Psychopathy and the Regulation of Interpersonal Distance

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 835-847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Welsch ◽  
Heiko Hecht ◽  
Christoph von Castell
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expression ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Psychopathic Traits ◽  
Spatial Behavior ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Interpersonal Distance ◽  
Student Sample ◽  
Controlled Conditions ◽  
Affective Deficits ◽  
The Impact

Psychopathic traits are often associated with interpersonal and affective deficits. This study examined the impact of psychopathy on judgments of comfortable egocentric interpersonal distance (Experiment 1) and exocentric interpersonal distance (Experiment 2). We selected a student sample and measured psychopathy via self-report. To study spatial behavior under highly controlled conditions, these participants were immersed in a virtual environment. In Experiment 1, they approached a virtual person with angry or happy facial expression until a comfortable distance for conversation was reached. In Experiment 2, participants adjusted a comfortable distance between two avatars. Our results suggest that psychopathy alters the regulation of interpersonal distance with respect to facial expression of the approached as well as between avatars of mixed sex.

Interpersonal Distance Regulation and Approach-Avoidance Reactions Are Altered in Psychopathy

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Welsch ◽  
Christoph von Castell ◽  
Heiko Hecht
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expression ◽  
Psychopathic Traits ◽  
Social Cues ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Interpersonal Distance ◽  
Student Sample ◽  
Approach Avoidance ◽  
Distance Regulation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Avoidance Reactions

In this study, we examined the impact of psychopathy on approach-avoidance reactions and interpersonal distance (IPD) in response to social cues. We selected a student sample and measured psychopathy via self-report. Participants were immersed in a virtual environment in which a virtual person displayed either angry or happy facial expressions. In the first experiment, participants had to walk toward the virtual person until a comfortable IPD had been reached. In the second experiment, participants had to push or pull a joystick in response to the facial expression of the virtual person. Our results suggest that psychopathy does not change average IPD but does impair its regulation. That is, the facial expression of the avatar no longer modulated IPD in participants with psychopathic traits to the extent that it did in participants with fewer psychopathic traits. The speed of the approach and avoidance reactions is altered in psychopathy when confronted with social cues.

Influence of Physical Characteristics of Routes on Distance Cognition in Virtual Environments

2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 777-785 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ebru Cubukcu ◽  
Jack L Nasar
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Real World ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Spatial Behavior ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Parking Garage ◽  
The Real ◽  
Predicting Behavior

Discrepanices between perceived and actual distance may affect people's spatial behavior. In a previous study Nasar, using self report of behavior, found that segmentation (measured through the number of buildings) along the route affected choice of parking garage and path from the parking garage to a destination. We recreated that same environment in a three-dimensional virtual environment and conducted a test to see whether the same factors emerged under these more controlled conditions and to see whether spatial behavior in the virtual environment accurately reflected behavior in the real environment. The results confirmed similar patterns of response in the virtual and real environments. This supports the use of virtual reality as a tool for predicting behavior in the real world and confirms increases in segmentation as related to increases in perceived distance.

PERSONALITY TRAITS AND QUALITY OF RELATIONSHIPS AS PREDICTORS OF FUTURE LONELINESS AMONG AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS

2000 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 463-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd Jackson ◽  
Adam Soderlind ◽  
Karen E. Weiss
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Student Sample ◽  
Liberal Arts University ◽  
College Student Sample ◽  
Increase Risk ◽  
The Impact

This prospective study evaluated the impact of specific personality traits and quality of close relationships on subsequent loneliness in a college student sample. One hundred and eighty students from a liberal arts university in Northern Wisconsin completed self-report measures of shyness, optimism, social support and loneliness, and returned six weeks later to complete the same measures. Results of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that lower levels of optimism and social support at Tune 1 predicted increases in loneliness at Time 2. In addition, participants who were shy and unsupported at Time 1 reported higher levels of subsequent loneliness compared to other students. Findings are discussed regarding their relevance to the identification of factors that increase risk for loneliness, and interventions that may lower this risk.

The Independent and Interactive Effects of Embodied-Agent Appearance and Behavior on Self-Report, Cognitive, and Behavioral Markers of Copresence in Immersive Virtual Environments

2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 379-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy N. Bailenson ◽  
Kim Swinth ◽  
Crystal Hoyt ◽  
Susan Persky ◽  
Alex Dimov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Immersive Virtual Environments ◽  
Immersive Virtual Environment ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Behavioral Markers ◽  
Embodied Agent

The current study examined how assessments of copresence in an immersive virtual environment are influenced by variations in how much an embodied agent resembles a human being in appearance and behavior. We measured the extent to which virtual representations were both perceived and treated as if they were human via self-report, behavioral, and cognitive dependent measures. Distinctive patterns of findings emerged with respect to the behavior and appearance of embodied agents depending on the definition and operationalization of copresence. Independent and interactive effects for appearance and behavior were found suggesting that assessing the impact of behavioral realism on copresence without taking into account the appearance of the embodied agent (and vice versa) can lead to misleading conclusions. Consistent with the results of previous research, copresence was lowest when there was a large mismatch between the appearance and behavioral realism of an embodied agent.

The Impact of Emotional Responses to Public Service Announcements: The Case of Gun Violence in Schools

2021 ◽  
pp. 1532673X2110041
Author(s):  
Kim Fridkin ◽  
Patrick Kenney ◽  
Manuel Gutiérrez ◽  
Ryan Deutsch
Keyword(s):  
School Violence ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Public Service Announcements ◽  
Gun Violence ◽  
Self Report ◽  
News Article ◽  
Student Sample ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Sandy Hook

We examine how people’s emotional reactions to gun violence public service announcements (PSAs) influence information acquisition, policy preferences, and political engagement. Utilizing a non-student sample of more than 100 participants, we look people’s emotional reactions (i.e., anger, sadness, contempt, and fear) to two Sandy Hook Promise PSAs. We assess people’s emotional reactions by relying on two complimentary measures: the traditional self-report measures as well as facial expression analysis. We demonstrate that when people are feeling sad after watching the Sandy Hook Promise PSAs, they are significantly more likely to retain information from a news article about school violence. Furthermore, feelings of contempt and fear lead people to seek out additional information about gun violence. In addition, we find when people feel anger, contempt, and fear after watching the PSAs, they change their views of gun policies. Finally, fear and contempt increase people’s likelihood of becoming politically mobilized.

An Evolutionary Model to Conceptualize Psychopathic Traits Across Community and Forensic Male Youth

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 574-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Ribeiro da Silva ◽  
Paula Vagos ◽  
Daniel Rijo
Keyword(s):  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Indirect Effects ◽  
Evolutionary Model ◽  
Adaptive Strategy ◽  
Psychopathic Traits ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Male Youth ◽  
External Shame ◽  
The Impact

Psychopathy has been historically associated with a lack of emotion. However, some authors argue that psychopathy may represent a tendency to externalize the experience of unpleasant emotions, including shame, what could be seen as an adaptive strategy within an evolutionary framework. Nevertheless, empirical research investigating this hypothesis is scarce. Using community ( n = 295) and forensic ( n = 300) male youth samples and a set of self-report measures, this study tested an evolutionary model involving pathways linking the impact of harsh rearing experiences (traumatic shameful experiences and warmth and safeness experiences) to psychopathic traits, as well as the indirect effects of external shame and shame coping strategies in that association. In addition, this study tested the invariance of this model across samples. Results indicated that the impact of harsh rearing experiences was directly and indirectly (through external shame and shame coping strategies) linked with psychopathic traits. The model explained psychopathic traits in forensic and community samples, though differences in some of the pathways were found across groups. Findings offer support for conceptualizing psychopathic traits as an adaptive strategy to cope with the impact of harsh rearing experiences, opening new pathways to prevention and intervention efforts.

scholarly journals Examining the Factor Structure of the Self-Report of Psychopathy Short-Form Across Four Young Adult Samples

Assessment ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 1062-1079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hailey L. Dotterer ◽  
Rebecca Waller ◽  
Craig S. Neumann ◽  
Daniel S. Shaw ◽  
Erika E. Forbes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adult ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Psychopathic Traits ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Underlying Factor ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
The Impact

Psychopathy refers to a range of complex behaviors and personality traits, including callousness and antisocial behavior, typically studied in criminal populations. Recent studies have used self-reports to examine psychopathic traits among noncriminal samples. The goal of the current study was to examine the underlying factor structure of the Self-Report of Psychopathy Scale–Short Form (SRP-SF) across complementary samples and examine the impact of gender on factor structure. We examined the structure of the SRP-SF among 2,554 young adults from three undergraduate samples and a high-risk young adult sample. Using confirmatory factor analysis, a four-correlated factor model and a four-bifactor model showed good fit to the data. Evidence of weak invariance was found for both models across gender. These findings highlight that the SRP-SF is a useful measure of low-level psychopathic traits in noncriminal samples, although the underlying factor structure may not fully translate across men and women.

