Evaluating the integration hypothesis: A meta-analysis of the ICSEY project data using two new methods

The Integration Hypothesis states that acculturating migrants who adopt the integration strategy (i.e. being doubly engaged, in both their heritage culture and in the larger national society) will have better psychological and socio-cultural adaptation than those who adopt any other strategy (Assimilation, Separation or Marginalization). This hypothesis was supported in the original evaluation of the ICSEY project data, using the mean adaptation scores for individuals in the four acculturation clusters. This conclusion was further supported by an analysis that used scores that were derived from the two underlying dimensions. This paper further evaluates this hypothesis meta-analytically using two new methods: Cultural Involvement and Cultural Preference; and Euclidean Distance. The results showed that these two methods provided support for the integration hypothesis, for both psychological adaptation and socio-cultural adaptation. The pattern of relationships was stronger for positive than for negative indicators of adaptation. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.

Basic values as a motivational framework relating individual values with acculturation strategies among Arab immigrants and refugees across different settlement contexts

There is a lack of systematic acculturation research on the motivations underpinning the behavior of migrants, which could explain how they acculturate and adapt to their new country of residence. This paper examines the link between values, using the Schwartz Theory of Basic Human Values, and acculturation strategies among Arab immigrant and refugee groups across different settlement contexts. The results of Study 1 (Arab immigrants; N = 456) showed, as hypothesized, positive links between strategies and values: the integration strategy with conservation, social focus, self-protection, and self-transcendence values; assimilation with openness to change, personal focus, and growth values; and separation with conservation, social focus, and self-protection. These findings were generally repeated in Study 2 (Syrian refugees; N = 415) except that integration was not associated with self-transcendence and that assimilation was positively linked to self-enhancement instead of openness to change. Our analyses indicated that acculturation preferences are mainly related to motivational values, rather than to different settlement contexts in both samples; however, assimilation seems to be more associated to context than values among the refugee sample. Implications of the findings to the acculturation literature are discussed.

Assessing IQ in adolescents with mild to moderate cerebral palsy using the WISC-V

Objective: To examine the influence of subtests that require fine motor responses on measures of intellectual ability, and compare three approaches to minimizing motor demands while assessing cognitive abilities in adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) to the traditional method of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fifth edition (WISC-V). Method: Seventy adolescents with CP (M = 14 years 6 months, SD = 10 months) who were able to provide either a verbal or point response were assessed using the WISC-V administered via Q-interactive. The pencil-to-paper version of Coding was also administered. Performance on Block Design and pencil-to-paper Coding was compared to Visual Puzzles and Coding on Q-interactive, respectively. Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) scores derived according to the Traditional method of the WISC-V were compared to alternative estimates of FSIQ derived according to the Q-interactive, Nonmotor, and Motor-free methods, which minimized motor demands. Results: An additional 7-12% of participants were able to respond to Visual puzzles and Coding on Q-interactive compared to Block Design and pencil-to-paper Coding, respectively, and performance was marginally but significantly better. For 54 adolescents (Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Level I-III) who were able to obtain FSIQ scores, the Traditional method underestimated FSIQ by 3-6 points compared to the alternative methods and the difference was most pronounced for those with more severe CP as measured by the GMFCS. Conclusion: Adolescents with CP are at an inherent disadvantage when cognitive ability is assessed using the Traditional method of the WISC-V. Findings suggest clinicians should employ the Nonmotor or Motor-free methods when assessing IQ in adolescents with CP.

10-year follow-up study found that motor-free intelligence quotient declined in children with mild to moderate cerebral palsy

Aim

This 10‐year follow‐up study examined cognitive change in a cohort of children with cerebral palsy from preschool to adolescence at the group and individual levels.

Methods

The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence was administered to 80 children with cerebral palsy (mean = 4 years 6 months, standard deviation = 7 months) at baseline (Time 1). At 10‐year follow‐up (Time 2), 28 adolescents (mean = 14 years 6 months, standard deviation = 9 months) returned for assessment with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. Motor‐free intelligence quotient (IQ) scores were calculated and paired‐samples t‐tests and the Reliable Change Index (RCI) were used to investigate change in IQ over time.

Results

At the group level, nonverbal IQ scores declined significantly. At the individual level, RCI indicated nine and 11 children showed a clinically significant decline in Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) and nonverbal IQ scores, respectively. Decline in FSIQ was related to a history of seizures whereas decline in nonverbal IQ was associated with higher initial IQ.

Conclusion

Cognitive abilities in children with cerebral palsy evolve over time and selective deficits may not be observable until a later age, highlighting the importance of repeated cognitive assessment throughout childhood and adolescence.

