Online Study Research Articles

Cross-cultural validation of the BFOE model: Best practices and future directions for psychometric evaluation of the Fear of positive evaluation scale – Insights from a Dutch translation

The Bivalent Fear of Evaluation (BFOE) model suggests that Social Anxiety Disorder is not only characterized by fear of negative evaluation (FNE), but also fear of positive evaluation (FPE). While FNE has been firmly established, research of the latter is accumulating. To evaluate the role of the BFOE Model, and particularly FPE, validated measures such as the Fear of Positive Evaluation Scale (FPES) are pivotal. Yet, validation of psychometric properties is often at stake or neglected when translating a scale to other languages. This hampers cross-cultural evaluation of questionnaires and related concepts considerably, including the BFOE Model. To illustrate, a freely available, but not validated Dutch version of the FPES was completed, along with other measures by 354 community participants from the Netherlands and Belgium in an online study. The Dutch FPES showed excellent convergent and discriminant validity. In addition, it explained additional variance in social anxiety above and beyond FNE. These results as well as those from the factor analyses were highly comparable with those deriving from evaluations of the original English version. In conclusion, the Dutch FPES showed excellent psychometric properties and is fit for further exploring consistency or differences in the BFOE model across cultures. Based on this case, practice guidelines for international use and validation of measures are discussed, and recommendations are provided.

Children’s healthy and unhealthy food intake related to parental fear of COVID-19, family communication patterns, and parental controlling feeding practices

ABSTRACT Background The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 changed the daily lives of families, including their food environments. We tested a conceptual model of potential influences on children’s dietary intake under these conditions. Methods 310 (51% fathers) parents with children ages 5–12 were recruited for an online study. Parents completed questionnaires to measure fear of COVID-19, family communication patterns, parental controlling feeding practices, and child’s healthy and unhealthy food intake. Structural equation modeling was conducted, including a path analysis and a multi-group analysis to compare mothers and fathers. Results Parental fear of COVID-19 was related to more conversation and conformity-oriented family communication patterns, which were associated with more parental controlling feeding practices. Conversation-oriented communication was related to less, while conformity-oriented communication was related to more unhealthy food intake by children. Conclusion Family communication patterns play an important role in children’s dietary intake. Therefore, it may be useful to help parents adopt positive parenting approaches to influence their children’s healthy development.

Addiction to ultra-processed foods as a mediator between psychological stress and emotional eating during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic induced psychological distress, which is linked to emotional eating and symptoms of addiction to ultra-processed foods (UPFs).ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate whether symptoms of addiction to UPFs mediate the relationship between psychological stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic and emotional eating behaviour.MethodsA cross-sectional online study was conducted from May to November 2021 among 368 undergraduate Brazilian students. The participants answered demographic questions and completed validated scales, including the Coronavirus Stress Measure, Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 and Emotional Eating Questionnaire. Mediation analysis was employed to examine the hypothesised relationships.ResultsThe results revealed a significant indirect effect, indicating that symptoms of food addiction mediated the association between perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and emotional eating behaviour. Specifically, 61% of the influence of perceived stress on emotional eating during the pandemic was explained by symptoms of UPF addiction.ConclusionThese findings suggest that addressing symptoms of UPF addiction could be pivotal in public health strategies aimed at promoting healthy eating habits among distressed undergraduate students in the post-COVID-19 era.

E-guanxi: Theoretical underpinnings and scale development

China is now a world-leading e-commerce market. As a result, studies to deconstruct online relationships in China can inform marketing scholarship and practice. Hence, our primary goal is to create an improved e-tailing-centric e-guanxi scale to assess guanxi in online B2C and C2C commerce contexts. We also explore and confirm the factors contributing to and stemming from e-guanxi. Two survey-based online studies of Chinese university students were used to test a PLS-SEM model with e-guanxi as the central construct, online communication as the antecedent, and buyer satisfaction, word-of-mouth, and repurchase intention as the consequents. By informing e-guanxi-enhancing strategies, this research can provide insights into e-guanxi’s effect on Chinese e-tail markets and help identify the best e-guanxi-enhancing practices.

Exploring the Quality of Life of University Students in Egypt: A Cross-Sectional Survey Using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) Assessment.

