Psychologica Belgica最新文献

Infertility may be associated with severe psychological burden and many couples need mental support. We used dyadic approach to identify couples with disturbed psychological condition and we tested the WHO-5 Well-Being Index (WHO-5-WBI) questionnaire as a possible, rapid screening method. Extensive psychological assessment of infertile couples was carried out with Beck's Depression Inventory, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, WHO-5-WBI, Symptom Check List-90 Revised Test, Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Data of 128 patients (64 couples) were used in the statistical calculations. The Two-Step cluster analysis has revealed 2 groups, which could be separated supremely based on the level of experienced depression, anxiety and according to the general mental health. The WHO-5-WBI questionnaire showed consistent results while classifying couples into groups, which were formed. Our results indicate that infertility affects both spouses almost in the same extent in several psychological aspects. A cluster of couples with increased psychological burden could be clearly separated. The WHO-5-WBI questionnaire was a promising tool to screen reliably spouses based on their psychological state and identify couples that need psychological support during their fertility work-up and treatment.

This study qualitatively explores differences in psychological contract (PC) content between Belgian and Chinese employees, while attempting to understand these differences from the perspective of cultural values. We build on theory concerning horizontal and vertical individualism/collectivism to interpret differences in PC content. 21 Chinese and 20 Belgian employees were interviewed, with results indicating that Belgian interviewees' PCs tend to be balanced with an emphasis on egalitarian interpersonal relationships, reflecting a horizontal collectivist culture. We propose that a "culture of compromise" forms a fitting description for Belgian interviewees' PCs. For Chinese interviewees, the PC was characterized by mixed contracts aligning with the ideology of 'Utilitarianistic Guanxi', which forms a Chinese philosophy that combines the pursuit of profit with objective goods, reflecting a culture of vertical collectivism.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) generate learners' performance data that can be used to understand learners' proficiency and to improve their efficiency. However, the approaches currently used, such as assessing the proportion of correct responses in assessments, are oversimplified and may lead to poor conclusions and decisions because they do not account for additional information on learner, content, and context. There is a need for theoretically grounded data-driven explainable educational measurement approaches for MOOCs. In this conceptual paper, we try to establish a connection between psychometrics, a scientific discipline concerned with techniques for educational and psychological measurement, and MOOCs. First, we describe general principles of traditional measurement of learners' proficiency in education. Second, we discuss qualities of MOOCs which hamper direct application of approaches based on these general principles. Third, we discuss recent developments in measuring proficiency that may be relevant for analyzing MOOC data. Finally, we draw directions in psychometric modeling that might be interesting for future MOOC research.

The purpose of this study was to develop a statistical model of anhedonia of depression. The study included 748 healthy controls (350 women, 46.79%, age 21.27 ± 4.72) and 80 patients (32 women, 40%, age 38.36 ± 16.42). The Physical Anhedonia Scale (PhAS), the Social Anhedonia Scale (CSAS), the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) and the Beck Depression Inventory(BDI) were administered. Classical Measurement Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT) were applied to the collected data. We observed that the general factor of depression status was significantly related with positive emotion (r = -0.37, P < 0.05), negative emotion (r = 0.62, P < 0.05) and BDI (r = 0.48, P < 0.01). A significant difference also was observed between controls and patients. The bifactor model of anhedonia of depression provided a better fit to the data than a unidimensional model. The bifactor model appears to be useful to describe anhedonia in depression.

Little is actually known about the nature and characteristics of the cognitive dissonance state. In this paper, we review the actual knowledge and the main limitations of past studies. Then, we present two studies that investigate the characteristics of the cognitive dissonance state from the perspective the Pleasure Arousal Dominance model of emotion. Study 1 (N = 102) used the hypocrisy paradigm and Study 2 (N = 130) used a counterattitudinal essay. In Study 1, participants in the Dissonance condition reported less Pleasure with each inconsistent behaviour remembered. In Study 2, participants in the Dissonance condition reported less Pleasure than participants in the Control Condition. In both studies, no significant difference was found on the Arousal and Dominance indexes. These results are among the first to link cognitive dissonance to a general model of emotions, an approach that should be pursued further.

The objective of this ex post facto study was to find out how different coping and personality styles influence satisfaction with life in a group of 55 people with chronic kidney disease, 34 of whom were receiving haemodialysis and 21 had undergone a kidney transplant. The participants completed three questionnaires, the SWLS, CAEPO and MIPS. The results showed the relationship between active coping strategies and satisfaction with life in haemodialysis patients, kidney transplant recipients and the total sample. A Pleasure-Enhancing personality style was significantly related to Satisfaction with Life, both in the total sample, and in the two groups separately. There were no significant differences in Satisfaction with Life between the haemodialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients. The theoretical repercussions of these results are discussed, highlighting their applications to clinical practice, in which training in active coping is essential.

Parental identity formation may be a factor of the utmost importance in helping us to understand the mechanisms of adaptation to parenthood. However, our knowledge regarding the processes involved in the development of parental identity is very limited. In the present study the relationships between three dimensions of parental identity (commitment, in-depth exploration, reconsideration of commitment), and two trait-like characteristics that determine the quality of family life, i.e. romantic adult attachment and perfectionism were analyzed. 206 mothers aged 22 to 40 participated in the study (M = 33.33, SD = 3.68). The results revealed that a high level in anxious attachment, avoidant attachment and maladaptive aspects of perfectionism (other-oriented and socially-prescribed perfectionism) positively correlate with a low level of parental identity commitment and a high level of reconsideration of parental commitment. Regression analysis revealed that especially attachment-related anxiety and other-oriented perfectionism can be treated as independent, specific predictors of an increased crisis of parental identity.

As the Inventory of Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood (IDEA) was developed to assess features of emerging adulthood, international differences have been observed between emerging adults over the world. To assess the IDEA's applicability to emerging adults in Flanders, a Dutch translation was administered to 489 participants between 17 and 26 years old, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. Important latent factors in the version used in the United States of America, such as focus on others, were not observed. Four subscales were created to reflect psychological features of our sample, combining elements of both Arnett's theory of emerging adulthood and neo-Eriksonian theories of identity development. A new subscale, reflecting commitment and responsibility, was more present in older participants and employed participants, and associated with well-being. Finally, results suggested that employment, as well as place of residency, and romantic relationships significantly influence psychological development during young adulthood.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.5334/pb.469.].