There have been multiple accounts created with the sole purpose of posting advertisement posts or replies containing unsolicited advertising.

Accounts which solely post advertisements, or persistently post them may be terminated.

@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

psychbot Bot

@[email protected]

I am a robot who usually moves psychology-related RSS news feeds to Toot posts. I am not officially affiliated with them. When driven by a human I may occasionally post other information related to #mental health. (I am owned by https://mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org/@admin )

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 11, 2024 at 02:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Scientific literacy undermines conspiracy beliefs

URL: https://www.psypost.org/scientific-literacy-undermines-conspiracy-beliefs/

A series of ten studies has shown that scientific literacy reduces belief in conspiracy theories. Improving people’s ability to assess evidence through increased scientific literacy makes them less likely to endorse such beliefs. The key aspects of scientific literacy contributing to this effect are scientific knowledge and scientific reasoning. The research findings were published in the Journal of Consumer Research.

Conspiracy beliefs are beliefs that certain events or situations are the result of secret plots by powerful groups or individuals, rather than by chance or acknowledged causes. In these narratives, the powerful groups are often portrayed as having malevolent intentions towards the general population.

For instance, some people believe the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic was deliberately orchestrated, or that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are harmful while authorities conceal this information. Others think space aliens visit Earth, with governments hiding this fact from the public. Numerous similar conspiracy beliefs exist, and studies suggest that about 75% of the U.S. population either believes in conspiracies or knows someone who does.

While some conspiracy beliefs are rather harmless, other types of such beliefs can cause harm to the society (e.g. by making believers refuse vaccinations and thus prolonging epidemics) or the individual (e.g. refusing a medical treatment for a disease although effective cures are available). That is why scientists intensely study factors that affect the likelihood that individuals will endorse conspiracy beliefs.

One such potential factor is scientific literacy. Scientific literacy is a combination of factual knowledge of scientific topics combined with critical thinking ability that comes from the understanding of scientific reasoning. These two components of scientific literacy, combined together, might allow people to recognize incorrect evidence and flawed reasoning promoted by conspiracy theories.

Study authors Nathan Allred and Lisa E. Bolton wanted to test whether scientific literacy really makes a person less prone to endorse conspiracy beliefs. They hypothesized that educational interventions that improve scientific knowledge or reasoning will undermine conspiracy beliefs and that this will happen because people will become better able to evaluate evidence. They conducted a series of studies.

In their first analysis, these researchers examined Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scientific literacy data from 79 countries, pairing it with data on Google searches about conspiracy topics in those countries and conspiracy belief assessments provided by the YouGov Cambridge Globalism study. Results showed that conspiracy beliefs and Google searches about conspiracies tended to be lower in countries where average PISA scientific literacy scores were better.

Another study by these researchers involved 107 participants from four community events focused on science and COVID-19 skepticism. A survey of 97 Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) workers yielded similar results: individuals with higher scientific knowledge were less likely to endorse conspiracy beliefs.

Next, the researchers conducted two experiments with participants recruited via Prolific. In one experiment, participants watched either a video on a scientific topic relevant to a conspiracy theory or a video on a historical topic, then reported their conspiracy beliefs. The topic was nuclear energy, with the conspiracy belief being that cancer rates increased after the first nuclear reactor was built.

The second experiment had a similar setup but focused on improving scientific reasoning through a video about the difference between correlation and causation. Both experiments demonstrated that enhancing scientific knowledge and reasoning reduced conspiracy beliefs. Participants who watched videos on nuclear energy or scientific reasoning reported lower conspiracy beliefs than those who watched videos on historical topics.

Further experiments confirmed these findings, showing that scientific literacy reduces conspiracy beliefs particularly when participants engage in reasoning about the topic. If participants were simply asked to create a story about the topic without reasoning, scientific literacy did not significantly impact conspiracy beliefs. Another study indicated that the link between scientific literacy and reduced conspiracy beliefs was strongest when the evidence about the belief topic was weak.

“Across 10 studies, we find that scientific literacy undermines conspiracy beliefs and conspiracy-related behavior. We observe this relationship in international secondary data (study 1A), a high-conspiracy sample (study 1B), and a highly educated sample (study 1C) of consumers. We also propose and find evidence via both measurement (study 2A) and manipulation (via short video interventions; studies 2B and 2C) for the role of each dimension of scientific literacy—scientific knowledge and reasoning—and their impact on evidence evaluation and conspiracy beliefs. Specifically, we theorize and find that scientific literacy improves evidence evaluation (studies 2B and 2C; supplemental study); hence, the effect of scientific literacy emerges when evidence is weaker (study 3A) and emphasizes reasoning (rather than narration) (study 3B).”, study authors concluded.

“Lastly, we demonstrated robustness by testing the effectiveness of a scientific literacy intervention on incentive-aligned choice over time (study 4A), for established and novel conspiracy beliefs among consumers more versus less prone to conspiracy belief (study 4B), and in the US population using state-level data regarding vaccination behavior (study 4C). Together, these findings (using individual, state, and international data) shed light on how scientific literacy undermines conspiracy beliefs while demonstrating important consequences for individuals, business, and society.”

This series of studies makes a compelling case for the impact of scientific literacy on reducing conspiracy beliefs. However, most of the studies relied on self-reports about conspiracy beliefs in a situation where the study authors’ goals were likely transparent to participants, leaving some room for reporting bias to affect the results.

The research, “Conspiracy Beliefs and Consumption: The Role of Scientific Literacy,” was authored by Nathan Allred and Lisa E. Bolton.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/scientific-literacy-undermines-conspiracy-beliefs/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 11, 2024 at 12:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Early adversity linked to altered hippocampal growth in children

URL: https://www.psypost.org/early-adversity-linked-to-altered-hippocampal-growth-in-children/

A new study published in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience sheds light on how early adversity affects brain development in children. Researchers found that greater adversity experienced during the perinatal period (around birth) is linked to smaller hippocampal volume in early childhood but also to faster growth in the right hippocampus throughout childhood. Interestingly, this accelerated growth was associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms later in childhood.

Previous research has indicated that children exposed to adversity often experience various developmental changes. However, few studies have examined brain development over multiple time points to model the pace of development effectively. The researchers sought to better understand how adversity during the perinatal period impacts the pace of brain development and the potential implications for children’s mental health.

“There are a number of research findings that point to the possibility that children grow up faster in the context of adversity. For example, children exposed to adversity are at increased risk of starting puberty at younger ages and have been shown to have brains that physically look more typical of older peers,” said study author Jonas Miller, an assistant professor at the University of Connecticut and principal investigator of the Biobehavioral Adjustment and Neurodevelopment Lab.

“Few studies, however, have measured the brain at multiple timepoints to effectively model the pace or speed of development. It was also not clear whether adversity that occurs very early in life, such as during pregnancy and the first 6 months after birth, has a lasting relationship with accelerated pace of brain development across childhood, and whether the pace of brain development might have implications for children’s future mental health. We were interested in drawing on data from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) study address these questions.”

The study drew data from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) study, a comprehensive birth cohort study. Researchers collected neuroimaging data at three time points: 4.5, 6, and 7.5 years of age. They analyzed these scans to measure the volume of different parts of the brain, focusing on the hippocampus.

The hippocampus is a critical part of the brain located in the temporal lobe. It plays a major role in forming and organizing memories and is also involved in learning and emotional regulation. Shaped like a seahorse, this small, curved structure helps consolidate information from short-term memory to long-term memory.

The sample included 784 children, and the researchers assessed perinatal adversity based on several factors, including birth weight, gestational age, maternal smoking during pregnancy, household income, maternal mental health, and early hospitalization of the child. Each factor contributed to an adversity index, with higher scores indicating greater adversity.

The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to collect high-resolution images of the children’s brains. They then applied advanced techniques to segment and measure the volumes of specific brain regions, particularly the hippocampus. Finally, at age 8.5, the children reported on their depressive symptoms using a standardized questionnaire.

The researchers found that higher levels of perinatal adversity were linked to smaller volumes of the hippocampal body on both sides of the brain at 4.5 years of age. However, these children also exhibited faster growth in the right hippocampal body between ages 4.5 and 7.5. This accelerated growth was associated with higher depressive symptoms reported at age 8.5.

“We were surprised that prenatal and early postnatal risk factors were related to children’s mental health 8.5 years later,” Miller told PsyPost.

The findings suggest that early adversity is biologically embedded in the brain’s development, influencing both the initial size and the growth rate of the hippocampus. Furthermore, the faster growth rate of the right hippocampal body mediated the relationship between early adversity and later depressive symptoms, suggesting that the changes in brain development may underlie the increased risk of depression seen in these children.

“Early life risk factors can accumulate, but so can resources or assets,” Miller explained. “Exposure to multiple adversities during pregnancy and the early postpartum period, such as parental smoking, hospitalization, and parental mental health issues, may predispose children to risky forms of brain development. This might be particularly true when children don’t have access to early life resources and positive conditions, such as breastfeeding, healthy prenatal environments, and parents with positive mental health.”

“We found that when adversities accumulate early in life in the relative absence of resources, children are at increased risk for showing smaller hippocampus at 4 years of age. This region plays a crucial role in memory, emotion, and regulating stress. Despite having smaller hippocampus, these children are also likely to show faster growth in this region across the next three years of childhood, although they don’t appear to catch up with their low-adversity exposed peers.”

“This faster growth of the hippocampus, in turn, is related to children’s increased risk for reporting depressive symptoms,” Miller said. “Taken together, very early life conditions may be embedded in the pace of development of some brain regions, and this may place children at higher or lower risk for experiencing depression in the future.”

While the study provides valuable insights, there are some limitations to consider. For instance, the cumulative adversity score combines various factors, which may not fully capture the complexity of each child’s experiences. Future research could benefit from examining specific types of adversity separately.

“These findings are based on a correlational study design,” Miller noted. “We cannot say that the perinatal adversity, faster pace of brain development, and future depression symptoms are causally related to each other.”

“We want to test whether these findings are specific to the size and growth of the hippocampus, or if they extend to other brain regions, networks, and measures. We are also interested in looking into the potential implications of pace of brain development for children’s plasticity and openness to influence from the environment. We often think of childhood as being a period of increased plasticity. If certain aspects of brain development are accelerated, does that lead to earlier reductions in plasticity?”

“This work would not have been possible without the contributions from my coauthors and the families who participate in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) study,” Miller added.

The study, “Faster pace of hippocampal growth mediates the association between perinatal adversity and childhood depression,” was authored by Jonas G. Miller, Peter D. Gluckman, Marielle V. Fortier, Yap Seng Chong, Michael J. Meaney, Ai Peng Tan, and Ian H. Gotlib.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/early-adversity-linked-to-altered-hippocampal-growth-in-children/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 11, 2024 at 10:02AM
SOURCE: Psychiatric Times
.
Actual article link at end of text block below.
.
Black and Indigenous mothers have the hardest time getting mental health care during and after pregnancy. https://t.co/dsrcpG84ST
.
Articles can be found at https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/news

.  
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: <https://www.clinicians-exchange.org>  
.  
NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @[email protected]   
.  
 #psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #psychotherapist
psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 11, 2024 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Older adults’ moral judgments are more influenced by malicious intent than younger adults

URL: https://www.psypost.org/older-adults-moral-judgments-are-influenced-more-by-malicious-intent-than-younger-adults/

Research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General reports that older adults judge perpetrators with harmful intentions more harshly and those causing accidental harm more leniently compared to younger adults.

Understanding how we judge others based on their intentions and actions is a key aspect of moral psychology. Intentions play a significant role in shaping our moral judgments and emotional responses. As we age, our motivations and priorities change, which might influence how we perceive and react to sociomoral violations. Previous research has shown that children increasingly weigh intentions over outcomes as they grow older, a trend that continues into adulthood. But how does this relationship evolve in later life? A series of two studies conducted by Alyssa R. Minton and colleagues explore this scientific gap.

Study 1 included 225 participants, comprising 112 younger adults (aged 18-30) and 113 older adults (aged 60-79), recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Participants were presented with scenarios where a perpetrator either desired to harm but did not succeed (desire/no consequence) or caused harm accidentally without malicious intent (no desire/consequence).

After each scenario, participants rated the perpetrator’s moral character and actions using a 7-point scale for person judgments (e.g., how “sick and twisted” the perpetrator was) and act judgments (e.g., how much blame the perpetrator deserved). Emotional responses, including anger, disgust, and sympathy, were measured through both nonverbal endorsements (selecting faces that best represented their feelings) and verbal ones (rating terms like “outraged” and “disgusted”).

The study also included control measures for trait disgust and aggression to account for individual differences. Participants completed the scenarios in random order, followed by the trait measures and a demographic questionnaire.

The researchers found significant age differences in moral judgments and emotional reactions to sociomoral violations. Older adults judged perpetrators with harmful intentions more harshly than younger adults, even when no harm occurred.

Conversely, they judged accidental harms more leniently. Emotional reactions also aligned with these judgments: older adults reported higher levels of disgust and lower levels of sympathy towards perpetrators with harmful desires but felt less disgust and similar levels of sympathy towards those causing accidental harm.

These findings suggest that older adults’ judgments and emotions are more strongly influenced by the intentions behind actions, highlighting their sensitivity to perceived threats to social harmony.

The goal of Study 2 was to determine if the observed age differences in moral judgments and emotions were specific to sociomoral contexts by introducing scenarios designed to evoke anger and disgust without direct sociomoral implications. A total of 467 participants, including 249 younger adults (aged 18-30) and 218 older adults (aged 55-79), were recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk.

Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: desire/no consequence, no desire/consequence, anger, or disgust. The desire/no consequence and no desire/consequence conditions were the same as those used in Study 1. The anger condition included scenarios where perpetrators acted negligently, leading to negative outcomes (e.g., starting a fire out of curiosity that damages property). The disgust condition featured scenarios where perpetrators engaged in behaviors typically eliciting disgust (e.g., eating food from an unsanitary source).

Participants rated the perpetrator’s moral character and actions using a 7-point scale for person judgments (e.g., how “sick and twisted” the perpetrator was) and act judgments (e.g., how much blame the perpetrator deserved). Participants then rated their anger, disgust, and sympathy. Participants once again completed measures of trait aggression and trait disgust, and provided demographic information.

Study 2 revealed that the pattern of age differences in moral judgments and emotional reactions persisted across different contexts. Older adults judged perpetrators with harmful intentions more harshly than younger adults, even when no harm occurred, and were more lenient towards accidental harms.

However, when scenarios evoked anger or disgust without a clear sociomoral component, the age differences were less pronounced. Specifically, both age groups reacted similarly in the anger and disgust conditions, suggesting that the presence of a clear social target or sociomoral context is crucial for the observed age differences in moral judgments and emotional reactions.

These results indicate that older adults’ sensitivity to sociomoral violations is heightened when there is a direct social implication, reinforcing their motivation to maintain social harmony.

One limitation is the potential variability in interpreting the severity of scenarios. The subjective nature of moral judgments suggests that personal experiences and cultural backgrounds could influence responses, potentially confounding the observed age differences.

The research, “Motives Matter More With Age: Adult Age Differences in Response to Sociomoral Violations”, was authored by Alyssa R. Minton, Jason S. Snyder, Nathaniel A. Young, Verena Graupmann, and Joseph A. Mikels.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/older-adults-moral-judgments-are-influenced-more-by-malicious-intent-than-younger-adults/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 11, 2024 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Boys outperform girls in direction-giving accuracy, new study finds

URL: https://www.psypost.org/boys-outperform-girls-in-direction-giving-accuracy-new-study-finds/

In a recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, researchers found that boys aged 3 to 10 years old outperformed girls in accurately giving directions. However, boys and girls did not differ in the number of references to landmarks and turns, suggesting that the quality of direction-giving words, rather than their quantity, is key to explaining these gender differences.

Researchers have long been interested in understanding the individual differences in spatial cognition, particularly between genders. While adult studies have shown that men and women navigate differently — men using cardinal directions more frequently and women relying on landmarks — less is known about how these differences develop in childhood. Understanding these differences in children can have implications for educational strategies and potentially closing the gender gap in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields, where spatial skills play a vital role.

“Our interest in the topic is two-fold. First, exploring how cognitive abilities develop can help us understand the fundamentals of cognitive development, including the types of knowledge children possess and how they acquire it,” explained study author Nardin Yacoub, a PhD candidate at Montclair State University and member of the Spatial Development Lab.

“Also, understanding how cognitive abilities develop and differ between the sexes have potential for real-world implications, such as use in STEM fields. Based on our findings, we can tailor interventions based on the cognitive strengths/weaknesses of boys and girls and design evidence-based training programs to assist in their spatial development. Also, these results can inform parents on how best to support their children’s development of spatial skills.”

The study involved 141 children aged 3 to 10 years. The sample included 78 boys and 63 girls, recruited through schools, professional organizations, and online networks. The study was conducted over Zoom in a session lasting approximately 30 minutes.

The study used four virtual environments, each with a unique layout consisting of five decision points and ten landmarks. These environments were created using Unity 3D software and were presented to children either as maps (providing a survey perspective) or as first-person videos (providing a route perspective). Each environment was designed to be age-appropriate, featuring landmarks like mangoes, teddy bears, and tomatoes.

The procedure was divided into three phases: free description, route description, and route recall. In the free description phase, children described what they saw in the map or video. In the route description phase, children gave directions to a cartoon bird, Mr. Birdie, who was depicted as blindfolded, thus requiring the child to describe the route to him. In the route recall phase, children recalled and described the route from memory after the stimuli were removed.

To ensure the accuracy of their analysis, the researchers used a detailed coding scheme for transcribing and scoring the children’s verbal descriptions. Accuracy was determined by how well the children used directional terms (e.g., left, right) and landmarks to describe the routes. The study employed a double-coding system to maintain inter-rater reliability, with discrepancies resolved through discussions among the researchers.

The researchers found that boys demonstrated superior accuracy in giving directions during the route description phase, but this advantage did not extend to the route recall phase, where boys and girls performed similarly.

“We were surprised to see there were no sex differences in accuracy of recalling routes, but only at the initial stage when children were asked to describe the routes. Both boys and girls have similar abilities in recalling routes, indicating that these differences may be more pronounced in the initial description phase,” Yacoub told PsyPost.

In terms of language use, boys and girls did not differ significantly in the frequency of landmarks and directional terms used. This indicates that the difference in accuracy was not due to boys using more spatial language but rather using it more effectively. In other words, the quality of language, particularly the accurate use of directional terms, explained the boys’ superior performance.

The study also found that older children performed better than younger ones, highlighting an age-related improvement in direction-giving skills. Additionally, children were more accurate and used more directional terms when working with maps compared to videos. This suggests that the survey perspective provided by maps made it easier for children to understand and communicate spatial information.

Despite its robust findings, the study has some limitations. First, it did not consider non-verbal cues like gestures, which children often use to complement their verbal descriptions. Future research could include a more detailed analysis of non-verbal communication. Second, while the study involved a wide age range, younger children (ages 3 and 4) struggled more with the tasks, which might have influenced the overall results. Tailoring the tasks to different developmental stages could yield more nuanced insights.

The study’s findings have practical implications for education. Teaching children to use maps might be a more effective way to improve their direction-giving skills than relying solely on route experiences. Educators and parents can also focus on helping children accurately use direction terms and identify useful landmarks, potentially aiding in their overall spatial development.

Furthermore, understanding these gender differences in spatial skills can contribute to strategies aimed at closing the gender gap in fields requiring strong spatial abilities, such as aviation and engineering. Encouraging both boys and girls to engage in activities that develop these skills from an early age could be beneficial.

“Our long term goals are to create and test effective interventions to enhance spatial cognition in both boys and girls,” Yacoub explained. “Through this line of research, we can provide evidence-based recommendations for educational curricula to support the cognitive development of children. Further longitudinal studies can be conducted to track the development and evolution of spatial skills over time. Pursuing these long-term goals will allow us to contribute significantly to the field of spatial cognition, improving educational outcomes and cognitive development for all children.”

The study, “Sex differences in direction giving: Are boys better than girls?“, was authored by Nardin Yacoub, Laura Lakusta, and Yingying Yang.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/boys-outperform-girls-in-direction-giving-accuracy-new-study-finds/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 11, 2024 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: New psychology research shows “digital switching” to avoid boredom often backfires

URL: https://www.psypost.org/new-psychology-research-shows-digital-switching-to-avoid-boredom-often-backfires/

In today’s fast-paced digital era, escaping boredom often involves turning to digital media platforms like YouTube and TikTok. However, a recent study accepted for publication in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General reveals a surprising twist: the very act of frequently switching between digital content to stave off boredom might actually exacerbate it. The study identifies a bidirectional, causal relationship between boredom and what it terms “digital switching,” where people rapidly skip through videos to maintain stimulation.

The study was driven by the observation that, despite the vast array of digital entertainment options available today, surveys indicate an increase in boredom among young people from 2008 to 2020. This seems contradictory: with more content at our fingertips than ever before, why are people experiencing more boredom? The researchers aimed to explore this paradox by investigating whether the behavior of rapidly switching between digital content contributes to feelings of boredom.

“Before conducting this research, I used to ‘digitally switch’ a lot (i.e., switching between and within media content). If a drama paced too slowly, I’d fast-forward. If a YouTube video became less interesting, I’d skip it,” said study author Katy Y. Y. Tam, a postdoctoral fellow at the Work and Play Lab at the University of Toronto at Scarborough.

“However, I realized I wasn’t truly engaging with or enjoying the content. I often missed plot details and spent a lot of time jumping from one video to another. Talking to others about this, I found that many people could relate to these experiences. This made me wonder how such switching behavior affects our feelings of boredom and enjoyment.”

To understand this phenomenon, Tam and her colleagues conducted a series of seven experiments involving different samples and procedures.

In the first study, involving 140 U.S. nationals, researchers aimed to confirm the hypothesis that boredom drives digital switching behavior. Participants were exposed to both interesting and boring video sets and had the freedom to skip between videos.

The findings confirmed that participants switched more frequently between videos when they were bored. Specifically, the boring condition saw a significantly higher number of skips compared to the interesting condition. This demonstrated that boredom indeed prompts individuals to switch digital content in an attempt to alleviate their discomfort.

The second study investigated perceptions of digital switching and involved 231 undergraduate students from the University of Toronto Scarborough. Through hypothetical scenarios, participants were asked to predict their levels of boredom, satisfaction, attention, and meaning in both switching and no-switching conditions.

The results revealed a clear belief among participants that switching would reduce boredom. This lay perception highlighted a common misconception: while people intuitively feel that switching helps avoid boredom, they do not anticipate the potential for it to exacerbate their boredom.