To comprehensively assess the quality of life (QoL) of Egyptian university students. Cross-sectional online study. Online settings of university students from August to October 2023. University students aged 18-25 from various institutions in Egypt. Physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) scale. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 27.0. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to detect significant associations while Spearman correlation was used for correlation analysis. A total of 1930 Egyptian university students were included. Students showed outperformance in the psychological health and social relationships domains, with medians of 58 ± 20.8 and 58 ± 25, respectively, compared to physical health with a median of 46 ± 17.8 and environmental health with a median score of 16.6 ± 21.9. Non-medical students reported higher QoL scores, particularly in physical, psychological, and social domains, compared to their medical counterparts (P-values <0.001, 0.007, and 0.002, respectively). No significant differences were observed between genders in any of the domains. Academic performance satisfaction significantly correlated with higher QoL scores across all domains (P < 0.001). This multi-center study sheds light on diverse aspects influencing QoL of Egyptian university students. The findings underscore the importance of addressing academic stressors, promoting health behaviors, and tailoring interventions based on students' academic backgrounds with larger and more representative samples.

Prototype Facial Response to Cute Stimuli: Expression and Recognition.

Cute, kindchenschema stimuli can evoke a suite of cognitive, physiological, and behavioral tendencies thought to promote caregiving. This research investigated facial expression elements associated with this response to cuteness and assessed the recognizability of an expression combining these elements. In Studies 1 and 2, participants at a community outreach event (Study 1, n = 19) and undergraduate students (Study 2, n = 103) showed spontaneous facial displays while watching videos/photos of baby humans and animals. These were Facial Action Coding System (FACS)-coded, revealing characteristic and statistically distinctive action unit elements of facial expression responses to cuteness. In six follow-up online studies (combined N = 962), including replications with Syrian refugees (n = 103) and Chinese samples (n = 222), a "cuteness prototype" expression combining all elements identified across Studies 1 and 2 (i.e., oblique brows, chin raise, lip tightening, and Duchenne smile) was commonly interpreted as a response to cuteness. These findings add to a growing literature about caregiving-focused motivational states and associated emotion/affect.

All Research Summaries Are Scientific, but Some Are More Scientific Than Others?—Indications for a Mediation of the Relationship Between Author and Text Scientificness Through Perceived Scientificness

Especially in times characterized by abundant misinformation, knowledge on fostering trust as a scientist is crucial. Previous studies have found that readers rate texts displaying a scientific style as more credible and show higher agreement with their message, a phenomenon called “scientificness effect”. However, it is unclear how strongly the relationship between scientific text features and trust is influenced by readers’ subjective scientificness perceptions, and if such an influence can also be found on an author level. We thus conducted an experimental online study with N = 838 German-speaking layreaders. Participants read two research summaries with randomized levels of author and text scientificness (low vs. high). After each text, they rated the scientificness and the trustworthiness of the author and the text. Mediation analyses provided preliminary evidence for our hypotheses. Under the assumptions of our model, perceived scientificness was found to be a mediator of the scientificness-trustworthiness relationship on an author and text level. Limitations regarding our cross-sectional mediation design are discussed. Based on our results, we offer suggestions for future research and perspectives for future theory-building.

'Sleeping with the enemy': a cross-sectional study on psychological and emotional violence among couples living in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study aimed to evaluate psychological and emotional violence in relation with sociodemographic characteristics and anxiety and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in a sample of Portuguese residents. A cross-sectional online study using snowball sampling collected data on demographics, socioeconomic factors, mental health (anxiety and depression symptoms) and couple psychological and emotional violence. The study spanned three months and included 519 individuals aged 18 or above in a relationship since January 2020 or earlier. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, t-tests, chi-squared tests, logistic regression models (Odds-Ratio [OR] and 95% Confident Interval [CI]), and cluster analysis (K-medoids) using R software (significance threshold of 0.05). The sample was predominantly composed of women (78.8%) with an average age of 36.8years and 79% holding higher education degrees. Two clusters emerged: Cluster 1 (n=420) presented fewer psychological and emotional violence victims, while Cluster 2 (n=99) presented more. Older age (OR=1.026, 95%CI 1.000-1.052) and depression symptoms (OR=1.163, 95%CI 1.080-1.252) increased the likelihood of psychological and emotional abuse. Men also had 2.87 times higher odds of being victims (95%CI 0.203-0.599). The study underscores the need for comprehensive interventions and prevention measures to address psychological and emotional violence by acknowledging it as a public health concern and pushing for interdisciplinary methods.

