Joyce Maas

Make the manikin move: Symbolic approach–avoidance responses affect implicit and explicit face evaluations

The present research aimed to replicate and extend findings of Huijding, Muris, Lester, Field, and Joosse (2011), investigating whether symbolic approach–avoidance responses can induce implicit and explicit evaluation biases. Faces with a neutral expression were shown on a computer screen, and participants were instructed to repeatedly move a manikin towards some faces (approach) and away from other faces (avoidance). An affective priming task and a face rating task were used to assess training-compatible differences in implicit and explicit face evaluations, respectively. Results showed that the manikin training was successful: The priming task revealed more positive implicit evaluations of approached than avoided faces, and approached faces were rated more positively than avoided ones in the face rating task. These findings replicate those of Huijding and colleagues by demonstrating training effects on explicit evaluations, and they extend them by demonstrating effects on implicit evaluations.

Comorbidity and quality of life in adults with hair pulling disorder

Hair pulling disorder (HPD; trichotillomania) is thought to be associated with significant psychiatric comorbidity and functional impairment. However, few methodologically rigorous studies of HPD have been conducted, rendering such conclusions tenuous. The following study examined comorbidity and psychosocial functioning in a well-characterized sample of adults with HPD (N=85) who met DSM-IV criteria, had at least moderate hair pulling severity, and participated in a clinical trial. Results revealed that 38.8% of individuals with HPD had another current psychiatric diagnosis and 78.8% had another lifetime (present and/or past) psychiatric diagnosis. Specifically, HPD showed substantial overlap with depressive, anxiety, addictive, and other body-focused repetitive behavior disorders. The relationships between certain comorbidity patterns, hair pulling severity, current mood and anxiety symptoms, and quality of life were also examined. Results showed that current depressive symptoms were the only predictor of quality of life deficits. Implications of these findings for the conceptualization and treatment of HPD are discussed.

Implicit stigmatization-related biases in individuals with skin conditions and their significant others

OBJECTIVE Stigmatization is common in people with chronic skin conditions and may also affect their significant others (SOs). The fast and implicit processing of stigmatization-related stimuli has received little attention in these populations; however, such knowledge may offer indications for new treatment methods. This study aimed to investigate implicit processing of stigmatization-related stimuli in people with skin conditions and their SOs. METHOD A modified Stroop task and 2 approach-avoidance tasks were administered to participants with chronic skin conditions (alopecia: n = 50 and psoriasis: n = 50); their significant others (alopecia SOs: n = 47 and psoriasis SOs: n = 50); and controls (n = 50). The aim was to examine attentional and behavioral biases toward disease-related and social threat-related stigmatization stimuli. RESULTS An attentional bias to disease-related stimuli was found in participants with alopecia and their SOs, compared with controls (p < .001). This effect was not found for participants with psoriasis and their SOs. Increased behavioral avoidance of disgusted faces was found in participants with psoriasis and their SOs, compared with controls (p = .047). This effect was not found in participants with alopecia and their SOs. CONCLUSIONS These results provide support for the idea that individuals with skin conditions and their SOs are characterized by a stigmatization-related stimulus bias regarding implicit cognitive and behavioral reactions, in comparison to healthy individuals. Furthermore, preliminary results suggest that these processes may differ across skin conditions, with people with psoriasis being more affected by social reactions (i.e., disgusted faces) and people with alopecia by disease-related cues possibly related to internalized self-stigma. (PsycINFO Database Record

Does a Dieting Goal Affect Automatic Cognitive Processes and Their Trainability

This study investigated implicit self-control dispositions—implicit approach tendencies towards low-caloric food rather than towards high-caloric food—in dieters. Action tendencies were assessed and trained using the Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT). Additionally, positive/negative affective associations [Brief Implicit Association Test (BIAT)], approach/avoidance associations (BIAT), and attentional biases [Dot Probe Task (DPT)] were assessed before and after training. Before training, dieters showed a more negative affective association with high-caloric food than non-dieters (positive/negative BIAT), consistent with the presence of self-control dispositions. On the AAT, all participants, not just dieters, showed more approach of low-caloric food than of high-caloric food. Results of neither the approach/avoidance BIAT nor the DPT showed any indication of implicit self-control dispositions. This study also investigated whether implicit self-control dispositions interfered with AAT training effects. This did not seem to be the case, as action tendencies could be strengthened even further. Moreover, training effects generalized to the DPT.

Attachment, Emotion Regulation and Adult Crying

Attachment serves to facilitate the contact with and proximity to the primary caregiver, in that way contributing to a safe exploration of the environment. However, due to inconsistencies in the reaction of the caregiver or her/his absence, insecure attachment styles may develop. This chapter summarizes attachment theory and assessment issues and describes how these attachment processes may exert a life-time influence on emotion regulation. While securely attached individuals can deal adequately with both positive and negative emotions, dismissively attached individuals develop a strong tendency to suppress or deactivate negative affect. In contrast, preoccupied attached individuals hyperactivate negative affect to get attention from their attachment figure. Since there is a close connection between emotion regulation and well-being, this may explain why securely attached individuals generally have more satisfying relationships and a better well-being than their insecurely attached counterparts.

