Psychopathy involves disruptions in affiliation and threat sensitivity, but these are hard to disentangle behaviorally. This preregistered study (independent sample Ns = 175 and 173) used clinical-forensic and transdiagnostic measures relevant to psychopathy and an adapted interpersonal distance task. Participants indicated preferred proximity to different targets ranging in affiliation and threat after describing each target in their own words. As expected, participants preferred closer proximity to affiliative targets (e.g., a friend) versus threatening ones (e.g., a thief). However, psychopathic traits did not predict interpersonal proximity preferences. Notably, psychopathic traits (Factor 2; antagonism) were linked to response inconsistency, suggesting task disengagement. Exploratory findings showed that participants high in antagonism used more negative language to describe strangers, suggesting hostile attribution bias; however, this was unrelated to task behavior. Overall, the task did not reveal clear socioemotional differences linked to psychopathy. More engaging, ecologically valid methods are needed to better assess affiliation and threat processing in psychopathy.

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a portable, motion-tolerant neuroimaging method particularly well suited for developmental and naturalistic research. To evaluate the utility of fNIRS for studying individual differences and longitudinal changes, we measured activation and functional connectivity during a relational reasoning task in young adults (N = 73). We sought to (1) establish whether fNIRS captures frontoparietal activation patterns consistent with prior fMRI studies using similar paradigms, (2) assess the effect of the amount of data (number of task blocks) on signal strength and precision, (3) assess the paradigm's measurement properties in the form of intra- and interindividual stability of activation and functional connectivity within and across testing sessions, and (4) examine whether grouping channels into anatomical regions of interest (ROIs) conferred benefits to the above. We observed robust task-evoked activation across lateral prefrontal and parietal cortices, with effect sizes on par with prior fMRI studies. Generally, we observed diminishing returns in effect size and measurement precision beyond ∼7 min. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability varied across metrics; while they were very low for a specific task contrast, they were extremely high for functional connectivity, confirming the robustness of channel- and ROI-level connectivity as a stable marker of functional architecture. Exploratory analyses supported prior observations of lower signal quality in participants with darker skin tones and hair, underscoring the need for inclusive methodological strategies. Together, these findings highlight key design considerations for optimizing longitudinal and individual-differences research on higher-level cognition, particularly in diverse and developmentally variable populations.

Event-related potentials (ERPs) have been extensively used to link neural processes with personality traits, but most work has focused on mean amplitudes, leaving intraindividual variability in brain response comparatively unexplored. The present study examined whether trial-to-trial variability in the P300 reflects a common latent factor across cognitive tasks, and whether it relates to personality traits in ways that differ from mean amplitude. A mixed student and community sample (N = 206) completed three ERP tasks (oddball, flanker, and doors) yielding nine P300 variants. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that mean amplitude and intraindividual variability each loaded onto cohesive but distinct higher-order factors, which were moderately correlated. Structural equation modeling showed that mean P300 amplitude was uniquely and negatively related to Disinhibition, consistent with prior research, whereas P300 variability showed a unique negative association with Conscientiousness, a novel finding. Furthermore, both mean P300 amplitude and P300 variability related uniquely to behavioral performance in the flanker task. This pattern of results aligns with the idea that P300 variability could indicate the consistency of attentional engagement, whereas amplitude reflects a capacity to engage top-down control.

The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) provides a dimensional framework for connecting psychological disorders to neural systems/processes. We examined how neurophysiological measures of cognitive-attentional (oddball P300) and perceptual-emotional processing (fear-face N170/P200) relate to dimensions of the HiTOP externalizing spectrum. Employing 666 community participants, we fit a model in which antagonistic externalizing and substance-problems subfactors, defined via symptom and questionnaire-scale measures, loaded with a disinhibitory trait scale onto a higher-order externalizing factor. Hierarchical regression was used to evaluate how much observed relations of each neural measure with the two subfactors reflected their unique variance versus their covariance (reflected in the general factor). P300's relations were fully accounted for by the general factor, suggesting that impaired cognitive processing characterizes broad risk for externalizing problems. Neural indicators of sensitivity to others' distress (N170, P200) were uniquely related to antagonistic externalizing. Findings highlight the HiTOP framework's potential to advance biobehavioral understanding of psychopathology.

