The Broad Autism Phenotype-International Test (BAP-IT): A two-domain-based test for the assessment of the broad autism phenotype.

LAY ABSTRACT: The broad autism phenotype refers to a group of behaviors related to autism spectrum disorder, but that appear to a lesser extent. Its assessment has been performed through outdated broad autism phenotype/autism spectrum disorder definitions and tests. To address this problem, this study presents the development of a new test, the Broad Autism Phenotype-International Test, a 20-item measure consisting of two dimensions, SOCIAL-BAP and RIRE-BAP, targeting the two-domain operationalization of autism spectrum disorder in Spain and the United Kingdom. Unlike the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire, this test received empirical support as a quick and effective broad autism phenotype measure that can facilitate both broad autism phenotype/autism spectrum disorder research and interventions. This is the first step to studying the BAP in several Spanish and English-speaking countries.

The role of the differential outcomes procedure and schizotypy in the recognition of dynamic facial expressions of emotions.

Emotional facial expression recognition is a key ability for adequate social functioning. The current study aims to test if the differential outcomes procedure (DOP) may improve the recognition of dynamic facial expressions of emotions and to further explore whether schizotypal personality traits may have any effect on performance. 183 undergraduate students completed a task where a face morphed from a neutral expression to one of the six basic emotions at full intensity over 10 s. Participants had to press spacebar as soon as they identified the emotion and choose which had appeared. In the first block, participants received no outcomes. In the second block, a group received specific outcomes associated to each emotion (DOP group), while another group received non-differential outcomes after correctly responding (NOP group). Employing generalized linear models (GLMs) and Bayesian inference we estimated different parameters to answer our research goals. Schizotypal personality traits did not seem to affect dynamic emotional facial expression recognition. Participants of the DOP group were less likely to respond incorrectly to faces showing Fear and Surprise at fewer intensity levels. This may suggest that the DOP could lead to better identification of the main features that differentiate each facial expression of emotion.

Mental rotation and schizotypal personality traits: A Bayesian approach.

People diagnosed with schizophrenia exhibit mental rotation differences, suggesting that clinical levels of positive symptoms, such as psychotic hallucinations, are related to disruptions in their monitoring and manipulation of mental representations. According to the psychosis continuum, findings in people with a high level of schizotypal personality traits are expected to be qualitatively similar, but research concerning this topic is scarce. A spared mental imagery manipulation in this population only could suggest that this ability might be a possible protective factor, or that the emergence of clinical-level positive symptoms could be paired with disruptions in this capacity. To explore this issue, 205 undergraduate students (122 women) completed a novel mental rotation task identifying the stimulus that was a 90, 180, or 270° rotation of a black circle with colored portions and were assessed with the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. Men performed better in most conditions. No relationship was detected between schizotypal personality traits and accuracy in the task. These results do not support that mental imagery manipulation disruptions may be related to schizotypal personality traits in non-clinical populations. Thus, they might instead be associated with the onset of psychosis disorders as mental representation handling is hindered. However, additional research is required including the general population, as well as those with higher levels of psychotic symptoms and psychosis disorders. Future research could also focus on working memory processes related to mental representation manipulations of different sensory modalities such as auditory mental representations and their relationship with schizotypal personality traits and clinical populations.

Schizotypal personality traits and the social learning of fear.

Schizotypy can be defined as a combination of traits qualitatively similar to those found in schizophrenia, but milder in their expression, that can be found in clinical and non-clinical populations. In this research, we explore, to our knowledge, for the first time, whether schizotypal personality traits may affect the acquisition of conditioned fear by social means only. Apart from being an essential capacity to ensure learning in safe environments, social fear learning shares important characteristics with direct fear acquisition, which also makes it a great candidate for developing successful extinction procedures. Undergraduate students (n = 72) performed a task of social fear learning. In this task, participants watched a video of a person that simulated to receive electric shocks (unconditioned stimulus; US) paired with a coloured square (conditioned stimulus plus; CS+), while another coloured square was never paired (conditioned stimulus minus; CS-) with the shock. After that, they were presented with a similar sequence of coloured screens. Their Skin Conductance Responses (SCRs) were registered during the whole process. Once they finished, they completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ). Our results revealed that participants with a low score in the Cognitive-Perceptual factor of the SPQ exhibited higher SCRs when they saw the US than when they saw the CS- (all ps < 0.01) during the learning phase. Nevertheless, those with higher scores did not present any difference in their SCRs toward both stimuli (all ps > 0.05), a pattern that has been similarly found in schizophrenia. During the final trials of the test phase, participants with the highest scores in the Disorganized factor were the only ones that maintained a higher SCR towards the CS+ than towards the CS- (p = 0.006), which could be associated with an impairment in their extinction processes.

