Sleep disturbance and internalizing symptoms in adolescents: a moderated mediation model of self-control and mindfulness.

OBJECTIVES: Despite accumulating evidence regarding the impact of sleep disturbance on internalizing symptoms among adolescents, the underlying psychological mechanisms remain inadequately explored. This study aimed to investigate a conceptual framework elucidating how sleep disturbance influences internalizing symptoms in adolescents through the mediating role of self-control, with mindfulness as a moderator. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 1876 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 14.88 years, SD = 1.47 years, range = 12-19 years, 44.7% boys) completed the Youth Self-Rating Insomnia Scale (YSIS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Brief Self-control Scale (BSCS), and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale-Children (MAAS-C) to provide data on sleep-related variables, internalizing symptoms (anxiety and depression), self-control, and mindfulness, respectively. The PROCESS macro for SPSS was applied to perform moderated mediation analysis. RESULTS: Sleep disturbance demonstrated a significant positive correlation with internalizing symptoms in adolescents, including anxiety (ß = 0.481, p < 0.001) and depression (ß = 0.543, p < 0.001). Self-control served as a mediator between sleep disturbance and two forms of internalizing symptoms. Moreover, mindfulness moderated the pathways from self-control to internalizing symptoms (for anxiety symptoms: ß = 0.007, p < 0.001; for depression symptoms: ß = 0.006, p < 0.001), and the mediating relationships were weaker for adolescents exhibiting higher levels of mindfulness. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings enhance understanding of the impact, pathways, and influencing factors of sleep disturbance on adolescent internalizing symptoms, suggesting the importance of enhancing mindfulness levels in addressing self-control deficits and subsequently reducing internalizing symptoms among adolescents.

Changes in pupil size track self-control failure.

People are more likely to perform poorly on a self-control task following a previous task requiring self-control (ego-depletion), but the mechanism for this effect remains unclear. We used pupillometry to test the role of attentional effort in ego-depletion. We hypothesized that an elevated pupil diameter (PD)-a common physiological measure of effort-during an initial task requiring self-control should be negatively associated with performance on a subsequent control task. To test this hypothesis, participants were first assigned to either a high- or low-demand attention task (manipulation; a standard ego-depletion paradigm), after which all participants completed the same Stroop task. We then separately extracted both sustained (low-frequency) and phasic (high-frequency) changes in PD from both tasks to evaluate possible associations with lapses of cognitive control on the Stroop task. We first show that in the initial task, sustained PD was larger among participants who were assigned to the demanding attention condition. Furthermore, ego-depletion effects were serially mediated by PD: an elevated PD response emerged rapidly among the experimental group during the manipulation, persisted as an elevated baseline response during the Stroop task, and predicted worse accuracy on incongruent trials, revealing a potential indirect pathway to ego-depletion via sustained attention. Secondary analyses revealed another, independent and direct pathway via high levels of transient attentional control: participants who exhibited large phasic responses during the manipulation tended to perform worse on the subsequent Stroop task. We conclude by exploring the neuroscientific implications of these results within the context of current theories of self-control.

Evolution, the Cognitive Sciences, and the Science of Victimization.

Despite clear aversion to such labels, one of the most impactful criminological theories is rooted in cognitive science. Gottfredson and Hirschi's general theory has been repeatedly tested, replicated relatively well, and has since reached beyond its original scope to explain other important outcomes like victimization. However, the work never viewed itself as part of a larger scientific landscape and resisted the incursion of neuroscience, cognitive science, and evolutionary theory from the start. This missed opportunity contributes to some of the theory's shortcomings. We begin by considering relevant literatures that were originally excluded and then conduct a new analysis examining the cognitive underpinnings of victimization in a high-risk sample of adolescents. We used the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (n = 3,444; 48% female; 49% Black, 25% Hispanic) which contained sound measures of self-control and intelligence, as well as four types of adolescent victimization. Self-control was robustly associated with all forms of victimization, whereas intelligence had generally no detectable effect. We discuss how these findings fit into a broader understanding about self-control and victimization.

'It's satisfying but destructive': A qualitative study on the experience of bedtime procrastination in new career starters.