Insomnia and depression are common co-morbidities associated with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Data from Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in TBI, a longitudinal cohort study of TBI and orthopedic controls (OTC), were used to examine insomnia trajectories and the temporal relationship between insomnia and depressive symptoms during recovery. mTBI (n = 1,557) and OTC (n = 226) adult patients with no psychiatric or sleep disorder history were assessed at 2 weeks and 3, 6, and 12 months post-injury, and at three long-term assessments between 2 and 10 years post-injury. Latent class growth analysis identified five insomnia trajectory classes during the first year post-injury, revealing 25% with persistent insomnia, 4% improving, and 71% below the clinical cutoff. A random intercept cross-lagged panel model tested the lagged effects between insomnia and depression. In addition to being longitudinally correlated (φ = 0.74, p < 0.001), depressive symptomatology operated as a leading indicator of worsening insomnia from 3 to 6 months post-injury (β = 0.20, p = 0.001) across the whole sample. The multigroup model revealed less insomnia (α = -0.31, p = 0.006) and depressive symptoms (α = -0.52, p < 0.001) in OTC relative to mTBI. From 1 to 5-10 years post-injury, mTBI low insomnia classes remained stable, while the highest class improved moderately (-5.50, 95% confidence interval: -7.84, -3.16, p < 0.001). Our findings suggest depressive symptoms may lead to worsening insomnia during the subacute recovery period and that a subset of patients with mTBI may suffer from new-onset insomnia that persists for more than 5 years.

Genetic algorithms (GAs) are quantitative optimization techniques that have exclusively been utilized for scale abbreviation despite their potential application to new scale development. Here, we modeled the trait constructs of the triarchic psychopathy framework (boldness, meanness, disinhibition) as latent factors, and then applied a modified GA to select items for assessing each using model-estimated factor scores as targets. Items for the new scales were selected from a separate construct-relevant inventory, the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment, based on their ability to efficiently index each triarchic factor, with consideration given to scale intercorrelations and item polarity. Structural and item response modeling methods were then used to refine the GA-selected item sets. The resultant EPA-Triarchic scales correlated highly with their target factor scores and exhibited stronger loadings than the pre-existing scale indicators when added into the model. This work, illustrating a GA approach to devising new scales for indexing latent factors, has broad potential applications in clinical assessment.

As psychiatry increasingly embraces precision medicine principles, there have been efforts to characterize the specificity of biology-psychopathology associations (e.g., is biology associated with syndromes or symptoms?). Unfortunately, the vast majority of research is designed to test syndromes (e.g., case-control, symptom total/average scores) or individual symptoms a priori based on untested assumptions. Alternatively, most studies that attempt to empirically compare these options test biology as a predictor of 1) syndromes and 2) symptoms in separate models that are unable to directly falsify the specificity of observed associations because these options are not directly competing for the same variance. In this review, we will 1) discuss the historical tension between symptom- and syndrome-focused psychiatry; 2) introduce hierarchical phenotyping as an approach to determining the specificity of biology-psychopathology associations; 3) highlight how hierarchical phenotyping approaches are complementary to leading nosological movements in psychopathology research; 4) illustrate how a hierarchical phenotyping lens can generate promising future directions for precision psychiatry using immunopsychiatric, genetic, and neurophysiological examples; 5) highlight clinical implications of hierarchical phenotyping approaches to psychiatry; 6) discuss methodological implications of hierarchical phenotyping for best practices in measuring and modeling psychopathology; and 7) introduce methodological resources for readers interested in investigating hierarchical phenotyping in their own work. In doing so, we seek to build the case for hierarchical phenotyping approaches while simultaneously preparing motivated readers to use these methods in their own work to advance precision psychopathology research.

