Cannabis use is rising among women. Studies suggest females are more sensitive to the intoxicating and misuse-related effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). While preclinical studies point to sex-specific development of tolerance, this has not been translated to humans. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, 44 participants (22 F) smoked three cannabis strengths (0% [~0 mg] THC, 4% [~20 mg] THC, 10% [~60 mg] THC), provided blood for plasma analysis, and completed subjective mood and drug effects assessments and a self-administration task. Outcomes were analyzed by cannabis strength, sex, and use frequency ( > 4 vs. ≤4 days/week; balanced across sex). Relative to placebo, active cannabis strengths increased subjective effects and plasma THC and metabolites (ps < 0.05). Exploratory follow-up of interactions (cannabis strength*frequency p < 0.10) showed the frequent-use group exhibiting significant increases from placebo in misuse-related ratings (“Like”, “Take again”) and self-administering more cannabis than the occasional-use group (ps < 0.05), and this was not modified by sex. Ratings of “High”, Sedation/impairment, Dysphoric arousal, and “Bad effect” were higher at active strengths for occasional-use males relative to sex- and/or frequency-matched counterparts (ps < 0.05; via exploratory follow-up for “High” and Sedation/impairment). THC and metabolites tended to be highest in frequent-use males. These findings contrast with previous evidence of greater cannabis sensitivity among females and point toward future investigation into sex-dependent exposure thresholds for tolerance development/escalation. Sex and frequency of use are both implicated in cannabis use disorder risk, and consideration of their interaction is critical in characterizing the acute effects of, and tolerance to, cannabis.
Daily life requires navigating uncertainty arising from external events and internal bodily sensations. Although uncertainty often elicits anxiety, individuals differ markedly in their sensitivity to it, a trait termed Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU). Across two studies, we examined how IU and alexithymia (difficulties identifying and describing emotions) mediate the links between interoceptive sensibility (self-reported awareness, attention, and appraisal concerning bodily sensations) and both anxiety and social cognition. In Study 1 (N = 190), participants completed questionnaires assessing interoceptive sensibility, alexithymia, IU, and anxiety. Study 2 (N = 154) included additional measures of empathic tendencies and performance on an emotion recognition task analysed using Drift Diffusion Modelling (DDM). Maladaptive interoceptive attention styles were associated with elevated anxiety and greater empathic distress. Both IU and alexithymia significantly mediated the relationships between interoceptive sensibility, anxiety, and personal distress. Exploratory DDM analyses unexpectedly suggested more efficient perceptual processing in individuals with higher IU, reflected in enhanced recognition of positive emotional expressions. These findings highlight the complex interplay among interoceptive sensibility, IU, alexithymia, anxiety, and social cognition, and suggest that interventions targeting uncertainty sensitivity and emotional awareness may improve emotional well-being and social functioning.
Background: Emerging literature on derailment, or the perceived disruption in one's sense of identity and life direction, has shown strong associations with affective functioning. However, less is known about the contexts in which derailment becomes affectively consequential. Across three studies, we examined whether derailment was associated with positive and negative affect across perceived, experimentally induced, and evaluative stress contexts. Methods: Study 1 used a cross-sectional undergraduate sample (N = 460). Study 2 used a modified Online Trier Social Stress Test to manipulate acute stress and measure post-task affect (N = 224). Study 3 placed participants in a high-stress evaluative task and randomly assigned them to receive positive, negative, or no performance-related feedback (N = 325). Results: In Study 1, the hypothesised linear interaction between derailment and perceived stress on affect was not significant. Exploratory models suggested a nonlinear association with lower positive affect, though no comparable pattern emerged for negative affect. Study 2 showed that acute stress moderated the association between derailment and post-task positive affect, but not negative affect. Study 3 showed that feedback valence shaped affect, but the hypothesised interaction between derailment and feedback valence was not supported. Conclusions: Derailment was most consistently related to diminished positive affect.
Emotional expressions conveyed through body postures and movements play a central role in social communication and adaptive behaviour, yet they have received considerably less attention than facial expressions. This systematic review examines how emotional bodily expressions are induced, measured, and analyzed. Forty-nine studies on healthy adults were included, covering (1) measurement technologies and body-related outcomes, (2) sample characteristics, (3) methods used to elicit, portray, and assess emotions, (4) single- versus multi- channel approaches, (5) the main findings, and (6) methodological limitations. Results reveal substantial methodological heterogeneity: bodily expressions have been assessed using a wide range of devices, each with specific constraints. Methods used to elicit or portray emotion ranged from standardised stimuli to interactive paradigms, reflecting the challenge of balancing experimental control with ecological validity. Findings are further limited by small, homogeneous samples, gender imbalance, inconsistent emotion assessment, and an overall high risk of bias. Despite these limitations, the literature demonstrates that bodily expressions convey meaningful information about emotional states, particularly in high-arousal and socially relevant contexts. This review highlights the need for improved methodological standardisation, experimental paradigms better suited to their contexts, and appropriate statistical approaches to more effectively capture the dynamic nature of emotional bodily expressions.
This study examined emotional Stroop interference and attentional processing in refugees using an Emotional Stroop Task. The final analysed sample comprised 42 refugees and 39 non-refugees in the United Kingdom, who completed the task alongside the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). Refugees reported significantly higher levels of trauma-related stress compared to non-refugees. To control for baseline differences in response speed, interference scores were calculated by subtracting reaction times in neutral conditions from emotional conditions. Results showed that refugees exhibited significantly greater emotional Stroop interference than non-refugees, particularly for refugee-specific negative stimuli. No group differences were observed in neutral-condition reaction times. These findings suggest heightened emotional interference and altered attentional processing for emotionally salient information in refugees. The results highlight the cognitive impact of trauma and underscore the importance of further research on attentional processing in this population.
