Robert E. Wickham

Examining Temporal Processes in Diary Studies

Researchers have long recognized the utility of the diary method for studying variations in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Drawing on the idea that daily events have consequences that are realized both “in the moment” and prospectively over time, we describe a conceptual and statistical framework emphasizing the temporal aspect of diary data. Including temporal effects (i.e., Lagged and concurrent × Lagged terms) expands the scope of the hypothesis being tested by allowing the researcher to examine the association between prior day’s event on the current day’s outcome, as well as the extent to which a prior day’s event makes an individual more or less responsive to an event today. Finally, we provide a detailed description of the procedures necessary to prepare the dataset, and secondary analysis of data from a recently published study illustrates our recommendations.

Gaming-contingent self-worth, gaming motivation, and Internet Gaming Disorder

The relationship between problematic gaming behavior and self-esteem is well-documented (King & Delfabbro, 2014). Moreover, the basic needs component of Self-Determination Theory has also been proposed as an organizing framework to understand gaming motivation (Lafreniere, Verner-Filion, & Vallerand, 2012; Ryan, Rigby, & Przybylski, 2006). Building on these ideas, the current study describes the development of a measure of contingent self-worth (Crocker, Luhtanen, Cooper, & Bouvrette, 2003; Crocker & Wolfe, 2001) specific to gaming experiences within Massively-Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs), and explores the association between Gaming-Contingent Self-Worth (GCSW) and symptoms of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). A sample of MMORPG players was recruited through Amazons Mechanical Turk (nź=ź600) to evaluate the reliability and validity of a GCSW scale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was used to identify a 29-item measure comprised of four components, including validation seeking, reward orientation, competition focus, and detachment. Additional analyses supported the hypothesis that GCSW is a strong predictor of IGD symptoms, beyond the contribution of motivation based on behavioral activities within the game. A measure of Gaming-Contingent Self-Worth (GCSW) is developed.Factors of GCSW include validation seeking, reward orientation, competition focus, and detachment.Associations between GCSW and Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) are explored.GCSW predicts IGD beyond behavioral motives, weekly hours, and global self-esteem.

Identifying classes of conjoint alcohol and marijuana use in entering freshmen.

The current study identified classes of conjoint marijuana and alcohol use in entering college freshmen using latent profile analysis (N = 772; 53% male, 60% White; Mage = 18). Results yielded 4 distinct groups: Class 1 (moderate drinking with recent marijuana use: 22% of sample), Class 2 (moderate drinking with no recent marijuana use: 25%), Class 3 (light drinking with no recent marijuana use: 40%) and Class 4 (heavy drinking with recent marijuana use: 14%). Separate pairwise contrasts examined cross-class differences in demographics and drinking behaviors, comparing differences in drinking when current marijuana use was controlled (Class 1 vs. 4) and differences in marijuana use when drinking was held relatively constant (Class 1 vs. 2). Among moderate drinkers, recent marijuana users were more likely to drink more than intended, drink to get drunk, and had more problems (including higher rates of blackouts, physical injury, and DUI) relative to peers who refrained from marijuana. No cross-class differences were found for alcohol expectancies or behavioral motives. Findings from these analyses show the presence of distinct groups of conjoint users with different drinking behaviors and consequence profiles, and suggest that conjoint alcohol-marijuana use may be more problematic overall than single substance involvement and highlight the need for developing campus prevention and intervention programs that address the increased risk from polysubstance involvement.

Regulation strategies mediate associations between heavy drinking and relationship outcomes in married couples

Heavy drinking patterns during marriage can be problematic for both spouses and the relationship. Moreover, spouses use different strategies in an attempt to change their partners drinking behavior, which can impact the relationship in different ways. The current research examined whether associations between heavy drinking and marital adjustment are mediated by partner regulation strategies (i.e., punishment and reward). Married couples (N=123 dyads) with at least one spouse who consumed alcohol regularly and at least one undergraduate spouse completed web-based assessments at baseline and three and six months later. Mediation hypotheses were tested using a repeated-measures version of the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. As predicted, a significant partner effect emerged suggesting that heavy drinking was associated with greater use of punishment strategies, which were in turn associated with diminished satisfaction. Another significant partner effect revealed that heavy drinking also predicted greater use of reward strategies, which were positively associated with satisfaction. However, the magnitude of the indirect effects via punishment was more than twice as large as the mediated effect via reward. Results underscore the importance of an interdependent, dyadic perspective in understanding associations between heavy drinking and marital outcomes as well as differences between punishing and rewarding regulation strategies in these associations.

Variability in Pregaming Typologies Across the Freshman Year: A Multi-wave Latent Transition Analysis.

ABSTRACT Background: Though research is rapidly expanding on pregaming and related risks, studies have not yet identified discrete subtypes of college pregamers or modeled how class membership changes across critical times like college entry. Objectives: Latent Transition Analysis (LTA) identified classes of pregaming behaviors in entering college students and described transitions in latent statuses across the freshman year. Methods: Students with prior alcohol use (N = 711; 51.3% female; 63% White; Mage = 18) were surveyed at orientation and re-assessed at three follow-ups (Fall, Winter, and Spring). Items assessed overall drinking (past 30-day, number of binge episodes), pregaming (typical quantity, normativity relative to overall use, estimated pregaming BAC, drinks consumed post-pregaming event), and problems (overall and pregaming-specific). Results: LTA modeling yielded three distinct classes of pregaming membership (Low, Medium and High) that varied as a function of both overall use and pregaming practices. Evaluation of changes over the year indicated the greatest movement occurred immediately upon college entry, with significantly less movement was seen across the remainder of the year. Cross-class comparisons across all four time points showed clear differences in alcohol-related problems (overall as well as pregaming-specific), with students in the High class reporting markedly higher levels of problems on all domains. Conclusions/Importance: Overall, there appears to be considerable heterogeneity in pregaming behaviors, across both students and time that are directly related to differential levels of problems. Findings highlight the need to screen students early for risky drinking practices, including pregaming, and include pregaming-specific material in their campus screening and intervention programming.