Feasibility of a virtual reality-based exercise intervention and low-cost motion tracking method for estimation of motor proficiency in youth with autism spectrum disorder

Background

Motor impairment is widely acknowledged as a core feature in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which can affect adaptive behavior and increase severity of symptoms. Low-cost motion capture and virtual reality (VR) game technologies hold a great deal of promise for providing personalized approaches to motor intervention in ASD. The present study explored the feasibility, acceptability and potential efficacy of a custom-designed VR game-based intervention (GaitWayXR™) for improving gross motor skills in youth with ASD.

Methods

Ten children and adolescents (10–17 years) completed six, 20-min VR-based motor training sessions over 2 weeks while whole-body movement was tracked with a low-cost motion capture system. We developed a methodology for using motion tracking data to quantify whole-body movement in terms of efficiency, synchrony and symmetry. We then studied the relationships of the above quantities with standardized measures of motor skill and cognitive flexibility.

Results

Our results supported our presumption that the VR intervention is safe, with no adverse events and very few minor to moderate side-effects, while a large proportion of parents said they would use the VR game at home, the most prohibitive reasons for adopting the system for home therapy were cost and space. Although there was little evidence of any benefits of the GaitWayXR™ intervention in improving gross motor skills, we showed several positive correlations between the standardized measures of gross motor skills in ASD and our measures of efficiency, symmetry and synchrony from low-cost motion capture.

Conclusions

These findings, though preliminary and limited by small sample size, suggest that low-cost motion capture of children with ASD is feasible with movement exercises in a VR-based game environment. Based on these preliminary findings, we recommend conducting larger-scale studies with methods for improving adherence to VR gaming interventions over longer periods.

Perceived Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic Mediates the Association Between Self-quarantine Factors and Psychological Characteristics and Elevated Maladaptive Daydreaming

Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all countries have employed varying degrees of lockdown measures to limit the spread of the infection. Previous studies showed that individuals with maladaptive daydreaming (MD) are affected negatively by the lockdown. In this study, we explored a set of lockdown measures (e.g., self-quarantine) and personal factors (e.g., education, history of depression, and personality traits) that might potentially exacerbate MD experienced during the lockdown period. We also examined whether perceived stress acted as a mediator in the relationship between these factors and MD. During the first lockdown from April to June, we analyzed data provided by 1083 individuals from the USA, the UK, Italy, and Turkey. A path analysis revealed that perceived stress mediated the effects on MD of self-quarantine, previous episodes of depression, low education level, and introversion and emotional instability. Our study suggests a conceptual framework for the factors that intensify maladaptive daydreaming under the threats of the pandemic and forced home confinement, offering implications for interventions with vulnerable populations.

Living together: An integrated acculturation–contact strategy to promote ethnic harmony between young British Muslims and Anglo-Britons

Acculturation theorists have proposed that minority and majority members’ endorsement of the cultural integration orientation should positively impact their mutual intergroup relations. To examine this claim, the study develops and experimentally tests a vicarious intercultural contact strategy designed to promote integration endorsement among a sample of 379 British youths (aged between 18 and 21 years), of whom 172 were British Muslims and 207 were White British. In line with theoretical expectations, results revealed that integration attained through vicarious contact, relative to a control condition, reduced respondents’ negative emotions, increased their positive emotions and inclusion of the other in the self (IOS), and improved their outgroup attitudes. These effects were only present in the Muslim group. Integration effects on outgroup attitude outcomes were mediated by intergroup emotions and IOS. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

The Susceptibility to Persuasion Strategies Among Arab Muslims: The Role of Culture and Acculturation

This study is set forth to explore whether the susceptibility to persuasion—as articulated by Cialdini’s persuasion strategies—could vary with culture and acculturation. We examined individuals from the Arabic culture and their susceptibility to persuasion, according to the following strategies: reciprocity, commitment, liking, scarcity, consensus, and authority. The study involved 1,315 Arab Muslims between 18 and 60 years old (Mean = 34.65, SD = 9.16). The respondents were recruited from among residents of the Arab region (n = 507), immigrant Arabs in non-Arabic Muslim countries (n = 361), immigrant Arabs in East Asian countries (n = 85), and immigrant Arabs in Western countries (n = 362). Respondents completed an online Qualtrics survey. Controlling for socio-demographic variables (age, gender, income, education, and length of residence), our results indicated that susceptibility to the strategies differed significantly among Arab Muslims in the Arab region, with reciprocity being the highest and authority the lowest prevailing strategies. The same pattern of susceptibility emerged among immigrant Arab Muslims, regardless of their host country and the acculturation mode (integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization) they endorse. These findings suggest that there is a consistent persuasion susceptibility pattern in the Arabic Muslim culture that does not seem to be modified by immigration and acculturation modes. Our findings are contrasted with the scarce research on cross-cultural differences in susceptibility to Cialdini’s persuasion strategies.

