Exploring Attitudes Toward "Sugar Relationships" Across 87 Countries: A Global Perspective on Exchanges of Resources for Sex and Companionship.

The current study investigates attitudes toward one form of sex for resources: the so-called sugar relationships, which often involve exchanges of resources for sex and/or companionship. The present study examined associations among attitudes toward sugar relationships and relevant variables (e.g., sex, sociosexuality, gender inequality, parasitic exposure) in 69,924 participants across 87 countries. Two self-report measures of Acceptance of Sugar Relationships (ASR) developed for younger companion providers (ASR-YWMS) and older resource providers (ASR-OMWS) were translated into 37 languages. We tested cross-sex and cross-linguistic construct equivalence, cross-cultural invariance in sex differences, and the importance of the hypothetical predictors of ASR. Both measures showed adequate psychometric properties in all languages (except the Persian version of ASR-YWMS). Results partially supported our hypotheses and were consistent with previous theoretical considerations and empirical evidence on human mating. For example, at the individual level, sociosexual orientation, traditional gender roles, and pathogen prevalence were significant predictors of both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS. At the country level, gender inequality and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. However, being a woman negatively predicted the ASR-OMWS, but positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. At country-level, ingroup favoritism and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-OMWS. Furthermore, significant cross-subregional differences were found in the openness to sugar relationships (both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS scores) across subregions. Finally, significant differences were found between ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS when compared in each subregion. The ASR-YWMS was significantly higher than the ASR-OMWS in all subregions, except for Northern Africa and Western Asia.

CalFitter 2.0: Leveraging the power of singular value decomposition to analyse protein thermostability.

The importance of the quantitative description of protein unfolding and aggregation for the rational design of stability or understanding the molecular basis of protein misfolding diseases is well established. Protein thermostability is typically assessed by calorimetric or spectroscopic techniques that monitor different complementary signals during unfolding. The CalFitter webserver has already proved integral to deriving invaluable energy parameters by global data analysis. Here, we introduce CalFitter 2.0, which newly incorporates singular value decomposition (SVD) of multi-wavelength spectral datasets into the global fitting pipeline. Processed time- or temperature-evolved SVD components can now be fitted together with other experimental data types. Moreover, deconvoluted basis spectra provide spectral fingerprints of relevant macrostates populated during unfolding, which greatly enriches the information gains of the CalFitter output. The SVD analysis is fully automated in a highly interactive module, providing access to the results to users without any prior knowledge of the underlying mathematics. Additionally, a novel data uploading wizard has been implemented to facilitate rapid and easy uploading of multiple datasets. Together, the newly introduced changes significantly improve the user experience, making this software a unique, robust, and interactive platform for the analysis of protein thermal denaturation data. The webserver is freely accessible at https://loschmidt.chemi.muni.cz/calfitter.

Adolescents' perceptions of the credibility of informational content on fitness and dietary supplements: The impact of banner and native advertising.

INTRODUCTION: The assessment of online health-related information presents a significant challenge for today's youth. Using the Processing of Commercial Media Content (PCMC) model, we investigated the impact of advertising on the perceived credibility of informational content concerning fitness (in boys) and dietary supplements (in girls). METHODS: In a survey-based preregistered experiment, 681 Czech adolescents (aged 13-18, 52% girls) were randomly assigned to three groups and exposed to websites with a banner ad, a native ad, or simple informational text without an ad. RESULTS: The presence of ads on websites diminishes the perceived credibility of informational content. While we did not observe the difference between banner and native advertising, we found one gender-specific difference. Specifically, boys perceive informational content linked with native ads as more credible compared to girls. Additionally, no difference was found between younger and older adolescents. Adolescents demonstrated success in identifying both types of advertisements, irrespective of their age. CONCLUSIONS: The findings are discussed in light of individual differences and various approaches to processing online content. It appears that adolescents are accustomed to native advertising, which seamlessly integrates with traditional banner ads. Moreover, it is plausible that boys assess advertising texts more heuristically and less systematically than girls. Contrary to PCMC expectations, even younger adolescents seem to possess sufficient skills to identify the advertisements.

Natural language sentiment as an indicator of depression and anxiety symptoms: a longitudinal mixed methods study1.