In the third study, 159 undergraduate students experienced both switching and no-switching conditions with actual video content. Contrary to their predictions in Study 2, participants reported higher levels of boredom in the switching condition compared to the no-switching condition.

This finding contradicted the participants’ lay beliefs and supported the researchers’ hypothesis that digital switching, instead of alleviating boredom, actually intensifies it. The consistent increase in boredom during the switching condition emphasized the paradoxical nature of digital media consumption.

The fourth study replicated the findings of the previous studies by focusing on switching within a single video and included 166 undergraduate students. Participants could skip forward and backward within a 50-minute video in the switching condition, whereas they watched a 10-minute video without the option to skip in the no-switching condition.

Again, participants reported higher levels of boredom when they had the option to switch within the video. This further reinforced the idea that the act of switching, even within a single piece of content, contributes to increased boredom.

In the fifth study, 174 undergraduate students engaged with YouTube in a more naturalistic setting, where they could freely choose and switch between videos. Despite the greater freedom and personalized content offered by YouTube’s algorithms, participants still reported higher levels of boredom in the switching condition compared to the no-switching condition. This finding was significant as it demonstrated the paradoxical effect of digital switching in a real-world context, where content variability and user preferences are at play.

The sixth study extended the investigation to reading online articles and involved 178 U.S. nationals. Participants either read one long article or several shorter ones with the ability to switch. The findings were mixed; while there was no significant difference in boredom levels in a within-participant comparison, participants who started with the no-switching condition reported less boredom compared to those who started with the switching condition.

This suggested that the order in which conditions were experienced could influence boredom levels, with initial exposure to switching raising expectations and attentional engagement that made subsequent uninterrupted reading feel more tedious.

The seventh study, involving 175 U.S. residents, further explored the concept of opportunity cost—the feeling of missing out on other content—during digital switching. Participants watched videos in both switching and no-switching conditions, and their perceived opportunity cost was measured. The findings showed that participants felt a higher opportunity cost in the switching condition, which contributed to their increased boredom.

The order effect observed in Study 6 was also replicated: participants felt more bored in the no-switching condition if it followed the switching condition. This suggested that initial exposure to switching raised their desired level of attentional engagement, making the no-switching experience feel comparatively dull.

In summary, across these seven studies, the researchers consistently found that digital switching behavior, driven by the desire to escape boredom, paradoxically leads to increased boredom. Participants’ beliefs that switching would alleviate boredom were contradicted by their actual experiences, which showed heightened boredom in switching conditions across various media forms and contexts.

“Take your time before hitting the fast-forward or skip button, and find ways to stay focused while watching videos,” Tam advised. “Our research shows that while people fast-forward or skip videos to avoid boredom, this behaviour actually intensifies boredom. It also makes their viewing experiences less satisfying, less engaging, and less meaningful. Just as we pay to have an immersive experience in a movie theatre, enjoyment comes from immersing oneself in videos rather than swiping through them.”

But the study, like all research, has limitations. For instance, the sample primarily consisted of university students and online recruits, which may limit the generalizability of the findings across broader demographics. Future research should include more diverse participant groups to validate these results. Understanding the underlying mechanisms, such as the role of opportunity cost and attentional engagement, requires further investigation to develop more effective strategies for managing boredom in the digital age.

“Researchers have observed a historical increase in boredom among young people (Gu et al., 2023; Weybright et al., 2020),” Tam said. “I’m curious to understand why, especially given the easy access to entertainment these days. This increasing trend is concerning because boredom is linked to many negative mental health, learning, and behavioral outcomes. Our research aims to understand the relationship between digital media use and boredom.”

The study, “Fast-forward to boredom: How switching behaviour on digital media makes people more bored,” was authored by Katy Y. Y. Tam and Michael Inzlicht.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/new-psychology-research-shows-digital-switching-to-avoid-boredom-often-backfires/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 10, 2024 at 06:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Researchers pinpoint brain areas tied to mood swings in bipolar disorder

URL: https://www.psypost.org/researchers-pinpoint-brain-areas-tied-to-mood-swings-in-bipolar-disorder/

Moods and emotions play an important role in our day-to-day life. They even influence how we experience things – for instance, whether we start the day feeling hopeful and energised or grumpy and lethargic. This can affect whether we interpret events in a positive or negative light.

In people with bipolar disorder, however, mood can change quickly and unpredictably, so that you get “stuck” in a low or high mood, which can have significant consequences. Yet researchers don’t know exactly what drives such extreme shifts in mood.

Now our new study, published in Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science, has uncovered the brain areas that bias mood and the brain’s response to pleasure in bipolar disorder. It is possible that our findings may one day lead to better treatments.

We all experience shifts in mood throughout the day. When we are in a good mood, we tend to view things more favourably – if we happen to experience a streak of success and are on a roll, our good mood similarly rolls over and gains momentum.

Equally, when we are in a bad mood, we tend to perceive bad outcomes as even worse than they are – this negative mood similarly gains momentum and might make us feel worse.

Such momentum in mood can bias how we perceive events and the decisions we make. Imagine going into a new restaurant for the first time. If you happen to be in a fantastic mood, you are likely to perceive the experience as much better than it actually is. This might set up your expectations that a future visit would give you a similar, positive experience, and leave you feeling disappointed if that is not the case.

The process by which mood biases the perception of pleasurable or rewarding experiences has been thought to be amplified for people with bipolar disorder, who can experience moods that can quickly climb to extremes.

We know from prior research that these extreme mood cycles can be triggered from life experiences involving important goals – such as doing well in exams, buying a property or getting a promotion. This could be either by attaining them or failing to attain them.

Bipolar disorder has been described by those who experience it as a double-edged sword. Alongside periods of fluctuating (hypo)manic or depressive moods, many people with bipolar disorder vigorously pursue goals that are important to them and are often successful as a result.

But what goes on in the brain when our moods shift from one second to the next in response to pleasurable experiences?

Mood bias in the brain

Pleasurable and rewarding experiences activate specific circuits in the brain that involve a neurochemical called dopamine. This helps us learn that the experience was positive and that we should repeat the actions that give rise to this pleasurable experience.

One way to measure the brain’s response to reward is to examine activity in the ventral striatum – the key area of our reward system responsible for the feeling of pleasure.

Our study aimed to find out what goes on in the ventral striatum in 21 participants with bipolar disorder and 21 control participants when momentary shifts in mood occur. We wanted to gauge this down to the order of seconds, in response to monetary rewards.

Our participants were asked to play a computer game, involving gambling to win or lose real sums of money, while in a brain scanner. We used a technique called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure blood flow in the participants’ brains in order to determine which areas were active.

We also used a mathematical model to calculate participants’ “momentum” in mood – how great they felt as they kept winning.

Across all participants, we observed a heightened brain activity in an area of the brain which is involved in the experience and awareness of transient mood states – the anterior insula.

However, it turns out that during periods of upwards momentum, where participants had won many times, the ventral striatum showed a strong, positive signal only in participants with bipolar disorder. This means that participants with bipolar disorder experienced a heightened feeling of reward.

We also found that the amount of communication between the ventral striatum and anterior insula was reduced in participants with bipolar disorder. In the control group, both the ventral striatum and anterior insula were firing up in union.

This suggests that control participants were better able to keep their mood in mind when perceiving rewards in the task. So while participants may find it rewarding to win, we think they were more aware that this put them in a better mood. This might help them adjust quickly to an environment that changes (for the better or worse) and protect them from expectations of getting a future reward becoming very inflated.

However, this was the opposite for participants with bipolar disorder. This means they were less able to set their mood aside from how exciting or pleasurable they found the rewards to be.

These findings may help to explain why people with bipolar disorder can get stuck in a vicious cycle where their mood escalates and sometimes causes them to take bigger risks than usual.

The same mechanism that triggers a positive mood may also trigger a negative mood cycle. If you are on a winning streak and lose unexpectedly, mood may shift towards a negative cycle, with expectations becoming negative and behaviour changing accordingly. However future studies will need to investigate negative mood cycles more specifically.

Our findings may also aid the development of interventions that help people with bipolar disorder to better decouple their mood from their perceptions and decisions, without dampening down exciting experiences. Since dopamine neurons are closely connected to the ventral striatum, it will be interesting to see if dopamine medication could ameliorate this mood bias.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/researchers-pinpoint-brain-areas-tied-to-mood-swings-in-bipolar-disorder/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 10, 2024 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: The corner of your eye might reveal your political alignment

URL: https://www.psypost.org/the-corner-of-your-eyes-might-reveal-your-political-alignment/

In a new study published in PLOS One, researchers have uncovered that our facial expressions, specifically the subtle movements around our eyes, can reveal our political leanings. The study found that left-wing participants exhibited different facial reactions when reading about smiles and frowns of ingroup (left-wing) versus outgroup (right-wing) politicians. This finding opens new avenues in understanding the intersection of politics, emotions, and nonverbal communication.

Political leaders often use their smiles to influence public opinion, evoke feelings of happiness, and gain electoral support. However, smiles can convey a range of emotions from genuine enjoyment to dominance. Researchers have long known that seeing someone smile or hearing them laugh can trigger an automatic smile in us.

But what about reading about a politician’s smile? The new study aimed to explore whether linguistic portrayals of politicians’ smiles would elicit different facial reactions based on the reader’s political alignment. Understanding these reactions could provide deeper insights into how nonverbal cues and language influence political preferences.

The researchers conducted their study at the University of Bologna, involving thirty undergraduate students who identified as left-wing. Participants, predominantly female with a mean age of 22, were selected based on their political identification, ensuring they leaned towards the left-wing spectrum. The study aimed to measure their spontaneous facial reactions to reading about politicians’ smiles and frowns.

Participants were told they would evaluate phrases describing politicians, masking the true purpose of measuring their facial muscle activity. They sat individually in a lab, electrodes attached to specific facial muscles to record their reactions. They read sequential phrases on a computer monitor, each phrase describing either a left-wing or right-wing politician smiling or frowning.

The facial muscle activity was recorded using electromyography (EMG), focusing on three key muscles: the zygomaticus major (which pulls the lips into a smile), the orbicularis oculi (which creates wrinkles around the eyes), and the corrugator supercilii (which causes frowning).

The researchers observed significant differences in facial muscle reactions when participants read about ingroup versus outgroup politicians’ expressions.

The zygomaticus major showed higher activation when participants read about ingroup politicians smiling compared to outgroup politicians. This muscle’s activation increased consistently and gradually, peaking in the final time bins of the 3000-millisecond post-stimulus interval. Conversely, when reading about ingroup politicians frowning, there was a suppression of zygomaticus major activity. These results indicate that participants responded with more pronounced smiling (activation of the zygomaticus major) when reading about smiles from ingroup politicians.

The orbicularis oculi, which indicates a genuine smile by creating wrinkles around the eyes, also showed higher activation when participants read about ingroup politicians smiling. This muscle’s activity peaked early, around 500 to 1000 milliseconds post-stimulus onset, suggesting a rapid response to positive affect from ingroup politicians. In contrast, the orbicularis oculi showed weaker activation when participants read about outgroup politicians frowning, further supporting the notion that ingroup politicians’ smiles elicited more genuine positive reactions.

The researchers noted that the orbicularis oculi “showed the earliest peak of activation and appeared particularly sensitive to the ingroup vs. outgroup manipulation as compared to the other muscles.”

The corrugator supercilii showed higher activation when participants read about ingroup politicians frowning compared to outgroup politicians. This muscle’s activation was more pronounced and sustained over time, peaking at 2000 to 2500 milliseconds post-stimulus onset. Additionally, when reading about ingroup politicians smiling, there was a suppression of corrugator supercilii activity. This indicates that participants had more pronounced frowning (activation of the corrugator supercilii) responses to ingroup politicians’ frowns and a reduced frowning response to their smiles.

While the study provides evidence of a link between political alignment and facial reactions, it has limitations to consider. The study involved a relatively small sample size of thirty participants, predominantly female and left-wing, which limits the generalizability of the findings. Future studies should include a more diverse and larger sample, including right-wing participants and more male subjects, to explore potential gender and political orientation differences.

In addition, the study focused on immediate facial reactions within a 3-second time window after reading each phrase. Further research could explore longer-term reactions and how facial expressions change over extended periods.

“Despite these limitations our findings are the first to highlight how language and social information can shape embodied mechanisms underlying facial reactivity, which can be of relevance particularly to the field of social and political communication,” the researchers wrote.

The study, “Reading of ingroup politicians’ smiles triggers smiling in the corner of one’s eyes,” was authored by Edita Fino, Michela Menegatti, Alessio Avenanti, and Monica Rubini.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/the-corner-of-your-eyes-might-reveal-your-political-alignment/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 10, 2024 at 02:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Neuroimaging study shows the surprising impact of role-playing on brain-to-brain synchrony

URL: https://www.psypost.org/neuroimaging-study-shows-the-surprising-impact-of-role-playing-on-brain-to-brain-synchrony/

A recent study published in BMC Psychology has shed light on how role-playing influences brain-to-brain synchrony. The research, conducted with participants from Singapore and Italy, found that role-playing activities disrupt typical brain synchrony patterns, with these effects moderated by the participants’ gender and cultural background.

The researchers aimed to explore the effects of role-playing on brain synchrony, which refers to the simultaneous activation of brain regions in interacting individuals. Prior studies have suggested that synchrony varies based on cultural and gender factors. However, little was known about how role-playing, a common activity in education, therapy, and entertainment, influences this dynamic.

“Role-playing is a prevalent and recently popular recreational activity that many take part in,” said study author Mengyu Lim, a PhD candidate at the Nanyang Technological University. “Anecdotally, role-playing is a means of experimenting with different identities, perspectives and behavior (and has been used clinically for this exact reason).”

“But the science behind how role-playing works is still unknown. Hyperscanning fNIRS allows us to look at how brain activities of two interacting individuals are altered during role-play, and whether role-play techniques have the ability to alter the way our brains communicate with each other.”

The study involved 83 pairs of friends from Singapore and Italy. Participants were recruited in two waves, with 41 pairs from Singapore and 42 pairs from Italy. The researchers used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a brain imaging technique, to measure brain activity in the participants’ prefrontal cortices. This area of the brain is associated with social cognition and executive functions, which are critical for understanding and responding to social cues.

Participants engaged in three different types of interactions: a natural conversation where they acted as themselves, a role-playing scenario where they acted as other known individuals, and a role-reversal scenario where they acted as each other. Each interaction lasted five minutes, and brain activity was recorded throughout.

To assess personality traits and empathy levels, participants completed the Big Five Inventory (BFI) and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) before and after the interaction sessions. The BFI measures five personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The IRI measures empathy across four subscales: fantasy, empathic concern, perspective taking, and personal distress.

The researchers found that brain-to-brain synchrony was lower during role-playing activities compared to natural conversations. This suggests that when individuals take on roles different from their own, their brains may not coordinate as effectively as when they are themselves.

“Thanks to the collaboration between Nanyang Technological University and the University of Trento, we managed to perform a cross-cultural study,” Lim told PsyPost. “Overall, role-playing techniques seem to be related to decreased synchronous brain activity between two same-sex friends, and this is observed in both Singaporean (Southeast Asian) and Italian (European) cultures. This means that role-playing marks not only a departure from our usual behavior and social dynamics, but this can also be observed in terms of brain activity across different cultural contexts.”

Cultural differences also play a crucial role in brain synchrony during social interactions. The study found that participants from Singapore, which has a collectivistic culture, exhibited different patterns of brain synchrony compared to those from Italy, an individualistic culture.

Interestingly, Singaporean participants started with lower empathy scores before the interaction sessions but showed greater increases in empathy afterward. This suggests that cultural background influences not only how individuals interact but also how they emotionally respond to these interactions.

“As role-playing is commonly related to improvements in perspective taking and empathy, we attempted to connect our data on brain-to-brain synchrony, culture, sex and personality to the overall changes in empathy as reported by our participants,” Lim said. “Surprisingly, although both Singaporean and Italian participants took part in the same experimental paradigm, they showed different extents of empathy increase after the role-playing session. This may be a sign for clinicians using role-playing techniques that cultural adjustments are needed to achieve optimal outcomes when dealing with different client profiles.”

The researchers observed that female-female pairs generally displayed higher brain synchrony during natural conversations, whereas male-male pairs showed higher synchrony during role-playing activities. This indicates that men and women might tend to process and respond to social interactions differently depending on the context.

Personality traits also influence brain synchrony, particularly in the Italian cohort of the study. It was found that extraversion negatively predicted brain synchrony, while openness to experience positively predicted it. This means that individuals who are more open to new experiences tend to synchronize their brain activity better with others during social interactions. In contrast, more extroverted individuals might be less synchronized, possibly due to their focus on socializing over task-oriented engagement.

But the study, like all research, has some limitations. “One caveat lies in our limited sample size and participant characteristics; we only looked at interactions among psychologically healthy friends of the same sex,” Lim noted. “Our results may be less applicable to individuals who have a diagnosed psychiatric condition, as well as individuals who share different relationships (for example, lovers, strangers, or client-and-therapist).”

“Role-playing is such a dynamic and complex activity that it definitely has potential for deeper and more nuanced investigation,” Lim added. “A key area lies in translation research to make sure that our findings can be applied to daily life and even clinical interventions. Our collaborators, Alessandro Carollo and Dr. Andrea Bizzego, both co-authors of this paper, over at the University of Trento are also making use of this rich body of data with machine learning techniques to offer more robust analysis pipelines when dealing with fNIRS and conversational data.”

The study, “Culture, sex and social context influence brain-to-brain synchrony: an fNIRS hyperscanning study,” was authored by Mengyu Lim, Alessandro Carollo, Andrea Bizzego, Annabel SH Chen, and Gianluca Esposito.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/neuroimaging-study-shows-the-surprising-impact-of-role-playing-on-brain-to-brain-synchrony/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 10, 2024 at 11:24AM
SOURCE: Psychiatric Times
.
Actual article link at end of text block below.
.
RT @PhiloShrink: "Extending the Terms of the Social: Digital Worlds and the Fluid Social" - Response to Vincenzo Di Nicola’s “Terms of the…
.
Articles can be found at https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/news

.  
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: <https://www.clinicians-exchange.org>  
.  
NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @[email protected]   
.  
 #psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #psychotherapist
psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 10, 2024 at 10:02AM
SOURCE: Psychiatric Times
.
Actual article link at end of text block below.
.
Despite significant advances in our understanding of the neuropharmacology of antipsychotics in the treatment of schizophrenia over the past 30 years, a large gap exists between what we now know and actual clinical practices. https://t.co/w16jaQEoMP https://t.co/GomVb8bEaf
.
Articles can be found at https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/news

.  
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: <https://www.clinicians-exchange.org>  
.  
NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @[email protected]   
.  
 #psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #psychotherapist
psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 10, 2024 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Cannabidiol treatment helps extinguish cocaine addiction, rodent study suggests

URL: https://www.psypost.org/cannabidiol-treatment-helps-extinguish-cocaine-addiction-rodent-study-suggests/

A recent study on mice found that administering cannabidiol helped extinguish the preference for cocaine. It also restored gut microbiota diversity disrupted by cocaine. The research was published in Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry.

Cocaine is a powerful stimulant drug derived from the leaves of the coca plant, native to South America. It is commonly used recreationally because it induces euphoria, increased energy, and heightened alertness. However, cocaine is highly addictive. Its use leads to severe physical and psychological health issues, including heart attacks, strokes, and mental disorders. Cocaine is illegal in most of the world.

Cocaine use leads to the development of cocaine use disorder, a condition characterized by addiction to cocaine. After addiction develops, the addicted individual feels a compulsive urge to use cocaine, regardless of consequences. This leads to further health problems. At the moment there are no completely effective ways to reduce craving for cocaine and its use in individuals with cocaine use disorder.

Study author Rose Chesworth and her colleagues wanted to explore whether cannabidiol can be used to treat cocaine use disorder. They were particularly interested whether cannabidiol can affect the changes to the brain reward system induced by cocaine (i.e. addiction) and also whether these effects are linked to changes in the gut microbiome. Cannabidiol is a non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis plants, known for its potential therapeutic effects, such as reducing anxiety, pain, and inflammation.

Recent novel findings indicate that the gut and microorganisms living in it (the gut microbiota) are affected by cocaine use. The composition of microbiota living in the gut is altered in individuals using cocaine. Gut microbiota composition is linked to processes in the brain via a bidirectional communication pathway known as the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Therefore, it is possible that inducing changes to the gut microbiome will lead to changes in brain functioning related to cocaine and vice versa.

These authors conducted a series of experiments on 48 8-week-old male C57BL/6JABR mice (a strain of laboratory mice commonly used in research) at Western Sydney University, Australia. The mice were housed 2-3 per cage and had free access to food and water.

Mice were randomly divided into 4 treatment groups. Each group received 2 sets of injections. One group received injections of cannabidiol and cocaine (in the form of cocaine hydrochloride). The second group received injections of cannabidiol along with injections with no active substances. The third group received injections of cocaine along with injections with no active substances. The fourth group just received two sets of injections with no active substances. They received two injections per day. The dosage for cocaine was 20 mg/kg.

Mice received injections when they ventured into a specific part of their living area, a process known as conditioned place preference (CPP). This method created an association between the environment and the effects of the injections, allowing researchers to measure how much time the mice spent in the area associated with the drug.

Over the course of 14 days, researchers conditioned the mice to associate either cocaine or saline injections with one side of the CPP apparatus. After the conditioning period, they measured the mice’s preference for the drug-paired side, both immediately and at intervals of 2 and 4 weeks post-treatment to assess the persistence of cocaine preference and the potential long-term effects of cannabidiol.

Results showed that mice treated with cocaine tended to move around more afterward (increased locomotor activity). This increase in activity was even stronger in mice that received both cocaine and cannabidiol. Mice treated with cocaine developed preferences for areas where they received injections, and this preference was present for up to 4 weeks after injections ceased.

However, the preference for cocaine injection areas was reduced in mice who also received cannabidiol. These mice showed a preference for the injection area immediately after the treatments ended, but not 2 or 4 weeks after the treatments. This indicates that cannabidiol facilitated the extinction of preference for cocaine.

Further analyses showed that cannabidiol reversed changes to gut microbiome diversity that cocaine induces – these changes were absent in mice that also received cannabidiol. Study authors also found that the preference for cocaine was associated with the abundance of specific strains of microorganisms in the gut.

