ArticleLiterature Review

Post-hoc Probing of Significant Moderational and Mediational Effects in Studies of Pediatric Populations

January 2002
Journal of Pediatric Psychology 27(1):87-96

January 2002
27(1):87-96

DOI:10.1093/jpepsy/27.1.87

Source
PubMed

Authors:

To provide examples of post-hoc probing of significant moderator and mediator effects in research on children with pediatric conditions. To demonstrate post-hoc probing of moderational effects, significant two-way interaction effects (dichotomous variable x continuous variable; continuous variable x continuous variable) were probed with regressions that included conditional moderator variables. Regression lines were plotted based on the resulting regression equations that included simple slopes and y-intercepts. To demonstrate probing of mediational effects, the significance of the indirect effect was tested (i.e., the drop in the total predictor --> outcome effect when the mediator is included in the model), using Sobel's (1988) equation for computing the standard error of the indirect effect. All significant moderator and mediator effects are presented in figure form. The computational examples demonstrate the importance of conducting post-hoc probes of moderational and mediational effects.

Are Family Factors Differentially Associated with Externalizing Symptoms Among Youth with Perinatally Acquired HIV?

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2024
CHILD PSYCHIAT HUM D

Youth with perinatally-acquired HIV (PHIV) face unique psychosocial stressors. They are at risk for externalizing problems, including symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder (CD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as risk-taking behaviors, such as substance use (SU). Although family factors have been differentially associated with externalizing and SU behaviors based on youth sex in prior research, there is a dearth of literature considering these processes among youth with PHIV. Participants included 314 youth with PHIV (M = 12.88 years, SD = 3.08 years; 50.80% male; 85.30% Black or Latinx). Boys exhibited higher levels of ADHD symptoms than girls. Among boys, lower levels of consistency in discipline were associated with higher CD symptoms. Lower levels of family cohesion were associated with higher levels of SU among girls, and higher levels of CD symptoms across youth sex. Findings support the need for family-focused behavioral interventions among youth with PHIV.

Young Adults' Immediate and Delayed Reactions to Simulated Marital Conflicts: Implications for Intergenerational Patterns of Violence in Intimate Relationships

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2001

This study investigated the thoughts and feelings that young adults from violent (VPA) and nonviolent (NPA) interparental-conflict backgrounds reported while listening to simulated marital conflicts and after a delay for reflection. While listening to conflicts, VPAs were more likely than NPAs to predict negative outcomes and to place blame. No between-groups differences regarding negative outcomes emerged after a delay. VPAs also reported perpetrating and experiencing more aggressive conflict in their dating relationships. Post hoc probes revealed that the negative-outcome-prediction and blaming variables played no significant mediating role in participants' intergenerational patterns of intimate-relationship aggression; however, methodological limitations likely compromised the statistical power for examining this mediational model. Results are discussed in light of research regarding intergenerational patterns of violence within families.

American Farmers' Attitudes toward China and the U.S.-China Trade Dispute: A Mediated Relationship

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2023

The trade dispute between the U.S. and China significantly cut agricultural product sales to a major foreign market and drastically hurt Midwest farmers’ pocketbooks. To explore Midwest farmers’ attitudes toward China and the trade dispute, we surveyed 693 farmers in Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. We found that farmers’ attitudes toward China were generally unfavourable; farmers were also somewhat pessimistic about the outcome of the trade dispute. Additionally, we found that farmers’ attitudes toward the trade dispute were driven by their disposition toward China, the information they obtained from interpersonal and media sources, the perceived credibility of media sources, their propensity to take on risks, income, and years of farming. Farmers’ attitudes toward China, on the other hand, were influenced by the degree to which they saw information sources as credible. We also found that farmers’ attitudes toward China played a mediating effect in the positive impact of media credibility on farmers’ attitudes toward the trade dispute.

A systematic review of literature examining mediators and mechanisms of change in empirically supported treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder

Article

Jun 2023
CLIN PSYCHOL REV

Despite the availability of empirically supported treatments (ESTs) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), relatively little is known regarding these treatments' mechanisms of change. This systematic review moves beyond previous reviews by summarizing the findings and reviewing the methodological quality of literature that specifically examined mediators/mechanisms of change in ESTs for PTSD. Studies were included if they were written in English, empirical, peer-reviewed, claimed to study mediators/mechanisms of a recommended PTSD treatment, measured the mediator/mechanism during or before and after treatment, and included a posttreatment PTSD or global outcome (e.g., functioning). PsycINFO and PubMed were searched on October 7, 2022. Two coders screened and coded studies. Sixty-two eligible studies were identified. The most consistent mediator/mechanism was reduction in negative posttraumatic cognitions, followed by between-session extinction and decreased depression. Only 47% of studies measured the mediator/mechanism before the outcome and measured the mediator/mechanism and outcome at least three times, and 32% also used growth curve modeling to establish temporal precedence of change in the mediator/mechanism and outcome. Many of the mediators/mechanisms examined had weak or no empirical support. Results highlight the need for improved methodological rigor in treatment mediator and mechanism research. Implications for clinical care and research are discussed. PROSPERO ID: 248088.

Procedural learning in virtual reality: The role of immersion, interactivity, and spatial ability.

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2022

Associations Among Sleep, Emotional Eating, and Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescents

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2024
CHILD PSYCHIAT HUM D

The literature on adolescent sleep has shown a bidirectional relationship between sleep difficulties and altered eating habits, including emotional eating. However, it is unclear if this relationship is related to preexisting body concerns, or if poor sleep is the prime contributor to emotional eating patterns. This study therefore seeks to examine body dissatisfaction as a moderator of the sleep-emotional eating relationship in an at-risk sample. Adolescents (N = 106) presenting for overnight polysomnography self-reported on time-in-bed, insomnia, body dissatisfaction, and emotional eating. Less time-in-bed was correlated with a greater desire for thinness and greater insomnia severity was related to overall emotional eating and eating in response to anxiety, anger, and frustration and in response to depression. Moderation analyses revealed that the relationships between time-in-bed and eating in response to feeling unsettled (b = −.002, 95% CI[− .003, − .001], p < .005) and eating in response to anxiety, anger, and frustration (b = −.01, 95% CI[− .01, − .001], p < .05) were exacerbated by worse body dissatisfaction. Optimizing sleep may attenuate the risk for disordered eating, particularly for adolescents with high body dissatisfaction.

Callous–Unemotional Traits and Emotion Perception Accuracy and Bias in Youths

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2024

This study investigated the associations among conduct problems, callous–unemotional (CU) traits, and indices of emotion recognition accuracy and emotion recognition bias obtained from human faces. Impairments in emotion recognition were considered within broader, impaired emotional and social functioning. The sample consisted of 293 middle-school students (51.19% girls; M age = 12.97 years, SD = .88 years). In general, CU traits were associated with less accuracy in recognizing emotions, especially fearful and angry faces, and such deficits in emotional recognition were not associated with conduct problems independent of CU traits. These results support the importance of studying potential deficits in the recognition of emotions other than fear. Furthermore, our results support the importance of considering the role of CU traits when studying emotional correlates of conduct problems. For children scoring high on CU traits, the emotion recognition accuracy of anger was low irrespective of the level of conduct problems, whereas in children scoring low on CU traits, less accuracy in recognizing emotions was related to increases in conduct problems. Finally, our results support the need for research to not only focus on accuracy of emotional recognition but also test whether there are specific biases leading to these inaccuracies. Specifically, CU traits were associated not only with lower accuracy in recognizing fearful faces but also with a tendency to interpret fearful faces as angry. This suggests that the emotional deficit associated with CU traits is not just a deficit in empathic concern toward others distress but also includes a tendency to overinterpret emotions as potential threats to oneself.

