Maladaptive Forms Research Articles

The good ol’ days: White identity, racial nostalgia, and the perpetuation of racial extremism

A prevailing theme in White nationalist rhetoric is nostalgia for a time when Whites dominated American culture and had unchallenged status. The present research examines a form of collective nostalgia called racial nostalgia and its association with negative intergroup attitudes and extreme ideologies (White nationalism). In Studies 1 and 2, racial nostalgia was associated with higher racial identity, anti-immigrant attitudes, and White nationalism. Study 2 revealed that racial nostalgia was related to extreme ideologies, in part, through perceptions that immigrants and racial minorities posed realistic/symbolic threats. Study 3 manipulated nostalgia using a writing prompt (“America’s racial past” vs. “games of America’s past”) and an identity prime (prime vs. no prime). Racial nostalgia was higher in the racial prompt versus the games prompt condition, regardless of identity prime. Furthermore, there were significant indirect effects of the nostalgia manipulation on support for anti-immigrant policies and endorsement of White nationalism through increased racial nostalgia and its association with perceived threats. These findings show that racial nostalgia can be a maladaptive form of collective nostalgia linked to a sense of loss and threat, and can make people sympathetic to extreme racial ideologies.

Light And Dark Sides Of Reflection And Areflection: Splitting Effect

The objectives of this study are to analyze the phenomenology of reflection, taking into account the relationship of the level of reflection with various intellectual and personal properties and the success of the activity. Along with this, the objectives of the study are to substantiate the role of metacognitive abilities as the basis of positive and negative manifestations of a high and low level of reflection, allowing us to talk about the light and dark sides of reflection and areflection. The results of the analysis describe the manifestations of the “splitting effects” of high and low reflection indicators. The pole of high reflection can hide both productive forms of self-regulation with positive consequences (such as increasing the success of activities, self-efficacy, systemic reflection), and maladaptive forms of self-regulation with negative consequences (decreased success in activities, rumination, hyperpersonal control, illusory control, introspection, quasi-reflection). In turn, the pole of low reflection also “splits” into two different components: productive forms of self-regulation with positive consequences (implicit learning, intellectual behavior of experts, secondary control, selective meaningfulness, creative process) and maladaptive forms of self-regulation with negative consequences (decreased success, learned helplessness, psychological encapsulation). In addition, the mechanism that provides the effect of splitting high and low indicators of reflection is metacognitive abilities (the ability to involuntarily and voluntarily control one's mental activity). The results of the study allow us to conclude the multidimensional (nonlinear) nature of reflection.

Psycho-emotional state and cognitive functioning in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Many researchers note the “neurotization” of patients with endocrine diseases, formation of psycho-emotional disorders and cognitive impairment. Prevalence of mental disorders and maladaptive forms of response to the disease reaches 70—100 % among these patients. Mental disorders and negative psychological factors complicate the course of the disease, restorative and rehabilitation processes. And it is also one of the main causes of patient’s temporary and complete disability. The data from clinical and psychopathological research indicate the presence of emotional and cognitive disorders in examined patients. Emotional disturbances are represented by anxious, depressive, astheno- hypochondriac, hysteroform variants of psychopathological symptoms. Based on the data obtained during this study, a comprehensive program of psychotherapeutic and medical psychological support for patients with type 2 diabetes has been developed.

Development and Validation of the Certainty About Mental States Questionnaire (CAMSQ): A Self-Report Measure of Mentalizing Oneself and Others.

The Certainty About Mental States Questionnaire (CAMSQ) is a self-report measure of the perceived capacity to understand mental states of the self and others (i.e., mentalizing). In two studies (total N = 1828), we developed the CAMSQ in both English and German as a two-dimensional measure of Self- and Other-Certainty, investigated associations with other measures of mentalizing, and explored relationships to personality functioning and mental health. The CAMSQ performed well in terms of convergent and discriminant validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and measurement invariance across the United States and Germany. The present research indicates that the CAMSQ assesses maladaptive forms of having too little or too much certainty about mental states (consistent with hypomentalizing and hypermentalizing). A psychologically adaptive profile of perceived mentalizing capacity appears to be characterized by high Self-Certainty that exceeds Other-Certainty, suggesting that imbalances between Self-Certainty and Other-Certainty (Other-Self-Discrepancy) play an important role within personality pathology.

