A randomized trial shows dose-frequency and genotype may determine the therapeutic efficacy of intranasal oxytocin.

BACKGROUND: The neuropeptide oxytocin is proposed as a promising therapy for social dysfunction by modulating amygdala-mediated social-emotional behavior. Although clinical trials report some benefits of chronic treatment, it is unclear whether efficacy may be influenced by dose frequency or genotype. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pharmaco-functional magnetic resonance imaging trial (150 male subjects), we investigated acute and different chronic (every day or on alternate days for 5 days) intranasal oxytocin (24 international units) effects and oxytocin receptor genotype-mediated treatment sensitivity on amygdala responses to face emotions. We also investigated similar effects on resting-state functional connectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. RESULTS: A single dose of oxytocin-reduced amygdala responses to all face emotions but for threatening (fear and anger) and happy faces, this effect was abolished after daily doses for 5 days but maintained by doses given every other day. The latter dose regime also enhanced associated anxious-arousal attenuation for fear faces. Oxytocin effects on reducing amygdala responses to face emotions only occurred in AA homozygotes of rs53576 and A carriers of rs2254298. The effects of oxytocin on resting-state functional connectivity were not influenced by either dose-frequency or receptor genotype. CONCLUSIONS: Infrequent chronic oxytocin administration may be therapeutically most efficient and its anxiolytic neural and behavioral actions are highly genotype-dependent in males.

Serotonin and early life stress interact to shape brain architecture and anxious avoidant behavior - a TPH2 imaging genetics approach.

BACKGROUND: Early life stress has been associated with emotional dysregulations and altered architecture of limbic-prefrontal brain systems engaged in emotional processing. Serotonin regulates both, developmental and experience-dependent neuroplasticity in these circuits. Central serotonergic biosynthesis rates are regulated by Tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) and transgenic animal models suggest that TPH2-gene associated differences in serotonergic signaling mediate the impact of aversive early life experiences on a phenotype characterized by anxious avoidance. METHODS: The present study employed an imaging genetics approach that capitalized on individual differences in a TPH2 polymorphism (703G/T; rs4570625) to determine whether differences in serotonergic signaling modulate the effects of early life stress on brain structure and function and punishment sensitivity in humans (n = 252). RESULTS: Higher maltreatment exposure before the age of 16 was associated with increased gray matter volumes in a circuitry spanning thalamic-limbic-prefrontal regions and decreased intrinsic communication in limbic-prefrontal circuits selectively in TT carriers. In an independent replication sample, associations between higher early life stress and increased frontal volumes in TT carriers were confirmed. On the phenotype level, the genotype moderated the association between higher early life stress exposure and higher punishment sensitivity. In TT carriers, the association between higher early life stress exposure and punishment sensitivity was critically mediated by increased thalamic-limbic-prefrontal volumes. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest that early life stress shapes the neural organization of the limbic-prefrontal circuits in interaction with individual variations in the TPH2 gene to promote a phenotype characterized by facilitated threat avoidance, thus promoting early adaptation to an adverse environment.

Real-Time Functional Connectivity-Informed Neurofeedback of Amygdala-Frontal Pathways Reduces Anxiety.

BACKGROUND: Deficient emotion regulation and exaggerated anxiety represent a major transdiagnostic psychopathological marker. On the neural level these deficits have been closely linked to impaired, yet treatment-sensitive, prefrontal regulatory control over the amygdala. Gaining direct control over these pathways could therefore provide an innovative and promising intervention to regulate exaggerated anxiety. To this end the current proof-of-concept study evaluated the feasibility, functional relevance and maintenance of a novel connectivity-informed real-time fMRI neurofeedback training. METHODS: In a randomized crossover sham-controlled design, 26 healthy subjects with high anxiety underwent real-time fMRI-guided neurofeedback training to enhance connectivity between the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) and the amygdala (target pathway) during threat exposure. Maintenance of regulatory control was assessed after 3 days and in the absence of feedback. Training-induced changes in functional connectivity of the target pathway and anxiety ratings served as primary outcomes. RESULTS: Training of the target, yet not the sham control, pathway significantly increased amygdala-vlPFC connectivity and decreased levels of anxiety. Stronger connectivity increases were significantly associated with higher anxiety reduction on the group level. At the follow-up, volitional control over the target pathway was maintained in the absence of feedback. CONCLUSIONS: The present results demonstrate for the first time that successful self-regulation of amygdala-prefrontal top-down regulatory circuits may represent a novel intervention to control anxiety. As such, the present findings underscore both the critical contribution of amygdala-prefrontal circuits to emotion regulation and the therapeutic potential of connectivity-informed real-time neurofeedback.

