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The Behavioral and Brain Sciences Sep 2019In this commentary on May's Regard for Reason in the Moral Mind, I argue that many of the interdisciplinary moral psychologists whom May terms "pessimists" are often...
In this commentary on May's Regard for Reason in the Moral Mind, I argue that many of the interdisciplinary moral psychologists whom May terms "pessimists" are often considerably more optimistic about the prospects for progress in moral inquiry than he contends.
PubMed: 31506128
DOI: 10.1017/S0140525X1800273X -
The British Journal of Clinical... Nov 2020Women's greater prevalence of anxiety disorders compared to men is widely assumed to be partly due to gender differences in cognitive and behavioural factors that...
OBJECTIVES
Women's greater prevalence of anxiety disorders compared to men is widely assumed to be partly due to gender differences in cognitive and behavioural factors that perpetuate anxiety, such as repetitive negative thinking (RNT) and avoidance. However, past studies assessing this assumption have not controlled for gender differences in baseline symptom severity, the type of stressful life experiences against which RNT and avoidance are measured, or emotional reactivity to these experiences.
DESIGN
Using a two-group design, the present study controlled for these confounds by comparing avoidance and RNT in relation to a controlled symptom provocation task in spider phobic men and women with equivalent spider fear severity on the Fear of Spiders Questionnaire.
METHODS
Participants engaged in a behavioural approach test (BAT) involving a live spider, during which they were assessed for avoidance (physical proximity to the spider) and subjective distress. Two weeks later, participants reported on their levels of negative affect and RNT experienced during the preceding weeks in relation to the BAT.
RESULTS
Women exhibited greater avoidance and reported greater RNT than men, despite reporting comparable distress and negative affect. Gender remained a significant predictor of avoidance when accounting for distress and also remained a significant predictor of RNT when accounting for depressive symptoms and negative affect.
CONCLUSIONS
These results provide in vivo evidence that heightened avoidance and RNT may perpetuate anxiety symptoms in women independently of gender differences in symptom severity, daily experiences, or emotional reactivity.
PRACTITIONER POINTS
Following symptom provocation, men and women with spider phobia differ in cognitive and behavioural coping responses. Women exhibit greater avoidance and repetitive negative thinking than men, and these differences are not attributable to gender differences in symptom severity or emotional reactivity. These findings provide novel evidence for gender differences in maintaining factors that perpetuate anxiety disorders whilst accounting for confounding factors present in prior research.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Fear; Female; Humans; Male; Pessimism; Phobic Disorders; Social Perception; Surveys and Questionnaires; Thinking; Young Adult
PubMed: 32955767
DOI: 10.1111/bjc.12267 -
International Journal of Environmental... Sep 2022Understanding the emotional profile of students during their training, as well as associated psychosocial factors such as optimism versus pessimism and self-esteem, is...
Understanding the emotional profile of students during their training, as well as associated psychosocial factors such as optimism versus pessimism and self-esteem, is critical to improving student performance, especially in the post-pandemic period. In this study, 798 university students participated, belonging to the Degrees of Early Childhood and Primary Education, with a mean age of 24.52 years (±5.48). The following instruments were used: Wong Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS-S), Life Orientation Test Revised (LOT-R) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). The objective was to determine the predictive value of self-esteem on emotional intelligence and optimism vs. pessimism. A positive relationship between several dimensions of the instruments used ( < 0.01) were found. Moreover, the regression model predicted an association between emotional intelligence (use of emotions), pessimism and self-esteem. The practical consequences suggest the importance of the acquisition of emotional competences by university students is essential to obtain higher performances.
Topics: Adult; Child, Preschool; Emotional Intelligence; Emotions; Humans; Pandemics; Self Concept; Students; Young Adult
PubMed: 36231796
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912499 -
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy May 2021It has been proposed that repetitive negative thinking (worry and rumination) may be more common among adults who have been exposed to childhood adverse experiences,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
It has been proposed that repetitive negative thinking (worry and rumination) may be more common among adults who have been exposed to childhood adverse experiences, leading to emotional disorders and other adverse outcomes. The current study aims to present a comprehensive evaluation of the literature examining the relationship between the exposure to childhood adversities, repetitive negative thinking and clinical outcomes in adulthood.
METHODS
In accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria, a search was conducted on PubMed and Ebsco. A manual search of reference lists was also run. Search terms were 'childhood adversity/childhood abuse/childhood neglect/early loss event AND worry or rumination'.
