This cross-sectional study investigated whether hostile rumination mediated the association betwe... more This cross-sectional study investigated whether hostile rumination mediated the association between several indicators of a negative childhood environment (retrospectively reported child abuse and perceived parental care and overprotection) and borderline features. Community participants (N = 524) completed self-report measures in the laboratory. Results showed that adults exhibiting borderline features reported less parental care and more parental overprotection, as well as greater abuse. Additionally, hostile rumination statistically mediated the associations between all childhood environmental variables and borderline features, even controlling for depressive symptoms, alcohol use and impulsivity. Although cross-sectional data cannot test causal mediation, this pattern of results provides preliminary evidence that hostile rumination may partially account for the well-established connection between negative environments and borderline features. Future directions, including a discu...
ABSTRACT Objectives: Alcohol use continues to have a significant negative health and economic imp... more ABSTRACT Objectives: Alcohol use continues to have a significant negative health and economic impact in the United States. Understanding factors that contribute to alcohol use and its related consequences remains an important goal of psychological research. One personality trait consistently shown to contribute to alcohol use and problems is impulsivity. The relationship between impulsivity and drinking is complex because impulsivity is a multifaceted construct, composed of urgency (rash responding to negative affect), lack of premeditation (action without planning), lack of perseverance (inability to persist in a task), and sensation seeking (pursuit of excitement). Previous research on the relation between the different facets of impulsivity and drinking outcomes has been limited by the problem of multicollinearity of predictors (ie, the intercorrelations among the impulsivity facets make their relative contributions to drinking outcomes difficult to interpret). Methods: The current study overcame this problem by analyzing the relationship between impulsivity and drinking outcomes using relative weights analysis, a technique that determines the proportion of variance explained in a dependent variable that is accounted for by each independent variable after taking into account multicollinearity of predictors. Results: Results revealed that (1) sensation seeking is the best predictor of alcohol use across the impulsivity facets, (2) urgency is the best predictor of alcohol-related consequences, (3) premeditation is important to the prediction of all alcohol use outcomes, and (4) perseverance may not uniquely explain alcohol use outcomes. Conclusions: It is concluded that facets of impulsivity differentially predict alcohol use outcomes. Copyright (C) 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved
One predictor of negative drinking outcomes in college populations is impulsivity. Individual dif... more One predictor of negative drinking outcomes in college populations is impulsivity. Individual differences in the reinforcing efficacy of alcohol, which reflects willingness to drink despite potential costs, may serve as a mechanism by which impulsivity is associated with alcohol-related problems. The purpose of this study was to determine whether two measures of the reinforcing efficacy of alcohol-demand intensity (consumption when drinks are free) and Omax (maximum expenditure on alcohol)-statistically mediated the associations between four facets of impulsivity and negative drinking outcomes. We gave 202 undergraduate social drinkers a hypothetical task in which they indicated how many drinks they would consume across a range of prices. They also completed measures of impulsivity, alcohol use, and alcohol-related problems. Path models revealed that two facets of impulsivity-sensation seeking and urgency-were associated with higher reinforcing efficacy and worse alcohol problems. M...
This investigation attempted to determine whether trait and state hostile rumination functioned a... more This investigation attempted to determine whether trait and state hostile rumination functioned as risk factors for the relation between acute alcohol intoxication and aggression. Participants were 516 social drinkers (252 men and 264 women). Trait hostile rumination was assessed using Caprara's Dissipation-Rumination Scale. Following the consumption of either an alcohol or a placebo beverage, participants were tested on a laboratory task in which electric shocks were received from and administered to a fictitious opponent under the guise of a competitive reaction-time task. Aggression was operationalized as the combined mean responses for shock intensity and duration across all trials. In a subset of the sample (n = 320), state hostile rumination was assessed following the aggression task using a self-report measure. As expected, both trait and state measures acted as moderators. Specifically, acute alcohol intoxication was more likely to increase aggression in persons with hig...