A functional polymorphism of the OXTR gene is associated with autistic traits in Caucasian and Asian populations.

There is increasing evidence for associations between polymorphisms of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene and autism spectrum disorder, but to date no study has established links with autistic traits in healthy subjects and potential cultural differences. The present research firstly investigated associations between three widely studied OXTR SNPs and autistic and empathic traits (rs53576 (G/A); rs2254298 (G/A); rs2268498 (T/C)) in two independent studies on male and female Caucasian (n = 537) and Chinese students (n = 280). Autistic and empathic traits were measured in all subjects in the two independent groups using the Autism -Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) respectively, together with their sub-scales. For both sites, genotyping of the OXTR SNPs was conducted on buccal swab samples using a Cobas Z 480 Light Cycler following automated DNA extraction. Associations at the genotype level with autism trait scores were found in Caucasian subjects for rs2268498 only, with TT carriers having the lowest AQ scores compared with those carrying at least one C-allele. This finding was independently replicated in the Chinese sample although a smaller proportion carried the C-allele compared with the Caucasian sample. Some minor associations were found between empathy trait scores and the three SNPs but were not consistent between the samples. These findings show for the first time that the rs2268498 SNP localized in the promoter flanking region of the OXTR gene is associated with autistic traits in different ethnic/cultural groups. This provides further support for the role of the OXTR gene in relation to autism.

On the Willingness to Pay for social media/messenger services taking into account personality and sent/received messages among WhatsApp users.

WhatsApp has billions of users worldwide. Instead of paying a subscription fee, users provide their data for the use allowance. This data is used by Meta - the company behind WhatsApp - to obtain insights into user characteristics and monetize those insights. However, this data business model is among others criticized for fostering a loss of privacy that arises when platforms analyze user data, and for the use of design elements to attract users to the platform when they are not online or to extend their online time. Therefore, an increasing number of scientists are discussing whether other payment models are needed to overcome those disadvantages, like a monetary payment model. However, users would probably only pay for improved social media products. This paper provides an empirical basis for understanding the user perspective and, in particular, whether and how much users are willing to pay for improved social media products. For this, 2924 WhatsApp users' perspectives on this topic were investigated. They were asked whether and how much they are willing to pay money for a messenger/social media service when its quality would be improved. Variables potentially influencing Willingness to Pay (i.e., personality, sent/received messages) were studied as well. 47% of the participants were unwilling to pay for a healthier messenger service, and about a quarter were willing or stayed neutral. Further analysis revealed that more agreeable people were more willing to pay. Further: Higher Extraversion was associated with more sent/received messages, but the number of sent/received messages was not linked to Willingness to Pay. The present study shows that many users still are not willing to pay for social media (here messengers), which indicates that the advantages of paying for social media with money instead of with one's own data might need to be better communicated.

Examining the growth in willingness to pay for digital wellbeing services on social media: A comparative analysis.

