STUDY ALERT: The Small World of Psychopathology
STUDY ALERT: The Small World of Psychopathology
Denny Borsboom, Angelique O. J. Cramer, Verena D. Schmittmann, Sacha Epskamp, Lourens J. Waldorp
Abstract
Background: Mental disorders are highly comorbid: people having one disorder are likely to have another as well. We explain empirical comorbidity patterns based on a network model of psychiatric symptoms, derived from an analysis of symptom overlap in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV).
Principal Findings: We show that a) half of the symptoms in the DSM-IV network are connected, b) the architecture of these connections conforms to a small world structure, featuring a high degree of clustering but a short average path length, and c) distances between disorders in this structure predict empirical comorbidity rates. Network simulations of Major Depressive Episode and Generalized Anxiety Disorder show that the model faithfully reproduces empirical population statistics for these disorders.
Conclusions: In the network model, mental disorders are inherently complex. This explains the limited successes of genetic, neuroscientific, and etiological approaches to unravel their causes. We outline a psychosystems approach to investigate the structure and dynamics of mental disorders.
STUDY ALERT: “It’s ok — Not everyone can be good at math”
“It’s ok — Not everyone can be good at math”: Instructors with an entity theory comfort (and demotivate) students
Aneeta Rattan, Catherine Good, Carol S. Dweck
Can comforting struggling students demotivate them and potentially decrease the pool of students pursuing math- related subjects? In Studies 1–3, instructors holding an entity (fixed) theory of math intelligence more readily judged students to have low ability than those holding an incremental (malleable) theory. Studies 2–3 further revealed that those holding an entity (versus incremental) theory were more likely to both comfort students for low math ability and use “kind” strategies unlikely to promote engagement with the field (e.g., assigning less homework). Next, we explored what this comfort-oriented feedback communicated to students, compared with strategy-oriented and control feedback (Study 4). Students responding to comfort-oriented feedback not only perceived the instructor’s entity theory and low expectations, but also reported lowered motivation and lower expectations for their own performance. This research has implications for understanding how pedagogical practices can lock students into low achievement and deplete the math pipeline.
STUDY ALERT: The Road Not Taken: Creative Solutions Require Avoidance of High-Frequency Responses
The Road Not Taken: Creative Solutions Require Avoidance of High-Frequency Responses
Nitin Gupta, Yoonhee Jang, Sara C. Mednick, and David E. Huber
To investigate individual differences in creativity as measured with a complex problem-solving task, we developed a computational model of the remote associates test (RAT). For 50 years, the RAT has been used to measure creativity. Each RAT question presents three cue words that are linked by a fourth word, which is the correct answer. We hypothesized that individuals perform poorly on the RAT when they are biased to consider high-frequency candidate answers.To assess this hypothesis, we tested individuals with 48 RAT questions and required speeded responding to encourage guessing. Results supported our hypothesis. We generated a norm-based model of the RAT using a high-dimensional semantic space, and this model accurately identified correct answers. A frequency-biased model that included different levels of bias for high- frequency candidate answers explained variance for both correct and incorrect responses. Providing new insight into the nature of creativity, the model explains why some RAT questions are more difficult than others, and why some people perform better than others on the RAT.
STUDY ALERT: Intelligence and the brain: A model-based approach
Intelligence and the brain: A model-based approach
Rogier A. Kievit, Hilko van Rooijen, Jelte M. Wicherts, Lourens J. Waldorp, Kees-Jan Kan, H. Steven Scholte, and Denny Borsboom
Various biological correlates of general intelligence (g) have been reported. Despite this, however, the relationship between neurological measurements and g is not fully clear. We use structural equation modeling to model the relationship between behavioral Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) estimates of g and neurological measurements (voxel-based morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging of eight regions of interest). We discuss psychometric models that explicate the relationship between g and the brain in a manner in line with the scientific study of g. Fitting the proposed models to the data, we find that a MIMIC model (for multiple indicators, multiple causes), where the contributions of different brain regions to a unidimensional g are estimated separately, provides the best fit against the data.
