Men, mindsets and birth: results of a prospective longitudinal study.

AIMS/BACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been an increased interested in the contribution of fathers to childbirth. In the present paper we explore whether the father's birth-related mindset (being either more natural or more medical) can predict the mother's labour and birth outcomes and whether the father's experience and evaluation of the birth can predict his psychological well-being after the birth. DESIGN/METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal study (N = 304 expecting fathers) spanning the first trimester of pregnancy up to six months after birth. RESULTS: The study results could be integrated into a Single Indicator Model. They indicated that a father's more natural birth-related mindset predicted low-intervention birth for the mother. A low-intervention birth led to a more positive birth experience for the father, and in turn to better postpartum adjustment, fewer symptoms of postpartum paternal depression eight weeks after birth, and more secure bonding to the infant six months after birth. CONCLUSION: The study results indicate that fathers do not take a merely passive role in childbirth. On the contrary, analogous to pregnant mothers, fathers' views about childbirth might contribute to the course of birth, and their own postpartum psychological well-being. The results of the present study, thus, highlight the importance of fathers for childbirth and in a broader sense, the results also contribute to a better understanding of the psychological framework of birth and represents a valuable starting point for further research.

Partner support and relationship quality as potential resources for childbirth and the transition to parenthood.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present paper was to explore the role of partners for the stressful life events of birth and the transition to parenthood. METHODS: In a first prospective longitudinal study (N = 304 dyads) we tested whether relationship quality positively predicted fewer interventions during labor and birth, a more positive birth experience, and better well-being during the first six weeks after birth. In a second study we surveyed mothers (N = 980; retrospective quasi-experimental design) who had given birth during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020 - some in the absence of their partners - to test the assumption that regardless of relationship quality, the presence of the partner was positively related to low-intervention births and the birth experience. RESULTS: The results of the longitudinal study (Study 1) could be integrated into a Single Indicator model. They revealed that a high relationship quality assessed between week 5 and week 25 of pregnancy had a positive effect on birth experience for the mother and on psychological well-being during the transition to parenthood for both mothers and fathers. Results of the retrospective quasi-experimental field study (Study 2) revealed that the continuous presence of the partner was associated with a higher probability of a low-intervention birth and a more positive birth experience. Presence of a partner for only part of the birth did not positively predict labor and birth, but did positively predict the birth experience. The effects were independent of relationship quality. CONCLUSION: The results of both studies highlight the importance of partners for psychological well-being during labor and birth and the transition to parenthood.

Implicit Attachment Schemas and Therapy Outcome for Panic Disorder Treated with Manualized Confrontation Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Different studies have shown that a patient's attachment correlates with the psychotherapy outcome. However, these findings are based on the traditional interview and paper and pencil attachment methods. Latency-based methods like the Implicit Association Test (IAT) have not yet been investigated in clinical attachment research, specifically in therapy outcome research. OBJECTIVES: It can be hypothesized that patients with positive schemas of their mother and their partner may show a better psychotherapeutic outcome than those with less positive schemas of their mother/partner. METHOD: A sample of 103 patients suffering from panic disorder with or without agoraphobia (age 36.73, SD = 10.80), including 56% of patients with affective or other anxiety disorders as comorbidities without a personality disorder, based on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I/II), were treated with a manualized cognitive-behavioral confrontation therapy. Two IATs (for mother and partner) were implemented before the therapy (t1). The symptom reduction was assessed by the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) with symptoms at t1 and IAT at t1 as predictors of symptoms at t2. RESULTS: The results confirmed a moderate to high therapeutic effect of the confrontation therapy. Furthermore, the mother's IAT at t1 predicted the Global Severity Index (ß = 0.20) as well as the Anxiety subscale (ß = 0.18) at t2 above and beyond the t1 measurement of the criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Implicit attitudes of the mother predicted the symptom reduction and a better therapeutic outcome. Relationship aspects with less impact awareness predicted the therapeutic outcome, even though mostly cognitive-behavioral techniques were used.

Tracking Mouse Trajectories Related to Decisions About Sexual Interest.

