Trait Dimensions Research Articles

Psychometric Properties of a German Online Version of the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale 1.

Suggestibility is a trait dimension that has been differentiated into Yield and Shift dimensions. Yield refers to the susceptibility to suggestive item content in a first question series (Yield 1) and a second question series following negative feedback (Yield 2). Shift describes the tendency to change answers over the two series of questions depending on social pressure. This study aimed at investigating the psychometric properties and the factor structure of a German online version of the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale 1 (GSS 1) and measurement invariance of suggestibility scores for gender and research institution. A total of N=560 (n=287 female; age: M=24.20, SD=4.60years) students participated in the study. We present Stanine norms for the application of the online GSS 1. Results supported the theoretical basis of the GSS by revealing the two expected suggestibility factors: Yield and Shift. As expected, a leading factor and a non-leading factor were identified for Yield 1 and Yield 2 and a single factor for Shift. We report psychometric properties (e.g., item difficulty, part-whole corrected item-total correlations, reliability coefficients). We compare the factorial structure of the German online GSS 1 with former versions of the GSS 1. Our data suggest widely measurement invariance for gender and research institution on Yield 1 and Yield 2.

تحليل المسار للعلاقات بين الشخصية المظلمة وکل من مفهوم الذات وتقديرها والرضا عن الحياة لدى مستويات مختلفة من القيادات التربوية. دراسة مقارنة تنبؤية .

هدفت هذه الدراسة إلى بحث العلاقة السببية بين الشخصية المظلمة بابعادها المختلفة وکل من : تقدير الذات ومفهومها والرضا عن الحياة ، وکذا اختبار النموذج النظري حيال مکونات وأبعاد الشخصية المظلمة لدى عينات من القادة التربويين في مستويات مختلفة من الإدارة وتکونت العينة من 200 من القادة في الميدان التربوي (معلمين ، ووکلاء مدارس ، ومديريها ، وموجهي المواد)، واستعين بکل من :مقياس التوجه في الحياة لقياس الشخصية المظلمة، ومفهوم الذات ، والرضا عن الحياة ، ومقياس تقدير الذات ، وأظهرت النتائج أنه : يوجد عامل واحد يقف وراء مکونات الشخصية المظلمة لدى القادة التربويين ، و يوجد معامل ارتباط سالب بين درجات الشخصية المظلمة ودرجات تقدير الذات لدى القادة التربويين، ولا يوجد معامل ارتباط بين درجات الشخصية المظلمة ودرجات مفهوم الذات لدى القادة التربويين، کما يوجد معامل ارتباطسالب بين الرضا عن الحياة لدة القادة التربويين ، توجد فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية فى مستوي السيکوباتية لصالح عينة الوکلاء ، کما توجد فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية فى الرضا عن الحياة لصالح عينة الوکلاء، وأخيرا يمکن التنبؤ بالشخصية المظلمة من خلال کل من تقدير الذات والرضا عن الحياة This study attempted to investigate the causal relationship between the dark traits including its various dimensions and each of the following: the concept of self-esteem, the self-concept and life satisfaction. In addition, the study aimed at examining the theoretical model in terms of the components and dimensions of the dark traits among samples of educational leaders at different administrative levels. The sample consisted of 200 leaders in the educational field (Teachers, school heads, deputy heads and mentors of subjects). The following measurements were exploited: life orientation measurement to measure the dark traits, self-concept, and life satisfaction, and the self-esteem scale. The results manifested that there is one factor that constitutes the components of dark traits among the educational leaders. Plus, there is a negative correlation coefficient between the scores of dark traits and the scores of self-esteem among educational leaders. There is no correlation coefficient between the scores of dark traits and the scores of self-concept of educational leaders. There is also a negative correlation between satisfaction of the psychological life among educational leaders. There are statistically significant differences in the level of psychopathy in favor of the sample of deputy heads only. There are also statistically significant differences in life satisfaction and psychological reassurance in favor of the deputy heads. Finally, the dark traits can be predicted via self-esteem and life satisfaction.

Selfish parents, parenting practices, and psychopathic traits in children.