In recent years, there has been a growing need for social media platforms to offer services that preserve and promote users' digital wellbeing, including better protection of personal data and balanced technology usage. However, the current business model of social media is often seen as in conflict with users' digital wellbeing. In 2020, a study investigated users' willingness to pay monetary fees for social media digital wellbeing services. In the present work, we replicated this study in Q4 of 2022, aiming to explore any changes in interest and willingness to pay for these services. In addition, we extended the replication by conducting qualitative analysis on participants' comments to gain deeper insight and identify reasons for payment and reasons for rejecting to pay. Data were collected from 262 participants through an online questionnaire. The survey focused on four services: better data protection, less use of data for marketing, aiding users in controlling their prolonged usage, and reducing fake news and radicalisation on social media. The results showed that the willingness to pay for these services was significantly higher in 2022 compared to the results published in 2020. Participants expressed concerns about the feasibility and fairness of the alternative business model, which requires users to pay for safety and support. Our findings suggest a growing interest in digital wellbeing services, emphasizing the need for social media platforms to assess the feasibility of alternative business models, identify user segments, and take measures to enhance consumers' trust, accordingly.

Patterns of neural activity in response to threatening faces are predictive of autistic traits: modulatory effects of oxytocin receptor genotype.

Autistic individuals generally demonstrate impaired emotion recognition but it is unclear whether effects are emotion-specific or influenced by oxytocin receptor (OXTR) genotype. Here we implemented a dimensional approach using an implicit emotion recognition task together with functional MRI in a large cohort of neurotypical adult participants (N = 255, male = 131, aged 17-29 years) to establish associations between autistic traits and neural and behavioral responses to specific face emotions, together with modulatory effects of OXTR genotype. A searchlight-based multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) revealed an extensive network of frontal, basal ganglia, cingulate and limbic regions exhibiting significant predictability for autistic traits from patterns of responses to angry relative to neutral expression faces. Functional connectivity analyses revealed a genotype interaction (OXTR SNPs rs2254298, rs2268491) for coupling between the orbitofrontal cortex and mid-cingulate during angry expression processing, with a negative association between coupling and autistic traits in the risk-allele group and a positive one in the non-risk allele group. Overall, results indicate extensive emotion-specific associations primarily between patterns of neural responses to angry faces and autistic traits in regions processing motivation, reward and salience but not in early visual processing. Functional connections between these identified regions were not only associated with autistic traits but also influenced by OXTR genotype. Thus, altered patterns of neural responses to threatening faces may be a potential biomarker for autistic symptoms although modulatory influences of OXTR genotype need to be taken into account.

Linking primary emotional traits to ideological attitudes and personal value types.

The present study aimed at investigating associations of both ideological attitudes and personal value types with the personality traits derived from the Affective Neuroscience Theory (ANT). For that, data of N = 626 (n = 403 men, n = 220 women, n = 3 identifying as neither a man nor a woman) participants of an online survey in the German language were analyzed. Relations of primary emotional traits derived from the ANT with Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA), Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), and personal value types, such as the higher-order value type dimensions "Conservation-Openness to Change" and "Self-Enhancement-Self-Transcendence", were examined by means of correlational analyses and structural equation modeling. Results revealed among others relations between low SEEKING, high ANGER and high RWA. Low CARE and high ANGER were associated with high SDO. Moreover, FEAR was related to the higher-order value type dimension ranging from Conservation to Openness to Change. ANGER was associated with the higher-order value type dimension ranging from Self-Enhancement to Self-Transcendence. The present results do not only expand knowledge on the personality traits associated with ideological attitudes and personal value types. Beyond this, considering the neuroanatomical, functional, and neurochemical correlates of the primary emotional traits SEEKING, ANGER, CARE, and FEAR, the present results may provide a roadmap for forthcoming studies aiming at examining biological correlates of ideological attitudes and personal value types, such as those works in the field of political neuroscience.

A central serotonin regulating gene polymorphism (TPH2) determines vulnerability to acute tryptophan depletion-induced anxiety and ventromedial prefrontal threat reactivity in healthy young men.