Child routines moderate a brief behavioral intervention to enhance sleep in school-aged children

Article

Mar 2024

Objective To examine whether child routines (the consistency or variation in children’s daily routines, household responsibilities, discipline routines, and homework routines) moderated the effectiveness of a brief behavioral intervention to enhance sleep in school-aged children. Methods Secondary analysis was conducted with a subset of 66 families with short sleeping (≤9.5 hr/day) children, 8–11 years old (female = 68%; mean age = 9.76, SD = 1.02) who completed the Child Routines Inventory at baseline and were then randomized to receive a behavioral sleep intervention (n = 32) or to control (n = 34). Sleep period was objectively measured using wrist actigraphy at baseline and 2 months post-randomization. Moderation analysis was performed using ordinary least squares regression using the PROCESS macro for SPSS. Results Controlling for sleep period at baseline, treatment condition was significantly related to the sleep period at 2 months post-randomization, with the intervention group achieving a longer sleep period compared to the usual sleep period group (control) (b = 46.30, p < .01). Intervention response was moderated by child routines (b = 1.43, p < .05). Specifically, the intervention produced the greatest change in sleep period for children who engaged in greater routine behaviors at baseline than those who engaged in fewer routine behaviors. Conclusions Families that engage in routine behaviors may be better equipped to adopt the behavioral modifications required to get a good night’s sleep. The findings highlight the importance of working with families to establish routine behaviors to improve responses to behavioral sleep interventions.

Dispositional mindfulness moderates the links between potentially morally injurious event exposure and symptoms of anxiety and depression but not suicidal ideation

Article

Mar 2024
J TRAUMA STRESS

Exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) is a pervasive threat for military service members and may be associated with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. However, coping mechanisms, such as mindfulness, may ameliorate symptoms and improve recovery. Two studies were conducted to test dispositional mindfulness as a moderator of the links between PMIEs, as assessed using the Moral Injury Events Scale (i.e., total score and Self-Transgression, Other-Transgression, and Betrayal subscale scores), and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation among different samples of active-duty soldiers in garrison. In Sample 1 (N = 310), mindfulness buffered the links between PMIE exposure and symptoms of both anxiety, ΔR2 = .02, and depression, ΔR2 = .03. In Sample 2 (N = 669), mindfulness moderated the link between the MIES Betrayal subscale and anxiety symptoms, ΔR2 = .01. The results suggest that dispositional mindfulness may be a protective factor against some of the negative impacts of PMIE exposure. Further implications are discussed.

Neural basis underlying the association between thought control ability and happiness: The moderating role of the amygdala

Article

Mar 2024

Thought control ability (TCA) plays an important role in individuals' health and happiness. Previous studies demonstrated that TCA was closely conceptually associated with happiness. However, empirical research supporting this relationship was limited. In addition, the neural basis underlying TCA and how this neural basis influences the relationship between TCA and happiness remain unexplored. In the present study, the voxel‐based morphometry (VBM) method was adopted to investigate the neuroanatomical basis of TCA in 314 healthy subjects. The behavioral results revealed a significant positive association between TCA and happiness. On the neural level, there was a significant negative correlation between TCA and the gray matter density (GMD) of the bilateral amygdala. Split‐half validation analysis revealed similar results, further confirming the stability of the VBM analysis findings. Furthermore, gray matter covariance network and graph theoretical analyses showed positive association between TCA and both the node degree and node strength of the amygdala. Moderation analysis revealed that the GMD of the amygdala moderated the relationship between TCA and happiness. Specifically, the positive association between TCA and self‐perceived happiness was stronger in subjects with a lower GMD of the amygdala. The present study indicated the neural basis underlying the association between TCA and happiness and offered a method of improving individual well‐being.

Growth hormone treatment in children with short stature: impact of the diagnosis on parents

Article

Mar 2024
J PEDIATR ENDOCR MET

Objectives This prospective multicenter study aimed (1) to examine changes in parent-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of children with short stature and the effects of the children’s condition on parents themselves within the first year of human growth hormone (hGH) treatment and (2) to predict effects on parents based on main and interaction effects of children’s HRQOL and increase in height. Methods A total of 110 parents of children aged 4–18 years, diagnosed with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency, small for gestational age, or idiopathic short stature, were recruited from 11 participating German pediatric endocrinologists and asked to fill out the short stature-specific Quality of Life in Short Stature Youth (QoLISSY) Questionnaire before hGH treatment was initiated and one year later. Results Negative effects of the children’s short stature on the parents decrease over time, independent of diagnosis and treatment status. Furthermore, treatment status and height increase moderated the links between children’s improved HRQOL as perceived by their parents and decreased caregiving burden. Conclusions Based on the children’s improved HRQOL and the parent’s decrease in caregiving burden, patient-reported outcomes that consider parental and child’s perspectives should be considered when deciding on hGH treatment for children.

Perceived Stressful Life Events and Suicide Risk in Adolescence: The Mediating Role of Perceived Family Functioning

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2024

Aim: Suicidal behavior is a serious public health problem and a major cause of death among adolescents. Three categories of major risk factors have been identified: psychological factors, stressful life events, and personality traits. Severe and objective stressful life events (SLEs), such as childhood mistreatment or abuse, have been clearly associated with higher rates of suicide risk. However, the relationship between suicide risk and adolescents’ perceptions of the SLE impact is not as clear. This paper studies the relationship between SLE impact perception and suicide risk and the possible mediating role of perceived family functioning in this relationship. The need for longer-term or more intense psychological or psychiatric treatment in relation to SLE impact perception is also addressed. Method: One hundred forty-seven adolescents aged 11–17 were consecutively recruited from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Outpatient Services Department of a general hospital in Madrid, Spain. Self-informed questionnaires were used to assess suicide risk, SLEs, and family functioning. In addition, the clinical records of the participants were consulted to collect information about their treatment histories, including the number of appointments and the duration of follow-up. Results: SLE impact perception correlates significantly with suicide risk, the number of clinical appointments, the duration of treatment, and the perceived level of family functioning. The mediation model of the family functioning perception variable in the relationship between SLE impact perception and suicide risk is significant. The linear regression model of SLE impact perception and family functioning perception on suicide risk is also significant, accounting for 25.7% of the variance. Conclusions: Beyond the clear and proven effect of serious and objective SLEs, the perceived impact of SLEs reported by adolescents is related to an increased risk of suicide and more intense psychological and/or psychiatric follow-up. This relationship is mediated by the perceived level of family functioning. Adolescents’ perceptions of their life experiences and perceived family support may be key determinants of suicide risk prevention.

Teachers’ Social Emotional Learning Competencies and Social Justice Teaching Beliefs and Associations with Children’s Prosocial Behavior and Community Engagement

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2023
Child Youth Care Forum

Background Individual and collective prosocial competence can be fostered through high-quality interactions with program staff in out-of-school time environments. Objective We explored whether the social-emotional competencies of teachers working in an out-of-school STEM program infused with social emotional learning content were associated with school children’s prosocial behavior, community engagement, and peer problems and whether these associations were moderated by social justice teaching beliefs and child gender. Method Participants were 126 students (72 male). Forty-one were White, 40 were Black, 34 were Latine, and 11 were Asian and most of them were third graders (Mage = 8.11 years). Teachers rated their emotional competence, commitment to social emotional learning, and social justice teaching beliefs. They also provided ratings of children’s prosocial behavior and peer problems. Students provided ratings of their community engagement. Results Teachers’ emotional competence was negatively associated with prosocial behavior, but only when their social justice teaching beliefs were low. However, teachers’ commitment to social emotional learning was positively related to prosocial behavior. Teachers’ emotional competence was associated positively with peer problems, but only for girls, and was also related positively to community engagement. Conclusions Results demonstrate associations between STEM teachers’ social emotional learning competencies and social justice teaching beliefs in the development of students’ prosocial competence and community engagement and provide directions for future research.

Self-concept in Adolescents with Physical-Mental Comorbidity

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2023

Objective Little is known about self-concept in adolescents with physical-mental comorbidity. This study investigated whether physical-mental comorbidity was associated with self-concept in adolescents and examined if adolescent age or sex moderated the association between physical-mental comorbidity and self-concept. Methods Study data were obtained from the Multimorbidity in Youth across the Life-course (MY LIFE), an ongoing Canadian study of adolescents with chronic physical illness who were recruited from outpatient clinics at a pediatric hospital. A total of 116 adolescents aged ≥ 10 years provided self-reports on key measures. Results Adolescents with comorbidity (n = 48) had lower self-concept scores on the Self-Determination Questionnaire (SDQ; d = 0.62) and Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC; d = 0.53) vs. adolescents without comorbidity (n = 68). An age × comorbidity status interaction was found and age-stratified models were computed to investigate this moderating effect of age. Amongst older adolescents, comorbidity was associated with lower SDQ (B = -2.55, p < .001), but this association was not found among younger adolescents (B = -0.29, p = .680). A similar effect was found for SPPC among older (B = -0.48, p = .001) and younger adolescents (B = 0.03, p = .842). Adolescent sex was not found to be a moderator. Conclusions Physical-mental comorbidity in adolescence was associated with lower self-concept and this association was moderated by age—differences between adolescents with vs. without comorbidity were greater for older adolescents and were clinically relevant. Opportunities to support positive self-perceptions for adolescents with comorbidity are warranted, especially when planning the transition from pediatric to adult health services.

