Using large data collected during COVID-19, the present study explored how perspective-taking levels of diary writers evaluated by the third party were associated with their psychological characteristics. We analyzed the perspective-taking levels of the 5,403 participants who wrote diary entries on their thoughts and emotions, along with their self-reported psychological characteristics. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct perspective-taking profiles. We examined differences in psychological traits between groups. The higher perspective-taking group exhibited higher agreeableness, higher trait empathy, lower diary stress, and less unpleasant feelings than the lower perspective-taking group. Neuroticism, loneliness, perceived stress, diary stress, and unpleasant feelings were the highest in the lower perspective-taking group. Neuroticism, loneliness, perceived stress, and unpleasant feelings were the lowest in the undetermined group. Our findings mirrored the previously documented links between self-reported perspective-taking abilities and psychological qualities. Applications for large-scale text-based mental health therapies were also discussed in this study.
The current study examined trajectories of five types of indicators for life satisfaction (economic, health, relationship with children, relationship with spouse, and global) with age during middle adulthood, and determined gender differences of changes. Data were drawn from 668 men and 942 women aged 45 to 64 years among those who responded to all biennial panel surveys for a Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging from 2006 to 2018. Hierarchical linear models showed non-linear decreases in the relationships with children and spouse, a non-linear increase in economic satisfaction, and no change in health satisfaction. Global life satisfaction was in the middle area among children, spouse, health, and economic satisfaction. It showed a U-shaped curve, decreasing until mid-50s and then increasing in later life. Gender differences were only found in spouse and health satisfaction, showing that men had higher levels of satisfaction in their health and relationship with spouse. Findings of this study provide information on trajectories of life satisfaction during middle adulthood. They can help us understand how subjective well-being changes with age on the lifespan perspective, along with previous research findings on trajectories of life satisfaction during adolescence and old age.
Based on Joiner’s Interpersonal Theory of Suicide(IPTS), this study attempted to determine whether thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and acquired suicide potential had a moderating effect on suicide ideations and suicide attmepts. To this end, a survey was conducted on 260 elderly people over the age of 65 in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, Gyeonsan-do, and other regions of Korea. A total of 254 copies were analyzed after excluding 6 questionnaires that did not meet the age criteria. IBM SPSS Statistics 23.0 and SPSS PROCESS Macro ver 2.16 were used for data analysis. Results are as follows. First, sub-variables of IPTS such as thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and acquired suicidal capability all showed a direct effect on suicidal ideation. On the other hand, only acquired suicidal capability had a direct effect on suicide attempt. Second, the meaning in life showed a moderating effect on relationships of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and acquired suicidal capability with suicidal idation. Finally, the relationship between thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness did not have a moderating effect on the meaning in life, although the meaning in life had a moderating effect on the relationship between acquried suicide capability and suicide attmept. Based on these results, risk factors and mechanisms that effect suicide ideation and suicide attempts of the elderly were identified. In addtiona, by confirming a moderating effect of the meaning in life, the purpose of this study was to provide basic data for preparing specific interventions that could reduce suicidal ideation and suicide attmepts in the elderly.
This study tested hypotheses that people with higher social comparison orientation would have lower subjective well-being and that the relationship between social comparison orientation and subjective well-being would be mediated by materialism. Moreover, we examined whether the effect of social comparison orientation on subjective well-being through materialism tendency might depend on the level of cultural self-construal (independent self, interdependent self). We recruited 294 participants, measured their social comparison orientation, materialism tendency, subjective well-being, independent self, and interdependent self, and analyzed the mediation effect of materialism moderated by cultural self-construal on the relationship between social comparison orientation and subjective well-being. As a result, there were differences in subjective well-being depending on social comparison orientation. The relationship between social comparison orientation and subjective well-being was mediated by materialism tendency. Specifically, participants with higher social comparison orientation had a higher tendency of materialism. Such higher materialism tendency led to lower subjective well-being. However, the mediation effect of materialism tendency moderated by cultural self-construal was not statistically significant. These results showed that regardless of the level of independent or interdependent self, people with higher social comparison orientation were related to higher materialism tendency, which led to lower subjective well-being.
