Longitudinal Measurement Invariance of the Working Alliance Inventory Short form across Coaching Sessions

BACKGROUND: Throughout the psychotherapeutic and coaching literature, the client-therapist or coach-coachee working alliance has been highlighted as key force driving positive outcome. The Working Alliance Inventory Short form (WAI-S) for coaching charts the quality of working alliance throughout coaching sessions and is broadly applied in coaching research. Due to a shortfall in research on psychometric properties of the WAI-S, the purpose of this study was to examine (a) if the theorized three-factor structure of the 12-item WAI-S forms a solid representation of the dimensions of working alliance in coaching, and (b) longitudinal measurement invariance (LMI) of the WAI-S. METHOD: Data were collected in a two-wave study design comprising a main study sample of N = 690 Dutch coachees that completed the questionnaire at the first measurement, of which N = 490 also completed the questionnaire at the second measurement. Post hoc sensitivity analysis was performed based on the original sample, lacking additional information on covariates, and included both completers and dropouts, comprising N = 1986 respondents at T1, and N = 1020 respondents at T2. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses evidenced best fit of the three-factor model in comparison to one-, and two-factor models at both time points. Despite the fact that multigroup confirmatory factor analysis detected non-invariant intercepts, our findings overall supported measurement invariance across coaching sessions. CONCLUSIONS: As decisions in both clinical and scientific practices generally rely on outcome assessment of interpersonal change in scores on the same measure over time, we believe our findings to be of contributing value to the consolidation of interpretation and accuracy of scorings on the WAI-S in coaching. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40359-022-00968-5

Complement in reproductive white adipose tissue characterizes the obese preeclamptic-like BPH/5 mouse prior to and during pregnancy

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious hypertensive disorder of pregnancy characterized by abnormal placental development with an unknown etiology. To better understand which women will develop PE, a number of maternal risk factors have been identified, including obesity. Visceral white adipose tissue (WAT) contains inflammatory mediators that may contribute to PE. To explore this, we utilized the blood pressure high (BPH)/5 mouse model of superimposed PE that spontaneously recapitulates the maternal PE syndrome. We hypothesized that BPH/5 visceralWAT adjacent to the female reproductive tract (reproductiveWAT) is a source of complement factors that contribute to the inflammatory milieu and angiogenic imbalance at the maternal-fetal interface in this model and in preeclamptic women. To test our hypothesis, we calorie-restricted BPH/5 females for two weeks prior to pregnancy and the first seven days of pregnancy, which attenuated complement component 3 (C3) but not complement factor B, nor complement factor D, (adipsin) in the reproductiveWAT or the implantation site in BPH/5. Furthermore, calorie restriction during pregnancy restored vascular endothelial and placental growth factor mRNA levels in the BPH/5 implantation site. These data show maternal reproductive WAT may be a source of increased C3 during pregnancy, which is increased at the maternal-fetal interface in preeclamptic BPH/5 mice. It also suggests that calorie restriction could regulate inflammatory mediators thought to contribute to placental dysfunction in PE. Future studies are necessary to examine the e_ect of calorie restriction on C3 throughout pregnancy and the role of maternal obesity in PE

The touring reader: understanding the bibliophile's experience of literary tourism

This research explores the literary enthusiast’s experience of planning and undertaking literary inspired trips. The research reconceptualises the dominant figure of the literary pilgrim, inspired to visit sites associated with favourite authors, by using detailed results from 30 open-ended surveys distributed to delegates at a literary conference. The findings indicate that these keen readers prefer to plan their own trips and shun organised attractions and mainstream tourist information in favour of employing the texts themselves as source material. Respondents then feed back their experiences into the re-reading of the literary text. These findings are analysed using the concept of concretisation borrowed from literary theory. This concept, which has not been used in previous tourist studies, reflects the experience of these visitors who are using travel to solidify their reading of favourite books. This research therefore highlights the interdependence of texts and travels and emphasises the important role that imagination plays in the experience and recollection of tourist trips

