Online Community Sample Research Articles

Emotional responding: Integration of multiple constructs and association with psychological health.

Numerous psychological constructs exist to describe different facets of emotional responding, but they have rarely been examined together. We empirically modeled the associations between four psychological constructs (mindfulness, emotional nonacceptance, experiential avoidance, and anxiety sensitivity) of individuals' responses to their affective experience, hypothesizing that a bifactor model would fit the data best. We used exploratory structural equation modeling, a novel latent variable modeling framework, to compare five measurement models of emotional responding in an online community sample (N = 307). A bifactor model including a general emotional responding factor had substantial factor loadings from nearly all items, with mixed results for specific factors. Exploratory analyses supported the significant association of avoidant emotional responding and psychopathology/well-being. The general avoidant emotional responding factor appears to overlap most directly with experiential avoidance and may be a transtheoretical construct relevant to mental health.

Passion for Marijuana Use Mediates the Relations between Refusal Self-Efficacy and Marijuana Use and Associated Consequences

ABSTRACTMarijuana (MJ) refusal self-efficacy and obsessive/harmonious passion for MJ use are associated with use and related consequences but have not been examined simultaneously. We examined the relation among obsessive/harmonious passion for MJ use, refusal self-efficacy, frequency of use, and related consequences in an online community sample (n = 524; mean age = 23.78; 87.5% male). A path analysis revealed that, while controlling for the relationship between MJ use and consequences, lower refusal self-efficacy was related to greater obsessive passion and to greater harmonious passion, and was associated with more consequences but not with MJ use. Greater obsessive passion was associated with greater MJ use frequency and consequences, and greater harmonious passion was related to greater MJ use frequency and fewer consequences. Obsessive passion mediated the relation between lower refusal self-efficacy and greater MJ use and more consequences, and harmonious passion mediated the relation between lower refusal self-efficacy and consequences. Passion mediates the relationships between refusal self-efficacy and MJ use and consequences, with obsessive passion being the stronger mediator. Passion could be a relevant target in interventions aimed at changing a person’s MJ use.

Accounting for Individual Differences in Decision-Making Competence: Personality and Gender Differences.

Emerging research has highlighted the utility of measuring individual differences in decision-making competence (DMC), showing that consistently following normatively rational principles is associated with positive psychosocial and health behaviors. From another level of analysis, functional theories of personality suggest that broad trait dimensions represent variation in underlying self-regulatory systems, providing a mechanistic account for robust associations between traits and similar life outcomes. Yet, the degree to which broad dispositional personality dimensions predict global tendencies to respond rationally is less understood. In a large online community sample (N = 804), we tested the associations between HEXACO personality dimensions, a 6-factor structural trait model, and a subset of DMC indicators (Applying Decision Rules, Resistance to Framing, Recognizing Social Norms, and Consistency in Risk Perception). Additionally, we examined gender differences across the DMC, first considering the potential for measurement non-invariance across groups for the DMC. We observed partial measurement invariance between men and women; only the Applying Decision Rules scale showed evidence of differential functioning across groups. Controlling for these differences, analyses revealed that higher Conscientiousness, Honesty/Humility, and Openness were associated with higher DMC scores. In contrast, Emotionality and Extraversion demonstrated gender-specific associations. Specifically, low Extraversion was associated with higher DMC scores for men, whereas higher Emotionality was associated with higher DMC scores for women. Our results suggest that traits related to self-regulatory functions of cognitive and behavioral control, and cognitive flexibility are associated with an increased tendency to engage in rational thought.

The Relationship Between Body Image and Sexual Functioning Among Gay and Bisexual Men

ABSTRACTGay and bisexual men report high body dissatisfaction compared to heterosexual counterparts, but no studies to date have examined how this may impact their sexual functioning. The present study investigated body image domains as predictors of sexual functioning problems (inhibited desire, erectile dysfunction, and premature ejaculation) among an online community sample of 185 gay and bisexual men, ages 18–40. Participants reported moderate to high body image satisfaction and sexual functioning consistent with previous literature with nonclinical male samples. Overall, the total variance accounted for by regression models was low. Body image variables were not predictive of sexual desire. However, increased drive for muscularity and lower affective body esteem were predictive of erectile difficulties. Additionally, negative behavioral body image in sexual situations and evaluative body dissatisfaction were associated with premature ejaculation. Understanding this relationship may have implications for gay and bisexual men’s health and wellbeing. Future research directions are discussed.

