[Open narcissism, covered narcissism and personality disorders as predictive factors of treatment response in an out-patient Drug Addiction Unit].

PubMed

Salazar-Fraile, José; Ripoll-Alandes, Carmen; Bobes, Julio

2010-01-01

Although a high prevalence of personality disorders has been reported in substance users, the literature on their value for predicting treatment response is controversial. On the other hand, while the predictive validity of personality traits as predictors of response to drug abuse or dependence has been studied, research on the validity of narcissistic personality traits is scarce. To study the predictive value of personality disorders, narcissistic personality traits and self-esteem for predicting treatment response. We assessed 78 patients attended at an addiction treatment unit using personality disorder diagnoses and measures of self-esteem, narcissism and covert (hypersensitive) narcissism. These variables were used in a Cox survival model as predictive variables of time to relapse into drug use. Hypersensitive (covert) narcissism and borderline and passive-aggressive personality disorders were risk factors for relapse into drug use, while open narcissism was a protective factor. Self-esteem did not show predictive validity. Personality disorders characterized by impulsivity-instability and passivity-resentfulness show higher risk of relapse into drug abuse. Personality traits characterized by high sensitivity to humiliation increase the risk of relapse, whereas pride and self-confidence are protective factors.

An experimental analysis of disgust sensitivity and fear of contagion in Spider and Blood Injection Injury Phobia.

PubMed

Bianchi, Kristin N; Carter, Michele M

2012-10-01

Disgust sensitivity and concern with contamination have been frequently associated with Spider and Blood-Injection-Injury (BII) Phobias. This study assessed the domain specificity of disgust sensitivity and concern with contamination in 29 Non-Phobic Controls, 25 clinical Spider Phobics, 26 clinical BII Phobics, and 27 persons who met clinical criteria for Spider Phobia and BII Phobia. On self-report measures we found evidence of domain specificity of disgust sensitivity for the Spider and BII Phobia groups. Furthermore, we found that persons with both phobias may be more disgust sensitive than persons with a single phobia. Interestingly, the animal reminder disgust stimulus used in this research was more sensitive to detecting domain specific differences in disgust sensitivity between Phobic groups than was the core disgust stimulus, emphasizing the importance of developing standardized behavioral measures of disgust sensitivity in future research. Lastly, findings from this research suggest that concern with contamination may be more influential in phobic avoidance for persons with Spider Phobia than for persons with BII Phobia. Treatment implications for these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Moderation of maltreatment effects on childhood borderline personality symptoms by gender and oxytocin receptor and FK506 binding protein 5 genes

PubMed Central

Cicchetti, Dante; Rogosch, Fred A.; Hecht, Kathryn F.; Crick, Nicki R; Hetzel, Susan

2014-01-01

In this investigation, gene-environment-gender interaction effects in predicting child borderline personality disorder symptomatology among maltreated and nonmaltreated low-income children (N = 1,051) were examined. In the context of a summer research camp, adult-peer-, and self-report assessments of borderline precursor indicators were obtained, as well as child self-report on the Borderline Personality Features Scale-Children. Genetic variants of the OXTR genotype and the FKPB5 CATT haplotype were investigated. Children who self-reported high levels of borderline personality symptomatology were differentiated by adults, peers, and additional self-report on indicators of emotional instability, conflictual relationships with peers and adults, preoccupied attachment, and indicators of self-harm and suicidal ideation. Maltreated children also were more likely to evince many of these difficulties relative to nonmaltreated children. In a series of ANCOVAs, controlling for age and ancestrally informative markers, indicated significant maltreatment X gene X gender three-way interactions. Consideration of the maltreatment parameters of subtype, onset, and recency expanded understanding of variation among maltreated children. The three-way interaction effects demonstrated differential patterns among girls and boys. Among girls, the gene-environment interaction was more consistent with a diathesis-stress model, whereas among boys a differential-sensitivity interaction effect was indicated. Moreover, the genetic variants associated with greater risk for higher borderline symptomatology, dependent on maltreatment experiences, were opposite in girls compared to boys. The findings have important implications for understanding variability in early predictors of borderline personality pathology. PMID:25047302

Moderation of maltreatment effects on childhood borderline personality symptoms by gender and oxytocin receptor and FK506 binding protein 5 genes.

PubMed

Cicchetti, Dante; Rogosch, Fred A; Hecht, Kathryn F; Crick, Nicki R; Hetzel, Susan

2014-08-01

In this investigation, gene-environment-gender interaction effects in predicting child borderline personality disorder symptomatology among maltreated and nonmaltreated low-income children (N = 1,051) were examined. In the context of a summer research camp, adult-, peer-, and self-report assessments of borderline precursor indicators were obtained, as well as child self-report on the Borderline Personality Features Scale for Children. Genetic variants of the oxytocin receptor genotype and the FK506 binding protein 5 gene CATT haplotype were investigated. Children who self-reported high levels of borderline personality symptomatology were differentiated by adults, peers, and additional self-report on indicators of emotional instability, conflictual relationships with peers and adults, preoccupied attachment, and indicators of self-harm and suicidal ideation. Maltreated children also were more likely to evince many of these difficulties relative to nonmaltreated children. A series of analyses of covariance, controlling for age and ancestrally informative markers, indicated significant Maltreatment × Gene × Gender three-way interactions. Consideration of the maltreatment parameters of subtype, onset, and recency expanded understanding of variation among maltreated children. The three-way interaction effects demonstrated differential patterns among girls and boys. Among girls, the gene-environment interaction was more consistent with a diathesis-stress model, whereas among boys a differential-sensitivity interaction effect was indicated. Moreover, the genetic variants associated with greater risk for higher borderline symptomatology, dependent on maltreatment experiences, were opposite in girls compared to boys. The findings have important implications for understanding variability in early predictors of borderline personality pathology.

Body weight status, eating behavior, sensitivity to reward/punishment, and gender: relationships and interdependencies

PubMed Central

Dietrich, Anja; Federbusch, Martin; Grellmann, Claudia; Villringer, Arno; Horstmann, Annette

2014-01-01

Behavioral and personality characteristics are factors that may jointly regulate body weight. This study explored the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and self-reported behavioral and personality measures. These measures included eating behavior (based on the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire; Stunkard and Messick, 1985), sensitivity to reward and punishment (based on the Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Activation System (BIS/BAS) scales) (Carver and White, 1994) and self-reported impulsivity (based on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11; Patton et al., 1995). We found an inverted U-shaped relationship between restrained eating and BMI. This relationship was moderated by the level of disinhibited eating. Independent of eating behavior, BIS and BAS responsiveness were associated with BMI in a gender-specific manner with negative relationships for men and positive relationships for women. Together, eating behavior and BIS/BAS responsiveness accounted for a substantial proportion of BMI variance (men: ∼25%, women: ∼32%). A direct relationship between self-reported impulsivity and BMI was not observed. In summary, our results demonstrate a system of linear and non-linear relationships between the investigated factors and BMI. Moreover, body weight status was not only associated with eating behavior (cognitive restraint and disinhibition), but also with personality factors not inherently related to an eating context (BIS/BAS). Importantly, these relationships differ between men and women. PMID:25368586

Accuracy of Self-reported Height and Weight in a Community-Based Sample of Older African Americans and Whites

PubMed Central

Kuchibhatla, Maragatha N.; Whitson, Heather E.; Batch, Bryan C.; Svetkey, Laura P.; Pieper, Carl F.; Kraus, William E.; Cohen, Harvey J.; Blazer, Dan G.

2010-01-01

Background. To ascertain accuracy of self-reported height, weight (and hence body mass index) in African American and white women and men older than 70 years of age. Method. The sample consisted of cognitively intact participants at the third in-person wave (1992–1993) of the Duke Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (age 71 and older, N = 1761; residents of five adjacent counties, one urban, four rural). During in-person, in-home interviews using trained interviewers, height and weight were self-reported (and measured later in the same visit using a standardized protocol), and information were obtained on race, sex, and age. Results. Accuracy of self-reported height and weight was high (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.85 and 0.97, respectively) but differed as a function of race and age. On average, all groups overestimated their height; whereas (non-Hispanic) white men and women underestimated their weight, African Americans overestimated their weight. Overestimation of height and weight was more marked in persons 85 years and older. Specificity for overweight (body mass index [kg/m2] ≥ 25) and obesity (body mass index ≥ 30) ranged from 0.90 to 0.99 for African Americans and whites, but sensitivity was better for African Americans (overweight: 0.81, obesity: 0.89), than for whites (0.66 and 0.57, respectively). Conclusions. Height and weight self-reported by African Americans and whites over the age of 70 can be used in epidemiological studies, with greater caution needed for self-reports of whites, and of persons 85 years of age or older. PMID:20530243

Examining Equity Sensitivity: An Investigation Using the Big Five and HEXACO Models of Personality.

PubMed

Woodley, Hayden J R; Bourdage, Joshua S; Ogunfowora, Babatunde; Nguyen, Brenda

2015-01-01

The construct of equity sensitivity describes an individual's preference about his/her desired input to outcome ratio. Individuals high on equity sensitivity tend to be more input oriented, and are often called "Benevolents." Individuals low on equity sensitivity are more outcome oriented, and are described as "Entitleds." Given that equity sensitivity has often been described as a trait, the purpose of the present study was to examine major personality correlates of equity sensitivity, so as to inform both the nature of equity sensitivity, and the potential processes through which certain broad personality traits may relate to outcomes. We examined the personality correlates of equity sensitivity across three studies (total N = 1170), two personality models (i.e., the Big Five and HEXACO), the two most common measures of equity sensitivity (i.e., the Equity Preference Questionnaire and Equity Sensitivity Inventory), and using both self and peer reports of personality (in Study 3). Although results varied somewhat across samples, the personality variables of Conscientiousness and Honesty-Humility, followed by Agreeableness, were the most robust predictors of equity sensitivity. Individuals higher on these traits were more likely to be Benevolents, whereas those lower on these traits were more likely to be Entitleds. Although some associations between Extraversion, Openness, and Neuroticism and equity sensitivity were observed, these were generally not robust. Overall, it appears that there are several prominent personality variables underlying equity sensitivity, and that the addition of the HEXACO model's dimension of Honesty-Humility substantially contributes to our understanding of equity sensitivity.

Examining Equity Sensitivity: An Investigation Using the Big Five and HEXACO Models of Personality

PubMed Central

Woodley, Hayden J. R.; Bourdage, Joshua S.; Ogunfowora, Babatunde; Nguyen, Brenda

2016-01-01

The construct of equity sensitivity describes an individual's preference about his/her desired input to outcome ratio. Individuals high on equity sensitivity tend to be more input oriented, and are often called “Benevolents.” Individuals low on equity sensitivity are more outcome oriented, and are described as “Entitleds.” Given that equity sensitivity has often been described as a trait, the purpose of the present study was to examine major personality correlates of equity sensitivity, so as to inform both the nature of equity sensitivity, and the potential processes through which certain broad personality traits may relate to outcomes. We examined the personality correlates of equity sensitivity across three studies (total N = 1170), two personality models (i.e., the Big Five and HEXACO), the two most common measures of equity sensitivity (i.e., the Equity Preference Questionnaire and Equity Sensitivity Inventory), and using both self and peer reports of personality (in Study 3). Although results varied somewhat across samples, the personality variables of Conscientiousness and Honesty-Humility, followed by Agreeableness, were the most robust predictors of equity sensitivity. Individuals higher on these traits were more likely to be Benevolents, whereas those lower on these traits were more likely to be Entitleds. Although some associations between Extraversion, Openness, and Neuroticism and equity sensitivity were observed, these were generally not robust. Overall, it appears that there are several prominent personality variables underlying equity sensitivity, and that the addition of the HEXACO model's dimension of Honesty-Humility substantially contributes to our understanding of equity sensitivity. PMID:26779102

Psychometric Comparison of Self- and Informant-Reports of Personality

PubMed Central

Olino, Thomas M.; Klein, Daniel N.

2017-01-01

Self-reports are the most relied on assessment method in psychology. In the area of personality, informant-reports are a reasonable alternative assessment strategy. However, agreement between self- and informant-reports of personality is only moderately good. A portion of the observed discrepancies between self- and informant-reports of personality may come from differences in psychometric measurement across raters. That is, it is unknown whether the constructs assessed via self- and informant-reports are psychometrically identical. We examined four key personality scales—Well-Being, Social Closeness, Stress Reaction, and Harm Avoidance—in male and female dyads who provided self- and informant-reports for their partner. Similarities in self- and informant-reports of personality were evaluated by testing measurement invariance. Overall, models supported configural, metric, and scalar invariance for each of the four personality dimensions. These results suggest that the same psychometric constructs are assessed via self- and informant-reports of these personality dimensions. Informant-reports can be used in studies to avoid biases from relying solely on self-reports. PMID:25612626

Investigating facets of personality in adult pathological gamblers with ADHD

PubMed Central

Davtian, Margarit; Reid, Rory C; Fong, Timothy W

2012-01-01

SUMMARY The present study explored facets of personality in a sample of pathological gamblers with ADHD (n = 52) and without ADHD (n = 43). Participants were assessed for psychopathology and gambling disorders using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, the National Opinion Research Center DSM Screen for Gambling Problems, and the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale. Facets of personality were assessed using the NEO Personality Inventory–Revised. Group differences emerged across several facets of personality when analyzed using multivariate statistics. Although both groups experienced difficulties in several areas compared with norming data (e.g., greater depression, higher impulsivity, lower self-esteem and lower self-discipline), these facets of personality were more pronounced in pathological gamblers with ADHD. Most notable among these differences are tendencies for gamblers with ADHD to experience greater levels of emotional instability, interpersonal sensitivity and stress proneness. Pathological gamblers with ADHD also appear to experience lower self-esteem, greater difficulty being assertive and lower levels of self-discipline. Surprisingly, both groups were comparable on facets of impulsivity. These findings suggest that pathological gamblers diagnosed with adult ADHD may experience additional challenges compared with pathological gamblers without ADHD. PMID:22815658

Alcohol Sensitivity Moderates the Indirect Associations between Impulsive Traits, Impaired Control over Drinking, and Drinking Outcomes

PubMed Central

Wardell, Jeffrey D.; Quilty, Lena C.; Hendershot, Christian S.

2017-01-01

Objective To examine impaired control over drinking behavior as a mediator of unique pathways from impulsive traits to alcohol outcomes in young adults and to investigate the moderating influence of self-reported sensitivity to alcohol on these pathways. Method Young adult heavy drinkers (N=172; n=82 women) recruited from the community completed self-report measures of impulsive traits (positive urgency, negative urgency, sensation seeking), alcohol sensitivity (Self-Rating of the Effects of Alcohol scale), impaired control over drinking, and alcohol use and problems. Multiple-groups path analysis was used to analyze the data. Results Path coefficients between urgency and impaired control were larger for individuals with lower versus higher self-reported sensitivity to alcohol. The same was true for the association between impaired control and alcohol problems. For participants lower on alcohol sensitivity, significant indirect paths were observed from both positive and negative urgency to all alcohol outcomes (quantity, frequency, and problems) mediated via impaired control. For participants higher on alcohol sensitivity, only the paths from negative urgency (but not positive urgency) to the three alcohol outcomes via impaired control were statistically significant. Sensation seeking was not uniquely associated with impaired control. Conclusions The findings indicate that relatively low sensitivity to the pharmacological effects of alcohol may exacerbate the association of urgency – especially positive urgency – with impaired control, supporting the notion that personality and level of response to alcohol may interact to increase risk for impaired control over drinking. PMID:25785803

Self-report versus Medical Records for Assessing Cancer-Preventive Services Delivery

PubMed Central

Ferrante, Jeanne M.; Ohman-Strickland, Pamela; Hahn, Karissa A.; Hudson, Shawna V.; Shaw, Eric K.; Crosson, Jesse C.; Crabtree, Benjamin F.

2010-01-01

Accurate measurement of cancer-preventive behaviors is important for quality improvement, research studies, and public health surveillance. Findings differ, however, depending on whether patient self-report or medical records are used as the data source. We evaluated concordance between patient self-report and medical records on risk factors, cancer screening, and behavioral counseling among primary care patients. Data from patient surveys and medical records were compared from 742 patients in 25 New Jersey primary care practices participating at baseline in SCOPE (supporting colorectal cancer outcomes through participatory enhancements), an intervention trial to improve colorectal cancer screening in primary care offices. Sensitivity, specificity, and rates of agreement describe concordance between self-report and medical records for risk factors (personal or family history of cancer, smoking), cancer screening (breast, cervical, colorectal, prostate), and counseling (cancer screening recommendations, diet or weight loss, exercise, smoking cessation). Rates of agreement ranged from 41% (smoking cessation counseling) to 96% (personal history of cancer). Cancer screening agreement ranged from 61% (Pap and prostate-specific antigen) to 83% (colorectal endoscopy) with self-report rates greater than medical record rates. Counseling was also reported more frequently by self-report (83% by patient self-report versus 34% by medical record for smoking cessation counseling). Deciding which data source to use will depend on the outcome of interest, whether the data is used for clinical decision making, performance tracking, or population surveillance; the availability of resources; and whether a false positive or a false negative is of more concern. PMID:18990740

A sigh of relief or a sigh to relieve: The psychological and physiological relief effect of deep breaths.

PubMed

Vlemincx, Elke; Van Diest, Ilse; Van den Bergh, Omer

2016-10-15

Both animal and human research have revealed important associations between sighs and relief. Previously we argued to conceive of sighs as resetters which temporarily induce relief. The present study aimed to investigate the psychological and physiological relief effect of sighs by instructed deep breaths and spontaneous sighs compared to a control breathing maneuver. Participants completed three blocks of 40 trials during which uncertainty cues were followed by either safety cues followed by a positive picture, or danger cues followed by a negative picture. One block was presented without breathing instructions, two subsequent blocks with breathing instructions. During the presentation of the safety and danger cues, an instruction was given to either 'take a deep breath' or 'postpone the next inhalation for 2 s (breath hold). Continuously, participants rated relief and Frontalis electromyography was recorded. Trait anxiety sensitivity was assessed by the Anxiety Sensitivity Index. Self-reported relief and physiological tension were compared 5s before and after instructed deep breaths and breath holds, and before and after spontaneous deep breaths and breath holds in the respective blocks. Results show that self-reported relief following an instructed deep breath was higher than before. Physiological tension decreased following a spontaneous sigh in high anxiety sensitive persons and following a spontaneous breath hold in low anxiety sensitive persons. These results are the first to show that a deep breath relieves and, in anxiety sensitive persons, reduces physiological tension. These findings support the hypothesis that sighs are psychological and physiological resetters. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Real-Time Elicitation of Moral Emotions Using a Prejudice Paradigm

PubMed Central

Fourie, Melike M.; Kilchenmann, Nadine; Malcolm-Smith, Susan; Thomas, Kevin G. F. 

2012-01-01

Moral emotions are critically important in guiding appropriate social conduct. Empirical investigation of these emotions remains a challenge, however, because of the difficulty in eliciting them reliably in controlled settings. Here we describe a novel prejudice paradigm that aimed to elicit both negatively and positively valenced moral emotions in real-time. Low-prejudice females (N = 46) who met highly specific demographic and personality-based screening criteria completed a series of Implicit Association Tests (IATs). Feedback following these IATs was pre-programmed to either endorse participants’ non-prejudiced self-standards (positive condition), or to contradict their self-standards (negative condition), in response to sensitive social topics. Neutral condition IATs reflected participants’ attitudes toward non-sensitive social topics. Results demonstrated that the IATs were successful in eliciting moral-positive emotions (satisfaction and pride) and moral-negative emotions (primarily guilt). In addition, participants high in self-reported punishment sensitivity, as assessed by the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) scale, reported greater guilt. PMID:22888322

Real-time elicitation of moral emotions using a prejudice paradigm.

PubMed

Fourie, Melike M; Kilchenmann, Nadine; Malcolm-Smith, Susan; Thomas, Kevin G F

2012-01-01

Moral emotions are critically important in guiding appropriate social conduct. Empirical investigation of these emotions remains a challenge, however, because of the difficulty in eliciting them reliably in controlled settings. Here we describe a novel prejudice paradigm that aimed to elicit both negatively and positively valenced moral emotions in real-time. Low-prejudice females (N = 46) who met highly specific demographic and personality-based screening criteria completed a series of Implicit Association Tests (IATs). Feedback following these IATs was pre-programmed to either endorse participants' non-prejudiced self-standards (positive condition), or to contradict their self-standards (negative condition), in response to sensitive social topics. Neutral condition IATs reflected participants' attitudes toward non-sensitive social topics. Results demonstrated that the IATs were successful in eliciting moral-positive emotions (satisfaction and pride) and moral-negative emotions (primarily guilt). In addition, participants high in self-reported punishment sensitivity, as assessed by the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) scale, reported greater guilt.

Autonomy-connectedness and internalizing-externalizing personality psychopathology, among outpatients.

PubMed

Bachrach, Nathan; Bekker, Marrie H J; Croon, Marcel A

2013-07-01

The aims of this research were to investigate gender differences in levels of autonomy-connectedness, Axis I Psychopathology, and higher order factors of internalizing and externalizing personality psychopathology and, second, to investigate the association between these variables. The design of this research is cross-sectional and multicentered. We used self-report questionnaires, factor analysis, and regression analysis. We found evidence for a significant role of autonomy-connectedness in Axis I Psychopathology. This was especially true for women, who were found to be more sensitive to others and sensitivity to others was strongly associated with Axis I Psychopathology. Maybe due to the research sample no evidence was found for an association of autonomy-connectedness with externalizing psychopathology. As to the role of autonomy-connectedness in internalizing psychopathology, we found that a lack of self-awareness or a capacity of managing new situations, combined with a high sensitivity to others, were associated with internalizing psychopathology. Women appeared to be more sensitive to others and to report higher levels of Axis I Psychopathology than men. We conclude that autonomy-connectedness plays an important role in Axis I Psychopathology as well as in internalizing Axis II pathology. Treatment of Axis I and internalizing Axis II psychopathology should therefore also focus on autonomy problems. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Are Informant Reports of Personality More Internally Consistent Than Self Reports of Personality?

PubMed

Balsis, Steve; Cooper, Luke D; Oltmanns, Thomas F

2015-08-01

The present study examined whether informant-reported personality was more or less internally consistent than self-reported personality in an epidemiological community sample (n = 1,449). Results indicated that across the 5 NEO (Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness) personality factors and the 10 personality disorder trait dimensions, informant reports tended to be more internally consistent than self reports, as indicated by equal or higher Cronbach's alpha scores and higher average interitem correlations. In addition, the informant reports collectively outperformed the self reports for predicting responses on a global measure of health, indicating that the informant reports are not only more reliable than self reports, but they can also be useful in predicting an external criterion. Collectively these findings indicate that informant reports tend to have greater internal consistency than self reports. © The Author(s) 2014.

Audio computer-assisted self interview compared to traditional interview in an HIV-related behavioral survey in Vietnam.

PubMed

Le, Linh Cu; Vu, Lan T H

2012-10-01

Globally, population surveys on HIV/AIDS and other sensitive topics have been using audio computer-assisted self interview for many years. This interview technique, however, is still new to Vietnam and little is known about its application and impact in general population surveys. One plausible hypothesis is that residents of Vietnam interviewed using this technique may provide a higher response rate and be more willing to reveal their true behaviors than if interviewed with traditional methods. This study aims to compare audio computer-assisted self interview with traditional face-to-face personal interview and self-administered interview with regard to rates of refusal and affirmative responses to questions on sensitive topics related to HIV/AIDS. In June 2010, a randomized study was conducted in three cities (Ha Noi, Da Nan and Can Tho), using a sample of 4049 residents aged 15 to 49 years. Respondents were randomly assigned to one of three interviewing methods: audio computer-assisted self interview, personal face-to-face interview, and self-administered paper interview. Instead of providing answers directly to interviewer questions as with traditional methods, audio computer-assisted self-interview respondents read the questions displayed on a laptop screen, while listening to the questions through audio headphones, then entered responses using a laptop keyboard. A MySQL database was used for data management and SPSS statistical package version 18 used for data analysis with bivariate and multivariate statistical techniques. Rates of high risk behaviors and mean values of continuous variables were compared for the three data collection methods. Audio computer-assisted self interview showed advantages over comparison techniques, achieving lower refusal rates and reporting higher prevalence of some sensitive and risk behaviors (perhaps indication of more truthful answers). Premarital sex was reported by 20.4% in the audio computer-assisted self-interview survey group, versus 11.4% in the face-to-face group and 11.1% in the self-administered paper questionnaire group. The pattern was consistent for both male and female respondents and in both urban and rural settings. Men in the audio computer-assisted self-interview group also reported higher levels of high-risk sexual behavior--such as sex with sex workers and a higher average number of sexual partners--than did women in the same group. Importantly, item refusal rates on sensitive topics tended to be lower with audio computer-assisted self interview than with the other two methods. Combined with existing data from other countries and previous studies in Vietnam, these findings suggest that researchers should consider using audio computer-assisted self interview for future studies of sensitive and stigmatized topics, especially for men.

Factors influencing self-reported vision-related activity limitation in the visually impaired.

PubMed

Tabrett, Daryl R; Latham, Keziah

2011-07-15

The use of patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures to assess self-reported difficulty in visual activities is common in patients with impaired vision. This study determines the visual and psychosocial factors influencing patients' responses to self-report measures, to aid in understanding what is being measured. One hundred visually impaired participants completed the Activity Inventory (AI), which assesses self-reported, vision-related activity limitation (VRAL) in the task domains of reading, mobility, visual information, and visual motor tasks. Participants also completed clinical tests of visual function (distance visual acuity and near reading performance both with and without low vision aids [LVAs], contrast sensitivity, visual fields, and depth discrimination), and questionnaires assessing depressive symptoms, social support, adjustment to visual loss, and personality. Multiple regression analyses identified that an acuity measure (distance or near), and, to a lesser extent, near reading performance without LVAs, visual fields, and contrast sensitivity best explained self-reported VRAL (28%-50% variance explained). Significant psychosocial correlates were depression and adjustment, explaining an additional 6% to 19% unique variance. Dependent on task domain, the parameters assessed explained 59% to 71% of the variance in self-reported VRAL. Visual function, most notably acuity without LVAs, is the best predictor of self-reported VRAL assessed by the AI. Depression and adjustment to visual loss also significantly influence self-reported VRAL, largely independent of the severity of visual loss and most notably in the less vision-specific tasks. The results suggest that rehabilitation strategies addressing depression and adjustment could improve perceived visual disability.

Level of Agreement between Self and Spouse in the Assessment of Personality Pathology

PubMed Central

South, Susan C.; Oltmanns, Thomas F.; Johnson, Jarrod; Turkheimer, Eric

2011-01-01

Informant reports can provide important information regarding the presence of pathological personality traits, and they can serve as useful supplements to self-report instruments. Ratings from a spouse may be a particularly valuable source of personality assessment because spouses are very well acquainted with the target person, have typically known the person for a long time, and witness behaviors across a variety of situations. In the current study, self- and spouse report measures based on the DSM-IV personality disorder criteria were collected from a non-clinical sample of 82 couples (N=164). Agreement between self- and spouse report for several pathological personality factors was significant and somewhat higher than has been found for self- and peer agreement. Nevertheless, the magnitude of self-spouse agreement was still moderate in size (Mean r=.36). Findings are discussed with regard to utilizing spouse-report in the assessment of personality pathology. PMID:21220382

Acquaintance ratings of the Big Five personality traits: incremental validity beyond and interactive effects with self-reports in the prediction of workplace deviance.

PubMed

Kluemper, Donald H; McLarty, Benjamin D; Bing, Mark N

2015-01-01

It is widely established that the Big Five personality traits of conscientiousness, agreeableness, and emotional stability are antecedents to workplace deviance (Berry, Ones, & Sackett, 2007). However, these meta-analytic findings are based on self-reported personality traits. A recent meta-analysis by Oh, Wang, and Mount (2011) identified the value of acquaintance-reported personality in the prediction of job performance. The current investigation extends prior work by comparing the validities of self- and acquaintance-reported personality in the prediction of workplace deviance across 2 studies. We also hypothesized and tested an interactive, value-added integration of self- with acquaintance-reported personality using socioanalytic personality theory (R. T. Hogan, 1991). Both studies assessed self- and acquaintance-rated Big Five traits, along with supervisor-rated workplace deviance. However, the studies varied the measures of workplace deviance, and the 2nd study also included a self-rated workplace deviance criterion for additional comparison. Across both studies, the traits of conscientiousness and agreeableness were strong predictors of workplace deviance, and acquaintance-reported personality provided incremental validity beyond self-reports. Additionally, acquaintance-reported conscientiousness and agreeableness moderated the prediction of workplace deviance by interacting with the corresponding self-reported traits. Implications for personality theory and measurement are discussed along with applications for practice. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

Effects of Personality Disorders on Self-Other Agreement and Favorableness in Personality Descriptions.

PubMed

Tandler, Nancy; Mosch, Alice; Wolf, Annegret; Borkenau, Peter

2016-10-01

The authors studied effects of self-reported personality disorder (PD) symptoms on interpersonal perception, particularly self-other agreement and favorableness. Using a round-robin design, 52 groups of four well-acquainted students described themselves and each other on a measure of the Five-Factor model of personality and were administered a self-report screening instrument for DSM-IV (Axis 2). Using the Social Accuracy Model, the peer reports were predicted, across items, from either (a) the target person's self-reports plus the self-report item means, or (b) the items' social desirability. This resulted in separate coefficients for each peer-target dyad, indicating either self-other agreement or favorableness. These coefficients were then predicted from the PD scores of the target and the peer, using multilevel modeling. Main findings were that persons scoring high on PD measures agreed less with their peers on their unique personality characteristics, and that such persons were described by, and described their peers, less favorably.

Unwitting self-disclosures in psychodynamic psychotherapy: deciphering their meaning and accessing the pain within.

PubMed

Gans, Jerome S

2011-04-01

Unwitting self-disclosures (USDs), unconscious yet observable parts of personality, are often behavioral relics of past suffering and, as such, constitute valuable though frequently underutilized clinical information. While ego-syntonic aspects of personality can be commented on with impunity, dealing therapeutically with patients' USDs--manifestations of their blind spots--requires sensitivity, empathy, and timing. Providing many clinical examples of patient and therapist USDs from individual and group psychotherapy, this report discusses the origins, possible meanings, and the countertransference and empathic challenges encountered in the handling of these blind spots. The importance of establishing a narcissistic alliance and of employing the methods of the existential school of psychotherapy in processing USDs is described. Self-aware therapists can minimize the clinical impasse that may result when therapist-patient blind spots overlap.

Self-Compassion Promotes Personal Improvement From Regret Experiences via Acceptance.

PubMed

Zhang, Jia Wei; Chen, Serena

2016-02-01

Why do some people report more personal improvement from their regret experiences than others? Three studies examined whether self-compassion promotes personal improvement derived from recalled regret experiences. In Study 1, we coded anonymous regret descriptions posted on a blog website. People who spontaneously described their regret with greater self-compassion were also judged as having expressed more personal improvement. In Study 2, higher trait self-compassion predicted greater self-reported and observer-rated personal improvement derived from recalled regret experiences. In Study 3, people induced to take a self-compassionate perspective toward a recalled regret experience reported greater acceptance, forgiveness, and personal improvement. A multiple mediation analysis comparing acceptance and forgiveness showed self-compassion led to greater personal improvement, in part, through heightened acceptance. Furthermore, self-compassion's effects on personal improvement were distinct from self-esteem and were not explained by adaptive emotional responses. Overall, the results suggest that self-compassion spurs positive adjustment in the face of regrets. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

The predictive value of self-report questions in a clinical decision rule for pediatric lead poisoning screening.

PubMed

Kaplowitz, Stan A; Perlstadt, Harry; D'Onofrio, Gail; Melnick, Edward R; Baum, Carl R; Kirrane, Barbara M; Post, Lori A

2012-01-01

We derived a clinical decision rule for determining which young children need testing for lead poisoning. We developed an equation that combines lead exposure self-report questions with the child's census-block housing and socioeconomic characteristics, personal demographic characteristics, and Medicaid status. This equation better predicts elevated blood lead level (EBLL) than one using ZIP code and Medicaid status. A survey regarding potential lead exposure was administered from October 2001 to January 2003 to Michigan parents at pediatric clinics (n=3,396). These self-report survey data were linked to a statewide clinical registry of blood lead level (BLL) tests. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated and then used to estimate the cost-effectiveness of the equation. The census-block group prediction equation explained 18.1% of the variance in BLLs. Replacing block group characteristics with the self-report questions and dichotomized ZIP code risk explained only 12.6% of the variance. Adding three self-report questions to the census-block group model increased the variance explained to 19.9% and increased specificity with no loss in sensitivity in detecting EBLLs of ≥ 10 micrograms per deciliter. Relying solely on self-reports of lead exposure predicted BLL less effectively than the block group model. However, adding three of 13 self-report questions to our clinical decision rule significantly improved prediction of which children require a BLL test. Using the equation as the clinical decision rule would annually eliminate more than 7,200 unnecessary tests in Michigan and save more than $220,000.

Level of agreement between self and spouse in the assessment of personality pathology.

PubMed

South, Susan C; Oltmanns, Thomas F; Johnson, Jarrod; Turkheimer, Eric

2011-06-01

Informant reports can provide important information regarding the presence of pathological personality traits, and they can serve as useful supplements to self-report instruments. Ratings from a spouse may be a particularly valuable source of personality assessment because spouses are very well acquainted with the target person, have typically known the person for a long time, and witness behaviors across a variety of situations. In the current study, self- and spouse report measures based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) personality disorder criteria were collected from a nonclinical sample of 82 couples (N = 164). Agreement between self- and spouse report for several pathological personality factors was significant and somewhat higher than has been found for self and peer agreement. Nevertheless, the magnitude of self-spouse agreement was still moderate in size (mean r = .36). Findings are discussed with regard to using spouse report in the assessment of personality pathology.

Early developmental influences on self-esteem trajectories from adolescence through adulthood: Impact of birth weight and motor skills.

PubMed

Poole, Kristie L; Schmidt, Louis A; Ferro, Mark A; Missiuna, Cheryl; Saigal, Saroj; Boyle, Michael H; Van Lieshout, Ryan J

2018-02-01

While the trajectory of self-esteem from adolescence to adulthood varies from person to person, little research has examined how differences in early developmental processes might affect these pathways. This study examined how early motor skill development interacted with preterm birth status to predict self-esteem from adolescence through the early 30s. We addressed this using the oldest known, prospectively followed cohort of extremely low birth weight (<1000 g) survivors (N = 179) and normal birth weight controls (N = 145) in the world, born between 1977 and 1982. Motor skills were measured using a performance-based assessment at age 8 and a retrospective self-report, and self-esteem was reported during three follow-up periods (age 12-16, age 22-26, and age 29-36). We found that birth weight status moderated the association between early motor skills and self-esteem. Stable over three decades, the self-esteem of normal birth weight participants was sensitive to early motor skills such that those with poorer motor functioning manifested lower self-esteem, while those with better motor skills manifested higher self-esteem. Conversely, differences in motor skill development did not affect the self-esteem from adolescence to adulthood in individuals born at extremely low birth weight. Early motor skill development may exert differential effects on self-esteem, depending on whether one is born at term or prematurely.

Convergence of Self-Reports and Informant Reports on the Personality Assessment Screener.

PubMed

Kelley, Shannon E; Edens, John F; Morey, Leslie C

2017-12-01

The present study is the first to investigate the Personality Assessment Screener, a brief self-report measure of risk for emotional and behavioral dysfunction, in relation to the informant report version of this instrument, the Personality Assessment Screener-Other. Among a sample of undergraduate roommate dyads ( N = 174), self-report and informant report total scores on the Personality Assessment Screener/Personality Assessment Screener-Other moderately converged ( r = 0.45), with generally greater agreement between perspectives observed for externalizing behaviors compared with internalizing distress. In addition, selves tended to report more psychological difficulties relative to informant ratings ( d = 0.45) with an average absolute discrepancy between sources of 6.31 ( SD = 4.96) out of a possible range of 66. Discrepancies between self-report and informant report were significantly associated with characteristics of the dyadic relationship (e.g., length of acquaintanceship) as well as the severity of self-reported psychological difficulties and positive impression management.

Behavioral measures of risk tasking, sensation seeking and sensitivity to reward may reflect different motivations for spicy food liking and consumption

PubMed Central

Byrnes, Nadia K.; Hayes, John E.

2016-01-01

Based on work a quarter century ago, it is widely accepted personality traits like sensation seeking are related to the enjoyment and intake of spicy foods; however, data supporting this belief is actually quite limited. Recently, we reported strong to moderate correlations between remembered spicy food liking and two personality traits measured with validated questionnaires. Here, participants consumed capsaicin-containing strawberry jelly to generate acute estimates of spicy food liking. Additionally, we used a laboratory-based behavioral measure of risk taking (the momentary Balloon Analogue Risk Task; mBART) to complement a range of validated self-report measures of risk-related personality traits. Present data confirm Sensation Seeking correlates with overall spicy meal liking and liking of the burn of a spicy meal, and extends prior findings by showing novel correlations with the liking of sampled stimuli. Other personality measures, including Sensitivity to Punishment (SP), Sensitivity to Reward (SR), and the Impulsivity and Risk Taking subscales of the DSM5 Personality Inventory (PID5) did not show significant relationships with liking of spicy foods, either sampled or remembered. Our behavioral risk taking measure, the mBART, also failed to show a relationship with remembered or sampled liking. However, significant relationships were observed between reported intake of spicy foods and Sensitivity to Reward, and the Risk Taking subscale of the PID-5 (PID5-RT). Based on the observed patterns among various personality measures, and spicy food liking and intake, we propose that personality measures may exert their influence on intake of spicy food via different mechanisms. We also speculate that Sensation Seeking may reflect motivations for consuming spicy foods that are more intrinsic, while the motivations for eating spicy foods measured by SR and PID5-RT may be more extrinsic. PMID:27137410

Behavioral measures of risk tasking, sensation seeking and sensitivity to reward may reflect different motivations for spicy food liking and consumption.

PubMed

Byrnes, Nadia K; Hayes, John E

2016-08-01

Based on work a quarter century ago, it is widely accepted personality traits like sensation seeking are related to the enjoyment and intake of spicy foods; however, data supporting this belief is actually quite limited. Recently, we reported strong to moderate correlations between remembered spicy food liking and two personality traits measured with validated questionnaires. Here, participants consumed capsaicin-containing strawberry jelly to generate acute estimates of spicy food liking. Additionally, we used a laboratory-based behavioral measure of risk taking (the mobile Balloon Analogue Risk Task; mBART) to complement a range of validated self-report measures of risk-related personality traits. Present data confirm Sensation Seeking correlates with overall spicy meal liking and liking of the burn of a spicy meal, and extends prior findings by showing novel correlations with the liking of sampled stimuli. Other personality measures, including Sensitivity to Punishment (SP), Sensitivity to Reward (SR), and the Impulsivity and Risk Taking subscales of the DSM5 Personality Inventory (PID-5) did not show significant relationships with liking of spicy foods, either sampled or remembered. Our behavioral risk taking measure, the mBART, also failed to show a relationship with remembered or sampled liking. However, significant relationships were observed between reported intake of spicy foods and Sensitivity to Reward, and the Risk Taking subscale of the PID-5 (PID5-RT). Based on the observed patterns among various personality measures, and spicy food liking and intake, we propose that personality measures may exert their influence on intake of spicy food via different mechanisms. We also speculate that Sensation Seeking may reflect motivations for consuming spicy foods that are more intrinsic, while the motivations for eating spicy foods measured by SR and PID5-RT may be more extrinsic. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DriveSafe and DriveAware Assessment Tools Are a Measure of Driving-Related Function and Predicts Self-Reported Restriction for Older Drivers.

PubMed

Allan, Claire; Coxon, Kristy; Bundy, Anita; Peattie, Laura; Keay, Lisa

2016-06-01

Safety concerns together with aging of the driving population has prompted research into clinic-based driving assessments. This study investigates the relationship between the DriveSafe and DriveAware assessments and restriction of driving. Community-dwelling adults aged more than 75 (n = 380) were recruited in New South Wales, Australia. Questionnaires were administered to assess driving habits and functional assessments to assess driving-related function. Self-reported restriction was prevalent in this cross-sectional sample (62%) and was related to DriveSafe scores and personal circumstances but not DriveAware scores. DriveSafe scores were correlated with better performance on the Trail-Making Test (TMT; β = -2.94, p < .0001) and better contrast sensitivity (β = 48.70, p < .0001). Awareness was associated with better performance on the TMT (β = 0.08, p < .0001). Our data suggest that DriveSafe and DriveAware are sensitive to deficits in vision and cognition, and drivers with worse DriveSafe scores self-report restricting their driving. © The Author(s) 2015.

Time perception, impulsivity, emotionality, and personality in self-harming borderline personality disorder patients.

PubMed

Berlin, Heather A; Rolls, Edmund T

2004-08-01

To investigate how time perception may contribute to the symptoms of self-harming Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) patients, 19 self-harming BPD inpatients and 39 normal controls were given measures of time perception, impulsivity, personality, emotion, and BPD characteristics. A test sensitive to orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) function ("Frontal" Behavior Questionnaire) was also administered, as the OFC has been associated with impulsivity and time perception. BPD patients produced less time than controls, and this correlated with impulsiveness and other characteristics commonly associated with BPD. BPD patients were also less conscientious, extraverted, and open to experience, as well as more impulsive (self-report and behaviorally), emotional, neurotic, and reported more BPD characteristics, compared to controls. The results suggest that some of these core characteristics of BPD may be on a continuum with the normal population and, impulsivity in particular, may be related to time perception deficits (i.e., a faster subjective sense of time). Finally, BPD patients scored higher on the Frontal Behavior Questionnaire, suggesting that some symptoms of the BPD syndrome may be related to problems associated with the OFC. A control spatial working memory task (SWM) revealed that SWM deficits could not explain any of the BPD patients' poor performance. While impulsivity was correlated with time perception across all participants, emotionality, introversion, and lack of openness to experience were not. This suggests that different symptoms of the borderline personality syndrome may be separable, and therefore, related to different cognitive deficits, and potentially to different brain systems. This may have important implications for treatment strategies for BPD.

Whose "Storm and Stress" Is It? Parent and Child Reports of Personality Development in the Transition to Early Adolescence.

PubMed

Göllner, Richard; Roberts, Brent W; Damian, Rodica I; Lüdtke, Oliver; Jonkmann, Kathrin; Trautwein, Ulrich

2017-06-01

The present study investigated Big Five personality trait development in the transition to early adolescence (from the fifth to eighth grade). Personality traits were assessed in 2,761 (47% female) students over a 3-year period of time. Youths' self-reports and parent ratings were used to test for cross-informant agreement. Acquiescent responding and measurement invariance were established with latent variable modeling. Growth curve models revealed three main findings: (a) Normative mean-level changes occurred for youths' self-report data and parent ratings with modest effects in both cases. (b) Agreeableness and Openness decreased for self-reports and parent ratings, whereas data source differences were found for Conscientiousness (decreased for self-reports and remained stable for parent ratings), Extraversion (increased for self-reports and decreased for parent ratings), and Neuroticism (remained stable for self-reports and decreased for parent ratings). (c) Girls showed a more mature personality overall (self-reports and parent ratings revealed higher levels of Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness) and became more extraverted in the middle of adolescence (self-reports). Personality changes modestly during early adolescence whereby change does not occur in the direction of maturation, and substantial differences exist between parent ratings and self-reports. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Self-and Peer Perspectives on Pathological Personality Traits and Interpersonal Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clifton, Allan; Turkheimer, Eric; Oltmanns, Thomas F.

2005-01-01

This study compares the relationship between personality disorders and interpersonal problems as obtained by self-report and peer-report measures. Participants (N=393) were administered self-and peer-report versions of the Peer Inventory for Personality Disorder and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-64. Canonical analyses demonstrated…

Explaining Discrepancies Between the Digit Triplet Speech-in-Noise Test Score and Self-Reported Hearing Problems in Older Adults.

PubMed

Pronk, Marieke; Deeg, Dorly J H; Kramer, Sophia E

2018-04-17

The purpose of this study is to determine which demographic, health-related, mood, personality, or social factors predict discrepancies between older adults' functional speech-in-noise test result and their self-reported hearing problems. Data of 1,061 respondents from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam were used (ages ranged from 57 to 95 years). Functional hearing problems were measured using a digit triplet speech-in-noise test. Five questions were used to assess self-reported hearing problems. Scores of both hearing measures were dichotomized. Two discrepancy outcomes were created: (a) being unaware: those with functional but without self-reported problems (reference is aware: those with functional and self-reported problems); (b) reporting false complaints: those without functional but with self-reported problems (reference is well: those without functional and self-reported hearing problems). Two multivariable prediction models (logistic regression) were built with 19 candidate predictors. The speech reception threshold in noise was kept (forced) as a predictor in both models. Persons with higher self-efficacy (to initiate behavior) and higher self-esteem had a higher odds to being unaware than persons with lower self-efficacy scores (odds ratio [OR] = 1.13 and 1.11, respectively). Women had a higher odds than men (OR = 1.47). Persons with more chronic diseases and persons with worse (i.e., higher) speech-in-noise reception thresholds in noise had a lower odds to being unaware (OR = 0.85 and 0.91, respectively) than persons with less diseases and better thresholds, respectively. A higher odds to reporting false complaints was predicted by more depressive symptoms (OR = 1.06), more chronic diseases (OR = 1.21), and a larger social network (OR = 1.02). Persons with higher self-efficacy (to complete behavior) had a lower odds (OR = 0.86), whereas persons with higher self-esteem had a higher odds to report false complaints (OR = 1.21). The explained variance of both prediction models was small (Nagelkerke R2 = .11 for the unaware model, and .10 for the false complaints model). The findings suggest that a small proportion of the discrepancies between older individuals' results on a speech-in-noise screening test and their self-reports of hearing problems can be explained by the unique context of these individuals. The likelihood of discrepancies partly depends on a person's health (chronic diseases), demographics (gender), personality (self-efficacy to initiate behavior and to persist in adversity, self-esteem), mood (depressive symptoms), and social situation (social network size). Implications are discussed.

Maternal Personality, Parenting Cognitions and Parenting Practices

PubMed Central

Bornstein, Marc H.; Hahn, Chun-Shin; Haynes, O. Maurice

2011-01-01

A community sample of 262 European American mothers of firstborn 20-month-olds completed a personality inventory and measures of parenting cognitions (knowledge, self-perceptions, and reports about behavior) and was observed in interaction with their children from which measures of parenting practices (language, sensitivity, affection, and play) were independently coded. Factor analyses of the personality inventory replicated extraction of the Five-Factor model of personality (Openness, Neuroticism, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness). Controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, the five personality factors qua variables and in patterns qua clusters related differently to diverse parenting cognitions and practices, supporting the multidimensional, modular, and specific nature of parenting. Maternal personality in the normal range, a theoretically important but empirically neglected factor in everyday parenting, has meaning in studies of parenting, child development, and family process. PMID:21443335

Personality and self-insight in individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Schriber, Roberta A; Robins, Richard W; Solomon, Marjorie

2014-01-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves widespread difficulties in social interaction, communication, and behavioral flexibility. Consequently, individuals with ASD are believed to exhibit a number of unique personality tendencies, including a lack of insight into those tendencies. However, surprisingly little research has examined these issues. Study 1 compared self-reports of Big Five personality traits in adults with ASD (n = 37) to those of typically developing (TD) adults (n = 42). Study 2 examined whether any observed personality differences replicated in children/adolescents with ASD (n = 50) and TD controls (n = 50) according to self- and parent reports of personality. Study 2 also assessed level of self-insight in individuals with ASD relative to TD individuals by examining the degree to which self-reports converged with parent reports in terms of self-other agreement and self-enhancement (vs. self-diminishment) biases. Individuals with ASD were more Neurotic and less Extraverted, Agreeable, Conscientious, and Open to Experience. These personality differences replicated for (a) children, adolescents, and adults; (b) self- and parent reports; and (c) males and females. However, personality traits were far from perfect predictors of ASD vs. TD group membership, did not predict within-group variability in ASD symptom severity, and had differential links to maladjustment in the ASD and TD groups, suggesting that ASD represents more than just an extreme standing on trait dimensions. Finally, individuals with ASD had a tendency to self-enhance and TD individuals, to self-diminish, but both groups showed comparable self-other agreement. Thus, individuals with ASD exhibit distinct personalities relative to TD individuals but may have a similar level of insight into them.

Decreased prefrontal cortical sensitivity to monetary reward is associated with impaired motivation and self-control in cocaine addiction

PubMed Central

Goldstein, Rita Z.; Alia-Klein, Nelly; Tomasi, Dardo; Zhang, Lei; Cottone, Lisa A.; Maloney, Thomas; Telang, Frank; Caparelli, Elisabeth C.; Chang, Linda; Ernst, Thomas; Samaras, Dimitris; Squires, Nancy K.; Volkow, Nora D.

2008-01-01

Objective To examine the brain’s sensitivity to monetary rewards of different magnitudes in cocaine abusers and to study its association with motivation and self-control. Method Sixteen cocaine abusers and 13 matched healthy comparison subjects performed a forced-choice task under three monetary value conditions while brain activation was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Objective measures of state motivation were assessed by reaction time and accuracy, and subjective measures were assessed by self-reports of task engagement. Measures of trait motivation and self-control were assessed with the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire. Results The cocaine abusers demonstrated an overall reduced regional brain responsivity to differences between the monetary value conditions. Also, in comparison subjects but not in cocaine abusers reward-induced improvements in performance were associated with self-reports of task engagement, and money-induced activations in the lateral prefrontal cortex were associated with activations in the orbitofrontal cortex. For cocaine subjects, prefrontal cortex sensitivity to money was instead associated with motivation and self-control. Conclusions These findings suggest that in cocaine addiction (1) activation of the corticolimbic reward circuit to gradations of money is altered; (2) lack of a correlation between objective and subjective measures of state motivation may be indicative of disrupted perception of motivational drive, which could contribute to impairments in self-control; and (3) the lateral prefrontal cortex modulates trait motivation and deficits in self-control, and a possible underlying mechanism may encompass a breakdown in prefrontal-orbitofrontal cortical communication. PMID:17202543

To tell or not to tell? Psychopathic traits and response integrity in youth delinquency surveys.

PubMed

Laajasalo, Taina; Aronen, Eeva T; Saukkonen, Suvi; Salmi, Venla; Aaltonen, Mikko; Kivivuori, Janne

2016-04-01

Individuals with high psychopathy scores are capable of providing valid self-reports on their own personality traits, but there have been no empirical studies of the effect of psychopathic features on responding to sensitive survey questions about specific behaviours. The aim of this study is to investigate any relationship between facets of psychopathy and participants' willingness to report antisocial acts in youth delinquency surveys, controlling for demographic variables known to be associated with response integrity. In a nationally representative sample of 4,855 Finnish mainstream adolescents aged 15-16, honesty of responding was assessed through direct response integrity questions related to violence, property crime and drug use. Psychopathy was measured with the Antisocial Process Screening Device - Self Report (APSD-SR). Callous-unemotional traits and, to a lesser degree, narcissistic features were associated with a dishonest response style, although the effect size was modest. Although psychopathy does not seem to influence the capability and willingness to report personality traits accurately, it may be associated with endorsing dishonest responses to questions about specific behaviours that have possible repercussions. Our findings suggest that previously observed associations between adolescents' self-reported delinquent behaviour and psychopathic traits may be underestimations of the strength of the effects. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Diagnostic agreement between the SCID-II screening questionnaire and the Personality Disorder Examination.

PubMed

Jacobsberg, L; Perry, S; Frances, A

1995-12-01

Instruments to assess personality disorders offer reliability, but at the cost of large amounts of a skilled clinician's time to make assessments. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III Axis II (SCID-II; Spitzer, Williams, Gibbon, & First, 1990), incorporates a self-report screening questionnaire, reducing the number of items needing evaluation by the interviewer. However, false negative responses may cause clinically important areas to be overlooked. To establish the rate of false negative responses, we compared participant self-report on the SCID-II with Axis II diagnostic assessment done by clinicians using the Personality Disorder Examination (Loranger, Susman, Oldham, & Russakoff, 1987). The false negative rate was low for every diagnosis, supporting validity of following up with clinician questioning only those diagnostic elements endorsed in the self-report. Avoidant and dependent personality disorders were accurately self-reported. This, an efficient assessment instrument for personality disorders might combine self-report of those disorders where self-report is reliable, with clinician assessment where needed.

Comparing the Validity of Informant- and Self-reports of Personality Using Laboratory Indices of Emotional Responding as Criterion Variables

PubMed Central

Lieberman, Lynne; Liu, Huiting; Huggins, Ashley A.; Katz, Andrea C.; Zvolensky, Michael J.; Shankman, Stewart A.

2016-01-01

Personality traits relate to risk for psychopathology and can inform predictions about treatment outcome. In an effort to obtain a comprehensive index of personality, informant-reports of personality are sometimes obtained in addition to self-reports of personality. However, there is limited research comparing the validity of self- and informant-reports of personality, particularly among those with internalizing psychopathology. This is important given that informants may provide an additional (and perhaps different) perspective on individuals’ personality. The present study therefore compared how both reports of positive affectivity (PA) and negative affectivity (NA) relate to psychophysiological and subjective measures of emotional responding to positive and negative stimuli. Given that our sample (n = 117) included individuals with no history of psychopathology, as well as individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) and/or panic disorder (PD), we were also able to explore whether these internalizing diagnoses moderated the association between personality reports and measures of emotional responding. Informant-reported PA predicted physiological responses to positive stimuli (but not negative). Informant reported NA predicted physiological responses to negative stimuli (but not positive). Self-reported personality did not predict physiological responding, but did predict subjectively measured emotional responding (NA for negative responding; PA for positive responding). Diagnoses of internalizing psychopathology (PD or MDD) did not moderate these associations. Results suggest self- and informant-reports of personality may each provide valid indices of an individual’s emotional response tendencies, but predict different aspects of those tendencies. PMID:27273802

Controlled human exposure to methyl tertiary butyl ether in gasoline: symptoms, psychophysiologic and neurobehavioral responses of self-reported sensitive persons.

PubMed Central

Fiedler, N; Kelly-McNeil, K; Mohr, S; Lehrer, P; Opiekun, R E; Lee, C; Wainman, T; Hamer, R; Weisel, C; Edelberg, R; Lioy, P J

2000-01-01

The 1990 Clean Air Act mandated oxygenation of gasoline in regions where carbon monoxide standards were not met. To achieve this standard, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) was increased to 15% by volume during winter months in many locations. Subsequent to the increase of MTBE in gasoline, commuters reported increases in symptoms such as headache, nausea, and eye, nose, and throat irritation. The present study compared 12 individuals selected based on self-report of symptoms (self-reported sensitives; SRSs) associated with MTBE to 19 controls without self-reported sensitivities. In a double-blind, repeated measures, controlled exposure, subjects were exposed for 15 min to clean air, gasoline, gasoline with 11% MTBE, and gasoline with 15% MTBE. Symptoms, odor ratings, neurobehavioral performance on a task of driving simulation, and psychophysiologic responses (heart and respiration rate, end-tidal CO(2), finger pulse volume, electromyograph, finger temperature) were measured before, during, and immediately after exposure. Relative to controls, SRSs reported significantly more total symptoms when exposed to gasoline with 15% MTBE than when exposed to gasoline with 11% MTBE or to clean air. However, these differences in symptoms were not accompanied by significant differences in neurobehavioral performance or psychophysiologic responses. No significant differences in symptoms or neurobehavioral or psychophysiologic responses were observed when exposure to gasoline with 11% MTBE was compared to clean air or to gasoline. Thus, the present study, although showing increased total symptoms among SRSs when exposed to gasoline with 15% MTBE, did not support a dose-response relationship for MTBE exposure nor the symptom specificity associated with MTBE in epidemiologic studies. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 PMID:10964796

Cigarette smoking in a student sample: neurocognitive and clinical correlates.

PubMed

Dinn, Wayne M; Aycicegi, Ayse; Harris, Catherine L

2004-01-01

Why do adolescents begin to smoke in the face of profound health risks and aggressive antismoking campaigns? The present study tested predictions based on two theoretical models of tobacco use in young adults: (1) the self-medication model; and (2) the orbitofrontal/disinhibition model. Investigators speculated that a significant number of smokers were self-medicating since nicotine possesses mood-elevating and hedonic properties. The self-medication model predicts that smokers will demonstrate increased rates of psychopathology relative to nonsmokers. Similarly, researchers have suggested that individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) employ nicotine to enhance cognitive function. The ADHD/self-medication model predicts that smokers will perform poorly on tests of executive function and report a greater number of ADHD symptoms. A considerable body of research indicates that tobacco use is associated with several related personality traits including extraversion, impulsivity, risk taking, sensation seeking, novelty seeking, and antisocial personality features. Antisocial behavior and related personality traits as well as tobacco use may reflect, in part, a failure to effectively employ reward and punishment cues to guide behavior. This failure may reflect orbitofrontal dysfunction. The orbitofrontal/disinhibition model predicts that smokers will perform poorly on neurocognitive tasks considered sensitive to orbitofrontal dysfunction and will obtain significantly higher scores on measures of behavioral disinhibition and antisocial personality relative to nonsmokers. To test these predictions, we administered a battery of neuropsychological tests, clinical scales, and personality questionnaires to university student smokers and nonsmokers. Results did not support the self-medication model or the ADHD/self-medication model; however, findings were consistent with the orbitofrontal/disinhibition model.

Personality and Self-Insight in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

PubMed Central

Schriber, Roberta A.; Robins, Richard W.; Solomon, Marjorie

2014-01-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves widespread difficulties in social interaction, communication, and behavioral flexibility. Consequently, individuals with ASD are believed to exhibit a number of unique personality tendencies, including a lack of insight into them. However, surprisingly little research has examined these issues. Study 1 compared self-reports of Big Five personality traits in adults with ASD (N=37) to those of typically developing (TD) adults (N=42). Study 2 examined whether any observed personality differences replicated in children/adolescents with ASD (N=50) and TD controls (N=50) according to self- and parent reports. Study 2 also assessed level of self-insight in individuals with ASD relative to TD individuals by examining the degree to which self-reports converged with parent reports in terms of self-other agreement and self-enhancement (vs. self-diminishment) biases. Individuals with ASD were more Neurotic and less Extraverted, Agreeable, Conscientious, and Open to Experience. These personality differences replicated for (a) children, adolescents, and adults, (b) self- and parent reports, and (c) males and females. However, personality traits were far from perfect predictors of ASD vs. TD group membership, did not predict within-group variability in ASD symptom severity, and had differential links to maladjustment in the ASD and TD groups, suggesting that ASD represents more than just an extreme standing on trait dimensions. Finally, individuals with ASD had a tendency to self-enhance, and TD individuals, to self-diminish, but both groups showed comparable self-other agreement. Thus, individuals with ASD exhibit distinct personalities relative to TD individuals but may have a similar level of insight into them. PMID:24377361

Risk Perception and Risk-Taking Behaviour during Adolescence: The Influence of Personality and Gender.

PubMed

Reniers, Renate L E P; Murphy, Laura; Lin, Ashleigh; Bartolomé, Sandra Para; Wood, Stephen J

2016-01-01

This study investigated the influence of personality characteristics and gender on adolescents' perception of risk and their risk-taking behaviour. Male and female participants (157 females: 116 males, aged 13-20) completed self-report measures on risk perception, risk-taking and personality. Male participants perceived behaviours as less risky, reportedly took more risks, were less sensitive to negative outcomes and less socially anxious than female participants. Path analysis identified a model in which age, behavioural inhibition and impulsiveness directly influenced risk perception, while age, social anxiety, impulsiveness, sensitivity to reward, behavioural inhibition and risk perception itself were directly or indirectly associated with risk-taking behaviour. Age and behavioural inhibition had direct relationships with social anxiety, and reward sensitivity was associated with impulsiveness. The model was representative for the whole sample and male and female groups separately. The observed relationship between age and social anxiety and the influence this may have on risk-taking behaviour could be key for reducing adolescent risk-taking behaviour. Even though adolescents may understand the riskiness of their behaviour and estimate their vulnerability to risk at a similar level to adults, factors such as anxiety regarding social situations, sensitivity to reward and impulsiveness may exert their influence and make these individuals prone to taking risks. If these associations are proven causal, these factors are, and will continue to be, important targets in prevention and intervention efforts.

Risk Perception and Risk-Taking Behaviour during Adolescence: The Influence of Personality and Gender

PubMed Central

Reniers, Renate L. E. P.; Murphy, Laura; Lin, Ashleigh; Bartolomé, Sandra Para; Wood, Stephen J.

2016-01-01

This study investigated the influence of personality characteristics and gender on adolescents’ perception of risk and their risk-taking behaviour. Male and female participants (157 females: 116 males, aged 13–20) completed self-report measures on risk perception, risk-taking and personality. Male participants perceived behaviours as less risky, reportedly took more risks, were less sensitive to negative outcomes and less socially anxious than female participants. Path analysis identified a model in which age, behavioural inhibition and impulsiveness directly influenced risk perception, while age, social anxiety, impulsiveness, sensitivity to reward, behavioural inhibition and risk perception itself were directly or indirectly associated with risk-taking behaviour. Age and behavioural inhibition had direct relationships with social anxiety, and reward sensitivity was associated with impulsiveness. The model was representative for the whole sample and male and female groups separately. The observed relationship between age and social anxiety and the influence this may have on risk-taking behaviour could be key for reducing adolescent risk-taking behaviour. Even though adolescents may understand the riskiness of their behaviour and estimate their vulnerability to risk at a similar level to adults, factors such as anxiety regarding social situations, sensitivity to reward and impulsiveness may exert their influence and make these individuals prone to taking risks. If these associations are proven causal, these factors are, and will continue to be, important targets in prevention and intervention efforts. PMID:27100081

Temperament and personality in bipolar II disorder.

PubMed

Fletcher, Kathryn; Parker, Gordon; Barrett, Melissa; Synnott, Howe; McCraw, Stacey

2012-02-01

There is limited research examining temperament and personality in bipolar II disorder. We sought to determine any over-represented temperament and personality features in bipolar II disorder compared to other affective groups. Scores on a self-report measure of temperament and personality were examined in a sample of 443 participants diagnosed with unipolar, bipolar I and bipolar II disorder. After controlling for age, gender, age of depression onset and current depression severity, those with bipolar II disorder were characterized by higher irritability, anxious worrying, self-criticism and interpersonal sensitivity scores, and with lower social avoidance scores compared to unipolar participants. No differences were found between bipolar sub-types on any temperament and personality sub-scales. Limitations included the lack of a control group, a relatively small sample of bipolar I participants, and with the cross-sectional design disallowing conclusions regarding premorbid personality traits as opposed to illness 'scarring' effects. Further research should seek to clarify whether certain temperament and personality styles are over-represented in bipolar II disorder. Any over-represented characteristics may assist with diagnostic differentiation from phenomenologically similar conditions and lead to more appropriate clinical management. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An interactive technology approach to educate older adults about drug interactions arising from over-the-counter self-medication practices.

PubMed

Neafsey, Patricia J; Strickler, Zoe; Shellman, Juliette; Chartier, Virginia

2002-01-01

An interactive computer program (Personal Education Program [PEP]) designed for the learning styles and psychomotor skills of older adults was used to teach older adults about potential drug interactions that can result from self-medication with over-the-counter (OTC) agents and alcohol. Subjects used the PEP on notebook computers equipped with infrared sensitive touchscreens. Subjects were recruited from senior centers. Those who met age, vision, literacy, independence, and medication use criteria were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) PEP plus information booklet; (2) information booklet only; or (3) control. A repeated measures (three time periods 2 weeks apart), three-group design was used. Users of PEP had significantly greater knowledge and self-efficacy scores than both the conventional and control groups at all three time points. The PEP group reported fewer adverse self-medication behaviors over time. Reported self-medication behaviors did not change over time for either the conventional or control groups. Subjects indicated a high degree of satisfaction with the PEP and reported their intent to make specific changes in self-medication behaviors.

Comparing the validity of informant and self-reports of personality using laboratory indices of emotional responding as criterion variables.

PubMed

Lieberman, Lynne; Liu, Huiting; Huggins, Ashley A; Katz, Andrea C; Zvolensky, Michael J; Shankman, Stewart A

2016-09-01

Personality traits relate to risk for psychopathology and can inform predictions about treatment outcome. In an effort to obtain a comprehensive index of personality, informant reports of personality are sometimes obtained in addition to self-reports of personality. However, there is limited research comparing the validity of self- and informant reports of personality, particularly among those with internalizing psychopathology. This is important given that informants may provide an additional (and perhaps different) perspective on individuals' personality. The present study therefore compared how both reports of positive affectivity (PA) and negative affectivity (NA) relate to psychophysiological and subjective measures of emotional responding to positive and negative stimuli. Given that our sample (n = 117) included individuals with no history of psychopathology, as well as individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) and/or panic disorder (PD), we were also able to explore whether these internalizing diagnoses moderated the association between personality reports and measures of emotional responding. Informant-reported PA predicted physiological responses to positive stimuli (but not negative). Informant-reported NA predicted physiological responses to negative stimuli (but not positive). Self-reported personality did not predict physiological responding, but did predict subjectively measured emotional responding (NA for negative responding, PA for positive responding). Diagnoses of internalizing psychopathology (PD or MDD) did not moderate these associations. Results suggest self- and informant reports of personality may each provide valid indices of an individual's emotional response tendencies, but predict different aspects of those tendencies. © 2016 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Personality in cyberspace: personal Web sites as media for personality expressions and impressions.

PubMed

Marcus, Bernd; Machilek, Franz; Schütz, Astrid

2006-06-01

This research examined the personality of owners of personal Web sites based on self-reports, visitors' ratings, and the content of the Web sites. The authors compared a large sample of Web site owners with population-wide samples on the Big Five dimensions of personality. Controlling for demographic differences, the average Web site owner reported being slightly less extraverted and more open to experience. Compared with various other samples, Web site owners did not generally differ on narcissism, self-monitoring, or self-esteem, but gender differences on these traits were often smaller in Web site owners. Self-other agreement was highest with Openness to Experience, but valid judgments of all Big Five dimensions were derived from Web sites providing rich information. Visitors made use of quantifiable features of the Web site to infer personality, and the cues they utilized partly corresponded to self-reported traits. Copyright 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

The reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Temperament and Personality Questionnaire for patients with non-melancholic depression.

PubMed

Kudo, Yuka; Nakagawa, Atsuo; Tamura, Noriko; Kato, Noriko; Williams, Aya; Aida, Nobuo; Mimura, Masaru

2016-07-01

Parker et al. (2006) proposed a new approach to classify specific sub-types of non-melancholic depression caused by various stress factors and premorbid personality styles: the Temperament and Personality Questionnaire (T&P). The current study aim was to develop the Japanese version of the T&P and evaluate its reliability and validity. We studied 114 patients with non-melancholic depression. Reliability was assessed using the test-retest method. Convergent validity of the T&P was compared with the clinician ratings of each patient for the eight personality traits. We also assessed the impact of depressive state on the T&P. The test-retest intraclass correlation coefficients among eight constructs of the T&P ranged from 0.77 to 0.89, indicating good-to-excellent reliability. Anxious Worrying (rho=0.29), Perfectionism (rho=0.17), Personal Reserve (rho=0.18), Irritability (rho=0.38), and Social Avoidance (rho=0.32) showed adequate levels of convergent validity; Rejection Sensitivity (rho=0.16), Self-criticism (rho=-0.02), and Self-focus (rho=0.07) showed relatively weak convergent validity. Perfectionism (rho=-0.06), Social Avoidance (rho=0.17), Anxious Worrying (rho=0.40), Personal Reserve (rho=0.30), Irritability (rho=0.28), Rejection Sensitivity (rho=0.35), Self-criticism (rho=0.49), and Self-focus (rho=0.24) showed minimal sensitivity to mood state effects. Only one site was used. While a Likert scale was used, the clinician-rated personality trait measure had not been validated. The J-T&P is a reliable and valid measure for assessing temperament and personality in Japanese patients with non-melancholic depression. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Appearance-based rejection sensitivity: implications for mental and physical health, affect, and motivation.

PubMed

Park, Lora E

2007-04-01

Appearance-Based Rejection Sensitivity (Appearance-RS) is a personality-processing system characterized by anxious concerns and expectations about being rejected based on one's physical attractiveness. People differ in their sensitivity to rejection based on appearance, with consequences for mental and physical health, self-esteem, affect, and feelings of belonging. Study 1 describes the development and validation of the Appearance-RS scale, its relation to personality variables and to health-related outcomes. Study 2 provides experimental evidence that high Appearance-RS people feel more alone and rejected when asked to think about negative aspects of their appearance. Finally, Study 3 tests ways to reduce the negative effects of receiving an appearance threat among high Appearance-RS participants. Specifically, high Appearance-RS participants who engaged in self-affirmation (thought of their personal strengths) or received a secure attachment prime (thought of a close, caring relationship) were buffered from the negative effects of an appearance threat on subsequent state self-esteem and mood.

Self-esteem instability and personality: the connections between feelings of self-worth and the big five dimensions of personality.

