The cognitive control mechanism of improving emotion regulation: A high-definition tDCS and ERP study.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive reappraisal as a commonly used emotion regulation strategy includes reinterpretation and detachment and is associated with the activity of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). However, the neuroenhancement mechanisms of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over DLPFC that modulate cognitive reappraisal are not yet fully understood. This work aims to verify the causal role of DLPFC in different tactics of cognitive reappraisal and further explore the cognitive control mechanisms of emotion regulation. METHODS: A single-blind, within-subjects, sham-controlled design was adopted. Twenty-nine healthy subjects underwent two sessions of offline high-definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) that were targeted at the right DLPFC. Participants completed the cognitive control (Flanker) and cognitive reappraisal task in each session. We quantified the efficacy of cognitive control using N2 and P3 of the evoked brain responses and cognitive reappraisal using the late positivity potential (LPP). RESULTS: Anodal HD-tDCS resulted in the decrease of LPP for reinterpretation and detachment. The cognitive control increased after stimulation, indicated by the increase of P3 and decrease of N2 amplitude. The increased cognitive control mediated the effect of HD-tDCS on modulating reinterpretation, but not for detachment. LIMITATIONS: The single-blind design, absence of the lasting-effects measure, and the intrinsically limited focality of tDCS are limitations of this study. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing the activity of DLPFC would facilitate emotion regulation and increase cognitive control. Cognitive control may be a significant potential mechanism for reinterpretation. Both tDCS and cognitive control interventions may be possible approaches to enhance emotion regulation.

Test anxiety impairs inhibitory control processes in a performance evaluation threat situation: Evidence from ERP.

Attentional Control Theory proposes that test anxiety impairs inhibitory control, and high test anxiety (HTA) individuals often allocate greater top-down attentional control resources to maintain comparable task performance compared to low test anxiety (LTA) individuals. This study examined how test anxiety impairs inhibitory control. Eighty participants were required to perform a hybrid Go/Nogo Flanker task in the performance evaluation threat or no performance evaluation threat conditions, while behavioral and EEG data were recorded. The ERP results showed that HTA participants revealed significantly larger Nogo but not incongruent related N2 amplitude than LTA participants in the threat condition. In the threat condition, HTA individuals were associated with increased recruitment of top-down attentional control resources to perform the response inhibition task but not the interference suppression task.

Self-Esteem Moderates the Effect of Compromising Thinking on Forgiveness Among Chinese Early Adolescents.

Forgiveness contributes to positive social relationships, which is critical for individual development, particularly for early adolescents. Most previous studies focused on the unique roles of cognitive factors (e.g., compromising thinking) and personality traits (e.g., self-esteem) in the process of developing forgiveness. However, sporadic research has examined their interactive effect on forgiveness from an integrated perspective. Given that forgiveness has been categorized into decisional and emotional forgiveness, this study aimed to examine the effects of compromising thinking on two types of forgiveness, and the moderating effects of self-esteem on the association between compromising thinking and forgiveness among early adolescents. A total of 1,009 Chinese primary and secondary school students (50.4% males; M age = 11.75, SD = 1.27) were recruited to complete three self-reported questionnaires. The results showed that compromising thinking predicted decisional forgiveness but not emotional forgiveness. Furthermore, self-esteem was identified to moderate the conditional effects of compromising thinking on decisional and emotional forgiveness. These findings advance a better understanding of the construct and mechanism of forgiveness, which can provide insights for targeted forgiveness interventions among early adolescents, such as compromising thinking instructions and self-esteem enhancement programs.

The Effect of Parental Phubbing on Teenager's Mobile Phone Dependency Behaviors: The Mediation Role of Subjective Norm and Dependency Intention.

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to examine (a) the effects of parental phubbing on teenagers' mobile phone dependency and (b) the mediating roles of subjective norm and dependent intention of underlying this relationship. METHODS: We recruited 605 middle school students in Beijing, China and they completed the parental phubbing behaviors, subjective norm, dependency intention, and mobile phone dependency behavior questionnaires. RESULTS: The results of the structure equation modeling revealed that parental phubbing behaviors significantly increased teenager's mobile phone dependency behaviors in two indirect ways. First, parental phubbing reinforced teenagers' mobile phone dependency intention, which in turn increased the likelihood of mobile phone dependency. Second, parental phubbing enhanced the tendency of parental mobile phone dependence norm perceived by teenagers, and thus reinforced their mobile phone dependency intention, ultimately increasing mobile phone dependency. CONCLUSION: We concluded that parental phubbing is a significant indicator of teenager mobile phone dependency and that mobile phone dependency intention plays a mediation role between them. In addition, the perceived parental mobile phone dependency norm played a mediation role between parental phubbing and mobile phone dependency intention and indirectly influenced the level of mobile phone dependency behaviors through the mediation effect of mobile phone dependency intention.

