Individual Difference Factors Research Articles

Women's sensitivity to threat in online dating and the (in)effectiveness of standard safety warnings

Acts of sexual aggression are sometimes initiated through an online dating arrangement or encounter (e.g., through Tinder, Bumble). Certain personality and physical traits may be predictive of such sexual aggression propensity, and thus evident in online dating profiles (e.g., biographies and photographs). However, it is unclear whether (1) people are sensitive to such “red flags” and (2) whether safety recommendations employed by online dating platforms effectively enhance such sensitivity. For the first time, using an online dating simulation, we experimentally investigated the extent to which women's (n = 167) expressions of interest in men were sensitive to (i.e., influenced by) cues of threat in the men's online dating biographies and photographs, and whether the presence (vs absence) of safety recommendations enhanced this sensitivity. We find fewer expressions of interest for high (vs low) threat dating profiles, although the magnitude of this threat sensitivity/aversion effect varied across women and was not enhanced by safety recommendations. We identify some individual difference factors associated with this threat sensitivity/aversion, but our work underscores the importance of developing other interventions, technologies, or safeguards that screen for, or assist with, identifying such threats, making online dating interactions safer for all users.

Protecting language teachers from burnout: The roles of teaching mindset, teaching grit, and emotion regulation

Considering the demanding and stressful nature of the teaching profession in general and foreign language teaching in particular, teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) are prone to experience burnout, which may result in adverse consequences for not only teachers but also their students. Therefore, it is important to understand what factors can prevent EFL teachers from burnout. The present study investigated the roles of three individual difference factors, namely, growth teaching mindset, teaching grit, and emotion regulation in EFL teachers’ burnout. The data were collected from 218 EFL teachers through convenience sampling. The results of regression analysis and relative weight analysis indicated that growth teaching mindset and teaching grit negatively predicted burnout. In addition, while reappraisal emotion regulation strategies were negative predictors of teachers’ burnout, suppression strategies were positive predictors of burnout. Implications regarding how to protect teachers against burnout are presented based on the findings of the study.

“Vanity fair on Instagram”: The roles of vanity, materialism, social comparison, Instagram usage intensity, and market mavenism in social commerce

The present article is an attempt to offer insights into interconnections among consumer personality, individual difference factors, Instagram usage behavior, and luxury fashion brand attitude in contemporary Web 2.0 technological environments. To this end, the study particularly focused on Instagram, a highly visual social media platform, mostly used in the form of a mobile app. Instagram fits the purpose of consumers’ vanity. Personality mechanisms, known to produce effects of personality traits on digital technology usage behaviors, that shape consumer behavior in the context of Instagram usage and luxury fashion brand consumption were examined. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among actual Instagram users recruited from M-Turk Prime Panel. A series of structural equation models (SEM) were estimated using Mplus 8. Two structural equation models are estimated: one with objective Instagram usage frequency, and the other with subjective Instagram usage intensity. Results show dynamic associations among Instagram users’ personality variables, individual difference factors, Instagram usage frequency/intensity, and luxury brand involvement. In light of the power of Instagram in luxury fashion branding, the current study proposes a variety of personality mechanisms and individual difference factors (vanity, materialism, social comparison orientation, obsessive-compulsive/impulsive buying tendency, and market mavenism) that shape Instagram users’ attitude toward and involvement with luxury fashion brands in Web 2.0 social commerce.

Examining the Association between Punishment and Reward Sensitivity and Response Inhibition to Previously-Incentivized Cues across Development.

Processing and learning from affective cues to guide goal-directed behavior may be particularly important during adolescence; yet the factors that promote and/or disrupt the ability to integrate value in order to guide decision making across development remain unclear. The present study (N = 1046) assessed individual difference factors (self-reported punishment and reward sensitivity) related to whether previously-rewarded and previously-punished cues differentially impact goal-directed behavior (response inhibition) in a large developmental sample. Participants were between the ages of 8-21 years (Mage = 14.29, SD = 3.97, 50.38% female). Previously-rewarded cues improved response inhibition among participants age 14 and older. Further, punishment sensitivity predicted overall improved response inhibition among participants aged 10 to 18. The results highlight two main factors that are associated with improvements in the ability to integrate value to guide goal-directed behaviour - cues in the environment (e.g., reward-laden cues) and individual differences in punishment sensitivity. These findings have implications for both educational and social policies aimed at characterizing the ways in which youth integrate value to guide decision making.