PubMed

Zeigler-Hill, Virgil; Holden, Christopher J; Enjaian, Brian; Southard, Ashton C; Besser, Avi; Li, Haijiang; Zhang, Qinglin

2015-02-01

Relatively few studies have focused on the connections between self-esteem and basic personality dimensions. The purpose of the present studies was to examine whether self-esteem level and self-esteem instability were associated with the Big Five personality dimensions and whether self-esteem instability moderated the associations that self-esteem level had with these personality features. This was accomplished by conducting a series of studies that included samples from the United States, Israel, and China. Across these studies, self-esteem level was associated with high levels of extraversion, emotional stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness, whereas self-esteem instability was associated with low levels of emotional stability, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Individuals with stable high self-esteem reported the highest levels of emotional stability, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, whereas those with stable low self-esteem had the lowest levels of openness. The results of these studies suggest that feelings of self-worth are associated with self-reported and perceived personality features. © 2014 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Racial and ethnic disparity in food allergy in the United States: a systematic review.

PubMed

Greenhawt, Matthew; Weiss, Christopher; Conte, Marisa L; Doucet, Marlie; Engler, Amy; Camargo, Carlos A

2013-01-01

The prevalence of food allergy is rising among US children. Little is known about racial/ethnic disparities in food allergy. We performed a systematic literature review to understand racial/ethnic disparities in food allergy in the United States. We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus for original data about racial/ethnic disparities in the diagnosis, prevalence, treatment, or clinical course of food allergy or sensitization, with a particular focus on black (African American) race. Articles were analyzed by study methodology, racial/ethnic composition, food allergy definition, outcomes, summary statistic used, and covariate adjustment. Twenty of 645 identified articles met inclusion criteria. The studies used multiple differing criteria to define food allergy, including self-report, sensitization assessed by serum food-specific IgE to selected foods without corroborating history, discharge codes, clinic chart review, and event-reporting databases. None used oral food challenge. In 12 studies, black persons (primarily children) had significantly increased adjusted odds of food sensitization or significantly higher proportion or odds of food allergy by self-report, discharge codes, or clinic-based chart review than white children. Major differences in study methodology and reporting precluded calculation of a pooled estimate of effect. Sparse and methodologically limited data exist about racial/ethnic disparity in food allergy in the United States. Available data lack a common definition for food allergy and use indirect measures of allergy, not food challenge. Although data suggest an increased risk of food sensitization, self-reported allergy, or clinic-based diagnosis of food allergy among black children, no definitive racial/ethnic disparity could be found among currently available studies. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Performance and comparison of self-reported STI symptoms among high-risk populations - MSM, sex workers, persons living with HIV/AIDS - in El Salvador.

PubMed

Shah, Neha S; Kim, Evelyn; de Maria Hernández Ayala, Flor; Guardado Escobar, Maria Elena; Nieto, Ana Isabel; Kim, Andrea A; Paz-Bailey, Gabriela

2014-12-01

Resource-limited countries have limited laboratory capability and rely on syndromic management to diagnose sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We aimed to estimate the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) of STI syndromic management when used as a screening method within a study setting. Men who have sex with men (MSM), female sex workers (FSWs) and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) participated in a behavioural surveillance study. Data were obtained on demographics, sexual behaviours, STI history and service utilisation. Biological specimens were tested for genital inflammatory infections (Neisseria gonorrhoeae [GC], Chlamydia trachomatis [CT], Mycoplasma genitalium [MG], Trichomonas vaginalis [TV]) and genital ulcerative infection (syphilis and Herpes simplex virus-2). There was a high prevalence of Herpes simplex virus-2 (MSM 48.1%, FSW 82.0% and PLWHA 84.4%). Most participants reported no ulcerative symptoms and the majority of men reported no inflammatory symptoms. Sensitivity and PPV were poor for inflammatory infections among PLWHA and MSM. Sensitivity in FSWs for inflammatory infections was 75%. For ulcerative infections, sensitivity was poor, but specificity and PPV were high. Reliance on self-reported symptoms may not be an effective screening strategy for these populations. STI prevention studies should focus on symptom recognition and consider routine screening and referral for high-risk populations. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Accuracy of self-reported length of coma and posttraumatic amnesia in persons with medically verified traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Sherer, Mark; Sander, Angelle M; Maestas, Kacey Little; Pastorek, Nicholas J; Nick, Todd G; Li, Jingyun

2015-04-01

To determine the accuracy of self-reported length of coma and posttraumatic amnesia (PTA) in persons with medically verified traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to investigate factors that affect self-report of length of coma and PTA duration. Prospective cohort study. Specialized rehabilitation center with inpatient and outpatient programs. Persons (N=242) with medically verified TBI who were identified from a registry of persons who had previously participated in TBI-related research. Not applicable. Self-reported length of coma and self-reported PTA duration. Review of medical records revealed that the mean medically documented length of coma and PTA duration was 6.9±12 and 19.2±22 days, respectively, and the mean self-reported length of coma and PTA duration was 16.7±22 and 106±194 days, respectively. The average discrepancy between self-report and medical record for length of coma and PTA duration was 8.2±21 and 64±176 days, respectively. Multivariable regression models revealed that time since injury, performance on cognitive tests, and medical record values were associated with self-reported values for both length of coma and PTA duration. In this investigation, persons with medically verified TBI showed poor accuracy in their self-report of length of coma and PTA duration. Discrepancies were large enough to affect injury severity classification. Caution should be exercised when considering self-report of length of coma and PTA duration. Copyright © 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Validity and reliability of self-reported arthritis: Georgia senior centers, 2000-2001.

PubMed

Bombard, Jennifer M; Powell, Kenneth E; Martin, Linda M; Helmick, Charles G; Wilson, William H

2005-04-01

Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions are a common cause of disability among adults in the United States. Telephone interviews of the state-based Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) are used by states and territories to estimate the prevalence of arthritis. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the 1996-2001 BRFSS arthritis case definition in a senior center population. A total of 487 respondents at selected senior centers in Georgia were surveyed by telephone, evaluated 3 to 4 weeks later by board-certified rheumatologists, and completed a written survey in 2000 to 2001. Using the rheumatologists' summary assessment "Does this person have arthritis or a related condition" as the standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the BRFSS arthritis case definitions were calculated. Reliability for the BRFSS arthritis case definition was also calculated by comparing responses to the telephone survey with responses to a written survey. Sensitivity was 70.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]=65.9-75.6), and the specificity was 70.3% (95% CI=62.9-77.8). The agreement between the telephone and written responses indicating self-reported arthritis was high (kappa=0.68). Analyses were conducted in 2002 to 2004. Self-reported arthritis in the 1996-2001 BRFSS was highly reliable, and moderately sensitive and specific among these senior center participants.

Multi-risk infants: predicting attachment security from sociodemographic, psychosocial, and health risk among African-American preterm infants.

PubMed

Candelaria, Margo; Teti, Douglas M; Black, Maureen M

2011-08-01

Ecological and transactional theories link child outcomes to accumulated risk. This study hypothesized that cumulative risk was negatively related to attachment, and that maternal sensitivity mediated linkages between risk and attachment. One hundred and twelve high-risk African-American premature infant-mother dyads participated. Psychosocial (maternal depression, stress and self-efficacy) and sociodemographic risk (poverty, maternal education, marital status) were maternal self-report (0-4 months). Infant health risk was obtained from hospital charts. Infant-mother attachment (12 months) and maternal sensitivity (4 months) were assessed with Q-sort measures. Psychosocial and sociodemographic risk, but not infant health risk, negatively related to attachment. Both were mediated by maternal sensitivity. The impact of risk domains on attachment security was mediated by maternal sensitivity. Results emphasize the need for early intervention programs targeting premature infants to identify and address environmental and personal factors that place parenting at risk. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2011 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Personality Tests: Self-Disclosures or Self-Presentations?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, John A.

When people talk about themselves, psychologists have noted that their verbal reports can be categorized as simple factual communications about the self, i.e., self-disclosure, or as ways to instruct others about how one is to be regarded, i.e., self-presentation. Responses to items on objective self-report measures of personality similarly can be…

The Prevalence of Comorbid Personality Disorders in Treatment-Seeking Problem Gamblers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Dowling, Nicki A; Cowlishaw, S; Jackson, A C; Merkouris, S S; Francis, K L; Christensen, D R

2015-12-01

The aim of this study was to systematically review and meta-analyze the prevalence of comorbid personality disorders among treatment-seeking problem gamblers. Almost one half (47.9%) of problem gamblers displayed comorbid personality disorders. They were most likely to display Cluster B disorders (17.6%), with smaller proportions reporting Cluster C disorders (12.6%) and Cluster A disorders (6.1%). The most prevalent personality disorders were narcissistic (16.6%), antisocial (14.0%), avoidant (13.4%), obsessive-compulsive (13.4%), and borderline (13.1%) personality disorders. Sensitivity analyses suggested that these prevalence estimates were robust to the inclusion of clinical trials and self-selected samples. Although there was significant variability in reported rates, subgroup analyses revealed no significant differences in estimates of antisocial personality disorder according to problem gambling severity, measure of comorbidity employed, and study jurisdiction. The findings highlight the need for gambling treatment services to conduct routine screening and assessment of co-occurring personality disorders and to provide treatment approaches that adequately address these comorbid conditions.

Lack of Gender and Age Differences in Pain Measurements Following Exercise in People with Chronic Whiplash-Associated Disorders.

PubMed

Ickmans, Kelly; Malfliet, Anneleen; De Kooning, Margot; Goudman, Lisa; Hubloue, Ives; Schmitz, Tom; Goubert, Dorien; Aguilar-Ferrandiz, Maria Encarnacion

2017-09-01

Individuals with chronic whiplash associated disorders (WAD) present persistent pain in the absence of structural pathology. In these people, altered central pain processing and central sensitization are observed. The role of personal factors, such as gender and age, on pain processing mechanisms in chronic WAD, however, is still unclear. This study investigated possible gender- and age-related differences in self-reported and experimental pain measurements in people with chronic WAD. Besides the exercise-induced response on pain measurements between gender and age subgroups was recorded. Case-control study. University Hospital, Brussels. Self-reported pain and experimental pain measurements (pressure pain thresholds [PPT], occlusion cuff pressure, temporal summation, and conditioned pain modulation) were performed in 52 individuals (26 chronic WAD patients and 26 healthy controls), before and after a submaximal cycle exercise. Lower PPTs and occlusion cuff pressures were shown in chronic WAD in comparison with healthy controls. No gender and age differences regarding PPTs, occlusion cuff pressures and conditioned pain modulation were found in chronic WAD. Within the chronic WAD group, men showed higher self-reported pain compared to women and younger adults showed enhanced generalized pain facilitation compared to older adults. In addition, chronic WAD patients are able to inhibit exercise-induced hyperalgesia, but no gender and age differences in pain response following exercise were found. This study was sufficiently powered to detect differences between the chronic WAD and control group. However, a sufficient power was not reached when patients were divided in age and gender groups. Furthermore, only mechanical stimuli were included in the experimental pain measurements. Besides, psychosocial factors were not taken into account. Some alterations of altered pain processing are present in chronic WAD patients, however not in response to exercise. No gender and age differences in pain measurements were observed in people with chronic WAD.Key words: Neck pain, whiplash associated disorders, chronic pain, personal factors, age, gender, central sensitization, exercise induced hyperalgesia, pressure pain thresholds, self reported pain.

The Relationship of Self-Disclosure to Personality, Adjustment and Self-Actualization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lombardo, John P.; Fantasia, Saverio C.

1976-01-01

Tested the hypothesis that a high level of self-disclosure is indicative of psychological adjustment and self-actualization. The self-disclosure scale, Social Avoidance and Distress, Fear of Negative Evaluation, Alienation and Repression-Sensitization scales were administered to 60 introductory psychology students. (Editor/RK)

Borderline but not Antisocial Personality Disorder Symptoms are Related to Self-Reported Partner Aggression in Late Middle-Age

PubMed Central

Weinstein, Yana; Gleason, Marci E. J.; Oltmanns, Thomas F.

2012-01-01

We examined the relationship between personality pathology and the frequency of self-reported psychological and physical partner aggression in a community sample of 872 adults aged 55–64. Previous research suggests that antisocial and borderline personality disorder (PD) symptoms are associated with partner aggression. Controlling for gender, education, alcohol dependence, and other personality pathology, we found that borderline PD symptoms, which include abandonment fears, unstable identity, and affective instability, were significantly related to the frequency of self-reported aggression towards one’s partner. This relationship was observed regardless of whether the participant’s personality was described by a clinical interviewer, the participant themselves, or an informant chosen by the participant. Further, the relationship between borderline PD symptoms and self-reported partner aggression was moderated by gender such that women were driving the association. Conversely, antisocial PD symptoms, which include deceitfulness, irresponsibility, disregard for rules, and lack of remorse did not significantly account for variance in self-reported partner aggression. PMID:22732005

Automatic personality assessment through social media language.

PubMed

Park, Gregory; Schwartz, H Andrew; Eichstaedt, Johannes C; Kern, Margaret L; Kosinski, Michal; Stillwell, David J; Ungar, Lyle H; Seligman, Martin E P

2015-06-01

Language use is a psychologically rich, stable individual difference with well-established correlations to personality. We describe a method for assessing personality using an open-vocabulary analysis of language from social media. We compiled the written language from 66,732 Facebook users and their questionnaire-based self-reported Big Five personality traits, and then we built a predictive model of personality based on their language. We used this model to predict the 5 personality factors in a separate sample of 4,824 Facebook users, examining (a) convergence with self-reports of personality at the domain- and facet-level; (b) discriminant validity between predictions of distinct traits; (c) agreement with informant reports of personality; (d) patterns of correlations with external criteria (e.g., number of friends, political attitudes, impulsiveness); and (e) test-retest reliability over 6-month intervals. Results indicated that language-based assessments can constitute valid personality measures: they agreed with self-reports and informant reports of personality, added incremental validity over informant reports, adequately discriminated between traits, exhibited patterns of correlations with external criteria similar to those found with self-reported personality, and were stable over 6-month intervals. Analysis of predictive language can provide rich portraits of the mental life associated with traits. This approach can complement and extend traditional methods, providing researchers with an additional measure that can quickly and cheaply assess large groups of participants with minimal burden. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Shame and implicit self-concept in women with borderline personality disorder.

PubMed

Rüsch, Nicolas; Lieb, Klaus; Göttler, Ines; Hermann, Christiane; Schramm, Elisabeth; Richter, Harald; Jacob, Gitta A; Corrigan, Patrick W; Bohus, Martin

2007-03-01

Shame is considered to be a central emotion in borderline personality disorder and to be related to self-injurious behavior, chronic suicidality, and anger-hostility. However, its level and impact on people with borderline personality disorder are largely unknown. The authors examined levels of self-reported shame, guilt, anxiety, and implicit shame-related self-concept in women with borderline personality disorder and assessed the association of shame with self-esteem, quality of life, and anger-hostility. Sixty women with borderline personality disorder completed self-report measures of shame- and guilt-proneness, state shame, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, quality of life, and clinical symptoms. Comparison groups consisted of 30 women with social phobia and 60 healthy women. Implicit shame-related self-concept (relative to anxiety) was assessed by the Implicit Association Test. Women with borderline personality disorder reported higher levels of shame- and guilt-proneness, state shame, and anxiety than women with social phobia and healthy comparison subjects. The implicit self-concept in women with borderline personality disorder was more shame-prone (relative to anxiety-prone) than in women in the comparison groups. After depression was controlled for, shame-proneness was negatively correlated with self-esteem and quality of life and positively correlated with anger-hostility. Shame, an emotion that is prominent in women with borderline personality disorder, is associated with the implicit self-concept as well as with poorer quality of life and self-esteem and greater anger-hostility. Psychotherapeutic approaches to borderline personality disorder need to address explicit and implicit aspects of shame.

Aging: empirical contribution. A longitudinal analysis of personality disorder dimensions and personality traits in a community sample of older adults: perspectives from selves and informants.

PubMed

Cooper, Luke D; Balsis, Steve; Oltmanns, Thomas F

2014-02-01

Research has indicated that personality disorders (PDs) and normal-range personality traits generally "get better" with time, as evidenced by mean-level decreases in PD traits and mean-level increases in broad factors such as emotional stability, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. One limitation of many of these studies is their reliance on self reported data. In the current study, the authors analyzed the 2.5-year course of PD dimensions and normal personality traits in a representative sample of adults approaching later life (originally ages 55-65) by using a semistructured diagnostic interview as well as self- and informant-reported data from two personality inventories. Consistent with previous literature, many self-reported PD traits showed mean-level decreases over time, and self-reported normal-range personality traits generally showed positive aging effects (e.g., mean-level increases in emotional stability, agreeableness, and conscientiousness). Surprisingly, however, informant-reported PD traits often demonstrated small but significant increases over time, and informant-reported normal-range personality generally "worsened" with age (e.g., mean-level decreases in extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness). Informant reports may challenge the finding that personality and PDs tend to "improve" over time.

Effects of trauma and religiosity on self-esteem.

PubMed

Reiland, Sarah; Lauterbach, Dean

2008-06-01

Self-esteem is often lower among persons who have experienced trauma, but religiosity may ameliorate these psychological effects. The purpose of this paper was to examine the relationships among religiosity, self-esteem, and childhood exposure to trauma, utilizing data from the National Comorbidity Survey, a large (N = 8,098) nationally representative population survey in the 48 contiguous states of the USA that assessed religious practices, self-esteem, and exposure to trauma. Exposure to trauma in childhood was assessed through self-report of presence or absence of childhood physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect. Religiosity was assessed as the sum of responses to 4 self-report items (religious service attendance, use of religion for comfort and guidance, and importance of religion). Self-esteem was assessed on 9 self-report items adapted from the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Analysis of variance compared scores for persons who reported exposure to childhood abuse and differed in the value they placed on various religious practices on self-esteem. Persons who reported physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect in childhood had significantly lower mean self-esteem than those who did not report these events. There was also a main effect for religiosity in a comparison of persons who reported childhood sexual abuse with those who reported none. The High Religiosity group had higher mean self-esteem than the Medium and Low Religiosity groups. There was a significant interaction as those who reported childhood sexual abuse had lower mean self-esteem than peers who reported none in the Low and Medium Religiosity groups. Mean self-esteem for those who reported childhood sexual abuse was comparable to that of those who reported none in the High Religiosity group.

The Heritability of Cluster B Personality Disorders Assessed both by Personal Interview and Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Torgersen, Svenn; Myers, John; Reichborn-Kjennerud, Ted; Røysamb, Espen; Kubarych, Thomas S.; Kendler, Kenneth S.

2013-01-01

Whereas the heritability of common personality traits has been firmly established, the results of the few published studies on personality disorders (PDs) are highly divergent, with some studies finding high heredity and others very low. A problem with assessing personality disorders by means of interview is errors connected with interviewer bias. A way to overcome the problem is to use self-report questionnaires in addition to interviews. This study used both interview and questionnaire for assessing DSM-IV Cluster B personality disorders: antisocial personality disorder (APD), borderline (BPD), narcissistic (NPD), and histrionic (HPD). We assessed close to 2,800 twins from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health Twin Panel using a self-report questionnaire and, a few years later, the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality (SIDP-IV). Items from the self-report questionnaire that best predicted the PDs captured by the interview were then selected. Measurement models combining questionnaire and interview information were applied and were fitted using Mx. Whereas the heritability of Cluster B PDs assessed by interview was around .30, and around .40–.50 when assessed by self-report questionnaire, the heritability of the convergent latent factor, including information from both interview and self-report questionnaire was .69 for APD, .67 for BPD, .71 for NPD, and .63 for HPD. As is usually found for personality, the effect of shared-in families (familial) environment was zero. In conclusion, when both interview and self-report questionnaire are taken into account, the heritability of Cluster B PD appears to be in the upper range of previous findings for mental disorders. PMID:23281671

The heritability of Cluster B personality disorders assessed both by personal interview and questionnaire.

PubMed

Torgersen, Svenn; Myers, John; Reichborn-Kjennerud, Ted; Røysamb, Espen; Kubarych, Thomas S; Kendler, Kenneth S

2012-12-01

Whereas the heritability of common personality traits has been firmly established, the results of the few published studies on personality disorders (PDs) are highly divergent, with some studies finding high heredity and others very low. A problem with assessing personality disorders by means of interview is errors connected with interviewer bias. A way to overcome the problem is to use self-report questionnaires in addition to interviews. This study used both interview and questionnaire for assessing DSM-IV Cluster B personality disorders: antisocial personality disorder (APD), borderline (BPD), narcissistic (NPD), and histrionic (HPD). We assessed close to 2,800 twins from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health Twin Panel using a self-report questionnaire and, a few years later, the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality (SIDP-IV). Items from the self-report questionnaire that best predicted the PDs captured by the interview were then selected. Measurement models combining questionnaire and interview information were applied and were fitted using Mx. Whereas the heritability of Cluster B PDs assessed by interview was around .30, and around .40-.50 when assessed by self-report questionnaire, the heritability of the convergent latent factor, including information from both interview and self-report questionnaire was .69 for APD, .67 for BPD, .71 for NPD, and .63 for HPD. As is usually found for personality, the effect of shared-in families (familial) environment was zero. In conclusion, when both interview and self-report questionnaire are taken into account, the heritability of Cluster B PD appears to be in the upper range of previous findings for mental disorders.

Are there meaningful individual differences in temporal inconsistency in self-reported personality?

PubMed

Soubelet, Andrea; Salthouse, Timothy A; Oishi, Shigehiro

2014-11-01

The current project had three goals. The first was to examine whether it is meaningful to refer to across-time variability in self-reported personality as an individual differences characteristic. The second was to investigate whether negative affect was associated with variability in self-reported personality, while controlling for mean levels, and correcting for measurement errors. The third goal was to examine whether variability in self-reported personality would be larger among young adults than among older adults, and whether the relation of variability with negative affect would be stronger at older ages than at younger ages. Two moderately large samples of participants completed the International Item Pool Personality questionnaire assessing the Big Five personality dimensions either twice or thrice, in addition to several measures of negative affect. Results were consistent with the hypothesis that within-person variability in self-reported personality is a meaningful individual difference characteristic. Some people exhibited greater across-time variability than others after removing measurement error, and people who showed temporal instability in one trait also exhibited temporal instability across the other four traits. However, temporal variability was not related to negative affect, and there was no evidence that either temporal variability or its association with negative affect varied with age.

Brief report: personality correlates of susceptibility to peer influence in adolescence.

PubMed

Stautz, Kaidy; Cooper, Andrew

2014-06-01

Adolescents show a heightened susceptibility to peer influence compared to adults. Individual differences in this susceptibility exist, yet there has been little effort to link these with broader personality processes. Reward sensitivity and impulsive behaviour are also heightened in adolescence and could affect the tendency to be influenced by peers. This study examined associations between self-reported resistance to peer influence, facets of reward sensitivity and impulsivity, and subjective social status in a sample of 269 British sixth form students (mean age 16.79). Multiple regression analyses showed that negative and positive urgency were significantly negatively associated with resistance to peer influence. The relationship between negative urgency and resistance was moderated by subjective social status, such that individuals reporting low status showed a stronger negative relationship. Results suggest that a susceptibility to peer influence is linked with a tendency to act impulsively when in heightened emotional states. Adolescents high in negative urgency who feel lower in their social hierarchy may be particularly vulnerable. Copyright © 2014 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validity of LIDAS (LIfetime Depression Assessment Self-report): a self-report online assessment of lifetime major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Bot, M; Middeldorp, C M; de Geus, E J C; Lau, H M; Sinke, M; van Nieuwenhuizen, B; Smit, J H; Boomsma, D I; Penninx, B W J H

2017-01-01

There is a paucity of valid, brief instruments for the assessment of lifetime major depressive disorder (MDD) that can be used in, for example, large-scale genomics, imaging or biomarker studies on depression. We developed the LIfetime Depression Assessment Self-report (LIDAS), which assesses lifetime MDD diagnosis according to DSM criteria, and is largely based on the widely used Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Here, we tested the feasibility and determined the sensitivity and specificity for measuring lifetime MDD with this new questionnaire, with a regular CIDI as reference. Sensitivity and specificity analyses of the online lifetime MDD questionnaire were performed in adults with (n = 177) and without (n = 87) lifetime MDD according to regular index CIDIs, selected from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) and Netherlands Twin Register (NTR). Feasibility was tested in an additional non-selective, population-based sample of NTR participants (n = 245). Of the 753 invited persons, 509 (68%) completed the LIDAS, of which 419 (82%) did this online. User-friendliness of the instrument was rated high. Median completion time was 6.2 min. Sensitivity and specificity for lifetime MDD were 85% [95% confidence interval (CI) 80-91%] and 80% (95% CI 72-89%), respectively. This LIDAS instrument gave a lifetime MDD prevalence of 20.8% in the population-based sample. Measuring lifetime MDD with an online instrument was feasible. Sensitivity and specificity were adequate. The instrument gave a prevalence of lifetime MDD in line with reported population prevalences. LIDAS is a promising tool for rapid determination of lifetime MDD status in large samples, such as needed for genomics studies.

Pancultural self-enhancement reloaded: a meta-analytic reply to Heine (2005).

PubMed

Sedikides, Constantine; Gaertner, Lowell; Vevea, Jack L

2005-10-01

C. Sedikides, L. Gaertner, and Y. Toguchi (2003) reported findings favoring the universality of self-enhancement. S. J. Heine (2005) challenged the authors' research on evidential and logical grounds. In response, the authors carried out 2 meta-analytic investigations. The results backed the C. Sedikides et al. (2003) theory and findings. Both Westerners and Easterners self-enhanced tactically. Westerners self-enhanced on attributes relevant to the cultural ideal of individualism, whereas Easterners self-enhanced on attributes relevant to the cultural ideal of collectivism (in both cases, because of the personal importance of the ideal). Self-enhancement motivation is universal, although its manifestations are strategically sensitive to cultural context. The authors respond to other aspects of Heine's critique by discussing why researchers should empirically validate the comparison dimension (individualistic vs. collectivistic) and defending why the better-than-average effect is a valid measure of self-enhancement.

Use of a Respondent-Generated Personal Code for Matching Anonymous Adolescent Surveys in Longitudinal Studies.

PubMed

Ripper, Lisa; Ciaravino, Samantha; Jones, Kelley; Jaime, Maria Catrina D; Miller, Elizabeth

2017-06-01

Research on sensitive and private topics relies heavily on self-reported responses. Social desirability bias may reduce the accuracy and reliability of self-reported responses. Anonymous surveys appear to improve the likelihood of honest responses. A challenge with prospective research is maintaining anonymity while linking individual surveys over time. We have tested a secret code method in which participants create their own code based on eight questions that are not expected to change. In an ongoing middle school trial, 95.7% of follow-up surveys are matched to a baseline survey after changing up to two-code variables. The percentage matched improves by allowing up to four changes (99.7%). The use of a secret code as an anonymous identifier for linking baseline and follow-up surveys is feasible for use with adolescents. While developed for violence prevention research, this method may be useful with other sensitive health behavior research. Copyright © 2017 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reliability and sensitivity of the self-report of physician-diagnosed gout in the campaign against cancer and heart disease and the atherosclerosis risk in the community cohorts.

PubMed

McAdams, Mara A; Maynard, Janet W; Baer, Alan N; Köttgen, Anna; Clipp, Sandra; Coresh, Josef; Gelber, Allan C

2011-01-01

gout is often defined by self-report in epidemiologic studies. Yet the validity of self-reported gout is uncertain. We evaluated the reliability and sensitivity of the self-report of physician-diagnosed gout in the Campaign Against Cancer and Heart Disease (CLUE II) and the Atherosclerosis Risk in the Community (ARIC) cohorts. the CLUE II cohort comprises 12,912 individuals who self-reported gout status on either the 2000, 2003, or 2007 questionnaires. We calculated reliability as the percentage of participants reporting having gout on more than 1 questionnaire using Cohen's κ statistic. The ARIC cohort comprises 11,506 individuals who self-reported gout status at visit 4. We considered a hospital discharge diagnosis of gout or use of a gout-specific medication as the standard against which to calculate the sensitivity of self-reported, physician-diagnosed gout. of the 437 CLUE II participants who self-reported physician-diagnosed gout in 2000, and subsequently answered the 2003 questionnaire, 75% reported gout in 2003 (κ = 0.73). Of the 271 participants who reported gout in 2000, 73% again reported gout at the 2007 followup questionnaire (κ = 0.63). In ARIC, 196 participants met the definition for gout prior to visit 4 and self-reported their gout status at visit 4. The sensitivity of a self-report of physician-diagnosed gout was 84%. Accuracy was similar across sex and race subgroups, but differed across hyperuricemia and education strata. these 2 population-based US cohorts suggest that self-report of physician-diagnosed gout has good reliability and sensitivity. Thus, self-report of a physician diagnosis of gout is appropriate for epidemiologic studies.

Level of Agreement between Self and Spouse in the Assessment of Personality Pathology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South, Susan C.; Oltmanns, Thomas F.; Johnson, Jarrod; Turkheimer, Eric

2011-01-01

Informant reports can provide important information regarding the presence of pathological personality traits, and they can serve as useful supplements to self-report instruments. Ratings from a spouse may be a particularly valuable source of personality assessment because spouses are very well acquainted with the target person, have typically…

Male and Female Ministers: Comparing Roman Catholic and Methodist Deacons on Personality Structure, Religious Beliefs, and Leadership Styles.

PubMed

Ferrari, Joseph R

2017-03-01

Christian deacons (50 Roman Catholic; 50 Methodist) self-reported their personality, religiosity, and leadership attributes, plus social desirability tendencies. There were no significant correlates between social desirability and any of these self-reported variables. Results also found no significant differences across Christian denominations on personality dimensions, religious and spirituality beliefs, or leadership styles. Also, there were no significant differences in self-reported personality, religiosity, or leadership among Catholic male deacons with Methodist female deacons only ( n = 43). Taken together, in the present exploratory study across denomination and gender, Christian deacons view themselves similarly in personality, religiosity, and overall leadership characteristics.

Questionnaire Predictors of Atopy in a US Population Sample: Findings From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005–2006

PubMed Central

Hoppin, Jane A.; Jaramillo, Renee; Salo, Paivi; Sandler, Dale P.; London, Stephanie J.; Zeldin, Darryl C.

2011-01-01

Allergic conditions and biochemical measures are both used to characterize atopy. To assess questionnaires’ ability to predict biochemical measures of atopy, the authors used data on 5 allergic conditions (allergy, hay fever, eczema, rhinitis, and itchy rash) and serum-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels from the 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Atopy was defined as 1 or more positive specific IgEs (≥0.35 kU/L). Questionnaire responses were assessed for sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for atopy. In this population-based US sample, 44% of participants were specific IgE-positive and 53% reported at least 1 allergic condition. Discordance between atopy and allergic conditions was considerable; 37% of persons with atopy reported no allergic condition, and 48% of persons who reported an allergic condition were not atopic. Thus, no combination of self-reported allergic conditions achieved both high sensitivity and high specificity for IgE. The positive predictive value of reported allergic conditions for atopy ranged from 50% for eczema to 72% for hay fever, while the negative predictive value ranged from 57% for eczema to 65% for any condition. Given the high proportion of asymptomatic participants who were specific IgE-positive and persons who reported allergic conditions but were specific IgE-negative, it is unlikely that questionnaires will ever capture the same participants as those found to be atopic by biochemical measures. PMID:21273397

Brief report: emotion regulation and coping as moderators in the relationship between personality and self-injury.

PubMed

Hasking, Penelope A; Coric, Sarah J; Swannell, Sarah; Martin, Graham; Thompson, Holly Knox; Frost, Aaron D J

2010-10-01

Self-injury without conscious suicidal intent is an increasingly prevalent phenomenon particularly among adolescent populations. This pilot study examined the extent and correlates of self-injurious behaviour in a school population sample of 393 adolescents (aged 13-18 years) using a self-report questionnaire. Specifically, we aimed to determine whether personality was related to self-injury and whether this relationship was moderated by emotion regulation or coping strategies. Few personality and coping variables were directly related to self-injury after controlling for age and psychopathology. However the relationship between personality and self-injury was moderated by coping skills and emotion regulation. We suggest future research explore these relationships in order to determine the role of coping skills and emotional regulation training in prevention of self-injury.

Borderline but not antisocial personality disorder symptoms are related to self-reported partner aggression in late middle-age.

PubMed

Weinstein, Yana; Gleason, Marci E J; Oltmanns, Thomas F

2012-08-01

We examined the relationship between personality pathology and the frequency of self-reported psychological and physical partner aggression in a community sample of 872 adults aged 55-64. Previous research suggests that antisocial and borderline personality disorder (PD) symptoms are associated with partner aggression. Controlling for gender, education, alcohol dependence, and other personality pathology, we found that borderline PD symptoms, which include abandonment fears, unstable identity, and affective instability, were significantly related to the frequency of self-reported aggression toward one's partner. This relationship was observed regardless of whether the participant's personality was described by a clinical interviewer, the participant themselves, or an informant chosen by the participant. Further, the relationship between borderline PD symptoms and self-reported partner aggression was moderated by gender such that women were driving the association. Conversely, antisocial PD symptoms, which include deceitfulness, irresponsibility, disregard for rules, and lack of remorse did not significantly account for variance in self-reported partner aggression. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Color-Coded Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interviews (C-ACASI) for Poorly Educated Men and Women in a Semi-rural Area of South India: “Good, Scary and Thrilling”

PubMed Central

Bhatnagar, Tarun; Brown, Joelle; Saravanamurthy, P. Sakthivel; Kumar, Raju Mohan; Detels, Roger

2013-01-01

It is challenging to collect accurate and complete data on sensitive issues such as sexual behaviors. Our objective was to explore experience and perceptions regarding the use of a locally programmed color-coded audio computer-assisted self interview (C-ACASI) system among men and women in a semi-rural setting in south India. We conducted a mixed-methods cross-sectional survey using semi-structured interviews among 89 truck drivers and 101 truck driver wives who had participated earlier in the C-ACASI survey across a predominantly rural district in Tamil Nadu. To assess the color-coded format used, descriptive quantitative analysis was coupled with thematic content analysis of qualitative data. Only 10 % of participants had ever used a computer before. Nearly 75 % did not report any problem in using C-ACASI. The length of the C-ACASI survey was acceptable to 98 % of participants. Overall, 87 % of wives and 73 % of truck drivers stated that C-ACASI was user-friendly and felt comfortable in responding to the sensitive questions. Nearly all (97 %) participants reported that using C-ACASI encouraged them to respond honestly compared to face-to-face personal interviews. Both the drivers and wives expressed that C-ACASI provided confidentiality, privacy, anonymity, and an easy mechanism for responding truthfully to potentially embarrassing questions about their personal sexual relationships. It is feasible and acceptable to use C-ACASI for collecting sensitive data from poorly computer-literate, non-English-speaking, predominantly rural populations of women and men. Our findings support the implementation of effective and culturally sensitive C-ACASI for data collection, albeit with additional validation. PMID:23361948

Color-coded audio computer-assisted self-interviews (C-ACASI) for poorly educated men and women in a semi-rural area of South India: "good, scary and thrilling".

PubMed

Bhatnagar, Tarun; Brown, Joelle; Saravanamurthy, P Sakthivel; Kumar, Raju Mohan; Detels, Roger

2013-07-01

It is challenging to collect accurate and complete data on sensitive issues such as sexual behaviors. Our objective was to explore experience and perceptions regarding the use of a locally programmed color-coded audio computer-assisted self interview (C-ACASI) system among men and women in a semi-rural setting in south India. We conducted a mixed-methods cross-sectional survey using semi-structured interviews among 89 truck drivers and 101 truck driver wives who had participated earlier in the C-ACASI survey across a predominantly rural district in Tamil Nadu. To assess the color-coded format used, descriptive quantitative analysis was coupled with thematic content analysis of qualitative data. Only 10% of participants had ever used a computer before. Nearly 75% did not report any problem in using C-ACASI. The length of the C-ACASI survey was acceptable to 98% of participants. Overall, 87% of wives and 73% of truck drivers stated that C-ACASI was user-friendly and felt comfortable in responding to the sensitive questions. Nearly all (97%) participants reported that using C-ACASI encouraged them to respond honestly compared to face-to-face personal interviews. Both the drivers and wives expressed that C-ACASI provided confidentiality, privacy, anonymity, and an easy mechanism for responding truthfully to potentially embarrassing questions about their personal sexual relationships. It is feasible and acceptable to use C-ACASI for collecting sensitive data from poorly computer-literate, non-English-speaking, predominantly rural populations of women and men. Our findings support the implementation of effective and culturally sensitive C-ACASI for data collection, albeit with additional validation.

Personality, Organizational Orientations and Self-Reported Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bamber, David; Castka, Pavel

2006-01-01

Purpose: To identify competencies connecting personality, organizational orientations and self-reported learning outcomes (as measured by concise Likert-type scales), for individuals who are learning for their organizations. Design/methodology/approach: Five concise factor scales were constructed to represent aspects of personality. Three further…

Evaluating the Linguistic Appropriateness and Cultural Sensitivity of a Self-Report System for Spanish-Speaking Patients with Cancer

PubMed Central

Gonzalez, Laura; Negrón, Rosalyn; Berry, Donna L.

2014-01-01

Spanish speakers in the United States encounter numerous communication barriers during cancer treatment. Communication-focused interventions may help Spanish speakers communicate better with healthcare providers and manage symptoms and quality of life issues (SQOL). For this study, we developed a Spanish version of the electronic self-report assessment for cancer (ESRA-C), a web-based program that helps people with cancer report, track, and manage cancer-related SQOL. Four methods were used to evaluate the Spanish version. Focus groups and cognitive interviews were conducted with 51 Spanish-speaking individuals to elicit feedback. Readability was assessed using the Fry readability formula. The cultural sensitivity assessment tool was applied by three bilingual, bicultural reviewers. Revisions were made to personalize the introduction using a patient story and photos and to simplify language. Focus group participants endorsed changes to the program in a second round of focus groups. Cultural sensitivity of the program was scored unacceptable (x¯=3.0) for audiovisual material and acceptable (x¯=3.0) for written material. Fry reading levels ranged from 4th to 10th grade. Findings from this study provide several next steps to refine ESRA-C for Spanish speakers with cancer. PMID:25045535

Comparing the accuracy of personality judgements by the self and knowledgeable others.

PubMed

Kolar, D W; Funder, D C; Colvin, C R

1996-06-01

In this article we compare the accuracy of personality judgements by the self and by knowledgeable others. Self- and acquaintance judgements of general personality attributes were used to predict general, videotaped behavioral criteria. Results slightly favored the predictive validity of personality judgements made by single acquaintances over self-judgements, and significantly favored the aggregated personality judgements of two acquaintances over self-judgements. These findings imply that the most valid source for personality judgements that are relevant to patterns of overt behavior may not be self-reports but the consensus of the judgement of the community of one's peers.

Investigating the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 using self and spouse reports.

PubMed

Jopp, Andrew M; South, Susan C

2015-04-01

Two new clinical tools, the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) and its informant report version, the PID-5-IRF, were developed to assess personality pathology as described by the new trait-based model within Section III of DSM-5. The current study used both self and spousal reports to evaluate agreement between the PID-5 and the PID-5-IRF and to determine the extent to which these measures capture personality pathology as conceptualized in Section II of DSM-5. A nonclinical sample (N = 96 individuals) of recently married couples completed the self-report PID-5, the PID-5-IRF, and the SNAP-2 to assess self-reported DSM-IV PD criteria. Analyses found good to excellent agreement between spousal reports on the PID-5 and the PID-5-IRF for facets in the negative affectivity, detachment, and antagonism domains. In addition, both the PID-5 and the PID-5-IRF each individually accounted for a significant proportion of variance in self-reported DSM-IV PD criteria. Implications for the present findings are discussed.

Associations between informant ratings of personality disorder traits, self-reports of personality, and directly observed behavior.

PubMed

Kaurin, Aleksandra; Sauerberger, Kyle S; Funder, David C

2018-03-02

Diagnoses of personality disorders (PD) must rely on judgments of observers-either clinicians or acquaintances-because personality disorders are primarily defined in terms of maladaptive interpersonal behavior. Little is known, however, about how closely acquaintances' judgments of PD traits relate to self-reports of theoretically relevant Big Five traits or directly observed behavioral outcomes in interpersonal situations. The present study examines associations between judgments of the 10 PD traits provided by close acquaintances, self-reports of PD-relevant Big Five personality traits, and observed interpersonal behaviors across three different three-person laboratory interactions (i.e., unstructured chat, cooperative task, competitive game). The sample consisted of 256 undergraduate students (130 females; M age  = 19.83, SD = 1.25). Four unacquainted observers independently rated participants' behaviors from video recordings. In line with previous work, informant reports of PD traits demonstrate strong convergent validity with relevant self-reported Big Five traits (as identified by Lynam & Widiger, 2001). Directly observed behavior is meaningfully associated with acquaintances' judgments and self-reports of PD-relevant traits, and the associations between these judgments and behavior are strongest for traits associated with histrionic and schizoid PD. Vector correlations between behavioral profiles associated with informant and self-reports show that both assessments have similar behavioral correlates. Associations between PD trait ratings and behavior appeared to differ as a function of gender, with males showing more and stronger correlations. Informants' ratings of PD traits are impressively accurate, converging both with self-reports of relevant traits and directly observed interpersonal behavior. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of PDs and associated traits can be augmented by information from multiple acquaintances who have the opportunity to observe how an individual interacts with others on a daily basis across diverse contexts. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Everyday temptations: an experience sampling study of desire, conflict, and self-control.

PubMed

Hofmann, Wilhelm; Baumeister, Roy F; Förster, Georg; Vohs, Kathleen D

2012-06-01

How often and how strongly do people experience desires, to what extent do their desires conflict with other goals, and how often and successfully do people exercise self-control to resist their desires? To investigate desire and attempts to control desire in everyday life, we conducted a large-scale experience sampling study based on a conceptual framework integrating desire strength, conflict, resistance (use of self-control), and behavior enactment. A sample of 205 adults wore beepers for a week. They furnished 7,827 reports of desire episodes and completed personality measures of behavioral inhibition system/behavior activation system (BIS/BAS) sensitivity, trait self-control, perfectionism, and narcissistic entitlement. Results suggest that desires are frequent, variable in intensity, and largely unproblematic. Those urges that do conflict with other goals tend to elicit resistance, with uneven success. Desire strength, conflict, resistance, and self-regulatory success were moderated in multiple ways by personality variables as well as by situational and interpersonal factors such as alcohol consumption, the mere presence of others, and the presence of others who already had enacted the desire in question. Whereas personality generally had a stronger impact on the dimensions of desire that emerged early in its course (desire strength and conflict), situational factors showed relatively more influence on components later in the process (resistance and behavior enactment). In total, these findings offer a novel and detailed perspective on the nature of everyday desires and associated self-regulatory successes and failures. 2012 APA, all rights reserved

Self-perceived personality characteristics in seasonal affective disorder and their implications for severity of depression.

PubMed

Hjordt, Liv Vadskjær; Dam, Vibeke H; Ozenne, Brice; Hageman, Ida; Mc Mahon, Brenda; Mortensen, Erik Lykke; Knudsen, Gitte M; Stenbæk, Dea Siggaard

2018-04-01

The personality traits Neuroticism and Extraversion may be involved in the development of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). However, the impact of personality traits on SAD severity and whether such self-reported traits fluctuate with season is unknown. We investigated the association between Neuroticism, as acquired in a symptom-free phase and depression severity in individuals with SAD and seasonal changes in personality traits in individuals with SAD compared to healthy controls. Twenty-nine individuals diagnosed with SAD and thirty demographically matched controls completed the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised and the Major Depression Inventory twice: in summer when individuals with SAD were symptom-free, and in winter when they experienced SAD symptoms. In summer, the groups scored similarly on their personality traits, and the controls did not score any different in winter compared to summer. High scores on Neuroticism in summer was associated with more severe depressive symptoms in winter in SAD individuals. In winter, individuals with SAD scored higher on Neuroticism and lower on Extraversion, both compared to controls and to their own summer scores. Our results support that Neuroticism may represent a vulnerability marker related to SAD, and during a depressive episode Neuroticism and Extraversion may be sensitive markers of SAD pathology. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Self-Other Knowledge Asymmetries in Personality Pathology

PubMed Central

Carlson, Erika N.; Vazire, Simine; Oltmanns, Thomas F.

2012-01-01

Objective Self-reports of personality provide valid information about personality disorders (PDs). However, informant-reports provide information about PDs that self-reports alone do not provide. The current paper examines if and when one perspective is more valid than the other in identifying PDs. Method Using a representative sample of adults 55 to 65 year of age (N = 991; 45% males), we compared the validity of self- and informant- (e.g., spouse, family, or friend) reports of the FFM traits in predicting PD scores (i.e., composite of interviewer, self-, and informant-reports of PDs). Results Self-reports (particularly of neuroticism) were more valid than informant-reports for most internalizing PDs (i.e., PDs defined by high neuroticism). Informant-reports (particularly of agreeableness and conscientiousness) were more valid than self-reports for externalizing and/or antagonistic PDs (i.e., PDs defined by low agreeableness, conscientiousness). Neither report was consistently more valid for thought disorder PDs (i.e., PDs defined by low extraversion). However, informant-reports (particularly of agreeableness) were more valid than self-reports for PDs that were both internalizing and externalizing (i.e., PDs defined by high neuroticism and low agreeableness). Conclusions The intrapersonal and interpersonal manifestations of PDs differ, and these differences influence who knows more about pathology. PMID:22583054

In our own voice-family companion: reducing self-stigma of family members of persons with serious mental illness.

PubMed

Perlick, Deborah A; Nelson, Ann H; Mattias, Kate; Selzer, James; Kalvin, Carla; Wilber, Charles H; Huntington, Brittney; Holman, Caroline S; Corrigan, Patrick W

2011-12-01

This article reports preliminary findings from a novel, family peer-based intervention designed to reduce self-stigma among family members of people with serious mental illness. A total of 158 primary caregivers of patients with schizophrenia were recruited from a large urban mental health facility (93 caregivers) or from a family and consumer advocacy organization (65 caregivers). Caregivers (N=122) who reported they perceived at least a moderate level of mental illness-related stigma were evaluated on measures of self-stigma, withdrawal, secrecy, anxiety, and social comparison and randomly assigned to receive one of two, one-session group interventions: a peer-led intervention (In Our Own Voice-Family Companion [IOOV-FC]) designed to stimulate group discussion or a clinician-led family education session, which delivered information about mental illness in a structured, didactic format. IOOV-FC consisted of playing a videotape of family members who describe their experiences coping with stigma, which was followed by a discussion led by two family peers who modeled sharing their own experiences and facilitated group sharing. Of 24 family members and ten consumers, 96% rated the videotape above a predetermined acceptability threshold on a 19-item scale assessing cultural sensitivity, respect for different stakeholders, relevance of content, and technical quality (α=.92). Caregivers receiving IOOV-FC with low to moderate pretreatment anxiety reported a substantial reduction in self-stigma (effect size=.50) relative to those receiving clinician-led family education (p=.017) as well as significant reductions in secrecy (p=.031). Peer-led group interventions may be more effective in reducing family self-stigma than clinician-led education, at least for persons reporting experiencing low to moderate anxiety levels on a standard questionnaire

Excessive Eating and Compulsive Buying Behaviours in Women: An Empirical Pilot Study Examining Reward Sensitivity, Anxiety, Impulsivity, Self-Esteem and Social Desirability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davenport, Kate; Houston, James E.; Griffiths, Mark D.

2012-01-01

"Mall disorders" such as excessive eating and compulsive buying appear to be increasing, particularly among women. A battery of questionnaires was used in an attempt to determine this association between specific personality traits (i.e., reward sensitivity, impulsivity, cognitive and somatic anxiety, self-esteem, and social desirability) and…

Trauma-sensitive yoga as an adjunct mental health treatment in group therapy for survivors of domestic violence: A feasibility study

PubMed Central

Clark, Cari Jo; Lewis-Dmello, Angela; Anders, Deena; Parsons, Amy; Nguyen-Feng, Viann; Henn, Lisa; Emerson, David

2014-01-01

This study is a feasibility test of whether incorporating trauma-sensitive yoga into group therapy for female victims of partner violence improves symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) beyond that achieved with group therapy alone. Seventeen (9 control, 8 intervention) adult female clients seeking group psychotherapy were enrolled. A 12-week trauma-sensitive yoga protocol was administered once weekly for 30–40 min at the end of each group therapy session. The control group received typical group psychotherapy. Feasibility was assessed through recruitment and retention rates as well as participants’ self-reported perceptions of the safety and utility of the study. The study enrolled 85% (17/20) of those screened eligible. Loss to follow-up was 30% (5/17). No one reported emotional or physical harm. All of the respondents reported that the study was personally meaningful and that the results would be useful to others. PMID:25129883

Cutaneous Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (erysipeloid) infection in an immunocompromised child.

PubMed

Boyd, Alan S; Ritchie, Coleman; Fenton, Jeremy S

2014-01-01

Erysipeloid, a cutaneous infection with the gram-positive bacillus Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, is typically an occupational dermatosis seen in persons working with livestock or involved in commercial fishing (fishmongers). Other more-generalized forms of infection with this organism also exist, including a septic form usually associated with endocarditis. Many infections may be self-limited. They have rarely been reported in children or in immunocompromised patients. This microbe is sensitive to many mainstream antibiotic agents. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

2006 Survey of Reserve Component Spouses

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-01

demonstrate how personal self - esteem is bolstered by a personal bond with a specific organization. Affective commitment is the “want to” of...47 29. Reserve Spouses’ Self -Reported Preparedness for Future Deployments, by Member Characteristics...Spouses Indicating Household Financial Condition .....................92 61. Self -Reported Perception of Household Financial Condition by Reserve Spouses

The Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI): Psychometric properties of multi-informant ratings.

PubMed

Boson, Karin; Brändström, Sven; Sigvardsson, Sören

2018-04-01

The aims of the study were (a) to establish norms for the Swedish child self-report and caregiver rating versions of the Junior and Temperament Character Inventory (JTCI) among young adolescents, (b) to investigate its psychometric properties, and (c) to investigate congruence between children's self-reports and caregivers' ratings of a child's personality. The sample was a general population of 1,046 children ages 12-14 years and 654 caregivers. The JTCI was found to be reliable on all dimensions except Persistence in the child self-report version. Caregivers rated their own children's personalities as more mature than did the children themselves. Caregivers especially overestimated their daughters' self-reported capabilities for self-acceptance and self-efficacy and might have underestimated their daughters' need for emotional support. This highlights the importance of including the child's self-report on personality in both research and clinical assessments. The results also support the importance of age- and gender-separated norms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Personality and self-reported use of mobile phones for games.

PubMed

Phillips, James G; Butt, Sarah; Blaszczynski, Alex

2006-12-01

Mobile phones are popular devices that may generate problems for a section of the community. A previous study using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire found that extraverts with low self-esteem reported more problems with their mobile phone use. The present study used the NEO FI and Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory to predict the self reported mobile phone use of 112 participants. Multiple regression found that people low on agreeableness were more likely to use their mobile phones to play games. The findings imply an interplay between personality traits and excessive or problematic use on mobile phones that is relevant to proposed innovations such as gambling on mobile phones.

Correlates of Jealousy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bringle, Robert G.; And Others

The Self-Report Jealousy Scale was developed to measure individual differences regarding a person's propensity to reach in a jealous manner to a variety of jealousy-evoking situations. The scale possesses good psychometric properties. Studies are reported which administered the Self-Report Jealousy Scale with various personality scales. The…

Development and Validation of the Personality Assessment Questionnaire: Test Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rohner, Ronald P.; And Others

Data are presented evaluating the validity and reliability of the Personality Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ), a self-report questionnaire designed to elicit respondents' perceptions of themselves with respect to seven personality and behavioral dispositions: hostility and aggression, dependence, self-esteem, self-adequacy, emotional…

Personality, Social Skills, Anomie and Delinquency: A Self-Report Study of a Group of Normal Non-Delinquent Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furnham, Adrian

1984-01-01

Over 200 'normal' adolescents were administered self-report measures of personality (extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism), social skills, anomie, and delinquency in order to establish which of three theories best predicted delinquency. Eysenck's personality factors, particularly psychoticism, correlated most highly with delinquency. (RH)

Speeding by young novice drivers: What can personal characteristics and psychosocial theory add to our understanding?

PubMed

Scott-Parker, Bridie; Hyde, Melissa K; Watson, Barry; King, Mark J

2013-01-01

Young novice drivers continue to be overrepresented in fatalities and injuries arising from crashes even with the introduction of countermeasures such as graduated driver licensing (GDL). Enhancing countermeasures requires a better understanding of the variables influencing risky driving. One of the most common risky behaviours performed by drivers of all ages is speeding, which is particularly risky for young novice drivers who, due to their driving inexperience, have difficulty in identifying and responding appropriately to road hazards. Psychosocial theory can improve our understanding of contributors to speeding, thereby informing countermeasure development and evaluation. This paper reports an application of Akers' social learning theory (SLT), augmented by Gerrard and Gibbons' prototype/willingness model (PWM), in addition to personal characteristics of age, gender, car ownership, and psychological traits/states of anxiety, depression, sensation seeking propensity and reward sensitivity, to examine the influences on self-reported speeding of young novice drivers with a Provisional (intermediate) licence in Queensland, Australia. Young drivers (n=378) recruited in 2010 for longitudinal research completed two surveys containing the Behaviour of Young Novice Drivers Scale, and reported their attitudes and behaviours as pre-Licence/Learner (Survey 1) and Provisional (Survey 2) drivers and their sociodemographic characteristics. An Akers' measurement model was created. Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that (1) personal characteristics (PC) explained 20.3%; (2) the combination of PC and SLT explained 41.1%; (3) the combination of PC, SLT and PWM explained 53.7% of variance in self-reported speeding. Whilst there appeared to be considerable shared variance, the significant predictors in the final model included gender, car ownership, reward sensitivity, depression, personal attitudes, and Learner speeding. These results highlight the capacity for psychosocial theory to improve our understanding of speeding by young novice drivers, revealing relationships between previous behaviour, attitudes, psychosocial characteristics and speeding. The findings suggest multi-faceted countermeasures should target the risky behaviour of Learners, and Learner supervisors should be encouraged to monitor their Learners' driving speed. Novice drivers should be discouraged from developing risky attitudes towards speeding. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SENSE OF CONTROL AND SELF-REPORTED HEALTH IN A POPULATION-BASED SAMPLE OF OLDER AMERICANS: ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFOUNDING BY AFFECT, PERSONALITY, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT

PubMed Central

Ward, Michael M.

2012-01-01

Background Sense of control has been linked to improved health outcomes, but it is unclear if this association is independent of other psychosocial factors. Purpose To test the strength of association between sense of control and self-reported health after adjustment for positive and negative affect, “Big 5” personality factors, and social support. Method Data on sense of control (measured by personal mastery, perceived constraints, and a health-specific rating of control), affect, personality, social support, and two measures of self-reported health (global rating of fair or poor health, and presence of functional limitations) were obtained on 6891 participants in the Health and Retirement Study, a population-based survey of older Americans. The cross-sectional association between sense of control measures and each measure of self-reported health was tested in hierarchical logistic regression models, before and after adjustment for affect, personality, and social support. Results Participants with higher personal mastery were less likely to report fair/poor health (odds ratio 0.76 per 1-point increase) while those with higher perceived constraints were more likely to report fair/poor health (odds ratio 1.37 per 1-point increase). Associations remained after adjustment for affect, but adjustment for affect attenuated the association of personal mastery by 37% and of perceived constraints by 67%. Further adjustment for personality and social support did not alter the strength of association. Findings were similar for the health-specific rating of control, and for associations with functional limitations. Conclusions Sense of control is associated with self-reported health in older Americans, but this association is partly confounded by affect. PMID:22282403

Short assessment of the Big Five: robust across survey methods except telephone interviewing.

PubMed

Lang, Frieder R; John, Dennis; Lüdtke, Oliver; Schupp, Jürgen; Wagner, Gert G

2011-06-01

We examined measurement invariance and age-related robustness of a short 15-item Big Five Inventory (BFI-S) of personality dimensions, which is well suited for applications in large-scale multidisciplinary surveys. The BFI-S was assessed in three different interviewing conditions: computer-assisted or paper-assisted face-to-face interviewing, computer-assisted telephone interviewing, and a self-administered questionnaire. Randomized probability samples from a large-scale German panel survey and a related probability telephone study were used in order to test method effects on self-report measures of personality characteristics across early, middle, and late adulthood. Exploratory structural equation modeling was used in order to test for measurement invariance of the five-factor model of personality trait domains across different assessment methods. For the short inventory, findings suggest strong robustness of self-report measures of personality dimensions among young and middle-aged adults. In old age, telephone interviewing was associated with greater distortions in reliable personality assessment. It is concluded that the greater mental workload of telephone interviewing limits the reliability of self-report personality assessment. Face-to-face surveys and self-administrated questionnaire completion are clearly better suited than phone surveys when personality traits in age-heterogeneous samples are assessed.

A nursing theory of personal system empathy: interpreting a conceptualization of empathy in King's interacting systems.

PubMed

Alligood, M R; May, B A

2000-07-01

This article presents a theory of empathy discovered through rational hermeneutic interpretation within King's personal system. Personal system concepts from King's general systems framework include perception, self, growth and development, body image, space, time, and learning. Propositions for each concept in the personal system were explicated and a theory of nursing empathy was developed. This nursing theory proposes that empathy organizes perceptions; facilitates awareness of self and others; increases sensitivity; promotes shared respect, mutual goals, and social awareness; cultivates understanding of individuals within a historical and social context; and affects learning.

Influence of social desirability on age differences in self-reports of mood and personality

PubMed Central

Soubelet, Andrea; Salthouse, Timothy A.

2011-01-01

Increased age has been found to be associated with differences in affect and personality which have been interpreted in terms of better emotional regulation and increased maturity. However, these findings have largely been based on self-report data, and the primary goal of the current research was to investigate the hypothesis that age-related differences in affect and in certain desirable personality traits might, at least partially, reflect age differences in social desirability. As expected, increased age was associated with lower levels of negative affect and neuroticism and higher levels of positive affect, life satisfaction, agreeableness and conscientiousness, and scores on the social desirability scale were positively related to age and to desirable self-report characteristics, but negatively related to undesirable self-report characteristics. Importantly, controlling for the variance in the social desirability measure resulted in less positive age trends in both types of self-report measures. PMID:21682727

Measuring personal recovery - psychometric properties of the Swedish Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery (QPR-Swe).

PubMed

Argentzell, Elisabeth; Hultqvist, Jenny; Neil, Sandra; Eklund, Mona

2017-10-01

Personal recovery, defined as an individual process towards meaning, is an important target within mental health services. Measuring recovery hence requires reliable and valid measures. The Process of Recovery Questionnaire (QPR) was developed for that purpose. The aim was to develop a Swedish version of the QPR (QPR-Swe) and explore its psychometric properties in terms of factor structure, internal consistency, construct validity and sensitivity to change. A total of 226 participants entered the study. The factor structure was investigated by Principal Component Analysis and Scree plot. Construct validity was addressed in terms of convergent validity against indicators of self-mastery, self-esteem, quality of life and self-rated health. A one-factor solution of QPR-Swe received better support than a two-factor solution. Good internal consistency was indicated, α = 0.92, and construct validity was satisfactory. The QPR-Swe showed preliminary sensitivity to change. The QPR-Swe showed promising initial psychometric properties in terms of internal consistency, convergent validity and sensitivity to change. The QPR-Swe is recommended for use in research and clinical contexts to assess personal recovery among people with mental illness.

Personal Epistemology and Self-Efficacy in the Special Education Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Bradley W.

2011-01-01

This report summarizes the personal epistemology and self-efficacy concepts and how they affect special education teachers. This report is based on the social cognitive theory, perceived and collective efficacy, and how the conceptual thoughts of a special education teacher affect their instructional focus in the classroom. Self-efficacy beliefs…

Parenting Styles: A Key Factor to Self Determination and Personal Growth of Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aslam, Manika Arbab; Sultan, Sarwat

2014-01-01

The study was conducted to explore the impact of parenting styles of adolescents on their self-determination and personal growth. The data was collected from 300 adults evenly divided by gender, aged 23-38 years. To measure the parenting styles, level of self-determination and personal growth, the Caregivers Practices Report, Self Determination…

Comparison between self-report of cannabis use and toxicological detection of THC/THCCOOH in blood and THC in oral fluid in drivers in a roadside survey.

PubMed

Van der Linden, Trudy; Silverans, Peter; Verstraete, Alain G

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to compare the number of drivers who self-reported cannabis use by questionnaires to the results of toxicological analysis. During roadside surveys, 2957 respondents driving a personal car or van completed a questionnaire to report their use of drugs and medicines during the previous two weeks and to indicate the time of their last intake. Cannabis was analyzed in oral fluid by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), in blood by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Frequencies in the time categories were calculated and compared with toxicological results. Diagnostic values were calculated for the time categories in which positive findings were to be expected (<4 h and <2 4h, respectively for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH) in blood, <12 h for THC in oral fluid). Most self-reported cannabis use was more than 12 h before driving. The sensitivity of the questionnaire was low, while the specificity and accuracy were high. Kappa statistics revealed a fair agreement between self-report and positive findings for THC in oral fluid and blood and moderate agreement with THCCOOH in blood. Self-report largely underestimates driving under the influence of cannabis, particularly recent cannabis use; therefore analysis of biological samples is necessary. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Self-informant Agreement for Personality and Evaluative Person Descriptors: Comparing Methods for Creating Informant Measures.

PubMed

Simms, Leonard J; Zelazny, Kerry; Yam, Wern How; Gros, Daniel F

2010-05-01

Little attention typically is paid to the way self-report measures are translated for use in self-informant agreement studies. We studied two possible methods for creating informant measures: (a) the traditional method in which self-report items were translated from the first- to the third-person and (b) an alternative meta-perceptual method in which informants were directed to rate their perception of the targets' self-perception. We hypothesized that the latter method would yield stronger self-informant agreement for evaluative personality dimensions measured by indirect item markers. We studied these methods in a sample of 303 undergraduate friendship dyads. Results revealed mean-level differences between methods, similar self-informant agreement across methods, stronger agreement for Big Five dimensions than for evaluative dimensions, and incremental validity for meta-perceptual informant rating methods. Limited power reduced the interpretability of several sparse acquaintanceship effects. We conclude that traditional informant methods are appropriate for most personality traits, but meta-perceptual methods may be more appropriate when personality questionnaire items reflect indirect indicators of the trait being measured, which is particularly likely for evaluative traits.

Self-informant Agreement for Personality and Evaluative Person Descriptors: Comparing Methods for Creating Informant Measures

PubMed Central

Simms, Leonard J.; Zelazny, Kerry; Yam, Wern How; Gros, Daniel F.

2011-01-01

Little attention typically is paid to the way self-report measures are translated for use in self-informant agreement studies. We studied two possible methods for creating informant measures: (a) the traditional method in which self-report items were translated from the first- to the third-person and (b) an alternative meta-perceptual method in which informants were directed to rate their perception of the targets’ self-perception. We hypothesized that the latter method would yield stronger self-informant agreement for evaluative personality dimensions measured by indirect item markers. We studied these methods in a sample of 303 undergraduate friendship dyads. Results revealed mean-level differences between methods, similar self-informant agreement across methods, stronger agreement for Big Five dimensions than for evaluative dimensions, and incremental validity for meta-perceptual informant rating methods. Limited power reduced the interpretability of several sparse acquaintanceship effects. We conclude that traditional informant methods are appropriate for most personality traits, but meta-perceptual methods may be more appropriate when personality questionnaire items reflect indirect indicators of the trait being measured, which is particularly likely for evaluative traits. PMID:21541262

Self-reported personality disorder in the children in the community sample: convergent and prospective validity in late adolescence and adulthood.

PubMed

Crawford, Thomas N; Cohen, Patricia; Johnson, Jeffrey G; Kasen, Stephanie; First, Michael B; Gordon, Kathy; Brook, Judith S

2005-02-01

Approximately 800 youths from the Children in the Community Study (Cohen & Cohen, 1996) have been assessed prospectively for over 20 years to study personality disorders (PDs) in adolescents and young adults. In this article we evaluate the Children in the Community Self-Report (CIC-SR) Scales, which were designed to assess DSM-IV PDs using self-reported prospective data from this longitudinal sample. To evaluate convergent validity, we assessed concordance between the CIC-SR Scales and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders (SCID-II; First, Gibbon, Spitzer, Williams, & Benjamin, 1995) in 644 participants at mean age 33. To assess predictive validity, we used CIC-SR Scales at mean age 22 to predict subsequent CIC-SR and SCID-II Personality Questionnaire scores at mean age 33. In these analyses the CIC-SR Scales matched or exceeded benchmarks established in previous comparisons between self-report instruments and structured clinical interviews. Unlike other self-report scales, the CIC-SR did not appear to overestimate diagnoses when compared with SCID-II clinical diagnoses.

Use of structured self-report assessment to diagnose borderline personality disorder during major depressive episodes.

PubMed

Kurtz, J E; Morey, L C

2001-09-01

Diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) during episodes of major depression (MDE), although clinically important, is complicated in several respects when using self-report methods. Structured interview data were used to select a group of patients with comorbid BPD (n=21) from a sample of outpatients presenting with MDE. This group was compared with a group of MDE patients without BPD (n=24) and with a group of community controls (n=20) using self-report data from the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), the revised Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire (PDQ), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Analyses revealed that the BPD group obtained significantly higher scores on PAI and PDQ scales measuring features of BPD and on the PAI Negative Impression Management scale. The severity and type of MDE symptoms reported on the PAI and BDI did not differentiate the clinical groups. These data show that useful information for the diagnosis of BPD during depressive episodes can be gathered from self-report assessment instruments like the PAI.

Validation of the COURAGE Built Environment Self-Reported Questionnaire.

PubMed

Raggi, Alberto; Quintas, Rui; Bucciarelli, Paola; Franco, Maria Grazia; Andreotti, Alessandra; Miret, Marta; Zawisza, Katarzyna; Olaya, Beatriz; Chatterji, Somnath; Sainio, Päivi; Frisoni, Giovanni Battista; Martinuzzi, Andrea; Minicuci, Nadia; Power, Mick; Leonardi, Matilde

2014-01-01

The built environment (BE) impacts on people's disability and health, in terms of overweight, depression, alcohol abuse, poor self-rated health and presence of psychological symptoms; it is reasonable to assume that BE also impacts on participation levels. This paper presents the validation of the COURAGE Built Environment Self-Reported Questionnaire (CBE-SR), an instrument designed to evaluate BE in the context of health and disability. Subjects participating to COURAGE, a cross-sectional study conducted on 10,800 citizens of Poland, Finland and Spain, completed a protocol inclusive of the CBE-SR. Psychometric properties and factor structure were analysed, and factor scores created. Gender differences, differences between persons from different age groups and persons reporting the environment as facilitating, hindering or neutral were calculated. Eight items were deleted so that the final version of CBE-SR comprises 19 items. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.743 to 0.906, and test-retest stability was demonstrated for the majority of items. Four subscales were identified: Usability of the neighbourhood environment; Hindrance of walkable environment; Easiness of use of public buildings, places and facilities; and Risk of accidents and usability of the living place. Younger respondents reported their neighbourhood as more usable but perceived walkways as more hindering and public buildings as less easy to use; gender differences were almost inexistent. The CBE-SR is a four-scale instrument with good psychometric properties that measures the person-environment interaction. It is sensitive across age groups and is consistent with the subject's overall judgement of the degree to which the environment is facilitating or hindering. Poor built environments have a negative impact on the level of a person's participation. However, instruments measuring the person-environment interaction are lacking. The CBE-SR is a valid and reliable instrument that researchers can use to assess the relationships between the intrinsic health state and the objective features of the environment. Understanding this relationship would provide further insight into the need of addressing the individual's functioning either by means of interventions directed to the individual or by making changes to the individual's environment. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Self-compassion increases self-improvement motivation.

PubMed

Breines, Juliana G; Chen, Serena

2012-09-01

Can treating oneself with compassion after making a mistake increase self-improvement motivation? In four experiments, the authors examined the hypothesis that self-compassion motivates people to improve personal weaknesses, moral transgressions, and test performance. Participants in a self-compassion condition, compared to a self-esteem control condition and either no intervention or a positive distraction control condition, expressed greater incremental beliefs about a personal weakness (Experiment 1); reported greater motivation to make amends and avoid repeating a recent moral transgression (Experiment 2); spent more time studying for a difficult test following an initial failure (Experiment 3); exhibited a preference for upward social comparison after reflecting on a personal weakness (Experiment 4); and reported greater motivation to change the weakness (Experiment 4). These findings suggest that, somewhat paradoxically, taking an accepting approach to personal failure may make people more motivated to improve themselves.

Crash risk and aberrant driving behaviors among bus drivers: the role of personality and attitudes towards traffic safety.

