Exploring factors that influence judgements of climate change statements : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University,Manawatū, New Zealand

This aim of the current study was to examine the effect of repetition (i.e., illusory truth effect) and non-probative photographs (i.e., truthiness effect) on mean truth ratings of climate change statements using a within-subjects design. A total of 80 participants were asked to provide truth ratings to climate change statements in two parts. At Time 1, half of the statements appeared with photographs and half without photographs, while at Time 2, repeated statements from the first part were intermingled with a set of new statements. None of the statements at Time 2 appeared with photographs. It was hypothesized that statements paired with photographs and repeated statements would receive higher truth ratings than statements not paired with photographs and new statements. Likewise, it was predicted that repeated statements that had been paired with photographs at Time 1 would receive higher truth ratings compared to repeated statements that were not paired with photographs. Three planned comparisons and a paired samples t-test were used to assess the effect of repetition and photographs on truth ratings. The only significant difference in truth ratings observed was between repeated and new statements, with repeated statements receiving higher mean truth ratings than new statements. No influence of photographs or a cumulative effect of both repetition and photographs was found. Exploratory analyses of the effect of the type of statement (true or false) on truth ratings showed that, true statements were perceived as truer, and false statements were perceived as less true when paired with photographs (as compared to when not paired with photographs). Implications of findings, limitations of the current study and future research are also discussed

Hoarding Among Outpatients Seeking Treatment at a Psychiatric Hospital in Singapore

Hoarding symptoms commonly co-occur with other psychiatric disorders, such as major depressive disorder, and have been observed across cultures. Yet, few studies have examined hoarding in other disorders or in an Asian context. The present study aimed to determine: (1) the prevalence of clinically significant hoarding, (2) differences between participants with and without significant hoarding, and (3) predictors of hoarding severity in a Singaporean clinical sample. Five hundred outpatients with anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, schizophrenia, and pathological gambling completed a battery of questionnaires on hoarding, anxiety, depression, functional impairment due to clutter, and quality of life. Thirty percent of our sample reported significant hoarding. However, clutter levels in the hoarding group were low, and hoarding severity was not significantly linked to quality of life, after adjusting for anxiety and depression. In addition, depression - but not anxiety - predicted hoarding severity. Our results provide a cross-cultural perspective on hoarding symptoms, and replicate findings that support a link between depression and hoarding. The differential presentation of hoarding in our sample could be due to true cultural differences in hoarding pathology or to variant psychometric properties of the measures used. Further research evaluating hoarding in Asian contexts with different methodology is needed

Mediating effect of symptom severity on the relationship between aggression, impulsivity and quality of life outcomes among patients with schizophrenia and related psychoses

AimsAggression and impulsivity among individuals with schizophrenia have been associated with poor clinical outcomes including worsening of symptoms and substance abuse which have been linked to a lower quality of life (QoL). The current study aimed to look at the mediating effect of symptom severity on the relationship between aggression, impulsivity and QoL among outpatients with schizophrenia and related psychoses in a multi-ethnic Asian population.MethodsData (n = 397) were collected from outpatients seeking treatment at the Institute of Mental Health. The World Health Organization quality of life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) scale, the symptoms checklist-90 revised (SCL-90-R), Buss Perry aggression questionnaire (BPAQ), and the Barratt impulsiveness scales (BIS) were used to assess subjective well-being, symptom severity, aggression, and impulsivity, respectively. Mediation analysis was performed using the PROCESS macro to understand the mediating effect of symptom severity.ResultsMotor impulsivity (MI) was indirectly associated with both the physical and psychological health domains of QoL while self-control was indirectly associated with the physical, psychological, and environmental health QoL domains through increased symptom severity.ConclusionThe significant indirect effect of symptom severity in our study highlights one potential pathway through which impulsivity impacts the QoL of individuals with schizophrenia and related psychoses. Elucidating other factors besides symptom severity that have an indirect effect on the QoL of individuals provides alternative approaches for treatment through which better clinical outcomes can be achieved

The Role of Emotional Engagement in Lecturer-Student Interaction and the Impact on Academic Outcomes of Student Achievement and Learning

<p>Engagement has been studied as a multidimensional construct consisting of three subtypes: behavioral, cognitive, and emotional (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, &amp; Paris, 2004). Among these, behavioral engagement has received the most and emotional engagement, the least attention (Fredricks et al., 2004). The current study thus aimed to examine the relationship between lecturer-student interaction, emotional engagement (specifically affective reactions expressed within the classroom), and academic outcomes (such as, student achievement and learning) in a sample of 140 undergraduate psychology students (M = 24, F = 116). Participants were randomly assigned to one of the experimental conditions (i.e., good vs. poor lecturer-student interaction) and completed the Lecturer-Student Interaction (LSI) questionnaire, Class-related Emotions Questionnaire (CEQ), Perception of Learning (POL) Questionnaire, and two measures of academic achievement. Individuals who shared a good interaction with their lecturer reported higher levels of emotional engagement compared to those who shared poor interactions with their lecturers. In addition, while emotional engagement failed to mediate the pathway between lecturer-student interaction and academic achievement, it was found to partially mediate lecturer-student interaction and student learning. The present findings highlight the significance of emotional engagement in enhancing learning outcomes in students.</p

The Impact of Stakeholder Preferences on Service User Adherence to Treatments for Schizophrenia and Metabolic Comorbidities