Parents' Phubbing and Problematic Mobile Phone Use: The Roles of the Parent-Child Relationship and Children's Self-Esteem.

An increasing number of mobile phone users check their phones at any time and place, even during in-person interactions. Such behaviors that interrupt social interactions have been described as phubbing. The present study focused on phubbing behaviors within the context of parent-child households and aimed to examine the associations among parents' phubbing, the parent-child relationship, children's self-esteem, and problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) by adolescents. The structural equation model results based on the data collected from 1,721 secondary students revealed that parents' phubbing was not only directly associated with children's PMPU but also indirectly associated with PMPU through the mediating roles of the parent-child relationship and children's self-esteem after gender and age were controlled. These findings suggest a possible underlying mechanism for the relationship between parents' phubbing and children's PMPU, and could thus inform interventions to prevent or decrease PMPU among adolescents. Limitations and implications are discussed.

Psychological Distress and Problematic Mobile Phone Use Among Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Maladaptive Cognitions and the Moderating Role of Effortful Control.

Previous studies have documented that psychological distress is related to problematic mobile phone use (PMPU), and sporadic research has investigated the potential mechanisms underlying the association. Based on the cognitive-behavioral model of pathological Internet use (PIU), the self-control theory, and the problem-behavior theory, this study aimed to examine the mediating role of maladaptive cognitions toward mobile phones and the moderating role of effortful control between psychological distress and PMPU. Data were collected from 1,799 secondary school students (45.1% male; M age = 14.07, SD = 1.69) using four self-reported questionnaires. The results revealed that maladaptive cognitions toward mobile phones partially mediated the relationship between psychological distress and PMPU. In addition, effortful control as a protective factor attenuated the indirect effect from psychological distress to PMPU. These findings advanced the understanding of the etiology of PMPU and the need to develop effective strategies for prevention, suggesting that schools and families should pay additional attention to students with psychological distress. Targeted interventions for integrating online and offline worlds and effortful control training programs may help to prevent adolescents from engaging in PMPU.

Victim Sensitivity and Altruistic Behavior in School: Mediating Effects of Teacher Justice and Teacher-Student Relationship.

The current study aimed to explore how victim sensitivity influenced altruistic behaviors in school and to explore the mediating roles of teacher justice and teacher-student relationship. In 2018, we recruited 1,856 Chinese adolescents including 989 fourth graders (M = 10.35, SD = 0.56) and 867 eighth graders (M = 15.57, SD = 0.91), and the participation rate was 100%. Participations completed the self-report victim sensitivity scale, the teacher justice scale, the teacher-student relationship scale, and the altruistic behavior toward classmate scale. Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that victim sensitivity had a direct negative effect on altruistic behavior in school, but this relationship was mediated by teacher justice. There was also a mediated path between teacher justice and altruistic behavior by way of teacher-student relationship. These findings suggested possible mechanisms to explain the relationship between victim sensitivity and altruistic behavior and provided new directions for intervention.

The Effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training Group vs. Cognitive Therapy Group on Reducing Depression and Suicide Attempts for Borderline Personality Disorder in Taiwan.

In this study the effectiveness of the condensed Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training Group (DBTSTG) was compared to the Cognitive Therapy Group (CTG) in reducing depression and suicide reattempt and modifying emotion regulation strategies among those with borderline personality disorder (BPD). A total of 82 depressed BPD college students with a suicidal history within the past 6-months were randomly allocated to DBTSTG or CTG. Both groups had similar reductions in suicide reattempts and depression after the intervention and 6-month follow-ups. However, the CTG showed improvements in cognitive errors, but the DBTSTG revealed increases in acceptance and decreases in suppression scores. Both groups were effective in decreasing depression and suicide reattempt in BPD college students, probably through increasing adaptive antecedent-focused or response-focused strategies of emotion regulation, respectively.

Conflict Resolution in Chinese Adolescents' Friendship: Links with Regulatory Focus and Friendship Satisfaction.

It is generally acknowledged that people adopt different resolution strategies when facing conflicts with others. However, the mechanisms of conflict resolution are still unclear and under researched, in particular within the context of Chinese adolescents' same-sex friendship relations. Thus, the present study investigated the mediator role of conflict resolution strategies in the relationship between regulatory foci and friendship satisfaction for the first time. 653 Chinese adolescents completed the regulatory foci, conflict resolution style, and friendship satisfaction measures. The results of the structure equation modeling showed that while promotion focus was positively associated with problem-solving and compliance, prevention focus was positively associated with withdrawal and conflict engagement. In addition, problem-solving mediated the relationship between promotion focus and friendship satisfaction, and conflict engagement mediated the relationship between prevention focus and friendship satisfaction. These findings contribute to understanding Chinese adolescents' use of conflict resolution strategies as well as the relationship between regulatory foci and behavioral strategies in negative situations.

Testing the Validity of a Cognitive Behavioral Model for Gambling Behavior.

Currently, cognitive behavioral therapies appear to be one of the most studied treatments for gambling problems and studies show it is effective in treating gambling problems. However, cognitive behavior models have not been widely tested using statistical means. Thus, the aim of this study was to test the validity of the pathways postulated in the cognitive behavioral theory of gambling behavior using structural equation modeling (AMOS 20). Several questionnaires assessing a range of gambling specific variables (e.g., gambling urges, cognitions and behaviors) and gambling correlates (e.g., psychological states, and coping styles) were distributed to 969 participants from the community. Results showed that negative psychological states (i.e., depression, anxiety and stress) only directly predicted gambling behavior, whereas gambling urges predicted gambling behavior directly as well as indirectly via gambling cognitions. Avoidance coping predicted gambling behavior only indirectly via gambling cognitions. Negative psychological states were significantly related to gambling cognitions as well as avoidance coping. In addition, significant gender differences were also found. The results provided confirmation for the validity of the pathways postulated in the cognitive behavioral theory of gambling behavior. It also highlighted the importance of gender differences in conceptualizing gambling behavior.

Psychometric Properties of the Catastrophic Cognitions Questionnaire-Modified (CCQ-Modified) Among Community Samples in Malaysia.

The Catastrophic Cognitions Questionnaire-Modified (CCQ-M) is a common instrument for measuring catastrophic thoughts. In some countries, however, CCQ-M still poses concerns following the lack of appropriate validation among their populations. The current study aimed to examine the factor structure of the CCQ-M, the reliability, and the validity in community samples in Malaysia. The Malay version of CCQ-M and additional measures assessing the symptoms and cognitions relevant to anxiety disorders were completed by 682 university students and general community. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure accounting for 62.2% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the two-factor model by deleting four items. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the total and the two subscales were .94, .90, and .92, respectively. Test-retest reliability analysis was conducted on 82 university students in the interval period of 14 days, and the result was r = .58. Evidence supported the concurrent, convergent, and discriminant validity. In conclusion, the 17-item CCQ-M-Malaysia is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing catastrophic cognitions among Malaysian populations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Positive Outcome Expectancy Mediates the Relationship Between Peer Influence and Internet Gaming Addiction Among Adolescents in Taiwan.

The present study examined the role of positive outcome expectancy in the relationship between peer/parental influence and Internet gaming addiction (IGA) among adolescents in Taiwan. Two thousand, one hundred and four junior high students completed the Chen Internet Addiction Scale for IGA, Parental Influence for IGA, peer influence for IGA, and Positive Outcome Expectancy of Internet Gaming Questionnaire. Results showed that the three types of peer influences (positive attitudes toward Internet gaming, frequency of Internet game use, and invitation to play) and positive outcome expectancy were significantly and positively correlated with IGA. Moreover, peer influence was also positively correlated with positive outcome expectancy. On the other hand, positive outcome expectancy and parental influences had a low correlation. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that positive outcome expectancy did not mediate the relationship between either type of parental influences and IGA, and only the parent's invitation to play Internet games directly predicted IGA severity. However, peers' positive attitude or the frequency of peers' Internet game use positively predicted IGA and was fully mediated through positive outcome expectancy of Internet gaming. In addition, the frequency of peers' invitation to play Internet games directly and indirectly predicted IGA severity through a partial mediation of positive outcome expectancy of Internet gaming. The overall fit of the model was adequate and was able to explain 25.0 percent of the variance. The findings provide evidence in illuminating the role of peer influences and positive outcome expectancy of Internet gaming in the process of why adolescents may develop IGA.

