Metacognition, emotion, and alcohol dependence in college students: a moderated mediation model.

Based on Wells and Matthews' (1994) theory of psychological dysfunction and prior empirical studies, it was hypothesized that negative emotion would mediate the relationship between maladaptive metacognition and alcohol dependence, and maladaptive metacognition would moderate the relationship between negative emotion and alcohol dependence. A sample of 300 British college students completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire 30. Metacognitive traits, emotions, and alcohol dependence were positively intercorrelated. Moderated mediation modeling indicated that metacognition fosters emotion and moderates the relationship between emotion and alcohol dependence in such a way that emotion and dependence are positively associated for high metacognition and are negatively associated for low metacognition. The implications of the findings are discussed.

Negative emotions and alcohol dependence symptoms in British Indian and White college students.

This study investigated cross-cultural differences in the association between negative emotions and alcohol dependence symptoms in British Indian and White college students. Based on a study of levels of alcohol consumption (Spada & Moneta, 2004), it was hypothesized that the association between negative emotions and alcohol dependence symptoms would be present only in British White students. A sample of 150 British Indian students and 150 British White students completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Structural regression modeling indicated that negative emotions predict higher levels of alcohol dependence symptoms in British White students, and do not predict alcohol dependence symptoms in British Indian students. The implications of the findings are discussed.

The relative contribution of metacognitive beliefs and expectancies to drinking behaviour.

AIM: Alcohol expectancies refer to the effects of alcohol use anticipated by an individual. Metacognitive beliefs about alcohol use are a specific form of alcohol expectancy relating to the beliefs individuals hold about the effects of alcohol on cognition and emotion. METHOD: A community sample of 355 individuals completed measures of alcohol expectancies, metacognitive beliefs about alcohol use, and drinking behaviour. RESULTS: Correlation analyses indicated that alcohol expectancies and metacognitive beliefs about alcohol use were positively correlated with drinking behaviour. Structural regression modelling revealed that three of the four facets of metacognitive beliefs about alcohol use were independent contributors to drinking behaviour, and that, when controlling for such beliefs, only negative social performance alcohol expectancies explained additional variance in drinking behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: These results add to the argument that there is a value in differentiating between metacognitive beliefs about alcohol use and alcohol expectancies in predicting drinking behaviour.

Metacognition as a mediator of the relationship between emotion and smoking dependence.

This study investigated the role of metacognition as a mediator of the relationship between emotion and smoking dependence. A sample of 104 smokers completed the following questionnaires: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30), and Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND). Three dimensions of metacognition (positive beliefs about worry, negative beliefs about worry concerning uncontrollability and danger, and beliefs about cognitive confidence) were found to be positively and significantly correlated with smoking dependence. A positive and significant correlation was also observed between anxiety and depression on the one hand, and smoking dependence on the other. Structural equation modeling was used to test a mediational model in which emotion predicted metacognition which in turn predicted smoking dependence. The results supported the hypothesis that the relationship between emotion and smoking dependence is partially mediated by metacognition, suggesting that metacognitive theory may be relevant to understanding smoking dependence. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Differing profiles of developmental experiences across types of organized youth activities.

This study inventoried the types of developmental and negative experiences that youth encounter in different categories of extracurricular and community-based organized activities. A representative sample of 2,280 11th graders from 19 diverse high schools responded to a computer-administered protocol. Youth in faith-based activities reported higher rates of experiences related to identity, emotional regulation, and interpersonal development in comparison with other activities. Sports and arts programs stood out as providing more experiences related to development of initiative, although sports were also related to high stress. Service activities were associated with experiences related to development of teamwork, positive relationships, and social capital. Youth reported all of these positive developmental experiences to occur significantly more often in youth programs than during school classes.

Think positively and feel positively: optimism and life satisfaction in late life.

This study developed a dispositional path model of life satisfaction for community dwelling Chinese elderly living in Hong Kong. A sample of 117 elderly completed scales measuring life satisfaction, optimism, self-esteem, relationship harmony, self-construals, and perceived/expected health and financial status. Modeling revealed that life satisfaction was predicted by self-esteem and relationship harmony, which in turn were predicted by independent and interdependent self-construals, respectively. In addition, optimism predicted life satisfaction directly and indirectly through self-esteem and relationship harmony. Financial status mediated entirely the effect of optimism on life satisfaction. Health status was predicted by optimism but did not predict life satisfaction. Optimism is a key contributor to subjective well being because it fosters self-esteem, relationship harmony, and positive perceptions of financial conditions.

Continuity, stability, and change in daily emotional experience across adolescence.

This longitudinal study examined change in adolescents' daily range of emotional states between early and late adolescence. A sample of 220 youth provided reports on their daily emotions at random times during two 1-week periods. At Time 1 they were in the fifth through eighth grades; 4 years later, at Time 2, they were in the ninth through twelfth grades. Results showed that average emotional states became less positive across early adolescence, but that this downward change in average emotions ceased in grade 10. The results also showed greatest relative instability between youth in the early adolescent years--correlations over time were lower--with stability increasing in late adolescence. Lastly, the study found that adolescents' average emotions had relatively stable relations to life stress and psychological adjustment between early and late adolescence. As a whole, the findings suggest that late adolescence is associated with a slowing of the emotional changes of early adolescence.