The Self-Control Cognition Questionnaire Cognitions in the Maintenance of Unwanted Habits

Self-control cognitions arise right before or after someone gives in to an unwanted habit. This paper reports on the development of the 11-item Self-Control Cognition Questionnaire (SCCQ) in a series of three studies. In the first study (N = 308), we found that the SCCQ has a two-factor structure and is reliable. The factors were named “Giving way is rewarding” and “Resistance is impossible.” The construct validity of the SCCQ was assessed in the second study (N = 138). As expected, the SCCQ correlated positively and strongly with the preoccupation with unwanted habits and with the experience of craving, and correlations with one’s tendency to consider the long-term consequences of actions were small. The third study demonstrated that the SCCQ discriminates between patients with habit disorders (N = 63) and controls with non-pathological unwanted habits (N = 106). The SCCQ was sensitive to therapeutic change in two patient samples, one suffering from hair pulling disorder and the other from pathological skin picking. The SCCQ is applicable to unwanted habits in general, both pathological and non-pathological. It is proven to have sound psychometric properties and is suitable for use in practice.

Assessment of Tobacco-Related Approach and Attentional Biases in Smokers, Cravers, Ex-Smokers, and Non-Smokers

According to theories of addictive behaviors, approach and attentional biases toward smoking-related cues play a crucial role in tobacco dependence. Several studies have investigated these biases by using various paradigms in different sample types. However, this heterogeneity makes it difficult to compare and evaluate the results. The present study aimed to address this problem, via (i) a structural comparison of different measures of approach-avoidance and a measure of smoking-related attentional biases, and (ii) using within one study different representative samples in the context of tobacco dependence. Three measures of approach-avoidance were employed: an Approach Avoidance Task (AAT), a Stimulus Response Compatibility Task (SRC), and a Single Target Implicit Association Test (ST-IAT). To assess attentional biases, a modified Stroop task including smoking-related words was administered. The study included four groups: n = 58 smokers, n = 57 non-smokers, n = 52 cravers, and n = 54 ex-smokers. We expected to find strong tobacco-related approach biases and attentional biases in smokers and cravers. However, the general pattern of results did not confirm these expectations. Approach responses assessed during the AAT and SRC did not differ between groups. Moreover, the Stroop did not show the expected interference effect. For the ST-IAT, cravers had stronger approach associations toward smoking-related cues, whereas non-smokers showed stronger avoidance associations. However, no such differences in approach-avoidance associations were found in smokers and ex-smokers. To conclude, these data do not provide evidence for a strong role of implicit approach and attentional biases toward smoking-related cues in tobacco dependency.

Het effect van actieve coping in protocollaire behandeling

SamenvattingEen actieve copingstijl hangt samen met een betere gezondheid. Daarnaast suggereert eerder onderzoek dat cliënten met een actieve copingstijl betere therapieresultaten behalen dan cliënten met een passieve copingstijl. In deze studie is onderzocht of cliënten met een passieve copingstijl sneller uitvallen en minder van therapie profiteren dan cliënten met een actieve copingstijl, wanneer zij allemaal dezelfde, actieve behandeling krijgen. Het bleek dat cliënten met een passieve copingstijl niet sneller uitvallen dan en evenveel profiteren van protocollaire, groepsgewijze cognitieve gedragstherapie als cliënten met een actieve copingstijl. Wel bleken cliënten met een passieve copingstijl gedurende de hele behandeling meer klachten te hebben dan cliënten met een actieve copingstijl, wat impliceert dat een actieve coping gezonder is dan een passieve coping. Uit ons onderzoek blijkt dat beide cliëntengroepen in gelijke mate profiteren van een actieve protocollaire behandeling. AbstractAn active coping style correlates with better health outcomes. Previous research also suggests that clients with active coping skills perform better in therapy than clients with passive coping skills. We investigated whether clients with a relative passive coping style benefitted less from therapy and had a higher drop-out rate than clients with a relative active coping style. This did not seem to be the case. Clients with relatively passive coping skills did not show a higher drop-out rate and did not benefit less from an active standardized therapy than relatively active clients. Clients with passive coping skills experienced more symptoms than clients with active coping skills, which indicates that an active coping style is healthier than passive coping. To conclude, patients with active and passive coping skills both benefit just as much from an active, standardized, cognitive-behavioural therapy.

Approach-avoidance, attentional and evaluation biases in hair pulling disorder and their relationship with symptom severity

ABSTRACT The present study examined approach-avoidance, attentional and evaluation biases in Hair Pulling Disorder (HPD). Although none of the tasks showed indications of biased action tendencies in response to hair pulling-related pictures, or biased attention for hair pulling-related words, we found that patients were slower to react to hair pulling-related stimuli than to neutral stimuli. This slowing down may indicate that patients are ambivalent towards hair pulling. This “ambivalence” positively correlated with HPD symptom severity, but only on one of the three severity measures we assessed. Concerning action tendencies towards hair pulling-related words, patients were, however, faster to react to hair pulling-related words when compared to words related to resisting hair pulling. Future research is needed to disentangle this ambivalent response pattern in HPD.

The attraction of sugar: An association between Body Mass Index and impaired avoidance of sweet snacks

The present study investigated implicit approach-avoidance action tendencies towards snack foods (pictorial Approach-Avoidance Task), implicit approach-avoidance associations (verbal approach-avoidance Single-Target IAT) and affective associations (verbal positive-negative Single-Target IAT) with snack foods in a group of unselected student participants (N = 83). Participants with higher BMI scores had more difficulty to avoid sweet, but not salty snack foods on the Approach-Avoidance Task. Furthermore, as shown by both Single-Target IATs, there were no significant associations between BMI on the one hand and approach-avoidance associations and positive-negative affective associations on the other hand. BMI did show a positive correlation with errors made on all tasks. The results found on the Approach-Avoidance Task suggest that not increased approach, but impaired avoidance of sweet snacks, might be related to increased BMI. However, more research is needed to further disentangle these findings.