Anxiety Sensitivity and Distress Tolerance in Relation to Smoking Abstinence Expectancies Among Black Individuals Who Smoke.

Black individuals who smoke in the United States experience significant tobacco-related disparities. Although prior work has established that smoking abstinence expectancies play an important role in smoking-related outcomes, few studies have examined potential individual difference factors that may be relevant to smoking abstinence expectancies among Black individuals who smoke. The present study investigated anxiety sensitivity and distress tolerance in relation to smoking abstinence expectancies among a sample of Black individuals who smoke. Participants were 86 Black adults who smoke cigarettes daily (M age = 46.07 years, SD = 10.37; 26.7% female). Four separate linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the relation between anxiety sensitivity, distress tolerance, and their interaction with each of the four smoking abstinence expectancies (i.e., somatic symptoms, positive consequences, harmful consequences, and negative mood). Results indicated that higher anxiety sensitivity was related to higher somatic symptoms, harmful consequences, and negative mood abstinence expectancies, whereas distress tolerance was related to higher positive consequences. Further, anxiety sensitivity and distress tolerance interacted to confer greater expectancies for the positive consequences of quitting. The current findings are among the first to document that anxiety sensitivity and distress tolerance are clinically relevant factors to consider when tailoring smoking cessation treatments for Black individuals who smoke. Future research is needed to examine distress tolerance and anxiety sensitivity as longitudinal predictors of smoking abstinence expectancies among Black individuals who smoke.

Driving factors of individual differences in broad retrieval ability: Gr is more than the sum of its parts.

Broad retrieval ability (Gr) posits an essential factor of human cognitive abilities. Previous literature indicates Gr is best modeled as a higher-order factor model with lower-level factors such as ideational fluency (IF), word fluency (WF), expressional fluency (EF), or figural fluency (FF). However, the dimensionality of Gr is not well studied. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether specific retrieval affordances such as differing retrieval time periods (e.g., short vs. long) can be psychometrically separated from more general retrieval affordances. Such a distinction would imply differential associations between specific retrieval, general retrieval, and other cognitive abilities, which, in turn, depict a vital part of explanatory models of individual differences in Gr. To test these assumptions, we conducted a multivariate study (N = 331) and evaluated competing latent variable measurement models for a variety of Gr tests. We then regressed the best measurement model onto working memory capacity, secondary memory, mental speed, and crystallized intelligence in order to evaluate the distinctiveness of Gr. Our results suggest that no specific retrieval affordances with regard to time periods can be distinguished. A higher-order model, with a second-order Gr factor above three first-order factors (IF, WF, EF, and FF) fitted the data best, extending previous literature by increasing construct coverage through the implementation of FF. All covariates show incremental predictive validity, beyond their communality. Summarizing, our results endorse a perspective on Gr as a strong and discriminant factor of cognitive abilities that is not affected by time constraints, and show that Gr is more than a linear combination of its parts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Effects of racial discrimination on stress, negative emotions, and alcohol craving: A registered report of a virtual reality experiment.

