The motivated appeal to hypocrisy: the relation of motivational threats to message rejection

Few studies have focused on the conditions in which individuals perceive hypocrisy in others. The current study introduces and tests the Motivated Appeal to Hypocrisy (MAtH) hypothesis. This hypothesis examines core social psychological motivational threats and asks (a) whether these are related to the accounts of individuals in charging others with hypocrisy, and (b) whether these perceptions of hypocrisy are associated with reductions in the persuasiveness of persons targeted as hypocrites. Study 1 (N = 201 ) was based on qualitative coding of stories and revealed, as expected, that violations of core social motives involving belongingness, understanding, control, self-enhancement, and trust are involved in participants' stories of hypocrisy. Study 2 (N = 237 ) used a multilevel correlational approach and demonstrated that violations of core social motives significantly predict perceptions of hypocrisy and the rejection of a person's message or advice. The relation between social motive violations and message rejection was mediated by perceptions of hypocrisy.

STIMULANT MEDICATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH ENHANCING, RATHER THAN UNDERMINING, PERCEPTIONS OF THE TRUE ACADEMIC SELF

Introduction: Stimulant medication is effective in treating Attention Deficit Hyper-activity Disorder, and by removing barriers to success, may enhance perceptions of authenticity (i.e., feeling like one's true, core, autonomous self) among those receiving medication. In contrast, it is also possible that stimulant medications undermine perceptions of authenticity.

Methods: To examine these two possibilities, 64 undergraduate students with a history of ADHD and medication usage wrote a narrative about a time when they felt either: least authentic while taking medication, most authentic while taking medication, least authentic while unmedicated, or most authentic while unmedicated. Participants then completed retrospective assessments concerning that experience.

Results: Supporting the medication enhancement possibility, participants reported greater need satisfaction and more positive mood states when recalling states in which they were most like their true selves on medication than when off—especially when reporting on their academic selves. No differences were found on a state measure of prescriptive authenticity.

Discussion: Results are discussed with respect to linkages to the literature on attributions and stimulant medications. Limitations and future research design possibilities are discussed as more research is needed regarding managing stimulant medication and authentic identities.

The need to belong and its association with fully satisfying relationships: A tale of two measures

The current research compares the Need to Belong Scale (NTBS; Leary et al., 2013) and the Antecedents subscale of the Sense of Belongingness Inventory (SOBI-A; Hagerty & Putusky, 1995) to determine whether they represent approach or neuroticism-driven avoidance orientations in the need to belong. This research also extends previous research on these constructs to examine direct and moderating associations involving the need to belong and the quantity and quality of personal close relationships. Students (N=869) from a large university in the Southwest USA completed a battery of measures. Results indicated that the NTBS was associated with lower quality "partial" relationships rather than those of high quality "whole" relationships; this was not the case for the comparative SOBI-A. In addition, greater numbers of whole relationships buffered the effects of the NTBS on depression. The results are discussed in terms of the Belongingness Orientation Model.

Asymmetries in perceptions of self and others' hypocrisy: Rethinking the meaning and perception of the construct

This article examines how people recall and describe instances of hypocrisy in their own and others' behaviour. N = 302 participants provided two written examples. The first example recalled a time when someone called the participant a hypocrite, while the other recalled an instance when the participant perceived someone else's behaviour as hypocritical. One goal of the study was to discover if real-world examples of hypocrisy reflect only mere inconsistency, consistent with the construct's narrow use in psychology, or if they contain other distinctive defining features. A typology was used to code the examples, based loosely on Crisp and Cowton's philosophical distinction between four forms of hypocrisy: direct inconsistency, pretence, blame, and complacency. A second goal was to uncover reliable actor-observer differences in perceptions of hypocrisy. Results indicated that the four forms occur in real-world examples of both self and others' hypocrisy. Interestingly, a new fifth form, indirect inconsistency, emerged from the data, adding nuance to the initial hypothesis. Finally, several actor-observer differences in perceptions of hypocrisy arose and are discussed. The results indicate that hypocrisy is a much more complicated phenomenon than previously considered and provide the impetus for new areas of research.

