Negative Affect Research Articles

Sadness and fear, but not happiness, motivate inhibitory behaviour: the influence of discrete emotions on the executive function of inhibition.

Inhibition, an executive function, is critical for achieving goals that require suppressing unwanted behaviours, thoughts, or distractions. One hypothesis of the emotion and goal compatibility theory is that emotions of sadness and fear enhance inhibitory control. Across Experiments 1-4, we tested this hypothesis by inducing a happy, sad, fearful, and neutral emotional state prior to completing an inhibition task that indexed a specific facet of inhibition (oculomotor, resisting interference, behavioural, and cognitive). In Experiment 4, we included an anger induction to examine whether valence or motivational-orientation best-predicted performance. We found support that fear and sadness enhanced inhibition except when inhibition required resisting interference. We argue that sadness and fear enhance inhibitory control aiding the detection and analysis of problems (i.e. sadness) or threats (i.e. fear) within one's environment. In sum, this work highlights the importance of identifying how negative emotions can be beneficial for and interact with specific executive functions influencing down-stream processing including attention, cognition, and memory.

COVID-19 and depressive symptoms among older adults in South Korea.

This study analyzed the effects of COVID-19 and gender differences in depressive symptoms in older adults using data from the 7th (2018) and 8th (2020) surveys of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. A panel two-way-fixed effects model was used to control for individual fixed effects and time effects. A 0.1% point increase in the intensity of COVID-19 was associated with an average increase of 1.5 points out of 10 on the Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, 10-item version (CES-D10) among older adults. The increase in depression was greater among women. Depressive factors due to COVID-19 among older adults are more likely to be related to negative emotions or interpersonal relationships than to physical and behavioral decline. Depression prevention policies for older adults should be informed by these gender differences. While older men require assistance with instrumental activities of daily living such as housework, meal preparation, etc., older women should be provided with online socialization opportunities to interact with others.

A Study on the Determinants of Undergraduates’ Procrastination: Social Addiction, Negative Emotion as Mediators and Mindfulness as Moderator

A Study on the Determinants of Undergraduates’ Procrastination: Social Addiction, Negative Emotion as Mediators and Mindfulness as Moderator

Parental reactions to child negative emotions and child behavioral adjustment: The moderating role of child inhibitory control

According to the heuristic model of emotion socialization by Eisenberg et al., parental reactions to children’s negative emotions (RCNE) have an important role in this socialization process; however, its effects on children’s social-emotional outcomes may be moderated by the children’s temperament. This longitudinal study verified this proposition by testing maternal and paternal RCNE as predictors of preschoolers’ behavioral adjustment and child inhibitory control as a moderator of these associations. Mothers and fathers of 113 Chinese children ( Mage = 57.41 months, SD = 7.16 months) reported on their RCNE and child inhibitory control at Time 1 (T1) and reported on child behavioral adjustment (i.e., externalizing problems, internalizing problems, and prosocial behaviors) both at T1 and 6 months later (Time 2, T2). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that after controlling for child behavioral adjustment at T1, child age, and paternal education level, (a) paternal supportive reactions negatively predicted child externalizing problems and positively predicted child prosocial behaviors, and (b) the associations between parental RCNE and child behavioral adjustment were moderated by child inhibitory control. Specifically, only for children low on inhibitory control, paternal supportive reactions negatively predicted child externalizing problems, and maternal supportive reactions positively predicted child prosocial behaviors.

Attentional bias to uncertainty-based information: a conceptual replication of Fergus et al. (2013)

AbstractAttentional biases to negative information are often observed in emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression. Recently, Fergus et al. (Cognitive Therapy and Research 37:735-741, 2013) demonstrated that participants scoring high in Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU), a transdiagnostic risk factor for emotional disorders, were faster at identifying targets with uncertainty-based information (e.g., word stimuli such as ‘maybe’), relative to neutral information (e.g. word stimuli related to household items). Moreover, this effect was specific to IU over other anxious traits such as worry. This report aimed to conceptually replicate the results of Fergus et al. (Cognitive Therapy and Research 37:735-741, 2013). The current experiment was conducted with a student sample (n = 126). As in the original study, a visual search task with uncertainty-based and neutral information (e.g., word stimuli) was used. Reaction times were collected. IU and trait anxiety was measured via self-report. We partially replicated the results of Fergus et al. (Cognitive Therapy and Research 37:735-741, 2013). We found that higher IU was significantly associated with faster identification of uncertainty-based information, relative to neutral information. However, we also observed a similar pattern of results for trait anxiety. Additionally, we observed no specificity of IU or trait anxiety in predicting faster identification of uncertainty-based information, relative to neutral information. Despite the lack of specificity of IU or trait anxiety in predicting attentional bias to uncertainty-based information, these findings highlight that negative emotionality may be generally associated with attentional biases to uncertainty-based information in the absence of direct threat.