Professional Mobility as a Model for Overcoming Maladaptive Forms of a Person’s Psychological Defence in Conditions of Professional Development Crises

The article deals with the results of the analysis of the person’s professional mobility as a comprehensive tool for overcoming the professional crises. It also determines the existence of many unascertained psychological problems in its structure. One of these problems is the problem of overcoming maladaptive forms of a person’s psychological defence based on his professional mobility in stressful conditions of the professional development crises. Stressful uncertainty in the professional crisis and the high ambivalent tension, which the person is experiencing, characterize the specialist’s maladaptive development according to the “catastrophic” scenario. In the conditions of the professional development crisis a specialist cannot leave it adaptively and flexibly due to a limited number of rigidly patterned professional barriers and behaviour models. Such maladaptive patterned movement of a specialist towards the disintegrational destruction of the whole system of his professional development can be overcome constructively on the basis of his professional mobility model, selection and realization of the further professional movement vector. We consider the interactive strategy of a specialist’s behaviour for constructive overcoming professional crises in the system of his professional development, based on the development of the ability of directed transitions to new professional movement trajectories in the points of the system bifurcation, as the professional mobility.

The role of shame and guilt in social anxiety disorder

• Shame plays an important role in the understanding of social anxiety disorders. • Shame contributes significantly to the variation in social anxiety disorders over and above depression. • Guilt does not seem to have a notable association with social anxiety disorder, at least not contextual-legitimate guilt. For maladaptive forms of guilt, further research is required. Research suggests that shame and guilt may play a role in anxiety disorders. For social anxiety disorder (SAD), however, only a few studies investigated patients with the primary diagnosis of SAD. Thus, further research on shame and guilt in SAD is required. A secondary analysis of Data from the SOPHO-NET multicenter treatment study was performed. In a large sample of N = 495 patients with the primary diagnosis of SAD the relationship between shame and guilt with symptoms of social anxiety, depression, and interpersonal problems was examined by means of correlation analysis and additionally, a hierarchical linear regression analysis. To assess SAD, the German version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV was used. Shame and guilt were assessed by the Test of Self-Conscious Affect. Results showed significant associations between internal shame and SAD symptoms, depression, and interpersonal problems. Internal shame contributed significantly to the variation in SAD symptoms over and above depression. Contextual-legitimate guilt was neither correlated with SAD symptoms nor with interpersonal problems. For depression, a significant but very small correlation with SAD symptoms was found that did not persist after controlling for internal shame by partial correlation. Internal shame but not contextual-legitimate guilt plays a role in SAD. It seems to be not only associated with symptoms of social anxiety but also with depression and interpersonal problems. Future studies should examine whether a focus on internal shame may be useful in treating SAD.

Feel Good, Eat Better: The Role of Self-Compassion and Body Esteem in Mothers' Healthy Eating Behaviours.

Mothers’ eating behaviours are important to ensure the health and well-being of themselves and their families. Recent research has pointed to self-compassion, defined as extending kindness to oneself in times of perceived inadequacy or general suffering, as a trait associated with healthy forms of eating, such as intuitive eating, and reduced maladaptive forms of eating, such as emotional eating. However, little is known about the psychological mechanism through which self-compassion relates to healthy eating behaviours. This study examined 100 mothers’ levels of self-compassion, body esteem and eating behaviours. Structural equation modelling revealed that self-compassion was positively associated with diet quality and intuitive eating, while being negatively associated with emotional eating. Moreover, these links occurred, in part, due to higher body esteem. This points to a mechanism through which self-compassion may positively contribute to mothers’ healthy eating behaviours. The implications for eating outcomes and women’s health are discussed.