RESULTS
A total of 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. In both non-clinical and clinical populations, worry and rumination seem to be common among adults exposed to childhood abuse or childhood neglect. Among adults who have been exposed to childhood adversities, rumination seems to be associated with worse clinical outcomes such as severe psychiatric symptoms, depression, dysphoria, suicidal ideation, cognitive complaints, post-traumatic stress symptoms and aggression.
CONCLUSION
Early experiences of abuse and neglect may be associated with a tendency to engage in repetitive negative thinking, such as worry and rumination, in adulthood. Among adults, with a history of childhood adversities, tailored treatment to reduce repetitive negative thinking should be considered.
Topics: Adult; Adverse Childhood Experiences; Anxiety; Child; Depressive Disorder, Major; Humans; Pessimism; Suicidal Ideation
PubMed: 33861493
DOI: 10.1002/cpp.2590 -
Personality and Individual Differences Jun 2021This study used reversal theory to examine motivational predictors of well-being and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. 149 UK based respondents completed an...
This study used reversal theory to examine motivational predictors of well-being and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. 149 UK based respondents completed an online survey including measures of demographics, well-being, coping, motivational style, and dominance. Well-being was predicted by optimism (positively), autic and mastery (negatively) dominances, by alloic sympathy, optimism and paratelic motivation styles (positively), and, negatively by arousal seeking, arousability and pessimism. Coping was positively predicted by optimism and negativism dominances and by negativist, paratelic and telic motivations, and, negatively by arousability and pessimism. Using motivational dominances, indirect support was identified for the link between psychodiversity and well-being, but not coping. Findings suggest that well-being and, to a lesser degree, coping could be enhanced by encouraging individuals to experience a range of motivations, possibly focusing on those identified here as significant predictors. Future research needs to determine the context specificity of these findings and explore psychodiversity, well-being and coping using both metamotivational states and composite profiles incorporating the full range of motivational constructs.
PubMed: 33531726
DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.110703 -
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine Jun 2022Certain geographical and social borderlands breed despair and pessimism. In the post-Soviet Latvian borderlands traditions of alcohol use mark out some of the...
Certain geographical and social borderlands breed despair and pessimism. In the post-Soviet Latvian borderlands traditions of alcohol use mark out some of the contradictory expectations of masculinity in the new liberal economy. In this perspective piece I will be looking at how certain discourses serve to conceal the degrading conditions and lack of opportunity in certain occupations. This argument will be pursued in relation to the occupation of timber logging which is an exclusively male occupation (although this was not the case during the early Soviet period). This occupation reflects not just the terms of working conditions but illustrates the gendered nature of misfortune in Latvia. Loggers speak of a lack of perspective in their lives. I will examine the meaning and implications of this lack of perspective.
Topics: Humans; Latvia; Male; Masculinity
PubMed: 34482848
DOI: 10.1017/ipm.2020.101 -
PloS One 2022Using data from all those born in a single week in 1958 in Britain we track associations between short pain and chronic pain in mid-life (age 44) and subsequent health,...
Using data from all those born in a single week in 1958 in Britain we track associations between short pain and chronic pain in mid-life (age 44) and subsequent health, wellbeing and labor market outcomes in later life. We focus on data taken at age 50 in 2008, when the Great Recession hit and then five years later at age 55 in 2013 and again at age 62 in 2021 during the Covid pandemic. We find those suffering both short-term and chronic pain at age 44 continue to report pain and poor general health in their 50s and 60s. However, the associations are much stronger for those with chronic pain. Furthermore, chronic pain at age 44 is associated with a range of poor mental health outcomes, pessimism about the future and joblessness at age 55 whereas short-duration pain at age 44 is not. Pain has strong predictive power for pain later in life: pain in childhood predicts pain in mid-life, even when one controls for pain in early adulthood. Pain appears to reflect other vulnerabilities as we find that chronic pain at age 44 predicts whether or not a respondent has Covid nearly twenty years later.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Middle Aged; Child Development; Chronic Pain; COVID-19; Unemployment
PubMed: 36322526
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275095 -
PloS One 2022According to the World Health Organization, pandemic fatigue poses a serious threat for managing COVID-19. Pandemic fatigue is characterized by progressive decline in...
