Psychometric Analysis of the Barber Suggestibility Scale in a Clinical Population.

The aim of the study was to administer the Barber suggestibility scale to a clinical population in Spain and to examine its psychometric properties therein. The reliability and factor structure of the adapted scale was compared with that of the original (American) scale and with data from two other versions (British and Puerto Rican samples). Sex differences in suggestibility were also analyzed. The Barber suggestibility scale was administered (without preliminaries) to a sample of 283 patients (130 women, 153 men) with a range of diagnoses: anxiety disorder (33.9%), substance-related and addictive disorder (25.8%), mood disorder (12.7%), somatic symptom disorder (4.6%), trauma- and stress-related disorder (3.5%), and other disorders (19.5%). Results indicated a higher degree of suggestibility among women, with the effect size being low (d = 0.26) for the objective subscale and moderate (d = 0.55) for the subjective subscale. Therefore, normative scores were reported by sex for both subscales. As a whole, the present clinical sample showed higher suggestibility than has been reported previously for nonclinical populations (p < 0.001; d = 1.56). Reliability indices (Cronbach's alpha and split-half/Spearman-Brown) for the present adaptation in a clinical population indicated acceptable internal consistency (range 0.70-0.82). Applied to a clinical sample the Barber suggestibility scale showed a three-factor structure for the objective subscale and a more complex structure for the subjective subscale. These results suggest that the Barber suggestibility scale is a suitable instrument for assessing the degree of suggestibility in persons with a clinical disorder.

Peer counselling versus role-playing: Two training methods of therapeutic skills in clinical psychology / Peer counselling versus role-playing: dos métodos de entrenamiento de habilidades terapéuticas en Psicología Clínica

Background: Training programmes for clinical psychologists should include evidence based teaching methods that enable trainees to learn therapeutic skills. Here we compared the perceived utility of role-playing vs. peer counselling. In peer counselling, one student recounts a personal experience to the other, who thus has the opportunity to act as the therapist in relation to a real situation. Given that sharing such personal experiences may provoke discomfort in students, we also examined this aspect. Method: Trainees (n=202) were given both role-play and peer counselling activities as a way of practising empathy and active listening. After completing the skills training programme they completed a questionnaire to assess the extent to which each method had helped them to develop their self-awareness and to acquire these therapeutic skills. Results: In general, peer counselling was considered more useful than role-playing for enhancing self-awareness and personal growth, as well as for learning these professional skills. Regarding the discomfort experienced by students, our data suggest that any initial reluctance to share personal experiences is outweighed by the personal and professional benefits obtained. Conclusions: Our results indicate that experiential learning involving emotionally charged situations is an effective way of teaching therapeutic skills to clinical and health psychology trainees (AU)

Antecedentes: los programas de formación para psicólogos clínicos deben contar con métodos docentes, empíricamente validados, que permitan aprender y practicar las habilidades terapéuticas. En este trabajo se comparó la utilidad percibida del role playing vs peer counselling. En el peer counselling, el alumno que hace de cliente relata una experiencia personal, y el que hace de terapeuta tiene la oportunidad de trabajar con material real. Dado que el intercambio de experiencias personales puede provocar incomodidad, también analizamos este aspecto. Método: 202 alumnos ejecutaron diversos role playings y peer counsellings para entrenar empatía y escucha activa. Después de finalizar el programa de entrenamiento completaron un cuestionario para evaluar el grado de utilidad de cada ejercicio para desarrollar su autoconocimiento y para adquirir estas habilidades. Resultados: en general, el peer counselling se consideró más útil que role playing para mejorar el autoconocimiento, así como para el aprendizaje de estas habilidades. En cuanto a la incomodidad experimentada por los estudiantes, nuestros datos sugieren que cualquier reticencia inicial para compartir experiencias personales se ve compensado por los beneficios personales y profesionales obtenidos. Conclusiones: nuestros datos indican que el aprendizaje experiencial con carga emocional es una forma efectiva de enseñar habilidades terapéuticas en psicología sanitaria (AU)

Peer counselling versus role-playing: Two training methods of therapeutic skills in clinical psychology.

BACKGROUND: Training programmes for clinical psychologists should include evidence-based teaching methods that enable trainees to learn therapeutic skills. Here we compared the perceived utility of role-playing vs. peer counselling. In peer counselling, one student recounts a personal experience to the other, who thus has the opportunity to act as the therapist in relation to a real situation. Given that sharing such personal experiences may provoke discomfort in students, we also examined this aspect. METHOD: Trainees (n=202) were given both role-play and peer counselling activities as a way of practising empathy and active listening. After completing the skills training programme they completed a questionnaire to assess the extent to which each method had helped them to develop their self-awareness and to acquire these therapeutic skills. RESULTS: In general, peer counselling was considered more useful than role-playing for enhancing self-awareness and personal growth, as well as for learning these professional skills. Regarding the discomfort experienced by students, our data suggest that any initial reluctance to share personal experiences is outweighed by the personal and professional benefits obtained. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that experiential learning involving emotionally charged situations is an effective way of teaching therapeutic skills to clinical and health psychology trainees.

External Eating as a Predictor of Cue-reactivity to Food-related Virtual Environments.

The objective of this study was to assess the association between external eating style and food craving experienced during exposure to food cues in virtual reality (VR) environments in both clinical and non-clinical samples. According to the externality theory, people with external eating experience higher reactivity when exposed to food cues, which in turn increases the probability of overeating. Forty patients with eating disorders (23 with bulimia nervosa and 17 with binge eating disorder) and 78 undergraduate students were exposed to 10 different food cues in four VR environments (kitchen, dining room, bedroom, and café). After 30 seconds of exposure to each VR environment, food craving was assessed using a visual analog scale. External, emotional and restrictive eating styles were also assessed using the DEBQ. The results showed a strong association between external eating and cue-elicited food craving. After controlling for the presence of eating disorder diagnosis, external eating was the best predictor of reported food craving. The results lend support to the externality theory but highlight the need for further research in specific patterns of functioning in patients with bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.

Trait and State Craving as Indicators of Validity of VR-based Software for Binge Eating Treatment.

The aim of this study was to establish whether virtual reality (VR) exposure to food cues is able to produce craving levels consistent with state-craving and trait-craving as assessed by the Spanish and Italian versions of the State and Trait Food Craving Questionnaires (FCQ-T/S). The results were compared in 40 patients with eating disorders (17 with binge eating disorder, 23 with bulimia nervosa) and 78 healthy control subjects without eating disorders. Controls and patients with higher levels of trait-craving and state-craving both showed a greater desire to eat during VR exposure. Results also showed that trait and state craving assessed by FCQ-T/S were able to predict the total mean craving experienced during exposure to the VR software in both clinical and control samples. These findings present preliminary evidence about the validity of a new virtual reality-based application for cue-exposure treatment in patients with eating disorders.

Differential effects of two virtual reality interventions: distraction versus pain control.

There is evidence that virtual reality (VR) pain distraction is effective at improving pain-related outcomes. However, more research is needed to investigate VR environments with other pain-related goals. The main aim of this study was to compare the differential effects of two VR environments on a set of pain-related and cognitive variables during a cold pressor experiment. One of these environments aimed to distract attention away from pain (VRD), whereas the other was designed to enhance pain control (VRC). Participants were 77 psychology students, who were randomly assigned to one of the following three conditions during the cold pressor experiment: (a) VRD, (b) VRC, or (c) Non-VR (control condition). Data were collected regarding both pain-related variables (intensity, tolerance, threshold, time perception, and pain sensitivity range) and cognitive variables (self-efficacy and catastrophizing). Results showed that in comparison with the control condition, the VRC intervention significantly increased pain tolerance, the pain sensitivity range, and the degree of time underestimation. It also increased self-efficacy in tolerating pain and led to a reduction in reported helplessness. The VRD intervention significantly increased the pain threshold and pain tolerance in comparison with the control condition, but it did not affect any of the cognitive variables. Overall, the intervention designed to enhance control seems to have a greater effect on the cognitive variables assessed. Although these results need to be replicated in further studies, the findings suggest that the VRC intervention has considerable potential in terms of increasing self-efficacy and modifying the negative thoughts that commonly accompany pain problems.

