Intra-individual Level Research Articles

The Who is Who of ‘Meaning‐Hunters’: Α Four‐Level Socio‐Psychological Analysis of Life Meaning‐Making

AbstractThe present study, centred on the meaning of life, employed a four‐level socio‐psychological analysis, categorizing participants (N = 400) based on intraindividual, interindividual, positional and ideological levels. Examining factors like self‐construal, interpersonal discomfort, political self‐positioning and social identity, the study revealed interconnections and combinatorial profiles. These groupings reflected interfaces between individual and interpersonal elaborations of meaning, extending into broader political, ideological and worldview contexts. These findings emphasize the permeable boundaries between socio‐psychological levels, highlighting the complexity of meaning‐making. The study contributes to the discourse on psychology's interdisciplinary nature, showcasing its role to unravel the complex interplay of personal, interpersonal and societal aspects in the pursuit of understanding the meaning of life.

Exploring Task-Based Learning of L2 English Formulaic Sequences from an Intra- and Inter-Individual Perspective

This study aimed to find out which of the three tasks, summarizing (SUM), discussion (DIS) or retelling (RT), was more effective in teaching L2 English formulaic sequences to a group of Polish teenagers. In so doing, 108 EFL learners were assigned to one of the three groups: SUM (n = 36), DIS (n = 36), and RT (n = 36) and followed a three-week-long task-based intervention which was similar for all the participants apart from the target task. At the inter-individual level, the statistical analysis revealed progress but no significant differences in achievement between the three groups. A further analysis at the intra-individual level, following the principles of Complex Dynamic Systems Theory, revealed that each learner displayed unique progress and regression patterns.

Exploring the influences of resource limitation and plant aging on pollen development in Azorella nivalis Phil. (Apiaceae), a long-lived high-Andean cushion plant.

Angiosperm pollen, the male gametophyte, plays a crucial role in facilitating fertilization by protecting and transporting male sperm cells to the female pistil. Despite their seemingly simple structure, pollen grains undergo intricate development to produce viable sperm cells capable of fertilizing the egg cell. Factors such as resource limitation and plant aging can disrupt normal pollen development and affect pollen performance. We investigated the influence of plant resources and aging on pollen developmental failure in Azorella nivalis Phil., an exceptionally long-lived high-Andean species that grows in a stressful alpine environment. Leveraging the modular nature of plants, we aimed to identify intra-individual sources of variation in pollen developmental failure. By using pollen viability and variation in viable pollen grain size as indicators of pollen developmental performance, we assessed whether proxies of plant resource availability and aging influenced these pollen traits at the inter-individual, inter-flower and intra-flower levels. Our findings revealed decreased pollen viability in putative resource-depleted flowers and in shoots that experienced higher levels of meristematic divisions from the zygote (i.e., greater cell depth). Additionally, we observed increased variability in the size of viable pollen grains in resource-depleted anthers. Our study suggests that resource availability and shoot aging are critical determinants shaping pollen development in long-lived plants at the intra-individual level. These findings contribute to our understanding of how differences in male fitness can arise in plants, with implications for their evolutionary trajectory.

Contributions of an action research initiative to English language teachers’ professional wellbeing

ABSTRACT In this study, we report on how a group of teachers engaged in action research (AR) and navigated their emotions in the way of experiencing wellbeing. We collected data over one year from rounds of semi-structured interviews, reflective journals, classroom observations, and post-class discussions. Data analyses showed that the teachers experienced wellbeing in three major terms: From initial emotional tensions to subsequent emotional wellness, developing wellbeing through practicing collective care, and wellbeing and self-empowerment as learning. Collectively, the teachers moved from hedonic to eudemonic forms of wellbeing during and after the AR programme, spanning their programme, inter-individual, and intra-individual levels of empowerment. Based on the findings, we provide implications for teacher educators in how to systematise wellbeing in teacher education programmes so that teachers experience higher levels of wellbeing across their career span, especially through AR initiatives. Furthermore, the study concludes with insights into how pre-service and in-service teachers could be supported through anchoring AR into teacher education programmes in order to experience enhanced wellbeing.

