Higher Levels Of Negative Affect Research Articles

Social sharing and expressive suppression in major depressive disorder and borderline personality disorder: An experience sampling study

AbstractMajor depressive disorder (MDD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) are characterized by disturbed patterns of emotional and interpersonal functioning, which might imply altered use of emotion regulation in interpersonal contexts. In the current study, we examined how individuals with MDD and/or BPD differ from healthy controls in (1) their overall daily life use of expressive suppression and social sharing and (2) their tendency to adjust the use of these strategies to the emotional context (i.e., preceding negative and positive affect). Thirty‐four individuals with MDD, 20 individuals with BPD, 19 individuals with comorbid MDD and BPD, and 40 healthy controls participated in a week of experience sampling during which they reported their use of expressive suppression, social sharing, and experienced negative and positive affect. The results indicated that all clinical groups reported more expressive suppression and social sharing in their daily lives than healthy controls. Group differences remained when controlling for differences in mean experienced affect, except for increased suppression for MDD and increased sharing for BPD and comorbid MDD and BPD, which seemed related to these participants' overall higher levels of negative affect. Additionally, associations between within‐person fluctuations in negative or positive affect and subsequent strategy use were equally strong for clinical and control participants, indicating that clinical groups did not differentially adjust the use of suppression and sharing to the emotional context. In conclusion, individuals with MDD and/or BPD showed increased use of suppression and sharing in daily life, which might contribute to, or follow from their emotional and interpersonal difficulties.

Negative Affect, Harassment and Problematic Alcohol Use in Young Adults

Background: While research suggests that both negative affect and alcohol use are impacted by exposure to harassment (i.e., sexual harassment, generalized harassment or bullying), less is known about the effect of harassment on negative affect subsequently leading to alcohol consumption, particularly in young adults. We examined the mediating role of negative affect on the relationships between sexual and generalized harassment at school and alcohol misuse. Methods: Participants were 2899 incoming freshmen in fall of 2011 who completed a Web-based survey assessing demographics (T0), sexual and generalized harassment at school (T0-T2), negative affect (T3), and problems associated with drinking, binge drinking, and drinking to intoxication (T0, T4, T5). Separate hybrid path models were fitted in Mplus v.8.8 for generalized harassment and sexual harassment and each outcome. Results: Mediation analyses showed a small but significant indirect effect for the sexual harassment model (beta = 0.05, S.E. = 0.01, p < 0.001) and generalized harassment (beta = 0.03, S.E. = 0.01, p < 0.01), indicating that negative affect partially mediated the associations between harassment early in students’ college experience and later problems associated with drinking. No significant indirect effects were found for the binge drinking or intoxication models. Conclusions: High levels of negative affect associated with harassment may contribute to longer term impact on problematic use of alcohol in young adults, providing evidence that the effects of harassment on drinking may partly stem from harassment’s lingering effects on negative affective pathways.

The role of social interaction modality for well-being in older adults.

It is well-established that more frequent social interaction is associated with higher well-being across the lifespan. The present study examines the role of frequency of interactions via different modalities on older adults' weekly well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, where people had to adapt their communication behavior and reduce in-person contact due to precautionary measures. We use data from 98 participants (age: M = 71, SD = 5), who documented their weekly frequency of communication via four interaction modalities as well as their loneliness, positive affect, and negative affect over up to 64 weeks. Results show that participants with overall higher frequency of face-to-face, telephone, and text-based interaction than others report higher levels of positive affect and lower levels of negative affect and loneliness than others. Participants report higher levels of well-being during weeks when they report more frequent face-to-face, telephone, and text-based interaction than their individual average. Unexpectedly, participants report higher levels of negative affect during weeks with more video call interaction. Some effects of social interaction frequency on affect and loneliness are higher for face-to-face interactions versus other modalities. In addition, interaction effects at within-person level indicate that the effects of weekly telephone and text-based interaction frequency on loneliness are stronger in weeks with relatively few face-to-face interactions. Taken together, our findings suggest that social interactions via different modalities contribute to well-being, but that face-to-face interactions have the biggest effect. In addition, there is some evidence that telephone and text-based interaction may play a compensatory role. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Person-Centered Associations between High- and Low-Risk Personality Profiles and Psychological Adjustment in University Students

