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Raymond Aron and Albert Camus have been linked together by Tony Judt as exemplifying "the burden of responsibility," and have otherwise been classed together as dissenting anti-Communists within French intellectual circles during the Cold War. For all of the significant differences in their personal lives, intellectual orientations, and literary styles, they did indeed seek to uphold a complex ethic of responsibility and integrity in their political and intellectual careers. This ethic was both a reflection and a cause of the sense of solitude that each man endured, or sustained, for much of his life. This essay traces the theme of solitude in their lives and works, from their early political engagements and philosophical ventures in the interwar period, the Occupation, and post-war debates over Communism and decolonization. It also shows how solitude was interwoven in their thinking with ideals of honor, moderation, integrity, and stubborn independence. In showing how Aron and Camus responded to their personal predicaments, the essay suggests that they have much to tell us about how and why we may bear the burden of solitude in political engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined how children's perceptions of parental psychological control are related to their academic achievement during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the potential moderating role of the perceived COVID-19 threat on these relations. The sample included 199 fourth-grade children (M = 10.97, 57.8% girls) and one of their parents. Children completed a questionnaire assessing their perceptions of two dimensions of parental psychological control: achievement and emotional dependency. Both parents and children reported their worries related to the COVID-19 threat. Teachers reported children's grades for the first and second semesters. Children's perceptions of parental achievement-oriented and dependency-oriented control were negatively related to their academic achievement. Children's perceptions of the COVID-19 threat were positively related to their academic achievement and they moderated the relation between parental achievement-oriented psychological control and academic achievement. Our results highlighted the significant role of specific domains of parental psychological control on children's school outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fears about the destabilizing impact of misinformation online have motivated individuals and platforms to respond. Individuals have increasingly challenged others' online claims with fact-checks in pursuit of a healthier information ecosystem and to break down echo chambers of self-reinforcing opinion. Using Twitter (now X) data, here we show the consequences of individual misinformation tagging: tagged posters had explored novel political information and expanded topical interests immediately prior, but being tagged caused posters to retreat into information bubbles. These unintended consequences were softened by a collective verification system for misinformation moderation. In Twitter's new feature, Community Notes, misinformation tagging was peer-reviewed by other fact-checkers before revelation to the poster. With collective misinformation tagging, posters were less likely to retreat from diverse information engagement. Detailed comparison demonstrated differences in toxicity, sentiment, readability, and delay in individual versus collective misinformation tagging messages. These findings provide evidence for differential impacts from individual versus collective moderation strategies on the diversity of information engagement and mobility across the information ecosystem. Fears of online misinformation motivate people to fact-check one another. Here, the authors show that individual misinformation tagging pushes people into echo chambers but find no such effect for collective tagging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical practice exposes physicians to numerous stressors, leading to high rates of psychological distress and burnout, a problem that begins during medical school. Scientific evidence suggests that promoting compassion among physicians could improve their well-being and promote patient-centered care. However, the mechanisms underlying these benefits remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the mediators and moderators of changes in psychological distress and well-being following Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) among medical students. A randomized controlled trial with 40 medical students assigned to an 8-week CCT program or a waitlist control group was conducted. Participants were assessed at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and a 2-month follow-up on measures of psychological distress, well-being, mindfulness, compassion, emotion regulation, and burnout. Results indicated that CCT led to significant reductions in stress and anxiety immediately after the program, mediated by improvements in emotion regulation and mindfulness skills. Gender moderated changes in stress, anxiety, depression, and well-being at post-intervention, with women benefiting more than men, though these differences were not sustained at follow-up. In conclusion, this study contributes to the growing body of literature on the benefits of compassion training in healthcare and provides insights into the mechanisms through which compassion could support physicians and medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on studying the inter-relationships among various types of perceived risk and assessing the degree of perceived risk (PR) in the Adoption of MPS by Retailers in India. After digging into the extensive literature, it was found that situational factors are overlooked in literature. To overcome mentioned limitations, a model to suit a developing country context is presented. Moderating impact of demographic and situational/contextual variables (age, gender, facilitating conditions, user context and customer attribute) have been examined. A quantitative methodology to investigate the correlational paths was used. The data was collected from a sample of 349 small vendors using a cross-sectional survey. Hypothetical relationships were examined using structural equation modelling (SEM) based on the covariance-based analysis, i.e., analysis of moment structures (AMOS). The effect of the moderators was examined using the Interaction effect and multi-group analysis (MGA) method. The findings of moderating factors revealed that subjects, regardless of gender, older in age are influenced by perceived risk. From the situational/contextual perspective, customer attribute does not affect the relation of PR and BI as much as facilitating condition and use context do. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, we have witnessed increased interest in alternatives to the dominant corporate social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter (now X), and TikTok. Tired of disinformation, harassment, privacy violations, and the general degradation of platforms, users and technologists have looked for non-corporate alternatives. Not-for-profit social media platforms emerging from free/libre and open-source software (FLOSS) communities based on non-centralized infrastructure have emerged as promising alternatives. For applied epistemology of the internet, these alternative social media platforms present an opportunity to study different ways of producing knowledge together online. This paper evaluates the epistemic potential for such alternative, non-corporate social media. I present an epistemological framework for analyzing the epistemic promises and perils of alternative social media. Then I apply this framework to the case of Mastodon, a federated, open-source microblogging platform. Mastodon's structure and culture of openness present opportunities to avoid many of the epistemic perils of biased and untrustworthy large corporate platforms. However, Mastodon's risks include techno-elitism, white ignorance, and isolated, epistemically toxic communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the intricate interplay between demographic shifts and the profound influence of social networks on the mental health of older adults is crucial amid our rapidly aging global population. As societies evolve, the significance of social connections intensifies, directly impacting the well-being of older individuals. This empirical research, encompassing 50 individuals aged 60 years and above from urban and rural areas in equal proportions, aims to comprehend sociodemographic characteristics, assess social network resilience, evaluate mental health, and investigate how sociodemographic factors shape mental well-being. Utilizing Chi-Square tests, correlation coefficients, independent samples t-tests, and frequency tables, the study reveals nuanced insights into the complex relationship between social network strength and demographic variables among older adults. The research methodology employs a comprehensive set of tools, including a self-prepared interview schedule for socio-demographic details, the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-R), and the Mental Health Inventory (MHI). These instruments, recognized for their reliability and validity, offer a thorough assessment of social networks and mental health. The study's outcomes emphasize the necessity of tailored approaches that consider diverse sociodemographic factors in addressing the mental health needs of older adults. In conclusion, this research contributes significantly to the understanding of how social networks influence the mental health of older adults within the context of demographic shifts, underscoring the imperative of personalized strategies to effectively cater to the diverse mental health needs of this population in view of social work practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional comparisons of slope coefficients and mean responses in linear regression analysis mainly focus on the significant difference rather than the practical equivalence. There has been a growing awareness and demand for appropriate techniques for assessing similarity and comparability in applied research. Because of the simplicity of the two one-sided tests of mean equivalence, this study describes the corresponding extensions for appraising slope coefficients and mean responses in one and two linear regression lines. The equivalence tests can help assess the negligible trends and similar responses in a single regression line and evaluate the unimportant interaction-moderation effects and comparable simple effects between two linear regression lines. Exact power and sample size formulas are also derived for design planning, and the proposed procedures have the distinct property of accommodating the random properties of both the response and predictor variables. Their usage and validity are illustrated and justified through numerical illustrations and simulation assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Closed-form (asymptotic) analytical power estimation is only available for limited classes of models, requiring correct model specification for most applications. Simulation-based power estimation can be applied in almost all scenarios where data following the model can be estimated. However, a general framework for calculating the required sample sizes for given power rates is still lacking. We propose a new model-implied simulation-based power estimation (MSPE) method for the z-test that makes use of the asymptotic normality property of estimates of a wide class of estimators, the M-estimators, and give theoretical justification for the approach. M-estimators include maximum-likelihood, least squares estimates and limited information estimators, but also estimators used for misspecified models, hence, the new simulation-based power modeling method is widely applicable. The MSPE employs a parametric model to describe the relationship between power and sample size, which can then be used to determine the required sample size for a specified power rate. We highlight its performance in linear and nonlinear structural equation models (SEM) for correctly specified models and models under distributional misspecification. Simulation results suggest that the new power modeling method is unbiased and shows good performance with regard to root mean squared error and type I error rates for the predicted required sample sizes and predicted power rates, outperforming alternative approaches, such as the naïve approach of selecting a discrete selection of sample sizes with linear interpolation of power or simple logistic regression approaches. The MSPE appears to be a valuable tool to estimate power for models without an (asymptotic) analytical power estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The model-implied simulation-based power estimation (MSPE) approach is a new general method for power estimation (Irmer et al., 2024). MSPE was developed especially for power estimation of non-linear structural equation models (SEM), but it also can be applied to linear SEM and manifest models using the R package powerNLSEM. After first providing some information about MSPE and the new adaptive algorithm that automatically selects sample sizes for the best prediction of power using simulation, a tutorial on how to conduct the MSPE for quadratic and interaction SEM (QISEM) using the powerNLSEM package is provided. Power estimation is demonstrated for four methods, latent moderated structural equations (LMS), the unconstrained product indicator (UPI), a simple factor score regression (FSR), and a scale regression (SR) approach to QISEM. In two simulation studies, we highlight the performance of the MSPE for all four methods applied to two QISEM with varying complexity and reliability. Further, we justify the settings of the newly developed adaptive search algorithm via performance evaluations using simulation. Overall, the MSPE using the adaptive approach performs well in terms of bias and Type I error rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telomere length, a biomarker of human aging, is related to adverse health outcomes. Growing evidence indicates that oxidative stress and inflammation contributes to telomere shortening, whereas social support may protect from telomere shortening. Despite sex differences in telomere length and social support, little is known about whether there are sex differences in the relationship between oxidative stress/inflammation and telomere length, and sex-specific moderating roles of social support in older adults. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2002, this study assessed whether the associations between oxidative stress/inflammation and telomere length vary with sex and explored social support as a moderator in these associations among 2289 older adults. Oxidative stress was measured based on serum Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and inflammation was measured based on C-reactive protein (CRP). After adjusting for the covariates, GGT was significantly associated with telomere length in females only (β = − 0.037, 95% CI = − 0.070, − 0.005), while CRP was associated with telomere length in males only (β = − 0.019, 95% CI = − 0.035, − 0.002). Moreover, high social support mitigated the negative association between GGT and telomere length, which was more evident in females. Furthermore, social support moderated the association between CRP and telomere length in males aged 70 and above. Our findings indicated that biological mechanisms related to telomere length may vary with sex, while social support plays a sex-specific moderating role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interaction effects are very common in the psychological literature. However, interaction effects are typically very small and often fail to replicate. In this study, we conducted a simulation comparing the generalizability and estimability of two linear regression models: one correctly specified to account for interaction effects and one misspecified including simple effects only. We manipulated noise levels, predictor variable correlations, and different sets of regression weights, resulting in 9216 different conditions. From each dataset, we drew 1000 samples of N = 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, and 1000, resulting in a total of 55,296,000 analyses for each model. Our results show that misspecification can drastically bias regression estimates, sometimes leading to zero or reversed simple effects. Furthermore, we found that when models are generalized to the entire population, the difference between the explained variance in the sample and in the population is often smaller for the misspecified model than for the correctly specified model. However, the comparison between models shows that the correctly specified model explains the data at the population level better overall. These results emphasize the importance of theory in modeling choices and show that it is important to provide a rationale for why interactions are included or excluded in an analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementing effective content moderation systems at scale is an unavoidable and complex challenge facing technology platforms. Developing systems that automate detection and removal of violative content is fraught with performance, safety and fairness considerations that make their implementation challenging. In particular, content-based systems require large amounts of data to train, cannot be easily transferred between contexts, and are susceptible to data drift. For these reasons, platforms employ a wide range of content classification models and rely heavily on human moderation, which can be prohibitively expensive to implement at scale. To address some of these challenges, we developed a framework that relies on consumption patterns to find high-quality leads for human reviewers to assess. This framework leverages consumption networks, and ranks candidate items for review using two techniques: Mean Percentile Ranking (MPR), which we have developed, and an adaptation of Label Propagation (LP). We demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach to find violative material in production settings using professional reviewers, and on a publicly available dataset from MovieLens. We compare our results with a popular collaborative filtering (CF) baseline, and we show that our approach outperforms CF in production settings. Then, we explore how performance can improve using Active Learning techniques. The key advantage of our approach is that it does not require any content-based data; it is able to find both low- and high-consumption items, and is easily scalable and cost effective to run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive literature demonstrates that parents of children with disruptive behaviors consistently report lower parenting self-esteem (i.e., satisfaction and efficacy) compared to parents of children without disruptive behaviors. However, little is known about whether having low parenting self-esteem results in negative parenting behavior while managing disruptive child behavior, and whether associations