Personal Values and Psychopathology in a Diverse Youth Sample

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2023
J PSYCHOPATHOL BEHAV

Substantial research has examined the associations between youth personality traits and psychopathology, with little attention to the role that personal values might play. Previous work has indicated that youth’s personal values are related to, yet distinct from, personality traits. In adults, personal values are associated with psychopathological constructs such as depression, anxiety, and aggressive/rule-breaking behaviors; however, questions remain about the associations between values and psychopathology in youth, whether values moderate the association between traits and psychopathology, and whether values contribute incremental variance to psychopathology over and above associations with personality traits. The present study sought to answer these questions. Using a diverse sample of 350 children (Mage = 9.81, SD = 0.66 years, 185 girls) and their caregivers, we examined youth self-reported personal values, parent-reported youth personality traits, and parent-reported youth internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors. High hedonism, high power, and low universalism were significantly associated with externalizing psychopathology, and these associations largely did not differ across gender or racial/ethnic groups. Personal values did not moderate established trait-psychopathology associations. Finally, personal values incremented the prediction of externalizing, but not internalizing, psychopathology, beyond personality traits. Collectively, results indicate that youth’s personal values may capture different aspects of psychopathology than personality traits, particularly with externalizing psychopathology. Future studies should incorporate youth personal values for a more comprehensive understanding of the manifestation and development of youth psychopathology.

Direct and Indirect Effects of Adolescent Peer Victimization and Mental Health on Academic Achievement in Early Adulthood: A 6-Year Longitudinal Cohort Study

Article

Jul 2023
YOUTH SOC

Using a three-wave (mean age 14.4, 17.4, and 20.4 years) longitudinal design ( N = 1,834; 55.6% females), we set out to map direct and indirect effects of adolescent peer victimization and mental health on academic achievement in early adulthood, and the buffering effect of positive family relations. Data was collected in Sweden 2012 to 2018. We found concurrent (βs = .13–.28) but no longitudinal transactional effects between peer victimization and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and conduct disorder (CD). Peer victimization, depression, and CD had longitudinal direct effects on poorer academic achievement in early adulthood (βs = .09–.11). Positive family relations did not moderate the effects. The results indicate that prevention and interventions against peer victimization and poor mental health may contribute to a higher proportion of individuals graduating from high school.

Longitudinal Association Between Youth Multimorbidity and Psychological Distress: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2023
CHILD PSYCHIAT HUM D

This research examined longitudinal associations between youth physical-mental multimorbidity and psychological distress before and during the COVID-19 pandemic; assessed the contextual impact of the pandemic on these associations; and, investigated potential moderating factors. The Multimorbidity in Youth across the Life-course, an ongoing study of youth aged 2–16 years (mean 9.4; 46.9% female) with physical illness, was used as the sampling frame for this COVID-19 sub-study, in which 147 parent-youth dyads participated. Psychological distress was measured using the Kessler-6 (K6). Multimorbidity was associated with higher pre-pandemic, but not with intra-pandemic distress. Disability moderated pre-pandemic distress—multimorbidity was associated with higher K6 among youth with high disability, but not among youth with low disability. Age moderated intra-pandemic distress—multimorbidity was associated with higher K6 in older youth, but not among younger youth.

Augmented Reality: New Future of Social Media Influencer Marketing

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2023

The advent of social media as a marketing tool has transformed how businesses connect and share information about their brands with their consumers. Amplified consumer engagement has created novel relationships between consumers and companies. People’s reliance on seeking information from other online users and reviews has increased, and this is where social media influencers play an important role in shaping consumers’ opinions. Augmented reality will revolutionize the influencer marketing environment due to its ability to engage consumers. This research involved an online survey with questions established on a 7-point Likert scale. Later, exploratory factor analysis was used to summarize data better to understand associations between dependent and independent variables. Later principal component analysis was espoused for the extraction process. Varimax rotation congregated 39 items into various factors. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test was administered to justify the adequacy of the sample.. The findings suggest that augmented reality moderates user engagement and is the future of influencer marketing.

Effect of Patient Support Groups for Hypertension on Blood Pressure among Patients with and Without Multimorbidity: Findings from a Cohort Study of Patients on a Home-Based Self-Management Program in Kenya

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2023

Introduction: Patient support group interventions have been widely used to manage chronic diseases in Kenya. However, the potential benefits of these groups on patient health outcomes, and how this is influenced by multimorbidity, have not been rigorously evaluated. Objective: We assessed the effect of a patient support group intervention on blood pressure (BP) management and the potential moderating effect of multimorbidity among low- and middle-income patients with hypertension in Kenya. Methods: We analysed data from a non-randomized, quasi-experimental study of 410 patients with hypertension on a home-based self-management program conducted from September 2019 to September 2020. The program included the formation and participation in patient support groups. Using a modified STEPS questionnaire, data were collected on BP, anthropometry and other measurements at enrolment and after 12 months of follow-up. Multimorbidity was defined as the simultaneous presence of hypertension and at least one or more related conditions with similar pathophysiology (concordant multimorbidity) or unrelated chronic conditions (discordant multimorbidity). Propensity score (PS) weighting was used to adjust for baseline differences among 243 patients who participated in the support groups and 167 who did not. We estimated the effects of patient support groups and moderating effects of multimorbidity on BP management using multivariable ordinary linear regression weighted by PS. Findings: Participation in support groups significantly reduced systolic BP by 5.4 mmHg compared to non-participation in the groups [β = -5.4; 95% CI -1.9 to -8.8]. However, among participants in the support group intervention, the mean systolic BP at follow-up assessment for those with concordant multimorbidity was 8.8 mmHg higher than those with no multimorbidity [β = 8.8; 95% CI 0.8 to 16.8]. Conclusion: Although patient support groups are potentially important adjuncts to home-based self-care, multimorbidity attenuates their effectiveness. There is a need to tailor patient support group interventions to match the needs of the people living with multimorbidity in low- and middle-income settings in Kenya.

Parental Harsh Discipline and Children’s Anxiety in China: An Examination of the Moderating and Mediating Roles of Teacher–Student Relationships and Peer Relationships

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2023

Objective: The present study examined the moderating and mediating roles of teacher–student relationships (TSR) and peer relationships in the effects of parental harsh discipline on children’s anxiety in Chinese society. Method: A total of 1,040 children (53.8% boys; Mage = 10.64 years, SD = 1.12) and their parents were participated in this study. We constructed the structural equation model to explore the effects of paternal and maternal harsh discipline on children’s anxiety, as well as the moderating and mediating roles of teacher–student relationships and peer relationships. Results: The findings revealed that maternal but not paternal harsh discipline predicted children’s anxiety 6 months later. Better teacher–student relationships intensified the negative effect of maternal harsh discipline on children’s anxiety, whereas peer relationships did not moderate the effect. Teacher–student relationships and peer rejection interactively moderated the effect of maternal harsh discipline on children’s anxiety. Specifically, high levels of peer rejection intensified the impact of teacher–student relationships on the effect of maternal harsh discipline on children’s anxiety. Moreover, teacher–student relationships also served as mediators in the negative effect of maternal harsh discipline on children’s anxiety. Conclusions: Findings provide partial support for the “healthy context paradox” (negative impact of parental harsh discipline may be more severe in healthy contexts) and highlight the importance of considering the effects of the home–school mesosystems on child adjustment.

