Greater Positive Affect Change after Mental Imagery than Verbal Thinking in a Student Sample

Empathy is widely recognized as the psychological foundation for prosocial behavior, yet very little is known about methods to increase affective empathy in students and trainees. The present research sought to assess the reliability and potential boundary conditions of one such intervention—a brief emotional video featuring a boy diagnosed with cancer. Study 1 found that the video succeeded in indirectly increasing empathic concern for an African American victim of police abuse among an ethnically diverse student sample in a classroom setting. Study 2 replicated the effect in an online environment among a population of near-racially homogeneous adults. The effect of this brief, convenient, positive-affect intervention is in line with other practice-based and negative-affect interventions.

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Stop and Start Control: A Distinction within Self–Control

European Journal of Personality ◽

10.1002/per.796 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 25 (5) ◽

pp. 349-362 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Benjamin J. de Boer ◽

Edwin A. J. van Hooft ◽

Arnold B. Bakker

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Negative Affect ◽

Positive Affect ◽

Self Control ◽

Factor Analyses ◽

Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽

Student Sample ◽

Confirmatory Factor ◽

Expert Ratings

A theoretical distinction within self–control, between stop control and start control, was investigated in two studies. Study 1 consisted of a pilot study in which expert ratings of existing self–control items were used to distinguish between stop and start control items and a confirmatory factor analyses of these items using a student sample ( N = 474). Also, stop and start control were related to overall affect and behavioural outcomes. Stop control was negatively related to negative affect, whereas start control was positively related to positive affect. Study 2 ( N = 226) replicated some of these findings; stop control was the best predictor (−) of smoking and alcohol consumption whereas start control was the best predictor (+) of exercising and studying. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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THE DAILY AFFECT OF HEROIN ADDICTS IN A THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY: A PILOT STUDY IN HONG KONG

Social Behavior and Personality An International Journal ◽

10.2224/sbp.2002.30.6.561 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 30 (6) ◽

pp. 561-565 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Giovanni B. Moneta ◽

Oi-Chu Wong

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Positive Affect ◽

Flow Model ◽

Therapeutic Community ◽

Daily Activities ◽

Heroin Addicts ◽

Student Sample ◽

Lack Of Control ◽

Daily Affect ◽

Healthy Functioning

The authors examined how heroin addicts' affect varies in relation to perceived levels of challenges and skills in daily activities. Fourteen male residents of a therapeutic community completed 21 end-of-day diaries measuring affect. Unexpectedly, addicts had comparable positive affect to, and less negative affect, than a nonclinical student sample. Positive affect correlated with the imbalance of challenges and skills. Heroin addicts deviate from the flow model of healthy functioning as they optimize affect in states of either overcontrol or lack of control.

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Feasibility of computerized positive mental imagery training as a treatment adjunct in inpatient mental health settings: a randomized controlled trial

10.31234/osf.io/g7tu6 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Katharina Westermann ◽

Marcella Woud ◽

Jan Christopher Cwik ◽

Christian Graz ◽

Peter Nyhuis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Positive Affect ◽

Mental Imagery ◽

Primary Outcome ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Specific Effect ◽

Imagery Training ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Inpatient Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Settings

Background: Positive affect and anhedonia are important but challenging targets for mental health treatments. Previous research indicates the potential of a computerized cognitive training paradigm involving generation of positive mental imagery, here termed positive mental imagery training (PMIT), to increase positive affect and reduce anhedonia. Aims: Our main aim was to investigate feasibility of PMIT as a positive affect-focussed transdiagnostic adjunct to treatment as usual (TAU) for patients in inpatient mental health settings (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02958228). Method: We ran an open feasibility randomized controlled trial (RCT) with three parallel arms: TAU, TAU + PMIT, and TAU + an active comparator, cognitive control training (CCT). Fifty-seven patients from two different inpatient mental health treatment clinics in Germany were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio. PMIT or CCT consisted of an introductory session then eight 15-minute training sessions over two weeks. Clinical outcomes such as positive affect (primary outcome measure) and anhedonia were assessed at pre- and post-training, and at a further 2-week follow-up. Results: Adherence was good and attrition low. The patterns of results for the outcome data were not consistent with a specific effect of PMIT on positive affect, but were more consistent with a specific effect on anhedonia.Conclusion: The results indicate feasibility and potential promise of a larger efficacy RCT investigating PMIT as a treatment adjunct in inpatient mental health settings. Limitations include lack of researcher blinding, the small sample size, and lack of pre-specified feasibility outcomes. Anhedonia may be a more suitable primary outcome for a future larger trial.

