Attachment styles and their association with aggression, hostility, and anger in Lebanese adolescents: a national study

Relationship between Parenting Style and Peer Relationships during Early Adolescence: The Mediating Role of Parental Mentalizing

Although previous research has suggested that parenting style affects children's peer relationships, the influential mechanism remains a subject of debate. We propose that parental mentalizing plays a crucial role in parenting style and peer relationships. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the relationships between family parenting styles, parental mentalizing, and peer relationships during early adolescence. In this study, 379 primary school students (Mean age = 12.17 years, SD = 0.92) and their parents were assessed using the Family Parenting Style Scale, Peer Relationship Satisfaction Scale, and a distorted mentalizing task. The results showed a mediating effect of parental mentalizing between parenting style and peer relationships. For fathers, a favorable parenting style affects children's peer relationships through mentalizing. Among mothers, interference, protection, and punishment affect their children's peer relationships through mentalizing. In conclusion, parenting style affects peer relationships through parental mentalizing. Fathers'/mothers' parenting style and parental mentalizing affect their children's peer relationships differently.

Dissociable ventral and dorsal sensorimotor functional circuits linking the hypomanic personality traits to aggression via behavioral inhibition system

Hypomanic personality traits (HPT) are susceptibility markers for psychiatric disorders, particularly bipolar disorder, and are strongly associated with aggressive behaviors. However, the neuropsychological mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. This study utilized psychometric network analysis and Inter-Subject Representation Similarity Analysis (IS-RSA) to explore the neuropsychological circuits that link HPT to aggression in a large non-clinical population. Psychometric network analysis (n = 716) identified two key nodes: the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) and mood volatility, a core dimension of HPT. We observed a positive correlation between mood volatility and aggression, with BIS serving as a mediating factor. Task-based functional imaging (n = 53) further revealed a double dissociation between the dorsal (dSMC) and ventral (vSMC) sensorimotor cortices to HPT, specifically during the processing of reward magnitude and delay in a delayed reward paradigm. Functional patterns within these regions mediated the relationship between individual differences in mood volatility and aggression, with BIS acting as a mediator through parallel pathways. Resting-state functional imaging (n = 505) replicated this functional segregation and revealed distinct integrative patterns: the dSMC was functionally connected to the frontoparietal network (FPN) and the vSMC to the sensorimotor network (SMN). These circuits collectively mediated the associations among mood volatility, aggression, and BIS. These findings highlight the critical role of sensorimotor circuits and BIS in understanding the neuropsychological pathways linking HPT-related mood volatility to aggression.

The Role of Parent-Child Attachment, Hostile Attribution Bias in Aggression: A Meta-Analytic Review

Parent-Child Attachment (PCA) and Hostile Attribution Bias (HAB) are closely related to aggression, but findings regarding their relationships are inconsistent. There is a lack of understanding of the underlying mechanism between PCA and aggression. This review employed meta-analysis approaches to investigate the associations between PCA and aggression, as well as between HAB and aggression, and the mechanism for the PCA-aggression association. An article search was conducted in CNKI, PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. Totally, 118 studies involving general populations and those at high risk for aggression were included. Results revealed negative associations between Parent-Child Attachment Security (PCAS) and aggression (ρ = -.267, p < .001) and positive associations between Parent-Child Attachment Insecurity (PCAI) and aggression (ρ = .240, p < .05). HAB and aggression were found to be positively associated (ρ = .303, p < .001). As for the PCAS-aggression association, a larger effect size was found in females than in males. The HAB-reactive aggression association was stronger than the HAB-proactive aggression association. In Eastern culture, the association between HAB and aggression was stronger than in Western culture. HAB mediated the association between PCAS and aggression. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the occurrence and development of aggression by establishing an association between attachment theory and the social information processing model. The practical implications include interventions targeting cultivating PCAS and alleviating HAB, which might serve as effective ways to reduce aggression, yet aggression type, gender, and cultural background should be taken into consideration.

Relational aggression in romantic relationship: empirical evidence among young female adults in Malaysia

BACKGROUND

Aggressive behaviour in romantic relationship is a social problem of great concern. Studies related to the influence of psychosocial factors on relational aggression are still limited. Furthermore, these factors have not been widely studied in the local context, resulting in the issue of relational aggression among young female adults still not being addressed. This study aims to explore whether psychosocial factors such as big five personality traits, adult attachment style and loneliness could predict relational aggression in romantic relationships among young female adults in Malaysia. In addition, this study aims to identify the moderating effect of social support in the relationship between psychosocial factors and relational aggression in romantic relationship.

METHODS

A quantitative research approach was used with 424 young female adults in Malaysia aged between 18 and 30 years old (mean age = 24.18) were recruited through multistage sampling design by completing a questionnaire consisting of the Big Five Inventory (BFI), Experiences in Close Relationships Scale II (ECRS-II), Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, Measure of Relational Aggression and Victimization (MRAV) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS).

RESULTS

Multiple regression analysis predicted significant relationship between agreeableness personality, loneliness, avoidant attachment style and anxious attachment style with relational aggression in romantic relationships. Hierarchical regression analysis found a significant effect of social support as a moderator between loneliness with relational aggression in romantic relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

Thus, the results show that young female adults with low level of agreeableness, high level of loneliness, avoidant attachment style and anxious attachment style are at a higher risk of engaging in relational aggression in romantic relationships. The implication of this study can help in understanding the psychosocial factors that form the basis of relational aggression in romantic relationships. Hence, the gap in knowledge warrants further research.

