, and national identity) polyculturalism was positively associated with favorable attitudes toward continuing presence of former colonizers in Hong Kong, Macau, and Jakarta, but not in Johor Bahru, Malaysia and Wonosobo, Indonesia. The positive association with polyculturalism was found only in the three societies with a high degree of intercultural contact, where the core beliefs of polyculturalism may be more meaningful. The results are discussed in terms of how intergroup relations between former colonizers and colonized peoples are forms of between-society intercultural contact that are also influenced by intergroup lay theories.

Effect of a Multiple-Micronutrient-Fortified Fruit Powder Beverage on the Nutrition Status, Physical Fitness, and Cognitive Performance of Schoolchildren in the Philippines

This study aimed to determine the effect of a multiple-micronutrient-fortified beverage on the micronutrient status, physical fitness, and cognitive performance of schoolchildren. The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of schoolchildren assigned to receive either the fortified or nonfortified beverage with or without anthelmintic therapy. Data on hemoglobin level, urinary iodine excretion (UIE) level, physical fitness, and cognitive performance were collected at baseline and at 16 weeks post-intervention. The fortified beverage significantly improved iron status among the subjects that had hemoglobin levels < 11 g/dl at baseline. The proportion of children who remained moderately to severely anemic was significantly lower among those given the fortified beverage. In the groups that received the fortified product, the median UIE level increased, whereas among those who received the placebo beverage, the median UIE level was reduced significantly. Iron- and/or iodine-deficient subjects who received the fortified beverage showed significant improvements in fitness (post-exercise reduction of heart rate) and cognitive performance (nonverbal mental ability score). The study showed that consumption of a multiple-micronutrient-fortified beverage for 16 weeks had significant effects on iron status, iodine status, physical fitness, and cognitive performance among iron- and/or iodine-deficient Filipino schoolchildren. Anthelmintic therapy improved iron status of anemic children and iodine status of the iron-adequate children at baseline but it had no effect on physical fitness and cognitive performance. The results from the clinical study showed that a multiple-micronutrient-fortified beverage could play an important role in preventing and controlling micronutrient deficiencies.

Associations Between Materialism, Gratitude, and Well-Being in Children of Overseas Filipino Workers

Children left behind by parents who are overseas Filipino workers (OFW) benefit from parental migration because their financial status improves. However, OFW families might emphasize the economic benefits to compensate for their separation, which might lead to materialism among children left behind. Previous research indicates that materialism is associated with lower well-being. The theory is that materialism focuses attention on comparing one’s possessions to others, making one constantly dissatisfied and wanting more. Research also suggests that gratitude mediates this link, with the focus on acquiring more possessions that make one less grateful for current possessions. This study explores the links between materialism, gratitude, and well-being among 129 adolescent children of OFWs. The participants completed measures of materialism, gratitude, and well-being (life satisfaction, self-esteem, positive and negative affect). Results showed that gratitude mediated the negative relationship between materialism and well-being (and its positive relationship with negative affect). Children of OFWs who have strong materialist orientation seek well-being from possessions they do not have and might find it difficult to be grateful of their situation, contributing to lower well-being. The findings provide further evidence for the mediated relationship between materialism and well-being in a population that has not been previously studied in the related literature. The findings also point to two possible targets for psychosocial interventions for families and children of OFWs.

Effect of a Multiple-Micronutrient-Fortified Fruit Powder Beverage on the Nutrition Status, Physical Fitness, and Cognitive Performance of Schoolchildren in the Philippines

This study aimed to determine the effect of a multiple-micronutrient-fortified beverage on the micronutrient status, physical fitness, and cognitive performance of schoolchildren. The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of schoolchildren assigned to receive either the fortified or nonfortified beverage with or without anthelmintic therapy. Data on hemoglobin level, urinary iodine excretion (UIE) level, physical fitness, and cognitive performance were collected at baseline and at 16 weeks post-intervention. The fortified beverage significantly improved iron status among the subjects that had hemoglobin levels < 11 g/dl at baseline. The proportion of children who remained moderately to severely anemic was significantly lower among those given the fortified beverage. In the groups that received the fortified product, the median UIE level increased, whereas among those who received the placebo beverage, the median UIE level was reduced significantly. Iron- and/or iodine-deficient subjects who received the fortified beverage showed significant improvements in fitness (post-exercise reduction of heart rate) and cognitive performance (nonverbal mental ability score). The study showed that consumption of a multiple-micronutrient-fortified beverage for 16 weeks had significant effects on iron status, iodine status, physical fitness, and cognitive performance among iron- and/or iodine-deficient Filipino schoolchildren. Anthelmintic therapy improved iron status of anemic children and iodine status of the iron-adequate children at baseline but it had no effect on physical fitness and cognitive performance. The results from the clinical study showed that a multiple-micronutrient-fortified beverage could play an important role in preventing and controlling micronutrient deficiencies.

Chinese version of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire: Factor structure replication and invariance across sex

INTRODUCTION

The Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) is a self-report measure assessing symptoms of schizotypy. The SPQ has been used in both normative and clinical samples and has much theoretical and empirical support. A three-factor structure of the SPQ, derived on the basis of work in schizophrenia, consisting of Cognitive-Perceptual, Interpersonal, and Disorganized factors, has been well replicated. The present study aimed to (i) validate this three-factor structure in the Chinese version of the SPQ in a sample of individuals of Chinese ethnicity, and (ii) test for invariance across sex.

METHODS

A total of 209 (99 males) undergraduate university students (Mage  = 19.5, SD = 1.6) were administered the SPQ.

RESULTS

Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a better fit between the data and the three-factor model compared with a one-factor model. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis also found strong measurement invariance across sex.

DISCUSSION

The current results add to a growing body of literature evidencing cross-cultural validity of the SPQ and its invariance across sex. Research and clinical implications of the current results are discussed.

Testing the Factorial Invariance of the English and Filipino Versions of the Inventory of School Motivation With Bilingual Students in the Philippines

The study explored the invariance of Filipino and English versions of the Inventory of School Motivation (ISM) for Filipino-English bilingual students. There was invariance in the factor structure and factor loadings across the two language versions. Between-network construct validation showed consistent associations between ISM-mastery goals and sense-of-self dimensions.