Given the substantial symptom overlap between anxiety and depressive disorders, researchers have sought to develop approaches for better differentiating these subdimensions of internalizing psychopathology. Neurophysiological indices of biobehavioral processes specific to either subdimension may provide a means for doing so. Here, we report evidence for opposing associations of a well-established neural indicator of reward responsiveness—the reward positivity (RewP)—with trait indices of depressive and phobic-fear pathology. Furthermore, these relationships were strengthened when controlling for their shared variance via regression modeling. In addition, structural equation modeling revealed that broad negative affectivity reflected the shared variance between the two trait indices. Our findings point to the potential use of reduced RewP to improve differential diagnosis of depressive versus phobic-fear conditions. They also indicate that variance shared between conditions of these types may operate to obscure their observed associations with neural indicators of core processes unique to each.

Linking neurobiology to relatively stable individual differences in cognition, emotion, motivation, and behavior can require large sample sizes to yield replicable results. Given the nature of between-person research, sample sizes at least in the hundreds are likely to be necessary in most neuroimaging studies of individual differences, regardless of whether they are investigating the whole brain or more focal hypotheses. However, the appropriate sample size depends on the expected effect size. Therefore, we propose four strategies to increase effect sizes in neuroimaging research, which may help to enable the detection of replicable between-person effects in samples in the hundreds rather than the thousands: (1) theoretical matching between neuroimaging tasks and behavioral constructs of interest; (2) increasing the reliability of both neural and psychological measurement; (3) individualization of measures for each participant; and (4) using multivariate approaches with cross-validation instead of univariate approaches. We discuss challenges associated with these methods and highlight strategies for improvements that will help the field to move toward a more robust and accessible neuroscience of individual differences.

Increased attention to racial inequities catalyzed a surge in publications documenting racial biases in neuroscience with one recent article in Nature Neuroscience effectively drawing attention to how skin conductance response is less reliably detected for Black individuals than White. In this correspondence, we introduce pressing additional “real world” concerns in how polygraphs heavily rely on this measure. Despite well-documented issues of validity and reliability with polygraphs, they continue to be used in various stages of the legal system. With Black individuals already facing disproportionate incarceration rates, the reduced reliability for skin conductance used in polygraphs for Black individuals can further exacerbate legal system inequity. Furthermore, these biases accentuate existing challenges interpreting polygraph results given their subjectivity as well as the heightened police-related anxiety reported among Black individuals. We join calls for re-evaluation and possibly exclusion of polygraph evidence in legal settings, considering the amplified risks it poses to Black individuals.

Introduction:To decrease psychological risk for content moderators, the study initiated the first steps of developing a robust employment screening tool, namely, the Cognitive Adaptability and Resiliency Employment Screener. Method:The study consisted of three phases with 4,839 total participants. Results:In Phase 1, a set of 76 items were developed and tested via exploratory factor analysis, yielding three factors (i.e., Psychological Perseverance & Agility, Rumination & Emotional Lingering, and Expressiveness & Sociability) and also reducing the scale to 68 items. In Phase 2 through confirmatory factor analysis, the three-factor structure showed good fit (CFI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.05) and demonstrated sufficient overall reliability. In Phase 3, the convergent validity and divergent validity of the tool were established relative to constructs such as resilience, cognitive control and flexibility, emotion regulation, and optimism. Discussion:Altogether, the findings revealed that the scale demonstrated good psychometric properties that, pending future studies, may serve as a promising employment screener for content moderators.