Inside the gamer's mind: How violent video games and emotional dysregulation affect EEG interbrain synchronization

BackgroundExposure to violent video games influences players’ cortical activations. In addition, intra-individual variables like emotional regulation play an important role in the consequences of such exposures. However, most research has studied these relationships at the intra-individual level. Therefore, the present study investigated the effects of violent video games on the interbrain synchronization (IBS) of dyads in which one member played video games, and evaluated IBS differences between high and low-emotionally dysregulated groups. MethodsEighteen participants (M = 24.1 ± 2.1) were enrolled in this study. Participants gazed into another person's eyes before playing (“First Direct Gaze”), after playing a violent video game (“Post-VV”), and after playing a nonviolent video game (“Post-NVV”) during an electroencephalographic hyperscanning acquisition. Afterward, each participant completed a socio-demographic questionnaire and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. ResultsA cluster-based analysis revealed an increased theta IBS Post-VV compared to Post-NVV. A median split was used to define the high emotionally dysregulated (“HED”) and low emotionally dysregulated (“LED”) groups. Results showed a decreased alpha IBS in the First Direct Gaze, Post-VV, and Post-NVV in the HED group compared to the LED group. ConclusionsExposure to violent video games was associated with higher theta IBS, suggesting a greater social attunement, potentially due to a higher perceived dominance and control or due to an effort of managing the emotional activations elicited. In addition, difficulties in emotional regulation could elicit specific alpha activities regardless of exposure to a video game, leading to a lower tendency to attune with another person on this band.Results from this study should not be generalized to infer that playing any type of video game causes harm to people's brains.

Intra-individual comparison of epicardial adipose tissue characteristics on coronary CT angiography between photon-counting detector and energy-integrating detector CT systems

PurposeTo explore the potential differences in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume and attenuation measurements between photon-counting detector (PCD) and energy-integrating detector (EID)-CT systems. MethodsFifty patients (mean age 69 ± 8 years, 41 male [82 %]) were prospectively enrolled for a research coronary CT angiography (CCTA) on a PCD-CT within 30 days after clinical EID-based CCTA. EID-CT acquisitions were reconstructed using a Bv40 kernel at 0.6 mm slice thickness. The PCD-CT acquisition was reconstructed at a down-sampled resolution (0.6 mm, Bv40; [PCD-DS]) and at ultra-high resolutions (PCD-UHR) with a 0.2 mm slice thickness and Bv40, Bv48, and Bv64 kernels. EAT segmentation was performed semi-automatically at about 1 cm intervals and interpolated to cover the whole epicardium within a threshold of −190 to −30 HU. A subgroup analysis was performed based on quartile groups created from EID-CT data and PCD-UHRBv48 data. Differences were measured using repeated-measures ANOVA and the Friedman test. Correlations were tested using Pearson’s and Spearman’s rho, and agreement using Bland-Altman plots. ResultsEAT volumes significantly differed between some reconstructions (e.g. EID-CT: 138 ml [IQR 100, 188]; PCD-DS: 147 ml [110, 206]; P<0.001). Overall, correlations between PCD-UHR and EID-CT EAT volumes were excellent, e.g. PCD-UHRBv48: r: 0.976 (95 % CI: 0.958, 0.987); P<0.001; with good agreement (mean bias: −9.5 ml; limits of agreement [LoA]: −40.6, 21.6). On the other hand, correlations regarding EAT attenuation was moderate, e.g. PCD-UHRBV48: r: 0.655 (95 % CI: 0.461, 0.790); P<0.001; mean bias: 6.5 HU; LoA: −2.0, 15.0. ConclusionEAT attenuation and volume measurements demonstrated different absolute values between PCD-UHR, PCD-DS as well as EID-CT reconstructions, but showed similar tendencies on an intra-individual level. New protocols and threshold ranges need to be developed to allow comparison between PCD-CT and EID-CT data.

Short-term changes in serum miRNA levels and patient-reported clinical outcomes in myasthenia gravis.

The circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) miR-150-5p, miR-30e-5p, and miR-21-5p have been suggested as potential biomarkers for myasthenia gravis (MG); however, the relationships between short-term natural changes of the miRNAs and patient-reported MG outcome scores have not been well-studied. We assessed the short-term fluctuations in miRNA levels and patient-reported outcome measures in MG. This prospective cohort study included 39 MG patients with regular follow-ups and unchanged medications at the Neurology outpatient clinic at Uppsala University Hospital. Patients had weekly follow-up visits for 1 month, at which blood samples were drawn, and scores from MG activities of daily living (MG-ADL), MG quality-of-life-15 (MG-QoL15), and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) were assessed. Serum levels of miRNA miR-150-5p, miR-30e-5p, and miR-21-5p were analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR. Intra-individual levels of miR-30e-5p and miR-150-5p were stable, whereas a significant reduction in miR-21-5p was observed from week 1 to week 2 (p = .0024) and from week 2 to week 3 (p < .0001). There were intra-individual differences over a short time in MG-ADL, with higher scores in female patients (p = .0281) and a significant reduction from the first to the second weeks (p = .0281), whereas MG-QoL15 and FSS scores were stable. The suggested MG biomarkers miR-30e-5p and miR-150-5p were more stable than miR-21-5p over a short time, indicating their short-term stability as biomarkers. Prospective multi-center studies with longer periods of follow-up and matched controls are needed to validate these miRNAs as biomarkers in MG.

Using machine learning to unveil relevant predictors of adherence to recommended health-protective behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark.

What were relevant predictors of individuals' proclivity to adhere to recommended health-protective behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark? Applying machine learning (namely, lasso regression) to a repeated cross-sectional survey spanning 10 months comprising 25 variables (Study 1; N = 15,062), we found empathy toward those most vulnerable to COVID-19, knowledge about how to protect oneself from getting infected, and perceived moral costs of nonadherence to be strong predictors of individuals' self-reported adherence to recommended health-protective behaviors. We further explored the relations between these three factors and individuals' self-reported proclivity for adherence to recommended health-protective behaviors as they unfold between and within individuals over time in a second study, a Danish panel study comprising eight measurement occasions spanning eight months (N =441). Results of this study suggest that the relations largely occurred at the trait-like interindividual level, as opposed to at the state-like intraindividual level. Together, the findings provide insights into what were relevant predictors for individuals' overall level of adherence to recommended health-protective behaviors (in Denmark) as well as how these predictors might (not) be leveraged to promote public adherence in future epidemics or pandemics.

Affect and satisfaction time dependency: An experience sampling study.

The aim of this study was to test the time dependency between affect and satisfaction on a momentary level. Ninety-eight students participated in the study, using the experience sampling method. Affect and satisfaction scales were administered five times a day for 7 days via handheld devices, sampling the whole awake period with ratings approximately 3-4 h apart. The aim of this study was to examine the cross-correlation between affect and satisfaction at the intra-individual level and to test their temporal consistency via lagged cross-correlations. On average, satisfaction was robustly associated with positive affect (PA; mean correlation 0.50) and negative affect (NA; mean correlation -0.38). The correlation of satisfaction with affect factors showed a consistent temporal dependency. Lag (i.e., the shift of one time series with respect to another) significantly affected the magnitude of the correlation coefficients of satisfaction with PA and NA (explaining almost half of the correlation variance). A significant affect-satisfaction cross-correlation can be found when no lag is present. The introduction of a lag reduces the affect-satisfaction cross-correlation to virtually zero. Research suggests that affect and satisfaction overlap at the momentary level, and the results of this study imply that they are also time-dependent. These findings corroborate the idea that momentary satisfaction judgments are partially based on available emotional information, both in terms of intensity and temporal consistency.