“Here we show that CBD [cannabidiol] facilitates cocaine extinction memory and reverses persistent cocaine-induced changes to gut microbe diversity. Furthermore, CBD increases the abundance of gut microbes which have anti-inflammatory properties. This suggests that CBD may act via the gut to reduce the memory of cocaine reward. Our data suggest that improving gut health and using CBD could limit cocaine abuse,” the study author concluded.

The study is one of the first to present the links between cocaine-induced changes to neural functioning and gut microbiota, as well as how these can be affected by cannabidiol. However, the study was conducted on mice. Although mice and humans share many physiological similarities, they are still very different species. Results on humans might not be identical.

The paper, “Cannabidiol (CBD) facilitates cocaine extinction and ameliorates cocaine-induced changes to the gut microbiome in male C57BL/6JArc mice,” was authored by Rose Chesworth, Howard Chi-Ho Yim, Georgia Watt, Emad El-Omar, and Tim Karl.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/cannabidiol-treatment-helps-extinguish-cocaine-addiction-rodent-study-suggests/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 10, 2024 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Scientists uncover “extraordinary” impact of high-fat diet on anxiety via gut-brain axis

URL: https://www.psypost.org/scientists-uncover-extraordinary-impact-of-high-fat-diet-on-anxiety-via-gut-brain-axis/

When feeling stressed, many people reach for comfort foods high in fat and sugar. However, a recent study from the University of Colorado Boulder suggests that this coping mechanism may be counterproductive. Published in the journal Biological Research, the study found that in animals, a high-fat diet can disrupt gut bacteria, alter behavior, and affect brain chemicals in ways that promote anxiety.

The motivation for this study stems from the growing recognition of the gut-brain axis — a complex communication network linking the gastrointestinal tract and the brain. Researchers have become increasingly interested in how this connection influences mental health, particularly through the gut microbiome, which consists of trillions of bacteria living in our intestines. Previous research has shown that the composition of gut bacteria can significantly affect both physical and mental health, including conditions like obesity, anxiety, and depression.

Given that obesity and anxiety disorders frequently co-occur and are both rising in prevalence, the researchers aimed to explore whether diet could be a common factor influencing both conditions. Specifically, they wanted to investigate if a high-fat diet, which is common in many modern diets, could alter the gut microbiome in a way that impacts brain function and behavior. Understanding these mechanisms could provide insights into how dietary choices affect mental health and potentially offer new avenues for treatment and prevention.

To investigate these questions, the researchers conducted a controlled experiment using adolescent rats, chosen because their developmental stage is analogous to that of human teenagers, a critical period for establishing long-term dietary and health patterns.

The rats were divided into two groups. One group was fed a standard diet containing about 11% fat, while the other group received a high-fat diet with 45% fat, primarily from saturated animal fats. The duration of the dietary intervention was nine weeks, a significant portion of the rats’ lifespan, equivalent to several years in human terms.

Throughout the study, the researchers collected fecal samples weekly from both groups of rats to monitor changes in their gut microbiota. These samples were analyzed to assess the diversity and composition of the gut bacteria, focusing on the balance between Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, two major bacterial groups known to be influenced by diet and associated with health outcomes.

After the nine-week dietary period, the rats underwent a series of behavioral tests designed to measure anxiety-like behavior. These tests included the elevated plus maze, which assesses anxiety based on the willingness of the rats to explore open, elevated arms of a maze, and other tests that measure responses to stress and new environments. The researchers also examined the rats’ brains to measure the expression of specific genes involved in serotonin production and signaling.

The primary discovery was that rats fed a high-fat diet exhibited significantly different gut microbiota profiles compared to those on a standard diet. Specifically, the high-fat diet led to a decrease in gut bacterial diversity, which is generally associated with poorer health outcomes. The high-fat diet group showed an increased ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes, a balance shift often linked to obesity and metabolic disorders.

The behavioral assessments revealed that rats on the high-fat diet exhibited more anxiety-like behaviors compared to their counterparts on the standard diet. This was particularly evident in tests like the elevated plus maze, where the high-fat diet rats were less willing to explore open, elevated spaces, indicating higher anxiety levels. These behavioral changes suggest that the alterations in gut microbiota due to the high-fat diet had a direct impact on the rats’ anxiety-related responses.

“Everyone knows that these are not healthy foods, but we tend to think about them strictly in terms of a little weight gain,” said lead author Christopher Lowry, a professor of integrative physiology at University of Colorado Boulder. “If you understand that they also impact your brain in a way that can promote anxiety, that makes the stakes even higher.”

On a molecular level, the study found that the high-fat diet affected the expression of specific genes involved in serotonin production and signaling in the brain. The high-fat diet group showed increased expression of genes such as tph2, htr1a, and slc6a4 in the brainstem’s dorsal raphe nucleus. These genes are involved in the synthesis and signaling of serotonin, a neurotransmitter often associated with feelings of well-being and happiness. However, increased expression of these genes can also be linked to anxiety, suggesting that the high-fat diet created a brain chemical environment conducive to anxiety.

“To think that just a high-fat diet could alter expression of these genes in the brain is extraordinary,” said Lowry. “The high-fat group essentially had the molecular signature of a high anxiety state in their brain.”

The researchers hypothesize that the disrupted gut microbiota might compromise the gut lining, allowing bacteria and their metabolites to enter the bloodstream and interact with the brain via the vagus nerve. This gut-brain communication pathway could influence brain function and contribute to the observed anxiety-like behaviors. The findings indicate that the high-fat diet not only affected physical health, as evidenced by weight gain and changes in gut bacteria, but also had profound effects on mental health by altering brain chemistry.

The study’s limitations include its reliance on an animal model, which may not fully replicate human physiology and behavior. Future research should aim to confirm these results in human subjects, explore the specific gut-brain communication mechanisms, and examine the impact of different types of dietary fats.

“Considering the early introduction of high-fat foods in children’s diets, and the ever-increasing obesity epidemic, our data introduce a possible scenario by which the dietary choices during adolescence can influence the gut microbiome, brainstem serotonergic systems, and the susceptibility to the development of psychiatric disorders in adulthood. This knowledge could lead to new microbiome-based approaches to prevent stress-related psychiatric disorders such as anxiety disorders,” the researchers concluded.

The study, “High-fat diet, microbiome-gut-brain axis signaling, and anxiety-like behavior in male rats,” was authored by Sylvana I. S. Rendeiro de Noronha, Lauro Angelo Gonçalves de Moraes, James E. Hassell Jr., Christopher E. Stamper, Mathew R. Arnold, Jared D. Heinze, Christine L. Foxx, Margaret M. Lieb, Kristin E. Cler, Bree L. Karns, Sophia Jaekel, Kelsey M. Loupy, Fernanda C. S. Silva, Deoclécio Alves Chianca-Jr., Christopher A. Lowry, and Rodrigo Cunha de Menezes.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/scientists-uncover-extraordinary-impact-of-high-fat-diet-on-anxiety-via-gut-brain-axis/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 10, 2024 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Groundbreaking study reveals the impact of genetics on IQ scores over time

URL: https://www.psypost.org/groundbreaking-study-reveals-the-impact-of-genetics-on-iq-scores-over-time/

The age-old debate of nature versus nurture—whether our genetics or environment plays a more critical role in shaping our intelligence—has long intrigued scientists, educators, and the public alike. A recent groundbreaking study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, sheds new light on this discussion.

The longitudinal study, the first of its kind involving young monozygotic twins reared apart, reveals an increase in IQ resemblance as these twins age. These findings suggest that genetic factors become more influential in shaping our intellectual abilities as we grow older, while environmental factors are more significant during our early years.

Twin studies are a cornerstone of behavioral genetics, providing a unique window into the ongoing debate of nature versus nurture. These studies typically involve comparing identical (monozygotic) twins, who share 100% of their genetic material, with fraternal (dizygotic) twins, who share roughly 50% of their genetic material, similar to regular siblings. By examining these two types of twins, researchers can disentangle the effects of genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) on various traits and behaviors.

The new study aimed to address several limitations in previous twin research, particularly the need for longitudinal data on twins reared apart. Most twin studies have been cross-sectional, meaning they only capture a single snapshot in time. This approach can miss important developmental changes and trends. In addition, while many studies have examined twins raised together, fewer have looked at twins raised apart, which is helps to isolate genetic influences from environmental ones.

“Twin studies are a simple and elegant way of examining the genetic and environmental influences on behavior. No one had ever conducted a longitudinal study of young separated twins in real time. I was able to do this using twins mostly adopted apart due to China’s former One-Child Policy,” said study author Nancy L. Segal, a professor of psychology and director of the Twin Studies Center at California State University, Fullerton.

The study involved three distinct groups: young Chinese reared-apart monozygotic twins, Danish adult reared-apart monozygotic twins, and “virtual twins” — same-age, unrelated siblings reared together.

The first group involved 15 pairs of young monozygotic twins from China, who were separated due to the country’s One-Child Policy. This policy, implemented between 1980 and 2016, often led to the abandonment of children, including twins, who were then adopted by different families. These twins were identified through various means such as media coverage, referrals, and self-referrals.

The study measured the intelligence of these twins at two time points using the age-appropriate Wechsler IQ test. At the first testing (Time 1), the twins had a mean age of approximately 10.69 years. The second testing (Time 2) occurred on average 4.18 years later, when the twins’ mean age was 13.93 years. The twins were tested by different trained examiners to prevent bias, and the scores were carefully reviewed for consistency.

The second group consisted of 12 pairs of adult monozygotic twins from Denmark, who were identified between 1954 and 1957. These twins were separated early in life and followed longitudinally. The intelligence of these twins was assessed using the Wechsler-Bellevue test of intelligence.

The Danish twins had a mean age of 51.42 years at the first testing (Time 1). The interval between the two test sessions averaged about 11.17 months. Similar to the Chinese twins, the Danish twins were tested independently to avoid any exchange of information that could bias the results. In six pairs, the same examiner conducted both tests, while a different examiner tested the remaining pairs.

The third group, virtual twins, consisted of 43 pairs of same-age unrelated siblings reared together. These siblings were either both adopted or one biological and one adopted. Virtual twins were defined as unrelated siblings born within nine months of each other, entering the adoptive home by age one, and being enrolled in the same school grade.

The intelligence of the virtual twins was assessed twice using the Wechsler IQ test. The first testing (Time 1) occurred when the twins were approximately 5.11 years old on average, and the second testing (Time 2) took place when they were about 10.77 years old, with an average interval of 5.65 years between tests. To avoid any potential bias, different examiners tested each sibling pair on the same day.

For the Chinese reared-apart twins, the study found that their IQ scores became more similar over time. The intraclass correlation for their IQ scores increased from 0.51 at the first testing (Time 1) to 0.81 at the second testing (Time 2), indicating a strong genetic influence. Additionally, the within-pair difference in IQ scores decreased from an average of 11.93 points at Time 1 to 7.93 points at Time 2. This convergence suggests that as these twins aged, their shared genetic makeup played a more prominent role in determining their intelligence, despite being raised in different environments.

Similarly, the Danish adult reared-apart twins also showed an increase in IQ similarity over time, with their intraclass correlation rising from 0.64 at Time 1 to 0.74 at Time 2. This pattern further supports the notion that genetic factors become more influential in shaping intelligence as individuals grow older. The Danish twins also exhibited a slight but significant increase in their mean IQ scores from Time 1 to Time 2, highlighting the stability of intelligence over time in adults.

In contrast to the reared-apart twins, the virtual twins displayed a decrease in IQ similarity over time. The intraclass correlation for their IQ scores dropped from 0.30 at Time 1 to 0.11 at Time 2, indicating that the shared environment’s influence on intelligence diminishes as children grow older.

The within-pair difference in IQ scores increased from an average of 10.74 points at Time 1 to 14.12 points at Time 2. This divergence suggests that non-genetic factors, such as unique experiences and individual choices, become more significant in shaping intelligence over time for siblings who do not share a genetic link.

Overall, the study found that while intelligence levels can change over time, the direction and extent of these changes are influenced by genetic factors. For the Chinese and Danish reared-apart twins, the increase in IQ similarity and the stability of their IQ scores over time highlighted the growing importance of genetics. On the other hand, the virtual twins’ decreasing IQ similarity highlighted the reduced impact of shared environmental factors as they aged.

“As we get order genetic factors become more important in fashioning our general ability,” Segal told PsyPost. “Home factors are more important when we are younger, but as we age we select opportunities and events that align with our genetic potentials. Of course, extreme environments can overwhelm genetic potentials, as I described in my 2018 book Accidental Brothers. And we can all improve our skills by working hard — genes do no set abilities in stone.​”

Despite these compelling findings, the study has some limitations. Due to the rarity and difficulty of identifying and following reared-apart monozygotic twins, the sample sizes were relatively small, which could affect the generalizability of the results.

“Nevertheless, confirmation of the hypotheses specified at the outset is encouraging,” the researchers said. “It is fortunate that continued IQ analyses are planned using participants in the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart who have been IQ tested on two occasions (Segal, 2012). Further analyses of the [Chinese reared-apart twins] are also planned and will, hopefully, identify additional participants for study.”

The study, “Developmental trends in intelligence revisited with novel kinships: Monozygotic twins reared apart v. same-age unrelated siblings reared together,” was authored by Nancy L. Segal and Elizabeth Pratt-Thompson.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/groundbreaking-study-reveals-the-impact-of-genetics-on-iq-scores-over-time/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 09, 2024 at 06:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Italian scientists discover that music can influence how you eat focaccia bread

URL: https://www.psypost.org/italian-scientists-discover-that-music-can-influence-how-you-eat-focaccia-bread/

The background music in a restaurant might affect your dining experience in an intriguing way. Recent research published in the journal Food Quality and Preference provides insight into how music tempo influences our emotions and eating behaviors. The study found that slower music tempos lead to more relaxed emotions and longer meal durations, while faster tempos make people feel more energetic and eat more quickly.

The study was conducted at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy, involving 124 participants initially recruited from among students and staff. After excluding 21 participants due to technical issues or non-compliance, data from 103 subjects were analyzed.

To ensure consistency and relevance, the researchers selected white focaccia bread as the food stimulus. This choice was strategic because focaccia bread is popular in Italy, easy to portion, and vegan and lactose-free, making it suitable for a broad participant pool.

The auditory stimuli consisted of electronic music tracks, which were edited to two distinct tempos: 145 beats per minute (fast) and 85 beats per minute (slow). The electronic genre was chosen for its versatility and ease of editing without distortion. Each participant was assigned to listen to one of six randomly compiled music sets to ensure varied exposure.

Participants were instructed to eat a 150-gram piece of focaccia while listening to the assigned music in individual sensory booths equipped with video recording devices. These recordings captured detailed eating behaviors, including the number of chews, bites, and sips of water taken by each participant. After completing the eating task, participants filled out a questionnaire to rate their liking for the food and music and performed a check-all-that-apply (CATA) test to identify the emotions they experienced during the meal.

The study’s findings revealed significant differences in eating behaviors and emotional responses between the slow and fast tempo music groups. Participants exposed to slow-tempo music (85 BPM) displayed longer meal durations and more thorough chewing compared to those listening to fast-tempo music (145 BPM).

In particular, the slow-tempo group averaged 18.8 chews and spent approximately 382 seconds eating, while the fast-tempo group averaged 15.6 chews and spent about 314 seconds eating. However, there was no significant difference in the amount of food consumed between the two groups.

Emotionally, the slow-tempo music induced feelings of calmness and peace, whereas the fast-tempo music elicited higher energy levels and enthusiasm. This aligns with existing research suggesting that slower music creates a more relaxed state, while faster music increases arousal. Additionally, gender differences were noted, with females in the slow-tempo group reporting higher satisfaction levels compared to males, who felt more worried when exposed to fast-tempo music.

These results provide evidence that musical tempo can influence specific eating behaviors. While the amount of food consumed remained unchanged, the study suggests that music tempo can influence the pace and experience of eating, potentially affecting long-term satiety and subsequent food intake. This research opens avenues for further exploration into how background music can be used strategically in dining environments to enhance meal experiences and promote healthier eating habits.

“Considering that chewing can increase satiety and reduce food intake in the next eating episode and that it has been shown to be important for individual digestion and nutrient assimilation as well as brain health, the results of this study could significantly contribute to the prevention of overeating and improving people’s well-being,” the researchers concluded. “Music tempo has historically been exploited by the marketing industry to promote purchasing behaviors, increase time and money spent in restaurants or food and beverage consumption.”

“However, playing slow tempo music in school and work canteens could also be a valuable and cost-effective strategy for the restaurant industry to adopt in order to slow down food consumption and promote healthier eating patterns. Further studies are needed to assess whether music can be used effectively to promote healthy eating behaviors in real-world settings.”

The study, “Chew that beat! How music tempo influences eating behaviors and emotions,” was authored by Riccardo Migliavada, Fabio Luceri, and Luisa Torri.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/italian-scientists-discover-that-music-can-influence-how-you-eat-focaccia-bread/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 09, 2024 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Women show increased aggression toward those with larger breasts, study finds

URL: https://www.psypost.org/women-show-increased-aggression-toward-those-with-larger-breasts-study-finds/

In a new study published in the journal Sexes, researchers have uncovered evidence that physical features, particularly breast size, can influence competitive behaviors among women. The study found that women are more likely to engage in derogatory tactics against other women with larger breasts, shedding light on the dynamics of intrasexual competition.

Intersexual competition, a concept grounded in evolutionary biology, refers to the rivalry between individuals of the same sex to attract and secure mates from the opposite sex. This form of competition is driven by the need to enhance reproductive success and pass on genes to the next generation. In humans, intersexual competition manifests in various behaviors and strategies aimed at increasing one’s desirability to potential mates while diminishing the attractiveness of rivals.

While much research has focused on men’s competitive behaviors and the traits they find attractive in potential mates, less attention has been given to how women perceive and react to these traits in each other. The researchers behind the new study were particularly interested in breast morphology—specifically breast size and firmness—given its significance in male mate choice due to associations with fertility and reproductive value.

The researchers recruited 114 predominantly Hispanic women from Texas A& M International University, all of whom identified as heterosexual. The average age of participants was 24 years, and the sample included both single women and those in relationships.

Participants were shown a series of 12 images depicting variations in breast size (A-, B-, C-, and D-cup) and levels of ptosis (no sagging, low sagging, and high sagging). These images, which only showed the lower neck to the upper torso, were manipulated to maintain a consistent intermammary distance (the space between the breasts) to focus solely on size and sagginess variations.

Each participant was asked to rate their likelihood of engaging in verbal and indirect aggression toward the women shown in the images. Verbal aggression included actions like yelling or name-calling, while indirect aggression involved gossiping or spreading rumors.

In addition to rating the images, participants completed the Intrasexual Competition Scale, which measures an individual’s general propensity to compete with others of the same sex.

Women were most likely to engage in rival derogation — verbal and indirect aggression — toward those with D-cup breasts, followed closely by those with C-cup breasts. In contrast, women with A-cup and B-cup breasts were less likely to be targets of such competitive behaviors. This indicates that larger breast sizes, particularly C and D cups, are perceived as greater threats in the context of mate competition.

Interestingly, the researchers found that the level of ptosis did not significantly influence the likelihood of verbal or indirect aggression. This suggests that while breast size is a critical factor in driving competitive behaviors, the firmness or sagginess of the breasts is less impactful in this regard.

Surprising, the researchers did not find a significant correlation between a participant’s dispositional levels of intrasexual competition and their likelihood of engaging in derogation tactics. This could suggest that women’s tendency to compete with other women may be more universally triggered by certain physical traits rather than being strongly influenced by individual differences in competitiveness.

The study’s results align with evolutionary theories suggesting that physical attributes linked to fertility and reproductive value are key drivers of mate competition. Women may perceive those with larger breasts as more attractive to men and therefore more threatening as rivals. This perception triggers competitive behaviors aimed at diminishing the attractiveness and social standing of those perceived as rivals.

But there are some limitations that should be noted. The sample was predominantly Hispanic and drawn from a university population, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other cultural or age groups. In addition, the study relied on a relatively small set of manipulated images focusing solely on breast size and ptosis, omitting other potentially influential factors like cleavage exposure or clothing.

“Future studies could expand these findings by using a more diverse sample or implementing a cross-cultural comparison,” the researchers wrote, further noting that “there are cross-cultural variations in perceptions of women’s breasts. The current study focused on a primarily Hispanic female sample, for which a previous study showed that larger breasts were considered threatening and were associated with increased intrasexually competitive behavior, but larger breasts are not always perceived as sexually attractive. This warrants further exploration of the cultural dynamics of intrasexual competition and women’s breast morphology.”

The study, “The Role of Breast Morphology in Women’s Rival Derogation Tactics,” was authored by Ray Garza and Farid Pazhoohi.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/women-show-increased-aggression-toward-those-with-larger-breasts-study-finds/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 09, 2024 at 02:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Do you have a mental illness? Why some people answer ‘yes’, even if they haven’t been diagnosed

URL: https://www.psypost.org/do-you-have-a-mental-illness-why-some-people-answer-yes-even-if-they-havent-been-diagnosed/

Mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety disorders have become more prevalent, especially among young people. Demand for treatment is surging and prescriptions of some psychiatric medications have climbed.

These upswinging prevalence trends are paralleled by rising public attention to mental illness. Mental health messages saturate traditional and social media. Organisations and governments are developing awareness, prevention and treatment initiatives with growing urgency.

The mounting cultural focus on mental health has obvious benefits. It increases awareness, reduces stigma and promotes help-seeking.

However, it may also have costs. Critics worry social media sites are incubating mental illness and that ordinary unhappiness is being pathologised by the overuse of diagnostic concepts and “therapy speak”.

British psychologist Lucy Foulkes argues the trends for rising attention and prevalence are linked. Her “prevalence inflation hypothesis” proposes that increasing awareness of mental illness may lead some people to diagnose themselves inaccurately when they are experiencing relatively mild or transient problems.

Foulkes’ hypothesis implies that some people develop overly broad concepts of mental illness. Our research supports this view. In a new study, we show that concepts of mental illness have broadened in recent years – a phenomenon we call “concept creep” – and that people differ in the breadth of their concepts of mental illness.

Why do people self-diagnose mental illnesses?

In our new study, we examined whether people with broad concepts of mental illness are, in fact, more likely to self-diagnose.

We defined self-diagnosis as a person’s belief they have an illness, whether or not they have received the diagnosis from a professional. We assessed people as having a “broad concept of mental illness” if they judged a wide variety of experiences and behaviours to be disorders, including relatively mild conditions.