Parental personality and parenting behavior have been associated with the development of psychopathic traits in offspring. However, no study has examined the effect of parental dispositional selfishness on the development of psychopathic traits in offspring, and the potential mechanism underlying this relationship. To address this issue, parents' reports on their dispositional selfishness, negative and positive parenting behavior, and child's psychopathic traits were collected for a group of children from the community (n=118, 47% male, mean age=14.1years). Results showed that parental selfishness was associated with grandiose-manipulative (GM), daring-impulsive (DI), and callous-unemotional (CU) traits in children. In addition, the egocentric selfishness-GM relationship was indirectly mediated by parenting behavior including lack of involvement, poor monitoring, and inconsistent discipline, whereas the association with CU traits was directly mediated by lack of involvement. These effects remained significant after controlling for child's sex, age, race, social adversity, and a prior measure of psychopathic traits. Findings provide initial empirical evidence on the effect of parental selfishness on a child's psychopathic traits, and further support to the proposition that distinct etiology may underlie different dimensions of psychopathic traits.

Irritability Is Associated With Decreased Cortical Surface Area and Anxiety With Decreased Gyrification During Brain Development.

Background: Brain development is of utmost importance for the emergence of psychiatric disorders, as the most severe of them arise before 25 years old. However, little is known regarding how early transdiagnostic symptoms, in a dimensional framework, are associated with cortical development. Anxiety and irritability are central vulnerability traits for subsequent mood and anxiety disorders. In this study, we investigate how these dimensions are related to structural changes in the brain to understand how they may increase the transition risk to full-blown disorders.Methods: We used the opportunity of an open access developmental cohort, the Healthy Brain Network, to investigate associations between cortical surface markers and irritability and anxiety scores as measured by parents and self-reports.Results: We found that in 658 young people (with a mean age of 11.6) the parental report of irritability is associated with decreased surface area in the bilateral rostral prefrontal cortex and the precuneus. Furthermore, parental reports of anxiety were associated with decreased local gyrification index in the anterior cingulate cortex and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex.Conclusions: These results are consistent with current models of emotion regulation network maturation, showing decreased surface area or gyrification index in regions associated with impaired affective control in mood and anxiety disorders. Our results highlight how dimensional traits may increase vulnerability for these disorders.

Engine of entrepreneurial intentions: revisiting personality traits with entrepreneurial education

PurposeThe intent to start an entrepreneurial venture is predisposed by certain personality traits. The study aims to analyze the impact of various identified personality traits and entrepreneurial education on entrepreneurial intentions of management students.Design/methodology/approachThe data for the study were gathered from 440 students of top 5 management institutes in India. The study used a cross-sectional design and structured questionnaire based on seven-point Likert scale and was administered employing a purposive sampling method. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to validate posited hypotheses in the study.FindingsThe study discerns that apart from agreeableness dimension of personality traits, all remaining identified dimensions along with entrepreneurial education had a significant influence on entrepreneurial intentions of management students with need for achievement emerging as the most important enabler. Conscientiousness was the major dimension among big five personality traits bearing a positive influence, while neuroticism registered a negative impact on entrepreneurial intentions. In addition, results bespeak that entrepreneurial education partially mediates the effect of need for achievement, locus of control and innovativeness on entrepreneurial intentions.Research limitations/implicationsThe compendious model proffered in the study might be helpful for students, educators, consultants, financial institutions and policymakers in appreciating the gravity of underlying personality traits.Originality/valueThere is a dearth of research on big five personality traits and entrepreneurial education as enablers of entrepreneurial intentions. The study attempts to integrate big five personality traits model with dimensions of need for achievement, locus of control, innovativeness and entrepreneurial education for management students in India.

Relationship between Local Chief Executive’s Character Traits and Governance Practices in Northern Samar, Philippines

This study evaluated the character traits and governance practices of local government officials in the Local Government Units (LGUs) of Northern Samar. The findings of the study would generally benefit not only the stakeholders of the local government units in the province but also in the national government. Specifically, findings of the study would benefit the LGU Chief Executives. The results of this study would provide the chief an opportunity to evaluate the relationships that exists between their character traits and governance practices. In effect, they may realize their strengths and weaknesses in running the local government. This study utilized the Big Five-character trait dimensions also known as Five Factor Model consisting of the five traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism were also determined. This research includes Local Chief Executives (LCEs) in the municipalities of Northern Samar. A total of 12 LCEs were randomly selected to participate in this study. The governance practices such as transparency, participation, accountability, leadership, general organization and governance, inter-governmental relations, rule of law continuity in the implementation of programs, predictability and sustainability, preference for the poor, and effective, responsive provision of basic services were correlated with character traits of the local executives. The respondents of the study are the current LCEs and selected employees with permanent status in the municipalities covered. Significant difference was found between local chief executives and employees’ perception on the character traits of the LCEs. Significant difference on the agreeableness as character trait means that the degree to which the LCEs is able to get along with others by being good-natured, cooperative, forgiving, compassionate, understanding, and trusting is higher than the employees and stakeholders did not differ significantly. The test of relationship between the chief executives’ character traits and governance practices showed that openness is significantly correlated with transparency, participation and leadership.

