Derek Larkin

Learning from experience: the expectations and experiences of first‐year undergraduate psychology students

Single‐honours psychology students at an English university were asked about their expectations and experiences at the start and the end of their first year. Students without a pre‐university (A‐level) qualification in psychology (n = 37: 22%) felt less well‐prepared for studying psychology than students with an A‐level qualification (n = 132: 78%) at the beginning of the year. Both groups felt equally confident about their understanding of psychology at the end of it. Specific difficulties with research methods, statistics and the scientific nature of the course were common to both groups, and both groups reported considerably more difficulties with studying at the end of the year than they did at the start. Some possible ways of alleviating these difficulties are discussed.

Twenty Years of Stereotype Threat Research: A Review of Psychological Mediators.

This systematic literature review appraises critically the mediating variables of stereotype threat. A bibliographic search was conducted across electronic databases between 1995 and 2015. The search identified 45 experiments from 38 articles and 17 unique proposed mediators that were categorized into affective/subjective (n = 6), cognitive (n = 7) and motivational mechanisms (n = 4). Empirical support was accrued for mediators such as anxiety, negative thinking, and mind-wandering, which are suggested to co-opt working memory resources under stereotype threat. Other research points to the assertion that stereotype threatened individuals may be motivated to disconfirm negative stereotypes, which can have a paradoxical effect of hampering performance. However, stereotype threat appears to affect diverse social groups in different ways, with no one mediator providing unequivocal empirical support. Underpinned by the multi-threat framework, the discussion postulates that different forms of stereotype threat may be mediated by distinct mechanisms.

The relationships of ‘ecstasy’ (MDMA) and cannabis use to impaired executive inhibition and access to semantic long-term memory

This study aimed to examine the relationship between the consumption of ecstasy (3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)) and cannabis, and performance on the random letter generation task which generates dependent variables drawing upon executive inhibition and access to semantic long‐term memory (LTM). The participant group was a between‐participant independent variable with users of both ecstasy and cannabis (E/C group, n = 15), users of cannabis but not ecstasy (CA group, n = 13) and controls with no exposure to these drugs (CO group, n = 12). Dependent variables measured violations of randomness: number of repeat sequences, number of alphabetical sequences (both drawing upon inhibition) and redundancy (drawing upon access to semantic LTM). E/C participants showed significantly higher redundancy than CO participants but did not differ from CA participants. There were no significant effects for the other dependent variables. A regression model comprising intelligence measures and estimates of ecstasy and cannabis consumption predicted redundancy scores, but only cannabis consumption contributed significantly to this prediction. Impaired access to semantic LTM may be related to cannabis consumption, although the involvement of ecstasy and other stimulant drugs cannot be excluded here. Executive inhibitory functioning, as measured by the random letter generation task, is unrelated to ecstasy and cannabis consumption. Copyright

The interface between chronic fatigue syndrome and depression: A psychobiological and neurophysiological conundrum

The chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) remains a contentious and controversial presentation despite decades of systematic research from a variety of medical specialties and associated disciplines. Variously championed as a condition of immunological, neurological, neurophysiological, psychiatric or psychological origin, consensus on a cogent and evidenced-based pathway has yet to be achieved. Irrespective of the ambiguity regarding aetiology, what is incontrovertible is the experience of significant depression, which often accompanies this most distressing clinical presentation. The current paper examines the potential underlying mechanisms, which may determine and explain this relationship between CFS and depression. In doing so, it offers some insights, which may be of value in the development of evidence-based and scientifically-anchored interventions in individuals experiencing this diagnosis, to improve outcomes in relation to depression specifically and quality of life more generally.

A proposal for the inclusion of ‘obesity dysmorphia’ in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

Obesity is a heterogeneous condition with a complex and incomplete etiology; however, there is growing evidence for considering the salience of obesity for the psychiatric nomenclature. Currently, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) does not adequately categorize individuals with marked distress in relation to quantifiable aesthetic concerns such as obesity.

Commentary on Phillipou et al. (2018), Anorexia nervosa: Eating disorder or body image disorder?