Phenotypic spectrum and transcriptomic profile associated with germline variants in TRAF7

PURPOSE: Somatic variants in tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 7 (TRAF7) cause meningioma, while germline variants have recently been identified in seven patients with developmental delay and cardiac, facial, and digital anomalies. We aimed to define the clinical and mutational spectrum associated with TRAF7 germline variants in a large series of patients, and to determine the molecular effects of the variants through transcriptomic analysis of patient fibroblasts. METHODS: We performed exome, targeted capture, and Sanger sequencing of patients with undiagnosed developmental disorders, in multiple independent diagnostic or research centers. Phenotypic and mutational comparisons were facilitated through data exchange platforms. Whole-transcriptome sequencing was performed on RNA from patient- and control-derived fibroblasts. RESULTS: We identified heterozygous missense variants in TRAF7 as the cause of a developmental delay-malformation syndrome in 45 patients. Major features include a recognizable facial gestalt (characterized in particular by blepharophimosis), short neck, pectus carinatum, digital deviations, and patent ductus arteriosus. Almost all variants occur in the WD40 repeats and most are recurrent. Several differentially expressed genes were identified in patient fibroblasts. CONCLUSION: We provide the first large-scale analysis of the clinical and mutational spectrum associated with the TRAF7 developmental syndrome, and we shed light on its molecular etiology through transcriptome studies

Staying connected in old age: associations between bonding social capital, loneliness and well-being and the value of digital media

Objectives: We examined associations between age, bonding social capital (BSC), loneliness and psychological, social and emotional well-being in old age. As in theory digital media can support both preservation of and access to someone’s social capital, we also explored associations between the use of WhatsApp, social network sites (SNS) and Internet applications and respectively BSC and loneliness. Method: In this cross-sectional study a sample of 349 older adults (range=70y 93y; Mean(SD)=74.8y(4.9y); 59.6% male) filled out a questionnaire including the bonding social capital subscale of the personal social capital scale for elderly (PSCSE), validated scales measuring social, emotional, and psychological well-being and loneliness, the SNS intensity scale and items measuring frequencies of Whatsapp use and use of various Internet functions. Also relevant demographic and other covariates were included. Results: Regression analyses including relevant covariates confirmed our hypotheses, finding negative associations between BSC and both age and loneliness, and positive associations between BSC and psychological, social and emotional well-being. WhatsApp and Internet use were both found positively associated with BSC, whilst a negative association between WhatsApp use and loneliness was found. SNS use was not associated with BSC nor with loneliness. Conclusion: Our findings indicate BSC as an important factor in positive aging and illustrate a widening gap between the need for socio-emotional resources versus their availability. With regard to digital media, we conclude that its value in old age should be sought in providing access to one’s bonding social capital rather than adding to it by expanding the number of social relations

Positive affect as mediator: The socioemotional selectivity theory applied to the association between bonding social capital and wellbeing in later life.

Bonding social capital was previously found as more strongly associated with wellbeing in later life than bridging social capital. The present study explored a theoretical explanation found in the socioemotional selectivity theory, by examining whether this association is mediated by the experience of positive affect. According to this theory older adults prefer intimate social relationships that contribute to the experience of positive emotions. A sample of older adults (50-93 years) filled out two online questionnaires, with an interval of four weeks, measuring bonding and bridging social capital and positive affect on T1 (N=319, Mage(SD)=61.28(7.65)) and social, emotional and psychological wellbeing on T2 (N=202, Mage(SD)=61.31(7.47)), as well as relevant covariates. Associations were found between bonding social capital and all sub-dimensions of wellbeing. Mediation analysis showed that these associations were (partly) mediated by the experience of positive affect. Bridging social capital was only associated with social wellbeing and no association with the experience of positive affect was found. These findings support the socioemotional selectivity theory and further illustrate the importance of bonding social capital in positive aging as a resource of opportunities to experience positive emotions, contributing to wellbeing in later life. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed