A variety of methodological paradigms, including dot probe and eye movement tasks, have been used to examine attentional biases to threat in anxiety disorders. Unfortunately, little attention has ...been devoted to the psychometric properties of measures from these paradigms. In the current study, participants selected for high and low social anxiety completed a dot probe and eye movement task using angry, disgust and happy facial expressions paired with neutral expressions. Results indicated that dot probe bias scores, eye movement first fixation indices, and eye movement proportions of viewing time in the first 1,500 ms had unacceptably low reliability. However, eye movement indices of attentional bias over the full 5,000 ms time course had excellent reliability. Individuals’ dot probe and eye movement biases were largely uncorrelated across the two tasks and demonstrated little relation with social anxiety scores. Implications for future research are discussed.
A growing number of studies have reported age-related reductions in the frequency of mind wandering. Here, at both the trait (Study 1) and state (Study 2) levels, we reexamined this association while ...distinguishing between intentional (deliberate) and unintentional (spontaneous) mind wandering. Based on research demonstrating age-accompanied deficits in executive functioning, we expected to observe increases in unintentional mind wandering with increasing age. Moreover, because aging is associated with increased task motivation, we reasoned that older adults might be more engaged in their tasks, and hence, show a more pronounced decline in intentional mind wandering relative to young adults. In both studies, we found that older adults did indeed report lower rates of intentional mind wandering compared with young adults. However, contrary to our expectations, we also found that older adults reported lower rates of unintentional mind wandering (Studies 1 and 2). We discuss the implications of these findings for theories of age-related declines in mind wandering.
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Objective
This study explored treatment experiences and social support among individuals with eating disorders (EDs) in mainland China.
Method
Subscribers of a Chinese online social media platform ...(WeChat) focused on EDs were invited to complete a screening questionnaire that included the Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale for the DSM‐5. Of the 116 questionnaire responses, 31 met inclusion criteria for follow‐up interviews. Individuals who never sought treatment were not eligible for follow‐up interviews, but provided brief explanations about why they did not seek treatment. All eligible participants (n = 31) completed a semi‐structured interview about their experiences with ED treatment and social support. Qualitative data from the interviews and survey responses regarding not seeking treatment were subjected to inductive data‐driven thematic analysis with deductive coding to illuminate treatment and social support experiences or reasons for not seeking treatment.
Results
Themes emerged from interviews revealed positive inpatient treatment experiences for anorexia nervosa, but negative outpatient treatment experiences, unaffordable care, and ineffective psychopharmacological treatments. Parents, friends, and partners were sources of social support, but participants largely felt misunderstood or blamed by these same entities. Shame, not recognizing ED as an illness, and financial constraints were listed as the primary reasons for not seeking treatment.
Discussion
The importance of hearing patients' perspectives, improving ED literacy in China, increasing knowledge of culturally specific manifestations of EDs, and developing culturally responsive services and dissemination of treatment resources are emphasized.
Objective
Reports of disordered eating are increasing in mainland China; however, little is known regarding Chinese psychotherapists' conceptualizations of disordered eating symptomatology. This ...study explores Chinese psychotherapists' conceptualizations of binge eating (BE)/vomiting symptoms and treatment considerations.
Method
In‐depth, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with mainland Chinese psychotherapists (N = 41) in Mandarin. Participants were given a hypothetical case and provided their conceptualization of the patient's BE/vomiting etiology and treatment recommendations. Etiological conceptualizations were coded using directed content analysis, and treatment recommendations were grouped by intervention strategy.
Results
Participants described psychosocial risk factors for BE/vomiting including intrapersonal characteristics and the childhood family environment, but rarely discussed genetic and neurobiological factors. Few participants reported that they would prioritize the BE/vomiting symptoms in treatment and their specific treatment recommendations varied widely.
Discussion
Most research on BE/vomiting behaviors in the literature is based on Western samples with little attention to mainland Chinese populations. Participants in this study provided conceptualizations of risk factors and treatment recommendations that could generally find evidence in the existing Western literature, even if some theories are no longer supported by updated Western research and the participants focused primarily on psychosocial risks as opposed to genetic/neurobiological factors. It will be important for future research to ascertain mainland Chinese therapists' understanding of these additional types of risk. These findings also suggest a disconnect between clinical findings on neurobiological risks and Chinese therapists' knowledge and/or perceived clinical utility of these risks. Implications for treatment and research dissemination to diverse global communities are discussed.