Gender Differences on Personality Trait

This is the universal and scientific truth that males and females are different in the biological aspect, but psychology proves through empirical researches, that they are different in psychological aspects too. The present research reveals that both gender (males and females) are differ in their personality traits. The sample comprised of 165 adolescence and early adults, their education is above the 12th standard, and the age range was between 17-26 years. To assess the personality traits of adolescence NEO-FFI by McCrae and Costa (1992) was used. T-test as used as a statistical tool. The finding reveals that there is a difference between males and females on the dimensions of big-five personality traits.

Bayesian estimation of multidimensional polytomous item response theory models with Q-matrices using Stan

The Q-matrix is commonly used in diagnostic classification models and has recently been incorporated into the multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) models to add information about the relationship between items and dimensions of the latent trait. The reformulation of the MIRT models with Q-matrix (MIRT-Q) has presented to improve the precision of the parameters of these models and to provide a simple and intuitive method for users to define the item-trait relationship. This paper aims to explore the incorporation of the Q-matrix in the formulation of MIRT models for polytomous item responses. Specifically, we introduce the incorporation of the Q-matrix into two of the polytomous MIRT models most known and used: the multidimensional graded response (MGR) model, hereinafter called MGR-Q, and the multidimensional generalized partial credit (MGPC) model, hereinafter called MGPC-Q. We provide readers the code of the MGR-Q and MGPC-Q models in Stan, a Bayesian estimation software, and we conduct a simulation study in order to evaluate the parameter recovery of the estimation method. To illustrate the use of both models in practice, we fit them to an operational dataset from 2400 individuals on 13 items and demonstrate the estimation of MGR-Q and MGPC-Q using the Stan program.

Relationship between Personality Trait Introversion-Extroversion and Academic Achievement in Science Subjects among Secondary School Students in Tanzania

While extrovert individuals tend to obtain their energy from other people, and they love talk, they interact, participate, lead, and socialize, introvert individuals direct their energy and attention inward and reflect on their own thoughts, memories, and feelings. Based on the introversion-extroversion personality characteristics, the present study sought to determine who performs better in science subjects between introverts and extroverts, and demonstrate these relationships by gender. The assumption was that while science classrooms require a great deal of interaction among the learners, these contrasting dimensions of personality trait could be reflected in classrooms and bear some implications on students’ learning and achievement. We employed a modified Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) to identify students’ personality (N=345) along introversion-extroversion scale and correlated these with their academic performance obtained from their National Form Two (Grade 9) Exam which is considered of high quality and standard. A comparison within sex revealed that introvert girls performed significantly better than extrovert girls whereas extrovert boys performed significantly better than introvert boys. When a comparison was made between sexes, it was revealed that extrovert boys had significantly higher grades compared to extrovert girls while introvert girls had significantly higher grades compared to introvert boys. Overall then, the study revealed a statistically significant correspondence of higher grades with introvert girls and extrovert boys, and lower grades with extrovert girls and introvert boys. The study implications and suggestions are made to inform instruction, guidance, and intervention.

Gender Differences in Depressive Traits among Rural and Urban Chinese Adolescent Students: Secondary Data Analysis of Nationwide Survey CFPS.

Many previous studies have indicated that urban adolescents show a higher level of mental health in China compared to rural adolescents. Specifically, girls in rural areas represented a high-risk group prior to the 21st century, demonstrating more suicidal behaviour and ideation than those in the urban areas because of the severe gender inequality in rural China. However, because of the urbanisation process and centralised policy to eliminate gender inequality in recent decades, the regional and gender differences in mental health might decrease. This research aimed to probe the gender and regional differences in depressive traits among adolescent students currently in China. We adopted the national survey dataset Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS) conducted in 2018. Accordingly, 2173 observations from 10–15-year-old subjects were included. CFPS utilised an eight-item questionnaire to screen individuals’ depressive traits. Two dimensions of depressive traits were confirmed by CFA, namely depressed affect and anhedonia. The measurement invariance tests suggested that the two-factor model was applicable for both males and females and rural and urban students. Based on the extracted values from the CFA model, MANOVA results revealed that, compared to boys, girls experienced more depressed affect. Moreover, rural students demonstrated more anhedonia symptoms. There was no interaction between gender and region. The results suggest that, even though the gender and regional differences are small, being a female and coming from a rural area are still potential risk factors for developing depressive traits among adolescent students in China.