Análisis de la relación entre personaldad, estrategias de afrontamiento, estrés autopercibido y respuesta inmune a una prueba de hipersensibilidad retardada / Relationship between immune cell response, self-perceived stress, and coping strategies

Se presenta un trabajo de carácter exploratorio cuyo objetivo principal es analizar la existencia de relación entre dimensiones de personalidad de base biológica, estado de ánimo entendido como autopercepción del estado activacional, patrones de afrontamiento y respuesta inmune celular medida con un test de hipersensibilidad retardada. A una muestra de 23 estudiantes se les administró diversos cuestionarios a fin de evaluar sus rasgos básicos de personalidad, sus patrones de afrontamiento y la autopercepción que hacen de su estado activacional. Asimismo, se registró la magnitud de la respuesta inflamatoria producida por el Dinitroclorobenzeno. Los resultados indican una ausencia de relación entre las dimensiones de personalidad y la respuesta inflamatoria. Asimismo, apuntan a una asociación negativa entre la "Búsqueda de apoyo social" por un lado y la "Planificación de respuesta" por otro como patrones de afrontamiento y el grado de tumefacción de la respuesta inflamatoria. Dichos resultados son interpretados en términos de un mejor control de inflamación por mecanismos no inmunológicos. Dichos resultados, aunque poco consistentes, abren la puerta a futuras investigaciones que confirmen la relación entre conductas de afrontamiento y la funcionalidad del sistema inmune (AU)

Estructura factorial de la versión reducida del "Eysenck Personality Profiler" / Factor analisys of the " Eysenck Personality Profiler -Short Form" (EPP-SF)

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la estructura factorial de la versión reducida del Eysenck Personality Profiler (EPP-SF), un cuestionario recientemente elaborado por Eysenck, Wilson y Jackson (1996) que permite la evaluación de los rasgos primarios más importantes que constituyen cada una de las tres dimensiones básicas de la personalidad. Los resultados derivados de la aplicación de la técnica de análisis factorial y escalamiento multidimensional a las puntuaciones del EPP-SF de una muestra española de 946 sujetos replican los datos obtenidos en la muestra inglesa. La estructura factorial de la escala perfila claramente una composición tripartita y evidencia un aceptable grado de homogeneidad entre los rasgos primarios que constituyen cada uno de los tres tipos básicos de personalidad. Si bien, el rasgo primario de impulsividad sigue presentando saturaciones importantes en más de una dimensión. Este resultado es interpretado en los términos aducidos por el propio Eysenck, y otros autores, sobre la naturaleza multifactorial de este atributo de personalidad. Hecho que viene a constatar la necesidad de realizar estudios centrados en el análisis de la supuesta unidimensionalidad de las escalas que constituyen el EPP-SF (AU)

The aim of this work is to analyse the factor structure of the short form of the Eysenck Personality Profiler (EPP-SF), a questionnaire recently elaborated by Eysenck, Wilson and Jackson (1996) that allows the assessment of the most important primary traits which constitute the major dimensions of personality. Results from multidimensional scaling and factor analyses of the EPP-SF in a Spanish sample of 946 subjects lend support to the english data. Factor structure of the scale shows a tridimensional composition and gives an acceptable level of homogeneity among the primary traits of each superfactor. Nevertheless, the primary trait of impulsivity shows relatively high loads in more of one personality dimension. This result is discussed from Eysenck’s and other author’s view about multidimensional nature of this personality disposition. Further analyses are required to testing the granted unidimensionality of the EPP-SF scales (AU)