Although the link between stressful experiences and depression has been supported in numerous studies, the specific mechanisms of this relationship are still unclear. Cognitive theories of depression postulate that the influence of stress on depression may be modified by cognitive factors. The aim of the present study was to examine the interplay between negative life events, cognitive vulnerability factors, and depressive symptoms. It was hypothesized that the relationship between negative life events and symptoms of depression is shaped by rumination and cognitive biases. The study sample consisted of 108 young adults (19 men and 89 women; M = 20.31; SD = 1.84). Memory bias and attentional bias were assessed using the Attentional Blink Task and the Memory Task, respectively. Rumination and depressive symptoms were assessed via self-report questionnaires. Logistic regression and moderation analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between the study variables. Stressful life events, rumination and memory bias were found to be significantly related to depressive symptoms. Moderation analyses revealed that there is a positive relationship between negative life events and depressive symptoms but only among individuals characterized by an elevated level of rumination and among participants exhibiting negative attentional bias. The results provide further evidence for cognitive models of depression.
The purpose of the study was to find whether there were differences in cortisol awakening response (CAR) between a neutral day and an exam day in a group of female students and to explore possible relationships between CAR, self-reported affect, and exam performance. A group of 25 female students took samples of their saliva using Salivettes at the moment of waking and after 30 min. They then described their affect using the PANAS scale. Measures were taken twice: three days before an examination and on the day of the examination. The level of free cortisol in saliva samples was determined using enzyme immunoassay. The integrated volume of cortisol (CARauc) was significantly higher on the day of the exam than on the neutral day. There were also significant differences in affect, with negative higher and positive lower on the exam day, but correlations between cortisol measures and self-reported affect were low and not significant. A negative relationship between integrated volume of cortisol (CARauc) and exam performance was also found. Anticipated exam stress caused a significant increase in CAR in female study participants when compared to a neutral day, but only in the case of integrated volume of cortisol over the waking period (CARauc). The negative relationship between this measure and exam performance can be explained by attributing CARauc to negative expectations concerning the anticipated exam.
While temperamental traits have been shown to be an important predictor of risk behaviour, much less attention has been paid to health-promoting behaviour. The concept of temperamental profiles as individual compositions of traits allows the formulation of predictions concerning differences in such behaviours. This study aimed to find differences in engaging in risk and health-promoting behaviours in adolescents with different temperamental profiles that represented individuals differing in stimulation regulation. methodsA group of 345 adolescents, 196 female and 149 male aged 18-19 years, completed questionnaires measuring engagement in risk and health-promoting behaviours as well as temperamental traits. Participants were then assigned by means of cluster analysis to four groups with different temperamental trait profiles. Aggregated scores of risk and health behaviours were used based on the frequency of occurrence. resultsAdolescents characterised by a non-resilient temperamental profile engaged both in risk and health-promoting behaviours less frequently than those characterised by other profiles. Gender-related differences in health promoting behaviours were also found. Female participants reported engaging in health-promoting behaviours more frequently than male participants.
Cyberbullying has recently attracted attention because of its increasing occurrence and serious consequences for victims. The purpose of the study was to examine the prevalence rates of cyberbullying and the association between cyberbullying and protective/risk factors (cognitive empathy, assertiveness, cooperation, pro-social behaviour, and social support) among Polish adolescents. participants and procedureParticipants (822 students, 448 girls and 374 boys, M = 12.97, SD = 1.02) completed a computer-based online questionnaire. resultsThe majority of respondents did not experience cyberbullying in the last six months, while a significant group still experienced cyberbullying regularly (28.1%). Engaging in cyberbullying appeared to be even less common: it was reported by 12.3% of respondents. Family and peer social support appeared to be the strongest protective factor against experiencing cyberbullying while assertiveness was a characteristic that makes a person more likely to engage in cyberbullying. conclusionsThe results of our study can serve as guidance for preventive interventions against cyberbullying.
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