A preliminary investigation of the effect of ethical labeling and moral self-image on the expected and perceived flavor and aroma of beer
- Authors: Doorn, George , Ferguson, Rose , Watson, Shaun , Timora, Justin , Berends, Dylan , Moore, Chris
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Beverages Vol. 7, no. 2 (2021), p.
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- Description: Ethical labelling has been shown to influence taste/flavour perception. Across two experiments, the present study examined how ethical labelling and moral self-image influenced both the expected (Experiment One) and perceived (Experiment Two) taste/flavour characteristics of beer. In Experiment One, 170 participants read either a ‘moral’ or ‘control’ label describing a brewery, after which they were presented with an image of a beer. Participants then completed a Beer Taste Perception Questionnaire and the Moral Self-Image Scale. In Experiment Two, 59 participants were exposed to either the moral or control label before tasting a beer and completing the same questionnaires from Experiment One. The results of Experiment One indicated that label type moderated the relationship between moral self-image and the intensity ratings of the beer. Specifically, in the presence of a control label, the expected intensity of the beer’s flavour increased as moral self-image increased. Experiment Two found no evidence that the moral label influenced the perceived taste of the beer. However, the results showed that as moral self-image became more positive the perceived refreshingness of the beer increased. This study provides novel evidence of the potential relationship between an individual’s moral self-image and the expected and perceived taste/flavour characteristics of beer. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
A reevaluation of the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the spiritual well-being questionnaire (SWBQ)
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Watson, Shaun
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Religion and Health Vol. 62, no. 3 (2023), p. 2112-2130
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- Description: The 20-item Gomez and Fisher (Personal Individ Differ 35:1975–1991, 2003) Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire (SWBQ) is a widely used measure of spiritual well-being. Its theoretical model is a higher-order model with primary factors for personal, communal, environmental, and transcendental well-being, and a secondary global spiritual well-being factor. The current study, conducted in Australia, reevaluated the factor structure of the SWBQ. Unlike previous studies, the current study also used exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) to examine the factor structure of the SWBQ and selected the preferred model using not only global model fit values, but also the clarity, reliabilities, and validities of the factors in the models. A total of 227 adults (males = 63; females = 164; M age = 26.1 years; SD = 5.2 years) completed the SWBQ. Based on the model selection criteria applied in the study, the ESEM model with four group factors was selected as the preferred model. However, there was also adequate support for the proposed theoretical higher-order model and the first-order oblique model with the four well-being factors. Concerning our preferred model, its factors showed reasonable clarity for factor loadings and (omega) reliabilities. However, only the communal domain scale was supported empirically for external validity. The implications of the findings for the theoretical model, the use of the SWBQ, and future studies are discussed. In this respect, there are three potential models (theorized higher-order model, 4-factor first-order oblique model, and the ESEM model proposed in this study) that warrant further detailed investigation with a larger, more representative population and additional validation measures. © 2022, The Author(s).
Activation of proteases in an anaerobic sulphidogenic bioreactor
- Authors: Whiteley, Chris , Pletschke, Brett , Rose, Peter , Tshivhunge, Sylvia , Watson, Shaun , Whittington-Jones, Kevin
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Biotechnology Letters Vol. 26, no. 1 (2004), p. 55-59
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- Description: Activities of proteases were stimulated by specific sulphur metabolites during the enhanced hydrolysis of complex polymeric organic carbon in an anaerobic sulphidogenic environment. While sulphate at 1000 mg l(-1) inhibited proteases by 50%, there was a 2.5-fold increase in activity of proteases by added sulphite and a 3.6-fold increase from added sulphide. Two hypothetical models are proposed. First the sulphur species, sulphite (HSO3-) and sulphide (HS-), liberated at different times during the sulphate reduction process, directly activate the proteases, which are associated with the organic particulate matter, leading to a subsequent enhancement of hydrolysis of polymeric material. Second, they indirectly activate the proteases by neutralising the cations on the floc surface disrupting the integrity of the organic particulate floc therebye releasing further entrapped enzymes from the organic particulate matter.
