Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science

L’évaluation de la validité de la performance en neuropsychologie clinique : Sondage sur les pratiques et les croyances des neuropsychologues québécois.
The present study aims to describe the current beliefs and practices of Quebec neuropsychologists as they relate to performance and symptom assessment validity. The study also examines Quebec neuropsychologists’ beliefs, methods of detection and adherence to practice recommendations in comparison to their American counterparts. In order to effectively identify the factors that contribute to Quebec neuropsychologists’ close adherence to practice recommendations, the characteristics of clinicians and their practices were also explored. A survey on assessment validity practices and beliefs was completed by a sample of 113 Quebec neuropsychologists and showed that they hold erroneous beliefs and make little use of subjective or objective methods of detection in their clinical practice. Those who do use methods of detection mainly favour subjective over objective methods. Neuropsychologists whose beliefs are based on scientific facts, with medical and forensic expertise, working with adult and senior populations, and who have continued to acquire knowledge through pertinent postuniversity training and lectures demonstrated best practices. We found that Quebec neuropsychologists lack knowledge on the issue of validity and that this is detrimental to the development of their practice. Consequently, specific strategies should be put into place to improve the dissemination of knowledge, in particular through written documentation (e.g., practical consensus guidelines, position statements), improved university-level training, and access to continuing education that target the specific needs of neuropsychologists in Quebec. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Me, myself, and I: Self-centeredness, FOMO, and social media use.
The present research investigates the relationship between self-centeredness and social media use and suggests that fear of missing out (FOMO) is a key mechanism underlying this relationship. Three studies were conducted to test these relationships, including a survey (Study 1, n = 199 U.S. adults) and two experiments, including one where self-centeredness is manipulated (Study 2, n = 241 U.S. adults) and another where FOMO is primed (Study 3, n = 102 U.S. adults). It appears that self-centred individuals use social media more to assuage their FOMO than to bolster their self-centric worldview. The study results provide consistent evidence which could refute prior theory and explanatory processes. Contrary to self-construal theory, which would suggest that individuals with an independent self-construal (more self-centred) would be less likely to experience FOMO, present results suggest otherwise. Additional study contributions include the use of two experimental designs to assess the direction of causal flow between self-centeredness, FOMO, and social media use. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Orthographic cues to stress affect reading in connected text: Evidence from a letter-detection task.
In English, written word endings act as probabilistic cues to a word’s lexical stress pattern. Readers are sensitive to these statistical associations between lexical stress and spelling, using word endings’ spellings to guide stress placement when reading isolated words. However, we do not yet know if readers’ use of endings as stress cues extends to the processing of words in connected text. In the present study, we explored this question with adult readers (N = 53). Participants read texts for comprehension while circling a specified target letter. This letter-detection task can speak to the processes involved in reading words, as readers detect fewer letters when lexical access is relatively quick. Adults detected fewer target letters in words whose endings accurately cued their stress patterns than in words whose endings gave misleading cues to stress (d = 0.41). This suggests that adult readers draw on written word endings as cues to stress during the everyday task of reading for comprehension. These findings clarify the scope of word endings’ role as cues to stress in English. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
The conflict resolution styles in adolescence: The modeling role of parents.
The objective of this study is to test in mothers, fathers, and adolescents the association of conflict resolution styles (negative conflict engagement and positive problem solving) on anxiety symptoms and life satisfaction, and the transmission of conflict resolution styles through the role of the parental role model. One hundred fifty-four cohabitating families composed of father, mother, and adolescent, took part in the research. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model. The results highlight how both parents’ negative conflict engagement and mothers’ positive problem solving were directly related to those of adolescents. Furthermore, the results suggest the indirect role of fathers’ anxiety and adolescent negative conflict engagement in the associations between fathers’ conflict engagement and child anxiety, and the indirect role of mothers’ life satisfaction and adolescent positive problem solving in the associations between mother’s positive problem solving to the child’s life satisfaction. The present study highlights the importance of analysing conflict resolution strategies within families and suggests that socialisation of conflict styles from both parents to adolescents can be facilitated by maternal and paternal modeling. Mothers and fathers contribute in unique ways to shaping adolescents’ conflict resolution strategies and well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Characterizing and predicting Canadian adolescents’ internalizing symptoms in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To date, most longitudinal studies of adolescents’ internalizing symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic include few time points, limiting knowledge about the long-term course of adolescents’ mental health during the pandemic. Moreover, examining intraindividual variability in symptoms, which may have important implications for adolescents’ adjustment beyond mean or “typical” symptoms, requires multiple time points. We examined the course of internalizing symptoms in 271 Ontario adolescents (mean n = 193 across time points) during the first year of the pandemic (March 2020–April 2021) via mixed-effect location scale models, drawing upon established internalizing symptom risk factors as predictors of mean trends and intraindividual variability. Adolescents’ internalizing symptoms were relatively stable and generally low over the first year of the pandemic, with severity peaking in February and April 2021. Girls showed more symptoms on average and greater intraindividual variability in symptoms. Parents’ depressive symptoms predicted intraindividual variability in adolescents’ anxious and depressive symptoms. Adolescents’ symptoms were stable and generally below clinical cutoffs. However, female adolescents and those whose parents experienced more depressive symptoms were most vulnerable to the stress of the pandemic. Implications for intervention and prevention efforts are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Comportements suicidaires chez les hommes en demande d’aide : Rôles des traumatismes en enfance, de l’attachement et des impacts perçus de la pandémie.
In Canada, attempts at suicide and suicidal ideation are particularly common in men. According to the interpersonal theory of suicide, the factors related to suicidal ideation and attempts at taking one's life are distinct. The purpose of the present study is to identify the variables associated with suicidal ideation, recent attempts at suicide (within the last two months), and the reported number of suicide attempts throughout the lives of men who sought help. A total of 2,398 participants were recruited from support centers for men and answered questions to evaluate the three indicators of suicidal behavior (ideation, recent attempts, repeated attempts) and several other personal, interpersonal, and contextual variables. The hierarchal logistic regression analysis results showed that a psychological diagnosis and attachment anxiety are linked to an increased risk of suicidal behavior in all three indicators. Going through a breakup, being in court for conjugal violence issues, drug use, bullying, and the perceived positive and negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are linked to suicidal ideation. Being single, having witnessed physical violence as a child, and the perceived negative impacts of the pandemic are linked to recent suicide attempts. Finally, personal income, being in court for a reason other than conjugal violence, level of education, instances of childhood trauma (sexual abuse, psychological neglect, bullying), and attachment avoidance are all factors linked to repeated attempts at suicide. Different ways to reflect on the risk factors and protections related to suicidal thoughts and attempts are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Les effets d’une intervention basée sur la pleine conscience sur le bien-être des femmes enceintes, l’adaptation à la parentalité et le développement des enfants : Une étude périnatale et longitudinale.
This study assesses the effects of a prenatal intervention inspired by Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on pregnant women’s psychological distress, level of mindfulness, emotional regulation, sense of maternal competence, development of a positive mother-child bond, and child development. The sample consisted of 63 participants divided into a control group receiving the usual path of prenatal services and an experimental group. Measurements were collected before and after the intervention and at four months postnatal. Factorial ANOVAs confirm a significant increase in mindfulness and ability to regulate emotions over time, as well as a decrease in psychological distress among participants who took part in the intervention but not among participants in the control group. In addition, path analyses confirm that the level of mindfulness in the postnatal period is directly linked to the feeling of maternal competence and the quality of the mother’s affectionate bond with her child but is not linked to the child’s development at four months of life. Results offer empirical support for the effectiveness of mindfulness-based prenatal interventions and suggest that mindfulness skills support engagement in motherhood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Mental health knowledge, stigma, and service use intentions among correctional workers.
Correctional workers are regularly exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events, which are associated with mental health disorders. Correctional workers report barriers to mental health service use due to difficulties recognising mental health needs and stigma, leading to compromised mental health. The present study was designed to assess nuances in mental health knowledge, stigma, and service use intentions among correctional workers and differences based on demographic categories and histories of mental health disorders. Participants (n = 878) were correctional workers from Ontario, Canada, who completed the Mental Health Knowledge Scale, the Opening Minds Scale for Workplace Attitudes, and the Mental Health Service Use Questionnaire. There were statistically significant differences on measures of mental health knowledge, stigma, and service use intentions across most demographic categories. There were statistically significant differences on a measure of mental health service use intentions between participants with and without a history of mental health disorders. Mental health knowledge contributed significantly to the variation in service use intentions. The current results provide initial baseline data for correctional workers regarding mental health knowledge, stigma, and service use intentions. The results evidence demographic differences that may help focus training efforts. The results also suggest experiencing mental health disorders may be insufficient to overcome mental health stigma, which means additional individual, organisational, and structural efforts are warranted to increase service use intentions among correctional workers as part of supporting better mental health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Applying the organizational justice theory to public health crisis management: The independent and interactive role of procedural and distributive justice in quebecers’ adherence to COVID-19-related sanitary measures.
In an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19, authorities have had to put in place exceptional sanitary measures. The response of citizens to these measures varied greatly. The goal of this study was to identify factors favouring compliance, and minimizing deviance, of the Québec population to these measures relying on the principles of organizational justice. In total, 690 Quebecers filled out a questionnaire at the beginning of 2021 assessing their perception of procedural and distributive justice and injustice regarding the sanitary measures put in place by the authorities, as well as their tendency to comply with, and deviate from, these measures. Results of multiple regressions predicting Quebecers’ behaviours from their perception of procedural and distributive justice and injustice, as well as of moderation analyses examining the interactive effect of both types of justice and injustice, highlighted the crucial role played by distributive justice and injustice. Indeed, perception of distributive injustice was a significant predictor of all types of compliance and deviance behaviours, while procedural justice and injustice were only related to people’s tendency to deviate from contact restrictions measures. Results also showed that perceptions of procedural justice and injustice only affected people’s behaviours when the perception of distributive justice was low or the perception of distributive injustice was high. Results are discussed in light of their contribution to the organizational justice literature but mostly to the strategies that could be used by authorities in the case of future global crises requiring the collaboration of an entire population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Shyness, extracurricular activity engagement, and internalizing problems among emerging adults in university.
The primary aims of the present study were to (a) describe the links between shyness and engagement in extracurricular activities, and (b) explore the possible mediating roles of psychological engagement and perceived positive impact in the relations between shyness and indices of internalizing problems among emerging adults. Participants were N = 890 undergraduate students (215 males; Mage = 19.33 years, SD = 7.2 years) from Eastern Ontario, Canada. Upon obtaining consent, participants completed self-report measures (administered via an online survey website) of shyness, aspects of activities engagement, and indices of internalizing problems (i.e., anxiety, loneliness, self-esteem). Among the results, shy students were less likely to choose sports/physical activities. Moreover, psychological engagement and perceived positive impact of activities (also independently) serially mediated the relations between shyness and internalizing problems. This research provides valuable information about the importance of activities engagement in the relations between shyness and emerging adults’ emotional adjustment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Facteurs liés à l’intention de consulter pour l’anxiété chez les femmes en périnatalité.
Anxiety symptoms and disorders are prevalent during the perinatal period and are also linked to negative consequences for the mother. Nevertheless, consultation rates during this period are very low. The Fonseca and Canavarro model (2021) suggests that there are factors connected to the decision to seek help during the perinatal period, namely mental health literacy and self-stigma. Few studies take these factors into consideration, especially within the context of consultations for perinatal anxiety, and most are based on qualitative observations. The predictive contribution of these factors is also weak, suggesting that other factors may also be at play. Individual vulnerabilities related to doubt and decision-making, such as intolerance of uncertainty, attitudes towards problems, and experiential avoidance may also be relevant and worth considering. This study looks at the connection between these five factors and attitudes towards help-seeking and its dimensions (e.g. propensity to action) among women who are pregnant or who gave birth within the last year. The results confirm the link between literacy, self-stigma, a negative attitude towards problems, and experiential avoidance and attitudes towards help-seeking, as well as the predictive contribution of literacy and self-stigma on the dimensions of help-seeking. Considering these factors can help improve explanatory models of women’s reluctance to seek help during the perinatal period and serve as a pathway to promote more positive attitudes towards consulting for anxiety. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Newcomers’ profiles of workplace affective commitment.