Relationships with teachers and sense of belonging in school: Inter- and intra-individual variations according to adolescent immigrant background

BackgroundSocial well-being arises from the fulfillment of the basic need for relatedness. In school, it largely hinges on teacher-student relationships (TSR) and sense of school belonging (SSB), two important levers for educational success, and especially for immigrant-background youths. AimsThis study aims to disentangle the stable and time-specific associations between the two dimensions of social well-being and test if these associations vary according to student immigrant status. SampleA cohort of 1070 students (51% female) from first- (22%), second- (29%), and third-plus generations (49%) attending 10 schools located in low-socioeconomic neighbourhoods was followed across three time points (grade 7, grade 9, grade 11). MethodMain objectives were tested using random-intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPM) using Mplus. RI-CLPM disaggregates observed scores into a time-invariant interindividual (stable) and intraindividual (time-specific) components. ResultsTeacher-student closeness was not associated with SSB at the interindividual level. However, autoregressive, cross-sectional, and longitudinally links were found at the intraindividual level for all students. Teacher-student conflict was associated with lower SSB at the interindividual level. These dimensions were also linked at the intraindividual level for third-plus-generation students only, while time-variant autoregressive associations for SSB were stronger for immigrant students. ConclusionsThe links between close TSR and SSB are cross-sectional and time-specific for all students. Conflictual TSR and SSB also showed time-specific and longitudinal associations for nonimmigrants only. For immigrants, we observed stronger time-specific carryover effects in terms of SSB. This research calls for yearly intervention efforts promoting social well-being among immigrants and nonimmigrants attending low-SES secondary schools.

Effect of a personalized intensive dietary intervention on base excision repair (BER) in colorectal cancer patients: Results from a randomized controlled trial

DNA repair is essential to maintain genomic integrity and may affect colorectal cancer (CRC) patients’ risk of secondary cancers, treatment efficiency, and susceptibility to various comorbidities. Bioactive compounds identified in plant foods have the potential to modulate DNA repair mechanisms, but there is limited evidence of how dietary factors may affect DNA repair activity in CRC patients in remission after surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a 6-month personalized intensive dietary intervention on DNA repair activity in post-surgery CRC patients (stage I-III). The present study included patients from the randomized controlled trial CRC-NORDIET, enrolled 2–9 months after surgery. The intervention group received an intensive dietary intervention emphasizing a prudent diet with specific plant-based foods suggested to dampen inflammation and oxidative stress, while the control group received only standard care advice. The comet-based in vitro repair assay was applied to assess DNA repair activity, specifically base excision repair (BER), in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Statistical analyses were conducted using gamma generalized linear mixed models (Gamma GLMM). A total of 138 CRC patients were included, 72 from the intervention group and 66 from the control group. The BER activity in the intervention group did not change significantly compared to the control group. Our findings revealed a substantial range in both inter- and intra-individual levels of BER. In conclusion, the results do not support an effect of dietary intervention on BER activity in post-surgery CRC patients during a 6-month intervention period.

Greater up-modulation of intra-individual brain signal variability makes a high-load cognitive task more arduous for older adults

The extent to which brain responses are less distinctive across varying cognitive loads in older adults is referred to as neural dedifferentiation. Moment-to-moment brain signal variability, an emerging indicator, reveals not only the adaptability of an individual's brain as an inter-individual trait, but also the allocation of neural resources within an individual due to ever-changing task demands, thus shedding novel insight into the process of neural dedifferentiation. However, how the modulation of intra-individual brain signal variability reflects behavioral differences related to cognitively demanding tasks remains unclear. In this study, we employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) imaging to capture the variability of brain signals, which was quantified by the standard deviation, during both the resting state and an n-back task (n = 1, 2, 3) in 57 healthy older adults. Using multivariate Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis, we found that fNIRS signal variability increased from the resting state to the task and increased with working memory load in older adults. We further confirmed that greater fNIRS signal variability generally supported faster and more stable response time in the 2- and 3-back conditions. However, the intra-individual level analysis showed that the greater the up-modulation in fNIRS signal variability with cognitive loads, the more its accuracy decreases and mean response time increases, suggesting that a greater intra-individual brain signal variability up-modulation may reflect decreased efficiency in neural information processing. Taken together, our findings offer new insights into the nature of brain signal variability, suggesting that inter- and intra-individual brain signal variability may index distinct theoretical constructs.

Control-value appraisals and academic emotions: An intensive longitudinal examination of reciprocal effects.