WISC-V motor-free cognitive profile and predictive factors in adolescents with cerebral palsy

BACKGROUND

The most commonly used intelligence tests - the Wechsler Scales - do not provide standardised procedures for assessing children with motor impairment, and as a result, may underestimate the intelligence quotient (IQ) of young people with CP.

AIMS

To characterise a motor-free cognitive profile of adolescents with CP using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fifth edition (WISC-V) and explore the influence of clinical factors on cognitive abilities.

METHODS AND PROCEDURE

The WISC-V was used to assess cognitive abilities in 70 adolescents (M = 14 years 6 months, SD = 10 months). Sixty-six adolescents (Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Level I, n = 26 ; II, n = 23; III, n = 15; IV, n = 1; V, n = 1) obtained either a Motor-free IQ or index score using the motor-free method.

OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

MFIQ and index scores fell below the normative data and rates of borderline and impaired cognitive abilities were significantly higher in the CP group. Scores showed an uneven cognitive profile with a relative strength in verbal abilities. Severity of motor impairment and small for gestational age (SGA) were associated with lower IQ scores. A history of seizures was related to lower verbal abilities.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Cognitive abilities of adolescents with CP are significantly below expectation compared to normative data. Severity of motor impairment, SGA, and seizures need to be recognised by health professionals as risk factors for cognitive impairment. A substantial proportion of adolescents showed borderline cognitive abilities, constituting a group with CP which are relatively neglected in the literature.

Childhood Trauma and Maladaptive Daydreaming: Fantasy Functions and Themes In A Multi-Country Sample

We analyzed responses of 539 adults who met an evidence-based criterion for probable maladaptive daydreaming (MD). Their reported childhood traumata were associated with the utilization of MD to distract from painful memories. A history of childhood physical and emotional neglect as well as emotional abuse was associated with daydreaming aimed to regulate emotional pain. Childhood exposure to physical and emotional abuse was associated with an increased likelihood of daydreaming about an idealized version of their original families. Themes of emotional suffering were associated with exposure to childhood emotional abuse. A range of morbid imageries and trauma-related reenacting behaviors featured in the fantasies of our respondents. Childhood emotional abuse was related to daydreaming about death, physical violence as a victim, being a captor, being rescued, and being a rescuer. Childhood sexual abuse was correlated with themes of sexual violence as a victim, being a captive, and being rescued. Childhood emotional neglect was linked with daydreaming about taking revenge, and a childhood history of physical abuse was associated with current fantasies about being captive. MD fantasy among adults exposed to childhood trauma may not only serve as mere coping mechanisms but potentially manifest a pathological preoccupation with unresolved childhood adversities.

Different cultures, similar daydream addiction? An examination of the cross-cultural measurement equivalence of the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD) is a proposed mental disorder, in which absorption in rich, narrative fantasy becomes addictive and compulsive, resulting in emotional, social, vocational, or academic dysfunction. Most studies on MD were carried out on aggregated international samples, using translated versions of the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16). However, it is unknown whether the properties of MD are affected by culture. Thus, we investigated the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the MDS-16.

METHODS

We recruited both individuals self-identified as suffering from MD and non-clinical community participants from four countries: the USA, Italy, Turkey, and the UK (N = 1,081).

RESULTS

Configural invariance was shown, suggesting that the hypothesized four-factor structure of the MDS-16 (including Yearning, Impairment, Kinesthesia, and Music) holds across cultures. Metric invariance was shown for Impairment, Kinesthesia, and Music, but not for Yearning, suggesting that the psychological meaning of the latter factor may be understood differently across cultures. Scalar invariance was not found, as MD levels were higher in the USA and UK, probably due to the over-representation of English-speaking members of MD communities, who volunteered for the study.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that the urge to be absorbed in daydreaming and the fantasies' comforting and addictive properties may have different meanings across countries, but the interference of MD to one's daily life and its obstruction of long-term goals may be the central defining factor of MD.