PubMed

Mallia, Luca; Lazuras, Lambros; Violani, Cristiano; Lucidi, Fabio

2015-06-01

Several studies have shown that personality traits and attitudes toward traffic safety predict aberrant driving behaviors and crash involvement. However, this process has not been adequately investigated in professional drivers, such as bus drivers. The present study used a personality-attitudes model to assess whether personality traits predicted aberrant self-reported driving behaviors (driving violations, lapses, and errors) both directly and indirectly, through the effects of attitudes towards traffic safety in a large sample of bus drivers. Additionally, the relationship between aberrant self-reported driving behaviors and crash risk was also assessed. Three hundred and one bus drivers (mean age=39.1, SD=10.7 years) completed a structured and anonymous questionnaire measuring personality traits, attitudes toward traffic safety, self-reported aberrant driving behaviors (i.e., errors, lapses, and traffic violations), and accident risk in the last 12 months. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that personality traits were associated to aberrant driving behaviors both directly and indirectly. In particular altruism, excitement seeking, and normlessness directly predicted bus drivers' attitudes toward traffic safety which, in turn, were negatively associated with the three types of self-reported aberrant driving behaviors. Personality traits relevant to emotionality directly predicted bus drivers' aberrant driving behaviors, without any mediation of attitudes. Finally, only self-reported violations were related to bus drivers' accident risk. The present findings suggest that the hypothesized personality-attitudes model accounts for aberrant driving behaviors in bus drivers, and provide the empirical basis for evidence-based road safety interventions in the context of public transport. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perceptions of self-stigma and its correlates among older adults with depression: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Werner, Perla; Stein-Shvachman, Ifat; Heinik, Jeremia

2009-12-01

Depression is common in old age and is often associated with stigma. However, to date, little is known about self-stigma (internalization of stigmatic beliefs) in depressed older people despite its importance and consequences. The aim of this study was to examine self-stigma and its correlates in depressed older people. Phone interviews were conducted with 54 persons diagnosed with major depression (78% female, average age = 74) from a psychogeriatric clinic in the central area of Israel. Self-stigma was assessed using an adapted version of the Internalized Stigma of Mental Health (ISMI) scale. Symptoms of depression were assessed using the short form of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Self-esteem was measured using Rosenberg's Self Esteem Scale. Information regarding sociodemographic and psychiatric health characteristics was also collected. Self-stigma was relatively moderate with 10% to 20% of the participants reporting self-stigma. Those who reported higher levels of self-stigma were younger than those who did not report it. Income and education were lower in persons who reported high levels of stigmatization. Persons who reported stigmatization scored higher on the GDS and reported lower self-esteem than those without stigmatization. This study represents an effort to examine the correlates of self-stigma in depressed older people. Since self-stigma exists among older adults, further studies are required to extend this body of knowledge.

Personality Stability from Childhood to Midlife: Relating Teachers' Assessments in Elementary School to Observer- and Self-Ratings 40 Years Later.

PubMed

Edmonds, Grant W; Goldberg, Lewis R; Hampson, Sarah E; Barckley, Maureen

2013-10-01

We report on the longitudinal stability of personality traits across an average 40 years in the Hawaii Personality and Health Cohort relating childhood teacher assessments of personality to adult self- and observer- reports. Stabilities based on self-ratings in adulthood were compared to those measured by the Structured Interview for the Five-Factor Model (SIFFM; Trull & Widiger, 1997), and trait ratings completed by interviewers. Although convergence between self-reports and observer-ratings was modest, childhood traits demonstrated similar levels of stability across methods in adulthood. Extraversion and Conscientiousness generally showed higher stabilities, whereas Neuroticism showed none. For Agreeableness and Intellect/Openness, stability was highest when assessed with observer-ratings. These findings are discussed in terms of differences in trait evaluativeness and observability across measurement methods.

Personality Stability from Childhood to Midlife: Relating Teachers’ Assessments in Elementary School to Observer- and Self-Ratings 40 Years Later

PubMed Central

Edmonds, Grant W.; Goldberg, Lewis R.; Hampson, Sarah E.; Barckley, Maureen

2013-01-01

We report on the longitudinal stability of personality traits across an average 40 years in the Hawaii Personality and Health Cohort relating childhood teacher assessments of personality to adult self- and observer- reports. Stabilities based on self-ratings in adulthood were compared to those measured by the Structured Interview for the Five-Factor Model (SIFFM; Trull & Widiger, 1997), and trait ratings completed by interviewers. Although convergence between self-reports and observer-ratings was modest, childhood traits demonstrated similar levels of stability across methods in adulthood. Extraversion and Conscientiousness generally showed higher stabilities, whereas Neuroticism showed none. For Agreeableness and Intellect/Openness, stability was highest when assessed with observer-ratings. These findings are discussed in terms of differences in trait evaluativeness and observability across measurement methods. PMID:24039315

Short forms of the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality (SNAP) for self- and collateral ratings: development, reliability, and validity.

PubMed

Harlan, E; Clark, L A

1999-06-01

Researchers and clinicians alike increasingly seek brief, reliable, and valid measures to obtain personality trait ratings from both selves and peers. We report the development of a paragraph-descriptor short form of a full-length personality assessment instrument, the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality (SNAP) with both self- and other versions. Reliability and validity data were collected on a sample of 294 college students, from 90 of whom we also obtained parental ratings of their personality. Internal consistency reliability was good in both self- and parent data. The factorial structures of the self-report short and long forms were very similar. Convergence between parental ratings was moderately high. Self-parent convergence was variable, with lower agreement on scales assessing subjective distress than those assessing more observable behaviors; it also was stronger for higher order factors than for scales.

Activating lay health influencers to promote tobacco cessation.

PubMed

Muramoto, Myra L; Hall, John R; Nichter, Mark; Nichter, Mimi; Aickin, Mikel; Connolly, Tim; Matthews, Eva; Campbell, Jean Z; Lando, Harry A

2014-05-01

To evaluate the effect of tobacco cessation brief-intervention (BI) training for lay "health influencers," on knowledge, self-efficacy and the proportion of participants reporting BI delivery post-training. Randomized, community-based study comparing In-person or Web-based training, with mailed materials. In-person and Web-training groups had significant post-training cessation knowledge and self-efficacy gains. All groups increased the proportion of individuals reporting BIs at follow-up, with no significant between-group differences. Irrespective of participants' prior intervention experience, 80%-86% reported BIs within the past 90 days; 71%-79% reported >1 in the past 30. Web and In-person training significantly increase health influencer cessation knowledge and self-efficacy. With minimal prompting and materials, even persons without BI experience can be activated to encourage tobacco cessation.

Your friends know how long you will live: a 75-year study of peer-rated personality traits.

PubMed

Jackson, Joshua J; Connolly, James J; Garrison, S Mason; Leveille, Madeleine M; Connolly, Seamus L

2015-03-01

Although self-rated personality traits predict mortality risk, no study has examined whether one's friends can perceive personality characteristics that predict one's mortality risk. Moreover, it is unclear whether observers' reports (compared with self-reports) provide better or unique information concerning the personal characteristics that result in longer and healthier lives. To test whether friends' reports of personality predict mortality risk, we used data from a 75-year longitudinal study (the Kelly/Connolly Longitudinal Study on Personality and Aging). In that study, 600 participants were observed beginning in 1935 through 1938, when they were in their mid-20s, and continuing through 2013. Male participants seen by their friends as more conscientious and open lived longer, whereas friend-rated emotional stability and agreeableness were protective for women. Friends' ratings were better predictors of longevity than were self-reports of personality, in part because friends' ratings could be aggregated to provide a more reliable assessment. Our findings demonstrate the utility of observers' reports in the study of health and provide insights concerning the pathways by which personality traits influence health. © The Author(s) 2015.

The relationship between personality organization as assessed by theory-driven profiles of the Dutch Short Form of the MMPI and self-reported features of personality organization.

PubMed

Eurelings-Bontekoe, Elisabeth H M; Luyten, Patrick; Remijsen, Mila; Koelen, Jurrijn

2010-11-01

In this study, we investigated the relationships between features of personality organization (PO) as assessed by theory driven profiles of the Dutch Short Form of the MMPI (DSFM; Luteijn & Kok, 1985) and 2 self-report measures of personality pathology, that is, the Dutch Inventory of Personality Organization (Berghuis, Kamphuis, Boedijn, & Verheul, 2009) and the Dutch Schizotypy Personality Questionnaire-Revised (Vollema & Hoijtink, 2000), in a sample of 190 outpatient psychiatric patients. Results showed that the single scales of all 3 measures segregated into 2 theoretically expected and meaningful dimensions, that is, a dimension assessing severity of personality pathology and an introversion/extraversion dimension. Theory-driven combinations of single DSFM subscales as a measure of level of PO distinguished characteristics of patients at various levels of PO in theoretically predicted ways. Results also suggest that structural personality pathology may not be fully captured by self-report measures.

Trait Variance and Response Style Variance in the Scales of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5).

PubMed

Ashton, Michael C; de Vries, Reinout E; Lee, Kibeom

2017-01-01

Using self- and observer reports on the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) and the HEXACO Personality Inventory-Revised (HEXACO-PI-R), we identified for each inventory several trait dimensions (each defined by both self- and observer reports on the facet-level scales belonging to the same domain) and 2 source dimensions (each defined by self-reports or by observer reports, respectively, on all facet-level scales). Results (N = 217) showed that the source dimensions of the PID-5 were very large (much larger than those of the HEXACO-PI-R), and suggest that self-report (or observer report) response styles substantially inflate the intercorrelations and the alpha reliabilities of the PID-5 scales. We discuss the meaning and the implications of the large PID-5 source components, and we suggest some methods of controlling their influence.

Collateral Report of Psychopathy: Convergent and Divergent Validity of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Short Form

PubMed Central

Iyican, Susan; Sommer, Johannah M.; Kini, Sheetal; Babcock, Julia C.

2015-01-01

Psychopathy is a personality syndrome comprised of interpersonal, affective, and behavioral features that has emerged as a correlate of intimate partner violence perpetration. One commonly used self-report measure of psychopathy is the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Short Form. The current study employed a multi-trait, multi-method approach to test convergent and discriminant validity of the measure in partner-violent couples by comparing males’ self-report of psychopathy to the informant report of their female partner (N = 114). It was hypothesized that the female partner-report of the male’s psychopathy would be highly correlated with the male report of his own psychopathy, thus providing evidence for the construct validity and interrater reliability of the PPI-SF. Analyses found that male and female reports were correlated significantly on the two major factors of the PPI-SF. Furthermore, the female-report explained a significant amount of variance over and above men’s self-report on PAI scales designed to indicate antisocial personality traits. PMID:26213500

Self-reported personality variability across the social network is associated with interpersonal dysfunction.

PubMed

Clifton, Allan; Kuper, Laura E

2011-04-01

We describe 2 studies (n=52 and n=82) examining variability in perceptions of personality using a social network methodology. Undergraduate participants completed self-report measures of personality and interpersonal dysfunction and then subsequently reported on their personalities with each of 30 members of their social networks. Results across the 2 studies found substantial variability in participants' perceived personalities within their social networks. Measures of interpersonal dysfunction were associated with the amount of variability in dyadic ratings of personality, specifically Agreeableness and Openness to Experience. Results suggest that personality variability across interpersonal contexts may be an important individual difference related to social behavior and dysfunction. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Personality © 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Personality trait level and change as predictors of health outcomes: findings from a national study of Americans (MIDUS).

PubMed

Turiano, Nicholas A; Pitzer, Lindsay; Armour, Cherie; Karlamangla, Arun; Ryff, Carol D; Mroczek, Daniel K

2012-01-01

Personality traits predict numerous health outcomes, but previous studies have rarely used personality change to predict health. The current investigation utilized a large national sample of 3,990 participants from the Midlife in the U.S. study (MIDUS) to examine if both personality trait level and personality change longitudinally predict 3 different health outcomes (i.e., self-rated physical health, self-reported blood pressure, and number of days limited at work or home due to physical health reasons) over a 10-year span. Each of the Big Five traits, except openness, predicted self-rated health. Change in agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion also predicted self-rated health. Trait levels of conscientiousness and neuroticism level predicted self-reported blood pressure. All trait levels except agreeableness predicted number of work days limited. Only change in conscientiousness predicted the number of work days limited. Findings demonstrate that a full understanding of the link between personality and health requires consideration of trait change as well as trait level.

Patients' perceptions of memory functioning before and after surgical intervention to treat medically refractory epilepsy.

PubMed

Lineweaver, Tara T; Naugle, Richard I; Cafaro, Alyce M; Bingaman, William; Lüders, Hans O

2004-12-01

One risk associated with epilepsy surgery is memory loss, but perhaps more important is how patients perceive changes in their memories. This longitudinal study evaluated changes in memory self-reports and investigated how self-reports relate to changes on objective memory measures in temporal or extratemporal epilepsy patients who underwent surgery. Objective memory (Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised) and subjective memory self-reports (Memory Assessment Clinics Self-Rating Scale) were individually assessed for 136 patients approximately 6 months before and 6 months after surgery. A measure of depressive affect (Beck Depression Inventory-2nd Edition) was used to control variance attributable to emotional distress. Despite a lack of significant correlational relationships between objective and subjective memory for the entire sample, significant correlations between objective memory scores and self-reports did emerge for a subset of patients who evidenced memory decline. Differences also were found in the subjective memory ratings of temporal lobe versus extratemporal patients. Temporal lobe patients rated their memories more negatively than did extratemporal patients and were more likely to report significant improvements in their memory after surgery. In general, patients were not accurate when rating their memories compared to other adults. However, patients with significant declines in their memories were sensitive to actual changes in their memories over time relative to their own personal baselines.

Validity of injecting drug users' self report of hepatitis A, B, and C.

PubMed

Schlicting, Erin G; Johnson, Mark E; Brems, Christiane; Wells, Rebecca S; Fisher, Dennis G; Reynolds, Grace

2003-01-01

To test the validity of drug users self-reports of diseases associated with drug use, in this case hepatitis A, B, and C. Injecting drug users (n = 653) were recruited and asked whether they had been diagnosed previously with hepatitis A, B, and/or C. These self-report data were compared to total hepatitis A antibody, hepatitis B core antibody, and hepatitis C antibody seromarkers as a means of determining the validity of the self-reported information. Anchorage, Alaska. Criteria for inclusion included being at least 18-years old; testing positive on urinalysis for cocaine metabolites, amphetamine, or morphine; having visible signs of injection (track marks). Serological testing for hepatitis A, B, and C. Findings indicate high specificity, low sensitivity, and low kappa coefficients for all three self-report measures. Subgroup analyses revealed significant differences in sensitivity associated with previous substance abuse treatment experience for hepatitis B self-report and with gender for hepatitis C self-report. Given the low sensitivity, the validity of drug users, self-reported information on hepatitis should be considered with caution.

Incremental Validity of Spouse Ratings versus Self-Reports of Personality as Predictors of Marital Quality and Behavior during Marital Conflict

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cundiff, Jenny M.; Smith, Timothy W.; Frandsen, Clay A.

2012-01-01

The personality traits of neuroticism and agreeableness are consistently related to marital quality, influencing the individual's own (i.e., actor effect) and the spouse's marital quality (i.e., partner effect). However, this research has almost exclusively relied on self-reports of personality, despite the fact that spouse ratings have been found…

Toddlers' Acquisition of Self/Other Knowledge: Ecological and Interpersonal Aspects of Self and Other.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pipp-Siegel, Sandra; Foltz, Carol

1997-01-01

Two studies tested whether 12- and 24-month olds' self-knowledge differed from their knowledge of others (mother or inanimate object), or whether toddlers' knowledge of persons (self and mother) differed from knowledge of objects. Results showed that 12-month olds were more sensitive than older toddlers to perceptual features of objects. Data were…

Reinforcement Sensitivity Underlying Treatment-Seeking Smokers’ Affect, Smoking Reinforcement Motives, and Affective Responses

PubMed Central

Cui, Yong; Robinson, Jason D.; Engelmann, Jeffrey M.; Lam, Cho Y.; Minnix, Jennifer A.; Karam-Hage, Maher; Wetter, David W.; Dani, John A.; Kosten, Thomas R.; Cinciripini, Paul M.

2014-01-01

Nicotine dependence has been suggested to be related to reinforcement sensitivity, which encompasses behavioral predispositions either to avoid aversive (behavioral inhibition) or to approach appetitive (behavioral activation) stimuli. Reinforcement sensitivity may shape motives for nicotine use and offer potential targets for personalized smoking cessation therapy. However, little is known regarding how reinforcement sensitivity is related to motivational processes implicated in the maintenance of smoking. Additionally, women and men differ in reinforcement sensitivity, and such difference may cause distinct relationships between reinforcement sensitivity and motivational processes for female and male smokers. In this study, we characterized reinforcement sensitivity in relation to affect, smoking-related reinforcement motives, and affective responses, using self-report and psychophysiological measures, in over 200 smokers before treating them. The Behavioral Inhibition/Activation Scales (BIS/BAS; Carver & White, 1994) was used to measure reinforcement sensitivity. In female and male smokers, BIS was similarly associated with negative affect and negative reinforcement of smoking. But positive affect was positively associated with BAS Drive scores in male smokers, and this association was reversed in female smokers. BIS was positively associated with corrugator electromyographic reactivity towards negative stimuli and left frontal electroencephalogram alpha asymmetry. Female and male smokers showed similar relationships for these physiological measures. These findings suggest that reinforcement sensitivity underpins important motivational processes (e.g., affect), and gender is a moderating factor for these relationships. Future personalized smoking intervention, particularly among more dependent treatment-seeking smokers, may experiment to target individual differences in reinforcement sensitivity. PMID:25621416

Self-perceptions of stability and change in personality at midlife: the UNC Alumni Heart Study.

PubMed

Herbst, J H; McCrae, R R; Costa, P T; Feaganes, J R; Siegler, I C

2000-12-01

The finding of personality stability in adulthood may be counterintuitive to people who perceive a great deal of change in their own personality. The purpose of this study is to determine whether self-reported perceived changes in personality are associated with actual changes based on a 6- to 9-year follow-up of 2,242 middle-aged male and female participants of the UNC Alumni Heart Study (UNCAHS). Respondents completed the Revised NEO Personality Inventory on two occasions and were asked to reflect back over a 6-year period and assess changes in their personality. The majority of respondents (n = 1,177; 52.5%) reported they had "stayed the same," while 863 (38.5%) reported they had "changed a little" and 202 (9%) reported they had "changed a good deal." Coefficients of personality profile agreement computed to evaluate global personality change for the three perceived change groups were essentially equivalent. Further, directional analyses of domain-specific changes in personality showed that perceived changes were weak predictors of residual gain scores. In an absolute sense, perceptions of stability or change were discordant in 8 of 15 (53%) comparisons. Self-perceptions of change are not an adequate substitute for objective assessments.

Self-reported skin colour and erythemal sensitivity vs. objectively measured constitutive skin colour in an African population with predominantly dark skin.

PubMed

Wright, Caradee Y; Wilkes, Marcus; du Plessis, Johan L; Reeder, Anthony I

2015-11-01

Skin colour is an important factor in skin-related diseases. Accurate determination of skin colour is important for disease prevention and supporting healthy sun behaviour, yet such data are lacking for dark skin types. Self-perceived, natural skin colour and sun-skin reaction were compared with objectively measured skin colour among an African population with predominantly dark skin. Unexposed skin of 556 adults (70.1% Black) was measured with a reflectance spectrophotometer to calculate an individual typology angle (°ITA). Participants reported self-perceived skin colour and erythemal sensitivity. There was a strong, positive monotonic correlation between self-reported and measured skin colour (Spearman ρ = 0.6438, P < 0.001), but only a weak correlation between self-reported erythemal sensitivity and measured skin colour (Spearman ρ = 0.2713, P < 0.001). Self-report biases in underestimation and overestimation of skin colour were evident. Many participants with 'dark brown' and 'black' skin had difficulty in classifying erythemal sensitivity. In Africa, self-reported skin colour could potentially be used in lieu of spectrophotometer measurements, but options for questions on sunburn and tanning require suitable adjustment. Our study provides evidence of range in °ITA values among residents in Africa and reinforces previous results that self-report may be reliable for determining skin colour, but not erythemal sensitivity, for dark skin individuals. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Personality functioning in patients with avoidant personality disorder and social phobia.

PubMed

Eikenaes, Ingeborg; Hummelen, Benjamin; Abrahamsen, Gun; Andrea, Helene; Wilberg, Theresa

2013-12-01

Avoidant personality disorder (APD) and social phobia (SP) are closely related, such that they are suggested to represent different severity levels of one social anxiety disorder. This cross-sectional study aimed to compare patients with APD to patients with SP, with particular focus on personality dysfunction. Ninety-one adult patients were examined by diagnostic interviews and self-report measures, including the Index of Self-Esteem and the Severity Indices of Personality Problems. Patients were categorized in three groups; SP without APD (n = 20), APD without SP (n = 15), and APD with SP (n = 56). Compared to patients with SP without APD, patients with APD reported more symptom disorders, psychosocial problems, criteria of personality disorders, and personality dysfunction regarding self-esteem, identity and relational problems. These results indicate that APD involves more severe and broader areas of personality dysfunction than SP, supporting the conceptualization of APD as a personality disorder as proposed for DSM-5.

Probing the big five in adolescence: personality and adjustment during a developmental transition.

PubMed

Graziano, W G; Ward, D

1992-06-01

The present study probed the links among Big Five personality differences, self-reported personality differences, and adjustment to school among young adolescents. We used a multimethod converging analysis, with three sources of data: (a) adolescent self-report on standardized personality inventories; (b) classroom teacher trait ratings and evaluations of adjustment; and (c) school guidance counselor evaluations of adjustment. Evaluations of adolescent adjustment were systematically related to Big Five personality differences, as assessed by both classroom teachers' and school counselors' ratings. For classroom teachers, adjustment was closely related to evaluations on the Big Five dimension of Conscientiousness. Adolescent self-report on several standardized measures was not related to adult evaluation of school adjustment. We suggest that the five-factor model may be a useful tool for probing adjustment during the transition to adolescence.

Brief strategic therapy in patients with social phobia with or without personality disorder.

PubMed

Rakowska, Jadwiga Malgorzata

2011-07-01

The aim of this study was to test the effects of brief strategic therapy in people with social phobia distinguished by the presence or absence of DSM anxious personality disorder. A group of 120 outpatients with social phobia, 60 of them with comorbid DSM anxious personality disorder, were randomly assigned to 10 weeks of brief strategic therapy or minimal supportive therapy. Outcome analyses were conducted on the intent-to-treat sample at posttreatment and 3-month follow-up using self-report interpersonal sensitivity and phobic anxiety measures, and at 6-month follow-up using social phobia diagnostic status. Brief strategic therapy was superior to minimal supportive therapy in patients with social phobia only. It was not significantly better in patients with comorbid personality disorder. It was concluded that 10 weeks of brief strategic therapy shows promise as a cost-effective method for management of social phobia. It has limited value as a method for management of social phobia with personality disorder.

[Self-determination of elderly persons with care needs: three case reports on individual and environmental resources of elderly persons].

PubMed

Kammerer, K; Falk, K; Heusinger, J; Kümpers, S

2012-10-01

The project Neighbourhood examined the opportunities for self-determination of older people with care needs and their social, spatial, and individual requirements. This article is based on three case reports on women from lower social milieus living on their own. The case reports show on which individual resources women relay in their everyday life and which environmental conditions help to enable or limit self-determination. The synopsis of the three cases reveals opportunities to support social participation and self-determination of persons with care needs on a local level. The concluding recommendations focus on requirements for networking and fundamentals for an easy access to counseling, supply and participatory structures.

Neuropsychological exploration of alleged mold neurotoxicity.

PubMed

Reinhard, Matthew J; Satz, Paul; Scaglione, Cris A; D'Elia, Louis F; Rassovsky, Yuri; Arita, Anthony A; Hinkin, Charles H; Thrasher, Delaney; Ordog, Gary

2007-05-01

Cognitive and emotional correlates of toxic mold exposure and potential dose-response effects for both outcomes were investigated. Self-reported length of exposure, time since last exposure, and serum immunoglobulin (IgG) levels were assessed. Despite CNS complaints often seen with mold exposed individuals, overall results did not uncover concomitant cognitive deficits suggested in previous studies or a significant reduction in intellectual functioning. Fewer subjects were excluded as result of failing effort/motivation assessment than expected. Correlations of IgG and cognitive function are discussed. A dose-effect for self-reported length of exposure and cognitive outcome was not seen. The sample's overall Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory II (MMPI-2) profile indicated elevations on scales 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8. MMPI-2 clinical scales 1 and 3 were significantly correlated with length of exposure. The MMPI-2 may be sensitive to increasing physical and emotional sequelae as length of exposure increases. A potential subgroup of cognitively impaired outliers within mold exposure litigants is explored. Limitations of self-reported and objective measurements for mold exposure and exploratory statistical methodology are discussed.

An Experimental Investigation of Drunk Personality Using Self and Observer Reports

PubMed Central

Winograd, Rachel P.; Steinley, Douglas; Lane, Sean P.; Sher, Kenneth J.

2017-01-01

Across various cultures there are robust stereotypes regarding how alcohol intoxication alters individuals’ normative personalities. However, whether these stereotypes are rooted in genuine average effects or in salient, socially-proliferated exemplars remain unclear. The current study tested if differences between sober and intoxicated personality expression can be observed reliably by trained raters during a drinking episode. Participants (N = 156), half of whom received alcohol, attended laboratory sessions in same-gender friend groups and engaged in activities designed to elicit a range of personality expression. Participants completed self-reports of their “typical” sober and drunk personalities two weeks prior to their sessions and via two short measures during the session. Additionally, participants were recorded and rated by multiple (Range = 5–17) trained raters using three personality measures. Self-perceptions of sober-to-drunk personality differences were more pervasive than observer-perceptions, but alcohol-induced changes in Extraversion, specifically, were robust across measures and reporters. PMID:28785511

Activating Lay Health Influencers to Promote Tobacco Cessation

PubMed Central

Muramoto, Myra L.; Hall, John R.; Nichter, Mark; Nichter, Mimi; Aickin, Mikel; Connolly, Tim; Matthews, Eva; Campbell, Jean Z.; Lando, Harry A.

2014-01-01

Objective Evaluate the effect of tobacco cessation brief-intervention (BI) training for lay “health influencers,” on knowledge, self-efficacy and the proportion of participants reporting BI delivery post-training. Methods Randomized, community-based study comparing In-person or Web-based training, with mailed materials. Results In-person and Web-training groups had significant post-training cessation knowledge and self-efficacy gains. All groups increased the proportion of individuals reporting BIs at follow-up, with no significant between-group differences. Irrespective of participants’ prior intervention experience, 80–86% reported BIs within the past 90 days; 71–79% reported ≥1 in the past 30. Conclusions Web and In-person training significantly increase health influencer cessation knowledge and self-efficacy. With minimal prompting and materials, even persons without BI experience can be activated to encourage tobacco cessation. PMID:24636035

CoSMoS and TwinPaW: initial report on two new German twin studies.

PubMed

Spinath, Frank M; Wolf, Heike

2006-12-01

After briefly recapitulating two earlier German twin studies (BiLSAT and GOSAT), we present two new German twin studies with a longitudinal perspective: CoSMoS and TwinPaW. The twin study on Cognitive ability, Self-reported Motivation and School performance (CoSMoS) aims to investigate predictors and influences of school performance in a genetically sensitive design, beginning with children in late elementary school. The Twin study on Personality And Wellbeing (TwinPaW) focuses on adult personality and its relation to physical health as well as health-related behavior in an adult sample of twins. Both studies are characterized by an effort to recruit new large twin samples through a novel recruitment procedure aimed at reducing self-selective sampling. In two German federal states, contact information on persons born on the same day and with the same name was retrieved from record sections. From the resulting pool of more than 36,000 addresses we contacted approximately 2000 parents of twins aged 9 and 10 for CoSMoS, as well as 2000 adult twin pairs for TwinPaW by telephone and mail. Personal contact by telephone proved to be more efficient with agreement rates of 63% in the children sample and 65% in the adult sample. In this article we briefly describe the rationale and the study aims of CoSMoS and TwinPaW as well as the characteristics of the sample we have recruited so far.

Personality and Social Problem-Solving: The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koruklu, Nermin

2015-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine direct and indirect relationships among personality, selfesteem and social problem-solving, as well as the mediating role of self-esteem in the link between personality and social problem-solving among Turkish youth. The study utilized a cross-sectional design comprising several self-reports. Data…

The Impact of Visual Disability on the Quality of Life of Older Persons in Rural Northeast Thailand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

La Grow, Steven; Sudnongbua, Supaporn; Boddy, Julie

2011-01-01

A high rate of self-reported visual disability was found among a sample of persons aged 60 and older in the course of a study that assessed the impact of feelings of abandonment among older persons in a remote rural area in northeast Thailand (Sudnongbua, La Grow, & Boddy, 2010). This study assessed the impact of self-reported visual…

Differences in the use of everyday technology among persons with MCI, SCI and older adults without known cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Malinowsky, Camilla; Kottorp, Anders; Wallin, Anders; Nordlund, Arto; Björklund, Eva; Melin, Ilse; Pernevik, Anette; Rosenberg, Lena; Nygård, Louise

2017-07-01

To use valid subjective reports sensible to cognitive decline is vital to identify very early signs of dementia development. Use of everyday technology (ET) has been shown to be sensitive to differentiate adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from controls, but the group with subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) has not yet been examined. This study aims to investigate and compare self-perceived ability in ET use and number of ETs reported as actually used in a sample of older adults with SCI, MCI, and older adults with no known cognitive impairment, i.e. Older adults with MCI (n = 29), SCI ( n = 26), and controls (n = 30) were interviewed with the short version of the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire (S-ETUQ) to capture self-perceived ability in ET use and number of ETs used. To generate individual measures of ability to use ET, Rasch analysis was used. The measures were then compared group-wise using ANCOVA. The numbers of ETs used were compared group-wise with ANOVA. Controls versus SCI and MCI differed significantly regarding ETs reported as used, but not SCI versus MCI. Similarly, in ability to use ET, controls versus SCI and MCI differed significantly but not SCI versus MCI. The significantly lower numbers of ETs reported as actually used and the lower ability in SCI and MCI groups compared to controls suggest that ET use is affected already in very minor cognitive decline. This indicates that self-reported ET use based on the S-ETUQ is sensitive to detect changes already in SCI.

Differences in Allergic Sensitization by Self-reported Race and Genetic Ancestry

PubMed Central

Yang, James J.; Burchard, Esteban G.; Choudhry, Shweta; Johnson, Christine C.; Ownby, Dennis R.; Favro, David; Chen, Justin; Akana, Matthew; Ha, Connie; Kwok, Pui-Yan; Krajenta, Richard; Havstad, Suzanne L.; Joseph, Christine L.; Seibold, Max A.; Shriver, Mark D.; Williams, L. Keoki

2010-01-01

Background Many allergic conditions occur more frequently in African-American patients when compared with white patients; however it is not known whether this represents genetic predisposition or disparate environmental exposures. Objective To assess the relationship of self-reported race and genetic ancestry to allergic sensitization. Methods We included 601 women enrolled in a population-based cohort study whose self-reported race was African-American or white. Genetic ancestry was estimated using markers that differentiate West African and European ancestry. We assessed the relationship between allergic sensitization (defined as ≥1 allergen-specific IgE result) and both self-reported race and genetic ancestry. Regression models adjusted for socio-demographic variables, environmental exposures, and location of residence. Results The average proportion of West African ancestry in African-American participants was 0.69, whereas the mean proportion of European ancestry in white participants was 0.79. Self-reported African-American race was associated with allergic sensitization when compared with those who reported being white (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.19; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22 – 3.93) even after adjusting for other variables. Genetic ancestry was not significantly associated with allergic sensitization after accounting for location of residence (aOR 2.09 for urban vs. suburban residence, 95% CI 1.32 −3.31). Conclusion Self-reported race and location of residence appeared to be more important predictors of allergic sensitization when compared with genetic ancestry, suggesting that the disparity in allergic sensitization by race may be primarily due to environmental factors rather than genetic differences. Clinical Implications These data suggest that efforts to eliminate disparities in allergic sensitization should focus on contributing environmental factors. PMID:19014772

Validity of self-reported family history of cancer: A systematic literature review on selected cancers.

PubMed

Fiederling, Jonas; Shams, Ahmad Zia; Haug, Ulrike

2016-10-01

Evidence regarding validity of self-reported family history of cancer (FHC) has been reviewed only for breast, colorectal, prostate, ovarian, endometrial and uterine cancer. We aimed to systematically review studies assessing validity of self-reported family history for the remaining cancer sites. We searched the Medline database for relevant studies published by January 2016. We extracted information on the study design and the positive predictive value (PPV) of self-reported FHC, defined as the proportion of reported cancer diagnoses among relatives that was confirmed by a reference standard (as a measure of over-reporting). We also extracted information on sensitivity of self-reported FHC (as a measure of underreporting). Overall, 21 studies were included that provided information on the PPV of self-reported FHC for relevant cancers and four studies also provided information on sensitivity. The PPV was highest (mostly >70%) for pancreatic, lung, thyroid and urinary system cancers and for leukemia and lymphoma, while it was lowest for stomach and liver cancer. Sensitivity was highest (>70%) for pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, brain cancer, melanoma, leukemia and lymphoma. For several cancers, sample sizes were low and the number of studies limited, particularly regarding sensitivity of self-reported FHC. In conclusion, for some cancers (e.g., pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, leukemia, lymphoma) self-reported FHC can be considered sufficiently valid to be useful, for example, in preventive counseling. For several cancers, it is not sufficiently studied or the pattern is inconsistent. This needs to be taken into account when using self-reported information about FHC in clinical practice or epidemiological research. © 2016 UICC.

Familial factors responsible for persistent crying-induced asthma: a case report.

PubMed

Weinstein, A G

1987-10-01

Crying behavior of the asthmatic child may induce wheezing symptoms. This may be a clinical problem for families with asthmatic children who exhibit frequent and persistent crying behavior. This case report identifies behaviors by the child and parents that may be responsible for continual crying. Child factors include (1) "spoiled" personality, (2) poor self-image, (3) biologic sensitivity to foods, medication, and environmental allergens producing irritability. Parental factors include poor disciplinary practices secondary to (1) disrupted home life, (2) guilt, and (3) overprotective behavior. Identification of these factors may be helpful in establishing clinical management strategies to reduce crying-induced asthma.

Adolescents' Self-Regulation Development via the Sensory Room System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalimullin, Aydar M.; Kuvaldina, Elana A.; Koinova-Zoellner, Julia

2016-01-01

The urgency of the issue stated in this article is caused by the need for mastering skills and patterns of self-regulation when being an adolescent since this time is sensitive for developing processes of personal understanding and evolution. Thus, mastering skills and patterns of self-regulation as a necessary part of the whole ability of…

Test-retest of self-reported exposure to artificial tanning devices, self-tanning creams, and sun sensitivity showed consistency.

PubMed

Beane Freeman, Laura E; Dennis, Leslie K; Lynch, Charles F; Lowe, John B; Clarke, William R

2005-04-01

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation has consistently been linked to an increased risk of melanoma. Epidemiologic studies are susceptible to measurement error, which can distort the magnitude of observed effects. Although the reliability of self-report of many sun exposure factors has been previously described in several studies, self-report of use of artificial tanning devices and self-tanning creams has been less well characterized. A mailed survey was re-administered 2-4 weeks after completion of the initial survey to 76 randomly selected participants in a case-control study of melanoma. Cases and controls were individuals diagnosed in 1999 and 2000 who were ascertained from the Iowa Cancer Registry in 2002. We assessed the consistency of self-reported use of sunlamps and self-tanning creams, sun sensitivity, and history of sunburns. There was substantial reliability in reporting the use of sunlamps or self-tanning creams (cases: Kappa (kappa)=1.0 for both exposures; controls: kappa=0.71 and 0.87, respectively). kappa estimates of 0.62-0.78 were found for overall reliability of several sun sensitivity factors. Overall, the survey instrument demonstrated substantial reproducibility for factors related to the use of sunlamps or tanning beds, self-tanning creams, and sun sensitivity factors.

Association between personality traits and DSM-IV diagnosis of insomnia in perimenopausal women

PubMed Central

Sassoon, Stephanie A.; de Zambotti, Massimiliano; Colrain, Ian M.; Baker, Fiona C.

2013-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to determine the role of personality factors in the development of DSM-IV insomnia coincident with perimenopause. Method Perimenopausal women (35 with DSM-IV insomnia and 28 with self-reported normal sleep) underwent clinical assessments and completed menopause-related questionnaires, the NEO-FFI, and the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality (SID-P). Logistic regressions determined whether personality factors and hot flash-related interference were associated with an insomnia diagnosis concurrent with the menopause transition. Results Women with insomnia reported higher neuroticism, lower agreeableness, and lower conscientiousness than controls on the NEO-FFI. Moreover, women with insomnia were more likely to meet DSM-IV criteria for Cluster C personality disorders, particularly obsessive compulsive personality disorder, on the SID-P. Women with insomnia were more likely to have had a past depressive episode and history of severe premenstrual symptoms. Findings from regressions revealed that higher neuroticism and greater interference from hot flashes were associated with insomnia classification even after controlling for history of depression, suggesting that sensitivity to hot flashes and a greater degree of neuroticism are independent contributors toward establishing which women are most likely to have sleep problems during perimenopause. Conclusions Findings show the relevance of personality factors, particularly neuroticism and obsessive-compulsive personality, in influencing a woman’s experience of insomnia as she goes through the menopause transition. PMID:24448105

Navigating the obesogenic environment: how psychological sensitivity to the food environment and self-regulatory competence are associated with adolescent unhealthy snacking.

PubMed

Stok, F Marijn; De Vet, Emely; Wardle, Jane; Chu, Maria T; De Wit, John; De Ridder, Denise T D

2015-04-01

Living in an obesogenic environment may not affect all adolescents to the same extent, depending on their psychological sensitivity to the food environment and their self-regulatory competence. The purpose of the current study was to examine associations of these two factors with unhealthy snacking among adolescents. We also investigated whether self-regulatory competence could attenuate the negative effects of being sensitive to the food environment. A survey was completed by 11,392 European adolescents (10-17years old). The survey measured psychological sensitivity to the food environment, self-regulatory competence and self-reported unhealthy snack intake. Higher food environment sensitivity and lower self-regulatory competence were associated with more unhealthy snacking. The two factors also interacted, with self-regulatory competence attenuating the influence of high food environment sensitivity. Adolescents who are sensitive to the food environment reported higher unhealthy snack intake. More frequent use of self-regulation strategies on the other hand was associated with lower unhealthy snack intake. Moreover, self-regulatory competence was found to moderate the influence of psychological sensitivity to the food environment on unhealthy snacking, although the effect size was small. Fostering adolescents' self-regulatory competence can help enable them to better navigate the obesogenic environment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

If you're high status and you know it: Teasing apart the within- and between-person effects of peer- and self-reported status in the drinking group on alcohol-related outcomes.

PubMed

Dumas, Tara M; Davis, Jordan P; Merrin, Gabriel J; Puccia, Maria; Blustein, Dayna

2018-05-01

In this longitudinal study, we disentangled within- and between-persons effects in the relationship between university students' status in their drinking group and alcohol-related behavior. We further examined the role of self-perceived and peer-reported status, with the hypothesis that only when students' peers reported them as of a higher status, and they were aware of their high status (via self-report), would they experience increased heavy episodic drinking (HED). University students (N = 118; Mage = 19.40, SD = 1.49; 60.2% women) were recruited in their natural drinking groups (N = 27). All group members completed surveys at 3 time points during the school year, each 2 months apart. We fitted a taxonomy of multilevel growth curve models predicting students' self-reported HED and the extent to which they encouraged other group members to consume alcohol (peer-reported). Between-persons results demonstrated that students who reported higher status compared to their group members experienced more HED on average and students who were peer-reported as of a higher status relative to their group members played a more salient role in encouraging others to drink. Notably, and consistent with hypotheses, a within-person interaction revealed that at time points when students were higher in peer-reported status relative to their average, and they were aware of their increase in status (via self-reports), they also engaged in more HED. Results emphasize the importance of considering within-person effects and highlight the need for university alcohol-prevention programming to focus on students' status-related motives and concerns. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

The Relationship between ADHD Symptoms, Mood Instability, and Self-Reported Offending

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gudjonsson, Gisli H.; Sigurdsson, Jon Fridrik; Adalsteinsson, Tomas F.; Young, Susan

2013-01-01

Objective: To investigate the relative importance of ADHD symptoms, mood instability, and antisocial personality disorder traits in predicting self-reported offending. Method: A total of 295 Icelandic students completed two scales of offending behavior and measures of ADHD symptoms, mood instability, and antisocial personality traits. Results:…

Self-Report Measures of Juvenile Psychopathic Personality Traits: A Comparative Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaughn, Michael G.; Howard, Matthew O.

2005-01-01

The authors evaluated self-report instruments currently being used to assess children and adolescents with psychopathic personality traits with respect to their reliability, validity, and research utility. Comprehensive searches across multiple computerized bibliographic databases were conducted and supplemented with manual searches. A total of 30…

Validity of self-reported cancer history in the health examinees (HEXA) study: A comparison of self-report and cancer registry records.

PubMed

Cho, Sooyoung; Shin, Aesun; Song, Daesub; Park, Jae Kyung; Kim, Yeonjung; Choi, Ji-Yeob; Kang, Daehee; Lee, Jong-Koo

2017-10-01

To assess the validity of the cohort study participants' self-reported cancer history via data linkage to a cancer registry database. We included 143,965 participants from the Health Examinees (HEXA) study recruited between 2004 and 2013 who gave informed consent for record linkage to the Korean Central Cancer Registry (KCCR). The sensitivity and the positive predictive value of self-reported histories of cancer were calculated and 95% confidence intervals were estimated. A total of 4,860 participants who had at least one record in the KCCR were included in the calculation of sensitivity. In addition, 3,671 participants who reported a cancer history at enrollment were included in the calculation of positive predictive value. The overall sensitivity of self-reported cancer history was 72.0%. Breast cancer history among women showed the highest sensitivity (81.2%), whereas the lowest sensitivity was observed for liver cancer (53.7%) and cervical cancer (52.1%). The overall positive predictive value was 81.9%. The highest positive predictive value was observed for thyroid cancer (96.1%) and prostate cancer (96.1%), and the lowest was observed for cervical cancer (43.7%). The accuracy of self-reported cancer history varied by cancer site and may not be sufficient to ascertain cancer incidence, especially for cervical and bladder cancers. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Personality Trait Level and Change as Predictors of Health Outcomes: Findings From a National Study of Americans (MIDUS)

PubMed Central

Pitzer, Lindsay; Armour, Cherie; Karlamangla, Arun; Ryff, Carol D.; Mroczek, Daniel K.

2012-01-01

Objectives. Personality traits predict numerous health outcomes, but previous studies have rarely used personality change to predict health. Methods. The current investigation utilized a large national sample of 3,990 participants from the Midlife in the U.S. study (MIDUS) to examine if both personality trait level and personality change longitudinally predict 3 different health outcomes (i.e., self-rated physical health, self-reported blood pressure, and number of days limited at work or home due to physical health reasons) over a 10-year span. Results. Each of the Big Five traits, except openness, predicted self-rated health. Change in agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion also predicted self-rated health. Trait levels of conscientiousness and neuroticism level predicted self-reported blood pressure. All trait levels except agreeableness predicted number of work days limited. Only change in conscientiousness predicted the number of work days limited. Discussion. Findings demonstrate that a full understanding of the link between personality and health requires consideration of trait change as well as trait level. PMID:21765062

Patterns of allergen sensitization and self-reported allergic disease in parents of food allergic children.

PubMed

Makhija, Melanie M; Robison, Rachel G; Caruso, Deanna; Cai, Miao; Wang, Xiaobin; Pongracic, Jacqueline A

2016-10-01

Sensitization in adults has not been extensively studied. To investigate patterns of allergen sensitization in parents of food allergic children and to compare self-report of allergic disease with specific IgE (sIgE) measurements. A total of 1,252 mothers and 1,225 fathers of food allergic children answered standardized questionnaires about demographics, home environment, history of atopic diseases, and food allergy. Skin prick testing and sIgE serum tests were performed to 9 foods and 5 aeroallergens. A total of 66.1% of parents were sensitized to either a food or aeroallergen. Mean sIgE levels were low for all foods tested. A total of 14.5% of mothers and 12.7% of fathers reported current food allergy. Only 28.4% had sensitization to their reported allergen. Fathers had significantly higher rates of sensitization to both foods and aeroallergens (P < .01) than mothers. Logistic regression evaluating predictors of self-reported food allergy revealed statistically significant positive associations in fathers with self-reported asthma, environmental allergy, and eczema. For mothers, significant positive associations were found with environmental allergy and having more than 1 food allergic child. This cohort of parents of food allergic children found higher rates of sensitization to foods and aeroallergens compared with the general population. However, food sIgE levels were low and correlated poorly with self-reported food allergy. Sex differences in sensitization to foods and aeroallergens were seen. Copyright © 2016 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Mother's Borderline Personality Disorder and Her Sensitivity, Autonomy Support, Hostility, Fearful/Disoriented Behavior, and Role Reversal With Her Young Child.

PubMed

Macfie, Jenny; Kurdziel, Gretchen; Mahan, Rebecca M; Kors, Stephanie

2017-12-01

There is some evidence that maternal borderline personality disorder (BPD) adversely affects parenting in infancy, resulting in disorganized attachment, which longitudinally predicts BPD symptoms in adulthood. We examined parenting related to disorganized attachment beyond infancy in offspring of mothers with BPD, when parenting becomes a goal-corrected partnership. We observed puzzle solving in a low socioeconomic status (SES) sample of mothers with BPD and their children ages 4-7, n = 36, and normative comparisons, n = 34. Compared with normative mothers and controlling for maternal mood disorders, mothers with BPD were less likely to be sensitive and provide autonomy support, and were more likely to be hostile and display fearful/disoriented behavior and higher levels of parent-child role reversal. We additionally found correlations between parenting and self-reported maternal borderline features. We discuss implications for child development, including possible transmission of BPD from mothers to children via representational models, and developmentally appropriate preventive interventions.

Borderline Personality Features, Anger, and Intimate Partner Violence: An Experimental Manipulation of Rejection.

PubMed

Armenti, Nicholas A; Babcock, Julia C

2018-04-01

Individuals with borderline personality features may be susceptible to react to situational stressors with negative and interpersonally maladaptive emotionality (e.g., anger) and aggression. The current study attempted to test two moderated mediation models to investigate dispositional risk factors associated with borderline personality features and intimate partner violence (IPV). Results from an experimental rejection induction paradigm were examined using moderated regression to observe contextual reactions to imagined romantic rejection from a current romantic partner among individuals with borderline personality features. An ethnically diverse sample of 218 undergraduates at a large public university in the southwestern United States was recruited. Participants responded to demographic questions and self-report measures, and engaged in an experimental rejection induction paradigm. Borderline personality features was positively associated with rejection sensitivity, physical assault, and psychological aggression. Contrary to initial hypotheses, rejection sensitivity did not serve as a mediator of the relations between borderline personality features and physical assault and psychological aggression. However, trait anger mediated the relation between borderline personality features and psychological aggression. As such, trait anger may be an important explanatory variable in the relation between borderline personality features and psychological aggression specifically. Results of the rejection induction paradigm indicated that, for individuals who were asked to imagine an ambiguous rejection, the relation between borderline personality features and state anger post-rejection was strengthened. For individuals who imagined a critical rejection, there was no significant relation between borderline personality features and state anger post-rejection. Findings suggest that trait anger may be an important dispositional factor in the link between borderline personality features and IPV. In addition, contextual factors, such as ambiguous rejection by an intimate partner, may be especially relevant in activating anger or aggression in individuals with borderline personality features.

Social reward and social punishment sensitivity in relation to dietary restraint and binge/purge symptoms.

PubMed

Fussner, Lauren M; Luebbe, Aaron M; Smith, April R

2018-08-01

Disordered eating symptoms are associated with disrupted sensitivity to reward and punishment, broadly assessed. However, it is unknown how eating pathology is related to sensitivity to social reward and social punishment specifically. Drawing on Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory, the current study utilized a multi-method design to test whether disordered eating symptoms, specifically dietary restraint (DR) and binge/purge (BP), were similarly or uniquely related to sensitivity to social punishment and social reward. Female university students (N = 110, M = 18.66, SD = 0.89) completed self-report measures and a novel behavioral task measuring willingness to work for or to avoid social feedback. DR and BP symptoms were related to increased self-reported and behavioral sensitivity to social punishment, yet only when symptoms were tested in isolation. DR was associated with increased sensitivity to social reward across self-report and behavioral paradigms. BP symptoms were uniquely and positively related to self-reported sensitivity to social reward, but decreased behavioral sensitivity to social reward. Findings suggest that sensitivity to punishment may be a common factor related to DR and BP, whereas sensitivity to social reward may be a key factor differentiating disordered eating symptoms. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Maladaptive Five Factor Model personality traits associated with Borderline Personality Disorder indirectly affect susceptibility to suicide ideation through increased anxiety sensitivity cognitive concerns.

PubMed

Tucker, Raymond P; Lengel, Greg J; Smith, Caitlin E; Capron, Dan W; Mullins-Sweatt, Stephanie N; Wingate, LaRicka R

2016-12-30

The current study investigated the relationship between maladaptive Five-Factor Model (FFM) personality traits, anxiety sensitivity cognitive concerns, and suicide ideation in a sample of 131 undergraduate students who were selected based on their scores on a screening questionnaire regarding Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) symptoms. Those who endorsed elevated BPD symptoms in a pre-screen analyses completed at the beginning of each semester were oversampled in comparison to those with low or moderate symptoms. Indirect effect (mediation) results indicated that the maladaptive personality traits of anxious/uncertainty, dysregulated anger, self-disturbance, behavioral dysregulation, dissociative tendencies, distrust, manipulativeness, oppositional, and rashness had indirect effects on suicide ideation through anxiety sensitivity cognitive concerns. All of these personality traits correlated to suicide ideation as well. The maladaptive personality traits of despondence, affective dysregulation, and fragility were positive correlates of suicide ideation and predicted suicide ideation when all traits were entered in one linear regression model, but were not indirectly related through anxiety sensitivity cognitive concerns. The implication for targeting anxiety sensitivity cognitive concerns in evidence-based practices for reducing suicide risk in those with BPD is discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heritability and Fitness Correlates of Personality in the Ache, a Natural-Fertility Population in Paraguay

PubMed Central

Bailey, Drew H.; Walker, Robert S.; Blomquist, Gregory E.; Hill, Kim R.; Hurtado, A. Magdalena; Geary, David C.

2013-01-01

The current study assessed the heritability of personality in a traditional natural-fertility population, the Ache of eastern Paraguay. Self-reports (n = 110) and other-reports (n = 66) on the commonly used Big Five Personality Inventory (i.e., extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness) were collected. Self-reports did not support the Five Factor Model developed with Western samples, and did not correlate with other-reports for three of the five measured personality factors. Heritability was assessed using factors that were consistent across self- and other-reports and factors assessed using other-reports that showed reliabilities similar to those found in Western samples. Analyses of these items in combination with a multi-generation pedigree (n = 2,132) revealed heritability estimates similar to those found in most Western samples, although we were not able to separately estimate the influence of the common environment on these traits. We also assessed relations between personality and reproductive success (RS), allowing for a test of several mechanisms that might be maintaining heritable variation in personality. Phenotypic analyses, based largely on other-reports, revealed that extraverted men had higher RS than other men, but no other dimensions of personality predicted RS in either sex. Mothers with more agreeable children had more children, and parents mated assortatively on personality. Of the evolutionary processes proposed to maintain variation in personality, assortative mating, selective neutrality, and temporal variation in selection pressures received the most support. However, the current study does not rule out other processes affecting the evolution and maintenance of individual differences in human personality. PMID:23527163

Evaluating the validity of self-reported smoking in Mexican adolescents

PubMed Central

Valladolid-López, María del Carmen; Barrientos-Gutiérrez, Tonatiuh; Reynales-Shigematsu, Luz Myriam; Thrasher, James F; Peláez-Ballestas, Ingris; Lazcano-Ponce, Eduardo; Hernández-Ávila, Mauricio

2015-01-01

Objectives We aimed to evaluate the validity of the self-reported smoking indicator used in the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS). Setting 43 middle and high-school classrooms from 26 schools were selected from Mexico City and Cuernavaca, Morelos. Participants A total of 1257 students provided both a questionnaire and a urine sample. Primary and secondary outcome Sensitivity and specificity of self-reported smoking compared to urinary cotinine. Validity indices were evaluated by subgroups of gender, social acceptability of smoking (ie, smoking parents or friends) and smoking frequency. Results Sensitivity and specificity for current smoking were 93.2% and 81.7%, respectively. Validity indices remained stable across gender. Parental smoking status moderated the validity of self-report, which had lower sensitivity in adolescents with non-smoking parents (86.7%) than in adolescents with smoking parents (96.6%). Sensitivity and specificity increased with smoking frequency. Conclusions This first validation study of self-reported current smoking used in the GYTS among Mexican adolescents suggests that self-reported smoking in the past 30 days is a valid and stable indicator of current smoking behaviour. This measure appears suitable for public health research and surveillance. PMID:26453588

Meeting the Social Emotional Needs of Gifted Adolescents: A Personal and Contextual Journey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strop, Jean

2002-01-01

This article considers both the intrapersonal and interpersonal issues that have historically caused difficulty for groups of gifted students, including self-knowledge and self-acceptance, irrational beliefs, need for independence, heightened sensitivity, frustration tolerance, unbalanced value, and tolerating others. Interventions are provided…

Biological validation of self-reported condom use among sex workers in Guinea.

PubMed

Aho, Joséphine; Koushik, Anita; Diakité, Soumaïla Laye; Loua, Kovana Marcel; Nguyen, Vinh-Kim; Rashed, Sélim

2010-12-01

Self-reported condom use may be prone to social desirability bias. Our aim was to assess the validity of self-reported condom use in a population of female sex workers using prostate specific antigen (PSA) as a gold standard biomarker of recent unprotected vaginal intercourse. We collected data on 223 sex-workers in Conakry, Guinea in order to assess the sensitivity and specificity of self-reported condom use as well as to examine the predictors of discordance between self-report and PSA presence. PSA was detected in 38.4% of samples. Sensitivity of self-reported condom use was 14.6% and its specificity was 94.7%. Self-perceived high risk of HIV infection was the only significant independent predictor of misreported condom use. PSA could be useful to validate self-reported condom use in surveys and to allow a better understanding of factors associated with social desirability in sexual behaviour reporting.

Cardiac vagal flexibility and accurate personality impressions: Examining a physiological correlate of the good judge.

PubMed

Human, Lauren J; Mendes, Wendy Berry

2018-02-23

Research has long sought to identify which individuals are best at accurately perceiving others' personalities or are good judges, yet consistent predictors of this ability have been difficult to find. In the current studies, we revisit this question by examining a novel physiological correlate of social sensitivity, cardiac vagal flexibility, which reflects dynamic modulation of cardiac vagal control. We examined whether greater cardiac vagal flexibility was associated with forming more accurate personality impressions, defined as viewing targets more in line with their distinctive self-reported profile of traits, in two studies, including a thin-slice video perceptions study (N = 109) and a dyadic interaction study (N = 175). Across studies, we found that individuals higher in vagal flexibility formed significantly more accurate first impressions of others' more observable personality traits (e.g., extraversion, creativity, warmth). These associations held while including a range of relevant covariates, including cardiac vagal tone, sympathetic activation, and gender. In sum, social sensitivity as indexed by cardiac vagal flexibility is linked to forming more accurate impressions of others' observable traits, shedding light on a characteristic that may help to identify the elusive good judge and providing insight into its neurobiological underpinnings. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Emotional intelligence, personality, and gender as factors in disordered eating patterns.

PubMed

Zysberg, Leehu

2014-08-01

We examined the hypotheses that proposing higher levels of emotional intelligence (ability test and self-report) and lower neuroticism, extraversion, and agreeableness associate with lower levels of disordered eating. In a correlational study, 126 Israeli college students completed two measures of emotional intelligence, a brief five-factor personality test, demographic data questionnaires, and questionnaires assessing food preoccupation, namely, the Body Weight, Image and Self-Esteem Scale and the Appearance Schema Inventory. Results suggested that ability emotional intelligence is associated with disordered eating beyond gender and personality. Self-reported emotional intelligence did not associate with any of the outcomes after controlling for personality. Implications and applications are briefly discussed. © The Author(s) 2013.

Accuracy of self-reported survey data on assisted reproductive technology treatment parameters and reproductive history.

PubMed

Stern, Judy E; McLain, Alexander C; Buck Louis, Germaine M; Luke, Barbara; Yeung, Edwina H

2016-08-01

It is unknown whether data obtained from maternal self-report for assisted reproductive technology treatment parameters and reproductive history are accurate for use in research studies. We evaluated the accuracy of self-reported in assisted reproductive technology treatment and reproductive history from the Upstate KIDS study in comparison with clinical data reported to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System. Upstate KIDS maternal questionnaire data from deliveries between 2008 and 2010 were linked to data reported to Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System. The 617 index deliveries were compared as to treatment type (frozen embryo transfer and donor egg or sperm) and use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection and assisted hatching. Use of injectable medications, self-report for assisted reproductive technology, or frozen embryo transfer prior to the index deliveries were also compared. We report agreement in which both sources had yes or both no and sensitivity of maternal report using Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System as the gold standard. Significance was determined using χ(2) at P < 0.05. Universal agreement was not reached on any parameter but was best for treatment type of frozen embryo transfer (agreement, 96%; sensitivity, 93%) and use of donor eggs (agreement, 97%; sensitivity, 82%) or sperm (agreement, 98%; sensitivity, 82%). Use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (agreement, 78%: sensitivity, 78%) and assisted hatching (agreement, 57%; sensitivity, 38%) agreed less well with self-reported use (P < .0001). In vitro fertilization (agreement, 82%) and frozen embryo transfer (agreement, 90%) prior to the index delivery were more consistently reported than was use of injectable medication (agreement, 76%) (P < .0001). Women accurately report in vitro fertilization treatment but are less accurate about procedures handled in the laboratory (intracytoplasmic sperm injection or assisted hatching). Clinics might better communicate with patients on the use of these procedures, and researchers should use caution when using self-reported treatment data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Misophonia: incidence, phenomenology, and clinical correlates in an undergraduate student sample.

PubMed

Wu, Monica S; Lewin, Adam B; Murphy, Tanya K; Storch, Eric A

2014-10-01

Individuals with misophonia display extreme sensitivities to selective sounds, often resulting in negative emotions and subsequent maladaptive behaviors, such as avoidance and anger outbursts. While there has been increasing interest in misophonia, few data have been published to date. This study investigated the incidence, phenomenology, correlates, and impairment associated with misophonia symptoms in 483 undergraduate students through self-report measures. Misophonia was a relatively common phenomenon, with nearly 20% of the sample reporting clinically significant misophonia symptoms. Furthermore, misophonia symptoms demonstrated strong associations with measures of impairment and general sensory sensitivities, and moderate associations with obsessive-compulsive, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Anxiety mediated the relationship between misophonia and anger outbursts. This investigation contributes to a better understanding of misophonia and indicates potential factors that may co-occur and influence the clinical presentation of a person with misophonia symptoms. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Case of Genital Self-Mutilation in a Female-Symptom Choice and Meaning.

PubMed

Conde, Ema; Santos, Telma; Leite, Rita; Vicente, Carla; Figueiredo, António Mesquita

2017-08-18

Self-mutilation is understood as any willful gesture or alteration of the body tissue without a suicidal intent. The most common self-mutilating gestures are, to a great extent, those that are superficial or moderate, such as cuts, burns, or bites. The most severe, as is the case of genital self-mutilation (GSM), are extremely rare and, in most cases, observed in patients suffering from psychosis. Furthermore, they are mostly reported from a surgical standpoint. Here, we report the case of a 20-year-old female patient who resorted to the emergency department after having amputated her clitoris with surgical scissors. This dramatic gesture, coupled with the patient's narrative, prompted for differential diagnosis between a psychotic syndrome and a severe personality disorder. We propose that, despite the magnitude of the self-harm, it is possible to conceptualize this GSM within a disturbed personality with significant sexuality issues and, therefore, this case report aims to broaden the limits that have been associated with the self-mutilating gestures in borderline personality disorder.

Self-mutilation and suicide attempts: relationships to bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, temperament and character.

PubMed

Joyce, Peter R; Light, Katrina J; Rowe, Sarah L; Cloninger, C Robert; Kennedy, Martin A

2010-03-01

Self-mutilation has traditionally been associated with borderline personality disorder, and seldom examined separately from suicide attempts. Clinical experience suggests that self-mutilation is common in bipolar disorder. A family study was conducted on the molecular genetics of depression and personality, in which the proband had been treated for depression. All probands and parents or siblings were interviewed with a structured interview and completed the Temperament and Character Inventory. Fourteen per cent of subjects interviewed reported a history of self-mutilation, mostly by wrist cutting. Self-mutilation was more common in bipolar I disorder subjects then in any other diagnostic groups. In multiple logistic regression self-mutilation was predicted by mood disorder diagnosis and harm avoidance, but not by borderline personality disorder. Furthermore, the relatives of non-bipolar depressed probands with self-mutilation had higher rates of bipolar I or II disorder and higher rates of self-mutilation. Sixteen per cent of subjects reported suicide attempts and these were most common in those with bipolar I disorder and in those with borderline personality disorder. On multiple logistic regression, however, only mood disorder diagnosis and harm avoidance predicted suicide attempts. Suicide attempts, unlike self-mutilation, were not familial. Self-mutilation and suicide attempts are only partially overlapping behaviours, although both are predicted by mood disorder diagnosis and harm avoidance. Self-mutilation has a particularly strong association with bipolar disorder. Clinicians need to think of bipolar disorder, not borderline personality disorder, when assessing an individual who has a history of self-mutilation.

Physical Activity and the Association With Self-Reported Impairments, Walking Limitations, Fear of Falling, and Incidence of Falls in Persons With Late Effects of Polio.

PubMed

Winberg, Cecilia; Brogårdh, Christina; Flansbjer, Ulla-Britt; Carlsson, Gunilla; Rimmer, James; Lexell, Jan

2015-07-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the association between physical activity and self-reported disability in ambulatory persons with mild to moderate late effects of polio (N = 81, mean age 67 years). The outcome measures were: Physical Activity and Disability Survey (PADS), a pedometer, Self-Reported Impairments in Persons with Late Effects of Polio Scale (SIPP), Walking Impact Scale (Walk-12), Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), and self-reported incidence of falls. The participants were physically active on average 158 min per day and walked 6,212 steps daily. Significant associations were found between PADS and Walk-12 (r = -.31, p < .001), and between the number of steps and SIPP, Walk-12, and FES-I (r = -.22 to -.32, p < .05). Walk-12 and age explained 14% of the variance in PADS and FES-I explained 9% of the variance in number of steps per day. Thus, physical activity was only weakly to moderately associated with self-reported disability.

Reinforcement sensitivity underlying treatment-seeking smokers' affect, smoking reinforcement motives, and affective responses.

PubMed

Cui, Yong; Robinson, Jason D; Engelmann, Jeffrey M; Lam, Cho Y; Minnix, Jennifer A; Karam-Hage, Maher; Wetter, David W; Dani, John A; Kosten, Thomas R; Cinciripini, Paul M

2015-06-01

Nicotine dependence has been suggested to be related to reinforcement sensitivity, which encompasses behavioral predispositions either to avoid aversive (behavioral inhibition) or to approach appetitive (behavioral activation) stimuli. Reinforcement sensitivity may shape motives for nicotine use and offer potential targets for personalized smoking cessation therapy. However, little is known regarding how reinforcement sensitivity is related to motivational processes implicated in the maintenance of smoking. Additionally, women and men differ in reinforcement sensitivity, and such difference may cause distinct relationships between reinforcement sensitivity and motivational processes for female and male smokers. In this study, the authors characterized reinforcement sensitivity in relation to affect, smoking-related reinforcement motives, and affective responses, using self-report and psychophysiological measures, in over 200 smokers before treating them. The Behavioral Inhibition/Activation Scales (BIS/BAS; Carver & White, 1994) was used to measure reinforcement sensitivity. In female and male smokers, BIS was similarly associated with negative affect and negative reinforcement of smoking. However, positive affect was positively associated with BAS Drive scores in male smokers, and this association was reversed in female smokers. BIS was positively associated with corrugator electromyographic reactivity toward negative stimuli and left frontal electroencephalogram alpha asymmetry. Female and male smokers showed similar relationships for these physiological measures. These findings suggest that reinforcement sensitivity underpins important motivational processes (e.g., affect), and gender is a moderating factor for these relationships. Future personalized smoking intervention, particularly among more dependent treatment-seeking smokers, may experiment to target individual differences in reinforcement sensitivity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Convergent and Discriminant Validity of Psychopathy Factors Assessed via Self-Report: A Comparison of Three Instruments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benning, Stephen D.; Patrick, Christopher J.; Salekin, Randall T.; Leistico, Anne-Marie R.

2005-01-01

Psychopathy has been conceptualized as a personality disorder with distinctive interpersonal-affective and behavioral deviance features. The authors examine correlates of the factors of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI), Self-Report Psychopathy-II (SRP-II) scale, and Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) to understand similarities…

Diagnostic Efficiency among Psychiatric Outpatients of a Self-Report Version of a Subset of Screen Items of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Personality Disorders (SCID-II)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Germans, Sara; Van Heck, Guus L.; Masthoff, Erik D.; Trompenaars, Fons J. W. M.; Hodiamont, Paul P. G.

2010-01-01

This article describes the identification of a 10-item set of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders (SCID-II) items, which proved to be effective as a self-report assessment instrument in screening personality disorders. The item selection was based on the retrospective analyses of 495 SCID-II interviews. The…

The usefulness of "corrected" body mass index vs. self-reported body mass index: comparing the population distributions, sensitivity, specificity, and predictive utility of three correction equations using Canadian population-based data.

PubMed

Dutton, Daniel J; McLaren, Lindsay

2014-05-06

National data on body mass index (BMI), computed from self-reported height and weight, is readily available for many populations including the Canadian population. Because self-reported weight is found to be systematically under-reported, it has been proposed that the bias in self-reported BMI can be corrected using equations derived from data sets which include both self-reported and measured height and weight. Such correction equations have been developed and adopted. We aim to evaluate the usefulness (i.e., distributional similarity; sensitivity and specificity; and predictive utility vis-à-vis disease outcomes) of existing and new correction equations in population-based research. The Canadian Community Health Surveys from 2005 and 2008 include both measured and self-reported values of height and weight, which allows for construction and evaluation of correction equations. We focused on adults age 18-65, and compared three correction equations (two correcting weight only, and one correcting BMI) against self-reported and measured BMI. We first compared population distributions of BMI. Second, we compared the sensitivity and specificity of self-reported BMI and corrected BMI against measured BMI. Third, we compared the self-reported and corrected BMI in terms of association with health outcomes using logistic regression. All corrections outperformed self-report when estimating the full BMI distribution; the weight-only correction outperformed the BMI-only correction for females in the 23-28 kg/m2 BMI range. In terms of sensitivity/specificity, when estimating obesity prevalence, corrected values of BMI (from any equation) were superior to self-report. In terms of modelling BMI-disease outcome associations, findings were mixed, with no correction proving consistently superior to self-report. If researchers are interested in modelling the full population distribution of BMI, or estimating the prevalence of obesity in a population, then a correction of any kind included in this study is recommended. If the researcher is interested in using BMI as a predictor variable for modelling disease, then both self-reported and corrected BMI result in biased estimates of association.

Personality and the subjective assessment of hearing aids.

PubMed

Cox, R M; Alexander, G C; Gray, G

1999-01-01

Relatively little is known about the influence of patients' personality features on the responses they make to self-assessment items used to measure the outcome of a hearing aid fitting. If the personality of the hearing aid wearer has a significant influence on self-report outcome data, it would be important to explore the relevant personality variables and to be cognizant of their effects when using subjective outcome data to justify decisions about clinical services or other matters. This investigation explored the relationship between several personality attributes and responses to the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB). It found that more extroverted patients tend to report more hearing aid benefit in all speech communication situations. In addition, patients with a more external locus of control tend to have more negative reactions to loud environmental sounds, both with and without amplification. Anxiety also played a small additional role in determining APHAB responses. Although personality variables were found to explain a relatively small amount of the variance in APHAB responses (usually around 10%), these outcomes should alert practitioners and researchers to the potential effects of personality variables in all self-report data.

Personality disorder symptomatology among Vietnam veterans with combat-related PTSD.

PubMed

Richman, H; Frueh, B C

1996-01-01

This research examined self-report personality profiles of 42 Vietnam veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) evaluated at an outpatient Veteran's Administration hospital PTSD clinic. Assessment was via the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev; DSM-III-R) Personality Disorders-II (SCID-II) self-report. Self-reported personality disorder symptomatology of PTSD patients was contrasted with that of 51 outpatients with a primary diagnosis of an anxiety disorder other than PTSD and with 16 patients with a primary diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD). Symptomatology from each of the 11 DSM-III-R categories and from the three personality disorder "clusters" was calculated in terms of percentage of possible traits endorsed, thus creating personality "profiles" for the three groups. PTSD veterans endorsed more traits overall than did both the mixed anxiety and MDD groups, particularly on the Cluster A, avoidant, and borderline scales. Results suggest a PTSD-related personality profile characterized by emotional lability/poor anger control, paranoia/suspiciousness, identity disturbance/confusion, social withdrawal/avoidance, and feelings of emptiness and boredom.