Arousal imagery has been used to help performers regulate performance anxiety in order to perform well. Music performance anxiety research has been dominated by relaxation imagery and despite ...positive results, methodological limitations prevent causal conclusions regarding its efficacy. Further, arousal imagery strategies incorporating high arousal have helped performers in closely related performance domains, and these strategies might benefit musicians. In addition, emotion regulation models raise concerns about the efficacy of relaxation imagery. In light of these issues, understanding whether and how musicians use arousal imagery in their own practice is an important, yet understudied area. Building on earlier work, we developed the Musician’s Arousal Regulation Imagery Scale (MARIS) to measure musicians’ intentional use of different arousal imagery strategies in three samples of musicians with varying levels of expertise, who reported performing different musical genres and instruments from different musical families. Participants completed the MARIS and a musical background questionnaire. Results suggest that the MARIS has excellent psychometric properties and that it captures two broad classes of arousal imagery. Further, findings suggest that musicians use arousal imagery containing varying levels of arousal. Implications of the present study, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Frontline health providers who worked in Hubei, China, during the initial outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) experienced poorer mental health outcomes than those who worked elsewhere in ...China, but many of these workers denied psychological challenges and did not use resources when offered. This study investigated challenges, mental health, sources of strength, and coping strategies among frontline healthcare professionals working in the initial Hubei COVID-19 outbreak. Healthcare workers (N = 23) who went to Hubei during the COVID-19 outbreak completed a semistructured interview about their experiences at the front line and use of mental health resources. Thematic analysis revealed several challenges participants faced as a result of their work conditions. The vast majority of participants reported physical and psychological symptoms. Nevertheless, some denied experiencing any distress, and none accessed psychological assistance as a way of self-care. Participants described their social network as particularly helpful as they were coping with the intensive work demands and that their strong sense of responsibility for patients and trust in the medical system were sources of strength. Our findings highlight that even in the face of stress-related challenges, healthcare workers may not seek care for their physical and psychological symptoms, which may lead to persistent mental health consequences. Implications for providing mental health services to healthcare providers and first responders are discussed in the Chinese cultural and societal context; we offer considerations for bridging health resources in China with the potential for establishing a more responsive and equitable mental health infrastructure.
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Investigators of personality assessment are becoming aware that using positively and negatively worded items in questionnaires to prevent acquiescence may negatively impact construct validity. The ...Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) has demonstrated a bifactorial structure typically proposed to result from these method effects. Recent work suggests that these method effects may have substantive meaning. These studies examined the relation between method effects associated with positively and negatively worded items in the RSES and primary, broad personality constructs: approach and avoidance motivation and the "Big Five" (emotional stability, extraversion, intellect, agreeableness, and conscientiousness). A series of confirmatory factor analyses revealed that method effects are required in the measurement model of self-esteem and are related to important personality constructs.
The goal of this study was to evaluate the relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction and working alliance in psychotherapy and to determine whether client ratings of basic needs and ...working alliance during psychotherapy were associated with early termination of therapy. Former psychotherapy clients (n = 87) completed a semi-structured interview regarding basic needs satisfaction in therapy, working alliance and dropout status. Participant ratings on the Basic Needs Satisfaction in Psychotherapy scale (BNSP) and the Retrospective Working Alliance Inventory - Short (RWAI-S) were significantly correlated (r = .77) in our sample. A comparison of intercorrelations between working alliance subscales and basic needs subscales indicated higher factorial distinctiveness within the basic needs measure. T-tests comparing those who terminated psychotherapy early with those who had planned endings on scores on the BNSP and RWAI-S were significant (Cohen's d = .65 and 1.82, respectively). Results suggest that the basic needs measure might tap into a wider breadth of the therapist and client interaction than the RWAI-S.
This investigation evaluates the structure and correlates of lower order traits related to approach, specifically, facets of extraversion and behavioral activation system (BAS) sensitivity. A ...3-factor structure of approach was derived in community and clinical samples: assertiveness, enthusiasm, and sensation seeking. All factors were positively associated with Openness/Intellect scores. Enthusiasm and assertiveness were both negatively associated with Neuroticism scores, but were distinguished by associations with Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. Sensation seeking was negatively associated with Conscientiousness scores. The 3 factors demonstrated a unique profile of association with components of impulsivity. Enthusiasm and assertiveness were negatively related to psychopathological symptoms, whereas sensation seeking was largely independent of psychopathology. Results suggest that approach is associated with 3 subfactors, which differ in their pattern or magnitude of associations with other variables, thus underscoring the importance of distinguishing among them. Further, results support the construct validity of the Assertiveness and Enthusiasm aspect scales of the Big Five Aspect Scales to assess traits at this level of the personality hierarchy.
Many theorists propose that two fundamental biological systems are responsible for emotional regulation: one appetitive and one aversive. Gray’s behavioural approach or activation system (BAS) and ...behavioural inhibition system (BIS) in particular offer considerable promise in explaining a variety of normal and pathological behaviours. While revisions of Gray’s theory continue to be made, the nature of the BAS remains unclear and controversial. Because Gray proposed that BIS and BAS activity underlie trait anxiety and impulsivity, respectively, many researchers use impulsivity measures to assess BAS activity. However, impulsivity is a multidimensional construct, and which components are relevant to the BAS is by no means clear. This investigation sought to determine whether impulsivity is an appropriate measure of behavioural activation, and if so, which components are related to BAS activity. Measures of BAS and impulsivity were administered to University of Waterloo undergraduates. A series of confirmatory factor analyses revealed that while a case may be made for the use of global impulsivity measures as indicators of BAS activity, these measures are better thought of as composites of separate, correlated constructs, which are not uniformly connected to the BAS. These findings have implications for the current understanding of the nature of the BAS.
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