Posttraumatic Stress and Distress Tolerance in Relation to Opioid Misuse and Dependence Among Trauma-Exposed Adults With Chronic Pain

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2023

Posttraumatic stress symptoms have been associated with opioid misuse and dependence among adults with chronic pain. Lower levels of perceived distress tolerance (i.e., perceived ability to withstand negative emotional states) have been independently associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms and opioid-related problems among nonchronic pain samples. However, there has not been a test of whether distress tolerance interacts with posttraumatic stress in terms of opioid misuse among trauma-exposed persons with chronic pain. Therefore, the present study examined the interaction between distress tolerance and posttraumatic stress symptoms in relation to opioid misuse and dependence among trauma-exposed adults with chronic pain who were using opioids (N = 289; 70.9% female, Mage = 37.75, SD = 10.83). Results indicated a significant negative interaction of distress tolerance with posttraumatic stress in terms of opioid misuse and dependence, as the relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and opioid misuse and dependence was diminished at higher levels of distress tolerance. The current findings help refine our understanding of the subgroups of persons with chronic pain distinguished by low distress tolerance and at the greatest risk for misusing opioids. Furthermore, current models of chronic pain and opioid misuse could be refined by integrating distress tolerance. These findings may help inform interventions for trauma-exposed persons with chronic pain who use opioids.

Interpersonal theory of suicide and stressful life events in a clinical sample of adolescents in Spain

Article

May 2023

Aims: The interpersonal theory of suicide (ITPS) provides a theoretical model for suicidal behaviour. It includes two interpersonal variables, thwarted belongingness (TB) and perceived burdensomeness (PB). This study tested the relationship between ITPS interpersonal variables and suicide risk (presence/absence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts throughout life) in a clinical sample of Spanish adolescents. We also assessed the potential mediation effect of these variables in the well-established relationship between stressful life events (SLE) and suicide risk. Methods: We recruited 147 adolescents aged 11-17 from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Outpatient Services of the Jiménez Díaz Foundation (Madrid, Spain). Different questionnaires were administered to assess suicidal behaviour and SLE (SITBI, The Stressful Life Events Scale) and to calculate proxy measures for ITPS interpersonal factors (SDQ, STAXI-NA, CDI). Results: TB and PB significantly correlated with suicide risk. PB played a mediating role in the relationship between SLE and suicide risk: adolescents reporting SLE were more likely to enact suicide behaviours when they experienced higher PB. Patients scoring higher PB were more likely to receive more intense treatment but tended to abandon intervention promptly. Conclusions: ITPS seems useful for predicting suicide risk in an adolescent clinical sample. The results suggest an important role for PB in the SLE-suicide risk relationship and may impact the treatment process. Our exploratory findings should be addressed in future studies.

Activities and social contact as antecedents to sleep onset time in U.S. adolescents

Article

May 2023
J RES ADOLESCENCE

This study evaluated adolescents' evening patterns in activities, social contact, and location to better understand antecedents to adolescents' sleep onset time (SOT). The SOT is important for sleep duration and related health outcomes. Using a nationally representative sample of 15- to 18-year-old adolescents from the American Time Use Survey (N = 10,341; 47% female; 57% white), structural equation modeling demonstrated that late SOTs mediated links between evening activities, social contact, locations, and shorter sleep durations. Passive leisure, time in public locations, and time with friends late in the evenings were associated with later SOTs, whereas homework and active leisure did not. Parents and practitioners can use this information to carefully evaluate evening activities, social contact, and location to support healthy SOTs for adolescents across time.

Brief Report: The Impact of COVID-19 on Parental Stress and Learning Challenges for Chinese Children with SpLD

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2023
J AUTISM DEV DISORD

The pandemic induced a radical shift to online learning with increased parental involvement. This study investigates the challenges that students with specific learning difficulties (SpLD) encountered during the pandemic and the mediating role of parental stress. A total of 294 parents of children with SpLD (mean age = 10.6; SD = 1.5) were recruited. Parents reported concerns over their children's difficulties maintaining learning routines, lack of suitable environment for online classes, and ineffective remote learning. Results of mediation analysis showed that online learning challenges, SpLD symptoms, and emotional and behavioral difficulties positively predicted parental stress. In turn, parental stress negatively predicted children's self-esteem and family quality of life. The study implies that parents of children with SpLD need both psychological and technical support under suspension of face-to-face teaching.

The impact of dopamine receptor D4, temperamental negativity, and household chaos on young twins’ externalizing behaviors

Article

Apr 2023

Biological and genetic factors, as well as contextual influences, contribute to the etiology of externalizing behaviors in children and adolescents. The current project used a longitudinal design to examine how individual vulnerability for externalizing behavior is influenced by the interplay among biological/genetic and environmental factors, and how this occurs across development. We investigated the influence of dopamine receptor D4 genotype (DRD4), child temperament, and household chaos on children's externalizing behaviors using a sample of twins/triplets tested at the ages of 4 and 5 years (n = 229), including a subset of these who were tested again in middle childhood (ages 7-13 years; n = 174). Multilevel linear regression modeling demonstrated that the DRD4-7repeat genotype, 4-year-old negative affectivity, and household chaos at the age of 4 years were related to 5-year-old externalizing behaviors. Stability in externalizing behaviors from the age of 5 years to middle childhood was demonstrated. A significant interaction between DRD4 and household chaos showed that children with no 7-repeat DRD4 alleles had significantly higher levels of externalizing in homes with extremely low levels of parent-reported chaos, suggesting a "goodness-of-fit" pattern of gene-environment interaction. These findings suggest that risk for childhood externalizing behaviors is likely multifaceted and differs across developmental periods.

Parent and Child Influence in Body Image Dissatisfaction: The Moderating Effect of Parent Acceptance of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Article

Feb 2023
BODY IMAGE

The present study investigated the influence of parent and child-driven effects on body image dissatisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The moderating effect of parents' acceptance of the COVID-19 pandemic and child gender were also investigated. The participants were 175 Canadian parents (mothers = 87.4%, fathers = 12%, unspecified = 0.6%) of children aged between 7 and 12 years old (M = 9.2; boys = 48.9%, girls = 51.1%). Two cohorts of parents were asked to complete a questionnaire in June 2020 and January 2021, respectively, followed by a second questionnaire approximately five months later. At both time points, the questionnaires addressed the parents' body image dissatisfaction and acceptance of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, parents reported on their child's body image dissatisfaction at both time points. Path analysis models were used to examine parent-driven and child-driven effects. Parents' acceptance of the pandemic significantly moderated both parent and child-driven effects such that parents with low levels of acceptance were more likely to negatively influence, and be negatively influenced by, their perception of their child's body image dissatisfaction. Child gender significantly moderated child-driven effects, as mothers' perception of their son's body image dissatisfaction predicted their own dissatisfaction over time. Our findings suggest that child-driven effects should be considered in future studies on body image dissatisfaction.

The moderating role of eating behaviour traits in the association between exposure to hot food takeaway outlets and body fatness

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2023
INT J OBESITY

Background Previous studies demonstrated a relation between takeaway outlet exposure and health outcomes. Individual characteristics, such as eating behaviour traits, could make some people more susceptible to the influence of the food environment. Few studies have investigated this topic. We aimed to investigate the moderating role of eating behaviour traits (cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating and emotional eating) in the association between neighbourhood exposure to hot food takeaway outlets (hereafter referred to as takeaway outlets), and takeaway food consumption and adiposity. Methods We used cross-sectional data from a cohort in Cambridgeshire, UK (The Fenland study). Takeaway outlet exposure was derived using participants’ residential address and data from local authorities and divided into quarters. The Three Factor Eating questionnaire (TFEQ-R18) was used to measure eating behaviour traits. Primary outcomes were consumption of takeaway-like foods (derived from food frequency questionnaire), and body fat percentage (measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry). Results Mean age of participants (n = 4791) was 51.0 (SD = 7.2) and 53.9% were female. Higher exposure to takeaway outlets in the neighbourhood and higher eating behaviour trait scores were independently associated with greater takeaway consumption and body fat percentage. Uncontrolled eating did not moderate the associations between takeaway outlet exposure and takeaway consumption or body fat percentage. The association between takeaway outlet exposure and takeaway consumption was slightly stronger in those with higher cognitive restraint scores, and the association between takeaway outlet exposure and body fat percentage was slightly stronger in those with lower emotional eating scores. Conclusion Eating behaviour traits and exposure to takeaway outlets were associated with greater takeaway consumption and body fat, but evidence that individuals with certain traits are more susceptible to takeaway outlets was weak. The findings indicate that interventions at both the individual and environmental levels are needed to comprehensively address unhealthy diets. Trial registry ISRCTN72077169