The study tested how the use of positive- (e.g. beautiful) and negative-valenced (e.g. horrible) words in natural language and its change in time affects the severity of depression and anxiety symptoms among depressed and non-depressed individuals. This longitudinal mixed methods study (N = 40 participants, n = 1440 narratives) with three measurements within a year showed that at the between-person level the use of negative-valenced words was strongly associated with the increase in anxiety and depression symptoms over time while the use of positive-valenced words was slightly associated with the decrease in anxiety and depression symptom. These effects were not supported for within-person level (i.e. changes in word usage). No significant differences were observed in the effects between depressed and non-depressed groups. Summing up, the overall use of positive- and negative-valenced words (particularly negative-valenced words) had a stronger effect on the severity of psychopathological symptoms than their change over time. The results were discussed in the context of natural language processing and its application in diagnosing depression and anxiety symptoms.

Handwriting Quality: Psychometric Properties of Two Evaluation Scales With a Czech Sample.

IMPORTANCE: Approximately 7% to 30% of children contend with handwriting issues (HIs) in their school years. However, research studies to define and quantify HIs, as well as practical assessment tools, are lacking. OBJECTIVE: To confirm the validity and reliability of two screening scales for HIs: the Handwriting Legibility Scale (HLS) and the Concise Assessment Scale of Children's Handwriting (BHK). DESIGN: Structural equation modeling (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of five different models were used to examine the construct and discriminant validity of both scales. Furthermore, internal consistency and interrater agreement were evaluated. The association among scales, grades, and children's self-evaluation was also explored. SETTING: Elementary schools and state counseling centers in the Czech Republic. PARTICIPANTS: On a voluntary basis, 161 children from elementary schools and state counseling centers in the Czech Republic were enrolled. The variable of children with typical handwriting development versus HIs was missing for 11 children. Thus, for discriminant validity analysis, 150 data records from children were used. OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The HLS and BHK were used to evaluate the handwriting quality of the transcription task. The Handwriting Proficiency Screening Questionnaires for Children was used for children's self-evaluation. RESULTS: The study confirmed the validity and reliability of the shortened BHK and HLS. A strong relationship was found between the BHK and HLS, grades, and children's self-evaluation. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Both scales are recommended for occupational therapy practice worldwide. Further research should focus on developing standards and providing sensitivity studies. What This Article Adds: Both the HLS and the BHK are recommended for occupational therapy practice. Practitioners should also take the child's well-being into consideration in handwriting quality assessment.

Big Five traits predict stress and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence for the role of neuroticism.

The rapid outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has affected citizens' daily lives in an unprecedented way. To curb the spread of the pandemic, governments have taken numerous measures such as social distancing and quarantine, which may be associated with psychological consequences, namely stress and loneliness globally. To understand differential associations of personality traits with psychological consequences of COVID-19, we utilize data from a sample of 99,217 individuals from 41 countries collected as part of the COVIDiSTRESS Global Survey. Data were analyzed using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis and multilevel regression models. Findings showed that while some of the associations were rather weak, Big Five personality traits were significantly associated with perceived stress and loneliness during the pandemic. Our study illustrates that neuroticism especially can be a vulnerability factor for stress and loneliness in times of crisis and can contribute to detection of at-risk individuals and optimization of psychological treatments during or after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The validity of the Czech version of Body Appreciation Scale-2 for adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the formation of body image is critical for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders, especially in adolescence, when body image develops significantly. One of the important facets of body image is body appreciation, which consists of positive feelings and attitudes towards the body regardless of its perceived "flaws". To measure body appreciation, Body Appreciation Scale-2 (Tylka and Wood-Barcalow in Body Image 12:53-67, 2015a), a unidimensional 10-item measure, has been developed and routinely used in body image research. The current study examined the validity (i.e., factor structure, gender and age invariance, associations with other constructs) of the Czech version of Body Appreciation Scale-2 for adolescents. METHODS: The study used two large samples of Czech adolescents, aged 13-18 (N1 = 613, M = 15.5, 52% girls; N2 = 1,530, M = 15.4, 50% girls). The data were collected in August 2021 (N1) and November 2020 (N2) through an online survey. For the data analysis, we used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). RESULTS: Our findings supported the proposed unidimensional factor structure and the gender (i.e., girls, boys) and age (i.e., 13-15, 16-18) scalar invariance of the Czech version of Body Appreciation Scale-2. The data also showed the expected positive correlations with body satisfaction and self-esteem, and negative correlations with media-ideal internalization, appearance schematicity, and depression. Furthermore, we discovered that body appreciation was more strongly connected to media-ideal internalization and depression for girls than boys. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provided robust evidence that supports the validity of the Czech version of Body Appreciation Scale-2 and its usability for the assessment of body appreciation in Czech adolescents. We also proposed future directions for the research on body appreciation based on the explored gender differences.