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Feasibility of computerised positive mental imagery training as a treatment adjunct in in-patient mental health settings: randomised controlled trial

BJPsych Open ◽

10.1192/bjo.2021.1042 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (6) ◽

Author(s):

Katharina Westermann ◽

Marcella L. Woud ◽

Jan C. Cwik ◽

Christian Graz ◽

Peter W. Nyhuis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Positive Affect ◽

Mental Imagery ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Specific Effect ◽

Treatment As Usual ◽

Imagery Training ◽

Mental Health Settings ◽

Randomised Controlled ◽

Cognitive Control Training

Background Positive affect and anhedonia are important but challenging targets for mental health treatments. Previous research indicates the potential of a computerised cognitive training paradigm involving generation of positive mental imagery, termed positive mental imagery training (PMIT), to increase positive affect and reduce anhedonia. Aims Our main aim was to investigate the feasibility of PMIT as a positive affect-focused, transdiagnostic adjunct to treatment as usual for patients in in-patient mental health settings. Method We ran an open feasibility, randomised controlled trial with three parallel arms: treatment as usual; treatment as usual plus PMIT; and treatment as usual plus an active comparator, cognitive control training. Fifty-seven patients from two different in-patient mental health treatment clinics in Germany were randomised in a 1:1:1 ratio. PMIT and cognitive control training comprised an introductory session followed by eight 15-min training sessions over 2 weeks. Clinical outcomes such as positive affect (primary outcome measure) and anhedonia were assessed at pre- and post-training, and at a further 2-week follow-up. Results Adherence was good and attrition was low. The patterns of results for the outcome data were not consistent with a specific effect of PMIT on positive affect, but were more consistent with a specific effect on anhedonia. Conclusions The results indicate feasibility and potential promise of a larger efficacy trial investigating PMIT as a treatment adjunct in in-patient mental health settings. Limitations include lack of researcher blinding, small sample size and lack of pre-specified feasibility outcomes. Anhedonia may be a more suitable primary outcome for a future larger trial.

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Chinese Version of the Responses to Positive Affect Questionnaire: Testing the Factor Structure, Reliability, and Validity in a College Student Sample

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/08.21.pr0.115c22z8 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 115 (2) ◽

pp. 467-484 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Hongfei Yang ◽

Wenjing Guo

Keyword(s):

Positive Affect ◽

Factor Model ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Chinese Version ◽

Hierarchical Regression ◽

Internal Reliability ◽

Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽

Student Sample ◽

Chinese College Students ◽

College Student Sample

This study tested the psychometrics of the Chinese version of the Responses to Positive Affect Questionnaire among 915 Chinese college students with an average age of 20.3 yr. ( SD = 1.6). The original three-factor model with the factors dampening, emotion-focused positive rumination, and self-focused rumination was supported using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. All subscales showed good internal reliability, as well as evidence for convergent and incremental validity with measures of ego-resiliency, life satisfaction, and mental health symptoms. Finally, a series of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the three subscales, especially dampening, accounted for additional unique variance in psychological adjustment above and beyond resilience. These findings generally suggested that the Chinese Responses to Positive Affect Questionnaire possesses acceptable psychometric properties. Implications for counseling, limitations, and suggestions for future study were presented.

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Inducing positive involuntary mental imagery in everyday life: an experimental investigation

10.31234/osf.io/mp9cw ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Simon Edward Blackwell ◽

Daniela Dooley ◽

Felix Würtz ◽

Marcella Woud ◽

Jürgen Margraf

Keyword(s):

Mental Imagery ◽

Daily Life ◽

Single Session ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Student Sample ◽