Identification of Hospitalizations for Intentional Self-Harm when E-Codes are Incompletely Recorded

PubMed Central

Patrick, Amanda R.; Miller, Matthew; Barber, Catherine W.; Wang, Philip S.; Canning, Claire F.; Schneeweiss, Sebastian

2010-01-01

Context Suicidal behavior has gained attention as an adverse outcome of prescription drug use. Hospitalizations for intentional self-harm, including suicide, can be identified in administrative claims databases using external cause of injury codes (E-codes). However, rates of E-code completeness in US government and commercial claims databases are low due to issues with hospital billing software. Objective To develop an algorithm to identify intentional self-harm hospitalizations using recorded injury and psychiatric diagnosis codes in the absence of E-code reporting. Methods We sampled hospitalizations with an injury diagnosis (ICD-9 800–995) from 2 databases with high rates of E-coding completeness: 1999–2001 British Columbia, Canada data and the 2004 U.S. Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Our gold standard for intentional self-harm was a diagnosis of E950-E958. We constructed algorithms to identify these hospitalizations using information on type of injury and presence of specific psychiatric diagnoses. Results The algorithm that identified intentional self-harm hospitalizations with high sensitivity and specificity was a diagnosis of poisoning; toxic effects; open wound to elbow, wrist, or forearm; or asphyxiation; plus a diagnosis of depression, mania, personality disorder, psychotic disorder, or adjustment reaction. This had a sensitivity of 63%, specificity of 99% and positive predictive value (PPV) of 86% in the Canadian database. Values in the US data were 74%, 98%, and 73%. PPV was highest (80%) in patients under 25 and lowest those over 65 (44%). Conclusions The proposed algorithm may be useful for researchers attempting to study intentional self-harm in claims databases with incomplete E-code reporting, especially among younger populations. PMID:20922709

Prevalence of Self-Reported Gluten-Related Disorders and Adherence to a Gluten-Free Diet in Salvadoran Adult Population.

PubMed

Ontiveros, Noé; Rodríguez-Bellegarrigue, Cecilia Ivonne; Galicia-Rodríguez, Gerardo; Vergara-Jiménez, Marcela de Jesús; Zepeda-Gómez, Elia María; Arámburo-Galvez, Jesús Gilberto; Gracia-Valenzuela, Martina Hilda; Cabrera-Chávez, Francisco

2018-04-18

Gluten-related disorders are not considered of relevance at public health level in Central America. The prevalence of gluten-related disorders, and adherence to a gluten-free diet, remain unknown in the Central American region. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of the Central American population from San Salvador, El Salvador, to estimate the prevalence rates of self-reported gluten-related disorders and adherence to a gluten-free diet. 1326 individuals were surveyed. Self-reported prevalence rates were (95% Confidence Interval): gluten sensitivity 3.1% (2.3–4.2); physician-diagnosed celiac disease 0.15% (0.04–0.5); wheat allergy 0.75% (0.4–1.3); non-celiac gluten sensitivity 0.98% (0.5–1.6). The prevalence rate of adherence to a gluten-free diet was 7.0% (5.7–8.5). Seven self-reported physician diagnosed gluten-sensitive cases informed the co-existence of non-celiac gluten sensitivity with celiac disease and/or wheat allergy. Among the non-self-reported gluten sensitivity individuals following a gluten-free diet, 50% reported that they were seeing a health professional for gluten-free dietary advice. Gluten sensitivity is commonly reported in Salvadoran population, but some health professionals acknowledge the coexistence of wheat allergy, celiac disease, and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Among studies at population level, the prevalence of adherence to a gluten-free diet in Salvadoran population is the highest reported until now. However, just a few of the gluten-free diet followers were doing it for health-related benefits; the others reported weight control and the perception that the diet is healthier as the main motivation for adopting such a diet.

Self-Disclosure Between Friends: A Validity Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Panyard, Christine Marie

1973-01-01

Subjects reported that they had disclosed approximately the same amount of information as they had received. The consensual validation of the amount of personal information exchanged between friends suggested that the Self-Disclosure Questionnaire is a valid measure of self-disclosure to a specific target person. (Author)

True self-alienation positively predicts reports of mindwandering.

PubMed

Vess, Matthew; Leal, Stephanie A; Hoeldtke, Russell T; Schlegel, Rebecca J; Hicks, Joshua A

2016-10-01

Two studies assessed the relationship between feelings of uncertainty about who one truly is (i.e., true self-alienation) and self-reported task-unrelated thoughts (i.e., mindwandering) during performance tasks. Because true self-alienation is conceptualized as the subjective disconnect between conscious awareness and actual experience, we hypothesized that greater feelings of true self-alienation would positively relate to subjective reports of mindwandering. Two convergent studies supported this hypothesis. Moreover, this relationship could not consistently be accounted for by the independent influence of other aspects of authenticity, negative mood, mindfulness, or broad personality dimensions. These findings suggest that individual differences in true self-alienation are reliably associated with subjective reports of mindwandering. The implications of these findings for the true self-alienation construct, the ways that personality relates to mindwandering, and future research directions focused on curtailing mindwandering and improving performance and achievement are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Preliminary Study of Sex Differences in Emotional Experience.

PubMed

Reyes-Aguilar, Azalea; Barrios, Fernando A

2016-04-01

Evolutionary approaches have proposed that women possess an advantage over men in emotional functioning to promote attachment for child-rearing. Likewise, sex differences have been reported in traits such as personality and empathy, traits that likely modulate emotional processing. In this preliminary study, sex differences in emotional processing were analyzed, including empathy as a social emotion and personality traits, as well as whether there exist relationships between those measures. Young volunteers (N = 105) indicated the emotional valence, activation, and dominance that they experience in situations categorized as emotionally positive, negative, or neutral. The results of comparison between sexes supported the approach that women showed more sensitivity to high activation and dominance for positive emotions and empathy, and men were more sensitive to negative situations. Correlation analysis showed only one positive relationship between scores of Self-transcendence, a subscale of Temperament and Character Inventory, with activation scores of neutral situations, but not with emotionally charged situations, perhaps because emotions are context-dependent processes while personality traits are considered context-independent descriptions of habits. These findings should be replicated to enrich knowledge about problems in emotional processing. © The Author(s) 2016.

Hacia la Realizacion de la Autoestima. Informe Definitivo del Comite Estatal en Pro de la Autoestima y de la Responsabilidad Personal y Social (Toward a State of Esteem. Final Report of the State Committee to Promote Self-Esteem and Personal and Social Responsibility).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento.

This is the Spanish version of the final report of a California Task Force created to promote self-esteem and personal responsibility. It begins with an executive summary listing key principles of the task force and providing recommendations and discussions in each of six major areas upon which the report focuses. The next section presents the…

Objective and projective personality assessment: the TEMAS and the Behavior Assessment System for Children, self-report of personality.

PubMed

Flanagan, R

1999-06-01

The TEMAS and Self-report of Personality of the Behavior Assessment System for Children were administered to 71 youngsters aged 8 to 13 years. Preliminary data suggest that, although the two measures assess several similarly named constructs, the data are complementary. This appears to reflect the fact that the TEMAS Personality Functions measure children's skills in coping with emotionally laden situations, whereas the Behavior Assessment System for Children measures the emotion or skill in question independent of situational context.

Sex Roles and Yielded/Expressed Self-Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ganong, Lawrence H.; Coleman, Marilyn

1987-01-01

Results of a study of the impact of sex and sex role orientation on reported self-control behaviors showed that sex did not affect self-control or satisfaction with self-control, but sex role orientation did. Androgynous persons reported using more expressed self-control than others. (PS)

Evaluation of the Self-Directed Personal Services Program Operated through Enable.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Pam; And Others

This report evaluates a self-directed personal service (SDPS) program operated through the larger Enable Program for people with disabilities in Onondaga County, New York. First, it contrasts characteristics of traditional personal assistance services (such as low pay, agency-determined, limited types/levels of support, and program management…

Self-perceived coping resources of middle-aged and older adults - results of a large population-based study.

PubMed

Boehlen, Friederike H; Herzog, Wolfgang; Schellberg, Dieter; Maatouk, Imad; Saum, Kai-Uwe; Brenner, Hermann; Wild, Beate

2017-12-01

Psychosocial resources (personal resources, social resources, and other) are important for coping with aging and impairment. The aim of this study was to describe the resources of older adults and to compare subgroups with frailty, complex health care needs, and/or mental disorders. At the third follow-up of the large population-based German ESTHER study, 3124 elderly persons (aged 55-85) were included. Psychosocial resources were assessed during a home visit by trained study doctors by using a list of 26 different items. Resources were described for the total group, separated by sex, and for the three subgroups of persons with frailty, complex health care needs, and mental disorders. Family, self-efficacy, and financial security were the most frequently reported resources of older adults. Women and men showed significant differences in their self-perceived resources. Personal resources (self-efficacy, optimism, mastery), social resources, and financial security were reported significantly less frequently by frail persons, persons with complex health care needs, and mentally ill older adults compared to non-impaired participants. Apart from external support, patients who experienced complex health care needs reported resources less frequently compared to frail and mentally ill patients. Coping resources in older adults are associated with sex and impairment. Evaluation and support of personal resources of frail or mentally ill persons or individuals with complex health care needs should be integrated in the therapeutic process.

A comparison between audio computer-assisted self-interviews and clinician interviews for obtaining the sexual history.

PubMed

Kurth, Ann E; Martin, Diane P; Golden, Matthew R; Weiss, Noel S; Heagerty, Patrick J; Spielberg, Freya; Handsfield, H Hunter; Holmes, King K

2004-12-01

The objective of this study was to compare reporting between audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) and clinician-administered sexual histories. The goal of this study was to explore the usefulness of ACASI in sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics. The authors conducted a cross-sectional study of ACASI followed by a clinician history (CH) among 609 patients (52% male, 59% white) in an urban, public STD clinic. We assessed completeness of data, item prevalence, and report concordance for sexual history and patient characteristic variables classified as socially neutral (n=5), sensitive (n=11), or rewarded (n=4). Women more often reported by ACASI than during CH same-sex behavior (19.6% vs. 11.5%), oral sex (67.3% vs. 50.0%), transactional sex (20.7% vs. 9.8%), and amphetamine use (4.9% vs. 0.7%) but were less likely to report STD symptoms (55.4% vs. 63.7%; all McNemar chi-squared P values <0.003). Men's reporting was similar between interviews, except for ever having had sex with another man (36.9% ACASI vs. 28.7% CH, P <0.001). Reporting agreement as measured by kappas and intraclass correlation coefficients was only moderate for socially sensitive and rewarded variables but was substantial or almost perfect for socially neutral variables. ACASI data tended to be more complete. ACASI was acceptable to 89% of participants. ACASI sexual histories may help to identify persons at risk for STDs.

Self-recognition of avatar motion: how do I know it's me?

PubMed

Cook, Richard; Johnston, Alan; Heyes, Cecilia

2012-02-22

When motion is isolated from form cues and viewed from third-person perspectives, individuals are able to recognize their own whole body movements better than those of friends. Because we rarely see our own bodies in motion from third-person viewpoints, this self-recognition advantage may indicate a contribution to perception from the motor system. Our first experiment provides evidence that recognition of self-produced and friends' motion dissociate, with only the latter showing sensitivity to orientation. Through the use of selectively disrupted avatar motion, our second experiment shows that self-recognition of facial motion is mediated by knowledge of the local temporal characteristics of one's own actions. Specifically, inverted self-recognition was unaffected by disruption of feature configurations and trajectories, but eliminated by temporal distortion. While actors lack third-person visual experience of their actions, they have a lifetime of proprioceptive, somatosensory, vestibular and first-person-visual experience. These sources of contingent feedback may provide actors with knowledge about the temporal properties of their actions, potentially supporting recognition of characteristic rhythmic variation when viewing self-produced motion. In contrast, the ability to recognize the motion signatures of familiar others may be dependent on configural topographic cues.

Pain measurement and brain activity: will neuroimages replace pain ratings?

PubMed

Robinson, Michael E; Staud, Roland; Price, Donald D

2013-04-01

Arguments made for the advantages of replacing pain ratings with brain-imaging data include assumptions that pain ratings are less reliable and objective and that brain image data would greatly benefit the measurement of treatment efficacy. None of these assumptions are supported by available evidence. Self-report of pain is predictable and does not necessarily reflect unreliability or error. Because pain is defined as an experience, magnitudes of its dimensions can be estimated by well-established methods, including those used to validate brain imaging of pain. Brain imaging helps to study pain mechanisms and might be used as proxy measures of pain in persons unable to provide verbal reports. Yet eliminating pain ratings or replacing them with neuroimaging data is misguided because brain images only help explain pain if they are used in conjunction with self-report. There is no objective readout mechanism of pain (pain thermometer) that is unaffected by psychological factors. Benefits from including neuroimaging data might include increased understanding of underlying neural mechanisms of treatment efficacy, discovery of new treatment vectors, and support of conclusions derived from self-report. However, neither brain imaging nor self-report data are privileged over the other. The assumption that treatment efficacy is hampered by self-report has not been shown; there is a plethora of treatment studies showing that self-report is sensitive to treatment. Dismissal of patients' self-reports (pain ratings) by brain-imaging data is potentially harmful. The aim of replacing self-report with brain-imaging data is misguided and has no scientific or philosophical foundation. Although brain imaging may offer considerable insight into the neural mechanisms of pain, including relevant causes and correlations, brain images cannot and should not replace self-report. Only the latter assesses the experience of pain, which is not identical to neural activity. Brain imaging may help to explain pain, but replacing self-report with brain-imaging data would be philosophically and scientifically misguided and potentially harmful to pain patients. Copyright © 2013 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of self-reported HIV testing data with medical records data in Houston, TX 2012-2013.

PubMed

An, Qian; Chronister, Karen; Song, Ruiguang; Pearson, Megan; Pan, Yi; Yang, Biru; Khuwaja, Salma; Hernandez, Angela; Hall, H Irene

2016-03-23

To assess the agreement between self-reported and medical record data on HIV status and dates of first positive and last negative HIV tests. Participants were recruited from patients attending Houston health clinics during 2012-2013. Self-reported data were collected using a questionnaire and compared with medical record data. Agreement of HIV status was assessed using kappa statistics and of HIV test dates using concordance correlation coefficient. The extent of difference between self-reported and medical record test dates was determined. Agreement between self-reported and medical record data was good on HIV status and date of first positive HIV test, but poor on date of last negative HIV test. About half of participants that self-reported never tested had HIV test results in medical records. Agreement varied by sex, race and/or ethnicity, and medical care facility. For HIV-positive persons, more self-reported first positive HIV test dates preceded medical record dates, with a median difference of 6 months. For HIV-negative persons, more medical record dates of last negative HIV test preceded self-reported dates, with a median difference of 2 months. Studies relying on self-reported HIV status other than HIV positive and self-reported date of last negative should consider including information from additional sources to validate the self-reported data. Published by Elsevier Inc.

76 FR 2124 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Voluntary...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-12

... (original and update), and verification audit; names of the person(s) who completed the self-assessment... of the self assessment, date of the verification audit report, name of the auditor, signature and... self assessment, (2) conducting a baseline survey of the regulated industry, and (3) obtaining an...

Assessment of Adult Psychopathology: Meta-Analyses and Implications of Cross-Informant Correlations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Achenbach, Thomas M.; Krukowsi, Rebecca A.; Dumenci, Levent; Ivanova, Masha Y.

2005-01-01

Assessment of adult psychopathology relies heavily on self-reports. To determine how well self-reports agree with reports by "informants" who know the person being assessed, the authors examined 51,000 articles published over 10 years in 52 peer-reviewed journals for correlations between self-reports and "informants" reports. Qualifying…

Self-estimation or phototest measurement of skin UV sensitivity and its association with people's attitudes towards sun exposure.

PubMed

Falk, Magnus

2014-02-01

Fitzpatrick's classification is the most common way of assessing skin UV sensitivity. The study aim was to investigate how self-estimated and actual UV sensitivity, as measured by phototest, are associated with attitudes towards sunbathing and the propensity to increase sun protection, as well as the correlation between self-estimated and actual UV sensitivity. A total of 166 primary healthcare patients filled-out a questionnaire investigating attitudes towards sunbathing and the propensity to increase sun protection. They reported their skin type according to Fitzpatrick, and a UV sensitivity phototest was performed. Self-rated low UV sensitivity (skin type III-VI) was associated with a more positive attitude towards sunbathing and a lower propensity to increase sun protection, compared to high UV sensitivity. The correlation between the two methods was weak. The findings might indicate that individuals with a perceived low but in reality high UV sensitivity do not seek adequate sun protection with regard to skin cancer risk. Furthermore, the poor correlation between self-reported and actual UV sensitivity, measured by phototest, makes the clinical use of Fitzpatrick's classification questionable.

Screening for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in borderline personality disorder.

PubMed

Weibel, Sébastien; Nicastro, Rosetta; Prada, Paco; Cole, Pierre; Rüfenacht, Eva; Pham, Eléonore; Dayer, Alexandre; Perroud, Nader

2018-01-15

A valid screening instrument is needed to detect attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in treatment-seeking borderline personality disorder (BPD) patients. We aimed to test the performance of the widely-used Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale v1.1 screener (ASRS-v1.1). 317 BPD subjects were systematically assessed for comorbid ADHD and completed the ASRS-v1.1. 79 BPD patients also completed the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS-25). The prevalence of adult ADHD was of 32.4%. The overall positive predictive value of the ASRS-v1.1 was of 38.5%, the negative predictive value 77.0%, the sensitivity 72.8%, and the specificity 43.9%. Combining WURS-25 and ASRS-v1.1 improved sensitivity to 81.8% and specificity to 59.6%. Cross-sectional study on treatment-seeking patients. We found a high prevalence of ADHD using structured interviews. The ASRS-v1.1 was not a sensitive screener for identifying possible ADHD cases in a BPD population, with a high number of false positives. When combined with the WURS-25, it offered improved screening. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Planning Health Services for Seniors: Can We Use Patient's Own Perception?

PubMed

Figueiredo, Sabrina; Rosenzveig, Alicia; Morais, Jose A; Mayo, Nancy E

2017-06-01

The objectives of this study were to identify needs and to estimate whether self-reported health can be used as an indicator of service needs among seniors. This was a cross-sectional survey. Age- and sex-adjusted logistic regression was used to estimate the link between functional status indicators and fair or poor self-reported health. Forward stepwise logistic regression was performed to identify the strongest contributors of poor health. Positive predictive value (PPV), sensitivity, and specificity were calculated to identify whether health perception could be used to identify people in need of physical rehabilitation services. 142 seniors agreed to answer the survey, yielding a response rate of 73%. Among the respondents (mean age 79±7; 60% women), 40% rated their health as fair or poor. Seniors perceiving their health as fair or poor had higher odds of reporting impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions (OR ranging from 2.37 95%CI: 1.03-5-45 to 12.22 95%CI: 2.68-55.78) in comparison to those perceiving their health as good or better. The strongest contributors for poor/fair health were depression, difficulty performing household tasks, pain, and dizziness (c-statistic = 0.91 and a maximum adjusted r -squared of 0.60). Self-rated health used as single-item showed a positive predictive value (PPV) of 1, sensitivity of 52%, and specificity of 100%. Our results indicate that all seniors participating in this study and reporting fair or poor health have indicators of need for further rehabilitation services. Asking patients to rate their own health may be an alternate way of querying about need, as many older persons are afraid to report disability because of fear of further institutionalization.

Associations Between Personality Traits and Adherence to Antidepressants Assessed Through Self-Report, Electronic Monitoring, and Pharmacy Dispensing Data: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Wouters, Hans; Amin, Darya F H; Taxis, Katja; Heerdink, Eibert R; Egberts, Antoine C G; Gardarsdottir, Helga

2016-10-01

Treatment with antidepressants is often compromised by substantial nonadherence. To understand nonadherence, specific medication-related behaviors and beliefs have been studied, but less is known about broader and temporally stable personality "traits." Furthermore, adherence has often been assessed by a single method. Hence, we investigated associations between the Big Five personality traits and adherence assessed by self-report, electronic drug use monitoring, and dispensing data. Using the Big Five Inventory, we assessed the personality traits "openness," "conscientiousness," "extraversion," "agreeableness," and "neuroticism" of patients treated with antidepressants who were invited through community pharmacies. Self-reported adherence was assessed with the Medication Adherence Rating Scale (score >24), electronic monitoring with medication event monitoring system (MEMS) devices (therapy days missed ≤ 10% and < 4 consecutive days missed), and dispensing data (medication possession ratio ≥ 80%). One hundred four women and 33 men participated (mean age, 51; standard deviation, 14). Paroxetine was most frequently prescribed (N = 53, 38%). Logistic regression analysis revealed that of the personality traits, the third and fourth quartiles of "conscientiousness" were associated with better self-reported adherence (odds ratio, 3.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.34-9.86 and odds ratio, 2.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-8.08; P ≤ 0.05). No relationships were found between personality traits and adherence assessed through electronic drug use monitoring or dispensing data. We therefore conclude that adherence to antidepressant therapy seems to be largely unrelated to personality traits.

Regulating the interpersonal self: strategic self-regulation for coping with rejection sensitivity.

PubMed

Ayduk, O; Mendoza-Denton, R; Mischel, W; Downey, G; Peake, P K; Rodriguez, M

2000-11-01

People high in rejection sensitivity (RS) anxiously expect rejection and are at risk for interpersonal and personal distress. Two studies examined the role of self-regulation through strategic attention deployment in moderating the link between RS and maladaptive outcomes. Self-regulation was assessed by the delay of gratification (DG) paradigm in childhood. In Study 1, preschoolers from the Stanford University community who participated in the DG paradigm were assessed 20 years later. Study 2 assessed low-income, minority middle school children on comparable measures. DG ability buffered high-RS people from interpersonal difficulties (aggression, peer rejection) and diminished well-being (e.g., low self-worth, higher drug use). The protective effect of DG ability on high-RS children's self-worth is explained by reduced interpersonal problems. Attentional mechanisms underlying the interaction between RS and strategic self-regulation are discussed.

Validation of objective records and misreporting of personal radio use in a cohort of British Police forces (the Airwave Health Monitoring Study).

PubMed

Vergnaud, Anne-Claire; Aresu, Maria; McRobie, Dennis; Singh, Deepa; Spear, Jeanette; Heard, Andy; Elliott, Paul

2016-07-01

Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) is a digital communication system progressively adopted by Police Forces in Great Britain since 2001. In 2000, the UK Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones suggested that exposure to TETRA-like signal modulation might have adverse effects on health. The Airwave Health Monitoring Study was established to investigate possible long-term effects of TETRA use on health. This requires estimation of TETRA use among Police Force employees participating in the study. We investigated TETRA usage among 42,112 Police officers and staff. An algorithm was created to link each personal radio user to his/her objective radio usage records for the 26,035 participants with available data. We linked 16,577 personal radio users to their objective radio usage records and compared self-reported usage with data from the TETRA operator for those individuals. For weekly usage, the correlation between self-reported and operator-derived personal radio usage was r=0.69 for number and r=0.59 for the duration of calls. Compared with objective data, participants under-reported the number of calls and over-reported the duration of calls by a factor of around 4 and 1.6 respectively. Correlations were lower and bias higher when looking at daily usage. Where both objective and self-reported information were available, our study showed substantial misreporting in self-reported TETRA usage. Successful linkage of large numbers of TETRA users to objective data on their personal radios will allow objective assessment of TETRA radio usage for these participants and development of algorithms to correct bias in self-reported data for the remainder. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Comparison of Interview and Self-Report Methods for the Assessment of Borderline Personality Disorder Criteria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopwood, Christopher J.; Morey, Leslie C.; Edelen, Maria Orlando; Shea, M. Tracie; Grilo, Carlos M.; Sanislow, Charles A.; McGlashan, Thomas H.; Daversa, Maria T.; Gunderson, John G.; Zanarini, Mary C.; Markowitz, John C.; Skodol, Andrew E.

2008-01-01

Interview methods are widely regarded as the standard for the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD), whereas self-report methods are considered a time-efficient alternative. However, the relative validity of these methods has not been sufficiently tested. The current study used data from the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality…

Brief Report: Personality Mediates the Relationship between Autism Quotient and Well-Being--A Conceptual Replication Using Self-Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodgers, Jonathan D.; Lodi-Smith, Jennifer; Hill, Patrick L.; Spain, Seth M.; Lopata, Christopher; Thomeer, Marcus L.

2018-01-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) impacts well-being across the lifespan. Individuals with ASD evidence differences in personality traits and self-concept clarity that are predictors of well-being in typically-developing individuals. The current research replicates a growing body of evidence demonstrating differences in well-being and personality…

Correspondence between Self-Report and Interview-Based Assessments of Antisocial Personality Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guy, Laura S.; Poythress, Norman G.; Douglas, Kevin S.; Skeem, Jennifer L.; Edens, John F.

2008-01-01

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is associated with suicide, violence, and risk-taking behavior and can slow response to first-line treatment for Axis I disorders. ASPD may be assessed infrequently because few efficient diagnostic tools are available. This study evaluated 2 promising self-report measures for assessing ASPD--the ASPD scale of…

Personality Correlates of Self-Report, Role-Playing, and In Vivo Measures of Assertiveness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Samuel B.; And Others

1979-01-01

Undergraduates completed self-report inventories of assertiveness, participated in behavior role-playing tasks and in vivo measures of assertiveness, and completed the Personality Research Form E (PRF-E). Of 22 PRF-E scales, 11 had at least one significant correlation with assertiveness measures. Some composites of PRF-E scales were related to…

Self-Stigma of Mental Illness Scale – Short Form: Reliability and Validity

PubMed Central

Corrigan, Patrick W.; Michaels, Patrick J.; Vega, Eduardo; Gause, Michael; Watson, Amy C.; Rüsch, Nicolas

2012-01-01

The internalization of public stigma by persons with serious mental illnesses may lead to self-stigma, which harms self-esteem, self-efficacy, and empowerment. Previous research has evaluated a hierarchical model that distinguishes among stereotype awareness, agreement, application to self, and harm to self with the 40-item Self-Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (SSMIS). This study addressed SSMIS critiques (too long, contains offensive items that discourages test completion) by strategically omitting half of the original scale’s items. Here we report reliability and validity of the 20-item short form (SSMIS-SF) based on data from three previous studies. Retained items were rated less offensive by a sample of consumers. Results indicated adequate internal consistencies for each subscale. Repeated measures ANOVAs showed subscale means progressively diminished from awareness to harm. In support of its validity, the harm subscale was found to be inversely and significantly related to self-esteem, self-efficacy, empowerment, and hope. After controlling for level of depression, these relationships remained significant with the exception of the relation between empowerment and harm SSMIS-SF subscale. Future research with the SSMIS-SF should evaluate its sensitivity to change and its stability through test-rest reliability. PMID:22578819

Assessment of self-care and medication adherence in individuals with mental health conditions.

PubMed

Bible, Lisa J; Casper, Kristin A; Seifert, Jennifer L; Porter, Kyle A

This descriptive study explored whether patients with mental health conditions engage in personal medicine (self-care activities) as part of their treatment regimen. Personal medicine is patient-identified and -initiated activities of self-care that can improve mental health through various means, including physical activity, social engagement, and spiritual connectedness. The purpose of this study was to explore patient engagement in personal medicine within an underserved population and to evaluate the impact self-care might have on self-reported medication use and adherence and patient perception of mental health control. Cross-sectional study design with a face-to-face verbally administered survey assessing medication adherence, engagement in self-care activities, perception of self-care, and mental health control. The study site was a nonprofit charitable pharmacy in an urban setting. The pharmacy provides medications and pharmacy services at no charge, including disease state education, point-of-care testing, and medication therapy management. Study participants included those who fill medications for mental health conditions and who are age 18 years and older. Main outcomes included engagement in self-care and self-reported medication adherence. Additional measures included stratification of dimensions of self-care, perception of mental health control, and patient knowledge of community resources. Overall, 81.7% of participants engaged in activities of self-care, with 98.3% recognizing self-care as important to improving and maintaining their mental health. Greater self-reported adherence rates and mental health control were seen with patients who participate in self-care. Participants who identify and engage in personal medicine recognize its value and are willing to incorporate it into their treatment regimen. As accessible and trusted health care providers, pharmacists can encourage patients to identify and use personal medicine to aid in the improvement of their mental health condition. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Toward a State of Esteem. The Final Report of the California Task Force to Promote Self-esteem and Personal and Social Responsibility.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento.

This document contains the final report of a California Task Force created to promote self-esteem and personal responsibility. It begins with an executive summary listing key principles of the task force and providing recommendations and discussions in each of six major areas upon which the report focuses. The next section presents the task…

Gender, sex role ideology, and self-esteem among East Asian immigrants in the United States.

PubMed

Barry, Declan T; Bernard, Matthew J; Beitel, Mark

2006-09-01

This study examined the relationship between gender, sex role ideology, and self-esteem among 170 (88 male, 82 female) East Asian immigrants in the United States. Participants were administered a battery of psychometrically established measures. Men and women did not differ on personal or collective self-esteem (CSE). Women who endorsed traditional sex roles were significantly more likely to report higher private, identity, and total CSE. Personal self-esteem was a significant independent predictor of traditional sex role for women. Participants who endorsed sex role equality were significantly more likely to report public, membership, and total CSE. Sex role equality was associated with enhanced private CSE for men and attenuated personal self-esteem for women. These findings point to the importance of assessing multiple facets of self-esteem, which appear to be differentially associated with sex role ideology for men and women.

Self-referential and social cognition in a case of autism and agenesis of the corpus callosum

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background While models of autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are emerging at the genetic level of analysis, clear models at higher levels of analysis, such as neuroanatomy, are lacking. Here we examine agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) as a model at the level of neuroanatomy that may be relevant for understanding self-referential and social-cognitive difficulties in ASC. Methods We examined performance on a wide array of tests in self-referential and social-cognitive domains in a patient with both AgCC and a diagnosis of ASC. Tests included a depth-of-processing memory paradigm with self-referential and social-cognitive manipulations, self-report measures of self-consciousness, alexithymia, and empathy, as well as performance measures of first-person pronoun usage and mentalizing ability. The performance of the AgCC patient was compared to a group of individuals with ASC but without AgCC and with neurotypical controls. These comparison groups come from a prior study where group differences were apparent across many measures. We used bootstrapping to assess whether the AgCC patient exhibited scores that were within or outside the 95% bias-corrected and accelerated bootstrap confidence intervals observed in both comparison groups. Results Within the depth-of-processing memory paradigm, the AgCC patient showed decreased memory sensitivity that was more extreme than both comparison groups across all conditions. The patient’s most pronounced difficulty on this task emerged in the social-cognitive domain related to information-processing about other people. The patient was similar to the ASC group in benefiting less from self-referential processing compared to the control group. Across a variety of other self-referential (i.e. alexithymia, private self-consciousness) and social-cognitive measures (i.e. self-reported imaginative and perspective-taking subscales of empathy, mentalizing), the AgCC patient also showed more extreme scores than those observed for both of the comparison groups. However, the AgCC patient scored within the range observed in the comparison groups on measures of first-person pronoun usage and self-reported affective empathy subscales. Conclusions We conclude that AgCC co-occurring with a diagnosis of ASC may be a relevant model at the level of neuroanatomy for understanding mechanisms involved in self-referential and high-level social-cognitive difficulties in ASC. PMID:23171505

The role of defense mechanisms in borderline and antisocial personalities.

PubMed

Presniak, Michelle D; Olson, Trevor R; Macgregor, Michael Wm

2010-03-01

We examined whether borderline personality disorder (BPD) and antisocial personality disorder (APD) could be differentiated based on defense mechanisms as measured by observer (Defense-Q; MacGregor, Olson, Presniak, & Davidson, 2008) and self-report (Defense Style Questionnaire; Andrews, Singh, & Bond, 1993) measures. We conducted 2 studies whereby nonclinical participants were divided into borderline and antisocial groups based on scores from the Personality Assessment Inventory (Morey, 1991). Multivariate analysis of variance results revealed significant overall group differences in defense use. Univariate analyses further showed group differences on several individual defenses (e.g., acting out, denial, and turning against self). Together, the findings suggest that in BPD, the defenses may emphasize interpersonal dependency and a tendency to direct aggression toward the self; whereas in APD, the defenses may emphasize egocentricity, interpersonal exploitation, and a tendency to direct aggression toward others. Overall, this study demonstrates important differences in defense use between borderline and antisocial personality groups across both observer and self-report measures.

Effects of interview mode on assessments of erectile and ejaculatory dysfunction among men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

PubMed

Catania, Joseph A; Oakley, Lisa P; Rosen, Raymond; Pollack, Lance M

2013-01-01

In a randomized experiment (N = 249; age 50 + years), this study examined if self-reports of erectile dysfunction (ED) and ejaculatory dysfunction (EjD) symptomatology were influenced by the mode of interview administration (computer-assisted self-interview [CASI], audio computer-assisted self-interview [ACASI], or computer-assisted personal interview [CAPI; involving an interviewer]). This study also examined if mode moderated person variables hypothesized to impact self-reports (social desirability, age, or depressive mood). No main or moderating effects of mode were found for self-reports of EjD symptoms. However, mode effects on reports of ED symptoms were observed, and these moderated age and social desirability effects on self-reports. Significantly more older (relative to younger) men reported high levels of ED symptoms when interview administration was by a live interviewer (CAPI) than with self-administration. Alternatively, significantly more younger men reported high levels of ED symptoms when administration was by an interviewer (CAPI) or by ACASI (vs. CASI). The Mode × Social Desirability effects were complex (see the Discussion section), showing hypothesized effects under ACASI and CAPI conditions, but an opposite effect under the CASI condition. The stability of self-reported ED symptoms did not vary by mode (based on test-retest comparisons); test-retest was significantly higher for EjD symptoms within the ACASI condition. The impact of mode of administration on self-reports of ED/EjD symptoms is less predictable and dramatic than one might conclude from prior research with other types of self-report outcomes. The findings are consistent with a small, but growing, body of studies that illustrate highly situational effects of interviewing, which may depend on a complex interplay between modes, person variables, and the interview topic/target items. Self-administered methods, in particular, may not be a universal solution to response bias.

The relationship between ADHD symptoms, mood instability, and self-reported offending.

PubMed

Gudjonsson, Gisli H; Sigurdsson, Jon Fridrik; Adalsteinsson, Tomas F; Young, Susan

2013-05-01

To investigate the relative importance of ADHD symptoms, mood instability, and antisocial personality disorder traits in predicting self-reported offending. A total of 295 Icelandic students completed two scales of offending behavior and measures of ADHD symptoms, mood instability, and antisocial personality traits. Self-reported offending from the two independent scales correlated significantly with ADHD symptoms, mood instability, and antisocial personality traits with medium to large effect size. Multiple regressions showed that ADHD symptoms contributed to the two outcome measures beyond that of age and gender with a medium effect size. The ADHD effects were only partly mediated by mood instability and antisocial personality traits for general offending but were almost completely mediated by the more reactive measure of antisocial behavior. ADHD appears to be a potential risk factor for general offending in its own right irrespective of the presence of comorbidity, whereas mood instability is more important with regard to reactive behavior.

Proactive personality and career success.

PubMed

Seibert, S E; Crant, J M; Kraimer, M L

1999-06-01

This study examined the relationship between proactive personality and career success by surveying a sample of 496 employees (320 men and 176 women) from a diverse set of occupations and organizations. Proactive personality was positively associated with both self-reported objective (salary and promotions) and subjective (career satisfaction) indicators of career success. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that proactive personality explained additional variance in both objective and subjective career success even after controlling for several relevant variables (demographic, human capital, motivational, organizational, and industry) that have previously been found to be predictive of career outcomes. These findings were consistent using both self-report and significant--other ratings of proactive personality.

Effects of induced anger in patients with antisocial personality disorder.

PubMed

Lobbestael, J; Arntz, A; Cima, M; Chakhssi, F

2009-04-01

Anger is the main deregulated emotion in patients with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). The aim of this study was to examine emotional, cognitive and physiological correlates of anger and compare these between ASPD patients with varying degree of psychopathy (PP) and control groups. Assessment of the effect of anger induction on self-reported emotions and schema modes, psychophysiology and implicit reaction-time tasks measuring self-anger and aggressor-swearword associations. Participants (n=147) were patients with DSM-IV antisocial (n=21), borderline (n=45) and cluster C personality disorder (n=46) and non-patient controls (n=35). Groups did not differ in self-reported anger. ASPD patients displayed a decrease in heart rate and systolic blood pressure (SBP) and stronger implicit self-anger associations. ASPD patients scoring low on affective PP reported less negative emotions and displayed a greater decrease in diastolic blood pressure (DBP). ASPD patients did not display a deviant self-reported anger but physiological hyporesponsivity and cognitive hyper-responsivity. This ASPD anger response might reflect a controlled predatory-like fight preparation.

The General Assessment of Personality Disorder (GAPD): factor structure, incremental validity of self-pathology, and relations to DSM-IV personality disorders.

PubMed

Hentschel, Annett G; Livesley, W John

2013-01-01

Recent developments in the classification of personality disorder, especially moves toward more dimensional systems, create the need to assess general personality disorder apart from individual differences in personality pathology. The General Assessment of Personality Disorder (GAPD) is a self-report questionnaire designed to evaluate general personality disorder. The measure evaluates 2 major components of disordered personality: self or identity problems and interpersonal dysfunction. This study explores whether there is a single factor reflecting general personality pathology as proposed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.), whether self-pathology has incremental validity over interpersonal pathology as measured by GAPD, and whether GAPD scales relate significantly to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed. [DSM-IV]) personality disorders. Based on responses from a German psychiatric sample of 149 participants, parallel analysis yielded a 1-factor model. Self Pathology scales of the GAPD increased the predictive validity of the Interpersonal Pathology scales of the GAPD. The GAPD scales showed a moderate to high correlation for 9 of 12 DSM-IV personality disorders.

The Storm and Stress (or Calm) of Early Adolescent Self-Concepts: Within- and Between-Person Variability

PubMed Central

Molloy, Lauren E.; Ram, Nilam; Gest, Scott D.

2014-01-01

This study uses intraindividual variability and change methods to test theoretical accounts of self-concept and its change across time and context, and the developmental implications of this variability. The five-year longitudinal study of 541 youth in a rural Pennsylvania community from 3rd through 7th grade included twice-yearly assessments of self-concept (academic and social), corresponding external evaluations of competence (e.g., teacher-rated academic skills, peer-nominated “likeability”), and multiple measures of youths' overall adjustment. Multiphase growth models replicate previous research, suggesting significant decline in academic self-concept during middle school, but modest growth in social self-concept from 3rd through 7th grade. Next, a new contribution is made to the literature by quantifying the amount of within-person variability (i.e., “lability”) around these linear self-concept trajectories as a between-person characteristic. Self-concept lability was found to associate with a general profile of poorer competence and adjustment, and to predict poorer academic and social competence at the end of 7th grade above and beyond level of self-concept. Finally, there was substantial evidence that wave-to-wave changes in youths' self-concepts correspond to teacher and peer evaluations of youths' competence, that attention to peer feedback may be particularly strong during middle school, and that these relations may be moderated by between-person indicators of youths' general adjustment. Overall, findings highlight the utility of methods sensitive to within-person variation for clarifying the dynamics of youths' self-system development. PMID:21928883

A Comparison of Trans Women, Trans Men, Genderqueer Individuals, and Cisgender Brothers and Sisters on the Bem Sex-Role Inventory: Ratings by Self and Siblings.

PubMed

Factor, Rhonda J; Rothblum, Esther D

2017-01-01

A U.S. national sample of 295 transgender adults (trans women, trans men, and genderqueer individuals) and their cisgender siblings completed the Bem Sex-Role Inventory about their siblings as well as themselves, which enabled a comparison between self-perceptions and sibling's perceptions of personality characteristics. Self-reported personality characteristics scored as feminine of trans women were not statistically different from those of their cisgender sisters, but they were significantly higher than self-reported femininity scores of trans men, genderqueer individuals, and cisgender brothers. Self-reported personality characteristics scored as masculine of trans men did not differ significantly from those of their cisgender brothers, but they were higher than those of trans women. Trans men and cisgender brothers were viewed by their siblings in a more sex-typed way than they rated themselves, whereas trans women and cisgender sisters were rated by their siblings in a less sex-typed way than they viewed themselves.

Stress sensitive electricity based on Ag/cellulose nanofiber aerogel for self-reporting.

PubMed

Yao, Qiufang; Fan, Bitao; Xiong, Ye; Wang, Chao; Wang, Hanwei; Jin, Chunde; Sun, Qingfeng

2017-07-15

A self-reporting aerogel toward stress sensitive slectricity (SSE) was presented using an interconnected 3D fibrous network of Ag nanoparticles/cellulose nanofiber aerogel (Ag/CNF), which was prepared via combined routes of silver mirror reaction and ultrasonication. Sphere-like Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) with mean diameter of 74nm were tightly anchored in the cellulose nanofiber through by the coherent interfaces as the conductive materials. The as-prepared Ag/CNF as a self-reporting material for SSE not only possessed quick response and sensitivity, but also be easily recovered after 100th compressive cycles without plastic deformation or degradation in compressive strength. Consequently, Ag/CNF could play a viable role in self-reporting materials as a quick electric-stress responsive sensor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hepatitis A and B among young persons who inject drugs--vaccination, past, and present infection.

PubMed

Collier, Melissa G; Drobeniuc, Jan; Cuevas-Mota, Jazmine; Garfein, Richard S; Kamili, Saleem; Teshale, Eyasu H

2015-06-04

Our study aims were to assess hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) susceptibility and infection among young persons who inject drugs (PWID) who may have been vaccinated as children and to evaluate self-report of HAV and HBV vaccination. We recruited PWID aged 18-40 years-old in San Diego during 2009 and 2010 and collected demographic, socioeconomic, health, and behavioral factors. Participants were asked if they had been vaccinated against HAV and HBV, and serum samples were collected for HAV and HBV serologic testing. Of 519 participants, 365 (72%) were male, 252 (49%) were white non-Hispanic, 38 (7%) were Black non-Hispanic, 138 (27%) were White Hispanic, and 22 (4%) were born outside the U. S. Of the total participants, 245 (47%) had surface hepatitis B antibody (anti-HBs) titers <10mIU/ml (i.e., HBV susceptible) and 325 (63%) had no detectable HAV antibodies (HAV susceptible). Hepatitis B surface antigen was detected in 7 (1%) of total participants; and 135 (26%) were anti-HCV-antibody positive. Compared to serologic findings, self-report of HBV and HAV vaccination was 71% and 41% sensitive, and 58% and 73% specific, respectively. HAV and HBV antibodies in half or more of this young PWID population did not have levels indicative of protection, and about a quarter had HCV infection, putting them at risk for complications resulting from co-infection with HAV or HBV. Programs serving this population should vaccinate PWIDs against HAV and HBV and not rely on self-report of vaccination. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Disentangling Emotion Processes in Borderline Personality Disorder: Physiological and Self-reported Assessment of Biological Vulnerability, Baseline Intensity, and Reactivity to Emotionally-Evocative Stimuli

PubMed Central

Kuo, Janice R.; Linehan, Marsha M.

2014-01-01

This study investigated Linehan’s (1993) theory that individuals meeting criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) have high biological vulnerability to emotion dysregulation, including high baseline emotional intensity and high reactivity to emotionally-evocative stimuli. Twenty individuals with BPD, 20 age-matched individuals with generalized social anxiety disorder (SAD), and 20 age-matched normal controls (NC) participated in two separate emotion induction conditions, a standardized condition and a personally-relevant condition. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), skin conductance response (SCR), and self-report measures were collected throughout the experiment. BPD participants displayed heightened biological vulnerability compared with NC as indicated by reduced basal RSA. BPD participants also exhibited high baseline emotional intensity, characterized by heightened SCR and heightened self-reported negative emotions at baseline. However, the BPD group did not display heightened reactivity as their physiological and self-reported changes from baseline to the emotion inductions tasks were not greater than the other two groups. PMID:19685950

Self-Report Measures of Parent-Adolescent Attachment and Separation-Individuation: A Selective Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez, Frederick G.; Gover, Mark R.

1993-01-01

Reviews and critiques three self-report measures of parent-adolescent attachment (Parental Bonding Instrument, Parental Attachment Questionnaire, Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment) and three self-report measures of parent-adolescent separation-individuation (Psychological Separation Inventory, Personal Authority in the Family System…

The impact of personality on the reporting of unfounded symptoms and illness.

PubMed

Feldman, P J; Cohen, S; Doyle, W J; Skoner, D P; Gwaltney, J M

1999-08-01

This study examined the role of personality in the reporting of symptoms and illness not supported by underlying pathology. After assessment of the Big Five personality factors, 276 healthy volunteers were inoculated with a common cold virus. On each of the following 5 days, objective indicators of pathology, self-reported symptoms, and self-reported illness onset were assessed. Neuroticism was directly associated with reports of unfounded (without a physiological basis) symptoms in individuals at baseline and postinoculation in those with and without colds. Neuroticism was also indirectly associated with reports of unfounded illness through reports of more symptoms. Openness to Experience was associated with reporting unfounded symptoms in those with verifiable colds, whereas Conscientiousness was associated with reporting unfounded illness in those who were not ill.

Motivation a Necessary Personnel Management Tool in the Air Force.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-05-01

PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) .t C1 William F. 13.. TYPE OF REPORT 13b. TIME COVERED DATE OF REPORT (Yr.. Mo.. Day) 1. PAGE COUNT Researd’I I FROM TO 14. May 1985...occurred in the last five years. Since a follow-on personal interview with each officer was not possible, each officer was also asked to rate (on a...organizational objectives. Employees will exercise self-direction and self-control to reach objectives to which they are personally committed. 3

Personality and Situation Predictors of Consistent Eating Patterns.

PubMed

Vainik, Uku; Dubé, Laurette; Lu, Ji; Fellows, Lesley K

2015-01-01

A consistent eating style might be beneficial to avoid overeating in a food-rich environment. Eating consistency entails maintaining a similar dietary pattern across different eating situations. This construct is relatively under-studied, but the available evidence suggests that eating consistency supports successful weight maintenance and decreases risk for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Yet, personality and situation predictors of consistency have not been studied. A community-based sample of 164 women completed various personality tests, and 139 of them also reported their eating behaviour 6 times/day over 10 observational days. We focused on observations with meals (breakfast, lunch, or dinner). The participants indicated if their momentary eating patterns were consistent with their own baseline eating patterns in terms of healthiness or size of the meal. Further, participants described various characteristics of each eating situation. Eating consistency was positively predicted by trait self-control. Eating consistency was undermined by eating in the evening, eating with others, eating away from home, having consumed alcohol and having undertaken physical exercise. Interactions emerged between personality traits and situations, including punishment sensitivity, restraint, physical activity and alcohol consumption. Trait self-control and several eating situation variables were related to eating consistency. These findings provide a starting point for targeting interventions to improve consistency, suggesting that a focus on self-control skills, together with addressing contextual factors such as social situations and time of day, may be most promising. This work is a first step to provide people with the tools they need to maintain a consistently healthy lifestyle in a food-rich environment.

Personality and Situation Predictors of Consistent Eating Patterns

PubMed Central

Vainik, Uku; Dubé, Laurette; Lu, Ji; Fellows, Lesley K.

2015-01-01

Introduction A consistent eating style might be beneficial to avoid overeating in a food-rich environment. Eating consistency entails maintaining a similar dietary pattern across different eating situations. This construct is relatively under-studied, but the available evidence suggests that eating consistency supports successful weight maintenance and decreases risk for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Yet, personality and situation predictors of consistency have not been studied. Methods A community-based sample of 164 women completed various personality tests, and 139 of them also reported their eating behaviour 6 times/day over 10 observational days. We focused on observations with meals (breakfast, lunch, or dinner). The participants indicated if their momentary eating patterns were consistent with their own baseline eating patterns in terms of healthiness or size of the meal. Further, participants described various characteristics of each eating situation. Results Eating consistency was positively predicted by trait self-control. Eating consistency was undermined by eating in the evening, eating with others, eating away from home, having consumed alcohol and having undertaken physical exercise. Interactions emerged between personality traits and situations, including punishment sensitivity, restraint, physical activity and alcohol consumption. Conclusion Trait self-control and several eating situation variables were related to eating consistency. These findings provide a starting point for targeting interventions to improve consistency, suggesting that a focus on self-control skills, together with addressing contextual factors such as social situations and time of day, may be most promising. This work is a first step to provide people with the tools they need to maintain a consistently healthy lifestyle in a food-rich environment. PMID:26633707

Identifying patients likely to have atopic dermatitis: development of a pilot algorithm.

PubMed

Farage, Miranda A; Bowtell, Philip; Katsarou, Alexandra

2010-01-01

A quick method to distinguish people who are predisposed to skin complaints would be useful in a variety of fields. Certain subgroups, such as people with atopic dermatitis, might be more susceptible to skin irritation than the typical consumer and may be more likely to report product-related complaints. To develop a rapid, questionnaire-based algorithm to predict whether or not individuals who report skin complaints have atopic dermatitis. A 9-item questionnaire on self-perceived skin sensitivity and product categories reportedly associated with skin reactions was administered to two groups of patients from a dermatology clinic: one with clinically diagnosed, active atopic dermatitis (n = 25) and a control group of patients with dermatologic complaints unrelated to atopic dermatitis (n = 25). Questionnaire responses were correlated with the patients' clinical diagnoses in order to derive the minimum number of questions needed to best predict the patients' original diagnoses. We demonstrated that responses to a sequence of three targeted questions related to self-perceived skin sensitivity, preference for hypoallergenic products, and reactions to or avoidance of alpha-hydroxy acids were highly predictive of atopic dermatitis among a population of dermatology clinic patients. The predictive algorithm concept may be useful in postmarketing surveillance programs to rapidly assess the possible status of consumers who report frequent or persistent product-related complaints. Further refinement and validation of this concept is planned with samples drawn from the general population and from consumers who report skin complaints associated with personal products.

Effect of neurolinguistic programming training on self-actualization as measured by the Personal Orientation Inventory.

PubMed

Duncan, R C; Konefal, J; Spechler, M M

1990-06-01

Neurolinguistic programming training is based on principles that should enable the trainee to be more "present"-oriented, inner-directed, flexible, self-aware, and responsive to others, that is, more self-actualized. This study reports within-person changes on self-actualization measures of the Personal Orientation Inventory following a 24-day residential training in neurolinguistic programming. Significant positive mean changes were found for 18 master practitioners on nine of the 12 scales and for 36 practitioners on 10 of the 12 scales. Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that training increases individual self-actualization scores.

Comparison of self-reported and audiometrically-measured hearing loss in the Australian Defence Force.

PubMed

Kirk, Katherine M; McGuire, Annabel; Nasveld, Peter E; Treloar, Susan A

2012-04-01

To investigate the relationship between self-reported and audiometrically-measured hearing loss in a sample of Australian Defence Force personnel. Responses to a question regarding hearing problems were compared with contemporaneous audiometric data. 3335 members of the Australian Defence Force for whom anonymised medical records were available. The sensitivity of self-report data to identify higher-frequency hearing loss was lower than sensitivity at other frequencies, and positive predictive values were moderate to poor at all frequencies. Performance characteristics of self-report compared with audiometric data also varied with age, sex, and rank. While self-report hearing loss data have good performance characteristics for estimating prevalence of hearing loss as defined by audiometric criteria, this study indicates that the usefulness of self-report data in identifying individuals with hearing loss may be limited in this population.

Construct Validity of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) Self-Report of Personality: Evidence from Adolescents Referred to Residential Treatment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weis, Robert; Smenner, Lindsey

2007-01-01

The authors investigate the construct validity of the Behavior Assessment System for Children Self-Report of Personality (BASC-SRP; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 1998). A sample of 970 adolescents (16-18 years) with histories of disruptive behavior problems and truancy complete the SRP; a subsample of 290 adolescents also completed the Minnesota…

A Psychometric Analysis and Standardization of the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2, Self-Report of Personality, Child Version among a Korean Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahn, Christine M.; Ebesutani, Chad; Kamphaus, Randy

2014-01-01

The psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2, Self-Report of Personality, Child Form (K-BASC-2 SRP-C) are reported. A total of 1100 Korean children ages 8-11 years participated in the study to establish normative data. The results of this study generally supported the factor structure and…

Development and preliminary validation of a self-report measure of psychopathic personality traits in noncriminal populations.

PubMed

Lilienfeld, S O; Andrews, B P

1996-06-01

Research on psychopathology has been hindered by persisting difficulties and controversies regarding its assessment. The primary goals of this set of studies were to (a) develop, and initiate the construct validation of, a self-report measure that assesses the major personality traits of psychopathy in noncriminal populations and (b) clarify the nature of these traits via an exploratory approach to test construction. This measure, the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI), was developed by writing items to assess a large number of personality domains relevant to psychopathy and performing successive item-level factor analyses and revisions on three undergraduate samples. The PPI total score and its eight subscales were found to possess satisfactory internal consistency and test-retest reliability. In four studies with undergraduates, the PPI and its subscales exhibited a promising pattern of convergent and discriminant validity with self-report, psychiatric interview, observer rating, and family history data. In addition, the PPI total score demonstrated incremental validity relative to several commonly used self-report psychopathy-related measures. Future construct validation studies, unresolved conceptual issues regarding the assessment of psychopathy, and potential research uses of the PPI are outlined.

The usefulness of “corrected” body mass index vs. self-reported body mass index: comparing the population distributions, sensitivity, specificity, and predictive utility of three correction equations using Canadian population-based data

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background National data on body mass index (BMI), computed from self-reported height and weight, is readily available for many populations including the Canadian population. Because self-reported weight is found to be systematically under-reported, it has been proposed that the bias in self-reported BMI can be corrected using equations derived from data sets which include both self-reported and measured height and weight. Such correction equations have been developed and adopted. We aim to evaluate the usefulness (i.e., distributional similarity; sensitivity and specificity; and predictive utility vis-à-vis disease outcomes) of existing and new correction equations in population-based research. Methods The Canadian Community Health Surveys from 2005 and 2008 include both measured and self-reported values of height and weight, which allows for construction and evaluation of correction equations. We focused on adults age 18–65, and compared three correction equations (two correcting weight only, and one correcting BMI) against self-reported and measured BMI. We first compared population distributions of BMI. Second, we compared the sensitivity and specificity of self-reported BMI and corrected BMI against measured BMI. Third, we compared the self-reported and corrected BMI in terms of association with health outcomes using logistic regression. Results All corrections outperformed self-report when estimating the full BMI distribution; the weight-only correction outperformed the BMI-only correction for females in the 23–28 kg/m2 BMI range. In terms of sensitivity/specificity, when estimating obesity prevalence, corrected values of BMI (from any equation) were superior to self-report. In terms of modelling BMI-disease outcome associations, findings were mixed, with no correction proving consistently superior to self-report. Conclusions If researchers are interested in modelling the full population distribution of BMI, or estimating the prevalence of obesity in a population, then a correction of any kind included in this study is recommended. If the researcher is interested in using BMI as a predictor variable for modelling disease, then both self-reported and corrected BMI result in biased estimates of association. PMID:24885210

Psychiatric Diagnoses of Self-Reported Child Abusers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dinwiddie, Stephen H.; Bucholz, Kathleen K.

1993-01-01

Subjects who self-reported episodes of abusing a child were compared to those without a history of child battery. It was concluded that self-identified child abusers have increased lifetime rates of antisocial personality disorder, alcoholism, and depression. (DB)

Social value orientation modulates context-based social comparison preference in the outcome evaluation: An ERP study.

PubMed

Qi, Yanyan; Wu, Haiyan; Raiha, Syeda; Liu, Xun

2018-04-01

Social value orientation (SVO) is a personality trait that is closely associated with social comparison preference. However, little is known about how the different types of SVO (i.e., proself vs. prosocial) modulate the behaviour and neural underpinnings of its interaction with social context. In the present study, we examined electrophysiological correlates captured when individuals with different SVOs engaged in a gambling game with two other players (a socially disliking player, person A, vs. a socially liking player, person B). Three main findings are reported in our study. 1) Social comparison effects were manifested in feedback-related negativity (FRN) (the most negative FRN was expressed in the large difference condition, and the least negative FRN was expressed in the even condition), and this effect was modulated by both the win/loss context and SVO. That is, in a self-win context, FRN exhibited a social comparison effect for both prosocials and proselfs. In the self-loss condition, only prosocials displayed this effect. 2) Both groups displayed an enhanced FRN to person A's (the disliked player's) loss compared with the FRN to A's win in the self-win context, whereas only prosocials displayed a more negative FRN to A's win compared to A's loss in the self-loss context. 3) There was a social liking effect, but not a social comparison effect, on the P300, showing that for prosocials only, winning with a socially liking player elicited an increased P300 compared to winning with a disliking player. These findings suggest that the influences of SVO on social comparison are automatic and context dependent, which is reflected by a semi-automatic FRN in which prosocials are sensitive to others' wins or losses in both the self-win and self-loss contexts, whereas proselfs are not interested in others' outcomes in the self-loss context. Furthermore, interpersonal relationships affected the P300 for prosocials when they won but had no effect on the proselfs. This work sheds light on the neural basis of outcome evaluation in multiple social contexts and its individual differences in automatic social comparison situations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Self-Reported Telephone Interviewing and Web-Based Survey Responses: Findings From the Second Australian Young and Well National Survey

PubMed Central

Davenport, Tracey A; Burns, Jane M; Hickie, Ian B

2017-01-01

Background Web-based self-report surveying has increased in popularity, as it can rapidly yield large samples at a low cost. Despite this increase in popularity, in the area of youth mental health, there is a distinct lack of research comparing the results of Web-based self-report surveys with the more traditional and widely accepted computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI). Objective The Second Australian Young and Well National Survey 2014 sought to compare differences in respondent response patterns using matched items on CATI versus a Web-based self-report survey. The aim of this study was to examine whether responses varied as a result of item sensitivity, that is, the item’s susceptibility to exaggeration on underreporting and to assess whether certain subgroups demonstrated this effect to a greater extent. Methods A subsample of young people aged 16 to 25 years (N=101), recruited through the Second Australian Young and Well National Survey 2014, completed the identical items on two occasions: via CATI and via Web-based self-report survey. Respondents also rated perceived item sensitivity. Results When comparing CATI with the Web-based self-report survey, a Wilcoxon signed-rank analysis showed that respondents answered 14 of the 42 matched items in a significantly different way. Significant variation in responses (CATI vs Web-based) was more frequent if the item was also rated by the respondents as highly sensitive in nature. Specifically, 63% (5/8) of the high sensitivity items, 43% (3/7) of the neutral sensitivity items, and 0% (0/4) of the low sensitivity items were answered in a significantly different manner by respondents when comparing their matched CATI and Web-based question responses. The items that were perceived as highly sensitive by respondents and demonstrated response variability included the following: sexting activities, body image concerns, experience of diagnosis, and suicidal ideation. For high sensitivity items, a regression analysis showed respondents who were male (beta=−.19, P=.048) or who were not in employment, education, or training (NEET; beta=−.32, P=.001) were significantly more likely to provide different responses on matched items when responding in the CATI as compared with the Web-based self-report survey. The Web-based self-report survey, however, demonstrated some evidence of avidity and attrition bias. Conclusions Compared with CATI, Web-based self-report surveys are highly cost-effective and had higher rates of self-disclosure on sensitive items, particularly for respondents who identify as male and NEET. A drawback to Web-based surveying methodologies, however, includes the limited control over avidity bias and the greater incidence of attrition bias. These findings have important implications for further development of survey methods in the area of health and well-being, especially when considering research topics (in this case diagnosis, suicidal ideation, sexting, and body image) and groups that are being recruited (young people, males, and NEET). PMID:28951382

Can You Trust Self-Report Data Provided by Homeless Mentally Ill Individuals?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calsyn, Robert J.; And Others

1993-01-01

Reliability and validity of self-report data provided by 178 mentally ill homeless persons were generally favorable. Self-reports of service use also generally agreed with treatment staff estimates, providing further validity evidence. Researchers and administrators can be relatively confident in using such data. (SLD)

Hope, social support, and depression among Hong Kong youth: personal and relational self-esteem as mediators.

PubMed

Du, Hongfei; King, Ronnel B; Chu, Samuel K W

2016-12-01

Previous studies have shown that depression is negatively associated with hope and social support. However, little research has been undertaken to investigate the theoretical mechanisms underlying the connections among hope, social support, and depression. This study examined how two types of self-esteem (personal and relational) would mediate the relationship of hope and social support to depression among 384 Hong Kong adolescents (age: 12-18 years; M = 14, SD = 1.19). Participants reported their levels of hope, social support, personal self-esteem, relational self-esteem, and depressive mood. Results of the path analysis showed that both personal and relational self-esteem mediated the associations of hope and social support with depression. Hope and social support were associated with higher levels of personal and relational self-esteem, which were in turn related to decreased levels of depression. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

An integrative typology of personality assessment for aggression: implications for predicting counterproductive workplace behavior.

PubMed

Bing, Mark N; Stewart, Susan M; Davison, H Kristl; Green, Philip D; McIntyre, Michael D; James, Lawrence R

2007-05-01

This study presents an integrative typology of personality assessment for aggression. In this typology, self-report and conditional reasoning (L. R. James, 1998) methodologies are used to assess 2 separate, yet often congruent, components of aggressive personalities. Specifically, self-report is used to assess explicit components of aggressive tendencies, such as self-perceived aggression, whereas conditional reasoning is used to assess implicit components, in particular, the unconscious biases in reasoning that are used to justify aggressive acts. These 2 separate components are then integrated to form a new theoretical typology of personality assessment for aggression. Empirical tests of the typology were subsequently conducted using data gathered across 3 samples in laboratory and field settings and reveal that explicit and implicit components of aggression can interact in the prediction of counterproductive, deviant, and prosocial behaviors. These empirical tests also reveal that when either the self-report or conditional reasoning methodology is used in isolation, the resulting assessment of aggression may be incomplete. Implications for personnel selection, team composition, and executive coaching are discussed. 2007 APA, all rights reserved

Racial differences in the validity of self-reported drug use among men who have sex with men in Atlanta, GA.

PubMed

White, Darcy; Rosenberg, Eli S; Cooper, Hannah L F; del Rio, Carlos; Sanchez, Travis H; Salazar, Laura F; Sullivan, Patrick S

2014-05-01

Men who have sex with men (MSM), particularly young black MSM, are disproportionately affected in the United States' HIV epidemic. Drug use may contribute to these disparities, yet previous studies have failed to provide evidence of elevated use among black MSM, relying exclusively on self-reported usage. This study uses biological assays to validate self-reports of drug use and explore the potential for misclassification to distort findings on racial patterns of use in this population. From an Atlanta-based cohort study of 454 black and 349 white MSM from 2010 to 2012, participants' self-reported drug use was compared to urine drug screening findings. The sensitivity of self-report was calculated as the proportion reporting recent usage among those who screened positive. Multivariable regression models were constructed to examine racial patterns in self-report, urine-detection, and self-report sensitivity of marijuana and cocaine usage, adjusted for socio-demographic factors. In analyses that adjusted for age, education, income, sexual orientation, and history of arrest, black MSM were less likely to report recent use of marijuana (P<0.001) and cocaine (P=0.02), but equally likely to screen positive for either drug. This discrepancy between self-reported and urine-detected drug use was explained by significantly lower sensitivity of self-report for black participants (P<0.001 for marijuana, P<0.05 for cocaine). The contribution of individual drug-related risk behaviors to the HIV disparities between black and white MSM should be revisited with methods that validate self-reports of illegal drug use. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genuine eye contact elicits self-referential processing.

PubMed

Hietanen, Jonne O; Hietanen, Jari K

2017-05-01

The effect of eye contact on self-awareness was investigated with implicit measures based on the use of first-person singular pronouns in sentences. The measures were proposed to tap into self-referential processing, that is, information processing associated with self-awareness. In addition, participants filled in a questionnaire measuring explicit self-awareness. In Experiment 1, the stimulus was a video clip showing another person and, in Experiment 2, the stimulus was a live person. In both experiments, participants were divided into two groups and presented with the stimulus person either making eye contact or gazing downward, depending on the group assignment. During the task, the gaze stimulus was presented before each trial of the pronoun-selection task. Eye contact was found to increase the use of first-person pronouns, but only when participants were facing a real person, not when they were looking at a video of a person. No difference in self-reported self-awareness was found between the two gaze direction groups in either experiment. The results indicate that eye contact elicits self-referential processing, but the effect may be stronger, or possibly limited to, live interaction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The use of a personal digital assistant for dietary self-monitoring does not improve the validity of self-reports of energy intake.

PubMed

Yon, Bethany Ann; Johnson, Rachel K; Harvey-Berino, Jean; Gold, Beth Casey

2006-08-01

Underreporting of energy intake is a pervasive problem and resistant to improvement, especially among people with overweight and obesity. The goal of this study was to investigate whether the use of a personal digital assistant (PDA) for dietary self-monitoring would reduce underreporting prevalence and improve the validity of self-reported energy intake. Adults with overweight and obesity (n=61, 92% women, mean age 48.2 years, mean body mass index 32.3) were provided with a PalmZire 21 (Palm, Inc, Sunnyvale, CA) loaded with Calorie King's Diet Diary software (version 3.2.2, 2002, Family Health Network, Costa Mesa, CA). Subjects participated in a 24-week in-person behavioral weight control program and were asked to self-monitor their diet and exercise habits using the PDA. Basal metabolic rate and physical activity level were estimated at baseline. Energy intake from 7-day electronic food records were collected within the first month of the weight-control program. As subjects were actively losing weight, Bandini's adjustments were used to correct self-reported energy intake for weight loss. In this group, where 41% of the subjects were categorized as low-energy reporters, the use of a PDA did not improve validity of energy reporting when compared to what is reported in the literature.

The impact of self-harm by young people on parents and families: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

Ferrey, Anne E; Hughes, Nicholas D; Simkin, Sue; Locock, Louise; Stewart, Anne; Kapur, Navneet; Gunnell, David; Hawton, Keith

2016-01-01

Objectives Little research has explored the full extent of the impact of self-harm on the family. This study aimed to explore the emotional, physical and practical effects of a young person's self-harm on parents and family. Design and participants We used qualitative methods to explore the emotional, physical and practical effects of a young person's self-harm on their parents and family. We conducted a thematic analysis of thirty-seven semistructured narrative interviews with parents of young people who had self-harmed. Results After the discovery of self-harm, parents described initial feelings of shock, anger and disbelief. Later reactions included stress, anxiety, feelings of guilt and in some cases the onset or worsening of clinical depression. Social isolation was reported, as parents withdrew from social contact due to the perceived stigma associated with self-harm. Parents also described significant impacts on siblings, ranging from upset and stress to feelings of responsibility and worries about stigma at school. Siblings had mixed responses, but were often supportive. Practically speaking, parents found the necessity of being available to their child often conflicted with the demands of full-time work. This, along with costs of, for example, travel and private care, affected family finances. However, parents generally viewed the future as positive and hoped that with help, their child would develop better coping mechanisms. Conclusions Self-harm by young people has major impacts on parents and other family members. Clinicians and staff who work with young people who self-harm should be sensitive to these issues and offer appropriate support and guidance for families. PMID:26739734

The impact of self-harm by young people on parents and families: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Ferrey, Anne E; Hughes, Nicholas D; Simkin, Sue; Locock, Louise; Stewart, Anne; Kapur, Navneet; Gunnell, David; Hawton, Keith

2016-01-06

Little research has explored the full extent of the impact of self-harm on the family. This study aimed to explore the emotional, physical and practical effects of a young person's self-harm on parents and family. We used qualitative methods to explore the emotional, physical and practical effects of a young person's self-harm on their parents and family. We conducted a thematic analysis of thirty-seven semistructured narrative interviews with parents of young people who had self-harmed. After the discovery of self-harm, parents described initial feelings of shock, anger and disbelief. Later reactions included stress, anxiety, feelings of guilt and in some cases the onset or worsening of clinical depression. Social isolation was reported, as parents withdrew from social contact due to the perceived stigma associated with self-harm. Parents also described significant impacts on siblings, ranging from upset and stress to feelings of responsibility and worries about stigma at school. Siblings had mixed responses, but were often supportive. Practically speaking, parents found the necessity of being available to their child often conflicted with the demands of full-time work. This, along with costs of, for example, travel and private care, affected family finances. However, parents generally viewed the future as positive and hoped that with help, their child would develop better coping mechanisms. Self-harm by young people has major impacts on parents and other family members. Clinicians and staff who work with young people who self-harm should be sensitive to these issues and offer appropriate support and guidance for families. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Correction for faking in self-report personality tests.

PubMed

Sjöberg, Lennart

2015-10-01

Faking is a common problem in testing with self-report personality tests, especially in high-stakes situations. A possible way to correct for it is statistical control on the basis of social desirability scales. Two such scales were developed and applied in the present paper. It was stressed that the statistical models of faking need to be adapted to different properties of the personality scales, since such scales correlate with faking to different extents. In four empirical studies of self-report personality tests, correction for faking was investigated. One of the studies was experimental, and asked participants to fake or to be honest. In the other studies, job or school applicants were investigated. It was found that the approach to correct for effects of faking in self-report personality tests advocated in the paper removed a large share of the effects, about 90%. It was found in one study that faking varied as a function of degree of how important the consequences of test results could be expected to be, more high-stakes situations being associated with more faking. The latter finding is incompatible with the claim that social desirability scales measure a general personality trait. It is concluded that faking can be measured and that correction for faking, based on such measures, can be expected to remove about 90% of its effects. © 2015 Psykologisk Metod AB. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology published by Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The impact of child and family stressors on the self-rated health of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder: Associations with depressed mood over a 12-year period.

