Showing papers in "Journal of Abnormal Psychology in 2020"

Ambulatory assessment in psychopathology research: A review of recommended reporting guidelines and current practices.

Abstract: The use of ambulatory assessment (AA; Trull & Ebner-Priemer, 2013) in psychopathology research, which includes experience-sampling methods as well as ecological momentary assessment, has increased dramatically over the last several decades. Previously, methodological and reporting guidelines have been presented to outline best practices and provide input on methodological issues and decisions that are faced when planning and conducting AA studies (e.g., Bolger & Laurenceau, 2013; Mehl & Conner, 2012; Stone & Shiffman, 2002). However, despite the publication of these important resources and guidelines, it remains an open question as to how much uniformity or consistency is evident in the design and reporting of AA studies of psychopathology. To address this, we reviewed the reported practices of published studies using AA in major psychopathology journals (Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Psychological Medicine, Clinical Psychological Science) over the last 7 years (2012-2018). Our review highlights (a) sample selection and size; (b) sampling design; (c) selection and reporting of measures; (d) devices used and software; (e) compliance; (f) participant training, monitoring and remuneration; and (g) data management and analysis. We conclude with recommendations for reporting the features of future AA studies in psychopathology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Redefining Phenotypes to Advance Psychiatric Genetics: Implications From Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology

Abstract: Genetic discovery in psychiatry and clinical psychology is hindered by suboptimal phenotypic definitions. We argue that the hierarchical, dimensional, and data-driven classification system proposed by the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) consortium provides a more effective approach to identifying genes that underlie mental disorders, and to studying psychiatric etiology, than current diagnostic categories. Specifically, genes are expected to operate at different levels of the HiTOP hierarchy, with some highly pleiotropic genes influencing higher order psychopathology (e.g., the general factor), whereas other genes conferring more specific risk for individual spectra (e.g., internalizing), subfactors (e.g., fear disorders), or narrow symptoms (e.g., mood instability). We propose that the HiTOP model aligns well with the current understanding of the higher order genetic structure of psychopathology that has emerged from a large body of family and twin studies. We also discuss the convergence between the HiTOP model and findings from recent molecular studies of psychopathology indicating broad genetic pleiotropy, such as cross-disorder SNP-based shared genetic covariance and polygenic risk scores, and we highlight molecular genetic studies that have successfully redefined phenotypes to enhance precision and statistical power. Finally, we suggest how to integrate a HiTOP approach into future molecular genetic research, including quantitative and hierarchical assessment tools for future data-collection and recommendations concerning phenotypic analyses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

The role of affect in the maintenance of binge-eating disorder: Evidence from an ecological momentary assessment study.

Abstract: Affect regulation models of eating disorder behavior, which predict worsening of affect prior to binge-eating episodes and improvement in affect following such episodes, have received support in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. However, limited work has examined the trajectories of affect surrounding binge eating in binge-eating disorder (BED). In the current study, ecological momentary assessment data from 112 men and women with BED were used to examine the trajectories of positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), guilt, fear, hostility, and sadness relative to binge-eating episodes. Prior to binge episodes, PA significantly decreased, whereas NA and guilt significantly increased. Following binge episodes, levels of NA and guilt significantly decreased and PA stabilized. Overall, results indicate improvements in affect following binge-eating episodes, suggesting that binge eating may function to alleviate unpleasant emotional experiences among individuals with BED, which is consistent with affect regulation models of eating pathology. Because improvements in negative affect were primarily driven by change in guilt, findings also highlight the relative importance of understanding the relationship between guilt and binge-eating behavior within this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Body mistrust bridges interoceptive awareness and eating disorder symptoms.

Abstract: Interoceptive awareness (IA), or the awareness of internal body states, is known to be impaired in individuals with eating disorders (EDs); however, little is understood about how IA and ED symptoms are connected. Network analysis is a statistical approach useful for examining how symptoms interrelate and how comorbidities may be maintained. The present study used network analysis to (1) test central symptoms within an IA-ED network, (2) identify symptoms that may bridge the association between IA and ED symptoms, and (3) explore whether central and bridge symptoms predict ED remission at discharge from intensive treatment. A regularized partial correlation network was estimated in a sample of 428 adolescent (n = 187) and adult (n = 241) ED patients in a partial hospital program. IA was assessed using items from the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, and ED symptoms were assessed using items from the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire. Central symptoms within the network were strong desire to lose weight, feeling guilty, and listening for information from the body about emotional state. The most central symptom bridging IA and ED symptoms was (not) feeling safe in one's body. Of the central symptoms, greater desire to lose weight predicted lower likelihood of remission at treatment discharge. Bridge symptoms did not significantly predict remission. Body mistrust may be a mechanism by which associations between IA and EDs are maintained. Findings suggest targeting central and bridge symptoms may be helpful to improve IA and ED symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Methodological choices in event-related potential (ERP) research and their impact on internal consistency reliability and individual differences: An examination of the error-related negativity (ERN) and anxiety.