Heightened Levels of Maladaptive Daydreaming Are Associated With COVID-19 Lockdown, Pre-existing Psychiatric Diagnoses, and Intensified Psychological Dysfunctions: A Multi-country Study

The COVID-19 pandemic has been spreading globally since December 2019, bringing with it anxieties, mortal risk, and agonizing psychological suffering. This study aimed to explore the relationship between maladaptive daydreaming (MD)-an addictive mental behavior to vivid fantasy associated with distress and functional impairment-and forced COVID-19 pandemic-related self-isolation and quarantine. Previous literature indicated that individuals employ MD for the regulation of distress and boredom, wish fulfillment, and entertainment experiences. The literature on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health identifies a flareup in psychological difficulties in the general population. In this study we explored the associations between the pandemic threat and mental health indices among individuals with MD. We surveyed 1,565 adults from over 70 countries who responded to calls for participants posted in online MD communities and other general social media sites. Probable MD was determined based on an empirically derived cut-off score on a pertinent measure. After controlling for sociodemographic variables, a series of MANCOVAs, followed by post-hoc ANCOVAs, revealed that individuals with probable MD who were observing lockdown restrictions reported having spent more time in fantasy, experienced more intense and vivid daydreaming, and had a stronger urge to daydream than other participants. Similar statistical procedures indicated that, individuals with probable MD who reported pre-existing anxiety and depression disorders described a greater urge to daydream due to the pandemic and greater difficulty to control this addictive behavior. Compared to individuals with likely normal daydreaming, individuals with suspected MD reported more pandemic-attributed deterioration on a wide array of psychological distress indices. Our data show that the current worldwide pandemic threat is connected with an elevated intensity of this addictive form of mental activity, and that MD is associated with the exacerbation of psychological distress and dysfunction rather than with beneficial regulation of the experienced stressor.

Maladaptive Daydreaming Is Associated With Intensified Psychosocial Problems Experienced by Female Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

We measured maladaptive daydreaming (MD) and psychosocial indices among 194 participants, aged 18-56  years: 99 female survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and 95 control respondents with no reported history of sexual abuse. Our data show that survivors of CSA scored higher on MD compared to controls. Survivors of CSA with probable MD scored higher on psychological distress, social phobia, and social isolation compared to survivors of CSA without suspected MD, implying that MD might exacerbate the psychosocial problems linked with CSA. MD psychological screening of female survivors of CSA and the development of a treatment module for MD could improve the quality of clinical services provided to survivors.

Comparative Associations Between Achieved Bicultural Identity, Achieved Ego Identity, and Achieved Religious Identity and Adaptation Among Australian Adolescent Muslims

This study examined the comparative roles of biculturalism, ego identity, and religious identity in the adaptation of Australian adolescent Muslims. A total of 504 high school Muslim students studying at high schools in metropolitan Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, took part in this study which required them to complete a self-report questionnaire. Analyses indicated that adolescent Muslims’ achieved religious identity seems to play a more important role in shaping their psychological and socio-cultural adaptation compared to adolescents’ achieved bicultural identity. Adolescents’ achieved ego identity tended also to play a greater role in their psychological and socio-cultural adaptation than achieved bicultural identity. The relationships between the three identities and negative indicators of psychological adaptation were consistently indifferent. Based on these findings, we propose that the three identity-based forces—bicultural identity development, religious identity attainment, and ego identity formation—be amalgamated into one framework in order for researchers to more accurately examine the adaptation of Australian adolescent Muslims.

Is Integration the Best Way to Acculturate? A Reexamination of the Bicultural-Adaptation Relationship in the “ICSEY Dataset” Using the Bilineal Method

The present study reexamined the relationship between biculturalism and adaptation in the ICSEY1 data. The sample consisted of 5,365 immigrants, aged between 13 and 18 years ( M = 15.35, SD = 1.56) who were living in 13 different countries. We measured biculturalism bilineally using a range of ICSEY variables akin to acculturation. The study findings revealed that biculturalism was the most preferred acculturation mode across countries and within most of the countries. Biculturalism was positively related to two out of three psychological adaptation measures and one out of two sociocultural adaptation measures across and within most participating countries. The pattern of relationship remained true after controlling for perceived discrimination in the analyses.

Longitudinal Associations of Cultural Distance With Psychological Well-Being Among Australian Immigrants From 49 Countries

Data of 5,033 immigrants from 49 countries/regions to Australia, derived from Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia (LSIA), were analyzed to test a widely held assumption that greater cultural distance (CD) between immigrants’ culture of origin and their destination culture is associated with more adjustment difficulties and thus lower psychological well-being (the CD Hypothesis). Objective measures of CD were constructed from Hofstede’s four value dimensions, Schwartz’s seven dimensions, and Smith et al.’s two dimensions. The hypothesis was tested using multilevel hierarchical regression analyses which controlled for individual-level variations in age, gender, marital status, English language skills, and income. Results revealed limited support for the hypothesis. Whereas the global index of CD based on Smith et al.’s values provided support for the hypothesis, the specific indices of CD, comprised of separate value dimensions, showed a mixed pattern of relationships. Finally, most of the observed CD-well-being links were limited to the earlier phases of settlement and were diminished within 3.5 years after arrival.