'Autism is the Arena and OCD is the Lion': Autistic adults' experiences of co-occurring obsessive-compulsive disorder and repetitive restricted behaviours and interests.

Repetitive behaviours and interests are a hallmark feature of autism. It is very common for autistic people to experience mental health difficulties, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. Previous research has investigated similarities and differences between obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms and repetitive behaviours in autism through questionnaires and observation studies. This is the first study to interview autistic adults about their personal experiences of differentiating between obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms and repetitive behaviours related to autism. We interviewed 15 autistic adults who experience obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms. We recorded these interviews and carefully analysed these to find themes. We found some differences between repetitive behaviours and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Participants said repetitive behaviours are part of who they are and what they want to be doing, whereas obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms conflicted with how they view themselves. Obsessive-compulsive disorder was said to cause negative emotions, while participants said they experience lots of different emotions when doing repetitive behaviours. A similarity participants reported was trying to stop themselves from doing obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms and repetitive behaviours that other people can see. There was also overlap between obsessive-compulsive disorder and repetitive behaviours. Participants talked about experiences when obsessive-compulsive disorder would take over routines and make them feel more intense and negative. Also, participants' special interests were sometimes connected to the obsessions they experienced. We conclude that clinicians can use these findings to support conversations with autistic clients in differentiating between repetitive behaviours and obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms. We also think that further research investigating how obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms might be hidden by autistic and typically developing people is needed.

Today’s positive affect predicts tomorrow’s experience of meaningful coincidences: a cross-lagged multilevel analysis

ABSTRACT The perception of meaningful patterns in random arrangements and unrelated events takes place in our everyday lives, coined apophenia, synchronicity, or the experience of meaningful coincidences. However, we do not know yet what predicts this phenomenon. To investigate this, we re-analyzed a combined data set of two daily diary studies with a total of N = 169 participants (mean age 29.95 years; 54 men). We investigated if positive or negative affect (PA, NA) predicts the number of meaningful coincidences on the following day (or vice versa). By means of a cross-lagged multilevel modelling approach (Bayesian estimation) we evaluated with which of two theoretical assumptions the data are more in line. First, if meaningful coincidences are facilitated by a broader and more flexible thinking style, PA should positively predict meaningful coincidences at the following day. However, if the experience of meaningful coincidences signifies a strategy to cope with negative feeling states, NA should predict the experience of meaningful coincidences during the following day. In favour of a more flexible thinking style, we found that PA predicted the number of perceived coincidences the following day. We did not find any effect for NA, and therefore, no evidence arguing for the coping mechanism hypothesis of meaningful coincidences.

Based on the relationship between anxiety of existential meaninglessness, hope level, and fear of progression, explored the effect of preoperative nursing with Orem theory in the senile cataract population

BackgroundCataracts, characterized by a decrease in vision due to the clouding of the lens, can progress to blindness in advanced stages. The rising incidence of cataract cases has led to a significant number of patients experiencing negative emotions associated with vision loss, thereby diminishing their quality of life. In clinical practice, it is imperative for healthcare professionals to consider the psychological well-being of cataract patients. Currently, there is a scarcity of research focusing on psychological evaluations, such as assessing feelings of meaninglessness among individuals with cataracts.ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the factors influencing the anxiety of existential meaninglessness and to explore the relationships among existential anxiety, Herth hope index levels and fear of progression in the elderly cataract-affected population. Additionally, it evaluates the effectiveness of Orem’s nursing care strategies.MethodsUtilizing a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Existential Meaninglessness Anxiety Scale (EM-A), Herth Hope Index Level Scale, and the Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF), this research employed convenience sampling for a cross-sectional and intervention study. The retrospective study sample comprised 1,029 individuals, while the intervention study included 317. The intervention design assessed psychological changes in existential meaninglessness following Orem’s preoperative nursing interventions. Multiple linear regression analysis was employed to ascertain the determinants of EM-A within the population of elderly patients with senile cataracts. Pearson correlation analysis elucidated the relationship between EM-A, levels of hope, and the FoP-Q-SF among this demographic. Subsequent investigations, utilizing a t-test, evaluated the effects by comparing the data before and after the implementation of the interventions.ResultsThe correlation between EM-A, hope levels, and FoP-Q-SF was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Factors such as age, education level, alcohol consumption habits, hope levels, and FoP-Q-SF scores significantly affected EM-A scores (p < 0.05). Orem’s nursing framework significantly reduced existential anxiety (p < 0.05).ConclusionAmong elderly patients with cataracts, existential anxiety was generally moderate. Hope levels and fear of progression were closely associated with the EM-A. The novel Orem preoperative care model effectively addresses clinical issues. In clinical practice, it is crucial to address psychological problems and enhance patients’ quality of life.