Examining components of emotion regulation in relation to sleep problems and suicide risk

BackgroundSleep has emerged as an important factor in elevated risk for suicide and suicidal behaviors; however, the mechanisms accounting for this relationship are poorly understood. Emotion regulation is a well-established correlate of self-injurious behaviors; however, the broad construct has recently been shown to provide limited predictive utility. More nuanced investigations into the processes involved in emotion regulation may address this gap. This study sought to examine the mediating role of emotion regulation between sleep disturbances and suicide risk, as well as to evaluate a moderated mediation model in which down- and up-regulation of emotions would moderate this mediation. MethodsParticipants were 972 adults recruited from a crowdsourcing website (Amazon's Mechanical Turk) who completed self-report questionnaires regarding nightmares, suicide risk, and emotion regulation. ResultsEmotion regulation mediated the direct effect of nightmares on suicide risk and suicide attempts. Downregulation of negative affect moderated the mediation of nightmares on suicide risk more clearly than upregulation of positive affect, and neither component of emotion regulation exhibited moderated mediation in the suicide attempt model. LimitationsGeneralizability of our findings from an online community sample will need to be established with replication in other samples. Additionally, we used cross-sectional measures in our mediation models. ConclusionsDownregulation of negative emotions may be particularly salient in relation to the severity of suicide risk and, as a result, relative deficits in this area should be considered when making risk determinations.

Defeat and entrapment: more than meets the eye? Applying network analysis to estimate dimensions of highly correlated constructs

BackgroundDefeat and entrapment have been shown to be of central relevance to the development of different disorders. However, it remains unclear whether they represent two distinct constructs or one overall latent variable. One reason for the unclarity is that traditional factor analytic techniques have trouble estimating the right number of clusters in highly correlated data. In this study, we applied a novel approach based on network analysis that can deal with correlated data to establish whether defeat and entrapment are best thought of as one or multiple constructs.MethodsExplanatory graph analysis was used to estimate the number of dimensions within the 32 items that make up the defeat and entrapment scales in two samples: an online community sample of 480 participants, and a clinical sample of 147 inpatients admitted to a psychiatric hospital after a suicidal attempt or severe suicidal crisis. Confirmatory Factor analysis (CFA) was used to test whether the proposed structure fits the data.ResultsIn both samples, bootstrapped exploratory graph analysis suggested that the defeat and entrapment items belonged to different dimensions. Within the entrapment items, two separate dimensions were detected, labelled internal and external entrapment. Defeat appeared to be multifaceted only in the online sample. When comparing the CFA outcomes of the one, two, three and four factor models, the one factor model was preferred.ConclusionsDefeat and entrapment can be viewed as distinct, yet, highly associated constructs. Thus, although replication is needed, results are in line with theories differentiating between these two constructs.

Internalizing Weight Stigma: Prevalence and Sociodemographic Considerations in US Adults.

This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the presence, severity, and sociodemographic correlates of weight bias internalization (WBI) across three distinct samples of US adults. Levels of WBI were compared in (1) a sample of adults with obesity and heightened risk of weight stigma (N = 456), (2) an online community sample (N = 519), and (3) a national online panel (N = 2,529). Samples 2 and 3 comprised adults with and without obesity. Participants completed identical self-report measures, including demographic variables and weight-related factors, to determine their relationship with low, mean, and high levels of WBI. At least 44% of adults across samples endorsed mean levels of WBI (as determined by sample 3). The highest levels of WBI were endorsed by approximately one in five adults in the general population samples and by 52% in the sample of adults with obesity. Individuals with the highest WBI were white, had less education and income, were currently trying to lose weight, and had higher BMIs, higher self-perceived weight, and previous experiences of weight stigma (especially teasing). Internalized weight bias is prevalent among women and men and across body weight categories. Findings provide a foundation to better understand characteristics of individuals who are at risk for internalizing weight bias.