Psychological peculiarities of mental patient with the comorbid somatic pathology

The paper presents the results of a comprehensive psychodiagnostic study of the psychological characteristics of psychotic patients with schizophrenia with somatic disorders. Based on the results of the study, the features of the representation of mental and somatic illness in the minds of schizophrenic patients with somatic disorders were identified. It has been proven that an important role in the pathogenesis of the formation of psychiatric comorbidity in schizophrenia is played by the categories of self-esteem, awareness, perception and attitude to mental and somatic illness. It was revealed that patients with schizophrenia with cardiovascular disease (CVD), with low assessments of all health parameters, assessed themselves as mentally sicker than physically, and patients with schizophrenia with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM 2) and obesity, with low assessments of all health parameters, assessed themselves as physically sicker than mentally. In addition, patients with CVD and obesity were more aware of the need for treatment of mental illness, while patients with DM 2 were more aware that their environment would consider it necessary to treat a mental disorder. It was also found that patients with schizophrenia with somatic diseases have significantly higher indicators of the level of threat of mental disorder than patients without somatic burden. The results of the study of attitudes towards somatic illness revealed that patients with schizophrenia were characterized by a predominance of maladaptive forms of attitudes toward the disease: anxious, hypochondriac and melancholic (in schizophrenia with CVD), anosognosic and dysphoric (in schizophrenia with diabetes mellitus and obesity), as well as apathetic (in schizophrenia with obesity). It is advisable to use the obtained results as specific targets of psycho-education and psychotherapeutic work and to take into account when developing complex programs for the treatment of schizophrenic patients with comorbid somatic disorders.

The think aloud paradigm reveals differences in the content, dynamics and conceptual scope of resting state thought in trait brooding

Although central to well-being, functional and dysfunctional thoughts arise and unfold over time in ways that remain poorly understood. To shed light on these mechanisms, we adapted a “think aloud” paradigm to quantify the content and dynamics of individuals’ thoughts at rest. Across two studies, external raters hand coded the content of each thought and computed dynamic metrics spanning duration, transition probabilities between affective states, and conceptual similarity over time. Study 1 highlighted the paradigm’s high ecological validity and revealed a narrowing of conceptual scope following more negative content. Study 2 replicated Study 1’s findings and examined individual difference predictors of trait brooding, a maladaptive form of rumination. Across individuals, increased trait brooding was linked to thoughts rated as more negative, past-oriented and self-focused. Longer negative and shorter positive thoughts were also apparent as brooding increased, as well as a tendency to shift away from positive conceptual states, and a stronger narrowing of conceptual scope following negative thoughts. Importantly, content and dynamics explained independent variance, accounting for a third of the variance in brooding. These results uncover a real-time cognitive signature of rumination and highlight the predictive and ecological validity of the think aloud paradigm applied to resting state cognition.

Psychological preconditions for the implementation of the police officers` coping behavior in the context of adaptive perfectionism