We asked a nationally representative sample of 474 American adults if they believed they had a mental disorder and if they had received a diagnosis from a health professional. We also asked about other possible contributing factors and demographics.

Mental illness was common in our sample: 42% reported they had a current self-diagnosed condition, a majority of whom had received it from a health professional.

Unsurprisingly, the strongest predictor of reporting a diagnosis was experiencing relatively severe distress.

The second most important factor after distress was having a broad concept of mental illness. When their levels of distress were the same, people with broad concepts were substantially more likely to report a current diagnosis.

The graph below illustrates this effect. It divides the sample by levels of distress and shows the proportion of people at each level who report a current diagnosis. People with broad concepts of mental illness (the highest quarter of the sample) are represented by the dark blue line. People with narrow concepts of mental illness (the lowest quarter of the sample) are represented by the light blue line. People with broad concepts were much more likely to report having a mental illness, especially when their distress was relatively high.

Percentage of participants with broad (dark blue) or narrow (light blue) concepts of mental illness who self-diagnosed at different levels of distress. Supplied by authors

People with greater mental health literacy and less stigmatising attitudes were also more likely to report a diagnosis.

Two interesting further findings emerged from our study. People who self-diagnosed but had not received a professional diagnosis tended to have broader illness concepts than those who had.

In addition, younger and politically progressive people were more likely to report a diagnosis, consistent with some previous research, and held broader concepts of mental illness. Their tendency to hold these more expansive concepts partially explained their higher rates of diagnosis.

Why does it matter?

Our findings support the idea that expansive concepts of mental illness promote self-diagnosis and may thereby increase the apparent prevalence of mental ill health. People who have a lower threshold for defining distress as a disorder are more likely to identify themselves as having a mental illness.

Our findings do not directly show that people with broad concepts over-diagnose or those with narrow concepts under-diagnose. Nor do they prove that having broad concepts causes self-diagnosis or results in actual increases in mental illness. Nevertheless, the findings raise important concerns.

First, they suggest that rising mental health awareness may come at a cost. In addition to boosting mental health literacy it may increase the likelihood of people incorrectly identifying their problems as pathologies.

Inappropriate self-diagnosis can have adverse effects. Diagnostic labels may become identity-defining and self-limiting, as people come to believe their problems are enduring, hard-to-control aspects of who they are.

Second, unwarranted self-diagnosis may lead people experiencing relatively mild levels of distress to seek help that is unnecessary, inappropriate and ineffective. Recent Australian research found people with relatively mild distress who received psychotherapy worsened more often than they improved.

Third, these effects may be particularly problematic for young people. They are most liable to hold broad concepts of mental illness, in part due to social media consumption, and they experience mental ill health at relatively high and rising rates. Whether expansive concepts of illness play a role in the youth mental health crisis remains to be seen.

Ongoing cultural shifts are fostering increasingly expansive definitions of mental illness. These shifts are likely to have mixed blessings. By normalising mental illness they may help to remove its stigma. However, by pathologising some forms of everyday distress, they may have an unintended downside.

As we wrestle with the mental health crisis, it is crucial we find ways to increase awareness of mental ill health without inadvertently inflating it.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/do-you-have-a-mental-illness-why-some-people-answer-yes-even-if-they-havent-been-diagnosed/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 09, 2024 at 12:02PM
SOURCE: Psychiatric Times
.
Actual article link at end of text block below.
.
According to new research, youths using both cannabis and tobacco report the highest levels of internalizing and externalizing problems. https://t.co/DfOg68hopk
.
Articles can be found at https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/news

.  
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: <https://www.clinicians-exchange.org>  
.  
NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @[email protected]   
.  
 #psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #psychotherapist
psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 09, 2024 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Dark personality traits linked to decreased grey matter in various brain regions

URL: https://www.psypost.org/dark-personality-traits-linked-to-decreased-grey-matter-in-various-brain-regions/

A recent study published in Frontiers in Psychology explores the neurological basis of certain personality traits known collectively as the Dark Triad. Researchers found that individuals exhibiting higher levels of these traits tend to have reduced grey matter volumes in brain areas involved in emotional regulation and reward processing.

The motivation behind this research stems from a broader interest in understanding the ‘social brain’—the network of brain regions involved in social behavior. While previous studies have mapped various components of the social brain, such as empathy and Theory of Mind, the neurobiological foundations of personality traits that influence social interactions, like the Dark Triad, remain unclear.

The Dark Triad refers to a group of three personality traits: narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism. Narcissism is characterized by excessive self-love and a sense of superiority, psychopathy by a lack of empathy and remorse, and Machiavellianism by manipulativeness and a focus on self-interest. Together, these traits are associated with antisocial behaviors and a tendency to exploit others.

For their study, the researchers recruited 129 healthy, right-handed volunteers aged around 24 years, with no history of neurological or psychological disorders. Participants underwent psychological testing using the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen questionnaire, a 12-item self-report measure assessing narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism. Their responses were scored and clustered using the k-means algorithm to identify distinct groups based on the prominence of Dark Triad traits.

Next, participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to capture detailed images of their brain structure. These images were processed and analyzed using voxel-based morphometry, a technique that allows researchers to measure differences in grey matter volume across the brain. The study specifically looked for correlations between the prominence of Dark Triad traits and grey matter volumes in brain regions associated with emotional regulation and reward processing.

The researchers found that individuals who scored higher on these traits had reduced grey matter volumes in several brain areas, including the medial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is involved in understanding and processing others’ emotional states, a function that is part of the Theory of Mind network. Reduced grey matter in this area among individuals with prominent Dark Triad traits suggests a potential difficulty in empathy and emotional understanding.

Similarly, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), which helps regulate emotions and exert cognitive control, also showed reduced grey matter. This reduction might explain why individuals with high Dark Triad traits often exhibit poor emotional regulation and increased impulsivity.

The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), which is integral to processing rewards and empathy, had reduced grey matter volumes in those with higher Dark Triad scores as well. This structural change could correlate with their diminished empathy and higher propensity for impulsive behavior.

Additionally, reductions in grey matter were observed in the nucleus accumbens and caudate, both parts of the brain’s reward system. These reductions may underlie the manipulative and antisocial behaviors characteristic of those with strong Dark Triad traits, as these brain regions are involved in processing rewards and regulating social behavior.

While this study provides valuable insights into the neurobiological basis of the Dark Triad, it has some limitations. The sample size of 129 participants, while adequate for this study, could be expanded in future research to enhance the robustness of the findings. Larger samples would allow for more nuanced analyses and potentially reveal subtler differences in brain structure associated with these traits.

Future studies could also explore the functional implications of these structural differences. For example, examining how these brain regions activate during tasks involving social decision-making or emotional processing could provide deeper insights into how these traits manifest in behavior.

The study, “Dark triad personality traits are associated with decreased grey matter volumes in ‘social brain’ structures,” was authored by Artem Myznikov, Alexander Korotkov, Maya Zheltyakova, Vladimir Kiselev, Ruslan Masharipov, Kirill Bursov, Orazmurad Yagmurov, Mikhail Votinov, Denis Cherednichenko, Michael Didur, and Maxim Kireev.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/dark-personality-traits-linked-to-decreased-grey-matter-in-various-brain-regions/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 09, 2024 at 08:01AM
SOURCE: Psychiatric Times
.
Actual article link at end of text block below.
.
Inhalant use disorder is characterized by the intentional inhalation of volatile substances for their psychoactive effects. Learn more about how to help manage this disorder. https://t.co/InzDuIeuhC https://t.co/cbd9THgadM
.
Articles can be found at https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/news

.  
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: <https://www.clinicians-exchange.org>  
.  
NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @[email protected]   
.  
 #psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #psychotherapist
psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 09, 2024 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Cannabis users have altered patterns of brain activity when switching tasks

URL: https://www.psypost.org/cannabis-users-have-altered-patterns-of-brain-activity-when-switching-tasks/

A neuroimaging study has revealed differences in brain activity between cannabis users and nonusers during cognitive tasks that involve switching behavior based on changing task requirements. Cannabis users exhibited weaker neural responses during these switches compared to nonusers, although both groups performed equally well on the tasks. This research was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.

Cannabis is one of the most widely used recreational drugs in the U.S., second only to alcohol and nicotine. Recent statistics show that approximately 19% of Americans, or 52.5 million people, used cannabis in 2021, up from 13% in 2014. This increase likely reflects more positive attitudes toward cannabis use over the years.

Despite its growing popularity, scientific studies suggest that cannabis may negatively impact higher-order cognitive processes. These detrimental effects can occur both immediately after consumption and in long-term users, regardless of whether they are currently under the influence.

One cognitive ability thought to be impaired by cannabis use is cognitive flexibility. Cognitive flexibility is the ability to selectively switch behaviors on a change in stimulus or environmental demands. This ability to change behavior based on changing conditions in the environment is something people generally need in their everyday lives. Due to this, decreased cognitive flexibility makes individuals less able to adapt to their environment impairing their overall functioning.

Study lead author Kellen M. McDonald and her team aimed to investigate the impact of regular cannabis use on neural processes involved in cognitive flexibility. Previous research had shown altered neural activity in cannabis users related to visual processes, but little was known about its effects on cognitive flexibility.

The researchers used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to measure brain activity in real-time while participants performed tasks designed to test cognitive flexibility. MEG detects the magnetic fields generated by neuronal activity, providing precise information about the timing and location of brain activity.

The study included 25 cannabis users and 30 nonusers, aged 19 to 60. Cannabis users had consumed the drug at least three times per week for the past three years or longer. All participants underwent thorough interviews about their substance use history and completed assessments for alcohol and cannabis use. Urine and breathalyzer tests confirmed that they had not recently used other substances.

Participants’ cognitive functioning was assessed using a series of neuropsychological tests. During the MEG sessions, they performed tasks that required switching between two sets of instructions. For example, they had to determine if a number was greater than five or if it was odd or even, depending on the shape surrounding the number. These tasks tested their ability to switch behavior based on changing instructions.

Results showed no significant differences in task performance between cannabis users and nonusers. Both groups were slower to respond during trials with changing instructions compared to those without.

However, MEG data revealed differences in the dorsolateral and dorsomedial prefrontal cortices—brain regions involved in task-switching. Cannabis users exhibited weaker neural responses in these areas. Additionally, the level of cannabis consumption correlated with the strength of brain activity in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex.

“In summary, we found that cannabis users exhibit altered theta oscillations [rhythmic electrical patterns in the brain, occurring at a frequency of about 4-8 cycles per second] during a task-switching paradigm that probed cognitive flexibility,” the study authors concluded.

“Essentially, nonusers displayed the typical switch cost activation pattern of stronger theta activity in the dmPFC and dlPFC [dorsolateral and dorsomedial prefrontal cortices of the brain] during switch trials [tasks where instructions for responding were changing] relative to no switch trials, while this effect was blunted among cannabis users. Furthermore, weaker theta switch cost effects in the dmPFC were significantly correlated with greater cannabis involvement in the cannabis users, a novel finding in the MEG literature.”

The study sheds light on the specificities of neural activity in cannabis users. However, the small sample size means that only strong differences would be statistically detectable. It is possible that more subtle performance differences could not be identified due to the limited number of participants.

The study, “The neural oscillations serving task switching are altered in cannabis users,” was authored by Kellen M. McDonald, Mikki Schantell, Lucy K. Horne, Jason A. John, Maggie P. Rempe, Ryan Glesinger, Hannah J. Okelberry, Anna T. Coutant, Seth D. Springer, Amirsalar Mansouri, Christine M. Embury, Yasra Arif, and Tony W. Wilson.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/cannabis-users-have-altered-patterns-of-brain-activity-when-switching-tasks/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 09, 2024 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Fatherhood alters brain structure, increasing both bonding and mental health risks

URL: https://www.psypost.org/fatherhood-alters-brain-structure-increasing-both-bonding-and-mental-health-risks/

New research reveals that first-time fathers experience significant changes in their brain structure. The study, published in the journal Cerebral Cortex, found that fathers who felt a strong bond with their unborn child and planned to spend more time with their baby after birth showed notable decreases in certain areas of their brains. These changes were associated with both positive parenting behaviors and increased risks for sleep problems and mental health issues.

Most research on parental brain changes has focused on mothers, who undergo significant hormonal and physical changes during pregnancy and postpartum. However, understanding how fathers’ brains adapt to parenthood can provide insights into how parental involvement and bonding affect brain structure. Fathers gain parenting experience without the physiological changes of pregnancy, making them a unique group to study.

“I am interested in studying neuroplasticity across the lifespan and the parenting brain is a great example of that. I think fathers are particularly interesting to study because they do not experience pregnancy directly, but they are still involved in infant care. Also, there is variability across fathers in terms of their time with infants and bond with their children,” said study author Darby Saxbe, a professor at the University of Southern California and head of the NeuroEndocrinology of Social Ties Lab.

The study involved 38 men transitioning to first-time fatherhood, all cohabiting with their pregnant partners in California. Participants underwent high-resolution MRI scans during their partner’s pregnancy and again between 6 to 12 months postpartum. In addition to the brain scans, the men completed self-report questionnaires during pregnancy and at 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum. These questionnaires assessed factors such as bonding with the unborn child, parenting stress, time spent with the infant, sleep quality, and mental health.

The researchers found significant reductions in cortical gray matter volume across the entire cortex in new fathers, particularly in the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes, as well as the cingulate cortex. These reductions were more pronounced in fathers who reported stronger prenatal bonding with their unborn child and those who planned to take more time off work after the birth. Specifically, the left frontal, right parietal, and right temporal lobes showed the most substantial volume decreases.

Fathers who spent more time with their infants, especially as the primary caregiver, also experienced greater gray matter volume reductions. Conversely, higher levels of parenting stress were associated with smaller cortical volume reductions. These findings suggest that brain changes in new fathers are linked to their parenting motivation and engagement, reflecting successful adaptation to parenthood.

However, the study also revealed a downside to these brain changes. Larger cortical volume reductions were associated with worse sleep quality and higher levels of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress at three, six, and twelve months postpartum, even after controlling for prenatal mental health and sleep quality. Interestingly, fathers of older infants at the time of the follow-up scan had smaller cortical volume reductions, indicating a potential rebound in gray matter volume.

“We found that the volume of grey matter tissue in the cortex decreased slightly (on average by about 1%) from pregnancy into the postpartum period in first-time fathers,” Saxbe told PsyPost. “Fathers who lost more volume reported more time with infants and stronger feelings of bonding, which is consistent with the research on mothers. However, those same fathers also reported more sleep problems and symptoms of depression and anxiety, suggesting that the brain remodeling associated with fatherhood may also expose mental health vulnerabilities.”

The study, like all research, had some limitations. The sample size was relatively small, and the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the planned timeline for data collection, resulting in some fathers being unable to complete their follow-up scans on schedule. The researchers did not include a control group of non-fathers, which would have strengthened the findings by providing a direct comparison. Additionally, the study used a specific approach to measure brain volume, focusing on cortical rather than whole-brain analyses due to potential scanning artifacts.

Despite these limitations, the study’s longitudinal design and detailed self-report data provide valuable insights into how the transition to fatherhood impacts the brain. The findings suggest that while brain changes in new fathers are associated with positive parenting behaviors, they may also increase vulnerability to sleep and mental health issues.

The study, “Cortical volume reductions in men transitioning to first-time fatherhood reflect both parenting engagement and mental health risk,” was authored by Darby Saxbe and Magdalena Martínez-Garcia.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/fatherhood-alters-brain-structure-increasing-both-bonding-and-mental-health-risks/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 08, 2024 at 08:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Breathing wildfire smoke can affect the brain and sperm

URL: https://www.psypost.org/breathing-wildfire-smoke-can-affect-the-brain-and-sperm/

Wildfires burning in the western U.S. are sending smoke into communities far from the fires themselves, creating hazardous air for days or weeks at a time. A lot of people are wondering: What does breathing all that smoke do to our bodies?

Wildfire smoke is a mix of chemicals and tiny particles that are small enough to evade the body’s defenses and directly affect the lungs. But the damage may not stop there.

As environmental toxicologists, we have been investigating the health effects of wildfire smoke on humans, including on parts of the body that you might not expect: sperm and the brain.

Given the large number of people now breathing wildfire smoke each summer – numbers that are likely to increase as wildfire conditions worsen in a warming world – it’s important to understand how wildfire smoke can harm your body and how to protect yourself.

Pollution can change sperm’s genetic material

Urban air pollution, which has a slightly different chemical profile than wildfire smoke, has already been linked with harmful effects to the male reproductive system. Studies have shown how air pollution produced from sources like industrial stacks and automobile exhaust can affect sperm shape, their ability to swim and the genetic material they carry. However, few studies have looked at wildfire smoke as an independent source of toxicity.

One recent study found that baby rats born to parents that had been exposed to wood smoke could end up with behavioral and cognitive problems. That prompted our team at Boise State University, in collaboration with researchers at Northeastern University, to look closer at what happens to sperm of mice exposed to wildfire smoke.

Our goal was to look for small changes at the cellular level that might show us how negative effects could be passed from parents to the next generation. Mice aren’t humans, of course, but damage to their systems can provide clues about potential harm to ours.

We simulated a wildland fire in the laboratory by burning Douglas fir needles and chose a smoke exposure amount similar to what a wildland firefighter with 15 years of service would experience. We found that this exposure in a mouse resulted in changes in sperm DNA methylation. DNA methylation is a biological mechanism that can regulate how a gene is expressed, kind of like a dimmer switch on a light bulb. Environmental factors can influence DNA methylation, and this can be harmful if it occurs at the wrong time of life or at the wrong gene.

We were surprised to find that the effects of wood smoke were similar to the effects of cigarette and cannabis smoke exposure on sperm. Much more work is still needed to understand if and how these changes in sperm affect the offspring they create, and what the effect is in humans. Studying populations with extreme levels of smoke exposure, like wildland firefighters, would help to answer these questions. However, very little data currently exists for long-term exposure monitoring and health tracking in this group of workers.

Links to Alzheimer’s and other ways smoke affects the brain

Wood smoke exposure has also been linked to poor brain health, including conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. There is data that suggests wood smoke exacerbates symptoms of cognitive decline such as loss of memory or motor skills.

In a recent review article in the journal Epigenetics Insights, we outlined the latest research showing how wildfire smoke particles or the inflammatory signals released by the immune system after exposure might reach the brain and contribute to these health problems.

One possibility is for very small particles to be inhaled into the lungs, escape into the blood stream and travel to the brain. A second possibility is the particles stay in the lungs but generate inflammatory signals that travel in the blood to the brain. Lastly, evidence suggests that particles may not need to travel to the lungs at all, but rather could get to the brain directly from the nose by following nerve bundles.

DNA methylation changes are especially crucial in brain areas like the hippocampus that are involved in learning and memory. If environmental exposures are changing DNA methylation, that may help to explain why Alzheimer’s disease can affect only one identical twin even though their genetic code is exactly the same.

What can you do to stay safe?

The potential impact of breathing wildfire smoke on lungs alone should be concerning enough to make people think twice about their level of exposure. Now, we’re seeing the potential for additional risks, including to the sperm and brain. Other research suggests connections between wildfire smoke and heart inflammation and the risk of pre-term births.

So, what can you do to lower your health risk during wildfire season?

Start by staying alert to wildfire smoke warnings. The Environmental Protection Agency and companies like PurpleAir have robust air monitoring networks with interactive maps that can show you how bad or good the air quality is in your area. You can also find low-cost air quality monitors.

In your home, change the filter on your furnace and air conditioner regularly and make sure it is the proper size. Portable HEPA air purification units in the rooms you spend the most time in can help, too.

Face masks can be a great tool when used properly. A mask labeled N-95 or higher is designed to filter out 95% or more of the harmful particles that get deep into the lungs, but only if they have the proper fitment. While cloth masks can help stop the spread of COVID-19, they do not do a good job of filtering out wildfire smoke particles. This is partly because they don’t seal well on the face and because the material is not designed to capture dangerously small smoke particles.

As the planet warms and the West continues to dry, wildfire smoke is likely to become a common feature of summer. It’s important to understand the health risks so you can protect yourself.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/breathing-wildfire-smoke-can-affect-the-brain-and-sperm/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 08, 2024 at 06:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Brain neurons key to learning from negative experiences identified in new study

URL: https://www.psypost.org/brain-neurons-key-to-learning-from-negative-experiences-identified-in-new-study/

Negative experiences often drive us to avoid repeating them. This fundamental aspect of learning is crucial not only for humans but also for animals.

A recent study conducted by neuroscientists at the HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine in Budapest, Hungary, and published in Nature Communications, has identified a specific group of neurons in the brain that play a key role in this process. The study found that neurons located in a deep brain region known as the horizontal limb of the diagonal band of Broca (HDB) are essential for learning from negative experiences.

The ability to learn from negative experiences is a critical survival mechanism. When faced with adverse outcomes, our brain processes the event, learns from it, and adjusts our behavior to avoid similar situations in the future. This type of learning is often driven by increased attention and arousal triggered by negative stimuli. The researchers aimed to understand which specific neurons and brain regions are responsible for this enhanced attention and learning from negative events, a concept they refer to as “attention for aversive learning.”

The study was led by Balazs Hangya and his team, who used a variety of advanced techniques to investigate the role of HDB neurons in aversive learning in mice. The team focused on a type of neuron that expresses the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin (PV). These PV neurons are known for their ability to engage in fast activity and influence brain waves important for cognitive processes.

One of the key findings of the study is that the HDB-PV neurons are specifically activated by aversive events. When the mice were exposed to negative stimuli, such as an unexpected puff of air on their faces or the odor of a predator, these neurons showed increased activity. This suggests that the HDB-PV neurons are finely tuned to respond to negative experiences, highlighting their role in the brain’s attention and arousal mechanisms related to aversive learning.

To further understand the role of these neurons, the researchers used optogenetics, a technique that allows precise control of neuron activity with light. They found that when the activity of the HDB-PV neurons was inhibited during aversive events, the mice failed to learn from these negative experiences. For instance, the mice did not learn to distinguish between sounds that predicted an air puff and those that did not. This demonstrated that the HDB-PV neurons are essential for forming associations between aversive stimuli and their predictors, underscoring their critical role in aversive learning.

The study also mapped the complex circuitry involving HDB-PV neurons. These neurons receive inputs from brain regions such as the hypothalamus and brainstem, which are involved in arousal and stress responses. They send outputs to the limbic system, including the septo-hippocampal system, which is crucial for memory and emotional responses. This network suggests that HDB-PV neurons act as a hub, integrating aversive information from various sources and relaying it to brain regions that manage behavioral and emotional responses.

