Effects of stress and anxiety on the processing of threat stimuli.

Two experiments extended the work of C. MacLeod and A. Mathews (see record 1989-23867-001) and examined whether a cognitive bias for threat information is a function of state or trait anxiety. Color-naming and attention deployment tasks were used to assess the effects of a stress manipulation procedure on attentional responses in high and low trait anxious Ss. Ss under high stress selectively allocated processing resources toward threat stimuli, irrespective of their trait anxiety level. There was no consistent evidence of a cognitive bias associated with trait anxiety, and the effect of the stress manipulation did not apppear to be mediated by state anxiety. It was suggested that trait factors do not modify attentional biases associated with acute stress but may influence such biases when stress is prolonged. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trait memory and behavior memory: The effects of alternative pathways on impression judgment response times.

The 1st author (1980) and J. H. Lingle (see record 1984-15004-001) argued that remembered behaviors, previous trait inferences, or both may be accessed and used in making new trait inferences. This argument is related to a spreading activation model of memory, and factors that should affect the relative accessibility of inferences and behaviors during trait judgment processes are suggested. A study with 112 undergraduates varied several of these factors and assessed accessibility, using response-time methods. Results support the model's prediction that prompting inference formation facilitates subsequent trait judgment response times, but only when relevant behavior memories have not been recently primed. It is theorized that the inference manipulations used in this study strengthened the direct pathway to a relevant trait concept, but that the strength of this pathway was immaterial to judgment response times when a "proximal prime" directed retrieval efforts along an alternative "behavioral" route to the trait information. Results also suggest that the proximal behavior prime facilitated trait responses among Ss who had not been induced to make trait inferences, but slowed trait responses among Ss who had previously been induced to make trait inferences. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Just as arbitrary as ever: Comments on Zuckerman's rejoinder.

Responds to M. Zuckerman's (see record 1984-00261-001) comment on the authors' (see record 1982-09834-001) paper that argued that trait–state distinctions are arbitrary. It is concluded that without the state–trait distinction, psychologists would be free to use whatever measure "works best" for a given task and thus, state–trait labels for methods of measurement would no longer act as prohibitions against the use of the methods wherever these might provide successful prediction. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-schema and social information processing.

Tested the hypothesis that desirability of self-rating on a trait is predictive of the way information related to that trait is processed during the perception of others. In Exps I and II, 122 undergraduates' self-ratings on 15 traits and yes-no response latencies in person perception were collected. Desirability of self-rating on a trait was related to the perceived general desirability of the trait. This relation was hypothesized to reflect an influence of the self on person perception processes. Consistent with research by the present author (see record 1984-06453-001) on self-image bias, 2 alternative models of this influence were proposed: defensive and cognitive. In Exp III, 72 undergraduates' self-perceptions were manipulated by either positive or negative feedback. Results support the defensive model and indicate that even small situational changes in self-perceptions are capable of producing specific changes in the way an individual processes information about others. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conceptual note on state, trait, and the state–trait distinction.

Discusses the conceptual bases of the state–trait distinction and suggests that the distinction, though more complex than previously appreciated, is conceptually viable. B. P. Allen and C. R. Potkay's (see record 1982-09834-001) contention that the state–trait distinction is arbitrary is rejected. Rather than attempting to reduce the state–trait distinction to a single dimension, the author proposes 4 overlapping but distinct dimensions as underlying current professional uses of the distinction: duration, continuous vs reactive manifestation, concreteness vs abstractness, and situational causality vs personal causality. Parallels are drawn between these dimensions and aspects of the broader concepts of occurrence and disposition, and the concepts of state and trait are described as applications in psychology of these broader concepts. It is argued that a clearer understanding of the concepts of state and trait will facilitate theory and research. (42 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A two-(and-a-half)-tiered trait taxonomy.