PubMed

Benson, Paul R

2018-05-01

Employing a cohort sequential design and multilevel modeling, the effects of child and family stressors and maternal depressed mood on the self-rated health of 110 mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder were assessed over a 12-year period when children in the study were 7-19 years old. Findings indicate a significant decline in self-rated health over time. In addition, child and family stressors, as well as maternal depressed mood, exerted significant between-persons effects on self-rated health such that mothers who reported more stressors and depressed mood across the study period were less likely to rate themselves in better health across that period. In addition, a significant within-person relationship between maternal depressed mood and self-rated health was found, indicating that at times when mothers reported higher levels of depressed mood than usual (their personal average across the study), they were significantly less likely to report better self-rated health. Finally, maternal depressed mood partially mediated the between-persons effects of child and family stressors on self-rated health such that increased stressors led to increased maternal depressed mood which, in turn, led to poorer maternal self-rated health. Findings suggest that chronic stressors erode maternal health over time and that depression may be an important mechanism linking stressors to decreased maternal health.

Links Between Mothers’ Coping Styles, Toddler Reactivity, and Sensitivity to Toddler’s Negative Emotions

PubMed Central

Gudmundson, Jessica A.; Leerkes, Esther M.

2011-01-01

The extent to which engaged maternal coping styles moderate the association between toddler’s temperamental reactivity and mothers’ sensitivity to children’s negative emotions was examined in 89 mother-child dyads. Primiparous mothers completed a measure of coping styles prenatally. When toddlers were 16 months old, mothers completed a measure of perceived toddler temperament and a self-report of how they respond to toddler negative emotions, and maternal sensitivity and temperamental reactivity were observed during emotionally arousing tasks in the laboratory. Mothers’ disengaged coping style was positively associated with self-reported insensitive responses to children’s negative emotions. Engaged coping moderated the association between toddler temperamental reactivity and both self-reported insensitive responses and observed maternal sensitivity, such that temperamental reactivity was more strongly linked with less sensitive maternal behavior when engaged coping was low. PMID:21903276

Effects of a Web-Based Personalized Intervention on Physical Activity in European Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Marsaux, Cyril Fm; Celis-Morales, Carlos; Fallaize, Rosalind; Macready, Anna L; Kolossa, Silvia; Woolhead, Clara; O'Donovan, Clare B; Forster, Hannah; Navas-Carretero, Santiago; San-Cristobal, Rodrigo; Lambrinou, Christina-Paulina; Moschonis, George; Surwillo, Agnieszka; Godlewska, Magdalena; Goris, Annelies; Hoonhout, Jettie; Drevon, Christian A; Manios, Yannis; Traczyk, Iwona; Walsh, Marianne C; Gibney, Eileen R; Brennan, Lorraine; Martinez, J Alfredo; Lovegrove, Julie A; Gibney, Michael J; Daniel, Hannelore; Mathers, John C; Saris, Wim Hm

2015-10-14

The high prevalence of physical inactivity worldwide calls for innovative and more effective ways to promote physical activity (PA). There are limited objective data on the effectiveness of Web-based personalized feedback on increasing PA in adults. It is hypothesized that providing personalized advice based on PA measured objectively alongside diet, phenotype, or genotype information would lead to larger and more sustained changes in PA, compared with nonpersonalized advice. A total of 1607 adults in seven European countries were randomized to either a control group (nonpersonalized advice, Level 0, L0) or to one of three personalized groups receiving personalized advice via the Internet based on current PA plus diet (Level 1, L1), PA plus diet and phenotype (Level 2, L2), or PA plus diet, phenotype, and genotype (Level 3, L3). PA was measured for 6 months using triaxial accelerometers, and self-reported using the Baecke questionnaire. Outcomes were objective and self-reported PA after 3 and 6 months. While 1270 participants (85.81% of 1480 actual starters) completed the 6-month trial, 1233 (83.31%) self-reported PA at both baseline and month 6, but only 730 (49.32%) had sufficient objective PA data at both time points. For the total cohort after 6 months, a greater improvement in self-reported total PA (P=.02) and PA during leisure (nonsport) (P=.03) was observed in personalized groups compared with the control group. For individuals advised to increase PA, we also observed greater improvements in those two self-reported indices (P=.006 and P=.008, respectively) with increased personalization of the advice (L2 and L3 vs L1). However, there were no significant differences in accelerometer results between personalized and control groups, and no significant effect of adding phenotypic or genotypic information to the tailored feedback at month 3 or 6. After 6 months, there were small but significant improvements in the objectively measured physical activity level (P<.05), moderate PA (P<.01), and sedentary time (P<.001) for individuals advised to increase PA, but these changes were similar across all groups. Different levels of personalization produced similar small changes in objective PA. We found no evidence that personalized advice is more effective than conventional "one size fits all" guidelines to promote changes in PA in our Web-based intervention when PA was measured objectively. Based on self-reports, PA increased to a greater extent with more personalized advice. Thus, it is crucial to measure PA objectively in any PA intervention study. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01530139; http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01530139 (Archived by WebCite at: http://www.webcitation.org/6XII1QwHz).

Effects of a Web-Based Personalized Intervention on Physical Activity in European Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Celis-Morales, Carlos; Fallaize, Rosalind; Macready, Anna L; Kolossa, Silvia; Woolhead, Clara; O'Donovan, Clare B; Forster, Hannah; Navas-Carretero, Santiago; San-Cristobal, Rodrigo; Lambrinou, Christina-Paulina; Moschonis, George; Surwillo, Agnieszka; Godlewska, Magdalena; Goris, Annelies; Hoonhout, Jettie; Drevon, Christian A; Manios, Yannis; Traczyk, Iwona; Walsh, Marianne C; Gibney, Eileen R; Brennan, Lorraine; Martinez, J Alfredo; Lovegrove, Julie A; Gibney, Michael J; Daniel, Hannelore; Mathers, John C; Saris, Wim HM

2015-01-01

Background The high prevalence of physical inactivity worldwide calls for innovative and more effective ways to promote physical activity (PA). There are limited objective data on the effectiveness of Web-based personalized feedback on increasing PA in adults. Objective It is hypothesized that providing personalized advice based on PA measured objectively alongside diet, phenotype, or genotype information would lead to larger and more sustained changes in PA, compared with nonpersonalized advice. Methods A total of 1607 adults in seven European countries were randomized to either a control group (nonpersonalized advice, Level 0, L0) or to one of three personalized groups receiving personalized advice via the Internet based on current PA plus diet (Level 1, L1), PA plus diet and phenotype (Level 2, L2), or PA plus diet, phenotype, and genotype (Level 3, L3). PA was measured for 6 months using triaxial accelerometers, and self-reported using the Baecke questionnaire. Outcomes were objective and self-reported PA after 3 and 6 months. Results While 1270 participants (85.81% of 1480 actual starters) completed the 6-month trial, 1233 (83.31%) self-reported PA at both baseline and month 6, but only 730 (49.32%) had sufficient objective PA data at both time points. For the total cohort after 6 months, a greater improvement in self-reported total PA (P=.02) and PA during leisure (nonsport) (P=.03) was observed in personalized groups compared with the control group. For individuals advised to increase PA, we also observed greater improvements in those two self-reported indices (P=.006 and P=.008, respectively) with increased personalization of the advice (L2 and L3 vs L1). However, there were no significant differences in accelerometer results between personalized and control groups, and no significant effect of adding phenotypic or genotypic information to the tailored feedback at month 3 or 6. After 6 months, there were small but significant improvements in the objectively measured physical activity level (P<.05), moderate PA (P<.01), and sedentary time (P<.001) for individuals advised to increase PA, but these changes were similar across all groups. Conclusions Different levels of personalization produced similar small changes in objective PA. We found no evidence that personalized advice is more effective than conventional “one size fits all” guidelines to promote changes in PA in our Web-based intervention when PA was measured objectively. Based on self-reports, PA increased to a greater extent with more personalized advice. Thus, it is crucial to measure PA objectively in any PA intervention study. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01530139; http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01530139 (Archived by WebCite at: http://www.webcitation.org/6XII1QwHz) PMID:26467573

Perception Matters for Clinical Perfectionism and Social Anxiety

PubMed Central

Levinson, Cheri A.; Rodebaugh, Thomas L.; Shumaker, Erik A.; Menatti, Andrew R.; Weeks, Justin W.; White, Emily K.; Heimberg, Richard G.; Warren, Cortney S.; Blanco, Carlos; Schneier, Franklin; Liebowitz, Michael R.

2014-01-01

Despite research documenting a relationship between social anxiety and perfectionism, very little research has examined the relationship between social anxiety and clinical perfectionism, defined as the combination of high personal standards and high maladaptive perfectionistic evaluative concern. In the current studies we examined whether clinical perfectionism predicted social anxiety in a large sample of undergraduates (N = 602), in a clinical sample of participants diagnosed with social anxiety disorder (SAD; N = 180), and by using a variance decomposition model of self-and informant-report of perfectionism (N = 134). Using self-report, we found that an interaction of personal standards and evaluative concern predicted both social interaction anxiety and fear of scrutiny, but not in the theorized direction. Specifically, we found that self-report of low standards and high evaluative concern was associated with the highest levels of social anxiety, suggesting that when individuals with SAD hold low expectations for themselves combined with high concerns about evaluation, social anxiety symptoms may increase. Alternatively, when an informants’ perspective was considered, and more consistent with the original theory, we found that the interaction of informant-only report of personal standards and shared-report (between both primary participant and informant) of concern over mistakes was associated with self-reported social anxiety, such that high concern over mistakes and high personal standards predicted the highest levels of social anxiety. Theoretical, clinical, and measurement implications for clinical perfectionism are discussed. PMID:25486087

Assessing Weather Curiosity in University Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, A. E.

2017-12-01

This research focuses upon measuring an individual's level of trait curiosity about the weather using the Weather Curiosity Scale (WCS). The measure consists of 15 self-report items that describe weather preferences and/or behaviors that people may perform more or less frequently. The author reports on two initial studies of the WCS that have used the responses of 710 undergraduate students from a large university in the southeastern United States. In the first study, factor analysis of the 15 items indicated that the measure was unidimensional - suggesting that its items singularly assessed weather curiosity. The WCS also was internally consistent as evidenced by an acceptable Cronbach's alpha, a = .81). The second study sought to identify other personality variables that may relate with the WCS scores and thus illuminate the nature of weather curiosity. Several clusters of personality variables appear to underlie the curiosity levels people exhibited, the first of which related to perceptual curiosity (r = .59). Being curious about sights, sounds, smells, and textures generally related somewhat to curiosity about weather. Two measures of trait sensitivity to environmental stimulation, the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (r = .47) and the Orientation Sensitivity Scale of the Adult Temperament Questionnaire (r = .43), also predicted weather curiosity levels. Finally, possessing extraverted personality traits (r = .34) and an intense style of experiencing one's emotions (r = .33) related to weather curiosity. How can this measure be used in K-12 or post-secondary settings to further climate literacy? First, the WCS can identify students with natural curiosities about weather and climate so these students may be given more challenging instruction that will leverage their natural interests. Second, high-WCS students may function as weather and climate ambassadors during inquiry-based learning activities and thus help other students who are not as oriented to the atmosphere. Finally the results of this study reveal some of the underlying psychological mechanisms that are associated with weather curiosity. Building greater perceptual curiosity or increasing perceptual sensitivity and discrimination skills may make it possible to increase students' levels of weather curiosity.

Changes in Aspects of Students' Self-Reported Personal, Social and Technical Skills during a Six-Week Wilderness Expedition in Arctic Greenland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stott, Tim; Hall, Neil

2003-01-01

This investigation focuses on students' self-reported changes in personal, social and technical skills that took place during a six-week long expedition to East Greenland. A 105-item pre-and post-expedition questionnaire was completed by 60 young expeditioners aged 16 to 20. Before the expedition participants generally felt that they had high…

Examining the DSM-5 alternative model of personality disorders operationalization of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder in a mental health sample.

PubMed

Liggett, Jacqueline; Sellbom, Martin

2018-06-21

The current study evaluated the continuity between the diagnostic operationalizations of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, both as traditionally operationalized and from the perspective of the alternative model of personality disorders. Using both self-report and informant measures, the study had the following four aims: (a) to examine the extent to which self-report and informant data correspond, (b) to investigate whether both self-report and informant measures of the alternative model of OCPD can predict traditional OCPD, (c) to determine if any traits additional to those proposed in the alternative model of OCPD can predict traditional OCPD, and (d) to investigate whether a measure of OCPD-specific impairment is better at predicting traditional OCPD than are measures of general impairment in personality functioning. A mental health sample of 214 participants was recruited and administered measures of both the traditional and alternative models of OCPD. Self-report data moderately corresponded with informant data, which is consistent with the literature. Results further confirmed rigid perfectionism as the core trait of OCPD. Perseveration and workaholism were also associated with OCPD. Hostility was identified as a trait deserving further research. A measure of OCPD-specific impairment demonstrated its ability to incrementally predict OCPD over general measures of impairment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Personality correlates of self-employed small business owners' success.

PubMed

Owens, Kimberly S; Kirwan, Jeral R; Lounsbury, John W; Levy, Jacob J; Gibson, Lucy W

2013-01-01

Drawing on prior occupational choice research on entrepreneurs and self-employed business owners, we examined personality predictors of their occupational business success and work satisfaction. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURES: A sample of 147 small business owners completed a web-based assessment of 14 work-related personality traits--adaptability, autonomy, competitiveness, dependability, emotional resilience, goal-setting, optimism, persistence, risk tolerance, self-promotion, networking, and tolerance for financial insecurity, work-based locus of control, and work drive--and three self-reported indices of business success--revenue growth, profit growth, and income growth--as well as multiple facets of individual satisfaction. Criterion variables included composite business success and overall satisfaction. Ten traits correlated with business success. The top four personality predictors of success--goal-setting, social networking, emotional resilience, and work drive--together accounted for 16% of the variance. Similarly, 12 of 14 personality traits were positively related to overall satisfaction. The top three personality predictors of satisfaction--optimism, work-based locus of control, and work drive--accounted for 29% of the variability in satisfaction. An expectancy analysis revealed that the percent of participants who reported at least a 20% increase in sales and profits the preceding year was 26% versus 54% for individual scoring in the lower and upper third of a personality composite measure. Results carry implications for future research, and have direct, practical applications for prospective and current entrepreneurs and self-employed owners of small businesses.

Personality, risk aversion and speeding: an empirical investigation.

PubMed

Greaves, Stephen P; Ellison, Adrian B

2011-09-01

Evidence suggests that in addition to demographics, there are strong relationships between facets of drivers' personality (e.g., aggression, thrill-seeking, altruism), aversion to risk and driving behaviour, particularly speeding. However, evidence is muted by the reliance on self-reported driving behaviour, which is thought to not accurately reflect actual driving behaviour. This paper reports on a study of 133 drivers in Sydney, who were asked to complete a short survey to develop their personality and risk aversion profiles and self-reported speeding behaviour. A Global Positioning System (GPS) device was then installed in their vehicle for several weeks as part of a major investigation of driving behaviour from which empirical measures of speeding are derived. Among the most pertinent findings are: (1) the tendency for drivers to both under and over-estimate their propensity to speed, (2) significant heterogeneity in speeding with a small, but notable number of drivers exceeding the limit for more than 20 percent of the distance driven, (3) weak relationships between the personality/risk-aversion measures and actual speeding, and (4) the suggestion that different personality traits appear to influence behaviour in different situations both from self-reported and actual speeding behaviour. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Defining ADHD symptom persistence in adulthood: optimizing sensitivity and specificity.

PubMed

Sibley, Margaret H; Swanson, James M; Arnold, L Eugene; Hechtman, Lily T; Owens, Elizabeth B; Stehli, Annamarie; Abikoff, Howard; Hinshaw, Stephen P; Molina, Brooke S G; Mitchell, John T; Jensen, Peter S; Howard, Andrea L; Lakes, Kimberley D; Pelham, William E

2017-06-01

Longitudinal studies of children diagnosed with ADHD report widely ranging ADHD persistence rates in adulthood (5-75%). This study documents how information source (parent vs. self-report), method (rating scale vs. interview), and symptom threshold (DSM vs. norm-based) influence reported ADHD persistence rates in adulthood. Five hundred seventy-nine children were diagnosed with DSM-IV ADHD-Combined Type at baseline (ages 7.0-9.9 years) 289 classmates served as a local normative comparison group (LNCG), 476 and 241 of whom respectively were evaluated in adulthood (Mean Age = 24.7). Parent and self-reports of symptoms and impairment on rating scales and structured interviews were used to investigate ADHD persistence in adulthood. Persistence rates were higher when using parent rather than self-reports, structured interviews rather than rating scales (for self-report but not parent report), and a norm-based (NB) threshold of 4 symptoms rather than DSM criteria. Receiver-Operating Characteristics (ROC) analyses revealed that sensitivity and specificity were optimized by combining parent and self-reports on a rating scale and applying a NB threshold. The interview format optimizes young adult self-reporting when parent reports are not available. However, the combination of parent and self-reports from rating scales, using an 'or' rule and a NB threshold optimized the balance between sensitivity and specificity. With this definition, 60% of the ADHD group demonstrated symptom persistence and 41% met both symptom and impairment criteria in adulthood. © 2016 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

PERSONALITY PREDISPOSITIONS IN CHINESE ADOLESCENTS: THE RELATION BETWEEN SELF-CRITICISM, DEPENDENCY, AND PROSPECTIVE INTERNALIZING SYMPTOMS

PubMed Central

Cohen, Joseph R.; Young, Jami F.; Hankin, Benjamin L.; Yao, Shuqiao; Zhu, Xiong Zhao; Abela, John R.Z.

2015-01-01

The present study examined the prospective relation between two personality predispositions, self-criticism and dependency, and internalizing symptoms. Specifically, it was examined whether self-criticism and dependency predicted symptoms of depression and social anxiety, and if a moderation (e.g. diathesis-stress) or mediation model best explained the relation between the personality predispositions and emotional distress in Chinese adolescents. Participants included 1,150 adolescents (597 females and 553 males) from mainland China. Participants completed self-report measures of self-criticism, dependency, and neuroticism at baseline, and self-report measures of negative events, depressive symptoms, and social anxiety symptoms once a month for six months. Findings showed that self-criticism predicted depressive symptoms, while dependency predicted social anxiety symptoms. In addition, support was found for a mediation model, as opposed to a moderation model, with achievement stressors mediating the relation between self-criticism and depressive symptoms. Overall, these findings highlight new developmental pathways for the development of depression and social anxiety symptoms in mainland Chinese adolescents. Implications for cross-cultural developmental psychopathology research are discussed. PMID:25798026

Self-reported cataracts in older adults in Ghana: sociodemographic and health related factors.

PubMed

Yawson, Alfred E; Ackuaku-Dogbe, Edith M; Seneadza, Nana A Hagan; Mensah, George; Minicuci, Nadia; Naidoo, Nirmala; Chatterji, Somnath; Kowal, Paul; Biritwum, Richard B

2014-09-12

Changes in function of sensory organs with increasing age have significant impact on health and wellbeing of older persons. This paper describes cataract, a chronic eye condition, self-reported among older adults in Ghana and the need for improving access to eye care services. This work was based on the World Health Organization's multi-country Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE), conducted in six countries including Ghana. SAGE Wave 1 in Ghana was conducted in 2007-2008 in a nationally representative sample of 4278 older adults, ≥ 50 years. Data were obtained on sociodemographic and health factors related to self-reported cataracts in older persons in Ghana. Data were analysed using descriptive measures (frequencies and proportions), chi-square test for associations in categorical outcome measures, and logistic regression for predictors of cataracts with SPSS version 21. Overall prevalence of self-reported cataracts among 4278 older adults in Ghana was 5.4%. Prevalence was proportionately higher for women (5.9%) than men (4.7%). Reported cataracts increased with age, among urban residents, in older adults living without partners and among those with the worse life satisfaction index. Older adults in lower income groups, poorly educated or living alone had difficulty seeking vision care services. Prevalence was 8.4% among persons with diabetes, 10.4% among hypertensives and 11.4% in persons with previous history of stroke. Among older persons who had ever used alcohol or tobacco, prevalence rates of reported cataracts were 5.7% and 4.9%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis indicated that increasing age, lower income status and self-reported hypertension were significantly associated with cataract among older adults in Ghana. Cataract is prevalent in older people in Ghana with approximately 1 in 20 people aged 50 years or older reporting a previous diagnosis of cataract. As cataract surgery is restorative, a public health approach on behavioural modification, well structured national outreach eye care services (for rural residents), inclusion of basic eye health services at sub-district levels, increased family support and national health insurance for older persons is indicated.

Noise sensitivity: Symptoms, health status, illness behavior and co-occurring environmental sensitivities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baliatsas, Christos, E-mail: c.baliatsas@nivel.nl

Epidemiological evidence on the symptomatic profile, health status and illness behavior of people with subjective sensitivity to noise is still scarce. Also, it is unknown to what extent noise sensitivity co-occurs with other environmental sensitivities such as multi-chemical sensitivity and sensitivity to electromagnetic fields (EMF). A cross-sectional study performed in the Netherlands, combining self-administered questionnaires and electronic medical records of non-specific symptoms (NSS) registered by general practitioners (GP) allowed us to explore this further. The study sample consisted of 5806 participants, drawn from 21 general practices. Among participants, 722 (12.5%) responded “absolutely agree” to the statement “I am sensitive tomore » noise”, comprising the high noise-sensitive (HNS) group. Compared to the rest of the sample, people in the HNS group reported significantly higher scores on number and duration of self-reported NSS, increased psychological distress, decreased sleep quality and general health, more negative symptom perceptions and higher prevalence of healthcare contacts, GP-registered NSS and prescriptions for antidepressants and benzodiazepines. These results remained robust after adjustment for demographic, residential and lifestyle characteristics, objectively measured nocturnal noise exposure from road-traffic and GP-registered morbidity. Co-occurrence rates with other environmental sensitivities varied between 9% and 50%. Individuals with self-declared sensitivity to noise are characterized by high prevalence of multiple NSS, poorer health status and increased illness behavior independently of noise exposure levels. Findings support the notion that different types of environmental sensitivities partly overlap. - Highlights: • People with self-reported noise sensitivity experience multiple non-specific symptoms. • They also report comparatively poorer health and increased illness behavior. • Co-occurrence with other environmental sensitivities is moderate to high. • Road-traffic noise and GP-registered morbidity did not account for these results.« less

The impact of the housing crisis on self-reported health in Europe: multilevel longitudinal modelling of 27 EU countries

PubMed Central

Reeves, Aaron; Loopstra, Rachel; McKee, Martin; Dorling, Danny; Stuckler, David

2016-01-01

Background: Many EU nations experienced a significant housing crisis during the Great Recession of 2008–10. We evaluated the consequences of housing payment problems for people’s self-reported overall health. Methods: We used longitudinal data from the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions survey covering 27 countries from 2008 to 2010 to follow a baseline sample of persons who did not have housing debt and who were employed (45 457 persons, 136 371 person–years). Multivariate linear regression and multilevel models were used to evaluate the impact of transitions into housing arrears on self-reported health, correcting for the presence of chronic illness, health limitations, and other potential socio-demographic confounders. Results: Persons who transitioned into housing arrears experienced a significant deterioration in self-reported overall health by − 0.03 U (95% CI − 0.01 to − 0.04), even after correcting for chronic illness, disposable income and employment status, and individual fixed effects. This association was independent and similar in magnitude to that for job loss (−0.02, 95% CI: −0.01 to − 0.04). We also found that the impact of housing arrears was significantly worse among renters, corresponding to a mean 0.11 unit additional drop in health as compared with owner-occupiers. These adverse associations were only evident in persons below the 75th percentile of disposable income. Discussion: Our analysis demonstrates that persons who suffer housing arrears experience increased risk of worsening self-reported health, especially among those who rent. Future research is needed to understand the role of alternative housing support systems and available strategies for preventing the health consequences of housing insecurity. PMID:27221606

The associations of social self-control, personality disorders, and demographics with drug use among high-risk youth.

PubMed

Sussman, Steve; McCuller, William J; Dent, Clyde W

2003-08-01

A 10-item self-report measure of social self-control was examined for its association with substance use, controlling for its associations with 12 personality disorder indices and 4 demographic variables among a sample of 1050 high-risk youth. Social self-control was found to be associated with 30-day cigarette smoking, alcohol use, marijuana use, and hard drug use, controlling for these other variables. The most consistent concurrent predictors of substance use were male gender, antisocial personality disorder, and social self-control. These results highlight the importance of social self-control as a unique concurrent predictor of substance use and suggest that social self-control skill training is relevant in substance abuse prevention programming.

Comparing the Reliability and Validity of Global Self-Report Measures of Subjective Well-Being With Experiential Day Reconstruction Measures.

PubMed

Hudson, Nathan W; Anusic, Ivana; Lucas, Richard E; Donnellan, M Brent

2017-12-01

Self-report measures of global well-being are thought to reflect the overall quality of people's lives. However, several scholars have argued that people rely on heuristics, such as current mood, when reporting their global well-being. Experiential well-being measures, such as the day reconstruction method (DRM), have been proposed as an alternative technique to obtain a potentially more accurate assessment of well-being. Across two multimethod, short-term longitudinal studies, we compared the psychometric properties of global self-reports and short-form DRM-based assessments of well-being. We evaluated their stability across one month, tested their convergent validity using self-informant agreement, and evaluated correlations with personality traits. Results indicated that global measures of well-being were more stable than DRM-based experiential measures. Self-informant agreement was also either equal across global and DRM measures or higher for global measures. Correlations with personality were similar across approaches. These findings suggest that DRM and global measures of well-being have similar psychometric properties when used to provide an overall assessment of a person's typical level of subjective well-being.

The role of personality traits and driving experience in self-reported risky driving behaviors and accident risk among Chinese drivers.

PubMed

Tao, Da; Zhang, Rui; Qu, Xingda

2017-02-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of personality traits and driving experience in the prediction of risky driving behaviors and accident risk among Chinese population. A convenience sample of drivers (n=511; mean (SD) age=34.2 (8.8) years) completed a self-report questionnaire that was designed based on validated scales for measuring personality traits, risky driving behaviors and self-reported accident risk. Results from structural equation modeling analysis demonstrated that the data fit well with our theoretical model. While showing no direct effects on accident risk, personality traits had direct effects on risky driving behaviors, and yielded indirect effects on accident risk mediated by risky driving behaviors. Both driving experience and risky driving behaviors directly predicted accident risk and accounted for 15% of its variance. There was little gender difference in personality traits, risky driving behaviors and accident risk. The findings emphasized the importance of personality traits and driving experience in the understanding of risky driving behaviors and accident risk among Chinese drivers and provided new insight into the design of evidence-based driving education and accident prevention interventions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Repression-Sensitization Dimension in Relation to Impending Painful Stimulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scarpetti, William L.

1973-01-01

The study attempted to replicate previous findings of differences between self-report and physiological indices of disturbance in repressors and sensitizers placed in threatening situations. Results indicate that repressors admit to less anxiety on the self-report measure while producing more physiological reactivity to threat of shock. No such…

The Association between Personality Factors and Self-Reported Substance Use in Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chambliss, Catherine

High school and college students (N=321) completed the Mini Markers Five Factors Personality Scale (MMFFPS) and items assessing recent substance use, in order to permit an assessment of the relationship between five basic personality factors and reported use of cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana. A 2 x 2 MANOVA (personality factors; low and high;…

Effects of Personality on Conflict Resolution in Student Teams: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forrester, William R; Tashchian, Armen

2013-01-01

This paper reports results of a study of the effects of five personality dimensions on conflict resolution preferences in student teams. Two hundred and sixteen students provided self-reports of personality dimensions and conflict styles using the Neo-FFI and ROCI-II scales. Simultaneous effects of five personality dimensions on five conflict…

Friendship group identification, multidimensional self-concept, and experience of developmental tasks in adolescence.

PubMed

Tarrant, Mark; MacKenzie, Liam; Hewitt, Lisa A

2006-08-01

This study applied a social identity perspective to the study of adolescent self-concept and social development. British adolescents aged 14-15 years (N=114) completed a questionnaire which asked them to: (i) rate their degree of identification with a school-based friendship group; (ii) complete a measure of multi-dimensional self-concept; and (iii) report their experiences of a variety of personal, relational and socio-institutional (e.g., achieving economic independence) developmental tasks. Compared to low identifiers, participants who were highly identified with a friendship group reported highest levels of self-esteem; and these differences were most marked in non-academic domains of self. High identifiers also displayed higher levels of general self-esteem and reported more positive experiences of personal and relational developmental tasks. The discussion focuses on the potential benefits to understanding of social developmental processes that can be derived from a consideration of adolescents' subjective appraisals of their peer relations.

Mismatch between aspects of hearing impairment and hearing disability/handicap in adult/elderly Cantonese speakers: some hypotheses concerning cultural and linguistic influences.

PubMed

Doyle, J; Wong, L L

1996-12-01

This paper addresses the observation that some Cantonese-speaking adults do not perceive a hearing problem even when hearing screening identifies hearing loss. A sample of 49 Cantonese speakers was surveyed about their self-perceptions of hearing prior to a 25 dB HTL pure-tone screening test. All 49 persons failed the screening test, yet 34 (69.4%) reported that they had no problems hearing during conversations. Persons who admitted hearing difficulties tended to have mean hearing levels in excess of 45 dB HTL. A number of hypotheses concerning cultural and linguistic influences are proposed as explanations for the apparent lack of significance of auditory sensitivity loss for some Cantonese speakers. Ways in which these hypotheses might be tested are suggested.

Detection of Hand-to-Mouth Gestures Using a RF Operated Proximity Sensor for Monitoring Cigarette Smoking.

PubMed

Lopez-Meyer, Paulo; Patil, Yogendra; Tiffany, Tiffany; Sazonov, Edward

2013-01-01

Common methods for monitoring of cigarette smoking, such as portable puff-topography instruments or self-report questionnaires, tend to be biased due to conscious or unconscious underreporting. Additionally, these methods may change the natural smoking behavior of individuals. Our long term objective is the development of a wearable non-invasive monitoring system (Personal Automatic Cigarette Tracker - PACT) to reliably monitor cigarette smoking behavior under free living conditions. PACT monitors smoking by observing characteristic breathing patterns of smoke inhalations that follow a cigarette-to-mouth hand gesture. As envisioned, PACT does not rely on self-report or require any conscious effort from the user. A major element of the PACT is a proximity sensor that detects typical cigarette-to-mouth gesture during cigarette smoking. This study describes the design and validation of a prototype RF proximity sensor that captures hand-to-mouth gestures with a high sensitivity (0.90), and a methodology that can reject up to 68% of artifacts gestures originating from activities other than cigarette smoking.

The distinct temperament profiles of bipolar I, bipolar II and unipolar patients.

PubMed

Akiskal, Hagop S; Kilzieh, Nael; Maser, Jack D; Clayton, Paula J; Schettler, Pamela J; Traci Shea, M; Endicott, Jean; Scheftner, William; Hirschfeld, Robert M A; Keller, Martin B

2006-05-01

Despite a plethora of studies, controversies abound on whether the long-term traits of unipolar and bipolar patients could be differentiated by temperament and whether these traits, in turn, could be distinguished from subthreshold affective symptomatology. 98 bipolar I (BP-I), 64 bipolar II (BP-II), and 251 unipolar major depressive disorder (UP-MDD) patients all when recovered from discrete affective episodes) and 617 relatives, spouses or acquaintances without lifetime RDC diagnoses (the comparison group, CG) were administered a battery of 17 self-rated personality scales chosen for theoretical relevance to mood disorders. Subsamples of each of the four groups also received the General Behavior Inventory (GBI). Of the 436 personality items, 103 that significantly distinguished the three patient groups were subjected to principal components analysis, yielding four factors which reflect the temperamental dimensions of "Mood Lability", "Energy-Assertiveness," "Sensitivity-Brooding," and "Social Anxiety." Most BP-I described themselves as near normal in emotional stability and extroversion; BP-II emerged as labile in mood, energetic and assertive, yet sensitive and brooding; MDD were socially timid, sensitive and brooding. Gender and age did not have marked influence on these overall profiles. Within the MDD group, those with baseline dysthymia were the most pathological (i.e., high in neuroticism, insecurity and introversion). Selected GBI items measuring hypomania and biphasic mood changes were endorsed significantly more often by BP-II. Finally, it is relevant to highlight a methodologic finding about the precision these derived temperament factors brought to the UP-BP differentiation. Unlike BP-I who were low on neuroticism, both BP-II and UP scored high on this measure: yet, in the case of BP-II high neuroticism was largely due to mood lability, in UP it reflected subdepressive traits. We used self-rated personality measures, a possible limitation generic to the paper-and-pencil personality literature. It is therefore likely that BP-I may have over-rated their "sanguinity"; or should one consider such self-report as a reliable reflection of one's temperament? One can raise similar unanswerable questions about "depressiveness" and "mood lability." As contrasted to CG and published norms, the postmorbid self-described "usual" personality is 1) sanguine among many, but not all, BP-I; 2) labile or cyclothymic among BP-II; and 3) subanxious and subdepressive among UP. It is further noteworthy that with the exception of BP-II, the temperament scores of BP-I and MDD were within one SD from published norms. Rather than being pathological, these attributes are best conceived as subclinical temperamental variants of the normal, thereby supporting the notion of continuity between interepisodic and episodic phases of affective disorders. These findings overall are in line with Kraepelin's views and contrary to the DSM-IV formulation of axis-II constructs as being pathological and sharply demarcated from affective episodes.

Self-perceived strengths among people who are homeless.

PubMed

Tweed, Roger G; Biswas-Diener, Robert; Lehman, Darrin R

2012-11-01

This study examined self-perceived strengths among 116 people who were homeless. Those who had experienced a longer period of current homelessness tended to report fewer personal strengths (r = -0.23). Nonetheless, in spite of their marginalized position in society, the vast majority of participants (114 out of 116) perceived personal strengths. A prior diagnosis with mental illness was not associated with the number of strengths reported, but self-perception of strengths was associated with altruistic orientation. The Values in Action (VIA) taxonomy of character strengths captured many of the responses generated by this population. The most frequently mentioned character categories included social intelligence, kindness, persistence, authenticity and humour. The most frequently mentioned other strengths included personal skills (e.g. music, sports), job skills, intelligence and education. The results have relevance for efforts to build self-perceptions that facilitate escape from homelessness.

Genetic and environmental mediation between measures of personality and family environment in twins reared together.

PubMed

Kandler, Christian; Riemann, Rainer; Kämpfe, Nicole

2009-01-01

In this study we analyzed the etiology of the relationship between personality traits and retrospectively recalled family environment. The data of 226 identical and 168 fraternal twin pairs reared together from the Jena twin study of social attitudes were available. Personality traits were measured using the self- and peer report versions of the German NEO-personality inventory-revised. A German version of Blocks Environmental Questionnaire was applied to measure two broad dimensions of the family environment retrospectively: support and organization. We could replicate earlier findings that retrospective reports of these family environment dimensions were in part genetically influenced. A total of 66% of the genetic variance in support and 24% in organization could be accounted for by heritable variance in self-rated personality. That was replicated by using peer reports of personality, 41% explained genetic variance in support and 17% in organization. Environmental mediations were negligible. This indicates that the relationship between personality and retrospectively recalled family environment is largely genetically mediated.

The assessment of Big Five Personality Factors and Temperament Domains as modifiers of cardiovascular response to occupational stress.

PubMed

Merecz, D; Makowska, Z; Makowiec-Dabrowska, T

1999-01-01

The aim of the study was to explore the role of Big Five Personality Factors and Temperament Domains as the factors influencing cardiovascular response to work, and their moderating effect on the relationship between occupational stress and cardiovascular reactivity. The self-reported data on occupational stress and filled in NEO-Five Factor Inventory by Costa, and McCrae and Pavlovian Temperament Survey by Strelau et al. were collected from 97 bank clerks employed in large bank branches. The subjects also responded to the questionnaire on personal and professional background factors. A 24 hour monitoring of cardiovascular reactivity (heart rate and blood pressure) was also provided. Conscientiousness was found to be the only modifier of cardiovascular response to occupational stress reflected by systolic blood pressure. Several main, independent of stress effects of personality and temperament domains were also found. The ratio of heart rate at work to heart rate during sleep was associated with the strength of excitatory process, the percentage of maximum heart rate index with Conscientiousness, and systolic blood pressure at work was influenced by the strength of inhibitory process. However, generally speaking, physiological indicators of the cardiovascular system functioning were not very sensitive to changes in values of personality and temperament variables at the level of occupational stress reported by the bank clerks who participated in the study.

SCREENING FOR PERSONALITY DISORDERS

PubMed Central

Morse, Jennifer Q.; Pilkonis, Paul A.

2010-01-01

A brief but valid self-report measure to screen for personality disorders (PDs) would be a valuable tool in making decisions about further assessment and in planning optimal treatments. In psychiatric and nonpsychiatric samples, we compared the validity of three screening measures: the PD scales from the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems, a self-report version of the Iowa Personality Disorder Screen, and the self-directedness scale of the Temperament and Character Inventory. Despite their different theoretical origins, the screeners were highly correlated in a range from .71 to .77. As a result, the use of multiple screeners was not a significant improvement over any individual screener, and no single screener stood out as clearly superior to the others. Each performed modestly in predicting the presence of any PD diagnosis in both the psychiatric and nonpsychiatric groups. Performance was best when predicting a more severe PD diagnosis in the psychiatric sample. The results also highlight the potential value of multiple assessments when relying on self-reports. PMID:17492920

When rejection sensitivity matters: regulating dependence within daily interactions with family and friends.

PubMed

Overall, Nickola C; Sibley, Chris G

2009-08-01

This diary study examined situational dependence within daily interactions with family members and close friends over a 2-week period. Experiencing low personal control (high situational dependence) when interacting with family members and friends was associated with lower perceived regard and intimacy. Participants generally regulated felt dependence by derogating and withdrawing from their interaction partner (self-protective dependence regulation) and exhibiting lower levels of positive behavior, such as expressing thoughts and feelings or trying to improve the interaction (relationship-promotive dependence regulation). Furthermore, higher rejection sensitivity (but not low self-esteem) was associated with more negative evaluations of perceived regard and intimacy, greater self-protective dependence regulation, and lower relationship-promotive dependence regulation within low control interactions. These results identify dependence as a key element of rejection risk contexts and support the situation-specific nature of rejection sensitivity.

Comparison of Self-Reported Telephone Interviewing and Web-Based Survey Responses: Findings From the Second Australian Young and Well National Survey.

PubMed

Milton, Alyssa C; Ellis, Louise A; Davenport, Tracey A; Burns, Jane M; Hickie, Ian B

2017-09-26

Web-based self-report surveying has increased in popularity, as it can rapidly yield large samples at a low cost. Despite this increase in popularity, in the area of youth mental health, there is a distinct lack of research comparing the results of Web-based self-report surveys with the more traditional and widely accepted computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI). The Second Australian Young and Well National Survey 2014 sought to compare differences in respondent response patterns using matched items on CATI versus a Web-based self-report survey. The aim of this study was to examine whether responses varied as a result of item sensitivity, that is, the item's susceptibility to exaggeration on underreporting and to assess whether certain subgroups demonstrated this effect to a greater extent. A subsample of young people aged 16 to 25 years (N=101), recruited through the Second Australian Young and Well National Survey 2014, completed the identical items on two occasions: via CATI and via Web-based self-report survey. Respondents also rated perceived item sensitivity. When comparing CATI with the Web-based self-report survey, a Wilcoxon signed-rank analysis showed that respondents answered 14 of the 42 matched items in a significantly different way. Significant variation in responses (CATI vs Web-based) was more frequent if the item was also rated by the respondents as highly sensitive in nature. Specifically, 63% (5/8) of the high sensitivity items, 43% (3/7) of the neutral sensitivity items, and 0% (0/4) of the low sensitivity items were answered in a significantly different manner by respondents when comparing their matched CATI and Web-based question responses. The items that were perceived as highly sensitive by respondents and demonstrated response variability included the following: sexting activities, body image concerns, experience of diagnosis, and suicidal ideation. For high sensitivity items, a regression analysis showed respondents who were male (beta=-.19, P=.048) or who were not in employment, education, or training (NEET; beta=-.32, P=.001) were significantly more likely to provide different responses on matched items when responding in the CATI as compared with the Web-based self-report survey. The Web-based self-report survey, however, demonstrated some evidence of avidity and attrition bias. Compared with CATI, Web-based self-report surveys are highly cost-effective and had higher rates of self-disclosure on sensitive items, particularly for respondents who identify as male and NEET. A drawback to Web-based surveying methodologies, however, includes the limited control over avidity bias and the greater incidence of attrition bias. These findings have important implications for further development of survey methods in the area of health and well-being, especially when considering research topics (in this case diagnosis, suicidal ideation, sexting, and body image) and groups that are being recruited (young people, males, and NEET). ©Alyssa C Milton, Louise A Ellis, Tracey A Davenport, Jane M Burns, Ian B Hickie. Originally published in JMIR Mental Health (http://mental.jmir.org), 26.09.2017.

The relationship between Type D personality and physical health complaints is mediated by perceived stress and anxiety but not diurnal cortisol secretion.

PubMed

Smith, Michael A; Riccalton, Victoria C; Kelly-Hughes, Denise H; Craw, Olivia A; Allen, Sarah F; O'Connor, Daryl B; Wetherell, Mark A

2018-05-01

Type D personality has been associated with minor health complaints in the general population and dysregulation of basal cortisol secretion in coronary patients. The aims of the present study were to investigate (i) whether there is an association between Type D personality and basal cortisol secretion in the general population, and (ii) whether subjective measures of stress and anxiety, as well as indices of basal cortisol secretion, mediate the relationship between Type D personality and self-reported physical symptoms in this group. Self-report measures of stress, trait anxiety and physical symptoms were provided by 101 individuals aged 18-45 years. Saliva samples were also provided over two consecutive "typical" days, to enable indices of the cortisol awakening response and diurnal cortisol profile to be determined. There was a significant relationship between Type D personality and self-reported physical symptoms, which was fully mediated by subjective stress and anxiety. However, there were no significant relationships between Type D personality and the basal cortisol indices. These findings suggest that the association between Type D personality and minor health complaints in the general population can be explained by feelings of stress and anxiety, but a precise biological mechanism for this link is yet to be elucidated.

Affective personality as cognitive-emotional presymptom profiles regulatory for self-reported health predispositions.

PubMed

Archer, T; Adolfsson, B; Karlsson, E

2008-08-01

Three studies that examined the links between affective personality, as constructed from responses to the Positive Affect (PA) and Negative Affect (NA) Scale (PANAS), and individuals' self-report of self-esteem, intrinsic motivation and Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) depression in high school students and persons in working occupations are described. Self-report estimations of several other neuropsychiatric and psychosocial variables including, the Uppsala Sleep Inventory (USI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) test, Dispositional optimism, Locus of control, the Subjective Stress Experience test (SSE) and the Stress-Energy (SE) test, were also derived. Marked effects due to affective personality type upon somatic and psychological stress, anxiety and depression, self-esteem, internal and external locus of control, optimism, stress and energy, intrinsic motivation, external regulation, identified regulation, major sleep problems, problems falling asleep, and psychophysiological problems were observed; levels of self-esteem, self-motivation and BDI-depression all produced substantial effects on health and well-being. Regression analyses indicated PA was predicted by dispositional optimism (thrice), energy (thrice), and intrinsic motivation, and counter predicted by depression (twice) and stress (twice); and NA by anxiety (twice), stress (twice), psychological stress, identified regulation, BDI depression and psychophysiological problems, and counter predicted by internal locus of control and self-esteem. BDI-depression was predicted by negative affect, major sleep problems and psychophysiological problems (Study III), self-esteem by dispositional optimism and energy, and counter predicted by anxiety, depression and stress (Study I), and intrinsic motivation by dispositional optimism, energy, PA and self-esteem (Study II). These convergent findings are interpreted from a perspective of the cognitive-emotional expressions underlying behavioural or presymptomatic profiles presenting predispositions for health or ill health.

Self-reported physical activity correlates in Swedish adults with multiple sclerosis: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Anens, Elisabeth; Zetterberg, Lena; Urell, Charlotte; Emtner, Margareta; Hellström, Karin

2017-12-01

The benefits of physical activity in persons with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) are considerable. Knowledge about factors that correlate to physical activity is helpful in order to develop successful strategies to increase physical activity in persons with MS. Previous studies have focused on correlates to physical activity in MS, however falls self-efficacy, social support and enjoyment of physical activity are not much studied, as well as if the correlates differ with regard to disease severity. The aim of the study was to examine associations between physical activity and age, gender, employment, having children living at home, education, disease type, disease severity, fatigue, self-efficacy for physical activity, falls self-efficacy, social support and enjoyment of physical activity in a sample of persons with MS and in subgroups with regard to disease severity. This is a cross-sectional survey study including Swedish community living adults with MS, 287 persons, response rate 58.2%. The survey included standardized self-reported scales measuring physical activity, disease severity, fatigue, self-efficacy for physical activity, falls self-efficacy, and social support. Physical activity was measured by the Physical Activity Disability Survey - Revised. Multiple regression analyzes showed that 59% (F(6,3) = 64.9, p = 0.000) of the variation in physical activity was explained by having less severe disease (β = -0.30), being employed (β = 0.26), having high falls self-efficacy (β = 0.20), having high self-efficacy for physical activity (β = 0.17), and enjoying physical activity (β = 0.11). In persons with moderate/severe MS, self-efficacy for physical activity explained physical activity. Consistent with previous research in persons with MS in other countries this study shows that disease severity, employment and self-efficacy for physical activity are important for physical activity. Additional important factors were falls self-efficacy and enjoyment. More research is needed to confirm this and the subgroup differences.

Self-reported discrimination, diabetes distress, and continuous blood glucose in women with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Wagner, Julie A; Tennen, Howard; Feinn, Richard; Osborn, Chandra Y

2015-04-01

We investigated whether self-reported racial discrimination was associated with continuous glucose levels and variability in individuals with diabetes, and whether diabetes distress mediated these associations. Seventy-four Black and White women with type 2 diabetes completed the Experience of Discrimination scale, a measure of lifetime racial discrimination, and the Problem Areas in Diabetes, a measure of diabetes distress. Participants wore a continuous glucose monitor for 24 h after 8 h of fasting, a standard meal, and a 4-h run in period. Higher discrimination predicted higher continuous mean glucose and higher standard deviation of glucose. For both mean and standard deviation of glucose, a race × discrimination interaction indicated a stronger relationship between discrimination and glucose for Whites than for Blacks. Diabetes distress mediated the discrimination-mean glucose relationship. Whites who report discrimination may be uniquely sensitive to distress. These preliminary findings suggest that racial discrimination adversely affects glucose control in women with diabetes, and does so indirectly through diabetes distress. Diabetes distress may be an important therapeutic target to reduce the ill effects of racial discrimination in persons with diabetes.

Initial Evaluation of the Effects of Aerosolized Florida Red Tide Toxins (Brevetoxins) in Persons with Asthma

PubMed Central

Fleming, Lora E.; Kirkpatrick, Barbara; Backer, Lorraine C.; Bean, Judy A.; Wanner, Adam; Dalpra, Dana; Tamer, Robert; Zaias, Julia; Cheng, Yung Sung; Pierce, Richard; Naar, Jerome; Abraham, William; Clark, Richard; Zhou, Yue; Henry, Michael S.; Johnson, David; Van De Bogart, Gayl; Bossart, Gregory D.; Harrington, Mark; Baden, Daniel G.

2005-01-01

Florida red tides annually occur in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting from blooms of the marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. K. brevis produces highly potent natural polyether toxins, known as brevetoxins, that activate voltage-sensitive sodium channels. In experimental animals, brevetoxins cause significant bronchoconstriction. A study of persons who visited the beach recreationally found a significant increase in self-reported respiratory symptoms after exposure to aerosolized Florida red tides. Anecdotal reports indicate that persons with underlying respiratory diseases may be particularly susceptible to adverse health effects from these aerosolized toxins. Fifty-nine persons with physician-diagnosed asthma were evaluated for 1 hr before and after going to the beach on days with and without Florida red tide. Study participants were evaluated with a brief symptom questionnaire, nose and throat swabs, and spirometry approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Environmental monitoring, water and air sampling (i.e., K. brevis, brevetoxins, and particulate size distribution), and personal monitoring (for toxins) were performed. Brevetoxin concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, and a newly developed brevetoxin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Participants were significantly more likely to report respiratory symptoms after Florida red tide exposure. Participants demonstrated small but statistically significant decreases in forced expiratory volume in 1 sec, forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75%, and peak expiratory flow after exposure, particularly those regularly using asthma medications. Similar evaluation during nonexposure periods did not significantly differ. This is the first study to show objectively measurable adverse health effects from exposure to aerosolized Florida red tide toxins in persons with asthma. Future studies will examine the possible chronic effects of these toxins among persons with asthma and other chronic respiratory impairment. PMID:15866779

Initial evaluation of the effects of aerosolized Florida red tide toxins (brevetoxins) in persons with asthma.

PubMed

Fleming, Lora E; Kirkpatrick, Barbara; Backer, Lorraine C; Bean, Judy A; Wanner, Adam; Dalpra, Dana; Tamer, Robert; Zaias, Julia; Cheng, Yung Sung; Pierce, Richard; Naar, Jerome; Abraham, William; Clark, Richard; Zhou, Yue; Henry, Michael S; Johnson, David; Van De Bogart, Gayl; Bossart, Gregory D; Harrington, Mark; Baden, Daniel G

2005-05-01

Florida red tides annually occur in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting from blooms of the marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. K. brevis produces highly potent natural polyether toxins, known as brevetoxins, that activate voltage-sensitive sodium channels. In experimental animals, brevetoxins cause significant bronchoconstriction. A study of persons who visited the beach recreationally found a significant increase in self-reported respiratory symptoms after exposure to aerosolized Florida red tides. Anecdotal reports indicate that persons with underlying respiratory diseases may be particularly susceptible to adverse health effects from these aerosolized toxins. Fifty-nine persons with physician-diagnosed asthma were evaluated for 1 hr before and after going to the beach on days with and without Florida red tide. Study participants were evaluated with a brief symptom questionnaire, nose and throat swabs, and spirometry approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Environmental monitoring, water and air sampling (i.e., K. brevis, brevetoxins, and particulate size distribution), and personal monitoring (for toxins) were performed. Brevetoxin concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, and a newly developed brevetoxin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Participants were significantly more likely to report respiratory symptoms after Florida red tide exposure. Participants demonstrated small but statistically significant decreases in forced expiratory volume in 1 sec, forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75%, and peak expiratory flow after exposure, particularly those regularly using asthma medications. Similar evaluation during nonexposure periods did not significantly differ. This is the first study to show objectively measurable adverse health effects from exposure to aerosolized Florida red tide toxins in persons with asthma. Future studies will examine the possible chronic effects of these toxins among persons with asthma and other chronic respiratory impairment.

The Value of Being a Conscientious Learner: Examining the Effects of the Big Five Personality Traits on Self-Reported Learning from Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woods, Stephen A.; Patterson, Fiona C.; Koczwara, Anna; Sofat, Juilitta A.

2016-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of personality traits of the Big Five model on training outcomes to help explain variation in training effectiveness. Design/Methodology/ Approach: Associations of the Big Five with self-reported learning following training were tested in a pre- and post-design in a field sample of junior…

Validity of the OSU Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale and the Behavior Assessment System for Children Self-Report of Personality with Child Tornado Survivors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Linda Garner; Oehler-Stinnett, Judy

2008-01-01

Tornadoes and other natural disasters can lead to anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children. This study provides further validity for the Oklahoma State University Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale-Child Form (OSU PTSDS-CF) by comparing it to the Behavior Assessment System for Children Self-Report of Personality (BASC-SRP).…

Clinical characteristics and mental health outcomes for women admitted to an Australian Mother-Baby Unit: a focus on borderline personality disorder and emotional dysregulation?

PubMed

Yelland, Chris; Girke, Teresa; Tottman, Charlotte; Williams, Anne Sved

2015-12-01

To describe the clinical population of women admitted to a Mother-Baby Unit in Adelaide, South Australia and to evaluate changes during admission in both Axes I and II diagnoses of maternal mental health, and in mother-infant relationships. Both clinical and self-report assessments of maternal mental health were made at admission and discharge, and self-report comparisons of the mother-infant relationship. Depressive illnesses (46.2%) were found to be the most prevalent conditions leading to admission, with rates of psychosis (10.3%) and bipolar disorder (3.4%) being lower. A high incidence of borderline personality disorder (23.1%) was found clinically, with almost half the admitted women showing features of borderline personality disorder on a self-report measure at admission. Significant improvements in maternal mental health and the mother-infant relationship were found at the time of discharge. Admission to this Mother-Baby Unit on mothers' self-report scales showed improvement in mothers' mental health and the relationship that they have with their infant. Given the high prevalence of borderline personality disorder and emotional dysregulation identified within the population, treatment implications and possible consequences for the infant are discussed for this client group. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

An assessment of the schedule for schizotypal personalities and the DSM-III criteria for diagnosing schizotypal personality disorder.

PubMed

Perry, J C; O'Connell, M E; Drake, R

1984-11-01

The authors assessed the reliability and validity of the DSM-III criteria for schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) and their measurement by the Schedule for Schizotypal Personalities (SSP) developed by Baron. Additional criteria not in DSM-III were also explored. Consensual clinical ratings of videotaped interviews of subjects were used to validate item content of the SSP and the schizotypal diagnosis. The SSP assessments, with the exception of odd speech, were found to be reliable and valid. Higher cutoff scores than those recommended by Baron may be helpful in discriminating schizotypal from other psychiatric patients. Six of eight DSM-III criteria and all experimental criteria were highly specific for SPD cases but varied widely in their sensitivities. Based on these pilot data, the authors recommend combining all of the criteria into four conceptual categories: 1) self-report cognitive-perceptual disturbances, 2) observable disorders of thought and communication, 3) deficits in drive or affect, and 4) interpersonal difficulties. When three of these were required to make the SPD diagnosis, all of the subjects in the present data set were correctly identified.

A sociocultural analysis of death anxiety among older Japanese urbanites in a citizens' movement.

PubMed

Kawano, Satsuki

By examining the experiences of death anxiety and attitudes toward personal deaths among members of a citizens' movement, the Grave-Free Promotion Society (GFPS), this study considers the applicability of the view that culture and high self-esteem serve as defenses against death anxiety in Japan's changing society. The GFPS promotes the scattering of ashes over the conventional interment of cremated remains in a family grave. GFPS members often lack descendants to care for a family grave, the neglect of which is thought to endanger the deceased's peaceful rest. By returning the dead to nature through ash scattering, the GFPS provides an alternative strategy of managing its members' posthumous well-being. GFPS members often report that their choice of ash scattering has reduced their anxiety about their personal deaths and improved the quality of their lives. Based upon these findings, this study offers some suggestions for increasing cultural sensitivities of test instruments commonly used to examine death anxiety among older persons for use in a Japanese context.

Predictors of personal, perceived and self-stigma towards anxiety and depression.

PubMed

Busby Grant, J; Bruce, C P; Batterham, P J

2016-06-01

Stigma towards individuals experiencing a mental illness is associated with a range of negative psychological, social and financial outcomes. Factors associated with stigma remain unclear; the relationship between stigma and various personal factors may depend on both the type of disorder being stigmatised and what type of stigma is assessed. Different forms of stigma include personal stigma (negative attitudes towards others), perceived stigma (perceived attitudes of others) and self-stigma (self-attribution of others' negative attitudes). Three hundred and fifty university students and members of the general public completed an online survey assessing contact with and knowledge of both depression and anxiety, age, gender, current depression and anxiety symptoms, and personal, perceived and self-stigma for both depression and anxiety. Greater contact with, and knowledge of that illness predicted lower personal stigma for both anxiety and depression. Participants with greater levels of current depression symptomatology and females, reported higher perceived stigma towards depression. Males reported higher personal stigma for anxiety. For both anxiety and depression, higher current symptomatology was associated with greater levels of self-stigma towards the illness. Findings confirm the role of contact and knowledge in personal stigma for both disorders, consistent with previous findings. This finding also supports evidence that interventions addressing these factors are associated with a decline in personal stigma. However, lack of relationship between contact with, and knowledge of a mental illness and perceived and self-stigma for either depression or anxiety suggests that these factors may not play a major role in perceived or self-stigma. The identification of symptomatology as a key factor associated with self-stigma for both anxiety and depression is significant, and has implications for community-wide interventions aiming to increase help-seeking behaviour, as well as individual treatment strategies for clinicians. Further research should examine whether these relationships hold for groups with clinically diagnosed depression and anxiety disorders.

Sidney Blatt's Contributions to Personality Assessment.

PubMed

Auerbach, John S

2016-01-01

Over a long, distinguished career, Sidney Blatt contributed to theory and research in personality development, personality assessment, and psychotherapy. Best known for his 2-configurations model of personality and author or co-author of more than 250 articles and 18 books and monographs, Blatt was also a master clinician, a psychoanalyst who was awarded the 1989 Bruno J. Klopfer Award by the Society for Personality Assessment (SPA) for his contributions to both self-report and performance-based assessment. He was also the president of SPA from 1984 to 1986. This special series contains papers by writers who participated in all aspects of Blatt's contributions to personality assessment, both self-report and performance-based. Topics covered include Blatt's 2-configurations model of personality, development, and psychopathology; boundary disturbance and psychosis in performance-based assessment; the interaction of gender and personality on narrative assessments; and the Object Relations Inventory and differentiation relatedness, especially as these relate to therapeutic outcome.

An international prospective cohort study of mobile phone users and health (COSMOS): Factors affecting validity of self-reported mobile phone use.

PubMed

Toledano, Mireille B; Auvinen, Anssi; Tettamanti, Giorgio; Cao, Yang; Feychting, Maria; Ahlbom, Anders; Fremling, Karin; Heinävaara, Sirpa; Kojo, Katja; Knowles, Gemma; Smith, Rachel B; Schüz, Joachim; Johansen, Christoffer; Poulsen, Aslak Harbo; Deltour, Isabelle; Vermeulen, Roel; Kromhout, Hans; Elliott, Paul; Hillert, Lena

2018-01-01

This study investigates validity of self-reported mobile phone use in a subset of 75 993 adults from the COSMOS cohort study. Agreement between self-reported and operator-derived mobile call frequency and duration for a 3-month period was assessed using Cohen's weighted Kappa (κ). Sensitivity and specificity of both self-reported high (≥10 calls/day or ≥4h/week) and low (≤6 calls/week or <30min/week) mobile phone use were calculated, as compared to operator data. For users of one mobile phone, agreement was fair for call frequency (κ=0.35, 95% CI: 0.35, 0.36) and moderate for call duration (κ=0.50, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.50). Self-reported low call frequency and duration demonstrated high sensitivity (87% and 76% respectively), but for high call frequency and duration sensitivity was lower (38% and 56% respectively), reflecting a tendency for greater underestimation than overestimation. Validity of self-reported mobile phone use was lower in women, younger age groups and those reporting symptoms during/shortly after using a mobile phone. This study highlights the ongoing value of using self-report data to measure mobile phone use. Furthermore, compared to continuous scale estimates used by previous studies, categorical response options used in COSMOS appear to improve validity considerably, most likely by preventing unrealistically high estimates from being reported. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Individual wealth rank, community wealth inequality, and self-reported adult poor health: a test of hypotheses with panel data (2002-2006) from native Amazonians, Bolivia.

PubMed

Undurraga, Eduardo A; Nyberg, Colleen; Eisenberg, Dan T A; Magvanjav, Oyunbileg; Reyes-García, Victoria; Huanca, Tomás; Leonard, William R; McDade, Thomas W; Tanner, Susan; Vadez, Vincent; Godoy, Ricardo

2010-12-01

Growing evidence suggests that economic inequality in a community harms the health of a person. Using panel data from a small-scale, preindustrial rural society, we test whether individual wealth rank and village wealth inequality affects self-reported poor health in a foraging-farming native Amazonian society. A person's wealth rank was negatively but weakly associated with self-reported morbidity. Each step up/year in the village wealth hierarchy reduced total self-reported days ill by 0.4 percent. The Gini coefficient of village wealth inequality bore a positive association with self-reported poor health that was large in size, but not statistically significant. We found small village wealth inequality, and evidence that individual economic rank did not change. The modest effects may have to do with having used subjective rather than objective measures of health, having small village wealth inequality, and with the possibly true modest effect of a person's wealth rank on health in a small-scale, kin-based society. Finally, we also found that an increase in mean individual wealth by village was related to worse self-reported health. As the Tsimane' integrate into the market economy, their possibilities of wealth accumulation rise, which may affect their well-being. Our work contributes to recent efforts in biocultural anthropology to link the study of social inequalities, human biology, and human-environment interactions.

Diagnostic change and personality stability following functional restoration treatment in chronic low back pain patients.

PubMed

Vittengl, J R; Clark, L A; Owen-Salters, E; Gatchel, R J

1999-03-01

This study examined personality pathology in a group of patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) using both diagnostic interviews and dimensional self-report instruments. A group of CLBP patients (N = 125) was assessed before functional restoration treatment and compared with a matched normal comparison group (N = 75). The CLBP group evidenced broad personality pathology in all assessment modes pretreatment relative to the normal comparison sample. In addition, two subsamples of CLBP patients (n = 49 and n = 56) were assessed after treatment. Reductions in personality pathology between pre- and posttreatment assessments were more pronounced for diagnostic interview than dimensional self-report assessments. These results are discussed in the context of personality assessment and CLBP.

Characteristics of depressed patients who report childhood sexual abuse.

PubMed

Gladstone, G; Parker, G; Wilhelm, K; Mitchell, P; Austin, M P

1999-03-01

Depressed patients who had and had not been exposed to childhood sexual abuse were studied to determine differences in severity of depressed mood, lifetime histories of anxiety and depression, childhood environment, and disordered personality function. Data were obtained from 269 inpatients and outpatients with major depression (171 women and 98 men) by means of structured clinical interviews and self-report questionnaires. Forty-six of the 269 patients reported childhood sexual abuse; 40 of these were women. These 40 women were compared with the 131 who did not report childhood sexual abuse. The patients who experienced abuse did not differ from those who had not on psychiatrist-rated mood severity estimates, but they did have higher self-report depression scores. They also evidenced more self-destructive behavior, more personality dysfunction, and more overall adversity in their childhood environment. Childhood sexual abuse status was associated with more borderline personality characteristics independently of other negative aspects of the patients' earlier parenting. Childhood sexual abuse status was linked strongly to adult self-destructiveness, as was early exposure to maternal indifference. Multivariate analyses suggest that depression is unlikely to be a direct consequence of childhood sexual abuse. Childhood sexual abuse appears to be associated with a greater chance of having experienced a broadly dysfunctional childhood home environment, a greater chance of having a borderline personality style, and, in turn, a greater chance of experiencing depression in adulthood.

Personality Traits Are Associated with Research Misbehavior in Dutch Scientists: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Tijdink, Joeri K; Bouter, Lex M; Veldkamp, Coosje L S; van de Ven, Peter M; Wicherts, Jelte M; Smulders, Yvo M

Personality influences decision making and ethical considerations. Its influence on the occurrence of research misbehavior has never been studied. This study aims to determine the association between personality traits and self-reported questionable research practices and research misconduct. We hypothesized that narcissistic, Machiavellianistic and psychopathic traits as well as self-esteem are associated with research misbehavior. Included in this cross-sectional study design were 535 Dutch biomedical scientists (response rate 65%) from all hierarchical layers of 4 university medical centers in the Netherlands. We used validated personality questionnaires such as the Dark Triad (narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism), Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, the Publication Pressure Questionnaire (PPQ), and also demographic and job-specific characteristics to investigate the association of personality traits with a composite research misbehavior severity score. Machiavellianism was positively associated (beta 1.28, CI 1.06-1.53) with self-reported research misbehavior, while narcissism, psychopathy and self-esteem were not. Exploratory analysis revealed that narcissism and research misconduct were more severe among persons in higher academic ranks (i.e., professors) (p<0.01 and p<0.001, respectively), and self-esteem scores and publication pressure were lower (p<0.001 and p<0.01, respectively) as compared to postgraduate PhD fellows. Machiavellianism may be a risk factor for research misbehaviour. Narcissism and research misbehaviour were more prevalent among biomedical scientists in higher academic positions. These results suggest that personality has an impact on research behavior and should be taken into account in fostering responsible conduct of research.

Counterfactual reasoning for regretted situations involving controllable versus uncontrollable events: the modulating role of contingent self-esteem.

PubMed

Wilkinson, Meredith R; Ball, Linden J; Alford, David

2015-01-01

We report a study that examined the modulating impact of contingent self-esteem on regret intensity for regretted outcomes associated with controllable versus uncontrollable events. The Contingent Self-Esteem Scale (e.g., Kernis & Goldman, 2006) was used to assess the extent to which a person's sense of self-worth is based on self and others' expectations. We found that there was an influence of self-esteem contingency for controllable but not for uncontrollable regret types. For controllable regret types individuals with a high contingent (i.e., unstable) self-esteem reported greater regret intensity than those with a low contingent (i.e., stable) self-esteem. We interpret this finding as reflecting a functional and adaptive role of high contingent self-esteem in terms of mobilizing the application of counterfactual reasoning and planning mechanisms that can enable personal expectations to be achieved in the future.

Daily Life Satisfaction in Older Adults as a Function of (In)Activity.

PubMed

Maher, Jaclyn P; Conroy, David E

2017-07-01

This 14-day daily diary study tested the between-person and within-person associations between sedentary behavior, physical activity, and life satisfaction in community-dwelling older adults. Older adults (n = 100) wore ActivPAL3 activity monitors for 14 days and, at the end of each day, answered questions regarding their health behaviors and life satisfaction. Separate multilevel models were tested for self-reported and objectively measured behavioral data. In the model using objectively measured behavioral data, life satisfaction was (a) negatively associated with sedentary behavior at the within-person level and unassociated with sedentary behavior at the between-person level and (b) unassociated with physical activity at either the between-person or within-person level. In the model using self-reported behavioral data, life satisfaction was (a) unassociated with sedentary behavior at either the between-person or within-person level and (2) positively associated with physical activity at the within-person, but not at the between-person, level. Results indicated that daily deviations in objectively measured sedentary behavior and self-reported physical activity have implications for older adults' well-being. Interventions designed to enhance well-being and quality of life in older adults should consider targeting daily changes in total sedentary behavior and daily changes in the volume or frequency of physical activity. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

When dispositional and role power fit: implications for self-expression and self-other congruence.

PubMed

Chen, Serena; Langner, Carrie A; Mendoza-Denton, Rodolfo

2009-03-01

Integrating and extending the literatures on social power and person-environment fit, 4 studies tested the hypothesis that when people's dispositional beliefs about their capacity to influence others fit their assigned role power, they are more likely to engage in self-expression-that is, behave in line with their states and traits-thereby increasing their likelihood of being perceived by others in a manner congruent with their own self-judgments (i.e., self-other congruence). In Studies 1-3, dispositionally high- and low-power participants were randomly assigned to play a high- or low-power role in an interaction with a confederate. When participants' dispositional and role power fit (vs. conflicted), they reported greater self-expression (Study 1). Furthermore, under dispositional-role power fit conditions, the confederate's ratings of participants' emotional experiences (Study 2) and personality traits (Study 3) were more congruent with participants' self-reported emotions and traits. Study 4's results replicated Study 3's results using an implicit manipulation of power and outside observers' (rather than a confederate's) ratings of participants. Implications for research on power and person perception are discussed.

Suicide Risk, Stress Sensitivity, and Self-Esteem among Young Adults Reporting Auditory Hallucinations.

PubMed

DeVylder, Jordan E; Hilimire, Matthew R

2015-08-01

Individuals with subthreshold psychotic experiences are at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behavior, similar to those with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. This may be explained by shared risk factors such as heightened stress sensitivity or low self-esteem. Understanding the nature of this relationship could inform suicide prevention in social work practice. In this study, authors examined the relationship between self-reported auditory hallucinations and suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts, in a nonclinical sample of young adults, controlling for scores on the Psychological Stress Index and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Auditory hallucinations were associated with approximately double the odds of suicidal ideation and plans and four times the odds for suicide attempts. This relationship was not explained by stress sensitivity or self-esteem, which were independently related to hallucinations and suicidality, respectively. Subthreshold auditory hallucinations may be a useful indicator of suicide risk. This association may represent a clinically significant relationship that may be addressed through social work interventions intended to alleviate stress sensitivity or improve self-esteem.

Facilitating Personality Change with Audiovisual Self-confrontation and Interviews.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alker, Henry A.; And Others

Two studies are reported, each of which achieves personality change with both audiovisual self-confrontation (AVSC) and supportive, nondirective interviews. The first study used Ericksonian identity achievement as a dependent variable. Sixty-one male subjects were measured using Anne Constantinople's inventory. The results of this study…

Detecting the Presence of a Personality Disorder Using Interpersonal and Self-Dysfunction.