Perceived stress from interpersonal relations predicts suicidal ideation in Chinese university students: Roles of meaning in life and coping humor

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2023

Existing studies emphasize that interpersonal relationships are closely associated with the increased risk of suicidal ideation (SI). However, the mechanism underlying this association remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated how and under what conditions the perceived stress from interpersonal relations links to SI. Also we explored the possible important roles of meaning in life and coping humor. A total of 1472 Chinese freshmen completed self-reported questionnaires of thwarted belongingness (TB), fear of negative evaluation (FNE), meaning in life, coping humor, and SI. Our results showed that SI was associated with more TB and FNE, and it was linked to less meaning in life and coping humor. Importantly, two dimensions of meaning in life mediated the associations between TB, FNE, and SI. Specifically, TB increased SI by destroying both presence of meaning and search for meaning while FNE increased SI by destroying presence of meaning, but not by search for meaning. Additionally, coping humor attenuated the effect of FNE on SI. Our findings highlight the protective roles of meaning in life and coping humor in the link between perceived stress from interpersonal relations and SI among Chinese university students. These results provide feasible advices for practitioners to carry out suicide prevention and intervention.

Gender as a Moderator in the Association between Childhood Trauma and Risk-Taking Propensity

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2018

Negative Parenting Practices, Childhood Trauma, and Paranoid Personality Disorder

Chapter

Full-text available

Dec 2022

Does screen exposure necessarily relate to behavior problems? The buffering roles of emotion regulation and caregiver companionship

Article

Jan 2023
EARLY CHILD RES Q

This study aimed to examine putative mechanisms underpinning associations between active use of screen media and behavior problems in a socially diverse sample of 897 Chinese caregivers of 2- to 6-year-olds. A series of analyses using a latent variable modeling framework showed that caregivers' reports of children's emotion regulation partially accounted for negative influences of screen time on behavior problems, and this indirect path varied as a function of caregiver companionship. Specifically, in the context of high levels of caregiver companionship, a significant link between prolonged screen time and behavior problems was suppressed through enhanced emotion regulation, while such suppression effect diminished in the context of low levels of caregiver companionship. In support of the value of parental presence in media use, our study suggests that promoting companionship from caregivers and emotion regulatory skills may serve as protective factors for young children who are highly exposed to screen time and thus at risk for behavior problems. The implications of these findings for guidelines on appropriate screen usage and family media planning are discussed.

Executive Function as Mediators between Socioeconomic Status and Academic Performance in Chinese School-Aged Children

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2022

Negative Urgency, PTSD symptoms, and Alcohol Risk in College Students

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2023

Introduction Theoretical models of trauma and alcohol use suggest that trauma-exposed individuals with higher levels of PTSD symptoms are at increased risk of problematic and coping-oriented alcohol use to alleviate unwanted internal states. The goal of the current study was to evaluate whether these associations are enhanced among young adults who report engaging in impulsive behavior in the context of negative affect (i.e., high negative urgency). It was hypothesized that (a) higher negative urgency would be associated with problematic alcohol use; and that (b) negative urgency would moderate the association between PTSD symptoms and problematic alcohol use. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional, secondary data analysis design run on 213 participants: college students, ages 18-25, who endorsed both having an interpersonal traumatic event and current weekly alcohol use. Participants completed a series of assessments and self-report questionnaires. Results: Results of hierarchical linear regression models indicated that greater negative urgency was significantly associated with greater negative alcohol-related consequences and greater coping motives for alcohol, but not past 30-day binge frequency or past 30-day alcohol quantity. Negative urgency did not moderate associations between PTSD symptoms and alcohol outcomes. Conclusions: PTSD symptoms and negative urgency are uniquely associated with indices of alcohol risk in college students with a history of trauma exposure. However, individuals high in negative urgency are not necessarily consuming more alcohol, nor does negative urgency increase the association between PTSD symptoms and drinking outcomes in this population.

Main and Interactive Effects of Negative Posttraumatic Cognitions and Disgust Sensitivity in Predicting Daily Experiences of Sexual Trauma-Related Mental Contamination

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2022
Traumatology

Trauma-related mental contamination, or a sense of dirtiness occurring without recent contact with a contaminant, is a distressing and often persistent phenomenon after sexual trauma. Following sexual trauma, cross-sectional work has demonstrated separate positive associations between mental contamination and (a) negative posttraumatic cognitions about oneself, the world, and/or self-blame and (b) disgust sensitivity, defined as the extent to which one is prone to distress when experiencing disgust. However, existing work has been primarily restricted to cross-sectional designs and has yet to consider the potential moderating role of disgust sensitivity in associations between negative posttraumatic cognitions and persistent mental contamination. The present study used a daily monitoring design to evaluate main and interactive effects of negative posttraumatic cognitions (about the self, world, and self-blame) and disgust sensitivity in predicting daily experiences of mental contamination among a sample of 39 women with a history of sexual trauma. Results revealed a significant main effect of posttraumatic cognitions about the self in predicting subsequent mental contamination. An unexpected interaction also emerged for posttraumatic cognitions about the world, wherein such cognitions only significantly predicted daily mental contamination among women high in disgust sensitivity. Findings offer preliminary understanding regarding the role of cognitions about the self in contributing to ongoing mental contamination as well as the potential contributing role of cognitions about the world among women more vulnerable to distress when experiencing disgust. Future work should consider the potential for bidirectional relationships between negative posttraumatic cognitions and trauma-related mental contamination.

Evaluating the interaction effects of housing vulnerability and socioeconomic vulnerability on self-perceptions of psychological resilience in Puerto Rico

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2023

In 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused devastating impacts on Puerto Rico's housing stock, leading to distress among homeowners due to material and social losses. One critical aspect of the recovery effort is their perceived ability to cope. Previous research has identified that socioeconomic and housing vulnerability impact people's distress levels in the aftermath of a disaster. However, this focused on socioeconomic and housing vulnerability on distress with less knowledge of their association with resilience perceptions. Importantly, socioeconomic and housing vulnerability may have a multiplicative effect on self-perceptions of psychological resilience. This research used door-to-door surveys (N = 235) in two of Puerto Rico's municipalities to address this gap. Results based on linear regression showed that the compounding effects of interior damage in housing and education are significantly associated with psychological resilience. The results contribute to the resilience theory, wherein an adversity is mediated by a certain process that contributes to its resilience outcomes. This deviates from conventional studies that consider socioeconomic and housing vulnerabilities as independent contributing factors to psychological resilience. A key point emphasized in this study is that adversity, such as a disaster causing damage to housing, is moderated by a process such as socioeconomic vulnerability, predicting the strength or weakness of psychological resilience. The contrast between self-perceptions of psychological resilience among lower and higher-education individuals provides novel information to stakeholders and implies policy and practice reforms to create resilience.

Examination of the Effect of Memorable Travel Experiences on the Memorability of Trips and Intentions to Revisit a Destination

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2022

Eddy Tukamushaba

In this paper a model examining the effect of memorable travel experiences on the memorability and tourists' intentions to revisit a destination is developed and tested. A sample of 500 international tourists entering Uganda through Entebbe international airport is used. A two-step approach of structural equation modeling is applied. The results obtained indicate that hedonism, novelty, refreshment, and local culture were key determinants of memorable experiences within the sample of the international tourists. The factors of involvement, meaningfulness and knowledge were not significant determinants of memorable travel experience. Secondly, memorable travel experience had a direct and positive significant effect on memorability and intention to revisit a destination. However, the relationship between memorable travel experiences and intention to revisit a destination was negative and non-significant when memorability of tourism experiences was introduced as mediator indicating incomplete mediation. Based on the results, it is suggested that destination managers should strive to develop new products that are unique within a destination in order to elicit memorable experiences. Incorporating activities that facilitate social interaction between tourists and local community within the different tourism attraction areas would be critical in enhancing memorable travel experience and therefore improving the odds of intention to revisit a destination.