Association of fear of negative evaluation with performance anxiety : mediation by negative self-statements and moderation by positive self-statements during performance in adults
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Watson, Shaun , Brown, Taylor
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment Vol. 45, no. 3 (2023), p. 650-658
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- Description: Using individual differences constructs, the current study used cross-sectional data to examine the mediating role of negative self-statements during public speaking on the relationship between fear of negative evaluation and public speaking anxiety (a type of performance anxiety), and how this relationship was moderated by positive self-statements during public performance. The sample comprised 319 adults (men = 105, women = 214) from the general Australian community, with ages ranging from 18 years to 65 years. All participants completed questionnaires covering the different study variables. The findings showed that there was partial mediation by negative self-statements on the relationship between fear of negative evaluation and performance anxiety. There were also moderation effects by positive self-statements for this relationship. Additionally, moderation by positive self-statements was evident at all levels of positive self-statements. The theoretical and clinical implications of the findings for public speaking anxiety are discussed. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Associations of behavioral inhibition system with negatively biased social cognitions : moderation by the behavioral approach system
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Watson, Shaun , Stavropoulos, Vasileios
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Personality and Individual Differences Vol. 166, no. (2020), p.
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- Description: Using the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and behavioral approach system (BAS) subscales of the BIS/BAS Scales (Carver & White, 1994), this study examined how the association of the BIS and the negatively biased social cognitions of social comparison, social ineptness, negative self-statements, and fear of negative evaluation, were moderated by BAS-Drive and BAS-Reward Responsiveness. A total of 302 (males = 101, females = 201) adults (age ranging from 18 to 65 years) from the general community completed questionnaires covering the different study variables. The findings indicted moderation by BAS-D for the predictions of social comparison, social ineptness, and negative self-statements, and moderation by BAS-RR for the predictions of social ineptness, negative self-statements, and fear of negative evaluation. For moderation effects, moderation was present at lower levels of BAS-D, and at higher levels of BAS-RR. © 2020
Associations of reinforcement sensitivity theory personality constructs, cognitive biases for negative and threatening social information, and social anxiety
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Watson, Shaun , Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Typuszak, Natasha
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Current Psychology Vol. 42, no. 17 (2023), p. 14159-14170
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- Description: Background: Using Kimbrel’s (2008) mediation model of social anxiety as a theoretical framework, the primary aim of the current study was to use path analysis to examine how biased cognitions for negative and threatening social information mediated the relationships for the personality constructs of the reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) with generalized and specific social anxiety (target mediation model). A secondary aim was to examine reverse mediation testing (RMT) models, in which the social anxiety constructs were viewed as mediating the relations between RST constructs and biased social cognition constructs. Methods: A total of 302 (males = 101, females = 201) adults (age ranging from 18 to 65 years) from the general community completed questionnaires measuring the behavioral inhibition system/fight-flight-freeze system (BIS/FFFS), the behavioral approach system (BAS), social comparison (SC), social ineptness (SI), and generalized and specific social anxiety. Results: The findings for the target mediation model showed that there was support for indirect effects for the BIS/FFFS and the BAS on generalized and specific social anxiety through SC and SI. For the RMT model, there was support for the indirect effect of the RST constructs with SI through generalized social anxiety. However, specific generalized anxiety did not mediate the relations of the BIS/FFFS and BAS to SC. Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of cognitive therapy that targets SC and SI in the treatment of social anxiety, especially among those with high BIS/FFFS and low BAS. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Associations of UPPS-P negative urgency and positive urgency with ADHD dimensions : moderation by lack of premeditation and lack of perseverance in men and women
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Watson, Shaun
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Personality and Individual Differences Vol. 206, no. (2023), p.