Another important aspect of the findings is the mechanism of disinhibition. The HDB-PV neurons primarily target other inhibitory neurons, which results in a process called disinhibition. This means that by inhibiting the inhibitors, the HDB-PV neurons enable excitatory neurons in their target regions to become more active. This increased activity likely enhances the brain’s ability to focus on and learn from negative experiences. Disinhibition is a fundamental brain mechanism that allows for heightened responses to significant stimuli, which in this case, are aversive events.

The study, “Parvalbumin-expressing basal forebrain neurons mediate learning from negative experience,” was authored by Panna Hegedüs, Bálint Király, Dániel Schlingloff, Victoria Lyakhova, Anna Velencei, Írisz Szabó, Márton I. Mayer, Zsofia Zelenak, Gábor Nyiri, and Balázs Hangya.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/brain-neurons-key-to-learning-from-negative-experiences-identified-in-new-study/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 08, 2024 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Dopamine discovery: Brain chemical’s role in social understanding offers new hope for treatments

URL: https://www.psypost.org/dopamine-discovery-brain-chemicals-role-in-social-understanding-offers-new-hope-for-treatments/

The neurotransmitter dopamine is commonly known for its role in brain networks regulating pleasure and reward.

But many people with disorders that affect the dopamine system, such as Parkinson’s disease or schizophrenia, also struggle with social abilities. These include recognising or understanding the emotions and mental states of others, something scientists call the “theory of mind”.

These social difficulties can significantly impact the social relationships and quality of life of those affected. However, it has remained unclear whether these challenges are directly caused by dopamine imbalances or by other factors that co-occur with these disorders.

Now our new research, published in PLOS Biology, shows that a lack of dopamine seems to directly cause social difficulties. This suggests that dopamine-based drugs could one day also help treat the social difficulties in disorders with dopamine imbalances.

People with Parkinson’s disease often display fewer facial expressions than healthy individuals. Others may respond to this in negative ways – eventually leading sufferers to withdraw from social situations altogether. And people who are socially withdrawn for a long time can struggle more with social interactions as they don’t get a chance to practice (remember how difficult it was to return to the social world after lockdown?).

This is one possible explanation for why people with Parkinson’s might experience difficulties in understanding others.

However, it is not the only explanation. Parkinson’s is linked to the death of dopamine neurons in the brain. So some scientists have suspected that dopamine plays a key role in our ability to understand others.

Experimental design

Our latest study tested this latter explanation in 33 healthy individuals. We did this by giving people a drug intended to lower dopamine levels in parts of the brain by blocking the receptors that the neurotransmitter binds to.

We then assessed their theory of mind abilities by using an adaptation of a classical scientific experiment. In the original study introducing this experiment, the authors observed that when people are shown short videos of interacting triangles, they readily attribute social roles and mental states to the moving objects.

We used similar videos. Some were “mental state interactions”, which involved one triangle acting upon or causing a mental state in the other triangle, such as “surprising” it. We also had control videos, involving simpler, action-based interactions, such as one triangle following the other. This is a great way to investigate people’s ability to understand others because you exclude other factors that may influence participants’ performance, such as how they process language or faces.

Triangle gets surprised. (Bianca Schuster, CC BY-SA)

All participants completed the test twice, once after receiving the dopamine drug, and once after receiving a placebo pill. The order in which they received the interventions was randomised.

We found that taking the drug, in comparison to the placebo, reduced participants’ ability to accurately label both types of triangle videos. This suggests that dopamine is crucial for interpreting social interactions, whether they involve understanding mental states (such as surprise) or not (following).

Interestingly, those participants who showed reduced ability to accurately attribute mental states to triangles were also more likely to struggle with recognising emotions (as measured by another test showing a human form walking in angry, sad and happy emotional states) after receiving the drug.

This indicates that there might be a shared mechanism underlying both emotion recognition and theory of mind abilities in the brain. It is possible that dopamine regulates these abilities via its reward network, encouraging us to seek out those things that make us feel good, and repeating those behaviours. In the social context, dopamine might help us to pay specific attention to the subtle social cues communicated by other people.

Our results suggest that people who suffer from dopamine imbalances might find it hard to adequately recognise the social signals communicated by others. But we also discovered a second possibility. Beside its role in processing rewards, dopamine is well known to play a crucial role in movement. This is why the main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include difficulties in this domain, such as problems with initiating movements.

Previous research suggests that we use (representations of) our own movements to understand others’ movements. The way people move is often a telltale sign of their emotions and mental states. We typically move slower, and slouch, if we’re sad and walk faster if we’re happy.

We showed that people were better at interpreting triangle movements when the triangles moved around in a way that was similar to their own movements. This suggests that people who struggle with movements may find it harder to interpret the movements of others, and therefore their mental states.

That said, the drug we used in the study made them move more slowly. But this did not have any effect on participants’ ability to interpret the triangle videos.

This is likely because, over a lifetime, we associate our own movements with certain mental states and use these patterns to understand others’ movements. This means that if someone gives you a drug that temporarily changes your movements, you still continue to use your long-held patterns to interpret other people’s actions.

But it is possible that in the later stages of Parkinson’s, long-term dopamine depletion might change their stored movement patterns – making it harder to interpret them in others.

Possible treatments

We believe these new insights represent a significant step forward in our understanding of the neurochemical bases of social cognition.

Our results can also help us better understand the social effects of dopaminergic drugs, which are prescribed to millions of people every day, including to people with Parkinson’s and schizophrenia. People with schizophrenia, for example, have too much dopamine in some parts of their brain. And research suggests this may also lead to problems with understanding others – with balanced levels being optimal. What we previously didn’t know is that the dopamine blockers aimed at treating hallucinations and delusions may also help with their mentalising abilities.

Our study will hopefully pave the way for future studies aiming at the development of new therapeutic interventions for people who find it hard to understand others. Besides people with Parkinson’s and schizophrenia, this might be beneficial for a range of other conditions affected by dopamine imbalances, such as Huntington’s disease or Tourette’s syndrome.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/dopamine-discovery-brain-chemicals-role-in-social-understanding-offers-new-hope-for-treatments/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 08, 2024 at 02:02PM
SOURCE: Psychiatric Times
.
Actual article link at end of text block below.
.
A new Senate report warns that hoarding disorder among older Americans is rising and may require urgent national action. https://t.co/rEWEnQM3X4
.
Articles can be found at https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/news

.  
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: <https://www.clinicians-exchange.org>  
.  
NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @[email protected]   
.  
 #psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #psychotherapist
psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 08, 2024 at 02:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Prolonged pacifier use linked to reduced vocabulary size in infants, new study finds

URL: https://www.psypost.org/prolonged-pacifier-use-linked-to-reduced-vocabulary-size-in-infants-new-study-finds/

A recent study published in Developmental Science has discovered a connection between prolonged pacifier use and reduced vocabulary size in infants at both 12 and 24 months of age. The study indicates that extended use of pacifiers may negatively impact language development, with later pacifier use showing a stronger association with smaller vocabulary sizes compared to earlier use.

The use of pacifiers is widespread among young children across the globe, often valued for their soothing effects on infants. While pacifiers are recommended by health organizations for reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and can provide comfort, concerns have emerged regarding their potential impact on a child’s development, particularly language acquisition.

Previous research has mainly focused on the physical impacts of pacifier use, such as dental misalignments and increased risk of ear infections. However, the potential effects on language development have received less attention. This study aimed to fill that gap by investigating whether sustained pacifier use could disrupt early speech perception and language development by restricting the movements of the mouth and tongue.

“Our interest was sparked by a study by Bruderer et al. (2015) showing that infants had difficulty distinguishing sounds when their tongues were blocked by a teether. We wanted to investigate if prolonged pacifier use might eventually lead to differences in how quickly children learn words,” explained study author Luis Eduardo Muñoz, a PhD candidate at the University of Oslo.

For their study, the researchers recruited parents of infants from Oslo, Norway, through birth registries, covering the period from 2019 to 2020. Initially, the study included 1,630 participants, but after applying specific inclusion criteria, such as monolingual exposure to Norwegian, being born full-term, and having no reported visual, auditory, or cognitive impairments, the final sample consisted of 1,187 infants.

To assess vocabulary size, parents completed an online questionnaire that included the Norwegian versions of the Communicative Development Inventories (CDIs). For 12-month-old infants, the CDIs measured both vocabulary comprehension and production, while for 24-month-olds, it measured vocabulary production only. Comprehension refers to the ability of infants to understand and recognize words when they hear them, while production refers to the ability to actively use words in speech.

Parents also provided detailed reports of their child’s daytime pacifier use. They retrospectively estimated the average daily use in whole hours for two-month intervals from birth until the assessment date. This allowed the researchers to calculate the total hours of pacifier use over the infants’ lifetimes, referred to as Lifespan Pacifier Use (LPU).

The researchers uncovered a significant negative association between sustained pacifier use and vocabulary size in both 12- and 24-month-old infants. Specifically, for 12-month-olds, an increase in pacifier use by one standard deviation (about 1.8 hours daily) was linked to a reduction in vocabulary comprehension and production percentiles by 2.9 and 2.6 percentiles, respectively. For 24-month-olds, a similar increase in pacifier use corresponded to a 2.4 percentile decrease in vocabulary production.

The researchers also explored how changes in pacifier use over time influenced vocabulary development. They found that infants with increasing pacifier use as they aged had lower vocabulary sizes compared to those with declining or stable pacifier use. This effect was observed even after controlling for the total amount of pacifier use.

Notably, the impact of pacifier use was stronger when it occurred later in infancy. For instance, 24-month-olds with higher pacifier use between 18 and 24 months were 3.6 percentiles lower in vocabulary production compared to their peers.

Further analysis focused on the most recent period of pacifier use before the infants’ second birthday. The results showed that greater pacifier use between 22 and 24 months increased the likelihood of infants scoring in the lower 15th percentile for vocabulary size at 24 months. Specifically, an increase of one standard deviation in pacifier use during this period raised the odds of being in the lower percentile by a factor of 1.4.

“We found it interesting that recent pacifier use (within the last two months) had the strongest link to smaller vocabulary sizes, indicating the potential significance of the most recent amount of pacifier use,” Muñoz told PsyPost.

However, it is important to note that the study’s design does not allow for establishing a causal relationship between pacifier use and vocabulary development. The study is cross-sectional, meaning it looks at data from a single point in time rather than following the same children over an extended period.

While this can show associations or correlations between variables, it cannot determine whether one factor directly causes another. In other words, while the study found a link between prolonged pacifier use and smaller vocabulary sizes, it cannot definitively say that pacifier use causes reduced vocabulary development.

“Our study doesn’t provide evidence that pacifiers themselves cause slower word learning, but it does suggest a link between frequent pacifier use and smaller vocabularies at ages 1- and 2-years-old,” Muñoz explained. “There could be many other factors at play, such as parenting styles or the child’s temperament.”

To better examine the potential for causality, researchers could conduct longitudinal studies, which track the same group of children over several years. This approach allows researchers to observe how changes in pacifier use over time might influence vocabulary development.

“We aim to further explore how pacifier use, parenting styles, and children’s temperament interact to affect word learning,” Muñoz said. “Pacifier use is a culturally sensitive topic, and we don’t want this study to stigmatize parents who use them. There are valid reasons for pacifier use (soothing), and our findings should not be taken as a reason to discourage it.”

The study, “Sustained pacifier use is associated with smaller vocabulary sizes at 1 and 2 years of age: A cross-sectional study,” was authored by Luis E. Muñoz, Natalia Kartushina, and Julien Mayor.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/prolonged-pacifier-use-linked-to-reduced-vocabulary-size-in-infants-new-study-finds/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 08, 2024 at 12:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Video games boost cognitive function and mental health in schizophrenia patients

URL: https://www.psypost.org/video-games-boost-cognitive-function-and-mental-health-in-schizophrenia-patients/

A recent study has found that playing video games can significantly improve cognitive function and mental health in patients with schizophrenia. The research, published in Translational Psychiatry, revealed that video game training enhances attention and brain connectivity, offering a promising new approach to treating this complex mental disorder.

Previous research has shown that playing certain types of video games can improve cognitive performance and brain structure in healthy individuals. These benefits are thought to arise from the continuous and goal-oriented interaction with the game, which activates the brain’s reward system and enhances neuronal plasticity (i.e., enhancing how the brain can reorganize itself by forming new connections between neurons, which are the brain cells).

Given that patients with schizophrenia often experience cognitive deficits and reduced brain plasticity, the researchers wanted to explore whether these benefits could extend to this population.

The study team, led by Maxi Becker from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany, recruited 95 patients with schizophrenia and 82 healthy controls.

Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: 3D video game training (Super Mario 64), 2D video game training (New Super Mario Bros.), or E-book reading (active control, where participants were provided a selection of 13 books to choose from). They engaged in their assigned activity for 30 minutes daily over an eight-week period.

Cognitive and clinical assessments were conducted before and after the intervention, and functional MRI (fMRI) was used to measure changes in brain connectivity.

Following data analyses, Becker and colleagues discovered that both the 3D and 2D video game training groups showed significant improvements in sustained attention compared to the control group.

This improvement was linked to increased functional connectivity in a network involving the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, areas of the brain associated with memory and executive function respectively.

Notably, patients who underwent videogame training also showed reductions in negative symptoms, such as anhedonia (losing the ability to feel pleasure from activities one typically usually enjoys) and amotivation (lack of motivation or drive to engage in normal day-to-day activities).

The patients also reported better overall mental health recovery. The authors propose an explanation for this: “the goal-driven and continuous interaction with the game may impact the patients’ experienced self-efficacy (defined as beliefs of how well one masters tasks and deals with prospective situations) which has been linked to mental health and psychopathology.”

The study’s findings suggest that videogames could be a valuable supplementary therapeutic approach for individuals with schizophrenia, particularly for addressing cognitive deficits and negative symptoms that are not well-managed by current treatments.

However, the study has some limitations. For instance, the authors described the sample size as being relatively small, due to patients dropping out of the study.

The study, “Videogame training increases clinical well-being, attention and hippocampal-prefrontal functional connectivity in patients with schizophrenia”, was authored by Maxi Becker, Djo J. Fischer, Simone Kühn, and Jürgen Gallinat.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/video-games-boost-cognitive-function-and-mental-health-in-schizophrenia-patients/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 08, 2024 at 11:29AM
SOURCE: Psychiatric Times
.
Actual article link at end of text block below.
.
New research found that among 8 first-line antidepressants, bupropion consistently showed the least weight gain. https://t.co/oVjPxOyHLC
.
Articles can be found at https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/news

.  
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: <https://www.clinicians-exchange.org>  
.  
NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @[email protected]   
.  
 #psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #psychotherapist
psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 08, 2024 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Narcissistic traits in managers appear to influence their gender role attitudes

URL: https://www.psypost.org/narcissistic-traits-in-managers-appear-to-influence-their-gender-role-attitudes/

Researchers have uncovered a link between managers’ narcissistic traits and their views on gender roles, shedding light on how personal attributes can impact leadership dynamics. The study, published in the Journal of Personnel Psychology, found that narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry are differently associated with support for traditional gender roles. Additionally, the presence of a daughter can moderate these associations, particularly for managers high in narcissistic rivalry.

The underrepresentation of women in leadership positions remains a pressing issue worldwide. In countries like Germany, gender quotas have shown limited success in breaking the so-called glass ceiling, an invisible barrier preventing women from advancing to top management roles. This persistent inequality has been attributed to various factors, including organizational culture and the personal attributes of male-dominated executive teams.

The study, authored by Anna-Katharina Stöcker, Iris Katharina Gauglitz, and Astrid Schütz of the University of Bamberg, aimed to explore how narcissistic traits among managers influence their gender role attitudes and whether having a daughter can alter these views. By focusing on managers, who hold significant decision-making power, the researchers sought to understand better how personal traits might contribute to maintaining or challenging traditional gender norms in the workplace.

“We intended to fill gaps in existing literature, using a large and representative sample of managers to provide insights that could enhance gender diversity in organization and increase equity in career chances,” the researchers told PsyPost. “We aimed to further disentangle the effects of the bright and dark sides of narcissism, i.e. narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry. Finally, we wanted to further explore the so-called daughter effect in this field.”

Narcissistic admiration involves a tendency to engage in assertive self-enhancement, characterized by behaviors aimed at gaining admiration and social success. Individuals high in narcissistic admiration often exhibit charm and strive for uniqueness, boosting their self-image through positive social interactions.

Narcissistic rivalry, on the other hand, is characterized by antagonistic self-protection strategies. Those high in narcissistic rivalry tend to engage in aggressive and competitive behaviors, devalue others, and seek supremacy, which often leads to social conflicts and reinforces their grandiose self-views through dominance and control.

To carry out this study, the researchers utilized data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), a representative, multicohort survey. They focused on data collected in 2017 and 2018, ensuring the inclusion of managers—defined as individuals supervising at least two employees—who had not changed jobs since the end of 2016. This resulted in a sample size of 2,850 participants, 37.5% of whom were women.

The study employed the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire short scale (NARQ-S) to measure narcissistic traits. This scale includes items such as “I want my rivals to fail” (rivalry) and “Being a very special person gives me a lot of strength” (admiration), rated on a six-point Likert scale. Traditional gender role attitudes were assessed using three items focusing on beliefs about the impact of maternal employment on young children and the ideal division of labor between men and women.

The researchers found that managers who scored high on narcissistic admiration tended to hold less traditional gender role attitudes. This finding aligns with the notion that individuals high in admiration are likely to promote themselves with progressive, innovative views to enhance their self-image.

But managers with high levels of narcissistic rivalry exhibited more traditional gender role attitudes. This could be due to their tendency to seek supremacy and maintain established power structures, which are often traditional in nature.

The findings provide evidence that narcissistic tendencies can “influence behaviors that support or hinder women in their careers and can thus contribute to the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles,” Stöcker and her colleagues explained.

The researchers also found that managers with at least one daughter showed less traditional gender role attitudes compared to those with only sons or no children. This supports the daughter effect hypothesis, suggesting that having a daughter can increase awareness of gender discrimination and promote more egalitarian views.

“We were surprised that there was a daughter effect not only in male managers, but also in female managers,” the researchers said.

Interestingly, the presence of a daughter moderated the relationship between narcissistic rivalry and traditional gender role attitudes. Managers with high rivalry scores who had daughters were less likely to hold traditional gender role attitudes than those without daughters. This indicates that having a daughter might mitigate some of the negative effects of narcissistic rivalry on gender attitudes.

“The findings highlight the importance of understanding and addressing personal and psychological factors that can contribute to gender disparities in the workplace,” Stöcker and her colleagues said.

The researchers included variables for age, gender, income, and employment sector to control for potential confounding factors. But as with all research, there are some caveats. The cross-sectional design of the study limits the ability to make causal inferences. While associations were identified, it is unclear whether narcissistic traits directly cause traditional gender role attitudes or if other underlying factors influence both.

Looking forward, the researchers plan to “continue our work on narcissism and its effects in the workplace.”

The study, “Managers’ Traditional Gender Role Attitudes: Diverging Relations With Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry and the Daughter Effect,” was published online on May 22, 2024.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/narcissistic-traits-in-managers-appear-to-influence-their-gender-role-attitudes/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 08, 2024 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Passion and intimacy with one’s partner are not deterrents against infidelity, study suggests

URL: https://www.psypost.org/passion-and-intimacy-with-ones-partner-are-not-deterrents-against-infidelity-study-suggests/

New research indicates that the decision to be unfaithful is primarily driven by individual tendencies, with minimal influence from the partner. The study found that a strong commitment to one’s partner is linked to a lower likelihood of infidelity, whereas shared passion and intimacy do not serve as effective deterrents. These findings were published in the journal Deviant Behavior.

Revenge sex is distinct from rebound sex. While rebound sex involves engaging in sexual activity with someone new to alleviate feelings for a former partner, revenge sex is specifically intended to cause emotional harm to a current or former partner in response to suspected infidelity .

Infidelity is the breaking of a promise to remain faithful to a romantic partner. Such a promise can be a part of marriage vows, it can be a privately uttered agreement between lovers, or an unspoken assumption. Infidelity typically involves emotional or sexual involvement with someone other than one’s committed romantic partner.

Infidelity can have profound and multifaceted adverse impact on a romantic relationship and on one’s partner. Emotionally, infidelity leads to feelings of betrayal, hurt, and loss of trust between partners. It can cause significant emotional distress in one’s partner, leading to decreased relationship satisfaction and increased conflict.

Trust, a foundational element of healthy relationships, is shattered by infidelity, making it challenging or impossible to rebuild the relationship. Beyond the emotional consequences, infidelity can lead to practical issues such as changes in living arrangements, legal divorce procedures, spousal support, and the division of joint property.

Study author Sean G. Jefferson and his colleagues note that infidelity is consistently cited as the primary reason for relationship dissolution throughout the world. This prompted their interest in exploring whether certain relationship characteristics could make relationships more immune or less vulnerable to infidelity.

They hypothesized that commitment to one’s partner will serve as a deterrent for infidelity, while passion and intimacy experienced for the partner will not. Their second expectation was that the belief that the partner had sex with another person during the course of the relationship will make the individual more likely to engage in revenge sex i.e., to seek revenge on their partner by also having sex with another person.

Data for this analysis were drawn from Wave IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Add Health is a nationally representative survey that examines adolescent sexuality and health risk behaviors in the United States. This study analyzed responses from 1,912 participants who reported being married or living together with a romantic partner and provided answers to questions regarding infidelity.

The study authors analyzed participants’ responses about their own infidelity (“During the time you and [partner’s initials] have/had a sexual relationship, have/did you ever have any other sexual partners?”), beliefs about their partner’s infidelity (“As far as you know, during the time you and [partner’s initials] have/had a sexual relationship, has/did [partner’s initials] ever have any other sexual partners?”), passion (“My partner expresses/expressed love and affection to me”), intimacy (“How close are you to your partner?”), and commitment (“How committed are you to your relationship?”).

Results showed that individuals who reported higher commitment to their partner were less likely to report engaging in infidelity. Individuals who were highly committed to their relationship were 78% less likely to engage in infidelity compared to those with lower commitment levels.

Passion and intimacy were not associated with infidelity. This suggests that the quality and frequency of sex or emotional closeness alone do not necessarily deter infidelity.

Additionally, individuals who believed their partner was unfaithful were more likely to engage in infidelity themselves, which the study authors interpret as engaging in revenge sex. Specifically, those who believed their partner had cheated were 772% more likely to engage in revenge sex.