Personality traits are considered potential risk or protective factors for learning and psychological adjustment. This is a concern in higher education settings, which comprise mostly youth in emerging adulthood. The purpose of this study is to apply a person-centered approach to identify personality profiles of university students based on their character traits and then evaluate whether some clusters predict differences in emotional distress and coping strategies. We conducted a cross-sectional web-based survey with 467 southern Italian undergraduate university students (M=21.8, SD=3.69). Students completed an anonymous online survey and self-report questionnaires measuring sociodemographic characteristics, personality traits (Personality Inventory for DSM-5), emotional distress (General Anxiety Disorders-7, Patient Health Questionnaire-9), and coping strategies (Brief-COPE). Two distinct clusters were identified, differing in relation to maladaptive personality traits. One was characterized by high maladaptive personality traits, comprising 45.6% of the sample population. This high-risk profile evidenced higher levels of negative affect, detachment, psychoticism, antagonism, and disinhibition. A second cluster, with low maladaptive personality traits, represented the remainder of the sample. Participants featuring high maladaptive personality traits reported lower functioning in terms of avoidant coping strategies in comparison to the second low-risk cluster. Generating profiles of latent traits, such as in cluster analysis, can enhance a more profound theoretical understanding of underlying patterns within personality traits. This can enable higher education settings to meet variations in student needs by adapting their support services and interventions. Students can be trained to use coping strategies more effectively and efficiently.

If looks could talk: Threat and familiarity influence with whom and how infants interact in ambiguous situations

AbstractWe investigated how apparent threat of an ambiguous stimuli modulates infants’ looking to interaction partners of varying familiarity (mother, familiar experimenter, unfamiliar experimenter). We hypothesized a preference for familiar informants under higher apparent threat, but a preference for unfamiliar informants under lower apparent threat. The informant encouraged infants (N = 104, 8–13 months) to cross a visual cliff in one of two apparent threat conditions (lower vs. higher drop‐off). Under lower threat, infants looked equally long to all informants, but switched gazes more often between their mother and the cliff. Infants explored the cliff more and crossed more often in the mother condition compared to the other two conditions. They also expressed less negative affect in the presence of the mother compared to the unfamiliar experimenter, but not compared to the familiar experimenter. Under high threat, a similar pattern emerged, except that looking duration to the unfamiliar informant was shorter compared to the low threat condition. Heart rate acceleration appeared when infants were placed on the cliff compared to a baseline phase. Higher levels of negative affectivity (but not higher arousal) were observed under higher compared to lower threat. Overall, we found little evidence of the influence of threat within the visual cliff task. We argue that infants may have perceived the cliff as quite challenging even in the lower threat condition and call for more research on the situational embeddedness of early social learning processes.

Where I'm Livin’ and How I'm Feelin’: Associations among community stress, gender, and mental-emotional health among Black Americans

RationaleStructural racism is a primary avenue for the perpetuation of racial health disparities. For Black Americans, both historically and contemporarily, the neighborhood context serves as one of the most striking examples of structural racism, with stressful neighborhood contexts contributing to the well-documented inequalities in psychological functioning among this population. ObjectiveThus, in this study, we adapted an intersectional-ecological framework to investigate the links between community stress and multiple dimensions of mental-emotional health for Black men and women. MethodsDrawing on cross-sectional data from 842 Black Americans from the Milwaukee area, we tested both objective (Area Deprivation Index; ADI) and subjective (perceived neighborhood disadvantage; PND) indicators of community stress as simultaneous predictors of negative and positive affect and the odds of psychological disorder (depression, anxiety) in multilevel models, examining gender differences in these linkages. ResultsResults showed greater objective community stress was related to lower levels of negative affect for both men and women and lower odds of psychological disorder for women specifically. Greater subjective community stress was related to higher levels of negative affect and lower levels of positive affect for both men and women and to higher odds of psychological disorder for women specifically. ConclusionsFindings highlight the complex intersectional nature of the links between community stress and Black Americans' mental-emotional health. Specifically, findings demonstrate the pernicious psychological effects of perceived community stress and allude to Black Americans', particularly women's, active resistance and resilience to objective disadvantage, potentially through investing in social relationships in their neighborhoods.