The current research explored continuous behavioral processes by recording participants' hand movements toward a response option using Mousetracker software. Across three studies, we tested the idea that sexual interest-related decisions can be indexed using automatic movements. Using a UK sample of self-identified same- and opposite-gender attracted men (N = 43), Study 1 showed that the process of approaching the response button was faster, more direct, and less curved when participants responded from their own (vs. a non-preferred) perspective. Study 2 supported these findings using a German sample of self-identified same- and opposite-gender attracted men (N = 66). Using a teleiophilic sample of 100 self-identified opposite-gender attracted men (n = 51) and women (n = 49), Study 3 examined age-specific sexual interests (i.e., responding to stimuli from a pedophilic and a teleiophilic perspective). As expected, in the teleiophilic block, participants' responses were faster, more direct, and less curved than in the pedophilic block. Collectively, the results suggest that mousetracking shows promise as a measure of sexual interest (across the dimension of both gender and age), providing grounds for future research.

Incongruence Between Implicit Attachment Schemes and Unconscious Attachment Representations.

Assessments based on reaction time and language-based interviews postulate that unconscious attachment processes be measured. Nevertheless, a possible empirical equivalence of these two approaches has not yet been investigated. To fill this void, the Adult Attachment Interview and the Implicit Association Test were implemented with a group of patients with panic disorder (n = 157, mean age = 29, SD = 2.47) based on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, axis I and II disorders and a group of healthy individuals (n = 138). In total, the securely attached individuals showed significantly more positive attitudes toward their mother than the insecurely attached individuals. In the healthy individuals, the secure and disorganized classifications showed significantly more positive attitudes toward the mother in comparison with the insecure attachment classification, as well as the patient group. In summary, implicit attachment patterns based on reaction times are not equivalent to an attachment representation based on language markers. For the disorganized attachment representation, no differences were present between the information processing of the memory/association network and the autobiographic memory function.

The "Dunkelfeld" Project for Self-Identified Pedophiles: A Reappraisal of its Effectiveness.

INTRODUCTION: The "Dunkelfeld" project offers pharmacologic treatment and psychotherapy to self-referred pedophilic patients in an anonymous way. AIM: To provide a re-assessment focusing on the crucial time × group interaction (ie, the treatment effect). METHODS: A recent study reported on the effectiveness of the "Dunkelfeld" program based on intermediate data of a treatment group (TG; n = 53) and a waiting-list control group (CG; n = 22). With psychological indicators, it was concluded that the therapy program changed dynamic risk factors that are associated with sexually offending against children. Although based on an independent groups pre-post design, the original report includes within-group pre- and post-comparisons only, as well as between-group comparisons at the pre- and post-treatment stages. In the current study, an effect size index was computed that compares the change occurring in both groups (TG and CG) with each other (Morris d). Moreover, 95% CI of d were calculated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The analyses were limited to 12 dynamic risk factors pertaining to emotional dysfunction, offense-supportive attitudes, sexual dysregulation, impression management, and 2 types of delinquent behavior, including recent behavior related to sexual offenses against children and recent use of child sexual abuse images. RESULTS: All 14 indicators showed weak treatment effects at most, with a median d of 0.30. None of the effect sizes was statistically significant (ie, in every case the 95% CI included 0). Further methodologic concerns include a familywise error rate close to 1 and too little statistical power to identify potential effects. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: As far as dynamic risk factors are concerned, the data do not show that treatment within the "Dunkelfeld" program leads to any reduction of the proneness to commit sexual offenses against children. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: The current study adds crucial information lacking in the original analysis. Because the re-appraisal has the same limited statistical power as the original study, the current results are tentative in the sense that the possibility of the program being effective cannot be ruled out. A further limitation is that not all of the dynamic risk factors chosen as indicators of possible treatment success have been established as relevant for sexual (re-)offending in prior empirical studies. CONCLUSIONS: The outcome emphasizes the notion that independent groups pretest-posttest designs should be analyzed based on the treatment × time interaction. Mokros A, Banse R. The "Dunkelfeld" Project for Self-Identified Pedophiles: A Reappraisal of its Effectiveness. J Sex Med 2019;16:609-613.

Implicit aggressiveness in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder as assessed by an Implicit Association Test.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) highlight the role of cognitive biases for the development of the disorder. One of these biases, an inflated sense of responsibility has been associated with higher anger scores and latent aggression on self-report scales, especially in patients with compulsive checking. Validity of self-report assessment is, however, compromised by inaccuracy, social desirability, and low metacognitive awareness of traits and behaviors in patients. The aim of the present study was to extend the research on latent aggression in individuals with OCD by using an indirect, implicit measure of aggression. METHODS: Fifty-eight patients with OCD and 25 healthy controls were assessed with an Aggressiveness-Implicit Association Test (IAT), which is a reaction time task that assesses the strength of associations between the concept of "aggressiveness" and "me" compared to others. RESULTS: Contrary to our expectation, OCD patients with checking symptoms showed a more peaceful implicit self-concept than healthy controls. This result was corroborated by negative correlations between checking symptoms and implicit aggressiveness in the OCD sample. LIMITATIONS: No self-report measures on aggression or anger were included in the study. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to previous research using self-report measures, our study indicates that implicit aspects of aggression do indeed differ from controlled aspects in patients with checking compulsions. Future research is necessary to better understand the role of aggressiveness in OCD and to derive implications for therapy.