scholarly journals Effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on mental health in a UK student sample.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Catling ◽  
Anna Bayley ◽  
Zaynah Begum ◽  
Charlotte Wardzinski ◽  
Amy Wood
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Smartphone Addiction ◽  
First Year ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Student Sample ◽  
Student Mental Health ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions placed upon society have had a profound impact on both physical and mental health, particularly for young people. Aims The current study assesses the impact of COVID-19 on student mental health Method: Four hundred and thirty four first year Undergraduate students completed a battery of self-report questionnaires to assess the variables of interest with data being collected over a two year period. The data from each year was compared (216 and 218 students respectively). Results A MANOVA revealed that COVID-19 had a significant impact on self-reported levels of depression, anxiety and smartphone addiction – which all significantly increased from the 2020 to the 2021 cohort. The percentage of students who had a score which warranted a clinical diagnosis of depression increased from 30–44%, and for anxiety increased from 22 to 27% – those students who had a comorbid diagnosis rose from 12–21%. Smartphone addiction levels rose from 39–50%. Correlational analysis showed a significant relationship between Smartphone usage and depression and anxiety. Conclusions This research suggests that COVID-19 has had a major impact upon student mental health, and smartphone addiction. The importance of identifying predictive factors of depression and anxiety is emphasised, and suggestions for intervention are discussed.

scholarly journals The Impact of Childhood Trauma, Hallucinations, and Emotional Reactivity on Delusional Ideation

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail C Wright ◽  
Drew Coman ◽  
Wisteria Deng ◽  
Amy Farabaugh ◽  
Olga Terechina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Childhood Trauma ◽  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Childhood Trauma Questionnaire ◽  
Student Sample ◽  
Delusional Ideation ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background A large body of evidence has demonstrated that childhood trauma increases the risk for developing a psychotic disorder. However, the path by which psychotic symptoms develop following trauma is still debated. Emotional reactivity, a tendency to experience more intense and enduring emotional responses, and hallucinations are sequelae of childhood trauma that may predict the emergence of delusional ideation. This study aimed to examine evidence for this hypothesis in a college student sample. Methods Self-report measures were used to cross-sectionally assess childhood trauma (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), delusional ideation (Peters et al Delusions Inventory), hallucinations (Launay-Slade Hallucinations Scale), and emotional reactivity (Emotion Reactivity Scale) in 1703 US college students. Results Hallucinations and emotional reactivity fully mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and delusional ideation, after controlling for covariates (gender, age, levels of current stress, stressful life events, and resilience). Discussion These results suggest that hallucinations and emotional reactivity associated with childhood trauma may represent quantifiable targets for early intervention.

The Effect of Exposure to Fear-Related Body Odorants on Anxiety and Interpersonal Trust Toward a Virtual Character

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (9) ◽  
pp. 683-692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Quintana ◽  
Kévin Nolet ◽  
Oliver Baus ◽  
Stéphane Bouchard
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expression ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Impression Formation ◽  
Interpersonal Trust ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Virtual Character ◽  
Film Clips ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time

Abstract A growing body of literature documents how exposure to another person's fear-related body odorants can increase one's own anxiety and interfere with processing of social information, such as facial expression and impression formation. Building on these results, we aimed to 1) test the hypothesis that exposure to fear-related odorant would affect impression formation through fear contagion and 2) verify whether these effects can be observed in an ecologically valid (i.e., virtual) environment. We proposed that exposure to fear-related odorant would cause receivers to feel more anxious, which in turn would lead them to report less trust toward an unknown virtual character. This study had 2 distinct phases. First, we collected perspiration odorants from the armpits of 12 male senders (i.e., the source of the odorant) during the viewing of either fear or joy inducing film clips. In the second phase, 53 women receivers were exposed to either a fear, joy, or neutral odorant (i.e., between-subjects design) by breathing through a gauze attached to a disposable respirator mask while immersed in a virtual bar. As expected, receivers exposed to fear odorants felt significantly more stressed. Mediation analysis also revealed an indirect effect of exposure on trust through anxiety. More specifically, the more anxious the receiver felt, the less she trusted the virtual character. Our results show for the first time that the impact of exposure to fear-related body odorants on negative interpersonal impression formation is mediated by the anxiety induced in the receiver.

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