A Comparison of Personalized and Generalized Approaches to Emotion Recognition Using Consumer Wearable Devices: Machine Learning Study

Background There are a wide range of potential adverse health effects, ranging from headaches to cardiovascular disease, associated with long-term negative emotions and chronic stress. Because many indicators of stress are imperceptible to observers, the early detection of stress remains a pressing medical need, as it can enable early intervention. Physiological signals offer a noninvasive method for monitoring affective states and are recorded by a growing number of commercially available wearables. Objective We aim to study the differences between personalized and generalized machine learning models for 3-class emotion classification (neutral, stress, and amusement) using wearable biosignal data. Methods We developed a neural network for the 3-class emotion classification problem using data from the Wearable Stress and Affect Detection (WESAD) data set, a multimodal data set with physiological signals from 15 participants. We compared the results between a participant-exclusive generalized, a participant-inclusive generalized, and a personalized deep learning model. Results For the 3-class classification problem, our personalized model achieved an average accuracy of 95.06% and an F1-score of 91.71%; our participant-inclusive generalized model achieved an average accuracy of 66.95% and an F1-score of 42.50%; and our participant-exclusive generalized model achieved an average accuracy of 67.65% and an F1-score of 43.05%. Conclusions Our results emphasize the need for increased research in personalized emotion recognition models given that they outperform generalized models in certain contexts. We also demonstrate that personalized machine learning models for emotion classification are viable and can achieve high performance.

Managerial supplication and counterproductive work behavior: Do sadness, political skill and emotional intelligence matter?

PurposeCan managerial supplication lead subordinates to engage in undesirable work behavior? What role, if any, do negative emotions play in this process? Are there factors that moderate these emotions and their harmful implications? Relying on the affective events theory, the current study investigated these questions using a moderated mediation model in which: (a) perceived managerial supplication elicited sadness that resulted in counterproductive work behavior and (b) political skill and emotional intelligence moderated these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe moderated mediation model was tested using a sample of 167 employees. The data were collected in three waves.FindingsPerceived managerial supplication was positively related to subordinates' sadness and both dimensions of counterproductive work behavior, namely, organizational and interpersonal counterproductive work behavior. Moreover, sadness was positively related to both dimensions of counterproductive work behavior and mediated the relationships between perceived supplication and these two undesirable outcomes. Nevertheless, contrary to our expectations, all moderation effects included in our model were insignificant.Practical implicationsHuman resource departments should implement training programs to develop the awareness of their managers about the harmful consequences of perceived supplication, encouraging them to use other behaviors with subordinates.Originality/valueThis study is the first to (a) suggest and validate the view that subordinates' perceptions about their managers' use of supplication can result in undesirable work behavior and (b) demonstrate that sadness, an emotion that is not associated with the tendency to express external aggression, can lead employees to engage in counterproductive work behavior toward both their organizations and colleagues.

Perceived ageism and psychosocial outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundIn light of the existing knowledge gap in this research area (particularly based on representative samples and research conducted during the pandemic), the objective of this study was to explore the association between perceived ageism and psychosocial outcomes (i.e., in terms of life satisfaction, loneliness, social isolation, aging satisfaction and depressive symptoms) among middle-aged and older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic based on nationally representative data.MethodsWe used data from the nationally representative German Ageing Survey, which covers community-dwelling middle-aged and older individuals aged 40 years or over. Specifically, wave 7 of the German Ageing Survey (conducted from November 2020 to March 2021) was analyzed, consisting of a sample of 4,167 individuals with an average age of 68.7 years (SD: 10.1 years; ranging from 46 to 98 years). Established instruments were employed to measure psychosocial outcomes.ResultsRegressions showed that the presence of perceived ageism was significantly associated with unfavorable psychometric outcomes (i.e., higher loneliness: β = 0.29, p < 0.001; higher perceived social isolation: β = 0.32, p < 0.001; more depressive symptoms: β = 2.68, p < 0.001; lower life satisfaction: β=-0.28, p < 0.001; higher negative affect: β = 0.21, p < 0.001; lower aging satisfaction: β=-0.19, p < 0.001), except for positive affect (β=-0.06, p = 0.10). Stratified by age group (i.e., individuals 40 to 64 years; individuals aged 65 years and over, see Tables 3 and 4), comparable results were obtained in terms of significance.ConclusionsPerceived ageism was associated with unfavorable psychosocial outcomes. This knowledge can help reduce vulnerability to negative psychosocial factors in people in the middle and later years of life.