Negative Affect and Drinking among Indigenous Youth: Disaggregating Within- and Between-Person Effects

Negative affect (depression/anxiety) and alcohol use among Indigenous youth in Canada remain a concern for many communities. Disparate rates of these struggles are understood to be a potential outcome of colonization and subsequent intergenerational trauma experienced by individuals, families, and communities. Using a longitudinal design, we examined change in alcohol use and negative affect, and reciprocal associations, among a group of Indigenous adolescents. Indigenous youth (N = 117; 50% male; Mage=12.46–16.28; grades 6–10) from a remote First Nation in northern Quebec completed annual self-reported assessments on negative affect (depression/anxiety) and alcohol use. A Latent Curve Model with Structured Residuals (LCM-SR) was used to distinguish between- and within-person associations of negative affect and alcohol use. Growth models did not support change in depression/anxiety, but reports of drinking increased linearly. At the between-person level, girls reported higher initial levels of depression/anxiety and drinking; depression/anxiety were not associated with drinking. At the within-person level, drinking prospectively predicted increases in depression/anxiety but depression/anxiety did not prospectively predict drinking. When Indigenous adolescents reported drinking more alcohol than usual at one wave of assessment, they reported higher levels of negative affect than expected (given their average levels of depression/anxiety) at the following assessment. Our findings suggest that when Indigenous youth present for treatment reporting alcohol use, they should also be screened for negative affect (depression/anxiety). Conversely, if an Indigenous adolescent presents for treatment reporting negative affect, they should also be screened for alcohol use.

COVID-19 on mind: Daily worry about the coronavirus is linked to negative affect experienced during mind-wandering and dreaming.

Despite a surge of studies on the effects of COVID-19 on our well-being, we know little about how the pandemic is reflected in people's spontaneous thoughts and experiences, such as mind-wandering (or daydreaming) during wakefulness and dreaming during sleep. We investigated whether and how COVID-19-related general concern, anxiety, and daily worry are associated with the daily fluctuation of the affective quality of mind-wandering and dreaming, and to what extent these associations can be explained by poor sleep quality. We used ecological momentary assessment by asking participants to rate the affect they experienced during mind-wandering and dreaming in daily logs over a 2-week period. Our preregistered analyses based on 1,755 dream logs from 172 individuals and 1,496 mind-wandering logs from 152 individuals showed that, on days when people reported higher levels of negative affect and lower levels of positive affect during mind-wandering, they experienced more worry. Only daily sleep quality was associated with affect experienced during dreaming at the within-person level: on nights with poorer sleep quality people reported experiencing more negative and less positive affect in dreams and were more likely to experience nightmares. However, at the between-person level, individuals who experienced more daily COVID-19 worry during the study period also reported experiencing more negative affect during mind-wandering and during dreaming. As such, the continuity between daily and nightly experiences seems to rely more on stable trait-like individual differences in affective processing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Predicting pointing from early socioemotional communication with mothers, fathers, and strangers through the lens of temperamental reactivity.