Comments on L. R. Goldberg's (see record 1993-17546-001) history of the Big Five personality trait taxonomy. In particular, a subtheme of a 2-tiered trait hierarchy with the possibility of a partial 3rd level is addressed. It is suggested that psychoticism contains 3 of the Big Five factors, which means that its internal consistency would not be as great as that of extraversion or neuroticism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the evaluative factor in the trait scales of Peabody's study of trait inferences.

In 2 factor analyses of trait inferences, an analysis of antecedent terms and an analysis of trait scales, D. Peabody (see record 1968-03876-001) did not find an evaluative factor. S. Rosenberg and K. Olshan (see record 1971-04168-001) criticized Peabody's analysis of antecedent terms, having found an evaluative dimension by the use of distance measures. The present reanalysis of Peabody's data also yielded a clearly evaluative dimension in the trait scales. The resulting factors, except the evaluative one, were identical to Peabody's antecedent term factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality pathology is dimensional, so what shall we do with the DSM-IV personality disorder categories? The case of narcissistic personality disorder: Comment on Miller and Campbell (2010).

What is narcissism? Is it a dimensional personality trait? Is it the core element of a categorical form of psychopathology? Miller and Campbell (see record 2010-17135-004) present a thoughtful, scholarly, and well-written review of a substantial literature aimed at synthesizing research on trait narcissism and contemplating its relevance to the category of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). They also present an argument that research on trait narcissism should be used to help propel research on NPD, as explicated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM–IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994). This latter argument is somewhat surprising in the context of the rest of Miller and Campbell’s article and it is the focus of my commentary. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Resting metabolic rate is influenced by anxiety in college men

The effects of psychological parameters on resting metabolic rate (RMR) have been inadequately researched. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between anxiety and RMR. Seventy-nine male college students completed the trait portion (form Y-2) of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (C. D. Spielberger, R. L. Gorsuch, R. Lushene, P. R. Vagg, and G. A. Jacobs. Self-evaluation questionnaire (form Y). In: Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA, Consulting Psychologists Press, 1983) as a screening. Volunteers whose trait anxiety scores were > or = 1 SD above (52.7 +/- 2.7, n = 9) or below (26.5 +/- 3.0, n = 11) the male college student normal values (38 +/- 9) participated in the study. Fat-free weight was assessed using a seven-site skinfold equation (A. S. Jackson and M. L. Pollock. Phys. Sports Med. 13: 76-90, 1985). Resting metabolism was measured (Sensormedics metabolic cart model 2900) at two separate trials (1-2 wk apart) in the early morning after a 12-h fast and 36 h postexercise. An analysis of covariance with fat-free weight as the covariate revealed a significantly greater (P < 0.005) RMR in the high trait anxious group than in the low trait anxious group. State anxiety (form Y-1) assessments made before and after each RMR measurement revealed a significant main effect of group such that state anxiety was higher in the high trait anxious than in the low trait anxious group for both trials before and after RMR measurement. Moreover, a significant (P < 0.003) main effect for the time factor was found showing that state anxiety was reduced after the RMR procedure. The results of this study show that a statistically significant portion of the variance in RMR can be accounted for by individual differences in anxiety.     

Traits as dimensions or categories? Developmental change in the understanding of trait terms.

Recent research has suggested that young children have relatively well-developed trait concepts. However, this literature overlooks potential age-related differences in children's appreciation of the fundamentally dimensional nature of traits. In Study 1, we presented 4-, 5-, and 7-year-old children and adults with sets of characters and asked them to indicate the preferences of a target character who shared appearance attributes with one character (appearance match) and shared a common trait with the other character (trait match). Traits were presented in a way that emphasized either their categorical or their dimensional nature. When the dimensional nature of trait terms was emphasized, the youngest children made fewer trait-based inferences, and the use of traits increased with age. In Study 2, we gave 4-year-old children and adults the same task except that the extent to which appearance cues could serve as a meaningful basis of judgment was varied. Results were consistent with the findings of Study 1, although children were more likely to rely on dimensional presentations of traits in the absence of strong appearance cues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"When are social judgments made? Evidence for the spontaneousness of trait inferences": Correction to Winter and Uleman.