Abstract: Researchers in clinical psychophysiology make several methodological decisions during the analysis of event-related potentials (ERPs). In the current study, we review these choices from the perspective of individual differences. We focus on baseline period and reference scheme (i.e., average, mastoid, current source density), as well as choices regarding where (i.e., single electrode site vs. pooling of sites), when (i.e., area, area around peak), and how (i.e., subtraction- or regression-based difference scores) to quantify ERPs. To illustrate the impact of these analytic pathways on internal consistency reliability and individual differences, we focus on the error-related negativity (ERN) and anxiety-and present data from 2 samples: 1st, in adults with diagnosed generalized anxiety disorder (GAD); 2nd, in relation to continuous self-reported symptoms of GAD in a large community sample of female adolescents. Results generally indicated similar internal consistency and between-subjects effect sizes across all evaluated methods. Nonetheless, some patterns of variation emerged, such as that, across both data sets, difference-based ERN measures, especially with mastoid reference, yielded more robust associations with GAD diagnosis and symptoms, despite somewhat lower internal consistency. The current analyses suggest that the association between ERN and anxiety is robust across a range of commonly used methodological choices. The present study is an example of how systematic analyses of analytic strategies on measures of internal consistency and between-subjects variability could help inform individual-differences ERP research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Eating disorder core symptoms and symptom pathways across developmental stages: A network analysis.

Abstract: Eating disorders (EDs) often develop during adolescence and early adulthood but may persist, arise, or reemerge across the life span. Research and treatment efforts primarily focus on adolescent and young adult populations, leaving large knowledge gaps regarding ED symptoms across the entire developmental spectrum. The current study uses network analysis to compare central symptoms (i.e., symptoms that are highly connected to other symptoms) and symptom pathways (i.e., relations among symptoms) across five developmental stages (early adolescence, late adolescence, young adulthood, early-middle adulthood, middle-late adulthood) in a large sample of individuals with EDs (N = 29,902; N = 32,219) in two network models. Several symptoms related to overeating, food avoidance, feeling full, and overvaluation of weight and shape emerged as central in most or all developmental stages, suggesting that some core symptoms remain central across development. Despite similarities in central symptoms, significant differences in network structure (i.e., how symptom pathways are connected) emerged across age groups. These differences suggest that symptom interconnectivity (but not symptom severity) might increase across development. Future research should continue to investigate developmental symptom differences in order to inform treatment for individuals with EDs of all ages. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Participant carelessness and fraud: Consequences for clinical research and potential solutions.

Abstract: Clinical psychological research studies often require individuals with specific characteristics. The Internet can be used to recruit broadly, enabling the recruitment of rare groups such as people with specific psychological disorders. However, Internet-based research relies on participant self-report to determine eligibility, and thus, data quality depends on participant honesty. For those rare groups, even low levels of participant dishonesty can lead to a substantial proportion of fraudulent survey responses, and all studies will include careless respondents who do not pay attention to questions, do not understand them, or provide intentionally wrong responses. Poor-quality responses should be thought of as categorically different from high-quality responses. Including these responses will lead to the overestimation of the prevalence of rare groups and incorrect estimates of scale reliability, means, and correlations between constructs. We demonstrate that for these reasons, including poor-quality responses-which are usually positively skewed-will lead to several data-quality problems including spurious associations between measures. We provide recommendations about how to ensure that fraudulent participants are detected and excluded from self-report research studies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Transdiagnostic approaches to psychopathology measurement: Recommendations for measure selection, data analysis, and participant recruitment.

Abstract: Transdiagnostic frameworks such as the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) and Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) offer an exciting future for psychopathology research but may pose measurement and data analytic challenges because historically researchers have often relied on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to guide psychopathology assessment. We address these challenges by providing recommendations for (a) measure selection, (b) data analysis, and (c) participant recruitment when conducting research from a transdiagnostic, dimensional perspective. Examples presented demonstrate how both broad psychopathology spectra and specific symptom dimensions can be assessed efficiently via interview, informant, and self-rated methods. Using these dimensional assessment approaches rather than DSM categories can enhance precision when examining symptom relations for RDoC mechanisms and in treatment contexts. Additionally, alternative strategies to using DSM diagnostic status for participant selection can expedite study recruitment and maximize sample sizes. Thus, incorporating these recommendations can streamline research and improve measurement in many ways. We hope that these guidelines will facilitate integration among different transdiagnostic frameworks that have emerged to address limitations of the DSM. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Moral incongruence and compulsive sexual behavior: Results from cross-sectional interactions and parallel growth curve analyses.

Abstract: Despite controversies about the diagnosis, the World Health Organization recently elected to include compulsive sexual behavior disorder in the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases. Both recent and remote works have suggested that various cultural factors such as personal religiousness and morality can influence both the experience and expression of compulsive sexual behaviors. Because prior works have indicated that pornography use is likely to be the most common expression of compulsive sexual behavior, the present work sought to examine whether moral incongruence about pornography use may account for a substantive part of self-reports of compulsive sexual behavior. In 2 studies involving 4 samples, the present work tested the hypothesis that moral incongruence would positively predict self-reported compulsivity in pornography use. In Study 1, across 3 samples (Sample 1, N = 467; Sample 2, N = 739; Sample 3, N = 1,461), including 2 matched to U.S. nationally representative norms (Samples 2 and 3), results indicated that moral incongruence was a substantive and robust predictor of self-reported compulsivity. In Study 2 (baseline N = 850), parallel process latent growth curve analyses over the course of 1 year revealed that the trajectories of pornography use, self-reported compulsivity, and moral disapproval of such use covaried together over time. Collectively, these results underscore the contention that personal morality may influence individuals' self-perceptions of their sexual behaviors, which, in turn, may complicate efforts to accurately diagnose compulsive sexual behavior disorder. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Association of multidimensional schizotypy with psychotic-like experiences, affect, and social functioning in daily life: Comparable findings across samples and schizotypy measures

Abstract: The present study examined the associations of positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy with psychotic-like experiences, affect, and social functioning in daily life using experience sampling methodology (ESM) in 2 samples (ns = 165 and 203) that employed different measures of schizotypy. Schizotypy is a useful framework for understanding schizophrenia-spectrum psychopathology, and ESM offers a powerful approach for assessing schizotypy in real-world settings. Participants were signaled 8 times daily for 7 days to complete ESM questionnaires. As hypothesized, positive schizotypy was robustly associated with psychotic-like experiences in daily life, whereas negative schizotypy was associated with negative experiences, diminished positive affect, and social disinterest in both samples. As expected, disorganized schizotypy was associated with disorganization in daily life. Furthermore, it was associated with increased negative affect and diminished positive affect. Thus, positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy were associated with unique, hypothesized patterns of experiences in daily life, and the findings across the two samples and two schizotypy measures were strikingly consistent. Note that when disorganized schizotypy was not entered as a predictor in the 2 samples, disorganized experiences and negative affect in daily life were associated with positive schizotypy. However, when disorganized schizotypy was included as a predictor, these daily life experiences were associated with disorganized, not positive, schizotypy. This is similar to findings from interview and questionnaire studies that have simultaneously assessed positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy. The findings support the construct validity of the multidimensional model of schizotypy and the importance of including disorganization in the conceptualization and assessment of schizotypy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Apophenia as the disposition to false positives: A unifying framework for openness and psychoticism.

Abstract: Positive symptoms of schizophrenia and its extended phenotype-often termed psychoticism or positive schizotypy-are characterized by the inclusion of novel, erroneous mental contents. One promising framework for explaining positive symptoms involves apophenia, conceptualized here as a disposition toward false-positive errors. Apophenia and positive symptoms have shown relations to openness to experience (more specifically, to the openness aspect of the broader openness/intellect domain), and all of these constructs involve tendencies toward pattern seeking. Nonetheless, few studies have investigated the relations between psychoticism and non-self-report indicators of apophenia, let alone the role of normal personality variation. The current research used structural equation models to test associations between psychoticism, openness, intelligence, and non-self-report indicators of apophenia comprising false-positive error rates on a variety of computerized tasks. In Sample 1, 1,193 participants completed digit identification, theory of mind, and emotion recognition tasks. In Sample 2, 195 participants completed auditory signal detection and semantic word association tasks. Psychoticism and the openness aspect were positively correlated. Self-reported psychoticism, openness, and their shared variance were positively associated with apophenia, as indexed by false-positive error rates, whether or not intelligence was controlled for. Apophenia was not associated with other personality traits, and openness and psychoticism were not associated with false-negative errors. Findings provide insights into the measurement of apophenia and its relation to personality and psychopathology. Apophenia and pattern seeking may be promising constructs for unifying the openness aspect of personality with the psychosis spectrum and for providing an explanation of positive symptoms. Results are discussed in the context of possible adaptive characteristics of apophenia as well as potential risk factors for the development of psychotic disorders. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Longitudinal predictors of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in sexual and gender minority adolescents.