Background: Despite significant progress in our understanding of depression, prevalence rates have substantially increased inrecent years. Thus, there is an imperative need for more cost-effective and scalable mental health treatment options, includingdigital interventions that minimize therapist burden.Objective: This study focuses on a fully automated digital implementation of behavioral activation (BA)-a core behavioralcomponent of cognitive behavioral therapy for depression. We examine the efficacy of a 1-month fully automated SMS textmessage-based BA intervention for reducing depressive symptoms and anhedonia.Methods: To this end, adults reporting at least moderate current depressive symptoms (8-item Patient Health Questionnairescore >= 10) were recruited online across the United States and randomized to one of three conditions: enjoyable activities(ie, BA), healthy activities (ie, an active control condition), and passive control (ie, no contact). Participants randomizedto enjoyable and healthy activities received daily SMS text messages prompting them to complete 2 activities per day;participants also provided a daily report on the number and enjoyment of activities completed the prior day.Results: A total of 126 adults (mean age 32.46, SD 7.41 years) with current moderate depressive symptoms (mean score16.53, SD 3.90) were recruited. Participants in the enjoyable activities condition (BA; n=39) experienced significantly greaterreductions in depressive symptoms compared to participants in the passive condition (n=46). Participants in both activeconditions-enjoyable activities and healthy activities (n=41)-reported reduced symptoms of anxiety compared to those inthe control condition.Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary evidence regarding the efficacy of a fully automated digital BA interventionfor depression and anxiety symptoms. Moreover, reminders to complete healthy activities may be a promising intervention forreducing anxiety symptoms.

Considerable research has linked relative reduction in the amplitude of the P3 event-related potential (ERP) during cognitive task performance (i.e., Target-P3) with increased risk of alcohol-related problems. A separate literature indicates that a relative increase in the amplitude of the P3 elicited by cues signaling alcohol availability (i.e., ACR-P3) also is associated with alcohol use and problems. To date, no research has integrated these seemingly discrepant findings. Here, we aimed to demonstrate that P3 amplitudes elicited in different task contexts reflect distinct domains of functioning relevant to problematic alcohol involvement (PAI), and therefore can inform heterogeneity in the etiology of PAI. 156 emerging adults (61% women; 88% White/Non-Hispanic) completed a mental rotation task and a picture-viewing task while ERPs were recorded. Participants also completed questionnaire measures of trait disinhibition, alcohol use, and alcohol-related problems. Findings from regression analyses indicated that (a) Target-P3 was negatively associated and ACR-P3 was positively associated with a PAI latent variable; (b) the two P3s accounted for unique variance in PAI, beyond that accounted for by recent drinking; and (c) the association between Target-P3 and PAI—but not ACR-P3 and PAI—was statistically mediated by trait disinhibition. The present findings highlight the unique contributions of distinct functional domains associated with disinhibition and incentive salience in the etiology of PAI. Moreover, findings are consistent with a nuanced understanding of the P3 ERP, whereby its specific meaning varies according to the task context in which it is elicited.

Abstract Background The primary objective of this trial is to examine the mechanisms of time-restricted eating (TRE) as an adjunct to psychiatric care for people with bipolar disorder (BD) with sleep or circadian disruptions. This study builds on prior studies of circadian disruption in BD as well as growing evidence that TRE improves circadian functioning. Methods One-hundred fifty participants diagnosed with BD 1 or II will be recruited via advertising in the local community. Main inclusion criteria include: obtaining medical treatment for BD; current sleep or circadian problems; self-reported eating period of ≥ 12 h; no eating disorder or other health conditions that would hinder or limit the safety of following TRE; and not currently experiencing a mood episode, acute suicidality, psychosis, alcohol or substance use disorder. Participants will be asked to complete a baseline period in which daily food intake is logged online for two weeks. After baseline, participants will be asked to follow TRE for 8 weeks and to continue to complete daily food logging during this time. Symptom severity interviews will be conducted by phone or videoconference at baseline, mid-intervention (6 weeks post-baseline), end of intervention (10 weeks post-baseline), and 6 months post-baseline. Self-rated symptom severity and quality of life data will be gathered online at the same time points as symptom severity interviews, and at 16 weeks post-baseline (6 weeks after the TRE period ends). To assess potential mechanisms of change, we will examine the change in diurnal amplitude of ‘clock’ gene expression as a primary mediator at 8 weeks compared to baseline. We will further test whether diurnal amplitude of clock gene expression is predictive above and beyond the role of two covariate potential mediators, glucose tolerance and inflammation at 8 weeks relative to baseline. To provide an index of whether TRE successfully decreases emotional lability, participants will be asked to complete 5 mood assessments per day for 7 days at baseline and at 10 weeks. These mood assessments will be optional. Discussion The planned research will provide novel and important information on whether TRE improves sleep/circadian rhythm problems, along with reductions in mood symptoms and improvements in quality of life, for individuals with BD. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT06555406.

