Short Forms of the Cross-Cultural (Chinese) Personality Assessment Inventory: Reliability, Validity, and Measurement Invariance Across Gender.

Filling out long questionnaires can be frustrating, unpleasant, and discouraging for respondents to continue. This is why shorter forms of long instruments are preferred, especially when they have comparable reliability and validity. In present study, two short forms of the Cross-cultural (Chinese) Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI-2) were developed and validated. The items of the short forms were all selected from the 28 personality scales of the CPAI-2 based on the norm sample. Based on some priori criteria, we obtained the appropriate items and constructed the 56-item Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI) and the 28-item CPAI. Then, we examined the factor structure of both short forms with Exploratory SEM (ESEM) and replicated the four-factor structure of the original CPAI-2, reflecting the four personality domains of Chinese people, namely, Social Potency, Dependability, Accommodation, and Interpersonal Relatedness. Further analyses with ESEM models demonstrate full measurement invariance across gender for both short forms. The results show that females score lower than males on Social Potency. In addition, these four factors of both short forms have adequate internal consistency, and the correlation patterns of the four factors, the big five personality traits, and several health-related variables are extremely similar across the two short forms, reflecting adequate and comparable criterion validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. Overall, the short versions of CPAI-2 are psychometrically acceptable and have practically implications for measuring Chinese personality and cross-cultural research.

Development of a Short Form of the CPAI-A (Form B) with Rasch Analyses.

The present study developed and validated a short form of the Cross-Cultural (Chinese) Personality Assessment Inventory for adolescents (CPAI-A; Form B) focusing on the personality scales by unidimensional and multidimensional Rasch models. Multiple evidence from unidimensional Rasch models (item fit, DIF statistics, dimensionality, reliability indices, construct coverage) were evaluated in order to create a short scale with optimal psychometric properties. Further, multidimensional Rasch model, canonical analysis, and predictive validity were performed and evaluated to validate the CPAI-A-SF further. As a result, 65 of 277 items were selected in the short measure with a four-dimensional structure. The infit and outfit mean-squares (MNSQ) of the personality scale items ranged between .81 and 1.25. Good construct coverage was displayed on the item-person map, and all four dimensions demonstrate reasonable EAP/PV reliability ranging from .81 to .87. The personality scores of CPAI-A-SF predicted life satisfaction as well as the scores from the original inventory.

Mitochondrial and calcium perturbations in rat CNS neurons induce calpain-cleavage of Parkin: Phosphatase inhibition stabilizes pSer65Parkin reducing its calpain-cleavage.

Mitochondrial impairment and calcium (Ca++) dyshomeostasis are associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). When intracellular ATP levels are lowered, Ca++-ATPase pumps are impaired causing cytoplasmic Ca++ to be elevated and calpain activation. Little is known about the effect of calpain activation on Parkin integrity. To address this gap, we examined the effects of mitochondrial inhibitors [oligomycin (Oligo), antimycin and rotenone] on endogenous Parkin integrity in rat midbrain and cerebral cortical cultures. All drugs induced calpain-cleavage of Parkin to ~36.9/43.6 kDa fragments. In contrast, treatment with the proinflammatory prostaglandin J2 (PGJ2) and the proteasome inhibitor epoxomicin induced caspase-cleavage of Parkin to fragments of a different size, previously shown by others to be triggered by apoptosis. Calpain-cleaved Parkin was enriched in neuronal mitochondrial fractions. Pre-treatment with the phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid prior to Oligo-treatment, stabilized full-length Parkin phosphorylated at Ser65, and reduced calpain-cleavage of Parkin. Treatment with the Ca++ ionophore A23187, which facilitates Ca++ transport across the plasma membrane, mimicked the effect of Oligo by inducing calpain-cleavage of Parkin. Removing extracellular Ca++ from the media prevented oligomycin- and ionophore-induced calpain-cleavage of Parkin. Computational analysis predicted that calpain-cleavage of Parkin liberates its UbL domain. The phosphagen cyclocreatine moderately mitigated Parkin cleavage by calpain. Moreover, the pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide (PACAP27), which stimulates cAMP production, prevented caspase but not calpain-cleavage of Parkin. Overall, our data support a link between Parkin phosphorylation and its cleavage by calpain. This mechanism reflects the impact of mitochondrial impairment and Ca++-dyshomeostasis on Parkin integrity and could influence PD pathogenesis.