Expectancy-value theory emphasizes the importance of outcome expectancies for behavioral decision... more Expectancy-value theory emphasizes the importance of outcome expectancies for behavioral decisions, but most tests of the theory focus on a single behavior and a single expectancy. However, the matching law suggests that individuals consider expected outcomes for both the target behavior and alternative behaviors when making decisions. In this study, we expanded expectancy-value theory to evaluate the contributions of two competing expectancies to adolescent behavior problems. One hundred twenty-one high school students completed measures of behavior problems, expectancies for both acting out and academic effort, and perceived academic competence. Students' self-reported behavior problems covaried mostly with perceived competence and academic expectancies and only nominally with problem behavior expectancies. We suggest that behavior problems may result from students perceiving a lack of valued or feasible alternative behaviors, such as studying. We discuss implications for inte...
Risky behaviors, including unsafe sex, aggression, rule breaking, self-injury, and dangerous subs... more Risky behaviors, including unsafe sex, aggression, rule breaking, self-injury, and dangerous substance use have become a growing issue for U.S. veterans returning from combat deployments. Evidence in nonveteran samples suggests that risky behaviors reflect efforts to cope with and alleviate depressive and/or anxious symptoms, particularly for individuals with poor emotion-regulation skills. These associations have not been studied in veterans. Rumination, or repeated thoughts about negative feelings and past events, is a coping strategy that is associated with several psychopathologies common in veterans. In this cross-sectional study, 91 recently returned veterans completed measures of trait rumination, self-reported risky behaviors, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Analyses revealed that veterans with more depressive and PTSD symptoms reported more risky behaviors. Moreover, rumination significantly interacted with PTSD symptoms and depressive symptoms (both β = .21, p < .05), such that psychiatric symptoms were associated with risky behaviors only for veterans with moderate to high levels of rumination. Although cross-sectional, these findings support theory that individuals with poor coping skills may be particularly likely to respond to negative mood states by engaging in risky behaviors. Implications include using rumination-focused interventions with veterans in order to prevent engagement in risky behaviors.
This cross-sectional study investigated whether hostile rumination mediated the association betwe... more This cross-sectional study investigated whether hostile rumination mediated the association between several indicators of a negative childhood environment (retrospectively reported child abuse and perceived parental care and overprotection) and borderline features. Community participants (N = 524) completed self-report measures in the laboratory. Results showed that adults exhibiting borderline features reported less parental care and more parental overprotection, as well as greater abuse. Additionally, hostile rumination statistically mediated the associations between all childhood environmental variables and borderline features, even controlling for depressive symptoms, alcohol use and impulsivity. Although cross-sectional data cannot test causal mediation, this pattern of results provides preliminary evidence that hostile rumination may partially account for the well-established connection between negative environments and borderline features. Future directions, including a discu...
ABSTRACT Objectives: Alcohol use continues to have a significant negative health and economic imp... more ABSTRACT Objectives: Alcohol use continues to have a significant negative health and economic impact in the United States. Understanding factors that contribute to alcohol use and its related consequences remains an important goal of psychological research. One personality trait consistently shown to contribute to alcohol use and problems is impulsivity. The relationship between impulsivity and drinking is complex because impulsivity is a multifaceted construct, composed of urgency (rash responding to negative affect), lack of premeditation (action without planning), lack of perseverance (inability to persist in a task), and sensation seeking (pursuit of excitement). Previous research on the relation between the different facets of impulsivity and drinking outcomes has been limited by the problem of multicollinearity of predictors (ie, the intercorrelations among the impulsivity facets make their relative contributions to drinking outcomes difficult to interpret). Methods: The current study overcame this problem by analyzing the relationship between impulsivity and drinking outcomes using relative weights analysis, a technique that determines the proportion of variance explained in a dependent variable that is accounted for by each independent variable after taking into account multicollinearity of predictors. Results: Results revealed that (1) sensation seeking is the best predictor of alcohol use across the impulsivity facets, (2) urgency is the best predictor of alcohol-related consequences, (3) premeditation is important to the prediction of all alcohol use outcomes, and (4) perseverance may not uniquely explain alcohol use outcomes. Conclusions: It is concluded that facets of impulsivity differentially predict alcohol use outcomes. Copyright (C) 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved
One predictor of negative drinking outcomes in college populations is impulsivity. Individual dif... more One predictor of negative drinking outcomes in college populations is impulsivity. Individual differences in the reinforcing efficacy of alcohol, which reflects willingness to drink despite potential costs, may serve as a mechanism by which impulsivity is associated with alcohol-related problems. The purpose of this study was to determine whether two measures of the reinforcing efficacy of alcohol-demand intensity (consumption when drinks are free) and Omax (maximum expenditure on alcohol)-statistically mediated the associations between four facets of impulsivity and negative drinking outcomes. We gave 202 undergraduate social drinkers a hypothetical task in which they indicated how many drinks they would consume across a range of prices. They also completed measures of impulsivity, alcohol use, and alcohol-related problems. Path models revealed that two facets of impulsivity-sensation seeking and urgency-were associated with higher reinforcing efficacy and worse alcohol problems. M...