“While clinicians and researchers continue to unpack the complex phenomena surrounding infidelity, it should be made clear that it is never the victim’s fault. Loving a person and giving them everything they want is not going to keep them from cheating. The decision to remain faithful is purely a personal decision and at any point in time a person can say they no longer wish to be in the relationship, to avoid being unfaithful to their partner,” the study authors concluded.

The study sheds light on the links between characteristics of a romantic relationship and infidelity. However, the study was based on answers to single questions for each of the psychological characteristics. Studies involving better assessments of key factors might not produce equal results.

The paper, “Revenge Sex: Weaponizing Infidelity,” was authored by Sean G. Jefferson, Monica Padilla Vega, and Kimmery Newsom.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/passion-and-intimacy-with-ones-partner-are-not-deterrents-against-infidelity-study-suggests/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 08, 2024 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: A common spice can enhance sexual desire and arousal, new studies show

URL: https://www.psypost.org/a-common-spice-can-enhance-sexual-desire-and-arousal-new-studies-show/

Recent research has investigated the impact of ginger on sexual health, revealing potential benefits for both men and women. Two studies, one published in the journal Sexes and the other in The Journal of Sex Research, explored how ginger consumption might influence sexual desire, behavior, and arousal, and how it interacts with feelings of disgust during sexual activities.

Sexual dysfunction, which includes issues like low sexual desire and arousal, affects many people and can lead to a range of negative outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and decreased quality of life. Traditional approaches to addressing sexual dysfunction often involve psychological therapy or pharmaceutical interventions, which may not be suitable or effective for everyone.

Ginger is a flowering plant native to Southeast Asia, widely known for its aromatic rhizome, which is commonly used as a spice and herbal remedy. The rhizome, or underground part of the stem, has a spicy, pungent flavor and is used fresh, dried, powdered, or as an oil or juice in cooking and traditional medicine.

Ginger has been used for centuries to treat various ailments, including digestive issues and inflammation. Anecdotal evidence and preliminary research suggest that ginger might also have positive effects on sexual function.

However, scientific investigations into its efficacy and the mechanisms behind its potential benefits are limited. By examining the relationship between ginger consumption and sexual behavior, the researchers aimed to provide empirical evidence on whether ginger can be a viable natural intervention for improving sexual function.

They were particularly interested in the potential interplay between sexual arousal and disgust. Disgust is a fundamental emotion that evolved as part of the behavioral immune system, a psychological and physiological response designed to protect individuals from potential sources of infection and disease.

When we encounter something that could be harmful, such as spoiled food or bodily fluids, feelings of disgust trigger avoidance behaviors to minimize our exposure to pathogens. This protective mechanism helps us stay healthy by steering us away from potential threats.

However, disgust can also interfere with sexual arousal and behavior. Sexual activity often involves close contact and the exchange of bodily fluids, which can inherently carry a risk of infection. While sexual arousal is a strong motivator for engagement in sexual behavior, the simultaneous activation of disgust can create a conflict.

In a study published in the journal Sexes in 2023, the researchers examined the relationship between daily ginger consumption, sexual desire, sexual behaviors, and feelings of sexual arousal and disgust during sexual activities. To achieve this, they conducted a detailed survey involving 499 Chinese participants (250 men and 249 women) recruited via Credamo, an online professional survey website.

The study found significant positive associations between weekly ginger consumption and higher levels of sexual desire and frequency of sexual behaviors, including sexual fantasy, masturbation, and dyadic sexual behaviors. Participants who consumed more ginger reported increased sexual arousal during sexual activities and lower feelings of disgust.

For instance, those with higher ginger consumption showed a 33.4% increase in the frequency of dyadic sexual behaviors compared to those with lower consumption. Mediation analyses revealed that feelings of sexual arousal during sexual behaviors mediated the relationship between ginger consumption and the frequency of these behaviors. But feelings of disgust did not significantly mediate this relationship, suggesting that ginger’s effects might primarily enhance sexual arousal rather than directly reducing disgust.

The findings, however, were constrained by some limitations. Most importantly, the study was cross-sectional. While this method is useful for identifying associations, it does not establish causality. It’s possible that individuals who already have higher sexual desire and more frequent sexual activities might be more inclined to consume ginger for some reason, or there could be other unmeasured variables influencing both ginger consumption and sexual behavior.

In a subsequent study published in The Journal of Sex Research, the researchers addressed these limitations by conducting a placebo-controlled experiment. This design allowed them to compare the effects of ginger with a placebo, providing stronger evidence for causality and minimizing potential biases inherent in self-reported data.

The study involved 247 Chinese participants (125 men and 122 women) recruited from East China Normal University and social media platforms. Participants were randomly assigned to consume either ginger capsules (1500 mg) or a placebo (calcium capsules). They were then divided into two groups: one exposed to sexual body fluids (fake sweat, saliva, semen, and vaginal secretions) and the other to neutral fluids (sweet water, saline water, soda water, and plain water).

Participants first completed a series of tasks involving observing, smelling, and touching the fluids while wearing gloves. These tasks were designed to elicit feelings of disgust related to sexual body fluids. After each task, participants viewed erotic stimuli consisting of one-minute videos of nude and seminude models of the opposite sex. They reported their feelings of sexual arousal, disgust, and likelihood of engaging sexually with the models in the videos using self-report measures, including the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Revised (PANAS-R).

The researchers found that exposure to sexual body fluids induced feelings of disgust in both men and women, with women reporting significantly higher levels of disgust. Interestingly, ginger consumption did not significantly reduce the overall disgust elicited by sexual body fluids. However, ginger did enhance feelings of sexual arousal towards the erotic stimuli, particularly in men.

Men who consumed ginger and were exposed to sexual body fluids reported stronger sexual arousal than those who were exposed to neutral fluids. Women in the ginger group who completed the sexual body fluids tasks reported a higher likelihood of sexual engagement compared to those in the neutral fluids tasks. This suggests that ginger might mitigate the inhibitory effects of disgust on sexual arousal and willingness to engage sexually.

Despite these findings, the study did not find a significant reduction in feelings of disgust toward the sexual body fluids or erotic stimuli directly due to ginger consumption. This indicates that ginger’s primary effect may be enhancing sexual arousal rather than directly reducing disgust. The exact mechanisms behind these effects remain unclear, but the researchers speculate that ginger might influence neurochemical pathways related to sexual arousal or indirectly reduce disgust by increasing arousal.

“Sexual problems are common complaints for both men and women, negatively affecting individuals’ quality of life and well-being,” the researchers concluded. “The current study showed that sexual body fluids successfully induced disgust and resulted in a stronger disgust reaction toward the subsequent erotic stimuli. Sexual body fluids reduced sexual arousal toward subsequent erotic stimuli presented to women who consumed placebo but increased the likelihood of sexual engagement in women who consumed ginger.”

“Administering ginger enhanced sexual arousal toward the erotic stimuli in both men and women. Ginger may be a potential treatment for sexual problems, while long-term interventions are needed to test the effects of ginger on sexual function in people with and without sexual difficulties.”

The studies, “Is Consumption of Ginger in Daily Life Associated with Sexual Response?” and “Effects of Ginger on Disgust, Sexual Arousal, and Sexual Engagement: A Placebo-Controlled Experiment,” were authored by Guangju Wen, Yikang Zhang, Thomas J. Nyman, Patrick Jern, and Pekka Santtila.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/a-common-spice-can-enhance-sexual-desire-and-arousal-new-studies-show/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 07, 2024 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Researchers uncover an intriguing new indicator of cognitive decline and dementia in older people

URL: https://www.psypost.org/researchers-uncover-an-intriguing-new-indicator-of-cognitive-decline-and-dementia-in-older-people/

Aging people commonly show a decline in navigation ability, and this has generally been attributed to worsening spatial memory. But now, researchers from the US have shown for the first time that this decline is partly driven by changes in typical exploration behavior by middle age. In a maze learning task, middle-aged people were less efficient explorers than young people. This discovery could have applications in the clinical diagnosis and therapy of cognitive decline and dementia.

Spatial navigation – the ability to select and follow a route from one place to another – is a skill we use every day. Depending on practice, general cognitive ability, and childhood environment, some people are naturally better at this than others. But research has also shown that people’s skill in spatial navigation tends to decrease with increasing age.

This decline in navigation skill has been generally attributed to worsening spatial memory, due to changes in brain structure and function that naturally occur with age. But what if it isn’t just due to our spatial memory declining, but also to changes in how we explore a novel environment? Such a shift has been observed in aging animals, ranging from insects to rodents and fish.

And now, an analogous shift in exploration behavior in middle age has been shown for the first time in humans. These results, which ultimately could have clinical applications, are published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

An exploratory study

First author Dr Vaisakh Puthusseryppady, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California at Irvine, said: “Compared to younger individuals, middle-aged people exhibit overall less exploration when learning a novel maze environment, and seem to be prioritizing learning specific important locations in the maze as opposed to the overall maze layout.”

Puthusseryppady and colleagues recruited 87 middle-aged (on average 50 years old) and 50 young (on average 19 years old) women and men as volunteers. None had a history of neurologic disease including dementia, or psychiatric illness.

A-mazing landmark research

The researchers tested how well the volunteers explored and learned to navigate a maze in virtual reality. The maze was composed of crossroads and corridors, separated by hedges. Distinctive objects were scattered around it at strategic locations as landmarks. In the first ‘exploration phase’, the volunteers were instructed to freely explore the maze and learn the locations of the objects.

In each of the 24 trials in the second ‘wayfinding phase’, the volunteers had to apply what they had learnt, navigating between two randomly chosen objects within 45 seconds.

As expected, young people on average had a greater success rate in finding their way. But importantly, further statistical analyses showed that this difference in success rate was partially driven by observed qualitative changes in how young vs middle-aged participants learned about the maze.

Read and download the article

“Compared to younger individuals, middle-aged individuals explored the maze environment less, as they traveled less distance, paused for longer periods of time at decision points, and visited more objects than young individuals,” said Dr Mary Hegarty, a professor at the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences of the University of California at Santa Barbara, and a joint corresponding author.

These differences were so notable, the authors were able to predict using artificial intelligence whether a participant was middle-aged or young.

Pointing the way for applications

Reduced exploration in middle-aged people may be due to age-related changes in the brain’s navigation network, for example the medial temporal and parietal lobes.

The authors speculated that these findings could inform training interventions that can help middle-aged adults to improve their navigation abilities and preserve cognitive ability.

Co-author Daniela Cossio, a PhD student at the University of California at Irvine, explained: “If we were to train middle-aged people to explore novel environments better – with a focus on traveling greater distances, visiting paths that connect the environment, in a more spread-out manner – this might lead to improvements in their spatial memory, helping to slow down their decline in cognitive ability.”

Dr Elizabeth Chrastil, one of the corresponding authors, and an associate professor at the same institute, looked ahead: “We are currently investigating whether these kinds of changes in exploration behavior can be identified in people at risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, as well as in those who actually have Alzheimer’s. We anticipate that altered exploration behavior could ultimately become a novel clinical marker for early cognitive decline related to Alzheimer’s”.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/researchers-uncover-an-intriguing-new-indicator-of-cognitive-decline-and-dementia-in-older-people/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 07, 2024 at 02:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Young people happier with singlehood than a decade ago, study finds

URL: https://www.psypost.org/young-people-happier-with-singlehood-than-a-decade-ago-study-finds/

A recent study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin has shed light on an intriguing trend among adolescents and young adults. It finds that those aged 14 to 20 today are more satisfied with being single than their counterparts were a decade ago. Adolescents born between 2001 and 2003 not only show a higher tendency to be single but also exhibit greater contentment with their single status compared to those born ten years earlier.

The study was motivated by noticeable societal trends: declining marriage rates, rising divorce rates, and an increasing number of single-person households. These shifts raise the question of whether modern singles experience higher satisfaction with their single status than previous generations. By understanding these trends, researchers hope to provide insights into how societal changes influence individual well-being and relationship dynamics.

“Compared to our grandparents’ generation, people today marry less frequently and experience higher divorce rates,” said study author Tita Gonzalez Avilés from the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. “At the same time, more diverse forms of relationships, such as unmarried relationships, cohabitation, and extended singlehood, have become more accepted. While singlehood seems more socially acceptable, it is unclear if singles indeed feel more satisfied.”

The researchers used data from a large longitudinal study, the Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics (pairfam), which included participants from four birth cohorts: 1971-1973, 1981-1983, 1991-1993, and 2001-2003. Data were collected between 2008-2011 and 2018-2021. The study focused on participants aged 14-40 who were single throughout the study period.

Participants provided information on their relationship status and satisfaction with their singlehood and overall life. Satisfaction with singlehood was measured using a single question: “How satisfied are you with your situation as a single?” on a scale from 0 (very dissatisfied) to 10 (very satisfied). Life satisfaction was measured similarly, asking participants to rate their overall life satisfaction.

The researchers also considered individual factors such as age, gender, and personality traits, specifically extraversion and neuroticism, to understand their impact on singles’ satisfaction. Extraversion refers to being outgoing and socially active, while neuroticism involves tendencies towards anxiety and worry.

The researchers found that the later-born cohort (2001-2003) had a higher proportion of singles (47%) compared to the earlier-born cohort (1991-1993) with 42% singles. Adolescents in the later-born cohort were more satisfied with their singlehood than those in the earlier-born cohort, indicating a positive shift in singlehood satisfaction over time.

Adolescents born in 2001-2003 reported a 3% higher chance of being single compared to those born a decade earlier. This increase in singlehood was associated with greater satisfaction with being single. Interestingly, this trend was specific to singlehood satisfaction, as there was no significant change in overall life satisfaction among the cohorts.

“Singlehood is changing over time — especially so for adolescents,” Gonzalez Avilés told PsyPost. “Adolescents nowadays are not only more often single than ten years ago but also more satisfied with being single.”

The researchers did not observe significant historical changes in singlehood satisfaction among emerging adults (24-30 years) and established adults (34-40 years). This stability suggests that the factors influencing singlehood satisfaction in these age groups are less affected by sociohistorical changes compared to adolescents.

“It was surprising that we did not find any changes for adults,” Gonzalez Avilés said. “Adolescents might encounter a broader spectrum of relationship forms than adults due to interactions with diverse peers at school and extensive engagement with social media, making singlehood more normative and acceptable for them. Changes in the single life of adults may be slower and become apparent only over longer periods.”

While the study found notable differences in singlehood satisfaction between different cohorts, the effect sizes of these historical changes were small. This means that the differences in satisfaction levels between adolescents born in 2001-2003 and those born ten years earlier, while statistically significant, were not large. Instead, individual factors such as age and personality traits, particularly neuroticism, were stronger predictors of singles’ satisfaction.

Satisfaction with singlehood decreased with age. Adolescents were the most satisfied with being single, while emerging adults and established adults reported lower satisfaction levels.
Higher levels of neuroticism were associated with lower satisfaction with both singlehood and overall life. Extraversion was positively related to life satisfaction but did not significantly impact singlehood satisfaction.

While the study provides valuable insights, it has some limitations. The study focused on a specific age range (14-40 years) and a single cultural context (Germany). Singlehood experiences may vary significantly in different cultural settings, especially in countries with more traditional views on marriage and family.

Future research could explore the long-term impacts of sociohistorical changes on singlehood satisfaction across different cultural contexts. Additionally, examining other individual factors, such as voluntary versus involuntary singlehood and attitudes towards marriage and family, can help understand the complexities of singlehood satisfaction.

“I am interested in sociocultural factors influencing singlehood,” Gonzalez Avilés explained. “Thus, I aim to investigate how historical time, regional contexts, and societal attitudes shape the well-being of singles.”

The study, “Today’s Adolescents Are More Satisfied With Being Single: Findings From a German Cohort-Sequential Study Among 14- to 40-Year-Olds,” was authored by Tita Gonzalez Avilés, Janina Larissa Bühler, Naemi D. Brandt, and Franz J. Neyer.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/young-people-happier-with-singlehood-than-a-decade-ago-study-finds/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 07, 2024 at 01:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Effort or destiny? Beliefs about love predict relationship satisfaction over time

URL: https://www.psypost.org/effort-or-destiny-beliefs-about-love-predict-relationship-satisfaction-over-time/

A new study published in the European Journal of Personality reveals that while those who believe their relationship is “destined to be” are more satisfied initially, those who believe relationships grow through effort tend to maintain higher satisfaction over the years. This study, spanning two years and including various couples, provides insights into how these beliefs influence relationship satisfaction over time.

The researchers aimed to understand how different beliefs about relationships—whether they are destined to be or can grow through effort—affect relationship satisfaction over time. Previous studies have shown that relationship satisfaction often declines as time passes, but the reasons behind this trend remain unclear. By exploring these relationship beliefs, the researchers hoped to identify factors that could help couples maintain higher levels of satisfaction in their relationships.

“I have been involved in research on well-being and personality for quite some time. Especially fascinating to me was how traits and well-being change over time – either naturally, through life events, or through deliberate practice,” said study author Fabian Gander, a research associate at the University of Basel.

“In the case of the present study, our interest was sparked by the robust research finding that on average, relationship satisfaction declines over time, meaning that for most couples, it gets worse – however, there are always exceptions who manage to maintain or even increase their relationship satisfaction. We were interested in identifying psychological factors that might contribute to a positive development of relationship satisfaction – or that, at least, could ameliorate the decline over time.”

The study involved 904 couples from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and other countries. Participants ranged from 18 to 81 years old and had been in relationships for varying lengths of time, from just a few months to over 50 years. The study was conducted over two years, with participants completing surveys at four different points.

To measure relationship beliefs, the researchers used a questionnaire that assessed two dimensions: destiny beliefs and growth beliefs. Destiny beliefs reflect the idea that relationships are either meant to be or not, while growth beliefs reflect the idea that relationships can be improved and maintained through effort. Participants rated their agreement with statements like “A successful relationship is mostly a matter of finding a compatible partner” for destiny beliefs and “A successful relationship is mostly a matter of learning to resolve conflicts with a partner” for growth beliefs.

Relationship satisfaction was measured using the Relationship Assessment Scale, which includes questions about how satisfied participants are with their relationship overall. The researchers also collected data on personality traits, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and attachment styles to control for other factors that might influence relationship satisfaction.

The study found that individuals with strong destiny beliefs were more satisfied with their relationships at the beginning of the study. However, their satisfaction declined more steeply over the two-year period compared to those with strong growth beliefs. Specifically, participants with strong growth beliefs experienced a slower decline in satisfaction, suggesting that the belief that relationships can improve through effort helps maintain higher levels of satisfaction over time.

Interestingly, the study also found that higher relationship satisfaction predicted an increase in growth beliefs over time. This suggests that satisfaction and beliefs about relationships are intertwined, with satisfied individuals becoming more likely to believe that their relationships can grow and improve.

“One surprising finding was that those with higher initial relationship satisfaction also tended to develop stronger growth beliefs over time, indicating a reciprocal relationship between satisfaction and beliefs,” Gander told PsyPost.

The study showed that couples where both partners had high growth beliefs reported the highest levels of satisfaction. Conversely, couples where both partners had high destiny beliefs experienced the steepest decline in satisfaction over time. These findings highlight the importance of shared beliefs in maintaining relationship satisfaction.

“The most important take away messages are as follows: In romantic relationships, relationship satisfaction generally tends to decrease over time,” Gander explained. “However, how we think about love can shape our satisfaction. People who believe that ‘love is meant to be’ are more satisfied with their relationship initially but this belief does not protect them from decreasing satisfaction over time. On the other hand, those who believe that ‘love grows with effort’ experience a slower decline in relationship satisfaction and have more positive future expectations for their relationship.”

While the study provides valuable insights, it has several limitations. First, the sample was limited to German-speaking couples from a specific cultural context, which may not be representative of couples in other cultures. Additionally, the study only covered a period of two years, which is relatively short in the context of long-term relationships. More extended studies would be needed to understand the long-term impact of relationship beliefs fully.

“Major caveats include the need for further research to establish causal relationships and the potential for other unmeasured variables to influence the observed effects,” Gander noted. “Thus, while we know that those who do believe that ‘love grows with effort” are less inclined to experience a decrease in their relationship satisfaction, we do not know whether this belief is indeed the driving force.

“We would love to see (or conduct) intervention studies in which we try to actively alter the beliefs of couples to see if growth beliefs in couples can causally improve relationship satisfaction, and potentially applying these findings in couples therapy.”

In addition, “encouraging further examination of different beliefs about the world and their longitudinal effects could be beneficial for understanding how we approach challenges and personal development,” Gander added.

The study, “The role of relationship beliefs in predicting levels and changes of relationship satisfaction,” was authored by Fabian Gander, Maximiliane Uhlich, Alex Christoph Traut, Marcelle Ariane Saameli, Janina Larissa Bühler, Rebekka Weidmann, and Alexander Grob.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/effort-or-destiny-beliefs-about-love-predict-relationship-satisfaction-over-time/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 07, 2024 at 12:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Poor students perform worse on math questions about money and food, study shows

URL: https://www.psypost.org/poor-students-perform-worse-on-math-questions-about-money-and-food-study-shows/

A recent large-scale study involving over 5 million students from 58 countries examined whether the content of math test questions could unintentionally disadvantage students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. The study found that math problems related to money, food, and social interactions, which were assumed to be more relatable for low socioeconomic status students, actually hindered their performance compared to students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. The research was published in npj Science of Learning.

Socioeconomic status is an individual’s or family’s social and economic position within society. It is assessed by combining income, education level, and occupation of an individual or their family members. This status influences many aspects of life, including access to resources and opportunities, which significantly impact educational outcomes.

Children from families with higher socioeconomic status tend to perform better at school and demonstrate superior academic performance overall. Scientists explain this by the fact that children from these families have access to better tutoring, more enriching educational activities, more supportive environments, stable housing, and better healthcare. All of these factors contribute to cognitive development and academic success.

On the other hand, children from families with low socioeconomic status often have limited access to education, experience more stress due to everyday challenges, and have fewer opportunities for academic enrichment.

Study author Marjolein Muskens and her colleagues note that in countries worldwide, math tests play a critical role in determining certification and admission to secondary and tertiary education. Such tests are often pivotal in shaping a student’s academic and professional future. Math tests are among the tests where children from families with high socio-economic status tend to perform better than children from families with low-socioeconomic status.