BACKGROUND: Bedtime procrastination, the volitional delay of going to bed without any external circumstances causing the delay, is linked to multiple indicators of inadequate sleep. Intervening to reduce bedtime procrastination may be an important avenue to improve sleep outcomes, yet the phenomenon remains poorly understood in populations at risk for bedtime procrastination. New career starters, those who have graduated from tertiary education and started a new full-time job within the past 12 months, may be susceptible to problematic bedtime procrastination and are at an opportune time for a 'fresh start' to change behaviour. AIMS: The objectives of this study were to understand how bedtime procrastination is experienced and perceived by new career starters, to identify the enablers and barriers to behaviour change in new career starters and to explore themes for future interventions. MATERIALS & METHODS: Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 28 participants. RESULTS: Inductive thematic analysis was used to find seven themes: (1) negative feelings before and during bedtime procrastination; (2) wanting to versus knowing I shouldn't; (3) difficulty falling asleep; (4) influence of automatic processes; (5) consequences of bedtime procrastination; (6) lack of self-control and (7) technology captures late-night attention. Participants emphasised the need for me-time, self-negotiation to continue procrastinating and knowledge of the value of sleep. DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that bedtime procrastination involves both reflective and automatic cognitive processes. Future interventions would benefit from a dual-process approach, using cognitive and behavioural techniques to reduce bedtime procrastination.

The association between future self-continuity and problematic mobile video gaming among Chinese college students: the serial mediation of consideration of future consequences and state self-control capacity.

BACKGROUND: To explore the relationship between future self-continuity and problematic mobile video gaming among Chinese college students and to examine the serial mediation of consideration of future consequences and state self-control capacity on the association between future self-continuity and problematic mobile video gaming, based on Identity-Based Motivation Theory. METHODS: The Problematic Mobile Video Gaming Scale, Future Self-continuity Scale, Consideration of Future Consequences Scale, and Short Version of State Self-control Capacity Scale were administered to a sample comprising 800 college students (338 males accounting for 42.3%). Multivariate analysis and latent variables analysis were utilized to explore the separate mediating role consideration of future consequences and state self-control capacity played in the association between future self-continuity and problematic mobile video gaming, and their serial mediation also was investigated. The Bootstrap method was employed to test the significance of these mediation effects. RESULTS: The negative association between future self-continuity and problematic mobile video gaming was moderately found. Students with increased consideration of future consequences from higher levels of future self-continuity have decreased their problematic mobile video gaming. Future self-continuity significantly positively predicted state self-control capacity, which in turn significantly negatively predicted problematic mobile video gaming. The serial mediation was also found. CONCLUSION: The findings revealed why differences in identification with the current and future selves become influencing factors in problematic mobile video gaming. This study observed the mediating role that consideration of future consequences and state self-control capacity play in the association between future self-continuity and problematic mobile video gaming.

Longitudinal relationships between school assets, traditional bullying, and internet gaming disorder: the role of self-control and intentional self-regulation among Chinese adolescents.

Introduction: Although developmental assets have been proven to be enabling factors for both adolescent traditional bullying and internet gaming disorder (IGD), there is a lack of empirical evidence that has investigated the direct relationship between school assets and both of these problematic behaviors concurrently. Based on the positive youth development (PYD) perspective, the present study aimed to explore the relationship between school assets, intentional self-regulation (ISR), self-control, traditional bullying, and IGD among Chinese adolescents. Methods: A total of 742 middle school students (Mage = 13.88 years, SD = 1.99 years) were followed up to measure school assets, ISR, self-control, traditional bullying, and IGD in two waves that were separated by 5 months. Results: Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that T1 school assets negatively predicted T2 traditional bullying and T2 IGD. T1 self-control significantly mediated the relationships between T1 school assets and T2 traditional bullying, as well as between T1 school assets and T2 IGD. Additionally, T1 ISR strengthened the positive effect of T1 school assets on T1 self-control and further moderated the two mediating paths. Discussion: These findings show that plentiful school assets support the development of self-control and are more successful in reducing traditional bullying and IGD, particularly among students with higher ISR. As a result, schools should take measures to provide superior-quality assets for the positive development of youth, which will help to prevent and relieve traditional bullying and IGD in the school context.

