Recent research in personality science has highlighted influences of life experiences on personality trait development. Yet, the line of inquiry on how work experiences shape personality development has generally yielded mixed findings. Furthermore, prior work has yet to more systematically examine the role of time in shaping the influences of work experiences, to more appropriately tease apart within- and between-person effects, and to simultaneously model both the selection effect of personality and the socialization effect of work experiences at the within-person level. We conducted a preregistered continuous time meta-analysis of longitudinal studies (k = 11 large-scale archival studies, N ≈ 134,515) to investigate how income-one crucial form of work experience reflecting how people successfully fulfill work responsibilities to achieve high social status-influences employees' development of the Big Five personality traits at the within-person level. We simultaneously examined the selection effect of personality. We found, on average, positive lagged influences of income on subsequent changes of emotional stability and conscientiousness, and the influence on extraversion was generally negative. The lagged influences of conscientiousness and emotional stability on subsequent income changes were generally positive, and the influence was negative for extraversion, suggesting reciprocal relationships. The magnitude of the influences varied over time in an inverted U-shaped fashion with certain levels of between-study heterogeneity. As a more stringent test of the social investment and corresponsive principles, the findings provide more support to the Neo-Socioanalytic Model than the Five Factor Model. Our research showcases the importance of greater cross-fertilization among different areas of psychology for advancing research on personality development in the workplace. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Cognitive impairment is a common, yet underrecognized, feature of bipolar disorder (BD). While cognition has emerged as a contributing factor to poor functioning in BD, previous reviews did not examine the role of cognitive domains (i.e., social cognition, nonsocial cognition) or the role of key potential moderators, including age and sex. A systematic literature search identified studies that included assessments of cognition and functioning in BD (103 reports, 2,200 effect sizes, 9,323 BD participants). Multilevel models tested the association between cognition and functioning, as well as moderation by cognitive domain, functional domain, biological factors, and clinical factors. Better overall cognitive performance was associated with better overall functioning (r = .20, p < .001). In contrast to the schizophrenia literature, nonsocial cognition was more strongly related to functioning (r = .21, p < .001) than social cognition (r = .16, p < .001). The magnitude of the relationship differed across cognitive and functional domains and was moderated by age, sex, clinical factors, and risk of bias. Social and nonsocial cognition make small, but statistically significant, contributions (i.e., 4% variance) to daily functioning in people with BD. This finding supports cognition as a viable treatment target to improve functioning in BD, with appropriate consideration of key moderators. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Research indicates that perfectionism is on the rise among college students. This study updates and expands on this work in several ways. First, we investigate whether self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism continue to increase in tandem with personal standards, concerns about mistakes, and doubts about actions. Second, we examine generational differences in higher order dimensions of perfectionism (perfectionistic strivings and concerns). Third, we investigate whether changes in gross domestic product per capita and inequality account for temporal differences. Fourth, we test whether relationships between perfectionism and psychopathology are changing over time. Cross-temporal meta-analyses of 307 samples encompassing 82,939 American, Canadian, and British college students revealed that self-oriented perfectionism, concerns over mistakes, and doubts about actions increased linearly. Socially prescribed perfectionism followed a quadratic trajectory, with a notable acceleration starting in the early 2000s. At the higher order level, perfectionistic strivings increased linearly, whereas perfectionistic concerns followed a quadratic trajectory. Declining gross domestic product per capita was associated with higher perfectionistic strivings, while rising inequality was associated with steeper increases in perfectionistic concerns. Furthermore, correlations between perfectionism and psychopathology remained stable over time. Overall, results reveal that college students increasingly perceive others as excessively demanding while becoming more demanding of themselves, accompanied by growing indecisiveness, uncertainty, and sensitivity about making mistakes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Using a metascience framework for improving meta-analyses, Jansen et al. (2025) tested the accuracy and efficiency of data extraction from primary studies used in meta-analyses with a range of large language models. Efficiency was impressive: Across thousands of studies and hundreds of variables, eight large language models took less than an hour combined to extract hundreds of thousands of data points-work estimated to take a human coder >6,500 hr. Nevertheless, accuracy was inconsistent, ranging from high to low depending on the