The results of the study of psychological preconditions for the implementation of the police officers` coping behavior in the context of an adaptive form of perfectionism are presented. Based on the theoretical analysis of scientific developments of domestic and foreign researchers, it is proved that the types of orientations in difficult situations and tendencies in decision-making are psychological prerequisites for coping behavior, the constructiveness of which determines professional efficiency and positive personalization of the police officers. It is stated that one of the personal factors of overcoming behavior in conditions of professional stress, characteristic for the activity of the police officers, is perfectionism, which, on the one hand, is an important condition for the perfect performance of police duties, but on the other hand, causes ambivalent psychological consequences in accordance with its adaptive or maladaptive form of expression.
 The purpose of the study was to highlight the features of the functioning of the psychological conditions for the implementation of coping behavior of the police officers in the context of adaptive perfectionism. Certain psychodiagnostic techniques were used: the “Revised Perfectionism Scale” questionnaire (Slaney et al., 2001), the “Types of Orientations in Difficult Situations” method (Bitutka, Korneev, 2020) and the “Trends in Decision Making” questionnaire (Misuraca et al., 2015). The study was conducted with the involvement of two groups of patrol police officers. The first group consisted of subjects with an adaptive form of perfectionism (63 people), the second - subjects with a maladaptive form of perfectionism (39 people). It has been empirically proven that in the study of the types of orientations in difficult situations on the scales "Orientation to labor intensity (diligence)" and "Orientation to opportunities" the first group shows probably higher indicators, while in the second group probably higher indicators are recorded on scales "Orientation to obstacles" and "Loss-oriented (avoidance of difficulties)". The study of the trend in decision-making revealed that on the scale "Maximization" the indicator established in the second group is probably higher than the indicator recorded on this scale in the first group. On the «Satisfaction scale», a significantly higher rate was found in the first group than in the second. The prospect of further research is outlined, which is to study the psychological preconditions for the implementation of coping behavior by police officers, taking into account the levels of expression of various forms of perfectionism and imbalance of its adaptive form on the example of specialists from different police departments.

A Critical Evaluation of the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ)

The Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ) is an 8-item self-report measure of reflective functioning that is presumed to capture individual differences in hypo- and hypermentalizing. Despite its broad acceptance by the field, we argue that the validity of the measure is not well-established. The current research elaborates on problems of the RFQ related to its item content, scoring procedure, dimensionality, and associations with psychopathology. We tested these considerations across three large clinical and non-clinical samples from Germany and the US (total N = 2289). In a first study, we found that the RFQ may assess a single latent dimension related to hypomentalizing but is rather unlikely to capture maladaptive forms of hypermentalizing. Moreover, the RFQ exhibited very strong associations with measures of personality pathology, while associations with measures of symptom distress were less strong. In a second preregistered study focused on convergent and discriminant validity, however, a commonality analysis indicated that associations with indicators of personality pathology are inflated because some of the RFQ items tap into emotional lability and impulsivity rather than mentalizing. Our findings demonstrate limitations of the RFQ. We discuss key challenges in assessing mentalizing via self-report.

Thinking too much: rumination and psychopathology.

Thinking too much: rumination and psychopathology.

Advances in modeling learning and decision-making in neuroscience.

An organism's survival depends on its ability to learn about its environment and to make adaptive decisions in the service of achieving the best possible outcomes in that environment. To study the neural circuits that support these functions, researchers have increasingly relied on models that formalize the computations required to carry them out. Here, we review the recent history of computational modeling of learning and decision-making, and how these models have been used to advance understanding of prefrontal cortex function. We discuss how such models have advanced from their origins in basic algorithms of updating and action selection to increasingly account for complexities in the cognitive processes required for learning and decision-making, and the representations over which they operate. We further discuss how a deeper understanding of the real-world complexities in these computations has shed light on the fundamental constraints on optimal behavior, and on the complex interactions between corticostriatal pathways to determine such behavior. The continuing and rapid development of these models holds great promise for understanding the mechanisms by which animals adapt to their environments, and what leads to maladaptive forms of learning and decision-making within clinical populations.

Drug Addiction in Pakistan: A step towards alleviation of sufferings

Drug Addiction in Pakistan: A step towards alleviation of sufferings

Development and validation of the Multidimensional Cognitive Attentional Syndrome Scale (MCASS).