Functional trait dimensions of trophic metacommunities

Metacommunity ecology currently lacks a consistent functional trait perspective across trophic levels. To foster new cross‐taxa experiments and field studies, we present hypotheses on how three trait dimensions change along gradients of density of individuals, resource supply and habitat isolation. The movement dimension refers to the ability to move and navigate in space, the tolerance dimension addresses the ability to tolerate prevailing environmental conditions and the interaction dimension aggregates the abilities to acquire resources in competition with other species, to defend against consumers or to profit from other species by mutualism and facilitation. In multi‐trophic studies, functionally analogous traits associated to these dimensions need to be defined across taxa and measured. The dimensions represent subnetworks of strongly correlated traits within the overall phenotypic trait network. These subnetworks can be aggregated to trait modules using dimension reduction techniques. We demonstrate how to derive dimensions from species distributions and trait correlation networks, using salt marshes as an example. We hypothesize that at the single‐community scale, investments by organisms in the tolerance dimension increase with decreasing resource supply. Investments to the interaction dimension increase with increasing density. Communities with densely packed individuals are characterized by convergence under equal competition and by increasing divergence under stabilizing and equalizing competition. At the metacommunity scale, trade‐offs between the movement dimension and the interaction dimension shape the community functional composition. Biomass removal by consumers act as an equalizing factor and increase divergence in the interaction and movement dimension, particularly in well‐connected habitats. As future research directions to advance functional metacommunity ecology, we propose investigating 1) the feasibility of using dimensions as broad generalizations of multiple functions in different meta‐ecosystems, 2) functional trait analogues across taxa, 3) dimension responses and effects on gradients of meta‐ecosystems and 4) matching of functionally analogous traits between trophic levels.

Consequences of employee personality in the hospitality context: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PurposePersonality provides a critical perspective for human resource managers on differences between employees. This study aims to systematically and meta-analytically synthesize the consequences of employee personality in the hospitality context.Design/methodology/approachAfter an extensive literature search, 105 empirical studies on the consequences of the big five personality factors (BFF; agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism and openness) along with proactive personality (PP) in the hospitality context were included for a systematic review and meta-analysis.FindingsThe review highlighted a steady increase in the number of studies on hospitality employee personality. Job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior were identified as the most significant consequences for employee personality in the hospitality context. Five dimensions of personality traits varied in their consequences and differed from PP.Research limitations/implicationsThis study provides insightful implications and suggestions for future studies in terms of methodological approaches, research topics and dimensions of employee personality that will extend the theoretical framework of individual differences.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first attempt to systematically investigate the consequences of employee personality in the hospitality context. The results reveal discrepancies in the relations between the dimensions of BFF and PP with a variety of consequences. These results offer research directions for hospitality scholars investigating employee personality.

The Monash Autism-ADHD genetics and neurodevelopment (MAGNET) project design and methodologies: a dimensional approach to understanding neurobiological and genetic aetiology

BackgroundASD and ADHD are prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders that frequently co-occur and have strong evidence for a degree of shared genetic aetiology. Behavioural and neurocognitive heterogeneity in ASD and ADHD has hampered attempts to map the underlying genetics and neurobiology, predict intervention response, and improve diagnostic accuracy. Moving away from categorical conceptualisations of psychopathology to a dimensional approach is anticipated to facilitate discovery of data-driven clusters and enhance our understanding of the neurobiological and genetic aetiology of these conditions. The Monash Autism-ADHD genetics and neurodevelopment (MAGNET) project is one of the first large-scale, family-based studies to take a truly transdiagnostic approach to ASD and ADHD. Using a comprehensive phenotyping protocol capturing dimensional traits central to ASD and ADHD, the MAGNET project aims to identify data-driven clusters across ADHD-ASD spectra using deep phenotyping of symptoms and behaviours; investigate the degree of familiality for different dimensional ASD-ADHD phenotypes and clusters; and map the neurocognitive, brain imaging, and genetic correlates of these data-driven symptom-based clusters.MethodsThe MAGNET project will recruit 1,200 families with children who are either typically developing, or who display elevated ASD, ADHD, or ASD-ADHD traits, in addition to affected and unaffected biological siblings of probands, and parents. All children will be comprehensively phenotyped for behavioural symptoms, comorbidities, neurocognitive and neuroimaging traits and genetics.ConclusionThe MAGNET project will be the first large-scale family study to take a transdiagnostic approach to ASD-ADHD, utilising deep phenotyping across behavioural, neurocognitive, brain imaging and genetic measures.