Location of International Classification of Diseases-11th Revision and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, dimensional trait models in the alternative five-factor personality space.

This study explores the dimensionality (factor analysis) and the relationships (empirical networks) between the Zuckerman alternative five-factor personality model and the two current pathological dimensional personality systems based on the International Classification of Diseases-11th Revision (ICD-11) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), Section III. To this end, the Zuckerman-Kuhlman-Aluja Personality Questionnaire-Short Form (ZKA-PQ/SF), the Personality Inventory for ICD-11, and the Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Short Form were used with 1,229 healthy community subjects: 578 men (Mage = 40.03, SD = 17.77) and 651 women (Mage = 39.63, SD = 17.81). The results show that the pathological traits of Negative Affectivity, Detachment, Disinhibition, and Antagonism/Dissociality are correlatively placed in the Neuroticism, Extraversion, Sensation Seeking, and Aggressiveness dimensional space. Psychoticism is positioned, to a lesser extent and with a similar loading, in Sensation Seeking and Neuroticism, whereas Anankastia is associated with the Activity factor. The five ZKA-PQ domains explain 42% of the variance of Personality Inventory for ICD-11 and 39% of the variance of Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Short Form, whereas the ZKA-PQ facets explain 47% and 44%, respectively. It is concluded that Zuckerman's alternative five-factor model of personality may be useful to better understand the position of pathological or maladaptive traits in the space of normal personality, complementarily to the five-factor model. It also helps to integrate the maladaptive personality traits of the ICD-11 and the DSM-5 Section III into a single system. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Alternative DSM-5 Model for Personality Disorders Through the Lens of an Empirical Network Model.

The Alternative Model for Personality Disorders defined in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth edition (DSM-5) has recently attracted considerable interest in empirical research, with different hypotheses being proposed to explain the discordant results shown in previous research. Empirical network analysis has begun to be applied for complementing the study of psychopathological phenomena according to a new perspective. This article applies this analysis to personality facets measured in a sample of 626 patients with mental disorders and a 1,034 normative sample, using the Personality Inventory for DSM-5. The results reveal five substructures partially equivalent to domains defined in the DSM-5. Discordant facets (suspiciousness, hostility, rigid perfectionism, attention seeking, and restricted affectivity) play the role of connectors between substructures. Invariance between clinical and community networks was found except for the connection between unusual beliefs and perceptual dysregulation (stronger in the clinical sample). Considering the strength centrality index, anxiousness, emotional lability, and depressivity can be highlighted for their relative importance within both clinical and normative networks.

Effect of a Serious Game (Stigma-Stop) on Reducing Stigma Among Psychology Students: A Controlled Study.

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of a new serious game focused on reducing stigma toward mental health illness with other traditional procedures utilized in different stigma awareness programs, namely face-to-face contact with mental health patients and talks given by professionals. The Stigma-Stop serious game introduces four characters with various psychological disorders (schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, and agoraphobia) providing users with information about these disorders and pertinent questions. Furthermore, it offers players different ways of reacting when in contact with such individuals. A sample of university psychology students was selected and divided into four groups: (a) students who used Stigma-Stop, (b) direct contact with people suffering from mental health problems, (c) a talk by a professional, and (d) the control group. The results show that the serious game had an effect similar to those of direct contact with mental health patients and the talk by a professional with regard to dangerousness, avoidance, segregation, and anger. The game's results were better in terms of help when compared with the talk, and also diminished the stigma related to coercion when compared with direct contact and the talk.

Comparison of the Predictive Capacity of the Erotophobia-Erotophilia and the Attitudes Toward Sexual Behaviors in the Sexual Experience of Young Adults.

The prediction of sexual behaviors in emerging adult population is important because the number of sexually active individuals is high, and many young adults engage in sexually risky behaviors. Attitudes are an effective way to predict behaviors. The attitude-behavior relation is stronger when both attitude and behavior are measured at equivalent levels of specificity. The aim of this study was to provide empirical support of the Attitudes toward Sexual Behaviors Scale (ASBS) predictive capacity for the sexual experience (number of different sexual behaviors performed) as well as to compare it with the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS; erotophobia-erotophilia dimension) predictive capacity. Participants were 632 heterosexual young adults (57.8% were women) of Spanish nationality aged 18 to 30 years, selected by incidental and snowball sampling. Sociodemographic questions, the ASBS, the SOS, and a checklist about sexual experience were administered online. When the age and sex variables were controlled, the ASBS predictive capacity for the sexual experience was found to be greater than the SOS predictive capacity in both young men and women. These results might be explained by the higher correspondence in the sexual experience measure (specific sexual behaviors) with the ASBS than with the SOS.

Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Version of the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Future Improvements.

The Broad autism phenotype (BAP) refers to a set of subclinical behavioural characteristics qualitatively similar to those presented in Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The BAP questionnaire (BAPQ) has been widely used to assess the BAP both in relatives of ASD people and within the general population. The current study presents the first Spanish version of the BAPQ (BAPQ-SP) and analyses its psychometric properties, including validity evidences based on the BAPQ scores relationship with other variables. Our results only support the use of the Aloof and Rigid sub-scales to assess this phenotype, whereas Pragmatic Language sub-scale seems to be the main source of misfit. This research represents a first step in the study of the BAP features in the Spanish population.

Extracting the Evaluations of Stereotypes: Bi-factor Model of the Stereotype Content Structure.

Stereotype dimensions-competence, morality and sociability-are fundamental to studying the perception of other groups. These dimensions have shown moderate/high positive correlations with each other that do not reflect the theoretical expectations. The explanation for this (e.g., halo effect) undervalues the utility of the shared variance identified. In contrast, in this work we propose that this common variance could represent the global evaluation of the perceived group. Bi-factor models are proposed to improve the internal structure and to take advantage of the information representing the shared variance among dimensions. Bi-factor models were compared with first order models and other alternative models in three large samples (300-309 participants). The relationships among the global and specific bi-factor dimensions with a global evaluation dimension (measured through a semantic differential) were estimated. The results support the use of bi-factor models rather than first order models (and other alternative models). Bi-factor models also show a greater utility to directly and more easily explore the stereotype content including its evaluative content.

Is it advisable to include negative attributes to assess the stereotype content? Yes, but only in the morality dimension.

Competence, morality and sociability dimensions have shown to be essential to measure stereotypes. Theoretically, the attributes associated with the negative pole of morality are more reliable and have shown to have higher evaluative weight. However, the current research usually employs only positive attributes to measure each dimension. Since the advantages of the inclusion of negative morality are clear it would be interesting to know about the effects of the inclusion of such type of attributes (i.e., it is good or bad for the measurement). The purpose of this study is to examine if the addition of negative items makes possible to improve the stereotype content measures. This study compares the differences between scales with various compositions of positive and negative items of stereotypes to predict three related variables: anger, fear and a semantic differential of evaluation. The study was carried out with a sample of 550 Spaniards. The data found highlights the importance of using attributes of the negative pole of morality in studying stereotypes. Their use was able to explain the intergroup emotional responses and the semantic differential more efficiently.

Validity evidence, sensibility and specificity of the severity dimension of the SDSS alcohol dependence scale.

OBJECTIVE: Therapeutic success in the treatment of alcohol use disorders highly depends on an appropriate diagnosis. The Substance Dependence Severity Scale –SDSS- is a scale that assesses substance dependence in dimensional terms and that follows the diagnostic criteria established by the international classification systems. The aim of this study is to provide validity evidence for the severity dimension of the alcohol dependence scale of the SDSS comparing it with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview –MINI-, and others variables related to substance use included in the EuropASI. METHODS: A total of 109 patients admitted for treatment in the Drug Abuse Center Services of Huelva who had used alcohol in the month previous to the interview participated. The SDSS, MINI and EuropASI were administered. The diagnostic capacity of the SDSS was assessed by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, taking the MINI dependence diagnosis as standard. RESULTS: The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.917 (CI=0.867-0.968). The trade-off between parameters was detected for a score of 9, with suitable values of sensitivity and specificity (83.58% and 83.72%). CONCLUSIONS: The results support the use of the SDSS for the diagnosis of alcohol dependence and for assessment the severity of dependence. Administration of this scale makes it possible to obtain information, with a single score, on how severe the disorder is and whether the dependence criteria have been met.

Acculturation preference profiles of Spaniards and Romanian immigrants: the role of prejudice and public and private acculturation areas.

The main goal of this study was to identify acculturation preference profiles using cluster analysis in public and private areas of culture in the host and immigrant populations, and to find out the relationship between these profiles and prejudice levels. Four hundred and ninety-nine Spaniards and 500 Romanians participated in a survey. The sampling of Spaniards was multistage random and the sampling of Romanians was by quota. The results confirm our predictions. Romanians who are less prejudiced against Spaniards prefer assimilation in public areas and integration in private areas. Romanians who are more prejudiced against Spaniards prefer integration in public areas and separation in private areas. Spaniards who are less prejudiced against Romanians prefer integration in both public and private areas. Spaniards who are more prejudiced against Romanians prefer assimilation in both areas.