The main purpose of the present study was to examine mediating effects of affect variability on relationship between active participation in activities and depression of the elderly. A sample of 150 senior citizens in their 60s participated in a survey that asked about four types of participation activities (self-development activity, active social interaction, volunteering activity, leisure activity) and their depression level. Participants also recalled as many events as possible through a daily reconstruction method and their emotional experience felt for each event (e.g., excited, confident, happy, anxious, angry, peaceful, stable, depressed, and bored). Based on collected emotional data, spin, the index of affect, was calculated. Results indicated that higher levels of all social participation types predicted lower levels of depression. In terms of mediating effects, associations of depression with average value of participation activities, self-development activity, and active social interaction were mediated by affect variability. However, affect variability did not mediate the relationship of volunteering and leisure activities with depression. Results of this study showed that activities for self-improvement and interpersonal relationship could increase emotional stability and consequently decrease depression in the elderly.
The purpose of this study was to examine the role of body talk and body surveillance in the relationship between upward social comparison on image-based SNS and disordered eating behavior. For this purpose, online survey was conducted on 220 female college students aged 19 to 25 years. They completed the Korean Version of Eating Attitude Test-26(KEAT-26), Upward Social Comparison on Instagram, Body Talk Questionnaire on Instagram, and Body Surveillance scale. Findings were as follows. First, upward social comparison on image-based SNS showed significant correlations with body talk, body surveillance, and disordered eating behavior. Second, sequential meditating effects of body talk and body surveillance on the relationship between upward social comparison on image-based SNS and disordered eating behavior were statistically significant. Finally, based on results of this study, implications for disordered eating behavior and limitations of this study were discussed.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate effects of an integrative motivation management program on perfectionism, stress and subjective well-being among female university students with maladaptive perfectionism tendencies. To this end, female college students who ranked in the 75% on ‘perfectionist tendencies’ and ‘negative results’ subscales of perfectionism questionnaire were recruited. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group(n=15) and a wait-control group(n=15). Those in the experimental group completed a total of six sessions in three weeks(twice a week), with each session lasting 80 minutes. All participants completed pre-test, post-test and a 4-week follow-up test. Scores of perfectionism, perceived stress, and negative affects in the experimental group were significantly decreased compared to those in the wait-control group. These effects persisted at the follow-up test. Scores of satisfaction with life and positive affect in the experimental group were significantly increased compared to those in the wait-control group. These effects persisted in the follow-up test. Based on these research results, significance of this study, limitations of this study, and suggestions for follow-up research are discussed.
The purpose of this study was to examine effects of well-being cognition technique using mobile app on midlife crisis and subjective well-being among midlife adults. Participants of this study were adults aged 39～60 years. Participants were randomly divided into an experimental group using Well-Being Cognition technique with a smartphone APP application (n = 26) and a control group (n = 26). Experimental treatment was performed three weeks consecutively. Those in the experimental group were required to use Well-Being Cognition smartphone APP every day during the experiment. Before program commencement, participants completed the following scales before and after intervention: Mid-Life Crisis Scale (MLCS), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-16), Negative Affect, Positive Affect, Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), and Life Satisfaction Expectancy Scale (LSES). Repeated Measure analysis of variance was conducted for pre-post values of the two groups to verify interactions between group and time. Results of this study are as follows. First, pre-post differences of Mid-Life Crisis Scale (MLCS) and Negative Affect were significantly decreased compared to those of the control group. Pre-post differences of Acceptance and Action Questionnaire, Positive Affect, Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) and satisfaction Expectancy Scale (LSES) in the experimental group were significantly increased compared to those in the comparative control group. However, the pre-post difference of Positive Affect was not significantly different between the two groups. Finally, meaning of research results and future research direction were discussed.