The cognitive attentional syndrome (CAS), a multidimensional construct that consists of maladaptive forms of self-regulation, is central to the metacognitive model. Despite the CAS's central importance to the metacognitive model, as well as evidence that components of the CAS are risk factors for the development of emotional disorders, a psychometrically sound self-report measure that accounts for the multidimensional nature of the CAS has yet to be developed. The present set of studies details the development and initial validation of the Multidimensional Cognitive Attentional Syndrome Scale (MCASS). In study 1, a pool of 69 items, assessing the seven self-regulation strategies of the CAS, was administered to U.S. adults recruited through a crowd-sourcing website (N = 323). Structural analyses supported the proposed 7-factor solution and three items with the highest loadings on each factor, without salient cross-loadings, were retained. In Study 2, adult participants (N = 389) completed a battery of self-report measures, including the retained 21 MCASS items. The reduced item pool was examined using both first- and second-order measurement models. The 7-factor first-order measurement model and the second-order measurement model, with each of the first-order factors loading on a higher-order construct (i.e., CAS), provided adequate model fit. Each of the seven, first-order factors exhibited significant loadings on the second-order construct. Convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity analyses further supported the construct validity of the MCASS scale scores. The MCASS may be particularly useful for examining the theoretical underpinnings of the metacognitive model, as well as for more comprehensive clinical monitoring of the CAS. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Children’s perceptions of others’ humor: does context matter?

Abstract Research suggests that those using adaptive forms of humor are perceived more positively compared to those using maladaptive forms of humor. Research of this nature, however, is yet to consider children. The present research involved presenting 357 children aged 9–11 years, with one of eight vignettes portraying either a male or female child using one of the four humor styles: affiliative, self-enhancing, aggressive, and self-defeating. Participants then completed a questionnaire to assess their perceptions of the child in the vignette. In a second study, context was also investigated, with 386 children from the same age group, by describing the humor as having taken place in either the playground or classroom. Findings of study one showed that children using maladaptive forms of humor were viewed less positively than those using adaptive forms of humor. Findings from study two supported those from study one, and further showed that the context in which humor takes place may not be important. Overall, the findings of the current study are supportive of previous findings with adults and highlight the potential importance of humor use in children’s perceptions of their peers.

Levels and predictors of fear and health anxiety during the current outbreak of COVID-19 in immunocompromised and chronic disease patients in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional correlational study.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection has become a clinical threat to healthy people as well as immunocompromised patients and those with pre-existing chronic diseases around the world. This study, which used a cross-sectional correlational design, aimed to assess the levels of fear and health anxiety and to investigate their predictors during the current outbreak of COVID-19 in immunocompromised and chronic disease patients in Saudi Arabia. Sociodemographic and clinical data, fear of COVID-19, and health anxiety measurements were collected by online surveys from June 15 to July 15, 2020. Univariate and multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify predictors. A total of 1,030 patients in 13 provinces in Saudi Arabia completed the questionnaire. A significant number of patients with chronic diseases experienced considerable levels of fear and anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak. It was found that 21.44% of participants met the criteria for anxiety cases, and 19.4% were considered borderline anxiety cases. In regression analysis, significant predictors of fear and health anxiety were female gender, lower education, middle-aged, divorced or widowed, receiving immunosuppressants, type of chronic disease (Crohn’s disease, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases), and media use as a source of knowledge about COVID-19. Immunocompromised and chronic disease patients are vulnerable to fear and anxiety during epidemic infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Optimizing this population’s compliance with appropriate infection prevention and control strategies is crucial during the infectious outbreaks to ensure their safety, to decrease the risk of infection and serious complications, and reduce their fear and health anxiety. Effective positive psychological interventions and support strategies also need to be immediately implemented to increase psychological resilience and improve the mental health of these patients. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, chronic disease patients in Saudi Arabia need special attention from health authorities, policymakers, and healthcare professionals to manage maladaptive forms of health anxiety and fear.