PubMed

Beeney, Joseph E; Lazarus, Sophie A; Hallquist, Michael N; Stepp, Stephanie D; Wright, Aidan G C; Scott, Lori N; Giertych, Rachel A; Pilkonis, Paul A

2018-03-05

Calls have increased to place interpersonal and self-disturbance as defining features of personality disorders (PDs). Findings from a methodologically diverse set of studies suggest that a common factor undergirds all PDs. The nature of this core of PDs, however, is not clear. In the current study, interviews were completed for DSM-IV PD diagnosis and interpersonal dysfunction independently with 272 individuals (PD = 191, no-PD = 91). Specifically, we evaluated interpersonal dysfunction across social domains. In addition, we empirically assessed the structure of self-dysfunction in PDs. We found dysfunction in work and romantic domains, and unstable identity uniquely predicted variance in the presence of a PD. Using receiver operating characteristic analysis, we found that the interpersonal dysfunction and self-dysfunction scales each predicted PDs with high accuracy. In combination, the scales resulted in excellent sensitivity (.90) and specificity (.88). The results support interpersonal and self-dysfunction as general factors of PD.

Self-determined, but not non-self-determined, motivation predicts activations in the anterior insular cortex: an fMRI study of personal agency

PubMed Central

Reeve, Johnmarshall

2013-01-01

Neuroscientific studies on agency focus rather exclusively on the notion of who initiates and regulates actions, not on the notion of why the person does. The present study focused on the latter to investigate two different reasons underlying personal agency. Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging, we scanned 16 healthy human subjects while they imagined the enactment of volitional, agentic behavior on the same task but either for a self-determined and intrinsically motivated reason or for a non-self-determined and extrinsically motivated reason. Results showed that the anterior insular cortex (AIC), known to be related to the sense of agency, was more activated during self-determined behavior while the angular gyrus, known to be related to the sense of loss of agency, was more activated during non-self-determined behavior. Furthermore, AIC activities during self-determined behavior correlated highly with participants’ self-reported intrinsic satisfactions. We conclude that self-determined behavior is more agentic than is non-self-determined behavior and that personal agency arises only during self-determined, intrinsically motivated action. PMID:22451482

Self-determined, but not non-self-determined, motivation predicts activations in the anterior insular cortex: an fMRI study of personal agency.

PubMed

Lee, Woogul; Reeve, Johnmarshall

2013-06-01

Neuroscientific studies on agency focus rather exclusively on the notion of who initiates and regulates actions, not on the notion of why the person does. The present study focused on the latter to investigate two different reasons underlying personal agency. Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging, we scanned 16 healthy human subjects while they imagined the enactment of volitional, agentic behavior on the same task but either for a self-determined and intrinsically motivated reason or for a non-self-determined and extrinsically motivated reason. Results showed that the anterior insular cortex (AIC), known to be related to the sense of agency, was more activated during self-determined behavior while the angular gyrus, known to be related to the sense of loss of agency, was more activated during non-self-determined behavior. Furthermore, AIC activities during self-determined behavior correlated highly with participants' self-reported intrinsic satisfactions. We conclude that self-determined behavior is more agentic than is non-self-determined behavior and that personal agency arises only during self-determined, intrinsically motivated action.

The Personality Profile of Tinnitus Sufferers and a Nontinnitus Control Group.

PubMed

Durai, Mithila; O'Keeffe, Mary G; Searchfield, Grant D

2017-04-01

Chronic tinnitus (phantom perception of sound) significantly disrupts quality of life in 15-20% of those who experience it. Understanding how certain personality traits impact tinnitus perception and distress can be beneficial for the development of interventions to improve the lives of tinnitus sufferers. Four key self-reported personality traits (social closeness, stress reaction, alienation, and self-control) were identified from previous research as being associated with tinnitus. These were compared between tinnitus and age-, gender-, and hearing level-matched nontinnitus controls to see whether underlying profile differences exist, and if personality traits levels correlate with various tinnitus characteristics assessed in typical clinical questionnaires. A Web-based personality survey was administered comprising of self-control, stress reaction, alienation, and social closeness subscale questions of the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire, the Hearing Handicap Inventory-Screening Version, TFI, and the Tinnitus Case History Questionnaire. A total of 154 participants with tinnitus (81 males, 73 females, mean age = 62.6 yr) and 61 control (32 males, 29 females, mean age = 59.62 yr) participants were recruited via e-mail invitations to a tinnitus research clinic database, poster, and social media Web site advertising. Statistical analysis was conducted using parametric statistics and IBM SPSS ® Version 22 software. Tinnitus sufferers displayed higher levels of stress reaction, lower social closeness, lower self-control, and higher alienation than the control group (p < 0.05). Alienation was related to tinnitus pitch and self-reported hyperacusis measured using the Tinnitus Case History Questionnaire (p < 0.05). Stress reaction correlated with self-reported hyperacusis, whether tinnitus sufferers had sought other treatments, and whether loud sounds make the tinnitus worse (p < 0.05). The four personality traits examined in this study exhibited a consistent association with tinnitus perception and distress, and differentiated tinnitus sufferers from nontinnitus control. Some of the traits also correlated significantly with certain characteristics measured in tinnitus history questionnaires. Personality traits are described in relation to "maladaptive" residuals under the Adaptation Level Theory model of tinnitus. The results of the study suggest that certain personality traits correlate with the clinical presentation of tinnitus. American Academy of Audiology

Type D personality as a predictor of self-efficacy and social support in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Shao, Yechang; Yin, Honglei; Wan, Chengsong

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of Type D personality and assess the relationship between this personality type and self-efficacy/social support in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). From January 1, 2014, to July 31, 2014, 532 consecutive patients with T2DM were recruited from two hospitals in Guangzhou, China. The participants completed questionnaires containing questions about sociodemographic characteristics, Type D personality, self-efficacy, and social support scales, and their medical records were reviewed for additional data. Of the 532 patients, 18.2% had Type D personality. Patients with this personality type reported significantly lower levels of self-efficacy ( P <0.001), total social support ( P <0.001), subjective support ( P <0.001), and support utilization ( P =0.003), but similar level of objective support ( P =0.314), compared to those of patients without Type D personality. Negative affectivity and social inhibition, two intrinsic traits of Type D personality, negatively correlated with self-efficacy and social support scores. Type D personality was significantly associated with less self-efficacy and social support ( P <0.001), controlling for other sociodemographic factors. Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were significantly higher in T2DM patients with Type D personality than in patients with non-Type D personality. This study provides new evidence linking Type D personality with self-efficacy, social support, and poor glycemic control, highlighting the special need for care among T2DM patients with Type D personality.

Gender expression, sexual orientation and pain sensitivity in women.

PubMed

Vigil, Jacob M; Rowell, Lauren N; Lutz, Charlotte

2014-01-01

Despite a growing body of literature investigating sex differences with regard to pain, surprisingly little research has been conducted on the influence of various aspects of self-identity, including gender expression and sexual orientation, on pain sensitivity within each sex, particularly among women. In men, dispositional femininity is linked to greater clinical pain and trait masculinity is associated with higher pain thresholds. To examine whether gender expression and sexual orientation are associated with within-sex differences in ischemic pain sensitivity in healthy young women. A convenience sample of 172 females (mean age 21.4 years; range 18 to 30 years of age; 56.0% white, 89% heterosexual) performed an ischemic pain task in counterbalanced order. Desired levels of dispositional femininity for a preferred romantic partner and self-described levels of personal dispositional femininity were measured. Compared with heterosexual women, lesbian and bisexual women reported lower pain intensity ratings early in the discomfort task. Irrespective of sexual orientation, attraction to more feminine romantic partners and dispositional masculinity were correlated with lower pain intensity, and with higher pain thresholds and tolerance levels. These preliminary findings suggest that within-sex differences in sexual orientation and other aspects of identity, irrespective of biological sex, may be important to consider when examining experimental pain performance and clinical pain experiences. Larger investigations of the psychophysiological relationships among sexual orientation, gender expression and pain sensitivity are warranted. These findings may have implications for differences in clinical pain sensitivity of lesbian and bisexual women compared with heterosexual women.

The highly sensitive brain: an fMRI study of sensory processing sensitivity and response to others' emotions.

PubMed

Acevedo, Bianca P; Aron, Elaine N; Aron, Arthur; Sangster, Matthew-Donald; Collins, Nancy; Brown, Lucy L

2014-07-01

Theory and research suggest that sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), found in roughly 20% of humans and over 100 other species, is a trait associated with greater sensitivity and responsiveness to the environment and to social stimuli. Self-report studies have shown that high-SPS individuals are strongly affected by others' moods, but no previous study has examined neural systems engaged in response to others' emotions. This study examined the neural correlates of SPS (measured by the standard short-form Highly Sensitive Person [HSP] scale) among 18 participants (10 females) while viewing photos of their romantic partners and of strangers displaying positive, negative, or neutral facial expressions. One year apart, 13 of the 18 participants were scanned twice. Across all conditions, HSP scores were associated with increased brain activation of regions involved in attention and action planning (in the cingulate and premotor area [PMA]). For happy and sad photo conditions, SPS was associated with activation of brain regions involved in awareness, integration of sensory information, empathy, and action planning (e.g., cingulate, insula, inferior frontal gyrus [IFG], middle temporal gyrus [MTG], and PMA). As predicted, for partner images and for happy facial photos, HSP scores were associated with stronger activation of brain regions involved in awareness, empathy, and self-other processing. These results provide evidence that awareness and responsiveness are fundamental features of SPS, and show how the brain may mediate these traits.

The highly sensitive brain: an fMRI study of sensory processing sensitivity and response to others' emotions

PubMed Central

Acevedo, Bianca P; Aron, Elaine N; Aron, Arthur; Sangster, Matthew-Donald; Collins, Nancy; Brown, Lucy L

2014-01-01

Background Theory and research suggest that sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), found in roughly 20% of humans and over 100 other species, is a trait associated with greater sensitivity and responsiveness to the environment and to social stimuli. Self-report studies have shown that high-SPS individuals are strongly affected by others' moods, but no previous study has examined neural systems engaged in response to others' emotions. Methods This study examined the neural correlates of SPS (measured by the standard short-form Highly Sensitive Person [HSP] scale) among 18 participants (10 females) while viewing photos of their romantic partners and of strangers displaying positive, negative, or neutral facial expressions. One year apart, 13 of the 18 participants were scanned twice. Results Across all conditions, HSP scores were associated with increased brain activation of regions involved in attention and action planning (in the cingulate and premotor area [PMA]). For happy and sad photo conditions, SPS was associated with activation of brain regions involved in awareness, integration of sensory information, empathy, and action planning (e.g., cingulate, insula, inferior frontal gyrus [IFG], middle temporal gyrus [MTG], and PMA). Conclusions As predicted, for partner images and for happy facial photos, HSP scores were associated with stronger activation of brain regions involved in awareness, empathy, and self-other processing. These results provide evidence that awareness and responsiveness are fundamental features of SPS, and show how the brain may mediate these traits. PMID:25161824

Perception matters for clinical perfectionism and social anxiety.

PubMed

Levinson, Cheri A; Rodebaugh, Thomas L; Shumaker, Erik A; Menatti, Andrew R; Weeks, Justin W; White, Emily K; Heimberg, Richard G; Warren, Cortney S; Blanco, Carlos; Schneier, Franklin; Liebowitz, Michael R

2015-01-01

Despite research documenting a relationship between social anxiety and perfectionism, very little research has examined the relationship between social anxiety and clinical perfectionism, defined as the combination of high personal standards and high maladaptive perfectionistic evaluative concern. In the current studies we examined whether clinical perfectionism predicted social anxiety in a large sample of undergraduates (N=602), in a clinical sample of participants diagnosed with social anxiety disorder (SAD; N=180), and by using a variance decomposition model of self- and informant-report of perfectionism (N=134). Using self-report, we found that an interaction of personal standards and evaluative concern predicted both social interaction anxiety and fear of scrutiny, but not in the theorized direction. Specifically, we found that self-report of low standards and high evaluative concern was associated with the highest levels of social anxiety, suggesting that when individuals with SAD hold low expectations for themselves combined with high concerns about evaluation, social anxiety symptoms may increase. Alternatively, when an informants' perspective was considered, and more consistent with the original theory, we found that the interaction of informant-only report of personal standards and shared-report (between both primary participant and informant) of concern over mistakes was associated with self-reported social anxiety, such that high concern over mistakes and high personal standards predicted the highest levels of social anxiety. Theoretical, clinical, and measurement implications for clinical perfectionism are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Generalization effects of coping-skills training: influence of self-defense training on women's efficacy beliefs, assertiveness, and aggression.

PubMed

Weitlauf, J C; Smith, R E; Cervone, D

2000-08-01

Concern for personal safety is a pervasive stressor for many women. Developing competencies in physical self-defense may empower women to engage more freely in daily activities with less fear. This study assessed the effects of physical self-defense training on multiple aspects of women's perceived self-efficacy and other self-reported personality characteristics. Training powerfully increased task-specific (self-defense) efficacy beliefs as well as physical and global efficacy beliefs. Training increased self-reported assertiveness, and posttraining decreases in hostility and aggression were found on several of the subscales of The Aggression Questionnaire (A. H. Buss & M. Perry, 1992), indicating that training did not have an aggression-disinhibiting effect. In the experimental condition, most of the effects were maintained (and some delayed effects appeared at follow-up.

Personality characteristics and cognitive appraisals associated with self-discrepancy after severe traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Beadle, Elizabeth Jane; Ownsworth, Tamara; Fleming, Jennifer; Shum, David H K

2018-05-09

Although changes to self-identity or self-discrepancy are common after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), the mechanisms underlying these changes are poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the influence of personality characteristics and cognitive appraisals on self-discrepancy. Participants were 51 adults (74% male) with severe TBI (M age = 36.22 years; SD = 12.65) who were on average 34 months (SD = 40.29) post-injury. They completed self-report measures of personality style (optimism and defensiveness), cognitive appraisals (threat appraisals, rumination and reflection and perceived coping resources), and self-discrepancy (Head Injury Semantic Differential Scale - III). Correlation analyses identified that higher levels of optimism, defensiveness and perceived coping resources were significantly associated with more positive self-discrepancy (r = .29-.47, p < .05), whereas higher threat appraisals and rumination were significantly related to more negative self-discrepancy (r = -.50-.57, p < .001). After controlling for personality characteristics, cognitive appraisals significantly accounted for self-discrepancy (R 2 change = .15). Moreover, rumination significantly mediated the relationship between optimism and self-discrepancy. In summary, cognitive appraisals were found to be related to self-discrepancy, independent of personality characteristics. Rumination in particular may be an important target of psychological intervention for individuals experiencing negative self-discrepancy.

Predicting Drug Use at Electronic Music Dance Events: Self-Reports and Biological Measurement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Mark B.; Voas, Robert A.; Miller, Brenda A.; Holder, Harold D.

2009-01-01

Most information on the prevalence of drug use comes from self-report surveys. The sensitivity of such information is cause for concern about the accuracy of self-report measures. In this study, self-reported drug use in the last 48 hr is compared to results from biological assays of saliva samples from 371 young adults entering clubs. The…

Using a genetic algorithm to abbreviate the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R).

PubMed

Eisenbarth, Hedwig; Lilienfeld, Scott O; Yarkoni, Tal

2015-03-01

Some self-report measures of personality and personality disorders, including the widely used Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R), are lengthy and time-intensive. In recent work, we introduced an automated genetic algorithm (GA)-based method for abbreviating psychometric measures. In Study 1, we used this approach to generate a short (40-item) version of the PPI-R using 3 large-N German student samples (total N = 1,590). The abbreviated measure displayed high convergent correlations with the original PPI-R, and outperformed an alternative measure constructed using a conventional approach. Study 2 tested the convergent and discriminant validity of this short version in a fourth student sample (N = 206) using sensation-seeking and sensitivity to reward and punishment scales, again demonstrating similar convergent and discriminant validity for the PPI-R-40 compared with the full version. In a fifth community sample of North American participants acquired using Amazon Mechanical Turk, the PPI-R-40 showed similarly high convergent correlations, demonstrating stability across language, culture, and data-collection method. Taken together, these studies suggest that the GA approach is a viable method for abbreviating measures of psychopathy, and perhaps personality measures in general. 2015 APA, all rights reserved

Comparison of assessment of personality disorder by patients and informants.

PubMed

Modestin, J; Puhan, A

2000-01-01

The present study evaluated the pathology of personality disorder in a group of 8 nonpatient volunteers and 32 psychiatric in- and outpatients, most of them suffering from substance abuse disorder. The patient self-reports were compared with the reports by 2 informants for each proband. All probands and informants completed the Structured Interview for DSM-III-R Axis II Personality Questionnaire. Patient self-reports and informant reports yielded the same number of diagnoses. The diagnostic agreement between the three sets of data was generally poor; however, the concordance was slightly better between both groups of informants than between patients and informants: Median kappa were 0.13 for patients versus parents, 0.14 for patients versus brothers/sisters and 0.29 for parents versus brothers/sisters. Patient and informant evaluations represent two different assessment approaches of the personality, and a complete agreement is not to be expected. Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Self-study program on HTML browser--application to Clinical Nursing General Remarks Course.

PubMed

Ochiai, N; Sota, Y; Ezumi, H

1997-01-01

We created a self-study program using HTML browser on the Clinical Nursing General Remarks Course, Eighty-three students each selected a published book on a personal history (written personal reflections from individuals who had undergone medical treatment and hospitalization), read it and submitted reports of their impressions of the histories. Their reports were arranged from a nursing perspective and entered on the home page of our college using HTML browser. We intended that the students would become more interested in reading of the personal histories, and that they would acquire new self-study skills and increase their interest in Internet through use of our program. In addition, we hoped that this program would encourage positive communication and mutual sharing of information. The students were able to easily refer to a personal history according to their interest from a nursing perspective. Therefore this program realized the mutual learning among students and other users.

Self-affirmation reduces smokers' defensiveness to graphic on-pack cigarette warning labels.

PubMed

Harris, Peter R; Mayle, Kathryn; Mabbott, Lucy; Napper, Lucy

2007-07-01

Little is known about how smokers respond to graphic images depicting the health consequences of smoking. The authors tested whether smokers respond defensively to such images and whether allowing them to self-affirm reduces their defensiveness. Young smokers (N = 87) were randomly allocated to self-affirm or perform a control task prior to viewing 4 images intended for future use on cigarette packs in the European Union. Measures were taken immediately postexposure and after 1 week. Participants rated each image for threat and personal relevance. Once all 4 images had been viewed, they completed measures of intentions, self-efficacy, and perceived behavioral control for reducing cigarette consumption, negative thoughts and feelings about smoking, personal vulnerability to 6 smoking-related diseases, desire to quit, and plans to quit. At the 1-week follow-up, measures of self-reported smoking and desire to reduce consumption were taken. Relative to controls, self-affirmed participants rated the images as more threatening and personally relevant, and they reported more negative thoughts and feelings and higher levels of control, self-efficacy, and intentions. Risk level moderated the effect of self-affirmation on relevance and intentions: Self-affirmation increased ratings on both measures among those who smoked more. In addition, self-affirmation moderated the threat-intention relationship, which was weaker in the self-affirmed group. At follow-up, motivation to reduce consumption remained higher in self-affirmed participants, but there were no differences in reported consumption. Self-affirmation can promote less defensive responding even to visual material about well-established health risks such as smoking. Copyright 2007 APA.

Lesbian and Gay Affirmative Therapy Competency, Self-Efficacy, and Personality in Psychology Trainees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Shaughnessy, Tiffany; Spokane, Arnold R.

2013-01-01

This study explored the relationship between therapist personality, self-reported lesbian and gay (LG) affirmative therapy competency, and demonstrated LG affirmative therapy competency utilizing an analogue methodology with 212 therapists-in-training. Participants were randomly assigned to review one of four vignettes that varied the sexual…

A Psychometric Analysis and Standardization of the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2, Self-Report of Personality, College Version, among a Korean Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahn, Christine M.; Ebesutani, Chad; Kamphaus, Randy W.

2014-01-01

The present study was the first to examine the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2, Self-Report of Personality, College Version (K-BASC-2 SRP-COL), among a Korean national sample. Using 1,000 Korean college students, ages 18 to 25 years, we found support for the reliability (via internal…

Structured interview versus self-report test vantages for the assessment of personality pathology in cocaine dependence.

PubMed

Marlowe, D B; Husband, S D; Bonieskie, L M; Kirby, K C; Platt, J J

1997-01-01

The study compared structured interview (SCID-II) and self-report test (MCMI-II) vantages for the detection and characterization of personality pathology among 144 urban, poor, cocaine-addicted individuals seeking outpatient treatment. Diagnostic agreement was inadequate for most disorders, and the instruments at best shared only modest common variance. Positive predictive power was poor for all MCMI-II scales, though negative predictive power was good to excellent. This lends support for the use of the MCMI-II as a screening measure to rule out Axis II disorders; however, confirmation of positive diagnoses will require follow-up interview assessment. Future development of self-report personality inventories for substance abusers should focus on controlling for the acute dysphoric effects of drug use and related dysfunction, expanding attention to Cluster B content domains, and incorporating more objective criteria for assessing paranoia and "odd/eccentric" traits.

Using the Web to Collect Data on Sensitive Behaviours: A Study Looking at Mode Effects on the British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles

PubMed Central

Burkill, Sarah; Copas, Andrew; Couper, Mick P.; Clifton, Soazig; Prah, Philip; Datta, Jessica; Conrad, Frederick; Wellings, Kaye; Johnson, Anne M.; Erens, Bob

2016-01-01

Background Interviewer-administered surveys are an important method of collecting population-level epidemiological data, but suffer from declining response rates and increasing costs. Web surveys offer more rapid data collection and lower costs. There are concerns, however, about data quality from web surveys. Previous research has largely focused on selection biases, and few have explored measurement differences. This paper aims to assess the extent to which mode affects the responses given by the same respondents at two points in time, providing information on potential measurement error if web surveys are used in the future. Methods 527 participants from the third British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3), which uses computer assisted personal interview (CAPI) and self-interview (CASI) modes, subsequently responded to identically-worded questions in a web survey. McNemar tests assessed whether within-person differences in responses were at random or indicated a mode effect, i.e. higher reporting of more sensitive responses in one mode. An analysis of pooled responses by generalized estimating equations addressed the impact of gender and question type on change. Results Only 10% of responses changed between surveys. However mode effects were found for about a third of variables, with higher reporting of sensitive responses more commonly found on the web compared with Natsal-3. Conclusions The web appears a promising mode for surveys of sensitive behaviours, most likely as part of a mixed-mode design. Our findings suggest that mode effects may vary by question type and content, and by the particular mix of modes used. Mixed-mode surveys need careful development to understand mode effects and how to account for them. PMID:26866687

Exposure to food cues moderates the indirect effect of reward sensitivity and external eating via implicit eating expectancies.

PubMed

Maxwell, Aimee L; Loxton, Natalie J; Hennegan, Julie M

2017-04-01

Previous research has suggested that the expectancy "eating is rewarding" is one pathway driving the relationship between trait reward sensitivity and externally-driven eating. The aim of the current study was to extend previous research by examining the conditions under which the indirect effect of reward sensitivity and external eating via this eating expectancy occurs. Using a conditional indirect effects approach we tested the moderating effect of exposure to food cues (e.g., images) relative to non-food cues on the association between reward sensitivity and external eating, via eating expectancies. Participants (N = 119, M = 18.67 years of age, SD = 2.40) were university women who completed a computerised food expectancies task (E-TASK) in which they were randomly assigned to either an appetitive food cue condition or non-food cue condition and then responded to a series of eating expectancy statements or self-description personality statements. Participants also completed self-report trait measures of reward sensitivity in addition to measures of eating expectancies (i.e., endorsement of the belief that eating is a rewarding experience). Results revealed higher reward sensitivity was associated with faster reaction times to the eating expectancies statement. This was moderated by cue-condition such that the association between reward sensitivity and faster reaction time was only found in the food cue condition. Faster endorsement of this belief (i.e., reaction time) was also associated with greater external eating. These results provide additional support for the proposal that individuals high in reward sensitivity form implicit associations with positive beliefs about eating when exposed to food cues. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-reported difficulty in conceiving as a measure of infertility.

PubMed

Dick, M-L B; Bain, C J; Purdie, D M; Siskind, V; Molloy, D; Green, A C

2003-12-01

This study aimed to explore the meaning and potential use of women's self-reported difficulties in conceiving as a measure of infertility in epidemiological studies, and to compare women's stated reasons for infertility with information in their medical records. Data were available from a population-based case-control study of ovarian cancer involving 1638 women. The sensitivity and specificity of women's self-reported infertility were calculated against their estimated fertility status based on detailed reproductive histories. Self-reported reasons for infertility were compared with diagnoses documented in women's medical records. The sensitivity of women's self-reported difficulty in conceiving was 66 and 69% respectively when compared with calendar-derived and self-reported times taken trying to conceive; its specificity was 95%. Forty-one (23%) of the 179 women for whom medical records were available had their self-reported fertility problem confirmed. Self-reported infertility causes could be compared with diagnoses in medical records for only 22 of these women. Self-reported difficulty conceiving is a useful measure of infertility for quantifying the burden of fertility problems experienced in the community. Validation of reasons for infertility is unlikely to be feasible through examination of medical records. Improved education of the public regarding the availability and success rates of infertility treatments is proposed.

Statin Use and Self-Reported Hindering Muscle Complaints in Older Persons: A Population Based Study.

PubMed

van der Ploeg, Milly A; Poortvliet, Rosalinde K E; van Blijswijk, Sophie C E; den Elzen, Wendy P J; van Peet, Petra G; de Ruijter, Wouter; Blom, Jeanet W; Gussekloo, Jacobijn

2016-01-01

Statins are widely used by older persons in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Although serious adverse events are rare, many statin users report mild muscle pain and/or muscle weakness. It's unclear what impact statins exert on a patient's daily life. Research on statin related side effects in older persons is relatively scarce. We therefore investigated the relation between statin use and self-reported hindering muscle complaints in older persons in the general population. The present research was performed within the Integrated Systematic Care for Older Persons (ISCOPE) study in the Netherlands (Netherlands trial register, NTR1946). All registered adults aged ≥ 75 years from 59 participating practices (n = 12,066) were targeted. Information about the medical history and statin use at baseline and after 9 months was available for 4355 participants from the Electronic Patient Records of the general practitioners. In the screening questionnaire at baseline we asked participants: 'At the moment, which health complaints limit you the most in your day-to-day life?' Answers indicating muscle or musculoskeletal complaints were coded as such. No specific questions about muscle complaints were asked. The participants had a median age of 80.3 (IQR 77.6-84.4) years, 60.8% were female and 28.5% had a history of CVD. At baseline 29% used a statin. At follow-up, no difference was found in the prevalence of self-reported hindering muscle complaints in statin users compared to non-statin users (3.3% vs. 2.5%, OR 1.39, 95% CI 0.94-2.05; P = 0.98). Discontinuation of statin use during follow-up was independent of self-reported hindering muscle complaints. Based on the present findings, prevalent statin use in this community-dwelling older population is not associated with self-reported hindering muscle complaints; however, the results might be different for incident users.

Narcissists’ social pain seen only in the brain

PubMed Central

Konrath, Sara H.; Falk, Emily B.

2015-01-01

Narcissism is a complex phenomenon, involving a level of defensive self-enhancement. Narcissists have avoidant attachment styles, maintain distance in relationships and claim not to need others. However, they are especially sensitive to others’ evaluations, needing positive reflected appraisals to maintain their inflated self-views, and showing extreme responses (e.g. aggression) when rejected. The current study tested the hypothesis that narcissists also show hypersensitivity in brain systems associated with distress during exclusion. We measured individual differences in narcissism (Narcissistic Personality Inventory) and monitored neural responses to social exclusion (Cyberball). Narcissism was significantly associated with activity in an a priori anatomically defined social pain network (anterior insula, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex) during social exclusion. Results suggest hypersensitivity to exclusion in narcissists may be a function of hypersensitivity in brain systems associated with distress, and suggests a potential pathway that connects narcissism to negative consequences for longer-term physical and mental health—findings not apparent with self-report alone. PMID:24860084

Using breath carbon monoxide to validate self-reported tobacco smoking in remote Australian Indigenous communities.

PubMed

Maclaren, David J; Conigrave, Katherine M; Robertson, Jan A; Ivers, Rowena G; Eades, Sandra; Clough, Alan R

2010-02-20

This paper examines the specificity and sensitivity of a breath carbon monoxide (BCO) test and optimum BCO cutoff level for validating self-reported tobacco smoking in Indigenous Australians in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory (NT). In a sample of 400 people (>/=16 years) interviewed about tobacco use in three communities, both self-reported smoking and BCO data were recorded for 309 study participants. Of these, 249 reported smoking tobacco within the preceding 24 hours, and 60 reported they had never smoked or had not smoked tobacco for >/=6 months. The sample was opportunistically recruited using quotas to reflect age and gender balances in the communities where the combined Indigenous populations comprised 1,104 males and 1,215 females (>/=16 years). Local Indigenous research workers assisted researchers in interviewing participants and facilitating BCO tests using a portable hand-held analyzer. A BCO cutoff of >/=7 parts per million (ppm) provided good agreement between self-report and BCO (96.0% sensitivity, 93.3% specificity). An alternative cutoff of >/=5 ppm increased sensitivity from 96.0% to 99.6% with no change in specificity (93.3%). With data for two self-reported nonsmokers who also reported that they smoked cannabis removed from the analysis, specificity increased to 96.6%. In these disadvantaged Indigenous populations, where data describing smoking are few, testing for BCO provides a practical, noninvasive, and immediate method to validate self-reported smoking. In further studies of tobacco smoking in these populations, cannabis use should be considered where self-reported nonsmokers show high BCO.

Self-perceived strengths among people who are homeless

PubMed Central

Tweed, Roger G.; Biswas-Diener, Robert; Lehman, Darrin R.

2012-01-01

This study examined self-perceived strengths among 116 people who were homeless. Those who had experienced a longer period of current homelessness tended to report fewer personal strengths (r = −0.23). Nonetheless, in spite of their marginalized position in society, the vast majority of participants (114 out of 116) perceived personal strengths. A prior diagnosis with mental illness was not associated with the number of strengths reported, but self-perception of strengths was associated with altruistic orientation. The Values in Action (VIA) taxonomy of character strengths captured many of the responses generated by this population. The most frequently mentioned character categories included social intelligence, kindness, persistence, authenticity and humour. The most frequently mentioned other strengths included personal skills (e.g. music, sports), job skills, intelligence and education. The results have relevance for efforts to build self-perceptions that facilitate escape from homelessness. PMID:23173008

Puzzlingly High Correlations in fMRI Studies of Emotion, Personality, and Social Cognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vul, Edward; Harris, Christine; Winkielman, Piotr; Pashler, Harold

2009-01-01

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) studies of emotion, personality, and social cognition have drawn much attention in recent years, with high-profile studies frequently reporting extremely high (e.g., > 8) correlations between behavioral and self-report measures of personality or emotion and measures of brain activation. We show…

Personal and Social Motivations as Predictors of Substance Use among College Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hadan, Tony L.; Edmundson, Elizabeth W.

1991-01-01

Administered Drug Use Survey to 1,013 college students to determine predictability of self-reported drug use utilizing motivations (social and personal) commonly reported by substance users. Results indicated that personal motivations subscale was stronger predictor in every model examined with exception of model that predicted alcohol use index.…

Function in context: why American and Trinidadian young and older adults remember the personal past.

PubMed

Alea, Nicole; Bluck, Susan; Ali, Sideeka

2015-01-01

Multiple and interacting contextual (culture, life phase) and person-specific predictors (i.e., personality, tendency to think-talk about the past) of the functions of autobiographical memory were examined using the Thinking about Life Experiences Scale. American (N = 174) and Trinidadian (N = 182) young and older adults self-reported how frequently they remembered the personal past to serve self, social and directive functions, how often they thought and talked about their past overall, and completed a measure of trait personality. Independent contextual and person-specific predictors were found for using memory to serve a social-bonding function: Americans, young adults, those higher in extraversion, lower in conscientiousness and individuals who frequently think and talk about the past more often use autobiographical memory for social bonding. Across cultures, younger adults report more frequently using memory to serve all three functions, whereas Trinidadians who think more often about the past compared with those who reflect less often are more likely to use it for self and directive functions. Findings are discussed in terms of the individual's embeddedness in cultural and life phase contexts when remembering.

Comparison of self-reported height and weight with controlled height and weight in women and men.

PubMed

Schlichting, P; Høilund-Carlsen, P F; Quaade, F

1981-01-01

Self-reported height and weight were compared with directly-measured controlled height and weight in 158 women with a median age of 34 years (16-62 years) and in 594 men with a median age of 37 (16-66 years). A model of two one-dimensional linear regressions with two independent variables was used in order to describe the combined influence of both controlled height and controlled weight on self-reported height and on self-reported weight. For both sexes there was a systematic tendency for tall and heavy persons to underestimate their height and weight and conversely for small and thin persons to overestimate these measurements. The influence of controlled weight on self-reported height was statistically significant (women: P less than 0.05; men: P approximately 0.05,) and so was the influence of controlled height on self-reported weight (women: P less than 0.002; men: P less than 0.001). The reported heights and weights of women and men converged towards a pair of desired measures for each sex, ie the values of height and weight for which the reported and the controlled values were identical. For women the desired measures were 159.6 cm and 45.2 kg, for men 176.7 cm and 68.9 kg. The demonstrated differences between self-reported and controlled body measures may invalidate data and conclusions of insurance studies and population surveys based on self-reported measures.

Delivering health information about self-medication to older adults: use of touchscreen-equipped notebook computers.

PubMed

Neafsey, P J; Strickler, Z; Shellman, J; Padula, A T

2001-11-01

Preventing Drug Interactions in Active Older Adults is an educational intervention to prevent prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drug and alcohol interactions in active, community-living older adults. The objectives of the program are to increase older adults' knowledge of potential interactions of prescription medications with OTC drugs and alcohol and to increase their confidence (self-efficacy) about how to avoid such interactions. An interactive multimedia computer software program (Personal Education Program or PEP) was designed for the learning styles and psychomotor skills of older adults. Focus groups of older adults evaluated PEP components in a formative manner during development. The program content dealing with antacids, calcium supplements, and acid reducers was pilot tested with 60 older adults recruited from local senior centers. Participants used the PEP on notebook computers equipped with infrared-sensitive touchscreens. Users of PEP had greater knowledge and self-efficacy scores than controls. Participants indicated a high degree of satisfaction with the PEP and reported their intent to make specific changes in self-medication behaviors.

Aspects of depression associated with borderline personality disorder.

PubMed

Rogers, J H; Widiger, T A; Krupp, A

1995-02-01

Shared symptoms between borderline personality disorder and depression have resulted in inherent difficulties in evaluating the relationship between these disorders. Some theorists have argued that depression in patients with borderline personality disorder is qualitatively distinct from depression in nonborderline patients. The purpose of this study was to empirically identify aspects of depression most associated with borderline personality disorder. Through interview and self-report measures, the authors studied depression in 50 inpatients, 21 of whom had borderline personality disorder. The aspects of depression most associated with borderline personality disorder were self-condemnation, emptiness, abandonment fears, self-destructiveness, and hopelessness; boredom and somatic complaints exhibited no association. Depression associated with borderline pathology appears to be in some respects unique, as well as distinct from nonborderline depression. The study's implications delineate the importance of considering the phenomenological aspects of depression in borderline personality disorder.

Relationship between Achievement Goals and Students' Self-Reported Personal and Social Responsibility Behaviors.

PubMed

Agbuga, Bulent; Xiang, Ping; McBride, Ron E

2015-04-21

This study utilized the 2x2 achievement goal model (mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, performance-avoidance goals) to explore the relationships between achievement goals and self-reported personal and social responsibility behaviors in high school physical education settings. Two hundred and twenty one Turkish students completed questionnaires assessing their achievement goals, personal and social responsibility behaviors. Results of the one-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant differences among the four achievement goals, F(3, 660) = 137.05, p < .001, η2 = .39. The result also revealed that students were more likely to endorse the mastery-approach goal than three other goals. The simple correlations revealed mastery-approach and performance-approach goals were positively related to students' self-reported personal (r = .54, p < .001; r = .37, p < .001, respectively) and social responsibility (r = .38, p < .001; r = .22, p < .001, respectively) behaviors. However, hierarchical regression analyses indicated only the mastery-approach goal emerged as the significant positive predictor, b = .52, t(216) = 7.19, p < .001 for personal responsibility behaviors, and b = .41, t(216) = 5.23, p < .001 for social responsibility behaviors. These findings seem to provide convergent evidence that mastery-approach goals are positively related to positive educational outcomes.

Psychopathology and Borderline Personality Pathology Associated with Lifetime Self-Injurious Behavior in Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients and Detainees.

PubMed

Koenig, Julian; Brunner, Romuald; Schmidt, Johannes Michael; Parzer, Peter; Resch, Franz; Kaess, Michael

2017-11-01

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a widespread phenomenon among adolescent psychiatric inpatients. It is also reported among delinquent adolescents detained in correctional facilities. While previous studies have addressed different functions of SIB within offender populations, here we investigate particular patterns of borderline personality pathology and psychopathology underlying SIB in both adolescent psychiatric inpatients and detainees. Adolescent psychiatric inpatients and detainees were recruited consecutively. Participants completed self-reports on SIB, suicidal thoughts and behavior, borderline personality pathology, and general psychopathology. Predictors of lifetime SIB by group were analyzed. Psychiatric inpatients (n = 77) and detainees (n = 50) did not differ with respect to lifetime SIB (57.14 % versus 54.00 %), whereas SIB within the past year did (67.53 % versus 14 %; χ2 (1) = 6.158, p = .013). Psychiatric inpatients reported greater emotional problems (t (125) = 5.109, p < .0001) and greater borderline personality pathology. Those with lifetime SIB were characterized by greater emotional problems and borderline personality pathology, independent of their group. Results from regression analyses suggest no group-specific predictors of lifetime SIB. Although psychiatric inpatients endorse greater psychopathological distress, lifetime SIB among adolescent psychiatric inpatients and detainees is associated with similar patterns of psychopathology and borderline personality pathology.

Self-Reported Alcohol Consumption and Sexual Behavior in Males and Females: Using the Unmatched-Count Technique to Examine Reporting Practices of Socially Sensitive Subjects in a Sample of University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, Jeffrey A.; Braithwaite, Jeremy

2008-01-01

This work, drawing on the literature on alcohol consumption, sexual behavior, and researching sensitive topics, tests the efficacy of the unmatched-count technique (UCT) in establishing higher rates of truthful self-reporting when compared to traditional survey techniques. Traditional techniques grossly underestimate the scope of problems…

Teacher-Parent Partnerships. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swick, Kevin J.

Research provides insight into parent attributes that support partnerships with teachers. These attributes include warmth, sensitivity, nurturance, the ability to listen, consistency, positive self-image, personal competence, and effective interpersonal skills. Researchers have cited positive attitudes, continuous teacher training, involvement in…

Sensitivity and Specificity of Self-Reported Olfactory Function in a Home-Based Study of Independent-Living, Healthy Older Women

PubMed Central

Rawal, Shristi; Hoffman, Howard J.; Chapo, Audrey K.

2015-01-01

Introduction The 2011–14 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey chemosensory protocol asks adults to self-rate their orthonasal (via nostrils) and retronasal (via mouth) smell abilities for subsequent odor identification testing. From data collected with a similar protocol, we aimed to identify a self-reported olfactory index that showed the best sensitivity (correctly identifying dysfunction) and specificity (correctly indentifying normosmia) with measured olfaction. Methods In home-based testing, 121 independent-living older women (age 73±7 years) reported their olfactory function by interviewer-administered survey. Olfactory function was measured orthonasally via composite (odor threshold, identification task) or identification task alone. Results Only 16 % of women self-rated “below average” smell function. More women perceived loss of smell (38 %) or flavor (30 %) with aging. The rate of measured dysfunction was 30 % by composite (threshold and identification) and 21.5 % by identification task, the latter misclassifying some mild dysfunction as normosmia. An index of self-rated smell function and perceived loss yielded the most favorable sensitivity (65 %) and specificity (77 %) to measured function. Self-rated olfaction showed better agreement with severe measured dysfunction; mild dysfunction was less noticed. Conclusions Self-reported indices that query about current and perceived changes in smell and flavor with aging showed better sensitivity estimates than those previously reported. Specificity was somewhat lower—some older adults may correctly perceive loss unidentified in a single assessment, or have a retronasal impairment that was undetected by an orthonasal measure. Implications Our findings should inform self-rated measures that screen for severe olfactory dysfunction in clinical/community settings where testing is not routine. PMID:25866597

Use of the Godin leisure-time exercise questionnaire in multiple sclerosis research: a comprehensive narrative review.

PubMed

Sikes, Elizabeth Morghen; Richardson, Emma V; Cederberg, Katie J; Sasaki, Jeffer E; Sandroff, Brian M; Motl, Robert W

2018-01-17

The Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire has been a commonly applied measure of physical activity in research among persons with multiple sclerosis over the past decade. This paper provides a comprehensive description of its application and inclusion in research on physical activity in multiple sclerosis. This comprehensive, narrative review included papers that were published between 1985 and 2017, written in English, involved participants with multiple sclerosis as a primary population, measured physical activity, and cited one of the two original Godin papers. There is a broad scope of research that has included the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire in persons with multiple sclerosis. Overall, 8 papers evaluated its psychometric properties, 21 evaluated patterns of physical activity, 24 evaluated correlates or determinants of physical activity, 28 evaluated outcomes or consequences of physical activity, and 15 evaluated physical activity interventions. The Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire is a valid self-report measure of physical activity in persons with multiple sclerosis, and further is an appropriate, simple, and effective tool for describing patterns of physical activity, examining correlates and outcomes of physical activity, and provides a sensitive outcome for measuring change in physical activity after an intervention. Implications for rehabilitation There is increasing interest in physical activity and its benefits in multiple sclerosis. The study of physical activity requires appropriate and standardized measures. The Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire is a common self-report measure of physical activity for persons with multiple sclerosis. Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire scores are reliable measures of physical activity in persons with multiple sclerosis. The Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire further is an appropriate, simple, and effective tool for describing patterns of physical activity, examining correlates and outcomes of physical activity participation, and is an advantageous primary outcome for measuring change in physical activity in response to an intervention.

Mindfulness meditation and explicit and implicit indicators of personality and self-concept changes

PubMed Central

Crescentini, Cristiano; Capurso, Viviana

2015-01-01

The scientific interest on mindfulness meditation (MM) has significantly increased in the last two decades probably because of the positive health effects that this practice exerts in a great variety of clinical and non-clinical conditions. Despite attention regulation, emotional regulation, and body awareness have been argued to be critical mechanisms through which MM improves well-being, much less is known on the effects of this practice on personality. Here we review the current state of knowledge about the role of MM in promoting changes in practitioners’ personality profiles and self-concepts. We first focus on studies that investigated the relations between mindfulness and personality using well-known self-report inventories such as the Five-Factor model of personality traits and the Temperament and Character Inventory. Second, based on the intrinsic limitations of these explicit personality measures, we review a key set of results showing effects of MM on implicit, as well as explicit, self-representations. Although the research on MM and personality is still in its infancy, it appears that this form of meditative practice may notably shape individuals’ personality and self-concept toward more healthy profiles. PMID:25688222

Spontaneously Reported Symptoms by Informants Are Associated with Clinical Severity in Dementia Help-Seekers.

PubMed

Xu, Jia-Qi; Choy, Jacky C P; Tang, Jennifer Y M; Liu, Tian-Yin; Luo, Hao; Lou, Vivian W Q; Lum, Terry Y S; Wong, Gloria H Y

2017-09-01

To investigate the predictive value of symptoms of dementia that the person or an informant noticed spontaneously in determining the clinical severity of dementia. Cross-sectional. Community-based open-referral dementia assessment service in Hong Kong between 2005 and 2013. Help-seekers for dementia assessment service and their informants (N = 965 dyads). Participants underwent a clinical dementia interview based on the Clinical Dementia Rating. Spontaneous complaints that the person and the informant made that had prompted their help-seeking of groups with interview results suggestive of no impairment, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia were compared. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the predictive value of spontaneous complaints for clinical severity. Independent raters blinded to clinical results coded spontaneously reported symptoms into theoretical themes: memory, executive function, language, time and place orientation, neuropsychiatric, mood, and avolition. Memory problems were the most frequently reported complaints for participants (87.7%) and their informants (95.5%), followed by self-reported language (33.0%) and informant-reported orientation (33.0%) difficulties. Informant-reported but not self-reported symptoms predicted clinical severity. Compared with the persons themselves, informants reported more pervasive symptoms corresponding to clinical severity. Persons with dementia self-reported fewer types of symptoms than their healthy or mildly impaired counterparts. Spontaneously reported language and orientation symptoms by the informant distinguished persons with mild or worse dementia (P < .001, Nagelkerke coefficient of determination = 29.7%, percentage correct 85.6%). The type and pervasiveness of symptoms spontaneously that informants reported predicted clinical severity. This may provide a quick reference for triage. © 2017, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2017, The American Geriatrics Society.

On the validity of self-report assessment of cognitive abilities: Attentional control scale associations with cognitive performance, emotional adjustment, and personality.

PubMed

Williams, Paula G; Rau, Holly K; Suchy, Yana; Thorgusen, Sommer R; Smith, Timothy W

2017-05-01

Individual differences in attentional control involve the ability to voluntarily direct, shift, and sustain attention. In studies of the role of attentional control in emotional adjustment, social relationships, and vulnerability to the effects of stress, self-report questionnaires are commonly used to measure this construct. Yet, convincing evidence of the association between self-report scales and actual cognitive performance has not been demonstrated. Across 2 independent samples, we examined associations between self-reported attentional control (Attentional Control Scale; ACS), self-reported emotional adjustment, Five-Factor Model personality traits (NEO Personality Inventory-Revised) and performance measures of attentional control. Study 1 examined behavioral performance on the Attention Network Test (ANT; Fan, McCandliss, Sommer, Raz, & Posner, 2002) and the Modified Switching Task (MST; Suchy & Kosson, 2006) in a large sample (n = 315) of healthy young adults. Study 2 (n = 78) examined behavioral performance on standardized neuropsychological tests of attention, including Conner's Continuous Performance Test-II and subtests from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales, Third Edition (WAIS-III; Psychological Corporation, 1997) and Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS; Delis, Kaplan, & Kramer, 2001). Results indicated that the ACS was largely unrelated to behavioral performance measures of attentional control but was significantly associated with emotional adjustment, neuroticism, and conscientiousness. These findings suggest that although self-reported attentional control may be a useful construct, researchers using the ACS should exercise caution in interpreting it as a proxy for actual cognitive ability or performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Anxiety sensitivity and expectation of arousal differentially affect the respiratory response to caffeine.

PubMed

Pané-Farré, Christiane A; Alius, Manuela G; Modeß, Christiane; Methling, Karen; Blumenthal, Terry; Hamm, Alfons O

2015-06-01

This study aimed to test how expectations and anxiety sensitivity influence respiratory and autonomic responses to caffeine. The current study investigated the effects of expected vs. unexpected caffeine ingestion in a group of persons prone to the anxiety-provoking effect of caffeine (high anxiety sensitive persons, that is, persons scoring at least one SD above the mean on the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (Peterson and Reiss 1992)) as compared to low-anxious controls. Autonomic arousal (heart rate, skin conductance level), respiratory responding (expired CO2, minute ventilation), and subjective report were assessed in high and low anxiety sensitive participants immediately after beverage consumption and at absorption peak (30 min post-consumption) in four separate sessions during which either coffee (expectation of caffeine) or bitter lemon soda (no expectation of caffeine) was crossed with 4 mg/kg caffeine vs. no drug. High and low anxiety sensitive persons showed comparable autonomic arousal and symptom reports to caffeine which was modulated by expectation, i.e., greater for coffee. Respiratory responding (CO2 decrease, minute ventilation increase) was more accentuated when caffeine was both expected and administered in the low anxiety sensitive group but more accentuated when caffeine was unexpectedly administered in the high anxiety sensitive group. Autonomic arousal and respiratory effects were observable within a few minutes after caffeine administration and were most pronounced at maximum absorption. The results highlight the modulating role of expectancies in respiratory responding to caffeine in low vs. high anxiety sensitive persons and might have important implications for the better understanding of unexpected panic attacks.

Self-reported personality traits and disorders (DSM-IV) and risk of criminal recidivism: a prospective study.

PubMed

Hiscoke, Ulrika L; Långström, Niklas; Ottosson, Hans; Grann, Martin

2003-08-01

Assessment and management of criminal offenders require valid methods to recognize personality psychopathology and other risk and protective factors for recidivism. We prospectively explored the association between dimensional and categorical measures of personality disorder (PD) measured with the DSM-IV and ICD-10 Personality Questionnaire (DIP-Q, Ottosson et al., 1995) and registered reconvictions in adult offenders. One hundred and sixty-eight offenders consecutively referred for pre-sentencing forensic psychiatric evaluation in Sweden during 1995-1996 completed DIP-Q self-reports. The subjects received different types of sanctions and were followed for an average of 36 months after release from prison, discharge from a forensic psychiatric hospital, or onset of nondetaining sentences. Age-adjusted odds ratios revealed a 4.8 times higher risk for any recidivism and a 3.7 times higher risk for violent recidivism among subjects whose self-reports suggested a categorical diagnosis of antisocial PD as compared to offenders without antisocial PD. The remaining nine categorical DSM-IV PD diagnoses were not significantly related to recidivism. In dimensional analyses, each additional antisocial and schizoid PD symptom endorsed by participants at baseline increased the risk for violent reoffending. Our results suggest a relationship between self-reported behavioral instability and interpersonal dysfunction captured primarily by DSM-IV antisocial and schizoid PD constructs, and criminal re-offending also in a multi-problem sample of identified offenders.

Impact of hearing impairment on spousal mental health: the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study

PubMed Central

Krog, Norun Hjertager; Tambs, Kristian

2010-01-01

Background: Previous studies indicate that hearing loss have negative emotional implications also on spouses of the hearing impaired persons. We sought to assess the relationship between hearing impairment and spousal mental health in the general population. Methods: Pure tone audiometry and questionnaires were administered to the adult population of Nord–Trøndelag County, Norway (1996–97). In the age group between 20 and 44 years, the number of cases with hearing impairment was very low; thus, this age group was excluded from analyses. In total, 8607 couples with women over 44 years and 9530 couples with men over 44 years were identified. Associations between measured and self-reported hearing impairment and spousal self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, and subjective well-being were estimated. Stratified by sex and adjusting for several covariates, mental health in spouses of persons with hearing impairment was compared with that of spouses of persons with normal hearing using the general linear model. Results: Audiometrically measured hearing was not significantly associated with spousal mental health. Moderate relations between self-reported hearing and spousal mental health were observed. Conclusion: Contrary to previous results based on self-reported hearing loss, our results based on audiometry did not indicate severe loss of mental health among spouses of persons with impaired hearing. PMID:19887520

Human communication dynamics in digital footsteps: a study of the agreement between self-reported ties and email networks.

PubMed

Wuchty, Stefan; Uzzi, Brian

2011-01-01

Digital communication data has created opportunities to advance the knowledge of human dynamics in many areas, including national security, behavioral health, and consumerism. While digital data uniquely captures the totality of a person's communication, past research consistently shows that a subset of contacts makes up a person's "social network" of unique resource providers. To address this gap, we analyzed the correspondence between self-reported social network data and email communication data with the objective of identifying the dynamics in e-communication that correlate with a person's perception of a significant network tie. First, we examined the predictive utility of three popular methods to derive social network data from email data based on volume and reciprocity of bilateral email exchanges. Second, we observed differences in the response dynamics along self-reported ties, allowing us to introduce and test a new method that incorporates time-resolved exchange data. Using a range of robustness checks for measurement and misreporting errors in self-report and email data, we find that the methods have similar predictive utility. Although e-communication has lowered communication costs with large numbers of persons, and potentially extended our number of, and reach to contacts, our case results suggest that underlying behavioral patterns indicative of friendship or professional contacts continue to operate in a classical fashion in email interactions.

Human Communication Dynamics in Digital Footsteps: A Study of the Agreement between Self-Reported Ties and Email Networks

PubMed Central

Wuchty, Stefan; Uzzi, Brian

2011-01-01

Digital communication data has created opportunities to advance the knowledge of human dynamics in many areas, including national security, behavioral health, and consumerism. While digital data uniquely captures the totality of a person's communication, past research consistently shows that a subset of contacts makes up a person's “social network” of unique resource providers. To address this gap, we analyzed the correspondence between self-reported social network data and email communication data with the objective of identifying the dynamics in e-communication that correlate with a person's perception of a significant network tie. First, we examined the predictive utility of three popular methods to derive social network data from email data based on volume and reciprocity of bilateral email exchanges. Second, we observed differences in the response dynamics along self-reported ties, allowing us to introduce and test a new method that incorporates time-resolved exchange data. Using a range of robustness checks for measurement and misreporting errors in self-report and email data, we find that the methods have similar predictive utility. Although e-communication has lowered communication costs with large numbers of persons, and potentially extended our number of, and reach to contacts, our case results suggest that underlying behavioral patterns indicative of friendship or professional contacts continue to operate in a classical fashion in email interactions. PMID:22114665

Individual differences in drivers' cognitive processing of road safety messages.

PubMed

Kaye, Sherrie-Anne; White, Melanie J; Lewis, Ioni M

2013-01-01

Using Gray and McNaughton's (2000) revised reinforcement sensitivity theory (r-RST), we examined the influence of personality on processing of words presented in gain-framed and loss-framed anti-speeding messages and how the processing biases associated with personality influenced message acceptance. The r-RST predicts that the nervous system regulates personality and that behaviour is dependent upon the activation of the behavioural activation system (BAS), activated by reward cues and the fight-flight-freeze system (FFFS), activated by punishment cues. According to r-RST, individuals differ in the sensitivities of their BAS and FFFS (i.e., weak to strong), which in turn leads to stable patterns of behaviour in the presence of rewards and punishments, respectively. It was hypothesised that individual differences in personality (i.e., strength of the BAS and the FFFS) would influence the degree of both message processing (as measured by reaction time to previously viewed message words) and message acceptance (measured three ways by perceived message effectiveness, behavioural intentions, and attitudes). Specifically, it was anticipated that, individuals with a stronger BAS would process the words presented in the gain-frame messages faster than those with a weaker BAS and individuals with a stronger FFFS would process the words presented in the loss-frame messages faster than those with a weaker FFFS. Further, it was expected that greater processing (faster reaction times) would be associated with greater acceptance for that message. Driver licence holding students (N=108) were recruited to view one of four anti-speeding messages (i.e., social gain-frame, social loss-frame, physical gain-frame, and physical loss-frame). A computerised lexical decision task assessed participants' subsequent reaction times to message words, as an indicator of the extent of processing of the previously viewed message. Self-report measures assessed personality and the three message acceptance measures. As predicted, the degree of initial processing of the content of the social gain-framed message mediated the relationship between the reward sensitive trait and message effectiveness. Initial processing of the physical loss-framed message partially mediated the relationship between the punishment sensitive trait and both message effectiveness and behavioural intention ratings. These results show that reward sensitivity and punishment sensitivity traits influence cognitive processing of gain-framed and loss-framed message content, respectively, and subsequently, message effectiveness and behavioural intention ratings. Specifically, a range of road safety messages (i.e., gain-frame and loss-frame messages) could be designed which align with the processing biases associated with personality and which would target those individuals who are sensitive to rewards and those who are sensitive to punishments. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Feasibility of dialectical behavior therapy with suicidal and self-harming adolescents with multi-problems: training, adherence, and retention.

PubMed

Tørmoen, A J; Grøholt, B; Haga, E; Brager-Larsen, A; Miller, A; Walby, F; Stanley, B; Mehlum, L

2014-01-01

We evaluated the feasibility of DBT training, adherence, and retention preparing for a randomized controlled trial of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) adapted for Norwegian adolescents engaging in self-harming behavior and diagnosed with features of borderline personality disorder. Therapists were intensively trained and evaluated for adherence. Adherence scores, treatment retention, and present and previous self-harm were assessed. Twenty-seven patients were included (mean age 15.7 years), all of them with recent self-harming behaviors and at least 3 features of Borderline Personality Disorder. Therapists were adherent and 21 (78%) patients completed the whole treatment. Three subjects reported self-harm at the end of treatment, and urges to self-harm decreased. At follow up, 7 of 10 subjects reported no self-harm. DBT was found to be well accepted and feasible. Randomized controlled trials are required to test the effectiveness of DBT for adolescents.

Disclosure of sensitive behaviors across self-administered survey modes: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Gnambs, Timo; Kaspar, Kai

2015-12-01

In surveys, individuals tend to misreport behaviors that are in contrast to prevalent social norms or regulations. Several design features of the survey procedure have been suggested to counteract this problem; particularly, computerized surveys are supposed to elicit more truthful responding. This assumption was tested in a meta-analysis of survey experiments reporting 460 effect sizes (total N =125,672). Self-reported prevalence rates of several sensitive behaviors for which motivated misreporting has been frequently observed were compared across self-administered paper-and-pencil versus computerized surveys. The results revealed that computerized surveys led to significantly more reporting of socially undesirable behaviors than comparable surveys administered on paper. This effect was strongest for highly sensitive behaviors and surveys administered individually to respondents. Moderator analyses did not identify interviewer effects or benefits of audio-enhanced computer surveys. The meta-analysis highlighted the advantages of computerized survey modes for the assessment of sensitive topics.

Exploring the Relationship between High School Students' Physics-Related Personal Epistemologies and Self-Regulated Learning in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alpaslan, Muhammet Mustafa; Yalvac, Bugrahan; Loving, Cathleen C.; Willson, Victor

2016-01-01

This article reports on an empirical exploration of the relations and strengths among Turkish grades 9-11 students' (n = 209) personal epistemologies (justification of knowledge, certainty of knowledge, source of knowledge, development of knowledge), self-regulated learning (extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, rehearsal, elaboration,…

Beta Adrenergic Blocking Medications for Aggressive or Self-Injurious Mentally Retarded Persons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruedrich, Stephen L.; And Others

1990-01-01

Literature is reviewed and a case report is presented concerning blockers of the beta-adrenergic function of the sympathetic nervous system, postulated to have efficacy in treatment of aggressive or self-injurious syndromes in persons with mental retardation. Concerns are raised regarding endorsement of beta-blocking medications before they have…

Self-reported sleep disturbances due to railway noise: exposure-response relationships for nighttime equivalent and maximum noise levels.

PubMed

Aasvang, Gunn Marit; Moum, Torbjorn; Engdahl, Bo

2008-07-01

The objective of the present survey was to study self-reported sleep disturbances due to railway noise with respect to nighttime equivalent noise level (L(p,A,eq,night)) and maximum noise level (L(p,A,max)). A sample of 1349 people in and around Oslo in Norway exposed to railway noise was studied in a cross-sectional survey to obtain data on sleep disturbances, sleep problems due to noise, and personal characteristics including noise sensitivity. Individual noise exposure levels were determined outside of the bedroom facade, the most-exposed facade, and inside the respondents' bedrooms. The exposure-response relationships were analyzed by using logistic regression models, controlling for possible modifying factors including the number of noise events (train pass-by frequency). L(p,A,eq,night) and L(p,A,max) were significantly correlated, and the proportion of reported noise-induced sleep problems increased as both L(p,A,eq,night) and L(p,A,max) increased. Noise sensitivity, type of bedroom window, and pass-by frequency were significant factors affecting noise-induced sleep disturbances, in addition to the noise exposure level. Because about half of the study population did not use a bedroom at the most-exposed side of the house, the exposure-response curve obtained by using noise levels for the most-exposed facade underestimated noise-induced sleep disturbance for those who actually have their bedroom at the most-exposed facade.

Exposure and effect assessment of aerosolized red tide toxins (brevetoxins) and asthma.

PubMed

Fleming, Lora E; Bean, Judy A; Kirkpatrick, Barbara; Cheng, Yung Sung; Pierce, Richard; Naar, Jerome; Nierenberg, Kate; Backer, Lorraine C; Wanner, Adam; Reich, Andrew; Zhou, Yue; Watkins, Sharon; Henry, Mike; Zaias, Julia; Abraham, William M; Benson, Janet; Cassedy, Amy; Hollenbeck, Julie; Kirkpatrick, Gary; Clarke, Tainya; Baden, Daniel G

2009-07-01

In previous studies we demonstrated statistically significant changes in reported symptoms for lifeguards, general beach goers, and persons with asthma, as well as statistically significant changes in pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in asthmatics, after exposure to brevetoxins in Florida red tide (Karenia brevis bloom) aerosols. In this study we explored the use of different methods of intensive ambient and personal air monitoring to characterize these exposures to predict self-reported health effects in our asthmatic study population. We evaluated health effects in 87 subjects with asthma before and after 1 hr of exposure to Florida red tide aerosols and assessed for aerosolized brevetoxin exposure using personal and ambient samplers. After only 1 hr of exposure to Florida red tide aerosols containing brevetoxin concentrations > 57 ng/m(3), asthmatics had statistically significant increases in self-reported respiratory symptoms and total symptom scores. However, we did not see the expected corresponding changes in PFT results. Significant increases in self-reported symptoms were also observed for those not using asthma medication and those living >/= 1 mile from the coast. These results provide additional evidence of health effects in asthmatics from ambient exposure to aerosols containing very low concentrations of brevetoxins, possibly at the lower threshold for inducing a biologic response (i.e., toxicity). Consistent with the literature describing self-reported symptoms as an accurate measure of asthmatic distress, our results suggest that self-reported symptoms are a valuable measure of the extent of health effects from exposure to aerosolized brevetoxins in asthmatic populations.

Early termination of breast-feeding in periurban Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: mothers' community perceptions and personal practices.

PubMed

McLennan, J D

2001-06-01

The objectives of this study were to determine: 1) whether mothers' perceptions of typical community practice for breast-feeding duration influence their personal practices and 2) whether the mothers' reports of community reasons for terminating breast-feeding identify barriers not elicited through self-report. The study was conducted in 1997 in a sample of poor neighborhoods in a periurban district of Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. A representative sample of 220 mothers from these neighborhoods was interviewed with a structured questionnaire. While the duration of breast-feeding was similar for self-report and for mothers' perceptions of typical community practice, there was no statistically significant correlation between these two variables. "Mother-driven" reasons for early termination of breast-feeding, such as "fear of loss of figure or of breast shape" and "not wanting to breast-feed," were frequently perceived as community reasons but rarely given as personal reasons. Personal reasons were predominately "child-driven," including "the child not wanting the breast," or reasons beyond the mother's control such as having "insufficient" milk. Maternal report of community reasons for early termination may be a useful way to identify factors that would not otherwise be revealed on self-report. These additional reasons may guide health promotion efforts aimed at increasing breast-feeding duration.

Self-transcendence and correlates in a healthy population.

PubMed

Coward, D D

1996-01-01

The purpose of this study was to document the presence of self-transcendence perspectives in a healthy population and to compare self-transcendence and related concepts with previous findings in elderly well persons and in those with life-threatening illness. Levels of self-transcendence, as assessed by the Self-Transcendence Scale and the Purpose-in-Life Test in a sample of 152 persons (mean age = 46 years), were similar to those found in other populations. Moderate correlations with self-transcendence and female gender; older age, and higher self-report of health status were found. Self-transcendence was strongly correlated with sense of coherence, self-esteem, hope, and variables assessing emotional well-being.

Racial differences in attitudes toward personalized medicine.

PubMed

Diaz, V A; Mainous, A G; Gavin, J K; Wilson, D

2014-01-01

Patient concerns regarding personalized medicine may limit its use. This study assesses racial differences in attitudes toward personalized medicine, evaluating variables that may influence these attitudes. A convenience sample of 190 adults (≥18 years) from an academic primary care practice was surveyed regarding awareness and acceptance of personalized medicine, plus concerns and benefits regarding its use. Logistic regressions predicting awareness, acceptance and concerns were performed, controlling for race, gender, marital status, education, children, internet use, and self-reported discrimination. The sample was 35% non-Hispanic white (NHW) and 34.7% male. More NHW participants expressed acceptance of personalized medicine than non-Hispanic black (NHB) participants (94.4 vs. 81.9%, p = 0.0190). More NHBs were concerned about the use of genes without consent (57.3 vs. 20.6%, p < 0.0001), sharing genetic information without consent (65.0 vs. 35.6%, p < 0.0001), discrimination based on genes (62.4 vs. 34.3%, p = 0.0002), and lack of access due to cost (75.0 vs. 48.0%, p = 0.0002). In logistic regressions, NHBs (OR = 7.46, 95% CI = 3.04-18.32) and those self-reporting discrimination (OR = 2.87, 95% CI = 1.22-6.78) had more concerns about the misuse of genes and costs associated with personalized medicine. Racial differences exist in attitudes toward personalized medicine and may be influenced by self-reported discrimination. Further study to understand factors influencing the acceptance of personalized medicine could help encourage its use.

How do teachers with self-reported voice problems differ from their peers with self-reported voice health?

PubMed

Lyberg Åhlander, Viveka; Rydell, Roland; Löfqvist, Anders

2012-07-01

This randomized case-control study compares teachers with self-reported voice problems to age-, gender-, and school-matched colleagues with self-reported voice health. The self-assessed voice function is related to factors known to influence the voice: laryngeal findings, voice quality, personality, psychosocial and coping aspects, searching for causative factors of voice problems in teachers. Subjects and controls, recruited from a teacher group in an earlier questionnaire study, underwent examinations of the larynx by high-speed imaging and kymograms; voice recordings; voice range profile; audiometry; self-assessment of voice handicap and voice function; teaching and environmental aspects; personality; coping; burnout, and work-related issues. The laryngeal and voice recordings were assessed by experienced phoniatricians and speech pathologists. The subjects with self-assessed voice problems differed from their peers with self-assessed voice health by significantly longer recovery time from voice problems and scored higher on all subscales of the Voice Handicap Index-Throat. The results show that the cause of voice dysfunction in this group of teachers with self-reported voice problems is not found in the vocal apparatus or within the individual. The individual's perception of a voice problem seems to be based on a combination of the number of symptoms and of how often the symptoms occur, along with the recovery time. The results also underline the importance of using self-assessed reports of voice dysfunction. Copyright © 2012 The Voice Foundation. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Results of hair analyses for drugs of abuse and comparison with self-reports and urine tests.

PubMed

Musshoff, F; Driever, F; Lachenmeier, K; Lachenmeier, D W; Banger, M; Madea, B

2006-01-27

Urine as well as head and pubic hair samples from drug abusers were analysed for opiates, cocaine and its metabolites, amphetamines, methadone and cannabinoids. Urine immunoassay results and the results of hair tests by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were compared to the self-reported data of the patients in an interview protocol. With regard to the study group, opiate abuse was claimed from the majority in self-reports (89%), followed by cannabinoids (55%), cocaine (38%), and methadone (32%). Except for opiates the comparison between self-reported drug use and urinalysis at admission showed a low correlation. In contrast to urinalysis, hair tests revealed consumption in more cases. There was also a good agreement between self-reports of patients taking part in an official methadone maintenance program and urine test results concerning methadone. However, hair test results demonstrated that methadone abuse in general was under-reported by people who did not participate in a substitution program. Comparing self-reports and the results of hair analyses drug use was dramatically under-reported, especially cocaine. Cocaine hair tests appeared to be highly sensitive and specific in identifying past cocaine use even in settings of negative urine tests. In contrast to cocaine, hair lacks sensitivity as a detection agent for cannabinoids and a proof of cannabis use by means of hair analysis should include the sensitive detection of the metabolite THC carboxylic acid in the lower picogram range.

Self-reported racism and experience of toothache among pregnant Aboriginal Australians: the role of perceived stress, sense of control, and social support.

PubMed

Ben, Jehonathan; Paradies, Yin; Priest, Naomi; Parker, Eleanor Jane; Roberts-Thomson, Kaye F; Lawrence, Herenia P; Broughton, John; Jamieson, Lisa M

2014-01-01

We hypothesized that the psychosocial factors perceived stress and sense of personal control mediated the relationship between self-reported racism and experience of toothache. We hypothesized that social support moderated this relationship. Data from 365 pregnant Aboriginal Australian women were used to evaluate experience of toothache, socio-demographic factors, psychosocial factors, general health, risk behaviors, and self-reported racism exposure. Hierarchical logistic regression models estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95 percent confidence intervals (CIs) for experience of toothache. Perceived stress and sense of personal control were examined as mediators of the association between self-reported racism and experience of toothache. Social support was examined as a moderator. Self-reported racism persisted as a risk indicator for experience of toothache (OR 1.99, 95 percent CI 1.07-3.72) after controlling for age, level of education, and difficulty paying a $100 dental bill. The relationship between self-reported racism and experience of toothache was mediated by sense of control. The direct effect of self-reported racism on experience of toothache became only marginally significant, and the indirect effect was significant (β coefficient=0.04, bias-corrected 95 percent CI 0.004-0.105, 21.2 percent of effect mediated). Stress was insignificant as a mediator. Social support was insignificant as a moderator. The findings indicate that high levels of self-reported racism were associated with experience of toothache and that sense of control, but not perceived stress, mediated the association between self-reported racism and experience of toothache among this sample of pregnant Aboriginal Australian women. Social support did not moderate the association between self-reported racism and experience of toothache. © 2014 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Direct questioning is more effective than patient-initiated report for the detection of sexually transmitted infections in a primary care HIV clinic in Western Kenya.