A Cross-Diagnostic Investigation of the Differential Impact of Discrimination on Clinical and Personal Recovery.

OBJECTIVE: Although the negative association between discrimination and recovery has been established, only a few studies have attempted to investigate the underlying mechanism of how perceived discrimination dampens both clinical and personal recovery among people with psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to examine the mediating roles of self-stigma and mental health service engagement in the relationship between perceived discrimination and recovery. METHODS: A total of 374 people (half men and half women; mean±SD age=43.47±12.76) living in Hong Kong and in recovery with a primary diagnosis of a psychotic disorder, mood disorder, or substance use disorder responded to a cross-sectional questionnaire on discrimination, self-stigma, mental health service adherence, recovery orientation of services, clinical recovery, and personal recovery. Multisample structural equation modeling was conducted to examine whether the hypothesized model for perceived discrimination and recovery produced results that could be generalized across people with various psychiatric diagnoses. RESULTS: Findings indicated that respondents perceived discrimination from the general public and from health care professionals, which was positively associated with self-stigmatization and service disengagement and was negatively associated with clinical and personal recovery across three different types of psychiatric disorder. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the influence of perceived discrimination on recovery was universal and could be generalized across people with different psychiatric diagnoses. Multipronged stigma reduction interventions targeting the general public, health care professionals, and people in recovery, along with policies that avert discrimination and uphold human rights in health care settings and beyond, should be implemented.

Testing crossover effects in an actor-partner interdependence model among Chinese dual-earner couples.

The purpose of the present study is to examine the crossover effects from one partner's work-family interface (work-family conflict [WFC] and work-family enrichment [WFE]) to the other partner's four outcomes (psychological strain, life satisfaction, marital satisfaction and job satisfaction) in a sample of Chinese dual-earner couples. Married couples (N = 361) completed a battery of questionnaires, including the work-family interface scale, the psychological strain scale, the life, marital, as well as job satisfaction scale. Results from the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) analyses showed that wives' WFE was negatively associated with husbands' psychological strain, and positively associated with husbands' life, marital and job satisfaction. Furthermore, husbands' WFC was negatively related to wives' marital satisfaction, whereas husbands' WFE was positively related to wives' marital satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed, and future research directions were provided.

Prevention of anxiety and depression in Chinese: a randomized clinical trial testing the effectiveness of a stepped care program in primary care.

BACKGROUND: Despite empirical evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of collaborative stepped care program (SCP) in Western countries, such programs have not been evaluated in the east, which has a different services system structure and cultural nuances in seeking help for mental illness. Furthermore, only a few studies have used SCP for depression and anxiety prevention. We conducted a trial to test its effectiveness in preventing major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder among primary care patients with subthreshold depression and/or anxiety in Hong Kong. METHODS: Subthreshold depression and/or anxiety patients were randomized into the SCP group (n=121) or care as usual (CAU) group (n=119). The SCP included watchful waiting, telephone counseling, problem solving therapy, and family doctor treatment within one year. The primary outcome was the onset of major depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder in 15 months. The secondary outcomes were depressive and anxiety symptoms, quality of life and time absent from work due to any illness. RESULTS: Survival analysis showed no differences between the SCP and CAU groups (the cumulative probability of onset at 15 month was 23.1% in the SCP group and 20.5% in the CAU group; Hazard Ratio=1.62; 95% Confidence Interval: 0.82-3.18; p=0.16). No significant differences were found in secondary outcomes. LIMITATIONS: Sample size might not have been large enough. CONCLUSIONS: SCP did not show beneficial effect on depression/anxiety prevention compared with CAU in Hong Kong primary care. As a large majority of patients improved overtime without any intervention, we are not able to exclude the possibility that the intervention might be effective. Future studies would need to have a larger sample size and conduct on patients with more severe symptoms or perform a second screening.

A dyadic model of the work-family interface: a study of dual-earner couples in China.