Reports an error in "When are social judgments made? Evidence for the spontaneousness of trait inferences" by Laraine Winter and James S. Uleman (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1984[Aug], Vol 47[2], 237-252). There are errors in the labeling of Figure 1 on p. 244. The ordinate percentages should be three times greater than indicated. In addition, the algebraic formula in the note for Table 2 on p. 245 is incorrect. The correct ordinate percentages and the correct algebraic formula are provided in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1985-01259-001.) Adapted E. Tulving and D. M. Thomson's (see record 2005-09647-002) encoding specificity paradigm for 2 recall experiments with 153 undergraduates to investigate whether Ss would make trait inferences without intentions or instructions at the encoding stage of processing behavioral information. Under memory instructions only, Ss read sentences describing people performing actions that implied traits. Later, Ss recalled each sentence under 1 of 3 cuing conditions: a dispositional cue (e.g., generous); a strong, nondispositional semantic associate to an important sentence word; or no cue. Results show that recall was best when cued by the disposition words. Ss were unaware of having made trait inferences. Interpreted in terms of encoding specificity, findings indicate that Ss unintentionally made trait inferences at encoding. It is suggested that attributions are made spontaneously, as part of the routine comprehension of social events. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessment of risk for substance use disorder consequent to consumption of illegal drugs: Psychometric validation of the neurobehavior disinhibition trait.

Previous research has shown that the trait neurobehavior disinhibition (ND), which consists of affect, behavior, and cognitive indicators of self-regulation, is a significant predictor of substance use disorder (SUD) between childhood and young adulthood. The authors evaluated the psychometric properties of the ND trait in 278 boys evaluated at ages 10-12 and 16 years. ND score significantly predicted SUD and outcomes that commonly manifest in tandem with SUD by age 19, such as violence, arrests, committing crime while intoxicated, and concussion injury. In addition to predictive validity, the ND trait was found to have good construct, discriminative, and concurrent validity, as well as good test-retest and internal reliability. The ND trait may be useful for detecting youths at high risk for developing SUD and related outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

In search of an evaluative factor: Comments on de Broeck.

Argues that P. de Boeck's (see record 1979-22559-001) analysis of the author's (see record 1968-03876-001) analysis of trait scales is related to 2 contexts: the traditional methods of factor analysis and the substantive history of an evaluative factor. Three issues are considered: (a) Because de Boeck's procedure differs from the one that is traditional for ability tests, features of the trait inference data that make his analysis possible are examined. (b) Since de Boeck's evaluative factor differs from the historical one that was clearly the largest, the relative importance of evaluation is determined. (c) When de Boeck discards the traditional policy of rotation to simple structure, a justification for a more explicit general argument is considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Longitudinal Structure of the Children's Depression Inventory: Testing a Latent Trait-State Model.

In a 6-wave longitudinal study, children (Grades 4-6, n=648), adolescents (Grades 7-9, n=1,489), and their parents completed child-adolescent or parent versions of the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI; M. Kovacs, 1981). Using structural equation modeling, the authors conducted latent trait-state analyses to distinguish between a stable trait dimension of depression (in which individual differences are stable over time) and an autoregressive dimension (in which individual differences are less stable over time). Children's CDIs reflected the autoregressive dimension more than a stable trait dimension, whereas parents' CDIs reflected a stable trait dimension more than an autoregressive dimension. Reports from adolescents and their parents reflected a stable trait dimension more than an autoregressive dimension of depressive symptoms. Results suggest that the longitudinal structure of the CDI varies considerably depending on the age of the target and the type of informant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cyclical etidronate in the prevention of bone loss in corticosteroid-treated primary biliary cirrhosis. A prospective, controlled pilot study

