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We conclude by introducing the abductive formal theory construction (AFTC) framework, informed by both our review of philosophy of science and our methodological investigation. We argue that this approach provides a clear and promising way forward for using empirical research to inform the generation, development, and testing of formal theories both in the domain of psychopathology and in the broader field of psychological science. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).This study presents a Bayesian inference approach to evaluate the relative importance of predictors in regression models. Depending on the interpretation of importance, a number of indices are introduced, such as the standardized regression coefficient, the average squared semipartial correlation, and the dominance analysis measure. Researchers' theories about relative importance are represented by order constrained hypotheses. Support for or against the hypothesis is quantified by the Bayes factor, which can be computed from the prior and posterior distributions of the importance index. As the distributions of the indices are often unknown, we specify prior and posterior distributions for the covariance matrix of all variables in the regression model. The prior and posterior distributions of each importance index can be obtained from the prior and posterior samples of the covariance matrix. Simulation studies are conducted to show different inferences resulting from various importance indices and to investigate the performance of the proposed Bayesian testing approach. The procedure of evaluating relative importance using Bayes factors is illustrated using two real data examples. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).Some important research questions require the ability to find evidence for two conditions being practically equivalent. This is impossible to accomplish within the traditional frequentist null hypothesis significance testing framework; hence, other methodologies must be utilized. We explain and illustrate three approaches for finding evidence for equivalence The frequentist two one-sided tests procedure, the Bayesian highest density interval region of practical equivalence procedure, and the Bayes factor interval null procedure. We compare the classification performances of these three approaches for various plausible scenarios. The results indicate that the Bayes factor interval null approach compares favorably to the other two approaches in terms of statistical power. Critically, compared with the Bayes factor interval null procedure, the two one-sided tests and the highest density interval region of practical equivalence procedures have limited discrimination capabilities when the sample size is relatively small Specifically, in order to be practically useful, these two methods generally require over 250 cases within each condition when rather large equivalence margins of approximately .2 or .3 are used; for smaller equivalence margins even more cases are required. Because of these results, we recommend that researchers rely more on the Bayes factor interval null approach for quantifying evidence for equivalence, especially for studies that are constrained on sample size. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).Davis-Stober and Regenwetter (2019; D&R) showed that even when all predictions of a theory hold in separate studies, not even a single individual may be described by all predictions jointly. To illustrate this "paradox" of converging evidence, D&R derived upper and lower bounds on the proportion of individuals for whom all predictions of a theory hold. These bounds reflect extreme positive and negative stochastic dependence of individual differences across predictions. However, psychological theories often make more specific assumptions such as true individual differences being independent or positively correlated (e.g., due to a common underlying trait). Based on this psychometric perspective, I extend D&R's conceptual framework by developing a multivariate normal model of individual effects. Assuming perfect consistency (i.e., a correlation of one) of individual effects across predictions, the proportion of individuals described by all predictions of a theory is identical to D&R's upper bound. The proportion drops substantially when assuming independence of individual effects. However, irrespective of the assumed correlation structure, the multivariate normal model implies a lower bound that is strictly above D&R's lower bound if a theory makes at least three predictions. Hence, the scope of a theory can be improved by specifying whether individual effects are assumed to show a certain level of consistency across predictions (similar to a trait) or whether they are statistically independent (similar to a state). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
The present study examined daily associations between mental health symptoms (i.e., depression and anxiety symptoms) and simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use and use-related negative consequences among young adults.
Participants were a community sample of 409 young adults between the ages of 18-25 who drank alcohol at least three times in the past month and reported SAM use in the past month (
= 21.6, 50.9% female). A baseline assessment included a measure of SAM use motives, after which participants completed five 14-day bursts reporting daily mental health symptoms and alcohol/marijuana use.
Daily mental health symptoms were not associated with SAM use likelihood. However, baseline SAM coping motives moderated the association between mental health symptoms and use such that young adults with stronger coping motives showed a stronger positive association between mental health symptoms and SAM use. Further, on SAM use days, reporting more mental health symptoms relative to one's average was prevention and intervention strategies particularly on days when young adults are experiencing increased mental health symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Person-centered analysis was used to examine profiles of acculturation and acculturative stress among Mexican-descent adults in relation to depression. It was hypothesized that identified profiles would support multiple acculturation styles, that acculturation profiles would differentially relate to acculturative stress dimensions, and that those profiles with greater Latinx acculturation and lower acculturative stress would report less severe depression.
Mexican-descent Latinx adults (
= 230) completed self-report measures of Latinx and Anglo acculturation, acculturative stress, and depression symptom severity. Latent profile analysis was used to derive acculturation-acculturative stress profiles.
Three distinct profiles emerged. One profile was notable for bicultural acculturation with traditional Latinx acculturative stress. The two remaining profiles reported similarly high traditional Latinx acculturation, but differed in acculturative stress, such that one profile was elevated in one dimension of acculturative stress, whereas the other reported elevated acculturative stress across multiple domains. Participants in this last profile also reported significantly greater depression.
The findings provide further evidence of the beneficial role of heritage-culture acculturation and suggest that focused versus generalized forms of acculturative stress may be a distinguishing component related to depression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
The findings provide further evidence of the beneficial role of heritage-culture acculturation and suggest that focused versus generalized forms of acculturative stress may be a distinguishing component related to depression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Primary caregivers (e.g., parents, grandparents, other family members) from low-income and ethnically minoritized families tend to face a host of barriers when participating in their children's school activities. Research suggests that demographic match and quality communication between caregivers and teachers could support minoritized families' school-based engagement. This study examined the associations among caregiver-teacher demographic match, caregivers' perceived communication quality with the teacher and caregivers' perceived barriers to school-based engagement.
Caregivers (
= 565) from 49 Head Start classrooms completed the parent-report versions of the surveys
, reporting resource, cultural/relational, and program/context barriers to school-based engagement; and
, reporting communication quality with their children's lead and assistant teachers (
= 102). Caregivers and teachers also completed demographic surveys to provide information about their family background, such as race/ethnicng a welcoming preschool environment that could alleviate some of the barriers to engagement typically faced by ethnically minoritized and low-income families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Latinx sexual minority youth (LSMY) are disproportionately affected by adverse health outcomes, due to stigma and/or lack of family support. There are currently no family-based interventions for LSMY. This qualitative study describes the development of
(Families with Pride), a family-based intervention to prevent/reduce substance use, risky sexual behavior, and depressive symptoms in LSMY.
Familias con Orgullo was developed using an iterative, user-centered methodology across two study phases. A general inductive approach was used to analyze intervention development individual interviews (
= 24 n = 12 parents,
= 12 LSMY) and post-intervention focus groups (
= 4) to query participants about program components and enhancements to the developed program after delivery. Data were coded into 11 themes representative of program features for LSMY and their families.
An intervention would need LSMY information delivered in a safe space and focused on communication, peer pressure, and mental health. Furthermore, participation would be dependent on parental level of acceptance. Informed by participants, we developed an intervention which addresses the multiple ecological levels of LSMY contexts within a cultural lens. Families gave positive feedback and indicated that additional content should focus on sexual health and intrapersonal topics. The intervention was modified and delivered to a new cohort of families; families felt the new intervention promoted inclusiveness; enriched relationships and communication between families; and enhanced lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) knowledge.
Familias con Orgullo begins to address the significant gap in intervention research with LSMY and their families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Familias con Orgullo begins to address the significant gap in intervention research with LSMY and their families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).In six experiments, we tested whether immediate serial recall is influenced by a word's degree centrality, an index of lexical connectivity. Words of high degree centrality are associated with more words in free association norms than those of low degree centrality. Experiment 1 analyzed secondary data to explore the effect of degree centrality in wordlists containing a mixture of high- and low-degree words. High-degree words were advantaged across all serial positions, independently of other variables including word frequency. Experiment 2 replicated this finding using an expanded stimulus set. Experiment 3 used pure lists with each list containing high- or low-degree words only (e.g., HHHHHH vs. LLLLLL). Once again, high-degree words were better recalled across all serial positions. In Experiment 4, each wordlist alternated between high and low-degree words (e.g., HLHLHL and LHLHLH). Recall of low-degree words was facilitated by the neighboring high-degree words, abolishing the overall high-degree advantage.