PERFECTIONISM IN THE CONTEXT OF THE REVISED REINFORCEMENT SENSITIVITY THEORY

The main goal of this research was to examine the role of personality traits in predicting the two aspects of perfectionism – maladaptive evaluation concerns and positive strivings. Personality traits were postulated by the Revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory, while the dimensions of perfectionism were defined by the Model of Perfectionism developed by Frost et al. The sample consisted of 299 students of the Faculty of Philosophy in Niš (79.3% were female), aged 19 to 29 years (M = 20.34; SD = 1.83). The instruments used were: the Reinforcement Sensitivity Questionnaire (RSQ), and the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS). The main takeaways of this research indicate that the Behavioural Inhibition System (BIS) is the strongest and positive correlate of maladaptive evaluation concerns, followed by Freeze and Fight. Unlike personality defence systems, the Behavioural Approach System (BAS) shows a negative correlation with the abovementioned criterion. The total percentage of explained variance for maladaptive evaluation concerns is 23%. When positive strivings are used as the criterion, BAS is seen as a positive correlate only in the first step of the hierarchical regression analysis. However, Flight and Fight represent consistent and positive correlates of this criterion. The total percentage of explained variance for positive strivings is 6.9%. The findings are consistent with the Revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory and available empirical findings from previous studies. Moreover, the results indicate that in the context of the abovementioned personality theory, maladaptive evaluation concerns and positive strivings can be understood as maladaptive forms of perfectionism, which deviates from previous understandings of perfectionism.

Ca2+ -permeable AMPA receptors and their auxiliary subunits in synaptic plasticity and disease.

AMPA receptors are tetrameric glutamate‐gated ion channels that mediate a majority of fast excitatory neurotransmission in the brain. They exist as calcium‐impermeable (CI‐) and calcium‐permeable (CP‐) subtypes, the latter of which lacks the GluA2 subunit. CP‐AMPARs display an array of distinctive biophysical and pharmacological properties that allow them to be functionally identified. This has revealed that they play crucial roles in diverse forms of central synaptic plasticity. Here we summarise the functional hallmarks of CP‐AMPARs and describe how these are modified by the presence of auxiliary subunits that have emerged as pivotal regulators of AMPARs. A lasting change in the prevalence of GluA2‐containing AMPARs, and hence in the fraction of CP‐AMPARs, is a feature in many maladaptive forms of synaptic plasticity and neurological disorders. These include modifications of glutamatergic transmission induced by inflammatory pain, fear conditioning, cocaine exposure, and anoxia‐induced damage in neurons and glia. Furthermore, defective RNA editing of GluA2 can cause altered expression of CP‐AMPARs and is implicated in motor neuron damage (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and the proliferation of cells in malignant gliomas. A number of the players involved in CP‐AMPAR regulation have been identified, providing useful insight into interventions that may prevent the aberrant CP‐AMPAR expression. Furthermore, recent molecular and pharmacological developments, particularly the discovery of TARP subtype‐selective drugs, offer the exciting potential to modify some of the harmful effects of increased CP‐AMPAR prevalence in a brain region‐specific manner.

Is Thought Management a Resource for Functioning in Women with Fibromyalgia Irrespective of Pain Levels?

This study aimed to examine the relationship between cognitive factors (cognitive fusion and catastrophizing) and functional limitation experienced by patients with fibromyalgia across different levels of pain severity (i.e., moderation). The sample comprised 226 women with fibromyalgia. Their mean age was 56.91 years (standard deviation = 8.94; range = 30 to 78 years). Pain severity, cognitive fusion, and all components of catastrophizing (i.e., rumination, magnification, and helplessness) contributed to greater fibromyalgia impact on functioning in the multivariate analyses (all P < 0.001). A moderation effect was also found in the relationship between cognitive fusion and fibromyalgia impact on functioning (B = -0.12, t = -2.42, P = 0.016, 95% confidence interval: -0.22 to -0.02) and between magnification and fibromyalgia impact (B = -0.37, t = -2.21, P = 0.028, 95% confidence interval: -0.69 to -0.04). This moderation was not observed for rumination and helplessness. The results suggest that in interventions to improve functioning in people with fibromyalgia, some maladaptive forms of thought management (i.e., cognitive fusion and magnification) preferably should be challenged at milder levels of pain severity. According to our findings, cognitive fusion and magnification might have less room to impact functioning at higher levels of pain severity; therefore, rumination and helplessness, which had comparable associations with functioning irrespective of pain levels, would be preferable targets in psychological interventions in patients with fibromyalgia experiencing more severe pain levels.