Adverse childhood experience and young adult's problematic Internet use: The role of hostility and loneliness

BACKGROUND

Few studies have explored the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and problematic Internet use (PIU) during young adulthood. Moreover, even fewer studies have explored the roles of loneliness (social and emotional) and hostility in this relationship.

METHODS

This study used data from the Taiwan Youth Project (2011-2017). The analytical sample included 1885 participants (mean age = 31.3 years). PIU was measured using the short form of Chen's Internet Addiction Scale (2017). ACEs were assessed at the baseline of the adolescent phase (mean age = 14.3 years); this indicator has undergone recent revision. Hostility (three items from the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised) and loneliness (six items from the De Jong Gierveld scale) were measured in 2011 and 2014, respectively.

RESULTS

ACEs were associated with hostility and loneliness (emotional and social). Additionally, hostility (β = 0.62, p < .01) and emotional loneliness (β = 0.44, p < .01) were significantly associated with PIU. Most mediating paths (e.g., ACE → hostility → PIU) were significant, based on the bootstrapping results.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that ACEs have a long-term shadow effect on PIU in young adults. ACEs show an indirect association with PIU through both hostility and loneliness, as well as involving the relationship between them.

A correlation study of music training, adult attachment, and personality traits using a large-sample questionnaire

Introduction

Music training can provide benefits to psychological health and is strongly associated with adult attachment style and personality traits through bidirectional interactions.

Methods

A large sample including 10,191 Chinese musicians and non-musicians completed the Relationship Questionnaire and Big-Five Personality Inventory.

Results

Connections between music training, adult attachment, and personality were analyzed with the following results: (1) personality traits were correlated with attachment dimensions, with positive correlations between secure attachment and extroversion and between dismissing attachment and neuroticism; (2) music training was connected with the secure and fearful-avoidant attachment dimensions, which complemented the effect of educational level in the preoccupied and dismissing dimensions; (3) music training enhanced extroversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, which interacted to affect extroversion and openness by gender; and (4) music training enhanced the regression of extroversion to preoccupied and secure attachments, and the regression of openness to preoccupied attachment.

Discussion

Conclusively, music training enhanced the connection between secure attachment and positive personality traits and regulated the correlation between insecure attachment and neuroticism. This analysis provides a large sample of statistical and practical evidence for the clinical practices of mental health and the educational and music training practices of co-cultivating cultural knowledge and artistic quality.

Association between Bullying Victimization and Aggression in Lebanese Adolescents: The Indirect Effect of Repetitive Negative Thinking-A Path Analysis Approach and Scales Validation

(1) Background: The purpose of the present study was to validate the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ) and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire-Short Form (BPAQ-SF) and test whether repetitive negative thinking plays an indirect role in the relationship between bullying victimization and aggression among Lebanese adolescents. (2) Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between January and May 2022 and included 379 Lebanese adolescent students (64.9% females, mean age 16.07 years). (3) Results: The three-factor solution of the PTQ and the four-factor solution of the BPAQ-SF showed excellent model fit. PTQ mediated the association between bullying victimization and physical aggression, verbal aggression, hostility, and anger. (4) Conclusions: This study expands on previous research by showing that repetitive negative thinking, an impactful socio-cognitive factor for students' mental health, has a mediating (indirect) effect on the cross-sectional relationship between bullying victimization and aggression. This suggests that interventions aiming to prevent aggressive behaviors among adolescent students may be more effective if focused on repetitive negative thinking.

Parental divorce and smoking dependence in Lebanese adolescents: the mediating effect of mental health problems

BACKGROUND

Lebanon has the highest prevalence estimates among Middle Eastern countries and Arab women regarding cigarette smoking, with 43% of men and 28% of women involved in such trends. Marital disruption is a tremendous source of irritability and discomfort that may hinder a child's healthy development, creating perturbing distress and increasing disobedience that may exacerbate smoking addiction. Additionally, Lebanese adolescents are inflicted by high emotional and economic instability levels, rendering increased susceptibility to distress and propensity to engage in addictive behavior. This study aims to investigate the association between parental divorce and smoking dependence among Lebanese adolescents, along with exploring the potential mediating effect of mental health disorders of such correlation.

METHODS

A total of 1810 adolescents (14 and 17 years) enrolled in this cross-sectional survey-based study (January-May 2019). Linear regressions were conducted to check for variables associated with cigarette and waterpipe dependence. PROCESS v3.4 model 4 was used to check for the mediating effect of mental health disorders between parental divorce and smoking dependence.

RESULTS

Higher suicidal ideation and having divorced parents vs living together were significantly associated with more cigarette and waterpipe dependence. Higher anxiety was significantly associated with more waterpipe dependence. Insomnia and suicidal ideation played a mediating role between parental divorce and cigarette/waterpipe dependence.

CONCLUSION

Our results consolidate the results found in the literature about the association between parental divorce and smoking addiction and the mediating effect of mental health issues. We do not know still in the divorce itself or factors related to it are incriminated in the higher amount of smoking in those adolescents. Those results should be used to inspire parents about the deleterious effect of divorce on their children to lower their risk of smoking addiction. Further longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the complexity of such associations and to see whether the divorce experience by itself or the factors that accompany it are involved in the increased smoking addiction among adolescents.