Emerging adults' use of social media and adjustment during the pandemic

Article

May 2024
J APPL DEV PSYCHOL

Childhood trauma and alcohol misuse in college students: The moderating role of minimization

Article

Apr 2024

Urged to feel certain again: The role of emotion-related impulsivity on the relationships between intolerance of uncertainty and OCD symptom severity

Article

Feb 2024

Objectives Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental disorder characterized by persistent and intrusive thoughts accompanied by repetitive mental or physical acts. While both intolerance of uncertainty and emotion‐related impulsivity have been consistently evidenced as cognitive risk factors of OCD, no studies have considered their joint effects. The current study examined the interaction between intolerance of uncertainty and two forms of emotion‐related impulsivity—including both a behavioural and cognitive form—in predicting OCD symptoms. Design Cross‐sectional data were collected online from community‐based adult participants. Methods Participants ( N = 673) completed a battery of self‐report measures of OCD symptom severity, intolerance of uncertainty, and emotion‐related impulsivity. Results The behavioural form of emotion‐related impulsivity positively moderated the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and OCD symptoms. Elevated levels of both factors predicted the most severe symptoms, particularly checking, washing, and obsessing. This interaction effect was not found for the cognitive form of emotion‐related impulsivity, which still emerged as a unique predictor of OCD symptom severity, specifically obsessing symptoms. Conclusions Current findings furthered the understanding of the link between intolerance of uncertainty and OCD symptoms by highlighting the role of emotion‐related impulsivity. When uncertainty triggers distress in individuals with high intolerance of uncertainty, the urge to behaviourally alleviate this distress could promote the use of maladaptive obsessions and compulsions, leading to greater OCD symptoms. Results also indicated the potentially differential effects from the behavioural versus cognitive forms of emotion‐related impulsivity on different symptom domains, and the mechanistic link here is worthy of further investigation.

Moderating influences on parents' fatalistic beliefs about cancer and their association with sun safety behaviors among children of melanoma survivors: Implications for treatment

Article

Nov 2023
J HEALTH PSYCHOL

The purpose of this study is to examine the association between parents’ fatalism about melanoma and their children’s sun protection, and the potential moderating role of parent-child communication. In this observational study of N = 69 melanoma-surviving parents of children ages 8–17, parents reported on their own melanoma fatalism, as well as their children’s sun safety behaviors and parent-child discussion about sun safety. Parent gender, family history of melanoma, and frequency of parent-child discussions moderated the relationship between parents’ fatalism and children’s sun safety behaviors. Among mothers and parents with a family history of melanoma, high fatalism was associated with lower child sunscreen use, especially when discussions were less frequent. Melanoma surviving parents’ fatalistic beliefs about cancer indirectly influence their children’s health behavior and are a risk factor for unsafe sun behavior. Attending to parent gender, family history, and their communications about protective behaviors as co-factors of this risk could inform future intervention targeting.

Digital technologies as a driver of resilience and institutional transformation: The case of Ukrainian agroholdings

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2023

The present paper explores how implementation of digital technologies (DTs) assists firms in transition economies in addressing weaknesses of the institutional environment surrounding them, in particular via establishment of collective governance systems. Based on case studies of three large-scale agroholdings operating in Ukraine, the paper aims to fill the research gaps with regard to the following: motivation of the firm to initiate DT-enabled collective governance systems; the rules these systems are based on; and the reasons behind the firm’s choice of a particular governance mode – closed, shared or open – for these systems. The findings generally support the institutional theory argument that complex technology enables coordination of exchange relationships not only within but also outside firm boundaries. At that, the choice of a governance mode between closed, shared or open institutional infrastructure is likely to depend on the firm’s ownership concentration, corporate transparency, availability of resources and social embeddedness.

City innovation ability and internet infrastructure development: Evidence from the “Broadband China” policy

Article

Sep 2023

Broadband China” (BC), the new Chinese government implementation in 2013, has led to substantial investments in internet infrastructure development. Furthermore, accurately evaluating its effects is of great significance. BC is taken as a quasinatural experiment in this paper. Data from 278 Chinese cities from 2007 to 2019 are used to evaluate this policy influence on city innovation ability by building a regression discontinuity (RD) design model. In addition, its heterogeneity and mechanism are also analyzed. The results show that (1) city innovation ability is significantly improved by the BC policy, and this is still valid after robustness tests. (2) The influence of the BC policy on city innovation ability is heterogeneous and more significant in more prosperous regions, such as in the eastern regions and in large cities. (3) Mechanism analysis shows that the city innovation ability is enhanced by improving knowledge spillover and stimulating entrepreneurial activities.

How Does Social Support and Emotional Intelligence Enhance Life Satisfaction Among Adolescents? A Mediational Analysis Study

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2023

Introduction The decline in life satisfaction throughout adolescence has led research to focus on variables that facilitate life satisfaction, such as social support and trait emotional intelligence. However, the relationship dynamics between the main sources of social support (family, friends and teachers), trait emotional intelligence (emotional attention, clarity and repair), and life satisfaction have yet to be elucidated. Objective Therefore, the aim of this study is to test and compare a set of structural models that integrate these three variables. Methods A sample of 1397 middle school students (48% males, 52% females) with age range 12–16 years (M = 13.88, SD = 1.27) was selected. Results The data showed that trait emotional intelligence significantly mediated the effect of the social support network on life satisfaction, highlighting the greater contribution of family support, emotional clarity, and emotional repair as enabling factors of adolescent well-being. Discussion Psychoeducational and social implications of these results are discussed.

Resilience, Generalized Self-Efficacy, and Mindfulness as Moderators of the Relationship Between Stress and Well-Being

Article

Jun 2023
J Cognit Psychother

Heeding calls to examine multiple protective factors within single studies, this study tested whether resilience uniquely predicted higher life satisfaction and lower depression over the predictive ability of generalized self-efficacy (GSE) and mindfulness among 332 university students. A second purpose was to test whether resilience uniquely buffered the relationship between two forms of stress—cumulative stress from particular negative life events and general perceived stress—and both life satisfaction and depression over the buffering ability of GSE and mindfulness. In hierarchical multiple regressions, resilience uniquely predicted 3% of the variance in satisfaction with life and 1% of the variance in depression. GSE and mindfulness buffered the relationship between cumulative negative life event stress and depression. At higher levels of GSE and mindfulness, the relationship between cumulative negative life event stress and depression was weaker.

De invloed van gezinsvorm en ouderlijk conflict op relationele toekomstverwachtingen: een onderzoek bij Vlaamse jongeren

Article

Aug 2015

Nana Mertens

Continuing changes in marital and divorce behaviour bring about changes in family type for growing adolescents. Previous research has shown that these changes may influence relational expectations. Other elements associated with parental divorce, e.g. parental conflict, may also influence these expectations. The overall research question of this article is: what is the impact of family type and parental conflict on the relational expectations of adolescents? Using data from Leuvens Adolescenten- en Gezinnen Onderzoek, the influence on the expected divorce rate and the expected preference to marry of Flemish adolescents were examined. Results show that adolescents whose parents were divorced estimate their divorce rate higher than others and have the lowest odds to express a preference for an own marriage. Interestingly, a difference was found between adolescents whose parents were (once) married and adolescents whose parents were (once) cohabiting. Furthermore, adolescents experiencing a low rate of parental conflict indicate a lower expected divorce rate and have higher odds to prefer a future marriage than adolescents living in high-conflict families. Moreover, when parents are divorced, adolescents whose residence parent is remarried have higher odds to prefer a future marriage than adolescents whose residence parent is single. No influence was found concerning the relationship status of the residence parent on the expected divorce rate. Also no influence of the evolution of parental conflict and no influence of the conflict between the residence and the stepparent was found, neither on the expected divorce rate nor on the preference for a marriage.