The researchers wanted to find out whether this difference might be reduced if tasks used in the math test contained contents that were closer to everyday challenges faced by children from low socioeconomic backgrounds. They describe how families with low socioeconomic status depend more on other people for their basic needs. Due to this, people with low socioeconomic status tend to be more attuned to other people. They may also prioritize external social factors (e.g., wishes of their surroundings) over internal, individual factors (e.g., their own preferences). Because of these social dynamics, these children might perform better on math tasks that refer to their everyday challenges. The study aimed to test whether this assumption held true.

The researchers analyzed data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS) from 2007 and 2011. Data came from 58 countries and included over 5 million children in grades 4 and 8.

The study authors identified math tasks within this dataset that they considered particularly relevant for children from families with low socioeconomic status. These were tasks that involved money, food, or social interactions. They called them “low-socioeconomic status ecologically relevant content.” The researchers categorized all other available math tasks as neutral regarding socioeconomic status. They then statistically compared the performance of children from families with different socioeconomic statuses on these targeted tasks.

Contrary to the study authors’ expectations, children from the lowest socioeconomic status families performed 16% worse in grade 8 and 18% worse in grade 4 on these items compared to children from the highest socioeconomic status families. The performance gap was most pronounced on tasks about food (where low socioeconomic status children scored 22% lower) and least pronounced on tasks about social interactions (where low socioeconomic status children scored 12% lower).

“Our study provides an important contribution to investigating sources of social inequality in education by showing that content in math items related to money, food, and social interaction may contribute to unintended biases in math tests for students from low-SES [low socioeconomic status] backgrounds,” the study authors concluded.

“This raises the question of whether items with this content should be avoided in math tests. Simply excluding items with this type of content from tests is neither desirable nor feasible. In addition, since equipping students with critical life skills is an important goal of elementary education worldwide, conceptual and procedural understanding of money is a crucial part of what students need to learn. Consequently, when the goal of a math test is to assess the ability to engage in monetary transactions, omitting items with money is not feasible as well. Therefore, it is important to design interventions that could reduce or remove the bias of this content.”

The study sheds light on the links between socioeconomic status and performance on specific types of math tasks. However, the authors note that students with the lowest socioeconomic status often had missing data about their parents’ education. To address this, the researchers used the reported number of books at home as an indicator of socioeconomic status, which might have somewhat affected the socioeconomic status classifications.

The paper, “Math items about real-world content lower test-scores of students from families with low socioeconomic status,” was authored by Marjolein Muskens, Willem E. Frankenhuis, and Lex Borghans.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/poor-students-perform-worse-on-math-questions-about-money-and-food-study-shows/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 07, 2024 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Sexting doesn’t lead to mental health problems in teens, study finds

URL: https://www.psypost.org/sexting-doesnt-lead-to-mental-health-problems-in-teens-study-finds/

Recent research published in the Journal of Adolescent Health has found that sexting does not contribute to an increase in depression symptoms or conduct problems among adolescents over time. This finding suggests that efforts to reduce sexting among young people may not prevent mental health issues as previously thought.

Adolescence is a pivotal developmental period marked by significant physical, emotional, and social changes. With the advent of digital media, communication methods have evolved, making digital platforms a significant arena for sexual socialization among teenagers. Sexting, which involves sending and receiving sexually explicit messages or images, has become more common as smartphone use has increased.

There have been growing concerns that sexting might be linked to mental health problems among adolescents. However, previous research has primarily relied on cross-sectional studies, which only capture a snapshot in time and cannot account for pre-existing differences between those who sext and those who do not.

“A range of studies have shown that sexting is negatively associated to mental health. However, the findings are mostly based on cross-sectional data, which cannot be used to rule out whether sexting causes mental health problems or if specific individuals are more prone to both participate in sexting and have poorer mental health,” said study author Lars Roar Frøyland, a senior researcher at Norwegian Social Research (NOVA) at the Oslo Metropolitan University.

“In our study, we were able to use a strong methodological design following the same individuals over time, thus enabling analyses which better can disentangle cause and effect. Our main motivation to study the topic was to utilize this methodological strength to provide more sound knowledge on the long-term association between sexting and mental health.”

The study utilized data from the MyLife study, a longitudinal research project examining health and development among Norwegian adolescents. The sample consisted of 3,000 adolescents, aged 15 to 19, who participated in at least one of three assessment periods from 2019 to 2021. The researchers measured sexting, depression symptoms, and conduct problems at each time point using standardized questionnaires.

Sexting was assessed through questions about sending or sharing sexual photographs or videos, with responses ranging from “never” to “every day or almost every day.” Depression symptoms were measured using a modified version of the Patient Health Questionnaire for adolescents, which includes items on low mood, sleep problems, and lack of energy. Conduct problems were assessed with questions about behaviors like stealing, bullying, and destroying property.

The study found that the proportion of adolescents engaging in sexting varied over time. For girls, 30.5% reported sexting at the first time point, 36.7% at the second, and 33.7% at the third. For boys, the figures were 33.1%, 29.9%, and 21.6%, respectively. Depression symptoms were generally higher among girls, while conduct problems were more common among boys.

Using a statistical method called the random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM), the researchers were able to separate individual differences from within-person effects over time. This method helps to determine whether changes in one variable predict changes in another within the same person.

The results showed no significant within-person effects of sexting on depression symptoms for either girls or boys. In other words, adolescents who increased their sexting behavior did not experience higher levels of depression compared to their usual levels. For girls, conduct problems at one time point were associated with increased sexting at the next time point, suggesting that conduct problems might lead to more sexting rather than the other way around.

“The study demonstrates that sexting does not contribute to increases in depression symptoms and conduct problems among adolescents over time,” Frøyland told PsyPost. “Accordingly, efforts to reduce sexting may not prevent mental health problems among young people. Practitioners should thus focus on educating adolescents on how to perform safe and responsible sexting.”

While this study provides valuable insights, it is not without limitations. One major limitation is that the questionnaire did not distinguish between consensual and non-consensual sexting. This distinction is crucial because non-consensual sexting, such as coercion or sharing without consent, could have different mental health impacts compared to consensual sexting.

“We cannot rule out that non-consensual sexting may negatively impact mental health while consensual does not,” Frøyland noted. “However, we mean that the methodological strength of the study outweighs this potential caveats.”

“I hope to be able to continue this line of research, both regarding the consensual use of digital media in adolescent sexuality and sexual violations associated with digital media. It should be expected that adolescents will continue to use digital media for sexual purposes, so we need to develop knowledge enabling them both to do this in a safe manner and to help them not violate others when doing this.”

The study, “Sexting and Mental Health in Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study,” was authored by Roar Frøyland, Rikke Tokle, Jasmina Burdzovic Andreas, and Geir Scott Brunborg.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/sexting-doesnt-lead-to-mental-health-problems-in-teens-study-finds/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 06, 2024 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Unhappy lives linked to recent rise of right-wing populism in Europe

URL: https://www.psypost.org/unhappy-lives-linked-to-recent-rise-of-right-wing-populism-in-europe/

A recent study published in the American Behavioral Scientist has shed light on the link between life dissatisfaction and the rise of right-wing populist movements in Europe. By analyzing survey data from 14 countries collected between 2012 and 2018, researchers found that individuals who are dissatisfied with their lives are more likely to hold negative views on immigration and distrust political institutions, which in turn increases their likelihood of supporting right-wing populist parties.

The researchers aimed to understand the psychological underpinnings of the growing support for right-wing populist parties across Europe. Previous studies have suggested that economic insecurity and cultural changes contribute to the success of these parties, but the role of personal dissatisfaction with life had not been systematically explored.

The researchers hypothesized that life dissatisfaction might be an important factor linking economic and cultural discontent to support for populist parties. By examining this link, they hoped to uncover a more comprehensive understanding of the motivations behind right-wing populist voting.

The study used data from the European Social Survey, which included responses from over 54,000 individuals across 14 countries: Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Only those who reported voting in the last national election were included in the analysis. The researchers focused on responses related to life satisfaction, political trust, attitudes towards immigration, and voting behavior.

Participants rated their life satisfaction on a scale from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction. Political trust was measured by asking respondents to evaluate their trust in various political institutions, while attitudes towards immigration were assessed through questions about the perceived impact of immigration on the economy, culture, and society. The main outcome of interest was whether participants voted for a right-wing populist party in the most recent national election.

The study revealed a significant association between life dissatisfaction and support for right-wing populist parties. Specifically, individuals in the lowest quartile of life satisfaction were almost twice as likely to vote for these parties compared to those in the highest quartile. This relationship held even after controlling for other factors such as age, gender, education, economic insecurity, and health.

Additionally, the researchers found that life dissatisfaction indirectly influenced right-wing populist voting through two key attitudes: political distrust and anti-immigration sentiment. Dissatisfied individuals were more likely to distrust political institutions and view immigration negatively, which in turn increased their likelihood of voting for right-wing populist parties. Notably, anti-immigration sentiment emerged as the stronger of the two mediators.

The study also found some variation across countries. For instance, the direct link between life dissatisfaction and right-wing populist voting was not significant in countries like Hungary and Italy, suggesting that contextual factors may influence this relationship. However, in most countries, anti-immigration sentiment consistently served as a critical path through which life dissatisfaction translated into support for right-wing populist parties.

While the study provides valuable insights, it also has several limitations. The cross-sectional design of the survey data means that causal relationships cannot be definitively established. The findings suggest associations, but they do not prove that life dissatisfaction causes individuals to vote for right-wing populist parties. Future research using longitudinal data would help to confirm these causal pathways.

The study, “Life Dissatisfaction and the Right-Wing Populist Vote: Evidence from the European Social Survey,” was authored by Annika Lindholm, Georg Lutz, and Eva G. T. Green.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/unhappy-lives-linked-to-recent-rise-of-right-wing-populism-in-europe/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 06, 2024 at 02:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: BDSM among childhood abuse survivors: Researchers weigh the benefits and risks

URL: https://www.psypost.org/bdsm-among-childhood-abuse-survivors-researchers-weigh-the-benefits-and-risks/

A recent paper published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy explores the relationship between BDSM and childhood sexual abuse (CSA). The findings suggest that for some individuals, engaging in BDSM may serve as a means of processing and healing from past trauma. But it also carries risks of retraumatization.

CSA affects millions of children worldwide. Defined by the World Health Organization as the involvement of a child in sexual activity they cannot fully comprehend or consent to, it often involves an abuse of power and trust by an adult or older child. The psychological impacts of CSA are profound and long-lasting, often extending into adulthood. Survivors frequently struggle with severe anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and low self-esteem.

BDSM refers to a variety of practices and role-playing activities involving bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, sadism, and masochism. These activities are characterized by consensual power dynamics and often involve the use of pain to enhance sexual gratification. Central to ethical BDSM practices is the principle of mutual consent, where all participants agree to the boundaries and activities involved.

“Our interest originated from our clinical practice with survivors, and with questions raised by professionals who wonder how to react toward BDSM practices in trauma survivors,” explained Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan, a senior faculty member at the School of Social Work at the University of Haifa and a certified sex therapist.

“We aim to better understand the unconscious mechanisms that might be at play and the potential therapeutic functions of BDSM practices among CSA victims. Given the profound and long-lasting effects of CSA, it is crucial to investigate all possible avenues for healing and processing trauma, including those that are less conventional and more stigmatized.”

Reviewing prior studies, the researchers found that while there is some evidence suggesting a higher prevalence of trauma among BDSM practitioners, the data is inconsistent. Some studies indicate that individuals who engage in BDSM report PTSD and trauma-related scores similar to the general population. For instance, one study among Australian respondents revealed no significant relationship between BDSM practices and experiences of sexual abuse.

Another study among participants in Finnish BDSM clubs showed a higher prevalence of CSA compared to the general population, but the majority of BDSM practitioners did not report such a history. This suggests that while a subset of BDSM practitioners might have experienced trauma, it is not a defining characteristic for most individuals in the community.

For some survivors of CSA, engaging in BDSM could offer a pathway to reclaim control and reframe their traumatic experiences, the researcher noted. Through the principles of safe, sane, and consensual practices, BDSM allows survivors to set boundaries, negotiate power dynamics, and explore their bodies in a controlled and consensual environment.

This can lead to a form of trauma-play where survivors deliberately revisit their trauma from a position of strength and agency. The process involves repetition and rescripting, where the negative emotions associated with past trauma are transformed into pleasurable sensations and feelings of mastery.

On the other hand, the researchers also investigated scenarios where BDSM practices might reproduce traumatic experiences for survivors of CSA. They found that the intense power dynamics and physical sensations inherent in BDSM can sometimes mirror the traumatic experiences of abuse.

For instance, consensual role-play involving control and submission might evoke memories of past non-consensual situations, leading to psychological harm. Additionally, if BDSM activities do not adhere strictly to consent boundaries, survivors might struggle to assert their limits, potentially re-experiencing feelings of powerlessness and violation.

The researchers noted that dissociation, a common coping mechanism for trauma survivors, could be invoked during BDSM activities, further complicating the individual’s ability to distinguish between consensual play and past abuse. Dissociation is a psychological coping mechanism where an individual detaches from their thoughts, feelings, or sense of identity to distance themselves from overwhelming experiences. Thus, while BDSM can be empowering for some, it can also inadvertently retraumatize others.

The paper highlights “that the relationship between BDSM and CSA is multifaceted and complex,” Gewirtz-Meydan told PsyPost. “BDSM practices can potentially serve as a medium for trauma survivors to reclaim control, explore boundaries, and reshape their relationship with their bodies in a consensual and safe environment. However, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution and should be approached with careful consideration and professional guidance.”

The findings should be interpreted with caution and seen as preliminary insights into a complex and evolving field due to several factors. First, the existing research on the relationship between BDSM and CSA is sparse and often inconsistent, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions.

“A significant caveat is the lack of sufficient empirical data to robustly support the clinical perspectives proposed,” Gewirtz-Meydan said. “The varied definitions and understandings of BDSM add complexity, and the motivations of CSA survivors engaging in BDSM are not fully understood. Furthermore, there is limited research on the potential risks and the possibility of re-traumatization for CSA survivors engaging in BDSM practices.”

Despite this, the review emphasizes the importance of clinicians handling the topic of BDSM with care and not automatically treating it as something abnormal or wrong.

“It is crucial for clinicians to approach this topic with sensitivity and avoid pathologizing BDSM practices,” Gewirtz-Meydan said. “Understanding the therapeutic potential of BDSM and fostering open, non-judgmental conversations about it can contribute to destigmatizing and empowering trauma survivors.”

“Our long-term goals include conducting more comprehensive empirical studies to understand the different trajectories that may lead CSA survivors to engage in BDSM and the impacts of these practices. We aim to provide clearer clinical guidelines for therapists working with survivors who are inclined towards BDSM and to explore the broader applications of BDSM as a potential therapeutic tool for various types of trauma.”

The study, “The Complex Interplay between BDSM and Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Form of Repetition and Dissociation or a Path Toward Processing and Healing?“, was authored by Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan, Natacha Godbout, Cloé Canivet, Tal Peleg-Sagy, and David Lafortune.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/bdsm-among-childhood-abuse-survivors-researchers-weigh-the-benefits-and-risks/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 06, 2024 at 12:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Borderline personality and depression: New findings show gender differences in adolescents

URL: https://www.psypost.org/borderline-personality-and-depression-new-findings-show-gender-differences-in-adolescents/

A recent study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research has revealed a complex relationship between borderline personality traits and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents. The study, conducted over two years with middle school students, found that the presence of borderline personality traits can predict depressive symptoms and vice versa, buth with notable differences between boys and girls.

Adolescence is a period marked by significant changes—biological, emotional, cognitive, and social. This stage of development can increase vulnerability to mental health issues, particularly depression. Research indicates that around one-third of adolescents worldwide may experience depressive symptoms, with figures in China ranging from 17.9% to 25.8%. Amid various factors that contribute to adolescent depression, borderline personality disorder has often been overlooked.

Characterized by instability in emotions, identity, and relationships, borderline personality disorder can significantly impact mental health. Prior studies have shown a link between borderline personality traits and depressive symptoms, but whether this relationship is one-way or reciprocal remains unclear. This study aimed to clarify this relationship and explore whether gender influences these dynamics.

The researchers selected seventh-grade students from a middle school in Huaibei City, Anhui Province, China, for a longitudinal study. The first wave of the survey was conducted in September 2019, and the second wave followed in September 2021. Students completed self-report questionnaires that assessed their demographic information, depressive symptoms, and borderline personality traits. Only those who completed both surveys were included, resulting in a final sample of 1,608 students.

The questionnaires were administered by trained investigators without the presence of teachers to ensure confidentiality and independent responses. The Center for Childhood Epidemiology Research Depression Scale (CES-DC) was used to measure depressive symptoms, and the Chinese version of the Borderline Personality Profile Scale for Children (BPFS-C) assessed borderline personality traits. Both scales demonstrated high reliability, with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients indicating good internal consistency.

The study found intriguing patterns in the relationship between borderline personality traits and depressive symptoms. Overall, depressive symptoms and borderline personality traits decreased between the first and second survey waves. However, boys showed lower scores for both conditions compared to girls.

The analysis revealed a bidirectional relationship between borderline personality traits and depressive symptoms in boys: borderline traits predicted depressive symptoms two years later, and vice versa. For girls, the relationship was different; while borderline traits predicted future depressive symptoms, depressive symptoms did not predict future borderline traits.

Despite its significant findings, the study has several limitations. For instance, the sample was drawn from a single middle school, which may limit the generalizability of the results to other populations. In addition, the reliance on self-reported data introduces the possibility of response bias.

“Given the lack of research on bidirectional associations and gender differences between adolescent [borderline personality traits] and depressive symptoms, the specific reasons for these findings should be explored in more longitudinal studies in the future,” the researchers wrote.

The study, “Bidirectional relationship between borderline personality features and depressive symptoms in early adolescence: A school-based cohort study,” was authored by Shaojie Wang, Lulu Fang, Yuan Li, Leilei Cao, Gengfu Wang, Juan Chen, and Puyu Su.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/borderline-personality-and-depression-new-findings-show-gender-differences-in-adolescents/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 06, 2024 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Better weekend sleep leads to less exhaustion during workweek, research shows

URL: https://www.psypost.org/better-weekend-sleep-leads-to-less-exhaustion-during-workweek-research-shows/

A recent study of employees in Germany found that higher sleep quality during weekends was associated with slightly lower levels of exhaustion during the workweek. These employees were better able to refocus on their work on Mondays, setting a positive tone for the entire week. The paper was published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior.

Typically, employees work from Monday to Friday and then enjoy two days of leisure on the weekend. After these days of relaxation, Monday, the first day of the workweek, demands a return to focus on work tasks, potentially making Monday the most unpopular day of the week, as the days of leisure and rest come to an end.

On Monday, employees need to undergo a process called psychological reattachment, which means they need to mentally reconnect to work. This involves thinking about their work-related goals again before actually starting work. Previous studies have emphasized the importance of mentally disconnecting from work for one’s well-being, but the topic of mentally reconnecting to work after leisure days has not been studied extensively.

Study author Jette Völker and her colleagues aimed to explore the role of sleep quality in mental reattachment to work after leisure days and its links to exhaustion at work and work task performance. They hypothesized that employees would report better reattachment to work on Mondays following weekends when they experienced higher-quality sleep. Conversely, weekends with catch-up sleep (sleep that compensates for previous lack of sleep) or disrupted natural sleep times due to social obligations and activities (social sleep lag) would be followed by lower levels of reattachment to work on Monday. Further, employees with higher-than-usual reattachment on Monday would experience lower levels of exhaustion and higher task performance during the workweek.

To test these hypotheses, the researchers conducted a weekly diary study with 310 employed individuals from Germany. The sample was predominantly female (81%), with an average age of 41 years. A majority (55%) held university degrees, and 77% lived without children in their households.

For five weeks, study participants answered surveys on Mondays and Fridays. On Mondays, they reported on their sleep during the weekend and mental reattachment to work. On Fridays, participants reported on their workweek exhaustion and task performance.

Results showed that weekends when participants slept better were indeed followed by better reattachment on Monday. In contrast, more catch-up sleep tended to be followed by lower reattachment on Monday. This was not the case with social sleep lag (having to go to sleep or wake up outside one’s natural pattern due to social obligations). Lower reattachment on Monday was associated with higher levels of exhaustion during the workweek, but was not linked to worse task performance.

“Our findings suggest that high-quality sleep during the weekend can be beneficial, but catching up on sleep during the weekend can be detrimental to Monday reattachment and, in turn, indirectly to workweek exhaustion. Accordingly, we demonstrate that Monday reattachment can set the tone for the entire workweek, but the capability to reattach depends on weekend sleep as a core recovery process,” the study authors concluded.

The study highlights the importance of weekend sleep quality for feelings of exhaustion during the workweek. However, the study relied solely on self-reports, which required participants to remember how they slept on previous days of the week, something people easily forget. Results might differ if objective measures of sleep quality were used.

The paper, “It is Monday again: Weekend sleep differentially relates to the workweek via reattachment on Monday,” was authored by Jette Völker, Monika Wiegelmann, Theresa J. S. Koch, and Sabine Sonnentag.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/better-weekend-sleep-leads-to-less-exhaustion-during-workweek-research-shows/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 06, 2024 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Vulnerable narcissism predicts bullying behaviors in women, study finds

URL: https://www.psypost.org/vulnerable-narcissism-predicts-bullying-behaviors-in-women-study-finds/

A recent study published in the journal Sex Roles sheds light on a lesser-known aspect of bullying behavior among women. The research reveals that expressions of vulnerable narcissism, rather than grandiose narcissism, play a significant role in predicting verbal, physical, and indirect bullying.

Narcissism, a personality trait marked by grandiosity, entitlement, and a lack of empathy, is often divided into two types: grandiose and vulnerable. Grandiose narcissism is characterized by extraversion, dominance, and a need for admiration. In contrast, vulnerable narcissism involves introversion, hypersensitivity, and psychological distress.

Previous studies have predominantly focused on grandiose narcissism, which is more common in men. However, less is known about how these traits manifest in women, especially in the context of bullying. The new study aimed to fill this gap by examining the relationship between narcissism and bullying among adult women.

“We were interested in this topic because narcissism is a modern epidemic, yet little is known about narcissism in women. There is also limited research on adult bullying in friendships and the role narcissism plays in this,” said study author Ava Green, a lecturer in forensic psychology at City University of London.

“Part of this relates to the need to use gender-inclusive assessments of narcissism that move beyond traditional male- centric frameworks. Our research addresses this gap and identifies risk markers of bullying perpetration in narcissistic women; findings which can be used to inform future anti-bullying prevention programmes.”