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- Description: The study examined how dimensions of Whiteside and Lynam's (2003) UPPS-P model of impulsivity (lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, negative urgency, and positive urgency) were associated directly and interactively with the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) dimensions of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity in men and women separately. A total of 550 adults (men = 147, women = 403), ages ranging from 18 to 65 years, from the general community completed questionnaires covering the study variables. For women, there was support for the additive model for the prediction of inattention, and both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity were predicted by lack of premeditation × positive urgency. For men, inattention was predicted by lack of premeditation × negative urgency, and lack of premeditation × positive urgency. In all instances, low levels of premeditation reduced the relationships between the urgency dimensions and ADHD dimensions. The theoretical and clinical implications of the findings are discussed. © 2023 The Author(s)
Axonal function in a family with episodic ataxia type 2 due to a novel mutation
- Authors: Krishnan, Arun V , Bostock, Hugh , Ip, Jerome , Hayes, Michael , Watson, Shaun , Kiernan, Matthew C
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Neurology Vol. 255, no. 5 (2008), p. 750-755
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- Description: Episodic ataxia type 2(EA-2) is a rare, autosomal dominant disorder characterised by recurrent episodes of ataxia and dysarthria,due to mutations in the CACNA1A gene on chromosome 19 encoding voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. The aim of the present study was to explore whether axonal membrane properties, assessed using nerve excitability techniques, were abnormal in patients with EA-2 . Nerve excitability techniques were applied to the median nerve of three individuals from three generations of a single family, all of whom had typical features of EA-2. This family was found to have a novel mutation at codon 1451 of the Ca2+ channel alpha 1A subunit. Nerve excitability testing demonstrated significant abnormalities,with all patients outside the normal 95 % confidence limits in having a high rheobase and reduced early hyperpolarizing threshold electrotonus. On average there were also significant reductions in refractoriness,late sub excitability and early depolarizing threshold electrotonus. Mathematical modelling indicated that a similar pattern of abnormalities may result from a reduced voltage dependence of slow K+ channels (KCNQ channels). There are significant and distinctive changes in peripheral nerve excitability in EA-2 patients,which are presumably induced indirectly. These findings raise the possibility that excitability testing may prove a convenient screening test for patients with this suspected channelopathy.
Bifactor model of WISC-IV : Applicability and measurement invariance in low and normal IQ groups
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Vance, Alasdair , Watson, Shaun
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Psychological Assessment Vol. 29, no. 17 (2016), p. 902-912
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- Description: This study examined the applicability and measurement invariance of the bifactor model of the 10 Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) core subtests in groups of children and adolescents (age range from 6 to 16 years) with low (IQ =79; N = 229; % male = 75.9) and normal (IQ >/=80; N = 816; % male = 75.0) IQ scores. Results supported this model in both groups, and there was good support for measurement invariance for this model across these groups. For all participants together, the omega hierarchical and explained common variance (ECV) values were high for the general factor and low to negligible for the specific factors. Together, the findings favor the use of the Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) scores of the WISC-IV, but not the subscale index scores. (PsycINFO Database Record
Cloninger's personality dimensions and ADHD : A meta-analytic review
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Van Doorn, George , Watson, Shaun , Gomez, Andre , Stavropoulos, Vasileios
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Personality and Individual Differences Vol. 107, no. (2017), p. 219-227
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- Description: A meta-analysis of up to 20 datasets is reported that examined the relationships between Cloninger's personality dimensions and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Cloninger's model comprises four temperament (Novelty-Seeking, Harm-Avoidance, Reward Dependence, and Persistence) and three character (Self-Directedness, Cooperation, and Self-Transcendence) dimensions. Major findings were that all personality dimensions, except Self-Transcendence, were significantly associated with ADHD. These associations had different directions and magnitudes of relationship with ADHD. The associations were especially strong for Novelty-Seeking and Self-Directedness, being positive for Novelty-Seeking and negative for Self-Directedness. In addition, the association between ADHD and Persistence was moderated by age (stronger in children than adults) and source (stronger in clinical samples than community samples). Further, the association between harm avoidance and ADHD was moderated by age (strong and significant in adults, but not significant in children). Findings are discussed in relation to past work and the different strengths of the associations found between Cloninger's personality dimensions and ADHD, developmental differences in these relationships, implications for theoretical models of ADHD, the influence of biological and environmental factors in the expression of ADHD, implications for treatment and diagnosis, and the underlying processes for the relationships between personality and ADHD. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd
Confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling of the factor structure of the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE)
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Brown, Taylor , Watson, Shaun , Stavropoulos, Vasileios
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 17, no. 2 February (2022), p.