This investigation attempted to determine whether trait and state hostile rumination functioned a... more This investigation attempted to determine whether trait and state hostile rumination functioned as risk factors for the relation between acute alcohol intoxication and aggression. Participants were 516 social drinkers (252 men and 264 women). Trait hostile rumination was assessed using Caprara's Dissipation-Rumination Scale. Following the consumption of either an alcohol or a placebo beverage, participants were tested on a laboratory task in which electric shocks were received from and administered to a fictitious opponent under the guise of a competitive reaction-time task. Aggression was operationalized as the combined mean responses for shock intensity and duration across all trials. In a subset of the sample (n = 320), state hostile rumination was assessed following the aggression task using a self-report measure. As expected, both trait and state measures acted as moderators. Specifically, acute alcohol intoxication was more likely to increase aggression in persons with hig...
Expectancy-value theory emphasizes the importance of outcome expectancies for behavioral decision... more Expectancy-value theory emphasizes the importance of outcome expectancies for behavioral decisions, but most tests of the theory focus on a single behavior and a single expectancy. However, the matching law suggests that individuals consider expected outcomes for both the target behavior and alternative behaviors when making decisions. In this study, we expanded expectancy-value theory to evaluate the contributions of two competing expectancies to adolescent behavior problems. One hundred twenty-one high school students completed measures of behavior problems, expectancies for both acting out and academic effort, and perceived academic competence. Students' self-reported behavior problems covaried mostly with perceived competence and academic expectancies and only nominally with problem behavior expectancies. We suggest that behavior problems may result from students perceiving a lack of valued or feasible alternative behaviors, such as studying. We discuss implications for inte...
Risky behaviors, including unsafe sex, aggression, rule breaking, self-injury, and dangerous subs... more Risky behaviors, including unsafe sex, aggression, rule breaking, self-injury, and dangerous substance use have become a growing issue for U.S. veterans returning from combat deployments. Evidence in nonveteran samples suggests that risky behaviors reflect efforts to cope with and alleviate depressive and/or anxious symptoms, particularly for individuals with poor emotion-regulation skills. These associations have not been studied in veterans. Rumination, or repeated thoughts about negative feelings and past events, is a coping strategy that is associated with several psychopathologies common in veterans. In this cross-sectional study, 91 recently returned veterans completed measures of trait rumination, self-reported risky behaviors, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Analyses revealed that veterans with more depressive and PTSD symptoms reported more risky behaviors. Moreover, rumination significantly interacted with PTSD symptoms and depressive symptoms (both β = .21, p < .05), such that psychiatric symptoms were associated with risky behaviors only for veterans with moderate to high levels of rumination. Although cross-sectional, these findings support theory that individuals with poor coping skills may be particularly likely to respond to negative mood states by engaging in risky behaviors. Implications include using rumination-focused interventions with veterans in order to prevent engagement in risky behaviors.
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