A Qualitative Exploration of Adult Baby/Diaper Lover Behavior From an Online Community Sample

This study examined qualitative data on 1,795 male, 139 female, and 78 transgender members of the adult baby/diaper lover (ABDL) online community. Using grounded theory, the analyses examined a description of ABDL practices, explored evidence of subgroups within the ABDL community, and examined the degree to which ABDL behavior involves sexual motivations. Overall, the data suggest there is a fair amount of diversity within the ABDL community. Most participants enjoy wearing diapers or engaging in age regression (as babies or children), and the importance of incontinence may vary. ABDL practices can reflect bondage play for some individuals and a way to cope with medical problems for others. Overall, there is modest evidence of more than two ABDL subgroups. Although a large number of individuals do not see their ABDL practices as sexual in nature, there is a clear contingent that describes sexual motivations. For some, sex during ABDL activity violates conceptions of baby play. Nonsexual motivations include a desire to relax or be carefree as well as a desire to be nurtured. Some diaper lovers and adult babies have the same goals but achieve them in different ways. ABDL practices may be as diverse as seemingly typical sexual behaviors.

A longitudinal mediation analysis of the effect of negative-self-schemas on positive symptoms via negative affect.

Cognitive models postulate that negative-self-schemas (NSS) cause and maintain positive symptoms and that negative affect mediates this link. However, only few studies have tested the temporal mediation claim systematically using an appropriate design. A longitudinal cohort design in an online community sample (N = 962) from Germany, Indonesia, and the USA was used. NSS, negative affect and positive symptoms were measured at four time-points (T0-T3) over a 1-year period. Cross-lagged panel and longitudinal mediation analyses with structural equation modeling were used to test the temporal mediation. Independent cross-lagged panel models showed a significant unidirectional longitudinal path from NSS to positive symptoms (T2-T3, β = 0.18, p < 0.01) and bidirectional longitudinal associations from NSS to negative affect (T0-T1, γ = 0.14, p < 0.01) and vice versa (T0-T1, γ = 0.19, p < 0.01). There was also a significant indirect pathway from NSS at baseline via negative affect at T1 and T2 to positive symptoms at T3 (unstandardized indirect effect coefficient = 0.020, p < 0.05, BCa CI 0.004-0.035), indicating mediation. Our findings support the postulated affective pathway from NSS to positive symptoms via negative affect. Specifically, our data indicate that NSS and negative affect influence each other and build up over the course of several months before leading on to positive symptoms. We conclude that interrupting this process by targeting NSS and negative affect early in the process could be a promising strategy to prevent the exacerbation of positive symptoms.

Trauma-related altered states of consciousness (TRASC) in an online community sample: Further support for the 4-D model of trauma-related dissociation.

Trauma-related altered states of consciousness (TRASC) in an online community sample: Further support for the 4-D model of trauma-related dissociation.

Impact of Perpetrator Type on Attributions of Mother Fault in Child Sexual Abuse

ABSTRACTBlaming nonoffending mothers for child sexual abuse has substantial negative consequences for both the mother and child victim. Although perpetrator type has been shown to influence how much blame and responsibility is placed on nonoffending mothers in child sexual abuse cases, research to date has focused primarily on perpetrators who are strangers to the child or the child’s biological father, ignoring the effect of other father-figure perpetrators. The current study examined how differences in perpetrator’s relationship to the mother impacted blame, responsibility, cause, and prevention as separate constructs. One hundred and eight participants from an online community sample were randomly assigned to read a vignette describing a child sexual abuse situation with a female victim and one of two perpetrators: the victim’s biological father or the mother’s boyfriend. Participants assigned significantly higher levels of fault for CSA to the mother when the perpetrator was the mother’s boyfriend. Implications and future directions are discussed.