variable. From these results, Jansen et al. recommended (a) a research agenda for investigating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for data extraction and (b) methods for using AI as a partner for data extraction when conducting systematic reviews. This commentary expands on recommendations for the research agenda, such as investigating AI-induced bias, the illusion of exploratory depth, and using AI to extract study quality data. This commentary also offers further considerations regarding using AI as a meta-analysis partner, such as how iterative prompts might reduce coding independence. Finally, the commentary discusses speed-accuracy tradeoffs in meta-analyses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Is thinking inherently unpleasant? Recently, David, Vassena, and Bijleveld (see record 2025-07056-001) addressed this question in a meta-analysis, synthesizing results from 170 studies that used the NASA Task Load Index. They found a strong positive task-level association of β = 0.85, 95% confidence interval [0.73, 0.96], between an item for mental effort and an item for feelings of frustration, which was not moderated by various task characteristics. The authors interpret this finding as evidence for the claim that mental effort is inherently aversive. In this commentary, we argue that this conclusion is premature for two reasons. First, the mental effort item of the NASA Task Load Index captures task difficulty rather than intensity of thinking. Second, it is unclear whether the tasks studied included self-initiated cognitive activities, for which theories of intrinsic motivation predict a negative relationship between mental effort and negative affect. In accordance with this analysis, we provide suggestions for how to more appropriately study the conditions under which thinking feels aversive. Using the example of education, we also highlight problematic practical implications of depicting intensive thinking as inherently unpleasant. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Models of mental health emphasize the fundamental role of emotion regulation (ER). Still, it is unknown whether ER impairment varies in severity and type between different disorders. To systematically investigate this question, we searched multiple databases via EBSCOhost for studies comparing adults with mental disorders to nonclinical controls on self-reported ER. We calculated standardized mean differences (SMD) and conducted multilevel meta-analyses to account for nested data. We included 619 studies (1998-2025) that assessed selected ER questionnaires in 41,590 clinical participants and 36,787 controls. Compared with controls, clinical participants overall reported pronounced difficulties in ER (large SMD = 1.70) and different ER strategy use (moderate to large SMDs: less frequent acceptance = -0.85, problem-solving = -0.63, and reappraisal = -0.63; more frequent avoidance = 1.00, rumination = 1.51, and suppression = 0.73). Difficulties in ER, decreased use of reappraisal, and increased use of rumination and suppression were evident in almost all mental disorders, emphasizing the transdiagnostic relevance of these facets. In addition, there were specific profiles for disorders with particularly pronounced effect sizes (e.g., difficulties in ER and acceptance in personality disorders; rumination and reappraisal in depressive disorders). An additional review of 25 ecologically momentary assessment studies of ER in daily life aligned with the main findings. Future research is needed to examine further disorders and the temporal relationship between psychopathology and ER. Nonetheless, there is substantial evidence to assume both universality of ER impairments across disorders and disorder-specific pronunciations. This speaks for using transdiagnostic interventions aimed at improving ER but also points to the need of additional, more targeted interventions for some disorders. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Math anxiety and math achievement are reciprocally related, which likely impacts individuals' agency; their educational and career trajectories in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields; and countries' economic growth in these areas. Previous meta-analyses on this relationship have faced limitations from studies by using small convenience samples and have encountered methodological issues, such as variance restriction, low statistical power, and ecological bias. To address these challenges, the present research synthesis is the first to use a comprehensive collection of representative individual participant data from international large-scale assessments. This analysis incorporated cumulative evidence from 1980 to 2022, including 452 probability samples from 90 countries, and covered student and adult populations. The meta-analytic average correlation between math anxiety and math achievement was r = -.26. Moderator analyses revealed novel evidence that this relationship is sensitive to both construct characteristics and individual and contextual factors. Specifically, the negative relationship was weaker for the worry facet of math anxiety compared to its affective and cognitive interference facets, and it was weaker following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Additionally, the negative relationship was stronger for individuals with average and high levels of math achievement and in countries with higher gross domestic product per capita. Gender differences in the relationship were largely negligible after 2010, although female individuals exhibited a stronger negative relationship in the 1980s and 1990s than male individuals. In summary, synthesizing individual participant data from international large-scale assessments provided novel, nuanced, and robust evidence for research, practice, and policy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
After more than a century of research across a broad phylogenetic spectrum, the prevailing belief among experimental psychologists is that response diminution due to iterated stimulation or habituation depends on the interval at which the stimulus is repeated, known as the interstimulus interval (ISI). Moreover, there is some consensus on the somewhat paradoxical fact that although this interval is inversely related to the ongoing decrement in responding, it is directly related to the persistence of the decrement. This fact has been taken as a probe of two functional processes: a short-term process favored by short ISIs and a long-term process favored by longer ISIs. Neurobiological data, mainly from invertebrates, tend to support this view. This literature review examines the extensive behavioral literature on this topic, with particular attention to the experimental designs employed. The most common design used to assess ISI effects on habituation tracks changes in responding over repeated trials (the "habituation curve"), but this method faces interpretative challenges, particularly the conflation of learning with performance and of short-term with long-term effects. Some of these issues have been addressed by studies of "refractory-like" effects, which are often found to vary inversely with the ISI. A few of these studies report stimulus specificity and dishabituation, suggesting that these brief effects may reflect genuine short-term learning. Numerous studies using retention tests also suggest that longer ISIs are more effective in producing longer lasting learning. These two approaches offer complementary insights into the timing of habituation. Nonetheless, further studies using integrated designs within a single animal model and guided by theoretical frameworks are still needed. Two theories of habituation are discussed, along with recommendations for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Media often portray women in misogynous, discriminatory, and negative ways. By considering different types of misogynous media content and hostile responses to women, this meta-analysis of experimental and nonexperimental studies examined the relation between exposure to misogynous media content and hostility to women. The meta-analytic review included 257 eligible studies published across 47 years and encompassed 132,933 participants, thereby yielding 1,421 effect sizes. Analyses used robust variance estimation to examine the relationship between misogynous media exposure and hostility. On average, such exposure was associated with greater hostility to women (g = 0.26, 95% confidence interval, CI [.21, .30]), in both experimental (g = 0.28, 95% CI [.22, .35]) and nonexperimental (g = 0.24, 95% CI [.18, .29]) studies. Notably, exposure to misogynous media content affected both women and men, although the effect tended to be stronger among men (g = 0.27) than women (g = 0.20). The 95% prediction interval for the overall effect ranged from -0.52 to 1.04, indicating large heterogeneity. In fact, violent content easily recognized as antiwomen resulted in greater hostility among men (g = 0.38) but not women (g = 0.03), whereas humiliating (g = 0.29) and pornographic (g = 0.21) content yielded similarly hostile responses in women and men. In addition, adolescent participants were more influenced (g = 0.32) than participants in their midlate adulthood (g = 0.17), but they did not differ from those in their early adulthood (g = 0.27). Overall, this research showed that misogynous media content elicits demeaning attitudes and hostile behaviors directed toward women, thereby perpetuating the gender hierarchy defined by women's lower status in society. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
The effects of preschool and school interventions typically fade out over time. To assess the implications of such fade-out for returns to interventions and for skill development theories, it is essential to know the mechanisms underlying fade-out. In this study, we reviewed and catego-rized potential fade-out mechanisms and developed testable hypotheses about the distribution of intervention effect sizes. We then evaluated the hypotheses using meta-analysis and data from 42 studies and 677 effect sizes examining the effects of school interventions targeting at-risk students on standardized tests in mathematics and reading. Our findings show that mecha-nisms linked to challenges of measuring and estimating effect sizes explain only a small part of fade-out. Fade-out appears to be a genuine phenomenon reflecting real changes in the skills of the intervention participants. Among skill-based mechanisms, we found evidence against the treatment group forgetting the skills they acquired in the intervention. We found the most sup-port for mechanisms predicting that the treatment group’s skills would grow, but more slowly than those of the control group after the intervention. The two most plausible mechanisms ex-plain the slower growth by the treatment group’s inability to build on the skills acquired during the intervention, and by negative side effects on parental and school investments for the treat-ment group. Because these mechanisms have different implications for the returns to interven-tions and for theories of skill development, future research should aim to distinguish their con-tributions to fade-out. We conclude by discussing study designs that can achieve this goal.
Reading anxiety is the fear of reading and is theorized to be negatively associated with reading achievement. An inability to engage in reading due to either low reading achievement or high reading anxiety could be debilitating. Research on reading anxiety and its association with reading achievement has existed since the 1980s. However, this has been an area of rapidly increasing investigation in recent years. The goal of the present preregistered meta-analysis was to determine the strength of the association between reading anxiety and reading achievement. Through systematic screening of the published and unpublished literature, 64 studies were identified and included in the meta-analysis (totaling 180 effect sizes and 14,467 participants). The included studies were conducted in 14 countries and 11 languages. Analyses were performed using random effects models, accounting for dependent effect sizes via robust variance estimation. A moderate negative average weighted correlation was found between reading anxiety and reading achievement (r = -0.30). Significant heterogeneity across effect sizes was found (Q = 996, p < .001, I2 = 82). Learning disability status, gender, reading domain, and age were not significant moderators. The association between reading anxiety and reading achievement has implications for the fields of psychology and education, specifically in efforts to promote people’s reading achievement while maintaining their socioemotional well-being. Future research using experimental and longitudinal designs is needed to determine the direction of any causal influences between reading anxiety and reading achievement. This would improve suggestions that can be made on how to support people struggling with their reading anxiety and reading achievement.
The current pair of highly powered, preregistered studies estimates the associations between personality/temperament and youth psychopathology and evaluates the generalizability of these associations across diverse populations and research designs. In Study 1, a multilevel meta-analysis of 147 studies (k effects = 829, N = 46,369) quantified the cross-sectional associations among subjects aged 1.5-18, between five-factor model personality traits and internalizing/externalizing psychopathology dimensions within the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessments (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001). All traits but openness evidenced bivariate associations with both psychopathology dimensions (r = |0.18-0.42|). After adjusting for the covariance between internalizing and externalizing, each dimension showed a distinct personality profile. Internalizing was associated with neuroticism (β = .42) and negative extraversion (β = -.37). Externalizing was associated with extraversion (β = .30), negative conscientiousness (β = -.46), and negative agreeableness (β = -.50). Most variance was driven by informant effects, particularly within the externalizing dimension and when personality and psychopathology were informed by the same person (i.e., mono-informant). Study 2 was a preregistered replication and extension of Study 1 in a large, demographically diverse cohort of 9- to 10-year-olds (N = 10,414; excluding diagnoses of schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, and substance use disorders) using cross-sectional, individual-participant, item-level data and measures of temperament corollary to Study 1 personality traits. Most of Study 1's personality associations with Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessments internalizing and externalizing dimensions were replicated for higher order temperament scales (e.g., effortful control) and for their lower order scales (e.g., activation control). Again, mono-informant effects were more pronounced than cross-informant effects. Taken together, these studies provide the first quantitative synthesis of robust cross-sectional associations between personality and psychopathology in youth, highlighting the impact of mono-informant effects. Future longitudinal research may parse out directional relations as well. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
What affective states do people ideally want to feel and why? In Affect Valuation Theory, Tsai et al. (2006) proposed and observed that (a) how people would ideally like to feel (their "ideal affect") differs from how they actually feel (their "actual affect"), and (b) cultural factors shape people's ideal affect even more than their actual affect. In this individual participant data meta-analysis, we reexamined these two premises in a combined data file of over 31,000 participants from 124 data sets collected by different research teams across the world. Consistent with Tsai et al., we observed that (a) actual affect and ideal affect are empirically distinct constructs, and (b) cultural differences in ideal affect are larger in magnitude than cultural differences in actual affect. These findings held across research teams, participant populations, and publication status. Importantly, most cultural differences in ideal affect endured over time, including European Americans' greater valuation of high arousal positive states compared to East Asian Americans and East Asians. New patterns also emerged: European Americans valued low arousal positive states more over time; differences in ideal affect emerged among specific East Asian cultural groups; and socioeconomic status, gender, and age were also associated with differences in ideal affect. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
The present study investigated the unique effects of implicit and explicit attitude forms on behavior and, critically, effects of salient conditions and contextual moderators expected to determine the relative size of each form on behavior in a meta-analytic synthesis review. Specifically, we tested the effects of salient methodological (e.g., methodology used to infer implicit attitude, measure of behavior characteristics, presentation order), conceptual (e.g., conceptualization of explicit attitude, degree of conscious control, social desirability concerns, target behavior), and sample-related (e.g., age) moderators on the relative effects of each form of attitude on behavior. We tested a model specifying unique effects of each form of attitude on behavior using multilevel meta-analytic structural equation modeling in studies (k = 1,108) identified in a systematic literature search. Moderator effects were tested by estimating the model across groups of studies at each level of the moderator. Consistent with prior research, we found unique bias-corrected averaged effects of both forms of attitude when regressed simultaneously on behavior, with a larger effect size for explicit attitudes. Moderator analyses revealed relatively few systematic differences in the effect of each form of attitude on behavior across moderator levels, although we observed larger explicit attitude effects in studies reporting larger correlations between implicit and explicit attitudes. Findings indicate nonzero small-sized unique effects of each form of attitude on behavior across contexts and samples, albeit with high residual heterogeneity after accounting for moderators signaling the need for large-sample primary research systematically testing the effects of further salient moderators. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Stress generation theory suggests that individuals with psychiatric disorders have characteristics or engage in behaviors that increase the amount of dependent (self-generated), but not independent (fateful), stress they are exposed to. Our recent comprehensive meta-analysis amalgamating over 30 years of stress generation research (Rnic et al., 2023) documented stress generation effects broadly across various forms of psychopathology. Since the publication of these findings, Dang and Xiao (2025) reanalyzed a subset of studies from the original meta-analysis by controlling for baseline stressful life events (SLEs). We discuss theoretical and statistical concerns with controlling for baseline SLEs when predicting subsequent stressors. First, dependent and independent stress are both composite formative constructs comprised of completely different SLEs aggregated at each assessment wave, such that the formative latent construct is fundamentally different at each time point. Second, temporal precedence of psychopathology relative to SLEs is already established during assessment via careful dating of stressor onsets. Third, given that SLEs are discrete, time-limited experiences, temporal continuity of SLEs cannot be assumed or, in the case of independent stressors, is actively precluded. Fourth, partialing out variance shared among SLEs over time is problematic because shared variance potentially underlies the direct stress generation effect and moderating effects that are critical for examining group differences. With limited exceptions, controlling for baseline SLEs is not recommended. Future stress and stress generation research will benefit from the use of statistical approaches that are aligned with this more precise conceptualization of dependent and independent stress as formative variables. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Sense of agency refers to the feeling of controlling one's own actions, and, through them, events in the outside world. Contrasting cognitive theories emphasize either the importance of motor predictions or of retrospective inference in this ubiquitous experience. Temporal binding refers to the subjective compression of the time interval between voluntary actions and their outcomes and offers a reliable, quantitative measure of sense of agency. A rotating clock hand has been used to allow participants to indicate the perceived time of actions or outcomes. The perceived time of an action is shifted later if the action produces an outcome, compared to a baseline condition without an outcome (action binding). The perceived time of the outcome event is shifted earlier if it is caused by an action, compared to a baseline condition where the outcome occurs with no action (outcome binding). We report a meta-analysis of 75 published studies of action binding and outcome binding. Action binding showed a modest effect size that was increased for more volitional actions compared to less volitional control conditions. Outcome binding showed a large effect size that again depended on volition but also depended on other moderating factors such as outcome sensory modality, outcome valence, and action-outcome delay. A separate activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of 48 neuroimaging studies that used a range of different measures of agency, but not temporal binding, could identify neural networks corresponding to these moderating factors. The cerebellum, presupplementary motor area, and premotor cortex formed a volition-sensitive motor network, potentially mediating both action binding and outcome binding. Wider networks associated with effects of valence (caudate and putamen) and temporal delay integration nodes (temporoparietal junction) could be linked to strength of outcome binding only. These findings provide a novel neurocognitive framework explaining how dissociable components of temporal binding reflect both motor-specific and nonmotoric cognitive processes. These processes together produce the coherent experience of agency that accompanies a vast range of human actions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