Abstract: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations are at increased risk for several negative psychological outcomes, including self-injury. Although correlates of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) have been identified, it is unclear which factors are prospective predictors of SITB engagement in SGM youth. The current study investigated an online sample of 252 SGM adolescents over a 6-month period. Participants reported attitudes based on SGM identity, depression, self-criticism, body image, family support and family strain, friend NSSI engagement, and experiences of everyday discrimination. Lasso and elastic net regularized logistic regressions were used to examine which baseline variables were associated with SITB engagement at follow-up. Models resulted in excellent predictive accuracy of nonsuicidal self-injury and suicidal ideation (mean Area Under the Receiving Operating Characteristics Curve [AUC] of 0.90 and 0.91), good predictive accuracy for suicide plans (mean AUC = 0.85), and fair predictive accuracy for suicidal behaviors (mean AUC = 0.78). Several variables emerged as prospectively related to SITB risk, with varied associations across different SITBs. Results suggest that minority-specific factors may predict SITBs in SGM adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Reward and punishment reversal-learning in major depressive disorder.

Abstract: Depression has been associated with impaired reward and punishment processing, but the specific nature of these deficits is still widely debated. We analyzed reinforcement-based decision making in individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) to identify the specific decision mechanisms contributing to poorer performance. Individuals with MDD (n = 64) and matched healthy controls (n = 64) performed a probabilistic reversal-learning task in which they used feedback to identify which of two stimuli had the highest probability of reward (reward condition) or lowest probability of punishment (punishment condition). Learning differences were characterized using a hierarchical Bayesian reinforcement learning model. Depressed individuals made fewer optimal choices and adjusted more slowly to reversals in both the reward and punishment conditions. Computational modeling revealed that depressed individuals showed lower learning-rates and, to a lesser extent, lower value sensitivity in both the reward and punishment conditions. Learning-rates also predicted depression more accurately than simple performance metrics. These results demonstrate that depression is characterized by a hyposensitivity to positive outcomes, but not a hypersensitivity to negative outcomes. Additionally, we demonstrate that computational modeling provides a more precise characterization of the dynamics contributing to these learning deficits, offering stronger insights into the mechanistic processes affected by depression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Effects of childhood trauma, daily stress, and emotions on daily cortisol levels in individuals vulnerable to suicide.

Abstract: Suicide is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, as measured by cortisol levels, has been identified as 1 potential risk factor. Evidence has indicated that childhood trauma is associated with dysregulated cortisol reactivity to stress in adulthood. The current study investigated for the first time whether childhood trauma and daily stressors and emotions were associated with diurnal cortisol levels over a 7-day study in individuals vulnerable to suicide. One hundred and forty-two participants were categorized according to their suicidal history into 3 groups: suicide attempt, suicidal ideation, or control group. Participants completed questionnaires before commencing a 7-day study. Cortisol samples were provided immediately upon waking, at 15 min, 30 min, 45 min, 3 hr, 6 hr, 9 hr, and 12 hr on 7 consecutive days. Measures of daily stressors, mood, defeat, and entrapment were completed at the end of each day. Participants in the suicide attempt and ideation groups released significantly lower cortisol upon awakening (CAR) and had a tendency toward flatter wake-peak to 12 hr (WP-12) cortisol slopes compared to controls. Childhood trauma was found to be associated with significantly lower CAR and a tendency toward flatter WP-12 cortisol slope. Childhood trauma also had an indirect effect on suicide vulnerability group membership via lower daily CAR levels. Lower CAR was associated with increased suicide ideation at 1 month but not 6 months. Daily stress and emotion measures were not associated with cortisol levels. This is the first 7-day daily diary investigation of naturally fluctuating cortisol levels in individuals vulnerable to suicide. The results indicate that dysregulated HPA axis activity is associated with suicidal ideation and behavior. Childhood trauma appears to be an important distal factor associated with HPA-axis dysregulation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Rumination longitudinally mediates the association of minority stress and depression in sexual and gender minority individuals.

Abstract: Minority stress theory describes the excess stressors to which individuals from stigmatized groups are exposed as a result of their marginalized status(es), which can contribute to higher rates of depression among sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals. The psychological mediation framework expanded on minority stress theory by proposing that rumination may link minority stressors to depression. Although previous studies have shown that rumination mediates associations between minority stressors and psychological distress among SGM individuals, many have done so using cross-sectional data, despite mediation being a process that occurs over time. To address this limitation, the present longitudinal study examined rumination as a mediator of the associations of three minority stressors (i.e., victimization, microaggressions, and internalized stigma) with depressive symptoms among 1,130 young men who have sex with men (YMSM) and young transgender women (YTW). The data were taken from baseline, 6-month, and 1-year assessments from a large cohort of YMSM and YTW. Consistent with hypotheses, rumination at 6-month follow-up fully longitudinally mediated associations between victimization, microaggressions, and internalized stigma at baseline and depression at 1-year follow-up. Results suggest that rumination is an important area of intervention for clinicians treating SGM individuals who experience symptoms of depression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

A 30-year longitudinal study of body weight, dieting, and eating pathology across women and men from late adolescence to later midlife.

