Jayde A. M. Flett

The Role of Personality Traits in Young Adult Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

This project investigated how individual differences in the big-five personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness, and agreeableness) predicted plant-food consumption in young adults. A total of 1073 participants from two samples of young adults aged 17–25 reported their daily servings of fruits, vegetables, and two unhealthy foods for comparison purposes using an Internet daily diary for 21 or 13 days (micro-longitudinal, correlational design). Participants also completed the Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) measure of personality, and demographic covariates including gender, age, ethnicity, and body mass index (BMI). Analyses used hierarchical regression to predict average daily fruit and vegetable consumption as separate dependent variables from the demographic covariates (step 1) and the five personality traits (step 2). Results showed that young adults higher in openness and extraversion, and to some extent conscientiousness, ate more fruits and vegetables than their less open, less extraverted, and less conscientious peers. Neuroticism and agreeableness were unrelated to fruit and vegetable consumption. These associations were unique to eating fruit and vegetables and mostly did not extend to unhealthy foods tested. Young adult women also ate more fruit and vegetables than young adult men. Results suggest that traits associated with greater intellect, curiosity, and social engagement (openness and extraversion), and to a lesser extent, discipline (conscientiousness) are associated with greater plant-food consumption in this population. Findings reinforce the importance of personality in establishing healthy dietary habits in young adulthood that could translate into better health outcomes later in life.

A text message intervention to reduce first year university students’ alcohol use: A pilot experimental study

Objective The aim of Orientation Week is to help new students acclimatize to university life. However, Orientation Week is characterized by heavy alcohol use and during this time students may develop drinking patterns that persist into the academic year. The aim of the current study was to refine a brief Ecological Momentary Intervention (EMI) and test its effectiveness in reducing students’ alcohol use during both Orientation Week and throughout the academic year. Method We conducted two focus groups with students who had received a pilot intervention. We then updated and trialled the intervention with students from two residential colleges (College 1 n = 117 and College 2 n = 269) who were assigned to either an Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) condition or an EMA-EMI condition. Students in both conditions reported their pre-university drinking and their drinking during Orientation Week and the academic year via text message. In addition to the EMA messages, during Orientation Week, participants in the EMA-EMI condition received messages highlighting the potential social consequences of heavy alcohol use. Results In College 1 those in the EMA-EMI condition consumed fewer drinks, relative to those in the EMA condition, across both Orientation Week (9.7 vs. 15.5; t(98) = 2.138, p = .018) and the academic year. (4.3 vs. 6.8; t(98) = 1.788, p = .039). There were, however, no significant differences between conditions in College 2. Conclusion The current findings suggest that EMIs may be successful under certain circumstances and may provide a simple, cost-effective means of intervening.

An intercept study to measure the extent to which New Zealand university students pre-game

Objective: We aimed to quantify the degree to which students pre‐gamed in New Zealand, using self‐report and breathalysers.

The accuracy and promise of personal breathalysers for research: Steps toward a cost-effective reliable measure of alcohol intoxication?

Objective Technology is continuing to shape the way we collect health data, including data on alcohol use. A number of technologies are being developed to objectively measure intoxication ‘in the wild’ without relying on self-report; the most immediate solution may be the use of personal breathalysers. In this study, we aimed to determine whether a cost-effective personal breathalyser would perform in a similar manner to a device used for roadside breath testing. Method We intercepted young adults (n = 337; 45% men) outside three concerts, administered 5-min interviews, and asked for breath samples on two devices (a personal breathalyser and a police-grade breathalyser). Results Participants reported having consumed an average of 7.3 standard drinks before the interview and had a mean Blood Alcohol Content of 0.077 g/dl on the police-grade device and 0.085 g/dl on the personal device. Difference scores suggested the personal breathalyser was more likely to over report Blood Alcohol Content (bias = 0.008 g/dl). Conclusion Although the personal device was more likely to over report Blood Alcohol Content compared with the police-grade device, the results suggest that personal devices could be used as a measure of Blood Alcohol Content when collecting data outside of the lab.

How responsive are government agencies when contacted by email? Findings from a longitudinal study in Australia and New Zealand

Abstract This article reports on findings from a longitudinal study of e-government responsiveness. Of course, a key expectation is that e-government will improve responsiveness. The article presents data collected at three intervals from 2006 to 2013 in a simple exercise that involved emailing government agencies in Australia and New Zealand asking for basic information. A total of 790 Australian and 115 New Zealand agencies were ranked according to whether they responded to the email and, if so, the quality of the response. Performances over time were relatively consistent in both countries, but highlighted some concerns for policy makers, especially in Australia around the responsiveness of their state and federal agencies. In a perhaps worrying trend, the quality of responses declined amongst both Australian and New Zealand local government agencies. This study offers an important lens on public sector performance, raising questions of responsiveness that every taxpayer whose money is being invested in e-government services ought to be concerned about.

Just a First-Year Thing? The Relations between Drinking During Orientation Week and Subsequent Academic Year Drinking Across Class Years

ABSTRACT Background: The goal of Orientation Week is to help new students adjust to university life. However, it is a period when many new students engage in excessive alcohol consumption and where problematic drinking patterns may be established. Objective: The objective is to determine whether returning students drink in a similar manner to students in their first-year of classes and whether Orientation Week drinking predicts semester drinking more strongly for first-year than returning students. Methods: We tested 552 students (18 to 25 years old) in their first, second, or third class year of university. Students reported their Orientation Week drinking and then completed daily drinking diaries for 13 consecutive days during the academic year. Results: Orientation Week drinking was similar across class years and also predicted academic year drinking for students in all class years. Conclusion/Importance: Drinking during Orientation Week is not just a first-year problem and prevention efforts should focus on all students.

Corrigendum: The Role of Personality Traits in Young Adult Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00119.].

Sharpen Your Pencils: Preliminary Evidence that Adult Coloring Reduces Depressive Symptoms and Anxiety

Adult coloring books have flooded the market with titles alluding to therapeutic value, yet it is unclear whether they fulfil that promise. Here, we tested whether adult coloring was related to improvements in psychological outcomes. Female university students (n = 104) were randomly assigned to a coloring intervention or a logic-puzzle control group. Participants completed an inventory of psychological measures (depressive symptoms, stress, anxiety, flourishing, resilience, mindfulness) and then participated in a 1-week intervention of either daily coloring or logic-puzzles. Following the intervention, participants again completed the inventory of psychological measures. Coloring participants showed significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety after the intervention, but control participants did not. We conclude that daily coloring can improve some negative psychological outcomes and that it may provide an effective, inexpensive, and highly accessible self-help tool for nonclinical samples.