This study adopted a spillover-crossover model to examine the roles of personality and perceived social support as antecedents of the work-family interface among dual-earner couples in China. Married couples (N = 306) from 2 major cities in China (Shanghai and Jinan) completed questionnaires measuring a relationship-oriented personality trait (i.e., family orientation), perceived family and work support, and work-family conflict and enhancement. The results showed that family orientation and perceived family support was positively associated with family-to-work enhancement and negatively associated with family-to-work conflict for both husbands and wives. Perceived work support was positively associated with family-to-work enhancement for wives and negatively associated with work-to-family conflict for husbands. Similarities in family orientation between partners were positively correlated with the individual's family-to-work enhancement. This study also illustrated the crossover of the work-family interface between dual-earner couples by using the actor-partner interdependence model. The pattern of associations between personality trait and perceived social support varied by gender. Husbands' family orientation was negatively correlated with work-to-family enhancement experienced by wives, and husbands' perceived work support was positively correlated with work-to-family enhancement experienced by wives. Wives' perceived work support was positively correlated with family-to-work conflict experienced by husbands.

Mainstreaming culture in psychology.

Despite the "awakening" to the importance of culture in psychology in America, international psychology has remained on the sidelines of psychological science. The author recounts her personal and professional experience in tandem with the stages of development in international/cross-cultural psychology. Based on her research in cross-cultural personality assessment, the author discusses the inadequacies of sole reliance on either the etic or the emic approach and points out the advantages of a combined emic-etic approach in bridging global and local human experiences in psychological science and practice. With the blurring of the boundaries between North American-European psychologies and psychology in the rest of the world, there is a need to mainstream culture in psychology's epistemological paradigm. Borrowing from the concept of gender mainstreaming that embraces both similarities and differences in promoting equal opportunities, the author discusses the parallel needs of acknowledging universals and specifics when mainstreaming culture in psychology. She calls for building a culturally informed universal knowledge base that should be incorporated in the psychology curriculum and textbooks.

Are DSM-IV-TR borderline personality disorder, ICD-10 emotionally unstable personality disorder, and CCMD-III impulsive personality disorder analogous diagnostic categories across psychiatric nomenclatures?

This study examined the validity of the borderline construct which encompasses diagnostic criteria from the DSM-IV-TR Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), ICD-10 Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD), and CCMD-III Impulsive Personality Disorder (IPD) in a sample of 1,419 Chinese psychiatric patients. Participants completed the Chinese Personality Disorder Inventory and the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory-2 assessing various disordered personality features. Adequate internal consistency was found for the borderline construct (α = .83). Exploratory factor analysis revealed two components: (1) affective and cognitive disturbances, and (2) impulse dysregulation, which were replicated by confirmatory factor analysis. Item analysis indicated that the various borderline criteria displayed similar levels of diagnostic efficiency, which does not support the elimination of fear of abandonment and transient psychotic features from the EUPD and IPD criteria set. Findings of this study suggest that BPD, EUPD, and IPD may represent analogous diagnostic categories across classification systems.

Evaluation of PRDM9 variation as a risk factor for recurrent genomic disorders and chromosomal non-disjunction.

Recent studies have identified PRDM9, a zinc finger (ZF) protein, as a key regulator of meiotic recombination. As both recurrent genomic disorders and chromosomal non-disjunction are known to be associated with specific unusual patterns of recombination, we hypothesized a possible link between PRDM9 ZF variation and susceptibility to microdeletion syndromes and/or trisomy. We sequenced the PRDM9 ZF domain in 271 parents of patients with de novo microdeletions of known parental origin (velocardiofacial syndrome, the 17q21.31 microdeletion syndrome, Prader-Willi/Angelman syndrome and Williams-Beuren syndrome), and in 61 parents of individuals with a supernumerary X chromosome. We compared PRDM9 ZF genotype frequencies between parents in whose germ line the de novo rearrangement occurred and their spouses. We observed a significantly increased frequency (p = 0.006) of PRDM9 variants in parents who transmitted de novo 7q11.23 deletions to their offspring. These data suggest that certain PRDM9 alleles may be associated with an increased susceptibility to recurrent 7q11.23 microdeletions that cause Williams-Beuren syndrome. However, as the majority of parents who transmitted a de novo microdeletion/supernumerary X chromosome to their offspring have the common AA genotype, we conclude that none of the rearrangements we have studied are dependent on specific non-A PRDM9 alleles.

Formation of novel CENP-A domains on tandem repetitive DNA and across chromosome breakpoints on human chromosome 8q21 neocentromeres.