Abstract: Eating disorders (EDs) are more common among younger women compared to older women and in women compared to men. As such, most ED research focuses on late adolescent and young adult females resulting in limited prospective research on gender differences in eating disorder psychopathology across the life span. The present study addresses this gap by examining gender differences in ED diagnoses, eating pathology, and the impact of putative risk factors on eating pathology in women (n = 624) and men (n = 276) over a 30-year period from late adolescence (M (SD) = 20[2] years) to later midlife (M (SD) = 50[2] years). Four assessment waves were conducted, beginning with baseline participation during college and subsequent 10-, 20-, and 30-year follow-up. Retention at 30-year follow-up was 72% (n = 440) for women and 67% (n = 181) for men. Prevalence of DSM-5 ED diagnoses decreased over the 30-year span for women and remained stable for men, with no significant gender difference in point prevalence by age 50. Drive for thinness decreased for women through age 50 and increased for men, while bulimic symptoms decreased as both genders aged. Multilevel models demonstrated that the impact of dieting as a risk factor on drive for thinness decreased prospectively as men aged and remained stable as women aged. Results imply that current risk models require refinement to account for developmental trajectories in which dramatic gender differences observed in late adolescence diminish over time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Criterion validity and relationships between alternative hierarchical dimensional models of general and specific psychopathology.

Abstract: [Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 129(7) of Journal of Abnormal Psychology (see record 2020-72912-001). In the article (http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/abn0000601), an acknowledgment is missing from the author note. The missing acknowledgement is included in the erratum.] Psychopathology can be viewed as a hierarchy of correlated dimensions. Many studies have supported this conceptualization, but they have used alternative statistical models with differing interpretations. In bifactor models, every symptom loads on both the general factor and 1 specific factor (e.g., internalizing), which partitions the total explained variance in each symptom between these orthogonal factors. In second-order models, symptoms load on one of several correlated lower-order factors. These lower-order factors load on a second-order general factor, which is defined by the variance shared by the lower-order factors. Thus, the factors in second-order models are not orthogonal. Choosing between these valid statistical models depends on the hypothesis being tested. Because bifactor models define orthogonal phenotypes with distinct sources of variance, they are optimal for studies of shared and unique associations of the dimensions of psychopathology with external variables putatively relevant to etiology and mechanisms. Concerns have been raised, however, about the reliability of the orthogonal specific factors in bifactor models. We evaluated this concern using parent symptom ratings of 9-10 year olds in the ABCD Study. Psychometric indices indicated that all factors in both bifactor and second-order models exhibited at least adequate construct reliability and estimated replicability. The factors defined in bifactor and second-order models were highly to moderately correlated across models, but have different interpretations. All factors in both models demonstrated significant associations with external criterion variables of theoretical and clinical importance, but the interpretation of such associations in second-order models was ambiguous due to shared variance among factors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Big five personality traits and common mental disorders within a hierarchical taxonomy of psychopathology: A longitudinal study of Mexican-origin youth.

Abstract: The present study (a) tested whether a structure of common mental disorders within the hierarchical taxonomy of psychopathology was invariant from late childhood to adolescence in a sample of Mexican-origin youth, (b) examined the developmental course of psychopathology at different levels of the hierarchy, and (c) tested the degree to which changes in psychopathology were associated with changes in the Big Five personality domains. Results were consistent with the longitudinal hierarchical invariance of common mental disorders from age 12 to 17 (n = 674). Further, initial levels of conscientiousness, agreeableness, and emotional stability were positively associated with lower initial levels of a higher order factor of psychopathology, and increases in extraversion and decreases in neuroticism were associated with decreases in a higher order factor of psychopathology, which captured the general tendency for externalizing, internalizing, and attention-hyperactivity-related dimensions of psychopathology to correlate. Results of the present study indicate that a hierarchical model of common mental disorders extends to Mexican-origin youth and that developmental change in Big Five personality are related to developmental change in psychopathology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Extreme-groups designs in studies of dimensional phenomena: Advantages, caveats, and recommendations.

Abstract: Extreme-groups designs (EGDs) are common in psychopathology research, often using diagnostic category as an independent variable. Continuous-variable analysis strategies drawing from a general linear model framework can be applied to such designs. The growing emphasis on dimensional examinations of psychological constructs, encouraged by the National Institute of Mental Health Research Domain Criteria framework, encourages continuous-variable analytic strategies. However, the interpretative implications of applying these strategies to various types of populations and sample score distributions, including those used in EGDs, are not always recognized. Appropriateness and utility of EGDs depend in part on whether the goal is to determine whether a relationship exists between 2 variables or to determine its strength. Whereas the literature investigating EGDs has emphasized symmetrical thresholds for defining extreme groups (e.g., bottom 10% vs. top 10%), psychopathologists often employ asymmetric thresholds (e.g., above a diagnostic threshold vs. a broader range of scores in a healthy comparison group). The present article selectively reviews literature on EGDs and extends it with simulations of symmetric and asymmetric selection criteria. Results indicate that including a wide range of scores in EGDs substantially mitigates problems (e.g., inflation of effect size) that arise when using statistical methods classically employed for continuous variables. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Social anxiety is negatively associated with theory of mind and empathic accuracy.

Abstract: Social anxiety interferes with accurate perceptions of others' thoughts and intentions, yet studies examining the association between social anxiety and social cognition have resulted in mixed findings. We examined the association between dimensional levels of social anxiety and assessments of lower- and higher-level social cognition. In Study 1 (n = 1485), we found that social anxiety was negatively related to accuracy in an assessment of higher-level social cognition (i.e., theory of mind) across all stimuli. However, no consistent association was found between social anxiety and accuracy in an assessment of lower-level social cognition (i.e., emotion recognition). In Study 2 (n = 363), we found that social anxiety was negatively associated with another higher-level form of social cognition, empathic accuracy, for positive but not negative stimuli. These findings demonstrate that social anxiety is negatively associated with higher-level social cognition but not lower-level social cognition, and this association appears to be more consistent for positive stimuli. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The association of life stress with substance use symptoms: A network analysis and replication.

Abstract: A growing body of evidence highlights the role of life stress as a risk factor for the development and relapse of substance use disorders (SUDs), but the relationship of life stress with the interactions among SUD symptoms is overlooked. The current study investigated the role of life stress in symptom networks of 3 different SUDs-alcohol, tobacco, and drug use-using the U.S. representative data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) I and II (N = 34,653). The symptom networks were estimated using the Ising model and l1-regularziation with model selection based on the Extended Bayesian Information Criterion. We examined the association of stress with 2 network characteristics: the network connectivity and the network structure. In addition, we applied bootstrap routines to examine the stability of our results and tested whether our findings of Wave 1 replicated in Wave II of the NESARC. For alcohol and drug use symptoms, but not for tobacco use symptoms, greater network connectivity (which is related to psychiatric severity and prognosis) was associated with the number of stressors. In contrast, the structure of SUD symptom networks remained stable regardless of the level of stress, which indicated that the order of central nodes in the symptom networks was not significantly associated with stress. Altogether, our findings suggest that there is a quantitative (i.e., greater connectivity), but not qualitative (i.e., structure), difference in alcohol and drug use symptom relationships associated with life stress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Influence of prior beliefs on perception in early psychosis: Effects of illness stage and hierarchical level of belief.

Abstract: Alterations in the balance between prior expectations and sensory evidence may account for faulty perceptions and inferences leading to psychosis. However, uncertainties remain about the nature of altered prior expectations and the degree to which they vary with the emergence of psychosis. We explored how expectations arising at two different levels-cognitive and perceptual-influenced processing of sensory information and whether relative influences of higher- and lower-level priors differed across people with prodromal symptoms and those with psychotic illness. In two complementary auditory perception experiments, 91 participants (30 with first-episode psychosis, 29 at clinical risk for psychosis, and 32 controls) were required to decipher a phoneme within ambiguous auditory input. Expectations were generated in two ways: an accompanying visual input of lip movements observed during auditory presentation or through written presentation of a phoneme provided prior to auditory presentation. We determined how these different types of information shaped auditory perceptual experience, how this was altered across the prodromal and established phases of psychosis, and how this relates to cingulate glutamate levels assessed by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The psychosis group relied more on high-level cognitive priors compared to both healthy controls and those at clinical risk for psychosis and relied more on low-level perceptual priors than the clinical risk group. The risk group was marginally less reliant on low-level perceptual priors than controls. The results are consistent with previous theory that influences of prior expectations in perceptions in psychosis differ according to level of prior and illness phase. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Computational models of drug use and addiction: A review.