Transparent internal human-machine interfaces in highly automated shuttles to support the communication of minimal risk maneuvers to the passengers

In Highly Automated Vehicles (HAVs) without operators on-board, user interaction with the vehicle automation plays an important role for a safe and inclusive use of these services. Especially when Minimal Risk Maneuvers (MRM) are performed by the system, passengers are faced with uncertain situations. A possibility to deepen passenger’s understanding and predictability of these systeḿs and reduce their uncertainties is to enhance automation transparency. However, literature shows a lack regarding enhancing system transparency of HAVs during MRMs. Therefore, we investigated the impact of “observability” and “reasoning” as transparency influencing factors. In an online study, participants evaluated multiple internal Human-Machine Interfaces (iHMI) as shuttle passengers. The presented iHMIs varied regarding their level of transparency by giving different information about what the vehicle’s “perception” and its “reasoning” is. Results show significant differences in the passengers’ understanding between different iHMI variants providing evidence that information regarding the “perception” and “reasoning” of HAVs enhance system transparency. Results of the study may provide first insights into passengers’ informational needs when using HAV. They highlight the potential benefits of system transparency when designing interfaces for HMIs of automated vehicles.

In-Person and Online Studies Examining the Influence of Problem Solving on the Fading Affect Bias.

The fading affect bias (FAB) occurs in autobiographical memory when unpleasant emotions fade faster than pleasant emotions and the phenomenon appears to be a form of emotion regulation. As emotion regulation is positively related to problem solving, the current study examined FAB in the context of problem solving. In-person and online studies asked participants to provide basic demographics, describe their problem-solving abilities, and rate various healthy and unhealthy variables, including emotional intelligence and positive problem-solving attitudes. Participants also completed an autobiographical event memory form for which they recalled and described two pleasant and two unpleasant problem-solving and non-problem-solving events and rated the initial and current affect and rehearsals for those events. We found a robust FAB effect that was larger for problem-solving events than for non-problem-solving events in Study 1 but not in Study 2. We also found that FAB was positively related to healthy variables, such as grit, and negatively related to unhealthy variables, such as depression. Moreover, many of these negative relations were inverted at high levels of positive problem-solving attitudes, and these complex interactions were partially mediated by talking rehearsals and thinking rehearsals.

Examining Food-Specific and General Inhibitory Control and Working Memory as Moderators of Relations Between Emotion Regulation Difficulties and Eating Pathology in Adults With Overweight/Obesity: A Preregistered, Cross-Sectional Study.

Empirical research and theory support the interaction of executive functions (e.g., inhibitory control, working memory) and emotion regulation in guiding goal-oriented behavior; however, applications to eating pathology (e.g., binge eating) are limited. Such research is scant with adults with overweight/obesity (AwO/O), a population reporting high levels of binge eating, emotion regulation difficulties, and deficits in inhibitory control and working memory. We tested interactions between emotion regulation and executive functioning in relation to eating pathology in AwO/O while considering stimuli-specific deficits (e.g., food-specific deficits) in behavioral task performance. AwO/O (N = 204; MBMI = 32.11; Mage = 38.30 [SD = 12.16]) completed a preregistered, online study assessing demographics and emotion regulation difficulties (Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale), inhibitory control (go/no-go task, food and general stimuli), working memory (N-Back Task, food and general stimuli), binge eating (Binge Eating Scale), and disordered eating (Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire). There was limited evidence of moderation in models examining food-specific and general inhibitory control and working memory, emotion regulation difficulties, and binge eating. Preliminary support was found for emotion regulation difficulties to be more strongly associated with more disordered eating in AwO/O reporting more food-specific and general working memory deficits. Consistent, positive associations between emotion regulation difficulties and eating pathology were observed. Among adults with AwO/O, emotion regulation difficulties are closely related to eating pathology, regardless of performance on working memory and inhibitory control tasks. Clinicians and researchers working with AwO/O may consider how emotion regulation difficulties and working memory deficits work together to influence disordered eating.

The pathway from a general problematic worry to paranoia-related worry. The mediating role of hostile attributions moderated by negative emotional states

ABSTRACT Background Worry has been considered a significant predictor of paranoia, also associated with anxiety, depression, and hostile attributions. These factors have been recognized as important correlates or predictors of paranoid thoughts. However, the mechanisms through which worry increases the risk of paranoia remain poorly understood. Methods A total of 529 participants (51.2% female) from the general population participated in an online study. The aim was to investigate the potential mediating role of hostile attributions in the relationship between general problematic worry and worry focused on paranoid content. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that negative emotional states would moderate this effect. Additionally, recently developed scales, the Dunn Worry Questionnaire (DWQ) and the Paranoia Worry Questionnaire (PWQ), were translated and validated for use in the Polish population. Results The results revealed that hostile attributions mediate the link between general worry and paranoia worry, and negative emotional states significantly moderate the effect. Discussion The perception of others’ intentions as hostile may serve as a linking factor between general problematic worry and paranoia-related worry. This can be explained as a worry-driven mechanism, where negative emotional states play a crucial role.