Self-control, limited willpower and decision fatigue in healthcare settings.

We argue that willpower as well as its depletion may, in some circumstances, adversely impact on clinical decision-making and patient care. This psychological phenomenon has been dubbed ego depletion in social psychology. Willpower and its depletion which is known as 'ego depletion' are well-established and validated theoretical constructs in social psychology and have been studied across a range of experimental contexts. Willpower is closely related to the concept of self-control, which refers to the ability to regulate one's own behaviour and actions in order to pursue and achieve either a short- or long-term goal. We outline the clinical relevance of willpower and its depletion in relation to clinical case examples drawn from three of the authors' clinical experience with the view of developing a clinical-research agenda for future research studies. We examine willpower and its depletion in the context of three clinical case examples, which include (i) doctor-patient interactions, (ii) willpower and its depletion in relation to challenging interpersonal interactions with clinical and non-clinical work colleagues and (iii) willpower and its depletion in response to working within a challenging and unpredictable clinical environment. In contrast to the more widely recognised external resources (including space, staff allocations and night shifts), a greater understanding of how this important but under-recognised internal resource can be depleted in response to a range of different factors within clinical settings has the potential to inform and improve patient care through a renewed focus on the developing interdisciplinary clinical studies which draw upon contemporary findings from social psychology. Future work aimed at developing evidence-based interventions to help mitigate the negative impact of impaired self-control and decision fatigue within healthcare systems may in turn lead to improved patient care as well as more effective healthcare service and delivery.

The Role of Self-monitoring and Self-efficacy on the Athletes' Motivation and Performance: Evidence from Athlete Training Institutions in Indonesia / El papel del autocontrol y la autoeficacia en la motivación y el rendimiento de los atletas: evidencia de instituciones de formación de atletas en Indonesia

Self-efficacy and self-monitoring are crucial for achieving an athlete's motivation and performance, which is the most important factor for the team's success. This feature deserves the attention of researchers, and the current work explores the effect of self-efficacy and self-monitoring on the performance of athletes in Indonesian training institutes. The study also investigates the mediating effect of self-monitoring between self-efficacy, self-monitoring, and athlete performance in Indonesian athletic training institutes. The study also utilized the primary data collected via survey questionnaires from the athletes. The study also employed smart PLS to examine the relationship between the understudy constructs. Self-efficacy and self-monitoring were found to have a good relationship with athletes' performance in Indonesian training institutes. The results also demonstrated that athlete motivation strongly influences the relationship between self-efficacy, self-monitoring, and athlete performance in Indonesian athletic training institutes. This research focuses on using self-efficacy and self-monitoring to enhance an athlete's performance, which guides policymakers.(AU)

The Willpower Paradox: Possible and Impossible Conceptions of Self-Control.

Self-control denotes the ability to override current desires to render behavior consistent with long-term goals. A key assumption is that self-control is required when short-term desires are transiently stronger (more preferred) than long-term goals and people would yield to temptation without exerting self-control. We argue that this widely shared conception of self-control raises a fundamental yet rarely discussed conceptual paradox: How is it possible that a person most strongly desires to perform a behavior (e.g., eat chocolate) and at the same time desires to recruit self-control to prevent themselves from doing it? A detailed analysis reveals that three common assumptions about self-control cannot be true simultaneously. To avoid the paradox, any coherent theory of self-control must abandon either the assumption (a) that recruitment of self-control is an intentional process, or (b) that humans are unitary agents, or (c) that self-control consists in overriding the currently strongest desire. We propose a taxonomy of different kinds of self-control processes that helps organize current theories according to which of these assumptions they abandon. We conclude by outlining unresolved questions and future research perspectives raised by different conceptions of self-control and discuss implications for the question of whether self-control can be considered rational.

Measurement and Functional Equivalence of a Reduced Version of the UPPS Impulsivity Scale Among Hispanic, Non-Hispanic Black, and Non-Hispanic White Adolescents.