Mediating Role of Self-Esteem in Activity Participants’ Passion for Exercise and Psychological Well-Being by Jogging in Fu Jen Catholic University

Article

Mar 2023

This study investigated the relationship between passion for exercise, self-esteem, and well-being of participants of jogging activities. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between passion for exercise, self-esteem, and psychological well-being of participants with different backgrounds and determine whether self-esteem affects the relationship between participants’ passion for exercise and well-being. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 344 valid questionnaires were employed, which included 164 males and 180 females of the jogging activities held by Fu Jen Catholic University. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t -test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson product-difference correlation, regression, and other statistical methods were performed on the questionnaire to test the correlation between variables. Findings: (1) Different sexes had differences in obsessive passion, (2) different jogging groups had differences in obsessive passion, (3) different grades had differences in negative self-esteem, (4) different ages had harmonious passion, and there were differences in positive self-esteem, (5) the frequency of exercising with peers exhibited differences in psychological well-being and positive self-esteem, (6) there was a correlation between passion, psychological well-being, and self-esteem, and (7) positive self-esteem had a mediating effect on harmonious passion and psychological well-being. Conclusions: Participants of jogging activities are willing to spend time and effort in jogging activities, participate with an open and flexible attitude, and enjoy the process, thus improving positive self-evaluation and achieving a satisfied self-feel. Originality/value: There is less research on the relationship between passion and self-esteem in Taiwan. In addition, the authors not only found the relationship between passion, self-esteem, and psychological well-being from the data, but also found that self-esteem has a mediating effect on the relationship between passion and psychological well-being. Therefore, when organizing similar activities in the future, in addition to using attractive conditions that are more favorable to the participants, attention should be given to conditions that can enhance the self-worth of participants and increase the motivation and number of participants. In addition, participants performing activities with their peers will have more positive self-evaluations and feelings and happier and more satisfied.

The Interaction of Posttraumatic Stress and Pain-related Anxiety on Opioid Misuse and Dependence Among Trauma-Exposed Adults with Chronic Pain

Article

Feb 2023
ADDICT BEHAV

Trauma-exposure and posttraumatic stress symptoms increase risk for opioid-related problems in the context of chronic pain. Yet, there has been little exploration of moderators of the posttraumatic stress-opioid misuse association. Pain-related anxiety, defined as worry about pain and the negative consequences of pain, has shown relations to both posttraumatic stress symptoms and opioid misuse, and it may moderate the association between posttraumatic stress symptoms and opioid misuse, as well as dependence. The current study examined the moderating role of pain-related anxiety on the relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and opioid misuse and dependence among 292 (71.6 % female, Mage = 38.03 years, SD = 10.93) trauma exposed adults with chronic pain. Results indicated that pain-related anxiety significantly moderated the observed relations, such that compared to those with low pain-related anxiety, the relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and opioid misuse and dependence was stronger for those with elevated pain-related anxiety. These results highlight the importance of assessing and targeting pain-related anxiety among this trauma-exposed segment of the chronic pain population with elevated posttraumatic stress symptoms.

Anxiety symptoms and anxiety sensitivity in relation to cigarette dependence, perceived barriers for smoking cessation and quit problems among adult Latinx smokers

Article

Jan 2023
J Ethn Subst Abuse

Cigarette smoking is associated with adverse physical and mental health among Latinx adults in the United States. The present investigation sought to explore the main and interactive effects of anxiety symptoms and anxiety sensitivity in relation to cigarette dependence, perceived barriers for smoking cessation, and severity of problems experienced when quitting among adult Latinx smokers. Participants included 338 Latinx adult daily cigarette smokers (Mage = 35.53 years; SD = 8.65; age range 18-61; 37.3% female). Results indicated that anxiety symptoms were associated with greater cigarette dependence, severity of problems when quitting, and perceived barriers for smoking cessation (effect size range: 2%-3% of variance), whereas anxiety sensitivity was related to severity of problems when quitting and perceived barriers for smoking cessation (effect size range: 2%-3% of variance). There was also a statistically significant interaction between anxiety sensitivity and anxiety symptoms for cigarette dependence; anxiety was related to cigarette dependence for Latinx smokers with higher levels of anxiety sensitivity, but not for those with lower levels of anxiety sensitivity. Overall, the present findings indicate that anxiety symptoms and anxiety sensitivity are relevant factors for better understanding cigarette dependence, problems experienced when trying to quit, and perceptions of barriers to quitting among adult Latinx smokers.

Moderating Effect of Project Type on the Relationship between Project Delivery Systems and Cost Performance

Article

Jan 2023

This study examines the moderating role of project type between project delivery system (PDS) and cost performance to decide whether project types should be addressed prior to evaluating PDS performance. Previous studies evaluating PDSs performance using direct relationship analysis present controversial assessments in terms of cost-efficiency. They recognize that project type causes inconsistencies when comparing design–build (DB) and design–bid–build (DBB) systems. However, they have yet to determine the specific role of the project type, leading to ambiguity regarding how to control the project type (e.g., a dataset using unspecified or mixed project types). This study employed a moderation analysis to identify the role of project type and to compare the cost performance of DB and DBB systems associated with project types as a post hoc test, leveraging statistical methodology, based on 90 public building projects in Seoul, South Korea. The results show that the moderating effect of project type is statistically significant. The cost growth in DB for nonresidential building projects presents statistically lower than that in DBB, whereas the cost growth difference between DB and DBB for residential buildings is not statistically significant. Additional analysis of full life-cycle cost performance shows another dimension of comparison that indicates the cost performance comparison of DB and DBB projects is controversial and more likely to be influenced by other factors. This study contributes to the engineering in the management body of knowledge by distinguishing the effects of project type and PDS on cost performance using a causal relationship analysis. The findings provide objective criteria for public-sector practitioners in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industry on how to address project types when they evaluate and select PDS and enhance the consistency of PDS evaluation in terms of cost performance.

Pain Intensity Moderates the Association between Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms and Problematic Alcohol Use among Emerging Adults

Article

Dec 2022

Objective: Emerging adulthood is a vulnerable period for problematic alcohol use, defined by a pattern of use associated with physical and functional impairment. Obsessive-compulsive psychopathology, which demonstrates high rates of onset in emerging adults, seems to be related to problematic alcohol use in this age group, consistent with research among the general population suggesting an association between emotional disorders and alcohol use in the context of coping drinking motives. Pain intensity, another risk factor of problematic alcohol use, may link obsessive-compulsive symptoms to problematic alcohol use among emerging adults. Therefore, the current study examined the moderating role of pain intensity on the association between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and problematic alcohol use among emerging adults. Methods: Participants were 198 college students (81.30% female, Mage = 22.33, SD = 4.38) who reported problematic alcohol use. Results: Results from the current study supported a significant moderation role of pain intensity for the association between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and problematic alcohol use, whereby the association between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and problematic alcohol use was stronger for emerging adults with high compared to low pain intensity. Conclusions: These results highlighted a clinically-relevant interaction between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and pain intensity concerning the risk of problematic alcohol use among emerging adults as a vulnerable population.

The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations

Article

Full-text available

Jan 1986
J PERS SOC PSYCHOL

In this article, we attempt to distinguish between the properties of moderator and mediator variables at a number of levels. First, we seek to make theorists and researchers aware of the importance of not using the terms moderator and mediator interchangeably by carefully elaborating, both conceptually and strategically, the many ways in which moderators and mediators differ. We then go beyond this largely pedagogical function and delineate the conceptual and strategic implications of making use of such distinctions with regard to a wide range of phenomena, including control and stress, attitudes, and personality traits. We also provide a specific compendium of analytic procedures appropriate for making the most effective use of the moderator and mediator distinction, both separately and in terms of a broader causal system that includes both moderators and mediators. (46 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Estimating Mediated Effects in Prevention Studies

Article

Full-text available

Apr 1993
EVALUATION REV

The purpose of this article is to describe statistical procedures to assess how prevention and intervention programs achieve their effects. The analyses require the measurement of intervening or mediating variables hypothesized to represent the causal mechanism by which the prevention program achieves its effects. Methods to estimate mediation are illustrated in the evaluation of a health promotion program designed to reduce dietary cholesterol and a school-based drug prevention program. The methods are relatively easy to apply and the information gained from such analyses should add to our understanding of prevention.