Phillipou et al. (2017) assert that anorexia nervosa (AN) should be thought of as a body image disorder (BID), and not as it is currently categorized as an eating disorder (ED, American Psychiatric Association, 2013). They propose that the change in description may serve as a more valuable and accurate portrayal of the illness, and suggest that conceptualizing AN as an ED is too simplistic and thus misleading. Phillipou et al. (2017) examine the view that AN is somehow different from other eating disorders such as pica, rumination disorder, avoidance/restricted food intake disorder, binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa, because at its core AN is fundamentally an illness of ‘body image’. A parallel objective of Phillipou et al. (2017) is to alter the general public’s perception of AN, from one in which the public believe the AN patient is principally driven by disordered eating behaviour in order to reduce body fat, to one in which the patients’ overriding stimulus is actually body image.

Minimum Sample Size Requirements for a Validation Study of The Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale-Revision 4 (SQLS-R4)

Purpose: The Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale-Revision 4 (SQLS-R4) is a widely used self-report quality of life measure used in a broad range of clinical contexts, from primary research to clinical trials. International use of the measure has led to translated versions validated for local context. Most translation and validation studies of the SQLS-R4 have been conducted with modest N, at the threshold of acceptability of even the most liberal recommendations for validation studies. Given the comparatively large number of items in the SQLS-R4 (N=33), low N studies could potentially be underpowered limiting validity and reliability. Using sample sizes from published studies as a baseline, the current investigation sought to determine a minimum sample size for an SQLS-R4 translation/validation study. Methods: A model specification based on the two-factor structure of the SQLS-R4 was constructed to calculate an acceptable model fit based on the sample size used in most SQLS-R4 translation/validation studies (N=100). A series of Monte Carlo simulations was then conducted to determine the sample size required to offer a good fit to data for an adequately powered study. Results: The series of simulations conducted suggests that a minimum sample size for an adequately powered validation/translation study of the SQLS-R4 to provide a good fit to data is N=160. Conclusion: Sample size determination of SQLS-R4 validation/translation studies should be informed by the intrinsic measurement characteristics of the measure to ensure an adequately powered study.

Issues Surrounding the Relationship Between Sexual Function and Bariatric Surgery

Sexual function (SF) disorder is common among those seeking surgical intervention for excessive weight. Symptoms of sexual dysfunction (SD) can manifest in any one of the phases of the sexual response cycle, which include desire, excitement, orgasm, and finally, resolution. Females more than males have a greater impairment in sexual quality-of-life (QoL), and greater sexual difficulties prior to weight loss surgery. For example, they may report significant impairment in most domains of SF, including sexual desire, sexual arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and sexual satisfaction. Following bariatric surgery, however, women are more likely to report that their self-esteem had increased and anxiety around sex had diminished; they also report more intense feelings of desire and arousal. SD in males manifests primarily as erectile dysfunction (ED) or premature ejaculation. Following bariatric surgery, male ED and sexual QoL tend to normalize once weight is lost; a few studies have reported variations in sperm production and quality, but more research is required.

Does Body Dysmorphic Disorder Have Implications for Bariatric Surgery

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a condition in which an individual perceives an area of their body to be fundamentally flawed. Individuals may notice small imperceptible blemishes that become the epicenter for obsessional repetitive ritualistic behaviors that can force them to spend many hours in front of mirrors examining and reexamining the same area. Any area of the body may become the perceived area of attention, but in general the most frequently reported areas are hair, face, breasts, stomach, and thighs. These problem areas may be explored for up to 8 hours/day. There is a strong association with obsessive–compulsive disorder, and BDD is found in 37% of those with the condition, with a lifetime prevalence of 83%. Even though the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has no specific diagnostic category for BDD within an obese population, evidence has shown that many individuals seeking weight loss surgery report a number of psychological and physiological reasons. Body image dissatisfaction is a major contributing factor in the motivation to elect for surgical intervention. The events that occur after bariatric surgery with regards to BDD, body image, and quality-of-life (QoL) have remained largely unexplored. However, studies suggest that the antecedents to BDD, including anxiety and depression, are reported to be much improved following bariatric surgery. Individuals who have dramatic and relatively sudden weight loss following bariatric surgery often have postoperative skin folds. The skin folds can become a source of frustration and anxiety, and can even prevent further weight loss. It is suggested that the individual’s new body image may become a source of deep frustration, shame, and even humiliation.