Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science

Personality, political ideology, and partisanship in Canada.
Personality traits reliably predict political ideology and partisanship around the world, but studies investigating these relationships among Canadians used less-than-ideal measures of personality or did not examine the contribution of antagonistic personality traits (i.e., psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism). We surveyed Canadians (N = 2,551) on their ideological self-placement and political partisanship using full measures of HEXACO traits and antagonistic traits. The findings for political ideology were mostly consistent with previous studies. Canadians who placed themselves on the ideological right were lower in openness to experience, honesty–humility, and impulsivity, but higher in extraversion, narcissism, and antisocial tendencies. Nuanced relationships emerged between personality and support for specific political parties (i.e., partisanship). The personality traits of Liberal, Conservative, and Green partisans were not always consistent with the personality traits of their party’s ideological wing. Overall, we demonstrated a crucial distinction between ideology and partisanship and provided further evidence that personality matters for political choice in Canada. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Goal disengagement and goal reengagement: Associations with depression, anxiety, and satisfaction with life.
Goal adjustment is an important mechanism of self-construction. When pursuing goals, people are sometimes confronted with situations in which goals are unreachable and they need to adjust by disengaging from them and reengaging in alternative goals. A growing literature suggests that people’s capacity to adjust when confronted with unattainable goals is associated with subjective well-being. The main purpose of this study was to examine whether goal disengagement, goal reengagement, and their interaction are associated with depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and satisfaction with life (SWLQ). A supplementary purpose was to examine the factorial structure and psychometric properties of a French version of the goal adjustment scale (GAS; Wrosch, Scheier, Miller, et al., 2003). One hundred and seventy-five adult volunteers completed measures of flexible goal adjustment, depression, anxiety, and SWLQ. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated an acceptable model fit, good internal consistency, and convergent validity for the GAS. Goal disengagement is associated with depression and anxiety symptomatology, whereas reengagement is associated with life satisfaction. The interaction between disengagement and reengagement appeared to be significant in predicting anxiety but not depression and life satisfaction. The two processes of goal adjustment should be further explored jointly to better understand their effects. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
La qualité de la relation avec un·e meilleur·e ami·e et le risque de décrochage scolaire au secondaire : Effets médiateurs de la motivation scolaire.
The relationship with a best friend is at the center of psychosocial development in adolescence, but has rarely been studied as an underlying factor of high school dropout. Using the self-determination theory, we tested whether the quality of this relationship can affect dropout risk through its influence on autonomous motivation, controlled motivation and amotivation in the school setting. The sample consisted of 225 students (67% female) from two French-speaking public schools in underprivileged areas in the third year of secondary school. Data was collected using a one-time correlational design via self-reported questionnaires. A structural equation analysis with indirect effect testing via resampling (bootstrapping) revealed that autonomous motivation was a mediator of the link between the quality of the relationship with a best friend and a low risk of school dropout. Furthermore, an unexpectedly positive association was observed between the quality of the friendship and controlled motivation. However, this type of motivation was associated with a high risk of school dropout. Finally, amotivation was a marginally significant mediator of the link between a low-quality friendship and high dropout risk. This study highlights the importance of considering the role of best friends and distinguishing between the three types of academic motivation to optimize the development of dropout prevention programs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Exploratory study of the role of outgroup emotional display on anger and emergency intentional helping behaviour in an immersive virtual environment.
This exploratory research experimentally investigated whether following an illegitimate defeat, emotions demonstrated by outgroup fans (expressive/inexpressive) could affect individual anger and then prompt greater prosocial behaviour (i.e., intergroup help). More specifically, it was postulated that expressive/inexpressive outgroup emotion would first increase/decrease individual anger following an illegitimate defeat and that anger would explain the variability of helping behaviours. Using a virtual reality environment, fans viewed a game between two French soccer teams. Thirty-four participants were randomly assigned to the outgroup expressive or inexpressive conditions and were faced with an emergency situation involving an outgroup fan. Results confirmed that anger was lower in the inexpressive condition compared to the expressive condition and that anger mediated the outgroup emotion expression-intentional helping behaviour relationship. This finding indicates that inhibiting the outward expression of positive emotion has the potential to positively influence intergroup experience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Disordered gaming: The role of a gamer’s distress profile.
Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) embodies a persistent and recurrent engagement with video games, to the exclusion of other activities, that cannot be controlled, and with significant impairments in everyday functioning. Previous research suggests that IGD is experienced differently depending on the gamer’s profile, while distress symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and stress have been independently associated to the development of IGD. Interestingly, no study to date has aimed to profile gamers based on these three psychopathologies. The present study aimed to (a) profile gamers concerning their depression, anxiety, and stress, and (b) examine the differences in IGD levels between the different profiles of distress. A sample consisting of 968 gamers (18–64 years, Mage = 29.54) was assessed with the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF). Latent class analysis (LCA) identified three distinct distress profiles. These encompassed “High-Distress Comorbidity” (HDC; 25.9%), “Medium-Distress Comorbidity” (MDC; 48.7%) and “Low-Distress Comorbidity” (LDC; 25.4%) gamers. As hypothesised, higher distress comorbidity profiles are linked with higher IGD levels. Findings suggest that there are different distress profiles varying by symptom severity, with more distressed gamers presenting with higher IGD levels independent of the specific distress symptom they reported. Thus, differential diagnosis of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms may not be necessary in the context of IGD treatment, but rather distress behaviours should be targeted concurrently and independent of their nature. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Evaluation of Know Before You Go on mental health literacy and life skills to prepare for life after high school.
Grade 12 students face much responsibility and challenges as they transition to postsecondary life. This stage of life coincides with some of the challenges faced by adolescents in relation to mental health as this is the time when most mental disorders first manifest. However, with the right education on these new life changes, students have the opportunity to thrive. This study aims to understand whether a blended mental health literacy and life skills programme Know Before You Go (KBYG) will improve students’ knowledge about mental health, develop the life skills needed for postsecondary life, and reduce perceived stress. One hundred sixty-eight Grade 12 students completed anonymous surveys on mental health knowledge, life skills, and perceived stress before receiving KBYG from teachers using the Teacher Guide, after the session, and 1 month later. Paired-samples t tests and analysis of covariance were conducted using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) at the significance level of α = .05. Students demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge and reduced stress between pretest, posttest, and follow-up (p <.05). We found no differences between males and females on knowledge, however, higher stress among females at posttest. At follow-up, female students demonstrated more sustained knowledge and higher stress levels (p <.05) than male students. KBYG paired with the Teacher’s Guide may have a positive impact on students’ perceived confidence in their abilities as they enter into a new way of life after high school. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Questionnaire bref des dynamiques de pouvoir sexuelles : Validation francophone auprès de deux échantillons québécois d’adultes consultant en thérapie sexuelle et de couples issus de la communauté.
The purpose of the study was to validate the Brief Sexual Power Dynamics Questionnaire, which evaluates sexual interest in practices involving power hierarchies (i.e., dominance, submission, tender sex). This questionnaire is a translated and shortened scale based on the original questionnaire Attraction to Sexual Power Dynamics- Revised. Two separate samples were recruited. The first included adults consulting in sex therapy (n = 563). The second group comprised adult couples from the Quebec community (n = 566; 283 couples). Confirmatory factor analyses supported the tripartite factor structure of the questionnaire. The results show satisfactory internal consistency for each factor. Bivariate analyses highlighted, as expected, weak associations between sexual power dynamics and relationship and sexual satisfaction, romantic attachment, and intimate partner violence. This validation study contributes to providing researchers with a measure of sexual power dynamics, promoting the expansion of empirical studies on the subject. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Validation of the French–Canadian version of the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index with parents of an infant.
