The Mediating Role of Sleep Quality, Regularity, and Insomnia on the Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked to many negative outcomes in prior psychological literature. Previous studies have shown that ACEs are related to sleep problems (e.g., trouble falling and staying asleep) and sleep problems are related to resilience outcomes. However, there are far fewer studies that examine whether sleep quality, regularity, and insomnia symptoms mediate the relationship between ACEs and resilience. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to analyze the mediating role of sleep problems on the relationship between ACEs and resilience. Emerging adult participants between the ages of 18-25 (N = 501) were recruited online via Mechanical Turk (n = 243) and from a mid-size university research participant pool in the Northwestern United States (n = 258). Participants completed questionnaires online concerning ACEs, sleep problems (i.e., quality, regularity, and insomnia symptoms), and resilience (i.e., psychological well-being, social well-being, life satisfaction, and effortful control). Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data cross-sectionally. The latent construct of sleep problems was found to mediate the relationship between ACEs and the latent construct of resilience. These results suggest that sleep quality, regularity, and insomnia symptoms may be important targets for intervention when treating individuals with ACEs to increase their resilience.

Can an Aging Leopard Change Its Spots? The Role of Mindset of Aging on Implicit and Explicit Attitudes in Older Adults.

Growth mindset of aging (MA) refers to the belief that aging processes are malleable, while fixed MA is the belief that how one ages is predetermined and unchangeable. Using experimental methods, we manipulated MA and explored its impact on implicit old-age attitudes and self-perceptions of aging. Eighty-six older adults were randomly placed into a growth or fixed MA condition. Next, we assessed implicit old-age attitudes and self-perceptions of aging. The experimental manipulation was successful in that group MA scores differed, but MA did not significantly influence implicit old-age attitudes or self-perceptions of aging. However, a regression analysis revealed a novel finding: More growth MA was related to less negative implicit old-age attitudes and more positive self-perceptions of aging. These findings are an important contribution to the MA literature, which is in its infancy.

Triaxial Accelerometry-Based Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity in Older Adults Using Four Different Methods.

The amount of physical activity reported using accelerometry can vary depending on the method used. This study examined variability in four different methods of calculating moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among older adults, as well as lifestyle correlates of physical activity. The MVPA data were captured (n = 111; Mage = 70.3 years, SDage = 6.3) using waist-worn ActiGraph wGT3X-BT monitors and examined using 10-min bouted versus sporadic methods, and with cut points calibrated to older and younger adults. The sample, on average, did not meet national guidelines of 150 min/week of MVPA when using bouted methods, irrespective of cut point used. This was not the case for sporadic MVPA. More physical activity was reported for participants with two or more physical hobbies, but no association with social behavior was found. These results demonstrate the wide variability possible in reporting methods for accelerometry data and their relation to adherence rates for national health recommendations.