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- Description: The Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE) is a multiple dimensional measure of cognitive empathy [comprising primary factors for perspective taking (PT), online simulation (OS)], and affective empathy [comprising primary factors for emotion contagion (EC), proximal responsivity (PRO), and peripheral responsivity (PER)]. This study used independent clusters confirmatory factor analysis (ICM-CFA) and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) to examine the scale’s factor structure. A general community sample of 203 (men = 43, women = 160) between 17 and 63 years completed the QCAE. Although both the five-factor oblique and second order factor models showed good model fit, and clarity in the pattern of factor loadings, in the second-order factor model, none of the primary factors loaded significantly on their respective secondary factors, thereby favoring the five-factor oblique model. The factors in this model were supported in terms of external validity. Despite this, the factor for PRO in this model showed low reliability for meaning interpretation. A revised four-factor oblique model without the PRO factor showed good fit, clarity in the pattern of factor loadings, and reliability and validity for the factors in this model, thereby suggesting this to be the best model to represent ratings on the QCAE. Copyright: © 2022 Gomez et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling of the factor structure of the Social Thoughts and Beliefs Scale (STABS)
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Watson, Shaun , Brown, Taylor
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Advances in Psychology Research Chapter 3 p. 55-76
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- Description: The Social Thoughts and Beliefs Scale (STABS) is a valuable tool often used in clinical practice involving social anxiety. However, it is argued that the factor structure of the STABS has yet to be clearly established. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the factor structure of the STABS using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM). Firstly, comparing the first-order CFA, ESEM, bifactor CFA (BCFA), and bifactor ESEM (BESEM) models with group/specific factors for social comparison (SC) and social ineptness (SI). Participants were 329 individuals (males = 109, females = 220), aged between 18 and 71 years, from the general community. While the ESEM, BCFA, and BESEM models with group/specific factors for SC and SI showed adequate fit, the specific factors in the BCFA and BESEM models were poorly defined in these models, relative to the ESEM model. There was support for the internal consistency reliabilities (omega) and external validities of the factors in the ESEM model. Thus, the ESEM model with specific factors for SC and SI was selected as the preferred model. The practical implications and revisions of the STABS are discussed. © 2023 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Confirmatory factor analysis of the combined social phobia scale and social interaction anxiety scale : Support for a bifactor model
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Watson, Shaun
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Frontiers in Psychology Vol. 8, no. (2017), p. 1-13
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- Description: For the Social Phobia Scale (SPS) and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) together, this study examined support for a bifactor model, and also the internal consistency reliability and external validity of the factors in this model. Participants (N = 526) were adults from the general community who completed the SPS and SIAS. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of their ratings indicated good support for the bifactor model. For this model, the loadings for all but six items were higher on the general factor than the specific factors. The three positively worded items had negligible loadings on the general factor. The general factor explained most of the common variance in the SPS and SIAS, and demonstrated good model-based internal consistency reliability (omega hierarchical) and a strong association with fear of negative evaluation and extraversion. The practical implications of the findings for the utilization of the SPS and SIAS, and the theoretical and clinical implications for social anxiety are discussed. © 2017 Gomez and Watson.
Efficacy of a digital mental health biopsychosocial transdiagnostic intervention with or without therapist assistance for adults with anxiety and depression : adaptive randomized controlled trial
- Authors: Andrews, Brooke , Klein, Britt , Nguyen, Huy , Corboy, Denise , McLaren, Suzanne , Watson, Shaun
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Medical Internet Research Vol. 25, no. (2023), p.