The Double-Edged Sword of Short-Time Work: Job Insecurity, Financial Stress, and Leisure Experience during COVID-19

AbstractFor many employees, the COVID-19 pandemic-related policies triggered concerns about job security. At the same time, companies in many countries made greater use of state-financed short-time work (i.e., where employees could keep their jobs, work less or not at all, and still receive a substantial surrogate wage). Even though such a measure certainly helps mitigate negative financial effects, employees in short-time work can be expected to experience job insecurity and financial stress. It can also be assumed that the additional free time is not experienced positively in times of lockdowns and social distancing. Therefore, the effects of short-time work during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020 on employees’ perceived job insecurity, financial stress, and their leisure experience were examined in Germany. The results of a cross-sectional online study (N = 343) showed that short-time workers experienced greater job insecurity and financial stress as compared to full-time workers. Furthermore, the perception of job insecurity and financial stress among short-time workers was negatively related to satisfaction with their leisure time (i.e., leisure experience).

Evaluation of male-specific psychoeducation for major depressive disorder compared to cognitive behavioral therapy psychoeducation: A randomized controlled investigation in mentally distressed men

Background: Research suggests that male-specific psychotherapy approaches for major depressive disorder (MDD) that consider traditional masculinity ideologies (TMI) may achieve improved treatment efficacy and reduced therapy dropout. However, studies examining male-specific psychotherapy for MDD or specific therapy aspects remain lacking. Methods: An anonymous online study on men’s mental health examined 152 self-reporting mentally distressed cisgender men (M age = 25.5 ± 9.1) from German-speaking countries of Europe. After completing baseline assessments (T1) of state self-esteem, state shame, positive/negative affect, depressive symptoms, and TMI, men were randomly assigned to read either a male-specific (MSP) or a cognitive behavioral therapy-oriented (CBT) psychoeducation text for MDD. Immediately afterwards, participants rated its usefulness and completed follow-up assessments (T2). Results: Men in the MSP condition showed a stronger decrease in shame and negative affect as compared to men in the CBT-psychoeducation condition. Furthermore, in the MSP condition, prototypical depression symptoms tended to increase as compared to the CBT-psychoeducation, whereas male-typical externalizing depression symptoms tended to decrease. Conclusion: MSP for MDD may help depressed men feel less ashamed about their MDD and experience less negative affect about their condition than CBT-psychoeducation. Furthermore, MSP for MDD may elicit a shift from male-typical externalizing depression symptoms to prototypical depression symptoms.

Pendidikan Anti Korupsi Bagi Calon Tenaga Kerja Indonesia di PT. Global Lubna Jaya Sukoharjo

Indonesian workers abroad often face different work environments compared to Indonesia, including stricter ethical and moral standards. They represent the nation in their host countries. Anti-corruption education for prospective Indonesian workers can help build a positive image of professionalism and integrity, increasing other countries' trust in their quality and work ethics. The goal of this education is to develop a firm stance against workplace corruption both domestically and abroad. The community service partner is PT. Global Lubna Jaya Sukoharjo. The service method is online, using simulations and case studies. Results show significant understanding of anti-corruption culture among the participants, who commit to avoiding corrupt practices and fighting corruption together.

Sense of control and noise sensitivity affect frustration from interfering noise.

In order to develop effective strategies to address noise annoyance, it is essential to develop an explanatory model of the psychological mechanism(s) by which noise becomes annoying. Two online studies were conducted in which a total of 193 participants completed speech perception tasks with varying degrees of background noise. Signal-to-noise ratio levels ranged from -2 to -10 dB. The crucial manipulation in both experiments concerned participants' sense of control over the noise level in the task. Dependent measures were task performance, a self-reported measure of frustration with the task, and self-reported sensitivity (trait) to noise. Results showed small but significant effects of noise sensitivity and sense of control on subjective frustration. In both experiments, more noise-sensitive individuals expressed greater frustration than did those reporting less noise sensitivity. In addition, in experiment 2 there was a significant interaction between sense of control and noise level. Listeners under the higher noise-level conditions expressed relatively similar degrees of frustration irrespective of their sense of control, while those under the lower noise-level condition showed lower frustration with greater sense of control. Results support Stallen's [(1999). Noise Health 1(3), 69-79] theoretical framework of noise annoyance, but also suggest the need for further research under more ecologically plausible conditions.