Socioemotional and referential communication are primary expressions of interpersonal engagement in infancy and beyond. Early socioemotional communication in dyadic interactions may form a foundation for triadic referential communication and gesture production, yet the role of temperament in moderating their association has not been examined. We investigated whether early socioemotional communication behaviors, and infant temperamental reactivity, were associated with later pointing production. Participants were 51 infants (45% girls) and both their parents (86.5% Dutch). Early infant socioemotional communication (production of smile, vocalizations, and gaze) was observed during separate home-based face-to-face interactions with mothers, fathers, and strangers at 4 and 8 months. At both ages, mothers and fathers reported on infant temperamental surgency and negative affectivity, and overall means were calculated. Referential communication (declarative pointing) was measured during structured lab-based observations at 12 and 15 months. Socioemotional and referential communication behaviors were microanalytically coded second by second. Poisson multilevel regression analyses indicated interaction effects between temperament and smile, vocalizations, and gazes to the adult's face with each partner in predicting pointing. High levels of infant temperamental surgency tended to enhance positive associations between early socioemotional communication behaviors with mothers and fathers and pointing. By contrast, high levels of negative affectivity tended to dampen associations between early communication behaviors with strangers and pointing. Results highlight the importance of infant socioemotional communication with diverse partners and the moderating role of temperamental reactivity in predicting referential communication. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychosocial markers of pre-hospital delay in patients with diabetic foot: A cross-sectional survey.

This study aimed to determine the psychosocial markers associated with pre-hospital delay among patients with diabetic foot (DF). This study has a cross-sectional design. The participants completed a questionnaire including pre-hospital time, demographic characteristics, Social Support Rate Scale, Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire and Type D Personality Scale-14. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to explore independent associations with pre-hospital delay. Only 1.8% (3/164) of participants arrived at the hospital for medical care in 24 h of symptom onset. Patients with low utilization of social support (p = 0.029), low negative illness perceptions (p = 0.014) and high levels of negative affectivity (p = 0.009) are likely to arrive late at the clinic. Medical staff should pay attention to identifying diabetic patients' Type D personalities and take actions to improve their social support as well as illness perception, so as to reduce the occurrence of hospital delay. Psychosocial factors play a vital role in the delay in seeking medical treatment for patients with DF. Medical staff need to improve patients' illness perception as well as self-management ability through health education. Importantly, key family members provide an emotional and psychological support system for diabetic patients. Therefore, nurses need to work with family members together to give information and psychological support during family visits. Additionally, building and maintaining trust with patients is crucial to encouraging individuals to express their concerns and worries. In this case, nurses may identify patients' negative emotions and conduct timely intervention, so as to achieve favourable outcomes. This study used a convenience sample of 164 participants with DF recruited from the wound clinic of Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital and Yangzhou Hospital of TCM in China.

Daily Variation in Sleep Duration, Affect and Emotions in Croatian Youth: An Ambulatory Assessment

Introduction: Sleep habits are related to mood stability and mental health, and adolescence may be an appropriate time to address disturbed sleep patterns because it is a critical period for the onset of psychological problems. Aims: This study had two aims, namely: to explore associations between objectively measured sleep duration and positive and negative affect, as well as specific positive and negative emotions at the within-person and between-person levels in Croatian adolescents. Methods: In the present eight-day study, 102 Croatian adolescents with an average age of 15 years reported how they felt once a day, while sleep duration was objectively measured by collecting data from an accelerometer on participants’ smartphones. Results: Multilevel analyses showed that adolescents express more positive affect (Est. = 0.10, p &lt; .050) and feel less distracted (Est. = -0.12, p &lt; .050) and happier (Est. = 0.11, p &lt; .050) on days when they sleep longer, with a multiverse analysis suggesting that these results are moderately robust. In addition, they express higher levels of negative affect, stress and distraction on school days, and boys seem to experience more positive and fewer negative emotions. Conclusions: A better understanding of daily variations in sleep duration, sleep quality, and affect would promote the development of individualized, particularly smartphone-based, sleep interventions. Such interventions could be a valuable tool for preventing mental health problems in adolescence.

