The Questionable Practice of Partialing to Refine Scores on and Inferences About Measures of Psychological Constructs

Impact of childhood trauma on suicidal ideation: Sequential mediating effects of interpersonal sensitivity and interpersonal needs

BACKGROUND

The potential mediators between childhood trauma and suicidal ideation are unclear; only a few research studies have discussed interpersonal aspects as a mediator. We examined the relationships between childhood trauma, suicidal ideation, and its mediators-interpersonal sensitivity and needs-among patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar II disorder (BP-II), and bipolar I disorder (BP-I).

METHODS

We reviewed the data of 248 patients diagnosed with MDD, 228 patients with BP-II, and 87 patients with BP-I. Childhood trauma, interpersonal sensitivity, interpersonal needs, and suicidal ideation were each measured by using the Short Form of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Korean version of the Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure, the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire-15, and the Depressive Symptom Inventory-Suicidality Subscale. Multilevel structural equation modeling was conducted to examine whether the relationships among main variables were different according to mood disorder diagnoses. Thereafter, structural equation modeling was conducted to explore the mediating roles of interpersonal sensitivity and interpersonal needs in the relationship between childhood trauma and suicidal ideation.

RESULTS

The results indicated that the relationship between childhood trauma and suicidal ideation is positively and sequentially mediated by interpersonal sensitivity and interpersonal needs, specifically perceived burdensomeness (β = 0.046, 95 % CI = [0.023, 0.070]) and thwarted belongingness (β = 0.008, 95 % CI = [0.001, 0.014]). The results revealed that there were no differences in the mechanisms among the three groups: MDD, BP-II, and BP-I (χ2(34) = 45.51, p = .09).

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions on the interpersonal aspects of individuals who have experienced childhood trauma could be beneficial for their mental health. Providing identical interventions were revealed to be effective in all the three groups of patients with different mood disorders.

Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome Symptoms from Early Childhood to Adolescence in a Nationally Representative Spanish Sample

OBJECTIVE

The identification of a common set of symptoms for assessing cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS, formerly sluggish cognitive tempo) for early childhood (ages 5-8), middle childhood (ages 9-12), and adolescence (ages 13-16) is needed to advance research on the developmental psychopathology of CDS (i.e. a common symptom set with comparable internal and external validity for each age group).

METHOD

Parents of a nationally representative sample of 5,525 Spanish children and adolescents (ages 5 to 16, 56.1% boys) completed measures of CDS, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder-inattention (ADHD-IN), and other measures.

RESULTS

First, the 15 CDS symptoms showed convergent and discriminant validity relative to the ADHD-IN symptoms within each age group. Second, CDS showed stronger first-order and unique associations than ADHD-IN with anxiety, depression, somatization, daytime sleep-related impairment, and nighttime sleep disturbance, whereas ADHD-IN showed stronger first-order and unique associations than CDS with ADHD-hyperactivity/impulsivity, oppositional defiant disorder, and academic impairment. Third, CDS showed stronger first-order and unique associations than ADHD-IN with a history of having an anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder diagnosis, whereas ADHD-IN showed stronger first-order and unique associations with having an ADHD diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The identification of a common set of CDS symptoms spanning early childhood to adolescence allows for the advancement of research on CDS, with a particular need now for longitudinal studies and examination of CDS with other functional outcomes and across other cultural contexts.

HIV Testing Barriers Among Black and Latina Women: An Examination of Medical Mistrust, Daily Discrimination, and Current Substance Use

Background: Black and Latina women are disproportionally affected by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and medical mistrust may be a testing barrier, especially among women experiencing substance use and discrimination. Objectives: This study examined current substance use, daily discrimination exposure, and medical mistrust factors (medical disparities, medical suspiciousness) on HIV testing. An online survey was completed by 97 Black and/or Latina women. Bayesian generalized linear modeling tested two hypotheses: 1) Current substance use, higher discrimination exposure, and higher medical mistrust would reduce the odds of HIV testing (ever being tested and recent testing within the past year), 2) Substance use and discrimination would moderate associations between medical mistrust and testing. Results: For Hypothesis 1, current substance use (Odds Ratio [OR]=1.42), higher discrimination exposure (OR=1.26), lower medical disparities (OR=0.83), and lower medical suspiciousness (OR=0.70) were associated with higher odds of ever being HIV tested. For Hypothesis 2, current substance use moderated the association between medical disparities with ever being HIV testing, while discrimination exposure moderated the association between medical suspiciousness with ever being tested (ORs<0.66). Current substance use moderated the associations between medical disparities and medical suspiciousness with recent HIV testing, while discrimination exposure also moderated the association between medical suspiciousness with recent testing (ORs>1.11). Conclusions: HIV testing barriers were generally associated with higher odds of testing, suggesting complex relationships may occur within medical settings for high-risk women experiencing discrimination.

Callous-unemotional traits, cognitive functioning, and externalizing problems in a propensity-matched sample from the ABCD study

BACKGROUND

Many studies show that both callous-unemotional (CU) traits (e.g., low empathy, lack of guilt) and cognitive difficulties increase risk for externalizing psychopathology across development. However, other work suggests that some aggression (e.g., relational, proactive) may rely on intact cognitive function, which could vary based on the presence of CU traits. Moreover, no prior research has adequately accounted for common risk factors shared by CU traits, cognitive difficulties, and externalizing problems, which confounds conclusions that can be drawn about their purported relationships. The current study addressed these knowledge gaps by leveraging rigorous propensity matching methods to isolate associations between CU traits and different dimensions of cognitive function and externalizing problems.

METHODS

Associations between CU traits, cognitive functioning, and externalizing outcomes were tested within dimensional (n = 11,868) and propensity-matched group-based (n = 1,224) models using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study®, with rigorous statistical control for shared sociodemographic risk factors. Cross-sectional outcomes were parent-reported symptoms of conduct disorder (CD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Longitudinal outcomes were child-reported overt and relational aggression.

RESULTS

CU traits were uniquely related to more parent-reported CD, ODD, ADHD symptoms, as well as more child-reported aggressive behaviors. Effects of cognitive difficulties were domain specific and were not consistent across dimensional and propensity matched models. There was minimal evidence for divergent associations between CU traits and externalizing outcomes as a function of cognition (i.e., no moderation).

CONCLUSIONS

Rigorous control for sociodemographic factors within propensity-matched models establish CU traits as a robust and unique risk factor for externalizing psychopathology, over and above difficulties with cognitive functioning.

Psychometric and Normative Information on the Child and Adolescent Behavior Inventory With Parent Ratings in a Nationally Representative Sample of Spanish Youth

Psychometric and normative information is provided for the Child and Adolescent Behavior Inventory (CABI) cognitive disengagement syndrome, anxiety, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-inattention, ADHD-hyperactivity/impulsivity, oppositional defiant disorder, social impairment, peer rejection, withdrawal from peer interactions, and academic impairment scales with a nationally representative sample of Spanish youth. Parents of 5,525 Spanish youth (ages 5-16, 56.1% males) completed the CABI scales on their sons and daughters. Scores on the 10 CABI scales demonstrated excellent reliability, invariance, and validity for males and females within early childhood (ages 5-8), middle childhood (ages 9-12), and adolescence (ages 13-16). Normative information (T-scores) is provided for females and males within each age group for the 10 CABI scales. The new psychometric and normative information increase the usefulness of the CABI scale scores for research and clinical activities. Copies of the CABI and the norms are available at no cost to professionals.

Reactive and Proactive Aggression in Daily Life: An Exploratory Experience-Sampling Method Study

Trait aggression is often separated into two functional dimensions: reactive and proactive tendencies. Reactive aggression is the tendency to engage in emotionally driven aggressive responses to perceived provocation, whereas proactive aggression is the tendency to engage in premeditated aggressive behaviors in the service of goal attainment. To date, the majority of empirical investigations examining these interrelated constructs have done so using cross-sectional data that have important limitations (e.g., recall bias). In the current study, we used an experience-sampling approach to investigate similarities and differences in reactive and proactive aggression's relations with affective and interpersonal constructs in a sample of 477 US undergraduate students. Our results indicated that baseline reactive and proactive aggression scores were predictive of aggression-related behavior, cognition, and affect in real-world dyadic encounters. Additionally, although reactive aggression showed stronger relations with investigated maladaptive outcomes (e.g., negative affectivity, lack of interpersonal warmth), profile similarity analyses indicated that these trait aggression dimensions shared substantial overlap in their nomological nets.