vary in strength depending on the clinical significance of the child's disruptive behavior. The current study examines 90 parent couples who were randomly assigned to interact with a 9- to 12-year-old confederate exhibiting either typical or disruptive behaviors. Parenting self-esteem moderated the association between disruptive child behavior and positive parenting behavior, such that mothers with low efficacy had a stronger positive association between disruptive child behavior and positive parenting behaviors. However, fathers with low efficacy had a stronger negative association between disruptive behaviors and positive parenting behavior. Exploratory analyses yielded mixed results. Specifically, mothers with low self-esteem and a child with ADHD had a stronger negative association between disruptive child behaviors and positive parenting compared to mothers who interacted with a confederate or did not have a child with ADHD. Results from the current study extend findings regarding the influence of parenting self-esteem on the association of disruptive child behavior and parenting behaviors, as moderating effects of parenting self-esteem was demonstrated for both mothers and fathers within the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents research that examined teacher talk about moderation of English, mathematics and science assessment across Years 4, 6 and 8 as part of a broader inquiry into the use of scaled exemplars to support consistency of teacher judgement. The paper draws on Dorothy E Smith's sociological work, including the process of mapping textual connections to research everyday practices. We illustrate how moderation activities were shaped by systemic policy and related documents. We further illustrate how teachers used artefacts that they were created as part of the research project to leverage the value of moderation discussions. In the project, teachers generated artefacts that were written commentaries or texts explicating their judgement decisions (cognitive commentaries). Our analysis demonstrates how teachers then took these cognitive commentaries and independently embedded them into their everyday work. Teachers described how they used the artefacts in their moderation discussions as a means of improving their own practice, as well as their students' learning. We argue that when teachers are provided with the time and space to share their assessment and pedagogic knowledge and practice with school colleagues, including via cognitive commentaries, they are able to expand their field of professional impact and build their professional knowledge and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though self-criticism is a well-known transdiagnostic process, there is no consensus about its different forms and functions in nonclinical populations when measured with the Forms of Self-Criticizing/Attacking and Self-Reassuring Scale (FSCRS) and the Functions of Self-Criticism/Attacking Scale (FSCS). Although these scales are widely used and translated into multiple languages, there is no Spanish version of the instruments. To study the appropriateness of differentiating these forms of self-criticism, we conducted a Confirmatory Factor Analysis on the Spanish version of the FSCRS with 242 participants, comparing the one-factor, two-factor, three-factor, two-tier, and bifactor models. The 3-factor model presented the best fit in a nonclinical population. The FSCS was also explored, and the two-factor solution was confirmed. The relationship between different functions and forms of self-criticism and the capacity of self-reassuring was explored through mediation and moderation analysis to provide external validation of the scales. Mediation analysis revealed the extensive and pervasive influence of the Self-Persecution function on depression through all forms of self-criticism. Moderation analysis showed that whereas the influence of the Inadequate-Self form on depressive symptomatology was buffered by compassionate self-treatment, the effect of the Hated-Self was not moderated by self-reassure or self-compassion. This study suggests that self-criticism may have different functions with different effects on depressive symptoms. We propose that individuals cope indirectly with self-criticism through self-compassion, which, in turn, would reduce the impact on depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature suggests that two distinct competencies [i.e., information technology ability (ITA), and internet self-efficacy] are necessary for the effective use of information technologies for successful ageing, but no study has examined the association of these skills on successful ageing and its domains (i.e., illness avoidance, functioning, and engagement with life). This study investigated whether Internet Self-Efficacy (ISE) moderates the potential association of ITA with successful ageing. The study adopted a cross-sectional design based on the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist and includes measures against confounding and common methods bias. The participants were 1186 older workers aged 50 years or older in three African countries (Kenya = 350; Nigeria = 260; Ghana = 576). The minimum sample size necessary was calculated, and data were analysed with hierarchical linear regression analysis. After controlling for the covariates, ITA and ISE had a positive association with successful ageing as well as illness avoidance, functioning, and engagement with life in the whole sample. ITA was also positively associated with successful ageing and its domains in Kenya and Ghana. The associations of ITA with successful ageing and its domains were positively moderated by ISE in the whole sample and within each of the three samples. Higher ITA can be associated with successful ageing among working older adults, and ITA positively influences successful ageing at different levels of ISE. Older adults with high ITA are more likely to avoid illness at a higher ISE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We provide the first systematic review and meta-analysis of research examining multidimensional perfectionism—perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns—and orthorexia. Methods: The systematic review and meta-analysis was pre-registered and conducted using a search of PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Education Abstracts, and Oxford Academic, and ScienceDirect up to April 2023. PRISMA guidelines were also followed. Meta-analysis using random-effects models was used to derive independent and unique effects of perfectionism, as well as total unique effects (TUE), and relative weights. Moderation of effects were examined for age, gender, domain, perfectionism and orthorexia instruments, and methodological quality. Results: Eighteen studies, including 19 samples (n = 7064), met the eligibility criteria with 12 of these studies (with 13 samples; n = 4984) providing sufficient information for meta-analysis. Meta-analysis revealed that perfectionistic strivings (r+ = 0.27, 95% CI [0.21, 0.32]) and perfectionistic concerns (r+ = 0.25, 95% CI [0.18, 0.31]) had positive relationships with orthorexia. After controlling for the relationship between perfectionism dimensions, only perfectionistic strivings predicted orthorexia which also contributed marginally more to an overall positive total unique effect of perfectionism (TUE = 0.35; 95% CI [0.28, 0.42]). There was tentative evidence that orthorexia instrument moderated the perfectionistic concerns-orthorexia relationship. Discussion: Research has generally found that both dimensions of perfectionism are positively related to orthorexia. More high-quality research is needed to examine explanatory mechanisms while also gathering further evidence on differences in findings due to how orthorexia is measured, as well as other possible moderating factors. Level of evidence: Level 1, systematic review and meta-analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, I investigated the print exposure and website exposure of undergraduates in relation to their scores on a text comprehension test. Print exposure was measured with a national version of the author recognition test, whereas a new website recognition test was developed to measure students' exposure to texts on the internet. The participants' reading attitudes and number of years in higher education were included as control variables. Exploratory factor analysis suggested that three factors are measured by the website recognition test: (1) lifestyle topics; (2) news and culture; and (3) social activity. The results showed that only print exposure predicted text comprehension significantly and positively, but not for students with a high score on the website recognition test. Moderation analyses indicated that the pattern was clearest for the social activity factor of the website recognition measure. Hence, high activity on social media seems to diminish or remove the positive relationship between print exposure and text comprehension. The results confirm that print exposure relates positively to important aspects of students' literacy, while further studies should be carried out to investigate the potential negative relationship between website exposure and literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Integrating computational thinking (CT) into STEM education has recently drawn significant attention, strengthened by the premise that CT and STEM are mutually reinforcing. Previous CT-STEM studies have examined theoretical interpretations, instructional strategies, and assessment targets. However, few have endeavored to delineate the transfer effects of CT-STEM on the development of cognitive and noncognitive benefits. Given this research gap, we conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to provide deeper insights. Results: We analyzed results from 37 studies involving 7,832 students with 96 effect sizes. Our key findings include: (i) identification of 36 benefits; (ii) a moderate overall transfer effect, with moderate effects also observed for both near and far transfers; (iii) a stronger effect on cognitive benefits compared to noncognitive benefits, regardless of the transfer type; (iv) significant moderation by educational level, sample size, instructional strategies, and intervention duration on overall and near-transfer effects, with only educational level and sample size being significant moderators for far-transfer effects. Conclusions: This study analyzes the cognitive and noncognitive benefits arising from CT-STEM's transfer effects, providing new insights to foster more effective STEM classroom teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary examines the critical importance of intervention development and adaptation research in school mental health, as highlighted by the studies in this special issue. We discuss two primary reasons for advancing this field: increasing the use of evidence-based practices and enhancing intervention benefits by adapting to unique needs. The paper emphasizes the significance of identifying meaningful moderators of intervention response and proposes adopting an intersectionality perspective to better understand the complex factors influencing intervention effectiveness. We review several studies from the special issue that exemplify innovative approaches to intervention adaptation, including peer-supported interventions, culturally responsive programs for specific populations, and adaptations for rural school settings. The commentary also explores the distinction between adapting intervention "packaging" versus mechanisms of action, and highlights the value of community partner involvement in the development process. We argue that by carefully considering moderators of intervention response and embracing an intersectionality framework, researchers can develop effective interventions for diverse youth populations. The paper concludes by discussing future directions for intervention development research in school mental health, emphasizing the need for continued innovation to address the complex and varied needs of students in educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction: Walking is a beneficial healthy lifestyle for fibromyalgia patients as it reduces the intensity of pain and fatigue experienced and improves quality of life. In this context, self-efficacy and commitment are potential predictors of walking for women with fibromyalgia. Present study aims at examining the moderation role of exercise commitment in the association between self-efficacy for walking and walking behavior in this population. Method: It is a cross‑sectional study. A total of 132 women with fibromyalgia participated (mean age = 57.63, SD = 10.44) between January and December 2018. Self-efficacy about walking was assessed through Spanish version of self-efficacy scale for physical activity scale (SEPAS) and exercise commitment through ad-hoc questionnaire (two Likert-type items about the committed action of physical activity). Walking behavior was measured using accelerometers for seven consecutive days. Pain and fatigue prior to placement of the accelerometer were evaluated as possible covariates. Regarding medical history, time since onset of symptoms (i.e. pain, fatigue) and since diagnosis, and medication were also assessed as possible covariates. Results: A moderation effect of exercise commitment was found in the relationship between self-efficacy on walking behavior (B = 10.48, p =.021, 95%, CI = 0.61 to 6.79). Post-hoc analyses showed a significant and positive relationship between self-efficacy and walking only with high commitment to physical activity (t = 10.08, p =.027, 95%, CI = 3.77 to 5.64). Conclusions: Self-efficacy for walking and commitment should be assessed and potentially targeted when focusing on increasing walking in women with fibromyalgia. Key Points • Associations between walking self-efficacy and exercise engagement provide indications of modifiable targets for promoting an active lifestyle in fibromyalgia. • When patients feel engaged in their physical exercise pattern (walking), patients feel more able to perform the behavior. • Rehabilitation interventions, focused on chronic pain, should contemplate the promotion of self-efficacy and engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a major public health issue, chronic loneliness has been associated with increased mortality and impaired physical and mental health. The proposed model by Cacioppo and Hawkley (Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 13(10), 447–454, 2009) pictures the emergence and maintenance of chronic loneliness as a vicious cycle containing cognitive and behavioral aspects. As a potential source of resilience, self-esteem has been shown to have buffering effects on loneliness. This study aimed to investigate the central relationships between the components within the regulatory loop of loneliness and the potential buffering effect of self-esteem. In this study, a community sample of 436 adult participants completed measures of loneliness, interpretation bias in social situations, social avoidance behavior, self-esteem, and important covariates (including depressive and social anxiety symptoms and social network size). First, we tested bivariant correlations. Subsequently, we tested three mediation models representing the regulatory loop of loneliness. Lastly, we tested moderated mediation models with self-esteem as a moderator. Loneliness was positively associated with interpretation bias and social avoidance and negatively with self-esteem. Indirect effects in all three mediation models testing the regulatory loop were positive and strongly significant. Self-esteem was a significant moderator in the mediation models, with higher levels of self-esteem attenuating the indirect effect of loneliness on interpretation bias. These effects held even when controlled for relevant covariates, such as depressive and social anxiety symptoms. This study gives preliminary empirical support for the proposed model of chronic loneliness by Cacioppo and Hawkley (Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 13(10), 447–454, 2009) and the potential buffering effect of self-esteem. Hence, our results support the notion of addressing maladaptive social cognitions and maladaptive social behavior to effectively reduce chronic loneliness and strengthen self-esteem as a protective factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a popular application, social question-and-answer (Q&A) platforms have similar functions and it is relatively easy for users to switch from a platform to another one. This may lead to users' defection. From a push–pull-mooring perspective, this work examined the determinants of user switching between social Q&A platforms. We found that both push factors (dissatisfaction and fatigue) and pull factors (content quality and user experience) positively affect switching intention, which leads to switching behavior. The mooring factor (switching cost) has a negative moderation effect on switching intention. These results suggest that social Q&A platforms can improve content quality and users' experience, and reduce their dissatisfaction and fatigue, thus preventing users' switching and retaining them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mediation, moderation, and moderated mediation are common in behavioral research models. Several tools are available for estimating indirect effects, conditional effects, and conditional indirect effects and forming their confidence intervals. However, there are no simple-to-use tools that can appropriately form the bootstrapping confidence interval for standardized conditional indirect effects. Moreover, some tools are restricted to a limited type of models. We developed an R package, manymome, which can be used to estimate and form confidence intervals for indirect effects, conditional effects, and conditional indirect effects, standardized or not, using a two-step approach: model parameters are estimated either by structural equation modeling using lavaan or by a set of linear regression models using lm, and then the coefficients are used to compute the requested effects and form confidence intervals. It can be used when there are missing data if the model is fitted by structural equation modeling. There are only a few limitations on some aspects of a model, and no inherent limitations on the number of predictors, the number of independent variables, or the number of moderators and mediators. The goal is to have a tool that allows researchers to focus on model fitting first and worry about estimating the effects later. The use of the model is illustrated using a few numerical examples, and the limitations of the package are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media platforms are highly interconnected because many users maintain a presence across multiple platforms. Consequently, efforts to limit the spread of misinformation taken by individual platforms can have complex consequences on misinformation diffusion across the social media ecosystem. This is further complicated by the diverse social structures, platform standards, and moderation mechanisms provided on each platform. We study this issue by extending our previous model