Serotonin (5-HT) has long been implicated in adaptive emotion regulation as well as the development and treatment of emotional dysregulations in mental disorders. Accumulating evidence suggests a genetic vulnerability may render some individuals at a greater risk for the detrimental effects of transient variations in 5-HT signaling. The present study aimed to investigate whether individual variations in the Tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) genetics influence susceptibility for behavioral and neural threat reactivity dysregulations during transiently decreased 5-HT signaling. To this end, interactive effects between TPH2 (rs4570625) genotype and acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) on threat reactivity were examined in a within-subject placebo-controlled pharmacological fMRI trial (n = 51). A priori genotype stratification of extreme groups (GG vs. TT) allowed balanced sampling. While no main effects of ATD on neural reactivity to threat-related stimuli and mood state were observed in the entire sample, accounting for TPH2 genotype revealed an ATD-induced increase in subjective anxious arousal in the GG but not the TT carriers. The effects were mirrored on the neural level, such that ATD specifically reduced ventromedial prefrontal cortex reactivity towards threat-related stimuli in the GG carriers. Furthermore, the ATD-induced increase in subjective anxiety positively associated with the extent of ATD-induced changes in ventromedial prefrontal cortex activity in response to threat-related stimuli in GG carriers. Together the present findings suggest for the first time that individual variations in TPH2 genetics render individuals susceptible to the anxiogenic and neural effects of a transient decrease in 5-HT signaling.

Exploring Online and In-Store Purchase Willingness: Associations With the Big Five Personality Traits, Trust, and Need for Touch.

Nowadays, customers can utilize both online and in-store retail channels. Consequently, it is crucial for retailers to understand the possible drivers of retail channel selection, including customers' personalities, degrees of trust, and product touch preferences. Unfortunately, current omnichannel research only scarcely addresses the effects of personality, trust, and desire to touch a product before purchasing it on willingness to purchase and how those effects vary between online and in-store shopping. Thus, we conducted an exploratory study. Our analysis of survey data (N = 1,208)-which controls for respondents' age, gender, and education-reveals that across both the willingness to purchase in-store and online, a higher level of e-vendor trust is a significant, positive predictor. However, we also identify several channel-related differences, including that Trust Propensity, as well as the Big Five traits of Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness are significantly positively related to in-store, but not online, purchase willingness. We also find that Instrumental Need for Touch (defined as goal-motivated touch of a product) is positively related to in-store, but negatively related to online, purchase willingness. Finally, we highlight opportunities for future research and discuss how retail managers might enhance customer experiences in their physical and online stores.

Longitudinal data on (political) news consumption and political attitudes in a German sample collected during the election year 2021.

The present data set contains self-report data of German individuals participating in a longitudinal data assessment via online surveys conducted in the year preceeding the general elections in Germany. Data of N = 122 individuals are included in the data set. Those individuals participated in an initial, extensive survey between November 2020 and February 2021 (T1) as well as in a final survey after the general German elections, thus, between the end of September 2021 and October 2021 (T3). Of those individuals, n = 93 additionally participated in an intermediate survey in between the previously mentioned ones between the end of May and the end of June 2021 (T2). Next to the assessment of sociodemographic variables, information on (political) news consumption, such as the frequency of being confronted with counter-attitudinal news, and on political attitudes, for example via current voting intentions for one of the major German parties, were assessed in the initial survey (T1). In the intermediate survey (T2), participants provided information on recent political news consumption habits including the frequency of being confronted with counter-attitudinal news, current voting intentions for one of the major German parties, as well as on extraordinary events that happened recently and impacted their voting intentions. In the final survey (T3), sociodemographic variables and actual voting decisions in the general German elections in 2021 were assessed. Moreover, variables on recent political news consumption habits, including the frequency of being confronted with counter-attitudinal news, and extraordinary events that happened recently and impacted voting decisions were assessed. Finally, a detailed self-report questionnaire retrospectively assessing political news consumption for the time between participation in the initial survey (T1) and the final survey (T3) was completed by participants. Not only did this questionnaire assess which online and offline news channels (e.g., TV, print, news websites) participants used. Besides, the questionnaire included items on how many outlets per channel were used and the frequency of being confronted with counter-attitudinal news within each channel. This data set is provided alongside the present article to be used for further investigations of the stability of voting intentions, thus, political attitudes. Moreover, a content analysis of the open responses on which extraordinary events happened and impacted voting intentions/decisions can provide further knowledge on factors influencing voting intentions and their variability versus stability.

On the associations between videoconference fatigue, burnout and depression including personality associations.

Videoconference fatigue (hereafter VC fatigue) presents a new psychological construct, which gained momentum in course of the COVID-19 pandemic with the rise of videoconferences taking place in everyday (work-)life. In order to better characterize VC fatigue, it is of importance not only to investigate associations with age, gender and personality (as has been done earlier and will be revisited). Besides, it is crucial to shed light on relevant psychopathological constructs co-occurring with VC fatigue. In the present survey study, based on data from N = 311 participants recruited via the Internet we investigated the associations between VC fatigue, burnout and depression, and we specifically took the personality trait neuroticism as potential predisposing variable into account. These four constructs were robustly positively associated with each other. Moreover, mediation analyses revealed that the positive associations between neuroticism and burnout/depression might in parts be mediated by VC fatigue. However, future studies are needed to disentangle cause and effect between the aforementioned variables. The present study, to our knowledge, is among the first to reveal associations between VC fatigue and psychopathologies. Moreover, in this paper we present a German version of the Zoom Exhaustion & Fatigue scale (ZEF) by Fauville and colleagues.

Willingness to accept (WTA), willingness to pay (WTP), and the WTA/WTP disparity in Chinese social media platforms: Descriptive statistics and associations with personality and social media use.

The amount of money individuals were willing to accept (WTA) to discontinue using prominent Chinese social media platforms (WeChat/QQ), the willingness to pay (WTP) for using these platforms, as well as WTA/WTP disparities were investigated in between-groups and within-subjects design studies to examine their existence, size, and psychological correlates in the form of personality and social media use habits. Individuals were recruited at Chinese universities in three separate surveys. For between-groups investigations, four samples were investigated: WTA and WTP samples for investigations in the context of WeChat as well as WTA and WTP samples for QQ. For within-subjects investigations, individuals completed items on WTA and WTP for WeChat/QQ, the Big Five Inventory, time spent on WeChat/QQ, and the short Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale. Two samples providing data on WeChat and QQ, respectively, were investigated. Across study designs and for both WeChat and QQ we found evidence for high WTA and comparatively low WTP scores, thus, large WTA/WTP disparities. Individual differences in the disparities were negatively associated with Openness across social media platforms. The results reveal a generally low acceptance to pay for social media use, which is important against the background of discussions on monetary payment models. Moreover, a complex interplay between individual characteristics, characteristics of the service, and how and why the service is used seems to underly WTA and the WTA/WTP disparity. Finally, methodological implications of the present results for forthcoming studies assessing valuation (WTA, WTP) in the context of social media are discussed.

Mind-Wandering Mediates the Associations Between Neuroticism and Conscientiousness, and Tendencies Towards Smartphone Use Disorder.

Mounting evidence suggests that smartphone overuse/smartphone use disorder (SmUD) is associated with negative affectivity. Given a large number of smartphone users worldwide (currently about 4.7 billion) and the fact that many individuals carry their smartphones around 24/7, it is of high importance to better understand the phenomenon of smartphone overuse. Based on the interaction of person-affect-cognition-execution (I-PACE) model, we investigated the links between SmUD and the personality traits, neuroticism and conscientiousness, which represent two vulnerability factors robustly linked to SmUD according to a recent meta-analysis. Beyond that, we tested the effects of mind-wandering (MW) and fear of missing out (FoMO) in the relation between individual differences in personality and tendencies towards SmUD. The effective sample comprised 414 study participants (151 men and 263 women, age M = 33.6, SD = 13.5). By applying a structural equation modeling (SEM) technique, we observed that the associations of higher neuroticism and lower conscientiousness with higher levels of SmUD were mediated by higher scores in mind-wandering. These novel findings can help to understand the associations between personality and SmUD in more detail.