Experiences of Discrimination and Alcohol Involvement Among Young Adults at the Intersection of Race/Ethnicity and Gender

Although discrimination is an important social determinant of alcohol involvement, there is a dearth of research testing these associations across race/ethnicity and gender. This is an important research gap given that experiences of discrimination and therefore links with alcohol involvement may vary as a function race/ethnicity and gender intersectional identities. We tested for measurement invariance in discrimination and alcohol involvement and examined group differences in means and covariances. The sample consisted of n = 1187 young adults (ages 18-26; n = 193 Black women, n = 209 Latina women, n = 186 White women, n = 198 Black men, n = 203 Latino men, and n = 198 White men). We found evidence for differential item functioning for discrimination and alcohol involvement that violated assumptions needed to make manifest between-group comparisons. To model the source and degree of differential item functioning, we used partial measurement invariance and dropped a discrimination item that did not reliably overlap with the latent factor for White women. After accounting for differential item functioning, Black women and men reported the highest discrimination, followed by Latinx women and men, and then White women and men. White women reported the most alcohol involvement, followed by White men, Latina women, Latino men, Black men, and Black women. Discrimination and alcohol involvement were positively associated for all groups except White women, though effect sizes varied with Black men exhibiting the largest effect. An intersectionally valid understanding of discrimination and alcohol involvement may necessitate statistical approaches that can test for (and model) differential item functioning prior to making between-group quantitative comparisons.

A longitudinal study of the impact of childhood adversity dimensions on social and psychological factors and symptoms of psychosis, depression, and anxiety

The present study examined three empirically-derived childhood adversity dimensions as predictors of social, psychological, and symptom outcomes across three prospective assessments of a young adult sample. Participants were assessed five times over eight years with semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The analyses used the dimensions underlying multiple subscales from well-established childhood adversity measures administered at the first two assessment waves (described in a previous report). Outcome data pertain to the last three assessment waves, with sample sizes ranging from 89 to 169. As hypothesized, the childhood adversity dimensions demonstrated overlapping and differential longitudinal associations with the outcomes. Deprivation predicted the negative (deficit-like) dimension of psychosis, while Threat and Intrafamilial Adversity predicted the positive (psychotic-like) dimension. Depression and anxiety symptoms were predicted by different childhood adversity dimensions over time. Furthermore, Threat predicted a smaller and less diverse social network, Intrafamilial Adversity predicted anxious attachment, and Deprivation predicted a smaller social network, anxious and avoidant attachment, perceived social support, and loneliness. The three adversity dimensions combined accounted for moderate to large proportions of variance in several outcomes. These results extend prior work by identifying associations of three meaningful dimensions of childhood adversity with different risk profiles across psychological, social, and psychopathological domains. The findings enhance our understanding of the impact of childhood adversity across young adulthood.

Causal inference on human behaviour

Making causal inferences regarding human behaviour is difficult given the complex interplay between countless contributors to behaviour, including factors in the external world and our internal states. We provide a non-technical conceptual overview of challenges and opportunities for causal inference on human behaviour. The challenges include our ambiguous causal language and thinking, statistical under- or over-control, effect heterogeneity, interference, timescales of effects and complex treatments. We explain how methods optimized for addressing one of these challenges frequently exacerbate other problems. We thus argue that clearly specified research questions are key to improving causal inference from data. We suggest a triangulation approach that compares causal estimates from (quasi-)experimental research with causal estimates generated from observational data and theoretical assumptions. This approach allows a systematic investigation of theoretical and methodological factors that might lead estimates to converge or diverge across studies.

From the U.S. to Denmark and Beyond: It's Time to Reimagine the Use of Control Variables in Observational Research

Methodologists from a variety of social and behavioral sciences have called attention to misunderstandings, misclassifications, and misapplications of third variable "controls" in observational research. We are unaware, however, of a comprehensive discussion of these issues in the sexological literature. In this article, we attempt to detail several of the more important potential pitfalls within the context of a case study commentary on a recent Journal of Sex Research inquiry into Danish persons' pornography use, sexual satisfaction, and sexual behavior. We emphasize that our own (still limited) edification came only through personal error and chart an optimistic path forward wherein the current state of practice can be transformed into theoretical progress and innovation.

A Multi-Method Study of Interpersonal Complementarity and Mentalization

Research finds cross-sectional relationships between mentalizing impairments and maladaptive personality traits. The current study connects mentalizing impairments to dynamic interpersonal processes using a multi-method design. A sample of 218 participants completed the Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC; Dziobek et al., 2006) to assess mentalizing ability. Subsequently, participants rated their agentic and communal behavior and their perception of interaction partners' agentic and communal behavior over 21-days. Mentalizing ability moderated the within-person relationship between behavior and perception for both agency and communion. Worse performance on the MASC was associated with weaker interpersonal complementarity, suggesting that mentalizing impairments lead to deviations from expected patterns of behavior and perception across interpersonal situations. These findings confirm the assumption of Contemporary Integrative Interpersonal Theory that mentalization impairments can disrupt normative interpersonal processes (Cain et al., 2024; Pincus & Hopwood, 2012).

