Search

Dark Tetrad (D4) traits have been shown to influence both perpetration and victimisation of dating related anti-social behaviours. To inform prevention and intervention measures against these behaviours, it is important to understand how persons with elevated D4 traits search for partners and what aspects of dating they appraise as positive versus negative. This study aims to qualitatively explore the role of personality in dating experiences; specifically, preference for dating platform and perceived dating outcomes in those with elevated D4 traits. In total, 480 adults from Australia, (288 women, 186 men, and 6 non-binary) aged 18– 70 years (M = 29.51, SD = 12.82), took part in an online qualitative and quantitative survey. Participants with elevated traits of psychopathy, narcissism and sadism showed a greater preference for meeting people offline. Applying template analysis, we generated three themes for positive experiences: finding a new partner, connecting with others, and material and personal benefits. For negative experiences, we identified four themes: not being able to find a partner, misrepresentation, online and in-person victimisation, and difficulties with navigating close relationships. Whilst persons with elevated D4 traits value connecting with others, they dislike deceptive dating practices and often perceive themselves to be victimised in online and offline settings. Future studies should investigate whether dating experiences differ across individuals who score within elevated versus lower range on D4 traits. • Elevated scores on some of the D4 traits are linked to preferences for offline dating. • Men with elevated D4 traits reported sexual experiences as positive aspects of dating. • Social approval/emotional validation was appraised as a positive dating outcome. • Women with elevated D4 traits reported instances of online and offline victimisation. • Elevated D4 traits linked to rejection sensitivity and broader relationship issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined associations between self-presentation, trait empathy, and engagement with social networking website (SNS) posts containing positive, neutral, or negative sentiment. It was hypothesised that participants would show lower engagement with negatively valenced posts than with positively valenced posts due to the increased cognitive and emotional effort associated with responding. It was also hypothesised that trait empathy would predict participants' engagement with SNS content. Participants' motivations for engaging with posts was also investigated through qualitative measures. Ninety-seven participants (aged 18–63 years; M = 26.32, SD = 8.68) interacted with a simulated SNS environment and described the aspects of posts that encouraged their engagement. Participants then completed trait empathy and social desirability measures. Results showed that participants liked, shared, and commented on more negatively valenced posts than positively valenced posts; they also hid more negatively valenced posts than positively valenced or neutral posts. Age predicted engagement with negatively valenced posts; age and trait empathy predicted engagement with neutral posts, and trait empathy predicted engagement with positively valenced posts. Participants described a number of aspects that encouraged them to engage with posts, including personal connections with the poster, humour or novelty of topic, personal interest in the topic, concern for the poster, positive experience by the poster, and self-presentation concerns. Results suggest that both self-presentation efforts and trait empathy can influence the type and amount of engagement users have with emotion laden SNS content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the paucity of research examining emotional states in social networking, the aim of this study was to examine the impact of negatively valanced social media network content on the amount of sentiment that participants included in their free-text responses, as well as on their executive functioning and working memory. Eighty participants aged between 18 and 67 ( M = 29.39, SD = 11.21 years) completed baseline mood and cognitive measures (working memory and executive functioning) before exposure to three control posts and one negative emotional post. For each post, participants wrote a free-text response or indicated that they would not respond. Participants then completed the mood and cognitive measures a second time. After exposure to an emotionally negative post, participants' mood was lower and their executive functioning improved (as measured by reaction time and number of incorrectly identified target words). Participants' responses to an emotional post contained higher levels of sentiment compared to their responses to control posts. After controlling for demographic variables, participants' mood and trait empathy predicted the level of sentiment that they included in their responses to the emotional post. Mood, executive function, and trait empathy contributed to individuals’ online social network engagement for emotionally negative posts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dark Tetrad (D4) traits have been identified as predictors of dating related anti-social behaviour perpetration; however, less is known regarding risks for victimisation and links with coercive controlling behaviours across dating mediums. An online survey was completed by 1009 Australians aged 18 to 79 years (M = 32.4 years, SD = 13.48) assessing D4 traits, dating methods, perpetration or victimisation of anti-social dating behaviours, and experience of coercive controlling behaviours. Analyses found a higher likelihood of experiencing anti-social dating behaviours for those using online dating methods (OR = 2.01) and those higher in sadism (OR = 1.83). Key predictors of perpetration include primarily using face-to-face dating methods (OR = 3.17) and higher grandiose narcissism (OR = 1.80). Finally, there was a higher likelihood of experiencing coercive control behaviours in both the online (OR = 2.26) and face-to-face (OR = 2.76) groups, and in those higher in psychopathy (OR = 1.47). Mobile dating apps may provide a protective factor against both experience and perpetration of anti-social dating behaviours and coercive controlling behaviours. The D4 also continues to show strong links with perpetration of anti-social and controlling behaviours; however, sadism