Individual Differences in Tendencies Toward Internet Use Disorder, Internet Literacy and Their Link to Autistic Traits in Both China and Germany.

Recent evidence demonstrates that Internet Use Disorder tendencies (IUD; formerly known as Internet Addiction) are associated with higher tendencies toward autistic traits. In the present study, we aimed to further explore this association between IUD tendencies and autistic traits in a large cohort of German and Chinese subjects (total N = 1,524; mostly student background) who completed the short Internet-Addiction-Test, the Autism-Spectrum-Quotient, and the Internet-Literacy-Questionnaire. Moreover, the present research also enabled us to study potential differences in the investigated variables between the Chinese and German cultures. First, the results indicated higher occurrence of IUD symptoms in China. Moreover, Chinese subjects scored significantly higher on all ILQ dimensions than German participants, with the exception of self-regulation where the reverse picture appeared. Second, results confirmed a positive association between IUD tendencies and autistic traits both in China and Germany, although effect sizes were low to medium (China: r = 0.19 vs. Germany: r = 0.36). Going beyond the literature, the present study also assessed individual differences in Internet Literacy and shows in how far variables such as technical expertise, production and interaction, reflection and critical analysis as well as self-regulation in the realm of the Internet usage influence the aforementioned association between IUD tendencies and autistic traits. Although the present study is limited by being of correlational nature it is discussed how the association between IUD tendencies and autistic traits might be explained.

Comparing Smartphone, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat: Which Platform Elicits the Greatest Use Disorder Symptoms?

In recent years, smartphone and social networking services (SNS) use have received a great amount of scholarly attention regarding their potentially addictive effects. Conceptualized as smartphone or SNS use disorder, research has consistently demonstrated relations with daily-life impairments. However, Smartphone Use Disorder (SmUD), WhatsApp Use Disorder (WAUD), Facebook Use Disorder (FBUD), Instagram Use Disorder (IGUD), or Snapchat Use Disorder (SCUD) scores have not been compared with each other. This comparison could provide insight into which device/platform could be most related to daily-life impairments. The effective sample of this study comprised 439 German-speaking individuals (age M = 25.08, SD = 9.74; 271 women) who reported actively using a smartphone, as well as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, and responded to the respective use disorder scales. Within-subjects analysis of variance and post hoc tests (p values adjusted with the Holm method) were used to compare smartphone and SNS use disorder scale scores. The results suggest that SmUD scores are highest in comparison with other SNS platforms. Although WAUD and IGUD scores did not differ from each other, these scores were higher than for FBUD and SCUD. SCUD scores were higher than FBUD scores. These results provide novel insight into how the smartphone and different SNSs may relate to engagement in problematic digital technology use.

Molecular genetics of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides involved in Internet use disorders including first insights on a potential role of hypothalamus' oxytocin hormone.

This chapter covers the phenomenon of Internet use disorders (IUDs) and putative associations with different neurotransmitter and neuropeptide systems. Genes coding for such messengers can be seen as an important starting point in the complicated quest to understand human behavior including new phenomena such as IUDs. Therefore, a special focus of this chapter will lie on individual differences in molecular genetic underpinnings of neurotransmitter and neuropeptide systems and their associations with individual differences in tendencies towards IUDs. By shedding light on these associations, putative predisposing molecular genetic factors for the emergence and maintenance of IUDs can be carved out. Therefore, first an introduction to IUDs and a model that can guide research on putative associations of IUDs with different specific neurotransmitters and neuropeptides will be presented. Subsequently, twin studies on the heritability of IUDs are reviewed. Finally, studies on differences in molecular genetic predispositions and their associations with differences in IUDs will be presented and discussed, including targets related to the dopaminergic and serotonergic system as well as the hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin. The chapter closes with a conclusion about what is already known and what needs to be investigated in future studies to gain further insights into putative associations between molecular genetic markers and IUDs.

The Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales: Linking the adjective and statement-based inventories with the Big Five Inventory in English and German-speaking samples.

Jaak Panksepp's Affective Neuroscience Theory is of high relevance not only for a better understanding of affective brain disorders but also in personality research. To make Panksepp's theory more accessible for psychologists and psychiatrists, Davis, Panksepp, and Normansell (2003) developed the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (ANPS). These scales assess the manifestation of the primary emotional traits in humans based on a personality trait approach. Given their putative foundation in old subcortical areas in the brain, these primary emotional traits (assessed via the ANPS) could represent the evolutionarily oldest manifestations of personality (but this notion is still a matter of a debate). However, the ANPS inventories were based on using contextual items (e.g., about specific attitudes, behaviors, and feelings in specific situations). Recently, an adjective-based ANPS (ANPS-Adjective Ratings or ANPS-AR) was developed for a less context-dependent and more efficient assessment of Panksepp's primary emotional systems in humans for use by both individuals and independent observer raters. The present work introduces the first German version of the ANPS-AR. Moreover, the current work investigates the original and ANPS-AR versions of the ANPS and their associations with the Big Five personality traits in two independent English- and German-speaking samples. The results show that the ANPS measures are very similarly correlated with the Big Five personality traits across different samples and scales. This work replicates the previous findings in an English version, and demonstrates the reliability and validity of the adjective-based German ANPS-AR.

Investigating Links Between Fear of COVID-19, Neuroticism, Social Networks Use Disorder, and Smartphone Use Disorder Tendencies.

The present study investigates links between fear of COVID-19, the personality trait of neuroticism, social networks use disorder, and smartphone use disorder (SNUD and SmUD, respectively) tendencies. In an online survey, N = 932 participants recruited at a Chinese University (237 males and 695 females) completed self-reports on fear of COVID-19, neuroticism (and other personality traits from the Big Five Inventory-44), the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (assessing tendencies toward SNUD), and the Smartphone Addiction Scale short version-assessing individual differences in tendencies toward SmUD. Our findings showed that all variables of main interest were positively correlated with each other. A mediation model suggested that SNUD (in parts) mediated the association between fear of COVID-19 and SmUD. Although neuroticism was robustly correlated with all mentioned variables, no moderation effect could be observed on the investigated fear-of-COVID-19-SNUD-link. The findings of this work provide further evidence that the smartphone itself is only a device giving individuals access to software applications, which might be excessively used. Beyond that, the present data indicate neuroticism to be a risk factor with respect to fear of COVID-19, SNUD, and SmUD, although the study is limited by its cross-sectional study design.

The evaluation of fake and true news: on the role of intelligence, personality, interpersonal trust, ideological attitudes, and news consumption.

Individual differences in cognitive abilities and personality help to understand individual differences in various human behaviors. Previous work investigated individual characteristics in light of believing (i.e., misclassifying) fake news. However, only little is known about the misclassification of true news as fake, although it appears equally important to correctly identify fake and true news for unbiased belief formation. An online study with N = 530 (n = 396 men) participants was conducted to investigate performance in a Fake and True News Test in association with i) performance in fluid and crystallized intelligence tests and the Big Five Inventory, and ii) news consumption as a mediating variable between individual characteristics and performance in the Fake and True News Test. Results showed that fluid intelligence was negatively correlated with believing fake news (the association did not remain significant in a regression model); crystallized intelligence was negatively linked to misclassifying true news. Extraversion was negatively and crystallized intelligence was positively associated with fake and true news discernment. The number of different news sources consumed correlated negatively with misclassifying true news and positively with fake and true news discernment. However, no meaningful mediation effect of news consumption was observed. Only interpersonal trust was negatively related to misclassifying both fake and true news as well as positively related to news discernment. The present findings reveal that underlying factors of believing fake news and misclassifying true news are mostly different. Strategies that might help to improve the abilities to identify both fake and true news based on the present findings are discussed.