Spousal concordance in the use of alternative tobacco products: A multi-country investigation.

BACKGROUND: Married couples often share similar health-related characteristics and behaviors, including cigarette smoking status. Despite their rising popularity in the U.S., little research has examined the patterns of spousal concordance (SC) for alternative tobacco products (ATPs), such as e-cigarettes, cigars, and hookah. METHODS: The purpose of this project was to examine the roles of age, gender, and culture in the strength of SC for these ATPs. Analyses focused on a diverse community sample of married individuals in Ohio, U.S. (N=278), but also examined patterns in Austria, Greece, Israel, the Netherlands, and Slovakia. All participants completed a survey in which they indicated both their own, and their spouse's ever-use of various tobacco products. RESULTS: For the U.S. sample, SC was highest for e-cigarettes, flavored e-cigarettes, flavored cigarettes, and hookah (ϕs=0.48- 0.61); SC appeared to be stronger among younger couples, and when there was only a small female vs. male differences in use. Similar patterns were found in the other countries, with a few key exceptions. In particular, there was low SC for e-cigarettes and flavored e-cigarettes in the other countries, where e-cigarettes had been federally regulated by the time of data collection. CONCLUSION: Overall, these findings have implications for the continued spreading popularity of these tobacco use behaviors.

Development of a Cued Pro- and Antisaccade Paradigm: An Indirect Measure to Explore Automatic Components of Sexual Interest.

We developed a cued pro- and antisaccade paradigm (CPAP) to explore automatic components of sexual interest. Heterosexual participants (n = 32 women, n = 25 men) had to perform fast eye movements toward and away from sexually relevant or irrelevant stimuli across a congruent (i.e., prosaccade toward sexually relevant stimuli, antisaccade away from sexually irrelevant stimuli) and an incongruent condition (i.e., prosaccade toward sexually irrelevant stimuli, antisaccade away from sexually relevant stimuli). We hypothesized that pro- and antisaccade performance would be influenced by the sexual interest-specific relevance of the presented stimulus (i.e., nude female or male stimulus) and the instructed task (i.e., pro- or antisaccade) and, thus, differ meaningfully between conditions. Results for prosaccades toward sexually relevant stimuli in the congruent condition showed that error rates were lower and latencies were shorter compared with prosaccades toward sexually irrelevant stimuli in the incongruent condition, but only for male participants. In addition, error rates for antisaccades away from sexually irrelevant stimuli in the congruent condition were lower than for antisaccades away from sexually relevant stimuli in the incongruent condition, for both female and male participants. Latencies of antisaccades, however, did not differ between conditions. In comparison with established indirect sexual interest paradigms, the CPAP benefits from measuring highly automated processes less prone to deliberate control. To this end, the CPAP could be applied to explore the interplay of early automatic and deliberate components of sexual information processing.

Validity of content-based techniques to distinguish true and fabricated statements: A meta-analysis.

Within the scope of judicial decisions, approaches to distinguish between true and fabricated statements have been of particular importance since ancient times. Although methods focusing on "prototypical" deceptive behavior (e.g., psychophysiological phenomena, nonverbal cues) have largely been rejected with regard to validity, content-based techniques constitute a promising approach and are well established within the applied forensic context. The basic idea of this approach is that experience-based and nonexperience-based statements differ in their content-related quality. In order to test the validity of the most prominent content-based techniques, criteria-based content analysis (CBCA) and reality monitoring (RM), we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis on English- and German-language studies. Based on a variety of decision criteria, 56 studies were included revealing an overall effect size of g = 1.03 (95% confidence interval [0.78, 1.27], Q = 420.06, p < .001, I2 = 92.48%, N = 3,429). There was no significant difference in the effectiveness of CBCA and RM. Additionally, we investigated a number of moderator variables, such as characteristics of participants, statements, and judgment procedures, as well as general study characteristics. Results showed that the application of all CBCA criteria outperformed any incomplete CBCA criteria set. Furthermore, statement classification based on discriminant functions revealed higher discrimination rates than decisions based on sum scores. Finally, unpublished studies showed higher effect sizes than studies published in peer-reviewed journals. All results are discussed in terms of their significance for future research (e.g., developing standardized decision rules) and practical application (e.g., user training, applying complete criteria set). (PsycINFO Database Record

How Common is Men's Self-Reported Sexual Interest in Prepubescent Children?