According to the World Health Organization, pandemic fatigue poses a serious threat for managing COVID-19. Pandemic fatigue is characterized by progressive decline in adherence to social distancing (SDIS) guidelines, and is thought to be associated with pandemic-related emotional burnout. Little is known about the nature of pandemic fatigue; for example, it is unclear who is most likely to develop pandemic fatigue. We sought to evaluate this issue based on data from 5,812 American and Canadian adults recruited during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Past-year decline in adherence to SDIS had a categorical latent structure according to Latent Class Analysis, consisting of a group adherent to SDIS (Class 1: 92% of the sample) and a group reporting a progressive decline in adherence to SDIS (i.e., pandemic fatigue; Class 2: 8% of the sample). Class 2, compared to Class 1, was associated with greater pandemic-related burnout, pessimism, and apathy about the COVID-19 pandemic. They also tended to be younger, perceived themselves to be more affluent, tended to have greater levels of narcissism, entitlement, and gregariousness, and were more likely to report having been previously infected with SARSCOV2, which they regarded as an exaggerated threat. People in Class 2 also self-reported higher levels of pandemic-related stress, anxiety, and depression, and described making active efforts at coping with SDIS restrictions, which they perceived as unnecessary and stressful. People in Class 1 generally reported that they engaged in SDIS for the benefit of themselves and their community, although 35% of this class also feared they would be publicly shamed if they did not comply with SDIS guidelines. The findings suggest that pandemic fatigue affects a substantial minority of people and even many SDIS-adherent people experience emotionally adverse effects (i.e., fear of being shamed). Implications for the future of SDIS are discussed.
Topics: Adult; Humans; United States; Pandemics; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Latent Class Analysis; RNA, Viral; Canada; Fatigue; Burnout, Professional
PubMed: 36355709
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276791 -
The British Journal of Clinical... Nov 2022Rumination and worry have been implicated in the onset, severity, maintenance and relapse risk of depression and anxiety disorders. Despite this, little research has...
OBJECTIVES
Rumination and worry have been implicated in the onset, severity, maintenance and relapse risk of depression and anxiety disorders. Despite this, little research has examined individuals' personal experiences of these processes. This study investigates how individuals experience these processes, which will provide insight into these common features of mental disorders and inform the development of an online intervention specifically targeting rumination and worry.
DESIGN
An online qualitative survey was conducted to gain insight into people's personal definitions, experiences with and understandings of rumination and worry.
METHODS
Participants answered open- and close-ended questions about their personal understanding of rumination and worry, typical thought content, triggers, frequency, duration and coping strategies. Participant responses were coded into themes. Participants also completed self-report questionnaires of depression, anxiety and stress and repetitive negative thinking.
RESULTS
Two hundred and seven adults completed the online survey (76% female; mean age = 28.2 years, range = 17-71), 51% of whom reported previously experiencing depression and anxiety. All participants were familiar with the concept of worry, whereas 28% of participants indicated they had never heard of rumination. Participants reported most commonly ruminating and/or worrying about personal relationships, past mistakes, negative experiences and conversations/social interactions. The most commonly reported triggers for rumination and/or worry were social situations/interpersonal interactions (25%) and negative events/experiences (24%). Distraction was the most common coping strategy (48%); however, 21% reported being unable to stop themselves from ruminating and/or worrying.
CONCLUSIONS
The results provide a unique insight into the personal experiences and understandings of rumination and worry of potential end users of treatment programs targeting these processes.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Cognition; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pessimism; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
PubMed: 35411619
DOI: 10.1111/bjc.12367 -
Behavioral Ecology : Official Journal... 2022Individuals differ in the way they judge ambiguous information: some individuals interpret ambiguous information in a more optimistic, and others in a more pessimistic...
Individuals differ in the way they judge ambiguous information: some individuals interpret ambiguous information in a more optimistic, and others in a more pessimistic way. Over the past two decades, such "optimistic" and "pessimistic" cognitive judgment biases (CJBs) have been utilized in animal welfare science as indicators of animals' emotional states. However, empirical studies on their ecological and evolutionary relevance are still lacking. We, therefore, aimed at transferring the concept of "optimism" and "pessimism" to behavioral ecology and investigated the role of genetic and environmental factors in modulating CJB in mice. In addition, we assessed the temporal stability of individual differences in CJB. We show that the chosen genotypes (C57BL/6J and B6D2F1N) and environments ("scarce" and "complex") did not have a statistically significant influence on the responses in the CJB test. By contrast, they influenced anxiety-like behavior with C57BL/6J mice and mice from the "complex" environment displaying less anxiety-like behavior than B6D2F1N mice and mice from the "scarce" environment. As the selected genotypes and environments did not explain the existing differences in CJB, future studies might investigate the impact of other genotypes and environmental conditions on CJB, and additionally, elucidate the role of other potential causes like endocrine profiles and epigenetic modifications. Furthermore, we show that individual differences in CJB were repeatable over a period of seven weeks, suggesting that CJB represents a temporally stable trait in laboratory mice. Therefore, we encourage the further study of CJB within an animal personality framework.
PubMed: 35812364
DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac040