Mattering Versus Self-Esteem in University Students: Associations With Regulatory Focus, Social Feedback, and Psychological Distress

Although research has established that feelings of not mattering are associated with distress, the factors and processes that contribute to these associations have not received much consideration. The current study was conducted to address three themes. First, mattering was evaluated from a motivational perspective by examining mattering and regulatory focus. Second, the uniqueness of low mattering in predicting distress was investigated when considered along with other predictors (i.e., self-esteem and regulatory focus). Finally, a negative inferential style involving perceptions of negative social feedback was tested as a cognitive mediator of the link between mattering and distress. Mattering was correlated moderately with a promotion self-regulation focus. Regression analyses showed that mattering was also linked uniquely with distress beyond the variance predicted by self-esteem and regulatory focus. In addition, the association between low mattering and distress was mediated by negative social feedback. Our findings highlight the need for further investigation of mattering as a unique contributor to distress and the factors associated with mattering.

PENERAPAN GRATITUDE JOURNAL UNTUK MENURUNKAN GEJALA DEPRESIF PADA PENDERITA KANKER: STUDI DENGAN ECOLOGICAL MOMENTARY ASSESSMENT

Kanker adalah sebuah masalah medis serius yang memiliki dampak yang signifikan terhadap kualitas hidup penderita secara holistik, termasuk masalah kejiwaan yang mengarah pada gejala depresif. Negative inferential style, yakni sebuah gaya pikir yang cenderung memproses peristiwa hidup secara lebih negatif dari biasanya, diduga sebagai salah satu faktor yang memicu penderita kanker untuk mengembangkan gejala depresif. Studi ini bertujuan untuk memeriksa penerapan intervensi yang berfokus pada aspek kognitif individu dalam bentuk aktivitas gratitude journal untuk mengurangi gejala depresif partisipan. Penelitian ini juga menggunakan ecological momentary assessment untuk memeriksa fluktuasi mood depresif dalam partisipan. Enam partisipan wanita dengan berusia antara 35 sampai 56 tahun (x̅ = 44.83) dengan diagnosis kanker dan gejala depresif (skor BDI-II > 0) direkrut dan menyelesaikan aktivitas gratitude journal selama dua minggu. Uji statistik non-parametrik Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test dan Kruskall-Wallis Test dilakukan untuk menganalisis data. Studi ini juga melakukan analisis tematik dalam bentuk coding untuk menemukan protective factors terhadap depresi yang terkandung dalam gratitude journal. Studi ini tidak menemukan perbedaan bermakna pada skor pretest-posttest trait gratitude, namun menemukan penurunan skor yang signifikan pada gejala depresif. Terakhir, peneliti tidak menemukan adanya perbedaan bermakna dalam gejala depresif pada tiga kondisi waktu yang berbeda. Studi ini menunjukkan bahwa gratitude journal dapat digunakan sebagai jenis intervensi yang dapat mendampingi intervensi lain karena karakteristik aktivitasnya yang sederhana. Akan tetapi, masih dibutuhkan penelitian lebih lanjut yang memeriksa penerapan gratitude journal terhadap penderita depresi klinis sebelum konklusi mengenai efektivitas dari aktivitas gratitude journal dapat ditegakkan. Cancer is a group of medical diseases that has detrimental impacts on the sufferers’ quality of life holistically, which includes psychological issues that may lead them to heightened depressive symptoms. Negative inferential style, defined as the tendency to interpret or attribute negative life events in maladaptive ways, has been suggested to be a risk factor contributing to the development of depressive symptoms. The current study aimed to investigate the application of cognitive-based intervention in the form of gratitude journal to reduce depressive symptoms. In addition, the study was designed to explore the fluctuative depressive mood among cancer sufferers by utilizing ecological momentary assessment. Six partisipants with age range from 35 to 56 years old (x̅ = 44.83), with cancer diagnosis and depressive symptoms (BDI-II > 0) were recruited and completed gratitude journal activity for two weeks. Non-parametric statistical analyses in the form of Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and Kruskall-Wallis Test were conducted to analyse the data. Findings showed no significant differences between gratitude trait pretest-posttest scores. In contrast, there were significant differences among depressive scores, indicating that the intervention helps to reduce depressive symptoms among cancer sufferers. It was further revealed that the analyses failed to find significant depressive symptoms’ differences among three different time points. The findings suggest that gratitude journal can be used as an effective side-intervention that complements other type of intervention to reduce depressive symptoms due to its “easy-to-do” nature. However, future research is necessary to establish its efficacy to treat individuals with more serious depressive symptoms.

Comparison of Team and Participant Ratings of Event Dependence: Inferential Style, Cognitive Style, and Stress Generation

Introduction: Previous research has linked negative cognitive styles with stress generation. However, measures of cognitive styles have replied on ratings for hypothetical events, not experienced events. We examined the relationship between stress generation and attributional style for experienced events (i.e., inferential style) at both macro and daily levels. Methods: We measured stress generation in college students using the traditional objective team ratings (i.e., observer) as well as via participants’ own ratings (i.e., actor), which we argue captures more information and is consistent with calls for participant-centered research. Results: Cognitive style and inferential style positively correlated, indicating consistency between these two forms of assessment. Actor and observer identified events were significantly correlated for both dependent and independent events, suggesting that participants and teams are consistent in these categorizations. Results from both studies showed that inferential style was associated with actor but not observer identified dependent events. Discussion: Our findings provide some of the first evidence for the role of inferential style in actor identified stress generation and indicate that it is useful to examine both participant and observer ratings of stressful life events.