The current study aimed to assess the measurement equivalence and functional equivalence of the UPPS (Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance, Sensation Seeking) Impulsivity Scale among three ethnoracial adolescent samples in the U.S. seventh-grade students who self-identified as Hispanic (n = 472), non-Hispanic Black (n = 89), or non-Hispanic White (n = 90), and completed an English-language version of the Child version of the UPPS, which was shortened and modified to include positive urgency items. Through a series of confirmatory factor analyses, the UPPS demonstrated configural, metric, and partial threshold invariance. Fisher's r-to-z transformations were used to assess the functional equivalence of the UPPS against well-validated measures of self-regulation and mental health commonly associated with impulsivity. We found some group differences in the magnitude of associations. Yet, overall, this study provides evidence that the UPPS can be used to measure distinct factors of impulsivity among Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White adolescents.

How Does Self-Control Promote Health Behaviors? A Multi-Behavior Test of Five Potential Pathways.

BACKGROUND: Self-control is generally defined as the capacity to override impulses and is a robust predictor of health behaviors. This paper integrates trait, reasoned action, and habit approaches to develop and test a mechanistic account of how self-control influences health actions. PURPOSE: We tested five potential pathways from self-control to behavior, termed the valuation, prioritization, habituation, translation, and inhibition routes. METHODS: At baseline, participants (N = 663 adults) completed survey measures of reasoned action approach variables and habits in relation to eight health behaviors and the Brief Self-Control Scale. Three months later, participants reported their behavior. Multi-level modeling was used to test pathways across behaviors. RESULTS: Supporting the valuation route, affective attitude, cognitive attitude, descriptive norms, and perceived behavioral control mediated the self-control-intention relation, and intentions and perceived behavioral control mediated the relationship between self-control and health behaviors. Self-control also predicted the priority accorded to different considerations during intention formation. Higher self-control was associated with stronger prediction by cognitive attitudes and perceived behavioral control and weaker prediction by habits and injunctive norms. Self-control predicted habit formation, and habits mediated the self-control-behavior relation. Finally, self-control was associated with the improved translation of intentions into health behaviors and with greater inhibition of affective and habitual influences. Findings for the different pathways were not moderated by whether approach (health-protective behaviors) or avoidance responses (health-risk behaviors) were at issue. CONCLUSIONS: The present research offers new insights into why self-control promotes health behavior performance, and how deficits in self-control might be offset in future behavior-change interventions.

Self-control is the capacity to override impulses and is known to predict engagement in health behaviors. This article tests five hypotheses about how self-control drives health actions. We find that high self-control not only helps to override impulses (feelings and habits), it also influences (a) how favorable are people's thoughts, feelings, and intentions about health behaviors, (b) what considerations determine the intention to act (e.g., high self-control means people give higher priority to the perceived healthiness of the behavior and how much control they have over its performance), (c) whether people form habits that make it less effortful to perform health behaviors, and (d) how effectively people translate their "good" intentions into health behaviors. Thus, we find support for five different routes from self-control to engagement in health behaviors.

Psychometric properties of the BALCI Turkish version

The present study aimed to adapt and validate the Beliefs About Losing Control Inventory (BALCI) in the non-clinical Turkish emerging adults sample. The study group consisted of 549 participants from three study phases and aged between 18 and 28 years and mainly women. According to the results of the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the BALCI Turkish Version (BALCI-TV) confirmed 21 items in three factors. The network analysis findings showed that the items including the factors were together. The results indicated that configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance across the gender. Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω of the total BALCI-TV were .90. Test-retest correlation result was .89. All results indicated that the BALCI-TV had good psychometric properties. The BALCI-TV can be provided to measure control and beliefs related to control within obsessive-compulsive disorder for Turkish academics and mental health practitioners.

