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InPsych 2021 | Vol 43

April/May | Issue 2

InPsych 2021 | Vol 43

Education and research : Research snapshot

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Introversion and lockdown

Introverts rather than extraverts appear to have fared worse during lockdown.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that there is a common belief among the general public that introverts have fared better psychologically from social distancing and the various lockdown measures than extraverts. In an online survey 114 individuals (predominantly from the USA) completed measures of introversion and reported on the extent to which they experienced loneliness, anxiety, depression and cognitive impairments in relation to COVID-19-related changes to their circumstances. It was higher introversion rather than extraversion that was associated with higher levels of loneliness, depression and anxiety. That is, introverts experienced greater psychological impact of social distancing and lockdown measures than extroverts. Living with others was associated with experiencing more cognitive impairments and anxiety than living alone, but living condition did not predict loneliness and depressive symptoms.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.561609

PTSD measurement

An evaluation of self-report measures of PTSD symptoms in adults reveals the best ones.

An Australian team reviewed literature for measures of PTSD symptoms in adults and evaluated them for their psychometric properties and utility for clinical practice. Twenty-two self-report measures were found and evaluated. For nonspecific trauma the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) and the Short Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Rating Interview (SPRINT) were judged to be the most psychometrically valid measures, with the highest clinical utility scoring. The article also provides details of the evaluation of measures for 12 specific trauma exposure populations.

https://doi.org/10.1080/00049530.2021.1893615

Social media addiction

Frequent social media use does not appear to be a sign of addiction.

Researchers explored whether social media use might be associated with an attentional bias, one of the signs of addictive behaviour. Participants (n=99) were shown mock iPhone displays and asked to detect a target app (Siri or camera) as quickly and accurately as they could while trying to ignore the other apps in the display. In some experimental trials the ‘distractor apps’ were not social media apps, in others it was the social media app icon of one of the main platforms and in others the social media app icons had a red notification symbol on them. However, there was no evidence of an attentional bias to social media among those with higher levels of social media use. For example, those people who checked and posted on Facebook 10 times a day were not any more likely to have their attention captured by the Facebook distractor app (with or without notifications) than someone who only posted and checked their Facebook account once a week.

https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2021.00011

Student motivation

Self-determined motives lead to more adaptive education outcomes.

In a meta-analysis researchers examined how different types of motivation, as described in self-determination theory, relate to 26 performance, wellbeing, goal orientation and persistence-related student outcomes. Adaptive education outcomes were generally associated with more self-determined forms of motivation, while less self-determined motives were generally associated with more maladaptive outcomes. Theoretical and classroom implications are discussed. The results highlight the importance of enhancing student motivation and the relatives benefits and costs of different types of academic motivation.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691620966789

References

Disclaimer: Published in InPsych on May 2021. 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.

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