.
Differential Reinforcement Without Extinction and Stimulus Fading to Teach Tolerance of a Sleep Study
Clinical Case Studies, Ahead of Print.
There are a growing number of publications supporting behavior-analytic strategies to increase compliance with medical procedures. However, little research has been conducted on the application of applied behavior analysis to teach compliance with and completion of the setup required for an overnight sleep study (polysomnography). The client in this report presented with autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, strokes, and severe destructive behavior (i.e., aggression, property destruction, self-injury). These conditions combined with a poor sleep/wake schedule and gasping during the night necessitated a sleep study. The caregiver referred their child to behavioral outpatient services due to medical noncompliance and severe destructive interfering behaviors with similar procedures (e.g., failed electroencephalogram [EEG]). We evaluated the effects of differential reinforcement without extinction and stimulus fading on compliance and reduction of destructive behavior with a 25-step sleep study procedure. Our approach successfully taught tolerance of the procedure and reduced destructive behavior. The client completed the scheduled sleep study and received a diagnosis of mild obstructive sleep apnea.
There are a growing number of publications supporting behavior-analytic strategies to increase compliance with medical procedures. However, little research has been conducted on the application of applied behavior analysis to teach compliance with and completion of the setup required for an overnight sleep study (polysomnography). The client in this report presented with autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, strokes, and severe destructive behavior (i.e., aggression, property destruction, self-injury). These conditions combined with a poor sleep/wake schedule and gasping during the night necessitated a sleep study. The caregiver referred their child to behavioral outpatient services due to medical noncompliance and severe destructive interfering behaviors with similar procedures (e.g., failed electroencephalogram [EEG]). We evaluated the effects of differential reinforcement without extinction and stimulus fading on compliance and reduction of destructive behavior with a 25-step sleep study procedure. Our approach successfully taught tolerance of the procedure and reduced destructive behavior. The client completed the scheduled sleep study and received a diagnosis of mild obstructive sleep apnea.
The comparison of neurocognitive functions between internet-addicted, methamphetamine users, and healthy participants
.
Aging effects on extrapersonal (far-space) attention: cancellation and line bisection performance from 179 healthy adults
.
Translation and Validation of the German Personal Growth Initiative Scale – II
The Counseling Psychologist, Volume 51, Issue 7, Page 906-932, October 2023.
Personal growth initiative (PGI) is an important predictor of well-being. In the current study, we translated the Personal Growth Initiative Scale–II (PGIS-II) into German and investigated its psychometric properties. Our sample consisted of 210 adults gathered from Germany’s Mechanical Turk. The German PGIS-II showed evidence of a bifactor structure, with the total score providing the best representation. Results also indicated measurement invariance through the partial scalar level with the English PGIS-II given to a sample of 854 college students in the United States. The PGIS-II’s scores were positively related to general self-efficacy, internal locus of control, and positive affect, as well as evidenced small relations with external locus of control, negative affect, stress, and social desirability. Together, the results showed evidence for the psychometric properties of the German PGIS-II and the potential importance of PGI in German samples.
Personal growth initiative (PGI) is an important predictor of well-being. In the current study, we translated the Personal Growth Initiative Scale–II (PGIS-II) into German and investigated its psychometric properties. Our sample consisted of 210 adults gathered from Germany’s Mechanical Turk. The German PGIS-II showed evidence of a bifactor structure, with the total score providing the best representation. Results also indicated measurement invariance through the partial scalar level with the English PGIS-II given to a sample of 854 college students in the United States. The PGIS-II’s scores were positively related to general self-efficacy, internal locus of control, and positive affect, as well as evidenced small relations with external locus of control, negative affect, stress, and social desirability. Together, the results showed evidence for the psychometric properties of the German PGIS-II and the potential importance of PGI in German samples.
Using Multiple Imputation to Account for the Uncertainty Due to Missing Data in the Context of Factor Retention
Educational and Psychological Measurement, Ahead of Print.
Although parallel analysis has been found to be an accurate method for determining the number of factors in many conditions with complete data, its application under missing data is limited. The existing literature recommends that, after using an appropriate multiple imputation method, researchers either apply parallel analysis to every imputed data set and use the number of factors suggested by most of the data copies or average the correlation matrices across all data copies, followed by applying the parallel analysis to the average correlation matrix. Both approaches for pooling the results provide a single suggested number without reflecting the uncertainty introduced by missing values. The present study proposes the use of an alternative approach, which calculates the proportion of imputed data sets that result in k (k = 1, 2, 3 . . .) factors. This approach will inform applied researchers of the degree of uncertainty due to the missingness. Results from a simulation experiment show that the proposed method can more likely suggest the correct number of factors when missingness contributes to a large amount of uncertainty.