The relationship between physical activity and interpersonal distress in college students: the chain mediating role of self-control and mobile phone addiction

Objective of the study Interpersonal relationships, as an important variable afecting the physical and mental health and future development of individuals, were used to construct a structural equation model between physical activity and interpersonal relationships in order to help college students better adapt to society and achieve a high level of mental health. Methods SPSS 27.0 software was used to statistically analyze the data, and Amos 28.0 software was used to construct the model between variables. The results showed that physical activity directly predicted the interpersonal relationship status of college students (ß= −0.108, 95% CI [−0.210,−0.005]), and the chain mediating efect of physical activity→self-control→mobile phone addiction tendency→interpersonal relationship distress was signifcant (ß= −0.012, 95% CI [−0.033,−0.003]). The results of this study suggest that physical activity may be viewed as an efective intervention strategy to mitigate the interpersonal challenges that college students may face in the future.

Inteligencia emocional en residentes de Cirugía General: análisis de una encuesta nacional / Emotional intelligence among residents in general surgery: analysis of a national survey

RESUMEN Antecedentes: la inteligencia emocional (IE) es la capacidad de reconocer nuestros propios sentimientos y los de los demás, de motivarnos y de manejar adecuadamente las relaciones interpersonales. La IE se ha relacionado con muchas competencias no técnicas necesarias entre los médicos en formación. Objetivo: describir las características psicométricas de la IE en médicos residentes de Cirugía General de la Argentina y analizar los efectos que ejercen sobre ella la edad, el sexo, el ámbito de desempeño y el año de residencia. Material y métodos: estudio prospectivo, analítico de corte transversal; se utilizó la encuesta anónima y autogestionada Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Short Form (TEIQue-SF v1.5) respondida en línea durante el mes de marzo de 2020. Se aplicó la prueba de Kolmogorov-Smirnov para variables cuantitativas, pruebas T y la prueba ANOVA (IC 95%, p estadística α 0,05). Resultados: fueron respondidas 156 encuestas, de las cuales 105 (67,3%) corresponden a mujeres y 51 (32,7%) a hombres. Edad promedio: 29,02 ± 3,69 años. El promedio global de la prueba fue de 4,58 ± 0,89. El análisis ANOVA demostró que existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas de la dimensión bienestar entre los diferentes años de residencia (p = 0,002) así como en puntajes globales de IE (p = 0,0001). Conclusión: la IE es un modelo atractivo y eficaz para definir y capacitar a los futuros cirujanos generales en competencias no técnicas. Estos hallazgos son importantes para generar nuevas propuestas de formación.

ABSTRACT Background: Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize our own feelings and those of others, to motivate us and properly manage relationships. EI encompasses many non-technical skills that are important for physicians in training. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the psychometric characteristics of EI among residents in general surgery in Argentina and to analyze the effects of age, sex, scope of practice and postgraduate year level on it. Material and methods: We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional analytic study using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Short Form (TEIQue-SF v1.5), a self-report and anonymous survey that was answered on-line during March 2020. The statistical analysis was performed by using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for quantitative variables, Student's t-test and ANOVA (95% CI, p statistic α 0.05). Results: The survey was responded by 156 physicians; 105 (67.3%) were women and 51 (32.7%) were men (mean age: 29.02 ± 3.69 years). Mean global score was 4.58 ± 0.89. ANOVA showed statistically significant differences in the well-being dimension and global scores of EI across the different postgraduate year levels (p = 0.002 and p = 0.0001, respectively). Conclusion: EI is an attractive and effective model for defining and training future general surgeons in non-technical skills. These findings are important for generating new proposals for training.

The Role of Motivation Systems, Anxiety, and Low Self-Control in Smartphone Addiction among Smartphone-Based Social Networking Service (SNS) Users.

Given that Social Networking Service (SNS) has emerged as the most influential platform, which can lead users to addictive smartphone use, it is necessary to investigate which psychological variables lead smartphone-based SNS users to addictive smartphone use. Still, studies on the relationship between psychological variables and addictive smartphone use among smartphone-based SNS users remain to be explored. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the role of psychological factors on smartphone addiction proneness (SAP). A total of 433 smartphone-based SNS users were collected from 5003 adults in Korea. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and path analysis using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 23.0. The results of a parallel-mediation path analysis demonstrated that Behavioral Inhibition (BIS), Behavioral activation (BAS) drive, anxiety, and low self-control directly influenced SAP, separately. BIS and BAS _drive also had significant indirect effects on SAP through the effect of anxiety. BIS and BAS_fun had significant indirect effects on SAP through the effect of low self-control. The study variables accounted for 38.4 of the total variances of SAP. Thus, when establishing interventions to reduce the users' addictive smartphone use, these interactive relationships of the variables should be considered.