PubMed

Woo, Victoria Gah Hay; Cohen, Craig R; Bukusi, Elizabeth A; Huchko, Megan J

2013-02-01

In resource-limited settings, detection of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) often relies on self-reported symptoms to initiate management. We found self-report demonstrated poor sensitivity for STI detection. Adding clinician-initiated questions about symptoms improved detection rates. Vaginal examination further increased sensitivity. Including clinician-initiated screening in resource-limited settings would improve management of treatable STIs.

Utility of biochemical verification of tobacco cessation in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

PubMed

Noonan, Devon; Jiang, Yunyun; Duffy, Sonia A

2013-03-01

Research on the validity of self-report tobacco use has varied by the population studied and has yet to be examined among smokers serviced by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The purpose of this study was to determine the predictors of returning a biochemical urine test and the specificity and sensitivity of self-reported tobacco use status compared to biochemical verification. This was a sub-analysis of the larger Tobacco Tactics research study, a pre-/post-non-randomized control design study to implement and evaluate a smoking cessation intervention in three large VA hospitals. Inpatient smokers completed baseline demographic, health history and tobacco use measures. Patients were sent a follow-up survey at six-months to assess tobacco use and urine cotinine levels. A total of 645 patients returned six-month surveys of which 578 also returned a urinary cotinine strip at six-months. Multivariate analysis of the predictors of return rate revealed those more likely to return biochemical verification of their smoking status were younger, more likely to be thinking about quitting smoking, have arthritis, and less likely to have heart disease. The sensitivity and specificity of self-report tobacco use were 97% (95% confidence interval=0.95-0.98) and 93% (95% confidence interval=0.84-0.98) respectively. The misclassification rate among self-reported quitters was 21%. The misclassification rate among self-reported tobacco users was 1%. The sensitivity and specificity of self-report tobacco use were high among veteran smokers, yet among self-report quitters that misclassification rate was high at 21% suggesting that validating self-report tobacco measures is warranted in future studies especially in populations that are prone to misclassification. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Convergent and Discriminant Validity of Psychopathy Factors Assessed Via Self-Report

PubMed Central

Benning, Stephen D.; Patrick, Christopher J.; Salekin, Randall T.; Leistico, Anne-Marie R.

2008-01-01

Psychopathy has been conceptualized as a personality disorder with distinctive interpersonal-affective and behavioral deviance features. The authors examine correlates of the factors of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI), Self-Report Psychopathy–II (SRP-II) scale, and Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) to understand similarities and differences among the constructs embodied in these instruments. PPI Fearless Dominance and SRP-II Factor 1 were negatively related to most personality disorder symptoms and were both predicted by high Dominance and low Neuroticism. In addition, PPI Fearless Dominance correlated positively with antisocial personality features, although SRP-II Factor 1 did not. In contrast, PPI Impulsive Antisociality, SRP-II Factor 2, and both APSD factors correlated with antisocial personality features and symptoms of nearly all personality disorders, and were predicted by low Love. Results suggest ways in which the measurement of the constructs in each instrument may be improved. PMID:16123248

Get even and feel good? Moderating effects of justice sensitivity and counterproductive work behavior on the relationship between illegitimate tasks and self-esteem.

PubMed

Schulte-Braucks, Julia; Baethge, Anja; Dormann, Christian; Vahle-Hinz, Tim

2018-04-23

We proposed that effects of illegitimate tasks, which comprise unreasonable and unnecessary tasks, on self-esteem and counterproductive work behavior (CWB) are enhanced among employees who are highly sensitive to injustice. CWB was further proposed to be a moderating coping strategy, which restores justice and buffers the detrimental effects of illegitimate tasks on self-esteem. In this study, 241 employees participated in a diary study over five workdays and a follow-up questionnaire one week later. Daily effects were determined in multilevel analyses: Unreasonable tasks decreased self-esteem and increased CWB the same day, especially among employees high in trait justice sensitivity. Unnecessary tasks only related to more CWB the same day, regardless of one's justice sensitivity. Weekly effects were determined in cross-lagged panel analyses: Unreasonable and unnecessary tasks increased CWB, and justice sensitivity moderated the effect of unreasonable tasks on CWB and of unnecessary tasks on self-esteem. Moderating effects of CWB were split: In daily analyses, CWB buffered the negative effects of illegitimate tasks. In weekly analyses, CWB enhanced the negative effects of illegitimate tasks. Overall, illegitimate tasks rather affected CWB than self-esteem, with more consistent effects for unreasonable than for unnecessary tasks. Thus, we confirm illegitimate tasks as a relevant work stressor with issues of injustice being central to this concept and personality having an influence on what is perceived as (il)legitimate. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Neural activity associated with self-reflection.

PubMed

Herwig, Uwe; Kaffenberger, Tina; Schell, Caroline; Jäncke, Lutz; Brühl, Annette B

2012-05-24

Self-referential cognitions are important for self-monitoring and self-regulation. Previous studies have addressed the neural correlates of self-referential processes in response to or related to external stimuli. We here investigated brain activity associated with a short, exclusively mental process of self-reflection in the absence of external stimuli or behavioural requirements. Healthy subjects reflected either on themselves, a personally known or an unknown person during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The reflection period was initialized by a cue and followed by photographs of the respective persons (perception of pictures of oneself or the other person). Self-reflection, compared with reflecting on the other persons and to a major part also compared with perceiving photographs of one-self, was associated with more prominent dorsomedial and lateral prefrontal, insular, anterior and posterior cingulate activations. Whereas some of these areas showed activity in the "other"-conditions as well, self-selective characteristics were revealed in right dorsolateral prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortex for self-reflection; in anterior cingulate cortex for self-perception and in the left inferior parietal lobe for self-reflection and -perception. Altogether, cingulate, medial and lateral prefrontal, insular and inferior parietal regions show relevance for self-related cognitions, with in part self-specificity in terms of comparison with the known-, unknown- and perception-conditions. Notably, the results are obtained here without behavioural response supporting the reliability of this methodological approach of applying a solely mental intervention. We suggest considering the reported structures when investigating psychopathologically affected self-related processing.

Discordance between self-reported arthritis and musculoskeletal signs and symptoms in older women.

PubMed

Lo, Tkt; Parkinson, Lynne; Cunich, Michelle; Byles, Julie

2016-12-01

Arthritis is a gendered disease where women have a higher prevalence and more disability than men with arthritis of the same age. Health survey data is a major source of information for monitoring of the burden of arthritis. The validity of self-reported arthritis and the determinants of its accuracy among women have not been thoroughly studied. The objectives of this study were to: 1) examine the agreement between self-report diagnosed arthritis and musculoskeletal signs and symptoms in community-living older women; 2) estimate the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of self-reported arthritis; and 3) assess the factors associated with the disagreement. A cross-sectional survey of women was undertaken in 2012-13. The health survey asked women about diagnosed arthritis and musculoskeletal signs and symptoms. Agreement between self-reported arthritis and musculoskeletal signs symptoms was measured by Cohen's kappa. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of self-reported arthritis were estimated using musculoskeletal signs and symptoms as the reference standard. Factors associated with disagreement between self-reported arthritis and the reference standard were examined using multiple logistic regression. There were 223 participants self-reported arthritis and 347 did not. A greater number of participants who self-reported arthritis were obese compared to those who did not report arthritis. Those who reported arthritis had worse health, physical functioning, and arthritis symptom measures. Among the 570 participants, 198 had musculoskeletal signs and symptoms suggesting arthritis (the reference standard). Agreement between self-reported arthritis and the reference standard was moderate (kappa = 0.41). Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of self-reported arthritis in older women were 66.7, 75.5, 59.2, and 81.0% respectively. Regression analysis results indicated that false-positive is associated with better health measured by the Short Form 36 physical summary score, the Health Assessment Questionnaire disability index, or the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index total score; whereas false-negative is negatively associated with these variables. While some women who reported diagnosed arthritis did not have recent musculoskeletal signs or symptoms, others with the signs and symptoms did not report diagnosed arthritis. Researchers should use caution when employing self-reported arthritis as the case-definition in epidemiological studies.

Predictive accuracy of risk scales following self-harm: multicentre, prospective cohort study†

PubMed Central

Quinlivan, Leah; Cooper, Jayne; Meehan, Declan; Longson, Damien; Potokar, John; Hulme, Tom; Marsden, Jennifer; Brand, Fiona; Lange, Kezia; Riseborough, Elena; Page, Lisa; Metcalfe, Chris; Davies, Linda; O'Connor, Rory; Hawton, Keith; Gunnell, David; Kapur, Nav

2017-01-01

Background Scales are widely used in psychiatric assessments following self-harm. Robust evidence for their diagnostic use is lacking. Aims To evaluate the performance of risk scales (Manchester Self-Harm Rule, ReACT Self-Harm Rule, SAD PERSONS scale, Modified SAD PERSONS scale, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale); and patient and clinician estimates of risk in identifying patients who repeat self-harm within 6 months. Method A multisite prospective cohort study was conducted of adults aged 18 years and over referred to liaison psychiatry services following self-harm. Scale a priori cut-offs were evaluated using diagnostic accuracy statistics. The area under the curve (AUC) was used to determine optimal cut-offs and compare global accuracy. Results In total, 483 episodes of self-harm were included in the study. The episode-based 6-month repetition rate was 30% (n = 145). Sensitivity ranged from 1% (95% CI 0–5) for the SAD PERSONS scale, to 97% (95% CI 93–99) for the Manchester Self-Harm Rule. Positive predictive values ranged from 13% (95% CI 2–47) for the Modified SAD PERSONS Scale to 47% (95% CI 41–53) for the clinician assessment of risk. The AUC ranged from 0.55 (95% CI 0.50–0.61) for the SAD PERSONS scale to 0.74 (95% CI 0.69–0.79) for the clinician global scale. The remaining scales performed significantly worse than clinician and patient estimates of risk (P<0.001). Conclusions Risk scales following self-harm have limited clinical utility and may waste valuable resources. Most scales performed no better than clinician or patient ratings of risk. Some performed considerably worse. Positive predictive values were modest. In line with national guidelines, risk scales should not be used to determine patient management or predict self-harm. PMID:28302702

Predictive accuracy of risk scales following self-harm: multicentre, prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Quinlivan, Leah; Cooper, Jayne; Meehan, Declan; Longson, Damien; Potokar, John; Hulme, Tom; Marsden, Jennifer; Brand, Fiona; Lange, Kezia; Riseborough, Elena; Page, Lisa; Metcalfe, Chris; Davies, Linda; O'Connor, Rory; Hawton, Keith; Gunnell, David; Kapur, Nav

2017-06-01

Background Scales are widely used in psychiatric assessments following self-harm. Robust evidence for their diagnostic use is lacking. Aims To evaluate the performance of risk scales (Manchester Self-Harm Rule, ReACT Self-Harm Rule, SAD PERSONS scale, Modified SAD PERSONS scale, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale); and patient and clinician estimates of risk in identifying patients who repeat self-harm within 6 months. Method A multisite prospective cohort study was conducted of adults aged 18 years and over referred to liaison psychiatry services following self-harm. Scale a priori cut-offs were evaluated using diagnostic accuracy statistics. The area under the curve (AUC) was used to determine optimal cut-offs and compare global accuracy. Results In total, 483 episodes of self-harm were included in the study. The episode-based 6-month repetition rate was 30% ( n = 145). Sensitivity ranged from 1% (95% CI 0-5) for the SAD PERSONS scale, to 97% (95% CI 93-99) for the Manchester Self-Harm Rule. Positive predictive values ranged from 13% (95% CI 2-47) for the Modified SAD PERSONS Scale to 47% (95% CI 41-53) for the clinician assessment of risk. The AUC ranged from 0.55 (95% CI 0.50-0.61) for the SAD PERSONS scale to 0.74 (95% CI 0.69-0.79) for the clinician global scale. The remaining scales performed significantly worse than clinician and patient estimates of risk ( P <0.001). Conclusions Risk scales following self-harm have limited clinical utility and may waste valuable resources. Most scales performed no better than clinician or patient ratings of risk. Some performed considerably worse. Positive predictive values were modest. In line with national guidelines, risk scales should not be used to determine patient management or predict self-harm. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2017.

Social networks: a new source of psychological stress or a way to enhance self-esteem? Negative and positive implications in bronchial asthma.

PubMed

D'Amato, G; Cecchi, L; Liccardi, G; Pellegrino, F; D'Amato, M; Sofia, M

2012-01-01

The Internet and, in particular, social networks are an increasingly important part of daily life for both adolescents and adults who maintain a virtual relationship with others sharing interests and goals. Very often, they disclose more about themselves online than they do in person. However, cyberbullying and cyberostracism can be problematic for adolescents and sensitive individuals, who might be negatively affected by social networks. Some studies have shown an increased risk of depression, whereas others suggest beneficial effects through enhanced communication, social connection, and self-esteem. Bronchial asthma is an increasingly frequent disease in the industrialized world, and psychological implications play a role in increasing or in reducing its severity. One year after the case report of an asthma exacerbation that may have been triggered by Facebook, it seems reasonable to analyze the effects of social networks on bronchial asthma.

Personal factors associated with health-related quality of life in persons with morbid obesity on treatment waiting lists in Norway.

PubMed

Lerdal, Anners; Andenæs, Randi; Bjørnsborg, Eva; Bonsaksen, Tore; Borge, Lisbet; Christiansen, Bjørg; Eide, Hilde; Hvinden, Kari; Fagermoen, May Solveig

2011-10-01

To explore relationships of socio-demographic variables, health behaviours, environmental characteristics and personal factors, with physical and mental health variables in persons with morbid obesity, and to compare their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores with scores from the general population. A cross-sectional correlation study design was used. Data were collected by self-reported questionnaire from adult patients within the first 2 days of commencement of a mandatory educational course. Of 185 course attendees, 142 (76.8%) volunteered to participate in the study. Valid responses on all items were recorded for 128 participants. HRQoL was measured with the Short Form 12v2 from which physical (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores were computed. Other standardized instruments measured regular physical activity, social support, self-esteem, sense of coherence, self-efficacy and coping style. Respondents scored lower on all the HRQoL sub-domains compared with norms. Linear regression analyses showed that personal factors that included self-esteem, self-efficacy, sense of coherence and coping style explained 3.6% of the variance in PCS scores and 41.6% in MCS scores. Personal factors such as self-esteem, sense of coherence and a high approaching coping style are strongly related to mental health in obese persons.

Cultural differences in emotion regulation during self-reflection on negative personal experiences.

PubMed

Tsai, William; Lau, Anna S

2013-01-01

Reflecting on negative personal experiences has implications for mood that may vary as a function of specific domains (e.g., achievement vs. interpersonal) and cultural orientation (e.g., interdependence vs. independence). This study investigated cultural differences in the social-cognitive and affective processes undertaken as Easterners and Westerners reflected on negative interpersonal and performance experiences. One hundred Asian Americans and 92 European-American college students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: interpersonal rejection, achievement failure, or a control condition. Results revealed that Asian Americans experienced greater distress than European Americans after self-reflecting over a failed interpersonal experience, suggesting cultural sensitivity in the relational domain. Consistent with theoretical predictions, analysis of the social cognitive and affective processes that participants engaged in during self-reflection provided some evidence that self-enhancement may buffer distress for European Americans, while emotion suppression may be adaptive for Asian Americans.

Perfectionism dimensions and dependency in relation to personality vulnerability and psychosocial adjustment in patients with coronary artery disease.

PubMed

Dunkley, David M; Schwartzman, Deborah; Looper, Karl J; Sigal, John J; Pierre, Andrena; Kotowycz, Mark A

2012-06-01

The present study sought to illuminate self-criticism and personal standards dimensions of perfectionism and dependency as specific cognitive-personality vulnerability factors that might contribute to a better understanding of numerous psychosocial problem areas that are relevant to coronary artery disease (CAD). One hundred and twenty-three patients diagnosed with clinically significant CAD completed self-report questionnaires. Zero-order correlations and factor analysis results revealed that self-criticism was primarily related to personality vulnerability (aggression/anger/hostility, Type D negative affectivity) and psychosocial maladjustment (depressive symptoms, worry, avoidant coping, support dissatisfaction), whereas personal standards was primarily related to adaptive coping (problem-focused coping, positive reinterpretation) and dependency was primarily related to worry. Hierarchical regression results demonstrated the incremental utility of self-criticism, personal standards, and dependency in relation to (mal)adjustment over and above aggression/anger/hostility, negative affectivity, and social inhibition. Continued efforts to understand the role of perfectionism dimensions and dependency in CAD appear warranted.

A comparison of the validity of the five-factor model (FFM) personality disorder prototypes. Using FFM self-report and interview measures.

PubMed

Miller, Joshua D; Bagby, R Michael; Pilkonis, Paul A

2005-12-01

Recent studies have demonstrated that personality disorders (PDs) can be assessed via a prototype-matching technique, which enables researchers and clinicians to match an individual's five-factor model (FFM) personality profile to an expert-generated prototype. The current study examined the relations between these prototype scores, using interview and self-report data, and PD symptoms in an outpatient sample (N = 115). Both sets of PD prototype scores demonstrated significant convergent validity with PD symptom counts, suggesting that the FFM PD prototype scores are appropriate for use with both sources of data.

Autonomy-connectedness mediates sex differences in symptoms of psychopathology

PubMed Central

Bekker, Marrie H. J.; van Assen, Marcel A. L. M.

2017-01-01

Objectives This study aimed to examine if autonomy-connectedness, capacity for self-governance under the condition of connectedness, would mediate sex differences in symptoms of various mental disorders (depression, anxiety, eating disorders, antisocial personality disorder). Method Participants (N = 5,525) from a representative community sample in the Netherlands filled out questionnaires regarding the variables under study. Results Autonomy-connectedness (self-awareness, SA; sensitivity to others, SO; capacity for managing new situations, CMNS) fully mediated the sex differences in depression and anxiety, and partly in eating disorder -(drive for thinness, bulimia, and body dissatisfaction) and anti-social personality disorder characteristics. The mediations followed the expected sex-specific patterns. SO related positively to the internalizing disorder indices, and negatively to the anti-social personality disorder. SA related negatively to all disorder indices; and CMNS to all internalizing disorder indices, but positively to the anti-social personality disorder. Conclusion Treatment of depression, anxiety, but also eating disorders and the antisocial personality disorder may benefit from a stronger focus on autonomy strengthening. PMID:28771498

Autonomy-connectedness mediates sex differences in symptoms of psychopathology.

PubMed

Bekker, Marrie H J; van Assen, Marcel A L M

2017-01-01

This study aimed to examine if autonomy-connectedness, capacity for self-governance under the condition of connectedness, would mediate sex differences in symptoms of various mental disorders (depression, anxiety, eating disorders, antisocial personality disorder). Participants (N = 5,525) from a representative community sample in the Netherlands filled out questionnaires regarding the variables under study. Autonomy-connectedness (self-awareness, SA; sensitivity to others, SO; capacity for managing new situations, CMNS) fully mediated the sex differences in depression and anxiety, and partly in eating disorder -(drive for thinness, bulimia, and body dissatisfaction) and anti-social personality disorder characteristics. The mediations followed the expected sex-specific patterns. SO related positively to the internalizing disorder indices, and negatively to the anti-social personality disorder. SA related negatively to all disorder indices; and CMNS to all internalizing disorder indices, but positively to the anti-social personality disorder. Treatment of depression, anxiety, but also eating disorders and the antisocial personality disorder may benefit from a stronger focus on autonomy strengthening.

Construct validity of adolescents' self-reported big five personality traits: importance of conceptual breadth and initial validation of a short measure.

PubMed

Morizot, Julien

2014-10-01

While there are a number of short personality trait measures that have been validated for use with adults, few are specifically validated for use with adolescents. To trust such measures, it must be demonstrated that they have adequate construct validity. According to the view of construct validity as a unifying form of validity requiring the integration of different complementary sources of information, this article reports the evaluation of content, factor, convergent, and criterion validities as well as reliability of adolescents' self-reported personality traits. Moreover, this study sought to address an inherent potential limitation of short personality trait measures, namely their limited conceptual breadth. In this study, starting with items from a known measure, after the language-level was adjusted for use with adolescents, items tapping fundamental primary traits were added to determine the impact of added conceptual breadth on the psychometric properties of the scales. The resulting new measure was named the Big Five Personality Trait Short Questionnaire (BFPTSQ). A group of expert judges considered the items to have adequate content validity. Using data from a community sample of early adolescents, the results confirmed the factor validity of the Big Five structure in adolescence as well as its measurement invariance across genders. More important, the added items did improve the convergent and criterion validities of the scales, but did not negatively affect their reliability. This study supports the construct validity of adolescents' self-reported personality traits and points to the importance of conceptual breadth in short personality measures. © The Author(s) 2014.

Peer assessment of personality traits and pathology in female college students.

PubMed

Oltmanns, T F; Turkheimer, E; Strauss, M E

1998-03-01

Assessment procedures for personality disorders (PDs) typically rely on self-reports, even though some people with PDs may be unable to view themselves realistically or are unwilling to report socially undesirable traits. Close associates may provide important information regarding the presence of PD traits. Peer nomination is a reliable and valid assessment procedure that can be adapted to the study of PDs for research purposes. This study focused on characteristic features that define narcissistic, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive PDs using information collected from both self and others in a nonclinical sample of women. It was designed to identify specific areas of agreement and discrepancy between self-report and peer assessment in the measurement of characteristic features of these disorders.

When I equals we: exploring the relation between social and personal identity of extreme right-wing political party members.

PubMed

Baray, Gamze; Postmes, Tom; Jetten, Jolanda

2009-12-01

This paper introduces the concept of self-defining groups to explain how personal and social aspects of identity relate to each other among members of an extreme right-wing political party. Two studies were conducted. Study 1 examined how affiliation with a social group that has clear-cut, rigid norms and values affects the personal and social self-concept. Participants were members of a (self-defining) Turkish nationalist organisation (N=66) and a control group of Turkish university students (N=58). Paradoxically, high levels of national identification were associated with stronger personal identity. Study 2 used the same participant population (N=177) and manipulated self-focused attention by means of a mirror. Self-aware members reported the highest levels of identification with the nationalist organisation. Results suggest that members of this groups show no signs of 'vanishing individuality': although boundaries between personal and social identities are blurred, extremist group members retain a distinct and strengthened sense of personal identity. This raises some interesting questions for the concept of personal identity and how it can be informed by the content of one's social identity.

Predicting Behavior Assessment System for Children-Second Edition Self-Report of Personality Child Form Results Using the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Student Form: A Replication Study with an Urban, Predominantly Latino/a Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiperman, Sarah; Black, Mary S.; McGill, Tia M.; Harrell-Williams, Leigh M.; Kamphaus, Randy W.

2014-01-01

This study assesses the ability of a brief screening form, the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System-Student Form (BESS-SF), to predict scores on the much longer form from which it was derived: the Behavior Assessment System for Children-Second Edition Self-Report of Personality-Child Form (BASC-2-SRP-C). The present study replicates a former…

Measuring the bias, precision, accuracy, and validity of self-reported height and weight in assessing overweight and obesity status among adolescents using a surveillance system.

PubMed

Pérez, Adriana; Gabriel, Kelley; Nehme, Eileen K; Mandell, Dorothy J; Hoelscher, Deanna M

2015-07-27

Evidence regarding bias, precision, and accuracy in adolescent self-reported height and weight across demographic subpopulations is lacking. The bias, precision, and accuracy of adolescent self-reported height and weight across subpopulations were examined using a large, diverse and representative sample of adolescents. A second objective was to develop correction equations for self-reported height and weight to provide more accurate estimates of body mass index (BMI) and weight status. A total of 24,221 students from 8th and 11th grade in Texas participated in the School Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) surveillance system in years 2000-2002 and 2004-2005. To assess bias, the differences between the self-reported and objective measures, for height and weight were estimated. To assess precision and accuracy, the Lin's concordance correlation coefficient was used. BMI was estimated for self-reported and objective measures. The prevalence of students' weight status was estimated using self-reported and objective measures; absolute (bias) and relative error (relative bias) were assessed subsequently. Correction equations for sex and race/ethnicity subpopulations were developed to estimate objective measures of height, weight and BMI from self-reported measures using weighted linear regression. Sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values of weight status classification using self-reported measures and correction equations are assessed by sex and grade. Students in 8th- and 11th-grade overestimated their height from 0.68cm (White girls) to 2.02 cm (African-American boys), and underestimated their weight from 0.4 kg (Hispanic girls) to 0.98 kg (African-American girls). The differences in self-reported versus objectively-measured height and weight resulted in underestimation of BMI ranging from -0.23 kg/m2 (White boys) to -0.7 kg/m2 (African-American girls). The sensitivity of self-reported measures to classify weight status as obese was 70.8% and 81.9% for 8th- and 11th-graders, respectively. These estimates increased when using the correction equations to 77.4% and 84.4% for 8th- and 11th-graders, respectively. When direct measurement is not practical, self-reported measurements provide a reliable proxy measure across grade, sex and race/ethnicity subpopulations of adolescents. Correction equations increase the sensitivity of self-report measures to identify prevalence of overall overweight/obesity status.

Increased sensitivity to caffeine in patients with panic disorders. Preliminary evidence.

PubMed

Boulenger, J P; Uhde, T W; Wolff, E A; Post, R M

1984-11-01

The results of a caffeine consumption inventory indicated that patients with panic anxiety disorder, but not affectively ill patients or normal controls, had levels of self-rated anxiety and depression that correlated with their degree of caffeine consumption. In addition, this self-report survey suggested that patients with panic disorder had an increased sensitivity to the effects of one cup of coffee. This apparent sensitivity to caffeine was also documented by the observation that more patients with panic disorder reported the discontinuation of coffee intake due to untoward side effects than controls. These results, based on self-reports, suggest that the hypothesis that patients with panic disorder are more reactive to caffeine should be directly tested using caffeine challenges and that the mechanisms underlying caffeine's effects on anxiety should be further explored.

Manifestations of personality in Online Social Networks: self-reported Facebook-related behaviors and observable profile information.

PubMed

Gosling, Samuel D; Augustine, Adam A; Vazire, Simine; Holtzman, Nicholas; Gaddis, Sam

2011-09-01

Despite the enormous popularity of Online Social Networking sites (OSNs; e.g., Facebook and Myspace), little research in psychology has been done on them. Two studies examining how personality is reflected in OSNs revealed several connections between the Big Five personality traits and self-reported Facebook-related behaviors and observable profile information. For example, extraversion predicted not only frequency of Facebook usage (Study 1), but also engagement in the site, with extraverts (vs. introverts) showing traces of higher levels of Facebook activity (Study 2). As in offline contexts, extraverts seek out virtual social engagement, which leaves behind a behavioral residue in the form of friends lists and picture postings. Results suggest that, rather than escaping from or compensating for their offline personality, OSN users appear to extend their offline personalities into the domains of OSNs.

Does Personality Have a Different Impact on Self-Rated Distraction, Job Satisfaction, and Job Performance in Different Office Types?

PubMed

Seddigh, Aram; Berntson, Erik; Platts, Loretta G; Westerlund, Hugo

2016-01-01

This study investigates the joint effect of office type (cell, shared room, open-plan, and flex) and personality, measured by the Big Five personality traits, on self-rated measures of distraction, job satisfaction, and job performance (measured by professional efficacy). Regression analyses with interactions between personality and office type were conducted on 1205 participants working in 5 organizations from both the private and public sectors. While few interactions were observed in the cases of professional efficacy and job satisfaction, several were observed between personality traits and office type on the level of distraction reported. Specifically, more emotionally stable participants reported lower distraction, particularly those working in flex offices. Both agreeableness and openness to experience were associated with higher levels of distraction among participants in open-plan compared to cell offices.

Emotional intelligence and the Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ)

PubMed Central

Furnham, Adrian; Race, Mary-Clare; Rosen, Adrienne

2014-01-01

This study explores the relationship between the Bar-on EQ-I and the Occupational Personality Questionnaire OPQ32i to determine if there is a link between self- and other-reported Emotional Intelligence and personality traits. Data was obtained from 329 managers working in the IT and Finance sectors and included multi-source (360°) measures of Emotional Intelligence. Results indicated construct overlap and correlations between some elements of Emotional Intelligence and the OPQ32i with a stronger relationship between 360 measures of Emotional Intelligence and personality. On both the self-report measure of EQ-I and the 360 measure the mood scale showed a strongest link with personality factors. Measures of Emotional Intelligence which include a 360 component may thus provide a more useful indicator of an individual's ability to manage their own feelings and those of others. PMID:25309468

Does Personality Have a Different Impact on Self-Rated Distraction, Job Satisfaction, and Job Performance in Different Office Types?

PubMed Central

Seddigh, Aram; Berntson, Erik; Platts, Loretta G.; Westerlund, Hugo

2016-01-01

This study investigates the joint effect of office type (cell, shared room, open-plan, and flex) and personality, measured by the Big Five personality traits, on self-rated measures of distraction, job satisfaction, and job performance (measured by professional efficacy). Regression analyses with interactions between personality and office type were conducted on 1205 participants working in 5 organizations from both the private and public sectors. While few interactions were observed in the cases of professional efficacy and job satisfaction, several were observed between personality traits and office type on the level of distraction reported. Specifically, more emotionally stable participants reported lower distraction, particularly those working in flex offices. Both agreeableness and openness to experience were associated with higher levels of distraction among participants in open-plan compared to cell offices. PMID:27223898

Oxytocin conditions trait-based rule adherence

PubMed Central

De Dreu, Carsten K.W.

2017-01-01

Abstract Rules, whether in the form of norms, taboos or laws, regulate and coordinate human life. Some rules, however, are arbitrary and adhering to them can be personally costly. Rigidly sticking to such rules can be considered maladaptive. Here, we test whether, at the neurobiological level, (mal)adaptive rule adherence is reduced by oxytocin—a hypothalamic neuropeptide that biases the biobehavioural approach-avoidance system. Participants (N = 139) self-administered oxytocin or placebo intranasally, and reported their need for structure and approach-avoidance sensitivity. Next, participants made binary decisions and were given an arbitrary rule that demanded to forgo financial benefits. Under oxytocin, participants violated the rule more often, especially when they had high need for structure and high approach sensitivity. Possibly, oxytocin dampens the need for a highly structured environment and enables individuals to flexibly trade-off internal desires against external restrictions. Implications for the treatment of clinical disorders marked by maladaptive rule adherence are discussed. PMID:27664999

A Two-Domain Self-Report Measure of Periodontal Disease Has Good Accuracy for Periodontitis Screening in Dental School Outpatients.

PubMed

Chatzopoulos, Georgios S; Tsalikis, Lazaros; Konstantinidis, Antonios; Kotsakis, Georgios A

2016-10-01

The assessment of periodontitis and treatment needs is primarily based on clinical and radiographic examinations. Albeit effective in predicting treatment needs, these examinations are costly, time-consuming, and impractical for assessing population-level needs. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate a two-domain self-report questionnaire for rapid periodontitis screening. Six hundred white adult individuals, dentate or partially dentate and seeking dental therapy at a university clinic, underwent oral examination utilizing the full-mouth Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN). To assess predictive value of self-reported periodontal measures (SRPMs) for periodontitis screening, four questions were formulated. Two questions aimed to assess "dentist-diagnosed periodontal disease" and two inquired about "self-assessed periodontitis." Multiple logistic regression models were used to construct receiver-operating characteristic curves, and predictor selection was performed via a forward stepwise selection process. Five hundred thirty-five volunteers with a mean age of 50.1 years elected to respond to SRPMs via telephone interview. After oral examination, 17.8% of participants were assessed as having CPITN = 4, representing compromised periodontal status. Sensitivity and specificity for correctly classifying compromised periodontal status ranged from 5.3% to 72.6%, and 87.8% to 99.5% for individual SRPMs. Sensitivity and specificity were increased when combining a measure of self-assessed periodontal disease and a measure of dentist-diagnosed disease as predictors. Addition of age and sex maximized sensitivity/specificity at 82.1%/82.2%. Diabetic status, smoking, and body mass index did not enhance the prediction. A two-domain self-report measure combining two self-report items with age and sex has good sensitivity and specificity for periodontitis screening in a white, university-based population. The proposed self-report measure can be valuable for periodontitis screening in resource-limited settings where gold standard clinical examination may not be pragmatic. Further validation studies are required to assess whether findings from this study are context-specific.

Self-Disclosure Avoidance: Why I Am Afraid to Tell You Who I Am.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenfeld, Lawrence B.

1979-01-01

Reports on research to determine relationships between self-disclosure and self-disclosure avoidance. Generally, males avoid self-disclosure in order to maintain control over their relationships; females avoid self-disclosure in order to avoid personal hurt and problems with their interpersonal relationships. (JMF)

Role Played Self-Disclosure as a Function of Liking and Knowing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Critelli, Joseph W.; And Others

1976-01-01

Examines the effects of liking and knowing on self-disclosure using both self-report and observational measures, obtains separate measures of personal and impersonal self-disclosure, and assesses the utility of the role-playing paradigm for revealing orderly relationships among self-disclosure variables. (Author/RK)

Personalized keystroke dynamics for self-powered human--machine interfacing.

PubMed

Chen, Jun; Zhu, Guang; Yang, Jin; Jing, Qingshen; Bai, Peng; Yang, Weiqing; Qi, Xuewei; Su, Yuanjie; Wang, Zhong Lin

2015-01-27

The computer keyboard is one of the most common, reliable, accessible, and effective tools used for human--machine interfacing and information exchange. Although keyboards have been used for hundreds of years for advancing human civilization, studying human behavior by keystroke dynamics using smart keyboards remains a great challenge. Here we report a self-powered, non-mechanical-punching keyboard enabled by contact electrification between human fingers and keys, which converts mechanical stimuli applied to the keyboard into local electronic signals without applying an external power. The intelligent keyboard (IKB) can not only sensitively trigger a wireless alarm system once gentle finger tapping occurs but also trace and record typed content by detecting both the dynamic time intervals between and during the inputting of letters and the force used for each typing action. Such features hold promise for its use as a smart security system that can realize detection, alert, recording, and identification. Moreover, the IKB is able to identify personal characteristics from different individuals, assisted by the behavioral biometric of keystroke dynamics. Furthermore, the IKB can effectively harness typing motions for electricity to charge commercial electronics at arbitrary typing speeds greater than 100 characters per min. Given the above features, the IKB can be potentially applied not only to self-powered electronics but also to artificial intelligence, cyber security, and computer or network access control.

Incremental Validity of the MMPI-2 PSY-5 Scales in Assessing Self-Reported Personality Disorder Criteria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wygant, Dustin B.; Sellbom, Martin; Graham, John R.; Schenk, Paul W.

2006-01-01

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) Personality Psychopathology-Five (PSY-5) scales were developed to measure abnormal personality symptomatology. The present study examines the incremental validity of the PSY-5 scales beyond the clinical and content scales in assessing criteria associated with personality disorders. The…

An Other Perspective on Personality: Meta-Analytic Integration of Observers' Accuracy and Predictive Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connelly, Brian S.; Ones, Deniz S.

2010-01-01

The bulk of personality research has been built from self-report measures of personality. However, collecting personality ratings from other-raters, such as family, friends, and even strangers, is a dramatically underutilized method that allows better explanation and prediction of personality's role in many domains of psychology. Drawing…

A comparison of consumer-directed and agency-directed personal assistance services programmes.

PubMed

Hagglund, Kristofer; Clark, Mary; Farmer, Janet; Sherman, Ashley

2004-05-06

To compare a consumer-directed personal assistance services (PAS) programme with an agency-directed PAS programme. A convenience sample was used for this cross-sectional study with one data collection point. Outcomes were compared for consumer-directed and agency-directed PAS. Hierarchical regressions were also used to determine the predictors of outcomes across PAS programmes. In-home interviews were conducted by a trained data collector from April 2000 to December 2001. Participants in the consumer-directed programme reported more choices over PAS and satisfaction with PAS. Self-reported outcomes were primarily predicted by the following variables: service arrangement, type of provider, importance of directing PAS, health status, number of personal assistants used in past 12 months, sufficient PAS hours received, and social support. Consumer-directed PAS enhances outcomes for many persons with disabilities. Self-reported outcomes are affected by many factors that could be addressed in PAS programme development.

Long-Lasting Immune Protection and Other Epidemiological Findings after Chikungunya Emergence in a Cambodian Rural Community, April 2012

PubMed Central

Duong, Veasna; Baisley, Kathy; Nguon, Kunthy; Chan, Siam; Huy, Rekol; Ly, Sovann; Sorn, Sopheak; Som, Leakhann; Buchy, Philippe; Tarantola, Arnaud

2016-01-01

The East/Central/South African genotype of Chikungunya virus with the E1-A226V mutation emerged in 2011 in Cambodia and spread in 2012. An outbreak of 190 cases was documented in Trapeang Roka, a rural village. We surveyed 425 village residents within 3–4 weeks after the outbreak, and determined the sensitivity and specificity of case definitions and factors associated with infection by CHIKV. Self-reported clinical presentation consisted mostly of fever, rash and arthralgia. The presence of all three clinical signs or symptoms was identified as the most sensitive (67%) and specific (84%) self-reported diagnostic clinical indicator compared to biological confirmation by MAC-ELISA or RT-PCR used as a reference. Having an indoor occupation was associated with lower odds of infection compared with people who remained at home (adjOR 0.32, 95%CI 0.12–0.82). In contrast with findings from outbreaks in other settings, persons aged above 40 years were less at risk of CHIKV infection, likely reflecting immune protection acquired when Chikungunya circulated in Cambodia before the Khmer Rouge regime in 1975. In view of the very particular history of Cambodia, our epidemiological data from Trapeang Roka are the first to support the persistence of CHIKV antibodies over a period of 40 years. PMID:26752630

Efficacy of a Sun Protection Workbook for Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Culturally Sensitive Educational Intervention

PubMed Central

Robinson, June K.; Guevara, Yanina; Gaber, Rikki; Clayman, Marla L.; Kwasny, Mary J.; Friedewald, John J.; Gordon, Elisa J.

2014-01-01

A culturally sensitive educational intervention that encouraged sun protection behaviors among kidney transplant recipients was developed and the short-term efficacy was evaluated. Non-Hispanic White, Hispanic/Latino, and non-Hispanic Black patients, who received a transplant 2–24 months prior to the study, were randomized into two study groups: intervention versus standard of care. Electronic reminders tailored to the weather conditions were sent every two weeks by text message or email. Self-reported surveys and biologic measurements were obtained prior to the intervention and six weeks later. Among the 101 study participants, there was a statistically significant increase in knowledge, recognition of personal risk of developing skin cancer, willingness to change sun protection behavior, and self-reported performance of sun protection in participants receiving the intervention in comparison with those receiving standard of care (p <0.05). The pigment darkening of the sun–exposed forearm and sun damage of the forearm and sunburns/ skin irritation from the sun were significantly less in participants receiving the intervention (p <0.05). Providing sun protection education at the beginning of summer with reminders tailored to weather conditions helped KTRs adopt sun protection practices. This sun protection program for KTRs may be incorporated into the care provided by the nephrologist or transplant surgeon. PMID:25395386

"A Voice from Elsewhere": Acculturation, Personality and Migrants' Self-Perceptions across Languages and Cultures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Panicacci, Alessandra; Dewaele, Jean-Marc

2017-01-01

The majority of multilinguals immersed in different cultures report feeling different when switching languages. Although the influence of personality on self-perceptions has been investigated, little attention has been paid to acculturation aspects. The present study is based on a mixed-method approach combining questionnaire and interview data.…

Development and Initial Validation of the Narcissistic Personality Questionnaire for Children: A Preliminary Investigation Using School-Based Asian Samples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ang, Rebecca P.; Yusof, Noradlin

2006-01-01

The Narcissistic Personality Questionnaire for Children (NPQC) is a brief self-report scale for measuring narcissism in children. In Study 1, a factor analysis on 370 children's NPQC scores revealed four factors that were labeled superiority, exploitativeness, self-absorption, and leadership. Study 2 established convergent and discriminant…

'It'll Look Good on Your Personal Statement': Self-Marketing amongst University Applicants in the United Kingdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shuker, Lucie

2014-01-01

"Selling yourself" through personal statements and interviews is now a standard practice for university applicants. This article draws on a multi-case-study research project to report on the self-marketing orientations of students within three 16-19 institutions in England. These orientations (active/passive; internal/external;…

Do impression management and self-deception distort self-report measures with content of dynamic risk factors in offender samples? A meta-analytic review.

PubMed

Hildebrand, Martin; Wibbelink, Carlijn J M; Verschuere, Bruno

Self-report measures provide an important source of information in correctional/forensic settings, yet at the same time the validity of that information is often questioned because self-reports are thought to be highly vulnerable to self-presentation biases. Primary studies in offender samples have provided mixed results with regard to the impact of socially desirable responding on self-reports. The main aim of the current study was therefore to investigate-via a meta-analytic review of published studies-the association between the two dimensions of socially desirable responding, impression management and self-deceptive enhancement, and self-report measures with content of dynamic risk factors using the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR) in offender samples. These self-report measures were significantly and negatively related with self-deception (r = -0.120, p < 0.001; k = 170 effect sizes) and impression management (r = -0.158, p < 0.001; k = 157 effect sizes), yet there was evidence of publication bias for the impression management effect with the trim and fill method indicating that the relation is probably even smaller (r = -0.07). The magnitude of the effect sizes was small. Moderation analyses suggested that type of dynamic risk factor (e.g., antisocial cognition versus antisocial personality), incentives, and publication year affected the relationship between impression management and self-report measures with content of dynamic risk factors, whereas sample size, setting (e.g., incarcerated, community), and publication year influenced the relation between self-deception and these self-report measures. The results indicate that the use of self-report measures to assess dynamic risk factors in correctional/forensic settings is not inevitably compromised by socially desirable responding, yet caution is warranted for some risk factors (antisocial personality traits), particularly when incentives are at play. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimating average alcohol consumption in the population using multiple sources: the case of Spain.

PubMed

Sordo, Luis; Barrio, Gregorio; Bravo, María J; Villalbí, Joan R; Espelt, Albert; Neira, Montserrat; Regidor, Enrique

2016-01-01

National estimates on per capita alcohol consumption are provided regularly by various sources and may have validity problems, so corrections are needed for monitoring and assessment purposes. Our objectives were to compare different alcohol availability estimates for Spain, to build the best estimate (actual consumption), characterize its time trend during 2001-2011, and quantify the extent to which other estimates (coverage) approximated actual consumption. Estimates were: alcohol availability from the Spanish Tax Agency (Tax Agency availability), World Health Organization (WHO availability) and other international agencies, self-reported purchases from the Spanish Food Consumption Panel, and self-reported consumption from population surveys. Analyses included calculating: between-agency discrepancy in availability, multisource availability (correcting Tax Agency availability by underestimation of wine and cider), actual consumption (adjusting multisource availability by unrecorded alcohol consumption/purchases and alcohol losses), and coverage of selected estimates. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken. Time trends were characterized by joinpoint regression. Between-agency discrepancy in alcohol availability remained high in 2011, mainly because of wine and spirits, although some decrease was observed during the study period. The actual consumption was 9.5 l of pure alcohol/person-year in 2011, decreasing 2.3 % annually, mainly due to wine and spirits. 2011 coverage of WHO availability, Tax Agency availability, self-reported purchases, and self-reported consumption was 99.5, 99.5, 66.3, and 28.0 %, respectively, generally with downward trends (last three estimates, especially self-reported consumption). The multisource availability overestimated actual consumption by 12.3 %, mainly due to tourism imbalance. Spanish estimates of per capita alcohol consumption show considerable weaknesses. Using uncorrected estimates, especially self-reported consumption, for monitoring or other purposes is misleading. To obtain conservative estimates of alcohol-attributable disease burden or heavy drinking prevalence, self-reported consumption should be shifted upwards by more than 85 % (91 % in 2011) of Tax Agency or WHO availability figures. The weaknesses identified can probably also be found worldwide, thus much empirical work remains to be done to improve estimates of per capita alcohol consumption.

Science teaching self-efficacy in a primary school: A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Laat, Jenny; Watters, James J.

1995-12-01

Bandura's theory of self-efficacy predicts that teachers with high, self-efficacy should persist longer, provide a greater academic focus in child-centred classrooms and exhibit different types of feedback than teachers who have lower self-efficacy. This paper reports on the science teaching self-efficacy in a group of teachers at a state primary school. The research was conducted in two stages using firstly the Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (STEBI-A) to identify cases, and secondly, a semistructured interview coupled with classroom observations. Thirty seven teaching staff were surveyed with the STEBI-A instrument. The five highest and five lowest scoring teachers on the personal science teaching self-efficacy subscale of the STEBI-A were interviewed. The analysis of interviews and observations indicated that teachers with high personal science teaching self-efficacy have had a long interest in science and a relatively strong background of formal science studies with opportunities for exploring out of school activities. Although they may have experienced negative science experiences in their own schooling other ameliorating factors existed which maintained their interest. Their instructional strategies in science lessons were more child-centred than those reported by teachers with lower personal science teaching self-efficacy. The implications of the results for the inservice training of teachers are discussed.

Function in context: Why American and Trinidadian young and older adults remember the personal past

PubMed Central

Bluck, Susan; Ali, Sideeka

2014-01-01

Multiple and interacting contextual (culture, life phase) and person-specific predictors (i.e., personality, tendency to think-talk about the past) of the functions of autobiographical memory were examined using the Thinking about Life Experiences scale. American (N = 174) and Trinidadian (N = 182) young and older adults self-reported how frequently they remembered the personal past to serve self, social, and directive functions, how often they thought and talked about their past overall, and completed a measure of trait personality. Independent contextual and person-specific predictors were found for using memory to serve a social-bonding function: Americans, young adults, those higher in extraversion, lower in conscientiousness, and individuals who frequently think and talk about the past more often use autobiographical memory for social-bonding. Across cultures, younger adults report more frequently using memory to serve all three functions, whereas Trinidadians who think more often about the past compared with those who reflect less often, are more likely to use it for self and directive functions. Findings are discussed in terms of the individual’s embeddedness in cultural and life phase contexts when remembering. PMID:24992649

Impaired self-awareness in human addiction: Deficient attribution of personal relevance

PubMed Central

Moeller, Scott J.; Goldstein, Rita Z.

2014-01-01

Compromised self-awareness of illness-related deficits and behaviors in psychopathology (e.g., schizophrenia) has been associated with deficient functioning of cortical midline regions including the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), implicated in personal relevance. Here, we review and critically analyze recent evidence to suggest that vmPFC abnormalities could similarly underlie deficient tagging of personal relevance in drug addiction, evidenced by a constellation of behaviors encompassing drug-biased attention, negative outcome insensitivity, self-report/behavior dissociation, and social inappropriateness. This novel framework might clarify, for example, why drug-addicted individuals often ruin long-standing relationships or forego important job opportunities while continuing to engage in uncontrolled drug-taking. Therapeutic interventions targeting personal relevance and associated vmPFC functioning could enhance self-awareness and facilitate more adaptive behavior in this chronically relapsing psychopathology. PMID:25278368

Adult antisocial syndrome with comorbid borderline pathology: association with severe childhood conduct disorder.

PubMed

Howard, Rick; Huband, Nick; Duggan, Conor

2012-05-01

This study tested the hypothesis that adult antisocial syndrome co-concurrent with borderline personality disorder (AAS + BPD) would be associated with greater conduct disorder (CD) severity than AAS alone. Sixty-nine personality disordered individuals exhibited a sufficient number of adult antisocial traits to meet DSM-IV criterion A for antisocial personality disorder (AsPD). These were subdivided into those who did (AAS + BPD) or did not (AAS alone) meet DSM-IV criteria for a BPD diagnosis. We then compared the 2 groups on CD symptoms and historical, clinical, and self-report measures. The mean number of CD criteria met and the total number of individual CD symptoms were significantly greater in the AAS + BPD group compared with the AAS alone group. The former also were more likely to be female, to have self-harmed, to show greater personality disorder comorbidity, and to self-report greater anger. The functional link between CD and adult antisocial symptoms appears to be mediated, or at least moderated, by co-occurring borderline pathology.

Adolescent attachment styles and their relation to the temperament and character traits of personality in a general population.

PubMed

Chotai, Jayanti; Jonasson, Mattias; Hägglöf, Bruno; Adolfsson, Rolf

2005-05-01

Attachment styles as well as personality traits in adolescents and adults have been found to be associated with their health outcomes and with their personality pathology. In this cross-sectional exploratory study, we study the relationship between attachment styles that derive from our data employing the items of Feeney et al. (1994) self-report attachment style questionnaire (ASQ), and personality traits given by the junior version of Cloninger et al. (1993) self-report temperament and character inventory (TCI), in a sample of 426 adolescents (54% females) from a general population. The secure attachment style was correlated significantly negatively with the personality trait harm avoidance (HA), but significantly positively with the personality traits novelty seeking (NS), reward dependence (RD), cooperativeness (CO) and self-transcendence (ST). The preoccupied (anxious/ambivalent) attachment style was correlated significantly positively with HA and NS, but significantly negatively with self-directedness (SD). The fearful-avoidant category was correlated significantly negatively with NS. Our five-factor solution of the attachment styles and their relation to the TCI point towards a need for a modification of the two-axis, four-category attachment model of Bartholomew (1990) and Bartholomew and Horowitz (1991), with their category dismissing-avoidant replaced by the two categories defined here as dismissing relations (correlated significantly negatively with CO) and dismissing others (correlated significantly negatively with RD and significantly positively with SD).

Personal stigma in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: a systematic review of prevalence rates, correlates, impact and interventions

PubMed Central

Gerlinger, Gabriel; Hauser, Marta; De Hert, Marc; Lacluyse, Kathleen; Wampers, Martien; Correll, Christoph U

2013-01-01

A systematic electronic PubMed, Medline and Web of Science database search was conducted regarding the prevalence, correlates, and effects of personal stigma (i.e., perceived and experienced stigmatization and self-stigma) in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Of 54 studies (n=5,871), published from 1994 to 2011, 23 (42.6%) reported on prevalence rates, and 44 (81.5%) reported on correlates and/or consequences of perceived or experienced stigmatization or self-stigma. Only two specific personal stigma intervention studies were found. On average, 64.5% (range: 45.0–80.0%) of patients perceived stigma, 55.9% (range: 22.5–96.0%) actually experienced stigma, and 49.2% (range: 27.9–77.0%) reported alienation (shame) as the most common aspect of self-stigma. While socio-demographic variables were only marginally associated with stigma, psychosocial variables, especially lower quality of life, showed overall significant correlations, and illness-related factors showed heterogeneous associations, except for social anxiety that was unequivocally associated with personal stigma. The prevalence and impact of personal stigma on individual outcomes among schizophrenia spectrum disorder patients are well characterized, yet measures and methods differ significantly. By contrast, research regarding the evolution of personal stigma through the illness course and, particularly, specific intervention studies, which should be conducted utilizing standardized methods and outcomes, are sorely lacking. PMID:23737425

The relevance of personality assessment in patients with hyperventilation symptoms.

PubMed

Decuyper, Mieke; De Bolle, Marleen; Boone, Eva; De Fruyt, Filip

2012-05-01

Relatively few data are available concerning the relations between hyperventilation symptoms and general personality traits in clinical populations. A clear picture of the personality traits associated with hyperventilation symptoms could enhance early detection of those individuals who are at risk for developing hyperventilation. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of general personality in hyperventilation syndrome. Patients (N = 364) with symptoms not explained by an organic disease and supposedly caused by hyperventilation completed the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, the General Health Questionnaire--12, and the Nijmegen Questionnaire. Patients were also subjected to a hyperventilation provocation test and transcutaneous carbon dioxide (TcPCO(2)) values were registered. The results showed that patients with hyperventilation obtained mean Neuroticism scores above the normative mean. Moreover, only Neuroticism was positively linked with self-reported hyperventilation symptoms, and personality traits were more strongly related to self-reported complaints than to objective physical information. Neuroticism clearly differentiated between different diagnostic groups on the basis of Nijmegen Questionnaire and TcPCO(2) values, and an additional small effect of Agreeableness was observed. The present study contributes to the evidence that Neuroticism is strongly associated with self-reported hyperventilation symptoms, and provides substantial evidence that Neuroticism is a vulnerability factor in the development of hyperventilation. Therefore, personality assessment may be helpful in advancing the understanding and the early detection of hyperventilation symptoms.

The role of perfectionism in daily self-esteem, attachment, and negative affect.

PubMed

Dunkley, David M; Berg, Jody-Lynn; Zuroff, David C

2012-06-01

This study of university students (64 men, 99 women) examined the role of self-critical (SC) and personal standards (PS) higher order dimensions of perfectionism in daily self-esteem, attachment, and negative affect. Participants completed questionnaires at the end of the day for 7 consecutive days. Trait and situational influences were found in the daily reports of self-esteem, attachment, and affect. In contrast to PS perfectionism, SC perfectionism was strongly related to aggregated daily reports of low self-esteem, attachment fears (fear of closeness, fear of dependency, fear of loss), and negative affect as well as instability indexes of daily self-esteem, attachment, and negative affect. Multilevel modeling indicated that both SC and PS perfectionists were emotionally reactive to decreases in self-esteem, whereas only SC perfectionists were emotionally reactive to increases in fear of closeness with others. These results demonstrate the dispositional and moderating influences of perfectionism dimensions on daily self-esteem, attachment, and negative affect. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Personality © 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sports participation in adolescents and young adults with myelomeningocele and its role in total physical activity behaviour and fitness.

PubMed

Buffart, Laurien M; van der Ploeg, Hidde P; Bauman, Adrian E; Van Asbeck, Floris W; Stam, Henk J; Roebroeck, Marij E; van den Berg-Emons, Rita J G

2008-10-01

To assess sports participation in young adults with myelomeningocele and its association with personal, disease-related and psychosocial factors, physical activity and fitness. Cross-sectional study. Fifty-one persons (26 males) with myelomeningocele , mean age 21.1 (standard deviation 4.5) years. We assessed self-reported sports participation, ambulatory status, presence of hydrocephalus, functional independence, social support, perceived competence, exercise enjoyment, objective and self-reported physical activity, peak oxygen uptake, muscle strength and body fat. Associations were studied using regression analyses. Thirty-five subjects (69%) participated in sports. Sports participation was not associated with disease-related characteristics, but was associated with social support from family, perceived athletic competence and physical appearance (p < or = 0.05), and tended to be associated with global self-worth (p = 0.10). Sports participants had higher self-reported physical activity levels than non-participants (p < or = 0.05); objective results did not support this. Furthermore, sports participants tended to be less likely to have subnormal muscle strength (odds ratio = 0.26; p = 0.08) and their peak oxygen uptake was 0.19 l/min higher, but not statistically significantly (p = 0.13). Sports participation seems to be due to personal preferences rather than physical ability; it could benefit from improving social support and perceived competence, and is associated with higher self-reported physical activity.

Gender expression, sexual orientation and pain sensitivity in women

PubMed Central

Vigil, Jacob M; Rowell, Lauren N; Lutz, Charlotte

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Despite a growing body of literature investigating sex differences with regard to pain, surprisingly little research has been conducted on the influence of various aspects of self-identity, including gender expression and sexual orientation, on pain sensitivity within each sex, particularly among women. In men, dispositional femininity is linked to greater clinical pain and trait masculinity is associated with higher pain thresholds. OBJECTIVES: To examine whether gender expression and sexual orientation are associated with within-sex differences in ischemic pain sensitivity in healthy young women. METHODS: A convenience sample of 172 females (mean age 21.4 years; range 18 to 30 years of age; 56.0% white, 89% heterosexual) performed an ischemic pain task in counterbalanced order. Desired levels of dispositional femininity for a preferred romantic partner and self-described levels of personal dispositional femininity were measured. RESULTS: Compared with heterosexual women, lesbian and bisexual women reported lower pain intensity ratings early in the discomfort task. Irrespective of sexual orientation, attraction to more feminine romantic partners and dispositional masculinity were correlated with lower pain intensity, and with higher pain thresholds and tolerance levels. DISCUSSION: These preliminary findings suggest that within-sex differences in sexual orientation and other aspects of identity, irrespective of biological sex, may be important to consider when examining experimental pain performance and clinical pain experiences. CONCLUSION: Larger investigations of the psychophysiological relationships among sexual orientation, gender expression and pain sensitivity are warranted. These findings may have implications for differences in clinical pain sensitivity of lesbian and bisexual women compared with heterosexual women. PMID:24575419

Performance of Self-Report to Establish Cancer Diagnoses in Disaster Responders and Survivors, World Trade Center Health Registry, New York, 2001-2007.

PubMed

Li, Jiehui; Cone, James E; Alt, Abigail K; Wu, David R; Liff, Jonathan M; Farfel, Mark R; Stellman, Steven D

2016-01-01

Large-scale disasters may disrupt health surveillance systems, depriving health officials and researchers of timely and accurate information needed to assess disaster-related health effects and leading to use of less reliable self-reports of health outcomes. In particular, ascertainment of cancer in a population is ordinarily obtained through linkage of self-reported data with regional cancer registries, but exclusive reliance on these sources following a disaster may result in lengthy delays or loss of critical data. To assess the impact of such reliance, we validated self-reported cancer in a cohort of 59,340 responders and survivors of the World Trade Center disaster against data from 11 state cancer registries (SCRs). We focused on residents of the 11 states with SCRs and on cancers diagnosed from September 11, 2001, to the date of their last survey participation. Medical records were also sought in a subset of 595 self-reported cancer patients who were not recorded in an SCR. Overall sensitivity and specificity of self-reported cancer were 83.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 81.9, 85.9) and 98.5% (95% CI 98.4, 98.6), respectively. Site-specific sensitivities were highest for pancreatic (90.9%) and testicular (82.4%) cancers and multiple myeloma (84.6%). Compared with enrollees with true-positive reports, enrollees with false-negative reports were more likely to be non-Hispanic black (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.8, 95% CI 1.2, 2.9) or Asian (aOR=2.2, 95% CI 1.2, 4.1). Among the 595 cases not recorded in an SCR, 13 of 62 (21%) cases confirmed through medical records were reportable to SCRs. Self-report of cancer had relatively high sensitivity among adults exposed to the World Trade Center disaster, suggesting that self-reports of other disaster-related conditions less amenable to external validation may also be reasonably valid.

Performance of Self-Report to Establish Cancer Diagnoses in Disaster Responders and Survivors, World Trade Center Health Registry, New York, 2001–2007

PubMed Central

Cone, James E.; Alt, Abigail K.; Wu, David R.; Liff, Jonathan M.; Farfel, Mark R.; Stellman, Steven D.

2016-01-01

Objective Large-scale disasters may disrupt health surveillance systems, depriving health officials and researchers of timely and accurate information needed to assess disaster-related health effects and leading to use of less reliable self-reports of health outcomes. In particular, ascertainment of cancer in a population is ordinarily obtained through linkage of self-reported data with regional cancer registries, but exclusive reliance on these sources following a disaster may result in lengthy delays or loss of critical data. To assess the impact of such reliance, we validated self-reported cancer in a cohort of 59,340 responders and survivors of the World Trade Center disaster against data from 11 state cancer registries (SCRs). Methods We focused on residents of the 11 states with SCRs and on cancers diagnosed from September 11, 2001, to the date of their last survey participation. Medical records were also sought in a subset of 595 self-reported cancer patients who were not recorded in an SCR. Results Overall sensitivity and specificity of self-reported cancer were 83.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 81.9, 85.9) and 98.5% (95% CI 98.4, 98.6), respectively. Site-specific sensitivities were highest for pancreatic (90.9%) and testicular (82.4%) cancers and multiple myeloma (84.6%). Compared with enrollees with true-positive reports, enrollees with false-negative reports were more likely to be non-Hispanic black (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.8, 95% CI 1.2, 2.9) or Asian (aOR=2.2, 95% CI 1.2, 4.1). Among the 595 cases not recorded in an SCR, 13 of 62 (21%) cases confirmed through medical records were reportable to SCRs. Conclusion Self-report of cancer had relatively high sensitivity among adults exposed to the World Trade Center disaster, suggesting that self-reports of other disaster-related conditions less amenable to external validation may also be reasonably valid. PMID:27252562

Self-management support by final year nursing students: A correlational study of performance and person-related associated factors.

PubMed

Duprez, Veerle; Beeckman, Dimitri; Verhaeghe, Sofie; Van Hecke, Ann

2017-09-01

Chronic conditions put a heavy burden on healthcare in every country. Supporting persons with a chronic illness to take an active role in the management of their condition is a core component in the Chronic Care Model. It implies confidence and good skills from professionals. To date, there is no evidence on final year nursing students' performance in supporting patients' self-management, nor on factors associated with this performance. To explore self-reported performance of supporting patients' self-management by final year nursing students, and person-related factors associated with this performance. A correlational multi-centre study of final year nursing students (N=256) from eight nursing schools. Students were recruited from a convenience sample of eight nursing schools. All final year students were invited to participate. Data were collected between January 2015 and May 2016 using self-administered validated questionnaires. Theoretical behavioural frameworks were used to select hypothesized associated factors for self-management support: self-efficacy to perform self-management support and socio-structural factors (Social Cognitive Theory); needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness, and patient-invested contingent self-esteem (Self-Determination Theory); and attitudes towards supporting patients' self-management (Theory of Planned Behaviour). Final year nursing students (N=256) reported an overall low level of performance in delivering self-management support during internship. Students lacked mainly competencies in collaborative goal setting and shared decision making. Students reported a significant gap between their confidence and their actual performance in self-management support (p<0.001). About 33% of the variance in students' performance is predicted by four person-related factors, i.e. self-efficacy to perform self-management support, general feeling of competency on internship, belief on patients' knowledge about condition management, and contingency of a student's professional self-esteem upon patients' achievements. Final year nursing students are actually not ready to support patients' self-management even though they will soon be in practice as qualified nurses. Nursing curricula should be further attuned to the complex competencies of self-management support. Special attention is needed to broaden the perspective on self-management support. Learning opportunities can be introduced in classroom activities and on internship. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling Seizure Self-Prediction: An E-Diary Study

PubMed Central

Haut, Sheryl R.; Hall, Charles B.; Borkowski, Thomas; Tennen, Howard; Lipton, Richard B.

2013-01-01

Purpose A subset of patients with epilepsy successfully self-predicted seizures in a paper diary study. We conducted an e-diary study to ensure that prediction precedes seizures, and to characterize the prodromal features and time windows that underlie self-prediction. Methods Subjects 18 or older with LRE and ≥3 seizures/month maintained an e-diary, reporting AM/PM data daily, including mood, premonitory symptoms, and all seizures. Self-prediction was rated by, “How likely are you to experience a seizure [time frame]”? Five choices ranged from almost certain (>95% chance) to very unlikely. Relative odds of seizure (OR) within time frames was examined using Poisson models with log normal random effects to adjust for multiple observations. Key Findings Nineteen subjects reported 244 eligible seizures. OR for prediction choices within 6hrs was as high as 9.31 (1.92,45.23) for “almost certain”. Prediction was most robust within 6hrs of diary entry, and remained significant up to 12hrs. For 9 best predictors, average sensitivity was 50%. Older age contributed to successful self-prediction, and self-prediction appeared to be driven by mood and premonitory symptoms. In multivariate modeling of seizure occurrence, self-prediction (2.84; 1.68,4.81), favorable change in mood (0.82; 0.67,0.99) and number of premonitory symptoms (1,11; 1.00,1.24) were significant. Significance Some persons with epilepsy can self-predict seizures. In these individuals, the odds of a seizure following a positive prediction are high. Predictions were robust, not attributable to recall bias, and were related to self awareness of mood and premonitory features. The 6-hour prediction window is suitable for the development of pre-emptive therapy. PMID:24111898

Accuracy of risk scales for predicting repeat self-harm and suicide: a multicentre, population-level cohort study using routine clinical data.

PubMed

Steeg, Sarah; Quinlivan, Leah; Nowland, Rebecca; Carroll, Robert; Casey, Deborah; Clements, Caroline; Cooper, Jayne; Davies, Linda; Knipe, Duleeka; Ness, Jennifer; O'Connor, Rory C; Hawton, Keith; Gunnell, David; Kapur, Nav

2018-04-25

Risk scales are used widely in the management of patients presenting to hospital following self-harm. However, there is evidence that their diagnostic accuracy in predicting repeat self-harm is limited. Their predictive accuracy in population settings, and in identifying those at highest risk of suicide is not known. We compared the predictive accuracy of the Manchester Self-Harm Rule (MSHR), ReACT Self-Harm Rule (ReACT), SAD PERSONS Scale (SPS) and Modified SAD PERSONS Scale (MSPS) in an unselected sample of patients attending hospital following self-harm. Data on 4000 episodes of self-harm presenting to Emergency Departments (ED) between 2010 and 2012 were obtained from four established monitoring systems in England. Episodes were assigned a risk category for each scale and followed up for 6 months. The episode-based repeat rate was 28% (1133/4000) and the incidence of suicide was 0.5% (18/3962). The MSHR and ReACT performed with high sensitivity (98% and 94% respectively) and low specificity (15% and 23%). The SPS and the MSPS performed with relatively low sensitivity (24-29% and 9-12% respectively) and high specificity (76-77% and 90%). The area under the curve was 71% for both MSHR and ReACT, 51% for SPS and 49% for MSPS. Differences in predictive accuracy by subgroup were small. The scales were less accurate at predicting suicide than repeat self-harm. The scales failed to accurately predict repeat self-harm and suicide. The findings support existing clinical guidance not to use risk classification scales alone to determine treatment or predict future risk.

Self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms and usage of computers and mobile phones among working-age Finns.

PubMed

Korpinen, Leena; Pääkkönen, Rauno

2015-01-01

The aim of the work is to study self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms among working-age Finns using logistical regression models. The study was carried out as a cross-sectional study by posting a questionnaire to 15,000 working-age persons. The responses (6121) revealed that 101 (1.7%) Finnish working-age persons suffered depression very often and 77 (1.3%) suffered anxiety very often during the last 12 months. Symptoms uncovered in the comparative analysis of respondents who had quite often or more often depression to respondents who had less depression showed differentiation. The same result was obtained in the analysis of self-reported anxiety symptoms. With the logistical regression models (from depression and anxiety), we found associations between physical symptoms (in shoulder) and depression and between different mental symptoms and anxiety or depression. In the future, it is important to take into accout that persons with physical symptoms can also have mental symptoms (depression or anxiety).

Inspired by Mary Jane? Mechanisms underlying enhanced creativity in cannabis users.

PubMed

LaFrance, Emily M; Cuttler, Carrie

2017-11-01

Previous research suggests cannabis may enhance some aspects of creativity, although the results remain somewhat equivocal. Moreover, it is unclear whether differences in cannabis users' personalities may account for any potentially beneficial effects of cannabis on creativity. This study was designed to examine whether sober cannabis users demonstrate superior self-reported and objective creativity test performance relative to non-users, and to determine whether any of the Big 5 personality domains underlie these effects. A sample of sober cannabis users (n=412) and non-users (n=309) completed measures of cannabis consumption, personality, self-reported and objective creativity. Relative to non-users, sober cannabis users self-reported higher creativity, and performed significantly better on a measure of convergent thinking. Controlling for cannabis users' higher levels of openness to experience abolished these effects. Therefore, while cannabis users appear to demonstrate enhanced creativity, these effects are an artifact of their heightened levels of openness to experience. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feasibility of using a personal digital assistant to self-monitor diet and fluid intake: a pilot study.

PubMed

Welch, Janet; Dowell, Shannon; Johnson, Cynthia S

2007-01-01

The feasibility of using an electronic device to self-monitor diet and fluid intake was assessed using the treatment implementation model. The three patients on hemodialysis who participated in this pilot study were asked to self-monitor diet and fluid intake for 12 weeks with a personal digital assistant. The intervention was delivered as intended; however, participants reported problems with usability, and compliance to self-monitoring was lower than desirable. Further adjustments to the intervention will be made before testing efficacy.

The complex relationship between personal sense of connection to animals and self-reported proenvironmental behaviors by zoo visitors.

PubMed

Grajal, Alejandro; Luebke, Jerry F; Kelly, Lisa-Anne DeGregoria; Matiasek, Jennifer; Clayton, Susan; Karazsia, Bryan T; Saunders, Carol D; Goldman, Susan R; Mann, Michael E; Stanoss, Ricardo

2017-04-01

The global biodiversity crisis requires an engaged citizenry that provides collective support for public policies and recognizes the consequences of personal consumption decisions. Understanding the factors that affect personal engagement in proenvironmental behaviors is essential for the development of actionable conservation solutions. Zoos and aquariums may be some of the only places where many people can explore their relations with wild animals and proenvironmental behaviors. Using a moderated-mediation analysis of a survey of U.S. zoo and aquarium visitors (n = 3588), we explored the relationship between the sense of connection to animals and self-reported engagement in proenvironmental behaviors related to climate change and how this relationship is affected by certainty that climate change is happening, level of concern about climate change, and perceptions of effectiveness in personally addressing climate change. We found a significant, directional relationship between sense of connection to animals and self-reported proenvironmental behaviors. Political inclination within the conservative to liberal spectrum did not affect the relationship. We conclude that a personal sense of connection to animals may provide a foundation for educational and communication strategies to enhance involvement in proenvironmental actions. © 2016 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

Some personality characteristics of air traffic control specialist trainees : interactions of personality and aptitude test scores with FAA Academy success and career expectations.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1991-05-01

The State-Trait Personality Inventory (STPI) is a self-report inventory which measures anxiety, curiosity, and anger (Spielberger, 1979). The three 'trait' scale scores are determined by the frequency of each emotion as stable personality constructs....