An increasing number of meta-analyses examining chronic and acute effects of physical activity on cognition-varying in aims, eligibility criteria, and statistical methods to reduce risk of bias-have contributed to inconsistent conclusions. To make evidence-based statements about the effects of physical activity on cognition that can reliably inform policy development in physical activity advocacy documents, we need a transparent open science approach and a balanced trade-off between risk of over- and underestimation of effects. Our reply to Román-Caballero's commentary on our meta-analysis (Mavilidi et al., 2025) addresses the need to balance conflicting interpretations of meta-analytical strategies, results, and conclusions. Rather than debating which methodological strategies for evidence synthesis are generally most appropriate, we focus on identifying those best suited to examine the still overlooked role of context in advancing our understanding of the effects of physical activity on cognition. Thus, we justify our methodological choices in a way that, considering the complex and multifaceted nature of the relation between physical activity and cognition, should avoid the risk of discarding meaningful cognitive benefits while attempting to correct for risk of bias (i.e., prevent "throwing out the baby with the bathwater"). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
Recent reviews and meta-analyses suggest the cognitive benefits of physical exercise observed in primary studies may be inflated due to multiple sources of bias, including selection bias, placebo effects, regression to the mean, and publication bias. When these biases are accounted for, the evidence for the purported enhancements has been shown to be inconclusive. The recent meta-analysis by Mavilidi et al. (2025) makes a relevant contribution by pointing out the potential role of moderating variables and therefore the possibility that, under certain conditions, the effect may be more substantive. Yet, a critical evaluation of Mavilidi et al.'s methods reveals several issues in the statistical analyses and interpretation of publication bias analyses. These appear to have led Mavilidi et al. to conclude the presence of an overall cognitive benefit of physical activities. The present commentary provides a reanalysis of the data, applying appropriate methodological corrections. After an adequate analytical strategy, the final effect was reduced and yielded inconclusive evidence of an overall cognitive benefit. Particularly, publication bias methods highlight that the overall effect of chronic physical activity on cognition is likely smaller and therefore inconclusive. Yet, as in the original meta-analysis, the cognitive benefits were significantly larger for chronic interventions with an evidence-based delivery, programs with a clear cognitive component, or high cognitive demands compared to other physical exercise interventions. These results support the possibility that motor-cognitive training/sports games and holistic movement practices/martial arts may be effective activities to improve cognitive functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
Disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) are common in childhood and adolescence, with global estimates of 5.7%. While parenting practices are associated with DBDs, it is not clear whether these associations reflect causal effects or confounding. To strengthen causal inference, we meta-analyzed quasi-experimental evidence on the relationship between parenting practices and DBD symptoms. We conducted multilevel random-effects meta-analyses to pool results and assess evidence of heterogeneity and moderator analyses to further investigate potential sources of heterogeneity. We identified 45 studies that used data from 28 distinct cohorts (n = 38,591) and implemented seven different quasi-experimental methods. There was evidence of a causal effect of negative parenting practices on offspring DBD symptoms (Pearson's r = 0.13; 95% confidence interval, CI [0.09, 0.16]; 95% prediction interval, PI [-0.08, 0.35]; n = 30,677), but no effect of positive parenting practices (r = -0.06; 95% CI [-0.14, 0.02]; 95% PI [-0.39, 0.28]; n = 21,100). Moderator analyses indicated that the effect of negative parenting was consistent across offspring characteristics and maternal and paternal parenting but varied by type of quasi-experimental method, informant for the exposure and outcome, and study quality. The present study thus provides evidence of a small, harmful, causal effect of negative parenting practices on offspring DBDs. Effectively targeting such parenting practices could reduce the substantial societal burden of DBDs, with a potential 4% decrease in the global prevalence of DBD symptoms. This is equivalent to approximately 4.5 million school-aged children no longer meeting clinical thresholds for DBDs, which may reduce pressure on the criminal justice, health care, and social welfare sectors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
Bipolar disorder (BD) has long been associated with changes in emotional reactivity, yet the consistency of this finding remains unclear. We conducted the first systematic review and meta-analysis examining emotional reactivity in BD, comparing individuals diagnosed with, or at high risk for, BD to nonpsychiatric controls or low-risk individuals. The analysis included 112 effect sizes from 35 laboratory studies (1,239 BD/high-risk participants; 1,365 controls), spanning self-reported, behavioral, and psychophysiological measures. Overall, we found no significant difference in emotional reactivity between the BD and non-BD groups (Hedges's g = -0.003, 95% CI [-0.089, 0.083]), but effects were heterogeneous. Moderation analyses of the BD-control contrast found no effects of response channel, valence of emotion induction, BD versus high-risk sample, publication type and year, or study quality indicators. Nonetheless, the type of emotional stimulus and baseline measure mattered; individuals with BD showed less reactivity when responding to standardized emotional images (International Affective Picture System) and to neutral comparison stimuli as opposed to a preinduction baseline measure (note that all studies with International Affective Picture System pictures used neutral comparisons). Additionally, BD participants reported greater decreases in negative emotion in response to positive stimuli compared to controls. We discuss how these findings relate to broader models of emotion in BD, and we note limitations, including the use of laboratory-based stimuli and the predominance of euthymic participants. Our results call for greater attention to the context and methods used when assessing emotion in BD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
