Take a peek at the latest peer-reviewed research from Australia and around the world.
Aggression and self-esteem
High self-esteem may prevent self-aggression but increase reactive aggression.
German researchers examined whether associations between self-aggression and externalised aggression (reactive and spontaneous aggression) are influenced by current psychopathological symptoms and self-esteem. Reactive aggression is usually used in situations of threat or provocation and involves anger, whereas spontaneous aggression is more proactive, to achieve planned goals. Surveys were completed by 681 participants from the general population and 282 psychiatric patients. A high level of self-esteem appeared to prevent people from showing self-aggression but increase the probability of them showing reactive aggression. People from the general population with high self-esteem also engaged in spontaneous aggression. Among psychiatric patients, the more severe current psychopathological symptoms were, the more likely they were to engage in spontaneous aggression while engaging in self-aggression.
doi.org/10.1002/ab.21825
Living with limb loss
Adults with limb loss report that the quality of their day is influenced by levels of pain, planning, self-consciousness and social interaction.
The experiences of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ days by 22 British adults with lower limb amputation were examined through focus groups. Participants accepted that levels of pain could predict a good or bad day. On a bad day they often felt unable to take part in tasks they may enjoy, focusing on required tasks, but otherwise withdrawing from activity and social interactions. Participants described frustration in needing to plan daily activities and journeys in advance. On a bad day participants were more self-conscious about their physical body, especially if not wearing a prosthetic limb. Positive interactions with others, including strangers, and the opportunity to help others had an impact on the quality of one’s day.
doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2018.1467502
Mindfulness reduces boredom
Focusing on the present may reduce negative emotional symptoms related to boredom.
Boredom proneness, a feeling of restlessness, weariness and constraint, is associated with psychological and physical health symptoms. Researchers in Hong Kong recruited 186 adult Chinese residents outside shopping malls in 18 districts to complete a questionnaire package. The mindfulness state of acting with awareness, or focusing one’s attention on the present, moderated the relationship between boredom proneness and stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms. The tendency to use words to describe one’s perceptions, without interpretation, moderated the relationship between boredom proneness and depressive symptoms only. However, boredom proneness predicted negative emotional symptoms only at low levels of dispositional mindfulness. The researchers suggested that being able to focus one’s attention on the present may help to reduce boredom’s unpleasantness, while mindful labelling of experiences may reduce interpretive ruminations that lead to boredom.
doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2019.04.001
The rewards of hair pulling
People who repetitively pull hair from their bodies find it difficult to find rewards outside of hair pulling.
Trichotillomania, involves repetitive pulling of hair from anywhere in the body. Knowledge of how hair pullers experience rewards and punishment aids understanding of trichotillomania and its treatment. Australian researchers conducted interviews with 16 women with clinically diagnosed trichotillomania. Participants reported that they were generally highly sensitive to punishment and distrustful of positive and rewarding life experiences. Avoidance of punishment appeared to be the main motivator of hair-pulling behaviour, rather than the experience of pleasure. The researchers concluded that individuals with trichotillomania need encouragement to find rewards outside of hair-pulling behaviour. They also suggested behavioural activation as a potential treatment because of the link between hair-pulling, anxiety and depression.
doi.org/10.1111/cp.12160
Volunteering is satisfying
Volunteering improves life satisfaction in older adults, especially among those with fewer friends.
Researchers examined whether volunteering improves life satisfaction in older adulthood. They drew on data collected over four years from a sample of 1,591 older adults (mean age 67 years) from an Australian longitudinal study. Volunteering over a longer period of time was associated with a greater increase in life satisfaction that volunteering over shorter time periods. The improvement in life satisfaction was also greater in volunteers who had lost more friends and hence had a smaller social network size, than in volunteers who had lost fewer friends. People were also likely to engage in both short- and long-term volunteering if they were motivated by emotional goals (e.g., “to do something valuable”) than non-emotional goals.
doi.org/10.1111/ajpy.12217
Disclaimer: Published in InPsych on August 2019. The APS aims to ensure that information published in InPsych is current and accurate at the time of publication. Changes after publication may affect the accuracy of this information. Readers are responsible for ascertaining the currency and completeness of information they rely on, which is particularly important for government initiatives, legislation or best-practice principles which are open to amendment. The information provided in InPsych does not replace obtaining appropriate professional and/or legal advice.