The future of psychophysiology, then and now

Since its founding in 1973, Biological Psychology has showcased and provided invaluable support to psychophysiology, a field that has grown and changed enormously. This article discusses some constancies that have remained fundamental to the journal and to the field as well as some important trends. Some aspects of our science have not received due consideration, affecting not only the generalizability of our findings but the way we develop and evaluate our research questions and the potential of our field to contribute to the common good. The article offers a number of predictions and recommendations for the next period of growth of psychophysiology.

Mental health treatment stigma, maladaptive personality trait domains, and treatment-seeking attitudes and behaviors

OBJECTIVES

A barrier to seeking mental health care is treatment stigma, a form of stigma associated with seeking/receiving mental health treatment. Prior research has also demonstrated relationships between five-factor model personality traits and treatment-seeking attitudes. However, findings in this area are mixed and research has tended not to include assessments of maladaptive personality traits outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition Section III: Emerging Measures and Models. The present study sought to examine relationships between maladaptive personality traits, treatment stigma, and treatment-seeking attitudes and behavior in an adult sample.

METHODS

Participants (N = 500) completed a series of questionnaires assessing current and past mental health treatment-seeking behaviors, treatment stigma, attitudes toward treatment seeking, and maldaptive personality traits.

RESULTS

Results revealed all five maladaptive personality traits were positively associated with increased treatment stigma, and in models controlling for the shared variance across maladaptive personality traits, negative affect, antagonism, psychoticism, and stigma exhibited unique associations with one's perceived value and need of mental health treatment, whereas negative affect, detachment, and stigma were uniquely associated with openness to seeking mental health treatment for emotional problems. While the five maladaptive personality traits were associated with a history of treatment-seeking behaviors at the bivariate level and after controlling for stigma, only negative affect was uniquely associated with treatment-seeking behaviors in a model including all five personality trait domains. Exploratory moderation analyses revealed associations between stigma and openness to seeking treatment varied as a function of maladaptive personality traits.

CONCLUSIONS

This study extends prior research on the role of personality traits in understanding treatment-seeking attitudes and behaviors and may have clinical implications for the use of maladaptive personality trait screeners in practice.

Genetic effects on variability in visual aesthetic evaluations are partially shared across visual domains

The aesthetic values that individuals place on visual images are formed and shaped over a lifetime. However, whether the formation of visual aesthetic value is solely influenced by environmental exposure is still a matter of debate. Here, we considered differences in aesthetic value emerging across three visual domains: abstract images, scenes, and faces. We examined variability in two major dimensions of ordinary aesthetic experiences: taste-typicality and evaluation-bias. We build on two samples from the Australian Twin Registry where 1547 and 1231 monozygotic and dizygotic twins originally rated visual images belonging to the three domains. Genetic influences explained 26% to 41% of the variance in taste-typicality and evaluation-bias. Multivariate analyses showed that genetic effects were partially shared across visual domains. Results indicate that the heritability of major dimensions of aesthetic evaluations is comparable to that of other complex social traits, albeit lower than for other complex cognitive traits. The exception was taste-typicality for abstract images, for which we found only shared and unique environmental influences. Our study reveals that diverse sources of genetic and environmental variation influence the formation of aesthetic value across distinct visual domains and provides improved metrics to assess inter-individual differences in aesthetic value.

How does loneliness "get under the skin" to become biologically embedded?

Loneliness is linked to declining physical health across cardiovascular, inflammatory, metabolic, and cognitive domains. As a result, loneliness is increasingly being recognized as a public health threat, though the mechanisms that have been studied do not yet explain all loneliness-related health risk. Potential mechanisms include loneliness having 1.) direct, causal impacts on health, possibly maintained by epigenetic modification, 2.) indirect effects mediated through health-limiting behaviors, and 3.) artifactual associations perhaps related to genetic overlap and reverse causation. In this scoping review, we examine the evidence surrounding each of these pathways, with a particular emphasis on emerging research on epigenetic effects, in order to evaluate how loneliness becomes biologically embedded. We conclude that there are significant gaps in our knowledge of how psychosocial stress may lead to physiological changes, so more work is needed to understand if, how, and when loneliness has a direct influence on health. Hypothalamic-pituitary adrenocortical axis disruptions that lead to changes in gene expression through methylation and the activity of transcription factor proteins are one promising area of research but are confounded by a number of unmeasured factors. Therefore, wok is needed using causally informative designs, such as twin and family studies and intensively longitudinal diary studies.