This study studied profiles of workplace affective commitment (WAC) among organizational newcomers (N = 443). We estimated these profiles from newcomers’ specific levels of WAC directed at eight targets (i.e., organization, supervisor, coworkers, career planning, career advancement, customers, profession, and tasks) and their global levels of commitment to their work life. This approach allowed us to detect whether these profiles would evidence congruence versus incompatibility among targets, and whether WAC to the organization would emerge as a primary versus one of many targets. This study also investigated whether employee socialization (i.e., organization, coworkers, and role) predicted membership into desirable profiles. Finally, to investigate the complementary, synergistic, and/or competing effects of WAC profiles, we tested their associations with job performance, turnover intentions, and life satisfaction. Latent profile analyses revealed five profiles displaying compatibility and conflict amongst targets and positioning the organization as one of many targets: (a) globally committed to the work life with a professional career orientation, (b) globally committed to the work life with a social orientation, (c) globally uncommitted to the work life with a professional orientation, (d) globally uncommitted to the work life with a career planning and customer orientation, and (e) globally committed to the work life with an upward drive. With exceptions involving role socialization, all forms of socialization predicted membership into more desirable WAC profiles. Profiles characterized by higher global levels of WAC were also associated with more desirable outcomes. We finally found evidence for complementarity, synergy, and competition among WAC targets in terms of outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
French adaptation and further validation of the word sentence association paradigm to assess hostile attributional biases.
Hostile attributional biases (HAB) are implicated in several interpersonal and mental health problems. These problems have been shown to be present also in French-speaking areas. However, French-validated assessments of HAB are few and present important limitations that hinder their wide adoption by researchers and health professionals. We therefore developed a French version of the Word Sentence Association Paradigm–Hostility (WSAP-H), which is a short, easy to administer, and relatively implicit measure of HAB. We then conducted a psychometric study in an online community sample of 315 individuals. Replicating previous validation studies, we found the scores of the French WSAP-H to be internally consistent (α = 0.81; ω = 0.84), and we provided factorial (one-factor structure), convergent (significant correlations with another HAB measure, as well as with theoretically related constructs of anger and hostility), and discriminant (low or nonsignificant correlations with negative mood) evidence supporting the validity of WSAP-H scores as measures of HAB. Going beyond previous results, we further showed that these HAB scores (a) demonstrate acceptable test–retest reliability (r = 0.77) and stability (nonsignificant and small [d = 0.21] changes at the group level) at 8 weeks interval, (b) relate to self-reported interpersonal problems, and (c) are distinct from a more general tendency to make negative attributions. The scores of the French WSAP-H thus constitute a reliable and valid measure of HAB, supporting the usefulness of this tool in research and intervention settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Validation of the Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGDT-10) in a sample of Quebec French-speaking youth and associations with trauma and PTSD.
The Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGDT-10; Király et al., 2015) is a recent measure of gaming disorder (GD) using the criteria proposed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5). However, studies examining its validity with French-Canadian youth samples are lacking. Moreover, trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been associated with other addictive disorders but remain understudied in relation to GD. The present study aimed to address these gaps in the scientific literature. A sample of 1,851 adolescent and young adult online gamers (83.8% boys) completed an online survey. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted, and Pearson chi-square analyses were used to compare the endorsement of each GD criteria among addicted and nonaddicted players. Associations between IGDT-10 and psychological distress, trauma and PTSD were also examined. The French version of the IGDT-10 showed adequate internal consistency (α = .63; Ω = .65) and its unidimensional structure was confirmed. Significant differences were identified on all items between GD and non-GD gamers. Furthermore, GD gamers reported psychological distress, trauma, and PTSD significantly more frequently. Overall, the French version of the IGDT-10 appears to show good psychometric properties, and associations with criterion measures support its overall validity. Further studies should pursue exploration of the associations between GD, trauma, and PTSD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement - Vol 56, Iss 4