Effects of prolonged head-down bed rest on working memory.

BACKGROUND: The weightlessness caused by prolonged bed rest results in changes in cerebral circulation and thus, brain functions, which is of interest. METHODS: We investigated the effects of 45-day, -6° head-down bed rest, which stimulated microgravity, on working memory in 16 healthy male participants. The 2-back task was used to test the working memory variations on the 2nd day before bed rest (R-2); on the 11th (R11), 20th (R20), 32nd (R32), and 40th (R40) days of bed rest; and on the eighth day after bed rest (R+8). The cognitive response and the physiological reactivity (such as galvanic skin response, heart rate, and heart rate variability) under the 2-back task were recorded simultaneously. RESULTS: The results showed that compared with R-2, on the R+8, the participants' galvanic skin response increased significantly, and the high frequency of heart rate variability (HF), low frequency of heart rate variability (LF), and reaction time in the 2-back task decreased significantly. There were positive correlations between the participants' reaction time of working memory and the LF/HF under head-down bed rest (at R11, R20, and R32). CONCLUSION: The results suggested that the prolonged head-down bed rest may have a detrimental effect on individual physiology and working memory. Physiology indices, such as galvanic skin response and heart rate variability, were sensitive to the prolonged bed rest.

Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Gambling Related Cognitions Scale (GRCS-I).

The past decade has witnessed an expanded accessibility and popularity of gambling worldwide, and in Italy the phenomenon significantly increased. Nevertheless, little is known about the role of gambling cognitions among Italian individuals, and few scales assessing problem gambling have been validated. The purpose of the present study was to examine and validate the Gambling Related Cognitions Scale-Italian version (GRCS-I), based on the 23-item Gambling Related Cognitions Scale (GRCS). Two-tailed t tests, ANOVA, MANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression analyses were used for continuous variables, while χ(2) tests with Yates's correction for categorical variables. Cronbach's α was utilized to determine the internal consistency, and logistic regression analysis and the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis to determine discriminant validity. Principal axis factoring with Oblimin rotation was applied, and then confirmatory factor analysis was used to cross-validate the factor structures. We extracted a five-factor solution that accounted for 60 % of variance. All 23 items had communalities and factor loadings were satisfactory, and the factor structures were similar to the original version of the measure. The Cronbach's α coefficients were adequate, and concurrent and discriminant validities of the GRCS were also confirmed. GRCS-I presented good psychometric properties and it demonstrated good validity and reliability, providing a valid and suitable tool for the assessment of gambling related cognitions among Italian individuals.

Changes in quality of life following group CBT for anxiety and depression in a psychiatric outpatient clinic.

The present study examined the relationship between quality of life and symptom change following group CBT treatment for anxiety or depression in a psychiatric hospital outpatient setting. One hundred seventy seven outpatients undergoing eight sessions of group CBT for anxiety (n=124) or mood disorders (n=53) participated. The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (Zung-SRDS), Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) were administered at baseline and post-treatment. Additionally, the QOLI and SWLS scores of those who achieved reliable improvement or clinically significant symptom change were compared to those who experienced no reliable symptom improvement. There were significant changes across the QOLI, SWLS, BAI and Zung-SRDS outcome measures between baseline and post-treatment, with moderate to very large effect sizes observed. Patients with reliable or clinically significant change in their symptoms experienced significant increases in QOLI and SWLS scores when compared to those whose symptoms did not change reliably. Overall, in a psychiatric hospital outpatient setting, group CBT appeared to be successful in increasing quality of life and satisfaction with life in addition to reducing anxiety and depression symptoms.

