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Psychological Methods Dec 2017This editorial accompanies the second special issue on Bayesian data analysis published in this journal. The emphases of this issue are on Bayesian estimation and...
This editorial accompanies the second special issue on Bayesian data analysis published in this journal. The emphases of this issue are on Bayesian estimation and modeling. In this editorial, we outline the basics of current Bayesian estimation techniques and some notable developments in the statistical literature, as well as adaptations and extensions by psychological researchers to better tailor to the modeling applications in psychology. We end with a discussion on future outlooks of Bayesian data analysis in psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record
Topics: Bayes Theorem; Humans; Models, Statistical; Psychology
PubMed: 29265845
DOI: 10.1037/met0000169 -
Clinical Psychology Review Jul 2019Researchers have long called for greater recognition and use of longitudinal, individual-level research in the study of psychopathology and psychotherapy. Much of our... (Review)
Review
Researchers have long called for greater recognition and use of longitudinal, individual-level research in the study of psychopathology and psychotherapy. Much of our current research attempts to indirectly investigate individual-level, or idiographic, psychological processes via group-based, or nomothetic, designs. However, results from nomothetic research do not necessarily translate to the individual-level. In this review, we discuss how idiographic analyses can be integrated into psychotherapy and psychotherapy research. We examine and review key statistical methods for conducting idiographic analyses. These methods include factor-based and vector autoregressive approaches using longitudinal data. The theoretical framework behind each approach is reviewed and critically evaluated. Empirical examples of each approach are discussed, with the aim of helping interested readers consider how they may use idiographic methods to analyze longitudinal data and psychological processes. Finally, we conclude by citing key limitations of the idiographic approach, calling for greater development of these analyses to ease their successful integration into clinical settings.
Topics: Humans; Psychology; Psychotherapy; Statistics as Topic
PubMed: 30665765
DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2019.01.002 -
Psychoneuroendocrinology Sep 2019It is imperative that research interrogating the biological pathways linking stress processes to health continue to translate the results of basic, preclinical... (Review)
Review
It is imperative that research interrogating the biological pathways linking stress processes to health continue to translate the results of basic, preclinical experimental research to diverse and under-represented populations, particularly those at elevated risk for morbidity and mortality. Conducting research within these populations and in community settings involves a number of challenges that ultimately contribute to their rarity and uneven quality in the scientific literature. In this review, we summarize the experiences and insights of members of an expert panel on this topic held at the 2018 meeting of the International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology in Newport Beach, CA. The goals of the session were to identify challenges and share strategies for testing plausible biopsychosocial models within diverse community samples in order to encourage others and improve future research. The present paper is organized into three themes: 1) Recruitment and retention, 2) Collecting biological samples outside of the laboratory, 3) Data analysis, interpretation, and dissemination. Our goal in composing this overview of the conference session was to share within the field of psychoneuroendocrinology the challenges inherent in translating basic research to community populations.
Topics: Bias; Community-Based Participatory Research; Humans; Psychology; Research Design; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 31150964
DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.05.017 -
The American Psychologist Jan 2021The field of psychology prides itself on being a data-driven science. In 2008, however, Arnett brought to light a major weakness in the evidence on which models,...
The field of psychology prides itself on being a data-driven science. In 2008, however, Arnett brought to light a major weakness in the evidence on which models, measures, and theories in psychology rest. He demonstrated that the most prominent journals in six subdisciplines of psychology focused almost exclusively (over 70% of samples and authors) on a cultural context, the United States, shared by only 5% of the world's population. How can psychologists trust that these models and results generalize to all humans, if the evidence comes from a small and unrepresentative portion of the global population? Arnett's analysis, cited over 1,300 times since its publication, appears to have galvanized researchers to think more globally. Social scientists from the United States have increasingly sought ways to collaborate with colleagues abroad. Ten years later, an analysis of the same 6 journals for the period of 2014 to 2018 indicates that the authors and samples are now on average a little over 60% American based. The change is mainly due to an increase in authorship and samples from other English-speaking and Western European countries. Thus, it might be said that 11% of the world's population is now represented in these top psychology journals, but that 89% of the world's population continues to be neglected. Majority world authors and samples (4-5%) are still sorely lacking from the evidence base. Psychology still has a long way to go to become a science truly representative of human beings. Several specific recommendations are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Cultural Characteristics; Female; Humans; Male; Models, Psychological; Psychology; Social Sciences; United States
PubMed: 32271027
DOI: 10.1037/amp0000622 -
The Journal of Adolescent Health :... Jan 2023
Topics: Humans; Adolescent; Mental Health; Psychology, Adolescent; Parents
PubMed: 36369112
DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.10.007 -
Current Psychiatry Reports Jul 2018The persistent maladaptive eating behavior characteristic of anorexia nervosa (AN) can be understood as a learned habit. This review describes the cognitive neuroscience... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
The persistent maladaptive eating behavior characteristic of anorexia nervosa (AN) can be understood as a learned habit. This review describes the cognitive neuroscience background and the existing data from research in AN.
RECENT FINDINGS
Behavior is habitual after it is frequently repeated and becomes nearly automatic, relatively insensitive to outcome, and mediated by dorsal frontostriatal neural systems. There is evidence for such behavior in AN, in which restrictive intake has been related to dorsal frontostriatal systems. Other neural and neurocognitive data provide mixed findings, some of which suggest disturbances in habit systems in AN. There are compelling behavioral and neural data to suggest that habit systems may underlie the persistence of AN. The habit model needs further research, via more direct behavioral hypothesis testing and probes of the development of habitual behavior. Investigation of the habit-centered model of AN may open avenues for the development of novel treatments.