Alone but flowing: The effects of autotelic personality and extraversion on solitary flow.

Flow, a psychological state of intense engagement in and enjoyment of an activity, can arise during both solitary and socially interactive experiences. In the literature, whereas people high in extraversion have difficulty achieving flow in solitude, those with an autotelic personality-a combination of traits that make people prone to flow-readily experience flow in both solitary and interactive conditions. In this pre-registered experiment, we investigated whether autotelic personality mitigates the negative association between solitary flow and extraversion. Participants and their romantic partners (final N = 368) played the game Perfection™ in three conditions (order was counterbalanced): alone (solitary condition), in the presence of their partner without interaction (mere-presence condition), and collaboratively (interactive condition). There were independent, positive main effects of extraversion and autotelic personality on flow experience in mere-presence and interactive conditions. However, the positive effect of extraversion on solitary flow was only significant among participants with high (vs. low) autotelic personality. In all conditions, flow experience was associated with greater low-arousal positive affect and lesser high-arousal negative affect. The findings shed light on the role of personality in promoting solitary flow experiences, and particularly how traits might interact to determine optimal and non-optimal conditions for achieving flow.

Effect of negative emotion on prospective memory and its different components

Prospective memory is an important and complex social cognitive ability, which is easily disturbed by negative emotions. According to the relationship between prospective memory cues and ongoing tasks, prospective memory can be divided into focal prospective memory and non-focal prospective memory. This study focuses on the influence of negative emotions on different types of prospective memory. In Experiment 1, 117 participants were recruited, using a 2 (emotion: negative, neutral) × 2 (cue focality: focal, non-focal) between-subjects design to initially explore whether negative emotions can interfere with the prospective memory of both focal cue and non-focal cue. The results show that negative emotions simultaneously reduce both types of prospective memory performance. At the same time, negative emotions occupy additional attention resources and impair the prospective component of prospective memory with non-focal cues. In Experiment 2, 64 participants were recruited to improve the difficulty of the retrospective component of prospective memory with non-focal cues, and the influence of negative emotions on different components of prospective memory with non-focal cues was further explored. The results show that negative emotions can impair both the prospective and retrospective components of prospective memory. In short, the results of this study indicate that negative emotion can impair prospective memory, and the impairment effect is not limited by the cue type of prospective memory. Meanwhile, negative emotion will occupy more attentional resources and simultaneously affect the prospective and retrospective components of prospective memory.

How the association of time pressure with work engagement and affect depends on workers’ sensation seeking: a daily diary study

ABSTRACT Drawing upon the challenge-hindrance framework and activation theory, this study investigated the quadratic relationship of daily time pressure with daily work engagement and daily affect. Moreover, the moderating role of sensation seeking in these relationships was investigated. Over two consecutive work weeks (10 work days), participants answered questionnaires on their time pressure, work engagement, positive affect, and negative affect. Data of 133 workers were analysed using hierarchical linear modelling. Random slopes analyses revealed a linear main effect of time pressure on work engagement after controlling for other variables. A linear main effect was also identified for negative affect. For work engagement and negative affect, cross-level interactions of time pressure and sensation seeking were found. The relationship between time pressure and work engagement was positive for high sensation seekers, whereas no relationship was found for low sensation seekers. Moreover, the results revealed a positive linear relationship between time pressure and negative affect for low sensation seekers and a U-shaped relationship for high sensation seekers. The findings contribute to the ongoing discussion on the challenging and hindering effects of time pressure, highlighting that it may depend on employees’ sensation seeking disposition whether time pressure acts as a challenge or a hindrance demand.