<div><p>Objective</p><p>To determine how stakeholder opinions of treatments influence service user decisions to adhere to courses of actions necessary to treat metabolic conditions.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Qualitative open-ended interviews were conducted with 20 service providers, 25 service users, and 9 caregivers. Grounded theory was used to generate an understanding that linked preferences of care with adherence to follow-up treatments.</p><p>Results</p><p>Participants spoke about several considerations when discussing adherence: Resource limitations were the predominant consideration. Social considerations such as stigma and support surfaced in caregiver and service-user interviews. The influence of symptoms, especially their absence could reduce adherence, and organizational considerations related to the opinions they had about the qualifications of professionals.</p><p>Discussion</p><p>A rational patient model partially organizes our findings, but emotional components related to stigma and the opinion of service providers do not fit well into such a model. If service providers do not consider components of the decision making process which fall outside of the rational patient model, they may incorrectly be leveraging suboptimal values to bring about adherence to treatment plans. Being sensitive to the values of service users and their caregivers may allow service providers to better act on points that may bring about change in non-compliant service users with schizophrenia and metabolic comorbidities.</p></div

Data_Sheet_1_Mediating effect of symptom severity on the relationship between aggression, impulsivity and quality of life outcomes among patients with schizophrenia and related psychoses.pdf

AimsAggression and impulsivity among individuals with schizophrenia have been associated with poor clinical outcomes including worsening of symptoms and substance abuse which have been linked to a lower quality of life (QoL). The current study aimed to look at the mediating effect of symptom severity on the relationship between aggression, impulsivity and QoL among outpatients with schizophrenia and related psychoses in a multi-ethnic Asian population.MethodsData (n = 397) were collected from outpatients seeking treatment at the Institute of Mental Health. The World Health Organization quality of life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) scale, the symptoms checklist-90 revised (SCL-90-R), Buss Perry aggression questionnaire (BPAQ), and the Barratt impulsiveness scales (BIS) were used to assess subjective well-being, symptom severity, aggression, and impulsivity, respectively. Mediation analysis was performed using the PROCESS macro to understand the mediating effect of symptom severity.ResultsMotor impulsivity (MI) was indirectly associated with both the physical and psychological health domains of QoL while self-control was indirectly associated with the physical, psychological, and environmental health QoL domains through increased symptom severity.ConclusionThe significant indirect effect of symptom severity in our study highlights one potential pathway through which impulsivity impacts the QoL of individuals with schizophrenia and related psychoses. Elucidating other factors besides symptom severity that have an indirect effect on the QoL of individuals provides alternative approaches for treatment through which better clinical outcomes can be achieved.</p

Psychological status and quality of life among primary caregivers of individuals with mental illness: a hospital based study

Abstract Background This study aimed to explore the psychological status and quality of life among primary caregivers of individuals suffering from various mental illnesses including early psychosis, chronic schizophrenia, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders and dementia. Methods A total of 350 primary caregivers with relatives seeking treatment at a tertiary psychiatric hospital were recruited for this study. Socio-demographic data was obtained and the brief version of the World Health Organisation Quality of Life instrument was used to assess caregiver’s quality of life (QOL). Psychological status among primary caregivers was assessed using the General Anxiety Disorder - 7 item (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 item (PHQ-9) scales. Family Interview Schedule (FIS) was used to assess the impact of caregiving relating to social problems, interpersonal strain among family members, work related problems and financial difficulties as a result of their relative’s illness. The socio-demographic and clinical correlates of QOL, PHQ-9 and GAD-7 were examined using multiple linear and logistic regression analyses. Associations between QOL domains and psychological status was examined using multiple linear regression analyses. Results The mean age of the primary caregivers was 49.7 years (SD = 13.2), ranging from 21 to 82 years, with a preponderance of females (67.6%), aged 50–64 years old (45.7%). Majority were of Chinese ethnicity (57.5%), had secondary level education (43.1%), were married (65.2%), and employed (64.9%). 18.3% of primary caregivers had symptoms of depression (based on PHQ-9 cut-off point of 10 or greater) while 12.7% had symptoms of anxiety (based on GAD-7 cut-off point of 10 or greater). Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses revealed that primary caregivers aged between 35-49 years and 50–64 years, unemployed, living with others, providing care to those diagnosed with dementia and who had higher FIS scores were significantly more likely to report symptoms of depression whilst those who cared for their son/daughter were less likely to be associated with symptoms of depression. Primary caregivers who had lower education, were living with others, were single or divorced/separated, were unemployed and with higher FIS scores were associated with lower QOL domain scores. Those with symptoms of depression were significantly associated with low QOL across all four domains, whilst those with symptoms of anxiety were significantly associated with low QOL in the social relationships domain. Conclusion Psychological status of caregivers in the current study was associated with the various domains of QOL. In particular, caregivers’ symptoms of depression were significantly associated with lower QOL across all four domains of QOL whereas symptoms of anxiety were associated with lower scores in the social relationships domain. The study suggests a need to provide caregivers with social support and psycho-education to improve the QOL as well as aid in developing healthy coping strategies

Additional file 1: Table S1. of Body mass index, waist-hip ratio and risk of chronic medical condition in the elderly population: results from the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) Study

Factors associated with missing data. Examination of missing data mechanisms which suggests missing not at random (MNAR). (DOCX 17 kb