Abstract: In this brief review, we describe current computational models of drug-use and addiction that fall into 2 broad categories: mathematically based models that rely on computational theories, and brain-based models that link computations to brain areas or circuits. Across categories, many are models of learning and decision-making, which may be compromised in addiction. Several mathematical models take predictive coding approaches, focusing on Bayesian prediction error. Other models focus on learning processes and (traditional) prediction error. Brain-based models have incorporated prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia, and the dopamine system, based on the effects of drugs on dopamine, motivation, and executive control circuits. Several models specifically describe how behavioral control may transition from habitual to goal-directed systems, consistent with computational accounts of compromised "model-based" control. Some brain-based models have linked this to the transition of behavioral control from ventral to dorsal striatum. Overall, we propose that while computational models capture some aspects of addiction and have advanced our thinking, most have focused on the effects of drug use rather than addiction per se, most have not been tested on and/or supported by human data, and few capture multiple stages and symptoms of addiction. We conclude by suggesting a path forward for computational models of addiction. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Temporal associations between sleep quality and paranoia across the paranoia continuum: An experience sampling study.

Abstract: Sleep disturbances are prevalent among individuals with a psychotic disorder and have been linked to symptoms of paranoia across the entire psychosis continuum. Emerging evidence suggests that rather than a secondary symptom, poor quality of sleep may contribute to elevated paranoid ideation. We investigated the temporal dynamics of sleep quality and paranoid ideation using the experience sampling method in 42 acutely paranoid individuals with a psychotic disorder, 32 nonparanoid individuals with psychotic disorder, and 41 individuals with high schizotypy traits. We applied time-lagged mixed multilevel modeling to tease apart the effect of poor sleep quality on morning paranoia and negative affect, and the impact of evening paranoid ideation and negative affect on subsequent sleep quality. In the whole sample, poor subjective sleep quality predicted elevated paranoia the following morning, a relationship that was fully mediated by morning negative affect. No significant association between evening paranoia and poor sleep the following night emerged. In the everyday lives of individuals on the paranoia continuum, low quality of sleep appears to drive paranoia through its impact on negative affect. These findings identify sleep quality as an important target of transdiagnostic interventions for psychotic and affective symptomatology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Hierarchical Bayesian models of social inference for probing persecutory delusional ideation.

Abstract: While persecutory delusions (PDs) have been linked to fallacies of reasoning and social inference, computational characterizations of delusional tendencies are rare. Here, we examined 151 individuals from the general population on opposite ends of the PD spectrum (Paranoia Checklist [PCL]). Participants made trial-wise predictions in a probabilistic lottery, guided by advice from a more informed human and a nonsocial cue. Additionally, 2 frames differentially emphasized causes of invalid advice: (a) the adviser's possible intentions (dispositional frame) or (b) the rules of the game (situational frame). We applied computational modeling to examine possible reasons for group differences in behavior. Comparing different models, we found that a hierarchical Bayesian model (hierarchical Gaussian filter) explained participants' responses better than other learning models. Model parameters determining participants' belief updates about the adviser's fidelity and the contribution of prior beliefs about fidelity to trial-wise decisions, respectively, showed significant Group × Frame interactions: High PCL scorers held more rigid beliefs about the adviser's fidelity across both experimental frames and relied less on advice in situational frames than low scorers. These results suggest that PD tendencies are associated with rigid beliefs and prevent adaptive use of social information in "safe" contexts. This supports previous proposals of a link between PD and aberrant social inference. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Effectiveness of emotion regulation in daily life in individuals with psychosis and nonclinical controls-An experience-sampling study.

Abstract: Individuals with psychosis report employing more maladaptive and less adaptive emotion regulation (ER) strategies compared to nonclinical controls (NCs). However, it is unknown whether this is predictive of affect experienced in daily life and whether ER strategies are used less frequently and effectively by individuals with psychosis in daily life. Individuals with psychosis and current delusions (PDs; n = 71) and NCs (n = 42) completed questionnaires of habitual ER and experience sampling over 6 consecutive days, in which they reported 10 times a day on the presence of negative and positive affect and deployment of ER strategies (reappraisal, acceptance, awareness, suppression, rumination, distraction, and social sharing). Effectiveness of strategy use was operationalized by examining successive differences in positive and negative affect. Multilevel regression analyses were conducted. Questionnaires of habitual ER were largely predictive of affect in daily life. There was indication of a more frequent use of putatively maladaptive strategies but either no differences in individual adaptive strategies or even a more frequent use (reappraisal) in PDs compared to NCs. Several ER strategies (e.g., reappraisal, rumination) proved effective in reducing negative affect by the next prompt, independent of group, but suppression was effective in only PDs and acceptance had unfavorable effects in both groups. Thus, PDs demonstrated an increased use of ER strategies in daily life, of which the majority helped them to reduce negative affect. This indicates that their increased levels of negative affect are not explicable by difficulties in deploying explicit ER strategies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Childhood maltreatment and the clinical characteristics of major depressive disorder in adolescence and adulthood.

Abstract: Childhood maltreatment is widely implicated as the strongest developmental risk factor for depression onset. The current research is novel in examining the fine-grained associations of childhood emotional versus physical versus sexual maltreatment to indices of the severity, course, and presence of anxiety and trauma-related psychopathology in depression. An amalgamation across 6 previous investigations resulted in a sample of 575 adolescents and adults (76% female; age range 12-70, M = 27.88, SD = 13.58). All participants were in a current episode of a unipolar depressive disorder. Retrospective reports of childhood maltreatment were assessed using a rigorous contextual interview with independent, standardized ratings. Higher levels of emotional maltreatment and/or sexual maltreatment emerged as significantly associated with greater depression severity, number of previous episodes, and risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and were significantly more strongly associated with these characteristics than was physical maltreatment. Further, emotional maltreatment perpetrated by mothers was significantly associated with depression severity and history, whereas emotional maltreatment perpetrated by fathers was significantly associated with a greater risk of PTSD. These latter results suggest that prevention and intervention efforts may need to focus on the unique roles of mothers versus fathers on the development of depressive- versus threat-related psychopathology, respectively. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

The replicability and generalizability of internalizing symptom networks across five samples.

Abstract: The popularity of network analysis in psychopathology research has increased exponentially in recent years. Yet, little research has examined the replicability of cross-sectional psychopathology network models, and those that have used single items for symptoms rather than multiitem scales. The present study therefore examined the replicability and generalizability of regularized partial correlation networks of internalizing symptoms within and across 5 samples (total N = 2,573) using the Inventory for Depression and Anxiety Symptoms, a factor analytically derived measure of individual internalizing symptoms. As different metrics may yield different conclusions about the replicability of network parameters, we examined both global and specific metrics of similarity between networks. Correlations within and between nonclinical samples suggested considerable global similarities in network structure (rss = .53-.87) and centrality strength (rss = .37-.86), but weaker similarities in network structure (rss = .36-.66) and centrality (rss = .04-.54) between clinical and nonclinical samples. Global strength (i.e., connectivity) did not significantly differ across all 5 networks and few edges (0-5.5%) significantly differed between networks. Specific metrics of similarity indicated that, on average, approximately 80% of edges were consistently estimated within and between all 5 samples. The most central symptom (i.e., dysphoria) was consistent within and across samples, but there were few other matches in centrality rank-order. In sum, there were considerable similarities in network structure, the presence and sign of individual edges, and the most central symptom within and across internalizing symptom networks estimated from nonclinical samples, but global metrics suggested network structure and symptom centrality had weak to moderate generalizability from nonclinical to clinical samples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Best practices in research mentoring in clinical science.

Abstract: The growth of clinical science as a field depends on the work of engaged mentors nurturing future generations of scientists. Effective research mentoring has been shown to predict positive outcomes, including greater scholarly productivity, reduced attrition, and increased satisfaction with training and/or employment, which ultimately may enhance the quality of the clinical-science research enterprise. Barriers to effective research mentoring, however, pose significant challenges for both mentees and mentors, as well as for labs, training programs, and/or departments. We discuss some key issues as they apply to clinical-science mentoring and note how they are affected across different developmental levels (undergraduate, postbaccalaureate, doctoral, internship, postdoctoral associates, and early career faculty). Although we do not proclaim expertise on these issues-and have struggled with them in our own careers-we believe an open discussion around best mentoring practices will enhance our collective effectiveness and help mentees and our field to flourish. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Elucidating somatization in a dimensional model of psychopathology across medical settings

Abstract: Research using a categorical-polythetic classification system for mental illness has raised concern regarding the validity of categorical classification systems. Recent efforts suggest psychopathology is better understood from a dimensional framework, though there has been varying evidence of a somatization factor. The current investigation seeks to produce and validate a dimensional model of psychopathology, with a particular emphasis on the placement of somatization, across three nonoverlapping medical samples. Using a bariatric surgery seeking sample (n = 1,268), a spine surgery/spinal cord stimulator seeking sample (n = 1,711), and a chronic pain treatment seeking sample (n = 1,388), a dimensional model of psychopathology was replicated across all three samples using a dimensional measure of psychopathology (the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form [MMPI-2-RF]). Clear evidence of a separate somatization factor was found in addition to broad internalizing, externalizing, and social detachment factors. Constructs assessable with the model yielded good convergent and discriminant validity coefficients with external criteria, and further supported the presence of a higher-order somatization construct. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).