Differing Content and Language Based on Poster-Patient Relationships on the Chinese Social Media Platform Weibo: Text Classification, Sentiment Analysis, and Topic Modeling of Posts on Breast Cancer

Background Breast cancer affects the lives of not only those diagnosed but also the people around them. Many of those affected share their experiences on social media. However, these narratives may differ according to who the poster is and what their relationship with the patient is; a patient posting about their experiences may post different content from someone whose friends or family has breast cancer. Weibo is 1 of the most popular social media platforms in China, and breast cancer–related posts are frequently found there. Objective With the goal of understanding the different experiences of those affected by breast cancer in China, we aimed to explore how content and language used in relevant posts differ according to who the poster is and what their relationship with the patient is and whether there are differences in emotional expression and topic content if the patient is the poster themselves or a friend, family member, relative, or acquaintance. Methods We used Weibo as a resource to examine how posts differ according to the different poster-patient relationships. We collected a total of 10,322 relevant Weibo posts. Using a 2-step analysis method, we fine-tuned 2 Chinese Robustly Optimized Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) Pretraining Approach models on this data set with annotated poster-patient relationships. These models were lined in sequence, first a binary classifier (no_patient or patient) and then a multiclass classifier (post_user, family_members, friends_relatives, acquaintances, heard_relation), to classify poster-patient relationships. Next, we used the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count lexicon to conduct sentiment analysis from 5 emotion categories (positive and negative emotions, anger, sadness, and anxiety), followed by topic modeling (BERTopic). Results Our binary model (F1-score=0.92) and multiclass model (F1-score=0.83) were largely able to classify poster-patient relationships accurately. Subsequent sentiment analysis showed significant differences in emotion categories across all poster-patient relationships. Notably, negative emotions and anger were higher for the “no_patient” class, but sadness and anxiety were higher for the “family_members” class. Focusing on the top 30 topics, we also noted that topics on fears and anger toward cancer were higher in the “no_patient” class, but topics on cancer treatment were higher in the “family_members” class. Conclusions Chinese users post different types of content, depending on the poster- poster-patient relationships. If the patient is family, posts are sadder and more anxious but also contain more content on treatments. However, if no patient is detected, posts show higher levels of anger. We think that these may stem from rants from posters, which may help with emotion regulation and gathering social support.

Targeting the left DLPFC and right VLPFC in unmarried romantic relationship breakup (love trauma syndrome) with intensified electrical stimulation: A randomized, single-blind, parallel-group, sham-controlled study

BackgroundEnding a romantic relationship is one of the most painful losses an adult experience. Neuroimaging studies suggest that there is a neuropsychological link between breakup experiences and bereaved individuals, and that specific prefrontal regions are involved. The aim of this study was to determine whether enhancement of left DLPFC and right VLPFC activity with a novel intensified anodal transcranial direct current stimulation protocol reduces core symptoms of love trauma syndrome (LTS) and improves treatment-related variables. MethodsIn this randomized, sham-controlled, single-blind parallel trial, we assessed the efficacy of an intensified anodal stimulation protocol (20 min, twice-daily sessions with 20 min intervals, 5 consecutive days) with two montages (left DLPFC vs right VLPFC) to reduce love trauma symptoms. 36 participants with love trauma syndrome were randomized in three tDCS condition (left DLPFC, right VLPFC, sham stimulation). LTS symptoms, treatment-related outcome variables (depressive state, anxiety, emotion regulation, positive and negative affect), and cognitive functions were assessed before, right after, and one month after intervention. ResultsBoth DLPFC and VLPFC protocols significantly reduced LTS symptoms, and improved depressive state and anxiety after the intervention, as compared to the sham group. The improving effect of the DLPFC protocol on love trauma syndrome was significantly larger than that of the VLPFC protocol. For emotion regulation and positive and negative affect, improved regulation of emotions and positive affect and reduced negative affect were revealed after intervention in the two real stimulation conditions compared to the sham. For cognitive functions, no significant difference was observed between the groups, but again a positive effect of intervention within groups in the real stimulation conditions (DLPFC and VLPFC) was found for most components of the cognitive tasks. ConclusionsEnhancement of left DLPFC and right VLPFC activity with intensified stimulation improves LTS symptoms and treatment-related variables. For LTS symptoms, DLPFC stimulation was more efficient than VLPFC stimulation., For the other variables, no significant difference was observed between these two stimulation groups. These promising results require replication in larger trials.