Expressive flexibility and health-related quality of life: The predictive role of enhancement and suppression abilities and relationships with trait emotional intelligence.

This study aims to examine the ability to flexibly enhance and suppress emotional expression, known as expressive flexibility, in relation to physical and psychological health, as well as trait emotional intelligence (EI). A sample of 503 Italian (Mage = 28.65 ± 9.26 years, 85.1% females) participants completed the Italian version of Flexible Regulation of Emotional Expression (FREE) Scale, the TEIQue-SF, and the Short Form-12 Health Survey. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the Italian version of FREE showed adequate psychometric properties. In both genders, results of correlational analyses indicated that enhancement ability was associated with well-being, emotionality, and sociability, whereas suppression ability was associated with self-control. Regression analyses, controlling for age and gender, indicated that suppression and inversely enhancement abilities, predicted the perceived psychological but not physical health. Well-being, self-control, and sociability also contributed to explaining variance in the model. The interaction effect of enhancement and suppression was not significantly associated with either physical or psychological health. Overall, these results suggest that enhancement and suppression abilities differentially contribute to psychological health when trait EI is accounted for. Clinical implications and future directions for research on expressive flexibility are discussed.

Understanding the Associations Among Perceived Stress, Self-Control Skills, and Overeating in Asian Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: Built on Rosenbaum's self-control theory, this study aimed to examine the mediating role of self-control skills in the relationship between perceived stress and overeating patterns among adolescents from an Asia-Pacific region. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was used with a school-based, nonclinical sample of 195 adolescents. Participants completed self-report measures assessing study variables and demographic information such as body mass index (BMI) status for adolescents and their parents. Mediation analyses were conducted with Hayes' PROCESS macro modeling tool to assess self-control skills as the mediator of the relationships between perceived stress and each overeating pattern based on the regression-based bootstrapping method, adjusting for potential covariates. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was approximately 18% in the current sample of adolescents. While controlling for age, sex, and standardized BMI, self-control skills mediated the effects of stress on emotional and external eating, but not on restrained eating; in addition, self-control skills partially mediated the relationship between perceived stress and an overall overeating tendency. CONCLUSION: Consistent with Rosenbaum's self-control theory, self-control skills were found to mediate the relationship between perceived stress and emotional and external eating. This study highlights the importance of prevention treatments developed to impart adolescents with self-control skills, decrease their perceived stress, and consequently, reduce their overeating patterns during this intense developmental period.

Psychometric properties of the portuguese self-monitoring scale: a reduced item version / Propriedades psicométricas da escala portuguesa de self-monitoring: uma versão reduzida / Propiedades psicométricas de la escala portuguesa de self-monitoring: una versión reducida

This study aimed to contribute to the adaptation of the Self-Monitoring Scale for a Portuguese sample and the examination of the possibility of reducing the scale's length. Considering the psychometric inconsistency of the scale reported in the literature, several analysis criteria to identify the number of factors to be retained were considered. The study included 791 Portuguese men and women aged 17 to 61 years. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis to assess construct validity, Cronbach's alpha to assess internal consistency, and fit indices (based on IRT). The results indicate a two-dimensional structure with a reduction to 9 items, which shows good values for validity and fit. This study proposes a reduced version of the self-monitoring scale for a Portuguese sample, considering that the use of this method is valuable to identify how individuals differ in the way they present themselves in social situations. (AU)

Este estudo tem como objetivo contribuir para a adaptação da Self-Monitoring Scale numa amostra Portuguesa e análise da possibilidade de reduzir o tamanho da escala. Além disso, e considerando a inconsistência psicométrica da escala relatada na literatura, foram considerados vários critérios de análise para identificar o número de fatores a reter. O estudo abrangeu 791 homens e mulheres Portugueses com idades entre os 17 e os 61 anos. A análise dos dados incluiu estatística descritiva, validade de construto (Análise Fatorial Confirmatória), consistência interna e índice de ajustamento (TRI). Os resultados apontam para uma estrutura bidimensional com uma redução para 9 itens, mostrando bons valores de validade e ajustamento. Este estudo propõe uma versão reduzida da escala de self-monitoramento para uma amostra Portuguesa, considerando que a utilização deste método é uma mais-valia para identificar como os indivíduos diferem na forma como se apresentam em situações sociais. (AU)