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- Description: Background: Digital mental health (DMH) interventions incorporating elements that adapt to the evolving needs of consumers have the potential to further our understanding of the optimal intensity of therapist assistance and inform stepped-care models. Objective: The primary objective was to compare the efficacy of a transdiagnostic biopsychosocial DMH program, with or without therapist assistance for adults with subthreshold symptoms or a diagnosis of anxiety or depression. Methods: In a randomized adaptive clinical trial design, all participants had access to the DMH program, with eligibility to have their program augmented with therapist assistance determined by program engagement or symptom severity. Participants who met stepped-care criteria were randomized to have their treatment program augmented with either low-intensity (10 min/week of video chat support for 7 weeks) or high-intensity (50 min/week of video chat support for 7 weeks) therapist assistance. A total of 103 participants (mean age 34.17, SD 10.50 years) were assessed before (week 0), during (weeks 3 and 6), and after the intervention (week 9) and at the 3-month follow-up (week 21). The effects of 3 treatment conditions (DMH program only, DMH program+low-intensity therapist assistance, and DMH program+high-intensity therapist assistance) on changes in the 2 primary outcomes of anxiety (7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale [GAD-7]) and depression (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9]) were assessed using the Cohen d, reliable change index, and mixed-effects linear regression analyses. Results: There were no substantial differences in the outcome measures among intervention conditions. However, there were significant time effect changes in most outcomes over time. All 3 intervention conditions demonstrated strong and significant treatment effect changes in GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores, with absolute Cohen d values ranging from 0.82 to 1.79 (all P<.05). The mixed-effects models revealed that, in the Life Flex program–only condition at week 3, mean GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores significantly decreased from baseline by 3.54 and 4.38 (all P<.001), respectively. At weeks 6, 9, and 21, GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores significantly decreased from baseline by at least 6 and 7 points (all P<.001), respectively. Nonresponders at week 3 who were stepped up to therapist assistance increased program engagement and treatment response. At the postintervention time point and 3-month follow-up, 67% (44/65) and 69% (34/49) of the participants, respectively, no longer met diagnostic criteria for anxiety or depression. Conclusions: The findings highlight that early detection of low engagement and non–treatment response presents an opportunity to effectively intervene by incorporating an adaptive design. Although the study findings indicate that therapist assistance was no more effective than the DMH intervention program alone for reducing symptoms of anxiety or depression, the data highlight the potential influence of participant selection bias and participant preferences within stepped-care treatment models. ©Brooke Andrews, Britt Klein, Huy Van Nguyen, Denise Corboy, Suzanne McLaren, Shaun Watson.
Emotional functioning in children and adolescents with elevated depressive symptoms
- Authors: Hughes, Elizabeth , Gullone, Eleonora , Watson, Shaun
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment Vol. 33, no. 3 (2011), p. 335-345
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- Description: Difficulties with emotion and its regulation are of central importance to the etiology and course of depression. The current study investigated these constructs in relation to childhood and adolescence by comparing the emotional functioning of 170 9- to 15-year-olds reporting high levels of depressive symptoms (HD) to a matched sample of 170 children and adolescents reporting low levels of depressive symptoms (LD). Compared to LD, HD participants reported significantly greater shame proneness, poorer functioning on emotion regulation competencies (emotional control, self-awareness and situational responsiveness), less healthy emotion regulation strategy use (less reappraisal and greater suppression), and lower levels of guilt proneness. Empathic concern did not differ between the two groups. The findings enhance current knowledge by providing a more comprehensive profile of the emotional difficulties experienced by children and adolescents with elevated depressive symptoms. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
Evaluation of various support intensities of digital mental health treatment for reducing anxiety and depression in adults : protocol for a mixed methods, adaptive, randomized clinical trial
- Authors: Andrews, Brooke , Klein, Britt , McLaren, Suzanne , Watson, Shaun , Corboy, Denise
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: JMIR Research Protocols Vol. 12, no. (2023), p.