Racial discrimination experiences contribute to health disparities and can influence individuals' health. Yet, pathways by which discrimination-related experiences affect alcohol craving remain understudied using experimental designs. Additionally, limited research has examined possible differential effects of "major" discrimination and microaggression experiences in everyday life on alcohol craving. This between-groups experiment examined causal effects of everyday racial discrimination on stress, negative emotions, and alcohol craving. We also tested indirect pathways by which discrimination-related experiences were linked to alcohol craving via stress and negative emotions. People of color and Indigenous peoples participated in the study (N = 184; Mage = 23.90; 47.8% women; 48.9% community adults). Participants were randomized to one of four experimental conditions, in which they experienced in virtual environments either "major" discrimination, microinsult, microinvalidation, or daily hassles unrelated to race/racism. Participants' levels of stress, negative emotions, and alcohol craving were assessed immediately before and after experimental simulations. Compared to daily hassles unrelated to race/racism, simulated racial discrimination elicited greater stress and negative emotions. Daily hassles caused greater alcohol craving among those who endorsed higher levels of coping motives for drinking. We observed minimal differences in stress and negative emotions across the three racial discrimination conditions, and found no evidence supporting indirect links between racial discrimination and alcohol craving via stress and negative emotions. Everyday racial discrimination-regardless of intensity level-is more stressful than daily hassles unrelated to race/racism. Future research should examine cumulative effects of racial discrimination, and understanding individual difference factors that moderate its immediate and delayed effects. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

To switch or not to switch? Individual differences in executive function and emotion regulation flexibility.

Emotion regulation (ER) constitutes strategies that modulate the experience and expression of emotions. While past work has predominantly assumed that ER strategies are consistently adaptive (or maladaptive) across situations, recent research has begun to examine individual-difference factors that are associated with the flexible use of ER strategies in line with contextual demands (i.e., ER flexibility). Theoretical accounts maintain that the choice to use ER strategies in a given context is contingent on individual differences in executive function (EF), which refers to a collection of general-purpose regulatory operations. Based on a comprehensive battery of EF tasks, we investigated how the various EF facets (i.e., common EF, working-memory-specific, and shifting-specific factors) are related to the frequency of maintaining and switching ER strategies in response to stimuli that elicit varying levels of emotional intensity. Results indicated that individuals with higher EF demonstrated a more flexible pattern of ER strategy use across high- and low-intensity conditions. Specifically, better working-memory-specific ability (i.e., manipulating information within a mental workspace) was associated with a greater frequency of reappraisal-to-distraction strategy switching in high-intensity contexts. Furthermore, more proficient common EF (i.e., sustaining relevant goals in the face of competing goals and responses) corresponded to a higher propensity to maintain the use of reappraisal in low-intensity situations. The outcomes of this study offer a first glimpse of the cognitive factors underlying ER flexibility. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Counting on strengths: harnessing character strengths to stimulate innovative work behaviour

Purpose Proposing a strengths-based perspective for innovative work behaviour (IWB), the purpose of this paper is to explore character strengths (CS) as antecedents to IWB. Extending the literature and operating in the framework of positive organisational behaviour, this paper considers creative self-efficacy a crucial link between CS and IWB. The role of growth mindset and learning organisation in facilitating IWB, presented as a conceptual model, contributes to the theory in this field, aiding in developing an overarching theory to understand IWB. Design/methodology/approach A narrative literature review was performed on the CS, IWB and positive organisational behaviour literature to adapt theories and develop propositions for the conceptual model. Findings This paper develops a conceptual framework proposing direct relationships between CS and IWB. This study posits creative self-efficacy (CSE) as the mediator between this relationship and growth mindset, learning organisation as the moderators for the link between CS and CSE and CSE and IWB. Research limitations/implications The paper presents a conceptual framework focusing on the positive personality traits of employees, precisely their CS. This study explores how leveraging these strengths can enhance their capacity for IWB. The suggested model also prompts additional research in understanding IWB. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the conceptual framework proposed is the first to explore the diverse individual differences factors and the role of contextual facilitation in enhancing employees’ IWB. This study contributes to the growing field of positive organisational behaviour and assists HR managers in tapping into employees’ internal resources. This paper’s theoretical and practical discourse can inspire future research and encourage a strengths-based view of workplace processes.

