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The control of cognition is fundamental to psychological well being. One dimension recently explored by Sugiura, Sugiura and Tanno (2013) is the perceived ability to refrain from catastrophic thinking--a construct that could be a marker of several factors. The current paper recommends deeper consideration in terms of metacognitive theory and exemplifies this by testing the effect of a strategy that focuses on abstaining from processes (detached mindfulness) vs. transforming content (acceptance, brief exposure). Fifty-six participants (M age = 21.5 yr., range = 18-42) were randomly assigned to detached mindfulness, acceptance, exposure, or a control group before watching a stressful film that induced intrusive images. Afterwards, they engaged in their respective strategies for 5 min. and the frequency of intrusive images was rated. Detached mindfulness was the only manipulation that was associated with a statistically significant lower frequency of intrusions than the control condition. It is argued that assessment of perceived skills to refrain from thinking should be conceptualized within a metacognitive framework that distinguish process- and content-oriented strategies and address the question: When is a strategy a true refrain? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During quarantine, both physical and mental health are a concern. To the same extent that physicians are a scarce resource during this crisis, psychiatrists and psychologists are also limited in number. To help practitioners and public managers decide where to invest their resources, the present research investigated the relationships of stress, depression and state anxiety levels with sociodemographic and behavioural variables. Methods: Data were collected in Brazil between March, 18 and 22, 2020 in 1,468 volunteers during quarantine. Participants with a history of or current mental health illnesses were excluded leaving 1,460 individuals in the final sample. The online assessment included instruments for psychological stress, depression and state anxiety. A sociodemographic and behavioural questionnaire with 15 items was used to assess other factors. Multiple linear regression was performed for each psychological outcome to determine a hierarchy of significant predictors. Findings: Stress, depression and state anxiety levels were all predicted by gender (women higher than men), quality of nutrition, attendance in tele-psychotherapy, exercise frequency, presence of elderly persons in quarantine with the person, obligation to work outside the home, level of education (more educated, lesser risk for mental illness) and age (younger age, greater risk). Having a perceived risk factor for COVID-19 predicted depression and state anxiety, but not stress. Finally, the presence of children in quarantine with the participant was a protective factor for depression. Interpretation: Even though this research is limited by its cross-sectional design, it is possible to infer that mental health varies by demographic attributes, obligations and health behaviours. Those who report higher distress must work outside the home during quarantine, live with an elderly person and carry a risk factor for COVID-19, among other factors. Identifying those who are most vulnerable would help to prioritize those who may need the greatest psychological aid and assist public health practitioners in developing support strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a follow-up comment on John B. Carroll's critique of the Big Five Model and his suggestion years ago on how to design and conduct research properly on the Structure of personality and its assessment. The status of research on personality factor models is discussed, and conclusions are reached regarding the likely consequences and further prospects of the failure of personality theorists and practitioners to follow through on Carroll's poignant suggestion for required effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted on South African college students using the Transcendental Meditation technique to reduce posttraumatic stress disorder. Students meeting the criteria for possible posttraumatic stress disorder were included. Thirty-four students at the experimental university in South Africa clinically diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder were instructed in and practiced the Transcendental Meditation technique twice daily compared to 34 diagnosed posttraumatic stress disorder comparison students at the comparison university. The multivariate effect was significant for both the posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology and depression. Results were significantly associated with regularity of practice. The study replicates recent findings and offers an alternative educational treatment for higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research on absolute trait judgments regarding self and others showed that, compared to self-judgments, other-judgments involve greater focus on external, observable (as opposed to internal, unobservable) aspects of traits. The present research attempted to extend those findings to comparative judgments. In two experiments, Polish undergraduates (N = 144) were asked to perform a series of comparative self-other judgments followed by a series of absolute judgments regarding either the self or another person. The absolute judgments employed the same traits as the comparative judgments but with the trait preceded by a qualifier: either "feels," referring to covert, unobservable aspects of the trait, or "looks," referring to overt, observable aspects. As expected, comparative judgments correlated higher with absolute feels judgments regarding the self and with absolute looks judgments regarding the other than with absolute looks judgments regarding the self and absolute feels judgments regarding the other. This occurred for self-other judgments involving acquaintances but not for self-other judgments involving close friends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature in achievement goals includes mixed results as to the factor structure of achievement goal measures, particularly the Achievement Goal Questionnaire--Revised (AGQ-R). In a sample of 1,496 undergraduate students (600 men, 891 women, 5 unreported sex; M age = 20.6 yr., SD = 3.2), the AGQ-R was subjected to an exploratory factor analysis that suggested three factors. Then, in a different sample of 1,125 undergraduate students (270 men, 750 women, 5 unreported sex; M age = 21.7 yr., SD = 5.4), the measure was subjected to a confi rmatory factor analysis, in which a three-factor solution, again, showed the best fit to the observed data. The implications of these results for the measurement of achievement goals are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined how humor styles could mediate the effect of self-esteem on subjective happiness. 227 Hong Kong undergraduate students completed the Humor Styles Questionnaire, the Roxsenberg Self-esteem Scale, and the Subjective Happiness Scale. Results showed adaptive humor styles (affiliative humor and self-enhancing humor) significantly predicted self-esteem and subjective happiness and mediated the relationship between self-esteem and subjective happiness. Maladaptive humor styles (aggressive humor and self-defeating humor) did not strongly predict self-esteem or subjective happiness. The mediation effects of humor styles found in the present research provided useful suggestions for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first case review to explicate perceptual hypnotic principles such as differentiation, characteristics of an adequate personality, and the need for adequacy, as utilized in clinical hypnosis in a complex case that altered the distorted perceptions and personal meanings of an eleven-year-old girl who believed that she had Bipolar Disorder and her body and mind were damaged. This qualitative case study examines aspects of hypnosis during therapy from a perceptual point of view to illustrate frustrations in difficult cases and identify some of the causes and origins of alleged clinical pathology in adverse environments. Some moments of effective self-healing through supporting internally controlled changes in perception during hypnotic experiencing are highlighted rather than externally focusing on observed thoughts and behavior. Factors relevant to social psychological research, such as family dynamics, poverty, and interactions with social service agencies and institutions, creating learned pathology, are pointed out for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mental and physical health of 146 Dutch males exposed to severe war stress during their young adulthood were examined in 1986-1987 when they were at ages 61 to 66 years. The veterans' data were compared with a randomly selected population-based sample of same-aged males. In 2005, 70% of the war stress veterans had died, and only 35% of the comparison group. The baseline quality of life was significantly poorer in the war stress veterans than in the comparison group. Baseline variables explained 42% of the increased risk of mortality among war stress veterans. Smoking was the largest single contributor to mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]