Current study. Aims and hypothesis The current study aimed to investigate the effects of a brief mindfulness training in depression by comparing its effects against relaxation training. In addition to a number of practical advantages, including ease of delivery, reduced burden to patient, patient’s acceptability of, and adherence to treatment, this will allow us to investigate the effects of mindfulness training more specifically. The first aim of the study was to investigate the effect of mindfulness training and relaxation on depressive symptoms. Based on the literature regarding the positive impact of distractive behaviours on depressive symptoms, it was theorised that both mindfulness and relaxation could serve as distractive behaviours, as they both require sustained attention focus on stimuli (e.g., the breath in mindfulness, visual images in relaxation), thus reducing rumination. However, we expected the effect of mindfulness to be stronger as the intervention provides patients with more flexible means to disengage from ruminative thinking.
Current study. The aims of the current study are 1) to determine whether previous findings from other CHR studies are replicated in the NAPLS CHR sample, 2) to test whether depression acts as mediator between sleep problem and positive prodromal symptoms in this CHR sample, 3) to test whether certain positive prodromal symptoms are more specifically associated with sleep problems than others, and 4) to explore whether sleep disturbance predicts subsequent worsening of prodromal psychotic symptoms and/or increased likelihood of later conversion to a psychotic illness. Based on previous research in CHR samples (i.e., Xxx et al., 2017; Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx et al., 2017), we hypothesize that sleep disturbance will be more severe in the CHR group in comparison to the healthy control (HC) group. Further, based on the same aforementioned studies, we hypothesize that within the CHR group, the severity of sleep disturbance will be positively associated with the severity of positive prodromal symptoms at baseline. With regard to the specificity of sleep disturbance-positive prodromal symptom associations, we hypothesize that sleep disturbance will be more strongly associated with paranoia/suspiciousness and perceptual abnormalities in this CHR sample. As the current study is cross-sectional in nature, we will assess the direct and indirect effects, rather than true meditational effects, which require longitudinal data. Based on previously discussed findings, we hypothesize that the indirect effect of sleep problems on positive prodromal symptoms through depressive symptoms will be significant in this analysis of a CHR sample. Finally, based on the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx and colleagues (2017) finding that certain aspects of sleep disturbance predict worsening of psychotic symptoms over time, as well as theories that link sleep problems to worsening neuropsychiatric symptoms, we hypothesize that sleep disruption at the time of the baseline interview will predict later conversion to a psychotic disorder and/or will predict progression of the prodromal syndrome at a later time point. Xxx and colleagues (2017) previously tested this hypothesis on a sample of 194 CHR participants and found that sleep disturbance did not predict conversion to psychotic illness at 2.5-year follow-up. However, as described previously, conversion to psychotic illness occurs at a relatively low frequency, even in an enriched CHR sample, thus the Xxx and colleagues (2017) sample size of 194 may not have afforded adequate p...
Current study. This study is part of a larger project. In the first part of the project we identified three reading profiles in 9-11-year-old children based on their online reading pro- cesses, think-aloud responses to text (Xxxxxxxx et al., 2018). In the current chapter, readers in the profiles Elaborating, Paraphrasing, and Literal Readers are com- pared on their ability to form a structured offline memory representation of narra- tive and expository texts, i.e. recalling information that is central to each text. Following prior research (Xxxxxxxx & X'Xxxxx, 1991; Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx, 2009; 2011; Xxxxxxx, 1982a, 1982b), we determined centrality of text units by im- portance ratings. We then examined the children’s recall of units rated as highly important and central to the text, and units rated as peripheral and less important. There are two research questions. First, do the children with different reading pro- files show similarities or differences regarding the centrality effect? We anticipate Elaborating Readers, who routinely use background knowledge and generate in- ferences, to show a larger centrality effect compared to Paraphrasing and Literal Readers. This would be reflected in a larger difference in their recall of central and peripheral text units. Furthermore, Paraphrasing Readers engage in more inference generation than Literal Readers and are expected to show a larger centrality effect than Literal Readers. Second, do any observed effects depend on text genre? Chil- dren in all profiles generated fewer inferences and showed an approach closer to the text for expository than for narrative texts (Xxxxxxxx et al., 2018). Therefore, it is possible that readers in all profiles show a larger centrality effect in their recall of narrative texts than of expository texts.
Current study. Building on past literature, the current study investigated if and how individual differences in vulnerable narcissism can influence the propensity to engage in the derogation of an innocent other following a self-esteem threat. The current study built on past work in important ways. First, it sought to clarify and extend our scientific understanding by directly investigating the role that vulnerable narcissism may play in predicting the use of other-derogation as a means of restoring self-esteem following a threat. Second, whereas prior work has largely examined how people respond to an “other” who is perceived to have provoked or otherwise wronged them (e.g., Xxxxx, 2010), the current study examined whether this tendency to derogate extends to an “innocent other,” i.e,. someone who did not deliver the self-esteem threat. Lastly, the current research examined reactions to self-esteem threat in the context of a job evaluation and hiring process, thereby providing an important connection to real-world events.