This study examined the reciprocal relation between lesson-specific perceived cognitive appraisals and academic emotions on an intra-individual level. A daily diary study was conducted using a sample of 266 Chinese Han students (Grades 7-8; 56.8% boys; Mage = 13.70, SDage = 0.52) during 10 mathematics lessons in 2022. Standardized questionnaires were also administered to these students before the daily diary study. The results of the dynamic structural equation modeling revealed significant reciprocal relations between cognitive appraisals and academic emotions within early adolescents and highlighted the role of emotions in guiding cognitive appraisals. Additionally, the study identified similarities and differences in the inter-individual relation between appraisals and emotions across self-reported questionnaires and daily diary measures.

Reduced REM and N2 sleep, and lower dream intensity predict increased mind-wandering.

Mind-wandering is a mental state in which attention shifts from the present environment or current task to internally driven, self-referent mental content. Homeostatic sleep pressure seems to facilitate mind-wandering as indicated by studies observing links between increased mind-wandering and impaired sleep. Nevertheless, previous studies mostly relied on cross-sectional measurements and self-reports. We aimed to combine the accuracy of objective sleep measures with the use of self-reports in a naturalistic setting in order to examine if objective sleep parameters predict the tendency for increased mind-wandering on the following day. We used mobile sleep electroencephalographic (EEG) headbands and self-report scales over 7 consecutive nights in a group of 67 healthy participants yielding ~400 analyzable nights. Nights with more wakefulness and shorter REM and slow wave sleep were associated with poorer subjective sleep quality at the intraindividual level. Reduced REM and N2 sleep, as well as less intense dream experiences, predicted more mind-wandering the following day. Our micro-longitudinal study indicates that intraindividual fluctuations in the duration of specific sleep stages predict the perception of sleep quality as assessed in the morning, as well as the intensity of daytime mind-wandering the following hours. The combined application of sleep EEG assessments and self-reports over repeated assessments provides new insights into the subtle intraindividual, night-to-day associations between nighttime sleep and the next day's subjective experiences.

COVID-19 protective behaviors: A longitudinal study applying an extended protection motivation theory.

Behavioral measures have proven indispensable to slow down the spread of COVID-19. However, adopting new health behaviors is generally challenging. This study aimed at identifying determinants of adopting protective behaviors over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. To explain adherence to protective behaviors over time, this study applied an extended version of the protection motivation theory combined with objective contextual pandemic-specific measures. Six measurement points covered a period of 15 months during the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland. The sample of N = 4,001 (Mage = 53.1, SDage = 19.3, rangeage = 18-98, 49.2% female) participated via telephone or online. Data were analyzed on inter- and intraindividual levels using generalized estimating equations with intentions and self-reported engagement in four protective behaviors (hygiene behaviors, physical distancing, adherence to recommendations in case of symptoms, and mask wearing) as outcomes. Over time, response efficacy and self-efficacy were the most important predictors for all intentions and self-reported behaviors and on both levels of analysis. Moreover, intentions also emerged as important predictor of self-reported behavior. Social norms, measured as subjectively expected disapproval from others, were mostly negatively related to intentions and self-reported behaviors on the interindividual level, but less consistently on the intraindividual level. Perceived risks to oneself and others, as well as objective, contextual variables (incidences, mortality, stringency index) showed inconsistent effects. This study demonstrates that threat appraisals (e.g., risk perceptions) are less important than positive beliefs about the behavior (i.e., coping appraisals) for the adherence to protective behaviors during a pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Ethical Leadership at Work and with Friends and Family: Within-Person and Between-Raters Variability Matters

Despite its theoretical grounding in the personal moral characteristics of leaders, most research on Brown et al.’s (2005) ethical leadership construct has tended to ignore the personal life (friends/family) aspects of leaders. In this study, we consider ethical leadership behavior in both work and non-work (i.e., with friends and family) domains at both the intra-individual (domain) and individual (leader as a whole person) levels of analysis. We examine our research questions with a sample of 104 leaders and their 1,458 raters in executive MBA programs in the United States and Ireland. Our findings demonstrate that ethical leadership operates at the individual level of analysis in both work and non-work contexts, with the implication that researchers should consider both the mean and variation of ethical leadership. Our findings also indicate strong within-domain and limited cross-domain effects of ethical leadership and ethical leadership variation on cognitive trust, affective trust, and abusive supervision.