DAILY STRESS PROCESSES, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND SLEEP IN OLDER ADULTHOOD

Abstract Older adults who engage in healthy behaviors such as being physically active and sleeping well report lower levels of stress. Less is known about the links between exposure and reactivity to stressful events in daily life and their relationship with physical activity and sleep. The current study examined within-person associations between daily physical activity, sleep, and exposure and affective reactivity to naturally occurring interpersonal stressors. Older adults (N = 180) from the Daily Experiences and Well-being Study completed ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) every 3 hours for 5-6 days where they reported negative affect throughout the day and interpersonal tensions at the end of the day. They also reported their nightly sleep quality and wore Actical accelerometers to capture physical activity. Older adults reported greater numbers of stressors on days when they spent less time being sedentary and engaged in more light physical activity. On days when older adults experienced more stressors, they reported higher levels of negative affect, but this association was attenuated when they were more physically active that day. Additionally, older adults reported lower sleep quality the night after they reported higher numbers of stressors. These findings underscore the importance of assessing physical activity, sleep and stressful events in daily life and have implications for both physical and psychological well-being.

Irritability and Temperament: Concurrent and Prospective Relationships in Childhood and Adolescence

ABSTRACT Objective Irritability symptoms are closely associated with, and may reflect, temperament traits, particularly negative affectivity (NA). However, there are few empirical data on the relationships between child temperament and irritability symptoms. Method We investigated cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between irritability symptoms and temperament traits from age 3–15 in a community sample of 609 children and their parents. Irritability symptoms were assessed through structured interviews with parents at ages 3/6, and inventories completed by parents and youth at ages 12/15. Temperament traits were assessed using parent reports at ages 3/6, and parent and child reports at ages 12/15. Path analysis and structural equation modeling were used to explore longitudinal associations from ages 3–6 and 12–15, respectively. Results Higher levels of irritability symptoms at ages 3/6 were concurrently associated with higher levels of NA and lower levels of effortful control (EC). In adolescence, higher irritability symptoms were concurrently associated with higher negative temperament and disinhibition. In longitudinal analyses from age 3–6 and 12–15, irritability symptoms showed modest but significant stability after adjusting for the stability of temperament traits. However, there were significant differences in the stability paths at age 3–6, reflecting lower stability of irritability symptoms. Finally, EC at age 3 predicted increased irritability symptoms at age 6, while irritability symptoms at age 3 predicted increased NA at age 6. Conclusion Irritability symptoms are robustly associated with both temperamental NA and difficulty regulating attention and behavior. These findings help situate irritability symptoms within widely accepted temperament/personality taxonomies.

Moody and in love? The role of neuroticism and romantic relationships for momentary affect in adolescence

The affective lives of adolescents are unique in that momentary affect in this age group is more negative and variable. This study examined how neuroticism and romantic relationships (i.e., relationship involvement and relationship quality) relate to adolescents’ daily affective experiences. In a weeklong experience sampling period, 408 German adolescents ( MAge = 16.83) reported up to five times per day on their positive and negative affect. We estimated mixed-effects location scale models to analyze interindividual differences in adolescents’ affect level and variability. Adolescents with higher neuroticism experienced lower levels of positive affect, higher levels of negative affect, and higher variability of positive and negative affect. Whereas adolescents with a romantic partner did not differ from their single peers with regard to affect level, they experienced higher affect variability, although evidence for these effects was weak. Finally, among adolescents who were currently involved in a romantic relationship, those with higher relationship quality experienced more variability in their positive affect if they scored higher in neuroticism. Across models, effect sizes systematically differed between affect level and variability, positive and negative affect, as well as neuroticism facets. We discuss these findings in light of adolescents’ affective dynamics, affective development, and personality-social relationship interactions.