There’s No Place Like a Neurotic’s Home

Abstract. In addition to serving many practical needs for human beings, territories also serve the psychological function of being restorative, helping to facilitate the regulation of residents’ thoughts and moods. In this paper, it was hypothesized that individuals high in neuroticism would be particularly likely to prioritize the restorative properties of their home environments, in light of previous research demonstrating their reduced capacity to regulate internally. Drawing on Attention Restoration Theory (ART), this paper reports a pair of studies testing this hypothesis using both an online community sample (Study 1; n = 380) and undergraduate sample (Study 2; n = 101). In both studies, neuroticism enhanced the relationship between residents’ satisfaction with their home environment and their impressions of its restorative properties (e.g., fascination and extent). Conversely, high neuroticism reduced the relationship between satisfaction and the perceived compatibility of the setting to the resident. These results demonstrate how neuroticism guides residents’ sensitivity to distinct design features within their territories.

Predicting Sexual Assault Perpetration Among Heterosexually Active Young Men.

Data from an online community sample of young men were analyzed to test predictors of sexual assault perpetration. We used structural equation modeling to test the relative contributions of specific sub-types of childhood adversity to subsequent sexual aggression. Mediators included hostile masculinity, impersonal sexual behavior and attitudes, and substance use variables. Findings suggested that childhood sexual abuse had direct and mediated effects on sexual assault perpetration, but hostile masculinity was the only proximal factor significantly related to aggression. Childhood polytrauma was also associated with increased perpetration risk, suggesting that prevention efforts may be aided by increased attention to childhood maltreatment.

Words will never hurt me? Preferred terms for describing obesity and binge eating.

This study evaluated individuals' language preferences for discussing obesity and binge eating. Participants (N=817; 68.3% female) were an online community sample. They rated the desirability of terms related to obesity and binge eating, and also completed psychometrically established eating-disorder measures. In addition to examining participants' preferences, analyses explored whether preferences differed by socio-demographic variables, weight status and binge-eating status. Preferred obesity-related terms were weight and BMI, although women rated undesirable obesity-related terms even lower than did men. Participants with obesity and binge eating rated weight, BMI, unhealthy BMI and large size as less desirable than participants with obesity but not binge eating. Binge-related terms were generally ranked neutrally; preferred descriptions were kept eating even though not physically hungry and loss of control. Preferred terms were generally consistent across sex, weight status and binge-eating status. Using terms ranked more preferably and avoiding terms ranked more undesirably may enhance clinical interactions, particularly when discussing obesity with women and individuals reporting binge eating, as these groups had stronger aversion to some non-preferred terms. Findings that the selected binge-related descriptions were rated neutrally on average provide support for their use by clinicians.

Supplemental Material for Trauma-Related Altered States of Consciousness (TRASC) in an Online Community Sample: Further Support for the 4-D Model of Trauma-Related Dissociation

Supplemental Material for Trauma-Related Altered States of Consciousness (TRASC) in an Online Community Sample: Further Support for the 4-D Model of Trauma-Related Dissociation

Distress Tolerance and Impulsivity Are Associated With Drug and Alcohol Use Consequences in an Online Community Sample.

Impulsivity and distress tolerance (DT) have been implicated as key features in development and maintenance of substance use disorders. This study expanded on previous research by exploring the four factors of DT (Absorption, Appraisal, Regulation, Tolerance) and their interaction with impulsivity in relation to substance use. Participants were 105 men and 150 women who completed measures of impulsivity, DT, and substance use. Results indicated that Appraisal DT was a better predictor of substance use problems over and above overall DT or other DT factors. Mediation analysis indicated that Appraisal partially mediated the relationship between impulsivity and DT. Results suggest that DT, particularly Appraisal, plays a role in substance use problems, specifically in the relationship between impulsivity and substance use problems. Treatments emphasizing DT skills, particularly the appraisal of aversive emotions, may be useful to employ when attempting to reduce harmful drinking or drug use behaviors.