STUDY ALERT: Sex Differences in the Brain: The Not So Inconvenient Truth
Sex Differences in the Brain: The Not So Inconvenient Truth
Margaret M. McCarthy, Arthur P. Arnold, Gregory F. Ball, Jeffrey D. Blaustein, and Geert. J. De Vries
The arguments for studying sex differences in the brain are as follows. (1) There is compelling evidence of pervasive and robust differences between males and females in both normal and pathological conditions. (2) The number of published studies limited to males remains stunningly and stubbornly high (Zucker and Beery, 2010). Scientific conclusions based on the study of one sex could have limited value in understanding some phenomena in the other sex. Thus, females deserve more study. (3) In addition, direct comparison of the two sexes is beneficial because of the unique perspective it offers.
STUDY ALERT: Predicting Preferences for Sex Acts: Which Traits Matter Most, and Why?
Predicting Preferences for Sex Acts: Which Traits Matter Most, and Why?
Ashley Peterson, Glenn Geher, and Scott Barry Kaufman
Several dispositional traits have been examined in mating contexts by evolutionary psychologists. Such traits include life history strategy, sociosexuality, and the Big Five. Recently, scholars have examined the validity and predictive utility of mating intelligence, a new construct designed to capture the cognitive processes that underlie mating psychology. The current research employed a battery of dispositional traits that include all these constructs in an effort to predict preferences for different kinds of sex acts. Sexual acts vary wildly, and the ability to predict this variability may well hold an important key to underlying sexual strategies. A sample of 607 young adults (144 males and 463 females) completed measures of each of these traits as well as a measure of preference for specific sex acts (along with providing information on their sexual orientation). The traits predicted variability in preference for sex acts – with mating intelligence being the most predictive (for instance, mating intelligence was positively related to preference for vaginal intercourse across the sexes). Sex differences emerged (e.g., males show a stronger preference for anal sex than do females). Discussion focuses on (a) sex differences in preference for sex acts along with (b) why the trait variables predicted preferences in sex acts.
STUDY ALERT: Openness, Fluid Intelligence, and Crystallized Intelligence: Toward an Integrative Model
Openness, Fluid Intelligence, and Crystallized Intelligence: Toward an Integrative Model
Matthias Ziegler, Erik Danay, Moritz Heene, Jens Asendorpf, Markus Bühner
Many studies are concerned with the bivariate relationships between Openness, fluid intelligence (Gf), and crystallized intelligence (Gc). Results suggest an influence of Gf and Openness on Gc. However, the overlap between Gf and Openness is rarely controlled for. Moreover, interaction effects or longitudinal influences are also often neglected. The present two studies aimed to elucidate exactly these interactions and longitudinal influences. Besides a main effect of Gf on Gc, Study 1 (N=180) revealed an interaction effect between Openness and Gf. Study 2 utilized longitudinal data (N=173) and identified an effect of Openness on the development of Gf. Gf and Openness predicted Gc 6 years later. A model integrating the results and providing a theoretical framework and outlook is proposed.
STUDY ALERT: Assessing Individual Differences in Commitment to Beliefs
Assessing Individual Differences in the Degree to Which People are Committed to Following Their Beliefs
Matthew A. Maxwell-Smith, Victoria M. Esses
The authors developed a new dispositional measure of Commitment to Beliefs (CTB)— the degree to which people feel it is important to follow their value-expressive beliefs— across three phases of research. In Phases 1 and 2 (Studies 1-4), the CTB scale demonstrated strong internal consistency, and convergent and discriminant validity. Phase 3 demonstrated the scale’s predictive validity: high-CTB individuals were more likely to report engaging in activities during the past month and year that followed directly from their beliefs (Study 5), act on their beliefs when given the opportunity (Study 6), and show more polarized attitudes toward ideologically-relevant groups (Study 7). These findings illustrate the utility of a dispositional approach for examining the extent to which people follow their beliefs.