A longitudinal test of problematic alcohol use and binge eating among college women: The moderating role of shame

Problematic alcohol use and binge eating frequently co-occur. High levels of negative affect, negative urgency, and/or shame may increase the likelihood that problematic alcohol use and binge eating co-occur over time. ObjectiveExamine 1) the temporal relationship between problematic alcohol use and binge eating among college women, who are at high risk for both, and 2) the additive and moderating effects of shared, emotion-based risk factors in models involving both problematic alcohol use and binge eating. MethodIn n = 302 college women assessed at two time points across 8 months, we used hierarchical linear regression to invstigate our objectives. ResultsBaseline problematic alcohol use and baseline shame independently predicted increases in follow-up binge eating, controlling for baseline binge eating. In addition, the interaction between problematic alcohol use and shame accounted for further variance in subsequent binge eating (the influence of baseline problematic alcohol use on follow-up binge eating was stronger at higher levels of baseline shame). The reciprocal relationship was not significant: baseline binge eating did not predict follow-up problematic alcohol use independently or in conjunction with risk factors. Neither negative affect nor negative urgency showed predictive effects beyond prior behavior and shame. Results support 1) problematic alcohol use as a prospective risk factor for binge eating, 2) shame as an additive predictor of binge eating, and 3) shame as a positive moderator of binge eating prediction from problem drinking. ConclusionAddressing shame and problematic alcohol use may be warranted in binge eating interventions for college women.

50 Sex differences in psychological features in adolescents after concussion

Objective:Few concussion studies have investigated the psychological domain of concussions. Of the 22 postconcussion symptoms assessed on the Graded Symptom Checklist of the SCAT-5, five do not overlap with core symptoms of anxiety and depression. 43% of patients report at least one psychiatric symptom, the median is four after injury. Previous studies focus on total scores and not individual items; furthermore, few consider resilience as part of psychological factors that impact recovery. This research aims to describe general and specific characteristics of psychological functioning in males/females ages 12-18 after concussion to help guide treatment. We compared total scores for each measure between males/females and looked at the differences between the genders for individual items in each measure.Participants and Methods:Participants were evaluated at an outpatient concussion clinic participating in the North Texas Concussion Registry (ConTex; N=1238, 53% female, mean age=15.4 years, SD=1.16 years). The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item Scale (GAD-7, the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used to determine levels of anxiety, depression, resilience, and sleep quality.Results:Utilizing Mann-Whitney U tests (median, interquartile range) to examine group distributions for the GAD-7, PHQ-8, and BRS, females had significantly higher scores than males for the GAD (p&lt;0.001; Female: 4, 1-9 v. Male: 2, 0-5) and PHQ (p&lt;0.001; Female: 5, 210 v. Male: 3, 1-7). For the BRS, total scores for females were significantly lower than males (p&lt;0.001; Female: 3.67, 3-4 v. Male: 3.83, 3.214.33). The PSQI media score was significantly different between males and females: item 2, p=.016 and item 4 p=.007 using an exact sampling distribution for U. Pearson Chi square tests were used to examine sex differences for each item of the psychological measures. Items 1-7 within the GAD-7 were significant between sexes (i.e. male or female). The seven items assess (1) Feelings of nervousness, (2) Inability to stop/control worry, (3) Worrying too much about different things, (4) Trouble relaxing, (5) Inability to sit still due to restlessness, (6) Irritability, and (7) Feeling afraid. Items 2-8 within the PHQ were significant between sexes. The items assess (2) Feeling down/depressed/hopeless, (3) Trouble falling/staying asleep, (4) Feeling tired/no energy, (5) Appetite changes, (6) Lowered/poor self-esteem, (7) Concentration issues, and (8) Feeling slowed down or unable to be still. There was a statistically significant difference between genders and Items 2 and 4 within the BRS were significant between sexes. The items assess (2) Difficulty surviving hard times and (4) Difficulty snapping back from something bad.Conclusions:Like other studies, this study found females have higher levels of negative affect (i.e., depressive and anxious symptoms). Females displayed lower resilience and reported poorer sleep. By analyzing psychiatric measures, treatment protocols can be tailored to address specific problems, and mental health difficulties can be mitigated by teaching specific coping techniques. These results suggest clinicians should consistently be providing education on depression, anxiety, sleep, and resilience, particularly to female patients, who appear at greater risk for psychological distress.