Analyzing the impact of unemployment on mental health among Chinese university graduates: a study of emotional and linguistic patterns on Weibo

PurposeThis study explores the intricate relationship between unemployment rates and emotional responses among Chinese university graduates, analyzing how these factors correlate with specific linguistic features on the popular social media platform Sina Weibo. The goal is to uncover patterns that elucidate the psychological and emotional dimensions of unemployment challenges among this demographic.MethodsThe analysis utilized a dataset of 30,540 Sina Weibo posts containing specific keywords related to unemployment and anxiety, collected from January 2019 to June 2023. The posts were pre-processed to eliminate noise and refine the data quality. Linear regression and textual analyses were employed to identify correlations between unemployment rates for individuals aged 16–24 and the linguistic characteristics of the posts.ResultsThe study found significant fluctuations in urban youth unemployment rates, peaking at 21.3% in June 2023. A corresponding increase in anxiety-related expressions was noted in the social media posts, with peak expressions aligning with high unemployment rates. Linguistic analysis revealed that the category of “Affect” showed a strong positive correlation with unemployment rates, indicating increased emotional expression alongside rising unemployment. Other categories such as “Negative emotion” and “Sadness” also showed significant correlations, highlighting a robust relationship between economic challenges and emotional distress.ConclusionThe findings underscore the profound impact of unemployment on the emotional well-being of university students, suggesting that economic hardships are closely linked to psychological stress and heightened negative emotions. This study contributes to a holistic understanding of the socio-economic challenges faced by young adults, advocating for comprehensive support systems that address both the economic and psychological facets of unemployment.

Alcohol milestones and internalizing, externalizing, and executive function: longitudinal and polygenic score associations.

Although the link between alcohol involvement and behavioral phenotypes (e.g. impulsivity, negative affect, executive function [EF]) is well-established, the directionality of these associations, specificity to stages of alcohol involvement, and extent of shared genetic liability remain unclear. We estimate longitudinal associations between transitions among alcohol milestones, behavioral phenotypes, and indices of genetic risk. Data came from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (n = 3681; ages 11-36). Alcohol transitions (first: drink, intoxication, alcohol use disorder [AUD] symptom, AUD diagnosis), internalizing, and externalizing phenotypes came from the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism. EF was measured with the Tower of London and Visual Span Tasks. Polygenic scores (PGS) were computed for alcohol-related and behavioral phenotypes. Cox models estimated associations among PGS, behavior, and alcohol milestones. Externalizing phenotypes (e.g. conduct disorder symptoms) were associated with future initiation and drinking problems (hazard ratio (HR)⩾1.16). Internalizing (e.g. social anxiety) was associated with hazards for progression from first drink to severe AUD (HR⩾1.55). Initiation and AUD were associated with increased hazards for later depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation (HR⩾1.38), and initiation was associated with increased hazards for future conduct symptoms (HR = 1.60). EF was not associated with alcohol transitions. Drinks per week PGS was linked with increased hazards for alcohol transitions (HR⩾1.06). Problematic alcohol use PGS increased hazards for suicidal ideation (HR = 1.20). Behavioral markers of addiction vulnerability precede and follow alcohol transitions, highlighting dynamic, bidirectional relationships between behavior and emerging addiction.

Propensity to spend and borrow at a time of high pressure: the role of the meaning of Christmas and other psychological factors

In countries where Christmas is celebrated, people are under pressure in the pre-Christmas period to spend on gift giving and socializing. In two surveys we investigated the role of the meaning of Christmas and other psychological factors in predicting propensity to spend and to borrow at Christmas (UK, N = 190; Norway, N = 234). Factor analysis identified three components of the meaning of Christmas: financial concerns, indulgence, and social aspects. In both surveys: (1) experienced financial hardship predicted lower propensity to spend and greater propensity to borrow; (2) more proactive money management practices predicted lower propensity to borrow; (3) material values predicted both propensity to spend and propensity to borrow; and (4) seeing Christmas as a time for indulgence, experiencing more negative affect, or less positive affect, predicted greater propensity to spend. Additionally: (1) in the UK survey, participants who said that lately they had been feeling more negative (more angry, sad etc.) had a greater propensity to borrow; and (2) in the Norway survey, an obligation gift motivation predicted propensity to spend. The findings show that in addition to experienced financial hardship and proactive money management practices, the psychological factors of material values, affect, and gift motivation play significant roles in propensity to spend and/or borrow at this time of high pressure. We discuss implications for theory and financial interventions.

Pain and withdrawal are common among patients receiving medications for opioid use disorder and associated with pain catastrophizing, negative affect, and poor sleep.

Pain and withdrawal are common among patients receiving medications for opioid use disorder and associated with pain catastrophizing, negative affect, and poor sleep.