appears to be a risk factor for victimisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relational aggression and its functional subtypes (proactive and reactive) are associated with various adverse outcomes. Impulsivity has known associations with aggression, but less is known about its role in relational aggression, particularly at the facet level, and the implications such a relationship might have for prevention and intervention efforts. An Australian community sample was recruited from social media platforms (N = 637), consisting of 352 (55.3 %) females, 281 (44.1 %) males, and 4 (0.6 %) who self-described. Participant ages ranged from 18 to 82 years (M = 53.24, SD = 13.25). Participants completed a brief online self-report survey. We fit four path models to explore the relationship between facet-level impulsivity and reactive and proactive relational aggression. For females, positive associations between positive urgency and proactive relational aggression (β = 0.20, p =.007), negative urgency and reactive relational aggression (β = 0.26, p <.001), and sensation seeking and reactive relational aggression were evident (β = 0.11, p = 0.041), as was a negative relationship between sensation seeking and proactive relational aggression (β = -0.12, p =.043). For males, a positive association between negative urgency and reactive relational aggression was identified (β = 0.24, p <.001). Proactive and reactive relational aggression may be more likely to occur during the experience of intense emotions (i.e., positive and negative urgency). Both subtypes appear to require forethought and planning, indicating there may be substantial conceptual and cognitive overlap between the two relational aggression functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relational aggression (RA) is a covert form of social aggression consisting of reactive and proactive subtypes. Little is known about RA in adults, and less so about the association with cognitive control. We hypothesised greater levels of proactive but lower levels of reactive RA in adults with intact cognitive control. An adult sample (N = 769) completed a cognitive control task and self-report RA survey. Two robust ANOVAs examined proactive and reactive RA levels between participants with intact and impaired levels of cognitive control, with the role of age in such associations explored in a post-hoc analysis. We observed greater reactive but not proactive RA levels in established adults with impaired cognitive control. Further, younger participants tended to report higher levels of both RA subtypes. Findings support theories of cognitive control as a mitigating factor for RA and suggest the influence of age may be subordinate to developmental maturation and cognitive control. • Cognitive control is a well-established moderator of aggression. • Aggressive behaviour occurs in a non-linear fashion across the lifespan. • Relational aggression in adulthood is correlated with age and cognitive control. • Proactive relational aggression is strongly associated with cognitive control. • This association is strongest for established adults and weakest for emerging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Scientific research is essential to the development of effective addiction treatment and drug policy. Actions that compromise the integrity of addiction science need to be understood. The aim of this study is to investigate funder (e.g. industry, government or charity) interference in addiction science internationally.Method: Corresponding authors of all 941 papers published in an international specialist journal July 2004 to June 2009 were invited to complete a web questionnaire. A sensitivity analysis with extreme assumptions about non-respondents was undertaken.Results: The questionnaire was completed by 322 authors (response fraction 34%), 36% (n=117) of whom had encountered at least one episode (median=3, Interquartile range=4) of funder interference in their research: 56% in Australasia, 33% in Europe, and 30% in North America. Censorship of research outputs was the most common form of interference. The wording or writing of reports and articles, as well as where, when and how findings were released were the areas in which influence was most often reported.Conclusions: Funder interference in addiction science appears to be common internationally. Strategies to increase transparency in the addiction science literature, including mandatory author declarations concerning the role of the funder, are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Drink driving is a significant public health concern, and contributes to many road fatalities worldwide. The current study is the first to examine the prevalence and correlates of drink driving behavior in a sample of night-time entertainment precinct attendees in Australia. Methods Interviews were conducted with 4214 night-time entertainment precinct attendees in two metropolitan and three regional cities in Australia. Seven correlates of self-reported drink driving were examined: gender, age, occupation, blood alcohol concentration (BAC), alcohol consumed prior to attending a licensed venue, energy drink consumption, and other drug consumption. Results Fourteen percent of night-time entertainment precinct attendees reported drink driving in the past three months. Bivariate logistic regression models indicated that males were significantly more likely than females to report drink driving in the past three months. Blue-collar workers and sales/clerical/administrative workers were significantly more likely to report drink driving behavior in the past three months than white-collar workers. The likelihood of reporting drink driving during the three months prior to interview significantly increased as BAC on the current night out increased, and when patrons reported engaging in pre-drinking or other drug use. The multivariate model presented a similar pattern of results, however BAC and pre-drinking on the night of the interview were no longer independent significant predictors. Conclusions Males, blue collar/sales/clerical/administrative workers, and illicit drug consumers were more likely to report engaging in drink driving behavior than their counterparts. Interventions should focus on addressing the considerable proportion night-time entertainment precinct attendees who report engaging in drink driving behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]