Involuntary Memories ◽

Imagery Scripts ◽

Bias Modification

Positive involuntary mental imagery occurs frequently in daily life but evidence as to its functions and importance is largely indirect. The current study investigated a method to induce positive involuntary imagery in daily life, which would allow direct testing of its impact. An unselected student sample (N = 80) completed a single session of a positive imagery cognitive bias modification (CBM) paradigm, which involved listening to and imagining brief positive imagery scripts. Participants then recorded any involuntary memories of the imagined training scenarios in a three-day diary before returning to the lab for a follow-up assessment. Participants were randomized to imagine the scenarios in either an emotionally involved or emotionally detached manner, providing a test of the role of emotion in the subsequent experience of involuntary memories. Participants reported experiencing involuntary memories of the training scenarios in their daily life, but the number recorded did not differ between the experimental conditions. Exploratory analyses suggested that more vivid imagery and recall testing were associated with a greater number of involuntary memories. The study highlights the potential of the imagery CBM paradigm to further our understanding of the functions and potential importance of positive involuntary mental imagery in daily life.

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Mental imagery and intraoral local anesthesia

Journal of Dental Education ◽

10.1002/j.0022-0337.1984.48.12.tb01843.x ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 48 (12) ◽

pp. 653-658

Author(s):

MM Walsh ◽

R Hannebrink ◽

B Heckman

Keyword(s):

Local Anesthesia ◽

Mental Imagery

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What Does the Implicit Association Test Measure? A Test of the Convergent and Discriminant Validity of Prejudice-Related IATs

Experimental Psychology (formerly Zeitschrift für Experimentelle Psychologie) ◽

10.1026//1618-3169.49.3.171 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 49 (3) ◽

pp. 171-180 ◽

Cited By ~ 74

Author(s):

Bertram Gawronski

Keyword(s):

Implicit Association Test ◽

Discriminant Validity ◽

Association Test ◽

Recent Criticism ◽

Implicit Association ◽

East Asians ◽

Student Sample ◽

Convergent And Discriminant Validity ◽

Explicit Prejudice ◽

Turkish People

Abstract. Drawing on recent criticism of the Implicit Association Test (IAT), the present study tested the convergent and discriminant validity of two prejudice-related IATs to corresponding explicit prejudice measures in a German student sample (N = 61). Confirming convergent validity, (a) an IAT designed to assess negative associations related to Turkish people was significantly related to the explicit endorsement of prejudiced beliefs about Turkish people, and (b) an IAT designed to assess negative associations related to East Asians was significantly related to explicit prejudice against East Asians. Moreover, confirming discriminant validity, (c) the Asian IAT was unrelated to the explicit endorsement of prejudiced beliefs about Turkish people, and (d) the Turkish IAT was unrelated to explicit prejudice against Asian people. These results further corroborate the assumption that the IAT is a valid method to assess the strength of evaluative associations in the domain of prejudice and stereotypes.

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Inducing Unconscious Stress

Journal of Psychophysiology ◽

10.1027/0269-8803/a000247 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 192-201

Author(s):

Melanie M. van der Ploeg ◽

Jos F. Brosschot ◽

Markus Quirin ◽

Richard D. Lane ◽

Bart Verkuil

Keyword(s):

Repeated Measures ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Physiological Changes ◽

Implicit Measures ◽

Prime Word ◽

Student Sample ◽

Priming Task ◽

Subject Design ◽

The Relationship ◽

Stress And Health

Abstract. Stress-related stimuli may be presented outside of awareness and may ultimately influence health by causing repetitive increases in physiological parameters, such as blood pressure (BP). In this study, we aimed to corroborate previous studies that demonstrated BP effects of subliminally presented stress-related stimuli. This would add evidence to the hypothesis that unconscious manifestations of stress can affect somatic health. Additionally, we suggest that these findings may be extended by measuring affective changes relating to these physiological changes, using measures for self-reported and implicit positive and negative affectivity. Using a repeated measures between-subject design, we presented either the prime word “angry” ( n = 26) or “relax” ( n = 28) subliminally (17 ms) for 100 trials to a student sample and measured systolic and diastolic BP, heart rate (HR), and affect. The “angry” prime, compared to the “relax” prime, did not affect any of the outcome variables. During the priming task, a higher level of implicit negative affect (INA) was associated with a lower systolic BP and diastolic BP. No association was found with HR. Self-reported affect and implicit positive affect were not related to the cardiovascular (CV) activity. In sum, anger and relax primes elicited similar CV activity patterns, but implicit measures of affect may provide a new method to examine the relationship between (unconscious) stress and health.

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