Understanding the formation of body image­that is, how people view and evaluate their bodies­is crucial for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders. This is especially true in adolescence, when body image develops significantly. That being said, the psychological assessment of body image, both in research and practice, requires reliable, high-quality measurement scales. Since its development by Tylka and Wood-Barcalow (2015a), Body Appreciation Scale-2 has been routinely used to assess body appreciation, which includes positive attitudes towards one's body despite its perceived "flaws". Our study provides evidence for the quality of the Czech version of Body Appreciation Scale-2 for use with adolescents. We examined the scale's characteristics on data from two robust samples (613 and 1530 Czech adolescents). Our study showed that the qualities of Czech Body Appreciation Scale-2 are satisfactory, and we recommend the scale for the assessment of body appreciation for adolescents in the Czech context. We also documented that the scale scores can be accurately compared between adolescent girls and boys, and younger (13­15) and older (16­18) adolescents. Additionally, we discovered gender differences in the relationships between body appreciation and depressive moods and the internalization of media ideals, which demands further exploration in future research.

Exploring cross-cultural variations in visual attention patterns inside and outside national borders using immersive virtual reality.

We examined theories of cross-cultural differences in cognitive style on a sample of 242 participants representing five cultural groups (Czechia, Ghana, eastern and western Turkey, and Taiwan). The experiment involved immersive virtual environments consisting of two salient focal objects and a complex background as stimuli, which were presented using virtual reality headsets with integrated eye-tracking devices. The oculomotor patterns confirmed previous general conclusions that Eastern cultures have a more holistic cognitive style, while Western cultures predominantly have an analytic cognitive style. The differences were particularly noticeable between Taiwan and the other samples. However, we found that the broader cultural background of each group was perhaps just as important as geographical location or national boundaries. For example, observed differences between Eastern (more holistic style) and Western Turkey (more analytic style), suggest the possible influence of varying historical and cultural characteristics on the cognitive processing of complex visual stimuli.

Analytic and holistic cognitive style as a set of independent manifests: Evidence from a validation study of six measurement instruments.

Cognitive styles are commonly studied constructs in cognitive psychology. The theory of field dependence-independence was one of the most important cognitive styles. Yet in the past, its measurement had significant shortcomings in validity and reliability. The theory of analytic and holistic cognitive styles attempted to extend this theory and overcome its shortcomings. Unfortunately, the psychometric properties of its measurement methods were not properly verified. Furthermore, new statistical approaches, such as analysis of reaction times, have been overlooked by current research. The aim of this pre-registered study was to verify the psychometric properties (i.e., factor structure, split-half reliability, test-retest reliability, discriminant validity with intelligence and personality, and divergent, concurrent and predictive validity) of several methods routinely applied in the field. We developed/adapted six methods based on self-report questionnaires, rod-and-frame principles, embedded figures, and hierarchical figures. The analysis was conducted on 392 Czech participants, with two data collection waves. The results indicate that the use of methods based on the rod-and-frame principle may be unreliable, demonstrating no absence of association with intelligence. The use of embedded and hierarchical figures is recommended. The self-report questionnaire used in this study showed an unsatisfactory factor structure and also cannot be recommended without futher validation on independent samples. The findings also did not correspond with the original two-dimensional theory.

Mediation analysis of conspiratorial thinking and anti-expert sentiments on vaccine willingness.