The purpose of this study was to explore effects of emotional trauma levels (high and low) and mindfulness training (body scan training, respiratory training) on pain experiences in childhood. Among 284 university students, 93 were assigned into high and low emotional trauma groups having Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) average scores exceeding +1SD and -1SD, respectively. To examine effects of emotional trauma levels on pain experience according to mindfulness training, the experiment was conducted after subjects were assigned into two mindfulness training conditions (body scan training, breathing training). After the first pain pressure threshold task was completed, mindfulness training was conducted for about 5 minutes. Training contents were applied and the second pain pressure threshold task was performed. Bio-signals and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) of pain were measured for participants while performing the pain pressure threshold task. Measured values collected from the second pain pressure threshold task were analyzed. As a result of the experiment, the high emotional trauma group showed higher HF-HRV and lower pain intensity in body scan training condition than in respiratory training condition. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in pain pressure threshold, standard deviation of R–R intervals (SDRR), electromyograph (EMG), respiration rate mean (RRM), or pupil diameter according to emotional trauma level or mindfulness training. Limitations and clinical implications of this study were also discussed.
This study investigated whether social context could affectthe perception of smile and sneer in individuals with high levels of social anxiety. Social anxiety and depressino symptoms of undergraduate and graduate participants were measured using self-report questionnaires, Subject then participated in an experiment using a computer. Smiling and sneering faces were morphed to 7 levels from 2:8 to 8:2 and they were used as facial stimulus in the experiment. The context in which two people were palced back-to-back or face-to-face was used as social context stimulus. Under conditions where no context appeared, only one facial stimulus was presented briefly. Under conditions in which context was presented the social context stimulus was presented first followed by facial expression stimulus simultaneously for a short period of time. Subsequently, participants evaluated whether the presented facial stimulus was smile or sneer. Only under conditions in which the context appeared, they evaluated whether the gender of the people in the context stimulus was the same or different to confirm that they were paying attention to the context. The point of subjective equality (PSE) was estimated by curve-fitting data collected from participants into a cumulative normal distribution function. As a result of correlation analysis, there was a positive correlation between social anxiety and PSEs in context conditions where the context did not appear and the two were placed back-to-back. However, PSEs in context condition where the two were placed face-to-face were not correlated with social anxiety. This suggests that the higher the social anxiety, the more likely it is to judge sneer. However, in a positive social situation where the two are facing each other, the bias in social anxiety might disappear.
The 11th edition of the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases(ICD-11) provides a new diagnostic approach for personality disorders. Accordingly, Bach et al.(2021) have recently developed a self-report measure, the Personality Disorder Severity ICD-11(PDS-ICD-11), to assess personality severity. This study aims to translate the PDS-ICD-11 into Korean and examine its reliability and validity in university students(N=433). Results are as follows. First, the PDS-ICD-11 showed good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Second, results of exploratory factor analysis confirmed that the Korean version of the PDS-ICD-11 consisted of three factors: self-functioning/psychological impairment/interpersonal-functioning, emotional manifestations, and behavioral manifestations. Third, as a result of confirmatory factor analysis, model fit indices of three-factor structure were acceptable as compared to the one-factor structure. Fourth, PDS-ICD-11 had significant positive correlations with negative affectivity, detachment, disinhibition, and psychoticism of K-PID-SF. It was also significantly correlated with negative affectivity, detachment, dissociality, disinhibition, and borderline features among domains of the PAQ-11. However, it was not correlated with anankastia. Moreover, it was positively correlated with neuroticism but negatively correlated with extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness in the NEO-FFI. SAPAS-SR, SFQ, and DASS-21 were also significantly correlated with PDS-ICD-11. In COMOSWB, total score, satisfaction, and positive emotion had significant negative correlations with PDS-ICD-11. However, negative emotion had a significant positive correlation with PDS-ICD-11. This study suggested that the Korean version of the PDS-ICD-11 is a valid and reliable measure of ICD-11 personality severity. Implications and limitations of this study were also discussed.
The aim of this study was to explore factors that could predict female smokers’ self-efficacy for smoking cessation to provide useful information to help them quit smoking. Participants were 337 female smokers. Results of correlation analysis indicated that the higher the craving for smoking or nicotine dependence of female smokers the lower the self-efficacy for smoking cessation, while the more they recognized that weight gain or premenstrual syndrome hindered their smoking cessation, the lower the self-efficacy for smoking cessation. The decision tree model included craving smoking, handling smoking, daily amount of smoking, smoking period, nicotine dependence, and motivation to quit smoking. These findings suggest useful information for future studies. They can also help females stop smoking and construct a program for females’ smoking cessation.