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- Description: Background: Anxiety and depression are leading causes of disease worldwide, requiring timely access to evidence-based treatment. Digital mental health (dMH) interventions increase accessibility to evidence-based psychological services delivered in a variety of web-based formats (eg, self-help and therapist-assisted interventions). Robust and rigorous studies of adaptive web-based intervention designs are scarce. No identified randomized clinical trial has investigated the efficacy of a 2-stage adaptive design, whereby the program-only condition or no support dMH treatment program is augmented by either low or high therapist assistance, if a participant does not improve or engage in the program-only condition. Objective: The primary objective is to assess whether low or high therapist-assisted support delivered via video chat is more effective in reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms compared with a dMH program–only condition. The secondary objective is to evaluate the role of motivation; self-efficacy; and preferences in participant engagement, adherence, and clinical outcomes (anxiety and depression symptoms) among the 3 treatment conditions (program only, low-intensity therapist assistance, and high-intensity therapist assistance). A mixed methods analysis of factors affecting participant attrition, participant reasons for nonengagement and withdrawal, and therapist training and implementation of dMH interventions will be completed. Qualitative data regarding participant and therapist experiences and satisfaction with video chat assessment and treatment will also be analyzed. Methods: Australian adults (N=137) with symptoms or a diagnosis of anxiety or depression will be screened for eligibility and given access to the 8-module Life Flex dMH treatment program. On day 15, participants who meet the augmentation criteria will be stepped up via block randomization to receive therapist assistance delivered via video chat for either 10 minutes (low intensity) or 50 minutes (high intensity) per week. This adaptive trial will implement a mixed methods design, with outcomes assessed before the intervention (week 0), during the intervention (weeks 3 and 6), after the intervention (week 9), and at the 3-month follow-up (week 21). Results: The primary outcome measures are for anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7) and depression severity (Patient Health Questionnaire–9). Measures of working alliance, health status, health resources, preferences, self-efficacy, and motivation will be used for secondary outcomes. Qualitative methods will be used to explore participant and therapist experiences of video chat assessment and treatment, participant reasons for withdrawal and nonengagement, and therapist training and implementation experiences. Data collection commenced in November 2020 and was completed at the end of March 2022. Conclusions: This is the first mixed methods adaptive trial to explore the comparative efficacy of different intensity levels of self-help and a therapist-assisted dMH intervention program delivered via video chat for adults with anxiety or depression. Anticipated results may have implications for the implementation of dMH interventions. © Brooke Andrews, Britt Klein, Suzanne McLaren, Shaun Watson, Denise Corboy. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 28.04.2023.
Factor structure of the symptoms of alcohol use, gaming, and gambling addictions
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Brown, Taylor , Watson, Shaun
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction Vol. 21, no. 5 (2023), p. 3345-3361
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- Description: Alcohol use, gaming, and gambling addictions are recognized in some form by the major clinical classification symptoms. The current study applied confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models to compare four different models comprising the symptoms of these addictions. The four models were one-factor (all different types of addiction symptoms loading on a single factor), two-factor (alcohol use and internet/gambling latent factors), three-factor (alcohol use, internet gaming, and gambling symptoms loading only on their respective target latent factors), and bi-factor (alcohol use, internet gaming, and gambling symptoms loading on their respective target latent factor and also on the general addiction factor) models. A general community sample of 968 adults (males = 622, females = 315) completed rating scales with symptoms for the three addictions and also for drug use addiction and distress. Both the three-factor and bi-factor models showed a good fit. However, between these models, only the factors of the three-factor model showed good clarity, reliabilities, and external validities, thereby suggesting that this be the best model to represent ratings of alcohol use, internet gaming, and gambling together. The theoretical, taxonomic, and clinical implications of the findings are discussed. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Galvanic and acoustic vestibular stimulation activate different populations of vestibular afferents
- Authors: Bacsi, Ann M , Watson, Shaun , Colebatch, James G