Self-reported immune status and COVID-19 associated subjective cognitive functioning in post-COVID-19 syndrome: Examination of an Irish cohort.

Cognitive changes are very frequently reported by people with post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS), but there is limited understanding of the underpinning mechanisms leading to these difficulties. It is possible that cognitive difficulties are related to immune status and/or low mood. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between immune status and cognitive functioning in PCS, while considering whether depression symptoms also influence this association. Participants were recruited in an online study of cognitive and psychological consequences of PCS, involving individuals attending a post-COVID clinic in an acute general hospital in Ireland, and a comparison sample of age- and sex-matched community controls who had also been infected with COVID-19 but had not experienced PCS. Participants with PCS (n=71) and community controls (n=50) completed the immune status questionnaire, Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue Scale (FACIT-F). Significant differences were observed between groups in terms of perceived immune status, perceived cognitive function, depression scores, and fatigue, with the "PCS" group reporting lower immune status, more cognitive difficulties, and higher levels of depression and fatigue. Regression analysis in the PCS group indicated that immune status and depression significantly contributed to variance in subjective cognitive functioning, with immune status remaining a significant predictor of cognitive functioning scores even when accounting for depression, fatigue, and other covariates related to PCS, such as Body Mass Index(BMI). Our findings suggest that subjective cognitive functioning is influenced by self-reported immune status in PCS, emphasising the importance of immune status, cognitive, and mood screening as part of routine clinical care in PCS.

U=U: "Undetectable Equals Untransmittable" Perceptions Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Active Duty Service Members: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) is a key message emphasizing that antiretroviral therapy suppresses HIV and prevents its sexual transmission. However, dissemination of U=U varies among health care providers, potentially leading to knowledge gaps among patients. Little research exists on the understanding of U=U among active duty men who have sex with men (MSM) in the U.S. military. Our cross-sectional, online study examines 222 active duty MSM to determine prevalence of accurate knowledge of U=U and demographic predictors of misinformation. Participants received a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) overview and were asked to indicate if the statement "Undetectable equals Untransmittable" was true or false. Although the majority accurately understood U=U (70%; n = 156), approximately 30% did not (n = 66); a binary logistic regression revealed lower U=U understanding among White, bisexual, unmarried, and Marines/Navy participants. Standardized education on U=U is crucial for resolving knowledge gaps and combating stigmas surrounding HIV treatment.

Ableist microaggressions and psychological distress among adults with disabilities: The role of disability visibility.

Experiences of disability-based discrimination among adults with disabilities (AWD) span individual, interpersonal, and structural domains that are implicated in mental health disparities. Ableist microaggressions, a subtle and contemporary form of disability-based discrimination, are positively associated with psychological distress. Additionally, disability characteristics may impact mental health outcomes differently. This study investigated (a) the association between lifetime experiences of ableist microaggressions and psychological distress and (b) the moderating effect of disability visibility. A cross-sectional survey-based online study through Amazon's Mechanical Turk was conducted among 995 AWD whose ages ranged from 18 to 70 (M = 34.73, SD = 9.45). After adjusting for confounds linear regression analyses revealed a significant, positive relationship between ableist microaggressions and depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Models explained approximately 18%-23% of the variance in psychological distress. Moderation analyses indicated that associations were stronger among participants with less visible disabilities. Findings underscore disability visibility as an important correlate in AWD mental health disparities. Results should be interpreted within the scope of the sampling procedures and sample demographics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

How Making Consent Procedures More Interactive can Improve Informed Consent: An Experimental Study and Replication.

Prospective research participants do not always retain information provided during consent procedures. This may be relatively common in online research and is considered particularly problematic when the research carries risks. Clinical psychology studies using the trauma film paradigm, which aims to elicit an emotional response, provide an example. In the two studies presented here, 112-126 participants were informed they would be taking part in an online study using a variant of this paradigm. The information was provided across five digital pages using either a standard or an interactive format. In both studies, compared to the control condition, participants in the interactive condition showed more retention of information. However, this was only found for information about which they had been previously asked via the interactive format. Therefore, the impact of adding interactivity to digital study information was limited. True informed consent for an online study may require additional measures.