Parents of an infant may be particularly vulnerable to peritraumatic distress (e.g., psychological distress experienced during or immediately following a traumatic event) associated with events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Since peritraumatic distress could affect both their psychological well-being and their couple relationship functioning, it is essential to measure and document these symptoms within parents. The COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI; Qiu et al., 2020) was the first validated instrument to measure COVID-19 peritraumatic distress, but it has not yet been validated in French. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the French–Canadian version of the CPDI (F-CPDI) in a sample of 492 parents (58% of mothers) of an infant in Quebec Province (Canada). The factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent validity of the instrument were tested. Results indicate that the F-CPDI has good internal consistency and supports the four-factor structure proposed by the authors of the original instrument. Results of correlation analyses indicated that peritraumatic distress was related to increased psychological distress, postpartum depression, and lower life satisfaction. Results indicate satisfactory psychometric qualities for the F-CPDI, providing researchers and mental health professionals access to a COVID-19 peritraumatic distress measure. This questionnaire can be used to assess peritraumatic distress in parents of an infant during a pandemic period, which is a first step towards offering adapted intervention strategies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
A short version of the Opening Minds Scale–Workplace Attitudes: Factor structure and factorial validity in a sample of Canadian public safety personnel.
Public safety personnel (PSP) are frequently exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTE). Frequent exposure to PPTE is associated with a high prevalence of mental health symptom reporting among PSP, and stigma is associated with lower rates of intended mental health service use for PSP. A valid and expedient measure of stigma could provide mental health professionals with an instrument that could potentially improve mental health outcomes. The Opening Minds Scale–Workplace Attitudes (OMS-WA) is a commonly used self-report measure of stigma that has yet to be psychometrically validated. The present study was designed to assess the factor structure and factorial validity of a short version of the OMS-WA in PSP. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on an 11-item version of the OMS-WA in a sample of Canadian PSP (n = 2,081), followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with a second sample of Canadian PSP (n = 2,088). The EFA results suggested a nine-item, two-factor model for the OMS-WA. The identified factors were Attitudes Predicting Avoidance and Beliefs About Danger/Unpredictability. Nine of the 11 items produced salient loadings on the two factors. Internal consistency was good for the nine-item total scale, excellent for the first factor, and acceptable for the second factor. CFA supported a nine-item, two-factor model of a short version of the OMS-WA. The current results provide evidence of factor validity for a nine-item questionnaire for quick screening of stigmatizing attitudes towards coworkers with mental health conditions in PSP. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Validation of an adolescent version of the Parental Metaemotion Philosophy Scale.
Children’s perceptions of positive and negative parental behaviours may differ from how parents perceived their own behaviour. This study evaluated the validity and reliability of the Parental Metaemotion Philosophy Scale–Adolescent version (PMEPS-Adolescent), a 21-item measure that assessed adolescents’ perceptions of their parents’ metaemotion. The sample consisted of 241 middle school students in China. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate this new scale. This four-factor model evidenced good model fit and internal consistency. Support was also found for its criterion validity as shown in their prediction of life satisfaction and mental health. Results indicated that the PMEPS-Adolescent was a research tool with high validity and reliability to study adolescents’ perceptions about their parents’ metaemotion and how this influenced developmental outcomes in adolescence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Workers’ motivation, role blurring, and well-being profiles: A person-centered approach.
The goal of this study was to explore workers’ profiles according to the fluidity of their boundary between work and nonwork roles, their motivation at work, and their well-being. A sample of 200 workers completed measures of work–nonwork role blurring, motivation at work, and psychological well-being. Results of latent profile analysis revealed five profiles of workers presenting various combinations of autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, amotivation, work–nonwork role blurring, and well-being. The profiles showed that diverse levels of role blurring can coexist with diverse levels of well-being. None of the profiles associated high role blurring with low well-being. Across profiles, autonomous motivation appeared to be most consistently proportional to well-being, whereas high amotivation or low overall motivation tended to present in conjunction with low well-being. The results are discussed in light of self-determination, border, and boundary theories. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement - Vol 56, Iss 2