The objectives of this study were to estimate genetic parameters for weaning weight of Simmental cattle from data without selective reporting and to examine heterogeneity of parameters with a multiple trait approach. Heterogeneity of (co)variance components (VC) by sex is accounted for in national genetic evaluations for Simmental cattle. Completely reported data were split into bull, heifer, and steer populations to obtain VC estimates. Estimates of direct-maternal genetic correlation were negative, which suggests that selective reporting was not a cause of a negative correlation in Simmental data. However, analyzing only data for males does not account for selection on females and vice versa. Heterogeneous VC for sex were evaluated by analyzing Simmental data using a multiple trait model where male and female data were treated as two traits. Estimates of heritability of direct (maternal) effects were .19 (.07) and .25 (.12) and estimates of the direct-maternal genetic correlation were -.05 and -.20 for males and females, respectively. The multiple trait model fit the data better (P < .01) than the model under the assumption of homogeneous VC.     

Commentary on Krueger and Eaton's “Personality traits and the classification of mental disorders: Toward a more complete integration in DSM-5 and an empirical model of psychopathology”: Real-world considerations in implementing an empirically based dimensional model of personality in DSM-5.

Comments on the original article Personality traits and the classification of mental Disorders: Toward a more complete integration in DSM–5 and an empirical model of psychopathology by Robert F. Krueger and Nicholas R. Eaton (see record 2010-13810-003). In their article, Krueger and Eaton (pp. 97–118, this issue) advocate for a “more complete and extensive integration of personality traits in future DSMs [Diagnostic and Statistical Manuals of Mental Disorders], via the explicit inclusion of an empirically based, dimensional personality trait model” (p. 97) and review the “diverse ways in which the inclusion of an empirically based personality trait model could constitute a critical innovation in the transition from DSM–IV to DSM-5” (p. 113). Krueger and Eaton’s proposal that (DSM-5) adopt a dimensional personality trait approach exemplifies the difficulties of devising a classification scheme that satisfies the needs of the both the clinical and research communities. In this instance, the challenge is adapting a complex dimensional trait scheme developed and utilized almost exclusively by the research community, for clinical use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of hemoglobin E trait on the severity of Falciparum malaria

To determine if hemoglobin E trait influences the course of acute malaria, adults hospitalized for the treatment of symptomatic infection with Plasmodium falciparum were studied retrospectively. Forty-two patients with hemoglobin E trait were compared with 175 reference subjects who did not have hemoglobin E, beta-thalassemia, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, or alpha-thalassemia. One patient (2.4%) with hemoglobin E trait had a severe complication of malaria by World Health Organization criteria (cerebral malaria), while 32 subjects in the reference group (18.3%) had one or more severe complications: cerebral malaria (n=18), hyperparasitemia (n=16), renal failure (n=10), and severe anemia (n=1) (P=.044 after adjustment for ethnic categories). The estimated odds of severe complications in the reference subjects were 6.9 times the odds in patients with hemoglobin E trait (95% confidence interval, 1.2-146. 4). These results suggest that hemoglobin E trait may ameliorate the course of acute falciparum malaria.     

Attentional and affective concomitants of meditation: A cross-sectional study.

Explored differences in attentional absorption and trait anxiety in 58 undergraduates divided into 4 groups: (a) controls who were interested in but did not practice meditation, (b) beginners who had meditated for 1 mo or less, (c) short-term meditators who regularly practiced for 1-24 mos, and (d) long-term meditators who practiced for more than 2 yrs. Ss were administered the Shor Personal Experiences Questionnaire (PEQ), the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS), and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in trait form. As predicted, significant increases in the PEQ and TAS and significant decrements in the STAI were observed from controls through long-term meditators. This pattern, associated with the practice of meditation (i.e., decrements in trait anxiety and increments in the capacity to attend), is consistent with physiological data indicating that meditation is associated with decrements in autonomic arousal and increments in cortical responsivity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)