Socioeconomic Status, Income Inequality, and Health Complaints: A Basic Psychological Needs Perspective

Socioeconomic status (SES) and income inequality are now recognized as important determinants of health, and there is growing interest in uncovering the intermediary psychosocial pathways through which the socioeconomic context affects physical well-being (Marmot in The status syndrome: how social standing affects our health and longevity, Henry Holt, New York, 2004; Wilkinson and Pickett in The Spirit Level: why more equal societies almost always do better, Allen Lane, London, 2009). We adopted the applied framework of self-determination theory (SDT; Deci and Ryan in Psychol Inq 11:227–268, 2000) and hypothesized that fulfillment of the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness would mediate the relationships that SES and income inequality have to self-rated health. An online community sample of American participants (N = 1,139) completed a detailed demographic survey and provided self-reports of need fulfillment and health complaints. Structural equation models controlled for impression management and self-deceptive enhancement. Controlling for sex and age, need fulfillment was predicted positively by subjective SES and objective household income and negatively by state-level income inequality; in turn, need fulfillment predicted lower levels of health complaints. These findings suggest that SDT provides a useful framework for the study of SES, income inequality, and health, and that basic psychological needs are an important mechanism through which socioeconomic contexts influence health.

Development and preliminary validation of the male depression risk scale: Furthering the assessment of depression in men

BackgroundThe last decade has seen the burgeoning publication of male-specific depression rating scales designed to assess externalising depression symptoms (e.g., substance use, risk-taking, and aggression). These symptoms are theorised to reflect the behavioural manifestation of depression amongst men who rigidly conform to masculine norms. To date, research findings from these scales have been mixed, and each scale is limited by psychometric shortcomings or constrained assessment of symptom sub-domains. MethodsThe Male Depression Risk Scale (MDRS-22) was developed from online, non-clinical, community samples. Following best-practice recommendations, initial scale items were subject to expert review. Study 1 (male n=386) reduced the item pool via exploratory factor analysis while Study 2 (male n=499, female n=291) refined and validated the factor structure using confirmatory factor analysis. Sex and masculinity comparisons were evaluated. ResultsGoodness of fit indices validated the six-factor solution with subscales assessing: emotional suppression, drug use, alcohol use, anger and aggression, somatic symptoms and risk-taking. Between-groups analyses indicated higher MDRS-22 scores for males reporting higher conformity to masculine norms. LimitationsData were drawn from an online community sample without use of diagnostic interview. Test-retest correlations were not evaluated. Future research should look to examine longitudinal typical-externalising symptom trajectories across a range of clinical and non-clinical settings. ConclusionsThe MDRS-22 reports satisfactory preliminary psychometric properties with validated subscales enabling multidimensional assessment of theorised externalising symptom sub-domains. MDRS-22 scale brevity may facilitate use in primary care settings enabling better identification of at-risk males.

High‐throughput cognitive assessment using BrainTest.org: examining cognitive control in a family cohort

Introduction Understanding the relationship between brain and complex latent behavioral constructs like cognitive control will require an inordinate amount of data. Internet-based methods can rapidly and efficiently refine behavioral measures in very large samples that are needed for genetics and behavioral research. Cognitive control is a multifactorial latent construct that is considered to be an endophenotype in numerous neuropsychiatric disorders, including attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While previous studies have demonstrated high correlations between Web- and lab-based scores, skepticism remains for its broad implementation. Methods Here, we promote a different approach by characterizing a completely Web-recruited and tested community family sample on measures of cognitive control. We examine the prevalence of attention deficit symptoms in an online community sample of adolescents, demonstrate familial correlations in cognitive control measures, and use construct validation techniques to validate our high-throughput assessment approach. Results A total of 1214 participants performed Web-based tests of cognitive control with over 200 parent–child pairs analyzed as part of the primary study aims. The data show a wide range of “subclinical” symptomatology in a web community sample of adolescents that supports a dimensional view of attention and also provide preliminary narrow-sense heritability estimates for commonly used working memory and response inhibition tests. Conclusions Finally, we show strong face and construct validity for these measures of cognitive control that generally exceeds the evidence required of new lab-based measures. We discuss these results and how broad implementation of this platform may allow us to uncover important brain–behavior relationships quickly and efficiently.