Abstract Background The primary objective of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to establish the effectiveness of time-restricted eating (TRE) compared with the Mediterranean diet for people with bipolar disorder (BD) who have symptoms of sleep disorders or circadian rhythm sleep–wake disruption. This work builds on the growing evidence that TRE has benefits for improving circadian rhythms. TRE and Mediterranean diet guidance will be offered remotely using self-help materials and an app, with coaching support. Methods This study is an international RCT to compare the effectiveness of TRE and the Mediterranean diet. Three hundred participants will be recruited primarily via social media. Main inclusion criteria are: receiving treatment for a diagnosis of BD I or II (confirmed via DIAMOND structured diagnostic interview), endorsement of sleep or circadian problems, self-reported eating window of ≥ 12 h, and no current mood episode, acute suicidality, eating disorder, psychosis, alcohol or substance use disorder, or other health conditions that would interfere with or limit the safety of following the dietary guidance. Participants will be asked to complete baseline daily food logging for two weeks and then will be randomly allocated to follow TRE or the Mediterranean diet for 8 weeks, during which time, they will continue to complete daily food logging. Intervention content will be delivered via an app. Symptom severity interviews will be conducted at baseline; mid-intervention (4 weeks after the intervention begins); end of intervention; and at 6, 9, and 15 months post-baseline by phone or videoconference. Self-rated symptom severity and quality of life data will be gathered at those timepoints, as well as at 16 weeks post baseline. To provide a more refined index of whether TRE successfully decreases emotional lability and improves sleep, participants will be asked to complete a sleep diary (core CSD) each morning and complete six mood assessments per day for eight days at baseline and again at mid-intervention. Discussion The planned research will provide novel and important information on whether TRE is more beneficial than the Mediterranean diet for reducing mood symptoms and improving quality of life in individuals with BD who also experience sleep or circadian problems. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT06188754.

Objective: Behavioral economic theory suggests that alcohol risk is related to elevated alcohol reinforcing efficacy (demand) combined with diminished availability of reinforcing substance-free activities, but little research has examined these reward-related processes at the daily level in association with comorbid conditions that might influence behavioral patterns and reward. Young people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) report high levels of risky drinking, and this risk may be due in part to elevated demand for alcohol and diminished engagement in enjoyable and valued substance-free activities. Method: College student drinkers (N = 101; 48.5% female; 68.3% White; 18-22 years old) with (n = 51) and without (n = 50) ADHD completed 14 consecutive daily diaries (diary entry n = 1,414). We conducted a series of multilevel path models to examine (a) the associations among ADHD and average daily alcohol demand, substance-free enjoyment, and response contingent positive reinforcement (RCPR) for goal-directed behaviors; (b) the associations among concurrent daily alcohol demand, substance-free reinforcement, and RCPR for goal-directed behaviors and daily alcohol use and alcohol-related negative consequences; and (c) the moderating effect of ADHD on these within-day associations. Results: ADHD was significantly associated with more daily alcohol-related negative consequences and less daily substance-free enjoyment and RCPR. Regardless of ADHD status, there were significant associations among behavioral economic risk factors and alcohol use and negative consequences, though effects differed within and between persons. There were no moderating effects of ADHD on within-person associations. Conclusions: Results expose areas of impairment specific to drinkers with ADHD and advance theory on ADHD and hazardous drinking.