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Clinical Neurophysiology Vol. 114, no. 2 (2003), p. 359-365
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- Description: OBJECTIVE: To deduce whether similar or distinct populations of vestibular afferents are activated by acoustic and galvanic vestibular stimulation by comparing the effectiveness of 'matched' stimuli in eliciting vestibulospinal reflexes. METHODS: Twelve subjects (5 men, 7 women) underwent individual 'matching' of 2 ms tone burst and galvanic stimuli, using vestibulocollic reflexes so that corrected reflex amplitudes to tone burst and galvanic stimuli were within 10% of each other. These same intensities were then administered using 20 ms durations to determine whether they were equally effective in evoking vestibulospinal responses. RESULTS: Corrected reflex amplitudes for vestibulocollic responses to tone burst and galvanic stimulation were not significantly different for the right (P=0.45) or left (P=0.68) sides. All subjects had vestibulospinal responses to galvanic stimulation (average intensity 4.0 mA for both sides). The short latency (SL) and medium latency (ML) components of the vestibulospinal reflexes were larger after galvanic compared to tone burst stimulation in 11 of 12 subjects (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Despite evoking equal-sized vestibulocollic reflexes, there was a clear dissociation between the magnitude of tone burst and galvanic-induced vestibulospinal reflexes. Galvanic stimulation evoked SL and ML reflexes in all subjects. Tone burst stimuli evoked only small SL reflexes and, in most cases, no ML reflexes. Acoustically-evoked vestibulocollic reflexes are likely to be due to saccular excitation. The limited effectiveness of longer tone burst stimuli to evoke ML vestibulospinal reflexes suggests that saccular afferents have, at most, only a minor role in the production of these reflexes. We conclude that galvanic stimulation is more effective in eliciting vestibulospinal reflexes than tone burst stimulation, and that the two methods activate different populations of vestibular afferents.
Glass shape influences the flavour of beer
- Authors: Mirabito, Adrian , Oliphant, Markus , Van Doorn, George , Watson, Shaun , Spence, Charles
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Food Quality and Preference Vol. 62, no. (2017), p. 257-261
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- Description: It is often said that our perception of wine varies as a function of the receptacle in which it is presented. Indeed, glassware has been the subject of extensive study in this category. By contrast, the impact of glassware on the perception of beer has been largely ignored in the field of sensory science research. The current study was specifically designed to investigate the influence of the shape (specifically side curvature) of the glass on people’s perception of beer. Fifty-three Australian participants rated (on 10-point Likert scales) a beer presented in one of two glasses. The beer was perceived as being fruitier and more intense when served in a curved-sided glass. Given previous research showing that people match fruitiness with curvature (rather than straightness/angularity), these results fit within the existing literature on crossmodal correspondences between shape and taste properties.
Happy hour? A preliminary study of the effect of induced joviality and sadness on beer perception
- Authors: Desira, Beth , Watson, Shaun , Van Doorn, George , Timora, Justin , Spence, Charles
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Beverages Vol. 6, no. 2 (2020), p. 1-14
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- Description: Our emotions influence our perception. In order to determine whether emotion influences the perception of beer, 32 participants watched either a scene from the movie Wall-E to induce joviality, or a short clip from the Shawshank Redemption to induce sadness. The participants were then required to sample up to 250 mL of Yenda Pale Ale beer and rate it on a variety of taste and flavor characteristics (e.g., bitterness), before completing the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-X (PANAS-X). The data were analyzed using Bayesian t-tests and Null Hypothesis Significance Tests (NHSTs). After applying conservative corrections for multiple comparisons, NHSTs failed to reach statistical significance. However, the effect sizes suggested that inducing joviality, relative to inducing sadness, resulted in the beer being rated as (a) tasting more pleasant, (b) tasting sweeter, and (c) being of higher quality. Following the induction of joviality, participants were also willing to pay more for the beer. The Bayesian analyses indicated that induced emotion can influence flavor perception for complex taste stimuli. The effect sizes and Bayesian analyses are interpreted in terms of Feelings-as-Information theory. These preliminary findings can tentatively be applied to real-world environments such as venues that serve and/or market alcohol. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
- Description: Funding: This research was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), grant number AH/L007053/1 awarded to C.S.