Beliefs regarding stimulant medication effects among college students with a history of past or current usage

OBJECTIVE

To examine the beliefs of ADHD college students concerning stimulant medications and to apply the theory of planned behavior toward better understanding the factors instrumental in decisions regarding stimulant use.

METHOD

A cross-sectional, correlational design was used, and students completed a survey under controlled laboratory conditions. Participants were 193 students taking introductory psychology who self-reported receiving a diagnosis of attention deficit disorder or ADHD and a treatment history of using stimulant medications.

RESULTS

Beliefs regarding the effects of medication use are represented by four factors ((i.e., improved attention/academics, loss of authentic self, social self-enhancement, and common side effects), where the first three significantly and systematically differentiate between those currently using stimulants and those who are not.

CONCLUSION

To understand decisions regarding stimulant use, it is important to consider how college students perceive the positive and negative effects of the medication with respect to sense of self and social relationships.

Processing speed mediates the development of general intelligence (g) in adolescence

In the research reported here, we examined whether processing speed mediates the development of general intelligence (g) in adolescence. Using the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, a battery of 12 diverse cognitive tests, we assessed processing speed and g in a large sample of 13- to 17-year-olds obtained from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (N = 6,969). The direct effect of age on g was small compared with the total effect of age on g, which was almost fully mediated through speed. The results suggest that increases in g in adolescence can be attributed to increases in mental speed.

Cortical sulci and bipolar disorder

The width of cortical sulci in bipolar patients (n=19) and healthy controls (n=35) was examined using a novel automated technique involving magnetic resonance imaging. All sulci were wider for bipolar patients than for healthy controls. Bipolar-control differences were largest for the superior and intermediate frontal sulci, smallest for the occipital and cingulate sulci, and intermediate in magnitude for the other sulci (intraparietal, inferior frontal, and central sulci). The results were interpreted in terms of neurodegenerative-illness-related processes, which could produce cortical atrophy and result in wider sulci.

Do boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder have positive illusory self-concepts?

One hundred ninety-five boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were compared with 73 comparison boys (M = 9.83 years, SD = 1.30) on self-perceptions relative to a teacher-rated criterion. Emphasis was placed on ADHD subgroup comparisons according to level of aggression, academic achievement, and depression compared with control boys. Consistent with the authors' prediction, ADHD boys overestimated relative to teacher report, more than did controls, in the scholastic competence, social acceptance, and behavioral conduct domains. Examination of discrepancy scores (child rating - teacher rating) by comorbidity subgroups suggested that aggressive and low-achieving ADHD boys tended to overestimate their competence the most in the domains in which they were the most impaired. Results are discussed in terms of prior literature on "positive illusions" in ADHD children.

Do boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder have positive illusory self-concepts?

One hundred ninety-five boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were compared with 73 comparison boys (M = 9.83 years, SD = 1.30) on self-perceptions relative to a teacher-rated criterion. Emphasis was placed on ADHD subgroup comparisons according to level of aggression, academic achievement, and depression compared with control boys. Consistent with the authors' prediction, ADHD boys overestimated relative to teacher report, more than did controls, in the scholastic competence, social acceptance, and behavioral conduct domains. Examination of discrepancy scores (child rating - teacher rating) by comorbidity subgroups suggested that aggressive and low-achieving ADHD boys tended to overestimate their competence the most in the domains in which they were the most impaired. Results are discussed in terms of prior literature on "positive illusions" in ADHD children.

Effects of methylphenidate and expectancy on children with ADHD: behavior, academic performance, and attributions in a summer treatment program and regular classroom settings

Pharmacological and expectancy effects of 0.3 mg/kg methylphenidate on the behavior and attributions of boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were evaluated. In a within-subject, balanced-placebo design, 136 boys received 4 medication-expectancy conditions. Attributions for success and failure on a daily report card were gathered. Assessments took place within the setting of a summer treatment program and were repeated in boys' regular classrooms. Expectancy did not affect the boys' behavior; only active medication improved their behavior. Boys attributed their success to their effort and ability and attributed failure to task difficulty and the pill, regardless of medication and expectancy. Results were generally equivalent across the two settings; where there were differences, beneficial effects of medication were more apparent in the school setting. The findings were unaffected by individual-difference factors.