Endogenous human centromeres form on megabase-sized arrays of tandemly repeated alpha satellite DNA. Human neocentromeres form epigenetically at ectopic sites devoid of alpha satellite DNA and permit analysis of centromeric DNA and chromatin organization. In this study, we present molecular cytogenetic and CENP-A chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) on CHIP analyses of two neocentromeres that have formed in chromosome band 8q21 each with a unique DNA and CENP-A chromatin configuration. The first neocentromere was found on a neodicentric chromosome 8 with an inactivated endogenous centromere, where the centromeric activity and CENP-A domain were repositioned to band 8q21 on a large tandemly repeated DNA. This is the first example of a neocentromere forming on repetitive DNA, as all other mapped neocentromeres have formed on single copy DNA. Quantitative fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis showed a 60% reduction in the alpha satellite array size at the inactive centromere compared to the active centromere on the normal chromosome 8. This neodicentric chromosome may provide insight into centromere inactivation and the role of tandem DNA in centromere structure. The second neocentromere was found on a neocentric ring chromosome that contained the 8q21 tandemly repeated DNA, although the neocentromere was localized to a different genomic region. Interestingly, this neocentromere is composed of two distinct CENP-A domains in bands 8q21 and 8q24, which are brought into closer proximity on the ring chromosome. This neocentromere suggests that chromosomal rearrangement and DNA breakage may be involved in neocentromere formation. These novel examples provide insight into the formation and structure of human neocentromeres.

Toward a new approach to the study of personality in culture.

We review recent developments in the study of culture and personality measurement. Three approaches are described: an etic approach that focuses on establishing measurement equivalence in imported measures of personality, an emic (indigenous) approach that studies personality in specific cultures, and a combined emic-etic approach to personality. We propose the latter approach as a way of combining the methodological rigor of the etic approach and the cultural sensitivity of the emic approach. The combined approach is illustrated by two examples: the first with origins in Chinese culture and the second in South Africa. The article ends with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of the combined emic-etic approach for the study of culture and personality and for psychology as a science.

Integrating cross-cultural psychology research methods into ethnic minority psychology.

Multicultural psychology has 2 related but often disconnected streams, namely cross-cultural psychology and racial and ethnic minority psychology (Hall & Maramba, 2001). We propose that advances in both fields will be facilitated if there is greater cross-fertilization, especially in methodological approaches given that proponents in both fields are interested in studying and understanding the role and impact of culture on human behavior. To facilitate this cross-fertilization, we present 3 methodological approaches that would be of value in racial and ethnic minority psychology. First, we present an overview of the importance of and the approaches to evaluating and establishing measurement equivalence. Second, we discuss recent advances in the understanding of conceptual equivalence in light of indigenous approaches, cultural manipulation, and multilevel analysis. Third, we present a combined etic-emic approach to cross-cultural personality research as illustrated by the Cross-Cultural Personality Assessment Inventory developed by Fanny Cheung and her colleagues.

From proactive personality to organizational citizenship behavior: mediating role of harmony.

The objective of the present study was to examine the moderating role of interpersonal harmony in the relation of proactive personality with organizational citizenship behavior. 158 employees in Chinese state-owned companies completed the Proactive Personality Scale (Bateman & Crant, 1993), Harmony scale, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior Questionnaire. Proactive personality had insignificant correlation with job dedication. The correlation between interpersonal facilitation and proactive personality was significant but quite low. Results of the hierarchical regression analyses indicated that when demographic variables were controlled, Harmony had significant moderating effects on the relations of proactive behavior and job dedication/interpersonal facilitation. In the high Harmony group, the correlation between proactive personality and organizational citizenship behavior was significant; whereas in the low Harmony group, this correlation was not significant.

Women at the top: powerful leaders define success as work + family in a culture of gender.

How do women rise to the top of their professions when they also have significant family care responsibilities? This critical question has not been addressed by existing models of leadership. In a review of recent research, we explore an alternative model to the usual notion of a Western male as the prototypical leader. The model includes (a) relationship-oriented leadership traits, (b) the importance of teamwork and consensus building, and (c) an effective work-family interface that women with family care responsibilities create and use to break through the glass ceiling. We adopted a cross-cultural perspective to highlight the importance of relational orientation and work-family integration in collectivistic cultures, which supplements models of leadership based on Western men. Our expanded model of leadership operates in the context of a "culture of gender" that defines expectations for women and men as leaders. This complex model includes women in diverse global contexts and enriches our understanding of the interplay among personal attributes, processes, and environments in leadership.

A paucity of heterochromatin at functional human neocentromeres.

