Don't Get Too Excited: Assessing Individual Differences in the Down-Regulation of Positive Emotions.

A voluminous literature has documented the importance of emotion regulation for health and well-being. The studies in this literature, however, have generally focused on the down-regulation of negative affect. Few studies have examined the down-regulation of positive affect. In Study 1, we constructed a scale, the revised Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale (r-RESE), which assesses both the down- and up-regulation of positive affect, in addition to the traditional down-regulation of negative affect. In Study 2, we conducted an extensive validation of the r-RESE scale, using a multimethod approach with informant ratings, to illustrate that the down-regulation of positive affect represents a process independent of each of the other forms of emotion regulation. In Study 3, we provided evidence that the ability to down-regulate positive emotions provides added predictive utility when predicting indexes of impulsivity and adjustment. Across the studies, we illustrate the potential importance of the down-regulation of positive emotions as a topic of study for the field of emotion regulation.

The association between bullying and physical health among gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals.

BACKGROUND: Research suggests that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) populations experience higher prevalence of school bullying than heterosexuals. OBJECTIVES: We examined if (a) verbal versus physical bullying were differentially associated with physical health among sexual minorities and (b) if sexual identity (i.e., homosexual [i.e., lesbian/gay] vs. bisexual) moderated the association of bullying on physical health. DESIGN: LGB adults aged 18 to 66 years (n = 463) were recruited online. Participants reported high school experiences of verbal and physical bullying and physician-diagnosed health conditions. RESULTS: Physical and verbal bullying were related to physical health conditions (ps < .01). Physical bullying had a significant negative impact on physical health for bisexual persons (p < .001) but not for gay/lesbian persons. CONCLUSIONS: Experiencing bullying in high school was associated with physical health problems in adulthood. Bullying had a different relationship with health problems for bisexually identified individuals compared to lesbian/gay individuals. Future research should strive to disentangle potential differences in the relationship between bullying and health within sexual minority groups.

Addressing the Diversity-Validity Dilemma Using Situational Judgment Tests.

PURPOSE: To examine the magnitudes of score differences across different demographic groups for three academic (grade point average [GPA], old Medical College Admission Test [MCAT], and MCAT 2015) and one nonacademic (situational judgment test [SJT]) screening measures and one nonacademic (multiple mini-interview [MMI]) interview measure (analysis 1), and the demographic implications of including an SJT in the screening stage for the pool of applicants who are invited to interview (analysis 2). METHOD: The authors ran the analyses using data from New York Medical College School of Medicine applicants from the 2015-2016 admissions cycle. For analysis 1, effect sizes (Cohen d) were calculated for GPA, old MCAT, MCAT 2015, CASPer (an online SJT), and MMI. Comparisons were made across gender, race, ethnicity (African American, Hispanic/Latino), and socioeconomic status (SES). For analysis 2, a series of simulations were conducted to estimate the number of underrepresented in medicine (UIM) applicants who would have been invited to interview with different weightings of GPA, MCAT, and CASPer scores. RESULTS: A total of 9,096 applicants were included in analysis 1. Group differences were significantly smaller or reversed for CASPer and MMI compared with the academic assessments (MCAT, GPA) across nearly all demographic variables/indicators. The simulations suggested that a higher weighting of CASPer may help increase gender, racial, and ethnic diversity in the interview pool; results for low-SES applicants were mixed. CONCLUSIONS: The inclusion of an SJT in the admissions process has the potential to widen access to medical education for a number of UIM groups.

Comparison of the English and French versions of the CASPer® Test in a bilingual population.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Objective The University of Ottawa MD program has two different streams to which candidates may apply: a francophone stream and an anglophone stream. As the admissions office receives applications in both French and English, they are required to ensure that the tools used to assess candidates are psychometrically equivalent across both streams. CASPer is a standardized test they recently adopted to assess the non-cognitive competencies of applicants and is offered in both English and French. The objective of this study is to compare the psychometric properties of the English and French versions of CASPer. Methods We collected data from all CASPer test-takers across three cohorts (n = 12,463; entry 2016, entry 2017, entry 2018). We first compared the difficulty of the test between the French and English version using proxy indicators (i.e., time to completion, typing speed). We then compared the psychometric properties of the two versions based on their internal-consistency reliability and applicant acceptability. Results There were some indications that the French version may be slightly more difficult than the English version of the CASPer test. However, it is unclear whether this difficulty is due to the difficulty of the individual test items or to differences in the characteristics of the cohort. Nevertheless, a comparison of the psychometric indicators suggests that both French and English versions of CASPer are psychometrically sound and equivalent. Conclusion Although CASPer scores cannot be directly compared between the English and French versions, the psychometric properties of the assessment were retained across the two versions. These results provide preliminary evidence that the psychometric strengths of the English version of CASPer likely extend to the French version of the assessment.

Charisma in everyday life: Conceptualization and validation of the General Charisma Inventory.