of Reddit interactions and community-specific moderation measures. By adding a followership-based model of Twitter interactions and facilitating cross-platform user participation, we simulate information diffusion across heterogeneous social media platforms. While incorporating platform-specific moderation mechanisms, we simulate interactions at the user level and specify user-specific attributes. This allows practitioners to conduct experiments with various types of actors and different combinations of moderation. We show how the model can simulate the impacts of such features on discussions facilitated by Reddit and Twitter and the cross-platform spread of misinformation. To validate this model, we use a combination of empirical datasets from three U.S. political events and prior findings from user surveys and studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the realm of innovation, relying solely on the creativity of researchers may not fully unleash their potential. Previous studies revealed the positive impact of academic justice climate on researchers' behavior, the impact of individual characteristics and work state on the effect has been underexplored. Based on the theory of the job demands resource, this study proposed the connotation of academic justice climate, spiritual creativity and spiritual depletion, and explore the impact of academic justice climate on innovation performance was investigated from two paths: spiritual creativity and spiritual depletion. Which involved the mediating role of work involvement and job burnout, along with the moderating roles of sensitivity and perceived organizational support. Data were collected from 289 researchers in universities and research institutions in China. Statistical analysis was conducted using regression analysis. On the one hand, the result shows respectively the definition about three terms, Academic justice climate refers to work resource availability including resource acquisition and resource created by research leaders from their own subjective preferences and profit-orientation. Spiritual creativity refers to individual under certain security environment can fully stimulate their personal potential to produce creation. Spiritual depletion refers to individual under certain insecurity or threatened environment, would be stuck in a painful situation, or negative mood and unable to move on. On the other hand, the results of analysis statistically support the hypothesized indirect relationship between the academic justice climate and researchers' innovation performance. Work involvement and job burnout play a completely mediating role in the above relationships. Sensitivity positively regulates the impact of the academic justice climate on work involvement. Perceived organizational support positively regulates the impact of academic justice climate on job burnout. This research results show how and when academic justice climate can enhance researchers' innovation performance, these findings not only contribute to enrich job demand resource theory, but also provide research organizations and researchers valuable reference about spiritual health management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to explore whether and how 15-year-old students' economic, social and cultural status (ESCS), which is the indicator of the socio-economic status, moderate the mediating role of adaptability and intercultural sensitivity in the link between self-efficacy and attitudes towards immigrants in Türkiye. The study aimed to answer several research questions, including whether the intercultural sensitivity and adaptability mediate the relationship between self-efficacy and attitudes towards immigrants, and whether the students' level of the ESCS moderates these effects. The study utilized data from PISA conducted in 2018 and involved 6890 participants from 186 schools in Türkiye. Missing values and outliers in the data set were removed, and data of 6569 15-year-old students were analyzed. Before Conditional Process Analysis, regression assumptions were checked and no problems were observed. The Conditional Process Analysis was conducted to determine the direct and indirect effects of students' self-efficacy on their attitudes towards immigrants through the intercultural sensitivity and adaptability with the condition that no mediator causally influences another. The study found that self-efficacy was a significant predictor of the intercultural sensitivity, adaptability, and attitudes towards immigrants. The results of the mediation analyses showed that both the intercultural sensitivity and adaptability partially mediated the relationship between the self-efficacy and attitudes towards immigrants. Notably, the indirect effect through the intercultural sensitivity was larger than that of through adaptability, indicating that intercultural sensitivity plays a stronger mediating role in this relationship. The conditional effects of the self-efficacy on intercultural sensitivity, adaptability and attitudes towards immigrants varied depending on the level of the ESCS. The conditional direct effect of the self-efficacy on attitudes towards immigrants was significant for all levels of the ESCS, with the effect being strongest for individuals with relatively low ESCS and weakest for individuals with relatively high ESCS. The results also showed that students' ESCS moderated the indirect effect of the self-efficacy on attitudes towards immigrants through the intercultural sensitivity and adaptability. This means that the relationship between self-efficacy and attitudes towards immigrants was not only mediated by intercultural sensitivity and adaptability, but also influenced by the level of the ESCS. Therefore, findings of the study suggest that the relationship between self-efficacy, the ESCS, intercultural sensitivity, adaptability, and attitudes towards immigrants is complex and multifaceted, and that it may depend on various contextual and individual factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EF skills play a central role in the etiology and maintenance of anxiety, but it is unclear whether they act as moderators or mediators in the relation between early behavioral inhibition (BI) and later anxiety. The current study tested two models by examining whether two executive functions (EF) skills (cognitive flexibility and working memory) assessed at age 6 acted as moderators or mediators in the relation between BI at 5 years and anxiety symptoms at 7 years. The sample consisted of 422 children from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. We tested the moderation model, main and interaction effects using hierarchical multiple regression analyses and the mediation model with the product of coefficients test. Results showed that higher BI at 5 years predicted high anxiety at 7 years only at low levels of cognitive flexibility or working memory at 6 years. This suggests that high levels of cognitive flexibility or working memory at 6 years may act as protective factors. In contrast, neither cognitive flexibility nor working memory at age 6 acted as mediators in the association between BI at 5 years and anxiety at 7 years. Results support the hypothesis that goal-driven cognitive control processes act as moderators and promote adaptive functioning by dampening the effect of early BI on later anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responsive parenting serves an influential role in explaining the link between children's exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and children's mental health impairment, but how this occurs is not well elucidated. In some cases, researchers examine parenting as a mediator to explain how IPV leads to maladaptive outcomes (i.e., IPV negatively impacts one's capacity for responsive parenting, which in turn impacts children), whereas others examine moderation in which either the absence of responsive parenting exacerbates adverse outcomes or increased responsive parenting buffers risk. Mediation addresses theoretical questions about how or why IPV leads to maladaptive outcomes, whereas moderation addresses who might be most impacted. However, responsive parenting has rarely, if ever, been tested as both a mediator and moderator of the link between IPV and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) within the same sample. The current study examined the mediating and moderating role of responsive parenting on physical IPV exposure and child PTSS in a longitudinal sample of 391 children ages 3 to 5 years (M = 4.74, SD = 0.89). Self-report measures of physical IPV exposure, parenting practices, and PTSS were completed by mothers. We found that responsive parenting significantly moderated and mediated the association between physical IPV exposure and child PTSS over time. Studies that include tests of both moderation and mediation are critical for advancing mechanistic insight into the role of parenting in the etiology of mental health impairment in children exposed to IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationships between cognitive reappraisal and problem gambling have been widely studied in different contexts. However, previous research findings remain inconsistent. This discrepancy might be attributed to the effects of interactions between cognitive reappraisal and other risk factors for problem gambling. Using moderation models, this study examined the association between impulsivity, gambling-related cognitive distortions, cognitive reappraisal and problem gambling in a sample of Malaysian gamblers. A total of 149 community gamblers (103 males, 46 females; mean age = 32.18) completed