Confirmatory factor analyses examining attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms and other childhood disruptive behaviors

Over the past 15 years, three distinct models have been used to characterize the factor structure of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These models correspond to descriptions of the disorder as outlined in DSM-III, DSM-III-R, and now, DSM-IV. Specifically, in DSM-III, inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity were treated as three separate constructs. In DSM-III-R, ADHD was treated as a unitary construct. In DSM-IV, impulsivity and hyperactivity remain combined, but inattention is considered a separate construct. The present study examined and compared each of these models using confirmatory factor analyses. A final set of comparisons was conducted examining ADHD symptoms together with oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder (ODD/CD) symptoms. Although support for the three-factor ADHD model (DSM-III version) was obtained when the ADHD symptoms were examined in isolation, the two-factor model of ADHD (DSM-IV version) was supported when ADHD and ODD/CD symptoms were examined together as part of a comprehensive model of disruptive behavior disorders.

Dysphoria and the failure to perceive and use discounting information: implications for internalizing negative feedback

The present study examined the proposition that dysphoric individuals make internal attributions because they do not use available discounting cues. To test this hypothesis, 23 dysphoric and 32 nondysphoric college students were either provided a discounting cue or were led to believe that an internal attribution for failure was appropriate (no discounting cue). On the primary measure of internality, nondysphoric individuals made greater external attributions when a discounting cue was available than they did when no such cue was present, but attributions made by dysphoric individuals were unaffected by the presence of a discounting cue. On the other hand, using a secondary dependent measure inserted to replicate a prior study in this area, key comparison differences were not obtained.

Major life events and minor stressors: identifying mediational links in the stress process

Whether the relationship between major life events and distress is mediated through minor stressors was examined in three stress groups: those who (a) experienced the death of a spouse, (b) divorced, or (c) were the parent of a child with asthma. Each of these major stress groups was compared with a control group. Path analyses conducted by aggregating the data cross major stress groups indicated that major life events exert both a direct influence on distress and an indirect influence through minor stressors. On the other hand, the nature of the mediational relation linking major life events with psychological distress through minor stressors was found to vary as a function of the major life stress situation under consideration. Methodological and theoretical implications for the study of stress processes are discussed.

Major life events and minor stressors: identifying mediational links in the stress process

Whether the relationship between major life events and distress is mediated through minor stressors was examined in three stress groups: those who (a) experienced the death of a spouse, (b) divorced, or (c) were the parent of a child with asthma. Each of these major stress groups was compared with a control group. Path analyses conducted by aggregating the data cross major stress groups indicated that major life events exert both a direct influence on distress and an indirect influence through minor stressors. On the other hand, the nature of the mediational relation linking major life events with psychological distress through minor stressors was found to vary as a function of the major life stress situation under consideration. Methodological and theoretical implications for the study of stress processes are discussed.

Relation of parental alcoholism to early adolescent substance use: a test of three mediating mechanisms

The current study assessed 3 hypothesized mediating mechanisms underlying the relation between parental alcoholism and adolescent substance use. Using structural equation modeling, we analyzed data obtained from a large community sample of adolescent children of alcoholics and a demographically matched comparison group. Results suggested that parental alcoholism influenced adolescent substance use through stress and negative affect pathways, through decreased parental monitoring, and through increased temperamental emotionality (which was associated with heightened negative affect). Both negative affect and impaired parental monitoring were associated with adolescents' membership in a peer network that supported drug use behavior. The data did not support a link between parental alcoholism and temperamental sociability.

The role of risk and protective factors in predicting symptomatology in adolescent self-identified children of alcoholic parents

Tested a stress process model for predicting mental health symptoms in children of alcoholics (COAs). Stress and mental health measures were completed twice over a 3-month period by 145 high school students, 43 of whom self-identified as COAs. Using structural equation modeling, a stress process model for predicting mental health symptoms in children provided a good fit to the data. COA status was related to higher levels of negative and lower levels of positive events. In turn, positive and negative life events were found to have an immediate, but not a longitudinal, direct effect on adolescent symptomatology.