Predictors of Perceived Changes in Psychological Wellbeing among Clergy in the USA Serving in the Episcopal Church during the 2021 Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract Applying the balanced affect model of clergy psychological wellbeing, as conceptualised by the Francis Burnout Inventory (FBI) and operationalised by The Index of Balanced Affect Change (TIBACh), this study explored the impact of seven sets of variables on individual differences in perceived changes in positive affect and negative affect among 737 clergy in the USA serving in the Episcopal Church during the Covid-19 pandemic. The seven sets of variables were: personal, psychological, contextual, ministry-related, church orientation, theological stance, and attitudinal. The data supported the balanced affect model of clergy psychological wellbeing by demonstrating how different variables predicted individual differences in negative affect and in positive affect. For example, clergywomen showed no differences from clergymen in terms of positive affect, but higher levels of negative affect; active self-supporting and retired clergy showed no differences from stipendiary clergy in terms of positive affect, but lower levels of negative affect; Evangelical clergy showed no differences in negative affect, but higher levels in positive affect. The balanced affect model provides insights into how clergy may be better supported during a pandemic.

The Paradox in Positive and Negative Aspects of Emotional Functioning Among Older Adults with Early Stages of Cognitive Impairment.

Introduction: Emotional functioning in older adults is influenced by normal aging and cognitive impairment, likely heterogeneous across positive versus negative aspects of emotional functioning. Little is known about positive emotional experiences at the early stages of cognitive impairment. Methods: We assessed different aspects of emotional functioning among 448 participants aged 65+ (Normal Control (NC) = 276, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) = 103, and mild dementia of the Alzheimer type (mild DAT) = 69) and tested moderators. Results: Compared to NC, older adults with MCI and mild DAT have maintained many positive aspects of emotional functioning, despite higher levels of negative affect, sadness, and loneliness. Among the oldest-old, the mild DAT group experienced higher fear and lower self-efficacy. Discussion: Older adults at early stages of cognitive impairment can experience positive aspects of emotional functioning, such as positive affect, purpose, and life satisfaction, all of which are important buildable psychological resources for coping.

The Predictors of Negative and Positive Affect among People with Dementia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background and Objectives: This cross-sectional study examined the predictors of negative and positive affect among individuals with dementia. Materials and Methods: A sample of 102 Jordanian participants diagnosed with dementia was recruited from residential care facilities, and data were collected using different measures. Results: The results revealed that higher levels of negative affect were significantly associated with increased physical and verbal agitation among individuals with dementia. Conversely, lower levels of positive affect were associated with residing in a nursing home. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of recognizing the impact of both negative and positive affect on the well-being of individuals with dementia. Interventions targeting the reduction of negative affect and promoting positive affect could alleviate agitation and enhance emotional closeness in this population.

Learning through Challenges and Enigmas: Educational Escape Room as a Predictive Experience of Motivation in University Students

(1) Background. One of the most innovative gamification techniques emerging in the current educational context is the escape room, whose implementation aims to promote student motivation and learning. A review of the literature shows that many of the previous works lack a solid theoretical basis when it comes to explaining the motivational effects associated with student participation in this experience. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between gamification and motivation and identify which dimensions of gamification experience—through an educational escape room—better predict students’ motivation, based on the framework of self-determination theory. (2) Methods. This research develops a quantitative and correlational methodology. A total of 135 first-year university students participated. (3) Results. The results of the regression models showed that creative thinking, activation, and dominance predicted intrinsic motivation toward knowledge, achievement, and stimulating experiences. Likewise, a higher level of negative affect was predictive of amotivation and external regulation motivation in students. (4) Conclusions. These findings provide new empirical evidence that could guide the design of educational experiences through escape rooms in the context of higher education.