OBJECTIVE: Vaccines are an effective means to reduce the spread of diseases, but they are sometimes met with hesitancy that needs to be understood. METHOD: In this study, we analyzed data from a large, cross-country survey conducted between June and August 2021 in 43 countries (N = 15,740) to investigate the roles of trust in government and science in shaping vaccine attitudes and willingness to be vaccinated. RESULTS: Despite significant variability between countries, we found that both forms of institutional trust were associated with a higher willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Furthermore, we found that conspiratorial thinking and anti-expert sentiments predicted reduced trust in government and science, respectively, and that trust mediated the relationship between these two constructs and ultimate vaccine attitudes. Although most countries displayed similar relationships between conspiratorial thinking and anti-expert sentiments, trust in government and science, and vaccine attitudes, we identified three countries (Brazil, Honduras, and Russia) that demonstrated significantly altered associations between the examined variables in terms of significant random slopes. CONCLUSIONS: Cross-country differences suggest that local governments' support for COVID-19 prevention policies can influence populations' vaccine attitudes. These findings provide insight for policymakers to develop interventions aiming to increase trust in the institutions involved in the vaccination process. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Early Clinical Outcome and Stent Restenosis after Carotid Artery Stenting.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is closely related to both the severity of carotid disease and its outcome after revascularization. Carotid artery stenting (CAS) has emerged as a viable alternative to surgical endarterectomy but little is known about the impact of diabetes after CAS. Methods: A consecutive cohort of 1940 patients undergoing CAS in two institutions was divided into two groups, diabetics and nondiabetics, and major cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) were analyzed at 30 days post-CAS and at 1 year follow-up. Results: There were 730 patients with diabetes, with significantly higher BMI, hypertension, chronic dialysis, and dyslipidemia frequency (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of early and late MACCEs (composite of transient ischemic attack, major stroke, myocardial infarction, and death), with an early rate of 3.5% nondiabetics vs. 5.3%, p = 0.08 and 2.4 nondiabetics vs. 2.3% diabetics, p = 0.1 at 12 months. Overall stroke/death rate in the asymptomatic patients was 2.4%, and the restenosis rate was higher in the diabetes population (2.3% vs. 1%, p = 0.04). Conclusion: The presence of diabetes was associated with an acceptable increased periprocedural risk for CAS, but no further additional risk emerged during longer term follow-up. Diabetes may precipitate the rate of early in-stent restenosis.

Psychometric Properties of the Independent and Interdependent Self-Construal Questionnaire: Evidence From the Czech Republic.

This article introduces a validation study of the Czech version of an independent and interdependent self-construal questionnaire (SCS, Vignoles et al., 2016) conducted on 330 Czech subjects. In this study, the reliability, convergent validity and factor validity were verified. However, the confirmatory factor analysis revealed unsatisfactory factor structure (RMSEA = 0.053 [0.048, 0.057], SRMR = 0.080, CFI = 0.775, TLI = 0.755). These results are discussed with respect to other adaptations of individualism/collectivism scales in countries beyond typical West-East dichotomy. Hence, the article not only critically discusses the shortcoming of the Czech and original versions of the questionnaires, but also the general issues of the individualism-collectivism construct in the cross-cultural context as a whole.

A comparison of the performance on extrinsic and intrinsic cartographic visualizations through correctness, response time and cognitive processing.

The aim of this study was to compare the performance of two bivariate visualizations by measuring response correctness (error rate) and response time, and to identify the differences in cognitive processes involved in map-reading tasks by using eye-tracking methods. The present study is based on our previous research and the hypothesis that the use of different visualization methods may lead to significant cognitive-processing differences. We applied extrinsic and intrinsic visualizations in the study. Participants in the experiment were presented maps which depicted two variables (soil moisture and soil depth) and asked to identify the areas which displayed either a single condition (e.g., "find an area with low soil depth") or both conditions (e.g., "find an area with high soil moisture and low soil depth"). The research sample was composed of 31 social sciences and humanities university students. The experiment was performed under laboratory conditions, and Hypothesis software was used for data collection. Eye-tracking data were collected for 23 of the participants. An SMI RED-m eye-tracker was used to determine whether either of the two visualization methods was more efficient for solving the given map-reading tasks. Our results showed that with the intrinsic visualization method, the participants spent significantly more time with the map legend. This result suggests that extrinsic and intrinsic visualizations induce different cognitive processes. The intrinsic method was observed to generally require more time and led to higher error rates. In summary, the extrinsic method was found to be more efficient than the intrinsic method, although the difference was less pronounced in the tasks which contained two variables, which proved to be better suited to intrinsic visualization.

Replicating the Disease framing problem during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic: A study of stress, worry, trust, and choice under risk.

In the risky-choice framing effect, different wording of the same options leads to predictably different choices. In a large-scale survey conducted from March to May 2020 and including 88,181 participants from 47 countries, we investigated how stress, concerns, and trust moderated the effect in the Disease problem, a prominent framing problem highly evocative of the COVID-19 pandemic. As predicted by the appraisal-tendency framework, risk aversion and the framing effect in our study were larger than under typical circumstances. Furthermore, perceived stress and concerns over coronavirus were positively associated with the framing effect. Contrary to predictions, however, they were not related to risk aversion. Trust in the government's efforts to handle the coronavirus was associated with neither risk aversion nor the framing effect. The proportion of risky choices and the framing effect varied substantially across nations. Additional exploratory analyses showed that the framing effect was unrelated to reported compliance with safety measures, suggesting, along with similar findings during the pandemic and beyond, that the effectiveness of framing manipulations in public messages might be limited. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed, along with directions for further investigations.