The triarchic model posits that distinct trait constructs of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition underlie psychopathy. The triarchic model traits are conceptualized as biobehavioral dimensions that can be assessed using different sets of indicators from alternative measurement modalities; as such, the triarchic model would hypothesize that these traits are not confined to any one item set. The present study tested whether the triarchic model dimensions would emerge from a hierarchical-structural analysis of the facet scales of the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA), an inventory designed to comprehensively index psychopathy according to the five-factor personality model. Study participants (Ns = 811, 170) completed the EPA and three different scale sets assessing the triarchic traits along with criterion measures of antisocial/externalizing behaviors. Bass-ackwards modeling of the EPA facet scales revealed a four-level structure, with factors at the third level appearing similar to the triarchic trait dimensions. An analysis in which scores for the Level-3 EPA factors were regressed onto corresponding latent-trait dimensions defined using the different triarchic scale sets revealed extremely high convergence (beta s = .84-.91). The Level-3 EPA factors also evidenced validity in relation to relevant criteria, approximating and sometimes exceeding that evident for the Level-4 EPA factors. Together, these results indicate that the triarchic trait constructs are embedded in a psychopathy inventory designed to align with a general personality model and effectively predict pertinent external criteria.

Abstract BackgroundDespite significant progress in our understanding of depression, prevalence rates have substantially increased in recent years. Thus, there is an imperative need for more cost-effective and scalable mental health treatment options, including digital interventions that minimize therapist burden. ObjectiveThis study focuses on a fully automated digital implementation of behavioral activation (BA)—a core behavioral component of cognitive behavioral therapy for depression. We examine the efficacy of a 1-month fully automated SMS text message–based BA intervention for reducing depressive symptoms and anhedonia. MethodsTo this end, adults reporting at least moderate current depressive symptoms (8-item Patient Health Questionnaire score ≥10) were recruited online across the United States and randomized to one of three conditions: enjoyable activities (ie, BA), healthy activities (ie, an active control condition), and passive control (ie, no contact). Participants randomized to enjoyable and healthy activities received daily SMS text messages prompting them to complete 2 activities per day; participants also provided a daily report on the number and enjoyment of activities completed the prior day. ResultsA total of 126 adults (mean age 32.46, SD 7.41 years) with current moderate depressive symptoms (mean score 16.53, SD 3.90) were recruited. Participants in the enjoyable activities condition (BA; n=39) experienced significantly greater reductions in depressive symptoms compared to participants in the passive condition (n=46). Participants in both active conditions—enjoyable activities and healthy activities (n=41)—reported reduced symptoms of anxiety compared to those in the control condition. ConclusionsThese findings provide preliminary evidence regarding the efficacy of a fully automated digital BA intervention for depression and anxiety symptoms. Moreover, reminders to complete healthy activities may be a promising intervention for reducing anxiety symptoms.

Research using psychophysiological methods holds great promise for refining clinical assessment, identifying risk factors, and informing treatment. Unfortunately, unique methodological features of existing approaches limit inclusive research participation and, consequently, generalizability. In this brief overview and commentary, we provide a snapshot of the current state of representation in clinical psychophysiology with a focus on the forms and consequences of ongoing exclusion of Black participants. We illustrate issues of inequity and exclusion that are unique to clinical psychophysiology and consider intersections among social constructions of Blackness and biased design of current technology used to measure electroencephalography, skin conductance, and other signals. We then highlight work by groups dedicated to quantifying and addressing these limitations. We discuss the need for reflection and input from a wider variety of affected individuals to develop and refine new technologies given the risk of further widening disparities. Finally, we provide broad recommendations for clinical-psychophysiology research.

OBJECTIVE:Advances in clinical psychology must be accompanied by advances in training. This study assessed training content, quality, and needs during clinical psychology doctoral programs among current or past doctoral students. METHODS:Current or past clinical psychology doctoral students (N = 343) completed an anonymous survey assessing training experiences and needs. A descriptive-focused exploratory factor analysis (EFA) also examined whether common subgroups of academic interests emerged. RESULTS:Most participants reported that they sought training beyond required coursework, primarily in clinical training, cultural competency, and professional development, and reported having taken one or more unhelpful course, including discipline-specific knowledge requirements. Descriptive results from the EFA demonstrated common training areas of interest: diversity topics, biological sciences, clinical practice, and research methods. DISCUSSION:This study demonstrates that trainees and early career psychologists are aware of their nuanced and in some cases, unmet training needs. CONCLUSION:This work foregrounds the need to adapt extant training opportunities to support the next generation of clinical psychologists.