Consistent evidence exists for sexual interest in children in nonclinical/nonforensic male populations. However, prevalences for community men's self-reported sexual interest in children have been based on indiscriminate definitions including postpubescent individuals, age-restricted samples, and/or small convenience samples. The present research assessed men's self-reported sexual interest in children (including child prostitution and child sex tourism) on the community level and examined the link between strictly defined sexual fantasies and behaviors involving prepubescent children. In an online survey of 8,718 German men, 4.1% reported sexual fantasies involving prepubescent children, 3.2% reported sexual offending against prepubescent children, and 0.1% reported a pedophilic sexual preference. Sexual fantasies involving prepubescent children were positively related to sexual offending against prepubescent children. Sexual interest in children was associated with subjectively perceived need for therapeutic help. In contrast to findings from forensic samples, men who reported child pornography use exclusively were identified as a subgroup differing from contact sexual offenders against prepubescent children and men who reported both child pornography use and contact sexual offenses against prepubescent children. The empirical link between child-related sexual fantasies and sexual victimization of prepubescent children and high levels of subjective distress from this inclination underscore the importance of evidence-based child sexual abuse prevention approaches in the community. Findings are discussed in terms of their relation to pedophilic disorder.

Indirect Measurement of Sexual Orientation: Comparison of the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure, Viewing Time, and Choice Reaction Time Tasks.

The present study was conducted to validate an adaptation of the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) as an indirect latency-based measure of sexual orientation. Furthermore, reliability and criterion validity of the IRAP were compared to two established indirect measures of sexual orientation: a Choice Reaction Time task (CRT) and a Viewing Time (VT) task. A sample of 87 heterosexual and 35 gay men completed all three indirect measures in an online study. The IRAP and the VT predicted sexual orientation nearly perfectly. Both measures also showed a considerable amount of convergent validity. Reliabilities (internal consistencies) reached satisfactory levels. In contrast, the CRT did not tap into sexual orientation in the present study. In sum, the VT measure performed best, with the IRAP showing only slightly lower reliability and criterion validity, whereas the CRT did not yield any evidence of reliability or criterion validity in the present research. The results were discussed in the light of specific task properties of the indirect latency-based measures (task-relevance vs. task-irrelevance).

Predicting aggressive behavior with the aggressiveness-IAT.

The Implicit Association Test (IAT, Greenwald, McGhee, & Schwartz, 1998) was adapted to assess the automatically activated (implicit) self-concept of aggressiveness. In three studies the validity of the Aggressiveness-IAT (Agg-IAT) was supported by substantial correlations with self-report measures of aggressiveness. After controlling for self-report measures of aggressiveness, the Agg-IAT accounted for 9-15% of the variance of three different indicators of aggressive behavior across three studies. To further explore the nomological network around the Agg-IAT we investigated its correlations with measures of social desirability (SD). Although not fully conclusive, the results across four studies provided some support for a weak negative correlation between impression management SD and aggressive behavior as well as the Agg-IAT. This result is in line with an interpersonally oriented self-control account of impression management SD. Individuals with high SD scores seem to behave less aggressively, and to show lower Agg-IAT scores. The one-week stability of the Agg-IAT was r = .58 in Study 4. Aggr. Behav. 41:65-83 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

On the psychometric properties of the aggressiveness-IAT for children and adolescents.