Although both scholars and lay people are fascinated with charismatic individuals, relatively few theorists have attempted to define charisma. Much of the empirical research examining charisma has focused on leadership. Even within that literature, however, theorists have focused on charisma's outcomes, leaving unarticulated what charisma actually is. Here, we tested an operational conceptualization of charisma in the context of everyday life. Specifically, we proposed that charisma is composed of the interpersonally focused dimensions of influence (the ability to guide others) and affability (the ability to make other people feel comfortable and at ease). We validated this conceptualization in a series of studies. In Studies 1-3, we used exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to construct a short 6-item measure of charisma, the General Charisma Inventory. Next, in Study 4, we used round-robin evaluations and informant reports to establish the interpersonal nature of charisma. Finally, we examined the incremental validity of the scale in the context of dyadic interactions and tested the impact of charisma on perceptions of persuasiveness from voices. We found that (a) lay people possess a consensual conception of charisma; (b) charisma consists of a composition of quantifiable dimensions; (c) charisma is distinct from other constructs of interest to psychologists and leadership theorists; (d) charisma is observable; and (e) assessments of charisma predict real world outcomes. Thus, the current work not only comprehensively conceptualizes and measures charisma as an empirical construct, but also demonstrates its potential importance for the routine interactions that people experience every day. (PsycINFO Database Record

Comparing the Rates of Early Childhood Victimization across Sexual Orientations: Heterosexual, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Mostly Heterosexual.

Few studies have examined the rates of childhood victimization among individuals who identify as "mostly heterosexual" (MH) in comparison to other sexual orientation groups. For the present study, we utilized a more comprehensive assessment of adverse childhood experiences to extend prior literature by examining if MH individuals' experience of victimization more closely mirrors that of sexual minority individuals or heterosexuals. Heterosexual (n = 422) and LGB (n = 561) and MH (n = 120) participants were recruited online. Respondents completed surveys about their adverse childhood experiences, both maltreatment by adults (e.g., childhood physical, emotional, and sexual abuse and childhood household dysfunction) and peer victimization (i.e., verbal and physical bullying). Specifically, MH individuals were 1.47 times more likely than heterosexuals to report childhood victimization experiences perpetrated by adults. These elevated rates were similar to LGB individuals. Results suggest that rates of victimization of MH groups are more similar to the rates found among LGBs, and are significantly higher than heterosexual groups. Our results support prior research that indicates that an MH identity falls within the umbrella of a sexual minority, yet little is known about unique challenges that this group may face in comparison to other sexual minority groups.

Multiple early victimization experiences as a pathway to explain physical health disparities among sexual minority and heterosexual individuals.

Prior research shows that health disparities exist between sexual minority and heterosexual individuals. We extend the literature by testing if the higher prevalence of childhood victimization experienced by sexual minority individuals accounts for lifetime health disparities. Heterosexual (n = 422) and sexual minority (n = 681) participants were recruited on-line in North America. Respondents completed surveys about their childhood victimization experiences (i.e., maltreatment by adults and peer victimization) and lifetime physician-diagnosed physical health conditions. Results showed that sexual minority individuals experienced higher prevalence of childhood victimization and lifetime physical health problems than heterosexuals. Mediation analyses indicated that maltreatment by adults and peer bullying explained the health disparities between sexual minority individuals and heterosexuals. This study is the first to show that multiple childhood victimization experiences may be one pathway to explain lifetime physical health disparities. Intervention programs reducing the perpetration of violence against sexual minority individuals are critical to reduce health care needs related to victimization experiences.

Lifetime victimization and physical health outcomes among lesbian and heterosexual women.

BACKGROUND: Lifetime victimization experiences, including child sexual abuse (CSA), child physical abuse (CPA), adult sexual assault (ASA), and adult physical assault (APA), are associated with health problems. PURPOSE: To examine relationships between cumulative victimization and physical health among heterosexual and lesbian women and determine whether these relationships differ by sexual identity. METHODS: Large samples of heterosexual (n = 482) and lesbian women (n = 394) were interviewed. Questions included lifetime victimization experiences and physical health problems. RESULTS: Compared to women who reported no childhood victimization, those who reported experiencing both CSA and CPA were 44% more likely to report health problems and women who experienced all four types of victimization (CSA, CPA, APA, ASA) were nearly 240% as likely to report physical health problems. Interaction analyses revealed the association between victimization and physical health did not differ by sexual identity. CONCLUSIONS: Although lesbians were more likely to report all types of victimization, results suggest that victimization conferred increased physical health risks regardless of sexual identity.

The validity of well-being measures: a multiple-indicator-multiple-rater model.

In the subjective indicators tradition, well-being is defined as a match between an individual's actual life and his or her ideal life. Common well-being indicators are life-satisfaction judgments, domain satisfaction judgments, and measures of positive and negative affect (hedonic balance). These well-being indicators are routinely used to study well-being, but a formal measurement model of well-being is lacking. This article introduces a measurement model of well-being and examines the validity of self-ratings and informant ratings of well-being. Participants were 335 families (1 student with 2 parents, N = 1,005). The main findings were that (a) self-ratings and informant ratings are equally valid, (b) global life-satisfaction judgments and averaged domain satisfaction judgments are about equally valid, and (c) about 1/3 of the variance in a single indicator is valid. The main implication is that researchers should demonstrate convergent validity across multiple indicators by multiple raters.