“Narcissism is a complex personality trait. We all exhibit narcissistic features to varying degrees, which can be expressed in both grandiose and vulnerable forms,” Green explained. “Individuals who exhibit more grandiose features are self-assured and socially dominant whereas individuals who exhibit more vulnerable features are introverted and have lower self- esteem. Both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism share an antagonistic core, demonstrated by high levels of entitlement and willingness to exploit others.”

“Gender socialization practices further shape the expression of grandiose features which overlap with masculinity (assertiveness, authoritarian character style, overt superiority) and vulnerable features which overlap with femininity (hypersensitivity, neuroticism, inhibition). As expected, in our study we found women scored significantly higher on vulnerable narcissism than grandiose narcissism.”

For their study, the researchers recruited 314 women aged 18 to 76 from social media platforms and the participant pool at City University of London. These participants were asked to complete an online survey that included demographic questions, the Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI), and a bullying questionnaire.

The bullying questionnaire assessed three types of bullying behaviors: physical, verbal, and indirect (e.g., spreading rumors). Participants indicated how often they had engaged in these behaviors in their friendships on a six-point scale.

The study found that women with higher levels of vulnerable narcissism were more likely to engage in physical and verbal bullying. In contrast, grandiose narcissism was positively related to bullying but did not uniquely predict bullying behavior when both types of narcissism were considered together.

For example, 10% of the variance in physical bullying was explained by vulnerable narcissism, while grandiose narcissism accounted for less than 1%. Similar patterns were observed for verbal bullying, where vulnerable narcissism uniquely accounted for 3.2% of the variance.

“Bullying in women has often been associated with indirect, relational aggression (social ostracism of peers, manipulation, spreading vicious rumours). When taking into consideration vulnerable narcissistic features, women enact overt and physical forms of bullying too,” Green told PsyPost.

“At first glance, it may be conceivable to interpret the overt forms of bullying as indicative of women exhibiting traits (overt superiority, entitlement, and assertiveness) that do not conform with their expected gender norms. However, although narcissistic women appear to aggress in similar ways as narcissistic men, women’s vulnerable presentation of narcissism may be a more effective disguise to express violence in both indirect and direct ways to acquire and preserve power in friendships, whilst minimising risks regarding violations of normative expressions (Green et al., 2019; 2020b, 2022). These gendered risk markers may reflect developmental and socialised differences whereby narcissistic women use more tactful and subtle means in their strive for power and status (Green et al., 2019; 2020b).”

Interestingly, a facet of vulnerable narcissism known as “devaluing” was a significant predictor of both verbal and indirect bullying. This facet reflects a dependency on others for admiration and anger when these expectations are not met.

“Female narcissism is an under-researched area, but our findings suggest it should not be overlooked,” Green explained. “We found that women exhibiting higher levels of vulnerable narcissistic traits, but not grandiose traits, were significantly more likely to report enacting physical bullying (‘I forcefully pushed someone’) and verbal forms of bullying (‘I threatened to harm another person’) towards their peers.”

“More specifically, greater endorsement of traits reflective of devaluing others (‘I sometimes feel ashamed about my expectations of others when they disappoint me’) were positively associated with verbal and indirect bullying (‘I have spread negative rumours about someone that may or may not have been true’).”

As with all research, however, there are some caveats to consider. The study relied on self-reported data, which can be biased by social desirability. Because of this, bullying might have been underreported. Including measures to control for this social desirability biases in future research would strengthen the findings. The study also did not collect data on the gender of the bullying targets, which might have affected participants’ responses. Future research should explore if indirect or direct bullying varies based on the target’s gender.

Nevertheless, the findings of this study have significant implications for understanding and addressing bullying among women. In future research, Green hopes “to identify risk markers that can inform future interventions,” ultimately helping to reduce bullying behaviors among narcissistic women.

The study, “Mean Girls in Disguise? Associations Between Vulnerable Narcissism and Perpetration of Bullying Among Women,” was authored by Ava Green and Claire M. Hart.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/vulnerable-narcissism-predicts-bullying-behaviors-in-women-study-finds/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 06, 2024 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Scientists discover “Super Synchronizers” with heightened romantic appeal

URL: https://www.psypost.org/scientists-discover-super-synchronizers-with-heightened-romantic-appeal/

A recent study published in Communications Psychology has found that some individuals, referred to as “Super Synchronizers,” have a unique ability to synchronize their physiological responses with others across various social and non-social tasks. These individuals are perceived as more attractive. This suggests that the ability to synchronize might play a significant role in human romantic attraction.

Physiological synchrony refers to the phenomenon where the physiological responses of two individuals align or mirror each other during social interactions. This can include synchrony in heart rates, respiration, hormone levels, and other autonomic functions. When two people are in sync, their bodies reflect this harmony through matched rhythms in these various biological processes.

Previous research has established the importance of physiological synchrony in various social contexts. Studies have shown that synchrony between romantic partners can enhance feelings of closeness and relationship satisfaction. For example, partners whose heart rates or respiratory patterns align during interactions tend to report higher levels of intimacy and cooperation. Physiological synchrony has also been observed in parent-infant interactions.

Despite the prior findings on physiological synchrony, several critical questions remain unanswered, prompting the need for new research. One major gap is understanding whether synchrony actively drives attraction or if it is merely a byproduct of existing attraction. In other words, do people become more synchronized because they are already attracted to each other, or does increased synchrony itself enhance attraction?

“In my lab, we study the biological mechanisms that glue two individuals together in close bonds. In this study, we aimed to discover a biological mechanism that impacts mate selection in humans and how the ability to synchronize can signify fitness,” said study author Shir Atzil, the director of the Bonding Neuroscience Lab and an assistant professor at Hebrew University.

The researchers first conducted an online experiment to explore the relationship between physiological synchrony and attractiveness. They recruited 144 participants, who were shown a 92-second video featuring a man and a woman interacting. These interactions were designed to exhibit either high or low levels of synchrony. The high synchrony condition involved actors being attuned and responsive to each other, while the low synchrony condition had them act more independently and less influenced by their partner.

Participants were randomly assigned to watch one of these two types of interactions. After viewing the video, participants rated the attractiveness of the man and the woman separately and their perceived mutual attraction.

The results showed that participants rated both the actors and their perceived mutual attraction higher in the high synchrony condition compared to the low synchrony condition. This demonstrated that synchrony between individuals during interactions could enhance their perceived attractiveness, suggesting that synchrony might play an active role in eliciting attraction rather than being merely a consequence of it.

Next, the researchers conducted a speed-dating experiment to investigate physiological synchrony’s role in real-life romantic settings. Forty-eight participants (24 men and 24 women) participated in a series of speed dates. Each participant met with four different partners for five-minute dates conducted in a room set up to resemble a comfortable, home-like environment. During these dates, participants wore Empatica E4 wristbands that measured their electrodermal activity, providing a continuous record of their physiological arousal levels.

Before each date, participants rated their initial interest in their partner. After each date, they rated their level of attraction to their partner. These ratings were averaged across all dates to calculate each participant’s Individual Romantic Attractiveness Scores. Additionally, the wristband data was used to compute each participant’s Individual Electrodermal Synchrony Scores by calculating the correlation between the electrodermal activity levels of each pair during their dates.

In addition to the speed dates, participants completed a finger-tapping task designed to measure nonsocial synchrony. In this task, participants tapped their fingers in time with a metronome, allowing the researchers to assess their ability to synchronize with an external, non-human rhythm.

The researchers found that some individuals consistently exhibited higher levels of synchrony, regardless of their partner or the task. These “Super Synchronizers” were rated as more attractive by their speed-dating partners.

Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between an individual’s ability to synchronize in the social context of speed dating and their performance in the nonsocial finger-tapping task. This suggested that the ability to synchronize might be a general trait that influences attractiveness across different types of interactions.

“We discovered that the ability to synchronize is stable across tasks and across partners. Some people are Super Synchronizers, and Super Synchronizers are consistently rated as more attractive. Being sensitive to a partner and attuning to them can help promote romantic bonding. This is because synchronized physiological states can improve regulation across various bodily systems, making interactions more fulfilling and suggesting cognitive and evolutionary advantages.”

This study provides compelling evidence that physiological synchrony plays a significant role in romantic attraction. But as with all research, there are some caveats to consider. While the researchers manipulated synchrony in the online experiment, the speed-dating experiment relied on natural interactions, making it difficult to establish a causal relationship between synchrony and attraction definitively. Future research could attempt to manipulate synchrony during actual dates to see its effects on romantic interest and long-term relationship outcomes.

Looking forward, Atzil and her colleagues also plan to conduct additional research to “characterize Super Synchronizers and their neural, behavioral, and physiological profile.”

The study, “Social and nonsocial synchrony are interrelated and romantically attractive,” was authored by Matan Cohen, Maayan Abargil, and Shir Atzil.
M. Cohen, M. Abargil, M. Ahissar & S. Atzil

URL: https://www.psypost.org/scientists-discover-super-synchronizers-with-heightened-romantic-appeal/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 05, 2024 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: High blood pressure and stiff arteries linked to cognitive issues in adolescents, study finds

URL: https://www.psypost.org/high-blood-pressure-and-stiff-arteries-linked-to-cognitive-issues-in-adolescents-study-finds/

A recent study published in Physiological Reports reveals that adolescents with high blood pressure and stiff arteries tend to have poorer cognitive functions. Specifically, young people with elevated blood pressure performed worse in attention and learning tasks, while those with stiffer arteries exhibited weaker working memory. This finding sheds light on an important, yet often overlooked, aspect of adolescent health.

While previous studies have demonstrated a link between arterial health and cognitive decline in adults, little was known about how these factors interact during adolescence—a critical period for brain development. The team aimed to explore whether physical activity or sedentary behavior could influence these associations and if there were any differences between boys and girls.

The study utilized data from the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) study, a long-term research project conducted in Kuopio, Finland. The PANIC study originally invited 736 children aged 6-9 to participate, with 512 children joining the initial baseline examinations. After eight years, the researchers had follow-up data for 277 adolescents. For this particular study, they focused on 116 adolescents (71 boys and 45 girls) who had complete data on arterial health, cognitive function, and physical activity.

The researchers measured arterial stiffness using a device that calculates pulse wave velocity, the speed at which blood pressure pulses travel through the arteries. Higher speeds indicate stiffer arteries. They also measured the thickness of the carotid artery walls and blood pressure levels. Cognitive function was assessed using the CogState test battery, which evaluates various mental abilities such as attention, memory, and learning.

Physical activity and sedentary time were measured using a combined heart rate and movement sensor, which participants wore continuously for at least four days. This sensor provided detailed data on how much time each participant spent in different levels of physical activity, from light to vigorous, as well as their overall sedentary time.

The study found several key associations between arterial health and cognitive function. Adolescents with higher systolic blood pressure— the pressure in blood vessels when the heart beats—tended to have poorer overall cognitive function. This finding remained consistent even after accounting for factors like age, sex, parental education, body fat percentage, and pubertal status. Specifically, higher blood pressure was linked to worse performance in tasks that measured attention and learning.

Arterial stiffness, indicated by higher pulse wave velocity, was associated with weaker working memory. Interestingly, this association varied between boys and girls. For boys, higher arterial stiffness was related to better attention and working memory, while for girls, it was linked to poorer working memory. This difference highlights the importance of considering sex-specific factors in health research.

The researchers also looked into whether physical activity or sedentary behavior influenced these associations. They found that neither physical activity nor sedentary time significantly altered the relationship between arterial health and cognitive function. This suggests that the direct impact of arterial health on cognitive abilities may be more important than previously thought.

While the study used robust methods to measure arterial health and cognitive function, it did not directly measure brain structures or functions. Thus, the exact mechanisms linking arterial health to cognitive performance remain speculative. The researchers hypothesize that high blood pressure and arterial stiffness could impair cerebral blood flow or damage small blood vessels in the brain, but further studies are needed to confirm this.

“Our findings underscore the importance of preventing high blood pressure and arterial stiffening to promote cognitive and brain health in young people. However, we did observe some contradictory associations,” said doctoral researcher Petri Jalanko from the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä.

“The study provides insight into how blood pressure and arterial stiffness are linked to cognitive function. However, to establish a definitive cause-and-effect relationship between arterial health and brain health, and to determine whether increasing physical activity or reducing sedentary time can mitigate the negative effects of poor arterial health on cognition, further randomized controlled trials with appropriate control groups and advanced brain imaging techniques are necessary.”

The study, “Association between arterial health and cognition in adolescents: The PANIC study,” was authored by Petri Jalanko, Bert Bond, Jari A. Laukkanen, Soren Brage, Ulf Ekelund, Tomi Laitinen, Sara Määttä, Mika Kähönen, Eero A. Haapala, and Timo A. Lakka.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/high-blood-pressure-and-stiff-arteries-linked-to-cognitive-issues-in-adolescents-study-finds/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 05, 2024 at 10:02AM
SOURCE: Psychiatric Times
.
Actual article link at end of text block below.
.
A recent study shows that people are often given misleading information about depression, making it harder for people to understand their distress. https://t.co/cAnhseElyG https://t.co/rw9lmtXyyX
.
Articles can be found at https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/news

.  
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: <https://www.clinicians-exchange.org>  
.  
NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @[email protected]   
.  
 #psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #psychotherapist
psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 05, 2024 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Virtual reality emerges as a promising tool in depression treatment

URL: https://www.psypost.org/virtual-reality-emerges-as-a-promising-tool-in-depression-treatment/

A new study published in JMIR Mental Health highlights the potential of virtual reality in the treatment of major depressive disorder. The study found that virtual reality can be an effective tool in reducing depressive symptoms, performing comparably to traditional methods of behavioral activation therapy.

Major depressive disorder is a growing global concern, with significant impacts on health and economic burdens. Traditional therapies for depression, such as behavioral activation, are effective but often inaccessible due to various barriers, including financial constraints, physical limitations, and a lack of trained providers.

Behavioral activation is based on the idea that depression is linked to a cycle of avoidance and withdrawal from pleasurable or meaningful activities. By intentionally scheduling and engaging in activities that promote enjoyment or a sense of accomplishment, individuals can break this cycle, improve their mood, and reduce depressive symptoms.

Virtual reality offers a potential solution to the accessibility issues associated with this form of therapy. By immersing patients in engaging and controlled virtual environments, it can provide therapeutic experiences that might otherwise be unattainable in real life.

“I was originally interested in this topic given that depression is such a common and debilitating mental health issue with many barriers to treatment,” said study author Margot Paul, a clinical assistant professor at the Stanford Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

“Dr. Kim Bullock and I recognized that while extended reality (XR) has been used to treat a variety of mental health disorders (i.e. anxiety and PTSD), very few studies had considered its use in the treatment of depression. We recognized that in using XR to treat depression, this could eliminate some of the barriers to care.”

The study aimed to test the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of an extended reality-enhanced behavioral activation protocol (XR-BA) compared to traditional behavioral activation (BA). Participants were recruited through various channels, including flyers, online listings, and external websites. The inclusion criteria ensured participants were adults diagnosed with major depressive disorder, while excluding those with certain other psychiatric conditions or recent substance use disorders.

Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: XR-BA or traditional BA. Both groups received four weekly sessions of behavioral activation therapy via Zoom, each lasting 30 to 50 minutes.

In the XR-BA group, participants were provided with a Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset, which they used to engage in personalized pleasant and mastery activities from a diverse list. This list included gaming, fitness, social, educational, and immersive 360-degree video experiences, allowing users to select activities such as puzzle-solving, virtual workouts, social events, and exploring iconic sites.

By offering a wide range of engaging options, the XR-BA protocol aimed to enhance the therapeutic impact through enjoyable and tailored experiences. The traditional BA group engaged in real-life activities chosen from a similar list.

Throughout the study, participants were asked to complete a minimum of four activities per week and submit a weekly post-activity questionnaire assessing their experiences, including spatial presence, simulator sickness, and technology acceptability. Depression symptoms were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) at the beginning of each session. The researchers also monitored dropout rates, adverse events, and the overall number of times the headset was used in the XR-BA group.

The study demonstrated that the XR-BA protocol was both feasible and safe. The completion rates were high in both groups, with 77% in the XR-BA group and 85% in the traditional BA group. No serious adverse events were reported. Participants in the XR-BA group used the headset slightly less than recommended, averaging around 11 uses instead of the suggested 12. However, they reported a strong sense of presence in the virtual environment, with the average presence rating being 71% among those who completed the protocol.

In terms of acceptability, participants in the XR-BA group generally found the virtual reality experience to be engaging and useful, although there were some complaints about the weight and comfort of the headset. The learning curve for using the VR device was noted as a challenge, with some participants experiencing “decision paralysis” due to the wide range of activity options available. Despite these challenges, participants who completed the protocol indicated progressively higher levels of presence and acceptability over time, suggesting that familiarity with the device improved their overall experience.

The efficacy results were promising. Both the XR-BA and traditional BA groups showed significant reductions in depressive symptoms over the course of the study. Participants in the XR-BA group experienced an average decrease of 4.4 points in their PHQ-9 scores, while those in the traditional BA group saw a 3.7-point reduction. These results indicate that XR-BA is not inferior to traditional BA in reducing depressive symptoms.

Additionally, participants in the XR-BA group showed a statistically significant decrease in symptoms even before the treatment began, likely due to the novelty and high expectations associated with the virtual reality technology.

The findings provide evidence that “using XR as a method of engaging in pleasant activities within an evidence-based protocol may be just as efficacious in treating symptoms of depression as engaging in these activities in real life,” Paul told PsyPost.

Despite the promising results, the study had some limitations. The small sample size and short duration of the trial may limit the generalizability and long-term applicability of the findings. Additionally, the learning curve associated with using the VR headset and the initial excitement about the new technology might have affected the participants’ engagement and outcomes. Future studies should aim for larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods to confirm these findings.

“My long-term goal is to translate this research into practical use so that clinicians can start utilizing XR as a treatment tool for depression when indicated and appropriate,” Paul explained.

The study, “Examining the Efficacy of Extended Reality–Enhanced Behavioral Activation for Adults With Major Depressive Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial,” was authored by Margot Paul, Kim Bullock, Jeremy Bailenson, and David Burns.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/virtual-reality-emerges-as-a-promising-tool-in-depression-treatment/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 05, 2024 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

TITLE: Individuals with lower differentiation of self are more likely to engage in phubbing

URL: https://www.psypost.org/individuals-with-lower-differentiation-of-self-are-more-likely-to-engage-in-phubbing/

A study of young people in Israel found that individuals with lower differentiation of self tend to be more likely to engage in phubbing behaviors. Fear of missing out might serve as a catalyst for this by triggering anxiety. Anxiety might, in turn, drive them to adopt phubbing as a coping mechanism. This research was published in Scientific Reports.

Phubbing is the act of ignoring someone in favor of using a mobile phone or other electronic device. The person engaging in phubbing will pay more attention to the device than to the person they are supposed to be interacting with. Consequently, the person exposed to phubbing might feel neglected and frustrated. In this way, phubbing undermines interpersonal communication and engagement. The term “phubbing” combines the words “phone” and “snubbing”.

However, not all people engage in phubbing equally. While there are those who do not engage in phubbing others at all, there are also individuals who do this regularly. This variability has led scientists to investigate the psychological characteristics that make individuals more or less likely to engage in phubbing.

One characteristic worth exploring is the level of differentiation of self. Differentiation of self refers to the psychological capacity to balance emotional closeness and autonomy in relationships, allowing individuals to maintain a sense of self while remaining connected to others.

Study authors Ora Peleg and Meyran Boniel‑Nissim wanted to explore the links between differentiation of self, phubbing, and a host of other psychological characteristics. They wanted to know whether low differentiation of self could lead to a higher fear of missing out, erode one’s romantic relationship, amplify feelings of loneliness, and, consequently, increase phubbing behaviors. Fear of missing out is the anxiety that others are having rewarding experiences from which the person experiencing the fear is absent.

The study involved 431 Israeli adults, with two-thirds being female. Their average age was 29 years. Most were Jewish, heterosexual, secular, and employed. About a third were married, while the rest were cohabiting. Close to 25% had children.

Study participants completed assessments of differentiation of self (the Differentiation of Self-Revised Scale), phubbing (the Phubbing Questionnaire), fear of missing out (the Fear of Missing Out scale), satisfaction with their romantic relationship (the ENRICH Romantic Relationship Satisfaction Inventory), and loneliness (the Loneliness in Intimate Relationships scale).

Results showed that participants with lower levels of differentiation of self tended to experience higher fear of missing out, were more prone to phubbing others, and were also less satisfied with their romantic relationships.

The study authors tested a statistical model proposing that low differentiation of self leads to higher levels of fear of missing out, stronger feelings of loneliness in intimate relationships, and lower relationship satisfaction. This would, in turn, lead to more phubbing.

Analysis showed that while some aspects of differentiation of self lead to lower romantic relationship satisfaction and stronger feelings of loneliness, these do not necessarily translate to more phubbing. On the other hand, all aspects of differentiation of self were associated with fear of missing out (with lower differentiation leading to more fear of missing out). The model also confirmed that it is possible that this increased fear of missing out leads to more phubbing.

Interestingly, women reported higher levels of phubbing behaviors compared to men.

“Fear of missing out may serve as a catalyst, triggering anxiety in individuals, which in turn drives them to adopt phubbing as a coping mechanism. Moreover, individuals with lower levels of differentiation of self appear to be at increased risk of engaging in phubbing behaviors through the mediation of fear of missing out,” the study authors concluded.

The study sheds light on the importance of differentiation of self for understanding the psychological mechanisms leading to phubbing behaviors. However, it should be noted that the study was based solely on self-reports, leaving substantial room for reporting bias. It is possible that studies utilizing more objective measures of phubbing behaviors might not yield the same results.

The paper, “Exploring the personality and relationship factors that mediate the connection between differentiation of self and phubbing,” was authored by Ora Peleg and Meyran Boniel‑Nissim.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/individuals-with-lower-differentiation-of-self-are-more-likely-to-engage-in-phubbing/

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot

Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com

EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org

READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org

It's primitive... but it works... mostly...

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

psychbot , to psychology
@psychbot@mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org avatar

DATE: July 05, 2024 at 08:01AM
SOURCE: Psychiatric Times
.
Actual article link at end of text block below.
.
Are you traveling this summer? Here's why you should, even if it's not very far. https://t.co/6RrmFb8iwH
.
Articles can be found at https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/news

.  
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: <https://www.clinicians-exchange.org>  
.  
NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @[email protected]   
.  
 #psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @[email protected] #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #psychotherapist
  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • random
  • lifeLocal
  • goranko
  • All magazines
    •