Looming extinctions due to invasive species: Irreversible loss of ecological strategy and evolutionary history.

Biological invasions are one of the main drivers of biodiversity decline worldwide. However, many associated extinctions are yet to occur, meaning that the ecological debt caused by invasive species could be considerable for biodiversity. We explore extinction scenarios due to invasive species and investigate whether paying off the current extinction debt will shift the global composition of mammals and birds in terms of ecological strategy and evolutionary history. Current studies mostly focus on the number of species potentially at risk due to invasions without taking into account species characteristics in terms of ecological or phylogenetic properties. We found that 11% of phylogenetic diversity worldwide is represented by invasive-threatened species. Furthermore, 14% of worldwide trait diversity is hosted by invasive-threatened mammals and 40% by invasive-threatened birds, with Neotropical and Oceanian realms being primary risk hotspots. Projected extinctions of invasive-threatened species result in a smaller reduction in ecological strategy space and evolutionary history than expected under randomized extinction scenarios. This can be explained by the strong pattern in the clustering of ecological profiles and families impacted by invasive alien species (IAS). However, our results confirm that IAS are likely to cause the selective loss of species with unique evolutionary and ecological profiles. Our results also suggest a global shift in species composition away from those with large body mass, which mostly feed in the lower foraging strata and have an herbivorous diet (mammals). Our findings demonstrate the potential impact of biological invasions on phylogenetic and trait dimensions of diversity, especially in the Oceanian realm. We therefore call for a more systematic integration of all facets of diversity when investigating the consequences of biological invasions in future studies. This would help to establish spatial prioritizations regarding IAS threats worldwide and anticipate the consequences of losing specific ecological profiles in the invaded community.

The role of individual behavioral traits on fishway passage attempt behavior.

Variations in behavioral traits are widely recognized to drive animal behaviors exhibited within a population. However, information on how behavior traits influence behavior in anthropogenically modified habitats is lacking. Many habitats have become highly fragmented as a result of human processes. To mitigate this and improve habitat connectivity, wildlife passes are increasingly employed, with the aim of enabling animals to move freely between habitats. However, wildlife passes (e.g., fishways) are not always effective in achieving passage and it remains uncertain what factors play a role in an individual's likelihood of passing successfully. This study measured three behavioral traits (boldness, exploration, and activity) in juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta; n = 78) under field conditions within a river and tested whether these behavior traits influenced both the passage success and the behaviors exhibited during upstream fishway passage attempts. Although behavioral traits were found and collapsed into two behavioral trait dimensions, behavioral traits had low repeatability and so did not contribute to a personality spectrum. Boldness was found to negatively influence the number of passage attempts carried out by an individual and to positively influence passage success, with bolder individuals carrying out fewer attempts and having an increased probability of passage success. No behavioral traits were found to be related to other passage metrics (passage success, Time until First Attempt, and Passage Duration) during the first passage. But all three behavioral traits were significantly negatively related to the changes in passage behaviors at consecutive, successful passage attempts, with bolder, more exploratory and more active individuals passing through a fishway quicker on the second passage than on the first. This study suggests that bolder and more active individuals may perform better during fishway passage attempts, particularly within rivers where multiple barriers to movement exist.

Explaining Individual Differences in Advantageous Inequity Aversion by Social-Affective Trait Dimensions and Family Environment

Humans are averse to both having less (i.e., disadvantageous inequity aversion [IA]) and having more than others (i.e., advantageous IA). However, the social-affective traits that drive individual differences in IA are not well understood. Here, by combining a modified dictator game and a computational model, we found in a sample of incarcerated adolescents (N = 67) that callous-unemotional traits were specifically associated with low advantageous but not disadvantageous IA. We replicated and extended the finding in a large-scale university student sample (N = 2,250) by adopting a dimensional approach to social-affective trait measures. We showed that advantageous IA was strongly and negatively associated with a trait dimension characterized by callousness and lack of social emotions (e.g., guilt and compassion). A supportive family environment negatively correlated with this trait dimension and positively with advantageous IA. These results identify a core set of social-affective dimensions specifically associated with advantageous IA.

Nonclinical psychotic-like experiences and schizotypy dimensions: Associations with hippocampal subfield and amygdala volumes.