Although parallel analysis has been found to be an accurate method for determining the number of factors in many conditions with complete data, its application under missing data is limited. The existing literature recommends that, after using an appropriate multiple imputation method, researchers either apply parallel analysis to every imputed data set and use the number of factors suggested by most of the data copies or average the correlation matrices across all data copies, followed by applying the parallel analysis to the average correlation matrix. Both approaches for pooling the results provide a single suggested number without reflecting the uncertainty introduced by missing values. The present study proposes the use of an alternative approach, which calculates the proportion of imputed data sets that result in k (k = 1, 2, 3 . . .) factors. This approach will inform applied researchers of the degree of uncertainty due to the missingness. Results from a simulation experiment show that the proposed method can more likely suggest the correct number of factors when missingness contributes to a large amount of uncertainty.
Why Forced-Choice and Likert Items Provide the Same Information on Personality, Including Social Desirability
Educational and Psychological Measurement, Ahead of Print.
The forced-choice response format is often considered superior to the standard Likert-type format for controlling social desirability in personality inventories. We performed simulations and found that the trait information based on the two formats converges when the number of items is high and forced-choice items are mixed with regard to positively and negatively keyed items. Given that forced-choice items extract the same personality information as Likert-type items do, including socially desirable responding, other means are needed to counteract social desirability. We propose using evaluatively neutralized items in personality measurement, as they can counteract social desirability regardless of response format.
The forced-choice response format is often considered superior to the standard Likert-type format for controlling social desirability in personality inventories. We performed simulations and found that the trait information based on the two formats converges when the number of items is high and forced-choice items are mixed with regard to positively and negatively keyed items. Given that forced-choice items extract the same personality information as Likert-type items do, including socially desirable responding, other means are needed to counteract social desirability. We propose using evaluatively neutralized items in personality measurement, as they can counteract social desirability regardless of response format.
The effect of hearing loss on age-related differences in neural distinctiveness
.
Predicting Confrontation Naming in the Logopenic Variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia
.
Rumination Moderates the Association between Neuroticism, Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Indian Women
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Ahead of Print.
Background:The higher prevalence of depressive symptoms among women demands an in-depth exploration of every possible mechanism through which depressive symptoms may prevail. Identifying any malleable mechanism may open a new pathway through which such symptoms could be targeted. We explored the association between neuroticism, rumination, anxiety, and depressive symptoms and tested a moderated mediation model with anxiety as a mediator in the relationship between neuroticism and depressive symptoms, and rumination as a moderator of the effect of neuroticism on anxiety.Method:This cross-sectional study was conducted on Indian women living in the state of Punjab. A total of 671 adult females responded to the translated versions of standardized questionnaires measuring the relevant constructs.Results:The mean (SD) age of the sample was 23.71 (6.09) years. As hypothesized, anxiety significantly mediated the relationship between neuroticism and depression, and the use of rumination moderated the effect of neuroticism on anxiety. Among women with a high score on neuroticism, those with low ruminating tendencies showed less anxiety and depression than others who scored high on rumination.Conclusion:The findings imply that a reduction in rumination may help women, especially those who are high on neuroticism, manage their vulnerabilities toward anxiety and depressive symptoms. Personality traits being not that malleable, targeting a reduction of rumination usage, which is both a trans-diagnostic factor and a malleable one, can help address the surging prevalence of common mental disorders such as anxiety and depression through appropriately devised interventions.
Background:The higher prevalence of depressive symptoms among women demands an in-depth exploration of every possible mechanism through which depressive symptoms may prevail. Identifying any malleable mechanism may open a new pathway through which such symptoms could be targeted. We explored the association between neuroticism, rumination, anxiety, and depressive symptoms and tested a moderated mediation model with anxiety as a mediator in the relationship between neuroticism and depressive symptoms, and rumination as a moderator of the effect of neuroticism on anxiety.Method:This cross-sectional study was conducted on Indian women living in the state of Punjab. A total of 671 adult females responded to the translated versions of standardized questionnaires measuring the relevant constructs.Results:The mean (SD) age of the sample was 23.71 (6.09) years. As hypothesized, anxiety significantly mediated the relationship between neuroticism and depression, and the use of rumination moderated the effect of neuroticism on anxiety. Among women with a high score on neuroticism, those with low ruminating tendencies showed less anxiety and depression than others who scored high on rumination.Conclusion:The findings imply that a reduction in rumination may help women, especially those who are high on neuroticism, manage their vulnerabilities toward anxiety and depressive symptoms. Personality traits being not that malleable, targeting a reduction of rumination usage, which is both a trans-diagnostic factor and a malleable one, can help address the surging prevalence of common mental disorders such as anxiety and depression through appropriately devised interventions.