Multiscale variability in nutrients and secondary metabolites in a bat-dispersed neotropical fruit.

Ripe fleshy fruits contain not only nutrients but also a diverse array of secondary metabolites. Nutrients serve as a reward for mutualists, whereas defensive metabolites protect the fruit against pests and predators. The composition of these chemical traits is highly variable, both across different plants and even within repeating structures on the same individual plant. This intraspecific and intraindividual variation has important fitness consequences for both plants and animals, yet patterns of variation and covariation in nutrients and secondary metabolites are not well understood, especially at smaller scales. Here, we investigate the multiscale variation and covariation between nutrients and defensive metabolites in Piper sancti-felicis ripe fruits. Means and measures of variation of sugars, proteins, phenolics, and alkenylphenols vary greatly among plants, and at least 50% of the trait variation occurs at the intraindividual level. Also, we found that proteins, but not sugars, were correlated with phenolics and alkenylphenols at multiple scales, suggesting trait variation in protein content may be more constrained than sugars. Our findings emphasize the importance of examining patterns across scales and provide the groundwork to better understand how complex patterns of variation and covariation in nutrients and defensive metabolites shape ecological interactions surrounding fruits.

Pollen Variability of Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaerth. (Betulaceae) from Southern Range Edge Populations in Northern Morocco

Moroccan populations of Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaerth. (Betulaceae) are found at the southern limit of the species’ range and are represented by tetraploid cytotypes with no available pollen data. The objective of this study was to assess the morphological and morphometric variability of the pollen, specifically focusing on pollen diameters and the number of apertures. To achieve this, we sampled 11 populations that are representative of the Moroccan distribution area of this species. We employed a hierarchical sampling design (11 populations, 10 trees per population, and from 30 to 300 pollen grains per tree, depending on the character measured) to examine different levels of variability: interpopulation, intrapopulation, and intraindividual. The results demonstrate that there is no discernible difference in the morphology or size of the pollen among the Moroccan tetraploid populations. However, we observed a high degree of intraspecific variability in pollen morphometric traits, but most of this variability is associated with the intraindividual level.

Learning effect on an isokinetic knee strength test protocol among male adolescent athletes.

Learning effect occurs when the best performance is not achieved at the earliest trial of a repeated protocol of evaluation. The present study examined, within testing session, the intra-individual variation in an isokinetic strength protocol composed of five reciprocal concentric and eccentric contractions of knee extensors (KE) and knee flexors (KF) among male adolescent swimmers. Additionally, test-retest reliability was determined as intra-individual mean differences between two consecutive testing sessions. The sample included 38 swimmers aged 10.1-13.3 years. A subsample (n = 17) completed a second visit. Isokinetic dynamometry was used to assess concentric and eccentric contractions of KE and KF at an angular velocity of 60°.s-1. The protocol included three preliminary repetitions that were not retained for analysis, a 60-second interval, and five reciprocal maximal concentric contractions (cc). The preceding sequence was repeated for eccentric contractions (ecc) of KE and KF. Multilevel regression confirmed intra-individual and inter-individual levels as significant sources of variance in peak torque (PT) values. Intra-class correlation (ICC) fluctuated between 0.582 and 0.834 and, in general, a substantial percentage of participants need more than three repetitions to attain their best PT: KEcc (36.8%), KEecc (23.7%), KFcc (39.5%), KFecc (18.4%). For the subsample of 17 swimmers who completed a second testing session, intra-individual mean differences of the best PT were trivial or small. In summary, the validity of shorter protocols may be compromised if swimmers do not attain their best peak torque in the first few attempts, and the reliability of a 5-repetition protocol seemed acceptable.

Probing EFL Teachers’ Job Motivation in the Light of Intra-individual Level Predictors

Probing EFL Teachers’ Job Motivation in the Light of Intra-individual Level Predictors