Students’ perceptions of all-gender restrooms after implementation

The present study investigates perceptions toward inclusive restrooms after implementation on a college campus. The campus implemented ‘all-gender restrooms’ to reduce restroom-related stress and belonging threats faced by gender-diverse students. Signs labeled ‘all-gender’ were added to the restroom doors along with notes explaining that the campus supports students using the restroom they identify with. One year after all-gender restroom implementation we surveyed students about their perceptions of and experiences using these restroom; 155 students, including 11 gender-diverse students participated. Restroom-related comfort and safety as well as transphobia-related individual difference factors (i.e. gender essentialism, right-wing authoritarianism, and political affiliation) were measured. Most participants reported feeling at least moderately comfortable and safe with the restrooms in general. As predicted, the individual difference factors were negatively correlated with comfort and safety toward all-gender restrooms. Findings suggest implementing all-gender restrooms benefits gender-diverse students and illustrate students’ support for gender-diverse students. The findings provide insights into the potential for addressing gender essentialism to increase support for all-gender restrooms.

A Review of the Research on the Influence of Game-based Learning on Second Language Learners' Learning Motivation

Motivation, as an important factor of individual differences in second language acquisition, has been widely discussed by teaching researchers. At present, many studies have discussed how to continuously stimulate learning motivation. Games have been proven to have a positive effect on learning. The application of game-based learning as an emerging teaching method in the field of education has also expanded significantly. Therefore, this study aims to review the research on the relationship and application of motivation and Game-based Learning (GBL) in second language (L2) acquisition. It is found that the impact of GBL can be positive in the motivation of L2 learners through an immersive learning environment, game experience and reward mechanism, competition and cooperation mechanism, and has achieved positive results in student learning. The research shows the potential for using digital games to teach a second-language., and looks forward to the application of the combination of gameplay and learning theory in the future teaching field.

A Correlation Study of Individual Differences Factors and Oral Chinese Learning Strategies: A Survey Based on Sri Lankan Learners

Individual differences of learners will affect foreign language learners’ use of learning strategies. This study focuses on Chinese learners in Sri Lanka, and analyzes the correlation between their age, gender, length of time and oral language learning strategies. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the use of learning strategies among learners of different genders; with the increase of age, the frequency of overall use of strategies showed a downward trend; the frequency of use of cognitive strategies, compensation strategies and affective strategies increased with learning length while increasing, the frequency of use of meta-cognitive strategies, memory strategies and social strategies decreased with the increase of learning length.

Ethnic and Individual Variations in Long COVID-19 Symptoms

Many countries, regions and ethnic groups have found that some people continue to have symptoms months or even years after being infected with the coronavirus, so researchers have studied the differences between different ethnic groups in order to better provide medical services. Therefore, on the basis of these studies, this paper summarizes some of these differences, hoping to be helpful in the future treatment, in the face of different races and their own conditions, to make the best treatment plan. All of the pertinent information for this review was retrieved from Pubmed using the search term "long COVID," which also included case-control studies, observational studies, cross-sectional studies, and retrospective studies from Chinese and English sources. According to the title and the content of the abstract, 10 articles were selected according to certain criteria. Standardized data extraction table was used to extract research features. In this review, we found that the main symptoms of COVID are similar, but there are subtle differences between different ethnic groups, as well as differences in individual factors. Various studies have shown that sequelae vary by race, with differences in nerve damage and lung damage. In addition, the age, obesity degree and gender of individuals within the same ethnic group can also have differences in the symptoms of long COVID. This review provides a new way to explore the differences in COVID-19 symptoms, search for racial and individual differences, provide new ideas for follow-up health policies, and draw people's attention to better protect their health.

Tracking depressive and anxious symptoms during the first year of COVID‐19: The search for moderators

AbstractA growing body of research suggests that the COVID‐19 pandemic did not cause the severe and extensive mental health crisis predicted by some experts. However, this does not mean that everyone was resilient. The purpose of this study was to try to identify subgroups of people that may have experienced more severe and negative trajectories of symptoms during this time. To this end, we examined a host of individual difference factors (e.g., age, gender, race, country, parental status, medical conditions, lost wages, perceived support, initial symptom levels, and cognitive vulnerability) using a 1‐year longitudinal design with 8 time points and participants (n = 233) from over 20 countries. We were unable to identify a single moderator associated with a robust and increasingly negative trajectory of depressive and anxious symptoms throughout the COVID interval. These results underscore the need for better theories of mental illness, stronger research designs that do not rely on simple cross‐sectional between‐group comparisons, and more caution when predicting mental health crises.