an online questionnaire. Problem gambling was measured with the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS); cognitive reappraisal was measured using the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Cognitive Reappraisal Subscale (ERQ-CR); impulsivity was measured with the Short-UPPS-P Impulsive Behaviour Scale (SUPPS-P); and gambling-related cognitive distortions were measured using the Gambling Related Cognitions Scale (GRCS). The results revealed impulsivity and gambling-related cognitive distortions as significant predictors of problem gambling. At high levels, impulsivity and cognitive distortions are significant moderator variables that strengthen the association between cognitive reappraisal and problem gambling. These findings demonstrate that reappraisal skills could exacerbate problem gambling severity amongst impulsive or self-deceptive gamblers. Future research with larger and more representative samples is needed to validate and generalise these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing evidence indicates genetic and non-genetic influences on sexual orientation; however, the possibility of gene-environment interplay has not been previously formally tested despite theories indicating this. Using a Finnish twin cohort, this study investigated whether childhood gender nonconformity and early-life adversities independently moderated individual differences in sexual orientation and childhood gender nonconformity, the relationship between them, and the etiological bases of the proposed moderation effects. Sexual orientation, childhood gender nonconformity, and early-life adversities were assessed using standard questionnaires. Structural equation twin model fitting was carried out using OpenMx. Childhood gender nonconformity was significantly associated with reduced phenotypic variance in sexual orientation (β = − 0.14, 95% CI − 0.27, − 0.01). A breakdown of the underlying influences of this moderation effect showed that this was mostly due to moderation of individual-specific environmental influences which significantly decreased as childhood gender nonconformity increased (βE = − 0.38; 95% CI − 0.52, − 0.001) while additive genetic influences were not significantly moderated (βA = 0.05; 95% CI − 0.30, 0.27). We also observed that the relationship between sexual orientation and childhood gender nonconformity was stronger at higher levels of childhood gender nonconformity (β = 0.10, 95% CI 0.05, 0.14); however, significance of the underlying genetic and environmental influences on this relationship could not be established in this sample. The findings indicate that beyond a correlation of their genetic and individual-specific environmental influences, childhood gender nonconformity is further significantly associated with reduced individual-specific influences on sexual orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research shows that significant well-being disparities emerge between individuals who experience major negative events and those who undergo major positive events. However, such differences may vary among individuals. Drawing from the theory of the need for cognitive closure (NFC), we theorize and test whether NFC, which captures seizing and freezing on salient information to reach a fast conclusion, intensifies the differences in affective well-being between those who experience negative or positive events. Across three studies (total N = 2,399), we provide converging evidence that supports our theoretical claim. We first found that participants with high (vs. low) NFC show a greater affective well-being gap between those who recalled their past negative and positive major events (Study 1). We also discovered consistent patterns when participants were provided with negative or positive major event scenarios (Study 2). Lastly, we further substantiated our findings by utilizing a longitudinal study of the 20th presidential election in South Korea (Study 3). Over a 6-week period, the well-being gaps between the supporters of the election winner and the runner-up were more pronounced among individuals with higher NFC. Overall, our findings have implications for identifying a novel psychological trait that influences the affective well-being gaps following significant events in one's life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Previous research consistently indicates that individuals who experience greater obstruction to valued living report higher levels of psychological distress and are at greater risk of developing mental health problems. Equanimity, which involves a calm and balanced mental attitude towards all experiences, is thought to protect against psychopathology and may be particularly helpful for navigating obstacles to valued living. The present research examined dispositional equanimity as a moderator of the positive relations between values obstruction and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Method: Participants completed measures related to equanimity (Even-mindedness subscale of the Two-Factor Equanimity Scale; Equanimity Scale-16), values obstruction (Valuing Questionnaire), and psychological distress (Depression Anxiety Stress Scales). The final sample consisted of 368 American adults (51% women, age range = 18–82 years). Results: As hypothesized, trait equanimity moderated the positive relations between values obstruction and all three indicators of psychological distress, such that the positive relations were attenuated when individuals reported higher levels of equanimity. Results were consistent across two recently developed measures of equanimity. This research is limited by its cross-sectional design and the use of self-report measures only. Conclusions: The present research offers preliminary evidence that dispositional equanimity attenuates the psychological distress that is typically associated with values obstruction. Future research can investigate whether cultivating an equanimous disposition through mindfulness exercises helps individuals to respond to obstacles in a manner that reduces adventitious suffering. Preregistration: This study is not preregistered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods of causal discovery and direction of dependence to evaluate causal properties of variable relations have experienced rapid development. The majority of causal discovery methods, however, relies on the assumption of causal effect homogeneity, that is, the identified causal structure is expected to hold for the entire population. Because causal mechanisms can vary across subpopulations, we propose combining methods of model-based recursive partitioning and non-Gaussian causal discovery to identify such subpopulations. The resulting algorithm can discover subpopulations with potentially varying magnitude and causal direction of effects under mild parameter inequality assumptions. Feasibility conditions are described and results from synthetic data experiments are presented suggesting that large effects and large sample sizes are beneficial for detecting causally competing subgroups with acceptable statistical performance. In a real-world data example, the extraction of meaningful subgroups that differ in the causal mechanism underlying the development of numerical cognition is illustrated. Potential extensions and recommendations for best practice applications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are an affective dimension of psychopathy. Although many studies have established the relation between parenting and CU traits, most have focused on children and adolescents. CU traits have been shown to extend beyond adolescence, and parenting remains pivotal to emerging adults. Thus, the current study examined how parenting quality might influence CU traits and how temperament, specifically negative affect, might moderate that relation in emerging adults across gender. Using a cross-sectional sample of 602 college-attending emerging adults, the current study found that maternal closeness was associated with lower CU traits across gender, but paternal closeness was only associated with lower CU traits in women. In contrast, paternal discord was associated with higher CU traits across gender, whereas maternal discord was only associated with higher CU traits in women. Our findings also suggested paternal discord was associated with higher levels of women's CU traits among those with low, but not high, negative affect. Results provide supporting evidence that positive parent-child relationships, especially in mixed-gender dyads, play a vital role in emerging adults' behavior. Clinical and treatment implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Adolescent sexual activity is an important topic for public health policies and can be shaped by them. This study examines the relationship between sexual knowledge and sexual activity and tests the moderating effect of gender. Methods: This study uses a random sample of 1246 Polish adolescents aged 18−19 years. The methods of partial least squares path modeling and bootstrap testing are utilized. Results: Among boys, unlike among girls, a low level of sexual knowledge was associated with early and intense sexual activity represented by an early age of sexual initiation, a high number of sexual partners, and a short time since last sexual intercourse. Additionally, the average level of sexual knowledge was lower among boys than among girls. More specifically, the difference in knowledge of every element of the male reproductive system between boys and girls was not significant; however, girls were more aware of the female reproductive system than boys. Conclusions: Gender differentiated the relationship between sexual knowledge and sexual activity. The revealed moderating effect could reflect gender differences in the motives of sexual activity of adolescent men and women. The early and intense sexual activity exhibited by boys with limited sexual knowledge exposed them to sexually transmitted diseases and unintended parenthood. Policy Implications: The self-selection of boys with low sexual knowledge levels into early and intense sexual activity may be of interest to public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research questions regarding how, for whom, and where a treatment achieves its effect on an outcome have become increasingly valued in substantive research. Such questions can be answered by causal moderated mediation analysis, which assesses the heterogeneity of the mediation mechanism underlying the treatment effect across individual and contextual characteristics. Various moderated mediation analysis methods have been developed under the traditional path analysis/structural equation modeling framework. One challenge is that the definitions of moderated mediation effects depend on statistical models of the mediator and the outcome, and no solutions have been provided when either the mediator or the outcome is binary, or when the mediator or outcome model is nonlinear. In addition, it remains unclear to empirical researchers how to make causal arguments of moderated mediation effects due to a lack of clarifications of the underlying assumptions and methods for assessing the sensitivity to violations of the assumptions. This article overcomes the limitations by developing general definition, identification, estimation, and sensitivity analysis for causal moderated mediation effects under the potential outcomes framework. We also developed a user-friendly R package moderate.mediation (https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/moderate.mediation/index.html) that allows applied researchers to easily implement the proposed methods and visualize the initial analysis results and sensitivity analysis results. We illustrated the application of the proposed methods and the package implementation with a re-analysis of the National Evaluation of Welfare-to-Work Strategies (NEWWS) Riverside data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Access to treatment for trichotillomania has barriers and many people never receive evidence-based treatment. Understanding what treatments and modalities work, and how people get better through those treatments and modalities, is needed. Methods: We include analyses of moderators of treatment outcomes and preliminary processes of change from a randomized controlled trial assessing the efficacy of a fully automated website delivering acceptance-enhanced behavior therapy (AEBT) for adults (N = 81) with trichotillomania. All participants received an eight-module website of AEBT, and assessments were completed at baseline, mid-, post-treatment, and a one-month follow-up. Using multilevel modeling, the moderation effects of baseline trichotillomania specific psychological flexibility, age, baseline and time -varying anxiety, and baseline and time varying depression were explored. Preliminary process of change using psychological flexibility was explored. Results: Baseline trichotillomania-specific psychological flexibility is correlated with changes in symptom severity over time but not by condition. Lower trichotillomania specific psychological flexibility at baseline was associated with better outcomes. Age also moderated treatment outcomes, specifically, participants between 18 and 30 had better treatment outcomes than participants over 30 years old. Baseline anxiety correlated with symptom severity but did not moderate intervention effects. Changes in anxiety were correlated with symptom severity over time. Baseline depression was not a significant moderator. Preliminary process of change analyses suggests that changes in psychological flexibility is correlated with changes in trichotillomania symptom severity across time. This relationship did not change in strength over time and was not moderated by condition. Conclusion: This study highlights how baseline trichotillomania specific psychological flexibility and anxiety impact changes in symptom severity and the function in a website delivered AEBT for adults with trichotillomania. Additionally, it provides preliminary support of the role of trichotillomania-specific psychological flexibility as a process of change in treatment of trichotillomania. Implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telomere shortening is a biological aging hallmark. The effect of short telomere length may be targeted by increased physical activity to reduce the risk of multiple aging-related diseases, including coronary heart disease (CHD). The objective was to assess the moderation effect of accelerometer-based physical activity (aPA) on the association between shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) relatively in the population sample and incident CHD. Data were from the UK Biobank participants with well-calibrated accelerometer data for at least 6.5 days (n = 54,180). Relative mean LTL at baseline (5–6 years prior to aPA assessment) was measured in T/S ratio, using a multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technology, by comparing the amount of the telomere amplification product (T) to that of a single-copy gene (S). aPA measures included total number of events (at least 10-s continued physical activity > 32 milligravities [mg]), total volume, mean duration, mean intensity, and peak intensity of all events. LTL, aPA measures, and their interactions were associated with incident CHD (mean follow-up 6.8 years) using Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for covariates. Longer LTL (relative to the sample distribution) was associated with reduced incidence of CHD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 0.94 per standard deviation [SD] increase in LTL, [95% CI, 0.90 to 0.99], P =.010). Incidence of CHD was reduced by higher total volume of aPA (aHR = 0.82 per SD increase in LTL, [95% CI, 0.71 to 0.95], P =.010) but increased by higher total number of events (aHR = 1.11 per SD increase in LTL, [95% CI, 1.02 to 1.21], P =.020) after controlling for other aPA measures and covariates. However, none of the interactions between LTL and aPA measures was statistically significant (P =.171). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study extends the foundations of the natural resource-based view (NRBV) by introducing a mediation-moderation framework by analyzing the influence of green intellectual capital (GIC) on both green innovation performance (GIP) and environmental performance (EP) while simultaneously considering the mediating role of green absorptive capacity (GAC) and the moderating influence of the green innovation climate (GICL). The data for this study was gathered from a sample of 575 participants employed within small and medium enterprises' (SMEs') manufacturing firms. This dataset was utilized to evaluate the proposed model; this study uses the PLS-SEM approach to comprehensively examine the complex interactions among these variables. This model adds to the theoretical understanding of NRBV and enhances its practical applicability. The findings of this study reveal a positive relationship between GIC, GAC, GIP, and EP within organizations. Furthermore, our investigation reveals a positive correlation between a GICL and the relationships involving GIC, GAC, GIP, and EP. Importantly, this research introduces a novel perspective by clarifying the complex relations among these variables and highlighting the positive correlation between a GICL and the relationships involving GIC, GAC, GIP, and EP. This novel approach enhances the theoretical understanding of NRBV and its practical applicability in fostering GIP and EP within manufacturing SMEs operating in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During adolescence, students increasingly report suffering from stress and school burnout, which poses a risk to students' healthy development. However, social support may counteract perceived stress according to the Buffering Hypothesis and the Conservation of Resources Theory. In search of factors that would support healthy student development, studies have primarily focused on self-report data and neglected biophysiological processes. Addressing this research desideratum, this study examined whether perceived social support buffers the interplay of self-reported stress considering biophysiological markers (i.e., cortisol, alpha-amylase, oxidative stress, and telomere length). 83 secondary school students (Mage = 13.72, SD = 0.67; 48% girls) from Germany participated in a questionnaire study and biophysiological testing. Moderation analyses in R revealed that support from parents moderated the relationships between psychological stress as well as cynicism and inadequacy at school linked to alpha-amylase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the pace of population aging is getting faster than in the past, the population aging has been a serious social concern. The Quality of life (QOL) of the older adults, especially the oldest old, and their mental health problems need more public attention, for the purpose of enhancing their late well-being. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate the longitudinal relationship between loneliness to quality of life and mental health problems, considering the moderation effect of mindfulness among the oldest old. A total of 457 Chinese oldest-old completed questionnaires measuring mindfulness, loneliness, QOL, and mental health problems at baseline, and completed QOL and mental health problems again at six-month follow-up. Results showed that the longitudinal positive association between loneliness and mental health problems was significant (r =.401, p <.01). Nevertheless, loneliness was positively correlated with QOL (r =.242, p <.01). Additionally, mindfulness significantly moderated the association between loneliness and mental health problems. Specifically, higher mindfulness was associated with a weaker longitudinal relationship between loneliness and mental health problems. However, mindfulness did not moderate the relationship between loneliness and QOL. These findings indicated that loneliness can be a risk factor of mental health problems, and mindfulness can buffer the adverse effect of loneliness on mental health problems among the oldest old. Limitations and implications were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have explored the link between how well youth recognize emotions and their internalizing problems, but a consensus remains elusive. This study used a three-level meta-analysis model to quantitatively synthesize the findings of existing studies to assess the relationship. A moderation analysis was also conducted to explore the sources of research heterogeneity. Through a systematic literature search, a total of 42 studies with 201 effect sizes were retrieved for the current meta-analysis, and 7579 participants were included. Emotion recognition was negatively correlated with internalizing problems. Children and adolescents with weaker emotion recognition skills were more likely to have internalizing problems. In addition, this meta-analysis found that publication year had a significant moderating effect. The correlation between emotion recognition and internalizing problems decreased over time. The degree of internalizing problems was also found to be a significant moderator. The correlation between emotion recognition and internalizing disorders was higher than the correlation between emotion recognition and internalizing symptoms. Deficits in emotion recognition might be relevant for the development and/or maintenance of internalizing problems in children and adolescents. The overall effect was small and future research should explore the clinical relevance of the association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Threats to the stability of liberal democracies are of obvious contemporary import. Concern with stability runs through John Rawls's work. The stability that concerned him was that of fundamental terms of cooperation. Rawls long believed that the terms which would be stable were his two principles, but he eventually conceded that even a well-ordered society was more likely to be characterized by "justice pluralism" than by consensus on his own conception of justice. Contemporary liberal democracies, too, are divided about what justice demands. I believe Rawls's treatment of stability can help us understand the conditions under which fundamental terms of cooperation can be stable under non-ideal conditions such as ours. But because Rawls never worked through the consequences of his concession, his view needs to be developed before we can draw on it. Rawls's treatment makes use of elementary game theory. Thus in Theory of Justice he said -- and in Political Liberalism he implied -- that stability would result from citizens with a sense of justice "playing" strategies which combined for what was, in effect, a Nash equilibrium. I argue that his concession requires a new conception of stability and implies that Rawls cannot appeal to a Nash equilibrium to show how stability would be maintained. His concession therefore forces open a troubling gap in his analysis. I fill that gap by proposing a weaker equilibrium concept that serves Rawlsian purposes. I conclude with what this project suggests for challenges facing the fragile liberal democracies of our own time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression in early childhood increases risk of psychopathology and impairment across the lifespan. Parent–Child Interaction Therapy-Emotion Development (PCIT-ED) effectively treats depression and improves functioning in preschoolers. Parental depression has been associated with inconsistent parenting, depression onset and maintenance in offspring, and decreased treatment efficacy for youth. Given the intensity of parent involvement in PCIT-ED, this secondary data analysis aimed to evaluate parental depression severity (i.e., Beck Depression Inventory-II Total Score; BDI-II) as a moderator and predictor of child, parenting, and engagement outcomes, within the context of a randomized trial. Children (N = 229; ages 3–6.11) with early childhood depression and a consenting caregiver were randomly assigned to receive PCIT-ED or Waitlist (WL). Moderation results supported the superiority of PCIT-ED over WL on child and parenting outcomes, independent of parent-reported BDI-II at baseline (p ≥ 0.684 and p ≥ 0.476, respectively). BDI-II did not significantly predict child (p ≥ 0.836), parenting (p ≥ 0.114) or engagement (p ≥ 0.114) outcomes. Finally, BDI-II did not surpass chance in predicting whether children would maintain a depression diagnosis after PCIT-ED (AUC = 0.530) or prematurely terminate treatment (AUC = 0.545). Our results suggest that PCIT-ED is not contraindicated by minimal-to-moderate symptoms of depression in parents. Taken together with previous reports, PCIT-ED may indeed be a particularly beneficial treatment choice for this population. Further research in samples with more severe parental depression is needed. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02076425. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traumatic event exposure affects two in every three adolescents in the United States and there is the potential for numerous deleterious effects including higher levels of youth depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and emotional and behavioral problems. Witnessing violence is one of the more common experiences associated with trauma exposure. Despite the ample research on mental health outcomes associated with witnessing violence, less is known about the extent to which parent–child relationships play a role in youth mental health outcomes when youth are exposed to violence. With a clinically relevant, diverse sample of 806 youth ages 12 years old who experienced maltreatment or were at risk of being maltreated, we tested hypotheses that the parent–child relationship quality would moderate the associations between witnessing violence and youth mental health outcomes. Results supported hypotheses for youths' symptoms of anxiety, depression, dissociation, and posttraumatic stress. The study contributes to the trauma literature by determining that the quality of the parent–child relationship moderated the effects of witnessing violence on trauma outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tension reduction theory suggests anxious people gamble to cope with negative affect. Literature demonstrates mixed associations between anxiety and gambling behaviours, hence, the important of examining moderators. This study examined how impulsivity moderated anxiety and problem gambling as well as gambling to cope. Given key gender differences, moderation was examined across genders. A sample of 484 undergraduate students who endorsed gambling behaviours completed anxiety, impulsivity, and problem gambling measures. Results showed men with higher levels of anxiety scored higher on problem gambling at both high (B = 0.706, SE = 0.073, p < 0.0001, f2 = 0.20) and low (B = 0.262, SE = 0.103, p = 0.01, f2 = 0.01) impulsivity, though the effect sizes were much larger for men with high impulsivity. This moderation effect was not found in women (B = 0.000, SE = 0.009, p = 0.959). Results showed men with higher levels of anxiety scored higher on coping motives for gambling at both high (B = 0.253, SE = 0.046, p < 0.0001, f2 = 0.06) and low B = 0.141, SE = 0.063, p = 0.026, f2 = 0.01) impulsivity, though the effect sizes were larger for men with high impulsivity. Again, this moderation effect was not found in women (B = − 0.101, SE = 0.006, p = 0.100). Findings from this may help inform impulsivity-focused interventions, such as strengthening impulse control and instilling more adaptive coping strategies to lower gambling risk among university men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature is replete with studies indicating how innovation influences service quality and business performance. In addition to highlighting the research trends in the service sector under investigation, this paper explores the impact factor of innovation on service quality leading to business performance. The cross-sectional survey was the research approach used, while confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) was used to analyze the data. In order to study the mediation effect of innovation on service quality and business performance among restaurants bootstrap was used to conduct mediation analysis. The study highlighted that innovation fully mediates service quality and business performance among restaurants in Ghana. Moreover, a business model that highlighted the effectiveness of innovation to service quality leading to business performance among restaurants in Ghana is being advocated. This study will encourage restaurant owners to use innovation in their daily routine to improve service to improve their company's success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]