BACKGROUND: Centromeres are responsible for the proper segregation of replicated chromatids during cell division. Neocentromeres are fully functional ectopic human centromeres that form on low-copy DNA sequences and permit analysis of centromere structure in relation to the underlying DNA sequence. Such structural analysis is not possible at endogenous centromeres because of the large amounts of repetitive alpha satellite DNA present. RESULTS: High-resolution chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) on CHIP (microarray) analysis of three independent neocentromeres from chromosome 13q revealed that each neocentromere contained approximately 100 kb of centromere protein (CENP)-A in a two-domain organization. Additional CENP-A domains were observed in the vicinity of neocentromeres, coinciding with CpG islands at the 5' end of genes. Analysis of histone H3 dimethylated at lysine 4 (H3K4me2) revealed small domains at each neocentromere. However, these domains of H3K4me2 were also found in the equivalent non-neocentric chromosomes. A surprisingly minimal (approximately 15 kb) heterochromatin domain was observed at one of the neocentromeres, which formed in an unusual transposon-free region distal to the CENP-A domains. Another neocentromere showed a distinct absence of nearby significant domains of heterochromatin. A subtle defect in centromere cohesion detected at these neocentromeres may be due to the paucity of heterochromatin domains. CONCLUSIONS: This high-resolution mapping suggests that H3K4me2 does not seem sufficiently abundant to play a structural role at neocentromeres, as proposed for endogenous centromeres. Large domains of heterochromatin also do not appear necessary for centromere function. Thus, this study provides important insight into the structural requirements of human centromere function.

The differential effects of forms and settings of exposure to violence on adolescents' adjustment.

This study investigated the link between exposure to violence and psychosocial adjustment for 442 Chinese secondary school students in Form 1-3. The students completed an inventory assessing exposure to violence through witnessing and through direct victimization in different settings (community, school, and home). Multiple measures and informants (i.e., self-report, teacher report, and school report) were used to assess emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning in adolescents. The results of this study showed that overall exposure to violence was related to emotional and behavior problems. High rates of exposure to violence across multiple contexts were found in this sample. After controlling for the co-occurrence of risk factors (e.g., exposure to violence in other settings), both witnessing school violence and being victimized by domestic violence were associated with emotional problems, whereas being victimized by community violence was related to behavior problems. These results suggest that there are differential effects of risks associated with different forms and settings of exposure.

Social support and psychological adjustment to SARS: the mediating role of self-care self-efficacy.

The study tested the model of perceived support from medical staff and family/friends on severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) survivors' mental health as mediated by self-care self-efficacy. One hundred and forty-three SARS survivors recruited from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority following 18 months recovery were surveyed by trained interviewers using structured questionnaires. Based on structural equation modeling, findings showed that self-care self-efficacy completely mediated the effects of perceived medical staff support and perceived family/friends support on mental health status. The model achieved a satisfactory fit, CFI = 0.98, NNFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.06, and explained 75.2% of the variance in mental health status. The study is the first attempt in understanding long-term psychological adjustment of SARS survivors. Findings may be applicable to other infectious disease outbreaks in informing psychosocial factors that are important to long-term recovery.

Clinical utility of the Cross-Cultural (Chinese) Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI-2) in the assessment of substance use disorders among Chinese men.

This study examined the clinical utility of the Cross-Cultural (Chinese) Personality Inventory (CPAI-2) in differentiating the personality characteristics of Chinese men with substance use disorders from other psychiatric patients and normal control participants. The CPAI-2 profile of 121 Chinese men with substance use disorders was contrasted with that of a matched psychiatric comparison group (n = 172) and a normal comparison group (n = 187). Multivariate analyses of variance and logistic regression results supported the utility of the CPAI-2 clinical scales, especially Pathological Dependence, Antisocial Behavior, and Depression, for assessing substance use disorders. The Pathological Dependence scale (cutoff T score of 64) achieved good sensitivity and specificity. Apart from the universal personality traits related to neuroticism, conscientiousness, and agreeableness found in Western studies, the indigenously derived CPAI-2 personality scales, including Family Orientation and Harmony, highlighted deficits in social adjustment and interpersonal relationship as important cultural features in the personality characteristics of these participants. The study provided a cross-cultural extension to research on the relationship between personality and substance use disorders and could assist clinicians in considering culturally relevant treatment approaches.