| 1. |
- Costache, Madalina Elena, et al.
(author)
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Higher- and lower-order personality traits and cluster subtypes in social anxiety disorder
- 2020
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In: PLOS ONE. - : PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE. - 1932-6203. ; 15:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Social anxiety disorder (SAD) can come in different forms, presenting problems for diagnostic classification. Here, we examined personality traits in a large sample of patients (N = 265) diagnosed with SAD in comparison to healthy controls (N = 164) by use of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) and Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP). In addition, we identified subtypes of SAD based on cluster analysis of the NEO-PI-R Big Five personality dimensions. Significant group differences in personality traits between patients and controls were noted on all Big Five dimensions except agreeableness. Group differences were further noted on most lower-order facets of NEO-PI-R, and nearly all KSP variables. A logistic regression analysis showed, however, that only neuroticism and extraversion remained significant independent predictors of patient/control group when controlling for the effects of the other Big Five dimensions. Also, only neuroticism and extraversion yielded large effect sizes when SAD patients were compared to Swedish normative data for the NEO-PI-R. A two-step cluster analysis resulted in three separate clusters labelled Prototypical (33%), Introvert-Conscientious (29%), and Instable-Open (38%) SAD. Individuals in the Prototypical cluster deviated most on the Big Five dimensions and they were at the most severe end in profile analyses of social anxiety, self-rated fear during public speaking, trait anxiety, and anxiety-related KSP variables. While additional studies are needed to determine if personality subtypes in SAD differ in etiological and treatment-related factors, the present results demonstrate considerable personality heterogeneity in socially anxious individuals, further underscoring that SAD is a multidimensional disorder.
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| 2. |
- Johansson, Maria, et al.
(author)
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Wildlife and public perceptions of opportunities for psychological restoration in local natural settings
- 2024
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In: People and Nature. - : Wiley. - 2575-8314. ; 6:2, s. 800-817
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Wildlife might be important to psychologically restorative values and disvalues of nature, as interactions with wildlife could trigger both positive and negative feelings. Research on positive experiences of human-wildlife interactions has largely involved participants who voluntarily sought out wildlife experiences or it has addressed encounters with non-threatening animals in urban green spaces. Less is known about the opportunities for psychological restoration in landscapes shared with mammals that are perceived to pose a threat to human activities and health. This study provides a nuanced understanding of the role of wildlife in public perceptions of the restorative potential and experience of psychological restoration in local natural settings. Twenty-eight participants (15 women, 13 men, 18-75 years) took part in focus group interviews subject to a reflexive thematic analysis. As an analytical framework, we used a theoretical model for how people appraise the relevance, implications, coping potential and norm congruence of human-wildlife interactions and how such appraisals may support or hinder the restoration experienced in local natural settings. Relevance appraisals revealed shifts in consideration of the presence of wildlife from an integrated part of the natural scenery (background) to a distinct figure (foreground). Implication appraisals revealed that wildlife encounters would hinder the experienced psychological restoration if the animal was appraised as dangerous, disgusting, causing a nuisance or destructive. Wildlife encounters would promote restoration if the animal displayed attractive traits, features or fascinating behaviour or movements, and if it opened engaging interaction situations. Coping strategies perceived as feasible to deal with negative implications of wildlife involved avoidance of the local natural setting, preparatory behaviour displayed before a visit and precautionary behaviour displayed during the visit. Important public health effects might be gained if wildlife policy and management explicitly consider what animals mean to the perceived restorative potential of local natural settings.Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Forekomst av vilt levande djur kan ha betydelse for manniskors mojlighet till mental aterhamtning i naturen eftersom djurlivet kan ge upphov till bade positiva och negativa kanslor. Tidigare forskning om positiva upplevelser av vilt har foretradesvis handlat om situationer dar manniskor medvetet har sokt sig till en plats for att se djur, fokuserat djurarter som vanligtvis inte betraktas som farliga for manniskor, eller varit begransade till smavilt i urbana gronomraden. Daremot saknas kunskap om mojligheter till mental aterhamtning i naturomraden med storre daggdjur som ocksa kan upplevas utgora ett hot mot manniskors aktiviteter och halsa. Den har studien bidrar till en nyanserad forstaelse av viltets betydelse for allmanhetens upplevda mojligheter till mental aterhamtning i lokala naturomraden. Vi intervjuade 28 deltagare (15 kvinnor, 13 man, 18-75 ar) i fokusgrupper. Intervjuerna analyserades med sk reflexiv tematisk analys. I analyserna utgick vi ifran en teoretisk modell for manniskors bedomning av relevans och konsekvenser av interaktioner mellan manniska och vilt samt tillgang till strategier for att hantera sadana interaktioner och samstammighet med normer i dessa situationer. Modellen beskriver ocksa hur bedomningar kan stodja eller hindra upplevelsen av mental aterhamtning. Deltagarnas bedomning av viltets relevans for mental aterhamtning varierade avseende om djuren betraktades som en integrerad eller en unik framtradande del av naturlandskapet. Bedomningen av konsekvenser visade att moten med vilt levande djur upplevdes hindra den mentala aterhamtningen om djuret ansags vara farligt eller ackligt, orsaka olagenhet eller forstora for manniskor. Moten med vilt upplevdes stodja aterhamtning om djuret ansags ha ett attraktivt utseende eller positiva egenskaper, fascinerande beteenden eller rorelsemonster, eller om djuret skapade sarskilt engagerande situationer. De strategier som deltagarna bedomde som mojliga och tillgangliga for att hantera negativa konsekvenser av vilt var undvikande av lokala naturomraden, forberedelser som vidtogs innan ett eventuellt besok i naturomradet och forsiktighetsatgarder under tiden deltagarna vistades i naturomradet. Det kan finnas positiva effekter for folkhalsan om viltpolicy och forvaltning explicit beaktar betydelsen av vilt for manniskors upplevda mojlighet till mental aterhamtning i lokala naturomraden. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
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| 3. |
- Stamatakis, Nikolaos, 1980-, et al.
(author)
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An Analysis of Emotional and Psychological Issues among Males at the Correctional Institution in St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- 2021
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In: Criminology and Post-Mortem Studies - Analyzing Criminal Behaviour and Making Medical Decisions. - London : INTECH. - 9781839627750 - 9781839627736 ; , s. 1-27
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recent findings suggest that emotional instability and psychological disorder rate in prison is three times higher than in the general population. Prisoners – especially males – are also at increased risk of all-cause victimization including violence and self-harm. This research sought to identify and analyze the emotions that incarcerated males at the Correctional Institutions in St. Vincent and the Grenadines have had and or were encountering, as well as the manner these emotions were being dealt with. It also sets out to ascertain some of the factors that were playing prominent roles in the lives of incarcerated males regarding those emotions. Up to date, there has been no research work done on males and their emotions in St. Vincent and the Grenadines nor any study regarding inmates in the correctional institution. The administration of a short questionnaire formed the quantitative collection instrument, which provided data from 150 inmates. The data analysis was performed via SPSS, and the findings point to a cross-section of relational factors that are relevant to males and their emotions (namely, abuse, crying, bonds, and suicidal thoughts). It was found that males are struggling emotionally with understanding their identity and are inadvertently pressured to adhere to societal directives by restricting their emotional expression.
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| 4. |
- Flykt, Anders, et al.
(author)
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“Landscape of Stress” for Sheep Owners in the Swedish Wolf Region
- 2022
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In: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-701X. ; 10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Farmers who keep livestock in large carnivore areas are exposed to threat of predation directly impacting on finances and workload as well as the associated psychological stress indirectly impacting on farmers well-being. So far, little is known about such stress responses. The concept of “stress” or “stress reaction” is often used as an undifferentiated umbrella concept for the experience of negative emotional episodes. However, the stress reactions could be divided into cognitive, physiological, and behavioural aspects. This study aimed to develop and apply a theory-based approach to identify stress responses among sheep farmers in the Swedish “wolf-region.” A thematic analysis of interviews conducted with sheep farmers showed ample support for stress responses among the informants in relation to large carnivores and their management, although the interviews were conducted with a different focal topic. The findings support the idea that stress responses could be categorised into cognitive, physiological, and behavioural aspects. This distinction would help to identify and fully understand the cumulative impact of stress from the presence of large carnivores on farmers’ well-being.
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| 5. |
- Gustafsson, Henrik, et al.
(author)
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Hope and athlete burnout : Stress and affect as mediators
- 2013
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In: Psychology of Sport And Exercise. - : Elsevier. - 1469-0292 .- 1878-5476. ; 14:5, s. 640-649
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ObjectiveIn this study we examined the relationship between trait hope and burnout in elite junior soccer players and whether stress and positive and negative affect mediated this relationship.MethodsParticipants were 238 Swedish soccer players (166 males, 71 females; one did not indicate gender) aged 15–19 years who completed questionnaires measuring trait hope, perceived stress, positive and negative affect, and athlete burnout (i.e., emotional/physical exhaustion, a reduced sense of accomplishment, and sport devaluation).ResultsBivariate correlations were consistent with hope theory contentions indicating significant negative relationships between hope and all three burnout dimensions. The relationship between hope and emotional/physical exhaustion was fully mediated by stress and positive affect. For sport devaluation and reduced sense of accomplishment, stress and positive affect partially mediated the relationship with hope. In contrast, negative affect did not mediate the relationship between hope and any of the burnout dimensions.ConclusionThe results support earlier findings that hope is negatively related to athlete burnout. Support was also found for the hypothesis that high hope individuals would experience less stress and therefore less burnout. Promoting hope may be relevant in reducing the likelihood of this detrimental syndrome.
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| 6. |
- Ekdahl, Johanna, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Vulvovaginal pain from a fear-avoidance perspective : a prospective study among female university students in Sweden
- 2018
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In: International Journal of Sexual Health. - : Routledge. - 1931-7611 .- 1931-762X. ; 30:1, s. 49-59
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: To examine how fear-avoidance influences vulvovaginal pain and sexual function over time.Method: At baseline and at 10-month follow-up, self-report measures for sexual- and fear avoidance factors were obtained from 483 female university students with and without self-reported vulvovaginal pain.Results: Individuals with pain at both times reported lower sexual function, and higher levels of fear-avoidance compared to the pain-free group. Fear-avoidance beliefs predicted the occurrence of vulvovaginal pain at follow up and the level of pain intensity.Conclusion: The results points to the relevance of the components of the fear-avoidance model in vulvovaginal pain over time.
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| 7. |
- Björkstrand, Johannes, et al.
(author)
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Decrease in amygdala activity during repeated exposure to spider images predicts avoidance behavior in spider fearful individuals.
- 2020
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In: Translational Psychiatry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2158-3188. ; 10:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Spider phobia is characterized by exaggerated fear of situations where spiders could be present, resulting in avoidance of such situations and compromised quality of life. An important component in psychological treatment of spider phobia is exposure to phobic situations that reduces avoidance behaviors. At the neural level, amygdala responses to phobic material are elevated, but normalizes following exposure treatment. To what extent amygdala activity decreases during a session of repeated phobic stimulation, and whether activity decrease is related to subsequent avoidance is not well studied. We hypothesized reduced amygdala activity during the course of repeated exposure to spider pictures, and that the degree of reduction would predict subsequent avoidance of spider pictures. To test our hypothesis, functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 45 individuals with spider fear during repeated exposure to spider pictures. Results showed that repeated exposure to spider stimuli attenuated amygdala reactivity and individual differences in activity reductions predicted subsequent avoidance behavior to spider pictures in an incentive-conflict task, with larger attenuations predicting less avoidance. At 6-month follow up, initial reductions in amygdala activation still predicted avoidance. This result demonstrates that reduction in amygdala responses is related to clinically meaningful outcomes in human anxiety, and suggests that within-session reductions in amygdala responses could be an important mechanism explaining the clinical effects of exposure therapy.
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| 8. |
- Champoux-Larsson, Marie-France, et al.
(author)
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Bilinguals’ use of semantic and prosodic cues for emotion inference in speech
- 2019
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In: XIV International Symposium of Psycholinguistics. ; , s. 80-80
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recently, a study by Champoux-Larsson and Dylman (2018) showed that the bilingual advantage previously found in the use of emotional prosodic cues in children to infer a speaker’s emotional state (e.g., Yow & Markman, 2011) was driven by a bias towards prosody. Namely, the higher level of bilingualism the participants in ChampouxLarsson and Dylman (2018) had, the more they had difficulty ignoring prosodic emotional cues in spoken words even when they were asked to focus on the semantics of the words. While Misono et al. (1997) found that monolingual adults rely on both semantic and prosodic cues to determine emotion in speech equally, it is not known yet whether this also is true for bilingual adults. In other words, it is unclear whether the prosodic bias found in bilingual children withstands even in adulthood for bilinguals. Thus, we present a study where adults with varying levels of bilingualism were asked to determine the emotional valence of utterances based on the participant’s general impression (i.e., without specifying which cue to use), based on the utterance’s emotional prosody or based on its semantic content. The spoken words’ semantics was positive, negative or neutral and the words were uttered with either a congruent emotional prosody or with an incongruent emotional prosody. Data is currently being prepared for analysis and results will be available within the coming weeks.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Dylman, Alexandra, et al.
(author)
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No foreign language effect in decision making for culturally influential second languages
- 2019
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report two experiments investigating the foreign language effect (FLe) for culturally influential languages. Across two experimental paradigms, we found no FLe for Swedish participants when using their second language English. This highlights the limitations of the FLe and suggests that it may not be as robust as previously thought.
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