"Trust me, do not trust anyone": how epistemic mistrust and credulity are associated with conspiracy mentality.

Previous research shows that the propensity to endorse conspiracy theories is associated with disrupted forms of epistemic trust, i.e., the appropriate openness towards interpersonally communicated information. There are associations, first, with an increased mistrust in several actors and institutions responsible for the communication of information in society, and second, with a pronounced credulity in unreliable sources and implausible phenomena (e.g., superstition, astrology). This study aims to investigate whether these phenomena are associated with specific personality-related disruptions of epistemic trust. Based on selfreported data of 417 individuals (mean = 33.28; standard deviation = 11.11) from a UK population sampled online, the potential relationships between disruptions in epistemic trust and the endorsement of a conspiracy mentality are explored. The epistemic stances characterized by mistrust and credulity (independent variables) are measured with the epistemic trust, mistrust, and credulity questionnaire (ETMCQ), and conspiracy mentality (dependent variable) is measured with the conspiracy mentality questionnaire. In a multiple linear regression model, mistrust is associated with the endorsement of a conspiracy mentality, even when accounting for other contributing factors (e.g., individual narcissism, attachment avoidance and anxiety, authoritarianism, loneliness). In a bootstrapped mediation model controlling for other relevant predictors, the association between credulity and conspiracy mentality is fully mediated by mistrust. In future research, the impact of disrupted epistemic trust on conspiracy beliefs should be investigated in terms of the specific epistemic stances of mistrust and credulity. In this respect, the ETMCQ represents a highly promising instrument to assess individual differences in factors underpinning aspects of conspiracy endorsement.

ARE RURAL OLDER ADULTS READY TO ADOPT AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES (AV)? PREDICTORS OF ATTITUDES TOWARD AV IN RURAL AREAS

Abstract Transportation for older adults residing in rural areas is particularly vital for maintaining their everyday activities including access to health services and community activities. Given unique features of rural areas (e.g., limited public transportation, greater distances to travel but less traffic), autonomous vehicles (AV) can be an innovative solution to rural older adults. Nevertheless, attitudes toward AV can be a significant barrier for older adults to adopt it. In fact, older adults in rural areas tend to hold different attitudes toward and experiences with new technologies. The current study explored how individual difference variables (i.e., age group, gender, technology proficiency, & personality traits) predict attitudes toward AV in rural areas. We first conducted a factor analysis on a 16-item attitude survey (collected from rural areas in USA) which uncovered three factors: concern with AV, willingness to adopt AV, confidence on human driving over AV. ANOVAs on the attitudinal factors showed that older adults (60+ yrs, n = 45) had a lower willingness to adopt AV than young adults (17-21 yrs, n = 47) despite a lower confidence on human driving over AV. There was no age group difference in concern with AV. Multiple regressions supported that technology proficiency can be another significant predictor of willingness to adopt AV over and above other individual difference factors (i.e., age groups, gender, & personality). These results indicate that older adults in rural areas have complex and ambivalent attitudes toward AV, which suggest different approaches to the dissemination of AV technology for them.