Newcomer Immigrant Adolescents: A Mixed-Methods Examination of Family Stressors and School Outcomes.

Family stressors predict negative psychological outcomes for immigrant adolescents, yet little is known about how such stressors interact to predict school outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the interactive role of family stressors on school outcomes for newcomer adolescent immigrants. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, we used quantitative methods to explore interactions between family separation, acculturative family conflict, and family life events to predict 2 school outcomes, academic achievement (via grade point average [GPA]), and externalizing problems (student- and teacher-reported). The sample included 189 newcomer immigrant public high school students from 34 countries of origin. Quantitative measures included the Multicultural Events Scale for Adolescents, Family Conflicts Scale, and the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA). Qualitative data were collected through a semi-structured interview. Quantitative results found that more family life events were associated with lower GPA, but this association was weaker for participants who had been separated from their parents. More family conflict was associated with more externalizing symptoms (both youth- and teacher-reported). However, the association between family conflict and teacher-reported externalizing symptoms was found only among participants reporting a greater than average number of life events. Qualitative results show that separation from extended family networks was among the most stressful of experiences, and demonstrate the highly complex nature of each family stressor domain. At a time when immigration is rapidly changing our school system, a better understanding of early risk factors for new immigrants can help teachers, administrators, and mental health practitioners to identify students with greatest need to foster behavioral, academic, and emotional well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record

Relationship partners have shared scripts for conversations about the relationship: A replication and extension

The first experimental study of relationship talk (N = 42 couples) showed that when couples read stories about spouses who talked to each other about their relationships, such talk had different outcomes for the spouses, depending on the context and which partner was speaking. We replicated and improved upon this study in a number of ways (e.g. sample size and composition, new dependent variable, more standardized materials, more sophisticated and appropriate statistical techniques). Findings were almost identical to those of the earlier study including three-way interactions. Results (N = 238 couples) showed that when spouses talked about their relationship with each other, they were seen to have more positive outcomes, including closeness, than when they did not talk about their relationship. Further, relationship talk appeared to be especially positive in conflictive situations, but the effects of such talk were much weaker in pleasant situations. These findings were conceptualized as evidence of shared scripts for relationship conversations. Clinical implications are discussed.

Butch, Femme, and Androgynous Gender Identities Within Female Same-Sex Couples: An Actor-Partner Analysis.

Although prior research has examined butch/femme identity among individual sexual minority women, this was the first study to examine these identities among partners in female same-sex relationships in a population-based study of couples (N = 376 women, mean relationship duration 20.5 years). Chi-square tests revealed that butch and femme women tended to pair with each other, and so did androgynous with androgynous women, compared with butch/butch, femme/femme, femme/androgynous, or butch/androgynous pairs. In addition, actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) analysis was used to examine the association between dyad member’s identity and individual-level outcomes. APIM analysis revealed significant actor effects suggesting that women who endorsed a more femme identity reported higher relationship autonomy, but more negative dimensions of lesbian, gay, bixisual identity than those who identified as butch or androgynous. In addition, significant partner effects revealed that being in a relationship with a woman who identified as femme was associated with higher income, fewer hours of self-reported housework, a stronger endorsement of heteronormative attitudes, and lower levels of outness. Finally, no evidence of matching effects (Actor × Partner) were found. In addition, gender identity was not related to relationship satisfaction.

Trying to remember: Effort mediates the relationship between frequency of cannabis use and memory performance

ABSTRACT Introduction: While many studies suggest that regular cannabis use leads to deficits in cognitive functioning, particularly in memory, few have measured effort put forth during testing, and none have examined this as a potential mediator. Both age of onset of regular cannabis use and frequency of use have been linked to increased risk of memory deficits. The present study sought to determine whether effort mediated the relationship between frequency or age of onset of cannabis use and learning and memory performance. Method: Sixty-two participants (74% male, mean age = 19.25 years) who met criteria for chronic cannabis use (four or more days per week for at least 12 months) completed a neuropsychological battery including the California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT-II) and the Rey Complex Figure (RCF) as measures of learning and memory, and the Word Memory Test (WMT) as a measure of effort put forth during neuropsychological assessment. Results: Participants who more frequently used cannabis exhibited poorer effort (as measured by WMT performance; p < .01). Bootstrapping yielded 95% confidence intervals for indirect effects and revealed that effort significantly mediated the relationship between frequency of cannabis use and CVLT-II Learning (Sum of Trials 1–5), CVLT-II Delayed Recall, and RCF Delayed Recall, but not RCF Immediate Recall. Age of onset of cannabis use was not significantly related to effort. Conclusions: Findings indicate that effort mediates the relationship between frequency of cannabis use and performance on learning and memory measures, suggesting that effort performance should be measured and controlled for in future studies assessing cognition in frequent cannabis users.

Longitudinal predictors of relationship dissolution among same-sex and heterosexual couples.

Although divorce is relatively common, there is little research on long-term predictors of relationship dissolution among heterosexual married couples, and even less on same-sex couples. The present study examined longitudinal predictors of relationship dissolution among male–male couples, female–female couples, and heterosexual married couples over a 12-year period. Women in same-sex relationships were more likely to have dissolved their relationship than were men in same-sex couples and heterosexual married couples. There were no differences in dissolution rates between same-sex couples who had legalized their relationship and those who had not. Being in a shorter relationship, reporting lower relationship quality, and having had sex outside the relationship predicted dissolution; other factors predicted dissolution among same-sex female and heterosexual couples but not male–male couples.