Multiple Regression: Testing And Interpreting Interactions

Article

Full-text available

Dec 1999

This study investigated 3 broad classes of individual-differences variables (job-search motives, competencies, and constraints) as predictors of job-search intensity among 292 unemployed job seekers. Also assessed was the relationship between job-search intensity and reemployment success in a longitudinal context. Results show significant relationships between the predictors employment commitment, financial hardship, job-search self-efficacy, and motivation control and the outcome job-search intensity. Support was not found for a relationship between perceived job-search constraints and job-search intensity. Motivation control was highlighted as the only lagged predictor of job-search intensity over time for those who were continuously unemployed. Job-search intensity predicted Time 2 reemployment status for the sample as a whole, but not reemployment quality for those who found jobs over the study's duration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

The Moderator-Mediator Variable Distinction in Social Psychological Research

Article

Full-text available

Dec 1986

Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling (2nd Edition)

Article

Jan 2005

Rex B. Kline

Applied Multiple Regression/Correlation Analysis For The Behavioral Sciences

Article

Jun 1985

Adaptation to Chronic Illness

Article

Jan 1996

This book is intented to be of interest to social scientists and health care professionals who are involved in caring for children with chronic childhood illness. We envision this book as more than a reference tool for those studying the process of adaptation. Our goal is to have an impact on both science and practice by providing an integrating, biopsychosocial framework that will influence the formulation of research questions, intervention efforts, and public policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Effects of Pediatric Chronic Physical Disorders on Child and Family Adjustment

Article

Jan 1998
J CHILD PSYCHOL PSYC

Research conducted primarily over the past 5–8 years on the psychosocial effects of pediatric chronic physical disorders on children and their families is reviewed. A large body of studies show that both children and their mothers, as groups, are at increased risk for psychosocial adjustment problems compared to peers, but that there is considerable individual variation in outcome. Since the last review on this topic (Eiser, 1990a), many studies have been conducted to identify risk and resistance factors associated with differences in adjustment among these children and their mothers. Improvements are noted in the theoretical basis for this work, programmatic nature of some of the research, and efforts at producing clinically relevant information. Evaluations of interventions, however, are lagging. Critical issues and future directions regarding developmental approaches, theory, method, measurement and intervention are discussed.

A Contextual‐Moderator Analysis of Emotional Autonomy and Adjustment in Adolescence

Article

Jun 1995
CHILD DEV

This study investigated the relation between emotional autonomy, as measured by Steinberg and Silverberg's Emotional Autonomy Scale (EA), and adolescent adjustment as moderated by several individual, familial, and cultural contexts. Subjects were 96 adolescents (10–18 years old) and their mothers and teachers. Results indicate that when the affective nature of the parent-adolescent relationship is positive (e.g., maternal warmth is high or intensity of parent-adolescent conflict is low), positive adolescent adjustment is more likely when adolescents report less emotional autonomy. On the other hand, when the family environment is more stressful, emotional autonomy is positively associated with adolescent adjustment. Findings suggest that higher scores on the EA scale index emotional detachment from parents and that such detachment is detrimental in supportive familial environments but adaptive in less supportive familial environments. That emotional detachment from parents appears to serve a protective function in certain stressful situations is viewed as analogous to the adoption of an avoidant attachment strategy during infancy.

A Contextual-Moderator Analysis of Emotional Autonomy and Adjustment in Adolescence

Article

Jul 1995

This study investigated the relation between emotional autonomy, as measured by Steinberg and Silverberg's Emotional Autonomy Scale (EA), and adolescent adjustment as moderated by several individual, familial, and cultural contexts. Subjects were 96 adolescents (10-18 years old) and their mothers and teachers. Results indicate that when the affective nature of the parent-adolescent relationship is positive (e.g., maternal warmth is high or intensity of parent-adolescent conflict is low), positive adolescent adjustment is more likely when adolescents report less emotional autonomy. On the other hand, when the family environment is more stressful, emotional autonomy is positively associated with adolescent adjustment. Findings suggest that higher scores on the EA scale index emotional detachment from parents and that such detachment is detrimental in supportive familial environments but adaptive in less supportive familial environments. That emotional detachment from parents appears to serve a protective function in certain stressful situations is viewed as analogous to the adoption of an avoidant attachment strategy during infancy.

Toward Terminological, Conceptual, and Statistical Clarity in the Study of Mediators and Moderators: Examples from the Child-Clinical and Pediatric Psychology Literatures

Article

Sep 1997

Grayson N. Holmbeck

Numerous recent attempts to identify mediated and moderated effects in child-clinical and pediatric research on child adjustment have been characterized by terminological, conceptual, and statistical inconsistencies. To promote greater clarity, the terms mediating and moderating are defined and differentiated. Recommended statistical strategies that can be used to test for these effects are reviewed (i.e., multiple regression and structural equation modeling techniques). The distinction between mediated and indirect effects is also discussed. Examples of troublesome and appropriate uses of these terms in the child-clinical and pediatric psychology literatures are highlighted.

Assessment of Adherence With Multiple Informants in Pre-Adolescents With Spina Bifida: Initial Development of a Multidimensional, Multitask Parent-Report Questionnaire

Article

Jul 1998

Adherence to medical regimens was assessed in 67 pre-adolescents with spina bifida (8- and 9-year-olds; 37 boys, 30 girls), with mother, father, teacher, and health professional report. The Parent-Report of Medical Adherence in Spina Bifida Scale (PROMASB) was developed and includes multidimensional scales for the following tasks: catheterization, bowel care, skin care, medication, and ambulation. With few exceptions, the PROMASB has adequate psychometric properties. However, findings revealed modest to low correlations between respondents. Mothers and fathers reported significantly more noncompliance than teachers and health professionals. For the most part, all informants reported that most children were compliant across all tasks. Additional analyses based on qualitative data suggest that parents attribute compliance difficulties to motivational as well as attentional-memory factors.

Longitudinal Study of Observed and Perceived Family Influences on Problem-Focused Coping Behaviors of Preadolescents With Spina Bifida

Article

Jan 2001

To study coping socialization longitudinally by examining reported and observed family environment and parenting variables in relation to children's problem-focused coping in a sample of 68 families of preadolescents with spina bifida and 68 matched able-bodied comparison families. Family environment and parenting variables were assessed with mother and father reports and observational measures. Children's problem-focused coping was self-reported. Prospective analyses revealed that maternal responsiveness, paternal responsiveness, and family cohesion predicted an increase in children's use of problem-focused coping strategies, while change in paternal responsiveness and maternal responsiveness and demandingness was related concurrently to change in coping. Few group (spina bifida vs. able-bodied) or gender differences with respect to parenting and family influences on children's coping behaviors were found. Multimethod findings suggest that the quality of parenting and family environment is associated with children's problem-focused coping behaviors. We discuss clinical implications.

Assessment of adherence with multiple infor-(1999). Condition severity and psychosocial function-ing in pre-adolescents with spina bifida: Disentangling proximal functional status and distal adjustment out-comes

Jan 1998
499-509

G N Holmbeck
M C Belvedere
M Christiansen
A M Czer-Winski
S Z Johnson
E Kung
J Schneider

Holmbeck, G. N., Belvedere, M. C., Christiansen, M., Czer-winski, A. M., Johnson, S. Z., Kung, E., & Schneider, J. (1998). Assessment of adherence with multiple infor-(1999). Condition severity and psychosocial function-ing in pre-adolescents with spina bifida: Disentangling proximal functional status and distal adjustment out-comes. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 24, 499–509.

Direct and indirect effect in linear structural equation models Com-mon problems/proper solutions: Avoiding error in quantita-tive research

Jan 1988
46-64

M E Sobel

Sobel, M. E. (1988). Direct and indirect effect in linear structural equation models. In J. S. Long (Ed.), Com-mon problems/proper solutions: Avoiding error in quantita-tive research (pp. 46–64). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

Post-hoc Probing of Significant Moderational and Mediational Effects in Studies of Pediatric Populations

Abstract

No full-text available

Recommended publications

Parental Competence among African American Adolescent Mothers and Grandmothers

‘A space to float with someone’: 1 recovering play as a field of repair in work with parents of late...

When Mom Has Breast Cancer: Adolescent Daughters' Experiences of Being Parented

The influence of father involvement on youth risk behaviors among adolescents: A comparison of nativ...