PREDICTING OLDER ADULTS’ CONTINUED COMPUTER USE AFTER INITIAL ADOPTION

Abstract Digital technologies have the potential to help older adults in various aspects of their lives, but older adults need to adopt and keep using the new technologies to reap the benefits. Previous research on digital divide mainly focuses on adoption and acceptance of new technologies, and little is known about what might influence actual use and disuse after this initial stage. The current study modeled changes in constructs related to computer use after initial computer adoption and examined whether these changes predict continued use. We used data from the computer arm (N = 150, MAge = 76.15) of a 12-month field trial examining the potential benefits of computer use in older adults. Individual differences identified in the technology acceptance literature (perceived usefulness, ease of use, computer interest, computer self-efficacy, computer anxiety, quality of life, social isolation, and social support) were measured before (baseline), during (month 6), and after the intervention (posttest). Univariate and bivariate latent change score models examined changes in each predictor and their potential causal relationship with use. Results demonstrated large inter-individual differences in the change patterns of individual difference factors examined. Change in perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and computer interest, computer self-efficacy, and computer anxiety were correlated with but not predictive of change in use. Our findings demonstrate the limitation of popular constructs in technology acceptance literature in predicting continued use after initial adoption and point out important gaps in knowledge to be targeted in future investigations.

Motivation and Language Learning Narratives: A Case Study of Indonesian Students

Motivation is a foremost aspect in language learning and has been extensively studied in the field of SLA due to its important contribution to pedagogical implications. However, SLA scholars/researchers have overwhelmingly preoccupied specifically with Asian students such as Japanese and/or Chinese (Gong et al, 2020; Kikuchi, 2019). This ignores the unique individual differences that Indonesian students have which contribute to their learning trajectories. The present study investigated the factors of individual differences influencing their motivation in learning English as foreign language and how the ideal L2 self is expressed through their language learning narratives. A total of two Indonesian students studying abroad in one of the research-integrated universities in the US participated in this study during the Fall semester. Through three stages of open-ended interviews and the researcher's observations, the data were collected and analyzed using narrative analysis and the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS) proposed by Dörnyei (2009) as framework. The analysis revealed that factors such as family background and socioeconomic status, education system inequality, and access to the target language contribute to their perception of their ideal L2 self. Additionally, this study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of Asian immigrant students as a whole and helps to avoid stereotypical identities of Asian students based on previous research.

Sexual alcohol expectancies moderate the relation between alcohol use and sexual behavior among men who have sex with men

BackgroundHIV transmission remains a significant health concern for men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. Heavy episodic drinking (HED) is related to increased rates of condomless anal intercourse (CAI) among MSM, though evidence suggests that this association may vary by individual difference factors. The present secondary analysis tested whether sexual alcohol expectancies (SAEs) moderate the associations between frequency of HED and anal intercourse (AI) with and without a condom among moderate-to-heavy drinking HIV- MSM. MethodsTwo hundred and forty-eight moderate-to-heavy drinking MSM completed self-report questionnaires including the Sexual Behavior Questionnaire, the Modified Daily Drinking Questionnaire, and the Sexual Alcohol Expectancies Questionnaire. ResultsNegative binomial regressions indicated that SAEs moderated the association between frequency of HED and AI with a condom, but not between the frequency of HED and condomless AI (CAI). ConclusionsThese results suggest that stronger SAEs play a role in alcohol-related sexual behavior among MSM, but do not provide evidence that SAEs are associated with increased risk for HIV transmission through CAI.

Grammar Learning Strategies: Towards a Pedagogical Intervention

Despite undeniable advances in research on language learning strategies in the last several decades, empirical investigations of actions and thoughts that learners engage in to better understand and use grammar structures in different contexts, or grammar learning strategies (GLS), remain scarce. Moreover, there is a paucity of studies examining the effects of pedagogical interventions in this area, both with respect to the use of different types of GLS and the mastery of grammar structures in terms of explicit and implicit (automatized) knowledge. There is also no empirical evidence concerning the mediating role of individual difference (ID) factors in this respect. The paper outlines a study currently in progress that seeks to address all of these gaps. The first part is devoted to a brief overview of key issues related to the definition and classification of GLS as well as a synthesis of available research in this area. This is followed by a description of an intervention-based research project which explores the effects of strategies-based instruction (SBI) targeting GLS by English majors in Poland, also taking into account the moderating impact of selected ID variables. In particular, the methodology of the study is presented and the envisaged contributions of the intervention are considered.