In research on aggression, implicit association tests (IATs) have been constructed to elucidate automatic processes involved in aggressiveness. Despite an increasing number of applications of the "Aggressiveness-IAT" in basic and applied research, the psychometric properties of this method for measuring an automatic aggressive self-concept have not been comprehensively investigated. Although the Aggressiveness-IAT has been used both as a cross-situationally consistent trait measure and as a measure to indicate situational changes, prior studies have not tested to what extent it reliably captures a stable trait vs. an occasion-specific aggressive self-concept. The present research scrutinizes the psychometric properties of the Aggressiveness-IAT by addressing two issues. First, we tested the reliability, consistency, and occasion specificity of the Aggressiveness-IAT in a longitudinal panel study with four waves and 574 Austrian school children/adolescents by applying latent-state trait (LST) theory. Second, we validated latent trait scores of the IAT vis-à-vis other measures either clearly related to aggression or not. Results demonstrate that 20-30% of the variance in children's and adolescents' IAT scores is situation-unspecific (i.e., "stable"), whereas 36-50% are situation-specific. Regarding its construct validity, the Aggressiveness-IAT is correlated with explicit measures of aggression and related constructs, but it is not associated with discriminant variables (e.g., school achievement). Implications for using the Aggressiveness-IAT are discussed in the light of these findings. Aggr. Behav. 41:84-95 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Validation of direct and indirect measures of preference for sexualized violence.

Individuals differ in the extent to which they are interested in sexualized violence, as displayed in the frequent but not ubiquitous sexual interest in consensual acts of violent sexual role play and violent pornographic media in the normal population. The present research sought to develop and validate a multi-method assessment battery to measure individual differences in the preference for sexualized violence. Three indirect measures (Implicit Association Test, Semantic Misattribution Procedure, Viewing Time) were combined in an online study with 107 men and 103 women. Participants with and without an affiliation with sadomasochistic sexual interest groups were recruited on corresponding Internet platforms. Results revealed that all 3 indirect measures converged in predicting self-reported sexual interest in non-consensual sexuality. Specifically, for men all indirect measures were related to non-consensual sadistic sexual interest, whereas for women an association with masochistic sexual interest was found. Stimulus artefacts versus genuine gender differences are discussed as potential explanations of this dissociation. An outlook on the usability of the assessment battery in applied settings is delivered.

Discrepancies between implicit and explicit self-concepts of intelligence: relations to modesty, narcissism, and achievement motivation.

Previous research has shown that different configurations of the implicit self-concept of intelligence (iSCI) and the explicit self-concept of intelligence (eSCI) are consistently related to individuals' performance on different intelligence tests (Dislich etal., 2012). The results indicated that any discrepant configuration between the iSCI and the eSCI impairs performance. In the present study, how correspondence between the iSCI and the eSCI is related to intelligence test performance as well as personality traits of modesty (low eSCI, high iSCI), narcissism (high eSCI, low iSCI), and achievement motivation was investigated. Furthermore, a moderated mediation analysis showed that the relation between the iSCI-eSCI configurations and intelligence test performance was mediated by achievement motivation for modest individuals.

Direct and indirect measures of sexual maturity preferences differentiate subtypes of child sexual abusers.

To aid risk assessment, management, and treatment planning it is essential to assess child sexual abusers' deviant sexual interests (DSI) and preferences (DSP) for sex with children. However, measurement of DSI/DSP is fraught with psychometric problems. In consequence, research interest has shifted to latency-based indirect measures as a measurement approach to complement self-report and physiological assessment. Utilizing the Explicit and Implicit Sexual Interest Profile (EISIP)-a multimethod approach consisting of self-report, viewing time, and Implicit Association Test (IAT) DSI/DSP measures-we replicated phallometric DSI/DSP differences between child sexual abuser subgroups in a sample of intrafamilial, extrafamilial, and child pornography offenders. DSI/DSP was associated with recidivism risk, offense-behavioral measures of pedophilic interest, and sexual fantasizing. It also negatively correlated with antisociality. Distinguishing between child sexual abuser subtypes and being related to recidivism risk, the EISIP is a useful tool for sexual offender assessments.

Is pedophilic sexual preference continuous? A taxometric analysis based on direct and indirect measures.

The present study addressed the question of whether deviant sexual preferences for children can be considered a taxon, utilizing data from a multimethod assessment battery. The test battery comprised direct self-report as well as indirect latency-based measures (Implicit Association Tests, viewing time) of deviant sexual preferences for children. In a mixed sample of adult men (N = 304, including sex offenders against children, sex offenders against adults, and controls who were either nonsexual offenders or nonoffenders), 27% of the offenders convicted for child sexual abuse or child pornography charges were identified as a homogeneous and distinct latent class. Additional taxometric analyses corroborated the notion of a pedophilic subgroup. Individuals in this pedophilic group showed elevated scores on measures of deviant sexual preference for children over adults. The offense histories of the individuals from the pedophilic cluster indicated an increased likelihood of pedophilic preference as assessed by a file-based summary index. We interpret the results as evidence for pedophilic sexual preference as a distinct and taxonic clinical construct.