Este estudio tiene como objetivo contribuir a la adaptación de la Self-Monitoring Scale en una muestra portuguesa y analizar la posibilidad de reducir el tamaño de la escala. Además, teniendo en cuenta la inconsistencia psicométrica de la escala reportada en la literatura, se consideraron varios criterios de análisis para identificar el número de factores a retener. El estudio incluyó a 791 hombres y mujeres portugueses de entre 17 y 61 años. El análisis de los datos incluyó estadística descriptiva, validez del constructo (Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio), consistencia interna e índice de ajuste (TRI). Los resultados apuntan a una estructura bidimensional con una reducción a 9 ítems, mostrando buenos índices de validez y ajuste. Este estudio propone una versión reducida de la escala de automonitoramento para una muestra portuguesa, mientras que el uso de este método es particularmente valioso para identificar cómo los individuos se diferencian en la forma en que se presentan en situaciones sociales. (AU)

The influence of family cohesion on self-regulation and anxiety problems among African American emerging adults.

Although African Americans have lower rates of anxiety in childhood than other racial and ethnic minority groups, they seem to experience escalating rates during emerging adulthood. Despite this, few studies have examined factors associated with anxiety during emerging adulthood among African American populations. The current study investigated the extent to which late adolescent family relationships affect anxiety problems among African American emerging adults. Informed by family development theory, family cohesion was hypothesized to indirectly effect anxiety problems through self-regulation. This model was tested with three waves of data (ages 17, 19, 21) from African Americans participating in the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Study. Study findings were consistent with the hypothesized model: family cohesion forecasted decreased anxiety problems, indirectly, via increased self-regulation. This finding suggests that families may be an important promotive process for anxiety problems during emerging adulthood. Prevention programs that target family processes may be able to reduce anxiety problems in emerging adult African Americans.

Relationship between impulsivity, uncontrolled eating and body mass index: a hierarchical model.

BACKGROUND: Impulsivity increases the risk for obesity and weight gain. However, the precise role of impulsivity in the aetiology of overeating behavior and obesity is currently unknown. Here we examined the relationships between personality-related measures of impulsivity, Uncontrolled Eating, body mass index (BMI), and longitudinal weight changes. In addition, we analyzed the associations between general impulsivity domains and cortical thickness to elucidate brain vulnerability factors related to weight gain. METHODS: Students (N = 2318) in their first year of university-a risky period for weight gain-completed questionnaire measures of impulsivity and eating behavior at the beginning of the school year. We also collected their weight at the end of the term (N = 1177). Impulsivity was divided into three factors: stress reactivity, reward sensitivity and lack of self-control. Using structural equation models, we tested a hierarchical relationship, in which impulsivity traits were associated with Uncontrolled Eating, which in turn predicted BMI and weight change. Seventy-one participants underwent T1-weighted MRI to investigate the correlation between impulsivity and cortical thickness. RESULTS: Impulsivity traits showed positive correlations with Uncontrolled Eating. Higher scores in Uncontrolled Eating were in turn associated with higher BMI. None of the impulsivity-related measurements nor Uncontrolled Eating were correlated with longitudinal weight gain. Higher stress sensitivity was associated with increased cortical thickness in the superior temporal gyrus. Lack of self-control was positively associated with increased thickness in the superior medial frontal gyrus. Finally, higher reward sensitivity was associated with lower thickness in the inferior frontal gyrus. CONCLUSION: The present study provides a comprehensive characterization of the relationships between different facets of impulsivity and obesity. We show that differences in impulsivity domains might be associated with BMI via Uncontrolled Eating. Our results might inform future clinical strategies aimed at fostering self-control abilities to prevent and/or treat unhealthy weight gain.