Schizotypy and psychotic‐like experiences (PLE) form part of the wider psychosis continuum and may have brain structural correlates in nonclinical cohorts. This study aimed to compare the effects of differential schizotypy dimensions, PLE, and their interaction on hippocampal subfields and amygdala volumes in the absence of clinical psychopathology. In a cohort of 367 psychiatrically healthy individuals, we assessed schizotypal traits using the Oxford‐Liverpool Inventory of Life Experiences (O‐LIFE) and PLE using the short form of the Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ‐16). Based on high‐resolution structural MRI scans, we used automated segmentation to estimate volumes of limbic structures. Sex and total intracranial volume (Step 1), PLE and schizotypy dimensions (Step 2), and their interaction terms (Step 3) were entered as regressors for bilateral amygdala and hippocampal subfield volumes in hierarchical multiple linear regression models. Positive schizotypy, but not PLE, was negatively associated with left amygdala and subiculum volumes. O‐LIFE Impulsive Nonconformity, as well as the two‐way interaction between positive schizotypy and PLE, were associated with larger left subiculum volumes. None of the estimators for right hemispheric hippocampal subfield volumes survived correction for multiple comparisons. Our findings support differential associations of hippocampus subfield volumes with trait dimensions rather than PLE, and support overlap and interactions between psychometric positive schizotypy and PLE. In a healthy cohort without current psychosis risk syndromes, the positive association between PLE and hippocampal subfield volume occurred at a high expression of positive schizotypy. Further studies combining stable, transient, and genetic parameters are required.

Substance Use among Students: Examining the Effects of Psychological Problems and the Five Dimensions of Personality Traits

ABSTRACT The primary purpose of this study was to examine substance use among university students to identify factors that influence the use and abuse of substances. Specifically, we explored the influence of psychological and personality traits on students’ use of substances. Two research questions guided this study: do psychological problems increase an individual’s risk of using substances such as drugs and alcohol? and do personality traits increase the risk of using substances? To address these questions, we obtained data from students attending one of the largest public universities in the Southern region of the United States. Using multivariate analytical strategies, the study made several important observations. First, drug use and alcohol use were less frequent among the study sample. Second, both psychological issues and personality traits predicted students’ drug and alcohol use, though the specific effects vary slightly. Policy implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Associations between dimensions of behaviour, personality traits, and mental-health during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom

The COVID-19 pandemic (including lockdown) is likely to have had profound but diverse implications for mental health and well-being, yet little is known about individual experiences of the pandemic (positive and negative) and how this relates to mental health and well-being, as well as other important contextual variables. Here, we analyse data sampled in a large-scale manner from 379,875 people in the United Kingdom (UK) during 2020 to identify population variables associated with mood and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to investigate self-perceived pandemic impact in relation to those variables. We report that while there are relatively small population-level differences in mood assessment scores pre- to peak-UK lockdown, the size of the differences is larger for people from specific groups, e.g. older adults and people with lower incomes. Multiple dimensions underlie peoples’ perceptions, both positive and negative, of the pandemic’s impact on daily life. These dimensions explain variance in mental health and can be statistically predicted from age, demographics, home and work circumstances, pre-existing conditions, maladaptive technology use and personality traits (e.g., compulsivity). We conclude that a holistic view, incorporating the broad range of relevant population factors, can better characterise people whose mental health is most at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Concurrent Associations between Parenting Dimensions, Callous-Unemotional Traits, and Externalizing Behaviour Problems during Adolescence

ABSTRACT Considering that externalising behaviour problems are one of the most prominent psychopathologies, it is important to investigate the interplay of individual and environmental factors that are associated with such behaviours. Although previous literature revealed associations between parenting dimensions, callous-unemotional traits, and externalising behaviour problems, only a few studies examined these simultaneously during adolescence. The current study investigated the association between parental warmth/coercion and aggression/rule-breaking behaviour, and to determine whether these associations are mediated by callous-unemotional trait dimensions. A sample of 462 adolescents completed a questionnaire assessing callous-unemotional traits and externalising behaviour problems, and their parents completed a parenting style questionnaire. A path model revealed that parental warmth had a negative direct effect on the dimensions callousness and uncaring, which in turn had a positive effect on aggression and rule-breaking behaviour. Parental coercion had a positive direct effect on unemotionality, which was not associated with aggression and rule-breaking behaviour. Only parental warmth had an indirect effect onto externalising behaviour problems via callous-unemotional traits. Our findings demonstrate that even during adolescence, parenting remains an important factor for callous-unemotional traits and externalising behaviour problems. The unique differences between the parenting dimensions and the callous-unemotional trait dimensions have interesting implications for future research.