Exploring mechanisms of change: the relationships between cognitions, symptoms, and quality of life over the course of group cognitive-behaviour therapy.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explain how quality of life changes during psychotherapy, using a cognitive-behavioural theoretical framework, and examined whether changes in symptoms or changes in cognitions were more influential with regard to quality of life change. Three different hypotheses were tested that might explain the mechanisms by which quality of life changes during group cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) for anxiety and depression. METHODS: 127 outpatients with anxiety and/or depression enrolled in a four-week group CBT programme participated. Measures of anxiety and depression symptoms, cognitive change, and quality of life were administered at baseline and post-treatment. Baseline to post-treatment change scores were calculated and entered into multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: Reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms were related to increases in quality of life, whereas cognitive changes were not consistently related to changes in quality of life. LIMITATIONS: The main limitation was that the study׳s design was not able to assess whether changes in cognitions or symptoms preceded changes in quality of life, as all variables were measured at the same two points in time. CONCLUSIONS: These results provided evidence that quality of life changes as a result of or, simultaneously with, symptom change. It appears that group CBT does not improve quality of life through strategies designed to change patients׳ cognitions.

Suicide attempts in Malaysia from the year 1969 to 2011.

The aim of this paper is to review the literature on suicide attempts in Malaysia. PsycINFO, PubMed, and Medline databases from 1845 to 2012 and detailed manual search of local official reports from the Ministry of Health and the Malaysian Psychiatric Association and unpublished dissertations from 3 local universities providing postgraduate psychiatric training were included in the current review. A total of 38 studies on suicide attempts in Malaysia were found and reviewed. Twenty-seven (76%) of the studies on suicide attempts were descriptive studies looking at sociodemographic data, psychiatric illnesses, and methods and reasons for suicide attempts. No study has been conducted on treatment and interventions for suicide attempts and the impact of culture was rarely considered. The review showed that in order for researchers, clinicians, and public health policy makers to obtain a better understanding of suicide attempts in Malaysia, more systematic and empirically stringent methodologies and research frameworks need to be used.

Psychometric properties and validation of the Satisfaction with Life Scale in psychiatric and medical outpatients in Malaysia.

The present study evaluated the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) in a sample of clinical outpatients in Malaysia. The SWLS is a measure designed to assess subjective life satisfaction. Four hundred eighty-three participants (283 with psychiatric illnesses and 200 with other medical illnesses) completed the SWLS and other self-report instruments. Results of the EFA and CFA supported the fit for the one-factor model as the best-fitting model. The internal consistency of the SWLS (α=0.86) was found to be high. Correlational analyses showed that SWLS had adequate concurrent validity. Scores on SWLS, which differentiated psychiatric patients and medical patients, supported criterion validity. The logistic regression analyses showed good discriminative validity of SWLS. The SWLS is a reliable and valid instrument to measure the satisfaction with life among psychiatry and clinical outpatients in Malaysia.

Denial Predicts Outcome in Anxiety Following Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

This study aimed to explore whether participants' pretherapy coping strategies predicted the outcome of group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety and depression. It was hypothesized that adaptive coping strategies such as the use of active planning and acceptance would be associated with higher reductions, whereas maladaptive coping strategies such as denial and disengagement would be associated with lower reductions in anxious and depressed symptoms following psychotherapy. There were 144 participants who completed group CBT for anxiety and depression. Measures of coping strategies were administered prior to therapy, whereas measures of depression and anxiety were completed both prior to and following therapy. The results showed that higher levels of denial were associated with a poorer outcome, in terms of change in anxiety but not depression, following therapy. These findings suggest the usefulness of using the Denial subscale from the revised Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) as a predictor of outcome in group CBT for anxiety.

Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy for Heterogeneous Anxiety and Mood Disorders in a Psychiatric Hospital Outpatient Clinic.

Recent literature has shown that group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective for individuals with heterogeneous anxiety disorders. However, these studies have used a narrow range of outcome measures, and have not included global measures such as quality of life. In addition, heterogeneous mood disorders have not been well researched. The aim of this study was to replicate and extend on previous studies by assessing the effectiveness of group CBT treatment programs designed for use with heterogeneous anxiety or depressive disorders. Global outcome measures of quality of life and social functioning were assessed in addition to outcome measures of anxiety and mood symptoms. There were 173 patients who completed either group CBT for anxiety disorders or for depressive disorders. Symptom measures and quality of life measures were used to determine treatment effectiveness. Results demonstrated that the treatments were effective in reducing overall symptom severity and improving quality of life. Treatment gains were maintained to 12 month follow-up. However, the degree of change was considerably lower than that found in comparable trials with diagnostically homogenous samples. Overall, group CBT for heterogeneous diagnostic populations was effective but requires further investigation and refinement.