Topics: Anorexia Nervosa; Cognitive Neuroscience; Habits; Humans; Learning
PubMed: 30039342
DOI: 10.1007/s11920-018-0928-5 -
American Journal of Community Psychology Dec 2023Mixed methods research (MMR) combines multiple traditions, methods, and worldviews to enrich research design and interpretation of data. In this virtual special issue,...
Mixed methods research (MMR) combines multiple traditions, methods, and worldviews to enrich research design and interpretation of data. In this virtual special issue, we highlight the use of MMR within the field of community psychology. The first MMR studies appeared in flagship community psychology journals over 30 years ago (in 1991). To explore the uses of MMR in the field, we first review existing literature by identifying all papers appearing in either Journal of Community Psychology or American Journal of Community Psychology in which the word "mixed" appeared. A total of 88 publications were identified. Many of these papers illustrate the pragmatic use of MMR to evaluate programs and to answer different research questions using different methods. We coded articles based on Green et al.'s classifications of the purpose of the mixing: triangulation, development, complementarity, expansion, and initiation. Complementarity was the most frequently used purpose (46.6% of articles), and nearly a quarter of articles mixed for multiple purposes (23.86%). We also coded for any community psychology values advanced by the use of mixed methods. We outline three themes here with corresponding exemplars. These articles illustrate how MMR can highlight ecological analysis and reconsider dominant, individual-level paradigms; center participant and community member experiences; and unpack paradoxes to increase the usefulness of research findings.
Topics: Humans; Research Design; Psychology
PubMed: 37786971
DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12703 -
PloS One 2021Courses that teach evidence-based interventions to enhance well-being are a public health tool that could be used to improve mental health in the population. We compared...
Courses that teach evidence-based interventions to enhance well-being are a public health tool that could be used to improve mental health in the population. We compared the well-being of six cohorts of adult students before and after they completed one of two massive open online courses: The Science of Well-Being (N = 581; 441; 1,228) and a control course, Introduction to Psychology (N = 677; 480; 1,480). Baseline well-being levels were equivalent across all six samples. Students in both courses increased in their well-being from baseline to follow-up in all three samples (p < .001); however, at follow-up, students in The Science of Well-Being course had higher subjective well-being than the control course (sample 1: r = .18, d = .37, p < .001; sample 2: r = .21, d = .43, p < .001; sample 3: r = .19, d = .38, p < .001). Overall, across three samples, we found that students who completed either of these online psychology courses increased in their well-being--but that students in The Science of Well-Being course showed greater improvement. These findings suggest that large free online courses that teach evidence-based approaches to well-being could positively impact mental health at large scales.
Topics: Adult; Case-Control Studies; Curriculum; Female; Humans; Male; Mental Health; Psychology; Students
PubMed: 33852597
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249193 -
Journal of Psychosomatic Research Jul 2023Positive psychology interventions (PPIs) have been found to be effective for psychiatric and somatic disorders. However, a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
Positive psychology interventions (PPIs) have been found to be effective for psychiatric and somatic disorders. However, a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effectiveness of PPIs for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is lacking. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to synthesize studies examining the effectiveness of PPIs and to examine their effects on mental well-being and distress using meta-analyses.
METHODS
This study was preregistered on OSF (https://osf.io/95sjg/). A systematic search was performed in PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus. Studies were included if they examined the effectiveness of PPIs on well-being for patients with CVD. Quality assessment was based on the Cochrane tool for assessing risk of bias. Three-level mixed-effects meta-regression models were used to analyze effect sizes of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
RESULTS
Twenty studies with 1222 participants were included, of which 15 were RCTs. Included studies showed high variability in study and intervention characteristics. Meta-analyses showed significant effects for mental well-being (β = 0.33) and distress (β = 0.34) at post-intervention and the effects were still significant at follow-up. Five of the 15 RCTs were classified as having fair quality, while the remaining had low quality.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that PPIs are effective in improving well-being and distress in patients with CVD and could therefore be a valuable addition for clinical practice. However, there is a need for more rigorous studies that are adequately powered and that help us understand what PPIs are most effective for which patient.
Topics: Humans; Cardiovascular Diseases; Psychology, Positive; Mental Health
PubMed: 37098284
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2023.111328 -
Perspectives on Psychological Science :... Nov 2016Smartphones now offer the promise of collecting behavioral data unobtrusively, in situ, as it unfolds in the course of daily life. Data can be collected from the onboard... (Review)
Review
Smartphones now offer the promise of collecting behavioral data unobtrusively, in situ, as it unfolds in the course of daily life. Data can be collected from the onboard sensors and other phone logs embedded in today's off-the-shelf smartphone devices. These data permit fine-grained, continuous collection of people's social interactions (e.g., speaking rates in conversation, size of social groups, calls, and text messages), daily activities (e.g., physical activity and sleep), and mobility patterns (e.g., frequency and duration of time spent at various locations). In this article, we have drawn on the lessons from the first wave of smartphone-sensing research to highlight areas of opportunity for psychological research, present practical considerations for designing smartphone studies, and discuss the ongoing methodological and ethical challenges associated with research in this domain. It is our hope that these practical guidelines will facilitate the use of smartphones as a behavioral observation tool in psychological science.
Topics: Behavior; Computer Security; Humans; Psychology; Research Design; Smartphone
PubMed: 27899727
DOI: 10.1177/1745691616650285