The Influence of Plaintiff’s Body Weight on Judgments of Responsibility: The Role of Weight Bias

PubMed Central

White, Darrell E.; Wott, Carissa B.; Carels, Robert A.

2014-01-01

Problem The current study investigated the influence of a plaintiff’s weight and the location of an accident on a simulated jury’s perceptions of plaintiff’s personal responsibility for an accident. Methods Participants were 185 lean and overweight male and female adults (mean self-reported body mass index: 24.87 ± 5.45) who read one of three vignettes describing an accident that occurred while leaving one of three different establishments (fast food burger restaurant; fitness gym; department store) while viewing one of two silhouettes of the alleged plaintiff (a lean female; an obese female). Results Participants were significantly more likely to report the plaintiff’s weight entered into their perceptions of personal responsibility when they viewed the overweight plaintiff compared to the thin plaintiff. As respondent’s self-reported weight bias increased, participants were more likely to hold the plaintiff responsible and more likely to blame plaintiff characteristics for the accident. Conclusion The weight of a plaintiff may affect juror perceptions of personal responsibility particularly if the juror possesses self-reported weight bias. PMID:25434916

Personality as a risk factor for illicit opioid use and a protective factor for illicit opioid dependence.

PubMed

Zaaijer, Eline R; Bruijel, Jessica; Blanken, Peter; Hendriks, Vincent; Koeter, Maarten W J; Kreek, Mary Jeanne; Booij, Jan; Goudriaan, Anna E; van Ree, Jan M; van den Brink, Wim

2014-12-01

Most studies investigating the role of personality as a risk factor for the development of opioid dependence compare dependent opioid users with healthy controls who never used heroin. In order to understand the potential protective role of personality, it is crucial to compare illicit opioid users who never became dependent with dependent opioid users. This study aims to examine the role of personality as a risk factor for opioid use and as a protective factor for the development of opioid dependence. Comparing personality factors between three groups: (1) 161 never-dependent illicit opioid users who have been using illicit opioids but never became opioid dependent; (2) 402 dependent opioid users in methadone maintenance treatment or heroin-assisted treatment; and (3) 135 healthy controls who never used heroin. Personality was assessed with a short version of Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory. Never-dependent opioid users reported more Novelty Seeking and Harm Avoidance and less Self-Directedness and Cooperativeness than healthy controls and more Reward Dependence and Self-Directedness, and less Harm Avoidance than dependent opioid users. Furthermore, never-dependent opioid users reported more Self-Transcendence than both dependent opioid users and healthy controls. Never-dependent opioid users may have started to use opioids partly due to their tendency to seek novel and/or spiritual experiences (high Novelty Seeking, high Self-Transcendence) and their tendency to avoid aversive stimuli (high Harm Avoidance), whereas they may have been protected against the development of dependence by their need for social approval (high Reward Dependence) and their self-efficacy (high Self-Directedness). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-stigma, self-esteem and age in persons with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Werner, Perla; Aviv, Alex; Barak, Yoram

2008-02-01

The relationship between self-stigma and self-esteem in patients with schizophrenia is receiving increased attention. However, studies to date have been limited to samples of persons under the age of 65. To examine the relationship between self-stigma and self-esteem in people with schizophrenia in both younger and older age groups. Face-to-face interviews were completed with 86 inpatients with schizophrenia in a psychiatric hospital (mean age = 54, 55% female). Self-esteem was assessed using Rosenberg's Self Esteem Scale. Self-stigma was assessed using an adapted version of the Internalized Stigma of Mental Health (ISMI) scale. Information regarding socio-demographic characteristics and psychiatric history and symptomatology was collected. Self-stigma was moderate with only 20-33% of the participants reporting high levels of stigmatization. Older participants reported lower levels of self-stigma than younger participants. A relatively strong association between self-stigma and self-esteem was found. The findings point to the complexity of the association between self-stigma, self-esteem and age in people with schizophrenia. This study stresses the importance of clinicians taking the issue of self-stigma into consideration when treating young and old patients with schizophrenia.

The influence of personality traits and emotional and behavioral problems on repetitive nonsuicidal self-injury in a school sample.

PubMed

Lüdtke, Janine; Weizenegger, Benedict; Rauber, Rachel; Contin, Brigitte; In-Albon, Tina; Schmid, Marc

2017-04-01

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is highly prevalent among adolescents and associated with various mental health problems and suicidality. Previous studies have found that certain personality traits are related to NSSI behavior, however only few studies examined personality traits in adolescents with NSSI. Our study aimed to assess the relationship between personality traits and emotional and behavioral problems in predicting repetitive NSSI among adolescents from a school sample. Four hundred and forty-seven students (M=14.95years, SD=0.74, 52% male) completed self-report measures on NSSI, personality traits, and emotional and behavioral problems. The past year prevalence of occasional and repetitive NSSI was 4.9% and 6.3% respectively. Repetitive NSSI was significantly associated with female gender, higher levels of age, novelty seeking, harm avoidance, self-transcendence, antisocial behavior, and positive self and lower levels of persistence and self-directedness in univariate analyses. However, multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that only high levels of antisocial behavior and low levels of self-directedness significantly predicted repetitive NSSI. The association between a lack of self-directedness and NSSI emphasizes the significance of targeting self-directedness in psychotherapy by strengthening self-awareness, affect tolerance and emotion regulation, as well as establishing and pursuing long-term goals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Missed opportunities to prevent tuberculosis in foreign-born persons, Connecticut, 2005-2008.

PubMed

Guh, A; Sosa, L; Hadler, J L; Lobato, M N

2011-08-01

Factors that influence testing for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among foreign-born persons in Connecticut are not well understood. To identify predictors for LTBI testing and challenges related to accessing health care among the foreign-born population in Connecticut. Foreign-born Connecticut residents with confirmed or suspected tuberculosis (TB) disease during June 2005-December 2008 were interviewed regarding health care access and immigration status. Predictors for self-reported testing for LTBI after US entry were determined. Of 161 foreign-born persons interviewed, 48% experienced TB disease within 5 years after arrival. One third (51/156) reported having undergone post-arrival testing for LTBI. Although those with established health care providers were more likely to have reported testing (aOR 4.49, 95%CI 1.48-13.62), only 43% of such persons were tested. Undocumented persons, the majority of whom lacked a provider (53%), were less likely than documented persons to have reported testing (aOR 0.20, 95%CI 0.06-0.67). Hispanic permanent residents (immigrants and refugees) and visitors (persons admitted temporarily) were more likely than non-Hispanics in the respective groups to have reported testing (OR 5.25, 95%CI 1.51-18.31 and OR 7.08, 95%CI 1.30-38.44, respectively). The self-reported rate of testing for LTBI among foreign-born persons in Connecticut with confirmed or suspected TB was low and differed significantly by ethnicity and immigration status. Strategies are needed to improve health care access for foreign-born persons and expand testing for LTBI, especially among non-Hispanic and undocumented populations.

Face it: collecting mental health and disaster related data using Facebook vs. personal interview: the case of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

PubMed

Ben-Ezra, Menachem; Palgi, Yuval; Aviel, Or; Dubiner, Yonit; Evelyn Baruch; Soffer, Yechiel; Shrira, Amit

2013-06-30

Collecting mental health data during disaster is a difficult task. The aim of this study was to compare reported sensitive information regarding the disaster and general questions on physical or psychological functioning between social network (Facebook) interview and face-to-face interview after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. Data were collected from a battery of self-reported questionnaires. The questionnaires were administered to 133 face-to-face participants and to 40 Facebook interviewees, during March-April 2011. The face-to-face interview group showed a significantly higher level of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and elevated risk for clinical level of PTSD and reported more worries about another disaster, lower life satisfaction, less perceived social support and lower self-rated health than the Facebook group. Our data may suggest that the reliability of internet surveys is jeopardized during extreme conditions such as large-scale disasters as it tends to underestimate the reactions to such events. This indicates the discrepancy from data collected in situ to data collected using social networks. The implications of these results are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Researcher Self-Care in Emotionally Demanding Research: A Proposed Conceptual Framework.

PubMed

Kumar, Smita; Cavallaro, Liz

2018-03-01

Researchers are emotionally and psychologically affected by emotionally demanding research that demands a tremendous amount of mental, emotional, or physical energy and potentially affects or depletes the researcher's well-being. Little attention has been given to preparing doctoral students and novice researchers engaged in such studies. Four possible types of emotionally demanding research experiences are presented: sensitive issues, personal trauma previously experienced, experience of traumatic life events during research, and unexpected events that arise during research in what was previously not identified as a sensitive issue. The need for self-care is highly relevant to each type, despite their different impacts on researcher well-being. This conceptual article furthers conversation in the field about how researchers and educators can address the need for self-care to prepare novice researchers and proposes a conceptual framework for researcher self-care in emotionally demanding research, with an aim for future empirical study.

Global Positioning Systems for Personal Travel Surveys - Lexington Area Travel Data Collection Test: Appendixes

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-09-15

Personal travel and how it changes is of continuing concern to transportation : planners and policy makers. This project, Global Positioning Systems for : Personal Travel Surveys, would combine self-reported information with GPS : recorded informatio...

Sensitivity of self-reported opioid use in case-control studies: Healthy individuals versus hospitalized patients.

PubMed

Rashidian, Hamideh; Hadji, Maryam; Marzban, Maryam; Gholipour, Mahin; Rahimi-Movaghar, Afarin; Kamangar, Farin; Malekzadeh, Reza; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Rezaianzadeh, Abbas; Moradi, Abdolvahab; Babhadi-Ashar, Nima; Ghiasvand, Reza; Khavari-Daneshvar, Hossein; Haghdoost, Ali Akbar; Zendehdel, Kazem

2017-01-01

Several case-control studies have shown associations between the risk of different cancers and self-reported opium use. Inquiring into relatively sensitive issues, such as the history of drug use, is usually prone to information bias. However, in order to justify the findings of these types of studies, we have to quantify the level of such a negative bias. In current study, we aimed to evaluate sensitivity of self-reported opioid use and suggest suitable types of control groups for case-control studies on opioid use and the risk of cancer. In order to compare the validity of the self-reported opioid use, we cross-validated the response of two groups of subjects 1) 178 hospitalized patients and 2) 186 healthy individuals with the results of their tests using urine rapid drug screen (URDS) and thin layer chromatography (TLC). The questioners were asked by trained interviewers to maximize the validity of responses; healthy individuals were selected from the companions of patients in hospitals. Self-reported regular opioid use was 36.5% in hospitalized patients 19.3% in healthy individuals (p-value> 0.001).The reported frequencies of opioid use in the past 72 hours were 21.4% and 11.8% in hospitalized patients and healthy individuals respectively. Comparing their responses with the results of urine tests showed a sensitivity of 77% and 69% among hospitalized patients and healthy individuals for self-reports (p-value = 0.4). Having corrected based on the mentioned sensitivities; the frequency of opioid regular use was 47% and 28% in hospitalized patients and healthy individuals, respectively. Regular opioid use among hospitalized patients was significantly higher than in healthy individuals (p-value> 0.001). Our findings showed that the level of opioid use under-reporting in hospitalized patients and healthy individuals was considerable but comparable. In addition, the frequency of regular opioid use among hospitalized patients was significantly higher than that in the general population. Altogether, it seems that, without corrections for these differences and biases, the results of many studies including case-control studies on opioid use might distort findings substantially.

Sensitivity of self-reported opioid use in case-control studies: Healthy individuals versus hospitalized patients

PubMed Central

Rashidian, Hamideh; Hadji, Maryam; Marzban, Maryam; Gholipour, Mahin; Rahimi-Movaghar, Afarin; Kamangar, Farin; Malekzadeh, Reza; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Rezaianzadeh, Abbas; Moradi, Abdolvahab; Babhadi-Ashar, Nima; Ghiasvand, Reza; Khavari-Daneshvar, Hossein; Haghdoost, Ali Akbar; Zendehdel, Kazem

2017-01-01

Background Several case-control studies have shown associations between the risk of different cancers and self-reported opium use. Inquiring into relatively sensitive issues, such as the history of drug use, is usually prone to information bias. However, in order to justify the findings of these types of studies, we have to quantify the level of such a negative bias. In current study, we aimed to evaluate sensitivity of self-reported opioid use and suggest suitable types of control groups for case-control studies on opioid use and the risk of cancer. Methods In order to compare the validity of the self-reported opioid use, we cross-validated the response of two groups of subjects 1) 178 hospitalized patients and 2) 186 healthy individuals with the results of their tests using urine rapid drug screen (URDS) and thin layer chromatography (TLC). The questioners were asked by trained interviewers to maximize the validity of responses; healthy individuals were selected from the companions of patients in hospitals. Results Self-reported regular opioid use was 36.5% in hospitalized patients 19.3% in healthy individuals (p-value> 0.001).The reported frequencies of opioid use in the past 72 hours were 21.4% and 11.8% in hospitalized patients and healthy individuals respectively. Comparing their responses with the results of urine tests showed a sensitivity of 77% and 69% among hospitalized patients and healthy individuals for self-reports (p-value = 0.4). Having corrected based on the mentioned sensitivities; the frequency of opioid regular use was 47% and 28% in hospitalized patients and healthy individuals, respectively. Regular opioid use among hospitalized patients was significantly higher than in healthy individuals (p-value> 0.001). Conclusion Our findings showed that the level of opioid use under-reporting in hospitalized patients and healthy individuals was considerable but comparable. In addition, the frequency of regular opioid use among hospitalized patients was significantly higher than that in the general population. Altogether, it seems that, without corrections for these differences and biases, the results of many studies including case-control studies on opioid use might distort findings substantially. PMID:28854228

Associations between self-reported working conditions and registered health and safety results.

PubMed

Høivik, Dordi; Baste, Valborg; Brandsdal, Einar; Moen, Bente E

2007-02-01

To investigate the association between self-reported working conditions and registered health and safety results in a petroleum company in Norway. We analyzed data from company surveys of working and organizational conditions in 2003 and 2004 and data from the company's files of sickness absence, personal injuries, serious incidents, and undesirable incidents in 2003 and 2004 as well as personal injuries from 2000 to 2004 using Pearson's correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analyses. Good perception of confidence in management in 2003 and 2004 was significantly negatively correlated with the number of personal injuries from 2000 to 2004. Management style and trust in the manager are important factors for predicting personal injuries. The company's working and organizational survey might be used as an indicator for injury risk.

Education Level of Catholic Hispanic Deacons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferrari, Joseph R.

2016-01-01

The present study assessed self-reported religiosity, spirituality, faith-related behaviors, leadership styles, and personality dimensions of 156 Hispanic Catholic deacons, based on varied educational degrees assisting in Hispanic (n = 91) or non-Hispanic (n = 65) parishes. Results found no significant differences on any self-reported variables…

Parents' self-reported attachment styles: a review of links with parenting behaviors, emotions, and cognitions.

PubMed

Jones, Jason D; Cassidy, Jude; Shaver, Phillip R

2015-02-01

For decades, attachment scholars have been investigating how parents' adult attachment orientations relate to the ways in which they parent. Traditionally, this research has been conducted by developmental and clinical psychologists who typically employ the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) to measure adult attachment. However, dating back to the mid-1990s, social and personality psychologists have been investigating how self-reported adult attachment styles relate to various facets of parenting. The literature on self-reported attachment and parenting has received less attention than AAI research on the same topic and, to date, there is no comprehensive review of this literature. In this article, we review more than 60 studies of the links between self-reported attachment styles and parenting, integrate the findings to reach general conclusions, discuss unresolved questions, and suggest future directions. Finally, we discuss the potential benefits to the study of parenting of collaborations among researchers from the developmental and social attachment research traditions. © 2014 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Food intake is influenced by sensory sensitivity.

PubMed

Naish, Katherine R; Harris, Gillian

2012-01-01

Wide availability of highly palatable foods is often blamed for the rising incidence of obesity. As palatability is largely determined by the sensory properties of food, this study investigated how sensitivity to these properties affects how much we eat. Forty females were classified as either high or low in sensory sensitivity based on their scores on a self-report measure of sensory processing (the Adult Sensory Profile), and their intake of chocolate during the experiment was measured. Food intake was significantly higher for high-sensitivity compared to low-sensitivity individuals. Furthermore, individual scores of sensory sensitivity were positively correlated with self-reported emotional eating. These data could indicate that individuals who are more sensitive to the sensory properties of food have a heightened perception of palatability, which, in turn, leads to a greater food intake.

Lifestyle medicine course for family medicine residents: preliminary assessment of the impact on knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy and personal health.

PubMed

Malatskey, Lilach; Bar Zeev, Yael; Tzuk-Onn, Adva; Polak, Rani

2017-09-01

The WHO estimates that by 2020 two-thirds of the diseases worldwide will be the result of unhealthy lifestyle habits. Less than half of primary care physician graduates feel prepared to give lifestyle behaviour counselling. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of lifestyle medicine (LM) course on self-reported knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy and health behaviour of family medicine residents. Based on the Israeli syllabus for the study of LM, we delivered five face to face 20 H courses. Pre/post data were collected by knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy and personal health survey: RESULTS: A total of 112 family medicine residents participated in one of the five courses, of which 91 (81.3%) filled both pre and post surveys. Participates showed an improvement in self-reported knowledge and capacity to manage patients in regard to smoking, weight management and physical activity. An improvement was noted in personal health behaviour of overweight participant's in regard to self-reported physical activity. A comprehensive LM syllabus based course has a positive impact on family medicine residents LM counselling abilities. We suggest that LM course should be considered as a potential permanent addition to the family medicine residency programme. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Does enhancing personal care assistants' own oral health influence their attitudes and practices towards oral care for residents - a pilot study.

PubMed

Knevel, Rjm; Foley, J; Gussy, M; Karimi, L

2016-11-01

To investigate whether, within a residential care facility, increasing personal care assistants' (PCAs) awareness of their own oral health status and self-care skills would alter existing attitudes and behavioural intentions related to the oral health care of residents. PCAs (n = 15) in the dementia care unit of a residential care facility in Melbourne, Australia, were invited to participate in a small research project that appeared to test the effectiveness of a work-place oral health educational programme in enhancing their own oral health whilst masking the actual outcome of interest, namely its effect on PCAs oral healthcare attitudes and practices towards the residents. Post-intervention, the self-reported confidence of the PCAs to identify their personal risk for oral health problems, identifying common oral health conditions and determining the factors contributing to their personal oral health was increased significantly (P < 0.05). Post-intervention, the self-reported confidence of the PCAs to feeling confident to identify factors that could contribute to poor oral health of residents, identify resident's higher risk for poor oral health and feeling confident in identifying common oral health conditions in residents was also increased significantly (P < 0.05). The results of this pilot study show that the educational intervention to increase the personal care assistants' (PCAs) awareness of their own oral health status and self-care skills increased the confidence of the carers to identify oral health risks in the residents, as well as increasing their self-reported confidence in providing oral care to residents. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality for Youth (SNAP-Y): A New Measure for Assessing Adolescent Personality and Personality Pathology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linde, Jennifer A.; Stringer, Deborah; Simms, Leonard J.; Clark, Lee Anna

2013-01-01

The Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality-Youth Version (SNAP-Y) is a new, reliable self-report questionnaire that assesses 15 personality traits relevant to both normal-range personality and the alternative "DSM"-5 model for personality disorder. Community adolescents, 12 to 18 years old (N = 364), completed the SNAP-Y; 347…

Awareness of identity alteration and diagnostic preference between borderline personality disorder and dissociative disorders.

PubMed

Sar, Vedat; Alioğlu, Firdevs; Akyuz, Gamze; Tayakısı, Emre; Öğülmüş, Ezgi F; Sönmez, Doğuş

2017-01-01

This study inquires into identity alteration among college students and its relationship to borderline personality disorder (BPD) and/or dissociative disorders (DDs). Steinberg Identity Alteration Questionnaire (SIAQ), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and self-report screening tool of the BPD section of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-BPD) were administered to 1301 college students. Participants who fit the diagnostic criteria of BPD (n = 80) according to the clinician-administered SCID-BPD and 111 non-BPD controls were evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV DDs (SCID-D) by two psychiatrists blind to the group membership and scale scores. Test-retest evaluations and internal consistency analyses suggested that SIAQ was a reliable instrument. Of the participants, 11.3% reported a SIAQ score 25 or above alongside some impairment. SIAQ scores differentiated participants who fit the diagnostic criteria for a DD from those who did not. While self-report identity alteration was correlated with all childhood trauma types, clinician-assessed identity alteration was correlated with childhood sexual abuse only. Those who fit criteria for both disorders had the highest identity alteration scores in self-report and clinician-assessment. Although both syndromes had significant effect on self-report identity alteration total scores, in contrast to DD, BPD did not have an effect on the clinician-administered evaluation. An impression of personality disorder rather than a DD may seem more likely when identity alteration remains subtle in clinical assessment, notwithstanding its presence in self-report. Lack of recognition of identity alteration may lead to overdiagnosis of BPD among individuals who have a DD.

The good, the bad, and the healthy: impacts of emotional disclosure of trauma on resilient self-concept and psychological distress.

PubMed

Hemenover, Scott H

2003-10-01

This study examined the impact of disclosing traumas on resilient self-perceptions and psychological distress. Participants (N = 50) wrote about a traumatic life event or their plans for the next day and completed measures of resilience and distress before disclosing (pretest) and 3 months later (posttest). Results revealed that trauma participants increased in positive self-perceptions (mastery, personal growth, self-acceptance) and decreased in distress (depression, interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, somatization) from pretest to posttest. Control participants showed no changes except for autonomy, on which they decreased. Results suggest that in addition to reducing psychological distress, disclosing traumas change self-perception, resulting in a more resilient self-concept.

Neural activity associated with self-reflection

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Self-referential cognitions are important for self-monitoring and self-regulation. Previous studies have addressed the neural correlates of self-referential processes in response to or related to external stimuli. We here investigated brain activity associated with a short, exclusively mental process of self-reflection in the absence of external stimuli or behavioural requirements. Healthy subjects reflected either on themselves, a personally known or an unknown person during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The reflection period was initialized by a cue and followed by photographs of the respective persons (perception of pictures of oneself or the other person). Results Self-reflection, compared with reflecting on the other persons and to a major part also compared with perceiving photographs of one-self, was associated with more prominent dorsomedial and lateral prefrontal, insular, anterior and posterior cingulate activations. Whereas some of these areas showed activity in the “other”-conditions as well, self-selective characteristics were revealed in right dorsolateral prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortex for self-reflection; in anterior cingulate cortex for self-perception and in the left inferior parietal lobe for self-reflection and -perception. Conclusions Altogether, cingulate, medial and lateral prefrontal, insular and inferior parietal regions show relevance for self-related cognitions, with in part self-specificity in terms of comparison with the known-, unknown- and perception-conditions. Notably, the results are obtained here without behavioural response supporting the reliability of this methodological approach of applying a solely mental intervention. We suggest considering the reported structures when investigating psychopathologically affected self-related processing. PMID:22624857

Love Yourself as a Person, Doubt Yourself as a Therapist?

PubMed

Nissen-Lie, Helene A; Rønnestad, Michael Helge; Høglend, Per A; Havik, Odd E; Solbakken, Ole Andrè; Stiles, Tore C; Monsen, Jon T

2017-01-01

There are reasons to suggest that the therapist effect lies at the intersection between psychotherapists' professional and personal functioning. The current study investigated if and how the interplay between therapists' (n = 70) professional self-reports (e.g., of their difficulties in practice in the form of 'professional self-doubt' and coping strategies when faced with difficulties) and presumably more global, personal self-concepts, not restricted to the professional treatment setting (i.e., the level of self-affiliation measured by the Structural Analysis of Social Behaviour (SASB) Intrex, Benjamin, ), relate to patient (n = 255) outcome in public outpatient care. Multilevel growth curve analyses were performed on patient interpersonal and symptomatic distress rated at pre-, post- and three times during follow-up to examine whether change in patient outcome was influenced by the interaction between their therapists' level of 'professional self-doubt' and self-affiliation as well as between their therapists' use of coping when faced with difficulties, and the interaction between type of coping strategies and self-affiliation. A significant interaction between therapist 'professional self-doubt' (PSD) and self-affiliation on change in interpersonal distress was observed. Therapists who reported higher PSD seemed to evoke more change if they also had a self-affiliative introject. Therapists' use of coping strategies also affected therapeutic outcome, but therapists' self-affiliation was not a moderator in the interplay between therapist coping and patient outcome. A tentative take-home message from this study could be: 'Love yourself as a person, doubt yourself as a therapist'. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The findings of this study suggest that the nature of therapists' self-concepts as a person and as a therapist influences their patients' change in psychotherapy. These self-concept states are presumably communicated through the therapists' in-session behaviour. The study noted that a combination of self-doubt as a therapist with a high degree of self-affiliation as a person is particularly fruitful, while the combination of little professional self-doubt and much positive self-affiliation is not. This finding, reflected in the study title, 'Love yourself as a person, doubt yourself as a therapist', indicates that exaggerated self-confidence does not create a healthy therapeutic attitude. Therapist way of coping with difficulties in practice seems to influence patient outcome. Constructive coping characterized by dealing actively with a clinical problem, in terms of exercising reflexive control, seeking consultation and problem-solving together with the patient seems to help patients while coping by avoiding the problem, withdrawing from therapeutic engagement or acting out one's frustrations in the therapeutic relationship is associated with less patient change. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Los Pactos entre Padres y Maestros (Teacher-Parent Partnerships). ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swick, Kevin J.

Research provides insight into parent attributes that support partnerships with teachers. These attributes include warmth, sensitivity, nurturance, the ability to listen, consistency, positive self-image, personal competence, and effective interpersonal skills. Researchers have cited positive attitudes, continuous teacher training, involvement in…

JiaoShi-JiaZhang De HeZuo (Teacher-Parent Partnerships). ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swick, Kevin J.

Research provides insight into parent attributes that support partnerships with teachers. These attributes include warmth, sensitivity, nurturance, the ability to listen, consistency, positive self-image, personal competence, and effective interpersonal skills. Researchers have cited positive attitudes, continuous teacher training, involvement in…

Leadership skills and attributes of women and nurse executives: challenges for the 21st century.

PubMed

Carroll, Theresa L

2005-01-01

This study used a descriptive comparative design in which the skills/attributes identified by women leaders were compared to the skills/attributes identified by the nurse executives (NEs). For the women leaders and NEs, 6 factors were identified through principal components analysis: (1) personal integrity, (2) strategic vision/action orientation, (3) team building/communication skills, (4) management and technical competencies, (5) people skills (eg, empowering others, networking, valuing diversity, working collaboratively), and (6) personal survival skills/attributes (eg, political sensitivity, self-direction, self-reliance, courage, and candor). The items that received the highest level of agreement regarding importance for both groups were contained in the personal integrity factor, which included ethical standards, trustworthiness, and credibility. These factors are discussed and implications for leadership development and nursing administration graduate programs are identified.

[Negative experiences in childhood, stress and self-injurious behavior and suicidal tendencies in people with borderline personality].

PubMed

Blasczyk-Schiep, Sybilla; Jaworska-Andryszewska, Paulina

2014-06-01

In the bordeline personality disorder (BPD) a large role ascribe to psychological and psychosocial factors. Studies have shown that more than 70% patients BPD reported experiencing traumatic events in childhood. These people compare with patients with other psychiatric disorders often report history of sexual abuse and experience of violence or neglect. Making self-harming can be a reaction to negative experiences in childhood. The findings are confirming that making self-harming is a frequent symptom of BPD and 70-75% patients show at least one act self-harming. Moreover a lowered tolerance level is characteristic of them to the stress and determined course learning dysfunctional patterns of behavior. The aim of this study is to determine the childhood trauma such as sexual, psychological and physical abuse, emotional and physical neglect and to investigate their relation to stress, self-harming and suicidal behavior. In study participated 41 persons with emotionally unstable borderline personality diagnosis. In the group was 32 women and 9 men in age 19-43. The Polish adaptation of standardized questionnaires was used to measure childhood trauma (CTQ), stress (SSI-K), self-injurious behavior (SHI) and suicidal tendencies (RFL-I). In patients with BPD the level of childhood trauma and stress are predictors of self-harming behavior and suicidal tendencies. The mediation analyze showed, that self-harming was an important mediator between sexual abuse and suicidal tendencies. The high stress is the next mediator between sexual abuse and the level of self-harming behavior. A high level of childhood trauma correlates positively with stress, self-harming and suicidal behavior in patients with BPD.

The development and psychometric properties of an informant-report form of the personality inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5).

PubMed

Markon, Kristian E; Quilty, Lena C; Bagby, R Michael; Krueger, Robert F

2013-06-01

The current article reports on the development, psychometric properties, and external validity of an informant-report form of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (the PID-5-IRF). Using data from two nationally representative samples, as well as an elevated-risk community sample, we report on the PID-5-IRF item characteristics, scale properties, superordinate factor structure, and correlations with other measures. The PID-5-IRF replicates the factor structure of the self-report form and has relationships with other measures (including the PID-5 self-report form and a widely used Big Five measure) that are consistent with previous research and theory. We believe that the PID-5-IRF is a useful measure for a number of scenarios, such as when additional sources of information are desired, where informant measures are expected to provide incremental validity over self-report, where relationships or social perception is a focal interest, or when response bias is a salient concern. Areas for future research are also discussed.

Mothers' Personal and Interpersonal Function as Potential Mediators Between Maternal Maltreatment History and Child Behavior Problems.

PubMed

Pereira, Jessica; Ludmer, Jaclyn A; Gonzalez, Andrea; Atkinson, Leslie

2018-05-01

This study examined maternal depressive symptoms, social support, parenting, and adult attachment as mediators explaining the relation between maternal childhood maltreatment and child behavior in offspring. We assessed a community sample of 96 mother-child dyads. At child age 16 months, mothers self-reported maltreatment history, adult attachment, depressive symptoms, and social support, and maternal sensitivity was assessed via 2 hr of direct behavioral observation. Maternal reports of child behavior were collected at 5 years. Single and parallel mediation models were constructed. Only maternal depressive symptoms mediated the relation between maternal maltreatment history and children's internalizing problems. Maternal sensitivity emerged as a suppressor variable. With respect to the relation between maternal maltreatment history and children's externalizing problems, when entered singly, maternal depressive symptoms, social support, and avoidant attachment emerged as mediators. When examined in parallel, only maternal depressive symptoms and avoidant attachment accounted for unique mediating variance. Findings have implications with respect to important maternal factors that might be targeted to reduce the probability of maladaptive child behavior.

Fetal alcohol-spectrum disorders: identifying at-risk mothers

PubMed Central

Montag, Annika C

2016-01-01

Fetal alcohol-spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a collection of physical and neurobehavioral disabilities caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol. To prevent or mitigate the costly effects of FASD, we must identify mothers at risk for having a child with FASD, so that we may reach them with interventions. Identifying mothers at risk is beneficial at all time points, whether prior to pregnancy, during pregnancy, or following the birth of the child. In this review, three approaches to identifying mothers at risk are explored: using characteristics of the mother and her pregnancy, using laboratory biomarkers, and using self-report assessment of alcohol-consumption risk. At present, all approaches have serious limitations. Research is needed to improve the sensitivity and specificity of biomarkers and screening instruments, and to link them to outcomes as opposed to exposure. Universal self-report screening of all women of childbearing potential should ideally be incorporated into routine obstetric and gynecologic care, followed by brief interventions, including education and personalized feedback for all who consume alcohol, and referral to treatment as indicated. Effective biomarkers or combinations of biomarkers may be used during pregnancy and at birth to determine maternal and fetal alcohol exposure. The combination of self-report and biomarker screening may help identify a greater proportion of women at risk for having a child with FASD, allowing them to access information and treatment, and empowering them to make decisions that benefit their children. PMID:27499649

Subtypes of Self-Esteem and Self-Concept in Adolescent Violent and Property Offenders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vermeiren, Robert; Bogaerts, Jef; Ruchkin, Vladislav; Deboutte, Dirk; Schwab-Stone, Mary

2004-01-01

Aim: To investigate the relationship between subtypes of self-esteem/self-concept (familial, academic, social, and personal security) and antisocial behavior in adolescents (violent and property offending). Method: A self-report survey was administered in a representative group of 1466 students aged 12 to 18. Results: Both low family acceptance…

Intelligence, temperament, and personality are related to over- or under-reporting of affective symptoms by patients with euthymic mood disorder.

PubMed

Kim, Eun Young; Hwang, Samuel Suk-Hyun; Lee, Nam Young; Kim, Se Hyun; Lee, Hyun Jeong; Kim, Yong Sik; Ahn, Yong Min

2013-06-01

Many patients with mood disorders report subjective indicators of depression that are inconsistent with clinicians' objective ratings. This study used the self-report Beck Depressive Inventory (BDI) and the observer-rated Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) to evaluate the extent to which temperament, personality traits, and clinical characteristics accounted for discrepancies between self-reports and clinician ratings of depressive symptoms in patients experiencing the euthymic period of a mood disorder. The sample consisted of 100 individuals with bipolar disorder (n=72) or major depressive disorder (n=28). The HAMD and Young Mania Rating Scale were administered, and participants completed the BDI and Barratt Impulsivity Scale. Intelligence was assessed with the Korean Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Patients completed the Temperament Evaluation of the Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Autoquestionnaire and the NEO-Five-Factor Inventory. The BDI and HAMD were significantly but modestly correlated with each other (r=0.319, p<0.001). Lower intelligence and a less conscientious personality were independent contributors to differences between Z-scores for the BDI and the HAMD. Higher impulsivity and a more anxious temperament were also observed in the group that self-reported more symptoms than were noted by clinicians. Generalizability of results can be limited in ethnic difference. Subjective and objective assessments of the depressive symptoms of patients with mood disorders in a euthymic mood state are frequently discordant. Clinicians should consider the subjective aspects of depressive symptoms along with objective information about the influence of intelligence and personality on patients' self-reports. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Self-other agreement of personality judgments in job interviews: exploring the effects of trait, gender, age and social desirability.

PubMed

Nederström, Mikael; Salmela-Aro, Katariina

2014-10-01

The article investigated agreement between self-reports and stranger ratings of personality. A sample of 139 real-life job applicants was interviewed by expert psychologists upon entrance to the assessment center. The applicants provided self-descriptions on 15 personality factors, and the psychologists rated the same traits of each target based on their impressions in the interview. The results demonstrated that professional judges can reach a substantial self-other agreement (SOA) on several traits even when the targets are strangers, and that the trait being judged, the target's gender, age and social desirability have an effect on the level of agreement. © 2014 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Testing Two Alternative Pathological Personality Measures in the Assessment of Psychopathy: An Examination of the Snap and DAPP-BQ.

PubMed

Pryor, Lauren R; Miller, Joshua D; Gaughan, Eric T

2009-02-01

The current study examined the interrelations between two measures of pathological personality, the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality (SNAP; Clark, 1993) and the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology-Basic Questionnaire (DAPP-BQ; Livesley, 1990), and their respective relations with psychopathy. Two hundred and twenty-nine undergraduate students completed the SNAP, DAPP-BQ, and two self-report psychopathy inventories, the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP; Levenson, Kiehl, & Fitzpatrick, 1995) and the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R; Lilienfeld & Widows, 2005). Results revealed good convergence between conceptually related SNAP and DAPP-BQ subscales. Both the SNAP and DAPP-BQ accounted for a substantial amount of variance in psychopathy scores although the DAPP-BQ accounted for a larger percentage of the variance and demonstrated greater incremental validity. Results suggest that both measures can be successfully used to assess traits associated with psychopathy.

Manifestations of Personality in Online Social Networks: Self-Reported Facebook-Related Behaviors and Observable Profile Information

PubMed Central

Augustine, Adam A; Vazire, Simine; Holtzman, Nicholas; Gaddis, Sam

2011-01-01

Abstract Despite the enormous popularity of Online Social Networking sites (OSNs; e.g., Facebook and Myspace), little research in psychology has been done on them. Two studies examining how personality is reflected in OSNs revealed several connections between the Big Five personality traits and self-reported Facebook-related behaviors and observable profile information. For example, extraversion predicted not only frequency of Facebook usage (Study 1), but also engagement in the site, with extraverts (vs. introverts) showing traces of higher levels of Facebook activity (Study 2). As in offline contexts, extraverts seek out virtual social engagement, which leaves behind a behavioral residue in the form of friends lists and picture postings. Results suggest that, rather than escaping from or compensating for their offline personality, OSN users appear to extend their offline personalities into the domains of OSNs. PMID:21254929

Fuel poverty as a major determinant of perceived health: the case of France.

PubMed

Lacroix, E; Chaton, C

2015-05-01

The number of households in fuel poverty is growing. Individuals increasingly struggle to heat their homes, and therefore, a growing number of individuals are exposed to low temperatures, which can affect their health. This study sought to determine the link between a subjective measure of fuel poverty (self-reported feeling cold) and self-reported health. The impact of other particular individual and environmental features on self-reported health were also analysed. Econometric analysis. The study method uses self-reported perception of thermal discomfort (self-reported feeling cold) as a proxy for fuel poverty. The French database of the Healthcare and Insurance survey carried by the Institute for Research and Information on Health Economics (IRDES) was used to estimate a dichotomous probit model. The estimation allows us to infer a negative impact of fuel poverty on self-reported health. Thus, a person in fuel poverty is 2.36 percentage points more likely to report poor or fair health status than a person who is not in fuel poverty. It may be appropriate to reduce the impacts of fuel poverty to provide support for the most vulnerable categories of individuals with respect to the health impacts of fuel poverty and cold homes, e.g., chronic patients who experience difficulty heating their homes. Copyright © 2015 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dialectical behavior therapy skills use and emotion dysregulation in personality disorders and psychopathy: a community self-report study.

PubMed

Neacsiu, Andrada D; Tkachuck, Mathew A

2016-01-01

Emotion dysregulation is a critical transdiagnostic mental health problem that needs to be further examined in personality disorders (PDs). The current study examined dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills use, emotion dysregulation, and dysfunctional coping among adults who endorsed symptoms of cluster B PDs and psychopathy. We hypothesized that skills taught in DBT and emotion dysregulation are useful for adults with PDs other than borderline personality disorder (BPD). Using a self-report questionnaire, we examined these constructs in three groups of community adults: those who reported symptoms consistent with borderline personality disorder (BPD; N = 29), those who reported symptoms consistent with any other cluster B PD (N = 22), and those with no reported cluster B PD symptoms (N = 77) as measured by the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 + . Both PD groups reported higher emotion dysregulation and dysfunctional coping when compared to the no PD group. Only the BPD group had significantly lower DBT skills use. DBT skills use was found to be a significant predictor of cluster B psychopathology but only before accounting for emotion dysregulation. When added to the regression model, emotion dysregulation was found to be a significant predictor of cluster B psychopathology but DBT skills use no longer had a significant effect. Across all groups, DBT skills use deficits and maladaptive coping, but not emotion dysregulation, predicted different facets of psychopathy. Emotion dysregulation and use of maladaptive coping are problems in cluster B PDs, outside of BPD, but not in psychopathy. Inability to use DBT skills may be unique to BPD. Because this study relied exclusively on self-report, this data is preliminary and warrants further investigation.

Detection and validation of unscalable item score patterns using item response theory: an illustration with Harter's Self-Perception Profile for Children.

PubMed

Meijer, Rob R; Egberink, Iris J L; Emons, Wilco H M; Sijtsma, Klaas

2008-05-01

We illustrate the usefulness of person-fit methodology for personality assessment. For this purpose, we use person-fit methods from item response theory. First, we give a nontechnical introduction to existing person-fit statistics. Second, we analyze data from Harter's (1985) Self-Perception Profile for Children (Harter, 1985) in a sample of children ranging from 8 to 12 years of age (N = 611) and argue that for some children, the scale scores should be interpreted with care and caution. Combined information from person-fit indexes and from observation, interviews, and self-concept theory showed that similar score profiles may have a different interpretation. For some children in the sample, item scores did not adequately reflect their trait level. Based on teacher interviews, this was found to be due most likely to a less developed self-concept and/or problems understanding the meaning of the questions. We recommend investigating the scalability of score patterns when using self-report inventories to help the researcher interpret respondents' behavior correctly.

Obsessive-Compulsive Tendencies, Self/Other Perception, Personality, and Suicidal Ideation in a Non-clinical Sample.

PubMed

Iliceto, Paolo; D'Antuono, Laura; Cassarà, Luisa; Giacolini, Teodosio; Sabatello, Ugo; Candilera, Gabriella

2017-06-01

Research on the risk factors for SI in adults with OC tendencies is limited, and it is still unclear whether the association between OC tendencies and SI in non-clinical individuals exists. The goal of the present study was to test the associations between OC tendencies, self/other perception, personality traits, depressive symptoms and SI among a non-clinical adult population. We investigated an Italian sample of 337 adults, who were administered a set of self-report questionnaires to assess obsessive-compulsive tendencies, depression, self/other perception, personality traits, and hopelessness. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were performed. In the final model we found that personality, obsessive-compulsive factor and suicidal ideation were significantly correlated with each other: personality correlated negatively with obsessive-compulsive factor and suicidal ideation, while obsessive-compulsive factor and suicidal ideation resulted as strongly positively associated. Our results highlight the importance of assessing OC tendencies, negative self/other perception and SI. Understanding their role and interplay will allow for the development and implementation of more advanced prevention and treatment policies.

Characteristics of the personal and environmental components of person-environment fit in very old age: a comparison between people with self-reported Parkinson's disease and matched controls.

PubMed

Slaug, Björn; Nilsson, Maria H; Iwarsson, Susanne

2013-12-01

To investigate differences and similarities in person-environment (P-E) fit problems between very old people with self-reported Parkinson's disease (PD) and matched controls. Data collected for the cross-national ENABLE-AGE Survey Study were used to identify people with self-reported PD (n = 20), and to select three matched controls per individual (n = 60). The matching criteria were age (mean = 82 years), sex, country, and type of housing. The data analysis targeted P-E fit (i.e. accessibility) problems, including studying the personal and environmental components separately. The personal component was analyzed in terms of functional limitations, and the environmental component in terms of physical environmental barriers. In comparison to the matched controls, the participants with PD had more functional limitations, used more mobility devices and were subjected to more P-E fit problems, though the number of environmental barriers did not differ from the controls. In the PD sample, P-E fit problems were significantly stronger associated with poor balance and incoordination, and the environmental barriers that generated the most severe P-E fit problems were more often located to the exterior surroundings of the housing compared to the controls. The novel contribution of this explorative study is the demonstration of the type of knowledge that can be generated by unfolding and comparing the composition of P-E fit (accessibility) problems among people with self-reported PD as compared with matched controls. The knowledge thereby generated can be used to develop more targeted rehabilitation approaches, efficient housing adaptation services and societal planning for people with neurodegenerative disorders.

Giving the Self a Voice in MMPI Self-Report: Jerry Wiggins and the Content Scales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nichols, David S.

2004-01-01

This article places one of Jerry Wiggins' contributions to the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), his content scales, in the twin contexts of past and recent research, and of Wiggins' own preoccupations growing out of the interpersonal point of view. It highlights Wiggins' perspective on the position of the person in the process…

Do Providers Know What They Do Not Know? A Correlational Study of Knowledge Acquisition and Person-Centered Care.

PubMed

Matthews, Elizabeth B; Stanhope, Victoria; Choy-Brown, Mimi; Doherty, Meredith

2018-07-01

Person-centered care (PCC) is a central feature of health care reform, yet the tools needed to deliver this practice have not been implemented consistently. Person-centered care planning (PCCP) is a treatment planning approach operationalizing the values of recovery. To better understand PCCP implementation, this study examined the relationship between recovery knowledge and self-reported PCCP behaviors among 224 community mental health center staff. Results indicated that increased knowledge decreased the likelihood of endorsing non-recovery implementation barriers and self-reporting a high level of PCCP implementation. Findings suggest that individuals have difficulty assessing their performance, and point to the importance of objective fidelity measures.

The prevalence of trauma and its relationship to borderline personality symptoms and self-destructive behaviors in a primary care setting.

PubMed

Sansone, R A; Sansone, L A; Wiederman, M

1995-05-01

To determine the prevalence of five types of trauma and their relationship to borderline personality symptoms and self-destructive behaviors in female subjects recruited from a primary care setting. Consecutive sample. Subjects completed a lengthy research booklet. Primary care, outpatient, health maintenance organization setting. One hundred fifty-two consecutive women, aged 18 to 45 years, who were scheduled for routine gynecological care by a female family physician. Measures included a demographic questionnaire, a trauma questionnaire (ie, sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, physical neglect, and witnessing of violence), the Borderline Personality Scale of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-Revised; and the Self-Harm Inventory. Traumatic experiences were reported by 70.7% of the subjects (25.8%, sexual abuse; 36.4%, physical abuse; 43.7%, emotional abuse; 9.3%, physical neglect; and 43.0%, witnessing of violence). There was a significant correlation between the acknowledged number of abuse categories and borderline personality symptoms (r = .36, P = .01) as well as self-destructive behaviors (r = .43, P = .01). Sexual abuse and witnessing of violence were most associated with borderline personality symptoms; sexual abuse, physical abuse, and witnessing of violence were most associated with self-destructive behaviors. This study provides further evidence that abuse is a nonspecific but contributory factor to psychopathologic processes, in particular borderline personality symptoms and self-destructive behaviors.

Validity and concordance between self-reported and clinical diagnosis of hypertension among elderly residents in northeastern Brazil.

PubMed

de Menezes, Tarciana Nobre; Oliveira, Elaine Cristina Tôrres; de Sousa Fischer, Milena Abreu Tavares

2014-02-01

Self-reported information has been used as an easy and quick method to estimate the prevalence of systemic hypertension in populations. However, verification of whether self-reports of the disease are consistent with clinical diagnosis is essential for proper use of this information. This study aimed to verify the validity and concordance between self-reported and clinical diagnosis of hypertension in the elderly population of a city in northeastern Brazil. This was a cross-sectional and population-based study. The prevalence of diagnosed and self-reported hypertension and the validity and concordance between self-reported and clinical diagnosis and their distribution according to demographic and socioeconomic variables were assessed. The validity of self-reported hypertension was determined by sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value. Overall, 795 elderly patients were evaluated (69.1% women). There was a high prevalence of hypertension among the elderly (diagnosed: 75.1%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 71.1%-77.9%; self-reported: 59.7%, 95% CI = 56.3%-63.1%). For self-reported hypertension, sensitivity was substantial (77.1%), specificity was excellent (93.4%), positive predictive value was excellent (97.3%), and negative predictive value was moderate (57.2%). There was a moderate concordance between self-reported and clinical diagnosis of hypertension (kappa = 0.59; P < 0.001). Reasonable validity and moderate concordance of self-reported information on hypertension was observed, which reinforces the idea that this information can be used as strategy for detecting the disease prevalence in this population. However, because of nonachievement of excellence in the validity and reliability of the measured blood pressure, this information should be carefully considered for the strategic planning of health services.

Self-reported vs state-recorded motor vehicle collisions among older community dwelling individuals.

PubMed

Singletary, B A; Do, A N; Donnelly, J P; Huisingh, C; Mefford, M T; Modi, R; Mondesir, F L; Ye, Y; Owsley, C; McGwin, G

2017-04-01

Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) continue to place an increased burden on both individuals and health care systems. Self-reported and state-recorded police reports are the most common methods for MVC evaluation in epidemiologic studies, with varying degrees of agreement of information when compared in previous studies. The objective of the current study is to address the differences in MVC reporting and provide a more robust measure of the agreement between self-reported and state-recorded MVCs in a community dwelling population of older adults. A three-year prospective study was conducted in a population-based sample of 2000 licensed drivers aged 70 and older. At annual visits, participants were asked to self-report information on any MVC that occurred over the prior year where police were called to the scene. Information on police-reported MVCs was also ascertained from Alabama official state-recorded databases. The kappa coefficient was calculated to determine overall agreement between any self-reported and state-recorded crashes, as well as the raw number of crashes reported. In addition, agreement was stratified by demographics, health status, medication use, functional status (i.e. vision, cognition), and driving habits. 1747 participants who completed three years of follow up were involved in 225 state-recorded MVCs and 208 self-reported MVCs yielding overall substantial agreement between any self-report and state-recorded MVC (kappa=0.64). Cumulative number of self-reported and state-recorded MVCs was also compared, with agreement slightly reduced (kappa=0.55). The clinical characteristic resulting in the greatest variation in agreement with drivers was impaired contrast sensitivity showing better agreement between self-reported and state-recorded MVCs (kappa=0.9) than those with non-impaired contrast sensitivity (kappa=0.6). Study results showed substantial agreement between self-reported and state-recorded MVCs for any MVC involvement among the study population. When examining the reporting of the total number of MVCs over the three year period, agreement was reduced to a moderate level. There was consistency in agreement across MVC risk factors except among individuals with contrast sensitivity. These findings have implications for the design and analytic planning of epidemiologic and clinical research focused on MVCs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing personal initiative among vocational training students: development and validation of a new measure.

PubMed

Balluerka, Nekane; Gorostiaga, Arantxa; Ulacia, Imanol

2014-11-14

Personal initiative characterizes people who are proactive, persistent and self-starting when facing the difficulties that arise in achieving goals. Despite its importance in the educational field there is a scarcity of measures to assess students' personal initiative. Thus, the aim of the present study was to develop a questionnaire to assess this variable in the academic environment and to validate it for adolescents and young adults. The sample comprised 244 vocational training students. The questionnaire showed a factor structure including three factors (Proactivity-Prosocial behavior, Persistence and Self-Starting) with acceptable indices of internal consistency (ranging between α = .57 and α =.73) and good convergent validity with respect to the Self-Reported Initiative scale. Evidence of external validity was also obtained based on the relationships between personal initiative and variables such as self-efficacy, enterprising attitude, responsibility and control aspirations, conscientiousness, and academic achievement. The results indicate that this new measure is very useful for assessing personal initiative among vocational training students.

Factors of Social Adjustment to School: Child's Personality, Family and Pre-School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zupancic, Maja; Kavcic, Tina

2011-01-01

The role of child's characteristics (gender, cognitive ability, mother-perceived personality traits), family environment (maternal education, self-reported parenting practices) and pre-school experience (at least three years vs. no experience) in social adjustment to school, reflected through teacher reports on social competence and internalising…

A self-report measure for the ICD-11 dimensional trait model proposal: The personality inventory for ICD-11.

PubMed

Oltmanns, Joshua R; Widiger, Thomas A

2018-02-01

Proposed for the 11th edition of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) is a dimensional trait model for the classification of personality disorder (Tyrer, Reed, & Crawford, 2015). The ICD-11 proposal consists of 5 broad domains: negative affective, detachment, dissocial, disinhibition, and anankastic (Mulder, Horwood, Tyrer, Carter, & Joyce, 2016). Several field trials have examined this proposal, yet none has included a direct measure of the trait model. The purpose of the current study was to develop and provide initial validation for the Personality Inventory for ICD-11 (PiCD), a self-report measure of this proposed 5-domain maladaptive trait model. Item selection and scale construction proceeded through 3 initial data collections assessing potential item performance. Two subsequent studies were conducted for scale validation. In Study 1, the PiCD was evaluated in a sample of 259 MTurk participants (who were or had been receiving mental health treatment) with respect to 2 measures of general personality structure: The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised and the 5-Dimensional Personality Test. In Study 2, the PiCD was evaluated in an additional sample of 285 participants with respect to 2 measures of maladaptive personality traits: The Personality Inventory for DSM-5 and the Computerized Adaptive Test for Personality Disorders. Study 3 provides an item-level exploratory structural equation model with the combined samples from Studies 1 and 2. The results are discussed with respect to the validity of the measure and the potential benefits for future research in having a direct, self-report measure of the ICD-11 trait proposal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Compulsive procrastination: some self-reported characteristics.

PubMed

Ferrari, J R

1991-04-01

In Sample 1, 46 procrastinators compared with 52 nonprocrastinators claimed lower self-esteem, greater public self-consciousness and social anxiety, and a stronger tendency toward self-handicapping. In Sample 2, 48 procrastinators compared with 54 nonprocrastinators reported a weaker tendency toward seeking self-identity information but a stronger tendency toward a diffuse-identity style, yet there were no significant differences in verbal and abstract thinking abilities. Further research must provide evidence for persistent procrastination as a personality disorder that includes anxiety, avoidance, and a fear of evaluation of ability.

Reactions to terror attacks in ultra-orthodox jews: the cost of maintaining strict identity.

PubMed

Ankri, Yael L E; Bachar, Eytan; Shalev, Arieh Y

2010-01-01

Traumatic events can shatter faith and beliefs. The responses of Ultra-Orthodox survivors of deadly terrorist attacks illustrate an effort to reconcile dreadful experiences with deeply embedded beliefs. Qualified clinicians prospectively evaluated self-reported and interviewer-generated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and cognitive appraisal in Ultra-Orthodox (n = 20) and non-Ultra-Orthodox (n = 33) survivors of suicide bus-bombing incidents in Jerusalem. Ultra-Orthodox survivors reported higher levels of PTSD symptoms and more personal guilt. Their narratives reflected an unshaken belief in Just Providence, within which being a victim of terror was perceived as a Just retribution for known or unknown wrongdoing. Survivors' reactions to trauma often reflect an effort to reconcile incongruous experiences with previously held beliefs. When treating strict believers, helpers should be sensitive to the identity-preserving function of posttraumatic cognitions.

The aggressor at the mirror: Psychiatric correlates of deliberate self-harm in male prison inmates.

PubMed

Verdolini, N; Murru, A; Attademo, L; Garinella, R; Pacchiarotti, I; Bonnin, C Del Mar; Samalin, L; Pauselli, L; Piselli, M; Tamantini, A; Quartesan, R; Carvalho, A F; Vieta, E; Tortorella, A

2017-07-01

Deliberate self-harm (DSH) causes important concern in prison inmates as it worsens morbidity and increases the risk for suicide. The aim of the present study is to investigate the prevalence and correlates of DSH in a large sample of male prisoners. A cross-sectional study evaluated male prisoners aged 18+ years. Current and lifetime psychiatric diagnoses were assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - DSM-IV Axis I and Axis II Disorders and with the Addiction Severity Index-Expanded Version. DSH was assessed with The Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify independent correlates of lifetime DSH. Ninety-three of 526 inmates (17.7%) reported at least 1 lifetime DSH behavior, and 58/93 (62.4%) of those reported a DSH act while in prison. After multivariable adjustment (sensitivity 41.9%, specificity 96.1%, area under the curve=0.854, 95% confidence interval CI=0.811-0.897, P<0.001), DSH was significantly associated with lifetime psychotic disorders (adjusted Odds Ratio aOR=6.227, 95% CI=2.183-17.762, P=0.001), borderline personality disorder (aOR=6.004, 95% CI=3.305-10.907, P<0.001), affective disorders (aOR=2.856, 95% CI=1.350-6.039, P=0.006) and misuse of multiple substances (aOR=2.024, 95% CI=1.111-3.687, P=0.021). Borderline personality disorder and misuse of multiple substances are established risk factors of DSH, but psychotic and affective disorders were also associated with DSH in male prison inmates. This points to possible DSH-related clinical sub-groups, that bear specific treatment needs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Optimal neurocognitive, personality and behavioral measures for assessing impulsivity in cocaine dependence.

PubMed

LoBue, Christian; Cullum, C Munro; Braud, Jacqueline; Walker, Robrina; Winhusen, Theresa; Suderajan, Prabha; Adinoff, Bryon

2014-11-01

Impulsivity may underlie the poor treatment retention and high relapse rates observed in cocaine-dependent persons. However, observed differences in measures of impulsivity between cocaine-dependent and healthy control participants often do not reach clinical significance, suggesting that the clinical relevance of these differences may be limited. To examine which measures of impulsivity (i.e. self-report impulsivity, self-report personality, neurocognitive testing) best distinguish cocaine-dependent and healthy control participants (i.e. showing differences at least 1.5 standard deviations [SD] from controls). Optimal measures were considered to demonstrate sufficient classification accuracy. Sixty-five recently abstinent cocaine-dependent and 25 healthy control participants were assessed using select neurocognitive tests and self-report questionnaires including the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R), Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11a), and the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe). When corrected for years of education and gender, neurocognitive measures did not demonstrate clinically significant differences between cocaine-dependent and control participants. The personality measures TCI Purposefulness and Congruent Second Nature and NEO-PI-R Impulsiveness, and the self-rating measures FrSBe Disinhibition and BIS-11 Motor Impulsivity and Total successfully identified clinically meaningful elevations in impulsivity within cocaine-dependent participants (>1.5 SDs from controls). Furthermore, these measures achieved 84-93% accuracy in discriminating cocaine-dependent from control participants. Clinically significant neurocognitive impairment in cocaine-dependent participants was not observed in this sample. As the BIS-11 or FrSBe are brief to administer, accurate, and have been shown to predict treatment retention and relapse, these measures appear to be optimal, relative to the personality measures, for examining trait impulsivity in cocaine dependence.

Optimal neurocognitive, personality and behavioral measures for assessing impulsivity in cocaine dependence

PubMed Central

LoBue, Christian; Cullum, C. Munro; Braud, Jacqueline; Walker, Robrina; Winhusen, Theresa; Suderajan, Prabha; Adinoff, Bryon

2015-01-01

Background Impulsivity may underlie the poor treatment retention and high relapse rates observed in cocaine-dependent persons. However, observed differences in measures of impulsivity between cocaine-dependent and healthy control participants often do not reach clinical significance, suggesting that the clinical relevance of these differences may be limited. Objectives To examine which measures of impulsivity (i.e. self-report impulsivity, self-report personality, neurocognitive testing) best distinguish cocaine-dependent and healthy control participants (i.e. showing differences at least 1.5 standard deviations [SD] from controls). Optimal measures were considered to demonstrate sufficient classification accuracy. Methods Sixty-five recently abstinent cocaine-dependent and 25 healthy control participants were assessed using select neurocognitive tests and self-report questionnaires including the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R), Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11a), and the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe). Results When corrected for years of education and gender, neurocognitive measures did not demonstrate clinically significant differences between cocaine-dependent and control participants. The personality measures TCI Purposefulness and Congruent Second Nature and NEO-PI-R Impulsiveness, and the self-rating measures FrSBe Disinhibition and BIS-11 Motor Impulsivity and Total successfully identified clinically meaningful elevations in impulsivity within cocaine-dependent participants (>1.5 SDs from controls). Furthermore, these measures achieved 84–93% accuracy in discriminating cocaine-dependent from control participants. Conclusion Clinically significant neurocognitive impairment in cocaine-dependent participants was not observed in this sample. As the BIS-11 or FrSBe are brief to administer, accurate, and have been shown to predict treatment retention and relapse, these measures appear to be optimal, relative to the personality measures, for examining trait impulsivity in cocaine dependence. PMID:25083938

Impaired self-awareness in human addiction: deficient attribution of personal relevance.

PubMed

Moeller, Scott J; Goldstein, Rita Z

2014-12-01

Compromised self-awareness of illness-related deficits and behaviors in psychopathology (e.g., schizophrenia) has been associated with deficient functioning of cortical midline regions including the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), implicated in personal relevance. Here, we review and critically analyze recent evidence to suggest that vmPFC abnormalities could similarly underlie deficient tagging of personal relevance in drug addiction, evidenced by a constellation of behaviors encompassing drug-biased attention, negative outcome insensitivity, self-report/behavior dissociation, and social inappropriateness. This novel framework might clarify, for example, why drug-addicted individuals often ruin long-standing relationships or forego important job opportunities while continuing to engage in uncontrolled drug-taking. Therapeutic interventions targeting personal relevance and associated vmPFC functioning could enhance self-awareness and facilitate more adaptive behavior in this chronically relapsing psychopathology. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Self-Report Measure of Touching Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schutte, Nicola S.; And Others

Because touching is an important and often studied construct, and there is need for a valid self-report measure of touching behavior, a measure of touching behaviors was developed. Touching behaviors to be reported were: brief touch on the arm or shoulder, handshake, hug, hand holding, kiss on the cheek, and kiss on the lips. Persons identified as…

Survey of psychotherapeutic approaches to narcissistic personality disorder.

PubMed

Nurnberg, H G

1984-01-01

The spectrum of Narcissistic Personality Disorder extends from severe impairment to high levels of success, fame, power, and wealth. Several treatment frameworks are available. The therapist must be flexible to choose and shift between libidinal and narcissistic issues to those of ambivalence or ego syntonic character defenses or to focus on ego defense mechanisms or object relationships (Esmiol, 1974). A curative process requires enduring corrective structural changes within distorted intrapsychic configurations manifesting themselves as psychopathology (Horowitz, 1976). These structural changes come about by completion of the working through process. Recurrences will occur, even with insight, but self-mastery enables the patient to take on new functions formerly avoided. In Kohut's view, more cohesive reorganized personality is characterized by (Goldberg, 1973): increased empathy within interpersonal relationships and toward the self; previous rebuffs, failures, and separations of fragmenting consequences and turmoil are experienced with minimal reversible regression; object relations improvement without evidence of extreme narcissistic sensitivity; improved sense of humor indicating a capacity for flexible detachment and distance from the self; emergence and proliferation of satisfying creative talents; increased capacity to work alone and achieve personal gratification; capacity to give without contingencies of anticipated personal gain; and capacity to genuinely recognize and mourn the loss of an important real other.

Self-regulating the effortful "social dos".

PubMed

Cortes, Kassandra; Kammrath, Lara K; Scholer, Abigail A; Peetz, Johanna

2014-03-01

In the current research, we explored differences in the self-regulation of the personal dos (i.e., engaging in active and effortful behaviors that benefit the self) and in the self-regulation of the social dos (engaging in those same effortful behaviors to benefit someone else). In 6 studies, we examined whether the same trait self-control abilities that predict task persistence on personal dos would also predict task persistence on social dos. That is, would the same behavior, such as persisting through a tedious and attentionally demanding task, show different associations with trait self-control when it is framed as benefitting the self versus someone else? In Studies 1-3, we directly compared the personal and social dos and found that trait self-control predicted self-reported and behavioral personal dos but not social dos, even when the behaviors were identical and when the incentives were matched. Instead, trait agreeableness--a trait linked to successful self-regulation within the social domain--predicted the social dos. Trait self-control did not predict the social dos even when task difficulty increased (Study 4), but it did predict the social don'ts, consistent with past research (Studies 5-6). The current studies provide support for the importance of distinguishing different domains of self-regulated behaviors and suggest that social dos can be successfully performed through routes other than traditional self-control abilities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Do Subjective Alcohol Screening Tools Correlate with Biomarkers Among High-Risk Transgender Women and Men Who Have Sex with Men in Lima, Peru?

PubMed

Herrera, M C; Konda, K A; Leon, S R; Brown, B; Calvo, G M; Salvatierra, H J; Caceres, C F; Klausner, J D; Deiss, R

2017-11-01

Alcohol abuse can influence sexual risk behavior; however, its measurement is not straightforward. This study compared self-reported alcohol use, via the AUDIT and CAGE, with levels of phosphatidylethanol (Peth), a phospholipid biomarker that forms with chronic, heavy drinking, among high-risk MSM and TW in Lima, Peru. Chi square, Fisher's exact, Wilcoxon ranksum tests compared the instruments. Receiver operating curves determined sensitivity and specificity of the self-reported measures. Among 69 MSM and 17 TW, PEth was positive for 86% (95% CI 77-93%) of participants, while 67% reported binge-drinking in the last 2 weeks. The AUDIT classified 25% as hazardous drinkers while CAGE identified 6% as problem drinkers. Self-reported binge drinking was more sensitive than the AUDIT for PEth positivity (71% vs. 27%, p = 0.022). Among high-risk MSM and TW in Lima, validated, self-report measures of alcohol abuse underestimated biological measures. Further research correlating bio-markers and self-reported alcohol abuse measures is needed.

Self-Relevant Disgust and Self-Harm Urges in Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder and Depression: A Pilot Study with a Newly Designed Psychological Challenge

PubMed Central

Abdul-Hamid, Sawsan; Denman, Chess; Dudas, Robert B.

2014-01-01

Background Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a common psychiatric condition associated with self-harm. Self-harm is poorly understood and there is currently no treatment for acute presentations with self-harm urges. Objectives By using a new task (Self-relevant Task; SRT), to explore emotions related to one's own person (PERSON task) and body (BODY task), to study the correlations of these emotions, specifically disgust, with self-harm urge level changes, and to test the task's potential to be developed into an experimental model of self-harming for treatment trials. Methods 17 BPD patients, 27 major depressive disorder (MDD) patients, and 25 healthy volunteers performed the SRT. Emotion labels were extracted from task narratives and disgust and self-harm urge level changes measured by visual analogue scales. We used validated rating scales to measure symptom severity. Results The SRT was effective at inducing negative emotions and self-harm urge changes. Self-harm urge changes correlated with borderline symptom severity. Post-task disgust levels on the visual analogue scales were higher in BPD patients than in healthy controls in the PERSON task, and higher than in both control groups in the BODY task. Changes in disgust levels during the task were significantly greater in the patient groups. Post-task disgust levels or changes in disgust were not associated with self-harm urge changes (except the latter in MDD in the PERSON task), but self-harm urge changes and disgust (but no other emotion) narrative labels were on a whole sample level. Conclusion Although associations with the analogue scale measures were not significant, self-disgust reported in the narrative of patients may be associated with a higher probability of self-harm urges. Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to confirm this relationship and to examine whether reducing self-disgust could reduce self-harm urges. The SRT was effective and safe, and could be standardized for experimental studies. PMID:24956153

Anterior temporal face patches: a meta-analysis and empirical study

PubMed Central

Von Der Heide, Rebecca J.; Skipper, Laura M.; Olson, Ingrid R.

2013-01-01

Evidence suggests the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) plays an important role in person identification and memory. In humans, neuroimaging studies of person memory report consistent activations in the ATL to famous and personally familiar faces and studies of patients report resection or damage of the ATL causes an associative prosopagnosia in which face perception is intact but face memory is compromised. In addition, high-resolution fMRI studies of non-human primates and electrophysiological studies of humans also suggest regions of the ventral ATL are sensitive to novel faces. The current study extends previous findings by investigating whether similar subregions in the dorsal, ventral, lateral, or polar aspects of the ATL are sensitive to personally familiar, famous, and novel faces. We present the results of two studies of person memory: a meta-analysis of existing fMRI studies and an empirical fMRI study using optimized imaging parameters. Both studies showed left-lateralized ATL activations to familiar individuals while novel faces activated the right ATL. Activations to famous faces were quite ventral, similar to what has been reported in previous high-resolution fMRI studies of non-human primates. These findings suggest that face memory-sensitive patches in the human ATL are in the ventral/polar ATL. PMID:23378834

A Household Is Not a Person: Consistency of Pro-Environmental Behavior in Adult Couples and the Accuracy of Proxy-Reports

PubMed Central

Seebauer, Sebastian; Fleiß, Jürgen; Schweighart, Markus

2016-01-01

Studies on environmental behavior commonly assume single respondents to represent their entire household or employ proxy-reporting, where participants answer for other household members. It is contested whether these practices yield valid results. Therefore, we interviewed 84 couples, wherein both household members provided self- and proxy-reports for their partner. For use of electrical household appliances, consumption of hot water, space heating, everyday mobility, and environmental values, many variables fail to achieve criteria for validity. Consistency (agreement between self-reports of household members) is higher if behaviors are undertaken jointly or negotiated between partners. Accuracy (agreement of proxy-reports with corresponding self-reports) is higher for routine behaviors and for behaviors easily observable by the partner. Overall, indices perform better than items on single behaviors. We caution against employing individual responses in place of the entire household. Interventions for energy conservation should approach the specific person undertaking the target behavior. PMID:28670000

Personality Characteristics of Children of Alcoholics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berkowitz, Alan; Perkins, H. Wesley

1988-01-01

Compared the personality characteristics of late adolescent and young adult children of alcoholics (COAs) with those of their peers, examining gender specificity in personality differences. COA respondents, particularly women, and especially women with alcoholic fathers, were more likely to report greater self-depreciation. Male COAs rated…

Personality and Psychopathology in African Unaccompanied Refugee Minors: Repression, Resilience and Vulnerability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huemer, Julia; Volkl-Kernstock, Sabine; Karnik, Niranjan; Denny, Katherine G.; Granditsch, Elisabeth; Mitterer, Michaela; Humphreys, Keith; Plattner, Belinda; Friedrich, Max; Shaw, Richard J.; Steiner, Hans

2013-01-01

Examining personality and psychopathological symptoms among unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs), we measured intra-individual dimensions (repression and correlates thereof) usually associated with resilience. Forty-one URMs completed the Weinberger Adjustment Inventory (WAI), assessing personality, and the Youth Self-Report (YSR), describing…

Volitional personality trait change: Can people choose to change their personality traits?

PubMed

Hudson, Nathan W; Fraley, R Chris

2015-09-01

Previous research has found that most people want to change their personality traits. But can people actually change their personalities just because they want to? To answer this question, we conducted 2, 16-week intensive longitudinal randomized experiments. Across both studies, people who expressed goals to increase with respect to any Big Five personality trait at Time 1 tended to experience actual increases in their self-reports of that trait-as well as trait-relevant daily behavior-over the subsequent 16 weeks. Furthermore, we tested 2 randomized interventions designed to help participants attain desired trait changes. Although 1 of the interventions was inefficacious, a second intervention that trained participants to generate implementation intentions catalyzed their ability to attain trait changes. We also tested several theoretical processes through which volitional changes might occur. These studies suggest that people may be able to change their self-reported personality traits through volitional means, and represent a first step toward understanding the processes that enable people to do so. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).